text:
A coalition of musicians is demanding the US government cough a list of tracks allegedly used to torture inmates of Guantanamo Bay, as former prisoners claim they were subjected to the Bee Gees, Britney Spears and Sesame Street at "ear-splitting level".
According to the Telegraph, the National Security Archive in Washington has sent a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to agencies including CIA, FBI and Department of Defence on behalf of artists such as Billy Bragg, Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine and REM.
The Archive's executive director, Thomas Blanton, insisted: "At Guantanamo, the US government turned a jukebox into an instrument of torture."
Jayne Huckerby, research director at New York University's Centre for Human Rights and Global Justice, claimed the CIA turned the dial up to ten to "humiliate, terrify, punish, disorient and deprive detainees of sleep, in violation of international law".
Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello raged: "The fact that music I helped create was used as a tactic against humanity sickens me. We need to end torture and close Guantanamo now."
CIA spokesman George Little insisted the music was employed for "security" and "not for punitive purposes". He assured the volume level was "far below a live band". ®


text:
Industrial Fastener Supplier
Tell Us What You Want & Let Us Find Your Fasteners
JHP Fasteners is an international, master distributor of industrial fastening products for sheet metal fabrication. Excellent customer service, high quality products, an extensive inventory, and competitive pricing are at the core of our company. We offer a rare combination of product knowledge and application, making JHP Fasteners a leader in fastener distribution.
Click here to see our core fasteners line card.
Thousands of Inch & Metric Fasteners in Stock
At JHP Fasteners, we have thousands of inch and metric fasteners in stock and ready to ship. If we don't have it in stock, we'll get it and our promise of a fast turnaround ensures we will work to acquire the product quickly. We supply fastening products for all type of metal chassis, selling the products and provide services that other distributors don't offer. No matter what metal fastener you need, we have or will find the right one for you!
Unmatched Fastener
Distribution Expertise
Our engineers can work with you to determine the fasteners that will work best in your application. We service precision metal fabricators, end users, and other distributors in all their fastening requests. Our employees have applicable knowledge for the products we sell as we've worked closely with operators and engineers in the metal shops. We not only receive your order, we understand it. We know it's a rush and we do everything we can to get it to you quickly and efficiently.
We distribute all types of sheet metal fasteners to various industrial markets including computers, copiers, furniture, electrical enclosures, PCB assemblies, gaming machines, home appliances, and automotive markets. Our tooling and machinery products include self-clinching fastener Insertion equipment, welding equipment, and other fastener installation tooling. Used tools and machinery are also available from JHP Fasteners.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Native bacteria block Wolbachia from being passed to mosquito progeny
Native bacteria living inside mosquitoes prevent the insects from passing Wolbachia bacteria—which can make the mosquitoes resistant to the malaria parasite—to their offspring, according to a team of researchers.
The team found that Asaia, a type of bacteria that occurs naturally in Anopheles mosquitoes, blocks invasion of Wolbachia into the mosquitoes' germlines—the cells that are passed on through successive generations of an organism—thus stopping the insects from transmitting Wolbachia to their offspring.
"Wolbachia infects up to 70 percent of all known insect species, but is notably absent from some groups, including the Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria," said Jason Rasgon, associate professor of entomology, Penn State. "One of the big questions is, 'Why are some insect species infected with Wolbachia while others are not?' Our research provides a potential answer—maybe competitive interactions with Asaia, or other bacteria present in the insects, determine whether Wolbachia can infect the germline, be transmitted and invade the population, which is a desired outcome if Wolbachia is to be a successful control agent for malaria or other vector-borne pathogens. Both Wolbachia and Asaia are independently being evaluated as potential control agents for vector-borne pathogens; our research suggests that maybe these two strategies are not compatible."
According to Rasgon, in the insects in which it naturally occurs, Wolbachia is transmitted vertically from mother to offspring, but over evolutionary time it often has been transmitted horizontally between insect groups.
"No one really knows why some species are infected and why some are not, and no one really knows what governs the successful acquisition of a horizontally acquired Wolbachia infection," he said.
To conduct their study, the researchers injected Wolbachia into female Anopheles adults and measured transmission to offspring.
"We found that under normal circumstances, Wolbachia was transmitted very poorly and that Wolbachia-injected mosquitoes died after bloodfeeding," said Rasgon. "However, when we reared mosquitoes with antibiotics prior to Wolbachia injection, Wolbachia was transmitted much more efficiently and mosquitoes survived after bloodfeeding."
The team then used a DNA sequencing technique to identify all of the bacteria —the "microbiome"—in the antibiotic-treated and control mosquitoes. They found that Asaia was specifically reduced by the antibiotic treatment in two different Anopheles species. The scientists then generated an antibiotic-resistant Asaia mutant and supplemented this bacterial mutant back to the antibiotic-treated mosquitoes. They found that after they recolonized the antibiotic-treated mosquitoes with Asaia, Wolbachia was no longer transmitted to offspring and mosquitoes died faster after bloodfeeding.
The results appear in today's (August 11) issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"With Asaia, we have identified the first specific barrier to Wolbachia maternal transmission," said Rasgon. "We have also shown that Wolbachia can interact with the other members of the mosquito microbiome. Finally, we have a potential hypothesis to explain the decades-old observation of the apparent lack of Wolbachia infection in Anopheles mosquitoes." In the future, the team plans to investigate whether the phenomenon of one species of bacteria blocking maternal transmission of other species holds true across a wider range of insect species. The researchers also hope to exploit their new knowledge to more easily establish stable Wolbachia infections in Anopheles and other mosquitoes.


text:
From recreational fishermen to Pro Staff, read what they are saying about Crosskix!
M. Forgach - BassNVlog Fishing
Follow these simple instructions to determine the proper size Crosskix.
Place a piece of paper against the base of a wall and place your foot on top making sure that your heel is touching the wall base.
With a pencil or pen, mark the furthest part of your foot.
Using a ruler, measure the length of your foot from the end of the paper to the mark you made in step 2.
Your final step is to locate your measurement on the size chart below and cross-reference it with the corresponding size.
NOTE: If your measurement falls in between sizes, we suggest to go up to the nearest size for the best fit..but make sure there is at least 1/2" or 12mm from your foot length to the length on size chart.
Order the size you would normally wear in sneakers. Crosskix have been compared to other sneakers that are "standard" sizing which neither runs small or large.
To request for an Exchange or Return, click on link below:


text:
The opening cinematic for the new Wolfenstein starts off quietly and ends like any good Wolfenstein video should - with dozens of dead Nazis.
The opening cinematic is filled with tons of heroic action, courtesy of America's number-one weapon against the Nazi regime, special agent B.J. Blazkowicz. I love the fact that the clip reinforces the well-known fact that Nazis tend to melt when faced with glowing ancient artifacts. My only problem with the opening cinematic is the same problem I have with cinematics for all first-person shooters. They're generally used to show off exactly the sort of action you won't see in the game. I'm sure Wolfenstein will be excellent, but it will definitely be lacking something if I can't swing heroically about a ship while the music swells.


text:
Welcoming ELL Parents into the Classroom
Having trouble engaging your ELL parents? Just follow along for our teacher-tested strategies.
When it comes to teachers and parents—"We are a team," says Massachusetts teacher Gloria Salazar. But it's not always easy to get parents involved, especially those with language issues.
It doesn't mean these parents don't want to be involved—or that they don't have high aspirations for their children. Two-thirds of Latino teens say their parents play an active role in their education, and eight of 10 say they urge them to go to college, according to new research from the Pew Latino Center. But it may mean they haven't gotten the right invitation.
So, follow along for ways to open the door to those parents.
Do your ELL parents return your phone calls?
Dear Parent... Mail letters home during the summer to say hello, preferably in each family's home language. "I tell my parents I'm eager to meet them when the kids come the first day," says Salazar. "Then, the first week, I contact every single family again to offer open-door access to the classroom."
Ring, ring! Good news calling! Every day, Maricela Rincon (top) calls a different parent from her Las Cruces, New Mexico, classroom to tell them something specific and good about their child—"Anna did so well on the multiplication quiz!" These phone calls, required by her principal, help her reflect on each child's progress and also make sure every one has the opportunity to get a positive call. It also makes a big difference in a parent's attitude. "A few times when I call, it's like, 'Oh no, what did he do now?' Some say, 'This is the first time I've had a positive phone call about my child,'" Rincon says. It completely changes their attitude: "We have parents who haven't been so supportive, and now they are."
Knock knock! If you can't get them on the phone, go to them. Ricardo Rincon, another Las Cruces teacher, calls home first: "I'd like to work out a plan to make your child successful." (Who could refuse that?) Once he's there, at the kitchen table, "I empower them. I ask, 'What might be the best practice to make sure your child's learning style is addressed?'"
Do your parents attend parent-teacher conferences?
Click here for strategies for better attendance.
First, consider the basics. Yes, you should have translators. Yes, you should provide childcare. Consider scheduling meetings at different times to accommodate parents who work multiple jobs, including nightshifts, and invite extended families. In many cultures, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents will want to be part of the conversation.
Make an offer they can't refuse. Actually, get your students to make that offer. In Las Cruces, with the support of his administration, Ricardo Rincon (top) has transformed parent conferences into student-led demonstrations. Using a SMART Board and a hand-held camcorder, Rincon and his fifth-graders create videos and other multimedia records of classroom activities. Four times a year, Rincon's students present the videos to parents. "It's changed the image of the parent conference. Now it's 'I'm going to go and my child is going to show me what they've learned'"—and it has boosted parent attendance to 95 percent. "I can attest to the many smiles and watery eyes," he says. Each parent takes home a DVD to share with relatives, and Rincon also buys jump drives for his students so that they can routinely bring their work home during the school year.
Do your parents contribute in other meaningful ways to the classroom?
Click here for ways to involve them.
Bring culture into the classroom. We're not talking about Cinco de Mayo parties. We're talking about genuine integration of culture into curriculum—and some of your colleagues do it very well. In Minneapolis, Charmaine Owens asked her Somali students to go home and ask parents for stories about camels, which are typically owned by all Somali families. They returned with dozens, which Owens turned into classroom activities, including discussions, plays, and plot and word-sequencing activities.
In Somerville, Gloria Salazar (top) invited parents to cook for her kindergarten class: rice puddings, pupusas, and Portuguese sweets. Then, using grant money, she published the recipes in a cookbook and sold copies as a PTA fundraiser.
Do you think your parents just don't know how to help?
Click here for ideas from your colleagues.
First figure out what they can do. Ricardo Rincon might not have parents who can help with pre-algebra. But he can ask them to make sure each child spends at least 30 minutes with a book. "I cannot ask the parents for more than what they're capable of," he says, "but I can ask them to supervise."
Teach them, too! Across the country, from Crete, Nebraska, to Oakland, California, to New Brunswick, New Jersey, adults can enroll in literacy programs. In New Brunswick, the Academy Project sets the gold standard for parent education and involvement. Co-sponsored by the local and state Associations, it offers math and literacy nights (pajamas encouraged!), homework help sessions for parents and kids, and language classes as well. Parents can even do their laundry in the school's washer and dryer while they volunteer in classrooms.
Advocate, advocate. It's a great thing to teach parents how to help with homework, but it's even better to teach them how to advocate for their kids. In Pennsylvania, the Reading Education Association recently co-hosted a community forum for parents of special education students. "These parents have no idea what to do with an Individualized Education Plan," said PSEA's Lorenzo Canizares. At the meeting, which relied heavily on skits and other friendly, inviting presentations, the parents, mostly Latino, learned how to participate effectively.
Do you still need help?
Of course!
Everybody always is looking for good ideas. You can share yours and read others at NEA's English Language Learners' page.
To print out a full version of this article, click here.
How to Get Parents to Help with Classroom Management
Teacher of the Year Tony Mullen tells NEA President Dennis Van Roekel how you can get parents to help with classroom management.


