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For once it's not about trade wars… but the alternative is hardly better.
European stocks tumbled most in a month, following Asian shares lower following contagion fears that Turkey's economic problems will spill over into the euro zone and beyond. The Euro sank, while the safe haven dollar advanced alongside Treasuries, with the 10Y back under 2.90%. The Turkish Lira initially plunged and fell 45 big figures, with the USDTRY hitting a record high of 6.3005, or up more than 11%, before holding below 6.0 for the bulk of the session.
As described earlier the collapse started around midnight EDT when the FT reported that the ECB Single Supervisory Mechanism warned that BBVA, UniCredit and BNP Paribas are particularly exposed to a TRY selloff, and even though it "does not see situation as critical yet", it warned that the risk is that Turkish borrowers may not be hedged against TRY weakness and begin to default on foreign- currency loans.
There is some hope that Turkish President Erdogan's speech at 12 p.m. London time will calm matters but his earlier ad hoc comments did not give much room for optimism. Speaking outside a mosque earlier today, Erdogan told followers "Don't forget this: if they have got dollars, we have got our people, our right, our Allah."
Commenting on the statement, Bloomberg macro analyst Stephen Kirkland said that it signals he's sticking to a nationalist message and is uninclined to deliver the hard measures Turkish assets need, which according to some analysts such as ADM's Marc Ostwald include a 500 bps rate hike and an IMF bailout. As a result, option markets are now pricing in a one-in-five chance of USD/TRY reaching 7 per dollar in a month, from about 1% probability yesterday.
For the Turkey watchers, here is today's key sequence of events, all times London:
- 12.00BST: President Erdogan to speak
- 12.30BST: Finance Minister Albayrak announces new economic model
- 14.30BST: President Erdogan to speak again
And as fears of contagion mounted, the EURUSD tumbled to the lowest level in a year, running stops as it broke below the barrier level of 1.15…
… as the DXY spiked to YTD highs amid a broad flight to safety with the USD bid seen across all pairs. The scramble for safety meant that both USTs and bunds rallied however in a more contained manner and the 10Y bund yields were lower by ~3.5bps.
In equities, Europe's Stoxx Europe 600 Index dropped with European equity markets selling off steadily as banks underperformed with BBVA, UniCredit and BNP Paribas – the three banks named by the ECB – in focus as all three fall 3.5-4.0%. Mining stocks also weaker as Russia considers a new mining tax of $7.5b, which also weighed on metals across the board.
U.S. equity futures declined alongside shares from Asia to Europe. Asian equity markets were also mostly negative with sentiment subdued. The ASX 200 (-0.1%) and Nikkei 225 (-0.7%) were lower with Australia weighed by weakness in energy stocks, while Tokyo trade failed to benefit from stronger than expected GDP amid a firmer currency. Elsewhere, Shanghai Comp. (-0.1%) and Hang Seng (-0.4%) traded choppy amid a lack of fresh drivers and after the PBoC refrained from operations again for a neutral position for the week.
"We're going to have the uncertainty about Erdogan and him speaking later today that I think is going to keep the market volatile," said Peter Chatwell, head of European rates strategy at Mizuho International, in a Bloomberg Television interview. "But probably some of the market reaction we had first thing this morning could start to retrace a bit."
As has been the case for much of 2018, geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and other countries had set the tone for markets this week, with the latest leg of the lira's downward spiral triggered by a diplomatic row with America. Earlier in the week, China responded to the Trump administration's latest trade war volley with additional tariffs of its own.
Elsewhere in FX, via BBG:
- The pound sank to the lowest since June 2017 against the dollar, and held the losses even after data showed the U.K. economy expanded 0.4% between April and June, in line with the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey
- Norway's krone enjoyed support from a better-than-forecast inflation report while Sweden's krona weakened after price data matched estimates
- China's yuan extended its drop, heading for the biggest fall in three weeks
- The ruble hit a two-year low after the U.S. announced new sanctions on Russia over the March 4 nerve-agent attack on a former double agent in the U.K.
Oil is still set for its 6th weekly loss as the crude complex is being hit by a rising USD, and risk aversion with both WTI and Brent down ~0.8% on the day, and Brent set for a near 2% and WTI looking at a near 3% fall for the week. In the metals complex, gold is down and straddling the USD 1210/oz level, as the rising dollar is hitting the gold market, which is looking at its 5th consecutive weekly fall. Copper has given up gains seen in early trade and is currently down 1.1% as an 11.3% fall in copper inventories seen by ShFE over the past week has not counteracted the USD hitting 13 month highs
Today's economic data include CPI and the monthly budget statement
Market Snapshot
- S&P 500 futures down 0.4% to 2,842.25
- STOXX Europe 600 down 0.7% to 387.50
- German 10Y yield fell 3.7 bps to 0.338%
- Euro down 0.6% to $1.1453
- Brent Futures down 0.2% to $71.95/bbl
- Italian 10Y yield fell 1.6 bps to 2.628%
- Spanish 10Y yield fell 1.2 bps to 1.382%
- MXAP down 1% to 165.29
- MXAPJ down 1% to 536.41
- Nikkei down 1.3% to 22,298.08
- Topix down 1.2% to 1,720.16
- Hang Seng Index down 0.8% to 28,366.62
- Shanghai Composite up 0.03% to 2,795.31
- Sensex down 0.3% to 37,921.73
- Australia S&P/ASX 200 down 0.3% to 6,278.39
- Kospi down 0.9% to 2,282.79
- Brent Futures down 0.1% to $71.98/bbl
- Gold spot down 0.4% to $1,207.93
- U.S. Dollar Index up 0.6% to 96.09
Top Overnight News
- European Central Bank's Single Supervisory Mechanism sees BBVA, UniCredit and BNP Paribas as particularly exposed to the Turkish lira's plunge, Financial Times reported, citing two people familiar with the matter who it didn't identify
- The Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association of America is among a number of pension and investment funds that hold hard-currency debt issued by Turkish banks, according to Bloomberg data. The lira's 2018 loss exceeded 30 percent this week as investor confidence in the nation's economic policies waned
- The U.K. economy bounced back from its turgid start to the year in the second quarter but the dominant services sector lost momentum toward the end of the period. Gross domestic product increased 0.4 percent between April and June, in line with the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey
- Fears about global oil supplies have receded after producers pumped more, according to the International Energy Agency, which a month ago warned of a potential shortage
- Iran is slashing the relative cost of its exports versus OPEC's No. 1 producer Saudi Arabia at a time when buyers in Asia — the world's biggest oil consuming region — face mounting pressure from the U.S. to halt purchases from the Islamic Republic
Asian equity markets were mostly negative with sentiment subdued after a lacklustre lead from Wall St. where weakness in energy and financials dragged the DJIA and S&P 500, while the Nasdaq just about remained afloat to notch its 8th consecutive gain. ASX 200 (-0.3%) and Nikkei 225 (-1.3%) were lower with Australia weighed by weakness in energy stocks, while Tokyo trade failed to benefit from stronger than expected GDP amid a firmer currency. Elsewhere, Shanghai Comp. (flat) and Hang Seng (-0.8%) traded choppy amid a lack of fresh drivers and after the PBoC refrained from operations again for a neutral position for the week. Finally, 10yr JGBs were higher with demand spurred by losses in riskier assets and with the BoJ also present in the market for nearly JPY 800bln in JGBs. PBoC skipped open market operations and were net neutral for the week vs. last week's CNY 210bln net drain.
Top Asian News
- Asia's $184 Billion Debt Wall to Spark Buybacks, Bond Swaps
- Hong Kong 2Q GDP Drops 0.2% Q/Q; Est. 0.2% Rise
- HNA Gives Up Bid to Build a Hotel Empire With Radisson Sale
- Qatar Set to Be Outstripped as World's Richest Place by Macau
European equities have started the day negative (Euro Stoxx 50 -1.4%) as amid reports the ECB is expressing concerns of a weak TRY on European banks. This is pressuring European banks as a whole (STOXX® Europe 600 Banks (SX7P) -1.7%) as investors are repositioning into safe-haven assets and away from the financial sector, which is the current sector underperformer. BNP Paribas (-3.7%), BBVA (-3.3%) and UniCredit (-3.1%) are bringing up the rear of the Stoxx 600 on the back of high exposure to Turkish assets.
Top European News
- ECB Concerned About European Banks' Turkey Exposure, FT Reports
- Core Inflation Shortfall Fuels Doubt on Riksbank Tightening Plan
- Lira Plunge Boosts Odds of Turkey Credit Downgrade
- European Banks Decline as Shares of Turkey-Exposed Lenders Slump
