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JNU Row – Voices February 17, 2016Posted by simarp in : India , add a comment
- One wrong is wrong. Two wrongs are crime. Three wrongs are carnage. Four wrongs are civil disobedience if not a full fledged civil-war.JNU Row is well past two wrongs, whether it is at three or just crossed three wrongs, one doesn't know.
- Why is Supreme Court monitoring this case suo moto, don't they have thousands of pending cases?
- Delhi is a pampered city, some minor pushing and it becomes a law and order issue, step out and see what happens in rural India everyday, murders, rapes, chopping of limbs and so on.
- It is a shame that less than a kilometer from Supreme Court a convict can't be protected.
- Court is where lawyers are supposed to be can you evict doctors from hospital because of one emergency case, so why think of evicting lawyers from court.
- Anybody who wears a black coat may not be a lawyer.
- Police cannot beat-up lawyers in uniform inside the court.
- Bassi is not acting like Commissioner of Police, he is acting like a BJP Chief Muscleman or in other words he is being the biggest goon.
- It is all about Bassi's retirement planning, you see.
- This is not India of anybody's dream.
- This is return to emergency, Saffron Emergency.
- All students of JNU are deshdrohis/ anti-nationals, shutdown JNU.
- PDP openly declares time and again that hanging of Afzal Guru was injustice, BJP goes ahead and ties-up with PDP as a minority partner. That is acceptable, but a slogan saying Afzal Guru didn't get justice in JNU is sedition.
- Delhi Police has no regard for Supreme Court Orders, they have higher level protection.
- BJP must start issuing Nationalist Certificates, which must be laminated and carried in person at all the times.
- For all the wrong reasons India is making it to world newspaper headlines.
- World is not talking about Make in India, they are asking about Sedition law in India.
- Lawyers appointed to review Patiala Court chaos inform Supreme Court that Delhi Police was incapable to handle the situation.
- Release our Bihar Boy.
- Journalists opine "worst since 1992″
Anupam Kher Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai? February 2, 2016Posted by simarp in : India , add a comment
Anupam Kher Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai when translated in English reads – What makes Anupam Kher Angry. Here is my guess, of course based on facts
- It is his panache, stupid.
- Anger keeps him going, remember Saaransh? What a career he made, amazing. Remember "India is tolerant" march? A Padma Bhushan followed.
- He has a keen eye to identify legitimate grounds to be angry, he suddenly discovered a couple of years ago that he is a Kashmiri Pandit and this became the main reason for his being denied Visa to Pakistan and led to his anger.
- He would never like to see Indian team losing to Pakistan on Indian soil, because of this he protested against Pakistan playing cricket in India and got angry.
- Because his cry to boycott Republic Day Parade was not heard by people in 2013,
- Because he is scared to say openly today that he is a Hindu.
- Yes, also because one Kader Khan didn't request him to get him a Padma Shree and opposed his Padma Bhushan
- Why was his speech on Kashmiri Pandits, made as an answer to a question asked on Kashmir floods not aired, angers him a lot.
- Because he believes that he is not an angry person and even a scene to be enacted depicting anger can faint him.
- He gets angry because no one buys his book as a life coach and takes him as a life coach seriously. "The Best Thing About You is You" must become a curriculum book, it is a real motivational reason for him to get angry.
I can go on and on, but can't say that having done that my next post wouldn't be - Simar Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai.
An Indian's Choice of First 20 Smart Cities January 29, 2016Posted by simarp in : India , add a comment
Just being Indian, I would've loved to see these twenty cities as the first 20 smart cities in India. No religious, no political, only an understanding of what may work best for India has guided me to put this list on my blog. These cities can act as counter magnets and also would cover and develop skills for all kind of cities.
- Srinagar – This city has least grown in last 30 years, need to bring it up to speed and take it ahead of others.
- Tirupati – Look at amount of people who go there every year. Exposure to people from all over India on how a smart city works would encourage others to take initiative in their cities too.
- Chandigarh – Fairly smart, serves as a hub to three states.
- Delhi East (NO, I stay in Delhi west – This is the worst Delhi among 4 broad zones, barts of it are probably among the worst in India. Bringing it up as a role model is needed and would be a huge learning curve for concept of smart cities.
- Gurgaon – Among all new cities. this one is most broken and most inspirational. Making Gurgaon work would mean giving India a global image.
- Ajmer – Again it is people and people from all walks of life and all religions, lot of transit population and a historic city to boot.
- Gwalior – Small city, great opportunity, can be a counter magnet to Delhi in its own small way.
- Varanasi - oldest living city in the world and the city which has given us a Prime Minister.
- Agra – If Agra works smartly, it can pull 20+ million global tourists on its own.
- Gaya – Let the Japanese come, let the Chinese come, let Buddhists from all over the world see this city as their spiritual capital.
- Darjeeling – Tea tourism can bring wealth and lift up this whole region, specifically Sikkim and north Bengal.
- Shillong – Beauty of this city and the opportunities to make it happen are immense, the Cherry Blossoms need to be seen.
- Naya Raipur – A brand new city, a brand new capital – if it made smart now, it will grow very fast.
- Vishakapatnam – How do we manage our coasts, this can be the show window.
- Mangalore – What is Karnataka without Bangalore? Let Managlore develop as a food hub and recreation hub not only for the messed up Bangalore but also act as a counter magnet to it.
- South Goa – Preserve pristine beaches and make it an elite tourism destination and a big money earner for the state.
- Gandhi Nagar – A city which refuses to happen and is always playing a second fiddle to Ahmadabad.
- Kochi – Did I hear somebody say PPP, this is where it will come and grow.
- Portblair – Not many know it is India's outpost in the Indian Ocean. Let us get Singaporeans, Malaysians, Indonesians make it their favourite destination to explore the Andamans.
- Madurai – Has potential to develop around the whole of south south of India.
Aam Aadmi Party Must Dodge A Scoial Media Disaster in Punjab? January 14, 2016Posted by simarp in : India , add a comment
It looks like that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is doing a tactical blunder by giving importance to Arvind Kejriwal over the spirit of AAP. In Punjab and in all other states, what AAP needs to sell is AAP as a concept and not Arvind Kejriwal. Arvind Kejriwal is sold and sold well. He cannot be CM of 10 or 20 states. Overselling Arvind Kejriwal is going to damage AAP, exactly in the same way overselling Narendra Modi damaged BJP in Delhi and Bihar and also to a large extent in Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir. In J&K if BJP would've projected a Muslim CM candidate from day one and in Mahasrhtra Devendra Fadnavis, game would have been very different. Even in Delhi had they opted for a local BJP leader, for that matter even Vijay Goel, they would have performed better.
#HopeofPunjabKejriwal is a brain damaged #tag. Instead of this they must consider #AAPDaPunjab. Everyone knows that it is not going to be Kejriwal who is going to run Punjab, sp why project him larger than the party. If AAP has to replicate BJP's mistakes on social media, it will get the same result. If they project Sucha Singh Chottepur or Bhagwant Maan, it would create a very strong wave in favor of AAP, both are CM material and well respected in the state. Both have worked very hard since they got elected as MPs. They can even think of some other candidates who could be the face of AAP for Punjab. In the run up to the elections, Arvind Kejriwal must consider leaving post of Delhi CM and Getting Manish Sisodia to run Delhi. This would have a mind blowing Social Media impact and would put him at par with Narendra Modi Ji or even ahead of him in Social Media warfare. AAP must also consider pushing a CMDelhi Twitter account and FB account completely independent of Arvind Kejriwal. That account can later in the day be utilized to position new CM.
Social Media is a 100x Chessboard, if you don't keep backups, game is over before it has started. The way AAP is currently handling its social media, it looks highly influenced by BJP's strategy which was initially put in place, that strategy is no longer working for BJP hence has no chance to work for AAP. AAP must develop a strategy around itself, keeping its constraints in mind. AAP needs to be less vulnerable and more encompassing.Congress has tried to counter BJP but has failed misreably, AAP has had tremendous success so far, but it may run out of luck if it runs out of sensibilities.
AAP also needs to project itself as more inclusive, which is a surprise anyway and may not have been a need if SM would have been inclusive as the party claims itself to be.
Let us wrap up Nehru, once and for all January 13, 2016Posted by simarp in : India , add a comment
Looks like someone in the Government sincerely said that we must look at folding up or renaming or re-positioning all Government organizations, establishments and autonomous bodies associated with Nehru-Gandhi family. The work has started in all earnest. 2.5 lakh Nehru Yuva Kendras are being repackaged. The repackaged Nehru Yuva Kendras would have Vivekananda's soul and Pandit Nehru's body. Yes, I reconfirmed that is what the new packaging is all about. So Pandit Nehru's soul has a challenge bigger than how he looked, looks are OK, soul is not. Interesting! India is being divided, in a subtle manner, Pandit Nehru's legacy is being contained by his being a Congress party representative and Swami Vivekananda's legacy is being claimed by BJP as one of its own. Rani Laxmi Bai, Shaheed Bhagat Singh & Chandarshelhar Azad are all being claimed by BJP. To add to the secular flavor, BJP is claiming legacy of Ashfaqullah Khan also. I am sure someone was sitting with a checklist:
Multiple Hindus? Done Sir.
One Muslim? Done Sir.
One Sikh? Done Sir.
One Hindu Women? Done Sir.
No Christian? Right Sir.
The way India is running now, we are inventorying almost everything and dividing it. Amazing, how tolerant we as a nation are.
Next in the line can be Jawharlal Nehru Stadium, now the body would remain Pandit Nehru's but soul may belong to Rajvardhan Singh Rathore, of course all those who are alive can keep some of their soul with them and lend the remaining for a noble cause, and here is no need to even claim, he is a BJP man anyway.
