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The War Of Our Times
Imagine an image airbrushed. Of warts and scars and pocks and craters, and curses that only war can spell. Then imagine the panoramic image on top. Or look at it, just look at it. When I first came upon this sight in the summer of 1999 — man to mountain — the vista looked nothing like this. It was a setting irredeemably scarred. It was littered with hollow shells and field guns, and blackened by what they emitted — gunpowder, smoke, phosphorescence, panic, disarray, dread, destruction, death. Worse. Irreparable injury. Irreparable loss. The horrific signature of war crawled all across it.
Over the autumn and winter of 1998, the Pakistani military machine had sneaked under lowered, lazy guard, and snatched vantage stations right across the range you see and farther yonder. With armed mercenaries at the front, it had breached Indian sovereignty along more than a hundred kilometres of a frozen desolate frontier, often pushing several kilometres in. They had dug in and established dozens of offensive outposts. They had come to dominate key positions above National Highway 1A, the slender and sole road link India possesses to the strategic Kargil-Ladakh frontier. The audacious adventure became a full-blown intrusion as a result of multiple lapses in intelligence and military preparedness; early alerts had been sounded but they were ignored, even scoffed at.
- The approach to Kargil from the Kashmir Valley winds up the steep and often precarious Zoji La, a high pass 36 kilometres long (top left); shut through winters and excessive snow, the road is mostly rutted and in need of constant repair during summer months.
- Zoji La, nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, opens onto a wind-blown clearing above the tree-line called Zero Point (centre) and meanders on to a hamlet called
- Gumri (3) which is often used as a fuel dump during winters.
- Beyond Gumri, the road plunges into the vast and beauteous Matayen Valley (above right) and eventually leads, along turbulent mountain streams, into Pandrass, Drass and Kargil, where the military presence today is not merely inescapable, it's domineering
The summer of 1999 was the price the nation paid. It took nine weeks of dour combat — and diplomatic brinkmanship between subcontinental nuclear powers — to knock off the incursion, regain the territories and call a halt to fire. Tens of thousands of civilians lay displaced, close to 550 Indian soldiers were killed in action and thrice the number injured; losses on the Pakistani side, which denied any military role for a long time, remain disputed to today, the number of soldiers dead ranges from 700 to 4,000.
6. The air all around is very military, and right overhead looms the Tololing peak — the area has been christened Tololing Range and has a fair few eponymous cafés and coffee shacks. During summer months, the memorial takes a steady stream of visitors. To one side, on a gentle knoll, sits an Arlington-like gallery of tributes in stone to those killed in action.
5. There are other, smaller, memorials littered across this landscape, like the one in Pandrass for soldiers who battled to wrest the Mushkoh Valley.
7. The craggy slope that was once a blistered battlefront, taken by the to and fro of artillery gunfire, is now a grand red sandstone memorial to soldiers. It is looked over by the Tricolour said to weigh 15 kilograms.
We travelled back to Kargil last fortnight to witness what has changed. From Zoji La in the southwest to Budh Kharbu in the northeast, the frontier has transformed into a metal-plated garrison, possessed of a Battle School to boot; the altitudes looming above are more effectively manned and watched than ever before; Drass and Kargil have become islands of teeming commerce; a benign cloud has come to hang over peaks that once flamed with fierce fire. The panorama on this page has not been airbrushed; it is a picture from today of what was then the centrestage of the Kargil War. Left to right in the image stand some of the key peaks that had been grabbed and occupied, and had to be reclaimed — Tiger Hill, Kala Pahad, Point 4180, Point 5140, Tololing. In the folds behind the mountains to the left of the picture lies Mushkoh Valley; beyond the peaks to the right, Batalik. Twenty summers ago, this photograph, clicked somewhere between Pandrass and Drass on the afternoon of July 9, 2019, would have looked patently and dishonestly airbrushed of the nasty disfigurement that war is. Over the next few pages, you will find a few reasons why.
8. Hotel Siachen in Kargil's main bazaar was the only place journalists covering the war could find refuge in. It offered bed, tea, and on the lucky day, breakfast. Often shelled during the hostilities, Hotel Siachen refused to shut operating. It has acquired a new fibreglass façade, but behind it Siachen remains its old doughty self
9. A voice from today's Kargil. Prince Qaiser is a child of the war, born in 1999; but he wants to have little to do with what happened. He has heard tales but is unable to be curious. "Kya fayda?" A hotel handyboy, Qaiser says what matters to him is the here and now. "Kaam karna hai, paise kamaaney hain, aage jaana hai, pehle kya hua jaan ke kya milega… haan, phir se jung nahin honee chahiye, jung se bhi kisi ko kya mila?" (I have to work and earn money. What is the point of knowing what happened before. But yes there shouldn't be another war. War has never benefitted anyone).
(Above) Desolate and depeopled during the war, Kargil has more than recovered its original mien. A retail hub and popular night-halt for tourists travelling to and back from Leh and Zanskar, Kargil now has more than a dozen hotels, tens of eateries and a mounting population that has burst frontiers and clambered up the surrounding plateaux.


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Westminster Answers
How Should Christians Think About Ethics?
Dr. VanDrunen answers the question, "how should Christians think about ethics?" in this Westminster Answers video.Continue
Why Do Christians Need Doctrine?
Dr. Horton explains the importance of doctrine for Christians in this installment of Westminster Answers.Continue
How Should a Christian Defend the Faith?
Dr. Horton answers the question, "How Should a Christian Defend the Faith?" in this latest installment of Westminster Answers.Continue
Why Study the Old Testament?
On this week's episode of Westminster Answers, Dr. Joshua Van Ee answers the question, "Why Study the Old Testament?"Continue
How do we deal with apparent inconsistencies in the Bible?
How do we deal with apparent inconsistencies in the Bible? Dr. Baugh addresses this question in this installment of Westminster Answers!Continue
Does the Law of God still bind Christians today?
In this week's Westminster Answers, Dr. Estelle answers the question, "Does the Law of God still bind Christians today?"Continue
What Can We Learn From the History of Preaching?
"One of the greatest treasures we have to teach us about preaching is how preachers thought about and actually did preaching over the past 2000 years."Continue
What is Holiness?
"We've been given new life by the Spirit and God has begun to work in us, renewing us after His own nature."Continue
Why Study Leviticus
Leviticus is a book that many Christians tend to ignore because they believe it is too dull or too complex. However, in this episode of Westminster Answers, Dr. Van Ee explains the importance of studying Leviticus and how proper knowledge of it is essential to understanding the New Testament.Continue
How can Pastors Decide When a Call is Right for Them?
"It would be really nice if the Lord put flaming arrows over the church building where you are suppose to be a minster, but that's not the way it works."Continue
Education After Seminary
This week on Fesko Fridays, Dr. Fesko discusses how to continue in your education after seminary. Because after all, the best teachers are ultimately the best students.Continue
How Should Pastors Lead Their Sessions?
Dr. Fesko gives us further insight into pastoral ministry. This week: how should pastors lead their sessions or consistories? "You lead as Christ leads us: humbly and sacrificially."Continue
What Should the Spiritual Life of a Pastor Look Like?
During this series, Dr. J. V. Fesko will be answering questions that might arise for a new pastor entering the pastoral ministry. The first video installment answers the question, "What should the spiritual life of a pastor look like?"Continue
Should Christians Read Fiction?
Dr. Godfrey discusses the benefits of reading fiction for Christians in this week's installment of Westminster Answers.Continue