text:
Small glass plates tapped together. Dry hit, no resonance. Close miked with Rode NT-5s in X-Y configuration. Trimmed, DC removed, and normalized to -6 dB.
This sound has not been commented on yet, be the first to comment!
Please log in to comment
Share url:
920 x 245
481 x 86
375 x 30
We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By browsing our site you agree to our use of cookies.
For more information check out our cookies policy.


text:
You wishlist is empty.
Click on the
symbol on an advert to add it to your list.
Sorry, the maximum number of listings allowed is
Would you like to visit this property?
This apartment contains 4 rooms including 3 bedrooms. It is equipped with a None. Others : guard.
This text is an automatic translation.
Ad reference Montagnier.Batiment
EPC not provided
About the price
2.265.006 €
The information entered into this form is subjected to computer processing by Digital Classifieds France and forwarded to the real estate professional you want to contact in order to manage your request for information. You can access your data, have it amended or deleted. You also have the right to oppose, refuse transfer of or limit the handling of any personal data by writing to: SeLoger / Digital Classifieds France - 65 Rue Ordener, 75880 Paris Cedex 18 or by clicking here. For more information, please refer to our GCU-Privacy Policy.
This ad has been added to your wishlist


text:
Phillip Goldstein and Alan Beck of Goldstein Lieberman & Co. in Mahwah, N.J., sat down Tuesday with reporter James Walsh in an online chat to field your questions about state and federal tax returns. Here's a sampling:
Phillip Goldstein and Alan Beck of Goldstein Lieberman & Co. in Mahwah, N.J., sat down Tuesday with reporter James Walsh in an online chat to field your questions about state and federal tax returns. Here's a sampling:
Q. Is Social Security exempt from state taxes in New York? And are their any special exemptions for seniors?
A. To the first part, yes to the extent Social Security is included in federal taxable income it's exempt from New York state taxes. (New York uses federal taxable income as a starting point in computing NYS taxable income. Social Security income is a subtraction from federal taxable income when arriving at state taxable income.)
As for the second part ... In general a taxpayer age 65 and over would get an additional standard deduction, the amount of which depends on the filing status.
The additional amount for 2012 is $1,450.
Q. I was divorced effective Nov. 15, 2012. Will I have to file my federal and NYS income taxes as single or married?
A. If at the end of the year you're not married, your filing status would be single. Please check with your legal adviser to ensure if the divorce action was finalized in 2012.
Q. I always dread tax season! I feel so disorganized by the time I finally sit down to do my taxes, usually in early February. What specifically can I do to make this time of year less dreadful for me?
A. The best way to deal with this is to be organized throughout the year. That reduces the time spent on it later in the year. Something as simple as having a folder or large envelope into which to deposit your tax papers can be a big help.
Q. The state Department of Taxation says it might take six-eight weeks to receive the state refund. Is that a strict timeline or could I get my refund quicker? (I've already received my federal refund; and filed during the first week of February)
A. In general, if you file electronically it should expedite your refund. But due to the financial conditions of many states, the refunds are taking longer.
Q. If my husband and I file separately is it true that only one of us can claim the head of household credit? We currently own and use two residential properties, and have no children.
A. As a separate filer with no dependent children, your status would be married filing separately, not head of household. In general, this is the least favorable among the filing statuses.


text:
Thompson recently said that he was looking into the viability for a run at another office, and he dropped a possible challenge to Senator Kristen Gillibrand, as well as challenging State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli or taking on fellow Democrat David Paterson for the governorship of New York State.
We don't know if Thompson has had the time to ask for Bloomberg's advice (or if he even wants it), so Pol Position did it for him! We tracked down Mayor Michael Bloomberg himself, and asked if he had any advice for Thompson on running for office in the future. He didn't.
"Bill is a good comptroller and a quality guy. I hope he stays in public service," was all the mayor would tell us before saying that he doesn't get involved in races for statewide offices.
We were disappointed the mayor didn't have some more specific advice for Thompson, but were not sure what Bill could have done with advice like "first, tap into your vast personal fortune and spend as many tens of millions of dollars as is necessary to saturate the television airwaves, bombard voters with campaign literature, and buy off every editorial board in the city for their endorsement."
That advice isn't quite "stick to the issues" and "get to know the voters."


text:
Don't get cold feet - our customers save an average of £350 by switching gas & electric.
This site uses cookies. By continuing to use the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here.
© Copyright 2013 - 2020, A Spokesman Said Ltd. Registered in England and Wales, No. 08355797.
Registered address: The Old Rectory, Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, England, KT13 8DE.
A Spokesman Said Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 762386. You can check this on the Financial Services Register by visiting the FCA website.


text:
When it comes to men's watches, there are plenty of options in terms of price, brand, style colour and size. Tic Watches stock a huge range of men's watches to suit all tastes and budgets, and from some of the top watchmakers in the world.
Whether you are buying for yourself or a loved one, you will find the perfect timepiece for any occasion. Our selection of watches is available in various colours including black, brown, gold, silver, cream, rose gold, and white. There is also a variety of displays to suit all preferences.
No matter what type of watch you prefer, whether this is a modern chunky watch with top-of-the-range features or a more classic piece to suit both day and nightwear, you will find precisely what you are looking for right here at Tic Watches.
As Authorised Stockists for some fantastic brands we are able to offer manufacturer warranty or our 2 year Tic Watches warranty. We also supply our watches with FREE UK delivery to maximise value for money.


text:
Discover for free which first names would suit you or your baby !
Meaning of name Corinne
Etymology : French form of CORINNA
Saint :
Origin : French
Rate this first name :
Gender : girl
Country :
Numbers :
Meaning of those numbers?
Share this page :
Who is she?
Corinne is a charming, pleasant and attractive woman who is eager to please and be loved in return. Emotionally she is sensitive, sympathetic and considerate, and is prepared to make considerable efforts to ensure that peace and harmony prevail in her world. She is just as sensitive to beauty, and hers is no exception. She tends to take care of her physical appearance and is usually impeccably turned-out, down to the finest details. Her weakest link is her hypersensitivity which - combined with her active imagination and nervous disposition - occasionally results in bouts of anxiety. Corinne expects her family to provide the security and protection that are necessary for her equilibrium and well-being. She is an easy-going and sociable individual who enjoys life´s pleasures and communicates with ease, charm, diplomacy and humor. The association of the karmic 2 with the 22 is not at all easy to live with, because the former tendency can cause her to be fragile, timid and inclined to dependency; whilst the latter pushes her to great, even grandiose achievements. She could either attempt to achieve her goals by developing her strengths of perfectionism, patience and determination (although that is not to say that things will be plain sailing, and she remains susceptible to anxiety), or she could choose to escape into her inner sanctuary of daydreams and imagination, indolence and indecision, perhaps finding solace in a lover´s arms to compensate for her lack of ambition. As a child, she can be somewhat temperamental and overemotional, although she is usually quite timid, very impressionable and dependent on her environment. It is imperative that she learns to be autonomous and responsible as early as possible, her parents can help her to feel secure by always telling her the truth. They should be careful not to be over-protective though, because this child knows how to soften you up, and you could be tempted to indulge in her every whim just to avoid the drama of tears or hysterics when she doesn´t get her way. This would be a huge mistake and would only contribute to the exacerbation of these latent tendencies and further infantilize her. Corinne requires a lot of love and affection, and if it isn´t forthcoming, she may find other, much less healthy ways to attract her parents´ attention.
What does she like?
She likes getting together with others, to cooperate and collaborate, and emotional support has a springboard effect on her. Love is obviously essential to this emotionally focused female, who often denies her emotional needs. The karmic 2 is often a clue to impatience and can make romantic relationships quite difficult (her active number 42 is already indicative of familial strain). There are two distinct possibilities: either she becomes the perfect housewife and fulfilled mother on reaching maturity; or indeed she rejects motherhood and remains somewhat immature, relying a little too much on other people.
Get your free Personality test card now !!
What does she do?
Because she is so impressionable, the home environment is likely to have a significant influence on her future. If it is favourable, stimulating, and she has the opportunity to live her 22, a life of outstanding professional accomplishment could be possible, often of a humanitarian nature or related to creativity. Otherwise, Corinne could be drawn to the professions related to counselling, childcare, medicine, health and social care or ecology, occupations in connection with esthetics, art and craft, management or economy, or those requiring precision.
Discover others girls first names : Coba Coby Coco
*To note: :
It sometimes happens that two different first names have the same meaning. This has nothing surprising: both first names have the same figures of numerology. It is as in astrology: two persons belonging to the same sign present the same characteristic...
Names compatibility
Test the compatibility of your names to know if your love relation is lucky to succeed. Friendship, love or passion?
Discover fast what waits for you...
Verify now if your names are compatible!
The last comments about "Corinne"
|I can not believe how much of this is actually true,incredible!!!
Post your comment
Your Name Horoscope !
Thanks to the numerology, we propose you daily a horoscope personalized for your first name. Love, money , Shape: discover what waits for you for today. In Bonus every day find your daily lucky figure .. Horoscope of the first names
Love :Couples: Harmony will once again reign between the two of you. Singles: Make the most of your own company, you are unlikely to meet "the one" today.
Money :Today is a perfect day to clarify your financial objectives.
Health:You're lacking in calcium and vitamin D Corinne. Get enough sunshine and eat plenty of brocolli to keep your bones healthy!
Your Lucky number : 49


