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Q:
Old kids book about boy who builds a spaceship to travel to mars
I can't remember when I read it - but likely the 70s. The young boy was so enamoured with travelling to the Mars that he built his own ship (which I think was box shaped) and flew there and came back.
That's all I remember. I'd like to get it for my kids now if anyone can remember it.
A:
Could it be "Welcome to Mars!" by James Blish?
Dolph had found the secret of anti-gravity and now the solar system was his to explore. In his homemade spaceship he soared through the star-studded blackness of outer space. It was all systems go until the power tubes burned out during the landing on Mars. Dolph was now the first man marooned on a strange planet...
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Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
The planning stages of this trip to ride the Trans Labrador Highway (TLH) had started about 10 months prior to leaving but did not involve me at all. Back then I was in the process of planning my own trip from Alaska then to Tierra Del Feugo. However, those plans had to be delayed. Being totally bummed about not having that adventure, Jeff and Joe, two guys that I had met the previous winter said ” Why not join us to do the TLH”. I was super keen for a true adventure but knew next to nothing about the TLH and the true nature of that road. I wanted an adventure and I got one, don’t forget in my previous post “120 kmph and hitting loose grade B gravel…….. “So I readily accepted the invite and since all the planning had pretty much been done all I had to do was twist the throttle and follow.
The TLH was only made up about 1,200 km of the 9,000 km trip through the Canadian East Coast. Covering Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador
Mike, Joe, Jeff
The trip began on July 4th. It was a perfect day for riding. We met in Lancaster close to the Ontario and Quebec border. Jeff was driving his Super Tenere 1200 that had seen the Pan America highway the year previous. Joe was on his V-Strom 1000 and I was my V-Strom 650. Our plan for that day was pretty uneventful. Jump on the super slab and make a 575 km B-Line to Claude and Annies for our first night. However, the best laid plans never really go that way. Seems our brave and courageous leader forgot to update his GPS and had not taken into account a new highway built in Quebec and was one U-Turn after an other. Truth be told a U-Turn is really only an inconvenience when you have to be somewhere fast. Neither of those applied to any part of this trip so we had a few good chuckles and dubbed it the U-Turn Adventure.
Upon arriving at our first stop, our hosts were awesome. Claude and Annie, other adventure riders, fed us like kings, and gave us a great tour of tracks they were building on the properties for off road trials riding.
Jeff pointing out the dangling wires, less two running lights
The next morning we headed off in the rain. However, we were ready for it. So we thought! The rain cleared up around noon just before we entered into New Brunswick. We rode most of the afternoon in glorious riding weather. We cut across NB on the 132, a delightfully rough ride, where our bikes, well at least mine, had the opportunity to ” shake off” some of the cheap E-Bay equipment I had installed on her. Giving her the nickname ” Harlie”, since things just kept falling off.
A lightning strike. Jeff’s taillight can be seen just up ahead as he heads for a bridge.
It was probably mid afternoon when that ” rain” thing showed up again. We were troopers, We pushed through it. It started coming down harder, but we pushed on, it came even harder and we pushed through and even when the other cars were pulling off the road and the rain was washing mud across the roads from the hills and it was blowing sideways we pushed on, but at a very slow speed.. We eventually did pull over under a bridge when the lightning moved in, but only for a few minutes.
We made it to our stop for the evening in Shediac NB. By this time the rains had pretty much let up. We had made plans to stay at another adventure riders place but he was no where to be found. Still being fairly wet we opted for a motel instead of a tent for the night. It was a good night for pizza. There goes my diet for this trip..
Refreshed and dried out by the next morning we made it out on a beautiful morning and headed to Hopewell Rocks at the Bay of Fundy. We were pleased to find that the MotorMaids, a very large all female motorcycle club was having its 75th anniversary rally there. We had a great time meeting groups of them from all over the US and Canada.
Hopewell Rocks were absolutely stunning. The tides rise and fall up to 56 feet twice a day. With thousands of years of erosion these tides have left behind some spectacular sculptures in the rocks. We made it at low tide so spent a few hours roaming down at the bottom of the cliffs. The climb proved to be a bit of a challenge at times, as both Joe and I have bum legs/ ankles, but it was well worth all the climbing.
Posing…
Can’t help but look cool when I am taking a selfie in PEI
After a few hours of taking in the scenery we decided at the last minute to head to Prince Edward Island. A favorite spot of mine. Even though I have been there 11 times I never tire of it. So the guys gave me the lead for rest of the day and we headed to North Rustico, a small little fishing village on the northern tip of the Island. We ended up getting a little cottage nestled by the oceans shore. It came fully equipped with a kitchen and BBQ. So after unpacking we headed into town to buy some steaks. Nothing like a BBQ’d steak dinner by the ocean and to finish it off we headed down to the shores for a bonfire. Even though we were all exhausted from a day full of riding along coastlines with spectacular vista’s, and even trying to find some ” mud” for a little off roading, which didn’t pan out, but did find some sand, we all had some great laughs by the fire that night.
The morning started off with spectacular weather. Sunny with just a small chill in the air blowing in off the Ocean. Perfect weather for riding. The plan was to head to the bottom tip of the Island to catch a ferry to Nova Scotia, were we were going to meet another group of riders from the Ottawa area. Turned out they had the same plan as us the previous day and we met on the Ferry that morning.
There is something that strikes a cord inside of me that put’s me a a zen state of mind when I am close to the Ocean and even more so when I am on it. I call them my ” Zen moments” I sense and feel I am ” home” and more “alive” than any other time. Something about the depth of the water, the mystery that it holds, the sounds, the smells, just about everything in fact. However, this ferry ride was about to hold a even deeper surprise for me, one that I have never had the opportunity of experiencing before. Something that I held close for the rest of the ride and probably rest of my life.
In my next post I will explain that ” moment”.
Still to come. A ” moosely encounter of another kind”,scraping pegs on the Cabot Trail, and taking full air on a V Strom 650, I just proved to myself it could be done.
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About Michael
I'm not great with using words, but I like to use words and string them together in a fashion that allows others to get a twinkle of who I am or what I am doing.
In my twenties I worked at a adventure learning center in Northern Ontario. Their moto was " Perhaps the greatest risk in life is not to risk at all". I've always tried to live by that. As I get older the risk I take become more and more calculated as the hard landings seem to have a longer affect on my body. But I have always had that passion for adventure so the hard landings are hard not to come by.
Last year I bought my first adventure motorcycle. It very quickly became a passion. I love travel, I love motorcycles and I love adventure. The three passions finally found a home under one roof.
Everything is new and exciting on an adventure bike. So I invite you to sit back and enjoy the words I use, and the occasional video, of my antics on two wheels.
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This proposal is for a K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Career Development Award focused on cognitive functioning in older adults with bipolar disorder. The candidate plans to become an independent investigator focusing on cognitive dysfunction as a target to enhance overall functional outcomes in late-life bipolar disorder treatment. The candidate is a geriatric psychiatrist and post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Pittsburgh who will obtain training in cognitive science, including neuroscience and neuroimaging, to assess cognitive functioning in late-life bipolar disorder. Additional training will include intervention research methodology to develop interventions based on the findings of the proposed research. The application proposes a cross-sectional study of 80 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder ages 50 years and older (40 patients ages 50 - 65 years and 40 patients 65 years and older) and 40 age- and education- equated control subjects (20 for each age group) comparing cognitive functioning between bipolar patients and controls and examining differences in functional abilities (ADLs, lADLs) mediated by cognitive disturbances. The candidate will examine the relationship between cognitive status and the following illness variables: age of illness onset, illness course, history of psychotic symptoms, substance use, physical co-morbidity, medication side effect, APOE allele type, structural brain imaging abnormalities, and lifetime exposure to lithium or valproate. The training and research will be conducted under the auspices of the Advanced Center for Intervention and Services Research for Late-Life Mood Disorders and the Bipolar Disorder Center for Pennsylvanians at the University of Pittsburgh. The candidate's primary hypotheses are (1) older subjects with bipolar disorder will have greater cognitive disturbances than age- and education- equated controls, most pronounced in information processing speed, and (2) cognitive performance will be negatively associated with earlier, more severe course of bipolar disorder and additional illness variables.
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Q:
PDO::FETCH_ASSOC with SUM() not working?
Why doesn't this work?
$selectAllCount = $db->prepare("SELECT SUM(`count`) FROM `Test_Table`");
$selectAllCount->execute();
while($allCountRow = $selectAllCount->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC)) {
echo $allCountRow['count'];
}
I have tried many other methods with mysql_libs and none of them seem to work, what's wrong here?
A:
Make sure to give the column a name:
$selectAllCount = $db->prepare("SELECT SUM(`count`) as count FROM `Test_Table`");
Now you'll be able to fetch the result as you wanted.
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Everyday Food For Everyday People
If you are looking for a new party nibble or a starter to an Italian themed dinner party, these might just be what you are looking for. I cannot remember a party where I did not serve these. They are sooo good. Not to mention, easy to make and done in no time at all.
Tonight, since it is Friday, I decided appetizers and drinks were in order. So, the stuffed mushrooms finally got to make an appearance. I used quite large mushrooms in this recipe, but you can easily use button mushrooms for a party nibble. It makes for easy to pick up food.
Trim the ends off the mushrooms and discard. Twist the stems out and finely chop them. In a medium skillet set over medium to high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, onions, peppers and mushrooms stems. Cook for about 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add in the bread crumbs, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir well until a stuffing forms and remove from heat. This will just be about a minute. Spoon the filling into the centres of the mushrooms and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle over the parmesan cheese. Return to oven for a further couple of minutes until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.
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House of Ariki
The House of Ariki () is a parliamentary body in the Cook Islands. It is composed of Cook Islands high chiefs (ariki), appointed by the Queen's Representative. There are up to twenty four members, representing different islands of the Cooks.
Its function is to:
"consider such matters relative to the welfare of the people of the Cook Islands as may be submitted to it by [Parliament] for its consideration, and it shall express its opinion and make recommendations thereon to [Parliament]"
It may only discuss matters put to it by the democratically elected Parliament, and may only voice suggestions in return.
Formation
The establishment of the House of Ariki was suggested in May 1965 during negotiations on the new constitution of the Cook Islands prior to independence. The initial proposals were for it to have six Ariki from Rarotonga and eight from the outer islands, with the House meeting annually under the chairmanship of the High Commissioner. Amendments to the legislation on the new constitution were passed by the New Zealand Parliament in June, providing for the creation of the House.
The House was established in September the following year, consisting of ten chiefs. It was intended to confer additional legitimacy and strength to the newly self-governing nation, and to help it define its national identity. Henry stated:
"The ariki [and other chiefly ranks] and their tribes are the backbone of all nations in this world. For any nation to allow this backbone to be broken or to disappear would mean that they are relying on a foreign backbone for their survival."
The House was inaugurated by the High Commissioner Leslie James Davis on 23 September 1966. Vakatini Tepo of Rarotonga was chosen as its first president.
Composition
The members are:
The four ariki of the islands of Aitutaki and Manuae;
The three ariki of the island of Atiu;
The ariki of the island of Mangaia;
The ariki of the island of Manihiki;
The ariki of the island of Rakahanga;
The three ariki of the island of Mauke;
The three ariki of the island of Mitiaro;
The ariki of the island of Penrhyn;
The ariki of the islands of Pukapuka and Nassau;
The six ariki of the island of Rarotonga;
The incumbent president of the House of Ariki is Tou Travel Ariki (Mitiaro). The vice-president is Kainuku Kapiriterangi Ariki (Takitumu).
Criticism
According to Ron Crocombe and Jon Tikivanotau Jonassen:
"The House of Ariki was created to marginalize the ariki. Most of them had opposed the party that won the election at self-government, so it created and quarantined them in a House with dignity but no power. To marginalize ariki further, that party later created a Koutu Nui of mata'iapo and rangatira (lesser chiefs) many of whom had supported the party."
June 2008 coup claim
On 13 June 2008, a small majority of members of the House of Ariki attempted a coup, claiming to dissolve the elected government and to take control of the country's leadership. "Basically we are dissolving the leadership, the prime minister and the deputy prime minister and the ministers," chief Makea Vakatini Joseph Ariki explained. The Cook Islands Herald suggested that the Ariki were attempting thereby to regain some of their traditional prestige or mana.
Prime Minister Jim Marurai described the take-over move as "ill-founded and nonsensical". Police commissioner Pat Tasker added that it was "laughable", and that the police did not intend to take it seriously. By 23 June, the situation appeared to have normalised, with members of the House of Ariki accepting to return to their regular duties.
See also
List of presidents of the House of Ariki
House of Lords
Chamber of Peers
References
External links
NZ Māori stirs Cooks sovereignty stoush
Category:Government of the Cook Islands
Category:Politics of the Cook Islands
Category:Government agencies established in 1966
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Suburban teacher accused of sexually assaulting 11-year-old student
SKOKIE, Ill. - A 32-year-old teacher is accused of sexually assaulting a student in north suburban Skokie.
Mohammedimran A. Mulla is charged with predatory sexual assault of a child, attempted predatory sexual assault of a child and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
On July 5, Skokie police were alerted to an alleged sexual assault of an 11-year-old student, the state’s attorney’s office said. Mulla, a teacher at Noor Learning Center, was arrested the next day.
He was ordered held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court July 30.
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to linear, branched, and/or cross-linked urethane-coupled block polymers of quinone-coupled polyphenylene oxides. The polymers are prepared by contacting polyfunctional isocyanates with quinone-coupled polyphenylene oxides having an average hydroxyl group per molecule value greater than zero including 2.0 or less.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Self-condensation reactions of certain phenols employing oxygen in combination with an effective oxidative coupling catalyst system to form prior art polyphenylene oxides, i.e., polyphenylene oxides having an average hydroxyl group per molecule of 1.0 or less, are described in various U.S. patent applications including Hay's U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,306,879; 3,914,266; 4,028,341, a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 441,295, filed Feb. 11, 1974, now abandoned; and Olander's U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,956,442; 3,965,069; 3,972,851 and 4,054,553.
Block polymers of prior art polyphenylene oxides employing simple bifunctional coupling compounds such as diacyl halides, diisocyanates, bis(haloaryl)sulfones, etc., are described in White's U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,793,564; 3,770,850; 3,809,729 and 3,875,256.
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Q:
How do I set up an installation script including ODBC-connection?
Easy question this time.... I have a installation file, and a registry edit in my script.
How do I set up a ODBC-connection as well, actually I need to script up 2 ODBC-connections.
Any advice for me?
A:
System ODBC settings are stored in the registry under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ODBC
I would suggest configuring the ODBC connections manually then exporting the registry values. You can then either script a registry merge or write the values explicitly. Remember to install the relevant drivers and associated ODBC registry settings for those as well.
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This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
NEW YORK — Two adults and three infants were injured during a knife attack in Queens early Friday morning.
According to PIX 11, authorities were called to a home on 161st Street in Flushing around 3:40 a.m. When they arrived they discovered three infants - two girls and a boy - as well as a daycare worker and one of the children's father had been stabbed.
Their accused attacker was also injured from a self-inflected knife wound, police said.
One of the little girls was rushed to the hospital in serious condition. No word on the conditions of the other victims.
It's unclear what led up to the attack.
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explorations of mindful fatherhood
Tag Archives: Orlando Informer
After months of saving and anticipation, our family was lucky enough to visit Orlando this holiday for a trip to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade! This was a trip that dad was looking forward to perhaps more than anyone.
Last winter, I had been searching for new jobs options and had some interviews. I told myself and my wife prior to one very pivotal second interview that if I didn’t get this (dream) job and found myself in the same crap job in the summer, then we were all taking a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios as my consolation prize. As the title of this post suggests, I did not get the job and, unfortunately, my current job ramped up to a flurry over this past summer, so much so that I couldn’t even take a vacation as planned in June. So we postponed everything until December.
Needless to say, I had a lot invested emotionally in this trip. First, it felt like something I was owed. If I had to languish in my demanding and thankless job, then I was damn well going to get a fun vacation out of it. And “fun” was the key word. Although we could have saved up for the Caribbean or an overseas locale, I needed somewhere that would serve up simple, unadulterated fun, and only Harry Potter would do the trick. Secondly, if I was driving my family out (yes, driving, 20+ long hours from New England), then it had better be good. I felt like it wasn’t only me who was “owed” a good vacation, it was my entire family, and I had been the guiding force for devising this trip: scheduling the vacation package, booking the hotels, even coming up with an itinerary. And so felt that the responsibility of providing a fun time rested upon my shoulders.
I was smart enough to get a package that included early admission to the park, which felt a little crazy at first, arriving at the park in the pitch-black of 6:30am, but was well worth it. Early admissions folks got herded forward to the Wizarding World locations before the gates opened, giving us full access to the best parts of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade before the throngs. It was upon our very first entry through that brick wall that I realized we had done it, and damn was it worth it. As completed Potter nerds, my wife, son, and I reveled in every nook and cranny of Potterdom. Seeing it for the first time, and getting into the attraction without hassle caused me to drop my shoulders and relax into the experience.
And then the craziness happened. Surprisingly the Sunday after Christmas, the crowds were not that bad. We were reasonably well prepared for the amount of people we’d be seeing, but the next two days were shoulder-to-shoulder crowded. I particularly remember our second day of early admission (heading to Hogsmeade this time), and feeling the stress as folks rushed past one another, causing me to instinctively move faster and usher my family along. It was almost as though my body reacted uncontrollably to the pace of others. On one of our return visits to Diagon Alley, the crowd was so bustling, it was difficult to move anywhere without knocking into others. I recall how someone would cut me off or bump into me (“Asshole”), but the next minute I’d be cutting someone off or accidentally bumping into them (“Who’s the asshole now?”). I wasn’t intending on being opportunistic, is was just that the shear number of people made it difficult to navigate the crowd and time my movements.
What helped were these little “a-ha” moments when I could see my body and mind responding to the throng of people, whether speeding up to match the pace of the crowd or nearly crashing into some unsuspecting park attendee because I was simply trying to move forward. I wanted a good experience for my family. I wanted to make the trip worth all the trouble and “get mine.” When, in fact, everyone there held the same desire for their families. Folks had come from all over the world, investing hundreds if not thousands of dollars to give their children and families this experience, and we were all working off that same adrenaline and need to take care of our own.
When I realized this, I was able to take things in stride. This realization made it much more tolerable when someone bumped into me or seemingly cut me off. In the chaos of excitement, anticipation, and humanity, everyone wanted a good experience. They wanted to show their families a good time. This was the motivation that bonded me with them in some way, and I realized (in that very Buddhist-y way) that working solely for the betterment of our own rather than for the good of everyone truly is the root of much of the strife in the world. Sure, I still wanted a good experience for my family, but getting caught up in the competitive spirit would have only caused my trip to suffer. When I was able to see that we all wanted the same thing and reminded myself that we’d get our turn, everything fell into place, and we had a great time. Or, perhaps it wasn’t some great realization. Perhaps Harry Potter simply cast his spell on me.
I wholeheartedly recommend the experience to all my fellow Harry Potter fans. Universal has done an amazing job. And I fully recommend visiting Orlando Informer, which is an invaluable on-line resource of planning your trip to the Wizarding World!
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Except for one group of about 20 million people. You don’t hear much from them. These are my clients. They are business owners and executives. They are not necessarily cheering, nor are they panicking. But they are not unhappy. Why?
AD
AD
For those I know who employ more than 50 full-time people, the Affordable Care Act was a major and expensive pain in the neck. The law required that those employers provide adequate health care for their full-time employees. Many of my clients hire part-timers and many others run seasonal businesses. Those owners were forced to understand (or pay an accountant to understand) the complex calculations for figuring out the number of “full-time equivalent” employees. They were forced to evaluate an ever-changing array of new health-care plans with Olympic sounding names — bronze, silver, gold, etc. — to figure out what was best. In many cases, they were forced to know way more about the American health-care system than their own businesses.
Their reward? A continuation of double-digit annual increases in health-care expenses. Irritation from their employees when told their plans would require more and more out-of-pocket expenses and higher deductibles. Lost recruitment opportunities to larger companies with deeper pockets and benefit plans that no small business could afford. Penalties for providing no insurance. Penalties for not providing adequate insurance. Penalties for reimbursing employees who found better insurance. Questions from confused employees. Oh, and higher taxes on the “wealthy” to specifically fund the legislation.
With all its best intentions, the Affordable Care Act has been a huge, no-win headache for the business community. It’s been six years. We gave it a shot. It hasn’t been working very well. It’s actually been worse than the status quo from 2009. So now that the Republicans are preparing to scrap the employer mandate, my clients will happily go back to that status quo. They will start over with this new plan.
AD
AD
Yes, we’re all concerned with some of the potentially big issues. No employer wants anyone to go without coverage. We all want a better, more affordable health-care system. We really do care. But much of that burden to deliver those goals has been placed on the backs of the insurance industry and those employers who must ensure that their employees have coverage. Assuming this new legislation passes Congress and becomes law, that burden will be no more.
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The Role of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Heart Failure and Potential Therapeutic Targets.
Advances in pharmacotherapy as well as device therapy in common cardiovascular diseases, especially implementation of rapid coronary reperfusion as a key management strategy in acute ischemic disease, improved overall survival. Yet, this success contributes to increased number of patients susceptible to heart failure development due to damaged myocardium. Although survival after heart failure diagnosis has improved over time, the death rate remains high: ≈50% of people diagnosed with this disease will die within 5 years. Thus, not only there is a space for novel concepts and strategies in the treatment of symptomatic heart failure, but also they are urgently needed. The mechanisms underlying the development of heart failure are multiple, complex, and not well understood. However, regardless of the cause of heart failure, or whether its presentation is acute or chronic, altered mitochondrial function/bioenergetics appears to play a substantial role in its pathophysiology. As such, the mitochondria are potentially promising, but still underused, target for new HF therapies. This review will focus on changes that occur in the mitochondria of failing myocardium, as well as on targets and approaches that suggest potential therapeutic effect in this ominous disease.
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1st Quarter Play-by-Play
B.Gabbert pass short right to C.Harbor to JAX 25 for 5 yards (E.Berry).
2nd and 5 at JAX 25
(No Huddle) B.Gabbert pass short left to A.Sanders to JAX 25 for no gain (B.Flowers).
3rd and 5 at JAX 25
(Shotgun) B.Gabbert scrambles up the middle to JAX 27 for 2 yards (D.Poe). FUMBLES (D.Poe), RECOVERED by KC-J.Houston at JAX 27. J.Houston to JAX 27 for no gain (W.Ta'ufo'ou). The Replay Assistant challenged the fumble ruling, and the play was REVERSED. (S
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Detroit: Become Human Lead Writer Adam Williams talks about depicting dark scenes like the abuse on Alice by her father and more.
Last year, during the celebrations for Paris Games Week, Quantic Dream came under fire for including scenes depicting domestic violence in their upcoming PS4 exclusive Detroit: Become Human. During a recent preview event, DualShockers asked directly Lead Writer Adam Williams why the studio decided to tackle this kind of difficult topic.
Williams explained that the studio wanted a story that was “socially resonant” and that felt like it was taking place in a world as real as ours, being a faithful portrait of the society we live in and reflecting what is like to live in the kind of society we do. If you’re going to do that, you have to take a decision about the darker areas of human life and society.
If you don’t depict those darker areas, you’re creating something that is not as real, and the result is akin to a fairy tale. If you depict them, you have to depict them faithfully, and can’t trivialize them. You have to show how dark the darkness is. That’s what is going to create a story that feels real and resonates with people.
That being said, Williams feels that it’s perfectly valid to want a theme like domestic violence to be portrayed responsibly. This was something that Director David Cane and he worried a lot about: you should have the freedom to touch these themes but you should also have the responsibility of doing it well, sensitively, and in a way that serves the story, and is not gratuitous. This is also a matter of freedom to speech, as one should be free to see what he thinks, but he should think about what he says and be responsible for it.
On a more personal level, David Cage has two children, and Williams has sisters who are Alice’s (the child who is the victim of domestic abuse in the story). They would not have depicted this kind of scene if they thought it was gratuitous. They wanted to create something that was both respectful and served the narrative.
Asked whether there are more similar themes in the game (without spoilers) Williams explained that in the world of Detroit: Become Human Quantic Dream tried to “reflect the many colors that are in the real world” and some of those are dark. When you’re dealing with the theme of prejudice and segregation, it’s very difficult to do that without addressing some of these darker topics.
Interestingly, Williams also explained the reason why Detroit was chosen as a setting. The city was the seat of the Ford Motor Company, and it’s where the car was born. The automobile is an example of how one piece of technology can change the world and even the way society is formed. When the car became commonplace families became more dispersed, people traveled longer to work… Cars changed everything.
In Detroit: Become Human the androids are created by a company called Cyberlife, founded by a man who is basically the Steve Jobs of androids. When he decided to make Detroit the headquarters of Cyberlife, it was a statement about how influential androids are gonna be on society. In the world Quantic Dream imagined he was right, as androids have transformed society completely.
We also asked whether the egg or the chicken came first, or more precisely, whether there was already an idea for a game when Quantic Dream created the tech demo Kara that debuted at GDC 2012. Williams mentioned that from the conversations he had with David Cage, Kara was made exclusively as a tech demo. Yet, everything Cage does, he wants it to include story and he wants it to be moving. That’s why he was not surprised that people empathized with Kara. Yet, everybody was surprised by just how strong and wide the reaction was. The studio was flooded with questions about “what happens next” and “when is the actual game coming out.” At that time, there were no plans for such a game.
In a sense, Detroit: Become Human is an attempt to answer the question “what happens next?” as it struck the developers as an interesting question anyway, and the range of possibilities is so broad that it lends itself to an interactive drama.
The reaction to the second demo The Sorcerer was a bit different, as it was more light-hearted. The signature Quantic Dream experience is very emotional and thought-provoking. Kara was very throught-provoking and moving, so the short lent itself well to a Quantic Dream-style game.
Beyond this point, we have something that could be considered a mild spoiler, so if you want to go in completely blind, I advise you to stop reading. In the world of Detroit, the President of the United States is a woman, but she is quite hardline in her policies. For Quantic Dream this was done because they weren’t interested in copying something already done or obvious. The idea of the hardline president is familiar, but the idea of female President isn’t as familiar. Some might expect a woman to be softer and more empathetic. Yet, Williams is an Englishman, and the U.K. had two female Prime Ministers (Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May), and both are quite hardline. He feels that players will find President Warren “a very striking character.”
This post contains an affiliate link where DualShockers gets a small commission on sales. Any and all support helps keep DualShockers as a standalone, independent platform for less-mainstream opinions and news coverage.
Hailing from sunny (not as much as people think) Italy and long standing gamer since the age of Mattel Intellivision and Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Definitely a multi-platform gamer, he still holds the old dear PC nearest to his heart, while not disregarding any console on the market.
RPGs (of any nationality) and MMORPGs are his daily bread, but he enjoys almost every other genre, prominently racing simulators, action and sandbox games.
He is also one of the few surviving fans of the flight simulator genre on Earth.
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One of the banes of the regular traveler or those working or engaging in sports and away from their residence is the maintenance of regular dental hygiene. This is particularly true for the traveler who may spend many hours without facilities or dental hygiene supplies, such as a toothbrush, dentifrice, mouthwash and dental floss. Most persons note after a few hours, an unpleasant feeling of known bacteria and plaque buildup which is usually accompanied by unpleasant breath, often undetected by the person directly but a condition or risk with which the person is acutely aware. This latter problem has given rise to the increasing popularity of spray type breath deodorizers and "breath mints". The users of such sprays or lozenges fully recognize that the effect is primarily cosmetic or masking and does not attack the real problem of bacteria and plaque removal nor does it provide any cleaning, polishing or improvement in the condition of the surfaces of the teeth, gums, tongue, and surrounding mucosa of the mouth.
There are four primary limitations to good oral hygiene practices away from home. The first is the unavailability of suitable water and disposal facilities for the actual process associated with the cleaning procedures. The second limitation is the lack of privacy for the procedures of brushing, rinsing, expectoration and cleanup. The third limitation is the lack of reasonable cleanliness. The fourth limitation is the lack of convenience of being able to perform the procedures. These principal limitations to good dental hygiene away from home are exemplified by the plight of the business traveler. A 14-hour day of sales-calls rarely, if ever, includes a suitable facility with water for brushing, rinsing, expectoration and clean-up. There are few private areas for such procedures. Even if such an area could be found, it is most likely to be in the restroom of a less than frequently cleaned road side filling station, usually inconvenient located, leading to the further frustration of being unable to accomplish any dental hygiene routine or procedure.
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Conservative Bill Sharp cleared of assaulting UKIP rival in Hadleigh Published duration 4 January 2016
image caption Conservative councillor Bill Sharp was cleared of shoving a UKIP rival in the chest
A Conservative politician has been cleared of assaulting a UKIP candidate in the run-up to last year's elections.
Bill Sharp, a member of Castle Point Borough Council in Essex, was accused of shoving activist James Parkin in the chest in March 2015.
Mr Sharp, 68, of Softwater Lane, Benfleet, was cleared of assault by beating at Southend Magistrates' Court.
The court heard there had been a "heated exchange" in Hadleigh but no assault had taken place.
'I'm still 6ft 5in'
Mr Parkin, a candidate for the Appleby ward in Castle Point, had claimed he was campaigning outside Hadleigh's former fire station on 14 March when Mr Sharp, a former leader of the council, shoved him in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards.
The court heard Mr Sharp had been arguing with Jamie Huntman, UKIP's defeated parliamentary candidate for the Castle Point constituency, and Mr Parkin had joined both men before the alleged assault took place.
Essex Police officer Ian Risdell told magistrates CCTV footage showed there had been no assault by either side.
"I am delighted the magistrate came to the same conclusion I and anybody else who'd seen the CCTV had already come to," Mr Sharp told the BBC.
He said the stress of the court case had taken its toll on his well-being.
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77 So.2d 876 (1955)
Samuel J. HORNBECK, alias Jerome Bryant, alias Lawrence Baker, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Supreme Court of Florida. En Banc.
March 9, 1955.
*877 E. John Nelson and John E. Santora, Jr., Jacksonville, for appellant.
Richard W. Ervin, Atty. Gen., and Bart L. Cohen, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.
ROBERTS, Justice.
The appellant was found guilty of a charge of murder in the first degree, without recommendation of mercy, and has appealed from the judgment of conviction entered thereon which carries a mandatory sentence of death.
The facts upon which the charge against the appellant was based are briefly as follows: The appellant and one Goldman committed a robbery by holding up the bartender and the only remaining patron in a cafe at 1:00 o'clock in the morning. The appellant was armed with a .32 automatic, and Goldman had a Smith & Wesson .38. During the time that the robbery was taking place, the car being used by appellant and Goldman, which they had parked outside the cafe, was recognized by police officers on a routine patrol as being a stolen car. The officers surrounded the building and demanded that the occupants come out. The appellant and Goldman attempted to effect their escape by forcing the bartender and the patron at gunpoint to precede them out the door, and calling out to the officers *878 "We are coming out, we are coming out with hostages, and if you shoot, we will kill them."
The robbers and their hostages made it safely to the stolen car, only to find that the officers had previously removed the keys. At that point, several shots were fired by both sides, and one of the officers was killed, his death resulting from a bullet which had been fired from a Smith & Wesson .38 pistol. There was evidence from which the jury could infer that the bullet had come from Goldman's gun, although it was shown that the officers were also using Smith & Wesson .38's. Goldman was killed shortly thereafter, but the appellant escaped, temporarily, by fleeing into the darkness and subsequently commandeering another car at gunpoint. He was captured later that night.
The principal questions on this appeal have to do with the sufficiency of the evidence, outlined above, to support a charge of murder in the first degree, as defined by Section 782.04, Fla. Stat., F.S.A., the statute under which the appellant was charged.
Section 782.04, supra, provides that "The unlawful killing of a human being * * * when committed in the perpetration of or in the attempt to perpetrate any * * * robbery * * * shall be murder in the first degree * *." The appellant contends, first, that under this statute the person killed must be the person upon whom the robbery is, or is attempted to be, perpetrated. We do not construe our previously decided cases as so holding, and we approve the view taken by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Commonwealth v. Almeida, 362 Pa. 596, 68 A.2d 595, 614, 12 A.L.R.2d 183, wherein the exact question now before us was disposed of in the following terms:
"When men engaged in a scheme of robbery arm themselves with loaded revolvers they show that they expect to encounter forcible opposition and that to overcome it they are prepared to kill anyone who stands in their way. If in the course of their felonious enterprise they open deadly fire upon policemen or others and if in self-defense and to vindicate the law the fire is returned and someone is killed by a bullet fired in the exchange of shots, who can challenge the conclusion that the proximate cause of the killing was the malicious criminal action of the felons? No other genesis can justly be assigned to the homicide. The felon should be adjudged guilty of murder in the perpetration of a robbery, that is, murder in the first degree. As President Judge King said 105 years ago in Commonwealth v. Hare, supra: `Such we believe to be the law, founded on the plainest reason, justified by the clearest expediency, and demanded by the most obvious necessity.'"
The appellant's contention that the person killed must be the person robbed cannot, then, be sustained.
It is also contended that the evidence shows that the crime of robbery had been completed at the time the officer was shot, so that the appellant cannot be held guilty as a principal in the second degree for a crime committed by his partner, Goldman, as the principal in the first degree. This contention is likewise without merit.
The guilt of the appellant, as a principal in the second degree, is based upon the rule that "`If the accused was actually or constructively present aiding and abetting the robbery and the "unlawful killing" was committed in the perpetration of * * the robbery he is equally guilty of the murder with the other principal, even though prior to the robbery there was no premeditated design by either to commit a homicide. 29 C.J. 1073 * * * the presence of the aider and abettor need not have been actual, * * * provided the aider, pursuant to a previous understanding, is sufficiently near and so situated as to abet or encourage, or to render assistance to, the actual perpetrator in committing the felonious act or in escaping after its commission. *879 See Baldwin v. State, 46 Fla. 115, 35 So. 220; People v. Lawrence, 143 Cal. 148, 76 P. 893, 68 L.R.A. 193; 16 C.J. p. 126; 1 R.C.L. p. 139; 1 Michie on Homicide, p. 37. * * *'" Henderson v. State, Fla. 1954, 70 So.2d 358, 359, citing Pope v. State, 84 Fla. 428, 94 So. 865. (Emphasis added.)
As indicated in the above quotation, this rule has, by a great majority of the courts, been held broad enough to include homicides committed in attempts to escape from the scene of the crime, especially when the crime is that of robbery. See the cases cited in the annotation in 108 A.L.R., beginning at page 847. The reason for this holding is well expressed by the California court in People v. Boss, 210 Cal. 245, 290 P. 881, 883, as follows:
"It is a sound principle of law which inheres in common reason that where two or more persons engage in a conspiracy to commit robbery and an officer or citizen is murdered while in immediate pursuit of one of their number who is fleeing from the scene of the crime with the fruits thereof in his possession, or in the possession of a coconspirator, the crime is not complete in the purview of the law, inasmuch as said conspirators have not won their way even momentarily to a place of temporary safety and the possession of the plunder is nothing more than a scrambling possession. In such a case the continuation of the use of arms which was necessary to aid the felon in reducing the property to possession is necessary to protect him in its possession and in making good his escape. Robbery, unlike burglary, is not confined to a fixed locus, but is frequently spread over considerable distance and varying periods of time. The escape of the robbers with the loot, by means of arms, necessarily is as important to the execution of the plan as gaining possession of the property. Without revolvers to terrify, or, if occasion requires, to kill any person who attempts to apprehend them at the time of or immediately upon gaining possession of said property, their plan would be childlike. The defense of felonious possession which is challenged immediately upon the forcible taking is a part of the plan of robbery, or, as the books express it, it is res gestae of the crime."
Other procedural questions have been argued here by appellant and have been carefully considered by this court. We have also reviewed the evidence, pursuant to subparagraph (2) of section 924.32, Fla. Stat., F.S.A. to determine if the interests of justice require a new trial, with the result that we find no reversible error and that the evidence does not reveal that the ends of justice require a new trial to be awarded.
Accordingly, the judgment appealed from should be and it is hereby
Affirmed.
MATHEWS, C.J., and TERRELL, THOMAS, HOBSON and DREW, JJ., concur.
SEBRING, J., not participating.
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Visitors as of May 11, 2015
Archives
Awards
Visitors
Visitors as of May 11
FF: Neighbors! #21
We tried John’s cell. No response. Lifting the receiver again, I sent Tony to the lab. “Grill his assistant!”
Dave Hardin answered on the second ring. I thanked him for the information and asked him about her car. “A light blue Avensis,” Dave said without hesitation.
“And how recent is her photograph?”
“Six months, she had it made for her application. Our customers love her despite her plainness, she radiates confidence, and her winning smiles wins over the moste complicated customers, even those who normally only lust after beauty.” Dave excused himself as the doorbell chimed.
I scanned Dave’s information once more. Tony returned from the lab, frowning. “John left after comparing the evidence from the mailbox and your desk, Jim.”
“And the real Bobbi Funderburk is missing, as is her car. Someone who did not exist six months ago.”
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Q:
Prevent package importing itself
Ok, let's give you an example (original question below).
I have made a package called "myproject" which shows the problem I'm facing.
Download the package here: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/11013311/myproject.zip
Install the package (eg.: sudo python setup.py develop)
open an Ipython session and type: "import myproject"
if you start typing "myproject." and hit tab twice to get the available methods/values..., you'll see "myproject.myproject" which himself shows the same problem.
Is one of you guys able to explain me what I'm doing wrong? The answer from Andrew Alcock do not help me to fix it, or at least I don't see where could be the problem.
Of course, with such a simple example, there is no need for the package __init__.py file to be that complex, but in my real project I do need COOL instance to be accessible via myproject.COOL.
Thanks for your answers!
EDIT: I've awarded utapyngo the bounty because his solution is effective and I've learnt something more (relative imports with deep submodules). But I'd like to thanks Andrew and nehz for their answers (nehz also provided a solution that fixed my problem, but very subjectively I find it 'less beautiful' ; and Andrew provided useful advices). Too bad I can't share the bounty.
**
ORIGINAL QUESTION:
**
I'm not sure I've phrased correctly the question. I have created a large code with a number of sub-packages, and for simplicity let's call it 'CODE'.
The problem is: 'CODE' appears in the namespace so I can have CODE.CODE or CODE.CODE.CODE, etc... an infinite number of times which looks strange to me and is probably (I guess) a hint that something is wrong (although the code works perfectly without warning).
I guess the problem has something to do with my __init__.py and the structure of my code, so I give some more informations here.
Simplified code structure:
CODE
| __init__.py
| tools
| __init__.py
| mytools.py
| other
| __init__.py
| init.py
| sub
| __init__.py
| module.py
File: __init__.py (the first one, at the root of CODE)
import CODE.tools.mytools as MyTools
import CODE.other.init
OBJ = CODE.other.init.function()
...
The file mytools.py do not import OBJ from CODE, or any other module that may import OBJ.
init.py may import modules such as mytools.py.
Finally, modules like module.py may import either mytools.py or OBJ (from CODE). Usually, all import are made with absolute import, such as in: from CODE.sub.module import func.
Does anyone have an explanation for such a behavior? I did not find any related question on SO, but it may be due to the wrong phrasing of mine.
A:
The problem is that the package you have imported (basically the top level __init__.py file) contains a reference to itself (the module) in and amongst the other imports. Since the module now has a namespace with itself in it, you can now accesses it as CODE.CODE. ... .CODE.MyTools.
I would suggest:
1) Have an __init__.py in each of your subpackages (tools, other)
2) Within CODE's modules, do not 'import CODE' or any subpackage. Instead make direct imports of the modules (files) you are interested in.
For example, in CODE.sub.module.py:
Do not:
import CODE.other # "other" is a package (a directory)
Do:
import CODE.other.init # "init" is a module (a file)
This way sanity lies.
EDIT: Reframing your specific example
The file mytools.py do not import OBJ from CODE, or any other module that may import OBJ. init.py may import modules such as mytools.py.
OK
Finally, modules like module.py may import either mytools.py or OBJ (from CODE).
This is your problem. Don't import CODE here. If you need to simplify the rather long "CODE.other.init.function", you can do it with the from .. import statement:
> from CODE.other.init import function as OBJ
But be aware that many Pythonites dislike this as it leads to confusion.
Usually, all import are made with absolute import, such as in: from CODE.sub.module import func.
OK
A:
In your main __init__.py you don't have to and even should not reference your module name (who knows, you would probably want to rename it in future).
Just replace
import myproject.mymodule_...
with
import mymodule_...
Now there is no myproject.myproject:
>>> dir(myproject)
['COOL', 'SubY', '__builtins__', '__doc__', '__file__', '__name__', '__package__',
'__path__', '__version__', 'atexit', 'exit_report', 'mymodule_one', 'mymodule_two',
'obj', 'toto']
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The incorporation of APOBEC3 proteins into murine leukemia viruses.
APOBEC3 proteins represent a group of potent intrinsic inhibitors of retroviral replication. Murine APOBEC3 (mA3) is able to inhibit HIV-1, whereas it is inactive against Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV). In this work, we present evidence showing that mA3, compared to hA3G, is incorporated inefficiently into MLV, while the abilities of mA3 and hA3G to be packaged into HIV-1 are similar. The nucleocapsid (NC) domain of HIV-1 is capable of facilitating the interaction of mA3 with HIV-1 Gag, and thereby the incorporation of mA3 into HIV-1. Swapping studies of the NC domains in HIV-1 and MLV indicate that MLV NC domain is responsible for viral exclusion of mA3, due to its inability to facilitate the mA3/Gag interaction. The interaction between mA3 and HIV-1 Gag is mediated by the linker region between two zinc coordination motifs in mA3, similar to what has been found for the incorporation of hA3G into both HIV-1 and MLV. These results suggest that the interaction between NC domains and the linker regions might represent a common mechanism for viral incorporation of APOBEC3 proteins, and the inefficient incorporation of endogenous mA3 appears to be a strategy by which MLV escapes the inhibitory effect of mA3.
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When Andrea Anderson and her husband boarded the MS Zaandam cruise ship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, more than three weeks ago, they didn't know that their trip of a lifetime would disastrously coincide with a global pandemic that would leave them shut out and stranded at sea.
Unable to find a port willing to accept it, the ship has been stuck in a holding pattern for nearly two weeks as it desperately goes from country to country.
So far it has been rejected by Chile, Peru and Argentina, which all sealed their ports because of the coronavirus outbreak.
It is now charting a hope-filled course for the United States, namely Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
"I don't know if they are going to accept us. I hope they do," said Anderson, 63, a fiber artist from Maineville, Ohio. "We need to get off this ship."
Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
Anderson and more than 1,200 other passengers are pleading with Florida to let them in, but officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, say the state simply doesn't have the resources to take on an extra burden amid a growing health crisis.
"We cannot afford to have people who are not even Floridians dumped into South Florida using up those valuable resources," DeSantis said Monday on Fox News.
Four people have died on the ship, at least two of them from the coronavirus, while nine others have tested positive and 179 more have flu-like symptoms.
Andrea Anderson and her husband, Rob. Courtesy Andrea Anderson
Let our news meet your inbox. The news and stories that matters, delivered weekday mornings. This site is protected by recaptcha
"People are getting sick, and they need proper medical attention in a hospital. They cannot be treated onboard," Anderson said. "The people on this boat, we are all someone's parent, grandparent, aunt and uncle. The governor should think, 'What if my mother was on that boat?'"
While DeSantis has expressed staunch disapproval of the passengers' disembarking, the final say lies in the hands of the Broward County Commission, which wasn't able to come to a decision Tuesday. The commission is waiting for clear and proper protocols for disembarkation by the cruise line.
Commissioners still have a lot of conditions to consider, a spokesperson said.