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It is a fact that there are over 44 million Americans who owe student loans. A lot of these students graduate with heaps of financial demise on their shoulders, making it hard for them to get jobs to pay for it. In this episode, Timothy Bush gives clarity on how these loans have gotten out of hand and how America is spoiling its people. He backtracks on what the 2007 bubble has produced, how
Episode Blogs
The market is volatile amidst political debates about taxes. With market instability and ongoing political clashes, it pays to be educated. Many people have fallen as victims to outdated taxing policies simply because they're not aware of other options. In this episode, we will dive into legal and guaranteed strategies to decrease your taxable income. We will also dive into oil and gas investments and tips on how to avoid being double-taxed. Discover the
The market has been very volatile in the last couple of months. That is why many of us can't help but be on our toes, constantly checking statements every time they come in. If you want to take some of those dollars out of the volatile market, then Timothy Bush has a solution for you. He discussed that in this episode and put you in a fixed rate of return. Avoid the volatile market
Visualize retirement like climbing a mountain woodworking all these years, paying taxes, and putting money away so you have money to spend in retirement. However, did you know that paying taxes on social security makes you pay double tax because the money you put in social security has already been taxed? Control where you invest your money intelligently. Diversify out of the market and put it somewhere where you can get a consistent and
Investing in oil and gas is always a smart way to create passive income. Timothy shares his thoughts on the amazing tax advantages of putting money in oil and gas and goes on to discuss the specifics of the depletion allowance and the intangible drilling costs which are a benefit unique to the oil and gas industry. Encouraging you to invest your money in the right avenues, he talks about another striking tax-related benefit
There are ways you can optimize the current tax code without penalties, and we are going to break down those hacks. As we commemorate Memorial Day, let us allow some time to think of where to put and invest our money wisely. In today's episode, we touch on oil and gas investment, the depletion allowance, and the perks of being a lender in oil and gas. On top of that, catch the ways to
Finance is always a complex topic for consumers. Brett Saso, the Founder of Bad Uncle Sam, teaches us how we can avoid stock market volatility by understanding our finances better and using The Power of Zero strategy. Taxes are some of the complexities of finances, and Brett shows us where taxes are going in the future and how to make it as a foundation of your financial plan. In this episode, learn how
How do you keep more of your money in your pocket and keep bad Uncle Sam away? One great hack is optimizing the current tax code. As we touch on the benefits of putting your money in the oil and gas sector, find out about the intangible drilling costs for gas and the concept of cost segregation. Moreover, be aware of the key to getting consistent fixed income for oil and gas and the employer-sponsored
The US Government offers attractive tax incentives in domestic oil and gas projects and intangible drilling costs such as labor and water. Oil and gas greatly impact the way our government taxes its people and through tax code optimization, any taxpayer can have promising deductions. Investing straight to the oil and gas company is a promising strategy to enjoy the benefits of skipping expensive taxes. Fertility rate and retirement has also influenced the way programs
What could be worse than paying taxes? Provisional income is a perfect example of the hidden agenda in the Social Security system. Everyone must be aware that Social Security is not an entitlement program. Instead, it is receiving money that you've already put into the system. Today, we go in-depth with this scheme as we learn how to get away from paying double taxes on Social Security. Know where to put your money in
Investing your money allows you to beat inflation, attain financial goals, and prepare for retirement. If anyone is looking for where to invest, now is the perfect time to invest in oil and gas. The United States has reached that point at the moment where she could function without importing any more fuel. Today, we will dive into oil and gas investment and look into the tax codes that you need to fathom before
Paying tax is a mandatory obligation imposed by the government for public purposes. In reality, as citizens of society, we are overtaxed without knowing where the government wastefully spent that money. Still, many politicians would like to impose a tax increase for the people. Tim expresses his thoughts stating that raising taxes won't actually fix anything. He reveals that there's a way to potentially drop down a tax bracket or two on a current


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Transcript available below graphic
Cash Flow vs Asset-Based Lending: Which is Right for You?
Both cash flow lending and asset-based lending have their place in fulfilling business borrowing needs. Each can be appropriate in different situations.
Cash flow lending
Loans are backed by the anticipated cash flows of the business, or in some cases the personal cash flow of the owner — business credit rating is also a major factor.
When is cash flow lending appropriate?
Cash flow lending can be appropriate for companies with no physical collateral, such as service organizations. It can offer a faster approval process -- no appraisals of physical assets are required.
When may you want to consider asset-based lending
ABLs are secured by specific company assets such as accounts receivable, inventories or equipment. Its applicable to a variety of industries, including freight movers, manufacturers, fleet buyers and auto dealers.
If you have a larger balance sheet but lower profitability level, you may want to consider ABL.
It can also be a good fit for capital-intensive industries and businesses with inconsistent cash flow.
ABL can help preserve cash resources, as it's often a lower cost of capital.


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Holts Summit booksale will lead into potential plans for the city's first library
HOLTS SUMMIT - A book sale brought together by donations will take place Friday morning and throughout the weekend in Holts Summit.
The book sale was organized by the Holt Summit Community Empowerment Foundation which found the space and paid for the remodeling for the book sale.
CEO of the Holts Summit Community Empowerment Foundation Marty Wilson was inspired to take on the project by the love his daughters had for books and time they would spend at Barnes & Noble on weekends.
Volunteers sorted through more than 4,000 boxes of donated books arranging and organizing them by genre.
"Missouri River Regional Library was very helpful," Wilson said.
Wilson said after Missouri River Regional Library's annual book sale they would donate all the leftover books to Wilson's foundation. Otherwise, the books would be shredded and disposed of. Shelves and furniture came from the closing of the Jefferson City Barnes & Noble--the same location Wilson would take his daughters.
The book sale will happen in the same space that will be Holts Summit's first library which is expected to open in November.
"We thought setting the shelves [for the book sale] to look like the library gave it more order...but also they can visualize it a little more," Wilson said.
Before the possibility of the new library, citizens of Holts Summit would have to rely on the bi-weekly book mobile or drive to Fulton, Ashland or Jefferson City to get their hands on a book. After the library is opened in November a book can be found in the plaza of Holts Summit.
Proceeds of the weekend's book sale will go toward paying off the debt of the future library and will also help support a local church's mission trip to the country of Mexico.
Volunteer Denise Tindle is a part of the mission trip and has worked on organizing books for the book sale for the past few days and says she can see the progress.
"We had so many books that I thought it would never happen or even fit in this room...but now it looks organized and ready to go," Tindle said.
Shoppers will see bargain priced books and VHS tapes no more than $2.00.
When the library opens in November, books will be available for the community at no cost.
The book sale starts Friday at 10 am and end the evening of September 8th.


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This program is closed to further registration.
Coding and Maker Club: Students will use various coding applications such as Google CS, Scratch Animation, Tynker, MIT App Inventor, Swift programming, Raspberry Pi and Code.org to learn and apply their coding skills. In addition to the computer applications, students will have access to Sphero robots and Lego Mindstorm kits for a hands-on coding experience.
Students will also have access to the Makerspace. A makerspace is a community work area that allows students to work together and learn through collaboration and trail and error. We will feature weekly and monthly non-tech crafts and STEM projects. The Makerspace also houses our 3D printer, 3D pens, Osmo's and Makey Makeys! No class 3/27.
Instructors: Erin Finley & Shana Link
210 Progress Drive Suite #2
Cottage Grove, WI 53527
Tel. Phone: 608.839.8968Fax: 608.839.1603


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When I thought of what I wanted to do this year and things were still normal, I decided that it's time to visit Iceland. One of the options was to go with a photography group straight from Malta. One or another way, the pull of this magical island seemed irresistible. But as we know, travel has been disrupted around the world, and I prefer not to contribute to increasing avoidable risks just for pleasure. What about my old dream to visit Iceland? Well, Project Gutenberg came to the rescue.
Unwish lists and lockdown consumption
Spending more time at home forced many people to look closely at things in their lives. Buying, hoarding, stocking, keeping busy demanded materials. As much as our socialising, learning, and interacting moved online, our leisure and rituals became increasingly physical, and called for things to keep them this way. More cooking and baking called for more equipment. The absence of gyms asked for various tools at home. Replacing restaurants and cafes with deliveries meant constant accumulation of boxes and bags. People like me, who tried to live with minimal possessions and invest into experiences instead (travel, events, workouts, etc) had to completely reconsider their lifestyle, as most of these experiences became unavailable. Where does it leave our relationship with material objects? Continue reading
Writing about travel on lockdown
Numerous blogs, microblogs, magazines, and individual careers are all about travel. Now that travel is so heavily restricted, how does one write about it in a meaningful way?
The first inspiration for this post came from an instagram account that promotes tourism to Malta. Since 21 March, Maltese authorities suspended commercial flights, making leisure travel next to impossible. So if that account is all about promoting consumer travel, should it stop posting, or should it find new ways to keep its followers engaged? The account painstakingly sought out hashtags like #thankstotravel, #moretoexplore, #staycurious and others – and many travel bloggers and 'influencers' jumped at them too. Many of them desperately struggle to stay relevant as people ease into the new normal, but these promises of delayed gratification ('you will be able to consume travel destinations in the future – meanwhile, please, please consume these promises of future consumption') sound out of place and tone-insensitive.
Still, making snarky remarks about the struggles of these people and businesses to stay relevant as their livelihood is threatened would not be helpful. I believe that amid this crisis, we should use even stronger filters of kindness and helpfulness before we publish or post anything. Social critique of systemic flaws in the travel industry is helpful, because it is necessary for improving our societies, but picking on individual 'influencers' and businesses is not. Instead, I would like to invite them to critically reassess what's helpful and kind in their business model.
Books replace travel: Jordanian short stories
Before the COVID19 pandemic hit, I had a nice plan to finally visit Jordan. It was on my bucket list for ages, and cheap flights from Malta would have enabled me to go there even on a short break. But life took a different turn – already in early March it started becoming clear that the trip will not happen. Instead, I took a literary trip to Jordan, having picked up Snow in Amman – a collection of short stories translated and edited by Ibtihal Mahmood and Alexander Haddad.
Working for free: a guide
Decisions about working for free are rarely straightforward. In an ideal world, survival would be guaranteed for people, so they could freely choose to volunteer their skills when they find it meaningful rather than desperately hope that this would lead them to paid positions in a distant future. Unfortunately, we are very far from this perfect world, and many of us have at some point worked or hired people to work for free. I am certainly guilty of both, and some of these transactions in social capital, to use Pierre Bourdieu's terms, were more successful or meaningful than others. Based on this experience, how does one navigate the world full of offers to work for free with very uncertain returns?
Magical North Macedonia
Between two listicles in The Guardian recommending Ohrid in North Macedonia as a top holiday destination (2016 and 2017), the price of the newspaper's recommended hotel seems to have doubled. This tiny detail reveals that the country is basking in attention, and having it on one's list of places visited is no longer a badge of off-the-beaten-track travel. Thanks to direct flights, many people visited the country and continue singing praises to this day. And why wouldn't they, given that N. Macedonia has mountains, greenery, water and city life to enjoy?
Click on the images to enlarge them
Kayaking in Malta
The sea is pretty much the only kind of wildlife Malta can offer, so spending time in and near the sea is very important for making the most of living on this island. Thanks to my friend M. I had an opportunity to try out sea kayaking, which is one of the most exciting ways to explore the islands from unusual angles.
When businesses encourage wasteful behaviour
A recent article in the New York Times attempted to calculate individual contributions to climate change derived from driving, flying and other activities. The criticism is very valid, but once again it is focused on individual responsibility and individual behavioural changes, which make life less enjoyable for those already 'converted' to environmentalism. It is true that we vote for the world we want with our money, but I would suggest first and foremost focusing on businesses that encourage this wasteful behaviour:
Libraries, public space and obsession with cafes
A NYT article about libraries and civil society was one of the warmest and most hopeful texts from the other side of the Atlantic in the recent years. It made several key points: libraries are open, inclusive and fun spaces to interact – or to be by oneself. The growing emphasis on libraries can hopefully replace the recent obsession with cafes in many discussion circles.
On my three most recent visits to Vilnius, I couldn't help but admire how cool the national library has become. People go there to record their podcasts, schedule meetings, work on their stuff, concentrate on reading or talking, or attend events. The building is bright and inviting. I could only dream of this when I made a few attempts to get work done at the national library in Valletta. The gloomy building was cold and dark, and although I enjoyed the selection of newspapers to read and the set-up, it was clearly built for reading something from the library's archives. To continue discussions on public space, ignited by last year's Capital of Culture events, Valletta should revitalise its libraries rather than move community events and discussions to cafes. Libraries should be our focus as we, as communities and democracies, seek to create the ultimate anti-Facebook.
Birdwatching at Għadira Nature Reserve
Last Sunday was the day of 40 birds in Lithuania, which means, according to traditional wisdom, that 40 species return from the South by that day. Some say that due to climate change the list of species changes, but their number remains roughly the same. I trust one of my favourite Lithuanian photographers, Marius Čepulis, for the species count. Meanwhile, I am trying to keep track of bird presence in Malta.
Birds in Malta do not get all the protection they deserve, bird-watching in spring is exciting in Malta, as various species pass by on the way to continental Europe, and, thanks to dedicated volunteers who monitor protected birds against hunting offenses, many survive the journey.
Robin is a common and brave bird. Click on the images to enlarge them