In FX, the highlight was the TRY with almost relentless selling early Friday, to the point of a full-on capital flight at one stage, saw the Lira collapse to new all time lows vs the Usd with vendors and price feeds quoting levels for the pair anywhere between 6.0000-50 in fast, if not frantic market conditions. However, some respite for the Try ahead of and after Turkish current account data that was slightly better than forecast in the event, but the focus now very much on speeches from President Erdogan (midday and 14.30BST), and more importantly the Finance Minister's new economic model (12.30BST). Usd/Try back under 6.0000, but only just. DXY – The index is just off best levels, but riding high near fresh 2018 peaks around 96.182 and still over the big figure amidst widespread Dollar gains, bar vs the safest of safe-haven currencies, Jpy as the aforementioned Lira and EM meltdown spills over to majors. Technically, 96.512 is next on the radar, assuming no intervention to stop the rout and/or a major upset for the Greenback independently (weak CPI data?). JPY – As noted, the exception to the rule, as Usd/Jpy trades mostly below 111.00 on risk-off positioning and the Jpy is also boosted by stronger than forecast Japanese GDP data overnight. Chart-wise, 110.53 represents nearest support and bids/stops are likely situated around 110.50.
In commodities, oil is set for its 6th weekly loss as the crude complex is being hit by a rising USD, and risk aversion with both WTI and Brent down ~0.8% on the day, and Brent set for a near 2% and WTI looking at a near 3% fall for the week. In the metals complex, gold is down and straddling the USD 1210/oz level, as the rising dollar is hitting the gold market, which is looking at its 5th consecutive weekly fall. Copper has given up gains seen in early trade and is currently down 1.1% as an 11.3% fall in copper inventories seen by ShFE over the past week has not counteracted the USD hitting 13 month highs. Aluminium is also down 0.5% on the day. IEA raise their 2018 oil demand growth forecast by 110k BPD to 1.49mln BPD, and see risks to 2019 oil demand growth from trade disputes and rising prices if supply is constrained.
Looking at the day ahead, the highlight is likely to be the July CPI report in the US. Prior to that we get the preliminary Q2 GDP reports in the UK. June industrial production data is also due out in France and the UK as well as June trade data in the latter. In the evening we'll also get the July monthly budget statement in the US. Gazprom will report earnings.
US Event Calendar
- 8:30am: US CPI MoM, est. 0.2%, prior 0.1%; CPI Ex Food and Energy MoM, est. 0.2%, prior 0.2%
- 8:30am: US CPI YoY, est. 2.9%, prior 2.9%; CPI Ex Food and Energy YoY, est. 2.3%, prior 2.3%
- 8:30am: Real Avg Weekly Earnings YoY, prior 0.2%; Real Avg Hourly Earning YoY, prior 0.0%
- 2pm: Monthly Budget Statement, est. $76.0b deficit, prior $42.9b deficit
DB's Jim Reid concludes the overnight wrap
Markets are undoubtedly quiet at the moment but there are some big moves still in Turkey and Russia that are preventing everyone from enjoying the summer. Firstly the S&P 500 closed -0.14% after a dip in the last 15 minutes before the bell but the index again traded in a fairly narrow 0.37% range for the day – the 8th lowest this year. Meanwhile the Turkish Lira dropped -5.15% to a fresh record low (YTD -46.2%) and the 13th worst day since 2000. Ankara's jailing of the America pastor and the associated diplomatic row continues to hurt the country's assets. Not even the Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak's office saying that the government would curb sovereign borrowing by reducing the GDP growth target to under 4% from 5.5% had an impact beyond a brief and small intra-daytick up in the Lira. President Erdogan speaks today at 2pm local time so it'll be interesting to see if anything important comes from that. Meanwhile the Russian Ruble fell -1.72% (YTD -15.7%) to the lowest since April 2016 as the prior night's US sanctions continued to dampen sentiment. Countries that are in a diplomatic battle with the US at the moment (e.g. China, Turkey and Russia) seems to be suffering in the markets.
The main highlight today is US CPI. DB expects core inflation (0.23% month-over-month) to rebound in July after a few softer monthly prints. According to our team, over the past three months, core CPI has risen at an annualized rate of only 1.74%, well below the year-over-year and 6-month annualized rates which are both near 2.3%. Their forecast is supported by recent firmer readings for alternative inflation gauges and expectations for a rebound in a few categories that have been unusually soft in recent months. A print in line with DB's forecast would lift the YoY rate for core CPI inflation to 2.32%, which would support the long-standing house call for two more rate hikes this year.
Ahead of this, this morning in Asia, markets are retreating modestly with China's CSI 300 broadly flat (+0.02%) while the Hang Seng (-0.45%), Nikkei (-0.72%) and Kospi (-0.66%) are all down as we type. Meanwhile futures on the S&P are pointing to a softer start while the Chinese Yuan is resuming its decline (-0.2%). Datawise, the rebound in Japan's Q2 GDP was stronger than expected at 0.5% qoq (vs. 0.3% expected), leading to an annualised growth of 1.9%. Back to other markets performance from yesterday. In the US, the Nasdaq edged up for the 8th straight day (+0.04%), closing in on matching its prior winning streak of 9 days in late September 17. Meanwhile Tesla fell for the second day (-4.83%) and was down -9.0% from its intraday high a few days back, in part as investors scrutinised the potential to take the company back to private ownership.
Notably, Tesla rose c2% in after hour trading though after CNBC reported that its Board of Directors plans to meet with financial advisers next week to explore taking the company private, although Reuters cited unnamed sources which noted the board has not yet received a detailed financial plan from CEO Musk. So one to watch.
In Europe, the Stoxx 600 reversed earlier losses to close +0.09% as consumers stocks benefited from better than expected results from Adidas (+8.6%) and Cineworld (+10.7%). Across the region, the DAX (+0.34%) and CAC (+0.01%) nudged higher while the FTSE (-0.45%) gave back some of its gains from the prior day. Over in government bonds, core 10y yields were around 2bp lower (Bunds -2.3bp; Gilts -1.9bp) while treasuries outperformed (-3.4bp), in part following a weaker than expected PPI print (more below). Turning to currencies, the US dollar index firmed 0.43% to a fresh 13 month high while the Euro and Sterling fell -0.71% and -0.45% respectively. In commodities, WTI oil softened further (-0.19%) while precious metals were little changed (Gold -0.12%; Silver +0.11%).
In other news, Business Insider reported that some member states in the EU are ready to allow UK to remain in the single market for goods while opting out of the free movement of people if UK agrees to replicate all environmental, social, and customs rules in addition to those set out in her so-called Chequers proposals. The potential trade-off will apparently be discussed at a special meeting of all 28 leaders in Salzburg next month. It doesn't seem likely that the EU would be this generous at this stage and after a brief spike GBP largely ignored the story and closed -0.45% and -0.27% lower against the USD and EUR.
Finally turning to the latest central bankers speak. The Fed's Evans, one of the more dovish Fed members seems to be shifting his tone as he noted that "it would not surprise me…if we make a judgement to move to a somewhat restrictive setting" on rates, which he believes could be roughly 50bp above his 2.75% estimate of neutral rates. Nearer term, he believes "it could be one or two more" rate hikes for the year. Meanwhile he pointed to the economy's "extremely strong" performance and he thinks "inflation expectations are going to catch up". Back in the UK, the outgoing BoE policy maker McCafferty told the Guardian that wage growth might "creep up towards 4 percent-ish" in 2019, in part driven by a labour shortage and he sees "another couple" of rate hikes in the next 18 months to two years.
Before we take a look at today's calendar, we wrap up with other data releases from yesterday. In the US, the July core PPI (ex food & energy) was 0.1ppt below expectations, coming in at 0.1% mom and 2.7% yoy. The weakness was in part due to the decline in wholesale prices for apparel (-4.4% mom) and furnishings (-3.2% mom). Meanwhile, our US economists noted the healthcare component – used as an input in the core PCE deflator, was up just +0.03% in July leaving its annual growth rate steady at 1.7% yoy. Elsewhere the final reading for the June wholesale inventories was revised one-tenth higher to 0.1% mom. The weekly initial jobless (213k vs. 220k expected) and continuing claims (1,755k vs. 1,730k expected) remain near historic low levels and continue to reflect robust labour market conditions. Back in the UK, the June RICS housing survey reported that a net 4% of surveyors had seen house price increases over the past three months – up slightly from the June survey.
Looking at the day ahead, the highlight is likely to be the July CPI report in the US. Prior to that we get the preliminary Q2 GDP reports in the UK. June industrial production data is also due out in France and the UK as well as June trade data in the latter. In the evening we'll also get the July monthly budget statement in the US. Gazprom will report earnings.
Go to Source
Author: Tyler Durden