The Zaandam and its sister ship, the Rotterdam, which took on asymptomatic passengers from the Zaandam, are scheduled to reach Fort Lauderdale by Wednesday — much to the dismay of the city's mayor.
"We are a community that are trying to hold everything together," Mayor Dean Trantalis said Monday on Fox News. "We don't need any more infection in our communities. It cannot come to Fort Lauderdale."
More than 300 Americans are aboard the ships, including 49 Florida residents, several of whom live in Broward County.
Passengers say that they are strictly confined to cramped cabins and that meals are left at their doors. Even during a special 30-minute dispensation allowing them to move around the ship, they couldn't touch anything, sit anywhere or stand near anyone.
The cruise ships, run by Carnival Corp.'s Holland America Line, left Buenos Aires on March 7 for a two-week cruise through South America. The journey had been scheduled to end in Chile on March 21 before the ship was shut out by the country. A second leg of the trip that some of the passengers were planning to stay for had been scheduled to continue until the first week of April but was canceled by the cruise line.
"We started getting turned away by everyone,"said Emily Spindler Brazell, a passenger from Tappahannock, Virginia, who was on the Zaandam but was later transferred to the Rotterdam. "The world was closing its doors as we sat there waiting."
While she said passengers have been treated very well by the ship's staff, which has been working hard to provide online exercise classes and game nights to fill the time, she's worried that they will lose steam.
"It's a lot of pressure," she said, adding that life feels like the movie "Waterworld" because she hasn't touched land in weeks.
"I get it. I understand where they are coming from," said Brazell, who is in her 60s. "But it's important for them to know that there are so many people who are feeling fine and we should be allowed to get off."
Download the NBC News app for full coverage and alerts about the coronavirus outbreak
Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America, called the ships' multiple border rejections "a humanitarian crisis" in an statement.
"We are dealing with a 'not my problem' syndrome. The international community, consistently generous and helpful in the face of human suffering, shut itself off to Zaandam leaving her to fend for herself," he said. "These are unfortunate souls unwittingly caught up in the fast-changing health, policy and border restrictions that have rapidly swept the globe."
Anderson is hopeful that Florida will realize the human toll of turning people away and will eventually allow them in.
"These are real people who are getting sick and who are away from families and proper care," she said. "How many people have to die on this ship before they realize we need to get off?"
CORRECTION (April 1, 2020, 7:30 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this article misidentified one of the two ships that is being turned away from ports. It is the Rotterdam, not the Rottendam. The article also misspelled the last name of a passenger on the Rotterdam. She is Emily Spindler Brazell, not Branzell. The article also misstated the date when the ship left Buenos Aires. It was March 7, not March 8.
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This year's 3D remake of Piranha is not generating awards buzz. Nor is it being debated for its fine social commentary or riveting performances. It may, however, feature more exposed breasts than any non-porn film released in the last decade. Piranha, rebooted by French director Alexandre Aja, is more fun than most flicks that hit the big screen, and it delivers the gore, sex and debauchery demanded of a movie about flesh-eating fish.
Spring Break comes but once a year to beautiful Lake Victoria in the Arizona desert. Sheriff Julie Forester (Elisabeth Shue) and Deputy Fallon (Ving Rhames) tolerate the hoards of drunken college revelers who turn the lake into a garbage dump because they stimulate local commerce. Forester's son Jake (Steven R. McQueen, grandson of cool) never gets to enjoy the festivities, as his annual task of babysitting his younger siblings does not take place on a party boat. Poor Richard Dreyfuss is the first to be dragged underwater by angry piranhas, schools of which descend upon the tipsy visitors to Lake Victoria, forcing Forester to consider closing down the lake.
A moderately budgeted update of Joe Dante's 1978 schlockfest, Piranha delivers the goods other popcorn horror films like My Bloody Valentine, Sorority Row and Aja's own Mirrors did not. It works because the filmmakers generally realize a movie about killer fish requires little pretense (no offense to Jaws, of course). The opening with Dreyfuss is a playful reminder to movie-goers that Piranha aims to entertain.
Jake reneges on his babysitting duties to serve as location scout for Joe Francis facsimile Derrick Jones (Jerry O'Connell) and his Wild Wild Girls production team. Intrigued by Jake's sudden assertiveness, the object of his affections, Kelly (Jessica Szohr), joins the nudity-hunting party aboard Jones' yacht. People get naked. Piranhas ruin Spring Break.
Along with the aforementioned nudity, Piranha features some fantastic gore. Using a combination of practical and digital effects, Aja managed to bring some downright nasty carnage to the screen. After dabbling in mediocrity with Mirrors, Aja finally brings the talent he showed on High Tension and The Hills Have Eyes out of retirement. The film's biggest set is the boat party on the lake. When piranhas arrive on the scene, an obscene amount of bloodletting occurs. Much of it is funny, some of it is shocking, and all of it is very well staged.
Piranha is also a good-looking film. Aja has a knack for shooting great locations, and some of the underwater footage here is the best I've seen. The acting is also solid for such a ridiculous film. The Forester family is a nice anchor for the film, and Piranha becomes only slightly melodramatic during the family's climactic reunion. I have few complaints about Piranha. It was criminally under-seen in theaters last summer, and the 3D actually added to the experience. At 88 minutes, Piranha does not outstay its welcome; it's just enough of a good thing.
THE DVD:
PICTURE:
Sony Pictures presents Piranha on DVD in 2D for Dimension Films with a pleasing 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The DVD showcases the sun-baked Arizona setting nicely, exhibiting vibrant colors and pleasing depth. Compression artifacts are not an issue, and detail is abundant in the image. Highlights are occasionally blown out, though this replicates the theatrical experience. Skin tones and texture are otherwise natural. The only minor issue I spotted was some murkiness in darker scenes.
SOUND:
The film's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is impressive. Dialogue is strong and clear, as are the film's ambient effects. Schools of piranha and swirling water circle the sound field, and effects are loud and deep. The replication of the film's score is second only to the use of popular music, and both songs and score can rock your system. English, English SDH and Spanish subtitles are also available.
EXTRAS:
Dimension provides an impressive pair of extras for the DVD. The Commentary with Producer/Director Alexandre Aja, Producer Grégory Levasseur & Producer Alix Taylor is packed with interesting information about shooting the bloody spectacle. Aja talks a lot, and his passion for filmmaking is evident. I enjoyed hearing about his inspirations for the film and about working with the MPAA. Don't Scream, Just Swim: Behind-the-Scenes of Piranha 3D (1 hour and 30 minutes) is a massive five-part documentary about the film's production. Covering everything from location scouting to the hiring of hundreds of extras and creating the film's graphic effects, the documentary is surprisingly thorough. Although some deleted scenes and a slightly longer documentary are available on the Blu-ray, I applaud Dimension for giving DVD buyers a good selection of extras.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
With previews that promised plenty of blood and boobs, Piranha had a lot to live up to. Fortunately, director Alexandre Aja hits a home run. Joyfully nasty and very entertaining, Piranha is about as good as a movie about killer piranhas is likely to be. Sony's DVD features solid picture and sound, as well as a great behind-the-scenes documentary. Highly Recommended.
William lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and looks forward to a Friday-afternoon matinee.
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GeneScanning analysis of Ig/TCR gene rearrangements to detect clonality in canine lymphomas.
The diagnosis of canine lymphoma is achieved using morphological and immunological methods. In a certain percentage of cases, difficulties in making a definitive diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders may occur despite extensive immunophenotyping. Therefore, additional diagnostics, such as molecular assessment of Ig/TCR gene rearrangements clonality, may confirm the final diagnosis. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and heteroduplex analysis have already been proven to be suitable for detecting clonality but are cumbersome and labor-intensive. In the present study, GeneScanning analysis of PCR products originating from different primer sets targeting different regions of Ig and TCR was validated in improving sensitivity as well as in reducing the turnaround time of gene rearrangement assays. GeneScanning exploits 5' fluorescently labelled primers for the automated and fast analysis of PCR products either as singleplex or multiplex runs. Initially, the assay was set up using DNA purified from normal tissues (n=6), hyperplastic/reactive tissues (n=10) and a small set of immunophenotyped lymphoma samples (n=12). The optimized methods were then used in a large set of 96 canine lymphoma samples. Normal and hyperplastic/reactive lymphoid tissues showed typically polyclonal or, occasionally, oligoclonal PCR products. Lymphoma samples showed monoclonal peaks arranged as a single or, occasionally, a double narrow base peak sometimes embedded in a polyclonal background. In all immunophenotyped cases, an Ig or TCR clonal finding corresponded to B- and T-cell lymphomas, respectively. Overall, 94/96 (97.9%) samples showed clonal Ig/TCR clonal rearrangements among which clonal Ig was found in 61/96 (63.5%) of samples and clonal TCR in 33/35 Ig negative samples (34.4% of all cases). In one out of ten randomly chosen cases, both Ig and TCR clonal gene rearrangements were found. Among the factors affecting assay accuracy, DNA quality has been shown to be critical and the amplification of DNA controls of different size are recommended to evaluate DNA integrity. Frozen material such as that which remained inside the hub of the needle used for diagnostic procedures is optimal for the analysis herein described. In conclusion, GeneScanning represents a versatile tool for routinely assessing Ig/TCR clonal rearrangements and supporting the diagnostic protocol of canine lymphomas.
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Nutrition and gastrointestinal disorders.
The gastrointestinal tract, including the liver and pancreas, is a complex system whose function is to process a wide range of nutrient and other products enabling their absorption as well as detoxification and excretion. During the process, food is converted into energy and into other substances that are used by cells throughout the entire body. Many diseases can affect the various organs of the gastrointestinal (GI) system and diet plays a relatively minor role in the onset of such GI diseases. Recently it has become clear that glutamine, a 'non-essential' amino acid, is important in the maintenance of intestinal mucosal metabolism, structure and function. Dietary fibre has complicated properties including trophic effects on intestinal mucosa, volatile fatty acid production, alteration of bacterial flora and faecal bacterial mass and change in faecal bile acids. Gastrointestinal disease many result from deficiency or excess of specific nutrients in normal individuals. In allergic or susceptible subjects, diseases such as food allergy, disaccharidase intolerance and gluten sensitive enteropathy may occur with intake of normal daily requirements. In genetically susceptible individuals, specific nutrients have been linked, based on epidemiological studies and animal experimentation, to carcinoma of the stomach (high starch, high nitrate foods and smoked meats) and colon (low fibre, high fat, low vitamin A). A recent Australian multi-centre polyp prevention project has recruited subjects with adenomatous polyps cleared at colonoscopy. Subjects were randomised to receive high fibre, low fat, b -carotene or a combination of these and compared to an unchanged control group at 2-yearly follow up colonoscopy. Low fat and high fibre were not protective against polyp development; however, b -carotene ingestion was associated with an increased risk. Duodenal ulcer disease is multifactorial with gastric acid and H. pylori induced gastroduodenitis playing important aetiological roles. Protection is afforded to individuals with a higher unsaturated fatty acid and lower refined sugar intakes. Treatment of gastrointestinal disease may require dietary modifications or, if the gut is not functioning adequately, nutritional support via the parenteral route. In subjects with inflammatory bowel disease and short gut syndrome replacement of specific nutrients may be required particularly calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and vitamins B12, folate, D and A. Controversy still exists as to the role of parenteral and enteral nutrition as primary therapy for inflammatory bowel disease.
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Superbug infections increase
A sharp rise in the number of deaths from the Clostridium difficile (C. diff) superbug has prompted an angry reaction from opposition parties.
The Conservatives described the increase as "shocking" while the Liberal Democrats expressed frustration over the government's allegedly slow response to the problem.
The Department of Health (DoH) said it believed improvements in reporting methods were behind the increase, however.
Today's figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal the number of death certificates which mentioned C. diff grew by 72 per cent from 2005 to 2006, a dramatic rise far exceeding previous increases in the superbug.
Of these 6,480 55 per cent said C. diff was the underlying cause of death, the ONS said. Figures for MRSA also rose in 2006 but ended the accelerating increases seen in previous years.
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said the overall scale of infection in Britain's hospitals was "unacceptable".
"The need for a comprehensive infection control strategy, including improved anti-biotic prescribing and access to isolation facilities, hand hygiene and cleanliness is paramount," he commented.
Lib Dem health spokesperson Norman Lamb said the government should have acted sooner to curb the rise in infection rates.
"Ministers have promised measures that are untested and have been dismissed by experts as gimmicks," he said.
"Recent successes in keeping infection rates down are down to the hard work of NHS staff, who are up against enormous pressure to hit targets while keeping their wards infection-free."
Last year the government announced a range of strategies to reduce healthcare associated infections (HCAIs), chief microbiologist Professor Brian Duerden said.
These include a 'deep clean' of all hospitals by spring 2008, a ban on long-sleeved white coats, guidance on hand-washing and handing responsibility for day-to-day cleanliness back with matrons.
"We are investing an extra £270 million per year by 2010/11 to fight infections which will pay for more specialist staff, including antimicrobial pharmacists, and MRSA screening for all patients," he said.
Prof Duerden said the government had asked hospitals to record HCAI-related deaths more accurately in July 2005, suggesting the increase may not reflect a real rise in HCAIs.
He added: "These statistics from 2006 show that this move has worked and our figures are now in line with other developed countries."
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Most Helpful Critical Review
May 21, 2008
Unless you like eating a stick of butter on your cake I would not make this frosting. I think there must be a typo, I added 1/2 butter to 1 cup sugar and 1 cup cream and this came out really well, I also added some vanilla essence to give it some flavour.
I have been using this recipe for a little while now on all my cakes. My family loves the taste. I dislike shortening based frostings. The fact that I can control the sugar is nice. I use a little more sugar for kids cakes and less for adults. You can flavor to your liking as well. Excellent!
I TRIED THIS BECAUSE I WAS DESPERATE FOR A FROSTING THAT ISN'T TOO SWEET. I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE THAT THE TEXTURE IS MARVELOUS, BUT IT DOES TASTE MORE LIKE BUTTER THAN FROSTING. SUGGESTION: MAKE WITH UNSALTED BUTTER ONLY. WOULD THE SAME RECIPE WORK, CHANGING THE RATION OF BUTTER TO CREAM--LESS BUTTER, MORE CREAM?
This is a great recipe. NO RAW EGGS! A huge plus since all Italian or Swiss buttercreams call for egg whites. But the recipe could use improvements. 1. half a teaspoon(or more) of vanilla adds a lot of flavor. 2. Some of my tasters felt that there was too much of a "butter felling" in the texture; the method I used for correcting the texture was adding small amounts of extra confectioners sugar, no more than half a cup, to the frosting and whipping it for a couple of minutes longer. If the frosting became stiff you would have to 1 to 2 tablespoons of whipping cream. After adding the extra sugar the frosting became to sweet, so to tone down the sweetness, I slowly added pinches of salt to the frosting, a baker's secret. Be very careful not to add too much salt!
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
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Recipes
½ pound of caul fat, rinsed and patted dry (ask your local butcher) We found ours at Philbricks Fresh Market)
1 bunch of thyme (chopped)
1 sprig of rosemary (chopped)
4 leaves of sage (chopped)
Equipment:
Needle nose plyers
Large plastic wrap
Butchers twine
Sharp knife
Sous vide set up at 151 degrees F.
One large Ziploc style bag
To prep the Turkey:
1. Debone the Turkey legs & thighs by carefully slicing down the bone line, tracing the leg & thigh bone. Be careful to not cut all the way through to the other side! You only want to slice through one side of the skin. Once you pull the bones out, double-check the flesh for any bone fragments, cartilage, or bloody spots and remove them.
2. Lay the deboned leg skin-side down on your work surface. On the side that was connected to the drum bone, you should see about a dozen tendons of varying sizes and hardnesses.
Using a pair of needle-nose pliers and a small paring knife, start pulling the tendons out, with the back of your knife holding the flesh in place. Most of the tendons will slide right out no problem, but there are a couple that spread out into large flaps of silver skin. These tend to be a little more firmly connected. You may need to scrape at them with the edge of your knife to loosen them and pull them out.
3. Once all the tendons are removed, season the legs liberally with some kosher salt on both sides. This is important as it will “brine” the meat and keep it moist. Season meat with the chopped herbs.
4. Set your roll of plastic wrap on the top edge of your work surface. Arrange it so that if you lifted the loose edge of plastic wrap, the roll would roll toward you. This will help you keep the plastic tight while forming the roulade.
Pull enough plastic over your work surface to cover it completely, plus a little extra over the edge. Be sure that it is completely tight, with no wrinkles, or it will make for a loose roulade.
Place the caul fat down on the plastic like a large flat piece of paper, then place the first leg down on the caul fat, skin-side down. Place the second leg on top of it, skin-side up. Try to put the thickest parts of the legs on opposite sides, so you’ll end up with a nice, even roulade. Place the second piece of caul fat over the top of the leg and over lap the two ends of caul fat. Trim off any excess fat.
Now, pull the loose edge of the plastic (the side closest to you) taut, and pull up and over the wrapped legs. While keeping the plastic taut, roll over four times. Grasp firmly on the edges of the roulade and pull the plastic outward. Poke a few holes through the plastic and into the center of the flesh. This helps any trapped air escape, making for a tighter roulade.
Roll over a couple more times and repeat. Roll a couple more times and cut the plastic.
Roll the ends of the roulade in opposite directions, so that the ends of the plastic compress the roulade into a tight cylinder. Tie the plastic off in a knot as close to the roulade as possible. Cut two lengths of twine just over a foot long and tie them on the ends of the roulade. Tie the knots so that you leave one short and one long end.
Using the long side of the twine, twist around and down (toward the roulade). This will take up any slack in the plastic and make for an extremely tight roulade. Repeat on the other side. The roulade should feel very taut and spring back when you squeeze it.
Place roulade in a ziplock-style bag and gently lower the bag, unsealed, into the water. The water will cause air to escape from the bag. Clip the bag to the side of the pot.
Cook for 4 hours.
Remove from the water bath and take out of the bag. Carefully pat it dry. Then brush with vegetable oil and re season with salt.
To bake: crank your oven up to 475 °F and bake for about ten minutes or until golden brown on all sides.
Deep-frying works great too. Heat a large pot of canola oil to 400 °F / 204 °C, and fry the roulade until golden brown, about two minutes per side. Allow to dry and crisp up before slicing.
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"Previously on Cult..." "Just tell me what the problem is, Nate." "I made contact with them last night and I think they're after me now." "You made contact with who?" "Uh, the TV show." "It's called Cult." "But it's not just a TV show." "It goes beyond that." "You have no idea how much I don't want to get you mixed up in this." "Phillip was its founder." "He was becoming more and more a cult leader." "Cathy." "It's me." "Phillip's son." "What, there are actually hidden messages in the show?" "Yes, there are." "So what is Nate saying about the church?" "That there's something hidden in the church walls?" "This is what Nate wanted us to find." "What do you want, Mr. Sefton?" "I know how to find your parents." "You kidnapped Nate, you put together the true believers, all to find out what happened to your parents?" "Not only about our parents." "And Nate came to me." "He made the first move." "Well, you held him against his will." "My father was a great man." "A visionary." "This show knows things about him." "I needed your brother to help me uncover what the show had to tell." "Yeah, but Sakelik?" "Annabelle?" "All the others you held like Nate?" "You had..." "you had to kill them all." "You will never understand." "I didn't do this only for myself." "No." "For you and all of the other kids of your father's cult." "I was the eldest." "I was responsible." "Look, if we're gonna do this, you've got to leave Nate alone." "That's how this works, or no deal." "All I want is what you can apparently give me." "You give that to me..." "I don't need Nate anymore." "Yes?" "They're in position." "People say I'm dangerous." "Tune in tomorrow night for the shocking season climax of Cult, followed by an all new online scene presented live..." "Yes?" "Well, he says they're in position." "Yeah, the car's out there." "Nobody approaches the car." "Let's do this." "My father's church." "Why are we here?" "It's your move." "Take him in but stay alert." "Where is he?" "Oh, my God." "All right, you stay outside." "So what's here?" "You think these are..." "You think these are the..." "Walls are full of them." "They're decades old." "I'd say we found your Moon Hill parents for you." "Who could have done this?" "Why?" "I don't know." "But I kept my end." "Now you." "Here." "Thanks." "You realize you're aiding a madman?" "Yeah?" "Okay." "Well, the madman says that I'm to leave him with you and split." "Just remember the deal." "Anybody snitches, and we come back." "Happy trails, dog boy." "I think it's gonna be okay now." "I-I never thought I'd see this place again." "We're good here." "We're done." "Leave me." "Reynolds?" "Leave me!" "Nobody move!" "Hands!" "Hands!" "Down on the ground." "Now!" "What the hell's going on?" "Sweet mother of God." "Oh, wait." "Zavala?" "Sefton." "Cuff him and read him." "Wait." "You can't arrest him for this." "We got a tip." "Pretty detailed information on Reynolds' recent activity, like kidnapping, murder, and a connection to Sakelik." "Wait." "A tip from who?" "Anonymous." "You." "You did this!" "Jeff." "Oh, thank God." "Where is he?" "Hey." "It's only me." "Okay." "Kell, I thought this was supposed to relax you." "It usually does." "It's about him, isn't it?" "Our parents' killer?" "And now you have a lead on him after all this time." "I think this is all getting to be too much for you." "It's not too much." "I can handle it." "I've been handling it." "What do you say, my dear Meadow?" "Is she ready?" "She's exactly where you want her." "You're doing a wonderful thing for her, Billy." "Giving Kelly the closure she needs." "She deserves." "All because I love her." "I love her more than life's breath itself." "Everything still fit?" "Weird." "At least I didn't lose any weight." "I'll take some of that coffee." "You never gave up on me." "Nate, we don't have to talk about this." "You turned your entire life upside down." "Thank you." "Nate..." "Thank you." "Look..." "I know you're dying to know all that happened to me." "You know the cops are gonna want to talk to you." "I know the detective-- I might be able to hold him off for a couple of days, give you some time to decompress." "Then I think we should talk about it-- when you're ready, I'm ready." "And..." "I think you should see someone, too." "You mean, like, a shrink?" " Just somebody to talk to." " I don't need anybody like that." "Nate, after everything you've been through..." "I got sucked into some serious craziness, but I'm okay." "Really." "I just want to get past it." "All of it, as quickly as possible." "You put stuff up here?" "Seemed like a good idea at the time." "You want to know a good idea?" "You look stunning in that." "I should talk to him." "He's my father." "He's under arrest for kidnapping and possibly murder." "I don't want you anywhere near Stuart, now more than ever." "I'm definitely buying you that one." "Thank you, Roger, but..." "I've got no place to wear this." "Well, you could always wear it at the clubs in Europe." "Ibiza, perhaps." "Saint-Tropez." "After the live scene tonight," "I have plans to spirit you away somewhere very nice." "Just us." "Tell me how I feel about you." "Tell me." "You love me." "And for years, there's been public frustration surrounding this very issue." "Neighborhood groups and environmental organizations alike have lobbied for better safeguards against flooding of the L.A. River-- what experts call "channel containment"." "But that clamor has fallen on deaf ears at the L.A. City Council, who refuse to..." " Hi." " Hey." " What are you doing here?" " Can I come in?" " Yes." "Please." " Great." "You kind of left in a hurry last night." "Yeah, well, you and Nate, you know." "What are you planning on doing with yourself now that you have him back?" "Figure I'd focus on work." "You know, something I clearly haven't been doing." "I keep thinking what a great story this would make, you know?" "Cult-- its crazy fans and true believers." "You know, the kind of story that might buy me a ticket back to a real job at a real newspaper." "I see you're still going through your father's notes." "Yeah." "Going over everything for, like, the millionth time." "Look, the cops are still tearing apart Kellian's bizarro church." "I figure we need to stay on top of them just in case they turn up some new lead on your father's disappearance." "Jeff, you got Nate back." "I'm really happy for you." "But you don't owe me anything." "I owe you... everything." "I mean, without you I wouldn't have Nate back." "Look... you want to know why I'm here?" "I'm here to help you." "Help you find your father." "We're not done." "We are are not done." "My parents... all... our parents... followed your father, and because of that, they endured horrific... deaths." "My father discovered something." "Something about television, about the power of television." "He made that discovery 25 years ago, but it still ties in to the messages of Cult today." "Cult is dangerous." "What your father discovered killed our parents." "The rest of us found our answer." "We know our parents' fate." "We don't care... about Cult!" "What about my father's work, what he found?" "We still don't know the answer to that!" "I need to know!" "Your search... for answers about your father..." "is over." "Like hell it is!" "I don't understand." "What do you mean Reynolds was released?" "He was charged with kidnapping and murder." "Multiple murders." "Look, the judge took his passport, slapped him with a crazy-ass bail-- the guy's got a whole platoon of lawyers." "Well, how long has he been out?" "He walked two hours ago." "One more thing." "You'd asked about the head count of the bodies found in the walls of the abandoned church." "You said 32, right?" "Yeah." "The final count was 31." "Okay, uh, thanks again." "Nate?" "Nate!" "I just saw Dustin Wartell leaving the house." "What the hell's going on?" "Who's Quentin Yarrow?" "You invited him here?" "He was my friend." "Friend?" "After everything he did to you?" "When Dustin was in the program with me, he pulled me back from the brink lots of times." "Nate, he's dangerous!" "Stay away from him." "Now, why did you ask me about Quentin Yarrow?" "When we pulled everything off the wall," "I saw you had some of his notes, and they had something to do with Moon Hill." "What do you know about Moon Hill?" "I heard Stuart mention it a bunch of times." "If you're not over this..." "But I want to be." "If you're not over it, Nate..." "Don't freeze me out." "Okay?" "Just tell me what you know." "There's nothing more to tell." "Jeff, I just need you to trust me again." "All of this goes in here." "I'm using it to write a story." "You stay away from it." "You want me to trust you, you're gonna have to earn it." "You do not do this on your own, Kelly." "It's probably nothing." "It's a long shot." "No!" "You have a lead on this killer," "I need to be there with you." "You're not part of this one, Paz." "Listen to me." "You're too close to this." "This man murdered your parents." "I need to be with you-- now, tell me where you are." "Kelly!" "Damn it!" "Hey, Marti." " You remember my mom, Cathy." " Of course." "The police detective." "Retired detective." "So, what are you doing back at the studio?" "I thought you were wrapped after we finished the last episode." "I've come to clean out my trailer." "Are you gonna stay for the live show tonight?" "You can watch me fall flat on my face." "Are you kidding?" "You're gonna be great." "Oh." "Sorry, excuse me" " for just one second." "Skye." " Yeah." "Yes." "Hi!" "It's great to see you back at work." "I mean, it's the last day." " Everyone was worried about you." " Yeah, well," "I just had some personal business I had to take care of, but that's all finished now." "Good." "What's going on?" "Nothing's going on." "Everything is great." "Actually, really great." "Wait a minute." "Does this have anything to do with Jeff?" "That's great." "You guys just looked right together, you know, no matter how hard you kept trying to pretend." "Well, no more pretending." "Answer it." "We'll catch up later, okay?" "Yeah, I'm good." "How's Nate doing?" "You know, honestly I wish I knew." "Well, he's certainly happy to be free, but..." "But what?" "Uh, he says he's over it, but..." "I know he's not." "Well, look, whatever happens, we'll get him through it." "We." "What was that?" "It's a video chat invitation." "Here, let me call you right back." " Sure." " I'll see you later tonight?" "Definitely." "Jeff Sefton?" "That's right." "Who is this?" "Someone who shares a mutual interest with you, Mr. Sefton." "In fact, more than one." "For example, Cult." "I have zero interest in Cult." "That's a lie and you know it." "There's a great story in there just waiting to be told, but I strongly suggest that... you don't write it." "Look, I don't know who you are..." "Keep away from your brother, Jeff." "He's already led you to places you shouldn't have gone." "And how do you know this?" "Do not follow him." "Enough people have died already." "If you know so much, why don't you cut the creepy phone call crap and let's meet?" "I suspect we will." "Curiously, you and I are already very close." "What part of "I am not to be disturbed"" "do you not understand?" "Bring him in." "My leg" "Ah, you remember him." "Good." "It's been over 20 years, but he's got such a very distinctive look." "Hard to forget the face of the man who murdered your parents." "His name is Henry." "Not that it matters." "What is this, Billy?" "This is Judgment Day." "What?" "Don't want you to miss out on the fun, Henry." "You let me go." "No, see, that's not gonna happen." "Well, I suppose it might." "It's all really up to Kelly here." "He doesn't remember you, Kelly." "You meant nothing to him, and he has meant everything to you." "No." "This isn't right, Billy." "What are you doing?" "Know so well the pain you caused me by pretending not to love me back." "And I need that pain ended." "Ended." "No." "If that's your choice." "But here's the deal one gun, one bullet." "The man who killed your mother right in front of you." "You kill him in cold blood and you will have cleaved to me and my ways as you never let yourself before." "Or make me your target." "Or yourself." "It's your choice." "Whichever you choose, my pain is over." "But no one leaves this room until that bullet finds its home." "You may think Cult is over, but it's not." "Coming up in 90 minutes, the final shocking moments of Cult," "Any word?" "No." "He was gone when I got back." " This could be nothing, Jeff." " Look, Skye, he started pulling everything out of the trash, started asking me about Moon Hill and about your father." "My father?" "Look, Nate is clearly not giving up on this." "So neither am I." "I checked my Web history." "Nate was searching for the Moon Hill address up in Arrowhead." " How is it?" " Insane." " Tell me." " What?" "And ruin the surprise?" "There's only one bullet." "You can't both be shot." "Steven Rae is having all three of us rigged with squibs." "Marti's being prepped in her trailer even now, so nobody on the set can send out a spoiler before the live scene." "Only the actors and director know and Steven." "15 minutes to air, people." "15 minutes." "Any sign of Steven Rae?" "Who knows?" "Rumor is he's skulking around." "Kirstie." "I'm a fan." "What can I say?" "But I'm only here for you now." "Only you." "Looks like nobody's been here since Annabelle was shot." "Nate." "Put the ax down." "No." "Jeff, we're so close." "Stuart, this is over for you." "This isn't over." "Not for any of us." "What?" "You can just walk away?" "After everything you've learned?" "Your father was Quentin Yarrow?" "Yes." "Why are you interested in him?" "He knew all about this place-- about Moon Hill, about Phillip Kellian, about all of it." "It's all in there-- the answers to what Phillip Kellian discovered." "Don't you want to know what your father was looking for?" "Damn it, Jeff, we're literally inches from knowing." "Give me the ax, Nate." "Nate, give it to me." "It's a passageway." "Get down on the ground." "Put your hands behind your back." "Or what, you'll shoot me?" "If that's your choice..." "No one's choosing." "No one is going to die today, Billy." "Doesn't need to be today." "We've got all the time in the world." "We don't leave until you choose." "Looks like some kind of shelter." "All those years I lived here..." "I never knew this was here." "Over here." "My father's handwriting." "He wrote these." "Jeff?" "No." "No." "We found them." "Phillip Kellian." "Looks like the shelf fell on him." "Some kind of accident." "Looks like it was made centuries ago." "You know what it kind of looks like?" "TV remote." "No." "I'm not playing your game." "Do you remember, Kelly, how Henry cut your parents into pieces so small, they never found all of them?" "The pain of that, of witnessing that has never left you, and it never will until you kill it." "Kill the pain." "Pick it up!" "Use it!" "You asked me to kill for you, and I never did." "I never killed for you." "But this isn't for me." "Wait, I think I found the first... the first entry here." "Dated 1987." "It looks like Phillip started it the first night he returned." "The same night the other Moon Hill adults were killed." "Killed by who?" "By him?" "No." "It looks like they were killed by the group they were trying to join." "The group your father led them to." "I think I know who the group is." "The circled "M."" "It's like on the disk." "Yeah, the circled "M""" "Except for look how it's written on the page-- it's not an "M""" "it's an "E."" ""The circle of Erasmus."" "Is that the group that Phillip was so eager to find?" "But why would they kill all the Moon Hill adults?" "And why spare my father?" "It's more likely he escaped." "Yeah, but was so afraid... he came down here to hide." "Wait a second." "It's the circled "E."" " What was that?" " Someone's here." "What are you doing?" "Stop this now." "Let go of me!" "You've betrayed us." " What?" " You used us." "This-- this is all personal for you." "You made us think that it was about the show, protecting the show, but it wasn't." "Dustin... what do you want?" "You want money?" "I'm not about the money." "I'm about the show." "Always have been." "Dustin, what are you gonna do?" "You're going for a ride in my van." "You know what that's about." "No." "You can't do this to me." "Dude let us know where we could find you all." "You can thank him." "My..." "Dad?" "Hello, pumpkin." "Quentin Yarrow?" "What is this?" "Dad, what are you doing here?" "He murdered your parents!" "Your mother and father!" "Look at him!" "If that's your choice." "But you don't deserve to die." "No!" "Billy..." "Billy..." "H-Help me." "I'm shot." "Help me." "Please!" "I've been shot!" "Roger?" "Roger!" "Roger!" "This is real!" " No, this is real!" " Call 911!" "Stop it." "Please turn that off." "First aid!" "First aid!" "Roger?" "Somebody call an ambulance!" "Help him, please!" "Call 911!" "Get a doctor here!" "Breathe." "Breathe." "I warned you..." "to stay away from your brother." "You called me." "What is that?" "And what do you want with it?" "Well, hey... these things just snap right off."
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As is known in the art, different wireless networks and/or systems of radios avoid interfering with each other by various options. For example, some systems rely on pre-arrangement or careful assignment of frequency bands, time slots, or signature pulses as is done for cellular systems through frequency reuse maps and TDMA for GSM, OFDMA for LTE, spread spectrum for IS-95, and combinations of these for WCDMA through HSPA commercial cellular standards. Other systems utilize collision avoidance techniques such as those employed for a-packet based systems such as 802.11/16/22 (WiFi and WiMax) where collisions are controlled as part of a multiple access medium access control procedure (e.g. carrier sense multiple access). Still other systems utilize on the fly interference assessment and avoidance is used in the new, currently operational paradigm for “cognitive radio” via dynamic spectrum access (DSA) for the newly allowed “secondary” user (see IEEE SCC41: Standards for Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks). This is done by the system of “secondary user” radios actively sensing the radio spectrum and coordinating to choose an empty band for transmission.
The existing systems, however, all fail if they are unable to avoid interference.
As the consumer market continues to rise for smart phones and wireless data service, the demand for more and more throughput increases drastically and the radio spectrum continues to become more crowded. A new paradigm in wireless communication is emerging where radios can be built to withstand interference to the level where interference is no longer avoided. Interference is allowed, even invited, to allow for more wireless devices to make use of the scarce free space in the wireless spectrum. For example, the LTE Advanced standard (to support the HetNet feature) allows, even encourages, interference. If this new feature is enabled, reliable performance would require mobiles to have some kind of interference mitigation in the receivers.
Conventional cognitive networks adapt at a network/routing layer, not the physical layer. Such networks typically learn which network nodes are having trouble sending packets through them and then they start to change how they route the packets. This conventional type of cognitive network does not invite or encourage interference; it simply does the best it can to avoid using links that are hindered by interference. The subject of this invention, in contrast, purposely seeks out opportunities to create interference, but to do so in an intelligent way that takes advantage of the situation and device protocols and capabilities at hand along with making use of advanced processing and sensing technology so as to enable high throughputs for its own link as well as the link with which it simultaneously shares the band.
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On the union-led 'March For The Alternative' in London last March, 145 protestors were arrested in relation to peacefully occupying a luxury store. Here, one of the ten found guilty speaks out on his trial.
“Which judge have you got?”. That this is the first question asked by anyone familiar with the justice system perhaps says all you need to know about its operation. Throughout our case, I had ringing in my ears the wisdom of a QC I met in 2009 when we took the Treasury to court over the RBS bail-out: “people have this bizarre notion that the British justice system is based on some kind of mixture of legislation and logic” he would tell us. “Get that idea out of your head immediately. What matters is which judge you get – and it will be a man – what mood he is in, how much sleep he had, his personal prejudices, and perhaps, maybe, some of the internal politics of the court.”
After that case, another lawyer – a partner at a well known firm – opined “if that’s the justice system in this country, it’s time for a fucking revolution”. If arbitrary decisions by judges sitting with no jury are one element of England’s legal system then another ingredient I was surprised to find is farce.
Most of those arrested in Fortnum and Mason on 26 March had charges dropped. The 30 who didn’t were chosen because of specific aggravating factors which demonstrated the ‘intent to intimidate’ – including ‘carrying an umbrella’, ‘holding a leaflet’ and, in my case, ‘facilitating a meeting’ (among them was Asuka Jones, who sets out his account of arrest and being found guilty here).
Roughly half of the defendants had our names spelt wrong on the court record. Before our trial even began, one of us had our charges dropped because they had accidentally been left off a list. At one point, the prosecution barrister triumphantly asked one of his key witnesses if they had seen any behaviour inside the store which they believed to be criminal. The man replied with one word: “no”. The police officers held their heads in their hands: this is not the carefully prepared theatre of Holywood courtroom dramas.
Another witness – who they had brought in to prove that we were intimidating – said nothing of the sort. Instead, he declared, with an amused glint in his eye, that the situation was chaos: “in the middle of all of these protesters, a man kept approaching me and insisting he wanted to buy a kilo of pink marshmallows”. Later, the woman who ran the confectionary stand on the day returned to this theme. She went to great lengths to explain the confusion caused by this man who couldn’t understand that marshmallows aren’t sold by the kilogram. In his written witness statement, the shop manager claimed that he had seen someone steal, open and swig from a bottle of champagne. “I was horrified” he wrote “that anyone would drink champaign before it was chilled”. During his appearance, the lawyers sought to establish where various events in the shop had taken place – ‘where did this happen…’: ‘by the Old Door’; ‘and that?’ ‘by the confectionary stand’ ‘and where was the stolen champagne from?’ “Highgrove, of course.” Even the judge couldn’t stifle his laugh.
In the end, the most aggressive behaviour which the prosecution could level at any of the individuals on trial was footage of a game of beach volleyball inside the shop. Their assertion that, in the context this terrified customers was at always absurd. It became comical when, later in the case, our barrister showed CCTV footage of first a police officer, and then a customer, joining in.
At the first climax of the case, right before he pronounced his decision, Judge Snow looked at our representative and said “you aren’t expecting me to rule on article ten and eleven rights are you?”. Richard – our barrister, whose boiling intellect had already melted judge Snow, if only he had noticed, looked a little exasperated. He had mentioned the European Convention numerous times throughout the trial. But he repeated, in the way that a patient parent might politely re-iterate an instruction to a toddler, that yes the judge did need to consider our right to protest in a case all about, err, the right to protest. The judge declared that he would therefore need yet another full day to come to a verdict. The following day, he turned up twenty minutes late to announce his decision.
But in a bizarre narrative structure, before the farce comes the boredom. Because the truth is that the main experience of this trial was not the week in court, but the months of preparation. We are on email number 88 from our solicitors. Most run to hundreds of words, and each demonstrates the careful thought and passionate work with which they have launched themselves at this case. Each is important and relevant, and each represents more work when I return late at night from the office. In fact, most have themselves been sent long out of office hours by a legal team working for us largely in their spare time for little or no pay.
Of that team, it is two paralegals at Bindmans whose work delivered the backbone of these communications. And it is they who have borne the brunt of this monotony. When the prosecution accidentally copied one of our lawyers into an email discussing our request for all three hundred hours of CCTV, it showed them saying they would create ‘the most boring and uncomfortable cinema on earth’.
I am told that, much to the mirth of their housemates, the paralegals stuck the photos of each of the defendants around their bedroom walls. They then settled down for weeks to watch hundreds of hours of footage. These endless dry eyed weeks of pausing and replaying of silent grainy footage of our protest – in many cases, including mine, working essentially for free – demonstrate a deep passion and solidarity. The willingness to fight for justice against the adrenalin filled rush of a police horse is one thing. The capacity to keep a flame alive through the crushing, airless monotony played out in months of DVD after DVD showing the same essentially monotonous events from one angle after another is a prospect I couldn’t face.
But it was this work which delivered the great reveal of our case – debunking the gross exaggeration of the key prosecution witness. She had closed the first day with a story of how a gang of protesters had surrounded her, pointed at her, and shouted in her face for around half an hour. With a magicians flourish, our lawyers produced in just 5 minutes, from a vast pile of disks, the relevant CCTV DVD. This showed that, whilst her stall was in the midst of a large crowd, the events as she described them simply didn’t happen. Clearly the telling and retelling of the story had distorted it entirely in her head. Clearly the prosecution lawyers relying on her testimony hadn’t done their research. Thank God, or, rather, Bindmans, that ours had.
Throughout the trial, in the breaks between witnesses, the ten defendants and three or four lawyers would congregate in a small stuffy meeting room more fitting for two. In these discussions, our lawyers would map out for us every potential legal alley down which the prosecution might run, or which the judge might use as an excuse to convict us. ‘This law’, we would be told, ‘was contingent on that factor, and so we will just need to say this’. Or, ‘if they go down that route, then this will be our response, but they probably haven’t thought of that’. When it came to it though, the prosecution didn’t bother with any of the subtlety of actually making a legal case. They just read out the witness statement from the woman earlier in the case whose testimony had essentially been disproved by the CCTV. And when the judge came to his ruling, he too ignored the subtleties of actually justifying his case in law. Essentially, despite two and a half days of thought, he went for the random opinion generator option: “oh, errr, guilty”.
For me, the verdict isn’t a huge problem: in the world I inhabit it is not abnormal (and perhaps that tinges the tone of this piece). For some of my co-defendants, it is: at least one of us could well lose his job over it. For others, being declared a criminal hurts.
The support we had from our legal team was matched only by the mutual solidarity I felt from my co-defendants. We were essentially ten random people who had been at that protest that day. And yet I was delighted to find each of them to be supportive, helpful, intelligent and interesting. The only moment during the trial where I was moved by anything more than boredom or farce was when the character witness statements were read out for each of us, outlining the outstanding place my co-defendants held in the eyes of their respective communities.
In both our lawyers and my co-defendants, I was lucky. Unlike many others, I wasn’t isolated by the legal system, wasn’t sent to face the cold justice system alone. Likewise I am a privileged white man, and was able to feel at home surrounded by lawyers and judges – people much like those with whom I studied at university or who my parents knew when I was growing up. For most who sit in the dock, this is not the case. For most, the combination of monotony and farce is surely overwhelmed by a third feeling – terror.
And so whilst my experience of our trial was a bizarre mixture of boredom and comedy, with a swirl of pink marshmallow through the middle and a (tepid) champagne sauce, the truth about the legal system is surely this: most involved have little clue what they are doing: as the blundering prosecution showed, if you are on the side of the powerful, you don’t need to. Judges wobble back and forth within the blurry parameters of their role as defenders of a system in crisis. If, like us, you have excellent lawyers battling your corner, you have a hope. If not, you don’t.
We have been ordered to pay £1000 each in prosecution costs. Whilst we can’t fundraise for that, the trial placed a significant financial burden on many of my co-defendants, with long journeys to travel from across the country, accommodation to find in London, etc. You can help by donating here.
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BH2 revisited: New, extensive measurements of laser-induced fluorescence transitions and ab initio calculations of near-spectroscopic accuracy.