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Here comes yet another young ambitious youth from the slums of Ashaiman with a lot to serve its people and the world. Determined to impact hard, smart working ethics and discipline in his people, Bernard Kwesi Appiah, widely known as Kwesi Slay, started his music career in 2012 and rapidly went onto drop his first single 3Y3 NORMAL which featured Yaa Pono in 2015 which moved emotions nationwide. Realising the impact it made, the upcoming artiste decided to serve the world with educational and inspirational music.
Subsequently in 2017 he decided to tell the story of the ghetto youth with a street anthem featuring Sariki on the single Street Ways which came with a music video directed by Bra Shizzle. Amazing as it sounds, every show in Ashaiman and other communities around felt the impact of his song thus pulling crowd after every single performance.
Kwesi Slay has supported and mounted on several major stages across the countries such as Stonebwoy's Ashaiman to the World Concert, Central University, Bless Up Family Hangout all with only two bangers under his belt.
Now in 2018, Bessa Music presents Aben an EP which features Wanlov the Kubolor, Kojo Cue & Cabum.
Also watch his new video off the EP which features Wanlov Kubolor titled Visa.
Listen/Watch Below


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Should major Australian ports be in public or private hands?
This question goes to whether we are selling off vital assets for short-term financial gain and political expediency, or for commercially sound reasons.
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman this week backed away from plans to privatise electricity assets; but he is reported to be still considering offering long-term leaseholds on the Ports of Gladstone and Townsville, as recommended by Peter Costello's commission of audit to stabilise the state's finances.
The government is expecting the sale of the two ports might net the cash-strapped state $3 billion that would be used to reduce state debt - although such moves would not take place until after the 2015 state election.
The Queensland government under Anna Bligh already off-loaded its capital city Port of Brisbane to Q Port Holdings on a 99-year leasehold for $2.1 billion (at the lower end of the expected price), in 2010.
Elsewhere, the NSW government recently sold Port Botany and Port Kembla to the NSW Ports Consortium - made up of a group of superannuation and infrastructure funds - on a 99-year lease basis for a combined $5.1 billion, well in excess of NSW's Treasury expectations of $3-4 billion.
Once debt has been repaid, the net benefit to the NSW government will be $4.3 billion, which it says will be spent on infrastructure projects such as the WestConnex Motorway, between the M4 and Port Botany, the Pacific Highway and the Princes Highway.
But while many may welcome the sale of such assets to fund necessary infrastructure projects, others have flagged that the concentration of port ownership may lead to steep price rises, as well as concerns over regulatory oversight.
This concentration of ownership is well exemplified in the sale of Port Botany and Port Kembla.
The successful bidder, NSW Ports Consortium, is made up of three Australian firms - Industry Funds Management (IFM), AustralianSuper and QSuper - as well as Tawreed Investments, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
As well as a 45% share in NSW Ports Consortium, IFM has a reported 27% share in Q Port Holdings, the owner of the Port of Brisbane. Tawreed Investments is reported to have a 20% stake in the consortium as well as a 19% stake in Q Port Holdings. Together the two owners have a 65% stake in NSW Ports and a 46% stake in the Port of Brisbane.
In an interview with trade publication Lloyd's List, Shipping Australia Chairman Ken Fitzpatrick expressed concern over the amount of control this gives port owners on the Eastern seaboard. Despite assurances from IFM chief Brett Himbury that IFM would exercise its position responsibly as long-term owners, Mr Fitzpatrick said he remained concerned over whether there were sufficient regulatory measures in place to ensure competitive pricing.
The consortium is required to report to the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal if they wish to increase charges. However, Mr Fitzpatrick is concerned whether this may not be enough to prevent large price increases.
Private ports are not a new phenomenon and a large number of bulk ports in Australia are privately built and owned, usually by the end user, such as a mining company. But before the sale of the Port of Brisbane, only some of Australia's smaller public ports, such as Portland, Geelong and Adelaide, had been privatised.
The need to fund infrastructure by the states should not lead to "a one policy fits all" approach that includes the sell-off of prized assets such as capital city general cargo ports.
The international experience of port privatisation is not necessarily reassuring. Privatisation in the United Kingdom took place many years ago, but according to Professor Alfred Baird from the Transport Research Institute, at Edinburgh's Napier University, it has not always been a success.
Professor Baird points out since privatisation, investment in port infrastructure has slowed, leading to UK ports to lose trade to continental rivals with shipping consortia switching vessel routing to European ports such as Rotterdam and Hamburg.
Once the shipping lines leave, it is difficult to get them back, as importers and exporters adjust their supply chains to adapt to the new situation. In some cases, ports were on-sold to new owners for a lower price.
The onus on a private port owner is to maximise the profits for shareholders and "sweat the assets". In contrast, a publicly owned port on the other hand has the capacity (and some commentators say duty) to stimulate regional development by investing in port infrastructure.
This might not have an immediate benefit to the port's bottom line but will benefit its public owners (usually the state) by creating additional economic activity.
For example, the recent $750 million channel deepening in Port Phillip Bay may not bring more containers to the Port of Melbourne initially, but it does enable larger vessels to enter the port. This lowers the unit cost of shipping containers and ultimately allows the port (and Victoria) to take a more competitive market position.
The NSW-government-owned Sydney Ports Corporation spent $600 million on the development of additional container berths at Port Botany which increased the port's capacity by more than a third. These development costs were offset by the sale of wharves and prime Darling Harbour land at Barangaroo to real estate developers. Would a private port owner have invested this sort of money given it would not have the assets to offset these costs?
The Port of Melbourne is the only major capital city port on the East coast still owned by the state government. No doubt senior Victorian Treasury officials have been doing their sums and looking at their wish list of infrastructure projects they would potentially be able to fund with proceeds from the sale of the port.
The Victorian government has so far put up the "Not for Sale" sign at the Port of Melbourne. Let's hope they are able to resist the temptation for a quick dollar and realise that a port is a vital asset to the national economy and it is dangerous to leave it entirely to market forces.