Jawharlal Nehru University can do with the soul of Dinanath Batra (same way Batra Ji can keep some of his soul for remaining years), the legendary Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti founder, after all he succeeded in convincing Penguin to pulp Wendy Doniger's, The Hindus: An Alternative History.
We must also consider Nehru Park in Delhi, can it have the soul of Nathuram Godse?
Jawhar Vyapaar Kendra would do much better with the soul & spirit of Dhirubhai Ambani.
While we are at it, Jawharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) can get soul of Bangaru Laxman, his soul must have stopped searching itself any more.
This is an enriching exercise, identify an organization, park, city, auditorium, stadium, hospital, airport, seaport – whatever which has a government connection and Nehru in its name and bring in a new soul. Why develop a new institution, just replace the soul, brilliant, quick easy and tremendous mileage and good business. Only sending one photograph to each of the 2,50,000 Nehru Yuva Kendras is a business of minimum 50 Crores. Helps printers and art-framers, raises employment. Moreover the government is sure that there won't be any corruption scandals or mishaps or delays which creating a new institution must live with.
Once they are done with keeping Jawhar Lal Nehru's body and replacing his soul in over 500 institutions, buildings, roads, ports and awards, they can start on Indira Gandhi and once done with replacing Indira Gandhi's soul they can focus on replacing Rajiv Gandhi's soul. Between these three around 5,000 + institutions & roads can have new souls. Lot of work for a government to do in four years. They would have to be careful to keep Sanjay Gandhi's soul intact, his soul has no issues as its soul keeper Maneka Sanjay Gandhi is a revered BJP Minister.
Great! Wrongs can only be done right by doing more wrongs. Brilliant! Lesson learned. India is a great and progressive country where there is no victimization and new development begins from renaming, new letter heads and new photographs.
It is in BJP's Interest To Not Join Mehbooba Mufti's Government January 11, 2016Posted by simarp in : India , add a comment
I don't believe in building suspense. For me it is is important to let the conclusion be known first so as those who have time to read me know whether it is worth a read or not.
I am sure it is in BJP's interest to not be a part of Mehbooba Mufti's Government in Jammu and Kashmir. This would allow them to play their Hindu card in UP elections and at the same be seen as victims despite trying to form a secular government with PDP. Mehbooba Mufti is as right-winger Islamist as BJP's spiritual master RSS is a right-winger Hindutva organization. Sooner or later this political equation has to collapse, if it collapses now it is a blessing in disguise for them. With no baggage of having an alliance with a radical Muslim party they can plan and do their calculations for Kerala, Tamilnadu, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. In all the four states BJP stands to gain without PDP. With PDP they are bound to suffer and many BJP supporters may not step out to vote at all.
Further BJP can start an agitation for a Jammu autonomous region within J&K with its own local government, which they are sure to start with, maybe they can even consider bifurcation of J&K into three states. If all goes well they can run Jammu & Ladakh both. Staying with Mehbooba Mufti is a big liability and her every speech is going to hurt them more. Mufti Saheb's funeral exposed lack of people's will, wish and blessings or PDP-BJP alliance. This is no rocket science and Mehbooba Mufti is bound to get very aggressive over next few months to protect her radical Muslim vote-bank. Once that starts happening it will be impossible for BJP to escape from owning responsibility for what all is going majorly wrong with the state. Moreover the way things are, number and intensity of attacks in Jammu region are likely to significantly mover up the danger zone. With BJP in power as a partner, it would be responsible for the attacks and if there is a double digit or a triple digit loss of Hindus, almost all the four states would see BJP suffering badly.
BJP has made a point by forming a Government in J&K and not being untouchable for almost anybody in the political system, except left, now is the time for it to book profits and move on.
Ajit Doval and The Art of Political Negotiations January 11, 2016Posted by simarp in : India , add a comment
Those who are claiming that Ajit Doval messed up Pathankot either have a vested interest or just don't understand how political negotiations work. I can't help about those who have vested interests but this is how political negotiations work – Doval is a keen exponent of the famed Chanakya Niti/Policy of "Saam Daam Dand Bhed".
Saam stands for asking, suggesting and cajoling.
Daam is all about buying the other person out, you can say bribing in contemporary terms or settling it financially. It can also be defined as Carrot from Carrot & Stick approach.
Dand/Dund means to make someone pay for it punish for the act they have done. Stick from the carrot & stick approach.
Bhed is blackmailing or exploiting weakness of the other after researching the same and using it as a currency.
If one looks at Doval's career graph it is dotted with known and speculated instances of Saam, Daam, Dand & Bhed and at times a mixture of those and seamless movement between those. He uses all the four on the basis of personal assessment of what is likely to work best. Unverified reports suggest that Doval has had a role to play in all negotiations of Indian Airlines/ Air India hijacking during his tenure, some specialization. Ajit Doval is also often criticized for not succeeding in getting Dawood Ibrahim despite being undercover for several years, but one can't blame him for not trying hard enough. But then his execution of Chanakya Niti has displayed far more successes than failures.
The only other parallel of Chanakya Niti during my lifespan has been Dhirubhai Ambani, he used it to his benefit and also of benefit of his shareholders by default. Who was better is not a question at all, Ajit Doval used his skills for his country and Ambani used it for himself, so not comparison there.
SpiceJet and Systems January 10, 2016Posted by simarp in : Aviation, India , add a comment
I am not very fond of SpiceJet but this time I liked the way their systems worked. On January 8th all flights from Delhi were getting cancelled, the airport was fogged out, but SpiceJet kept in touch with its passengers. Flight kept on getting rescheduled and messages reaching with sufficient time window to decide whether to leave for the airport or cancel. Our flight departed 5 hours late and I am told that we were lucky that we had opted for SpiceJet as others had cancelled lot of flights. SpiceMax is a good feature and value for money. You get snacks plus additional leg space for Rs 500.00 works.
On our way back there were no SMS messages, we were wondering whether the flight is going at all or not. We were told that their automated systems trigger in only if the flight is getting delayed, if the flight on schedule they don't even send one message, it is part of their low cost approach to business. Works. Turnaround time was real short at the airport and aircraft was fairly clean for next "load".
I am pleasantly surprised at real quick recovery of the airline and on time return flight. Crew was friendly and food was OK. Of course Indigo food options remain the best, but SpiceJet is fast catching up.
I am sure to consider SpiceJet as an option every time I fly again. It makes me wonder if SpiceJet could be saved, why no one came forward to save Kingfisher Airlines, they were much better in service and were a great brand too. Maybe there was something seriously wrong with them which made them not worthy of a turnaround.
Incredible India and Aamir Khan January 7, 2016Posted by simarp in : India , add a comment
If you are endorsing a product, you can't be belittling it.
And, if you belittle it you can't expect your masters to keep you as a brand ambassador.
Even if you do something inadvertently which questions that brand or damages it, the least you can do it is to voluntarily offer to disassociate yourself from it. If the brand owners believe in you still, good for you and if they don't, feel sorry and be careful next time. You can never betray what feeds you. Simple. Straight. Unambiguous.
Brands are difficult to create and brands are known by the attributes of its ambassadors. In case of Incredible India there were lot of brand adjustments and compromises made to link up Aamir Khan with Incredible India. Also tons of money was paid for the same, Aamir Khan was engaged for the edge he had displayed in the past. It is that edge which got him the job, so that edge becomes non-negotiable attribute and he has to protect that. In going aloud with his intolerance statement, though it was not as much of it, he compromised that edge, the edge of his credibility, the edge of his commitment and the edge of his professional ethics. These compromises are big compromises. I think he underestimated people's intolerance level towards these statements, well meaning or not, this is where he lost his edge. He also underestimated reactions to the religion he is perceived to follow and association with statements he made.
If he was not associated with Incredible India he had no duty and obligation to protect that brand, as he was associated, it was a role he didn't play well. So, he had to be punished.
Hope celebrities learn that endorsing a brand brings in money and responsbilities both, they just can't keep the money and wish away the responsbilities.
Whose National Anthem Is It Anyway? January 7, 2016Posted by simarp in : India , 2comments
If you are thinking whether to stand during National Anthem or whether to sing along or not while the National Anthem is being played, you have a challenge of patriotism anyway. Definitely you are not secular in your mindset and definitely you have some lack of clarity about where your responsibilities to your religion and your nation overlap. Your religion has to be independent of your National responsibilities or duties and vice-versa.
If you don't get pride by singing National Anthem, it is time for you to move to a country whose anthem inspires you. To me India's National Anthem has played a key role in shaping my patriotism and love for my nation. It tells me that we are a historically connected and culturally co-joined nation. It tells me that as a nation we walk together and succeed together. It also tells me how it is possible to write in a language which is largely made up of common words in all languages of India. National Anthem is in Bangla and Sanskrit and the words stitched together have the same meaning across our nation.
In my humble opinion. There is nothing in National Anthem which can offend anybody's religious beliefs, however if someone really feels that the Anthem does, he or she must look for a country whose Anthem is in sync with their religious priorities. Till they find a country to call their own, they can continue respecting their host country's Anthem and standing for it. They mustn't oppose it, disrupt it or walk-out. That is a big no and that hurts those to the core who are one with the nation and its Anthem.