text:
Merkur Spray Packages
Merkur packages are designed to outperform and outlast other pumps in their class. Get the precise pressure and output for all of your finishing applications with a variety of models and configurations.
Advanced Technology
- Easy-to-flush design allows for fast color changes and reduced solvent usage
- Designed for improved serviceability with fewer parts and lower cost of ownership
- Air valve provides smooth and rapid changeover
- Ultralife ceramic coating allows protection for long life even with abrasive materials
Browse Merkur Spray Packages
Filter results
Pump Pressure Ratio
Maximum Working Pressure (psi)
Lower Configuration
Mount Type
Package Options
Material Application
17 Results
Showing dealers for
Have Questions? Let's Talk.
Contact an Expert
We'll help you choose the right product for your job.
Tech Support
7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Central Time


text:
- Home
- About
- Music Consulting
- Management
- Label/Publishing
- Marketing
- Tech
- Contact
A&R for the album "Train of Thought" (Elektra, 11/11/03), regular and 5.1 versions.
For more information: AllMusic Profile
Return to Discography & Discoveries.
Launchpad is an award-winning company that harnesses the power of music to help create, grow, and market talent, brands, products, and communications.
Incubator. Accelerator. Amplifier. Facilitator. Generator. Launchpad.


text:
Dear Gossips,
I have just entered the third and final trimester of my book pregnancy. And I had promised that I would treat it like a baby pregnancy – be super self-indulgent and talk about it all the time, every page edit was supposed to be a baby kick – so I'm throwing myself a gender reveal party.
Actually, a book cover reveal party. I get to have two because the Canadian cover and the US cover are different. Here's the Canadian cover of my book, Listen To The Squawking Chicken to be released in Canada on April 1 and in the US on April 22. Unlike real mothers, I won't be mad if you tell me my baby is ugly. I will also totally expect you to talk about my baby behind my back and judge me for how much book weight I've put on. So far around 10 lbs.
To pre-order my book in Canada, please click here.
To pre-order my book in the United States, please visit Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I'll reveal the US cover soon. It's totally different.
OMG, it's like I'm having twins!
So…Oscar nominations today. As this open was written before the announcement was made, I'll have more of an analysis later.
But Jonah Hill's going back to the Oscars with his American Idol Leonardo DiCaprio!
Yours in gossip,


text:
- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- Donate Now
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 8, 2013) – In the final tune-up before its stretch run in Atlantic Sun play, the ETSU baseball team defeated UNC Asheville, 9-3, on a rainy Wednesday night at Thomas Stadium.
The Bucs – who now finish the season with six conference games beginning Friday night at league-leading and No. 21 Mercer – got three strong innings from sophomore Jimmy Nesselt (Plantation, Fla.), while junior Clinton Freeman (Jonesborough, Tenn.) led the offensive attack by going 3-for-3 with one triple, two runs scored and four RBI.
Nesselt took to the mound for his first start since March 3 and earned the win (2-1) after registering three no-hit innings along with striking out three. Joining Freeman with strong performances at the plate were junior newcomers Dylan Tritsch (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Daniel Tucker (Hendersonville, Tenn.). Tritsch went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Tucker – who was making just his second start of the year – provided the Blue and Gold with a pair of hits and put ETSU on the board with a two-RBI single in the second. Meanwhile, freshman Jeremy Taylor (Fayetteville, Ga.) reached base three times via the walk and scored two runs, while senior Derek Niesman (Wellington, Fla.) extended his hit streak to six straight following an RBI single in the seventh. In total, Niesman drove in three runs on the night.
ETSU jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the first three innings of play and never looked back as the Bucs won the season series over the Bulldogs, marking the 15th win in their last 17 games played against the Big South foe. Overall, the Blue and Gold have won six of their last eight games to improve their mark to 28-20, while Asheville moved to 15-31.
With Nesselt shutting down the Bulldog hitters early on, Tucker began the offensive surge when his two-run scoring single in the second put the Bucs ahead, 2-0. The first two Buccaneer hitters reached to start the inning via an infield single by Freeman and a walk by Niesman – and after both moved up on Alex Reynolds' (Johnson City, Tenn.) sac-bunt – Tucker drove them in with a rocket single to center, marking his first RBIs in an ETSU uniform.
The Bucs added to their lead in the third as Freeman drove in a pair of runs with a bases loaded single, while Niesman's RBI ground out scored Andrew Green (Powell, Tenn.) to extended ETSU's lead to, 5-0.
Asheville got on the board in the fourth when Ian Graham's fielder's choice ground out with the bases loaded scored Kyle Towles, but with two outs and runners on the corners, Tritsch robbed Billy Creighton of extra bases by tracking down a liner in left to end the inning and keeping the Blue and Gold ahead, 5-1.
In the fifth, the Bulldogs inched closer when Hunter Bryant led off the inning with a solo homer to left to make it a 5-2 score, but Griffin Krieg (Nashville, Tenn.) worked out of a minor jam by striking out Robert McIntosh looking to end the frame with runners on first and second.
The Blue and Gold got those runs back in the bottom of the fifth as ETSU hung up another three spot on the board to push its advantage to, 8-2. After Taylor worked his third walk of the night, Tritsch reached on a bunt single, which led to a two-run scoring triple by Freeman. From there, Niesman made it a six-run lead as the senior infielder brought in Freeman with a sac-fly to center.
The Bulldogs picked up another leadoff home run in the sixth as Todd Joyner made it an 8-3 game after belting his second home run of the season, but the tail end of the Buccaneer bullpen held Asheville without a hit in the final three innings. Freshman right-hander Kameron Miller (Crestview, Fla.) began the strong efforts by tossing the seventh, while Will Chesney (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Freeman combined for three strikeouts in the final two frames. Chesney – who has not allowed a run in his last four appearances (7.1 IP) – fanned one of the three hitters he faced in the inning, and Freeman struck out two of the three Bulldog hitters in the ninth to finish his 17th game of the campaign.
Niesman capped off the scoring when his single in the seventh scored Green – who worked a two-out walk and stole his 72nd base of his career – to give the Bucs a six-run lead.
Asheville's Lucas Clarke suffered the loss (2-4) after allowing five runs on four hits in three innings, while Joyner and Bryant finished with two-hits each at the plate.
The Bucs have a quick turnaround as ETSU heads to Macon, Ga. for a key three-game conference series with league-leading Mercer beginning Friday night at 6 p.m., from Claude Smith Field. Mercer sits atop the A-Sun standings with North Florida at 15-6, while the Bucs are 13-8.
ETSU fans wanting to receive Buccaneer news, score updates, in-game promotions and much more sent to their mobile device can do so by signing up for "Buc Updates." Click here to sign up today!
For more information on Buccaneer baseball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the baseball link.


text:
So since I had some problems with VPhot to identify stars on wide field shots correctly, I progressed further to work around this inaccuracy, but I faced some other issues to have a smooth process.
- Highest prio: When I load a sequence and go to the "View Photometry Report", any changes is lost if I go back with "Back to Image", it will reset to the previously loaded sequence. This is annoying if I should do any changes e.g. to the check stars for the report: all manually selected stars after the sequence loading are lost in this case.
- Lower prio: Although there is a setting to import stars over a certain SNR, VPhot still import stars below this SNR threshold for Variable Star Index.
Feature requests:
- Copy the name of the non-identified stars easily. These are the stars which are marked red after a sequence or "Variable Star Index" is loaded. If it is too difficult to fix the star identification or drag-and-drop the falsely non-identified stars, at least copying the name should be easy. Currently, my only way is to click on the red circle which opens the Simbad search window where I can copy the name, go back to VPhot and add the star manually. But still sometimes the mouse pointer does not open Simbad, I had to add and delete a manual star first after the red star circles become clickable again. Manually writing a name is not trivial if it is an ASAS (or CSS) star.