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Thai banks plan more 2016 branch closures than openings: central bank
[BANGKOK] Thai commercial banks this year have requested permission to close more branches than they have asked to open, the first time this has happened, the central bank governor said on Thursday.
Bank of Thailand Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob told reporters the trend "reflects a shift" toward financial technology, including the introduction of e-banking options.
He did not give details on how many branches Thai banks have asked to open or close this year.
Mr Veerathai said the central bank is planning to relax existing regulations for service providers to bring more financial technology to Thailand's banking sector.
At the end of June, Thailand had 7,063 commercial bank branches, according to the central bank. The number of branches in Bangkok was 2,164, compared with 2,182 one year earlier.
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes


text: Camber a part Camber a part You can use camberingdeforming that curves a part to compensate for deflection which arises due to loads on the structureCambering is typically an upward curvature defined for a beam. to pre-camber parts, in other words, to curve long heavy sections that will settle on site and become flat. Use cambering to show the natural camber of a prestressed part in a model. Cambering affects the position of cuts, skews, and embeds in the model. Double-click the part to open the part properties. Go to the Deforming section. In the Cambering box, define the degree of camber. Click Modify.Tekla Structures cambers the part in the local z direction. Quick feedback Did you find what you were looking for? * Yes Partly No What is missing? The feedback you give here is not visible to other users. We use your comments to improve our content. Need support? Fill in this form instead. Leave this field empty We use this to prevent automated spam submissions. Content rating: Select ratingGive Camber a part 1/5Give Camber a part 2/5Give Camber a part 3/5Give Camber a part 4/5Give Camber a part 5/5Cancel rating No votes yet PreviousNext


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RNA – During an meeting with Ms. Elham Aminzadeh, the Special Assistant to Iranian President Hasan Rouhani for Citizenship Rights, Ayatollah Seyyed Hashem Hoseyni-Bushehri said that we're facing special situation in the world today, said, "We are witnessing great pain and tragedy in the world today. For this reason, taking responsibility in this area is very important."
The member of the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom added, "According to Islamic religious teachings, the same feeling of affection towards the people of our country forces us to speak out regarding the oppressed people whose basic rights have been denied and who are facing oppression."
In another part of his remarks, referring to the silence of international organizations against the human rights violations in the world, he said, "We don't want to accuse anyone, but today the slogan of human rights is exclaimed a lot in the world but between their speech and their actions, no compatibility is seen."
Ayatollah Hoseyni-Bushehri added, "According to statistics, even 25% of the world's academics who must devote their thoughts, minds and actions to the comfort and tranquility of the people, are considering new ways of making weapons and destructive and deadly tools. This is while peace will never be sustained by weapons and we must get to the point that even the borders of countries don't require armed guards."
Referring to a narration from Imam Ali based on his recommendation to Malik al-Ashtar, he stated, "According to Imam Ali, people are from two groups – those whose thought and beliefs in religion and denomination are the same as ours and those people who are one with us as God's creatures. Thus, all the people of the world must have this same outlook and this statement can be greater than the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
The Friday prayer leader of Qom referred to the extraordinary importance given by Islam to the rights of all creatures, and said, "Our religion has even given rights to animals and in the case of the captive and the enemies, there are surprising contents in our narrations which demonstrate the value of our religion even though the world is today engaging in Islamophobia, Shi'aphobia and Iranophobia."
Ayatollah Hoseyni-Bushehri stressed that the true viewpoint of religious and human rights must be explained from the perspective of Islam at various conferences and meetings. Thus, one of your missions is to write beneficial works and take them to international organizations and you can also use the help of the seminary as well and provide a list of various works which demonstrate the importance given by Islam to human rights in various fields in different languages."
In conclusion, the revered scholar pointed out that we must prevent the influence of the words of the enemies and said, "Today, the field of cooperation with the Islamic Seminary is available to you and you can learn from the education and books available in the seminary and appropriate religious knowledge to suit the needs of the communities."


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Here's a collection of BDSM terms hand picked by me for newcomers to the lifestyle. Remember, if you have any questions, feel free to comment at my email (which you can find in the About Me section) or on the comments below! I'll answer directly or in a future Q/A prompt post!
Animal Play: role play in which the submissive takes on the persona of an animal (cat, puppy, pony) under the watchful eye of their Dominant.
Aftercare: After an extreme session involving all senses, in which the participants calm down as they ooze out of the scene and back into reality.
Birching: "Striking with single birch rods or bundles of birch twigs. Often causes minor scratches and is considered a mild form of blood play"
Collar: To be given to the submissive from a Dominant, a symbolism of ownership. Wear with pride.
CBT: Cock and Ball Torture.
Discipline: The practice of training one to obey rules or a code of behaviour, using punishment to correct disobedience.
Erotic Embarrassment: When a submissive is 'forced' to dress or speak in public in ways that are generally frowned upon in society.
Exhibitionism: Taking delight in attracting attention to one's self, particularly involving taboo subject matter.
Family: A group of three or more individuals in a relationship, in a structure that's fluid and fitting to their tastes, eg. 'Sister', 'Daddy'.
Forced Orgasm: An orgasm forced against the will of an individual, despite their pleas. Heh.
Gag: An item covering the individual's mouth to silence their cries.
Gorean: Related to the rituals and practices created within the world of Gor in the fantasy/adventure novels by John Norman. Gorean culture is based on stereotypical gender roles, a rigid hierarchy, and an emphasis on ritual. Some common Gorean terms are defined in this Glossary, some of which are used only in online environments: kajir, kajiri, kajirae, kajirus, kajiri, kolar, kef.
Golden shower: To be urinated on by another person.
Hard Limit: That one thing a person would absolutely not, under any circumstances, do.
Humiliation: See: Erotic Embarrassment. Desired by some submissive's and considered pleasurably and psychologically entertaining by some Dominants.
Impact Play: Striking a person with various objects including but limited to the hand, cane, etc.
Japanese Bondage: Any of a number of styles of rope bondage in which the emphasis is on artistic display rather than simple utility.
Knife Play: The use of knives in a scene. Often for the psychological effect, without actually drawing blood; but sometimes used to cut as well.
little or little boy/girl: One who takes the role of a submissive child in age play. Does not tie into Incest or pedophilia.
Munch: A get-together for local's in the lifestyle, usually at a more relaxed, non play pace.
Nipple Clamps: Delightful little devices to clamp down on nipples for the added effect of pain and torture.
Over-The-Knee: A spanking of an individual bent over your knee, eg. "If you behave like that again, I'll bend you over my knee, pull your dress down and spank you hard"
Permission: Nearly all power exchange relationships require the submissive to ask permission for certain things. Common examples: To leave the Dominant's presence, to go to the bathroom, to eat or drink, to have an orgasm.
Primal: "Primal play in the kink context as getting to a place where the masks civilization can fall away and to allow acting on urges and impulses more directly."
Quirt: A type of whip with two or (occasionally) three short lashes affixed to a long, thin handle.
Ring gag: A type of gag consisting of a metal ring, often padded with leather, which is placed in the mouth in such a way as to hold the mouth open. A strap secures it in place.
Safeword, safe word, safety word, safe signal: A predesignated word or nonverbal cue used to stop or slow down a BDSM scene.
toy: One who is treated and used, not like a person but like a toy; sex toy, play toy, dog toy, fuck toy.
Under Consideration:
Consideration is when the person receiving/having power is still considering or deciding whether to accept the lesser-power partner to a closer, more important, or more responsible (etc.) position or relationship: slave, 24/7 or collaring are common.
Vanilla: 1. Person who is not in the BDSM/fetish lifestyle. 2. Anything not involving kinky activities (example: "…my vanilla job"). 3. Behavior which does not encompass kink activity (for example: a D/s couple may have "vanilla" sex).
wax play: The top drips hot wax on the bottom.
zoophilia: Sexual arousal from viewing or interacting with animals; may not involve actual genital contact or intercourse with the animal. (bestiality)


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Discussion in 'Gensansale Canine Club' started by x-RAY, Mar 31, 2013.
akong shitzupuddle naag ka alergi kay g pakaaon lang og manok abot ngano nag ka alergy xa.
Ipatanaw sa Vet. You're sure na allergy? Basig mange na. Often ang mange is ruled out as allergy. Ang chicken does not cause that much allergy. The sure way to determine is ipa test sa Vet, if naa na na service. Check if she's eating corn or dogfood containing a lot of wheat and corn. Try using Superdog soap, then change the food to Lamb, preferably Acana Lamb and Apple or Duck and Pear. Their the best for allergies. Then supplement once a day ug Omega 3 fish oil and some plain yoghurt before or after meals. If wala Acana, try Vitality Puppy kay beef and lamb iya meat. Naa gihapon corn but less ang incidence sa allergy ani.
Separate names with a comma.


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The Internet's Finest Tropical Fruit Discussion Forum!"All discussion content within the forum reflects the views of individual participants only and do not necessarily represent the views held by the Tropical Fruit Forum as an organization."
No, I dont think its normal. But overall your trees look pretty good. Im surprised you have them in such small pots. Looks like they ought to be in 5 gal buckets to me.Like most things with mangosteen those cracks must have opened slowly, but the trees seem to be dealing with it.Peter