text:
Some of the projects we have delivered.
The manufacturing industry has grown a lot over the years and with industry automation blooming over...
Web analytics is one of the key areas which has expanded rigorously over the years as the internet adoption...
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Web analytics is one of the key areas which has expanded rigorously over the years as the internet adoption has gained prominence and the fact that targeted content delivery has a huge conversion rate has increased its need and potential at the same time. The web analytics system that we developed could take usage metrics collected on page level tied to the user information and find patterns on user's interests based on a variety of criteria.
Analytics are the heart of a company's growth in any industry vertical. The wealth of information that lies within an organization's data was long undiscovered until the big data era which viewed the data from a new dimension.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
0 items
- 0.00€
Bright Stars is a six-level language program that features the adventures os a set of lively, loveable characters. It provides all the important basic grammar and communicative activities needed for an appealing and efficinet start in English.
Greenham Business Park
United Kingdom RG19 6HW
Tel.: (+44) 1635 817 363
Fax: (+44) 1635 817 463


text:
Many hospitals have made steps to improve the food served to patients, but there's more work that needs to be done. According to new research, patients are becoming malnourished during hospital stays because they aren't eating their meals – and this can have a negative impact on their care.
Every year, healthcare nonprofit nutritionDay Worldwide sponsors "nutritionDay" at hospitals throughout the country. On that day, hospitals have the opportunity to conduct a one-day audit of their nutrition practices, asking adult patients about their food intake at the hospital, and providing info about the facility's mortality rates and outcomes.
According to a news release, the nonprofit reviewed data gathered on nutritionDay over the past several years, and it discovered that many patients who were served food during their hospital stay weren't always eating it.
When patients were asked how much of their meal (either lunch or dinner) they'd eaten that day, 25.8% said they'd only eaten half their meal, and 25.2% said they ate a quarter of their food – or none at all. Only 36.5% said they finished their full meal.
After looking at patients' health status and risks, researchers concluded that almost 33% of non-ICU hospital patients are at risk of becoming malnourished during their hospital stay.
Plus, the less food a patient ate, the higher their risk of mortality was. Patients who ate none of their food on nutritionDay were six times more likely to die than those who finished their meals.
How to improve food options
Patients who are weakened due to malnutrition can become vulnerable to other illnesses, and it's more difficult for them to heal. So facilities must do what they can to make sure patients eat appropriate amounts of food. It's also important for hospitals to place an emphasis on nutrition care and do their best to create the optimal diet for patients' needs while they're hospitalized.
That means more facilities must commit to serving healthy options to patients – and their families. Ditching the processed foods and meats in favor of more natural, plant-based options has many benefits, as does replacing sugary drinks with water or unsweetened coffee/tea.
If a patient can't tolerate a full meal for whatever reason (e.g., low appetite), having healthy snacks available for purchase between meals can help them get the nutrients they need to recover.
Increasingly, hospitals are making these goals a priority. According to the website for the Healthy Food in Health Care initiative, between 2016 and 2017, 57% of its participating hospitals reduced the amount of meat they serve to patients, and 66% purchased meat products raised without routine antibiotics. In addition, 82% of facilities purchased their food locally, and 61% had local or sustainable food purchasing criteria listed in their contracts.
Going forward, it'll be more important for all hospitals to offer more appealing and healthier meal options to patients, especially as value-based payments pick up steam.


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As I enter the apartment, I immediately hear the whispers of a Rune on a nearby table, wasting no time snatching it up. I can already begin to see the visions of new powers forming, but I feel that if I hold off a little while longer, even stronger abilities will be have the potential to be awakened. Blinking onto the roof of the guard station, I see that aside from the patrols, my only obstacle is a Wall of Light. The tank supplying the fuel is guarded by a spinning wheel, so a normal man would be unable to get to it. I am not a normal man, and as a result I can just Blink over it. When the guards look away, I take my chance to quickly remove the tank and climb up a nearby vent to stay out of sight. Once I'm sure the guards are still looking away, I rush to the door beyond the Wall of Light and finally make it to the other side of Kaldwin's bridge, where Sokolov's apartment lies.
Once I begin to get my bearings here, the Heart once more begins to beat, indicating a Bone Charm and a Rune. The Rune is located in the direction of Sokolov's apartment if my memories of Kaldwin's Bridge are accurate. Knowing him, it is highly likely that the Rune is with him at this moment. Since the Bone Charm is close by, I decide to take a quick detour in order to claim it for myself. Climbing into the window of the apartment complex I see that my path to the charm is blocked by a makeshift barricade. All this means is that I need to find a back way in, so I climb onto the roof and look to the side to find a very well-placed balcony. I am once again disappointed to find that the charm's effect is useless to me, so I place it in my pack to keep others safe from it. That means that only one Rune remains, and I'm convinced Sokolov has it. This suspicion is confirmed when I scale the rooftops and acquire a direct line of sight to the apartment, which seems more like a small fortress when I finally gaze upon it.
The front door is too well-guarded to use, so I inspect the building's roof to find a single guard on patrol. I can do this, but I will have to dispatch him in order to ensure my safety. The only way onto to the roof is the chain hanging from it. I wait for a bit, because my best chance will be the moment when the guard turns his back to the chain. Once I'm onto the roof and behind cover, I take a look inside and notice that the room on Sokolov's roof appears to be some sort of greenhouse. He provides the plague elixirs for the guards, so this comes as no surprise to me.
Before I can take a closer look, I need to dispatch that watchman. Scaling the greenhouse, I wait for the guard to get closer, and then use my rats to silence him forever. I see a poor woman who appears to be a subject in one of his experiments. While I feel sorry for her, I can't free her or she'd see me, possibly compromising my mission. Plus, with her locked up, I can pass this off as Sokolov going out for awhile, especially if I nab his notebook and recipe for his elixir on the way. Piero will be most pleased to have the access to Sokolov's notes. The Rune was also located here, as I suspected. Now that everything I need is in my hands, I pick up Sokolov's sleeping form and make my way out. Since the guard patrolling the roof is now dead, my escape is completely unhindered. Predicting the most likely place for Samuel to make camp over here, I head to a waterway under the bridge. Sure enough, he was right there and ready to make the trip back. With the floodlights still out of commission, we made it back to the Hound Pits Pub safely.
When we arrive, it's nighttime with Martin and Havelock receiving us at the pier. The admiral praises my efforts and invites me to go to bed. I am almost certainly tired, but I have a few things to do before hitting the hey. Fortunately, Piero is right outside, and he's just the man I'm looking for. I hand him the blueprints for both my new boots and Sokolov's elixirs, and gave him the money to start working on my boots. After finishing the upgrades, he says that working on them gave him new ideas for how to further muffle my footsteps, so I consent to give him the scratch to continue development. As I left him to his work, I found an audiograph where Piero rants that he's smarter than Sokolov and that the only reason Sokolov is in a better position is that he's better funded by the nobles. Given how quickly Piero finishes his work, I'm tempted to believe it. Pondering this a bit, Piero informs me that he's finished. I thank him and leave, making note of the fact that I can barely hear my own footsteps.
It is then that the Heart sparks to life and once more begins to beat. It tells me of a Bone Charm located in a nearby building. Sadly, the only access point is a locked door. Cecelia is one of the few people here who knows this area well, so talking to her could give me some help. When I approach her, she tells me the apartment is a secret hideout that she plans to use in the event that the guards beat on our door and we need to scatter. She mentions that she has a spare key under her bed that she's willing to give me. I'm touched by her offer, and thank her graciously. Taking the key, I decide to continue my surveillance of Havelock and Pendleton by inspecting their rooms. Havelock was in his room at the time, and didn't seem to mind me snooping through his things. Looks like my assassinations earlier today have already begun to bear fruit, as the Lord Mole lost the vote on increasing the city's defense budget.
As for his journal, he appears to be getting more power-hungry, talking about the kind of force he could wield if both Piero and Sokolov were under his command. This is after noting my ability to perform extractions along with assassinations. What concerns me more is the audiograph. In the recording, Havelock is clearly growing more paranoid, worried that he hasn't covered his tracks enough in keeping this bar, and our operation, above water. There are also traces of an ambition about him, saying that he'd almost prefer taking the title of Lord Regent for himself than commanding the navy in Emily's name. I've seem this combination of paranoia and ambition before with the current Lord Regent, and that resulted in six months of my life gone. I have no plans on making the same mistake a second time. You've earned my attention Havelock, be warned. As for Pendleton, he is away on business, his room containing another memoir. The content is meaningless, but he seems to be growing more and more belligerent. I imagine the deaths of his brothers are still affecting him, so who knows what he is capable of at this point.
As I head to the Cecelia's hiding place to snatch the Bone Charm, I think of Martin and wonder about what he might be thinking. He's an overseer and enemy of the Outsider. Surely by now he's seen the Mark on my left hand. For now, he seems to be willingly ignoring it, but if pressed by Havelock and Pendleton, I wonder how long that will last. The bottom line is that all three of the top conspirators have a motive to end my life as soon as this whole thing is over, and that worries me. I'm necessary for now, which means I'm safe, but the future is uncertain. Almost reflecting my current state of mind, the charm I pick up is once again worthless to me. At this point I seem to only be picking these things up to keep their power in check.
The only errand I have left to run before turning in for the night is to check in with Callista and Emily. Entering the lighthouse, I thank the stars that I purchased silent boots, as Emily was just put to sleep. She seems restless, tossing and turning as if the weight of the world is on her shoulders. Hell, it just might be. Callista says that Emily appears to be visibly happier when I'm here for her, but she doesn't press the issue because we both know that I have work to do. In Callista's audiograph, she recounts her day with Emily. I almost feel bad for poor Callista, because she's both dealing with limited resources and dealing with my daughter. I know that Emily can be a handful, mostly because I know she gets it from both myself and her mother. There was one interesting point that I'm probably putting too much stock in, but she mentioned that when she asked for slightly more fancy ware to have "tea parties" with Emily, Havelock and the others seems distant. I should expect that because of the nature of this conspiracy, but given what I suspect of them, that concerns me even more. I give Emily a quick kiss good night, and then head to my own room.
Right as I am about to head to bed, a thought occurs to me. I have the energy of 5 Runes stored within me, so maybe now is a good time to strengthen my magic. The visions in my head once again make themselves clear. In this one, I see a watchman sitting next to a Wall of Light. I know that I need to get passed this wall to proceed to whatever objective I happen to be on. It is then that I use my powers of possession, but not on a lowly rat. Instead, I appear to be jumping into the body of the guard himself, using him as a vessel to pass through the Wall of Light. Intrigued, I pour my energy into this vision and acquire this enhanced possession for myself. Now that I am thoroughly exhausted, I lay down in my bed and rest.


