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Anton Besenkois worried. He fears all the hard-won progress made in fighting the AIDS epidemic is on a collision course with the urgent needs of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"For people with HIV, it's double, triple the crisis since the start of the lockdown," says the Ukrainian AIDS advocate. "I have a bad feeling that organizations and governments are so concentrated on COVID that they are completely forgetting about HIV. For marginalized people, it's a question of life and death."
Besenko is no stranger to health crises. After years of injection drug use, he contracted HIV (which he now lives with) and hepatitis C (he's now cured). He got clean in 2004.
Today, he works for the International HIV/AIDS Alliance Ukraine as a coordinator for harm reduction programs that help IV drug users get clean needles or safer alternative drugs like methadone.
On July 10, he led a session at the 23rd (virtual) International AIDS Conference on the impact of COVID-19 on AIDS.
Suddenly, he and other AIDS advocates, researchers, doctors and patients have a 40-year-old epidemic and a brand new pandemic to worry about. "The concern is that AIDS is already being set back by COVID-19," says Dr. Monica Gandhi, director of the University of California San Francisco Center for AIDS Research.
At just about the time in January that Gandhi and other scientists, doctors and patient advocates were submitting abstracts for the AIDS conference, ominous reports were coming out of Wuhan, China, that a cluster of pneumonia cases were caused by a novel coronavirus. The disease triggered by the virus became known as COVID-19. Within weeks, it began spreading around the world and just as quickly dominated the world's attention.
AIDS experts have a litany of fears about how the COVID-19 pandemic could affect continuing progress in the fight against AIDS.
Perhaps the biggest worry is that patients won't be able to get the AIDS drugs they need because closed borders can interfere with drug shipments; or because quarantines have slowed down work in industries including drug manufacturing; or because economic losses will threaten funding for AIDS prevention programs from some governments.
The drug shortage concern is overriding because, while AIDS pharmaceutical treatment is highly effective, it comes with a catch, says Dr. Roger Shapiro, associate professor of immunology and infectious disease at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Patients on antiretroviral therapy, or ART, must stick to their drug regimen every single day.
"Forever," says Shapiro.
But on July 6, WHO reported results of a surveyshowing that 73 countries are at risk of running out of antiretroviral therapy drugs and that 24 countries report critically low supplies.
In the best of circumstances, patients on ART can see the amount of the AIDS virus in their blood go down to levels no longer detectable by tests. Of the world's nearly 38 million people living with HIV, more than 25 million are on ART, according to the World Health Organization. They can live fairly normal lives and are no longer at risk of spreading the disease, says Shapiro.
But if they stop treatment, the virus will likely mutate in ways that can lead to changes in certain enzymes. The mutated HIV can block AIDS drugs from working against the HIV enzymes they were designed to target. This can happen in a matter of days or weeks. And then, if patients try to restart the same ART regimen it may no longer be effective.
Not only that, if they spread the mutated virus to another person, that person will be infected with the drug-resistant strain of HIV.
"This is the biggest problem with HIV," says Shapiro. "You need a constant supply of drug. If countries cannot get ART, then that's when the really dire scenario becomes possible." It would be like going back to the old days of AIDS, he says, before successful treatment was widely available.
A modeling group set up by WHO and UNAIDS have estimated that if COVID-19-related interruptions in antiretroviral therapy for AIDS patients last for six months, it will result in 500,000 additional deaths in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
It's not just drugs for treatment that are at risk. The same drugs are used to help prevent infection in people at high risk. Researchers at Fenway Health, a Boston community health center, examined electronic records of its patients in March and April of 2020 and found a drop in the number of people refilling prescriptions for preventive drugs, called PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis. And 72% fewer than expected new patients started PrEP during those two months, probably because people are afraid to go to health care centers, says Gandhi.
That's bad news, because fewer people at risk of contracting HIV will be taking preventive drugs, says Shapiro. Though there might be a silver lining to lockdown orders and social distancing, he says. "When people are social distancing, there may be less HIV transmission," he says. "Transmission could decrease when bars are closed. We don't know yet."
Different kinds of drugs are needed for a subset of HIV patients — those infected through IV drug use. "Before the epidemic, 220,000 people in Ukraine were on harm reduction strategies," says Besenko. Those strategies include needle exchange services so IV drug users don't contract AIDS through contaminated needles or spread the disease if they're already infected. And they also include substitute drugs, like methadone or buprenorphine that treat opioid addictions.
A host of obstacles could stand in the way of patients getting clean needles or substitute drugs in Ukraine. "Mass transit shut down, routine patient appointments were stopped, at times you could not exit your home at all," says Besenko.
Experts are also worried that fears of catching COVID-19 are stopping people from getting tested for HIV "In San Francisco, we're down 90 percent in HIV testing since COVID," says Gandhi.
"The message to come in early and get tested for HIV has changed. Now, people are told to stay away," says Gandhi. HIV screening tests were also down in Boston by 85%, according to a study done at the Fenway Institute in March and April 2020 and presented at the AIDS conference.