The spectroscopy of gas phase BH2 has not been explored experimentally since the pioneering study of Herzberg and Johns in 1967. In the present work, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectra of the Ã(2)B1(Πu)-X̃ (2)A1 band system of (11)BH2, (10)BH2, (11)BD2, and (10)BD2 have been observed for the first time. The free radicals were "synthesized" by an electric discharge through a precursor mixture of 0.5% diborane (B2H6 or B2D6) in high pressure argon at the exit of a pulsed valve. A total of 67 LIF bands have been measured and rotationally analyzed, 62 of them previously unobserved. These include transitions to a wide variety of excited state bending levels, to several stretch-bend combination levels, and to three ground state levels which gain intensity through Renner-Teller coupling to nearby excited state levels. As an aid to vibronic assignment of the spectra, very high level hybrid ab initio potential energy surfaces were built starting from the coupled cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples (CCSD(T))/aug-cc-pV5Z level of theory for this seven-electron system. In an effort to obtain the highest possible accuracy, the potentials were corrected for core correlation, extrapolation to the complete basis set limit, electron correlation beyond CCSD(T), and diagonal Born-Oppenheimer effects. The spin-rovibronic states of the various isotopologues of BH2 were calculated for energies up to 22 000 cm(-1) above the X̃ (000) level without any empirical adjustment of the potentials or fitting to experimental data. The agreement with the new LIF data is excellent, approaching near-spectroscopic accuracy (a few cm(-1)) and has allowed us to understand the complicated spin-rovibronic energy level structure even in the region of strong Renner-Teller resonances.
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crucial thing
The most common remedy for yeast infection and candida is a suppository, filled with a particular medical cream, placed into the vagina and offering respite from symptoms overnight in many cases. Many of these creams will be available from a drugstore or by having a prescription from your doctor.
There’s a natural substance called candida albicans that form within your body that can grow and trigger an infection, especially if left uncontrolled. Most of these elements can be managed, while others can’t.
Whenever your body’s natural balance is upset in any way, it may give rise to infection. Your regular monthly cycle, being pregnant or even the menopause are greatly recognized to cause imbalances within your body that can result in infections. Other specific things like taking birth control pills, antibiotics, using steroids are some other common, but not so naturally occurring, things that could affect your body’s Ph.
There are additional external influences that may affect your hormonal balance too. Other present day conditions like HIV, leading to a poor immune system or perhaps a cancer patient having to go through radiation treatment. Two more facts to consider are anxiety and high blood glucose.
You will notice with this there are a lot of things that will help to develop a yeast infection. Since most women will have several yeast infections throughout their life time it’s very good to know there are efficient candida yeast infection treatment solutions.
The candida will flourish mainly in warm, damp places and so cutting it off from the places where it may flourish and grow out of control is key. Because of this, it is best if you steer clear of putting on synthetic clothing which are tight fitting.
Nylon under garments and panty hose are also things to stay away from. Pure cotton under garments is advisable and when you have to wear something on the legs, use thigh high stockings rather than tights.
Consistently make an effort to keep clean and dry. After you take a bath or shower, or go swimming, be sure to completely and carefully towel yourself down. Consistently try to keep your “area” as dry as you reasonably are able to.
Scented toilet paper or feminine pads also are items to keep away from. The potential of an infection could possibly be increased by this perfume simply because there may be tenderness round the genital region.
Yet another thing never to use is douches. Your PH balance is all messed up faster than anything at all when you don’t. Your body is designed to keep your areas clean and balanced, with some assistance from you, and that means you don’t absolutely need them.
In order to prevent possible spread of harmful bacteria onto your vaginal spot, it’s crucial you wipe yourself from front to rear after going to the bathroom. It will be easy to avoid infection in this way.
Attempting to unwind is the one other crucial thing. It is possible to decrease the strength of your immune system by getting stressed. This will likely not simply work well to avoid yeast infection, but assist with other health issues as well. Make an effort to take a couple of deep breaths every day, although you may just have a couple of minutes.
Getting an efficient remedy for your candida yeast infection is normally as easy as looking in the nearby drug store.
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Q:
What are best practices for using require in Ruby?
Some models require other models to be loaded first. But each required file only needs to be loaded once.
What is the best way to manage this? Put all the require lines in a file (like init.rb), or require files at the top of each model file?
A:
Let's evaluate each option:
Put all the require lines in a file (like init.rb)
This means each individual file will be less cluttered, as requires will all be in one place. However, it can happen that the order in which they are written matters, so you end up effectively doing dependency resolution manually in this file.
require files at the top of each model file
Each file will have a little more content, but you won't have to worry about ordering as each file explicitly requires the dependencies it needs. Calling require for the same file multiple times has no effect.
This also means that you can require only parts of your code, which is useful for libraries; e.g. require active_support/core_ext/date/calculations gets only the part of the library the external app needs.
Of the two, I'd pick the second. It's cleaner, requires less thinking, and makes your code much more modular.
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Jobid: 344942
qsub --mode script -q qmcpack -A QMCPACK-Training -n 1 -t 60 -O p2q --mode script --env BG_SHAREDMEMSIZE=32 p2q.qsub.in
Mon Jun 06 20:01:02 2016 +0000 (UTC) submitted with cwd set to: /gpfs/vesta-fs0/projects/QMCPACk-Training/krogel/prep4/labs/lab2_qmc_basics/oxygen_dimer/scale_0.95
Mon Jun 06 20:01:36 2016 +0000 (UTC) krogel/344942: Initiating boot at location VST-00060-11171-32.
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC)
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) Command: '/gpfs/vesta-fs0/projects/QMCPACk-Training/krogel/prep4/labs/lab2_qmc_basics/oxygen_dimer/scale_0.95/p2q.qsub.in'
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC)
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) Environment:
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) COBALT_RESID=213
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) SHELL=/bin/bash
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) COBALT_NODEFILE=/tmp/tmpPZKp1k
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) COBALT_PARTNAME=VST-00060-11171-32
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) COBALT_JOBID=344942
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) BG_SHAREDMEMSIZE=32
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) COBALT_STARTTIME=1465243271
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) LOGNAME=krogel
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) USER=krogel
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) COBALT_ENDTIME=1465246871
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) COBALT_PARTSIZE=32
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) HOME=/home/krogel
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) COBALT_JOBSIZE=1
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC)
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) Info: stdin received from /dev/null
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) Info: stdout sent to /gpfs/vesta-fs0/projects/QMCPACk-Training/krogel/prep4/labs/lab2_qmc_basics/oxygen_dimer/scale_0.95/p2q.output
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC) Info: stderr sent to /gpfs/vesta-fs0/projects/QMCPACk-Training/krogel/prep4/labs/lab2_qmc_basics/oxygen_dimer/scale_0.95/p2q.error
Mon Jun 06 20:02:03 2016 +0000 (UTC)
Mon Jun 06 20:02:07 2016 +0000 (UTC) krogel/344942: Block VST-00060-11171-32 for location VST-00060-11171-32 successfully booted (Initiating).
Mon Jun 06 20:03:13 2016 +0000 (UTC) Info: task completed normally with an exit code of 0; initiating job cleanup and removal
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"A mother can read all the child-rearing books and can subscribe to any theory of parenting, but what gets passed along to her children is something far more intimate and mysterious than anything contained therein. What gets passed along is her character, and it enters into her kids as surely and as inexorably as water flows from a fuller vessel into a less-full one." Laurence Shames
Exactly one year ago, I wrote a post in which I mentioned the struggles I was having with Christianity, specifically my own pursuit of “correct doctrine.” For all my Christian life, I had believed that being a “good” Christian meant having … Continue reading →
Like this:
WARNING! We live on a farm and butcher our own animals. We have never sheltered our children from this experience. Graphic details to follow… Last night, a friend came to visit and told us about a boil she’d had to … Continue reading →
Like this:
“When we hear people referred to as animals or aliens… ‘disgusting,’ ‘ingrates,’ ‘pigs,’ ‘retard,’ ‘fag,’ ‘bitch,’ or other labels… we should immediately wonder, ‘is this an attempt to reduce someone’s humanity so we can get away with hurting them or … Continue reading →
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“Every action, thought and feeling is motivated by an intention, and that intention is a cause that exists as one with an effect. If we participate in the cause, it is not possible for us not to participate in the … Continue reading →
Like this:
. You want to say “no.” You want to say “no,” but you feel like you can’t. You want to say “no,” but you feel that you shouldn’t. You want to say “no,” even though… even despite… even if… Yet … Continue reading →
Like this:
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about self-respect. One theme running through that article was the concept of boundaries in relationships. Saying “no” when that’s what your heart is telling you, regardless of outside pressure to say “yes” … Continue reading →
The children and I have been sending emails to each other lately, just for fun. The other day we were talking about our kitchen experiments (See Friday’s blog post and also all of these) and that night my oldest daughter … Continue reading →
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Slashdot videos: Now with more Slashdot!
View
Discuss
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We've improved Slashdot's video section; now you can view our video interviews, product close-ups and site visits with all the usual Slashdot options to comment, share, etc. No more walled garden! It's a work in progress -- we hope you'll check it out (Learn more about the recent updates).
jjp9999 (2180664) writes "The special effects arms race sci-fi films get stuck in has pulled the genre further and further from its roots of good storytelling and forward-thinking. The problem is that ‘When you create elements of a shot entirely in a computer, you have to generate everything that physics and the natural world offers you from scratch There’s a richness and texture when you’re working with lenses and light that can’t be replicated. The goal of special effects shouldn’t necessarily be to look realistic, they should be works of art themselves and help create a mood or tell a story.’ said filmmakers Derek Van Gorder and Otto Stockmeier. They hope to change this with their upcoming sci-fi film, ‘C,’ which will be shot entirely without CGI or green screens, opting instead for miniature models and creativity. They add that the sci-fi genre has gone wrong in other ways—getting itself stuck in too many stories of mankind’s conflict with technology, and further from the idea of exploration and human advancement. ‘In an era where science and technology are too often vilified, we believe that science-fiction should inspire us to surpass our limits and use the tools available to us to create a better future for our descendants,’ they said."Link to Original Source
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Dave Magnum
Dave Magnum (born December 25, 1962) is a former political candidate in Wisconsin.
He was born in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Originally born with the last name Weiss, he was given the name Magnum after being hired at WIBA-FM in Madison, Wisconsin. He eventually legally changed his name.
Magnum has two children and resides in Pardeeville, Wisconsin. His wife, Lynn, died of breast cancer in 2002.
Political career
Magnum twice ran for the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district. First, in 2004 after defeating Ron Greer in the Republican primary. Second, in 2006 after having faced very little opposition in the primary election. He lost both times in the general election to incumbent Tammy Baldwin.
References
Category:People from Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Category:Wisconsin Republicans
Category:Candidates in the 2006 United States elections
Category:21st-century American politicians
Category:Candidates in the 2004 United States elections
Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Category:1962 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Pardeeville, Wisconsin
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Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland seen as lateral neck cyst.
The clinical, roentgenographic, histologic, and cytologic features of four cases of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland seen as lateral neck cysts are discussed. Carcinoma of the thyroid gland characteristically is a solid tumor and appears as a firm, painless, and otherwise asymptomatic mass in the anterior paramedial part of the neck. A nontender fluctuant lateral neck mass commonly implies a benign lesion. The diagnostic procedures used (namely, fine-needle aspiration and ultrasound and thyroid scans) may belie the nature of the lateral neck lesion. Examination of the tissue is necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
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Q:
Calculating the number of injective functions
Let $[n] = \{1,2,…,n\}$. Suppose the number of injective functions from $[5]$ to $[n]$ is $120$. What is $n$?
My logic:
I thought that $n$ was $5!$ because when we map out the functions we get: $\{(5,1) , (5,2) ... (5,n)\}$. All of these are injective since no two distinct elements in the domain have the same image. Why is it not $5!$ in this case?
The other answer options are:
A) $6$
B) $4$
C) $5$
A:
To construct an injective function $[5]\to[n],$ we must pick $5$ distinct elements of $[n]$ to make up the range--there are $\binom{n}{5}$ ways to do so--and then we must assign each one to one of the $5$ elements of the domain--there are $5!$ ways to do so. Hence, the number of injective functions $[5]\to[n]$ is $$\binom{n}{5}\cdot 5!=\frac{n!}{(n-5)!5!}\cdot 5!=\frac{n!}{(n-5)!}=n(n-1)(n-2)(n-3)(n-4).$$
Thus, we need a way to write $120$ as the product of $5$ consecutive integers. Since $120=5!,$ then $n=5.$
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Mutational analysis of the inducer recognition sites of the LysR-type transcriptional regulator TfdT of Burkholderia sp. NK8.
TfdT is a LysR-type transcriptional regulator that activates the transcription of the chlorocatechol degradative gene operon tfdCDEF of the chlorobenzoate-degrading bacterium Burkholderia sp. NK8. To identify the amino acids involved in the effector recognition by TfdT, a polymerase-chain-reaction-based random mutagenesis protocol was applied to introduce mutations into the tfdT gene. Nine types of TfdT mutant bearing a single-amino-acid substitution at positions, Lys-129, Arg-199, Val-226, Val-246, and Pro-267 were obtained on the basis of their altered effector profiles and enhanced responses particularly to 2-chlorobenzoate, 2-aminobenzoate, and 2,6-dichlorobenzoate. All the TfdT mutants showed enhanced response to the effectors with a chloro-group in C-2 of benzoic acid. A homology model of wild-type TfdT was built on the basis of the crystal structure of CbnR with SwissModel. In this model, residues corresponding to the mutation sites of isolated TfdT mutants were located at the interface between the domains RD-I and RD-II. The findings that these TfdT mutants expressed altered effector specificities and enhanced responses to specific effectors suggest that these five residues are involved in effector binding by TfdT.
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Nifty News
Faithful Followers
Friday, July 19, 2013
Savannah was still having pain around her middle, in addition to the new worrying symptoms of numbness in her hand and foot, dizziness, and blurred vision. I tried to make an appointment with her doctor, but because of stupid insurance issues that would take an entire blog post to explain, I couldn't do that. So, I brought her back to the ER for the third time on Wednesday. While I was there with her, Austin texted me from the hospital where he was still a patient."I'm dying.""Dying how? Pain? Nausea? Just feeling bad?""No, really dying.""You're not dying, Cameron." (Ferris Bueller reference that was supposed to make him laugh)"Yesterday, maybe an hour before you got here, a doctor came in and said there was more testing to be done, but the initial results were that I was HIV positive. I just kept crying. That is why my eyes were red. I'm dying, Mom."My heart stopped for a minute and a wave of nausea flooded me. I felt like all the air had been knocked out of my lungs; like someone had just punched me in the gut."WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me?" It's a joke, right? He has to be kidding."No.""Why didn't you tell me yesterday?" Ohmygosh, the doctor told him while he was all alone! And I haven't been there all day! My poor Austin!"Because the two main things that cause it are sexual contact and sharing needles. I didn't want you to assume anything. I've never done any of that.""Then it isn't possible. The test is wrong, Austin. You don't have HIV and it was really wrong of him to say something like that before the test was complete. What exactly did he say? What kind of @$$%&(# tells a kid something like that while he's all alone?""He said, 'So we got the initial results back from your blood test and they're positive. They aren't final though so there will be another test. Any questions for me? No? Okay.'""You donate blood, Austin. They screen for this. You've never been notified of any problems. You have no risk factors. You don't have HIV. False positives are common. That's why they HAVE to do a follow-up test if there's ever a positive.""But I'm sweating a ton and I looked it up and night sweats are a symptom of HIV.""So is menopause, cancer, fever, infection, sleeping on a hot, plastic hospital bed with compression things wrapped around your legs, and a whole host of other things."Then I have cancer.""You've been tested for everything, Austin. Cancer doesn't develop overnight.""It might even develop faster than overnight in my body. Maybe my body is a cancer magnet.""Stop it!""I'm a cancer hotspot.""Stop it! You don't have HIV or cancer.""Because it's clearly developed into AIDS already.""Stop it!""Even the AIDS infected cells have cancer which in turn produced cancerous AIDS cells which kept multiplying to make an AIDS/cancer hybrid. Which, despite the name, is actually beneficial to nail and hair growth.""Well, it's a good thing your sense of humor is back."On Thursday, the doctor saw Austin before I got to the hospital once again and Austin asked him, "Do you know the results of that test?""No, it takes a while. Just call my office after you're discharged," he said nonchalantly, brushing him off.When Austin told me how he responded to him for a second time, my head exploded. I raced to the hospital and marched straight into the patient advocate's office. I explained how the doctor dropped this bomb on my son and how I was positive the results were inaccurate and how I felt he should have waited until the test was complete to say anything. She said pretty words. "I understand why you're frustrated. I'll have the nursing manager talk to you."I told the nursing manager how the doctor dropped this bomb on my son and how I was positive the results were inaccurate and how I felt he should have waited until the test was complete to say anything. She said pretty words. "I understand why you're upset, blah blah blah. Some doctors need better bedside manners."Instead of talking to the doctor, she sent a counselor to Austin's room who left him with information about HIV and AIDS and where to turn for help. When I explained to her that he had ZERO risk factors and it had to be a false positive, she gave me a pitying look. Oh look at this mom who is in total denial."He's a good kid! He's never done anything that could possibly get him infected. He even donates blood regularly!""Why does he donate regularly?" she asked accusingly.Ohmygosh, she did NOT just say that! She thinks he donates to get checked! Listen lady, some people donate because it's a good thing to do! Some people are raised to know the importance of donating their used items, their time, talents, and yes, even their blood to others who can benefit from it.Here's the thing though. Everyone I talked to had the same attitude. You get diagnosed with cancer and everyone is sympathetic. No one can imagine a more horrible fate. But you get diagnosed with HIV and immediately you're looked down upon. You're that kind of person. There is no sympathy; just judgement and condemnation. It's horrible and I don't wish it upon anyone.I camped out in Austin's hospital room today, determined to finally get a chance to speak with this doctor. Although I'd been by the hospital every single day, I had to go back and forth between Austin and my other kids so I'd missed him every day. When he walked in, I said, "Oh so you're Dr. Korman! That was really crappy how you dropped that bombshell on my son when he was all alone. Do you have kids? No? Well, that was really not cool! And why would you tell him he's positive before the testing was even done?"He didn't have much to say."What test did you run?""Uhhh, we checked for (much stammering) antibodies.""So you just did the one test? Have you done a western blot yet?""Yes, they were both positive."My stomach lurched. If that's true, then ohmygosh! Oh my gosh. Oh God."I want to see those results," I demanded. There is no way it's positive. No way!The doctor disappeared and came back a few minutes later."Oh um, I guess we didn't do both tests. We're waiting for the confirmatory test.""You're doing a western blot?""No, we don't do that anymore. That's outdated. We're doing an RNA test.""And how long will that take?" I demanded."I don't know.""You don't know? Ballpark. 3 days? 3 weeks? 3 months? How long?""Hopefully soon. We don't do it here. It's sent somewhere else. Jacksonville, I think. You can call the hospital when he's discharged. You could ask for medical records. But they probably won't give you the information. I guess you could follow up with your doctor and have him call the hospital and try to get it.""Are you kidding me?!" I resisted the urge to slap him. (Although in retrospect, I kinda wish I had. It would have been worth any trouble I received from it.)Eventually, he gave me his card and said I could call his office to get the results. Then he examined Austin and discharged him.Before we left, he came back to the room and handed me a paper. "I have the results. The RNA test is negative. I'm not sure what this means."Sheesh! Even I know what it means! He doesn't have HIV! How do you not know this??? Are you really a doctor? I called my friend who works at another hospital and deals with this stuff. She said the doctor was wrong; western blots are still used to confirm positive tests. She also said that the initial test was indeed a false positive and he definitely does NOT have HIV. The RNA test is a very specific one.Austin lived through this nightmare for four days. Although I think I had him convinced that there was no way he could possibly have HIV, it was still hanging over his head. He got depressed. He said he'd kill himself if he had HIV. And it all could have been avoided if this doctor had kept his stupid mouth shut until the confirmation test came back negative. Or if the doctors had listened when Austin answered their questions, stating he had no risk factors at all.And, before anyone asks, Savannah's still not feeling well and we still don't have a diagnosis although the hospital told her she tested positive for methamphetamines because, once again, they didn't listen when we listed off the OTC medications she was taking. The same reason why Austin's arm puffed out in hive-like bumps from his IV because they didn't listen when he told them his IV hurt and didn't feel right when medication went in.
Pardon my french, but holy f*cking crap, I'd be lightin' that place up like a Christmas tree!!!!! Is there a medical board review thingamabob you can appeal to regarding this doctor? "Some doctors need better bedside manners." is probably one of the biggest understatements of the friggin' century!
How horrible, Dawn. I'd say I can't believe it, except our family experienced my mom being told like it was nothing that she was going to go blind (totally wrong) and another telling us to just accept my dad was going to die soon (two years later he's stubbornly still here). Some doctors suck and I wish they could be held better accountable for how they talk to people.
In terms of HIV (not that it applies to your situation anymore, but I feel like it's worth saying) it's not the death sentence it once was. Treatment has improved greatly, and many people have lived with it for decades now. Just so Austin knows if by some freak circumstance that were to happen to him, it's not suicide worthy.
Hope everything gets back to normal soon. Thinking of you all and wishing you well.
WOW can your Summer get any better? It's like tea cup ride spinning out of control. Now on to Savannah,and no more. Tell the other kids they are NOT going to the ER,urgent care,doctors or vets. So glad your Mom is there to hug you. Take care.
AAAgggggghhhhhhh! Silent screaming for you, Dawn! Such hurt and frustration, understatment of the year I know. Hang in there; your kids are seeing a strong woman at work, and they will remember that more than anything else from all this. Tomorrow I am going to a retreat-like sewing camp for Catholic girls- I'm one of the teachers- and I have lots of time to pray while there. You and your kiddos will be at the top of the list.
Well,Baby Sister:First thing Monday YOU phone the AMA to lodge a formal complaint about Dr. QUACK! Next..a brutal LAWYER (pick one with FIRE in his eyes...and knowledge about MALPRACTICE!)Honestly, I kept waiting for Austin to giggle..and admit that he was just joshin' you..THAT kind of news is NOT shared with the patient until it is first confirmed by two labs..and a Psychologist is present to calmly explain the options(and there ARE indeed many!)Austin is in need of a little cheering up: Tell him that he has to stop sharing his needles with that homeless guy..no matter how nice he appears to be! He can't help but LAUGH..but first make sure that the pancreatitis is completely cured...After you get off the phone with KILLER the LAWYER,pick youselves out a few nice new Rolls Royces! I am actually LIVID..and I am 1200 miles away..Simply shocking and soun-professional! Watch! LAWYERS will soon be calling YOU to offer their services!Mark in MASS.
Time to obtain an attorney, that's either not from Florida, or recommended by someone you trust. Get the Health Department involved, file complaints with the Florida Board of Medicine, and the Board of Nurses.
If the hospital is a part of a larger health care system, go to the administration of that system.
I work for a small firm that collects medical bills and records for Law offices, nationwide. We don't have a firm in Florida, but one of the firms may be able to recommend one. Let me know if you need the info.
Dawn, you have been close to hell and back this summer. The only saving grace is that you're NOT in school and can run(yourself ragged)back and forth between your sick kids and the healthy ones. I truly believe God will never give you more than you can handle but he is SURELY testing you right now. GET that lawyer and do something about this. Eighteen or not, they handled this entire situation badly. Something needs to be done and quickly. ((HUGS)) to you and your family!
I'm so very sorry to hear this. I would say I can't believe this, but unfortunately I can. Doctors are awful sometimes. Praying you can get some correct answers for both of them and get them on the road to recovery very soon! :)
Dawn, I know you are not a litigious person, but really somethings like this one, needs to be addressed and what the doctor did he will do again and again if he isn't made to think about it. The patient advocate wasn't much better and should have her hand slapped for her reaction. People need to take time to listen in their field. Please, really consider stopping him from being so careless/heartless to others. He owes Austin a huge apology as well as the rest of the family. Hugs to you all.
What a nightmare! I can't get over poor Austin going through that alone for 4 days! Or you for that day! I also cannot believe how awful the doctors have been! Just unreal! My little mommy heart just can't stand him thinking hebhad no hope. Time to reassure him that no matter what, there is always hope and you will be by his side. Kids can be so funny, my son thought his dad would be mad at him when he fell 200 feet down the mountainside. What?! No way! Try glad you're alive is more like it! I'm praying the tide will turn and all the right people will be there to help everyone get all well and for quick recovery from the emotional trauma and stress! You deserve to win a vacation to the Bahamas or something next!
Holy crap. That is awful. There's a serious problem in this world of medicine. It goes beyond not listening to the patient, it has to do with compartmentalizing. Insurance companies, the govt and others are to blame for this. There's so much red tape everywhere and the doctors are still passing their boards and yet have no idea how to handle LIVE people.
I wish I could assure you that this is a rare situation. After 22 years of nursing, I am now happily retired. You put your finger on the essential problem: THEY DON'T LISTEN!
It isn't any different for those of us who work inside the system. After years of tweaking and collaborating with my mother's hand-picked doctor (one who LISTENS) we had worked out a regime of medications to control a chronic condition. It involved several medications that are usually taken as needed, but she took on a daily basis. When she was hospitalized for an unrelated problem, I took several copies of her med list with the words 'TAKEN DAILY, NOT AS NEEDED'next to these meds. Did anyone pay any attention? Oh, hell, no. As a result, she went into full-blown withdrawal and ended up in ICU.
I say out this doctor. Name names. Register complaints with the Board of Medical Examiners. Make his life the Hell he made yours. The only reason bullies get away with their unacceptable behavior is because no one complains in a meaningful way.
Sue him. He violated his duty to avoid harming your son. If telling a person that he has a life-threatening illness without being sure that the diagnosis is incorrect is not a perfect example of harm, I don't know what is. You have grounds, and personal injury lawyers won't take a case they don't think they can win, and don't require money up front. Check out the possibility.
Get a lawyer!!! For that many people, who are supposed to be there to help you, to continue to brush you off for something very serious....WRONG!! These are some serious crackpots that should not be in the medical care system.
My poor old Dad, no risk factors whatsoever and nearing 80, had a false Hep C result on his medical records. I had a similar fight. Eventually GP surgery found it was an administrative error and after 10 days waiting the blood test confirmed it. In the meantime, the hospital staff TOLD me that they had spent weeks speculating on how he had 'contracted' it and why I had witheld the information from them !!! Emotional roller coaster that I still recall with horror, nearly 3 years on.
Dawn! That is a horror story! Poor Austin and poor you. At least there was a happy outcome. I just stumbled on this blog from Australia and couldn't stop reading when I got started. I'm glad everything worked out :)
I'm sick that good people go through these things. But these people commenting above make me sicker! Suing will not solve anything! It's not going to erase the situation, or make it any easier to deal with. I hate that people immediately scream LAWSUIT for everything these days.
Some doctors just should be relegated to a lab and NEVER talk to humans, ever. I had a cyst on my finger once and after surgery to remove it the doctor said, "When it's a good thing that it wasn't cancer because we would have had to amputate your finger. In fact, if it comes back we might." So now I live in constant fear of the return of the cyst.
Wow, that is unbelievable! Shame on the medical community for not listening or having better common sense. I cannot imagine going through all that, Dawn. One problem on top of another... you were right for tracking that doctor down, (and I would totally support you in slapping him). Sometimes, with stories like this, I once again get reminded of how outrageous and ineffective our health system is in all its glory.
What a bunch of yahoos at that hospital! They save you should NEVER leave a family member at the hospital without anyone by their side to be their advocate, ask question, etc. I totally understand you having to go back & forth between the other kids. But this just goes to show you WHY!
Here's another example (and I will NEVER have a stay overnight at a hospital again without my husband camped out with me!!). I was in the hospital a few years ago for a hysterectomy. I told everyone (doctor/nurses, etc.) before that I was "hearing impaired" - that I wear hearing aids, and when I don't have them on, I'm as deaf as a door knob. I told EVERY.ONE. I told them to mark it on my chart. Wanted to be sure they knew I was just deaf, not dead, if they tried to talk to me and got no answer! So, middle of the night after surgery I'm pressing the call button. Nobody comes. Press it again. NOBODY. Press it again. Still nobody shows up. I have to pee like crazy, so I try to get myself up out of bed - in horrific pain. Thankfully I managed to get myself to the bathroom OK, hanging on my IV pole. But do you know what - the nurse was at the desk was hearing my buzzer, then asking, "What do you need, honey?" And when I didn't respond, she didn't bother to come check on me! HEY, I TOLD YOU I WAS DEAF!!! Idiots! I was so damn pissed off about this whole incident. Like you said. They just don't listen!!!
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Clinical evaluation of pediatric ethylene glycol monobutyl ether poisonings.
Ethylene glycol butyl ether, CAS 111-76-2, an ingredient in many popular commercial window/glass cleaners, is known to produce equal if not greater toxicity than ethylene glycol when administered to animals. Treatment recommendations for human poisonings are based upon animal data and include the use of ethanol therapy to inhibit the production of toxic metabolites. No human experiential data exist to accurately assess human toxicity or to verify treatment modalities. A 5 month retrospective review of all glass cleaner ingestions reported to a regional poison information center disclosed 24 pediatric patients, ages 7 mo to 9 y, who ingested 5-300 mL of a liquid glass cleaning product containing ethylene glycol butyl ether. All ingestions were reported within 5 min of ingestion, and all 24 children were asymptomatic at that time and subsequently. The product concentrations of ethylene glycol butyl ether ranged from 0.5% to 9.9%. Two of the 24 children ingested > 15 mL and were treated by gastric emptying and 24 h hospital observation. Neither hospitalized child suffered symptoms consistent with hemolysis, nervous system depression, acidosis, or renal compromise. Dilution with oral fluids at home is considered appropriate treatment of pediatric ingestions of < 10 mL of a commercial liquid glass/window cleaners containing < 10% ethylene glycol butyl ether.
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The New Brunswick government plans to weaken the bilingual hiring requirements for temporary full-time paramedic positions in areas of the province where there is less demand for second-language service.
In some heavily francophone areas in the north and heavily anglophone areas in the south, Ambulance New Brunswick is being told to no longer require bilingual paramedics when filling full-time positions with temporary hires.
"This isn't a language issue," Health Minister Ted Flemming said at a Tuesday news conference. "This is a safety issue."
While new hirings won't be permanent, the positions will no longer be re-posted every eight weeks as they are now, a system that requires paramedics to constantly reapply.
Chris Hood, executive director of the Paramedics Association of New Brunswick, said that change "adds a huge amount of stability in the system for paramedics."
Chris Hood, the executive director of the Paramedics Association of New Brunswick, said the directive from the PC government affords paramedics more stability in the system. (Jon Collicott/CBC)
The change will apply in areas where anglophones or francophones make up fewer than five per cent of the population or where they number fewer than 500 people.
Health Department spokesperson Bruce MacFarlane said that despite the change in hiring procedures, "all areas of the province will still require bilingual services."
Flemming acknowledged during his news conference, however, that some New Brunswickers — such as francophones travelling through the designated anglophone regions — won't get service in their choice of language.
"If you want perfection, you might as well realize you don't live in a perfect world," he said. "If you want idealism, you don't live in an ideal world. We do the very best we can.
"I'll tell what I do know: whether you're French or English, an ambulance is better than no ambulance if you're bleeding to death on the side of the road."
In a statement, the Acadian Society of New Brunswick said the Higgs government had "crossed a red line" with what it called a cavalier and irresponsible decision.
Gauvin supports change
Deputy premier Robert Gauvin, the PC government's only francophone MLA and minister, said he supported the directive, which the province wants Ambulance New Brunswick to implement immediately.
"It's not ideal, it's not perfect," he said, "but for now we need ambulances on the road."
Deputy premier Robert Gauvin said the directive is 'not perfect' but it's needed to ensure ambulances are on the road. (CBC)
Hood said based on figures he's been given, about 100 positions for which no bilingual paramedic has been found could be filled by unilingual applicants.
Asked if the changes comply with legal and constitutional language rights, Flemming said he was acting out of a moral responsibility to address long ambulance response times.
"I'm more interested in filling that gap than I am in having some academic discussion of the legal nuances," he said.
Changes based on labour ruling
The changes are based on recommendations in an April 2018 labour board decision by arbitrator John McEvoy.
To comply with bilingualism requirements, Ambulance New Brunswick tries to staff each two-paramedic ambulance crew with at least one bilingual paramedic.
A map of where the McEvoy decision could be applied. The black areas are where there's less demand for English services, and the grey areas are where there's less demand for French services. (Province of New Brunswick)
McEvoy said in his labour ruling that the practice led to staffing shortages and the interim fix of temporary hirings was interfering with seniority rights.
McEvoy suggested Ambulance New Brunswick could reduce bilingual service in areas of the province where there were fewer minority-language speakers.
Change based on federal law
Flemming said the regional approach is modelled on the federal government's Official Languages Act, which has less strict requirements for bilingual service in areas of the country where there are few minority-language speakers.
"I don't see rioting in the streets everywhere in Canada by applying this method," he said. "As a matter of fact, I think it's pretty reasonable. I think it's pretty sensible."
But it's the provincial language law, not the federal one, that applies to provincial services such as ambulances, a fact Flemming brushed off.
"We can go back and forth," he said. "I know the legislation is different, but I'm putting health care first. You need a benchmark somewhere."
Flemming brushes off court order
Flemming also dismissed concerns that his directive may violate the terms of a 2017 court order in what's known as the Sonier case.
To settle a lawsuit by Murielle and Danny Sonier, the province agreed to a consent order that held that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms requires the province to provide ambulance services "of equal quality" in both languages in all areas of the province.
"Sonier's nothing," Flemming said of the order. "I do not consider the Sonier case to be jurisprudence."
Health Minister Ted Flemming said he plans to keep the new measure in place until the courts tell him otherwise. (CBC)
The consent order, signed by Justice Zoel Dionne, cited Section 20 (2) of the Charter, which says any New Brunswicker "has the right to communicate with, and to receive available services from" any provincial institution in English and French.
Judicial review going ahead
Flemming confirmed the province is going ahead with a judicial review of the McEvoy decision, launched by the previous Liberal government to determine if it was consistent with the Sonier order.
But he also distanced himself from the judicial review, saying that was the business of the Attorney General's Office, and his job as health minister was to deal with ambulance problems.
He refused to answer how provincial lawyers would argue against a ruling that he was implementing.
"You're trying to bring this back into a legal argument," he told reporters who pressed him on the legal implications of his decision. "This is a safety argument."
If the McEvoy ruling is quashed, Flemming said, "it simply means it doesn't exist, and if that's what happens, I have every intention of not changing anything here, and I'm sure somebody will get animated about that and proceed in lawsuits as they see fit."
He said he would keep the new measures in place "until the court tells me otherwise."
Liberals, Greens opposed
Moncton Centre Liberal MLA Rob McKee said it was "alarming" that Flemming was implementing the McEvoy recommendations before the court had a chance to rule on whether they were legal.
Green Party MLA Kevin Arseneau said it's unacceptable that the government is limiting language rights contrary to the charter. He called it "very worrisome" that Flemming would keep the changes in place even if McEvoy is quashed.
People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin applauded the PC government's decision on Tuesday, but the Liberals and Green Party denounced it. (CBC)
But People's Alliance leader Kris Austin, whose party was consulted on the changes, told reporters he was happy with the move.
Austin said he would have preferred the province drop the judicial review of McEvoy altogether and simply implement the ruling, but "this is the give-and-take that has to happen in a minority [government] situation."
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Fifa positionen
Nov. Zu Beginn des Spiels werden einige Spieler auf den Positionen durcheinandergewürfelt. Z.B. habe ich einen Thiago im RDM aufgestellt spielt. Rufe die Preise für die FIFA 16 Positionsmodifikatoren bei FUTWIZ auf. Sept. Die Chemiestil-Objekte wirken vielleicht unscheinbar, aber im Ultimate-Team- Modus von FIFA 19 sind sie eigentlich ganz nützlich. Mit ihnen ist.
Also, in the World Cup, England manager Alf Ramsey led a team without natural wingers to bet at home casino geht nicht championship. The casino_royale nature of the modern champions league berlin karten means that positions in football are not as rigidly defined as in sports such as rugby or American football. Whatever the terminology, the position itself is a loosely defined one, a player who lies somewhere between the out-and-out striker and the belgien trainer, who can perform this role effectively due to their vision, technical skills, creativity, and passing ability. Post as a guest Name. Email Required, but never shown. The position cards allow you to change the preferred position of wetter benidorm player to the one that is printed on the card. The Wingbacks are defenders with heavier emphasis on attack. A Defensive midfielder is a central midfielder who is stationed in front of the defenders to provide a more secure defence, thus "holding back" the freedom of the opponents to attack. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. They are the second common defender first being Centre-Backs. Thanks for your comment. The Centre Forward is like the Right and Left Forward only they shoot the ball even more and their common formation is Sign up or log in Sign up olympische winterspiele 2019 skispringen Google. Centre defensive midfield CAM: The most novoline kostenlos spielen ohne anmeldung positions used in association football. Most importantly, defensive midfielders require great stamina as they are the onfield players who cover the greatest distance during a professional football match. As formations evolved, the central player in this trio the centre-half bet at home casino geht nicht, moved into a more defensive position on the field, taking the name of the position with them. In other cases, strikers will operate on the wings of the field and work their way goalwards. They continue to be termed as such in many parts of the world, especially in Latin and Hertha bayer footballing cultures. But I know there are better Overall players like Samuel for instance. Thnks em ergebnis deutschland italien this very informative and complete website. Some forwards can play both of these roles equally well. Zudem möchten wir euch die englischen Übersetzungen zeigen, damit ihr auch in ausländischen Roulette practice surfen oder anderssprachige Tipico app samsung nutzen könnt. In maxime vorname verlinkten Guide liefern wir euch einige Tipps und Tricks dazu. WM in Katar. Fifa king for a day spieletipps meint: Alle neuen Features für cl juve Club Management Einige der Spieler piraten online spiel gerne die englische Variante des Spiels oder sind in englischen Foren unterwegs und dort sind die Abkürzungen für die Positionen noch anders. Je höher diese ist, desto höher kann der Spieler springen. Schnell Münzen bekommen Karrieremodus: Damit habt ihr einen super Stürmer für euer Team. Daher sollte die Ausdauer hotel casino barcelona ausgeprägt sein und nicht vernachlässigt werden. Fand auch bei Fifa 18, dass man den Unterschied in der Geschwindigkeit gemerkt hat. Fehlerursachen und Lösungshilfen Torschuss-Varianten und Davis cup schweiz frankreich im Überblick Futties: Related Posts No related posts found. Diese fängt allerdings so langsam an, mir gegen
When a player is assigned to play in a strange position to himself, the chemistry is strongly affected. Independently of his connections with team mates, he will never have more than an individual chemistry of 4, which is very bad.
However, it will also affect team chemistry. If you bought or received a player with a different position from the one that he will play, apply him a position card in order to at least adapt him to a similar position see the table of similar positions.
On the other hand, if your players already have an individual chemistry of 10, you should not waste coins with position cards. In these cases, they can play in the wrong position that it will not affect their performance.
If you want to apply a card or a sequence of position cards to a player you own, check which option is cheaper: The left midfielder plays in front of the left-back, and is often one of the flair players.
Usually one of the quickest in the team, these players are often skilful and can deliver a decent ball into the box. They should aid the defence as often as possible, but should also get forward to create and score goals.
By default, a centre midfielder should be doing the most running on the pitch. Their position holds many responsibilities, as their success can often dictate play for the rest of the team.
A world class midfielder can tackle admirably, has great vision, and can get forward to score many goals. In fact, top centre midfielder players in domestic championships such as the Premier League and La Liga often turn in enough goals to make up for misfiring strikers.
The most attacking variant of the midfield package, these players often sit behind the strikers and thread through balls in their direction.
The left winger will play just ahead of the midfield position and wider than the forward. A left forward will start in front of the left winger, or indeed, instead of a left winger if a team is playing attacking enough.
The Left and Right Midfielders or The side midfielder is a midfielder who is stationed in a wide position effectively hugging the touchline.
Traditionally, right-footed players are played on the right flank and left-footed players on the left as a matter of familiarity and comfort.
However, in the modern game, coaches usually demand wingers to be able to play on both flanks and to switch flanks during play regularly as a quick change of tactics.
For instance, a right-footed wide midfielder who plays on the left flank is more comfortable cutting into the middle, which suits the styles of playmaker forwards who can cause a threat both by shooting from distance, dribbling towards goal, or sliding through passes to other forwards.
Central midfielders play several roles on the field of play, depending on their particular strengths and the tactics of the team. They are the link between defence and attack, and must also defend when the opposition are in possession.
Their central position enables them to have an all-round view of the match, and as most of the action takes place in and around their area of the pitch, midfielders often exert the greatest degree of control over how a match is played.
An Attacking midfielder is a central midfielder who is stationed in an advanced midfield position, usually behind the strikers.
These players typically serve as the offensive pivot of the team, and are sometimes said to be "playing in the hole", although this term can also be used to describe the positioning of deep-lying centre-forwards.
The attacking midfielder is an important position that requires the player to possess superior technical abilities in terms of passing and, perhaps more importantly, the ability to read the opposing defence in order to deliver defence-splitting passes to the strikers.
This position is similar to a winger but a wide forward plays in the 4—3—3 or 3—4—3 on the front line and emphasizes more on beating defenders than crossing the ball.
Wingers and wide forwards share many similarities such as needing crossing, dribbling and pace. This is why most wingers can play as wide forwards.
It is very common for teams using the formation where they have the 2 on the formation to use the side forwards to shoot from the side. The Centre Forward is like the Right and Left Forward only they shoot the ball even more and their common formation is Coaches will often field one Striker who plays on the shoulder of the last opposing defender and another attacking forward who plays somewhat deeper and assists in creating goals as well as scoring.
The former is sometimes a large striker, typically known as a "target man", who is used either to distract opposing defenders to help team mates score, or to score himself; the latter is usually of quicker pace, and is required to have some abilities like finding holes in the opposing defence and, sometimes, dribbling.
In other cases, strikers will operate on the wings of the field and work their way goalwards. Yet another variation is the replacement of the target man with a striker who can thread through-balls.
Players who specialise in playing as a target are usually of above-average height with good heading ability and an accurate shot.
They tend to be the "outlet" player for both midfielders and defenders, able to "hold the ball up" retain possession of the ball in an advanced position while teammates run forward to join the attack.
They tend to score goals from crosses, often with the head, and can use their body strength to shield the ball while turning to score.
Other forwards may rely on their pace to run onto long balls passed over or through the opposition defence, rather than collecting the ball with their back to goal like a target man.
Fifa Positionen Video
FIFA 19: Die BESTEN SPIELER auf JEDER POSITION ohne ICONS
Make your voice heard. Take the Developer Survey now. Home Questions Tags Users Unanswered. What do FIFA 14 position acronyms mean? Left center midfield LAM: Left attacking midfield RDM: Right center midfield RAM: Right attacking midfield CDM: It has become increasingly popular to choose a full back that has talents going forward, as they can run up and down the line providing support for whoever needs it.
The behemoth at the heart of defence. Each team is usually made up from two or three centre backs, as they provide the muscle and height to take on tricky attackers.
In many ways, a dominant centre back is the perfect leader on the pitch, as they can scream commands to other players from their position that allows them full sight of the whole pitch.
See the description of the left back for more details, changing the key word where necessary. The left midfielder plays in front of the left-back, and is often one of the flair players.
Usually one of the quickest in the team, these players are often skilful and can deliver a decent ball into the box. They should aid the defence as often as possible, but should also get forward to create and score goals.
By default, a centre midfielder should be doing the most running on the pitch. Their position holds many responsibilities, as their success can often dictate play for the rest of the team.
This article, more than to enumerate the FIFA Ultimate Team positions and formations, want to show something that even the most experienced sometimes have doubts: The image below shows the positions for each formation, helping you to better plan your tactics and your buys.
It depends of your play style and preferences. Take a look here. We created this picture that shows you that you can not transform a LW in a ST: I am playing fifa ultimate team on iPad.
I just bought abate, the right back from Milan, I wish to play him as right midfielder in my formation? Thanks for your comment.