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Tom is a dragon shifter. He figures his life doesn't need any other complications. Life, unfortunately has other ideas… like making him head of all dragon shifters in the world… and an old Chinese dragon trying to arrange a marriage for him.
The third in my Shifter Series, from Baen books. Also, the most stunning cover I've EVER had. As a trivia note, the background is Lakeside Park in Denver, a favorite destination in Summer when my sons were little.

subset: commoncrawl


text: This morning, the Bradenton City Council voted to adopt a new form-based code that will guide the future of development in downtown. The code includes designs for pedestrian-friendly, multi-modal thoroughfares, architectural standards that promote climate-responsive, authentic buildings, landscape standards that encourage habitat creation and local food production, and sustainability articles on diverse topics such as dark-sky lighting, renewable energy generation, and low-impact stormwater design. The code was written by Dover-Kohl and adopted in just nine months, with the assistance of Hall Planning & Engineering, Inc. and Karin Murphy Planning & Consulting, Inc.


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Current approaches for cancer treatment or treatment of other disorders include combinations of local therapies, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and systemic delivery of chemotherapeutic agents. The therapeutic success of any contained tumor treatment is directly reflected in the level of therapeutic agent or chemical dose which can be delivered yet minimize toxicity to normal tissue and toxic side effects to the patient. The combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy provides the best clinical efficacy (i.e. increased median and long term survival), but the increased toxicity from this multimodality approach limits its application and increases the need for additional supportive measures. This inherent toxicity can be significantly reduced by achieving better control of delivery to the tumor or diseased tissue.
Despite advancements that provide localized radiation and increased delivery of chemotherapeutic and other drugs to target areas in the body, sufficient drug release at the target site remains a problem.
This innovation involves both methods and compositions for the controlled release of a drug or agent from a liposome using either light or radiation. The unique compositions are set up for the triggered activation of liposome dissolution and release of drugs of interest at the site of activation by light or radiation. This is accomplished through unique compositions comprising liposomes having a lipid layer, wherein which an agent, and an enzyme capable of releasing the agent from the liposome. The compositions include the presence of an enzyme activator all encapsulated in a molecular cage that is sensitive to and activated by radiation. Upon radiation exposure, the cage releases the activator, which triggers activation of enzymatic activity and hydrolysis of the lipidic component of the lipid bilayer, thus increasing permeability and releasing the drug. In addition, yet another aspect of this invention includes the methods of delivering an agent to a target in a patient.
Patent Pending
Available for Exclusive Licensing
09-07 UAMS Borrelli + 09-17 UAF Salamo, et al


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"The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market." Milton Friedman
"To know values is to comprehend the meaning of movements in the market." Charles Dow
"If a business does well, the stock eventually follows." Warren Buffett
"The goal of a successful trader is to make the best trades. Money is secondary." - Alexander Elder
"Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." Warren Buffett
Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) together with its partners announces the beginning of the nominations phase of the second edition of Made in Romania project. Between January 15th and 31st, Romanian entrepreneurs as well employees in innovative Romanian companies are invited to submit their nominations using the project's dedicated website: www.bvbleague.ro.
Already at its second edition, Made in Romania is a unique project that aims to identify and promote next most innovative Romanian companies. During 2018, the following partners will be supporting the execution of the project: Banca Transilvania Group, Horváth & Partners Management Consultants, auditor Mazars, law firm NNDKP and the retail broker Tradeville.
"In the first edition of the project, we discovered 166 extraordinary companies, with excellent growth prospects. This year we want to top that score. Made in Romania remains the flagship entrepreneurial initiative of Bucharest Stock Exchange and we look forward to more and more companies announcing their intention to list, following joining the project," said Lucian Anghel, President of the Board of Governors of BVB.
The project will run in a similar manner to the first edition and will be organized in three stages: nominations, shortlisting and selection of the final 15 companies. Starting from January 15th, the public is invited to submit nominations for the project using a form available at: www.bvbleague. BVB envisages the nomination period to close on January 31st at 23:59hrs, however it does not exclude the possibility of extending this deadline should the interest coming from entrepreneurs be as big as it was in the case of project's first edition.
After the nomination period ends, BVB together with the Nomination Committee members will shortlist 50 companies that will go further into the last stage. The final 15 companies will be officially announced during the Made in Romania Gala, which will take place in April. 14 companies will be selected by a special Jury consisting of top market experts, including leading investors, business angels, entrepreneurs and business professionals. The 15th company will be selected by the popular vote that will take place in March, on project's website.
Members of the Jury entitled to decide on the final set of companies to be included in the project are:
· Lucian Anghel, President, Bucharest Stock Exchange
· Razvan Butucaru, Partner, Audit & Financial Advisory, Mazars
· Ovidiu Dumitrescu, Deputy CEO, Tradeville
· Marius Ghenea, Partner, 3TS Capital Partners
· Radu Hanga, Senior Advisor of the Board, Banca Transilvania
· Cristian Logofatu, Co-founder & CFO, Bittnet Systems
· Alina Radu, Partner, Head of Banking and Finance, NNDKP
· Daniel Truica, Founder & CEO, Vola.ro
· Sergiu Voicu, Journalist, Digi24
· Kurt Webber, CEO, Horváth&Partners
The Nomination Committee, which role is to put forward the nominations, consists of the following members:
· Vlad Andriescu, Editor-in-Chief, start-up.ro
· Piotr Bialowas, Vice-President, INC SA
· Dorin Boerescu, CEO, 2Performant
· Dan Calugareanu, President, TechAngels Romania
· Iulian Circiumaru, Founder, V7 Capital
· Dan Rusu, Head of Research, Banca Transilvania
· Virgil Zahan, CEO, Goldring
· Mihai Zant, EMEA Managing Partner, JustNow
· Dochita Zenoveiov, Brand Innovator, Inoveo
"It became clear to us that the first edition of this project, which we've believed in and totally supported, is becoming a success once companies that have made it to the grand final started showing an interest in going public. Made in Romania was meant to celebrate successful Romanian entrepreneurship and growing a family-owned business into a publicly listed company is exactly the kind of story that we wish to see and promote in the coming editions," stated Radu Hanga, Senior Advisor to the Board, Banca Transilvania.
"The decision to contribute to the second edition of Made in Romania project was a natural step for NNDKP particularly considering its over 25 years of history of continuous support of the Romanian business environment. NNDKP was established in a period when notions such as «entrepreneurship», «due diligence» or «capital markets» were similar to "pioneering". During the past decades, engaging in the development and consolidation of Romanian companies has become an essential aim of our business approach and we have been committed to transfer to the business community at least a part of the business experience we have accumulated over the years. Today we are enthusiastic about the opportunity to join the Bucharest Stock Exchange and the other partners of the Made in Romania project for the 2018 edition," said Alina Radu, Partner, Head of Banking and Finance, NNDKP.
"In order to develop healthily, Romania needs successful models and success in the private economic field. It is important to bring to the public such companies that have the potential to become the engines of the entire society. That is why it is an honor for us to join Made in Romania team. Starting with 2018, Tradeville will focus much more on preparing the listing of companies on the Bucharest market, hoping to bring as many good shareholders as possible to valuable companies," stated Ovidiu Dumitrescu, Tradeville Deputy CEO.
"The success of the first edition of Made in Romania revealed a local entrepreneurial culture with great potential and diversity. We are glad to be among the supporters. We believe in the future engines of the Romanian economy. Our knowledge will be at the disposal of the local entrepreneurs. They need the tools to optimize their personalized business and active support, regardless of the size or the industry in which they operate. Local entrepreneurs remain one of the fundamental pillars of the Romanian economy and we are obliged to invest in them," said Razvan Butucaru, Partner, Financial Advisory Services.
"Horvath & Partners has supported and will continue to support the Made in Romania program because we want to encourage and promote Romanian entrepreneurship, to offer Romanian companies concrete solutions to develop and adapt to new challenges in the current business environment," mentioned Kurt Webber, CEO, Horváth&Partners.
Made in Romania was launched by the Bucharest Stock Exchange in February 2017, with the purpose of identifying and promoting Romania's top companies. Bucharest Stock Exchange's goal behind the Made in Romania project is to identify the future drivers of Romanian economy and support them throughout a full year, all in order to help them bring their businesses to the next level, by improving transparency, visibility, reputation and, most importantly, gaining access to capital needed for further growth and development.
The participation in this project is free of charge and voluntary. The companies that were nominated by third parties will be informed about their nomination and will be asked to provide consensus for being considered for this project. More information about the project, its timeline as well as the submission form are available on the dedicated website: www.bvbleague.ro.