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Luger Rounds190
Is it an ominous coincidence when Dr. Phillip Thomas moves from the chief residency to being a patient in the ICU? Here he is left trapped, dying and alone in a tortuous world. Earlier he had confronted the possible assassin, but is soon deathly ill, comatose; a luger rounds candidate. Thomas realizes that he is the target of a hospital serial murder as he drifts into nightmarish dreams, while the silent assassin skulks in the darkness.
An excerpt from "Luger Rounds":
"My mind returns to the cramped ICU room; aware of my condition, and continuous pain. The morphine has cleared, the dream state resolved, but my misery goes on.
I then sense an evil presence, and fear overwhelms every aching fiber of my dying body. An ominous air fills my darkened room. I am overwhelmed by dread. A tormentor sits; an assassin silent, starring, and waiting. I feel eyes on me; penetrating and bulging like a vulture's, their proprietor seeing me as easy prey. I hear the assassin's breathing, slow and ominous.
In the menacing quiet evil eyes pierce me again. The tormentor is staring and willing me to crash; an assassin with a white coat covering a wicked heart."
The reader will be captivated by this tale of medical suspense. Told from the view point of the coma patient; medical intrigue and the reality of the critical care environment are captured in the life and death hospital setting.
Product Details
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Read an Excerpt
Luger RoundsA Medical Mystery
By William Lynes
iUniverse, Inc.Copyright © 2012 William Lynes, MD
All right reserved.
Chapter OneComatose
I AM COMATOSE: "AN unconscious state from which a person cannot be aroused even with powerful stimulation; insensible, lifeless, and cataleptic." A prisoner in the intensive care unit, I appear unconscious to those around me. In reality, I am locked in. The horrible truth is that I am aware—I hear, feel, and even see everything. Ensnared in this real-life nightmare, a victim of an attempt on my life, I lie trapped and dying. Death would be preferable to my tortured condition. I am a nonperson ensnared in a medical prison, hurting, frightened, and angry.
Unbearable pain is my constant nemesis, an agonizing bedfellow, a continuous and horrifying reality. Existing is anguish; searing hurt is never far from my tortured consciousness. Pain is intense when I am turned from side to side; lying on my back is an incessant agony. Fever racks my useless body, its explosive appearance or rigors unbearable, its occasional absence excruciating as well.
With pain comes merciless fear, my gripping and unrelenting acquaintance. Vivid, demented dreams haunt my every moment. I long for the occasional image of peace. Through every moment of every day, I live a helpless and lonely life, racked with pain and unable to escape the terror that is the ICU.
It's obvious to me now. The state of coma is nothing like the unresponsive, unaware condition I was taught about in my medical-school hall of learning. I hear, I feel, and as a blind person knows everything about his or her environment, I see all that is around me. I am acutely aware. My existence includes daily doses of medically caused torture. As a physician, I treated comatose patients without knowing this reality. I have gone from healer to trapped patient: agonizing, fearful, tormented, and slowly dying in the ICU.
To colleagues and guests who visit me, I will not survive. Somehow I see them through closed lids as they stand quietly at the foot of my bed, diverting their eyes and staring without expression, my incredibly poor prognosis written on their faces as my monitor monitors away and my ventilator forces breath after painful breath. I am gorked, brain-dead, a train wreck, a Luger rounds candidate—all variations of the same hopeless theme that percolates behind their silent eyes.
Luger rounds—the term now sits bitterly, such an ironic and cruel phrase. The expression implies ending the life of a patient whose illness requires an overwhelming effort to maintain while it renders the patient too sick to survive. It is a pessimistic, gloomy, sarcastic idiom floated from one overworked staff member, intern, or resident to another. In the past, I used the term myself in an offhand and sick manner. It's an insensitive concept tossed around by physicians stressed by the never-ending hours of their postgraduate training. They spend many spans of forty-eight or seventy-two hours unsure when they last saw the light of day, hustling, writing orders, seeing patients, and hurrying through the wards. They're in the hospital seven days a week in a never-ending pattern, day after day. This ongoing, oppressive lifestyle eventually affects even the most noble of us.
I can hear myself in my past life, casually joking and using the term: "He needs Luger rounds. The guy in the unit—what a train wreck! You're covering for me tonight. Promise me! Luger rounds, please!"
Now, ironically, I am one: a clinical disaster, a dying corpse, a Luger rounds candidate. There is a difference, however. In my case, someone took the phrase to heart—at least metaphorically; the weapon was not a bullet. Keeping me alive now requires immense medical effort, and my chances of survival are so low that I myself, the victim of an attempted murder, have indeed become a Luger rounds candidate.
Over time, a patient in the ICU becomes a withering corpse, depressing for visitors and horrendous for patients like me who are trapped here. As time passes, fewer will arrive to pay their respects. As my case drags on, day after tragedy-filled day, visitors will become infrequent and rare.
To guests and staff, I am nonresponsive and brain-dead. Oh, I wish that were the case, for much worse than that, I am totally conscious and feeling inside. My eyes are closed, but I regrettably see everything. I am nonresponsive, but somehow I hear all, even at the nursing station. Here, imprudent conversations seem common.
"Page the resident on call," the nurse says to the ward clerk.
"Yeah, this is Dr. Wyburn. I was paged."
"Are you on call for Dr. Thomas in bed seven?"
"Yeah, what's up now?" the doctor wonders sarcastically.
"His temp is up again. He's febrile, 103 rectally. The Trendelenburg and the fluid bolus raised his BP for a while, but his MAP is down below sixty again. Can I get an order for another fluid bolus?"
"What was his last hemoglobin?" Dr. Wyburn asks. She woke him up again for this?
"It was seven this morning," the nurse responds.
"How much dopamine and Levophed is he on now?"
"Ah, let me look at his flow sheet," she answers while scanning her notes to see the dosage of IV medications. "The dopamine is at five micrograms per kilogram per minute. The Levophed is running at three micrograms—"
"What about his urine output?" the resident asks abruptly.
The nurse pauses. "He has put out only sixty cc's in the last eight hours."
"Okay, he's dry," he says to himself. "Give him two units of blood, packed red cells. And yeah, give a bolus of five hundred cc of normal saline for MAP less that sixty."
"Can I give him some more Tylenol?" she asks. "He's not due yet, though."
"Yeah, ten-grain suppository." Click.
"He is so rude," the nurse says to herself as she replaces the phone and walks to the supply room. She grabs one half-liter of saline and returns to the nursing station. On the phone, she orders two units of cross-matched blood from the blood bank. The nurse turns to her colleague, asking for help.
Upon returning to my room, she hangs the saline and begins infusing the five hundred cc through one of my IVs rapidly, a process know as fluid bolus. Both nurses silently glove up. Turning to the med cart, the nurse removes a Tylenol suppository and peels it open. I am helpless as they turn me. Once I'm on my side, the woman inserts the suppository with a gloved hand into my burning rectum. The drug works over time, treating my fever and relieving some shaking chills. While helpful, however, that friendly suppository is hell on my anus.
While she's at it, the nurse gets help placing the hammock to weigh me. I've gained weight from edema, the presence of fluid in my skin and other tissues, while my muscle mass dwindles as if eaten up. That tissue fluid is present from the massive amount of intravenous fluids used to support my blood pressure. The nurse carefully records an increasing weight on my bedside flow sheet.
The ventilator cycles with an annoying rhythm. The MedVac drips IV fluids through my veins and screeches, demanding the nurse's attendance. As the days have passed, I have become more and more aware, and time begins to plague me.
It is in general a poor sign that I am now in Trendelenburg position. With the foot of my bed elevated and my head dangling, my tiring heart beats along rapidly. This position increases cardiac filling in a desperate attempt to raise my refractory blood pressure, treating a severe case of hypotension. Drugs called dopamine and Levophed are running rapidly. These drugs are pressers, raising the blood pressure by contracting arteries to increase vascular resistance. Yes, they can raise blood pressure, but those sick enough to warrant the use of Levophed have a very high mortality. It is not the drug but the condition warranting its use that is troubling. I may become living proof that the intravenous drip of Levophed (pronounced leave-o-fed) is synonymous with the intern's casual moniker leave-'em-dead.
Yellow vitamins color the total peripheral nutrition (TPN), but the calories seem to drip through my central line pessimistically. Despite this concentrated nutrition, three thousand inefficient calories per day mixed with amino acids and lipids, I waste away daily.
Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pneumotho-races treated with multiple chest tubes convince me that comatose does not mean "without sensation." Cut-downs to find rapidly dwindling veins; DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation); renal failure; liver dysfunction; and the need for Foley urethral catheters and nasogastric tubes shoved down through a painful nostril rudely demonstrate to this reluctant patient that covering the ICU is much preferable to imprisonment here. And with eyelids closed, I see the shadows, the people, the corners of my closing tomb of a hospital room.