text:
Testicular Cancer: Curing the Most Common Young Men's Cancer
by Michael Jubinville, MPH
Testicular cancer is not generally in the news unless someone famous gets it. Actors and athletes, all in the public eye, have suddenly found their young lives turned upside down. Fortunately, in most cases, the cancer was caught early enough to for them to get back in the game.
The good news is that testicular cancer is relatively rare (less than 1% of all male cancers). Even better, it is curable. In fact, if it is detected early, the 5-year survival rate is around 95%, but early detection in the key.
Most young people do not think about things like cancer. It is likely that if you are unaware of it, you are unlikely to take early signs seriously. This can lead to a delay in diagnosis and treatment, which may reduce your chances of a cure. Whatever your age, learn about your risk for testicular cancer, how to detect it early, and how it is treated.
Risk and Symptoms
There is no definitive cause of this cancer, but there are certain factors that may put some men at higher risk. Men who have an undescended testicle are at the highest risk for this type of cancer. Other factors include a family history and problems with infertility. Testicular cancer is most common in young men aged 18-35 years, but it can occur at any age.
Testicular tumors almost always derive from the sperm-producing cells of the testes, called germ cells. The tumors here are almost always malignant. Unlike benign tumors, malignant tumors can invade and destroy the body's tissues and travel to other parts of the body. In advanced stages, testicular cancer can travel to the abdomen, the chest, or the brain.
There are two major classes of testicular tumors:
The early signs of testicular cancer can be quite subtle. If you have regularly been checking your testicles, you will be familiar with their usual consistency. If you notice a change in the texture, you should consult a doctor. A tumor may sometimes feel like a pea-shaped lump, but be on the look out for any change or hardening of the tissue. Early tumors may or may not cause pain. Some men experience backache or pain and swelling in the breast.
In a more advanced case, there may be more serious symptoms, which may include pain and swelling of the testicles. If tumors have spread to other organs you may have widespread symptoms like weight loss or a persistent cough, with or without blood.
Any unusual swelling, hardening, or mass in a testicle should be checked by a doctor. Although in many cases the symptoms are not caused by cancer, the chances of recovery from testicular cancer are much greater if a tumor is caught in its early stages.
Testicular Self-exam
Although studies have not shown a decrease in cancer death from routinely doing testicular self-exams, some doctors still may recommend them. However, there is no doubt that if you do notice a lump or bump on your testicle, you should let your doctor know.
How to Do the Exam
If you would like to do routine self testicular exams, you can check your testicles after a warm bath or shower once a month. Your skin is more relaxed and your testicles are lower. You will want to look at and feel your testicles.
Look at your scrotum for any signs of swelling or discoloration. It is normal for one of your testicles to be uneven, one larger or lower than the other. If you do this regularly, you will learn what is normal for you and will be more able to detect changes that could be a sign of a problem.
Next, roll each testicle between your thumbs and fingers. Use both hands on each testicle. You are feeling for hardness, bumps, lumps, or changes in the consistency of your testicles.
Above each testicle is a comma-shaped structure called an epididymis, which stores sperm. Above the epididymis is the spermatic cord or vas deferens. Do not mistake these for lumps, but become familiar with their normal structure and consistency. If you are not sure what you are feeling, talk to your doctor.
If you notice changes, swelling, lumps, or hardening in any part of your testicles, call your doctor. Many changes are normal and not a sign of cancer, but having them checked could save your life.
Diagnosis and Treatment
There are many ways to test for testicular cancer. This may involve blood tests, which look for elevated cancer markers. More thorough scans of the scrotum or body may be needed to determine the type and stage of cancer development. These are known as CT/PET or MRI scans. A scrotal ultrasound may also be ordered by your doctor. Accurate diagnosis occurs when the tumor is removed via surgery and examined in the laboratory.
Treatment of testicular cancer depends on the type and stage of the tumor and the age and your health. If the tumor has been detected early, it may only be necessary to remove the affected testicle. Radiation therapy, further surgery, or chemotherapy treatments may be needed in some cases. Even after successful treatment, doctors will monitor the recovery process and do exams and tests to be sure that there is no recurrence of the disease.
The best weapon you can have is knowledge of your health. Although testicular cancer has a good survival rate for early detection, it is still a serious disease. If you suspect anything is wrong, contact your doctor immediately.
American Cancer Society
Urology Care Foundation
Canadian Cancer Society
Canadian Men's Health Foundation
Testicular cancer. American Cancer Society website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed October 21, 2016.
Testicular cancer. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T907377/Testicular-cancer. Updated January 12, 2016. Accessed October 21, 2016.
Testicular cancer. Urology Care Foundation website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed October 21, 2016.
Last reviewed October 2016 by Michael Woods, MD
Last Updated: 10/21/2016
EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.
All rights reserved.


text:
The ultra-thin 17" GMM 170 completes your GPSMAP® 8500 black box system, creating the ultimate glass helm solution and custom look for your vessel.
Ultra-clear SXGA touchscreen with full 1080p video input includes pinch-to-zoom and other touch controls for intuitive operation. Anti-glare and LED backlighting makes it easy to view in bright sunlight. And auto-dimming provides outstanding visibility at night.
Integrates various sonar technologies, integrated autopilot, connectivity, apps, engine data and multi-media. Everything you need is at your fingertips, all on one screen.
You can quickly change all screens at a helm in sync to a preset mode with the SmartMode. Switch all monitors in sync from one mode to another without manually switching each monitor separately. Fully customizable layouts, data and gauges allow you to place the information you need to see right where you want it.
Because of its minimal footprint, you can install the GMM 170 where other, bulkier monitors or MFDs won't fit. The black box system and slim design of the monitor allows you to install it where space is limited, with the GPSMAP black box installed in a separate location.
Choose low-profile flush mount, or go for the ultimate in custom appearance with our exclusive flat-mount glass helm option. For a flat or flush mount option with a viewing angle looking up from the bottom of the screen toward the top, we recommend the GMM 170 6 O'clock version.


text:
It took Abigail Johnson 25 years to take charge at Fidelity Investments, the money manager controlled by her father. As she picks a new head for the firm's asset management unit, her choice is likely to be a company veteran who rose through the ranks like she did.
Among the executives in line to succeed Ronald P. O'Hanley, who quit this week, are two former money managers: head of equities Brian Hogan and his fixed-income counterpart, Charles Morrison; and an operations leader, Jacques Perold. Each has been with Fidelity for at least 20 years.
Johnson has told employees that O'Hanley, who was hired by her father in 2010, will be replaced by an internal successor when he departs at the end of February. While the money-management arm has lost ground to rivals such as Vanguard Group Inc. and BlackRock Inc. in recent years, Johnson has so far continued the path set by her father Edward C. "Ned" Johnson III, who shifted emphasis to the retirement and brokerage businesses from asset management.
"The fact that they said up-front they would hire internally speaks volumes about their confidence in Fidelity's culture, which has been tested in the last 10 years," James Lowell, editor of Fidelity Investor, a newsletter based in Needham, Massachusetts, said in a telephone interview.
Vincent Loporchio, a spokesman, said Fidelity wouldn't make Hogan, Morrison or Perold available for interviews.
Rare Outsider
O'Hanley, 56, was a rare outside hire for a top executive position when he came aboard from Bank of New York Mellon Corp., where he also led the money-management unit. He joined as Fidelity, whose funds were primary built around the stock-picking skills of its fund managers, struggled to cope with the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and the surging popularity of index-based investing.
Lowell and another Fidelity watcher, John Bonnanzio, said the selection of a successor will lie chiefly with Abigail Johnson, president of the family-owned firm since August 2012, allowing her to cement control. Abigail, a 52-year-old billionaire, has been gradually taking over from her father, who is still chairman and chief executive officer of the Boston-based firm.
Fidelity's total assets under management rose to almost $1.9 trillion as of Oct. 31 from about $1.59 trillion at the end of 2010. Even so, the firm lost ground to faster-growing competitors including New York-based BlackRock and Vanguard in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, whose low-cost index funds rose in popularity.
Hogan, who joined Fidelity in 1994 as a fixed-income analyst, has the shortest tenure of the three likely candidates. He switched to U.S. stocks in 1998, eventually running a series of funds until his promotion in 2006 to senior vice president of equity research and then president of that group.
Value Fund
In his most recent fund-management role, Hogan oversaw the Fidelity Blue Chip Value Fund (FBCVX) from June 2003 to September 2006, returning an annualized 15%, compared with 17% for the Russell 1000 Value Index, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Popular and respected by the investing teams at Fidelity, Hogan would be well-received internally as the new head of asset management, said Bonnanzio, editor of Fidelity Monitor & Insight, an investor newsletter based in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
"He'd have to be on that list given his responsibilities," Bonnanzio said. "And money managers like bosses who used to manage money, and did well at it."
Hogan graduated from James Madison University in 1986 and earned a master's in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
While equities are Fidelity's traditional strength, Lowell and Bonnanzio said Morrison can't be counted out because of his bond background.
'Success Story'
"Fixed income has been a tremendous success story for Fidelity and he's someone who's managed money and earned respect along the line," Bonnanzio said.
Morrison joined Fidelity in 1987 as a bond analyst and became a mutual-fund manager in 1995, serving as part of the leadership group when Morningstar Inc. named Fidelity's municipal-bond team as 2003's fixed-income managers of the year. He has a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Lowell gave his best odds to Perold, the operations manager beneath O'Hanley.
He joined Fidelity in 1986 as an analyst, then held several posts in investment technology, trading and research. From 2001 to 2009, Perold was president and chief investment officer of Geode Capital Management, then Fidelity's quantitative-investing unit. He was named chief operating officer of asset management in December 2012.
Product Development
Perold has key experience in developing new products, Lowell said. He played a role in Fidelity's push into exchange-traded funds that began last year, and earlier into vehicles that are tied to benchmarks with nontraditional weighting, known as enhanced index funds.
"He has the credibility, knows the culture and knows product development," Lowell said.
Perold has bachelor's and graduate degrees from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Other potential candidates, the two newsletter editors said, include Michael A. Jones, who runs Fidelity's institutional-investing unit, Pyramis Global Advisors.
Check out Fidelity Asset Management Head Ron O'Hanley to Leave on ThinkAdvisor.