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Winning The App Game: How I Make Passive Income - No Coding Nor Mac Needed
Amir Rimer, My great passion in life is to teach others
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1. 1intromp43:25
2. 1introductionmp42:21
3. 3reskinvsoriginalmp44:38
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5. 5yourselfoutsourcemp42:31
6. 6idealworkermp44:08
7. 7wheretofindworkersmp41:04
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About This Class
Course fully updated for November 2014.
In six months I have published more than 70 Apple iPhone / iPad apps by following this course.
This is a course which includes baby step by baby step videos in which you will learn exactly how to publish apps on the App Store to make passive income.
Every method that I teach in the course is super easy to implement, and if you implement my methods you will have an army of apps - each app creating for you a new passive income stream.
When I have just started this business it took me months to publish a single app, but now I will show you exactly how you can publish a new app every single day!
I will keep updating this course all the time, and once you join the course you will get lifetime updates for 100% free.
This course is perfect for people who know nothing about publishing apps, and also to people who have been publishing apps for a long time, but don't know how to publish a new app every single day!
Please notice:
I am not going to cover basic things like setting up your Apple developer account, paying the Apple Fees, uploading your apps, revising your apps, and all kind of other technical issues which can easily be found by doing a simple search online or by contacting the Apple support team (I will show you how you can hire a person to do this for you).
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The Cybersecurity Programme Centre develops advanced cyber
defence solutions to provide protection and detection, threat
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text:
- Proceedings
- Open Access
Time-dependent ARMA modeling of genomic sequences
- Jerzy S Zielinski1Email author,
- Nidhal Bouaynaya1Email author,
- Dan Schonfeld2 and
- William O'Neill3
© Zielinski et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2008
- Published: 12 August 2008
Over the past decade, many investigators have used sophisticated time series tools for the analysis of genomic sequences. Specifically, the correlation of the nucleotide chain has been studied by examining the properties of the power spectrum. The main limitation of the power spectrum is that it is restricted to stationary time series. However, it has been observed over the past decade that genomic sequences exhibit non-stationary statistical behavior. Standard statistical tests have been used to verify that the genomic sequences are indeed not stationary. More recent analysis of genomic data has relied on time-varying power spectral methods to capture the statistical characteristics of genomic sequences. Techniques such as the evolutionary spectrum and evolutionary periodogram have been successful in extracting the time-varying correlation structure. The main difficulty in using time-varying spectral methods is that they are extremely unstable. Large deviations in the correlation structure results from very minor perturbations in the genomic data and experimental procedure. A fundamental new approach is needed in order to provide a stable platform for the non-stationary statistical analysis of genomic sequences.
In this paper, we propose to model non-stationary genomic sequences by a time-dependent autoregressive moving average (TD-ARMA) process. The model is based on a classical ARMA process whose coefficients are allowed to vary with time. A series expansion of the time-varying coefficients is used to form a generalized Yule-Walker-type system of equations. A recursive least-squares algorithm is subsequently used to estimate the time-dependent coefficients of the model. The non-stationary parameters estimated are used as a basis for statistical inference and biophysical interpretation of genomic data. In particular, we rely on the TD-ARMA model of genomic sequences to investigate the statistical properties and differentiate between coding and non-coding regions in the nucleotide chain. Specifically, we define a quantitative measure of randomness to assess how far a process deviates from white noise. Our simulation results on various gene sequences show that both the coding and non-coding regions are non-random. However, coding sequences are "whiter" than non-coding sequences as attested by a higher index of randomness.
We demonstrate that the proposed TD-ARMA model can be used to provide a stable time series tool for the analysis of non-stationary genomic sequences. The estimated time-varying coefficients are used to define an index of randomness, in order to assess the statistical correlations in coding and non-coding DNA sequences. It turns out that the statistical differences between coding and non-coding sequences are more subtle than previously thought using stationary analysis tools: Both coding and non-coding sequences exhibit statistical correlations, with the coding regions being "whiter" than the non-coding regions. These results corroborate the evolutionary periodogram analysis of genomic sequences and revoke the stationary analysis' conclusion that coding DNA behaves like random sequences.
- Detrended Fluctuation Analysis
- White Noise Process
- Stationary Analysis Tool
- Evolutionary Spectrum
- Evolutionary Power Spectrum
Understanding the statistical properties of genomic sequences helps recreate the dynamical processes that led to the current DNA structure, and determine gene-related diseases like cancer and Alzheimer disease. For instance, based on the view that non-coding DNA exhibits long-range correlations [1–6], Li [7] proposed an expansion-modification model of gene evolution. The model incorporates the two basic features of DNA evolution: (i) sequence elongation due to gene duplication and (ii) mutations. It can be shown that the limiting sequence created by this dynamical process exhibits a long-range correlation structure, as attested by a 1/f α spectrum, where the exponent α is a function of the probability of mutation. To understand the relationship between the DNA correlation structure and possible gene abberations, Dodin et al. [8] designed a simple correlation function intended to visualize the regular patterns encountered in DNA sequences. This function is used to revisit the intriguing question of triplet repeats with the aim of providing a visual estimate of the propensity of genes to be highly expressed and/or to lead to possible aberrant structures formed upon strand slippage.
Statistical analysis of genomic sequences has, however, relied, for a long time, on signal processing techniques for stationary signals (correlation and power spectrum) [2, 4, 9, 10], and statistical tools for slowly-varying trends within stationary signals (Detrended Fluctuation Analysis or DFA) [1, 5, 6]. Stationarity can be argued as a valid assumption for time-series of short duration. However, such an assumption rapidly loses its credibility in the enormous databases maintained by various genome projects. Standard statistical tests (e.g., Priestley's test for stationarity) have been used to verify that genomic sequences are not stationary and the nature of their non-stationarity varies and is often more complex than a simple trend [11, 12]. Subsequently, more recent analysis of genomic data [1] has relied on time-varying power spectral methods (the evolutionary spectrum and periodogram) to capture the statistical characteristics of genomic sequences [11, 12]. The main difficulty in using time-varying spectral methods is that they are extremely unstable and very noisy. Typically, the power spectrum and the evolutionary spectrum are averaged over time in order to obtain smooth and less jittery curves. Moreover, as was pointed out in [13], the evolutionary spectrum is restricted to the class of oscillatory processes. A stochastic process, X(t), is oscillatory if it has a representation of the form
X(t) = ∫ A(t, λ)e2iπλtdZ(λ), (1)
Where Z(λ) is an orthogonal increment process, and the evolutionary power spectrum of the process is defined by P (t, λ) = |A(t, λ)|2. This definition of the evolutionary power spectrum has the following disadvantages [13]:
(i) It is not uniquely defined for a given non-stationary process.
(ii) The estimation procedure for the evolutionary spectrum depends greatly on the nature of theamplitude function A(t, λ), which is not known a priori.
(iii) An increase in the number of observations does not provide added information on the local behavior of the evolutionary spectrum, and thus does not improve estimation accuracy.
The existence of a time-varying ARMA representation of this process is ensured by two theorems due, independently, to Grenier [15] and Huang and Aggarwal [16]. The uniqueness of the TD-ARMA representation is obtained by constraining the ARMA model to be invertible, but this leads to conditions on the time-varying impulse response {h u (t)} and its inverse (namely to be absolutely summable at any time t), which cannot be easily expressed in terms of the time-dependent coefficients of the ARMA model. In this paper, we estimate the time-dependent coefficients of the general TD-ARMA model using mean-squares, least-squares and recursive least-squares algorithms. The mean-squares estimation leads to generalized Yule-Walker type equations [15]. Once the non-stationary parameters are estimated (as time series), we use them to provide a basis for statistical inference by defining an index of randomness, which quantitatively assesses how close the non-stationary signal is to white noise. Our simulation results on various gene sequences show that (i) both the coding and non-coding segments of a gene are not random, and (ii) the coding segments are "closer" to random sequences than non-coding segments. Our results support the view that both coding and non-coding sequences are not random [11, 12, 9, 17–20], and revokes the stationary study that maintains that non-coding DNA sustains long-range correlations whereas coding DNA behaves like random sequences [1–3, 5, 6, 10].
Numerical representation of genomic sequences
Time-dependent ARMA model
The advantage of the basis parametrization is clear from the fact that the identification of the time-dependent coefficients a i [n] and b i [n] reduces to the identification of the constant coefficients and , and therefore the linear non-stationary problem reduces to a linear time-invariant problem. The basis functions do not have to be limited to the standard choices of Legendre, Fourier, or the prolate spheroidal basis but can also take advantage of any prior information, such as the presence of a jump in the coefficients at a known instant [22].
Estimation of the time-dependent ARMA coefficients
From Eqs. (4) and (5), the unknown parameters of the TD-ARMA model are the weights of the linear combinations defining each time-varying parameter. The linearity is the key to the algorithms proposed in this paper. We will derive mean-squares, least-squares and recursive least-squares solutions to estimate the time-dependent coefficients and .
Mean-squares estimation
and define the vector
X [n] = [f0[n]x[n], ⋯, f m [n]x[n]] t , (7)
Although the process x [n] is non-stationary, the stationarity and ergodicity of the process w [n], together with the linearity of the model, allow us to replace in Eq. (8) the expectation by a summation. However, although consistent, the above estimator is often considered a poor one [22].
Least-squares estimation
Equations (4) and (5) can be written in vector format as follows
a i [n] = f t [n] c i , and b i [n] = f t [n] d i ,
u t [n] = x [n] f t [n], and v t [n] = w [n] f t [n].
Using this vector notation, Eq. (3) can be written as
x [n] + u t [n - 1] c 1 + ⋯ + u t [n - p] c p = w [n] + v t [n - 1] d 1 + ⋯ + v t [n - q] d q (9)
Or equivalently
x [n] + φ t [n] θ = w [n], (10)
where φ t [n] is the row vector
φ t [n] = [u t [n - 1], ⋯, u t [n -p], - v t [n - 1], ⋯, v t [n -q]],
θ= [c 1 , ⋯,c p , d 1 , ⋯, d q ] t .
Observe that the vector θ contains all the unknowns of the TD-ARMA model. Writing Eq. (10) for n = 0, 1, ⋯, N - 1 leads to
x = Φ θ + w, (11)
The least-squares solution of Eq. (11) is given by
θ = (Φ t Φ) -1 Φ t x (12)
To overcome the computational complexity associated with the least-squares estimation (involving in particular the inversion of a square (m + 1)(p + q) × (m + 1)(p + q) matrix), we opted for a recursive least-squares estimation as follows.
Recursive least-squares estimation
The initial conditions can be chosen arbitrarily.
Index of randomness
Over the past decade, there has been a flow of conflicting papers about the long-range power-law correlations detected in eukaryotic DNA [1–3, 5, 6, 9–12, 17–20]. The controversy is generated by conflicting views that either advocate that non-coding DNA sustains long-range correlations whereas coding DNA behaves like random sequences [1, 10, 2, 3, 5, 6], or maintains that both coding and non-coding DNA exhibit long-range power-law correlations [11, 12, 9, 17–20]. Based on the analysis of the time-dependent power spectrum of genomic sequences, Bouaynaya and Schonfeld [11, 12] showed that the statistical differences between coding and non-coding sequences are more subtle than previously concluded using stationary analysis tools. In fact they found that both coding and non-coding sequences are non-random. However, coding sequences are "whiter" than non-coding sequences.
Observe that the index of randomness of a white noise process is equal to zero. We say that the sequence x1 [n] with index of randomness IR1 is more random than the sequence x2 [n] with index of randomness IR2 if the index of randomness of the former is lower than the index of randomness of the latter, i.e., IR1 <IR2.
Index of Randomness of the Coding and Non-Coding segments of Various Gene Sequences
Gene NIH accession number
C. length
C. (p, q)
N.C. length
N.C. (p, q)
Ashbya gossypii (fungus) AE016815
Aspergillus fumigatus (form of fungus) CM000169
Candida albicans (form of yeast) AP006852
Candida albicans AP006852
fission yeast GI:157310483
fruit fly AE002620
fruit fly AE002725
Homo sapiens hs-gene277 NG-004750
Homo sapiens hs-gene276 NG-004750
In this paper, we modelled the non-stationary genomic sequences by a time-dependent autoregressive moving average (TD-ARMA) model. By expressing the time-dependent coefficients as linear combinations of parametric basis functions, we were able to transform a linear non-stationary problem into a linear time-invariant problem. Subsequently, we proposed three methods to estimate the time-dependent coefficients: Mean -square, least-squares, and recursive least-squares algorithms. Based on the estimated TD-ARMA coefficients, we defined an index of randomness to quantify the degree of randomness of both coding and non-coding sequences. We found that both coding and non-coding sequences are not random. However, a higher index of randomness attests that coding sequences are "whiter" than non-coding sequences. These results corroborate the evolutionary periodogram analysis of genomic sequences performed in [11] and [12], and revoke the stationary analysis' conclusion that coding DNA behaves like random sequences.
The publication of this paper was partially supported by the Arkansas IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE).
This article has been published as part of BMC Bioinformatics Volume 9 Supplement 9, 2008: Proceedings of the Fifth Annual MCBIOS Conference. Systems Biology: Bridging the Omics. The full contents of the supplement are available online at http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2105/9?issue=S9
Authors' Affiliations
- Peng CK, Buldyrev SV, Goldberger AL, Havlin S, Sciortino F, Simons M, Stanley HE: Long-range correlations in nucleotide sequences. Nature. 1992, 356 (6365): 168-170.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Buldyrev SV, Goldberger AL, Havlin S, Mantegna RN, Matsa ME, Peng CK, Simons M, Stanley HE: Long-range correlation properties of coding and noncoding DNA sequences: GenBank analysis. Physical Review E. 1995, 51: 5084-5091.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Stanley HE, Buldyrev SV, Goldberger AL, Havlin S, Peng CK, Simons M: Scaling features of noncoding DNA. Physica A. 1999, 273: 1-18.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Li W, Holste D: Universal 1/f noise, crossovers of scaling exponents, and chromosome-specific patterns of guanine-cytosine content in DNA sequences of the human genome. Physical Review E. 2005, 71: 041910-View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Podobnik B, Shao J, Dokholyan NV, Zlatic V, Stanley HE, Grosse I: Similarity and dissimilarity in correlations of genomic DNA. Physica A. 2006, 373: 497-502.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Carpena P, Bernaola-Galvan P, Coronado AV, Hackenberg M, Oliver JL: Identifying chracteristic scales in the human genome. Physical Review E. 2007, 75: 032903-View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Li W: Expansion-modification systems: a model for spatial 1/f spectra. Physical Review A. 1991, 43 (10): 5240-5260.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Dodin G, Levoir P, Cordier C: Triplet Correlation in DNA Sequences and Stability of Heteroduplexes. Journal of Theoretical Biology. 1996, 183: 341-343.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Voss RF: Evolution of long-range fractal correlations and 1/f noise in DNA base sequences. Physical Review Letters. 1992, 68: 3805-3808.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Li W, Kaneko K: Long-range correlation and partial 1/f spectrum in a noncoding DNA sequence. Europhysics Letters. 1992, 17: 655-View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Bouaynaya N, Schonfeld D: Non-Stationary Analysis of Genomic Sequences. IEEE Statistical Signal Processing Workshop. 2007, Madison, WI, 200-204.Google Scholar
- Bouaynaya N, Schonfeld D: Non-stationary Analysis of Coding and Non-coding Regions in Nucleotide Sequences. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing. 2008Google Scholar
- ADAK S: Time-dependent spectral analysis of nonstationary time series. Journal of the American Statistical Association. 1998, 93 (444): 1488-1501.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Cramer H: On some classes of nonstationary stochastic processes. Proceedings of the Berkeley Symppsium on Math, Statistics, and Probability. 1961, Los Angeles, CAGoogle Scholar
- Grenier Y: Rational nonstationary spectra and their estimation. ASSP Workshop on Spectral Estimation. 1981Google Scholar
- Huang NC, Aggarwal JK: On linear Shift-variant digital filters. IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems. 1980, 27 (8): 672-679.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Prabhu VV, Claverie JM: Correlations in intronless DNA. Nature. 1992, 359-782.Google Scholar
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- Pande VS, Grosberg AY, Tanaka T: Nonrandomness in protein sequences – evidence for a physically driven stage of evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 1994, 91 (26): 12972-12975.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Guharay S, Hunt BR, York JA, White OR: Correlations in DNA sequences across the three domains of life. Physica D. 2000, 146 (1–4):Google Scholar
- Berthelsen CL, Glazier JA, Skolnick MH: Global fractal dimension of human DNA sequences treated as pseudorandom walks. Physical Review A. 1992, 45 (12): 8902-8913.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
- Grenier Y: Time-Dependent ARMA Modeling of Nonstationary Signals. IEEE Transactions on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing. 1983, 31 (4): 899-911.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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text: I supervise a private dormitory for a public college, so I have the opportunity to have contact with a lot of college students. It seems like almost every year I have to handle situations where I am told by my staff or residents that one of the residents appears to have a mental disorder which is affecting the lives of the other residents. I need to be sure that all the residents have a comfortable place to live and are not feeling threatened by one resident, so I have to handle the situation as best as I can. In the last few years, I have had 3 different residents show signs of quite severe paranioa. Is paranioa being diagnosed a lot in college-aged people? Even if it is not that common, I'm dealing with such a person right now and I'm just wondering what a good way would be to bring it up with the student's parents. I don't want to alarm them, but I do think it's important for the parents to know what his behavior has been like recently since they don't see him as regularly as my staff and other residents do. Any advice on how to handle this situation would be appreciated. Thanks.