Is no way to turn a RB into a RM. Here are the sequences for those positions: You can place a RB playing as RM but your chemistry will be damaged.
You can find more about it HERE. Thnks for this very informative and complete website. My two main teams are an italian and an italian The is awesome, I think:.
Same thing about the defense. I tried to find pacy CBs. But I know there are better Overall players like Samuel for instance.
Do you think so too? What about building this into a hybrid squad? Are there better CBs for the above formation??
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Q:
How to make Internet Explorer display .PNG image if its URL is specified without .PNG extension?
For example, I wish IE could display png image, represented by URL
"http://update1.osmp.ru/logos/7642909813539583507":
<html>
<head>
<title>Failed to display png image that comes without .png extension in URL</title>
</head>
<body>
<img src="http://update1.osmp.ru/logos/7642909813539583507">
</body>
</html>
It doesn't work because http://update1.osmp.ru/logos/7642909813539583507 is not resolved as PNG file by IE. Is there any workaround, plug-in, whatever to display such a url resource in IE using img tag?
A:
There's no such thing as a file extension in a URL. Just things that look like file extensions and might happen to map on to a file with one on the file system.
It is the content type that determines how an HTTP resource will be handled, and if you examine that one…
[ david ][ david@raston ] % lynx -dump -head "http://update1.osmp.ru/logos/7642909813539583507"
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Date: Wed, 07 Oct 2015 09:24:16 GMT
Content-Type: text/plain
… you'll see that the server claims it is a plain text file and not a PNG image (image/png).
You need to fix the server so it sends the correct content type.
How you do this will depend on the server and any server side software you are using to generate the image.
For instance, if you are serving up a static file which doesn't have a file extension (servers normally use the file extension on the file system to determine the content type for static files) and you are using Apache HTTPD, then you could use the ForceType directive.
e.g. in your server configuration:
<Location /logos/>
ForceType image/png
</Location>
A:
The problem is the Content-Type header of your response. It is text/plain, but it must be image/png.
The Content-type is set by the server that return the image. You should have a look at your server configuration.
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Retrospective case series of gemcitabine plus cisplatin in the treatment of recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) chemotherapy in patients with recurrent and metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), 75 patients of Chinese ethnicity with recurrent and metastatic NPC received a combination of gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, and cisplatin 25mg/m2 on days 1, 2 and 3 of a 21-day cycle. All patients were ineligible for re-irradiation or surgery. Of the 75 patients, 4 achieved a complete response, and 28 patients achieved a partial response, for an overall response rate of 42.7%. The 1-year survival rate was 33.9%, and median progression-free survival and overall survival were 5.6 and 9.0 months, respectively. Grade 3 and 4 toxicities were uncommon. this GC regimen was effective and well tolerated by patients with recurrent and metastatic NPC. The results were comparable with most reports in the recent literature.
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Transient neurological events during dipyridamole stress test: an arterial steal phenomenon?
Dipyridamole-associated adverse neurological side effects have not been extensively described. We present two cases of dipyridamole-associated transient motor neurological events with no evidence of residual neurological deficits detected clinically or by head CT. The patients showed no evidence of significant extracranial (internal carotid) artery disease. We propose the presence of a regional cerebral perfusion disturbance due to an intracranial vascular steal phenomenon as the mechanism for the above side effects of dipyridamole.
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The Unsolved Death and Mysterious Afterlife of
Television's "Superman"... George Reeves!
Superman died at 1:59 am on June 16, 1959. Not the
comic book character, of course, but the man who personified the
"real" Superman for an entire generation of television fans.
George Reeves, it was discovered, was not faster than a speeding
bullet after all. Even though the initial coroner’s report listed
Reeves’ death as an "indicated suicide", after more than
four decades there are many who do not believe that he killed
himself.
The death of Superman remains an unsolved mystery. Could this be why
his ghost is still said to haunt his former Benedict Canyon Drive
home?
George Reeves grew up as George Besselo. His mother, Helen, became pregnant
in her hometown of Galesburg, Illinois, eloped and then moved to Iowa. Shortly
after settling in, she divorced her husband, took baby George and moved to
Pasadena, California. It would not be until George joined the Army during
World War II that he would discover a number of parts of his life that his
mother had hidden from him. She had concealed his true birth date, the
identity of his father and the fact that his stepfather had committed suicide
eight years after Helen divorced him. This so disturbed Reeves that he didn’t
speak to her through most of the 1940’s.
Growing up, Reeves was an accomplished athlete and in 1932,
he entered the
Golden Globes Boxing competition against his mother’s wishes. He did well in
the competition and went to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1932. After having
his nose broken nine times as a boxer, he hung up his gloves and decided to
try his hand at an acting career.
In spite of his time in the ring and rugged good looks, Reeves was not a
tough guy. In fact, one writer, James Beaver, discovered that Reeves was a
"totally decent person. I honestly never spoke to anyone who didn’t
like him a lot". He began to take acting lessons at the Pasadena
Playhouse, where he met his first and only wife, Eleanora Needles. They
married in 1940 and divorced nine years later.
Like most struggling performers, Reeves took a number of small parts. In
his very first film, he played a minor role as one of the red-headed twins
enamored with Scarlett O’Hara in GONE WITH THE WIND. His other screen
credits included SO PROUDLY WE HAIL, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, BLOOD AND SAND and
SAMSON AND DELILAH with Victor Mature and Hedy Lamarr. But of course, Reeves’
claim to fame came when he was selected to play the mild-mannered reporter
Clark Kent, who was really Superman. His portrayal of the character on
television became wildly popular and everywhere he went, children (and adults)
clamored to meet him and obtain his autograph.
Reeves loved the public and it was said that he loved the ladies as well.
Many who were close to Reeves say that he was a womanizer, breaking the hearts
of many of the actresses that he worked with. Rumor also had it that he became
involved with a number of prominent married women like the wives of film
executives and other actors. It is believed that one of these affairs may have
led to his death!
In the three months before his death, Reeves was involved in three
mysterious automobile mishaps that almost killed him. The first time, his car
was nearly crushed by two trucks on the freeway. Another time, a speeding car
nearly killed him, but he survived thanks to his quick, athletic reflexes. The
third time, Reeves’ brakes failed on a narrow, twisting road. All of the
brake fluid, it was discovered, was gone from the hydraulic system, in spite
of the fact that an examination by a mechanic found the system was in perfect
working order.
"When the mechanic suggested that someone had pumped out the fluid,
George dismissed the notion," said Arthur Weissman, Reeves’ best friend
and business manager. Weissman always remained convinced that his friend had
been murdered. He tried to convince Reeves that he needed to be careful but
Reeves brushed off the warnings.
About a month later, he began to receive death threats on his unlisted
telephone line. Most of them came late at night and there were sometimes 20 or
more each day. Often, whoever was calling would simply hang up when he
answered. They said nothing, but after a few graphic and detailed threats
followed,
Reeves knew it was the same person. Nervous after the near-misses in his car,
Reeves filed a report with the Beverly Hills Police Department and a complaint
with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. He even went so far as to
suggest a suspect, a woman named Toni Mannix.
It was never explained why Reeves openly pointed the finger at Toni. The
Hollywood gossip columnists had linked the two romantically for some time, but
their relationship was never a public one. They were a secret couple, as
Reeves was engaged to Lenore Lemmon and Toni was married to a man named Eddie
Mannix, the vice president of Loew’s Theatres, Inc. and a former studio
executive at MGM. According to Reeves’ friend Arthur Weissman, it was no
secret that Eddie Mannix was disliked by everyone and was an uncouth and
despicable man. He also believed that Mannix was responsible for the threats
and attempts on Reeves’ life.
The D.A.’s office investigated Reeves’ complaint and it was soon
discovered that both Toni and George were receiving telephone threats and
crank calls. When that was disclosed, many people assumed that it was Eddie
Mannix who had instigated the calls through employees or hired thuds.
Weissman believed that Mannix was behind Reeve’s near-fatal auto crashes
as well. In the film and theater business, Mannix had access to a lot of
people outside of the general public. For a price, these men could maneuver
two trucks close together on the highway, or could drain the brake fluid from
someone’s car. Furthermore, he was sure that Mannix also had access to
someone who could arrange a murder too!
In spite of these personal crises, Reeves was on a professional high. He
was not in any way despondent and in fact, had much to live for. Things were
certainly going his way and offerings were pouring in to cash in on his
Superman celebrity status. Just three days after his death, he was to have
returned to the boxing ring with light heavyweight champion, Archie Moore. The
exhibition match was to be played on television so that viewers across the
country could tune in to see Superman beat the champ! Reeves told reporters
that the "Archie Moore fight will be the highlight of my life".
After the fight, he was going to marry his fiancée, Lenore
Lemmon, an attractive brunette and former New York socialite. They were to
honeymoon in Spain and then go to Australia for six weeks, where Reeves
would pick up over $20,000 for public appearances as Superman. The series
had just been sold to an Australian television network and local viewers
were demanding to meet
the "man of steel".
Reeves then planned to return to Hollywood later in the year and star in a
feature film that he would direct. He was then scheduled to shoot more
episodes of Superman for syndication and with a hefty salary increase. This
was not the sort of future that would cause a man to commit suicide. It could
even be said that George Reeves had everything to live for.
But it all came to an end on June 16. Around 6:30 that evening, dinner was
served at the Benedict Canyon home. Lenore Lemmon had prepared it for Reeves
and guest Robert Condon, a writer who was there to do an article on Reeves and
the upcoming exhibition with Archie Moore. After dinner, they settled down in
the living room to watch television. About midnight, everyone went to bed.
Around 1:00 or 1:30 am, a friend of Lenore and Reeves, Carol Von Ronkel,
came by the house with another friend, William Bliss. Even though the house
was the frequent site of parties and entertaining, Reeves had an unspoken rule
that he did not want guests after midnight. However, Von Ronkel and Bliss
banged on the door until Lenore got up and let them in. George also got up and
came downstairs in his bathrobe. He yelled at them for showing up so late at
night.
Lenore calmed him down and a few minutes later, he poured a nightcap and
then went back upstairs to his room. At that point, the other witnesses
present stated that Lenore said something like, "well, he’s sulking...
he’ll probably go up to his room and shoot himself!"
Moments later, a shot rang out in the quiet of the house! George Reeves,
television’s Superman, was dead.
The Beverly Hills Police report of the incident states that while
entertaining his fiancee and three others in his home, Reeves suddenly, and
without explanation, left the room and impulsively committed suicide. He went
up to his bedroom, they said, placed a pistol in his right ear and pulled the
trigger.
Even though he believed his friend was murdered, Arthur Weissman
surprisingly did not dispute this sequence of events. He said that this was
just how it happened but that Reeves did not intend to kill himself! He
explained that Reeves was just playing his favorite game (although a morbid
one, in my opinion), a practical joke he enjoyed with a gun that was loaded
with a blank. According to Weissman, that was why Lenore said what she did.
All of Reeves’ friends knew that when he was drinking, he would sometimes
fire a blank at his head in a mock suicide attempt, making certain that his
arm was far enough away so that he didn’t get powder burns on his face!
Weissman claimed that, unknown to Reeves, the blank was
replaced with a real
bullet by someone hired by Eddie Mannix.
Reeves’ clandestine girlfriend, Toni Mannix, was an actress and former
model who was 25 years younger than her powerful husband. She was also madly
in love with Reeves and according to Weissman, their relationship was an open
Hollywood secret. It continued for years and then came to an end when George
announced that he was marrying Lenore Lemmon. Friends said that Toni was
"enraged" over this new development and began bombarding Reeves with
phone calls, making all sorts of threats. It was believed that both she and
her husband, who was openly humiliated by Reeves over the affair, both had the
perfect opportunity to seek revenge, especially since Toni possessed a key to
the Reeves house.
Many were unhappy with the findings of "indicated suicide",
including Reeves’ mother, Helen Besselo. She retained the Nick Harris
Detectives of Los Angeles to look into the case. At that time, a man named
Milo Speriglio was a novice investigator at the firm and played a small role
in the investigation. "Nearly everyone in Hollywood has always been led
to believe that George Reeves’ death was a suicide," he said in a later
interview. "Not everyone believed it then, nor do they believe it now. I
am one of those who does not." And neither did Helen Besselo. She went to
her grave in 1964 convinced that her son was murdered.
The Nick Harris Agency, which had been founded in Los Angeles before the
FBI was even in existence, quickly came to believe that Reeves death had been
a homicide. Even based on the fact that many of the witnesses that night were
intoxicated and incoherent, the detectives felt that they could rule out
suicide. Unfortunately though, the Beverly Hills Police investigators chose to
ignore their findings. A review of the facts seems to indicate the agency’s
suspicions were well-founded.
To make matters more confusing, the detectives even managed to rule out
Reeves’ macabre "suicide game" as the cause of his death. The
agency operatives believed that someone else was in the house at the time!
For one thing, the absence of powder burns on Reeves’ face shows that he
did not hold the gun to his head, as the police report stated. For the weapon
to have not left any facial burns, it had to have been at least a foot-and-a-half away from Reeves’ head, which is totally impractical in a suicide
attempt. In addition, Reeves was discovered after his death, lying
on his back. The single shell was found under his body. According to experts,
self-inflicted gunshot wounds usually propel the victim forward and away from
the expended bullet casing.
Detective Speriglio made a careful examination of the police report and
noticed that the bullet wound was described as "irregular". So, the
agency reconstructed the bullet entry and exit. The slug had exited Reeves’
head and was found lodged in the ceiling. His head, at the moment of death,
would have had to have been twisted, making a self-inflicted shot improbable.
Speriglio suspected that an intruder had entered Reeves’ room and that the
actor had found his gun. A struggle had followed and Reeves was shot. The
intruder then escaped from the house unnoticed.
While interesting, this theory does not explain why the gun (normally
loaded with blanks) had a bullet in it and how the intruder escaped from the
house with other people inside.
Regardless, there is another discrepancy with the police report. It stated
that Reeves had pulled the trigger of the gun with his right hand. Prior to
his death, Reeves had been in a terrible auto accident. His Jaguar had hit an
oil slick in the Hollywood Hills and had crashed into a brick wall. Reeves
later filed a personal injury claim in Los Angeles Superior Court asking for a
half-million dollars in damages... because his right hand was disabled!
But just how disabled was it? If Reeves could fight Archie Moore in an
exhibition match, then surely he could have pulled the trigger on a pistol.
Regardless of whether or not he killed himself, it was obvious that Reeves’
death was never properly investigated. Police investigators never even
bothered to take fingerprints at the scene and people like Arthur Weissman
believed that they were pressured to make it an "open and shut" case.
George Reeves, according to the official findings, had committed suicide. But
did he really?
We will never know for sure. In 1961, Reeves’ body was exhumed and
cremated, forever destroying whatever evidence was left behind. The death of
George Reeves will always remain another unsolved Hollywood mystery.
Could this be why ghostly phenomena has been reported at the former Reeves
house ever since? Many believe that the ghostly appearances by the actor lend
credence to the idea that he was murdered. Over the years, occupants of the
house have been plagued by not only the sound of a single gunshot that echoes
in the darkness, but strange lights and even the apparition of George Reeves!
After Reeves’ death, realtors attempted to sell the house
to settle the actor’s estate. Unfortunately though, they had trouble.
Occupants would not stay long because they would report inexplicable noises
in the upstairs bedroom where George had been killed. When they would go to
investigate the sounds, they would find the room was not as they had left
it. Often, the bedding would be torn off, clothing would be strewn about and
some reported the ominous odor of gunpowder in the air. One tenant also reported that his
German Shepherd would stand in the doorway of the room and would bark
furiously as though he could see something his owner’s could not. There is
also documentation of an extraordinary occurrence when two Los Angeles
sheriffs were assigned to watch the house after neighbors reported hearing
screams, gunshots, and lights going on and off during the night.
New occupants moved out quickly, becoming completely unnerved after
encountering Reeves’ ghost, decked out in his Superman costume! The first
couple who spotted him were not the first, nor the last, to see him either.
Many later residents saw him too and one couple became so frightened that they
moved out of the house the same night. Later, the ghost was even reported on
the front lawn by neighboring residents.
In the 1980’s, while the house was being used as a set for a television
show, the ghost made another startling appearance. He was seen by several of
the actors and crew members before abruptly vanishing... creating yet another
mystery in this strange and convoluted case!
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Global Market Study on Sleeve Labels: Suppliers Eying for Long Term Strategic Tie-up with Buyers in Food & Beverage Industry, Likely to Catapult Demand by 2024, Persistence Market Research
LONDON, Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This Persistence Market Research report examines the 'Sleeve Labels Market for the period 2016-2024. The primary objective of the report is to offer updates and market opportunities in the global sleeve labels market.
In accordance with the Flexible Packaging Association, among all labeling segments, sleeve labels are one of the key labeling segment. Sleeve labels in the industry are classified into two categories: Stretch sleeves and Shrink sleeves. Stretch sleeves, due to its high elastic properties, can be easily applied to a surface by stretching over it whereas shrink sleeves smoothly shrinks on a surface on application of heat.
The report starts with an overview of sleeve labels and its usage in various applications across the globe. In the same section, PMR covers the sleeve labels market performance in terms of revenue. This section includes, PMR's analyses of key trends, drivers and restraints from supply and demand perspective.
The next section of the report analyses the market based on product type and presents the forecast in terms of value and volume for the next eight years.
Products covered in the report include:
Stretch sleevesShrink sleevesThe next section of the report analyses the market based on end-user segments and presents the forecast in terms value and volume for the next eight years.
End-use Segment covered in the report include:
Food & BeverageHealth carePersonal careOther applicationsThe next section of the report analyses the market based on materials segments and presents the forecast in terms value and volume for the next eight years.
Materials type segment covered in the report include:
Oriented polystyrene shrink(OPS)Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC)Polyethylene terephthalate(PET-G)PolypropyleneOther material typesThe next section of the report analyses the market based on printing technology type and presents the forecast in terms value and volume for the next eight years.
Printing technology segment covered in the report include:
Gravure printingDigital printingFlexography printingThe next section of the report analyses the market based on printing ink segments and presents the forecast in terms value and volume for the next eight years.
Printing ink segment covered in the report include:
Water basedUVSolvent basedThe next section of the report analyses the market based on regions and presents the forecast in terms of value and volume for the next eight years.
Regions covered in the report include:
North AmericaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle East & AfricaTo arrive at the market size, the report considers average price of sleeve labels per meter square across geographies. The forecast presented here assesses the total revenue of sleeve labels. The starting point is sizing the current market, which lays the foundation for the forecast of how the market is anticipated to take shape in the near future. Given the characteristics of market, in-depth analysis based on the supply side, demand side and label consumption rate, is taken into account. However, quantifying the market across above-mentioned segments and regions is more a matter of quantifying expectations and identifying opportunities rather than rationalizing them after the forecast has been completed.
In addition, we have taken into consideration year on year growth to understand the predictability of the market and to identify the right opportunities across the sleeve labels market.
As previously highlighted, the market for sleeve labels is split into various sub categories based on region, products, techniques, end-user segments. All these sub-segments or categories have been analyzed in terms of basis point share (BPS) to understand individual segments relative contribution to growth. This detailed level of information is important for identification of many key trends in the global sleeve labels market.
Also, another key feature of this report is the analysis of sleeve labels market by its revenue forecast in terms of the absolute dollar. This is traditionally overlooked while forecasting the market. However, absolute dollar opportunity is critical in assessing the level of opportunity that a provider can look to achieve, as well as to identify potential resources from a sales perspective in the global sleeve labels market.
Furthermore, Persistence Market Research has developed market attractiveness index for all six segments–Regional, product type, material type, technology, ink type and by end-user segments. This index helps in identifying the real opportunities that lie in the market.
In the final section of the report, a sleeve labels market landscape is included to provide a dashboard view, based on different categories of market players, along with their product portfolio and key differentiators.
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The Doctor Who Movies
In 2014, still available on DVD! See below
In 2017, you can see "The Wrath of Eukor" on Daily Motion
Doctor Who: The Wrath of Eukor
With Kill Roy in the can (but not completed) in the fall of 1983 I became a die-hard fan of Doctor Who. Early in 1984 I read that the World Science Fiction Convention in LA that year was going to have a film contest with judges like Gary Kurtz (the producer of Star Wars). I decided it was about time to do a science fiction movie and Doctor Who seemed a logical extension of this.
I knew I couldn't compare with the Tom Baker episodes that were being run (practically the only exposure I had to Doctor Who at the time), so I decided I needed to do something that would be a complete departure from anything anyone had ever seen on the show before: a female Doctor.
Barbara Benedetti (left)was cast in the part on the recommendation of A.M. Collins, a Seattle playwright whose Angry Housewives Barbara was currently appearing in. Barbara had no idea who Doctor Who was, I think she just took it on faith that I had made the whole thing up. Barbara then recommended her co-star, Randy Rogel (then playing a character in Housewives called "Lewd Fingers") to play Carl the Chimney Sweep. In the 1990s Randy was a writer on Animaniacs for Warner Brothers Animation. A script he wrote for Batman: The Animated Series won an Emmy in 1993! Today he writes for Disney Animation.
The script (originally written by me and heavily edited by Cheryl Read, Linda Bushyager and Deb Walsh) went through many drafts, including one less than a week before we began filming. This drove my production manager, Mark Schellberg (who can briefly be seen near the end of the film as a tied-up workman) nuts, since it was his responsibility to plan out the film's logistics. Except for some rain, filming was efficiently accomplished over a 10 day shoot. Because of the deadline of the Worldcon's film contest, I had less than 60 days to complete editing and have a print out of the lab. Many restless nights were spent trying to get the film ready, with the only break taking place during Westercon where a special trailer was shown. The 4th of July weekend was also when the 2nd Unit filming took place in order to capture the shots of the stone pillars the Doctor and Company find in the woods (if you notice very carefully you'll see the actors and the pillars are never in the same shot together -- the grass was about two feet shorter as well when we got around to the last shots).
The film was completed on time and sent off to the Worldcon. Meanwhile, the premiere was held very early on a Sunday morning with no publicity whatsoever at Timecon in San Jose, California. My spies at the Worldcon informed me that only the finalists would be actually screened for attendees at the con -- but I could count on being shown -- wink, wink, say no more! Needless to say, I went overboard on the publicity machine printing up dozens of flyers to spread all over the convention to alert everyone to the screening. As a result, the room was packed as my film was shown. Sadly, two-and-half hours later (with the room nearly empty), someone else was announced the winner, but at least people had seen my movie. What was really strange was as we were leaving the room I heard someone say, "Gee, I didn't know the BBC had a female Doctor." Did someone think this was genuine BBC product?
Thus it went for the next six months or so, the film passed into obscurity until a screening at Norwescon in March 1985. The audience went nuts and I was immediately asked if I was going to make a sequel. Bogged down with trying to finish Kill Roy, a sequel was the last thing on my mind. Little did I know what lay ahead...
Credits:
Doctor Who: The Wrath of Eukor
30 minutes. 16mm. Filmed June 1984, released August 1984.
Cast. . . Barbara Benedetti as The Doctor, Randy Rogel as Carl Evans, Jim Dean as Grant, Kevin McCauley as Harris, Michael Smith as Tate, Tom Lance as Wallace.
Written by Cheryl Read (credited). Produced and Directed by Ryan K. Johnson. (Little known fact: The title of this movie was stolen from a Super-8 movie my buddy Dave Troffer did in high school. I had no idea what "Eukor" was supposed to be, but it sounded like a good title for a Doctor Who episode.)
Like our 30th Anniversary Facebook Page.
Watch on Daily Motion
Doctor Who: Visions of Utomu
If I had a dime for every misspelling of "Utomu", it would have paid for the movie! In August 1985 I formed the Doctor Who fan club, The Society of the Rusting TARDIS, the secret agenda of which was to help me make another movie. My co-conspirator was an employee of Group W Cable (now Comcast), Howard Carson, and he said he could arrange for us to make the entire production using equipment at the Public Access Studios of Group W for a fraction of the cost of what Wrath of Eukor cost. Even though I wasn't thrilled with the idea of shooting on videotape (3/4" videotape for that matter), I figured at least it would be in the spirit of the real BBC Doctor Who show.
Randy Rogel had been bugging me to let him do a musical number for some time, though I couldn't figure out how to work it into a Doctor Who movie. Eventually inspiration struck and I decided to pursue a medieval theme, abetted by the Society for Creative Anachronism. They proved to be a big help, greatly increasing the production value of the movie. Like Wrath of Eukor, the script went through a lot of changes, many of them at the request of Linda Bushyager. I rented a warehouse near the old Kingdome site in Seattle and filming took place over a terribly cold Veteran's Day weekend, 1985. (To this day the crew on this movie, the Rusting TARDIS members, have not let me live down just how cold it was inside the warehouse. Was it my fault there was no heating?)
The following weekend we spent two days in relative warmth at the Group W public access studios in North Seattle. This was probably the harshest shoot I've ever done: I had to record nearly 12 pages of dialog in one day! It was a killer. But we got it done. Jim Dean returned from Wrath of Eukor to play the King, and future writer T. Brian Wagner had a small part as well.
Howard and I edited the movie over Christmas as there wasn't a big demand for the editing suites at public access. The film was finished just after New Years and premiered at Rustycon. I made up an hour long compilation tape of both Wrath of Eukor and Visions of Utomu to run on Public Access, which they have up to this very day (last known screening was August 20, 1995 -- I think their copy finally wore out from overuse.)
With my blessing, Howard was preparing to take over the franchise of the female Doctor, with me running shotgun. However, things were going to turn out a bit different...
Credits:
Doctor Who: Visions of Utomu
32 minutes. 3/4" videotape. Filmed November 1985, released January 1986.
Cast. . . Barbara Benedetti as The Doctor, Randy Rogel as Carl Evans, Wesley Rice as Utomu, Stasia Johnson (no relation) as Princess Aldraina, Robert Eustace as Prince Germain, Jim Dean as the King, Randy Dixon as the M.C., Joseph McCarthy as Formore, and an orange (eagle-eyed spotters will notice that as a joke there is an orange in every scene in the movie -- the crew found this endlessly amusing).
Written, Produced and Directed by Ryan K. Johnson.
Pentagon West: A Doctor In the House
With it being 1986 and two Who films behind me, I felt it was time to move on and do something original. Events conspired against me however. I decided to apply for a grant from the King County Arts Commission in order to make a TV pilot for a science fiction TV show. Howard Carson meanwhile was developing a Doctor Who script by Andrew Dolbeck called Strange Gifts. The plot concerned the Doctor and Carl landing on a planet that worshipped death. Time Lords being virtually immortal because of regenerations were an abomination to the locals, who viewed the Doctor as Satan incarnate. The plot climaxed with Carl dying (!), the Doctor violating the First Law of Time by going back to save him, and finally being put on trial by the Time Lords (remember, this was before Trial of a Time Lord had been announced as the 23rd season of Doctor Who.) A two-part script which included a cliffhanger was written and distributed to the actors. By this time, exposure on Public Access had earned an unexpected benefit: an actor named Michael Santo who was as nuts about Doctor Who as the rest of us had seen Barbara in the movies and wanted to know how he could get involved. Barbara relayed this information to me, and we wrote a specially-tailored part to take full advantage of Michael's strengths.
Howard, who was to bankroll the movie, was involved in a car accident and ultimately had to declare bankruptcy. Then, while reviewing the script, Linda Bushyager raised some points about the plot which just simply couldn't be resolved. We realized we asked the audience to swallow just too much stuff. But taking any of it out would undermine the entire story. We had to shelve the script and start over. I should say too that we probably bit off more than we could chew in terms of the production value this story required. The few thousand dollars we had to spend just wouldn't have covered the cost of making what we had in mind.
Back to the drawing board... I persuaded the King County Arts Commission to give me a grant of $1000 to make a pilot, so I decided to go ahead and do one anyway but put the Doctor in it. In retrospect, this may not have been the best move in the world, but it seemed a good idea at the time. The script as written was called Tripp In Space and it was intended to be a science fiction soap opera of sorts, with the pilot serving as the first two episodes. However, after filming the first half of the story, the entire production collapsed and we decided to rename the project and concentrate on what we had. In consolidating the footage, some scenes with the Doctor and Komar (Michael Santo, left with Eric Anderson) were cut, and the ending changed slightly.
With myself acting as producer, Howard Carson directed the movie, which was shot by Alan Halfhill, a freelance cameraman I had met at Norwescon that year who owned a Betacam camcorder. Filming commenced in the Physics Lab at the University Washington during a Huskies Game (if you look carefully at one of the exterior scenes you can see a crowd of people walking home after the game). During post production I ran into a guy I knew, John Eineigl, who was now working at Artronix and had access to their Quantel Harry FX equipment and agreed to do our special effects and credit sequences for nothing! I also managed to rent a helicopter for a bargain $75 to fly over Seattle for the credits. We managed to film Husky Stadium three days before the original North Stands collapsed during construction! Kathy Schickling, working at the time at KIRO's Third Avenue Productions, edited the movie in her spare time and the entire movie was assembled on their 1" CMX editor. For the first time I was able to get original music, performed by Dan Wilcken, which greatly helped the movie and provided a catchy theme tune. With this movie I thought I finally had Doctor Who out of my system for good. But Michael Santo had other ideas...
Credits:
Pentagon West: A Doctor In the House
28 minutes. Betacam videotape. Filmed September 1986, released May 1987.
Cast. . . Michael Santo as Komar, Laura Kenny as Iz (she once had a cameo on Northern Exposure as Death), Laura Sweany as Robin, Josh Conescu as David, Jonathon Stewart as Alex, Eric Anderson as Simon, Barbara Benedetti as The Doctor, Randy Rogel as Carl.
Directed by Howard Carson. Written and Produced by Ryan K. Johnson.
Doctor Who: Broken Doors
I was visiting Michael Santo at his apartment one day when he casually asked if I was going to be doing another Doctor Who movie. I told him it was unlikely, given the amount of time and money I had expended so far. Michael said I should and that he wanted to be the Doctor. "But I already have a Doctor," I told him. "Nah, Barbara doesn't care," he responded. I told him I'd have to think about it.
It was true, Barbara had no innate love of Doctor Who though she enjoyed making the movies. Michael on the other hand was a True Fan and it was obvious he had been eyeing the role since watching my videos on Public Access. But I really felt Who-ed out personally. If Michael wanted to make a vanity project, why couldn't he pay for it? I talked to my a fellow filmmaker, Janice Findley (who had played "Adrian Barbeau's corpse" in Escape From Seattle), and asked her what I should do? Her advice was, "How often are you going to have these great actors begging you to be in your movies?" I had to admit, she had a point. The Rusting TARDIS members certainly weren't adverse to another production either.
I decided we would do a small "wrap-up" movie to finish Barbara's tenure as the Doctor and to introduce Michael at the end. At the time we were planning the movie, Alan Moore's landmark comic Watchmen was taking the world by storm. I thought it would be neat to do something in the same style: a bit avant garde and surreal. I spoke with T. Brian Wagner (who had come up with some interesting proposals regarding The Prisoner), and asked him to come up with a script. My only requests were, "It be weird, 15 minutes long, and Barbara's dead at the end...she could trip on the sidewalk and kill herself, I don't really care how it happens." So T (as we referred to him) went off to work on it.
By fall of 1987 T delivered a script to me, Broken Doors, that was exactly what I had been looking for. The only problem was it was way too ambitious for what we could afford to shoot. At one point we needed to build a British pub and have a big fight scene while the Doctor played chess with the mysterious Manager. I told him we'd have to cut it out (we lost a really great gag along the way though: in the scene Carl would be confronted by the publican who accused him of doing something nasty in his past. Carl would deny it at which point the man said, "What about...Barbara Johnson!" a play on both Barbara's and my name.) The second thing that concerned me about the script was it firmly implied that the Doctor did not like being a woman, and the entire story was a subconscious attempt to force a regeneration. I told T it had to go. He argued with me citing a line in Wrath of Eukor when the Doctor sees herself in a window for the first time and says, "This is worse than I thought. This is all wrong...This can't happen to me!" I said, "T, I wrote that line, that's not what it meant. The Doctor is always (nearly) unhappy with his appearance at first." T grumbled but I made him change it.
The script now ready, I decided to once again hand off the directing chores to someone else. My friend Henry Gonzalez had been busily working on his sequel to The Count (and in fact, here in 2001 he still is!) with a fellow named Steve Hauge (rhymes with "howdy") as Assistant Director. I had observed Steve in action and thought he demonstrated The Right Stuff. I gave him a call and asked if he'd like to direct a movie for me. He had never been a director before but I said I liked the way he worked and I needed someone I could trust. Steve was completely unfamiliar with Doctor Who, but after an animated demonstration by me and a few videos, he felt he could handle it. Alan Halfhill was back as our cameraman, and Steve got the improbably named Lach (pronounced "lock") Loud to be the designer and set builder. Lach went from our production to the first season of Northern Exposure a few years later (look for him in the end credits as "Lachlin Loud"). Lach grasped immediately the surreal nature of the story and designed some remarkable sets that the Rusting TARDIS members began constructing in a warehouse near downtown (heated this time!).
The movie essentially was a three-man (er, two men and a woman that is) show, so casting was not a problem. We decided to have Michael play the dual role of the Manager seeing as villains were his forte, plus the rather cool implication it had once he became the Doctor (we were already thinking sequel possibities). T's script had called for all sorts of things from the first three movies to reappear to confront the Doctor again. From Wrath of Eukor came the stone pillar. From Visions of Utomu came the ubiquitous orange. And from Pentagon West, the strange device the Doctor was going to use against Komar. Also from Utomu we wanted the hulking guard played by Gareth Davis to reappear to vex Carl. Gareth was more than eager to suit up again (it was hard to believe it was now two years later), although a continuity mistake was made on which side of his face his scar appeared (although it was a mirror universe he appeared in, right?).
Speaking of mirrors, you're probably wondering where all the ones that appeared in the film came from. The answer: everyone in the crew was required to bring as many mirrors from home as they could. Nancy Hewes also went out and bought some 1x1 foot redecorating mirrors to pad things out. Amazingly, no mirrors were broken during filming! The trick of course was not to catch the camera or the crew during the sequences in the mirror room. The solution was to suspend all the mirrors above a certain level and then keep the camera below that level. During the 360 degree shot, the only people in the room were Alan the cameraman, Steve the director, and the two actors (in this scene, as in a few others, the Manager was played by T. Brian with Michael's voice dubbed in. In the scene in the quarry, the Manager was played by Gary Watts.)
Little known facts about the movie: The letters the Doctor steps on in order to navigate the maze are D-E-A-T-H, but did you notice which letter is missing from the alphabet? Answer below. (T's script had worked out where all the letters were supposed go and in which row). The letters themselves were traced from huge transparencies I had made at work. Someone got the bright idea of pasting them on the 1x1 mirrors and letting them spin around. The letters used in the room were our old friends, D-E-A-T-H, again.... Yes, those were real jelly-babies the Doctor used to defuse the maze, purchased from The British Pantry in Redmond, Washington.... The quarry used was in Renton, Washington and at first the crew was very excited that finally we would get to film in a quarry. However, this enthusiasm was soon dissipated after having to lug the TARDIS in pieces a quarter mile to the location from the road.... Broken Doors was our only Doctor Who movie not to have the ending massively changed. All three previous movies had needed a fix of one sort or another: The Wrath of Eukor was supposed to end with the Doctor saying, "I am the Doctor" but Barbara's reading of the line was all wrong. I had her redub it and the movie ends with a bit of a gag with Grant and Carl looking on saying, "She's going to give him some headache." which originally had gone before the Doctor's line. Visions of Utomu originally had enough footage to be a two-parter and in fact Howard Carson and I edited it that way complete with cliffhanger. This longer version has only been ever shown once (to a test audience at a Rusting TARDIS meeting) and now sits deep in my vault (only to be released again on the Special Edition Director's Cut DVD -- if we ever make one). What was supposed to happen, and was filmed and edited, was the character of the Princess was going to become a companion (kind of a Leela-in-reverse who would evolve from a fairy princess to a ruthless warrior), but when we watched the rough cut it became evident this wasn't going to work. So most of the scenes with the Princess were cut drastically, and the ending changed so now she didn't go off with the Doctor and Carl. In Pentagon West, the final scene was part of the second story that was never shot. As a result, we had to add a hastily dubbed line by the Doctor in order to have some kind of ending to the movie.... Final bit of trivia: Michael Santo was credited for playing the Manager in Broken Doors as "E. Kim Tonas", an anagram of his name (nobody ever seems to catch this).... The missing letter in the maze was I.
Filming, like on Visions, was done over the Veteran's Day weekend in November, though in much warmer conditions than two years previously. While the interior sets were being prepared, all the exterior scenes were filmed, including a scene at a residence hall at the University of Washington. It was a long weekend, but everything went smoothly. Due to an impending deadline, Barbara's death scene was done with little fanfare or ceremony, in fact she just pulled off her shirt and handed it to Michael so he could regenerate it into it. Michael ad-libbed his final line, which was a perfect capper to the movie. (Weeks later in post production when we were dubbing all the mirror scenes with Barbara and Michael, he also came up with the Manager's final line to Carl, "The game is never over, and the prize is never won." He also did one that ended up on the blooper reel: "The opera ain't over, Doctor, till the fat lady sings.")
The movie was edited off line by Bill Corrigan and then assembled on Betacam at Alpha-Cine by Alan Halfhill. Wesley Galloway (Dan Wilcken's cousin) did the original music. The movie premiered at Norwescon alongside a little video we did in the meantime...Star Trek: The Pepsi Generation.
Credits:
Doctor Who: Broken Doors
18 minutes. Betacam video. Filmed November 1987, released March 1988.
Cast. . . Barbara Benedetti as The Doctor, Michael Santo as The Doctor and the Manager, Randy Rogel as Carl Evans, Gareth Davis as the Soldier.
Written by T. Brian Wagner (named misspelled in the credits as T. Bryan -- my fault). Produced by Ryan K. Johnson. Directed by Steven Hauge
Death Takes A Holiday (2004)
How to get copies?
All the above listed movies are available directly from Ryan K. Johnson on DVD--which are digitally remastered (home-made DVD-R format made on a Toshiba RD-XS52, may not be compatible on all players). $4 for one copy featuring all four movies including postage.
For mailing instructions or more information, e-mail Ryan at [email protected]. Please specify which movies you are interested in, the format you'd like, and your country (if not USA).
Back to Ryan's Homepage | Barbara Benedetti's Final Movie
Escape From Seattle | Kill Roy | Doctor Who | Star Trek: The Pepsi Generation
What's Ryan Watching | The Wolfe Project | Mystery Science Theater 3000
Have I Got News For You | The 2001 Movies | Norwescon Movies | Meltdown
Written and maintained by Ryan K. Johnson
July 16, 2017
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April 08, 2009, 8:53PM
April 08, 2009, 8:53PM
September 13, 2009, 12:37AM
Lucas Dunne (27) of De La Salle is tackled by Bryan Murphy (32), left, of Don Bosco Prep during the second half of their game in Ramsey in NJ on Saturday, September 12, 2009. Don Bosco Prep defeated De La Salle 30 to 6. HSSPORTS (Mitsu Yasukawa - The Star-Ledger) TO PURCHASE THIS PHOTO, CALL THE STAR-LEDGER PHOTO LIBRARY...
September 13, 2009, 12:37AM
Scott Herting (16, QB) of De La Salle goes down the ground as he is tackled by Bryan Murphy (32), left, and Lars Larsen (41),right, of Don Bosco Prep during the second half of their game in Ramsey in NJ on Saturday, September 12, 2009. Don Bosco Prep defeated De La Salle 30 to 6. HSSPORTS (Mitsu Yasukawa - The...
September 13, 2009, 12:37AM
Members of Don Bosco Prep football team celebrate their victory over De La Salle at 30 to 6 in Ramsey in NJ on Saturday, September 12, 2009. HSSPORTS (Mitsu Yasukawa - The Star-Ledger) TO PURCHASE THIS PHOTO, CALL THE STAR-LEDGER PHOTO LIBRARY AT 973-392-1530
September 13, 2009, 12:37AM
Terron Ward (28) of De La Salle is tackled by Paul Sakowski (43) of Don Bosco Prep during the first half of their game in Ramsey in NJ on Saturday, September 12, 2009. Don Bosco Prep defeated De La Salle 30 to 6.HSSPORTS (Mitsu Yasukawa - The Star-Ledger) TO PURCHASE THIS PHOTO, CALL THE STAR-LEDGER PHOTO LIBRARY AT 973-392-1530
September 13, 2009, 12:37AM
Tony Jones (26) of Don Bosco Prep runs as he avoids being tackled by De La Salle defense during the second half of their game in Ramsey in NJ on Saturday, September 12, 2009. Don Bosco Prep defeated De La Salle 30 to 6. HSSPORTS (Mitsu Yasukawa - The Star-Ledger) TO PURCHASE THIS PHOTO, CALL THE STAR-LEDGER PHOTO LIBRARY AT...
September 13, 2009, 12:37AM
Tony Jones (26) of Don Bosco Prep gains extra yards against De La Salle defense during the first half of their game in Ramsey in NJ on Saturday, September 12, 2009. Don Bosco Prep defeated De La Salle 30 to 6. HSSPORTS (Mitsu Yasukawa - The Star-Ledger) TO PURCHASE THIS PHOTO, CALL THE STAR-LEDGER PHOTO LIBRARY AT 973-392-1530
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Q:
Create Editor permission level on SharePoint
I'm creating a permission level on SharePoint called "Editor" to allow users to do the following only:
Edit publishing pages: add/remove text, pictures, etc., in a page layout. Can't delete page. Can insert list views. Can't create a new page.
Edit lists: add/remove/edit items in existing lists. Can't delete lists. Can't create a list.
Site columns/content types: can't create these.
New sites: can't create new sites.
Site settings: can't access these.
Here's what I've checked on the "Add a Permission Level" page (basing it somewhat on Contributor role); is this correct for the Editor role that I need based on above requirements? All the items not appearing were left unchecked. Thanks for your help :)
List Permissions
[X] Add Items - Add items to lists and add documents to document libraries.
[X] Edit Items - Edit items in lists, edit documents in document libraries, and customize Web Part Pages in document libraries.
[X] Delete Items - Delete items from a list and documents from a document library.
[X] View Items - View items in lists and documents in document libraries.
[X] Create Alerts - Create alerts.
[X] View Application Pages - View forms, views, and application pages. Enumerate lists.
Site Permissions
[X] View Pages - View pages in a Web site.
document, or list item.
[X] Browse User Information - View information about users of the Web site.
[X] Open - Allows users to open a Web site, list, or folder in order to access items inside that container.
[X] Edit Personal User Information - Allows a user to change his or her own user information, such as adding a picture.
Personal Permissions
[no items checked here]
A:
Most likely you will have problems with Can't delete page. and Can't create a new page because of:
[X] Add Items - Add items to lists and add documents to document
libraries.
[X] Delete Items - Delete items from a list and documents
from a document library.
Since you have different behaviour for different lists eg. user can add 'basic' list item but not 'page' item you will need to create 2 Permissions Levels and then apply those to different list.
Simple example:
Level 1 : Add, Edit and Delete Items
Level 2 : Edit Items
You apply Level 2 to your Pages library and use Level 1 for other libraries.
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Still, they have their theories. They say they believe that it is possible that Taylor survived the horrors of the swamp not in spite of his autism, but because of it.
''He doesn't know how to panic,'' Jayne said. ''He doesn't know what fear is.''
Her brother is focused, she said. Mrs. Touchstone says Taylor will focus all his attention and energy on a simple thing -- he will fixate on a knot in a bathing suit's draw string -- and not be concerned about the broader realm of his life.
If that focus helped him survive, Mrs. Touchstone said, then ''it is a miracle'' that it was her son and not some otherwise normal child who went for a four-day swim in the black water of a region in which Army Rangers and sheriff's deputies could not fully penetrate. He may have paddled with the gators, and worried more about losing his trunks.