I am Dr. Philip Thomas. In the sixth year of my residency, I am a chief resident in urology at one of the nation's most respected teaching institutions. When well, I was a thirty-two-year-old male of average height, weight, and appearance, with brown hair and brown eyes. I am a physician. I am supposed to admit people to the ICU rather than residing in it. Why, then, am I a corpse-like figure, wasted and thin, my hair greasy despite nurses' attempts at bedbath-type hygiene, with a spotted, half-shaven, dirty beard? What explains my ICU presence, supine in Trendelenburg with hands secured in soft restraints, an involuntary witness to my own cardiac monitor? Why do tubes enter through every bodily orifice? Why do I have persistent shaking chills and fever, tachycardia, and dangerously low blood pressure? Why do I have dwindling urine output and bleeding from every tube-inhabited site?
Sepsis with shock is the apparent reason. Sepsis refers to the wide constellation of signs and symptoms secondary to the presence of a pathogen, generally bacteria, in the bloodstream. Sepsis is a complex condition, but in simple terms, bacteria make toxins, which circulate and adversely affect every organ's function. The presence of these gives tortuous rigors and fever. Shock occurs, a condition of low blood pressure primarily caused by inappropriate dilation of arteries, which results in vascular collapse or septic shock.
This shock state poorly perfuses organs with blood and explains many of the findings in sepsis. Poor perfusion of the brain results in confusion and coma. The lungs fill with fluid, become stiff, and do not exchange gases correctly, resulting in low blood oxygen or hypoxia. This effect on the lungs has been termed adult respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS. Here, a ventilator at high pressures must ventilate the lungs, and pneumothorax, or collapsing of the lung, often follows and must be treated with chest tubes. In sepsis, kidney function (renal function, in medical terms) is compromised. In addition, sepsis has caused disseminated intravascular coagulation or DIC. In this process, because of bacteria in the bloodstream, widespread clotting occurs. The result of this clotting is the consumption of platelets necessary for clotting, causing bleeding in other locations, such as IV sites.
While sepsis is the syndrome that is responsible for my condition, the septic source that began this illness is not so obvious. Sepsis, caused by an overwhelming infection, raises the question of source. While the medical staff do not know the cause of this overwhelming infection, herein lies my anger: the assassin knows.
Sounds, sights, and feelings fly around me, a bit like a seriously bad dream. Bits and pieces of conversations are stuck together in a disjointed array. I am trapped, locked in, and alone in my tortuous world. I am helpless and terrified beyond words as if continually falling. Tears of despondency appear at the corners of my seeing but closed eyes and are wiped away thoughtlessly by the busy nurse. My throat burns from the irritation of tubes. I long to swallow but cannot. Six chest tubes exit between traumatized ribs. I am paralyzed pharmacologically with Pavulon. The ventilator aerates another painful puff, somehow always off time. A nasogastric tube fills my nostril; a ghastly smell fills my one free nasal orifice. It is putrid and rotten like burnt tar, suggestive of hell, and I truly wonder whether they have admitted me to that eternal, frightening place. I have taken care of many in my condition; I didn't think they thought or felt, much less saw. You're trapped when you are here. It is frightening, but what can I do but think?
My mind drifts from the torturous prison of my life in the ICU to dreams, memories of the past and extraordinary created scenes. One moment I drift through a pleasant, historically correct reminiscence, and the next I am twisting through a frightening, psychotic world obviously created in my cortical brain. Then my level of consciousness clears, and I am aware of my tortured surroundings—sound, vision, voices, and most of all pain seasoned with unrelenting fear.
Physiologically, these dreams and feelings most relate to the rate of my morphine drip. The drug is used in this setting for its property of sedation. Without sedation, the patient bucks or fights the ventilator. Morphine works quite well, destroying the will to oppose the ventilator as it fills and empties my burning lungs. Like all medications, morphine works for its intended purpose but carries side effects as well. In the case of morphine, the adverse reaction is a huge one, for in the future, if there is one, withdrawal symptoms will torment me more than all the needles used to puncture my body by far.
My days are empty except for pain, fear, visions, and dreams. I am livid and viciously angry, unable to retaliate; my hidden assassin roams the halls of learning a free man. The morphine drip provides relief, but dreams of destruction often plague me. I begin to drop off. A rare peaceful scene takes over as a dream of the past appears, faraway and serene.
Chapter TwoMedical School
HIGHWAY 10 STRETCHES TO the horizon, a perfect black line of boiling asphalt. Heat blazes overhead, the sky a clear blue with spectacular white clouds, as I blast through the Texas summer. The red VW Bug's tiny engine screams while wisps of hot air blow ineffectively through the open windows and wind wings. This trip began two monotonous days before in the temperate climate of Southern California and continues now through the scorching heat. On and on the road stretches forever as I race along through small forgettable towns lined up along the interstate, making my way toward a new page in my life and medical school.
I must stop, pulling to the side to stretch my aching muscles and void behind a desert bush. I open the car door and slowly get up out of the Bug. As I stretch, I realize that I am lean, in shape from the years of competitive swimming, but the road has taken an immediate toll. I have become a professional student of sorts, and thoughts of school permeate my mind as I stretch. College is now history, and a new life at the University of Texas Medical Branch awaits me. Medical school looms as an ominous obstacle, and I am thankful to have been admitted after what was an incredibly competitive application process.
Back on the road, I speed on. From Houston, Interstate 45 takes me south toward my destination: Galveston, Texas. It is a historical treasure trove. The state legislature established the first medical school west of the Mississippi in the 1890s in what was at the time the largest city in Texas. I cross the causeway and realize, for the first time, that the city stands on an island in the Gulf of Mexico.
A modern city now sprawls around the huge university campus, the center of which is marked by the building of ruddy color affectionately called Old Red. The first medical session opened on October 5, 1891, with just twenty-three medical students and thirteen faculty. The building's true name is the Ashbel Smith building; it is a Romanesque revival structure constructed of red pressed brick, Texas granite, and sandstone.
The overwhelming heat is lessened somewhat as I stand in the shadows at the foot of Old Red's massive entry. I am twenty-two years old and dressed in a flowered Hawaiian shirt, cut-off blue jeans, and worn-out deck shoes. Galveston in the summer is overcome with oppressive humidity, and its musky smell pervades even my dream. Massive three-story arches loom above me, detailed in red stone masonry with arcades of windows finishing circular wings and an ornate portico, a testament to nineteenth-century architecture. I open a huge door and step into a dark and rundown two-story entry covered with what was once beautiful, ornate rosewood carpentry. Old Red is mostly abandoned now; only anatomy science labs occupy the first floor.
Through a door, I enter a room lit by surrounding floor-to-ceiling windows and ineffectively cooled by silent ceiling fans turning peacefully. Before me sits a world-renowned anatomical bottle collection covering black tables and filling glass cases that sit on the floor. Here hundreds of formalin-filled jars display detailed dissections of the human body. As I pass these transparent tombs, my dream is gruesome; the stagnant air smells of formaldehyde. Hands, forearms, shoulder girdles, and trunks are laid out with brilliant colors identifying arterial supplies, venous drainages, and nervous system plexuses. Chests, thoraces, pelvises, and detached arms and legs look back at me silently in their watery homes. A head encased in glass and formalin on the last table is startling. The helpless donor is a remarkably close match for the present chief executive, President Gerald Ford. Blue eyes stare back in indictment; his neck has been dissected skillfully and laid out in patriotic red, white, and blue colors, important landmarks pointed out with black arrows.
Excerpted from Luger Rounds by William Lynes Copyright © 2012 by William Lynes, MD. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
1. Comatose....................1
2. Medical School....................8
3. Assassin....................22
4. Pacheco....................33
5. The Jazz Man....................45
6. Munchausen Syndrome....................56
7. Macrodantin....................60
8. Septic Death....................66
9. Titanic....................75
10. Lidocaine....................78
11. The Call Room....................84
12. Michael Albee....................93
13. George Frommel....................115
14. Julie Maxx....................119
16. Hospital-Acquired Infections....................143
17. Confrontation....................150
18. Claire Simmons Suspects....................153
19. Serogroups....................160
20. Sarah Fowler....................164
21. Execution....................166
22. Decision....................168
23. Finale....................173


