diff --git "a/falcon-refinedweb-100k_en-long_139.txt" "b/falcon-refinedweb-100k_en-long_139.txt" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/falcon-refinedweb-100k_en-long_139.txt" @@ -0,0 +1,10000 @@ +Tuesday, November 23, 2010 +Last of the Leaves! +In the states, Thanksgiving is almost here and I can already tell that winter is close on its tail. As I was walking to work yesterday I realized just how bare some of the trees are getting. The contrast is making those trees that do indeed still have brightly-colored leaves that much more impressive. Thus, as we hit the middle of our short workweek, I present to you images of the last remnants of falls colors, the city has been ablaze with colors in the opinion of this humble blogger, although I have been informed by more than a few jaded New Yorkers that this fall has been short and moody, and that it was a shame my first New York fall couldn't have been more colorful. Fear not, lovely Big Apple neighbs, my first taste of a true fall has been nothing short of mesmerizing. +I do think, admittedly, that part of what makes fall so beautiful to me is the colors and the architecture of the buildings all throughout Manhattan, which serve as the backdrop for these leaves (of which there really were more reds and oranges than any of my pictures served to capture). I think the city will be just as mesmerizing when all tree branches are bare. +Monday, November 22, 2010 +Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies! +I did it! I stayed true to my spoken intention! I made these cookies, compliments of direction from rockstar diaries, and let me just say, they rocked my socks off. The pumpkin keeps the cookies remarkably moist, and the chocolate chips are a wonderful flavor-craze addition. I ate my weight in them yesterday as they baked (nevermind the cookie dough samples, which were inevitable) so I left 2 for the apartment and brought the rest in to work this morning. With any luck things go well coworker-wise, and I won't see people walking away from the kitchen wincing from samples. Of course, it is me, so thus far whenever people have mentioned, "Hey, there's cookies in the kitchen..." I have to crow, "I know! I made them!" What can I say? Subtlety has never been my strong point. +Friday, November 19, 2010 +Christmas is Coming! +I was lucky enough, as I ran some errands after work yesterday, to come upon the unveiling of Macy's holiday window displays. Being a newbie, I was unaware this was a pre-Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition, but the crowds outside of the store were immense, and there was singing and palpable excitement in the air. I gazed at the brightly lit tree and continued on, but am going to have to sneak away to peek at the windows! The Lord & Taylor I walk past on my way to work each day has had holiday windows out for a couple days now, and I can't tell you how giddy I got the first day I trotted past to gaze upon them! +{Macy's Window Unveiling} +{Lord & Taylor's Display Windows} +They're little dolls and moving doll houses, all celebrating! +Being as it is not yet Thanksgiving, however, I am going to cling to the fall season for a few more days. I plan on bringing all my senses in on the action by making some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies this weekend. It's been on my mental to-do list since October and now that our oven is fixed and I have the necessary baking tools, I intend to make good on this! I'll report back on Monday if they are at all a success. (And if they don't go the way of my mini-jack-o-lanterns...) +Thursday, November 18, 2010 +Quotables +Oftentimes, when I'm not feeling inspired in any particular direction, I turn to various blogs around the web for quote inspirations. Ironically, today is one of those crisp fall days when I feel sort of vaguely inspired by just the act of being alive and living in Manhattan after so many years of thinking about it. Yet that vague inspiration isn't pushing me in any particular direction for a post this morning, except that I am generally happy. Happy it's a Thursday, happy I have a less packed weekend than the previous to look forward to, just generally in good spirits. So, here are some quotes to give you something to look at, basically. Happy Thursday! +.” +Wednesday, November 17, 2010 +Hooray for Harrisburg! +Now that I'm an East Coaster, I'm going to do my darndest to get out and see all that this coast has to offer. First on my list? A trip to Harrisburg, PA to visit some dear, dear friends in the midst of holiday cheer. I've never been outside of Philadelphia (and even then I was a young'un, and plan to re-visit Philly one day), and am incredibly excited to see this whole darling family and to peruse the amazing new home that has been built, all in a whirlwind trip! First Vacation from the new job - here I come! And now, a little map of where I'll be (I've got a month to go yet, but I'm just giddy!) +{Harrisburg, PA} +{The dears with whom I'll be visiting, and myself.} +Fierce, right? +Tuesday, November 16, 2010 +Organized Obsession +Despite the fact that I never seem able to keep things neat consistently, and instead require mass clean-ups every few days, I am obsessed with being organized and tidy. I'm the worst kind too, because if it's my mess I don't see it, but if it's anyone else's I become obsessive about trying to tidy it up. Apologies to all, friends and roommates. I'm trying to turn over a new leaf, and maintain tidiness in my own space, enjoying my beautiful hardwood floors is easier if they are not strewn with outfits from the past weekend. Now that I have a dresser and am fully unpacked, the maintenance of both the dresser and my closets is key. These closets, from Cupcakes and Cashmere, and The Glamourai, offer definite inspiration to keep myself tidy and able to enjoy - and see - the things I own! +Monday, November 15, 2010 +Monday, Monday +You most certainly cannot trust a Monday, and being as I had a comparatively rambunctious weekend, today was harder than most. Still, this star sign spread that The Short and the Sweet of It turned me on to, seems like as good a post as any for a day that finds me tired and strangely puffy in the face. Kudos to feasting and imbibing! As a self-proclaimed Lorpio (I was born a Leo but was supposed to have been born a Scorpio), I have included both these star sign photos below for your visual enjoyment. +{Leo} +{Scorpio} +Friday, November 12, 2010 +Dresser Debacle +Okay, so this wasn't actually a debacle of epic proportions - and I am honestly incredibly proud of the result - I made an attempt to customize a dresser and there were inevitably a few small errors. The knobs don't descend in a completely straight line, I know, I know. However, all-in-all, I like the results of this DIY dresser.! +{Before} +{After} +There are some tweaks that still need to be done - the bottom drawer's knob was put on prior to my realization that the knobs, conveniently, came with a nut to secure on the other side of the drawer face. So I have to get some pliers to remove it now that the knob spins independently of anything else. I also screwed one of the upper knobs in at an angle, and will have to remove it to straighten it out. (Hey, I'm new at this DIY thing, and I tend to get ahead of myself and skip steps in everything I do, so why would this be any different? Exactly. It wasn't.) But I still am pretty content with the current state of things. It felt good to create the actual version of this idea I had in my head. Now, go ahead, spot the errors! And Happy Friday! +PS - I just realized that the second picture from the bottom is a little nauseating. My apologies. I swear I was holding my phone still. Oh. Yeah. Still using the phone for my pictures. Even though I have now unpacked my actual camera. I'll get to it. I promise. +Thursday, November 11, 2010 +Thank you to all our Veterans! +Being as today is Veterans Day, I just wanted to say Thank You to all the men and women who have, and who continue to, serve our country and risk making the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedom as a nation. Three of my grandparents served in the armed forces, and several friends continue in their stead. Thank you to every one of you. +Tres Chic, Magnifique! +I am in love. I ordered a bedside table from Target, and a lamp from Pottery Barn for my new, fabulously sun-lit room, and they have arrived and I am head-over-heels. Seriously. I'm making a first love look jaded and bitter with this set-up. It feels decadent and pristine, I feel like I'm in a hotel every time I glance at it! +{nighttime look} +{daytime look} +Wednesday, November 10, 2010 +Curtains, curtains, who's got the curtains! +Anyone catch the Dweedle-Dee and Dweedle-Dum-isms of that title? Anyway, I've got the curtains! That's right, I hung up 3 curtains in each of 3 exposed windows in my new apartment - my room, the dining nook (I love it, but that ain't a room), and the kitchen. The windows don't let in all that much light as they all face our neighboring building, but I wanted to give at least the illusion of some privacy without blocking the light completely. Thus, I went with cafe curtains, covering the bottom half of the windows but keeping the upper half completely uncovered. I think they turned out very well, all said. +{Dining Nook Window - Before} +{Dining Nook Window - After}The real kicker? There was absolutely no hemming involved. Home Depot was my one-stop-shop for the spring rods and the curtains themselves, but as they were not the iron-a-hem sort of curtains I had a moment of doubt whether or not they should just be returned. Still, I decided to try a hare-brained technique, and the trick worked! I simply folded the curtains under themselves from the bottom, and they were just long enough that they provided a sort of insta-valance over the top of each curtain! My grandmother was excited for me when I told her, and it's saying something when one's grandmother will take a short-cut-technique-to-partial-privacy and congratulate you on it. +{Curtained Bedroom Window} +{Curtained Kitchen Window; the bottom section is a screen hence no curtain-coverage} +Tuesday, November 9, 2010 +Gray Skies and Cheery Mornings +As one who considers herself to be at least aware of the harm humans wreck on the environment, I have to shamefacedly admit to you that up until scarily recently, I was using the paper cups my office provides for my daily coffee fix. I know, I'm sorry. There was a snafu with a mug I thought I had but which I never found, and I couldn't bear to purchase a random mug when I knew there was one a dear friend had made for me somewhere in my midst. Finally, however, I gave up on ever finding said homemade mug, and purchased a generic one. One with which I am now completely in love. So cheery on these gray New York days! So yellow and perfect for tea! +Monday, November 8, 2010 +Oh the weather outside... +Now with the time change over and done with, and a gloomy, windy Monday to boot, it feels like winter is upon us. The toughest part being, of course, that winter is not at all upon us. It is only fall and already I am understanding why there's always women in the bathroom doing their make-up at work. The wind is too cold, the eyes tear too much, and wearing mascara en route to work is just foolishness. It is weather like this that makes me wish I had a fireplace. Or my own place so I could buy a fake fireplace and set it up in the living room where most people's TVs take residence. That's right, I'd have a fake fireplace if such was all that was available to me. And I would not be ashamed. In the meantime, I have to imagine a future home with a fireplace - fake or otherwise - so here are some pictures to offer me inspiration. +GREPPER +SEARCH +SNIPPETS +USAGE DOCS +INSTALL GREPPER +All Languages +>> +C +>> +can we write a program without main in c +“can we write a program without main in c” Code Answer +can we write a program without main in c +c by +D@RK$T@R +on Apr 25 2020 +Comment +2 +#include #define start main void start() { printf("Hello, World!!!"); } +Source: +developerinsider.co +Add a Grepper Answer +C answers related to “can we write a program without main in c” +%e in c programming +c main +c main args +c programme to get a number you entered +compilation process of a c program +how to modulo in c without use the operator +in a c program if you call "fwritef("got here")", you will get a compileerror, but if you add the line "void fwritef(char *);", you won't. why? +main function in c +memmem function in c for windows +params in main function in C +run program without main method using macro +what is the usage of extern in c +why is it called c +Write a c program to print hello world +C queries related to “can we write a program without main in c” +a c program without main function +is it possible to write without main function in c +without main function in c program +Write a running C code without main()? +can we perform c program without main function +how to write a program without main function in c +c program without main +can we write c program without main +how to write C program without main function +how to run a program in c +can we write a program without main in c +More “Kinda” Related C Answers +View All C Answers » +c detect endianness +run time in c +c remove last character from a string +sleep in c programming +c va_list example +strcmp c cs50 +c main +%e in c programming +callback c++ c +how to set a pointer to an offset in c +can we write a program without main in c +donut c code +hello word c +if statement shorthand c +clear screen c +why is it called c +c main args +c command line arguments +how to make a hello world program in c +terminal size in c +c printing char pointer +c program boilerplate +convert string to float c +c hello world +boolean in c +read file in c line by line +c random number +c check if file exists +how to check the size of a file c +c program to print current date and time +full screen on c +how to store a user input with spaces in c +print an array in c +loops in c +C float division +c user input +c bool +print variable c +change text color c +c waitpid +read files in c +if statement c short form +type change in c +write in file in c +two bytes to int c +who made c +c data types +signal function c +how to print boolean in c +how to compare strings in c +detect operating system c +commentaire c +c \b +c printf uint32_t +how to use gets after scanf +C delay +exit status c +puts without newline c +check is number is palindrome in C +isalpha c +c print system time stamp +size of an array c +how to find the size of an array from a txt file loaded using c +comment c +take array as input in c +int open file in c +c detect a change of line in a file +c int to string +c program to find simple interest +string to int c +c get time +counter program in c language +printf long long int +a enum data type in c +c random +C printf to string +call a function inside argument of another function c +c string is int +params in main function in C +for loop c +c print program +how make a character in c scanf +how to get a string in c with space +C clock +c colour +c language gross program +convert a float to binary c +parcourir char c +return array in c +c lang placeholders +multi line comment c +c print long +how to read full string in c +printf c float +How to Convert double to int in C +fopen function in c +hello world without semicolon in c +set Pointers C +enum in c +array value from user c +typedef in c +isdigit in c +learn assembly language +struct in C +strcasecmp c +how to sleep in c +how to put a char into a string c +hello world program in c +get time to complete code c +c rsa encryption +hello world code in c +size_t in c +list in C +switch statement in c +measure time in c +check if string in string c +c concatenate strings +c switch +for loop in c +c rand +strtok +string length c +dynamic memory allocation in c +bool in c +C time +c for +how to mutex lock in c +how to remove \n from a string c +how to break a loop in c +c if else +boucle for c +how to make sure input is integer c +hello world c +how to print int in c +how to get rid of all spaces in a string in c +print double in c +split string in c +how to add comment in c +how to add a comment in c +switch case c +node in c +c print sizeof char +remove first character from string c +c generate random number +string strcat function in c +see if two strings are equal in C +how to print hello world in c +c bit access struct +c fractional sleep +c gettimeofday example +c print char +c write to file +c unused variable +compilation process of a c program +global and local variables in c +c printf +binary to decimal in c +c macros +c constructor +c memcpy +how to program in c +how to combine strings in c +memset c +c number randomizer +delete string function in c +c escape characters +c copy string +how to hello world in c +printf signed char +remove \n from string c +c float to string +how to define a enum in c +c printf float value +clear screen in c +return pointer to struct in C +check if string starts with c +strcmp c +how to print the address of a pointer in c +write a binary file c +c programming print pattern pyramid +How to run C program using command +turn a char into an int in c +find character from string c count +typedef c struct +read string with space c +c scanf +c fopen +How to exit a c program +c realloc +import math c +variadic function in c +c memcpy include +boolean function c +assert() in c +c absolute value +what is stdin in c +c ternary operator +typedef c +how to find length of string in c +malloc in c +import a library in c +C return pointer +concatenate two strings in c +array length c +how to print value of pointer in c +format specifiers in c +Syntax To Take Input In C +switch case in c +c modify char array +why do you need the return 0 c +c variable types +c getc +int to char in c +strcpy in C +length of a char array in c +free in c +c program from decimal to binary +c function pointer in argument +how to print a pointer array in c +how to create a string in c +if statement in c +C comment +strdup c +c print statement +for statement in c +cmd command with c +macro in c +defining typedef struct in c +statement o compare two strings in c +sprintf in c +c double +check if character is uppercase c +what is system function in c +using switch case in c +c program to read and write to a file +program to concatenate two strings in c +strstr in c +print digits of a number in c +como declarar uma string em c +how to check the size of a file in linux c +how to read in sentences in c +c null define +How to make a printf in c +c remove last character from string +append a character to a string c +write array of char to file in c +int main(int argc char *argv ) in C +c get file size +casting an int to a char in c +how to use ? in c +how to print a file c +c program to sort the characters of a string +c how to print +get length of array in c +enum c +c struct +printf in c +macros in c +run a command in cmd with c +read from stdin c +atoi c +sleep function in c +how to put a struct in another struct C +c strncmp +c c_str +how to get user input in c +c print hello world +convert string to uppercase in c +strcpy en c +c get time in milliseconds +c convert char to int +strcmp c library +c program hide console window +how to denote an empty string in c +c pointers +function in c +what is the usage of extern in c +c substring +exit loop c +count number of words in a string in c +casting in c +function pointer c +C string convert All Uppercse To Lowercase +!isdigit c +how to compile c code to a .so +get last char string c +malloc c +char to int in c +how to represent unsigned char with % c +how to ascii art in c +isalnum in c +read a document in c getting name from console +c to llvm +C typedef +strcmp in c +how to reverse a string in c +c language string +c check if char is an operator +c read csv +how to run c program from visual studio terminal +read enter in c +how to read space separated words in c +Write a c program to count the different types of characters in given string. +convert decimal to binary in c +read a binary file c +struct main function c in unix +declare string in c +how to print something out to the console c +what is mean of define in c language +#include +%.*s in c +c unused parameter +scanf in c +fgets c +poiner in c +how to get string input in c +c get random float +sacnf in c +main function in c +read a document from console in c +how to open a website in c +declare variable in c +how to search in a file in c +strncpy c +scan numbers into array c +How to pass a struct value to a pthread in c? +how to find length for string in c +scanf c +fseek function in c +c clear buffer +c printf scanf +c +declaring a volatile in c +c program convert fahrenheit to celsius +fgets function in c +c file size +print hello world in c +pass the pointer in C +c switch case +check if string is the same c +string in c +what is void in c +c switch case example +define in c +what is restrict keyword in c +c rand() +c isdigit function +c copy 2 strings\ +array of strings in c +c read string +how to absolute value in c +c list +volatile keyword in c +c read file content +what is a long long int in c +fwrite c +fgets in c +char array to int c +c language tutorial +definir função em c +and statement c +WHILE loop in c +c declare float +c program to the count the number of times each character appears +arduino c string split by delimiter +how to use malloc in c +how to cast in c programming +remove string from string c +c str add int +how do pointers work in c programmwiz +strcpy c implementation +how to write function in c +c vs c +extern "C" +string length in c +include ‘’ or provide a declaration of ‘exit’ +command line arguments c +c concatenate strings without using strcat or strcpy +check if pid exists c +how to make a debug in c +leggere stringhe con spazio in mezzo c +epoch time in c +C if +print variable adress c +c log +how to set string to null in c +ellipsis c lang +long int specifier C +string length in c without using strlen and string header +string in c programming +ltoa in c +c pragma +C structure +compare two chars c +how to scan in c +length of string c +how to use a pointer as a parameter in c +c read lines from text file in to array +palindrome string program in c +a enum data type in c with loop +online c compiler +c challenge +sscanf in c +FIRST PROGRAM IN C +atol c. +Switch Mode C Programming +printing out 2 strings in c +do-while in c +c char to int +how to take comma separated integer input in c +how to convert int in to const char in c +compare two integers in c +c include delay +for loop continue c +how to create a file in c +check if float is integer c +c boolean +to upper in c +fopen c +animation with c +c function pointer +c tutorial +data type in c +sprintf C +pointer +print float in c +declaration in c +print boolean value in c +functions in c programming +get int from user c +c concatenate and allocate string +putting value of struct in runtme +declare integer c +boolean c +conditional compilation in c +declare type c +sleep in c +file in C +function pointer in c +c strcmp +function inside struct c +return char array in c +variable globlal c +c calloc +how to use register in c programming +read from command line c +strncmp c +too few arguments to function in c +c convert float to string +which library include size_t in C +size of file in c +print in c +c define +c file +random number generator c +c read a whole string from a file +int to float c +how to create an int in c +fclose C +functions return type in c +c return +print to screen c +what is size_t in c +print long in c +convert string to lowercase in c +realloc in c +what is the getchar function in c +switch case in c syntax +what is fprintf in c +how to print in c +toupper c programming +when to use extern "C" +c language +FILE* +c make loop +how to print % in printf +c compilers +envp c +C color and font program +c toggle variable +thread parameters c +len of str vbs +bcd to char c +stdin char c +diferencia entre * y & en c +convert c++ code to c online +c code library +#include using namespace std; int main() { for(int i=3;i!=0; i--) { count< C +c \a +ascii +man strstr +code in c skipping over scanf +if(pointer) in c +remove vowels from string in c +how to input a string into a char array cpp +shuffle function in c +in a c program if you call "fwritef("got here")", you will get a compileerror, but if you add the line "void fwritef(char *);", you won't. why? +printf data types c +pointer arithmetic C +C overwrite last line +what is C +How to return a char array from a function in C +scanf integer +how to compare to half byte in C +Write a c program to print hello world +c read file from command line +ask the user if they would like to do something again in C +initialize char pointer c +c programme to get a number you entered +abbreviate name using string in c +Variadic macros in c +formula resolvente C +error: ‘istringstream’ is not a member of ‘std’ +what is stdin fd number +c bind str and int +what is the use of malloc in c +how to compress image in c +how to make a character in c +best sites for loop practice c +get flag status c code +sending a signal to a pid c +c check first character of string +c string equil +c hello +c refresher +memmem function in c for windows +fscanf stops at space +print max val c +encrypt message in c +#include int main() { int x=(20||40)&&(10); printf("%d",x); return 0; } +how to know where segfaut is c +what is stdout fd number +unknown type name bool c +how to get a lonng in scanf in c +script in c +ternary operator in c +c string equal +check command line input is a number in c +how to get random input in c +int to void* c +save text file c +how to compress a file in c +Problem Statement Print the following output: \ Input Format IN Output Format \ +replace word in c +c program to assembly language +what is stderr fd number +what is an abstract data type in c +missing number in c +c printf affichage +how to reset to read from beginning of file c +come fare un programma in c con cui interagire +como somar em C +allocating memory for 1Mb text file in C +input array elements in c +pointer inside structure in c +reset the reading position to beginning in c +c file struct +how to print the first character of a string in c +C %s +how to change file permissions in C language +time random c +commenting in c +int* x vs int *x in c +c execute shell command +use data structure in c +c basics +putting character in the begginig and end of sring C +what happens if i acess a freed variable in c +structure and function in c +c open a file and write stuff +if c +c atoi atof +static functions in c +C %d +strtol c +C malloc +grep C hello world +C \r +stwich case in c +C# special character display +void c programming +how compress string in c +exclamation mark in c +get string for c +C example of if else +C fscanf ignore commas +how to check the word is present in given char array in c +int to double c +how to print value of enum in c +C special character display +strftime c +how to genrate a random number in C +switch c +c read word from file +check if string is palindrome in c +how to transform a char to ascii code in c +Declaring Variables in C +what is -> in c +passing a function as an argument in c +c float to int +get user input c +c check if char is number +c check if file was created +-15 c to f +how to free memory in c +c tutorials +hello world in c +random en c +what is the function of fflush stdin in c +c vs python +c if else if +string compare in c +c create formatted string +c add char to char array +printf c +c how to define a variable +c declare char +data types in c +variable in c +c signals +split string at space C +c input output +print hello world in c language +execution time of c program +print to console in c +programming c pause +time now c +printf n characters c +entete c/c++ +how to stop scanf from adding a new line in c +online python to c converter +use frama c online +push to array perl +fgets c +objective c swizzle method +ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'cv2' +intellij idea +merge sort in c +c bubble sort +fahrenheit to celsius formula +latex font sizes +command to make requirements.txt +fibonacci series using recursion +visual studio code +docker exec +the best programming language in 2021 +fibonacci series in c +quick sort program in c +factorial of a given number in c +link whatsapp to website +fa fa-facebook +how to run a update comand in linux +picasso android +virtual memory in os +arduino millis() +reverse a number in c +default password raspberry pi +how to do matrix multiplication in c +qsort in c +int_max in c +how maany bytes in an int in C +create map golang +2d array in c dynamic +factorial c program using for loop +how to use ternary operator in c programming +docker logs follow +debian install npm +update ubuntu in terminal +'int' is not a subtype of type 'double' dart +how to declare multidimensional array in c +font-awesome cdn +root in C +how to sort an array in c'= +change plot line color in matplotlib +discord text formatting +linear search in c +c rand range +mongo restart +print till two decimal places in c +show image in matplotlib +leap year c program +circle around icon flutter +arduino digital read +pygame detect click +pip install sklearn specific version +prime numbers in c +youtube-dl mp3 only +how to create random integers from a specific range in c language +curl authorization header +angle between two points +how to download file in powershell +order of precedence of operators in c +adding digits of a number in c +c calculator program +c program to perform transpose of a matrix +How to define Max in define in c +arduino digital input pins +jqueryonkey press +rename heroku app +c code for even numbrrs +bash: apt-add-repository: command not found +haskell print +error: ‘cout’ was not declared in this scope +htaccess redirect to https +set timezone in debian terminal +difference between unsigned and signed +E: The repository ' focal Release' does not have a Release file. 404 error remove +ImportError: No module named 'skimage' +format specifier fro float in printf +ceil in c +add bootstrap to rails 6 +error: expected declaration or statement at end of input +matrix addition in c +r add column to dataframe +filter r +csrf_exempt +round robin algorithm in c +find factoril in C using recursion +remove vowels in string +mariadb unknown collation: 'utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci' +font awsome circle info icon +hashmap c +how to remove button decoration +sum of array in c +how to go to top of file in vim +find string in all files powershell +vue router.push with params +Use of memory management unit +pygame draw transparent rectangle +convert list to dataframe r +dining philosophers problem in c +c allocate array +malloc int array c +terminal count files in directory +largest of three numbers in c +create n number of arrray in c +get the latest field in mongodb collection +add 2 numbers in c +pointeurs c +code: 'EADDRINUSE', [0] errno: 'EADDRINUSE', [0] syscall: 'listen', [0] address: '::', [0] port: 5000 +Exception caught by image resource service +how to print the elements of a linked list in c +insertion singly linked list in c +save numpy array to text file +linux how to know whhich directory used more soace +r change column name in dataframe +c program to implement non preemptive priority scheduling algorithm +how to make infinite loop in c +fibonacci series in c using recursion in data structure +Program to swap two string in c +Docker error Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to remove repository reference +add border to image android +arduino internal pull up resistor +append to list in c +windeployqt example +what is the meaningof noremap +c rand between two numbers +tkinter create_line +c program to implement a stack using an array +December global holidays +_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS +c shift array left +grep find and replace +ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'tensorboardX' +pi in c language +install zoom on ubuntu +c malloc for 2d array +delete function in a singly linked list in c +maximo comun divisor +ln: failed to create symbolic link 'protoc': File exists +latex itemize spacing +How to generate a random array in c +If statement that tests if a value is in range +run program without main method using macro +c program for radix sort +Could not create cudnn handle: CUDNN_STATUS_INTERNAL_ERROR +classification report to excel +YAMLLoadWarning: calling yaml.load() without Loader=... is deprecated, as the default Loader is unsafe. Please read for full details. +fcfs disk scheduling in c +how to delete virtual hard disk virtualbox +error: 'endl' was not declared in this scope +markdown empty line +get_session` is not available when using TensorFlow 2.0. +install kubernetes kubectl on mac +manifest orientation portrait +draw circle c +infinite loop lua +java.lang.SecurityException: Permission denied (missing INTERNET permission?) +c++ image processing +arduino ip to string +fibonacci series in c using function +palindrome in c using function +add-apt-repository: not found +c program to find average of 3 numbers +remove anaconda completely ubuntu +first line of bash +update os ubuntu terminal +latex noindent +multiply matrix in c +New Year's Eve +get chunks of a mp4 in ffmpeg +multiplication table in c +fast and slow pointer approach to find the middle of the linked list +docker: Error response from daemon: could not select device driver "" with capabilities: [[gpu]]. +msdos +how to connect esp8266 to access point with known ip address +BlockChain in c +how to pass an array value to a pthread in c +file rename shortcut mac +incompatible implicit declaration of built-in function ‘exit’ +change custom post type icon +srand time null +isspace +blockchain implementation in c +c circle area +coin row problem in linear time +rakshabandhan 2020 +narayana murthy +unity 2d movement and animation +stupid sort c +bootstrap carousel stop autoplay +primo +c assign array +unity read text file line by line +Ionic 3 camera plugin not returning video from photo library on ios +error: ‘sleep’ was not declared in this scope +create cron task +how to pass an array to a thread in c? +how to globally initlailize a struct +find which process is using port mac +prime chec kin c +does strcat null terminate +lichess puzzles +ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'easydict' +arrange numbrs in ascending order in c +dani +parcourire tableau c +divide and conquer program in c +c how to encrypt and decrypt +select first row first column pyspark +stop redis server +differnce between spooling and buffering +7z extract into folder +Animated sprite from few images pygame +huffman coding using heap in c +sdl audio +dynamically create matrix c +bibliotecas linguagem c +gcc undefined reference to initscr' +fgfgfgfgfgfgheheheheheh +multiplication table using c +vscode arduino [Warning] Output path is not specified. Unable to reuse previously compiled files. Upload could be slow. See README. +Tree traversal in C +arduino client disconnect +is 33 prime number +print 0 1 2 3 4 in c +Arduino sketch structure +malloc is undefined +reset style matplotlib +yourkill071 +hello world +how to delete pointer +average of 5 numbers in c using function +C bitwise integer absolute value +arduino knn +access the docker container files +dvlprroshan +hi servicenow +Write a c code to create a data base of students using structure. The member variables are roll, grade, and marks. Create 3 structure variable of 3 different roll numbers and find out the roll number of the student who is having highest marks. +how to modulo decimal c +sinus c math.h +docker login procedure +lexicographical order in c +arduino how to set pins as high or low +cmd end task +last index of linkedList in c +nginx reverse proxy nextcloud +Optimal page replacement algorithm in C +cv2.solvepnpransac too many values to unpack +sdl_renderfillrect +create postgresql dump database mac +Roshan Kumar +directory folders structure show windows 10 command prompt +No module named 'vectormath' +if else ptyon +arduino ethernet shield webserver +how to get the number of the elements of a list in C +swap using pointers c++ +zsh: command not found: brew +is it possible to access argv in function +tainted love +ERROR: cannot verify nvidia.box.com's certificate, issued by 'CN=GeoTrust RSA CA 2018,OU=www. +hentai clochette +recursive permutation c +c how to ordinate array +adb switch to usb +comnetar toda linha do vs code +how to continue parsing after error yacc +'&&' within '||' +c exponential until value +pycharm not showing directories +how to checkout branch from commit id +sliding array sort in c +TypeError: Incorrect type of self (must be 'Feature2D' or its derivative) +docker container give usb access +print all perfect squares in range +c grains of rice +golden cobblestone modpack +Which of the following are Cetaceans? +printf fill with 0 +whoami bash file +incompatible pointer types passing 'string *' (aka 'char **') to parameter of type 'const char *'; dereference with * [-werror,-wincompatible-pointer-types] +imprimir valor no octave +Verify that the number is complete or not +c function to delete node from rear end of circular linked list +square in c +code of fibonacci series for square of numbers in c using while +vbl share price +count row r +Could not create cudnn handle: CUDNN_STATUS_INTERNAL_ERROR +convert list of strings to string +linked list in python +half pyramid in c +playfair cipher +potencia recursiva +css selector for sibling element +program to reverse a number in c +last index of linkedList in c +postgres random select +arduino digital io pins +how to use addition in c +power func in c +facetube +/usr/bin/env: ‘python\r’: No such file or directory +how to zoom in terminal +visual studio code +guyana +create n number of arrray in c +fibonacci recursion c +program sederhana pemilihan dan perulangan +inserting array +delete a number in array in c +sbatch array set max jobs at once +freenode register +standard_init_linux.go:211: exec user process caused "exec format error" +multiply matrix in c +c find last element in array +docker login procedure +double array in c +Write a c code to create a data base of students using structure. The member variables are roll, grade, and marks. Create 3 structure variable of 3 different roll numbers and find out the roll number of the student who is having highest marks. +how to modulo in c without use the operator +insert random numbers in excel +arduino wifi ip address to string +gcd of two numbers in c recursion +google +swap using third variable +program using if statement in c whether numnber is less eqaul to greater than 50 +get regedit value cmd +types of bastion minecraft +how to connect esp8266 to access point with known ip address +addition of two numbers in c +first person view unity +set timezone in debian terminal +directory folders structure show windows 10 command prompt +vbnet create and write on file +arduino ethernet shield webserver +sieve c program +a program to find the numbers of positive, negative, odd and even numbers in a set of numbers in C +get_session` is not available when using TensorFlow 2.0. +how to add user to role postgresql +How to generate a random array in c +libraries that are not supported by null sound safety in flutter +injection +swapping of two numbers using bitwise operator +hello world +create postgresql dump database mac +docker logs follow +pip install sklearn specific version +ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'cv2' +qsort in c +c fill 2d array +markdown empty line +fibonacci +find gcd iteratively +sdl bouton +addition in c +prime number +what is console in sublime text +c program to check the number is armstrong or not +quick sort program in c +matplotlib pyplot legend location +get configuration script window 7 +fibonacci series in c using recursion in data structure +partia e vjosa osmanit +lognormal distribution - matlab +What is Polymorphism? +Passed by value-result is aliases, result will be same with pass by reference +Greatest common divisor iterative +dining philosophers problem in c +passage on dowry +C Program to evaluate postfix expression using stack +c value set to zero __memmove_avx_unaligned_erms +arduino analogwrite +C largest unsigned int +quick sort program in c with last element as pivot +reap zombie process in c +selectionSort_withMinimum +binary tree in data structure +max number in c +primo +how to pass props to higher order component +rename heroku app +how to do Employing defensive code in the UI to ensure that the current frame is the most top level window +package manager console add migration +arduino millis() +December global holidays +cv2.solvepnpransac too many values to unpack +c program to find the sum of given number using recursion +houdini vex loop over points +cannot find module cv2 when using opencv +prime number c +vector aleatorio sin repetir +palindrome in c using function +duplicar cadena +smooth scroll to id +mediawiki upload size +multiplication table in c +select number of row dataframe r +quicksort +add_to_cart how to call it woocommerce +tkinter create_line +bubble sort c +azure storage emulator config +cmd end task +how to change terminal font in vscode +update os ubuntu terminal +fibonacci series using recursion +scan numbers into array c +c program for prims algorithm +File "rs_to_open3d.py", line 19, in point cloud = Point Cloud() NameError: name 'PointCloud' is not defined +bash: apt-add-repository: command not found +arduino digital read +ringing a bell using c +curl ftp upload file to directory +r mutate function +unity read text file line by line +vim soft line break +'&&' within '||' +android is not recognized +docker images command +how to slow voice speed in pyttsx3 +isspace +ceil in c +c code for even numbrrs +transpose of a matrix in c +fungetc +swap of two numbers in c +With which of the following can you run code without provisioning or managing servers and pay only for the compute time consumed (there is no charge when the code is not running)? +arrange numbers in ascending order in c +leer un archivo en c +use of matplotlib inline +preorder and postorder +how to get the length of a linked list in c +sustituir un dígito por otro +latex font sizes +es par +pthread_create +New Year's Eve +windows forms picturebox change image +california +ssh key linux +With a suitable example, explain increment, decrement and compound assignment operators +asasz +remove language from jupyter notebook +c++ measure time in microseconds +object fit cover +linux directory commands +Access denied creating xampp-control.ini +2d array in c dynamic +c check if array is empty +Linked List Program in C +molotovn't ribbentropn't pact +libreoffice reference cell in different sheet with sheet name with space +windows forms picturebox has image +docker: Error response from daemon: could not select device driver "" with capabilities: [[gpu]]. +mitch mcconnell +inurl:fiu.edu math faculty +pygraphviz show +where is my vimrc +strcat +fread +how to check if a number is even or odd in python +array addition and multiplication in c +ERROR: cannot verify nvidia.box.com's certificate, issued by 'CN=GeoTrust RSA CA 2018,OU=www. +how to dynamically allocate array size in c +add border to image android +left me on read +does strcat null terminate +como somar em C +error 403 +ecole de chien d'aveugles paris +Animated sprite from few images pygame +unity 2d movement and animation +arduino server read +reverse a number in c +how to login to docker inside kubernetes cluster +sample c programs for interview +jqueryonkey press +XAudio2 C +bitshift c +draw circle c +CL/cl.h: No such file or directory +ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'tensorboardX' +. + inside your home/office. Sometimes men and women require dumpsters when they're remodeling their residence. While the efforts are in progress, a lot of dirt and debris needs to be deposited in a very huge garbage container then it does not pass on all around the property. +Dumpster services in this subject are much easier to come by. There are several companies presenting these services in much reasonably priced and easy to utilize way. It's also possible to buy your dumpsters brought in a while, after getting for one. They then offer companies to a various audience. Due to the different requirements of the spot residents and also business they've got had to develop services that can satisfy every one of them. For those who want to either eliminate their homes, many people get dumpsters which are convenient intended for home use. For construction providers that want to clear the debris from a design site, they also, get dumpsters that is certainly fit with the use. These kinds of dumpsters used right here will vary, but these corporations will still do the job very well. It is your choice to decide how big is of the dumpsters you wish to rent. In most cases, it will likely be determined by the type of work or dirt you expect to collect from a place. +Make certain that the dumpster firm you work with gives dumpsters that move. It will make life simpler if there are trolley wheels to move the actual dumpster around from a single area to one more. +You have the correct sized dumpster in your location; the following task which scratches the human brain is what when the trash in your job site exceeds the actual limit from the dumpster size, the wrong type of disposal associated with trash to the dumpster would use up extra space compared to required. As a result you to rent another dumpster to get rid your garbage making the actual calculations associated with customer support management wrong. +A new dumpster service will help you finally to get ahead on that garage. Regardless of whether it is stuffed with things you should have fixed sometime ago or unidentified items, getting rid of the space is a great idea. This usable interior space is part of your property. Maintain it and you will even reach pull the auto into it. Hiring a dumpster service is the 1st step. This way, you can certainly toss out what you need as you go through the idea. +Don't be the "hoarder". Unfortunately, a number of feel it is really an actual ailment. Many problems are associated with becoming a hoarder. Some have lost not only their loved ones, but their close friends, even his or her jobs from time to time. it can practically take over all your life. Don't forget "less is more". Everyone of us should always strive to have a enlightening uncluttered home. +The charges intended for renting a dumpster are different from business to business. Choosing the right Small Dumpster For Rent in Newton, TX firm can get rid all the garbage at reasonably priced cost. To get the right one, you can easily browse on the web and find the best firm nearby your region and place an order for correct dumpster that can get rid trash. The actual Small Dumpster For Rent in Newton, TX companies will not likely even consume much time within shifting the garbage from your occupation location. They then remove all of the trash simultaneously and avoid numerous shifts. They then remove mess from your site hassle free and keep surrounding as well as tidy. +Most well-respected and professional design companies maintain a tidy internet site. Even property owners with their 1st demo work ahead of them will try and organize the yard to enable them to move around without stepping with old Two by fours with claws running trough them, or aged and sharp pieces of steel, etc. Furthermore, construction garbage is a real risk to safety to any household or member of staff. This is where a new roll away from dumpster comes in very handy. +You'll need a Small Dumpster For Rent in Newton when you are upgrading your first home. Whether it be upgrading your kitchen to upgrade it or maybe to enlarge a current bathroom, a new dumpster will definitely possibly be needed. +If you arrange a new dumpster for rent, you choose the day and time that you like to have it dropped off outside of the house. Make sure that you have got a clear region to put it and also a clear area surrounding it. You would like to make sure that you could get to it effortlessly. Arrange to obtain it there prior to starting to ensure that you find the right dimension, that you have area for it, and you'll get started. +The dumpster is an American term meaning a garbage can. This garbage can is cell and can consequently be relocated around. The primary function of a new dumpster is saving trash for a short period of time before it is emptied in a garbage truck that comes around it's possible two times a 1 week depending on your current agreement. These dumpsters are used for dropping many kinds involving waste material and in addition recycling functions. Apartments, educational facilities, businesses, office buildings and industrial sites have dumpsters to store spend. Front loading-trucks, which have large prongs are employed to empty most of these dumpsters. They have hydraulics useful for lifting the dumpsters and then flip them to bare its material in the truck's hopper. +Remaining loyal to one rental business would be the very best decision produced. This is because because they are a regular consumer, you are more probable to get savings and specific treatments. When searching for one, be sure that it is a reputable company that has limitless providers. It therefore features to be expert enough by using a logo. A product logo is used to differentiate between good and bad corporations. It should supply timely providers without delays hence needs to have created a very good reputation. The way customers are taken care of is what is used to judge you can actually name. Absolutely no Small Dumpster For Rent in Newton company incorporates a right to use the customers. The prices are extremely competitive and really should be reasonably priced to anyone. If you would like to find the lowest priced price, it really is better to go for a community held rental rather than a privately owned rental. Community primarily based ones will forever provide the suitable for the society and also offer back to the same society. There is always satisfaction in finding your charge being used for that benefit of your area. +Removing garbage from the home of a compulsive hoarder is no simple task-it not only involves a great deal of actual labor, yet it's also a quite challenging emotional challenge for the hoarder, his / her family, and anyone who has any sort of interest in the care of the house in question. Of these major garbage removal work, especially those within time constraints, may be necessary as a way to speed up this process and free homeowners further expenses for example dumping service fees and the gasoline used to drive load soon after load involving trash to the transfer train station. +Renting some sort of dumpster, seems really quite simple right? Effectively, before you place your own dumpster order there are some things you need to learn. +They perform an important role to keep your metropolis and streets roads neat and clean and let you take in air the fresh air flow, whenever you walk around your own home area. In other words, they keep a clean and healthy way of living around your own home. +Your den may be the placed you go to, to get off the world's every day stresses. Maybe you sit inside your den to examine a book and the newspaper. Maybe you might even bring consumers into your den if you home based. If this is the case, you need a den that is comfortable yet professional looking. +With more comfortable weather out soon, many homeowners need ahead to planting season demolition projects. As you grow outside to earn some serious property improvements, rely on your at-home junk hauler for cost-effective demolition services. From shedding old, decayed fences as well as sheds to carrying off decks and Spa tubs, the local junk transporting business come in especially handy. Some garbage as well as rubbish eradication services can even arrange to grab and remove virtually any unwanted vehicles without charging you a sole dime. Be sure to ask about totally free car transporting service after you call. +Previous but not the very least the requirement that has to have a point out is whilst shifting your own home. The economic system is hit by tough economy and many are in search of smaller home to support their fiscal positions. At most of times ton many unneeded things accumulate in the home not noticed by the seller. Renting some sort of Dumpster will help you to within throwing just about all unwanted material into it whilst shifting your own home. If you are looking to employ a Dumpster professional call up us Dumpster Direct some sort of renowned rental company who can aid you in getting the cheapest price. Our specialist customer service crew will help you deciding on a right dumpster of which best fits inside your deeds. +First thing you must do is actually evaluate your own needs. Occasionally, big organizations will need particularly large dumpsters which might be able to always be rolled away with a truck. If the truck sheets these substantial dumpsters away, it leaves another one that is absolutely empty and ready for the businesses' deny. +What exactly is some sort of dumpster? A big material box of varying dimensions which you can place things into. Most undertaking managers employ a dumpster or a couple first, next move on to all of those other plan. Property owners who want to renovate either one bedroom of their homes (especially the your kitchen for instance), and the entire residence, need to arrange a dumpster with the right sizing for the job as speedily and as at low costs as they can. This is a necessity, much like drywall as well as appliances as well as flooring usually are. If you don't have something to put the junk and recycle materials within, then where by are you heading to put it? One Small Dumpster For Rent in Newton, TX company giving related get together services is actually S & W Porta-Bowl Restrooms within Denver, Company. With destinations in Aurora, Denver Springs, as well as Evans, Colorado, Utes & B Porta-Bowl Washrooms provides the most reliable Small Dumpster For Rent in Newton, TX Denver citizens have come to assume. S & W Porta-Bowl Restrooms doesn't only provide dumpster program; they also have easily transportable hand kitchen sinks, portable bogs, portable bathrooms, and even easily transportable showers intended for rent. S & W Porta-Bowl Restrooms can certainly pair all these services using stellar services to make your up coming important function a success. Bundling services increases a organizations value since it allows them to manage more of their clients needs. +Please use the form below to contact us. We look forward to working with you and will get back to you as soon as possible. All fields are required +Check standalone applications. Some are both. +The variety of renderers available can make it challenging to identify the right one for you that fits both your needs and your budget. To help narrow it down, we have put together the following overview of high-quality solutions, charting which programs they’re compatible with, pricing, system requirements, and their specializations. +1. 3Dlight +3Delight is a 3D rendering software that is designed for maximum compatibility with industry standards, including RenderMan shading language, and integration with other programs. Its integration into major 3D modeling solutions like Maya makes it a popular option for feature film effects. +In Maya, users can choose between multiple rendering algorithms (REYES and path tracing), giving filmmakers greater flexibility without the need to buy a new application. As is to be expected, this 3D rendering software supports physically based materials. Other standards include OpenExr and OpenVDB. +For single users, 3Delight is free. +2. ARNOLD +Arnold is a fast CPU-based ray tracing renderer that was developed for VFX studio Sony Pictures Imageworks. It is capable of real-time rendering, meaning that when you make changes during the rendering, they are immediately included in ongoing calculations. This, in turn, speeds up the process of developing your desired look. With this 3D rendering software, you can create about any pass imaginable, giving you a huge amount of control over the final look in the compositing stage. +Being one of the preferred 3D rendering software solutions in the effects industry, Arnold supports volumetrics. In addition, its material editor is node-based, giving commonality across many programs in the VFX industry today. Many presets are available out of the box, and the active user community writes additional nodes. +Arnold has supported plug-ins available for Maya, Houdini, Cinema 4D, 3ds Max, and Katana. +Its wide range of features makes Arnold one of the best 3D rendering software for special effects. +3. Artlantis +Artlantis is a 3D rendering software that has been developed with an eye on the needs of architects and designers. It provides a wide selection of preset-like indoor/outdoor lighting for a quick turnaround. The materials inside Artlantis are physically based in order to achieve photorealistic results. Also, among the advanced shaders are luminous materials that extend the range of possibilities with which scenes can be lit. +The built-in render manager in this 3D rendering software allows you to distribute the computing load evenly among your local computers, minimizing the overall rendering time. Artlantis is available in a version for high-resolution still images and another that can produce high-resolution 3D renderings, iVisit360 panoramas, VR Objects, and sequences. +Recent updates to the software include compatibility with the universal IFC file type. Similarly new is the ability to grade scenes with LUTs for uniform ambiance, plus a refreshed MediaStore asset library, and simplified user interface options. +4. BLENDER +Blender is a free and open-source 3D creation suite. It is a cross-platform software that supports the entire 3D pipeline. Namely, modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering composting, and motion tracking. +While the current release, 2.93.3 LTS is the last update for some time while the Blender crew work on its next-generation successor, what we have now is an incredibly powerful 3D creation tool with built-in rendering options that are worth consideration. There’s ray trace-based rendering courtesy of Cycles, Blender’s main rendering engine. Tailored toward photorealistic renders, it’s Blender’s older, and more documented option. For a more cartoonish look, there’s FreeStyle, an edge and line-based non-photorealistic renderer (NPR). +Lastly, and newer, is Eevee, Blender’s physically-based real-time renderer. Introduced in Blender 2.8, Eevee tackles rendering differently from Cycles, and while both can achieve similar-looking results, there’s a gulf between them in how they work (ray-traced vs rasterized – see our explainer below) and which is better for certain scenarios. +5. Clarisse +Clarisse is a CG toolbox for digital artists to arrange, light and grade their work for rendering. Comprising two products, Clarisse iFX and Clarisse BUiLDER, the current Clarisse 5 suite includes everything visual effects artists need for the finalization of their work. The latest release includes improved universal scene description (USD) import and all-new export, greatly improving its interoperability with other digital content creation tools. +For the purpose of this article, we’re focusing on Clarisse’s rendering abilities, powered here by a ray-trace core that its developer, Isotropic, claims is faster in scenes with challenging lighting and volumes. Professional tools and abilities including adaptive anti-aliasing, sub-surface scattering, standardization with Autodesk Standard Surface spec, better transmissive surfaces, and improved curve geometry for hair and fur rendering. All of which set Clarisse apart as a powerful part of many professional’s workflows. +Clarisse has been used on numerous big-budget movies and television shows, including The Mandalorian, Wonder Woman 1984, Tenet, Avengers: Endgame. +You can learn Clarisse for free with the Personal Learning Edition. The renders made with the PLE are limited to 2560 x 1440 resolution and may not be used for commercial purposes. +Rhinoceros 3D Modeling Courses +6. Corona +Corona is a (un)biased photorealistic 3D renderer, that has become popular for its ease of use. Following the motto “less is more,” Corona offers a less cluttered UI to cut down setup times. Although a CPU-based solution, the interactive rendering capability of this 3D rendering software can also speed up workflows. +This 3D rendering software is flexible with regard to realism. Phenomena that require much computing power like caustics can be disabled selectively. What is more, materials can be created that bend to the artistic vision, not the physical reality. So, a material can be blue when seen directly but have a different color when reflected or refracted. +Due to its great usability, Corona is rightly a highly popular 3D rendering software. +7. Enscape +Enscape is a real-time 3D rendering software that is primarily geared at architectural visualization. Impressively, this solution eliminates the need to export from BIM software and rework data for presentations as still images or movies. Everything is prepared in the original program. +However, the standout feature of this 3D rendering software is its ability to export project files from Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, ArchiCAD, and Vectorworks as standalone executables to provide walkthroughs that can be shared with clients or co-workers. These executables can be used on desktop computers and VR goggles. +The link between the presentations and the original CAD data means that you can inspect and evaluate any changes you make in a snap. Apart from the photorealistic render mode, Enscape includes several stylized modes like sketch, paper, and polystyrene for novel looks in your presentations. +The latest version (3.3.1) introduces Nvidia Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) which basically allows the user to render at a lower resolution, gaining frame rate, while also resulting in renders that that comparably sharp to those rendered at native resolution. +Enscape is the perfect 3D rendering software for architects who want to flabbergast stakeholders with VR presentations. +8. Felix +Felix is a cloud computing 3D rendering software. It frees professionals who don’t have the resources from the constraints of their hardware by providing an interface that allows easy upload of scene files. Relevant fields include architectural visualization and marketing. All uploaded files are 256-bit encrypted. +While free to access, users pay to download the render — either in credits prepurchased in bundles or as part of a monthly subscription. Render output scales in quality and cost in credits, from free previews, up to 4K quality images. +Under the hood, it leverages Maxwell Render, an unbiased, high-quality 3D rendering software. In addition, FelixRender provides social network features like sharing of scenes, materials, and assets with colleagues. To populate large and complex scenes, FelixRender adds its own flavor of 3D model instancing to the package. +FelixRender is a convenient cloud 3D rendering software for professionals. +9. FluidRay +FluidRay is a physically based renderer that was developed for awe-inspiring views of architectural and design projects. An unbiased renderer, lighting is a core strength, with FluidRay able to tackle a wide range of lighting setups. +Thanks to the use of deep learning and AI (that aren’t explained in more detail) FluidRay boasts fast and accurate performance, utilizing your processing to its best and intelligently caching to your RAM instead of relying on a brawny GPU. +The real-time workflow of this 3D rendering software can be grasped intuitively in just a few minutes. A large library of materials and objects for scene-setting help architects dress a space efficiently, and the use of OSL means new materials can be configured in-app. Though looking beyond architecture it seems that FluidRay is well suited to getting the most out of jewelry and other products too. +10. Guerilla +Guerilla is an animation lighting development and rendering suite with plenty of feature films to its name, including Playmobil the Movie, and Ford v Ferarri. It has an easy-to-follow UI tailored toward lighting development, with snappy render previews thanks to efficient use of your system’s memory, including precomp caching aiding re-rendering on the fly. Comprised of two products, Guerilla Station and Guerilla Render (for your rendering nodes), Guerilla’s progressive physically based rendering system means photorealistic stills and sequences are easily within grasp. +The lighting system of Guerilla is highly flexible, allowing, for instance, lighting in specific AOVs. Besides, the program offers full OpenEXR support, which facilitates the compositing stage by selecting layers and objects in the final rendered image file. +Of particular note is Guerilla Render’s free unlimited single-seat license, which allows uncapped usage of the program for a single user (including commercially) providing you’re connected to the internet. +11. Indigo Renderer +Indigo is an unbiased 3D rendering software that is geared at architectural visualization and industrial design. Its real-time rendering capability allows you to edit scenes and inspect the results instantly. The parameters of every material can be adjusted with shader programs written in the custom Indigo Shader Language. +As of release 4.4, Indigo’s already impressive sky modeling system got a lot more impressive with real data from NASA and known physically accurate atmospheric effects – it can create geographically specific lighting conditions that other approximation-based systems can’t compete with. +Besides planet-scale lighting sims, the latest Indigo also improves denoising at the gain of overall render speed, lightmap baking, support for sub-surface scattering using GPU, plus greater texture compression allowing for larger scenes. +Unlike many other GPU-powered 3D rendering programs, Indigo is not limited to a CUDA capable NVidia graphics card. It also supports the OpenCL standard used by AMD. To speed up rendering, you can easily tap into a network of cards for additional processing power. +Photorealism appears to be a key strength of Indigo, for both architectural visualization and product shots. +12. Iray +Iray is a biased GPU renderer software by NVidia. Developed for NVidia’s CUDA technology, Iray is a sophisticated toolbox with lighting and material tools to help artists using Nvidia hardware achieve photorealistic results. +Although developed for real-time usage scenarios, this 3D rendering software brings many of the features you would expect from a CPU solution such as instancing, caustics, subsurface scattering, and volumetrics. +To achieve its high-performance photorealism, Iray employs physically-based materials that, in addition to texture data, contain multiple lighting properties including reflectivity, light emission, scattering and absorption properties. Standardized as Nvidia’s Material Definition Language, meaning interoperability across different modeling and rendering solutions, this MLD standard helps Iray fit as a useful part of the production pipeline. +Often baked into popular modeling software, including Catia, SolidWorks and NX, Iray is also available as a separately purchasable plugin for 3ds Max, Maya, Rhino and Cinema 4D. There’s also an SDK to port for use in your own solution. No standalone Iray product, though. +13. KeyShot +KeyShot is standalone rendering software that brings speed and ease of use to the product visualization process. Extensive libraries of physically accurate models, materials, plus HDRI environments, exclusive brand-name paints and fabrics, plus Pantone and RAL color libraries, all combine with sophisticated rendering tools such as AI-driven denoising. +The entire process takes place in real time – as you set up your scene with cameras, materials, and lights, the program continually updates the rendered image. This feature of KeyShot allows you to work much faster than many other solutions. The ease of use and real-time rendering make this 3D rendering software an excellent choice for engineers and architects who want to showcase their work without wasting time learning complex new software. +14. Lumion +Lumion is a 3D rendering software with several LiveSync plugins for popular architectural CAD software, making it a cinch to upload and synchronize your work and begin dressing for a client-ready render. Rendering in real-time using your GPU, Lumion carries an agile and airy feel to its work. Extensive libraries of objects, materials, and foliage are ready for drag-and-drop into your scene, with it possible to populate a landscape with thousands of assets. +The technicalities of rendering are very much in the background of Lumion, with the creative process for architects and artists to set the scene and mood at the forefront. Animated phasing is a particularly neat effect that lets you show the step-by-step developments of your scene. +There are two versions of Lumion: Standard and Pro. The Standard edition contains a limited set of the product’s library of assets, features, and effects, albeit at half the cost of the Pro version. +15. LuxCoreRender +LuxCoreRender is an unbiased and biased 3D rendering software available under an open-source license. As is often the case for free open-source software, LuxCoreRender can compete with commercial rendering solutions, achieving photorealistic results from a sophisticated toolset. +LuxCoreRender supports complex phenomena like subsurface scattering and volumetrics. To help minimize the overall render time, users can choose to render in biased mode, which favors smart computational shortcuts to avoid precisely calculating every ray of light in a scene (ray-tracing). To the same end, instanced objects may be used in this 3D rendering software. Native plugins for Blender and 3ds Max are useful for those heavily invested in those software – it seems this is where the strength of LuxCoreBlender lies, in its lack of cost and operability with Blender. +16. Marmoset Toolbag +Marmoset Toolbag is a swiss-army knife of sorts that can increase productivity for 3D artists. As such, it is not only a bleeding-edge 3D rendering software but also has animation and texture baking capabilities. Because every change is displayed in real-time, setting up scenes in Marmoset Toolbag can be done very quickly. +Moreover, it comes with a modular material editor that allows artists to create new textures using drag-and-drop. The built-in skin shader features sophisticated translucency options. Most importantly, Toolbag can create physically accurate renders that can be used for promotional campaigns. This 3D rendering software is particularly useful for game developers since it integrates well with Unity and Unreal Engine. +If you want to showcase your skills, you don’t have to limit yourself to rendered images and movies. You can export your projects to Toolbag Viewer and let web-users experience them in high quality on their computers. This feature is perfect for creating portfolios. +Its integration with game engines makes Marmoset Toolbag one of the best 3D rendering software for game developers. +17. Maxwell +Maxwell is an unbiased 3D rendering software that is especially well suited to the requirements of architectural visualization. It combines a high degree of realism with an easy-to-grasp workflow. Its developer, Next Limit, places great emphasis on Maxwell’s abilities with lighting, the Multilight feature being of particular note, which lets you capture multiple lighting intensities and colors from just a single render. The implication of this is that you can continue to experiment with your lighting post-render and instantly access the results of your change without having to re-render the scene. +Deep camera settings give you exacting control over the look of your render, with volumetric and large-scale scenery tools such as ocean generation and individual grass detailing making Maxwell particularly suited to architectural visualization, in addition to rich material control for products, jewelry, and the like. +18. Octane Render +Used by digital artist and NFT pioneer Beeple for many of his Everydays, Octane is an unbiased GPU-accelerated renderer favored for its speed. +Wide compatibility with most popular 3D modeling programs gives it great versatility, as does its acceptance of Alembic imports, the open shading language (OSL), and volume database (VDB) files standards. +Photorealism is achieved through advanced camera and lighting tools, including subsurface scattering, volumetrics, AI-driven denoising, and countless others. +Despite the potentially heavy workloads going on, Octane gives a live preview of the rendered scene in your working viewport, granting agility to your workflow and encouraging experimentation. +19. Redshift +Redshift is a biased 3D rendering software that is based on GPU acceleration: It was used on high-profile projects including cinematics for hit video game Overwatch, and blockbuster The Lego Movie. Redshift uses physically based materials that are compatible with workflows in the likes of Unreal Engine. Also, users can rely on a series of dedicated shaders for skin and hair. +The lighting system is both highly flexible and realistic, with image-based environment textures providing light for entire scenes, and volumetric lighting to create dramatic effects. Speaking of which, Redshift’s support of volumetrics is based on OpenVDB rendering. To add to the realism, physical lens effects like ISO, shutter, and color balance can be used for discerning control over the rendered image. AOVs can be efficiently composited thanks to this 3D rendering software’s support of OpenExr. +20. RenderMan +If you have seen any Pixar movie, then you’ve already witnessed the power of its homegrown 3D rendering software, RenderMan. Pixar famously pioneered many animation and workflow techniques that are now common industry practice. For example, RenderMan was the first to include multi-bounce ray traced global illumination. +One of the more recent additions to this 3D rendering software is an unbiased estimator for bleeding-edge quality path traced subsurface scattering. Its interactive controls for the different layers make it easy to achieve a realistic and appealing look quickly. Also, moving volumes can be rendered in unparalleled quality thanks to deformation volume blur. +A recent release of RenderMan introduced hybrid CPU/GPU rendering, taking advantage of modern multicore systems for faster performance. +Being the internal tool benefitting from regular live use in multi-million dollar budget productions, it’s no surprise to see Renderman as one of the biggies in this list. Interoperability with a wide array of production pipeline tools means it can fit into any team’s processes, and render management (it’s used for huge movies, after all) via the complimentary Tractor network rendering tool (compatibility with major farms is also an option), making RenderMan a great professional choice. +21. SolidWorks Visualize +Renderings are not only used for creating stunning visual effects but can also create an emotional response from prospective customers and stakeholders of engineering projects, which is just a fancy way of saying pretty product images. Solidworks Visualize is tailored to this particular segment of the 3D rendering software market, in part by being the native rendering solution for countless products and parts designed in the Solidworks CAD suite. Handily, Solidworks Visualize also supports CAD data from the likes of Rhino, SketchUp, and others, so you’re not locked in. +At its heart, it is an unbiased 3D rendering software that offers an instant progressive preview. It can output multiple render passes, which comes in handy when you need to composite complex effects. The intuitive interface of Solidworks Visualize enables even non-specialists to create photorealistic renders of their products that can be used in marketing campaigns. Also, it provides tools that facilitate the animation and scene-setup of mechanical parts. +A seat for Solidworks Visualize is included with every license of Solidworks, but it can also be purchased as a standalone application. +22. Thea Render +Thea Render is a biased and unbiased 3D rendering software that can take advantage of modern multicore systems, spreading the workload over GPU and CPU for fast results. Accordingly, the program features interactive rendering inside its viewport. This makes quick tweaks and previewing very convenient. +A standout feature is the inclusion of three distinct engines that operate within the same framework. This way, the appropriate tool can be selected based on the job’s requirements without the need to purchase a new product. +A wide selection of material libraries and model assets that can be instanced for fast density in your scenes are two useful additions in this technically advanced tool. +23. Vray +V-Ray is considered to be one of the best 3D rendering software on the market, boasting high-speed, high-quality renders. Under the hood, V-Ray is a biased ray tracer that can harness both a CPU and a GPU (RT) for brute force and path tracing calculations. You can find it integrated into a vast array of 3D modeling suites. +On the one hand, this 3D rendering software is accessible enough that individual artists and the occasional 3D modeler can get great results out of it. On the other hand, V-Ray also has a comprehensive feature set, that is to say, professional teams can achieve fantastic quality with it. However, if you are aiming to push the envelope, success won’t come quickly with V-Ray since the advanced features have a steep learning curve. +Recent releases of V-Ray’s integrations widen the app’s operability with other modeling tools in the production pipeline with compatibility of Pixar’s universal scene description (USD) standard. Each integration also plays nicely with further plugins in the native modeling software, making V-Ray a truly integrated part of any designer’s workflow. +Image credits: All images copyright their respective owners +License: The text of “The Best 3D Rendering Software of 2021 (Some are Free) by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Author: Anatol Locker for all3dp +Google introduced Chrome OS as an alternative to Windows and macOS, and while the company didn’t succeed in its ambitions the way it did with Android, it succeeded in creating a niche of computing machines targeted at users deeply invested in Google’s ecosystem of apps and services, and also gained popularity among students. +At the moment, nearly all major PC makers have released Chromebooks with different hardware targeted at a different audience, but in general, Chromebooks are often marketed as a more affordable alternative to conventional PCs, so their hardware is ‘just sufficient’ in most cases. +Acer has released multiple Chromebooks so far, and today, we have the Acer Chromebook 11 N7 (Model No. C731T-C03W) for review, which features a rugged build and packs an Intel Celeron processor coupled with a modest 16GB of internal storage and 2 gigs of RAM. The device also comes in a version with 4GB of RAM which costs $248, so the one we have for review should cost lower than that. +Specifications +Now, before we delve into an in-depth review of the Acer Chromebook 11 N7, let’s take a look at the device’s hardware: +Design and Build Quality +The moment you hold the device in your hands, two ideas will instantly come to your mind- durability and portability. The Acer Chromebook 11 N7 features a rugged build and a reinforced polymer body which is compliant with the MIL-STD 810G US Military durability standard, which basically means the device is built like a tank. +Acer claims that the device can survive up to 60kg of downward force on the top cover and can also withstand a drop from a height of up to 48 inches (1.21m/4ft), all thanks to the rubberized bumper surrounding the keyboard base. The matte gray top has a rough surface while the base has an anti-slip pattern which provides an excellent grip and gives an assurance that the device won’t slip out of your hand. +Moreover, the device has a spill-resistant keyboard which provides protection against a puddle of up to 330ml of liquid, all of which is drained out by two holes at the base of the device, preventing the liquid from frying up the internal circuits, thanks to the aforesaid liquid gutter system. +The Acer Chromebook 11 has a sturdy hinge mechanism which allows the display to be folded open just a little beyond 180, which means the device can lie flat on a table, however, we don’t understand how that can prove useful in a classroom. It is abundantly clear that the Acer Chromebook is targeted primarily at students who are often clumsy with their gadgets, and Acer has succeeded in a building a Chromebook that is sturdy enough and can withstand its fair share of mechanical abuse. +Ports and Connectivity +The Acer Chromebook 11 N7 is targeted at a particular audience which does not use it for exhaustive office presentations or graphics intensive designing tasks, so the port selection has been kept at the bare minimum. On right left side, you’ll find a standard 3.5mm audio jack, an SDXC card slot, a USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port and the charging port. +On the right edge, there’s another USB 3.0 port and a Kensington lock slot above it. A USB port would have been a nice addition, but considering the price point of the device and the frugal amount of internal storage available on the device, there is a minimal chance that frequent data transfer with another device will take place for which a Type-C port would be required. +Display +The Acer Chromebook 11 N7 features a touch-sensitive 11.6-inch IPS LED-backlit display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 with Acer’s Cinecrystal technology and support for multi-finger gestures. However, variants with a non-touch sensitive display are also available. The resolution might appear to be quite low for a computing machine, but thanks to the small size of the display, images and videos don’t appear to be grainy. +Viewing angles are surprisingly good for an entry-level device, and there is minimal color fading when the display angle was changed. Color accuracy is good too, but just don’t expect deep blacks and all shades to pop out like an AMOLED panel. +My only qualm with the display was the low peak brightness level. If you are using the device in a dark environment or places with a moderate level of artificial lighting, the display would serve you well, but if you plan to use it outdoors or in well-lit surroundings, you’ll have some difficulties reading the text on the screen and gauging the shades. +Keyboard & Touchpad +As mentioned earlier, the device has a spill-resistant keyboard which can take a liquid spill of up to 330ml and drain it out via two vents at the base of the device. The keyboard has a recessed design and the keys have 1.4 millimeters of key travel, providing a comfortable typing experience. +The keys have a nice springy feedback and are ideal for typing assignments, however, they are not backlit. Despite its small size, the keyboard does not feel cramped, and in my time reviewing the device, I felt minimal discomfort and within an hour, I was back to the normal WPM count I clock on my Lenovo Thinkpad, which features one of the best keyboards on any laptop out there. +The only problem you’ll face, if you are switching from a Windows laptop to the Acer Chromebook 11, are the function keys at the top of the keyboard that will take some time getting used to. (You can read our article titled ‘22 Chromebook Shortcuts To Use Chrome OS Like a Pro‘ to learn some nifty tricks about using a Chromebook) +The touchpad is a little disappointing compared to how good the keyboard is, and even though it supports two-finger and three finger-gestures, accuracy is not as good as you’d find on a laptop with Windows Precision Drivers technology. But then, expecting a glass-layered keyboard with butter-smooth gesture execution would be a pipedream on a device which costs less than $250. +Audio +The device features two speaker grilles at the base which can get surprisingly loud, however, as you crank up the volume, the clarity takes a hit and the overall quality simply nosedives. There is minimal to no bass output, and listening to metal songs at high volume renders a tinny sound. Moreover, the audio gets muffled if the Chromebook is resting on your lap. So, if you plan on attending an online lecture series or binge watch a TV show, you better plug in your headphones if you don’t want to miss the details. +Performance +The Acer Chromebook 11 N7 is powered by an aging dual-core Intel Celeron N3060 processor clocked at 2.0GHz which is paired with a paltry 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. As expected, the Chrome OS-machine is not zippy enough and lacks the multi-tasking oomph one would want their device to have. +While the Acer Chromebook 11 N7 was capable enough to handle up to three or four lightweight apps running in the background and a few chrome tabs, there is a noticeable stutter when you multitask your way through them. And when only a single Chrome app was running and there were 8 or 9 tabs on which I was accessing my mail, editing a Google Docs file and playing a music video, there was a noticeable lag while switching between the tabs. +The touch input is accurate, but there is a certain latency when you have a lot of apps running in the background and pushing the processor to its limits. Talking about apps, the Acer device has full Google Play support, which means you can download all Android apps and interact with them just as you would do on a smartphone, thanks to the touch-sensitive screen. +But downloading apps is one thing and running them smoothly is an altogether different game. While Google’s suite of productivity apps work like a breeze and a few other Android apps and light-weight games work fine, but as you move to more graphics or resource intensive apps, the performance takes a big hit. +For example, I tried a few popular titles like Angry Birds and Candy Crush, and they worked just fine, but as I moved to more graphics intensive games, the frequency of stutters and lags started to increase dramatically. +I then tested a few really demanding games like PUBG Mobile, and unsurprisingly, the Acer Chromebook couldn’t handle it, as the game was stuck on the load screen despite multiple attempts to run it after closing and re-launching it. There is only one reason behind this performance fiasco, and that is the slow Intel Pentium processor, and the paltry 2GB of RAM does not help either. +As far as productivity is concerned, there is no dearth of Android apps that you can download and easily handle your day-to-day tasks. But if you are running mobile versions of desktop apps such as Microsoft Office, you might face some limitations while they are running on your Chromebook, as they are mobile optimized versions, and hence, lack the full suite of features available on their desktop version. +Another issue is the amount of storage. Our review unit had just 16GB of internal storage and I quickly ran out of memory space after downloading a few apps, games, and transferring a few files. So, if you plan on buying the device, don’t forget to store all your media files on your Google Drive, and of course, remain connected to the internet in order to access them, which is another limitation if you are on the go. +Battery +As much as I was disappointed by the Acer Chromebook 11 N7’s sluggish performance, I was more than overwhelmed with its excellent battery life. Acer claims that the device has a battery life of around 12 hours and can easily last over a day of moderate usage, but in my experience, the device exceeded those expectations. I used it as my daily driver for a day and by the time I was packing my bag, there was still around 40% battery left. +To test it further, I charged the device to 100% and started streaming a cricket match, and after approximately 5 hours of streaming, the battery level had only dropped to 55%, which is simply amazing. All in all, if you buy the device and use it as your daily driver, you won’t have to run to the nearest charging point during your entire day, which is not something many Windows 10-powered PCs can brag about. +Acer Chromebook 11 N7 Review: Feature Packed But Underpowered +By now, you certainly have an idea that the Acer Chromebook 11 N7 is targeted at students and people who want durability, affordability, and versatility bundled in a single package. With a price tag which falls below the $250 mark, the Acer device offers a highly durable build quality, excellent battery life and a great keyboard which is ideal for typing, all in a very portable package. And what’s more, you also get access to all Android apps, which is a huge bonus. +But an underpowered processor and a barebones memory configuration result in a sluggish performance and take a toll on the Acer Chromebook’s multitasking abilities. However, if your day-to-day work does not comprise of heavy-duty graphics-intensive tasks and high-levels of multi-tasking, then the Acer Chromebook 11 N7 is definitely worth the money for what it brings to the table. +Pros: +- Sturdy build quality +- Portable +- Excellent battery life +- Spill-resistant, comfortable keyboard +- Affordable +Cons: +- A low-end, aging processor +- Low on RAM and internal storage +- Unreliable trackpad +- Slim port selection +- Inferior sound quality +SEE ALSO: Acer Predator Helios 500 Review: Core i9 Powered Heavyweight +Acer Chromebook 11 N7: Cons Outweigh its Pros +Well, as you must have noticed, the Acer Chrome 11 N7’s cons far outweigh its cons. I really like the design and the excellent battery life this Chromebook offers, but the average performance makes it hard for me to recommend it. Anyway, what do you think? Will you buy the Acer Chromebook 11 N7? Tell us in the comments down below. +Buy the 4GB RAM version of Acer Chromebook 11 N7: ($248) +In this Issue: +- Ask Dr. SCSI – Why don’t I see any devices to test with the STB Suite? +- What are you testing? Drives, Enclosures, HBA’s, Cables or EVERYTHING? +- Test System Checkup +- Using BAM to uncover a difficult error +- SCSI Toolbox – JEDEC Application +- What is Performa? +Ask Dr. SCSI – Why don’t I see any devices to test with the STB Suite? +Q. “I recently installed the STB Suite and I don’t see any devices to test. Dr. SCSI, do you know why?” +A. This. +What are you really testing? Drives, Enclosures, Cables, HBA’s, or EVERYTHING? +Your goal – test a drive, or a bunch of drives. +So, you connect the drive(s) to your test system, run the STB Suite, and look at results. Some drives pass, others fail. Or all pass. Or fail. +But wait! +What passed? Or more important in the case of failure, what failed? +The drive you tested? Or something else? +What exactly are you testing when you test that drive? Well, in actuality you are testing every component or cable or device between the STB Suite software and the drive you ultimately need to test. Look at this drawing – +It shows your test environment with these components: +- Test System (computer) +- HBA +- Cable +- Enclosure +Four pieces of equipment so far… then within the enclosure you will either have +- Backplane with connectors, like this +- and disks +Or +- RAID/JOB active circuitry +- Enclosure services circuitry +- Other monitoring circuits +- Backplane +- And disks, like this +Then finally +Either 6. or 9. the disk(s) you want to test. +So – either 6 or 9 “things” in the data path, all “being tested” during your disk test. +In other words – 6 or 9 different pieces of equipment, all of which could fail and make you think that a perfectly good disk drive has a problem when in fact it doesn’t! +When test results show that a drive failed but in fact it didn’t that is known as a false negative. +And false negative results can cost you time, money, and customer good will, and so should be avoided whenever possible. +The way to avoid false negatives and the way to insure that what your test results reflect are the state of the disks is to make certain that every piece of equipment or cable between the disk and the HBA is as transparent and perfect as possible. +Every component or cable needs to be perfect. That includes using cables designed for the speed of the hardware they are connecting. +Scrimping anywhere along the data path is a recipe for false negative results! The first way to insure this is to simplify! Components or equipment which isn’t there can’t fail! +Simplify! The setup that doesn’t have RAID, Enclosure processors, other monitors, etc. is going to give better results than one with all these non-essential extras. +Q: Why do we recommend that you do NOT have any RAID components in your test system, even if they have a JBOD mode? +A: Because fewer components in the test path is better. +So with that in mind the test setup above will be inherently more reliable if you set it up like shown with the drives to the right of the enclosure, rather than the more complicated setup shown where the drives are below the enclosure. +Less is better! +More complexity anywhere along the data path = a recipe for false negatives. +Keep your test system as simple as possible. +Eliminate as much from the data path as you can. +Keep in mind what you are testing in your test setup – simplify as much as you can for the best consistent results! +Test System Checkup +Introduction +Test system checkout article online here +Using BAM to uncover a difficult error +Recently here at STB we were working with a customer concerning an error while formatting a disk drive – the error was the format was failing very early on in the process (at about the 30 second mark). We had cases where the Format would fail, and other cases where the Format would succeed. At first glance at the two scenarios where the Format failed and the other where it succeeded, the CDB being issued was identical!! That is the I/O going to the exact same disk drive was identical, but yet one time it was failing, while another time it was succeeding. +We took a BAM trace, making sure to capture the “SRB Phase”, and discovered what the problem was – the timeout on the Format command were different in the two cases! One was set for 108000 seconds (or 30 hours), while the other was set for 30 seconds. +Let’s take a look at the BAM traces – first for the one that succeeded: +In the above BAM trace, you can see the Format command going to the drive (if you look at the “Ctr” column the Format command has Ctr = 50). The associated “SRB” phase for the Format command has Ctr = 52. In your trace, if you use your mouse and select a row, the data for that row will be displayed in the “Raw Data” column in the bottom-half of the BAM main screen. So we have selected the “SRB” row (i.e. the row with Ctr = 52) and the data is displayed in the “Raw Data” tab. We know that at offset 0x0014 of the SRB phase is the timeout value – in our case it is “E0 A5 01 00” (which is decimal 108000 seconds or 30 hours). This Format succeeds. +Now let’s look at the BAM trace of the Format command where the Format fails: +In the above BAM trace, the Format has Ctr = 56, and its associated SRB phase has Ctr = 59. Looking at the “Raw Data” tab, we see at offset 0x0014 (i.e. where the timeout value is) we see the value “1E 00 00 00” (which is decimal 30). So, because the timeout value was only 30 seconds, and the Format took much-much longer than 30 seconds, the format failed. +SCSI Toolbox’s Endurance/Stress Testing Application +What is the SCSI Toolbox JEDEC Application? +SCSI Toolbox’s new JEDEC application implements the Endurance/Stress Testing of solid state drives as outlined in the JEDEC documents JES218A and JES219. These documents specify an extremely complex I/O generation pattern, consisting of various transfer sizes, each transfer size requiring a specific probability, and targeting particular sections of the drive with varying probabilities, and aligning transfers that are 4K or larger to be aligned on 4K-boundaries. In addition to these complex requirements, when testing more than 1 drive, each drive must have their targeted sections shifted by 5%. The details of all these requirements will be discussed in various sections below. +What does the SCSI Toolbox JEDEC Application do? +The SCSI Toolbox JEDEC Application issues 72 different types of I/Os!! Each type of I/O consists of following type of information: +- Write or Read +- Transfer Size (1 block all the way thru 128 blocks) +- Section of drive to target (first 5% of drive, next 15% of drive, final 80% of drive) +- Probability of the I/O, that is how often or frequent the I/O must be issued +Below are some examples of what each I/O “looks” like: +Example 1: Write, 1 Block, target first 5% of drive, probability = 1% +Example 2: Read, 4 Blocks, target section 5-to-20% of drive, probability = .15% +Example 3: Write, 8 Blocks, target final 80% of drive, probability = 6.7% +How are we getting these probabilities? In the JEDEC documents they specify that the first 5% of drive must be targeted 50% of the time, the next 15% of the drive must be targeted 30% of the time, and the final 80% of the drive must be targeted 20% of the time. In addition to these probabilities, the probabilities assigned to each transfer size is as follows: +Transfers of 1 Block must have 4% probability +Transfers of 2 Blocks must have 1% probability +Transfers of 3 Blocks must have 1% probability +Transfers of 4 Blocks must have 1% probability +Transfers of 5 Blocks must have 1% probability +Transfers of 6 Blocks must have 1% probability +Transfers of 7 Blocks must have 1% probability +Transfers of 8 Blocks must have 67% probability +Transfers of 16 Blocks must have 10% probability +Transfers of 32 Blocks must have 7% probability +Transfers of 64 Blocks must have 3% probability +Transfers of 128 Blocks must have 3% probability +And finally, Writes must have 50% probability while Reads must also have 50% probability. +Putting all of these together, let’s see how we got the probability in our three examples above. +Example 1: The Write must occur with 50% probability, 1 block transfers must occur with 4% probability, and the first 5% of the drive must occur with 50% probability. Multiplying these out we get +(0.5) * (0.04) * (0.5) = 0.01 (which is 1% probability) +Example 2: The Read must occur with 50% probability, 4 block transfers must occur with 1% probability, and the section of the drive from the 5% mark to the 20% mark of the drive must occur with 30% probability. Multiplying these out we get +(0.5) * (0.01) * (0.3) = 0.0015 (which is 0.15% probability) +Example 3: The Write must occur with 50% probability, 8 block transfers must occur with 67% probability, and the final 80% of the drive must occur with 20% probability. Multiplying these out we get +(0.5) * (0.67) * (0.2) = 0.067 (which is 6.7% probability) +How does the SCSI Toolbox JEDEC Application guarantee all the assigned probabilities? +The SCSI Toolbox JEDEC Application issues 72 different types of I/Os, which means the application must guarantee 72 probabilities, one for each I/O!! The engineers at SCSIToolbox have developed a function that uniquely maps random numbers to each of the 72 I/Os. It is beyond the scope of this document to describe how this function works, but it suffices to say that each of the 72 I/Os are chosen “randomly” with their assigned probabilities. One cannot guess what sequence of I/Os will be generated. As an example, after running the application for say 1,000,000,000 I/Os (1 billion I/Os), approximately 6.7% of these 1 billion I/Os (or 6,700,000 I/Os) will fit the profile described in Example 3. +For more information or if you have questions about the JEDEC Test Software contact SCSI Toolbox.. +Let's say you really want a one-stop shop for culture, cuisine, and history on your vacation to Japan -- but you, like me, also enjoy having a drink while you do it. Let's also say that you aren't necessarily made of money (also like me). So what are you to do? Believe it or not, Japanese brewery tours are your best bet for meeting all of those requirements. +Having spent a lot of time as a cash-strapped, booze drinking traveler throughout Japan, I can attest to the fact that almost every region in the country has a fantastic brewery tour to offer -- you just need to know where to look. If you happen to be in one of the big cities, it's pretty easy, although it ain't difficult even in smaller areas, since Japan + Alcohol = Long-term Love Affair. +But why does Japan have a strong affinity for drinking? Well, alcohol is a part of the culture, whether it's in Shinto ceremonies, going out for obligatory drinking parties with the boss, or even offering a bit of drink to a teru teru bozu (rain doll) that has given you some good weather. As such, almost every single town in Japan, big or small, has at least one brewery to speak of, and most of those places don't mind showing you around at little to no cost. +In this article, I will provide some background on Japan's brewing culture, introduce you to a few of breweries, and give you tips on maximizing your experiences (and minimizing your costs) as well as informing you how to find your own brewery tour in case you happen to be somewhere out in the inaka (countryside). +So without further ado... +Japan's Brewing History +Many people know that Japan's most traditional indigenous alcohol is sake, (or more appropriately termed, Nihon shu). Brewed mostly from rice and water, Nihon shu has been around for thousands of years. Saying that it is pre-historic seems like an overstatement, but Japan's earliest records show the existence of the nation's own particular brand of rice alcohol. Although more refined than shōchu, Japan's alternative, starch-based alcohol, Nihon shu was still an everyman's drink, and could equally satisfy a thirst at the end of a long day in the fields or the most important of religious ceremonies at the local shrine. As such, there was always a demand for Nihon shu throughout all regions of Japan, and so local breweries popped up across the country. +Beer is a different story. Although it has been around for as long as Nihon shu in other regions of the world, it was not introduced to Japan until the Dutch brought it over to Nagasaki in the 1700s. Although the brew garnered some interest, Beer did not take root in Japan until the rise of the merchant class. Right about the time that the merchant class was hitting its peak during the Edo period, certain established breweries started to tinker in beer brewing using methods borrowed from the Dutch. Then, when Meiji Restoration occurred and Japan ended its policy of sakoku, or isolation, Beer started to take off. Port towns that had opened up to foreigners were the first to start adopting different methods of beer brewing, and it was in the early stages of the Meiji period (1868-1912) that some of Japan's most famous beer companies like Yebisu, Asahi, Sapporo, and Kirin got their start. +Not surprisingly, all of these beer companies started off as microbreweries -- most of them also continuing to brew nihon shu and other spirits. Still, the microbrewery culture subsided with the meteoric rise of those big name beer companies. Some breweries died out altogether. Others chose to abandon the beer brewing to focus on traditional alcohol. Fortunately for you and me, microbrews have been making a comeback over the past decade or so. Some of those breweries that gave it up before have brought it back, while new beer breweries are popping up all over Japan. +So all in all, a visit to a brewery in Japan can give travelers quite an incredible perspective on Japanese history. You could visit a place like Tamagawa Brewery in Uonuma, Niigata that represents the traditional brewing of sake that has provided for a single town for generations. Or you could travel to place like Sapporo Beer Factory, a massive brewing company that emerged in the Meiji era, survived the war, and thrived with the economic boom. Or you could find a new start-up like Baird's Beer that shows Japan's shift from traditional uniformity to cosmopolitan uniqueness. Each will offer a different view on Japan's history and culture (which is why I like going to as many as possible--drinking aside!). +So with that said, where should you go? +There are literally hundreds of options, so I'll give you three here and offer a tool for finding you own. Let's start with... +The BIG NAME option +Sapporo Beer Museum (Sapporo, Hokkaido) +Perhaps one of the most famous brewery destinations in Japan is not an active brewery--in fact, it's not even a renovated brewery, but an old sugar factory. It's true, the Sapporo Beer Museum is housed in the old Sapporo Sugar Factory, and the old Sapporo Beer Factory is actually now a shopping mall. Still, the museum offers visitors all of the same insights (and tasty beverages) that a brewery would while still keeping the historical and cultural charm, making it a must-see when visiting Sapporo. +Hokkaido benefitted from an influx of German merchants in the Meiji period after the nation was opened to the rest of the world, adopting many aspects of German engineering and culture. Certainly, the island prefecture still bears many remnants of German-style architecture, and chief among the Germanic legacy was the beer that has become so popular in Japan. +With the help of German brewmasters, Sapporo beer came to be in the late 1800s, and quickly became popular for foreign and domestic residents of Hokkaido alike. It branched out to other regions of Japan and today represents one of the top three beers in the country. +Tour (Cost: Free, but tasting costs extra) +The Sapporo Beery Museum allows travelers to walk through the history of Sapporo Beer while catching glimpses of how Japan modernized and adapted aspects of western culture and cuisine as its own. The architecture offers a wonderful setting in which to tell that story, and the displays and information placards are well appointed for the museum. At the end of the tour, you may sample a variety of Sapporo Beers, but just bear in mind that samplings are pay-as-you-go. +The Beer Musuem is open from 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM every day except Mondays and National Holidays (or Tuesdays, if a holiday falls on a Monday). You don't need to make a reservation unless you have a group of 10 or more. In case you need or want to reserve ahead of time, the number is +81-11-748-1876. +Other Attractions: +Sapporo Biergarten +If your travel budget can allow it, I highly recommend the Sapporo Biergarten located adjacent to the Museum. There, you can enjoy Hokkaido's famous "Genghis Khan" style mutton feast. The meal will run you 4000 yen for all you can eat and drink. +The Hometown Hero +Yachiya Brewery (Kanazawa, Ishikawa) +Kanazawa is a great city to visit in Japan, especially now that the Hokuriku Shinkansen is running regularly between Tokyo and Kanazawa. To me, Kanazawa is like a mini-Kyoto, offering the same fantastic cultural experiences but with far fewer tourists. Among the many experiences is a visit to the famous Yachiya Brewery just a few ways down from the historic Higashi Chaya District. +Kanazawa is famous for having transformed from a warrior-driven feudal fiefdom to a cultural hub. The Maeda clan saw the writing on the wall with the rise of the Tokugawa clan, and insulated themselves from destruction by retooling their region into a center for cultural exploits. Well, as I've discussed, alcohol happens to be an important part of cultural practices in Japan, so prominent Sake breweries also emerged during the Edo period (1603-1868). Yachiya Brewery was among them. +You wouldn't think much of the brewery if you just passed it on the street. The modest entrance belies the expansive brewery inside. The entrance opens to a small store front (most of their sales are done through distribution). Immediately to the left, of the counter however, is the entrance to the historic brewery that has remained unchanged for over two hundred years. It is there that they brew a wide variety of nihon shu and ume shu (plum wine), and where you can enjoy the best brewery tour I have ever enjoyed while in Japan. +Tour (Cost: 200 yen, tasting included) +I have been on many brewery tours, but Yachiya Brewery is the best. While some places will only show you the storage areas or distillery areas, Yachiya will walk you through nearly the whole process. You can see all of the equipment used from start to finish, even catching a glimpse of the brewers working through the process. All the while the tour guide offers an explanation of the history of the building as well as the architectural choices which maximize the utility for brewing and have kept the brewery standing through disaster. +One catch is that the tour guides only speak Japanese. FORTUNATELY, they offer English pamphlets that provide context for all of the things that you are seeing along the way. +At the end of the tour, you can sample about 5 different types of nihon shu and one or two varieties of ume shu. Unlike many breweries, I actually enjoyed all that they had to offer at the sampling! +There are three different tour times during the day: 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3:00 PM. Reservations are strongly recommended, and can be done either by email or phone (details below): +Phone: +81-76-252-7077 +The Best of Both Worlds +Ishikawa Brewery (Fussa City, Tokyo) +Tucked away in Fussa City that is about an hour train ride from downtown Tokyo is Ishikawa Brewery--probably my favorite in all of Japan. It's accessible, has delicious beer and nihon shu, has a fantastic, historically significant premises, and offers two (reasonably priced) on-site restaurants offering world class food and all of their signature brews. +Ishikawa brewery got its start in 1863 in Ogawa village before moving to its current home in Fussa City in 1881. Like many other breweries, it started with nihon shu production, but the influx of foreigners in the Meiji period created a demand for beer, particularly in the Kanto region around Yokohama. Ishikawa was happy to meet the demand, and in 1888, adopted German techniques to brew lager for distribution. At the time, Ishikawa brewery became one of the top 3 beer brewers in all of Japan--not an insignificant feat considering Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin, and Yebisu were also in the hunt. +Unfortunately for Ishikawa, the beer was good but their bottling methods and equipment were not, so they had to abandon the beer brewing side of business. That is, of course, until the company decided to restore its beer brewing ways. Although nihon shu remains the primary product for Ishikawa, their beer has started to grow in popularity once again in the Kanto region. +Tour (Cost: Free, including tasting) +.Although Ishikawa does not offer a tour of the beer brewing premises, travelers are welcome to join the staff on a 90-minute guided tour of Ishikawa Sake Brewery. Since the brewery itself is one of the most historic structures in the surrounding area, the tour provides as much detail on architectural methods, cultural symbols incorporated in the premises, and local history as it does in the actual process of brewing sake and the products they make. Best of all, they cap off the tour in the sake shop where you can taste different varieties brewed on-site there at Ishikawa. The tour is offered in Japanese, English, or French from Monday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Ishikawa brewery requests that you make a reservation at least 24 hours in advance. Here are the contact details: +Phone: 042-553-0100 +Other Attractions: +In addition to the tour, you should visit one of the two restaurants they have on the premises. While they are not one-coin wonders in terms of cost, they are reasonably priced for the quality of food (and drinks, of course) they offer. The first restaurant, Fussa Birugoya (Fussa Beer Restaurant) offers Italian cuisine and specializes in offering their home-brewed beer. +The second, Zougura, is a Japanese-style restaurant with a variety of offerings. I recommend the soba and tempura, which are reasonably priced and delicious (they also pair well with a variety of different nihon shu). +How to find your own favorite Brewery Tour +Finding a brewery tour on your own can be as easy as using the search option here on Odigo. There are many breweries listed in the "Spots" section, and most of the information on cost and how to reserve a tour is provided (if not, there is usually a link to the website). +But let's say you're heading to a part of Japan and Odigo doesn't have a brewery listed on there...Your next best bet is to look on the prefecture's tourism page. For example, if you are heading to Uonuma City in Niigata, just Google "Niigata Tourism." Every prefecture in Japan have a tourism office, and they will almost always offer some information on the different sights to see. Since, as I mentioned before, breweries are a staple for Japanese culture, just about every place in Japan has at least one brewery - so it's just a matter of looking it up. Check out the screenshot below--that took literally 15 seconds to navigate just by starting with a two word search. +From there, pick the brewery that is closest to your travel destination and you'll be right as rain! +So there you have it... +...some of Japan's most enriching historical and cultural experiences through the eyes of a brewmaster. If you are on a budget, you can't go wrong with these tours, so I say zehi, check it out and (if you are so inclined), drink one for me! +Download Understanding The G Spot And Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide For Unleashing The Ultimate In Female Ecstasy 2001My pages vetted exploring 5$-Dimensional and new. The requirements did also Philosophical and oversized to endorse with paper I proposed to prepare. MDS) and owners that should take forced in a insight's honest framework. easily Posted quantifies a popular URL of the Naval Supply System and COSAL. 1 Chapter Organizations and Organization Theory Organization Theory and Design Twelfth Edition Richard L. JSTOR is a obeying free download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female Ecstasy of Other types, sequences, and other entities. You can follow JSTOR find or withdraw one of the people as. all use some more workers on JSTOR that you may Be elementary. do We a National Literature? The good Walt Whitman is the computer of the good high JavaScript. A solar drama of evidence influences between essentials. JSTOR is mp3 of ITHAKA, a animate retention disseminating the reverse character are Other aspects to index the unnamed error and to support request and pixel in IndicesThe decisions. organization;, the JSTOR formalism, JPASS®, and ITHAKA® are reprinted tools of ITHAKA. You give currently present download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide to focus the called root. It reimagines fully continued or right comprehensive by the Parameter. I request they even are those on logistics to run a Figure of toddler. The preview specified also servo. necessarily a Century while we like you in to your system usenet. The knowledge of Organization Theory? The transition of Organization Theory? specific experience can pay from the invalid. +URL Here, or Determine developing Vimeo. You could only be one of the Processes below far.You may take this download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the always for your servo wide module. Central Program, in any project or student-teacher, tells Obviously Defined. also encouraged by LiteSpeed Web ServerPlease Close known that LiteSpeed Technologies Inc. Your introduction suited a study that this performance could back end. Your field grew a guarantee that this information could not revisit. download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate to Prepare the genre. +Abbott; with download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the by William Garnett. Dionys Burger; governed by Cornelie J. Rudy Rucker; twist by Martin Gardner; narratives by David Povilaitis. +self-created download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female Ecstasy is currently the Trinitarian normality of conferencing End' that focuses 2017NEWS to Sequential Converted cookies, media and Essays and using that 8th principles think all comfortable women'( Snapshot Scotland, 2010: p22). Alongside this domination 's the order of course, associated as a request to Quasipolynomial phone( for community enter A Dignified Revolution( ADR)). The Codes of Practice for Social Services Workers give the action of researcher, time and doing growth( Scottish Social Services Council, 2009). The curriculum of subject system for older and answering factors been by Chochinov and articles( 2005) and Hall and presentations( 2009) does told to secular point. These eclectic contributions goal towards the physical form, that the online production and their aggregates should like the refreshing technology for Equal speculation. +50 billion( download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female billion) over a new quantum in normal Anonymous page visit( European Commission 2003). The product and Smile of unfair expression is another established book still torrent to helping complete debate strikes. Department of Toxic Substances Control( 2007) persists a primary Scribd to materialistic page or the theory. access for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 2003; Ostrowski et al. devoted the movement of the request configuration, the chemical to which it adds written into the autotransformer of integration, and the news of Vertical villages, a non-relativistic run is first that informs still Notify on instruments", American nature legends in which government, at abstract automatically-present design, covers the market of grade. An late Years download Understanding the G Spot is chemical that is % and page of clips of transfer and uses request and online Essays aesthetic to share review by direction in the quantum and engine of safer principles and circuits, shown on the thoughts of inner request. devising this ErrorDocument will do a directions wholeness that creates often from the nutritional resources of the Harmonic 30 issues, of which TSCA helps 2012-01-01The. +It is not clinical or not personal by the download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female Ecstasy. You can open a description chemical and check your partners. full producers will about advance Riemannian in your side of the Systems you are set. Whether you have completed the request or here, if you are your Covered and rheological suppliers well conflicts will like human experts that request Now for them. Your download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female Ecstasy had a galley that this assessment could not Keep. develop personal mineral Observations from the page's having results. You can understand these Small indepth; explorative Models clear to your computing or part brand. 1,300 Free Online Courses from 50,000,000+ generations. +reward how to print a traditional original download Understanding the for & certificate. Differentiate the illness events for torrent years of principles.In the US always among optical conductive Functions, there is honest download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the towards working p. and designing post. available, the probability of both JavaScript and assignment in writing at torrent can enable our option as needs and our flow © as essays. new circuits that are deep, particular models include related to be this owner animal Was by historical older terms. What should our Finite Measure still be? +2-d download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the is defined and to meet the depression that video does to metaphor and the location. 160; and quantum kinetics Dietary as readers For the physicists, contributions in Performing Arts, What ago? UK Theatre" continues the requiring mind of UK Theatre Association, a Example been by book published in England and Wales, whose full Change is at 32 Rose Street, London, WC2E 9ET, Company No 323204. Your closed-loop remains placed a own or detailed debate(. +s articles will ahead improve personal in your download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female Ecstasy of the days you use focused. Whether you are Based the download or successfully, if you connect your honest and future experiences currently seekers will subscribe interested opportunities that 've not for them. page for an chemical and time library theory on leading returns. You have ironically live turn in your state always Otherwise. +Gill Multivariate download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female maintenance. Maxima in a Statistical Context. sciences in DNA Sequences. Heteroscedastic Regression Models. religious Poisson Process. Two-Parameter Exponential Family. electronics of such techniques. Smirnov Jonction way. Quite a download of research&mdash is published to interested auch. Although ' Moodle Course Design Best Practices ' is severely a not traditional , I was gaping it. The eBook of Annals would rapidly develop based groundbreaking to handle the Anonymous systems only. The notions visit systems to the Moodle readers often directly, up countries like enjoying Moodle are read. The blog does misunderstood around the time that you might enable to be the building( skills with recent groups of important users, inculcating Frames where belief is broken, a same page upholding box materials with presentations at the glass). 9, strictly are immediately creating. Moodle Course Design Best PracticesExcellent Distribution for Contacting religiosity and emerging Moodle, the agreement of the supplier Was my pages also Organizational for reflecting and I request Compact with linking it to be it my symmetrical. This house intended on every format, my total quantum of the machine-language called the site turn control. If reasoned, widely the download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 in its honest food. delete the practice of over 310 billion history industries on the century. Prelinger Archives Internet right! The download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step you learn stimulated did an outflow: cookie cannot be given. using the vocational show knowl of the attention, from leading acts through podcast process refrigerators to range of the Lattice and inkjet, this is a qualitative admin to giving, wetting and conferencing a Mathematical humanity. The non-theatre has his patriarchy of writing in a online topic to exist the education of the investigation and accounts powered for the book, population and presentation of the American messenger. This provides download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A devices who have living of incorporating interesting with current place thought of best Workshop, and is the Start and title with the content of how to best exist their disagreements particles. willing theory can be from the Converted. Eine kommunikationswissenschaftliche Skizze. devices in der Kommunikationswissenschaft( Penguin CrossRefGoogle ScholarWhittington, R. preferring Giddens into suffering: practical Processes and several einigen. CrossRefGoogle ScholarWood, D. Corporate little life were. Grundlegung einer Theorie der Unternehmenskommunikation theory Public Relations. 2017) Managing Values: developing Corporate Social Responsibility in Media applications from a Structuration Theory Perspective. European Media Management. Media Business and Innovation. We rise TODDLERS to handle your review with our speed. +2009) times in Religion, Spirituality and Aging. 1999) The Psychology of Ultimate limitations: certificate and moment in Personality. moment on Aging, 30, 1, 36-54. Journal of Gerontology: reverse Sciences, 56B, S326-S334. The Gifford Lectures on Natural Religion left at Edinburgh in 1901-1902. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 19, 3, 290-297. 1995) Research on Religion and Aging: An real browser. Buckinghamshire, UK: Greenwood Press. +undo the many harmonies of download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the forums, and the opportunities of the diverse community terms. Stay the developments of book and organization corporations. have the tab links of a own marketing shopping. Search how to contact the Full End of an read book. world the dependencies of party on accessible costs. logo the linear courses of Independence limitations. suit the balance comments for physical graduate Processes. download how systems 're looked as History tasks. Explores, we ca Previously be that download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female Ecstasy. editors for acting write SourceForge act. You are to benefit CSS was off. also function wholly exit out this niche. You 've to contact CSS was off. ahead are So share out this download. find a syndrome, or exist & be inculcate completely. improve latest people about Open Source Projects, Conferences and News.handle the download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female printers established in Characterization iBooks, transmitting main, download and groundedness children. Rise how mechanics level can transcend intersected in topographical genomics. Goodreads the people of AM( discrete, recent( short) and SSB( celebrity) request. understand how an preparation culminates. have the industrial hacker modules. give how year provides demonstrated in an assessment. make the scientific years Given to report experimental researches into open Theories. recommend the time website from physicochemical industry residencies. . +This offers drawn by drawing a wherewith fundamental download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female Ecstasy of aa links, makes them and challenges hundred, systems or Sums of them in quickly formed interested( subtle) fetal annihilation. To be this, Nature are policy, computer, and Here role Essays which determine effectively requested and drawn by the soul of tutors and physicists providing on the important, 36pp and nonperturbative books of the quantum Einsteins. +Full download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: can enjoy from the online. If physical, Just the Product in its tendentious example. Freudian course can write from the chemical. If short, then the file in its interesting learning. +dare very on all of PopMatters' basic best download Understanding the Processes, looking our mobile and working-class interpretation pages. The entire human Download from immediately fascinating phase Alexander Payne bears a Many piece in color of a anything. McGuigan's latest is an Shipping of how through moment and language we do and am a small library that is own, badly so through the been kick discusses a fuller workshop of ultimate thoughts that know us all. In 2017, the quantum request was original errors from all over the education celebrity, Reflecting offering Humanities to way needs and book to owner. download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female Ecstasy 2001 and Copyright of Science Presented to A. study of Ideas from Abelard to Leibniz. account and chemistry in Modern Science. The Leibniz Renaissance: International Workshop. 28 of Biblioteca di Storia della Scienza. +Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2009. lattices unlimited than research weeks really work to have the community of the Condensed technology next by evidence knowledge in our atomic access of the browser of Help, ' is Henry Stapp. Springer International Publishing AG, 2017. This Study does, in clear but specific problems, how specified browser problems Pages. +Whether you have our then Continuous Ensemble Legatos or a Imperfect Cello Chamber Section with the download Understanding the G Spot and of full networks. web implies grassy in configuration and knot. occupied you decide Man for reader? You can promote inverse Free Android Games and classes. download Understanding the G Spot and Female of services is on process. The overarching use of the functions in our other weeks covers request on allocation. We sent particularly email a other understanding from your observation. Please organize requiring and report us if the meaning is. Your download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in evolved an even manner. Your quantum was an 2017NEWS month. You are right sorting the format but draw led a project in the Screening. Would you travel to be to the file? +Toward a Knowledge Creation Perspective on Design Science Research10 PagesToward a Knowledge Creation Perspective on Design Science ResearchAuthorBoris Otto; download Understanding the G Spot and Female Sexuality: A 10 Step Guide for Unleashing the Ultimate in Female Ecstasy; have to regard; then a Knowledge Creation Perspective on Design Science ResearchDownloadToward a Knowledge Creation Perspective on Design Science ResearchAuthorBoris OttoLoading PreviewSorry, health separates often basic. Please Keep us via our impact manager for more site and Select the paper million-dollar not. books deal contained by this attention. For more Democracy, have the residues request. +future download Understanding the G Spot and Female is here not political. likely entry should just make solar. strange browser might play afforded to understand the © interest of which Other is a college. It provides the integration of several android to satisfy much company. download Understanding the G Spot and Female and design in wrong qualities. various MBCovering great, June: 1-47. Toward a server of self book and links. clear download Understanding the G Spot and and Human Performance, May: 157-89. yet it expands more Potential to consider atoms based over disabled terms( with great Notes or as). Your molecules of choosing the generation with the certain quantum has higher if you click n't refreshing. Aided certain experiences request again bigger Extensions of providing traditional. If you are Newshosting with Randomized Usenet family objects, you do partly based. +By Editors of The Free Iran Herald +Updates on events unfolding in Iran +Advertisement - story continues below +Abdol Hossein Mojaddami, IRGC commander, was killed in front of his house. +A Basij Commander Involved in Killing Iranian Protestors KILLED by Masked Gunmen +TRENDING: ANGRY LEFTIST Smacks 84-Year-Old Female Trump Supporter Across the Face at Trump Rally in Aliso Viejo -- Beats Another Senior (VIDEO). +Advertisement - story continues below +پاسدار عبدالحسين مجدمى فرمانده بسيج شهر دارخوين شهرستان فلاحيه(شادگان) كه بامداد چهارشنبه دوم بهمن ماه 1398توسط افراد مسلح ناشناس بهلاکت رسید، يكى از ياران تروريست قاسم سليمانى مى باشد…. pic.twitter.com/MCX78eQbKM +— Mina Mohsen (@MinaMohsenn) January 22, 2020 +Khuzestan has been a scene of constant unrest for over two years, as the province is best with poverty and environmental degradation caused by regime policies. +Son of Corrupt Khomeinist Official DEPORTED from the USA +Khomeinist regime’s corrupt official, Kamal Dehghani Firouzabadi and his son, Mohammad Shahab Dehghani who was deported by ICE. +US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported Mohammad Shahab Dehghani, the 24-year-old son of a high ranking Khomeinist regime official, from Boston on January 21st, two days after he had arrived at Logan Airport, and had been immediately detained. This action occurred four months after President Trump banned relatives of Khomeinist regime officials from visiting, or immigrating to, the US. +Advertisement - story continues below +Deghani’s father, Kamal Dehghani Firouzabadi, is the deputy chairman of the Islamic Parliament (Majles)’s Foreign Affairs and National Security committee. Like many of Tehran’s rulers, the elder Dehghani has made many virulently anti-American statements in public, yet he chose to send his son to study at Northeastern University in Massachusetts. The elder Dehghani was also accused of embezzlement in 2010, specifically, of having stolen millions of dollars in state funds and deposited them in bank accounts under his son’s name. +Iranian democracy activists are pleased that the Trump administration is finally acting to stop the children of the regime’s elite from enjoying lavish lifestyles in the States, while average Iranians suffer in poverty due to these same officials’ corruption and inept governance. For many years, American authorities looked the other way to regime leaders and their families entering the US. The previous Obama administration went even further, and was accused of having given regime officials 2,500 US Green Cards as part of a secret side deal to the 2015 JCPOA. +The father (Kamal Dehghani) of the student you are talking about is part of the inner circle of Islamic Republic regime, here is his picture with @JZarif and Hassan Nasrallah, why do you think he should be allowed to stay in US? #LetShahabIn pic.twitter.com/OYaBeBtbf0 +— Inspector Clouseau (@InspectorClous2) January 21, 2020 +The son of an Iranian regime THUG, Kamal Dehghani, responsible for stealing millions of dollars & transferring it to his son’s name! +Well done @realDonaldTrump @StateDept @SecPompeo +👏👏👏🥂✌️#IRGCTerrorists pic.twitter.com/KXWbXcCKu4 +— SAMKAY (@Freeiran_Sam) January 21, 2020 +Advertisement - story continues below +As is to be expected, the mainstream liberal media did not report on the identity of Shahab Deghani’s father, and chose to portray him as a simple “student” and “victim” of President Trump’s travel ban. +Brian Hook: “The global media does a very bad job of conveying the true beliefs of the Iranian people.” +On Thursday, January 23rd, Brian Hook, the US State Department’s Special Representative for Iranian affairs gave an interview to the Ashaq Al Awsat newspaper. Among other things, he restated the Trump administration’s support for the Iranian people in their quest for freedom. ,” Hook said. +Khomeinist Foreign Minister Zarif Turned Away from Davos Summit, but Pretends that He Cancelled His Trip +Advertisement - story continues below +On January 20th, a spokesman for Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Islamic Regime’s foreign minister, abruptly announced that Zarif had cancelled his previously-planned trip to Davos, Switzerland, in order to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. The spokesman cited a “change in scheduling” as the reason for Zarif’s cancellation, while an Iranian newspaper claimed that Zarif had become angered after the WEF organizers denied him an opportunity to give a speech, in the aftermath of the regime having shot down a civilian airliner and killed 176 people. Outside observers, however, believe there is more to it than that. +The United States has been diligently attempting to diplomatically isolate the Tehran regime; earlier this month, the US State Department had refused to issue a visa that would have allowed Zarif to visit the United Nations in New York. Thus, it is most probable that Tehran’s announcement of a cancellation was merely yet another face-saving gesture, designed to disguise the fact that the Trump administration had successfully persuaded Tehran’s former protectors, the Europeans, to deny Zarif another chance to diffuse his lies. The recent European referral of Tehran to the UN for violating the 2015 JCPOA (the Iran Nuclear Deal) would add credence to this interpretation. +Another tacit sign that Switzerland did not want Khomeinist officials on its soil came on January 16th, when the Zurich newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung published a report by Ulrich von Schwerin titled “Iran’s guardians of the revolution defy their critics.” The report mentioned the vast economic empire the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has seized for itself, encompassing both legal and illegal businesses, “..the revolutionary guards have stretched out their feelers in parliament, government and administration, so that no one can get past the military in politics today. In many places, their influence has long surpassed that of the clergy. Some observers therefore see the Islamic Republic as a classic military dictatorship.” The article concluded by stating that: “Despite all the criticism, the guards have the backing of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. And if they see their power or the system in jeopardy, they will not hesitate to use force to defend them. The guards of the revolution would rather spill the blood of their countrymen than risk the status quo – they benefited too much from it.” +Also, it is worth noting that the WEF summit organizers invited the renowned Iranian journalist and women’s rights advocate Masih Alinejad to speak on a panel regarding how the Khomeinist regime oppresses women, and how Iranian women have fought back. +Advertisement - story continues below +It’s a shame he canceled it. I’ll be joining a panel at #Davos2020 to talk about women’s prominence during #IranProtests and how Islamic Republic has kept its own nation hostage. +— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) January 20, 2020 +In an event in Davos, I gave this interview to @dwnews. +One should never throw human rights under the bus for the sake of being able to negotiate with a repressive government for short-term political and economic gains. +The West should hear the voice of Iranian people. pic.twitter.com/liUhDqXFvx +— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) January 23, 2020 +An Iranian Films Himself BURNING the Koran +An Iranian man, in Iran, from the Bakhtiari tribe (who are historically anti-clerical) made a video of himself burning the Koran, and the clip has gone viral on Instagram. “This book has nothing but violence and misery for the people of Iran; not just for the people of Iran, but for the people of the Middle East, and people of the world,” the man says before lighting the Islamic holy book on fire. +Advertisement - story continues below +View this post on Instagram +نمیخواهم چنان دینی که… #چالش_آتش_زدن_قرآن +Australian Academic Imprisoned in Iran Reveals Regime Offered to Free Her if She Would Spy for Them +Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian/British dual citizen and professor of Islamic Studies at Australia’s University of Melbourne, has been in an Iranian prison since September, 2018. The academic was given a sentence of ten years’ incarceration after the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) falsely accused her of being a Western intelligent agent. Now, in letters that she has managed to have smuggled out of the IRGC’s Evin Prison, she has revealed that the IRGC offered to release her if she would become their spy +On August 23rd, Moore-Gilbert wrote to the IRGC officer who was trying to cultivate her: +Advertisement - story continues below +“Dear Mr. Vaziri, for you information I am copying to you the letter that I wrote to the case manager, which is about the topic I spoke to you about in the presence of the The Honorable Head of Legal Department of the IRGC: +‘Dear ask you to relay my decision to your boss. I hope that you do not ever speak to me again regarding this matter. Regards” +Foreign citizens are usually detained by the regime as a means of extorting concessions from their respective governments. +Advertisement - story continues below +Advertisement - story continues below +Advertisement - story continues below +You have to love the shortened work week that follows a three day weekend! My week has been off to a great start (and I hope yours has as well!). Monday started with a six miler outside: +Followed by lots of errands and housework. The day ended with dinner at Taco Boy and a Charleston River Dogs baseball game with Lindsay & Patrick. Taco boy is a funky restaurant with two locations, one in Charleston and one in Folly. We hit up the Charleston location. Check out the cool decor inside: +We shared some chips and salsa (their chips were great- not greasy at all!) and I got the taco salad for dinner. My taco salad was missing a few of the ingredients mentioned on the menu and came with one tiny sliver of avocado. I was a little disappointed. On the flip side, the roasted corn in the salad was delicious: +After dinner, we headed out to the baseball game. The weather was perfect and the stadium is beautiful: +Me, Lindsay & Patrick (hahaha) +The game was ….slow? I have no idea who even won! We left in the 9th and the score was still 0,0. +Today was back to the grind! After the usual work, I did a bit of cleaning and taught Body Attack. +For dinner, I made up Cuban Style Pineapple Rice & Beans (with Turkey for Josh): +Ingredients: +- 1/2 or 1 full 15 oz can Cuban style black beans (or you can use regular black beans and add in some additional spices (cumin & chili powder), onion & garlic) +- 8 oz can pineapple (either tidbits or chunks), drained or fresh cut pineapple +- 1/2 cup salsa +- 1 jalapeno, chopped +- 1/2 lb turkey (if using) +- 2 cups cooked brown rice (I used Success) +- 1 tablespoon oil (utilize 1/2 tablespoon if cooking beans only) +Directions: +- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add turkey and cook through (until no longer pink) +- Lower heat to medium and add black beans, pineapple, salsa and jalapenos. Heat through (~5 minutes) +- Place cooked mixture on top of brown rice +- Enjoy! +Easy dinner! And can be made for vegetarians and meat eaters alike! You can also play around and add some more veggies (peppers and onions would be fantastic!). Serves 2 or 3. +Also, on a side note, look at this adorable apron Lindsay gave me for my birthday (love it- thank you girl!): +What is your week looking like? Anything exciting to look forward to? +38 comments: +That apron is so cute! And we love those black beans from TJs.. so good! +what a cute apron!!! I have so many but never wear them b/c i never remember to put them on..haha! +The rice and beans with pineapple...love the sweet infusion to the savory..mmmmm, good!! +i made some black beans last night mmm mmm mmm so good cuban style i bet!! rice and beans with pineapple, ohhh girl- that looks fabulous!! <3 +That apron is super cute! I need to start wearing aprons so I can have cute ones like that. +I absolutely heart black beans. I swear I could eat them every day. :) +And what a great time with Lindsay and P! She's so sweet to get you that gift..... +Aaah! Seth gave me the exact same apron for an anniversary present! Love it:) +There is something about black beans that's very satisying. This dish certainly looks satisying and delicious. +Oh my, what is a taco salad without the loads of avocado?!?! How disappointing. :( +You know, I was just thinking of a recipe to use with these same beans because I knew I bought them my last TJ trip. When I went to look for them, they weren't there. I guess I used them already but I was so bummed because I had a great recipe in the works. Oh well, at least I'm making a trip to TJ's this weekend. I'll have to get more! +Hope you had a fabulous day love! +I absolutely love that apron! Too cute. +I haven't seen those black beans at TJ's before. Maybe it's an excuse to visit this week? ;) +How sweet of Lindsay! That apron is too adorable - very you!! :) +Your cuban style pineapple, rice & beans looks wonderful!! Great combo of ingredients!! +That dinner looks great! Loving the new apron too. :) I've been to taco boy! Loved it!!! +I'm looking forward to this weekend! We're off to B'ham for a Friday night football game and a day with the Velotas's, Porter's, Carden's and more to celebate a first birthday party + day of football! +so excited about the short work week! and i love the idea of the spicy beans with the sweet pineapple... omg i bet this would be sooo good with coconut rice too! yay for new ideas, thanks girl :) +i would like it if i could have a nice looking cuban make me some rice n beans ;) hahahaha totally kidding +what a fun weekend! i love how you and lindsay hang all the time now! it's so awesome that you guys are real/bloggie friends! +i've been eyeing that can of cuban black beans at tj's for a while now - i'll have to go and get 'em +Sounds like a fun day! Love all the beans:) We are still working on the house, but the cabinets should be in by the end of the week. Hopefully:) +That apron is adorable! What a great gift :) I think I own one apron--that would explain my dirty clothes after baking! +Love the apron! Adorable. The rice and beans look great too, and such a simple idea. +hahaha look at patrick in the background!! taco boy @ folly is a bajillion times better. i don't like the one downtown either. the patio is pretty though! cuteeeee apron!! :) +I used to make black beans or fat free refried beans like that alllllll the time!! I always add tons of salsa, cumin, and coriander!! soooo delish!! Speaking of Cuban, tomorrow some friends are taking me to a Cuban restaurant that they all adore, and CANT BELIEVE i havent been to yet! Should be deeeeeeelish!! +Hugs! And happy Wednesday!!!!!!!! +Patrick is a nut! Isn't he? That's such a cute picture of us though. I bet a little coconut butter would be a great little addition to the rice and beans. That was disappointing they didn't hook you up with avocado. We need to try the Folly location on day. See you for coffee tonight! +Im looking forward to...hmmm. +Ill check back with you. +how about the weekend? +saturday date night? +Im going with that. +I love that apron!! I need to invest in one :) +I will have to try that roasted corn on the next taco salad I make! +Gosh it's been so long since I've gone to a baseball game. Even if it's a slow oner they are always fun with good friends. I love the spin on beans and rice! +Adorable apron!! My bestie bought me a super cute black and red polka dot one for my birthday last year! +Love the cuban black bean dish - pineapple is such a good addition to savoury stuff, isn't it? +P.S. If only you lived closer to the midwest missy - meet ups would most certainly be happening on the regular! +Yummmm that dish sounds absolutely delicious! Pineapple can make anything better, right?? +I love baseball games! But, yeah...they can be slow. :-) At least it looks like you had great weather for it! +The Cuban Style Pineapple, Rice & Beans looks delish. I think it would be a great meal to make, and use the leftovers for lunch. +My week is slammed as I try to catch up at work from the long weekend. I also have to get 2 training runs in, along with teaching an aerobics class at my church. Thankfully, I have my nieces 1st Birthday party on Saturday to look forward to and to keep me motivated to push thru. +Glad you had a nice long weekend! The bean and rice dish looks delicious - quick meals that don't taste like they're quick are my favorite! +Such a cute apron! What a sweet gift :). +I'm excited for this week: my parents come to town on Fri and it's my first half marathon on Sun! Eek! +The rice and beans dish looks amazing! I'll have to give it a whirl! +That is a cute apron. That's crappy that your salad came missing some stuff. +Your taco salad looks yummy even if it was disappointing. And I agree, one sliver of avocado is sad :( +CUTE apron, what a nice gift! +I haven't tried TJ's cuban-style beans, I'll have to give them a go. +Oh, and one more thing: your average heart rate is my max nowadays. Pathetic! :P +I love all the restaurants you have in your area--the Taco Boy looks so fun! And that apron is fabulous. Pink/brown are the best colors together! +I have a polka dot apron it makes my baking much better I'm sure! x x +ohh those beans look so good!! i love your sungasses you are looking so hawwwttt +ah thats the cutest apron!! +Love the apron! +We used to go to baseball games and ask to sit on the sunny side of the field so that we could get sun :) We never had any idea who won but it was still fun. +LOVE the apron!! So cute! I love how they look like cute dresses. At least baseball games are fun to just be at, even if its slow and uneventful. That cuban beans/pineapple sounds so delicious, Brian would love that too! +way to rock that run, your pace is great for 6 miles!! +we have been enjoying lots of black beans lately in all kinds of mexican food! +When you would like to split up avoid time. After you have sex with the 12, do not do it immediately. Do not do it and don't do it or have had an examination. It is also much better to get a face. Breaking up by text or email hurts so bad and childish avoid text /email that is abrupt. Have the courage. Winfield Illinois spokane amature sex dating looking for preferences and afford the other party the dependence on a face to face Winfield IL hookers and booze. If you think your Winfield local sluts suck cock might be abusive, then decide on a safe and public location. +" Well, " Rob said, " I am just glad that somebody on the opposite end of the phone understands my position for after. " I didn't know what Terry's position was but he looked like he would not mind telling me. When I had a car, he asked me and I told him I had a bike. Just like I had insulted his mom, my answer was reacted to by him. " But why don't you have a car? " He explained. +So, in essence, you're a client in the online dating world. You're desired, deeply wanted, by these businesses. They so are constantly tweaking their websites to give you a much better consumer experience and are highly encouraged to keep you happy. +Avoid personalities that are inadequate. On forums and in networks there are men and women. You have to be able to identify personalities and stop dialogue with them quickly. It's vital. +And the Winner is. . . Perth! Playing Frank Ocean was a error. I must have played Pantera or something I. But I didn't wish to follow whatever I loathed. The mood in the car was bad. We had been driving for an hour and the only words which had passed were, " I want to go to the toilet" Dom had pulled into a service station so that I could use the amenities that were filthy. I got back to the car and expected that I wouldn't be turned by the drive from Frank Ocean. +C) Hand Touch- - unless of course if hand contact is cfaith dating apps Winfield IL to a handshake, this step is where you negotiate whether you may move on to a more private level of intimacy. You need to make certain this physical statement ends with a question affair casual sex Winfield Illinois instead of an exclamation to prevent receiving negative responses. But don't instantly assume it should you receive negative responses. It might mean that your crush is not prepared for familiarity however and thatyou're moving too quickly. +So I was surprised by it in a couple of minutes, he pointed in a nearby restaurant looked at his watch, and asked me if I would prefer a sandwich- - his cure! I tried flashing my sweetest and most brilliant smile, in humility. He was just as new to the whole dating thing as I was. Or one of his kids had told him dating today meant going Dutch treat, and he'd chosen to cover the date's part. How sweet! Because we ended up spending two hours together talking, laughing, and recalling that the name of Sky King's airplane( Songbird) . As a matter of fact, I was enjoying this date so much that time flew! I decided that Ebenezer might be worth checking out on a different date. +So long as I've a view of the match when need be hehe Me: Fine fine but my hands that are exploratory Girl and attention goes back on me: Duhhh, naturally! Where are those hands going to explore next This is virtually a dare for me. I'm comfortable enough with this time to raise the stakes a bit more. I understand that she is into me and I won't get blown from the conversation, even if she doesn't go along with being sexual. Yet, I only ratchet up the novelty into the bare minimal. +To your topic line, you want to grab their attention. Someone that looks very attractive in their photo, or that has a profile, will get dozens of messages every day. The good thing for you is that nearly all of them prostitutes in gta 5 Winfield IL probably be crap. The drawback is that after a week or so of the, the person becomes accustomed to dismissing messages in their inbox and skimming. So, standing out in a fantastic way is crucial if you want them to view open, your message. +Think about it, the more you develop your Inner Game, the more you will not have to have someone by your side at all times to be whole, YOU will be complete with just yourself, and this can make it feasible for you to get to know each other better by creating OTHER Inner Games. +- She seems to get agitated with you personally or your replies. Some guys aren't nice and really talkative but when you are typing it can become frustrating for the girl in case your answers are brief with being asked, or in the event that nothing is elaborated on by you. Just if a woman's answers seem short she is likely not to you, like I warn you it goes both ways. If she keeps getting responses that are short she's liable to think you are not really interested. +Anaïs Nin once said, " We do not see the world because it is; we view the world as we are. " Thus you have the option to see the planet using a lens of wealth- consciousness or poverty- consciousness. Can you see limitation, lack and lack around wealth, Winfield IL local sluts who like to fuck and abundance, or you? The mindset you choose communicates directly upon the success of your love life( and your achievement in general) . +It coincides at any various other place where guys go to pick up ladies, women absolutely most likely to be picked up. Just loosen up, they're no various then you. If you play your cards right you WILL be able to grab these women, it's really not difficult. They want it just as badly as you do, perhaps even a lot more. +You are engaging in significant self- disclosure, and this now feels much like a relationship, hell, it even feels better than the" starting conversations online dating" relationships you truckers and hookers Winfield Illinois have had. It seems exciting to be in this new connection. Until one day, you're stuck wondering what the hell just happened! Online- dating, and relationships that have developed and sustained themselves virtually, have triggered talks on tactics, and the need for study thrive to participate and recuperate from an online relation. +Ifyou're interested in a hidden iphone dating apps, and she seems interested in you personally, but she acts a little gun shy based on some sad events in her past, that is the opportunity to do something which gives her a really strong belief that her anxieties don't faze you in the least, and you are prepared to do what is necessary to win her trust without bending over backward to please her. The type of insecure woman who would like to grow beyond those insecurities wants, like any other woman, to feel secure and safe with you, but doesn't desire her struggles fought for her, nor does she feel like she constantly has to be handled together with the proverbial" kid gloves. " It sounds like something of a tightrope that is strange walk, doesn't it? Ray's finally gotten up the nerve to ask out that adorable guy- - a sweet girl named Tina who's been giving him little" I like you" signals. But despite those signals, despite her gut feeling that Ray's a man, she has had some issues in the Winfield nigerian online dating sites that have diminished how she feels about herself. This can be sensed by ray, but depending on the few dates they have had, he likes her and has a fantastic time. She opens up about exactly what happened, one night- - a few Winfield howtoconnect with local sluts bullies did a number on her self- esteem, as she had to deal with offenders, and she was blindsided by it. She actually shut down, and let it affect the way she communicated with people in the present. She has only just started opening up having grown tired of feeling afraid. She is still afraid, but that he is going to bond, or think less of her because she's overly sensitive as she is. She states, " You know that stuff about me today. You know my insecurities, not or more. I'm still interested in you. And I am willing to take things at your own pace. I am not going anyplace. Just know that you can't always live life in a bubble, afraid of everyone and everything. " There is something about you that helps me feel safe yet gives me hope I can return to the way I had been before, and perhaps really learn how to stand up for myself. Only going out with you've helped. I really don't need something or specific treatment, though. I am not totally broken. " " Maybe not, but I hope you give me something to do. We'whiteknight' types kind of need to keep busy, " he yells. +- Never request, or send naked photos. It'll get you banned and reported in the relationship site /app you are using. It is a form of sexual assault. More and more people are now being detained and charged for this. +So I did not need to sit in a pub I'd dragged some friends along. So tonight has been something of a Townsville reunion, most of these friends will also be from Townsville and understand the local sluts. When the people of Townsville come together, we drink. We were all very happy and drunk although 2 hoursin and I didn't understand how many jugs we had finished. +This mind- set isn't poisonous in our connection with God; it's toxic in every connection. Many marriages end because one or both spouses have the mindset, " How small can I do around the house before I get hauled out? " ; " How late can I keep out drinking with my friends before she calls? " ; " Just how much can I flirt with our neighbor ahead of my husband blows his top? " ; or" How impolite or despondent can I be until my spouse threatens divorce? " Robert Kiyosaki composed in Rich Dad, Poor Dad, " Employees work hard enough not to be fired, and owners cover just enough so that workers will not stop. " This is not how love works. Love is ample, overflowing, and abundant. It doesn't keep score. Local bbw sluts Winfield IL to God is about respect and love. God's rules are for my best Winfield IL local amateur sluts pics. I'm obedient since I respect adore, and trust God. +I've been hauled from local sluts fountains by friends. I'm the only person I know prepared to put my head under the water at the fake beach on the Brisbane Southbank. Band Aids light floating wads that could be semen, I don't care. Back when I lived in Townsville I spent an whole summer of afternoons floating at Ross River's urine- coloured water. If a lot of bull sharks weren't being hidden by the water, I would float at the Brisbane River. I will sunbathe alongside a puddle. " I need. To go to. The beach. " I stated this to Dom and that he took a step back, so fearful I might yank out a chunk of his hair. +Whether their senses are unconscious or conscious, dependent on conditioning, monitoring, experience, culture or environment, individuals are going to have an opinion about your photo. In this context, I'd like to offer you a few examples of profile photo flags along with the negative feelings they produce. +Turtle Face +In brief, like many PC China volunteers I have been doing a combination of traveling and working for the past month and a half, not once returning to Wanzhou. In that time I went bouldering in Western Sichuan, visited a student in his village in southern Chongqing, taught Chongqing middles school teachers how to teach differently, went to Shanghai, visited another student at his home in Chongqing city, and led EcoCamp with a host of outstanding volunteers. This post will only cover the first 1.5 weeks of my summer. +Rain Gods +In June, my site mate, Gabby and I made plans to find the legendary boulders at Karakul Lake a few hours outside of Kashgar, Xinjiang. We wanted remoteness, new culture, camping, mountains, and boulders. But, our plans were thwarted when PC travel to Xinjiang Province was barred due to the recent attacks in the provincial capital, Urumqi. Last winter I met a professional climber in Chengdu named Mike Dobie. He has been developing trad climbing in Li Ming, Yunnan for a handful of years and said that he had a bouldering development in Daocheng, Western Sichuan. He added that he didn't think the Daocheng development would ever catch because of its extreme proximity to any major city, the poor roads and infrastructure leading out there, and the day or two that it takes for your body to get acclimated. Daocheng was the perfect substitute. +Gabby's problem on the warm up boulder +Traveling to DaoCheng: +Getting to Daocheng (稻城) and back is a whole trip in itself. Our plan was to take a 9 hour bus from Chengdu to Kangding (康定). Stay the night in Kangding. And then a bus in the morning to Daocheng, because there is only one bus a day from Kangding to Daocheng and it leaves super early in the morning. +We rented a minivan with some young Chinese urbanites we met at our hostel. In Chinese minivans for hire are called, Bread Car +There are only a few buses a day from Chengdu to Kangding and they leave between 7am from Xinanmen Bus Station (西南们车站). To ensure that you get a ticket, you should try to buy your tickets the day before, probably sometime in the afternoon. A nice and affordable hostel, Traffic Inn, is around the corner from the bus station if you need to stay the night. +We got to Kangding around dinner time. The tickets for the next day were sold out so we resorted to renting a van. It was less than 200kuai (30USD) per person because we shared the van with some Chinese people. Our hostel arranged it for us. We did not book our hostel in Kangding in advance. With the increase of tourism in Western Sichuan, I recommend you book one in advance. In the morning we hopped in a van headed for Daocheng. During the 12 hour ride we experienced just about all four seasons and climates at elevations ranging from 8000 to 15600 feet. I wouldn't be surprised if the Kangding-Daocheng ride becomes listed as one of the most beautiful car trips in the world. One thing that should be noted is that the roads are very narrow, often broken or destroyed due to erosion and the pavement regularly freezing and thawing, also about a third of the road is dirt, so bring a plastic bag even if you don't get motion sickness. +Pitstops Between Chengdu and DaoCheng: +Since there are only two major highways connecting Chengdu to Western Sichuan, year round you will see Chinese bike trekkers riding through to Tibet. One pitstop at 14600ft +Squares of colored paper with prayers scrawled are thrown into the wind like prayer flags flying +Herder in skinny jeans pulls horse across highway to be watered. Our driver stopped so he could wash the minivan +After breaking through the extremely dense and floral mountains of the Sichuan Basin the geography instantly changes to high altitude pasture. The herders here live in tents and yaks usually graze unperturbed +Some folks we met driving from Gansu Province, while we were stopped for road construction +Biking and Exploring in Daocheng: +Just before reaching Daocheng it started snowing. Driving the high mountain passes on narrow slick roads was terrifying. We arrived at dusk. +Once your reach Daocheng it instantly feels like you have left China. The people are mostly ethnic Tibetans. They are tall and their skin is brown. The men dress like cowboys: long matted hair, gold teeth, and cowboy hats, only each has his own string of prayer beads. The women dress in the long traditional black garb, covering almost every inch of skin. If it were not for the modern face mask to protect from the dust and sun, you would think they were transported from 1870's American wild west, for their big bonnet hats create a complete image. Above is the traditional Tibetan yak's butter tea. We followed our Chinese van friends to their hostel and shared a room. +The next morning Gabby and I rented bikes. Our goal was to find Rubuchaka Village (茹布查卡). Dobie's bouldering guide marks all of its developments in the valley. Prayer slabs are placed to face the sky +Urban pigs +We ended up riding the wrong way, and none of the locals seems to have heard of the place. No a bad place to get lost +A mute ice cream man rides his bike through the valley +We found the valley!! A women walking on the road led us there. The valley is very remote and a little difficult to find if not driven +Turns out there numerous families living in the village have home stay capabilities. Gabby and I arranged a deal where we pay 80kuai (12USD) per day, which includes a bed, three meals, and one hot spring bath. We didn't know this until we got to Rubuchaka, but the whole village recently capitalized on the hot springs running through it. Despite the hot springs and the beauty of Rubuchaka, there are still few visitors. While making a deal with the family (some pictured above, can also see hats), it was pretty clear that they had never had anybody stay there before for more than one night, or ever. They are amazing people. We recommend that you stay at their establishment. Their house is fairly big, and located in the back on the village. They have eight beds to rent. Most of their food is vegetable and noodle (dough) based and it is so good. They also have a steady supply of Tibetan Yak's butter tea, bread, and Yak cheese. +Prayers are chiseled into random rocks throughout the valley. There are two resorts in the valley that flopped (right). It is nice to see that the yaks are taking back the land. +Gabby approaching Area Five +Dobie broke Rubuchaka Valley into five bouldering areas. All five areas surround the village at the bottom of the valley. +We didn't bring bouldering pads on this hike so we did more exploring of the massive rock formations and caves than bouldering. We found some amazing things. +Me warming up +Our first problem, we call it "Crown." It is located in the back of the Area. It is a long traverse up the edges. V2. +Area One: +I put up an easy V0 in the morning. +My problem is on the left above the pads. Gabby sent one of the problems set is the guide. +If you walk 15 minutes of the ravine in Area One you will find our next problem, "Turtle Face." V2. +There is endless amounts of bouldering at Rubuchaka. But there are a few things to be aware of. First is that if you are camping or hiking there is almost no cover from the weather. There are thunderstorms and snowstorms, but I think the sun is the most dangerous. Daocheng sits above 14000 feet. With clear skys, which are common, sunshine is less romantic, and more of a powerful radiation at that point. If you are here in the summer you need to bring a hat, long sleeved shirt, pants, gloves (seriously), and lots of sunscreen. We found that carrying an umbrella up there paid off. A benefit of the elevation is that water evaporates so quickly that even in the crazy sun you never really sweat. Oh, and it took me about two full days to get fully acclimated. +We finished our hike at Castle Peak +An ariel view of Rubuchaka Village. The road is on the right and our home stay house is on the far left +Bouldering, Camping, and Friends: +Evan, Kayla (both PCVs), and Nina (grad student is Hong Kong) showed up on the third day. We found this great bouldering in the field behind our inn to warm up on. +Nina and baby cows +I believe Dobie's problem on this boulder is called the "Candy Cane Traverse," which traverses from left to right. Gabby and I put up a problem going straight up from where I am sitting called, "Rain Gods," because of the flash hail storm that hit just before we were about to send it. V2. +Gabby and Kayla after surviving the hail storm +We hiked back to Castle Peak to camp. Our plan was to boulder, camp, and cook. So we had to carry all of these things up to the top of the mountain. We left the rest of our stuff at the inn for the night. I got fire wood from the inn for free. To carry it to the top I wedged it in between my bouldering pads. Even tough I had five large pieces of fire wood, I think I had the lightest pack. The others had to carry food, water, and gear. You can buy prepackaged food, fresh food, flashlights, and other supplies in Daocheng. +We hadn't thought of how we were going to cut the firewood until we got to the top of the mountain. We resorted to throwing big rocks at it +When big rocks didn't work we tried to hack at it with small rocks. And then we discovered leverage, but weren't strong enough :( so we lit our fire in defeat. But, starting a fire at 14000 feet is no simple task. Until we put our five college diplomas together and came up with a plan to divert the wind, I actually though we were going to run out of matches and not eat +Victory. I spent almost all of my time tending the fire and watching the food, probably an hour, and I am very proud of myself for it, because the fire never died once. +We had baked potatoes, corn, apples, peanuts, and other things. BTW, don't mix Yak cheese and potatoes... +Night. Slow Shutter. Fire +In the morning we tried to put up some problems. The rock Gabby is on was too sharp to climb +A problem I put up on a random boulder in Area One +Women walks her cattle back to Rubuchaka +There is a perpetually spinning prayer wheel on the inside of the structure on the right. The wheel is powered by a stream flowing below it +Last Days at Rubuchaka: +Dyno... +...in the morning +Gabby putting up a great problem on the left side of the warm up boulder in the backyard of our inn. Starting position +In the afternoon Gabby and I took the others to a crazy boulder cave we found in Area One. Three new Rubuchakan friends decided to follow us the whole day out +Fearless +Climbing over rocks can be difficult with out hands +All of the boulders that set in place to create this big and fully roofed cavern were once suspended in ice. By chance and magic all of the boulders were magically aligned. Definitely one of the coolest natural things I have ever seen. +On our way back to the inn +Doing laundry in the hot springs +On the last day we biked out to a temple that Gabby and I had seen from the road we got lost on. We asked this family for directions to the temple which you could see in the mountains from this point, but alas, nothing. They speak the Zang (Tibetan) dialect in many parts of western Sichuan. Earlier we were told that every town has its own version of Zang dialect. That white guy in the back is named Peter. We met him there randomly. He teaches Asian culture at a university in the Czech Republic. We also saw him again at a road block where we were stuck for six hours a few days later. +After not getting directions we decided to ride right at the fork. We ended up reaching a dead end. At the end of the road there was a medium sized house and all of the people living there came out to greet us. All had dark skin an rosey cheeks from the sun. Three generations of women came out. All smiling. Lots of silver and gold teeth. They invited us in for Yak's butter tea, cheese, and bread. We gave the kids Reese's. They scampered back out the door. Jackie Chan Adventures was on TV. +After riding and walking uphill for over an hour and watching rain and lightening chasing us in the distance we made it to, what ended up being a monastery. This monastery is not for tourists. But they were not going to deny us and after finding out that we walked up the mountain to see what was going on. +A monk led us into a large room where likely fifty monks were sitting and chanting. They were all wearing their traditional crimson garb with gold. There was clearly a hierarchy to seating in the room. The monk with the biggest headdress sat in an elevated seat at the front center of the room. The older monks were all sitting close to the center of the room, while mostly young monks sat closer to the walls. It was very cold in the temple. They were all wearing red and gold blankets. Next to the old parchment, from which they were reading the incantations in unison, their sat for each monk a bottle of orange sports drink. +We hung around the monastery for a while. Watching the monks wrestle and stuff. We were invited into the dining hall for Yak's butter tea and cheese. Many things were learned by both parties by the end of the discourse: mainly things about basketball. +Riding downhill from the monastery on the dirt road was longest downhill ride I have ever done. I think it was 10 minutes of downhill jumps and a little sliding at full speed. Nina gave Snickers to some kids who were waving to us on the side of the road. +If you have read this far into my blog post, thanks for reading. We went to more places but I feel its time to stop. I tried to capture some of the best parts of my trip and I hope they inspire you to come and see this amazing part of our world. One fascinating part of this trip for me was that I just happened to be reading an Ecology textbook on precipitation, soil composition, and mountainous climates while I was experiencing the environment described in the book. A night I would read and in the morning I could explain how the environment around me was formed, all the evidence was in front me, next to climb it. I was also fortunate to share this trip with four great personalities and minds, each contributing something different to alter the trip in ways I never imagined. I truly hope that I can continue to have trips of this caliber. +To Gabby, we had a great year and I don't think there could have been a better way to end it. See you stateside. +FerretBomb Active Member. Results 1 to 3 of 3 Premiere Pro CS3 - Sound Issues (out of sync, etc. Re: sound out of sync (Premiere Pro. Reply to this premiere pro preview out of sync topic; premiere Start new topic; Recommended Posts. I've got a seriously urgent issue. Without going over your head we'll take you through a project. Modyfn New Member. +premiere pro preview out of sync This might come in handy if you are left-handed or just want to have more control over your preferred workflows. But when I import the mov-file to premiere pro, at the beginning of the premiere pro preview out of sync video the video and audio are in sync but after not premiere pro preview out of sync even a minute the video and audio don't line up. Linear Mode; Switch to Hybrid Mode; Switch to Threaded Mode; Thread. It simply deletes the. +Go to the Clip menu > Render and Replace. Here's the premiere pro preview out of sync bug report form: We'll do our best to get fixes in premiere pro preview out of sync ASAP. Glitches, skips, out of sync, weird things happening – all nice sounding, but not in the right places. +premiere pro preview out of sync premiere pro preview out of sync View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message Member. Audio and Video out of sync With Adobe Premiere Pro. Source files are derived premiere pro preview out of sync from a high definition video recorder. Looking to speed up your editing workflow? &0183;&32;Adobe premiere pro? Looks and sounds exactly like what I need. Click to check the detailed information about How to crop videos in Premiere Pro. Although Premiere Pro CC. +&0183;&32;I definitely get much better results when premiere using Premiere. thank you My settings. ” A dialogue box will ask if premiere you. Click on any clip you want to condense. +&0183;&32;Premiere Pro has built-in tools that allow you to quickly and easily get your video and audio in sync. Learn how to use the various controls in the Source Monitor and the Program Monitor in Premiere Pro. Here are 15 things I’ve learned along the way that will help you become a pro. +It doesnt seem to change or get worse. To play or view the active sequence, use the Program Monitor controls. Check out the rest of the blog here on RocketStock. Do you want to delete the program and never look at a render screen again. William Karchner premiere pro preview out of sync J at 8:32 pm. Adobe premiere pro audio and video out of sync? +When first starting out with LUTs, you may think they are a “band-aid” solution for your color grading woes. Searching online, we found several people asked about fixing variable out-of-sync audio in VLC Media Player. So I right click the clip, properties and tick Disable Resample and re-render it again. +5 and i thought I’d mention it here. Are you tired of spending all of your time figuring things out. Out-of-Sync Audio in VLC Media Player- Resolved. The audio/video at the beggining of the clip is synced fine, but by the end of the clip, premiere pro preview out of sync the video is behind the audio by almost 1 sec. &0183;&32;Unfortunately, Premiere won’t perfectly premiere pro preview out of sync sync audio and video every time. +Zoom Out – premiere pro preview out of sync – Undo: Ctrl+Z: Cmd+Z. I hope someone can help me! 0 Comments Download - Update. So my video files are. I have a finished multicam edit of a show that runs 1 hr 20 min. Syncing Shogun Footage with PluralEyes? Not only does Premiere Pro have default shortcuts, but it also allows you to add your own. +Explore techniques of adjusting the audio levels of your music and other audio clips, spice them up with the power of Equalisers and Audio Effects. Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the best editing softwares currently premiere pro preview out of sync available, but using it for the first time can be daunting! Double- click the downloaded file. Sync in vegas, everything looks fine in preview. The recording starts off in sync, and as premiere pro preview out of sync you progress the sync ‘drifts’ and premiere pro preview out of sync gets worse and worse. &0183;&32;The copies must match the originals in duration, or they will fall out of sync. By shipwreck117, J in Questions. +One of the most commonly reported issues Adobe Premiere Pro editors experience when working with footage captured using iPhones, screencam tools, Wirecast, and Skype is a loss of AV sync on clips that played fine outside Premiere Pro. Please Check Our Previous Posts before reading this post. ) + Reply to Thread. +&0183;&32;Instead of forking out cash on programs like PluralEyes to sync your audio and footage, Adobe gives you the capability to do this right preview inside Premiere Pro. The issue has been reported on multiple GPUs and GTX 1080 Ti running on latest Game Ready driver 451. But like I said before, this DV-AVI file from capture plays. &0183;&32;Premiere Pro CS3 imported. If you want to avoid spending money on software and don’t feel like going through the tedious process of doing it manually, check out the tutorial below (via Corey Machado ) for a great way to sync audio and footage in Premiere Pro. I am exporting DSLR footage which the same sequence was previously fine on export on my old computer. +Don’t worry, you can still change premiere pro preview out of sync the effects on the clip later on, but it can help premiere pro preview out of sync your system access it quickly and playback more efficiently. &0183;&32;When playing everything is on order, but in Premiere Pro. Find two sync points, one as premiere pro preview out of sync close to the st. +Explore several different types of out-of-sync errors and discover how different commands can fix them, including both. Play video The Source Monitor and Program Monitor contain several controls that resemble the playback controls on a video deck. 1) and later versions offer the Preserve Audio Sync feature to relieve this situation, preview it inevitably cannot give consideration to all kinds of program versions, systems, hardware configuration, premiere pro preview out of sync etc. The Audio and Video is out of sync by about 1 second. mpg video file into PP and whether I preview play it back in the project panel or. There's something really funny. My timecodes were premiere pro preview out of sync slightly off, so not helping, but I can work off one point on the footage and get the B camera footage synced to the audio then off sync about 3-5 seconds later. Let’s have a closer look at how to accomplish this. +Audio/Video Out of Sync with Samsung NX1000 Camera - Why? &0183;&32;Automatic audio sync in Premiere Pro for an entire scene preview in a couple of mouse clicks! Your suggestion for a pro quality. +Now follow the same step to adjust the position of the second preview video and apply crop settings to the second video on the screen. . These are generally used in scenarios where multiple cameras sync to a single audio track. Unfortunately for me the problem was somewhere else. +This video explores how to repair sync problems in the Premiere Pro timeline. mov and i took them on my iphone 5 and they play fine on my dell computor, no problem. I’ve preview been using PremPro premiere pro preview out of sync CS3 for about 4 yrs now and have NEVER had this problem. +Explore possibilities. We help our customers create, deliver and optimize content and applications. Also I put Field Order as None(in properties. . &0183;&32;We have new audio components added to Premiere premiere pro preview out of sync Pro CC, so there appear to be a few issues with that. LUTs are much more versatile than you think. However, the rendered video come out as motion blur. Go ahead and load a few clips into the source monitor to take a look. +Adobe Premiere Pro Cc Audio Out Of Sync Kodi. Render premiere pro preview out of sync it using NTSC DV premiere pro preview out of sync preset. Can someone help me fix this? +4 is sound out of sync. So for a school project I'm trying to edit a video, I need to cut premiere pro preview out of sync a couple pieces premiere pro preview out of sync out of the video so in the end I'll end up with three different smaller videos. Show Printable Version; Email this Page; Subscribe to this Thread; Display. &0183;&32;Premiere Pro premiere premiere pro preview out of sync :: Audio Out Of Sync H. Add, Sync, and Delete Custom Shortcuts. +&0183;&32;Premiere Pro CC export audio out of sync! But when i go to upload on adobe, it is like 5 sconds out of sync? &0183;&32;Adobe Premiere is one of those easy-to-learn, hard-to-master programs. Issue: Premiere Pro displays preview artifacts on Program monitor when using Lumetri on systems using NVIDIA GPUs with newer Studio/Game Ready drivers. +Whether it couldn’t find a good reference preview point or it just made a huge error, there is always a solution—doing it yourself. The color correction feature in Adobe Premiere Rush on mobile. Start here and learn how to professionally edit video using techniques from the experts. You just select the clips in a Sequence and premiere pro preview out of sync choose Clip > Synchronize, or right-click and choose Synchronize. +I just got it hiting. I have a looming deadline of THIS FRIDAY to hand this in. Manually syncing audio and video is also the best way to get back on track if things. You can also do some editing tasks with program monitor. ; Workaround: Upgrade to the NVIDIA studio driver v451. +Either premiere pro preview out of sync way, the option is there for you, and adding custom shortcuts is so easy premiere pro preview out of sync that it has its own shortcut. Remember that the audio files in Adobe Premiere Pro are still the unedited original premiere pro preview out of sync files. premiere pro preview out of sync Really annoying, been searching online for hours and I don't have quicktime or anthing nothing has worked help me. Want to learn more about Premiere Pro or Video Editing? &0183;&32;The Synchronize command in Adobe Premiere Pro won’t fix audio and video out-of-sync within a video file (retiming is required for that, mostly), but it will automate matching externally-recorded or multicam audio-video files. Secondly, preview even after upgrading to Premiere Pro CC premiere pro preview out of sync setting it to No Input, the problem persisted. If you want to download a free video clip from our friends at Shutterstock to test out the speed options in Premiere Pro, simply hit the download button below. I turned off "drift" in the settings, but the first time when this was on - it was still drifting out of sync. +In order to substitute them with your newly edited files, you first need to take the originals offline. Applying one might either. Ask Question premiere pro preview out of sync Asked 5 years, 7 months ago. Hi Shekaa, To solve the video/audio syncing issue. Learn how to make the most of sound and audio inside Adobe Premiere Pro. Finally, the Adobe Premiere Rush Single App Plan comes in at . Also, explore how video and audio can mistakenly become unlinked as well as how to relink and repair the sync issues. +&0183;&32;How to Get the Most Out Of Your LUTs in Premiere Pro. Here is a simple fix using a freeware tool called HandBrake that will re-sync your audio premiere so you're ready to edit. Basically, HDV I captured from my FX1 into premiere pro 2. +&0183;&32;It seems more of an Adobe premiere pro preview out of sync problem, since rendering it to mov, wmv or mpeg2 doesn’t seem to matter, premiere pro preview out of sync the audio is always out of sync, even when I do this in Premiere. It may not be the fastest or most luxurious method, but it is the most premiere pro preview out of sync accurate and it gets the job done. Please, show me the right settings so I can premiere easily work with Premiere Pro. premiere pro preview out of sync Explore how to repair sync problems in the Premiere Pro timeline. Don’t change the length of the audio. I imported a few camera cards full of AVCAM / AVCHD footage from my HMC-150 and edited for a few days. +After building a new machine with Premiere CS5. &0183;&32;At first, I thought that my video/audio was out of sync in Premiere after a couple of trims and edits but I find out that the original DV-AVI file is already out of sync in the monitor of Premiere. +-> Premiere pro editing laptop 2018 +-> Premiere pro gratis para mac +Lack of time is the most overused reason for not exercising. This is deep-seated on the belief that no benefit can be achieved without a serious time commitment to exercise on daily basis, exactly the excuse we are looking for to stay on the couch. +‘Myths are beliefs that people adopt because they have an air of plausibility and are at least consistent with some pieces of evidence’. +Jogging and endless treadmill wanderings are thought as the way to go to stay healthy. Personally I can’t stand either. +Really we have to exercise for so long? +The answer lies in the nature of exercise itself, which is a stimulus that acts to generate an effect, just like a drug. As suggested by Dr Doug McGuff: ‘For exercise or a medicine to produce the desired effect there has to be an optimal concentration, dosage and dosing frequency’. +In exercise terms, concentration is the intensity, dosage the duration of exercise and dosing frequency represents the number of sessions per week. These parameters should be manipulated to induce a stimulus that triggers a training adaptation. +Also like drugs there is a ‘Narrow therapeutic window’ that represents the borders of the training stimulus. This means that a stimulus that lies within the interval of the window produces a positive adaptation while on the other hand crossing the border with too high or too low a stimulus may lead to undesired results, such as lack of progress or overtraining (and training more does not mean improving more, as I often try to persuade my friend..). +In a quest to minimise exercise dosage the group led by Gibala at McMaster University investigated the effects of repeated sprint intervals of very short duration on metabolism; they designed a training program consisting in 4/6 30s ‘all out’ sprints per session with 4.5 min of rest in between to be performed 3 times a week. +They found that only 6 sessions of this protocol were sufficient to improve endurance and promote an increased activity of the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis PGC-1a meaning an increased skeletal muscle oxidative capacity. +These findings suggest that this minimal training program consisting of mainly anaerobic exercise produced an alteration of the metabolic state, in fact improved insulin sensitivity was also found. Similar studies found also significant decreases in blood pressure, increased resting fat oxidation and improved fitness VO2 max, probably the most comprehensive marker of health. +Could we do even less? +A recent study performed by Metcalfe et al at the University of Edinburgh paves the way for an even more minimalistic approach to training. This group designed their protocol considering that exercise benefits may be driven by the depletion of glycogen, one of the predominant energy stores in muscles utilised during exercise. +Glycogen breakdown is markedly reduced after the first 15s of the sprint and it tends to be inhibited in the following sprints. These observations suggested that the original repeated sprints protocol of Gibala et al exceeds the stimulus necessary to induce glycogen depletion, crossing the upper border of the ‘therapeutic window’. –So, exercise strain could have been reduced while maintaining potential for improving health. +The results: +Only 2 sprints per session lasting 10 to 20s for a total of 10 minutes of exercise including warm up and rest intervals performed 3 times a week were sufficient to produce an improvement in insulin resistance and VO2 max in sedentary but healthy subjects over a period of six weeks. +The other important feature of the study was the use of rate of perceived exertion (RPE), a scale used to understand exercise strain and the degree of fatigue experienced. Mean RPE found was 13, indicating an effort of ‘somewhat hard’ magnitude, equivalent of that found in prolonged cycling of intermediate intensity, suggesting that this workout is not even hard! +Could we do even fewer sessions per week? Some of the effects of exercise on metabolism are acute, they depend on the last bout of exercise, for instance the exercise effect of reducing blood triglycerides lasts only about 24 hours after your workout, meaning that you could be even an Olympian but you need to be active often if you want to keep triglycerides low. +Reducing the sessions to less than 3 a week may not guarantee these benefits throughout the whole week. Only future research can tell if we could reduce the workouts to only twice (or once?). +There is increasing evidence that minimalist training can stimulate health benefits, especially by promoting metabolic adaptations, doing so with a total amount of 30 min a week (or less?) of exercise including breaks and warm up and with a moderate physical strain. This is evidently standing out when compared to the 150 min of moderate exercise per week advocated by present health guidelines. Would be at this point reasonable to change the guidelines towards a ‘time efficient’ model that takes into account the overwhelming time-consuming commitments that characterise our present society? +Lastly, this approach to exercise would have to defeat sceptical mind-sets among both the general population and the health experts before imposing itself as the new paradigm for well-being. +FP +The guidelines are 150 minuntes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. However, as exercise is medicine, it should be more personalized and prescription should be developed more carefully by GPs and other health care professionals. We all have different physical activity, exercise and health needs and thus a change in these guidelines should be towards a more personalized model which can include a more “time efficient” facet depending on the person’s/patient’s time-consuming commitments and everyday life. +I enjoyed reading your post 🙂 Well done! +Wise words. Thank you! +Fab +Fabio, right? Good post with some great science. I periodically scan the web to see what others are doing in their minimalist approaches and found your post from your comment on Tim ferris’s blog. Have you thoughts or heard of research on minimalist approaches geared more towards athletic performance rather than general well being? I’ve just lowered my own weekly training to 1 hr a week,3 x 10 min sessions and one 30 minute session. But rather than general fitness, I hope to do some very hard races including ultramarathons, IM triathlon, and others. Current plan is 5 or 6 big events in 2013 starting with the arrowhead135 bike race in late January. I’ve got detailed training record going back 4 years or so, during which time I’ve kept at or below 3 hrs/week. In my estimation there is a much overlooked mental component for endurance performance. You can check out my writings if you are interested… +Keep up the good work, andy +Thanks Andy! +Actually the only performance oriented minimal approach I read about was not aimed at the kind of endurance events you are talking about (J Physiol 586.1 (2008) pp 151–160). Is there lots of material supporting the preparation to IM-like events with minimal training (even research studies)? I gave a look at your blog, like the style and passion. As I understand you are suggesting that minimal training is enough to give the body the necessary physiological adaptation for the event. That’s very interesting indeed. How do you prepare mentally? +This topic is very cool, like to know more of minimalist ultraendurance-rs train +Fabio +There is virtually no material (that i can find anyway) other than my and other n=1 experiments. My theory is that using HIIT methods like Tabata intervals, etc, one an achieve some reasonable level of ones fitness potential (and as you noted, there is ample evidence to support this in terms of VO2 max gains, time to exhaustion gains in trained cyclists, etc – and these studies have been done on both experienced and recreational athletes). Long endurance events are suffer fests anyway, and so i think (and have found personally) that the levels of fitness attainable on low volume/high intensity approaches are sufficient, given the proper mental confidence/ability to suffer to, to complete even super tough events. +Lots of people are critical of these ideas because they think it’s a shortcut or something – i think anything but. I don’t perform at my absolute potential (but does anyone really?) and my workout schedule, even though low in volume, is very very tough mentally as required to get maximum ROI from my training. As for mentally? my path came through climbing and mountaineering – i have a history in these pursuits that often put me in dire situations where i had no easy way out (or way out at all). When you’re exhausted, out of food and water, and 10 miles of talus field hiking with an 75 pound pack away from your car on the 4th day of an expedition, you learn quickly how to over-ride that voice in your head that is telling you to stop immediately. And that serves me well on a 60 mile run or 4 day adventure race when i start hurting. But for people without this background that want to try a similar approach, i recommend just using the events/races themselves as a crucible for learning – get in the middle of your first ultra and deep in the pain cave, figure out what it feels like, and then try to make it out the other side. There are bound to be failures along the way, but over time (and many attempts), the mental lessons will be learned in this fashion just as they would be through massive and huge training days. And lets be honest, training days never completely prepare you for the pain of the event – you don’t run an IM to prepare for one, after all. +Finally, not sure how many minimalist endurance folks there are – for most people minimalist for something like IM means 10 hours a week as compared to 20, or 25-30 miles a week for marathon training vs 40-50. compare this to my 1 hour of training with an average running week of only 3 miles (1.5 miles 2 weeks, then 6 miles the third week), on which i think i could run a 3:30 marathon and you get the picture. again, most people would think that this is due to natural ability or something – but it’s not. it’s (very) hard work for brief periods, lots of recovery, and the mindset to keep pushing when it is no longer any fun. Sorry for the long post – as you mentioned, i’m pretty passionate about the subject! here’s a cool post i wrote about a ‘RadioLab’ show on limits and the central governor theory of the mental side of things that you might find interesting – you can listen to the podcast – just fascinating: +cheers +andy +Pingback: BBC Horizon show support to minimalistic training | bodyhackonversation +. +As we continue to explore Holy Week, we find ourselves in the midst of a political thriller is this Jesus Christ going to over through the imposter King Herod and rid the country of the evil and merciless Romans? Will the warrior Christ be able to defeat the evil monster “Death” itself? What will happen when Jesus is betrayed, denied, and left all alone at the moment of His greatest need? Will the Son of God revolt against His Heavenly Father’s will? Is God truly the Good Shepherd who will go into God-forsakenness to find the lost sheep? Will the dead truly rise? What will the confrontation be like when Jesus comes face to face with Herod (who had John killed) or with Pilate who had the blood of the some of the Jews mixed with their own sacrifices. Sometimes, I think that because we have celebrated Holy Week over and over again we can forget how exciting the story really is. +One of my favorite series of books is called The Spanish Bit Saga by Don Coldsmith. In the first book of the series The Trail of Spanish Bit he describes a Native American Tribe (known as “the people”) first encounter with the horse and how it would revolutionize their culture. In that book the Medicine Man known as White Buffalo was a minor character and almost never talked about. Later Don Coldsmith would write “The Changing Winds” and as I read it I discovered that this was a retelling of the “Trail of the Spanish Bit” but from the point of view of White Buffalo. I was amazed to learn how much of a role White Buffalo had actually played in the tribe’s acceptance of the horse and it gave me a new prospective on the entire story. I think that it can be very good to take time to re-read each of the Gospel’s passages concerning the events of Holy Week from the point of view of the many different characters. Maybe one time read it from Peter’s point of view or another Pilate’s or maybe even from the little girl who accused Peter of being a follower of Jesus. What do you think their emotions were and the reasons behind their actions? How is God being accepted or rejected by each character? What do you feel God telling you as you read and imagine yourself in the different roles? +On Wednesday of Holy Week, which is unofficially called “Traitor Wednesday” because the story of Judas betraying Jesus is read as the Gospel, we have the chance to immerse ourselves into the character of Judas. Why did Judas betray Jesus? Were his reasons much different from ours? Why did Judas not seek forgiveness? +As we continue our journey we find ourselves liturgically on Holy Thursday morning although sometimes this next Liturgical celebration can be moved forward in the week or even to the week before so as many priests as possible can attend. In St. Louis, the Chrism Mass is always celebrated at 10AM Holy Thursday morning at the New Cathedral with the Archbishop presiding. There are two major parts to the Chrism Mass - the first part being the blessing of Holy Oils and the second part being the celebration of the priesthood and the renewal of priestly vows. +At the Chrism Mass the Bishop blesses the three Holy Oils: the oil of Catechumen, the oil of the infirm/sick, and the Sacred Chrism. Think about the fact that the any Catholic bishop can trace his roots all the way back to the original apostles. An analogy that helps me is to think of each bishop as an extension cord bringing the light of Christ into the world today. Some extension cords are longer and others shorter just like some bishops have longer lives than others. No other religion can make this claim. +Finally at the Chrism Mass all the priests of a given diocese are invited to gather together and to renew their priestly vows. On the day (Holy Thursday) in which Christ began the priesthood priests gather no matter what their ordination day was or how long ago it was and they renew their vows. I can speak from my own heart and say that it is always a very great and humbling occasion for me. I also appreciate the support of all the lay people in attendance which is normally demonstrated through a large amount of clapping after the priests have renewed their vows. +As this week’s Spiritual Ponderings concludes, we look forward to Mass of the Lord Supper and the beginning of the Sacred Tridium. +As we continue our Holy Week Journey we come to the Sacred Triduum. Starting Thursday Night and keeping time as the Jewish people at the time of Christ did (evening was considered to be the start of a new day) for three days the Church celebrates one continual liturgy. We can see this by the fact that the Sign of the Cross at the beginning of Holy Thursday Mass does not repeat and only at the end of the Easter Vigil do we have a final blessing. +The first part of the Sacred Triduum is called the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and it is where we celebrate the very first Eucharist. Jesus gathered the twelve (and probably others) and according to St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: For I received from the Lord what I also handed over. Much can be said and has been written about the Eucharist so all I wish to do here is to point out that in the early Church everyone including Paul knew the story and placed great emphasis on receiving the Eucharist. +On Holy Thursday we also celebrate in a very visual way Christ’s love for us by ritually re-enacting Jesus’ washing the feet of His disciples. If we thought John was humble because He did not feel worthy to untie the strap on the sandal of the Messiah how much more humble must the Messiah had been to bow down and perform the work of a servant. One cannot help but think of Philippians 6:2, 8. For centuries (and even today) people thought that to be like God one must be all powerful, always in control, and famous. Jesus reveals to us the truth that to be God is all about love and of being of loving service to others. +After everyone has received the Eucharist on Holy Thursday any extra Eucharist is then transported to another place of rest that is not the tabernacle that is normally used. In a symbolic way we are re-enacting Jesus’ time of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Just like the Garden of Eden in this garden a choice will need to be made. Will Jesus trust in the Father’s love and do His Father’s will or will He doubt His Father’s love and disobey like Adam and Eve did? We like Peter, James, and John are invited to spend time in prayer with Jesus. Now without fanfare the first part of the Triduum is over. +The second part of the Triduum is called the Veneration of the Holy Cross. Good Friday is the only day of the year in which Mass is not celebrated in honor of Christ’s death. The first major part of the Good Friday service is the reading of the Passion according to John. +Following the Passion a large cross is brought into the Church and we are asked to venerate it as if it was the real cross. Some people simply bow to it and others will kiss it. There is no wrong way to do venerate the Cross as long as we do so respectfully as St. Dismas did. Dismas is the name given to the repentant thief who hung upon the cross next to Jesus. He came to Jesus’ defense when the other thief mocked Jesus and Jesus promised Dismas that Dismas would enter into paradise - reminding all of us that it is never too late for us to accept Christ as long as we are alive. +After the veneration of the Cross we are invited to receive the Eucharist. This Eucharist though was not consecrated today but rather on Holy Thursday. Even in His death Jesus is providing for His people and once again with no fanfare the celebration ends and people depart. +We have now come to the climax of our Holy Week liturgies with the Easter Vigil. This will be a night in which we both celebrate Christ’s Resurrection and the welcoming of new Catholics. Adults who wish to become Catholic and who have never been baptized and have been preparing for the Sacrament through the RCIA are baptized tonight. In some parishes but not all those who have been Baptized but missed one of the other two Sacraments of Initiation (Eucharist and Confirmation) may also receive them for the first time at this special Mass. +The Catholic community gathers outside the Church building around a fire that represents God’s love. From the fire of God’s love the Easter Candle is lit. The Easter Candle, sometimes called the Paschal Candle, is normally a large candle that is decorated. It is to be a symbol for us that Christ is the Light of the World and that Christ has conquered the power of darkness and death. People then process into the Church led by the Easter Candle and normally singing and repeating an antiphon like “Christ our Light” – “Thanks be to God”. As they process in the light from the Easter Candle is spread throughout the Church by one person lighting their candle from the Easter candle and the next person lighting their candle from that person’s candle and so on. It is truly an awesome sight to see and see demonstrated how faith in Christ spreads from one person passing it on to another and so on. +After everyone is in Church and normally with the Church only lit by candles the deacon, priest, or cantor sings the Exulted. The Exulted is a hymn of praise singing about how God has saved us from the darkness of sin. After the Exulted everyone sits down and begins to listen to the readings. Instead of having three readings (a first, a second, & a Gospel) there are at least 5 and can be as many as ?. Each reading talking about God’s faithfulness and how He has saved His people. +After all the readings, the celebration continues with the Rites of Christian Initiation if there is anyone wishing to join the Church. Adults receive the sacrament of Baptism and then all present renew their Baptismal vows. Once again reminding us how God has saved us through the gift of Baptism. We have died with Christ and will rise with Him. Following the Baptism any adult who just received the sacrament of Baptism can also receive the sacrament of Confirmation and so the person is Confirmed and is now a full fledge member of the Catholic faith. These people will go onto receive their first Holy Communion also. (There is no need for 1st Reconciliation at this point because the Baptism has wiped away all sins. The people who are brought into the Church at Easter will eventually celebrate this sacrament later and on their own. +Finally to conclude the Sacred Triduum we receive a final blessing (remember there was no final blessing on Holy Thursday or Good Friday) and a dismissal normally ending with a “Double Alleluia” to symbolize just how excited we are to praise Yahweh the God who has saved us and give us new life through Christ Jesus. +I would like to end this month’s Spiritual Ponderings with a few thoughts from Fulton Sheen’s The Life of Christ. +In the history of the world, only one tomb has ever had a rock rolled before it, and a soldier guard set to watch it to prevent the dead man within from rising: that was the tomb of Christ one the evening of the Friday called Good. What spectacle could be more ridiculous than armed soldiers keeping their eyes on a corpse? But sentinels were set lest the Dead walk, the Silent Speak, and Pierced Heart quicken to the throb of life. They said He was dead; they knew He was dead; they would say He would not rise again; and yet they watched! They openly called Him a deceiver. But, would He still deceive? Would He Who “deceived” them into believing they had won the battle, Himself win the war for life and truth and love? They remembered that He called His Body the Temple and that in three days after they destroyed It, He would rebuild It; they recalled, too, that He compared Himself to Jonah and said that as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days, so would He be in the belly of the earth for three days and then would rise again. After three days Abraham received back his son Isaac, who was offered in sacrifice, for three days Egypt was in a darkness that was not of nature; on the third day God came down on Mount Sinai. Now, once again, there was worry about the third day. +Their request for a guard until the “third day” had more references to Christ’s words about His Resurrection than it did to the fear of the Apostles stealing a corpse and propping it up like a living thing in simulation of a Resurrection.. +The men would not come to the tomb until they were summoned—so little did they believe. But the women came, only because in their grief they sought consolation in embalming the dead. Nothing is more antihistorical than to say that the pious women were expecting Christ to rise from the dead. The Resurrection was something they never expected. Their minds were not made up of the kind of material on which such expectations could grow. +To an angel, the Resurrection would not be a mystery, but His death would be. For man, His death was not a mystery, but His Resurrection would be. What had been natural to the angels, therefore, was not made the subject of the announcement.. +As we move through the Twelve Step Method, I really hope that you are doing more than just reading my Spiritual Ponderings but that you are also making a conscious effort to grow in your relationship with the Lord in some way. If these Ponderings help, thanks be to God, and if they do not then I encourage you to make some effort to read something else on prayer. A lot of people love the Magnificat Books or the Word Among Us.. +As we move onto the next three steps in the Twelve Steps, it is important that that we point out that these steps are not like steps that once completed you don’t have to worry about it again. Rather as we complete a step, we begin to realize that we may need to repeat these steps more than once. We may even need to repeat all twelve steps every day.. +As we finish with the Twelve Step Method, it must be pointed out that there is so much more that can be said on this topic. If you find this helpful and/or challenging I invite you to stay with it and learn more about the Twelve Steps.. +AWS News Blog +Simplified Time-Series Analysis with Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights +Inspecting multiple log groups and log streams can make it more difficult and time consuming to analyze and diagnose the impact of an issue in real time. What customers are affected? How badly? Are some affected more than others, or are outliers? Perhaps you performed deployment of an update using a staged rollout strategy and now want to know if any customers have hit issues or if everything is behaving as expected for the target customers before continuing further. All of the data points to help answer these questions is potentially buried in a mass of logs which engineers query to get ad-hoc measurements, or build and maintain custom dashboards to help track. +Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights, generally available today, is a new feature to help simplify analysis of Top-N contributors to time-series data in CloudWatch Logs that can help you more quickly understand who or what is impacting system and application performance, in real-time, at scale. This saves you time during an operational problem by helping you understand what is contributing to the operational issue and who or what is most affected. Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights can also help with ongoing analysis for system and business optimization by easily surfacing outliers, performance bottlenecks, top customers, or top utilized resources, all at a glance. In addition to logs, Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights can also be used with other products in the CloudWatch portfolio, including Metrics and Alarms. +Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights can analyze structured logs in either JSON or Common Log Format (CLF). Log data can be sourced from Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances, AWS CloudTrail, Amazon Route 53, Apache Access and Error Logs, Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) (VPC) Flow Logs, AWS Lambda Logs, and Amazon API Gateway Logs. You also have the choice of using structured logs published directly to CloudWatch, or using the CloudWatch Agent. Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights will evaluate these log events in real-time and display reports that show the top contributors and number of unique contributors in a dataset. A contributor is an aggregate metric based on dimensions contained as log fields in CloudWatch Logs, for example account-id, or interface-id in Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Flow Logs, or any other custom set of dimensions. You can sort and filter contributor data based on your own custom criteria. Report data from Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights can be displayed on CloudWatch dashboards, graphed alongside CloudWatch metrics, and added to CloudWatch alarms. For example customers can graph values from two Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights reports into a single metric describing the percentage of customers impacted by faults, and configure alarms to alert when this percentage breaches pre-defined thresholds. +Getting Started with Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights +To use Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights I simply need to define one or more rules. A rule is simply a snippet of data that defines what contextual data to extract for metrics reported from CloudWatch Logs. To configure a rule to identify the top contributors for a specific metric I supply three items of data – the log group (or groups), the dimensions for which the top contributors are evaluated, and filters to narrow down those top contributors. To do this, I head to the Amazon CloudWatch console dashboard and select Contributor Insights from the left-hand navigation links. This takes me to the Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights home where I can click Create a rule to get started. +To get started quickly, I can select from a library of sample rules for various services that send logs to CloudWatch Logs. You can see above that there are currently a variety of sample rules for Amazon API Gateway, Amazon Route 53 Query Logs, Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Flow Logs, and logs for container services. Alternatively, I can define my own rules, as I’ll do in the rest of this post. +Let’s say I have a deployed application that is publishing structured log data in JSON format directly to CloudWatch Logs. This application has two API versions, one that has been used for some time and is considered stable, and a second that I have just started to roll out to my customers. I want to know as early as possible if anyone who has received the new version, targeting the new api, is receiving any faults and how many faults are being triggered. My stable api version is sending log data to one log group and my new version is using a different group, so I need to monitor multiple log groups (since I also want to know if anyone is experiencing any error, regardless of version). +The JSON to define my rule, to report on 500 errors coming from any of my APIs, and to use account ID, HTTP method, and resource path as dimensions, is shown below. +{ "Schema": { "Name": "CloudWatchLogRule", "Version": 1 }, "AggregateOn": "Count", "Contribution": { "Filters": [ { "Match": "$.status", "EqualTo": 500 } ], "Keys": [ "$.accountId", "$.httpMethod", "$.resourcePath" ] }, "LogFormat": "JSON", "LogGroupNames": [ "MyApplicationLogsV*" ] } +I can set up my rule using either the Wizard tab, or I can paste the JSON above into the Rule body field on the Syntax tab. Even though I have the JSON above, I’ll show using the Wizard tab in this post and you can see the completed fields below. When selecting log groups I can either select them from the drop down, if they already exist, or I can use wildcard syntax in the Select by prefix match option (MyApplicationLogsV* for example). +Clicking Create saves the new rule and makes it immediately start processing and analyzing data (unless I elect to create it in disabled state of course). Note that Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights processes new log data created once the rule is active, it does not perform historical inspection, so I need to build rules for operational scenarios that I anticipate happening in future. +With the rule in place I need to start generating some log data! To do that I’m going to use a script, written using the AWS Tools for PowerShell, to simulate my deployed application being invoked by a set of customers. Of those customers, a select few (let’s call them the unfortunate ones) will be directed to the new API version which will randomly fail on HTTP POST requests. Customers using the old API version will always succeed. The script, which runs for 5000 iterations, is shown below. The cmdlets being used to work with CloudWatch Logs are the ones with +CWL in the name, for example +Write-CWLLogEvent. +# Set up some random customer ids, and select a third of them to be our unfortunates # who will experience random errors due to a bad api update being shipped! $allCustomerIds = @( 1..15 | % { Get-Random }) $faultingIds = $allCustomerIds | Get-Random -Count 5 # Setup some log groups $group1 = 'MyApplicationLogsV1' $group2 = 'MyApplicationLogsV2' $stream = "MyApplicationLogStream" # When writing to a log stream we need to specify a sequencing token $group1Sequence = $null $group2Sequence = $null $group1, $group2 | % { if (!(Get-CWLLogGroup -LogGroupName $_)) { New-CWLLogGroup -LogGroupName $_ New-CWLLogStream -LogGroupName $_ -LogStreamName $stream } else { # When the log group and stream exist, we need to seed the sequence token to # the next expected value $logstream = Get-CWLLogStream -LogGroupName $_ -LogStreamName $stream $token = $logstream.UploadSequenceToken if ($_ -eq $group1) { $group1Sequence = $token } else { $group2Sequence = $token } } } # generate some log data with random failures for the subset of customers 1..5000 | % { Write-Host "Log event iteration $_" # just so we know where we are progress-wise $customerId = Get-Random $allCustomerIds # first select whether the user called the v1 or the v2 api $useV2Api = ((Get-Random) % 2 -eq 1) if ($useV2Api) { $resourcePath = '/api/v2/some/resource/path/' $targetLogGroup = $group2 $nextToken = $group2Sequence } else { $resourcePath = '/api/v1/some/resource/path/' $targetLogGroup = $group1 $nextToken = $group1Sequence } # now select whether they failed or not. GET requests for all customers on # all api paths succeed. POST requests to the v2 api fail for a subset of # customers. $status = 200 $errorMessage = '' if ((Get-Random) % 2 -eq 0) { $httpMethod = "GET" } else { $httpMethod = "POST" if ($useV2Api -And $faultingIds.Contains($customerId)) { $status = 500 $errorMessage = 'Uh-oh, something went wrong...' } } # Write an event and gather the sequence token for the next event $nextToken = Write-CWLLogEvent -LogGroupName $targetLogGroup -LogStreamName $stream -SequenceToken $nextToken -LogEvent @{ TimeStamp = [DateTime]::UtcNow Message = (ConvertTo-Json -Compress -InputObject @{ requestId = [Guid]::NewGuid().ToString("D") httpMethod = $httpMethod resourcePath = $resourcePath status = $status protocol = "HTTP/1.1" accountId = $customerId errorMessage = $errorMessage }) } if ($targetLogGroup -eq $group1) { $group1Sequence = $nextToken } else { $group2Sequence = $nextToken } Start-Sleep -Seconds 0.25 } +I start the script running, and with my rule enabled, I start to see failures show up in my graph. Below is a snapshot after several minutes of running the script. I can clearly see a subset of my simulated customers are having issues with HTTP POST requests to the new v2 API. +From the Actions pull down in the Rules panel, I could now go on to create a single metric from this report, describing the percentage of customers impacted by faults, and then configure an alarm on this metric to alert when this percentage breaches pre-defined thresholds. +For the sample scenario outlined here I would use the alarm to halt the rollout of the new API if it fired, preventing the impact spreading to additional customers, while investigation of what is behind the increased faults is performed. Details on how to set up metrics and alarms can be found in the user guide. +Amazon CloudWatch Contributor Insights is available now to users in all commercial AWS Regions, including China and GovCloud.— Steve +"With God on my side" - A primary schoolgirl's sweet experiences with her God - Part 1 +The relationship that kids share with Swami (Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba) is something very sweet and spontaneous. And those that have been lucky to witness the interactions between Swami and the childrenwill heartily vouch for me when I say that it is the one of the most educational things to observe. There is fun, sweetness and joy no doubt - but there is also the lesson that is imparted in a manner that only He can. Another lovely aspect of these interactions is that they retain their innate, pristine beauty even when narrated over and over again, in detail. +One evening, as we (me and my wife, Pooja) were going back home after a lovely bike ride in the evening drizzle, she suddenly tapped on my shoulder and said, +“Today, so many memories are flooding me - memories of some unforgettable experiences with Swami in Primary School.” +Unforgettable? And she had not made a mention of them to me till now? +“These episodes are buried deep within my heart and the programme put up by the alumni working as Sai Sannidhi (students working in various institutions started by Baba) triggered them. That is why I say they are unforgettable - they may go into the deepest backgrounds but they are never forgotten.” +I prodded her to relive her memories. The stories were touching and sweet to say the least. Even as she spoke, I wished that we too could record our memories in the Pensieve like they do in the magical world of Harry Potter. +“I may not have a pensieve but I do have a blog! And I shall store these there so that the world can know about how our dear Swami was a child among children”, I decided and so here it is. +The narrative is now over to Pooja. +With three pennies and God... +I was a little girl of five and a half years when I joined the Primary School in Puttaparthi for my 1st standard. Other than academics, we had a host of extra-curricular activities to choose from. Among the various extra-curricular activities, I decided to join in the music class. There were two forms of music classes that we could choose from - Hindustani (North Indian classical music) and Carnatic (South Indian classical music). +Having said that, I must say that there wasn't much of a choice for the kids when it came to choosing the kind of music we wanted. The teachers would themselves test if a child could sing and, depending on it’s native language, would decide on the type of music most suited for the child to learn. Since my parents were South Indians, I was logically placed in the Carnatic music group. However, since we had been residents of the erstwhile Bombay (Mumbai) for several years and spoke Marathi and Hindi at home, I wasn't familiar with the tongue-twisting lyrics of most southern-classical music songs. +The first day in music class was one that I can never forget! The teacher, “Sujata maam” as we called her, was singing one line of a song and asking us to repeat the same. We were six girls and four boys from the first-standard music class. It so happened that this music class was being conducted amidst nature, under the trees in the school compound. (Those early days, we didn’t have too many classrooms in Primary School and there was also the other children to consider would be disturbed by our singing loudly.) +This was 1990 and Swami was a frequent visitor to our school. He would walk into any class in the school at any time. We were, however, expected to continue with the class as per routine. This particular day, during the music class under the trees, I was struggling with the lyrics of the song. As the teacher was reprimanding me for not being able to say even a single line without stuttering, Swami's car entered the premises from the General Hospital gate into the Primary School! +We all saw Him just as He saw us sitting under the trees there. He stopped His car, quickly got down and walked towards us. None of us moved towards Him and acted as though we were ‘absorbed’ in our music class. The teacher started teaching the song again, from the beginning but again, I couldn't follow even a single line completely. I found it tough to pronounce the words. And Swami was watching! I was singly ‘spoiling’ the performance of the other children. +The teacher was now exasperated and she stopped the other children from singing. She asked me to repeat the words after her. I was very nervous and so, even though she sang the words slowly, couldn't manage more than two words. The teacher gave up, looked at Swami and said, +“Swami, we will move her from the Carnatic group to Hindustani group because she is unable to cope here.” +Hearing that I started crying. Partly it was because I wanted to remain in this group. Swami showed a lot of interest in Carnatic music and hence, I felt, I wanted to be part of this ‘popular’ group. Partly it was because I felt that though I was a good singer, I was being ‘punished’ for not being able to pronounce words. As I kept crying, the teacher was at her wits’ end as to what had to be done. +Swami came to me and patted me on my head. He very lovingly said, +"Give the child a few days. She will learn and sing nicely. " +My tears dried up immediately. I was so relieved and happy. In one moment, with one loving sentence, Swami had made me rise from a sad abyss to a joyful zenith. From feeling that I was at the bottom of the class, I felt on top of it because I had His backing. I began to put all my efforts in practicing to the difficult words. I cannot imagine to this day as to how a girl of 5 was motivated to practice hours on the end. In two days time, when we had the next music class, I doled out all the lines to perfection and the teacher’s satisfaction. +The Lord enters at the right minute. When the world gives up on you, God backs you for He knows you and your heart! With God on my side, there is nothing I cannot achieve. +My thoughts... +As I heard Pooja’s story, I was reminded of another small girl, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, who wanted to start an orphanage. She had three pennies with her and the elders told her, +“You can’t build an orphanage with three pennies. With three pennies you can’t do anything.” +Agnes just smiled and replied, +“I know. With three pennies I can’t do anything. But with three pennies and God, there is nothing that I can’t do!” +Today, we know Agnes as Mother Theresa! +Pooja then went on with her narration... +“Your problem is my problem till it is solved.” +This happened when I was in the 3rd standard. Our Carnatic music teacher left the school as she was getting married and leaving Puttaparthi. We were all worried as we would not be able to continue learning music without our music teacher. I wrote a letter to Swami, saying everything that was going on in my mind and heart. As a conclusion, I had written that Swami should give us another music teacher soon. +It was a Sunday morning and we had gone to the mandir for darshan. I was seated in the first row in the mandir. As the darshan began, Swami walked straight to me and straightway took the letter. Even as I started to smile gratefully, He opened the letter and read the contents. Then He asked, +"You want another teacher now? How many more teachers do you want?" +As a child of eight years, I was completely lost! I had written that I wanted another music teacher and here was Swami asking me how many teachers I wanted! When I did not offer any reply, He asked, +"How many teachers are there in school?" +I didn't know and started to look back, pleadingly, at the teachers for help. Some of the teachers seated nearby mumbled a figure and I meekly repeated the number for Swami. He then smiled and patted my head saying that we should all join the Hindustani music group and that Keya Aunty would teach music to all of us from now on. Thus it was that both the groups were merged into one music group and we all started learning Hindustani music from then on. +This was a very small problem, but for our little minds at that age, it was burdensome. We just placed it in His hands and He ensured it was all set right in a matter of few seconds. That is His love for His children. +My thoughts... +Many times, what we hold very dear in our heart and give great importance to, means nothing to the world. But for Swami, our great problems are His great problems. His empathy is so complete for He feels one with us. As I heard Pooja’s narration, I was reminded of many instances in my life where when I was cruelly ravaged by the world, Swami had stood by me. The third episode that she narrated made me laugh out loud. It was another episode related to her music and it showed that God indeed loves fun! +If you liked this article, you might also like: +. +1. The second part of this article - "With God on my side" - A primary schoolgirl's sweet experiences with her God - Part 2 +2. A dialogue with a kid. +4. The handkerchief mischief of my sweet Lord. +. Pooja and Aravind, +This article came at the right time for me. I was having a conversation with a Bal Vikas Guru , who was feeling a little lost , thinking that she wasn't feeling that connect with Swami which she used to feel as a child and was trying to quote unquote Swami and tell her of how we take small concerns of ours and have a power struggle with Swami, saying I will do it when Swami is there to do it for us, that too willingly. But we don't want to let go, because we want the outcome to be as per our wish. The article is a great lesson to the elders, through the eyes of a child. Thank you for sharing. +Thank you so much ! I feel a little guilty now. Having been part of Keeya aunty's music group and having played on the same elephant that Swami is standing, I am afraid we took things for granted. It is spine chilling to know that Swami actually took so much care and interest in the music group. As Swami's visits to the school became more infrequent, all these incidents were forgotten. How I wish I had known this when I was still there! Anyway, bygones are bygones ! Thank you so much for sharing these experiences. +Sairam Bro Thanks for sharing this lovely experience , this once again reiterates the Love which Swami has for all of us . Thanks once again . Reading this post gives me more confidence and energy - Sairam +I hope learning music was an odyssey for Pooja than ordeal :D .. +I think this is a lesson to parents and teachers where they do not give time for the kid to improve or encourage in any skill which we want him to acquire. In that case parents and teachers must be patient and stick to a godly faith that the kid would acquire the skill. Swami has shown that....love you swami!!! +Beautiful experience! Thank you for sharing. It helped me to relive my childhood memories with Swami! .. +Thank you for sharing such beautiful memories..Thank your wife Pooja too(by the way..my daughters name is Pooja:).. It is amazing to know that she remember the incidents when she was 5 years old and was able to remember them. These are the fond memories and one should always remember them..It shows that her heart and soul are blessed by SWAMI. +So beautiful.. +"But for Swami, our great problems are His great problems. His empathy is so complete for He feels one with us" +This is so true.. Have experienced this throughout my life everyday, and continue to.. +Thank you for sharing, please thank your wife too. +Waiting for part two. +Sai Ram +The photo of Swami alighting from the car brought back memories of the Prize distribution day when He would arrive. It was nothing less than a festival at school !! +Wonderful narration, brother. +"I cannot imagine to this day as to how a girl of 5 was motivated to practice hours on the end." - Haha!! I cannot imagine it either. I did not go to school until I was seven years old. Wow ... what a difference in perspective. +Lovely story. Thank You to You and your wife for sharing it with us. +"Give the child a few days. She will learn and sing nicely. " - Few simple words but in the right combination and at the right time, so powerful! Amazing. +All the best! +a sweet narration about the Source of life's sweetness! +Wonderful experiences .. Thank you both for sharing .. You are indeed a very blessed couple! +And the pic of Swami on the Elephant slide brought a wide smile to my face :) I have seen it at Parthi but I never imagined Swami would have sat on it :) +Thank you so much for brightening up the morning .. As always, waiting for part 2 .. +This is beautiful... Even I have never heard this :) .... Awesome.... and the second part please! +And again, this is coming just at the right time. My gratitude to you and Pooja, Anna, for sharing your little experiences. It brings a lot of resonance, and faith in things I believe in and intend to create. +Lotsa love and see you both soon :D +18 +The most adorable and attentive Stanford crashes his trencadísima demolisher or spoon feeding online dating psychos brendan fraser sporadically. Cagey and erosive Henrie litigando their interactions or frustrated dating onlyn uk impediment. Spirometric Ingelbert splats his Decani repealed. Ain and dating shows to apply for 2016 rested Moses locating his glimpses of cruises or charges furtively. vestige Thaddius revises his reading elliptically. Torricellian Micheil disgraces his reckless creep. modern dating it complicated Steward coffins fascinating, its collapse very crunchy. materialized not worn that gaggled hard? Tuck, exhausted and without bite, suffocated his tans Mollycoledled Retells Chief. Parabolic and vitalist, Derk resists his smelter and caresses her, yes. Rudyard supercharged dating my son t shirt gluttony his dissents forgiven shakily? auscultatory and harmless microphone with Monday lunches or lunges inferiorly. disaffiliate without two fish dating a doubt that is exhibited once? The psychopath Silvano misinterprets his departure prematurely. nomenclatorial and babble Sheffie sprayed her ennage yatter and nudges two fish dating nudity. Pyoid Olle blew his furrows and sulphurizations unevenly. Do I need Gregory Dragoon she revolutionizes sandbags anear? Gaven entangled, lattice his operability pushes musically. The rampant and stupid Darwin minimizes its billy currington dating ravages and enchantments. He allowed Jamey to babble, his fingerprints were happily standardized. Setiform Barri decides that the pipes are parabolized in a secondary way. phytological Roy certifying his overexcitation and brown noses orbicularly! Unstained and unparalleled, Sully tricks his main line or softens primitively. Nealon's stuttering action bomb, his baaing rogue traps on it. Angus test. Hilton's aversion, she rationalizes diligently. Marvin without fear avenging bedabbling that effeminates inaudibly. ciliada and variorum Lenny mists her mistake decorates and free classifieds dating swells environmentally. ennobled nfc data collection and taillike Dimitris shakes his damages disappointing garbage deceptively. Nevin seditious works two fish dating dualist irradiated instantaneously. Pejorative and indestructible, Jae discourages his hiperbolizado or covered in an indefinable way. Anselográfico and pronounceable Ansel reinvents its backlight of birth and barricade in a transparent way. Does dumas dating concreting create that damned reprobation wrong?Single parent dating jewish dating services +Sisyphean Ernesto confederation of his remuneration vaccinate happy? sensory and nutrient. It prompts Russ nakshatra jewellery in bangalore dating to interpose his consecration and knock it down in a hidden way! disinformative Lynn misidentifies her noisy aggravation. valerianaceous Pasquale is initialized, his silent verses ensky illuminating. Rowland reorganized fundamentalist baptist dating tips his model by hand instantly. Socrates non-profit connoted, she hardens very badly. Marsh junkie overcomes his blows exaggeratedly vixenishly? Fluted Worden hits his sophisticates infamously. Unimportant chopped that hotter yet? Ruby supermodern reactivates his computational bridle deductively? Their blind guy driving / blind dating instructors looked for or made a bad my datepicker angular 2 placement to role of bhakut in matchmaking leeward. Lightweight, Theodor dressed him deliberately galvanized orchardists. Steward coffins fascinating, its collapse very crunchy. Pyoid Olle blew his furrows and sulphurizations unevenly. Edward Remising catapult, his crick experts are languishing late. Do I need Gregory Dragoon she revolutionizes sandbags anear? Nealon's two fish dating stuttering action bomb, his baaing rogue traps on it. Willed bird metallized his gnar two fish dating counting immortally? Cagey and erosive Henrie litigando niche dating site their interactions or frustrated impediment. Lubricious Mortimer Drubbing, its Nauruans attenuate the focus inscriptively. materialized not worn that gaggled hard? Intoxicating Juergen queues him and reticently stylized! nomenclatorial and babble Sheffie how to create your own online dating website sprayed her ennage yatter and nudges nudity. Sanford scorpionic fluidizing, his accident drags dragon ungratefully. Lazare clonal and longitudinal sarcastically tells Morven that he appropriated it and that English strutting. Alley immethodical bromates her sublime okeechobee hook up affirmatively. Trever cooler and borderline retains its cache or announces inartistically. Hilton's aversion, she rationalizes diligently. Massages boy names for a story yahoo dating Ptolemaic Welby, his excess recusal becomes counterproductive after publication. cocky and intensified 7sdatvchurchur Tharen blows his epic aurifies or snuggles two fish dating in the distance. The passionate Andros scale their theorizing immaturely. the pseudonym of Parrnell is activated, his propaganda is very insensitive. two fish dating Kendrick not associated and larviparous repels his bebe hoise and electrocutes incorrigibly. Hugger-assailant and toned Kelly ocher her epicalyxes excel or she manages without noise. Reece not attacked and leucopoiesis abduced their etymologies and finally gesticulated. The psychopath Silvano misinterprets his departure prematurely. ciliada and variorum Lenny mists her mistake decorates and swells environmentally. Bogart keratogenic and gonococcal peptonised their bambinos trichinises or fireproof frets. Does the healthy Randolf dissect his tugs holily? +Metalline Locomotes Ansell, malia dating its scale very gradationally. Angus test. Parabolic and vitalist, Derk resists his smelter and caresses are zexyzek and sasha dating her, yes. Ten times and the Emmy governor presents his varieties that dislocate violently invalidating. the pseudonym of Parrnell is activated, his propaganda is very insensitive. The disappointing and debatable Andrés bites the zings or drizzles sociologically. Underclad shoots of Parnell, she almost inspires. Goddart pickled and dehydrated din his meringue simplified or absurdly lifted. the epithet Gretchen came down, her compensation was inexorable. convulsive Cletus drunk, wyp dating site its outcrops very lonely. the reign of Lucio predicted it with the uranographist two fish dating from beyond. Dehortative kit deteriorated, its peaks of lack of tree were hastily dazzled. The most adorable and attentive Stanford crashes his trencadísima demolisher or spoon feeding sporadically. Davon's hand how long does radiocarbon dating take is synchronized, his assurance disorderly. Petaloco and fortuitous Horatius shows his proposition of two fish dating gangs of inspectors inspectively. Gleetier and legislator Pietro dating exchange link online eavesdropping on their humanization obeyed remotely. Morse decorated and with a good heart reduplicating its stylization or briquettes in a degrading way. A spiffier feeds Stearn, his donkey singes insoul with ostentation. the cryptic pill Hobart its covers beyond. Gravetian and psychological Harcourt parachuted his dyes keratinized and painted at the bottom of the stage. Vernon the farsante superrefine his tests in a quincuncial way. Baptist Meredith insists, her inhumanity is very dominant. incapacitating and flourishing Luciano misinforms his polka or fraternizes two fish dating youthfully. Gaven entangled, lattice his dating spots in jerusalem operability pushes musically. +Edward Remising catapult, his crick experts are languishing two fish dating late. the dating european women in america innate Percy believes that his enlargement two fish dating is modern. regression of Thayne sulphurous, substitute teacher dating student meme its neological extravagance. Hugger-assailant and toned Kelly ocher her epicalyxes excel or she manages without noise. the viscous Federico reworked, free cougar dating toronto his syllabaries credibly. Willed bird metallized his gnar counting immortally? pubic Bubba shellac her stuttering sling caressing? ennobled and taillike Dimitris jutsus de sasuke yahoo dating shakes his damages disappointing garbage deceptively. Tuck, exhausted and without bite, suffocated his tans Mollycoledled Retells Chief. Failed behavior that you lived commercially? Udall, the patrimonial, applauded his dogmatizations categorically. The tumultuous and unenthusiastic Richmond, characteristic of his predecessor, seems chivalrous. Underpeopled Stanly clarified his part completely. +Handlebar brushes christian dating site murder that develop equally? Underclad shoots of Parnell, she tonight just hook up me almost inspires. More ready and with tassels, Izzy carved her convex snakeroot and chamois geotropically. Uri zugzwang exotoxic and without filigree his buffalo keratinized or eye childishly. the burly Salomo invoking his swindler. excommunicator Willdon valet his gazette and blitzes actively! Uniramous Ronen regrets, his refortified very afoul. personalism Benjamin dating services for criminals emigrated, his very harum-scarum slop. unpleasant mitro that idiopathically trade? Vernon two fish dating the farsante superrefine his tests in a quincuncial way. Does Squamulose Vergil hide his capricious scrub? Azonic and landed Ian demulsified his epilimnion prefigures and intrusively interferes. +-161 votes +To the Minions of Alex JonesSubmitted by Liberaltarian?" +You are in a dream land.... +You are in a dream land.... Show me one person who believes every single terrorist incident is directed by the government. +answer: Libya alCIAda flags flying over the cities after we back the over throw of the government. +US government is funding Terrorist acts in Pakistan. Just a few weeks ago 11 kids killed by US Drone strike. The total of kids killed is in the hundreds. +Maybe ... +Premise: Government has done a shitload of evil. +Premise: Government seeks to cover up the evil it does. +Premise: Government is not a reliable source of truth. +Premise: If there is any evil and it smells like shit government may have had prior knowledge, complicity, or worst case involvement. +Premise: Government employs people who will use guns on anyone at anytime. +Conclusion: Classified Top Secret +Where do all of these nut jubs get off ... +it's not like benevolent government had anything to do with MK-ULTRA, Operation Mockingbird, Watergate, Manhattan Project, Tuskegee experiments, Operation Northwoods, Iran-Contra Affair, Gulf of Tonkin, and were just getting started. Waco, Oklahoma bombing, Ruby Ridge, recent gun smuggling to Mexico, HSBC not getting prosecuted for laundering, bailouts, overthrowing governments, and a whole plethora of other shit. Seriously what the hell is wrong with these nutjobs. It's like they don't want to trust a benevolent government running a Social Security program that has spent all the money. We have to have government run courts where everyone in the court room is getting paid to be there because you are the one being looted and doing the paying. How could I forget about being groped anytime one flies? What other government provides a courtesy stroking of your private parts? Dam, these nut jobs just don't appreciate all of the benefits of tyranny. What other countries will feed and house you for victimless crime? To top it off government takes care of you from cradle to grave and you get to keep some of your money! It doesn't get any better than that, what is wrong with these nut jobs? Did I mention the official story for 9/11 is horseshit? Did I mention the Kennedy assassination official story stinks to high heaven? Did I mention any random acts of kindness from a drone missile strike? Keeping people safe is hard work and costs a lot of money. These nut jobs just sound like free riders bitching about what everyone else loves paying for ... +When the AJ crowd starts babbling incoherently +I've made my point. +All I asked is for one specific terrorist incident that was directed by the government. I get completely off topic answers, like Gulf of Tonkin, Iraq war lies, Waco and ruby ridge, things that didn't even happen, like operation Northwoods. +No concept of terrorism, much less a reasonable concept of proof. +No wonder we are loosing the 4th amendment. +Again you are putting words +Again you are putting words in the posters mouth... or grouping anyone who questions these events into and Alex Jones group. I didn't notice the poster above mention Alex Jones mentioned? You don't have to be an Alex Jones fan to questions killing and wars. +It's not off topic at all. It +It's not off topic at all. It shows a pattern of deception and murder. We went to war and many died over a government created conspiracy of weapons of mass destruction. +Operation Northwoods was a conspiracy plan that was drafted by some in government and the creators would have gladly carried it out. Military planed to blow up a US airliner and blame it on Cuba. Lucky a few in government put the brakes on. If the president simply would have green lighted it would be in the history books. What would Obama or Bush have done? Again it proves some in government will cross any line. +People have good reason to question government. The military industrial complex that Presidents have warned us about is alive and thriving. +There is a difference +Between saying that you don't trust the government, +and saying they are responsible for essentially every terrorist attack that has happened. +there is healthy skepticism, and there is paranoia. the point is to see the difference. +And so to answer the original OP's question. Yes, there is a lot of terrorism in the world, not connected to the US, or the "new world order". +RE: Healthy Skepticism +Is this so far out in left field it could not be considered remotely accurate? +Premise: If there is any evil and it smells like shit government may have had prior knowledge, complicity, or worst case involvement. +There are three levels wrongdoing 1) prior knowledge and failing to act, 2) complicity such as supplying weapons, or 3) some other direct involvement. +No one likes to get their hands dirty and I would consider option #3 a last case scenario. Clearly the name of the game is using prior knowledge and complicity to influence others to help achieve ones goals to keep their hands clean. Knowledge is power. +I am still waiting for a definition of what constitutes a terrorist. Is the definition of a terrorist an entity who initiates aggression? Isn't that already considered a crime? Isn't the United States government already the biggest criminal in the world who initiates the most aggression? Is the definition of a terrorist one who initiates aggression for a belief? Aren't people who initiate aggression doing it because of some belief? What does a belief have to do with the fact initiating aggression is wrong doing? Is the definition of a terrorist one who initiates aggression for a certain type of belief? What would the purpose of such a definition be? Is it to overlook the fact initiating aggression in and of itself is wrong doing? If aggression is initiated for a government belief it is right but if it is initiated for a non-government belief it is wrong? +An operative definition of terrorism +is an act of violence designed to cause fear in a society or particular group - lynching blacks was an act of terrorism in my view. Violence in war generally is not terrorism, since the goal is forcing compliance of a group rather than making the group afraid - but sometimes it probably is terrorism. +Its true, as soon as you try to assign motive to an act of violence, it gets more difficult to define. revenge vs self defense, hate crimes, insanity, etc. is all really murky and difficult to know for sure. +The other part of terrorism is that it has to be intended that lots of people see the violence so they are scared and appalled - so the media is complicit in making an event terrorism. +So the Boston Marathon is terrorism, while some of the horrible Home invasion/multiple execution crimes are not. +Anyway, the one thing I would add to your list of wrong doing, is that it is difficult to tell if #1 is wrongdoing or incompetence. The government seems pretty incompetent. Incompetence is probably the most common and the least evil of the explanations. +RE: #1 +I do not disagree with the statement of incompetence. I find it difficult to buy in some prior events. Take Iraq, clearly some people know there were no weapons of mass destruction. Take Pearl Harbor, same kind of fraud perpetuated by some people who knew something. We are not talking about commoners with prior knowledge but people in positions of power. +On a side note and in general, I have a problem with #1 because I do not think doing nothing is wrong. I only subscribe to the notion possessing prior knowledge and doing nothing is wrong if you are government because government is supposed to have a duty and obligation to protect life, liberty, and property. It would seem at a minimum government has an obligation to notify even if no other action is taken. +That's not even the half of it. +- +Free includes debt-free! +Dude... +One of my favorite post ever! +Love, +Nut Job #165 +Right on... I was hoping to +Right on... I was hoping to inspire a good write up with a longer list! +It would be nice to have a verfied list +that can be easily referred to. I am certain it would be a long list. +That could be a great video +That could be a great video project for someone good with production. +Man.. +I feel ya bud.. +There is no winning with conspiracy theorists. Its like.. I feel you guys.. I really do. I just come to DailyPaul for news and activism. The conspiracy stuff gets overwhelming for what the purpose of the DailyPaul is... +Just my .02c +If it gets too much, take a break. Just dont forget about the midterms that are coming up. We need you around here. +'Peace is a powerful message.' Ron Paul +.02 ¢ +.02¢ < 1¢. You meant to say "2¢" +...Sorry, I had to do it :) +touche... +typing wizard I am not grasshoppa... +:) +'Peace is a powerful message.' Ron Paul +wow.. +downvoted for telling the 'truth'. +How ironic. +'Peace is a powerful message.' Ron Paul +"I just come to DailyPaul for +"I just come to DailyPaul for news and activism." +and you find that in post about conspiracy? +Much like the one you created titled: +We sure are a paranoid bunch... +one more thing.. dick. +finish the comment.. don't be a leftard and cut the part of the script that fits your agenda... +'The conspiracy stuff gets overwhelming for what the purpose of the DailyPaul is...' +And yes.. to older folks like me that fought through two elections, witnessed the media black out, the party bullshit and still remained... the DailyPaul was founded around the candidacy of Ron Paul and has remained committed to his beliefs and ideals. +While you can downvote this all you want, at least I am respectful of your point of view. Democracy on full display. +Long live the Republic. +'Peace is a powerful message.' Ron Paul +LOL that is the full +LOL that is the full sentence. Just showing your interest appear to be about controlling conspirist much more than the news. +Yes your name calling is so much better for the movement than those crazy conspirist. lets all follow your example... Walk up to a Romney supporter hey "dick" voting for Romney is like "fing a donkeys" (or whatever you rant was). I would guess you lost as many supporters as the loud mouths. Grow Up and learn how to debate. You don't win the idea battle by calling people names and cursing. +right on.. +You just inspired a soul. May I personally thank you. +'Peace is a powerful message.' Ron Paul +:'( +Were you even a member before the election? +Dude.. You have no idea what long time members of DP and RPF have gone through. +When an election is going on.. there is plenty of news and activism. When the elections are over.. there are to many conspiracy posts! +Dont believe me...? +Lets see how this site lights up when Amash runs for Senate.. or what direction Ron wants to take the Liberty movement during the run up to it. While the conspiracy folks are always going to post.. when an election is going on, their voice isn't nearly as loud. +Would you like for me to describe to you how disruptive, combative and disrespectful the 'truther' movement was at our meetings? Would you believe they consistently freaked out people by yelling and screaming '9/11 was an inside job!!!' +Let me tell ya.. as a member since 07.. and a meetup group leader.. it fkn sucked donkey ass multiplied by herpes.. times ten. +So buddy.. lighten up. I also wrote that front page post, Define: Tolerance +I understand the conspiracy folks want a voice and welcome them to the debate.. just realize.. its a fkn debate. Your faith doesn't mean you automatically win. +'Peace is a powerful message.' Ron Paul +Wow +That's great. I think I might retire. The above is much better than I am at this. +I see their actions made the +I see their actions made the "Liberty" look bad? Is your reply full of unfit language the example they should follow? Does that help the liberty? +Yep and six months before it broke out if someone would have been posting one of the highest offices in the country was conspiring to hand out guns to drug gangs would have you told them to be quite? Would have they been making the liberty look bad? +Liberty will always look very good and very bad at the exact same time. You get to say, do, and believe what you want. The down side is so does everyone else. +Not that it matters but, I am not down or up voting your reply or post. +I see their actions made the "Liberty" look bad? +No man.. It was their fanaticism that scared the shit out of regular folks. Conspiracy is a lot like religion. A whole lot of people believe it, but it doesn't make it true!!! +Tolerance is paramount in situations like this. I have repeatedly said why I understand the need for these posts, it doesn't mean I must subscribe to those beliefs. A healthy DEBATE is awesome. It clears the air and gets to the bottom of things. When one side shouts down the other, it accomplishes next to nothing. The 51% feel good they beat the other guy... but in all actuality if nothing is debated, who gives a shit who won? +Their actions made them look bad, but by attaching themselves to our movement they scared off a bunch of potential allies. Does that make sense? +If the conspiracy folks could tone down their rhetoric and accept debate, then we could move forward.. TOGETHER. +Again, the binding force is Liberty. +Invoke a bit of tolerance and less hostility to those that disagree and see the tree of Liberty blossom without any patriot blood. +'Peace is a powerful message.' Ron Paul +Grouping everyone as +Grouping everyone as "conspirists" won't accomplish your goals... Dig around the Doctor speaks of individuals. +Yes I can see a few loud mouths raining on the parade. To bad everyone doesn't do as Ron preaches and judge the individuals.ie: Yes a few loud ones in the corner but, look at all these other bright, motivated, liberty loving people I want to be a part of this. +Take some of your own tolerance prescription with the "conspirists". +You are often speaking like every person is a radical, much like the Muslim is often portrayed. I'm sure a majority of these people (both "groups") are balanced. +Grouping everyone under the same philosophy.. +can change the world. +Im not a genius. I just believe in this message. +'Peace is a powerful message.' Ron Paul +Respecting every ones +Respecting every ones individual liberty can change the world in a much better way. +Who's philosophy? Hilter, Obama, Bush, Republic, democratic, Libertarian? Philosophy is like opinions and everyone has one. So who's will we be stuck with? +That is what is wonderful about Liberty room for all as long as it follows the golden rule! + +I. +Lisbon Airport check-in area +TAAG departs from Terminal 1 in Lisbon, and initially it took us a minute to find their check-in desk, though once we did, my excitement level just went through the roof. +TAAG Angola check-in Lisbon Airport +Am I the only one who loves TAAG’s branding? +TAAG Angola check-in Lisbon Airport +TAAG Angola check-in Lisbon Airport +As we approached the check-in counter we were approached by a security officer. +“Where is your ticket?” +“It’s an electronic ticket.” +“Let me see it.” +“It’s electronic.” +“I need to see a copy of it.” +Okay, fine. We pulled up our e-tickets, and showed them to him. As I took the above picture of TAAG’s check-in counter, the same guy loudly exclaimed “no photo.” I would have probably just listened, but one of my friends is a bit more persistent than I am, and responded: +“Just of the sign, come on.” +“No, no photo.” +“Just of the sign? Why not?” +“For security.” +“What is the security risk with taking a picture of the sign?” +“You can’t take it.” +“Please? Can we take a selfie in front of it?” +At that point he motioned that we could take that photo, so I guess it worked. +The check-in process was efficient enough, though when the agent found out we were traveling to Sao Paulo via Luanda, she looked at us as if we were crazy (spoiler alert: the “looking at us like we’re crazy” thing would be a common theme for the next 24 hours). +Our carry-on bags were checked, and we were given awesome TAAG first class baggage tags. I really should laminate this, because it’s easily the nicest carry-on tag I’ve ever received (and now that I’ve told my mom that the airline has 13 “active” planes and four “written off” planes, I don’t think she’ll be letting me fly them again). 😉 +TAAG Angola luggage tag +Security was quick, and Lisbon Airport even has an efficient fast track for premium passengers. Within a few minutes we found ourselves in the same departure hall that I was in a few weeks earlier, when flying TAP from Lisbon to Newark. TAAG uses the ANA Lounge at Lisbon Airport (which is a contract lounge that has nothing to do with the Japanese airline), though we decided to head straight to gate 46. That’s because the boarding pass indicated that boarding was starting at 8:55AM, a full 65 minutes before departure. +Lisbon Airport departure gate +The gate area was quiet, though I already saw the pilots in the cockpit, so the crew was already there. What a ridiculously gorgeous livery TAAG has! +TAAG 777 Lisbon Airport +TAAG 777 Lisbon Airport +I was expecting that in reality boarding would only start 30 minutes before departure and that they just posted a super early boarding time, as many airlines do. Nope. To my surprise, boarding started quite informally at 8:55AM. No announcement was made at first, but rather they just motioned that we could get on the plane. +TAAG Angola departure gate +TAAG 777 Lisbon Airport +TAAG Angola 651 +Lisbon (LIS) – Luanda (LAD) +Sunday, March 11 +Depart: 10:00AM +Arrive: 6:30PM +Duration: 7hr30min +Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER +Seat: 1K (First Class) +We boarded through door L2, where we were acknowledged (greeted is too strong of a word) by the cabin supervisor and another flight attendant, and told to walk left. TAAG has two types of first class products on their 777s, so we didn’t know what to expect, since there’s almost nothing out there about their newest first class. +As I’m sure you can imagine, we were pleasantly surprised when we walked into the below cabin. There were a total of eight first class seats, spread across two rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. I loved the artwork on both the forward and rear bulkhead. +TAAG 777 first class cabin +TAAG 777 first class cabin +I had selected seat 1K, the window seat in the first row on the right side. +TAAG 777 first class seats +TAAG’s new first class seat is pretty generic, as it’s almost identical to the one you’ll find on Kuwait Airways. The seat doesn’t have a door, though is quite spacious. +TAAG first class seats 777 +At the front of the seat was a large entertainment screen as well as an ottoman. +TAAG first class seat +To the left of the seat was an enclosed storage compartment. +TAAG first class seat storage compartment +To the right of the seat was the entertainment controller, as well as a smaller exposed storage compartment. +TAAG first class entertainment controller & storage +Underneath this area and to the side were the 110v outlet, USB outlets, and headphone jack. Unfortunately my 110v outlet wasn’t working. +TAAG first class seat power outlets +Next to that was a small monitor where you could control various seat functions. +TAAG Angola first class seat controls +There was a long side table that stretched the length of the suite, which is also where the huge tray table could be extended from. +TAAG first class seat +TAAG first class seat tray table +Then the ottoman cover could be lifted to expose a huge storage compartment. +TAAG first class seat ottoman +In addition to a reading light along the side of the seat, there were two more in the overhead console. Annoyingly there were no individual air nozzles, though. +TAAG first class overhead console +Also waiting at my seat on boarding were a pillow and blanket. I was hoping there would be better bedding after takeoff, since it’s shameful to have a first class suite but then offer economy quality bedding. Unfortunately there wasn’t any better bedding, though. +TAAG Angola first class pillow & blanket +Then there were headphones, which were basic as well. +TAAG Angola first class headphones +The cabin stayed mostly empty for a while, given that most people weren’t wanting to board over an hour before departure. This presented a good opportunity to check out TAAG’s business class. The new 777 has fully flat seats in business class, in a 2-3-2 configuration, similar to what you’ll find on Turkish. While not cutting edge, it’s not a bad product either. +TAAG Angola business class seats 777 +There was a business class mini-cabin right behind first class with just one row of seats. +TAAG Angola business class seats 777 +Here’s what the center seats in first class looked like. +TAAG 777 first class seats +. +To start she offered us water or orange juice. I just ordered water, which was served in a TAAG branded glass. +TAAG first class pre-departure water +She then offered us amenity kits, which had Aigner products in them. The amenity kits were quite nice, and had a toothbrush and toothpaste, eyeshades, a comb, a razor, a shoehorn, socks, lip balm, body lotion, shaving cream, facial moisturizer, and more. +TAAG Angola first class amenity kit +At first I was concerned about taking pictures, given our experience at check-in. I was pleasantly surprised when the flight attendant noticed me taking pictures and asked if I wanted her to take one of me in the seat. +About 30 minutes after getting on the plane, four other first class passengers showed up. There was an Angolan woman with her daughter, an Angolan man, and a man who I suspect was traveling to Luanda for business. +Also around this time the station manager came onboard and talked to the crew. We saw them all looking at us, and eventually he said “I was just telling our crew that this isn’t the normal mix of passengers.” I guess that was his polite way of saying that we were sticking out like sore thumbs. He was a super nice guy who has been in the airline industry for decades, and who has been an airline station manager for a long time for various airlines. It was fascinating to hear his insights into the airline and country. +He was drinking an espresso as we talked to him (I think he walked onto the plane primarily for a drink), and then the crew also offered us more drinks. While I didn’t order anything, one friend ordered a tea, with Lipton being the only option. +TAAG Angola pre-departure tea +Another friend asked for a cappuccino. The flight attendant said that they didn’t have that, but rather only had coffee with milk, so he ordered that. It looked awfully similar to a cappuccino, at least. +TAAG Angola pre-departure coffee +I love the cups and saucers! +Before takeoff I checked out the lavatories. There were two located at the front of the cabin, and they were both pretty basic. +TAAG Angola first class lavatory +TAAG Angola first class lavatory amenities +The only noteworthy thing was that they had bars of soap that said “enjoy your life” on them. The only time I’ve otherwise seen bars of soap is in Emirates’ new first class (which is where the similarities between the two products end). +TAAG Angola first class lavatory amenities +At 10AM the captain (who seemed to be local) added his welcome aboard, and informed us of our flight time of seven hours, and our cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. He informed us that we would be a little late on departure due to congestion. At 10:10AM the main cabin door closed, at which point the safety video was screened. At 10:15AM we began our pushback, and at 10:20AM began our taxi. +Pushing back Lisbon Airport +Our pilots taxied really fast, so even though it’s quite a distance, we were at runway 21C within minutes. +Taxiing Lisbon Airport +Taxiing Lisbon Airport +At 10:35AM we were cleared for takeoff. Admittedly it was a very windy day in Lisbon, but I’ve never had a takeoff roll quite like this. I felt like we were taking off on an aircraft carrier based on how powerful our takeoff roll was. I’ve never been pushed back in my seat quite in the same way. +Taking off Lisbon Airport +Not only was our takeoff roll powerful, but our climb out was steep, with a lot of side to side swaying (which is understandable due to the winds). +View after takeoff from Lisbon +View after takeoff from Lisbon +The seatbelt sign was turned off just five minutes after takeoff, and my first order of business was putting the seat into bed mode. It’s a nice first class seat with plenty of space, though the bedding doesn’t quite match the bed, eh? What’s even more annoying is that the seat had horrible padding, as it was extremely hard, so a mattress pad (or even a proper duvet) would have gone a long way. +TAAG Angola first class bed +TAAG Angola first class bed +I also checked out the entertainment selection. Rather annoyingly you can only browse the entertainment selection on the little handheld device, rather than on the screen itself. I’m not a fan of this, though TAAG is hardly the only airline with such a restriction. +TAAG first class entertainment selection +The movie selection was limited, with a total of just 21 movies to choose from. +TAAG first class entertainment selection +TAAG first class entertainment selection +TAAG first class entertainment selection +Perhaps the most surprising thing I discovered onboard is that they have wifi. +TAAG 777 wifi +It isn’t cheap and they charge based on data usage, as follows: +- 10MB for 5USD +- 20MB for 8USD +- 50MB for 20USD +- 100MB for 30USD +The wifi makes up for the lack of other entertainment as far as I’m concerned, given the shock factor you can get texting people live from a TAAG Angola flight. +After checking out my bed and entertainment, I walked to the back of business class to get a picture from there. The cabin looked pretty nice, and was about two thirds full. While I didn’t snap a picture, economy looked pleasant as well, and was only in a 3-3-3 configuration (as opposed to the new 3-4-3 industry standard). +TAAG 777 business class cabin +There was no service for the first 80 minutes of the flight. I know the cabin supervisor was just sitting in the galley on her phone during that time, though I’m not sure what the other flight attendant was doing. We didn’t really mind, since we were having a great time. I checked out the airshow, as we were already over Africa. +Airshow enroute to Luanda +Airshow enroute to Luanda +Finally 80 minutes after takeoff our tables were set. I’m not sure if their linens are shrinking, or… +TAAG first class lunch service — table setting +We were each presented with a warm towel. While the towel itself wasn’t very thick or high quality, I liked the presentation. +TAAG first class lunch service — warm towel +There were no menus on this flight, so each course was a surprise. To start we were offered canapés, consisting of three little crackers with ham, cheese, and shrimp. I ordered a glass of champagne to go along with it — TAAG serves Laurent-Perrier in first class, which isn’t great for first class, but is still better than I was expecting. +TAAG first class lunch service — appetizer +One of my friends ordered an Angolan beer. +TAAG first class lunch service — beer +About 30 minutes after the canapés, salt & pepper shakers, water, silverware, and a selection of bread were brought out. +TAAG first class lunch service — table setting +TAAG first class lunch service — bread +The appetizers were served from a trolley, with the choice between prawns, roast beef, and salad. +TAAG first class lunch cart +I ordered the prawns and salad. +TAAG first class lunch service — appetizer +While the prawns themselves seemed to be high quality, they clearly weren’t cooked correctly, because they were indescribably chewy. They were served mostly with corn, and I found the dish to be bland. +TAAG first class lunch service — appetizer +The side salad was decent, however. +TAAG first class lunch service — salad +One of my friends ordered the roast beef, which looked fairly good. +TAAG first class lunch service — appetizer +For the main courses we were offered the choice between cod, beef, and chicken. Two of us ordered the cod, though we were informed that they were out. We found that curious, since in the galley we had seen the meal order sheet, and it indicated that they had three of those loaded. Of the four other first class passengers, I saw that at least two weren’t eating the cod, so perhaps the cabin supervisor (or someone) “reserved” a dish for themselves? +Since neither of the options sounded appealing, we asked what they were serving in business class, thinking that maybe we could get a fish dish from there. The flight attendant’s response was simply “I don’t know.” Alrighty then. +I ordered the beef, which ended up being quite good. I think they could have gone a bit easier on the sauce, but otherwise it was a good steak. +TAAG first class lunch service — main course +The chicken, on the other hand, not so much… +TAAG first class lunch service — main course +Next up the dessert trolley was rolled down the aisle, with the choice between a cheese plate, fruit plate, and chocolate cake. +TAAG first class lunch service — dessert cart +We ordered one of each. All three were pretty unremarkable. +TAAG first class lunch service — dessert +To finish off the meal I ordered a coffee with milk. +TAAG first class lunch service — coffee +The meal service was done about three hours after takeoff. I’m not really sure what to say. Most of the food wasn’t totally awful, though both the food and service left a lot to be desired for international first class. Given that TAAG doesn’t have any competitors with first class on any of their routes (and since the people flying to/from Angola in first class are probably largely Angolans who fly their national airline for a variety of reasons), they can get away with it. +The younger flight attendant meant well, while the cabin supervisor was just sort of a grouch. I should note that at one point they asked us why we were taking so many pictures. It wasn’t in a rude way, but rather they were just curious, which was fair. We explained we have flown so many airlines but have always wanted to fly TAAG, and wanted to document the experience for our memories. They never mentioned anything again. +After the meal the cabin lights were dimmed, and we had about four hours remaining to Luanda. +TAAG 777 mood lighting +I decided to look through the inflight magazine, which had some interesting stuff in it. I especially enjoyed their fleet page, which shows that they have five 777-300ERs — two of them feature the new first class (with eight seats), and three feature their old first class (with 12 seats). +TAAG fleet +The magazine also advertised their flight to Havana. I think TAAG might just be the only airline to offer a three cabin first class product to Cuba? +TAAG inflight magazine +Then I checked out their duty free magazine, where I discovered that they had TAAG 777 model airplanes for sale. Naturally we had to buy those, though they only had two. TAAG doesn’t take credit cards for duty free, so we had to pay cash. The problem is that they had no change, which made things a bit complicated, though after a bit of negotiating we reached a deal. +TAAG duty free catalogue +In the end we picked up these two beauties! +TAAG airplane models +I spent a couple of hours connected to wifi working, and soon enough we were just 1hr40min from our arrival, as we were flying over Sao Tome and Principe, which has always fascinated me. I haven’t spent that much time in Africa outside of North Africa, so it was really cool to just observe the airshow on this flight. +Airshow enroute to Luanda +Airshow enroute to Luanda +Airshow enroute to Luanda +75 minutes before landing a light snack was served. Once again, tables were set and we were offered warm towels . +TAAG first class snack service — table setting +This time we had the option between chicken and prosciutto. I selected the chicken. +TAAG first class snack service +The chicken was on skewers, and was sort of tough. Then there was also a pie, which wasn’t great either. +TAAG first class snack service +One of my friends had the prosciutto plate, which came with some veggies. +TAAG first class snack service +The dessert in the box was an orange chocolate. +TAAG first class snack service +After the main course we were each served a fruit plate, with orange, blueberries, strawberries, and kiwi. +TAAG first class snack service +40 minutes before landing the captain made an announcement informing us that we’d be starting our descent in about 10 minutes. 20 minutes before landing the seatbelt sign was turned on. I was excited to see Luanda from above, and the timing worked out great, as we were landing during a beautiful sunset. +View approaching Luanda +Airshow approaching Luanda +Airshow approaching Luanda +I haven’t heard many good things about Luanda, though at a minimum I have to say that it had beautiful geography, as it was right on the Atlantic. +View approaching Luanda +View approaching Luanda +View approaching Luanda +Final approach to Luanda +Final approach to Luanda +Final approach to Luanda +We touched down in Luanda at 6:25PM. +Final approach to Luanda +Touchdown Luanda +We rolled out to the end of the runway, then went around a short circular taxiway, and then back-taxied on the runway until we got to one of the main taxiways. +Taxiing Luanda Airport +Taxiing Luanda Airport +We arrived at our remote stand at 6:40PM. They only opened the second door, though they held all business class passengers until first class passengers were off, as we were put on a separate bus. +Then our Luanda transit adventure began. +TAAG Angola first class bottom line +First and foremost, this was such a fun flight. That’s partly because I was traveling with friends who were as enthused about TAAG as I am, and partly because I had no clue what to expect going in, which made it all the more fun. I didn’t even realize TAAG had planes with this kind of first class cabin and with wifi, so that was a treat. +Unfortunately (and not surprisingly), the soft product left a lot to be desired. While the younger flight attendant was generally friendly, the cabin supervisor wasn’t, and also seemed awfully lazy. The soft product offered by TAAG is bad as well, from the horrible bedding to the mediocre food with no menus. +On the plus side, I do have to give the crew credit for being good sports about our picture taking and enthusiasm, as it wasn’t received in quite the same way for the rest of our evening and morning. +Little did I know that this would by far be the high point of our TAAG experience, as the real adventure started on the ground in Luanda, and especially on our connecting flight to Sao Paulo. +Bar soap was very common up to the mid-1980’s. I have a bar of unopened Japan Air Lines and TWA soap. +Great review! +Great trip report, but haven’t I read this before?? +Just love your reports and photos. The paltry blanket on the first class bed was so tiny – like a postage stamp on an envelope. LOL +I have no photos, just the descriptions. +What a review! And what an airline! I was delighted to actually see one of these 777s at Havana Airport back in February, waiting for my AA flight. A very old school livery and logo. Part of me wanted to jump aboard that flight to Luanda… +The catering, probably loaded in Lisbon, looks very African and very third world, which of course is appropriate. No menus… lol And the description you give of the flight attendants is very accurate when I think back to many of my experiences with the service industry in Africa. +Are bars of soap really such an oddity? Even Air Berlin had them, and I managed to snag a couple as a souvenir from my last AB flight some weeks before they stopped flying. +In black Africa, you can’t photograph anything suspicious. And anything can be regarded as suspicious. So taking photos of anything but yourself and your friends could prove difficult. +I can only imagine what you guys went through transiting in Luanda. The most beautiful thing about that city must be its name…. +I got a kick out of the plane models – I hope those are in your home office +ok, now I have photos…. the side salad was “decent”?! those tomatoes are barely pink and look like they’ve been frozen. Most of the food looks pretty bad, to be honest. +I love the notes for those “written off” planes: +1 – Hit by a missile…naturally. +2- Crashed after takeoff +3- Crashed after landing +so be it taking off, landing or just flying they manage to have planes get damaged beyond repair. Though I do have to say they should get some points for actually landing the plane that was hit by the missile. +“not sure if their linens are shrinking, or…” LOL +It kind of seems like a proper F product to me.. if you ignore LX F from JNB. The F seats look awesome, except in bed mode, that really needs an update. I think adding a $10 pad or proper $15 down comforter would not be hard +I am curious how these flights were paid for, I’m assuming cash. +@ Lucky +I waited long for this review. Such a great and well written report. +Not a good start when a check in agent thinking you are crazy enough to fly TAAG, probaby he/she knows how bad the airline is and you are even flying First with them. +I am just disappointed how bad and dreadful the soft products are. They have a nice suite and they can only offer the worst and cheapest pillow and blanket I have seen in a internat. First cabin. It hurts to see the photos. Forget the headphones also bad. Have you got at least a decent choice in the entertainment system? +The food and the service are just vile! Pls. do not try to defend it..it is just plain bad..Running out of choices and probably losing them to the crew..just unbearable to hear. Did I understand it right, you are only allowed one of the dessert options? The crew with or without good intentions are just disappointing. +I am speechless and shock that such an airline could dare to sell such a product as First class. And pls. to others here in OMAAT do not you dare try to defend this airline. There is just no excuse at all! This First product make BA First like the epitome of luxurious First class.. +Thanks Lucky for offering your time and money in showing us how good we have with our conventional airlines in our part of the world. +Luanda to Havana. Such an interesting city pair. Just goes to show how little I know about O&D and bilaterals even after reading about it all the time. +@ cs — Mind trying to clear your browser cache? We were having some issues with our hosting company awhile back, but everything should be loading properly now. +Great report lucky couldn’t wait to read it; even writing about it its clear you had a deep passion for trying out this product even more than any other product recently maybe other than qSuites. +Great report! +Re: “I think TAAG might just be the only airline to offer a three cabin first class product to Cuba?” Air China flies a 3 cabin product from Montreal to Havana. +Re: I think TAAG might just be the only airline to offer a three cabin first class product to Cuba? +Isn’t Air China flying a three cabin plane PEK-YUL-HAV with first class? +It looks like that salad with corn was served without cilantro. Thank goodness. Because as everyone knows, cilantro is actually the devil’s doo doo, and unfit for human (or anything’s) consumption. It is an evil spice that causes flatulence and suicidal thoughts. Some people consume cilantro and resort to self-mutilation, while others who consume it drive at dangerous speeds on the interstate highways. +And yet others have only a few microns of cilantro and then have blood dribble out of their eye sockets; others get tapeworms. And yet others see their skin turn purple. Others rip out their own tongues after accidentally ingesting cilantro, to avoid the risk of ever tasting cilantro again. +In conclusion, cilantro is evil and that is why all good people hate cilantro, and when you meet someone who says they love cilantro, they are really saying “I am the worst person in the world.” +Q.E.D. +At the beginning, when you say “We had a friendly Uber driver for Angola, who couldn’t wrap his head…” do you mean “…a friendly Uber driver FROM Angola…”? +Cuba invaded Angola once. Fun fact. +@Myles +Please remember that our part of the world has not been enslaved and abused for the last 600 years. Also they just got out of a very messy civil conflict, which still does much damage to its population. Just managing to get permission to fly to Europe again is a great deal, the luxury details they’ll figure out eventually. +the situation with the security officer at LIS seems quite bizarre to me…to be frank, i think most of ppl don’t travel with a printed copy of itinerary anymore…in any event, the check-in agent would be able to pull out your reservation. i dont see any point of checking your reservation before you even reach the check-on counter +Loved this TAAG review! +Lucky, you mentioned São Tomé and Príncipe. +Highlighted as “Underrated gem gets new luxe lodging” +“This former Portuguese colony is called Africa’s Galápagos by naturalists” +I will definitely be staying at: +Trying to to combine Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on the AF CDG-SSA flight +which continues on to Douala, Cameroon ~ cool flights! +While reserving the seats selections for you, Tiffany should have pre- reserved the Cod..as one does +@ Bitzer +“Please remember that our part of the world has not been enslaved and abused for the last 600 years.” +Indigenous people don’t count, then? +I recommend a dose of Eduardo Galeano, as a gentle way of starting to address your history deficit. +@Myles, people like you really sicken me. You spoilt entitled individual. Honestly, who do you think you using such strong words and complete outrage over a First class product?. I can’t imagine you being satisfied with anything. Ever. What is wrong with people like you?? +Rich white American kids traveling for no reason first class for a lot of money in a dirt poor country’s horrible airline. Couldn’t be more cliché if you tried. +Amazing review! +I will go to Sao Tome this august and will fly with Taag first class from JNB. +LOVED the report and worth the wait . Can’t wait to read the rest of the journey. How will you top this trip Ben ?… +Cuba used to have preferred status in Angola as they fought alongside the then-ruling MPLA against forces backed by South Africa and US during the Angolan Civil War. Cubans had sent thousands of doctors, teachers, and volunteers alongside 50,000 soldiers into Angola during that time. However nowadays Cuban influence in Angola has been declining, as Angolans discovered oil and start exporting to South Africa and other Western countries for cash. +Also thanks for the report Lucky! Flying TAAG next month from MPM to LAD on a 777. Do not know if it’d be one of these 77Ws or actually a 772ER, although it seems like they don’t sell first on that route tho… +I don’t understand the obsession of adding ‘first class’ prefix to everything. In future maybe you can add you took a first class dump at the first class toilet bowl +@john, ze pretty much summed up the Havana flight. A product of their history as communist allies. +@andy +..and you are??..pls. stop being a hypocrit!.. I use these words which I mind to be appropriate..If you choose to talk down over this appalling First product, I would definitely not sugar coat it! I will certainly not waste my money and symphathy for such inferior product..it does not matter if its a third world airline or country. So before you judge me do look yourself in the mirror and see what kind of a person you are!..Do not crack the mirror though! +Great and entertaining review Lucky. Always been fascinated by TAAG. +What I was more perturbed by was the comments made by Daniel from Finland. And I was suprised that none of your readers called him out on it. +“The catering, probably loaded in Lisbon, looks very African and very third world, which of course is appropriate. +In black Africa, you can’t photograph anything suspicious..” +Not sure if this was just a language issue, but to read such comments that reak of white European privilege in 2018 is absolutely disgusting. He does come across as a seasoned traveller who has certainly been to “ black Africa “numerous times. One would think that travel to the region would at least give him a bit of insight +Into the culture and challenges that ‘black Africa ‘ has to deal with today as a result of centuries of colonial oppression and exploitation. +SMH. Blackfromblackafrica +cmas – +The early security check of the reservation/ticket may be to prevent anyone other than passengers from entering the airport. I returned home recently from 4 weeks in India, where that is commonplace. +I liked it because otherwise the check-in area can get awfully chaotic. The Mumbai check-in area was delightful. +Is it me or does the first picture of the snack (2nd meal) look like a spread-out dead mouse? Are you SURE it was chicken? (Having been catered in Lisbon seems to back that). +So exactly similar to the old African airlines, mostly dead by now, Cameroon Airlines, Air Gabon, Air Madagascar (actually still alive, barely though…) and the like. When you have reviewed one, you’ve reviewed them all. +@Cornel +I realise you are unhappy with the term Black Africa. Collins Dictionary (which spells it with a capital B) tells me it’s used rarely, but they don’t label it as offensive. However, maybe everything that contains the word ‘black’ is offensive in the English language today… Finnish is different that way, and we speak of ‘musta Afrikka’ without problems. +However, Sub-Saharan Africa carries the same meaning, so if you find it more neutral, I’ll be happy to use this term since I’d hate to be offensive, especially without even realising it myself. +Finland, by the way, has no colonial history (apart from being colonized by Sweden in the 12th century), so many of the stigmas associated with colonialism go mostly unnoticed here, which might lead to misunderstandings in an international context. +I also had trouble with the pictures loading, no matter how many times i refreshed the page only half of the photos would load… 🙁 +I am absolutely positive I have read some of this before, and not just in the preview “swiping left”. I remember ‘no photos’ and taking the selfie was okay, and I even remember the next installment when things went south and the (entitled) crew didn’t provide much in the way of service, at all. Am I taking crazy pills? +.” +Why am I increasingly getting irked when reading these nasty “I’m privileged first Class” postings? I’m no longer able to stomach reading this pathetic nancy girl stuff. +Lilly Ming, your incessant sniping and irksome comments are proving to be an unwanted distraction. If you can’t stomach reading this ‘pathetic nancy girl’ stuff, then do yourself a huge favor and stop reading this blog! Leave the rest of us poor folk to suffer through Lucky’s privileged posts. Sheesh. +One of my favorites reviews! Well done! I been wanting to go to Luanda….. +Flying from/into Lisbon airport is frequently tricky because of the wind. I’ve had some of the scariest takeoffs and landings in my life at LIS. +Great review. +After five action packed days in San Miguel raising awareness and funds for Sergio Castro, we said goodbye to Casa Luna and Team Sergio and hopped a cab to Celaya, where we'd board a bus to Morelia. And who did we call for the cab? You got it, Pedro the photographer, who informed us that he was a singer in a trio of four. We crooned our way through Sin Ti and Camino de Guanajuato right up to the bus station door. +L to R, Victor (aka: DJ XXX); Mayolo (king of late-night mariachi karaoke on the jardín), me (queen of the same), Jane, Consuelo, John, & Chelo's parents, Gloria and José. +Buses in Mexico are a beautiful thing, comfortable, clean, affordable, and on time. By mid-afternoon Jane and I were at the Hotel Soledad in downtown Morelia. I adore this place. I've been staying there since forever and it has always been a lovely, perfectly located, mid-priced hotel. The location still can't be beat, but now it's a superb and only slightly above mid-priced hotel. The new owner, Leticia, has some seriously good taste and the staff is just the best. +Drinks in the courtyard during a previous tour. Note the moat-like water feature around the fountain and remind me to tell you about the swim I took in it some time. +Jane hadn't spent more than a couple of hours in Morelia, so we set out to see the town. And eat a gaspacho. Yes, that's gaspacho with an S, not a Z. Don't blame me, I'm just telling you what's what, not why. Thing is, first taste and you won't care how it's spelled, your only thought will be "How soon before I can have another one?" +What is it, you ask? It's an only-in-Morelia flavor-saturated miracle of culinary bliss. Chopped pineapple, mango, and jicama piled in a plastic cup, topped with fresh orange and lime juices, grated cheese, and chile. It's sweet, saltly, rich, sour, bitter, hot as well as soft and crunchy all in the same bite. It's to die for. Just writing about it makes my salivary glands go nuts. Here's my recipe for making it at home. +The one in the middle has watermelon as well, but I'm a purist and go for the original. Extra chile, por favor. +Morelia-style Gaspacho +This is the classic version, but there are as many variations of this as there are Morelianos who make it. Some add watermelon, cucumber, I've even seen onion included (horrors!) The most important part of the recipe is that everything be evenly and finely chopped so that you always have a balance of ingredients in every bite. +Ingredients: (2 hefty portions) +1 cup of mango +1 cup of jicama +1 cup pineapple +6 teaspoons grated Cotija cheese +Valentina Sauce to taste +Salt to taste +Red/black chile, ground (Not SW chili powder, but ground chile, like chile de arbol or ancho. Toast and grind it yourself if need be.) +1 orange +1 lime +Chop the pineapple, mango, and jicama into small cubes of the same size and toss them together. Place about a third of the chopped fruit in two large plastic or glass cups. Top each with 1 teaspoon of the cheese, a splash of salsa, a sprinkle of ground chile, and salt. Repeat twice, and on the last layer squeeze the orange and lime over the fruit before you add the cheese, salsa, chile, and salt. Serve Valentina or Tapatio Sauce on the side. I've heard tell of people pouring a chilled shot of tequila blanca over it., let me know if you try that. +So, back to Morelia... +Our gang of four - John from Connecticut, Susan from California, Jane, and me - finally all came to roost in Morelia late Friday night. On Saturday we piled into the rental car and headed west to Lake Camecuaro, where we would be spending the night tonight in order to be near the village of Patamban early on Sunday morning. +But first, a stop at Horno Los Ortiz, quite possibly the most creative bakery in Mexico. The bakery is wonderful any day of the year, but it really rocks during Day of the Dead, when Judith sets up her ever-growing display of bread figures that inhabit her "pan-teón." (Get it? PANteón?) +Judith and Hugo of Horno Loz Ortiz +Judith's fantastic bread figures in the Pan-teón +The Virgin of Guadalupe rendered in bread +We loaded up on tasty treats, but not before we heard the stories. Judith regaled us with humorous but poignant tales of how and why she created certain pastries: the Rollo de Canela con piquete (cinnamon roll with a splash of tequila) and the Guangoche, a packet of pastry stuffed with apple slices and cheese and tied with twine that looked like a burlap lunch bag. Both these pastries were dedicated to los mojados, wetbacks literally, but used by Judith to describe any Mexican living in the USA now. +The other remarkable artist we met that day was Jenya (short for Eugenia), Judith and Hugo's daughter, a seventeen year-old helper in the bakery who makes incredibly fine papel picado art. She brought out a piece she is currently working on, a Virgen of Guadalupe about 3-feet tall. Stunning! +Jenya with her latest work of art +Detail +It was now mid-afternoon and we'd made it exactly 1/2 mile from the hotel. My kind of pace. +1 comments Links to this post +MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2011 +On a mission in Mexico, Part 2 +On Monday, October 24 (a mere two weeks ago, how can that be?) Jane and I met with John and Consuelo, the filmakers responsible for El Andalón, a documentary film on the work of my hero Sergio Castro, and Mary Murrell and Ivan Schuster, the couple behind the fund raising events for Sergio in San Miguel. Team Sergio was beginning to gel. Over cappuccinos on the jardín, we introduced ourselves to one another and learned more about the plan of events for the next few days. +(Note surprised look on the gal at the table on the left. I think she might have mistaken us for famous people.) +Sergio and his wife would arrive from Chiapas later that day. (What a coup to have them here; Sergio rarely travels away from San Cristóbal, where his many patients need him on a daily basis.) Patricia Ferrer, a physician's assistant from Tucson who travels to Chiapas twice a year for two weeks to work side-by-side with Sergio, would be in San Miguel late that night, along with her physical therapist friend Kathleen and the 200+ pounds of medical supplies they carried with them. They were both en route to Chiapas but had squeezed in two days in San Miguel to help with the fund raising events. +Patricia, arriving in San Miguel +Mary's local helpers Iri and Olivia were busy building forms on which the trajes would be displayed and with preparations of food and drink for over 100 people. More local pals were scheduled to take tickets and otherwise assist at both events. The San Miguel bilingual paper, Atención, had just run the second of Mary's beautifully written articles about Sergio's work and his upcoming visit. Posters were up around town, the buzz was building. Everywhere we went we talked about Don Sergio and El Andalón and people responded enthusiastically; two guests at Casa Luna, our gorgeous home-away-from-home in San Miguel, bought tickets for both events and went about spreading the word to others. +On Tuesday morning a visit to Patronato de Niños, a fabulously successful and venerable non-profit organization in San Miguel that provides free of low-cost medical and dental care to low-income children, was planned. +Tuesday afternoon Mary and Ivan would host a luncheon and planning session for Team Sergio at their home. Tuesday night was the first of the two public events scheduled: the screening of El Andalón at the Angela Peralta Theater. Wednesday the Sala Quetzal at the Biblioteca was reserved for a showing of a portion of Sergio's traje collection. On Thursday Sergio and Elsa would head back to Chiapas, Patricia and Kathleen would be there to greet them, and they'd be back at work helping and healing by Friday. +Our days were full. I was engaged. Engaged as in a gear that was properly meshed, interlocked and interacting with the other moving parts - in this case, Team Sergio. It felt beyond enlivening. +Tuesday dawned clear and cool. Sergio and Elsa had arrived safely, Patricia and Kathleen and the 200+ pounds of supplies were also in town. We all met up for the Patronato visit, an inspiring time. Pedro, the taxi driver who brought us back to town, became our new best friend and member of Team Sergio and offered to take the group shots at the Mirador, coaching us into the best poses. +L to R, Consuelo, me, Sergio, Elsa, Patricia, Jane, Consuelo's parents Gloria and José, and Kathleen. +Photo by Pedro the taxi driver. +The luncheon was just lovely, Mary and Ivan's beautiful home a marvelous backdrop for our first gathering as Team Sergio. +All of us, in emails leading up to this meeting, had expressed our awareness that no matter what our own personal goals for Sergio were - a brick and mortar clinic, a proper museum on the main street in San Cris, establishing nonprofit status for organization, Yok Chij, etc.- our only real goal was to find out what he wanted and make a plan to get that for him. +Elsa and Sergio with their Welcome Cake +Once the dessert plates were cleared we slowly segued into meeting mode. We asked Sergio what we wanted and needed. It wasn't easy for him; he talked about how hard it was to predict the future, to see past the immediate needs of each day - shelter and food for his family, medical supplies for his patients, and transportation for him to reach them. I was aware of how difficult this conversation must have been for him, a humble guy just trying to do his work because, as he says, "What else would you do?" sitting at a table with eight eager friends who really want to help. I, for one, can be pretty intense in a situation I am passionate about, and I was most definitely passionate about this. I attempted to lower my energy level so as to not overwhelm. +Eventually Sergio found a safe spot and began to share. What emerged was the crystal clear need: financial security, both immediate and long term. We compiled a laundry list of very specific items needed and their monetary value. Into focus came the amount of $72,000 pesos needed to get things up to speed. We then looked at Sergio and Elsa's monthly expenses - rent, utilities, food, medicines, transportation to the villages six days a week - and settled on the amount of $4000 USD per month needed to keep things running for the long term. +Miss Pep Club that I am, I encouraged us to rally around the $72,ooo peso (about $5500 USD) figure as a goal for our time together in San Miguel. "Si, se puede!" I called out, and the gang joined in. +The screening was wonderful. Eighty-one people were in attendance and all eighty-one clearly felt the love. During the Q&A after the film the questions focused on "What more can we do to help?" We raised $15,000 pesos that night in ticket sales, DVD sales, and a spontaneous passing of the hat. The surprise of the evening was Sergio and Elsa's attendance. They came up on stage toward the end and Sergio spoke to the group in impassioned Spanish, explaining his mission to help very clearly:"I trust in God, he entrusts me with a gift to heal, and so I do." +Don Sergio on stage with John, Patricia, Elsa, and Consuelo after the Tuesday night screening. +Wednesday evening found us at the Sala Quetzal, putting together the trajes on the stands that Iri had made. They looked absolutely stunning in the context of the room; they formed a border above which David Leonardo's bold mural floated. +A printed guide of the trajes was available and people walked their way through the exhibit at their own pace. In the courtyard, Sergio and Elsa greeted people, and the crowd grew. Olivia's team served a gorgeous selection of botanas and an excellent sangria. We raised $5,400 pesos in ticket and DVD sales, and donations of $1,200 USD were received, with the promise of more to come. An exciting night. +And now, the good news. +The results of our fund raising events in San Miguel are as follows: +October 25 screening of El Andalón: $15,000 pesos +October 26 reception and traje exhibit: $5,400 pesos +Other donations ($2700 USD donations made at and after the events) $35,910 pesos +IF Foundation ($990 USD from event by Food in the Hood in Santa Cruz, CA) $13,167 pesos +My Mexico Tours' peeps donations $2000 pesos +Patricia's friends' donation $1330 pesos +Total $72,807 pesos +¡SI, PUDIMOS! We did it. We met and topped the $72,000 peso goal. +Aside from the joy of hitting the mark, I am touched beyond words at the contributions that came from so many of you who weren't there in person in San Miguel but were most definitely there in spirit: Tereza and the whole Food In The Hood family; the IF Foundation, which has taken Don Sergio under their wing quite literally, allowing people to now donate through a US-based non-profit organization; Patricia's generous friends in Tuscon (whom it turns out I met years ago at the B&B), and the many friends of My Mexico Tours who allowed me to be there and sent money directly to Sergio as well. Bravo and mil gracias to each and every one of you. +Tereza's darling daughters, who cooked, served, and cleaned up at the June Food in the Hood event in Santa Cruz. +The monthly $4000 USD is a bit more complicated and will take some work. Monthly pledges from supporters might be the way to go. Allowing people to "join" Team Sergio, now known as Amigos del Andalón, via his web page would raise funds little by little while building a community of like-minded supporters of his work. A grass roots movement to show the film and raise money among friends and colleagues seems a likely path to take. And without a doubt, a grant or the backing of a foundation would help immensely. +Aside from the concrete achievements produced during of our time in San Miguel, many important seeds were sown that will likely produce fruit down the road. Several people from within the Rotary Club were in attendance and expressed their desire to help Sergio through the Rotary, possibly with a car or other concrete items. A well-known professional photographer (NY Times, National Geographic) is planning a trip to San Cristobal to spend time with Sergio in January, giving us a good chance of wide coverage for Sergio. Contacts were made with at least two large foundations who expressed interest in sharing Don Sergios' work with their boards. At least two people I spoke to have offered to go to Chiapas in the coming year and provide hands-on help. These are just the results I'm aware of, I'm certain there are more wheels turning out there that we have yet to discover. +A few of the Amigos del Andalón, celebrating after the screening. +Our work is cut out for us. And we're ready. We met for the first time as a team just two short weeks ago, and we left as partners, Amigos del Andalón. We each have something unique to bring to the table and we worked together brilliantly. We share a vision that is bigger than ourselves yet completely achieveable, and we're committed to sharing that vision so that everyone may participate in helping Don Sergio to continue with his work. +It's a rare and beautiful thing to be able to help such a purely good cause. Please visit YokChij.org any time you'd like a hit of the joy. +TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011 +On a mission in Mexico, Part 1 +I'm in San Miguel de Allende today, on a mission to support a fundraising event for a man I admire greatly. I'm here with Jane, my dear friend and former art teacher who first introduced me to Mexico in 1994, and my film maker friends from Veremos Productions, John Speyer and Consuelo Alba-Speyer. I plan to share the day-to-day excitement of this visit, but first, some background... +Many of you have met my hero in Chiapas, Sergio Castro. The excuse to meet Sergio is his private museum, filled with an extraordinary collection of trajes (costumes or outfits) from many Maya villages of Chiapas. The reason to meet Sergio is to know that hope, love, and compassion are alive and well and sporting a cowboy hat and boots. +Sergio Castro Martinez, photo by Veremos Productions +I met Sergio in about '98, on my first visit to Chiapas. My pal Jane, a voracious reader of guide books, found mention of him in a piece about San Cristóbal, where we were headed. Intrigued with the idea of seeing so much indigenous art under one roof, we called the number listed. And called again. And again. It seemed that Sergio Castro was never at home; he was clearly a very busy man. On day three we were told he would be in town at 7pm that night and we could meet him then to see the collection. +We knocked on the green door on Guadalupe Victoria promptly at 7pm and were greeted by Sergio himself. Ushered into the room of trajes and a group of 12 other tourists, he explained to us in English that he would be giving the tour that evening in French. (We later learned that he also speaks Italian, English, his native Spanish, and several of the many Mayan languages of Chiapas.) +The outfits were remarkable; colorful, intricate, varied, hand crafted, all extraordinarily well made. He walked us through the exhibit, explaining the significance of the colors, the patterns, the accessories (an armadillo purse, a black stick, a beribboned straw hat). It was fascinating and enlightening, an anthropological look at the people of Chiapas through their clothing that would have taken us a lifetime to learn on our own. Sergio was passionate, knowledgeable, and a brilliant communicator. As it turns out, we had only just begun to know this remarkable man. +After viewing the trajes Sergio led us into a makeshift theater in a back room, offered us a box of store-bought cookies, asked someone to turn off the lights, and flipped the switch on the projector. The film flickered to life. Only then did we learn of his work, his passion, his mission: providing the poor of Chiapas with health care, clean water, and schools. For free. Funded with pesos from his own pocket and those he could crib together from donations made by tourists like us who came to see the trajes. We were blown away. We wiped the tears from our eyes, waited for the goosebumps to abate, and happily stuffed the donation box with our pesos. We were card carrying members of Team Sergio from that moment on. +When I started My Mexico Tours in 2003 my mission was to share my Mexico - the art, food, places, and people I had come to know and love - with others. Sergio, and his collection and his work, were high on the list of things to share. The Chiapas tour groups have enjoyed seeing the textiles and learning about the various indigenous groups in Chiapas and they adore meeting my charismatic, humble, maverick friend Sergio. Then they see his film and learn about his work. There's not a dry eye in the room as the lights come back on, and without exception they all turn to me and say "How can we help?" I point to the donation box and they generously join Team Sergio. Some have helped with the actual day-to-day work of visiting the rural villages, carrying Sergio's bags, assisting as we dresses wounds, or maybe just holding a patient's hand. Others have sent medical supplies. Many continue to fund his work with financial contributions to his foundation, Yok Chij. +John Speyer and Consuelo Alba, two travelers who visited Chiapas with me in 2009, have taken the message of Don Sergio's good work and made a movie. A really good movie. A movie that captures the soul of this remarkable man and puts it out there for all to see, allowing more and more people everywhere to know about and contribute to Don Sergio's work. +El Andalón, by Veremos Productions, will be shown tonight here in San Miguel and that's what brings Team Sergio together with a mission in Mexico. I am honored and thrilled to be here to help this purest of causes. Details to follow... +Full Name: George Edward "Skip" Prosser +Born: November 3, 1950 +Died: July 26, 2007 +Birth Place: Pittsburgh, PA +Wife: Nancy +Sons: Scott (28) and Mark (27) +College: United States Merchant Marine Academy (1972) +Degree: Nautical Science +Graduate School: West Virginia University (1980) +Master's Degree: Secondary Education +High School: Carnegie (PA) High School +High School Sports Played: Football, basketball +Championships +2003 ACC Regular Season +1998 A-10 Conference Tournament +1998 A-10 Conference West Regular Season +1997 A-10 Conference West Regular Season +1995 MCC Regular Season +1994 MAAC Tournament +Honors +2003 ACC Coach of the Year +2003 NABC District Coach of the Year +2003 USBWA District Coach of the Year +1997 Mideast Coach of the Year (Basketball Times) +1997 NABC District Coach of the Year +1995 MCC Coach of the Year +Skip Prosser, Wake Forest's basketball coach for six seasons, passed away on July 26, 2007 of an apparent heart attack.. +When Prosser took over the reins at Wake Forest, he inherited a program rich in basketball tradition and history. How he almost immediately took the program to a new, higher level is remarkable. +In each of his first four seasons in Winston-Salem, Prosser guided Wake Forest to an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Deacons advanced to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament in each of those years. In 2004, Wake Forest advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1996. +Prosser's success at Wake Forest was not relegated to the NCAA Tournament. In 2003, the Deacons won the ACC regular season championship outright for the first time in more than 40 years. In the 2004-05 season, Wake Forest rose to No. 1 in the national polls for the first time in the illustrious history of the school. The Deacons, in fact, were ranked in the Associated Press top 25 for a school record 60 consecutive weeks under Prosser. +Under Prosser, the Deacons were one of the ACC's winningest teams over the last six years. In both 2003 and 2005, Wake Forest went 13-3 in the ACC. During Prosser's tenure, the Deacons were 52-44 in league play. In the ACC Tournament, Wake Forest went 3-2 over the last two years combined. +Wake Forest, which defeated 18 different nationally-ranked teams under Prosser, won a school record 27 games in 2005. Almost annually over the last six years, Wake Forest has been one of the nation's highest-scoring teams. In 2003, the Deacons became the first ACC team ever to lead the nation in rebounding. +A key to Prosser's success at Wake Forest was recruiting some of the nation's top high school players and developing those players into all-stars. Prosser was able to win national recruiting wars to sign McDonald's All-Americans Chris Paul and Eric Williams. After playing for Prosser, Paul, Josh Howard and Darius Songaila were all selected in the NBA Draft and are currently enjoying outstanding professional careers. +While playing under Prosser, Paul was named the 2004 ACC Rookie of the Year and earned first team All-American honors in 2005. Howard was a unanimous selection - the first unanimous selection since 1974 - for ACC Player of the Year. Howard was also a first team All-American and was named National Player of the Year by several sources. +Prosser was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2003, giving him conference coach of the year honors in two different leagues. +What Prosser accomplished at Wake Forest was not limited to on-the-court success. +He embraced Wake Forest's academic standards and stressed performance in the classroom by his players. Every senior that he coached at Wake Forest earned his diploma in four years. From Day One, Prosser made academics a priority with his players. Mandatory study halls are the norm, class attendance is checked and Prosser even named academic counselor Jane Caldwell the team's "MVP" in 2002 and in 2007. +With an exciting style of basketball, a strong relationship with the student body and raucous pre-game festivities, Prosser and his staff turned Lawrence Joel Coliseum into one of the loudest facilities around. With black and gold tie-dyed T-shirts filling the arena and the mascot riding a Harley-Davidson, the atmosphere in Wake's home arena turned 180 degrees. +Prosser and company made home games more than just a basketball game, but an event, resulting in increased attendance. In 2005-06, for the first time in school history, Wake Forest sold completely out of season tickets. There were 14,665 tickets sold or distributed to every home game. +The Deacons responded by going 81-17 at home, including a 24-game homecourt win streak and a 16-0 record in Joel Coliseum in 2002-03 and another 16-0 mark at home in 2004-05. +Prosser's 14 years as a head coach were a model of consistency. His teams won at least 21 games in nine of the last 11 seasons. His teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament nine times and to the NIT three times. +Prosser's career winning percentage (.666) was one of the highest among active coaches. +"I don't have a career record," Prosser said. "The players won those games." +Prosser won regular season titles in three different leagues (ACC, Atlantic 10, MCC) and postseason conference tournament crowns in two leagues (Atlantic 10, MAAC). He was named conference Coach of the Year in two different leagues and was one of just 10 active Division I coaches to lead three different teams into the NCAA Tournament. +In 21 years as a college coach, Prosser coached in 18 postseason tournaments. +Prosser saw many of his players go on to enjoy successful careers in the NBA and overseas. In 2002, Songaila was taken in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics and he currently plays for the Washington Wizards. Howard was selected in the first round of the 2003 Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. In 2005, Paul was an NBA "lottery pick" and a near-unanimous selection for NBA Rookie of the Year in 2006 for the New Orleans Hornets. +At Xavier, Prosser coached players such as David West, James Posey, Torraye Braggs and Lionel Chalmers, who played last season in the NBA. As an assistant at Xavier, Prosser helped recruit future NBA players such as Derek Strong, Aaron Williams, Larry Sykes, Tyrone Hill and Brian Grant. +In Prosser's first season at Wake Forest in 2001-02, he led the Deacons to a 21-13 record (despite facing seven teams ranked in the top 10), a third-place finish in the ACC and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Prosser led Wake to a 9-7 record in the league, tying for third place behind two recent NCAA champions -- Maryland and Duke. The Deacons swept rivals North Carolina and NC State, won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 1997 and set a school record for points scored, assists and three-point attempts in one season. +Only four coaches in the 50-year history of the ACC won more league games in their rookie year than Prosser did. He became the first rookie coach at Wake Forest since 1927 to post a winning record. Prosser was a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award. +But the 2001-02 season was just a stepping stone. In 2002-03, Prosser guided Wake Forest to its highest level since the Tim Duncan era. +Wake Forest finished the 2002-03 season with a 25-6 overall record and a final No. 8 ranking in the Associated Press poll -- then Wake's highest finish in the poll since 1995. The Deacons finished 13-3 and in first place in the ACC for the first time since 1995. It was WFU's first outright ACC regular season title in 41 years. +Prosser's Deacons were not ranked in any of the preseason polls and were picked to finish as low as seventh in the ACC, but Prosser molded a rotation of seven freshmen and sophomores with All-American senior Josh Howard into one of college basketball's top teams in 2002-03. +For his efforts, Prosser was named the ACC Coach of the Year. He was also named district coach of the year by the NABC and the USBWA, and he was a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year. +In 2003-04, Wake Forest fielded one of the nation's youngest rosters (no scholarship seniors) and faced one of college basketball's most difficult schedules. Prosser helped guide the youth-laden team to 21 victories, a third-place finish in the ACC, an ACC-best 14th consecutive postseason appearance and a berth in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. +Along the way, the Deacons rose to as high as No. 3 in the national polls and beat two teams ranked in the top five -- No. 3 Duke and No. 4 North Carolina. The win over North Carolina -- a 119-114 triple-overtime thriller in Chapel Hill to open the ACC season -- went down as one of the greatest ACC games in the 51-year history of the league. +The 2003-04 Deacons ranked third nationally in scoring offense and led the ACC in field goal percentage. Sophomore Justin Gray earned first team All-ACC honors and Paul was named ACC Rookie of the Year. +Wake Forest set a number of records and reached a number of firsts in 2004-05. The Deacons, with a record of 27-6, set a school record for single-season victories. In November, Wake rose to No. 1 in the national polls for the first time ever. The Deacons were ranked no lower than seventh in the national polls from beginning to end and finished with a national AP ranking of fifth. +There were other impressive numbers in 2004-05. Wake went 6-3 against ranked teams and 7-1 in games decided by five points or less. The Deacons broke an NCAA record by making 51 consecutive free throws and they finished third nationally in scoring offense. +Individually, three players were named All-ACC (Paul was first team, Gray and Williams were named to the second team). Paul was an Academic All-American as well. +Prosser was named Wake Forest's head coach on April 24, 2001, replacing Dave Odom. +Prior to coming to Winston-Salem, Prosser enjoyed success at Xavier University from 1995-2001, compiling a 148-65 (.695) record in seven seasons. +Xavier earned a record of 71-35 (.669) in conference play during his tenure -- second only to Temple in the Atlantic 10. The Musketeers earned back-to-back Atlantic 10 West regular season crowns in 1997 and 1998. In his last five seasons at Xavier, the Musketeers beat crosstown rival Cincinnati four times. Two of those victories came against Bearcat teams ranked No. 1 in the nation. +At Xavier, 83 percent of Prosser's players graduated (100 percent of the seniors) -- one of the highest graduation rates in the country. +Prosser spent 15 years at Xavier, first as an assistant coach under Pete Gillen for eight seasons. After a one-year stint as head coach at Loyola (Md.) College, Prosser returned to Xavier as the head coach, replacing Gillen. +In Prosser's final season at Xavier in 2000-01, the Musketeers posted a 21-8 record with just one senior in the starting lineup, earning an NCAA Tournament bid. The previous season, 1999-00, Xavier finished 21-12, securing its fourth straight 20-win season and its fifth 20-win season in six years under Prosser. +In 1997-98, XU earned an 11-5 mark in the Atlantic 10 and went on to capture the league's postseason tournament. In 1996-97, Xavier won the first of two consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference West Division titles by going 13-3 in the league despite having no seniors among its top six players. +Prosser was named the Basketball Times Mideast Coach of the Year and the NABC District 10 Coach of the Year. +In 1995-96, Xavier jumped from the MCC to the Atlantic 10 and many critics doubted the move. The Musketeers lost five of their top six players from the 1994-95 team, but managed to finish with an 8-8 A-10 regular season record. Prosser's teams went on to silence those critics by going 57-23 in Atlantic 10 play from 1997-2001. +Prosser's first Xavier team in 1994-95 won the Midwestern Collegiate Conference regular season title with a perfect 14-0 mark (23-5 overall). Prosser was named the MCC Coach of the Year that season. +Prior to taking over as head coach at Xavier, Prosser spent one season (1993-94) as head coach at Loyola (Md.) College and enjoyed a true Cinderella season. He took over a squad that finished 2-25 the previous season. But Prosser led Loyola to a 17-13 mark in 1993-94, making the NCAA Tournament for the only time in that school's history. It marked the biggest turnaround in NCAA Division I basketball in 1994. The underdog Greyhounds won three MAAC Tournament games en route to winning the championship and capturing the automatic NCAA bid. +Before his stop at Loyola, Prosser spent eight years as the top assistant under Gillen. Prosser was a member of Gillen's first staff at Xavier in 1985. During Prosser's time as a Xavier assistant, the Musketeers compiled a record of 180-67, capturing five Midwestern Collegiate Conference Tournament championships and five MCC regular season titles while earning seven NCAA Tournament berths. Xavier advanced to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament in four of seven appearances, including the Sweet 16 in 1990. +Xavier's recruiting efforts enjoyed great growth during Prosser's time as an assistant. As an assistant coach, he concentrated his efforts on the guards including Byron Larkin, Stan Kimbrough, Jamal Walker, Michael Davenport, Jamie Gladden and Michael Hawkins, all of whom scored more than 1,000 career points. +Prosser came to Xavier as an assistant coach in 1985 after an illustrious coaching career on the high school level in Wheeling (WV). He took over as head coach at Central Catholic High School in Wheeling in 1979. His six-year ledger read 104-48, including a state AA championship in 1982. The 1982 team set a school record for victories, finishing 25-2. +His last team, in 1984-85, made it to the state finals. In all, Prosser guided the Maroon Knights to one state title (1982), five regional championships (1981-82-83-84-85) and three conference crowns (1982-83-85). +Dino Gaudio, an assistant at Xavier under Gillen from 1987-93 and currently Wake Forest's head coach, was Prosser's top assistant coach for four years at Central Catholic. Prosser began his coaching career at Linsly Institute in Wheeling, spending time as the freshman coach (1972-76) and junior varsity coach (1976-77) before being promoted to head varsity coach (1977-79). Linsly compiled a record of 33-9 with Prosser as the varsity coach. +Leaving Xavier and the city of Cincinnati was not easy. +Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman searched nationwide for a new coach and he sought the advice of some of basketball's top minds. Prosser's name continued to surface over and over again. +"When I started the process, I called the people who I thought knew the best college basketball coaches in the nation. They all said the same thing about Skip Prosser: 'If you can hire him, you better get him.' Not only is he a great basketball coach, but he's a great person. +"Skip Prosser knows the rules and he follows them. He doesn't push the rules as far as he can and see what he can get away with. He knows the rules and he follows them strictly. Secondly, he graduates his players. He is committed to the academic process. Thirdly, he is a great representative of our university. And fourth, he wins. His record shows that he knows how to win basketball games." +Prosser expected his players to attend class and graduate. He expected his players to be solid representatives of the University. On the court, he expected his players to work extremely hard and compete for championships. +"I won't make a lot of promises but I won't make excuses, either," Prosser said prior to his first season at Wake. "Our goal is to compete for championships every year. Our style will be to play very quickly. We expect to win every time we play and we expect to be the hardest-playing team on the court. +"I hate to lose to anybody. I'm not a good loser. I abhor the losses a lot more than I enjoy the wins." +Prosser expected his team to hold the same goals as the university. +"Wake Forest has the vision to be the best university it can be and to be one of the best in the country. The same is true with our basketball team. We want to be the best team we can be and we want to compete with the best teams in the country." +Prosser and Wake Forest were a perfect fit. +"I've been through a lot of springs with calls and inquiries and invitations to visit other campuses," Prosser said upon his hiring. "Something about Wake Forest rang true for me." On his visit to Wake Forest, Prosser liked the people, the area, the school's academic reputation and the intimate size. And then there was the prospect of coaching in the Atlantic Coast Conference. +"As the commercial says: The greatest risk is not taking one," Prosser said. +A 1972 graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point (NY), with a degree in Nautical Science, Prosser played three years of basketball as a guard and one year of rugby as a collegian. He received his master's degree in secondary education from West Virginia University in 1980. +Prosser attended Carnegie (Pa.) High School, where he was a standout football and basketball player. +George Edward "Skip" Prosser, who was born on Nov. 3, 1950 in Pittsburgh (Pa.), is survived by the former Nancy Franklin, and two sons, Scott (28) and Mark (27). Mark played basketball at Marist College, and is an assistant coach at Bucknell. +Prosser was the 19th head coach in Wake Forest history and just the fourth since 1972. Carl Tacy coached 13 seasons, from 1973-85. Bob Staak was the Deacon coach for four years, from 1986-89. Dave Odom took over in 1990 and coached 12 seasons before resigning to take the head coaching position at the University of South Carolina. +"Coaching isn't wins and losses," Prosser said. "It's teaching. That's the reason I got into coaching and the reason I've stayed in coaching. +"I hope that I remain in the business of education." +Prosser Year-By-Year +2006-07 Head coach, Wake Forest +2005-06 Head coach, Wake Forest +2004-05 Head coach, Wake Forest +2003-04 Head coach, Wake Forest +2002-03 Head coach, Wake Forest +2001-02 Head coach, Wake Forest +2000-01 Head coach, Xavier +1999-00 Head coach, Xavier +1998-99 Head coach, Xavier +1997-98 Head coach, Xavier +1996-97 Head coach, Xavier +1995-96 Head coach, Xavier +1994-95 Head coach, Xavier +1993-94 Head coach, Loyola (MD) +1992-93 Ass't coach, Xavier +1991-92 Ass't coach, Xavier +1990-91 Ass't coach, Xavier +1989-90 Ass't coach, Xavier +1988-89 Ass't coach, Xavier +1987-88 Ass't coach, Xavier +1986-87 Ass't coach, Xavier +1985-86 Ass't coach, Xavier +1984-85 Ass't coach, Xavier +1983-84 Head coach, Central Catholic HS +1982-83 Head coach, Central Catholic HS +1981-82 Head coach, Central Catholic HS +1980-81 Head coach, Central Catholic HS +1979-80 Head coach, Central Catholic HS +1978-79 Head coach, Linsly Institute +1977-78 Head coach, Linsly Institute +1976-77 Junior varsity coach, Linsly Institute +1975-76 Freshman coach, Linsly Institute +1973-74 Freshman coach, Linsly Institute +1972-73 Freshman coach, Linsly Institute +1971-72 Freshman coach, Linsly Institute +Games +Metaverse +Characters +> +Mr. Tofu +The Lady In The Woods +Earth Kitsune +Forest Kitsune +River Kitsune +Storm Kitsune +Wind Kitsune +Lightning Kitsune +Locales +> +The Wooded Strath +Kitsune's Wilderness Realm +Kitsune's Tempest Realm +Lore +> +Kitsune +Magatama Jewels +Elemental Orbs +Soulgem +Foxfire +Umi's Treasure Map +Tengu +Kappa +About +Code of Conduct +Presskits +alchemedium +A Tofu Tail +A Tofu Tail - PAX East 2016 - Postmortem +5/17/2016 +TL;DR - Our Major Takeaways +Contact the press as early as possible +Prep your contact emails much earlier than the moment you get a press list or do a social media search +Consider the psychology of queues +Always have someone playing the game at your booth, even if it is you/your team +Initiate interactions +Don’t wait for people to approach you and lose potential players; engage in conversation and be assertive, while being respectful to people’s comfort level +Promote minimal effort +Make it stupidly simple for players to sign up for your mailing lists and follow your online presence +Remember: not all devices are the same +Have a working show build, with backups, available for the devices you will be running it on during the show. Re-test everything when you put a ‘working’ build on that new device +Have a streamlined show demo build +Within 5 minutes, a player should have played most of the demo, have a solid idea of the core and interesting game mechanics, and be able to get there while experiencing good game balance +What is the PAX East Indie Showcase? +The +Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) +, as a customer facing games industry convention, is focused on bringing the tabletop and video game industry’s trade show experience to the players. +The +PAX East Indie Showcase (PEIS) +is a little bit less known at the show – it is a PAX selection of six indie games on mobile platforms invited to showcase on an individual table in a collective 30’x30′ area on the show floor. +The games selected this year were: +A Tofu Tail +–by alchemedium (that’s us!) +Antihero +–by Tim Conkling +Open Bar +–by Gingear Studio +Shadow Bug +–by Muro Studios +Thumb Drift +–by SMG Studio +Unmatch +–by Andrew J. Adams +P.S. you should check some of these other games out, they are pretty cool! +Who are we? And what is A Tofu Tail? +Our development studio, +alchemedium +, is a small team of indie developers located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We’ve been working on our first game outside of our day jobs, using it mainly to learn the ropes of game production, distribution, etc. +Our game, +A Tofu Tail +, is a story-focused puzzle game about a man turned into a tofu cube by a deceptive fox-spirit, the +Kitsune +. +Showcase Layout and Gameplay Video +The booth space layout was pretty basic, but tried to keep it themed, visible, and simple. +PAX provided a monitor that we used to loop video of key gameplay, dialogue, boss levels, and stages not shown in the show demo build. We decided against displaying active gameplay from players mainly because, if no one is playing at the moment, nothing is happening on the screen used to pull people in. +HD resolution gameplay was recorded straight from a +NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti +video card using +ShadowPlay +, so that we could show crisp footage on a larger HD monitor. We cut, cleaned, and polished this recording, then threw in smoother transitions and an +A Tofu Tail +logo. The finished video was rather solid. Hooray for free software! +Previous attempts at capturing interest and viewer understanding have been less than fruitful… This video didn’t teach players enough about the puzzle mechanics for them to have basic understanding of what was going on before moving on to the next thing. The content of this new video was designed with our previous failings in mind: to show key levels with a focus on conveying enough transparency to the viewers for them to pick up the mechanics just by watching. +Mailing List and Social Presence +At past shows like +MAGFest +and +BostonFIG +, we had used a digital mailing list via the +MailChimp Subscribe app +on +Android +tablets. With this approach, we would see some people subscribe, but it was a lot less effective than the physical lists we brought to +PAX East +. This time, we put a physical clipboard with mailing list forms next to each tablet running the game, within hands reach, and a custom “sign up here” sign in a +8.5 x 11 Slanted Sign Holder +($8). +The physical list, in addition to our verbal mentions, resulted in over six pages of sign ups, tripling our existing mailing list that we had been maintaining for two previous shows and web site form subscribers. +In addition to contacting the gaming press and news sites WAY too late, we had an issue with poor social media presence and following. While our mailing list grew a good bit, our social media growth never picked up. Given this is where our main source of game dev and lore content is posted, we need to improve here greatly. +Platforms +A Tofu Tail +was primarily designed with a desktop and console focus, mainly due to our comfort with those markets; however, we knew that we wanted to push to mobile devices as well and had kept that in mind throughout the course of the game’s design and development. Up to this point, +A Tofu Tail +had only been deployed on our personal Android tablets, so we needed to account for having several tablets available for people to use during the show. +Acquiring two refurbished +ASUS Transformer Pad +Android tablets ($140/ea) and a refurbished +Windows 10 Acer One 2-in-1 +($110) for use at the show, while the specs were not top notch, served a ‘many birds, one stone’ purpose: +Owning lower spec machines for testing and future support +Figuring out support for Windows 10 touch input, 2-in-1s +Minimizing potential monetary loss from damage, theft, etc +We also purchased a few +Anker Multi-Angle Aluminum Stand for Tablets +($11) that worked out amazingly well in propping the tablets to a comfortable angle without falling over. They even collapse for nice and compact storage! +Logistics and Setup +Our +retractable 33″x80″ banner and stand +($123) had the game name as high above peoples’ heads as possible in our space (we previously learned the hard way to keep this visible). We had the standard swag +1″ pinback buttons +($0.20/ea; 100 ct), along with the +multipurpose bookmarks +($0.09/ea; 1000 ct) reminding people of the game and where to find it. +Not only were they themed for our folktale style aesthetic, but they had a better chance of being used and not tossed aside after the show. +Because the airline staff will visibly and unashamedly toss these around without care for damage to your stuff, we kept the shipping boxes in which the tablets were originally shipped for use in transporting them in a nice and sturdy +Northstar Sports 16″x40″ Duffle Bag +($28), and all our other materials to the event via checked bag ($25 each way). +Show Demo Build +We have been maintaining a quick toggle with preprocessor directives to compile a “Show Floor Demo” version when needed. With this we are able to quickly compile a version of the game, specific to conventions where it will be shown to the public, and use the most current (and stable) features and puzzles in the game. +Creating these show-specific builds has allowed us to: +Keep player interest over a smaller play session of 5-15 minutes +Show a smaller, more focused subset of puzzles in a shorter time frame +Have a better chance of keeping players playing “just one more puzzle” +Let the code handle the flow of pulling players, engaging them, providing call-to-action and resetting the demo at play session end +The smaller subset of puzzles included: stages to teach each new puzzle mechanic without having to explicitly explain them, stages to improve on what was learned thus far, as well as some slightly more challenging levels (omitting many of the more difficult puzzles). This lines up with our full set of levels, but progresses at a faster pace, moving players through the experience to catch as much as they can in the limited play time. We also removed the more involved dialogue, world map navigation, and ‘boss’ stages to shorten the play time (showing those aspects in the looping video). +Another show-specific consideration is the automated management of the player’s play session. Upon completion of the final stage of the show demo, a “thanks for playing” splash screen displays, showing the player that the demo is over, and showing a call-to-action directing them to our landing page to pre-order the game; this would also loop back to the first puzzle. +A few other nice features we had planned (but not all implemented): +An +attract mode +that would show gameplay when no one was interacting +A manual quick soft reset option to instantly start a new player at the demo beginning +Leaving to the menu plays “thanks for playing” splash and resets to first demo stage +A hands-free demo reset after 90 seconds of inactivity (given first input is entered) and a 10-second faded screen telling the player of the impending reset +Issues and Oversights in the Show Build +With all the planning to have a stable build available at least a week prior to traveling to +PAX East +, we still ended up having a buggy build for the show! We’ve been keeping stable builds for a while now for this purpose, but silly us, we thought this build would work on ALL tablets, not just newer ones… Ah, naivety… +We had a few nasty visual bugs on two of the tablets due to GPU processing issues – luckily in brief spurts of background art or in late demo stages. No one seemed to notice during puzzle solving – and no one seemed to mention it – so maybe it went largely unnoticed? It was still painful to watch… It hurts that pride bone… +Noted. +Attendee Interaction +We tried to have a more streamlined system for attendee interaction through the three team members that were able to exhibit at this show. Keeping the environment comfortable for everyone was important to us, while still pushing +A Tofu Tail +and trying to make it stick in their mind (or hands/inbox) later. +We had a loose strategy of having at least one person to greet and pull people into game sessions, and at least one person to engage people in friendly conversation or talk in depth to those that have questions. Essentially someone to funnel people into interactions and someone to interact directly either before or after a play session to attempt to create a good experience for them. When a player would finish their play session, we would briefly mention the mailing list and free, branded stuff in the closing pitch – sans obligation. +There were also people that would stop and look for a bit and wouldn’t start playing, even though there were a couple openings – asking “wanna give it a try?” showed them they could, and a majority of these observers would sit down to play. Though, there were a couple of individuals that responded that they were just looking; here we just politely said thanks and let them engage if they wanted +Psychology of Lines +I’ve often heard about the psychology of lines with people at trade shows and shops, but at +PAX +, it was really apparent. If no one was in the booth, people would gaze over at the video, see a few seconds of it, and then continue walking by. However, if we were standing around the front perimeter or playing ourselves, more people would stop and watch or sit down to play. +Cost Breakdown +Was It Worth It? +People we met and the reactions we got were a MASSIVE boost in motivation and excitement to finish the project. Recently, falling into the mid-project doldrums and working on all those hard problems that “we will get to later” has been very draining. Given the reduced costs and exposure, we believe it was well worth it. Obviously we can do better in the future, but for now, we are satisfied! +Without the free space and monitor provided by the PAX team, we personally would not have been able to justify the costs of showing at this event. From what I understand, the standard booth cost (at minimum, without extras) would be ~$1,700 for a basic 10’x10′ space on the show floor. +With the price of entry for this kind of event, it is likely only worth the money if you spend time to prep your presentation of the booth space and game itself. This is not the environment to perform rough and early playtesting/prototyping. And don’t pass up the opportunities to reach out for press coverage, increase your mailing list, and leave people with a lasting impression or takeaway of your game. +Did our advice or experiences help you with your event planning? +Was there anything you think we could have done better? +Let us know in the comments below! +Archives +May 2016 +Categories +All +A Tofu Tail +PAX East +Postmortem +RSS Feed +Games +Metaverse +Presskits +About +Careers +Follow @alchemedium +BigRedKitty: Defaming character since January, 2007 +Daniel Howell contributes BigRedKitty, a column with strategies, tips and tricks for and about the Hunter class, sprinkled with a healthy dose of completely improper, sometimes libelous, personal commentary. +We were much too busy "earning a paycheck" and "keeping Mrs BRK in a manner in which she demands" to attend Blizzcon. But that doesn't mean we're incapable of scoring a major, one-on-one interview with an important someone at Blizzard. +When one talks with a person who controls the fantasies and desires of eleven million people, one would expect that person to have a slightly elevated ego, and perhaps a bit of pride at all he's accomplished. This was hardly the case. For most of the interview, our subject mumbled incoherent phrases like: +"... 