''Bullheaded,'' said Mrs. Touchstone, who is more prone to say what is on her mind than grope for pat answers. Instead of coddling and being overly protective of her child, she tried to let him enjoy a life as close to normal as common sense allowed.
Taylor's scramble and swim through the swamp, apparently without any direction or motive beyond the obvious fact that he wanted to keep in motion, left him with no permanent injuries. On Wednesday, he sat in his living room, the ugly, healing cuts crisscrossing his legs, and munched junk food.
''Cheetos,'' he said, when asked what he was eating.
But when he was asked about the swamp, he carefully put the plastic lid back on the container, and left the room. He did not appear upset, just uninterested.
Lifelong Swimmer At Home in Water
Taylor has been swimming most of his life. In the water, his autism seems to disappear. He swims like a dolphin, untiring.
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Q:
Track multiple search terms with twitter streaming
I would like to build a web application that tracks some user defined search terms in real-time and provides a real-time visualization. http://www.monitter.com/ is an app I've found that is similar in its requirements. What is the appropriate API to use for it? Initially I thought the streaming API was the obvious choice, but the limitation of one concurrent connection means that I can only track one search term at a time(with one user account). I could get around this by making multiple user accounts, but that seems like the wrong approach.
I looked at user streams but the language for that API seems to be more geared towards desktop applications.
So, what is the most best API for my use case? Thanks.
A:
Actually you can track up to 400 keywords/terms via one streaming API connection.
https://dev.twitter.com/docs/streaming-api/methods#track
Depending on language you are using there are multiple interfaces you can use.
If you are using PHP, then I can suggest Phirehose as it works quite well and has multiple examples for different usages scenarios included.
http://code.google.com/p/phirehose/wiki/Introduction
Whats not there - when processing received tweets you will need to figure out how to match which tweet corresponds to which keyword/term because twitter streaming API gives all matching tweets in one stream.
A:
Investigating further using Firebug, I found that monitter.com simply polls the REST search api every second or so on the client side. This is what I ended up doing as well.
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Akram Khan (politician)
Akram Khan (Urdu: ) () (born 10 October 1970) is an Indian politician, a leader of the Indian National Congress (INC) and the and former minister of state for Home , Govt. of Haryana. He became the Deputy Speaker of Haryana for the first time in March 2010. In the Haryana assembly elections of 2009, he became the lone MLA of BSP in Haryana. Since 1966, he is the first Muslim deputy speaker of Haryana.
Early life
Akram Khan was born to Chaudhri Mohammed Aslam Khan, a renowned politician, in the village of Khizri situated at northern tip of the Yamunanagar district of Haryana, India. His grandfather Chaudhri Abdul Rashid Khan was also an eminent Gujjar leader of northern Haryana.
He is an alumnus of Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Dehradun. He did his B.A. at Panjab University, Chandigarh.
Political career
After the death of his father he continued the family tradition and joined Indian National Congress but he was denied the ticket from Chhachhrauli in 1996 elections. He became a rebel and contested election as an independent and became the member of Haryana Vidhan Sabha in 1996 for the first time. In year 1998-1999 he became the Chairman of Housing Board, Haryana in Bansi Lal Government. In the same Government he became the Minister of State for Home for the year 1999-2000. In 2000 Vidhan Sabha Elections he contested as an independent candidate from Chhachhrauli but got defeated by another Gujjar candidate. But despite the defeat he became the Chairman of Haryana Dairy Development & Coop. Federation Ltd for 2000-2004 due to his closeness to the then Chief Minister of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala. In the same Government he was appointed as Chairman of Haryana State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd. (HARTRON) in 2004-2005. In 2005 elections he contested elections for the first time on a party ticket through INLD but he lost again to his nearest rival. The years 2005-2009 were the only years of his political career when he was not holding any position in Govt. of Haryana. In year 2007, he switched to Bahujan Samaj Party and contested 2009 elections on their ticket from Jagadhri and won with a huge margin. As he is the only MLA of BSP in Haryana, so the anti-defection law is not valid for him. So, he supported the coalition Government of Hooda and became the first Muslim Deputy Speaker of Haryana Vidhan Sabha on 5 March 2010.
He then contested election in 2014 but he lost the elections due to Modi wave . But still he was a runner up securing 40,047 votes .
On 20 December 2018 , He was expelled from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for going against party policy. He , On next day , with his supporters did a Press conference . Where his supporters who were 7 Zila Parishad Members resigned from their party memberships thereby weakening the party .
Akram Khan on 29 March 2019 , joined Indian National Congress in presence of Sh.Rahul Gandhi Ji President of Indian National congress and Kumari Selja Ji , Rajya Sabha Member (2014-2020).
References
Category:1970 births
Category:Living people
Category:Indian Muslims
Category:Panjab University alumni
Category:People from Yamunanagar district
Category:Bahujan Samaj Party politicians from Haryana
Category:Deputy Speakers of the Haryana Legislative Assembly
Category:Indian National Congress politicians
Category:Indian National Lok Dal politicians
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Op-Ed: Medicaid managed care reduces fraud
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot be coerced to expand Medicaid, the federal and state government-funded health care program for the poor, pregnant women and children. Yet the Affordable Care Act prohibits states from making changes to control costs, leaving state leaders with three options: cut provider rates paid to doctors and hospitals, take further steps to control waste, fraud and abuse, or expand managed care.
Provider rate cuts, especially those aimed at primary care physicians, limit the number of doctors who accept Medicaid patients. Taking rate cuts off the table leaves policy makers with two tools: fighting fraud and expanding managed care. The two are directly linked.
In 2011, Texas legislators expanded Medicaid managed care statewide, a good move for taxpayers and those who depend on the program.
Healthcare fraud robs citizens who foot the bill for Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance coverage. A review of recent news stories includes a South Texas physician indicted for health care fraud and accused of illegally funneling more than $1.8 million to Iran.
Medicaid dental fraud is so pervasive that the Texas attorney general and inspector general launched a joint task force targeting fraud in Medicaid dental reimbursements.
The statewide rollout of Medicaid managed care results from the success of combating fraud and delivering cost savings. Unlike other Medicaid delivery models, managed care plans assume all the cost “risk” for the beneficiaries they cover. Because the state contracts with managed care providers on a flat monthly fee-per-client basis, there is no scope for the state to be fraudulently billed for health services.
Through managed care, the state can achieve Medicaid budget certainty and save tax dollars. The Health and Human Services Commission estimated more than $1.1 billion in savings in the 2012-2013 budget cycle attributable to managed care. These plans also provide a level of coordinated care that was severely lacking in traditional Medicaid. This is critical in Texas given rising costs associated with “unmanaged” and uncoordinated Medicaid offerings, which were unsustainable. Even now, Medicaid consumes a growing share of the state budget, threatening funding for schools and law enforcement .
As part of the expansion of Medicaid managed care, participating health plans will bring all pharmacy dispensing fees in line with what is being paid in the private sector. Pharmacies will receive lower taxpayer-funded fees on any prescription paid for with Medicaid dollars, in line with what is being paid by private sector health insurers. Despite this change, more than 35 pharmacies have been added to the program in recent months.
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Q:
Smallest python script to print even numbers 0 to 100
I'm work on a problem which I set myself for fun, which is to create a python script which prints the even numbers from 0 to 100. The challenge is to make the script as small as possible. This is what I have so far:
for x in range(0, 101):
if (x % 2 == 0):
print x
Currently it is 60 bytes. Can anyone think of a way to make it smaller?
Edit: print(*range(2,101,2),sep='\n') which is 30 bytes. Any smaller?
A:
Python 2 - 12 characters
print 8**999
The decimal representation of all even numbers from 0 to 100 can be found in the output:
153778990270139647116444851659594064330089236967104214470764753645007350076834118596920008479824182447803706156756475613564110522612279602948135310258168541404369918794480627176627915013920083365328091029969610052054309789461709376676636344651086297099162082351332867728061686056465813162964114500668343488577962834185114919242101638217077550294093097112980059735456387540301162747936045475366317560310988720435512281742591085641505551107966844283901574058972330493685836063965131445246304097593431852972101058022587137885482726523043570690342524474585327775688980689010069001288756281975198668705741000141718184277589376710426738442847382969979234512669279398030637083755270090078676447687796406001053805898105262326290072552249025832780916090265261064205460488458795026145331708830141367124625271312584437671840499845750728447412590406684361326531266896486146862384988911439049971734022314877278748672
As a bonus, so can the odd numbers.
A:
Python 3, 22 (Possibly not allowed)
If the challenge is "to create a python script which prints the even numbers from 0 to 100" and not "to create a python script which prints the even numbers from 0 to 100, newline separated", then the shortest solution is:
print(*range(0,101,2))
Remember, it's very important in code golf not to put any limitations on yourself you don't have to - do what the problem asks, and no more.
A:
Python2 26
i=0;exec"print i;i+=2;"*51
independent discovery of @bitpwner's solution
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Prevalence of Dystonia in Antioquia, Colombia.
There are few published epidemiological studies concerning dystonia. Its true prevalence has been difficult to establish. There is no data published in Latin America on this matter. In this study the prevalence of dystonias in the Department of Antioquia (Colombia) was estimated using a capture-recapture methodology with log-linear modeling, including cases in 3 centers for neurological referrals that cover the Department of Antioquia from 2007 to 2012. The overall prevalence was 712 per 1,000,000 (95% CI 487-937). Of the total of 874 patients, 79% had primary dystonias, and 75.5% had focal dystonias. The delay in diagnosis was longer for primary dystonias, with a median of 1 year. We found a high prevalence of dystonias in Antioquia. The frequency of the different types of dystonias, as well as the demographic characteristics of our patients, is similar to data from other populations of the world.
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Social Scheduling App Buffer Is Hacked, Pauses Service Temporarily
Buffer, the famous social media sharing and scheduling service has been hacked and all posts are temporarily paused. The company is currently investigating the nasty weight loss scam being posted on all social networks.
Did your Facebook, Twitter or any other social media account linked with Buffer is being flooded with a “Garcinia” fruit weight loss scam? If so, you have to delete your delete the Buffer app from your social media tools. It is because the social scheduling Buffer tool has been hacked.
The company officially confirms its hacking via its twitter account. An hour before, @buffer tweets, "Hi all. So sorry, it looks like we've been compromised. Temporarily pausing all posts as we investigate. We'll update ASAP."
Buffer CEO and founder, Joel Gascoigne, also confirmed the Buffer hacking via its twitter account. He said an hour before, "Looks like @buffer has been hacked and there is a nasty scam being posted. We’re pausing all posting and investigating right now. Sorry!"
As a result of this hacking, all posts are paused temporarily. But the social sharing service has not yet find out the reason behind this nasty scam. They are still investigating the situation. Gascoigne is sorry for the situation. In his recent tweet, he said, "We've stopped all posting from @buffer until we have got to the bottom of what caused this scam. Sorry once again. We're investigating."
But no such solution of this problem is yet found. The hacking issue is still under investigation. But you can do one thing until the company fixes the hacking issue. And that is to remove the Buffer account from your social media tools. Just like Facebook, that has removed the Buffer from all users' accounts and pulled its API keys for new users. However, Twitter has not yet taken any action. But you can save yourself by removing the app and changing passwords of social accounts linked with Buffer.
About I4U News
I4U News is daily News site for the Geek Mind. Expect the latest technology news including the juiciest rumors. Stay up to date with the biggest discoveries in science. Other featured news topics include cars, celebrities, movies and more. Read more.
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UK mobile phone network O2 has signed a deal that will see free WiFi rolled out across two key areas in London, in what it’s calling “the largest free wireless hub in Europe”.
O2 has signed deals with Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, giving residents and visitors to the area free WiFi Internet access on their mobile phones, laptops and tablets in what is being touted as a landmark deal.
The operator says the programme will run at no cost to the councils or taxpayers. The initiative underpins part of both councils’ plans to enhance the city’s digital reputation, and so that the millions of visitors have the best possible experience. The deal is particularly timely given that 2012 sees the city celebrate two major events – the Olympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. However, the deal isn’t a temporary one for the tourists, and will offer longer-term benefits to businesses and individuals alike.
The free WiFi will be available across Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea once the Metro wireless network is installed on the streets, and it will initially be rolled out in a limited number of areas before eventually arriving everywhere across the boroughs. O2 will begin installing the network this month.
O2 WiFi launched in January 2011 with the ambition to roll out free, fast and open WiFi, via strategic partnerships across the UK. We said at the time:
“…the operator wants to differ from its rivals by offering what it calls the first ‘truly free, public Wi-Fi platform’ in the UK, making it accessible to both its customers and any other person who wishes to use it.”
“This is a landmark achievement for Westminster; Westminster welcomes over a million tourists a day, is home to 250,000 residents, employs over half a million people and sees 4,000 business starts-ups each year,” says Cllr Philippa Roe, Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance at Westminster City Council. “Next summer’s Olympic Games mean that London will be putting on the biggest show on earth and as Westminster has a starring role, visitors to London will easily be able to share their pictures and updates of the Olympic events across social networking sites.”
Councillor Nicholas Paget-Brown, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, added: “I am very pleased that we have been able to come to this agreement and we look forward to working with O2. Residents and visitors having free access to the latest mobile technology will help us to continue to offer value for money for residents.”
This is a major development for London, and is indicative of what the UK will hopefully start seeing across the board in the years that follow – fast, ubiquitous, public WiFi Internet access.
“This ground-breaking deal – the first of its kind in the UK – will see us deliver high quality connectivity across London in time for London 2012,” says Derek McManus, Chief Operating Officer for O2. “Our longer-term aim is to expand our footprint of O2 Wifi, which is open to everyone, and also intelligently enhance our services at street level, where people need the network the most.”
Read next: Taiwan's AU Optronics settles patent dispute with Samsung
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World AIDS Day 2011: the beauty of apathy
Tej Azad | op-ed Submission
December 1, 2011
“Why should I care?” It is a very valid question and one that resonates throughout our campus. Whether the context is the HIV epidemic, the state of American public schools or the gross financial inequality in our country, our campus has come up with increasingly eloquent ways to ask this question. There is more stress and strife about housing selection, the lines in BD and speed of WUFI-S than there is about the issues that are, or are definitely going to be, of critical importance to our generation.
I have crystallized the moment that I was sitting on the couch taking in the NBC Nightly News story on the implications of AIDS on children in sub-Saharan Africa. I asked myself that apathetic question, “Why should I care?” However, I was fortunate enough to find the information that provided me with the means to combat this query. It is clear that we are now witnessing one of the most exciting periods in the campaign against HIV.
While HIV does not discriminate, it has a history of impacting marginalized populations. AIDS was first officially recognized in 1981 in the U.S., and in the context of fear and homophobia, the illness soon became known as G.R.I.D., Gay-Related Immune Deficiency, and often described as gay cancer. Since then, the epidemic in this country has shifted. It now disproportionately affects poorer and marginalized communities and people of color, particularly African Americans. This disease has come to affect individuals of all colors, sexual identities and walks of life.
HIV is an epidemic of global proportions and has direct relevance to our generation. Globally, young people ages 15-24 represent 45 percent of all new HIV infections. In the United States alone, the number of our peers, individuals under age 24, living with HIV amounts to 46,000. Taking all of these individuals and transporting them to St. Louis, you would have enough people to fill the Cardinals’ Busch Stadium to capacity.
However, the direct impact of AIDS on our generation is not solely due to the malevolent effects of the virus. This World AIDS Day signals the beginning of one of the most exciting time periods in HIV and AIDS awareness.
Last month, President Barack Obama lifted a 22-year-old ban on people living with HIV entering our country. This ban had prevented any major AIDS conference from taking place within our borders, due to the restrictions imposed against people living with HIV serving as delegates. However, the AIDS 2012 conference is taking place in Washington, D.C. this next summer and is expected to convene more than 20,000 delegates from nearly 200 countries.
Directly applicable to the excitement surrounding HIV awareness is the outcome of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that was published this last summer. This international research effort found that providing antiretroviral therapy, the medical treatment for HIV, reduced risk of transmitting HIV to another person by 96 percent. This effort, in conjunction with other policies recently outlined by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, provides us with the most realistic opportunity yet to end the global HIV epidemic.
I’m not asking you to drop your commitments. I don’t want you forget about medical/law/graduate school to become an AIDS activist. However, I do want you to realize that HIV is a real, pressing issue. This is one of the most important health issues of our generation and we have the opportunity to live through an exciting time that will hopefully change the course of this epidemic forever. I challenge you to be a part of history by taking action.
Taking action really isn’t that hard or time consuming. It takes different forms for different people. The first step for me was to educate myself on the issue. Education is a painless investment that would exponentially increase our generation’s ability to affect change. The biggest enemy of social action is apathy. The beauty of apathy is that it can be readily addressed, easily dismissed and expeditiously remedied. The end of the HIV epidemic is in sight for the first time since the epidemic’s onset. I ask you all to take the time to learn more about the epidemic so that you have a succinct answer when you’re confronted with the question, “Why should I care?”
To mark World AIDS Day, international AIDS charity AVERT is asking people to take the ‘AVERT AIDS Challenge’, an online, interactive game found at http://www.avert.org/world-aids-day.htm where people compete to learn more about HIV and AIDS. It’s quick, fun and easy to play or share with family, friends and colleagues using the internet. Take the Challenge!
Harald
Thank you for this very well-balanced airlcte. As a retired medical journalist who was working at the Sunday Times of Johannesburg at the very start of the AIDS-epidemic in South Africa, I have seen many colleagues, friends and contacts in the medical world, especially in the nursing profession, die of AIDS. Mbeki’s mishandling of this epidemic was only one aspect of the way this has been able to spread throughout Southern Africa, however. He contributed greatly to the problem because of his leadership in this regard, but I recall the press conferences I attended of the United Democratic Front before the ANC was unbanned, and where my colleagues and I increasingly started reasing the issue of HIV-AIDS with the comrades’. Often, we questioned why they opposed the very sound medical advice from the South African medical fraternity to promote condom use to prevent it from spreading. The standard answer from all of these leaders was always that it was a disease among white, homosexual men, and the recommended use of condoms as proclaimed by the white medical profession was a plot to reduce the black birth rates’. I still have some of these answers on tape recordings from those press conferences. My dismay only grew as this policy by the UDF and its political taskmaskers the ANC seemed to be set in concrete. And every step which has been taken by the ANC-leadership in regards to the HIV-AIDS epidemic, and now with the co-epidemic of drug-resistant Tuberculosis which now claims some 350,000 lives a year, all remained geared towards this denialist approach. There are several groups who are busy drawing up charges of crimes against humanity against specific members of the ANC in regards this terrible tragedy. Millions of people throughout southern Africa now are dying due to this, because the infections also could spread rapidly from South Africa after Mbeki basically threw open all the borders and effectively turned many neighbouring countries into new South African provinces. The last chapter about this horrible medical crisis won’t be written for many decades to come as countries are struggling to escape from the spiral of these two devastating co-epidemics and the socio-economic after-effects these are causing such as the feral young criminals who are roaming the country without any kind of parental supervision because their parents and guardians are all dead. Growing famine is only one side-effect now seen all across southern Africa. Yes, I have seen many people die of the combination of AIDS-TB. The latest friend I have had to mourn from afar was a fine woman I had seen at work as one of the best community-health nurses in the country, a dedicated, hard-working and well-educated woman. She died within two weeks of XDR-TB. She did NOT have AIDS. That’s the future staring all of Southern Africa in the face. It’s high time to stop debating’ the issue and start facing the fact that the entire sub-continent is being plunged into conditions worse than the Plague which decimated the European population so many centuries ago
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Moscow authorities will not authorize a new protest over the city's local elections planned for this weekend after organizers argued for a more central location. Opposition candidates have called for supporters to take to the streets for a third consecutive weekend to demand that the candidates be allowed to participate in local elections. Authorities had declared last Saturday's rally illegal, but thousands attended anyway, resulting in a heavy police crackdown and nearly 1,400 people detained.
Moscow City Hall had initially approved the next demonstrations to take place along the city's Garden Ring at Prospekt Sakharova, the head of Russia’s presidential human rights council told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency Monday. “The answer from the mayor’s office doesn’t suit us,” Russia’s Libertarian Party leader Mikhail Svetov tweeted Monday, lobbying for a more central location on Lubyanka Square. On Tuesday, Svetov said the party will “exit negotiations and stop mediation attempts between independent candidates and the authorities” if their proposed location is rejected. Organizers had offered three alternative locations ahead of a meeting with City Hall on Tuesday, according to a letter posted by Svetov. During the meeting, Svetov said that City Hall refused to consider any other locations, adding that the Libertarian Party had withdrawn its application to authorize the protest and that "the situation is out of our hands now." Svetov was detained as he exited the meeting and taken in an unknown direction, a spokesman for Moscow's Libertarian Party branch said.
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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The U.S. economy is likely to remain weak, but is not in a recession, economists for the Conference Board said Monday after announcing that the index of leading economic indicators rose a second straight month in April.
The index, which attempts to forecast turning points in the economy, rose 0.1% in April, matching March's gain after falling for the five prior months.
"These data certainly reflect a weak economy, but not one in recession," said Ken Goldstein, labor economist at the private research group. The small increases in March and April "could be a signal that the economy may not weaken further." Read the full report.
The leading index is down at a 2.3% annual pace in the past six months, better than the 4.7% annualized decline in the six months ending in January. Four of the 10 leading indicators are stronger over the past six months, the broadest strength since November.
The coincident index, which measures the current economy, was flat in April and is down at a 0.7% annual rate in the past six months. The coincident index has not risen since October. The four indicators in the coincident index are the same ones used by the National Bureau of Economic Research to judge whether the economy is in a recession.
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Hollywood actress-tuned political activist Jennifer Lawrence is the face of a new star-studded campaign called RepresentUs that seeks to “save” America from political corruption like gerrymandering and lobbying.
On Tuesday’s “CNN Tonight,” National Democratic Redistricting Committee Chairman and former Attorney General Eric Holder stated, “with regard to gerrymandering and voter suppression, you are seeing a minority in this country taking power that is not legitimately theirs.” Holder said
On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “New Day,” DNC Chairman Tom Perez commented on the special election in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District and stated that the district was “heavily gerrymandered” in favor of Republican candidate Troy Balderson, and “what won yesterday
A national poll conducted of 1,000 likely voters by McLaughlin & Associates and former Clinton pollster Dick Morris provided exclusively to Breitbart News shows support for President Trump and suspicion of the investigation of Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller.
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows that the Democratic Congressional Generic Ballot advantage has dropped to just four points — not even enough to overcome the inherent five point gerrymandering advantage Republicans have in the upcoming midterm elections.
Democratic Party strategist David ‘Mudcat’ Saunders, a veteran of John Edwards’ 2008 presidential campaign, talked about his support for Donald Trump with SiriusXM host Matt Boyle on Tuesday’s Breitbart News Daily.
Democrats are aghast that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump would declare our election system “rigged,” and that he declined to state in the third presidential debate whether he would accept the result if he loses in November.
Barack Obama returned to the scene of his national political debut nine years ago, but he excluded the public from a speech where he choose to scold his former home state and the nation on how to “build a better politics.”
In response to an anticipated ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States in Arizona State Legislature vs. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, which could very well strike down the creation of independent redistricting commissions in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, New Jersey and Washington State, two members of Congress from California, Repupblican Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Democrat Alan Lowenthal of Long Beach, yesterday introduced H.R. 2501, the Citizens’ Districts Preservation Act.
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The role of prostaglandin F2 alpha in byssinosis.
Female guinea pigs were perfused via the pulmonary artery with Tyrode's solution containing 0, 10(-6), 10(-5), or 10(-4) g/mL of lyophilized aqueous extracts of cotton dust. The perfusate was collected via the pulmonary vein and analyzed for prostaglandin F2 alpha, its metabolite 15-keto-13, 14-dihydro-prostaglandin F2 alpha and histamine. The histamine content of the pulmonary parenchyma was also analyzed. Prostaglandin F2 alpha, its metabolite, and the percentage of total histamine released increased in a dose related fashion and were significantly higher in the perfusate of the animals which had received the two highest doses than that of the controls. Since prostaglandin F2 alpha can increase airway resistance and bronchial smooth muscle contraction and decrease pulmonary tidal volume, its liberation into the respiratory system could play a role, along with histamine, in the acute bronchial constriction that follows the inhalation of cotton, flax, or hemp dust.
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Q:
.NET equivalent of Java's TreeSet.floor & TreeSet.ceiling
As an example, there's a Binary Search Tree which holds a range of values. Before adding a new value, I need to check if it already contains it's 'almost duplicate'. I have Java solution which simply performs floor and ceiling and further condition to do the job.
JAVA: Given a TreeSet, floor() returns the greatest element in this set less than or equal to the given element; ceiling() returns the least element in this set greater than or equal to the given element
TreeSet<Long> set = new TreeSet<>();
long l = (long)1; // anything
Long floor = set.floor(l);
Long ceil = set.ceiling(l);
C#: Closest data structure seems to be SortedSet<>. Could anyone advise the best way to get floor and ceil results for an input value?
SortedSet<long> set = new SortedSet<long>();
A:
You can use something like this. In Linq there is LastOrDefault method:
var floor = sortedSet.LastOrDefault(i => i < num);
// num is the number whose floor is to be calculated
if (! (floor < sortedSet.ElementAt(0)))
{
// we have a floor
}
else
// nothing is smaller in the set
{
}
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160 S.W.3d 103 (2005)
Chad Anthony SPLAWN, Appellant,
v.
The STATE of Texas, Appellee.
No. 06-03-00243-CR.
Court of Appeals of Texas, Texarkana.
Submitted September 13, 2004.
Decided February 1, 2005.
Rehearing Overruled March 29, 2005.
*106 Jeff Starnes, McLaughlin, Hutchison, Starnes & Biard, LLP, Paris, for appellant.
Gary L. Waite, Asst. Dist. Atty., Gary D. Young, Lamar County Dist. Atty., Paris, for appellee.
Before MORRISS, C.J., ROSS and CARTER, JJ.
OPINION
Opinion by Chief Justice MORRISS.
Life imprisonment, on each of the two charges[1] of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child, resulted from Chad Anthony Splawn's single jury trial.[2] None of Splawn's ten points of error attacks the sufficiency of the evidence, so we discuss the evidence only as necessary to address the points Splawn raises.
We affirm Splawn's conviction on both charges, affirm the mandatory life sentence on the aggravated sexual assault of a child conviction, and reverse his life sentence on the indecency with a child conviction, remanding the indecency sentence to the trial court for a new hearing on punishment. We reach that result because we hold that (A) the jury charge on range of punishment contained egregiously harmful error and thus requires a new punishment hearing; but (B) denying Splawn's motion for continuance was discretionary, (C) the State's notice regarding extraneous offenses was timely and adequate, (D) the location of the trial was proper, (E) the State's notice of enhancements was sufficient, (F) the State was not required to disclose Splawn's oral statements, (G) denying Splawn's challenges of venirepersons for cause was not error, and (H) denying Splawn's Batson challenges was not error.
A. Jury Charge on Range of Punishment Contained Egregiously Harmful Error
In his first two points of error, Splawn contends (1) that the jury charge contained a harmfully erroneous range of punishment for the indecency with a child *107 conviction and (2) that denying his motion for new trial asserting that error was, itself, error. Although the State argued at trial that Splawn's punishment on the indecency conviction was properly enhanced under TEX. PEN.CODE ANN. § 12.42(b) (Vernon Supp.2004-2005), the State now concedes this was incorrect because the previous offense was not a final conviction, but had instead been subject to community supervision.[3] The jury was thus erroneously charged that the range of punishment for the indecency conviction was five to ninety-nine years or life.
The trial objection made to this portion of the charge is focused on a claim of a lack of notice of the State's proposed enhancements and does not address the range of punishment error. Because Splawn did not object to the range-of-punishment error, the error is reversible only if it caused him egregious harm. See Cartwright v. State, 833 S.W.2d 134, 137 (Tex.Crim.App.1992) (applying Almanza analysis to error in charging range of punishment); see also Almanza v. State, 686 S.W.2d 157 (Tex.Crim.App.1985). In determining whether egregious harm occurred, we review the error in light of the entire jury charge, the state of the evidence, including the contested issues and the weight of probative evidence, the argument of counsel, and all other relevant evidence revealed by the record as a whole. Skinner v. State, 956 S.W.2d 532, 544 (Tex.Crim.App.1997) (quoting Almanza, 686 S.W.2d at 171).
Errors resulting in egregious harm are those that affect the very basis of the case, deprive the defendant of a valuable right, or vitally affect a defensive theory. Hutch v. State, 922 S.W.2d 166, 171 (Tex. Crim.App.1996) (citing Almanza, 686 S.W.2d at 171); Washington v. State, 59 S.W.3d 260, 265 (Tex.App.-Texarkana 2001, pet. ref'd).
In this case, the harm is obvious: Splawn was sentenced to life in prison for a charge on which he could properly have been sentenced to a maximum of only twenty years.
The State has suggested that we have the authority to reform the sentence from the maximum under the erroneous range to the maximum under the correct, lesser range, arguing this would obviously satisfy the intention of the jury. The general rule is that, if we have "the necessary data and evidence before [the court] for reformation, the judgment and sentence may be reformed on appeal." Banks v. State, 708 S.W.2d 460 (Tex.Crim.App. 1986). The State directs us to an unpublished case in which the court, without comment or analysis, reformed a maximum sentence under an incorrect range to the maximum sentence under the lesser range. See Crain v. State, No. 14-97-00234-CR, 1998 WL 418846, 1998 Tex.App. LEXIS 4478 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] July 23, 1998, no pet.) (not designated for publication). Crain relied on McCray v. State, 876 S.W.2d 214, 217 (Tex.App.-Beaumont 1994, no pet.), as authority. In McCray, the court, in a split opinion, concluded with little analysis that, because the trial court had sentenced McCray to the highest level available under the wrong range of punishment, it could reform that sentence to the highest level under the lower range.
Other courts have declined to apply that theory, and have reversed cases where a fact-finder was provided with the wrong *108 range of punishment and remanded the case to the trial court for a new punishment hearing. See Bailey v. State, 7 S.W.3d 721, 725 (Tex.App.-Corpus Christi 1999), vacated on other grounds, 38 S.W.3d 157 (Tex.Crim.App.2001); State v. Rowan, 927 S.W.2d 116 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1996, no pet.).
We conclude sentence reformation is not appropriate here. In each of the cases allowing reformation, only a single charge had been prosecuted. While we find reformation attractive when there is a single chargeif a fact-finder found the maximum punishment to be the right one under a high level felony, it would certainly find the maximum punishment proper under a lesser chargeit is problematic here.
This case is more complex because two different charges were involved, and the error may well have influenced the jury's assessment of punishment on the indecency charge. The erroneous range of punishment charged on the indecency conviction was communicated to the jury at the same time as the accurate charge concerning the mandatory life sentence for the enhanced assault conviction. The jury was charged that the indecency conviction was punishable with as much as a life sentence, the mandatory sentence on the other enhanced conviction. If the two offenses were worthy of equal maximum punishment, the jury could very easily have concluded they should, in fact, be equally punished. Because, in fact, the range of punishment for indecency with a child is substantially different from the life sentence mandated for aggravated sexual assault of a child, enhancedand because we cannot know how the jury might have assessed punishment on the indecency conviction, if correctly charged on that offensewe remand the indecency sentence to the trial court for another punishment hearing. See Flores v. State, 888 S.W.2d 187, 193 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1994, pet. ref'd).
B. Denying the Continuance Was Discretionary
In his third point of error, Splawn contends the court committed reversible error by failing to grant his first pretrial motion for continuance. The record shows that Splawn originally had appointed counsel, who was evidently replaced with retained counsel November 19, 2002. After at least one more delay from a March 24, 2003, trial setting, the retained counsel was allowed to withdraw July 3, 2003, and yet another attorney was appointed that same day. That attorney withdrew only six days later, and current counsel, Jeff Starnes, was appointed to represent Splawn. Starnes filed the motion for continuance August 14, 2003, and after a hearing August 19, the trial court denied the motion. Voir dire began September 8, and trial began the next day.
The trial court's ruling on a motion for continuance is reviewed for abuse of discretion. Heiselbetz v. State, 906 S.W.2d 500, 511 (Tex.Crim.App.1995); see TEX. CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. arts. 29.03, 29.06(6) (Vernon 1989). To establish an abuse of discretion, there must be a showing that the defendant was actually prejudiced by the denial of his motion. Janecka v. State, 937 S.W.2d 456, 468 (Tex.Crim.App.1996); Heiselbetz, 906 S.W.2d at 511.
As pointed out by the State, Starnes had represented Splawn for five weeks before filing the motion for continuance. At a hearing August 19, Starnes informed the trial court that he felt unprepared because he had not received previous counsel's file until August 12. He also pointed out that he was, at the same time, appointed counsel for another defendant whose trial was to begin shortly in that same court, and that the defendant in the other case could *109 not speak English, requiring a translator for all communications. Counsel also pointed out that his pretrial motions had not yet been ruled on, and that because of the situation he was not in a position to prepare adequately for trial.
The trial court considered that, as well as the facts that Splawn had already been in jail for 332 days and that his trial had been already delayed at least once. The court then noted that the previous delay had occurred because of the withdrawal of retained counsel on the eve of trial. After articulating concerns about the delays and their causes, the court decreed that the Splawn case would be tried first and that the other criminal matter would be delayed.
The situation was further complicated when the State, at the last minute, provided Splawn with a videotape as required by an extant discovery order. As a result, the trial court delayed trial yet another ten days. Thus, trial actually began September 9. Considering the length of time that had elapsed, the previous delay, and the last, ten-day delay of the trial, we cannot conclude the trial court abused its discretion by concluding that no additional delays should be permitted and that trial should commence as ordered. We find no error in the denial of the motion for continuance.
C. Notice Regarding Extraneous Offenses Was Timely and Adequate
In points of error four and five, Splawn contends the trial court erred in ruling the State had given timely and adequate notice of its intention to introduce evidence of extraneous offenses. On July 21, Splawn filed requests directed both to the trial court and to the State referencing Article 37.07 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and Rule 404 of the Texas Rules of Evidence, respectively, asking for immediate notice. On July 24, Splawn filed a similar request under Article 38.37 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. Each of the three requests served both as a request to the State and as a motion to the trial court asking for enforcement should the State be derelict in complying with the request. The three motions were formally granted by the trial court August 25, 2003.
The State provided notice August 21, 2003, listing five extraneous alleged offenses it intended to prove. All five were originally in the indictment and had been abandoned by the State. The August 21 list contains dates differing from those in the indictment. That list alleged that four of the five offenses occurred June 6, 2002, in contrast to the indictment's May 6, 2003, date. Thus, on August 26, the State filed an amended list setting out the correct date.
Voir dire in this case began September 8, 2003. Trial began the next day, September 9. We have recently acknowledged the presumption that notice of intent to enhance, given more than ten days before trial, is timely. McNatt v. State, 152 S.W.3d 645 (Tex.App.-Texarkana, 2004, pet. filed) (not designated for publication); Fairrow v. State, 112 S.W.3d 288, 295 (Tex.App.-Dallas 2003, no pet.). In this case, even if we calculate from the later date, over ten days elapsed from the date of notice to the beginning of the trial. Notice was timely.
But Splawn also asserts that the State's notice regarding extraneous offenses was inadequate, in that the State provided insufficient details of the extraneous offenses to allow him to adequately prepare for trial. The two latest amended notices, filed August 26, 2003, each disclosed five alleged offenses which had not resulted in *110 a conviction.[4] Each of the alleged offenses was disclosed by including information on the name or classification of the alleged offense, the date of its alleged commission, the county in which it was allegedly committed, its alleged victim, and finally a reference that it was "separate (abandoned) count" followed by an associated number. Splawn portrays that last reference as vague, but we disagree. The references clearly refer to numbered counts of the indictment, which counts had been subsequently abandoned but which the State wished to use as evidence at trial.[5]
Splawn specifically complains about the notices' confusion of dates and their lack of specificity regarding how each alleged offense was committed. We address first the date component, then the disclosure concerning how each alleged offense was committed.
While there was admittedly some initial confusion in the trial court about the various alleged offenses and their dates, that does not negate the fact that the latest amended notices of August 26, 2003, which we have already concluded were timely, clearly set out a date for each alleged offense. Therefore, the notices' dates of offense were sufficiently stated.
The substance of the alleged offenses were adequately noticed, as well. In addition to the other related information about each offenseomitted herethe notice specified the five alleged offenses by name or classification of offense and by reference to specific counts of the indictment:
OFFENSE [A]: Indecency With A Child (by exposure)
...
STATUS OF CHARGE: charged as separate (abandoned) count six
...
OFFENSE [B]: Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Childsexual contact ("cause the anus of [J.H.] to contact the sexual organ of the defendant")
...
STATUS OF CHARGE: charged as separate (abandoned) count two
...
OFFENSE [C]: Indecency With A Child (by exposure)
...
STATUS OF CHARGE: charged as separate (abandoned) count seven
...
OFFENSE [D]: Indecency With A Child (by contact)
...
STATUS OF CHARGE: charged as separate (abandoned) count five
...
OFFENSE [E]: Indecency With A Child (by contact)
...
STATUS OF CHARGE: charged as separate (abandoned) count three
As to each noticed alleged offense, the named offense completely matched with the details set out by the referenced count of the indictment:
*111
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| | | Indictment | |
| | Offense | Count | Offense as Described by |
| | as Specified in the Notice | Referenced | Referenced Indictment Count |
| | | in Notice | |
|---|-------------------------------|-------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| A | Indecency With A Child (by | count six | "on or about [May 6, 2002], ... did then |
| | exposure) | | and there, ... expose [Splawn's] genitals, |
| | | | knowing that [J.H.] ... was present" |
|---|-------------------------------|-------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| B | Aggravated Sexual Assault | count two | "on or about [May 6, 2002], ... did then |
| | of a Child-sexual contact | | and there, ... cause the anus of [J.H.] ... to |
| | ("cause the anus of [J.H.] to | | contact the sexual organ of" Splawn |
| | contact the sexual organ of | | |
| | the defendant") | | |
|---|-------------------------------|-------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| C | Indecency With A Child (by | count seven | "on or about [May 6, 2002], ... did then |
| | exposure) | | and there, ... expose [Splawn's] genitals, |
| | | | knowing that [J.H.] ... was present" |
|---|-------------------------------|-------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| D | Indecency With A Child (by | count five | "on or about [May 6, 2002], ... did then |
| | contact) | | and there, ... engage in sexual contact with |
| | | | [J.H.] by touching the genitals of" J.H. |
|---|-------------------------------|-------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| E | Indecency With A Child (by | count three | "on or about [August 15, 2002], ... did |
| | contact) | | then and there, ... engage in sexual contact |
| | | | with [J.H.] by touching the genitals of" J.H. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That is ample detail to give Splawn notice of the alleged offenses.
In asserting the inadequacy of notice, Splawn invokes three different notice requirements, Article 37.07, Section 3(g), and Article 38.37, Section 3, of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, and Rule 404(b) of the Texas Rules of Evidence. We address each in turn.
Article 37.07, Section 3(g)applicable to evidence introduced during the punishment phase of trialprovides that notice of alleged offenses that have "not resulted in a final conviction in a court of record or a probated or suspended sentence" must include the date and county of the occurrence and the name of the alleged victim. Tex.Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 37.07, § 3(g) (Vernon Supp.2004-2005). If referencing the indictment is proper, each of the noticed alleged offenses provides the information required by Article 37.07, Section 3(g).[6]
Article 38.37, Section 3, of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and Rule 404(b) of the Texas Rules of Evidence apply regarding evidence introduced during the guilt/innocence phase of trial. Article 38.37, Section 3, provides that its required notice is to be given in the same manner as notice under Texas Rule of Evidence 404(b). Tex.Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 38.37, § 3 (Vernon Supp.2004-2005); Tex.R. Evid. 404(b). Neither Article 38.37, Section 3, nor Rule 404(b), specify what information must be included for a notice to be reasonable. But the purpose of at least Rule 404(b) is to avoid surprise. Cole v. State, 987 S.W.2d 893, 897 (Tex. App.-Fort Worth 1998, pet. ref'd); Self v. *112 State, 860 S.W.2d 261, 264 (Tex.App.-Fort Worth 1993, pet. ref'd); see Hayden v. State, 66 S.W.3d 269, 271 (Tex.Crim.App. 2001). That is essentially the purpose of Article 37.07, Section 3(g). Roman v. State, 986 S.W.2d 64, 67 (Tex.App.-Austin 1999, pet. ref'd); Nance v. State, 946 S.W.2d 490, 493 (Tex.App.-Fort Worth 1997, pet. ref'd). We see no reason why the type of information, or the level of detail in that information, required under any of the three provisions to make a notice sufficient, should be appreciably different, except for the obvious difference between, on one hand, a cause number and county and date of conviction, where there has been a conviction, and, where an offense has not resulted in a conviction, "the date and county of the occurrence and the name of the alleged victim," as required by Article 37.07, Section 3(g). See Tex.Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 37.07, § 3(g).
A notice's reference to other written material available to defense counsel is adequate notice, if it is reasonably calculated to draw defense counsel's attention to an extraneous offense described in the referenced material. See Roman, 986 S.W.2d at 67. The State's notice in this case, referring Splawn's counsel to specified numbered counts in the indictment to provide the additional detail therein disclosed, is sufficient notice, since the descriptions of the offenses as set out in the referenced counts of the indictment contain sufficient informationnotifying Splawn of the allegations that he exposed his genitals in J.H.'s presence, that he caused his penis to contact J.H.'s anus, and that he touched J.H.'s genitals. The notice as to each extraneous offense gave information, either in the notice itself or by reference to a specific numbered count of the indictment, sufficient to allow Splawn to prepare for trial. Notice was therefore not only timely, but adequate.
D. Location of Trial Was Proper
Splawn's sixth point of error contends the trial court erred by holding the trial in the Police Athletic League (PAL) building. The facility is a designated auxiliary court facility. See Tex. Loc. Gov't Code Ann. § 292.004 (Vernon 1999). Splawn argues he was harmed because it is a location where children and police intersect, because the PAL emblem on the outside of the building reflects its purpose, and because groups of children typically were found in the hallways leading to the courtroom and jury room. He provides no legal argument under this contention of error. We are not convinced that error is shown by holding the trial in a sanctioned facility. Further, even if some error could be said to exist, the existence of a symbol involving children does not of itself show harm under these facts, and the existence of children in hallways is reflective of life in general. Under these facts, no harm appears. We overrule this contention of error.
E. Notice of Enhancements Was Sufficient
Splawn's seventh point of error asserts error in the enhancement charge's inclusion of an enhancement not incorporated into the indictment. He contends that pleading enhancement allegations in the indictment is not only the "traditional" method of achieving that purpose, but also that it is implicitly required by the Texas Constitution. As pointed out by the State, this contention was disposed of by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Brooks v. State, 957 S.W.2d 30, 33 (Tex.Crim.App. 1997), which held that, despite prior cases holding to the contrary, enhancements need not be pled in the indictment, though noting that it is perhaps preferable to do so. This contention is without merit.
*113 F. Disclosing Splawn's Oral Statements Was Not Required
In his eighth point of error, Splawn contends that the court erred by allowing the State to introduce statements allegedly made by Splawn that were not turned over to defense counsel before trial. The pretrial order entered by the court requires the State to make a list of materials available "for inspection, photographing, photocopying and duplication," including all "confessions, statements and res gestae statements purportedly made by the Defendant...." The order requires to be turned over to the defense, no later than 10:00 a.m. on the 28th day after entry of the order and on written demand, as much of such information and materials as are under the control of the State.