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Congratulations to The Rev. Lyn Fisher who has just been appointed as the new Director of Justice and Servant Ministries at St Matthew on-the-Plains in the Diocese of Niagara. In this growing, suburban congregation in the West End of Burlington, Lyn will assist members of the congregation to discern their gifts for ministry, offer spiritual formation and practical training to people involved in justice and servant ministry, and tell the story about how faith and actions connect to the promises of baptism. Her experience as former Homes Coordinator for L'Arch Sudbury will assist her in connecting with local agencies and neighbouring churches to create opportunities for church members to participate in local justice and servant ministry projects. Her new posting will begin the first week in November.
Ordained in 2000 out of a nursing background, Lyn has served as the incumbent of St James', Sudbury; St George's, Espanola; and St Alban's, Capreol. She was Honorary Assistant at Church of the Epiphany, Sudbury, before assuming an interim ministry at St Matthew's Cathedral, Timmins; Church of the Epiphany, Sudbury; and St Michael's, Thunder Bay. She has Master's degrees from Wycliffe College and Regis College, Toronto.
Lyn writes: 'I am delighted with this opportunity of new ministry and I look forward to becoming part of this new community. I give thanks for the friends and colleagues I have had the privilege of serving with in Algoma for the last 12 years and most especially for the many faithful friends who have remembered me in their prayers these last couple of months. May you all continue to be richly blessed in whatever life brings.'
While we regret her departure from the Diocese of Algoma, we wish her well in this new and innovative ministry and will pray for God's richest blessing as she settles closer to family.
© 2019 The Diocese of Algoma - Anglican (Episcopal) Church of Canada. All rights reserved. Business/registration Number: BN 11923 8202 RR0001. Powered by Miramar Design Studio