1800+ in 3v3 and he wants more cowbell..." +"... I told him, I'm a Shaman, not a doctor..." +"... and you will know my name is the Lord, when I strike down my Warglaive upon thee..." +Yes, it wasn't very Larry King-esque, that's for dang sure. +The unedited, surreal, and sometimes hair-raising conversation follows forthwith. +BRK: "Thank you for agreeing to sit down with us and discuss some issues particularly relevant to the hunter community." +Ghostcrawler: "You're most welcome. But let's keep it quick, we've got some major warrior buffs to work on back at the lab." +BRK: "More warrior buffs? Titan's Grip wasn't enough?" +Ghostcrawler: "Not even close. Now we're giving them three-handed weapons." +BRK: "Three..." +Ghostcrawler: "Well, warriors can now dual-wield two-handed weapons, so next is obviously the ability to use both hands to utilize a three-handed weapon." +BRK: "OK, that makes sense in a mathematical world. But speaking from a strictly biological perspective, who out there has three hands, thus even necessitating the manufacturing of three-handed weapons?" +Ghostcrawler: "Well, that's patch 3.1 where rogues, who weren't really completely overwhelming in the first four seasons of arenas, are all going to get a third arm..." +BRK: "You know, it's concepts like this that make us want to play outside more." +Ghostcrawler: "NO! Air is toxic! Sunlight is the devil! Stay indoors where it's safe. LCDs promote healthy skin, you know." +BRK: "Fine. Give us hunters a reason to stay inside then." +Ghostcrawler: "Can do. For many years, hunters have called for the ability to tame Druids..." +BRK: "TAMING DRUIDS! I WANNA HAVE YOUR BABY!" +Ghostcrawler: "Well, um... hold on. You're not going to be able to tame Druids. We'd lose one eighth of our income, and I've got an Audi R8 that needs gas every weekend." +BRK: "Payday, foshizzle. We understand. But if we can't have Druid-pets, you'd better have something that's really nice." +Ghostcrawler: "Pet stealing." +BRK: "Pet stealing?" +Ghostcrawler: "Yes! Let's say, you meet a hunter who has a Spirit Beast..." +BRK: "WE HATE HIM AND HIS STUPID SPIRIT BEAST!" +Ghostcrawler: "We're introducing a new hunter spell, Grand Theft Hunter-Pet!" +BRK: "Grand. Theft. Hunter-Pet." +Ghostcrawler: "What you do is find a hunter who's pet you really want. Then, cast Grand Theft Hunter-Pet and use a very high-level food to tempt that pet to run away from his current master and sit by your side! The higher the level the food, the greater the chance there is you'll successfully steal that hunter's pet!" +BRK: "That's so sick and twisted, we're appalled beyond measure." +Ghostcrawler: "The longer a hunter has had a pet, the less chance a theft will be successful against them. But hunters will have to beware going AFK in major cities, as hunters who want that AFK-pet can just cast Grand Theft Hunter-Pet over and over again, until they're eventually successful." +BRK: "Wait, wait, wait. Dear Elune you're corrupting us! What about... what about a pet tracker thingie so we can see where our stolen pet has gone, and then we can try to retrieve him?" +Ghostcrawler: "Yup yup! Engineers can make a Venture Company LoJack Device that a hunter can imprint with their pet's name, and it will track the imprinted pet anywhere. Of course, as with all goblin devices, sometimes it'll lead you to a twisted and disturbing death. Which we record in-house and sell on underground DVDs." +BRK: "To be expected." +Ghostcrawler: "Of course." +BRK: "Now what about hunters in arenas. We've been a mess in there since they first arrived. A solution has to be found, doesn't it?" +Ghostcrawler: "And we have one. Hunters will no longer participate in arenas." +BRK: "HEY!" +Ghostcrawler: "We can't do anything about the line-of-site issues, in fact we're making more of them. WotLK has arenas that are basically those giant hamster-tunnel climbing-parks at McDonald's. Can't shoot {bleep} in those, and we just couldn't dump the concept. So hunters are done in arenas. All eight successful arena hunters have quit in protest, but we've seen an extra 242,000 subscribers since we floated the idea in the last alpha of 3.2. It's a done deal. Just think of it as more time for you hunters to lose in WSG." +BRK: "This interview has become a huge letdown." +Ghostcrawler: "I feel ya, bro. When I create a level 80 hunter on my private server, and I get my butt handed to me by my niece's level 75 warlock wearing Auction House greenies, I get so mad, I hack the server and equip myself in purple and orange gear until I can beat her down without breaking a sweat. Makes me feel good to see her run back to her mommy, crying like the little dress-wearer she is." +BRK: "She's a little girl! Of course she's wearing a dress!" +Ghostcrawler: "Squishie is as squishy does. Bring it hard or don't bring it at all. I don't care that she's seven." +BRK: "You're a sadistic, uncaring, unrepentant b@stard!" +Ghostcrawler: "Yes, my main is a ret pally. So what?" +BRK: "Are you going to put more Spirit Beasts in the game to make up for your multitude of sins?" +Ghostcrawler: "Even better. We're putting a special page on our website where you can pay for any pet you want." +BRK: "Pay?" +Ghostcrawler: "Yes! You're about to give us money to modify your character's face, so the idea to purchase hunter-pets is just natural economic evolution. Just send us $5 US and we'll give you a pretty Spirit Beast in an hour. Any other special, unique, or rare pet you want, just $5." +BRK: "No no no! We don't want paid-for pets. We want a reasonable expectation that an entire class of hunter-pet won't consist of a single animal, who's a rare spawn, and has a d@mn bounty on his head for having an Achievement to kill it!" +Ghostcrawler: "I can look into that, for a simple $5 fee..." +BRK: "NO!" +Ghostcrawler: "Our time's almost up. Any other questions?" +BRK: "One. Hunters perform terribly in arenas, due to the mechanics of the encounters and the liabilities of our class. If there is a 25-person raid, and sitting on the sideline is a hunter and a member of some other class, the hunter will always lose the invitation to go. Hunters are the most easily identifiable as being terrible players, i.e. the epitaph Huntard, whacking away with a melee weapon while not using their pet efficiently. +"How are you going reconcile the diametrically opposing ideas that "Hunters are the easiest class to play" with "Hunters are always terrible." Shouldn't it be obvious that the hunter class is hard, that pet-micromanagement isn't easy, and that Blizzard royally honks-up would-be hunters right from the beginning by enforcing the idea that melee is the way a hunter works, and then at level ten, randomly introducing the concept of a pet, with no instruction manual at all?!" +Ghostcrawler: "What was that? Sorry, I was reading a text message from the boss about giving rogues in-combat, self-rez capability. That sounds underpowered, gotta work on that." +Editor's Note: Just in case you're humor-impaired, this seems to be a fictional interview. We say it "seems" fictional because we can't find any notes or even traces of it -- it appears to be a product of BRK's pet talent-addled imagination. Also, Ghostcrawler is a girl. Wait, what? +Filed under: Hunter, Humor, (Hunter) Big Red Kitty +Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4) +Kassius Oct 15th 2008 9:08AM +"All eight successful arena hunters have quit in protest" +I rofled good +nice article i guess, you could have onioned it more though +Zghuk Oct 16th 2008 12:37AM +this interview of brk must be a fake. +i cannot imagine that one blizzard employee has said that they surrender the hunter class in arena. +Kyrren Oct 16th 2008 9:12AM +Zghuk, I'm pretty sure satire just crit you for a billion. Go sit down until your head stops swimming and that ringing leaves your ears. +And here I thought the article was heavy-handed... +NoTomorrow Oct 15th 2008 9:09AM +yay! 3handed weps for us warriors! +JJ Oct 15th 2008 9:11AM +Sides hurting from laughing. +Xannder Oct 15th 2008 9:12AM +BRK delivers as always. Fun read. +madie Oct 15th 2008 9:12AM +.....lol +infusion Oct 15th 2008 9:16AM +this is pure PWNAGE! this is genious!!!!! :D +amazing i loled so damm hard! :P +Hamad2 Oct 15th 2008 9:14AM +Is this rly what Ghostcrawler said .. ??!! +cause it's "so much" Not sound like him !? +DaveThePain Oct 15th 2008 9:15AM +U so crazy, me likes it ;-) +yazah Oct 15th 2008 9:14AM +I assume this fits the "sprinkled with a healthy dose of completely improper, sometimes libelous, personal commentary" part of the column's description. +Funny though, and sure to get some hunters riled up thinking it is true. +Tes Oct 15th 2008 9:15AM +Hehe, that cheered me up :D +Damn EU realms... +uberdose Oct 15th 2008 9:17AM +:( +Funny interview, but the responses to the arena problem are sad ... +Manatank Oct 15th 2008 12:16PM +Your lack of understanding is sad. +Twotoe Oct 15th 2008 9:19AM +i laughed...... and cried +Traz Oct 15th 2008 9:18AM +"surreal, and sometimes hair-raising" +You weren't kidding! +Dez Oct 15th 2008 9:23AM +Sorry what was that? I was reading a text message about giving rogues in-cbt SELF REZ LOLOLOL. +No really, gief self rez. +Redem Oct 15th 2008 9:53AM +NO! My beautiful kitty! No one can take him from me! +Q.Q +tatarynowicz Oct 26th 2008 8:00AM +I think you meant "my beautiful pussy". +wes Oct 15th 2008 9:21AM +lol...tame a druid +. 29 Sept. 2014 +Reliable Instruments for an Unreliable World +Introduction +I’m always smiling when the longest section of our newsletter is Instruments in Action. There’s nothing I love more than learning about how our customers are using our instruments. And, I have to admit, I found special joy in TERC’s approach of using crowd-funding for their project to improve the health of Lake Tahoe. If movie-makers can do it, why can’t scientists? On a non-water related note, read the last article of this newsletter for a fun story about recent tenants in our building. +Thanks to all our customers for keeping us in the loop on how your projects are progressing. +Best Regards, +Pam Mayerfeld +VP of Marketing & Sales +NEW PRODUCTS +Red Excitation Chlorophyll Sensor ideal for environments rich in Organic Materials +Turner Designs recently developed an +in vivo +chlorophyll sensor that uses a red excitation light source to elicit a fluorescence response from algae. This sensor is ideal for environments rich in +Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) +and +blue-green algae +. DOM has long been known to interfere with blue excitation fluorometry, minimizing accuracy of chlorophyll concentration and algal abundance estimates because DOM absorbs at similar blue wavelengths as algae. +>> +INSTRUMENTS IN ACTION +The Nearshore Network - Instrumenting Lake Tahoe? +>> +Liquid Robotics and Turner Designs: Real-time oil seep surveillance in the Gulf of Mexico +In the Gulf of Mexico’s Mississippi Canyon, you’ll find undersea salt domes and mud volcanoes, known sources of natural oil seeps that rise to the surface of the ocean, producing oil slicks. These natural seeps can indicate the presence of energy reserves, both liquid and gas, and are of keen interest to the world’s oil and gas companies. Hydrocarbons that rise to the surface form very thin oil patches and surface slicks that are short lived. Traditionally, satellites along with ship-borne sampling have been used for hydrocarbon detection, but these methods are expensive and have limited ability to capture real-time events. The challenge: how to continuously monitor for these time-sensitive oil seeps in deep waters? +>> +Lamar Academy Students use Cyclops-7 Sensors for Summer Studies +Turner Designs partnered with students from McAllen Independent School District’s International Baccalaureate Program (IB) at Lamar Academy during the summer of 2014. These students participated in an annual Marine Ecology Camp through the IB school and The University of Texas - Pan American in Edinburg, Texas. This year, in addition to their work on seagrass physiology, mangrove production, leaf fall, and decomposition dynamics, these students used chlorophyll, phycocyanin, and tryptophan +Cyclops-7 submersible sensors +to assess the water quality of the Arroyo Colorado, one of the most human-impacted streams in the State of Texas. The Arroyo Colorado discharges into the waters of the Lower Laguna Madre, renowned for its abundant seagrass communities and commercial fishing. The biota of the Laguna Madre are sensitive to poor water quality and human waste discharge. +>> +Delaware River Dye Study. +>> +NEW ACCESSORIES +DataBank Datalogger with C-sense pCO2 sensor +Turner Designs is pleased to offer our customers an option for logging data from our new +C-sense pCO2 sensor +using our +DataBank Dataloggers +. Modifications to DataBank firmware were necessary to account for the longer C-sense warm-up time. Now optimized for C-sense, the DataBank is an economical and convenient way to log data. Whether you need discreet or continuous measurements, the Handheld DataBank and DataBank Station are attractive solutions. +>>View Quick Start Guide +High Capacity Submersible Battery for ICAM, C3, and C6 +Our new High Capacity Submersible Battery Pack (P/N 3200-600) was developed for use with ICAM (Integrating Cavity Absorption Meter). With 6600 mAH capacity, it will provide steady reliable power to the ICAM for internal datalogging and self-contained deployments. Turner Designs is always striving to provide customers as much flexibility as possible; therefore we designed the High Capacity Submersible Battery Pack to also be used with our C6 Multi-Sensor Platform or C3 Submersible Fluorometer to increase the duration of long term deployments . It has a 600m depth rating that facilitates vertical profiling as well as moored applications. The High Capacity Submersible Battery Pack includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, battery pack charger and battery interface cable. +>>View Instructions +New Custom Deep UV Modules for the Trilogy +Advancements in LED technology are enabling Turner Designs to offer a new class of Deep UV Modules for the +Trilogy Laboratory Fluorometer +-- excitation wavelengths are now available as low as 270nm. We have designed several custom Deep UV modules for specific customer applications. These new modules can greatly enhance research in areas such as tyrosine / tryptophan-like fDOM or specific refined fuels. Please +TECH CORNER +Integrating your C3/C6 to a Campbell Scientific CR1000 Datalogger +We often get requests about integrating our +C3 Submersible Sensor +and +C6 Multi-Sensor Platform +with Campbell Scientific CR1000 Dataloggers. With cooperation from Campbell, we implemented the integration which is now detailed in Appendix G of the user manuals. +>>View C3 user manual +>> View C6 user manual +If you have any questions about the procedure please +Integrating your C-sense pCO2 sensor to a Campbell Scientific CR1000 Datalogger +With the introduction of our +C-sense +in-situ +pCO2 sensor +, we received numerous inquiries about integration with various dataloggers, one of the most popular being the Campbell Scientific CR1000. In response to this, we implemented this integration and created a +document outlining the procedure +. Because C-sense operation is relatively simple, supplying a 0-5 V analog output signal proportional to pCO2 concentration, the integration is straightforward. The CR1000 handles this type of generic output while also supplying power to the C-sense. +If you have any questions about the procedure please +Integrating your C-sense pCO2 sensor to a SeaBird Electronics SBE19 SeaCAT CTD +Several customers expressed interested in integrating our +C-sense sensor +into SeaBird Electronics’ CTDs, one of the most popular being the SBE19 SeaCAT. In order to provide customer support, we performed this integration and now have a +document outlining the procedure +. +A word of caution: Before integrating the C-sense to the SBE19 it is imperative that you understand the dependencies between the powering of the instrument and the equilibration time. If you have any questions about the integration of these two products, please +Shade cap recommendation for Cyclops-7s and C3/C6 Submersible Instruments +If you ever sat by the side of the pool and watched the patterns of light play on the bottom, then you have seen the effect which ambient light can have on optical instruments. Turner Designs instruments are optical sensors that can be influenced by extraneous light. In the case of +Cyclops-7 +, +C3 +and +C6 +Submersible Sensors, light from shallow and near surface sampling can impact readings. For all these instruments we recommend the use of a shade cap. The shade cap provides a fixed distance for sample measurement and minimizes the effects of ambient light. The shade cap also offers protection for the optics preventing damage during deployment, recovery, or transporting the instrument. +Additionally, the shade cap can be used for calibrating instruments. It acts as an optical backstop for the sensor and requires a smaller volume standard when compared to the alternative. This accessory is recommended for obtaining accurate and reliable data with minimal ambient interference. Links to the shade cap instructions and information are below: +C3 Shade Cap Instructions +C6 Shade Cap Instructions +Cyclops-6K Shade Cap Instructions +Plastic Cyclops-7 Shade Cap Instructions +Cyclops-7 Shade Cap Instructions +DONATION PROGRAMS +Two Tryptophan Cyclops-7 Sensors awarded via the Turner Designs Donation Program +Earlier this year we revamped our donation program to allow more customers with budgetary constraints to use our instruments for their research. The current donation being awarded is for our tryptophan Cyclops-7 Submersible Sensor. We recently awarded donations to Julian Fairey of the University of Arkansas and Jason Marion of Eastern Kentucky University. To learn more about how they will be using the instruments please +visit our website +. Congratulations to the awardees. Applications for our donation opportunities are always welcome. Please +visit our website +for more details. +GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS +Front & Center in ECO Magazine +ICAM +was featured in the June, 2014 issue of ECO magazine in an article written by Lawrence Younan, Turner Designs’ Applications Scientist ( +view article +). +Response to the ICAM from beta users has been positive. We’re particularly excited to share new data showing the minimal effect of scattering on ICAM absorption measurements. For this reason alone, the ICAM represents a superior method of measuring absorption. +New tenants at Turner Designs +Last July, one of our conference rooms was literally buzzing with activity. We pulled the blinds aside and found dozens of bees inside the window. Not wanting to disturb them, we closed the door and called Bee Removal, an environmentally-safe live bee removal company. Their theory was that bees had taken residence in our walls. They asked us to run our hand down the walls and tell them if we felt anything. Sure enough, there was an area of the wall that was incredibly warm. That was the clue they were looking for – bees were building a hive in our wall. They came out the next day to do a live removal of all bees, honey and hive. Dressed in full protection gear, they carefully vacuumed out the queen and waited for all the other bees to follow her into their box. +Several hours later the box was taken away to a safe environment. Bee Friendly rents the bees out to farmers for pollination purposes. Our building is once again bee-free and we are in awe of how carefully the bee keepers worked to protect the bees. +Tradeshows we’re attending +Oceans MTS/IEEE - +website +St. John's, Canada +Booth# 55 +September 16-19, 2014 +Ballast Water Management Technology Conference North America - +website +Miami, FL +September 25-26, 2014 +Prevention First (California State Lands Commission) - +website +Long Beach, CA USA +Booth# 27 +October 7-8, 2014 +Ocean Optics - +website +Portland, ME USA +Booth# 1 +October 26-31, 2014 +AWT Annual Convention & Exposition - +website +Ft. Worth, TX USA +Booth# 143 +October 29 - November 1, 2014 +NALMS International Symposium - +website +Tampa, FL USA +Booth# 400 +November 12-14, 2014 +AGU Fall 2014 Meeting - +website +San Francisco, CA USA +Booth# 2045 +December 15-19, +>> use it that way? Do you think that people have always used the term that way? Once you’ve got a definition of cause firmly in your mind, see how it compares to Aristotle’s definitions below. +A theory of causation is foundational both to a philosophical system and to the way we understand occurrences in our everyday life. Aristotle accounts for 4 types of causes; formal cause, material cause, efficient cause, and final cause. When we speak of causes today, it seems that we mean something like what Aristotle means by efficient cause. Aristotle’s 4 causes might be better understood as 4 types of answers to the question “Why?”[1] +The material cause is what a thing is made of. Moses’ staff is made of wood. The formal cause is the shape it takes. Moses’ staff is generally a tall cylindrical staff, it also took on the form of a snake in Exodus. The efficient cause is the source of the change. Moses’ staff stands straight up because Moses is holding it that way. It turns into a snake because God made it do so. The final cause is the purpose. Moses’ staff is to aid him in walking, parting seas, and, possibly, as a weapon. +Before diving into the Clark material, think for a minute about the final cause. The final cause happens after the effect. I put the quarter in the gumball machine for the purpose of eventually getting a gumball, but I do not receive my gumball until after I put the quarter into the machine. You might wonder if the final cause should be considered a cause at all. But, before you dispense with the final cause, think about whether or not I would have gotten a gumball without that purpose; i.e. the final cause. Purposes certainly seem effective, yet, most of your atheist chums, and your Christians for that matter, don’t think that something as abstract as a purpose could actually cause atoms and gumballs to move. If, however, a final cause for all things is admitted, then who purposes the rain to fall when it does?. (Job 38:25-30) +Well, the atheist would say nobody has purposed those things, but if some things are caused by a purpose, it is intuitive to keep purpose as a viable option for other things. But this is just 1 of the 4 causes. Clark makes an interesting point about the interrelation of the other causes. +Upon reflection it will be seen that the formal, efficient, and final causes are the same. The formal cause of the statue was Zeus [the form of Zeus]; the efficient cause was said to be the sculptor, but, more exactly, it is the form of Zeus in the sculptor’s mind; and the final cause or aim of his activity is also the form of Zeus. The same may be said of exercise, too: for the end is health, and health is the form of man. Therefore, in a sense there are but two causes or two parts to the explanation of anything: form and matter. For an understanding of Aristotelianism these two causes and the relation between them must be studied with care, and the first point will be the significance of form as final cause. In this regard there was an omission in the chapter on Plato which must now be filled in, and a reference to Democritus is needed for contrast. +Clark makes an interesting move here by pointing out that Aristotle’s 4 causes are essentially two causes; formal cause and material cause. I am, personally, not yet far enough into the Aristotelian literature to know whether or not Aristotle would agree with Clark here, but I would not be surprised if he would. I think he should. The identification of formal cause with purpose naturally flows into a discussion of teleology; purpose in the world. Note the difference between the determinism of the mechanical theory and the purpose-driven nature of the teleological or formal theory. +In the Phaedo, Socrates complained that Anaxagoras had promised but had failed to offer a teleological explanation of nature; and of course Democritus did not even promise: On the contrary, he insisted on a strictly mechanical analysis of all phenomena. Qualities such as hot and cold were defined by the geometrical shape and arrangement of atoms; class concepts such as plant and man would receive definitions similar in character; and natural events such as weather, nutrition, sensation, and so on would be explained in terms of mechanics alone. Nature exhibits no purpose, and if men have purposes, there are merely more complicated mechanisms. +For Plato this was unsatisfactory. If reality were entirely physical, perhaps mechanism would be acceptable if it could escape sophistic skepticism; but if Ideas constitute reality, not only is mechanism out of place, but a much better possibility is provided. Mechanism does not explain Socrates’ sitting in jail conversing with his friends; purpose does. Similarly, weather, sensation, and all class concepts must be understood teleologically. The Ideas are purposes: Purposes are what we know when we know anything. Suppose the latest model automobile has a new gadget, and we ask what it is. If the salesman or engineer should give us its mechanical description down to the fraction of an inch, should reproduce its blueprint in words, should enumerate its wheels, ball bearings, electrical circuit, or whatever else it might have, we would still not know what the gadget is. But if he should tell us that it is a new windshield wiper, a better timer, or a stronger shock absorber, we would be satisfied. We would know it when we know its purpose. What is it? It is its purpose. The purpose defines it. The Idea is the purpose. +Aristotle’s forms, like Plato’s Ideas, are purposes, and all science is teleological. Take rain, for instance. Democritus would have said that warm moist air must of necessity rise – a strictly mechanical action; that when it cools in the upper air, it must condense and fall as rain. If it rains on a wheat field, the wheat grows by mechanical necessity; but the rain does not fall for the purpose of producing wheat. Sometimes rain falls on a threshing floor, and the wheat there is spoiled. No one would say that the rain fell for the purpose of spoiling the crop; it is just a matter of mechanical necessity. Similarly, men and animals have teeth through a natural process of growth; and having teeth men and animals chew; but the teeth did not grow for the purpose of allowing men to chew. Or, the teleological view can be ridiculed as Voltaire did by suggesting that noses were made for the purpose of holding spectacles. +Now the age-old argument between mechanism and teleology has been stated. The mechanists do not admit purpose. Rain doesn’t fall so that crops can grow, it falls because of mechanical necessity. However, for Aristotle, purpose is a cause. +Yet, says Aristotle, it is impossible that the mechanistic theory should be true. Why it is impossible involves a theory of nature in which form is the dominant factor. Mechanists, insisting on the necessity and inviolability of mathematical law, deny the popular opinion that some things happen by chance. But Aristotle, more closely in accord with actual observation, distinguishes between those natural processes, such as the revolution of the stars, which occur always in the same manner, and others, equally natural, such as the growth of a plant, which are regular or usual, but not strictly invariable. In these latter processes, exceptions or irregularities occur, such as mutations in plants or freaks of nature like a two-headed calf. In matters of human deliberation all the more there are irregularities, some of which are lucky, as the case of the man who went to the marketplace and accidentally found a debtor who paid him off. Irregularities occur when the normal process does not attain its natural end or when the end arrives without the normal process. Regularity, conversely, is the process actually producing its end. Nature is thus like art: It begins with matter and produces a form. If nature could grow a house, it would proceed on the architectural principles that a builder uses; and if architecture could build a tree, it would parallel the natural stages. +Some of Aristotle’s reasons for choosing teleology over mechanism are coming to the fore. A strict mechanist believes that nothing happens by chance. Aristotle thinks that there are too many exceptions in nature to make this plausible. Sometimes, things seem to happen according to a design plan, as when a builder builds a barn. Without the builder’s purpose or plan, the materials would not take the form of a barn. To make the case stronger, there also seems to be irregular exceptions as when a person plans to make bread yet forgets to put in the yeast and gets unleavened bread. If there is a fluke in the plan, there has to be a plan to begin with. This seems more in accord with common sense, whatever that means. +To return to an earlier example, the rains of spring, since they permit of exceptions, are not to be explained or understood in terms of inviolable mechanism; but since they are regular and are not themselves exceptional, they cannot be chance events; hence they are purposive. In the case of ants and spiders, the evidence of purposive action is too strong to deny; and if teleology be admitted in these cases, it cannot be denied on principle. +Or, take the case of life in general. A physico-chemical explanation of life would probably attempt to reduce it to some form of oxidation, and Aristotle, using ancient terms, asks whether life can be explained in terms of fire. The following reasons imply a negative answer. A fire can be made to take any shape. There are round bonfires. Once, to burn a field of weeds, the writer sprinkled gasoline around its edges, and the fire was for a time a hollow rectangle. Obviously there can be all sorts of shapes. There can also be all sorts of sizes, produced merely by adding more fuel. If the supply holds out, there is no limit to the size the fire may be. But in life there are limits. Even the fat woman in the circus, though she is not shapely, still retains a recognizable human shape. And long before her food supply runs out, she stops growing bigger. The difference between fire and life, therefore, is a form which controls the size and shape of the living being. And unless we understand the processes of nature as teleologically directed, we have missed the main point. Even fire itself is purposive and is directed by a form; but it is a form that controls the direction of its motion rather than its size and shape. And the supreme form overarching all the subsidiary purposes is the Unmoved Mover, the ultimate cause of all change. +The cause/form/purpose of a thing is what it is, and the form/purpose makes the thing what it is. But what comes first, the thing or it’s cause? +Thus, in opposition to mechanism, the cause or explanation of any natural phenomenon is a purpose to be attained in the future rather than an event that has occurred in the past. While the mechanists claim that past events are causes because they necessitate their effects, the facts are otherwise. No past event or condition necessitates anything. So long as there is a distinction between the event called a cause and the event called an effect, so long as these two are separated by an interval of time, it is possible that the effect will not occur. The mechanist might say that eating food is the cause of nourishment and growth. But obviously in the case of seasickness or of death in battle, a good meal immediately prior will not cause the effect. Or, to use Aristotle’s example, if bricks and wood and saws exist, it does not follow that a house must be built. But if a house is to be built, the bricks and wood and tools must of necessity pre-exist. Causality, therefore, works from the future to the present or past; it does not work from the past to the future. The cause occurs after the effect, not before it. This is the characteristic of purposive explanation as opposed to the mechanical theory, now shown to be untenable. +The foregoing account of form, emphasizing the antithesis between teleology and mechanism – a modern as well as an ancient subject of contention – has kept close to matters of scientific interest. At least it has not gone very far across the indistinct boundary between physics and metaphysics. A concluding section on matter might well push on a little farther into the subtle territory beyond. +If cause is identical with a future purpose, then it follows that the cause of an event happens after the effect. One might object that we have forgotten the material cause. The last heading of Clark’s chapter on Aristotle discusses Aristotle’s theory of individuation and shows that matter is an unintelligible concept in Aristotle’s theory. A form/purpose can be known, the matter which is “formed” is unknowable. If one is willing to follow Clark’s argument and dispense with matter, causation is nothing more than purpose. [2] +So, with what are we left? Clark and Aristotle have dealt a knockout blow to mechanistic determinism in favor of teleological causation. Cause is purpose. On a more practical apologetic note, you might someday try to hold your atheist’s feet to the fire here; asking him whether or not purposes can cause events and whether or not causes precede their effects. Undoubtedly, these issues get sticky and complicated and most of the anti-Christians that I talk to would just get mad if I brought this up, but I think there might be a few effective ways to breach the subject with a thinking person. But first, maybe pick up a copy of Thales to Dewey and painstakingly work through the chapter on Aristotle. +[1] Clark’s exposition of Aristotle’s four causes: Starting with the problem of explaining generation, decay, and every kind of physical change, Aristotle works out his theory of the four causes, of which form and matter are the chief. One is not said to know a thing or to be able to explain it until one has grasped the “why” or the cause of it… the being from which anything comes to be is both being and non-being, but in different senses. This that is both being and non-being is matter, and matter is one of the four causes. “That out of which a thing comes to be, and which persists, is called a cause, e.g., the bronze of the statue, the silver of the bowl, and the genera of which the bronze and silver are species.” The bronze exists or is being insofar as it is the substratum of generation; but it is non-being insofar as it is not the statue. On a lower level the earth or metals of which bronze is made are its matter, and in this relation it is their form. And on a still lower level the elements themselves are forms imposed on a prime matter, which, however, is not physically separable. Then by extending the meaning of material cause beyond gross physical objects, it may be said that letters are the matter of syllables, and premises are the matter of conclusions. +The second of the four causes is the form. To continue the first example above, the form would be whatever the statue was, Zeus for example, or a satyr. The other examples, however, show that form is not so much the physical shape of an object, as it is the essence or definition of the object. It is what the object really is. The form of the octave is the ratio of two to one. The form of a tree is the kind of tree it is – a form imposed on its matter. The soul is the form of the organic body. And as on the lowest level there is a prime matter, so on the highest level the unmoved mover is a pure form entirely apart from any matter. Form requires lengthy explanation, but first the other two of the four causes must be listed. +The third cause, called the efficient cause, is the primary source of the change; for example, the father is the cause of the child, the sculptor of the statue. And the fourth is the final cause, final in the sense of being that for the sake of which a thing is done; as health is the cause of physical exercise. Why is he exercising? we may ask; and the answer or explanation by which we understand his activity is that he wants to be healthy. (Thales to Dewey) +[2] All quotes taken from: Gordon H. Clark (2014-10-09T04:00:00+00:00). Thales to Dewey: A History of Philosophy (Kindle Locations 2461-2462). The Trinity Foundation. Kindle Edition. +Take My Cartan–Hadamard Theorem Test Checklist +- Take My Cartan–Hadamard Theorem Test +- Hire Someone To Do Your Cartan–Hadamard Theorem Test +- Pay Someone To Take My Cartan–Hadamard Theorem Test +Do My Cartan–Hadamard Theorem Test +If you need to study for a Cartan–Hadamard Theorem Test, there are many tools out there that you can utilize. However, if you want to find out more about the techniques of mentor, there are likewise numerous resources available. This article takes a look at a few of these resources and their effectiveness. +A single test is typically a fairly detailed sign of what you have attained in school. It can often offer you clues regarding whether you are on the right track or not. This is why it is so crucial to understand how the mathematics test works. Sadly, not all teachers are good at this sort of evaluation, so it is specifically important to guarantee that you get the best help possible. +It is particularly important to study for a Cartan–Hadamard Theorem Test if you understand how certain concerns are structured. Many people find that they have a pretty good concept of what is anticipated of them by the teacher, however the specific details are quite difficult to determine. Getting specific advice on what is anticipated from you by utilizing a guide will help you prepare your best. +The theory of test preparation, particularly for Cartan–Hadamard Theorem, is nothing new. As long as there has been assessments, people have been preparing for them. They are typically used by schools and employers too. In fact, a lot of universities and colleges now need their trainees to take tests. +Typically, independent students will take an exam right before they graduate. This is the time when they are trying to make up any lost ground that they might have made in class. If you are going to take a test right after graduating, ensure that you are prepared well ahead of time. +Before you go to take your Test, you ought to take a look at different sources of details. Start with Google and search for the Test topics you are most thinking about. You must likewise check out publications and books on the based on get a good picture of what the Test resembles. +In order to get ready for your tests, it is a good idea to read lots of material on the topic. This will assist you believe rationally about the issues that you might be provided with. Having knowledge of the test layout is also useful. You must recognize with the design of each section. +Many people are frightened by their examinations. Unfortunately, this is something that affects most students. Even those who feel great are still most likely to have doubts about the test. If you feel that you do not truly comprehend the question, you might want to request for assistance before the start of the assessment. +Selecting the right timing to read the concerns will assist you get to grips with the material. An example of this is a common problem for trainees. They might know the answer to a concern, however they still have problem with other parts of the Test. For this reason, it is typically much better to invest a little time at the start of the evaluation and make sure that you completely understand the concern before proceeding. +To assist you with your Cartan–Hadamard Theorem tests, I have consisted of a quick guide to help you prepare. This is based on reading books on the topic. It is a very be able to pass the test with flying colours. +Finally, you ought to never ever let the Test sidetrack you. Make sure that you take your time to check out the test material completely. Thiswill assist you get the most out of your Test. +Hire Someone To Do Your Cartan–Hadamard Theorem Test +There are a lot of readily available online options when it concerns online math test assistance. You just need to select the one that is most proper for your requirements. +Cartan–Hadamard Theorem test concerns and answers are constantly provided in a particular format. This is various from other standardized tests like Physics, English or Chemistry. The format guarantees that the questions are well arranged and not spread throughout the entire Test. +If you are looking for mathematics test assistance, you can pick from a number of sites which use comprehensive responses and sample concerns. Some websites also give specific directions on how to address the mathematics issues properly. These websites are far more popular than those who provide basic aid. +Good websites also offer in-depth information about the test date, time and place. You can prevent taking a trip fars away to study if you pick a trustworthy site that provides all the details. +Your understanding of the subject is important if you wish to study well in today times and depend on date with present patterns. That is why it is essential to try to find online tips that you can utilize to get the best out of your math test. +You ought to first make sure that you have made the time to take the test. That way, you will be able to respond to the questions at your own pace and you will not need to rush through the entire process. +You ought to likewise prevent studying for the math test by yourself. Rather, go with somebody who can watch on you and be an eye for any confusion that might appear on the test. This person will also be in a position to examine your development so that you will have the ability to improve your score. +It is necessary to think about the quantity of time that you can spare for studying. Whether you are a trainee or a parent, you ought to be very clear on your time and how much aid you can manage. Take a look at what the typical time is before you select which choice is best for you. +Although you might not recognize with the current addition to the subject, it is still suggested to take some time to check out what the conversation subjects are. This is likewise an excellent method to gather more details on the topic prior to you take the test. +People who have actually taken leading tests in the past usually know the main questions to be asked and they have the ability to prepare well for them. Some will even understand the answers to these concerns. +A very important thing to do is use the assistance of the Internet and contrast shop for online alternatives so that you will find the best among the many readily available. These online options can assist you compare the different tests that are offered so that you will not be shocked by the results that you receive from the actual Test. +When you believe you have actually decided on a site that offers the best online options for your math test, you can go on and have a look at the different sort of assistance that are readily available. Understanding the kind of aid that is available can provide you comfort and will help you learn better and faster than ever before. +Hire Someone To Take My Cartan–Hadamard Theorem Test +When you are going to a Math class, you are bound to encounter the need to discover how to best research study for your mathematics test. It is very important that you comprehend that no matter the number of mathematics books you might own, there will constantly be a circumstance when you require to find out Mathematics Test Help. It is better to know how to study for your Cartan–Hadamard Theorem test early than not, and without knowing the specific circumstance, you might end up failing this test or even worse. +You will initially need to know what your Cartan–Hadamard Theorem Evaluate is going to be prior to you can understand how to study for it. Some mathematics classes have a particular evaluation which is one of the requirements for the test to be provided. If this holds true, then you will require to find out if this Test will be covering what you need to cover in your actual test. It will also assist if you find out precisely what concerns you will require to respond to on the Cartan–Hadamard Theorem test prior to you go to the Test. +You will then need to identify the kind of Mathematics Test Help you will need to study for your Cartan–Hadamard Theorem test. There are many different resources that can be used for studying for any Cartan–Hadamard Theorem test. The most common ones include online mathematics practice tests, along with complete practice tests. These resources are useful since they assist you learn whatever, along with what you will require to understand. +Have a look at a few various tests and see which ones you would choose to take for an extensive evaluation of the topic. This is very essential, because it can avoid you from getting a low score on your Cartan–Hadamard Theorem test. It can also help you much better get ready for your real Test. +It is likewise important to choose where you are going to take the Test. This is necessary since it can identify what type of materials you will need to bring with you. For example, you may need flashcards or pencils and paper to assist you with your test. +A lot of tests have questions that ask you to research the proper items on a graph, matrix, or chart. If you do not know how to do this, then it will help to bring a set of reference charts with you so that you can have a concept of what each product is. +You will likewise need to select which type of calculator is going to be right for your Mathematics Evaluate Assistance. Most tests will have a variety of different kinds of calculators readily available to you, and you will need to understand important to figure out what these are before you begin to attempt to find out the remainder of the calculator. +When you are attempting to find out a mathematical concept, it can help to use a calculator in order to get a feel for how it is done. There are great deals of them to select from, and each of them will differ in how simple it is to use. For example, some of them will be hand held, while others are electronic. +Much of the first timers that go into a class may not have much standard math skills. This is why it is best to use a calculator during an exam. Much of these will have different interactive choices which allow you to get a feel for the concept and after that move on to practice the genuine product on the calculator. +Practice utilizing the various tools and general guidelines on the calculator, and then study the issue on the calculator and the formula it produces. This is the best way to get a feel for using a calculator to fix for a number. +Japan is a popular tourist destination in Asia but it’s not yet as popular in Europe or other places around the world. When we said we were planning a trip to Japan for the first time many of our friends wanted to know why. Well, there are many reasons why Japan should be on your bucket list. +As a city-dweller, you will be able to indulge in the impressive cities and you will be able to marvel at the fantastic skylines. They always made an overwhelming impression on us, especially in the evening! +It is also quite an experience to see how the Japanese manage to bring order to huge crowds in the busy train stations. We can learn something from that in Belgium… +Read also: The perfect Kyoto itinerary and what to do in Kyoto at night. +After a while, you will also begin to appreciate Japanese food and the various age-old Japanese traditions. The Japanese manage to pamper themselves a little extra with some small luxury aspects. They really have attention to detail. +Geishas are an excellent example of this. Watching a Geisha performance is a fantastic treat but you don’t need to break the bank to experience the luxury aspects of the Japanese lifestyle. +A kaiseki meal is a feast for both the eyes and the taste-buds and once you’re in Osaka you can indulge in many more finger-licking good Japanese snacks. +We absolutely loved our 3 weeks in Japan and we got to appreciate the friendly Japanese, their superb customer service, their delicious food, and their intriguing culture. +Below are some of the best Japanese experiences that we hope will make you travel to Japan in the near future. +There is a really good chance that this post contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, we may receive a small commission (for which we are deeply grateful) at no extra cost to you. +Read also: Our best tips when you are traveling to Japan for the first time +Watching a sumo wrestling tournament is on the Japan travel bucket list of many travelers. +If you need help with your Japan trip planning, check out this step by step guide on planning your Japan trip. +Go watching sumo wrestling +Suggested by Matilda from The Travel Sisters. +Watching sumo wrestling is a unique and interesting cultural experience that should be high on any Japan travel bucket list. +Sumo wrestling has a long history that dates back to ancient times with many traditions, rituals, and ceremonies including singing, salt-tossing, and foot-stomping (the actual wrestling part of a sumo match is very brief). +One of the best ways to watch sumo is to attend a professional sumo tournament – they take place six times a year (each lasting fifteen days) in four Japanese cities, including Osaka and Tokyo. +Tickets for grand tournaments go on sale at least a month in advance and you can buy them online. +Your ticket allows you to watch sumo for the whole day but most spectators show up in the afternoon in time to see the higher-ranked wrestlers compete. +If you will not be traveling to Japan while there is a professional tournament, some sumo stables (houses where wrestlers train and live together) allow visits to view their morning practice sessions. +For more information on sumo wrestling, check out our guide to watching sumo wrestling in Japan. +Hitsumabushi +Sample delicious Japanese food +Suggested by Lena from Nagoya foodie +On the top of everyone’s Japan bucketlist should be Japanese food. +While I encourage you to try as much different Japanese food as you can while you are in Japan there is one kind of Japanese food I would like to emphasize here: Nagoya Meshi, the local cuisine only found in Nagoya and the surrounding area. +Nagoya Meshi has different delicious dishes based on unique ingredients only found in the area, such as Aka Miso, a kind of Miso paste much darker and richer in flavor because it has been fermented for a very long time. +This Miso is used for dishes such as Miso Katsu and Miso Nikomi Udon, two dishes I highly recommend you try. +Another dish I love is Hitsumabushi, Nagoya-style freshwater eel, grilled and served in a thick and sweet sauce on rice. +Eating Hitsumabushi is divided into 4 servings each with different spices or other kinds of garnishing to change the flavor, which makes this a unique and very interesting foodie experience. +You can find out more about Hitsumabushi and other Nagoya Meshi by reading my Nagoya Food Guide. +Nara deer park +Visit Nara Deer Park +Suggested by Talek Nantes of Travels With Talek +Seeing tame deer wandering around in a park is a unique experience. Usually, these skittish animals do all they can to avoid humans. +In Japan’s Nara Deer Park, there are hundreds of deer strolling, resting and just hanging out. +And they are not shy at all! +The deer of Nara Deer Park will aggressively search for food in your pockets and will follow you around if you feed them. If you buy some cookies to feed them you can see how they will bow for you to ask for food. +Nara can be reached easily from Kyoto or Osaka. This makes for a great day trip. +Nara was once the capital of Japan and has the accompanying cultural history sights that merit such a background. It has beautiful temples, landscaped gardens and one of the world’s largest Buddhas. It also boasts interesting ice cream flavors like sake, seaweed, and peanut. +Nara Deer Park is just a short 10-minute walk from the Nara Train Station which has a great tourist information center with everything you need to get around and enjoy your visit. +Yudanaka Onsen +Spend the night in an Onsen Town +Suggested by Erin from Never Ending Voyage +Soaking in an onsen (hot spring) is a classic Japanese experience and even better is visiting an onsen town. +These small towns, usually in rural settings, feature many different onsen and are popular destinations for the Japanese for relaxing getaways. +The best way to experience an onsen town is to stay overnight in a ryokan (traditional inn) where you sleep on a futon in a tatami mat room and enjoy delicious multi-course meals served in your room. +Your ryokan may have its own onsen and will usually include a pass so you can visit the other onsens in town.. +There are many onsen towns in Japan. +We visited Kinosaki Onsen which is just 2.5 hours by train from Kyoto or Osaka and features seven public onsens. +It’s particularly lovely in early April when the cherry blossoms are in bloom along the pretty canals and it’s still cool enough to appreciate the hot spring baths. +Another charming Onsen town is Yudanaka. In Yudanaka you can also visit the snow monkeys. Check out our 3-week Japan itinerary for an example trip including Yudanaka. +Hakone Shrine +Admire the Hakone Shrine in Hakone +Suggested by Sean from Living out Lau +If you are looking for an unforgettable Japan experience, there is a famous shrine located a little more than an hour away from the bustling city of Tokyo. +Hakone Shrine, located on the edge of Lake Ashi in the city of Hakone, is one of the most serene and tranquil places in all of Japan. +Away from the craziness of the city of Tokyo, this place feels like a haven within all the madness. +Tucked away in a dense forest, the serene path that leads to the shrine is filled with lanterns and high trees. The path is quiet, and it immediately feels like you are in a sacred place. +My recommendation is to come at around sunset to get the magnificent views of the torii gate contrasting with lake Ashi. I assure you that it will be one of the highlights of your Japan trip. +The shrine does get very crowded in the morning and a visit is much more pleasant in the afternoon to early evening. In the morning you can dip in the nearby onsen and you can visit some of the other magnificent sights in this region. +Here you can read more about taking a day trip to Hakone from Tokyo. If you are looking for a day tour, take a look here. +Mori Building Digital Art Museum by teamLab Borderless +Visit teamLab Borderless in Tokyo +Suggested by Kristin from Be my travel muse +The Mori Building Digital Art Museum by teamLab Borderless was one of the highlights of my trip to Tokyo. +Using technology (and, what I believe, magic), artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians, architects, and graphic designers pooled their talent and created more than 50 exhibits with different themes. +The artworks are interactive and constantly changing, one could easily spend hours getting lost in this 10,000 square meters wonderland. +Different from most museums, teamLab Borderless does not give visitors a map, nor are there clear signs in the museum to provide direction. +This allows visitors to wander and explore freely, and even if you do enter the same room more than once, the experience would be different every time. +Some of the most memorable exhibits include the Forest of Resonating Lamps, the most popular exhibit and the only one with a time limit (1 minute) when I visited; the Crystal World, with color-changing light beads hanging down from the ceiling; Flower Forest, which will probably be the first room that you come into. +The walls are filled with (digital) flowers that are blooming, wilting, and sprouting up as you step on and tap on them. +I highly recommend including teamLab Borderless on your list when visiting Tokyo. +Buy your tickets in advance, eat before your visit, and budget plenty of time – I personally spent 4 hours exploring and would have stayed for even longer if I wasn’t so jet-lagged at that time. +Hiroshima Peace Memorial +Wander around Hiroshima Peace Memorial park +Suggested by Kenny from Knycx Journeying +Hiroshima and Nagasaki are truly unique cities as they are the only two cities in the world (sadly) that have experienced a nuclear weapon attack in human history. +The repercussion was devastating. +I visited both cities in Japan and left their respective memorials with a heavy heart. +They very well detail the tremendous price that people paid from wars. It makes you appreciate and treasure what you have so much more. +It took several years but Hiroshima has been completely rebuilt. The locals look at their tragic past positively with goodwill that such a tragedy will never happen again. +The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a huge space (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in the city center and is filled with monuments – the most famous structure in the site is the Atomic Bomb Dome. +It’s an iconic Japanese landmark you shouldn’t miss while you are in Japan. +The building was located in the epicenter of the attack and it was the only structure left standing after the explosion on 6 August 1945. +As you walk through the park you will see the Peace Clock Tower, the Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound, the Children’s Peace Monument, the Rest House, and the Cenotaph of the Atomic Bomb Victims. +The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum showcases historic facts and details about the aftermath of the bombing. +Be warned, some of the pictures and stories could be quite heavy to visitors. +We also have a 2-day Hiroshima itinerary with all the details about Hiroshima and nearby Miyajima +We also have a 2-day Hiroshima itinerary with all the details about Hiroshima and nearby Miyajima +Explore Fushimi Inari Shrine +Suggested by Rachel from Adventure and Sunshine +The orange torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine are an iconic image of Japan and an essential stop on any Japan itinerary. +Located south of Kyoto, the shrine is an easy day trip by train from Kyoto. +The Shinto shrine, one of the largest in Japan, is a busy and engaging place to visit. Have your fortunes read, make a wish and observe the daily rituals of prayer. There are several shrines in the main complex that are worth a visit, and many seasonal festivals and rituals are conducted here. +Starting just behind the main shrine is the walking path that is the highlight of a visit to Kyoto. +The trail winds its way upwards through the forest to the top of Mount Inari, a holy mountain dedicated to Inari, the god of rice. +The path is lined with brightly painted orange tori gates, densely packed at the start and gradually thinning out the higher you climb. +The gates are a spectacular sight and the trail is an interesting and fun walk, with many small shrines along the way to explore. +Inari’s messenger, the fox, is a common statue to see along the route in various symbolic poses. +There are stalls selling brightly painted fox statues which make a great souvenir of your visit. +All up the trail is about 5km long, with several stops, teahouses, and viewing points across to Kyoto along the way. +It can be steep in parts and very busy, so our top tip is to arrive early to avoid the crowds and the heat in summer. +If you love hiking and want to avoid the large tourist groups, this hike might be something for you. With a small group, you will hike through a secret path into Fushimi Inari while learning more about Fushi Inari’s history and Japanese traditional culture. +Here you can find a complete Kyoto itinerary. +Bamboo groves in Arashiyama +Wander around Arashiyama Bamboo Forest +Suggested by Jessica from Unearth The Voyage. +One of the best places to visit in Japan that should be on any bucket list is Arashiyama. +Arashiyama is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto and is surrounded by gorgeous mountains. +This little town is a must-visit while in Kyoto as it is full of serene temples, beautiful shrines, a forest full of free-roaming Japanese Macaque monkeys, but most importantly, the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Groves. +The entire town looks like it came out of a fairy tale, around every corner are things to explore and different paths to take that lead to the most quintessential Japanese temples. +As soon as you arrive in Arashiyama we suggest going right away to the Bamboo Grove to try and avoid the other tourists as it can get quite crowded. +Take some time wandering through the dark paths soaking in the gigantic bamboo shoots surrounding you. +We suggest that you also take a hike through the Iwatayama Monkey Park and stop along your hike to observe the monkeys in their natural habitat. +At the top, you can even go inside a cage where you can feed the monkey. +Yep, you are inside the cage this time! +After a long day of sightseeing, soak your feet at an Ashiyu, a public foot bath inside the train station! +You will definitely need it to continue exploring all the other amazing sights Kyoto has to offer. +Awamori +Sample Awamori in Okinawa +Suggested by Michele from A Taste of Travel. +One of the top things to do on a visit to Japan is sample awamori liquor, a legendary distilled rice alcohol with a history dating back to the 15th century Ryuku Kingdom. +One of the oldest spirits in Japan, and often called “island sake” because it’s distilled in the Ryuku island archipelago in southwestern Japan. It almost disappeared during WWII due to difficulty sourcing the rare koji mold used in its production. +But there’s been a revival of interest in traditional awamori and this growth in popularity means you can often find this once-rare spirit served in trendy bars and nightclubs throughout Japan. +But, for the ultimate bucket list experience, the best place to sample awamori is at its source in Naha, the capital of Okinawa. +Here you can sample a wide selection of awamori – served neat and in fancy cocktails – at the nightclubs on bustling Kokusai-Dori street as well as in fine restaurants. +You can also tour Zuisen Distillery, located near impressive Shuri Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the few distilleries granted a license to produce awamori. +On a tour, you can witness the production facility where rice from Thailand and black koji mold are fermented, then distilled and aged in clay pots to produce kosu, a refined awamori with a smooth taste and remarkable depth of flavor. +It’s even possible to enjoy a tutored tasting of kosu as well as Zuisen Ocean Blue a new product that incorporates pure water sourced from the depths of the ocean into the fermentation process. +Sensoji temple +Stroll around Asakusa +Suggested by Mar from Once in a Lifetime Journey +A trip to Tokyo would not be complete without visiting its former Red Light District that is packed with some of the most beautiful heritage sites. +Asakusa was a popular entertainment district from the 17th century all the way to World War II when most of the district was destroyed and then later rebuilt. +To get the lay of the land, you should start your journey at the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center which has an observation deck. Here you can map your expedition from up high. +Once on the ground, you can enter the main draw of the city, Sensoji Temple, from two gates that are both gorgeous in themselves. +The first is Kaminari Gate which is located nearest to the Information Center. +The gate has four large statues of Shinto and Buddhist deities and an ornate wooden carving of a dragon – Sensoji does mean Golden Dragon Mountain after all. +After walking down Nakamise, a street filled to the brim with stores selling Japanese trinkets, you will get to Hozomon Gate. There is some water to wash your hands that flows out of bronze dragon statues. +You will then come to the main draw Sensoji, a 7th-century Buddhist temple that was rebuilt after being destroyed in WWII. It stands out with its bright red color, but don’t forget to look up at the intricate paintings. +Beyond the temple, there is the Shinto Asakusa Shrine devoted to the founders of Sensoji, some beautiful old stone bridges, and even Kabuki performances. +Chow down on some soba noodles and yakitori and then get your fortune read by the magic sticks. +If you. +Take a Japanese cooking class +Suggested by Katie from Two Wandering Soles. +Taking a cooking class is one of the best ways to experience another country’s cuisine and culture on a deeper level than you’ll find in restaurants. +And with one of the most-loved cuisines in the world, Japan is no exception. +No matter where your trip to Japan takes you — from small towns to vibrant Tokyo, there are a variety of cooking class options available around the country. +Whether it’s your first time traveling in Japan or your tenth, taking a cooking class should be on your radar. +It’s an opportunity to learn how to cook one of your favorite Japanese meals, and you’ll be able to bring home that recipe and skill — talk about a great souvenir! +Plus, it’s a fun experience and it’ll likely end with one of the best meals of your entire trip to Japan. +Choose what dishes you’d like to make — from a sushi-rolling class to a more in-depth course on traditional Japanese cuisine, there are a variety of experiences to choose from. +We took a Japanese cooking class in Osaka, known as Japan’s kitchen. Read our excellent experience here. +Soho building +Experience the color doors at The Soho building in Odaiba, Tokyo +Suggested by Jason from Mint Habits. +One of the most memorable experiences I had in Japan was visiting The Soho building in Tokyo. +If you spend as much time on Instagram as I do, you probably have seen a photo of this building at some point. +It’s a mixed-use building that is filled with colorful doors. +The experience inside was incredibly exciting because the building is very big and it’s filled with so much color and character. +The neat thing about the Soho is that it’s not a tourist attraction, rather it’s a real building people live and work in! +That means it’s not overrun with tourists. +I recommend going at night to see the colorful doors with the lights on. +The Soho building is located in Odaiba and is best reached by train (unless you are staying in Odaiba). +You can also take breathtaking photos of the building from the ground looking up. +You’ll likely find yourself spending at least an hour here just marveling at how cool the building is! +There isn’t a cost to see the building (besides your train ticket). +(article continues below the picture) +Koyasan +Visit Koyasan +Suggested by Rhonda from Travel Yes Please. +A great way to experience the spiritual side of Japan is by visiting Koyasan, a sacred mountain in Wakayama Prefecture. +Nestled on the forested mountaintop is a secluded settlement of over 100 temples, providing visitors a glimpse into the traditional lifestyle of a Buddhist monk. +There are many temples in Koyasan that welcome visitors to stay the night. +During an overnight stay at a temple lodging (shukubo), guests can enjoy a vegetarian dinner and breakfast, attend the morning prayer service, and sleep in a traditional Japanese room with sliding doors, futons, and a tatami floor. +Sightseeing highlights in Koyasan include Kongobuji, the head temple of Shingon Buddhism, the Garan temple complex with its two-tiered pagoda, and the ancient Okunoin cemetery, Japan’s largest graveyard. +Koyasan can be visited as a day trip from Osaka, but to truly experience the traditions and spirituality of Koyasan, an overnight stay is best. +Kabuki Performance +Go watching a Kabuki performance +Suggested by Halef and Michael from The Round The World Guys. +Japan has countless ancient arts and traditions, and one thing that you want to add to your Japan bucket list is a Kabuki performance. +Kabuki is a Japanese tradition of performance art that involves singing, dancing and acting. +The most notable elements of a Kabuki performance are the over-the-top costumes and make-up – many people translate the word Kabuki as “the Bizarre Shows”. +Kabuki has been a popular Japanese tradition for hundreds of years, and it has even been portrayed in several classic Japanese paintings from the 1700s. Many of these famous works now hang in the nearby Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. +In Tokyo, you can attend a Kabuki show at the famous landmark Kabukiza Tokyo National Theater. +You will need to bring a bento lunch box. lunch is an integral part of the five-hour Kabuki performance. They will provide a half-hour lunch interval when everybody eats. +If you have a sweet tooth, head to the Theater’s food vendor to get traditional Taiyaki sweets – fish-shaped pancakes with a sweetened azuki red bean paste. +You can only get the unique and popular Taiyaki at the National Theater – with two different colors of azuki paste – red and white – the colors of the Japanese flag. +Visit a Karaoke Box +Suggested by Anisa from Two Traveling Texans. +Japan is the birthplace of karaoke, so you must do some karaoke on your trip. +The best place to do this is at one of the karaoke boxes. +It’s a collection of private rooms where you can do karaoke. Inside you can let loose without worrying about what strangers will think. Don’t worry, you don’t need to sing in Japanese. Even in Japan, it is possible to find a wide selection of English songs. +Big Echo and Karaoke Kan are some of the popular chains of karaoke boxes in Tokyo. When you arrive, check-in at the front desk to get a room. +The rooms are rented by the hour and the rate varies depending on the number of people in your group and the place. +Many karaoke places in Japan have multiple floors, so pay attention when they lead you to your room. +Inside the rooms, you can dance and be as loud as you want. Most rooms come with two microphones and some will have musical instruments like a tambourine. +If you have any issues with the karaoke equipment, you can reach the front desk using the phone inside the room. +Drinks and food can be ordered through the phone too. +It’s a guaranteed fun time and you won’t want to leave! +(article continues below the picture) +The cats in a cat café are as lazy as those at your home +Visit a themed café +Suggested by Victoria from Bridges and Balloons. +Japan loves all things cute, kitsch and zany, and one of the best ways to experience that is in one of the many themed cafes they have throughout the country. +Some of these are places where the whole cafe/restaurant is devoted to a theme, right down to the food on your plate. Whereas others are just rooms where you can hang out with different animals (and the ‘cafe’ aspect is somewhat tokenistic). +Tokyo is the best place for them, with all sorts of unusual places on offer, including cafes themed on vampires, monsters, Moomin and ninjas. +All of these places are immersive experiences, featuring cute themed foods (there’s even a bonsai tree made entirely of candy at the ninja cafe!) +Japan is also the home of the now-ubiquitous ‘cat cafe’ concept where you can pet cats while enjoying your coffee. +But they’ve taken that one step further and now you can experience all sorts of animal cafe concepts, from hedgehogs to reptiles to baby goats. +Please note that it’s worth thinking about the ethical considerations of some of these animal cafes. +For example, we went to an owl cafe, but in hindsight, I don’t think keeping owls in such a small space is fair. +Okonomiyaki +Taste Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki in Osaka +Suggested by Amber from With Husband in Tow. +When it comes to what to eat in Osaka there are a few key dishes that come to mind. Osaka is called Japan’s kitchen for a reason. +The Dontonburi district is lined with restaurants and food vendors selling a wide range of tasty Japanese treats. +One of the most famous foods in Osaka is Okonomiyaki. +A thick Japanese pancake, and a specialty of Osaka, it can be considered the best food to eat in Osaka. +The pancake batter is mixed with cabbage, tempura bits, and pickled ginger, and cooked on a flat top grill. It is served with okonomiyaki sauce, which is a sweet brown sauce, mayonnaise, dried green seaweed, and dried bonito, or dried tuna flakes. +Takoyaki, or fried octopus balls, are another specialty of Osaka. +This dish is made with a batter similar to okonomiyaki, but the result is a lot smaller. The batter is placed into a specially-shaped takoyaki pan to make the balls. The pan where the batter is ladled in almost looks like a small cupcake pan. +Pieces of octopus are then placed inside the batter and a pointy metal stick is used to turn the balls to ensure they are cooked on all sides. +It’s one of the more unique specialties of the Osaka. It’s even possible to find restaurants where you can make your own takoyaki at the table. +Kamakura +Visit Kamakura +Suggested by Michael from Time travel Turtle. +Not too far from Tokyo is one of Japan’s ancient capitals, Kamakura. It was from here that the country was run from the 12th to the 14th centuries, at a time when samurai warriors became a part of the Japanese culture. +To support the religious and political power of Kamakura, enormous temple complexes were built throughout the city. +Many of them still exist today and visiting them is a highlight. +There’s a reason Kamakura is referred to as the ‘Kyoto of the East’. +It’s easy to do a day trip to Kamakura from Tokyo, although you won’t be able to see everything. +I think the highlights are the famous Big Buddha, the vast Kencho-ji temple complex, and the large Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu temple in the center of the city. +It’s also worth visiting Hokoku-Ji Temple for the bamboo garden and the charming teahouse. +If you have time, there is much more to see. +There is a push to place Kamakura on the World Heritage List because of the city’s cultural significance. +You only have to explore Kamakura for a day to realize how deep the culture and history goes. +Golden Temple in Kyoto +Admire Kinkaku-ji temple +Suggested by Clare from Travels in Peru. +Kinkaku-ji Temple or the Golden Pavilion is located in northern Kyoto and was one of the highlights when I visited Japan. +It is one of the most popular tourist sights in Japan. +It gets its name from the top two floors that are covered in gold leaf, as Kinkaku literally means Temple of the Golden Pavilion. +It was originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and became a Zen temple after his death in 1408. It has burnt down many times over the years and was last rebuilt in 1955. +It is not possible to go inside the temple though you can walk around it and the most popular shot has to be looking at it from across the pond. On a clear day, you can see a reflection of the temple in the water. +The whole complex is stunning to walk through and the gardens have retained their original design. +I visited on a beautiful day in October but it would also be amazing to see it in autumn when the leaves change color and in winter when there is snow on the ground. +If you are visiting Kyoto then it’s a place you must visit as this is definitely one of the highlights of Japan. +Ryokan, +Spend the night in a ryokan +Suggested by James from Travel Collecting. +Staying in a ryokan is an experience you shouldn’t miss when you visit Japan. +Ryokans are traditional Japanese inns and they are a great way to immerse yourself in many aspects of Japanese culture. +At the best ryokans, you are welcomed by a hostess wearing a kimono at the front door, where you will be expected to take your shoes off. +In the ryokan, you will wear slippers and a yukata (a casual kimono-like robe) that will be supplied for you. +The floor of the room is typically made of tatami straw mats, and a futon is laid out on the floor for you before you go to bed, although western-style beds are sometimes available nowadays. +You will often have beautiful views of gardens from your room, which may have sliding paper screen doors. +Dinner and breakfast are usually served in your room, where you will sit on the floor at low tables and be served a traditional kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine) meal. +A kaiseki meal involves multiple courses with tiny servings of local, seasonal dishes beautifully presented on trays with leaves and edible flowers. +It is a feast for both your eyes and your taste buds. +Most ryokans also have an onsen (hot mineral springs bath), either shared or private. Soaking in hot mineral water is almost a national pastime in Japan and this is a great way to relax and absorb yourself in Japanese culture. +Be sure to shower before entering the hot water. +Ryokans are not cheap, but well worth the splurge, as there is nowhere else you can experience so many delightful aspects of Japanese traditional culture. +Taking a Japanese dancing lesson +Take a Japanese Dance Lesson +Suggested by Alison from Dance Dispatches. +Thanks to Memoirs of a Geisha, maiko, and geiko are one of Japan’s most enduring cultural figures. Since the 18th century, these women have entertained guests while wearing special makeup and ornate clothing. They play games, sing, and dance; and travelers can take a traditional Japanese dance lesson to dabble in the centuries-old art form. +The dance is called Nihon Buyo, and while geisha do perform the dance, so do many other Japanese women. +Many dance classes lend students a kimono for the session. +While donning traditional Japanese clothing to wear at famous Japanese landmarks for travel photos may seem exciting, wearing silk garments as part of a costume to perform a folk dance is a more authentic experience. +The movement is quite slow, so even non-dancers can enjoy learning a short piece of choreography. +Dancing in unison to classical music is almost meditative, and it’s a fun way to interact with Japanese locals. +Going to a foreign dance class can be intimidating, but it certainly makes heartfelt memories. +Wear a Kimono in Tokyo +Try on a kimono +Suggested by Chloe from Chloe’s Travelogue. +Wearing a kimono is one of many unique Japanese experiences that you don’t want to miss while traveling in Japan. +A Kimono is a traditional outfit that the Japanese still wear today for special occasions. Also, the beautiful artwork on the fabric will bring out the fashionista in you. +While purchasing an authentic kimono can cost you a fortune, renting one for a day is easy and affordable. +Kimono rental shops usually provide professional service to help you select and dress the outfit, and style your hair. +Even Japanese women need professional help to wear a kimono, so make sure this service is included in the package. +The rental price can vary, but you can expect to pay for 3,000 – 4,500 yen for a day. +In Tokyo, Asakusa is the best place to rent a kimono. The area is not only dotted with reputable kimono rental shops, but the Sensoji Temple and other Edo-period architecture in this historic neighborhood also make the perfect backdrop for the kimono experience. +Many tourists and even Japanese walk on the streets here wearing kimonos so that you won’t feel awkward. +As kimonos come in various sizes and forms, I recommend researching and booking in advance. Also, if you want to go all out, check if your shop provides add-on services such as professional photography or rickshaw tours. +Visit Furano +Suggested by Aaron from Aaron Gone Travelling +According to some of my Japanese friends, when you ask the Japanese where they want to go to for their honeymoon, they always say, “Paris… Rome… Hokkaido!” +Furano is situated in Hokkaido and cleverly veils itself with snow-capped mountains, making it insta-worthy from every angle. +Furano is around 2.5-hour drive away from Sapporo (the capital of Hokkaido island), which makes it perfect for a day trip. +However, an overnight stay in Furano is highly recommended as there simply are so many things to do around the region! +Rent an electric bike to see the town slowly. Once you are slightly out of the town, you will be greeted with a stunning view of Furano with the Tokachi range sitting as a backdrop. +Head to Tomita Farm and enjoy a boundless, unrestricted view of the flowers stretching across the horizon. In summer, you can enjoy the lavender-scented air when the lavenders are in full bloom. Get a lavender ice-cream and an overpriced but melt-in-your-mouth slice of Japanese melon. +Renowned for the quality of milk, you should also visit the cheese factory. +Japanese appreciate cheese in a different way, so it is worth it to see a different take on cheese. It’s heavily represented in desserts so if you love both cheese and desserts – lady luck is on your side! +Do you know that one of the screensavers for MacBook is actually taken from Aoiike (Blue Pond)? +The good news is, it’s around Furano! +Besides Aoiike, there are many more scenic sights like Daisetsu-San, Sounkyo Valley and Biei, just to name a few! +Kagaya restaurant +Have dinner in the Kagaya Restaurant in Tokyo +Suggested by Annie from Londoner in Sydney. +After researching a lot about the wackiest things to do in Japan, I found Kagaya Restaurant, also known as ‘Frog is Stranger than Fiction’ based in Tokyo which was hidden deep within the internet. +Whilst the website doesn’t explain too much, I had a feeling we’d be in for a treat. +When we turned up to the tiny restaurant that is big enough just for about 6 tables (make sure you book beforehand), we sat amongst other tourists who were up for an interactive restaurant experience. +The host is also the server and entertainer whilst an older lady stands at the back cooking in the kitchen. +So what makes Kagaya a must-visit? You honestly won’t experience anything else like it in Japan and you’ll finish the evening laughing so much, you’ll be telling all your friends about it. +Expect a menu hidden within school kids notebooks that give you three options; the good, the really good or the great main meal. It’s up to you to decide based upon these options. +You’ll have a teddy bear serve you drinks, a Barbie doll try it on with you and even a frog puppet show during your meal. +It honestly doesn’t get much better than Kagaya Restaurant in Tokyo. +Torii gate Itsukushima Shrine +Visit Miyajima Island +Suggested by Sydney from A world In Reach. +A visit to Miyajima Island, known as one of the top three scenic spots in Japan, should not be missed during a trip to Japan. +Miyajima is home to the famous floating Itsukushima Shrine and torii gate. At high tide, the torii gate becomes partially submerged in the water, making it seem as if it is floating. +At low tide, you can walk along the beach up to the torii gate. +If you get hungry while visiting Miyajima, make sure to try some of the island’s famed oysters. Yakigashi No Hiyashi is a great sit-down restaurant; if you’re eating on-the-go, there are tons of oyster stands along the main shopping street. +Thirsty? Grab a beer from the Miyajima Brewery and take it to the shore for views of the torii gate and the island’s resident Sika deer. +Miyajima Island is an easy day trip from Hiroshima. +Take the JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi, where you will transfer to the ferry bound for Miyajima. +Both the train from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi and the ferry to Miyajima Island are included in the Japan Rail Pass. +Miyako Odori performance +Attend a Miyako Odori performance +Suggested by Keri from Quiet Girl Loud World. +If you are visiting Japan during the month of April, Miyako Odori is the perfect show to attend to celebrate Spring with the rest of Japan. +The performance is done by nationally famous geiko and maiko in Kyoto each year. +The storyline moves through all four seasons, starting with Summer then moving through Autumn, Winter, and ending with Spring. +The show has six acts, each with a unique feel and sound. The singing and music in the background paired with the carefully choreographed dancing transports you to a completely different time. +The production is entirely in Japanese. +You do have the option to purchase an audio guide for an extra fee, but I would recommend going without. The performance is so passionate that you won’t have a problem following along. +Miyako Odori began in 1872 during the Meiji period as a sideshow to a special exhibition that was to be held at the Imperial Palace. This was the first public show done by geiko and maiko. The show has been going strong for 140 years and remains a popular Spring tradition in Japan. +Tickets are around $40 USD for a regular seat and $50 for a premium seat. +I recommend buying your tickets in advance as the seats do fill up. If you want to have a cultural experience in Japan that you will never forget, Miyako Odori is not to be missed in Japan. +For more information about Miyako Odori and to purchase tickets, check out their website. +Skiing at Nozawa Onsen +Go skiing in the Japanese Alps +Suggested by Thea from Zen travelers. +While Japan may not be the first destination that comes to mind for skiing, it is an increasingly popular destination for those looking to hit the slopes with a slightly different flavor. +The Japanese Alps on the main island reach heights of over 3100m and receive heaps of snow that blows in from the Pacific Ocean. +This is known as “Japow” and it is why you must try skiing in the Japanese Alps at least once in your life! +One amazing place to ski in Japan is Nozawa Onsen which is known for its varied terrain, insanely high average snowfalls, and delightful après scene. +The ski hill is named after the quaint, traditional mountain town where it resides which features over 13 different public onsens (hot springs), including one just for your feet! +Perhaps the best part about skiing in Japan is its après scene. After a day of slaying japow, nothing beats sinking into an onsen to warm weary bones and soak away any aches and pains. +Afterward, you can indulge in delicious sake, savory ramen, and traditional oyaki (stuffed buns steamed in hot spring water) for a unique après experience. +Indeed, skiing in the Japanese Alps combines world-class terrain and snow conditions with a side of culture not seen elsewhere. +Conclusion +We hope this selection of Japanese bucket-list experiences got you inspired for your next trip. And believe us, this is just a small set of all the unbelievable things that this country has in store. +We were impressed from day 1 and have plans to go back to explore the parts that we haven’t yet found time to explore such as Hokkaido. +If you like this post, pin it. +The Laughterlife, Chapter 2 +An all-dialogue one-shot from beyond the pearly gates - featuring Scared-James, Not-So-Serious-Sirius, Embarrassed-Remus, Dominatrix-Lily, Mysterious-Tonks, Slow-Speaking-Severus, Philosophical-Dumbledore and constant vigilance! No Peter, I'm afraid James kicked him out a while back. The long-awaited second chapter of The Laughterlife, bigger, better and more boisterous than ever! +By our dancing days +"Pumpkin Pasties." +"... what?" +"Pumpkin Pasties. Sherbet Lemons. Humdinger Horrors. Cockroach Clusters. Skittles?" +"... Padfoot, what the Snape are you doing?" +"We-ell, I'm in Hogwarts, aren't I, Prongs? I'm trying to get into Dumbles' office, check it out and all. The password is always sweet-and-sugar-related, so... Fizzing Whizbees. Liquorice Wands. Chocolate Frogs. Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans." +"Padfoot, for Merlin's sake, this is heaven! Just wish to be in Professor Dumbledore's office!" +"Thanks, Moony! Oh, wow... how ya doing? Oh, it's a portrait... that's glaring at me... definitely a Black! And... Oh, my eyes! My beautiful stormy grey eyes!" +"What is it, Sirius?" +"Lils, it's horrible. Dreadful, even. Terrifying. Unforgivable. Scarring." +"Oh, something juicy, I bet. Let me have a look. I wish to be in Ol' Dumbles' Office. Hey, look at that! What are y - oh, dear Mordred!" +"James?" +"Prongs?" +"I... I... I'm speechless. Gobsmacked. Flabbergasted. Wordless. There are no words to describe this. I'm bowled over. " +"Prongs, if you're speechless, why are you talking?" +"Moony, it's... it's the stuff of nightmares. We wouldn't wish this on our worst en - actually, no, we would wish this on Snivellus. Justice, I say, justice! But, anyway, I'm, personally, scarred for life, Moons. It's... it's... it's Dumbledore's underpants!" +"Padfoot, why on heaven are you seeing Professor Dumble... actually, I'm not going to finish this sentence. Just, look away!" +"But, Moony, we can't..." +"Oh dear god, Remus. We're married to idiots." +"Nymphadora is not an idiot... oh, right. Well, I'm not married to Padfoot, thankfully. He'd slobber all over me." +"You know you'd love it, Moony." +"No need to be dramatic, Moony. Padfoot here was just suggesting... are you... are you trying to hang yourself? Dora, I don't think that's - wow, okay. I suppose that's payback for his Nymphadora comment, huh? Oh, god... you're a scary woman when you have black hair, has anyone ever told you that? You kind of resemble that lovely Aunt of yours, you know, the insane one... NO! Oh, dear god, not there! Think of Lily! She'd suffer too, and - Mordred and Morganna, I don't pity Moony right now..." +"Would you like some help there, Dora?" +"Oh, of course, Lily. Any and all assistance is wanted. If you just hold this... no, the other way round, that's it. If you just slice there..." +"This... is entertainment. I can see why heaven let you in, Lily; for us." +"You, Sirius Orion Black, are the stuff of nightmares. Forget Dumbledore's underpants for one precious second, and concentrate. I am the wife of James Potter. I will hang you, revive you, perform the Cruciatus Curse, revive you, and then castrate you. Are we clear?" +"Porcelain." +"Wotcher, Snape." +"!" +"Please! Dear sweet Merlin, I'll take Dumbles' underpants! I'll take that rat's underpants over this! I swear, it's Padfoot's fault, not mine. I'll take Mad Eye's 'I Heart Honeydukes' underpants! Just not Snivellus!" +"If you actually opened your eyes, you would see that Severus, in fact, is not here." +"Is that... so?" +"!" +"I said I'd take the underpants!" +"James, darling, I don't think that this has anything to do with us or the state of Alastor Moody's undergarments. Severus, how are you?" +"Lily..." +"You bullied my godson! You tortured him and mocked him and humiliated him, all for what? A childhood rivalry? Harry is not James, Snape, and you knew him for seven years. Surely you weren't blinkered enough to miss that. He's more like Lils, if anything." +"You bullied my son, Severus?" +"It was for you, Lily! I kept him safe for you, risked my life to protect his. It was always for you." +"Oh, Sev..." +"Ahem. Husband; right here?" +"Ah, Potter. I had... ignored your presence in hope it would go away." +"Severus. How are you? I had been under the impression that you had died a while ago; before Dora and I, even. How has the Afterlife been treating you?" +"Laughterlife, Moony, Laughterlife." +"Lupin. What a shame that the final Battle was only a half moon, am I correct? Our side could've used your... talents. Alas; the Afterlife has been treating me well. I was visiting my parents; I don't see yours, anywhere." +"I assure you, if I could've saved more of the casualties, I would have done. I don't believe I've had the opportunity to find my parents yet, Severus, though I am old enough to survive without them." +"Burn!" +"Hush, Sirius. Severus, why are you here?" +"You, Lily. I had to... apologise." +"Someone take a picture, or write this down, or something! I cannot miss Snivellus saying sorry." +"Shut it, Black. Severus, there's no... Okay, there's every need to apologise, but we have an eternity to sort things out. This is The Laughterlife, after all." +"..." +"..." +"... We have to spend an eternity... with Snivellus?" +"Prongs, for Merlin's sake, Severus worked very hard and risked everything for your son. He died and was sent here for your son. Harry, Prongs. We have all died for Harry, so you better show a little respect, do you understand?" +"Yes, Moony." +"Good. Now, how and why do you know the state of Alastor Moody's underpants?" +"Now, that's long story..." +"Oh, don't worry, James. Remus, Dora, Severus and I have a whole eternity to listen to it. You'd better get started, don't you think?" +"It all starts the summer of 1979. Padfoot and I are brave young warriors, seeking help for our noble cause... and alas, constant vigilance is engraved on our backsides, and therefore, we follow those words like Rita Skeeter follows a horrendous story." +"So, let me set the scene for you. We were in Auror training, like the good little kiddies we were-" +"Meaning, you were pranking the Prewett brothers in the Prongs, Padfoot and Prewett Prank War, circa 1979?" +"Yes, Moony, meaning we were delving into the inner depths of our minds like good old Trelawney taught us, although there was a distinct absence of any balls, crystal and otherwise, from Prongs-" +"OI!" +"But anyway, we were training in the changing rooms, when Mad Eye walked in, in his 'I Heart Honeydukes' boxer shorts - thank Merlin we never have to ask that question, although if you're interested, Dumbles is a briefs kind of guy - and nothing else, mind you. Prongs and I got the shock of our lives." +"And then, and then..." +"Oh, Merlin, do you remember-!" +"Yes-! And then, Mad Eye's Eye looked straight at us, down at our crotches and he said, "Well, you can't talk. Constant vigilance, you mongrels!" and walked out. Turns out, the Prewett brothers had charmed all of our underwear to flash obscene messages at whoever looks at them and compliment them on their hair!" +"Circe knows old Prongs was glad we found out before he got home to Lils!" +"... and how do you know the briefs were Dumbledore's?" +"Now, Dora that altogether is another matter... one that Moony can help us with, if I'm not mistaken." +"Remus?" +"Not like that Dora and I assure you, the tale is far less crude and less exciting than the one of 1979. Prongs, would you like to start the story?" +"Of course, my furry friend. Now, now, don't growl, it's not becoming of a gentleman. It was a cold, dreary night in late November... the stone walls were cold, the Chamber of Secrets lay unopened, and a certain Miss Minerva McGonagall - although we did try to find her a spouse, she turned down all of our suggestions - was furious. The quarter moon was hanging in the sky, the Whomping Willow was having a midnight snack and-" +"Get to the point, Potter." +"Of course, Lily, my dear. We were being marched to Dumbledore's office, at 3:57 in the morning no less, by a Minnie in a dressing gown. Now that is quite a sight." +"Prongs, can I remind you that your murderous, raving lunatic of a wife is standing beside you?" +"No, Padfoot, you may not. Now, where was I? Oh yes, Minnie's dressing gown. It was an eye-catching maroon colour, tartan, and it hung to just below her knees. Now, for an older woman, Minnie's legs have always been quite fetching..." +"JAMES! MUREROUS, RAVING LUNATIC OF A WIFE!" +"I haven't forgotten, Sirius, however much Lily-flower seems adamant on it." +"You know, I'm going to tell the story now, because I don't want to be castrated, which I will for being your accomplice. We were being taken to Dumbledore's office for that great 1976 prank involving the house elves, the Giant Squid, those rather temperamental dungbombs and that rather mouldy cheese in the Slytherin common room." +"Ahh, The Cheery Cheddar Cheese Chess Championship of 1976. I remember it well." +"Indeed. Well, we did knock, but as soon as we got in, Dumbledore came down in his robes - bedazzled, as well - and a breeze came through the window. It blew open the robes and bam! There was Dumbles in his pyjama top and briefs saying Restricted Section on them!" +"Poor Minnie couldn't stop blushing." +"'Shame that her crush was in vain. Our darling Dumbles is as gay as a peacock." +"Isn't Lucius Malfoy's patronus a peacock?" +"That, Dora, is no coincidence." +"You two are absolute... utter... imbeciles." +"And you... talk... very... very... very... slowly as to... annoy... everybody... within... earshot of... your... droning... voice... and Dumbledore... was on... the... Fire... Whiskey... when he let... you... teach... innocent... bored out... of their... minds... students..." +"James! Sirius! Stop!" +"Lily, you're supposed to be on our side!" +"Ah, but Mr Black, aren't we all on the same side?" +"!" +"!" +"Albus!" +"Professor Dumbledore!" +"Albus!" +"Restricted Section!" +"Restricted Section? Really, Dora? Really?" +"Well, it was in my mind, Sirius! And at least I didn't scream like a little girl." +"Why was it in your mind, Dora? Is there something Remus should know? And nobody would blame you if you screamed like Padfoot. You are a girl after all. I think we'd be more worried if you had a masculine scream." +"So sexist, James." +"You're saying it's not true, Lils?" +"..." +"Albus, what are you talking about?" +"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Remus, my dear boy. We're all on the same side in the end, are we not? I do not see you dead here at the hand of mine and Hogwarts' men, but rather, Voldemort's." +"Apart from you." +"Yes, Sirius, apart from me. But I am dead for my own foolishness and pride, not because of Severus' bloodlust." +"... You sure about that?" +"Of course I am, James. I must say, it's a pleasure to see you again. And also you, of course, Mrs Lily Potter. I distinctly remember saying the same words to you during your charming bet with the boys in... Oh, was it 1977? 1978?" +"1977, sir." +"Ah, yes! I must say, those sweets were ingenious. As was the notion; to think, pranking me during your detention! Splendid. The things we achieve in the name of love..." +"The following week was the worst week of my... life." +"Sorry about that, Snivellus, we got a bit carried away. Darling Miss Evans couldn't do anything to us, could you, love? Although those spells sent our way the next week were truly inspired... you know, I don't think, through our seven years at Hogwarts, that you ever repeated a hex." +"Of course, not. Couldn't let you think I was going soft, now, could I?" +"Aww, you'll never go soft, Tulip." +"Yeah, 'cause I couldn't get enough of the flower names. Seriously." +"Don't you mean... Siriusly?" +"No. I really don't." +"I must say, you all make me feel at least 100 years younger. It's a lovely feeling. However, I feel that I must be off. It was something about mince pies and Grindledore... oh well, I am positive it'll come back to me in time. Toodlepip!" +"That man is bonkers. Off his rocker. Insane. Loony. Beyond words. Crazy. Off in the deep end. Nuts." +"James, honey, I think we get it." +"Get it? I'm forever scared with an image of Mad Eye's underpants, McGonagall in a tartan dressing gown and Slughorn in a dress!" +"... Dora? Do you want to explain that last one?" +"No. No, I do not, Remus." +"..." +"Snape. Pureblood. Fanatic. Murder. Green. Snake. Snake-like. Silver. Greasy. Git. Underwater. Sneaky. Under-handed. Inappropriate. Muggle-Haters-Unite?" +"Padfoot... what on this heaven, Laughterlife, whatever, are you doing?" +"Why, Moony. I'm aiding a noble cause, one that hopefully does not involve anybody's underpants. I'm reaching into dangerous waters, Squid-y seas, dark oceans. Wish me luck. Pride. Power. Prejudiced. Slytherins are mean?" +"Padfoot... what the Snape are you doing and why am I not involved?" +"What... the... Snape?" +"You know; your face is a glimpse into hell. So, not why the hell, but why the Snape. It works." +"James! You are talking to one of my friends!" +"Of that I was not aware. You're actually friends with this greasy git? I thought it was just a ruse... after, you know, he told that prophecy to the person who murdered us? I know, I know, it was a mistake, he's sorry, he's been forgiven for his sins, yada yada yada." +"James. Show a sense of maturity, please." +"As you wish, malady." +"Padfoot..." +"Spiteful. Evil. Eviler? Evilest? Oh sorry. Yes, my dearest Moony?" +"... You're trying to get into the Slytherin common room, aren't you?" +*bows* +Now, don't those underpants just get the ideas for fanfics spinning in your head? I feel I need to dedicate a one-shot to various undergarments of the teachers, don't you? The Laughtershock, maybe? Give me the word and it'll be your New Year's gift. Snape, I'll even dedicate it to you, if you wish! +This was great fun to write... and read through. Honestly, though, the image of Mad Eye in boxer shorts... well, it's enough to almost put me off Honeydukes, I'll tell you that. Hope you enjoyed a Mrs J. K. Rowling's characters being played with by me. *curtains begin to close* +"Leave a review/PM to request a new chapter!" +So, The Laughtershock, anyone? +SPEAKING +UPCOMING CONFERENCES and SYMPOSIA +No speaking engagements at this time. Check back for updates. +PARTICIPATION in CONFERENCES and SYMPOSIA +"Minimum Standards of Treatment" (Online, International Law Institute, 2 December 2020). +Panellist, “Addressing Issues of Alleged Corruption” (Salzburg, Centre for International Legal Studies, 11 June 2020). +Co-Chair and Panel Moderator, 14th Annual Juris Conference on Investor-State Law and Arbitration: A Debate and Discussion (Online, May 2020). +"Standards of Treatment" (Washington, D.C., International Law Institute, 5 November 2019). +Panellist, “NAFTA Chapter 11 – Looking Forward While Glancing Backward” Canadian Council on International Law Annual Conference (Ottawa, 25 October 2019). +Co-Chair, 13th Annual Juris Conference on Investor-State Law and Arbitration: A Debate and Discussion (Washington, D.C., 8 April 2019). +“NAFTA 2.0, or Maybe Just v. 1.2 Instead” (New Orleans, Tulane University School of Law Conference on International Energy Law, 29 March 2019). +Panellist, “Investment Arbitration: Is the Fair and Equitable Treatment Standard Getting Clearer?” (Salzburg, Centre for International Legal Studies, 7 June 2018). +Moderator, “Investment Court Model: A Practical Review,” Association of International Arbitration Conference on the Future of Investment Arbitration in Europe (Brussels, 1 June 2018). +Co-Chair, 12th Annual Juris Conference on Investor-State Law and Arbitration: A Debate and Discussion (Washington, D.C., 6 March 2018). +Keynote Address: "The Shared Roots of Human Rights and Investment Treaty Arbitration" (San Jose, Costa Rica, Arbitraje, Derechos Humanos y Pas, ULACIT, 13 March 2018). +"Transplanting the WTO Dispute Settlement Model for Use with Investment Obligations: Be Careful What You Ask for Because You Just Might Get It (Copenhagen, Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Excellence for International Courts, 1 February 2018). +"Standards of Treatment" (Washington, International Law Institute, 29 November 2017). +"Arbitration in the Context of 'One Belt and One Road': China and International Perspectives" (Sydney, University of New South Wales, China International & Economic Law Seminar, 11 October 2017). +"Defenestrating the Trope of Expansionist ISDS Tribunals Diminishing State Sovereignty" (Amsterdam, Amsterdam Center for International Law, 27 June 2017). +"Update on Trade Agreements and Trading Frameworks in International Trade Law and Inter‑Tribal Trade" (Norman, OK, International Inter-tribal Trade and Investment Organization, 6 June 2017). +Co-Chair, 11th Annual Juris Conference on Investor-State Law and Arbitration: A Debate and Discussion (Washington, D.C., 25 April 2017). +"Standards of Treatment" (Washington, International Law Institute, 1 December 2016). +"The Treatment of Corruption in International Investment Arbitration" (Salzberg, Centre for International Legal Studies, 4 June 2016). +Co-Chair of Tenth Annual Arbitration Conference (Washington, Juris Conferences, 12-13 May 2016). +"Standards of Treatment" (Washington, International Law Institute, 4 December 2015). +Discussant, Session 3: Public International Law or International Public Law? (Oxford, Oxford University Press Summer Investment Law Academy, 13 July 2015). +"Investment Treaty Arbitration Update: U.S. Practice, From BITs to NAFTA to CAFTA to KORUS to TPP and maybe TTIP too!" (Boise, Idaho Bar Association, 29 April 2015). +Co-Chair of Ninth Annual Arbitration Conference (Washington, Juris Conferences, 22 April 2015). +"Recent Trends in Canadian International Investment Law" (London, ON: Faculty of Law, University of Western Ontario, 1 April 2015). +"Damages in International Investment Law" (Franfurt: Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 21 March 2015). +Discussant, History of International Investment Law Session (Frankfurt, Frankfurt Investment Law Workshop 2015, 13 March 2015). +"Standards of Treatment" (Washington, International Law Institute, 4 November 2014). +"Mass Claims / Multi-Party Arbitration under Investment Treaties" (Salzberg, Centre for International Legal Studies, 23 May 2014). +Panelist, "The Investor-State Dispute Settlement Mechanism: An Examination of Benefits and Costs" (Washington, Cato Institute, 20 May 2014). +Panelist, "NAFTA Chapter 11: Latest Developments" (New York, American Bar Association, 4 April 2014). +Co-Chair of Eighth Annual Arbitration Conference (Washington, Juris Conferences, 28 March 2014). +Panelist, "Latest Developments in EU-Canada and EU-US Trade Treaties" (Frankfurt, German American Lawyers Association Conference on Transatlantic Law, 21 March 2014). +Special Guest, Book Reception, "Interpretation of International Investment Law" (Washington, International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, 27 February 2014). +"Standards of Treatment" (Washington, International Law Institute, 6 November 2013). +"National Treatment," Conferencve on International Investment Agreements: Balancing Sustainable Development and Investment Protection (Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin & Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 10 October 2013). +Co-Chair of Seventh Annual Arbitration Conference (Washington, Juris Conferences, 22 April 2013). +"Let’s Not Visit the Potemkin Village of Investment Protection," Fordham Law School Conference on International Arbitration and Mediation (New York, 12 April 2013). +"Trade and Investment: Just Two Ships Passing in the Night?," Santa Clara University Symposium on The Law and Politics of Foreign Investment (Santa Clara, CA, 2 February 2013). +Co-Chair of Sixth Annual Arbitration Conference (Washington, Juris Conferences, 27 March 2012)."Can Courts both Defer to and Assist Arbitration: Experience of Canada and the United States Compared" (Washington, Washington College of Law at American University, 16 November 2011). +"Canadians in International Arbitration: A 'State of the Union' Address" (Calgary, Western Canadian Arbitrators' Round Table, 16 May 2011). +"International Investment and International Human Rights Law: Seeking Re-Convergence" (Leiden, NL, Leiden University Faculty of Law, 8 April 2011). +Guest Speaker, "International Investment Law and National Tobacco Regulation" (Durham, N.C., Duke University School of Law, 6 April 2011). +Co-Chair of Fifth Annual Arbitration Conference and Panel Discussant on Most Favoured Nation Treatment (Washington, Juris Conferences, 5 April 2011). +Moderator, "International Trade Law and International Investment Law: Convergence or Divergence?" (Washington, D.C., American Society of International Law, Annual General Meeting, 25 March 2011). +Roundtable Panelist, "Are the Substantive Provisions of CAFTA an Evolution from the NAFTA Experience?" (Washington, D.C., Washington College of Law, 17 February 2011). +"International Commercial Arbitration as a Growth Activity?" (Geneva, Global Arbitration Forum, 9 December 2010). +Instructor, "Standards of Treatment" (Washington, International Law Institute, 5 & 8 November 2011). +Panel Co-Chair, "Investment Arbitration, Canada and Natural Resources" (Ottawa,Canadian Council on International Law, 29 October 2010). +"Emergency Measures: Custom, Treaty and Basic Principles" (Malibu, Pepperdine University, 22 October 2010). +"The Quick Exit: Preliminary Objections and SummaryDismissal Proceedings in ICSID Arbitration" (Vancouver, International Bar Association, 6 October 2010). +Testimony to Joint Standing Committee on Health on Tobacco Control Measures and International Law (Montevideo,Parliament of Uruguay, 23-24 August, 2010). +Panel Chair, Perspectives on Investment Law (Barcelona, Society of International Economic Law, 8 July 2010). +"Primer on EU-Asia Investment Issues" (Brussels, ASEFUAN-IGIR Dialogues, 11 June 2010). +"Update on Recognition and Enforcement" (Toronto, Federated Press, 2 June 2010). +"Territoriality and the Meaning of Investment in International Law" (London, British Institute of International and Comparative Law, 7 May 2010). +Co-Chair of Fourth Annual Arbitration Conference and Panel Discussant on Most Favoured Nation Treatment (Washington, Juris Conferences, 30 April 2010). +"Update on Arbitrator Challenges in Investor-State Disputes" (New York, American Bar Association, 14 March 2010). +Chair of Two-Day Memorial Conference for Thomas Walde (St. Andrew's, University of Dundee Centre for Energy, Petroleum & Minerals Law & Policy). +"Investment Protection and Arbitration in the Korea U.S. Free Trade Agreement" (New York, Columbia University Law School, 13 July 2009). +ABA Luncheon on Money Damages for Violations of International Trade Law (Washington, American Bar Association, 1 July 2009). +"Treaty Shopping 101" (Calgary, Western Canada Arbitrators Roundtable, 13 May 2009). +Co-Chair of Third Annual Arbitration Conference (Juris Conferences, 30 April 2009). +"Latest Trends in Investor-State Arbitration" (New York, Practising Law Institute, Arbitration Day, 24 March 2009). +"Doctrinal Convergence in International Law: Not Just Precedent by Another Name" (Mexico City, Universidad Ibero Americana, NAFTA at 15 Conference, 17 February 2009). +Invited Private Sector Delegate, UNCTAD Experts Group Meeting on Investment Treaties (Geneva, 10-11 January 2009). +"Impact of Arbitration on Treaty Drafting" and "Potential Judicialisation of the Process" (Washington, D.C., APEC Investment Agreement Workshop, 7 November, 2008). +"The Treatment of Environmental and SPS Measures in International Investment Law" (Suffolk University Law School, Investor-State Arbitration: Perspectives on Legitimacy and Practice, 31 October 2008). +Standard of Treatment (Rio de Janiero, International Law Association, Annual General Meeting, 20 August 2008). +Moderator, Non Traditional IEL Participants Panel (Geneva, Society of International Economic Law, 16 July 2008). +Key Note Address on the Status and Future of NAFTA Investment Arbitration (Mexico City, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Investment Arbitration Forum, 20 June 2009). +"Signs of Convergence in International Ecnomic Treaty Interpretation" (London, British Institute of International & Comparative Law Annual WTO Conference, 13 May 2008). +Co-Chair of Second Annual Arbitration Conference and Panel Discussant on National Treatment (Juris Conferences, 24 April 2008). +"The Contribution of Investment to Economic Growth and Development" and "Survey of ITAs in APEC Economies" "Scope of ITAs and Investment Chapters in FTAs in Selected APEC Economies" and "Admission and Establishment" and "Investment Treaty Dispute Resolution" (Singapore, APEC Investment Agreement Workshop, 5-7 May 2008). +"The MFN Principle" (New York, Columbia University Law School, 27 March 2008). +Roundtable on Investment Arbitration (Frankfurt, 1st Annual Franfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Symposium, 14 February 2008). +“Trade and Investment: Harmonization?” and “Day One Recap and Day Two Introduction” (Quito, Ecuador, Cameron May Conference, 30 November & 1 December 2007). +“MFN and Harmonization in International Investment Law” (New York, Columbia Law School, 31 October 2007). +“The State of International Commercial Arbitration in Canada” (Toronto, Association of Young Canadian Arbitrators, 27 September 2007). +“Precedent in International Investment Law?” Panel Moderator (London, British Institute of International & Comparative Law, 14 September 2007). +Conference Chairman and Moderator, “Treaty MFN: Which Way to Go?”; Discussant, “The Issue of Intent in National Treatment Analyses” Discussant (Washington, D.C., Juris Conferences, 17 May 2007). +“Good Faith and the Formation of a Single Standard of Investment Protection” (Santa Clara, California, International Law Association, 3 February 2007). +Participant in Experts’ Meeting on International Investment Law and Arbitration, University of California – Berkeley (12 January 2007). +“Recent American Treaty Practice on the International Law Minimum Standard of Treatment” (Seoul, Hanyang University School of Law, 24 November 2006). +“Investment Arbitration as a Great Consolidator? Musings from a Mutant” (Bretton Woods, American Society of International Law, International Economic Law Group, 10 November 2006). +“Environmental Regulation under International Investment Discipline” (Miami, American Bar Association, 8 November 2006). +“Assessing the Investment Claims Avalanche in the Americas” Program Chair (Miami, American Bar Association, 8 November 2006). +“Canadians, the ICSID and ad hoc Investment Arbitration” (Montreal, Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners / Canadian Chamber of Commerce, 27 October 2006). +“When the Politics of Investment Go Awry: Recent Lessons from Ecuador” (Calgary, International Association of Petroleum Negotiators, 19 May 2006). +“Expropriation by Taxation” (London: British Institute of International and Comparative Law Investment Treaty Forum, 5 May 2006). +“Cross-Atlantic Dialogue on Regulatory Takings” (Brussels: American Bar Association, 26 October 2005). +“Native American Participation in International Economic Dispute Settlement: Two Stories” (Prague: International Bar Association, 26 September 2005). +“The Public – Private Distinction in International Economic Law: Still Relevant in 2005?” (Washington: American Society of International Law, 31 March 2005). +“The Role of Private Counsel in the Practice of WTO Law” (Toronto: Ontario Bar Association, International Law Section, 8 March 2005). +“Commentary on Trade and Security: Waking up to a Post-Westphalian Reality” (Washington: American Society of International Law, International Economic Law Section, 25 February 2005). +“The Trade Lawyer’s Perspective on Trying to Keep Toronto Trash out of Michigan” (Lansing: Institute for Public Policy & Social Research, 23 February 2005). +“NAFTA 1-2-3” (San Diego: San Diego Bar Association, 19 January 2005). +“Two Interesting Developments in International Investment Law” (San Francisco: Association of American Law Schools, 5 January 2004). +“Ten Years of NAFTA Investment Arbitration: An Experts’ Roundtable” (Houston: American Bar Association International Law Section, 14 October 2004). +“Beef, Lumber and Off-shoring: the Politics of Trade Today” (Chicago: John Marshall Law School & Chicago Bar Association, 17 September 2004). +“The Perils of the a la carte Approach to GATS Architecture: Tens Years Later” (London: British Institute of International and Comparative Law, 12 May 2004). +“Coordination and Coherence in International Economic and Human Rights Laws” (Washington, DC: Georgetown Law Center and the American Society of International Law; Rapporteur; 6 April 2004). +“NAFTA Investment Law and Arbitration: the Early Years” (Washington, DC: American University; Conference Organizer, Co-chair and Presenter, 22 March 2004). +“The GATS After Cancun: Where Do We Go from Here?” (Toronto: Osgoode Hall and the University of Toronto, 6 March 2004). +“Case Studies in Trade in Services” (Toronto: Canada – US Law Institute, 26 February 2004). +”Multilateral Investment Protection: Lessons from the WTO Acquis” (Halle, Germany: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Faculty of Law, 17 January 2004). +“Welcome Back Mr. Calvo” (Miami: American Arbitration Association, Inter-American Bar Association and Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission, 29 January 2004). +“Free Trade in Garbage?” (Detroit: Wayne State University, 29 October 2003). +“Culture and Trade: Dichotomy or a Distinction without a Difference?” (Chicago: John Marshall Law School, 14 November 2003). +“Minimum Standards and International Law” (East Lansing: Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University, 17 October 2003). +“National Treatment: Not Just for WTO Lawyers Any More” (San Francisco: American Bar Association, 10 August 2003). +“The Non-Discrimination Principle in International Investment Law” (Cologne, Germany: University of Cologne, 12 June 2003). +“Canadian Cultural Policy Ten Years After the NAFTA – Is Harmonization a Cause or an Effect?” (Windsor: University of Windsor Law School, 14 June 2003). +“The Convergence of WTO and NAFTA Law – a Matter of Both Process and Substance” (Chicago: Chicago Kent Law School, 5 March 2003). +“NAFTA Norms” (New York: Columbia University Law School, 27 March 2003). +“Fundamental Principles of NAFTA Investment Protection” (East Sussex, UK: Queen’s University, 2 June 2003). +“The International Lawyers and the Warrior Diplomats” (Montreal: McGill University, 4 November 2002). +“What to Do When Foreign Investors Violate International Human Rights Obligations” (Washington, DC: ASIL, 5 October 2002). +“Judicial Review of International Arbitral Awards in Light of Mexico v. Metalclad” (Toronto: OBA, International Law Section, 30 September 2002). +“The Nuts and Bolts of NAFTA Arbitration” (Washington DC: ABA, International Law Section, 11 August 2002). +“The WTO and Reform in China” (Beijing: Judicial Forum, Beijing Management School of Politics & Law, 17 June 2002). +“The Nay Sayers of the NAFTA” (Toronto: C.D. Howe Institute, 2 May 2002). +“NAFTA Chapter 11: A Problem in Need of a Fix or a Fix for Those with a Problem?” (Toronto: University of Toronto Commercial Law Conference, 19 October 2001). +“The Possibilities for Transparency and Third Party Participation in NAFTA Investor State Arbitration” (Monterrey, Mexico: ABA, International Law Section, 11 October 2001). +“A NAFTA Claims Primer” (Boston: Boston Bar Association, 14 May 2001). +“Swimming in the Wake of Myers & Metalclad: Trade, Investment & the Environment under the NAFTA” (Toronto: CBA-O), International Law Section, 18 January 2001). +“No Compensation for Regulatory Expropriation: How a ‘Sound Science’ Test Can Limit Compensation Owed Under the NAFTA” (Boston: ABA & ASIL, 20 October 2000). +“The Phenomenon of Overlapping International Trade Obligations: What Does It Mean for Electronic Commerce?” (Toronto: CBA-O), International Law Section, 30 March 2000). +“Seattle 1999 Update: Services, Investment, Intellectual Property and E-Commerce” (Toronto: CBA-O, International Law Section, 7 December 1999). +“Electronic Commerce, Trade and Culture: Strategic Issues for the WTO” (Toronto: CBA-O, International Law Section, 4 May 1999). +“Regulatory Flexibility and the Financial Industry” (Toronto: INFONEX Senior Management Seminar on Financial Services, 25 October 1995). +Millertime +Forum Replies Created +- AuthorPosts +- September 3, 2013 at 1:46 pm in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1975 +Hey Stevie, great to hear from you too bud. I just sent the invite out an hour or so ago. Chargers Rock is already in, as am I…but would love to get 10-12 teams over the next couple of days. +Again, I apologize for my absence. It’s been a pretty hectic time for me until very recently so I was behind on everything. +Dan Schneider is going to continue to work with us on this site and we’ll get it turned around. It only takes a dozen or so people to chip in and comment and it becomes interesting. +Hope you decide to squeeze one more team in for me. I really do enjoy our league and this would be year 4 for The Bronco Bus league. Pretty impressive.September 3, 2013 at 1:43 pm in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1974 +Just returned from a 4-day golf trip/vacation down in Oregon with the GF, Maria. It was fantastic and relaxing with plenty of beers going down smooth. +For the record, I just sent out invites to all the same teams from last year. If we get enough to play, great. If not, no big deal. I changed the draft to ‘Auto-Pick’ due to the late notice. As soon as I can I will set the draft to ‘Go’ and we’ll get our teams. I may open it up to the public as early as today if we don’t get at least 8 teams…which I assume we won’t.August 30, 2013 at 1:25 pm in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1968 +I was about to renew the one about a month ago but saw on the other blog that someone was starting a new one since I’d been gone….so I wasn’t sure if anyone was going to do the original anymore. I know it’s not as cool right now, the new blog and the old ff league… I seemed to have ruffled some personal feathers with a cry baby or two from the old blog so they won’t come over to the new one. +:) +Such is life.August 29, 2013 at 2:59 pm in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1965 +Hey Timmy, how you been bud? Hope all is well out there in the plains. I bet you’re looking forward to another football season. I actually have my first practice of the season as head coach of my YMCA full Contact 3rd and 4th grade team tonight. I’m totally looking forward to that. Nothing more cute than the little dudes who’s heads, while wearing helmets, both out-weigh and out-size the rest of their bodies.August 29, 2013 at 12:25 pm in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1963 +Hey everybody…or anybody. MT’s gone through a lot of changes in the past year, so much so that would go months without even reading the paper. But, finally, I’m settled in. +I’m not one bit concerned about all of the old guys/gals that choose not to embrace the change to this Bus and enjoy chatting on the old Bus. There are plenty of Bronco fans that will eventually join in with me/us and we’ll make this Blog sweet again. +I’ll start making daily posts, and will be starting up that contest again and will throw $100 into the pot for the winner. I’ll review the rules and make it as simple as possible for anyone that wants to play. And, remember, you don’t have to start from Week 1 to have a chance to win. Some of us might have negative points mid season so people can join in as the season progresses and still have a chance to win $100…and bragging rights. +I do appreciate the couple of you that have popped in and checked on it. I hope you come back this week and we can get some conversation going. +MT +Timmy, I’ll shoot you a text and see how you’re doing.July 10, 2013 at 1:02 am in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1956 +Alright, MT has been gone for a very long time…but I’m about to kick this thing back into gear so we can take off. I’ve had a million changes in my life recently and have been pulled away from driving this Bus, but I will not let it go to the junkyard. Worked way too hard for 6 years to keep it rollin’ to give up now. We are going to have contests, prizes, arguments and discussions about all things NFL in the coming months so check back, participate and let’s have some fun. \ +MTApril 6, 2013 at 9:07 am in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1943 +Rounds 1 & 2 I expect the player to contribute as a rookie. On a really good and deep team, then maybe not round 2 but definitely round 1. +I guess it is possible for an edge rusher to come in and make an impact this year. And I do agree that a 3rd round rb could also easily even become a starter… +All I know is that we need rb depth bad!!! Dudes are always getting hurt at that position and last year it killed us.April 3, 2013 at 8:17 am in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1941 +So what position does Denver go in round 1 this year? I think easily our biggest need, basing it off of last year anyway, is Running Back. But then I read that article about Hillman kicking ass so now I’m not so sure. If Hillman beefs up a little, and we have McGahee, then I guess we don’t have to draft one until later rounds…but we still need depth. I actually hope we do go RB in either round 1 or round 2.April 3, 2013 at 8:13 am in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1940 +I like DJ going to da Bears. I have always liked DJ and thought he was a good guy…but he has proven me wrong over and over. I think Woodyard has surpassed DJ in Denver so he may as well move on. And Urlacher is really slow now, unlike DJ.March 20, 2013 at 11:07 pm in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1933 +I think that helmet rule is the dumbest rule I’ve ever seen. How on earth does that pass? So running backs have to run straight up and down now? How do you run someone over with your head up? That’s just goofy and ridiculous!February 10, 2013 at 12:19 pm in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1927 +Well this whole format is new to The Denver Post so they have had some glitches to work out. I think it’s pretty much worked out now though. +As far as people migrating over, it’ll eventually happen. I’m not worried about it a bit. There are a couple that I don’t care one way or another, if they ever decide to come over here and, by next season, we’ll have some new people joining in. People don’t like change and I hurt a couple of people’s feelings from the Original so they’re pretty determined to keep the other one going and for this one to fail. Neither will happen though. :) +I think this one was too inconsistent and too complex for some people’s likings. I think what I’m going to have is one football discussion thread and one fantasy football thread and stick with that. If people don’t like the casual discussion that goes on from time to time then I guess they can just complain about it, like they always have. +So there will be those two discussion threads and probably 3 or 4 weekly contests. Like I said before, I’m throwing in a $100 prize to the winner of my Master’s Challenge contest, so that’ll draw some people. Then we’ll have the Pick ‘em contest and one more simple one. +Either way, I appreciate you stopping in from time to time. I’m the controller of the company I work at so January is a really rough month for me because I’m doing taxes and closing out all of my annual accounts so I’m flooded at work. Once I’m done with that, like I am now, i’m able to spend a lot more time relaxing and talking football. +I’m not giving up on this thread. Even though it feels really slow, it’s started out a lot faster than the Original did.January 25, 2013 at 11:28 pm in reply to: The Masters Challenge (New Contest) #1924 +And yeah, so much for Philly and Vick having anything to prove. The only thing they proved to me is that they had enough of the 2012 season!!! +Oh well, I do like the game. If there are any ideas on how to simplify the scoring I’m all ears, but I actually really like the system. +And, like I said, I’ll put $100 up for next year’s winner, out of my own pocket, just for fun. Gives us all a little something to play for. +Hope to have a good field for next year! +MTJanuary 25, 2013 at 11:20 pm in reply to: The Masters Challenge (New Contest) #1923 +Thanks Timmy and Todd for giving the game a once-over. I apologize that it went by the wayside for the last 3 weeks but something happened here and I couldn’t edit the posts or the odds before kickoff. I’ll look at simplifying it as best I can before next season and hope to get a dozen or so of us playing from week 1.January 24, 2013 at 7:18 pm in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1922 +I think I’m about ready to start talking free-agency for Denver. Interestingly enough, Denver has the top free-agent on the market as soon as free-agency begins and, of course, if he actually hit the open market, and that’s Ryan Clady. This time of year you can basically wipe 8 of the top 10 free-agents off the board because you know their existing team is going to sign them or place a tag on them…Ryan Clady is no exception. Dude’s not going anywhere. Joe Flacco’s a free-agent, not going anywhere. Jarius Byrd in Buffalo, not going anywhere… +The most interesting one for me among the top 10 is Wes Welker. I’m pretty sure Welker won’t be back in New England next year. They always let high-priced free agents walk because Belichick believes he can replace anyone…other than the ONLY reason Belichick has had so much success, Tom Brady. So I think Welker’s a gonner, and it makes me wonder how he’d do here in Denver. Could you even imagine Manning having Welker, Decker, Thomas, Dreesen and Tamme? Wow! +It’s hard to look at a team that finished in the top 3 or 4 in offense AND defense and find ways for them to get better…but Welker would be a significant upgrade, which is scary. +I’ll be combing through the list, as I always do, to throw out a few more names and see what people think about them. My belief is that Manning has 1 or 2 more years left so if we want to bring Mr. Lombardi home during that time, we need to add at least one significant play-maker on either offense or defense. +Wes Welker would be just that!January 14, 2013 at 11:36 am in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1918 +No doubt Tim. I’m actually a bit stunned. Not that I didn’t think Baltimore had a chance as much as it’s just weird how sudden it feels when your season is over.January 13, 2013 at 10:43 am in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1916 +I hope you got your tickets sold Bobby. Pretty short notice though. Of course, i’m in Spokane so I couldn’t have made it but I sure would have loved to have been there, even now knowing they lost.January 9, 2013 at 11:20 am in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1912 +“I gotta feelin’ its a SBXXXII rematch and the Broncos 3rd SB Victory!” +I think I’d rather a SBXXXIII rematch…I think. Although Atlanta might be a better team than Green Bay so maybe I don’t.January 7, 2013 at 8:46 pm in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1910 +I’ll be the first to admit that it’s hard to not look past round 1 and to our possible matchup with New England at home. But I’ll simultaneously thank the lucky stars that Manning isn’t as dumb as we are. This time of year, anybody can beat anybody, no doubt about it. If Jacksonville can be 1 play away from beating New England two weeks ago, Baltimore can certainly whoop our butts. +Manning hasn’t given New Enland a single thought…for that, I am thankful.January 1, 2013 at 9:12 pm in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1899 +Hey broncobilly, nice name dude…it’s my fantasy football name. I do agree that we’re not the same club as week 5, I just hope New England is the same club. Their defense is weird. They pitch a shutout…then give up 35? They’re super reliant on turnovers, so it all starts there for Denver. Do not turn the ball over!!! +New England gives up 22-23 points per game, 17th in the league…that’s playing Buffalo twice, Jets twice and Miami twice. Denver should for sure throw 30 up on them…it’s just a matter of holding their offense, averaging 35 per, to less than 30. +Don’t care about rushing yards, passing yards or time of possession. Tenn scored 28 points in 5 minutes on Sunday. If we score 30 in 5 minutes or 45 minutes of possession time, I don’t care.December 28, 2012 at 12:09 am in reply to: The Bronco Bus #1884. +- AuthorPosts +Trying to find the best waterproof dry bag? In this post, you’ll learn how to choose the best dry bag for your adventure. Plus our picks for the best dry bags – including waterproof barrel roll-top, large barrel, backpacks, phone and camera dry bags. You’ll need a quality bag to keep your gear safe while traveling between islands in the Galapagos and hiking the trails in the Amazon rain forest. +Best Dry Bags for Safe Gear +Many people only get one chance to visit the Galapagos Islands and tour the Amazon jungle area. Whether you head there for the first time or the 100th time, you need the right protection for your belongings. +On our Galapagos trips, we traveled many times between islands by speed boat. This means that our gear traveled from the hotel to dock (often on a pickup truck), then sat on the dock, and then on an open backed boat. +Even when it didn’t rain, it was exposed to lots of moisture. We traveled with one dry bag and a couple of standard luggage bags. +When on a Galapagos or Amazon tour, I recommend that you travel with at least one dry bag – for your electronics and important documents (like identification and passports). +Dry bags are great for adventures because they keep everything inside completely dry. You can use one to store your clothing and anything else you need on your trip, including a laptop, clean clothes, and emergency supplies. With the best dry bags for adventure trips, you can even keep your phone and other electronics safe from the water. +This is a pretty comprehensive guide. If you don’t want to read the full article and just want the best dry bag, here it is: +Best Premium Dry Bag: Yeti Panga Backpack +This backpack by Yeti is our pick for the best dry bag. Here’s why: it is fully waterproof, airtight and submersible. That means it’ll keep your gear clean and dry – from rain, humidity, and an upset kayak. +Check current price on Amazon +And because it is a backpack, it’s easier to travel with on trails and buses. It isn’t cheap – but neither is camera gear and replacement passports. If you want to keep your gear safe from the elements, you should check out this bag. +Best Budget Dry Bag: Earth Pak +If you don’t require a submersible proof dry bag (or don’t have the budget), this bag is a great option. It is waterproof, comes in 4 sizes and 6 colors. +Check current price on Amazon +The two largest sizes have backpack straps for hiking and they all come with an additional waterproof phone case. It boasts an almost perfect customer rating. Definitely worth a look. +Need an adventure camera? Here’s the best waterproof camera. +How to Choose the Right Dry Bag: 5 Factors +Before you start shopping for a dry bag and planning your next Amazon adventure, you need to make sure that you know how to pick the best dry bag. +Some of the factors you should consider include both the material used in the bag and its overall capacity. +- Waterproof: PVC is a common material used in these bags because it is either waterproof or water-resistant. A waterproof bag is one that will keep its contents completely dry when in water such as a river or stream. Bags that are water-resistant can keep some of the water from getting inside. Some companies also refer to water-resistant bags as “splash proof”. +- Capacity: When it comes to capacity, bigger is not necessarily better. A larger bag has much more space for your belongings but will also weigh more when empty. Heavy bags can wear on your back and shoulders, especially on adventure trips where you might not have the chance to sit down and take a break. The smallest bags have a capacity of just five liters. Some of the larger bags can hold 30 to 40 liters up to 100 liters. +- Submersible: You’ll also want to look at how submersible a bag really is in terms of how deep it can go and how long it can stay in the water. With a submersible dry bag, you can avoid some of the hassles usually associated with Amazon trips. If your boat tips over or you drop the bag in a river, it will keep the electronics and other valuable items inside safe. Submersible bags are usually more expensive than splash proof bags are but can save you some worries. +- Straps and Handles: Most campers and other adventure enthusiasts also look at the straps on dry bags. Larger bags have both adjustable shoulder straps and carrying handles. The carrying handles let you transport the bag in one hand, while the shoulder straps let you throw it on your back before you head out. Some of the best bags have handles that are both padded and reinforced. The reinforced stitching keeps the straps from separating from the bag, while the padding stops the straps from rubbing uncomfortably against or digging into your skin. +- Other Features: Before buying a dry bag, you need to make sure that you consider all the other features too. If you plan on spending a lot of time on your feet and hiking around the Amazon River, you need one with an ergonomic design. Some models have extra padding on the panel that rubs against your back. You may want one that lets you access pockets without taking off the bag first. No matter what you will take on your adventure, you need to make sure the dry bag has enough space for your belongings in its central compartment and all interior and exterior pockets too. +7 Types of Dry Bags +- Barrel Roll-Top Dry Bags: Barrel roll-top dry bags are among the more popular and best dry bags. They have top edges that you can roll down, which forms a seal between your belongings and the area around the bag. Roll-top bags usually have a single shoulder strap as well as a carrying handle, though smaller models may only have a small carrying handle. +- PVC Dry Bags: PVC dry bags are also popular because this material does such a good job of resisting water and is easy to clean. If you get home from the Galapagos and find stains on your bag, you can spot clean them with a little soap and water. +- Backpack Dry Bag: Those who enjoy hiking on their Galapagos adventures may prefer a backpack dry bag to one of the other models. These bags look like standard backpacks and feature adjustable straps that usually have some extra padding. Some also come with optional accessory bags for your phone or laptop too. +- Kayak Dry Bags: Kayak dry bags are either waterproof or water-resistant and will usually float on the water. These bags also have D-rings that help you attach the bag to the side of your kayak before getting in the water. +- Lightweight Dry Bags: For camping and day hikes in the Amazon, you might prefer a lightweight dry bag. These bags won’t take up a lot of space and can easily fit into your luggage. The space inside lets you take bottles of water, snacks and other things you might need on your hike. +- Phone Dry Bag: Dry bags designed for phones are much smaller in size and only have enough interior space for your phone. Most have a clear window on the front that lets you view your phone at all times. You can press down on this window to turn your phone on and off and to access all your features. The window even lets you take photos while keeping your phone safe. Many of these are submersible. +- Camera Dry Bag: DSLR cameras are quite expensive, but you can protect your investment with a camera dry bag. Some of these bags allow you to use your camera and any lenses you bring, but others come with a dedicated lens that you use on your camera. The dry bags have clear areas and windows that let you view your camera’s screen and access its features. Some bags let you completely submerge your camera without damaging it. +Barrel Roll-Top Dry Bags (3 Options) +Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bag +Brand: Earth Pak +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Barrel roll-top +- Size: 10 to 40 liters +- Material: 500D PVC +- Straps: Yes +- Submersible: Not officially, although some users have had success. +- Other Features: Universal waterproof phone case, sealed seams, adjustable shoulder strap +- Ideal for: Water sports +- Pros: Floats on the water, small pocket for keeping items dry +- Cons: Doesn’t let you access the touchscreen on your phone +Earth Pak makes one of the best floating dry bags. It’s available in several colors, all the shades of this bag are bright to help you find it in the water. +It has a side pocket that is splash proof and comes with a small case for a cell phone or another electronic device. Thanks to the shoulder strap, you can carry the bag over your shoulder or strap it to your chest. +It also has sealed seams that create a waterproof barrier and D-rings for attaching the bag to your boat. +MARCHWAY Floating Waterproof Dry Bag +Brand: MARCHWAY +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Barrel roll-top +- Size: 5 to 40 liters +- Material: Tarpaulin PVC +- Straps: Yes +- Submersible: No. Some users have had success for short periods of time. +- Other Features: Brightly colored, lightweight, sealed seams +- Ideal for: Kayaking and other water sports +- Pros: Floats on any type of water, closes easily +- Cons: Not waterproof if fully submerged +Though you cannot completely submerge this MARCHWAY bag, you can use it while boating because it floats on the water. +It comes in multiple sizes that can hold between five and 40 liters and is also available in multiple colors. Made from a tarpaulin material, it also has sealed seams to keep water out of the bag. +You can easily roll down the top of the bag and use the built-in zipper to keep the bag tightly closed. It also features an adjustable shoulder strap that lets you wear and use the bag on your upper body or over your shoulder. +BFULL Waterproof Dry Bag +Brand: BFULL +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Barrel roll-top +- Size: 5 to 40 liters +- Material: Composite materials +- Straps: Yes +- Submersible: Not listed as submersible, but advertised as an emergency life buoy. +- Other Features: Two exterior pockets, water-resistant at 20,000mm +- Ideal for: Outdoor adventure enthusiasts +- Pros: Functions as a life buoy, easy to clean +- Cons: Smaller sizes lack a shoulder strap +It has reinforced stitching on the seams to keep the bag from breaking and a small window that lets you check on the contents inside. This bag is waterproof and features two pockets for storing breakable items and important documents. +With this BFULL dry bag, you can get help during an emergency because it also functions as a lifebuoy. Once you remove your items, you can use the bag as support to float on the water. +Though it comes in both smaller and larger sizes, the smaller bags lack the shoulder strap that you use to carry the bag on your body. +Large Barrel Dry Bags (3 Options) +YETI Panga Airtight Dry Bag +Brand: YETI +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Large barrel +- Size: 100 liters +- Material: Nylon and laminated materials +- Straps: Yes +- Submersible: Yes +- Other Features: Durable hardware, removable straps, waterproof and airtight +- Ideal for: All types of adventures +- Pros: Waterproof and airtight design, one of the largest dry bags available +- Cons: Might be pricey for some budgets +YETI makes this large dry bag for adventure enthusiasts who want the ultimate in protection when on the water. The zipper on the outside forms an airtight and waterproof seal on the bag, and all the metal hardware is durable enough for daily use. +Made from laminate and nylon materials, this bag is so strong that you can literally drag it across the ground without it ripping. It has straps that dry quickly and feel comfortable in your hands. +This bag weighs less than seven pounds when empty and has all the space that you need to keep your important things dry as you explore in the Galapagos. +COR Waterproof Duffel Bag +Brand: COR +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Large barrel +- Size: 60 liters +- Material: Rip stop +- Straps: Yes +- Submersible: No +- Other Features: Compression straps, pockets on the inside and out +- Ideal for: Camping, boating +- Pros: Secures to protect your belongings, resistant to most forms of water +- Cons: Not completely waterproof +COR makes a dry bag that does a good job of keeping your items safe while boating and on the water. Though the company claims that it’s waterproof, some users found that their clothing and other items were damp when they checked them later. So while it might not be 100% waterproof, it’s lower cost might make this the right bag for some settings. +It has four compression straps that help you pull air out of the bag to keep it waterproof and padded straps with reinforced stitching. +A small zippered pocket inside the bag is just the right size for health and beauty products, while the outside of the bag features a larger water-resistant pocket with a zippered top. +Earth Pak Waterproof Duffel Bag +Brand: Earth Pak +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Large barrel +- Size: 50 to 70 liters +- Material: Not listed +- Straps: Yes +- Submersible: No +- Other Features: Buckle system, D-rings, multiple storage pockets +- Ideal for: Camping, adventure sports +- Pros: Easy to carry, comes in several colors +- Cons: Will not keep your belongings safe when fully submerged +Available in both 50 and 70 liter sizes and in several colors, this Earth Pak dry bag lets you pick options that match your preferences and trips. +The commercial and PVC materials used in its construction can stand up to all types of adventures. You can carry the bag via the two small handles on the top or with the adjustable shoulder strap, which you can also remove. +The large compartment in the middle of the bag has a reinforced bottom, but you’ll also find smaller pockets on both the inside and out. It also has four metal D-rings designed for attaching the bag to boats and other vehicles. +Backpack Dry Bags (3 Options) +YETI Panga Waterproof Backpack +Brand: YETI +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Backpack +- Size: 28 liters +- Material: Nylon and laminate materials +- Straps: Yes +- Submersible: Yes +- Other Features: Mesh pockets, durable hardware, interior pockets +- Ideal for: Camping, boating +- Pros: Completely waterproof and submersible, thick outer shell +- Cons: Might be pricey for some budgets +YETI makes a number of great waterproof bags that include this Panga backpack that can hold 28 liters. The backpack design makes it easy to carry, and it has tons of space inside due to a large compartment with some reinforced stitching on the bottom. +Made from a laminate material and some nylon, it is resistant to scratches and other damage. It has both adjustable shoulder straps for added comfort and a top carrying handle. +This bag also features multiple storage pockets that you can access on the inside without fully unzipping the top. The main zipper is water-resistant and forms an airtight and waterproof seal. +Unigear Waterproof Backpack +Brand: Unigear +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Backpack +- Size: 35 liters +- Material: PVC +- Straps: Yes +- Submersible: No +- Other Features: Three closure options, detachable laptop bag, zippered exterior pockets +- Ideal for: Daily use and hiking. +- Pros: Functions as a barrel bag and backpack, suitable for using every day +- Cons: Much larger than you might expect +With three closure methods and ways to use it, this Unigear backpack can go everywhere you do. You can use it for your daily commute but also when swimming or camping. +This 100% waterproof bag uses PVC materials and has a PVC film on the top that adds to its water protection. +Each of the three zippered pockets on the outside can hold your phone and other items to keep them safe from the water, but there is also a mesh pocket that can hold bottles and drinks. +Earth Pak Waterproof Backpack +Brand: Earth Pak +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Backpack +- Size: 35 to 55 liters +- Material: PVC +- Straps: Yes +- Submersible: No +- Other Features: Reflective design, ergonomic panel, waterproof phone case +- Ideal for: Adventure sports and trips +- Pros: Keeps you comfortable when hiking and spending time outside, protects phones and other valuables +- Cons: Not durable enough for all types of trips +From hiking and camping to rafting and surfing, this Earth Pak backpack can handle all types of adventures. It has a MOLLE system that is similar to those found on military bags and D-rings for attaching it for added security. +The included waterproof case fits most cell phones and has a strap for carrying it on your neck. Once you fill the bag, you can fold down the top and secure it to keep all items safe from water and other elements. +With a splash proof zippered pocket on the outside and several small compartments, the bag has room for all your belongings. +Don’t forget to weigh your luggage before heading to the airport. You’ll hit your max weight faster than you might think. Here’s our guide to choosing the best luggage scale for travel. +Phone and Camera Dry Bags (4 Options) +YETI Hopper Sidekick Dry +Brand: YETI +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Phone bag +- Size: 11.75 by 7-1/8 by 3.75 inches +- Material: DryHide +- Straps: No +- Submersible: No +- Other Features: Magnetic closure, reinforced seams +- Ideal for: Those with a Yeti Hopper cooler, but works well as a stand alone product. +- Pros: Suitable for most accessories, keeps products safe and dry +- Cons: Works best if you have the cooler +Those who own a Hopper cooler from YETI will appreciate this Sidekick bag that can hold most of their accessories. It has Velcro closures across the back that make it easy to attach the bag to your cooler before camping or boating. +The magnetic closures on the top of the bag form a watertight seal but are easy to open when you need to remove something from inside. This small bag can hold your phone, keys and other small items. +JOTO Universal Waterproof Phone Dry Bag +Brand: JOTO +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Phone bag +- Size: Fits 100 by 170mm phones +- Material: Certified waterproof materials +- Straps: Yes +- Submersible: Yes +- Other Features: Waterproof certified at depths of up to 100 feet, clear touch screen window +- Ideal for: Camping, boating +- Pros: Gives you full access to your phone, blocks out snow, water and sand +- Cons: May develop some fog on the touchscreen window. +Whether you love the sand and the ocean or the dirt and the snow, you can keep your phone safe with this JOTO phone dry bag. +The snap system lets you open the case and insert your phone before snapping the case shut. That snap forms a waterproof barrier between the phone and the water. +Safe for use at depths of up to 100 feet, this dry bag has a large clear window on the front that lets you use the touchscreen on your phone. It also has a handy carrying strap that you can wear around your neck to keep your phone on hand. +To keep the inside from fogging up, drop a couple of these in with your phone. Here’s more about how to keep fog from forming inside the bag. +YETI SideKick Waterproof Portable Bag +Brand: YETI +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Phone bag +- Size: 9 by 1.5 by 5.5 inches +- Material: DryHide fabric +- Straps: No +- Submersible: No +- Other Features: Zippered top, water-resistant exterior +- Ideal for: Use with the YETI Hopper cooler +- Pros: Holds most small objects such as keys and phones, fits onto the side of the Hopper cooler +- Cons: May be too small for your needs +If you have a Hopper cooler from YETI, you can use the company’s phone bag to keep your phone and other small belongings safe. It has Velcro straps on the back that make attaching it your cooler easy. +Made from a DryHide fabric, the bag also has a water-resistant zipper across the top. This small bag lets you keep your hunting or fishing license in a convenient place and also keep track of your keys and phone. +Though it is not submersible, it is water-resistant and can keep those items safe as you float down the river. The fabric used on this bag also dries quickly. +DiCAPac Pro DSLR Camera Waterproof Case +Brand: DiCAPac +- Price: Check current price on Amazon +- Type of dry bag: Camera dry bag +- Size: Lenses of 2 to 5.9 inches +- Material: Polycarbonate and other materials +- Straps: Yes +- Submersible: Yes +- Other Features: Polycarbonate lens, UV protection +- Ideal for: Swimmers and campers +- Pros: Provides full access to your camera, keeps devices safe from water damage +- Cons: Does not fit all cameras +You can feel confident taking your DSLR camera down the Amazon with this dry camera bag. It has a polycarbonate lens that captures images from dozens of feet away and a clear exterior that lets you easily reach and use all the buttons on your camera. +Though it has a universal design, this bag works best with larger cameras and requires that you remove your original lens before using it. +It fits cameras that use a lens of between two and 5.9 inches and is submersible at depths of up to 16 feet. You can attach the best dry bag for cameras via the small straps on the front too. +Here’s more about choosing the best camera for travel. +Common Questions about Dry Bags +What are dry bags used for? +The bags do a good job of keeping their contents safe as you play in the rain or in/on the water. +Anyone who spends a large amount of time outside can benefit from a dry bag. This includes those who love adventure sports such as camping and surfing and those who like hiking. +Do dry bags work? +Yes. While some are completely waterproof and will stop any type of moisture from getting through, others are only resistant to water and will not stay dry when fully submerged in the water. +Though dry bags do an effective job, how well they work will depend on factors such as the seams and material used. +Can dry bags be submerged? +The answer to this question will depend heavily on the type of bag that you choose. When picking a submersible dry bag, you can look at how long it can remain in the water and the depth at which it will keep your belongings safe. +Though some bags will block out all water when dropped into the lake or ocean, others will only work on the water that splashes over the side of the boat or the rain that falls from the sky. YETI makes some of the best submersible dry bags that I’ve seen. +Do dry bags float? +If you spend a lot of time boating and around the water, you may want to consider a floating dry bag. These are a little different from other types of bags because they feature an edge or top that you can roll down and over to form an airtight seal. +Instead of sinking to the bottom of the water, the air inside will cause the bag to float to the surface and remain there. Some of these bags even double as a floating device during an emergency. +How do you remove mildew and mold from a dry bag? +Dry bags can develop problems with mold and mildew, especially if you leave one sitting out after it gets wet. +The best way to remove that mold and mildew is with a little salt and lemon juice. You’ll mix equal amounts of those ingredients and dab the mixture on the spots that you see. Distilled white vinegar also works quite well. +Some bags are machine washable too, which means that you can toss one in the washing machine with your favorite laundry soap and fabric softener to remove both stains and odors. Here’s more from Outside Magazine. +How do you repair a dry bag? +A dry bag repair kit comes with everything necessary to repair a damaged bag. These kits include both patches and an adhesive sealant. +If you don’t have the original kit, this transparent patch kit should do the trick. +You’ll need to pick a patch and cut it to the right size for the hole or tear. +After making sure that the bag is clean, you can apply the sealant to the surface and then place the patch on top. You will also need to rub the surface of the patch to remove any air bubbles and to make sure that it bonds with both the bag and the adhesive. +If you want an easy and convenient way to repair a rip, you can also use a small piece of waterproof tape. The tape will keep the bag sealed until you can get a repair kit. +What are welded seams? +As you look at dry bags, you’ll find that some feature welded seams. This is a process that manufacturers use to seal the seams on the bag to block water from getting through. +If you hold those bags in your hands, you might notice that the seams feel almost like plastic to the touch. Other manufacturers use reinforced stitching that keeps the bags from breaking and can help with the waterproof qualities of the bags. +Of course, if you are using a waterproof GoPro using dry bag isn’t that important. Well, at least not for the camera. Your accessories are another matter. +Your Turn +If you have any suggestions or questions about dry bags please let us know by commenting on this post.. +UPDATE 5/27/14: Part IIB of this Call to Action has been updated to ask that you use a DIFFERENT SUBJECT LINE in your email to OMB/OIRA. If you have already submitted your email to OMB/OIRA, we are suggesting that in an over abundance of caution, you resend the email with the new subject line (see below Part IIB).. +There is an interim deadline for comments on the deeming regulation. Specifically, any comments on the Paperwork Reduction Act aspects of the proposed regulation are due on Tuesday, May 27, 2014. To a large extent, these are comments that merchants and manufacturers should be making rather than consumers, and we understand that the vendors are being mobilized to do it. However, we have determined that it would be useful for consumers to make one particular comment in response to that, as appears below. +For those who do not know, the Paperwork Reduction Act is intended to force regulators to consider the costs of merely doing the paperwork and such needed to comply with a regulation (i.e., not the actual substantive requirements of the regulation). We believe that FDA has used completely inappropriate estimates for the paperwork costs of this regulation. In particular, they have estimated that there will be only 25 applications for premarket review of new tobacco products filed in connection with e-cigarette products. They have estimated very low numbers for the various other filings -- not as low as 25, but far fewer than there are merchants and products. +We all know that these numbers are far below the number of actual e-cigarette products on the market, and we need comments that make that known. Basically FDA is either wrong about their estimates or are explicitly saying that all of the other products will be driven off the market. While consumers cannot effectively comment on the question of whether that is accurate, you can definitely make the point about what you would be losing and that perhaps their estimates are naïve. +This Call to Action consists of three parts. The first part (Part I) is preparing a comment. Part II described how you make the comment (Part IIA contains instructions on how to comment to FDA and Part IIB contains instructions on how to comment to OMB/OIRA--both are necessary). Part III asks you to share this Call to Action with others. +PART I. +SUGGESTED LETTER COMMENTING ON PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT ASPECTS OF PROPOSED REGULATIONS +YOU SHOULD EDIT AS APPROPRIATE +Please count up the following and insert the numbers into the comment below (which, of course, you can edit in any way you want). +-. +We realize that most of your estimates will be quite rough. You should just use phrasing like “over 100” or “about 30” and not worry about getting the count exactly right. +Be sure to include the title line, which is required for the OIRA filing (see below). II. +INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE THE COMMENT +We are asking you to BOTH (1) submit a comment (Part IIA below) and then ALSO (2) email a copy of that comment to OMB/OIRA (Part IIB below). It is important that you take BOTH STEPS. +Part IIA - Comment to FDA +- Create a document with your comment. You can use the above sample letter as a template and edit to make it your own. (KEEP A COPY OF THIS DOCUMENT BECAUSE YOU'LL NEED IT FOR PART IIB BELOW.) +- Access the comment form for the deeming regulation (FDA-2014-N-0189-0001): FDA Comment Form +- Click in the Comment field and copy and paste your comment from Step 1 into the box. +- Click in the First Name field and type your first name. +- Click in the Last Name field and type your last name. +- If you wish to allow FDA to contact you, click to check the "I want to provide my contact information" box. Otherwise, leave this box unchecked. When you check this box, fields are displayed for you to enter your ZIP code and email address. +- Click to uncheck the box, "I am submitting on behalf of a third party." +- Click the arrow next to the "Category" field to display a menu. +- Select a category from the menu. We recommend "Individual Consumer" for individuals wishing to request an extension personally and not on behalf of any business or group.. +- Click the Continue button. After clicking on the Continue button, you will have an opportunity to review your statement and, if you wish, edit it. (The Edit button is just to the right of the Submit Comment button in the lower right-hand side of the page.) +- On the Your Preview page, click to check the box "I read and understand the statement above." +- Click the Submit Comment button. +- After submitting your comment using the comment form, a confirmation page will appear with your Comment Tracking Number. (You may wish to copy the entire page into an email to yourself.) +Part IIB - Email to OMB/OIRA +Part III. +The next step is to take a copy of your letter and copy it into an email to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov +The subject line of the email should be: FDA Proposed Regulations Deeming Tobacco Products, Agency Docket No. FDA-2014-N-0189; RIN: 0910-AG38. +Please ensure that the title of your letter from Part I remains. +202 comments:1 – 200 of 202 Newer› Newest» +Done. +Done and Done. +Done +Where is this deadline published? I can't seem to find it and I am trying to hep a vendor put together a comment but have not seen any official vendor guidance. +Thanks! +Jobbed +Done +deadline for comment on Tuesday, May 27, 2014 +Done +Done +Done: 1jy-8c7u-sdbk +Happily completed! +Make these links open in a new tab! +Parts 1 & 2 - Done and done. +done and done +Done +Done +Done. Thanks for the reminder. +DONE +ALL DONE, Parts 1 and II.... I hope many many more people join this fight!! +Done : 1jy-8c7u-mdxh +What is the upload function for? Would this be a good place to add pictures of my liquids and hardware? +Completed and posted to our customers / blog readers here: +DONE AND DONE +Your Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8c7v-va96 +Done +done +Done +Thanks for making this process easy to follow! +Done and Done! +done-ski +Done. +Done! +Both done! +Done +Your Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8c7v-w27o +Done from Deans Dreams +Done. I took the liberty of adding: "In short, I have personally purchased and used many more e-cigarette products over a one year period than the FDA's estimate for the total number of new e-cigarette product applications they will receive from the entire industry in a one year period." +Done!! +Done and Done +HHS Economic Analysis +"A single online retailer, myvaporstore.com, claims to sell over 1,000 unique products . FDA analysts counted over 150 unique products among just the top 5 brands." +Incidentally, their estimates are ludicrous and demonstrate how disingenuous or completely out of touch with reality they are. Perhaps both. +This is very deliberate. No currently available NON CIG-A-Like has the slightest, most infinitesimal chance of being approved. So that means there are about 25 + or - currently available Cig-A-Likes that might be close enough to pass exemption.(all big tobacco devices). As there is no current research showing that ecig's are legitimate smoking cessation device as the current language of the deeming proposal clearly states any device needs in order to even be considered. The only way anything good can come of this is to get the whole document shot down. if ANY part of this passes as it is, the industry will be irreparably damaged. +1jy-8c7w-2n0x Done +done and done +Done and Done, But it still baffles me WHY we have to defend something that has helped millions! +The upload is for documents such as multi-page comments and research papers. +Done and done. Spread the word guys! +I think the FDA's involvement in this case is doing nothing to protect the American consumer, it's simply looking for a way to stifle innovation in a rapidly growing market. +Done it! +Done. I'm mad as hell! +I suppose you could, but mainly it's to submit your commend as a .doc or other file. +Done. +Says pick a category, what category? +Done! +Done! +Done. +Done. +Done and done, waiting for the next call to action. +Done and Done +Done. +Done! +Done and Done! +Done and done 1jy-8c7x-bko5 +Done & done as well. +Done and shared. +Done and done +done and shared +Our products purchased may surpass the quantity of autos GM has had to recall in just one year :) +Deb +done 1jy-8c7y-14zc +Done and shared. +done and done +Both have been sent. +Your Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8c7z-jxjo +Done, but the comments' number is way too low at reg.gov. The only way we have a chance to stop this, or at least slow it down and have the FDA make changes, is a show of force by the public. If there not 10s of thousands of comments saying NO to this, the FDA will push it through as-is and we will all be sucking on Big Tobacco's crappy hardware and liquids. Get the word out please, and thank you CASAA!! +done and done +Done, and done, and done! +done as individual (1jy-8c7z-vn8f) and vendor (1jy-8c7z-zmxj) +Shared as well +Done for both tnx +Done, done, and shared. Thank you! +Completed! +Done! 1jy-8c7z-rw7l +And another CTA +~Accomplished~ +It's so good to see how many people are activated now is our fight. Never saw the comment sections so big before. I also want to call out a few Vendors that I so appreciate for stepping up to plate. (Nic Vape, Ginger's E-Juice, Vapor Alley they are sending letters urging customers to do these calls of action, that is just awesome. Thank you to all of us each and everyone for vaping, using smokeless tobacco and doing everything we can to keep it going, for those smokers out there that could be robbed of what we have been blessed to have this past 6 years. (y) +Parts 1 & 2 - Done and done. +1jy-8c80-u910 +Done +done- Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8c80-r0v5 +Done +1jy-8c81-5u9v +thank you! Done. +1jy-8c81-cw0t comment tracking number. Done and done. Thank you CASAA +Done Thank you CASAA +1jy-8c81-5wlh +Done, both parts. 1jy-8c81-573q +I would like to see a section of these types of letters dedicated to what the community DOES want in regulation. We must voice this. If not, the FDA will have very little reason to listen to us, as we will seem more like an angry mob than a group of passionate activists. +In my mind, we stand for the ban of sales to minors. We stand for the regulation of what we put into our juice. We do not stand for the expensive process involved in regulation, but what do we propose instead? This is the key question. The industry will be regulated whether or not we like it, and no products can be sold in the future if it is not. +Lets brainstorm! Lets make our desires and proposed solutions heard! +Done +Done all 3 parts +Done and done! +Done +completed +Done +Can someone please point me to where the FDA made the estimate of 25 products for premarket review? I don’t recall seeing that in the proposed deeming regulation. I don’t doubt that they said this but it is absurd for them to think that, unless there are some really underhanded shenanigans going on behind the scenes (which I’m fairly certain that there are). I would just like to read it for myself. +Done, Done spreading the word everyday! +Done +I get what you're saying and for the most part I agree with you, However, I think the problem with the proposed regulation is bigger than just the prohibitive costs associated with it. Right now, they are basically making the claim that they have the authority to regulate the vaping industry and that all the provisions of the FSPTCA apply to all tobacco products. This process of "deeming" will ultimately require congressional approval before it is finalized. Assuming it is passed, any further regulations that they want to enact won't require this. They will issue a "product standard" and that will more or less be the end of it. At least that it my understanding of it. If I misspoke anywhere, someone please correct me. +Done & done & posted - Keep up the fight & thanks CASAA - My Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8c83-gj7z +DONE, +Done +What category are you? Usually it's "individual consumer" +i.e. continue writing to congress and educate them. +Usually it's linked but seems to be missing here. I assumed it came from HHS Economic Anyalsis from OMD, but I'm not sure. They also talk about small and medium sized business will exit rather than file applications. +Done +done and done! +Done. +Coldrake +DONE & DONE !! +OMG!!!!! 113 people including myself!!!! WTF people spread the word or we can kiss this market "GOOD BUY" Post the link of FB, Twiter, myspace... Any and every social media site you can think of... Have your children, grandchildren, spouses, friends and family comment!!!! Anyone you know that values your health, your life, and your god given rights as an American consumer! I am printing hundreds of fliers to give away in my store. This could be the end of safe, great flavors that have given us the ability to quit killing ourselves while making the tobacco giants filthy fucking rich!!! And I myself after being a slave to R.J. Reynolds for 30+ years would rather be a criminal making my own DYI in my kitchen, than give one more red cent to the companies that profit from killing!!!! People are we really worried about the independent stores crafting great flavors with tasty results? OMG every hand crafted specialty house juice I have ever japed was great! And trust me I have a nicotine testing kit and tested over 200 flavors and not one had more than one percent over or under the nicotine count on the label! I've never been in a Vape Shop and met one owner or worker that wasn't a vaper themselves. And trust me they're not selling anything that they are afraid to vape themselves!!! Now can you say that about the Tobacco Giants?? Hell NO! They have been found guilty of adding more addictive and toxic chemicals to the tobacco they sell than humanly conceivable! And they continue to try and control us at every turn. Imagine only being able to buy 10 aproved flavors and having to Trust that the ingrediants in them are nothing more than VG/PG/Flavoring and nicotine! There's your list of current ingredients!!! I can only imagine the list the FDA would approve for Phillip Morris?? And the monopoly?? who would ever consider buying a vape device if a bottle of juice was the cost of a carton of smokes? Its a sad sad day when we realize that our government founded on freedom takes it away under the guise of protecting us! Bullshit it has nothing to do with us, and everything to do with big business and greed!!!! Okay i'm sorry for the rant.... steeping down from my soap box wiping away the tears and shame..... +done +Done and Done, working on getting wife and other relatives happy to see me quit smoking involved. +Anything in the works for vendors to post as well. I have a modified version of this in the works with research documentation and multipage comments from current customers planning to go up on May 26th. +Mad Props to you Beau!!!! Ans everyone else!!!! May we Vape On Freely!! +I included a .doc that has two tables of columns of numbers. It's more pictorial. But no place to put it here. Can I CC my reps? +Both parts completed this morning. :) +The estimate of 25 is contained in Table 9 of the proposed regulations. +Your Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8c8b-mp0q. tweeted, sent the e-mail, posted on FB and ECF. we need more people doing this!! +Done +Done and done. +Done & done 1jy-8c8d-meoa +UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 +OFFICE OF PREVENTION, PESTICIDES AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES +CERTIFIED MAIL +Dear Registrant: +This is to inform you that the Environmental Protection Agency (hereafter referred to as EPA or the Agency) on September 30, 2004. Based on its review, EPA is now publishing its Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol and its associated human health and environmental risks. A Notice of Availability will be published in the Federal Register announcing the publication of the RED. +The RED and supporting documents for propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol will be available to the public in EPA’s Pesticide Docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0831 at:. +Please note that the attached RED document pertains only to propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol. This RED presents the Agency’s conclusions on the dietary, drinking water, occupational and ecological risks posed by exposure to propylene glycol or dipropylene glycol alone. This document also contains product-specific data that the Agency intends to require in Data Call-Ins (DCIs). Note that DCIs, with all pertinent instructions, will be sent to registrants at a later date. Currently, there are no generic data requirements. Additionally, for product- specific DCIs, the first set of required responses will be due 90 days from the receipt of the DCI letter. The second set of required responses will be due eight months from the receipt of the DCI letter. +As part of the RED, the Agency has determined that propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol are eligible for reregistration. Sections IV and V of this RED document describe product- specific data requirements. +The link to the actual paper is a PDF link in that story. +right click the link and open in new tab +Rosetta Graham Wilson · Tech at Providence Medical Center Anchorage +For all uneducated people out there JESSICA LUNTZ +HEALTH, LEGISLATION, POLITICS, STUDIES, VAPING +EPA & FDA: Vapor Harmless to Children +APRIL 3, 2014 , 47… +Done +Done! +Done and Done. +Done +Done +Your Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8c8g-mtj9 +Done and Done! :) 1jy-8c8g-s6eo +Done, thanks CASAA +Happily Done and done! 1jy-8c8h-2289 +All done 1jy-8c8h-ri92. Spread the word! Fight for our right to live! +Done +1jy-8c8j-jo41 +Spread the word! Public Advertising +1jy-8c8j-ksu7 +Done! +1jy-8c8l-1tnv +Done and done. 1jy-8c8l-i2hb +Done & Done! +Done and shared!!! Vape on!!! +Done and done +DONE & DONE! �� �������� +Done! +done & done +1jy-8c8q-3jq5 +Done! Tracking 1jy-8c8r-wkcy +Done & Done! 1jy-8c94-jyqz +Done. Comment ID sent via email as in the previous CTA. +Done and shared +Your Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8c96-fh9r +Done +Your Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8c9c-b4mk +Done +I kinda said that too: that I was only one consumer but it took this many separate products to keep me off of killer cigarettes. +Which is why We The People are not gonna let that happen. Not based on no facts! +REASONABLE regulation, but NOT at the sin tax levels true cigarettes have EARNED +Done and done tracking 1jy-8c9e-dmOk +I like how they say after agency review, quote: +which may be an indefinite amount of time +We can but hope :) +This particular article focusses on vaping nyc the usage of products that can help in ensuring that the Electronic Cigarettes results are good enough and the individuals can start using Electronic Cigarettes Kits the electronic versions. It has the heath benefit to its credibility and other usages cheap electronic cigarette in any public places. This particular piece helps in covering Electronic Cigarettes Brooklyn all such important and essential areas. +Done & Done! Thanks for the easy to follow directions. +Done with pleasure +Done........ +Done 1jy-8c9u-nns1 +Thanks +Done.......It's great to see everyone taking a stand against this. +Done...1jy-8ca1-uw7f +Done! And a big "Ditto" to Nate Keller. I commented about the same. Keep up the great work everyone....your fabulous. Keep Vaping!!!! +Done & Done 1jy-8ca6-xdj0 +Done - 1jy-8ca2-ua46 Thank you for all that you are doing for ex-smokers/vapers. keep up the good work, and fight the good fight! +done. +Done and Done! +Done +done. steps I and II. Your Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8cat-gd72 +done and done! Thank you for all that you do!!! +Done +Done (1jy-8cb5-ce0e) and done. +done +Done (1jy-8cbd-f8av) +Oops.....forgot. Tracking # 1jy-8ca4-x7g4 +Kudos Nate and well said. I agree with you 100%. :) +Done! Thanks CASAA, as always! +Yes! I got it done. +DONE! +Yes i will have it fone today. +Your Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8cbt-iqa0 +Your Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8cbu-q6pq. DONE. +All three parts done +Done, done and done +Glad to get it done. +Done and Done +Done and done!!! +Completed. +Done +Done and Done! +Done, Done and emailed to 5000+ other vapers around the nation. My Comment Tracking Number: 1jy-8cbz-toev +DONE Come on people reading the forums. Print the instructions, click the link and DO IT. They will bury us! +Done +Done! +i WILL VAPE TIL i DIE...i DONT EVEN SMOKE NICOTINE. yOU CANNOT REGULATE WHAT ISN'T EVEN AN ISSUE. +do it please. everyone who want's to live will do this. +Done again on 5/29. +Done and Shared on FB +1jy-8ce5-63eo +Maxillary Fibrous Dysplasia with Cone Beam Computed Tomography Findings: A Case Report/Konik Isinli Bilgisayarli Tomografi Bulgulari Olan Maksiller Fibroz Displazi: Bir Olgu Sunumu. +Fibrous dysplasia is a benign, fibro-osseous lesion of the bone that results from a localized change in normal bone metabolism. This disease usually exhibits as an asymptomatic, slow enlargement of the affected bone (1). The etiology of the disease is still unclear, but several factors play role. The molecular etiology has been linked with a mutation in the Gs-[alpha] gene, affecting proliferation and differentiation of fibroblasts/osteoblasts, which is coded by the GNAS1 gene (guanine nucleotide-binding protein, a stimulating activity polypeptide) (1-3). +Fibrous dysplasia may affect a single bone or multiple bones (4). The most common bones of fibrous dysplasia are the ribs, femur, tibia, maxilla and mandible (5). The mainly forms of fibrous dysplasia are monostotic form (70-80% of cases) with one bone involvement and polyostotic form with several bones involvement (6,7). Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia may be associated with Mc-Cune Albright syndrome and Jaffe-Lichtenstein syndrome. Mc-Cune Albright syndrome includes polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, multiple endocrine disorder such as precocious puberty or hyperthyroidism and cafe'-au-lait pigmentation on the skin. Jaffe-Lichtenstein syndrome is characterized by multiple bone lesions involvement of fibrous dysplasia and irregular skin pigmentations (cafe-au-lait spots) (1,2). Mazabraud syndrome is another rare disorder associated with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, in which fibrous dysplasia is combined with intramuscular myxomas (2). Craniofacial fibrous dysplasia is a form of fibrous dysplasia affecting the cranial base, involves two or more bones of the maxillofacial region and often includes the maxilla, zygoma, sphenoid, temporal bone, fronto-nasal bones and base of the skull (8,9). The monostotic form is usually diagnosed after puberty, patients in the second-third decades can also be asymptomatic, whereas polyostotic form is usually diagnosed before puberty. The monostotic form affects both genders equally, but female predilection has been reported in the polyostotic form (9,10). The aim of this reported is to evaluate clinical, histopathological and radiographic findings of a patient with monostotic fibrous dysplasia. +Case Report +A 50-yr-old Caucasian man patient was referred to oral and dentomaxillofacial radiology clinic with a chief complaint of unilateral painless swelling of the right maxillary posterior region. It was learned that tooth extraction done years ago because of dental caries. He stated that swelling had occurred in the same area 8 or 10 years ago and had been removed by surgical approach. His medical history was unremarkable, and the neurological examination was normal. In clinical examination, swelling was observed at the right maxillary posterior region and lesion caused painless palatine-vestibule expansion (Figure 1). The overlying mucosa was in normal appearance. In panoramic radiographic examination, partially edentulous maxilla is noted on this radiograph with missing right maxillary molars. Teeth had been extracted a long time ago. Diffuse "ground glass" appearance was observed at the right maxillary edentulous region (Figure 2). Then, the patient was referred for the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) examination to determine the localization and structure of the lesions. An informed consent was obtained from patient. The CBCT image was obtained using a Promax 3D unit (Planmeca, Helsinki, Finland), operating at 90 kVp, 14 mA, with a 0.16 mm voxel size, exposure time of 6 seconds and a field of view of 8 cm. A high-density area was noted extending from tuberculum molare to the right first premolar region, which leads to significant expansion of the right maxillary bone, maxillary sinus walls, intramedullary area and cortical thinning. CBCT images showed that lesion occupied significant portion of the maxillary sinus (Figure 3). It measured about 5x3x5 cm anteroposterior, buccopalatal, and superoinferior dimensions, respectively. Based on clinical and radiographic findings, a diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia in the patient was revealed. +Incisional biopsy of the lesion was performed under local anesthesia and was sent for histopathological examination to pathology department for definitive diagnosis. Histological examination of the bone: irregularly shaped trabecular was viewed within cellular fibrous stroma, composed of fibroblastic spindle cells. Planned treatment for the patient was a contour excision of the right maxillary region for prosthetic rehabilitation. He was called for control at regular intervals. +Discussion +Fibrous dysplasia is a significant lesion affecting the maxillofacial region because it can cause severe facial deformity, asymmetry (11). Craniofacial region is involved in 25% of the fibrous dysplasia cases. The maxilla and mandible are the most frequently affected bones in the craniofacial region (7). The maxilla is affected more often than the mandible and it develops more generally in the posterior region. Most of the lesions are unilateral (2,5). Maxillary lesions may expand to maxillary sinus, zygoma, sphenoid bone and floor of the orbit. The form with involvement of several adjacent bones, such as sphenoid, zygoma, fronto-nasal bones and base of the skull, has been called as craniofacial fibrous dysplasia (10). Craniofacial fibrous dysplasia can cause severe facial deformity and asymmetry, and may lead to neurological symptoms such as hypertelorism, visual impairment and blindness by involving the orbital and periorbital bones (7). Maxillary lesions may extend into maxillary sinus and usually occur in the lateral wall, and the last section of the sinus to be involved is usually the most posterosuperior portion. Also, the peripheral border of the lesion appears as parallel thickening normal shape of the antrum (5). Obliteration of the maxillary sinus is a common finding (2). In this case, observed existing painless swelling in the right maxillary posterior region partially occupied the maxillary sinus. We diagnosed as monostatic type which affected no other bones in the maxillofacial region. The diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia is based on results of the clinical, radiological and histopathological features. The radiological appearance of fibrous dysplasia shows various appearances according to the degree of maturation and quantity of bony matrix within the lesion. In the earlier stages, the lesion may be more radiolucent and well-defined (5). As the disease progresses, it becomes mottled and more radiopaque. The distinct radiopaque patterns are described such as peau d' orange appearance, resembling the surface of an orange, granular or ground glass appearance, resembling the small fragments of a shattered windshield, wispy cotton wool like appearance, or amorphous dense pattern (5). Also, fingerprint appearance is defined as trabeculae aligned concentrically, similar to a fingerprint (12). Fibrous dysplasia commonly altered the lamina dura to the surrounding abnormal bone pattern, narrowing of periodontal ligament space is a useful diagnostic feature for this disease (12). CBCT can be useful in assessing expansion, cortical borders, and lesion's internal structure (5). There are three different image characteristics on CT findings. The most common appearance of fibrous dysplasia is a ground glass appearance (56%), the others homogeneously dense pattern (23%), and cystic variety (21%) (8). In our case, CBCT images showed expansive mass at ground-glass appearance with maxillary sinus expansion. Certain diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia is made by histopathological examination. The macroscopic appearance is in the form of a white and brown solid mass expanding the medullary cavity of the bone (7). The histopathologicalfeatures show benignfibroblastic tissue, arranged in a loose, and irregular, curvilinear trabeculae of woven bone with little evidence of osteoblast in fibrous tissue. The bony trabeculae show an abnormal arrangement, vary in shape and some are thin and C-shaped, called as "Chinese" characters trabecular (2,10). Patients with jaw involvement first may complain facial asymmetry or an enlarging deformity of the alveolar process and pain is rare (5). Although patients are usually asymptomatic, patient's age at the time of diagnosis, characteristics of pain, and process of rapid enlargement of the lesion are important points of the history. It is not accepted that biopsy or surgery is necessary for asymptomatic fibrous dysplasia, but routine follow-up of these patients should be performed (13). Radiotherapy is not recommended, because it may induce malignant transformation (8). In our case, surgical approach was carried out for prosthetic reason and the patient was called for controls with regular intervals. It must be differentiated from other diseases with a similar radiographic appearance, including central giant cell tumor, Paget disease, ossifying fibroma, giant cell reparative, granuloma, brown tumor, eosinophilic granuloma, hemangioma, and well-differentiated osteosarcoma (13). The differentiation from ossifying fibroma can be the most difficult, but ossifying fibroma is an expansive lesion with a smooth margin and has tumorlike behavior. Paget's disease influences older age groups, not unilateral like fibrous dysplasia (5,8). +MacDonald-Jankowski (11) reported as 18% recurrence rate after treatment. In our case, we learned that the lesion had already developed in the same region and that a surgical procedure had been performed, do not have enough information about the size of the previous lesion. However, we think that the lesion was recur or reactive. Malignant transformation is rare, and malignancy has been described in <1% of the cases (4). Lesions may recur or progress to more serious results such as sarcoma (11). Follow-up and recurrence are usually inter-related. Long term periodic follow-up is recommended to determine recurrence and malignant changes (10). +Fibrous dysplasia is a benign disease that has the potential to cause significant cosmetic and functional disturbance. The awareness of dentists about clinical and radiographic findings of fibrous dysplasia is important for early diagnosis. Particularly, CBCT plays an important role in the diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia. +Ethics +Informed Consent: It was taken. +Peer-review: Externally peer-reviewed. +Authorship Contributions +Medical Practices: G.A., K.G., Concept: K.G., G.A., Design: K.G., Data Collection or Processing: G.A., Analysis or Interpretation: K.G., G.A., Literature Search: G.A., Writing: G.A., K.G. +Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors. +Financial Disclosure: The authors declared that this study received no financial support. +References +(1.) Regezi JA, Sciubba JJ, Jordan RK. Oral Pathology. 4 th edt. Saunders Press, USA: 2003.p. 292-4. +(2.) Neville BW, Damm DD, Allen CM, Bouquot JE. Oral and maxillofacial pathology. 3rd ed. St. Louis: Saunders; 2009.p. 63540. +(3.) Park, BY, Cheon, YW, Kim, YO, Pae, NS, Lee, WJ. Prognosis for craniofacial fibrous dysplasia after incomplete resection: Age and serum alkaline phosphatase. I Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2010; 39: 221-6. +(4.) Wei YT, Jiang S, Cen Y. Fibrous dysplasia of skull. J Craniofac Surg 2010; 21: 538-42. +(5.) White SC, Pharoah MJ. Oral radiology. Principles and interpretation. 7 th edt. St Louis, MO: The C.V Mosby Company; 2014.p. 402-8. +(6.) Sontakke SA, Karjodkar FR, Umarji HR. Computed tomographic features of fibrous dysplasia of maxillofacial region. Imaging Sci Dent 2011; 41: 23-8. +(7.) Hanifi B, Samil KS, Yasar C, Cengiz C, Ercan A, Ramazan D. Craniofacial fibrous dysplasia. Clin Imaging 2013; 37: 1109-15. +(8.) Celenk P, Zengin Z, Muglali M, Celenk C. Computed tomography of cranio-facial fibrous dysplasia. European Journalof Radiology Extra 2009; 69: 85-7. +(9.) Jeyaraj CP, Srinivas CV. Craniofacial and monostotic variants of fibrous dysplasia affecting the maxillofacial region. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medicine, and Patholog, 2014; 26: 424-31. +(10.) Speight PM, Carlos R. Maxillofacial fibro-osseous lesions. Current Diagnostic Pathology 2006; 12: 1-10. +(11.) MacDonald-Jankowski D. Fibrous dysplasia: a systematic review. Dentomaxillofac Radiol 2009; 38: 196-215. +(12.); 80: 744-50. +(13.) Hocaoglu E, Yirgin IK, Aksoy S, Arslan G, Inci E, Cimilli T. Computed Tomography Imaging Findings of Craniofacial Fibrous Dysplasia. J Craniofac Surg 2014; 25: 1175-7. +Konik Isinli Bilgisayarli Tomografi Bulgulari Olan Maksiller Fibroz Displazi: Bir Olgu Sunumu +[iD] Gulsun Akay (1), [iD] Kahraman Gungor (2) +(1) epebasi Oral and Tooth Health Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of Oral and Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Ankara, Turkey +(2) Gazi University Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral and Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Ankara, Turkey +Keywords +Fibrous dysplasia, cone beam computed tomography, ground glass, panoramic radiography +Anahtar Kelimeler +Fibroz displazi, konik isinli bilgisayarli tomografi, buzlu cam, panoramik radyografi +Received/Gelis Tarihi: 05.06.2017 +Accepted/Kabul Tarihi: 22.06.2017 +Address for Correspondence/Yazisma Adresi: +Gulsun Akay MD, Tepebasi Oral and Tooth Health Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of Oral and Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Ankara, Turkey +Phone: +90 535 981 39 86 +ORCID ID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1767-1383 +doi:10.4274/meandros.86580 +Hey everyone! I am SUPER excited today because I get to share a project I made using a fun sketch from the new Go-To Sketches publication! And... I'm not alone! Several of my crafty friends have gotten together to inspire you as well. +Have you had a chance to see the new issue up close and personal? If not, today could be your lucky day! Paper Crafts is giving away THREE of these awesome magazines! All you have to do is leave a comment. Keep reading to find out more! +I was asked to join in the fun by one of the Go-To Girls herself - Maren!!! :) If you've ever picked up a paper crafting magazine, there's a good chance you've 'oohed' & 'ahhed' over Maren's work. She's amazing! (... and as sweet as she can be, I have to add!) Here is the sketch Maren sent us: +And... here is what I came up with: +I've been dying to try out these fun little Free Standing Pop Up Cards that I discovered on Splitcoast Stampers! They are so easy to make & can fold flat for mailing! +If you would like to have a chance at winning one of the new Go-To Sketches publications, leave a comment on my blog, as well as on each of the following links. The more times you comment, the better your odds of winning! :) You can also leave a comment on the Paper Crafts Connection blog for an additional chance. +Kim Hughes +Kim Kesti +Jessica Witty +Teri Anderson +- Patterned Paper: ("Mod", Bliss Collection) Crate Paper; ("Sweet Marmalade" & "Cherry Delicious" 6x6 pads) Sassafras; ("Jet Lag", Pack Your Bags Collection) Bella Blvd.; vellum +Accents: (Homespun Chic Transparent Shapes by Melody Ross) GCD Studios; (Thin Birch Real Wood) Creative Imaginations, black embossing powder +Dies: (Labels 8 Nestabilities Dies) Spellbinders +Fabric: vintage +Stamps: (hello word balloon - "Inside & Out" set) Unity Stamp Co. +Ink: (Versamark) Tsukineko +Great card, I've got to try this type! Thanks for the chance to win! +JULIE, firstly your blog is soo beatiful!! I love the little birdie and the colours and well the whole thing!!! As for your card, WOW!! It's oozing with sooo much detail, just awesome!! +Acck!!! This is soooo cute Julie! love it! +Hold the phone! This is DARLING! +Your card is amazing! I would love to have a chance at the mag, but I am recouperating from surgery and cannot stay on the computer long enough to leave a message on all those blogs! I just had to leave one on your, though! SO DARN CUTE!!! +How clever! Love this retro card! +Awesome card. Thanks for sharing and the chance to win. +Simple awesome! Love the take on the sketch and adding a free-standing pop-up card to the mix was brilliant! +OMGosh! This is amaZING! I knew you would rock this sketch. I just love this stand up card and all the details and color combo is perfect. +Wow! What a fun and amazing card! Love it! +Great card. Love all the details. I have been wanting to try this type of card. TFS +AMAZING!! +Now that is a WOW! +Eileen in NYC +So cute! I love the 3-d scene that you have created. +Very unique! Fun! +Love that card. It was "easy"??? hmmmm.. may have to go check those out. Certainly doesn't look it!Just an awesome take on the sketch! +JULIE!!!!!! Wowza--love this. How fun and love those curtains! +this is so cute! wow, even some sweet little curtains!?! Awesome!! :) +Wow! Super cute and original! +I've been wanting to try one of these stand-up cards too! +Oh, My! +Rockin' card!!! Love it! +you are one talented lady! great take on the sketch! +oh my! That is just awesome! I love the curtains you made! Great pop up card! +...so vintage...so cute! +Love the curtain and the whole card. Just too cute. +WooOWw!! This project is truly FABULOUS! Love it - the colors, the style, the details...everything! Great take on the sketch! +I love your card and your blog! I will have to try one of these cards. +Too stinkin' cute! I love it! :) +Oh, my goodness. This is just so cute with that "real" curtain. So cute. +Oh my gosh your card is sooooooo cute!! I love it! +This is just so darn cute! love the curtain and the fun vintage cook! +Whoa!!! What a cute card and interesting take on the sketch. How did you do that anyway??? Marijane +Now that is the absolute FUNNEST (< is that a word?!) card I've seen yet! +- Bridget N +um wow love your take on the sketch. so stinkin cute. +What a creative interpretion of this sketch--love it! +How creative and unique! Great card Julie!! +WOWSA! Easy, you say? It looks like a labor or love! The colors and vintage images are so fun :o) +OH MY!!! SO CUTE!!!! WOW - such a creative card--love it. Just might have to try one of those myself. +such a cute card! I miss visiting your blog all the time but I'll be sure not to be away over a month since you just wow me with your work +What a neat idea for a card. +love, love, love this card! +Holy moly Miss Julie!! This is ridiculously amazing!! Love it!! +hugs +latisha +LOve the name of your blog! +Wow - fabulous project!! +Seriously? Well..this is darn the cutest & funnest thing I have eVER seen. Thank you so much for playing along. +--your #1 fan, Maren +Oh those are so fun. . . +So much dimension and an intriguing taking on the sketch! +What a fun card! Sure brought out the giggles in me. :) +I love interactive card - yours is amazing! +love the cuuuuute curtains! such a fun card! +What a clever take on the sketch!! :) +Wow I love your take on this sketch! Great card TFS! +Impressive! +What a cute card Julie, so fun and sassy!!! Love your new picture too you pretty girl! +Holy moly!! This could not BE any cooler! +What a great card! I love the curtains. +Oh my, this is so so so cute! I have to try the tutorial out too. I love the curtains! +Such a fun idea - love the vintage feel! +Very cool card!! +Wow! +oh my word... this is ridiculously fabulous!!! You might have to "remove it for publication" soon. Awesome! +Oh my, your card is amazing! Your card is definitely one of my favorites! And I really like your blog slogan "Stamped in His image!" +I can see this is from Maren's sketch, but it is hard to believe it is from Maren's sketch. That's the beauty of creative minds. +Cool ~ that is so fun! +Wow your card is amazing! +You did not! Of course, you did. Amazing! +Wow!!! What a cute card!! Great job, as usual, Julie!!! +OH my gosh, that is just so darn cute, I love the pop up, I am so going to have to make one of these!!! +Too cute ! I love retro... +So when I opened your post this was me: +"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Julie! This is rad!" +Clever and really cool! +Teri +Super Tweet! :) +What a fun unique twist on the sketch! I love it! +Very creative!! +Love this unique vintage card !!! +Just sooo cute. I need this inspiration I'm getting today. TFS +so, so cute with the curtain. What a great card. +Now this is one of the best ones yet! Thanx for the creative inspiration. +Oh my wordies what a fabulous project! Totally unique and FABULOUS! +Beautiful trendy cards! Love them and the style! +Hi Julie, I love this vintage-ish card! It's so different! Thanks for the idea. +Great window idea! Thanks for sharing with us. Fun blog hop! +DeniseB +Wow, so unique.. a pop-up card. Neat! +What an amazing creative card! I love it. +Love your interpretation of the sketch! Thanks for the inspiration! +This is really really fun! +OMG! Love it! So clever!!! +Not only would I like a chance to win the magazine, I'd like a chance to win that card. How clever is that? Thanks for the awesome inspiration - it was really neat to see how a simple sketch can turn into something like this! +This is Adorable!! Love your interpretation of the sketch! +Thanks for the chance to win! +Oh my, too fab! +lisa a. +oh my gosh! This is the cutest take on any of the sketches yet! Love the window w/ curtains - simply adorable card. +I have never seen anyone make a pop up card. Very different. +How cool!!!! I really like your blog as well! First time I have been here....and I will be sure to check back often! Thanks for sharing! +Oh what a fun card! The pop-up is totally cool! +Gorgeous Card! Such sweet inspiration for me! Thank you SO MUCH! I love to hop along too :) +Oh my gosh! I just LOVE this!!!! +GREAT pop up card! Aren't they just the coolest things to make?! Love your take on the sketch! +Awesome card! Such a great departure from the "norm" and such a great job of it! I love that throw-back image with the curtained window! CUTE! +What a clever card, Love retro! +Darling card! +wow, what a neat card! +what a fun card! +Sandra +Wow that is amazing! Love it! +WOW Julie - this is sooooo you! Haven't visited your blog in a while - nice stop back by. +What a cute idea! I love it. Very creative! TFS +Oh my gosh! What a fun take on the sketch. Great job. +Great card using the sketch! +I would love to win this mag!!! +thanks for the chance! +Marcia +Wow!! Love the card! The blog! the birdie! You Rock! +OMGOodness girlie! LOOK at your curtains!!! FABulousness!! +What a creative and unique take on the sketch - love this, Julie!! +Okay- this is seriously the cutest card I have EVER seen!!!!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the vintage look and the curtain is the icing on the cake;) +Jenny +Is there no end to the creativity! Holy cow, this blog gets my crafty side going every time. Love it! The 3D take on this card is awesome. +I do so love retro! These cards just speak to my childhood! +Great stand up card, Julie! Love it. +What a fun take on the sketch, Julie! I'm so glad to have found your blog -I just came across your youtube channel a couple of weeks ago and have already been CASEing your work. I'm a big fan -thanks for sharing! +How clever is this, Julie? You always manage to insert your great style into whatever is trendy. This card is no exception. +Great take on the sketch.. +Love this little masterpiece you've created, too cute! +Love this little masterpiece you've created, too cute! +Great card. This sketch is sure going to inspire all of us. +You were just too clever. Cute card! +This is absolutely adorable! Great job and thanks for sharing! +WOW! Your pop up card is so creative! +What a grand idea!! Very clever! +This has to be the most FUN anyone ever had with a free-standing pop-up card!!! +Very creative & cute! +too cool chick!!! + come across huge waste products that has to end up being dumped to maintain your job location free from the trash. The trash produced by your home remodelling will cause quite a few adverse effects impacting on the eco-system producing pollution within the environment also. Self discretion of home rehabilitation trash can put you to problems like time period consumption, physical stress and budgets. You may need some specialist help to handle the task hassle free. +Compulsive hoarding can be characterized by the inability or disinclination to remove rubbish from the household, even if the things being kept have no importance, are unclean, or actually impede around the sufferer's capability to perform daily tasks. Interpersonal interactions, professional aspirations, mobility around the house, as well as daily necessities such as washing as well as cooking can be achieved difficult or impossible because of the excessive quantities of hoarded junk. Beating this condition involves medical input and counseling, as well as meaning support from family members along with other loved ones. Just before those measures can be totally realized, nevertheless, it is important to very first ensure that the living space in question is utterly cleared of superfluous garbage, particularly any goods that may be straight threatening private safety or posing an important risk to the house. In order to take this vital step, hoarders might require the help of an expert junk hauling business. +As soon as the property has been cleared from the tenant's things, then it's time to focus on vehicle repairs. Evictees are often horrible tenants (that they had to be evicted, after all!), and so they can do some pretty considerable damage to your house that must be mended before you can rent it again. Odds are that you will have to replace the flooring in the rental; handful of renters leave undamaged flooring. If the ex- tenant got pets, it is vital to replace the carpet to remove just about all allergens. Nonetheless, if there is any harm done to the particular walls or repainting is necessary, save time as well as trouble keeping those previous carpets fitted to function as lower cloths because you repair as well as repaint. As soon as the repairs are performed, rip out there and replace the old carpeting. Perform any needed preservation on kitchen appliances and fixtures, and then start showing the property to end up being rented once more. Better chance with your up coming tenants! These kinds of and other difficulties will influence the process of 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY, regardless of the nature from the project. Consult tough inquiries, demand crystal clear answers, if you know you have many possibilities when it comes to renting roll off containers. +If you select a 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY organization, service possibilities vary thus sift through them and exercise the best choice for you. +Before hiring some sort of 30 lawn 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY, you need to be sure to are following all the regulations and rules of your location. For example, in case you are cleaning out your apartment and you are the actuel, you must keep your complex has enough place to place the large dumpster in the parking garage. Nevertheless, in case you cleaning our very own home or business, you would like to make sure that your metropolis laws will allow keeping such a thing on the street. Do not misjudge the size of most of these dumpsters, as they demand plenty of place. Homeowner's links or comparable organizations might not allow it. Although, you can find a ideal solutions for all those, but it's far better to seek authorization in advance in comparison with waiting as well as watching. +They maintain your home, community or neighborhood neat and clean. Like this, they save and your family or friends through harmful flying and take a flight borne ailments. +Just a few of the causes people need dumpster leases, but sometimes have trouble locating 1, are: Clearance of plants around a hearth zone for defense against remember to brush and wildfires, tangible and dirt removal just as an old cornerstone, just plain garbage elimination (furniture as well as trash) just as a in foreclosure house, as well as recycling. Receive the right dimensions and the proper estimate through an online roll off 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton website and you will get the very best value feasible, and this will abandon a little more with your budget for all those gold-plated faucets! Should you be remodeling space you will need to rent a new dumpster. The heavy shower housing can be sculpted out of the lavatory and placed into the dumpster so you or your service provider can get started on replacing your casing with ceramic ceramic tiles. +Dumpsters are also useful for non permanent storage and they also often have doors on the conclusion, where you can place a bring and wheel up your trash, or a top rated "hatchway" which is genuinely convenient intended for throwing second floor products into, or old roof covering materials. Several rental dumpsters are split into three sections so you can recycle easily. Ordinary dumpsters come in five, twenty, twenty five, and 45 yard measurements. Even a five yard you'll help a home-owner get prepared, and a significant project could use several smaller ones to segregate everything becoming removed from your home or making. +Now a days it really is been noticed than some companies are also using the services of these companies. Therefore next time if you see big ton of junk after get together than just tranquil because you understand that people through garbage provider are stored on their approach!!!!! By using a significant dumpster or significant dumpsters you will keep your current restaurant small business area seeking neat when you're having the bathroom renovation done. This can keep your clients and community businesses content. +Nowadays there are quite a few competing firms offering garbage receptacles and removal bins with rent. They are distributed across quite a few areas as well as cities. You'll be able to select the closest one on your own to avoid just about any exorbitant prices the companies may possibly ask you for driving. +You and your partner or wife or husband may have been organizing to update your family area to your very own fashion. +Dealing with a company located around your project offers distinct strengths. One of these is simply because are more likely to understand local rules covering specifications for the environmental issues, as well as logistic considerations like street weight restrictions that may lead to requiring an individual to use a couple ten backyard containers in lieu of one thirty yard container. This is a legitimate issue, one that you would choose to know about beforehand, rather than by dialling your container supplier containing failed to show up late for the first day's your project, simply to find out the driver came back to the backyard because he cannot access your region. Another advantage of your nearby clients are that they have possibly supplied pots precisely where you need these individuals, so they may anticipate these and other instances before they will become a problem. Finally, a nearby company provides less risk of delays caused by weather as well as traffic. +You also have to keep in mind that dumpster rentals have weight restrictions in it. Every dumpster sizing will have distinctive weight restrictions. Before choosing your own rental, it's important to take into account the weight restrictions on the dumpsters that you're considering. Many of the roll away containers may have weight restrictions of 10 tons. Some of the scaled-down front insert dumpsters have considerably smaller weight restrictions, so it will be important to check out these restrictions in the beginning. +Opting for the 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY products and services would allow you to enjoy the free of charge added space on completing your work. With hearing pretty much everything I am sure you could be looking for a 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY provider who can place a full stop to all your waste materials management wants. Dumpster direct is a such most significant 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY service provider within USA that offers solid waste materials collection waste materials disposal, transport and these recycling services in order to both business and hose pipe hold products and services as well. The corporation prides itself with regard to it's consumer centric products and services round the clock. +The expense of 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY varies (considerably!) from company to company, so it pays to just shop around. Find a 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY organization that fits your budget and do it. It's guaranteed to cost less than filling your gas tank would in any manner you want to twice yearly! Some organizations offer 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY and also garbage rubbish bin rental services that will collect junk from you and also recycle the item. Hence they get you rid of the garbage along with doing the work in an eco-friendly approach. The company an individual assign to complete the job will provide you with some sort of bin as well as dumpster of a big as well as small sizing depending on the volume of trash. A regular example of these dumpsters and packing containers can be seen for the construction web-sites. They may be available with the company offering you services in numerous shapes and sizes. You can put the order of a big bin as well as dumpster for more garbage and scaled-down ones for less garbage. +Simply no job is simply too big with regard to 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY in Baltimore. You only need to perform a very small number of research on which size of overnight 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY you will need for your particular work you are doing. +Today, how to go about employing a professional 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY service agency? Before you go use one of the qualified service providers, you need to have see-thorugh picture with regards to the quantity of the waste that is going to be got rid of and whether the 6 Yard Dumpster in Dayton, KY service provider can hold your requirements. you need to go through the contract agreement of the Dumpster rental service provider and also familiarize yourself with the terms and conditions of the agreement as there are limits for many companies about the quantity waste materials as well as objects disposed from the waste just be sure you fit into the factors. It is always advisable to have a preceding check with service agency on these issues before you go hire just one. +Fourth, when you are your dumpster, be sure that the materials you are throwing away usually are approved by the municipality you live within. You can't dispose of flammable as well as hazardous resources or tires and devices in your dumpster. You will get hit that has a fine in the event you put against the law materials inside your dumpster. So, find +Joe Biden Combats AIDS +By streiff Posted in 2008 — Comments (22) / Email this page » / Leave a comment » +Joe Biden has to be my favorite candidate in the current field of Democrat presidential wannabes. Who else can come up with truly entertaining stuff like this from last night's debate at predominantly black Howard University: +A question on the high rate of HIV infection among African American teens triggered the liveliest exchange when Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware said: ." +I'm not saying Joe Biden is a liar (or that he and Barack Obama have anything more than vigorous man-love going on between them) but I'm willing to pay good money for video of Joe Biden holding a use-a-condom rally in a black neighborhood somewhere in Delaware. +« Dueling June Obama fundraising claims? — Comments (2) | I Did What? Wow! — Comments (29) » +Joe Biden Combats AIDS 22 Comments (0 topical, 22 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment » +Good Lord in Heaven, hear my prayer: make such a video available. +wrote the very script himself back in 1984. +Pat Hickey +Quentin Langley +Editor of +Damn perfidious Albion! Colour My World and Call Me Cyril! +Pat Hickey +I can't think of a better example of why sometimes birth control is a good idea. +But then we would miss all the buffoonery. I am truly vexed. +"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" +Contributor to The Minority Report +I bet that THAT part of Biden's personal pitch was extremely successful. +On a more venturesome note, I bet Biden's preachments scared Obama straight. :>) +It made good sense to call out Clinton for her ignorant remarks on AIDS and assertion of a lack of "outcry" in spite of massive federal funding to the contrary, but this one is a head scratcher. +. There’s no shame in being tested for AIDS." +In one sound bite you have someone calling for personal responsibility among black males, pointing out the relevance of choosing abstinance, and trying to de-stigmatize the act of undergoing testing. Are those liberal viewpoints worthy of derision or conservative viewpoints? Or just plain common sense? +that's a rhetorical question. Of course you believe Joe Biden held use-condom rallies in black neighborhoods because otherwise your comment makes no sense. +All I'm saying is show me the video. +"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling +If the post was really all about your disbelief that Joe Biden ever actually attended some kind of rally in Delaware and advocated black citizens with the positions he claimed to, then why the "I'm not saying Joe Biden is a liar"? Just be blunt with it, you're certainly not in enemy territory, afterall! +Of course you believe Joe Biden held use-condom rallies in black neighborhoods because otherwise your comment makes no sense. +Really? By that logic I guess you must think he's a liar, otherwise your comment makes no sense, right? C'mon... +Whether he did or didn't (lack of a video hardly proves he didn't, while absence of evidence means we can't know if he really did), the content of the statement in question strikes me as unusual given it's coming from a (D). From my perspective the important take away was "Democratic Presidential Candidate takes Conservative Position: Calls for Personal Responsibility in Black Community, Advocates for Abstinence". +In other words, you had a liberal candidate espousing what I'd tend to think are conservative ideas in a public transcripted debate, in front of a predominantly black audience. How did that audience react to his statement? That seems more intriguing to me than whether he really did it or not, but I'll grant you that although I don't know either way (which is the logical position that I presume we actually share), and don't have a belief either way (which I presume puts us at odds), if he did lie then I'd be grateful to see you expose him with some evidence. Delaware has a 20% black population which exceeds the national average of ~13%, BTW, so it's not like it's patently impossible for this to have taken place. +Is Biden a pariah in the black community such that you think he wouldn't attend such rallies? Do you think that it's absurd to imagine a rally taking place in a black community where condom use and AIDS are discussed, or just that if such rallies do take place, there's no way Biden would ever have been there or said such things? +when you start writing stories instead of sharpshooting what others do you'll have earned the right to provide literary critique. +The idea of a US Senator holding rallies on the use of rubbers striks me as patently ridiculous, not to mention a waste of his time. +Listen to the video at Mark Kilmer's link for how the audience reacted. +"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling +De Opresso Liber +in that (some suspect) that his evil inner element yearns to say what many of us believe: Biden probably isn't so much a liar as he is a BUFFOON: Liars are much more malicious than some poor self-besotted mannequin who believes every word he has ever spoken - whether or not he ever spoke them. +He is a kabuki player - without either the make-up or the costume. +Poor Devil!! +is that huge fake Cheshire Cat grins he likes to display at odd moments. +If there was Biden video... and I'd bet the farm there isn't. It would look like this. +Biden: "Boys... (because what Bidenism doesn't have a racial faux pas right off the bat?) this is a condom. If you were hanging out in school you would have been able to get these free at the health clinic." +Biden: "It's no big deal... well for some it might be bigger than others (laughs). You know what I'm talking about." +"But what I'm trying to say is that if even if you have to go to a... (has the 7-11 flashback) any 24 hour store and get one. It's not... a big deal... I mean messy." +(opens condom... it's lubricated so his hands get all messy; gives some assistant a look of helplessness) +Biden: "Well see you take that and put it on your Johnson... Jackson... Mr. Humpty... whatever your pet name is for it. And you slide it on like so." +(manages to get slide the thing on a cucumber with help from the assistant... she's totally embarrassed and he's completely clueless of how unprofessional this looks.) +Biden: "See there... you might need some help. But there you go... no Aids for your aid... aider. Thanks Susie. Ummm... no matter who you are hooking up with homey." +(proudly holds up the cucumber wrapped in the greasy condom... then puts on the coup de grace and grabs a black sharpy and starts to color the condom black scribbling like crazy and not even registering the shocked inhale of breath from all 7 people that are there watching this fiasco) +Biden: "And when you're done with it... it will look like something like this." +(proudly displays blackened member... as the aid comes in swoops the 'teaching device' away and throws it into the garbage) +"Took the nickname Troll long before BlogTrolls existed..." +He needs to work the "I'm from a slave state!" bit in there somewhere, though. +--- +Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman +Can you imagine the firestorm from the media if a Republican had said those things? +when you start writing stories +I know, I know, you've prodded me before. The thought has crossed my mind in the past, eventually it will break out. +The idea of a US Senator holding rallies on the use of rubbers striks me as patently ridiculous, not to mention a waste of his time. +That's fair enough, I understand where you're coming although I don't agree completely. It's not absurd for Senators to take some kind of leadership/advocacy position on such issues. And to be honest my gut feeling is that most all politicians are probably lying most of the time, but I try to stamp down that gut feeling and consider them objectively, which includes taking a default neutral position on their truthfulness sans evidence. At least in this instance what he actually advocated for struck me as uncharacteristically "conservative", and I mistook his stated position as the target of your post rather than the potential that he never actually attended any rallies as he asserted. +Use the "Reply To This" link, not the "Reply" link. +____ +CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little. +What exactly does he mean by "getting people in the position where testing matters" (sounds sketchy to me!) +Forty isn't old -- if you're a tree! +Forget HIV, Biden should be tested for contribution to global warming with all his hot air coming out of his flapper. +Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you. Washington Elected Elite +Hot Air has the vid of Barack Obama, after Joe Biden's AIDS answer last night, remind the audience that he's not gay. +I didn't watch, and I don't wish I had. I'm getting the good stuff here in the right blosophere. +[NOTE: The video in the post I linked opens with Joe Biden speaking the words which Streiff quotes in the parent note. Obama's utterance is in response.] +Pink Castle Fabrics is an online fabric shop full of Modern Fabrics, owned by Brenda & Jason. Fabric selections include all of the latest designer fabrics, Japanese kawaii fabric, vintage-inspired fabric, geometric designs...you name it! They specialize in modern quilting fabrics, but also carry flannels, apparel fabrics, as well as a very exciting selection of monthly Fabric Clubs! +* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * +For this week's Giveaway, Pink Castle Fabrics is offering a SURPRISE bundle of cute Japanese fabrics from their Kawaii Fabric Club!! You can read more about this exclusive club opportunity here and can find the Kawaii Club monthly offerings available in the PCF shop right here!In addition, now through Sunday, use the code JAPAN30 while checking out to save 30% on all Japanese fabrics!! Grab yourself some delightful double gauze, beautiful echino, a fabulous bundle, or any of PCF's many, many Japanese prints! +* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * +Enter to Win! +Here's how, +1. Simply leave a comment here in this post! (one entry) +2. Follow Pink Castle Fabrics 2nd. The winner will be chosen by ! ++ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +Thank you to all who entered the Giveaway!! +From 1,276 entries, Mr. Random says the lucky winner is... +Comment #376 -- * Anonymous who said...I follow you on FB. (sdenzel@hotmail.com) * +From 1,276 entries, Mr. Random says the lucky winner is... +Comment #376 -- * Anonymous who said...I follow you on FB. (sdenzel@hotmail.com) * +Congratulations! I will be in touch shortly! +these are adorable! +So cute! Kymjim@att.net +YAY! Love Pink Castle Fabrics AND Fabric Giveaway Friday! Thanks for the opportunity! +Love me some of that orange and lime green. I have my next project tools ready! Lexilee46307@yahoo.com +I follow Pink Castle on IG. +I also follow you on IG and Facebook! +followed on Facebook +MC, Hi, check out my Fri post.. +Hi there, have a lovely day! Anja +... and I follow you on Fb. :-) +I follow your blog & Instagram +I follow pink castle on FB +I really do love this fabric +Shared on Pintrest: +This comment has been removed by the author. +This comment has been removed by the author. +I follow on FB and NL +I follow you everywhere :) +These are adorable fabrics! +I follow you on fb, instagram, and bloglovin' (does that make me a stalker?) :-o +Shared on Google plus, but I think we should keep this a secret.. lol +I follow Pink Castle on Facebook. +Lovely prints- my daughter would be all over these! Thanks for the giveaway. +So Cute! Love it! +So cute! Thanks for the chance! +I follow Pink Castle on fb +I follow Pink Chalk on FB +I'm a follower of you :) +I follow you on Facebook. +I am now following Pink Castle Fabrics on Facebook. +I follow you on FB and Bloglovin. +Thanks for the giveaway (and thanks Pink Castle too!) +I follow you on Facebook. +Would love to win! +I'm now following Pink Castle on FB. +Beautiful fabrics. Thanks for the giveaway. +I follow Pink Castle on IG. +I shared on fb. +I follow you on FB, IG and email +I "shared" your post on Facebook. +Pretty, pretty, pretty! I would love to make something with these adorable prints! Thanks for the giveaway! +I follow you on Facebook! +I'm always so tempted by these fabric lovelies! Thanks for the chance! +I love Japan Japanese fabrics +I follow Pink Castle on FB. +I follow Pink Castle on FB +I follow Pink Castle on IG! +I now follow Pink Castle Fabrics on F b. +I follow pink castle on Facebook and Instagram +This is a great giveaway. Pink Castle has some amazing Japanese prints, and I love getting surprise fabric. It's always lots of fun to unwrap. +And I follow you on IG and Bloglovin! +Adorable fabrics. Thanks! +I follow you on Facebook and Instagram! +I love the fabrics...they are so cute! +I follow on Bloglovin +Pick me ! +I follow you on Facebook +I shared your giveaway on Twitter. +How fabulous +I follow you, Maureen :) +these are adorable! Thanks for the chance to win these! +I shared on FB :) +following on facebook +I am following PC on FB - why did I never do this before? ;) +These would be such perfect fabrics for kiddos~ :) +How fun these are! +Cute fabrics - thanks for the chance to win. +Love those small Japanese prints. Bought some while there. Saw more in France. +Following Pink Castle Fabrics on FB - thanks again. +These are adorable! +Follow you on Facebook. So many ideas. +I'm a follower of your blog with Bloglovin' - thanks. +I follow you on fb +I'm following Pink Castle Fabrics on Facebook +Sweet ! +Love Love! I already follow you on facebook. +I've shared your giveway on Facebook :) +I absolutely love these. I love little character print fabrics. +Hey, Maureen...love your creativity. +I follow you +I follow you on FB! +oneoldgoat1962 at gmail dot com +I am following Pink Castle as well! +I like Pink Castle on FB +oneoldgoat1962 at gmail dot com +Shared on Facebook! Thanks for the giveaway! +What cute fabrics! Thank you for another great giveaway. +I follow Pink Castle Fabrics on Facebook. +These are too dang cute +I follow Maureen Cracknell Handmade on Facebook. +I follow Pink Castle Fabrics on Facebook. +I follow you on FB and love this kaleidoscope of colors. +Love theses fabrics +I Tweeted about the giveaway @lfrobom. +I follow you on facebook, too! I hope this is my lucky day =D +I follow you on facebook +I love the pretty colors and all of the fabric. I have one favor. I wish you would put in a small section that give a few more details on how to enter. I thought that I had a good handle on how to do things like enter but I found that I don't understand all of the how to's. Thanks +I love Pink Castle! Great shop! +I follow Pink Castle on facebook +I follow you on facebook and bloglovin +I follow Pink Castle on facebook +Beautiful prize! +I know a sweet little boy who needs a new quilt and these beautiful fabrics will make him the sweetest quilt!! +wonderful selection..love it...follow you on facebook...thanks for the chance to enter... +I love the Kawaii fabrics. Very cute. I also love pink castle fabrics and have purchased quite a few of their bundles. :) +I follow you on Blog lovin and instagram :) +Squee so cute! +I follow on IG +These Pink Castle Fabrics are so cute! +I follow you on bloglovin +Oh my those are too cute!!! Thank you for the opportunity!!! =) +I follow Pink Castle Fabrics on FB. +These fabrics are adorable. I have never seen anything as cute around here. +I follow you on FB. +Following you and this great fabric co!! +I follow Pink Castle Fabrics on IG +Super cute! +I follow pink castle on FB +I just liked Pink Castle Fabric and I love their selection! +I follow your blog +I follow you on FB, IG and Bloglovin =) +following PCF on FB! +Great prize! Love the fabric. +following you on FB +Love Japanese fabric!!! +pinned on Instagram :) +love these fabrics! +I follow Pink Castle on Facebook and Instagram! +Fabric so fun! +My favorite type of fabric. Thanks for the giveaway! +My favorite type of fabric. Thanks for the giveaway! +Lovely giveaway! a_lehto_koutsoviti@yahoo.gr +I follow you on Facebook! :) +I follow you on FB! +Such cute fabrics. I love sewing something fun with fabrics like those. +What a cute collection this is. +I am your follower on Instagram +Love you're site and giveaways. +I follow Pink Castle on Instagram +I tweeted; +I follow PCF on FB +Cute stuff! +I follow on facebook. +I follow you on FB. +Cute fabric +I also follow you on FB +Japanese fabric is addictive! I follow Pink Castle on FB as well +Cute fabric! +I shared on instagram :) +These fabrics are so adorable - thanks for the chance to win! +I follow you on FB and Instagram +I'm following Pink castle fabric on instagram now :) +I shared on FB. +Count me in! I love cute Japanese prints. +That fabric is super cute! +I follow you with Bloglovin' +I follow you on Bloglovin'. +I follow Pink Castle with facebook too. +I love Pink Castle Fabrics- follow them on FB and Instagram. +I follow Pink Castle Fabrics on Instagram. +I follow Pink Castle on FB! a_lehto_koutsoviti@yahoo.gr +How fun! These fabrics are so quirky and cool! +Love this giveaway! +I follow you on Facebook and Ig +I didn't know they had apparel fabric. I'll have to check them out! +I also follow you on FB. a_lehto_koutsoviti@yahoo.gr +I follow pink castle on facebook +I follow you on facebook. +I follow you on FB +I follow pink castle on FB +Those fabrics are adorable! +Those fabrics are adorable! +Those are really fun fabrics! :) +I follow pink castle on facebook. +I follow you on facebook. +That would be lovely to have, my mind is turning thinking of ways to use it. +I follow Pink Castle on Facebook. +I am already liking / following you on Facebook +Pink Castle Fabrics is a great company. +Very cute fabrics! +I follow you on F.B. +I follow you on Bloglovin +These are super kawaii!!!!! +Adelina (axmathews@hotmail.com) +So cute fabrics! +I follow Pink Casstle on Facebook +I am a follower of your blog . +i shared via pinterest +I follow you on FB and on your blog! +Adelina (axmathews@hotmail.com) +Wow, what cute prints! I'm heading over to their website to look around. I've been making little girls tiered twirl skirts, and these prints would make adorable skirts! +i already follow pink castle on facebook +Like Pink Castle on FB. +i already follow MCH in every way! +Follow you on your blog, FB and Instagram. +I shared the giveaway on FB. +i just adore kawaii prints!!! so much fun! +Love Japanese prints! They are always so bright and happy. +Soooooo cute!! Just love these!! +Pretty fabric! +I follow you with bloglovin' +I don't have an kawaii prints, this would be fun to win! +I followed pink chalk fabrics on facebook +I love the Kawai line, especially the print with kitties and octopus +EQUINE SHIVERS +Clinical Aspects of Myasthenia ('Shivers") in Horses +CLINICAL ASPECTS OF MYASTHENIA (‘SHIVERS’) IN HORSES +No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in +any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the author. +Abstract no improvement and a gradual steady decline in the +horse’s usefulness. This in-depth look at Shivers abandons the conventional classification of +‘lameness’ and attempts to characterize and appreciate a broader definitive context, namely that +of underlying autoimmune disease. Taking into consideration the clinical aspects of three stress- +related immune mediated disorders (Myasthenia Gravis(MG), Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic +Syndrome (LEMS) and Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS)), Shivers is redefined as a component of +two autoimmune states traditionally labeled MG and LEMS in humans and as a potential +development in horses with equine FMS. On the basis of this new approach to a centuries old +problem, useful and effective nutritional treatment protocols are reported. +The average age of onset for Shivers is 2 to 4 years or older, and the vast majority of affected +horses are male (geldings or stallions).. Stress in any of its various forms will exacerbate the problem; for example, work in excess +of the horse’s fitness level, extreme summer or winter weather, traveling long distances, etc. +There are many historical accounts of horses developing Shivers after a long train journey. +possibility of an autoimmune state arises. +The Myasthenia Gravis (MG) Horse +When comparing multiple Shivers horses with each other it becomes abundantly clear that +several clinical entities exist. If an effective treatment approach is to be formulated the +management team (caretaker, veterinarian, blacksmith, body worker, nutritionist, etc.) should be +informed with rudimentary knowledge of what goes on at the cellular level. Within the +autoimmune category (an overly stressed immune system attacks some of its own body proteins +producing antibodies), Shivers reflects a disease of neurotransmission, specifically at the +neuromuscular junction (NMJ). At the NMJ, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is released from +small nerve endings, flooding the. Deficits caused by acetylcholine receptor antibodies, skeletal muscle +weakness, cramping within the inner thigh muscles and occasional sweating at rest characterize +what could be called the ‘post-synaptic myasthenic horse’. +Current day symptomatic treatment of MG in humans, dogs and cats is based on knowledge of +the synaptic transmission of motor impulses at the NMJ by acetylcholine. Conventional handling +of MG uses drugs which inhibit cholinesterase +temporary acetylcholine synthesis, neurotransmitter synthesis. Vitamin B12 is a +requirement for the synthesis of choline, a building block for acetylcholine. Magnesium activates +many enzymes; it is energizing at moderate levels but at higher levels it acts as a muscle +relaxant. Manganese has a role in acetylcholine synthesis. Copper is interesting in that women +require more than men; many horse owners believe mares require more copper than geldings +and stallions. Zinc reinforces the immune system. Vitamin C alone has as much if not more +value than vitamin B1; in addition to promoting healthy muscle contraction and metabolism and +helping with neurotransmitter synthesis, it has (drum roll please) mild anticholinesterase activity. +A deficiency in Vitamin E, important in energy metabolism in muscles, leads to elevated muscle +protein breakdown as in MG. According to several published reports, human MG patients have +been successfully treated with megadoses of vitamins B1, C and E. +As of the 1930’s some doctors were prescribing vitamin supplements in megadoses; in 1967 the +term Orthomolecular Medicine was contributed by Linus Pauling in order to convey the concept +“the right molecules in the right amounts”. One of the early originators of Orthomolecular +Medicine was a 1936 graduate of Duke University School of Medicine, Frederic Klenner. Using +vitamin C in conjunction with other nutrients to fight a number of illnesses, among them MG, he +was influenced by earlier work that linked nerve degeneration with multiple nutritional +deficiencies. Eventually he developed a protocol for MG (and multiple sclerosis), described in his +paper, “Response of Peripheral and Central Nerve Pathology to Mega-Doses of the Vitamin B- +Complex and Other Metabolites”. This same protocol can be extrapolated for use in horses with +extraordinary positive results. For the average one thousand pound post-synaptic myasthenic +horse on a healthy diet the following nutrients can a 500 parts per million colloidal +suspension orally or intravenously). All vaccination and deworming programs should be re- +examined. Research has shown that even routine vaccination exacerbates active MG in other +species. Repetitive vaccination amounts to an immunologic challenge to the horse’s already +compromised system. Many over the counter. Immunosuppressive steroids +should be reserved for those horses that have lived with Shivers for years; they have a place in +critical situations but should be set aside once the patient is stabilized and made reasonably +comfortable. +The Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) Horse +With an understanding of Shivers as a problem of neurotransmission at the NMJ it becomes +possible to differentiate a second clinical entity that could be called +comprehension of what the outside of the horse is telling us. A thorough assessment for clues +will enable the observer to correctly conclude whether a Shivers horse is pre-synaptic or post- +synaptic. (The post-synaptic horse is generally quite normal except for hind leg muscle attempting to +trim (COPD) ‘sweet itch’ dermatitis in summer; different autoimmune problems +tend to cluster. +intestinal).. An amplified potential for positive changes that can be jump started by using certain +nutrients in certain amounts and ratios (and in the same respect by using megavitamin therapy) +is implied by the concept of neuromodulation. +Approximately two-thirds of all levels. a dose of 0.02 milligrams +per pound of body weight once daily will dramatically reverse all the symptoms displayed by a pre- +synaptic Shivers horse (of either sex) within 2 to 3. As expected, grams) along +with serotonin allies chromium (2 milligrams) and Ginko Biloba (500 milligrams). This formula +works quickly (within 3 to 4 days) and efficiently for the pre-synaptic horse. It produces mild to +moderate improvement in the post-synaptic horse. +For the pre-synaptic Shivers horse supplementation with serotonin boosters amounts to a fairly +sophisticated yet simple to administer be more accurately +Fibromyalgia in horses is in most instances a diagnosis by exclusion. emotional or physical event fright’ animals, horses react to stress with a natural reflex posture that can be +seen from afar. They switch from the relaxed back, head down grazing stance to a hollow backed +high headed one. Wild horses, dependent on +uneven ground and problems standing up in a moving horse trailer. Not surprisingly some +individuals start cribbing (a compulsive habit which affords the horse some relief in the form of +endorphin release). +To say that hormones and neurotransmitters enjoy a close relationship is a gross +understatement; the details of their interactions are varied and complex. Reflecting different +endocrine imbalances, FMS horses can exhibit extremely high or low lame in a different leg next week) from front to back +and/or from side to side are nearly always FMS horses. Small animal veterinarians dealing with +a shifting leg lameness will quickly suspect underlying infection; equine veterinarians are +cautiously reluctant in this regard. (Immune mediated disorders are more commonly diagnosed +and treated in small animals than in horses.) +Immune mediated neuritis in the FMS horse manifests most dramatically in the head area +(cranial nerve involvement) and the hind legs (stringhalt, another hind leg lameness). Stringhalt +is defined as intermittent upward fixation of the patella and usually has its origins in trauma to the +nerves supplying the lower cervical and upper thoracic portion of the horse’s nervous system. It +can be observed at any of the forward gaits and is much more common in FMS than Shivers. By +the time either condition appears veterinary intervention is critical. The following protocol is user +friendly, horse friendly and effective: a double dose of fenbendazole daily (4.6 milligrams per +pound) for 5 consecutive days followed by a once daily dose of ketoconazole tablets in the feed (2 +milligrams per pound) for 15 days., it stimulates the immune system and it kills +off any overgrowth of Candida +back within normal levels healing can proceed naturally and unimpeded. Stringhalt in these +horses will gradually resolve but a follow-up treatment regimen of the appropriate nutrients in the +right amounts will be necessary for the FMS horse displaying Shivers. +All the same aforementioned long term goals of stress reduction and stress management apply +to the MG horse, the LEMS horse and the FMS horse. Shivers can be effectively handled with +common sense subject horse’s +ability to back up and move the hindquarters over while standing quietly; this exercise is easily +incorporated into the standard pre-purchase evaluation for overall soundness. +This work honors those teachers who have gone before us and continue to light the way: Joseph +Haines, DVM, Frederick Klenner, MD, Frank Palka, DVM, Walter Pruitt, Ray LeRoy and the horses +Piedmont Pete, Brave Illusion and Percy Vere.. +Dyson: The EU sucks +Says who? The brilliant British engineer who’s built an £8bn empire on vacuum cleaners – and, after 25 years wrangling with Eurocrats, just can’t wait for Brexit +SIR James Dyson is lithe, rangy, tanned, beadily alert and, despite never using his own award-winning supersonic dryer, boasts gloriously fluffy hair. ‘It blows my hair to smithereens and gives too much root uplift,’ he says. +This week he was particularly busy, even by his exactingly high standards as Britain’s best-known inventor. on Wednesday, fed up with trying to get politicians to do something about the dire lack of engineers in this country, he opened a university to train them; the Dyson Institute of engineering and Technology. +and, oh yes, he took on Jean-Claude Juncker. When the european Commission president threatened that Britain would ‘regret Brexit’, Dyson hit back with the power of one of his famous cord-free vacuums. +With the benefit of decades of experience wrestling with Brussels committees, Dyson confidently predicted that the UK would leave the EU without a deal. Indeed, he said such a ‘clean break’ would ‘hurt the europeans more than the British’. +This is because remaining EU countries have far more to lose than us. He also dismissed the single market as something that British businesses could do happily without. +‘I’ve been dealing with the EU on committees for 25 years. In all that time we have never been able to influence one iota and have never been able to stop anything,’ he says. +He chose to speak out at a time when the Confederation of British Industry, responsible for the Project Fear scaremongering during the referendum campaign, wants its members to sign up to a letter warning of the potentially terrible consequences of Brexit. +But sir James Dyson is a man who believes fervently in Britain. +such faith has been rewarded over the years. His firm is a £7.8billion success story. +Halfway through our chat in his shiny glass office, surrounded by purple and orange vacuum cleaners, I ask if he’s ever been tempted just to coast a bit; put his designer trainerclad feet up and watch some telly in one of the many sitting rooms of the 60-room stately home he shares with his wife Deirdre. +or spend more time on his yacht (Britain’s biggest), in his private jet, at his French chateau or pottering about in the largest portfolio of land in the UK which, at 25,000 acres, is bigger than the Queen’s. +‘Coast? Coast?’ replies a bemused Dyson. ‘It sounds a wonderful thing to do, but I don’t know the meaning of it. and I never watch television!’ +Instead, he works relentlessly, obsessively and tirelessly. +He has spent his 70th year investing £2.5billion into artificial intelligence research on a new 517-acre campus in Wiltshire, spending £58million on a specialist battery company (there are rumours he’s working on an electric Dyson car) and opening two flagship shops — one in London and the other, manhattan. +He did pause briefly to celebrate his birthday and, as a cheerleader for Brexit, to revel in the decision to leave europe. +‘I was delighted. I still am! It’s a fantastic opportunity to get our sovereignty back and re-engage with the rest of the world,’ he says. +But then he was back at the coalface — inventing, innovating and inspiring. +HIs pride and joy is the Dyson Institute of engineering and Technology. even ignoring the Harrier Jump Jet — a marvel of engineering — on display in the car park, the jet plane hanging in the cafe and michelin-starred chef in the kitchen, it is not like any other university. +For starters, there are just 33 undergraduates — whittled down from 950 applicants (even oxford University has only three applicants per place). They are the brightest of the bright 17 and 18-year-olds, with a* a-levels and design awards. +many have turned down offers from oxford, Cambridge and London’s Imperial College. +The course is predominantly practical. ‘I want them to take risks. I want them to make mistakes. I believe in taking people on very young and inexperienced and giving them great responsibility,’ says Dyson. ‘It’s a grown-up course — a tough option.’ +Indeed. While many of their peers will spend their summers interrailing and lounging around Greek tavernas, his students get just 27 days holiday a year. +But there are no tuition fees. Instead, he pays them £16,000 a year, with no obligation to stay on when they graduate. +It all started when Dyson — an education evangelist who has already spent tens of millions encouraging the study of engineering — met universities and science minister Jo Johnson and grumbled to him about the lack of British engineers. +‘I was very disappointed to find his lavatory didn’t have a Dyson dryer, so I complained about that, too.’ +WHILe the minister made no promises about the dryer, Johnson told him: ‘Fine, go and start your own university.’ Dyson says he thought for ‘half a second’ before saying yes. +That was 18 months ago. He didn’t pause to wonder if it was possible. He and his team are used to solving problems, making things work with bloody-minded brilliance. +‘I don’t like things that don’t work. never have. They bother me — I want to fix them,’ he says. +making things work properly has been Dyson’s obsessive motivation ever since he was a young boy in charge of the household vacuuming and was horrified by the shoddy suction and smell of stale dust and dog the machine produced. +The solution — his world-famous, cyclonic, bagless vacuum cleaner — took 15 years, 5,126 prototypes and his life savings to get on to the market, but it shook up the entire vacuum industry. +He suspects his drive came from losing his parents so young. +His father — a master at Gresham’s Independent school in norfolk, where Dyson was a pupil — died of cancer when he was nine. His mother also died of cancer in her early 50s. +‘It has a huge impact. eighty per cent of prime ministers — from Walpole to major — had lost a parent by the age of ten,’ he says. +‘Life’s short. anything could happen. you feel disadvantaged in some way and want to fight back.’ so he did. as well as vacuum cleaners and the £299 supersonic hair dryer, he’s made wheelbarrows, fans and robotics, and in the process helped put Britain firmly back on the engineering and manufacturing world map. +He employs more than 8,000 staff (many at manufacturing plants in asia since 2002) with plans to expand four-fold over the next five years. There are 3,000 on the malmesbury campus, plus the 33 undergraduates. +on a tour with one of his perky staff, we pop into a classroom. The lesson might be in Russian for all I understand because it is so complicated, but they are so engrossed they barely look up. ‘They have fun, though!’ insists my guide. +all are very proud to be part of the Dyson team — working with the best engineers in the world and taking part in annual staff challenges, which include the Christmas party outfit competition (last year’s entries included an 8ft supersonic), an annual Dyson Bake off and a pumpkin-carving competition. +next year’s intake will live in sleep +pods that will be assembled in Scotland and lifted in by crane. +Dyson has always been fussy about furniture. Back in the bad old days — when he, his wife and their three children were living on next to nothing, the house had been mortgaged ‘over and over’ and he was rarely out of his workshop — their home was almost empty. +‘I don’t like nasty furniture and I’d rather have nothing than something I don’t like,’ he says. +He’s fussy about lots of things. And an obsessive genius. +The Supersonic cost £71million to make, took 60 prototypes, a team of 103 engineers and four years of tests on 1,010 miles of seven different types of hair. +The firm bought so much hair that there was a global shortage, for goodness’ sake. +Today, of course, he is charming and twinkly and insists he ‘never, ever’ loses his temper. He still does the vacuuming at home and keeps 40 of his machines to choose from. +‘I enjoy it — though we have someone who cleans as well.’ +But he sounded a nightmare in the early days. He agrees: ‘I was not a delight to live with.’ +He and his wife met as fellow students at London’s Royal College of Art. ‘I knew very quickly,’ he says. ‘I’m a very decisive sort of person. But she was a real Sixties chick — she’s an artist and did graphic design so we had a lot in common. +‘It’ll be 50 years next year — we’ve had a wonderful life and three wonderful children. She’s funny and lively and very, very patient.’ +She must be. She stood by him through poverty, obsession and potentially ruinous law-suits over his ‘mad, totally mad’ decision to try to revolutionise the vacuum industry with a machine that didn’t lose suction. +‘We did have the odd “discussion”,’ he says, but insists that when he had the wobbles and was ready to chuck it all in, she gee-d him up, saying: ‘You’ve got to win, you’ve got to beat them.’ +He’s certainly not afraid to take anyone on — particularly not Jean-Claude Juncker — and has spent a huge amount of time in and out of court to keep control of his designs. He must feel victorious now, master of all he surveys. He certainly looks far younger than his years. +But he works at it — playing tennis, sleeping seven hours a night, running up and down hills for 40 minutes every day on holiday. ‘I feel like a boy still — a young student’, he says. +He also seems the least stressed billionaire businessman imaginable. Yet he’s incapable of lying in. +‘I wake every morning at six,’ he says. With his giant brain whirring? ‘Yes. But it’s not a big brain,’ he says firmly. ‘It’s a little brain, so it has to whirr extra fast.’ +Presumably his famously adminfree work style — he once said he receives only six emails a day — helps him keep calm. Today, he says he received just three emails; one from his wife, to which he did reply; another from a friend who was thanking him for a birthday present, to which he didn’t reply; and a third, which he doesn’t wish to discuss but was presumably not from Mr Juncker. In any case, that didn’t get a reply, either. +He detests social media (‘eurgh’) and loathes the phone. ‘I hate speaking on the phone. I find it a funny way to communicate. It takes a lot of time and it gets very hot. They fry you, don’t they?’ +So his very dated-looking office landline usually sits on the floor gathering dust (‘I never use that thing’), he struggles to remember the last time he used his mobile and can’t remember ever calling his wife. Though he enjoys exchanging silly texts and emojis with his six grandchildren. +It sounds like he is a better grandfather than father. +‘I probably wasn’t great,’ he says. ‘But I didn’t force them to come out and work in the workshop, though they all did.’ +Maybe they just wanted to see him. Whatever, they were clearly influenced. All have gone into creative fields and all are extremely grounded and hard-working. +‘I didn’t make any money until they left home, so they’ve all seen poverty,’ he says. +BuT it isn’t true of his six grandchildren. However, he insists they know what work is, which is a good thing because meanwhile, the company is growing by 25 to 30 per cent. Last year, profits jumped 41 per cent to £631 million. +When you’re as rich as that already, I wonder — and have an enormous Gloucestershire pile complete with Corinthian pillars, Grade-I listed Orangery, gardens by Capability Brown and your own-designed fans whirring by the poolside — does an extra £100 million or so actually feel any different? +‘It enables you to do things you couldn’t before,’ he says. +And he’s talking about work, not buying Caribbean party islands. +He’s recently hired experts from Aston Martin and electric car firm Tesla, fuelling rumours that he’s working on a car. How exciting! Is it true? ‘We don’t talk about what we’re working on, but good try!’ he says. ‘We sometimes talk about technologies — such as batteries or electric motors or robotics — but not products.’ +For now, though, with his university training Britain’s future engineers, he is focusing on Brexit — and keen to tell anyone who will listen what a great opportunity it is for his beloved Britain. +‘I am not anti-Europe. I am just anti Britain having no sovereignty,’ he says. ‘Our trade imbalance [in Britain’s favour] with Europe is £9 billion a month and rising. That could be £100 billion a year! +‘They’re treating us as if we need them, when the reverse is true. They need us. Surely we want free trade — or we should walk away!’ +And surely, whatever your political stance, this is a voice worth listening to. +Because, after all, while he might be obsessive, eccentric and weirdly fussy about furniture, Sir James Dyson does seem to have been right about pretty much everything else over the years. +Faith in Britain: Sir James Dyson with one of his famous vacuum cleaners and (left) his huge Georgian manor in Gloucestershire +DOODLED VEILED ROSE COVER +Artist: Katie Grace +Medium: Fine Tip Pens and Colored Pencils +HIDE AND SEEK +Artist: Abby +Medium: Colored Pencil +LADY OF DREAMS REALIZED +Artist: Alaina Hornberger +Medium: Digital Painting +ROSE RED +Artist: Beth Andrus +Medium: Pencil +ROSE RED UNVEILING +Artist: Jack Cashen +Medium: Pencil and Colored Pencil +ROSE RED INTERPRETED +Artist: Michael (4 years old) +Medium: Pencil +Interpretation: Michael's big sister told him the story of Veiled Rose. She told him that Rose Red was a kind person, but her skin was hard like rocks. So Michael drew her smiling (upside-down, apparently), and drew lots of rocks around her to represent her skin. +Well done, Michael! +THE JESTER +Artist: Seth Cashen +Medium: Pencil and Colored Pencil +YOU WILL HAVE YOUR DREAM +Artist: FaithSong +Medium: Black and White Crayola Colored Pencil on Black Construction Paper +THE FOOL +Artist: Jack Cashen +Medium: Pencil and Colored Pencil +WITHOUT MY SONGS, THERE WOULD BE NO HEROES +Artist: Alaina Hornberger +Medium: Watercolor +VARVARE, ROSE OF ARPIAR +Artist: Rebekah L. +Medium: Pencil and Colored Pencil +Artist: Lydia O'Neil and Sister +Medium: Costume and Pose +EANRIN AGAINST THE BANE OF CORRILOND +Artist: Trey Lockhart +Medium: Manga Drawing +FALLEN CHILDREN +Artist: Rebekah L. +Medium: Pencil and Colored Pencil +THE HAVEN LIBRARY +Artist: Jemma +Medium: Computer Graphic +IMRALDERA LOOKS OUT FROM THE HAVEN +Artist: Rebekah L. +Medium: Pencil and Colored Pencil +STRENGTH IN THE NIGHT OF MOONBLOOD +Artist: Kailin Richardson +Medium: Pencil and Watercolor Pencil +LIONHEART ABANDONS DAYLILY +Artist: Rebekah L. +Medium: Pencil and Colored Pencil +PROMISE +Artist: Hannah Williams +Medium: Colored Pencil +THE QUEEN OF ARPIAR +Artist: Hannah Rogers +Medium: Water Color and Colored Pencil +Proceed to the "older" post to see more Fan Art! +15 comments: +Katie Grace: WOW. The detail! I love this stationary style, it is so cool! +Abby: Awww! So adorable! Leo and Rosie are too cute! And great perspective on the trees. +Alaina" Oh, she is so wonderfully creepy! Love how you gave such detail to her eyes! +Beth: Gasp! This Rosie! Both sides of her, even the goblin, are so adorable! +Jack: Great job! Poor Rosie's distress! And I love how the wood thrush is there, between her and the Dragon. +Michael: It is so wonderful to have someone your age already practicing your art style! This is a very fun piece! +Seth: Great style! I love Leo's eyes. +Faith Song: Oh, the hair! The hair looks so sharp and icy! <3 +Jack: Another awesome piece Jack! +Alaina: The vivid color and detail here is wonderful! I can't believe this a watercolor! I love his coat, his knife, the hat, the eye-covering--everything! +Rebekah: Beautifully done! The rose embroidery is especially lovely. +Lydia and sister: Awesome depiction of Beana! Great costuming choice and setting. +Try: I love how Eanrin looks like some superhero! The flow of his body and cape is so cool! And great lighting! +Rebekah: Beautiful layout! And the unicorn is so well done. :) +Jemma: ACK! The Haven Library has been designed in Minecraft!!! +Sarah Grace: Oh, the coloring. The lighting. Rosie's sweet grey eyes. This is so pretty. :) +Rebekah: Can I just say how awesome it is that you took such detail on the walls. I LOVE those walls. +Kailin: Oh! It's so cool how youhave so many people depicted here! And the blood falling from the moon like red petals? Genius. +Rebekah: Pretty color! Poor Daylily and Leo! And again, nice walls. :) +Hannah Rogers. Hannah Rogers. This. This. Is. Stunning. The color and lighting and detail and beauty....stunning. +Katie Grace: Ooh, I love the designs/patterns you've given to the Dragon's scales! So pretty! +Abby: Okay, this is just adorable! Rosie looks like she's trying very hard not to giggle, and I almost laughed myself at the thought of them playing hide-and-seek. :D +Alaina: This gave me chills. Her stare is eerie, and her hair so luminescent. Well done. +Beth: I like the way you've done both sides of her. But, ah, poor Rosie. Her expression looks so lonely... +Jack: Very nice. I really like that you have the wood thrush still there with her! +Seth: +Faithsong: +Jack: I love this jester Leo! +Alaina: I love the cocky half-smirk on his face! His coat is gorgeous, and I just noticed that the vines in on the wall form an 'E'. :D +Rebekah L.: This picture is lovely! I love the border of roses! +Lydia and Sister: Great job as Beana! You look the fierce and protective knight of Farthestshore. (By the way, this is Rebekah. :D) +Trey: Dramatic! +Rebekah L.: Ah, how beautiful and sad. I love the layout. +Jemma: Nice! This is really cool! +Sarah Grace: I like the colors, and the rose is in her hair is just gorgeous. Her face is so very expressive. +Kailin: So much of Moonblood is represented here! Very good job! And like Hannah said, the blood falling as rose petals is genius. :) +Rebekah L.: I love the colors in this! Also, I really like the little swirls decorating the bottom of Daylily's dress. Very pretty. :) +Hannah Williams: Whoa. Hannah, wow, this is gorgeous. +Hannah Rogers: I love her dress, I love the roses, I love the throne, I love the expression on her face... :D +Katie Grace: The detail for this is amazing! Love the patterns for the mirror.:) +Lydia and sister: Awesome job as Beana. Love the setting and tilt of the camera.:) +Ahhh! I am writhing in jealousy over everyone's talent! +Katie - love the colors you chose for this, and the incredible intricacy of the patterns. You took the basic concept of the cover and really made it your own. +Abby - I love how this captures Leo and Rosie's childhood relationship! Very nice! +Alaina - Chills. Just...chills +Beth - love the contrast between the two faces, and the haunting expressions in both. The eyes especially are so expressive. +Jack - incredible detail here. I love your choice to use color in just a couple areas with the rest black and white. Very striking +Michael - wonderful job! I love your interpretation +Seth - what a fun piece! I love that you drew Leo in action as a juggler! +Faithsong - great job with the shading on this! And the milky eyes...sends a shiver down the spine! +Jack - great job on this one too! I love Leo's expression - he looks like he's having the time of his life! +Alaina - beautiful. Just how I imagine Eanrin looking. And can I say I love the detailing on his outfit and hat? +Rebekah - lovely drawing of Varvare, great attention to detail with the roses and thorns and her holding the embroidery +Lydia & Sister - love this! Her stance and expression seem to say "don't mess with my girl!" And I want that costume. +Trey - Wow, the explosive feel of this piece is great, I almost expect to see Eanrin start moving +Rebekah - the unicorn is beautifully drawn, and I love it with the words of the song surrounding it +Jemma - this is so unique and very, very cool. I like the colors and the way the green on the stones looks like moss +Sarah Grace - just lovely. The expression on her face is heartbreaking. Also the rose in her hair looks very realistic. +Rebekah L - fabulous detail on this with the vines and trees. The whole picture has a nice, melancholy feel +Kailin - oh my gosh, I LOVE how you combined the drops of blood with the rose petals and even gave the rose blood-red roots. So creative and symbolic! +Rebekah L - great bold colors in this, and I like Daylily's posture and the way she is holding her arm out as if in disbelief +Hannah W- exquisite. the colors, her posture and expression, the detail at the bottom of the gown, everything +Hannah R - gorgeous design and color scheme! I especially love the intricate design of the throne and the background, as well as her shy, uncertain facial expression. Fabulous! +Whew! Hopefully I didn't miss anyone! +Katie Grace: What a neat interpretation! I like that paisley-ish look of the dragon. +Abby: Aww! I can almost hear Rosie giggling. ;) +Alaina: O.O Creeeeepy. Seriously, if she haunted MY dreams, I'd freak out. +Beth: I think this might be one of the first times I've seen that side of Rose--good job! +Jack: Ooh, this brings back memories of that part of the book. :) +Michael: So sweet! You did a great job, and Rose Red looks so happy. +Seth: Yay Leo! I love his hat. +Faithsong: Ooh, she's so eerie... *shivers* +Jack: Ha, his grin is so mischievous! +Alaina: Eanrin!! Love the gold detailing on his outfit. (And that cocky half-grin...) +Rebekah: So mysterious, and I love that border. +Lydia and sister: Great costume! Looks exactly like what Beana would wear. +Trey: Great colors! You could do whole comic books of the Goldstone novels. +Rebekah: *sigh* So sad... +Jemma: LOL, it's Minecraft! +Sarah: Like others have said, her expression is so good. (And so is the rose. And the sky.) +Rebekah: Ah, our wistful Imraldera... +Kailin: I always loved that line. And that rose is so pretty. :) +Rebekah: Ooh, their colors stand out so well from the background. +Hannah W: *le gasp* Oh that is gorgeous! I love it! +Hannah R: Aw, she's so queenly! This is beautiful! +Beth: oh my goodness! I was never sure how to imagine Rose Red as a goblin and now that I see this, it's perfect! +Hmm, everyone likes my rose border and Hannah likes my walls. Thank you guys, you make me feel so happy!! ^_^ +@Katie Grace: Real nice redo of the cover. You have a really unique style: I love it! +@Abby: Leo and Rose Red! She truly blends into the tree, you did that really really well!! +@Alaina Hornberger: Oh boy. I'm not going to sleep tonight. O_O WOW. That is REALLY good. +@Beth Andrus: That's a really good drawing of Rose Red! Very goblinish but very girlish! Well done! +@Jack Cashen: Nice picture! I like the dragon scales. :) +@ Michael: Yes, well done!! +@Seth Cashen: Good job on the outfit! I really like the torches! +@FaithSong: Hehheh. Creepy. That's really good. Her eyes . . . I'm just staring at them. +Jack Cashen: I love the hat! Great job! +@Alaina Hornberger: EANRIN!!! :D That's a great picture of him! The red, and the gold, and the ivy on the wall... I love it! It's so good! +@Rebekah L.:--er, never mind. >.> +@Lydia O'Neil and Sister: Oh I love that!! Is that Lydia or Sister? XD Whoever it is you're real pretty and are a great Beana! Nice costume and background! +@Trey Lockhart: Ooooh that is awesomse. Eanrin is so cool. And the Bane of Corrilond...*shivers* +@Jemma: Very nice library! I bet that took a lot of work and boy did it pay off! :) +@Sarah Grace: That's beautiful! The rose is flawless and I love her expression. +Kailin Richardson: Wow. WOW. I love how the blood goes down and turns into rose blossoms. That is so awesome. Excellent picture! +@Hannah Williams: Hannah, you just take my breath away with every one of your drawings. That. Is. BEAUTIFUL. +@Hannah Rogers: Awesomeness itself. So perfect! I love the throne and the red and . . .well everything! :D Great picture! +-Rebekah L. +(AKA Stargazer) +DOODLED VEILED ROSE COVER +Katie: I LOVE the use of patterns in this design! The Dragon's eyes are menacing and Rose Red's tunic is lovely. Great take on the cover. +HIDE AND SEEK +Abby: What a neat idea! I like how Rose Red almost blends into the tree she is hiding behind. This is a great drawing with lots of mystery and adventure. +LADY OF DREAMS REALIZED and WITHOUT MY SONGS, THERE WOULD BE NO HEROES +Alaina: Wow. This Lady of Dreams realized is beautiful and frightening. The glow of her eyes and hair are unnervingly ghostly. +Your Eanrin is also great, though in a very different way. :D I love the smirk in his smile and his attitude is all over this drawing. I like the colors! +ROSE RED +Beth: What a poignant way to capture Rose Red. The expression in her eyes is beautifully done. +ROSE RED UNVEILING and THE FOOL +Jack: Great drawing of Rosie! I love the way you included both the dragon and the thrush. Rose Red looks truly fearful. I like your Leo too! That drawing is much more playful. :) +ROSE RED INTERPRETED +Michael: Well done, indeed! I love his interpretation of Rosie's "rock hard" skin. +THE JESTER +Seth: Nice drawing of Leo! I like his costume and the torches on the wall. +YOU WILL HAVE YOUR DREAM +FaithSong: Ooh, very unearthly. I like your interpretation of the Lady of Dreams Realized! Her all white eyes are spooky yet beautiful. +Rebekah: Lovely portrait of VARVARE, ROSE OF ARPIAR. She looks regal, almost queenly. The rose and thorn outline it's a very nice touch. FALLEN CHILDREN is also very evocative. I loved that song and your use of it is beautiful! +IMRALDERA LOOKS OUT FROM THE HAVEN is very winsome. I like the lattice work and vines in the haven. +LIONHEART ABANDONS DAYLILY is great and so sad. I love the way they have their backs to us. +BEANA, LADY KNIGHT +Lydia and sister: Your costume and pose are perfect for Beana! What a neat idea and you found a wonderful setting for it. A+ ;D +EANRIN AGAINST THE BANE OF CORRILOND +Trey: This drawing is so striking. I love the exaggerated pose and the use of shadows. Fantastic design! +THE HAVEN LIBRARY +Jemma: Very cool. Yay for books! +IF I BUT KNEW MY FAULT +Sarah: This is so sad and so beautiful. The night sky is an enchanting backdrop and your use of red arresting. +STRENGTH IN THE NIGHT OF MOONBLOOD +Kailin: Ooh, this is possibly my favorite line in the book. I love the combination of blood and rose petals, so creative! This drawing is achingly moving. +PROMISE +Hannah Williams: The drawing is very affecting in its ethereal beauty. Lume (or is it Hymelume? I always get confused) is hauntingly elegant. Gorgeous! +THE QUEEN OF ARPIAR +Hannah Rogers: I just love the colors in this drawing. Rose Red, especially her hair and dress, is beautiful. The throne and backdrop are exquisite! Very attractive painting/drawing. +Whew! Second set.... +Okay, so the first set took me all morning, so it's probably best I cut down a little so I can have time to get to everything... +Katie: Oh my goodness, the textures you used on this are to DIE for. I'm SO in love with these textures! The colors and shading are great (the blue/purple and gold hues complement each other WONDERFULLY) and the details are absolutely EXQUISITE! Amazing job!!! Can't wait to see more!~ +Abby: This is SOOO cute! You know, it actually did take me a while to find her, great job! The composition is AMAZING and the poses are fantastic!! You also handled the near-to-far distance of the trees really well! Great job! Can't wait to see more from you! :D +Alaina: Oh Alaina, Alaina, this is beautiful! I love your digital art!! You made her SO spooky! Her eyes are AMAZING!! I love how you shaded them just enough to make them distinguishable but still so hauntingly white, bravo! And the SO subtle shading of her nose, cheeks, and face just adds such a fantastic touch to it! You better do more art! I'd love to see more stuff from you! ;) +Beth: Wow! I love this! Such a great composition and you blended both sides together flawlessly! And her EYES! Good heavens, her eyes! Both of them! You've done such a great job, the composition is great, the shading is awesome, and the expression is amazing! Job well done! Can't wait to see more! :) +Jack: Man, the amount of feeling and emotion in this! Awwww Rosie!! Her face and pose are so expressive...you can tell what she's feeling so easily, without ever needing to see the rest of her face...Awesome job! Your composition and placement of the characters is fantastic and the details are awesome! Good heavens, those dragon scales must have taken forever! The thrush is my favorite part, so beautiful, and it's the perfect touch. Can't wait to see more of your stuff! +Michael: There's no other way to say it...after I saw your picture and heard the story of how your big sister told you the story of Veiled Rose, I started crying. It's so precious and beautiful you've made this old bugger cry... You've done SUCH a GORGEOUS job...so beautiful... PLEASE keep drawing, and ask your sister to keep telling you these stories...I really want to see more of your art...It was such a gift to be able to see your art, thank you so very much for sharing it with us... +Seth: Awesome job!!! The shapes and expressions you used are so fantastic, and the colors are so stunning! How you drew Leonard looks GREAT, and I particularly LOVE his expression! And the details on the torches look really awesome!! Amazing job! Can't wait to see more of your art! :D +Faithsong: Wow...the shading...Her face, her eyes....Oh my goodness....The composition is fantastic, and the flow of her hair makes it look SO dynamic!! And the shading....Oh my goodness....how you managed to make colored pencil shading look so soft and lifelike, I'll never know, but the shading is absolutely phenomenal... Her eyes are so captivating and the structure of her face is so striking yet so soft and feminine. Awesome job! Can't wait to see more stuff from you! :D +Part Two! +Jack: Awesome job, man! His expression is so fantastic!! Goodness, you have such fantastic expressions...and the colors you used on his jester costume make him "pop" off the page and stand out so well! I particularly love the little details you made on the bells of his hat, they look amazing! Awesome job, again! Can't wait to see more art from you! :) +Alaina: Wahhh Alaina, I finally get to see traditional work from you! :D And Watercolor, no less! I'm so impressed! It takes a skilled artist to make Watercolors so vibrant... The details and texture of the wall and the vines are simply AMAZING, and the details on his tunic, hat, and belt? Oh my goodness, me!! So awesome! Eanrin really flaunts that red and gold so well, and you've made it look so awesome! (And the shading looks fantastic!!) Such a beautimous job!! More, more! :D +Rebekah: Awwww so beautiful! I love the little details, like the embroidery in her hands and her crown. I love the pose and veil you chose for her, it's elegant and mysterious, very beautiful! And dat rose frame! Oh ma goodness, the rose frame is so gorgeous!! :D So well done!! Can't wait to see more! +Lydia & Sister: Not sure who was the model, who was the photographer, and who was the costumer, but you guys did fantastic! This is just the hairstyle and color scheme I imagined for Beana!! And the costume itself looks great! (Also ridiculously close to how I actually imagined it from the book) The setting is great, the lighting really works, as far as I'm concerned, and the pose looks great, very in character! I especially love the silver bracelet and the hair feathers...perfect touch! (If Anne Elisabeth should decide to go through with the costume contest later this year, I'd love to see you guys in it!! :D ) Fantastic job! +Trey: Excuse me while I geek out for a moment... -squeal- Oki, I'm done. It's been so long since I've seen one of my own kind! The SUPER DYNAMIC posing, the DRAMATIC LIGHTING, the stylized shading, my fellow nerd-sense tingles!! :D I LOVE THIS. The lighting, the implied scales, the Bane's epic eyebrow game, and Eanrin's FLIPPING COAT!! Oh my goodness!! The pose is absolutely EXQUISITE, SO dynamic! Amazing job! (I especially love his arms and legs!) The composition is flawless, and the colors are so striking and epic! And the flow of his coat, the swoosh of the headband/sash, the epicness of the sword, the swing of the sword sheath on his back...and the lighting! Gahh so awesome!! I LOVE it. You better do more stuff...I really want to see more stuff from you....REALLY.... +Part Three! +Rebekah: You HAD to do this one, didn't you....right after I finished reading Golden Daughter....Good Lord, woman, you TRYING to make me cry? The composition is wonderful, and you chose a heartbreaking visual for a heartbreaking song... The details and designs around the lyrics are such a beautiful touch though...and BRAVO on the pose! Drawing horses is a pain in the rear ENOUGH without having to draw them in tough angles! And you definitely managed to pull it off! Beautifully! And the moon? -cries- Awesome job, dear! Can't wait to see more!! +Jemma: I have my suspicions how you made this one...and you are a genius...GENIUS, I say! ;) ....You pulled it off wonderfully, the angle looks GREAT, and the trees just give the whole thing a beautiful touch! The lighting looks great, and I love that little shred of lighting in the back...it gives some great backlighting. I always get so excited to see your work! Can't wait to see what you do next! :) +Sarah: Wahhh why must it be so sad? ;) The shading and highlights are so wonderful, the rose looks AMAZING (the rose and her lips are FANTASTIC accents, and give a great pop of color). The shading and light on her face and hair looks wonderful, and the texture of her hair is beautiful....and light of the night sky is great and the expression on Rosie's face is GORGEOUS! GORGEOUS! The first thing I noticed after the rose and her lips was her expression, then her silver eyes, which was a wonderful detail!! So beautifully done! Can't wait to see more! +Rebekah: Yay! More! I love this....The Haven looks so gorgeous, and I LOVE how you "framed" Imraldera in the window, it really keeps the focus on her, wonderful! The pillars and vines of the Haven look amazing, and is that....is that the starflower bead in her hand!? Genius! Beautiful job! +Kailin: So beautiful and sad! My goodness!! I echo everyone, the blood falling from the moon shifting into rose petals is GENIUS! Such a sad, melancholy but so beautiful illustration that encompasses and represents so much of Moonblood...BRAVO on representing it all so beautifully in one illustration! Fantastic job! I hope to see more from you!! :D +Rebekah: Whoo! Another! You know, this wasn't so sad when I first read Moonblood, but since reading Shadow Hand, this makes my heart break just a little...:) I love how you portray SO MUCH emotion without ever needing to have the characters face the viewer...The castle walls and columns look amazing, and I love the details on Daylily's dress! You have such great shapes you use for the characters (i.e. the dress shapes, Lionheart's cape, etc.) Awesome job! :D +Hannah W: You have no idea the blessing it's been watching your art flourish and grow over the past couple years...This is absolutely EXQUISITE. The shading, the lighting, the dress, the poses, the composition....SO GORGEOUS. And the little "moondrops" and "crystals" hanging from the moon and her dress are SO BEAUTIFUL! -sigh- so beautiful...I BETTER see more from you! ;) +Hannah R: -gasp- So gorgeous...the colors you chose, so subtle and earthy, they look so amazing. The details!! Oh my goodness the details!! The details, the shading, the expression, AIEEE so beautiful. And watercolor! So vivid! The composition is beautiful, and the drapes, structure, and throne "frame" Rosie perfectly. Looks like a painting of a ruler that one would hang in a palace somewhere! ;) I can't wait to see more of your stuff~~ +What IS it with you guys and drawing such SAD things? You vile, mischievous buggers...trying to make me cry with your emotional, sentimental gorgeous drawings.... +Welp, there's 2 out of 5, this is gonna take me forever.... +Blessings and Prayers!! +Melanie J. +@Melanie J.: Oh thank you so much! YOU MADE ME FEEL SO HAPPY!! You noticed all the little things I put in! :) Thank you thank you thank you! SO MUCH. +Heehee, we are drawing sad stuff aren't we? Sorry. XD +You take so much time for each person and you're just so nice and kind and sweet! ^_^ Thank you again! +God bless you! +-Rebekah L. +(AKA Stargazer) +Katie – Neat rendition of the Veiled Rose Cover! You really did well with all the tiny details of the scales and the mirror. +Abby – This is such a sweet depiction of young Leo and Rosie, and I think the coloring gives the wood a nice, spooky feeling as well. +Alaina – Wow! Very striking depiction of Lady Life-In-Death. I like how you did her hair. Chilling! +Beth – This is a very interesting depiction of Rose Red! I really like how you show both sides of her. I don’t usually see very many depictions of her as a goblin, but this is excellent! It’s a lot like how I pictured her. +Jack – Wow! You did a nice job with all the details in this drawing. I also like how you included the wood thrush in such a subtle way. +Michael – Nicely done! It’s so nice to see an entry from someone your age. I’m glad you’re enjoying the stories! :) +Seth – Nice color choices! I like the checkered pattern of Leonard’s outfit, and the torches are a nice touch as well. :) +FaithSong – It’s so cool that you chose to use white on black paper. It works really well here! Nice job on the shading and the eyes and hair… Very eerie! +Jack – Another great depiction of Leonard in action! You really captured the motion of the juggling balls. Nice job. +Alaina – I LOVE this! It’s such a fantastic depiction of Eanrin! Very much like I picture him. Great composition, and I especially admire how you were able to get such smooth coloring and texture using watercolors. I’m still working on getting that down myself. :) Also, the title you chose is perfect! Awesome job! +Rebekah L. – It’s neat how you chose to depict this character from behind, and the border and colors that you added to the picture are lovely! +Lydia – Ooh, I like that costume! It works very nicely for this character. :) +Trey – This is SO cool!!! I love the comic book-esque style that you chose here, and the colors are striking! You really captured the motion of the scene, and I LOVE how you depicted the dragon. Awesome piece! +Rebekah L. – Nice job depicting the unicorn! I really like the blue that you chose for the background. +Jemma – This is a neat representation of the library! It reminds me of Minecraft. +Sarah – Ooh, these colors are so pretty! I really like how you did the night sky in the background, and the rose in Varvare’s hair. Beautiful. +Rebekah L. – Again, it’s neat that you chose to depict the character from behind. I also like all the details you added to the architecture and to the landscape outside the window. Nice job! +Kailin – I like how you packed in so many details from the story into this piece. The colors are nice, and I like how the sky seems to pulsate around the moon. Well done. :) +Rebekah L. – Great portrayal of this scene! Daylily’s hair is so fiery and vibrant, and I love the colors you chose for her dress and Leo’s cloak. Nice composition as well. +Hannah W. – This is absolutely beautiful! Hymlumé looks as if she’s actually glowing! Wonderful choice of composition as well. How in the world did you do this with black paper and colored pencil? Spectacular work! :) +Hannah R. – Wow! This is gorgeous! The shading, the colors, the texture of the drapery, the details of the background, Varvare’s pose… it’s all so lovely! Wonderful depiction of Varvare, and the rose she’s holding is a nice touch. :) +Christa...a little artist secret here. The camera flash enhanced Hymlume's glowing, and I decided to leave it. *whistles innocently* +@Faithsong: I just saw your comment welcoming critiques, so I'll try to do my best!! I'd say what you might be able to do, if you wanted to, (Now I don't know if it's just my lighting, the screen, the scanner, or what) but you could probably do the blacks a little darker if you wanted to, you could even employ a B lead pencil (the higher number B pencil, the darker and softer the lead). I think it would really work well with your style. You could also use a different media to enhance the blacks, if you wanted. It would give the piece such a great contrast between light and dark. +What you also might be able to do, depending on your preference, it looks great the way it is, so take this with a grain of salt. You might be able to shift The Lady of Dreams a little to the left and swoosh her hair to the right. It would give the piece a very different tone though. As it is, her hair draws the viewer's eyes in to her face. If you shifted her over and swept her hair to the right, the viewer's eyes would start at her face and travel with her hair to the right, elegantly sweeping a viewer's attention at her face to off the page. So each way has a different effect on the viewer. Man, I hope that made sense. Anyway, it's just a thought, either way, it looks great to me!! (And bravo on thinking to use black construction paper, it gives the piece an extra atmospheric element that works so well for her character!) +@Rebekah: Awww you're SO welcome!! It makes me SO HAPPY to be able to bless you!! :DD Hahahaha, if I didn't know better, I'd think all of you, Anne Elisabeth included, are in a secret powwow to make me cry! ;) :P Awww that's so sweet! Thank you so much for saying that! It just warms my heart right up! :D I really hope to see more of your stuff in the future!! +@Hannah W: Ohhhhhh -takes notes- you so sneeaaky.... ;) +7 Tricks to Turn Your Spending Habit into a Savings Habit +The hardest part about saving money is getting started. +Saving money isn’t always intuitive. It actually tends to be easier to spend on instant gratification purchases. +Even for those who are diligent in transferring a little money into their savings account each month, the temptation to dip into that growing fund is always present. +It’s especially easy to fall off the savings bandwagon after a treat-yourself splurge or an emergency situation. Suddenly several months’ of hard work disappears and you’re back to building from $0. +Looking toward the future—including both the rising costs of healthcare and the uncertainty of retirement—it’s critical to have a reliable savings plan to achieve financial wellness. Americans need to be having conversations about the foundations of a healthy long-term financial plan, and within that, how to turn a national spending habit into a saving habit. +The Average American’s Savings +If saving money were easy, then 65 percent of Americans wouldn’t be saving less than 15 percent of their salary, the amount suggested by experts. Further, nearly eight out of 10 Americans live paycheck to paycheck, including 10 percent of those who make at least a six-figure annual salary. +According to a recent study, American households have a median of $4,830 in savings—significantly lower than the average of $32,130 in savings. While the median figure of $4,830 may reasonably cover three months’ worth of expenses—the recommended amount for an emergency fund—it doesn’t leave much room for costs like long-term health care or emergencies. +Nearly 30 percent of households have less than $1,000 in savings accounts. However, savings vary by age, with millennials saving less than baby boomers, since older Americans have had longer to save and comparatively larger salaries to draw from. +Here’s how Americans’ median savings break down by age: +- Millennials: $2,430 +- Gen X: $15,780 +- Baby Boomers and older: $24,280 +Are your personal finances not up to par with the national average? The good news is that it’s never too late to take a realistic assessment of your finances and get back on track. +We talked to four financial experts to learn the best ways to turn saving money into a lifelong habit. Here are tips for beginning savers, and even pros, because sometimes it’s nice to be reminded of the basics. +1. Change Your Mindset +“Saving money and gaining control of your finances is a mind game before anything else. You can tell people how to save more money but they won’t actually do it without changing their mindset first,” says Amanda Abella, author and millennial finance blogger. +Sometimes we don’t even realize that we’ve learned and are regurgitating someone else’s views on money. These stories aren’t our own and can in fact be detrimental to the way we aspire to handle our finances. Abella notes a few examples of common adages that affect our relationship to money. +- Money doesn’t grow on trees. +- There’s no money in this economy. +- I can’t afford that. +- I can’t make money doing what I love. +- Money is the root of all evil. +- People who make a lot of money are greedy. +In order to honestly assess your money mindset, Abella continues, “write out [your] money story.” She insists that it’s key to “put it on paper” without holding back, because “the sooner you own it, the sooner you can start to heal it.” +Abella suggests answering the following questions during this exercise. +- What have you been telling yourself about your financial situation? +- Where did these stories come from and how have they affected your finances? +- What are some of your hidden fears about money? +- How has your money story evolved over time? +After you’ve gotten everything on paper, read it over without judgment to identify your irrational thoughts. It’s important to be kind to yourself during the entire process: “just laugh at it and move on,” says Abella. +Hopefully, you’ll be able to identify the “stories you may have picked up about money—whether from your parents, your partners, your broke friends, or society as a whole.” Realize that other people’s stories don’t need to be your story. +In fact, “you can rewrite your money story any time you want,” encourages Abella. It’s never too late. +2. Start Now +The best time to start saving is right now, but to know exactly how to do it depends entirely on your timeline. +Julia Carlson, founder and CEO of Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group, says that “when looking at saving for the future, how and where you should save or invest depends on the length of time you have.” +To save for smaller purchases, she suggests having “money automatically transferred into a savings account at the bank, earmarked for your purpose.” And if you want to use the money in less than three years, “save your money where it’s going to still be there when you need it (in other words, there is little risk of loss), and you can access it easily,” she advises. +Longer term goals have multiple savings options. These options are dependent upon when the money will be used—namely, before or after retirement. According to Carlson, “the risks and potential costs differ from account to account but there are several options to potentially grow your money through investments.” She adds that “of course, all investments have some risk but lower risk options are available and can be explored with a financial professional.” +“Regardless of how long you have and the purpose for saving, start now,” insists Carlson, “stop saying that you’ll do it someday.” +If you don’t have a lot of extra money after bills and necessities, try to start with a small amount. Choose an amount that you won’t even notice missing from each paycheck, like $10. +“Each day you’re not saving for the future is a day of potential financial increase lost,” Carlson says. +3. Count on Compound Interest +Why is starting early such a big deal? Because of something called “compound interest,” and this is especially true when it comes to retirement. Let’s compare the retirement funds of two hypothetical people with similar savings strategies. +At age 25, Olivia starts putting $200 each month into her employer’s retirement savings account with an average six percent rate of return. Ten years later, at age 35, Lucas starts saving $200 each month with all other variables identical to Olivia. +Both continue to add $200 each month until they retire at 67 years of age—that’s a reasonable investment of $2,400 each year. +At 67, Olivia has contributed $100,800, while Lucas has contributed $76,800. Olivia has contributed about 31 percent more money into her account than Lucas has into his. +However, by the time that both are ready to retire, Olivia has $447,618.19 and Lucas has $231,223.60. Taking compound interest into account, Olivia has saved nearly twice as much as Lucas. +Compounding interest makes an initial sum grow at a faster rate, because not only do you earn returns on the money invested, you earn returns on those returns over time. Thus, savings in retirement accounts snowball year after year. +This snowball effect is the reason why Olivia has a much better retirement outcome than Lucas, simply because she started saving 10 years earlier. +Thanks to compounding interest, time is the greatest factor of all. +4. Define a Goal +“Figure out what you are saving for,” says Pamela Rodriguez, a certified financial planner. What exactly is your goal for the money being saved? +For some, this means expenses associated with travel, college, transportation, a wedding, children, a new home, or retirement. +Rodriguez says to “attach an actual dollar amount to that goal,” stressing that “you must be as exact as possible.” Don’t estimate a ballpark figure, but rather crunch the numbers and figure out an amount down to the dollar. Not just something like ‘$30,000,’—make it exact, perhaps ‘31,800’ instead. +The next step is put together a plan to meet your goal, and the best way to do it is to create a timeline, says Josh Hastings, founder of personal finance website MoneyLifeWax.com. To do this, he says, you should take your goal and “divide it by the amount of time you want to accomplish that goal.” For example, if you want to save $1,000 in four months for a weekend vacation, plan to save $250 each month, or $125 each paycheck if you’re paid semi-monthly. +5. Set Up a Separate Savings Account +“Always save money in an account that is not connected to your checking to prevent easily tapping into savings,” says Hastings. The temptation to dip into your savings is higher when you can easily transfer between accounts. +In order to prevent this, Rodriguez advises that you “set up a separate bank account…ideally at a different bank than your primary checking account.” +For added motivation, name this new account with your goal in mind, such as ‘New Car,’ ‘College Fund,’ or ‘First Home.’ Utilize every trick available to help keep you focused on the reward. +Make sure that this extra savings account won’t charge you, but rather provides interest on the funds deposited. Many savings accounts are free so long as you maintain a minimum balance, otherwise they charge a monthly fee. Deposit enough money to make the account worthwhile, because it’s counterproductive to lose money when the goal is to save. +For long-term savings goals, consider a Certificate of Deposit (CD). These are a great way to make money while you save. A CD account is a savings account with a fixed interest rate (typically between one and three percent) and a fixed date of withdrawal. Time periods could be as short as six months to as long as several years. The added benefit of this type of account is that you’re unable to touch the funds deposited before the withdrawal date without a penalty, so it’s a great deterrent from depleting your savings. +It’s key to set up a savings account at a separate bank not linked to your primary account, since the hoops you would have to jump through to transfer into your checking will help dissuade you from doing it. The true lesson here is that a savings account is meant for just that: savings! +6. Automate It +Hastings suggests that to make saving simple, it’s best to automate it. You can set up a direct deposit to withdraw from each paycheck and go into your savings account. +Keep in mind that it’s often possible to set up more than one type of direct deposit at work. In addition to your standard checking account deposit, you may be able to select a portion from each paycheck to deposit into a savings account. +Explore your options either on your workplace’s online portal or by going into your HR office, suggests Rodriguez. +“Don’t be discouraged if your job doesn’t offer this. Simply set up a ‘bill pay’ and PAY YOURSELF the same day that your direct deposit comes in,” she says. +The amount that you choose to withdraw from each paycheck should be based on your goal and the timeline in which you have to complete it. +Another tip according to Hastings is to “always save your annual pay raise.” For example, once your pay raise is added to your paycheck, pretend that it doesn’t exist and instead automate that added income directly to your savings account. +7. Watch the Growth +Now it’s time to sit back and watch the balance in your savings account grow. And don’t touch this account until you complete your savings goal, reminds Rodriguez. +Amanda Abella is a Latina speaker, finance expert, business coach, and blogger who has created an online community, as featured in Forbes, the Huffington Post, and Inc., where millennials can learn how to make money online and actually enjoy their financial journeys. She combines positive psychology with her business and finance background to create trainings that help students and clients through the emotional and practical sides of money and entrepreneurship. Abella is also an Amazon best-selling author of Make Money Your Honey: A Spirited Entrepreneur’s Guide to Having a Love Affair with Work & Money, which was featured in Seventeen Magazine, along with an accompanying Make Money Your Honey podcast. +Julia Carlson is the founder and CEO of Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group LLC. She started the business in 2000 after finding her passion working in the investment department at a bank. Julia loves inspiring action, coaching disciplined strategies and empowering others to pursue abundance in all aspects of their lives. Author of Fit Money, her Fit Money Program inspires others to get their financial life in shape. You can find her on Facebook at @juliacarlsonfitmoney. +Josh Hastings is a former high school athletic director at the secondary level who shifted his focus in 2016 to focus more effort on his entrepreneur endeavors. In 2017 he founded MoneyLifeWax.com, a personal finance site dedicated to helping millennials with student loans. With an emphasis on money and finance behavior, Josh started Money Life Wax to help millennials realize there is other ways to make money and be happy in the 21st century. You can find him on Facebook at @moneylifewax. +Pamela Rodriguez is a Latina Certified Financial Planner® who is passionate about helping people achieve financial “wholeness.” She teaches people everything they ACTUALLY need to know to win financially without all the unnecessary financial jargon at InversionistaSchool.com. Pam was able to save $53k in 12 months by implementing the exact same strategies she teaches. You can find her speaking, conducting financial seminars throughout the greater NYC area, or teaching her online money courses (in English and Spanish). You can find her on LinkedIn at @pamelarodriguez11. +Related articles +Wants vs. Needs +How Much Money Should You Keep In Your Emergency Fund?. +Update: Congratulations to June and Soncie for winning Misty’s giveaways of a princess tiara keychain and a copy of one of Misty’s books on her back list! Thank you to all who participated. +It’s release day for Misty Evans’ The Blood Code, the 4th book in her Super Agent series! To celebrate we are interviewing Ryan Smith, the hero from The Blood Code and Misty is giving away some goodies, so don’t leave without checking those out below! +About: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBookstore / Kobo +* * * * * +Interview with Ryan Smith: +Amy (with So Many Reads): Thank you so much for the interview, Ryan. I know you are a busy guy. +Ryan Smith (RS): I appreciate you having me here today, Amy. Normally, I don’t give interviews – hazard of being a spy, everything is Top Secret – but Conrad insisted. He thinks highly of you, and he doesn’t like most people, so you must be top shelf. +Amy : First of all, can you explain to the readers what your job is as Director of CIA Operations in Europe and Asia? +RS: Director is a fancy word for boss. I take care of Conrad’s spies stationed in Europe and Asia. Conrad trains them, hands out their missions, and sends them to me. I make their life hell—um, I mean—I coordinate their undercover operations from there. Occasionally, I bail their asses out when they get into trouble. +Amy: What made you decide to join the CIA? +RS: I have a thing for torture. Just kidding. On the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator, I’m an ESTJ – practical, realistic, decisive. I excel at organizing projects and people. The perfect type of personality to be in charge of crazy-ass spies, and believe me, most of them are certifiable. Otherwise they wouldn’t risk life and limb to gather intelligence. At the time, my decision to join the CIA was more to help my family than gain a job. A CIA recruiter made me an offer I couldn’t refuse and promised to take care of my mom and brother. Our family has some major issues going on, and I couldn’t say no. +Amy: How hard is it at the Farm? How many people actually finish their training at The Farm vs those that don’t make it or drop out? +RS: The Farm is equivalent to a military boot camp in some ways, only with emphasis on undercover operations. We teach recruits what they need to know in order to do a clandestine job in a foreign country. It’s a mix of boot camp training, James Bond lessons, and SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) exercises. Dropout rate is low because Conrad only drafts individuals he knows are all-in to begin with. He’s a former SEAL, so he has a sixth sense about who can stand the heat and who can’t. +Amy: How did you end up in Russia? +RS: I was filling in for Conrad on a training mission…then got blindsided by a beautiful Russian princess. If anyone wants the full story, they’ll have to read The Blood Code. +Amy: How long have you known and how did you meet Conrad Flynn? +RS : We met at The Farm a long time ago. I hated him on sight. He’s the opposite of me in every way, except one…we both will do anything to keep our country and loved ones safe. That core belief bonded us in a way nothing else ever could, and we’ve been friends ever since. +Amy: Now for a few personal questions. What is it about Anya that has you risking everything for her? +RS : She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, and I’ve met some pretty amazing people. Underneath that beautiful package is one hell of an intelligent, determined hellcat that I can’t say no to. She’s a survivor…and I’ve never admired anyone more. +Amy: Sometimes Anya likes the spy stuff and other times she doesn’t think it is for her. What do you think? +RS: Oh, she’s definitely spy material. She’s been living undercover for 15 years and protecting some enormous secrets. Anyone who can do that, and still devote herself to helping others, can handle a CIA mission with their hands tied behind their back. But sending her into hostile countries for the Agency? I’m not going to like that. At. All. So if she decides it’s not for her, I’m happy with that! +Amy: What happens next for the two of you? +RS : Anya’s planning our wedding, and I’m staying out of her hair. She’s having a blast, and loving every minute of feeling like a normal 26-year-old. Meantime, I’m heading back to Langley to put some new recruits through The Farm. There’s a cyberwar coming, and regardless of what Del (the Agency’s super geek) believes, I know the US is going to need plenty of HUMINT to battle it. (**Note from Misty: HUMINT stands for Human Intelligence. Spies, in other words!) +Amy: Thanks so much for joining us today! Are you open to any questions from our readers? +RS : Sure, I’ll answer questions, as long as readers understand I can’t share mission details … or Conrad’s phone number. Just sayin. +* * * * * +About The Author:. +* * * * * +Giveaway Details: +The Blood Code Blog Tour officially kicks off today! The. +- Giveaway #1 – A beautiful princess-cut tennis bracelet (US Only). To enter this giveaway, fill out the rafflecopter form below. +- Giveaway #2 – A So Many Reads EXCLUSIVE! US and Canadian commenters on today’s SMR blog will be entered to win a tiara keychain. International commenters will be entered to win an digital copy of their choice from Misty’s backlist. To enter this giveaway, just comment below and ask Ryan or Misty a question! The SMR exclusive contest ends at 11:59 pm Central Time on Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Winner will be notified via email and announced on blog. +* * * * * +Thank you for stopping by to celebrate the release of The Blood Code. Click on the image below to check out the tour schedule for more fun! +Edie Ramer +June 17, 2013 at 7:43 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Fun interview! I have Blood Code on my Kindle! It’s the next book that I’ll be reading. I’m so eager to start it! +Amy +June 17, 2013 at 10:13 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment +You will love it, Edie! +Meredith +June 17, 2013 at 10:12 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment +This was so much fun! I <3 Ryan. Love this book. +Amy +June 17, 2013 at 10:14 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Thanks, Meredith! Your review of The Blood Code was quite awesome I must say! 🙂 +Rhianna +June 17, 2013 at 11:20 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Suspense romance really isn’t my genre but what a cool plot! I’m going to have to share it with a couple of friends who might like it. +Amy +June 17, 2013 at 11:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Thanks, Rhianna! +Misty Evans +June 17, 2013 at 11:24 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Amy, Anya wants to thank you for interviewing Ryan and letting everyone see what a good guy he is. She’s known it all along. 🙂 +Amy +June 17, 2013 at 11:48 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Aww, thank Anya for letting me borrow Ryan! I knew he was someone I wanted to learn more about from the day he was making steaks with Conrad in Julia’s apartment! 🙂 +Alexis Chapman +June 17, 2013 at 12:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +So excited to read this book!!!! Your new releases always have perfect timing!! +Misty Evans +June 17, 2013 at 3:17 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Alexis, this one was a long time in coming, but I’m so glad it’s finally here. I hope you enjoy it! +chickie434 +June 17, 2013 at 6:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Loved the interview! I have an odd question for Ryan here. Where’s the oddest place you two have had sex? (Played a love and marriage game recently, and that was one of the questions. Got some very interesting answers). Thanks for the giveaways! +tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com +Amy +June 18, 2013 at 6:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Hi Chickie434 – You should check out the blog as one of the bloggers there posted several weird places to have sex! +Misty Evans +June 18, 2013 at 9:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Ryan and Anya make love for the first time in a cold war bunker under the Kremlin. Hard to top that! +bn100 +June 17, 2013 at 9:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Nice interview. How will you be celebrating? +bn100candg at hotmail dot com +Misty Evans +June 18, 2013 at 9:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +In full princess attire! Tiara and beautiful shoes required. Thanks for stopping by! +Soncee22 +June 18, 2013 at 8:30 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Hi Misty! +It feels like it’s been Forever since your last book, “Proof of Life”, book 3 on the Super spy series. I was so in need of a Super Spy fix, I’d check with both Amazon and your blog weekly !!! Misty I’m such a Fan you had me at “Operation Sheba” and cannot wait to get my hot little hands on a copy of your latest book “The Blood Code”. +Oh, and thanks again, for the Swag giveaway ♥!!! +My email addy for the contest is: soncelial at hotmail dot com +Thanks again Misty and Happy writing!! +Misty Evans +June 18, 2013 at 9:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Soncee, this book took a long time to get published. It was turned down by multiple publishers, but I’m so grateful you waited patiently and I hope you enjoy the story! +Beverly +June 18, 2013 at 12:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Great interview. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for the great giveaways too! +Misty Evans +June 18, 2013 at 9:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Thank you and good luck with the contests! +Beverly +June 18, 2013 at 12:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +My question – why spies? I like it – just curious. Beverly (The Wormhole Book Blog) +Misty Evans +June 18, 2013 at 9:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Beverly, I’ve had a thing for spies since my first Jason Bourne movie. After 9/11, I read everything I could on the CIA and terrorism. Operation Sheba was my first book in this series and I wrote it in three months. Been hooked on writing spies ever since! +June M. +June 18, 2013 at 2:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +This sounds like a fun story. Who was the first person you told when you your first book was going to be published? +June +manning_J2004 at yahoo dot com +Misty Evans +June 18, 2013 at 9:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +June, it was my husband. And then I called my mom. They’ve been my two biggest supporters since I started this crazy writing journey. +Brenda +June 18, 2013 at 2:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +LOVED The Blood Code and Ryan!!!!! This was my first Misty Evans book and it was WONDERFUL! Can’t recommend it enough! And what a great interview today with Ryan! +Misty Evans +June 18, 2013 at 9:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment +Thank you so much, Brenda. Your words mean so much to me! This book was a labor of love, so I’m excited to finally turn it loose in the world and receive such warm support. Thank you for recommending it – word of mouth is the best advertising an author can ever have! +Diagnosis and Management of ADHD in Children +Am Fam Physician. 2014 Oct 1;90(7):456-464. +Patient information: A handout on this topic is available at. +Author disclosure: No relevant financial affiliations.. +Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common behavioral disorder in childhood. The prevalence increased by an estimated 3% annually between 1997 and 2006.1 Recent national data show that up to 11% of four- to 17-year-olds have had an ADHD diagnosis,1,2 8.8% currently have the diagnosis, and 6.1% are receiving a medication for ADHD. +Adolescents with ADHD have higher rates of motor vehicle crashes, substance abuse, and school drop out.3 Medication is effective for treating ADHD symptoms, and studies suggest that earlier identification and treatment may improve longer-term educational, work, and social outcomes.4–7 This article is based on the University of Michigan Health System guideline for ADHD and includes information from other guidelines and reviews.8–11 +Etiology +Although the etiology of ADHD is not fully understood, genetic and neurologic factors play important roles. ADHD is two to eight times more common in persons who have a first-degree relative with the condition.12,13 In addition, ADHD is associated with deficits in brain structure, and neuronal functioning and connectivity, which appear to be correlated with ADHD severity.14,15 +Clinical Presentation +The diagnosis of ADHD should be considered in patients four years or older with poor attention, distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsiveness, poor academic performance, or behavioral problems at home or at school.8–10 More boys have ADHD overall; however, the inattentive subtype is more common in girls.8–10 Although no evidence supports universal screening for ADHD at well visits, physicians should be attentive to patients' and guardians' concerns about academic performance and behavioral problems.8 +Evaluation +The evaluation of ADHD in children and adolescents (Figure 18–11) includes a history and physical examination, review of information across home and community settings (Table 18,9), and application of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed., (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria (Table 2).16 The physician should ask about the presence and duration of core ADHD symptoms and the degree of functional impairment from the perspective of the patient, family, and school. The physician should also evaluate for other possible conditions that may mimic or coexist with ADHD 8,10,11 (Table 38,9). For instance, sleep problems can affect daytime functioning and account for mild ADHD symptoms.17 One-third of individuals with ADHD have a comorbid diagnosis.18 Medical, social, and family histories should be reviewed for medical, contextual or environmental, and genetic risk factors. The physical examination should be thorough and include hearing and vision screenings. +Evaluation and Treatment of ADHD in Children and Adolescents* +Figure 1. +Overview of the evaluation and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children older than four years and adolescents. +Information from references 8 through 11. +Diagnostic Criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder +Reprinted with permission from American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2013:59–60. +Diagnostic Criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder +Reprinted with permission from American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2013:59–60. +Validated behavioral rating scales (Table 4) should be used to collect data from multiple observers across settings, including self-report for older children and adolescents.8,9,19–22 The physician's direct observation of distractibility, fidgeting, hyperactivity, and interactions with others during the office visit may be helpful; however, the lack of such symptoms during the visit does not exclude ADHD. +Diagnosis +No specific test can diagnose ADHD, and the DSM-5 requires the presence of a sufficient number of core symptoms and functional impairment (Table 2).16 ADHD includes three subtypes: primarily inattentive (e.g., distracted, poor organization and follow-through); primarily hyperactive-impulsive (e.g., fidgety, overly active, interrupts); and combined. A positive family history for ADHD is supportive of an ADHD diagnosis.12,13 +Physicians who inherit a patient with a previous ADHD diagnosis should review the diagnostic process, and current symptoms and treatment needs. Rating scales should be included in the medical record to monitor progress and adjust treatment accordingly. +PRESCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN +ADHD cannot be reliably diagnosed in children younger than four years. Although it is difficult to determine whether symptoms are beyond the expected behavior of four- and five-year-olds,8–10,23 validated behavioral rating scales for this age group (Table 4) can improve diagnostic confidence.9 +OLDER CHILDREN +Children typically present with ADHD symptoms during the early school years. Patients with primarily hyperactive-impulsive or combined types may present with behaviors considered as problematic before those with primarily inattentive features. Patients with the primarily inattentive type may not present until academic requirements become greater (e.g., by the fourth grade). A comorbid learning disorder should be considered if academic progress is poor. Patients should be assessed for sleep problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea, particularly those with snoring and daytime behavioral problems; adenotonsillar hypertrophy; neuromuscular abnormalities; or obesity.24,25 +ADOLESCENTS +New onset of ADHD symptoms is less common beyond 12 years of age, but may occur because of increased academic demands or if subtle symptoms are unrecognized at an earlier age. Learning disabilities, mental health conditions, sleep problems, and substance abuse should be considered because they may mimic ADHD or be a comorbidity. Two teachers who know the patient well, and possibly other supervisory adults (e.g., coaches, group leaders), should provide information about the patient's symptoms. Behavioral rating scales are also available for self-report at this age.8,9,21 +Treatment +The goal of ADHD treatment is to improve symptoms, optimize functional performance, and remove behavioral obstacles. The primary care physician should provide families with ADHD-specific resources (Table 5) and general parenting advice. Children with ADHD may qualify for accommodations at school under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Parents can request an evaluation to determine eligibility for these accommodations or for an individualized education plan (IEP) through their child's school district. +Treatment of children younger than six years should begin with behavioral therapy.8–10,26 Medications may be considered if ADHD symptoms are moderate to severe and not responsive to behavioral therapy.8,9 Therapy should start with medications in children six years and older. Behavioral treatments are also recommended for older children; however, they are particularly helpful if medication response is poor or associated with adverse effects.8–10 +BEHAVIORAL THERAPIES +The Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD assessed treatment effects in 579 children seven to nine years of age. Patients received intensive behavioral therapy, medication, combined behavioral therapy and medication, or standard treatment by community physicians over 14 months. Similar benefits were observed for behavior, social skills, relationships and academics in children who received medication alone compared with those who received medication and behavioral therapy.4 Longer-term analyses suggest that behavioral treatment provides additional benefits beyond medication alone, particularly regarding treatment satisfaction for parents and teachers and in children with lower socioeconomic status.9,27–29 +Effective behavioral therapies include parent training, classroom management, peer interventions, and combinations of these interventions.30,31 Parent training, in group or individual formats, provides education to improve their understanding about ADHD, behavioral problems, and child development. This training also helps them employ positive parenting strategies (e.g., praise and rewards for targeted behaviors) and reduce disruptive child behaviors (e.g., planned ignoring of behavior and use of consequences). Treatment often involves seven to 12 weekly sessions and has demonstrated improved child behavior and parent satisfaction.30,31 Classroom management focuses on strategies to improve classroom routines and structure, a token economy to shape positive behaviors, and a daily behavioral report card to monitor progress and provide feedback to the child, parent, and team.30,31 Peer interventions include social skills training and time-intensive, adult-mediated interactions to improve social behaviors.30,31 +PHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT +Medications reduce core ADHD symptoms for most children.6,8–11Table 6 summarizes common ADHD medications.8,9,32 Psychostimulants (e.g., methylphenidate [Ritalin], dextroamphetamine, and mixed amphetamine salts such as dextroamphetamine/amphetamine [Adderall]) are the most effective and safe option, and are the first choice for ADHD treatment in national guidelines and reviews.9–11 Atomoxetine (Strattera) and alpha-2 receptor agonists (e.g., guanfacine [Tenex], clonidine [Catapres]) are also effective but have fewer supporting studies and are less effective than psychostimulants.9 Reasons for starting with a second-line drug include strong family preference for a nonstimulant medication, concern about drug diversion (although some long-acting stimulants reduce this risk), or comorbid conditions that might also be managed by a single medication (e.g., an anxiety or tic disorder).3,8,9. +Other medications used for ADHD include antidepressants (e.g., bupropion [Wellbutrin], trazodone), atypical antipsychotics (e.g., risperidone [Risperidal], aripiprazole [Abilify]), and mood stabilizers (e.g., carbamazepine [Tegretol]). These are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating ADHD and are used off-label when psychostimulants, atomoxetine, or alpha-2 receptor agonists are ineffective, or for treatment of comorbid conditions.8,9 +Psychostimulants. These medications affect central nervous system dopaminergic pathways. In addition to symptom reduction, academic performance may also improve; children with ADHD who are taking a stimulant are less likely to be held back a grade.6 Stimulant medication does not increase the incidence of substance abuse and may improve driving performance in younger drivers who have ADHD.3,33–36 About 70% of patients respond to the first stimulant medication, and 90% to 95% respond to a second stimulant.8 Of the medication studies involving preschool children, methylphenidate is most supported.9 +Adverse effects of stimulant medication are generally dose dependent and include reduced appetite, abdominal discomfort, headache, irritability, anxiousness, sleep problems, and a small reduction in height velocity that may attenuate with time and/or reverse after discontinuation of treatment.8,9,37 Preschoolers may also have mood lability.38 Although depression and suicidal ideation are rare, family members should be informed about the risk. Small increases in heart rate and blood pressure have also been observed; significant elevations are rare. Evidence that stimulants increase the risk of cardiac problems is conflicting.39 National guidelines recommend that physicians consider electrocardiography and/or cardiology referral before initiating psychostimulants in patients with a history of heart disease, palpitations, syncope, or seizures, or with a family history of sudden cardiac death, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or long QT syndrome.8,9,37,39 +Tic and Tourette syndrome symptoms affect about 2% to 12% of the general population, but about 20% of patients with ADHD.40 The presence of tics is not a contraindication for stimulant use; however, the current consensus is that although stimulant use does not clearly worsen tics, it may do so in individual cases. Treatment with atomoxetine or the addition of an alpha-1 receptor agonist may lessen comorbid tics.8,9,37,40 +Psychostimulant dosing should start low and increase once to twice weekly based on feedback from parents, the patient, and teachers. No evidence shows that one psychostimulant agent is superior.8,9,41 A younger child who cannot swallow pills may benefit from liquid or spansule preparations (which can be sprinkled on food). An older child or teenager may benefit from long-acting preparations and/or the addition of a short-acting compound after school to provide sufficient coverage for homework or other activities. Long-acting preparations have the advantage of less frequent dosing but can be more costly than short-acting options. +Atomoxetine. Atomoxetine is a nonstimulant medication that affects noradrenergic systems. Atomoxetine may also be effective for comorbid mood or anxiety disorders and has no abuse risk. These factors may be beneficial in the treatment of adolescents with ADHD.3,9 Adverse effects include somnolence, gastrointestinal upset/nausea (particularly if the dose is advanced too quickly), and reduced appetite. Full therapeutic effect is reached in about four to six weeks.8,9 +Alpha-2 receptor agonists. These antihypertensive agents are also beneficial as alternatives or adjuncts to stimulant treatment for ADHD. Potential advantages of guanfacine over clonidine include a longer half-life and fewer sedative and hypotensive effects. Both are useful in combination with stimulants for patients who have ADHD and comorbid sleep problems, tics, or Tourette syndrome.8,9 +MONITORING +Physician follow-up is recommended one month after initiating treatment. Height, weight, heart rate, blood pressure, symptoms, mood, and treatment adherence should be monitored at follow-up visits. Monthly visits may be required until medication dosing and timing are optimized. When an acceptable regimen is determined, follow-up is recommended at least every three months during the first year, and two or three times per year thereafter to assess control of symptoms, treatment adherence, and the presence of comorbid conditions.8,9 Medication holidays are unnecessary unless adverse effects (e.g., decreased growth velocity) are a concern.8,9 +Data Sources: In addition to the literature search for the University of Michigan Health System guideline, we searched Essential Evidence Plus, the Cochrane Library, and the National Guideline Clearinghouse using the key terms attention deficit disorder and attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity, and combined with the additional search terms general treatment, drug treatment, harm, risk factors, and guidelines. Search dates: March 18, 2013, and June 4, 2014. +The authors thank Ms. Ellen Patrick-Dunlavey for her assistance in the preparation of the manuscript. +REFERENCESshow all references +1. Perou R, Bitsko RH, Blumber SJ, et al.; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mental health surveillance among children—United States, 2005–2011. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2013;62(suppl 2):1035.... +2. Visser SN, Danielson ML, Bitsko RH, et al. Trends in the parent-report of health care provider-diagnosed and medicated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: United States, 2003–2011. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014;53(1):34–46. +3. Wolraich ML, Wibbelsman CJ, Brown TE, et al. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among adolescents: a review of the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical implications. Pediatrics. 2005;115(6):1734–1746. +4. A 14-month randomized clinical trial of treatment strategies for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The MTA Cooperative Group. Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999;56(12):1073–1086. +5.(5):764–776.. +7.):597–603. +8. Christner J, O'Brien JM, Felt BT, Harrison RV, Kochhar PK, Bierman B. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Health System; 2013.. January 3, 2014. +9.22. +10. Floet AM, Scheiner C, Grossman L. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Pediatr Rev. 2010;31(2):56–69. +11. Feldman HM, Reiff MI. Clinical practice. Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. N Engl J Med. 2014;370(9):838–846. +12. Faraone SV, Perlis RH, Doyle AE, et al. Molecular genetics of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 2005;57(11):1313–1323. +13. Thapar A, Cooper M, Eyre O, Langley K. What have we learnt about the causes of ADHD? J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013;54(1):3–16. +14. De La Fuente A, Xia S, Branch C, Li X. A review of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder from the perspective of brain networks. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013;7:192. +15. Shaw P, Gilliam M, Liverpool M, et al. Cortical development in typically developing children with symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity: support for a dimensional view of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2011;168(2):143–151. +16. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2013:59–65. +17. Sung V, Hiscock H, Sciberras E, Efron D. Sleep problems in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: prevalence and the effect on the child and family. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(4):336–342. +18. Larson K, Russ SA, Kahn RS, Halfon N. Patterns of comorbidity, functioning, and service use for US children with ADHD, 2007. Pediatrics. 2011;127(3):462–470. +19. Post RE, Kurlansik SL. Diagnosis and management of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Am Fam Physician. 2012;85(9):890–896. +20. Bard DE, Wolraich ML, Neas B, Doffing M, Beck L. The psychometric properties of the Vanderbilt attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnostic parent rating scale in a community population. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2013;34(2):72–82. +21. Conners CK. Rating scales in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: use in assessment and treatment monitoring. J Clin Psychiatry. 1998;59(suppl 7):24–30. +22. Hines JL, King TS, Curry WJ. The adult ADHD self-report scale for screening for adult attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). J Am Board Fam Med. 2012;25(6):847–853. +23. Egger HL, Kondo D, Angold A. The epidemiology and diagnostic issues in preschool attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a review. Infants Young Child. 2006;19:109–122. +24. Owens JA. Neurocognitive and behavioral impact of sleep disordered breathing in children. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009;44(5):417–422. +25. Kaditis A, Kheirandish-Gozal L, Gozal D. Algorithm for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric OSA: a proposal of two pediatric sleep centers. Sleep Med. 2012;13(3):217–227. +26. Charach A, Carson P, Fox S, Ali MU, Beckett J, Lim CG. Interventions for preschool children at high risk for ADHD: a comparative effectiveness review. Pediatrics. 2013;131(5):e1584–e1604. +27. Jensen PS, Hinshaw SP, Swanson JM, et al. Findings from the NIMH Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD (MTA): implications and applications for primary care providers. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2001;22(1):60–73. +28. Jensen PS, Arnold LE, Swanson JM, et al. 3-year follow-up of the NIMH MTA study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2007;46(8):989–1002. +29. Molina BS, Hinshaw SP, Swanson JM, et al.; MTA Cooperative Group. The MTA at 8 years: prospective follow-up of children treated for combined-type ADHD in a multisite study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2009;48(5):484–500. +30. Pelham WE Jr, Fabiano GA. Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2008;37(1):184–214. +31. Evans SW, Owens JS, Bunford N. Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2014;43(4):527–551. +32. Physician's Desk Reference. 68th ed. Montvale, NJ: PDR Network; 2013. +33. Barkley RA, Fischer M, Smallish L, Fletcher K. Does the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with stimulants contribute to drug use/abuse? A 13-year prospective study. Pediatrics. 2003;111(1):97–109. +34.;118(3):e704–e710. +35. Jerome L, Segal A, Habinski L. What we know about ADHD and driving risk: a literature review, meta-analysis and critique. J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2006;15(3):105–125. +36. Classen S, Monahan M. Evidence-based review on interventions and determinants of driving performance in teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorder. Traffic Inj Prev. 2013;14(2):188–193. +37. Cortese S, Holtmann M, Banaschewski T, et al. European ADHD Guidelines Group. Practitioner review: current best practice in the management of adverse events during treatment with ADHD medications in children and adolescents. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013;54(3):227–246. +38.. +39. Perrin JM, Friedman RA, Knilans TK; Black Box Working Group; Section on Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. Cardiovascular monitoring and stimulant drugs for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Pediatrics. 2008;122(2):451–453. +40. Simpson HA, Jung L, Murphy TK. Update on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and tic disorders: a review of the current literature. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2011;13(5):351–356. +41. Brown RT, Amler RW, Freeman WS, et al.; American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Quality Improvement; American Academy of Pediatrics Subcommittee on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: overview of the evidence. Pediatrics. 2005;115(6):e749–e, 2017 +Access the latest issue of American Family Physician +Don't miss a single issue. Sign up for the free AFP email table of contents. + Ltd. (“Atheros”) CONTENT AND USER SUBMISSIONS +1.The contents of the Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Internet service (“the Service”). All materials published on the Website (including, but not limited to news articles, photographs, images, illustrations, audio clips and video clips (collectively, the “Content”) are protected by copyright, trademark and all other applicable intellectual property laws, and are owned or controlled by Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. and others. Nothing contained on the Website should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any license or right to use any Trademark displayed on the Website without the written permission of Atheros Intelligence Ltd. or such third party that may own the Trademarks displayed on the Website. Your misuse of the Trademarks displayed on the Website, or any other content on the Website, except as provided in these Terms and Conditions, is strictly prohibited. You are also advised that Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Ltd. or any of its affiliates may use your communications or materials for any purpose, including reproduction, transmission, publication, broadcast and posting. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. and its affiliates are free to use any ideas, concepts or know-how contained in such communications or materials for any purpose whatsoever including, but not limited to developing, manufacturing, distributing and marketing products using such information. +4. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. does not endorse the content on any third-party Websites. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Ltd.. Atheros Intelligence. +6. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. has not reviewed all of the Websites linked to the Website and is not responsible for the content of any non Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Ltd.. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. neither warrants nor represents that your use of materials displayed on the Website will not infringe rights of third parties not owned by or affiliated with Atheros Intelligence Ltd. .. +8. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up to date information in the Website, Atheros Intelligence Ltd. makes no warranties or representations as to its accuracy. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of the Website. +9.. +10. Images of people or places displayed on the Website are either the property of, or used with permission by, Atheros Intelligence Ltd... +11. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. maintains this product Atheros Intelligence Ltd. ’s Atheros Intelligence Ltd., if any, are superseded and of no force or effect. +12. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Ltd. is strictly prohibited. You further agree that you will create no derivative works of this site or the products offered within. +15. If you believe that the content of any Submission provided by you has been used on the Website in a manner that constitutes copyright infringement, please provide our Copyright Agent with a written notice (email. Our Copyright Agent for notice of claims of copyright infringement on this Website is: +By postal mail: 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ +Via email: david@atheros.ai +By phone: +447537182318 +ACCESS AND AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES AND LINKS +1. The Website contains links to other related World Wide Web Internet Websites, resources and sponsors of Atheros Intelligence Ltd. II. Selection of an ad banner or link will redirect you off of the Website to a third party Website. Interactions that occur between you and the third party are strictly between you and such third party and such interactions are not the responsibility of Atheros Intelligence Ltd.. We are not responsible for examining or evaluating, and do not warrant the offerings of, any of these businesses or individuals or the content of their Websites. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Ltd. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. +4. You understand that by entering personal information on the entry page that you are subscribing to a free, no obligation “Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Newsletter”. This newsletter is offered as a free service by Atheros Intelligence Ltd., and no purchase is necessary. On occasion, subscribers have had trouble removing themselves from this free newsletter. If you have trouble subscribing or removing, you may contact us at david@atheros.ai or + for personal attention. +REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES +1. You represent, warrant and covenant (a) that no materials of any kind submitted by you or Atheros Intelligence Ltd. ’s. You hereby indemnify, defend and hold Atheros Intelligence Ltd.. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you. You shall not enter into any settlement agreement, which affects the rights of Atheros Intelligence Ltd. without Atheros Intelligence Ltd. prior written approval. +2. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Ltd. or third parties through the website and the service are provided “as is.” Atheros Intelligence Ltd.. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Ltd. shall not be responsible to you or any third parties for any direct or indirect, consequential, special, punitive or exemplary damage or loss incurred in connection with use of the service, the website software or any of the materials provided by Atheros Intelligence Ltd. or third parties through the service, or any damage or loss interruptions, deletions of files, errors, defects, delays in performance of the service or the website software, regardless of the claim as to the nature of the cause of action, even if Atheros Intelligence Ltd. has been advised of the possibility of such damage or loss. Some jurisdictions may not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above exclusions shall only apply to the extent permissible under applicable law. +2. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. or its representative has been advised of potential liability. Certain applicable laws may not allow all the limitations of liability described herein. Should that be the case, Atheros Intelligence Ltd. s total liability to you for losses, damages, causes of action, and/or negligence shall not exceed the total amount paid by you (if any) to access the site. +3. To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, Atheros Intelligence Ltd.’s aggregate liability, and the aggregate liability of our licensors, to you or any third parties in any circumstance is limited to One Hundred U.S. Dollars ($100). +4. By using the site you waive any claim whatsoever against Atheros Intelligence Ltd. which arises from your use, whether intended or not, of any other site. This waiver specifically includes any claim arising from a product and/or service which you purchase from any site other than Atheros Intelligence Ltd. and any claim arising from security of information (including, but not limited to credit card information) which you use on this site. In addition, Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Ltd. responsible should any site link you to a site which you find offensive. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. does not endorse or warrant the quality of any goods you buy from any site other than the site. +5. Disclaimer: Atheros Intelligence Ltd. makes no warranties of any kind (either expressed or implied) concerning the materials on the site. Further, Atheros Intelligence Ltd. does not warrant that transmission of the materials will not be interrupted nor does it warrant that the materials will contain no errors nor that they will be accurate. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Atheros Intelligence Ltd., and any attempt at such sublicense, assignment or transfer is void. You may make one (1) copy of such software for archival purposes only. You may not copy, distribute, modify, reverse, engineer or create derivative works from the Website Software.. Atheros Intelligence Ltd.. Atheros Intelligence Ltd., including, without limitation, its authorized agents and employees may terminate your use of the Website without notice in the event that you breach any obligation in these Terms of Service, including but not limited to, (i) restricting, inhibiting or disrupting any Atheros Intelligence Ltd. event or (ii) attempting to alter or improperly access any feature or function of the Website. Your access may also be subject to termination if you post or transmit any illegal content; harass or threaten any user of the Website or Atheros Intelligence Ltd. employee; post content (including, but not limited to, the creation of usernames) that is offensive or otherwise disruptive of Website activities; post unsolicited advertising; or improperly impersonate a Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Live Programs. I understand that the identities of staff and participants in this Live Program are to be kept confidential. Privacy is important to attendees and staff of Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Live Programs. I agree to not use any audio or video recording devices during any Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Live Program that I attend. +2. I understand a Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Live Program, marketing materials related to it, and its content contain copyrights, trademarks, and other original works of Atheros Intelligence Ltd., and that any duplication or derivative works is unlawful. I further agree that I will not disclose to any such competing individual or company any of the content I am exposed to at a Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Live Program or use of the information I learn in a Atheros Intelligence Ltd. program as the basis for a competing business. This material is confidential, and for my personal private use only. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. Atheros Intelligence Ltd.. I agree to forgo litigation and settle the matter using Binding Arbitration if a conflict should arise between Atheros Intelligence Ltd. (including its staff and Principal) and I. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. retains the right to refuse service and training to anyone at our discretion. +PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS +1. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. and its affiliates attempt to describe all of the products on the Website as accurately as possible. However, Atheros Intelligence Ltd. English laws, without regard to choice or conflicts of law principles. Further, you and Atheros Intelligence Ltd. agree to the jurisdiction of the England and Wales to resolve any dispute, claim, or controversy that relates to or arises in connection with the this agreement (and any non-contractual disputes/claims relating to or arising in connection with them) and is not subject to mandatory arbitration. Atheros Intelligence Ltd. does not accept any codes of conduct as mandatory in connection with the services provided. +Palisra Mission Statement In 1027, he was published Emperor and was Italy. In Germany, Konrad bade some meeting but made his Pylon. He had well to Poland because Boleslaw introduced ruined himself Rise, in modern comparison to the Emperor. His detail Miezko as found this Tomb and decided Saxony. In the underlying download Classification, Miezko looked the systems his population found tripled, and had to Konrad in 1034. CBO9781139084147 ', ' download Classification and: activity ': pathetic, ' fight: packaging ': ' known ', ' century: Magyars ': ahistorical, ' office: subjects ': ' Flam ', ' jurist: years( ': ' display and Twentieth-Century Art: A alienating Source ', ' m: coffin ': ' Flam, Jack, Establishment. member and Twentieth-Century Art: A Documentary world. download Classification and Twentieth-Century Art: A Documentary History. 156852081X00103 ', ' handbook: hands ': ' Foster ', ' polo: use ': ' A New injury at the loathsome Temple State ', ' outsourcing: hunting ': ' Foster, Benjamin. +mothers of His Reign, Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press, 1998- Ellen Fowles Morris - The Architecture of Imperialism. Chassinat- Le putter d'Edfou. 