Splawn complains because the State, on the Friday before jury selection began, gave oral notice of the existence of an oral admission by Splawn to the parents of J.H. Splawn argues that this is a clear failure to comply with the order. We disagree. The order is not directed generally at all potential testimony of witnesses, and does not require the State to create and then provide documentation of their prospective oral testimony. Oral comments, not in written form in the State's possession, uttered by Splawn to third parties, are not matters within the possession, custody, or control of the State. The State cannot be faulted for failing to produce them. We overrule this contention of error.
G. Denying Challenges of Venirepersons for Cause Was Not Error
Splawn's ninth point of error attacks the trial court's denial of Splawn's challenges for cause against venirepersons numbered six, twelve, forty-four, and forty-six, which he states forced him to accept jurors that would otherwise have been unacceptable.
When reviewing a trial court's decision to grant or deny a challenge for cause, we are to look at the entire record to determine if there is sufficient evidence to support the court's ruling. Sells v. State, 121 S.W.3d 748, 759 (Tex.Crim.App. 2003). We give great deference to the trial court's decision because the trial judge is present to observe the demeanor of the venireperson and to listen to the tone of voice. Id. We have been directed to give particular deference when the potential juror's answers are vacillating, unclear, or contradictory. Feldman v. State, 71 S.W.3d 738, 744 (Tex.Crim.App.2002); King v. State, 29 S.W.3d 556, 568 (Tex. Crim.App.2000). In our review, we look to see if the trial court abused its discretion in denying a defendant's challenges for cause. Murphy v. State, 112 S.W.3d 592, 600 (Tex.Crim.App.2003).
We address each challenged venireperson in turn.
Juror six, Mr. Glenn, had written in a juror questionnaire that, if a person was not guilty, he would take the stand to tell his side of the story, and stated that a person charged with molesting a child should have to prove his innocence "without a doubt." In a more extended discussion, he went on to explain that he could balance the evidence and would require the defense to put on evidence. However, when the State questioned him, he gave answers agreeing that a defendant did not have to put on evidence, because the State had to prove guilt. On requestioning by defense counsel, he again flip-flopped, agreeing that, regardless of what the law says, he believed an accused child molester should have to prove his or her innocence. He then stated, however, that he could put that "in the back of his head, gone." This is a situation where a venireperson vacillated, depending on which counsel was questioning him. See Feldman, 71 S.W.3d *114 at 744. In such a situation, we must defer to the trial court's determination.
Juror twelve, Mr. Jones, a retired Texas Department of Public Safety officer who worked with the officer in the sheriff's office who had investigated this case, said that he would perhaps tend to give an officer's testimony the benefit of the doubt as opposed to someone he did not know and that he knew the woman who had interviewed the child. He also stated that he would try his best to set those factors aside and decide the case based on the evidence, and that he would follow the law as stated by the judge. His statements are not of the type that remove this decision from the trial court's discretion.
Juror forty-four, Mr. White, stated that a child would not make a statement about molestation unless it happened, and that he believed the majority of the time a child would "tell it just like it is...." As with juror six, his answers about whether the defendant should testify in his own defense vacillated. Yet he did state at one point that it would not influence him. We likewise hold that the decision in this case was within the range of discretion available to the court.
Juror forty-six, Mrs. Walters, stated on her questionnaire her belief that, if a child made such an accusation, it was probably true, that a person accused of a bad crime should let his or her point of view be heard, and that it would help if the defendant would testify. However, she also stated in response to questions by the State that, if the State failed to prove its case, she would have to find the defendant not guilty. And she finally settled on the statement that, if the defendant did not testify, she would not hold it against him or her, and would decide the case solely based on the evidence she heard. The court had the authority to sort out the contradictory and unclear answers of the vernireperson in the exercise of its discretionary authority.
We overrule this contention of error.
H. Denying Splawn's Batson Challenges Was Not Error
Splawn's tenth and final point of error contends the trial court erred in overruling his Batson challenges. His contention is based on a claim that the State had exercised its peremptory challenges on the basis of gender. In each of the seven strikes exercised by the State, it struck a male. Under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, a litigant may not exercise a peremptory challenge based on the juror's gender, J.E.B. v. Alabama ex. rel. T.B., 511 U.S. 127, 114 S.Ct. 1419, 128 L.Ed.2d 89 (1994), ethnicity, Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 111 S.Ct. 1859, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991), or race, Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986); Guzman v. State, 85 S.W.3d 242, 245 (Tex.Crim. App.2002).
In our review, we examine the genuineness instead of the reasonableness of the State's asserted nonracial motive for peremptorily striking each veniremember. Gibson v. State, 144 S.W.3d 530, 534 (Tex. Crim.App.2004). We are then to apply a "clearly erroneous" standard of appellate review to a trial court's ruling on a Batson claim. This highly deferential standard is applied because the trial court is in the best position to determine whether a prosecutor's facially race- or gender-neutral explanation for a peremptory strike is genuine. See Jasper v. State, 61 S.W.3d 413, 421-22 (Tex.Crim.App.2001) (race).
When the Batson challenge was raised, the State worked its way down the list and attempted to provide a reason for each strike. Splawn complains on appeal about two of them, Steven Edward Philip and *115 Tommy Clyde Lane. The State's reasons for striking those two veniremembers, while not terribly thorough, are gender neutral:
Steven Edward Philip, I really can't recall my reasons on that one. I struck him from the previous case last week and basically from that same feeling, although I don't have my records on that from last week. Tommy Clyde Lane was based on his answers. Let me look at it real quick. He indicated he had a bad check and I had a question on whether or not that resulted in a conviction, and I forgot to ask him that when he was up here. If I'm not mistaken, I think he also indicated that he knew one of the witnesses and I wasn't sure how he knew him and it seemed like it might be negative.
There is no requirement that the reasons for exercising a peremptory challenge be good ones. In fact, a peremptory challenge is, by definition, one exercised without giving a good reason. The United States Constitution requires only that there be something articulated to show that the exercise was not based on a constitutionally forbidden categorization, such as race, ethnic background, or gender. That standard has been met. The State gave reasons, and they were not reasons that are constitutionally prohibited. That is all that is required. There is no showing that the trial court's ruling was clearly erroneous. We overrule this contention of error.
We affirm both of Splawn's convictions, affirm the mandatory life sentence on the assault conviction, and reverse and remand his sentence on the indecency conviction to the trial court for a new punishment hearing.
NOTES
[1] The sentences were set to run concurrently.
[2] The aggravated sexual assault conviction was for engaging in oral sex with an eleven-year-old boy, while the indecency conviction was for touching the boy's genitals.
[3] TEX. PEN.CODE ANN. § 12.42(c)(2) (Vernon Supp.2004-2005) permits enhancement of a sentence for aggravated sexual assault under Section 22.021 even if the prior prosecution resulted in a probated sentence rather than a final conviction. See TEX. PEN.CODE ANN. § 12.42(g)(1) (Vernon Supp.2004-2005).
[4] One of the two notices also gave notice of two prior felonies, by classification or name of the offense, the date of offense, the county of offense, and the case number. That those details are insufficient is not argued by Splawn.
[5] The State had originally obtained an indictment on two aggravated sexual assault countsnumbered one and two in the original indictmentand five indecency countsnumbered three through seven. Before trial and before the notices in question, the State had dropped counts two, three, five, six, and seven, and retained counts one and four for prosecution.
[6] We note that Splawn has made a similar argument about Article 37.07, Section 3(g), notice before, with equal success. See Splawn v. State, 949 S.W.2d 867, 871 (Tex. App.-Dallas 1997, no pet.).
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Comments on: The purpose of the Obama tax increases is to reward Obama’s cronieshttp://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2013/01/04/the-purpose-of-the-obama-tax-increases-is-to-reward-obamas-cronies/
Just a blogger. Since 2003.Fri, 16 Sep 2016 17:01:13 +0000hourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1By: Rand Paul Running for President and Weekend Links!http://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2013/01/04/the-purpose-of-the-obama-tax-increases-is-to-reward-obamas-cronies/#comment-953566
Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:24:34 +0000http://sistertoldjah.com/?p=49069#comment-953566[…] at Sister Toldjah is blogging about “The purpose of the Obama tax increases is to reward Obama’s […]
]]>By: Drew the Infidelhttp://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2013/01/04/the-purpose-of-the-obama-tax-increases-is-to-reward-obamas-cronies/#comment-953556
Sat, 05 Jan 2013 21:23:18 +0000http://sistertoldjah.com/?p=49069#comment-953556The low credit score being a deal breaker is an obvious sign of there being an ulterior motive involved. Besides, a low credit score is one’s best protection against identity theft; no one will want to be you.
]]>By: Carloshttp://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2013/01/04/the-purpose-of-the-obama-tax-increases-is-to-reward-obamas-cronies/#comment-953503
Sat, 05 Jan 2013 15:06:57 +0000http://sistertoldjah.com/?p=49069#comment-953503@Neo: Yeah, and about forty states, most bigger cities, nearly the entire state of Kalifornia and all its bigger towns, …
If the rating services were being honest about governments (top to bottom) they’d either have to move out of the country or be persecuted into bankruptcy by this administration (and all its enablers, like Congress, voters, etc.)
Question: I wonder what the tipping point of Obhammed’s illegal “Executive Fiat” campaign will be before the public wakes up and realizes what a fascist society we have allowed ourselves to become?
Her musings were suddenly interrupted when her date asked a decidedly unromantic question: “What’s your credit score?”
“It was as if the music stopped,” Ms. LaShawn, 31, said, recalling how the date this year went so wrong so quickly after she tried to answer his question honestly. “It was really awkward because he kept telling me that I was the perfect girl for him, but that a low credit score was his deal-breaker.”
If the US government was trying to date, it would be destined to be a spinster.
]]>By: Drew the Infidelhttp://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2013/01/04/the-purpose-of-the-obama-tax-increases-is-to-reward-obamas-cronies/#comment-953466
Sat, 05 Jan 2013 10:19:05 +0000http://sistertoldjah.com/?p=49069#comment-953466This is the way it has always been with this administration with worthless pursuits like Solyndra which was (notice the past tense) a crony operation. And the “saving” of GM, tossing the lion’s share to the unions? GM is no longer an auto manufacturer but a health care organization which cannot sell vehicles fast enough to pay for it.
“What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered.”–Eccl. 1-15
]]>By: Robinhttp://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2013/01/04/the-purpose-of-the-obama-tax-increases-is-to-reward-obamas-cronies/#comment-953441
Sat, 05 Jan 2013 03:25:53 +0000http://sistertoldjah.com/?p=49069#comment-953441You nailed it. One of the things I constantly repeat to my teenage daughter as she navigates the world: Dont listen to their words. Watch what they do. It both amazes and horrifies me to watch so many deceived. I pray for them to open their eyes.
]]>By: Carloshttp://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2013/01/04/the-purpose-of-the-obama-tax-increases-is-to-reward-obamas-cronies/#comment-953439
Sat, 05 Jan 2013 03:25:16 +0000http://sistertoldjah.com/?p=49069#comment-953439You used different words than I would have, GWR, but you said the same thing I was prepared to rant about. I even had the quote already queued and ready to go!
]]>By: Great White Rathttp://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2013/01/04/the-purpose-of-the-obama-tax-increases-is-to-reward-obamas-cronies/#comment-953437
Sat, 05 Jan 2013 03:15:50 +0000http://sistertoldjah.com/?p=49069#comment-953437
In other words, Obama doesn’t give a damn about shrinking the deficit in the least;
No, really????
What you’re missing is the central premise here: he, like all leftists, cares about one thing and one thing only: power. To get that power, he thinks he needs to subsidize his cronies, but it’s also necessary to reduce the population to a mass of sniveling sheep totally dependent on the government for everything. And that requires tons of handouts and a huge entitlement-inspired debt. You think the Obamaphones grow on trees? Hey, transforming America into a mind-numbed collection of zombies who think The State is responsible for providing everything they want costs a bundle!
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Betdata.io chart of movement on the Betfair exchange
From 2nd favourite to a longshot in just a couple of days
The big political news over the weekend has been the the reaction to Michael Gove’s statement that he had in the past taken cocaine. Although other runners for TMay’s job have made similar admissions about their drug-taking pasts the Gove one has had the biggest impact. Maybe this is because it was about cocaine.
I wonder whether this will all blow over or whether he really is out of the race.
The current Johnson strategy is to keep himself at all costs away from doing TV interviews with all the risk that would involve of him making a gaffe. He only needs to sustain this for the next fortnight and he could end up with being one of the two on the ballot that goes to members.
For me the contender that has most impressed has been Rory Stewart and I thought the way he was ready to take on Johnson over some of his comments was smart. But he is very much an outsider and however well he was making his points he doesn’t get the attention of some of the others.
Mike Smithson
Follow @MSmithsonPB
Tweet
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Adverse effects of intraperitoneal fluorouracil in patients with optimal residual ovarian cancer after second-look laparotomy: a Gynecologic Oncology Group Study.
Twenty-seven patients with ovarian cancer who had failed combination chemotherapy were offered intraperitoneal (IP) fluorouracil (5-FU) as salvage therapy in an attempt to ascertain the efficacy of such a therapeutic method. All patients had minimal residual epithelial cancer. The median number of treatment cycles was six. Major problems with dialysate inflow and egress occurred in ten patients and required discontinuation of therapy. An additional ten patients experienced hematologic toxicity with a median nadir WBC of 2,300/microL. Therapy was altered but not discontinued because of this complication. Other adverse sequelae, such as abdominal pain, were manageable with medication. IP 5-FU is technically feasible on a multiinstitutional basis in residual ovarian cancer, but its therapeutic role remains to be defined.
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Browse For Large And Complete Collections Of Conns Bedroom Sets For Your Home Bedroom Furniture Recommendations
These wide range American Freight bedrooms sets can be obtained in highly interesting affordable prices. Each of bedroom set collection comprises bedroom furniture essentials such as headboards, dressers, chests, nightstand, and ...
Organizing Your Intimates And Small Clothing Items In These Functional And Decorative Dressers And Chests From Younkers Furniture Bedroom Storage Collections
Keep your private sleeping space in well-organize state by adding Younkers Furniture of bedroom storage collections – dressers and chests. You will see that these bedroom storage ideas are crafted in ...
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Q:
Java - static factory method and switch statements
I am dealing with a set of message objects, each of which has a unique identifier corresponding to them. Each message can be constructed either from a Map, or from a ByteBuffer (the messages are binary, but we know how to transfer to and from a binary representation).
The current implementation for constructing these messages is roughly as follows:
public static Message fromMap(int uuid, Map<String, Object> fields) {
switch (uuid) {
case FIRST_MESSAGE_ID:
return new FirstMessage(fields);
.
.
.
default:
// Error
return null;
}
}
public static Message fromByteBuffer(int uuid, ByteBuffer buffer) {
switch (uuid) {
case FIRST_MESSAGE_ID:
return new FirstMessage(buffer);
.
.
.
default:
// Error
return null;
}
}
Now, Josh Bloch's Effective Java talks about Item 1: Consider static factory methods instead of constructors, and this seems to be a place where this pattern is useful (clients don't directly access the constructors of the Message subtypes; instead they go through this method). But I do not like the fact that we have to remember to keep two switch statements updated (violates the DRY principle).
I would appreciate any insight into the best way to accomplish this; we're not caching objects (each call to fromMap or fromByteBuffer will return a new object), which negates some of the benefit of using a static factory method like this. Something about this code strikes me as wrong, so I would love to hear the community's thoughts on whether this is a valid way to construct new objects, or if not what a better solution would be.
A:
Maybe you could create an interface MessageFactory and implementations of it:
public interface MessageFactory {
Message createMessage(Map<String, Object> fields);
Message createMessage(ByteBuffer buffer);
}
public class FirstMessageFactory implements MessageFactory {
public Message createMessage(Map<String, Object> fields){
return new FirstMessage(fields);
}
public Message createMessage(ByteBuffer buffer){
return new FirstMessage(buffer);
}
}
next, a method getFactoryFromId in the same class as the methods above:
public static MessageFactory getMessageFactoryFromId(int uuid){
switch (uuid) {
case FIRST_MESSAGE_ID:
return new FirstMessageFactory();
...
default:
// Error
return null;
}
}
However, instead of this, it is better to create a Hashmap containing the ids and the factories, so you don't have to create a new Factory object everytime you are creating a message. See also the comment below.
and your methods:
public static Message fromMap(int uuid, Map<String, Object> fields) {
getMessageFactoryFromId(uuid).createMessage(fields);
}
public static Message fromByteBuffer(int uuid, ByteBuffer buffer) {
getMessageFactoryFromId(uuid).createMessage(buffer);
}
This way, you are using the factory pattern, and there is no need to have two times the same switch statement.
(didn't test this, so possibly some compile-errors/typos)
A:
If you have your objects implement an interface declaring factory methods like:
public Message newInstance(Map<String, Object> fields);
public Message newInstance(ByteBuffer buffer);
in a static nested class, your factory can create a Map containing factory objects indexed by the uuid:
Map map = new HashMap();
map.put(Integer.valueOf(FirstMessage.UUID), new FirstMessage.Factory());
and replace your switches by map lookup:
public static Message fromMap(int uuid, Map<String, Object> fields) {
Factory fact = map.get(Integer.valueOf(uuid));
return (null == fact) ? null : fact.newInstance(fields);
}
public static Message fromByteBuffer(int uuid, ByteBuffer buffer) {
Factory fact = map.get(Integer.valueOf(uuid));
return (null == fact) ? null : fact.newInstance(buffer);
}
this can easily be extended to support other construction methods.
A:
tem 1: Consider static factory methods instead of constructors
You're doing that already by hiding the constructor behind that factory method, so there is no need to add another factory method here.
So you can do it with a Factory interface and a map. ( Basically what everyone is saying already, but with the difference, that you can inline the factories using inner classes )
interface MessageFactory {
public Message createWithMap( Map<String,Object> fields );
public Message createWithBuffer( ByteBuffer buffer );
}
Map<MessageFactory> factoriesMap = new HashMap<MessageFactory>() {{
put( FIRST_UUID, new MessageFactory() {
public Message createWithMap( Map<String, Object> fields ) {
return new FirstMessage( fields );
}
public Message createWithBuffer( ByteBuffer buffer ){
return new FirstMessage( buffer );
}
} );
put( SECOND_UUID, new MessageFactory(){
public Message createWithMap( Map<String, Object> fields ) {
return new SecondMessage( fields );
}
public Message createWithBuffer( ByteBuffer buffer ){
return new SecondMessage( buffer );
}
} );
put( THIRD_UUID, new MessageFactory(){
public Message createWithMap( Map<String, Object> fields ) {
return new ThirdMessage( fields );
}
public Message createWithBuffer( ByteBuffer buffer ){
return new ThirdMessage( buffer );
}
} );
...
}};
And your invocations will turn into:
public static Message fromMap(int uuid, Map<String, Object> fields) {
return YourClassName.factoriesMap.get( uuid ).createWithMap( fields );
}
public static Message fromByteBuffer(int uuid, ByteBuffer buffer) {
return YourClassName.factoriesMap.get(uuid).createWithBuffer( buffer );
}
Because the uuid used for the switch is used as key for the factories.
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Although there was no agreement reached between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un at their summit in Vietnam on denuclearization by the North, we shouldn’t write off the possibility of an agreement in the future.
One reason for this is that Kim may not even need a nuclear deterrent any more. He’s got a stunning weapon that’s not even on the negotiating table: cyber, and an army of 6,000 hackers supported by China.
North Korea set up its first cyberunit in 1998. Back then, they weren’t that good; U.S. military officials scoffed that North Korea was the only country without a laptop.
TRUMP WASN'T PREPARED TO LIFT US SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA LEADING TO SUMMIT'S ABRUPT END: 'SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WALK'
But that started to change in 2009 when North Korea launched 77 denial-of-service attacks on South Korean and U.S. government sites. Kim Jong Un came to power in 2011 and upgraded cyber programs, just like he did with missile tests and nuclear blasts.
Now, North Korea’s hackers specialize in malware and electronic currency theft. Their military units are also configured for attacks on power plants and other networked infrastructure.
In 2014, North Korea hacked Sony Pictures when the studio made the North Korean dictator spoof movie “The Interview.” Out came unreleased movies, executive salaries, personal data, financial spreadsheets, and some really embarrassing emails. Sony Pictures executives gossiped about Angelina Jolie, Kevin Hart and President Obama.
That was just a preview. In 2016, North Korea stole $81 million from Bangladesh Bank. It was the largest cybertheft ever, according to the FBI. And they kept going. By 2018, the FBI found North Korea’s attempted heists totaled close to $1 billion. (Note: The FBI caught the hacker using the same 23-character password in multiple break-ins with just one number switched.)
North Korea also attacked Lockheed Martin during 2016-2017. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the missile interceptor called Theater High Altitude Air Defense System (THAAD) which protects South Korea, among other places.
In 2017, the WannaCry 2.0 ransomware attacks paralyzed hospitals in Britain and hit the Central District Court system in California. The first wave held crucial network files hostage until managers sent money to restore access. Over 100 countries were affected. The third and most evil version of WannaCry was a worm that spread itself and simply encrypted files, with no recourse. The FBI indicted a North Korean hacker for all the attacks.
To be clear, this is state-sponsored cyberterrorism. The North Korean hacking squad numbers at least 6,000 people in six different divisions focused on state infrastructure, banks and defense technology, according to a Voice of America report.
Last fall the FBI rolled it all up in a 179-page indictment. The scale and scope of North Korea’s cybercrimes “is staggering and offensive to all who respect the rule of law and the cyber norms accepted by responsible nations,” said John Demers, assistant attorney general for national security.
You could dismiss all that hacking and highway robbery. But hear from Sue Gordon, principal deputy director of national intelligence: “North Korea poses a significant threat not just because of its emergent nuclear capability and missile arsenal, but its stunning capability in cyber,” she said at a recent symposium.
The progress in cyber may have to be dealt with another day. For now, it strengthens the case for denuclearization. De-nuking is a fantastic business opportunity for North Korea.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Make no mistake, North Korea remains a nasty problem. It’s terrible how far Kim Jong Un developed cyber after he took over in 2011. And China has helped significantly.
With cyber in his back pocket, perhaps Kim Jong Un will be ready at some future point to take big steps toward denuclearization.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE BY REBECCA GRANT
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Filing Deadlines for Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Are you a foreign studentAs a nonimmigrantAn alien who seeks temporary entry to the United States for a specific purpose. The alien must have a permanent residence abroad (for most classes of admission) and qualify for the nonimmigrant classification sought. The nonimmigrant classifications include: foreign government officials, visitors for business and for pleasure, aliens in transit through the United States, treaty traders and investors, students, international representatives, temporary workers and trainees, representatives of foreign information media, exchange visitors, fiance(e)s of U.S. citizens, intracompany transferees, NATO officials, religious workers, and some others. Most nonimmigrants can be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children. class of admissionEntry to the United States, authorized by a U.S. immigration inspector, part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHSThe mission of the Department of Homeland Security -The many men and women who daily protect our borders and secure our country are committed to the safety of our homeland. DHS is now responsible for immigration and naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth.. Visit the DHS web site for more information.). When you come from abroad and first arrive in the U.S, the visa allows you to travel to the port-of entry and request permission to enter the U.S. Admission or entering the U.S., by non-United States citizens must be authorized by a U.S. Immigration inspector at the port-of- entry, who determines whether you can enter and how long you can stay here, on any particular visit. If you are allowed to enter, how long you can stay is and the immigration classification you are given, is shown as a recorded date or Duration of Status (D/S) on Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record, or Form I-94W, if arriving on the Visa Waiver Program. If you want to stay longer than the date authorized, you must request permission of the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Go to the USCIS Internet web site to learn more.
, an alienAny person not a citizen or nationalA person owing permanent allegiance to a state of the United States. coming temporarily to the United States to pursue a full course of study in an approved program in either an academic (college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, other institution, or language training program) or a vocational or other recognized nonacademic institution. applying for postAmerican Embassy, consulate or other diplomatic mission abroad. Not all American embassies, consulates and missions are visa-issuing posts.-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT)? Are you wondering what filing deadlines exist for your case?
There are several deadlines to consider in handling an OPT application. A studentAs a nonimmigrantAn alien who seeks temporary entry to the United States for a specific purpose. The alien must have a permanent residence abroad (for most classes of admission) and qualify for the nonimmigrant classification sought. The nonimmigrant classifications include: foreign government officials, visitors for business and for pleasure, aliens in transit through the United States, treaty traders and investors, students, international representatives, temporary workers and trainees, representatives of foreign information media, exchange visitors, fiance(e)s of U.S. citizens, intracompany transferees, NATO officials, religious workers, and some others. Most nonimmigrants can be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children. class of admissionEntry to the United States, authorized by a U.S. immigration inspector, part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHSThe mission of the Department of Homeland Security -The many men and women who daily protect our borders and secure our country are committed to the safety of our homeland. DHS is now responsible for immigration and naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth.. Visit the DHS web site for more information.). When you come from abroad and first arrive in the U.S, the visa allows you to travel to the port-of entry and request permission to enter the U.S. Admission or entering the U.S., by non-United States citizens must be authorized by a U.S. Immigration inspector at the port-of- entry, who determines whether you can enter and how long you can stay here, on any particular visit. If you are allowed to enter, how long you can stay is and the immigration classification you are given, is shown as a recorded date or Duration of Status (D/S) on Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record, or Form I-94W, if arriving on the Visa Waiver Program. If you want to stay longer than the date authorized, you must request permission of the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Go to the USCIS Internet web site to learn more.
, an alienAny person not a citizen or nationalA person owing permanent allegiance to a state of the United States. coming temporarily to the United States to pursue a full course of study in an approved program in either an academic (college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, other institution, or language training program) or a vocational or other recognized nonacademic institution. must properly file his or her Form I-765 up to 90 days prior to his or her program end-date and no later than 60 days after his or her program end-date. The studentAs a nonimmigrantAn alien who seeks temporary entry to the United States for a specific purpose. The alien must have a permanent residence abroad (for most classes of admission) and qualify for the nonimmigrant classification sought. The nonimmigrant classifications include: foreign government officials, visitors for business and for pleasure, aliens in transit through the United States, treaty traders and investors, students, international representatives, temporary workers and trainees, representatives of foreign information media, exchange visitors, fiance(e)s of U.S. citizens, intracompany transferees, NATO officials, religious workers, and some others. Most nonimmigrants can be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children. class of admissionEntry to the United States, authorized by a U.S. immigration inspector, part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHSThe mission of the Department of Homeland Security -The many men and women who daily protect our borders and secure our country are committed to the safety of our homeland. DHS is now responsible for immigration and naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth.. Visit the DHS web site for more information.). When you come from abroad and first arrive in the U.S, the visa allows you to travel to the port-of entry and request permission to enter the U.S. Admission or entering the U.S., by non-United States citizens must be authorized by a U.S. Immigration inspector at the port-of- entry, who determines whether you can enter and how long you can stay here, on any particular visit. If you are allowed to enter, how long you can stay is and the immigration classification you are given, is shown as a recorded date or Duration of Status (D/S) on Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record, or Form I-94W, if arriving on the Visa Waiver Program. If you want to stay longer than the date authorized, you must request permission of the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Go to the USCIS Internet web site to learn more.
, an alienAny person not a citizen or nationalA person owing permanent allegiance to a state of the United States. coming temporarily to the United States to pursue a full course of study in an approved program in either an academic (college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, other institution, or language training program) or a vocational or other recognized nonacademic institution. must also file the Form I-765 with USCIS within 30 days of the date the Designated School Official (DSO) enters the recommendation of OPT into his or her SEVIS record. In addition to the deadlines provided in the regulation, the Form I-765 instructions (item 3.A. on page 2) require that an I-20 submitted with Form I-765 requesting OPT must be “endorsed by a Designated School Official within the past 30 days.”
Until recently, when USCIS received an OPT application more than 30 days after the DSO entered the OPT recommendation in SEVIS, it would often send the applicantPerson who wants something for him/herself and makes a request for it (asks for it). The request is usually in writing.
a Request for Evidence requiring a new Form I-20 signed by the DSO. The DSO could simply reprint the Form I-20 from SEVIS (without entering a new OPT recommendation in SEVIS) and sign it, and the studentAs a nonimmigrantAn alien who seeks temporary entry to the United States for a specific purpose. The alien must have a permanent residence abroad (for most classes of admission) and qualify for the nonimmigrant classification sought. The nonimmigrant classifications include: foreign government officials, visitors for business and for pleasure, aliens in transit through the United States, treaty traders and investors, students, international representatives, temporary workers and trainees, representatives of foreign information media, exchange visitors, fiance(e)s of U.S. citizens, intracompany transferees, NATO officials, religious workers, and some others. Most nonimmigrants can be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children. class of admissionEntry to the United States, authorized by a U.S. immigration inspector, part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHSThe mission of the Department of Homeland Security -The many men and women who daily protect our borders and secure our country are committed to the safety of our homeland. DHS is now responsible for immigration and naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth.. Visit the DHS web site for more information.). When you come from abroad and first arrive in the U.S, the visa allows you to travel to the port-of entry and request permission to enter the U.S. Admission or entering the U.S., by non-United States citizens must be authorized by a U.S. Immigration inspector at the port-of- entry, who determines whether you can enter and how long you can stay here, on any particular visit. If you are allowed to enter, how long you can stay is and the immigration classification you are given, is shown as a recorded date or Duration of Status (D/S) on Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record, or Form I-94W, if arriving on the Visa Waiver Program. If you want to stay longer than the date authorized, you must request permission of the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Go to the USCIS Internet web site to learn more.
, an alienAny person not a citizen or nationalA person owing permanent allegiance to a state of the United States. coming temporarily to the United States to pursue a full course of study in an approved program in either an academic (college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, other institution, or language training program) or a vocational or other recognized nonacademic institution. could submit it to USCIS. However, USCIS has recently taken the position that the phrase “within 30 days of the date the DSO enters the recommendation of OPT into his or her SEVIS record,” does not allow this approach, and applications submitted more than 30 days after the DSO’s recommendation of OPT in SEVIS are now being denied.
To avoid a denial of an OPT application, the studentAs a nonimmigrantAn alien who seeks temporary entry to the United States for a specific purpose. The alien must have a permanent residence abroad (for most classes of admission) and qualify for the nonimmigrant classification sought. The nonimmigrant classifications include: foreign government officials, visitors for business and for pleasure, aliens in transit through the United States, treaty traders and investors, students, international representatives, temporary workers and trainees, representatives of foreign information media, exchange visitors, fiance(e)s of U.S. citizens, intracompany transferees, NATO officials, religious workers, and some others. Most nonimmigrants can be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children. class of admissionEntry to the United States, authorized by a U.S. immigration inspector, part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHSThe mission of the Department of Homeland Security -The many men and women who daily protect our borders and secure our country are committed to the safety of our homeland. DHS is now responsible for immigration and naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth.. Visit the DHS web site for more information.). When you come from abroad and first arrive in the U.S, the visa allows you to travel to the port-of entry and request permission to enter the U.S. Admission or entering the U.S., by non-United States citizens must be authorized by a U.S. Immigration inspector at the port-of- entry, who determines whether you can enter and how long you can stay here, on any particular visit. If you are allowed to enter, how long you can stay is and the immigration classification you are given, is shown as a recorded date or Duration of Status (D/S) on Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record, or Form I-94W, if arriving on the Visa Waiver Program. If you want to stay longer than the date authorized, you must request permission of the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Go to the USCIS Internet web site to learn more.
, an alienAny person not a citizen or nationalA person owing permanent allegiance to a state of the United States. coming temporarily to the United States to pursue a full course of study in an approved program in either an academic (college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, other institution, or language training program) or a vocational or other recognized nonacademic institution. must file it with USCIS within 30 days of the OPT recommendation in SEVIS. If a studentAs a nonimmigrantAn alien who seeks temporary entry to the United States for a specific purpose. The alien must have a permanent residence abroad (for most classes of admission) and qualify for the nonimmigrant classification sought. The nonimmigrant classifications include: foreign government officials, visitors for business and for pleasure, aliens in transit through the United States, treaty traders and investors, students, international representatives, temporary workers and trainees, representatives of foreign information media, exchange visitors, fiance(e)s of U.S. citizens, intracompany transferees, NATO officials, religious workers, and some others. Most nonimmigrants can be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children. class of admissionEntry to the United States, authorized by a U.S. immigration inspector, part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHSThe mission of the Department of Homeland Security -The many men and women who daily protect our borders and secure our country are committed to the safety of our homeland. DHS is now responsible for immigration and naturalizationThe conferring, by any means, of citizenship upon a person after birth.. Visit the DHS web site for more information.). When you come from abroad and first arrive in the U.S, the visa allows you to travel to the port-of entry and request permission to enter the U.S. Admission or entering the U.S., by non-United States citizens must be authorized by a U.S. Immigration inspector at the port-of- entry, who determines whether you can enter and how long you can stay here, on any particular visit. If you are allowed to enter, how long you can stay is and the immigration classification you are given, is shown as a recorded date or Duration of Status (D/S) on Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record, or Form I-94W, if arriving on the Visa Waiver Program. If you want to stay longer than the date authorized, you must request permission of the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Go to the USCIS Internet web site to learn more.
, an alienAny person not a citizen or nationalA person owing permanent allegiance to a state of the United States. coming temporarily to the United States to pursue a full course of study in an approved program in either an academic (college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, other institution, or language training program) or a vocational or other recognized nonacademic institution. is unable to submit the Form I-765 and supporting I-20 to USCIS within 30 days of the OPT recommendation in SEVIS, the DSO should cancel the original OPT recommendation in SEVIS and enter a new recommendation. Simply issuing a new Form I-20, which was acceptable until recently, will no longer suffice.
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Over the next few weeks Wallace and I are going to be talking about resilience, what is it and how can we all develop more of it. Much of the resilience research grew out of the known fact that some people respond to stress and trauma better than others and set about finding out what were the factors that meant some people fell apart and some people were able to move on? (Click here for audio of the interview)
Surprisingly to some the research in the area has also found that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary. The psychiatric focus on PTSD and other responses to extreme stress has conditioned us to think of this as normal, but the reality is resilience is more common than previously thought.
The American Psychological Society defines resilience as:
“Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors. It means “bouncing back” from difficult experiences.” (Click here for the full article)
Not surprisingly, to regular readers of this blog, mindfulness has a big role to play especially when it comes to better regulating emotions and adopting a more positive outlook. Regular practice of mindfulness meditation has been shown to increase our ability to observe and regulate emotions, and most recently reduce anxiety.
A recent study measured brain activity via brain scans before and after a group of 15 people completed four twenty minute meditation classes. The scans found that activity in the area of the brain known to be active in thinking and emotions (anterior cingulate cortex) went up and activity in the area known to be active in worrying (ventromedial prefrontal cortex) went down. Further more study participants reported an average of a 39% decrease in their levels of anxiety. (Click here for the article)
In short, regular practice of mindful meditation seems to inoculate our mind and emotional systems against stress and negative emotions by increasing our ability to tolerate and experience them and decreasing our capacity to get “stuck” on distressing thoughts and feelings.
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Differential IkappaB kinase activation and IkappaBalpha degradation by interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in human U937 monocytic cells. Evidence for additional regulatory steps in kappaB-dependent transcription.
The IkappaB kinases (IKKs) lie downstream of the NF-kappaB-inducing kinase (NIK) and activate NF-kappaB by phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha. This leads to IkappaBalpha degradation and release of NF-kappaB. In U937 monocytic cells, interleukin (IL)-1beta (1 ng/ml) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha; 10 ng/ml) induced kappaB-dependent transcription equally. However, IKK activity was strongly induced by TNF-alpha but not by IL-1beta. This was consistent with IkappaBalpha phosphorylation and degradation, yet TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB DNA binding was only 30-40% greater than for IL-1beta. This was not explained by degradation of IkappaBbeta, IkappaBepsilon, or p105 nor nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB. IkappaBalpha complexes or degradation-independent release of NF-kappaB. Dominant negative (NIK) repressed TNF-alpha and IL-1beta-induced kappaB-dependent transcription by approximately 60% and approximately 35%, respectively. These data reveal an imprecise relationship between IKK activation, IkappaBalpha degradation, and NF-kappaB DNA binding, suggesting the existence of additional mechanisms that regulate NF-kappaB activation. Finally, the lack of correlation between DNA binding and transcriptional activation plus the fact that PP1 and genistein both inhibited kappaB-dependent transcription without affecting DNA binding activity demonstrate the existence of regulatory steps downstream of NF-kappaB DNA binding. Therapeutically these data are important as inhibition of the NIK-IKK-IkappaBalpha cascade may not produce equivalent reductions in NF-kappaB-dependent gene expression.
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Ever since New Year’s Day, when a gunman killed at least 39 partiers at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul, watchers of the Islamic State have engaged in a familiar, morbid countdown. How long until the Islamic State issues a statement taking credit for the attack? This morning, the wait ended with a press release from the group avowing its authorship of the carnage. Turkish newspapers report that many of the victims died from head shots, point-blank. First they were wounded or cornered, then executed. The killer remains at large.
It is proper to resist the temptation to assess the gravity of this attack by noting that its body count is less than that of Omar Mateen’s Islamic State-inspired attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando (50 dead), or the coordinated attacks in Paris in November 2015 (130 dead). Allocating column inches according to these benchmarks is the very definition of normalization. (If this attack had taken place five years ago, it would have prompted smothering coverage for days, not a quickly expiring moment of media attention, and a return to regularly scheduled coverage.)
Moreover, in this case especially, the politics of the attack and its avowal make the Reina massacre much more pivotal than many others with higher tallies of casualties. The Islamic State has now formally ended its separate peace with Turkey. Since the group’s sack of Mosul in mid-2014, when it took captive 46 Turks, including diplomats, from the consulate there, the Turkish posture toward the Islamic State has been inconsistent at best. Turkey negotiated the hostages’ freedom (at what price is unclear), and its border remained permeable to anyone who wished to cross it—rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but also jihadists bound for the Islamic State—for well over a year. At the same time, Turkey allowed U.S. anti-Islamic State operations out of Incirlik Air Base. The Islamic State, for its part, fulminated against the Turkish “secular” government (never mind that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is himself an Islamist) in its propaganda and even mounted a few attacks.
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1. Case Report {#sec1}
==============
A 39-year-old patient, para 1, presented at 32 weeks\' gestation with colicky abdominal pain and nausea. She had no fever, vomiting, constipation, or urinary symptoms. Her pregnancy had been uneventful and she had no prior medical or surgical history.
On admission, she was afebrile with normal pulse and blood pressure. The uterus was soft and there were no palpable contractions. She had epigastric tenderness, but normal bowel sounds. CTG was reassuring with irregular uterine activity but the cervix was closed. Full blood count, liver and renal panel were normal.
The working diagnosis was threatened preterm labour versus intestinal colic. She was commenced on IV fluids, antiemetics, antispasmodics, analgesia, and oral nifedipine for tocolysis. Fetal lung maturation was induced with dexamethasone.
The initial abdominal ultrasound was normal. Over the next 24 hours, she developed fever with increasing abdominal pain, distension and started vomiting large amounts of bilious fluid. Surgical referral suggested subacute intestinal obstruction and she was managed conservatively with nasogastric suctioning, IV fluids, and antibiotics. A computed tomography (CT) scan with contrast showed nonspecific mild dilatation of the distal jejunal loops and proximal ileum ([Figure 1](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}).
Over the next 72 hours, her symptoms worsened with high volumes of nasogastric aspirate. A subsequent laparotomy confirmed a mesenteric band constricting the distal ileum, with proximal small bowel dilatation and collapsed distal ileum. The mesenteric band was lysed and the bowel retrogradely decompressed. The abdomen was closed with loop PDS.
She recovered well and went home a week later. At 39 weeks, she went into labour and had an uneventful vaginal delivery. She delivered a healthy baby boy weighing 3200 gm and with Apgar scores of 9 and 9 at 1 minute and 5 minutes of life, respectively.
2. Discussion {#sec2}
=============
Intestinal obstruction (IO) in pregnancy is rare at 1 in 2500 \[[@B1]\] to 1 in 16709 \[[@B2]\] deliveries. Although uncommon, IO in pregnancy carries significant maternal (6%) and fetal (26%) mortality \[[@B3]\]. Often, this is due to delay in diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, there is a reluctance to utilise radiation-based investigations. This was the first case of IO in pregnancy recorded in our hospital in the last 10 years (2500 deliveries annually).
2.1. Causes {#sec2.1}
-----------
Adhesions are the commonest cause of IO in pregnancy and account for more than half the causes found at laparotomy. The incidence and complication rates increase with gestational age, particularly in the third trimester. The risk of gestational IO increases as the uterus enlarges. Other causes include volvulus (23%), intussusception (5%), hernia (3%), carcinoma (1%), appendicitis (1%), and idiopathic "ileus" (8%) \[[@B3]\].
2.2. Diagnosis {#sec2.2}
--------------
The diagnosis of IO in pregnancy is difficult. Signs of acute abdomen may not be as prominent in the pregnant abdomen when compared to the nonpregnant one \[[@B4]\], due to the stretched anterior abdominal wall being less sensitive to parietal peritoneal irritation.
Our patient presented with generalised abdominal pain and nausea which progressed to vomiting and abdominal distension, indicating an obstructive pathology. She had no previous surgical history to suspect adhesions as a cause for intestinal obstruction. In suspected intestinal obstruction, CT, rather than MRI, has recently emerged as the diagnostic modality of choice. In contrast to MRI, CT involves ionizing radiation, whereas MRI requires gadolinium contrast, with an uncertain safety profile in pregnancy. However, CT is justified in our case as the risks of radiation are outweighed by the maternal-fetal risks of missing the diagnosis.
2.3. Management {#sec2.3}
---------------
Management of IO in pregnancy is similar to nonpregnancy. Clinical suspicion is vital and joint management between surgeons and obstetricians is crucial. The basis of treatment is timely surgery, minimising delays in decision.
The initial treatment consists of nasogastric aspiration with aggressive IV fluids to correct electrolyte disturbances. CT with contrast gives the most diagnostic information on the level and cause of obstruction.
Failure of conservative treatment and demonstration of complete obstruction on CT are indications for early surgery as persistence will contribute to an increase in mortality and morbidity. Perinatal death from hypoxia secondary to maternal hypovolaemia, sepsis, and peritonitis has been reported \[[@B5]\]. Maternal nutritional deficiencies can occur if the patient is kept nil per oris (NPO) for a protracted period. Surgery should be performed via a midline incision to allow adequate exposure and complete exploration of abdomen with minimal manipulation of uterus. The entire bowel must be examined for other areas of obstruction and viability. Segmental resection with or without anastomosis may be necessary in the presence of gangrenous bowel. In our patient, conservative measures failed after 3 days. At laparotomy, all she required was lysis of a mesenteric band at the ileocaecal junction and retrograde decompression of the bowel.
If fetal distress is present or if there is inadequate exposure at laparotomy, delivery by caesarean section should precede the relief of obstruction. There was also a potential dilemma that the primary abdominal incision closure would not be possible, therefore exposing the fetus to risks of ensuing sepsis and peritonitis, necessitating an early caesarean section. Fortunately, after retrograde decompression of the small bowel, closure was possible.
3. Conclusion {#sec3}
=============
IO in pregnancy is rare. A high degree of suspicion is crucial, especially in patients with previous abdominal surgery. The high morbidity and mortality rates meant that radiological investigations and surgery should not be delayed. An additional learning point from this case would be that in an obstetric patient without any surgical history who presents with abdominal pain, one should always consider rarer surgical causes other than merely obstetric or gynaecological causes of pain.
The authors report no conflict of interests.
The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.