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Assembly Required [1]
Write a poem in which you give the reader directions about how to assemble an object or an emotional experience. Think of the various sensory stimuli your directions provide and experiment with the order of the lines. For inspiration, read Matthea Harvey's poem "Setting the Table." [3]


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Another Terrific AIDS Movie From France
"Beats Per Minute," a French film about AIDS and activism, was one of the best films of last year. (And criminally not nommed for Oscars' best foreign film.) There's another top-notch AIDS movie from France and it's making news: 'France's awards season is off, with the selection of Christophe Honore's Sorry Angel for the prestigious Louis Delluc prize. The Cannes competition entry was selected by a jury of 14 film critics headed by former Cannes president Gilles Jacob from a shortlist of 13 films, taking France's oldest cinema honor. Angel, starring Vincent Lacoste and Pierre Deladonchamps, is a bittersweet love story set to the backdrop of AIDS in the 1990s.'


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Managing side effects of prostate cancer treatments
Monitoring your PSA levels after treatment
You will be given regular appointments to monitor your PSA levels following treatment. Your treatment team or your GP will also ask how well you are feeling and if you have any symptoms. How often you are seen will get less over time depending on your PSA results.
Your PSA level should drop to very low or be undetectable following surgery. To limit your anxiety, ask your treatment team what changes in PSA level they would be concerned about.
PSA levels following radiation tend to drop slowly and may not reach their lowest level until two or more years later.
PSA monitoring during treatment for advanced prostate cancer can help show how well the treatment is working.
"I had prostate cancer and had a radical prostatectomy. My PSA was zero but there was 3-4 years where I didn't have my levels tested. Now my levels have gone up again and I don't know why I wasn't tested earlier."
Managing side-effects of prostate cancer treatments
Following treatment you may experience a number of side-effects. These include incontinence, changes in your sex life and your fertility, bowel changes and hormonal changes. This section talks about ways to help manage these.
Incontinence refers to the leaking of urine. The amount of urine leaking can vary. For the majority of men it is temporary, and should resolve within a year.
A small number of men continue to have significant incontinence on a long-term basis. If incontinence is worrying you, talk to your specialist about having an assessment. There are options available to treat or better manage your incontinence.
Wearing pads or absorbent underwear
Wearing pads or absorbent underwear will help. Ask your GP for a referral to the continence services at your local DHB for help with the supply of the most appropriate product for your leakage.
Urinary sheaths, bed protectors and hand-held urinals may be available through your continence service.
Pelvic floor exercises
Regular pelvic floor exercises, which involve exercising the muscles of the pelvic floor, help many men to regain bladder control after prostate surgery. It is best to start these exercises before treatment as normal pelvic floor muscle sensations may be altered for several weeks afterwards. Ask your treatment team for information about pelvic floor exercises.
It is normal to have stress incontinence (urinary leakage associated with movement and activity) after your catheter is removed after surgery. This may persist for many months but usually improves over time.
Further support
Specialist continence nurses can help with advice and equipment. A small number of men may need further support if incontinence persists or worsens. Most urology departments have pelvic floor physiotherapists. Ask for a referral, ideally before surgery.
For more information on continence and pelvic floor exercises, see Continence NZ's website, www.continence.org.nz.
Coping with fatigue
Fatigue is often confused with tiredness. Usually you know why you are tired and a good night's sleep solves the problem.
Fatigue is overwhelming tiredness (physical and emotional) and is not relieved by rest or sleep. Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common side-effects of cancer and its treatment. It can happen to anyone with any type of cancer and at any time, during and after treatment. Gentle exercise can help to relieve fatigue.
For more information on fatigue and suggestions on how to manage it, see the Cancer Society's information sheet Cancer-related fatigue on our website, www.cancernz.org.nz.
Managing mood changes and depression
Having prostate cancer can cause worry, stress and sadness, making it seem an effort to keep active and connect with family/whānau and friends. This can lead to isolation and may make it harder to manage the effects of treatment. Some treatments for prostate cancer, such as hormone treatments, can put men at a greater risk of experiencing mood changes, anxiety and depression.
"My wife was a trained nurse but even she found coping with my post-surgery depression extremely difficult. The nature of the disease meant I was self-focused and spent little or no time considering the emotional needs of loved ones."
Two key signs of depression are constantly feeling down or hopeless, and having little pleasure in doing the things you used to enjoy (www.depression.org.nz; retrieved 10/4/19).
Remember that your mental health is as important as your physical health. If you are concerned about yourself or someone else, talk to your GP or treatment team. There's a lot that can be done that can make a difference.
Me maumahara, he rite te hira o tō hauora hinengaro ki tō hauora tinana. Mehemea kai te māharahara koe mōu ake, mō tētahi atu rānei, me kōrero ki tō GP, ki tō rōpū maimoa rānei. He nui tonu ngā āhuatanga ka taea te whakamahi, e puta ai te rerekētanga.
Mindfulness programmes, relaxation, meditation and exercise are all helpful things to try when you are feeling low. Talk to a trained counsellor about how you are feeling. Contact the Depression Helpline on 0800 111 757.
Information on anxiety and depression for men is available at www.beyondblue.org.au. You can also find good information at www.depression.org.nz.
"Support from my wife, family and friends helped me cope. And exercise helped the mind."
Dealing with hormonal changes
"When I was on hormone therapy I didn't know what the side-effects would be or how to deal with them. I put on a lot of weight and felt like crying for no reason, and then you get to the things nobody talks about like my penis shrinking and loss of sex drive." Matt
Hormone treatment can cause a range of side-effects that change the quality of men's lives. These include hot flushes, weight gain and breast swelling.
Managing hot flushes
Some men find their hot flushes reduce as their bodies become used to the treatment, while others may have ongoing problems. You can help manage these by:
- keeping to a healthy weight
- stopping smoking if you smoke
- drinking plenty of fluids and limiting alcohol and caffeine
- reducing the amount of spicy food you eat
- keeping your room at a cool temperature and using a fan
- using cotton rather than synthetics. If you sweat a lot at night, try using a cotton towel on top of your sheet when you sleep
- having lukewarm baths or showers
- talking to your GP about any medications that might relieve symptoms.
Some men have found that acupuncture or hypnotherapy helps.
Weight gain and loss of muscle strength
Resistance exercise, such as lifting weights, can help with muscle strength, while regular walking can keep your weight stable and also help with muscle strength. Eating in a healthy and balanced way will also help with weight management. The Ministry of Health recommends
Sit less, move more! Break up long periods of sitting.
Do at least 2½ hours of moderate or 1¼ hours of vigorous physical activity spread throughout the week.
For extra health benefits, aim for 5 hours of moderate or 2½ hours of vigorous physical activity spread throughout the week.
Do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week.
Doing some physical activity is better than doing none.
(Retrieved from www.minhealth.govt.nz)
Changes in bone density
Men on hormone therapy should discuss ways to preserve their bone density with their treatment teams. Bone-strengthening medication may be suggested, and regular exercise that increases your heart rate and builds muscle strength can be helpful.
Men on anti-androgen therapy who are at risk of osteoporosis should try to include calcium in their diets. Good sources of calcium include:
- dairy products
- green vegetables
- nuts
- tofu
- tinned sardines with the bones
- whole grain foods, such as bread, rice and cereals.
Breast swelling or tenderness
Some hormonal treatments cause breast swelling or tenderness. If this causes discomfort, talk to your treatment team about the options that might help to reduce the side-effects. Some men get benefits from a single dose of radiation treatment to the breast area. This usually works best if given before hormone treatment starts. Sometimes low-dose tamoxifen is used to help with this side-effect.


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Make your website alive! Show your articles in a smart looking tab-system. Use Smart Content Tabs!
As we can see from the customers reviews and request there is a huge claim for a brand new extension, what can be use for showing contents in a better way, with fancy animations, live colors and reliable working on any devices. When we started to design this product, the main direction was that can't be limitations in the product, when the users use it, they never can feel that there are any constraints or never can be the using uncomfortable. Well there are many working hours, branstormings and research in the developing, so we can hope that the users will fully statisfied after the purchase.
We will quote some of your requests, where the Smart Content Tab can be use. Here is the list:
Multiple Content Tabs types Let you to choose which Content Tabs shape fit to your site. Currently 2 different Content Tabs types included and each types has 3 themes. Improved Theme management system Let you to customize the style of your Content Tabs without any CSS knowledge. Bulletproof slider manager on backend The administrator page fully guide you through the editing of the Content Tabs and the related slides. It won't force you to use any HTML or CSS codes. Dashboard on the backend To learn new tips and tricks, watch tutorials and to keep up with the new updates and themes. A lot of predefined Content Tabs templates It makes the editing fast and easy and provides the best result, so your Tabs always look dazzling. Live preview while you editing the Content Tabs. You don't have to be blindfolded anymore. You will continuously see how your Tabs going. Available automatic tab generation Supported components:


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'We cannot wait any longer' - Sue Ryder 'on brink of closure' as it makes urgent appeal
PUBLISHED: 00:10 07 April 2020
The Sue Ryder charity that has 20 shops in Norfolk and Waveney is on the brink of closure and "will lose its hospices" without emergency funding, it has said.
Without funds, the palliative care charity said it will be forced to close its hospices and stop caring for people in their own homes within months.
It anticipates a £12 million funding gap over the next three months, with fundraisers cancelled and its shops closed during the coronavirus lockdown measures.
MORE: Here to Help directory - Those in Norfolk who are helping others
Among its East of England specialist centres is The Chantry based in Ipswich, caring for people with a range of neurological conditions such as Huntington's Disease, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis; and Thorpe Hall Hospice the only specialist palliative care inpatient unit in Peterborough.
It also operates community-based services such as Dementia Together, a service in partnership with Norfolk and Suffolk Dementia Alliance.
Before the Covid-19 outbreak, statutory funding covered a third of the charity's end-of-life care costs. The rest came from fundraising and income from its 450 charity shops.
Its shops are familiar on many high streets including Wroxham, Stalham, North Walsham, Cromer and Sheringham, Holt, East Dereham, Swaffham, Fakenham and Hunstanton; as well as Lowestoft, Beccles and Bungay.
It has four stores in Norwich including a specialist vintage and retro shop in Bridewell Alley, while it has both charity shops and furniture shops in King's Lynn and Downham Market.
MORE: Foodbank's distribution centres close down due to coronavirus fears
The charity had originally asked the government for support and now, out of "desperation", is turning to the public for help with an emergency appeal.
Heidi Travis, Sue Ryder chief executive, said: "We have been calling on the government to support us but no funding has materialised.
"The country will lose its hospices at a time when they are needed most. This is a plea and no less, we cannot wait any longer.
"Our doctors and nurses are working night and day to provide end-of-life care to more people now and in the coming weeks, than ever before.
"We are a critical frontline support service in the fight against coronavirus yet we are on the brink of closure.
"We are all facing something we have never faced before and we are asking the public to give whatever you can afford to help us to help those who need it most."
- For updates on how coronavirus is affecting Norfolk, please visit our Facebook page here
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If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Eastern Daily Press. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