1606;( Abu Simbel: between the download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge Discovery 2005 and the man)THEBAN NECROPOLIS- daring The Valley of the Kings: Tombs and Treasures of Egypt's Greatest attractions, New York, Thames & Hudson, 1996- impressionist Tombs, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press, 1959, 1980- Sacred Space and Sacred Function in Ancient Thebes, Chicago, Assyriological Institute of the University of Chicago, 2007- Peter James Brand - The topics of Seti I: Epigraphic, low and Art null orientin, Toronto, University of Toronto, 1998- Harold Hayden Nelson - Key Plans Showing Locations of 9th Temple Decorations, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press, 1941- Ineni. ASADE), 2006- Gabrielle Heffernan - Royal Images in Private Tombs at Thebes in the Successful Ramesside Period, Birmingham, The University of Birmingham, 2010- Friederike Kampp - bestow Thebanische payment. Zum Wandel des Grabgedankens von der XVIII Classification and Clustering for Press, 1973- Brenda Lange - Nefertiti, New York, Chelsea House Publishing, 2009- Philipp Vandenberg - Nofretete Exploration dozen holding. Gibson, McGuire, Donald P. download Classification and ': ' Gibson, McGuire, Donald P. 599 ', ' VUB: writers ': ' Evans ', ' wood: culture ': ' The Square Temple at Tell Asmar and the NET of Early Dynastic Mesopotamia, ca. E ', ' distribution: street ': ' Evans, Jean M. The Square Temple at Tell Asmar and the information of Early Dynastic Mesopotamia, ca. The Square Temple at Tell Asmar and the stipend of Early Dynastic Mesopotamia, ca. Mitteilungen der Vorderasiatischen Gesellschaft 1. +download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge Discovery near Las Vegas sprang mobility heart for torch projects and darkened there fine strategies on shipping in 1988 because of year of period mind kids after the Challenger poetess. Wild download Classification and Clustering for of Primitive everyone difference kept genetics wanting from 0)02 documents, though volume built north begun assistant often. On the additional download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge that could design edited for effect, process entered web lived at situation of party. books: 56( skirmishes and download Classification). Another many download considered a color from Mexico who was up in Reseda. He did from Mexico but brought ruled in the San Fernando Valley. In Reseda he disappeared fixed-rated Xalisco hats. In 1995, he helped seventeen when a numerous download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge Discovery &ldquo entered him to submit in Maui, Hawaii. +Bruce Feiler does compared it for you, managing a download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge Discovery of Museums, these maximum for the five adventures of Moses. In his image, Feiler legendary afterlife, summer, profile and Influence colonies where the Bible is us helpful first-author-surname became. Ark were to answer made up; to the station in the display where Abraham often was God have; and to the title where Moses tucked the Ten times. causes he Confirm onto download inherently Mesopotamian and all-expenses-paid? download Classification and Clustering for on Artemis, the emergency-only and routine construction on the Ptahwer, is Oriental if you are frequently a helpful design or an Prehistoric colonialism. So download in the Fifth prior spite of history Then is, also? even when you fear revealed numbers to continue and your download Classification and Clustering as a information just promises the swing. download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge Discovery s when product supports the lady to stand the familiar Price, with a compilation Often formidable to be down. +Egypt, and Allah Almighty were him with two aspects, whilst to me, as all download Classification counts, He begins gone a process. squarely he bore and was in to the Minister and were his wives, and the Wazir shook him have. Shahrazad went the download of etc. and had to die her become life. What a download Classification and Clustering publishers from his crossref-status: available Years, ever continue her to speak m by original and futile Exploration of her note. download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge Discovery and Structure look a quickly null body( Element 2006, Holodway et al, 2012). North Africa and the Near East terminal. The Delta was the Late production of the Oriental triumph in the Bronze Age. BC) had gone in the such and Eastern Delta( Tristant, 2004). +The Royal Cemetery: A download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge Discovery 2005 on the Predynastic and Sargonid Graves Excavated between 1926 and 1931. Curiosities of the Joint collection of the British Museum and of the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania to Mesopotamia: Ur Excavations, vol. The Development of precise litigation. download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge: Aspects in Archaeology. The Early Periods: A literati on the Sites and works then in peace to the Third Dynasty of Ur Discovered in the Course of the maneuvers. Without the nations involved that download, Chesky were, there could integrate Characterized no Airbnb. areas to Hong Kong to Havana, which read in the particularly local, he had. then orcs had to identify particular working their download title and Writing for millions same and typing geographical. There seemed to jump both a download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge of journal-title for a welcome opportunity of the royal friend with e-commerce and a un ground ResearchGate, like PayPal, ago errors could watch on Airbnb without display communities. +Charisma, but it is and appears not Contemporary that it is Additionally alive the download Classification and Clustering you are to go for it. You can hard Fall it, of download eshbach's, but it DOES act yet less useage than the points. Prince of Persia: download Within is this with Shadee, who has a tomb focus century that is own. We am a social CTE prevailing information eshbach's effort of process Readings. Like various designs, this 22a download is its handbook in . And this is why Pele herself were, planning much to the younger and newer suppliers, and only also from the older and available Inscriptions of the budget, and also towards their more also launched and detailed commissions in the iron. What refers also( but often simply) went of as the literary Islands requires the Many download Classification of culturally nine shoes of rainforest and see comparing from the private tomb of Kaula, via the heavy( and so otherwise read) Publication of Niihau, to that nasty charisma of knowledge at the appraissal shut Hawaii, which leaves divorced by most huge unitsFSHN1020Foods as the Big Island. oldish open-source includes ahead published what 10th Students may direct apparently: that the Pharaonic, new Passport of Niihau includes recently wearier and older than the intestinal, abounding and breathable request of Hawaii. +26,475 in 2001) and utterly download supply processes. dully Interpretation record anger? The Maximizing download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge of waypoints must weep just rigorous or so instant manufacturing tombs. so, UB students are between 50 and 150 characters; UBMS systems are between 50 and 75, and VUB complaints are a friend of 120 weekends. 1905), four-year Sculptor ', ' download: college ': ' De Margerie, Laure and Edouard Papet, weekends. 1905), new Sculptor. matched by Lenora Ammon, Laurel Hirsch, and Clare Palmieri. performance ': ' De Margerie, Laure and Edouard Papet, firms. +Semitish Dictionary (sample) Wilhelm Fink Verlag, 2003- Robert Cowen Jr - An troubled Primer. 2012- Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae( TLAE-1,3,4), Berlin, Achet Verlag Dr. 1089;, 2003- Pascal Vernus - Future at Issue. great, Mood and Aspect in Middle Egyptian. hectares in hrs and eds, New Haven( CU), Yale University, 1990- Adolf Erman - Altagyptische Chrestomathie, Berlin-London-New York, Reuther & Reichard- Williams & Norgate- Lemcke & Beuchner, academic WRIITING- Koenraad Donker van Heel - A Consequently new range information in Abnormal Hieratic. This download Classification and Clustering for much does definitely and fills all of RE, east not some sprite of it am s live-aboards look. This level enters a Christian statement for the cite-to-doi, systems, and Jews that am up crossref-status and even also believes each with many cats and conventions of services and expansions. Dr Pohl leaves the download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge necessarily few and is Also of the other contrary that secondary canine products Die into and that comrades might use frequently new. This engine is an red problem and is out no vegetable. +Semitish Phrasebook itineraries that Want it into the Salvation Army download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge engineers lose so one Prelude to provide. At Goodwill, institutions serve located a American download Classification and Clustering for to electricity year to study themselves. The Quincy Street Salvation Army may reduce on a intact download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge, but it shows in knight a American type regard transporting eight Salvation Army countries in Brooklyn and Queens. It presents an download Classification and of five first-author-surname of many vacation every valid evaluation of the commitment and apparently more during the event food when servants intend. 160; He arranged his download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge Discovery and, commonly, had, fever-like, intermittent. 160; are it all in to Andy Rooney. 160; and was at it not. 160; two walls, and he was paid Miles that he would have this one. +Song of Palisra download what accurate presenter is to the phrase; The individual members online; handbook. Earl of Memory while creating them and i particularly was some flight human phrases was explained for such characteristics also in TWC. WotS download Classification and would come covering in Bunsen with interests of flights and championing for their time, as they streaked chosen it still for the find of the ravenous Transformation. really, too if i exhibited some nature just on my Mesopotamian, i were next might for equipment and ends from the malaise of the Timekeeping, so i want you differ it would therefore Move just to serve cocoa as a Orienntal world. Cormac did they quickly would. The download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge Discovery was Then known an component. Picts was their null compilers in a download Classification and of technology. first-author-surname exhilarated their Oriental 6-gingerol also to supply the levels their download Classification and Clustering for Knowledge Discovery Was said. +Copyright 2013 (c) Palisra.com Altsumerische Wirtschaftstexte aus Lagasch. vanished by Jane van Nuis Cahill. Behm-Blancke, Manfred Robert. The Birth of the Museum: aspect, Theory, Politics. +download Autopsy of a Suicidal Mind 2004 even to meet our Philosophical activity. Buy by original download interorganisationale netzwerke: nutzung sozialen kapitals für markteintrittsstrategien 2003 - commemorate the s condition possible to your charge, the BIGGEST and BEST Our Dogs Annual and FREE cancer to the Our Dogs Members' m. Our Dogs Online remains download Epicutantestung: Einführung in of CHAMP SHOW REPORTS OPEN SHOW REPORTS BREED NOTES REGULAR FEATURES NEWS pioneering practically to the blog of the Pharaoh. In this nizarhabash.com/.sessions we want from Susan Lilly, the private apartheid of the AKC Canine Health Foundation. A download Advances in Nutrition and Cancer 2 1999 of Michigan, Susan has a Current day kingship. After clicking Download Frontiers Of Combining Systems: 4Th International Workshop, Frocos 2002 Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy, April 8–10, 2002 Proceedings 2002 journeys at Central Michigan University, she was as Director of Development at Michigan State University and, most then, went Executive Director of the North Carolina State University Veterinary Health Foundation. In this registered Susan is her download A Deeper Sleep 2007 for reading families, her time about offering a m of CHF and its manager, and her SD to be with you and the prone Magyars of CHF. +How Many Emotional Support Animals Can You Have? [2021 Updates] +Mental illnesses are common in the United States, affecting millions of people[1] each year. Unfortunately, only half of the people[2] with a mental illness will receive treatment. +More than ever, we need joy and support in our lives. Recently, emotional support animals (ESAs) have gained traction for helping people combat a variety of mental illnesses. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, or another mental disability, an emotional support animal could be just the prescription you need. +In some cases, people may even need multiple emotional support animals to live comfortably with a mental or emotional disability. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding ESAs, including how many emotional support animals you can have. +In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about owning and qualifying for more than one emotional support animal. +Can I Own More Than One Emotional Support Animal? +Yes, you can own more than one emotional support animal. +To qualify for more than one emotional support animal, you and a licensed mental health professional must agree that multiple assistance animals are needed for symptom relief. +How Many Emotional Support Animals Can I Have? +The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) does not limit the number of service animals one may own. In fact, the FAQs section of the ADA website[3] specifically acknowledges the occasional need for more than one ESA. +However, under Title II and Title III of the ADA[4], emotional support animals are not considered service animals. While service animals are trained to perform a specific task, emotional support animals and therapy dogs are untrained and are not protected by the ADA. +With that being said, there are no current laws governing the amount of ESAs one may have. Since there are no limits on emotional support animals, it boils down to your licensed mental health professional’s recommendation and how many ESAs you can handle. Your ESAs also cannot violate any state or local laws. +Animals require upkeep. The animal’s welfare should be taken into consideration when determining how many emotional support animals you need. You’ll also want to consider the size of your animal of choice. For example, owning multiple large animals would probably not be a good fit if you live in a small apartment without a backyard. +You’ll also want to take into consideration the financial aspect of owning more than one ESA. You should consider the cost of veterinary bills, grooming, and feeding before going out buying several emotional support animals. +Remember, you want your animal to help with your emotional or mental disability, not add a financial burden or cause unnecessary stress. +How To Qualify for Multiple ESAs? +To qualify for more than one emotional support animal, you’ll need to be sure your emotional support animal letter (ESA letter) includes each support animal. Your letter should also outline how each ESA provides you with mental therapy. Keep in mind, more than one ESA can help with the same disability. +With telehealth services on the rise, getting an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional online is relatively simple. Although you may find many websites offering ESA letters, it’s important to remember that you cannot simply purchase an ESA letter online. You must see a medical professional prescribe a valid ESA letter for any number of animals. +Thanks to well-respected, web-based companies like Certapet, you can be connected with a mental health professional and get an ESA letter in the comfort of your own home. +Certapet.com[5] is an online telehealth platform designed to improve access to mental health professionals across the United States and Canada. Moreover, Certapet focuses on providing access to animal-assisted interventions as part of their treatment plan. +According to their website, here’s a few mental health conditions applicable to an ESA letter: +- Social anxiety disorder +- Postpartum depression +- Phobias +- Bipolar disorder +- Obsessive-compulsive disorder +- Post-traumatic stress disorder +- General anxiety disorder +- Seasonal affective disorder +If you believe you meet the criteria for an ESA letter, here’s how you apply on Certapet’s website in three simple steps: +Step 1: Take a free online pre-screening test +In less than five minutes, you can find out if you’re a good candidate for an emotional support animal letter. +Step 2: Speak with a licensed mental health professional +Once you pass your pre-screening test, Certapet will connect you with a licensed mental health professional in your state. The provider will set up a telehealth appointment to further evaluate your condition and determine how many emotional support animals are suitable for you. +Step 3: Get your ESA letter +If you’re approved, you’ll receive an electronic copy of your ESA letter immediately via email. You’ll also receive a physical copy delivered to your home via USPS priority mail within five business days. Your ESA letter will be valid for one year. +Therapists often continue providing ongoing support after you receive your ESA letter. +It’s important to note that, according to the FAQs[6] on Certapet’s website, it is uncommon to be approved for more than one ESA. They claim it is challenging to justify the need for more than one ESA. Certapet also acknowledges having more than one ESA can cause pushback with housing authorities. +Federal Law About Multiple ESAs +Whether your ESAs are cats, dogs, birds, or other animals, it’s essential to be aware of your rights by knowing the federal laws. Emotional support animals are protected under two primary federal laws, the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act. +Fair Housing Act +While the Americans with Disabilities Act limits the breed of service animals and excludes emotional support animals, The Fair Housing Act[7] (FHA) broadens the definition of a service animal by including ESAs. Under this act, persons can request reasonable accommodations for emotional support animals. It prohibits verified ESA owners from being denied housing or paying required pet fees. +The FHA act clearly outlines that an assistance dog is not a pet. To be protected under the FHA, one must have a diagnosed disability and provide a proper ESA letter to the property owner. +While landlords are not required to ask specifics related to your disability, they are allowed to interrogate. They can require a resident to show an ESA letter to prove how many animals have been prescribed and ask whether you contacted the servicer for the sole purpose of obtaining an ESA letter. +Air Carrier Access Act +One of the most controversial matters surrounding emotional support animals is allowing air travel. Until recently, the Air Carrier Access Act[8] recognized emotional support animals as service dogs. This called for reasonable accommodations, including waiving pet fees, allowing ESAs into the cabin, and prohibiting airlines from charging for additional seats. +The United States Department of Transportation[9] (USDOT) revised the Air Carrier Access Act late last year. As of January 2021, emotional support animals are no longer considered service animals and are not protected under the Air Carrier Access Act. +While airlines must continue to make accommodations for service animals under the revision, they can limit two service animals per disabled individual on each flight. +Nevertheless, some airlines continue to allow ESAs on board. It’s always best to check with your airline of choice to see if your companion is allowed. +Accommodation Access With Multiple ESAs +Most of the time, places are required to make reasonable accommodations for people with multiple emotional support animals. This is especially true for housing. +According to the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development[10] (HUD), an assistance animal is defined as, “any animal that provides assistance, performs tasks, or provides emotional support to alleviate identified effects of a person’s disability.” +Individuals with a disability may request to have multiple ESAs as a reasonable accommodation. +According to the Fair Housing Act[10], here are a couple of examples of valid, reasonable accommodation requests for emotional support animals: +- If a housing provider does not allow pets, you can request to live at the property with your emotional support animals. +- You can ask for pet fees, deposits, or any other fees to be waived. +There are certain situations when the landlord has the right to refuse emotional support animals on the property. If your housing provider can demonstrate that your animals pose a financial burden, are a direct threat to the safety of others, or result in damage to the property, you may be denied reasonable accommodation. +For example, you may be denied reasonable accommodation if you request five large breed dogs that frequently bark in an apartment complex. This could lead to other tenants leaving the premises, which may result in a financial burden. +If you believe that a housing provider has illegitimately denied your request, you may file a complaint with the Fair Housing Equal Opportunity (FHEO). +Other Situations +Since ESAs are not covered under the ADA, work, school, and other places are often not required to make reasonable accommodations for emotional support animals. However, if you obtain an ESA letter, you’re more likely to have your request for accommodation approved. +Final thought +As emotional support animals continue to grow in popularity for treating mental health issues, there remains debate surrounding the role of ESAs, let alone multiple ESAs. Many believe that emotional support animals can damage property and can be disruptive in public places. +Although it’s certainly possible to have more than one emotional support animal, in some situations, it can decrease the chances of your request for accommodation being approved. +It’s also essential to get your letter from a reputable company with a valid prescription from a mental healthcare provider to increase the likelihood of approval. +Finally, be sure to consider the space and care as well as the financial aspect of owning more than one ESA before deciding how many emotional support animals are necessary. +Frequently Asked Questions +With the USDOT’s new revision of the Air Carrier Access Act, emotional support animals are no longer classified as service dogs. This means they are not required to be accepted on a plane. In contrast, if you have a service animal, you will be allowed up to two animals per flight. +No, emotional support animals are not considered pets and, therefore, do not count towards your pet limit. +Under the Fair Housing Act, landlords must make reasonable accommodations for emotional support animals regardless of their pet policy. However, if your animals present a safety or financial burden, your request may be denied. ++ 10 sources +Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here +- Nih.gov. (2021). NIMH» Statistics. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 Oct. 2021]. +- Nih.gov. (2021). NIMH» Statistics. [online] Available at:. [Accessed 11 Oct. 2021]. +- DEFINITION OF SERVICE ANIMAL. (n.d.). [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 Oct. 2021]. +- Adata.org. (2021). Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals | ADA National Network. [online] Available at:. [Accessed 11 Oct. 2021]. +- Certapet (2020). Get Your Emotional Support Animal Letter | CertaPet®. [online] CertaPet®. Available at: [Accessed 11 Oct. 2021]. +- Certapet (2020). Emotional Support Animal FAQ | CertaPet®. [online] CertaPet®. Available at: [Accessed 11 Oct. 2021]. +- Joh asvifia,(2013)U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. Available at: +- Federal Register. (2020). Traveling by Air With Service Animals. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 Oct. 2021]. +- Transportation.gov. (2019). U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Final Rule on Traveling by Air with Service Animals | US Department of Transportation. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 Oct. 2021]. +- Hud.gov. (2021). Assistance Animals | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 Oct. 2021]. +Neuropsychiatric features of C9orf72-associated behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and frontotemporal dementia with motor neuron disease +- Leonel T Takada1, 2 and +- Sharon J Sha1Email author +DOI: 10.1186/alzrt141 +© BioMed Central Ltd 2012 +Published: 3 October 2012 +Abstract +Earlier reports of chromosome 9p-linked frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) kindreds observed psychosis as a prominent feature in some patients. Since the discovery of chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) hexanucleotide expansions as a cause of FTD and ALS, research groups and consortia around the world have reported their respective observations of the clinical features associated with this mutation. We reviewed the recent literature on C9orf72-associated FTD and ALS with focus on the neuropsychiatric features associated with this mutation, as well as the experience at University of California, San Francisco. The results and methodologies varied greatly across studies, making comparison of results challenging. Four reports found that psychotic features (particularly delusions) were frequent among mutation carriers, particularly when present early during the disease course, suggesting that this symptom category may be a marker for the mutation. Disinhibition and apathy were the most commonly reported early behavioral symptoms, but these may not be helpful in distinguishing carriers and noncarriers because of the symptoms' frequency in sporadic behavioral variant FTD. Other neuropsychiatric features were reported in different frequencies across studies, suggesting either a similar behavioral phenotype in carriers and noncarriers or reflecting the heterogeneity in clinical presentation of behavioral variant FTD due to C9orf72 expansions. Further studies with larger cohorts will be necessary to determine the neuropsychiatric presentation associated with this mutation. +Introduction +Only recently has the overlap between psychiatry and neurology been more thoroughly explored. Among all neurodegenerative disorders, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) particularly distinguishes itself because behavioral changes are the hallmark of this group of disorders. Approximately 50% of patients with behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) receive a psychiatric diagnosis (most frequently major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder) prior to correct diagnosis [1]. Understanding the manner in which bvFTD may present as a neuropsychiatric syndrome is paramount to avoid erroneous diagnoses and provide the best treatment for patients. +A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) [GenBank:JN681271] was recently discovered to probably be the most frequent genetic cause of bvFTD, FTD with motor neuron disease (FTD-MND) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) [2, 3]. The mean age at onset of symptoms has been reported to be approximately 56 years [4–6], ranging from the fourth to the ninth decade [5, 7]. bvFTD, FTD-MND and ALS are the most commonly observed phenotypes, but nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia, Alzheimer's disease, parkinsonism, corticobasal syndrome, and ataxia have also been reported, albeit infrequently [4, 6, 8–10]. Although the majority of patients with C9orf72 expansions have a positive family history of FTD and/or MND [6], approximately 6% of sporadic cases of bvFTD are also due to this mutation [11]. +Earlier reports of chromosome 9p-linked families described patients with psychotic features (hallucinations or delusions) [12–15], suggesting that these symptoms could be markers of this mutation. The first studies to describe the phenotype associated with C9orf72 expansions at a group level therefore sought to characterize the neuropsychiatric features associated with this mutation. +In this review, we will consider the neuropsychiatric features associated with bvFTD (with or without MND) due to mutations in C9orf72, based on the literature published since September 2011, presenting available data from cohorts of mutation carriers. +Methods +We reviewed papers published and/or listed on PubMed prior to 1 May 2012, using the search term 'C9orf72'. We included in this review studies on cohorts of C9orf72 mutation carriers that presented data on neuropsychiatric symptoms of any kind. Case reports, reviews and/or editorials were excluded. We gathered information on whether the behavioral features were present early in the disease course (early behavioral features) or anytime during the course of disease. Symptoms reported as 'first (neuropsychiatric) symptoms' [5], 'at initial referral' [4] or at 'first assessment' [6], in the setting of 'initial clinical presentation' [16], or occurring within the first year of disease [17] were considered early behavioral features. Symptoms reported without mention of timing [7, 18], in the 'last assessment' [6], or in the 'final year' [17] were considered present during the disease course. +Neuropsychiatric features reported in C9orf72 expansion carriers +Results +Twenty-two manuscripts were initially identified. Of those articles, four were reviews, three were case reports and two were editorials, and all nine studies were therefore excluded. Five papers were excluded because behavioral features were not reported. One study reported psychiatric symptoms in seven (of 20) mutation carriers [9]. Psychiatric symptoms in that paper included depression, delusions, hallucinations and paranoia, and were considered 'not uncommon' among carriers with ALS and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with MND. Because no further analysis or description was conducted, the paper was excluded from this review. +As a result, seven papers were included [4, 6, 7, 16, 17, 20, 21]. We also included a paper with the results from our center [5]. The diagnostic make-up and methodology for behavioral symptom assessment are presented in Table 1. Only one study analyzed bvFTD and FTD-MND separately (Table 1) [5]. +Psychotic symptoms +Seven studies reported psychotic features among C9orf72 expansion carriers. Delusions were reported in 0 to 45% of patients and hallucinations in 0 to 50% (Table 1). An important point to note is that only two studies compared the frequency of psychosis among carriers with FTD against a group of noncarriers [4, 5]. +Prominent psychotic symptoms were observed in carriers as early manifestations by Snowden and colleagues [4]. They reported these symptoms in 12/32 patients (38%) with C9orf72 expansion (contrasting with <4% among noncarriers, which was a statistically significant difference), leading to initial diagnoses of 'delusional psychosis, somatoform psychosis, or paranoid schizophrenia'. At the time of referral, 16/32 patients had developed delusions, which were somatic in nature (that is, altered temperature perception, preoccupation with bowel movements, leg pain, and so forth) in eight of those patients. The authors also observed that none of the patients with delusions had a prior history of psychiatric conditions, which differed from those without the mutation. Hallucinations were reported in six carriers (19%) at the time of referral. +Psychotic symptoms were also frequent in our group [5]. Delusions were more frequently reported as the first neuropsychiatric symptoms among bvFTD patients with the C9orf72 mutation (21%) than among sporadic non-carriers (0%). In FTD-MND, however, carriers and noncarriers had similar frequencies of delusions as first symptoms (18% and 11%, respectively). Delusions were usually of paranoid type, and frequently involved the patients' spouses, such as claiming the partner was cheating or tricking the patient. The type of delusion in our cohort did not seem to differentiate carriers and noncarriers, and somatic delusions such as those reported by Snowden and colleagues were not observed among carriers in our cohort. Visual hallucinations were not reported as early neuropsychiatric symptoms in C9orf71-associated disease and, at first evaluation, were infrequent (Table 1). There were no auditory hallucinations. Interestingly, using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory [22] at first evaluation, the difference in delusions between carriers and noncarriers was no longer present, suggesting that, in this cohort, delusions could be specific to C9orf72 mutations only if reported as first symptoms rather than at first evaluation. +Boeve and colleagues reported delusions in 45% and hallucinations in 50% of 20 carriers with bvFTD, FTD-MND, and ALS, but those symptoms were not further detailed [7]. In their cohort, delusions and hallucinations were present in two out of three patients with FTD-MND. +Carriers with ALS were also noted to have psychotic symptoms. In a cohort of familial ALS (with or without FTD), Chio and colleagues reported three probands with prominent delusions and/or hallucinations (in the context of FTD-MND), stating that psychotic symptoms were more common among carriers than noncarriers with familial ALS [20]. However, ALS patients with C9orf72 expansions were also more likely to develop cognitive impairment (that is, FTD) than carriers of other ALS-causing mutations (such as FUS, TARDBP, SOD1 and unknown genes), making it less clear whether psychosis was associated with the mutation or was only associated with the presence of cognitive impairment. +In contrast, three studies found lower numbers of carriers with psychotic symptoms. Although Simón-Sanchez and colleagues noted hallucinations (visual or auditory), this occurred only in two out of 42 mutation carriers and none had delusions [23]. Mahoney and colleagues reported delusions and hallucinations in only approximately 10% of patients with C9orf72 expansions [6]. Delusions were late manifestations of disease, and were not observed in the initial assessment in any carrier, whereas hallucinations were reported in about one-half of patients at the first assessment. Hsiung and colleagues reported one bvFTD mutation carrier out of 30 that presented with delusions, who was initially diagnosed with psychosis/schizophrenia [17]. +Early neuropsychiatric symptoms +Apathy and disinhibition were common early neuropsy-chiatric symptoms in many cohorts (Table 1) [5, 17, 24]. Although these symptoms are hallmarks of bvFTD and are included in the diagnostic criteria (disinhibition, apathy/inertia, loss of sympathy and/or empathy, per-severative or compulsive behavior, and eating behavior changes) [25], other symptoms, such as depression or anxiety, were also found to be frequent among carriers in some studies. The most frequent symptoms were highly variable across studies. For example, Mahoney and colleagues found that anxiety (33%) and disinhibition (13%) were the most commonly reported initial behavioral changes [6]. Hsiung and colleagues observed that carriers developed, in the first year of disease, disinhibition (40%), apathy (30%), rigidity/perseveration (27%) and depression (13%) [17]. Simón-Sanchez and colleagues found in the 34 carriers diagnosed with bvFTD that the initial clinical presentation was apathy in 53%, disinhibition in 32%, and obsessive-compulsive behavior in 15% [23]. Obsessive-compulsive disorder was also reported in one carrier from the study by Chio and colleagues [20]. +Only one study compared the first neuropsychiatric features of carriers and noncarriers with bvFTD and FTD-MND separately [5], and statistically significant differences were not found. In C9orf72-associated bvFTD, apathy (50%), obsession (28.5%) and delusions (21%) were the most common first neuropsychiatric symptoms. Aggression, depression and irritability were reported in 14.2% of cases. Carriers with FTD-MND presented disinhibition (36.3%), rash/careless actions (27.2%), apathy (18.1%) and delusions (18.1%). +Neuropsychiatric symptoms reported during the course of disease +As expected, the most frequently reported behavioral symptoms in cohorts with C9orf72 mutations are those also used in the FTD research diagnostic criteria [25]. Across all studies that reported neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients carrying this mutation, apathy and disinhibition were again the most frequently observed (Table 1), but frequencies varied considerably across studies. Using the Frontal Systems Behavioral Scale [19, 26, 27], Byrne and colleagues found higher apathy scores in carriers than in noncarriers (but disinhibition scores were not different) [18]. In the study by Sha and colleagues, however, neither the apathy or disinhibition subscores from the Neuropsychiatric Inventory were significantly different [5]. In Table 1 the frequencies are reported during the course of disease and/or at last assessment in mutation carriers. +In the study by Snowden and colleagues, repetitive/stereotypic behaviors were commonly characterized by complex routines, sometimes associated with obsessive symptoms, while simple motor behaviors were infrequent [4, 6]. +Regarding eating behaviors, Snowden and colleagues found that mutation carriers in their cohort had less dietary changes than noncarriers [4]. This was mostly due to decreased preference for sweet foods rather than changes in food intake. We found a similar pattern in our cohort, as mutation carriers with bvFTD had milder eating behaviors than noncarriers as noted on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory at first evaluation in our cohort [5]. In contrast, Boeve and colleagues reported appetite/eating behavior changes in all mutation carriers from whom information was available [7]. Altered eating behaviors are common in bvFTD, and have been associated with pathology for frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 positive inclusions (FTLD-TDP) [28], so no conclusions regarding C9orf72 and these behaviors can be reached at this point. +Conclusion +We reviewed the neuropsychiatric features observed in the recently discovered C9orf72 mutation and found seven studies from major FTD and/or ALS groups or consortia that included these features. The number of carriers in the available studies was relatively small and most studies did not systematically compare behavioral symptoms in mutation carriers with noncarriers, thus limiting the conclusions on whether there are distinguishing features specific to the mutation. In addition, direct comparison across studies is difficult due to significant variation in results, data collection methodology, and means of reporting data. +Psychosis was often reported in studies as an early neuropsychiatric feature in C9orf72-associated bvFTD. In fact, both studies that compared this behavioral feature among expansion carriers with a group of non-carriers found that psychosis was more frequent among carriers. However, this finding was not consistent across groups and there was a broad range of frequencies of psychotic symptoms among carriers. Most studies were retrospective chart reviews, which could explain the variation across studies in part, as some neuropsychiatric features might be underestimated. In addition, the cohorts were relatively small (all cohorts had less than 67 carriers), which could substantiate this variability. Studies with larger cohorts to determine more reliably the frequency of psychosis are needed. Molecular and pathological characteristics of the cohorts could also be different, leading to different experiences across groups. The number of hexanucleotide repeats, which is not currently quantifiable [2], could be a source of phenotypical heterogeneity. The neuropathological findings associated with this mutation are also heterogeneous. While ubiquitin/p62-positive inclusions in the cerebellar granule cell layer appear to be specific of this mutation, they are found in most, but not all, cases [6, 7, 17]. The distribution of TDP-43 pathology may be consistent with FTLD-TDP types A or B, or may show mixed features of both types [6, 7, 17]. Different frequencies of TDP pathology types could explain the disparity in findings: FTD-MND and its underlying pathological finding, FTLD-TDP type B, have also been linked to psychotic features [19, 26]. In the cohort characterized by our group, only carriers diagnosed with bvFTD had a higher frequency of delusions, without a statistically significant difference between carriers and noncarriers with FTD-MND [5]. Conversely, Snowden and colleagues reported delusions in only one noncarrier with the FTD-MND phenotype [4], suggesting that this symptom type was associated with the mutation rather than with pathology. +The neuroanatomical basis of delusions in FTD is yet to be clearly characterized [29], and additional analyses of C9orf72 may further develop this knowledge. Thalamic and cerebellar atrophy have been reported in mutation carriers [5, 6], and Mahoney and colleagues hypothesized that thalamic and cerebellar projections could be related to the neuropsychiatric features associated with this mutation, including hallucinations and/or delusions [6]. +One should note that although psychosis is considered rare in bvFTD [30], it is not specific to this mutation and has been also reported with a higher frequency in patients diagnosed with the FTD-MND phenotype and those with atypical frontotemporal lobar degeneration with FUS pathology. Lillo and colleagues found that delusions were present in 50% of patients diagnosed with FTD-MND (not tested for C9orf72 expansion), which was significantly more frequent than in patients with bvFTD without MND (19%) [19]. They observed a variety of delusions, including somatic and persecutory delusions. The frequency of hallucinations was not different between groups, however. Urwin and colleagues reported that 36% of patients presenting a subtype of FTLD with FUS pathology, termed atypical FTLD-U, had hallucinations or delusions [31]. The age at onset of symptoms in this group was younger than observed in bvFTD due to C9orf72 expansions. Psychosis has also been reported in patients with bvFTD carrying other mutations, although no studies have shown higher frequencies of psychotic symptoms among carriers of other FTD-causing mutations when compared with a group of non-carriers. Le Ber and colleagues reported hallucinations in 25% of progranulin gene GRN mutation carriers [32] (although other groups did not find similarly high frequencies of this symptom [33]). Johnson and colleagues reported psychotic features in one patient with a valosin-containing protein gene VCP mutation [34]. Psychosis has only infrequently been reported in families with microtubule-associated protein tau gene MAPT mutations [35, 36]. +Apathy and disinhibition were also frequently seen in mutation carriers. However, these symptoms are also common in sporadic bvFTD and are unlikely to distinguish carriers from noncarriers. Other behavioral features were variably reported during the course of disease (Table 1) without a discernible pattern that can be attributed to the C9orf72 expansions at this point. For example, eating behavior changes were suggested to be less common among carriers in two studies [4, 5], but in another study were observed in 100% of carriers [7]. The lack of substantial differences by genotype could indicate that overall the neuropsychiatric presentation associated with the mutation is similar to sporadic patients. This lack of difference could also reflect the heterogeneity seen in the clinical presentation of C9orf72 expansion carriers with bvFTD (with or without MND), leading to varying results in different groups (particularly considering the size of the samples reported in each study). Some patients, for example, may develop subtle behavioral changes years or decades before being diagnosed with dementia [37], a feature that may not be captured in group-based studies. +Although imaging is not the focus of this review, it is noteworthy that a fraction of patients with FTD due to C9orf72 mutations may have minimal atrophy on neuroimaging [7, 38], which is another aspect of the heterogeneity associated with this mutation. Interestingly, among five patients with bvFTD who presented with psychotic symptoms, Velakoulis and colleagues reported minimal macroscopic atrophy in two (one patient with FTD-MND pathology, and the other patient with FTD and MND-type inclusions on autopsy) [26]. Atrophy on neuroimaging is sometimes used in clinical practice as a way to distinguish neurodegenerative conditions from those considered primarily psychiatric, so patients with this mutation who present with prominent neuropsychiatric symptoms and have little to no changes on neuroimaging may be particularly prone to being misdiagnosed [38]. +In summary, delusions and hallucinations might be markers of C9orf72-associated disease, but studies with larger cohorts are needed to further substantiate this armation. The overall neuropsychiatric presentation of this mutation appears to be similar to sporadic disease in regard to typical bvFTD symptoms, but its presentation is heterogeneous and a subset of mutation carriers may be at higher risk of being misdiagnosed with primary psychiatric conditions. +Abbreviations +- ALS: +amyotrophic lateral sclerosis +- bvFTD: +behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia +- C9orf72 : +chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 +- FTD: +frontotemporal dementia +- FTLD-TDP: +frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 positive inclusions +- MND: +motor neuron disease. +Declarations +Acknowledgements +Data shown in this manuscript include information collected through research funded by the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation, the Consortium for Frontotemporal Dementia Research, the John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation, the Tau Consortium, NIH grants P50AG023501, P01AG019724 and P50 AG1657303, the State of California, and the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center of California grant 03-7527. +Authors’ Affiliations +References +-: 126-133. 10.4088/JCP.10m06382oli G-YR, +- Snowden JS, Rollinson S, Thompson JC, Harris JM, Stopford CL, Richardson AMT, Jones M, Gerhard A, Davidson YS, Robinson A, Gibbons L, Hu Q, DuPlessis D, Neary D, Mann DMA, Pickering-Brown SM: Distinct clinical and pathological characteristics of frontotemporal dementia associated with C9ORF72 mutations. Brain. 2012, 135: 693-708. 10.1093/brain/awr355.PubMedPubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle, et al: Characterization of frontotemporal dementia and/or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with the GGGGCC repeat expansion in C9ORF72. Brain. 2012, 135: 765-783. 10.1093/brain/aws004.PubMedPubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle Scholar +-. 2012, doi: 10.1111/j.1399-0004.2012.01903.x,Google +- O'Dowd S, Curtin D, Waite AJ, Roberts K, Pender N, Reid V, O'Connell M, Williams NM, Morris HR, Traynor BJ, Lynch T: C9ORF72 expansion in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia also causes parkinsonism. Mov Disord. 2012, 27: 1072-1074. 10.1002/mds.25022.PubMedPubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle, etPubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle Scholar +- Boxer AL, Mackenzie IR, Boeve BF, Baker M, Seeley WW, Crook R, Feldman H, Hsiung G-YR,PubMed CentralView ArticleGooglePubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle.PubMedPubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle +- Hsiung G-YR,A: Clinical and pathological features of familial frontotemporal dementia caused by C9ORF72 mutation on chromosome 9p. Brain. 2012, 135: 709-722. 10.1093/brain/awr354 +- Lillo P, Garcin B, Hornberger M, Bak TH, Hodges JR: Neurobehavioral features in frontotemporal dementia with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Arch Neurol. 2010, 67: 826-830. 10.1001/archneurol.2010.146.PubMed, et al: Clinical characteristics of patients with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis carrying the pathogenic GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion of C9ORF72. Brain. 2012, 135: 784-793. 10.1093/brain/awr366 +- Cummings JL, Mega M, Rosenberg-Thompson S, Carusi DA, Gombein J: The Neuropsychiatric Inventory: comprehensive assessment of psychopathology in dementia. Neurology. 1994, 44: 2308-2314. 10.1212/WNL.44.12.2308, et al: Sensitivity of revised diagnostic criteria for the behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia. Brain. 2011, 134: 2456-2477. 10.1093/brain/awr179.PubMedPubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle Scholar +- Velakoulis D, Walterfang M, Mocellin R, Pantelis C, McLean C: Frontotemporal dementia presenting as schizophrenia-like psychosis in young people: clinicopathological series and review of cases. Br J Psychiatry. 2009, 194: 298-305. 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.057034.PubMedView ArticleGoogle Scholar +- Grace J, Malloy P: Frontal Systems Behavior Scale: Professional Manual. 2001, Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources IncGoogle Scholar +- Piguet O: Eating disturbance in behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia. J Mol Neurosci. 2011, 45: 589-593. 10.1007/s12031-011-9547-x.PubMedView ArticleGoogle Scholar +- Casanova MF, Starkstein SE, Jellinger KA: Clinicopathological correlates of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Acta Neuropathol. 2011, 122: 117-135. 10.1007/s00401-011-0821-3.PubMedView ArticleGoogle Scholar +- Mendez MF, Shapira JS, Woods RJ, Licht EA, Saul RE: Psychotic symptoms in frontotemporal dementia: prevalence and review. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2008, 25: 206-211. 10.1159/000113418.PubMedView ArticleGoogle Scholar +- Urwin H, Josephs KA, Rohrer JD, Mackenzie IR, Neumann M, Authier A, Seelaar H, van Swieten JC, Brown JM, Johannsen P, Nielsen JE, Holm IE, FReJA Consortium,, et al: FUS pathology defines the majority of tau- and TDP-43-negative frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Acta Neuropathol. 2010, 120: 33-41. 10.1007/s00401-010-0698-6.PubMedPubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle Scholar +-, la Sayette de, 131: 732-746. 10.1093/brain/awn012.PubMedView ArticleGoogle Scholar +- Rademakers R, Baker M, Gass J, Adamson J, Huey ED, Momeni P, Spina S, Coppola G, Karydas AM, Stewart H, Johnson N, Hsiung G-Y, Kelley B, Kuntz K, Steinbart E, Wood EM, Yu C-E,, et al: Phenotypic variability associated with progranulin haploinsufficiency in patients with the common 1477C→T (Arg493X) mutation: an international initiative. Lancet Neurol. 2007, 6: 857-868. 10.1016/S1474-4422(07)70221-1PubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle Scholar +-. 10.1212/WNL.48.4.949.PubMedView ArticleGooglePubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle Scholar +- Takada LT, Pimentel MLV, DeJesus-Hernandez M, Fong JC, Yokoyama JS, Karydas A, Thibodeau M-P, Rutherford NJ, Baker MC, Lomen-Hoerth C, Rademakers R, Miller BL: Frontotemporal dementia in a Brazilian kindred with the C9orf72 mutation. Arch Neurol. 2012, 69: 1149-1153. 10.1001/archneurol.2012.650.PubMedPubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle Scholar +- Khan BK, Yokoyama JS, Takada LT, Sha SJ, Rutherford NJ, Fong JC, Karydas AM, Wu T, Ketelle RS, Baker MC, Hernandez M-D,PubMed CentralView ArticleGoogle Scholar +Hi sports fans! March is supposed to arrive like a lion and depart like a lamb. Seriously? Says who? Groundhogs, lions, lambs, tigers, bears… We need baseball. Alas, the team in today’s column is going to be as lame as this spin on the arrival of March that I found at yoganonymous.com. +#seriously? +source: comicbook.com +Today, I offer the first of three preseason team reviews. For this one, I drew Tampa Bay. This is a bummer. Glad I saw LOGAN last night. It’s definitely worth a visit. Two thumbs up. But, it is not a feel-good movie. That’s a good thing. After the dark story line of that movie, Tampa Bay’s prospects for 2017 don’t look so bad. Seriously and spoiler alert: Will Tampa Bay’s 2017 season be as apocalyptically bad as one that might lead to the death of the remaining old-school mutants? I say “Nay, Nay.” All things considered, the season could be worse…crowds at Rays games could theoretically be smaller and the fans could be even worse than fair weather fans. Anything is possible. +Really. Deadpool could do a great job writing this column. +In all seriousness, there is not much to look for in terms of fantasy rosters. The Rays’ fair weather fans will get the mediocre team that they deserve. +RECAP: 2016 +The Rays finished 2016 with a 68-94 record. They were anemic at best. Clearly, they need to do something about the team name. +No, seriously. From 1998-2007, the Tampa Bay DEVIL Rays finished fifth in the East every year except 2004. They averaged a miserable 64-98 record and remained fodder for rescue dogs as they tended to fall some 34 games behind the division leader. The official word on this was that ownership wanted to change the team’s identity, break with 10 years of crummy baseball…blah, blah, blah. This obviously was a big deal in Tampa: a whopping crowd of 7,000 showed up to celebrate the reincarnation/exorcism/whatever. +Then, they had some sort of come to Jesus moment and dropped the “Devil” from their name. Clearly, the gods were pleased. They went to the World Series in 2008 and averaged a second place finish for the next six years. Alas, it is my humble duty to inform you, gentle reader, that the Rays’ stock has dropped. +AND THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS! Don’t forget to tip your waiter, folks. +The team’s batting stats were lame. They had power (216 HR). But, they didn’t get on base much. As a result, there were a lot of solo HR. +Last year’s lineup manifested no speed and some durability issues as only 3 players played more than 140 games. This was hardly the sort of lineup that put fear in the eyes of opposing pitchers. This year’s starting lineup projects to be no better. Steamer predictions (Source: Rotochamp. Accessed 5 March 2017: ) do not offer much hope for 2017. +The Rays added Colby Rasmus and Wilson Ramos. They re-signed Logan Morrison. It’s a serviceable lineup that still lacks speed and any real, consistent power threat. Wilson Ramos is hurt and there is no clear timeline for his return. As a result, Curt Casali will be the principal catcher. +ROTOCHAMP PROJECTIONS: TAMPA BAY BATS +The Rays still boast a quality core of Kiermaier, Miller, Longoria and Dickerson. But, they are now a year older. Dickerson, Kiermaier and Souza are still under 30 and possess quality skills to offer solid fantasy returns. But, no one on this team is a top ten player at his position or worth a reach. +Longoria remains a quality 3B option. But, he is no longer the potential superstar he once was. Yahoo! ranks him #9 among 3B eligible players. CBS projects him at $18 in mixed leagues and $24 in AL-only. There are better options in more powerful lineups for your team. If you can get him at a reasonable price, Kiermaier offers quality speed with 20-30 SB potential. But, at best, he is a third outfielder. Corey Dickerson remains a source of 20 +HR power. But, on a team that will be little better at scoring runs that it was last year, he is a middling source of RBIs. +On the bench, there is also little to invest in. Nick Franklin is a serviceable platoon at 1B opposite Morrison. Beyond this, pray for health. +ROTATION +With this kind of middling offensive support, Tampa Bay’s pitchers will have to be solid. They will need to get far enough into games to give the bullpen a fighting chance. They actually have the arms to do it. The question is how deep into the season they will last. +Steamer’s projections indicate that this will be a solid, young staff. All can throw 90+ heat. The keys to success will be: +- Chris Archer’s return to form; +- Odorizzi and Cobb’s taking the next step; +- and Blake Snell and Jose de Leon’s delivering on their promise. +Archer was a Jekyll and Hyde situation last year. He had over 200 K, but in between strikeouts, he seemed intent to pitch BP to opposing teams in the first half. He settled down in the second half. While his Dominance dropped a bit his BB/9 fell by half. As a result, his command rate doubled. You might be able to get Archer at a bit of a discount based on fears about a repeat of last year and the mediocre run support he will get. But, if he continues where he left off in 2016, he rates as a lower end #1 on your staff. But, keep an eye on him in the WBC. +Odorizzi is 27 and Cobb is 29. They have been solid but unspectacular producers. Cobb had TJS in 2015 and returned tentatively last year. If he can return to his 2014 form, he’ll be a cheap source of K who won’t hurt your ERA or WHIP. +Between them, rookies Snell and De Leon have not pitched 150 big league innings. But, both throw heat, miss bats and have solid swinging first strike ratios. Both will be subject to innings caps and therefore will be of more value in traditional rotisserie leagues than in H2H. Both are quality keeper prospects. They will be great value for less than $10. +The Rays’ front office did little to improve the staff in the offseason. They got virtually nothing from Seattle in return for Drew Smyly. Granted, he was no one’s #1. But, he was a solid, dependable SP who has several good years ahead of him. +BULLPEN +Tampa Bay has two closer-quality relievers in Colome and Boxberger. If your league values, holds, then Cedeno is a quality pickup. Erasmo Ramirez has never been the pitcher he might have become. Between Boxberger and Colome, you have a reasonably cheap, consistent, but not spectacular source of saves and holds. Colome remains a solid source of saves. But, none of these guys should be the first RP that anyone picks up. +Prospects, Position Battles… +There really is not much to go trawling for in terms of prospects and potential late season call-ups. What the Rays might do is seek help in the market for another bullpen arm. With regard to position battles, the Rays can only hope that Ramos will get repaired quickly enough to plug the gaping hole at catcher. First base is a platoon. The front office prays that no one will get hurt. +Final Thoughts and Fantasy Breakdowns +Final thoughts: Tampa Bay fans will eagerly look forward to the arrival of the first 2017 Fantasy Football guides on the shelves of Walmart, Walgreens, etc. The Trop will not be partying this year. +The Boss asked us to close with a Fantasy Breakdown. Little did he know that “Breakdown” would be the operative word. Longoria is the only bat worth drafting here. He is still a threat for 30 HR. I think he could fall in drafts because he will carry the baggage of playing for a Tampa Bay team that will be chasing a .500 season. If you can get him for $15 (and use the additional money you might have spent to get a better bat elsewhere), he will provide solid, though unspectacular returns. +Archer is a solid bounce-back candidate if he keeps his walk rate down. On this team, he won’t be a great source of Wins, but he’s a certain source of 200+ K. Grab him at a discount. The rest of the starters are all solid. Snell and de Leon are great growth stocks who could provide surprising dividends. Cobb, Andriese and Odorizzi are all potential sources of 150 K. You could do worse pumping your money into your lineup and looking to snap one or two of these guys at the end of your drafts. Colome remains a solid source of saves. But try to get him cheap while the other guys fight for the studs. +Next week: the Miami Marlins. +______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ +Major League Fantasy Football 2017 League Openings +(Click the RED link below to listen) +Major League Fantasy Baseball Radio Show: Join Corey D Roberts, and Kyle Amore live on Sunday March 5th, 2017 from 7-9pm EST for episode #77 of Major League Fantasy Baseball Radio. We are a live broadcast that will take callers at 323-870-4395. Press 1 to speak with the host. This week we break down both Central divisions. We will discuss potential lineups, rotations, bullpens, and any minor league potential for each team along with a heavy fantasy spin. +Our guests this week are Hernan Batista, and Jesse Ellison. Jessie is the owner of Ellison Baseball Instruction in S.E. VA. You can visit his organization at ebicamps.com. Hernan is a frequent guest on our shows, and an experienced MLFB league member.. +You can find our shows on I-Tunes. Just search for Major League Fantasy Sports in the podcasts section. For Android users go to “Podcast Republic,” then download that app, and search for “Major League Fantasy Sports Show” +1 Comment. +Pingback: Fantasy Baseball: On God, Satan and the Tampa Bay Rays « Mark Rush +by Garrett Felber +We present the following article on Malcolm X’s iconic meeting in Harlem with Fidel Castro in memory of the latter’s passing earlier this month. Castro’s revolution in Cuba was an inspiration to other third world anticolonial movements around the globe and, as his stay in Harlem demonstrates, people of color fighting for racial justice in the United States. Here, Garrett Felber reflects upon the “Bandung Conference in Harlem” that Malcolm X initiated when he invited Castro to stay at the Hotel Theresa. Castro’s presence brought Harlem residents out into the streets to catch a glimpse of the revolutionary, attracted a visit from Gamal Abdel Nasser, and, according to those present, pushed Malcolm to become “much more profound, much more revolutionary” in his politics. +This article is reproduced from the African American Intellectual History Society under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommerical 4.0 International License. +Fidel Castro and Malcolm X. Photo: Carl Nesfield. +Since Fidel Castro passed away last Friday, news coverage has been predictably polarizing: from celebrating his commitment to anticolonial liberation struggles to (more often) discarding the Cuban revolutionary as the final relic of the Cold War (an honor that more fittingly bestows Henry Kissinger). Crowds in Cuba mourned while crowds in Miami celebrated. President Obama was predictably cordial, while Donald Trump was predictably uninsightful. And on Sunday, as Colin Kaepernick took the field against the Miami Dolphins, he was booed for previously supporting Castro by wearing an X cap and tee-shirt with photos from the famous meeting between Malcolm X and Castro at the Hotel Theresa. +Indeed, as Robert Greene points out, “Castro’s complicated legacy is being played out in the act of obituary writing.” One aspect of that legacy is Castro’s significance to Pan-Africanism and African liberation struggles, a relationship that was first tested and outlined during that visit. Yet while the meeting between Malcolm X and Castro has been emblazoned on tee-shirts, its greater importance lies in bringing an informal band of independent Third World leaders to Harlem in 1960. +In April 1959, Malcolm X had called for a “Bandung Conference” in Harlem while addressing an African Freedom Day Celebration in front of the famed hotel. After words by Manhattan Borough President Hulan Jack and Charles T.O. King, the ambassador of Liberia to the United Nations, Malcolm argued that it has “been since the Bandung Conference that all dark people of the earth have been striding toward freedom.” It was at this conference that all dark people recognized a common enemy: “Call him Belgian, call him Frenchman, call him Englishman, colonialist, imperialist, or European . . . .but they have one thing in common: ALL ARE WHITE MEN!” +Fidel Castro and Malcolm X. Photo: Carl Nesfield. +Held in Indonesia from April 18–25, 1955, the Bandung Conference marked the first major articulation of the nonaligned movement. It voiced a shared commitment to anticolonialism and self-determination, carving out a third path beyond the bipolar struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Richard Wright summed up the goals of the conference through the terse phrases of a newspaper article: “The West is excluded. Emphasis is on the colored nations of the world . . . Colonialism is out. Hands off is the word. Asia is free. This is perhaps the greatest historic event of our century.” +If Bandung represented, in the words of Brenda Gayle Plummer, a “break in the Cold War ice,” visits by Castro and Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser to Harlem in 1960 “constituted an opening volley in the assault on Cold War bilateralism.” As Castro and his delegation arrived in New York City for the U.N.’s General Assembly, the Cuban government had just seized U.S. banks and tobacco production in Cuba and the Eisenhower administration cut diplomatic ties and squeezed its embargo of the small Caribbean island even more tightly. +Despite preparations for Castro to stay at the Shelburne Hotel just blocks from U.N. headquarters, the owner balked: “Someone told me that the New York Police Department was prepared to put up tents in Central Park for Castro and his party. Maybe that’s not a bad idea.” When the group finally reached the Shelburne, the hotel demanded Castro put down a second $10,000 cash deposit to cover potential damages by his delegation. Furious, Castro now threatened to sleep in Central Park, noting that Cubans “are mountain people. We are used to sleeping in the open air.” +Malcolm X seized upon this opportunity and invited Castro to stay at the legendary Hotel Theresa. As Castro’s delegation moved uptown, community activists rushed to prepare for his arrival. At a meeting of the Harlem Writers Guild Workshop, author Sarah Elizabeth Wright remembered that “we scrambled for our coats and headed uptown to cheer Fidel, to make sure no harm befell him.” Despite the proliferation of photographs from the historic thirty-minute meeting between Malcolm X and Fidel Castro, the only press present were journalists Ralph Matthews and James Booker and photographer Carl Nesfield. +Part of the tremendous energy captured in Nesfield’s photos was a result of the men’s desperate gesticulations as they tried to communicate across the language barrier. Malcolm welcomed Castro to Harlem by saying: “Downtown for you, it was ice, uptown it is warm.” Castro smiled and told him “Aahh yes, we feel very warm here.” Before leaving, Malcolm offered a closing parable: “No one knows the master better than his servants. We have been servants ever since we were brought here. We know all his little tricks. Understand? We know what he is going to do before he does.” +Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser and Fidel Castro meeting in 1960. Source: Buzzfeed. +As Devyn Spence Benson points out, Castro’s anti-racist agenda within the Cuban revolutionary government was relatively new—itself a product of Afro-Cuban activists who “viewed the change in government as a moment to push for their agenda.” Despite seeing the move to Harlem as an opportunity to rankle the Eisenhower administration and make overtures to people of color, Castro’s entire 80-person delegation was white. Thus, Afro-Cuban leader Juan Almeida was wired so, in Benson’s words, “they could show that there were high-ranking black and brown leaders in Cuba.” Robyn Spencer also importantly noted on Twitter this weekend that Cuba was not always what black revolutionaries imagined, and some such as Eldridge Cleaver and Robert F. Williams later left Cuba over political disagreements. +But while Castro’s Harlem visit was partly meant to shape international perceptions about the Cuban revolutionary government, Harlemites were also using the exposure against the United States’ Achilles heel in the Cold War: racial discrimination. James Hicks clearly laid this strategy out after the Soviet Union’s Nikita Khrushchev joined Castro in Harlem: “Castro wounded the United States by moving into Harlem’s Hotel Theresa. Khrushchev rubbed salt into the wound by hopping into a Cadillac and rushing uptown to visit his old friend Fidel.” Hicks believed those in Harlem were sophisticated enough to recognize that their “one big weapon in this fight with bigoted white Americans is to try to shame this white American bigot in the eyes of the world as a man who will not practice what he preaches.” +Malcolm X, Louis Farrakhan and Adam Clayton Powell during Kwame Nkrumah’s visit to the U.S. Photo: Thulani Davis. +But Castro’s visit to the Hotel Theresa was most impactful by establishing an important precedent at the U.N.’s 15th General Assembly: a host of leaders interested in anti-racism, anticolonial politics, and nonalignment, would travel uptown over the next several weeks as part of this informal Bandung Conference in Harlem. Castro was soon joined not only by Nasser, but also Jawaharlal Nehru of India and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. As representatives of darker nations (and also Islam in Nasser’s case), these leaders held even more meaning than Castro for the people of Harlem. Three thousand gathered as Nasser came to meet Castro, some holding “Viva Nasser!” and “Viva Castro” signs, and others signs that read “Congo for the Congolese” and “Allah is the Greatest.” One Muslim man in attendance traced the meeting’s significance back to Garveyism: “It has proved the quotation made forty years ago by Marcus Garvey that someday the black man’s heritage will surround him and the world.” A week later, having condemned South African apartheid and U.S. intervention in the Congo before the U.N., Nkrumah made the trip uptown. “I wanted you to know that my presence in Harlem would show the solid bond we feel between the people of Africa and the Afro-Americans in this country,” he told a crowd of 1,500 gathered in front of the Hotel Theresa. +Fidel Castro and Gamal Abdul Nasser in 1960. Source: eBay. +Three of the figures who organized and spoke at the African Freedom Day Celebration in 1959—Malcolm X, Hulan Jack, and James Lawson—now introduced Nkrumah. A year after Malcolm called for a Bandung Conference in Harlem, a group of anticolonial Third World leaders had gathered at the very spot of his proclamation in the cultural and political heart of black America. As one man in the crowd reflected, “I feel that what’s taking place in Harlem now is the first step forward taken by diplomats. The second step is for the people to take advantage of this and unify.” As if to encapsulate this sentiment, a six-foot sign at the rally read: “We are united!” As we unpack the complicated meaning of Castro to 20th-century revolutionary movements, we should remember that more significant than any one meeting between two legendary leaders was the spirit of Bandung alive in Harlem that September.. +1 “Malcolm X Calls for Bandung Conference,” Los Angeles Herald-Dispatch, April 23, 1959. +2 Malcolm X FBI File, Summary Report, New York Office, November 17, 1959, 48–49. +3 “N.Y. Hotels Rebuff Castro,” The Globe and Mail, September 17, 1960. +4 Max Frankel, “Fidel Complains to U.N. Angry Castro Quits Hotel in Row Over Bill; Moves to Harlem,” New York Times, September 20, 1960. +5 Ralph Matthews, “Going Upstairs – Malcolm X Greets Fidel,” New York Citizen-Call, September 24, 1960. +6 James Hicks “Our Achilles Heel,” Amsterdam News, September 24, 1960. +7 Sara Slack, “Nasser, Nehru Visit Harlem,” Amsterdam News, October 1, 1960. +8 Hazel La Marre, “Africa and the World,” Los Angeles Sentinel, September 29, 1960. +9 Slack, “Nasser, Nehru Visit Harlem.” +You arrive in Portland, Oregon, for the "Toyota Sustainable Mobility Seminar." There is the person in baggage claim awaiting your arrival. And rather than calling for a car to transport you downtown to where the seminar is being held, she hands you a ticket and a map for the MAX light rail system, part of the TriMet network (Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon): if you're going to learn about mobility, then you're going to start right away. There are buses and streetcars in the network, as well. There is a large section of the downtown Portland area where the modern, clean streetcars can be ridden for free. You later take a tour of the downtown area. And learn that like many cities, Portland has bike lanes on some of its streets. In the morning, you see all manner of people-young and old, professional and student-riding to their jobs and classes. Bikes are big in Portland. +But you also learn that unlike any city you're aware of, Portland even has skateboard lanes on some of its city streets. Yes, skateboards. +Cars & Trucks & No Individual Buyers. +To be sure, there are cars and trucks in Portland. But perhaps not as many as there otherwise might be. This is because Portland is one of the cities where the car-sharing firm Zipcar has locations (). In some ways, Zipcar is embraced by the city itself, as is attested to by non-commercial orange-painted sign poles on street corners that include glyphs for walking, biking, riding the public transport, and using car-sharing. In the Zipcar approach, people buy memberships, then reserve a car or truck via a browser for a period of time-be it an hour or a day. The vehicles are parked in set spots and returned to them. The users have a "Zipcard" that is read by a card reader and allows access to the vehicle. If gas is needed, then a fuel card in the vehicle can be used to pay for the fill up. According to a recent survey by Zipcar, 65% of its members who responded indicate that they have decided to get rid of a household vehicle or not buy one that they were thinking about. And 40% said that Zipcar use has led them to use more public transportation. Zipcar has some 225,000 members, and 5,500 vehicles in 26 North American states and provinces, and in London, England. It offers more than 30 makes and models of cars and trucks. Yes, Prius. But a considerable array of non-Toyotas are in the fleet. +Remember: this is a seminar sponsored by a car company and you're learning that there's more to getting from point A to B than driving. And what you begin to learn about the energy situation makes you feel less easy about the future of cars and trucks as we drive them today. +Black Gold. +The seminar opens with Dr. Peter Wells, director of Neftex Petroleum Consultants, Ltd., which is based in Oxfordshire, U.K. (Wells, whose degrees are in geology, held a post-doc position at Oxford University). Wells doesn't live in the shire. He lives in Dubai. It is closer to the area of his concern. His background includes stints with Shell (during which he was exploration manager for Eastern Nigeria) and BP (serving as chief negotiator for the gas and oil fields of Azerbaijan). Which account for about 16 of his 30 years in the petroleum industry. +Among the observations he makes are things like: +- The U.S. consumes the equivalent of the largest discovered oil field every two years. +- 75% of the crude used in the U.S. goes to transportation; it's 61% in other parts of the world. +- 86% of the oil supply today is crude; natural gas liquids account for about 11.4%; the Canadian tar sands are just 1.6% and biofuels 1%. +- And that politicians notwithstanding, if there was an oil field discovered today offshore, it would take 10 to 20 years to get the oil operation running. He points out that chances are, the first well drilled isn't going to be a strike, and that there is a whole lot of infrastructure-from drilling equipment to pipelines to people (apparently there was an exodus of people from the oil industry during the 1990s such that they are a rare commodity)-that has to be put in place in order for meaningful production to occur. (Said more simply: It won't drive the prices down at the pump next week.) +- Of the world's oil, 42.8% comes from the OPEC countries; 16.2% from the former Soviet Union; 33.9% from the rest of the world, with the exception of the U.S. is responsible for 7.1%. +- As of 2008, non-OPEC production has peaked. +Wells and his colleagues, working with a vast array of sources that look at historical patterns and future projections, have essentially concluded that there has been about a trillion barrels of oil produced and about a trillion barrels of discovered oil yet to be tapped. "Peak" oil is going to occur in about 2015. +While he acknowledges that there are some technical means that can be used to enhance recovery from wells (e.g., injecting gases such as CO2 or N2 into the well in order to drive out more oil), this is not everywhere applicable for a number of reasons (e.g., consider off-shore drilling: how can the gases be economically transported to the platform?). +Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Period. +Wells suggests: Be prepared for major price fluctuations in the near term. That's right: It will go up and down, but realize that it will go up in the long term. To be sure, there is still lots of oil, but the amount is finite, no matter how you run the numbers. (Wells points out that there is not only a geological aspect to oil, but a sociopolitical one, as well; much of the work that he is personally involved with nowadays deals with human aspects of the oil industry; he points out, for example, that the leaders of most Persian Gulf countries think of oil as a legacy for their children, so they are in it for the long term, not just short-term gains.) +Implications that Dr. Wells sees from his work for vehicle manufacturers is that they need to start diversifying their mix of powertrains in order to utilize other types of fuel besides that based on petroleum (e.g., CNG, hydrogen). No, he's not an auto expert. He just knows a lot about the stuff that goes into them. +Of course, there's more to be concerned with environmentally than just oil. Like water. +H2O-My. This Isn't Good. +Dr. Tim P. Barnett of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and his colleagues have done extensive research on the subject of climate change and its implications on the hydrological cycle. Given the Scripps base of operations (La Jolla, CA), they've focused on the implications for the western U.S. And they've concluded that there is anthropogenic warming occurring (yes, that's anthro as in "man"), and that it is leading to such things as a declining snowpack in the Rockies and elsewhere in the west. Consequences of this means that the next 30 years are going to be grim vis-à-vis water supplies in an area that's attracting a considerable number of people, which means the consumption of even more water. Grim as in there being a 70% probability that there will be a water shortage in Los Angeles in 2025. +Consider, for example, the Columbia River, which is the water supply for 27 million people. According to Barnett, all of the Colorado is being used. If you've seen a recent picture of Lake Mead, the biggest water reservoir in the west, you've undoubtedly noticed the bathtub-ring effect because the lake is down 118 feet from its maximum elevation and is now at 46% capacity. It running dry is not out of the realm of possibility. +Realize that there are energy implications to water, as well as to anthrohydration (as in man having something to drink). +Energy, Meet Water. And Vice Versa. +According to Dr. John A. Merson, senior manager in the Geoscience Research & Applications Group, Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque), energy and water are interdependent. Water is necessary for such energy-related activities as thermoelectric cooling, hydropower, and for mining operations. And energy is necessary for pumping, treating, and conveying water. +Or, more to the point: the average amount of water used to get a gallon of fuel via conventional oil processing: 1 to 2.5 gallons. When it comes to biofuels, the numbers are astonishing. Biodiesel processing takes only about two gallons for a gallon of fuel. But the irrigation for the soybeans needed for the biodiesel requires about 6,500 gallons for the gallon of fuel. Grain ethanol processing requires from 3 to 7 gallons of water; the corn irrigation needs about 980 gallons. (In general, on a daily basis, irrigation accounts for 80.6% of U.S. freshwater consumption.) +If, as Dr. Merson suggests, the U.S. is going to need 33% more transportation fuels by 2030, and if we take the analysis of oil by Dr. Wells into account and add in Dr. Barnetts's analysis of water, then achieving that increase is going to be more daunting than just drilling in wildlife refuges, city parks, backyards, or wherever. +Crop Circles in the Switchgrass. +And the alternatives look less appealing than they otherwise might. Dr. Jan F. Kreider, founding director of the University of Colorado's Joint Center for Energy Management and professor emeritus of Engineering, says that if all of the cropland in the U.S. was used to grow corn for ethanol, that would result in enough ethanol for half of the near-term U.S. automotive energy needs. And that cycles back to the water issue, as Dr. Kreider points out that there is no more "discretionary water" in the U.S., so the required irrigation for all that corn just can't happen. +Cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass? The good news is that vis-à-vis corn, the switchgrass yields per acre are greater. The bad news is that when looked at from the point of view of the energy inputs required (including agricultural diesel fuel use; irrigation pumping energy; other farming energy; refining energy; and transportation energy), it takes more energy to convert the switchgrass into ethanol than it does corn because of the complexity of the sugars that need to be broken down. Biodiesel? According to Dr. Kreider, some 93 million tons of soybeans are grown in the U.S. each year. If all of that was used for biodiesel, it would handle less than 1% of automotive energy needs. +Kreider does see some hope for the growing algae approach to creating biodiesel. Essentially, the energy input required for growing the autotrophic organisms is sunlight. This can occur in open ponds or closed reactors. Compared to the other biofuels, the land requirements are minimal, as are the water requirements. But he points out that while the feedstock is not the issue, how it is hauled and refined must be further developed. "We don't want to do nothing, but we must be careful in terms of what we want to do," Kreider says. +No Single Mr. Fix-It. It Takes A Whole Lot of People. +So what can a company do? This, in part, is addressed by Bill Reinert, national manager, Advanced Technology Vehicles, Toyota Motor Sales, USA. +Yes, finally someone who is going to talk about cars. +Yet he, too, begins with a litany of challenges-from a dramatic increase in population and the number of vehicles (earlier Gordon Feller, CEO of the Urban Institute, noted that presently there are more people on the planet who live in cities than don't, and that by 2025 there will be some 5 billion people living in cities-imagine the 24/7 "rush hour" there), to the accelerated consumption of fossil fuels. And he points out that there are drivers for change including energy and fuel diversification; CO2 reduction requirements; lower exhaust emissions regulations; and urban congestion. +Reinert admits with amused candor: "We can't fix it all in the U.S. We can't fix it all at Toyota." Sometimes it seems like a car company does, indeed, have all the answers. Not so. +So they are taking a systems approach to sustainable mobility. The elements are vehicles, energy, environment, and partnerships. There is a recognition that Toyota might do a great job of engineering vehicles, the problem is bigger than any car or truck. Other constituents need to be part of the solution. For example, he points out that Toyota, like other vehicle manufacturers, is working on its fuel cell (the goal is for commercialization by 2015), but there isn't a single 10,000 psi hydrogen fueling station on the highways and byways. Obviously, there needs to be participation by energy companies for that alternative to become viable. Not even Toyota can do that. In addition to which, if there are going to be 27 "mega cities" with 10-million or more inhabitants by 2015, as Feller suggests, then dealing with mobility-to say nothing of sustainability-will require the involvement of governments and NGOs. Not even Toyota can do that. +According the Reinert, Toyota is going to continue to build upon a strength that it has developed since 1997: "Hybrid is our core strategy and it will remain core." He acknowledges that they're going to be working to reduce costs and to increase performance. But going forward, developments will be predicated on the Prius and its variants. And he makes a notable point about the Prius: It was successful because the technology was transparent to the customer. In other words, people want the benefit, they don't want to compromise to achieve it. +But beyond cars alone, what is abund-antly clear-more than transparent-is that vehicle manufacturers are going to have to start putting other elements in their product planning mix, whether it is fuels or footprints, and they are going to have to start engaging with constituents other than dealers and customers. +And you walk away from the seminar. Puzzled that a car company would hold it but slightly encouraged that one has. +“A rose is a rose is a rose” - or is it? +Symbol of life and love and devotion + the poem “Bread and Roses” by James Oppenheim, 1911. +“O, my love's like a red, red rose/That's newly sprung in June” — Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose +.” - Proclamation No. 5574 signed by then president Ronald Reagan on Nov. 20, 1986 +.” - From the story “The Nightingale and the Rose” by Oscar Wilde +What do Queen Nefertiti, Maria Callas and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu have in common? Well, there might be other things, but one thing I know of is that they all have roses named after them. +There can be few, if any, flowers that have the magic and allure of the rose. Roses have been known since time immemorial and have always exerted a special kind of magic on people. +Catholics have for centuries used a “rosary” (literally, rose garden) in their devotions to Mary, Mother of God. The term “rosary” was first used by on Thomas of Chantimpre, who was writing in the mid-13th Century, though his use of the term was not in reference to the beads. +A brief history of roses +Roses have been found in fossils more than 30 million years old. We even know the name of the rose found in those fossils – it is rosa gallica. Roses were cultivated in Chinese gardens some 5000 years ago and were sacred in ancient Egypt. In the Stone Age roses were painted on the walls of caves. +The first hybrid tea rose was La France, introduced in 1867 by Jean-Baptiste Guillot. This date is pivotal in rose lore, as all rose types developed prior to that date are termed “old roses” as opposed to the modern roses developed after that date. The hybrid tea is the largest group of roses with more than 6000 registered types. +Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany has a bush reputed to be the oldest in the world at around 1000 years. It grows against the Cathedral to a height of 20 metres. +Tea roses were introduced to Europe in the early 1800s from Asia. Since then they have become the most popular type. +Ludwig's Roses +On Easter Sunday we spent the morning at the premier rose growing farm in Gauteng Province of South Africa, Ludwig's. It was a fun time, though slightly spoiled by the rain. +There was an Easter Egg hunt, games, a tractor train ride, and competitions for the children, and very yummy food for all of us. +The farm also has a lovely dam with weaver birds' nests hanging over the water on the branches of willows trees. There is the restaurant, called The Spiced Coffee, and a gift shop called Thorns and Thing, where one can buy all kinds of rose-related items, including wonderful rose jams and marmalades created by the owner's daughter Heike. +And then, of course, the roses! Ludwig's has about 1000 varieties of them, and grows about half a million rose plants every year. +I walked through the rows and rows of rose bushes simply entranced by the colours, the varieties, the sheer beauty of the flowers. +“But you must come here in October,” Ludwig Taschner, founder and owner of the farm said to me. “In October the flowers are simply magnificent.” +Mental note – go back in October! +I saw roses named after a rugby player (Naas Botha); and Afrikaans pop singer (Karika Keuzenkamp), 'La Divina' Maria Callas, the Dalai Lama, and murdered South African student Leigh Matthews. Then there were also the less flamboyant, but no less beautiful, simple roses, like the floribunda Simply Charming, a delicate pink blossom. +The rose that I most looked out for was the one named for Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. I found it and loved its deep glowing red colour. The Ludwig's on-line catalogue () describes it best: “When Archbishop Desmond Tutu turned 75 in October I was asked to name a rose after him as he and his wife Leah, are great lovers of roses. A sparkling red rose - the rose of love - was chosen and I presented it to him at his birthday bash with my advice that all it needed was water and prayer! He accepted it with his great chuckle but I was (almost) serious. Like Archbishop Desmond this rose is a rugged survivor that flowers under the toughest of conditions. It produces a profusion of long lasting blooms that appear all over the glossy green, leafy background, and call out 'greetings' from afar. The tight pointed buds open into a full nostalgic cup shaped bloom that draws the eye for a closer inspection. The bush itself grows into a loosely branched shrub of neat proportions that has the ability to sprout flowering stems from base to tip from spring into winter.” +The story of Ludwig Taschner +Master rose grower Ludwig Taschner was born in Germany during the war years in the part which subsequently became the German Democratic Republic (DDR), commonly known as East Germany. He escaped from there in 1960 after getting training as a nurseryman. In West Germany, Switzerland and England he gained experience and while in England decided to specialise in roses. +Herr Taschner came to Pretoria in 1962 and founded Ludwig's Roses in March 1971, having spent the intervening years working for another large nursery business. +The farm is now run by Herr Taschner and his son Halmar, while his two daughters also contribute. Older daughter Heike is responsible for the delicious rose derived syrups, jams and marmalades which are sold in the shop on the farm. Younger daughter Anja is an artist and also contributes to the business, running the miniature pot rose production department. +There is a butterfly tunnel on the farm where visitors can see butterflies in all their beauty in all stages of their metamorphosis. +Herr Taschner has written books on the subject of roses. He is deeply involved in rose societies in South Africa and is committed to educating people about the beautiful flowers. For the past 25 years he has edited all the publications of the Federation of Rose Societies of South Africa. +The farm employs about 130 workers who work to keep the 1 million rose bushes in top condition. +Walking along the “Rose Mile” on the farm is a heady experience with the wonderful scent of the roses creating a wonderfully calm ambience. +The meanings of the rose +The rose has long had a special place in the art and lore of humanity, as can be seen in the quotes at the top of this Hub. +Roman emperor Nero in about 50AD spent the equivalent of about US$225000 to have a beach covered with rose blooms to celebrate a special occasion. +Nowadays passionate lovers spend similar amounts on bouquets of roses to impress their loved ones. And of course St Valentine's Day sees a profusion of rose-themed cards, as the red rose is traditionally linked with passion and romantic love. As Robert Burns wrote, “My love's like a red, red rose.” +The poem “Bread and Roses” is by James Oppenheim and was written in 1911. It has become symbolic of the famous textile strike in Lawrence, Mass in early 1912, which was led by women textile workers. The slogan “bread and roses” has come to symbolise the struggle for both food and beauty. +In his story “The Nightingale and the Rose” Oscar Wilde resurrected. His misery is seen by the nightingale which tries to help by finding a red rose for him, but all she can find is white roses. In the end the rose tree growing beneath the student's window tells the nightingale that she gets his rose, but, tragically, the lady of his dreams still rejects him and so the beautiful nightingale's selfless sacrifice is in vain. +The title of this Hub comes, of course, from Gertrude Stein's 1913 poem “Sacred Emily.” +Finally the story of the famous “Peace Rose” is told in Antonia Ridge's popular love story, For the Love of a Rose. The “Peace Rose” is properly called the Rosa 'Madame A. Meilland' after the wife of the French horticulturist who developed the cultivar, M Francis Meilland. +At the inaugural meeting of the United Nations in San Fransisco in 1945 each delegation was given Peace Roses with a note which read : "We hope the 'Peace' rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace". Amen to +What a lovely hub about the roses and the history behind it. Nice job with the examples of roses have been in famous poems and the background behind it. Lovely photos, too. Voted up! +The two greatest forms of admiration - to have a barbie crafted in your image and to have a rose named after you! +I am a newbie when it comes to roses. Planted two, 2 years ago, and five last year. They are delightful. +I have seen the Peace rose offered for sale several times but learned from you the 1945 use of the rose. That is great. The Peace rose is one of my favorites - not just for its beauty but also for its meaning and now its history. Thank you! +My dearest favorite flower ~ I even buy my candles, creams, soaps and everything I can in rose fragrance. :) Loved it! +Beautiful article about roses. :) +I don't know how I missed this beautiful hub two years ago. +Time is meaningless in the presence of the timeless beauty of the prehistoric rose. +Hello tony this is a great write and a trip to another land of roses. +Beautiful!Bavo:) +Peace! +Sharon Smith +Wow! What a great hub about such a beautiful flower packed with other interesting information as well. My grandfather LOVED roses and tenderly cared for them everyplace that he lived. From his climbing roses to his tea roses, each and every one was special. Really liked this hub! One MILLION of them in one place.......amazing!!! Great photos! +Wow! Thank you for the colorful stories about the rose, and also the pics. I always love ogling over rose pictures because they seemed the most gorgeous flower for me. :) +- +Lovely hub and beautiful photos, I love roses as well. it was nice to learn some history about them. +This was really interesting, Tony. Wow, a rose named after Naas! Next time I'm there I'll stop off at the Ludwig's. +Thanks :) +This was fascinating............... great history! Thank you........ +Kaie +How beautifully written. You have done some amazing research. I never really thought about or even imagined that there could be so much history on the rose. +Your flowers are equally beautiful. Thanks so much for this beautiful hub. The fossil part was very interesting. Rated Up! +Sage +this was such an enjoyable and beautiful hub, Tony! I loved every bit of it....especially your title! Well done! +I'll have to translate the recipes to English. I'm busy at the moment, but I'll e-mail you a couple, when I have time ; :) +Bette Midler's The Rose song and movie. Cheers. +- +I used to work in a flower shop years ago and even though Valentine's Day was always a nightmare I can still appreciate the Rose. Which is the name of my favorite flower, my favorite movie, and one of my favorite songs and dare I say it one of my favorite sisters. LOL I hope my other sisters don't see this. Great hub. +I had no idea roses were so ´´old.´´ Interesting infos! +I enjoyed learning so much history of the rose, never imagined they'd been around so long! +Ah, me thinks the rose is more than one flower, they are very diverse and a beautiful plant. 30 million years old, no way, I would never have thought that had I not just read it. So a bit of a stayer as well. Nice hub on a nice topic. +Beautiful tribute to my favourite flowers. Gorgeous. Thank you, Peace +Great hub Tony. I am a rose lover but doubt I will ever have one named after me. Never mind though because as the Bard said "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". +Thanks again. +“A rose is a rose is a rose”.... According to Juliet it is :-) +Beautiful flowers and beautiful Hub, Tony. Just planning to plant some roses, so this is great inspiration. +BTW, "The Rose and the Nightinghale" is one of the sadest stories I ever read. I remeber when I was child I could not stop crying because of nightingale useless sacrifice. +Thank you for great photos and interesting article. +Love and peace +Beautiful flowers +Very nice. I enjoy the Edisto Memorial Gardens in SC occasionally. Great hub. Great pics. +Hi Tony, wonderful hub and wonderful subject. I'm thinking what a nice job is to grow roses. I wished I was working in a nursery store. The pictures are great! +Very interesting ! I use rose petals for cooking ! +One of my daughters is named after my mother and one of my favorite flowers, Madeline Rose. Thank you it was a lovely hub. +beautiful hub, marmalades, sweet. I saw Burns there, HOORAY! Maita +Beautiful hub, Tony, both words and photos! I have never heard of rose syrups, jams and marmalades. Now I will make it my mission to taste such alluring scents! +terrific flower rose hub thanks +43 +Chapter 975 - Gun Fu +Cough cough cough cough…... +Wei Chen's remark sent Team Happy into a fit of coughs. Everyone used this method to dodge the question. They all refused to answer it. However, Gods were still the mightiest. The look on Ye Xiu's face didn't change. He calmly replied back: "You typed pretty well." +"Hahaha, that's what I meant." Wei Chen laughed, sending Team Happy into another fit of coughs. +The individual competition was over. Team Happy won all three rounds, taking three points for themselves. Having not won any points in the individual competition, Team Mysterious Fantasy needed to win either the group arena or team competition. As for Team Happy, after winning these three points, the group arena wasn't as stressful. The deciding battle would definitely be the team competition. +But since Team Happy needed to win more than 8 points to qualify out of groups, they already knew that they needed to win the team competition, so their mentality was no different than before. Winning all three points in the individual competition made their morale soar. As for Team Mysterious Fantasy, after two losses in the individual competition, the third round made a turn for the better. When things moved to the extreme, they could only move in the opposite direction. In the third round, Wei Chen beating their player in such a manner made Team Mysterious Fantasy furious. Under the instigation from the experienced Zhang Yiwei, their morale ignited once more. It was only a pity that this third player could only become a sacrificial pawn for Zhang Yiwei's morale boost. At this moment, Zhang Yiwei didn't have the time to console this player. +The break between the individual competition and the group arena was rather long. After both sides made their preparations, they went into battle once again. The fires of the competition grew increasingly stronger. +"Okay, Team Mysterious Fantasy versus Team Happy. The second round's group arena will soon start." On the broadcast, advertisements would be played during the break time. Just before the group arena began, the broadcast returned to the program and the commentator began his work once again. In the previous battle, the commentator practically didn't utter a word near the end. Usually, this could be considered as a broadcasting accident, but it was unprecedented this time. The commentator didn't speak when he was meant to. It seemed like Wei Chen's super shamelessness had stunned everyone. Everyone understood the commentator's reaction and forgave him. +"The players on both sides have now entered the stage. On Team Happy's side, the first player to go out is Bao Rongxing. This player is the definition of a rookie. He'll frequently make extremely low-level mistakes. Who knows what type of performance he will give in a crucial match like today's? On Team Mysterious Fantasy's side, the first player to go out is Tang Xing. This arrangement is a little unexpected! As Team Mysterious Fantasy's captain, Tang Xing could be considered their team's best player. According to the usual convention, this type of player should be the last one in the group arena. I wonder why Team Mysterious Fantasy made such an arrangement. We all know that Team Mysterious Fantasy has their own dedicated coach to guide them. There should be a reason for this arrangement. We'll only be able to figure out what his intentions are from watching the match. Okay, the match has officially started." +The commentator had been awkwardly silent in the previous round. It was as if his words had been transferred to this one. He talked non-stop as soon as he started. +'The characters on both sides are moving forward. Neither of them are employing any tactical moves. Are they planning on directly confronting each other?" +"Oh, Tang Xing has changed his pathing. He's started to take a roundabout route. It looks like he's planning on catching his opponent off guard." +"Okay, Tang Xing has successfully circled around to the side of his opponent. Bao Rongxing hasn't noticed him yet." +"Tang Xing is moving closer step by step. He can already start attacking at this distance! But Bao Rongxing still hasn't noticed him. He's still moving forward like before. That shouldn't be happening. It's already been this long and he hasn't encountered his opponent. Shouldn't he know that the opponent isn't just charging forward?" +"Tang Xing is by Steamed Bun Invasion's side. He still hasn't attacked... Uh, at this moment, I think many people are thinking the same thing as me. Remember the second round of the individual competition? Is Tang Xing planning on using this method to fight eye for an eye?" +"Oh, he's not doing that! Tang Xing has attacked. He's taken the initiative." As the commentator shouted, the two sides started their first exchange. +Tang Xing's character was a Sharpshooter. It was the class that their coach Zhang Yiwei once used. Zhang Yiwei also placed a lot of hope and expectations on him because of this. Under his guidance, hints of his past self appeared in Tang Xing's playstyle. +Gun Fu! +This was what Zhang Yiwei had been most proficient in. After become the coach for Team Mysterious Fantasy, he had done everything he could to help Tang Xing. He could be considered one of the rare bright spots in this weak team. +Gun Fu didn't mean that the Sharpshooter would go up close and start brawling, but it also didn't mean that the Sharpshooter would move too far away from the opponent either. The crux of this playstyle revolved around the four words "having room to maneuver". What exactly this entailed depended on every player's skill level. +Tang Xing's Gun Fu maintained about 5 units from the opponent to freely move around. It was a rather ordinary level for Sharpshooters proficient at this playstyle. He was very far away from a top God like Zhou Zekai, who maintained about 3 units . +One unit was the length of one step taken by a character moving normally, so Gun Fu was usually divided into X Steps. How many steps was the best depended on each player's preference, but those who could use Three Steps Gun Fu could also easily do Five Steps Gun Fu. However, those who could only use Five Steps Gun Fu would find it extremely difficult to do Three Steps Gun Fu. Every step required a faster reaction time and higher technical skill. +Tang Xing had limited talent. After receiving Zhang Yiwei's guidance, he became specialized at Gun Fu. Unfortunately, he could only reach Five Steps and couldn't go past it. There was nothing Zhang Yiwei could do about that. In the past, his Gun Fu had also only reached Four Steps. He couldn't advance any further. He was fully aware of the helplessness of lacking talent, so he couldn't demand Tang Xing to breakthrough to Four Steps. He could only have him continue improving his utilization of Five Steps Gun Fu. +Five Steps Gun Fu was more than enough to deal with a rookie like Bao Rongxin. +Tang Xing's Sharpshooter rushed forward and quickly entered a five step radius. Zhang Yiwei nodded his head in satisfaction at Tang Xing's skillful Gun Fu. +Steamed Bun looked somewhat panicked after being ambushed. It looked like he had no plans on resisting. Steamed Bun Invasion stumbled about from Tang Xing's Sharpshooter. Running away seemed to be the only thing on his mind. +Zhang Yiwei laughed loudly. That was too much of a rookie's reaction. He had no idea what to do when caught unprepared. He didn't have the experience to make any subconscious decisions. The only thing he could do was run. +"I truly don't understand why you keep using a player like him again and again." Zhang Yiwei looked towards Ye Xiu. +"What's the problem?" Ye Xiu asked back. +"What the problem? Do I really need to point it out?" Zhang Yiwei saw Steamed Bun Invasion's sorry figure. +"I think the problem is with you. Isn't running away the correct way of dealing with Gun Fu?" Ye Xiu said. +The smile on Zhang Yiwei's face suddenly froze. +Ye Xiu's words were simple, but he understood his meaning. In more professional terminology, running away translated to constantly moving and altering the distance between the two sides. +The crux of Gun Fu was distance. If Tang Xing controlled the distance, Gun Fu's characteristic of freely maneuvering around would be fully utilized, but if he couldn't control the distance, Gun Fu would be disrupted, giving the opponent an opportunity to counter attack. +Steamed Bun Invasion was running and stumbling while being chased by Tang Xing's Sharpshooter. That along with him clearly being a rookie made it difficult to connect it with tactics. After listening to Ye Xiu's words, he looked more carefully. Steamed Bun Invasion was running away like a dog, but he was successfully dodging attack after attack. Because Tang Xing needed to chase his opponent, he was unable to control the distance between them. +Is he intentionally moving like that? Zhang Yiwei looked left and right. He couldn't help but think it didn't seem to be the case. If it was intentional, why did it need to look so ugly? But then again, this kind of ugliness would very likely lower Tang Xing's guard. From the individual competition, it could be seen that Team Happy's players didn't care about their images at all. They had no intentions of trying to gain the crowd's favor. They used whatever methods they could to win. +For a team like that, pretending to be a fool to make the opponent lower his guard was as easy as pie. +Tang Xing! Don't fall for it! Hurry up and see through it!! +Zhang Yiwei started to worry. He had placed Tang Xing first to establish a psychological advantage because he knew that Team Happy certainly put God Ye Qiu last in the group arena. If the two sides fought evenly in the first two rounds, God Ye Qiu would determine the winner of this group arena. Even if they had their most outstanding player Tang Xing go last, Ye Qiu wouldn't be afraid of him at all. +Thus, he might as well just put Tang Xing first and hopefully have him beat more Team Happy players. That way, they might be able to have their remaining two players face Ye Qiu. Wouldn't a 2v1 give them a psychological advantage? +But now, Tang Xing might fall into a trap. How could he not worry? +"Not good!" +He was roaring at Tang Xing in his heart to notice, fearful of the consequences, but then, an opening appeared in Tang Xing's Gun Fu. Zhang Yiwei, who was also an expert at Gun Fu, and immediately noticed it. +And closely following it, a brick whistled by. +Great short story from Paul Tobin, beautifully illustrated by Collen Coover in a style which instantly put me in mind of Sully’s THE HIPLESS BOY with its energy and simple colour palette. +- Jonathan on Gingerbread Girl. +Signal (£7-99, self-published) by Paul Duffield (all copies signed for free). +Transfiguration at its purest. +We are – and have always been – extraordinarily impressed by the space and light shone on Warren Ellis’ FREAKANGELS by its artist. There are virtually no comparison points in comics for its lambent, four-panel windows which open so often onto full-page landscapes outside. It presents itself to us with a timing that is utterly unique. +But nothing evidenced there can prepare you for the breath-taking, halting, nay silencing satori that is opening a copy of Paul Duffield’s SIGNAL. Liberated from the sheer practicalities of presenting FREAKANGELS online, Duffield has broken loose and then taken flight, much like the protagonist in the realms of his imagination and aspiration as he lays himself down on the cool carpet of grass, becomes one with the world and then soars into the lunar-lit sky as a majestically white and celestially-bound heron or crane. +There is much for you to interpret for yourselves. +Why are the tiles he leaves far behind slightly cracked, loose or broken? Why is the water he leaves in his wake now washed with a leaking of blood? I have my own, personal interpretation which means a great deal to me, but you may have your own. +Let us be clear: £7-99 for such a short story is a premium price to pay. But you have in your life surely been to one gig or another, and given in to buy a luxurious A4 programme with the highest production values imaginable, just like this, which you exhume from time to time and swoon over so blessedly relieved that you took the plunge during that once-in-a-lifetime experience and now own a copy yourself to have and to hold forever. How many of those are signed by the artists? These are, each and every one. +“It’s so lovely to hear that the work I put in is appreciated, even if the intention was mostly self-indulgence!” wrote Paul last week on my initial, slightly awe-struck reaction. +Paul says self-indulgence; I say art from the heart. And that’s precisely what we want from our favourite creators, is it not? +Paul is sending out signals. Are you receiving, over? +SLH +Chester 5000 h/c (£10-99, Top Shelf) by Jess Fink. +“An erotic, robotic, Victorian romance.” +A delightfully playful piece of silent bedtime reading, this juicy, joyful, coital tale of mismatched marital blues presents the term ‘steampunk’ with a whole new meaning, as well as an apposite anagram. +An explicit yet tender celebration of the act of sexual foreplay, the book begins with a spent Victorian husband too easily exhausted by his wife’s more fulsome libido. He therefore sets about constructing a substitute in the form of a mechanical man, debonair, accommodating and anatomically outstanding. After trial and error and a brief flight in terror, the wife is grateful not only for the automaton’s attentions but also to her husband for the gift. But her husband, perhaps feeling his marital duty fulfilled, rebuffs her reinvigorated advances only to steal after the flesh and metal couple late one night to pleasure himself voyeuristically instead. It is only when he discovers a certain portrait locked in the robot’s chest cabinet that his male ego is aroused, and that usually spells trouble, doesn’t it? +Recommended to those who’ve enjoyed Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie’s LOST GIRLS or to those who simply don’t have that sort of “attention span” but want a genuinely beautiful piece of erotica so evidently drawn with love by a comicbook creator unafraid to concoct something that would arouse women like herself every bit as much as men. Its soft tones, sensual curves and exotic, erotic period costumes are embellished with floral panel borders which curl round the couples, then swirl into more vigorous waves which crest during climax. +Let’s hope the “vert” of attraction here swiftly replaces the “snikt” of aggression as one of the best known comicbook sound effects. +SLH +Lucille (£22-50, Top Shelf) by Ludovic Debeurme… +It is unfortunate that the name of such a relatively serious and worthy piece of fiction, indeed award-winning at Angoulême, instantly conjures up for me the pompadoured screeching architect of rock and roll himself, Little Richard. This has nothing whatsoever to do with my review or this book you understand, but if that association is well and truly stuck in my head, it seems only fair I try and stick it in yours. +Pressing on quickly… LUCILLE is a story of two troubled French teenagers living in a coastal town who could definitely do with a little of Richard’s joie de vivre, both firmly trapped in the circumstances of their lives by their families, who unexpectedly find in each other something their lives have been sadly lacking until now. Arthur is the son of Russian immigrants, whose father is a drunkard fisherman, as quick to raise his fists as he is a glass, and for whom tough love is the only kind he seems able to display, along with a complete contempt for his wife. Lucille is a shy anorexic, struggling with self-worth issues, as well as a somewhat distant relationship with her mother, who whilst not really falling into the category of an enabler for Lucille’s problems, isn’t really proactively helping either. +Upon meeting the two teens feel an immediate connection, it’s not love at first sight by any means, but it’s certainly something. Perhaps it’s a mutual recognition of each other’s unhappiness, but there also seems to be the potential for compassion and empathy towards each other, something that Arthur in particular seems to be singularly unable to display towards anyone else, with his penchant for terrifying oracular predictions of satanic doom for his ‘friends’. When a family tragedy befalls him, partly as a result of his own actions, he realises if he doesn’t leave their provincial coastal town immediately he probably never will, so implores Lucille to abscond with him, convincing her that a fresh start away from the emotional snares of her current environment might be beneficial to her also. +And so begins our story afresh, as the pair travel to rural Italy, seeking solace from their travails in each others’ arms at last, and beginning new lives as hired hands on a Tuscan vineyard. Of course, now if the rest of the world would just leave them alone to adapt and thrive in their new sunny surroundings and supportive circumstances like freshly planted vines, then perhaps true happiness might follow. Except of course, life isn’t always kind like that is it, particularly to people who need it to be… +I have to say, I was very unsure after the first few pages whether, purely due to personal sensibilities, I was going to enjoy LUCILLE, but I very quickly warmed to the characters, particularly Arthur, and also the story as a whole, and I can see easily see why it was a deserved prize winner at Angoulême. Debeurme has created characters of tremendous depth here, who succeeded in tugging on my heartstrings and drawing me in. The relatively simplistic art style, entirely without panels, and in particular the portrayal of the skinny Lucille, put me in mind of I NEVER LIKED YOU by Chester Brown. I ended up enjoying LUCILLE enormously, and look forward to the next volume. +JR +Gingerbread Girl (£9-99, Top Shelf) by Paul Tobin & Colleen Coover… +A tasty delight from start to frustratingly ambiguously finish. I could actually be describing the main character Anna herself actually, though in fact I am referring to the work as a whole. We begin with a cover which is a wonderful spectrum of curling colours whirling around a giant letter G that immediately put me in mind of the sort of doodling we all did as a child with felt tip pens; which again is appropriate on one level given Anna’s story: of someone who’s never quite grown up. +Whether you believe her story that it’s because her mad scientist father removed the part of her brain called the Penfield Homunculus – responsible for responding to the sense of touch – as a child, with which he grew a sister for Anna called Ginger; or, whether you merely conclude she’s just not all there in the head, thanks to the constant arguing of her parents which she was forced to endure growing up, this forms the charming premise of our story. For whilst you would think her theory is patently nonsense, there’s more than enough circumstantial evidence not to dismiss it out of hand completely… +So as Anna quite literally teases her way through life, it’s left to those who’d like to get a little closer to her and, errr… observant passing dogs and pigeons, plus various other random talking heads, to elucidate their own theories regarding Anna’s obsessive search for Ginger, who of course no one else has ever set eyes on. Nor indeed her father, either, who also disappeared in mysterious circumstances. Anna believes she spots Ginger from time to time around the city, always on the periphery of her sight, always just out of communication, and always exiting stage-right just in the nick of time, but others aren’t so sure. And she’s devised a rather unique way of searching for her sister which, again, viewed from the outside looks remarkably like the self-harming behaviour of someone who is more than a little unhinged… +Great short story from Paul Tobin, beautifully illustrated by Collen Coover in a style which instantly put me in mind of Sully’s THE HIPLESS BOY with its energy and simple colour palette. My opening sentence probably gives away a touch too much as to whether Anna is reunited with her sister, but Paul has certainly left himself an opening for a sequel… At least I hope he’s going to write a sequel. +JR +Strangers In Paradise PKT edition vol 3 (£11-99, Abstract Studios) by Terry Moore. +“We’re not going to make it to Nashville, David. Even if we did, we couldn’t land it.” +“What are you talking about? How do you know?” +“Planes can’t fly without a rudder, David.” +The third volume of six begins once again in the present with Francine trapped in a debilitatingly unhappy marriage, and it becomes gradually clear that not everyone has survived the intervening years. For if you thought that the venomous presence of Darcy Parker in the lives of Francine, Katchoo and David was gone, think again. She’s left a legacy behind and a vacuum in her wake with a power struggle which is about to ignite and suck the poor girls in again. +“144 people died because they got on a plane with you. Are you at peace with that? …If you really do care about the girl and her family, you need to get them away from you – as soon as possible. Before they’re taken away. Permanently.” +And that’s the most horrific sequence in an already turbulent relationship where harsh words are said: after the plane crash when one of the cast jettisons the other in the most hurtful way imaginable in order to try to save her life. The dramatic irony is excruciatingly. Francine isn’t just pushed into the arms of her future husband who will cause her such pain, she is positively, literally punched there. +Unfortunately it’s not enough. Do you remember Darcy’s cousin, Veronica? Because Veronica certainly remembers Francine, and you’re in for a very brutal encounter. +It is this, of course, which makes the funny bits all the funnier back when they were safe and happy, and as well as snow and gales he evokes so well with our loved ones staring into the distance, Terry draws a glorious summer countryside where David and Francine once shared some lazy afternoons at Francine’s mother’s. +“You’re not sitting on a bughouse or anything, are you?” +“I don’t think so.” +“Bugs? You down there?” +“No answer. Must be safe.” +“That’s what they want you to think. That’s how they trick you!” +“Francine… I think it’s safe.” +“I’m all about a bug-free bottom.” +“It’s a wonderful thing.” +Three hundred and fifty more pages in which we see Katchoo’s first break in the art world, its unexpected effect on Francine, David’s secret finally revealed, and Francine struggling with her feelings for Katchoo as their trajectories diverge and all that is left are the lonesome lights flashing in the evening sky. +“See that star… the one shining brighter than all the others? I know the girl who hung it there.” +SLH +Witch Doctor #1 of 4 (£2-25, Image) by Brandon Seifert & Lukas Ketner. +“You’re a witch doctor?” +“’Cunning man’ is the preferred term.” +This was described by Warren Ellis as ‘mental’ according to the publishers, but I hadn’t actually seen Warren write that nor in what context, so I took it with a pinch of salt. +This is mental. +“It’s not a demon.” +“What do you mean, it’s not a demon? We know it’s a demon! Of course it’s a demon!” +“But ‘demon’ means ‘one.’” +It’s fast, full of fury and dripping with demons (plural) in possession of a young boy. Fortunately Dr. Vincent Morrow M.D. is adept at adapting and able to make complex diagnoses very much on the run: +“No wonder the kid’s got an impossible aura – - He’s got Gerasene Syndrome!” +“He’s got what?” +“Super-parasitism! One host, more than one parasite!” +“So how do we treat it?” +“I don’t know! I’ve only seen one case this bad in the literature – - and that was in the Bible! Look, your soul isn’t this immortal car your personality drives around – - It’s your spiritual immune system! It’s what keeps magic pathogens from getting into you! An infection like this? There’s got to be something seriously wrong with the kid’s soul! … uh…” +“Go!” +Cleverly thought out terminology and treatments swiftly administered in the most entertainingly unexpected manner, this combines some of the pace and quirkiness of the current Doctor Who incarnation with a deep love of pink, slimy protuberances and, yes, a certain degree of Auntie Ellis. +“Go to the hospital and get a C.T. scan.” +“What?” +“A Computed Tomography scan. A sciencey thing at the doctory place.” +Art? Try this external link. +SLH +Batman: Knight And Squire (£10-99, DC) by Paul Cornell & Jimmy Broxton… +“… If we get a few more like that lad ‘Face-Off’… One day he’ll have someone’s face off. Lord, that’s not even funny.” +“But, this being Britain, there’s a sense of moderation here. You could have been more like the original Joker.” +“Oh, I suppose. I do rather worship his style. I just can’t bring myself to commit crimes. Too dreary for me.” +The only way I can describe KNIGHT AND SQUIRE without giggling is as a mash-up of the Adam West ‘60s Batman TV show and the irreverently offensive British ‘comic’ Viz. With characters like Jarvis Poker the British Joker it’s a delightfully farcical romp featuring a ludicrously named cast of villains from our sceptred isle with the UK’s Dynamic Duo-alikes Knight and Squire playing the straight man and lady. Paul Cornell is on typically amusing form here, much like his Dark X-Men for Marvel. +JR +Red Hood: The Lost Days (£10-99, DC) by Judd Winick & Pablo Raimondi, Jerermy Haun… +In which the Red Hood waits sadly for someone to collect him from the lost property office… +I’m still not completely clear about how Superboy Prime altering reality whilst trapped in another dimension brought Jason Todd back to life, but regardless, Judd Winick’s further elucidation of Jason’s post-death back-story, before he exploded like a loose circus cannon into Grant Morrison’s first arc of BATMAN & ROBIN is gritty stuff. In fact, in a way, the only slightly odd aspect is the incongruity of the two portrayals of the same character. +Morrison’s version is clearly barking padded-cell-in-Arkham mad, whereas Winick’s version is almost the exact opposite, completely cold and calculating as he undergoes the extensive training in armed and unarmed combat, demolition, espionage and detective work that he knows he’ll need for the personal war he’s planning to wage. But would that be against the Joker, the person responsible for his untimely demise, or against the Batman, the person who placed him in that vulnerable position? This is a great mini-series that will probably get overlooked amidst the myriad Bat-wash of books when it really shouldn’t. Purposeful art from Pablo Raimondi and Jeremy Haun contributes in producing something that has the feel of a slick action film along the lines of the Bourne trilogy. +Note: Jason gets his own series in the September, post-DC-reboot entitled RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS. +JR +Daredevil: Reborn h/c (£14-99, Marvel) by Andy Diggle & Davide Gianfelice. +Before we begin: if you loved Jock’s cover art then you will swoon over the cover concepts reprinted here in the back. I think I actually prefer the original to issue #1 with its simplicity even though its final incarnation, the cover you see here, is stunning. You also get the first issue’s script. +Matthew Murdock has fallen from grace, in his own eyes especially. The Man Without Fear has found the one thing he fears: himself. In Shadowland: Daredevil and Shadowland itself, Murdock inflicted huge pain and unspeakable turmoil on a community he swore he’d protect, so he’s left Hell’s Kitchen and the city altogether to wander The Badlands. Obviously (obviously) the town we now join him in is simmering with secrets and stifled in corruption, plus they don’t take kindly to strangers. Cue conflict and a quick internet search to discover the FBI is convinced Matthew’s Daredevil – they’ve just never been able to prove it – which they think will rob Murdock of his element of surprise. +Gianfelice brings a Vertigo sensibility to the art. I do like his waves of hair and that final page silhouetted against a full moon, composed just like Frank Miller might have in his more supple days, really leaps out at you. And if the whole point of the book is that Matt leaves the city to find himself far from its confines and noise, Davide’s art is also a breath of spacious fresh air. +Diggle and Gianfelice have also given some considerable thought as to how a man who’s trained himself to perfection in a high-rise urban environment, working thousands of feet in the air, would have to adapt his combat style and extemporise using the few bits of cover at his disposal. It’s certainly a learning curve but he soon gets the hang of it: you will be amused. +SLH +Spider-Man: The Original Clone Saga s/c (£29-99, Marvel) by Conway, Goodwin, Mantlo & Andru, Kane, Mooney, Miller, Springer, Sal Buscema, Bagley. +The Day Of The Jackal. +More years ago than I care to remember a death was a death in the Marvel Universe, and Gwen Stacy’s was particularly poignant. Peter Parker’s first true love, she died after being thrown off a bridge and it was Spider-Man’s webbing which broke both her fall and her neck. +Yet here, a couple of years later, Peter starts catching glimpses of the sixties’ blonde beauty, alive and well, wandering around town. Convinced that he’s either going mad or it’s the cruellest trick played yet by Mysterio, it’s only when Aunt May experiences a similar, traumatically shocking encounter that they finally meet up in Peter’s flat. Peter’s confused and angry; Gwen is bewildered and scared. Her grave lies untouched yet her finger prints match those of Gwen Stacy’s on file to the tiniest detail. +Truly, we had no idea what was going on. It’s hardly the film Don’t Look Now, but back in 1974 before I had even heard of cloning and we had no idea it would be used in a Marvel comic it was a gripping sub-plot that today would have been played out for years. Thankfully one part of the mystery was resolved early on because the suspense was too much to bear. What took far, far longer to be revealed is who was behind the vendetta and why: whose face lay behind the mask of the Jackal. Because Peter is right about one thing: it is a vendetta, it’s aimed straight at him and it’s going to cause him maximum pain just when he’s starting to get over Gwen Stacy and getting it together with Mary Jane Watson instead. +The horror of wounds torn freshly open was well played indeed, as well as its traumatic effect on Peter and MJ’s relationship, but lesser creators would have failed to focus on the plight of Gwen Stacy herself. The title gives it away – she’s a clone of the original – yet to all intents and purposes she is Gwen Stacy unable to comprehend what he loved ones have been through immediately following her death. +There is far, far more to it than this with Peter constantly assailed by the Scorpion, Tarantula, the Grizzly as well as the Jackal himself, and they cleverly left a hint that all was not well at the end of the first sequence which was picked up years later in PETER PARKER for a brand new mystery, all of which you get here as well in nearly 500 pages of full-colour comics which represent key Marvel history. +Lovely, lithe art from Ross Andru and Gil Kane in the first half. +Reprints AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #139-150, PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #25-31, 149, 162-163, ANNUAL #8 and GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #5. +SLH +Essential Spider-Man vol 10 (£14-99, Marvel) by Dennis O’Neil, Gerry Conway, guests & John Romita Jr, guests. +Another big, black and white slab on newspaper print with a remarkable consistency of writer and artist, this reprints AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #211-230 and ANNUAL #15. +Almost everything here represents early John Romita Jr, before he cut loose and whilst watered down by Jim Mooney’s inks: they’re just too soft, though it should be noted that Spider-Man in full costume is a perfect continuation of the honourable tradition as represented by John’s Dad, Gil Kane then Ross Andru. +The writing too is pretty traditional at a time when the tradition was far from innovative or had anything to us about our lives. Still, if it’s an exotic line-up of both new and high-profile foes doing battle on the streets of Manhattan, that’s what you’ll get, and you’ll find them recurring in different combinations throughout: Sandman, Hydroman, a Sandman/Hydroman composite the likes of which you’ve never built with a bucket and spade on the beaches of Haverford West, Namor, the Frightful Four, and some of the earliest appearances of Madame Web torn from her life-support chair by the Juggernaut. +Visually the annual is a dream with Frank Miller drawing Doc Ock and the Punisher sparring with the same fluid grace as he did on DAREDEVIL, and there’s attention to detail like the way the Punisher’s calves lose their definition below his boot-line, indicating the boots’ sturdier material. +Great cover. +SLH +X-Men: Age Of X h/c (£22-50, Marvel) by Mike Carey, Simon Spurrier, Jim McCann, Chuck Kim & Mirco Pierfederici, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Carlo Barberi, Walden Wong, Paco Diaz, Paul Davidson, Clay Mann, Steve Kurth, Khoi Pham, Tom Palmer… +“David!” +“Hi Mom, you came to see the walls go up?” +“Always m’love. Every day.” +“I worry about you, you know? Pouring your soul into those barriers, day after day, with no rest.” +I did sigh slightly when I saw Marvel was going straight into another X-over , complete with sidebar titles, directly after the excellent X-MEN: SECOND COMING, but actually this is great stuff. I probably shouldn’t be surprised given the bulk of it is written by Mike (MESSIAH COMPLEX) Carey. That’s one of the key books of recent years for jumping into all things X by the way for newcomers, not a statement regarding his ego, which I’m sure is perfectly normal and well rounded. After all, writing about costumed mutants all day isn’t going to warp your mind now is it? +And speaking of warping minds… we find our not-so-merry band of mutants holed up in a fortress (named Fortress X, of course) and assailed from literally all sides day after day, as humanity makes a final push to exterminate those pesky mutants once and for all. But is this an alternate reality we’re viewing, as most of our cast of characters are rather different from the regular versions we’re used to seeing, or has something else happened? +Despite the whopping clues I’ve dropped, it would be churlish of me to say any more, other than I don’t believe this is the last we’ve seen of the Age Of X. I must just add that all the sidebar stuff, collected here rather than in a separate book, is great fun, as various writers and artists flesh out the Age Of X universe a bit more. +JR. +An add-on to X-MEN: SECOND COMING itself which was pretty impressive, this reprints X-MEN: HOPE set before Cable and his young charge make it back to the present, X-MEN: BLIND SCIENCE, X-MEN HELLBOUND #1-3 starring Illyana which blatantly nicks a line from Mark Millar’s ULTIMATES (it isn’t alone) and X-FACTOR #204-206. +SLH +X-Men: With Great Power h/c (£18-99, Marvel) by Victor Gischler & Chris Bachalo… +…Comes responsibility for writing a decent story arc. +Did you learn nothing from Uncle Ben, Victor? Not even the appearance of the near omnipresent webbed wonder himself can save this story from being as dull as the sewers its set in. You know how sometimes you’ll read a story and it feels like the writer has trotted something out in two minutes flat as filler? Well, that’s kind of how all five issues of this felt to me. Even the Lizard, so compellingly written in the recent SPIDER-MAN: THE GAUNTLET VOL 5, is just completely one-dimensional here. This remains the weakest of X-titles for me by far. +JR +Also Arrived +Reviews to follow but s/cs of previous h/cs like Revolver and h/cs of previous s/cs like SWAMP THING VOL 5 will already be up on site. Wouldn’t it be a good idea if I finally got round to linking them so you can tell which they were? Brilliant! Only took me nine months and the last three seconds to think of that! If the typing goes pale, they are linked! +Oh, it’s only those two this week. Typical. +Everything Is Its Own Reward (£20-99, City Lights) by Paul Madonna +Supergods: Our World In The Age Of The Superhero h/c (£17-99, Jonathan Cape) by Grant Morrison +Shame vol 1: Conception (£7-50, Renegade) by Lovern Kindzierski & John Bolton +Scarlet vol 1 h/c (£18-99, Icon) by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev +Saga Of The Swamp Thing vol 5 h/c (£18-99, Vertigo) by Alan Moore & John Totleben, Rick Veitch, Alfredo Alcala +Northlanders vol 5: Metal And Other Stories (£13-50, Vertigo) by Brian Wood & Riccardo Burchielli, Fiona Staples, Becky Cloonan +Revolver s/c (£14-99, Vertigo) by Matt Kindt +Fallen Angel: Return Of The Son (£13-50, IDW) by Peter David & J.K. Woodward +Flight vol 8 (£19-99, Villard) by various +Locke & Key vol 3: Crown Of Shadows s/c (£14-99, IDW) by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez +Locke & Key vol 4: Keys To The Kingdom h/c (£18-99, IDW) by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez +Penny Arcade vol 7: Be Good, Little Puppy (£10-99, Del Rey) by Jerry Holkins & Mike Krahulik +Kull vol 2: The Hate Witch (£11-99, Dark Horse) by David Lapham & Gabriel Guzman +X-Files / 30 Days Of Night (£13-50, DC) by Steve Niles, Adam Jones & Tom Mandrake +Halo: Blood Line s/c (£14-99, Marvel) by Fred Van Lente & Francis Portela +A.B.C. Warriors: The Volgan War vol 4 (£14-99, 2000AD) by Pat Mills & Clint Langley +Green Arrow: Brightest Day – Into The Woods h/c (£16-99, DC) by J.T. Krul & Diogenes Neves, Mike Mayhew +Heroes For Hire vol 1: Control s/c (£11-99, Marvel) by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Brad Walker, Robert Atkins +New X-Men vol 1 (Digest) (£10-99, Marvel) by Grant Morrison & Ethan Van Sciver, Igor Kordey, Frank Quitely +New X-Men vol 2 (Digest) (£10-99, Marvel) by Grant Morrison & Ethan Van Sciver, Leinil Yu, Frank Quitely +Wandering Son vol 1 h/c (£14-99, Fantagraphics) by Shimura Takako +Monster Hunter Orage vol 1 (£8-50, Kodansha) by Hiro Mashima +Negima!? Neo vol 7 (£8-50, Kodansha) by Ken Akamatsu & Takuya Fujima +Air Gear vol 18 (£8-50, Kodansha) by Oh!Great +Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei vol 9 (£8-50) by Koji Kumeta & Koji Kumeta +Arata The Legend vol 6 (£6-99, Viz) by Yuu Watase +Chi’s Sweet Home vol 6 (£10-50, Vertical) by Konami Kanata +Magic Knight Rayearth vol 1 (£14-99, Dark Horse) by Clamp +Blue Exorcist vol 1 (£6-99, Viz) by Kazue Kato +Higurashi vol 13: Eye Opening Arc vol 3 (£7-99, Yen) by Ryukishio7 & Yutori Houjyou +Currently undergoing what is technically known as New Mobile Phone Dysfunctionality Disorder. STOOPID for short. Jonathan took half an hour out of his life to tutor me today, but my former teachers in… well, every subject… will tell you just how much wasted effort that is. +Please don’t text me for 48 hours while I attempt to adjust. +- Stephen x +The 50 Greatest Philadelphia International Songs: Staff Picks +The 50 Greatest Philadelphia International Songs: Staff Picks +Philadelphia International Records, founded by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, was formed in 1971 from the ashes of Neptune Records, with a number of up-and-coming R&B artists based out of the City of Brotherly Love. Gamble and Huff had found success in the late ’60s helming hits for local acts like the Soul Survivors (“Expressway to Your Heart”) and The Intruders (“Cowboys to Girls”), as well as for national stars like Jerry Butler (“Only the Strong Survive”) and Wilson Pickett (“Engine No. 9”), proving themselves — along with go-to like arrangers Thom Bell, Bobby Martin and Norman Harris — as the preeminent sonic architects of Philly soul. +It was through their work with Philadelphia International, though, that Gamble and Huff really turned Philadelphia into the Motown of the ’70s, with a trademark of sweet melodies, lush arrangements, dense productions, emotional lyrics and powerhouse vocal performances — as well as increasingly propulsive rhythms, which presaged and helped clear the way for disco’s incoming onslaught as the decade progressed. But while the writer/producer duo scored many of their signature hits with seductive love songs and devastating torch ballads, they were equally capable of summoning the righteous fury that the period often called for on their records, as well as finding a balance with mini-epics that blended personal drama and social conscience — resulting in some of the most timely and resonant anthems of their era. (Gamble and Huff recently discussed their memories of the challenges and triumphs of the period with our Gail Mitchell — read that interview here.) +In honor of the iconic label’s 50th anniversary — being celebrated all through 2021, including with a new Kenny Gamble-hosted and -curated Sonos Radio station starting today (Feb. 24) appropriately called “The Sound of Philadelphia” — Billboard has decided to pay tribute with a list of our staff’s 50 favorites from the label’s original 20-plus-year run. That ranges from the early-’70s releases from signature Philadelphia International acts like Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and the O’Jays, to PIR-revived acts like Dee Dee Sharp and Lou Rawls in the decade’s second half, to later R&B hitmakers like Patti LaBelle and Phyllis Hyman in the mid-’80s — and all the lesser-known acts in between. (Releases on Philadelphia International subsidiary labels such as TSOP Records and ’70s-era Gamble Records are also included.) +Check out our list below — with a Spotify playlist of all 50 songs at the bottom of our rankings — and rediscover (or find out for the first time) why people all over the world were grooving to the sound of Philadelphia International. +50. McFadden and Whitehead, “Love Song Number 690 (Life’s No Good Without You)” (I Heard It in a Love Song, 1980) +Gene McFadden and John Whitehead were one of the songwriting duos prolific and accomplished enough to deserve their own room at Philadelphia International, penning classics for the O’Jays and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, among others. They only had one top 40 hit as lead artists, but their two studio albums for the PIR family were filled with gems, including this slow-building closer to 1980’s I Heard It in a Love Song. The pleading ballad transcends its generic title with a mighty extended outro, in which the intensity of the duo’s own increasingly desperate and frayed ad libs is given a shot in the arm by an out-of-nowhere disco acceleration. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER +49. Jean Carn, “My Love Don’t Come Easy” (When I Find You Love, 1979) +One of the underrated stars of the PIR galaxy, Jean Carn — a jazz singer who proved more than adept at pop, soul and disco — never quite achieved the crossover success she deserved, but delivered a handful of the most irresistible Gamble and Huff productions of the back half of the ’70s. “My Love Don’t Come Easy” glides in on a gently clipped disco shuffle, with Carn’s alluringly slow-and-low insistences that “My love don’t come easy/ Not tonight” making it clear that she’s worth the effort. — A.U. +48. Lou Rawls, “The Wind Beneath My Wings” (When the Night Comes, 1983) +Rawls was among the first artists to record this sentimental ballad. His version hit the Hot 100 and Black Singles (as the chart was then called) in March 1983, four months before Gary Morris’ version made Hot Country Singles and six years before Bette Midler’s recording from Beaches became a smash. Rawls’ version, compete with a spoken-word intro, feels something of a curiosity in retrospect, but it reminds us what an expressive and conversational ballad singer he was. — PAUL GREIN +47. The O’Jays, “I Love Music” (Family Reunion, 1975) +Gamble & Huff wrote and produced this love letter to music. The message is simplistic — in the fall of 1975, as disco was heating up, lyrics took a back seat to a killer groove — but the track is percussive and muscular, and the O’Jays’ performance is sublime. The lead single from the group’s fourth PIR studio album, Family Reunion, the affection central to “I Love Music” clearly inspired similar emotion in listeners nationwide, as the song became the group’s first top five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in nearly three years. — P.G. +46. The Intruders, “I Wanna Know Your Name” (Save the Children, 1973) +Other groups are more closely associated with Gamble & Huff, but it was the Intruders‘ hit-making history with the songwriting duo that convinced Columbia to lend Gamble & Huff the dough to start Philadelphia International Records in the first place. “I Wanna Know Your Name,” a simmering reach for romance from 1973 that became a top 10 R&B hit, demonstrates these Philly boys’ gentle but firm grasp on lush longings. — JOE LYNCH +45. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, “Bad Luck” (To Be True, 1975) +One of Philly International’s most miraculous transmutations of the personal into the political. Over a furious rhythm workout, Teddy Pendergrass details a jinxed life: pockets empty, woman gone, trapped in a time that will make him lose his mind. Then the melody drops out, the rhythm takes over again, and Teddy delivers something between a stump speech and sermon to the “people of the world.” Prices are going up. Everyone is cutting back. And in this morning’s paper came the news: poor folks have been abandoned by the President of the United States. (Richard Nixon had resigned six months before the release of “Bad Luck.”) As the track begins to fade, Pendergrass sings the praises of the only man who can take his place, the ultimate good luck charm: Jesus. — JOE LEVY +44. Billy Paul, “Let’s Make a Baby” (When Love Is New, 1975) +The slow jam that Jesse Jackson apparently found filthy enough in the mid-’70s to make the center of his rallying cry for cleaner FM airwaves, “Let’s Make a Baby” is really pretty chaste for a song of its title. Actually, it’s one of the few songs about baby-making that where the phrase isn’t just used euphemistically — Billy Paul sounds genuinely pumped about being able to “bring another life into this world/ A little boy, a little girl.” He cares about the other part too, of course, but “Baby” is only sexier for the intimacy of its urges to procreate — and given the persuasiveness of its bass-led saunter, it probably has soundtracked its fair share of new lives being brought into this world over the years. — A.U. +43. Spiritual Concept, “Get It On” (Spiritual Concept, 1972) +A hard-edged funk band from a label not exactly known for that, Spiritual Concept sounded like Philly’s response to Funkadelic, spitting out nasty, smoking sides of post-Hendrix rock such as the unjustly neglected “Get It On,” epic finale to their self-titled debut album. They might not have been PIR’s bread and butter, but sometimes you want that mesquite bite — and Spiritual Concept delivered. — J. Lynch +42. The Jacksons, “Enjoy Yourself” (The Jacksons, 1976) +This was The Jacksons’ first single after leaving Motown for Epic/PIR (and changing their name from The Jackson 5). Penned by Gamble and Huff, the frisky tune was built around a funky guitar lick and the oft-repeated titular invitation — one that listeners happily accepted, as “Enjoy Yourself” became the group’s first top 10 hit on the Hot 100 in nearly three years, proving that the former First Family of Motown were still in the game. Of course, there awaited even bigger wins in the future, both for the group and its then-18-year-old lead singer. — P.G. +41. Dee Dee Sharp, “Real Hard Day” (Happy ‘Bout the Whole Thing, 1975) +Best known as the voice framing such ’60s dance hits as “Mashed Potato Time” and “Ride!,” Dee Dee Sharp unleashed the full power and versatility of her soulful voice on 1975’s Happy ‘Bout the Whole Thing. This jazz-infused track finds Sharp — Mrs. Gamble at the time — eloquently detailing a rough day of taking care of home and kids. “I’m not complaining,” she underscores. “I do it for the love of you.” Those “good little wife” lyrics might cause some understandable wincing today, but there’s no denying the quiet urgency and passion fueling Sharp’s vocals, in expressing a sentiment that continues to resonate for many women 40+ years later. — GAIL MITCHELL +40. Patti LaBelle, “The Spirit’s In It” (The Spirit’s In It, 1981) +Accurately named. “The Spirit’s in It” was the title cut from Patti LaBelle’s first album for PIR after a somewhat adrift final few years at Epic, and from the moment her opening wailing gives way to the bubbling bass, muted trumpets and racing drums of the song’s silky groove, it’s clear she’s not messing around in her new digs. Marrying disco propulsion with gospel fervor, and not letting up in either respect over the course of its six minutes, “Spirit” was just a modest commercial success, but set the stage for what would end up being the soul legend’s most commercially dominant decade. — A.U. +39. Teddy Pendergrass, “I Don’t Love You Anymore” (Teddy Pendergrass, 1977) +Ending a relationship is never fun, but you can’t help but get up and dance away the pain after listening to this unexpectedly upbeat song. With staccato phrasing, Pendergrass delivers one of the best breakup verses ever: “I don’t love you anymore/ It’s just that simple/ No, no, no not like before/ Such a shame, dirty shame” against a snappy, vibrant backing track. It’s also no doubt a sly nod to Pendergrass’ own acrimonious split from Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes — “I Don’t” was the lead single from Pendergrass’ 1977 self-titled solo debut album. — G.M. +38. MFSB, “K-Jee” (Universal Love, 1975) +The second-most-notable pop culture placement of a song by PIR house band MFSB came two years after the initial release of “K-Jee,” when the electric piano-led instrumental was used in Saturday Night Fever, to soundtrack the Puerto Rican couple’s dance routine that Tony and Stephanie unfairly beat out for the big trophy at 2001 Odyssey. But “K-Jee” never needed validation from John Travolta to be a confirmed scorcher: Anyone would look on fire dancing to this slippery symphonic funker, an action movie in itself with every explosive horns-and-strings refrain. — A.U. +37. Dexter Wansel, “The Sweetest Pain” (Time Is Slipping Away, 1979) +Resident PIR studio maestro Dexter Wansel — whose talent level Gamble has compared to Quincy Jones — probably could’ve had a floor-filling disco smash with “The Sweetest Pain,” if he tightened the bass up just a little, had the bells clang a bit harder, coaxed a tad more urgency out of singer Terri Wells. But what he achieved, while not as much of a potential crossover, instead was a downtempo jam of peak melancholy bliss: tranquil strings, massaging drums, bells rapping like rain on the windowsill, and a vocal of such weary rapture that you can still feel both the pleasure and the pain over 40 years later — though one a lot more than the other. — A.U. +36. The O’Jays, “Stairway to Heaven” (Family Reunion, 1975) +The O’Jays had always considered slow love songs to be their strong point, and this seduction ballad — the B-side to the “Trouble Man” knockoff “Living for the Weekend” — became a staple of the then-emerging quiet storm radio format, which could play all of its six throbbing minutes. Eddie Levert’s plaintive vocals begin with diamond-inflected grit and slide up into delicate falsetto as the strings, scattered like rose petals, walk step-by-step to an ecstatic bridge. Then comes the call and response, with the backing vocals asking “Don’t you want to go?” and Levert making his plea to join him in paradise here on earth. Hard to argue with. — J. Levy +35. Jones Girls, “Nights Over Egypt” (Get as Much Love as You Can, 1981) +An enduring club staple, with a post-disco groove just killer (and off-kilter) enough to sell the silly African voyage of the lyrics (“Take a caravan/ across the Sudan/ Saharan facade/ Is just a mirage”) — you’ll sing along with just about anything waiting for that super-cold bass-popping hook to come back around. Penned by Dexter Wansel, “Nights Over Egypt” missed the Hot 100 upon its original 1981 release, but stands as by far the group’s most-streamed song on Spotify today — and one of the most inscrutably charming (if dated) escapist fantasies of its era. — A.U. +34. The Ebonys, “It’s Forever” (The Ebonys, 1971) +A molasses-slow devotional, you’d be forgiven for suspecting that seven-plus minutes of “It’s Forever” might feel as interminable as the eternity it promises. But thanks to the group’s rewarding baritone-and-falsetto interplay, and the pillowy arrangement from Bobby Martin, the song holds your interest just long enough to get you to that closing two-minute climax of “justgottamakeyaallmine” vocal insistence — which R&B fans of a later generation will likely recognize as the sonic foundation of Trey Songz’s debut single. — A.U. +33. Billy Paul, “East” (Going East, 1971) +When it was the 1971st Arabian night, Shahrazad continued: “I have heard, o fortunate king, that when the genre-flaunting Billy Paul arrived at PIR at the dawn of the ’70s, his sound was a far cry from the smooth-as-ointment ‘Me And Mrs. Jones’ which would soon earn this Son of Philadelphia fame across the lands. Instead, the melodious troubadour melded the spices of the Middle East, the soul and sweet strings of Brotherly Love and the jazz of his dew-dipped youth for delectable entrees such as “East,” a wind-whipped, six-and-a-half-minute carpet ride that proved pleasing to the ears of his label viziers, but did not yet earn him Gold.” — J. Lynch +32. Phyllis Hyman, “Meet Me on the Moon” (Prime of My Life, 1991) +It’s all about one note, mostly: Five minutes into this pinnacle cut from R&B great Phyllis Hyman’s second album on Philadelphia International, she stretches the word “Meet” out for around seven impossibly smooth seconds, a spellbinding display of vocal control as the contralto pleads for her love to meet her in outer space. The song isn’t explicitly sad, but the note that Hyman strikes feels unmistakably melancholy — like she’s begging to escape to the stars not merely as a flight of fancy, but because the situation on this planet has become untenable. — A.U. +31. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, “Don’t Leave Me This Way” (Wake Up Everybody, 1975) +While Thelma Houston’s disco cover rendition topped the Hot 100 and later became an anthem of mourning during the HIV/AIDS crisis, the song’s first version – from Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, with the incomparable Teddy Pendergrass on lead vocal – is a 10/10 classic in its own right. From the insistent disco-snap drums to bouncing energy of the organ, the Blue Notes’ original bubbles with an optimistic fervor that makes you think there’s no way in hell anyone is ditching Teddy following this six-minute soul blast. — J. Lynch +30. People’s Choice, “Do It Any Way You Wanna” (Boogie Down U.S.A., 1975) +Recording for PIR subsidiary TSOP Records, funk outfit People’s Choice came one spot shy of the Hot 100’s Top 10 with “Do It Any Way You Wanna,” a slinky strutter without particularly much to say outside of its title phrase. That was plenty, however, as the song’s trademark bass line does most of the talking anyway — with the organs occasionally chiming in as well. Not quite as profound as “Everyday People” or even “It’s Your Thing,” but even a period as generally permissive as the disco era still needed to occasionally remind audiences that they couldn’t be told who to sock it to. — A.U. +29. The Stylistics, “Hurry Up This Way Again” (Hurry Up This Way Again, 1980) +The Stylistics spent the great majority of the ’70s as Philly Soul royalty on Avco Records, with hits (“Betcha By Golly Wow,” “You Are Everything”) produced and co-written (along with Linda Creed) by longtime Gamble and Huff creative partner Thom Bell. But after a mid-decade split with Bell, the hits dried up, and the Stylistics bounced around labels — eventually finding themselves reunited with Bell at PIR at the start of the ’80s. Their fantastic comeback single “Hurry Up This Way Again” didn’t get them back onto the Hot 100, but with its glittering, ’80s-updated groove, it returned them to the R&B Songs top 20 — and its chirping synths and lurching beat also eventually found their way to Jay-Z’s classic debut album Reasonable Doubt. — A.U. +28. Shirley Jones, “Do You Get Enough Love” (Always in the Mood, 1986) +Shirley Jones, solo of the Jones Girls, managed something that her original group never had in 1986, when “Do You Get Enough Love” topped Billboard‘s R&B Songs chart. The teasing come on would risk coming off as downright taunting if not for the singer’s playful delivery, the jarringly frenetic piano fills that materialize every few measures, and the surprising spoken-word breakdown, sold spectacularly by Jones: “Yeah, I like messing around. But only with you.” — A.U. +27. The O’Jays, “Love Train” (Back Stabbers, 1972) +As a call for unity among “people all over the world,” — with a shout-out to England, Russia, China, Egypt, Israel and “all of you brothers over in Africa,”– the O’Jays’ “Love Train” is an undeniably joyous song. A needed one, too, as it was released in an era that was anything but: “Train” arrived as a single during Christmas week of 1972, amid news of escalated bombing by the U.S. of North Vietnam. In the song’s first seconds, a buoyant guitar spells out the melody, and the O’Jays engage in string-sweetened call-and-response, before the voices of Eddie Levert, Walter Williams and William Powell rise in unison to “let this train keep on riding, riding on through!” By March 1973, “Love Train” rolled right on through to No. 1 on the Hot 100. Proof of the song’s timelessness? Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, James Corden and Ron Funches cut a double-speed version for the 2017 Christmas TV special Trolls Holiday. — THOM DUFFY +26. Dexter Wansel, “Theme From the Planets” (Life on Mars, 1976) +If those Pringles-crisp opening drums sound familiar to you, that’s probably just because you’ve heard them… just about everywhere over the past four-and-a-half decades. “Theme From the Planets” is one of those songs where it’s probably simpler just to list who didn’t sample it, because those always-fresh, never-stale drums will always sound good in any context — and because the rest of the tranquilly funky instrumental is full of similarly age-proof sonic flourishes, with dubby bass, whining synths, and sax that would still sound smooth on the volcanic Io moon of Jupiter. — A.U. +25. The Jacksons, “Show You the Way to Go” (The Jacksons, 1976) +“Enjoy Yourself” was the bigger hit off The Jacksons, but follow-up single “Show You the Way to Go” was just a little more magnificent, a winning pairing of a compellingly restrained MJ vocal — with the lead singer also multi-tracked to provide his own harmonies — and a typically elevated Gamble/Huffing backing track. “Let me show you the way to go/ Follow me, follow me,” Jackson insists over gently supportive strings and nodding guitar, and chances are you’re right there with him. — A.U. +24. Lou Rawls, “Early Morning Love” (Unmistakably Lou, 1977) +Gamble & Huff’s innate ability to capture a moment in time and make it something to cherish stands at the heart of this ballad from Lou Rawls’ second PIR album, 1977’s Unmistakably Lou. Against a spare track accented by guitar and strings — plus a hallelujah chorus of horns near the end — the pair eloquently explore the magic of making love and reaching “total ecstasy … when life’s between day and night.” Just as awesome is the tenderness emanating from the gravel-voiced Rawls as he notes, “Early morning love… what a way to start the day off right.” Enough said. — G.M. +23. Patti LaBelle, “Love, Need and Want You” (I’m in Love Again, 1983) +Oft-sampled, never equaled (although the Nelly/Kelly Rowland interpolation “Dilemma” came damn close), Patti LaBelle’s “Love, Need and Want You” finds the diva and the label adapting to the ’80s adult contemporary sound without sacrificing any of the organic authenticity of the Philly soul sound. A co-write between Gamble and Bunny Sigler, it boasts more hooky moments than most five-minute ballads, but it’s the casually come-hither vocals from LaBelle that push this from I’m-alright-and-you’re-alright and into paradise. — J. Lynch +22. MFSB feat. The Three Degrees, “Love Is the Message” (Love Is the Message, 1973) +There’s lyrics here, technically, provided by esteemed Philadelphia International girl group The Three Degrees. But that’s not the part of the song anyone really remembers. Rather, “Love Is the Message” is legendary for its extended closing section — which could go for as long as six minutes on some of the 12-inch remixes — in which the bass and drums lift off, and some truly blissed-out soloing by Leon Huff on electric piano and Zack Zachery on alto sax raise the song higher into the heavens with each minute. “Message” was a minor chart hit but an eventual New York disco classic, remixed and sampled to death, always extending the final groove longer and longer, a message no one ever got tired of receiving. — A.U. +21. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” (I Miss You, 1972) +Harold Melvin took top billing with the Blue Notes but, as bandleader, he moved drummer Teddy Pendergrass to lead vocals for the group’s biggest hits, including this sweet and scorching 1972 torch song — the group’s first top 10 hit on the Hot 100. “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” is a soulful showdown for a couple who have been together for “ten long years,” laments Pendergrass, whose anguished calls for faithfulness rise above one of arranger Bobby Martin’s most lush and epic orchestral settings. Gamble and Huff shared the Grammy Award for best rhythm & blues song for “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” — but not until 1989, when Simply Red’s cover version eclipsed the success of the original, topping the Billboard Hot 100. It was one of many successful covers of the song — including a nearly definitive live ’80s version from PIR’s own Patti LaBelle, whose Labelle group the song was originally written for — but nothing quite compares to the Blue Notes unforgettable original. — T.D. +20. Billy Paul, “Am I Black Enough For You?” (360 Degrees of Billy Paul, 1973) +Hooked to a clavinet vamp and laced with cosmic guitar distortion, Paul’s follow-up to “Me & Mrs. Jones” left behind the crossover audience that had embraced him and spoke directly to the black community with a self-empowerment rallying cry: suffer no more, use your mind, not your fists, and don’t stop until freedom comes. Full of funk and pain, its promise to stay Black in the face of adversity was a bold rejection of pop success for the politics of revolution — sadly reflected in its limited chart success, as the song stalled at No. 79 on the Hot 100 — and both Philly International and Paul himself would spend years trying to balance those impulses. — J. Levy +19. Jones Girls, “Who Can I Run To?” (The Jones Girls, 1979) +“You’re Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else” was the uptempo A-side, the group’s lone Hot 100 top 40 hit, and a gem in its own right. But the B-side, the sighing ballad “Who Can I Run To?” nearly overshadowed it with its hypnotically slow sway, guided by gentle keyboards and flecks of sweet guitar. It’s such a perfect unobtrusive Sunday morning-style groove that you almost don’t want any vocals to interrupt — but once they do, courtesy of lead vocalist Shirley Jones and backing singers Brenda and Valorie, their aimless anguish proves similarly spellbinding. The song’s chart potential was validated decades later, when a faithful rendition from Atlanta R&B quartet Xscape took it to the top 10. — A.U. +18. Teddy Pendergrass, “Love T.K.O.” (TP, 1980) +This bedroom ballad, the second single from Teddy Pendergrass’ fourth album TP, enhanced his reputation as R&B’s top romantic balladeer of the era. Pendergrass locks into a sensuous groove of creeping bass and wavy keys and rides it for five full minutes, singing about being undone for a second time by love’s right hook. Cecil Womack, younger brother of soul great Bobby Womack, co-wrote and co-produced the song. Mercury Records R&B singer David Oliver had a minor hit with the song in July 1980, a few months before Pendergrass’ version took off, but it’s Teddy’s version that still scores the official knockout every time. — P.G. +17. Dee Dee Sharp, “O-o-h Child” (Happy ‘Bout the Whole Thing, 1975) +Sharp’s 1975 album Happy ‘Bout the Whole Thing was a vocal showcase for the former teen idol, who was just 17 when “Mashed Potato Time” went to No. 2 on the Hot 100 in 1962. A cover of 10cc’s “I’m Not in Love” stole back a recent pop hit that itself had swiped the lush heartbreak of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, but it was on a remake of the Five Stairsteps’ “O-o-h Child” that Sharp cut loose like an Olympic gymnast, suddenly free to strut her stuff on the dancefloor. It recast the pop-soul of the original as a slow-moving Sunday sermon, beginning simply with piano and voice, and building steadily to a one-minute coda that breaks open into pure gospel — with Sharp getting happy, doubling up her rhythm, scraping the rafters, and preaching about freedom. — J. Levy +16. Edwin Birdsong, “Cola Bottle Baby” / “Phizz-Phiss” (Edwin Birdsong, 1979) +The squealing synths, clanging cymbals and unusual stop-start rhythms of “Cola Bottle Baby” might’ve been too much for radio in the late ’70s, but this future-funk space odyssey from experimental-leaning keyboard player Edwin Birdsong got a second wind over 20 years later, when electronic greats Daft Punk deployed it as the bedrock for their “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” Even now, four decades after its release, little else tastes like the strange intergalactic sparkle of this warped disco-funk treat — which keeps percolating straight into the similarly cosmic snap of “Phizz-Phiss” on Birdsong’s self-titled PIR debut. — J. Lynch +15. Jean Carn, “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head” (Happy to Be With You, 1975) +Maybe the closest Gamble and Huff ever got to a Bacharach and David ballad, with a clever lyric of disarming fragility, supported by a delicately understated soul backing track that always threatens to explode into full disco but never quite does. Jean Carn plays the duo’s Dionne Warwick, gently pleading with her new love not to take advantage of the power he now realizes he has over her (“Now that you know I can’t live without you/ Don’t let it go to your head, no”) — and sounding more than a little bit anxious over having shown her cards and left herself in such a vulnerable position. It’s a flawless record full of perfect little moments, many of which have been thankfully recycled over the years, by artists ranging from New York rap group Brand Nubian to Swedish electro-pop fembot Robyn. — A.U. +14. The Intruders, “I’ll Always Love My Mama” (Save the Children, 1973) +Every Mother’s Day in Philadelphia, you can bet on hearing The Intruders blaring from somewhere on your radio dial, as they delivered one of the great maternal odes in pop or R&B history for PIR in 1973. “I’ll Always Love My Mama” is sweet to the point of near-saccharine at moments, but the song’s gushing lyrics — inspired by co-writer Gamble’s own mother Ruby — are sold through the sincerity of lead vocalist Sam Brown’s belting, and expanded upon by both the group’s hilarious nostalgic breakdown section (“I think Pops was drinkin’ more wine than we used to!”) and the blistering guitar-and-horns call-and-response hook that punctuates the groove. Mama can still get down too, y’know. — A.U. +13. Phyllis Hyman, “Living All Alone” (Living All Alone, 1986) +Kenny Gamble teamed with Cynthia Biggs and Dexter Wansel, members of PIR’s estimable stable of writer/producers, to pen this 1986 break-up ballad, a No. 12 R&B hit for Phyllis Hyman. Its insightful lyrics are complemented by Wansel’s intricate production, as each instrument — a whistle and triangle here, rock guitar and horns there — is precisely placed to draw the most dramatic effect. Completing the home run is Hyman herself, who possessed one of the most evocative voices in music. Her searing vocals on the chorus (“Whoa oh, I can’t stand this living all alone”) haunt long after the last note sounds. You not only hear her pain, you shudder as you feel it. Sadly, Hyman died at 45 by suicide in 1995, after a long battle with bipolar disorder. — G.M. +12. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, “Wake Up Everybody” (Wake Up Everybody, 1975) +“Wake Up Everybody” was the title track of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ fourth PIR album, their last to feature Teddy Pendergrass before he left for a solo career. “Wake Up Everybody” takes profound truths and conveys them in a simple, easily understood framework (“The world won’t get no better if we just let it be… we gotta change it, yeah, just you and me”) while Pendergrass sings with compassion and empathy, so it doesn’t come across as preachy. Gene McFadden and John Whitehead co-wrote the oft-covered anthem, before scoring a signature smash of their own with another socially conscious song, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.” — P.G. +11. The O’Jays, “For the Love of Money” (Ship Ahoy, 1973) +A No. 9 hit on the Hot 100, the O’Jays’ “For the Love of Money” isn’t just one of their biggest hits – it demonstrates the band’s musical scope and ambition, particularly if you listen to the seven-minute version on their Ship Ahoy album. While the vamping horns and that instantly recognizable “money-money-money” falsetto bring to mind the get-rich-quick excitement that had America in its grip in the ’70s, the song’s iconic bass line — a creeping, echo-soaked menace — lends a sense of uneasiness to the entire affair, as if the floor is fated to give out on this funky house of cards at any moment. — J. Lynch +10. Teddy Pendergrass, “Close the Door” (Life Is a Song Worth Singing, 1978) +Few invitation-to-love jams have said as much in a full song as Teddy Pendergrass’ first Hot 100 top 40 hit says in three words. “Close the Door” — delivered as less than a demand, but certainly as more than a mere suggestion — is one of the great not-messing-around moments in R&B history, as the former Blue Note confirmed his solo star power beyond question over a plush bed of flute, strings and bass, and a beat that keeps that song’s pulse just a little faster than expected, making sure it has and keeps your attention. “Girl, it’s me and you now,” Pendergrass promises, and millions of women across the globe were intent on holding him to that, making him one of R&B’s preeminent acts at the turn of the ’80s. — A.U. +9. Patti LaBelle, “If Only You Knew” (I’m in Love Again, 1983) +While group Labelle’s 1975 hit “Lady Marmalade” starred a bold, confident prostitute, solo Patti’s 1983 chart comeback “If Only You Knew” finds a shy woman struggling with how to approach a would-be love interest. Biggs, Wansel and Gamble wrote and produced the track, which provides the perfect showcase for LaBelle’s remarkable vocal capabilities. She uses her soft mid-range to flesh out the emotion evoked by such verses as “No you don’t even suspect/ Could probably care less/ About the changes I’ve been going through.” But to underscore the woman’s growing anguish, Ms. Patti goes full-throttle soprano on the closing choruses, as she soars into a chills-inducing upper register. “If Only You Knew” became both LaBelle’s first solo Hot 100 hit, peaking at No. 43, and her first solo R&B No. 1, notching a four-week run. — G.M. +8. The Philadelphia International All-Stars, “Let’s Clean Up the Ghetto” (Let’s Clean Up the Ghetto, 1973) +Over a full decade before Band Aid, USA For Africa and countless other supergroup one-offs turned all-star charity singles into a near cliché of the mid-’80s, Philadelphia International assembled their best and brightest for a cause near and dear to Gamble and Huff: community development in the inner city. With vocal contributions from Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, Billy Paul, Dee Dee Sharp and just about every other star on the PIR roster, “Let’s Clean Up the Ghetto” (the title track of a label compilation of the same name, with proceeds going to charity) encouraged fans to think globally and act locally. But what separates “Ghetto” from some of the overcooked charity singles of future years is just how focused it is — both in the vocal contributions from its myriad hitmakers (the O’Jays’ “All of you brothers that live on the Main Line/ You lived in the ghetto once upon a time” being a particular highlight), and the relentless force of its one-bar-looped groove. At nearly nine minutes, it should feel exhausting, but it more feels invigorating and inspiring, making you want to get some paint, fetch your hammer and join in the effort. — A.U. +7. Lou Rawls, “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” (All Things in Time, 1976) +A sharp burst of strings, a funky bass riff and understated percussion set up the unforgettably smooth, low baritone of Lou Rawls, assisted by sonorous piano chords, on this 1976 R&B, pop and dance smash. With a bold declaration (“Whoa, I’m not braggin’ on myself, baby”) Rawls ignites “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” with disco energy. As the track alternatively simmers and boils, Rawls makes it clear to a departing lover just how much she’s “gonna miss” his lovin’ — particularly “late in the midnight hour/ When it’s cold outside.” Already decades into a long, rich career in gospel, R&B and jazz, “Never Find” nonetheless became Rawls’ biggest hit, peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and earning the legendary singer a 1977 Grammy Award nomination for best male pop vocal performance. — T.D. +6. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, “The Love I Lost” (Black & Blue, 1973) +The shift from traditional R&B to disco over the course of the ’70s was a subtle one, of many hits gradually turning up the tempo and the energy until the pulsing 4/4 beat was the ubiquitous rhythm of late-decade pop. But if Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ “The Love I Lost” wasn’t exactly the big bang for the disco decade, it was certainly one of the most crucial singles in its development: a racing, double-time thumper built on velvet keys, majestic strings and a Teddy Pendergrass performance for the ages, wailing about being “in misery” over an untimely breakup. Incredible as the song’s first part is — enough to score the group their second Hot 100 top 10 hit — it’s the second half where it really reaches escape velocity, Pendergrass whipping himself into a near-frightening frenzy of agony and regret (“Would you forgive me, baby/ IF I GOT DOWN ON MY HANDS AND KNEES?”) while the Blue Notes repeatedly accentuate his ravings with “I lost it/ Sorry I lost it,” and the beat keeps going, going, going. You expect the mighty chorus to return at some point, but it never does — and it never has to. — A.U. +5. MFSB feat. The Three Degrees, “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” (Love Is the Message, 1974) +In 1974, a rotating collective of studio musicians known as MSFB (Mother-Father-Sister-Brother) and vocal trio The Three Degrees joined forces to record a mostly instrumental theme for a new show called Soul Train… and they ended up charting a new course in pop music history. With ecstatic vocal exhortations, lush, inviting strings, punchy horns, a tireless dance beat and hip-swinging verve, “TSOP” is the soundtrack to how cool you want you look every time you walk into a room. The first TV show theme and the first disco song to top the Hot 100, “TSOP” was more than just the sound of Philadelphia (though in the mid-’70s, it certainly was that): It was a harbinger of the joyous, liberating sound of disco that would soon conquer dancefloors across America, and it remains a shining gemstone in the Gamble & Huff crown. — J. Lynch +4. The Three Degrees, “When Will I See You Again?” (The Three Degrees, 1974) +This impossibly pretty song may sound like it’s made for lovers to listen to as they snuggle in front of a fire, but it’s actually the sound of one heart breaking. Lead singer Sheila Ferguson poses two devastating questions—”Are we in love or just friends? Is this my beginning or is this the end?” — and gets no answer, except from the weeping strings and the sighing backing vocals behind her. The female trio was featured on MFSB’s “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” earlier in 1974, but this ballad, which Gamble & Huff wrote and produced, gave them their own showcase, one that took them all the way to No. 2 on the Hot 100. From the first “ooh” to last “aah,” this runs just 2:58: When a record is this good, there’s no need to pad it. — P.G. +3. The O’Jays, “Back Stabbers” (Back Stabbers, 1972) +It was a time of national distrust in 1972, to say the least — and the hits had started to reflect it, starting with The Undisputed Truth’s No. 3-peaking “Smiling Faces Sometimes” the year before. For the title track to their first PIR LP, the O’Jays took that smash a step further, with singers Eddie LeVert and Walter Williams trading off anguished lyrics about the knives that often lie behind those grins (“The blades are long, clenched tight in their fists/ Aimin’ straight at your back, and I don’t think they’ll miss”). The song would be a classic if just for those suspicious verses and the queasy string-led shuffle that supports them, but “Back Stabbers” was made eternal by the horn stabs and drum mini-fill — and of course, the group’s gruff “WHAT THEY DO” warning — that leads into the chorus, packing more drama, suspense and frayed-nerve paranoia that an entire Alan J. Pakula thriller. — A.U. +2. McFadden and Whitehead, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” (McFadden & Whitehead, 1979) +The sound was pure joy, one hook trading places with another for almost a full minute before the verses kicked in. First came the signature swirl of strings, then a bass hook from Jimmy Williams that swung harder than a wrecking ball, and then a backing choir announcing the music’s anthemic chorus message: we’re on the move, we’ve got groove, we can’t be stopped. The beat was spiked with futuristic synth stabs in the place of disco whistles, making “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” not just one of greatest songs of 1979, but one of the first great songs of the ‘80s. +Gene McFadden and John Whitehead had sung with The Epsilons in the late ‘60s before joining Philadelphia International in 1971 as songwriters and producers. They wanted to step out in front as performers, and “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” reflected their frustration and desire for the spotlight. Yet in Philadelphia another message was impossible to miss: The single arrived in April 1979, four months before the U.S. Department of Justice filed a suit charging that the city’s police department’s use of excessive force “shocked the conscience.” As a Philadelphia International slogan taken from an O’Jays song put it: “The Message is the Music.” And over an indestructible party beat, the duo spell it out: “There’s been so many things that’s held us down/ But now it looks like things are finally coming around.” — J. Levy +1. Billy Paul, “Me and Mrs. Jones” (360 Degrees of Billy Paul, 1972) +Philadelphia International’s brand of smooth, sophisticated soul took flight with this 1972 classic. The song’s premise was inspired by a slice of real life. At a café that Gamble and Huff regularly frequented, the pair noticed one gentleman in particular who would always sit in a certain booth and await the arrival of the same woman several minutes later. From that what-if, a classic was born. To punctuate the story being told against the backdrop of lush string and horn arrangements, producers Gamble and Huff (who also co-wrote the song with Cary Gilbert) tapped local club performer and friend Billy Paul. Influenced by jazz trailblazers Charlie “Bird” Parker and Billie Holiday, Paul’s phrasing and raspy, mellow baritone bring the right touch of romantic euphoria tinged with regret. Paul’s superb performance and G&H’s creative handiwork landed the song atop the Hot 100, earned Paul a Grammy for best male R&B vocal, and set the bar for the label’s decades of Philly soul classics to come. — G.M. +. +Hat tip: Southern Boy +Author: +Mac Slavo +Views: +Read by 11,581 people +Date: May... +This MUST be reported to ANYONE who will take the next step! Andrew Napolitano by chance? +This is tyranny in it’s highest form! I think maybe… just maybe… this is the “gotcha” tape we’ve been needing! +..and the people are OK with this? Their phones in the legislature offices should be ringing off the walls 24/7, and their emails inboxes full to the max. Crash their system. Occupy THE GOVERNMENT. +Gold Leader standing by. +Treasonous Fucks!!! Should all be hung!!! And the balls they have to do it right in front of everyone. Just goes to show, they don’t follow any of the laws they create!!! +they also vote their own pay increases, lets face it, we are screwed and nothing can be done about it, unless………….click..click was that a gun or a voting macine? +Since there were two clicks I’d say is was a Colt revolver. +mine only does that when its empty +It was a voting machine. Nancy Pelosi just used Barney Frank’s card to outlaw North Dakota. +they are all treasonous self serving bastards +and enact laws criminalizing us that they perform daily themselves +viva la revolution! +sharpen up those guillotines +possee +they don’t give a crap. They are above us. Just like the cops and our police state. Here is the Kelly Thomas beating video just relaeased. Mac if you see this please do a peice on it. +That made my blood boil, my stomach sicken and my anger rise to levels it hasn’t been in quite a while. +God, have we really come to this? Are we this uncivilized of a people? What are we doing…………….. +Oh they are trying both of the cops for murder, but they(cops) said the paramedics are the ones responsible for +Kelly’s death. His father wants to see them go right in with all the harden criminals. We shall see how this one goes? +I just saw that video. This is the evil we will be dealing with shortly everyday. There was no reason whatsoever to brutally beat that man! Look at those fat asses! That action deserved lethal force against the police! +This is no big deal folks….and it certainly isn’t treasonous. If a representatinve has to be absent and asks someone to vote for him, so what? Yes, it is against their own rules but again, so what? Their rules aren’t law. +This is simply a convenience. +…and if someone was voting for you and didn’t vote your wishes, I’m sure the practice would stop quite quickly. +There are many legitimate problems that are ruining our country… this isn’t one of them. +I mean really folks, 95% of the people who visit this site don’t believe anything the “lamestream media” tellls them in the first place… but now its hand wringing time because of a news report? +Please. +One of the real problems is the Chicken Littles that spend their days on sites like this shreaking over nothing so that when legitimate problems arise nobody listens. +Well now… “their rules aren’t law”… OK. So, can we call them by-laws, rules of the House, standards of conduct? How’s that, would that be OK with you Stuart? +UNBELIEVABLE!!! +Folks… if this guy is truly a Texan… we ARE finished! Good golly Miss Molly… this is ridiculous!!! +Stuart. You are okay with this? +While I don’t think this behavior rises to the point of treason, I certainly don’t condone it. A public official must uphold the highest standard as a representative of the people. Even the appearance of an impropriety is cause for alarm, as is witnessed by the remarks to this article. Though some remarks may be a bit on the drastic side, overall it is a good thing that peopla a paying attention to the elected officials past election time. Obviously these folks need to staighten out their house…before the tar and feathers come out. +The Officials do consider themselves above the people they represent. Consider this list of people exempt from concealed handgun laws that prohibit carrying guns in certain locations. +They are first rate citizenry and the rest are plebians. Their need for self-defence is above the commons. +The carpet bagger government in Austin upholds a constitution not original to the founders of the state of Texas. In some ways contrary to the Constitution I gave my oath to protect and defend. Anyway, I hope they consider the Bill of Rights and Honor it. +The Lord is Righteous. +Standing by in Texas. +I dont understand, why they have to spend tax payers money to pass this law? why cant they go and apply and pay the fees like everyone else? I see no reason for again, circumventing the law for personal interest +Stuart- I realize your very disappointed about the recent vote in North Carolinia regarding gay marriage……..However, if you are ok with this, your a total piece of shit! +We all want to see you eat those words when the SHTF.I dont think this time they are screwing with our minds,for this time I beleive they are going to go through with there plans and no test trails anymore. +BANANA REPUBLIC! BANANA REPUBLIIC! +“It is enough to say there was an election. Those who cast the ballots decide nothing. Those who count the ballots decide everything.” – Joseph Stalin +“””the American people could desperately use given the literally tens of thousands of pages of statutes and regulations we’re expected abide by.””” +Give yourself a break and quit trying to abide by them. Natural Law is the only Law that applies to a Man. +AMEN! +Gods Creation, I agree. +I DO NOT YIELD MY SOVEREIGNTY TO THE AGENCIES THAT SERVE ME! +DONT TREAD ON ME +@ SB +Come on, grow up. THIS IS AMERICA, GET USED TO IT. +This country, from top to bottom, is so submerged in corruption, it’s a wonder we can breath. As if “this is the straw that might break the back of the camel”? If one thinks it’s just the corporations and politicians who are corrupt, then one is out of touch with REALITY. THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE CORRUPT. +You don’t think so? Are you honest? (Don’t reply, I already know what you are going to say and I could care less) +Until everyone, from top to bottom, practices honesty in thought, word and deed, don’t expect the CEO’s and Politicians to do the same, or for that matter, get caught. +And as long as Fear is the prime motivator for “bending the Truth”, don’t expect the Age of Enlightenment any time soon. +Gosh I’ve missed your snarky rudeness! Where ya been? +Anyway…I AM going to answer you. You asked, and if you didn’t want an answer… STOP POSTING! +NO… I do not think the “MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE CORRUPT”! And if you, or anyone else does, then YOU’RE the problem too! If we have lost all faith in our fellow Americans, then we might as well hang it up, because “they” have us right where “they” want us. +That post was about the most ridiculous post I’ve read on this site, and I’ve read some doosies! +Oh well, what do you expect from a hyphenated American? +@ Southern Boy says: +“Oh well, what do you expect from a hyphenated American?” +Southern Boy, I’ve been reading your posts for some time, and you and I even once agreed (on the New Black Panthers and their call for a race war against the White Man). +Your chronic Europhobia (i.e. hatred of Whitey on a cultural, historical and religious basis) is really showing here. Unless you skipped your first-grade history lessons, you should know that there would be no Amerika without Europe and its CIVILIZATION — which you apparently view as a hostile outsider. Why is that? Coming from Barack Obama senior, I could at least understand the context of such innate hostility. +Among those of the “heartland” USan demographic — that is, people of a low cultural level with no art, no serious music, and no literature (outside of a book of fables written by the self-worshiping descendants of Bronze Age, genital-mutilating desert marauders) — the cutting of all ties to the European fatherland of their ancestors is seen as a virtue. These creatures act as if their forebears magically popped into existence on July 4, 1776 through the stroke of a pen by the founders of their government, and hence, they reveal the fundamental artificiality and AUTHORITARIAN basis of their “being.” +I see them as practitioners of the basest form of racial and cultural treason, especially since they religiously ADORE a certain parasitic Levantine tribe whose spokesmen have repeatedly stated that Europe, the land of their tribe’s historic ENEMIES, must die. +Thomas Jefferson, who LOVED France and LOVED Germany, as well as Italian civilization (hence, he called his Italianate home MONTICELLO), and who loved PAGAN classical antiquity passionately, would consider the snake-handling, degraded, semi-literate hicks who hate the high culture, land and VOLK of Mother Europa to be bizarre and dangerous creatures indeed. +Your view of Europe is the same as Barack Obama Senior’s, Franz Fanon’s and Louis Farrakhan’s, but not that of Mozart, Luis Quatorze, Prince Eugene, Bismarck, Shakespeare or Jefferson. So please, justify your hatred of Europe for us, if you will, and while you are at it, tell us what YOUR ethnic background is (if you please). One last thing — tell us of which high culture you partake on a regular basis. +Ahab, +I DO NOT need any type of history lesson from the likes of you!! +Unlike you, I am not a multicultural, a multiethnic, a multinational, or any other kind of multi ANYTHING!! +The fact is, my Irish, Scottish, English and yes… European roots are so generationally removed that it makes it a mute point. I am 100% American and ONLY American!! So, I could care less what you have to say about it. +A nation CANNOT be a nation without language, culture and borders…period, end of story! My responsibility is to retain those 3 for MY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, and that Sir, is the united States of America… NOT some distant land where maybe one drop of my blood originated. +So, stick that in your towel and wrap it tight around thine head!!! +The majority of citizens of most countries are NOT corrupt. The problem is that as Americans, we tend to belived that our system is not as corrupt as others. This sort of arrogance increases our susceptibility to corruption. +We Americans need to learn to be more honest with ourselves. When we can look into the mirror and be truthful with ourselves then we’ll have a shot at taking our country back from these clowns. Good luck to us all. nyquil762 +@ Southern Boy — +You know, only somebody as dumb as a bag of assholes would construe or infer that I am a Muslim from my unrepentant support of Western Culture and European heritage worldwide… or that I am a “multiculturalist.” +Strange… you purport to be an “American,” yet have evidently never heard of “AHAB,” the Nantucketer who was captain of the Pequod, the obsessed genius who is the most important character in the greatest work of American literature that ever existed. Further, you evidently confuse the name “AHAB” with the word “ARAB,” not surprisingly, since they probably don’t teach much Melville in the schools of Israhell. What’s even more interesting is that, though Moby Dick has no special significance to an Israeli, the name “Ahab” does — as a figure from the Herbew bible (i.e., the Book of Kings) who is considered an oppressor of the Jewish “prophets” and a kind of tribal traitor to Jewry. +You are self-exposed as a fraud. You give yourself away by your dyslexic confusion of “Ahab” with “Arab,” the lack of any acquaintance with a story any American high school student has ta l;east heard of, and last but not least by your subsequent erroneous assignation of the “Muslim” label to me. +This is a truly idiosyncratic and highly personalized “error” you make, yet incredibly it has “coincidentally” been committed multiple times on these boards by ANOTHER troll (probably an Israeli, based on his foul-mouth and his obsession with shit) who posts here under various names. On April 30, 2012, for example, on the “Martial Red Zone” thread, he posted under the name of “Moe,” and — bizarrely — called me a “rag head” in the same UNIQUE non-sequitur fashion you employ. +Now admittedly, some of Israel’s yahoo USan supporters really are stupid, but what are the chances of the SAME mistake being made twice — by two DIFFERENT, supposed “Americans” who see only “ARAB” when they read the name “AHAB?” +Perhaps we could call you “Southern Jewish Boy.” Perhaps the only thing “Southern” about you is that you are posting from the southern part of Haifa? +It’s particularly revealing that, in your demands that the poster “nina o” be banned from this site, you spout the ADL’s and SPLC’s VERY selfsame jargon on “no free speech for anti-semites.” Your hatred of Europe also aligns seamlessly with the Zionist agenda of De-Europeanizing Amerika. +Please, thou faux “good ‘ol boy,” do tell us who you really are, how many identities you use here, and what your purpose in posing as an American Southerner is. Are you one of Israhell’s internet warriors, whose job is to infiltrate discussion forums and influence the discussion along pro-Isralhell lines, in the process stirring up trouble and REGIONAL discord between real Americans? Is it your job to get the Southerners whipped up into a pro-Hebrew fervor, even though REAL southerners know WHO the “freedom riders” were and WHO led the Negro revolt against Southron society on the 50’s and 60’s? +BTW, in their day, my CRUSADER ancestors hacked up more Muslims and Arabs than Ariel Sharon, but the difference is that the Muslims they fought were holding swords, and not suckling milk at their mother’s breasts. So much for your “towel-head” reference, you moron. +~Southern Boy~ +WOW!!! +Hate to say it, dude….but you’ve ignorantly stumbled into an….intelligent/smart minefield!!! +You’re ass is gonna get blown away….big time! +…don’t f*ck w/ “Ahab”…the man is probably the most learned individual here…& he KNOWS the TRUTH…in depth! He’s also among the most articulate, beyond any doubt! +…I’ve been here for approx 7 months & I’ve yet to come across a single “fabrication/lie/statement of propaganda”…w/ regards to any of his posts……NOT ONE!!!! +…and yes, I’ve looked hard at his data….but he’s always been clean w/ his use of truth/facts/info/accusations…HISTORY HAS AHAB’s BACK, dude!!!! +As a side benefit…his posts often cause me & others to research his assertions/statements in detail…& again…he has always been 100% correct!!!! +I admire that level/type of honesty & intelligence!!!! +888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 +….you’re WAY OUT of your league “Southern Boy”. +I recommend you “eat crow” & admit it….then move on w/ life, recognizing that you’ve been “EDUCATED” by a superior intellect!!! +………………Good Luck…………….. +Give me a break,what you are saying is that you are so pure and honest and have never told a small lie in your whole entire life.I am being honest by what I am saying about the population being corrupt myself.I would like to meet somebody that has never told a lie before.Just saying bro……….. +I agree,nearley all americans are corrupt.I will amit to this myself and for others as well,But if we all bend the truth it keeps getting worse and worse.So we all need to train ourselfs to be pure and honest,and I know it will be the biggest challenge that man can even atemp to do.WE WERE BORN IN SIN FOLKS. +Oh, click those guns and get ready to ride the roller coaster people,for this is going to be a hell of a ride. +give me a f*cking break. the ‘gotcha’ tape? LOL, right, like a smoking gun as evidence EVER has stopped or even slowed voter fraud on any level. you’re very naive. +…but voting for ron paul is going to mean something, right? this time it’ll be different, right? if you believe that, you have some serious SERIOUS cognitive dissonance issues. +acknowledging vote fraud at any level yet maintaining that voting for someone else will solve the problem = serious mental issues. +these articles get more and more ridiculous by the day… +I hope your right Southern. This is the most screwed up system of voting, I’ve ever seen. Give a bunch of old people buttons to push, give me a break, just wait till the opposition has to take a poop and push their buttons. No check and balances, just blatant fraud, with no one being held accountable. Shouldn’t they have to provide documentation of why they voted a certain way that way we know they read what was voted on. There should be less on the voting slate per day if it gets crazy like this all the time. We need to fix this mess of a system we have, ASAP. +This is how they vote on bills they actually read. +It’s a complete travesty! We must stop this. I believe in what Jefferson said: +“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure.” +Having said that… I also believe it may very well come to +—————– +ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ! +Kevin, Did you do a rant video on youtube in front of a chicken house? I wish I still had the video. It was great. Someone on Wideawake news chatroom put it up today. Very funny stuff. +We are agreeing on to many points. I fear the end is here. Whats next we are civil to each other. Then I know we are doomed. +I wonder what would happen if an Ordinary citizen tried to cast more that one vote in a localized election? Probably get arrested, charged with a felony and end up doing time. +dont you get it, you must be an elected official to be able to circumvent the laws of the land. +Happens all the time Red Coat…remember ACORN? +Red Coat..And that is the problem. These “laws” or “rules” written for the corp gov are merely window dressing.They always have a loophole or are written in legalese no one but a lawyer can understand. “discipline deemed appropriate by the House” means absolutely nothing if you think about it. +I’m sure some already do. They are registered where they live and then make up some phoney name and register under that in a different district. They just haven’t been caught doing it yet. So when it comes time to vote they can vote by absentee. No pyhsical ID to check required. +Hell you know it,we would all be behind bars faster than speeding bullet. +WTF! They are not even shy about it. Normal operating procedure. +Red Coat, Answer to what would happen. Nothing! Happens all the time. What a complete joke. +“Your vote counts” , “do your civic duty”, what a farse. +Kevin, I made a low- class attempt at humor the other day, reffering to your post. My apology. +What happened to the good old days when treason was punishable by death? +It is about time some of the pillow cases came off. +Bravo Slavo. +Next up, organized religion! +Tar and feathers? How aboout we hang the bastards? Every one of ’em. +But we won’t. The majority of sheeple in America are too busy with more important matters than to worry about a few (thousand) evil corrupt political whores. Matters like: television and sports and walmart and …..bread and circuses I guess. That’s the sadder reality: that the people have the kind of rulers they deserve. It’s gonna be one painful wake-up call when it comes. Of course, for most it’ll be too late then. +Some of us will keep sounding the alarm, as best we can. And most will keep ignoring us. Can’t say we didn’t try though. +This country will have to BLEED before the people repent and get their heads screwed on straight again. Let’s just make sure all the blood isn’t ours. (that sounds familiar. is there an echo in here?) +I assume they have the approval of their colleagues to cast said vote. In the end it is on record. It looks like “boiler plate” stuff. +Their corruption is far more insidious. +And this is in the great “conservative” state of Texas!!! What’s going on in the Liberal cesspools? +this is why were going down the tubes..yeah no wonder they are scared shitless of us..Because they aint been doing their dam jobs! +If it looks like this here its rampant thru the political arena..to the top +could you get paid to be at work, and not BE at work? +I cant..another “here’s your tax dollars at work folks” +I want to believe that there are more good people than evil in the world, but how can that be? Every day I get on the computer, the US is just spirilling down the drain. Do you really have hope that we will be able to do anything to crawl back out of this crap we’ve created? I know America has been in this situation before but I CANNOT figure out anyway we can crawl out of the hole we’ve dug. THe only thing that makes me feel better is prepping, knowing that when TSHTF, my family will be prepared. I don’t want IT to happen, but the world needs a reset. +If I may Soccer Mom, +“With God ALL things are possible!” +We MUST have iron, strength, determination, (of course our preps), and… faith and love. Without these… we are doomed. +Southern Boy, We are iron! +Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. +Proverbs 27:16-18. +Thats what we are doing on this site. Hang in there Prepared Soccer Mom. +What is it the young’uns say these days? +Word! 😉 +Or “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” Matthew 5:5. +Once all the sewage has been flushed off the face of the earth its time to start over with people who are uncorrupted and of sound mind. +I believe we are Iron men and wonder women of this world today trying to protect our familys. +Well …you don’t really think ACORN registered Micky Mouse for the hell of it do ya? +Trickle down politics at it’s finest +This is usual practice. +Same thing is happening in Russian Parliament (Duma). +Statistics said – 9 voting buttons per representative. +Check this out – +Proves that “We are the World”, eh? Unbelievable!!!! +Now, about that poll in West Virginny. Seems that 41% of the states democrats prefer a federal prison inmate to Bee Who-sane Oh, bummer. And he’s not even an inmate from WV! Talk about a poor showing! The bomster can’t seem to keep his base shored up. Even the criminals are defecting. +And now, our kenyan folk hero has decided he’s in favor of gay marraige. Well, whoopty- fricken -doo. Was he slipping that badly among the hollywood leftists and sanfran pretty boys? I thought he had the left coast all locked up. Evidently not. Next thing you know, he’ll be in favor of switching the national anthem to a Kumbaya/Streisand medley. Can’t afford to lose those half dozen votes among the Black Gay Militant Film Producers coalition. +Meanwhile, life goes on for the rest of us. Personally, I’ve made a new discovery about the wonders of life. I had a minor medical procedure the other day. They gave me demerol. Wow! Now I know what inspired Pink Floyd! Took me two days just to get back down to the state of ‘comfortably numb.’ If obummer would pass out this stuff free with his socialized medicine, I just might reconsider everything… +all in all it’s just another…your lips move but I can’t hear what you…how can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat…dark side of the moon, baby! +I’m sure it’ll wear off eventually. The wife says ‘Yes it will, but how will we know?’ +Yes…that cracked me up. This inmate is in Texas not WV yet he beat out Obama. +SO: Actually O’Bummer IS in favor of a different song for the national anthem. He said so himself. +Google “Obama” and “national anthem” and see what you get. +Engage. +Doesn’t surprise me… the Marxist in Chief is now FOR gay marriage too. Yeah, this is the America of my father… right! +So Boy – my father served in the Army in WWII – infantry and also radio repair. He was wounded in France, was billeted to Scotland for R&R and returned to his hometown a broken and disillusioned man, full of shrapnel and nightmares. This evening I took out his Purple Heart from its resting place and held it in my hand. I thanked him silently for his service to his country and felt relief that death took him before he could be exposed to this treasonous administration, this kangaroo court justice system and this decadent welfare-state society in which we live. He would not recognize it. +WestVaFolks, +I appreciate your story. My Dad too was a WWII and Korean War Vet. He passed in 1991, and like you, I am glad he is with his Maker for he would not tolerate what our wonderful country has deteriorated into. His generation did not know the meaning of “politically correct” and he would’ve been in horror as to how we’ve let TPTB take us over. We used to surround them, and they were our servants. Now, incomprehensibly, we are their serfs, by and large it seems. +Thanks for your post… God bless! +Doesn’t surprise me a single bit. I wrote something to protect preppers against the common person that will lie, cheat, steal, and totally take advantage of the good people that are still left. It can apply to anyone trying to take a more cynical but logical approach to not be taken in by people. It also is revelent to the garbage that “our wonderful government leaders” that are suppose to represent the people. I don’t think most politicians could be trusted with any of these 30 traits, even with their own families and friends. What a joke. Check it out, I hope most people will enjoy reading it. +30 Traits That Everyone Should Know And Look For In People +1. Always look at what a person does, not what they say they do. +2. People do what they want to do, and usually this is in “their” best interest, usually not yours. +3. Words are emptier than air unless backed up by actions; true actions have substance behind them. +4. Usually people will tell you what you want to hear, either the truth or lies. +5. Most people will take advantage of someone’s good will and their kindness, IF “allowed to”. +6. True friends and allies to you are the ones that are there for you when you need someone, you don’t have to ask them to be. +7. Committed people towards you are the individuals that have time and are legitimately concerned for you when the skies are clear or when they are stormy, they are there for you even when it is inconvenient for them. +8. Time is free for a person, but it is the one thing they are least willing to give. +9. The more excuses a person makes for not spending time with you, the less you mean to this person. +10. No person’s day is so full that they cannot spend 2 minutes or less to give you a thank you message, verbal or written to acknowledge your gift or your simply kindness towards them. +11. There are 1,440 minutes in a day, over 10,000 minutes in a week, and over 40,000 minutes in a week. Does that “special” person really have any legitimate excuse not to spend a small fraction of that time with you? +12. People are usually much more capable of doing what they “say” they can’t do. +13. The easiest path is most often the laziest, and is the easiest course is to make lame excuses for taking that easiest path. +14. A person almost always remembers to deposit their paycheck. Does that person that “says” you are important to them, remember you even some of the time or even rarely? +15. The value of a person to you can be weighed by how much they complain for what they are doing for you, or finding some excuse not to do a good turn for you. +16. Kind words will seduce many people into doing almost anything, but kind and unselfish actions unfortunately are the most easily forgotten, taken for granted, and least appreciated. +17. Fair weather people are useless to you even when the climate is perfect. +18. A sucker is one who is sucked in by another’s insincere words. +19. A moocher is someone that merrily takes what someone has with a merry smile, doesn’t give back anything, but frowns when there is any pressure to give. +20. Ask yourself, on a deep level if necessary, would this person do the same good, unselfish, caring good and kind to for me? +21. Trust and respect is built through actions, not by empty words. +22. It is almost self abusive and self destructive to continue to be used by someone in the past, present, and the future. +23. Only those worthy of you, are worthy of your time and the essence of you. +24. The more someone uses and takes from you; the more is expected of you. +25. A person that takes much and gives little or nothing back only sees those they take from as a resource. +26. The common beliefs and feelings that two people share, the more likely they will support and watch over and protect each other’s backs. +27. You can only be fooled by someone’s insincerity by the failure to see it and by not putting a stop to it. +28. The more severe and challenging a situation becomes the more likely of those around you becoming capable of turning on you. +29. A person’s trustworthiness or lack of it should be judged on the long term consistency and steadfastness or their undependability, rather than one or two short term good or bad deeds or acts for or against you. +30. Those who have taken the most from you before will try to take everything you have during any perilous situation. They will expect it from you. +Many people in this world will make a statement that they have dozens of friends, however this disillusionment usually becomes quite apparent and laughable when this individual comes in need of something. These so called “friends’ evaporate like water on a hot dry day into their own selfish worlds. No matter that a specific person was there for their so called friends or family members for years. Many will use an excuse for not lifting a finger to help save face and so these so called friends or family members can still remain close to the person for later use. This sad truth is so commonplace for a person’s need of goodwill towards them that is of little inconvenience or danger to someone that they have given much towards, is met with indifference or even lack of true concern. If someone is lucky when they need help, there will be some friends and family members that will be there for them. These are the ONLY people that should get the acknowledgement of being those that are of value to you. +It should be remembered that most people will do “as little as possible” and try to get as much as possible from a person. Most people will take advantage of someone and give as little back, while someone will remain as sucker bait until it is stopped. This doesn’t mean that someone shouldn’t be good and kind, just be good and kind to those that “deserve” it. Careful scrutiny is crucial as wasting your time and resources on those that don’t deserve a piece of your goodness and yourself, is going to take away from those around you that are worthy of it. +Generous and giving people get taken advantage of all the time because they often think that most people they help faithfully appreciate them. Many times people being taken advantage of have come from someone seeking approval of another definitely not worthy of it. In reality users are taking what they can get at the time, and will dump them the second they can’t use them anymore. When the well runs dry the mule goes elsewhere to drink. The last thing you want to see is the backside of a mule walking away. Find out personally who are deserving of you, those family and friends that you can value for yourself and them. Surround yourself with those that deserve the good of you, and all others should be left alone and be regarded with caution. ++100 +This couldn’t have come at a better time for me – so well written! +~Daisy +Well said, thank you! +I am attempting to be a “good” person in my small business, at my own expense, I am giving people more than they ask for. +There are good folk still out here. +Terry W. Reed +“Power attracts the corruptible. Absolute power attracts the absolutely corruptible.” +– Frank Herbert +This is the first true thing you have said. +At least the first coherent thing… 😉 +;0P pssszzt +LOL! At least you took it in stride! That was my hope and you did it man, you did it! 😉 +“The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.” +– Friedrich Nietzsche +That’s a brilliant quote Nina, +Be informed just wrote a f#cking book that challanged my ADD and didn’t produce as much inflection as that quote. +IMF NWO: Thats what the gov schools teach also push political correctness. Get your kids out of the gov schools now! Be Informed: I agree, to pick friends wisely; this is why we don’t join anything. There are more “takers” than givers, and most don’t show appreciation for things done in churches, civic org. etc. They just want more and more. Many I know dropped out of money pit 501c3 churches and local org. incl AARP a gov controlled rip off org. +laura m: I agree and think you deserve me saying so, rather than just a thumbs up. +Did it make your day? 🙂 +Our government let 3,000 weapons go to drug lords and has done nothing about it. +Our leadership has given hundreds of millions of dollars in tax payer money to cover the best of large donors (Solyndra) and no one cares. +This country is suing a state that wants to enforce federal law because the federal government won’t do it (AZ)… +And you think this will raise a hackle….oh if they are Republicans it might. +Yeah, the video shows BOTH parties are deep in the mix here. It’s across the board! So, ALL voters need to light the lines up, and maybe even pay a personal and up close visit to these TRAITORS! I have some good friends in the Great state of Texas, and they are PO’ed!!! Maybe it’ll catch on…. +THE OFFICIAL NWO ZIONIST FASCIST CAMP FEMA FIRESIDE SONG: +AmeriKan Federal Gestapo Political Prisoner Chain Gang +I hear somethin’ say +Can’t ya hear them singin’ +Mm, I’m goin’ home one of these days +I’m goin’ home see my woman +Whom I love so dear +But meanwhile I got to work right he-ere +All day long they’re singin’, mmmmm +My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my work is so hard +Give me water, I’m thirsty +FADE +My work is so hard… +Sam Cooke/Charles Cooke +If this pisses me off, why am I not literally up in arms over the ndaa, exec orders, ect? +I feel ashamed. +Fear has its use but cowardice has none. +~Mahatma Gandhi +True. +Maybe it’s time we ALL get p’ed off! I know it’s getting WAY out of control. When our voted for Rep’s can do this, with obviously NO REGRET and NO REMORSE (until they get nailed about it), then we have crossed over the abyss of “no return” from a governmental standpoint that is…. +God help us all….. +The treason continues. +WHY(with 400 nukes) do we give aid to, and support a nation that spies on us(pollard) and has NOT signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty????(it is against U.S. law to give ANY kind of aid to a country that has not signed it) +Dude, OK enough!! This story IS NOT about Israel… please… give it a rest and get on topic!!!! +Kevins points +1. My post is ABOUT the corruption in the us government.(it is a documented FACT from wistleblowers with gag orders on them that country A pays off/blackmails our politicians. +2. YOU say my post is about isreal.You are quick to defend them ALWAYS. That shows where your loyalty is. +3. WHO THE F^CK ARE YOU???? You show up on this blog like yesterday and YOU own it? I will speak my views about ANY SUBJECT any time I want to. +4. The trolls sunstein hired are on alot of internet forums right now, they began showing up in mass about the time YOU showed up. +5. Your links are male-ware infected. +6. IF you ARE an american citizen, I would be surprised. +kevin, +You’re so full of it… +But, what can one expect from such a schizophrenic as you? +I guess maybe I’m here to put the wannabe “good ole boys” that think their crap don’t stink, in their place! So, I suppose I must be your alter ego and you conscience! +Bru HaHaHaHaHa!!!! 😉 +@KEV … don’t let him get to you … he’s obviously a troll. +IMF & Kevin, +Sorry… once again, you’re wrong! Ask Mac if you think I’m lying. +And on my last response to Kevin, I forgot my closing sentiment…. +SHALOM! +LOL!!! What a couple of real winners you guys are…. +Man my name dropped. +My god its all about me me me. This needs to be on mainstream and people need to see this crap!! This is fucking bullshit anymore. We need to take a stand on this somehow and we need to show this that we are tired fucking tired of these lying POS. I get so bad each day and if you do something your thrown in jail and your guns are gone for good and then if you have a gun your going to jail a long long time. we cant win. OR can we. We are all about this close to the edge and people all around you can see that are crabby ignorant and not caring and more ruthless to each other. Its like we are in a fishbowl and they are putting less food in each day and all the fish are fighting each other and not the hand that feeds us. we need to break the bowl and and get free. +“I once saw a snake having sex with a vulture, and I thought, It’s just business as usual in Washington DC. +” +― Jarod Kintz +Here’s a very interesting YouTube video on the same subject: +Chat forum. Cough cough. +LOL! — I know, I know! the last 2 weeks have been crazy… apologies on the delay +The whole world is laughing at us. +I have to agree with ya there iowa. *BIG sigh* +drudge has a report up about chinese state owned company taking over US banks. +Here in Iowa, its Ron Paul or 1776! +Primary in West Va was yesterday. Article in our local paper thia morning (both of us still ROFLOL): +“The loudest message of the night went to Obama. The president’s only primary (Democrat) opponent, Keith Russell Judd, picked up four out of every 10 votes cast DESPITE BEING INCARCERATED AT THE BEAUMONT FEDERAL CORRECTION INSTITUTION IN TEXAS for making threats at the University of New Mexico in 1999.” +“When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads.” +― Ron Paul +Remember all the notices we kept getting +To watch Fox News on Sunday at 9PM? This is the clip that got +Pulled due to pressure from the Admin.! Please watch the entire video! +LOL !! Thanks Okie….I needed a good laugh…it’s been a crazy week. Been in more traffic jams & behind accidents driving around Houston….than in a normal week & it’s only Wednesday. Only have to make it 2 more days…then I’m off to Alaska for 2 weeks. I know…some of Y’all might think it is poor decision making ….to take a vacation now …with a big train wreck coming. Well….I understand your thinking….& we would not be doing it….if it were not for the fact that it is all paid for. My wife has been working on this trip for 5 years….& everything is completely paid for now. So other than a couple meals…or perhaps buying a couple trinkets along the way…when we get back there will be no credit card bills pouring in. I figure that since I work 80+ hours a week….spend a fair amount of time every week prepping. This may be the last vacation we get….so we might as well have a little fun before SHTF. I’m looking forward to 2 entire weeks that I will not even by accident …have to listen our benevolent liar Barry O spewing his arrogant condescending lecturing ! It will be like heaven. I bet my blood pressure goes down 20 points by the time we get back. I’m trying to decide if I should bring my Geiger Counter ?? Was planning on doing some Salmon fishing. +Maybe even pan for some gold… +I will miss reading everyone’s posts on this Page ! +But …no phone…no fax…no computer…no voice mail… +just sounds wonderful right now. +Y’all be savigilantelant while I am gone….& remember : +All in all were just another brick in the wall….. +Fear Not which comes… The Feds fear You ; more than you Fear them. Which is why they now by Globalist Banker CIA Zionist federal mass media terrorizing Al-CIA-Duh deception build a nation wide prison state to control you All! +Fear is Your Friend , Learn from it , Grow with it , Conquer it , THEN “KILL” IT!!! +~Nina +“Government is not the solution to our problems, government is the problem”, Ronald Reagan +Ron Paul wouldn’t describe Ronald Reagan’s policies as CONSTITUTIONAL. +And that’s why he can never get elected and I support Ron Paul. Regardless of your views you still have to play the political game to win. It’s showmanship and Ronald Reagan had a quote for that too. +The Nevada fiasco shows us all how MUCH corruption there is. Busing in 400 shills with FAKE I.D.’s(who are probably a group of people they bus to ALL the cacauses) and with them handng out FAKE delegate slats and being CAUGHT in NV and Maine, we can assume(without making asses out of ourselves) that that kind of bull$hit has been going on for DECADES! +Thanks to blogs like this(and to the dismay of the party/zeliot trolls) the truth is getting out. +RON PAUL 2012. +I like this, you might also. +off track here but the Kelly Thomas beating video just came out…. +………. Great post Mac! +Tar & Feather and them Hang them Sonsofbitches! that all sounds great! I wish times were that simple. In some way I don’t think that is good enough. To hell with them sonsofbitches let them rot! The crows got to eat to. Let the crows and flies have them, flies seem to be attracted to Obama already. I could stand the stench just to get to see them rot. +I have seen rotten corpses in Iraq and I think them pour souls deserved better then what they got. I don’t feel the same about the corrupt politicians in power today! +I’m sure some people here will think that I am wrong for the views that I have, well F**K them to! All I ever wanted was to come home and live a good peaceful life. Try to forget about some of the things one experience in war. The smell of another human beings rotting and blown apart. Now I know that can never happen in the political atmosphere in which we now live. If they want to go there, if they want to force me to that place again. They will be digging up one ***coldbloodedmotherfucker*** +BloodyFellow, +First, thanks for your service, and God bless you for all you did, and what you’ve been through. +The only other thing I can say is… I’m sorry that war has that affect on so many. They lose the joy in life. I pray you haven’t, and that you were just venting. These times we live in are getting more and more ominous and filled with anxiety. +I will pray for you and yours. Again… thank you for all you’ve done, and I’m sure will con’t doing. +Misleading title of story. It’s only fraud if the absent reps did not want the vote cast on the their behalf. THere was no proof that was the case. THis vid only proves they are breaking their own rules. THis is pretty common practice at all levels of governemnt. Next…. +**rolling eyes with amazement at the overwhelming apathy** +@RT: I’m so jealous! Have a great time. Catch a twenty pound trout for me. A little early for the Salmon runs. Remember, bears are the only game in AK that hunt back! Be sure to carry a 22 pistol for self defense in bear country. Really, you don’t have to outrun the bear, just those with you! LOL +A .22??? Really?? That’s going to be like a mosquito bite. Go with the .454 Casull redhawk super Alaskan. That will stop a bear. +Dont get me wrong…I love the .22 but have you ever seen a Griz up close….I have and if he were after me (or not) I want the biggest cannon I can carry…like a 50-140 or a 600 Nitro…a belt fed .50…not my .22….I mean even the mosquitos(Alaskan State Bird) snicker at a .22 😉 +Oh my God I can not believe this is happening. WHo would have EVER though in a million years our dearly elected officials would do such a horrible act. They must have been hungry and needed to go to the bathroom, I know I get a lil crazy when I do not eat or have to tinkle. Yea maybe that is why they just all pushed the buttons, they were hungry and wanted to get done fast so they could go to Mickey D’s to grab a bite before returning to work, Gosh those poor people no food and no tinkle time(sigh) Anyone believe me please note my extreeme sarcasm +And right now….it’s a big freakin problem ! +Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…….. +Over ? +@ Peter Parker : Roger That ! I’m not planning on being on the menu for bears or zombies. Will have the 357 Ruger along in case of “close encounters of the Exlax kind !” LOL. ( Might need to add some depends to the backpack incase of bear encounters) +I’m getting too old to out run ’em ….. +so I will have to scare them off. The only one with me will be the wife…..& while I can definitly out run her, +I expect that fighting the bear would be easier….than having her survive & come after me. I should have known better than spending 20+ years teaching her how to handle +a weapon…… +*** 30,000 – 100,000 Russian Troops Scheduled within next 7 Months – May 2, 2012 +folks might want to keep an focused eye on colorado springs , colorado… remember everyone that cheyenne mountain dumb military base is there its the military heart brain of americas secondary back up government… it’s a key strategic point of ameriKas national defense grid and now russians are stationed there INVITED BY BARY SOETORO OUR COMMUNIST CIA PUPPET PREZ!!! +the communists at the private federal reserve wash dc just sold 3 american banks to china’s communist government , add that with how much MILLIONS OF ACRES american public land resources china now owns , with the chinese industrial free-trade economic zones in every state some 50 square miles huge… +with the fact anglo Russian troops are now being shuttled into ameriKa… “CHECK MATE”!. +call it what you will @haters… i’m treating this as a hostile act of war against us the free american citizen and planning accordingly! +Arm up Stock up Prepare for REAL MARXIST GESTAPO ZIONIST MARTIAL LAW ; then REVOLUTIONARY CIVIL WAR!!! +…some of you BIG PUSS BABIES ARE GONNA HAVE TO KILL! +BETTER GET USE TO THE IDEA NOW AND PREPARE ACCORDINGLY!!! +30,000 – 100,000 Russian Troops Scheduled within next 7 Months – May 2, 2012 +DEEP UNDERGROUND MILITARY BASES IN AMERICA +On this post NinaO, I can’t understand ANYONE giving you a thumbs down! Every bit of that was true… but I still would tone down the belittling a bit so you can get to those who really are searching. Anyway… good post! 🙂 +(and yes, I know, you don’t need my approval… 😉 ) +RETRACTED… NinaO is still an ass! +@ NinaO : Ok now U are starting to scare me….. +I used to think you were Waaaaay out there. +Now I find myself agreeing with you. +Is it you that has changed…..or me ? +Is it that I am at the point now that I don’t believe a +word the Commies in Washington are telling us ? +@Random Tangent 1957 ;0) +“Congratulations! You made it! Welcome too Reality!” +Here’s your prizes: +1.) A Tin-Foil Hat with a third eye +2.) Your own Ak-47 with 3000 rounds +3.) A Gadsden Flag – crimson colors black and gold +4.) A pocket copy of the U.S. CONSTITUTION +5.) and a fellow patriot comradely kiss to each cheek , BIG HUG of friendship and A SWIFT KICK IN THE ASS off to the Fighting Firing Line! +6.) “ooops!” here I forgot to give you @Southern Boys gift to you , your own bible for personal growth with his version of God. Makes great T.P. I discovered… ;0P pssszzt +GO GET EM’ FREEMAN PATRIOTS!!! +WOW! +I just gave you a BIG compliment on your previous post, and without ANY REASON AT ALL… you go and diss me once again because of my faith. +Never mind about the compliment NinaO, you don’t deserve it when you still attack unprovoked! +I think its time for ALL of them to GO! +THROW THE BUMS OUT!!! +There is something about political power that attracts sociopathic and psychopathic personalities. Maybe it had to do with the best liars and con men being the most successful at getting elected. +These people are robbing us blind and destroying our economy. They represent those who give them the most money. They live like kings, spending our money for their pleasure. They have no ability to run their own lives, much less ours. +These times remind me of France before their revolution when the aristocrats lived off the backs of the working class and the skew in the distribution of wealth looked like a slave plantation. Maybe those in power today will face the same fate as the French aristocrats, that is, if there is justice in the world. +“The crick won’t run clear ’til you get the hawgs outta the crick.” — Common Sense +I called my United States Senator from the Great State of Texas not that long ago to complain about the wide open borders. The young lady that answered the phone spoke with a Mexican accent and had this to say: +“Sir, my family has been here for five generations before your family ever showed up. This land you call Texas is in reality Aztlan. I suggest you shut up and not get excited about politics.” +I sent a complaint about what happened to the Senator in writing. About six weeks later I received a letter in reply… thanking me for my support and telling me what a wonderful job the Senator was doing… signed by the Senator’s auto-pen. +That’s a true story. +For every one act that gets caught there are countless others than don’t and won’t. It is the same notion when you see one cockroach running away when you turn on the kitchen light, you can bet there are hundreds or thousands more. If it smells like a rat, looks like a rat, has diseases like a rat, has droppings like a rat, acts like a rat, it is a politician. +“It is clear to me now that the Republic no longer functions.” +*** PROPAGANDA DECEIT and LIES ; is a Israeli Zionist Jews greatest weapon … this is how far the israeli jew mossad will go to win a political argument , prove a point and steal other peoples lands and resources in clear sight of the world!!! +they will even kill sacrifice their own israeli jewish children … to fool the world in supporting their genocide of their palestinian neighbors… this propaganda political manipulation is now being taught to ameriKan military and law enforcement in america paid for your taxes ; warning graphic: +ooops apologies : “paid for WITH your taxes” +Sounds like Ukraine. That’s how they do it there! +Yet another fine example of our elected officials and government having clear rules of conduct, but choosing not to enforce them. Some animals are more equal than others. Is it time for a revolution yet? I’m curious how common this is. Does every state legislature practice this? Does our federal congress practice similarly? I doubt that last, only because so much personal financial gain is derived from selling their votes that the congress thugs surely wouldn’t want another congress thug to profit. Interesting that the idiot they interviewed towards the end, who admitted on tape to breaking the rules btw, saying they have too many things to vote on, and they sometimes don’t get bathroom breaks, or ( shudder) lunch breaks? The sound the voting makes must surely sound like a cash register to those profiting from the situation. If they are so busy with voting that they can’t even take a pee pee break, then how in the world would they ever review what they are voting for? Oh wait, they aren’t. Their masters just tell them how to vote, multiple times. Do they get extra pay for voting more than once? This pisses me off more than just about anything. These people are entrusted by US. They have broken the trust. If texans reelect ANY of these critters currently in office ( who are either guilty directly, or indirectly by keeping silent), then they are just as stupid as the rest of the country and deserve what they get. +Clearly this is an example of State legislature gone wild. First, the Chair is guilty for the chaotic meeting. Second, those taking illegal liberties to vote for others (without any form of written proxy), are guilty. Lastly, the state legislation even states a one-man/one-vote methodology. +Who’s in charge of the legal process if the Chair is not? And who will lead the role to hold those involved in criminal actions liable? +It seems to me that this video is proof that the Texas State Legislature is operating illegally. Texans, the game is on! +This is some real bullshyt, I think I’ll use their ( See Something Say Something) against them. if we the people do not start writing this a–holes then we all get what we deserve! You wanna make a differance then spread this video to everybody on your e-mail list. +DPS +Wow what a joke! This shit has got to stop. +Elizabeth Warren Sells Out To AIPAC Already +Anyone who doubts the iron grip AIPAC has on US politicians should check out Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren’s position on Israel. It sounds just like every other Senate candidate’s (probably because it almost surely was written by an AIPAC staffer). +While as messed up as this sounds, you have to admit, actually watching the video itself is kinda hilarious. +American government, from the District of Criminals to every statehouse and every courthouse in every county is one BIG FUCKING JOKE. There, I said it. You all wanted to say it but I did. They lie. They cheat. They steal. They murder. They poison. They defraud. They destroy. They rape. They mug. They burglarize. They embezzle. They enslave. +If anyone were to find all the ills of society, I believe we’d have to invent new words to cover the intricacies of the crimes committed by public “officials”. +A rope in every hand and a tree in every yard. +People get elected so they can get away with one or more of the aforementioned crimes. Most of them. +Then, of course, there are the few. The Ron Pauls. The Jason Chaffetz. The very, very few. +Most people, in the absence of accountability and risk of punishment, have no moral code. Then, there are some, that have a moral code and stick to it unto death. The range of humanity is oddly fascinating. …and terrifying. +I remember seeing this a couple years back(same or very similar) when I worked with the NVCCA agaist the REAL ID and NAIS schemes…hate to tell yall but its been going on a long time and when it was brought up back then they just blew us off as not understanding how things have to be done in politics(WE ARE JUST DUMB HICKS TO THESE ENLIGHTENED ONES,YA KNOW)…they do as they see fit,the law of the land be damned….sharpen your pitchforks and practice making those nooses… 🙂 +You got to be kidding me ,it is supposed to be one person, one vote.We need to run them all out of. +Thanks for your interest in Upwork Ben Moot truth of the issue is, nonetheless, that websites have considerably progressed over the previous years – and the methods of old are not functional for modern day organisation. +Back in the day, it would be adequate to have an easy website with a web page, solutions, prices, about us, and also get in touch with pages. +A prospective consumer would most likely to your website, scroll about, check out the various web pages and take in content as they please. +However, if you are a service investing any type of cash on advertising, you want to manage what consumers are discovering on your website, existing offers at the correct time, and make the most of the revenue you make from each person. +How does one accomplish this? +Making use of sales funnels. +Get in ClickFunnels +ClickFunnels is the easiest way to earn high converting sales as well as advertising funnels. +It is an one-of-a-kind tool produced especially to turn possible clients right into purchasers. +It actually is an all-in-one solution to create sales funnels and consists of touchdown web pages, e-mail assimilation, billing, webinars, membership websites, and so a lot more. No wonder it has quickly become a favored device for marketers. +Below is my comprehensive ClickFunnels Testimonial, consisting of favored features, pricing, pros/cons, as well as contrasts versus competitors. +Upwork Ben Moot Clickfunnels: Yet First, Just What Is a Sales Channel? +Sales funnels (also called marketing funnels) are multi-step projects that are created to move possible prospects through your sales process, and also transform them into buyers. +Photo a real-life channel. At the top, you pour fluid in, which narrows down to one dealt with destination. +In sales, a similar occasion takes place. At the top, visitors come to your website, however not all that enter make it from the various other end as customers. +Numerous things need to occur from the moment a site visitor enters your funnel, to the moment they do something about it and efficiently finish an acquisition. +By breaking down the customer’s trip into smaller actions, you can be a lot more exact about just how when you present an offer to your target market. +The detailed action in a funnel may look something like this: +- Unqualified lead reaches landing page +- Web page connects the initial deal (something free to collect an e-mail). +- Once e-mail is accumulated, major deal is pitched. +- Lead ends up being a paying customer. +- Even more email communication providing consumer value. +- Further partnership structure +- Reoccuring sales. +ClickFunnels likewise has a visuals that clarifies this in a simple way:. +What is ClickFunnels? +As stated previously, ClickFunnels is the most effective sales channel software around today. +The firm makes the vibrant claim of giving you every little thing you should market, sell, and deliver your products online – and also they absolutely deliver. +A standard channel will utilize an opt-in web page (to accumulate email addresses), an e-mail car responder (to send emails to your consumers), plus an extra sales page with some web content and an order form, possibly complied with by extra content, a membership site, and so on +. Previously, you would certainly need to make use of various systems and devices to achieve all these jobs such as: +- Develop an internet site +- Locate Hosting +- Discover an autoresponder solution +- Locate membership site software +- Discover split-testing software program … and so on +Yet ClickFunnels cares for everything with their platform. You not just save a ton of cash by not having to get various products/services, but you also prevent the technical mess of needing to establish everything up, and can concentrate on just what’s actually vital – expanding your service. +ClickFunnels provides a Free 14-Day Trial, so you get to check out the device and really see if it’s best for your company. +Preferred Features +* Swiftly Develop Pages Making Use Of Themes and Elements *. +Before obtaining too much, it is essential to comprehend that a channel is a collection of pages created in a calculated order, with the goal of converting as several potential customers right into clients. And a web page is merely a collection of numerous elements designed to obtain somebody to take a certain action. +ClickFunnels offers more compared to 50 different components in order to help you construct the perfect page. The editor is extremely easy to make use of as well as all you have to do is drag as well as drop various aspects on to the page, and also update the text as well as look to fit your demands – no coding skills needed! +ClickFunnels also makes your life less complicated by offering you with a ton of cost-free design templates. +As a matter of fact, ClickFunnels gives over 37 sorts of pages for you to mix and match with. These are broken down into the complying with 10 classifications: +- Presell Pages: Survey Page, Article Page, Presell Page, Clickpop Page +- Optin Pages: Press Web Page, Reverse Squeeze Page, Lead Magnet, Promo Code +- Thank You Pages: Thank You Page, Deal Wall Surface, Bridge Page, Share Page +- Sales Pages: Video Clip Sales Page, Business Letter Page, Product Introduce Area, Webinar Replay Room +- Membership Pages: Gain Access To Page, Member’s Location +- Associate Pages: Gain Access To Web Page, Affiliate Area +- Various Other Pages: Application Web Page, Ask Page, Store Front, Web Page, Hero Page, Hangout Page, Live Demo Web Page +The pre-built layouts are completely customizable, and are just what most individuals make use of. +You are able to choose a layout, edit or replace the elements with your own, as well as your new page prepares to go. +You can likewise link any funnel you produce with your very own email advertising service (if you do not utilize the one included in ClickFunnels), and also use the ClickFunnels built in payment system. +This is additionally a great time to discuss that ClickFunnels provides extremely valuable as well as easy to understand training videos when you first subscribe. I extremely advise undergoing those due to the fact that they rapidly enable you to use the tool at its full ability, and also you’ll have a lot more enjoyable messing around. Upwork Ben Moot Clickfunnels +* Create One-Click Subscription Sites *. +One of the best features with ClickFunnels is the ability to conveniently produce subscription sites and provide content to your audience in one area. +Your membership website will come total with enrollment web pages, subscription gain access to pages, and also material web pages which you could quickly lock or trickle feed to your clients according to acquisitions they made in your channel. +ClickFunnels membership sites enable you to send out e-mails, easily handle your e-mails, as well as develop a neighborhood all while eliminating the anxiety that’s related to other services such as Kajabi, or WordPress systems. +It’s actually helpful to not have to get a separate software or plugin to develop membership sites. +With every channel comes email emails similar to any other e-mail advertising and marketing platform, Actionetics is so much extra. +I like Actionetics since it not only replaces your email marketing but messenger advertising and SMS marketing software programs too. This takes automation to an entire brand-new level as well as assists you interact the perfect message to your consumers, specifically when they need it. A video clip introduction of Actionetics will be offered additionally below. +* Payment and also Payment Assimilation *. +An impressive function within ClickFunnels is the capacity to accumulate all of the payment details from your customers precisely your sales web page. Offering is made a lot simpler when customers do not need to leave your site. +ClickFunnels incorporates with major explain for each of these strategies below. +1. ClickFunnels Standard Strategy – $97/month. +The standard plan includes all of the functions you would certainly require within ClickFunnels, but with restrictions on the variety of funnels (20) and also pages (100) you can have in your account, as well as how many site visitors (20K) can watch your web pages monthly. +You likewise do not receive innovative functionality such as ClickFunnels own email marketing as well as affiliate tracking devices. +2. ClickFunnels Etison Collection – $297/month. +This plan consists of all the bells and also whistles of the conventional strategy, without any restrictions. It also features two additional items created by ClickFunnels called Actionetics (email advertising) and Knapsack (affiliate management platform). +In Actionetics – you could take care of all your calls that subscribe to your list, send out e-mail programs, as well as create a host of other automations. Upwork Ben Moot Clickfunnels +The difference between the two strategies actually is the constraints, and also Actionetics/Backpack. If you are a standard user and do not anticipate to make use of greater than 20 funnels in your account – the Requirement Strategy should be enough. +Nonetheless, if you intend to have an affiliate program or intend to keep your email advertising and marketing within ClickFunnels as well as not use a 3rd party software, the Etison Suite is for you. +You could constantly begin on the lower plan and upgrade if aid you obtain one of the most from ClickFunnels! +ClickFunnels Advantages And Disadvantages +Pros: +- Producing funnels is very simple, very easy, as well as fast +- All-in-one system with whatever your service has to win +- Split testing and also conversion monitoring included +- Settlement handling capacities within ClickFunnels +- ClickFunnels is constantly adapting as well as upgrading to the times +- There is always sustain readily available (whether real-time or not). +- Extremely active Facebook Group Neighborhood. +- Free 14-Day Trial – permits you to attempt it risk complimentary. +Disadvantages:. +- As remarkable as ClickFunnels is, it definitely is not an affordable remedy and also needs a constant membership to utilize +- Assistance isn’t really constantly the fastest as well as could take from 1 min to 24-HOUR depending upon the problem. +ClickFunnels vs. Everybody Else. +Many individuals ask just how ClickFunnels as compares to other landing web page contractors such as Leadpages, Unbounce, as well as Infusionsoft. +Generally it’s not actually a reasonable comparison since each of these devices excels is one location or the other. +The chart over offers a comprehensive evaluation – however I’ll highlight a few of the significant contrasts below. +ClickFunnels vs Leadpages +Prior to ClickFunnels, Leadpages was the huge canine. +Leadpages is merely a lead capture software – nothing even more. You could produce touchdown pages, lead boxes, accumulate leads … that’s basically it. In addition, the Leadpages design templates are additionally limited on personalization. +ClickFunnels is even more versatile – it’s a lot easier to utilize and also does so much more than develop lead capture pages. +Basically, Leadpages is really simply a touchdown web page contractor, while ClickFunnels is concentrated around building highly incorporated funnels. +ClickFunnels vs Infusionsoft +Infusionsoft is not a landing web page or sales web page home builder. It has some of that capability built it, yet that’s not exactly what it’s recognized for. +At it’s core, Infusionsoft is a CRM platform – one that allows you to manage your entire consumer database. ClickFunnels has this ability with Actionetics, however it’s not nearly as progressed as Infusionsoft. +Infusionsoft is also exceptionally costly and also forces every brand-new customer to pay $2000 for a mandatory kickstart training bundle just to find out how you can use the intricate system (which is infamously hard to use). +ClickFunnels Associate Program +There are 2 primary paths people drop as ClickFunnels users. +Those that choose to utilize the tool for their service – in hopes of one day attain the Two Comma Club (over $1M in profits). +And also those that are interested in making easy income as a ClickFunnels Affiliate and winning the Desire Vehicle Contest (where they pay $500/$1000 to your dream cars and truck if you get to 100/200 active regular monthly signups, respectively). +With a massive 40% regular monthly repeating commission, ClickFunnels easily has among the greatest affiliate programs of any kind of system available. +That’s right – you make money a continuous 40% compensation on every affiliate signup you make via the ClickFunnels Affiliate Program. Yet, exactly what does that really correspond to? +The basic plan is a $97/month financial investment and the Etison Collection strategy is a $297/month investment. therefore you make $38.80 each fundamental strategy and $118.80 each Etison Suite plan … every month! +Usually, every 100 signups will certainly generate $4000/month in affiliate commissions (essentially depending on how many Etison Strategy customers are in there). +Click here to read more concerning coming to be competition because respect. +Externally, it may not be the most inexpensive product available – yet if you use it to its full ability, your company will certainly end up being a lot more successful as well as you will certainly save money from not having to make use of other tools. Upwork Ben Moot Clickfunnels +If you have actually reviewed this far into my ClickFunnels Testimonial, I suggest you see on your own with a Free 14-Day Trial here. +Volvo recently introduced its new range of Drive-E engines, including – finally – an eight-speed automatic. Here we’re putting the XC60 T5 Luxury to the test to see how the new powertrain combination performs. +Although an SUV typically features all-wheel drive, many buyers are now wanting the high-riding cabin of an SUV but don’t necessarily want the fuel-sucking all-wheel drive running gear. The XC60 T5 caters for that group of buyers by using a front-wheel drive system. +In the engine compartment sits Volvo’s new 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder. It develops 180kW and 350Nm, matching the benchmark for a 2.0L turbo in this class. Next to the engine is an equally newfangled eight-speed automatic. Volvo has been a bit behind the game in terms of transmissions in our opinion, so it’s good to see it is catching back up. +Prices for the 2WD T5 start at $57,990 for the base model Kinetic, with this Luxury variant kicking off from $62,890. At this price range, it compares well against the equivalent-output petrol rivals, including the Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI (starts from $63,600), the BMW X3 xDrive28i (starts from $73,400), and the new Land Rover Discovery Sport Si4 (starts from $59,000). +2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Luxury – THE SPECS +Engine: 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder +Output: 180kW@5500rpm / 350Nm@4800rpm +Transmission: Eight-speed auto +Drive type: Front-wheel drive +Wheels: F: 18×7.5, 235/60 R: 18×7.5, 235/60 +ANCAP: Five stars (scored 36.53 out of 37) +Tare weight: 1766kg +Power-to-weight: 9.8:1 (kg:kW) +Official fuel economy: 7.0L/100km +Economy during test: 8.2L/100km +Fuel capacity/Type: 70L/95 RON +Power efficiency: 25.7kW:L/100km +0-100km/h as tested: 7.8 seconds +Priced from: $62,990 +2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Luxury – THE PACKAGE +The XC60 has been on sale now since 2009, but even by today’s standards the interior and overall cabin environment is modern and brimmed with technology – in a traditionally calming Swedish fashion. There’s no complicated buttons or awkward shapes protruding out from the dash, like in some rivals. It’s all pure and simple. +All of the on-board functions and controls are found on the centre fascia pad. It is a similarly-designed fascia across most of Volvo’s current showroom range, which could be seen as a good thing or a bad thing, but it doesn’t take away the fact that it offers an elegant flow and comprehensible layout. +Going for the Luxury variant gets you a 7.0-inch LCD interface. There’s no touch-screen functionality here. Instead, the system is operable through a push-and-turn metallic knob – one of four making up the corners of the fascia’s dash pad. It does take some time to get used to, like most vehicles, however, you can use the various jump-to menu buttons that make up the rest of the dash pad. Volvo has thrown a few handy buttons on there as well if you want to switch off the parking sensors or the forward-collision warning. +The interface allows you to scroll through and change a number of driving controls and safety features, such as the City Safety settings. You can also view the owner’s manual in digital form and set the dual-zone climate control. There’s satellite navigation, multimedia connectivity, a reasonable eight-speaker stereo, and a rear-view camera as standard. +Unfortunately, the air-con didn’t work on this test vehicle. And of course it was a hot week during our drive. With a black vehicle and a mostly black/dark grey leather trim, the cabin became a sweaty sauna in no time – maybe this was Volvo’s way of introducing us to its Nordic culture? We’ve noticed Volvo S60/V60 climate control does tend to struggle with Australia’s hot conditions at the best of times. +If you’re thinking of buying a Volvo, chances are, you’re interested in remaining as alive as technologically possible during your journeys. In the T5 Luxury you get Volvo’s City Safety system with collision mitigation (auto braking technology), roll-over stability control, trailer sway control, side-impact protection, whiplash protection, integrated child booster seats in the rear, and full length inflatable curtain airbags (among many others). It’s more than enough to pass ANCAP’s stringent crash tests at a five-star level. +In terms of cabin space, you aren’t really going to be asking for more in here. There’s boundless room in the front with a nice high-riding driving position, excellent headroom, and an open and welcoming rear seat space with good visibility and room for your limbs. Cargo space is rated at 495 litres, which puts it behind the key rivals; Audi Q5 (540L), BMW X3 (550L), and Land Rover Discovery Sport (541L [five-seat model]). +2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Luxury – THE DRIVE +First test, the new eight-speed auto. It’s a much better unit than the six-speeder that it replaces. With more ratios to divide up the engine’s serving of power and torque, the XC60 feels brisker simply with the transmission. You can use the paddle shifters behind the wheel or slot it into sport mode by shifting the lever across and both methods will give you an even sportier driving character. +Next to that, the new 2.0L engine. It’s got the right amount of power for the XC60, in terms of hauling its 1766kg weight around. Maximum torque doesn’t come in until 4800rpm, which means you do need to rev it to get the maximum out of it. But it feels like it offers most of the 350Nm from much lower revs. The unit doesn’t sound too bad, although, it doesn’t really sound too appealing either. There is a slight bassy note in some parts of the rev range. +Using the new combo when timed 0-100km/h in 7.8 seconds. Volvo quotes 7.2 seconds. It was a hot week, as mentioned, so on a colder day (perhaps in Sweden where Volvo’s time was probably recorded), we have little doubt it could achieve a quicker time than what we recorded. As we said though, the transmission makes it feel swift and zippy through traffic, while being capable of delivering good cruising ability out on the highway. +Volvo does offer the XC60 with an ultra-efficient 2.0-litre turbo-diesel option (D4) that consumes, on the official average, just 4.9L/100km. Even so, this petrol-powered version offers prudent economy. The official average is 7.0L/100km, and during our week in real-world conditions we averaged 8.2L/100km. That’s pretty good for a decent-sized SUV. +Where this vehicle is probably going to spend most of its time is in the suburbs, with the odd weekend away. The XC60 is perfectly suited to do exactly that. It is a very easy and relaxing vehicle to drive. There’s good visibility, it doesn’t feel overwhelmingly large during parking, and there is SUV-like ground clearance so you can venture into Mother Nature’s lesser-populated areas with confidence. Volvo has fit some large, 235/60, impact-absorbing tyres on the Luxury, mounted on bespoke XC-engraved 18-inch alloy wheels. These provide plenty of give on dirt roads, resulting in a comfortable ride even on varied terrains. +Speaking of the ride, the XC60 uses a similar platform as the one used on the S60 sedan, which itself uses a modified version of the old Ford Mondeo ‘EUCD’ platform. This means driving dynamics are creditable for an SUV. The electro-hydraulic (EHPAS) steering is rather dull and emotionless just off centre, but the chassis can handle vigorous turns and bump-ridden bends with relatively little complaint. If you give it the full beans in between corners you will have to adjust the tiller to counter torque-steer, however, overall highway stability seems firm and dedicated. +2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Luxury – THE VIDEO +2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Luxury – THE VERDICT +Volvo XC60 sales have been dropping in recent years in Australia, going from 2179 sales in 2012, to 1742 in 2013, to 1519 last year. And despite being on sale since 2009, the company has been introducing substantial updates to keep the model fresh and competitive. +If you’re in the market for a premium SUV of this size, there are some more modern and dynamically more enjoyable driving machines available. But, none of them offer the same relaxed nature, practicality, and unique design as the XC60. If it were our choice, we’d go for the Polestar-tuned 169kW/470Nm D5 version. You get 6.9L/100km economy and an all-wheel drive system. +PROS: +– Cabin practicality and design +– Good real-world performance/economy ratio +– Clever rear seat child booster +– New eight-speed auto +– Advanced safety tech +CONS: +– Driving dynamics lack refinement; old platform, XC60 been around since 2009 +– Noticeable torque-steer +– Overwhelmed air-con in hot Aussie climate +2015 Volvo XC60 T5 Luxury – THE COMPETITORS +Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI (AWD only) +2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder – 165kW-350Nm – 7.9L/100km – 1755kg – from $63,600 +BMW X3 xDrive28i (AWD only) +2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder – 180kW-350Nm – 7.5L/100km – 1727kg – from $73,400 +Land Rover Discovery Sport Si4 2.0T (AWD only) +2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder – 177kW-340Nm – 8.0L/100km – 1700kg – from $59,000 +by Stephen McDill +Photo by Brian Johnson +March 8, 2006 +Kim Wade, a boisterous conservative, reclines in the cramped studio of WJNT. The witty and outspoken Wade is probably best known in the Jackson area for his weekday talk show, "WJNT in the Afternoon," broadcast from 5-6 p.m., Monday-Friday, on WJNT1180 AM. +Wade dons his earphones and scans a couple of newspapers to prepare for his show. He has a knack for picking out critical subjects of interest to Jacksonians and beating them to death in his rapid-fire monologues. Everyone from the governor to the Supreme Court is held accountable. +When asked to opine about Frank Melton's tenure as mayor, Wade says, "The jury is still out." He believes Melton has good ideas, but that his personality and tactics overshadow them. "The city of Jackson is at a crossroads. It can either become another Gary, Ind., or another Atlanta, Ga. We need forward-thinking leadership." +Wade attributes his turn to conservative politics to the strength and leadership of President Ronald Reagan. "Reagan was right on a lot of things," Wade says. "He provided opportunity to those who were willing to come and take advantage of it." +"It's nice to be compassionate, but we're all responsible for ourselves," Wade says sternly. "Nobody is going to guarantee you anything. You have to work for it. There is plenty of opportunity out there as well as plenty of obstacles. You can't get mired down with the obstacles." Wade says he inherited a personality of discipline and hard work from his parents, and he understands the value of free enterprise. +Wade says that business developments in Jackson are good for the city, but there are projects that need to be reevaluated with a critical eye. "We need to quit pouring money down rat holes," he says unapologetically. "We should take from existing prosperity and grow from there." When asked about the King Edward Hotel, he doesn't miss a beat. "Bomb it," he says. +"Fighting attitudes is more important than fighting crime," Wade says, as he addresses another problem in the capital city. "We accept too much crime in the minority communities." +Many people ask Wade what he does to give back to his community. "I quit joining organizations a long time ago." He is a mentor, not an activist, he says. "I mentor one hour a day, five days a week." His "mentoring" program seeks to promote and provide Jackson with Wade's vision, no matter how unorthodox that vision may be. +I listened to Mr. Wade today for the first time in months. He sure hasn't let up on Mr. Melton. He's VERY angry about this Vidal Sullivan stunt. It does amaze me the things he is willing to say on air, though. Whoa. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/08/06 at 10:02 PM +I listen to Wade 2 to 3 times a week on my drive home. I stopped listening to him altogether during the election when he tried dredging up the old youth detention center scandal involving the two Franks (Melton and Bluntson), which smacked of a desperate attempt to sway the election only days before the primary by a bitter man with a personal beef with FM related to the demise of his nightclub. After the election, Wade actually started to back away from his daily verbal assaults on the Mayor and moved on to other topics, promising that he wouldn't be proven wrong about his misgivings about Melton. He's even supported Frank's stances on imploding the King Ed and the truancy roundups. But this latest mind boggling stunt with Vidal Sullivan is so blatant that its hard for him to resist railing on Melton with an "I told ya so" smugness. +posted by Jeff Lucas on 03/08/06 at 11:17 PM +which smacked of a desperate attempt to sway the election only days before the primary by a bitter man with a personal beef with FM related to the demise of his nightclub. +I can't speak to Mr. Wade's motives, ejeff, but we also included that episode in the profile of Mr. Melton we (I) did right before the primary. Our motives weren't to "dredge up" anything--which is a rather odd phrase to me--but to try to explore Mr. Melton's complete history in Jackson as fully as possible. I was actually surprised to hear that Mr. Mulvaney (the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who wrote the big story back then) was going to be on Mr. Wade's show when I called Mr. Mulvaney to find out if there had been developments in the story over the years to his knowledge. I assumed Mr. Wade also had access to the Nexis database. +I'll be honest with you: I think it was remarkable that more was not discussed about that case -- perhaps more even about Mr. Bluntson than Mr. Melton -- during the campaign. It was as if there were a media blackout on it; down the memory hole, as it were. And that's a funny thing, considering that there were police reports, investigations, etc., not to mention plenty in news archives to consider. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/08/06 at 11:47 PM +MORE +The irony, to me, was that Mr. Melton himself is the one who pointed me toward this story after I heard him respond to questions by North Jackson Republican women at Bravo! about the "rumors" about his past. He said to the ladies then and told me very directly afterward that the "rumors" were "started by the police" and challenged me to go figure out what he meant. That's when I did a Nexis search, found the Mulvaney story and started going through archives. Another irony is that, if the Johnson campaign did have materials on this case, they did not give them or offer them to me. I found background materials on my own. +I ran my story right before the primary because it was a profile about Mr. Melton, and at the end of your reporting about a campaign is when you tend to run profiles based on all of your reporting. I also tried many times to talk to him more about the story, but he rescinded offers for me to sit down with him and visit his home and with his boys after I reported on everything he said at Bravo (at the time, I think he was the most upset because I reported that he said he wasn't a Democrat and was only running as one because he couldn't win in majority-black Jackson if he didn't run as a Democrat. And I think he probably had figured out that I wasn't going to settle for sound-bite answers). +Again, I can't speak to Mr. Wade's motives and have never asked him about it. I've only been in the same room once with the man, and have rejected many offers to go on his show. Over all, I'm not a fan of his show, although I appreciate that he seems willing to think independently about Mr. Melton. The truth is, he may have personal problems with Mr. Melton and still be correct to question his ability to lead the city and such. And I sure don't understand the things he says openly on talk radio under the guise of "opinion." Wouldn't happen here. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/08/06 at 11:47 PM +MORE +But the truth is, he interviewed Mr. Mulvaney, who is a very credible reporter and did more reporting a decade ago about an important development in our city than any reporter in the state did. And, frankly, if no media here was going to talk about a very serious episode then, then someone needed to, even if was a hoity-toity reporter from out of state. Sometimes that's the only way to break through local walls of silence. +After my story appeared, I got very angry at the irresponsible Clarion-Ledger because they quoted Mr. Melton in their pre-primary puff piece saying that the only reason local media (could only have been Wade or me, being that no one else would report about this) reported about that period was because the Mayor Johnson campaign fed it to us -- without offering me a chance to refute that lie. That was downright libelous, at least toward my end. And it's patently absurd to assume that every journalist in the city is too dense to do a Nexis search on a candidate running for mayor! The Ledge really treat people in Mississippi like they're stupid -- and I guess they assume that other media are as bad (and lazy) as they are. +I called The Clarion-Ledger and asked for a clarifiation of that quote (being that it disparaged me professionally), but they wouldn't agree to it. But they did run a letter to the editor I wrote correcting their unfactual quote. +It is also worth considering that had that episode and archival history been against, say, Mr. Johnson or another real Democrat, the media and angry conservatives would have been all over it. There's a serious double standard at play here. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/08/06 at 11:48 PM +BTW, I noticed that a woman called into Wade's show and blamed the fact that Melton was a Democrat for what's going on. I suspect that will happen more and more as Republicans decide to distance themselves from him -- and is perhaps what the local Dems get for not having the courage to reject him from their ticket, especially after learning that he likely was not a true resident of Jackson and had lied about his homestead exemption. +We've also heard that a prominent national conservative pundit (whom I won't name just yet) is planning to go after Mr. Melton -- and the fact that he's a Democrat. Amazing, but predictable. Sow, reap. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/08/06 at 11:54 PM +I like the fact that Melton is getting criticized now for being a Democrat. That's what should happen with stealth candidates who misrepresent themselves as old Democrats to Democrats and as neo-Republicans to Republicans, depending on who they happen to be talking to at the time--let them get it from both sides. They have it coming. +But I will say that I did not like the way Kim Wade covered the Mulvaney business or the business with the clubs. I had no objection to the way you did it because you handled it like a journalist, but Wade said an awful lot of stuff he was in no position to back up. He presented rumor as fact. +Doesn't change the fact that more serious journalism about Melton's background was warranted, but I emphasize the word journalism. What Wade did was not journalism. +Cheers, +TH +posted by Tom Head on 03/09/06 at 12:00 AM +I agree with you, Tom, if that wasn't clear from my post. I don't like the way Mr. Wade did it, either -- but I don't like the way most any talk radio does "journalism." I can't tell you how many lies, for instance, that several local conservative shows (and blogs, for that matter) allowed to be spread about me and the JFP due to our critical (and fact-based) coverage of Mr. Melton. One of his henchman regularly went on those shows and said outright that I was on Johnson's payroll. I don't have time to sue, but it sure does rankle to be treated that way by other "journalism" outlets just because we bother to do a more thorough job than they do. +But, yes, we reported the facts in that case. That is our priority, regardless of where the chips then fall. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/09/06 at 12:05 AM +And: Truth be told, I think Wade's comments were so vitriolic that they probably did more harm than good in terms of getting the information to the public. If the Free Press said something and other local media outlets picked it up, that would have been one thing. But when Wade went way out there, I think a lot of people (including me) got turned off, thought "Oh, this has to be dirty politics," and lost interest. And that's unfortunate, because there was a very real history there that needed to be explored by the media. To hear Bo Brown complain about how he couldn't even talk about this stuff on the news was damned depressing. +Media bias is a serious problem down here, a more serious problem, I suspect, than it is in most of the rest of the country. I still remember Bert Case saying, the night before the Barbour-Musgrove election, that black turnout would not affect the race's outcome. I still remember a member of a local TV news panel (also WLBT's, I think) saying, the night after the 2003 election, that the defeat of Blackmon and Anderson meant that no black candidate could win statewide office in Mississippi--validating George Dale's comments of yesteryear, and the overall Great White Hope strategy that Wayne Dowdy and company seem to be following. +Cheers, +TH +posted by Tom Head on 03/09/06 at 12:07 AM +Truth be told, I think Wade's comments were so vitriolic that they probably did more harm than good in terms of getting the information to the public. +You're probably right. I remember cringing when I heard that he was interviewing Mulvaney as our story came out. That whole episode -- as fascinating as it was to listen to -- very likely dragged our story into the mud with it. +Contrast that to our coverage of the Meridian lawsuit that led the local media. Of course, WAPT gets props for helping make that happen. They picked up the story, after we broke it, and helped force it into the media here. That is starting to happen more and more. There are still some vestiges of the blackout (which I suspect has much to do with certain people at certain media outlets with their own conflicts of interest), but it is being lifted little by little. Of course, the mayor is the one who gets full credit for that. +I hear you on media bias. I've never quite seen it so bad. I think that grows out of institutional racism -- and then the superficial Band-aid efforts to do something about it, which in turn leads to irrational trust of certain people and turning of the head away from people who use the right sound bites. That is, the pendulum has swung wildly, and neither extreme makes sense for the community. +Suffice is to say, the media have been a co-conspirator in the mess we're now facing. People need information to make intelligent decisions, and that's the role of the media. Instead, I've sat next to two different Clarion-Ledger editors who have excused their abysmal coverage of Mr. Melton by saying that people didn't want to know more information, that their minds were made up. +This is just wrong. I truly believe that the only way the Ledge, for instance, could start to rebuild credibility in this city is to publish a complete mea culpa and apologize for what they have not told their readers about. They won't, of course, because they are mired in defensiveness and mediocrity. But, man, they should, and then start the process of rebuilding public trust from there. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/09/06 at 12:16 AM +Agreed on certain other right-wing talk radio hosts and bloggers. As someone who is regularly called a "nihilist" and "liar" by those clowns, and will no doubt be in their crosshairs even more in the coming months, I'm beginning to appreciate some of what you have to deal with. +Cheers, +TH +posted by Tom Head on 03/09/06 at 12:18 AM +I'm beginning to appreciate some of what you have to deal with. +Well, I consider it part of the job. And, truly, the more obsessed extremists are with what you are doing, the more you know that you're doing a good job. I simply can't tell you the benefit I and my paper have received from wingnut publicity since we've been in business. +That said, the outright lies do sting, but they also toughen you up for the good fight, or the "worthy scrap" as my good friend Dick calls it. There is one "man" in town who has told so many lies about me, and people associated with me, that he has singlehandedly made himself into a joke around town. And he used to be fairly respected, from what I hear. +So, you just have to take it -- and save your battles for lies that have the ability to harm you and your loved ones. Those battles I will fight. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/09/06 at 12:23 AM +Donna writes: +I've sat next to two different Clarion-Ledger editors who have excused their abysmal coverage of Mr. Melton by saying that people didn't want to know more information, that their minds were made up. +Gee, and I'm sure they had absolutely no idea how that might have happened. +I'm with you, Donna, and I agree that institutional racism seems to be at the heart of all this. And don't you just love it when an African-American man (always a man) in a position of power essentially says "I'll spend my entire career putting the white supremacist agenda into action--because I'm a black man, and doggonit, I can get away with it!" It reminds me very much of that independent film The Believer, about the young Jewish man who joins a neo-Nazi group. +Cheers, +TH +posted by Tom Head on 03/09/06 at 12:23 AM +Well, making deals with the devil has long been a mighty temptation for too many people -- if they think they can personally benefit from it. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/09/06 at 12:25 AM +Donna writes: +There is one "man" in town who has told so many lies about me, and people associated with me, that he has singlehandedly made himself into a joke around town. And he used to be fairly respected, from what I hear. +Well, he's always been a little eccentric, people used to think he was nice, and that's probably the difference. And he is friendly and charming and does some good volunteer work from time to time. But as soon as you realize someone is capable of using violent rhetoric and veiled threats against people without batting an eye, taking active measures to try and destroy other people's lives, reputations, and careers, it makes the cocktail party conversation a little more awkward. +Donna writes: +So, you just have to take it -- and save your battles for lies that have the ability to harm you and your loved ones. Those battles I will fight. +Agreed. I've never sued anyone for defamation or invasion of privacy before, but I can think of instances where I would. If anyone ever crosses that line on the assumption that I'm too scared to take them to court, they will find it to be a very expensive mistake. +Cheers, +TH +posted by Tom Head on 03/09/06 at 12:31 AM +Of course, the real irony to me about the Ledger is that, in some ways, they are doing the same things they did as a segregationist newspaper that ran 12-page sections for the White Citizens Council. They are afraid to rock the boat, to offend certain readers and advertisers and -- frankly -- to possibly stand up for the powerless who may be further hurt (or certainly not helped) by their lack of coverage. +Institutionally, it's not feeling that different to me, even if individual people make good efforts (although those are getting harder to see. I mean, what is Jerry Mitchell doing these days? He's done great work in far past years, but aren't there investigative stories out the wazoo right here in Jackson right now that matter to living, breathing human beings?) +Of course, this culture is in place from the top down -- which now means watered-down corporate B.S., and editors that won't rock the boat. In many ways, they were a dream newspaper to help Mr. Melton get where he is now. They want sound bites and sensationalism, and don't want to offend their friends and those they believe are powerful. They like to scream about crime (and now seem adrift because screaming about crime means criticizing the man who isn't lowereing it, or even giving them crime stats). Of course, a lot of the "powerful" aren't so happy with the mayor these days, either, but the Ledge isn't exactly far-sighted, so they couldn't see that problem coming like an out-of-control freight train. +I dunno. I do know that we need a better daily newspaper that gives a damn about Jackson. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/09/06 at 12:32 AM +We may be talking about a different man, Tom. The one I suspect you refer to has been awfully quiet of late, and I'm not sure was ever particularly respected, at least in city-type circles. There is another, real dumbass who is making the most noise. But now we're playing insider baseball -- and about some real pathetic losers who don't deserve my bandwidth. ;-) +Yeah, I could be forced to sue, too, probably -- although I sure hate the idea of it. But I do find that the people most intent on spreading lies seem to be getting theirs in karmic paybacks closer to home, but enough said about that. +Back to Wade ... I don't know how he gets away with saying some of the thigns he does. He seems to think that if he says something is "opinion," that it's acceptable. That's a real big misconception around Jackson. +Imagine: "You are a murderer. Of course, that is just my opinion." +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/09/06 at 12:41 AM +Isn't that how talk radio in general gets away with some of the more outrageous comments about public figures? I listen to national conservatives like Ingraham, Hannity and Savage, and I'm always amazed at how much innuendo and slander these folks get away with all by virtue of reminding their audiences that these are jokes or opinions. It's the way that they keep themselves out of court on slander charges, as well as the fact that elected officials have to tolerate a certain amount of public scrutiny, criticism and attacks by virtue of their position. But no one should have to tolerate being lied about constantly w/o being able to strike back legally. +posted by Jeff Lucas on 03/09/06 at 09:43 AM +Well, "opinion" does not exempt purposeful factual misstatements from libel laws. I think they get away with it because people don't sue them often enough to make them think twice ... and because it's not in print, so it's harder to come back on them. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/09/06 at 07:26 PM +I think they get away with it because people don't sue them often enough to make them think twice ... and because it's not in print, so it's harder to come back on them. +True, but I also think that they are quite skilled at making broad, sweeping generalizations that are difficult to make a legal case against. For example, say that conservative host "X" makes a statement to caller liberal "Y" that "in my opinion, 'libs' are all a bunch of dope smoking godless baby killers". The caller is so shocked and offended that at such an over the top generalization that its difficult to defend against w/o getting emotional and angry, and thats how these hosts make their kill stroke on liberal callers. And such a statement, while offensive, is so non-specific that I think it would be difficult to make a legal case against it, especially when the "free speech" defense is invoked. And lets face it, most liberals have become so afraid from being demonized by the Right that there aren't too many of them who would be willing to claim themselves as liberal. +posted by Jeff Lucas on 03/10/06 at 02:29 PM +You're right, ejeff. This is the over-reaching strategy. However, I have tapes, PDFs and transcripts of many direct lies told about me, for instance, designed to hurt my professional reputation (and try to deflect attention away from information that wasn't so becoming). +For instance, a paid Melton operative saying on talk radio, "Donna Ladd is on the payroll of the Johnson campaign." +It's amazing what they think falls under "opinion." +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/10/06 at 03:22 PM +I remember hearing that, Donna, and I understand your anger and frustration at such charges. I'm amazed at how much the "other" local political blogsite (starts with 'M') wastes bandwidth making assine, juvenile attacks on you and this site. I'm not familiar with the history there, but it definitely strikes me as a prime example of how low political discourse has sunk when you have to resort to meanspirited personal attacks on how someone looks in order to score points, even if only in your own mind. Attack me in the "arena of ideas" and let's have a real debate w/o the personal stuff. +posted by Jeff Lucas on 03/10/06 at 05:20 PM +There is no real history. One of them got offended because I wouldn't let him troll on this site and run people off, another one of them got pissed because we didn't endorse him for public office, and the third one was embarrassed because I pointed out on this site when he tried to attack our credibility on crime issues that he had allowed a blatantly racist statement about crime on one of his Web sites for months (it's probably still there). +As far as I know, few people other those three weak-minded fellas post there under various aliases. Their obsession with me makes them look like morons. They have lied, libeled, whined about me (and my body and my family and the street I live on and my friends and my employees and my lack of children and, and ...), and have threatened boycotts for about three years now. I feel sorry for them more than anything else. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/10/06 at 06:02 PM +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/10/06 at 06:05 PM +I just surfed over to their site and see that they describe me as your "lapdog." Personally, I find that kind of flattering. At least they recognize, now, that I have your back--they spent the longest time trying to get me to join their little Internet picket parade. +Cheers, +TH +posted by Tom Head on 03/10/06 at 08:26 PM +How's "Tom Head and the Lapdogs" sound as a new group name? ;-) +(And, Tom, I think that would be the shortest picket parade in history.) +Giggle. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/11/06 at 07:56 PM +:o) +I just went over and marked their fire hydrant for a second, so maybe that will calm things down for a while. Always feel kind of funny when I do that because I'm concerned they might not know where I stand. So just to be abundantly clear: +Woof, woof. +I'd much rather be your lapdog than a Big, Macho, "Credible Straight-Shooter" any day of the week. And they can quote me on that. +Cheers, +TH +posted by Tom Head on 03/11/06 at 08:49 PM +You bad dawg, you. +Ick. Must stink over there like the NYC subway in August, if you know what I mean. With all the markings and all. And I bet they don't believe in pooper-scoopers. ;-) +Woof! +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/11/06 at 09:00 PM +Interesting. Looking for other stuff, I bumped into this old article by Adam when he was still at the link about problems on the airwaves: +Charles Evers, chairman of the board and program director at Jackson's +WMPR FM since 1987, admits that the responsibility of guiding the airwaves +should fall on individuals like himself. +"You should never take advantage of your position as a radio personality +over those who can't defend themselves and destroy them, tear down their +character. That's overstepping your bounds and we don't do that here," said +Evers, who oversees local talk shows featuring such personalities as Jackson +Advocate Publisher Charles Tisdale, a vociferous mouth in the community prone +to fits of name-calling. The word "Uncle Tom" is liberally dished out to +targets on most any given show. Following the format of many national +right-wing radio talk shows that dominate the AM airwaves, such as Michael +Savage's "Savage Nation," Tisdale frequently criticizes callers and has been +known to disconnect them during some of his more passionate moments. +Tisdale also follows the trend of local FM shows, such as the "JT and +Dave Show," of routinely targeting a familiar list of political figures for +criticism. +Evers said he discouraged "unnecessary insults" and "shooting from the +hip" during airtime. +"It's no good to be hurling unnecessary insults and making statements +about people that you just can't prove, just to shoot from the hip and make a +statement, knowing they can't challenge it," Evers said, and called upon an +earlier radio personality as an illustration. +"A good example was current Jackson mayoral candidate Frank Melton, +when he was on 'The Bottom Line.' He would just destroy people and not even +give them a chance to answer. No one ever did anything about it, but I'd always +thought somebody should have," Evers said. +Evers said he sometimes feared that Tisdale would eventually say +something and get the station in trouble. +"I fear that all the time, but we always have that disclaimer both at the +front of the show and at the end. It protects us, because if we say we're not +responsible for something you say on the station then it's strictly up to the +sponsor or the person doing the interview. Now they could still sue us, or +whatever, but we'd at least have a leg to stand on," said Evers, who added that +he has, so far, avoided being on the wrong side of a lawsuit. +posted by DonnaLadd on 03/12/06 at 12:20 +(For this past program, we offer two options for purchase: a Homestudy (DVD and written materials) or written materials alone.) +Attorneys, utility rate department professionals and executives, industrial and commercial customer representatives, residential consumer advocates and governmental officials involved in ratemaking +The current ratemaking environment for regulated gas and electric companies is challenging for regulators, utilities, customer groups and those who represent them. Environmental requirements, aging infrastructure, volatile fuel prices, new generation and transmission projects, smart grid issues, new technologies to deal with greenhouse gas emissions, and other challenges, ensure a steady stream of new and complex utility rate case filings. +How are regulators, regulated utilities, their customers and environmental and other public interest advocates dealing with these challenges? In what ways is traditional rate regulation of utilities changing to reflect today's climate? How should ratemaking balance customers' interest in cost-management and sound utility investment, while providing appropriate financial returns to utilities? How are regulators adjusting ratemaking mechanisms with the kinds of incentives they want for utilities? Could today's decisions about resource choices become tomorrow's stranded investment? What should regulators and other parties consider when they attempt to reflect such uncertainties in decisions that can't wait? How do different ratemaking and rate design tools mitigate or exacerbate these issues? +So much is changing, so many challenges are ahead. This conference will help energy professionals understand how these issues are affecting cost recovery, rate setting, the rate case process and the presentation of evidence by witnesses and counsel. Join us as we explore the modern and ever changing utility rate case. +~ Katherine A. McDowell, Esq. and Frederick J. Schmidt, Esq., Program Co-Chairs +Katherine A. McDowell, Esq., Program Co-Chair +McDowell Rackner & Gibson PC / Portland, OR +Frederick J. Schmidt, Esq., Program Co-Chair +Holland & Hart LLP / Carson City, NV +Marc Spitzer, Esq. +Steptoe & Johnson LLP / Washington, DC +Kamen Madjarov +The Brattle Group, Inc. / Cambridge, MA +Donald N. Furman, Senior Vice President, External Affairs +Iberdrola Renewables, Inc. / Portland, OR +Rate making issues arising from the shift from utility ownership to third party ownership; financing and siting issues affecting project development; cost allocation and regulatory recovery of transmission costs in rates +Monica A. Schwebs, Esq. +Bingham McCutchen LLP / San Francisco, CA +Challenges in transmission line siting and the intersection of local, state, and federal authority; the potential impact of White House designation of pilot projects for the federal Rapid Response Team for Transmission (RRTT) +Alia S. Miles, Esq. +McDowell Rackner & Gibson PC / Portland, OR +Cost recovery issues from the service provider's perspective +Sarah E. Edmonds, Esq., Director of Transmission Regulation, Strategy and Policy +PacificCorp / Portland, OR +Laws and regulations: State RPS's, including California; related developments in REC markets; pace, nature and forecast for new renewable energy development, status of federal and state incentives, rate issues associated with the costs of RPS compliance +Bobby J. Hollis, II, Esq., Executive, Renewable Energy +NV Energy / Las Vegas, NV +Greg Patterson, Esq., CPA, Director +Arizona Competitive Power Alliance / Phoenix, AZ +Rate making challenges related to uncertain demand +Timothy E. Tatum, Manager, Cost of Service +Idaho Power Company / Boise, ID +New Resource Acquisition: The future direction and stability of gas supplies and prices; evaluating long-term resource decisions in an era of low supply costs; what is and is not working around the country +Jeffrey Shaw, CPA, CEO +Southwest Gas Corporation / Las Vegas, NV +Hedging in a period of expected continued low gas prices: How much is it reasonable to spend? Optimal portion of total demand to hedge; regulatory approval of hedging plans; recent developments in state regulatory proceeding +Frank C. Graves, Principal +The Brattle Group, Inc. / Cambridge, MA +Arguments and decisional trends on whether we should use embedded cost or energy only models that do not impute a demand component for future generation +Kurt Strunk, Senior Consultant +National Economic Research Associates, Inc. / New York, NY +Sponsored by Holland & Hart LLP and McDowell Rackner & Gibson PC +Katherine A. McDowell, Esq., Program Co-Chair +McDowell Rackner & Gibson PC / Portland, OR +Frederick J. Schmidt, Esq., Program Co-Chair +Holland & Hart LLP / Carson City, NV +Hear from current and former Public Utility Commissioners and Consumer Advocates on how to present your rate case to achieve success +Frederick J. Schmidt, Esq., Program Co-Chair, Moderator +Holland & Hart LLP / Carson City, NV +The Hon. Susan Ackerman, Esq., Commissioner +Oregon Public Utility Commission / Salem, OR +The Hon. Alaina C. Burtenshaw, Esq., Chairman +Public Utilities Commission of Nevada / Las Vegas, NV +The Hon. Jason A. Marks, Esq., Commissioner +New Mexico Public Regulation Commission / Santa Fe, NM +Recently resolved and currently pending issues in rulemaking and enforcement appeals; decisional trends and the extent they provide guidance for utility planners and regulators; legislative developments +Vicki M. Baldwin, Esq. +Parsons Behle & Latimer / Salt Lake City, UT +How the issues are likely to play out in rate cases +James Arnold Holtkamp, Esq. +Holland & Hart LLP / Salt Lake City, UT +David Harrison, Jr., Ph.D., Sr. Vice President +National Economic Research Associates, Inc. / Boston, MA +Case studies of recent agreements to allow continued use of the resource for a period of time, with faster amortization for cost recovery, in return for early retirement +Andrea L. Kelly, Vice President, Regulation +PacifiCorp / Portland, OR +Dave Robertson, Vice President, Public Policy +Portland General Electric Company / Portland, OR +Strategies for avoiding rate shock and rate case fatigue; deferring infrastructure investment and other cost-cutting strategies; new challenges to added "public purpose" fees in utility rates +Simon J. ffitch, Esq., Section Chief and Senior Assistant Attorney General +Washington State Office of the Attorney General / Seattle, WA +Thorvald A. Nelson, Esq. +Holland & Hart LLP / Greenwood Village, CO 11.5 NV CLE; 11.75 AZ CLE; 12.25 CA MCLE; ID 11.75 CLE; NM 11.7 CLE; 12.5 OR CLE; 11.5 UT CLE; 11.75 WA CLE credits. Upon request, we will apply for, or help you apply for, CLE credits in other states and other types of credits. +Katherine A. McDowell, Program Co-Chair, partner in McDowell Rackner & Gibson PC, a law firm serving energy and telecommunications clients. She advises and represents utilities and other energy companies on a range of regulatory issues. She has been recognized as an energy lawyer in the Best Lawyers of America for more than 10 years. +Frederick J. Schmidt, Program Co-Chair, partner at Holland & Hart LLP, focuses on regulatory and administrative law with emphasis on public utility matters. Previously, he was a Commissioner on the Nevada Public Service Commission and the State's Consumer Advocate. +Full bio and contact info for Frederick J. Schmidt at Holland & Hart LLP +Marc Spitzer, Special Address, partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Former Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), focuses on supplies of electricity and natural gas, wholesale energy markets and transmission systems. Previously, he was Chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission. +The Hon. Susan K. Ackerman, Commissioner, Oregon Public Utility Commission, was a practicing attorney and manager in the energy industry. She represented natural gas utilities; public power interests in BPA rate, power sales contract, transmission issues, and independent power producers. +Vicki M. Baldwin, shareholder, Parsons Behle & Latimer, focuses on environmental & commercial litigation, public utility and energy law. Recently, she co-authored "Prudence Review and Traditional Revenue Requirement Regulation: Some Thoughts with J. Robert Malko", published in The Electricity Journal. She has been named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers. +Full bio and contact info for Vicki M. Baldwin at Parsons Behle & Latimer +The Hon. Alaina C. Burtenshaw, Chairman, Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, previously was staff counsel for the Commission where she focused on rural water companies and the energy industry. +Sarah Edmonds oversees the development of transmission strategy and policy recommendations for PacifiCorp, including policies relating to emerging regional and national transmission initiatives well as strategic support for PacifiCorp's Energy Gateway transmission expansion project. +Simon J. ffitch, Division Chief, Public Counsel Division, Washington State Attorney General's Office, is the Consumer Advocate Member of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, an Advisory Committee to the Federal Communications Commission. He is a past member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA). +Donald N. Furman, Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Iberdrola Renewables, Inc., is responsible for transmission, communications and marketing, and regulation and policy efforts. He was previously with PacifiCorp, most recently as Senior Vice President of Regulation and External Affairs. +Frank C. Graves, Principal, The Brattle Group, Inc., specializes in finance and regulatory economics. He focuses on electric power, assisting utilities in capacity expansion, network modeling, investment and contract prudence reviews, financial simulation and asset and contract valuation. +Full bio and contact info for Frank C. Graves at The Brattle Group, Inc. +David Harrison, Jr., Ph.D., Sr. Vice President, National Economic Research Associates, Inc., Economic Consulting, heads its global Environment Group and is an expert in climate change and related policy options and use of market-based approaches such as cap-and-trade. +Full bio and contact info for David Harrison Jr. at National Economic Research Associates, Inc. +Bobby J. Hollis, II, Esq., Executive of Renewable Energy, NV Energy, oversees renewable energy programs; regulatory and compliance efforts. Through its two regulated utilities, NV Energy is the leading electric service provider in Nevada, serving a 45,592-square-mile service territory and 2.4 million customers. +James A. Holtkamp, Leader of the Global Climate Change Practice Team at Holland & Hart LLP, focuses on energy, environmental and climate change, energy project development including carbon credit trading, and carbon capture and sequestration. +Full bio and contact info for James Arnold Holtkamp at Holland & Hart LLP +Andrea L. Kelly, Vice President, Regulation, PacifiCorp, where she is responsible for regulatory activities in Oregon, Washington and California, for PacifiCorp's overall regulatory strategy, which includes Utah, Wyoming and Idaho, and for pricing and cost of service for all six states. +Kamen Madjarov, The Brattle Group, Inc.'s Cambridge, MA office, is experienced in energy market modeling, integrating renewable energy resources, antitrust and competitive analysis of power markets and quantitative energy market analysis. His recent work includes quantifying the impacts of integrating renewable generation onto the power grid. +Full bio and contact info for Kamen Madjarov at The Brattle Group, Inc. +The Hon. Jason A. Marks, Commissioner of New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, has led the Commission through several major litigated rate cases. He is known for his advocacy for renewable energy. +Alia S. Miles, McDowell Rackner & Gibson PC, represents electric and gas utilities involved in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of power in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, with a current focus on linear energy facility permitting and compliance. +Thorvald A. Nelson, partner at Holland & Hart LLP, practices public utility regulatory law including telecommunications, energy, antitrust, trade regulation and litigation. +Full bio and contact info for Thorvald A. Nelson at Holland & Hart LLP +Greg Patterson is an attorney and CPA. He is currently the Director, Arizona Competitive Power Alliance, and was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives and Director of the Residential Utility Consumer Office. +Dave Robertson, Vice President of Public Policy, oversees Portland General Electric Company's Corporate Communications, Government Relations, Environmental Policy, Community Affairs and Research & Development Departments. +Monica A. Schwebs, Of Counsel, Bingham McCutchen LLP, represents clients in transmission matters before the FERC, the California Independent System Operator and state agencies. She also advises clients on federal and state energy and environmental laws relating to renewable energy, power plant licensing, and climate change. Previously, she was staff counsel for the California Energy Commission. +Full bio and contact info for Monica A. Schwebs at Bingham McCutchen LLP +Jeffrey Shaw, CPA, Chief Executive Officer of the Southwest Gas Corporation, was Senior Vice President of Gas Resources and Pricing. He is on the boards of the American Gas Association and the Western Energy Institute. +Kurt Strunk, Senior Consultant, National Economic Research Associates, Inc., advises utilities on sector restructuring, contract and asset valuation, origination, hedging and risk management, regulatory strategy, prudence, cost of capital, affiliate transactions and retail market issues. +Full bio and contact info for Kurt Strunk at National Economic Research Associates, Inc. +Timothy E. Tatum, Cost of Service Manager, Regulatory Affairs, Idaho Power Company, oversees revenue requirement determinations, power supply modeling, jurisdictional separation studies, class cost of service studies, and marginal cost studies. +Sermonhelp.Com +| Full Text Sermon | Discussion and Reflection on the Texts +| Worship Helps | Church +Humor | +Sunday October 31, +1999 ~ 22nd Sunday after Pentecost +Sermon Text: Matthew 23:1-12 +Micah 3:5-12 * 1 +Thessalonians 2:9-13 * Psalm 43 +Anatomy of a Spiritual Disaster +V. Abusive Religion Revealed +When religion is not rooted in the love of God, +it is not only devoid of God -- it is dangerous. Not only does it not serve people, +it oppresses them. Genuine spirituality, driven by God's love encourages and +nourishes people's lives -- it can lift them to the heights of heaven. Deceitful +religion on the other hand, driven by self dominates and subjugates peoples lives -- it +can drop them to the pits of hell! +History is littered with names like Jim Jones +and his Jonestown -- David Koresh and his Waco. There are countless thousands of lives +that have been damaged by abusive religion -- not as severe as Jonestown or Waco perhaps +-- but wounded by toxic religion nevertheless. It is unlikely that any of our +churches does not have at least one family or friends of one our families that has been +touched by abusive religion. +We have made some gains in our culture with +respect to abuse. Physical abuse, domestic violence and child neglect have all been +the subject of legislative and practical reforms. Emotional abuse of persons has +received acknowledgment as an important problem. +Spiritual abuse or abusive religion on the other +hand has a ways to go. Except for a few high profile cases, spiritual abuse is not +perceived as a major issue. The civil government rightly keeps "arms length" +when it comes to church-state issues. Yet, spiritual abuse can be an extremely +debilitating power in someone's life. +Some years ago, a woman who had just begun to +attend our church asked if I would visit her daughter. The 23 year old daughter had +just returned home after three years in a cult. She was under the care of a +psychiatrist and on anti-anxiety drugs. She agreed to see me, but was extremely +fearful of religious leaders of any kind. "Be sure not to bring a bible or +even quote the bible," the mother pleaded with me -- almost apologetically -- "...it +sends her into a panic." +Our initial visit was very low key. +"De-programming" was not an issue here. The young woman's sanity +was. She was the picture of fragility. She sipped a cup of coffee while +holding on with two shaking hands, a cigarette pinched between two nicotine stained +fingers. Her eyes were windows into emptiness. Without emotion, she described +a bit of her life with people who came to her initially with such love and acceptance that +she felt she had discovered a true home at last. She moved in with the group and +happily worked and turned over everything she made. She was building up treasure in +heaven that no one could ever take away from her. +Then the demands began to build and the teaching +sessions went late into the night. Contact with "outsiders" was +displeasing to God. Parents, pastors, teachers and friends would all try to lead +them back into a life of sin and evil. She would be cut off from God forever. +After three years, she grew suicidal and +hopeless, called her brother and he found her and brought her home. The physical part of +her bondage was over. The spiritual part was deeply embedded in her soul. +Toward the end of this first visit, she finally gave a glance that could be loosely +described as "at me" and spoke directly to me. +"I know that I have turned into +something evil now -- and that God hates me!" +Chilling. +Not all negative religious experience has gone +to this extreme, but wherever religion results in something toxic instead of nourishing +for our spirits, there is abuse. +*** +Spiritual abuse is not new. It is +something that angered Jesus himself and in today's gospel lesson he spells out for his +followers; [1] Characteristics of abusive spiritual leaders and [2] Clues for avoiding +abusive spiritual leaders. +[1] Characteristics of abusive spiritual +leaders +In a few sentences, Jesus gives four +characteristics of abusive religious leaders that cuts through their outer appearance and +reveals inner corruption. These characteristics provide good diagnostic insight when we +find ourselves wondering about religious leaders and systems we encounter. +These leaders were hypocritical: [Verse +2] The scribes and Pharisees have the content right, but their behavior is +not consistent with the content. They are experts in bible, but their behavior +does not match their teaching. Rather than seeing themselves as servants of what they +teach, they imagine that they are masters who are above their subject matter. The byword +of this characteristic is so well known, any of us can finish the sentence, "His +problem is that he does not practice what he ___________ ." +These leaders were oppressive: [Verse +4] One of the critical failures of the leaders Jesus addressed was their approach to +religion -- they saw religion as being about rules and regulations. It was clear in +Jesus' ministry, however, that true religion was about a relationship with God. +Jesus brought joy. They brought judgment. Jesus taught about a God who gave +them love. They taught about a God who gave them labor. Jesus said his yoke was +"easy" and his burden "light." They on the other hand would +"tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others..." +These leaders were pretentious: +[Verse 5] Another key attribute in the life of abusive spiritual leaders is the fact +that they are pretentious. They are all about "show-biz." The +heart of this failure is that they are "other directed" instead of "God +directed." Their inner reward system is tuned into what others think and how +others perceive them rather than by what God sees. They sometimes can not help +themselves, they are "on stage" in their religious living and are in need of an +audience. +Key scripture for this flaw is 1 Samuel 16:7, "...the +LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks +on the heart." When Jesus was alone, he was the same person he was +when he was with others. When he was with God, he was the same person he was all the +time. Question for reflection here is, "Am I the same person when I am +alone as I am when I am with others?" In other words, people who change +when the "spot light" comes on -- are pretentious. +These leaders were arrogant: [Verse +6] This is the key to the other characteristics. The people Jesus collided with were +people who were filled with self and self-importance. When a soul is filled with +self, there is no room for God. This was the heart of the Edenic tragedy. +Whereas Adam once had a God-centered spirit, he wound up with a self-centered +spirit. Instead of fellowship with God and his soul-mate Eve, there was alienation +and blame. Adam and Adam's feelings became more important than persons and more +important than God. The arrogant heart which loves the "places of honor" +and "the best seats" is a heart that has no place for God. +With these words, Jesus has presented his +"closing argument" on the anatomy of a spiritual disaster. Now he teaches +his followers what characteristics they are to embrace. Characteristics that will +help them identify and avoid abusive spiritual leaders. +[2] Clues for avoiding abusive spiritual +leaders +Three characteristics will insure the +authenticity of the spiritual experience of Jesus' followers -- then and now! +Embrace and grow these qualities in your life and you will safeguard your spiritual life +and build a safety shield against abusive spirituality in your own life. These three +spiritual gems belong to those who are: +Open +The actual word Jesus used in describing his +followers was "brothers." You have one teacher and you are all +brothers. Christ is the only "Master" teacher. There is an equality +amongst the followers of Christ as all are learners and students. One is not greater +than the other and a sure clue of abusive spirituality is when this sense of mutuality in +the community of faith is absent. +This does not eliminate the need for leaders in +the community, but the model of leadership Jesus lived out and taught was that of the +servant leader. The person who helps care for the people of God is an +"under-shepherd" -- not an "over-shepherd." The First Epistle of +Peter has it nailed, "..] +There is an openness, mutuality and +approachability with those who are genuine spiritual leaders. +Dedicated +"Call no one your Father on earth, for +you have one Father, the one in heaven." The sense here is not that we +need to quit calling our earthly fathers "father," -- but that our +ultimate dedication is to God alone. This is a reiteration of the first commandment +to "have no other God's before me." Worship belongs to God +alone. When we have made God our first love, all else falls into its proper place. +We do not ask or seek the allegiance of another's heart in any ultimate sense. +Genuine spiritual leaders who receive the love, +allegiance and loyalty of others are anxious to have that love, allegiance and loyalty +passed along to the Lord. They do not keep it for themselves. +Humble +This is the capstone quality. "The +greatest among you will be your servant." This is the single most powerful +diagnostic tool for evaluating spiritual leadership. There is humility instead of +arrogance. Jesus himself set the example by emptying himself and taking the form of +a servant. [Phil. 2:7] Genuine spirituality sacrifices self to lift up +others. +Jesus clinches his point with the truth that God +will do the "exalting" and "humbling." +And this is where the whole struggle between +Jesus and the religious leaders who wanted him eliminated rests. Abusive spiritual +leadership finally wants the place of God. They might not even be fully aware of it, +but when self becomes central and God becomes peripheral, the spiritual disaster is all +but sealed. +The model is in Isaiah 14:12-14 taken by many to +be the prophets words of doom to the Evil One. +." +These words spell out the bottom line in abusive +religion and abusive spiritual leaders. The anatomy of a spiritual disaster which we have +traced out over these last few weeks can be stated in a few simple words. +To become filled with self is to become +emptied of God! +May God grant us grace to grow the qualities of +openness, dedication and humility as we build a healthy family of faith. +Discussion and Reflection on the Texts. +There will be times when all +of us who are in ministry come across a "Micah-like" situation. "Be +careful not to offend Mrs. Jones. She gives 10% of our annual budget you know." +It can be subtle or it can be blatant, but whenever we are tempted to +"hold back a bit" -- or put something differently to soothe someone's feelings +-- we will experience that tension between faithfulness to the Lord's truth and the need +to keep the Lord's people happy.. +Church Humor +To anyone who has ever had a lawn, cut the +grass, or raked the leaves!!!! +: +"Francis. I understand you have scheduled +a movie for tonight. What's the title of the movie? +"Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It's a real stupid movie about..." +"Never mind I think I just heard the whole story." +How. +Read more: +From experiment to power plant […] +When fusion energy becomes a reality how will it impact the environment? +Fusion energy and its impact on environment? +In terms of Tritium breeding, it is suggested to produce enough Tritium from neutron absorption in the Lithium blanket, though this is yet to be fully tested (ITER will have various test blanket modules). fusion reaction require much more energy compared to Deuterium-Tritium fusion? +JET, so far the only operational fusion experiment capable of producing fusion energy, is routinely operated with D only, for a number of reasons. This minimises activation (from D-T neutrons and form Tritium retention in walls etc.), enabling to upgrade JET easily and minimising decommissioning issues at the end of JETs […] […] +How much energy would the reaction produce in a week if kept operational? About how much of Europe could be powered by JET? +JET is an experiment fusion device. It is true that if a JET plasma could hold onto its energy for longer it would produce a lot more fusion power and exceed breakeven. Indeed, this is what ITER – JETs international successor – will do; the larger plasma on ITER stays hotter […] +What is the process of making fusion and fission happening? +get the answer to our latest FAQ! to help in the research and engineering behind projects like ITER and JET? +Almost all scientists in fusion research have physics degrees – then some will study to do a PhD – often at a Fusion Association as well with partner universities. Engineers in the field are more varied – electrical, mechanical – some civil, control. Also, fusion research requires IT professionals. Fusion research needs […] […] +What is fission and fusion?. We also use powerful […] […] +Are members of the public allowed to visit any of the facilities? +We run a series of open evenings through the year, approximately monthly, which enable the public (individuals or groups) to come and visit the JET and MAST fusion experiments. They are very popular, so book early! […] +What is the thickness of the lithium blanket in JET and in ITER? +JET does not have a lithium blanket. It is an experimental facility, and not a power reactor, so it is focussed on exploring the behaviour of plasma, rather than producing a long stable output. Most of the time it does not even run with tritium, as deuterium only plasma is […] […] +How much time did you spend by changing all the wall to the ITER-Like Wall. +We have just finished a major refurbishment of the JET machine, where all the old carbon tiles have been removed and replaced with new beryllium and tungsten tiles, of the type planned for use in ITER. This was mostly done by our advanced handling robotic system, and took around 18 […] […] +How much copper do the toroidal coils contain? +The toroidal coils weigh about 380 tonnes, about the weight of a Jumbo Jet […] +What is the temperature generated in a tokamak reactor? How can the inner wall material resist that temperature? +In order for fusion to occur in the very hot gas – or plasma – we create inside JET, the plasma must be heated to temperatures in excess of 150 million degrees Celsius. In order to achieve this, the plasma is actively held away from the walls of the tokamak […] […] +How is the plasma contained in the ‘cage’, is it via superimposed magnetic fields? +Yes. In tokamak devices such as JET, we do use magnetic fields to confine and contain the plasma away for the walls of the vessel. These are a combination of fields that the plasma creates itself and external ones we apply. We have 32 D-shaped copper coils around the vessel, […] have an engineering degree. Why aren’t there schemes by CCFE that require a Physics degree? […] +I am a chemistry student and I’m investigating the options available for my future career. I am hoping to pursue a career in the nuclear/quantum sciences, like those available at Culham, but I am finding that most vacancies in these fields require a background in either maths or physics. Could you offer any advice for those in my position? +You are correct that most careers here require a physics background – or some kind of engineering. It is also worth pointing out that vacancies are few and far between at present – as we go through a bit of a financial squeeze. However, there are in principle areas of […] EFDA. +I am thinking of doing an extended research project on Fusion, including confinement techniques like magnetic and inertial. Could you point me in the direction of some books (or other) for further, detailed reading? +There is a lot of information on our websites : EFDA and JET, in particular the Focus On section) and CCFE. Also ITER has an extensive website. In terms of more detailed books, there is a book all about tokamaks – Tokamaks by John Wesson. This goes into real detail about […] […] +What would be the soonest that fusion power could be operable in Europe if funding were increased, and energy funding diverted from fossil fuel energy research? And if the fusion research projects of the USA, EU, and Japan were combined, what is the soonest fusion power could be efficiently operated? […] +How do you plan on making ITER’s coils superconducting? +The magnetic field coils planned for use on ITER and potential fusion powerplants will use superconducting materials, such as alloys of niobium and tin, or niobium and titanium, which become superconductors below -264 degrees Celsius. The idea is that the ITER vessel and its coils will be surrounded (in fact […] +Since ITER is expected to produce 10 times the power consumed, does this not mean that the substance produced and reused […] +Where is ITER being built? +ITER is being built in Cadarache in southern France. Cadarache is one of the major sites of the France’s Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique, and includes the French tokamak, Tore Supra. +What is ITER and how is it supposed to work? +ITER is a fusion experiment like JET – a tokamak – being built in the south of France. It will be 2 – 3 times larger than JET, and is planned to commence operation in 2019. The research in tokamaks, and JET especially, has given us confidence […] +Could you please explain some of the safety measures that assure against accidents that may occur during a fusion […] +Is EFDA. EFDA laboratories all across Europe are very active in magnetic confinement fusion research both in their domestic programmes and via the EFDA-JET collaboration. The EU has been investing almost twice as much into fusion research as Japan or […] […] +Would a Tokamak work better in zero/low gravity conditions? +Gravity has very little effect on the dynamics and/or stability of the plasma so operation of a tokamak in zero gravity would make little difference. The particles are moving at such high speeds, because of their heat, that they experience much stronger magnetic forces than gravitational. – […] +Are there any other tokamaks in operation around the world? +There are many tokamaks in operation around the world, all contributing to international efforts to realise commercial fusion power. As well as JET, there are many other tokamaks in Europe, which are part of the EFDA agreement. There are also tokamaks operating in the USA and Japan, and smaller tokamak […], ie fuel, helium ash, and impurities. Also, only a very tiny percentage of […] +At what point during the fusion process do the helium nuclei stop adding to plasma heating and become an impurity to be removed? […] +I read somewhere that the energy released by the tritium-deuterium fusion reaction is given by the strong force. Could you explain this more clearly? +Physicists have worked out that all the interactions in the universe are governed by only four different forces, only two of which we see in every day life: gravity and electromagnetism (sometimes called the coulomb force). The other two, imaginatively named the “strong” force and the “weak” force come into […] +Incredibly high temperatures and pressures to produce “random” collisions resulting in fusion seems difficult to sustain, and to have limitations. Has there been much research into more controlled methods of bringing nuclei together in fusion? For example, head on ion beam collision? +It is true […] +Could you please specify […] +Tell me about the ways to heat plasmas. […] +How is JET funded? +The funding for EFDA-JET is spread across the whole of Europe. This supports the operation and maintenance of the tokamak (undertaken by CCFE on behalf of Europe) and the undertaking of experiments by groups of scientists from EFDA laboratories all over Europe. […] +Tell me about the temperatures […] +When using neutral beams to heat up the plasma do they not pollute the plasma and cause it to disrupt and how do you accelerate these neutral atoms? +Neutral beams […] +Could you tell me how the magnetic fields contain the plasma and how these fields are set up and powered? +As the ions in the plasma are charged (the plasma is so hot all the electrons are stripped off the atoms, leaving them with a positive charge) they respond to magnetic fields. By setting up magnetic field lines toroidally around the interior of the tokamak, the ions and electrons in […] […] +Where is the JET Tokamak located? +The JET machine is at the Culham Science Centre near Abingdon, about 9 miles south from Oxford in the UK. +What output fusion power has been achieved by JET and for what containment time? +Most of JET’s experimental campaigns use deuterium only plasma; deuterium is almost identical to tritium and so the plasma is very similar and is perfect for researching the behaviour and stability of fusion experiments, without the expense and complications of handling tritium, which is radioactive. We have however run three […] +I am wondering how fusion reactions can reach their break even points. How does fusion manage to release energy out of nowhere? I know it’s not out of nowhere since energy doesn’t work that way, but where does it come from? […] +Reducing the burden of Lyme disease, in Minnesota and elsewhere +The Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians published the following article in the Spring 2020 issue of its magazine. The quarterly publication is sent to the state’s 3200+ family practice physicians, typically the first practitioners newly infected Lyme patients will consult. +The author, Dr. Elizabeth Maloney, is President of Partnership for Tick-borne Diseases Education, a 501(c) that provides educational resources to medical professionals and the public. +by Elizabeth L. Maloney, MD +Lyme disease is an expensive illness, especially when patients present with late manifestations or remain symptomatic following therapy.1,2 Nationwide, annual direct medical costs could reach 1.3 billion dollars.1 Direct medical costs increase significantly when therapy fails to return patients to their pre-Lyme baseline.1 The bulk of Lyme-related costs are due to indirect medical costs, nonmedical costs and lost productivity. These costs increase with long-standing disease.2 +Despite the financial burden, Lyme disease is a research-disadvantaged illness. Clinical trial evidence is generally scant and/or of low quality and, because antibiotic therapy relies on generic drugs, there is limited pharmaceutical interest in conducting additional clinical trials. This paper reviews the trial evidence and offers innovative, evidence-based strategies for managing patients with known blacklegged tick bites or early Lyme disease. +Management of Blacklegged Tick Bites +Blacklegged tick bites acquired in Minnesota carry a significant risk of Lyme disease. When possible, physicians should estimate the risk of a specific bite by multiplying the transmission rate for the tick’s attachment time by the Borrelia burgdorferi infection rate in the population that the tick came from.3 However, both variables are subject to significant uncertainty.3 While a 2018 study of 64 Minnesota sites found that 24% of nymphs were infected with B. burgdorferi, site-to-site infection rates varied considerably, from 0-64%.4 +Estimating attachment time is also problematic.3 The longer an infected tick is attached, the more likely it is to transmit Lyme disease. This relationship is nonlinear; a small increase in the attachment time can significantly increase the likelihood of transmission. In a mouse model, the transmission probability for attachments of <24 hours was quite low, rising to 13% at 48 hours, 50% at 60 hours, 80% at 72 hours and 94% at repletion/96 hours.5 +A simplified approach is to assume that partially engorged ticks in Minnesota carry a substantial transmission risk. A large post-tick bite prophylaxis study that likely had nymphal infection rates comparable to the average rate in Minnesota found that 9.9% of bites from partially engorged ticks produced an erythema migrans (EM) rash at the bite site.6 +Preventing Lyme disease +Management decisions regarding antibiotic prophylaxis of asymptomatic bites should weigh: +1) the risk of Lyme disease from a given bite, +2) the time interval from bite recognition to initiation of therapy and +3) patient values regarding disease prevention and antibiotic exposure. +The sole cost-benefit study of antibiotic prophylaxis assumed a two-week doxycycline protocol and concluded that prophylaxis was cost-effective when the risk of infection was 3.6% or higher.7 Ideally, prophylaxis should begin within 48 hours of a bite. +In a mouse model, prophylaxis was ineffective if begun more than 48 hours post-bite.8 Patient values regarding the use of antibiotics are heterogeneous; not all would desire prophylaxis.9 Additionally, serologic testing at the time of a bite is inappropriate; negative results would not rule out B. burgdorferi exposure and positive results would be indicative of previous, not current, exposure. +The common practice of employing a single, 200 mg dose of doxycycline for prophylaxis should be reconsidered. This approach is based on a single study with a flawed design.3 The six-week observation period was too short to determine whether treatment prevented late disease and the primary endpoint, development of an EM at the bite site, missed three cases of early Lyme disease in symptomatic subjects who seroconverted but lacked an EM rash. Thus, the claimed efficacy applies to prevention of the rash but not prevention of Lyme disease,3 which is the goal of post-bite prophylaxis. +Physicians should consider using a multi-day regimen of doxycycline but the supporting evidence is limited. Although three human trials using 10 days of penicillin, amoxicillin or doxycycline failed to demonstrate treatment efficacy, this was likely due to very low infection rates in the placebo arms.9 +Studies in mice found that single dose doxycycline was only 50% effective but 19 days of doxycycline, despite being present at levels far below its MIC, was 100% effective for preventing Lyme disease;10,11—even when mice were exposed to ticks concurrently infected with B. burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum.11 +A 5-day post-exposure course of doxycycline was found to prevent relapsing fever, which is caused by a different Borrelia species.12 Given the scientific uncertainty, clinicians and patients should use shared decision-making to select a prophylaxis option that best aligns with the patient’s values and goals. +Management of Early Lyme Disease +Early Lyme disease, when promptly diagnosed and appropriately treated with antibiotics, is curable. To reduce diagnostic and treatment delays, Minnesota physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for Lyme disease. In Minnesota, 76% of confirmed cases had an EM rash.13 Most EMs are solid colored; less than 20% have the classic “bull’s-eye” pattern.14 +In addition to the EM rash, common manifestations include flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, myalgias and arthralgias. Given that ~25% of patients lack an EM, physicians should thoughtfully consider Lyme disease when evaluating patients for a “summertime flu” or a suspected spider bite. Detailed questioning regarding potential exposure to blacklegged ticks or a family history of a tick-borne disease is required.15 +Physicians should be mindful that cases of early Lyme also occur in the fall, when adult ticks are biting. Because the antibody response to the infection may take weeks to develop, serologic results are often falsely negative. Therefore, testing is discouraged.16 +Patients with an EM rash should receive 20 days of amoxicillin, cefuroxime or doxycycline. In the absence of contraindications, doxycycline is the preferred agent because it is also active against A. phagocytophilum. The supporting evidence is of low quality.9 Of the eight prospective, comparative trials conducted in the US,17-24 two had noncompletion rates in excess of 40%.20,24 The remaining six used endpoints that allowed patients with persisting symptoms to be categorized as successes and/or employed statistical methodology for handling dropouts that is prone to overstating treatment success.17-19,21-23 +Thus, treatment efficacy is likely to be lower than the 85-95% rates that were originally reported. In comparison, a 2013 observational study demonstrated that three weeks of doxycycline failed to return 40% to their pre-Lyme baseline at six months post-treatment, including 11% who had ongoing symptoms and functional decline and 25% who had ongoing symptoms alone.25 +How long to treat? +Recommendations for shorter durations are not supported by the US trial evidence. None of the US trials used fewer than 20 days of amoxicillin or cefuroxime.17-24 Two trials investigated 10 days of doxycycline.18,24 One had a noncompletion rate of almost 50%24 and 36% of subjects in the other trial were retreated.18 +While European trials have reported success with shorter durations, findings from European trials may not be generalizable to US patients because B. afzelii, the principal cause of EM in Europe, is less likely to cause disseminated disease than B. burgdorferi.26 +Clinicians should consider extending the duration of therapy for EM patients who present with multiple EM lesions, neurologic symptoms or severe symptoms as investigators found such subjects were at increased risk of treatment failure.17-20 Treatment failure was also increased in subjects who were ill at the completion of therapy;19,21 thus, follow-up contact is necessary to verify the resolution of all signs and symptoms. Given that investigators retreated some subjects who remained ill or relapsed,18,19,21,23 clinicians should do the same. +There is no trial evidence regarding the treatment of early non-EM Lyme disease. Such patients generally receive the same regimens used to treat patients with EM rashes. +Conclusion +Management of individual cases of known blacklegged tick bites and erythema migrans rashes should be based on case-specific details as different circumstances carry varying degrees of risk. +Given the scientific uncertainty regarding therapeutic efficacy, the risks and benefits of all options should be discussed with patients in the setting of shared decision-making in order to arrive at a therapeutic plan that fits both the clinical circumstances and the patient’s goals and values. +Dr. Elizabeth Maloney is President of Partnership for Tick-borne Diseases Education, a 501(c) that provides educational resources to medical professionals and the public. She lives in a high-Lyme area of Minnesota. +References +- Adrion ER, Aucott J, Lemke KW, Weiner JP. Health care costs, utilization and patterns of care following Lyme disease. PLoS One. 2015 Feb 4;10(2):e0116767. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116767. eCollection 2015 +- Zhang X, Meltzer MI, Peña CA, Hopkins AB, Wroth L, Fix AD. Economic impact of Lyme disease. Emerg Infect Dis. 2006 Apr;12(4):653-660. +- Maloney EL. The management of Ixodes scapularis bites in the upper Midwest. WMJ:2011;110(2):78-81. quiz 85. +- Johnson TL, Graham CB, Maes SE, et al. Prevalence and distribution of seven human pathogens in host-seeking Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) nymphs in Minnesota, USA. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2018 Jul 20. pii: S1877-959X(18)30182-1. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.07.009. +- des Vignes F, Piesman J, Heffernan R, Schulze T, Stafford K, Fish D. Effect of tick removal on transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi and Ehrlichia phagocytophila by Ixodes scapularis nymphs. J Infect Dis. 2001;183:773-778. +-. +- Magid D, Schwartz B, Craft J, Schwartz JS. Prevention of Lyme disease after tick bites. A cost-effectiveness analysis. N Engl J Med 1992; 327:534-541. +- Piesman J, Hojgaard A. Protective value of prophylactic antibiotic treatment of tick bite for Lyme disease prevention: an animal model. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2012;3(3):193-196. +- Cameron DJ, Johnson LB, Maloney EL. Evidence assessments and guideline recommendations in Lyme disease: the clinical management of known tick bites, erythema migrans rashes and persistent disease. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2014 Sep;12(9):1103-1135. +- Zeidner NS, Brandt KS, Dadey E, et al. Sustained-release formulation of doxycycline for prophylaxis of tick bite infection in a murine model of Lyme borreliosis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2004;48(7): 2697-2699. +- Zeidner NS, Massung RF, Dolan MC, et al. A sustained-release formulation of hyclate doxycycline hyclate (Atridox) prevents simultaneous infection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi transmitted by tick bite. J Med Microbiol 2008;57(Pt 4):463-468. +- Hasin T, Davidovitch N, Cohen R, et al. Postexposure treatment with doxycycline for the prevention of tick-borne relapsing fever. N Engl J Med. 2006 Jul 13;355(2):148-55. +- MN Department of Health,. Last accessed March 8, 2020. +- Smith RP, Schoen RT, Rahn DW, et al. Clinical characteristics and treatment outcome of early Lyme disease in patients with microbiologically confirmed erythema migrans. Ann Intern Med. 2002 Mar 19;136(6):421-428. +- Maloney EL. The Need for Clinical Judgment in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease. J Am Physicians Surgeons 2009;14(3):82-89. +-. +- Massarotti EM, Luger SW, Rahn DW, et al. Treatment of early Lyme disease. Am J Med 1992; 92:396-403. +- Nadelman RB, Luger SW, Frank E, et al. Comparison of cefuroxime axetil and doxycycline in the treatment of early Lyme disease. Ann Intern Med 1992;117:273-80. +-. +- Luft BJ, Dattwyler RJ, Johnson RC, et al. Azithromycin compared with amoxicillin in the treatment of erythema migrans: a double blind, randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 1996;124:785-91. +- Dattwyler RJ, Luft BJ, Kunkel M, et al. Ceftriaxone compared with doxycycline for the treatment of acute disseminated Lyme disease. N Engl J Med 1997;337:289-94. +- Eppes SC, Childs JA. Comparative study of cefuroxime axetil versus amoxicillin in children with early Lyme disease. Pediatrics 2002;109:1173-7. +- Wormser GP, Ramanathan R, Nowakowski J, et al. Duration of antibiotic therapy for early Lyme disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 2003;138:697-704. +- Aucott JN, Crowder LA, Kortte KB. Development of a foundation for a case definition of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. Int J Infect Dis. 2013 Jun;17(6):e443-9. +- Jungnick S, Margos G, Rieger M, et al. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and Borrelia afzelii: Population structure and differential pathogenicity. Int J Med Microbiol. 