Some organizations are beginning to help people in low-income countries get tested without risking exposure to COVID-19. "We've been active in promoting self-testing in Vietnam, Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Uganda, Kenya and India," says Kimberly Green, global director, HIV & TB, of PATH, a non-profit organization that works on global health challenges. "People can go online, order a self-test kit and it's delivered safely." After the test, there are people available for them to call for information and support, she says — all without face-to-face contact.
Her organization is also working to increase home delivery of AIDS prevention and treatment drugs in some low-income countries. "Mass transportation was shut down in Kenya and Vietnam, so we set up a courier system to deliver ART," says Green.
The ability of the world to mobilize quickly in the fight against COVID-19 owes a lot to the groundwork laid in the fight against HIV, said Dr. Deborah Brix, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy. She is a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. "It's the platforms that we've built together and the relationships that are going to be our solutions not only for HIV but our response to COVID-19 around the world," she said in remarks at the virtual AIDS conference.
COVID-19 is not the world's first pandemic, and the global response to it owes a lot to what the world learned from AIDS.
"HIV taught us how to do clinical trials in the middle of a pandemic with a new urgency," Shapiro says. "I believe Tony Fauci [director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force] thinks about that everyday when thinking about how fast he can push the vaccine trials but still be sure they're of good scientific quality. The people leading the vaccine efforts for COVID, including Dr. Fauci, cut their teeth in HIV."
Susan Brink is a freelance writer who covers health and medicine. She is the author of The Fourth Trimester and co-author of A Change of Heart.
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The World's Best Pizza Can Be Found Right Here In Arkansas
Take a second and think of where the world's best pizza would be. What places popped up? New York? Italy? Great guesses but sorry friends, there's somewhere even better. A place that's taken the tomatoes of Italy, the crust style of New York, and the foundation of good southern hospitality to create the world's best pizza. Eleanor's Pizzeria in Jonesboro has blended these elements into crafting the perfect pie. Appetites at the ready as we tour the world's best pizzeria.
Is your mouth watering yet? Try not to drip on your screen as you plan your trip to savor the world's best pizza; which, of course, can be found right here in Arkansas. Eleanor's Pizzeria is located at 211 South Main Street, Jonesboro.
Arkansans just know good food. For a different craving try this Ultimate Arkansas Fried Cat Fish Bucket List.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.

subset: commoncrawl


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View handicapper records
Scoop is completing his doctorate in 2019-20 and has asked to be placed on leave until the 2020-21. football season We wish him well on completing his studies. Also Comgrats to Scoop and Mia on their new addition Carley Addison .
Robert "Scoop" Davis is the youngest handicapper on theswami.com site. Do not be fooled by his tender age. He was just a junior in college when he contacted us and began e-mailing us plays to prove his abilities at picking winners. He credits his success to listening and watching. He always knows who is out and who is on this game and that. The nickname "Scoop" fits like a glove. Since joining TheSwami.com in 2011, Scoop Davis has compiled an impressive combined Football record of +1044 total units, including +422 units in 2017. I can tell you that this man lives, eats, and breathes football. He is tuned in and that focus has led to success for our clients. Pay special attention to his Regular Season NCAA and NFL plays.
Combined NFL/NCAA


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I'm Bruce Wayne, standing in front of a grand piano. I reach my hand out, press a few keys, and suddenly the floor starts to move. I descend onto a platform, look all around me and begin to feel claustrophobic before the space opens up into the Bat Cave, an enormous (and gorgeous) underground structure. And so I get set up: I put on the gloves and add tools to my utility belt. I put on the cowl by reaching out, grabbing it, and placing my hand up against my face. I look in the mirror. Batman looks back.
I'm a gangster, riding shotgun during a high-speed chase. In one hand I have an uzi and I point it out the side window, aiming in the general direction of a baddie on a motorcycle. With my other hand, I reach out to the dashboard—no longer in my field of view—and grab another ammo clip. When my current one runs out, it drops out the bottom of the gun, and I slam my hands together, reloading instantly and doing it over again.
I'm a Human, doing some odd task required of me by some unseen or inhuman supervisor. Maybe I'm heading explosive soccer balls into a stack of boxes branded by "Nuclear Power" energy drinks; maybe I'm putting cheese and blended apple onto a piece of bread in a horrorshow approximation of "pizza."
In all these moments, I am sitting (or standing) in my New York City apartment, but in the moment I nearly forget. I'm wearing a black and silver headset covered with bright blue lights: PlayStation VR.
PlayStation VR (née Project Morpheus) is the latest in a long line of pricey peripherals that game companies have released in an attempt to extend the life of their existing hardware: Microsoft's Kinect, Sony's PlayStation Move, Nintendo's Wii Balance Board, etc., etc. But where those devices' lack of support led to a whole lot of buyer's remorse, there's good reason to believe PlayStation VR will be different. Aside from the fairly robust launch lineup and future commitments from developers large and small, PSVR is going to succeed just by virtue of what it is. This is virtual reality for the masses, the thing all of us have been dreaming about for decades.