text:
By Alan Gibson
South Normanton Athletic F.C. v Shepshed Dynamo F.C.
35 views
The Dovecote Stadium Butthole Lane Shepshed Leicestershire United Kingdom LE12 9BN View with Google Maps
This website is part of the Pitchero Football network. Create your own free Football club website with Pitchero.
Digital advertising by Minute Media
© Pitch Hero Ltd 2008-2020
Pitch Hero Ltd Registered in ENGLAND | WF3 1DR | Company Number - 636 1033


text:
Caffeine dependence tied to physical, emotional problems
It's 4 in the afternoon, and Adam Sandoval, a San Francisco handyman who starts work very early most mornings, is finishing up his second 16-ounce tumbler of black coffee for the day.
"I've tried to quit it, but I get headaches," Sandoval, 47, said with a shrug. "So I stopped using sugar and cream. That's the bad stuff. Now I just drink it straight, and it feels like I'm getting more caffeine somehow."
Sandoval may be dependent on his daily coffee buzz, but it's not something he worries about. Like millions of Americans, he doesn't see much of a downside to the regular shots of caffeine.
But for some people, that dependence can be so strong, physically and emotionally, that it becomes problematic. There's even a medical term to describe it: caffeine use disorder.
"Caffeine has caused significant problems for some people," said Laura Juliano, a psychology professor at American University in Washington, D.C., and part of a team of researchers studying the harmful effects of caffeine use disorder.
"We have people who say caffeine is interfering with their life. They keep saying they're going to stop, but they can't," she said. "I've seen people who have gone to great lengths to get caffeine when it was unavailable. I knew one woman who pretty much ruined her husband's tropical vacation because she spent half the day looking for caffeine."
Ubiquitous substance
Juliano and her team - which includes behavioral science experts from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the University of Vermont - wrote a lengthy report late last year about caffeine use disorder and the need for more research in the field.
Caffeine may be ubiquitous in American culture - some reports suggest up to 90 percent of people in the U.S. regularly consume it - and the idea that caffeine can be addictive is hardly new.
Most of the research into caffeine involves its potential health benefits and risks as a drug. For the most part, evidence suggests that caffeine is probably benign in moderate doses. But multiple studies have shown positive health benefits associated with regular caffeine consumption - it may protect against diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, for example, or help treat depression.
But when it comes to misuse of caffeine, astonishingly little data exist about how widespread the problem is, Juliano said.
That may be in part because most people - from the Blue Bottle fanatics to addiction specialists and laboratory chemists - don't see caffeine as an especially dangerous drug. It's certainly safe in small doses, and even in excessive amounts, the worst effects usually are symptoms like headaches, anxiety and jittery hands.
"We're not talking about cancer here. It's a quality-of-life issue," said Dr. Robert Cowan, director of the Stanford Headache Program.
When he sees patients with chronic headaches, one of the first questions he asks is how much caffeine they consume. The caffeine doesn't necessarily cause the headaches, but the withdrawal can, and even going a few hours without a cup of coffee can cause some people intense pain.
"I tell patients, 'If you'd rather have daily headaches than give up your caffeine, you can make that choice.' It's not a life-or-death situation," Cowan said.
Difficult to cut back
Other doctors report having similar conversations with patients. Cardiologists have told patients to cut back on coffee because they're having heart palpitations, and psychologists have warned people that their caffeine habit may be adding to their anxiety problems. Yet some people have trouble letting go of the caffeine - or even cutting back - because it feels like a necessity.
Even sleep experts say patients will complain of insomnia but shudder at the idea of quitting caffeine.
"There are people who have chronic reflux, stomach acid pain, bleeding, hemorrhoids - all because of coffee. They're suffering a lot," said Keith Humphreys, a Stanford addiction expert. "But they try and they fail to stop."
Those people may be addicted to caffeine, he said. But he's loath to apply that label to most people who regularly use caffeine, even those who are physically dependent on it. For something to be considered an addiction, it needs to truly disruptive - causing problems in personal relationships, for example, or interfering with the ability to work.
Plus, most people can usually cut back on their caffeine consumption without quitting altogether, unlike truly addictive drugs such as alcohol or heroin.
Still, Juliano said, for some people caffeine overuse can be disruptive. There's very little research into the subject, but one study found that roughly 1 in 10 people met the most important diagnostic criteria for caffeine use disorder.
Those people said they wanted to cut down on their habit, that they were using the drug despite knowing that it was causing them harm, and they suffered withdrawal symptoms when they tried to quit. All three criteria together suggest disordered consumption, according to researchers in that study, which was done in Vermont.
Treatment programs
Even if only a small minority of caffeine users are having problems controlling their habit, that still could be a large number of people, Juliano said. If just 1 percent of the millions of caffeine consumers are in trouble, that's still thousands of people, she pointed out.
Now, Juliano and her colleagues are developing treatment programs specific to caffeine, addressing issues such as counseling, coping strategies and consumer education. Their first study of a new treatment technique may be published this year.
In the meantime, she'd like to make consumers - and doctors - better aware of the role that caffeine may be playing in their daily lives.
Most people don't even know for sure how much caffeine they're drinking, because amounts can vary widely among beverages. A mug of coffee brewed at home may have 100 milligrams of caffeine, while a 16-ounce beverage at Starbucks can have more than 300 milligrams.
Caffeine headaches
People often are so used to their daily fix that when they accidentally go without, they don't understand why they suddenly feel fatigued and headachy, Juliano said. Studies have even found that patients who have surgery sometimes wake up with headaches that aren't from the anesthesia, but from missing a morning cup of coffee.
"My wife has to prep for Yom Kippur," the Jewish holiday that involves a day of fasting, said Dr. Daniel Saal, psychiatrist in the chemical dependency recovery program at Kaiser Santa Clara.
"There is a legitimate withdrawal phenomenon, and it's not rare. It's extremely common," Saal said. "But I would not think of caffeine as an addiction in most patients. It's not on the top of my list of concerns."
Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The wine between my legs
12 comments :
- Alice said...
I'm an elitist brat.
I gleefully break rules left and right and centre. Biggest one I've broken with this novel is the POV-switching rule.
For example: my main character is a cocaine addict who got on a Tube train to go home and wound up getting off at a stop in a fairy tale. She's a wee bit cranky about this fact.
So she indulges in her secret stash that she has about her person, to the point where she has a little freakout, and the POV swings wildly all over the page.
It was an exhilarating, terrifying chapter to write. I found it horribly difficult to pull a string between the POV of someone who's really on a drug binge and the (presumably sober) reader without veering into Bret Easton Ellis or Trainspotting.
But oh my, it was so worth it!
I actually wrote a blog post about this exact chapter, which with your indulgence I'll link here:
- April 7, 2011 at 7:20 AM
- Matthew MacNish said...
Personally, I drink Franzia or Gallo out of a pint glass, with ice.
- April 7, 2011 at 7:38 AM
- Shain Brown said...
Personally I'll take a pass on the MD 20/20, there are just too many bad memories associated with that, though none of them say transvestite hooker. I have relaxed in my old age and now I opt for the fruity goodness of a cold bottle of Boones Farm, no decanting required.
- April 7, 2011 at 8:17 AM
- Sarah W said...
Turns out I've been breaking the Write What You Know rule in a couple of crucial scenes . . . luckily, I have wonderfully smart readers who are inexplicably willing to save me from embarrassment!
- April 7, 2011 at 8:55 AM
- Anne Gallagher said...
Hadn't thought about it until you brought it up, but I guess I did break a writing rule.
In my latest Regency, the hero shags a bee-yotch to get her father to commit to a business deal but never lays a finger (only his lips) on the heroine.
Wonder if that will be a deal breaker.
- April 7, 2011 at 9:09 AM
- Alexa O said...
Sigh. As an editor and a teacher, I spend a lot of time thinking about this question. The thing is, in order to be GREAT, you have to break a few rules. For instance, the one that says you don't write a 1,000 page-per-book 7-book epic for children (Harry Potter) or the one that says your character can't have two great loves in one romance (The Outlander series).
BUT the fastest way to write a train wreck of a book is to break rules willy nilly.
I say: Know the rules before you break them. Then break just one biggy. It's like dressing for a job interview: Do just ONE unusual wardrobe thing, and do everything else "right."
And speaking of rule breaking, I like to give advice on other people's blogs when they haven't asked for it.
- April 7, 2011 at 9:11 AM
"Show don't tell." It's like the open container law. Noble in intention, but occasionally someone very classy needs that direct, intrusive narrative voice to move a scene without getting overwrought.
If I ever find that someone I'll let you know. My blog's mostly been naked football player butts lately.
- April 7, 2011 at 9:11 AM
- Linda G. said...
I think you can break any rule you like, as long as you're good enough to get away with it. That goes for both life and writing. ;)
Now I think I have to go look at naked football player butts at Geoffrey's blog. Who can resist a tease like that?
- April 7, 2011 at 12:14 PM
- Heather M. Gardner said...
When I'm done laughing about how one explains red wine in a decanter and a transvestite hooker in the backseat to the cops I'll get back to you about writing rules!
- April 7, 2011 at 2:16 PM
- Trina said...
White wine in a box. Problem solved. Including the cop one--no one wants to know what's in the clear plastic bag sitting near your bladder. Transvestite hookers are partial to wine of the boxed variety too... or so I hear. And who really cares what your friends think? If they love you, they won't judge.
- April 7, 2011 at 9:52 PM
I am, sadly, pretty much a goody two-shoes, driving the speedlimit,etc. So no good stories about transvestite hookers or similar.
Can give you a tip from a friend of ours who owns a wine shop selling good-to-excellent quality French wines (which, over, are not all that expensive). Of course, whites and rosés generally don't need to breathe. Reds are better if they do. Our friend says, just opening the bottle is sufficient to serve the purpose. If you want, have a small nip, lets a bit more air in. Can let the bottle stand for an hour or two, but then you can recork and take it along. Voilá, no more worries about spending the evening in jail instead of partying...
He does not decant his reds. Nor do we. But we always open the bottle an hour or two ahead of time.
FWIW. Of course, I should tell you that we do look across the Rhine Valley onto the vineyard where we buy our white wines. The light dry wines from the Rhine sparkle on your tongue and cost almost nothing. You guys in the States get the icky sweet white German wines that we won't drink over here. Hahaha. Come visit, we'll show you.
- April 8, 2011 at 2:10 AM
- Trisha Leigh said...
I pretty much feel like rules are written for other people, so yeah. You're better than me. If I have a "good reason" (according to me, of course) for breaking a rule I will do it and (maybe) think about the consequences later.
Which is perhaps why I don't think I could be a successful romance writer. And also because I like people to die tragic deaths in my books.
- April 8, 2011 at 7:40 AM