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Federal prosecutors, the Securities and Exchange Commission, State Attorneys General and sophisticated local District Attorney's Offices all investigate and aggressively prosecute what they perceive to be violations of insider trading laws. The legal issues in insider trading cases are complex and the facts are often very involved. Insider trading charges are based upon allegations that an individual buys or sells securities based upon material, non-public information.
Friends and family members acting otherwise innocently on tips they receive with regard to how a particular stock may trade can be swept into a massive securities investigation. Third party vendors including lawyers, accountants, printing companies and others who acquire information during the regular course of business and then buy or sell securities may be targeted by regulators and proscutors for inquiry.
Charles A. Ross and Associates has been involved in representing individuals on insider trading charges in federal and state court; in criminal cases and in regulatory matters. With offices in New York and Miami, our lawyers are experienced with the intricate legal subject matter and the multifaceted factual situations presented by these particular securities charges.


text:
Brian C. Anderson has written an excellent article on positive aspects of video games.
He talks about the moral lessons in the majority of video games and compares them to the moral lessons in many books teenagers regularly read. He gives examples of how video games can teach kids budgeting and problem solving skills.
He also corrects many of the most frequently published misinformation about video games. He states that the ESRB ratings are very informative and that the most reliable studies on the impact of video game violence clearly state there is no link between playing violent video games and violent behavior in the "real world".
Friday, June 02, 2006
In Praise of Video Games
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Dreadout (Game) Gaming
Report: broken video / wrong video
Dreadout (Game)
Duration: 2M12S
Dreadout was made possible through developer Digital Happiness" successful Indiegogo campaign that is an Indonesian horror game. The game plays like a Ringu experience and has a strong Asian horror atmosphere. Dreadout is currently available for PC via Steam. The trailer does show a horror game that is very creepy and promises to mess with your mind.
When a group of senior high-school students go astray from their vacation trip in Indonesia, they discover an old deserted town. They soon realize that something sinister is about to happen. Linda Melinda, the protagonist, realizes something mystical is happening to her. She gains a spiritual power that could save her and her friends from the unknown.
DreadOut - Launching Trailer 2014
May 15th 2014 via DreadOutgame


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Prostate Health
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that forms part of the male reproductive system. The gland is made of two lobes enclosed by an outer capsule. The prostate is located in front of the rectum and just below the bladder. It also surrounds the urethra (through which urine passes on its way out of the body). Although all functions of the prostate are not known, one of the main roles is to secrete fluid into the urethra to accompany the passage of sperm during male orgasm. The fluid, a significant component of semen, energizes the sperm and increases the survival of sperm in the vagina. Read on to learn more about enlarged prostate glands, its causes and treatment options in White Plains, Manhattan, Long Island, Beth Page and Queens, NY.
It is common for the prostate gland to become enlarged as a person grows older. This condition is called "benign prostatic hyperplasia" (BPH), or "benign prostatic hypertrophy". As a man matures, the gland goes through two main periods of growth. The first occurs early in puberty, when the prostate doubles in size. Then, at about age 25, the gland begins growing again. This second phase may ultimately result in BPH.
Although the prostate grows during most of a man's life, the enlargement doesn't usually cause problems for many years. BPH rarely causes symptoms before age 40, but more than half of men in their sixties and up to 90 percent in their seventies and eighties have symptoms of BPH.
As the prostate enlarges, the capsule surrounding it stops it from expanding and causes the gland to press against the urethra. The bladder wall becomes thicker and irritable and begins to contract even when it contains small amounts of urine. Over time, the bladder loses the ability to empty completely. The narrowing of the urethra and partial bladder emptying cause many of the problems associated with BPH.
Because of the prostate's role in sex and urination, many people feel uncomfortable talking about it. Still, prostate enlargement is a common part of aging, and as life expectancies rises, BPH becomes more common. In 2000, there were 4.5 million visits to physicians for BPH in the United States.
The cause of BPH is not well understood, nor do we have good information on risk factors. It has been long known that BPH occurs mainly in older men and that it doesn't develop in men whose testes were removed before puberty. For this reason, some believe that factors related to aging and the testes may cause BPH.
Throughout their lives, men produce both testosterone (male hormone), and small amounts of estrogen, a female hormone. As men age, the amount of testosterone in the blood diminishes, leaving a higher proportion of estrogen. Animal studies suggest that BPH may occur because the higher amount of estrogen increases the activity of substances that promote prostate cell growth.
Another theory focuses on dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a substance derived from testosterone in the prostate. It is felt that this may help control gland growth, and it has been found that most animals lose their ability to produce DHT as they age. Some research has indicated that even with a drop in the blood's testosterone level, older men continue to produce high levels of DHT and that this accumulation in the prostate may encourage the growth of cells. It has also been noted that men who do not produce DHT do not develop BPH.
Another theory is that BPH may develop as a result of "instructions" given to cells early in life. By this theory, BPH occurs because cells in one section of the gland follow such instructions and are reactivated later in life. These cells then deliver signals to other cells instructing them to grow or making them more sensitive to hormones.
Many symptoms of BPH result from blockage of the urethra and gradual loss of bladder function with incomplete emptying of the bladder. Though symptoms vary, the most common ones involve problems with urination:
- a hesitant, interrupted, weak urine stream
- urgency and leaking or dribbling
- more frequent urination, especially at night
Interestingly, the size of the gland does not always determine how severe the symptoms will be. Some with greatly enlarged glands have few symptoms while others, whose glands are less enlarged, have more blockage and greater problems.
Occasionally, an individual may not know he has any obstruction until he is suddenly unable to urinate at all. This so-called "acute urinary retention," may be triggered by over-the-counter cold or allergy medicines that contain a decongestant drug known as a "sympathomimetic." Such drugs can prevent the bladder opening from relaxing. If there is a partial obstruction, retention can also can be precipitated by alcohol, cold temperatures, or a long period of physical immobility.
In eight out of 10 cases, symptoms like those above suggest BPH. However, they can also signal other, more serious conditions. These conditions, including prostate cancer, can be ruled out only by a urologist's examination.
Over time, severe BPH can cause serious problems Urinary retention and bladder strain may lead to urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, and incontinence. If the bladder is permanently damaged, treatment for BPH may prove ineffective. Finding BPH early lowers the risk of developing such complications.
Patients sometimes notice symptoms of BPH themselves, while in other cases, the doctor finds that the prostate is enlarged during a routine exam. When BPH is suspected, you may be referred to a urologist. Several tests will help him/herr identify characterize the problem and decide if surgery is needed. The tests chosen can vary, but among the most common are:
Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)
The doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum and feels the part of the prostate next to the rectum. This gives the doctor a general idea of the size and condition of the gland.
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Blood Test
To rule out cancer as a cause of the symptoms, the doctor will likely recommend a "PSA" blood test. PSA (prostate specific antigen), is a protein produced by prostate cells, and levels often are frequently elevated in men with prostate cancer.
. While the FDA has approved a PSA test for use in conjunction with digital rectal examination to help detect prostate cancer, much remains unknown about the interpretation of PSA levels. There are limitations on the test's ability to discriminate between cancer and benign prostate conditions.
View "The Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test: Questions and Answers" from the National Cancer Institute
Rectal Ultrasound and Prostate Biopsy
If there is a suspicion of prostate cancer, your doctor may recommend a rectal ultrasound test. For this, a probe inserted in the rectum directs sound waves at the prostate and the echo patterns form an image of the gland. To see if an abnormal-looking area is a tumor, the doctor can use the images to guide a biopsy needle to the suspicious area.
Urine Flow Study
The doctor may have the patient urinate into a special device that measures how quickly the urine is flowing. A reduced flow often suggests BPH.
Here, the doctor inserts a small tube through the opening of the urethra after a solution numbs the inside of the penis. The tube, called a cystoscope, contains a lens and light system that allows the doctor see the inside of the urethra and the bladder. With this test the doctor can determine the size of the prostate and characterize any obstruction.
Some researchers question the need for early treatment when the gland is just mildly enlarged. The results of studies indicate that such treatment may not be needed because as many as one-third of all mild cases become asymptomatic without treatment. They suggest regular checkups to watch for early problems. If the condition begins to cause a major problem for the patient, then treatment will be recommended. Since BPH can cause urinary tract infections,it is best to clear up infection before treating the BPH itself.
Treatments commonly used for BPH:
Drug Treatment
The FDA has approved several drugs to relieve common symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate. Finasteride (Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart) inhibit production of the hormone DHT Terazosin (Hytrin), doxazosin (Cardura), tamsulosin (Flomax) and alfuzosin (Uroxatral) act by relaxing the smooth muscle of the prostate and bladder neck
Minimally Invasive Therapy
When drugs are ineffective, one may consider a number of procedures that relieve BPH symptoms but are less invasive than conventional surgery. Approved in 1996, transurethral microwave procedures use microwaves to heat and destroy excess prostate tissue. Called "transurethral microwave thermotherapy" (TUMT), the device sends computer-regulated microwaves through a catheter to heat selected portions of the prostate. The procedure takes about an hour and can be performed on an outpatient basis. TUMT does not appear to produce erectile dysfunction or incontinence.
Also in 1996, FDA approved "transurethral needle ablation" (TUNA) for the treatment of BPH. The system marketed under the name "Prostiva" delivers low-level radiofrequency energy through twin needles to burn away a well-defined region of the enlarged prostate. No incontinence or impotence has been observed.
"Water-induced thermotherapy" uses heated water to destroy excess tissue in the prostate. A catheter is positioned in the urethra so that a treatment balloon rests in the middle of the prostate and computer controls the temperature of the water which flows into the balloon to heat the surrounding prostate.
Surgical Treatment
The best long-term solution for patients with BPH involves removal of the enlarged part of the prostate. Only the tissue that is pressing against the urethra is removed. Surgery usually relieves both the obstruction and incomplete bladder emptying.
"Transurethral resection of the prostate" (TURP) is used for most BPH prostate surgeries. An instrument called a resectoscope is inserted through the penis. It contains a light, valves for controlling irrigating fluid, and an electrical loop that cuts tissue and seals blood vessels. The surgeon removes the obstructing tissue one piece at a time. Transurethral procedures are less traumatic than open forms of surgery and require a shorter recovery period. A possible side effect of TURP is retrograde ejaculation wherein semen flows backward into the bladder during climax instead of out the urethra.
When transurethral procedure cannot be used, open surgery may be done. This is usually reserved for cases where the gland is greatly enlarged, when there are complicating factors, or when the bladder has been damaged and needs to be repaired.
In1996, the FDA approved a surgical procedure that employs side-firing laser fibers and Nd: YAG lasers to vaporize prostate tissue. The doctor passes the laser fiber through the urethra into the prostate using a cystoscope and then delivers several bursts of energy, destroying prostate tissue. Among the advantages of laser surgery over TURP are the reduced blood loss and quicker recovery than the standar ZURP.
A newer. laser-based treatment allows doctors to relieve
BPH on an outpatient basis. "Photoselective vaporization
of the prostate" (PVP) uses a high-energy laser to
destroy prostate tissue and seal the treated area.
Though patient's requiring hospitalization will feel pretty well when leaving the hospital, it takes a couple of months to heal completely. During the recovery period, certain problems can occur, including:
- Voiding difficulties- the urinary stream is stronger right after surgery, but can take awhile before you can urinate completely normally again. Patients may feel a sense of urgency when they urinate, but this will gradually lessen.
- Incontinence- there can be temporary problems controlling urination, but long-term incontinence rarely occurs.
- Bleeding- In the first few weeks after transurethral surgery, the scab inside the bladder may loosen, and blood may suddenly appear. The bleeding will usually stop after a short period of bed rest aided by the drinking of fluids. If your urine is so red that it is difficult to see through it (or if it contains clots), the patient should contact the doctor.
Many men worry about whether surgery will affect their ability to enjoy sex. Some believe that sexual function is rarely affected, but others claim that TURP can cause problems in up to 30 percent of cases. While it may take some time for sexual function to return fully, most men are able to enjoy sex again. The exact length of time depends on how long after symptoms appeared surgery was done.
Patients able to maintain an erection shortly before surgery will most often be able to have erections afterward. However, surgery cannot usually restore function that was lost before the operation. A prostate procedure frequently does make men sterile by causing retrograde ejaculation, or "dry climax." Most men find little or no difference in the sensation of orgasm, or sexual climax, before and after surgery.