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People from Spruce Grove who are in need of a used car, or any other kind of automotive financing service have been using Edmonton Auto Loans to get competitive rates and quality used cars for years. People who have poor or bad credit don't have to worry about being approved for a vehicle loan because of our expertise of bad credit or first time used car purchasers. We are able to provide better finance rates no matter your budget or financial situation. We own certified vehicles with maximum chances to be approved and you can have your own new or used vehicle no matter what you've been told by other dealerships, we work with a network of banks and Canadian dealers so that we can get you the very best used car or truck in Spruce Grove or anywhere else.
Apply for credit application through our site and get contacted by our used car dealers and finance experts within few hours. It's simple and quick to get approved for a car loan, all you need to do is click HERE and fill the form to get approved.
We have a reputed history of serving our customers well and creating customized finance plans so that people of all economic backgrounds are eligible for used car loans or any other vehicle financing you would like to have done.


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Okay submissives, it's time to do something PRO-ACTIVE back for a Mistress.
Meet Mistress Ellen, a Californian Prodomme in the Nineties, nowadays Trainer/Coach for unrushing Dominatrixes. We have met her at the international side & site of our mediagroup.
The Mistress caught an, at first glance, innocent (Rhino) virus, but the non-life semi-organism managed to nest in one of her lungs. Antibiotics won't work for viruses, but inhibitors do.
The Femdom & BDSM community know the Power of the Mind, regardless which side Y/you are on. So…
Send Mistress Ellen, who is in a San Diego Hospital, your powerful well-wishing virus inhibitor: 'WishAndFightOvir'!
One mind is just a whirl of a butterfly, but when we as Klapjes community do this today (and tomorrow) we might unleash a transcendent medicine-storm from our side of the Atlantic towards the West.
Make it so.


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Art professor, fine artist, and high school art teacher Jefferson Eugene Grigsby, Jr. was born on October 17, 1918, in Greensboro, North Carolina, to Jefferson Eugene Grigsby, Sr. and Perry Lyon Dixon. Grigsby first discovered his love for art after his family moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, when he was nine years old. In 1933, Grigsby attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. Within a year, Grigsby transferred to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he first met his long time mentor, Hale Woodruff. Grigsby graduated from Morehouse College in 1938, with B.A. degree and because of Woodruff, he was equipped with extensive artistic experience that he would retain throughout his life. Grigsby went on to obtain his M.A. degree in art (1940) from Ohio State University and his Ph.D. degree from New York University (1963).
In 1942, Grigsby volunteered to serve in World War II and became a master sergeant of the 573rd Ordinance Ammunition Company under U.S. Army General George Patton during the Battle of the Bulge. In 1943, Grigsby married Rosalyn Thomasena Marshall, a high school biology teacher and social activist. Three years later, at the invitation of the school's principal, W.A. Robinson, Grigsby began working at Carver High School as an art teacher. After the closing of the school in 1954, Grigsby began working at Phoenix Union High School where he remained until 1966.
In 1958, Grigsby was selected by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City to represent the United States as an art teacher at the Children's Creative Center at the Brussels World Fair in Belgium. This experience inspired Grigsby to initiate a number of art programs in community centers, housing projects and day care centers in the Phoenix area.
Grigsby began teaching at the university level in 1966, working at the School of Art at Arizona State University until 1988. During this time, Grigsby published "Art and Ethics: Background for Teaching Youth in a Pluralistic Society," the first book ever written for art teachers by an African American artist and author.
In 2001, "The Art of Eugene Grigsby Jr.: A 65 Year Retrospective" was featured at the Phoenix Art Museum. The exhibition featured insightful commentary of Grigsby's life and influence on the art and education world by his many colleagues, friends and family.
Grigsby served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the National Art Education Association, the Committee on Minority Concerns and Artists of the Black Community/Arizona. Grigsby has also been awarded numerous times for his outstanding work, including the Arizona Governor's "Tostenrud" Art Award and the NAACP's Man of the Year Award.
Grigsby lives with his wife in their Phoenix home. They have two sons, Jefferson Eugene Grigsby, III and Marshall Grigsby, who both have been recognized as educators.
Jefferson Eugene Grigsby, Jr. was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on July 11, 2007.
Jefferson Eugene Grigsby passed away on June 9, 2013.


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As creative types, we like to think that we have all the answers to the problems presented to us – the right way to navigate a page, the right place to put the copy in an ad, the right way to make a call to action stand out. We pride ourselves on pushing the limits on creativity and standards to make something beautiful. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Except when there is.
Problems arise when we release our beautiful creation to the wild, only to find out that end users don't know how to work the navigation, don't read the print copy, or can't readily find the call to action. How do we solve for this?
Turns out, it's pretty simple. And it isn't some brand new way of solving a problem. It's pretty much as old as spoken language – ask somebody else.
In the office, we do that by posting things on walls. Outside the kitchen, we'll put up four different versions of a print ad taped to a whiteboard (with different headlines or copy locations), put a dry erase marker next to it, and have people put a little tick next to the one they prefer or that makes them stop and read the full thing. It's quick, it's easy, and it's a whole bunch of opinions on something that possibly only one or two people have been so focused on. They can take a step back, breathe, and see how their creation actually interacts in the real world. From there, they may realize that the perfect text placement is somewhere different than they thought or that their super-clever headline is just a bit too clever for most people to catch at a glance.
Testing is a little bit tougher – where should the navigation go? Which call to action provokes a better response? Finding out the answers to these questions is a little bit tougher than just taping things to a whiteboard. This is where "A/B testing" comes into play; Grab a bunch of people, present two different groups with two different options (A: button here, B: button there), and see which one works out better or is more understandable for the average user. With a large enough focus group and clearly different options (i.e. not a simple font size change, but a pronounced difference), it should be pretty evident which direction to go in if you want users to interact with your creation.
At DMI, we've started incorporating A/B testing into our creative process from almost the very beginning – as soon as we have something that we're able to test (working concepts, wireframes, early designs), we bring them to a group and test them. This helps inform both us and the client of what direction to move in – on a standard web design, a crazy, non-intuitive navigation system probably isn't best; for a mobile application, following iOS or Android standards for navigation and interaction helps users immediately immerse themselves in the process without requiring a lengthy tutorial or help system.
A/B testing can also help drive other decisions like login vs. unique login or native application vs. mobile web application. Even button sizing for best user interaction can be quickly sorted out simply by getting a working mockup into the hands of users and letting them play with it. Answering these questions upfront will avoid headaches and heartbreaks down the line – the creative no longer has to change his or her creation and the client is secure in knowing that everything will work according to their plan and long-term goals.
The best part about A/B testing, especially for websites and developers? You don't even have to pay a fancy focus group to do it. If you have Google Analytics incorporated in your site, you can quickly set up two or more pages with differing layouts, button placement, or whatever you like, then see which one performs best towards your particular goal. Easy as pie.
Being able to step back from the work and evaluate how actual users will interact with the fruits of your labor is an important step in any creative process. Whether that's passing something around the office or handing it off to a group of users, the feedback should help guide you down the road to success.
Kyle is a Designer at DMI. He's sarcastic. He sings in the car. He's a font nerd. He organizes his closet by color. He's been to the emergency room in every place he's ever lived. (And he writes about music sometimes.)
Want to be part of our growing team?
Learn how DMI can help you grow, or launch your business.
See all of our locations around the world