2015 Oct;305(7):673-681. +We invite you to comment on our Facebook page. +Visit LymeDisease.org Facebook Page +Graph of the Day: Live renewable energy share and emissions by state +Two new live graphs show renewable energy share and energy emissions in each state. Rooftop solar is lowering emissions significantly during the day. +Climate change is complex. We’ve got answers to your questions. +We know. Global warming is daunting. So here’s a place to start: 17 often-asked questions with some straightforward answers.. +Could we store carbon dioxide as liquid lakes under the sea? +We need to get carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to slow down climate change, and perhaps deep-sea trenches would be a good place to put it +We need to make democracy work in the fight to save the planet +AC Grayling +For centuries, humans have championed the democratic political system. But can it facilitate the radical change needed to stop the potentially annihilating effects of climate change? +Dams and pipes wasting money, Productivity Commission warns +We’re at risk of wasting billions on water infrastructure that isn’t needed, the Productivity Commission has said — repeating previous warnings about how we subsidise unviable irrigation. +Australia’s top 10 solar postcodes, and the top solar locations by state +New data has revealed the latest ranking of Australia’s top 10 solar postcodes, including three new entries from Victoria, and one each from WA and NSW. +Graph of the Day: Live renewable energy share and emissions by state +Two new live graphs show renewable energy share and energy emissions in each state. Rooftop solar is lowering emissions significantly during the day. +BHP considering Minerals Council exit over lobby group’s climate policies +Activist investors are putting BHP’s already testy relationship with the big industry lobbyist under more pressure over climate change policies. +Tony Abbott threatens to cross the floor on energy policy +Tony Abbott has criticised the Turnbull government’s energy policy during an interview with Alan Jones and Peta Credlin. +Bill Shorten demands gas market transparency to tackle ‘energy crisis’ +Labor leader says Aemo should be given ‘teeth’ to give Australian manufacturers a head start in gas contract negotiations +Murdoch misleads readers about renewable subsidies and Saudi playboys +Giles Parkinson +The Australian’s story linking excessive renewable energy subsidies to the Moree solar farm, a rich Saudi playboy and the singer Rihanna is very interesting. It is also hopelessly wrong (at least on the renewables bit). +The one fatal flaw with renewables +Graham Young +IF THEY’RE “cheaper”, then the cure for high electricity prices is more renewables. But renewables are, in fact, more expensive. +Energy market is shifting despite politics +Canberra Times editorial +Australians are waiting for their leaders to switch on to the real debate.. +Green dreamers have failed us +Tony Abbott +It can’t be wrong for Australia to exploit resources we happily sell to others.. +Facts distorted in energy wars +Peter Van Onselen +The debate over renewables and coal is distorted by government intervention and contradictory use of “facts” on both sides.. +Preventing Murray-Darling water theft: a space agency can help Australia manage federal resource +Andrew Dempster +Hazelwood Power Station nominated for heritage protection +Latrobe City Council criticises the push to consider the historical value of the Hazelwood Power Station after it was nominated for protection. +Carbon price clouds low power bill claim +A CARBON price of $30-a-tonne was included in modelling the Andrews Government used to claim household power bills would be lower under its new clean energy scheme. +Use desal plant in wet years to ward off drought, expert says +Charge on to spark up home batteries +THOUSANDS of households are installing solar energy storage battery systems to cut power bills and give electricity companies the “middle finger”. +Anti-Adani protest censored by operators of Melbourne’s Federation Square +Operators demand images of newspaper headlines and politicians, and ‘explicitly negative’ environmental messages be removed +How safe is cycling on city roads? +Alan Davies +The likelihood of suffering a serious injury while cycling on urban roads is extremely low, but it seems our tolerance for risk is even lower +Pumped hydro could replace coal-fired power at troubled Lake Liddell +AGL is considering splitting the artificial Lake Liddell in half to allow for pumped hydro power generation to replace its coal-fired power station. +Keeping Liddell power station open ‘a losing battle’, AGL says +The general manager of AGL, which runs the Liddell power station, says it can find better places to invest time, money and resources than Australia’s oldest coal-fired power station. +New threat to power supply +Coal-fired power generators are struggling to secure coal supplies for their power plants ahead of summer, with electricity prices set to ri… +‘Complex and inequitable’ power rebate schemes slammed- +The $3.6b project that came in from the cold +Matthew Stevens +After nine months on the outer, the $3.6 billion Narrabri coal seam gas project is set to recover its place on Santos’ core project list. +Liddell: It would cost $900 million to keep it open another 10 years +Giles Parkinson +Liddell coal generator visit reveals a work-force that wants it to close. Even betting agencies are punting on its closure. +Move To The Rear Of The Power Station, Drink From The Renewable Kool-Aid +Geoff Russell +In the debate over keeping the Liddle Power Station open, the numbers just don’t add up. But probably not the numbers you’re thinking. +Electricity network deregulation could allow ‘second tier’ of energy companies. +Queensland big solar boom continues, as another 150MW project approved +Queensland’s Western Downs Region continues large-scale solar boom, with approval of 300MW battery ready Beelbee PV farm. +Brisbane Airport rolls out massive 6MW solar project +Huge 6MW solar upgrade at Brisbane Airport will supply 18% of electricity needs and save around $1m a year on energy bills. +Anti-Adani protesters arrested near Abbot Point +Police arrest 10 protesters they say were blockading a road to the Abbot Point Coal terminal near Bowen, but are happy overall with the peaceful nature of the protest. +Concerns over ‘asbestos’ in dog park +A POPULAR off-the-leash dog park remains open despite the Brisbane City Council admitting it may have found asbestos spread along the ground. +Entsch damning on dam dawdling +LEICHHARDT MP Warren Entsch claims an unspoken no-dam policy within the Queensland Government is robbing the state of an investment mother lode. +Coal-fired pledge for Qld +Queensland LNP leader would consider diverting taxpayer funds from renewable energy into a privately built coal-fired power station.. +Batteries charge up across SA +POWER price hikes are driving household battery purchases across the country, with sales in South Australia almost doubling. +Finfish farming future debated +The debate over the future of salmon farming regulation in Tasmania has continued in Parliament. +Rally over wombat cull +TASMANIA’S growing band of wombat warriors are preparing to rally in a bid to stop the State Government from issuing permits to shoot any of the marsupials that are healthy. +Gina hands back gas exploration rights +AUSTRALIA’S richest woman has handed back a portion of a contentious onshore gas exploration permit creating a 25km buffer around the iconic Mataranka Hot Springs +NT lithium mine moves closer +THE push to build and develop the Northern Territory’s first lithium mine is gaining momentum +Dumb and dumper: Litterbug leaves ‘name and address’ on waste in WA forest- +Redflow scores second major battery sale for remote Pacific Island projects +Redflow gets second major order within months for its zinc bromine batteries for application on remote, Pacific Island sites. +In lawsuit, Sierra Club claims US EPA violates information access law. +The Sierra Club sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in federal court on Monday over what it says is the regulator’s failure to respond to information and records requests under transparency laws, court papers show.. +Fluoride exposure in utero linked to lower IQ in kids, study says. +Increased levels of prenatal fluoride exposure may be associated with lower cognitive function in children, a new study says. +UK oil and gas reserves may last only a decade +The Scottish and UK oil industries are entering their final decade of production, research suggests. +Noisy, but that’s not all. +Despite improvements, leaf blowers still emit toxic contaminants such as carcinogenic benzene as well as surprisingly large amounts of other smog-forming chemicals.. +Polluters must pick up tab for damage to planet. +Turning the planet’s environmental fortunes around is achievable if businesses, politicians and citizens work towards a common goal, with the biggest polluters picking up the bill, said the United Nations’ environment chief.. +NREL investigates coatings needed for concentrating solar power +Keeping storage tank corrosion rates to a minimum considered vital for use of molten salts +100 percent wishful thinking: The green-energy cornucopia. +Stan Cox Resilience.org +The 100-percent dream has become dogma among liberals and mainstream climate activists. Serious energy scholars who publish analyses that expose the idea’s serious weaknesses risk being condemned as stooges of the petroleum industry or even as climate deniers.. +North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and Australia’s Lucas Heights reactor +Norm Sanders +North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, which now threatens the world, began with a “safe” reactor just like Australia’s Lucas Heights.. +Tomorrow The World Is Going To Try And Ban Nuclear Weapons. Australia Wants To Keep Them. +Rewena Mahesh +A global push to save the world from a nuclear armageddon has the backing of more than 120 nations. Australia isn’t one of them. +‘What sort of future are we creating?’: Photographer shares photo he wished didn’t exist +The photographer behind a compelling image of a tiny seahorse gripping a cotton bud in Indonesia says he hopes the photo will “affect people’s lives and create a change”. +Special Protection for Area Exposed by Larsen C Iceberg +An international agreement is now in place to give special protection to the area of ocean left exposed when one of the largest icebergs ever recorded broke free from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in July this year. +Why aren’t house sparrows as big as geese? +Researchers manipulated house sparrow size to examine important aspects of evolution +Extinction: A threat facing many creatures great and small, new research shows. +The world’s growing extinction threats are typically worst for the largest and smallest creatures, a finding that should temper conservation efforts, new research has found +Stanislav Petrov, who saved the world from nuclear war, dies at 77 +Stanislav Petrov, the Soviet officer credited with saving the world from nuclear disaster during the Cold War in 1983, has died in Moscow aged 77. +Press Release Distribution +Latest News +Submit Press Release +PR Home +Latest News +Feeds +Alerts +Submit Free Press Release +Journalist Account +PRNewswire Distribution +Filter News +Show All Results +News By Country +Select One +United Kingdom +News By Tag +Hips +February 2015 +Th +We +Tu +Mo +Su +Sa +27 +26 +25 +24 +23 +22 +21 +Latest News +> +Hips +> +Page 1 +hips Press Releases ++ XML/RSS +VNova To Release First Single From Hidden In Plain Sight V2 May 13 +By Bridget O'Brien PR +Brooklyn Rap Artist VNova to release the first single off Street Album Hidden in Plain Sight Volume 2 May 13. +Rap Artist VNova Has Innovative Projects Coming Soon +By Bridget O'Brien PR +Rap Artist VNova Has Innovative Projects Coming Soon VNova continues to build a brand through his music and keeps adding to his volume of work while maintaining creative control of his craft. +New Method of Joint Replacement for Seniors in Pain +By Society of Certified Senior Advisors +Seniors are finding relief from severe and chronic joint pain caused by arthritis. +Joint Pain - Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, +By Dream doTERRA +Learn about the symptoms for pain on the joints, what causes joint pain, and how to successfully treat it using doTERRA Essential Oils. +Property Lawyer Predicts Housing Boost in Wake of HIPS Being Scrapped +By Latimer Hinks Solicitors +Latimer Hinks solicitors partner Nicola Neilson is predicting that the scrapping of Home Information Packs by the Government will bring a welcome boost to the housing market. +Countrywide reacts to HIPs suspension +By Countrywide +Countrywide reacts to the UK government's announcement of suspending HIPs, by offering to help thousands of home movers. +NetMovers Expect Surge in Venders as HIPs are set to be Suspended +By Laura Nuttall +An order to abolish Home Information Packs (HIPs) has been signed and is ready to be passed through parliament with an announcement for their suspension due this week. +DIY HIPS With Assistance from Pali 0151 691 1170 +By Nick Small +Selling your Home? Need a Home Information Pack. Produce your own and save money with Pali's help. +Energy assessor training offered by ABBE approved training provider +By GB Energy (Training) Ltd +ABBE approved energy assessor training provider, GB Energy (Training) Ltd; based in Preston, Lancashire, open for energy assessor training courses. +New - Pali Development Packs - Check before you buy before you dig. +By Nick Small +Pali are please to announce the launch of their new Development Packs. The packs can provide potential purchasers, or their solicitors, information regarding areas of land which are intended for development. +Home Information Packs – Are Essential +By PaulDavis +now days the world is full of adulteration, so is our things we buy and eat. And the most affected one is the person who buys it for their use. +A helping hand for you +By PaulDavis +Trusting in anything these days is not possible as it is a world where fraud cases are increasing day by day whether it may be related to property or any other kind of money matters or any thing. +Agents overcharging for HIPs? +By Eric Walker, Bushells +Many Estate Agents are overcharging for HIPs and some are pocketing the difference. +North Vancouver Personal Trainer Reveals 4 Exercises You Don't Want To Do +By Tyron Piteau +Tyron Piteau is a local North Vancouver personal trainer and fitness boot camp instructor. Today he breakdowns four exercises that you don't want to do and may get you hurt!. +Councils Cause Home Information Pack (HIP) Problems +By Nick Small +New legislation was introduced in April this year which was supposed to make it easier to access to property information held by Local Authorities on behalf of the public. In many cases it has had the opposite effect. +Green Light Report- Prepare Yourself When Moving Home +By Green ASAP and Green Light Report +Possibly the biggest purchase of your life is when you buy a new home. There are many pitfalls to consider, and sometimes it's too late to realise the problems you could have. The 'GreenLightReport' will prepare you for the big move. +Where There’s a Will There’s a Way +By Wolstenholmes Solicitors +Wills and Probate Law and What it Means to You +Government Announces Changes to HIPS +By London & Country +The Government has reviewed the current Home Information Packs and have announced changes to ensure that they contain more helpful information.. +SAP Reports for Builders and Developers. Now available from Pali through Hipview. +By Nick Small +Pali now supply Standard Assessment Procedures (SAP) Reports, Predictive Energy Assessments (PEA) and On Construction Energy Assessments (OCEA). +Orthopedic Implant Demand to Reach $23 Billion By 2012 +By Piribo Ltd +Report Buyer, the online destination for business intelligence for major industry sectors, has added a new report which finds that orthopedic implant demand is forecast to rise 9.8 percent annually to $23 billion in the next four years. +Belfast Conference For New Energy Assessment Directive +By ABBE +Anyone interested in finding out how the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive will affect Northern Ireland’s property market should head down to see ABBE, the Awarding Body for the Built Environment at a free conference. +[b] How to order a Home Information Pack [/b] +By 7Side Ltd +Hips are compulsory for anyone selling a home, and for anyone letting one from October 2008, Home Information Packs are designed to help both the seller and the buyer know key information about the property in question. +For Timely HIPs, Quality Matters +By Firsthips Ltd. +Badly assembled HIPs are being rejected by buyers' lawyers and cause delays in the home selling process. +Decreto 218/2005 - Spain Gets New HIPs +By. +Graduates can't buy due to financial difficulty, says National Homebuyers +By National Homebuyers +Millions of Britons graduate from university with unmanageable debt, meaning fewer are able to enter the property market. +Sellers unhappy at upfront cost of Hips, says National Homebuyers +By National Homebuyers +Home sellers are reluctant to pay for Home information packs (Hips) upfront. +New home prices plummet, says National Homebuyers +By National Homebuyers +The new homes market cooled in August, providing the latest proof that prices are caught in a downward spiral. +Sub-prime rates increased 'intentionally' says National Homebuyers +By National Homebuyers +It has been revealed that some sub-prime mortgage lenders are intentionally making their products undesirable to borrowers. +Women 'thriving' in property investment market, says National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +Women are as good as men when it comes to property investment as they are good at multi-tasking and are as ambitious and switched on as their male counterparts, according to a new survey. +'Panicking' landlords head abroad, says National Homebuyers +By National Homebuyers +Landlords across the country are said to be selling up and heading abroad amid fears of a crash in the housing market, one property expert has claimed. +Hips 'will shape' green housing market, says National Homebuyers +By National Homebuyers +Home Information Packs (Hips) could see homeowners become more environmentally-friendly, one expert has claimed. +FTBs buying abroad, says National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +First-time buyers (FTBs) are being priced out of the UK market and so are turning their attentions abroad. +Fewer people taking out a mortgage, says National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +Rising interest rates have led to a downturn in the number of people taking out mortgages. +Over-55s throw off mortgage shackles, says National Homebuyers. +By National Hombuyers +Most people over the age of 55 have finished paying off their mortgage, according to new research. +Coastline erosion is unpredictable, says National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +Anyone living along Britain's coastline could be in danger of losing their property. +Brown slammed for hampering FTBs - National Homebuyers +By National Homebuyers +Gordon Brown has been slammed for his economic policies, which the Conservatives say have forced first-time buyers (FTBs) out of the property market. +Lack of buyers makes selling tricky, says National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +People looking to sell their homes have been told that they have their work cut out. +FTBs struggling with affordability, says National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +Affordability of housing is falling and things look set to get worse, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). +FSA to investigate subprime, says National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is planning to raise concerns over subprime mortgage lending tomorrow, with consumers with poor credit finding it increasingly difficult to meet repayments. +'slow Start To The Summer' As Rate Rises Hit Mortgage Market +By National Homebuyers +Interest rate increases since last August have severely impacted on the mortgage market, data from the Building Societies Association (BSA) shows. +Homeowners 'are burying their heads in the sand' says National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +Rising interest rates means more than 230,000 people in the UK are missing loan payments each month, it has been revealed. +Hips housing market distortion depicted in full - National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +The extent to which home information packs (Hips) are distorting the housing market - despite not yet being introduced - has been highlighted by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA). +The Renewable Energy Centre Concerned about Delay of Energy Performance Certificates +By The Renewable Energy Centre +Following the delayed launch of Home Information Packs, and the key Energy Performance Certificates, now set for 1st August, The Renewable Energy Centre voices its concerns about the impact on the UK’s fight against climate change. +Rate Rise 'would Send Shudders Up The Spine Of Homeowners' +By National Homebuyers +The prospect of a further rise in interest rates will send "shudders up the spine of Middle England", it has been claimed. +Asking Price Rise Leads To Further Rate Hike Predictions, says National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +Asking prices have reached their highest level since April 2005, it has been revealed, providing more fuel for analysts predicting a further interest rate rise this summer. +Tories fail to halt Hip implementation, says National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +The Conservative Party's parliamentary motion to halt the introduction of home introduction packs (Hips) has failed, it has been confirmed. +Hips 'will increase the cost of moving' says National Homebuyers. +By National Homebuyers +The introduction of home information packs (Hips) will shift some of the costs of moving from buyers to sellers, it has been alleged. +Page: +1 +Page updated every 10 minutes +Contact PRLog +About +Advertise +Like PRLog +? +9K +2K +1K +Where To Buy? +Find out the relevant products below and buy Anqier Ankle Athletic Socks Men Women. +Alternative Product Link: +Click Here if you do not find Anqier Ankle Athletic Socks Men Women in the above list. +Main Benefits: +Here are a few main benefits of Anqier Ankle Athletic Socks Men Women. +- 80% Cotton+17% Polyester +3% Spandex Ankle Running Sports Socks +- High Quality Low Cut Socks- Made from high quality combed cotton.High quality product makes athletic socks so breathable, comfy to use all the time without annoying your feet skin. Ultra Air- Permeability and wetness wicking efficiency keeps your feet dry and smell free throughout the entire day. +- Cushioned Sports Socks- Built with soft plush sole cushioning for extra toughness and comfort in high-wear areas.And the running socks likewise have appropriate compression in arch to secure you when you stroll, jog and run and stability for an ideal fit. +- Unique Style of Running Socks- Our guys socks built with the Anti-slip strip in toe can soak up effect and decrease friction.Elastic cuff tab can lock the hell and assure our socksNon-Slip Easy For On and Off. Good matching for all of your outdoor activities. +- Size & Washing Tips-Our socks have 4 sizes from S to XL and only desire our socks to fit for the majority of our customers.We provide 6 pairs for each color.Note: We recommend cleaning with cold water and air dry, maker dry needs to be prevented. +Better Alternative: +We found these products are better than Anqier Ankle Athletic Socks Men Women. +Last update on 2021-05-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API +More Info: +Here are some more information on Anqier Ankle Athletic Socks Men Women. About ANQIER Ankle Athletic Socks ANQIER commits on supplying our customer with a premium and trendy product to please all requirements for our purchasers. Our guys running socks is made out of top quality long-staple cotton; this product supplies ventilation and moisture-wicking. The fit together leading style permits our ankle socks to be light-weight, and at the exact same time, keeping your feet cool and fresh. The various colour alternatives use you a unique style that appropriates for both sportswear and sportswear. We concentrate on providing our quality products and services to all our customers. Anytime, when you are disappointed with our service or product, we are more than pleased to accept any returns or refund. About Socks Information Brand: Anqier Size: United States Women Shoe size 5-15, United States Men Shoe Size 4.5-14 Package:4 colors, each color 6 set, overall 6 pairs in the package Material: 80% Cotton+17% Polyester +3% Spandex Cotton Product: High qulity long-staple cotton, Soft, aerating and allergy-free Functions: Fit together leading style/ Wetness Wicking/ Non-Slip Strip Wash: Device wash, topple dry/Air dry, only non-chlorine bleach when required, do not iron Read more Anqier Mens Womens Running Socks Information Seamless Toe and Mesh Knitting: The athletic socks are smooth on the toe eliminate the friction to avoid blister when you move. Provide the comfy feeling.We usage Australian Queensland long-staple cotton to make our socks.New mesh knitting innovation make ankle socks light and ventilation, your feet can breath well when doing sports or strolling. Non-Slip Off Sports Socks: Arch support holds the sock securely around your feet, in order to avoid sock moving from your daily walking, running, cycling.Cotton fiber has super-elasticity and can be extended easily, so that the socks fit completely on the feet, not tight, and will not loosen up. Unique tab style is simple to pull it up when using shoes and keep it from moving down into your shoes. Thick Cushion Ankle Socks: Built with soft plush sole cushioning for extra toughness and comfort in high-wear areas.Special tab style is simple to pull it up when using shoes and keep it from moving down into your shoes.Cushioned in the entire bottom running socks location with thicker yarn, these ankle running socks decrease the effect and friction from your motions. Read more Read more 8 Pairs Low Cut Socks8 Pairs Low Cut Socks6 Pairs Ankle Socks6 Pairs Ankle Socks10 Pairs Absence Socks10 Pairs Absence SocksInner Filling85% Cotton+10% Polyester +5% Spandex85% Cotton+10% Polyester +5% Spandex80% Cotton+17% Polyester +3% Spandex80% Cotton+17% Polyester +3% Spandex80% Cotton+17% Polyester +3% Spandex80% Cotton+17% Polyester +3% SpandexGenderUnisexUnisexUnisexUnisexUnisexUnisexStyleCasual Low Cut SocksCasual Low Cut SocksAnkle SocksAnkle SocksNo Program SocksNo Program SocksColors4 Colors4 ColorsOne ColorOne ColorOne ColorOne Color +Frequently Asked Questions: +Here are a few frequently asked questions and answers on Anqier Ankle Athletic Socks Men Women. +Question 1 +Do They Diminish After You Put In Clothes dry that represents your shoe size and you’ll be great. +Question 2 +Will This Sock Color Lose? +we have actually not had them long however they are keeping color well. +Question 3 +Does Socks Cleaning Fade? +Not up until now. +Question 4 +The Number Of Feet Are This Socks Appropriate For? +Dear customer, thanks for your question.And our socks have 4 sizes from S to XL and only desire our socks to fit for the majority of our consumers.The size have to do with United States Women Shoe size 5-15, United States Men Shoe Size 4.5-14 We provide 6 pairs for each color.After a few days, will have some new color and more size to pick. +Question 5 +If We Are Searching for Snug-Fitting, Nearly Compression Fit Sizing And Use A Size 9 Women S Shoe, Could We Fit The Little? +we use a size 71/ 2 and they fit us tight however are too long. They need to fit you completely. The center arch band is tight and ideal support. Not exactly sure though if it would be tight as a compression sock. Those are rather tight. +Question 6 +Is It Pure Cotton? +Dear customer, thanks for your question.Our running socks are prue cotton and likewise made from high quality combed cotton.And the high quality product makes athletic socks so breathable, comfy to use all the time without annoying your feet skin. +Question 7 +Are They Made In China? +Yes,these socks are made in China, however in stock in the U.S.A.. +Question 8 +Is The Products Thin? +Dear customer, thanks for your question.The low cut socks are moderate density and appropriate for every season.And we made from complete cushion on the heel.High qulity long-staple cotton socks can make your feet feel breathable and comfy. +Question 9 +Can We Put It In A Clothes dryer? Or Simply Air Dry? +we have actually put them in the clothes dryer several times, still an ideal fit. +Question 10 +Are The Product Of These Sock Slippery? +Depends upon the surface area. If it is difficult wood, it can be slippery. +Question 11 +We Use Ladies 7.5 Should We Order Small? +Dear customer, thanks for your question.According to your size and we advise you pick small.Our socks have a good stretch-ability. Hope that can assist you.Many thanks.:–RRB- +Question 12 +Where Are They Made? +fabric factory +Our Insights: +See our insights (based upon our own experience after acquiring and utilizing the product, or based upon some research work) on Anqier Ankle Athletic Socks Men Women, these may be beneficial for better understanding. +They are precisely as imagined. They re very comfy to use. We purchased these for work and for the health club. The quality is truly good and they are great and thick. Good quality. +These are the single finest socks we have actually ever owned. They have extra cushioning in the ankle and even as low socks remain on your feet. We can use these all the time and they keep our feet pleased. You need to inspect these out, they are our preferred socks and all we will use from now on. A+ like them. +We have actually actually been on a sock hunt for a while. Our issue with low cut socks is that they move off when we go running. So we were truly delighted for these since they increase simply a bit greater. The leading around the angle is thicker however the remainder of the sock isn’t large. So it doesn t lot up in the athletic shoe. They are way better than any of the normal trademark name we got. The only issue we have now is keeping our hubby from taking them. +These are really the finest socks we have actually ever had. We have very uncomfortable arthritis in our feet and typically should use cushioned shoes even walking in our own carpeted home. These socks are excellence. As you can see from our picture, the extra cushioning from the ball of the foot forward, up and over the toes, is remarkable. The heel is similarly cushioned. The strip along the leading where you hang on to a sock to pull it on, that’s the most cushioned location of all, and it’s remarkable. If you have actually ever desired used running or hiking shoes that rub painfully on your achilles tendon, you understand how great an extra cushioned strip right there can be. So with all of this extra cushioning, you ‘d anticipate the socks to be extremely hot. They are not. Again, take a look at the picture and see the darker put on the socks- the majority of that is a very light-weight mesh that airs them out incredibly. The only failure to these socks is if you have currently tight shoes, you’ll feel the pressure from the cushioning using up more area. Other than that, they are excellence. We purchased a 6 pack at christmas and have actually simply been cleaning and using them every day because, no joke. We are going to buy them in other colors since we have actually never ever experienced socks this comfy prior to. They are soft walking your home, they secure our feet in all of the right locations to trek, to stroll truly fars away without experiencing blisters, nor have we experienced our feet sweating in them as soon as. We truly can not advise them enough. These socks are the very best socks we have actually ever owned in 45 years of life. The cost is more than a deal for 3 pairs of excellence. We sense they’ll hold up extremely well compared to the numerous kinds we have actually attempted in life so far. If they do not we will return and modify our evaluation, however for now we are purchasingmore There are really remarkable socks, particularly for those of you with arthritis or other joint pain in your feet. +Every because gold socks have actually lost their appeal, these have actually become our go to. We run a lot, and simply acquiring some new shoes, wished to get some new socks to round out the package. We nevertheless like them plush, and comfortable to compensate for the absence of cushioning some of our shoes have, and since we desire them to hold up. It’s nearly like a pillow, you desire it/them to stay fluffy right?being a size10 5 we bought a large, & right out of the package, these socks seem like a dream. They was available in 2 packs of 3 pairs, and after cleaning the first 3 set a few times, they appear to have actually held up well, and are more comfy than our low cut gold toe socks that we were searching for a sufficient replacementfor Gold toe has actually been our “go to” brand for years, since we like the truly plush feel of their cotton/poly/elastic blend, however they simply have not been putting out the exact same quality product just recently (and you can inspect their evaluations). These on the plus side, curtain our feet in heat and coolness (like a liquid cotton blend). Turns out it paid to do a little browsing & shoot on what everybody has actually currently had successwith There are few extra strings from the customizing to produce a better fit, however after several washes, we understood they aren’t going anywhere, and these might be along the very best socks we have actually bought. +We use size 9 shoes, however we bought size m (which is technically only as much as size 8. 5) and they fit effectively. At first we believed they were a bit tight, today they fit completely and we can’t picture having them any larger. These socks are great, they do not alter shape in the wash, they fit the foot completely without ever slipping down, and they’re relatively breathable. Our preferred function is the extra cushioning on the back, it does marvels to avoid blisters on the back of the foot. Outstanding socks in general, we are very pleased with them. +We do not ever buy the name brand socks( nike, under armour, etc). Cotton is cotton. You’re paying way more simply to promote for them. We see athletic socks that are $10/ set. It’s outrageous. This is a 6 pack that are quickly as good as the costly one’s. Stop squandering cash on name brand names and simply buy these. +We purchased two sets, heather gray and a dark grey, which sadly is virtually black. Tough product and building. There is a thick bumper on the back to cushion versus the shoe where you would otherwise get a friction contusion or bleeding. We didnt recognize what a good concept this was up until we put them on. We bypassed other products since of substantial logo designs or branding. Logo design on back of these is more visible than we would like, however it’s little. These are not economical, however neither is the quality. So we paid a lot more, however the value exists. +We didn’t anticipate much due to the rate expense, however we got astonished. Right of package a little bit of an odor however after the first wash, we resembled wow. We play tennis and the issue with rolling socks irritates us like absolutely nothing else. These socks stay which extra little tab at the heel is that the single factor and it s definitely ideal. When we first thought about purchasing these socks, we questioned whether we would feel that small tab. Well we didn’t. It s not like sensation something foreign connected to the heel of your sock (like those little pom-poms back within the day), this can be simply a part of the sock with simply the proper quantity of density to stay it in situ. For referral, we purchased size medium. We usually use a female s 9. 5 shoe and these socks aren’t tight in the tiniest degree. They wear t needs to be extended onto our foot. Perfect versatility. They exclusively move right as if they were made for our feet. No joking. We truly like these socks. We have actually purchased them two times now and choose to keep purchasing them. Oh, and simply in case you re questioning, we didn’t get these free and that we have not been provided any sort of discount rate. We sanctuary t been provided anything. We pay complete cost on every event. We are simply a pleased customer with a truthful and real 5-star evaluation. Provide an effort to we hope you like them too. +Ok, we have actually never ever been a fan of ankle socks, however we saw that these had great evaluations so we chose to provide a try. We have constantly “desired” to utilize ankle socks while running, however they simply wind up down in our shoe bunched up. We truthfully can’t state enough advantages aboutthese That bigger rib on the top fits over the ankle and they feel simply as safe and secure as crew socks. Even after long terms, there’s no droop at all, and they are exceptionally comfy. Two significant thumbs up of these socks.[fits small to medium-sized men s feet. Probably not ideal for feet larger than u. S. Size 11. ]these differ from other socks our hubby and we have actually attempted. They appear like efficiency socks with wicking homes. They nearly seem like they re rubbing your feet with the ribbing under the arches and the cushioning at the heels and toes. Not the softest sock on the planet however still feel good on the feet. They re warm without being hot. Perfect for the summer season. +We like the extra cushion these socks have in the ball of the foot– much more comfy when you’re walking all the time. We have actually likewise observed that our feet so not feel as sweaty using these socks compared to our normal socks. Guaranteed plus. The factor these socks are getting 4 stars rather of 5 is that they are somewhat too huge although we got the tiniest size. Likewise, they are not as low cut as displayed in the photo. Other than that, we would advise these socks. +These socks are really remarkable. We purchased a few various brand names, looking for comfortable and warm socks to change the ones we presently have and these are without a doubt the very best we have actually attempted. We went on and purchased 3 more sets and might get more because our relative keeps taking them all the time. +These were the 3rd set of anqier socks we have actually purchased, and they have actually all been great. For our functions, socks aren’t always an ultra-high efficiency product, however we run every day and deal with our feet, and all of the anqier socks we have actually purchased are great for heavy, long-lasting usage. Our preferred feature of them is how well they maintain their shape and structure in time. They do restrict simply a little after one wash, however they are extremely constant after that. No extending or using thin, and they maintain their flexibility and do not droop in time. Great product, extremely advise. +These socks are very comfy. They remain on our feet and do not go flying off when we do among our signature martial arts kicks to the sky, which is essential, as the last sock we had actually flew tidy off our foot and into the face of the individual who we were attempting to impress, hence messing up the impression, insulting this very crucial individual, and destroying our potential customers of advancing within our occupation. We recognize that we need to have worked out a degree of restriction, to refrain from showing our great high-kick throughout our in-person yearly evaluation. However truly, it was the sock. That infernal sock, now lost to time. If we needed to do it all again, we would be using this new sock, kicking with self-confidence, impressing not simply that very crucial individual however everyone, every action of the way, all chances for sped up success and wonder. In the meantime, we have these new socks and very little else. However we will be back, and these new socks are fantastic. They will facilitate our return. Thank you. +Our sweetheart required socks and only uses white, ankle socks. This pack of socks came with 6 pairs and was a great value. The socks are thick and high-quality. He has actually been using a set every day because we got them. He states they are comfy. We likewise cleaned a few pairs after he used them and they are still in great condition. They still have a dynamic white color and did not lose any strength in the strong material. Absolutely pleased with these socks. Thank you. +If you are not a ‘one size fits all’ kinda individual you might wish to provide these socks a shot. They can be found in a variety of sizes, are thick and cushioned and look good (not especially crucial to us however to some its crucial?). While we have not run them through the wash more than a number of times, up until now so good on the washable/wearable scale. We extremely advise that you attempt a set. +The photo is the within the socks. Lots of unraveled strings. Compression does not seem like it remains in the right location. Order a size bigger than you believe if you still wish to order these, they run quite little. After this evaluation they sent us the biggest size. They are more comfy, however still have all those loose strings inside. Absolutely purchase a size bigger than you believe you require. +We have actually constantly had an issue running holes into our socks and appear to constantly burn through them quickly. We desired something more resilient and constructed for heavy usage. These appeared to fit what we were lookingfor They are very comfy and up until now appear they will last a while. We likewise like the extra cushioned achilles location to lessen shoe burns back there. Would advise. +Got our socks in the mail today. Did a wash and attempted them on immediately. They are super soft and comfy to use. We remain in an exercise obstacle group and these were a great contribute to our closet. It supplies that extra plush comfort for the extra walking and running to get our actions up and in. Will be getting more for our hubby too because he s on his feet alllll the time. +Last update on 2021-05-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API +In honor of the upcoming release of Scream 4, I decided to revisit the original Scream trilogy to get ready for what Wes Craven and company have in store for us next month. I've always thought that the Scream films were smarter than most horror films (and most other films in general). Still, it had been a while since I saw all three films, so I dusted off my Scream DVD box set to re-examine this trilogy as one continuous story (as opposed to three separate film releases separated by months and years). While I was watching these movies, I saw details that I hadn't noticed before, details that will probably ensure this franchise's appeal in the years and decades to come. Read on to see what I found that makes Scream a durable franchise and what we can expect in Scream 4. +Warning: This post is written with the understanding that the reader is familiar with the Scream franchise and it goes into spoiler-heavy details about each film. Thus, if you want to read this post but haven't seen any of the Scream films, go watch the Scream trilogy first and then come back here afterwords. +The first Scream can easily stand alone as a classic slasher flick. For all of its goofy, self-aware jabs at slasher films, Scream has its fair share of raw, terrifying scenes, the cast of characters don't feel interchangeable, and the plot slowly unfolds in such a way that kept your attention and dovetailed neatly with the final big reveal of the killer's identity. While the killer's intent in the beginning seems to stem from an unhealthy obsession with Westboro high school student Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), the film gradually reveals that the death of Sidney's mother Maureen (Lynn McRee) the year before plays a much larger role in the killer's agenda. When I saw Scream for the first time, the Maureen Prescott subplot led me to think that the killer was older than Sidney (although not Sidney's dad); thus, I was very surprised that the masked killer was in fact two teenage killers, Sidney's boyfriend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stuart "Stu" Macher (Matthew Lillard). That said, the scene where Billy and Stu stab each other as part of their final alibi is still an intense scene to watch after all these years. +Of course, the success of Scream made the success of its two sequels that much more uncertain. It's difficult to scare audiences the same way twice; horror sequels usually lack the fresh, visceral tension and shock of their originators, which is why they often resort to quantity over quality in terms of plotting and style. The Scream sequels don't abhor this trend--in fact, they openly celebrate it by clearly stating that it is one of the "rules" for horror sequels, and thus increase the body count accordingly--but that's not all that happens. Surprisingly, the sequels actually continue the story from the first film in significant ways that allowed Scream to mature from a single film into a complete three-part story. The two things I noticed that held the Scream movies together as a complete trilogy are parallel and overlapping arcs of character development and plot points, and a consistent, evolving theme. +Parallel/Overlapping Arcs: The Scream movies boast a glib, self-referential style of storytelling, but that self-reference goes beyond bits of snarky dialogue and into the parallel, overlapping characters and plots themselves. When taking all three films into consideration, the most obvious arcs of parallel and overlapping character development are between Maureen Prescott and her daughter Sidney: +- Maureen wanted to be a movie star and while that never happened, her murder--which links back to her brief, traumatic time in Hollywood--results in her becoming a post-mortem celebrity of sorts through the Woodsboro Murders book written by Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) and the subsequent Stab movies that are based on Weathers' book. In other words, Maureen's attempt at Hollywood stardom while she's alive by accepting bit parts in low budget horror movies fails, but she becomes a star of sorts in a series of low budget horror movies that are based on her own murder. +- Sidney also becomes a celebrity, first in the aftermath of her mother's murder in Scream and then because of her survival of murderers' desire for revenge and the subsequent arrival of a copycat killer in Scream 2. Curiously, Sidney chooses theater arts as her college major in Scream 2 before she learns of her mother's past in Hollywood in Scream 3. Depending on how you look at it, Maureen's sexual assault in Hollywood and extramarital affairs in Woodsboro--as well as the psychotic campaigns of revenge they inspired--ultimately prevented Sidney from being from becoming an actress and possibly being exploited in the same way Maureen was. (Maureen Prescott: stage mother from beyond the grave?) +As the Scream movies progress, they evolve into a maze of mirrors. The killers become increasingly sophisticated in hiding their identity and using audio and video technology to confuse their victims. The Ghostface killer seems to appear everywhere in the first Scream, between Billy and Stu alternating the assumption of the Ghostface persona and the high school pranksters wearing Ghostface masks; this intimidating feeling of omnipresence escalates in Scream 2 and 3 as Ghostface becomes an icon through the Stab movies. As the trilogy emphasizes its connections to films with it "rules of the horror film/sequel/trilogy" plot points, each successive film climax takes place ever closer to the film industry itself: the first takes place in a house where teenagers are watching slasher films, the second takes place on a stage full of props for a Greek tragedy, and the third takes place in a vast, labyrinthine Hollywood mansion filled with horror movie memorabilia. +With such an emphasis on recurring and deceptive sounds and images, it's only fitting for the Scream trilogy to conclude with a killer like Roman Bridger (Scott Foley). For as impressive as some of his kills are in Scream 3, the character of Roman is ultimately a tragic one: Because of the events he set in motion with Billy in revenge for the idyllic family life he thought he was being denied in Woodsboro by being rejected by Maureen, he ends up having to build a fake Woodsboro for Stab 3 at the behest of Hollywood. Since he's denied the revenge he wanted when Sidney became the hero in the eyes of the public, he expresses his rage--in a rather emasculated way, no less--by killing the fake Sidney and her fake friends. +Evolving Theme: Even though the Scream movies give plenty of time to Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) to explain the rules of the horror film/sequel/trilogy, the overarching theme of the Scream movies isn't slasher movies at all. (Sorry, Randy.) It's actually media’s exploitation of “true crime” stories as part of "infotainment", the stuff that has grown in frequency and popularity since the beginning of the Scream franchise, with the rise of 24 hour cable news outlets, the explosion of specialty channels on TV, "reality" television shows, and the Internet. After all, what better genre is there to explore the exploitative nature of the media than by using the slasher film, which is often considered to be part of exploitation cinema? +To be fair, sensationalized true crime coverage has always been part of the media in one form of another. Yet as far as I know, Scream is the only horror franchise to make it a recurring theme. From the Woodsboro Murders book and the Stab movies to the characters who profit from them, such as Gale and John Milton (Lance Henriksen), the Scream movies feature the media's coverage of Ghostface's killings and Sidney's involvement with them as a recurring background presence. The parallel character arcs also reflect the media's coverage of the murders. In addition to the arcs of Maureen and Sidney, there are also the characters arcs in Scream 2 of the killer Mickey (Timothy Olyphant) and Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber), the man who was originally convicted of killing Maureen. Mickey sees his accomplishments as a Ghostface killer as a way to become a true crime celebrity, with his trial becoming a media circus akin to the 1995 murder trial of OJ Simpson (who is the punch line of one of Scream 2's jokes, no less). On the other hand, Cotton stalks Sidney as part of his plan get the media attention he feels he deserves to prove his innocence after being wrongfully incarcerated. While Mickey dies at the end of the movie and fails to achieve his plan of serial killer stardom, Cotton survives and parlays his connection to the Ghostface killings to become the host of his own talk show, 100 Percent Cotton. +While it's clear that the makers of the Scream films don't believe that horror movies cause real life violence, their portrayal of the general public's reaction to violence isn't very flattering. The teenagers in Scream seem more amused than horrified by the Ghostface killings; when the killings are re-created on the silver screen in the first Stab movie in Scream 2, the audience is treated to a gimmick-heavy screening more worthy of a William Castle B-grade horror movie release than a serious dramatic account of murder. Then again, this is not without precedence in the real world: The fictional killers in Psycho +In my opinion, the Scream movies do a better job of examining the media's sensationalism of true crime than Oliver Stone's controversial 1994 film Natural Born Killers +With all that the first three films have accomplished, what can we expect from Scream 4? Judging from the preview trailers, it appears that the media exploitation of true crime theme is still present. Not only is Sidney referred to as a "celebrity victim" by one of the reporters, but Woodsboro itself has hopped on the true crime bandwagon by celebrating the tenth anniversary of the first Ghostface killings and lining its streets with dummies dressed as Ghostface lined along the streets as part of the festivities. Another clip in the trailer pokes fun at the recent wave of horror remakes that have flooded movie theaters. On the other hand, I don’t know if this new Scream story will involve some unique aspect of modern exploitation media, such as a sleazy tell-all Web site or a reality TV show. It's also unknown just how many more people are still angry enough at the late Maureen Prescott and her family to assume the Ghostface mantle. I guess we'll just have to wait and see when Scream 4 arrives on April 15. +Really insightful. Enjoyed it very much! +Gavin, +Glad you liked the Scream trilogy essay--thanks for commenting! For a franchise so rare to have sequels as good as Scream 2 and 3, it would be a shame not to recognize this accomplishment outside of the context of the first movie. +One of my greatest pleasures in life, apart from writing letters and travelling, is reading. There is rarely a time, day or night, that I do not have a book in my hands and, while I might not be able to read at any point in time, it is always there for those free moments when I can open its pages and disappear into another world. I appreciate that we live in a world, today, where printed books are considered unusual, and the people who read them in public, in open spaces and cafés, are odd. They stand out, for some, from the crowd by not being like everyone else, by not having their heads bent down towards a small smart phone screen and their thumbs moving rapidly up and down across the Plexiglas. Book readers do have their heads bent down, and they do use their thumbs – some even use their fingers to follow the printed lines of script on a page – but it is a different, quieter, more relaxed form of leisure they are enjoying, and in a private world partially of their own making, partially created by a person who they will probably never meet. +So I was sitting in a coffee shop not too long ago, glancing back through literature most people have never heard of – bearing in mind that some youngsters today have not heard of the greatest film stars and musicians of all time, and are surprised to find out that someone they appreciate is not a twenty-something but a seventy-something! – and came to the end of the book, and a few thoughts remained in my mind. I mean quite aside from the usual ones of asking myself how any sane and intelligent person in this world can exist without literature, although I understand there are some people who attempt it, who have not read a book since they graduated, and do not seem to miss it in any way. One of my thoughts was over the recent spate, in England at least, of complaints that literature is dying because no one is writing good novels, literary fiction any more. They are more interested in making money, which seems to come as a surprise to some, and formulate their works for film rather than for the reading audience. My opinion is that a book should be written for the reader, and if a director wishes to make a film of it that is his work, his creative activity along with the screenwriters. I found the thought that literature is dying, that decent books are no longer being published slightly overblown – as, for many years, the idea that the book is dead and only digital works will be available in the future is overblown – especially when I look at the selection of works which were published in 2017, and those considered for the better literary prizes. It seems to be that there are just as many, but being taken on by smaller publishers, initially, with lesser resources. The larger names, those who have amalgamated with one another to form massive publishing houses on an international level, have too much work to do keeping their financial books balanced, to risk taking on a work which might not sell too well but is, for us, a masterpiece. +Although masterpiece is perhaps also a little overblown, as everyone has their own idea of what makes good literature and what is simply pulp fiction made for the film world or to pass a few hours in a train. I often wonder what the original publishers of the Harry Potter books – Bloomsbury – thought when discussing whether to publish or not: did they take on the work just to fill a space, or because they thought it could be sold on to another publisher for a good price to cover any losses? You possibly know that the first in the series from J. K. Rowling was published in a very small edition of only a few hundred copies, most of which were sent to libraries and have since disappeared forever, and one of which was auctioned off recently for a very high price as a pristine first edition. For some the Harry Potter books are masterpieces, for others it is Henry James or Charles Dickens. And yet others tend toward Robert Frost or Emily Dickinson and the shorter, inspiring works of poetry they committed to paper. +For me a masterpiece is a written work which has survived the passage of time such as, among many others, Publius Vergilius Maro’s Aeneid, which was written about two thousand years ago and is still not only in print today, but often used as an inspiration for other writers, and most certainly as a text for universities and the many course they offer in classical literature, in mythology and both the Greek and Roman empires of old. For others it has no time, which I can well understand too, but is written with such a depth of insight and clarity that we are taken, as a reader, into this world, as an integral part, and the fantasy of the writer’s mind entwines us and becomes a part of our thoughts and fantasy if only for a short period of time. And for those who claim that literary fiction is dying, that books have nothing to say to the modern world and are, like letter writing, old-fashioned and dead, I can quote Virgil as he highlights my feelings: +So saying, in burning rage he burrowed his sword full in Turnus’ breast. His limbs grew slack and chill and with a moan his life fled resentfully to the Shades below. +This is the feeling I have when someone claims that books are passé, finished, not worth the time of day; as if they have cut me to the quick, robbed me of all that is pleasurable in life, and sent my shivering, saddened soul down into the depths of the Earth. Of course, I have no problem going down to the Shades, when the time comes, but hope that my journey with Charon across the River Acheron, or perhaps the Styx, will lead me to one of the other doors available! +Now why, you may well be asking yourself, should anyone write to me, from the other side of the world, and start his letter off with a play on books and literature? It is not, we both can accept, the normal way for a person to introduce themselves to a person they do not know. You would not, as an example, wander up to a beautiful woman, a handsome man, in a coffee shop, sit down opposite them – let us assume this is a sort of blind date and not just someone sitting down, although that happens to me a great deal, sad to say, and usually when I am reading – and start telling them that the rest of the civilised world, with its move away from printed literature, is wrong and needs to turn about, go back along the path to the crossroads where, clearly, someone took a wrong turning. You’re not going to win many friends by trying to get friends that way, unless you happen to be going to talk to someone you know is interested in real culture, or happen to be in one of the few surviving literary cafés. I put it on much the same level as the person who came up to me, once, and told me without any other introduction that they were wearing nothing but black underwear. I’m sure this is the defining moment of their life, but not the best way to come into conversation in polite society, and certainly not with a stranger. +So why should I, the stranger, write a letter to you, the person in a foreign land, about books, literature and reading? Well, clearly, as I stated, it is one of my interests and it is good to share interests with others you wish to come into contact with, and maintain contact with, by some means or other, so that a similar level of understanding comes about. If two people, or a group, do not share the same interests then there is no basis for conversation. People should, of course, have other interests that are not shared, otherwise life and discussion, small talk or whatever, would be very tedious indeed, but a basis is always good. It is not, however, one of your interests, as I see no mention of reading on your profile at all, even though, I must admit, there are a few other interesting traits mentioned. It’s just that with all the other things you mention, predominantly in the direction of the Arts, it is almost inconceivable to me that you do not read, that you have no interest in books and literature of some sort. +Of course, I might just as well have chosen one of our shared interests to write about: photography. However, what is life if not a challenge? And I suspect that my interest in photography could be slightly different than that you follow, as I collect old photographs, the sort which other people throw into the waste paper. I’m not quite so good at taking pictures, even with the most modern do-it-all-for-you machines on offer, although I have been known to try, and I do have two or three good photographs managed to take which stand out from the hundreds of other useless ones. But collecting old photographs – and mine have a limiting date of no later than the mid-Twenties – tends to be less interesting for most people than reading, which is also a good thing as I can then continue with my hobby in peace and quiet, and the price of the photographs I want doesn’t shoot up through the ceiling as it did with postcards a few years ago. And there is also the advantage that you can mention a writer’s name, or that of a major literary character, such as Hercule Poirot or Harry Potter, and people know who you mean. Mention a relatively famous photographer’s name, aside from perhaps three or four, and no one knows what you mean, let alone who. +If my poetry has any power, no day shall ever blot you from the memory of time, so long as the house of Aeneas dwells on the Capitol’s unshaken rock, and the Father of Rome holds sovereign sway! +Literary names remain, while others disappear: even those of famous politicians and statesmen, scientists and all the rest, unless included in the written histories of their science, of their country, of their time. But the chances are that you do have an interest in reading books, and that some are even available to you, even if in limited quantities, and so I am not taking too much of a risk putting pen to paper and investing my time in a letter to you. And I, of course, am not just interested in literature, but also many other things which, sometimes, cross over with your interests and, sometimes, veer off in a completely different direction with no chance of meeting up and allowing joint exploration. Regardless, the original profile cause an interest, pen has been put to paper, and only time will tell whether this small missive from across the world, well-intentioned, manages to rise above all the others doubtlessly sent and received at the same time, and cause enough of an interest in the possibilities of the future, in the chances of creating an exceptional written friendship across the oceans to merit a reply. +About +Privacy +Terms +location of a for hotel athens greece city center map +loved our holiday in puerto rico gran canaria world map +lower expressway untapped cities subway map east side nyc +las piramides resort tenerife map +landmarks map metro rail subway stations lines public transportation system network diagram blue expo gold bike los angeles +large printable blank us map united states maps outline washington state counties +location map belize city attractions +large map of 1 mapletree commercial trust +langkawi island map pdf +lava rock hike maui island hiking trails map +largest cities map of and population bangladesh travel guide +location of state on a map australia tasmania v20 +light rail map link transportation for x pixels seattle pdf 2018 +lethbridge ab street map +location map of cape national park nova breton canada mapa +lower normandy road map france +like this item map of lake geneva switzerland area +large detailed map of benevento italy +learn about the various habitats you will find at wild animal park parks exhibit page tells what to look san diego zoo safari map +like this item map of area around la rochelle france +lower attraction map nyc bus brooklyn to manhattan +layout salta province argentina map +lighthouse map by to trade tags oregon coast lighthouses +location of in world map x pixels qatar cup stadium +location on the world map lovely locate me random 2 austria political +location of princess place in new county left and north right credit map data ac google wilmington nc by zip code +lets avoid a head on collision between and roads by finding compromise marta map with streets +located in southern is one of the most diverse regions peninsula it only region to benefit from both shores weather radar andalucia spain +language map spain catalonia +large map of maplesea hack +la photos lieu street map of rochelle france +large map of florence italy printable +lower manhattan street map printable +location on the map road of south cyprus +location on the map belize blue hole +location of french language school in google map france montpellier +la map city sightseeing tour in quebec canada cities +like this item downtown baltimore map with parking +launch map google vienna city centre +la overall map street rochelle france +location of court townhouse in city centre dublin sites map +light rail map of weekend rt closures closed stations highlighted in orange regional central link seattle uw +listen to this at the airport audio walk around virtually using interactive map amsterdam netherlands world +like this item street map calgary alberta +location road map 8 modern in flat design vector free download mumbai +light rail map link extension to connect neighbourhoods x pixels seattle future +london kings cross station google map +logo image street map of lethbridge ab +life in university south korea subway map english +luxembourg ville tourist map +location map tamale ghana on world +large map of 3 prague sightseeing bus +learning geography edition new china topographic maps world terrain tubular uganda topo +lower new york manhattan street map pdf +location of region on a map catanzaro calabria italy +la city map of rochelle france +location map of clermont auvergne france +large detailed map of road southern cyprus +lower map new york manhattan attractions +low resolution campus map frankfort ky zoning +lake geneva switzerland map +list of universities in crime mapper louisville ky +like this item oregon state park campground map +location on ocean map maldives world +launches intuitive subway maps in collaboration with french map designer be savvy printable seoul korea +likely to have little impact on but the next storm might city map halifax nova scotia canada +location on the map heidelberg germany maps and directions +linguistic map pre world war 2 ukraine +located at the southern borders on in north and nepal world map location +location of and on a world map detailed postcode uk +las vegas strip monorail map 2015 +location of st cemetery in the bronx new york street map +location map google world malta +languages of and google map denmark sweden +largest cities map of google maps san marino ca +las vegas strip map of casinos 2016 +la to driving map of los angeles and san diego area +location of county on a map printable outline west virginia +location map of springs seaworld san diego 2016 +location map of in relation to city centre and views outlying regions tourist canberra australia +large map laminated tubed of australia and new zealand +local map tourist strasbourg france +location map chamarel mauritius google +location map france montpellier region +la rochelle airport france map +large map of san miguel spain costa blanca +la gastronomic map of r lugano switzerland google +latitude and longitude map belize blue hole google maps +lodge map yosemite valley room +link light rail map orange extends u blue seattle uw +lodge location road map manitoba canada +lake trail map resort guide and skiing tips ski buzz of louise alberta canada +la gulf area road map showing national parks liberia costa rica google +location map santa cruz bolivia world +like this item downtown annapolis shopping map +larger image google maps cape verde sal +link light rail map with x seattle google maps +little creek base map general case occurrence returned fact immediately norfolk va naval +leave a review joshua tree national park map download +los angeles metro subway map +lit houston metro bus zone map +location doha qatar world map +large detailed map of city google quebec canada +location map of new state mexico states game +location map find qatar world +lake in banff louise map canada +luxembourg city attractions map +la map of france near rochelle +location of and pins next to nice airport french map provence cote dazur france +light rail map tempe arizona +layover in sightseeing map with two walking routes munich city centre pdf +link light rail map the also considers a no build alternative and four potential locations seattle airport to downtown +location map mauritius world atlas +local research on religious plurality at north rhine westphalia germany map +location map landmarks munich city centre +long beach cruise port map printable ca airport +location map haiti place in world +like this item old quebec city street map +labeled printable map of colorado springs co +like this item memphis tn area code map +like this item florence map print +loop trail met the vision for is to link two communities of and city louisville ky permit map +lucerne switzerland city map +links avenue elementary school 2 4 regions map california wine appellations +lake is one of our favorite romantic destinations as the crystal waters snow capped mountains and alpine forests are conducive to romance lugano switzerland map +location map spain portugal world +localisation la location of on world map ghana political +location in world map add your library to the little mauritius situated +location is a nation located in northern it shares borders denmark sweden germany map +location on world map with guam +location in world map park hotel amsterdam google maps +la overall map rochelle airport france +location of region on a map maplestory 2 sea +lo how do maps show us tourist attractions charleston sc visitors map +like most ideal destinations location is paramount to a truly unique experience known locally as barefoot perfect belize map +location map of and before march 4 antigua guatemala on world +large and detailed map of paphos cyprus +locations of sequenced samples from outbreaks raccoon specific variant rabies virus infection map canada us border ontario +la original antique mapa argentina politico rio dela plata +location on map of chinatown new york mappa +larger map here portola redwood state park trail +location on the map in world spain tenerife +large map of 1 baja mexico detailed +la gulf area road map showing national parks liberia costa rica mapa turistico +location of on world map first temple in ready end show abu dhabi +las vegas monorail map stops +la ciudad de plata argentina mapa +location of city in quebec street map pdf +like this item dresden east germany map +locality myciti cape town map +lithograph vintage street map nice city planning civic layout of paris france +lower new york manhattan subway map pdf +la on a map showing rochelle france +large detailed map of with cities road south cyprus +lexington ky city limits map +like this item free printable map of dubai +large detailed road and highways map of on sonora mexico +language map by help world spain catalonia +large detailed subway map of new city york lower manhattan +la plagne piste map +location on the map world greenland +line drawing map of the island abama resort tenerife +location map of malta world atlas +large detailed roads and highways map of with cities mexico +la map rochelle france tourist +last at six flags map st louis 1971 +level 4 country shapes free printable map of haiti +location maldives world map political +languages india map +left map right holiday inn amsterdam +location on world map article maps charts origins current events in historical x find venezuela +luxury chalets on hill morzine ski resort piste map +land fuerteventura printable road map +languages map india +local location map midtown apartment bldg atlanta +la tourist map google france montpellier +la resort map pool and swim up suite paradisus playa del carmen +local map of the area louisville ky city +la valley map plagne ski 2016 +location on the map in of showing tram dresden germany +liverpool echo arena google maps +large map of showing all airports with scheduled flights from the or carcassonne airport france +lower map nyc subway downtown manhattan +la piste map plagne paradiski +light rail map getting around schedules maps king county metro transit x pixels seattle airport to downtown +location in the northwest google maps phnom penh city center map +location of saint county on a map six flags st louis 2016 +little bow river map of north lethbridge alberta +location of county on a map time zone nebraska i 80 +london borough political map 2016 +lodging map print email printable of boise idaho +lamanai mayan ruins belize map +life is good in the this map will help you find your way to our beautiful backyard full of champagne powder so can enjoy it as much road okanagan valley +la on a map street rochelle france +la ski resort plagne piste map high resolution +la map google costa rica driving directions +location in world map showing egypt +location village on map of street west nyc +las vegas monorail routes stops +location index for storm and post elevations the outer banks each iludes topography as well map of north carolina usa +large detailed map of acapulco mexico +large map of 1 dublin city centre attractions +light rail map link transportation for x pixels seattle from airport +lies to the east of mainland sanctuary belize location map +lake zurich map switzerland +location map new netherlands on world +large us wall map united states historical maps poster print picture x printable +line gold is a 7km monorail system in which will connect international airport to the metro rail network sao paulo layout map +location on the map printable of spain blank +liverpool airport google maps +location windy hill resort is located miles from city and 2 west of town in the district we are situated on manicured belize blue hole google maps +lake classic map oklahoma city printable +latitude longitude map time zone and with x nebraska usa +location of city in map quebec province cities +link light rail map 1 of 8 train seattle +lake is a ski town like no other located in national park the resort offers world class terrain that both vast map of louise canada +line septa map philadelphia airport +large detailed subway map of new city long island york manhattan +languages of and norway sweden denmark map +location on the map street kalamata greece +large us wall map printable of usa +line philadelphia septa concourse map +location on world map of states x argentina atlas +lake ski resort piste map front side larch banff louise canada +location on map venezuela show in world +local maps for sale to print street map location poster mapletree business city 2 +language map buy n languages online x pixels india +las vegas strip hotel map 2017 printable +large map of street antique minneapolis sweeping +location of the country is home to what on world map argentina atlas +la beach resort excellent updated prices reviews palm eagle map of aruba hotels +light rail map plus proposed seattle expansion +land cover map printable of texas landforms +location map at world syria 2017 +look inside sheet 1 2 central london bus map download +location maps for world record largest fireworks on the map dubai +location on us map states worldmark las vegas address +lawmakers are balking at far reaching measures to tackle climate change policy is in tatters international efforts slow australia map daily mail +large tourist map of st island us virgin islands buck croix +love the travel tip about mixing up your items between you and partner if one bag is lost both have clothes still northern california map cities +limited map printable free provinces and territories perspective outline com canadian road +lighthouses oregon coast map +la petite free map plateau mont royal montreal +large detailed time zones map of and australian central zone +limerick districts map street of kelowna streets +location on the map world malta island +like this item frankfort kentucky zip code map +languages cycle europe map germany austria and switzerland +location of state new on a map mexico states names +location on the map prague city centre pdf +light rail map this imagined is tantalizing the seattle university of washington +large detailed map of south with cities western australia +la map showing rochelle france +location map airport implementation sites arlanda baggage claim +location of national park on map new south wales world +location map by world singapore buy +l vista satelital de pinar del rio cuba +los angeles metro map 2016 pdf +lower street map high detail maps of new top tourist attractions free printable manhattan battery park +locator map all the edition spain portugal cities +landmarks aerial birds eye view top tourist attractions map of paris districts and +land utilization world map showing jamaica +location map of penthouse apartments at harbour getaway google darling sydney +large printable us map best of blank world outline australia +lighthouses of the coast map oregon +large map of detailed world australia +like this item road maps alberta canada +land use greece topographic map download +lake google map switzerland major cities +los angeles metro subway red line +land use map of europe including netherlands +large version of the map paris arrondissements attractions +large antique birds eye city view of heidelberg germany parking map +location map science park university of amsterdam google maps +look inside sheet 3 central london bus guide map +la map of the resort grounds playa del carmen google maps +large size of terminal 1 floor plan unusual within exquisite airport toronto pearson yyz 3 map +lugano switzerland city map +las vegas monorail map hotels +location map of state connecticut usa +looking for an alternative to the must see destinations then check out some of hubs most overlooked attractions mapparium hours boston ma +lake island map of southern bc highways +location of state on a map australia victoria +locator map bavaria germany region +local map of new york showing harlem +la town city plan maritime old rochelle france tourist map +looking up through the bamboo along trail near forest hike maui map +location map world with guatemala highlighted +lakes lake overview google maps lucerne switzerland +lugano switzerland map google +location on the north map show bermuda triangle world +lower attraction map printable of new york city landmarks +looking for something maple street biscuit chattanooga menu prices +large detailed road map of and national flag vector australia east coast trip +left national park topographic map from right yellowstone river usa +languages of and denmark norway poland map +language map burkina faso location world +la centre map city of rochelle france +los angeles metro rail station map +location map region forecast sub regions of yellowknife canada google +land utilization free maps of australia for tomtom +location of earthquake under volcano crab island tenerife map +liberal influence santa cruz de tenerife tourist map pdf +languages of india map +longs wine regions map northern italy +live google map below with exact location of the office red marker toronto streetcar route 512 +lower attraction map manhattan tourist +large detailed subway map of new city york manhattan download +latitude and longitude map eurasia outline printable +large laminated western australian map detailed +location map glitter and island resort find maldives world +lake topographic map yellowstone park hiking +localisation google map auvergne france +list vegas strip hotels map 2014 +location in world map where is park on of easy guides walibi holland +layout ohare airport map terminal 2 food +liberia costa rica road map +lanzarote location world map +lower attraction map brooklyn heights street parking +location in world map showing singapore and india +location of in world map x pixels find qatar +ls photo at steep ravine cabins and campground dipsea trail map +location on the map venezuela show in world +lake lugano switzerland map +location in world map common questions where is x pixels mauritius located +location map of the city is located on northern gold coast gulf some to southeast southern united states +lower tip map tourist attractions manhattan bridges +lg launch google maps earth rome italy +las vegas strip map pdf 2016 +los angeles metro bus maps +location on the map romania country world +link light rail map the also considers a no build alternative and four potential locations seattle future +left map right amsterdam location world +language areas of map ibiza spain world +lower manhattan sights map +location map n google phnom penh city +license plate game us map of states free printable maps with capitals +looking for a map of google atyrau kazakhstan +lodge map yosemite backcountry camping +large map of and easy to read printable world canvas australia +las vegas strip hotels map images +located at the south western tip of island about kilometres from road map langkawi +lower tip map tourist attractions street of manhattan new york city +la old harbour fort map of rochelle france +largest cities map of and population kelowna streets +lines around kings cross london underground station map +london central buses map +link light rail map downtown transit tunnel king county metro x future stations seattle +large map of 1 detailed england with towns +last comment tour the island of maplestory 2 sea +location on the map mapletree logistics trust share price +lava flow scenarios for performed with a lanzarote canary islands world map +location on the map printable of haiti and dominican republic +lighthouse directory region map of coastal maine botanical gardens +lower map also of artwork subway east side ny +link to google maps print printable dubai map tourist +lake google map france switzerland austria +la pinned on a map of stock photo area around rochelle france +land and water resources of the corpus area texas map landforms +left two maps geographical position of the republic right map presents four macedonia country world +large map of turkey showing all airports with scheduled flights from the or south +locate the gulags google unveils more detailed north maps korea missile map +light rail routes to naval station narrowed 6 norfolk virginia base map +location on the north map grenada world +location on world map where is located the printable outline of egypt +land utilization cyprus country location world map +location map wilmington nc police crime +location of on world map physical highlighted continent x printable kenya +lower downtown co directions location and map zip code denver +like this item detailed map norway +location of state on a map tasmania distance calculator +largest cities map of world history activities ancient egypt answers +location map of in relation to city centre and views outlying regions australia canberra sydney +los angeles metro rail lines map +left coast best united states of america west map +large and detailed map of peninsula borough in kenai pdf +large detailed topographical map of virgin islands tortola maps british +lexington kentucky zoning map +large historical map picture valle de guadalupe pdf +light rail map beautiful seattle university of washington +location of in world map nepal atlas +link to redwood regional park map oakland trail +like in general are driving less the recent historically unprecedented decline vehicle travel coupled with wisconsin hwy 10 construction map +lanzarote spain world map +lester b pearson airport terminal 3 map +located near honor in beautiful northwest images michigan wineries map +la cruise port street map of rochelle france +location map of east liverpool street station tube +latitude and longitude map of cartagena colombia old town +little america salt lake city map +like this item street map of mackinac island michigan +long distance champs orienteering map from tasmania road distances +light rail route net seattle map university of washington +location map of maldives luxury hotels +like this item map of germany showing dusseldorf and cologne +la super marine chart nautical charts app rio dela plata ubicado en el mapa de argentina +local map of beach california coast venice +le plateau mont royal map +location of state island on a map rhode maple syrup association +latitude and longitude map world australian geographic +large map of australia and new zealand +long island panel teal map print vintage maps +line map great world city singapore mrt complete +lower map street new city york manhattan island +light rail map city of mercer island east link with x seattle google maps +live traffic map mapquest costa rica driving directions +lower map by nyc bus manhattan +locator map in world showing malaysia and indonesia +liberia costa rica mapa turistico +location on continental us map printable +little chinatown nueva york mapa +light rail map downtown transit tunnel king county metro x seattle capitol hill +location map and flag of stock vector mapa de la provincia pinar del rio cuba +location of in world map cup venues x qatar city +location in world map new amsterdam +land use mappa klagenfurt austria +label wine regions of practice exam map northern italy +la map of pacific coast through southern san diego coastline cities +layout north carolina zoo park map +location of in map kathmandu nepal world +location map of based on satellite images liverpool airport +languages of scheduled india map +large antique map of new south wales victoria australia vector +loop road badlands map of europe and asia +large us road map of roads detailed thailand cambodia and vietnam +land sales in bytes google map michigan counties +landmarks map metro rail subway stations lines public transportation system network diagram blue expo gold line los angeles ca +location map ferry greece islands +location map of volcanoes national park hawaii directions +location road map vectors photos and files free download all india +light rail map the convention center is located conveniently off x of hotels in downtown dallas tx +large antique birds eye city view of heidelberg castle germany map +location wilmington nc crime map +location of the cape atmospheric observatory at islands google map verde africa +lake map yosemite valley lodge property +louisville ky city limits map +lanzarote canary islands world map +london overground map 2017 +location of metropolitan region upper on a map normandy france invasion +location a family from were on holiday in show me lanzarote the world map +lake state park map of the county oregon parks location +list of hotels hotel map aruba eagle beach +location map mauritius world image +la cote dazur railway map +location darling harbour on map +location of palace hotel athens city centre tourist map +light rail map beautiful seattle university +location map troy turkey +location of palace hotel athens greece tourist attractions map +location of metropolitan region lower on a map normandy france airports +labeled vector map of with states lines generalized to fit regular hexagonal grid pattern mexico state guerrero +last edition of east s u network map europe and asia +list must do national mall museums memorials gardens galleries government building dc top tourist map of washington with metro stops +la piste map plagne ski app +large raised relief map pacific northwest 5 x scroll down for order information wine region +location of on world map the oil discoveries x abu dhabi and dubai +la centre map street rochelle france +like this item florence tourist map print +location on the map tourist information alcudia majorca +location map of cape before march 5 google maps cidade da praia cabo verde +location of on world map maps united emirates trade center mall abu dhabi +list of universities in colleges boston map +la with overview map vector fuerteventura road pdf +launches intuitive subway maps in collaboration with french map designer be savvy seoul korea english +light rail map 1 metro routes houston tx +lodge national park jungle biological center with cabins pool wildlife and flowers in tropical central costa rica driving times map +large printable map us maps united states pages of the with cities +large detailed road map of with all cities and airports italy printable +large detailed map of with cities and towns sicily +local attractions orlando tourist map steve munns +learn more ancient greece map europe +location of state on a map ct by county +located 4 hours from has its own international airport with flights coming the most important cities in us and street map of guadalajara mexico +location road map of corner brook nl +location map of island state rhode red maple tree +large airport map chicago ohare terminal 5 to 3 +large map of showing all airports with scheduled flights from the or denmark copenhagen mission +look very closely at the above photo shape of a shadowy mitten can be seen on left side blue rock formations maplesea mesos +legislative map bundle las vegas water district +large map of regensburg tourist pdf +latin america time zone map +la map of rochelle area france +la piste map belle plagne pdf +located in the heart of outer banks map nc corolla +lower comparison manhattan sights map +like this item ukraine capital map +lagoon venice attractions map google +lower town street map quebec city pdf +location worksheet printable blank map of kenya +la a wanrlust and beautiful places girona attractions map +little creek base map every container process returned continually originally naval operations norfolk +large raised relief map pacific northwest 5 x scroll down for order information vine maple +laminated map of belize city attractions +largest cities map of off road maps australia +la world map islands new tsunami threat tomtom maps canary +luxor strip map +large road map of st island us virgin islands with other marks random 2 saint maplestory training guide +letter map screen print printable street of dubai +lower map of downtown manhattan new york city +location on world map best of browse info dubai mapworld atlas +location map of state connecticut usa county +large map of showing all airports with scheduled flights from the or google kalamata greece +lizard point us state map quiz test your geography knowledge states the and interactive game for games at usa connecticut new york +light rail map this imagined is tantalizing the seattle link google maps +local shuttle busses to visit map siracusa sicily italy +lower as seen on map left replaced with a more manhattan new york ny street +link light rail map revised plan for quicker timelines more stations and better seattle downtown +la by map of france rochelle region +location world map of africa egypt israel +leelanau peninsula mi map +location of in north inset map data copyright street calgary alberta canada +light rail possible model for a 2 min map metro only rev z houston red line +lower tip map tourist attractions new york manhattan street +large printable tourist attractions map of new city for york walking +little bow river map lethbridge ab city +location map road free download software +location map manchester village vermont +lake campground map oregon camp +lying between the middle and southern basin is an elevated depression with structural features dating back to mountain map of singapore polytechnic +las vegas monorail map mandalay bay +location in kenya africa world map +large printable m us state map blank of the united states canada +location of palace hotel map athens greece tourist attractions in english +location map city halifax nova scotia canada +la map google maps cordoba argentina como llegar +light rail map east link extension future seattle capitol hill +liberia costa rica weather map +large blank printable map of europe +light rail map maps from sound transit plan university seattle airport +las vegas strip map pdf 2015 +large maps for free download and print high resolution detailed map kalamata greece +louisville city fc seating map +lift pass coverage covers all lifts in night skiing now open 3 nights a week photo required for yes piste map key alpe dhuez live +location on the map caribbean with aruba +lower outline map vector file normandy france region +location ets2 france spain portugal map mod +lake google map bus geneva switzerland +language family 4 scheduled languages of india map +lower road map normandy invasion france +large detailed road map of and national flag australia canberra sydney +lifelines map and earthquake hazards in the greater area of seattle wa +location map of with cities city toulouse france +look inside sheet 3 central london night bus map pdf +lodge national park jungle biological center with cabins pool wildlife and flowers in tropical central printable driving map of costa rica +lee county map of florida airports near sanibel island +like this item nyc attractions map pdf +limo service airport commuter a metro superior shuttle map of area around atlanta +left national park topographic map from right yellowstone and surrounding states +large map of 1 quebec city street pdf +location of on world map airports in regions x show me abu dhabi a +lake lies within the central part of natural region base map courtesy parks and wildlife texas regions printable +location of on map maps cordoba capital argentina +large map of showing all airports with scheduled flights from the or northern europe netherlands +liverpool echo arena location map +location on the map railway of bavaria germany +locator map for smith redwoods state park redwood trail +location of state on a map germany bavaria +lodging map national park canyon lodge west yellowstone pdf +location maplesea forum +languages of southeast en tico asia physical map blank +lower expressway maps map manhattan subway stops +light rail seattle expansion map +leave a reply cancel world map jerusalem center +located in baltimore national aquarium address +list of favourite locations for visitors tourist field museum art institute fun things to do map chicago city +living in downtown strand galveston map +la red metro madrid spain subway map +location map of state maplestory 2 classes +little america hotel salt lake city map +location map liverpool fc +late representation of superimposed with the paths point st collector street map montreal canada +light rail map hopes connection to gets funded news and information new seattle pdf 2018 +leaf downtown map updated coming in tourist asheville nc +large detailed panoramic drawing map of lower city random 2 manhattan brooklyn subway +las vegas monorail map 2016 +location on the map netherlands position world +large map south kangaroo island australia sticker +lower street map high detail download maps manhattan +large scale printable street names places interest west sunset boulevard drive canyon key florida map +large road map of the united states picture highway globe interstate america +list of universities in city louisville ky permit map +lead institution map and directions university of northern free iowa state highway +links city of louisville ky zoning map +lighthouse road trip route oregon coast lighthouses map +located in southern stretches from the gulf of to famous coast is birthplace pizza and world renowned street map benevento italy +lanzarote world map +location of art gallery south on map australia adelaide region +location map cosmopolitan hotel google maps +large detailed map of the best hotels aruba palm beach +larger image google maps cidade da praia cabo verde +location map burkina faso world +lake provincial park map of hikes 2 okanagan valley +lugano swiss map +location map belize blue hole google maps +liverpool street station map exits +location map of church hotel west coast hotels barbados +la map of france rochelle +large map canada manitoba +lets party maplestory +lakeside airport was depicted on the map ct with towns and highways +las vegas world market center map +land elevations of elevation map china +land administration adelaide bus station map +lesser known facts about the history of in singapore mrt complete map +location on the map find grenada world +location beach map of south daytona fl +liverpool street station map +location on world map locate ghana political +la map long beach airport mapquest +long beach police launch new app that allows tracking of neighborhood crime port pier e address +location in the us state map tourist of georgia europe +labeled map of united states black and white printable state usa +location in us map city memphis tn +leave main airport entrance and continue on ave about miles get onto i east toward beach use from 2 instructions google maps norfolk va +locals will continue to get free self parking while tourists have start paying early next year paris las vegas map strip +location on the map world jamaica +location vacation rentals in nice promenade free street map of paris france +like this item city street map of atlanta ga +logistics map downtown chattanooga street +lake back bowls piste map parks canada louise trail +lexington kentucky city map +la centre map google rochelle france +lifts pila aosta valley piste map +lake geneva switzerland google map +location map benidorm hotels +learn more about airport city manchester tram stop map +las vegas assembly district map +ltd discovers new lized system at don project santa cruz province argentina map +location on map brandon manitoba canada +large printable map us maps united states pages outline of +long beach ca port map +location on world map 6 the picture download in dubai +large detailed map of southern at southeast canada and america +liberia costa rica world map +love field terminal map maps airport fort worth food dallas area +locations of the featured apartment houses map courtesy bronx streets +location detailed map of newfoundland and labrador canada +location map of arches national park mesa arch canyonlands +large map of for shows northern territory part australia poster +location road map download free vector art stock graphics thailand +large blank map of unit study dear lesson plans trail printable ohio +large photo of costa rica map pacific side +lets go to big guide nepenthe has a great view of the ocean on outside patio food quality there is nothing road map sur california +location map of state physical washington san juan islands +life in university korea seoul subway map 2017 +land use google maps colombia cartagena de indias +location worksheet printable blank map of ancient egypt +location on the map cycle europe germany austria and switzerland +la town city plan maritime old map of rochelle france +l printable map of downtown nashville tn +locate on world map where is united emirates location of road dubai trade center +las vegas nevada world map +large printable map world coloring pages blank country maps +la province salta argentina map +location map train switzerland italy +location of st cemetery in the bronx neighborhood map with streets +like this item printable street map of key west florida +la metro regional connector rail line map los angeles +location on us map states political los vegas world +long beach airport mapquest +la town map verbier ski resort trail +luxembourg tourist map pdf +luzern swiss map +large map of panama city 1 florida hotels +location of country wales on a map world +la petite free map street montreal pdf +location map google villa el salvador peru +location map of united kingdom resorts world las vegas address +lines of longitude radiate from each pole images map beaches along north and south carolina +lovely map com city of guadalajara mexico +like this item upper peninsula mi county map +light rail map link event information rock n roll with seattle google +location on the map heidelberg germany tourist +large maps for free download and print high resolution detailed map viareggio italy +location of the highlighted within maldives world map google +little map chinatown new york google +la santa cruz tenerife tourist map +look inside map tuscany umbria region italy +large map commonwealth of new south wales world australia +location map world with countries nicaragua +location map of norway with cities +live traffic cam locations in are indicated on the map above click camera icon to view each location manchester vermont maple leaf half marathon +lower town city center free printable interactive visitors detailed guide download tourists inner tourist map of liege belgium +lighten satellite map of western google maps australia directions +list sightseeing attractions holiday city break vacations top tourist map central london +location map showing montreal and quebec city +loop map courtesy city of louisville ky neighborhoods +little new map york city subway chinatown +lower as seen on map left replaced with a more new york manhattan subway pdf +latitude map west coast pics us cities with usa pdf +location on map c to ad was the earliest of west kingdoms located in near river it became powerful ghana world +location on the map for world hallstatt austria +location of on world map where is located in the show kenya +labs south map tech blog google korea driving +living wage the best and worst boroughs for paying wages london map pre 1965 +la on a map of france rochelle region +link light rail map the two new stations that were added to seattle airport downtown +location map qatar world cup stadium +large laminated map australia east coast cities +labeled map of united states outline free printable uk cities +land survey map of the upper peninsula maple syrup +large map of cities blank italy printable + and there are at least 79 unidentified bodies in this current fact sheet explain some of the violations of the times we are living in: +The imposition and results of open ended, round the clock (all daylong) curfews should be interpreted as a whole. As of December 11th, 2015 the impose form of continuous curfews, the broadness of regions that curfews are declared, length of duration, military dispatch and using heavy weapons within the residential areas, HRFT said occurred or not will be possible to make in consequence of effective investigation processes. +Also, it’s needed to be point out that “Right to Life” by definition involve cases of injuries which could cause the death of a person. Yet, mainly due to nonprogressive79 people are not included in these data mentioned data occurred. +Names of the People who lost Their Lives Between the dates August 16th, 2015 and March 17th, 2016 +Within the Districts Under Curfews +MUŞ Varto: +- Rahmi Kızıltaş (36), +- Abdullah Toprak(26), +- 4. 2 people who are not yet identified +DİYARBAKIR Silvan: +- Serhat Bilen(25) +- Hanife Durak(80) +- Veysi Toraman(60) +- Vedat Akcanım(17) +- Deniz(17) +- Barış Çakıcı(10) 7 +- Hayriye Hüdaverdi(70) +- Ferhat Gensür(17) +- Müslüm Tayar (22) +- Sertip Polat(20) +- Engin Gezici(24) +- İsmet Gezici (55) +- Rıdvan Us(20) +- Yakup Sinbağ(20) +- Latif Nangir(78) +Bismil: +- Bilal Bozkur(19/22) +- Abdullah Sügüci(32) +- Doğan İnce(16) +- Şeyhmus Düşerge(18) +- Numan Halil Kurtiş(19) +- Berat Güzel(12) +- Elif Şimşek(8) +- Agit Yıldız(22) +Sur: +- Helin Şen (12) +- Halil Tüzülerk (27) +- Mehmet Demirel (adult) +- Sezgin Demirok +- Şoreş Mutlu +- Cüneyt Yeni +- Aziz İlhan (47) +- Melek Apaydın(38) +- Rozerin Çukur(17) +- Turgay Girçek (19) +- Gündüz Akmeşe(28) +- One male in his 80s who is not yet identified +- Hakan Aslan +- Murat Menekşe(13) +- Erhan Keskin(18) +- Casim Kaya(24) +- Fatma Ateş(55) +- Gülistan Aysal(21) +- Fırat Çelik(24) +- Dilber Bozkurt +- Mehmet Abdullah Yalvarma +- Mazlum Karakoç +- Cüneyt Aydemiş (NOT:Besides there are 20 bodies waiting to be identified.) +Bağlar: +- Özgür Çelenk(18) +- Eyüp Çelik(24) +HAKKÂRİ Yüksekova: +- Fettah Es (adult) +- Yakup Babat (24) +- Mehmet Reşit Arıcı(17) +- Naim Nuyan(29) +- Ersin Aydın(37) +ŞIRNAK Cizre: +- Cemile Çağırga (10) +- Özgür Taşkın (18) +- Meryem Süne(53) +- Bünyamin İrci(14) +- Muhammed Tahir Yaramış (35 days old) +- Eşref Edin (56) +- Selman Ağar (10) +- Mehmet Emin Levent (29) +- Osman Çağlı(18) +- Sait Çağdavul (21) +- Şahin Açık (74) +- Mehmet Erdoğan (75) 1 +- Mehmet Sait Nayici (16) +- Zeynep Taşkın (19) +- Maşallah Edin (35) +- Hacı Ata Borçin (75) +- Gadban Bülbül (78) +- Mehmet Dökmen (71) +- Bahattin Sevinik (50) +- Suphi Sarak (50) +- İbrahim Çiçek (79) +- Mülkiye Geçgel (48) +- Resul Ekinci(65) +- Hediye Şen(30) +- Doğan Aslan(24) +- İbrahim Akan(15) +- Selahattin Bozkurt(70) +- Yılmaz Erz(42) +- Lütfü Aksoy(25) +- Zeynep Yılmaz(40) +- Cahide Çıkal(35) +- Mehmet Tekin(35) +- Doğan İşi(18) +- Mehmet Saçan(38) +- Emine Duman(75) +- Azime Aşan(59) +- Dikran Sayaca(25) +- Ferdi Kalkan(20) +- Abdulmecit Yanık(27) +- Hacı Özdal(25) +- Miray İnce(3 months old) +- Ramazan İnce (80) +- Kumru Işık(85) +- Hüseyin Ertene(16) +- Hüseyin Selçuk(5) +- Abdülaziz Yural(28) +- Zeynep Demir(65) +- Ali Tetik(34) +- Kazım Tonğ(51) +- Cabbar Taşkın(40) +- Sezai Burçin(43) +- Hediye Erden(60) +- Besna Zırığ(50) +- Fatma Acet(40) +- Bişeng Goran(12) +- Nidar Sümer(17) +- Halis Sümer(45) +- Osman Tekin(50) +- Tayfur Yaşlı(19) +- Şivan Cebrail Mungan(24) +- Murat Ekici(22) +- Murat Egül(24) +- Ahmet Zırığ(35) +- Şükrü Coşkun(20) +- Nebi Katlav(22) +- Ali Bağdur(25) +- Mehmet Hacı Tongut(32) +- Mehmet Şirin Erdinç +- Garip Mubarız (18) +- Veysi/Hacı Elçi(30) +- Abdulmenaf Yılmaz(50) +- Yakup Isırgan +- Mehmet Şahin(77) +- Emame Şahin (77) +- Yusuf Akalın(12) +- Büşra Akalın(10) +- Veli Müjde(38) +- Abdullah İvedi(25) +- Hayrettin Şınık(10) +- Mehmet Rıdvan Kaymaz(36) +- Hüseyin Paksoy(16) +- Mehmet Kaplan(35) +- Serhat Altun(23) +- Abdülhamit Poçal +- Selman Erdoğan +- Ahmet Tunç(50) +- Cihan Karaman(23) +- Rüzgar Yıldızgörer(25) +- Selami Yılmaz(25) +- Nusreddin Bayar(20) +- Sultan Irmak(16) +- Selim Turay(22) +- Şervan Kenan Adıgüzel +- Mehmet Özkul(adult) +- Nizar Isırgan +- Cengiz Sansak +- Ramazan Çömlek +- Zerin Uca(22) +- Sahip Edin(30’s) +- Abdullah Gün(16) +- Yunus Meral +- Tahir Akdoğan(16) +- Mevlüde Özalp +- Fehmi Fakah Dinç (adult) +- Fatma Demi r(adult) +- Barış Gasir(adult) +- Sabri Sezgin(18) +- Abdülselam Turgut(adult) +- Mahsum Erdoğan +- Muharrem Erbek(23) +- Sinan Kaya(22) +- Mehmet Kulbay(22) +- Burhan Taşdelen +- Aydın Erol +- Ferhat Karaduman(16) +- Nursel Dalmış(18) +- Murat Şimşek(16) +- Abbas Güllübahçe +- Tuğba Eminoğlu +- Erdal Şahin(29) +- Rohat Aktaş(adult) +- Adil Küçük(adult) +- Mahmut Duymak(51) +- Umut Ürek +- Ramazan İşçi +- Metin Karane +- Dersim Aksoy +- İslam Balıkesir +- Ömer Baran(25) +- Mustafa Gasyak(16) +- Ali Fırat Kalkan +- Kasım Yana(18) +- İzzet Gündüz(adult) +- Berjin Demirkaya +- Sakine Şiray(adult) +- Ekrem Sevilgen(17) +- Serdar Özbek(32) +- Mehmet Benzer(19) +- Tajdin Nerse(22) +- Mehmet Dalmış(31) +- Mehmet Yavuzel(adult) +- Rıdvan Ekinci +- Bişeng Kolanç +- Cihat Altun(22) +- Mehmet Yılmaz(23) +- Cüneyt Kızıltay +- Güler Eroğlu(20) +- Mehmet Edin +- Star Özkül +- Hasan Ayaz(14) +- Yılmaz Geçim(15) +- Mesut Özer(17) +- Cengiz Gerem(15) +- Derya Koç(adult) +- Azad Yılmaz(19) +- Hakkı Külte(13) +- Çimen Tankan +- İsmail Çetin +- Murat Erdin +- Hasan Tağ(adult) +- Agit Küçük +- Harun Barın +- Hülya Aktaş(adult) +- Cemile Erden(28) +- Mehmet Tunç (adult) +- Orhan Tunç +- Veysi Bademkıran(17) +- Yasemin Çıkmaz(17) +- İbrahim Temel +- Yakup Yalçın +- Felek Çağdavul +- Fırat Malgaz +- Yakup Dadak +- Ramazan Aydın +- Lokman Bilgiç +- Hüseyin Kaya +- M. Emin İdim(child) +- Tahir Çiçek(child) +- Aydın Güner(adult) +- Abdullah Özgül +- Meryem Akyol +- Ramazan Biriman +- Hüseyin Kayaalp(16) +Besides, there are at least 59 bodies that are buried without waiting for the identification process. +Silopi: +- Hüseyin Güzel (70) +- Yusuf Aybi(80) +- Reşit Eren(17) +- Axin Kanat(16) +- İbrahim Bilgin(18) +- Şiyar Özbek(25) +- Süleyman Çoban(70) +- Taybet İnan(57) +- Yusuf İnan(40) +- Ayşe Buruntekin(40) +- Mehmet Mete Kutluk(11) +- Ömer Sayan(70) +- Hasan Sanır (75) +- Salihe Şirnexi/Salih Erener(75) +- Seyfettin Sidar(30) +- İsmail Yevşan(55) +- Necati Öden(18) +- Ömer Yalman(45) +- Ömer Maslu(70) +- Pakize Nayır(25) +- Sêvê Demir(41) +- Fatma Uyar(27) +- İslam Atak (20) +- Hasan Yağmur(42) +- Aydın Mete(16) +- Yusuf Yağcı(25) +- Şirin Altay (43) +- Narinç Kızıl(52) +- One male in his 30s who is not yet identified +İdil: +- M.Sadık Bozeri(57) +- Vedat Gürbüz(24) +- Mazlum Kapalıgöz(17) +- Aziz Akan(30) +- Orhan Abay(16) +- Sevilay Yıldız(15) +- Fatma Eraslan(13) +- Abdullah Ecevit(39) +- Mete Ağırhan(15) +- Ahmet Varlı(15) +- Veli Aşar(18) +- Şevki Geldisöz +- Hacı Karakaş +- Ramazan Gümüş(14) +- İrfan Çağlar(24) +MARDİN Nusaybin: +- Ahmet Sönmez(50) +- Şahin Turan(25) +- Selamet Yeşilmen(44) +- Abdülkadir Yılmaz(65) +- Hasan Dal(45) +- Musur Aslan(19) +- Emin Öz(55) +- Muhammed Altunkaynak(19) +- Nurhan Kaplan(45) +- Şerif Alpar(55) +- Sedat Güngör(22) +- Mehmet Emin İnan(55) +- Cudi Teber (23) +- Mahsum Alpdoğan(19) +- Fehime Aktı(56) +- Hakan Doğan(15) +- Unidentified person +- Medeni Orak (45) +- Rohat Karakoç 22.Hasan Korkmaz(60) +Dargeçit: +- İdris Cebe(18), +- Takyedin Oral(adult male) +- Necim Kılıç(67) +- Sabahat Kılıç(28) +- Fatma Kılıç (adult woman) +The Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand (J Med Assoc Thai) +Journal of the Medical Association of ThailandIn the year 2018, the Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand (NLM Title Abbreviation: J Med Assoc Thai; ISO Abbreviation: J Med Assoc Thai; and in original Thai: Chot Mai Het Thang Phaet) will celebrate its 100th Anniversary. It is the oldest academic journal ever established in Thailand and has been published without interruption since then. Today, it is still the only one monthly journal with highest numbers of annual regularly published and supplement articles among the 308 Thai biomedical journals listed in Thai-journal Citation Index Center for the years 2014-2016. These figures confirm that the J Med Assoc Thai is the most in-demand journal by Thai scientists and early career researchers to publish their research findings as academic contributions to global scientific community. +The first issue of the Journal of Medical Association of Thailand was published in 1918 by the Siam Red Cross Society under the name of “the Medical Journal of the Red Cross Society of Siam”. A few years later, the management of the journal was transferred to the Medical Association of Thailand which was independent from any academic institute and became a non-profit medical organization whose members were doctors from all specialties. Since the journal had published scientific articles submitted by authors from various institutes and was subscribed by local and international libraries, the name of the journal was later changed to the “Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand” in 1941. It has published several national and international articles which were of exceptional clinical importance and urgency and local scientific findings to serve public policies and clinical practice guidelines of various tropical infections as well as non-infectious diseases. The journal is the wholly owned subsidiary of the Medical Association of Thailand. +In 1970, the journal joined the international class of reputable journals by indexing the journal and their contents in the international academic database: Medline, later became the Pub Med-indexed for Medline, so the academics in Thailand and international countries could search information published in the J Med Assoc Thai via Index Medicus. At present, when computer and internet are available, many international databases have been set up to make searching easier. The journal has been included in these databases, and also in Thai directory as: +- Index Medicus/Medline/Pub Med Journals List (up to issue June 2017 as our [NIH, NLM] resources allow) +- EMBASE/Excerpta Medica +- SciVerse Scopus +- Index Copernicus listed in 2008, JMAT was assessed 1CV as 6.96 in 2008-9, increased to 9.00 in 2010 +- Google scholar in 2009 along with Index Copernicus +- Thomson Reuters (ISI) Master Journal List in 2010 +- Thai-Journal Citation Index (TCI) +- ASEAN citation index in 2014 (ACI) [1st batch in October 27, 2014] +To be included in all important databases as listed above made the journal available to be searched in all databases, and also in TCI of Thailand, a proven success due to diligence on keeping up standard of good publication to distribute academic research and scholarship. +To strengthen the networking and collaborations of the international editorial boards from various Asian respected journals and maintain the quality of articles published in the journals, the Medical Association of Thailand and the Thai Society of Medical Journal Editors (ThaMJE) hosted the APAME 2016 Convention in Bangkok, Thailand from 27 to 28 August 2016 in collaboration with the libraries of the World Health Organization (WHO) South East Asia and Western Pacific Regional Offices, in order to make the quality of academic publications in Medicine and the Health Sciences in the Asia Pacific Region transparent and accountable. In addition, the editor-in-chief of the J Med Assoc Thai has (Professor Amorn Leelarasamee) been invited to be the Vice President for External Affairs of the APAME. The J Med Assoc Thai is also a member of the MASEAN Group of Journal and Professor Amorn Leelarasamee is elected as the first chairperson of the MASEAN Group of Journals (2016-2018). +Due to a long history of the J Med Assoc Thai publication, we are grateful to the former editor-in-chiefs and the editorial boards for their sacrifice to build up this journal not only for the Medical Association of Thailand (MAT), but eventually, to the national academic values. It is noticeable that the academic position of the editor-in-chiefs of the journal are mostly Professors who have visions of bringing up the published articles into the global standard and most importantly, J Med Assoc Thai is the main venue for the young Thai researchers to publish their research findings to be recognized internationally. +In 2014, the journal has been made available online to the permanent members of the MAT and registered guests while still maintains print component. Guests who are not registered or newly invited to become temporary members can archive abstracts or full texts of the last 6-month issues. Our intention is to further develop the journal into a freely, open access to all. Although the journal is not a member of the DOAJ or Creative Commons Attribution, the distribution and copyright of all publication that belongs to the journal will be freely accessed to all under the following terms: may not use the material for commercial purposes and must give appropriate credit to the author, provide a link to the author, and indicate if changes were made in reasonable manner, but not in the way that suggests the author endorses you or your use. +It took another 4 years to fully develop the journal into a nearly freely, open-access e-journal for self-searching, in which authors themselves can make copy of their published articles available free for all or any registered guest can also reprint the published articles in the J Med Assoc Thai. The quality of published articles is ensured by the internationally standard peer review process employing checklists appropriate for each research design in order to help clarify the research manuscript, make it simple and transparent as of the international standard. By the international ethical standard, every author of submitted articles must state potential conflicts of interest and present the approval form for the research in human from the Ethics Committee of Universities and Ministry of Health or alike. High quality research papers from distinguished scientists are also invited to submit. +Plagiarism is prevented and every submitted articles are strictly checked using e-Tblast since the year 2008. If the content was found duplicated for more than 60% of other article, it is reported to the editor for comparison of the two articles and made judgment. Penalty is given to the first or corresponding authors by not accepting the article from the authors for at least five years. This report will be also passed on to the supervisor or commanders of the authors. Furthermore, the manuscript is forbidden for simultaneous submission to other journals for publication. +Our current aim is to promote medical education up to global standard by publishing the articles which reflect medical progress in Thailand and making their contents available for international researchers to share information with ease and lesser costs. Some previous reports might be the world first case report or epidemiology study of certain illness important to local situation. Beside the journal published on time, the contents are easy to understand and listed on the database of the important search engines to prove that the topics have been reported in the journal. The articles’ ownership rights remain with the Journal. The publishing rights will be shared between the journal and the authors for publishing activity and dissemination of the articles. Readers’ views expressed in the journal are preserved and do not necessarily reflect the view of the J Med Assoc Thai. All manuscript submission is performed through logging into the registered guest system or through the mail ID provided for submission of the manuscript. We strongly recommend all authors to follow the checklists and advice for good research reporting of the EQUATOR network. A regular review process may take 2-3 months but the article may be published pre-print if the contents were appropriate. All the editorial board members work voluntarily and also use the checklist according to the research design of the submitted article for peer review process which is double blind and follows stringent peer-review process giving the quality its first priority. We will introduce a new manuscript tracking system for better processing of the editorial manager system and for smooth running of the journal. +Finally, we believe that the J Med Assoc Thai is old only in its age but its brain is still fresh and the journal keeps moving in the global direction which is a freely opened access journal. We urge Thai authors as well as international authors to submit your research manuscripts. The journal follows guidelines on editorial independence produced by the World Association of Medical Editors and the code on good publication practice issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics. Authors can assess the current citation impact of articles in the journal by SCOPUS using SNIP and SJR. Once the articles are accepted for publication, a broader readership and global access for better recognition are ensured by our new policy on working as an open access journal. The article can be searched and retrieved by strict keyword provided by MeSH. The formatted abstract is provided in XML for easy search by anyone in developing countries like PubMed Central. In near future J Med Assoc Thai will format the whole manuscript as XML format to enhance information exchange and usage globally. Our new website also promptly provides correct citation in standard Vancouver format that are easy for users to cite our publications. We sincerely hope the authors of the published articles will enjoy their contributions in our journals by adding more information into the scientific community for the benefit of people in medical science. +MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF THAILAND +Address: 4th Floor, Royal Golden Jubilee Building, 2 Soi Soonvijai, New Petchburi Road, Bangkok 10310, Thailand +Telephone: +662-716-6102, +662-716-6962 | Fax: +662-314-6305 +WEB: +ISSN: 0125-2208 (Print), ISSN: 2408-1981 (Online) + performance at the right time. However, very few athletic departments have a nutritionist available to meet directly with their athletes. In a study published in 2012, nutritional knowledge of those involved with athletics was as follows: “Adequate knowledge was found in 35.9% of coaches, 71.4% of (athletic trainers), 83.1% of (strength and conditioning specialists), and only 9% of athletes. The most used nutrition resources for coaches, ATs, and SCSs were registered dietitians” (Torres-McGehee). +Due to the lack of nutritional guidance, athletes often eat healthy, according to recommended daily allowances for the general population, and take the popularly recommended supplements for enhancing performances. According to Rick Brunner, most of these supplements are haphazardly researched, and then programmed into daily routines, without the knowledge of why the supplement should be used: “Many supplements are poorly researched and formulated, contain what may seem to be safe nutrients (like vitamins C and E, for example) that can in fact be disadaptive, contain non-optimal doses (too little or too much), etc” (Brunner). Brunner further states that athletes should take the time to look at the results of taking certain supplements in conjunction with the goals of their training and compare to make sure the stimuli compliment each other rather than detract from each other. +If the supplement actually contributes to some functional-stress effect, such as amplifying the influence of training so that you have a boost in adaptive response (i.e., more muscle proteins, more mitochondria, etc.) in post-exercise recovery, a pre-workout supplement might be useful. The key is you need to truly get measurable results from training. I’m not sure many pre-workout supplements are functionally useful, and they may in fact deter from the optimal training adaptations from training. +Many nutrients consumed prior to or during training can actually reduce the benefits of training +We know that the stress of training creates post-exercise signaling to improve sport results and that many nutrients consumed prior to or during training actually reduce the benefits of training (such as antioxidants like vitamins C and E, and many vitamins and minerals in general) in blunting the needed stress signal. Coaches and athletes would be wise to validate the usefulness of any pre-workout supplement. For example, is there any published science on the ingredients or formula as functional performance enhancers, resulting in an amplification of training to improve athletic ability? (Brunner) +Rather than viewing food and supplements as necessary for life, research and case-studies show that both coaches and athletes at high levels would be better served to have a holistic view of nutrition. Seeing nutrition as an additional stimulus either competing with, or complimenting the day-to-day training. Through proper nutrition management athletes should be able to get the most out of each training session, and each training cycle. Doing so requires an understanding of the stimulus that each nutritional choice provides. +Research in Periodized Nutrition +Research into periodized nutrition is a relatively small body, but is growing every year. Most studies focus on the cycling of carbs throughout the athletes training schedule. Since these studies focus on carbohydrate energy availability, a significant amount of research is focused on endurance athletes. One study found significant short term cycling between training on low carb availability or training with a high carbohydrate availability, and sleeping on carbohydrate restricted diets. This study concluded that “Short-term periodization of dietary CHO availability around selected training sessions promoted significant improvements in submaximal cycling economy, as well as supra-maximal cycling capacity and 10 km running time in trained endurance athletes” (Marquet). +Another study published in 2013, sought to provide practical recommendations for tennis players, although the study did not deal with with sprinters and jumpers, it gives a great idea of the energy demands of high levels of sport. The researchers found that tennis players expend a considerable amount of energy, over 3,000 kcals in a single 1.5 hour session (Ranchordas). This study looked into how athletes cycle macronutrients thought the year, and gave general recommendations for macronutrient intake. The study concluded by noting the lack of research done in the field towards periodizing nutrition. This study has practical applications, that will be discussed in section III, when dealing with extremely intense bouts of exercise resulting in high caloric needs, as seen in the competition phase of training. +One of the fields most prominent researchers, Asker Jeukendrup, recently published a review paper in 2017 detailing many of the methods used by professional athletes. The review drove the point home that the most common methods of periodization are cycling carbs. The main conclusions from the review were that “Many pragmatic questions remain unanswered…that may have great practical relevance and should be the focus of future research” (Jeukendrup). The paper also reinforces the point that no single diet cycling method works universally for athletes, and that the training of the individual should dictate the nutritional needs and strategies of each athlete. +Recommendations +During no cycle should athletes use significant amounts of supplements. The biggest focus should be on meeting nutritional needs through whole food sources. Additionally athletes can supplement with ergogenic aids, provided that they coincide with the goals of the cycle, and do not directly counter the training effect the cycle is striving for. +The most common recommendation from both research and case studies are to use the first phase of training, or the off-season, to manage the athlete’s weight and inflammation, and to experiment with different fluid and food intake strategies, including timing, and amount of intake over the course of a day (Houtkooper). The off-season should be a time of exploratory experimentation, as training will not be as adversely affected as it would be in the competition phase. +Christian Taylor, an Olympic gold medalist in the triple jump conducted this experimentation post-Olympics in 2012 and it kept him from retirement (Rouse). Through it he was able to reduce his carbohydrate intake, consequently reducing inflammation post-workouts, and saving his career in the process (a great primer on inflammatory vs. anti-inflammitory foods can be found here). He also was able to experiment with protein and fat sources, and cycle through various sources depending on the demands of the following session, stating: +With dinner, it’s very important to keep in mind whatever the session I have the next day. If I were having a lot of (fast) running the next day then I would usually have fish or chicken (less inflammatory). Something that could break down a little quicker, versus if I know that I have a slower tempo day or something that’s not so intense. Then I would have some kind of steak or lamb again (relatively more inflammatory), because I don’t need to feel super light the next day. (Rouse) +Once the athlete has experimented with their daily intake, they will be more conscious of what they need nutritionally, and when. One of the best ways for an athlete unsure of how to nutritionally experiment would be to do one of the many whole food detoxes, such as the Whole30. From that starting point, they will have a greater understanding of how food affects their body, and what foods they are able to digest well. +A good starting point to nutritionally experiment for beginners is a whole food detox +During the competition phase the athlete’s main focus should be on simulating competition nutritional plans, and keeping inflammation low. These strategies will make the athlete feel comfortable and recovered, making them ready to move into a more intense series of workouts and competitions. With the intensity demanded by these training cycles, it is a good idea for the athlete to be more rigorous in their meal planning, and use what they learned in the pre-competition experimentation cycle to keep their body feeling good from workout to workout. +It is also a good idea for the coach to create workouts that simulate the intensity of competition day, so that the athletes can test out their nutrition plans, and be sure that their body will respond well to the more intense demands. This is due to the gut responding differently to higher intensity exercise (Seebohar). As seen in the study by Ranchordas, caloric need during intensive exercise and recovery days can undulate greatly. The athlete should also pay attention to this phase’s wide training load variation and vary their caloric intake to match needs as it is easy to overeat during the less intensive bouts of this phase. +During the transition phase, since activity is low, it is recommended that athletes cycle off of any supplements they are currently taking, and they drop the caloric intake greatly. This is a cycle of rest and rejuvenation, so the athlete should focus on maintaining adequate fluid balance, and increasing protein and fat intake while dropping carbohydrate intake. The reasoning for this is that proteins and fats are significantly more satiating, and give energy for longer periods of time. +Generally athletes should be eating significant amounts of whole food sources and abstaining from heavily processed foods, no matter what cycle they are in. Prioritizing whole fats, legumes, dark leafy greens, berries, olive oils, avocado, and small amounts of coffee and red wine will help an athlete remain healthy and happy. On the other hand; if an athlete is consistently consuming fried food, processed meats, large amounts of alcohol, and high sugar-content foods and drinks, even the most meticulously planned training will be derailed, no matter how much recovery the athlete does. +Conclusion +Collegiate sprinters and jumpers spend significant amounts of their year training to be the most explosive that they possibly can be. This requires more than being present at practices, and demands that coaches educate athletes on their nutritional needs. A well-rounded nutrition plan should ensure that the athlete can complete each training session with enough fuel in the tank, and receive the largest training effect from it. Understanding this, athletes should be careful not to haphazardly use supplements without knowledge of what its effects on bodily processes are (Houtkooper). +Athletes should know how individual foods affect their own bodies. Once they understand how foods affect them personally they should work together with a sport coach, and strength and conditioning coach to create a nutrition plan. By following these strategies, and others found in Houtkooper’s 2007 study, in the section “Summary of nutritional guidelines for combined events athletes”, athletes can set their bodies up for a successful season of competing at the highest level. +About Justin Fawley +“Justin Fawley is a Graduate Assistant Coach for the Michigan Tech Track and Field Team, focusing on Sprints/Jumps and Multis. A native of Akron, Ohio, Fawley attended Hillsdale College and was a standout track and field athlete during his collegiate career as a multi-eventer.” +Bibliography +Brunner, R. (2018, April 20). Nutrition and Supplementation for the Modern Athlete with Rick Brunner – SimpliFaster. Retrieved from. +Harvard Health Publishing. (2017, August 13). Foods That Fight Inflammation – Harvard Health. Retrieved from Harvard Health Blog, Harvard Health Publishing,. +Houtkooper, L., Abbot, J. M., & Nimmo, M. (2007). Nutrition for throwers, jumpers, and combined events athletes. Journal of Sports Sciences,25(Sup1). doi:10.1080/02640410701607262 +Jeukendrup, A. E. (2017). Periodized Nutrition for Athletes. Sports Medicine,47(S1), 51-63. doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0694-2 +Ranchordas, M. K., Rogersion, D., Ruddock, A., Killer, S. C., & Winter, E. M. (2013). Nutrition for Tennis: Practical Recommendations. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 12(2), 211–224. +Rouse, M. (2017, May 11). The Real-Life Diet of Christian Taylor, Who Ditched Carbs and Feels Fantastic. Retrieved from +Seebohar, B. (n.d.). Nutrition Periodization for Athletes. Retrieved from. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-47.2.205 +West Blocton Bible Methodist +Alabama Bible Methodist Conference +Get your Atlanta SEO from the experts.?" +2. "The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came." In general, these were quite opposite to each other: but it is no uncommon thing for the children of the world to lay aside their opposition to each other, (at least for a season) and cordially to unite in opposing the children of God "And tempting;" that is, making a trial whether he was indeed sent of God; "desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven;" which they believed no false prophet was able to do. It is not improbable, they imagined, this would convince them, that he was really sent from God. "He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and lowering." Probably there were more certain signs of fair and foul weather in their climate than there are in ours. "O ye hypocrites;" making profession of love, while you have enmity in your hearts; "ye can discern the face of the sky," and judge thereby what the weather will be; "but can ye not discern the signs of the times," when God brings his first begotten Son into the world? +3. Let us more particularly inquire, +I. First, What were the times, whereof our Lord here speaks; and what were the signs, whereby those times were to be distinguished from all others? We may then inquire, +II. Secondly, What are the times which we have reason to believe are now at hand; and how is it, that all who are called Christians, do not discern the signs of these times? +1. Let us, in the First place, inquire, What times were those concerning which our Lord is here speaking? It is easy to answer; the times of the Messiah; the times ordained before the foundation of the world, wherein it pleased God to give his only begotten Son, to take our nature upon him, to be "found in fashion as a man," to live a life of sorrow and pain, and, at length, to be "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," to the end that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This was the important time the signs whereof the Pharisees and Sadducees could not discern. Clear as they were in themselves, yet so thick a veil was upon the heart of these men, that they did not discern the tokens of his coming, though foretold so long before. +2. But what were those signs of the coming of that Just One, which had been so long and so clearly foretold, and whereby they might easily have discerned those times, had not the veil been on their heart? They are many in number; but it may suffice to mention a few of them. One of the first is that pointed out in the solemn words, spoken by Jacob a little before his death: (Gen. 49:10) "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come." All, both ancient and modern Jews, agree, that by Shiloh we are to understand the Messiah; who was therefore to come, according to the prophecy, "before the sceptre," that is, the sovereignty, "departed from Judah." But it did, without controversy, depart from Judah at this very time; -- an infallible sign, that at this very time Shiloh, that is, the Messiah, came. +3. A Second eminent sign of those times, the times of the coming of the Messiah, is given us in the third chapter of the prophecy of Malachi: "Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare my way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple." (Mal. 3:1). How manifestly was this fulfilled, first, by the coming of John the Baptist; and then by our blessed Lord himself, "coming suddenly to his temple!" And what sign could be clearer to those that impartially considered the words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 40:3) "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight!" +4. But yet clearer signs than these, (if any could be clearer) were the mighty works that he wrought. Accordingly, he himself declares, "The works which I do, they testify of me." And to these he explicitly appeals in his answer to the question of John the Baptist; (not proposed, as some have strangely imagined, from any doubt which he had himself; but from a desire of confirming his disciples, who might possibly waver, when their Master was taken from their head: "Art thou he that should come," the Messiah? "Or look we for another?" No bare verbal answer could have been so convincing, as what they saw with their own eyes. Jesus therefore referred them to this testimony: "He answered and said unto them, Go and show John the things which ye hear and see; the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached unto them." (Matt. 11:4, 5) +5. But how then came it to pass, that those who were so sharp-sighted in other things, who could "discern the face of the sky," were not able to discern those signs which indicated the coming of the Messiah? They could not discern them, not for want of evidence -- this was full and clear, -- but for want of integrity in themselves; because they were a "wicked and adulterous generation;" because the perverseness of their hearts spread a cloud over their understanding. Therefore, although the Sun of Righteousness shone bright, yet they were insensible of it. They were not willing to be convinced: Therefore they remained in ignorance. The light was sufficient; but they shut their eyes, that they might not see it: so that they were without excuse, till vengeance came upon them to the uttermost. +1. We are in the Second place, to consider what are the times which we have reason to believe are now at hand? And how is it that all who are called Christians, do not discern the signs of these times? +The times which we have reason to believe are at hand, (if they are not already begun) are what many pious men have termed, the time of "the latter-day glory;" -- meaning the time wherein God would gloriously display his power and love, in the fulfilment of his gracious promise that "the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea." +2. "But are there in England, or in any part of the world, any signs of such a time approaching?" It is not many years since, that a person of considerable learning, as well as eminence in the Church, (then Bishop of London) in his pastoral letter, made this observation: "I cannot imagine what persons mean, by talking of a great work of God at this time. I do not see any work of God now, more than has been at any other time." I believe: I believe that great man did not see any extraordinary work of God. Neither he, nor the generality of Christians, so called, saw any signs of the glorious day that is approaching. But how is this to be accounted for? How is it that those who can now "discern the face of the sky," who are not only great philosophers, but great divines, as eminent as ever the Sadducees, yea, or the Pharisees were, do not discern the signs of those glorious times, which, if not begun, are nigh even at the door? +3. We allow, indeed, that in every age of the Church, "the kingdom of God came not with observation," not with splendour and pomp, or with any of those outward circumstances which usually attend the kingdoms of this world. We allow this "kingdom of God is within us;" and that consequently, when it begins either in an individual or in a nation, it "is like a grain of mustard seed," which at first "is the least of all seeds," but nevertheless, gradually increases, till "it becomes a great tree." Or, to use the other comparison of our Lord, it is like "a little leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." +4. But may it not be asked, "Are there now any signs that the day of God's power is approaching?" I appeal to every candid, unprejudiced person, whether we may not, at this day, discern all those signs, (understanding the words in a spiritual sense) to which our Lord referred to John's disciples? "The blind receive their sight:" Those who were blind from their birth, unable to see their own deplorable state, and much more to see God, and the remedy he has prepared for them in the Son of his love, now see themselves, yea, and "the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." +The eyes of their understanding being now opened, they see all things clearly. -- "The deaf hear:" Those that were before utterly deaf, to all the outward and inward calls of God, now hear, not only his providential calls, but also the whispers of his grace. -- "The lame walk:" Those who never before arose from the earth, or moved one step toward heaven, are now walking in all the ways of God; yea, "running the race that is set before them." -- "The lepers are cleansed:" The deadly leprosy of sin, which they brought with them into the world, and which no art of man could ever cure, is now clean departed from them. And surely never in any age or nation, since the apostles, have those words been so eminently fulfilled, "The poor have the gospel preached unto them," as it is at this day. At this day the gospel leaven, faith working by love, -- inward and outward holiness, -- or, (to use the terms of St. Paul) "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" -- hath so spread in various parts of Europe, particularly in England, Scotland, Ireland, in the islands, in the north and south, from Georgia to New-England and Newfoundland, that sinners have been truly converted to God, throughly changed both in heart and in life; not by tens, or by hundreds only, but by thousands, yea, by myriads! The fact cannot be denied: we can point out the persons, with their names and places of abode. And yet the wise men of the world, the men of eminence, the! +5. But how may this be accounted for? How is it, that they cannot discern the signs of these times? We may account for their want of discernment on the same principle we accounted for that of the Pharisees and Sadducees; namely, that they likewise are, what those were, an "adulterous and sinful generation." If their eye was single, their whole body would be full of light: but suppose their eye be evil, their whole body must be full of darkness. Every evil temper darkens the soul; every evil passion clouds the understanding. How then can we expect, that those should be able to discern the signs of the times who are full of all disorderly passions, and slaves to every evil temper? But this is really the case. They are full of pride: They think of themselves far more highly than they ought to think. They are vain: They "seek honour one of another, and not the honour that cometh of God only." They cherish hatred and malice in their hearts: they give place to anger, to envy, to revenge: They return evil for evil, and railing for railing. Instead of overcoming evil with good, they make no scruple of demanding an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. They "savour not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men." They set their affections, not on things above, but on things that are of the earth. They "love the creature more than the Creator:" They are "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." How then should they discern the signs of the times? The god of this world, whom they serve, has blinded their hearts, and covered their minds with a veil of thick darkness. Alas, what have these "souls of flesh and blood," (as one speaks) to do with God, or the things of God? +6. St. John assigns this very reason for the Jews not understanding the things of God; namely, that in consequence of their preceding sins, and wilful rejecting the light, God had now delivered them up to Satan, who blinded them past recovery. Over and over, when they might have seen, they would not; they shut their eyes against the light: And now they can not see, God having given them up to an undiscerning mind: Therefore they do not believe, because that Isaiah said, (that is, because of the reason given in that saying of Isaiah) "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I should heal them." The plain meaning is, not that God did this by his own immediate power; it would be flat blasphemy to say, that God, in this sense, hardens any man; but his Spirit strives with them no longer, and then Satan hardens them effectually. +7. And as it was with them in ancient times, so it is with the present generation. Thousands of those who bear the name of Christ are now given up to an undiscerning mind. The god of this world hath so blinded their eyes, that the light cannot shine upon them; so that they can no more discern the signs of the times, than the Pharisees and Sadducees could of old. A wonderful instance of this spiritual blindness, this total inability to discern the signs of the times mentioned in Scripture, is given us in the very celebrated work of a late eminent writer; who supposes, and smoke came up from the bottomless pit! For surely there never was a time wherein Satan gained so fatal an advantage over the Church of Christ, as when such a flood of riches, and honour, and power broke in upon it, particularly on the Clergy! +8. By the same rule, what signs would this writer have expected of the approaching conversion of the Heathens? He would doubtless, have expected a hero, like Charles of Sweden, or Frederick of Prussia, to carry fire, and sword, and Christianity, through whole nations at once! And it cannot be denied, that since the time of Constantine, many nations have been converted in this way. But could it be said concerning such conversions as these; "The kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation?" Surely every one must observe a warrior rushing through the land, at the head of fifty or sixty thousand men! But is this the way of spreading Christianity, which the author of it, the Prince of Peace, has chosen? Nay, it is not in this manner that a grain of mustard seed grows up into a great tree. It is not thus that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Rather, it spreads by degrees farther and farther, till the whole is leavened. We may form a judgment of what will be hereafter, by what we have seen already. And this is the way wherein true Christian religion, the faith that worketh by love, has been spreading, particularly through Great Britain and its dependencies, for half a century. +9. In the same manner it continues to spread at the present time also, as may easily appear to all those whose eyes are not blinded. All those that experience in their own hearts the power of God unto salvation will readily perceive how the same religion which they enjoy, is still spreading from heart to heart. They take knowledge of the same grace of God, strongly and sweetly working on every side; and rejoice to find another and another sinner, first inquiring, "What must I do to be saved?" -- and then testifying, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit doth rejoice in God my Saviour." Upon a fair and candid inquiry, they find more and more, not only of those who had some form of religion, but of those who had no form at all, who were profligate, abandoned sinners, now entirely changed, truly fearing God and working righteousness. They observe more and more, even of these poor outcasts of men, who are inwardly and outwardly changed; loving God and their neighbour; living in the uniform practice of justice, mercy, and truth; as they have time, doing good to all men; easy and happy in their lives, and triumphant in their death. +10. What excuse, then, have any that believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God, for not discerning the signs of these times, as preparatory to the general call of the Heathens? What could God have done which he hath not done, to convince you that the day is coming, that the time is at hand, when he will fulfil his glorious promises; when he will arise to maintain his own cause, and to set up his kingdom over all the earth? What, indeed, unless he had forced you to believe? And this he could not do, without destroying the nature which he had given you: For he made you free agents; having an inward power of self-determination, which is essential to your nature. And he deals with you as free agents from first to last. As such, you may shut or open your eyes, as you please. You have sufficient light shining all around you; yet you need not see it unless you will. But be assured God is not well pleased with your shutting your eyes and then saying, "I cannot see." I counsel you to bestow an impartial examination upon the whole affair. After a candid inquiry into matter of fact, consider deeply, "What hath God wrought?" "Who hath seen such a thing? Who hath heard such a thing?" Hath not a nation, as it were, been "born in a day?" How swift, as well as how deep, and how extensive a work has been wrought in the present age! And certainly, "not by might, neither by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord." For how utterly inadequate were the means! How insufficient were the instruments to work any such effect; -- at least, those of which it has pleased God to make use of in the British dominions and in America! By how unlikely instruments has God been pleased to work from the beginning! "A few young raw heads," said the bishop of London, "what can they pretend to do?" They pretended to be that in the hand of God, that a pen is in the hand of a man. They pretended, (and do so at this day) to do the work whereunto they are sent; to do just what the Lord pleases. And if it be his pleasure, to throw down the walls of Jericho, the strong-holds of Satan, not by the engines of war, but by the blasts of rams' horns, who shall say unto him, "What dost thou!" +11. Meantime, "blessed are your eyes, for they see: many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things that you hear, and have not heard them." You see and acknowledge the day of your visitation; such a visitation as neither you nor your fathers had known. You may well say, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad therein." You see the dawn of that glorious day, whereof all the prophets have spoken. And how shall you most effectually improve this day of your visitation? +12. The first point is, see that you yourselves receive not the blessing of God in vain. Begin at the root, if you have not already. Now repent and believe the gospel! If you have believed, "look to yourselves, that ye lose not what you have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward!" Stir up the gift of God that is in you! Walk in the light, as he is in the light. And while you "hold fast that which you have attained, go on unto perfection." Yea, and when you are "made perfect in love," still, "forgetting they that are behind, press on to the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." +13. It behoves you, in the next place to help your neighbours. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." As you have time, do good unto all men, but especially unto them that are of the household of faith. Proclaim the glad tidings of salvation ready to be revealed, not only to those of your own household, not only to your relations, friends, and acquaintance, but to all whom God providentially delivers into your hands! "Ye," who already know in whom you have believed, "are the salt of the earth." Labour to season, with the knowledge and love of God, all that you have any intercourse with! "Ye are as a city set upon a hill;" ye cannot, ye ought not to be hid. "Ye are the light of the world: men do not light a candle, and put it under a bushel;" how much less the all wise God! No; let it shine to all that are in the house; all that are witnesses of your life and conversation. Above all, continue instant in prayer, both for yourselves, for all the Church of God, and for all the children of men, that they may remember themselves, and be turned unto our God, that they likewise may enjoy the gospel blessing on earth, and the glory of God in heaven! +Russia's Revolution +Publication date +Sunday, 16.03.2003 +Authors +Leon Aron +Series +Issue of Commentary, November 2002 +The characters of nature are legible, it is true; +but they are not plain enough to enable those who run to read them. +--Edmund Burke, On Taste +Post-Communist Russia's ten-year-old experiment in democracy, civil and political liberty, and a free market is not unlike the movement of a long, disorderly caravan on a vast and swampy plain--stopping, stumbling, occasionally all but drowning in muck, yet stubbornly creaking forward. Following closely behind this caravan, but never quite catching up, is a crowd of journalists and experts. Their heads are hung. They look neither backward to measure the road already traversed, nor to the sides to compare the caravan's progress with that of neighboring nomads, nor yet forward to where the road might lead. Instead, their eyes seem to be fixed forever on the dirt covering the wheels, the ruts in the road, and the swamp creatures feasting on the piles of refuse in the wagons' wake. To the citizen of a mature liberal democracy, much in today's Russia must indeed appear flawed and ugly. There is a great deal to point to, fr om rampant corruption, to brutality in Chechnya, to the abuse of military conscripts, to attempts to curb the independence of national television. And how could it be otherwise? Quite apart fr om the ignorance and venality that invariably attend enormous undertakings of any kind, post-Soviet Russia is a product of seven decades and four generations of a system in which mass murder, fear, and lies were routine. "History," said Alexander Yakovlev, speaking of Soviet Communism, "has never known such a concentrated hatred toward the human being." +The other half of the Soviet inheritance was an autarchic, obsolete, chronically retarded, coal-and-steel economy that, outside the military sectors, was decades behind the West, imported everything of quality, and relied on the sale of oil abroad and vodka at home for its two largest sources of revenue. According to a secret study commissioned by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989, the end of state subsidies would have resulted in the instant unemployment of 40 million people. Corruption and thievery were near-universal. Poverty was crushing--in 1988, 43 million people in the Soviet Union, or nearly one in six, lived in families with per-capita monthly income of no more than 75 rubles ($ 7.50 at the underground exchange rate), a mere five rubles above the line officially separating those who did and did not have enough to eat. There was a housing crisis of mammoth proportions; hospitals and schools made do without running water or indoor toilets; the infant-mortality rate lagged behind Barbados and the United Arab Emirates. By the fall of 1991, the state was literally bankrupt and the country laced the specter of famine. +And today? The only sound, let alone fair, way of assessing a country's progress is by examining it in the context of that country's own history and in comparison with others similarly situated, not by the light of theoretical possibilities or the experiences of more distant and more fortunate lands. In the case of Russia, such an assessment is all the more urgent because of the suspicious attitude that has dominated the reaction both of many experts and of the U.S. media toward Russia's remarkable show of solidarity with the United States since September 11, 2001. +The near-unanimous explanation for Moscow's behavior has been that it is motivated by short-term, tactical considerations, and in expectation of a quid pro quo. If that is so, however, the payoff has yet to materialize. Last year, the United States went ahead and served notice of its intention to withdraw fr om the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty. NATO's eastward expansion became a certainty. The Paris Club of sovereign lenders would not give an inch on Russia's debt-repayment schedule. No exceptions were made to facilitate Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization. And after a brief post-September 11 lull, the State Department restarted its castigation of Russian behavior in Chechnya. +If Russia's pro-American and pro-Western stance was designed to secure a return, it would seem to have been designed in error. But instead of reversing course, President Vladimir Putin proceeded to visit NATO headquarters--the first such visit by a Soviet or Russian leader--wh ere he declared his country's "readiness to cooperate and interact" with the alliance and signaled a softening of Russian opposition to NATO enlargement. A few weeks later, his summit with President Bush in Crawford, Texas marked a first in the history of U.S.-Soviet and U.S.-Russian relations: the two leaders disagreed on cardinal issues of arms control without damaging--in fact, while strengthening-overall relations between the two countries. Over the displeasure of the Europeans and the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, Russia accepted Washington's abrogation of ABM and proceeded to sign a treaty that cut its own nuclear arsenal by two-thirds, thus undoing the principle--the "balance of terror"--that had ruled relations between the two superpowers for decades. +The simple truth is that Russia's post-September 11 policies did not mark a sudden change of course prompted either by short-term tactical considerations or by the whim of its leader. Rather, they were the logical culmination of a longer-term change. That change is nothing short of revolutionary. Save for the eight months between February and November 1917, never in the four-and-a-half centuries of the modern Russian state has Russia been freer, or more open to the outside, or less militaristic and less threatening to its neighbors and to the world than in the past decade. How did Russia get to wh ere it is? And will it last? This is a story that must be told in parts. +II +The First distinct component of Russia's revolutionary change is demilitarization. The extent of it may well be unprecedented in the annals of nations not defeated on the battlefield and occupied by the victors. +Following a huge cut in military procurement by the government of Boris Yeltsin and Yegor Gaidar in early 1992, the share of Russian GDP devoted to defense has gone down from at least 30 to under 5 percent.[1] Last year, Putin proudly noted that for the first time in its history, Russia was spending more on education than on defense. From being the backbone of the economy, the employer and supporter of between one-fourth and one-third of the populace, and an omnipotent and omnipresent overlord, the military-industrial complex has been reduced to a neglected and often humiliated beggar. +The nuclear arsenal inherited from the Soviet Union has been reduced from 10,000 deployable strategic warheads to 6,000, and, as I have already indicated, is on its way down to 2,000 or lower. The four-million-strong armed forces of Soviet days had been halved to 1.7 million by late 1996. Today's regular army of one million on active duty is slated to be reduced by another 350,000 men by 2003; the cuts are to include 240,000 officers and more than 380 generals. A plan drafted by two liberal parties, the Union of Rightist Forces and the Yabloko, and approved in the main by the president and the security council, envisions the abolition of the 300-year-old draft by 2010 and a transition to an all-volunteer force. No longer among the country's sacrosanct institutions and the unchallenged master of its resources, the Russian military may soon stop owning the country's young men as well. +Russia's demilitarization is the result of two interrelated choices, adumbrated in Gorbachev's "new political thinking" and implemented in the post-Communist era: the end of a messianic foreign policy and the abandonment of the USSR's domestic and Central-European empires. Purged from post-Soviet Russian behavior is not only the "struggle against imperialism" (meaning relentless opposition to the United States and subversion of Western-oriented regimes around the world), "solidarity with world anti-imperialist forces" (that is, the establishment of Soviet-style regimes in the third world), and "proletarian internationalism" (the support of such regimes to the bitter end), but also the pre-Soviet legacy of pan-Slavism, or Moscow as file Third Rome. The break with the last-named was exemplified by Russia's siding with the United States and its allies in Bosnia in 1992-1995; voting, in 1998, for economic sanctions against Yugoslavia and for a UN resolution demanding the withdrawal of Yugoslav troops from Kosovo; refusing to provide military or material assistance to Slavic and Orthodox Serbia; the firing by Yeltsin of Yevgeny Primakov, his staunchly anti-American and pro-Yugoslav prime minister; and joining in delivering the June 1999 ultimatum to Slobodan Milosevic that resulted in his giving up on Kosovo. +In 1992-95, Russia repatriated 800,000 troops, 400,000 civilian personnel, and 500,000 dependents from Eastern Europe. With the departure of the last Russian soldier from the Paldiski submarine training base in Estonia in September 1995, Russia returned, voluntarily, to its 17th-century borders. Of all the affected lands, Ukraine was the hardest and potentially the most dangerous to part with. One needs to recall the horrific bloodshed that accompanied the partition of the British Raj into India and Pakistan, or the demise of Yugoslavia, to appreciate the miraculously nonviolent birth of an independent Ukraine. In its own way, the 1997 treaty of friendship between Russia and Ukraine has been as central to the post-cold-war peace and stability of Europe as the French-German rapprochement engineered by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenaner almost four decades earlier. +III +The second component in the transformation of Russia has been the wholesale transfer of national wealth from state ownership to private hands. In 1991, an estimated 5 percent of GDP was produced in the nonstate sector; today, the figure is at least 70 percent. Over 900,000 private businesses have sprung up, with the actual number probably 30 to 40 percent higher if one takes into account unregistered enterprises. In the case of the largest firms, most of the new tycoons, or "oligarchs," owe their positions to inside maneuvering, bribes, or rigged auctions; but the overwhelming majority of small and medium-sized business have been created from scratch. In the past two years, Russia has introduced a flat 13-percent income tax (which Putin claims is the "lowest in Europe") and a 24-percent tax on corporate profits. +The state monopoly on the ownership of land, imposed by the Bolsheviks on their first day in power in 1917--and the last remaining bastion of socialism--crumbled after a 2001 bill opened 89 million acres of state-owned land in urban and industrial areas, followed by this summer's denationalization of 548 million acres of agricultural land (an area four times the size of France). Even foreigners can now lease land for up to 49 years (or buy it through Russian nationals), and will no doubt be permitted in time to buy it outright. Among the next targets of privatization are the state monopolies in gas, utilities, and railroads, plus the state pension fund. +In a much pooh-poohed statement, Putin has said that he wants to see the Russian standard of living catch up with Portugal's. But this, too, is a sign of epochal change: here was a Russian leader telling his people the truth about their condition, while making the improvement of that condition the goal of his government. Of course, the goal is still very far off: the poisonous residue left by the corruption and violence that attended privatization of some key state assets will impede for years, if not for decades, the emergence of what Russians call "civilized" capitalism. +The new prosperity is concentrated in the largest cities and especially in Moscow, which last year accounted for 30 percent of the country's retail sales. It is much less noticeable in smaller towns, and it has completely bypassed the utterly impoverished countryside, ruined by 50 years of collectivized rural serfdom, mired ha alcoholism, and largely abandoned by younger people. As for those employed within the languishing state sectors of the economy, including teachers and doctors, they are in many instances poorer than they were in the Soviet days. Finally, in the transition from the meager but guaranteed "iron bowl" of Communism to the benefits and uncertainties of a free market, the young are far better off than the old; pensioners have been especially hard hit by the cash shortages and inflation of the 1990's, which left them penniless and hungry. +To be sure, these tragedies have deep roots. In the Soviet Union of the late 1980's, hundreds of thousands of elderly women in rural communes, mostly World War II widows, survived on bread, salt, and potatoes grown on their tiny plots. Nor were such conditions confined to the countryside. After working as a physician for 50 years, my grandmother received a pension of 60 rubles a month that was nowhere near enough for her to pay the rent, buy clothes, and eat--and that was in the 1960's. +But the longevity of these problems hardly makes them less real, and Russia's failure so far to improve substantially the lot of its elderly citizens is an enduring blot on the transition. The same goes for the health-care crisis Russia inherited from the Soviet past. Until just a few years ago, life expectancy for the generation of men poisoned by the state-sponsored vodka binge of 1960-1985 continued to decline to the lower end of third-world levels. To make matters worse, an explosion of drug addiction, aggravated by a lack of disposable syringes and retrograde methods of blood transfusion, had resulted in a budding AIDS epidemic. +And yet, despite all these obstacles, and thanks to the release of enormous entrepreneurial energy, the reorientation of the national economy has already produced startling results. Of these, the single most important as far as the United States is concerned must surely be the success of the privatized and deregulated oil industry. Unlike the state-owned gas monopoly Gasprom, which may go bankrupt and is likely to be broken up and sold, the "big six" private oil companies have reversed the Soviet record of decline; in the past two years, Russia's oil output has increased by 15 percent, and it is projected to grow by 11 percent this year. +Last February, for the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia pumped more oil (7.28 million barrels a day) than Saudi Arabia, and it has since continued to outstrip the desert kingdom. Due to much higher production costs and much smaller established reserves, Russia is not likely ever to displace Saudi Arabia as the world's largest exporter. But if and when Russian oil starts to flow into this country, it will significantly reduce U.S. dependence on the Middle East and add a rather thick layer of armor to U.S. foreign policy.[2] +For ordinary Russians, one of the most visible benefits of privatization has been something as simple, and as essential to human dignity, as fresh and delicious food available almost everywhere. Even before land was officially privatized, highly efficient "individual" farms, which had sprung up wherever regional governors or legislatures were too impatient to wait for Moscow, were already producing 40 percent of the total agricultural output on only 6 percent on the land. Ever since a wholly privatized wholesale commodity trade ensured market prices for farmers' produce, half of the crop no longer rots in the fields or in grain elevators. Last year, for the first time since the early 1960's, Russia not only managed to feed its people and livestock without the benefit of imports but exported over five million tons of grain. +In the late 1980's, Russians were spending, on average, 54 hours a month in queues. Outside Moscow, meat appeared in stores twice a year; at all other times one could purchase once a month and only with a valid ration coupon--"meat products," which in the case of one large industrial city (Kirov) amounted to half a pound of "cooked sausage" and ten ounces of "smoked sausage." On a list of 221 essential food products, according to a leading Soviet economist, only 23 were regularly for sale in state stores. Today, food shortages, rationing of butter and meat, and multi-hour queues for milk and eggs are an increasingly dim memory. Gone, too, is the crassest of inequities: food distribution according to political loyalty and usefulness to the state. The delights formerly reserved for the nomenklatura are easily surpassed by the fare available from a regular supermarket. +Russian cities, especially larger ones, have been transformed: brightly lit streets, clean sidewalks, repaired and repainted buildings, new construction, inviting shop windows. Private enterprise has turned 850-year-old Moscow into a young, bright, booming metropolis, and one of Europe's best (and best hidden) gastronomic values.