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Lupita Nyong'o is the new face of Lancome!
Photo: Lancome's Twitter
We were already excited because TGIF and all that, but waking up to news that Lupita Nyong'o was named the new face of Lancome? This is perhaps the best Friday on the books. Both Lupita and Lancome confirmed the news, with the brand sharing the first gorgeous photo of, we're sure, many, and the actress making the announcement in a video on Instagram. How did anyone make major announcements before technology? Carrier pigeon? Town crier? If you were busy when he cried, you just didn't know who the new face of Lancome was? No thanks. ILY, internet.
The photo features Lupita looking stunning—what else is new—in light, natural makeup. To say she looks radiant would be the understatement of the century. Given her love for color, though, both in clothing and makeup, we're hopeful that the campaign will include her in bright, colorful looks. There is already ample proof of how well she pulls it off.
The video, while brief, conveys Lupita's excitement for her new role as Lancome ambassadress. What products she'll be linked to remain to be seen, but WWD reports that the ads will be out in September. Lupita told WWD that she partnered with Lancome because she supports what they stand for, which is, namely, "something other than just looks."
We can't wait to see what Lancome and Lupita come up with together—get here already, September.
Like us on Facebook so we can be friends and follow us on Twitter @MTVstyle to talk.


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Homes Out West Vision and Mission
Our Vision:
To be the leading community housing provider, working with local partners, building our regional communities by responding to housing needs.
Our Mission:
To provide safe, secure, sustainable housing for people in need.
Linking with local organisations to support tenants and enhance their lives.
Welcome to Homes Out West
Homes Out West aims to be a regional leader in Social Housing by providing long term, secure and sustainable housing to low income families and individuals. Our service is responsive, flexible and customer focused. We aspire to engage the community through creative, innovative and sustainable partnerships to meet the social housing needs of the region.
Homes Out West works with other local community service providers, to meet the needs of individual clients, support tenants and enhance their lives.


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Premium Cigar Brand Website
About J.C. Newman Cigar Company
Established in 1895, J.C. Newman Cigar Company is America's oldest family-owned premium cigar maker.
J.C.Newman's Tampa, Florida location celebrates its heritage as the Fine Cigar Capital of the World and is the last operating cigar factory in "Cigar City".
Their portfolio of cigar brands instantly recognizable to cigar aficionados worldwide range from ultra-premium Diamond Crown and Diamond Crown MAXIMUS to Cuesta-Rey, La Unica, Brick House, El Baton, to the value-priced Quorum and Factory 59's.
J.C. Newman partnered with Bayshore Solutions to redesign their brand websites, beginning with the premium Diamond Crown cigars. The previous websites were built in Flash technology, which is not supported by today's devices and is a disadvantage to search visibility. The company needed their premium brand flagship website to creatively convey the history and quality of the Diamond Crown product. The site needed to be responsive to the multiple screens their audiences are visiting from and to showcase engaging movement and functionality while conveying the brand story of Diamond Crown.
Bayshore Solutions' design and development team employed the latest technologies with custom code, HTML 5, CSS 3 and Parallax functionality to create Diamond Crown's state of the art website. The design features stylish product images and showcases the intricacies of a premium cigar creation process and highlights the lifestyle aspects of the brand. The website's robust visitor experience is presented in a distinguished, singular "page" format that invites visitors to sojourn, explore and enjoy the "Diamond Crown Experience".
As the goal of the website is to promote and communicate to Diamond Crown customers and brand followers, cigar products are not sold directly through this site. Engaging functionality custom-developed for the website includes an entertaining personality-based cigar selector. The website assists visitors in locating Diamond Crown cigar lounges, showcases select premium humidors to pair with the luxury cigars and connects visitor to featured events supporting their brand following nationwide.
JC Newman tobacco products operate in a segregated digital market space, as search advertising is restricted, and online age-verification measures are required. Thus digital marketing strategies require custom and an uncommon approach.
JC Newman continues to partner with Bayshore Solutions for strategic innovation and execution of Digital, Content and Social marketing to develop and create engagement with brand enthusiasts. Campaigns are underway to support events including JC Newman's signature "CigarBQues"; evening events nationwide showcasing top chefs, food, wine, beer and Diamond Crown cigars.
Award Recognition
A Silver ADDY award in the American Advertising Federation – Greater Tampa Bay 2015 annual competition is awarded to the J.C. Newman Diamond Crown website.
J.C. Newman Diamond Crown website wins a Platinum 2014 MarCom Award among consumer goods manufacturers websites.
The International Academy of Visual Arts selected the J.C. Newman Diamond Crown website for a Platinum AVA Digital Award in manufacturer websites.
A 2015 Gold Horizon Award was presented to J.C. Newman Diamond Crown in Consumer information websites.
The Interactive Media Awards named J.C. Newman Diamond Crown as Best In Class for Lifestyle websites.
The Summit International Awards Program gave its Top Honor of Visionary Emerging Media Award to the J.C. Newman Diamond Crown website.