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2009. 10. 1. 00:00 Social Network Services
Google Blogs Alert for: online social network
TargetX | iThink Online
By Adrienne Bartlett
AIM: TargetXConciergeAbout: Adrienne Bartlett is TargetX's Client Concierge and works with clients to coordinate online initiatives like email, student blogs, online chats and social networks. She is the author of the weekly XpertTips ...
iThink Online - http://www.targetx.com/ithink/
NewBlackMan: The Young and the Digital: What the Migration to ...
By MAN
The Young and the Digital: What the Migration to Social Network Sites, Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future ... In other words, for young people today, if you're not online, then you're not really living—and the ubiquitous presence of their mobile phones, laptops, and iPods positions them at the center of our evolving digital landscape. Timely and deeply relevant, The Young and the Digital covers a host of provocative issues—the influence of social ...
NewBlackMan - http://newblackman.blogspot.com/
Social Networking at Work | Messaging News
By Stephanie Jordan
According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project's survey of 2253 adults, the numbers of online adults that have a profile on a social network breakdown by age like this: 18 to 24—75 percent have a profile; 25 to 34—57 percent have ...
Messaging News - The Technology... - http://www.messagingnews.com/
5 Things Small Business Owners Should Do Today Online
By chrisbrogan
It's important that small business owners use a wide variety of methods to promote their website. Blogging, social networks, article directories, online forums, and other posts are all great ways to generate free web traffic. ...
chrisbrogan.com - http://www.chrisbrogan.com/
This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.
Google Books Search for: TargetX | iThink Online
Authors: Stephen L. Nelson
Book id: ISBN0470174730
Published year: 2007
Page count: 358
Google Video Search for: TargetX | iThink Online
Description: Soupy Norman - Margarita. Part 2 - "Esther told me about this thing you do with your eyes" - genius :)
Published: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 02:48:29 PDT
Publisher: www.youtube.com
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Twitter's recently launched new app, Vine is the latest in 'brevity sharing'. While Twitter's micro-blogging service is restricted to 140 characters, Vine's video platform is limited to six seconds of looping video. The video can be recorded in one hit or in several bursts to create stop-motion and animation short stories.
I prefer text. I've already made this confession on a previous post, 'Why written content is not dead (but video is awesome)'. In it I stated that video is indeed awesome – there are fantastic films, ads and other breeds of moving pictures that educate, entertain, enlighten, inform and move us in ways that a page of words cannot, but I love a good page of cleverly compiled words. Sometimes, it's patience that gets the best of me. Even a short (say, 3 minute) introductory video about a product or idea takes time to watch, whereas I can choose how long I scan a page of text for. There's also the aspect of convenience and usability with video taking longer to load than a static page of copy.
So why do I really like Vine? Five main reasons:
1) It's simple to use
2) It creates video, but at 6 seconds, an easily digestible amount of video
3) It's shareable
4) It demands creativity
5) It has a huge amount of marketing potential
For those who haven't seen what Vine does yet, here's my first Vine creation:
Why Vine is so good
- There is no editing or filter option – it's raw and demands the talents of a storyteller, not just someone who can make things look pretty.
- The interface is intuitive and simple to use.
- The 'Explore' function is solid. Users can quickly search for other Vines under 'Editor's Picks', 'Popular Now' and a selection of twelve hashtag categories including #cute, #pets, #travel, #remake, #food, #howto and #sports
- Vine videos are immediately shareable on Vine, Twitter and Facebook as well as being easy to embed into blog posts. They can also be shared solely on Vine, Twitter or Facebook, or all at once.
- Six seconds is ideal for short attention spans.
- The potential for marketing and advertising is huge. Industries like travel, food & beverage, bars & restaurants, real estate, dating, beauty, film and theatre are naturally suited. Freelancers such as artists, photographers, musicians, music teachers, make-up artists, hairdressers and chefs will be able to get amazing messages across, too. With the constantly and increasingly rapidly changing landscape of advertising media, here is a tool that brands can use to share short, snappy messages with their consumers, for free. (For now).
But, will it last? What are the challenges?
Yes, Vine will last, but I don't believe that it'll be mainstream. It'll be used effectively by certain industries and by creative minds, but there will be challenges.
- It's still very buggy. This needs to be sorted quickly to better secure an engaged set of users.
- Lack of quality and creativity are threats to its usage – Vine will need to weed out all the crap and highlight the awesome videos.
- The censoring of inappropriate content is a challenge. Porn has already posed as a problem to Vine, as it has with sexually explicit images on Instagram and text on Twitter.
- Are hashtags enough? The 'Explore' categories are useful, but are they tailored enough to create a unique, relevant experience for the user? Not in my opinion.
Despite its challenges, I'm looking forward to seeing what's produced with Vine…..the highlights of a destination, the before and after shots of a make-up artist in action, the freshly baked bread from a bakery, the ambience of a Surry Hills bar at 10pm on a Friday night….I want to see it all.
What are your thoughts on Vine's potential?


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"The Hubert Curien laboratory is a joint research unit (UMR 5516 ) of the Jean Monnet University, Saint-Etienne, the National Research Centre "CNRS" and the Institut d'Optique Graduate School. It is composed of about 90 researchers, professors and assistant professors, 20 engineers and administrative staff and 130 PhD and post-PhD students. This makes the Hubert Curien laboratory with a total of about 240 staff the most important research structure of Saint-etienne. Our research activities are organized according to two scientific departments: Optics, photonics and microwave and Computer science, telecom and image. The research activity is structured into scientific projects within 6 main teams: Micro/Nano structuring, Radiation-matter Interaction, Image Science & computer vision, Data Intelligence, Connected Intelligence and Secure Embedded Systems & Hardware Architetctures."
Florence Garrelie
(Director of the Hubert Curien Laboratory)


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So emphatic that all buyer-personas walk her home after work. They live together, they eat together, they go shopping together until the best strategy and tactics are ready to face the client's satisfaction and his urgent needs.
Marina used to build digital strategies for our clients and she loved it. After a year, she sold herself to Project Management and she has absolutely no regrets.
She still likes to write and build strategies for the "weirdos" (huge fan of Seth Godin and his Purple Cow). And she describes creativity as something someone's capable of when that someone can bring two different things in the same context and be amazed at how they totally make sense together. This whole thing, combined with trust, seriosity, profesionalism and a little bit of OCD, leads to long time relationships and great project management skills.
Fascinated by branding, creative writing, negociations, and the genuine mind of every person and customer, Marina has a degree from the Faculty of Philosophy, Communication and PR section and a master's degree in Advertising and PR. BG (Before Grapefruit) she used to do content marketing for tech startups, PR for lovely projects and create strategies for new born brands.
Huge fan of Woodstock festival, Cuban music (thank God for Buena Vista Social Club), Spanish and French old songs, jazz and blues singers and we're going to stop here because it may take a while, Marina accepted the fact that she was born in the wrong generation.
She has a pick-up and she collects vinyl records.
Birthday: 11 December. Wink-wink!
She's crazy about meeting new people on the road. That's why hitchhiking from Bologna to Paris for 18 days has been the most amazing thing she's ever done. Sleeping in tents? Not a problem. Sleeping in a bed after almost 3 weeks of sleeping in tents? A real big one.


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Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding
Join our local Ski Guides for an exciting day skiing and riding in the Whistler Backcountry – we will show you the best lines, tips on finding good powder, how to stay safe and have a great backcountry adventure at the same time! Spend a full day in the back bowls of Whistler/Blackcomb and cover everything – gear, where the best skiing is, route finding, hazard awareness, avalanche safety, ski/riding techniques and more. Get yourself prepped to head out and see why the backcountry is the place to be this winter!
- Cost: $125 + GST
Included in course cost:
- All instruction by Professional Guide/Instructors
- Use of our avalanche beacons
- Use of G3 probe
- Use of G3 Avi-tech shovel
- Use of G3 "Bonesaw" snowsaw
Costs do not include lift access, transportation, food, accommodation or personal equipment not listed.
Scheduled programs for 2020:
January 4, 2020
January 18, 2020
February 1, 2020
February 15, 2020
February 29, 2020
March 14, 2020
March 28, 2020
Our Backcountry Skiing course can be booked as a Private trip for any date with any size of group. Please contact us directly for details on setting up a Private program - firstname.lastname@example.com
All of our Backcountry Programs are held in areas that have terrain suitable for all levels of ability. We will not lead our participants into terrain that is above your comfort level. We will also choose locations based on current avalanche, snow and weather conditions - safety is always our first priority!
The Backcountry Skiing course is typically held in the bowls and peaks behind Whistler or Blackcomb, as this region offers an immense variety of terrain and skiing options plus easy access via the lifts. This program is often arranged for Private groups as well and can also be held in the Duffey Lake area; on Mount Seymour; at Diamond Head; and, in the Coquihalla region
Students are responsible for getting to and from the course areas.
The emphasis of the day will be for you to learn through actively participating in a full day of backcountry touring. You will be moving all day through a variety of terrain, yet you will have ample to time to learn all the skills and ask questions throughout the day. Your Instructor will choose objectives that are appropriate to your ski and riding level as well, of course! Here are some of the basic objectives of the day:
- Intro to avalanche safety – basic awareness of bulletins, Danger scale, etc. This is not an Avalanche course, but you will certainly cover the basics
- Intro to use of transceivers, probes, shovels
- Use of ski touring gear – bindings, skins, what to carry, emerg gear, comms, etc. Tips and tricks to help you out
- Understanding of route finding, map use, terrain management
- Track setting, uphill route choice and group management
- Downhill line selection, skier management, etc
- Situational awareness, pacing, time management, etc
- Backcountry ethics and the difference between resort skiing and backcountry skiing
- Good turns!
All of the above will be covered throughout the day in discussions, practice and actual application.
In regards to travel and terrain, you will be heading into the Musical Bumps area behind Whistler; or, into the backcountry behind Blackcomb. Final decision will be made on the Saturday morning based on current conditions and if there are any lift closures affecting access on either mountain. The Whistler Backcountry Map by John Baldwin is the best map for both these areas if you are interested, though you do not need to have this.
You will require a lift pass for the day, please confirm in advance with our office if you wish to purchase a Backcountry Lift pass for $62 for the day, or if you already have your own pass.
Plan for a full day of touring into the backcountry, please be prepared for a lot of touring and skiing in a variety of weather and snow conditions. You will alternate between periods of uphill travel of about 1 hour, with skiing downhill. Please choose clothing that allows for ease of layering systems to adjust between uphill and downhill skiing activities.
Plan for a full day of touring into the backcountry, please be prepared for a lot of touring and skiing in a variety of weather and snow conditions. You will alternate between periods of uphill travel followed with skiing/riding downhill. Please choose clothing that allows for ease of layering systems to adjust between uphill and downhill skiing activities.
Please review this Gear List - Backcountry Ski Touring Gear List
If you have questions regarding the equipment required for the Ski Touring course, please contact our office directly.
Review these documents, and bring completed Waiver and Medical Forms to your program:
Canada West Mountain School Medical and Waiver Form - CWMS Medical & Waiver form
Cancellation and Transfer policy - Cancellation and Transfer Policy
CWMS Gear List - Backcountry Skiing - Backcountry Touring Gear List


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It's been a while since I bought a can of shaving cream, sometime in 2018 as a matter of fact. Funny thing is I remember when I bought the last can, it came with that "NEW!" tag because the can bottom was aluminum instead of less expensive steel, and thus wouldn't rust out in the shower. The can I had before that had rusted out. Today when I went in to get my new can of Barbasol it was smaller by three ounces, but it was the same price interestingly enough. Last year's can was all of 10 ounces, while today's was down to 7 ounces.
The reason I don't buy shaving cream that often is I switch back and forth between electric and razor, tending to use the electric during the week so I don't spend a lot of time getting ready before I drive into work. Weekends can be more luxurious time-wise, especially when it comes to a nice blade shave. And there are days when I don't shave at all, thus extending the overall time when I want to get a shave with my razor.
This reminds me of all the other price increases I've seen over time, especially with orange juice. There was a time when orange juice came in 64 ounce cartons, until one day they showed up in 57 ounce cartons, but the price was still the same. I continued to buy it for a while until the price increase to over $4 a container, and that was many years ago. Of course both my doctor and dietician where quite happy when that happened, as today's orange juice is full of sugar, even more so than a soft drink.
This makes me wonder if I should bite the bullet and invest in one more good electric razor, and just forego shaving with a razor all together. It's not just the shaving cream but he expense of razors as well as the mess of fixing a sink of hot water and a mess to clean up when done.
All this angst over a decent close shave.