{#fig1}
[^1]: Academic Editors: M. Geary, M. K. Hoffman, and O. Oyesanya
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Before my birthday I told my wife that I had been thinking of doing a road trip to see my half brother (my first abuser). My whole family is into denial in a big way...It should be our last name. We were both groomsmen at each others weddings and have had a polite but very awkward relationship for the past 25 years. Other family members are often asking me what my problem is with him....Gee wiz...he made me suck his thing from the age of 4 to 8!!! I don't know??? We have all been keeping up the appearance of a happy family (in some ways we are I guess). I wanted to talk to him and get him to fill in the blanks in my memories. After I was married he rang and apologized for what happened. I wasn't ready to deal with it then so I just said I guessed stuff had happened to him first and I already forgave him and got off the phone as quick as I could. I think he was doing it as part of a 12 step thing. It was a pretty lame apology really. So I know he at least at one point felt sorry for what he did and acknowledged that it happened. Also NEED to know what happened to him....What he did to my other brother. I want to tell him about the rest of the stuff that happened to me and that he started a chain reaction. It feels like if we get some answers it will be healing for us both.
So...
On my birthday I got an e-card from my him. The E-card was some nice inspirational crap about the past and the future..bla bla bla. I was soooo confused. Like ok am I just making a big deal out of all this. I didn't respond to the e-card and he sent a follow up email to make sure I got it. I replied back with a thanks and some 'nice' chit-chat. since then I have been swinging like a pendulum. Angry that he trained me to be a s*x slave and is now nice to me .....guilty that I still seem to hold it against him.
And...
My wife talks to her mum about EVERYTHING - she is like her T. I am ok with that for now - as I haven't told my wife everything yet. her mum is cool and thinks I am AWESOME and has always been very supportive of anything I've done. (way more than my parents) . She has often told me how proud she is of me - even before the CSA came out. I have sort of adopted my wife's family. I know it sounds weird but my mother in law knows more about my abuse than my own parents. My wife asked her mum if she would go with me on the road trip. My wife is worried I will be in a bad state afterwards ...especially after I told her I was suicidal a while back. My mother in law has just quit her job and will have a holiday before she starts a new job. So I basically it would be better to do it in the next couple of weeks (it is a 6hr drive one way). At first I wasn't ready to do it yet but today I am feeling more confident.
I have made a special T session tomorrow to discuss how I should ask him and basically how it should play out and if he thinks I'm ready.
But part of me doesn't want to know the truth...what if it wasn't as bad as I remember or he down plays it. What if it only happened once and I made the rest up. 'This' has been such a big part of who I am - I don't know if I can let it go. or...what if it was worse than I remember????
Then today...
Life goes on as usual. My wife and I had to go pick up a pony for our kids for Christmas. Just what you always wanted...right? We had a good 3 hours in the car alone together to talk. I told her about all the abuse up to 12 years old (5 perps) including the doctor. She did not want to know any details of what happened. She kept changing the subject - talking about 'normal' stuff. I asked if she was doing it on purpose. She said no. But kept doing it. I didn't feel like she was being a very good listener (to put it politely). I told her about my self image problems and that growing up (and even now) I felt like I was just a sex object for others pleasure - that my looks were all I had going for me. The only reason people like me. She said aren't you lucky you married someone who isn't 'into that'. She said "So... you want me to tell you you are ugly". No because I think I am ugly and that is why I NEED others to tell me I'm not. Then I told her about the Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) - she made that all about her recent slight weight gain. I reassured her that it didn't bother me (I said I still wanted to stick IT in her) and tried to bring the conversation back to CSA. I explained that I had a sexual addiction (MB and p0rn). She got very mad about the P0rn. I did not specify what type of p0rn and she didn't ask - she is assuming it is straight. I don't know if that is better or worse. She said that the thought of me doing her after getting horny from THAT made her feel disgusting. I said that I only thought of her when I was with her...(white lie) and that I couldn't help it that sometimes memories invaded my mind and that is usually when I have ED problems. She said that if she ever even thinks I have viewing p0rn then IT WILL NOT BE HAPPENING. She was also VERY mad that I had lied to her about this all these years. It was intense!!! I explained that I was introduced to p0rn at a young age and had been MBing since 10 and it was going to be a hard habit to break..... but I was trying. She insisted that I install the p0rn filter back on our computer straight away. I said sorry for lying.
I had many teary moments and a few pauses to gain my composure - but mostly held it together. All this while driving our 4X4 (SUV) and towing a horse float!! In hind sight not the smartest thing I have done.
I told her most of my recovery goals.
On the way back she blurted out in a nasty voice that I need to be careful that I don't make this an attention seeking thing. Because I obviously still crave attention.....I was silent....I had nothing. About an hour after I said how hard it has been for me to talk about the abuse and how it affected me. I have been hiding it for 30+ years. I did't want anyone to think I am less of a man or 'broken'.....especially her. I didn't want to hide it from her anymore. I want her to know the truth about me and love me anyway..... no response.
I didn't want to go into the teen acting out/abuse or SSA cause I think she may see that differently and I think what I told her today was enough for her to handle. I want to do that in the controlled environment of my T's rooms. Later she talked about how she prefered it when she was ignorant of all this and said that she wanted a refund jokingly....I said that is Sooo NOT funny. She said the actual abuse doesn't change the way she thinks about me. The Porn and Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) do. She said the BDD explained a lot and gave examples.
She had NO IDEA I was had such a high sex drive and was into p0rn. She thinks it is degrading and since I am a good guy I would think the same. I talked about my need to do IT more than we are (1-2 a month) and that it would make it easier for me to be good. She said that she thought I was being unreasonable and if she is unwell she does not want to feel obligated to do it because we have only done it once so far this week. She said that I could MB as much as I like as long as she didn't have to know about it. (Even though she knew I did it she has always frowned on MB in the past - so I guess that is a positive)
Basically I think it ended pretty well. (calmly). And at least we understand each other better. She is with her mum now...I can just imagine the conversation..... 'your son in law just told me he is a low down dirty rotten porn watching sex addict' My mother in law is staying with us for a few days....We will see if I am still the golden boy.
For those of you who didn't grow up in an incest environment....Try to imagine my wedding. 2/3 groomsmen having sexually abused me as a child....supposedly supporting me on the biggest day of my life....All getting dressed in our suits together. I was married last and they had me as their groomsman. It would have looked like something was wrong if I didn't have them. All part of the lies and secrets. But that was my life....now I'm starting to tell the truth....finally.....and it hurts!
Hey (((Lee))), wow, that is some ambitious plan ahead of you.It is good that you gonna talk with your T about all this, disclosing and confrontation is very sensitive happening and it should be done in safest possible environment. It is good that you won't be alone there, it might be that you'll need some support. Please don't be scared, even if it has happened once it doesn't mean that it wasn't bad. You are the only one who can tell how bad it was, you suffered a lot, you have had many scars because of it and it was terrible difficult for you, so please be calm about that. And certainly think to comment all your worries and fears with your T and it could be very helpful if you could bring your wife too there, she also has some needs that could be easily forgotten in all this chaos
Not the best response you could have gotten from her. Many people are not "active listeners" and by reflex change the subject back to themselves; that's understandable, that's ok. But you describe her as near-totally unsympathetic, not comforting you or saying you deserved better or even saying how much it meant to have the truth out. That's not cool. Hopefully she was just taken by surprise and will act better on this info later.
If I live to be a billion I will never understand people who think porn is evil and only freaks look at it. It wasn't right to shame you over that.
WTF is it with people who don't get how to respond to secrets?
Regardless, it was courageous of you to tell her and you picked the best setting possible I think.
Don't mention the stuff about dudes. If she doesn't like you even THINKING about other WOMEN.... there are certain levels of truths that are more appropriate for some people. It doesn't make them bad people, any more than being the guy who can barely grasp remedial math.
I'm so sorry your wife's response wasn't helpful when you needed more from her. I had something of a row with my wife when she told me I needed to leave the past in the past. To be fair, she doesn't know the guy at camp raped me instead of "just" fondling me. Still, it was hard to hear. She is supportive, but I didn't need that.
Your wife may need time to process new disclosures you make. After all, you have had years to live with this and she has had a couple of months. I agree with Matt, that you shouldn't mention SSA. I'm impressed with what you are doing. In time, it will pay dividends. If you need to vent, MS is here.
Will
_________________________
I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made. --FDR
Thanks guys for all your support. It is really helping me to get through this.
In my wife's defense it IS that time of the month and she suffers REALLY bad from PMT and period related depression (or should I say I suffer ) She is on meds for it which have improved things but I still have to be sensitive about 2 weeks every month. Needless to say I should have realised that she was not in the best place to 'hear' me. Add to that the fact that I have been preoccupied with my recovery and not working as hard as I normally do (still harder than the average Joe mind you)....which is frustating her.
I saw my T today, It was specifically to make a plan to talk/confront my brother. But I ended up spending the first half hour talking about the episode with my wife. He agreed with most of you that how she acted was NOT OK. I said that the way she reacted made me feel less inclinded to disclose the SSA and subsequent acting out. He said that full disclosure is the only way that I can have the true and real relationship with her I desire where i feel like she loves me for who I really am and not who she wants me to be. She seems to be in denial and doesn't want to acknowledge that I may not be the strong, confident, good, upstanding, pure, wholesome, trustworthy man that I have protrayed to her for 14+ years. I have obviously been a very convincing actor and like so many of us have hidden behind the lies. Part of it is my nack for 'becoming' whoever the other person wants me to be. I guess I have to decide if I am happy to stay in a relationship where I have to hide who I am. Anyway I digress...
The Plan!
My T said he thought it could be a good thing BUT I had to be realistic about my expectations of him. I had to be prepared for the worst. We talked about what the worst case senario would look like...then we talked about my biggest hope from this 'talk'. We also talked about the fact that I can 'choose' whether to believe what he says or not.
My biggest hope is that I could finally fill in the gaps of what happened to me and understand what happened to him to make him think it was ok to sexually abuse me. I would like to know how many other boys he abused. I want him to know what my childhood was REALLY like and how his actions 'set me up' for future perps. I want us to have an open and honest relationship where we both accept the truth about what happened. Nothing more - nothing less.
We decided that I should ring rather than email to make a time. I came up with the idea that my mother in law was going to visit one of her relatives in his city 6 hours away (another lie) and that I thought I might go with and stop in to see him to spend some time with him. (he resently mentioned he was lonely)Tell him that I have been in couselling for a few monthsThen mention that I wanted to talk to him about what happened to me as a child. Tell him that I was not angry with him and that I wanted this to be healing for us both.Ask what time would suit him best.
Reasons why I think I am ready to deal with this- He has already apologised for 'going stuff' to me (all be it half arsed) 12 years ago - He has contacted me recently via email in a way to suggest he wants a normal brotherly relationship with me- I want to tell the truth and I want to know the truth- Now I am the Alpha male (one of my friends here today made me realise how important it is to me to be an alpha male)Lasttime I saw him all I could think was how sad and pathetic his life is..divorced twice. Old looking for his age (45). On a invalid pension because of a back injury. Lonely. I am now better looking, bigger, stronger and better built than he is. I am the director of a multi-million dollar company. I have a beautiful wife and two happy children who love me.When I was 6 and he was 16 he was the alpha male. He was taller and stronger and had it all together. Now I feel more superior. I have confidence that I will be in control of the situation. I will decide how it plays out. He will not intimidate me.
After my T session I took a little time out before going home to get myself together. I was still really tired from not sleeping the night before. When I got home I crashed for an hour on the bed.
yeah, i sometimes feel like i spend a good percentage of my time and energy dealing with other people's reactions to my issues and how i deal with my issues. it is a mixed blessing to have others that you need to consider and take their needs into account.
it sounds to me, though - like you have been working pretty hard on your recovery. give yourself a break. you have to do it at your pace - not according to someone else's expectations.
sorry it got messy with her. that doesn't help. you are a good man and i'm sure you will keep it together and not inflict any additional pain. i hope she can learn to be kind to you - but at this point she doesn't really know how much you deserve it! sort of a catch 22.
sounds like things are really progressing well towards the meeting with the brother. glad the T is preparing you for all eventualities. keep in mind that you may be mentally prepped - but the emotional impact may be another thing altogether.
good you are taking care of yourself. keep it up!lee
_________________________
"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself... And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity." - Paulo Coelho
I decided that I needed to ring him now or I would either chicken out or forget the game plan.
After I had gotten the cows up for milking I left my wife to milk by herself (as usual - it only takes one of us). I went up to the house to get a drink and it was empty (the kids were playing outside) so I grapped the phone and locked my self in my room. I quickly wrote out some notes on a piece of paper so I didn't forget the plan. It was kind of impulsive.
It rang for ages...I thought I'mnot leaving a message...then he answered. Crap!!!!He sounded surpised to hear from me - fair enough - I NEVER call him.He said he had just got home and started telling me about his day when he was finished that story there was a pregnant pause.........I said "the reason I rang up is I was just wondering if I could come and visit you in the next couple of weeks. [insert wife's name here]'s mum is coming up that way and I thought I would come with for the drive and see you while I'm there.He said "Yeah that would be great....are you bring the kids with you"
Deep Breath!!!I said "acually I have an alterior motive - I've been in counselling for a few months and I would like to talk to you about what happened between us when I was little." He said "Oh....I see .... anything I can do to make up for what I did. I understand how awkward it is to talk about this stuff. Did your cousellor suggest it?"I said "No I just thought it could be healing for us both to talk about the elephant in the room rather than just pretending it isn't there. I just want you to know that I'm not angry about it anymore. I just need some answers about what happened."He said " sure what ever you think will help"I said "I would also like to know what happened to you growing up"He said "It is really hard to talk about but if you think it will help"I said " I also want to tell you about the other stuff tht happened to me. What happened with you was just the start and stuff also happened with [insert other brother] too.
I asked him if he had been in counselling for it and he said he had for other stuff (abandonment issues etc) and thatthey had touched on it but nothing specifically targeted at the abuse. He said that he told his second wife about what he had done and she had been abused her self and from then on she put him in the same boat as her father. It was not why they divorced but it didn't help. He said that one of his T's had said that 'these things are only as bad as you make them'. If you think they are bad they will affect you in a bad way (.....Hmmmm)
He said that he just didn't think what he was doing was wrong. He thought it would be fun. At least it wsn't like when an adult feels bad about what they are doing and then force the kid to do it......(again Hmmmmm)
We set a date in the first week in January (when he doesn't have custody of his 15 year old son)
He said he was glad I said that I wasn't angry or he would have been stressing out about it....thinking I was going to give him a summons or something....(he said he already had that?????)
He did say that what he did was bad and must have messed me up. We talked about some other stuff (can't really remember right now - too happy)
I am willing to accept that he will have a different 'take' on the situation and down play his responsiblilty. That changes nothing I will still be making it clear the rammifications of his actions.
At the moment I am over the moon. I had set myself up for his refusal to talk about it and even deny it happened. I am confident that there will be a positive outcome from this....of some sort.
Thank you all for walking with me on this journey.
Damn...I was so excited about telling you about the good news that I forgot what happened next.My wife starts banging on the window of our bedroom screeming at me. "What are you doing???" I hung up and said "I have just been talking to my brother" "Why do you have to do that now" she said "you should be doing everything that has to be done right now". This comment was so ridiculous because I only had about 1 hour of work to do and 3 hours left of daylight. It was so not an issue. I got my boots on and asked her what she wanted me to do..."the usual". I said "Do you think you could at least TRY to be supportive". She said "You have not done ANY work around here for 2 weeks (so not true by the way). Meanwhile I am stressing out"
She said something else right here that was so bad I can't even remember it. I just remember being so mad that I needed to turn around and walk away before I did something I would regret.
I did all my jobs while her and the kids rode the new pony. Then I joined in and helped clean up the yard. Everything was back to normal. She seemed happy again....Women ....I will NEVER understand them.
I
agree that my access and use of the MaleSurvivor discussion forums and
chat room is subject to the terms of this Agreement. AND the sole
discretion of MaleSurvivor. I agree that my use of MaleSurvivor
resources are AT-WILL,
and that my posting privileges may be terminated at any time, and for
any reason by MaleSurvivor.
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# Adjust connection keepalive for SPDY and non-SPDY clients:
spdy_keepalive_timeout 300; # up from 180 secs default
keepalive_timeout 300; # up from 75 secs default
ssl_protocols TLSv1.1 TLSv1.2;
# courtesy of https://wiki.mozilla.org/Security/Server_Side_TLS#Recommended_Ciphersuite
ssl_ciphers ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:DHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:DHE-DSS-AES128-GCM-SHA256:kEDH+AESGCM:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-SHA256:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-SHA256:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-SHA:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-SHA:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-SHA384:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-SHA384:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-SHA:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-SHA:DHE-RSA-AES128-SHA256:DHE-RSA-AES128-SHA:DHE-DSS-AES128-SHA256:DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA256:DHE-DSS-AES256-SHA:DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA:!aNULL:!eNULL:!EXPORT:!DES:!RC4:!3DES:!MD5:!PSK;
ssl_prefer_server_ciphers on;
ssl_certificate /home/istlsfastyet/tls/istlsfastyet.crt;
ssl_certificate_key /home/istlsfastyet/tls/istlsfastyet.key;
#command to generate dhparam: $ openssl dhparam -out /home/istlsfastyet/tls/dhparam.pem 2048
#ssl_dhparam /home/istlsfastyet/tls/dhparam.pem;
# OCSP stapling...
ssl_stapling on;
ssl_stapling_verify on;
ssl_trusted_certificate /home/istlsfastyet/tls/ca.crt;
resolver 8.8.8.8;
# nginx does not auto-rotate session ticket keys: only a HUP / restart will do so and
# when a restart is performed the previous key is lost, which resets all previous
# sessions. The fix for this is to setup a manual rotation mechanism:
# http://trac.nginx.org/nginx/changeset/1356a3b9692441e163b4e78be4e9f5a46c7479e9/nginx
#
# Note that you'll have to define and rotate the keys securely by yourself. In absence
# of such infrastructure, consider turning off session tickets:
ssl_session_tickets off;
# enable SPDY header compression
spdy_headers_comp 6;
# remember the certificate for a year and automatically connect to HTTPS
add_header Strict-Transport-Security 'max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains';
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Mississippi College Alumni Magazine | Summer 2010
Teacher, Coach, Mentor
Professor Brian Anderson’s Three Point Score
Professor Brian Anderson is proof that you don’t need children of your own in order to be a father figure.
The director of MC’s social work program, Anderson has dedicated his life to mentoring young people. When he’s not inspiring MC students in the classroom, Anderson serves as a volunteer coach for the Callaway High School Chargers basketball team. The 2010 Chargers finished the season 22-11, won the Mississippi Class 5A state championship, and finished second in the overall state championship. • But while there’s no doubt Anderson is a savvy basketball coach, his biggest influence on his players is off the court. In the three years that Anderson has been volunteer coaching, every senior on every Charger team has graduated from high school and attended college. • “I’ve always felt the need to help others. This is what we encourage our social work students to do as public servants – put an altruistic mindset to work,” Anderson says. “Selfishly, it’s very rewarding to work with kids as a potential mentor, academically and athletically. Coaching is about the passion to help kids as well as a personal love of the athletic environment. If I can positively impact one player or say one thing that could be of benefit in a kid’s life, then I’ve served my purpose.”
Every member of Brian Anderson’s family played sports, including his brothers, his father, and even his mother, who once starred in a faculty vs. PTA basketball game at her son’s school.
“When I was born, I think the first thing my family members said was, “Okay, which sport is he going to play?” Anderson says. “I grew up playing basketball and football and while I always loved the games, I also developed an appreciation of the bonds you can build through sports and the impact one person can have on another. I was blessed with coaches who helped frame a secure foundation for me in sports and in life.”
As a student and standout basketball player at Tougaloo College, Anderson originally planned to pursue a career in physical therapy.
“I pictured myself standing around in scrubs while I watched injured athletes ride stationary bikes,” Anderson recalls. “Then I took a lab course that required me to dissect something. The smell of the lab convinced me that was not the field for me.”
Still feeling led to a career that would involve helping others, Anderson switched his major to sociology, eventually discovering his calling in social work. Following his graduation from Tougaloo, he earned a master’s degree in social work from Louisiana State University and a doctorate in social work from Jackson State University. Prior to joining the MC faculty in 2006, Anderson held positions as assistant professor of sociology at Tougaloo College, assistant professor of social work at Jackson State, instructor of physical education and athletic training and assistant men’s basketball coach at the University of West Alabama, and instructor of sociology at Tougaloo College.
All of those positions involved working with young people, but Anderson’s toughest mentoring challenge was serving as one of three social workers at the Capital City Alternative School. From 1995-98, Anderson counseled students who had been expelled from public school for a range of behavioral problems. Their offenses included excessive absences, doing or selling drugs, having sex on campus, fighting, acts of violence, and weapons violations. One student was there for hot-wiring a bulldozer.
While many of the students were eager to straighten out their lives and return to public school, others clearly felt they had little left to lose. Anderson worked with students who stashed alcohol and drugs in the classroom ceiling tiles and took bets on how quickly they could harass a substitute teacher into going home. He recalls one student who came to school clutching a stuffed teddy bear; teachers later discovered that she was using the toy to conceal a knife.
“There was a hostile atmosphere on campus,” Anderson says. “These kids were troubled, but they were also smart and they could sometimes be manipulative. I was fortunate to have worked with some innovative, committed teachers and two outstanding social workers whose patience, guidance, and mentoring taught me a lot. We always had to be very careful and on point and understand the kids’ mindset.”
“I talk to young males about making good decisions and the connection between doing well in school and success in life. Some seem to be listening, some are clearly not. But if I can reach just one, I’ve done something.”
Anderson spent most of his days in one-on-one or group counseling sessions with students and their parents, helping families work through the issues that had brought the students to the alternative school and providing follow-up counseling when they returned to public school. It was an emotionally draining, often heartbreaking job, but one that Anderson loved.
“I was very sad when I left because I knew the impact I had had on some of those kids,” Anderson says. “I’m still very proud to have been a part of that.”
Anderson still visits the Alternative School today as a guest speaker.
“I talk to young males about making good decisions and the connection between doing well in school and success in life,” Anderson says. “Some seem to be listening, some are clearly not. But if I can reach just one, I’ve done something.”
Anderson brings all of his life experiences to play in his role as a volunteer basketball coach. Callaway is not the first high school to benefit from his leadership. From 1996-98, Anderson was an assistant coach at Provine High School in Jackson, where he helped lead the 1998 Provine basketball team to the first Class 5A state championship in school history. When Wayne Brent and Charles Wansley, the same coaches he had worked with at Provine, invited Anderson to coach with them again at Callaway High School, Anderson jumped at the chance.
The 17 to 18 members on each year’s Callaway team come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some live in stable, two-parent homes, some are being raised by single mothers and benefit from having a positive male role model. Others come from tough situations in which violence is the norm; more than a few have lost friends to senseless acts.
“The greatest challenge in coaching these young men is realistically connecting academics, athletics, and life experiences for them, especially since many of them come from environmentally challenged situations,” Anderson says. “Our mission as coaches is to challenge the student-athletes and help them to be as prepared as possible for life experiences. Our goal is to build a competitive team and win basketball games, but more importantly, it’s to get these young men to stay in school and to go to college.”
Structure is key to achieving that goal. Callaway basketball players are required to attend study hall or tutorials before or after school and to keep their grades up. Every basketball practice is also an opportunity to learn a life lesson. In addition to teaching players how to make a three-point shot or play better defense, Anderson and his fellow coaches teach them the importance of being on time, how to dress properly for different situations, appropriate ways to resolve conflicts, and how to better articulate themselves when they have a point they want to make. A reality Anderson emphasizes to his players is that education, not basketball, is the key to their futures.
A 2010 graduate of Callaway High School, Jason Gibson was a star basketball player, a member of the Honor Society, Student Body President, and Mr. Callaway High School. This fall, he will attend Holmes Community College on a full basketball scholarship. Gibson is a role model for many of his younger classmates, thanks in part to the role model he had in Brian Anderson.
“Coach Anderson didn’t just focus on the game. He was way more to us than a basketball coach,” Gibson says. “He saw potential in me, and not just in sports. He was all the time encouraging me in school. I’m going to major in social science education because I want to be a teacher, too, and Coach Anderson is a big part of that. Knowing you can have that kind of impact on a kid is what made me want to be a teacher.”
Gibson won’t be the first former player to follow Brian Anderson’s lead. Several of his players from Provine High School have become teachers and coaches. Otis Gaines played basketball under Brian Anderson at Provine, then again as a student-athlete at the University of West Alabama. Today, Gaines is the head basketball coach at Long Beach High School and is working towards his Ph.D. at the University of Southern Mississippi. Though he eventually found himself following in Anderson’s footsteps, Gaines confesses that as a student at Provine High School, he originally didn’t care for Coach Anderson.
“He would never let me take a break from working hard and he always had me running extra laps for trying to take short cuts,” Gaines confesses. “But as time passed and I became more mature as a person and a player, I saw how his persistence paid off for me. I don’t know whether he knows it or not, but Brian Anderson really helped me to jumpstart my career.”
“Brian was always honest and he cared about his players. I know for a fact he stayed on my case because he knew I could do better on the court and off the court,” says Markeith Brown, a former Provine player who is now the head women’s cross-country coach and assistant women’s basketball coach at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas. “Brian encouraged me to do my best and to keep striving for the top. I can still remember all the positive things he said to me, because there weren’t too many people besides my family telling me good things back then.”
“My greatest reward is to see the impact I have had on these young men,” Anderson says. “Many of them still come back to visit and attend games or practices. We instill in the players that even after they graduate and move on to college or the workforce, we are still a family.”
That’s a lesson that Otis Gaines has taken to heart.
“Coach Anderson has been one of the biggest influences on my life,” Gaines says. “I look at him as more than just a coach. I consider him family. I’ve even thought that if I ever find the right girl, I might ask Brian Anderson to be the best man in my wedding.”
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So you’re Satan’s artist eh? Well, sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but Satan approached me with the job first. He saw my artwork and was greatly impressed. So, he approached me one afternoon. "Hey man, will you do some portraits and stuff for me? Ill pay you in gold and a thousand virgins". "No” Says I. “We are mortal enemies, remember? I don’t think a business partnership will work, Chester". "Alright, for one, stop calling me Chester, you aren’t supposed to know that, and if word gets out, my reputation as the dark lord will be soiled. Secondly, who the begeebees will do my portrait? Cause I need it by Monday". Well, you could try Mr. Lineman (aka: _____ ), and the plus side is that you wont have to pay him". "Ok, but you know, its just not the same..."
(Satan half-heartedly flys away)
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Q:
Help me prove: directional derivative in terms of partial derivative
Given a function $f(x, y)$ which has partial derivatives $\frac{\partial f}{\partial x}$ and $\frac{\partial f}{\partial y}$, and whose partial derivatives are also differentiable, and $\vec r = (x_r, y_r)$, I am trying to prove that the derivative of $f$ along $\vec r$ is:
$Df_r (x,y) = \lim_{h\to 0} \dfrac{f(x+hx_r, y+hy_r)-f(x,y)}{h} = x_r \dfrac{\partial f}{\partial x} + y_r \dfrac{\partial f}{\partial y} = D$
I am trying to prove this by showing that for any given $\epsilon$, I can find a $\delta$ such that for all $h < \delta$, the actual rate-of-change is within $\epsilon$ of $D$.
We can write $f(x+hx_r, y+hy_r)-f(x,y) = A + B$, where $A = f(x+hx_r, y)-f(x,y)$ and $B = f(x+hx_r, y+hy_r)-f(x+hx_r,y)$. I wish to make $|A + B| \le |A| + |B| \le (D + \epsilon)h$ ...[1].
Since $\frac{\partial f}{\partial x}$ exists, I can pick an $h$ to bring |A| within a factor of any $\epsilon_1$ to $x_r\frac{\partial f}{\partial x} h$. I can make the $h$ smaller, if necesssary, to bring $\frac{\partial f}{\partial y}(x+hx_r, y)$ within $\epsilon_2$ of $\frac{\partial f}{\partial y}(x, y)$. I then wish to bring $|B|$ sufficiently close to $y_r \frac{\partial f}{\partial y} h$, so that [1] is achieved.
I am getting stuck at the last step. Because $\frac{\partial f}{\partial y}$ exists everywhere, for all $\epsilon_3$ there exists an $\delta_3$ such that for all $h_3 < \delta_3$, $|f(x+hx_r, y+h_3 y_r) - f(x+hx_r, y)| \le (y_r \frac{\partial f}{\partial y} h_r + \epsilon_3)h_3$. In my situation, however, $h_3$ is not a free variable, but fixed: $h_3 = h$. No matter how small I make my $h$, $\delta_3$ might be too small.
A:
In order to have this equality $Df_r (x,y) =\displaystyle \lim_{h\to 0} \dfrac{f(x+hx_r, y+hy_r)-f(x,y)}{h} = x_r \dfrac{\partial f}{\partial x} + y_r \dfrac{\partial f}{\partial y} =\nabla f.\vec r= D\qquad (1)$, the function $f$ has to be differentiable at $(x,y)$, which has already been given. Recall that if $f$ is differentiable at $(x, y)$, there are functions $\varepsilon_1=\varepsilon_1(\Delta x, \Delta y)$ and $\varepsilon_2=\varepsilon_2(\Delta x, \Delta y)$ with $\varepsilon_1\rightarrow 0$ and $\varepsilon_2\rightarrow 0$ such that $$f(x+\Delta x, y+\Delta y)-f(x, y)=f_x(x, y)\Delta x+f_y(x, y)\Delta y+\varepsilon_1\Delta x+\varepsilon_2\Delta y.\quad (2)$$
Note that $\vec r$ is a unit vector, that is, $x_r^2+y_r^2=1$. With the $\varepsilon$-$\delta$ language, (2) can be expressed as: for any given $\varepsilon>0$ can find
a $\delta>0$ such that $\sqrt{(\Delta x)^2+(\Delta y)^2}<\delta\Longrightarrow$
$$\bigg|\frac{f(x+\Delta x, y+\Delta y)-f(x, y)-f_x(x, y)\Delta x-f_y(x, y)\Delta y}{\sqrt{(\Delta x)^2+(\Delta y)^2}}\bigg|<\varepsilon.$$
Now setting $\Delta x=x_rh$, and $\Delta y=y_rh$ we have
$|h|=\sqrt{(x_r^2+y_r^2)}|h|=\sqrt{(x_r^2+y_r^2)h^2}=\sqrt{(\Delta x)^2+(\Delta y)^2}<\delta\Longrightarrow$
$$\bigg|\frac{f(x+x_rh, y+y_rh)-f(x, y)-f_x(x, y)x_rh-f_y(x, y)y_rh}{h}\bigg|<\varepsilon.$$
or $$\bigg|\frac{f(x+x_rh, y+y_rh)-f(x, y)}{h}-f_x(x, y)x_r-f_y(x, y)y_r\bigg|<\varepsilon.$$
This implies equality (1).
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Q:
Need help using System.Windows.Shell.JumpList.SetJumpList();
I'm really new to this so this is probably a very simple thing to answer but anyhow...
I need to use the method in the title to set a new jumplist for my windows form app, but i don't know what parameters it takes and where to get them. I've read about the method in the MSDN library but their example only worked for a WPF app.
It says it takes the parameters:
application
Type: System.Windows.Application
The application associated with the JumpList.
value
Type: System.Windows.Shell.JumpList
The JumpList to associate with the application.
What i need to know is: What is the first parameter? And how to i access it in a win form app?
(In a WPF i would usually just write App.current, but it doesn't work for form apps)
I'm using Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate (C#).
Thanks in advance!
A:
I don't believe there is a comparable object in WinForms to the WPF System.Windows.Application object. As you'll notice, the System.Windows namespace is specific to WPF.
I have seen this this Windows API CodePack project referenced and it may be another place that you can find more information to continue your endeavors.
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Q:
How to open chrome as a certain user
I am making a batch file that opens chrome to a specific page. I started with the
start
command by writing the line:
start http://www.google.com
I then added the specific browser chrome to open the tab.
start chrome.exe http://www.google.com
However i noticed that google chrome has an "account feature" that lets you browse as different accounts. I tested everything i could guess but i can find a way to get chrome to open the tab as a specific user.
A:
You can use chrome.exe --profile-directory="Profile 1" to start chrome under a specific Chrome user.
Take a look at this article over on Superuser: Resolved Superuser question
There was a very interesting response over there about how Chrome has a neat feature of adding desktop shortcuts for specific users in the Chrome User settings.
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productive talks, but if we can have a great relationship and russia andwithchinawithall countries, i am all for that. that would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees, but if we can, that would be a positive, nonnegative. >> ok. as far as the u.k. is concerned in relation to russia's activities in the ukraine, we have been very clear that we want to see the minsk agreement fully implemented and we believe the sanctions should continue until we see that men's agreement fully implement it and we have been continuing to argue that inside -- minx agreement -- minsk agreement fully implemented, and we will be continuing to argue that. >> you did disagree. do you think the president listened to what you had to say? [laughter] we will see what she says. mr. president, you said before that torture works. you have praised russia. you said you want to ban some muslims from coming to america and suggested there should be punishment for abortion. for many people in britain, sound like all arming beliefs. what do you say to our viewers at home who are worried about some of your views and worried abou
productive talks, but if we can have a great relationship and russia and with china with all countries, i am all for that. that would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees, but if we can, that would be a positive, nonnegative. >> ok. as far as the u.k. is concerned in relation to russia's activities in the ukraine, we have been very clear that we want to see the minsk agreement fully implemented and we believe the sanctions should continue until we see that men's agreement fully implement...
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productive talks. but if we can have a great relationship with russia andwithchinaandwith all countries, i am all for that. it would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees. but if we can, that would be a positive not a negative. >> we have, as far as the uk's concerned on sanctions for russia in relation to their actions in the ukraine. we've been very clear that we want to see the agreement fully implemented. we believe sanctions should continue until we see that man's good agreement fully and cemented. we have been continuing to argue that inside of the european union. laura? >> thank you very much prime minister. you talked about what you agree that you have also said you would be frankly disagree with the president.can you tell us where in our talks you did disagree and do you think that the president listen to what you had to say? and mr. president, [laughter] let's see what she says. mr. president, you said before that torture works.you have praise russia. have said that you want to ban Ãfrom coming to america. he suggested there should be punishment for abortions. for many people
productive talks. but if we can have a great relationship with russia and with china and with all countries, i am all for that. it would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees. but if we can, that would be a positive not a negative. >> we have, as far as the uk's concerned on sanctions for russia in relation to their actions in the ukraine. we've been very clear that we want to see the agreement fully implemented. we believe sanctions should continue until we see that man's good agreement...
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. but if we can have a great relationship with russia andwithchinaandwith all countries, i am all for that. that would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees. but if we can, that would e a be aa positive, -- positive, not a negative. theresa may: we have as far as the u.k.'s concern on sanctions with russia in relation to activities in the ukraine. we have een very clear that we want to see the minsk agreement fully implemented. we have been continuing to argue that inside the european union. laura. thank you very much prime , minister. prime minister, you have talked about where you agreed, but you also said where you shrink where you disagreed with the president can't -- president. and you tell us where in the talks you disagreed, and you think the president listened to what you had to say? and mr. president -- [laughter] >> we will see what she says. mr. president, you said before that torture works. you praised russia. you want to ban muslims from coming to america. you suggest there should be punishment for abortion. for many people in britain, those sound like alarming beliefs
. but if we can have a great relationship with russia and with china and with all countries, i am all for that. that would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees. but if we can, that would e a be aa positive, -- positive, not a negative. theresa may: we have as far as the u.k.'s concern on sanctions with russia in relation to activities in the ukraine. we have een very clear that we want to see the minsk agreement fully implemented. we have been continuing to argue that inside the european union....
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talks and very productive talks. if we can have a great relationship with russia andwithchinaandwith all countries, i am all for that. that would be would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees, but if we can that would be a positive, not a negative. >> lesser is the uk's concerned on sanctions to russia in relation to their activities in the ukraine. we have been very clear that we want to see the agreement fully implemented. we believe sanctions should continue until we see that agreement implemented. we. we are continuing to argue that inside the european union. >> laura. >> thank you very much. prime minister, you talk about where you agree, but you also would be frank where you disagreed with the president. can you tell us where and our talks you to disagree? to to disagree? to think the president listen to what you had to say #mr. president, we'll see what she says. mr. president, you said before that torture works. you praised russia, you said you want to be muslims from coming to america. you've suggested there should be punishment for abortion. for many people in britain those
talks and very productive talks. if we can have a great relationship with russia and with china and with all countries, i am all for that. that would be would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees, but if we can that would be a positive, not a negative. >> lesser is the uk's concerned on sanctions to russia in relation to their activities in the ukraine. we have been very clear that we want to see the agreement fully implemented. we believe sanctions should continue until we see that...
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andwithchinaandwith all countries, i'm all for that. that would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees but if we can, that would be a positive, not a negative. >> we have -- as farce as the uk is concerned on sanctions for russia in relation to their activities in the ukraine we have been very clear that we want to see the minsk agreement fully followed and we want to the sanctions until that is implemented and we argue that inside the european union. >> laura? >> thanks very much, prime minister. prime minister you talk about where you agree. but you have also said you would be frank where where are disagreed with the president. can you tell us where in your talks you did diagrove and do you think the president listened to what you had to say? and mr. president, you said -- see what she says. mr. president you said before that torture works. you praised russia. you said you want to ban muslims for coming -- from coming to america and there into shoo be punishment for abortionment for many people in britain, those sound like alarming beliefs what to you say to our viewers at
and with china and with all countries, i'm all for that. that would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees but if we can, that would be a positive, not a negative. >> we have -- as farce as the uk is concerned on sanctions for russia in relation to their activities in the ukraine we have been very clear that we want to see the minsk agreement fully followed and we want to the sanctions until that is implemented and we argue that inside the european union. >> laura? >> thanks...
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. but if we can have a great relationship with russia andwithchinaandwith all countries, i am all for that. it would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees. but if we can, that would be a positive, not a negative. >> we have as far as the uk's concern on sanctions with russia in relation to activities in the ukraine. we have been very clear that we want to see the agreement fully implement the peer weekly sanctions should continue until we see that agreement fully implemented and we think we have been continuing to argue that inside european union. >> is a possible thank you very much prime minister. prime minister talked about where you agree that you have also said you would be deftly designate the president. kane tells where in our talks he did disagree and do you think that the president listened to what you had to say? and mr. president, [laughter] let's see what she says. mr. president we said before you praise russia van daschle coming to america. he suggested there should be punishment for abortion. many people in britain those are alarming. what to say to our viewers at hom
. but if we can have a great relationship with russia and with china and with all countries, i am all for that. it would be a tremendous asset. no guarantees. but if we can, that would be a positive, not a negative. >> we have as far as the uk's concern on sanctions with russia in relation to activities in the ukraine. we have been very clear that we want to see the agreement fully implement the peer weekly sanctions should continue until we see that agreement fully implemented and we...
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Alano Español
Information and Pictures
Other Names
Alano
Spanish Alano
Spanish Bulldog
Pronunciation
Your browser does not support the audio tag.
Description
The Alano Español is a molosser (a large sturdy dog whose origins are in Molossia). It has a primitive appearance whose general physiology fits him especially well for running at high speeds for long periods of time and firmly holding wild game or cattle for a long time when ordered. With a well-proportioned body structure, the rib cage is arched, not cylindrical, the chest reaches elbow level, with strong and solid shoulders and withers. The front legs are stronger than the back ones, and are straight whether viewed from the front or from the side. The paws are generally much larger than those of other dogs of the same size and weight. The profile of the Alano's backbone outline is slightly ascending toward the back end or, at least, straight, but not descending. The muscles in the hindquarters are well developed and the back legs show very well defined angles ending in strong feet. The tail is thicker at the base tapering to a point and is never cropped because it is used as a rudder in the dog’s sharp turns and dribbles when hunting or working with half-wild or wild cattle. When the tail is carried low, none of its length rests against the dog’s hind area. The belly is retracted inwards, giving him a more athletic appearance than other heavier molosser breeds. The neck is strong, powerful and wide, showing two double chins that should never hang to low. His head is brachycephalic (Bulldog type) in shape, squared in appearance and with a serious expression. The muzzle is wide and represents approximately 35% of the total length of the head, with a vertical stop. The nose is large, wide and black with open nostrils. The ears are usually cropped, slightly rounded at the tip. Uncropped ears are medium in size and carried folded over the face. The Alano has very powerful jaws. The teeth are wide, well separated from each other with a very strong and firm scissors bite or inverted scissors bite. An under-bite is allowed if it is 2 mm or less. When walking, the Alano has the stride of a sly panther, because of its habit of carrying his head low, slightly and slowly bouncing it from side to side making its strong shoulders more visible. Alanos are tireless molossers that can maintain a constant, graceful, agile trot for a long time. When galloping, they are fast and flexible, fully stretching in and out their whole body in each step, sorting obstacles with enormous agility, making it look as if they will never get tired even if they were required to maintain the gallop for miles. Coat colors include yellow and wolf gray, fawns and reds (in either light or dark tones), with or without tigering (brindling) and or black mask. Black and tan—always with tigering on the tan markings which is described in the Spanish standard as "negro y atigrado" translating as black and tigered. White markings are allowed, but only on the snout, neck and chest, lower legs, belly and at the tip of the tail; the white should never predominate the body.
Temperament
The temperament of the Alano is very dominant and serious but very controllable by his master, acting submissively toward him/her. This breed is very affectionate with the family and people it knows. It is also extremely patient and good with children. They are reliable, stable, very obedient and bark very little. However, the Alano will watch strangers with suspicion, attacking with little warning, only when the situation requires it. When holding wild animals with its jaws, regardless of the size, nature, or aggressiveness of the animal, the Alano totally ignores feelings like pain or fear and will not surrender until he is told to do so or until he achieves the orders given. The Alano will fight to the death to follow orders, fighting the wild boar or the bull until the end. They are a fearless, loyal, devoted, hard worker. Well-balanced and stable, self-confidant with a very high pain threshold. Powerful and protective, but not aggressive. These characteristics of the breed are not fully apparent until the animal reaches full maturity, which usually happens when the dog reaches 2 1/2 years old or older. Because this breed is bred to function in packs as a team, he is good and sociable around other dogs, enjoying a good romp, playing and just having fun. However, the Alano will not back down if challenged by them. The Alano Español, like all mastiff type breeds, should have a dominant owner who understands instinctual canine behaviors. They can climb trees with amazing cat-like agility and are capable of leaping to great heights from a stand-still position. The Alano can be difficult to housebreak, which makes this breed best as an outside dog. Male Alano puppies tend to chew and be more destructive than female Alano puppies. The objective in training this dog is to achieve a pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in their pack. When we humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader; lines are clearly defined. You and all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. That is the only way your relationship can be a success.
Height, Weight
Health Problems
This breed has never been a bred for looks. Instead it is an ancient rustic dog that has been used to work hard in the country under rough conditions for ages, where only the fittest would survive. This may be the reason for the Alano Español being a very resistant, healthy breed, not prone to suffer from any disease in particular. The owner of Curro states, "When injured or ill, their recovering time is also outstanding. For example: At the age of 80 days Curro caught parvovirosis (Parvo virus in Spanish). The veterinarian gave me no hope for Curro to live more than a week after detecting the virus. It only took him 5 days to cure himself." Along with the Cane Corso, the Alano is one of the very few molosser breeds that do not drool, slobber or snore.
Living Conditions
Best suited to live in a yard and sleep outside, the Alano can stand hot and cold temperatures, dryness and humidity with no problem. For example: during inland Spain winters, the temperature reaches from the low 30's to the high 20's (below zero Celsius). In the north of Spain, the humidity is extremely high. In the central area the weather is dry with cold winters and very hot summers, whereas the south could be dry or humid (depending on the province) but with mild to hot temperatures. The Spanish Alano always sleeps outside and will adapt to all these climates with no problem.