text:
Welcome to VanEck
VanEck is a global investment manager with offices around the world. To help you find content that is suitable for your investment needs, please select your country and investor type.
VanEck Vectors ETFs
VanEck Funds
Transition Accelerating in 2020
A New Era and Renewed Relevance for Global Mining
Commodities Outlook: Watch the Dollar and Copper Demand
The Global Hard Assets Fund (the "Fund") seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in hard asset securities. Income is a secondary consideration.
Portfolio Managers: Charles Cameron and Shawn Reynolds
Imaru Casanova , Chris Mailloux , Veronica Zhang , Alan Shih , Shawn Reynolds , Charlie Cameron , Joe Foster , Roland Morris Jr. , Charl Malan , Ammar James , Greg Krenzer , Antonio De Pinho
This investment style box is based on the Fund's overall targeted capitalization range and relative valuation as determined by VanEck.
*Returns less than one year are not annualized.
The table presents past performance which is no guarantee of future results and which may be lower or higher than current performance. Returns reflect temporary contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. Had the Fund incurred all expenses and fees1, investment returns would have been reduced. Expenses: Class A: Gross 1.60% and Net 1.38%. Expenses are capped contractually through 05/01/21 at 1.38% for Class A. Investment returns and Fund share values will fluctuate so that investors' shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Fund returns assume that dividends and capital gains distributions have been reinvested in the Fund at NAV.
View All Holdings
Important Disclosure
Unless otherwise stated, portfolio facts and statistics are shown for Class A shares; other classes may have different characteristics.
*The information presented does not involve the rendering of personalized investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Certain statements contained herein may constitute projections, forecasts and other forward looking statements, which do not reflect actual results, are valid as of the date of this communication and subject to change without notice. Information provided by third party sources are believed to be reliable and have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness and cannot be guaranteed. The information herein represents the opinion of the author(s), but not necessarily those of VanEck.
†NAV: Unless you are eligible for a waiver, the public offering price you pay when you buy Class A shares of the Fund is the Net Asset Value (NAV) of the shares plus an initial sales charge. The initial sales charge varies depending upon the size of your purchase. No sales charge is imposed where Class A or Class C shares are issued to you pursuant to the automatic investment of income dividends or capital gains distributions. It is the responsibility of the financial intermediary to ensure that the investor obtains the proper "breakpoint" discount. Class C, Class I and Class Y do not have an initial sales charge; however, Class C does charge a contingent deferred redemption charge. See the prospectus for more information.
1Van Eck Associates Corporation (the "Adviser") has agreed to waive fees and/or pay Fund expenses to the extent necessary to prevent the operating expenses of the Fund (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, interest expense, trading expenses, dividends and interest payments on securities sold short, taxes and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 1.38% for Class A, 2.20% for Class C, 0.95% for Class I, and 1.13% for Class Y of the Fund's average daily net assets per year until May 1, 2021. During such time, the expense limitation is expected to continue until the Board of Trustees acts to discontinue all or a portion of such expense limitation.
2The S&P North American Natural Resources Sector (SPGINRTR) Index (the "Index") provides investors with a benchmark that represents U.S. traded securities that are classified under the GICS® energy and materials sector excluding the chemicals industry; and steel sub-industry. The MSCI ACWI Commodity Producers Index captures the global opportunity set of commodity producers in the energy, metal and agricultural sectors. All indices are unmanaged and include the reinvestment of all dividends, but do not reflect the payment of transaction costs, advisory fees or expenses that are associated with an investment in the Fund. An index's performance is not illustrative of the Fund's performance. Indices are not securities in which investments can be made.
The views and opinions expressed are those of VanEck. Fund manager commentaries are general in nature and should not be construed as investment advice. Opinions are subject to change with market conditions. Any discussion of specific securities mentioned in the commentaries is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation to buy these securities. Fund holdings will vary.
You can lose money by investing in the Fund. Any investment in the Fund should be part of an overall investment program, not a complete program. The Fund is subject to risks associated with concentrating its investments in Canadian issuers, commodities and commodity-linked derivatives, commodities and commodity-linked derivatives tax, derivatives, direct investments, emerging market securities, foreign currency transactions, foreign securities, other investment companies, management, market, operational, small- and medium-capitalization companies and hard assets sectors risks, including, precious metals and natural resources, that can be significantly affected by events relating to these industries, including international political and economic developments, inflation, and other factors. The Fund's portfolio securities may experience substantial price fluctuations as a result of these factors, and may move independently of the trends of industrialized companies. The Fund's investments in foreign securities involve risks related to adverse political and economic developments unique to a country or a region, currency fluctuations or controls, and the possibility of arbitrary action by foreign governments, including the takeover of property without adequate compensation or imposition of prohibitive taxation.
Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Please call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com for a free prospectus and summary prospectus. An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the investment company carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other information. Please read the prospectus and summary prospectus carefully before investing.
© 2020 VanEck. VanEck®, VanEck Vectors®, VanEck Access the opportunities®, and the stylized VanEck design® are trademarks of Van Eck Associates Corp.


text:
Abstract and Keywords
In recent years, a variety of novel digital data sources, colloquially referred to as "big data," have taken the popular imagination by storm. These data sources include, but are not limited to, digitized administrative records, activity on and contents of social media and internet platforms, and readings from sensors that track physical and environmental conditions. Some have argued that such data sets have the potential to transform our understanding of human behavior and society, constituting a meta-field known as computational social science. Criminology and criminal justice are no exception to this excitement. Although researchers in these areas have long used administrative records, in recent years they have increasingly looked to the most recent versions of these data, as well as other novel resources, to pursue new questions and tools.
Keywords: big data, communities and crime, computational social science, administrative records, social media data, sensor systems
Access to the complete content on Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription.
Please subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.
For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can''t find the answer there, please contact us.


text:
This weeks challenge over at There's Magic In The Air was to emboss (heat or dry) or score something on your card. I wanted my card to be more contemporary so I leaned towards that. Leigh Anne knows just how much I LOVE to emboss, heat embossing is my favorite, but I love how easy dry embossing has become with all the folders now.
So, I decided this image would be a great image to duplicate so I made three to place on this first card. I colored these with my Bic Mark-its. I then added that gold heat embossing around the edges of each image. Then I chalked the back ground with the some colors in the image. I basicially just showcased the images. I placed black stickles on the center of the flower and the dots above it, but that is hard to tell. I dry embossed using a cuttlebug tiny bubbles embossing folder. Then just added some gold trim to match the embossing and three black jewels for some detail. This card was extremely hard to photograph, not sure why, but it truly was.
I pretty bascically did the same techniques here with a different design; and of course I just used one image and added the butterfly!
I really wish you could see these in real life, they are so much prettier! Sometimes, I really don't think the camera catches just how beautiful our cards really are, but oh well, you will just have to believe me on this!
This card I made fairly quick for a thank you a while back prior to this challenge. I added a lot of dots around the flower top to this image. I must say I really like this image.
Thanks for stopping by, leave me a measage it certainly MAKES my day!
September 14, 2009
Deco Flower - Magical Monday
Posted by Nina at 6:00 AM
Labels: card making, cards, challenge, Deco Flower, digi stamps, digital stamps, free digital stamps, Magical Monday, Magical Monday Challenge, mark-it markers by bic, Theres magic in the air, TMITA
3 comments:
- Curt in Indy said...
Both cards are wonderful! My fav is the 3 panel. I love the gold embossing. That is a great idea! Best, Curt
- September 14, 2009 at 8:51 AM
- Anonymous said...
These are all so lovely, Nina! I especially like your trio of flowers card. What a neat way to use the heat embossing -- it really sets off the flowers! You've drawn another terrific image, and I know I'm going to enjoy using it for a long time to come.
- September 14, 2009 at 1:47 PM
- Nilla said...
Beautiful, all of them, so many ways to make wonderful cards with your images! Love it! Hugs Nilla
- September 14, 2009 at 11:46 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Canada Map
Join Canada's Winter Celebration
Picture yourself skating on the world's largest skating rink, gazing at remarkable works of art created by international ice-carving masters, playing on the continent's biggest snow playground, and enjoying delicious fare prepared by some of the country's best chefs…
All of these magical experiences and more happen in Canada's Capital Region during Canada's winter celebration, Winterlude. This family-friendly festival takes place each year during the first three weekends of February (the 33rd edition of Winterlude runs from February 4 to 21, 2011). Best of all, most of the activities are free! What better way to embrace winter in all its glory?
Let the fun begin!
This year, the celebrations start with the American Express® Winterlude Opening at the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC) on February 4th at 7 pm. The artistic and musical multi-sensory experience will feature something for everyone including special museum programming, outdoor lighting effects, an interactive fire experience, amazing sound performances, a DJ dance party and, at 9 pm, a fireworks extravaganza to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Parks Canada.
Other cultural organizations will also be offering programming throughout the festival, including the Ottawa Chamber Music Society, the Canada Science and Technology Museum, and the National Gallery of Canada.
Glide on the Rideau Canal Skateway
In winter, the Rideau Canal, Ontario's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, turns into the Rideau Canal Skateway—the world's largest outdoor skating rink, as designated by Guinness World Records, stretching 7.8 km (4.8 miles) through downtown Ottawa. (The full Canal stretches 202 km / 126 miles south to the city of Kingston on Lake Ontario.) This winter will mark the 41st season of skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway and it officially opens for skating when the weather and ice conditions are right (usually between early January and the end of February or beginning of March). Ice conditions are regularly updated on the Skateway's official website.
Everyone can enjoy the magical experience of gliding on the Skateway while gazing up at sites such Parliament Hill and the Fairmont Château Laurier hotel. Skating is the most popular activity (bring your own or rent some on location) but large rental sleighs are also available—adults and children alike can sit comfortably while being pushed over the ice. (Rental skates and sleighs are available at Capital Skates kiosks, located on the Skateway). Walking on the edges of the Skateway is also a popular choice.
Warming huts and snack bar stands are strategically located along the canal so you can reward yourself with a hot chocolate and a BeaverTail pastry. This tasty whole wheat pastry was created in Ottawa, so eating it on the frozen Rideau Canal is a must!
Some of the activities you can do while on the Skateway during Winterlude include:
Admire masterpieces at the Crystal Garden (in Confederation Park)
Located steps away from the Rideau Canal Skateway in downtown Ottawa, the Rogers Crystal Garden is home to the international ice carving competition. After dark, the sculptures become even more impressive when illuminated, and you can get your groove on as DJs spin tunes in the Rogers Crystal Globe (a giant inflatable bubble).
Get active at Snowflake Kingdom