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Hello, everyone! Today's look is an all black and gray outfit featuring this turtleneck and faux leather skirt. The gray turtleneck is a great basic to have in your closet for the fall and winter months. The stretchy wide ribbed fabric gives a comfortable fit and is perfect for wearing on its own or under a coat during the colder months. The faux leather skirt is also a great addition to your closet with its edgy vibes mixed with the chic and trendy button down details, not to mention the convenient concealed zipper in the back. Let me know what you think about this turtleneck and faux leather skirt outfit!
Topshop Top || HM Skirt || Topshop Boots || Miu Miu Sunglasses || Tory Burch Clutch
Thank you so much for reading!


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Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Topic A
Lately I've fallen down on blogging. It's the usual combination of pre-summer doldrums plus the ongoing puzzlement about why I'm doing it in the first place. But if there's one thing that can jog me out of such a torpor, it's my favorite topic: me. So I thought I'd add a couple of updates. First: "Faint Music," an essay I wrote some time ago, then pulled out of the drawer for a few minutes of nip-and-tuck, recently appeared in The Harvard Review. The piece includes some whimsical speculation about the source of Mozart's dizzy spells:
I've thought about it, and I've come to ascribe Mozart's fainting to the impossible pressure of all that music on the inside of his skull. That flimsy chamber wasn't designed to house a fraction of what it did: the galloping tempos, the transparent woodwind and clarinet parts, the punchy D-minor trombone chords. The last act of Don Giovanni. The K. 626 Requiem. Those two sorrowing notes that begin "Masonic Funeral Music." Beauty, sublimity, and (this being Mozart) toilet humor. The overspill is what made him black out.Although some of the current issue is available online, my own piece, alas, is not. So interested readers may be obliged to fork over ten dollars (it's for a good cause, folks!). Meanwhile, I gave a reading from my novel, The Only I News I Know, last Thursday. I was in excellent company, sharing the bill with Joshua Ferris and John Burnham Schwartz, and the narrow subterranean chamber at the Cake Shop was packed. I went first. Initially I was a little concerned about the stage lighting, which consisted of white Christmas bulbs stapled to the low ceiling. But the curators of this excellent series soon brought out a kind of Klieg lamp, suitable to an operating theater or antiaircraft barrage, and the problem was solved. In the short clip below, you can see me (just barely) reading a couple of short bits. In order to cram a longish passage into my 15-minute allotment, I read pretty damn fast. In the beginning I sounded like one of those breathless men listing the side effects on the Nexium commercials. But eventually I slowed down to the brisk canter in the video, like so:
There's even a bit of corroborating evidence. As Mozart lay on his deathbed, roughing out the parts for the Requiem, he often summoned his friend Sussmayr to explain how the work should be performed. On one occasion he tried to clarify the role of the drums, "and was observed in doing this to blow out his cheeks, and express his meaning by a noise intelligible to the musician." Here is the very picture of music--highly pressurized music--escaping from the composer's skull, the way air might from a tire.
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Hi Tom, thanks for stopping by. At the moment, my novel is in (as they say in the film world) limited distribution. Which is to say, in the drawer of my desk. But I'm beginning to fix up the manuscript and will wheel it back out into the marketplace this fall. That's the plan, anyway.
Hey, and you even give us the movie! Great stuff. As ever, you know where to find me... & the Harvard Review piece sounds really interesting & fun.
Just had a look at the Harvard REview issue, and I see you're in there with my friend Kathryn Maris! Another New Yorker, also living in London. I'll try and get it.Post a Comment
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Sales Have Ended
Sales Have Ended
Homeschool Art & Clay Day!
Homeschool Art & Clay day is a full day of art programs for families wanting to get out of the house and be creative! Art Gallery of St. Albert provides educational art programs instructed by professional art instructors right in the heart of downtown St. Albert. Our not for profit art programs are perfectly designed for children who are 5 to 13 years of age. Parents are welcome to stay and learn right along with us!
For the months of September and October only, a unique selection of art and clay programs will take place every Tuesday in the Pottery, Painting or Multicraft Studios.
10:30 am to 12:00 pm - Art Program (check project listings for further details; regular fee of $15.00)
12:00 pm to 1:30 pm - Unsupervised Lunch Break (Pack a picnic lunch or eat at the many fabulous downtown restaurants before visiting our educational exhibits at the Art Gallery of St. Albert and Musee Heritage Museum)
1:30 pm to 3:00 pm Clay Program (check project listings for further details; regular fee of $12.00)
Fee: $25.00 per child per day (a savings of $2.00!)
Fall Program listings:
September 3: Worry Dolls and Storytellers
September 10: Painted Feathers and Feather Windchime
September 17: Dream Keeper and Inuksuk
September 24: Metis Beading and Totem Pole
October 1: Encaustic Leaves and Clay Leaf Plate
October 8: Night Creature Collage and Bat Tea Light
October 15: 3D Needle Felted Pumpkin and Pumpkin Candy Dish
October 22: Christmas Angel and Nativity Scene
October 29: Wire Tree Ornaments and Clay Tree Ornaments
PLEASE NOTE: Parents with children under 6 years of age and without older siblings, are asked to stay and assist their children during these programs. Older students can attend without parental supervision but instructors must be provided with emergency cell numbers. Parents are not to drop off children without first checking in with the instructor prior to the beginning of each program. If less than 10 children register for this program, a cancellation notice with be emailed on the Friday prior and your fees will be refunded.
NOTE: REGISTRATION CLOSES 4 DAYS PRIOR TO PROGRAM TAKING PLACE. Contact firstname.lastname@example.com to see if more spots are available even if "sales ended" appears.


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Exercise Induced Period Loss: It's Not Normal and Here's Why
A well circulated, long-told tale in the female endurance sport community is that when training increases toward peak workouts, menstruation will stop. You see, the tale continues, a female athlete knows they are in supreme fitness when they lose their period, and it's totally normal for a competitive girl to experience this. It's great, after all, not needing to worry about the monthly hassle.
Ladies, let's look at this with some fresh eyes.
Amenorrhea, the abnormal loss of menstruation, is not a sign of improved fitness but is a sign of negative energy balance. What? Is that like… something that can be cured with yoga or reiki? No, not that kind of energy. Energy as in FOOD. But you're not losing weight so you're not under-fueling? No, even if you're not losing weight, losing your period, in this case, is a result of inadequate food intake – your body is starting to shut down processes that it doesn't feel are necessary to maintain life. Reproduction, being one of them. When we are in negative energy balance, our body doesn't produce enough estrogen, leading to lost menstruation.
OK, so you weren't planning on starting a family right now anyway, what's the big deal? This is just one of the outward, easy to identify signs that you aren't getting enough to eat to sustain yourself. At the same time that you're losing your period, your body is not taking care of bones and muscles like it should be. Hear that? Bones and muscles! We need those to compete!
Why would bones deteriorate and weaken with loss of menstruation related to inadequate food intake? Estrogen is used to prevent bone demineralization (breakdown) so experts advise that inadequate estrogen production in women is linked to poor bone density. Young women should prioritize maxing out their bone density during their early years of life because women hit peak bone mass before the age of 25. Meanwhile, women in their 20's and over should hold in mind that preservation of density in the bone can prevent fracture and prevent or delay osteoporosis.
Don't get caught up in the myth that a lost period is the pinnacle of fitness. If you're seeing signs that you're in energy deficit, attempt to increase your portions a little bit at each meal with a mix of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. I also encourage 1-3 substantial snacks each day to improve energy balance. Training increases our energy requirements so a competitive athlete may need to increase her food-fuel while volume is increasing to meet the extra demand.
Nutrition Info Right to Your Email
About the Author
I'm Courtney Hager, one of the registered dietitians from One You Nutrition LLC. I am an endurance sports addict and love to learn about how the body and mind use nutrition to help us perform. I'd love to hear from you so leave a comment, subscribe to our newsletters, or better yet, set up a call with me to chat about your nutrition goals!
The One You Nutrition team believes food is nourishment, medicine and fuel. That belief drives our passion for nutrition and energizes us to share our expertise in Wellness, Sports Nutrition and Obesity & Weight Management to improve the lives of our clients. As the food expert on your team, we coach you to set your ultimate vision of success, plan action steps, embrace strengths, improve weaknesses and master the skills to Do Food Right™.
Do You Feel like You're Doing Food Wrong?
There is so much nutrition information out there that it's impossible to know where to start. We've simplified the message with 5 tips which we believe are applicable to everyone