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William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth (1770-1850 / Cumberland / England)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
Book Tenth {residence In France Continued]
IT was a beautiful and silent day
That overspread the countenance of earth,
Then fading with unusual quietness,--
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March 24, 2008
The concept phone of the future is here.
Nokia Research recently announced we may be using this revolutionary communications device within the next seven years.
Nokia along with the good folks at the University of Cambridge, located in the UK, said they have been working on this project since March of 2007.
Called the "morph concept," it is being showcased at the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition until May 12, at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The morph concept device is the bridge between highly-advanced technologies and the potential benefits for the people using it.
Morph concepts use transparent electronics and extremely flexible biodegradable materials.
Did I mention this new concept device also has a self-cleaning "superhydrophobic" surface?
The video I watched demonstrated some of this fascinating future technology.
The morph concept is based on nanotechnology.
When working with nanotechnology, we are working with materials that are very small.
How small are we talking here?
Well, nanoscale technologies are invisible to the human eye.
By using nanotechnology, we could install 10,000 transistors on a single hair of a fly.
"Nano" is Greek for the word "dwarf."
A nanometer is 0.000000001 meters long, a billionth of a unit or 1 x 10-9.
I begin to get a headache when trying to understand nanotechnology, so let's just say it's part of the "magical technology" of the future.
The communications device I saw using nanotechnology and the morph concept, looked like a greenish cardboard-thin rectangular cell phone.
The device used a transparent and flexible touch-screen display.
It also had a small, detachable piece that either clips onto the ear as a headset or attaches to the device as a speaker.
This clip closely resembled a wireless ear-bud we see folks wearing all the time.
Nanotechnology provides components that are remarkably strong, yet bendable and lightweight.
The integrated nanoscale technologies used will potentially create a world of completely new and different devices, which in turn, will open up a totally new range of possibilities.
Morph concept technologies will have built-in solar "absorption devices," which will assist in its re-charging.
Fibril proteins are woven into a three-dimensional mesh, which strengthens the thin elastic frameworks inside many of these morph concept devices.
Fibril is a fine fiber, which is about one nanometer in diameter.
These proteins use the same principle as spider silk webs.
The elasticity enables the device to literally change shape . . . and physically modify itself.
This flexibility allows the device to be folded into different shapes.
One photograph shows this concept device as an extremely thin wafer-like flexible communications device.
The users simply folds the device and wears it on their arm.
The wearable device can easily be programmed, like the screen-saver on your computer, to transform itself into a decorative fashion statement.
An unfolded larger design could display more detailed information, and allow for external computing devices such as keyboards and touch pads.
Nanotechnology is also environmentally "Earth-friendly."
Being this new concept technology is utilizing biodegradable materials, the production and recycling of them is ecologically friendly.
This morph concept device also has a "green" sensing capability.
Nanotechnology transforms the surface of the device into a natural source of energy by covering it with what are called "nanoscale grass structures." These structures, or built-in absorption "harvesters" (when magnified looks like a grass carpet), collect solar power.
The collected solar energy will charge and power the device.
Nanosensors in these devices will allow the user to examine the environment around them in entirely new ways. One way includes analyzing the air breathed by monitoring the surrounding air quality.
In the video demonstration, I saw how a person, before eating an apple, used the nanosensors on the device to determine if the apple was safe to eat.
This person waved the device in front of the apple.
When the video zoomed in at 100,000 times power, we could see the floating microscopic particles of the apple come in contact with the devices sensors, which determined and signaled the user this particular apple was unsafe to eat.
Dr. Bob Iannucci, chief technology officer for nokia, commented, "Nokia Research Center is looking at ways to reinvent the form and function of mobile devices; the morph concept shows what might be possible."
Dr. Tapani Ryhanen, head of the Nokia Research Center at the Cambridge laboratory, said, "We hope that this combination of art and science will showcase the potential of nanoscience to a wider audience. The research we are carrying out is fundamental to this as we seek a safe and controlled way to develop and use new materials."
For more information, visit http://www.nokia.comlink?cid=EDITORIAL_882484.
To view an incredible video demonstrating how this new technology will be used, check out http://www.nokia.com/A4879144.


text: Dwyane made it very clear to his employer what they need to in order to retain his services: "Dwyane Wade said Monday that simply making the playoffs is not enough to satisfy him, and his long-term commitment to the Heat hinges largely on the team becoming a championship contender again. He also expressed concern that other teams have passed the Heat in the Eastern Conference hierarchy this summer…'As it stands today, 2010 is an opt-out year for me, and I'm looking forward to 2010. As I said to Pat Riley, I'm all about winning. I want to make sure we're putting ourselves in position to not just win games, to not just get in the first round, but to compete for a championship. And if it's not happening this year, then me signing that deal to give myself flexibility is pointless. I will wait until that's happening."'


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Gailtaler Hof Austria / Carinthia / Kötschach - Mauthen / Gailtal Valley - Friuli
Abenteuerpension Gailtaler Hof Motorbike hotel in Kötschach-Mauthen / Kärnten
The Gailtaler Hof in Carinthia's Nature Arena makes a great base for countless motorcycle tours. The manageress, Christine, knows a lot about motorcycling and will happily show you the most beautiful bike tours: the Dolomites, along the Großglockner High Alpine Road, and to little-known places in Slovenia or to Friaul in Italy, just 12 km away. The mountain roads have wonderful views and the many passes and sharp bends get every motorcyclist's pulse racing.
Motorbike holidays in Gailtal / Friaul
Your host, Christine, has been a keen biker since her youth and shows her guests the most beautiful tours in the Gailtal and surrounding area. Hans Engl Senior, an old-timer fan, is on hand to help with small motorcycle repairs. Experience great hospitality and a friendly, biker atmosphere.
Comprehensive sport (kayaking, mountain biking, golf etc) and culture programme (Harley-Meet at the Faaker See) for non-motorcycling days.
Christine Engl MoHo host since 1996
I am one of the MoHo founding members. It seems that I was and still am responsible for maintaining the quota of women within the group. But when it comes to bikes, I prefer proper mean machines.
to the host
More information about your motorbike holiday
Non-binding request
Your inquiry goes directly to: Familie Engl


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Regular price
This my recommended potty accessory for those doing elimination communication with their babies.
The top hat potty can be held between the thighs for baby to use at ages 0-12 months of age (sometimes older, depending on the size of the baby).
It is great for nighttime EC, EC on the go, and travel, as well as for an everyday potty for a small baby.
These were taken off the market in Singapore where I used to get them, so I have created an improved version of this potty which includes a cozy and rubber band, for comfort and slip-prevention, respectively.
Recyclable, made of lightweight and BPA-free plastic, you can bring this potty with you anywhere.
Comes with everything you need:
Dimensions: 7" x 7" x 4.5"Weight: 5 oz
Here is a video showing how to use the top hat potty:


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POISONED - Beyond the Gates of Fire (FALLEN TEMPLE - CD 2016)
Couple of years ago we've been treated with a nice split CD titled "Raw Torments of War", which presented us two Polish beasts Persecutor and Poisoned. I've enjoyed it sincerely, so now I'm glad that one of these bands is back with a full length album. I'm talking about Poisoned. "Beyond the Gates of Fire" is their debut album and well, I'm sure that it will be an enjoyable stuff for all die hard old school metal maniacs, as surely it is something worth of their attention. But first off, let me say that I really like the whole presentation of this CD. The artwork and layout is superb and fits this music so damn well. It's simple, but the frames, graphics, band photographs and even the lettering - all look great. I like it a lot, because I tend to put a lot of attention for the visual aspects of every release I get as well as for the lyrics. This is something people who only care for mp3's will never understand I suppose haha. But that's their problem and something to discuss on another occasion. Here we're gonna speak about Poisoned and "Beyond the Gates of Fire".
Musically this album is, as I already wrote above, kind of a feast for old school metal maniacs. Poisoned sounds almost archaic and this album, with the songs it contains and with this sort of production, feels like something that was taken from old archives, recorded maybe 25-30 years ago. And if this is what Poisoned wanted to achieve with their sound and music, then they surely succeeded. The production is the only thing, which I have to really complain about. It should have been a bit more energetic and aggressive, as it's a bit dry and the guitars sound terribly thin… but that's rather minor complain, not something disastrous. Besides, this sort of sound just fits this old school death / thrash metal. The music has that vibe, which you can find on albums like "Seven Churches", "Hell Awaits" or "Darkness Descends", it also reminds me such "Necrolust" demo (I have to say that the vocals sound quite close to Peter's) and some more old Polish recordings, like early 90's demos. And I don't necessarily mean the strictly stylistic aspects, but sometimes it's just the feeling and aura of the music or character of these riffs and vocals. All songs are really no bullshit and not even for a second they try to step away from the classic death / thrash formulas. Their poisoned riffs must sound sharp and aggressive, the drumming is rather simple, the solos are sick… It is often fast, but don't even dare to think that it's modern blast beat type of fast death metal.
Honestly I feel like "Beyond the Gates of Fire" is very easily listenable and you'll get into it instantly. It doesn't require anything else than a cold beer in one hand and skulls banging crazy. I cannot say that this is the most remarkable album in the old school death / thrash field, it lacks a bit in my opinion, to sound truly crushing and powerful. But it is not that bad also. I quite enjoyed it.
Final rate: 70/100


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Superhero Bits: 'Aquaman' Poster Becomes a Meme, Life-Size LEGO Thanos, 'Marvel Rising' Trailer & More
Posted on Tuesday, July 17th, 2018 by Ethan Anderton
How many bricks does it take to build a life-size LEGO version of Thanos? Who will play Elasti-Woman in the Titans and Doom Patrol shows on the DC Universe streaming service? Wanna see the first trailer for the animated Marvel Rising: Initiation? How are fans playing with the new Aquaman teaser poster online, and why is Jason Momoa wearing leather pants underwater? All that and more in this edition of Superhero Bits. Read More »