text:
"I tell my people all the time: We're not in the financial services business, we're in the technology business. I long have realized: stay on the cutting edge of technology, or fail."
Ric Edelman of Edelman Financial Services gave this advice at a session Monday morning on the first full day of the Investment Management Consultants Association's national conference in Boston, sharing the stage with another successful advisor, Paul Tramontano of Constellation Wealth. The session, moderated by Matt Barthel of Barron's, traced the growth of both firms but also yielded suggestions on what both men would have done differently and how advisors can succeed in the future.
For example, Edelman said he had built his now-nationwide practice largely by broadcasting radio and television programs (he says he regrets not having gone national earlier). With changes in the media, that route can't be imitated by other advisors now, he said, so Edelman counseled the successful advisor to take one of two steps. "Partner with another advisor" to gain scale, or "become a 'narrow-caster,' focusing on a specific niche.
"Physicians have long been specialized," Edelman said, relating a doctor acquaintance who "only works on thumbs." Responding to a question from attendee and noted advisor Michael Kitces, Edelman said that advisors who want to succeed starting now should become the "plumbers' advisor," and not worry about not being the "carpenters' advisor," relating other advisors he knows who've targeted specific audiences like Marriott Corp. retirees or American Airlines pilots.
"The most productive thing" for an advisor to do, Tramontano said, is to "give away revenue" from existing clients who are no longer a good fit for you. Partner with another advisor to give away that revenue, he suggested, or just "give them away."
As for investments that helped the two men grow their businesses, Edelman pointed out that he became an advisor in his 20s, so to demonstrate his expertise to clients and prospects twice his age, he decided to focus on "long-form education." By using "any media available" for that education, including live seminars and eventually his radio and TV shows, he grew his firm.
"I'm not a marketer; I'm an educator," Edelman said. He learned that "if we give away our education, or make it very cheap, the world will take care of us." That's the main reason why Edelman Financial will add 30 advisors this year, he said.
On technology, Edelman says "we spend a lot of money" to attract and service clients, including his version of what are now called robo-advisors — Edelman Online — and a new website optimized for any device the client is using, especially mobile devices.
Tramantano said that much of his technology budget was spent internally to properly allocate his firm's resources. In 2008, when his Silicon Valley-based firm opened a New York office, "our best technology investment was the cheapest." To draw together employees on both coasts and build a common culture and client experience, Constellation "put a camera on every desktop," so that in every bi-cosastal conversation, "when you call somebody, you see them." In addition to those internal calls, Constellation also video records every meeting of the investment and compliance committees. "It's built one company," he said of the video investment.
Responding to another question from the audience about how to hire advisors, Edelman counseled "don't hire another you," and instead grow first by adding an office manager, IT person or public relations consultant. When you are ready to hire another advisor, first make sure that they share your ethics and be clear about "what you want from them." Stay away from hiring 'stars' who want to do things their own way, since providing a consistent customer experience is paramount.
Edelman, who said he was launching a marketing services offering for advisors later this year, answered moderator Barthel's question about succession planning by saying "we have a very formalized" plan, before turning to the issue of partnerships. "It's good to start with a buy-sell agreement upfront" when you start a partnership, he said, since it "will make the inevitable divorce less acrimonious."
Acknowledging that Edelman Financial has "lots of key-man risk," since Edelman is the only rainmaker (the firm's advisors "don't do any marketing" and "can't take any referrals," focusing instead on client service) he said that his succession plan includes "having six full-time speakers" for seminars and webinars and "a team of writers for the newsletters" that Edelman Financial produces for clients, though Edelman vets the content and, he said, he continues to write his own books.


text:
Neighbourhood Plans
Magrath Heights Neighbourhood Area Structure Plan (NASP)
Main page content begins here
Throughout the city, a number of planning applications are underway at any given time. These applications are primarily for land development, which includes rezonings and plan amendments.
The City and community leagues work together to create neighbourhood walking maps.
7000 143rd Street
7000 143 Street
9180 Walterdale Hill
11204 43 Avenue
1979 111 Street
10525 72 Avenue
10849 81 Avenue
2051 Leger Road
10943 84 Avenue
11204 43 Avenue
9100 Walterdale Hill
2051 Leger Road
9100 Walterdale Hill
10450 72 Avenue
Select a neighbourhood and find out more.
End of page content. Please choose between the following five options:Back to main menu Back to current page menu and content View current page breadcrumb Back to site search Continue to page footer content


text:
Early in the morning of Sept. 1, 1985, cameras just above the seabed picked up unusual marks in the sand, then debris, then larger items, including a massive ship's boiler. It was the Titanic. There were cheers on Mr. Ballard's research vessel.
From 1972 to 1985 there was a serious race among oceanographers and deep-sea explorers to be the first to discover RMS Titanic, lying 12,000 feet below the frigid waves of the North Atlantic, unseen since the early morning of April 15, 1912.
"We were like the fourth or fifth group trying to find it," recalled Robert D. Ballard, currently director of the Center for Ocean Exploration at the University of Rhode Island, who will be giving a talk at The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts Thursday.
The search for the Titanic had taken on "a classic competitive nature," Mr. Ballard recalled. That said, his main interest was developing underwater visual-imaging technology. But an expedition he led to locate RMS Titanic in 1977 saw the technological equipment itself sink to the seabed in a rigging accident. Other explorers tried and failed. In 1985, Mr. Ballard had another chance.
Early in the morning of Sept. 1, 1985, cameras just above the seabed picked up unusual marks in the sand, then debris, then larger items, including a massive ship's boiler. It was the Titanic.
"There are two people inside your body — there's the professional who was excited, and there's the human in it who was moved by what you saw," Mr. Ballard recalled.
There were cheers on Mr. Ballard's research vessel. It was 2 a.m. Then someone on the team said "She's sinking in 20 minutes," a reference to the Titanic's sinking at 2:20 a.m. April 15, 1912. "That changed things," Mr. Ballard said. "We realized we were dancing in someone's grave. The mood changed to more somber. We never returned to a celebration."
Mr. Ballard has gone on to many other discoveries and is a scientific pioneer in oceanography. But the 100th anniversary this year of the loss of the famed ocean liner and more than 1,500 lives has kept Mr. Ballard's calendar busy with matters Titanic.
"I think it's appropriate," he said of various activities marking the sinking. "But now that the anniversary has come I think we're moving on. It's the end of an old story and the beginning of a new story."
His talk at The Hanover Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday is part of the third annual "UMass Medical School Distinguished Speaker Series."
Mr. Ballard, 70, was born in Kansas but grew up in San Diego, where he said he developed a love of the ocean. He was also near the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego and a U.S. Navy submarine base. His subsequent career path was therefore "no surprise," he quipped during a recent interview.
He served in the Navy, and among his degrees he has a doctorate in marine geology and geophysics from the University of Rhode Island. He has received honorary degrees from Clark University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
For 30 years Mr. Ballard was a senior scientist and director of the Center for Marine Exploration at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod.
"I'm interested in fundamental discoveries that change our view of science," Mr. Ballard said. That has included underwater technological discovery, which in turn led to RMS Titanic.
"I was not what you would call a Titanic buff who read everything that you could read. I read everything that you could read to help you find it," Mr. Ballard said.
"It was more a technological quest. I'm a geologist. Technological development — that was what it really meant for me. Coming up with a better way of doing things."
Nevertheless, the Titanic has followed him. Mr. Ballard has written a book on its discovery, and he has created and worked on visual and interactive exhibitions (including a new one at the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Conn.) that tell the story of Titanic and its people. However, Mr. Ballard deplores shows that feature Titanic artifacts actually taken from the seabed wreckage. "You don't visit graves with a shovel," he said.
As he has been looking ahead in his explorations, he has also been going back further into history.
Recent trips to the Black Sea have found ships circa 500 BC with human remains. "That's amazing. We're more into ships that we don't know about." But a new project in the Pacific Ocean may find vessels that were lost during World War II. "I'm sure there will be some iconic ships. It gives us the opportunity to dust it (history) off and breathe some new life into it," Mr. Ballard said.
Meanwhile, the technology continues to advance in "amazing" directions. "We can operate all our vehicles from land. We don't even have to go to sea," he said.
But for Mr. Ballard the anchor has long been hauled up.
"I've had 53 years on oceanographic ships," he said. "With more to come."