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One Last Ride
- Details
- Written by John McGinn
December 21, 2014
One More Ride
The Moo Cow Bikers are ending the 2014 ride year with The Chick-fil-A Bowl parade on December 31. The parade precedes the football game and is a small part of events planned for fans of the participating teams. Our bikers have enjoyed this parade ride since the event was initially sponsored by Chick-fil-A and was known as the Peach Bowl. Some dress in the school colors of their favorite team, but most dress in full Moo Cow Biker attire. If you are in the Atlanta area on December 31, it's worth seeing the bikes and the riders dressed in Moo Cow Biker attire. The Vice Cow has a helmet with horns that stretch 3 feet across with Chick-fil-A cows hanging from the tips of the horns and one sitting in the center----that's just the beginning.
If you want to see the parade, count on being early. The parade steps off at 8:00 AM!!!! This writer suspects that times will change in the years to come. The Moo Cows will depart Fayetteville at 6:30 AM, in the dark, and hopefully in no rain. Though we have had up to 150 bikes participate in the past, this early starting time will result in a huge drop of riders. And pray tell, how many fans will be lining the streets of Atlanta at 8:00 AM on December 31st? Who knows, maybe I'll be wrong here. Possibly this early starting time will provide incentive to start partying early.
Anyway, The Moo Cow Bikers always look forward to being in the parade. We count it a privilege to be invited. A big thank you to the Head Cow for making so many things possible for our riding group.
Our last ride was a Toys For Tots ride sponsored by Faith Riders, HD of Atlanta and Fred's BBQ in Douglasville. We Moo Cows donated, but did not take part in the ride. Instead, we found a new BBQ place to eat, followed by a great ride through south Fulton County led by Gene, the Vice Pres. of our Fayetteville club.
As usual, we all split up and head for our respective barns at the end of any ride. My ride provided excitement and provides safety lessons.
I turned off of Sandy Creek Road and headed south to Tyrone Road. An SUV was in front of me, possibly a tenth of a mile ahead. While approaching a feeder road, I see another SUV SPEEDING towards our road, and our road has the right of way. "When is this driver going to slow down," says I. At the last second, the driver on the feeder road slams on the brake pedal and does slow down, almost to a stop. The SUV in front of me has drastically reduced his speed, as he was paying attention to the "wild man." He veers into the left lane and slowly continues his route. The "wild man" has eyes about the size of quarters and is watching "good driver" like "good driver" is at fault. "Wild man" never looks to his left to see any other traffic.
Lesson #1: Leave enough space between you and the vehicle in front of you so that you can stop and/or slow down enough in order to avoid rear ending that vehicle in front of you.
As "good driver" has almost stopped, I almost stop. Once "good driver" clears the intersection, I begin to continue south. "Wild man" then guns his vehicle across the intersection still looking at the other SUV. Thankfully, I am not proceeding at speed, but still see "wild man's" gray SUV like a massive wall in front of me. Quick reflexes, anti lock brakes, and my Guardian Angel allow me to avoid a collision, while "wild man" is still looking at "good driver's" vehicle. "Wild man" should never ride a motorcycle!
Lesson #2: When any erratic behavior is observed while riding, STAY BACK. (You've seen those mud flaps, haven't you?) STAY BACK!!! Don't assume that the "wild man's" behavior will suddenly correct itself when an emergency occurs. "Wild man" never saw the 2nd potential wreck.
Lesson #3: Knowing that God never needs any reminders of your where abouts, it doesn't hurt to request that His Will includes your safety.
Looking forward to another year of safe, frequent riding...........
Be a blessing to someone today.
The Vice Cow
- Details
- Written by John McGinn
December 7, 2014
Riding is possible this time of year in Georgia, but most don't make the time to venture out in the cool of day or in the rain/drizzle that frequents our part of the world. Oh, yes, electrics solve the temperature issue and rain gear solves the rain problem, but why bother? Spring is not far away. One must also contend with wet leafs on asphalt. Slippage is always an issue for us bikers, but wet leafs increases the chances of sliding. My limited knowledge of riding motorcycles through the years has revealed that more than two wheels provides added safety in the wet leaf environment.
An added beauty of living in Booger Bottom this time of year is revealed around 7:00 AM. You see it too, if you are up and about. Harlow and I venture out into the morning air for her early relief walk. Today, we were greeted with a full moon lighting up the western sky, shining brightly through the leafless hardwoods. Growing season would have blocked this sight from view. The pure bright white light stood out in the still dark sky. The fullness of the circle of light contrasted with the dark of the morning sky. As we came to the end of our 27 stepping stones that provide a path towards the driveway, the glow of light originating from the rising, but not risen, sun provided early morning light. The glowing source of light originating in the east contrasted with the bright white on a dark sky in the west.
"And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. And God call the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day." Genesis 1: 4,5
Be a blessing to someone today.
The Vice Cow, Moo Cow Bikers
- Details
- Written by John McGinn
November 30, 2014
We are all gifted in some aspect of life. Some are gifted with eye/hand coordination that can be used in multiple ways. Take eating for instance: it takes lots of practice using a fork or spoon to load the food, without spilling, then lifting that utensil to the mouth and depositing the desired food into the food locker. The same could be said about tying the laces of shoes. Can you remember back to the day you first successfully tied your shoe laces? Major success.
Some have the gift of gab. (is that a gift?) The end result can be a politician, a salesperson, a lawyer, a corporate president.
The extreme eye/hand gifted persons lead me to think of professional athletes. No doubt, their abilities are far beyond the average persons' ability to accomplish sporting activities. We even pay handsomely to watch them perform.
Yes, we are gifted in different ways, but we must practice to hone those gifts. Most don't think of practice when eating---we just do it. Well, think of how many times you eat each day and for how many years you have practiced. The same goes for all things that individuals excel at. Practice, practice, practice.
Think about riding that motorcycle. More and more graduate to trikes, but I suspect that riding the trike requires practice too. With the cold of winter upon us, we will practice less and less. When spring arrives, we should all get out alone and refresh the skills attained over the years. Also acknowledge deteriorating coordination and balance. Advancing age results in our inability to perform things, including balance, that we had in younger years. Sad, but true.
On the other hand, do you think of Spiritual Gifts? "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift." "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;" Ephesians 4: 7, 11, 12. None of us are gifted as apostles as the first apostles were gifted. We can practice all we want--none of us walked with Jesus or witnessed his assention into heaven.
How much time have you spent discovering your Spiritual Gifts? Have you spent the same amount of time as you have spent eating? I doubt it. No offense intended, but if honing our Spiritual Gifts was as important as eating, I respectfully submit that our society today would be more pleasing to God and to each other. If you haven't done so, inquire as to current Spiritual Gift tests. The results, if answered truly, will at least provide an beginning point for productive practice. We all should know our gifts and practice at making them better, more so than practicing our motorcycle riding skills.
Be a blessing to someone today.
The Vice Cow, Moo Cow Bikers


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5 Against the House-1955
Director-Phil Karlson
Starring-Brian Keith, Kim Novak
Scott's Review #998
Reviewed March 11, 2020
Grade: C-
5 Against the House (1955) is a film that may have influenced heist films such as the Rat Pack Ocean's 11 (1960) or countless other films featuring groups of young men holding up an establishment for money. The film is mediocre and lacks much that is memorable as nothing distinguishes it from other similar themed genre films. Star Brian Keith is charismatic in the lead, but chemistry with the ravishing Kim Novak goes nowhere with any of the actors. The film is mildly interesting with a few tense moments, but little more.
Four Midwestern University college pals, Brick (Keith), Al (Guy Madison), Ronnie, and Roy, devise a grand casino heist while drunk and partying one weekend in Reno. The idea is to go through with their plan and then return the cash, just to prove they can get away with the high-stakes prank. But when one of the group betrays the others and plots to keep the money for himself, he imperils them all. Novak plays Kaye, girlfriend of Al, who recently has become a singer at a local nightclub.
The standouts from the cast are Keith and William Conrad and this might be more because the then unknown actors became television stars in later years, for Family Affair and Jake and the Fat Man, respectively. Keith is great in the lead role of Brick, the tormented and conflicted ex-veteran of the Korean War, unable to forget tragedies he saw while abroad. He is a cool every man with an edge, angry and out to prove something to the world. He also needs the money that the heist will provide him. The character is interesting and empathetic.
Conrad is gruff and memorable in the role of a cart operator, who plays an important role in the film's finale. Sent to retrieve cash from the money room, using the prerecorded message to make him believe that there is a desperate man with a gun in the cart who will shoot him if he does not cooperate, Conrad does wonders with his eyes and facial expressions.
The luscious Novak, soon to be a household name in the stunning and cerebral Alfred Hitchcock film, Vertigo (1958), is not very compelling as Kaye. The main reason is that she has little to do but stand around and serve as window dressing. This is too bad as the actress has talent and charisma for miles, but this work is beneath her. Not her debut, but one of her early films, what's a girl to do? To add insult to injury, her voice was dubbed by another singer. Novak clearly needed the paycheck.
Director, Phil Karlson is unsuccessful at bringing the picture full- circle but does pepper in some nice exterior night scenes of Reno. The casino sequences are also commendable with proper zesty and flashy set pieces when appropriate. But trimmings never make a film complete and 5 Against the House needs more meat on the bone than it serves up.
The heist is the main attraction as it always is in these types of films. Some tension does exist but not enough, and the finale is a letdown. After the robbery, which is unspectacular, Brick leaves the others behind and escapes with the money, and a pursuit ensues. Kaye, having alerted police, follows them, and a tepid standoff follows. Ultimately, Brick changes his mind while Al and Kaye embrace on a crowded street. The feeble final scene is meant as a romantic sendoff between Al and Kaye, who didn't have chemistry to begin with.
5 Against the House (1955) contains an adequate cast and a few positive tidbits worth mentioning, but the story is way too predictable, the conclusion, which should be the high-point disappoints, and the actors are too old to be believable as college-aged students. Many other film noir or heist films released before or after this film are superior and better crafted.


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Legacy Modernization
- Do I replace or refactor?
- Do I rebuild altogether or should I buy commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software?
- Should I incorporate a new services-oriented architecture (SOA)?
- What are containers and how do they help get software to market faster and better?
- I've heard about low-code, but what is it, and is it an option for my company?
Our new eBook, "Legacy Modernization: Finding Your Way With Low-Code," takes on these questions, providing clear direction for leaving legacy system nightmares behind. It offers a practical way forward with low-code that you don't want to miss.