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'GMO-free' certification launched in Australia
A new certification body for genetically modified organism free (GMO-free) foods has been launched in Australia.
GMO-ID Australia, a subsidiary of accreditation body HACCP International Pty Ltd, which has specialised in product certification for the food industry since 1998, will use the 'Cert ID Non GMO' (Cert ID) certification system in Australia and the Pacific region.
The Cert ID system will offer a range of third party certification schemes aimed at the food industry, including farmers and growers through to manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and foodservice businesses. Certified organisations will be listed on the GMO-ID Australia website.
Read More: http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2013/05/20/%E2%80%98gmo-free%E2%80%99-certification-launched-in-australia.html


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2nd shelf for SpeedyScoot CNC toolholder cart - HSK 63A tooling. Baked epoxy finish with heavy duty nylon inserts to protect your tools. Made in the USA
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All prices are in USD Copyright 2020 Carbide Processors. Sitemap | Website by oBundle


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Some brilliant engineer figured the start of Spring Break would be the perfect time to tear up the corner which connects the city's longest beach, much beloved of the visiting students, to the rest of the city.
Coming into town along Smathers Beach in this sequence of photos we have made the turn from aiming west in the top picture to turning north up Bertha in the second picture and here below we see the line of cars waiting for access to Smathers Beach. What a business!
All this work to install some valuable piping which doubtless will make
life tons better for all concerned.
And had it been installed two months later before schools vacation and families invade Smathers no doubt some indescribably awful Mayan Prophecy of Doom would have overcome us all. Far better to disrupt traffic as much as possible in peak visitor months; it's the Key West way.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad


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Quanum Healthcare IT awards
With all of the healthcare blogs out there, it can be difficult to sort through them and find the best of the best. We've scoured the Internet and are proud to present our favorite blogs, which we have named as winners of the Quanum Healthcare IT Awards:
Best Healthcare Tech Blog Award: MedGadget
Medgadget is an independent blog written, edited and published by a group of physicians and biomedical engineers. It's an industry leader in educating the public about technology innovations, helping them make informed health decisions. The blog's commentary on recent news and trends within the healthcare industry is interesting, comprehensive and easy-to-read. We are extremely pleased to present Medgadget the Best Healthcare Tech Blog award.
Best Overall Healthcare IT Blog: HIT Consultant
HIT Consultant is a social community dedicated exclusively to healthcare IT professionals. Its sole mission is to empower readers with the foresight to successfully navigate the dynamic landscape of the healthcare IT industry. We appreciate the blog's efforts to educate the general public on how technology is improving the way physicians administer care. We are extremely pleased to present HIT Consultant the Best Overall Healthcare IT Blog award.
Best Healthcare Commentary Blog: HIStalk
The anonymous writer behind HIStalk started the blog in 2003 simply as a way to collect his thoughts about what was going on in the healthcare IT industry. Readership slowly grew and helped his blog to blossom into what it is today. We enjoy his commentary on healthcare technology, news and trends, as well as his personalized coverage of recent innovations within the industry. We are extremely pleased to present HIStalk the Best Healthcare Commentary Blog award.


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This plant seemed aptly named! :D
(If you've read The Lord of the Rings, anyway.)
I don't remember if I mentioned that there's now a
Little Free Library right around the corner from
my house? (!!!!)
Back at the end of June (over a month ago now,
yikes!), the INSPY Award winners were
officially announced!
Recently finished this one and wow!!
It's an excellent read, friends. :)
Friends were headed out on a roadtrip this past week and
wanted some books to take along. This mix of stories
are what I gave them. I'd forgotten how fun it is
to recommend books to real life friends! :)
Before said friends left on their trip, they gifted me with
fresh tomatoes from their garden! Yummo.
(Plus they're yellow! ;)
Amen and amen!
What's been making you happy lately?


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A team of faculty and MBA Entrepreneurship students of King's College held a one-day seminar on Social Entrepreneurship at Dharan College of Management, Dharan on May 27, 2016. The seminar was sponsored by the Indian Embassy.
Lecturers and undergrad students from Business and Computer Science programs attended the seminar. Working in groups, the participants learnt how to develop a business canvas model.
Students showed keen interest in the program and requested to bring such program in their locality frequently. King's College will be conducting such skill development program in different regions of Nepal focused to students and community.


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Latin name: Caladrius
Other names: Caladres, Caladrio, Calandre, Calandrius, Calatrius, Caradrius, Charadrius, Kaladrius, Kalandria
A bird which can tell if a sick man will die, and can cure disease
|General Attributes
The caladrius is an all-white bird that lives in the king's house. If it looks into the face of a sick man, it means that he will live, but if the caladrius looks away, the sick man will die of his illness. To cure the sick man, the caladrius looks at him, and drawing the sickness into itself, the bird flies up toward the sun, where the disease is burned up and destroyed. The caladrius is an unclean bird which must not be eaten.
The caladrius represents Christ, who is pure white without a trace of blackness of sin. Because the Jews did not believe, Christ turned his face from them and toward the Gentiles, taking away and carrying sins to the cross. Christ turns away from the unrepentant and casts them off; but those to whom he turns his face, he makes whole again.
|Sources (chronological order)
Plutarch [c. 80 CE] (Symposiacon, book v, prob. 7, Druce translation): ... we know how often those who suffer from jaundice are healed by looking at the bird charadrius. This small animal seems to be endowed with such a nature and character, that it violently attracts to itself the disease, which slips out of the body of the sick man into its own, and draws off from his eyes as it were a stream of moisture. And this is the reason why the charadrius cannot endure to look at jaundiced persons nor help them at all, but turns itself away with closed eyes; not because it grudges the use of the remedy which is sought from it, as some consider, but because it might be wounded as by a blow.
Aelian [3rd century CE] (De natura animalium, Book xvii, chapter 13, Druce translation): Now this is the natural power of the charadrius, which by Zeus it is not right to despise. If a man has his body full of jaundice and then looks keenly at the bird, and the bird looks back at him very inflexibly, as though being made angry with him in return, then this mutual gaze cures the man of the aforesaid complaint.
Philippe de Thaon [12th century CE] (Bestiaire, Druce translation): Caladrius is the name of a bird, which we find without any doubt to be entirely white: it is shaped as a seagull; in the book of Deuteronomy it is said that it must not be eaten; that very dear is the bird. And Physiologus says that the caladrius ought to be in the court of a king, and about one thing is learned. If a man should have his eyes running or rolling the caladrius has such a nature that it can cure the eyes by the divine virtue which it possesses; it is in its thigh, if one applies it; such virtue has the thigh of the caladrius. The bird has a great bone in its thigh; if the man who is blind has the marrow of it, and will anoint his eyes, he will immediately recover (his sight).
Honorius d'Autun [12th century CE] (Speculum Ecclesiae, Druce translation): But if he (the sick man) is going to live, it turns and fixes its gaze intently upon him, / With wide open mouth it drinks, as it were, his sickness out of him, / And flies up on high to the rays of the sun; / The sickness which has been drunk in sweats out of it, / The sick man exults in his recovery. / But turning his face to us, he (Christ) recalled us from death, / And himself bore our infirmities, submitting to the Cross; / And the bloody sweat dripped from him, / Then clothed in our flesh he rose into the highest heavens to the Father, / And granted Salvation for ever to all the faithful.
Suidas [12th century CE] (Lexicon, Druce translation): They say that this is a disease [jaundice] producing paleness, which arises from anger, so that it makes the eyes of those who are overpowered by it pale and sometimes black, like (the eyes) of kites, from which also it takes its name. They say too "that those who suffer from jaundice are easily cured by looking at a bird, the charadrius." The charadrius is a bird of such nature that if those who are suffering from jaundice look at it, as report goes, they more easily get rid of that disease. For which reason also the sellers (of the bird) hide it, lest those who are suffering from jaundice should be cured for nothing. "Why, he is hiding it: like a man with a charadrius to sell," as Hipponax says; whence has arisen the proverb: "Imitating the charadrius," said of those who hide anything. [quoting Euphronius]: Since the gaze of the charadrius alleviates the jaundice, the sellers of it conceal the bird, lest any man, before buying one, may look at it as he passes and get cured, and he adds, "Others, however, say that it is not those who look at the charadrius who are cured of the jaundice, but those who eat it."
Hugh of Fouilloy [12th century CE] (De avibus, Druce translation): About the charadrius or charadrus, a maritime bird. It may be clearly so named, because Theodorus Gaza calls it charadrius. Suidas (calls it) charadrus, who tells us that it is a maritime bird great and greedy, and possessed of such power that if those afflicted with jaundice gaze at it, they are freed (from their complaint), as Pliny has asserted about the bird (called) "icterus," perhaps the same and so called from the cures which it effects.
Alexander Neckam [13th century CE] (De laudibus divinae Sapientiae, Druce translation): With propitious gaze the caladrius looks at the sick man, / When Lachesis twists her thread with favouring hand. / With eyes averted it raises a warning cry of sorrow / As often as it perceives the day of death approaching. / Its flesh restores the bright keenness of vision which has grown dim. / The colour of its wings is said to be milk-white.
British Library MS Royal 12 F xiii [13th century CE] (Rochester Bestiary, Druce translation): The Caladrius or Caradrius, as the Natural Philosopher [Physiologus] says, is all white like the swan, and has a long neck. The dung of its inside cures blindness [caliginem oculorum]. This bird is found in the courts of kings. If anyone is ill, by means of this caladrius it can be found out if he will live or die. For if the man is destined to die, it turns its face away from him, and by this sign people know that he is going to die. If he is destined to live, it directs itself towards his face, and as though it would take all the illness of the man upon itself, it flies into the air towards the sun, burning up as it were his infirmity and dispersing it; and so the sick man is cured. The caladrius is a type of our Saviour. For he is all white, because he has committed no sin, neither is there any guile found in his mouth. But Christ coming down from heaven turned his face away from the Jews, because of their unbelief, and turned to us Gentiles, bearing our infirmities. ... But the caladrius is reckoned, in Leviticus, among the unclean birds which are forbidden to be eaten and imitated. And yet it signifies Christ. For it is unclean by virtue of that property of its nature through which it, having a long neck, seeks food for itself out of the very bowels of the earth. And therefore through that property it typifies the contemplative man, who has an appearance of religion, who reads about heavenly things, but whose life is earthly, who in this matter should not be copied. But by that property which it has, of turning itself away from those who are about to die, and conversely towards those who will live, and flying upwards towards the sun, it signifies Christ; just as the lion and eagle, though they are unclean according to the law, yet are types of Christ by reason of some quality of their own. For the lion is king of beasts, and the eagle king of flying fowl, and Christ is king of all the faithful.
British Library Sloane MS 278 [13th century CE] (Aviarium / Dicta Chrysostomi, Druce translation): If (the sick man) is destined to get better and be cured, the caladrius addresses itself intently to him, and approaching, puts its beak upon the man's mouth, and by its breathing draws out all the man's sickness into itself, and flying into the air towards the sun, burns up his sickness, and disperses it, and the sick man is cured.
British Library Royal MS 19 D. i [14th century CE] (History of Alexander the Great, Druce translation): From there they went to the palace of king Xerxes. And Alexander found in this palace many marvels, and among other things he found birds of the size of doves which are called "salandres," which prophesy about a sick person, if he is going to die or not, or to live. For if it so happens that it looks at the sick man in the face, he must live, and if it turns the other way he will surely die. These birds, according to certain wise philosophers, have received this virtue from our Lord, that in looking as they do they receive into themselves the illness of the sick man. And they carry it on high to the fire which is in the air, to the fourth element which consumes all sicknesses.