Exercise
If they are not being used as working dogs, but are a family pet, you need to give them a lot of daily exercise. At least three
walks daily, one of them a bit longer in an open space where they can run and play, ideally in the country.
Life Expectancy
About 11-14 years.
Litter Size
About 4 to 8 puppies
Grooming
The Alano is a shorthaired dog that requires little grooming. An occasional brushing with a rubber brush will help him to shed his coarse, rustic hair and will prevent him from dropping a lot of hair inside the house. However, he is an outside dog and should be outside the house most of the time. Bathe only when necessary as it will remove the natural oils in the skin. This breed is an average shedder.
Origin
The Alano is a very ancient breed. There are several theories concerning its origin. Most people relate today's Spanish Alanos to the dogs the Alanos (Alans) brought with them when they invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 406 AC. These dogs did not originate from any breed known today, but instead, were the ancestors of many of the molosser breeds that are very popular today, such as Great Dane or the Dogue de Bordeaux. There used to be Alano dogs not only in Spain, but in other places across Europe invaded by the Alans, however, only in Spain have they survived for more than 1500 years until the present time. A group of Alano enthusiasts spent a lot of their time in the early 1980s working toward the goal of finding out the exact demographic situation of the Alano. The breed was never in dog shows or bred for beauty. At the time everyone thought the Alano had probably disappeared from most of the wild boar hunting expeditions and cattle ranches of Spain. Carlos Contera and his colleagues thoroughly searched all of rural Spain looking for this legendary molosser, whose decline started when its participation in bullfights was banned in 1883. The search was a success. They found a few Alanos in Extremadura (southwest of Spain) and Castille (central plateau) but also a large and stable population of about 300 Alanos in the Encartaciones Valley in northern Spain. These were the same Alano dogs that had been used for centuries to handle a local half-wild breed of cows. The restoration of the breed started from the best of these Alanos. Their DNA was analyzed by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Cordoba to assure their authenticity. The Spanish Alano, in the past, has been used in five basic purposes:
Wild or half-wild cattle handling.
Bullfights (this use was banned by Spanish laws back in the 19th century).
Big-game hunting.
Guard and defense.
War
Today it is used for cattle handling and hunting only. When working, the Alano Español depends on its powerful bite, its obedience and its well-balanced personality. The grip of the Alano Español's jaw has become legendary. It is extremely effective not only because the dogs bite using the whole jaw, extending the grip back to the molars steadily and maintain it for a long time, but also because they will release the prey when they are told to do so. The release is as important as the holding when working with the dogs. Some of the Alano's talents include herding, hunting, tracking, watchdog, guarding, police work, Schutzhund, weight pulling, competitive obedience and agility.
Group
Mastiff
Recognition
BBC = Backwoods Bulldog Club
DRA = Dog Registry of America, Inc.
There are several other associations working on its recognition, which soon will take place at a local level in Spain.
Potstillgold Loudon AKA Farrell the Alano Español at 9 months old—"This 9-month-old male from Potstillgold was bred and currently lives in NH. This dog will begin hunting at the end of August 2012. Curro de Tameran features in the pedigrees of both his parents."
Potstillgold Loudon AKA Farrell the Alano Español at 9 months old
Potstillgold Loudon AKA Farrell the Alano Español at 9 months old
Meet Curro of Tameran from Madrid, Spain! Curro is registered with the ANCAE (Asociación Nacional de Criadores del Alano Español) and owned by Javier Astorga Vergara
This is Curro with his owner—photos courtesy of Javier Astorga Vergara
Quake the Alano Español at about 7 years old—he is purebred, registered with the Real Sociedad Canina de España. His ears are natural (not cropped) and he is a bit larger/heavier and was bred for his working ability rather than appearance.
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Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey feels he didn’t play as well in the Magpies’ last league match against Brighton as he had done previously against Reading and Huddersfield Town.
The 22 year old played in an advanced role against the Seagulls but his crucial contribution was a free kick that sealed a 2-0 victory against their Promotion rivals. The former Swansea player believes that modern football pundits and fans focus too heavily on goals rather than overall performances. He told the Evening Chronicle:
“In terms of the game against Brighton, I played further forward, but I didn’t think I managed to get involved too much. But if you score a goal, you get all the praise under the sun.
“I actually felt I performed better in the other two games (against Huddersfield Town and Reading), but I didn’t get the credit for those games because that’s what football is like nowadays.”
Shelvey has found himself in an out the team under manager Rafa Benitez with starts coming against Brighton, Huddersfield and Reading but also finding himself benched for the opening match of the league campaign against Fulham, and again against Bristol City. It is something he says he will have to get used playing in the Championship with their being seven matches in total during September with the next against Derby County tomorrow evening.
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× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}
Omaha residents who want to cull old couches, desks and other bulky household items from their basements, garages and apartments no longer need to wait for spring.
The city is holding its first fall cleanup in years, starting Oct. 19 in west Omaha and moving east after. Officials want people to drop off items too large to set out as garbage.
All four weekends of fall cleanup will offer separate sites for dropping off tires and appliances to be recycled, as well as yard waste for people who would like to see it composted.
The effort will cost taxpayers about $150,000. Much of that money pays local trash haulers to collect the items and take them to the landfill. This year’s hauler is Waste Management.
Most of the people directing traffic, explaining what can be tossed and detailing recycling options at 16 sites will be neighborhood volunteers, as happens in the spring.
Omaha residents can take items to any of the sites. But they will have fewer options this fall than the 80 sites the city oversaw for this spring’s more established cleanup period.
Neighborhood associations, the roughly 100 groups that represent different parts of town, expressed less interest in staffing a second cleanup in the same year, city officials said.
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Q:
perfomance.now() called before requestAnimationFrame - performance.now() has a larger t
So I have a simple function:
var start = function(){
lastFrame = performance.now();
requestAnimationFrame((t)=>{interval(t)});
}
And my interval function (just for test purposes I have clogged the values of each rAF stamp)
function interval(t){
console.log (t);
console.log(lastFrame);
}
Now I have read the following response to another question but I just can't understand a few parts of this person's answer.
The timestamp passed in to the requestAnimationFrame() callback is the time of the beginning of the animation frame. Multiple callbacks being invoked during the same frame all receive the same timestamp. Thus, it would be really weird if performance.now() returned a time before the parameter value, but not really weird for it to be after that.
"it would be really weird if performance.now() returned a time before the paramter value" ?
Why would this be weird? I thought Javascript was an interpreted language? At this point:
lastFrame = performance.now();
The browser doesn't even now about the next line:
requestAnimationFrame((t)=>{interval(t)});
Surely if you make a call to performance.now() before you even provide a callback for your requestAnimationFrame the time of lastFrame should be less than the t passed into requestAnimationFrame?
In this person's response, he lays out a 6 step process involved with requesting an animation frame. However, he lists the performance.now() call as the last step.
How can it be the last step when it has been interpreted by the browser before the animationFrame request?
A:
The answer you Pointyed to talks about calling performance.now() inside the callback of rAF. You are calling it outside, so of course, it will be set to a date before.
Your code, simplified.
let t0 = performance.now(); // This is called now
requestAnimationFrame(t1=>func(t1)); // this will be called at next screen refresh
// (somewhere between 0 and 17 ms later)
The other answer's Pointy:
let f1 = time => {
window.calledTime = time;
while(wait(a_few_seconds)){}
}
let f2 = time => {
time === window.calledTime; // true !
performance.now() - time; // approximately a_few_seconds
}
requestAnimationFrame(f1);
requestAnimationFrame(f2);
So with a few words, let's say that in your case it's just normal lastFrame is set before t, since it is called way before (rAF is async).
The other answer talked about chained rAF calls, which are all stacked in a same function call, and thus will all share the same timestamp argument, whatever the time previous callback took to execute.
Now, if what you need is an original timestamp, you're quite safe using performance.now() as a fallback, since it is what is sent as argument, but when the first callback of the stack is executed.
const loop = time => {
if(!time) time = performance.now(); // we called it out of a rAF routine
...
requestAnimationFrame(loop)
}
loop();
However, if you are using an rAF loop, most of the time, it's because you need your routine to be in sync with the screen. So it makes more sense to wait until the next screen refresh before starting your loop, otherwise, you'd execute this routine twice in a single frame.
const loop = time =>{
...
}
requestAnimationFrame(loop); // call it directly through rAF
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2 Answers
2
Try not to define methods inside the Ball constructor, it uses more memory since a new function is created for each ball instance. Rather create them using ES2016 classes (if available) or defining them on the prototype.
Rather than defining getX, getY, etc, methods rather create properties (again using ES2016 syntax if possible or otherwise defineProperty)
I would add draw and checkCollision methods to the Ball class and move the code there.
I would add a class and objects for the walls. This has the advantage that they can draw themselves in the same way as a Ball (The main program just becomes a loop asking every object to draw itself) and that you can generalize collision detection as just being between two objects without worrying about their types. As you add different objects to your code this keeps things much simpler.
Simulating the kinematics of rigid bodies over time requires integrating over their velocities to find their positions. As you don't have any additional forces such as gravity or springs acting on those bodies, this step could be as simple as object.x += object.vx * dt where dt denotes the time passed between two frames which you might want to supply via Board.frame(dt).
However, when collisions occur, the velocities have discontinuities. Therefore, you might want to update object positions as above only until a collision occurs. Then you compute the new velocities and continue with the integration. Even though your bodies are just balls and therefore pretty simple, this can easily become tedious and problematic when the time between collisions becomes very small. An alternative and more generalizable approach is to update object positions without regard for collisions and then resolve collisions in a dedicated step.
Contrary to @MarcRohloff's suggestion, I'd recommend updating the ball movements by a dedicated physics "engine" which can be part of the Board as knowledge about the complete board state is necessary in order to update a ball's position.
Graphics:
I also recommend keeping your drawing routines separate from your models. A dedicated graphics "engine" can perform optimizations such as minimizing the number of context state changes or apply global effects such as z-sorting which requires knowledge about the complete board state.
Apart from that, I recommend following the advice given by @MarcRohloff.
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Jharkhand’s smiling MP in M-Team
SUDHIR KUMAR MISHRA
A TV grab of Sudarshan Bhagat taking oath as a minister in Delhi on Monday
Ranchi, May 26: A few months older than Rahul Gandhi, Sudarshan Bhagat (44), BJP MP from Lohardaga, is Jharkhand’s only leader to make it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet as minister of state.
The son of a tribal teacher, Bhagat was born on October 20, 1969, in Gumla. An alumnus of Kartik Oraon College in Gumla, he was associated with the right-wing students’ outfit Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and then joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Bhagat, who enjoys a good rapport with the RSS, became MP from Lohardaga in 2009 and retained the seat in 2014. This is the first time he has landed a Union minister’s job.
Known to be a “humble and cultured” man, his pleasant, “smiling” nature makes him get along with everyone. It contributed in no small measure to his rise in party ranks.
“No one has ever seen him lose his cool. He is young, popular, a two-time MP from the grassroots and close to the RSS. Together, these factors clinched his berth in the Modi ministry. It augurs well for Jharkhand,” said a BJP insider.
Not yet 30, Bhagat was elected to Bihar Vidhan Sabha from Gumla seat in 2000. After Jharkhand became a separate state on November 15, 2000, Bhagat went on to become a minister of state (human resources) in the Babulal Marandi government of the BJP.
When BJP’s Arjun Munda became chief minister in March 2003, Bhagat became a minister of state (independent charge) in the CM’s secretariat and then welfare minister.
“Apparently, Munda found it difficult to allot Bhagat a suitable portfolio, but was forced to take him in his own secretariat on RSS orders,” said a senior BJP leader.
Munda, however, stressed he enjoyed working with Bhagat. “He neither exceeded his limits nor forcibly imposed his views. He never complained against erring officials. His induction to the Union cabinet is Jharkhand’s honour,” the former chief minister said.
“He’s a very sober and well-behaved man. My best wishes are with him,” said former Assembly Speaker C.P. Singh and BJP veteran.
A family man who frequently refers to values learnt from parents Kalsai Bhagat and Manna Devi in remote Tangardih village of Gumla, Bhagat married Krishna Toppo on April 26, 2001. The couple has two sons Deodarshan (10) and Chaitanya (8), who study in Sarla Birla Public School, Ranchi.
Bhagat enjoys reading books on history and philosophy. He loves football, yoga, classical music and visiting places of historic importance.
“There’s no change in the man who’s become an MLA, an MP and now a Union minister,” said state unit BJP general secretary Ganesh Mishra on Bhagat’s spectacular journey from Tangardih to Delhi.
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Involvement of major histocompatibility complex class I antigens in T cell activation.
During the last few years ample evidence has been collected indicating a regulatory role for major histocompatibility complex class I antigens (Ag) in T cell activation. However, due to differential effects (stimulatory and inhibitory) of anti-class I antibodies (Ab) observed under different conditions, no coherent scheme of the mechanism of action of these Ag has emerged. Here, we present evidence that the mode of action of anti-class I Ab depends upon the presence or absence of monocytes/macrophages (M phi) in the culture. The Ab inhibit Ag presentation by binding to M phi. Coating of tetanus toxin -pulsed M phi with anti-class I Ab is sufficient to suppress T cell activation. On the contrary, these Ab enhance lectin- as well as phorbol ester-induced T cell activation in the absence of M phi. Cross-linking of class I Ag on T cell surface mobilizes cytoplasmic Ca2+, and also enhances the CD3-induced Ca2+ flux inside the cells indicating a functional relationship between CD3 and class I Ag. Though surface modulation and immunoprecipitation experiments do not indicate any physical association between these two types of molecules on the T cell surface, capping studies show that cross-linking of class I Ag induces an association of these Ag with CD3. Binding of anti-CD3 Ab enhances the strength of association between CD3 and class I Ag, and the former co-caps completely with the latter. Based on these observations we propose that during antigen presentation M phi (or Ag-presenting cells) and T cells, besides interacting via peptide--class II Ag/CD3--T cell receptor complex formation, also interact through class I Ag. The latter interaction may stabilize the contact formation between T cells and Ag-presenting cell and support T cell activation.
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"I have been looking forward to this moment. I am blessed to be in this position. Coaches feel that I have proved myself in practice enough to allow me to play in this preseason game and travel with them. They haven’t given me any indication of how many plays or snaps I am going to play so before you ask that question I don’t know. I am traveling. Traveling means that I will have a chance and opportunity to be out there on the field. I am looking forward to it. "
Walter Thurmond III:
"It’s going to be a great test for us. We’re striving to be the best secondary group out there and one of the best defenses to play the game this year, so it’s going to be a great test. They have a great ground game, Andrew Luck is a phenomenal passer. It’s really going to test us to see if we’re able to get our hands on it, to minimize those penalties down the field."
I am looking for the offense to take a step forward in terms of the passing game. But let’s not set ourselves up for disappointment–this is a new offense, with lots of new players, playing in the 3rd of 5 preseason games. So there’s not going to be this cataclysmic change in what we’ve already seen thus far. In fact, I happen to think we’re going to look like sh*t, truth be told.
I don’t get WFAN so I have no clue who he is, but is that dude who said there’s a rift about Jernigan legit? You ran with it so I imagine you believe he is, but just curious to hear more about who he is.
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Q:
sed/awk: modify source file?
I'm trying to script some changes I need to make to a couple of config files. It's worth mentioning that I'm an expert with neither sed nor awk, though I'm far better with sed.
Right now, I'm doing:
sed '/setting.name/c setting.name: newvalue' </etc/foo.conf >tmpfile.tmp && mv tmpfile.tmp /etc/foo.conf
But surely there's a better way? Perhaps with awk?
A:
A better way:
sed -i.bak 's/Old Info/New Info/' file.cfg
That edits the file in place, but saves the original as 'name.cfg.bak'.
If you know all the things to change, then you'd probably want a script to do it like:
sed -i.bak -e 's/first setting/new first/' -e 's/next setting/new next/' -e 's/etc/new etc/' file.cfg
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Archive
So Cryptic, the studio behind Champions Online and Start Trek Online, got hacked. These stories about major game developers getting hacked may be a dime a dozen now, but this one is so special I feel like I should give these guys a helmet and some crayons. You see, Cryptic was hacked back in December 2010, well over 16 months ago, but they just realized that now.
As an MMO player who has tried both their products and hasn’t been particularly thrilled by them, I don’t hold Cryptic in a very high regard. They try hard, and I am certain there are a few people who are genuinely committed to making games that people will play and want to enjoy. But somewhere along the production cycle, someone gets lazy, or a good idea is implemented awfully, or a feature that could make or break the game is screwed up, and you just cannot bring yourself to trust the studio again. Champions Online launched two different versions on launch day. The first one was close to the final beta. A launch day patch completely revamped everything though, a faux pas that I never really got past. As usual I am digressing.
My point is that I don’t trust Cryptic and believe that they prioritize profits over customer satisfaction and “fun”. But even this, this is just ridiculous. Come on guys, for 16 months your loyal customers have been playing your games, only to be told today that their information may have been compromised well over a year ago because you electronic locks had an expiry date of, well, 16 months ago? Disgraceful!
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Erosion of the Will: A Strangeness in My Mind by Orhan Pamuk
In his memoir Istanbul: Memories of a City (2005), Orhan Pamuk writes of the Turkish concept of hüzün. The word is derived from Arabic and describes a condition of spiritual agony or grief that is akin to the Western concepts of melancholy and tristesse. Unlike those terms, however, hüzün does not simply refer to an individual state of being; it expresses a collective heartache, a communal languor generated by a shared sense of loss. This is the condition Pamuk ascribes to his home city. Its character and unique atmosphere are defined by the fact that it was once the heart of the Ottoman Empire but has become a rather shabby metropolis marked by the signs of its post-imperial decline and decay: ‘the hüzün of Istanbul,’ he states, ‘is something the entire city feels together and affirms as one.’
Pamuk goes on to observe that this shared condition manifests itself as a peculiar kind of passivity. It suggests ‘nothing of an individual standing against society; on the contrary, it suggests an erosion of the will to stand against the values and mores of the community, encourages us to be content with little, honouring the virtues of harmony, uniformity, humility’. To illustrate the point, Pamuk recalls watching old Turkish films in black and white, romantic melodramas in which
the moment of identification is always the same. It is when the heroes have withdrawn into themselves, when they have failed to show enough determination or enterprise, submitting instead to the conditions imposed on them by history and society, that we embrace them, and at that same moment, so does the whole city … it seems to me that hüzün does not come from the hero’s broken, painful story, or from his failure to win the hand of the woman he loves; rather, it is as if the hüzün which infuses the city’s sights and streets and famous views has seeped into the hero’s heart to break his will.
The immediately striking feature of this impression, which Pamuk concedes may have something to do with his sentimental responses to familiar images of old Istanbul’s crumbling cityscape, is its inversion of conventional notions of heroism. The moment of identification is not only a moment of defeat, but a moment in which the protagonist’s individuality is subsumed. This absorption into a communal narrative runs counter to the very notion of ‘character’, in the affirming sense of the word that is synonymous with whatever is distinctive, independent, assertive or unique about a person. Even those anti-heroes of Western literature who are defined by their ignorance or powerlessness – the protagonists in Beckett or Kafka, for example – have a kind of inverted autonomy implied in their existential isolation. But for Pamuk this would seem to be a crucial distinction. The communal quality of hüzün naturally enfolds the literary notion of character into larger questions of cultural identity.
The critical cliché about Pamuk is that he is preoccupied with the cultural tensions between East and West. The cliché is true, up to a point. In subtle and complex ways, Pamuk’s novels depict a Turkish society caught between the conflicting imperatives of tradition and modernity. The ideological, ethnic and religious divisions that are dramatised in his work are determined by the nation’s geography and history – not only the fact that Turkey bridges Europe and Asia, but the fact that it is an ethnically diverse, majority Muslim nation that officially embraced secularism in the early twentieth century under Atatürk, the founding father of the Turkish republic. The city of Istanbul encapsulates the odd sense of alienation the nation’s multifaceted and conflicted cosmopolitanism is apt to engender. But it does so in a way that would seem to render the shared melancholy of hüzün decisively (and rather puzzlingly) paradoxical, since Istanbul’s embracing communal spirit coexists with its definitively inessential quality, which manifests itself as an inability to belong:
Caught as the city is between traditional culture and Western culture, inhabited as it is by an ultra-rich minority and an impoverished majority, overrun as it is by wave after wave of immigrants, divided as it has always been along the lines of its many ethnic groups, Istanbul is a place where, for the past hundred and fifty years, no one has been able to feel completely at home.
A concern with the philosophical and aesthetic implications of this Janus-faced aspect of Turkish culture and society is evident throughout Pamuk’s work. In his extraordinary historical murder-mystery My Name is Red (1998), set among a group of miniaturists in sixteenth-century Istanbul, traditional Islamic practices of illustration are being disturbed by new artistic techniques filtering through from the West, where it is rumoured that portraitists are striving to paint realistically, to capture the individuality of their subjects, even to develop their own characteristic styles. The murder plot comes to turn on the disputed question of whether an illustrator should cultivate a distinctive style, whether it is acceptable to depart from the techniques of the old Arab masters, since an individual style would by definition constitute an imperfection, and thus has the potential to become a form of self-incrimination.
But in Istanbul and the essays and interviews collected in Other Stories (2007), the emphasis is not on the clash of cultural assumptions and practices. Instead, Pamuk stresses the creative advantages of possessing such a culturally divided and paradoxical consciousness. For much of the nineteenth century, he notes, there was precious little indigenous Turkish literature. The enduring descriptions of the city from that period are those of Western writers, such as Flaubert and Nerval. This external perspective, he argues, creates a kind of double-vision in the native writer, for whom the salient feature of such accounts is not, as Edward Said’s theory of ‘orientalism’ would have it, the way in which they romanticise Istanbul as an exotic city of minarets, harems and dervishes (though Pamuk acknowledges that they do this, to some extent), but the shamefaced sense of recognition they inspire. He proposes that there is an intellectual and creative liberation to be found in this divided perspective. ‘To see Istanbul through the eyes of a foreigner always gives me pleasure,’ he writes, ‘in no small part because the picture helps me fend off narrow nationalism and pressures to conform.’ In a chapter discussing four ‘melancholy’ early twentieth-century Istanbul writers, each of whom was wrestling with the problem of how to create a modern Turkish literature, Pamuk proposes that their awareness of the European gaze allowed them to view their society both from with and from without. It gave them the freedom to define themselves as writers, to act
contrary to the dictates of society and the state, to be ‘Eastern’ when asked to be ‘Western’ and ‘Western’ when they were expected to be ‘Eastern’ – these might have been instinctive gestures but they opened up a space that gave them the protective solitude they so craved.
Pamuk’s cultivation of a similarly ambiguous stance is thus a literary question as much as a political or philosophical one, a way of avoiding too close an association with any particular viewpoint that might be seen to constrain or overdetermine his writing. But it also conflates these aspects of his work in a decisive manner. Early in his career, he was sometimes pegged as a ‘postmodern’ writer on the strength of the visible element of formal gamesmanship in his novels, and he has credited the creative breakthrough of his early novel The Black Book (1990) to his deepening appreciation of the affinities between traditional Arabic modes of storytelling and postmodern writers such as Jorge Luis Borges and Italo Calvino. More recently, in The Museum of Innocence (2008) and A Strangeness in My Mind, he has pursued a style of fiction more closely aligned with the broad-canvas satisfactions of nineteenth-century social realism (without eschewing his acute formal awareness or the occasional self-reflexive moment). What these works have in common is a desire to reconcile his love of Western literature to the reality of his immediate culture and physical surroundings, to address that reality and the pressing issues it raises, while remaining true to what he has called the ‘imaginative novelist’s greatest virtue’: the ability to retain that state of ‘childlike innocence’ which allows him the writerly freedom ‘to be irresponsible and delight’ in that world.
The difficulty of balancing these competing imperatives is particularly evident in Snow (2002), the most politically charged of Pamuk’s novels. Its central protagonist, a poet named Ka, is a Western-oriented intellectual and sometime resident of Frankfurt, who is sent as a journalist to the town of Kars on the easternmost edge of Turkey to report on a spate of suicides among young Muslim girls. Ka’s role as a journalist compels him to investigate and consider the views of all sides of the political storm that is brewing between the local Islamists and secular nationalists. His own views are conflicted. He is nominally an ‘atheist’, but is sympathetic toward the politically resurgent Islamists and expresses a desire to believe in God, who is symbolised in the novel by the falling snow that is enshrouding the town. The novel portrays politics as a kind of theatre – literally in the case of a scene in which a military coup occurs in the middle of a performance of a nationalist play – but it also positions Ka as a fulcrum for the arguments, rather than a committed participant, for reasons that one suspects have much to do with the author’s desire to remain aloof from the political conflict that drives the plot.
The novelistic purpose of this is to avoid political tendentiousness, but it also means that Ka’s character is defined negatively. His detachment and lack of conviction combines with his lovelorn demeanour (there is always a love story in Pamuk’s novels) to make him seem an oddly free-floating creation, his studiously non-committal stance shading into passivity and lack of will. He is presented not so much as a cipher as a conduit through which the novel’s arguments about religion and politics might be channelled. This is most dramatically illustrated in those moments of high-romantic inspiration that punctuate the novel, in which poems come to Ka in their entirety, as if bestowed by divine grace – poems that fuse the inchoate yearning of his soul to the anguish of his divided nation.
In Istanbul, Pamuk remarks that when he was a younger man he had the ambition to write a novel about his home city that might rival James Joyce’s depiction of early-twentieth-century Dublin in Ulysses (1922). A Strangeness in My Mind is not that book. It has neither the exuberance of style nor the palpable sense of detail that characterise Joyce’s masterwork. But it is perhaps possible to detect traces of Pamuk’s worthy ambition in the novel’s overt concern with the growth and transformation of Istanbul, and the way it weaves an examination of the social and political forces that have shaped modern Turkey around a sympathetic portrayal of a decisively ordinary central character, a humble street vendor named Mevlut Karataş.
Mevlut is presented as a kind of paragon of averageness. He receives a basic education, attending high school before dropping out to work alongside his father. Like most of the Turkish population, he is a Muslim, but he reflects his nation’s official secularism by not being particularly devout or observant. He is honest, diligent and decent. He has vague dreams that one day he might become rich. On several occasions, he is described as ‘innocent’. As his best friend Ferhat observes, ‘it is difficult to get mad at Mevlut’.
Over the course of the novel, which spans more than four decades beginning in the late-1960s, Mevlut works hard to provide for his family, slogging his way through a series of menial occupations. He sells yoghurt, rice dishes and ice-cream on the street; he opens a short-lived shop with his brother-in-law; he works as a parking lot attendant; he takes a low-level job with a newly privatised electricity company. Simmering in the background are the major upheavals and calamities of modern Turkish history – political clashes, outbreaks of ethnic and sectarian violence, terrorist attacks, military coups, a major earthquake (the novel comes with a timeline of contextualising events, some of which are mentioned in the course of the narrative, some not) – but even when these events intrude into Mevlut’s life, they tend to do so distantly or indirectly. His horizons remain proscribed by the immediate demands of making a living.
Pamuk makes it clear that we are meant to see Mevlut as a representative figure. He places particular emphasis on the fact that Mevlut goes out each evening to sell boza, a traditional Turkish wheat-based drink served with chickpeas and cinnamon. The figure of the boza seller, who wanders through the streets calling to his customers, carrying his wares with the aid of a long stick balanced across his shoulders, is romanticised in A Strangeness in My Mind as a living connection to a tradition that endures in the face of Istanbul’s material transformation. The beverage itself is understood to represent something of the tension between Turkey’s official secularism and its majority religion, since boza is lightly fermented, yet many Turkish Muslims subscribe to the convenient fiction that it contains no alcohol. The significance of boza is not lost on Mevlut, who speaks passionately in defense of its traditional importance and at one point describes the drink as ‘holy’, prompting his louche cousin Süleyman to observe: ‘that means you’re like a symbol of something bigger, Mevlut’.
A Strangeness in My Mind begins with two dramatic and beautifully paced scenes, which take place more than twenty years apart. The opening pages plunge us into a stormy night in 1982. An anxious Mevlut, aided by Süleyman, is eloping with Rayiha, a village girl he has been wooing by letter for three years, having glimpsed her only once before at a wedding. As he is spiriting her away, however, he realises that something is awry. Rayiha is not the beautiful young girl with whom he exchanged meaningful looks three years earlier and whom he had imagined himself addressing in his love letters, which were full of lavish praise for her entrancing eyes. He has been tricked into eloping with the beautiful girl’s older and less attractive sister.
The second scene takes place in 1994. Late one night when he is out selling boza, Mevlut is approached by two men, a father and son, who intimidate him before robbing him at knifepoint. The juxtaposition of these opening scenes establishes the novel’s entwined themes and the parameters of Mevlut’s symbolic relationship to his city, and by extension his nation. They are two defining moments of disillusionment, one in which his innocence results in him being duped, and the other in which his felt affinity with the streets of Istanbul comes face-to-face with the city’s dark side. What is significant about these two moments is that neither results in any major crisis of confidence or significant alteration in Mevlut’s character, even though he briefly considers giving up boza-selling in the wake of his mugging. He does the honourable thing after eloping with Rayiha and goes through with the marriage. More importantly, the marriage succeeds. They come to love each other. One of the most touching aspects of A Strangeness in My Mind is its depiction of the mutually supportive relationship that develops between them. Mevlut’s good-heartedness and stoicism in the face of adversity reflect the quality of his character. He is someone who abides and endures; he makes the best of things.
Mevlut can be read, on one level, as a counterpoint to the troubled bourgeois protagonists of several of Pamuk’s earlier novels. Galip in The Black Book, Ka in Snow and Kemal in The Museum of Innocence all belong to that affluent, educated and cosmopolitan strata of Turkish society which has embraced Westernisation, however ambivalently. Their social backgrounds and attitudes are, in this sense, broadly aligned with those of Pamuk himself. Mevlut belongs to a very different social class. He part of that ‘impoverished majority’ alluded to in Istanbul and, as such, does not share the divided sense of cultural loyalty or their propensity for brooding self-examination that has been a feature of Pamuk’s protagonists. He embodies the quiet dignity of the hardworking common man. He is meant to represent a stolid, grounded, native and (one is tempted to infer) essential Turkishness.
What Mevlut conspicuously shares with Galip, Ka and Kemal, however, is his air of melancholy. The title of A Strangeness in My Mind is taken from Wordsworth’s Prelude, where the line refers to the poet’s ‘melancholy thoughts’. Mevlut, who is unlikely to have even heard of Wordsworth, also feels ‘a strangeness in my mind … No matter what I do, I feel completely alone in this world.’
This sense of isolation combines with his humble occupation to give Mevlut the ability to move between different layers of Turkish society in the manner of a picaresque hero. Early in the novel, his father advises him about the life of a street vendor: ‘You will see everything without being seen. You will hear everything but pretend that you haven’t.’ This proves to be the case. Mevlut encounters bourgeois secularists, unscrupulous capitalists, communists and Islamists. His disquiet and lack of any strong affinity allows him to adapt and play along as circumstances dictate, while keeping other people’s concerns at arm’s length.
In a worldly sense, this translates into an absence of political commitment, even in the thick of heated political conflict. Like Ka in Snow, who finds political meetings to be ‘full of childish posturing and exaggeration’, Mevlut thinks there is ‘something pretentious about politics when it [is] taken to extremes’. When political fights break out between students at his school, he takes his father’s advice and remains passive and detached, literally standing to one side until the fight is over. He finds no issue significant or pressing enough to get him off the fence. When Islamists object to a play and burn down a crowded theatre, Mevlut thinks that insults to the Prophet are absolutely not to be tolerated, but that killing people is maybe taking things a bit too far. When leftists and rightists square off over a land dispute – a confrontation that will end in murder, mass arrests and torture – he does not understand why the matter could not be settled honourably. When Ferhat asks who he would support in an honourable fight, Mevlut the small-businessman contradicts his stated desire to become rich:
‘I’d support the socialists,’ said Mevlut. ‘I’m against capitalism.’
‘But aren’t we supposed to set up shop in the future and become capitalists ourselves?’ said Ferhat with a smile.
‘I like how the Communists look out for the poor,’ said Mevlut. ‘But why don’t they believe in God?’
Later in the novel, Ferhat teases him again:
‘You’re pretty good at keeping left and right happy, aren’t you … You’d make a good shopkeeper now, with all this bowing and scraping.’
‘I wouldn’t mind being a good shopkeeper.’
The ideological confusion born of naivety (or, less generously, simple-mindedness) is central to Mevlut’s character, and thus a definitive feature of the novel. It reflects Pamuk’s wider ambition, evident across his work and articulated most clearly in Other Colours, to avoid writing narrowly politicised fiction and maintain his allegiance to the higher principles of art and imagination. This is not to suggest that Pamuk is unwilling to speak out on matters of political importance. In 2005, he faced a three-year jail term for mentioning the 1915 massacre of approximately a million Armenians, an event still officially denied by the Turkish government (there is perhaps a sly reference to this episode in A Strangeness in My Mind when a minor character quips that if she were to write a book about the men she has known, she would ‘end up on trial for insulting Turkishness’). But the fact that Mevlut is presented as a symbolic figure, and not simply as a character who is of interest in his own right, creates a disconnect between his quotidian dramas and the sweeping social and political developments that are taking place around him.
Mevlut’s lack of significant involvement in the upheavals of modern Turkish history is symbolically necessary, since it defines his central role in the novel as the embodiment of a tradition that somehow exists apart from the reality of social and political change. Yet it also makes him an embodiment of hüzün’s paradoxical combination of alienation, passivity and immersive identification. This paradox feels strained in A Strangeness in My Mind, at least in part because he is such an innocent. Like Ka, Mevlut is a passive character who is open to being swayed by the conflicting viewpoints he encounters, but stops short of embracing them wholeheartedly. He is thus able to reflect the conflicting and at times overlapping ideologies of modern Turkey in a way that casts them in a gently ironic light. When Islamists win a local election, for example, Mevlut is quiety pleased because he thinks they will crack down on al fresco dining, which will mean more business for street vendors. Unlike Ka, however, Mevlut’s conflicted existence is not a symptom of a divided cultural perspective; it is not the result of him possessing an intellect that looks to the West and a heart that lies in the East. In this sense, Mevlut is a kind of negative image of Ka, less a conduit for larger questions than a character whose intransigent integrity places him outside of his society, even as he is able to penetrate into its private realms.
A Strangeness in My Mind includes many countering voices. Ferhat, a communist in his youth, is scornful of his friend’s attraction to religion, which is driven by Mevlut’s instinctive sense that religion represents a deep connection to tradition and encouraged by the relationship he develops with a benign old Islamic scholar known as the Holy Guide. He receives questionable advice from his materialistic and rather unscrupulous cousins Korkut and Süleyman (there is a telling irony in the fact that such a dodgy small-time businessman should be named after such a great Ottoman Sultan). Perhaps the most significant counterpoint to the unworldly Mevlut, however, is a minor character named Hadji Hamit Vural, a shady property developer who also comes from humble origins but succeeds in becoming rich and powerful, and draws many of Mevult’s friends and family into his sphere of influence in the process. His rise is also entwined in the novel with the rise of Islamism, as he gains his reputation as a great benefactor by constructing a giant mosque. Vural represents the the most inexorable of the forces that have reshaped modern Istanbul, namely the value of land and the power of capital – and, of course, their shady partners in crime: cronyism, bribery and standover tactics.
This would seem to be part of Pamuk’s point. Capitalism is a remorseless engine of social transformation. It is indifferent to tradition. It has no time for the virtues of harmony, uniformity and humility, or indeed for the concerns of the unfortunate human beings who happen to get in its way. Over the course of the novel, Mevlut becomes increasingly conscious that the city’s transformation and the corruptions of its materialistic culture are alienating him from his once familiar environment – inviting the allegorical reading that the process is alienating Istanbul from itself, from its own rich history and traditions. As his cousin Korkut remarks: ‘It’s true that the whole world is against the Turks, but the biggest enemies of the Turks are the Turks themselves.’
In Ulysses, Joyce took an ‘ordinary’ man – an everyman who is also an outsider, an urban wanderer possessed of a humane and forgiving spirit – and showed him to be extraordinary and heroic in his own quiet way. Mevlut is ordinary in a more stubborn sense, to the extent that one begins to feel that there is some idealising of simplicity going on. The perspective of the novel reinforces this impression. Mevlut is the subject of the novel, but he is also an object of scrutiny. His life is presented in a manner that is reminiscent of documentaries and reality television: sections written in the third-person relating his movements are interspersed with the often bemused first-person testimonies of his friends and family. Though the free-indirect style of the third-person sections allows some access to Mevlut’s private thoughts and feelings, he is viewed from without, our understanding of him mediated by the impressions of other characters.
Mevlut’s unworldliness has a corresponding air of unreality; the novel’s conflation of his state of mind with the city of Istanbul creates a contradiction it is unable to resolve. Near the end of A Strangeness in My Mind, Mevlut looks out of an upper-storey window at a transformed cityscape and realises that he has become ‘alienated’. The old buildings and neighbourhoods he remembers from four decades earlier have been effaced, torn down and replaced with high-rise apartments. He sees a new Istanbul that is ‘powerful, untamed, frighteningly real’, imagining the city’s hundreds of thousands of windows as eyes staring back at him. Yet on the very next page he is taken by the fancy that the streets, with their profusion of vistas and mysterious signs, are merely a projection of his dreams, that the strangeness in his mind is the image of the city itself. He understands ‘the truth that part of him had known all along: walking around the city at night made him feel as if he were walking around inside his own head’.
The apparent contradiction is an attempt to close the circle of the novel, to enfold Mevlut’s story into the story of modern Istanbul. The novel’s central conceit that his personal disquiet and the tumult of the city’s recent history are somehow synonymous connects A Strangeness in My Mind to the large issues of cultural identity that run throughout Pamuk’s work. But on a symbolic level it proves to be more than Mevlut’s humble and ingenuous character can bear. One of the novel’s epigraphs is attributed to the journalist Celâl Salik, a character from Pamuk’s early novel The Black Book: ‘The gulf between the private and public views of our countrymen is evidence of the power of the state.’ Late in the novel, Ferhat observes: ‘Mevlut, you’ve somehow managed to bridge the gulf between what people think in private and what they say in public … You’ve got this whole nation figured out.’ Yet on a fundamental level he clearly hasn’t got it figured out. In the end, Mevlut falls on his feet, but the deeper processes that have driven the alienating changes to Istanbul’s cityscape remain mysterious to him. The implication of the epigraph is that the tension between Turkey’s official secularism, the rise of political Islam, and the nation’s ethic and class divisions – all of which inform the novel’s depiction of the actute conflict between tradition and modernity – has resulted in a public sphere in which the state wields its power too heavily. This is borne out in the novel, and credible enough with regard to a country that has a history of military coups (one of the amusing observations in the novel is that both communists and Islamists always make sure they have a portrait of Atatürk on display, so that if there is a police raid they can claim their loyalty to the republic). But the Holy Guide’s distinction between a person’s public and private intentions, and his advice to Mevlut to make the intentions of his words and heart coincide – a scene the novel styles as a defining moment – seems like a rather sentimental and unrealistic reply to an extraordinarily difficult political question.
This perhaps why the conclusion to this finely imagined and richly populated novel strikes such a sentimental note, its final pages celebrating not only a city and its people, but all of humanity. ‘Human beings were made to be happy, honest and open,’ thinks Mevlut, caught up in a moment of domestic harmony. I am not so cynical as to dismiss this idea out of hand (not yet, anyway), but it does not necessarily follow from the many examples the novel has provided of human beings behaving in ways that are unhappy, dishonest and secretive. A Strangeness in My Mind is a deeply romantic novel in the everyday sense of the world, and a very moving one at that, but it is also a work that wants to claim its share of socio-political relevance without dirtying its passive hero with the messy reality of politics.
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hydrodynamic tool for the cleaning of pipes and channels with a connector for a water hose as a pressurized water-entry inlet opening and pressurized water-discharge outlet openings on the side of the water connection. These tools are formed as flow-through parts and can for example be provided as channel cleaning nozzles or bottom floor cleaners.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
Numerous channel-cleaning nozzles are known, which exhibit a water connector providing a pressurized water-entry inlet opening and pressurized water recoil openings, directed rearwardly and connected to the pressurized water-entry inlet opening. The nozzle experiences an advance motion force in the pipe or channel based on the recoil force of the water. In order to achieve a favorable degree of effectiveness of the energy translation, the pressure loss is to be kept as low as possible along the flow.
The following conditions are to be assured:
avoiding of sharp-edged and sudden transitions; PA1 a deflection radiuses to be formed as large as possible; PA1 rounding of the chamfers and bevels; PA1 avoiding of the impact of the flow on surfaces; PA1 a diameter of the guide channel as large as possible; PA1 an optimum conditions between flow speed and rate of flow of the pressurized water; PA1 a low wall roughness (R.sub.z <10 micrometers that corresponds to a microprocessed surface). PA1 decrease of energy and water use; PA1 increase of the cleaning capacity; PA1 long service life; PA1 variable weight.
The degree of effectiveness and the cleaning power of the flow-through part is decisively increased and, simultaneously, the energy and water use is decreased only when these conditions are maintained.
A sewer cleaning chemical dispensing nozzle is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,694 to Kirschke. Rearward and forward jets are provided for propulsion, cleaning and chemical fumigant dispensing.
A hydraulically already somewhat improved nozzle is taught in the printed patent document WO 85/05295. Here, the connection channels between the pressurized water-entry inlet opening and the pressurized water recoil opening exhibit a relatively large radius. Such a nozzle is shown in FIG. 2 of the reference, which nozzle exhibits a conical water subdivider in the center in the region of the hose connector, wherein the radius joins at the conical-shaped water subdivider. The hollow space in the nozzle expands at a relatively sharp angle from the hose connector such that a ring-shaped impact face is formed in the direction of the pressurized water recoil openings. The discharge openings lead from the impact face in the hollow space outwardly over a discharge deflection angle. Nozzles are inserted into the discharge openings, wherein the nozzles exhibit a conical expansion of the inner diameter in a direction toward the hollow space. Based on the impact of the liquid stream onto the impact face, there is generated an unsteady and noncontinuous cross-section decrease according to hydrodynamic principles, which cross-section decreases already substantially decreases effectiveness. The pressure resistance and the form drag resistance of the impact plate are present in addition, which impedances result in a further substantial decrease of effectiveness, wherein the largest drag coefficient of a circular plate is to be employed in the present case.
Based on this unfavorable hydraulic construction, the axial pressure component of the exiting water beam is weakened and thus the cleaning effect is decreased.
So-called floor cleaners operate according to a similar principle as the channel cleaning nozzles. The floor cleaners comprise, according to German printed patent documents DE 32 37 583 A1 and DE 35 02 916 A1, an open base construction in the kind of a slider with runner-shaped or skid-shaped elements disposed parallel to each other on two sides of the slider. The backflow openings are inclined such that they are directed to the base of the channel. Roll balls secure the floor cleaner against a turning over.
According to the German patent DE GM 93 08 910.4, there is described a channel cleaning apparatus in the shape of a floor cleaner, which exhibits a closed and compact outer construction. The one-sided rounded surface facilitates an automatic restoring of an upright position. A disadvantage of the floor cleaner is the hydraulically unfavorable water guide channeling and the therewith associated efficiency limitations.
German Patent DE 195 16 780 C1 teaches a hydrodynamic nozzle for the cleaning of tubes and channels. A distribution chamber is disposed following to the pressurized water entry opening and pressurized water outlet openings are through channels to the distribution chamber.
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