text:
Essential Film Performances - 2010 Edition Part Four
PopMatters follows up last year's hugely popular 100 Essential Female and Male Performances feature with 50 additions to the essentials list. Today we highlight performances from Michael Redgrave through Tilda Swinton.
Naturally, after last year's 100 Essential Female and Male Performances lists, we felt the need to further explore the performances by those great male and female actors that did not initially make our epic lists. Whether through the helpful suggestions in the comments section, grueling grad genre studies or just good old-fashioned movie watching, I have been made aware of some truly great performances over the past year that I think deserve a similar treatment, deserve to have the spotlight shined on them.
Though our initial lists of 100 were divided into "Male" and "Female", further updates will merge the gender barriers for equality's sake, queuing the honorees in alphabetical order, 25 men, 25 women. Some of the people on the list already transgress the boundaries of what is male and what is female: to categorize a performance like Volker Spengler as Elvira in Rainer Werner Fassbiner's In a Year of 13 Moons by solely by gender makes little sense. In addition to taking the gender division out of list for this round, we are keeping the categories from the first list (Life Support, The Dark Side, Classics You Should Have Seen By Now, From Page to Screen and Under the Radar), though we are no longer ordering our lists bycategory.
The Dark Side
Michael Redgrave
Dead of Night
Maxwell Frere (Redgrave) is a well-groomed older man whose success as a nightclub performer depends heavily on Hugo (John McGuire), his much younger and more talented partner. But there's more at stake: Frere is also madly, obsessively in love with Hugo while the latter, like many a spoiled and attractive young person, enjoys exercising the power provided by his youth and good looks. When Hugo first flirts and then threatens to defect with a rival Frere responds with an outbreak of jealousy which to any impartial onlooker would seem to be excessive if not entirely laughable -- because Frere is a ventriloquist and Hugo is his wooden dummy. Seldom has representation of a gay relationship been more efficiently smuggled under the radar of film censorship and Redgrave completely commits to the role of jilted lover while also providing a suitably eerie subtext in this psychological tale, one of five stories of the supernatural in the 1945 Ealing Studios portmanteau film Dead of Night. The idea of a ventriloquist dominated by his dummy has been revisited by, among others, Cliff Robertson in "The Dummy" (an episode of The Twilight Zone) and Claude Rains in "And So Died Riabouchinska" (an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode) but Redgrave's performance remains definitive because it avoids providing a simple explanation for the events of the tale while suggesting several contributing factors including a descent into madness as well the encroachment of supernatural forces.
Sarah Boslaugh
From Page to Screen
Hanna Schygulla
Berlin Alexanderplatz
(Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1980)
Icily aloof muse; spirited call girl; guttersnipe Lady Macbeth; faithful friend and lover: Hanna Schygulla packs them all into her portrayal of Eva in Fassbinder's epic miniseries about life in late 1920s Berlin.
While Günter Lamprecht as hero Franz Biberkopf turns in a performance of great range and power, it falls to Schygulla to call attention to the full repertoire of Fassbinder's cinematic stagecraft. She exudes emotion in filtered, gauzy close-ups, explodes in melodramatic excess in sequences that parody gangster films, and engages in naturalistic dialogue in static scenes that resemble a filmed play.
The protean nature of Schygulla's performance serves to distance the audience from events on screen and invites an analytic response to the corrupt, savage culture depicted in Berlin Alexanderplatz. The miniseries, however, is not simply an extended exercise in theatrical alienation. All the characters, flawed and weak as they are, elicit sympathy and even respect, especially Franz and Eva, who resist the figurative and literal economy of Berlin, where goods, people, and honor alike serve as commodities available for exchange.
Eva, like many of the characters in the series, has constructed a persona that requires constant maintenance. In one of many mirror scenes, Eva watches herself as she puts her hands into her blouse and massages her breasts. She closes her eyes and cries out -- whether in pleasure or distress, it's unclear. Schygulla's portrayal here combines narcissism, self-indulgence, and self-loathing to suggest the price exacted by a culture that requires citizens to invent and reinvent themselves in order to survive.
Michael C. Nelson
The Classics You Should Have Seen by Now
Takashi Shimura
(Akira Kurosawa, 1952)
Fans of film often talk about brave screen performances. Generally, we are too loose with such praise. How brave is it really to pretend to be someone else? However, there are certain performances that merit the adjective and none more so than Takashi Shimura's rendering of a dull civil service chief who discovers he has only a short while to live. The notion of what it means to live lies at the crux of the film but unlike so many other treatments of this theme (filmic and literary), Shimura recognizes the point of life cannot be communicated to another. Most people, of course, do not know how to live themselves, and those who attain such knowledge seem to have glimpsed something close to madness. At various points in the film, Shimura looks another character in the face with such a profound recognition of life's fragility that his interlocutor becomes afraid. But Shimura does far more than this. In two instances, Shimura stares directly into the camera and thus at (perhaps into, as well) the viewer for extended periods of time. The first instance occurs during a drunken spree when Shimura's character hauntingly sings a song about the brevity of life. Director Kurosawa frames Shimura's face straight on and the frontality of his visage and the despair in his eyes are overwhelming. It is one of those rare scenes in film where one really feels the spiritual texture of another human being. The second instance is at the end when, having accomplished his one redemptive act (creating the park), the civil servant again sings his song. Now he is without despair. Again the exposure of Shimura's emotions confront us. But now we see something. He knows. What it is he knows he cannot tell us but somehow we are assured by the mere fact that he knows it.
Chadwick Jenkins
From Page to Screen
Jean Simmons
Elmer Gantry
(Richard Brooks, 1960)
Elmer Gantry brought Burt Lancaster his only Oscar award. Upon first viewing, no one would question the appropriateness of the award. Lancaster as Gantry, a consummate salesman turned evangelical huckster, blusters his way through the performance with a bravado suggesting that no one else on screen matters very much. Subsequent viewings disabuse one of such misunderstanding. The enigma that lies at the heart of the film is not Gantry (we see through him from the start), but rather Sister Sharon Falconer, played by Jean Simmons. Even if we accept Gantry's transformation (if that is what it is), we can explain it; we can understand it. How does one account for Sister Sharon? Drawn by a religious fervor that brooks no exception and yet manages to justify her sexual longing for Gantry, Simmons demonstrates that Sharon is no hypocrite. She is a seer. And like all seers, she glimpses a world unbeknownst to the rest of us. What Simmons manages to do with this role is so perfect, so subtle that one is likely to miss it if not watching carefully. In a world of phonies, she is genuine, even if what she proffers is nonsense. Simmons plays Sharon as being so possessed by religious zeal that even her desire for Gantry (that most human of emotions) fails to bring her down to earth; instead, lust becomes otherworldly. Watch her eyes and you realize that the entire film (and not just the conclusion) documents her self-immolation.
Chadwick Jenkins
Life Support
Stellan Skarsgård
Good Will Hunting
(Gus Van Sant, 1997)
With over 40 years of performances from which to select, why is Skarsgård's turn as MIT professor Gerald Lambeau in Gus Van Sant's Good Will Hunting the "essential" performance? A variety of reasons, really. Not least of which the introduction to audiences worldwide of the talent that made him so renowned in his Swedish homeland.
Skarsgård's Lambeau is celebrated on the MIT campus for his mathematical ability. His character is a studied mix of confidence and charm. He wows his students and revels in their adoration of him. Only after meeting loutish math genius and floor-cleaner Will Hunting (Matt Damon) does Lambeau's façade begin to break down. It's in these moments that Skarsgård commands attention. Skarsgård takes Lambeau from arrogant to tragic seamlessly. In a pivotal scene, Lambeau must face Will disregard for his abilities, and he does so on his knees, hair and clothing mussed, confidence destroyed: "Some days I wish I'd never met you… then I could go to sleep at night not knowing there was someone like you out there."
Beside a seasoned American dramatic performer like Robin Williams (in his Oscar-winning role), Skarsgård manages repeatedly to draw attention away. His key scenes with Williams throughout the film forced us, back in 1998, to ask: Who is this guy, and why have I never seen him before? While his choices since vary from the good (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, City of Ghosts) to the questionable (The Glass House, Beowulf and Grendel), to his successful collaborations with Danish tyro Lars von Trier, all these years down the track, Skarsgård has come to represent quality.
Nikki Tranter


text:
How many comets are there?
Occasionally a comet makes the headlines, perhaps because it is visible from Earth with the unaided eye. This gives the impression that comets are rare. However, nothing could be further from the truth. There are thought to be so many comets that even astronomers can't count them all…
Comets were born in the outer reaches of the Solar System, 4600 million years ago, when the planets were forming, from dust and ice.
Only when a comet swings in towards the Sun does it begin to evaporate and generate the tails for which comets are so famous. Observations of Comet Halley during its last appearance in 1986 show that the top one-metre layer of the comet's surface was lost to form the tail.
A comet probably has enough surplus ice for a few hundred passes of the Sun. After that, it may become so weakened by the loss of material that it shatters, or its surface may become so choked with tar-like substances, left behind when the ice evaporates, that it forms a layer, insulating the remaining ice from further exposure to the Sun.
If this happens it transforms into a 'stealth' comet. It stops producing a tail and joins the army of other near-Earth asteroids (NEAs).
Only better observations or even visits by spacecraft will tell us how many of the NEAs are really extinct comet cores.
The fact that comets die in what, astronomically speaking, is a short period of time (around 10 000 years), suggests that there must be a great reservoir of extra comets to restock them.
By studying the orbits of comets, astronomers have come to the conclusion that two such reservoirs exist. The Kuiper belt, out beyond Pluto, is a flared disc of comets that supplies most of the short-period comets (those that orbit the Sun in less than a century).
The Oort cloud (named after Jan H. Oort) is much larger and supplies the long-period comets. It encloses the Solar System, with an outer edge that reaches almost a quarter of the way to the nearest star.
By taking the size of the Oort cloud into account, and the number of long-period comets that have been seen, astronomers estimate that a staggering one 'trillion' (12 zeros) comets may be out there!