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Wondering which stores to scour for last-minute holiday deals and the nicest gifts this season? You may not have to look far. The key to keeping your holiday shopping list simple can be found as close as your kitchen. With unique and simple homemade gift ideas like S'mores Truffles, Stained Glass Cookie Ornaments and Hearty Bean Soup Mix, you'll keep it easy on yourself and your wallet. Not to mention, you'll make one lucky recipient very happy to dig into any of these tasty, thoughtful homemade gifts!
Here's wishing you a very happy, healthy holiday season, from my kitchen to yours! I'll be back next Wednesday with another easy, delicious dinner idea for you.
Spicy Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
Chocolate and Whiskey Shortbread Truffles
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar
hocolate, Caramel and Walnut Turtles
Homemade Whole Wheat Pancake Mix with Homemade Apple Cider Syrup
Pumpkin Cake Truffles with White Chocolate and Walnuts
Mini Gingerbread Loaves with Cream Cheese Glaze
Stained Glass Cookie Ornaments


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The original 'Welcome Nugget' was discovered on 9 June 1858 by a group of recently arrived Cornish miners of the Red Hill Mining Company at Bakery Hill in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Working on the night shift the discoverers took half an hour to haul it to the surface from a depth of 180 feet The finder, Richard Jeffery, took it home in a wheelbarrow and stored it in the oven until the morning.
The Welcome Nugget was unearthed near the NE corner of what is now Humffray and Mair Streets where a granite monument was erected. Today this is opposite McDonalds on Bakery Hill. It was the largest lump of gold yet found in the world and the second largest ever found. It was displayed in the gold office of the Union Bank at the 'Corner' in Sturt Street in aid of hospital funds and every mother who visited was allowed to seat her baby astride the nugget for good luck. It was 20 inches long, 12 inches wide, 8 inches thick, weighed 2217 troy ounces (69 kg) and was 99.6 pure gold. The enormity of it was truly wondrous.
Brothers, Julius, Isidor, and Joseph Wittkowski, arranged the sale of the Welcome Nugget for £10,050 and after exhibiting it to crowds of people in Melbourne, sent it to London where it was shown at the Crystal Palace until November 1859, when it was melted down and made into sovereigns.
A replica can be seen in the Ballarat Gold Museum opposite Sovereign Hill.
For a list of the biggest nuggets and the gold yields visit the Gold Monument in Sturt Street at Albert Street.
Withers, William Bramwell 1999, History of Ballarat and Some Ballarat Reminiscences, Facsimile Edition, Ballarat Heritage Services.
Bate, Weston, 1978, Lucky City : The First Generation at Ballarat 1851-1901, Melbourne University Press.
Cornish Pioneers of Ballarat, Researched and Compiled by Lillian Dell and Joy Menhennet, Volume 2, 1997.
The Ballarat Genealogical Society Inc is currently undertaking a reorganisation and restoration of the contents of this website. This may mean, some links to resources may not work. Try the resource again in a few hours it may well have been restored.
New Members' only resources as being added weekly. Become a member and check them out, in particular the new community pages. Thank you for your patience. BGS Digital team.


text: 'Colony': TV Review 10:00 AM PST 1/12/2016 by Keith Uhlich FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Paul Drinkwater/USA Network Alien vs. (human) predator. TWITTER 1/14/2016 USA's intriguing sci-fi series, co-created by 'Lost's' Carlton Cuse, explores the human divisions that form after an extraterrestrial invasion. What if they made an alien invasion series and no aliens came? That's something of the premise of USA's promising new science fiction series, Colony, co-created by Ryan Condal and the prolific Carlton Cuse (Lost, Bates Motel, The Strain). There are E.T.'s around… or so we're told. Throughout the first six episodes (of ten total) sent out for review, characters speak in glum tones of an event called "the arrival"; the way they say the term sounds euphemistic in the extreme. And no sooner have we been introduced to our protagonists — the seemingly contented L.A. family known as the Sullivans (not their real last name) — than the slickly cozy veneer begins to crack. First off there's that ring of barbed wire around the family's sun-dappled home. Then there's the fact that almost everyone in L.A. appears to be riding bicycles — the show's cleverest conceit. (Where are all the cars?!?) It finally becomes clear that this fictionalized city of angels has been completely upended when we catch sight of the towering wall closing it off from the outside world, as well as the otherworldly drones who police the airspace to make sure no human steps wrong. (For your sins, you'll get a laser through the back or chest.) Read more: USA's 'Colony' Is Like 'The Walking Dead' — With an Alien Twist Where do the Sullivans fit in all this? They're actually named Will and Katie Bowman (Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies), and they've used this apocalyptic event as a pretext to scrub themselves of the past and hide in plain sight with their two children Bram and Gracie (Alex Neustaedter and Isabella Crovetti-Cramp). But a deep pain still lingers, as their third child went missing after "the arrival" and may be on the other side of that wall. Using his skills as a former Army intelligence officer, Will attempts to sneak past tight security. In the process, he's captured by one of the unseen aliens' villainous human emissaries, Proxy Alan Snyder (Peter Jacobson, marvelously embodying privileged sleaze), who tasks Will with bringing down a rising resistance force led by a mysterious revolutionary known only as Geronimo. Plot, plot, plot—said three times over because the first three installments of the series (all directed by Juan José Campanella, a TV veteran who won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar for the 2009 Argentine thriller The Secret in Their Eyes) are weighed down with story and setup. It's a bit of Lost syndrome; unsurprising since both Cuse and Holloway are alumni of that series and initially seem to be trading on its renown and frequent infamy. Puzzle box mystery narrative? Check. Grizzled bad-boy antihero? Check. Highbrow references wrapped in lowbrow garb? Check. (Lost had John Locke. Colony has William Faulkner, namechecked here by Katie's pub "The Yonk," a deliberately misspelled allusion, as she explains in one of the later installments, to the great Southern writer's fictional county of Yoknapatawpha.) Read more: Comic-Con: 'Colony's' Carlton Cuse Promises Answers, Unveils First Trailer (Video) Despite his Academy Award-winning street cred, Campanella's direction of the first three episodes is merely serviceable, while Checco Carese and Jeff Jur's cinematography is of the irritatingly up-close-and-shakycam variety that undercuts the shock and awe of the show's devastated setting. (You keep wishing they'd hold still for a moment and let the visuals really worm their way into the psyche.) Holloway and Callies also take some time growing into their roles, so what keeps you watching early on are the stellar guest turns by everyone from the always-welcome Kathy Baker as a no-nonsense head of Homeland Security to Carl "Apollo Creed" Weathers as Will's world-weary partner on the task force dedicated to taking down Geronimo. By episode four, titled "Blind Spot," the show finds a nice groove all around, opening with an inventively staged first-person teaser involving the merciless Red Hat soldiers who carry out the will of Proxy Snyder and his ilk. There are still plot twists before what seems like every commercial break (and USA has demanded critics remain mum on most of the specifics, lest a flying drone laser us at our keyboards). But the hyperkinetic storytelling finally meshes nicely with Will and Katie's increasing desperation (let's just say each spouse has plenty of reason to distrust the other), the camerawork gets steadier and more observant, and the extraterrestrial antagonists prove to be a fascinating MacGuffin—the big, tall terrible giants in the sky whose power comes from being entirely absent. (It would hardly be surprising if it's revealed that the invaders don't actually exist.) The series is ultimately more interested in exploring the fear-stoking foreign agents lurking within humanity—those that pit us, often pathetically and violently, against each other. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Keith Uhlich email@example.com @thr