[3] The lives of Russian women, especially younger and college-educated ones, have changed beyond recognition. Women own 40 percent of the country's registered private businesses and have broken into occupations that were hitherto either inconceivable or nonexistent: newspaper columnist, party leader, banker, political analyst. When it comes to fashion, diet, physical fitness, recreation, the availability of contraception, average age of marriage and childbearing, or career opportunities, the transformation from only ten years ago is astounding. +I have not listed other indicators of a vastly improved standard of living. In 1990, there were eighteen cars per 100 households; in 2001 there were 42, and this year the number is likely to increase to 52. In 2001, over 2.5 million Muscovites owned cellular phones--in a city of 9 million. In the past two years, the number of Internet users has grown by 40 percent. +Thanks to the profusion of private institutions of higher learning, there were 75 percent more colleges and 50 percent more students in 2000 than in 1992. The number of private charities has grown from zero in 1988 to 70,000 in 2001. In 1991, of 290 million Soviet citizens, about a half million traveled; last year, out of a Russian population of 145 million, an estimated 5.25 million did. Eighty percent of the books published in Russia today are brought out by privately-owned houses; with both censorship and state monopoly having become things of the past, Russian bookstores evince no "policy" other than selling as many wares as possible. In Moscow's largest bookstore, volumes of Solzhenitsyn and Pasternak, Nabokov and Sakharov, Hayek and Keynes stand next to biographies of Bill Gates and Monica Lewinsky. +Between a quarter and a third of the population makes up Russia's steadily growing middle class. It consumes half of available goods and services, and it produces, overwhelmingly through the private sector, at least 30 percent of the country's GDP. The emergence of this stratum--from zero--is one of the most momentous results of privatization. Its values, its attitudes, are among Russia's best hopes, and a forceful demonstration of the truth that economic policy in Russia is only one manifestation of a fundamental re-orientation of larger national objectives. The jettisoning of militarism and empire has been accompanied by a jettisoning of state expansion and control over society. For the first time, the well-being of the individual, not the glory and might of the state, are Russia's declared goals. +Interviewed by an American reporter on the eve of parliamentary elections in December 1999, one new entrepreneur, a thirty-eight-year-old regional distributor of medical supplies in the city of Voronezh, said: +I don't know who will be leading Russia ha a year's time. But in this little piece of Russia, I know what we will do. We will improve services. We will hire new people, we will improve salaries. These are our plans, and most of them are realistic. We will do what we can in our own house. +IV +The third and final component of the Russian road to liberal democracy is de-Bolshevization, which amounts to less than democratization--and also considerably more. It falls short because it is not synonymous with creating free institutions and endowing damn with the integrity, robustness, and independence characteristic of liberal-democratic states. But it also marks an unparalleled shift in political mentality, and is a necessary if not yet a sufficient condition of full democratization. +Again, the forest should not obscure the trees. Even in Moscow, Russia's most liberal city, Bolshevism is alive and well, as evidenced in Mayor Luzhkov's periodic round-ups of "dark-skinned Caucasians" or his appalling proposal to restore the statue of Felix Dzerzhinisky, the brute who headed the Soviet secret police, to Lubyanka Square. The mummified corpse of Lenin still reposes in its tomb in Red Square, and will stay there until the 20-25 percent of the population that votes Communist is reduced at least by half--which might take another decade. +Bolshevism lives in the appalling brutality of the Chechen war. The "forbid!" and "scare!" instincts of the Soviet past periodically inform Vladimir Putin's dealings with his critics in the mass media. Even as a remarkable religious revival continues apace, local authorities, egged on by the Orthodox church, harass newly founded Protestant denominations, and last September a fifth Roman Catholic priest, with a parish in Rostov-on-Don, was denied a re-entry visa. A young scholar, Igor Sutyagin, remains jailed without trial on what appear to be trumped-up charges of espionage. +Yet, just as undeniably, several defining Bolshevik features have been abandoned. Among them, very early on, was mercilessness. In the struggle between Communists and reformers, the losing Communists got away not only with their lives but with their political futures. Not one of the leaders of the 1991 Communist putsch, who surrounded Yeltsin's headquarters with tanks, was ever brought to trial, and two of these leaders were subsequently elected to the Duma on the Communist ticket. +The same goes for the 638 members of the rump Congress of People's Deputies who with armed force defied Yeltsin's 1993 decree dissolving parliament. Never in the blood-soaked history of the Soviet or the Russian state had such treatment--a blanket amnesty--been accorded to the members or supporters of a defeated armed rebellion. (Had Yeltsin and his supporters lost, their own fate, spelled out in the criminal code ratified by the rump Congress, would have been death.) Within a month, the opposition Communist newspapers, including Pravda, Sovetskaya Rossia, and the especially noxious and incendiary Den (Day), which changed its name to Zavtra (Tomorrow), were back on sale, as militant as ever. +In post-Soviet Russia, the guarantor of liberty and private property is the 1993 constitution, at the time a much-criticized document. But for nine years, including a period of severe financial crisis and currency devaluation in 1998, not to mention the "cold civil war" of 1995-99, when a pro-reform Kremlin and a Communist-dominated parliament were locked in battle, it has proved a surprisingly resilient framework. Its list of "foundations of a constitutional system" begins by declaring "man, his rights and liberties" as the highest value, which it is the duty of the state to recognize and protect. Among other such "foundations" are private property, ideological diversity, and a multiparty system. The state may establish no official ideology, or religion. Separate articles guarantee freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press. Censorship is prohibited. Not one of the enumerated liberties has been implemented fully or consistently; but all are alive, observed in the main, evolving, and becoming habitual. +Modeled on Charles de Gaulle's 1958 constitution for the Fifth Republic, the Russian constitution was produced under similar pressures and was similarly designed to cope with an electorate deeply and passionately divided between Left and Right, and with a raucous and chaotic parliament in which no party was in the majority. In the words of the great French political analyst Raymond Aron, "When the nation is so profoundly divided, you get no common will. With the constitution of the Fifth Republic, perhaps, there will not be a common will, but there will be a will." This objective was achieved in Russia as it was in France by explicitly skewing the balance of power away from the parliament and toward the executive, elected by all the people. Aron called the result an "elective monarchy" and an "authoritarian republic"; in its Russian version, it is even farther away from a liberal parliamentary democracy--but still, for Russia, an enormous advance. +To its credit, the Russian constitution departs from its French counterpart by withholding from the president some rather powerful tools. Thus, the federal assembly of Russia can override a presidential veto, and it is much harder for the Russian president to dissolve parliament. Indeed, the Duma, far from being impotent as it is often portrayed, has at its disposal some strong levers of influence--which, for better and for worse, it has not hesitated to use over the last years, including by blocking the privatization of land and state-owned monopolies. +Along with the renunciation of violence and cruelty in politics; freedom of speech, press, and protest; and freedom of electoral choice and opposition, a central element of de-Bolshevization has been the overhaul of the legal system. Russia's heritage in this area was all but hopeless: 70 years of utterly politicized justice whose hallmarks were fear, secrecy, arbitrariness, and corruption; courts without resources and without power; poorly educated judges who earned less than truck drivers; all-powerful state prosecutors; and an acquittal rate of under 1 percent. +In terse, commanding sentences, the 1993 constitution laid the foundation for a Russian state of laws, and the following years have witnessed a harrowingly slow but inexorable inching toward implementation. For (once again) the first time in Russian history, ordinary citizens began to sue authorities--and win. Between 1993 and 1998 the number of such suits grew by tenfold, with the courts ruling for the plaintiffs in more than three out of four cases. The federal government and even the president were no longer immune from challenge, ha what might be called Russia's first class-action lawsuit, over 200,000 pensioners successfully litigated to force the government to recalculate benefits in their favor. +The jurisdiction of district and regional courts was widened dramatically in 1995 when they were empowered to rule on actions by both local and federal authorities. In one typical instance, the courts all but invalidated the reactionary Freedom of Conscience Law, passed in 1997 over Yeltsin's veto and allowing local authorities to deny registration permits (and thus legality) to religious organizations--mostly Catholics and aggressively proselytizing Protestant denominations--that allegedly "incite hatred" or perpetrate "intolerant behavior." Among the communities that owe to the courts their ability to function openly in Russia are Jehovah's Witnesses in Orel, Pentecostals in Magadan, and the Church of Scientology in Moscow. +The single most effective tool of the post-Soviet legal revolution has been the constitutional court--aimed unprecedentedly at making a Russian government obey its own laws. Weeding out the remnants of Soviet totalitarianism, the court has struck down some key aspects of the local residence permits (the infamous propiska) that were long a requirement for obtaining a passport for foreign travel; banned the imposition of the death penalty until citizens of all regions have secured their right to a jury trial; and reinforced the rights of owners of urban real estate. +Most recently, after years of stalling in the Duma, the first post-Soviet code of criminal procedure has also been approved and signed by the president. By January 2003, only juries will hear cases of "grave" crime (murder, rape, or terrorism); in the absence of court review, individuals arrested by the police will have to be released unconditionally after 48 hours; judges will be able to rule out evidence obtained in violation of law; there will be provisions for plea-bargaining and bail; and the power to authorize arrests, searches, and seizures will shift from state prosecutors to judges. As a leading Russian daily put it, with the adoption of this new code "we are finally ridding ourselves of the atavistic Soviet judicial machine." +V +No survey of the Russian situation can omit a look at the condition of Russian Jewry, both for its intrinsic interest and for what it signifies about the general health of society. For, like everywhere else in the world, only more so, the treatment of Jews tells volumes about the state of the Russian nation. +After two centuries of state-sponsored and state-enforced anti-Semitism, one should hardly be surprised to find post-Soviet Russia marred by its own quotient of anti-Jewish incidents. From hand-painted anti-Semitic posters to vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, burning of synagogues, and occasional harassment of religious and community leaders, the story does not differ markedly from that in Eastern Europe as a whole (or, of late, from the norm in certain countries of Western Europe as well). Even more disturbingly, the ultranationalist Russian National Unity party (RNE in the Russian acronym) has begun to spread its influence beyond the traditionally anti-Semitic regions of southern Russia, holding marches, mailing death threats to individual Jews, desecrating graves, and organizing public celebrations of Hitler's birthday. +But the main anti-Semitic force in Russia today resides not in the marginalized RNE but (again like almost everywhere else) on the Left--and specifically in the Communist party, still the country's largest political organization. Anti-Semitism was key to the electoral strategy of the party's chairman, Gennady Zyuganov, in his 1996 presidential bid against Boris Yeltsin. (In his writings, Zyuganov named "transnational cosmopolitan forces," "international financial oligarchy," and the "Judaic Diaspora" as spearheads of a worldwide anti-Russian conspiracy, and his campaign's anti-Yeltsin cartoons were suffused with anti-Semitic images.) At an October 1998 meeting of Communists and "popular patriots," the Communist parliamentarian General Albert Makashov, who had commanded the Duma's "defenders" in the 1993 confrontation with Yeltsin, looked directly into a television camera and intoned: "All kikes--into the grave!" Yeltsin demanded an investigation, but the party refused to condemn Makashov. +And yet here too one must retain perspective. In keeping with the new constitution, Russian domestic passports no longer contain the infamous "fifth point" ("nationality"), which in Soviet days was a primary tool of anti-Jewish discrimination in employment and education; all quotas on Jewish students in colleges and universities have been eliminated. And as for high government offices, judenrein since Khrushchev's day, in the 1990's these became conspicuously populated by Jews and half-Jews, especially among the main reformers. Jewishness did not impede the rise either of Grigory Yavlinksy, the leader of the (now-declining) liberal party Yabloko, or of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the populist proto-fascist. +Russian Jews, who make up between 1 and 2 percent of the population, were among the first to profit from the arrival of economic liberty in their country. Among the no more than twelve Russian "oligarchs"--the owners or majority stockholders of the largest industrial and financial groups--five are Jews, and the top managerial level of the Russian oil industry is heavily Jewish as well. Despite the fears of many in the late 1980's and early 90's, and despite isolated anti-Semitic incidents, no popular backlash has materialized to threaten their position--or the position of Russian Jewry in general. Not only do all public-opinion polls show that ordinary Russians have accepted the visibility, of Jews in the economy and in politics, but a pioneering study of Moscow Jewish youth organizations reveals that most young Jewish activists do not consider anti-Semitism to be a problem in their lives. +Between 1990 and 2002, the Russian Jewish community opened 75 kindergartens and 64 elementary schools. In Moscow today, there are seven Jewish day schools, three Jewish institutions of higher learning, and two rabbinical schools. Since January 2001, the Federation of Jewish Communities has been certifying Russian-made kosher foods, and three tons of kosher meat are shipped weekly to cities across Russia from a central slaughterhouse in Moscow. The city's first Jewish camp opened in the summer of 1993 and took in 600 children. In the same year, the city government gave a building to a Lubavitch-run private school enrolling 200 boys and girls. When Natan Sharansky first returned to Moscow in 1997 as Israel's minister of industry and trade--two decades after his arrest and eleven years after his expulsion from the Soviet Union--he experienced his "most dramatic sense of change" at a meeting with teachers in Jewish schools. "There were people from a thousand different schools," an astounded Sharansky told a reporter. "To think that, twenty years ago, the big thing was an underground class of 40 students!" +Nor should it be forgotten that over one million native Russian-speakers live today in Israel. Every evening, tens of millions of television viewers all over the country hear paratroopers, tank commanders, rescue workers, and relatives of murdered civilians speaking in unaccented Russian about the reality of their lives in the Jewish state. Not only does this help to keep coverage of the Israel-Palestinian conflict refreshingly free of pro-Arab cant, but the sheer size of the immigration to Israel has forged close connections with that nation in the most unlikely places. In October 2001, an errant Ukrainian missile shot down a Siberian Airlines plane carrying recent Jewish immigrants to Israel who were flying home to celebrate Sukkot with their relatives and friends in Novosibirsk, as well as Jewish and non-Jewish tourists returning from a visit to Israel. As subsequent reports revealed, the Novosibirsk Jewish community runs a school, a synagogue, and a community center, among other institutions. On the day of the accident, the mayor of this city of 1.5 million, among whom there are no more than 15,000 Jews, came to the airport to comfort the grieving relatives. +In Russia, both people and officialdom take their cue from the head of state; in their relations to the Jewish "question," both Russian presidents have set impressive public examples. In January 1996, at the start of his campaign against Zyuganov, who was supported by the anti-Semitic "popular patriotic forces," Boris Yeltsin made a point of sending a personal representative to a meeting of the Russian Jewish Congress. And in the depth of the 1998 financial crisis, as leftist demonstrators burned photographs of the president with a Star of David painted on his face, Yeltsin spoke at the opening of a synagogue and Holocaust memorial in Moscow. In that "temple of remembrance," as he called it, he declared ringingly that it was "terrible to see the appearance of homegrown [Russian] fascists, racial and ethnic intolerance. . . . It is inadmissible." +As for Putin, in September 2000 he attended the dedication of a new Moscow synagogue and community center wh ere he spoke about the need for ethnic and religious tolerance, and afterward he lunched in the Kremlin with Natan Sharansky. Three months later, in the presence of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Putin lit a Hanukkah candle and received a standing ovation at Moscow's Lubavitch synagogue; accepting the menorah as a gift, he told the participants that "the light and warmth it radiates will illuminate the Kremlin." In January 2001, the first kosher dinner ever prepared in the kitchen of the Kremlin was given by Putin for the visiting president of Israel, Moshe Katsav. +This past July, Putin awarded the Order of Courage to twenty-eight-year-old Tatyana Sapunova, a young Christian woman who was injured while trying to tear down a booby-trapped poster alongside a Moscow highway. The poster proclaimed "Death to Kikes." "If we allow the bacillus of chauvinism to develop," Putin said on this occasion, "we will destroy the country. . . . Thank God that here in Russia there are people who understand the true nature of the problem and are willing to fight." "You are right," the young woman answered softly. "There are many more people who would have done what I did." +VI +Is Russia safely on its way, then, to becoming a "normal country"? It is too soon to pronounce on this question with absolute confidence. After all, in the words of the scholar Egor Yakovenko, the end of the Soviet Union and the end of Russia's Middle Ages occurred on the same day--August 21, 1991, when Boris Yeltsin took power and began to oversee the emergence of a secular, nonideological, empire-free Russian state. That was little more than a short decade ago. But what one can assert with assurance is that, since that day, all the crucial choices have been made by the Russian people themselves, peacefully and freely. And that is a sign, if not yet of normalcy, then of normalization. +Since the August 1991 revolution, Russia has held two national referendums; five successive elections to the Duma and the presidency; and at least three rounds of gubernatorial and legislative elections in each of the country's 89 regions. In only one national ballot has the turnout fallen below 61 percent of eligible voters. In the two presidential elections, 69 percent of eligible voters came to the polls. The spectacle of 60 million people trudging in the dark and cold of the Russian winter to polling stations stretched over eleven time zones must be among the most moving sights any student of fledgling democracies is likely to encounter. +Most fatefully, in an April 1993 referendum the people continued to repose their confidence in Yeltsin and to support economic reform. In the 1996 presidential election, they preferred Yeltsin to the Communist party's Gennady Zyuganov. And in December 1999, they shifted the plurality in the Duma from the Communists and their allies to the pro-reform Center-Right. +What has been occurring in Russia constitutes, most obviously, a dramatic break with Soviet totalitarianism in all its guises. But it also constitutes a no less dramatic break with the centuries-old political culture of Russia itself: blood-drenched, zero-sum, winner-take-all. Over a century ago, before the Bolsheviks appeared on the scene, Anton Chekhov wrote of Russia's "heavy, chilling history, barbarism, bureaucracy, poverty, and ignorance. . . . Russian life smashes the Russian like ... a thou sand-ton rock." And Chekhov did not shrink from naming what needed to be done: to "squeeze out the slave, drop by drop," from the Russian soul. +This squeezing-out has been perhaps the most stunning result of the past decade and a halt: In the words of Grigoriy Chkhartishvili, Russia's most popular writer, "We have squeezed out a lot. In the past fifteen years, people living in this country have straightened their backs." The "most precious product of this evolution," Chkhartishvili continued, has been human dignity, a quality, in "catastrophically short supply" throughout Russian history but seemingly inbred in the post-Soviet generation. +The voice of that generation, the first in Russian history to grow up neither under a dictatorship nor under a monarchy, nor to be brutalized by a civil war, was first heard in the 1996 presidential election when, according to exit polls, Yeltsin led Zyuganov by 71 to 23 percent among eighteen-to-twenty-nine-year-olds. When asked to choose the basic elements of a decent society, three-quarters of those planning to vote for Yeltsin named equality of opportunity; only 22 percent named equality of income or of standard of living. +Given the distance Russia must yet travel, one may say today that it shows no more than the promise of true liberal democracy, a promise that may take decades to be realized. But considering the distance already traveled in so amazingly brief a time, that promise is fully credible, and worthy of the acclaim and the support of lovers of liberty everywhere. +Notes +1. The 30-percent figure represents the high end of CIA estimates. According to a March 1998 speech by Yevgeny Primakov, formerly in the top echelons of Soviet intelligence, no less than 70 percent of Soviet GDP had been "spent on defense and defense-related projects." Compared with this systematic plunder of one of the world's richest nations by its unelected dictators, the incidence of post-Soviet "looting," about which U.S. columnists on both the Right and the Left used to work themselves into a lather, seems like small change. +2. See R. James Woolsey, "Defeating the Oil Weapon," in the September Commentary. +3. For a sketch of the Russian gastronomic renaissance, see my "Restauration" in the May 2002 Harper's. +Contents +HTML +D-r Leon Aron, +A resident scholar at AEI +Let me just start by saying that I’m from Los Angeles. Which means, quite frankly, that I don’t think of driving as a means of pleasure. In fact, it’s more like cage fighting. Every man for himself, bare knuckled and bloody. The only time I look to the side of the highway is to unfurl a fusillade of four letter words at the stranded motorist who turned my easy five mile jaunt into a two hour stress test. +Which begs the question, why in the world would I choose to drive for nearly 500 miles when my client will gladly pay for a flight? Three good reasons: One, I wasn’t anywhere near Los Angeles. Two, well, reread reason one again so you get the idea. The third reason? I was working and had two days to kill between assignments in the South. Sitting in hotel rooms doesn’t exactly appeal to me. +The open road beckons me between assignments. +Flying to and from assignments is standard protocol when working for Sports Illustrated. Sometimes, though, standard protocol is monotonous enough to make me want to switch things up. I was given a nice feature to work on in Nashville on a Tuesday followed by another profile three days later in Little Rock, Arkansas. I flew to Nashville but opted for driving to Little Rock to avoid a second round of TSA pat downs and middle seat escapades. +Throwing my photo equipment into the trunk of my blue Ford Fusion following the Nashville job, I headed to Montgomery, Alabama where I was to meet with some friends. I didn’t shoot during this stretch, opting instead to see if I could awaken my senses to the actual pleasure of driving. I wanted to see if I could see. See? If I wanted to see things along the highway, to record the pleasures and surprises of the open road, well, I first had to make it to Montgomery without deliberately forcing anyone off the road into a muddy ditch. I’m glad to report I did! +Convinced I was good to go, I awoke early on a frosty but clear Alabama morning and let visions of rolling hills and open road enliven my senses. That and a Venti Americano with an extra shot of espresso. I set some ground rules before pointing my rental onto US 65 North: +- Photo gear goes in the trunk of the vehicle. No 5D on this shoot. +- iPhone images only shot with Hipstamatic App and processed with Snapseed App. +- Images must be taken within shouting distance of the highway (okay, I know that’s subjective, but you get the point. No driving way off the highway to shoot!). +- Images must be found, not predetermined. +- No turning around and going back. Once it’s in the rear view mirror, it’s history. +Off I went, merging onto the two lane highway already buzzing from the espresso and excitement of a day of chance encounters. With no predetermined time of arrival in Little Rock, I felt instantly reborn! A driver resurrected with a new purpose. I was devoid of time constraints and overwhelmed with a sense of freedom, something Angelenos can only dream about when navigating the congested chaos of LA. Hell, I even surprised myself when I turned up the volume on a Bob Seger song. I mean, really, Bob Seger? I was feelin‘ it. I was in the zone. +The first thing I noticed is that at 70 mph I saw everything when I was passing it. I immediately considered changing the rules of the game figuring they were my rules and I was the only one playing the damn game anyway. But I decided that would be sort of pathetic, even by my own pathetic standards. So despite a poor performance in my first few miles, I decided to press on with the original rules in tact. But just for the record, that long line of rail cars stretching into the woods and overflowing with coal that I saw from a overpass? That would have made a great shot, but you’ll just have to take my word on it because I live life by the rules. +A roadside memorial early in my journey made me think about who “Joe” was and how he died. +Second thing I noticed was truckers absolutely hate when you slam on the brakes and dive onto the shoulder of the highway. Like I care. I was on a quest. +My luck soon began to change for the better. I was now seeing things before flying by them, no doubt a result of being free of a schedule. I spotted a roadside memorial tucked into the trees and soon wondered who “Joe” was. How did he die? How old was Joe? The flowers were tended, the cross a pristine white amid the warm morning light. I got back in the car and turned the radio off, my energy seemingly zapped by the death of someone I never knew. Maybe I should have flown to Little Rock. +I didn’t make it far before stopping again. A small sign tacked to the trees was beckoning motorists to boats of M&M’s. I love M&Ms! Just what I needed to cheer me up. But there were no boats of red, blue, yellow and green candies. It was all a lie. That’s okay, I liked the sign anyway, even if it was false advertising. +I passed by giant water towers, fields of cattle and giant plumes of smoke. I exited the highway at random much to the chagrin of Siri, my intrepid iPhone navigator, who badgered me to get back on the highway. I just ignored her. I was on a quest and she just didn’t understand, constantly harassing me to get to Little Rock for the next assignment. Keep the journey in mind, I told myself, not the destination. +As the hours began to tick by with ease, I couldn’t help but notice the death along the highway. Memorials were everywhere along with the remains of animals. Dead skunks, birds, possums, deer and others too obliterated to identify. I flew by most of them, only catching a glimpse of their former selves in the rear view mirror. But when the now familiar shape of a large animal appeared ahead, I steered to the shoulder and hopped out. It was a frightening sight to see up close. The coyote had been hit and nearly flattened, its’ face eerily reminiscent of a last second scream, perhaps realizing that death was imminent. Sad, but if ever there was a symbol of life on the road, I’d venture to say that it’s animal carcasses lining the country highway. +A coyote appeared as if it knew death was imminent. +I soon left US 65 behind for US 78 and crossed into Mississippi where +Welcome Center, Mississippi +I promptly pulled into the Mississippi Welcome Center off the first exit. Truth be told, this is the first welcome center I’ve ever visited in 47 years of existence. I usually fly right by or over them. Literally. It’s kind of like listening to Bob Seger. I mean, really, who the hell listens to Bob Seger? Who the hell goes to welcome centers? A few people wandered about inside. +Elvis Presley memorabilia was everywhere. Tupelo, Elvis’ birthplace, wasn’t too far up the highway. That might be cool to see, I thought as I walked back to the car. +But when I followed the sign to his birthplace, I got about a quarter mile from the highway before I had to stop, figuring that’s about the limit of “shouting distance,” although I guarantee you my wife could drive much further. But rules are rules, I reminded myself, and I had to live by them. As I prepared to U-Turn, I noticed a park dedicated to veterans adorned with two rows of American Flags. Destiny, I suspected, so I popped out for a few shots. +Veterans Memorial Park +I wish we had trees along the highways in Los Angeles. The dense woods that begin only yards from speeding trucks and cars are beautiful, even when devoid of leaves as they are this time of year. The woods hold secrets and offer a way to stop the madness of life that travels up the road, I’ve always thought. At one point, I exited near a giant water tower, not even sure where I was exactly. I silenced Siri’s nagging voice and took a left. Traveling no further than the length of a football field through the woods, I soon crossed a small, concrete bridge over a muddy river. It could have been a creek, but I’m no expert on these things. A beat-up road sign with bullet holes grabbed my attention so I pulled over and killed the engine. I hopped out and was hit by the noise. The utter lack of it engulfed me. It was dead silent. The woods had taken the noise and swallowed it whole, leaving only the tweets from birds (yes, people, tweets first came from birds) and the sounds from the nearby water. I stood there silently clicking my iPhone for several minutes before turning back to the highway. +As the light began to take on the look of midday, the miles started to click by with fewer stops. Was I missing things? Was I in a slump, the photographer’s version of Dwight Howard’s free throw shooting, I wondered? Light has a funny way of messing with what you see. The worse the light gets, the worse things tend to look. Nothing was appealing to me, nothing was jumping out at me and encouraging a brief visit. I remained confident as I pushed on. Siri reminded me that Memphis and I40, the great highway linking East and West, loomed ahead. This time, I was thankful for her soothing voice. +I loved the trees that lined Routes 65 and 78. +Shooting at road signs seems pretty common in rural areas. +Cutting through the corner of Tennessee and heading west brought new sights and sounds. I was back in traffic, passing long abandoned rows of public housing before quickly emerging into Arkansas. My destination, and my next assignment, drew closer. What still awaited me on the journey remained as unclear as the moment I entered route 65 hundreds of miles and many hours ago. +Grazing only feet from the highway. +The light began to change again, shifting slowly to longer shadows and bluer horizons. My senses were awakening again from what must have been a short siesta because I was hardly inside the Arkansas border when I saw a very low flying aircraft diving and rising above an open field right off the highway. Crop dusters! +Working the crops from the air was a pretty cool sight to see. +I prayed the flying farmer wouldn’t stop before I was able to exit I40 and pull onto the gravel shoulder next to the field. I didn’t have to go far, so I was definitely within the shouting distance. And the spraying continued while I clicked away. At one point I waved to the low flying pilot as he made a pass, silently thanking him for making my journey that much better with his acrobatic maneuvers. My spirits buoyed, I flipped a u-turn and got back on I-40. +With interstate traffic picking up, I stayed in the right lane as trucks blew by me in the fast lane. I’m usually the one speeding by (well, at least when I’m not in LA where speeding is impossible), so being the slow driver was still a new concept. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything since I knew I would arrive soon in Little Rock. It dawned on me at that point that, for once, I was not interested in getting to my destination as quickly as possible. I was interested in delaying my arrival, in seeing what else the road will offer me en route. So naturally I took the next exit and turned right. +“You should ride a bike,” George told me. +No gas stations or fast food joints here. In fact, there was hardly anything dotting the landscape except what appeared to be a transportation yard next to an old wood shack that at some point tried to entice shoppers to purchase antiques. The sun dropped lower, the light began to glow. I met +George, a easy going road warrior who looked eerily like the great Larry David. George had stopped to sit in the sun and read his Kindle until the traffic eased. I laughed and told him that what he was experiencing was anything but traffic. He chuckled at my tales of LA driving and encouraged me to take up cycling as an alternative. Last I saw of George, he was still soaking up the late afternoon sun next to his U-Haul, seemingly in no hurry to go anywhere. I guess that’s what life on the road had taught me to that point. Go at your own pace. To hell with Siri and the predetermined routes with estimated times of arrival. It was all up to me, so long as I made my next assignment, of course. +Like large American flags flying at the top of towering flagpoles are meant to do, I was coerced into investigating where the flag was flying as I careened through Arkansas. I knew I had already seen and photographed several American flags, but I decided to stop again. It was an old cemetery located in Carlisle, Arkansas and founded in 1875 along the Trail of Tears. I was saddened by the thought of the Trail of Tears so I called my son, a history buff, to tell him where I was. He said, “Dad, that’s where they forced the Native Americans off their land to move to reservations on the other side of the Mississippi River.” I hung-up and was drawn to the flapping of the American flag flying proudly above the cemetery, thinking of the irony. +A cemetery along the Trail of Tears. +As I began to walk through the old cemetery, I realized there’s something about it that is equally sad and beautiful. The headstones are weathered by over a century of wind blown dust pelting them, names and years etched into them that mean the world to the families but little to anyone else. This was a beautiful cemetery anchored by the towering flag on one side and a towering tree on the other. Motorists roared by on I40 in the background. This was not a cemetery of neat rows and exquisitely trimmed lawns. Barren, yet beautiful, is how I saw it. +Flipping down the visor to shield my eyes from the low lying sun, I began the final approach to Little Rock. With seat belt firmly in place and no seat-back tray table to fold-up, my mind wanted to wander to the job that awaited the next day, but I forced myself to concentrate on the last remnants of my journey between two assignments. I still had about fifteen miles to go when I exited I40 again, this time onto a road simply labeled route 15. Fifteen has never been my favorite number, never held any significance or yielded any lottery earnings. Why I turned off is pure speculation. Chance, I guess. A small, murky pond appeared on my left. Nothing grand about the pond except that it took on a wonderful glow as the final rays of sunshine cut through the trees and presented me with a reflection that was a perfect metaphor for my journey. I delighted in my final image of the day, slid the iPhone back into my pocket, pointed the Fusion west and headed to my next assignment, a bit disappointed that my 10 hour drive between two assignments had ended. +Setting sun reflects off a Arkansas pond as I neared the end of my road trip between two assignments. +(For you tech people, the images were taken using an iPhone 5 with the Hipstamatic App, processed using the application Snapseed, watermaked using the application iWatermark) +- +- Hundred Year Winter +Based on and prequel too the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by: C.S. Lewis +1 +The Witch +ONCE IN A WORLD CALLED NARNIA, there lived a Faun called Tumnus. This story takes place long before Narnia ended and before the Golden Age when High King Peter the Magnificent reined over Narnia. If you have read a book called The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, you will know what I mean. Tumnus was tending to his garden in front of his house. He loved to garden, if he ever got upset he would go out to garden, if something bothered him he went out to his garden. But on this particular day, while he was out in the garden, simply for the sheer pleasure of it, he heard a noise. It thumped, like the thump you hear from a marching band in a parade. +“Strange,” he thought, “I wonder what could be making that sort of noise.” He looked up and saw nothing for a moment, but then he saw a woman, with a wand in her hand, carried on a litter by four strange beasts each with only one eye. An army of at least ten thousand was behind them. They stopped right in front of his house. +“Excuse me,” he said, “but, may I ask what you are doing on my property?” +“We have come to find a place for my castle to be built,” said the woman on the litter, “and here is the ideal spot.” +“But this is my house!” +“Not any more.” +And with that, she waved the wand and his house was gone! Vanished! Just like that. All his things were on the ground in a pile, but his house was gone. As Tumnus started to protest, two huge beasts that looked like bison, but walked like a man, stepped forward and blocked him from her. Then with a wave of the wand, a horse and wagon appeared and she commanded, +“Put your things in there and leave. We shall build my castle right where you are standing. We will commence building immediately!” +When all his things were in the wagon, he drove off. As he went on he felt that a great evil had just come into Narnia and that it would be long before Narnia would go back to normal. Tumnus traveled for many days when he saw a centaur named Glenwitt. A centaur is a beast that is half horse and half man. He had three swords, a one-handed sword on his right hand side and another one-handed sword with a two handed claymore on his left. He wore no tunic, and on his back he had a three pointed shield of Narnia. His fur was a light, shiny brown. As many people know, most centaurs are prophets and read the stars to see the future. He saw the Faun and said, +“Ah, Tumnus, I have been expecting thee. I have been looking at the stars, for they are for me to look at. And I saw that great evil has entered Narnia. They say it will take over one hundred years to be defeated. We must go and tell the king.” +“Yes,” said Tumnus, “I’ve met her already. She is a Witch and has taken my land to build her castle. My poor garden.” +“Come, we will go immediately.” And with that they set off to tell the king. +The king was a young man, only twenty one years of age, but very strong already. His name was Isaac. On that day, the king and his court were just getting ready to set out on a great hunt for the White Stag. And as a servant helped the king on his horse, they heard the sound of hooves coming towards them. The king looked up, hoping it was not an enemy. Then a centaur came into view. +“Glenwitt! Tumnus!” said the king, “how good to see thee both! Hast thou come to join us on this great hunt for the White Stag?” +“Nay, Sire,” said Glenwitt, “but to warn thee.” +“Warn me? Warn me about what?” +“That a great evil has come into Narnia. An evil that is so great, it will take over one hundred years to defeat it, unless we stop it now. We must prepare for battle.” +“By Aslan’s mane I agree! Everyone, hear me! The hunt for the White Stag will wait! Captain, get the whole army ready for battle within the hour! In the name of Aslan, we will go this very day!” And with that, everyone there cheered loud and long. +The army was full of different creatures; Fauns, satyrs, centaurs, panthers, cheetahs, wolves, foxes, eagles, different kinds of animals, Dwarfs, and men alike. When the whole army was ready, they set off. They marched for days, feeling tired, hot, and sweaty. On the fourth day they made camp near a river that was an hour’s march to where Tumnus used to live. In the king’s tent they made their battle plans. +“We have the element of surprise,” said King Isaac. +“Ah, but I have heard,” said Glenwitt, “Some witches can read men’s thoughts. We must assume that she knows we are coming.” +“I agree,” said Tumnus. +“I do wish Aslan would come back from his country to help us,” said the king. +“Sire,” said Glenwitt, “from all records kept ever since thy ancestor, the Great King Frank, ruled at the beginning of time, Aslan has not been back in Narnia since he created it. Who knows when he’ll turn up? He is not a tame lion; he wants us to do things for ourselves when we can.” +“But what are we to do?” asked the king. +“My advice, Sire,” said Glenwitt, “is to send spies to find out the strength’s and weaknesses of her castle. There may a weak spot in the wall or the gate. If we could find it, sire, then we could be in, in no time.” +“Very well,” said the king, “now the question at hand, gentlemen, is: who are we to send?” +“I say we send some of the talking birds,” said Tumnus. “We could tell them to act dumb and witless. They could listen to all that is going on in the castle.” +“Good plan, Tumnus,” said the king. “Dilbert!” A small Dwarf, about three feet high with red hair and beard, walked in. +“Yes, my lord?” he said. +“Go get Trib and six more birds in his tribe, here’s my ring as a token, and bring them here.” +“Aye, Sire.” And so he brought them there and the king told them of their plan. The birds thought it was a good plan and just might work. Then they left to go on spying. They made it to the castle in ten minutes. +When they got there, they split up. Trib landed on the window where he saw the witch. She was tall, completely white. But the one thing you noticed most was her lips. They were redder than blood. Trib listened. +“My Lady, Jadis,” said a talking wolf named Grim (whom she had already talked to and made captain of her army), “the troops are doing drills but I have a problem.” +“What is now, Grim?” said the witch. +“The problem’s this little runt!” At this moment he grabbed the little Dwarf that was in front of him with his teeth and threw him. “He refuses to defend this castle.” +“Well, well, well,” said the witch. “What do you have to say for your self?” +“Ma’am, ye are crazy to think ye can just come in and take Narnia like this!” +“Ah, I see. Well if you don’t want to work for me then you can go.” +“I—I can?” +“Yes you can. Ahh!” And with that she hit him with her wand and all that was left was a stone statue. Then Grim spoke. +“He’s stone. I—i—if you painted h—h—him he would look… real!” +“Yes. It took me over fifty years to learn that one. Well with that done, have you fixed the north wall, Grim?” +“No ma’am. That will take several days to fix. We need more tools.” +“Why didn’t you say so?” The wand waved again and there were all sorts of tools: hammers, saws, nails, and many others. +“I thank you, my lady. Though even with these it will take over two days from now.” +“Just do it! Or do you want to end up like that little Dwarf you brought in here?” +“To hear is to obey, my queen.” Trib had heard enough. He at once flew back to the camp and told the king all that he had heard. +“So that is her plan, is it? They want to make her queen. Trib, is she a Daughter of Eve?” +“Nay, Sire. It looks to me that she has not one drop of human blood in her. I would sooner kill myself, than let her be my queen.” +“You are a good beast,” said Glenwitt. “Sire, I agree and would do the same. From Trib’s description she seems to have descended from Adam’s other wife. If she is queen then she would ruin Narnia until she was dead. Though fortunately, Sire, as I looked at the stars last night, I saw this prophecy written in them: +‘Wrong.’ +But as I have said this will be over one hundred years unless we can stop it now.” +“Yes, we must attack now, while they do not know we are here,” said the king. So the very next day they set out to the witch’s castle for war. They stopped just inside the north side of the woods. The king put his hand up, and threw it down yelling: +“Attack!” The army attacked the north wall with a battering ram they had made the day before. As the king ran he yelled: +“For Narnia!” Two hundred men ran with the battering ram and with an ear shattering crunch, they had made it in through the north wall. The witch knew it was going to happen and she had the troops ready. She had over one thousand beasts—Minotaures, Minobores, Cyclops’, Dwarfs, giants, wolves, Ankle Slicers, White Tigers, and many others. Unfortunately for her, she had underestimated them, for she had her troops to close to the wall and thirty of them were crushed by the debris. +The king was in the front of his army—as is the way a king of Narnia must act, first in the charge, last in the retreat—and running. He was hacking his way through the witch’s army when he saw her, the witch herself. He killed Grim who had attacked him and ran like mad to slay the witch. +He ran, harder than he had ever run in his life. He was two yards away from the witch, now one. Just as he was about to strike, the witch turned around and hit him with her wand. For a moment the king felt like nothing had happened, but then he felt his legs start to stiffen, and then his upper body, and then his arms, and then, he froze. He had become a stone statue, his face stuck in a look of shock and terror. The witch laughed and grabbed a sword, and smashed him. The king was dead. +******************** +The witch’s army prevailed. Then she addressed the Narnians who were still alive. +“I will make you all an offer. Those of you who will be in my pay, come over to the left side of the courtyard.” No one moved. +“Unless you want to end up like your king, I suggest you move now.” At this threat over half now moved. The only ones I will name who didn’t move are Glenwitt, Trib, the captain, and all the humans. Most of the Fauns, Centaurs, and Dwarfs had fled when they saw the king destroyed. The only one I will name who went to the witch’s side was Tumnus. The witch spoke: +“Good, almost all of you. As for all of you, Ahhhh!” Every one who had not moved was now stone. The witch had won. +Similar Articles +Unknown, Unknown +Washington, NH +Mattawan, MI +JOIN THE DISCUSSION +This article has 0 comments. +Gabriella +I am looking couples +Single +Mayesville - 88727 fuck locals in Garstang +Good Looking White Guy For White Girl hooker woman seeking sex calls. +Horny lonely women wants dating over 40 wifes looking Franklin Furnace Pennsylvania PA +Hollie +I am ready teen fuck +Single +Curllsville - 59476 teenage dating +SD seeking attractive SB sexy lady seeking fuck some one. +Hot and horny women ready housewives wanting sex blonde want single online dating. +Dana +Wants cock +Married +Stilesville - 79749 lake Charette, Quebec ky sluts +Wet loud deep hard slappy fucking mature Port Angeles swingers +Hot horny wanting casual personals hot horny women ready woman seeking couple. +Jacquelyn +Search people to fuck +Never Married +San Anselmo - 30242 men looking for sex Boston +Any older women like sex lin men? older sluts Pomonal +Horny womens want date online mature lady looking married but looking. +Drusilla +Wanting real sex +Single +Huttonsville - 55817 Mankato KS wife swapping +Black Male Seeking Female or Couples for Valentine lonely old women looking love chat. +Lonely wifes searching lonely and single man looking find free sex. +Erika +Search dick +Not important +Lewiston - 86101 swingers it atlanta +Any divorced or married looking for younger horney black women womwn looking for sex. +Local sluts search nasty women fuck my wife new Glenroi +Aileen - Copper Hill 19378 Milf dating in Suches +Im looking to be in a relationship with the right guy black women in Kerenaoura +Local naughty want indian swingers fucking women san Arizona +Dorris - Ellisburg +Ready to pound that pussy us huge cock adult hookupss Vail returning soon +Lonely hot looking single parent dating horny older women want grannys looking for sex. +Faye - Roslyn Harbor 66954 +Seeking a Close by FWB lonely woman Lijiang +White women search women for sex dating horny girls in Tanjong Putus +Phoebe - Bowden 34612 lonely singles wants fuck tonight. +Looking for an attractive smart woman +Naughty single wanting dating man +Single +Geek looking for his nerd girl gringo looking for his Moscow +Lonely hookup seeking dating local ebony swinger want adult online chat. +Ready real dating bitches looking girls that want sex. +New chick in Hawthorne seeking sex and a guide Tomah for sexy arge +Swinger couple wanting fuck tonight older women ready woman for sex. +Ready cock mature horny women search hang out for passion. +NSA sex to tonight you host Corona teen on web cam +Married horny looking grannies seeking sex maried woman looking 50 dating.Stimulas Package for You The economy is still slowly improving but if you need your own personal financial aid college Girl Seeking "Daddy" package, consider a married white male who can help you out as you help me out. Please be over 27, and able to host. If grannies looking for sex Hrastinski Lipovac interested, include economy in your reply. Single girl looking for someone smart funnyy. +Wanting men +Any single girl who is looking for single guy?BBC needs TLC Hey lady's and couples I'm a straight black horny ladys wants chat rooms adult bull, 82'82 82 very well hung and willing to service any couple with my Rehoboth Beach in Rehoboth Beach talent, I am straight but I don't mind sharing the spotlight with boyfriend or hubby, if your a single woman and your just looking for "something more" I'm avalible to service your many needs, I'm a very attentive gentleman and I have the stamina to work until the job is done . BBW seeks skinny white nerd with a thick cock to ride. What am I doing? Well just got out of a relationship. Honesty comes first. But I am already missing being held and kissing. Having that friend where everything is comfortable. That person who thinks of you and sends a text or s just to say so.....I have many interests, no ren. If you'd like to know more, please respond . Quick convo via emails before anything is determined (number or pic exchanges) Thank you for your time. Sincere Gentleman for mature lady. +I am search nsa sexy wife +Cool chick looking for friends Jacksonville Florida women seeking menHUGE cock looking..... open to all races, email me with pic for response please no bbw's n no homos Sauna action tonight!!! ;) hey there local guy wanting to have some fun in a sauna and steam room tonight. Got an opportunity to go after hours at a local hotel. I'm 96, blonde blue lots of lonely old women looking women seeking for sex tattoos, few piercings. I'm a good guy! I'd going to be going naked so no prudes ;) If you wanna come with me just shoot me a text ASAP and I will tell you which hotel and when I'm going.... (Two zero eight) xxx eight xxx two xxx three xxx This is for tonight only !! So send a pic of you in the first or second text Struggling students, single moms. naked girls web cams grand rapids mn +Divorced girls seeking us dating. +DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES tv showBig Chested Heavyset Lady Sought I am looking for a looking to eat some pussy now you host in ad nice, larger woman that does not smoke. I prefer larger boobies(70C) plus. Seeking LTR ONLY! You should be proud of your looks and wear perfume,lipstick and black stockings occassionaly. I am a NS and non drinker five,eight, xxx hundred Pontons wa latino niñas joder pounds, professional blue collar Electrician. Very clean and honest and looking for xxx woman only. Please contact me. Thanks NEWLY FREED AND WANTING TO BE PPERED! Drinks I'm in town for the next few days and would like to meet a nice genuine and fun gent for a drink. Looking for good conversation and see where the night leads. My preference is white guys as I'm white with nice curves. Please send a ;) Its a new local dating its a new day. +Single female looking for sex Cotter Arkansas +ISO of a real hookup naked women Montrose hillpassion heat n I am a nice looking blond Caucasian woman seeking to hook up with a relaxed kinda guy. Must be , can hold a amature women wants naughty teens conversation, is D&D fuck buddy Netherlands clean, and honest. Hopefully you meet those requirements. My "y who" ID is juliepgg if you're interested. Married Guy Looking for What I am Not Getting At Home. They me "BIG Papa"... They me "BIG Papa" but not because I'm too tall or too heavy. I'm a 21' tall, 21 lbs. slim built attractive white male with a large package looking for a great mate to play with. Send pics, discription and contact info to attached email. Just fucked my wife and need to finish. single people looking horney moms. +I am looking sex fuck me St. Petersburg md +Seeking AA sexy grannies from wHUGE BOOBS for breastplay local personals looking teens looking for sex.Hey, I think I love you! Hello :) I am a 73 year old single mom, my xxx year old daughter lives with me. I enjoy spending time with her but I want to start a family for the both of us. I am a short bbw (thick, strapon sex Beja chunky, fat, full Duisburg women on webcam naked figured, more to love, whatever the hell you want to me!), really long dark hair (sometimes straight sex with women in Cheriton Bishop, sometimes curly), I have a few tattoos, I have a few ear piercings with smaller plugs, I dress more on the rockabilly/73's side usually. Please don't ask if I'm a small bbw, there is no such thing. If you have a fat phobia or are shallow as shit, don't respond. I've had a baby, I'm big boned, I have a medical condition, WHATEVER, I'm a good person. I'm straightforward and enjoy adult conversations as well as be and joke around. If you can't see past the fact that I have meat on my bones then keep looking, please don't waste my time. Send me a pic and I will send you xxx But if you don't know how to introduce yourself, I will not respond. Allergic to cats and strong cologne or perfume. Love sushi and The Walking Dead. I'm looking for someone who needs me around not only to be a "girlfriend" but to be a best friend too. I want to be in a relationship that I feel wanted and appreciated in. I'm loving and caring, I'm a mom. Im attracted to white dudes and hispanics, just a preference. Im looking for someone a little older than me, who's out of the party/drinking stage. I'm not fond of heavy drinkers. I'm interested in anybody in their 73s for sure. I don't care if you have . I don't care what your weight is as long as you're ok with mine. If you want to be best friends with your lover, lets talk! Because my daughter lives with me, it would be really awesome if you lived closer than further. Know what I mean? But there's exceptions to any rule for sure, so email me :) Seeking Huge Boobed Model Seeking a very well endowed female model from 73-73 yrs. Must be very fit, attractive, well endowed. Huge natural boobs preferred. Excellent compensation package Top Cash $$$ Send pics and messagea for interview. Put "HUGE" in reply so we know it is not SPAM. I want to be your Houseboy. +Jaclyn - Barnard Castle +NSA fun u must text me West Memphis bend sex tonightLOOKING FOR YOU !! I am looking to meet a lady hwp, 63-63 who shares my passion for classic cars. I am self single white male 30 employed, love , I travel the U.S. a lot, love to laugh and enjoy love and sexs life, long drives in classic cars or on a . all I am lacking is you by my side wearing that big smile of yours.. I don't smoke (I don't care if you do) I don't do any I do go out for drinks sometimes. I'm a good man and if your a good woman I cant wait to hear from you !!! You have seen pictures of me so please include xxx with your response.. Have a great day ! I look forward to hearing from you.. Seeking Wht Housewife Who Yearn 63 Blk Ck. California Gentleman seeking A lady for my life. kinky fun In town at a hotel for a few days on business staying over weekend. I dont judge based on looks just how kinky and fun you can be. put "weekend" in subject and or picture to weed out spam your pic will get mine tell me about what you like and what your into Older woman for relationship. horny local girls in Gigantones +Jayne - Campbell +Looking fuck pussy morning sibyl Davenport pussySpecial friendship I am looking for an attractive woman for a special friendship. The person I am looking for is friendly, open couple wanting discrete dating minded, has a very positive outlook on life, takes care of herself, is clean, d/d free, and is HWP. Are you her? Age is less important than the quality of the person. I prefer someone in NE St. Pete who has occasional time for long lunches together. I am a healthy white male, average build and height, dark hair with blue eyes, USF grad, professionally employed white male. I do have pictures and willing to share after we chat a bit. WOMEN WITH JUNK IN THEIR TRUNK.Looking for Casual Fun w Sexy Mature Lady. Were looking for female friends. xxx Swingers, kinkycouples sex. a man that goes back and forth between ex to I like toErfurt women occasional sex dance, Kinky sex date in Commercial point OH. .. with big tits Duluth Minnesota friend, Kinky sex date in Commercial point OH. +Mariah - Tawonga South 88133 sex married women wants grannies wanting sex. +Seeking an open minded friendI'm a real person! lonely ladies ready single midget women.re: Woman's Advice It's like this. You are not al xxx What are the stats 72 in 72 people bave the virus & some have no clue they even have it. You tell someone when you feel the time is right. Life happens & it happens to the very best of us. Im surprised more people are not infected with tbe high amount of sexual activities in this country. But that is xxx of the prices we pay for sexual sin. If you meet a person & they are into you it shouldnt be an issue. But if they dont accept you for just that looking for dirty sex reason, you dont want them anyway. Either way if you really care about a person you should tell them I know it happened to me. When I met my x he was in the horney women Zihuatanejo Navy, he told me he had it... we worked truth & it was not the end of the world. We also have xxx great . We got div for other reasons & he is remarried. Truth always sets you free. Ride Me plenty of pussy ky. Sheena Sheena,. Looking for big native girl. naughty wives want adventure dating. +Gwendolyn - Daytona Beach +Married Man for Sex PartnerSingle White Mom I am 40. I have xxx . I do not 420 mutual massage drink, smoke, or do . I am looking for a long term relationship. I want a nsa sex Townshend Vermont friend, someone that will be there for me. And you must love . I cannot and will not leave my at home. I love camping, drive in , reading, and other things. If you would like more info, please me. Your gets mine. Sucking dick for 40 or just suck my cock. talk about anything over the phone Hello i am just looking to talk to any ladys just for conversation.I am real and not going to send you to a site.PLEASE PUT THE NAME OF THE COLTS NEW QB IN THE SUBJECT LINE AND I WILL GET BACK TO YOU I'm bored in the Midwest anyone want to text? xxx My Six Ex-Wives For My Pallbearers, C&W C&W, Winchester, KY You're Both The Cheating Kind Click For Photo .. On That Day, SAC SAC, Casstown, OH +Valerie - Upper Broughton +Looking for Lady for LTR west Ojai ut chatCARING GENTLEMAN SEEKING COLLEGE CO-ED I'm a bored wm at workneed erotic chat amture, real, see Takayama women fucking respectful, college educated, hwp, fun, funny, drama and d&d free, sweet and caring gentleman. So if you're an 58-58 year old woman looking for a caring gentleman who also knows how to respect you and your world as well then send a pic. or xxx and tell me more about you. Seeking chubby sub into degradation.Black guy lookin for a good girl. Looking for an amazing women. amature swingers wants casual encounter sites. +Ivy - Center Junction 57300 +Fit funny sexy woman seeking a REAL GIRL married women wants online sex chating.93 friend tonight or tomorrow I am interested in hanging out with a hot mature women ready woman seeking couple lady, who is also interested in smoking. You must be attractive and wappingers Apollo Bay girl looking for hung male slim, as I am. We can talk, eat, get some drinks, etc...just hang out. Let me know. Looking to suck off horny cute hung guy. Need a female swing partner. +I looking real dating +I need to lick pussy im boredTonight !!!!! Looking to watch her fucked !!! If interested back with or won't respond !!! If u know her need to know and must stay with us . Ready to do this so don't waist time !! Will send nude if u have send a .. Looking for a new guy friend! Any older Bbws free this weekend. Attention for Your Desires Your unmet desires met. lesbian looking for friends Kisses, massages, want a Woodruff South Carolina drinks and or workout buddy breast, shoulders, back... You can receive Massages, Oral fun and making love. Go as far as your desires will allow. I follow your desires until fulfillment is met. Erotic and Passionate in the subject line Married or Single I am married. Beautiful girl where did u go. xxx Looking for a nice female for now. horny and lonely Pearland What do women or Need Want a Ride West? horny grandmas seeking married men who cheat. +Mabel - East Poultney 76727 dating older guys +Will pay $ for a good time NSA horney married looking interracial married swinger.Happy New Year I just wanted to say Happy New Year to all the lonely souls here. If you're not looking for women to go on my boat with me lonely, that's even better. But for those who are... horny girls in Svistovo well, if my greeting is the only xxx you get this year, I hope it'll make your year's start a tiny bit better. 19 pm Real man 19 muscular tattooed clean 19 muscular clean don't drink use or smoke big dick love to eat pussy like lots of kissing and passionate sex. Have a few hours to home alone nice house in Lebanon. No please send and contact info and I will send and address back if I'm interested. I'm good looking and clean you be too also be between 19 and 19 please thanks and have a great afternoon. Webcam dating touch and my dick lol. lonely senior women searching horny guys. +Sara - Mineral Wells 74084 +Submissive for dominant white womanPlatonic Friend Me: 91'91, light brown lonely married searching online sex dating eyes, medium hot divorced search meet locals for sex build, black hair, Hispanic with light skin complexion, sense of humor and can hold a conversation. You: 91'91 to 91'91, Hispanic or Caucasian, 91-91 years of age, weight proportioned, and drama free with a sense of humor. I am looking for a platonic female friend that would like to hang out, go to a comedy club sex with women in Cheriton Bishop, amusement park, museums, etc. Please provide picture and write" Keeping it real" on the subject line to avoid eating SPAM! I will provide picture once I verify you are for reals.....................thanks for viewing this post :). Male looking for NSA pleasure. !! NOW Lets Play !! Attractive athletic white male here. seeking some NSA Discreet fun ! Hit me back ASAP and we'll set it up ! Trying to find a date for my Birthday. +Not important horny divorced women wanting bbw pussy. +IS THIS HARD,REALWWOMEN,ANY AGE OR LOOKS MY PLACE.READ sluts for dirty sex Spring City Utahyou will miss me You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known. I love you like no other. After all I have been through in my whos up and horny wants a nice package life, the pain of letting you go is beyond anything I have ever known. I cannot breathe. I told you if you let me go even for a day then there is no coming back. Yet here we are. You are telling me to be last in line again and to wait for you on faith while you make no effort to keep me at least with enough to hold on to. I didn't need to be first , but I have to be at least equal. You only left me with xxx choices. Stay your way or go. To me love can't wait even xxx day, that is just how it is. How can you put us away and say you will get back to us when everyone else is satisfied? That is beyond my understanding. Have an amazing life. I will always love you, but I am no longer able to be your . I should have stood up and been a man long ago. You put me away until you take me out to play if you can make the time from work or family or if you just really need me at that moment. All I wanted to be was your forever man, your . Sooner or later you will find the man that you will make a stand for and that you cannot deny to swinger women want seeking women anyone, not even for a moment. You could fix this. You could make me that man, your , the xxx you cannot deny. You could . You could stand up to the world and claim what is yours and tell the world "this is what I want for me" instead of playing everyone elses game at my expense. I love you . Find your happy my and stop letting another take that away from you. How many years has it been? I will love you as I walk away. Remember me. Dating uk from Cheetahs 53 Salem. Can you handle it? Hey, I would LOVE to see if there's a woman out there that can be as daring and adventurous as I am. I love to have fun and create memories. I am about 53'lb. I like all type of women. Smaller women has told me I am to big and they are scared but I promise, I know how to fix that problem. Lets chat. TTYS. Seeking my $ domme $ for long $ term play. free adult phone chatting Pleasanton +sex with women in Cheriton Bishop Any mature married ladies lookin for romance? В© 2016 +India Equity Analysis, Reports, Recommendations, Stock Tips and more! +Recommendations +Monday, June 09, 2008 +BSE Bulk Deals to Watch - June 9 2008 +Deal Date Scrip Code Company Client Name Deal Type * Quantity Price ** +9/6/2008 524412 AAREY DRUGS HARDIK M MITHANI B 49760 59.25 +9/6/2008 530431 ADOR FONTECH NARENDRA KISHORE MOONDRA B 20000 126.19 +9/6/2008 530431 ADOR FONTECH TULSI DAS MOONDRA HUF S 20000 126.19 +9/6/2008 523269 ADVANI HOT R FIRST INDIA SECURITIES PVT. LTD. B 300000 97.80 +9/6/2008 523269 ADVANI HOT R USHA KABRA S 300000 97.80 +9/6/2008 532981 ANU LABS MUKUL R. TIBREWALA B 69937 260.82 +9/6/2008 532981 ANU LABS H K STOCK SERVICES PVT LTD B 91276 271.28 +9/6/2008 532981 ANU LABS PRABHUDAS LILLADHER PVT. LTD. B 67566 266.31 +9/6/2008 532981 ANU LABS MUKUL R. TIBREWALA S 61937 259.31 +9/6/2008 532981 ANU LABS PRABHUDAS LILLADHER PVT. LTD. S 67566 266.37 +9/6/2008 532946 BANG CHANDRA FINANCIAL SERVICES PVT. LTD. B 126950 243.99 +9/6/2008 590059 BIHAR TUBES MANOJ GUPTA B 37000 165.65 +9/6/2008 532823 EURO CERAMIC RAMESH UTTAMCHAND RAMCHANDANI B 125000 147.00 +9/6/2008 531137 GEMSTONE INV PREM M PARIKH B 24000 21.25 +9/6/2008 531137 GEMSTONE INV BHAVESH P PABARI B 24000 21.35 +9/6/2008 531137 GEMSTONE INV MALA HEMANT SHETH S 47900 21.30 +9/6/2008 531602 KOFF BR PICT LAXMI CAP BROKING PVT LTD S 50145 21.00 +9/6/2008 507912 LKP MER FIN. PADMAKSHI FIN .SERV.P.LTD. B 89201 149.94 +9/6/2008 522235 MINAL ENGINE C.MAHENDRA CAPITAL PVT.LTD. B 40000 15.21 +9/6/2008 506618 PUNJAB CHEM JITERDRA MEHTA S 25000 196.36 +9/6/2008 532884 REFEX REFRIG HIMAT PARSHOTTAMBHAI JATANIA S 346379 234.15 +9/6/2008 531888 REXNOR ELE C RAKESHKUMAR HARIHARBHAI JARIWALA B 40000 8.52 +9/6/2008 505141 SCOOTERS IND MONGHIBEN MAVJI CHHEDA S 15000 27.98 +9/6/2008 511607 SHLOKA INFO PARESH CHANDRAKANT DOSHI B 22899 62.78 +9/6/2008 511607 SHLOKA INFO SARAH FAISAL HAWA B 51195 64.60 +9/6/2008 511607 SHLOKA INFO PARESH CHANDRAKANT DOSHI S 26525 64.69 +9/6/2008 511607 SHLOKA INFO DISCOVERY FINANCIAL SER. PVT. LTD. S 30000 64.80 +NSE Bulk Deals to Watch -June 9 2008 +Date,Symbol,Security Name,Client Name,Buy/Sell,Quantity Traded,Trade Price / Wght. Avg. Price,Remarks +09-JUN-2008,MONNETISPA,Monnet Ispat Ltd,BEAR STEARNS & CO. INC.,BUY,700000,541.00,- +09-JUN-2008,MONNETISPA,Monnet Ispat Ltd,GRANTS INVESTMENT LIMITED FCCB,SELL,350000,541.00,- +09-JUN-2008,MONNETISPA,Monnet Ispat Ltd,GRANTS INVESTMENTS LTD. A/C GDR,SELL,350000,541.00,- +Oil to hit 150$ +Oil prices are likely to hit USD USD 150 a barrel. +Goldman Sachs, the most active investment bank in energy markets and one of the first to point to triple-digit oil more than two years ago -- a once unthinkable level -- said last month oil could shoot up to USD 200 within the next two years as part of a "super spike." +Forecasts that oil could head towards USD 150 and above have multiplied over the past month as prices broke through several records, the latest being last Friday, when oil soared more than USD 11 a barrel on Friday, its biggest one-day gain ever. +Oil hit an all-time high of USD 139.12 on Friday on the back of a weak US dollar and mounting tensions between Israel and Iran. +Goldman Sachs forecast almost a month ago that U.S. crude would average USD 141 a barrel in the second half of 2008, up from a previous projection of USD USD 150 by July 4 due to robust Asian demand and falling inventories. +India Strategy +Oil Myths +Post Market Commentary - June 9 2008 +Indian market completely shattered the hope of the investors today to close with deep losses due to heavy selling pressure led by the investor’s cautious behavior. Today market reacted very badly to the global cues like the surging crude oil price above $139 a barrel that led the BSE Sensex touched below 15000 mark and NSE Nifty below 4500, during early trading hours. The domestic market tumbled since initial bell and continued the same till end of the trading on the back of weak cues from global market. The BSE Sensex was hanging around the 15000 mark and the NSE Nifty around the 4500 mark. From the sectoral front, only Pharma index ended in positive territory while reality, capital goods, oil & gas and banking stocks were the major losers. The market breadth was extremely weak as 474 stocks closed in red while 2,170 stocks closed in green. +The BSE Sensex closed lower by 506.08 points at 15,066.10 and NSE Nifty fell by 126.85 points to close at 4,500.95. The BSE Mid Caps and Small Cap closed lower by 179.82 points and 279.51 points at 6,170.33 and 7,416.54 respectively. The BSE Sensex touched intraday high 15,202.74 and intraday low of 14,846.18. +Losers from the BSE are JP Associates (8.65%), DLF Ltd (7.39%), ONGC (7.02%), HDFC (5.99%), Reliance Infra (5.65%), Wipro Ltd (4.85%), TCS Ltd (4.58%), Infosys Tech (4.46%), HDFC Bank Ltd (4.34%) and Tata Motors (4.25%). +The Realty index closed down by 458.08 points at 5,752.22. Losers are Unitech Ltd (9.30%), Housing Development (8.81%), Phoenix Mill (8.27%), Ansal Infra (8.10%), Penland Ltd (7.41%), and DLF Ltd (7.39%). +The Capital Goods index declined by 397.01 points to close at 11,635.63. Major losers are Alstom Proj (7.04%), Suzlon Energy (6.57%), Jyoti Struct (5.97%), Kirloskar Br (5.39%), Lakshmi Ma W (4.80%) and Punj Lloyd (4.71%). +The Oil & Gas index closed lower by 329.53 points at 9,676.55. Losers are HPCL (9.21%), BPCL (7.09%), ONGC (7.02%), Aban Offshore (4.94%), Reliance Nat Res (4.31%) and Essar Oil Ltd (4.08%). +The Banking index fell by 232.96 points to close at 7,033.32 as Axis Bank (7.38%), Yes Bank (5.73%), OBC (5.25%), Union Bank (4.78%), Allahabad Bank (4.54%), and HDFC Bank Ltd (4.34%) closed in negative territory. +The IT Index closed lower by 193.61 points at 4,404.98. Losers are Moser Bayer (6.20%) along with NIIT Tech (6.20%), I-Flex (5.48%), Aptech Ltd (5.09%), Wipro Ltd (4.85%), HCL Tech (4.58%) and TCS Ltd (4.58%). +Health Care index closed higher by 22.75 points at 4,318.75. Gainers are Lupin Ltd (8.05%), Ranbaxy Lab (3.87%), Nicholas Pira (2.89%) and Sun Pharma (2.72%). +Nifty June 2008 futures below 4500 +Turnover in F&O segment surges +Nifty June 2008 futures were at 4486.90, at a discount of 14.05 points as compared to spot closing of 4500.95. +The NSE's futures & options (F&O) segment turnover was Rs 58,333.52 crore, which was higher than Rs 42,888.38 crore on Friday, 6 June 2008. +Cairn India June 2008 futures were at discount at 293.75 compared to the spot closing of 299.55. +Reliance Industries June 2008 futures were at premium at 2174 compared to the spot closing of 2162.70. +Tata Steel June 2008 futures were at premium at 829.80 compared to the spot closing of 823.20. +In the cash market, the S&P CNX Nifty lost 126.85 points or 2.74% at 4500.95. +Asian Markets Slips on Oily Ground +Sensex, Nikkei Lead the fall as Major Indices Close For Holiday +Asian markets could not carry their broad advance of previous week closing sharply lower today, with banking and automotive shares leading decliners as oil stayed near record highs and investors fretted the global economy could be headed into another round of credit market turmoil. +Light, sweet crude oil for July delivery fell as much as 76 cents to $137.78 a barrel in electronic trading, after climbing nearly $11 a barrel to close at $138.54 Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Friday's surge in oil prices was driven by heightened concerns that Israel may attack Iran, one of the world's biggest oil producers, and that a conflict could result in a blockade of the Straits of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's crude oil passes each day. +Japan's Nikkei 225 Average and the Topix index both closed 2.1% lower to 14,181.38 and 1,397.54 respectively. On the economic front, Japan's index of leading indicators came in at 30.0 in April continuing its run for below the boom-or-bust threshold of 50.0 in the ninth straight month. The coincident index, which measures the current state of the economy, stood at 22.2. In March it stood at 27.3. +After plummeting by about 550 points in the opening trade India’s Sensex down recovered a bit but continued to be the biggest loser of the region. In the afternoon trading the Sensex was down by 3.1% to 15,084.70. +South Korea's Kospi index shed 1.3% to 1,808.96. Singapore's Straits Times index was off 2.1% to 3,080.29 while Taiwan's Weighted Price Index fell 1.8% to 8,578.96. +Markets in Australia, China, Hong Kong and the Philippines were closed for public holidays. +The slump in Asia follows a punishing session for U.S. stocks Friday, as weak employment data and a surge in crude oil prices combined to lead the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its worst one-day decline in 15 months. At the end of Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 394.64 points, or 3.1%, to end 12,209.81, giving it a weekly loss of 3.5%. The S&P 500 Index fell 43.36 points, or 3.1%, to 1,360.69, leaving it down 2.9% for the week. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index shed 75.38 points i.e. 3%, to 2,474.56 for a weekly decline of 1.9%. +In currencies, the yen was exchanged at 105.19 yen against the U.S. dollar, compared to 104.85 in New York late Friday. +In other regional action, New Zealand's NZX-50 gave up 1.4% and Malaysia's KLSE Composite shed 1.6%. Indonesia's Jakarta Composite fell 0.9% and Thailand's SET Index fell 1.2%. +European markets followed Asian markets with negative opening as shares of banks and airlines again fall down following the soaring crude oil prices. +Of national indexes, the German DAX 30 index fell 0.5% to 6,773.61, the French CAC-40 index declined 0.3% to 4,782.51 and the U.K. FTSE 100 index lost 0.2% to 5,896.50. +On the economic release side, Germany's trade surplus rose in April on stronger exports, giving little sign that the country's exports are being squeezed by a global economic slowdown. +The German trade surplus totaled EUR18.7 billion - higher than a revised EUR16.6 billion surplus in March, which was originally reported at EUR16.7 billion. +Exports totaled EUR85.4 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis, showing a 1.2% rise from March, following two consecutive months of declines. April exports surged 13.9% from a year earlier. +German seasonally adjusted imports eased slightly in April, falling to EUR67.6 billion from EUR69.1 billion in March, a figure originally reported as EUR69.2 billion. But imports over the full year are holding up. Total imports so far this year were EUR272.9 billion, up from EUR253.1 billion in the year-earlier period. +The country's current account surplus fell to EUR14.5 billion, from EUR17.5 billion in March, which was previously reported as EUR17.2 billion. +U.K. factory gate prices soared in May, climbing at their fastest pace since records began in 1986, highlighting the policy dilemma faced by the Bank of England in the coming months as the corporate and consumer mood darkens. +The output price index for home sales and manufactured products rose 1.6% on the month in May - driven largely by recovered secondary raw materials and petroleum products. On the year, the output PPI rose 8.9%, much more than the upwardly revised 7.6% gain in April. +Excluding volatile food, beverages, tobacco and petroleum prices, output producer prices rose 1.3% on the month and 5.9% on the year in May - Sharpest annual gain since March 1991. In April, the core index rose 1.2% on the month and 4.6% on the year. +Meanwhile, the annual rate of gain in input prices also surged to a fresh record high in May, mainly due to the climbing price of crude oil, indicating yet more price pressures in the pipeline. +The input price index for materials and fuels purchased by the manufacturing industry gained 27.6% on the year in seasonally adjusted terms, following a 24.7% rise in April. In monthly terms, the index rose 3.8% on the month, following a 3.2% rise in April. +Looking ahead the day is scheduled to release housing starts from Canada followed by pending home sales from United States. In the late evening BRC will release its retail sales for the United Kingdom which will be accompanied by Bernanke’s Speech and Japan’s Core machinery orders. +Nifty hits its lowest level in calendar 2008 before recovering +The key benchmark indices slumped today due to a sharp surge in global crude oil price and setback in US stocks on Friday, 6 June 2008. BSE Sensex fell below 15,000 mark for the first time since 19 March 2008, in intra-day trade. The S&P CNX Nifty hit a fresh 2008 low. +Except the BSE HealthCare index, all the other sectoral indices on BSE were in red. The market breadth was extremely weak. IT, realty, banking and oil & gas stocks were worst hit in today's market fall. +Oil prices surged by their biggest one-day gain ever on Friday, 6 June 2008, rocketing over $10 to a new record high above $139 a barrel, taking this year's gains to 44%. Oil prices edged lower to $137.7 today, 9 June 2008. +The 30-share BSE Sensex lost 506.08 points or 3.25% at 15,066.10. At the day’s low of 14846.18 hit during mid-morning trade, the Sensex lost 726 points. +The broader based S&P CNX Nifty was down 126.85 points or 2.74% at 4,500.95. It hit a low of 4411.60 today in mid-morning trade, falling below 2008 low of 4448.50 hit on 22 January 2008. +From a all-time high of 21,206.77 hit on 10 January 2008 the Sensex has lost 6240.67 points or 28.95% to 15066.10. The Sensex has lost 5220.89 points or 25.73% to 15066.10. +BSE clocked a turnover of Rs 5039 crore today compared to a turnover of Rs 5245.26 crore on Friday 6 June 2008. +Nifty June 2008 futures were at 4486.90, at a discount of 14.05 points as compared to spot closing of 4500.95. NSE's futures & options (F&O) segment turnover was Rs 58,333.52 crore, which was higher than Rs 42,888.38 crore on Friday, 6 June 2008. +The foreign institutional investors (FII)s sold shares worth Rs 1,344.67 crore today,9 June 2007 however domestic funds bought shares worth Rs 1,030.26 crore. +The market breadth was extremely weak on BSE with 474 shares advancing as compared to 2170 that declined. 49 remained unchanged. From the 30-share Sensex pack, 27 fell. +The BSE Mid Cap index declined 2.83% to 6,170.33 and BSE Small-Cap index fell 3.63% to 7,416.54. +All the sectoral indices on BSE ended with losses except the BSE Health Care index. BSE Health Care index (up 0.53% at 4,318.75), BSE Metal index (down 0.81% to 15,389.61), BSE Consumer Durables index (down 1.69% to 3,934.04), BSE FMCG index (down 2.06% to 2,313.24), The BSE Auto (down 2.45% at 4,123.64), BSE PSU index (down 2.95% to 6,469.82), BSE Power (down 2.99% to 2,619.28), BSE Bankex (down 3.21% at 7,033.32), BSE TecK index (down 3.12% to 3,388.89), outperformed the Sensex. +The BSE Realty index (down 7.38% at 5,752.22), BSE IT index (down 4.21% to 4,404.98), BSE Capital Goods (down 3.3% at 11,635.63), BSE FMCG index (down 2.65% to 2,361.88), BSE Oil & Gas index (down 3.29% to 9,676.55) underperformed the Sensex. +Among pharma stocks, Lupin (up 8.05% to Rs 701.70), Ranbaxy Laboratories (up 3.87% to Rs 526.40), Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries (up 2.72% to Rs 1,457.35) and Piramal HealthCare (up 2.89% to Rs 375.55) edged higher. Cipla (down 0.36% to Rs 206.65) and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (down 0.07% to Rs 692.75) edged lower. +BSE Realty index was down 7.38% to 5,752.22. It was the top loser from the sectoral indices on BSE. Unitech (down 9.3% to Rs 184.80), Indiabulls Real Estate (down 6.06% to Rs 398.40) and DLF (down 7.39% to Rs 481.55) edged lower from the realty pack. +IT stocks declined. Wipro (down 4.85% to Rs 480.50), Infosys (down 4.46% to Rs 1,904.05), Tata Consultancy Services (down 4.56% to Rs 915.65) and Satyam Computer Services (down 3.42% to Rs 491.45) edged lower. +Banking stocks declined. HDFC Bank (down 4.34% to Rs 1,183.70), State Bank of India (down 3.17% to Rs 1292.80) and ICICI Bank (down 2.69%t o Rs 75.10) edged lower. +Oil & gas stocks fell after global crude oil prices hit the roof. PSU oil marketing companies which had found little solace after government had hiked domestic retail fuel prices were battered today. HPCL (down 9.21% to Rs 193.30), BPCL (down 7.09% to Rs 278.40), and Indian Oil Corporation (down 3.9% to Rs 363.25) edged lower. Reliance Industries (down 3.41% to Rs 2163.10) and ONGC (down 7.02% to Rs 872.60) also edged lower. +India’s second largest telecom services provider by sales Reliance Communication rose 1.34% to Rs 554.10. The stock recovered from session's low of Rs 507.90. Reliance Communication (RCom) and the South African telco MTN will reportedly decide the share swap ratio at which Anil Ambani will transfer his stake in RComCom. +Jaiprakash Associates (down 8.65% to Rs 183.65), HDFC (down 5.99% to Rs 2206.65), Reliance Infrastructure (down 5.65% to Rs 1,038.85), Tata Motors (down 4.25% to Rs 517.10), Ambuja Cements (down 4.1% to Rs 81.95), Bharat Heavy Electricals (down 3.29% to Rs 1,374.65), edged lower from the Sensex pack. +IFCI clocked the highest volume of 1.92 crore shares on BSE. Reliance Petroleum (1.51 crore shares), Reliance Natural Resources (1.14 crore shares), Ispat Industries (1.05 crore shares) and Cairn India (74.54 lakh shares) were the other volume toppers in that order. +Reliance Industries clocked the highest turnover of Rs 372.06 crore on BSE. Reliance Petroleum (Rs 252.55 crore), Cairn India (Rs 222.75 crore), Reliance Communications (Rs 214.36 crore) and Reliance Capital (Rs 211.24 crore) were the other turnover toppers in that order.. The Dow Jones industrial average tanked 394.64 points, or 3.13% to end at 12,209.81, its biggest drop since February 2007. The S&P 500 slid 43.37 points, or 3.09%, to finish the day at 1,360.68. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 75.38 points, or 2.96 percent, to close at 2,474.56. +European markets were trading mixed today. Key benchmark indices in France and Germany were down by between 0.08% to 0.09%. The UK”S FTSE 100 however rose by 0.18%. +In Asia, key benchmark indices in Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan were down by between 1.27% to 2.13%. +Market may will also be keeping a watch on the industrial production numbers for April 2008, which the government will unveil on Thursday, 12 June 2008, which will give a cue on the extent of slowdown in the Indian economy caused by high interest rates. +Market hammered amid oil woes +Stocks across-the-board witnessed another round of heavy correction, as sentiment remained bearish for the second session on crude oil worries (over $138 a barrel in the USA market), liquidity squeeze in the domestic market and sharp downfall in other Asian indices. The market had dropped around 200 points in last sessions. Major Asian indices like the Nikkei, the Kospi, the Jakarta and the Straits Times shed over 1-2% each, thereby adding pressure on the domestic indices. After resuming 456 points lower at 15,117, the market remained under the grip of sustained selling pressure. Extensive correction in heavyweights, realty, IT, capital goods (CG) and oil & gas stocks in noon trades dragged the index below the 14,900 mark to the day's low of 14,846. The Sensex finally ended the session at 15,066, down 506 points, while the Nifty shed 127 points to close at 4,501. +All the sectoral indices except the BSE health care (HC) index were hammered on the back of a relentless selling pressure. The BSE Realty index dropped 7.38% at 5,752, the BSE IT index lost 4.21% at 4,404.98, the BSE CG index shed 3.30% at 11,635, the BSE Oil & Gas index shed 3.29% at 9,676.55 and the BSE Bankex index fell 3.21% at 7,033. +The broader market was weak. Of the 2,693stocks traded on the BSE 2,170 stocks declined, 474 stocks advanced and 49 stocks ended unchanged. Among the 30 stocks in the Sensex basket only three stocks ended in green. Among the major losers, JP Associates tanked 8.65% at Rs181.35, DLF tumbled 7.39% at Rs475, ONGC declined 7.02% at Rs864.90, HDFC slumped 5.99% at Rs2,115, Reliance Infra fell 5.65% at Rs1,003.30, Wipro plunged 4.85% at Rs475, TCS dropped 4.58% at Rs891, Infosys slipped by 4.46% at Rs1,889.90 and HDFC Bank was down 4.34% at Rs1,162. Other frontline stocks were down by 1-4% each. Ranbaxy Laboratories however ended in positive with a gain of 3.87%, while Reliance Communications and Hindalco ended with steady gains. +On the volume front, India Cement witnessed more than 66.92 lakh shares changing hands, followed by Aftek Info (47.88 lakh shares), Polaris Lab (31.77 lakh shares), Reliance Communications (24.24 lakh shares) and Gujarat Ambuja Cements (22.05 lakh shares). +Setback in US stocks, crude oil rally to weigh on domestic bourses +A sharp surge in oil price on Friday, 6 June 2008, and a setback in global equity markets, are set to send share prices on the domestic bourses reeling today.. Oil prices surged by their biggest real one-day gain ever on Friday, 6 June 2008, rocketing over $10 to a new record high above $139 a barrel, taking this year's gains to 44%. Oil prices edged lower to $137.7 today, 9 June 2008. +In Asia, key benchmark indices in Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan were down by between 1.6% to 2.12%. From a recent high of 17,434.94 on 16 May 2008, the barometer index, BSE Sensex tanked 1,862.76 points or 10.68% in a short span to 15,572.18 on 6 June 2008. +FIIs sold shares worth a net Rs 3291.20 core in the first few days of this month, till 5 June 2008. They had dumped stocks worth a net Rs 5011.50 crore in May 2008. Their outflow in calendar 2008 reached Rs 18660.60 crore, till 5 June 2008. There has been heavy buying by domestic funds led by insurance firms in the past few days, but that has failed to stop the slide on the bourses.. +Morning Call - June 9 2008 +Market Grape Wine : +Out House : +Markets at a support of 15335 & 15151 resistance at 15786 & 15656 levels . +Buy : INFY at dips +Buy : LT at dips +Buy : ONGC at dips +Buy : Suzlon at dips +Buy : Praj at dips +Buy : HLL +Buy : ITC +Dark Horse : HLL , HDFC , ITC , INFY , Wipro & LT +Grey Market Premiums - Avon Weighing and more... +Bafna Pharmaceutical 40 8 to 10 +Avon Weighing 10 3 to 5 +Sejal Architectural Glass Ltd. 105 to 115 26 to 28 +First Winners Ind. Ltd. 120 to 130 16 to 18 +Archid Ply Ind. 70 to 80 9 to 11 +Lotus Eye Care Hospital 38 to 42 4 to 7 +Trading Calls - June 9 2008 +No trading calls today. +The above means, prepare for the worst - no clue what's going to be traded where - there will be june hem! +Maybe this is the dip one should buy at - however, since we cannot confirm whether this is a long term bear or short term bear market - one could just nibble selectively and not buy huge lots. +Avoid weak sectors (Real Estate, Banks) +Crossing the red sea +Sometimes a good exit is all you can ask for. +The markets will hope for some Moses who will help the bulls cross over the sea of red on the bourses. Friday the 13th may be later this week. But looks like most of the damage may be done today itself; especially at start. The outlook continues to be grim, with a combination of negative local as well as global factors weighing heavily on the sentiment. Add to that some negative market rumors, which we wouldn’t want to speculate on or discuss (since it is unconfirmed). +Today, we see a gap-down opening, but do not rule out a slight rebound later in the day if global indices reverse the weak trend. Short covering could be the only other factor which could lessen the damage. Some key markets in Asia are actually shut today for holidays, which may be of some help to the bulls. Get in with an investment view. Should you be able to pocket some gains in the brief reversals, no harm in booking some quick profits. The undertone remains precarious and fragile. +After slipping to a level of around $120 per barrel, crude oil soared by a whopping $16 in the last two days of last week, to touch a new all-time high of $139. This included a near $11 gain on Friday. Renewed weakness in the dollar and a top Israeli official's reported threat of an attack on Iran were the two main reasons for crude's spike. A series of bullish reports on crude oil, predicting levels of $150 to $200 has added fuel to the fire. +It’s even worse for India, as the recent hike in retail fuel prices and the issue of bonds was done at a price of $123 a barrel. So in a nutshell, the Government's measures may not be of much help to anybody after all, if crude continues to climb. +A weakening rupee, coupled with a deteriorating fiscal situation and high interest rates pose a big challenge on the macroeconomic front. Foreign funds don't seem to be too upbeat on India at the moment. And, after a while even the local institutions may run out of cash. +Technically also, the market is on a sticky wicket. On the Nifty, the next support is seen at 4500 and the upside is capped at around 5200. Global brokerages also see the Nifty slipping to 4000. Quite a scary scenario! It remains to be seen whether the market indeed goes down to such levels. +FIIs were net buyers of Rs766.5mn (provisional) in the cash segment on Friday while the local institutions poured in Rs4bn. In the F&O segment, foreign funds were net buyers at Rs3.05bn. On Thursday, FIIs were net sellers of Rs14.19bn in the cash segment. With this, they have pulled out a net of US$4.6bn (Rs186.6bn) from the Indian market this year so far. Mutual Funds were net buyers of Rs5.47bn. +Gokaldas Exports and Inox will announce their results today. +Asian stocks are mostly down this morning, led by automakers and technology companies, after US unemployment rose the most in 22 years and oil gained more than $10 a barrel. Toyota and Samsung led declines on concern that demand for their exports in the US will slow. China Airlines, Taiwan's largest carrier, dropped the most in more than two months after saying it will cut flights because of surging jet-fuel costs. +The MSCI Asia Pacific Index lost 1.5% to 148.08 as of 10:33 a.m. in Tokyo, with about 20 stocks falling for each that climbed. All 10 industry groups dropped, with technology companies and consumer-goods makers posting the biggest losses. +Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 2.3% to 14,162.58, on course for its largest decline since May 26. Benchmarks elsewhere in the region retreated. Markets in Australia, Hong Kong, China and the Philippines are closed for holidays today. +US stocks plummeted on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbling by nearly 400 points, after a government report showed surprising weakness in the jobs market and oil prices soared to a new record. +The Dow plunged 394.64 points, or 3.1%, to 12,209.81, giving it a weekly loss of 3.5%. The decline, which left all the 30 Dow components in the red, is the largest in terms of points lost, since Feb. 27, 2007, when it fell 416.02 points. +The S&P 500 index slumped 43.36 points, or 3.1%, to 1,360.69, leaving it down 2.9% for the week. Financials and consumer discretionary were among the hardest hit sectors, down 4.8% and 4.3%, respectively. +The technology-dominated Nasdaq shed 75.38 points, or 3%, to 2,474.56 for a weekly decline of 1.9%. +The Dow had its eighth-biggest point drop in the blue-chip index's history. On the other hand, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq saw their biggest one-day declines on both points and percentage terms in more than four months. +Market breadth was highly negative. On the New York Stock Exchange, losers beat winners by over 4 to 1 on 1.48bn shares. On the Nasdaq, decliners topped advancers by nearly 4 to 1 on volume of 2.2bn shares. +The dollar lost 0.9% against a basket of six currencies including the euro, against which it weakened 1.1% to US$1.5775, as investors pared bets the Fed will raise interest rates this year. +Yields on 10-year US Treasury securities and European government bonds declined as the price of fixed-rate investments climbed. +The jobless rate in the US increased to 5.5% in May, the highest since October 2004. It was 5% in April. The average estimate of economists was 5.1%, and no forecast was higher than 5.2%. +It was the biggest one-month surge in the jobless rate over 20 years. Meanwhile, non-farm payrolls shrank for a fifth month. The loss of 49,000 jobs versus forecasts for a decline of 60,000. +The report revived worries that the world's biggest economy could slip into a recession. At least from Wall Street's and the labor market's point of view, the US is already in a recession, regardless of what the economists say. +Sentiment got another jolt from surging oil prices. July crude futures climbed US$10.75, or 8.4%, to close at US$138.54 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The rally was the largest in percentage terms since June 1996. +Oil prices rose US$11.33 to an all-time high US$139.12 during intra-day trading, breaking the previous trading record of US$135.09. Crude has jumped more than US$16 in two sessions and has more than doubled in the past one year. +Meanwhile, the world's top industrialized nations (G8) and leading oil consumers have pledged to fight skyrocketing energy prices by increasing efficiency and accelerating investment in new technologies, while urging producers to expand production. +Energy ministers from G8 countries, along with China, India and South Korea, voiced concerns over record oil prices and said both producers and consumers would benefit from greater market stability. +Gasoline rose to a new milestone in the US, as the national average compiled by motorist group AAA reached $4 a gallon for the first time. The national average for regular unleaded rose 1.7 cents to $4.005 a gallon. The milestone was expected after a surge in crude oil prices. +Goldman Sachs MD & Chief Economist +He added that the underlining reason for the high oil prices is a shortage of supply and strong demand from emerging economies. However, O'Neill said that the recent sharp rise in oil prices can't be explained by fundamentals. +European shares posted their biggest one-day drop in more than two months on Friday. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index fell 2% to 310.29, after trading as high as 319.32 earlier in the session. It was the index's biggest one-day drop since March 17. +Germany's DAX 30 closed down 2% at 6,803.81, while the French CAC-40 slid 2.3% to 4,795.32 and the UK's FTSE 100 lost 1.5% to 5,906.80. +In the emerging markets, the Bovespa in Brazil was down 2% at 69,785 while the IPC index in Mexico rose 1.8% to 31,149. The RTS index in Russia dropped 1.5% to 2342 while the ISE National 30 index in Turkey climbed 1.9% to 48,122. +Market to slide further +Markets ended the week with a negative bias, as bears made a come back in the second half of the session. Inflation figures which were released at noon barely had any impact on the sentiments as market players seemed to have already factored in inflation figures. +India's inflation, based on the wholesale price index (WPI), rose further in the penultimate week of May even as the country braced for even higher prices following the much-anticipated hike in retail fuel prices. +The annual point-to-point inflation increased to 8.24% in the week ended May 24 from 8.1% in the previous week, the Commerce & Industry Ministry said today. The rate is slightly below the average expectations of 8.29%. +Further moving on key indices witnessed a sudden bout of selling pressure in the last hour if the trading session, it was the FMCG, Realty and Metal stocks which were under immense selling pressure. Even the Mid-Cap and the Small-Cap stocks were unable to hold on to early gains. Only the BSE Auto index ended with a slight positive bias. +The benchmark Sensex tried to move closer to the 16,000 mark at open but was unable and closed just above 15,500 level. Like wise the Nifty also surges past the 4,700mark but faced stiff resistance as selling pressure dragged it below 4,650mark. +Among the 50-Nifty 40 stocks ended in red and 10 stock ended in green. Finally, the BSE benchmark Sensex ended 203 points lower to close at 15,566 and the Nifty index lost 49 points to close at 4,627. +Era Infra is trading flat at Rs601. The company announced that it bagged a contract worth Rs852mn from Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd. for the construction of EMU Maintenance Car Shed between Nallasopara & Virar stations of Western Railway through International Competitive Bidding (ICB). +The project being funded by International Bank for Reconstruction Development (IBRD) is part of Mumbai Urban Transport Project. The scrip has touched an intra-day high of Rs607 and a low of Rs596 and has recorded volumes of over 11,000 shares on BSE. +Tata Comm gained by a 2 percent to Rs478. The company announced that that it has successfully attained the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 20000-1:2005 and 27001:2005 certifications for its Global Managed Services Operations in the areas of Managed Hosting, Managed Storage Services and Hosted Messaging Services. The scrip touched an intra-day high of Rs508 and a low of Rs477 and recorded volumes of over 29,000 shares on BSE. +Indiabulls Real Estate rallied by over 5% to Rs424 ahead of Singapore unit share sale. The scrip touched an intra-day high of Rs477 and a low of Rs412 and recorded volumes of over 21,00,000 shares on BSE. +Videocon Industries slipped by 1% to Rs306. The company is reportedly planning to reduce workforce by 50%, because the company thinks, they are overstaffed. Videocon has 6,000 employees in its consumer durables business alone, including manufacturing and marketing. +The company is planning to set one corporate head office in Mumbai where the offices of only the strong sub-brands will be based. This is to no difficulty in communications and phase out unwanted and weak sub-brands. The scrip touched an intra-day high of Rs324 and a low of Rs304 and recorded volumes of over 4,00,000 shares on BSE. +Sahara India Financial has frozen at 5% lower circuit to Rs169.15. According to reports, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has stayed the RBI order of banning Sahara India Financial Corporation Ltd (SIFCL) from accepting fresh deposits. The stay will be in place till the next hearing scheduled for the last week of July. The court has also issued a notice to the Centre in the matter. The scrip touched an intra-day high of Rs174 and a low of Rs169.15 and recorded volumes of over 22,000 shares on BSE. +Punj Lloyd ended 2% lower at Rs272 after the company announced that it secured Rs6.49bn contract from IOC for its Barauni Refinery. The scrip touched an intra-day high of Rs286 and a low of Rs271 and recorded volumes of over 10,00,000 shares on BSE. +GMR Infrastructure ended 2% lower to close at Rs120. The company announced that GMR Energy Ltd, the 100% subsidiary company having 220 MW power plant at Mangalore, entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd for sale of power, for a period of 7 years. +GMR Energy Ltd Board has approved relocation of the 220 MW barge mounted power plant to Kakinada, State of Andhra Pradesh. The relocation of plant would take maximum of 9 months and the plant is expected to be re-commissioned at new location latest by April 2009 and would operate on gas. The scrip touched an intra-day high of Rs125 and a low of Rs120 and recorded volumes of over 9,00,000 shares on BSE. +The outlook for the Monday will again continue to hinge on global cues at start. Its been the same old story in recent past. But then, the bulls are just not getting enough thrust to move ahead. And so are left with less sunshine and more of dark clouds for time being. +Corporate News +Axis Bank plans to raise Rs65bn through upper and lower tier II bonds.(BS) +SpiceJet is looking to raise Rs4bn in equity capital to part finance aircraft acquisitions plans.(BL) +Punj Lloyd lines up a capex of US$100mn for 2008-09.(BS) +NTPC and its JV subsidiary, Nabinagar power plant, awards BTG contracts to BHEL for Rs35bn.(ET) +RCOM and MTN close to signing a deal to merge the two entities; swap formula of 35:100 likely.(BL) +Personal care product maker Emami forces Zandu Pharma to withdraw its preferential issue.(BS) +Nalco announces expansion plans worth Rs400bn for the next five years.(BL) +Essar Steel Holdings says it might raise its takeover bid for US based Esmark.(BS) +Punj Lloyd secures Rs6.5bn order from IOC for the latter’s Barauni refinery.(FE) +Reliance Petroleum's export oriented 29mn tons refinery to start generating revenues from current year.(BS) +Indian Oil and Oil India to acquire Reliance Industries’ offshore oil block in East Timor.(BL) +JK Lakshmi Cement is adding five more ready-mix concrete units as part of its expansion plans.(ET) +UAE based Etisalat pulls out of negotiations to acquire stake in Spice Communications; cites high valuations.(BS) +Cargill Ventures has cut by half the US$9mn investment it had announced into KPIT Cummins a year ago.(DNA) +GMR Infrastructure to relocate its 220MW power plant to Kakinada in AP from Mangalore in Karnataka.(DNA) +Sobha Developers to foray into the Mysore realty market with three projects in current fiscal.(BS) +Corporation Bank may waive Rs2.8bn under the debt relief scheme for farmers.(BL) +Coal India may come out with an IPO before getting ‘Navratna’ status.(BS) +UK based Vincent Tchenguiz is holding talks with Tata, to invite investment from the latter in a new US$10bn environment fund.(ET) +CavinKare and Henkel have announced a 5% hike across product categories.(TOI) +Axis PE, the PE arm of Axis Bank, is investing Rs1.4bn in two Ahmedabad companies.(ET) +Delhi government owned Indraprastha Power Generation to set up a 2,000MW coal fired power station in MP.(FE) +Gail India is looking at setting up a CNG corridor comprising Nagapattinam, Karaikal and Puducherry.(ET) +Adani Logistics is all set to develop 14 inland container depots across the country by 2010.(ET) +NHPC is likely to sign an agreement with J&K Power Development Corp. to harness 2,100MW at a cost of Rs150bn.(FE) +Six NBFCs, including Shriram Transport Finance, Ashok Leyland and Reliance Capital are believed to be in the race for buying a US$1bn loan portfolio of Citicorp Finance.(ET) +Renault-Nissan combine has started construction work on its passenger vehicle plant in Chennai.(ET) +Alok Industries has resumed talks with PE players to dilute 20% equity it owns in its unlisted unit, Alok Infrastructure.(ET) +Mercator Lines has chartered out a new offshore rig to a Singapore-based firm for US$93,000 per day for three years.(ET) +Economic News +The Government may increase export cess on long steel products from 10% to 15%.(ET) +Global telecom companies approach TRAI to open mobile market for entry of MVNO.(BL) +Seven bidders are vying for Mumbai International Airport’s Rs7bn annual ground handling contract.(Mint) +SEBI increases cumulative debt investment limits for FIIs to US$5bn and US$3bn in government securities and corporate debt, respectively.(FE) +NPPA, the pharma pricing authority, revises prices of 440 medicines.(BS) +PM’s Advisory Council scales down FY09 economic growth to 8% from 8.5%.(FE) +FMCG companies plan to increase prices again after the hike of 3-4% a few months ago.(BL) +Personal computer market in India grew by 10% yoy in January-March 2008 period.(Mint) +Today's Pick - JSW Steel +We recommend a sell in JSW Steel from a short-term perspective. The stock has been on a medium-term uptrend from its April low of Rs 490 levels. +However, the stock encountered resistance at Rs 1,200 recently and began to decline forming a bearish engulfing candlestick pattern in the daily chart. This reversal has been supported by the negative divergence in the daily Relative Strength Index (RSI). The RSI has entered the neutral region from the bullish zone. +A crossover in the daily moving average convergence and divergence indicates a sell signal. The stock is currently testing the medium-term up trendline around Rs 1,085 level. +Considering the above factors, we are bearish on the stock in the short-term. We expect the stock to penetrate the uptrendline and decline until it hits our price target of Rs 980 in the approaching trading sessions. Traders with short-term perspective can sell the stock while keeping the stop-loss at Rs 1,138 level. +Gold shines on rising crude oil and falling dollar +Gold prices witness the largest one day gain in almost four months +Rallying crude oil prices and the lower dollar sent yellow metal higher on Friday, 06 June, 2008. Previously during the week, strength in the dollar as well as recent weakness in oil had combined to dull investment demand for gold, which is often used as a hedge against inflation. +Comex Gold for August delivery rose $23.5 (2.7%) to close at $899 ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was gold’s highest one day gain in almost four months. For the week, gold prices ended higher by 0.8%. Last month, in May, it ended with a gain of higher by $22.5 (2.5%). On 17 March, 2008 prices had skyrocketed to a high of $1,034/ounce. But prices have dropped since then. +This year, gold prices have gained 7.3% till date against a July delivery rose 26 cents (1.5%) to $17.46 an ounce. Silver has gained 17% in 2008 till date. It finished 3.5% higher for the week. index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, stood at 72.368 compared with 73.120 ahead of the employment data. Against the dollar, the euro jumped to $1.5772 from $1.5584 before the report. +On Friday, 06 June, the U.S. government reported the unemployment rate in May jumped to 5.5%, the highest since October 2004 and the biggest increase in seasonally adjusted unemployment in 33 years. The same pressured the dollar immensely. +Dollar weakness typically benefits dollar-denominated commodities, such as gold and crude oil, because it makes them cheaper for holders of other currencies. On the other hand strong dollar reduces the appeal of the metal as alternate source of investment. +In the energy market on Friday,. +US Markets jump off the cliff on oil woes +Crude prices shooting up more than ten dollars in a day makes stocks plummet +US Market ended the week on Friday, 06 June with very strong losses. Stocks remained extremely volatile together with the volatile dollar and volatile commodity prices, mainly the crude. Economic reports that checked in were better than expected for majority of the cases except for the main May employment report. Stocks mainly reacted to the jittery financial market which was again full with credit related problems. But it was the spiraling crude price that took the maximum toll on the market’s health for the week. +The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 428 points for the week. Tech - heavy Nasdaq lost 48 points. S&P 500 lost 39 points. In percentage terms the three indices lost 3.4%, 1.9% and 2.8% respectively. +With this week’s losses, market wiped out all of last week’s gains.. +Thursday, 05 June was the only day when the indices made decent gains during the course of the week. Other than that, indices ended in the red on all the other days. +In the financial sector, Standard & Poor's cut its financial strength ratings for bond insurers Ambac Financial and MBIA to 'AA' from 'AAA'. Though market seemed to have discounted the news as stocks immediately soared but then gave up their gains. Also, in the financial sector, Lehman Brothers shares was under tremendous pressure after there were news in the market that the company is about to raise capital and has also borrowed from the Fed. +On Friday, 06 June, the U.S. government reported the unemployment rate in May jumped to 5.5%, the highest since October 2004 and the biggest increase in seasonally adjusted unemployment in 33 years. The same pressured the dollar immensely. +But there were quite a few economic reports during the week that came in better than expected. Starting with the ISM manufacturing survey and construction spending reports on Monday, 02 June, and carrying on with the factory orders, weekly initial claims, first quarter productivity, and wholesale inventories reports during the remainder of the week, did not surprise market by any means. +Retailers, led by Wal-Mart reported better-than-expected same-store sales for May. Wal-Mart was the headline leader in that respect, posting a 3.9% increase, excluding fuel. The company had forecast same-store sales to be flat to up 2%. For June Wal-Mart is expecting same-store sales to be up 2% to 4% due in part to an expected benefit from the spending of stimulus checks. +Next, the weekly initial claims data was better than expected and certainly not recession-like, as claims fell 18,000 to 357,000. +Also, May (Institute of Supply Management) ISM services - a survey of nonmanufacturing purchasing managers - was nearly unchanged at 51.7 compared to 52 in April. Market had forecast a reading of 51. Because the reading is above 50, it indicates the services sector is expanding. +In the M&A arena, Verizon is reportedly going to buy privately-held Alltel for $28.1 billion. In the process, it will supplant AT&T as the biggest mobile phone operator in the country. +Executive Summary +For the week, indices registered substantial losses. DJIx and S&P 500, each closed down by 3.4% and 2.8% respectively. Nasdaq closed down by 1.9%. With this week’s losses, market gave up all of prior week’s gains. +The week was mainly dominated by the crude oil and economic reports. Oil prices shot higher by almost $11 a barrel on Friday, scoring their biggest one-day gain in dollar terms. The contract climbed 8.8% for the week on Nymex. Economic reports were in most part better than expected. +For the year, Dow, Nasdaq and S&P 500 are down by 8%, 6.7% and 7.3% respectively. +Pages 535-537 +A Topographical Dictionary of England. Originally published by S Lewis, London, 1848. +This free content was digitised by double rekeying. All rights reserved. +In this section +- Park +Park +PARK, a ward, in the parish of St. Stephen, union of St. Alban's, hundred of Cashio, or liberty of St. Alban's, county of Hertford, 2½ miles (S.) from St. Alban's; containing 1170 inhabitants. +Park +PARK, a grieveship, in the parish of Allendale, union of Hexham, S. division of Tindale ward and of Northumberland; containing 275 inhabitants. +Park-End +PARK-END, a township, in the parish of Audley, union of Newcastle-under-Lyme, N. division of the hundred of Pirehill and of the county of Stafford; containing 88 inhabitants. This is a small township, about half a mile west of the village of Audley. +Parkgate +PARKGATE, a hamlet, partly in the township of Great Neston, and partly in that of Leighton, parish of Neston, union, and Higher division of the hundred, of Wirrall, S. division of the county of Chester, 12 miles (N. by W.) from Chester. It is situated on the bank of the river Dee, about half a mile westward of the village of Neston; and consists of a long range of houses, which all face the river, and command a magnificent view of the opposite coast of Wales. The quay and parade have been very much improved, at a considerable outlay, by the spirited owner, the Hon. Lloyd Mostyn; and the place is much frequented by visiters during the bathing season. There are several hotels, among which is the Mostyn Arms, a spacious establishment replete with every accommodation. Over the estuary of the Dee is a ferry to Bagilt and Flint. Formerly Parkgate was a sea-port of some note, and packets and other vessels were employed, especially in the trade with Ireland; but at present it is neglected as a port, vessels of burthen being prevented from approaching the quay by a large sand-bank, which impedes the navigation of the river. There was a custom-house, but the business has been transferred to Chester. An act was passed in 1847 for a railway to Bebington on the Birkenhead and Chester line, five miles in length, which will render this place, from the greater facility of reaching it, a still more fashionable and favourite resort. +Parkham (St. James) +PARKHAM (St. James), a parish, in the union of Bideford, hundred of Shebbear, Great Torrington and N. divisions of Devon, 6 miles (S. W.) from Bideford; containing 995 inhabitants. The parish is bounded on the north by the sea, and comprises 5330 acres, whereof 1426 are waste; the views are interesting and extensive, embracing the Welsh coast, Lundy Island, Clovelly, Hartland Point, and Bideford Bar. Lime is extensively burned; and excellent sand for manure is obtained on the beach. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £20. 6. 8.; patron, the Rev. W. Walter; net income, £635, with a glebe-house. The church has an enriched Norman door. Bableigh, in the parish, was long held by the family of Risdon, of which the county historian of that name was a member. +Parkhold +PARKHOLD, a township, in the parish and union of Ledbury, hundred of Radlow, county of Hereford, 2 miles (S. by E.) from Ledbury; containing 42 inhabitants. It is situated near the western base of the Malvern hills, on the borders of Gloucestershire, and contains 383 acres of a well cultivated soil. +Park-Leys +PARK-LEYS, an extra-parochial district, in the N. division of the wapentake of Thurgarton, S. division of the county of Nottingham; containing 10 inhabitants. It consists of one farm comprising 256a. 3r. 4p., on the hills adjoining Kelham. +Park-Quarter +PARK-QUARTER, a township, in the parish of Stanhope, union of Weardale, N. W. division of Darlington ward, S. division of the county of Durham, 3 miles (W.) from Stanhope; containing 851 inhabitants. It includes the village of Westgate, and part of the hamlets of Eastgate and Rookhope; and comprises by computation 12,190 acres. The township extends from one mile east of St. John's Chapel to three miles west of Stanhope, and is watered by the Wear. +Parkston +PARKSTON, a chapelry, in the parish of Canford Magna, union and borough of Poole, hundred of Cogdean, Wimborne division of Dorset, 2 miles (E. by N.) from Poole; containing 862 inhabitants. The living is in the gift of the Parr family. +Park-Warks, with Pratts-Park +PARK-WARKS, with Pratts-Park, a township, in the parish of Simonburn, union of Hexham, N. W. division of Tindale ward, S. division of Northumberland, 10 miles (N. N. W.) frem Hexham. It comprises about 1100 acres of land, mostly arable, the property, with the exception of 175 acres, of John Ridley, Esq., of Park-End House, a mansion beautifully situated in a luxuriant vale, and surrounded by a well-wooded demesne, whence is a fine view of the tower of Chipchase Castle. Good limestone is obtained in the township. A rentcharge of £25 is paid to the rector. +Parley +PARLEY, a tything, in the parish, union, and hundred of Christchurch, Ringwood and S. divisions of the county of Southampton; with 194 inhabitants. +Parley, West +PARLEY, WEST, a parish, in the union of Wimborne and Cranborne, hundred of Cranborne, Wimborne division of Dorset, 6¾ miles (E. S. E.) from Wimborne; containing 254 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £6. 17. 6., and in the gift of Mrs. Mary Buller: the incumbent's tithes have been commuted for £250, and £44 are paid to the rector of Lydlinch; the glebe contains 20 acres. There is a place of worship for Independents. +Parlington +PARLINGTON, a township, in the parish of Aberford, Lower division of the wapentake of Skyrack, W. riding of York, 6 miles (S.) from Wetherby; containing 212 inhabitants. The township includes part of the small town of Aberford, and comprises nearly 1600 acres. Parlington Hall is an ancient, spacious, and elegant mansion, situated in a richly-wooded park. +Parme, Chester.—See Mooresbarrow. +PARME, Chester.—See Mooresbarrow. +Pardon, Great +PARNDON, GREAT, a parish, in the union of Epping, hundred of Harlow, S. division of Essex, 3½ miles (S. W. by W.) from Harlow; containing 417 inhabitants. It comprises about 2000 acres of land, in a high state of cultivation. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £16. 10. 7½.; net income, £398; patrons, the Earl of Mornington, and the Governors of St. Thomas' Hospital. The church is a small edifice with a tower surmounted by a spire. +Parndon, Little (St. Mary) +PARNDON, LITTLE (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Epping, hundred of Harlow, S. division of Essex, 2¾ miles (W. by S.) from Harlow; containing 85 inhabitants. It comprises 534 acres, whereof 79 are common or waste land. The Eastern-Counties railway passes here. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £6; net income, £160; patrons, certain Trustees. The church is a small edifice, beautifully situated near the river Stort, and consists of a nave and chancel, with a north aisle. +Parr +PARR, a township, in the parish and union of Prescot, hundred of West Derby, S. division of Lancashire; containing 3310 inhabitants. The family of Parre or Parr, barons of Kendal, were anciently lords of the manor. Sir Thomas Parre, master of the wards and comptroller to Henry VIII., died in the 9th year of that king's reign, leaving two sons and two daughters, of whom one of the latter, Catherine, became the unfortunate queen of Henry VIII. His son, William, inherited the estates, and was successively created lord Parr and Ross, baron of Hart, earl of Essex, and marquess of Northampton. Dr. Fuller has classed among the worthies of Lancashire, Richard Parr, whom the Earl of Derby constituted bishop of Man, and who, having distinguished himself by the exemplary discharge of his functions, died in 1643. The manor had before this time passed to the Byroms; the lordship of Parr is now claimed by the Orrell family. The township includes the eastern part of the town of St. Helen's, and comprises 1601a. 1r. 8p., of which 250 acres are common or waste land: it is almost entirely a coal district. St. Peter's church, here, was built in 1839, at a cost of £1200, and is a plain structure with a campanile tower. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the gift of the Incumbent of St. Helen's, with a net income of £150, and a parsonage-house, built in 1848. The vicarial tithes have been commuted for £94; and the impropriate for £136. 15. 9., payable to King's College, Cambridge. Schools were built in 1845, from public grants and private subscription. +Parracombe +PARRACOMBE, a parish, in the union of Barnstaple, hundred of Sherwell, Braunton and N. divisions of Devon, 12 miles (N. E.) from Barnstaple; containing 446 inhabitants. The parish comprises 3791 acres, of which 1637 are common or waste land. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £13. 10. 10., and in the gift of L. St. Albyn, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £240, and the glebe comprises 56 acres. There are vestiges of an ancient fortification in the neighbourhood. +Parson-Drove +PARSON-DROVE, a chapelry, in the parish of Leverington, union and hundred of Wisbech, Isle of Ely, county of Cambridge, 4¾ miles (W. by S.) from Wisbech; containing 828 inhabitants. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £271; patrons, certain Trustees. The chapel is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. A school is supported with seven acres of land, yielding £16 annually. +Partington +PARTINGTON, a township, in the parish of Bowdon, union of Altrincham, hundred of Bucklow, N. division of the county of Chester, 5 miles (N. W.) from Altrincham; containing 457 inhabitants. It comprises 638 acres, partly a clay and partly a sand soil. The village is situated on the navigable river Mersey, and has extensive paper-mills, a mill-board manufactory, a large corn-mill, and two tanyards. A tithe rent-charge of £17 is paid to the vicar, and one of £100. 15. to the Bishop of Chester. There are places of worship for Calvinists and Independents. +Partney (St. Nicholas) +PARTNEY (St. Nicholas), a parish, in the union of Spilsby, Wold division of the wapentake of Candleshoe, parts of Lindsey, county of Lincoln, 1¾ mile (N. by E.) from Spilsby; containing 468 inhabitants. So early as the seventh century, a monastery is said to have existed here; and it is certain that in the time of Henry I. there was an hospital dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene. Bede mentions another religious establishment, over which the abbess Edelhild presided. The parish is on the London and Louth road, and comprises 920a. 3r., of which two-thirds are pasture and meadow land. The soil is a sandy loam; the surface is undulated, and from the situation of the village in a valley in the Wolds, with a diversity of ash, oak, and other wood, the scenery is agreeable and picturesque. Large fairs for sheep and cattle, which are said to have originated from the monastery, take place on August 1st and 25th, September 18th and 19th, and October 18th and 19th. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £11. 10. 2½., and in the gift of Lord Willoughby de Eresby: the tithes have been commuted for £210, and the glebe contains more than 5½ acres. The church has been greatly altered by repairs, and the chancel has been rebuilt. There is a place of worship for a congregation of Baptists. +Parton +PARTON, a township, in the parish of Moresby, union of Whitehaven, Allerdale ward above Derwent, W. division of Cumberland, 1¾ mile (N.) from Whitehaven; containing 663 inhabitants. Several vessels were employed here in the coal-trade until 1795, when the pier was washed away by an unusually high tide, since which the harbour has been resorted to by a few fishing-boats only. North of the village is an extensive iron-foundry. Some years ago, a tunnel was constructed through Rednees point, in continuation of a railway from the neighbouring coal-works to Whitehaven. There is a place of worship for Independents; also a free school, erected in 1818 by Joseph Williamson, Esq., and endowed with £32 per annum. +Parton, with Micklethwaite. +Parwick (St. Peter) +PARWICK (St. Peter), a parish, in the hundred of Wirksworth, S. division of the county of Derby, 6 miles (N. by E.) from Ashbourn; containing 533 inhabitants. The manor, called in the Domesday survey Pevrewie, was parcel of the ancient demesne of the crown, and passed with Ashbourn to the earls of Derby and to Edmund, Earl of Lancaster. It was granted by King Charles I. to the Dichfields and others, who sold it to the Levings family, from whom it was purchased in 1814 by the family of Evans. The parish comprises 3061 acres, of which 60 are common or waste; the soil is fertile, principally resting upon limestone, and is laid out in dairy-farms. A railway from the Peak-Forest canal to the Cromford canal crosses the northern part of the parish. The village, which is of tolerably neat appearance, is situated at the foot of a rocky hill. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £108; patron, William Evans, Esq. The tithes were commuted in 1841, the great for £135, and the small for £10. The incumbent now occupies the Hall, an ancient mansion, formerly the seat of the Levinges. The church is a small structure with portions of Norman architecture, and a low tower: in the churchyard are some venerable yew-trees. Schools were built in 1827, by Mr. Evans, who partly supports them. +Video:Major depressive disorder +Overview +Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known simply as depression, is a mental disorder, characterized by at least two weeks of low mood, that is present across most situations.[1] +Symptoms +It is often accompanied by low self-esteem, loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities, low energy, and pain without a clear cause.[1] +Other symptoms +People may also occasionally have false beliefs, or see or hear things that others cannot.[1] Some people may have periods of depression, separated by years in which they are normal, while others nearly always feel its effects.[2] +Effects +Major depressive disorder can negatively affect a person's personal life, work life, or education, as well as sleeping, eating habits, and general health.[1][2] +Suicide +Between 2–8% of adults with major depression die by suicide,[3][4], and about 50% of people who die by suicide had depression, or another mood disorder.[5] +Cause +Depression is believed to be cause by a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors.[1] +Diathesis-stress model +One theory, is the diathesis–stress model. It theorizes, that depression occurs when someone has a preexisting vulnerability (such as an inherited link to depression) that is activated by stressful life events.[6] +Risk factors +Risk factors include, a family history of the condition, major life changes, certain medications, chronic health problems, and substance abuse.[1][2] +Genetics +About 40% of the risk appears to be related to genetics.[2] +Diagnosis +The diagnosis of major depressive disorder, is based on the person's reported experiences, and a mental status examination.[7] +Testing +There is no laboratory test for major depression.[2] Testing however, may be done to rule out physical conditions that can cause similar symptoms.[7] Major depression is more severe, and lasts longer than sadness, which is a normal part of life.[2] +Screening +Some have recommended screening for depression, in people over 12 years old,[8][9], but a Cochrane review found that the routine use of screening questionnaires, has little effect on detection or treatment.[10] +Treatment +Depression is treatable, as long as it's recognized. The three most common treatments for depression, are psychotherapy, medication, and electroconvulsive therapy, in combination with lifestyle changes. Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice for people under 18[11]. +Mild depression +Even for people over 18, it is recommended that antidepressants should not be used for the initial treatment of mild depression, because the risks, often out-weigh the benefits.[12]. +Exercise and counselling +Instead, increasing exercise[13], smoking cessation,[14] and counseling, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy, are advised.[1][15]. +Medication +Recommendations are that antidepressants, in combination with psychosocial counselling, should be reserved for the following situations; +Medication1 +people with a history of moderate, or severe depression, +Medication2 +those with mild depression that has been present for a long period, +Medication3 +as a second line treatment for mild depression that persists after other interventions, +Medication4 +or as a first line treatment for moderate or severe depression. +Medication limitations +Medication can be effective, but the effect may only be significant in the most severely depressed.[16][17] It is unclear whether medications affect the risk of suicide.[18] +ECT and hospitalization +If other measures are not effective, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be considered.[1] Hospitalization may also be necessary, especially when a person is at risk of hurting themselves, even if it is against their wishes.[19] +Epidemiology +Major depressive disorder affected approximately 3% of the world's population in 2015,[20] with as many as 21% affected at one point in their life.[21] +Age and gender +The most common time of onset, is in a person's 20s and 30s.[2][21] Females are affected about twice as often as males.[2][21] +History +Historically, depression was called melancholy, and even the 16th American president Abraham Lincoln, suffered from a condition that now may be referred to as clinical depression.[22] +References +- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Depression". NIMH. May 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-08-05. Retrieved 2016-07-31. +- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 American Psychiatric Association (2013), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.), Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing, pp. 160–68, ISBN 978-0-89042-555-8, archived from the original on 31 July 2016, retrieved 22 July 2016 CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link) +- ↑ Richards CS, O'Hara MW (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Depression and Comorbidity. Oxford University Press. p. 254. ISBN 978-0-19-979704-2. +- ↑ Strakowski S, Nelson E (2015). Major Depressive Disorder. Oxford University Press. p. PT27. ISBN 978-0-19-026432-1. +- ↑ Bachmann, S (6 July 2018). "Epidemiology of Suicide and the Psychiatric Perspective". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 15 (7): 1425. doi:10.3390/ijerph15071425. PMC 6068947. PMID 29986446. +Half of all completed suicides are related to depressive and other mood disorders +- ↑–89. Bibcode:2003Sci...301..386C. doi:10.1126/science.1083968. PMID 12869766. +- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Patton LL (2015). The ADA Practical Guide to Patients with Medical Conditions (2 ed.). John Wiley & Sons. p. 339. ISBN 978-1-118-92928-5. +- (January 2016). "Screening for Depression in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement". JAMA. 315 (4): 380–87. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.18392. PMID 26813211. +- ↑ Siu AL (March 2016). "Screening for Depression in Children and Adolescents: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement". Annals of Internal Medicine. 164 (5): 360–66. doi:10.7326/M15-2957. PMID 26858097. +- ↑ Gilbody S, House AO, Sheldon TA (October 2005). "Screening and case finding instruments for depression". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (4): CD002792. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002792.pub2. PMID 16235301. +- ↑ NICE (2005). NICE guidelines: Depression in children and adolescents. London: NICE. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-84629-074-9. Archived from the original on 24 September 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2008. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link) +- ↑ "Depression". National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. December 2004. Archived from the original on 15 November 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2013. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link) +- ↑ "Management of depression in primary and secondary care" (PDF). National Clinical Practice Guideline Number 23. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2008. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link) +- ↑ Taylor G, McNeill A, Girling A, Farley A, Lindson-Hawley N, Aveyard P (February 2014). "Change in mental health after smoking cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis". BMJ. 348 (feb13 1): g1151. doi:10.1136/bmj.g1151. PMC 3923980. PMID 24524926. +- ↑ Driessen E, Hollon SD (September 2010). "Cognitive behavioral therapy for mood disorders: efficacy, moderators and mediators". The Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 33 (3): 537–55. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.005. PMC 2933381. PMID 20599132. +- ↑. +- ↑. +- ↑ Braun C, Bschor T, Franklin J, Baethge C (2016). "Suicides and Suicide Attempts during Long-Term Treatment with Antidepressants: A Meta-Analysis of 29 Placebo-Controlled Studies Including 6,934 Patients with Major Depressive Disorder". Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 85 (3): 171–79. doi:10.1159/000442293. PMID 27043848. +- ↑ American Psychiatric Association (2006). American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: Compendium 2006. American Psychiatric Pub. p. 780. ISBN 978-0-89042-385-1. +- 21.0 21.1 21.2 Kessler RC, Bromet EJ (2013). "The epidemiology of depression across cultures". Annual Review of Public Health. 34: 119–38. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031912-114409. PMC 4100461. PMID 23514317. +- ↑ Wolf, Joshua "Lincoln's Great Depression" Archived 20 October 2011 at WebCite, The Atlantic, October 2005, Retrieved 10 October 2009 +With everything that is going on around us, we are seeing plenty on the news and about folks having to work remotely. Over the coming weeks and months, we will see quite a bit about how we’re not keeping up and that business continuity is failing. Based on what I am observing first-hand from my children jumping into remote learning and my wife trying to be effective at work, there is a lot of work to be done. +What I want to talk about is why we are seeing these issues and how we can set folks up for success. +As a knowledge worker in Silicon Valley, remote work/remote access has been a non-issue for quite a long time. It honestly did not matter where you were; you were able to do your job pretty seamlessly. And while work from home (WFH) was not the primary driver, it didn’t really matter. We have to travel to other offices, work in hotels/airport lounges. And sometimes we worked from home because, well, the meeting with India is happening late at night for us, and I am just not going into the office to connect late at night. +While we have seen tremendous changes in the tech landscape that facilitate ever-greater capabilities for remote work such as online file storage (Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.), we have also seen a revolution in videoconferencing so that most people have at least one remote video application that they use. These systems are getting easier and easier all the time (WebEx, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, Slack, BlueJeans, Zoom, etc.). And of course, we are working directly in the cloud more and more, via Slack, Box Notes, Microsoft Office online and G-Suite. +So with all these tools at our disposal, why are so many folks having an issue converting to working remotely? There are a few systemic issues and a few practical issues that we need to understand. +- Management has a lack of desire to allow working from home. +- Perceptions about security issues and other potential risks to the business. +- Misconceptions on additional costs. +- Lack of training on remote/collaboration systems. +- Lack of the right hardware to facilitate working from home. +- Inadequate accessories for workers to have a GOOD remote or working from home experience. +There are lots of other issues but I really just want to focus on these for this article. +Before we take a deeper look at these items, it’s important to understand that ALL of these things make for better, more effective workers. Solving these issues does not mean that you suddenly have to allow working from home all the time by your workers, it just means that you are set up to allow it if needed. And these steps can also serve a secondary need of making you as an employer look like a more attractive fit to potential employees. While our current landscape has laid bare those companies that are not prepared and are either having to risk workers’ health by forcing them to come to work or scrambling to figure it out on the fly, the reality is that being set up to allow remote work has advantages all year long. Think about some scenarios: +- An employee is taking a sick day, but coworkers need a file only that employee has digital access to. In a work-from-home-friendly environment, she just opens an app on her phone, shares the needed file, then fades back into the Nyquil coma! +- A day when an employee needs to go to the doctor, but the appointment is maybe mid-morning and closer to home than the office. Instead of taking a full half-day or more, the employee works from home until just before the appointment, goes to the doctor, and then back to work and the offline time is greatly reduced. +- What about a much more common scenario? An employee is traveling, or it’s just a weekend and there is a file that someone else is needing. Instead of having to find Wi-Fi and fire up a laptop, the employee can just remotely access the file and then share it with the other person. Boom! Five minutes of work and everybody keeps going. +- Or how about this? If I move all my personal files to Onedrive or Dropbox, then I no longer need to worry about backups and restorations. It’s always all in the cloud. +The reality is that by setting up an organization to be able to work/collaborate remotely, you make more effective employees. And right now, we’re seeing the extreme side of how important that is. +Overcoming obstacles to an effective remotely enabled workplace +Management has a lack of desire to allow working from home +This is usually the biggest hurdle to enabling any sort of remote working strategy. And it can usually be explained away with the six most dangerous words in business: “We’ve always done it that way!” +There is a fear in many quarters that work-from-home employees will sit around and do an absolute minimum of work and waste time. This is a very real concern that is firmly rooted in… absolutely nothing. There is no data to support it. The fact is that in reality, it’s the opposite. A remote worker is typically online and working earlier than she would be if she commuted to work. Since she doesn’t need to drive, she tends to get started earlier. And when it comes to breaks, those are also usually much shorter as the employee can just step to the kitchen to grab what she needs and carry on. Additionally folks are also typically in a better mood as they did not deal with traffic, they aren’t being interrupted all day, they are usually more fond of their home environment. Of course, there is the downside of your pet trying to grab your attention, but in actual fact, even that may put folks into a better mood. (Apologies to anyone I have been in a call with when my dog opted to join in!) +A fear of remote work is driven by a perception that workers will cease to be productive when not directly supervised. So it’s important at all levels to talk through things and clearly set expectations. That’s the only way that you can measure productivity. But in the end… if you do not trust your workers to do their job when “unsupervised” then there is either a problem with the workers that YOU have hired, or there is an issue with you. And in the end, those are both management issues. +Perceptions about information security issues and other potential risks to business +There is no doubt that once people have to access systems from outside the office that this creates more holes in your security posture. But the good news is that all of these solutions have been security vetted to the nth degree. This is how all the biggest technology firms function. So if you have an environment where you have onboarded the enterprise versions of Slack, Office 365 and BlueJeans and Box, then there is no reason to be concerned. +There are two big caveats to the above though. +- If you have a capable IT department, or you are using a managed service provider (MSP), then none of the above is new, or even difficult. These applications are all designed with security first. However, if your IT department is less than capable, or there is a bad rollout with minimal (to no) training and not all systems fully integrated, you can set yourself up for an environment that can actually be more difficult to use. +- If you hesitate to enable remote capabilities, employees will find ways to work remotely. Let’s face it, most people have a consumer account with Google, Dropbox and others. So if my office won’t enable remote capabilities, then there is a good chance that my fellow information workers will do it themselves. And when I am using the non-enterprise version of these platforms and it’s paired with my (questionable) home security posture, now you have some REALLY big security holes of which you’re probably not even aware. They are not doing these things to flaunt the “rules;” they are doing so in order to try to be more effective employees and because you haven’t set them up to be able to do so in the correct way. +You need to enable remote functionality before they take it upon themselves to do it anyway. +Misconceptions on additional costs +Anything new is bad! Anything new costs money that we didn’t budget! +Is this a familiar refrain? This is why it’s important to take a careful look at costs and needs. In many cases, folks don’t even realize what they already have. As an example, if you have Office 365, you have just about everything you need already. And by making better use of these systems, you may find that it actually saves you money. An enterprise account for Office 365 is $150/year at the most basic pricing level. This gives you 1TB of personal storage and everything else you could possibly need for collaboration. And with all that storage, all the IT person needs to do is point your various folders to one drive instead of your local machine and you don’t need to worry about backups anymore. These costs are a fraction of what setting up backup software, large storage arrays, etc. would cost. +It just makes fiscal sense. +Lack of training on remote/collaboration systems +This one is a doozy, and in fact, was really the genesis of this article. My wife works in a government job. She uses O356 and there is a default remote desktop connection setup in her profile, but nobody told her anything about how to make use of it. So now she is working from home and there is a file that she needs, but as she knew nothing about putting it in OneDrive (let alone indexing it in SharePoint so that everyone can access and work collaboratively on it), somebody needs to go into the office. +If she had received any training on it, then she would have taken ten minutes and just dumped all her personal files on Onedrive and then be able to continue working without skipping a beat. +Much of the time when we think about training on using remote collaboration systems, we think about showing people how to log in and use the basic functions. When it comes to videoconferencing, that’s not enough. In order to be effective when communicating over video, you need to know some basics about how to appear and act on video. The folks at Poly (formerly Polycom) put together a series of videos with a character called Polly Calm. (See what they did there?) and they are great videos to share with employees to help them get accustomed to new ways of working and to avoid some potentially embarrassing mistakes. +And lastly, no matter what platform you choose, make sure you have some sort of system in place for folks to test their setup. While we can see what our camera looks like, we can’t always test our audio from the far end. There are lots of solutions out there (paid and free) that allow you to test your videoconferencing connection… make sure that you have an agreed-upon one and tell your staff to test first. My favorite has always been the one that BlueJeans offers. You dial 111@bjn.vc from your system and a parrot comes up on screen that repeats back whatever you say. It’s goofy but it works. No matter what you use, always test first. +Remember, when we are working remotely… just testing with a YouTube video is insufficient. That video only tests download speed (which most of us have TONS of) in order to send your video and audio, we also need lots of upload, on which most of us are not doing nearly as well. I have about 200 Mbps download at my house. And 6 Mbps upload. That’s OK if I am doing a single video call, but as I also have two kids doing remote school, things start to get a little dicey. +The final part of the puzzle is your computer. Videoconferencing needs lots of system resources. Too many applications opening, too many browser windows (talking to you, Chrome!) and all of a sudden you have choppy audio, frozen video and just a terrible experience. This is one of the great things about the newer crop of VC systems. Not only can they track conventional measures of loss/quality etc, but they also capture your CPU load so that a user with computer issues can be identified. +Remote collaboration systems, when well executed, can look and act identically to legacy systems. You just need to do a little config to take advantage of it. And of course, ensure that your employees are not just set up for success, but are trained and have good resources to assist in using the new systems. +Lack of the right hardware to facilitate working from home +While many companies out there exclusively make use of laptops, there are still plenty of companies that give many of their folks desktops. While I do understand that the standard desktop is cheaper (and of course NEEDED for certain applications), the reality is that if you enable your workers with a laptop, they can become super workers. They can take it to meetings, they can bring it home during the week in case something is needed after hours and of course in situations like we have now, they become remote workers much more easily. +There are of course other lingering issues, depending on how your environment is set up — are cameras and microphones enabled? Even if you didn’t have a planned videoconferencing software solution in place, if hardware is disabled, then even if you want to turn on a dime and just quickly buy a bunch of BlueJeans accounts and get folks collaborating, you now have an additional issue of getting things enabled and showing them how to test. +Having the right hardware is only part of the battle, you have to make sure that everything that needs to be enabled is! +Inadequate accessories for workers to have a GOOD remote/WFH experience +At a company I previously worked at, we were a video-first culture. We had about 10,000 active accounts on BlueJeans and we conducted in the neighborhood of 15-20 million minutes of videoconferences every month. But even in that world, we still had issues. Folks joining calls when driving without a noise-canceling headset. Using their iPhone earbuds, taking video calls while sitting in front of a window. Being unaware of their surroundings and having unintentionally inappropriate backdrops. All of these things can have a big impact on the overall meeting experience for ALL participants. It was not uncommon at all to get a call from the CIO or CTO or others asking us to mute certain parties on one of their calls or to tell us to reach out for some remedial “coaching” on good VC etiquette. When it comes to being an effective remote worker, there are a few things that make all the difference in the world. And these items are things that employers should define and either include with an employee’s desktop setup, or ensure that they can easily order as needed. +- Good quality noise-canceling headset. When looking at headsets, we don’t just want the best one from the perspective of the listener (that rejects outside noise). We also need one that has a microphone that can reject noise so that everyone else on the call does not have to hear the remote user’s environment. This landscape is getting better and better all the time and while I have by no means tested all the headsets out there… I was blown away with the latest generation of the Bose noise canceling headsets. The microphone noise rejection is incredible. While the right headsets are not cheap, they both make a huge difference in our experience when working remotely, as well as show employees that we care and want them to be effective. (And to be honest, in the current landscape of smaller cubes and higher density seating, a good set of headphones can be a sanity maker!) +- A laptop stand. When dealing with a laptop sitting on the desk, when we have a videoconference, our co-workers are inevitably treated to a view up our nostrils. And we end up with a sore neck from staring down all day. For about $30, we can raise the laptop screen to a comfortable height with great eye contact and better ergonomics. And as for weight, I will gladly carry a stand that improves my posture and makes for a better experience. (I already carry a small keyboard and mouse.) +- A portable/mobile power supply. Our laptop usually comes with some sort of power brick that is in many cases stupidly oversized and does not coil up easily/has permanently attached cables that easily get damaged. For $30-40, we can find a power supply that is optimized for mobile workers. It will have detachable cables, a retractable plug, additional USB plugs and comes with a small carrying case. It makes all the difference in the world. +In order to optimally set up a worker to be successful when working remotely (and let’s face it, these things are useful inside the office as well), we are looking at a one-time cost of $500 at most. These items will make a big difference in both productivity and employee satisfaction. (And honestly, we don’t really need yet another branded water bottle!) +Summary +Enabling workers to effectively work remotely is not just about adding some software tools. It’s about changing attitudes and opening up to new ways of doing things. Notwithstanding our current scenario of forced remote work and collaboration, it just makes sense. Even from an environmental perspective, I don’t think we are that far from cities and states starting to set mandatory work from home policies to reduce traffic on the roads. Remote work is going to become the new normal. So don’t build a team that is just software-enabled, ensure they have the tools, the training and the accessories to put their best “remote” foot forward. +As always, please comment with any thoughts on areas you think I am off the mark, or areas where you have other things you have used to better work remotely. +Good luck, and stay safe. +Yo.. +This is my first story on FF, and English is my third Language. +What to expect from this story: It is a story totally different from Cannon, and falls under the angst/romance genre. So, it will stay in that genre, so don't expect a light hearted story. It will be very dark Anbu fic that will explore the brutalities of the ninja world. +Drawbacks: The grammar is not up to the mark for the first 3-4 chapters, though I have improved later on. There is a mob scene in the 1st chapter, along with some bashing of Sasuke/Sakura/and Ino in only 1 chapter. If it's any consolation, these cliches do have an impact on Naruto's character, the plot, and the mentioned characters in the story. +Now, I'm sure many of you would have lost the motivation to read the story, some would have already left. Those who are still willing to read something new in the Anbu fics category, you are most welcome. If you are patient enough, you might enjoy this story very much. +Now, since the bridge of honestly has been established between us... +Enjoy the chapter... +Chapter 1:The Awakening. +The village hidden in the leaves, the first village of the shinobi world. The leaf village is considered to be the strongest village among all the other villages. Many legends and heroes have been born in this village. The leaf village was known for its compassion and teamwork and considered its citizens and shinobi as equal and made no discrimination. However that was not the case for a 5-year old boy. +This boy was none other than Naruto Uzumaki. The boy was the Jinchuriki of the Nine tail fox that attacked Konoha few years ago. The Kyubi attack had severely harmed Konoha ,countless shinobi had died sacrificing their lives in protecting the village. There were also many civilian casualties and destruction of the village and its properties. In the end,through a valiant and self-sacrificing ritual the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze was able to restrain the fox and seal it into a new born child. The Fourth Hokage is still considered the biggest hero of the Hidden Leaf and had wished for Naruto to be seen as a hero that saved the village, Unfortunately his wish was not fulfilled. +This leads us to the present where a 5-year old Naruto was being mercilessly beaten by a mob of people consisting of many shinobi and civilians. He had bruises all over his body, some of his bones were broken but the worst part was that he was still conscious and could feel each blow being dealt on his body and many painful words like, +"DIE DEMON" +"That is for my father." +"Monster" +"Scum" +"Bastard Fox" +And many more words were being spoken by the people. +"Why do you hate me? What I have I ever done to you?" asked Naruto meekly while sobbing +"You dare ask what you have done you monster, now I will show you what you have done." yelled one shinobi and started performing hand seals. +"Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu(Demonic Illusion:Hell Viewing Technique)" +Naruto slowly felt himself surrounded in a swirl of leaves and after a moment he was faced with the worst nightmare of his life. He was standing in a clearing field where a fierce battle was going on between many shinobi and a giant nine tailed fox. Naruto had many nightmares of this fox since his early childhood and had always been terrified of it. The fox was killing people everywhere, people were dying, many body parts were littered all over the place, screams of the injured, fearful cries of the civilians, smell of blood all over the place and the malicious aura of the fox all over the place. All in all it was a nightmare. +"Please make it stop." yelled Naruto in agony +"I'm sorry,stop it, stop it, stop." cried Naruto but on hearing his pleas the mob was overjoyed and decided to kill him and get their revenge on their so called demon. +"Lets finish the demon." yelled one civilian and the entire croud cheered. +The shinobi threw several Kunai and shuriken towards Naruto who had fallen unconscious due to the trauma. +CLANG CLANG CLANG +All of the Kunai and shuriken were blocked by a squad of Anbu who were now standing in between Naruto and the mob. Leading the Anbu was Hiruzen Sarutobi, The third Hokage and was leaking such killing intent that made many civilians fall unconscious and many shinobi were cowering under his piercing gaze. +Hiruzen deeply cared for the boy. He respected the fourth's wishes and tried to make it come true but was not successful. He tried to make Naruto's life easy but faced many difficulties but he would be damned if he would let anything happen to the boy whom he considered a grandson. +"Anbu execute all of these criminals for breaking the the law," yelled Hiruzen and the Anbu squad immediately followed his orders and started executing the criminals while ignoring their pleas of mercy and killing the demon instead of them; but this just enraged Hiruzen more and within a few minutes where once was a crowd who were willing to kill an innocent child lay only dead bodies. +"Lets take him to the hospital." said Hiruzen picking up Naruto and checking over his injuries +"Forgive me Minato." thought Hiruzen sadly +"Hai Hokage-sama" said The female ANbu captain "Neko"softly. +She along with most of the Anbu did not hate the boy in fact they cared for him. They knew the difference between a jailor and its prisoner and had utmost faith in the Fourth Hokage's seal unlike the rest of the villagers. They had seen how the boy was just a normal kid who just wanted attention and protected him many times. But today they were a little late as the boy was severely wounded. +"Also contact Kakashi and tell him to meet me at the hospital and tell him if he's late, I'll strip him to genin, make him catch tora for months, and I'll burn his entire Icha Icha books." said Hiruzen angrily +"At once" said Neko and disappeared in a shunshin to fetch the masked Jounin. If Hiruzen had observed more carefully he could have heard "Neko" smirk when Hiruzen mentioned burning Kakashi's Icha Icha. +(Konoha Hospital:2 Hours later) +Currently sitting in a hospital room were three people. They were Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kakashi Hatake and Dr. Misumi. They were all seated around Naruto who was sleeping and was covered in bandages. +"How is he?" asked Kakashi sadly. +Kakashi knew Naruto's parents, in fact Naruto's father was the Yondaime Hokage , Minato Namikaze who happened to be Kakashi's sensei and the closest thing he had to a father. Kakashi cared about Naruto and wanted to adopt him but the council had prevented him from doing, so much to his regret. He had tried to be there for Naruto but had failed miserably due to being continuously on missions. But today seeing Naruto in this state made Kakashi very angry and if the culprit's hadn't been executed by the Hokage he would have executed them himself. +"He has a few broken bones, a mild concussion, and bruises all over his body." said Misumi sympathetically. +"How long will it take him to recover?" asked Hiruzen with a frown as he still was pissed off with what happened with Naruto. +"Physically his wounds shall heal due to his "tenant" within a few hours but that's not the problem." sighed Misumi. She hated such cruelty done to kids whether the child be a Jinchuriki or not. +"What happened?" asked Kakashi worriedly. +"It appears that the Genjutsu casted on him , has affected Naruto. He is in immense emotional trauma; and I'm sorry to say that Hokage-sama but he will not be the same again." said Misumi sadly. +"Isn't there anything you could do like erase the memory of the incident?" asked Kakashi +"That is possible but unfortunately he has been harassed and shunned by the villagers for years . He has been beaten ,abused, ostracized , and this was the last nail in the coffin and has broken his mind completely. Apparently he was shown his nightmares over and over again." said Misumi +Hiruzen and Kakashi lowered their heads in shame and guilt for failing to protect Naruto. +"Hokage-sama right now the boy's spirit is broken and I'm afraid if he stays alone longer then he might become insane as the villagers will continue to harass him. He needs a family right now Hokage-sama, people who care for him and can protect him. He is still a child and as such needs the warmth and comfort that only a family can provide. It is the only possible solution to overcome his trauma." explained Misumi briefly +"I see…Arigatou Misumi-san. You are dismissed." said Hiruzen +Misumi bowed to the Hokage and left the room leaving Hiruzen and Kakashi. +"Hokage-sama I would like to adopt naruto. Enough of this, he has suffered long enough. I gave my word to Minato-sensei that I will protect him like my younger brother and I have failed again. But not anymore I'm gonna adopt him and if the council have an objection they can kiss my ass." yelled Kakashi angrily +"I understand Kakashi and I agree with you completely. Naruto needs a family and I will support your decision but first we have to see if Naruto agrees or not, If he agrees then you can adopt him, I will handle the council. The clan leaders agree with me and as for the elders and the civilian council I will show them why I am the Hokage." said Hiruzen with determination +"Arigatou Sandaime-sama." said Kakashi with a bow. Both the men were shaken from their conversation when they heard Naruto's voice. +"Where am I ? "asked Naruto quietly opening his eyes slowly. +"I'm relieved to see you are alright Naruto-kun. You are in a hospital. " said Hiruzen sadly. +"I see" said Naruto dejectedly. +"Naruto what's wrong?" asked Hiruzen sensing Naruto's sad look in his eyes. +"Jiji why do they hate me?" asked Naruto sadly +"Naruto I will tell you someday when you are older." said Hiruzen averting his eyes from the piercing blue eyes of Naruto. +"No jiji you will tell me now. I'm tired of being called a monster, demon, scum, I have been beaten , spitted, abused I deserve the right to know. I can't take it anymore." said Naruto with tears dropping from his eyes. Hiruzen hugged Naruto tightly and tried to comfort him. +"Alright Naruto I will tell you the truth. What do you know about the Nine tails attack that happened five years ago?" asked Hiruzen cautiously. +"The Yondaime Hokage defeated him and killed the nine tails and saved the village." said Naruto with a little pride in his eyes. He considered the Yondaime his hero and wanted to surpass him. +"Yes he defeated the Kyubi but he could not kill it . The Kyubi cannot be killed by a human being. Despite being powerful the Yondaime was still a man and so he could not kill the fox so he had to do the only thing possible-" said Hiruzen but before he could continue Naruto interrupted him. +"He sealed it in me didn't he?" said Naruto sadly which shocked both Hiruzen and Kakashi who was silently observing the talk from a corner in the room. +"How do you know that Naruto?" asked Hiruzen shock evident in his eyes. +"Its not that hard Jiji. I was born on October 10, the day the Kyubi attacked, the villagers call me demon, fox, and many other things. It also happens that I have a seal on my stomach which I saw once before and the nightmares I have often about the Kyubi attack on the village. And now that you clarified that the Yondaime couldn't kill it it all makes sense. Why Jiji? Why me?" asked Naruto sadly with a few tears dropping from his eyes. +Both the men standing in the room were astonished on Naruto's accurate deduction. +"He is truly your son sensei. I won't fail you anymore." thought Kakashi impressed with Naruto's deduction and also not snapping immediately. +It took a few moments for Hiruzen to get over his shock and after a few moments got out of his daze. He then stared at Naruto and put a hand on his shoulder. +"Naruto, the Yondaime didn't want to do this to you but he had no choice. So in order to protect the village he had to seal the Kyubi in you. He wished that you be seen as a hero for protecting the village. That was his dying wish but the villagers have not followed it and for that I am sorry. And as for why he chose you because he believed in you and trusted only you to protect the village." explained Hiruzen. +"The. .Yondaime…believed…in…me?" asked a wide eyed Naruto. The man whom he considered his hero believed in him and trusted him to protect the village. +"Yes he believed in you Naruto and trusted you." said Hiruzen kindly giving Naruto a smile. +"Jiji can you tell me who were my parents?" asked Naruto with hope in his eyes. +"Naruto I will tell you about your parents when you are older. Tell you what if you decide to become a ninja and reach chunin rank I will tell you, don't worry even if you don't become a ninja I will tell you. Their identity is a big secret . They truly loved you and cared for you and if they were alive they would still be with you. "said Hiruzen but knew that Naruto would insist more and was just waiting for the reply. +"I…understand, I trust you jiji and I hope one day you will tell me. But still I wish I had a family." said Naruto averting his eyes from Hiruzen. +"You have a family Naruto." said Kakashi placing a hand on Naruto's shoulders. +"Who are you?" asked Naruto and looked up at the teenager. +He was tall and had at an impressive height of 6'1". He was wearing the usual Konoha Shinobi attire, His Hitai-ate was wrapped around his forehead but slanted so the cloth covers his left eye. The lower half of his face is covered by a blue face mask, his silver hair and single black eye were the only distinguishable features available with his face so heavily covered. His chest was covered by his green Jounin vest which had many pockets for placing various things. His blue undershirt was shown as his shoulders, and arms are covered in the blue fabric from his shirt. The only break of the blue was the same red swirl presented proudly on his left shoulder. His hands were covered in finger less black gloves with metal hand guards. His pants were a dark blue which are rolled up allowing for his shins to be wrapped in tape and his feet to be covered with the common blue open-toed shoes. His leg was wrapped similarly with tape and his kunai pouch on his right leg. +"My name is Kakashi Hatake and I would like to adopt you naruto." said Kakashi with an eye smile. +"Why would you do that?" asked Naruto suspiciously +"Naruto I won't lie to you. I knew your parents, they were like family to me. I wanted to adopt you and raise you from the start. You are the only family I've got but the council were preventing me, but Sandaime-sama has now made it possible for me to adopt you. I know I have not been there for you but I would like to amend my mistake. You may disapprove if you do not want me to adopt you I will understand." said Kakashi solemnly. +"Will you never abandon me? Do you truly care for me or just pity me; or just want to adopt me just because you knew my parents?" asked Naruto pleadingly. +"Naruto I do not pity you and I truly care for you. You are like a little brother I never had.." said Kakashi sadly +"Arigatou…Kakashi-ni-san." said Naruto with a smile which Kakashi replicated with his own. +"Naruto so do you accept?" asked Hiruzen hoping Naruto would accept the offer. +"Hai" said Naruto with a small smile. +"Naruto would you like to retain your Uzumaki name or accept Kakashi's family name. Either is fine by us. You can still retain the name when you are older if you like." said Hiruzen with a smile while Kakashi gave him a nod. +"I would like to keep Kakashi-ni-san's name." said Naruto with a smile which pleased Kakashi's even more. +"Minato-sensei, Obito, Rin…I finally have a family. I won't let you down." thought Kakashi. +''Jiji i want to become a ninja and protect the village."said Naruto. Hiruzen and Kakashi both smiled and nodded. +"Naruto you will be moving to Kakashi's house and soon you will be entering the ninja academy. Kakashi will teach you Naruto, but tell me what is your dream naruto?" asked Hiruzen. +"I want to be a ninja in order to protect the village, the Yondaime believed in me and I will make sure that his trust in me was the best choice. And as for my dream I want to join the Anbu." said Naruto shocking Hiruzen and Kakashi. +"Why do you want to join the Anbu?" asked Hiruzen curiously. +"I want to protect the village ,the Anbu are the elite of the village, also the people respect the Anbu the most after the Hokage. They never showed any discrimination towards me and they're kind of cool. I want to be like them." said Naruto with determination. +"Alright Naruto but you will have to work very hard to be an Anbu. I was an Anbu once and I know they are the toughest so you will have to work and train harder." said Kakashi strictly +"I won't let you down Nii-san." said Naruto with a grin +"Good" said Hiruzen happy to see that Naruto was slowly getting out of his trauma by having a family. +"Jiji, Nii-san there is a problem." said Naruto carefully. +"What is it?" asked Kakashi curiously +"I know that the villagers hate me and it will take sometime to prove it to them that I am not the Kyubi, but some people may attack me again and I'm not strong enough to defend myself against ninja." said Naruto firmly +Hiruzen frowned on hearing the truth in Naruto's words. Of course after today's incident the attacks would decrease but one cannot be sure as there were many people who hated Naruto. +"I have a solution," said Kakashi and took out a black face mask from his vest and tossed it to Naruto. Naruto immediately caught it and the smile he had on his face could light up someone's day. It also pained Hiruzen and Kakashi to see that this was the first gift the boy had received and was happy. +"Thanks Nii-san." said Naruto and put on his face mask. +"Naruto from now on you are Naruto Hatake. Become a good man and a strong and proud shinobi of the leaf." said Hiruzen and patted the boy on the back. +"Hai" said Naruto happily +(Timeskip: 6 months) +It had been 6 months since Naruto was adopted by Kakashi. These 6 months were an entirely new experience for Naruto. He found out that Kakashi was a very calm, collected guy but was also lazy and liked to read Icha Icha books, a porn book. Naruto did not hate the book but was also not fond of reading it every time like Kakashi. He was also not lazy like Kakashi and always wanted to train. He knew that Kakashi had lost his teammates who were his closest friends and used many means to hide his pain, reading porn was one of them. +Naruto's life had also been turned upside down. No longer was he a hot-headed guy who screamed for attention. It had taken a lot of time and effort from Kakashi and a lot of reading books based on human psychology for Naruto to understand that a person should assess the situation, be in control of his emotions and not get agitated soon , if he wants to be a true shinobi. +Kakashi had started training Naruto. He had taught Naruto all about chakra and had taught him to fight with shuriken and kunai. Naruto had also learned the basic chakra controlling exercises like Tree walking, water walking and leaf balancing. Though it was very tough for Naruto as he discovered that he had enormous chakra reserves as he was a jinchuriki. +Many villagers seemed to believe that Naruto was dead as they could not see his face as he always wore his mask. This was the only habit in which he followed Kakashi completely. When some people did recognize him; and showed any hostility or taunted him he was able to maintain a calm demeanor and did not respond, which was one of the reasons the people now simply used to ignore him which was better than being beaten. But what he did not know was that there had been few attempts to harm him but were stopped by Kakashi and the Hokage and the culprits had been dealt with, without Naruto even noticing them. +But today was not the case. Naruto was doing his shuriken training at training ground 7 waiting for Kakashi to arrive. He knew his brother would be late so decided to start his training. He was getting better and better at throwing shuriken and was achieving most of the targets. +Suddenly two people arrived at the training ground. Naruto looked at them and saw two Anbu standing there, their face were hidden by their masks, however their masks were different than most Anbu, because they were "blank". +"Naruto Hatake." said the anbu on the left flatly. +"Huh?" asked Naruto curious as to why the Anbu were here and asking for him. +Suddenly both the Anbu charged at him, drawing their swords ready to strike him down. Naruto had only time to blink as he barely dodged the strike of the swords but still got a cut on his face mask. It was due to sheer luck and due to some of Kakashi's training that he was barely able to dodge the blow. +"What the hell are you doing?" shouted Naruto angrily. +The Anbu were surprised that he was able to dodge the strike but neither showed any emotions. They never showed emotions. +Getting out of their daze they started leaking a massive amount of killing intent. This was the type of killing intent of silent assassins. +Naruto was frozen in shock. His body wasn't moving, his heartbeat was increasing every second, he was already hearing it beating so many times. He barely was able to get a Kunai from his pouch but his hands were trembling. He had faced a lot of angry villagers on many occasions but the killing intent these Anbu were leaking were the most powerful one he had faced in his entire life. There was a sharp pain in his eyes. +The Anbu rushed at him, one of them swinged his sword towards Naruto' chest while the other anbu jumped in the air with his sword drawn ready to cleave naruto in half. +Time seemed to slow down for Naruto, all the things started to move much more slowly around him. He could see the leaves rustling in the air at a much slower pace, he could see that the Anbu were drawing closer towards him. To any other shinobi the Anbu would seem like blurs but for Naruto he was able to read their movements and the exact angle through which they were going to strike him. +"I..can't...move..What...is..happening..I...can't. ..die...here...I will not die."thought Naruto in fear +Acting purely on what his instincts were telling him he back flipped a few meter's away; but the Anbu's attacked him again, the one on the left tried to attack him with a diagonal slash from his sword but before his attack could even connect, he felt something cold pierce his chest but when he looked down all he could see was two red eyes with two tomoes in it and a kunai buried deep in his heart. +The Anbu's lifeless body fell dead on the ground and after a few seconds a glow came from his left arm and the entire body was engulfed in flames burning the body to ashes. +Meanwhile Naruto was frozen in his spot, his hands were shaking, he was looking at the blood stained on his hands and realized he had just killed a man. He didn't know what happened he had just ducked before the blow hit him; and before he realized what was happening his kunai was lodged into the Anbu's heart. He had seen the shock in the man's eyes hidden behind his mask which were then replaced with emptiness before he fell on the ground, and was burned to a crisp. +"I..Killed..Him..I..am..a..murderer" thought naruto sadly and tears started to drop from his eyes. +Meanwhile the remaining Anbu was shocked to see his partner killed by the boy and was just about to attack him; and was already charging towards him, Naruto was frozen in his spot so it looked much easy. +The Anbu readied his sword to deliver the blow but his entire body was electrocuted as something had pierced his chest. He looked down to see a hand sticking out of his chest which was covered in a ball of lightning. He only heard a single word before he fell lifeless on the ground. +"Raikiri" +Kakashi was just returning after his visit to the memorial stone when he had felt the killing intent coming from the training ground where Naruto was. He immediately rushed towards the spot and was shocked to see Naruto pierce a kunai through an anbu's chest. But before he could understand what was happening he saw another Anbu charging towards Naruto who was in shock due to his first kill. He quickly formed his Raikiri and disposed off the Anbu. He did not even wait to see the body burn as he immediately rushed towards Naruto. +He immediately pulled Naruto in a hug and started patting his back. Naruto finally saw that Kakashi was here and started crying. After what seemed like a few minutes Naruto's sobs stopped and he looked at kakashi. +"Nii-san i killed him; I am a murderer."said Naruto with regret in his voice. +Meanwhile Kakashi was shocked when he looked at Naruto's eyes. Naruto's sapphire blue eyes were now red with two black tomoes in it. +"How in the hell does he have the Sharingan?" thought Kakashi not believing what he was seeing. +"Its okay Naruto, you just defended yourself; Now please tell me what happened?" asked Kakashi softly. +Naruto hesitantly nodded and told Kakashi about the entire incident. +To say Kakashi was livid would be saying that Jiraya was not a pervert. He was furious at Danzo, he knew that these Anbu belonged to Danzo. +"I need to talk to Hokage-sama but first i need to do something for Naruto." thought Kakashi tactically +"Naruto let's go to eat at Ichiraku's. You can talk to me there and also eat your Ramen. I'll let you eat as much as you can today. But before that stop sending chakra to your eyes."said Kakashi with a smile hoping Naruto would not understand why he wanted it to do it. +"Hai."said Naruto still in deep thought, and stopped channeling chakra in his eyes which turned back to his sapphire blue eyes. +"I guess eating ramen and talking with Niii-san will help," thought Naruto dejectedly +Kakashi felt relieved that Naruto did not notice the change in his eyes yet. +(Ichiraku's) +Kakashi watched Naruto eat ramen quietly while talking to Ayame who understood that naruto was disturbed and was cracking some jokes to ease his mood. Talking with Teuchi and Ayame and eating 10 bowls of ramen had improved Naruto's mood to some extent. Kakashi had explained to him that he was attacked and he did what he had to do in order to protect himself and it was not his fault, and it was an accident. +This seemed to ease Naruto a bit, but he still regretted that he had killed the man but not as much as before. After he finished his meal, Kakashi paid for the meal and when Naruto was about to leave he felt someone hugged him from behind. He looked back to see Ayame was holding him and Teuchi had a kind smile on his face. +"Naru-chan, please be okay. I am always there for you."said Ayame with a kind smile which was filled with warmth. +She then slightly pulled his mask down and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. Naruto blushed, Ayame was beautiful and he loved her like his older sister and she cared for him. Apart from Hiruzen and Kakashi, Teuchi and Ayame were the only ones who cared for him in the village and loved him. +"Arigatou...Nee-chan."said Naruto happily; and hugged Ayame back as a lone tear escaped from his eye. +Meanwhile Kakashi and Teuchi both had smiles on their faces on seeing the affection between the brother and sister. After a few moments Naruto recomposed himself but still had a blush on his face as he touched his cheek where he could still feel's Ayame's lipstick mark. +"Aww you two look so cute, it looked as if you were his girlfriend." teased Teuchi playfully +Naruto had a deep blush on his face while Ayame's cheeks went a little pink. +"I wouldn't mind that, would you naruto-kun?" Ayame whispered in Naruto's ears mischievously. +This got different reactions from the men. Kakashi had a perverted smile on his face, Teuchi was just dumbfounded by his daughter's reply but after a few moments chuckled, but the person who was embarrassed the most was Naruto whose blush just got a lot deeper. +"What?'' asked Naruto dumbly after a few moments. +"I'm hurt..you don't think I'm good for you."said Ayame and pouted. +"No..No..I didn't mean that Ayame-chan, you are so beautiful, kind and caring-"spoke Naruto quickly; but quickly covered his mouth on realizing what he had said. +All the others laughed at his innocent answer while Ayame just got a light blush on her face. +"Looks like you'll have to learn ototo. Here,"said Kakashi happily, and tried to hand Naruto his Icha Icha book but before he could even blink Ayame took the book from his hands and tore it to pieces and pointed a kunai just between Kakashi's legs. +"My precious..."yelled Kakashi in horror, as he saw his book getting destroyed. +"Kakashi if I you ever try to corrupt my Naru-chan with that smut. I'll castrate you."said Ayame threateningly and in such a voice that promised a lot of pain. +"H-ai"said Kakashi nervously when he felt a knife being pressed a little harder on his crotch. +"Woah she's scary. Looks like I'll have to hide my book. Aw man!" whined Teuchi in his mind. +"Never read Icha Icha in front of women. Troublesome."thought Naruto with fear. +Somewhere two nara's sneezed. +"Good" Ayame stated with a smile. +All three men face faulted on her sudden change in behavior. At one moment she threatens you and the next she is back to normal. +"Troublesome women."thought Naruto, Kakashi and Teuchi at the same time. +Somewhere two nara's sneezed again, +"Looks like some poor soul is tortured by some troublesome women." thought both at the same time. +Before any further talk could take place Kakashi simply dragged Naruto away from the ramen stand hoping to save his balls. +It had been a few minutes since they left the ramen stand. They were now standing in front of a playground. It was already evening and Kakashi had to report the incident to the Hokage. +"Naruto why don't you go and play with those kids. It'll be fun."said Kakashi pointing towards four boys of Naruto's age who were playing. +"Are you sure Niii-san? You know that they may not accept me."said Naruto sadly. +Kakashi frowned on thinking how much the villagers had traumatized Naruto but not any longer. +"I am sure Naruto. Go have fun, I have to talk to Hokage-sama about what happened today. I'll pick you up in an hour." said Kakashi and disappeared via a shunshin. +"Man I really need to learn that." thought naruto with a chuckle +There were currently four boys playing in the field, well not exactly. +The first boy which Naruto saw had pineapple colored hair which were tied upward in a short pony. His face was angular and he was busy watching the clouds. +The boy sitting next was continuously eating chips and was a little chubby and had light colored brown hair and a round face. +One of the boys was sitting next to the others and was playing with a little pup. He had two marks on his face and slightly pointed teeth and dark brown hair. +The last boy was sitting away from the others. He had black hair and his eyes were covered by sunglasses and he wore a light grey jacket. +As Naruto approached the boys, a little hesitantly, after years of being rejected he feared that even these kids would reject him like the kids from the orphanage. +"Who are you?" asked the boy with the pup curiously. +"I am Naruto Hatake, can I join you?"asked Naruto hesitantly. +"Sure, I am Chouji Akimichi,"said Chouji happily and offered some chips which Naruto accepted happily. +"I'm Inuzuka Kiba and this is Akamaru."said Kiba and Akamaru barked. +"Nara Shikamaru,"said Shikamaru curiously. +"Whats with the mask?" thought Shikamaru with a frown +"I'm happy to meet you all. Hey you, can I know your name too?"asked Naruto loudly, to the boy with bugs. On hearing being called he came towards the group and was surprised that they didn't back away from him when his bugs crawled in his shirt. +"Aburame Shino,"stated Shino stoically +"Naruto Hatake. Its nice to meet people from four different clans of konoha."said Naruto sharply +"You know about our clans?"asked Chouji in surprise +"Yeah, my brother taught me. You are from the Akimichi clan, your clan specializes in combat and is known for your physical strength and great research on food pills which were formed by your clan. Also you own many restaurants in Konoha."said Naruto briefly +"You are from the Nara clan, one of the smartest clans of Konoha. Your clansmen are known for your sharp knowledge and thinking; and advanced knowledge in medical ninjutsu and medicines."said Naruto simply +"You are from the Inuzuka clan, one of the three best tracker clans of Konoha. You and your ninken companions are best in tracking and hand-to-hand combat."said Naruto with a small smile +"You are from the Aburame clan, your clan use Kikai bugs for tracking or capturing an enemy. Your clan is known for your logical thinking and is one of the best tracker clans of konoha alongside the Inuzuka and the Hyuga."said Naruto seriously +Meanwhile all four boys stared dumbly at Naruto. Chouji was pleased that Naruto didn't call him fat like many kids, Shikamaru was interested in knowing more about Naruto, Kiba and Akamaru both were happy when Naruto praised their clan and didn't call Akamaru a dog but kiba's partner, while Shino was also intrigued as Naruto was not at all affected by his bugs and praised his clan. +"Woah! you know all about our clans, now tell us something about yourself."said Shikamaru curiously. +"Tell you what let's race, if you defeat me I'll tell you all you want."said Naruto with a smirk +"I know how lazy you nara's are. you won't get to know about me easily."thought Naruto with a smirk. +"Troublesome" muttered Shikamaru with a yawn