2016 is the year of virtual reality, having seen the final release of the Oculus Rift, purchased by Facebook in 2013 for $2 billion, as well as some stiff competition from the HTC Vive, backed by famed PC developer/publisher Valve. Samsung's Gear VR headset is now in its third iteration, and the market is flooded with cheap Google Cardboard-type boxes that you can put your phone in and use to watch 360-degree videos. Those phone devices are really a whole different type of product, though. They're cheap and rather limiting. You can use them to look around, but you cannot move around.
On the other hand the PlayStation VR, like the Rift and Vive, tracks you and your movements, especially when paired with a pair of PlayStation Move controllers (which have finally proved their worth). This is the real deal, and it's affordable too…kind of. For $400, you can get a headset. A $500 bundle, meanwhile, includes the headset, a PlayStation camera, and two Move controllers, as well a pack of five small games that will not be the next Wii Sports but instead serve as a decent introduction to your new toy.
(You're going to want the bundle.)
Sure, if you don't have a PlayStation 4, you'll need to add $300 on top of that price—or $400 if you wait for the upcoming upgrade that is the PlayStation 4 Pro. But when the HTC Vive costs $800 and the Oculus Rift is $600 without the $200 Touch Controllers that track your hands in virtual space, you're getting the Playstation VR package and the system that runs it for the price of its competition. (A computer that will actually run VR games in a satisfactory way costs at least as much as the headsets themselves.)
It's fairly easy to set everything up, all things considered. The unit comes in a pretty box with a simple set-up guide and cables marked with big numbers, so you know exactly how everything goes together. Once it's set up and you've got the PlayStation Camera pointed at you, it's time to put on the headset itself. The first couple of minutes require a bit of fiddling to find the right fit. The headset works both with and without glasses, though it's easier and more comfortable without. It doesn't take long to get the hang of it; by the fourth time I put on my headset, I could get it in the right spot within 15 seconds.
The headset has changed a lot since I first used it at a Sony event back in 2014. Even then, I knew it was something special, and I've been excited ever since. What has just hit shelves is vastly superior and by far the most pleasant VR headset I've ever worn. For a big, technological contraption that you put on your head, it's actually fairly comfortable. On multiple occasions, I wore it for over an hour straight. Aside from some red markings where it pressed against my face, there weren't any real adverse effects.
After all of this is done, you get into the games. And that's when everything changes. Let's be totally clear: Everything. Changes. I vividly remember every time I've used a proper VR headset because the experience has always blown me away in some way or another. This time was no different. Whether I was shredding documents in Job Simulator, peering down at the goings-on of a miniature village in Allumette, or destroying wireframe ships in Rez Infinite, I felt a sense of connection to the experience that I have never really felt before. It's hard to overstate just how bizarre it is to be sitting in your bedroom and then feel as though you have actually been transported to another world. Developers refer to this feeling as "presence." It's magical.
It doesn't necessarily feel like the things around you are real. In Headmaster, I didn't feel like I was actually in a cramped cell, for instance, but I also didn't feel like I was in my own room either. VR creates this third zone: Not your reality, not the game's reality. It is, I guess, the true virtual reality. And we've reached a point where it's effective enough to trick your brain. When the descent into the Bat Cave began, I freaked out as the floor seemed to rise up all around me. I logically understood that I was actually in an open space, but my gut certainly didn't.
Batman: Arkham VR is a great-looking game and probably the best PSVR launch title, but it's also an excellent example of how developers try to work around system limitations. VR requires a whole new level of technical prowess and in order to make a game look as good as Arkham VR does, things have to be simplified. The game's scope is limited and there's no real in-game movement. That is, this is not a "proper" Arkham franchise game in VR. And though games running on the PlayStation 4 Pro will look better, they're still no match for the multi-thousand-dollar gaming PCs you can use to run an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. This is what we mean when we call the PSVR "mass market" virtual reality. That said, when you're in the games, the way they look matters far less than you might think. It's really about the experience itself.
There are three different ways you can interact with PSVR games: With the headset only, with a standard DualShock 4, or with a Move Controller (or two). This variety is important because it means developers aren't locked into any one type of experience. Some games are objectively better with a standard controller than they are with the Move, and vice versa. One example is the aforementioned Headmaster, a Portal-esque game wherein you do nothing but hit soccer balls with your head. Playing Headmaster doesn't require a controller, DualShock or Move—it works perfectly well with just the PSVR headset. In order to select a new level or check the menu, you just turn your head in one direction or another. It's easy to understand, which is why I thought it the perfect way to introduce my friends to VR.
Even though I'm still impressed by what virtual reality is capable of, the experience is no longer truly new for me, so I wanted to get some outside opinions. I asked a couple of friends who had never used VR (one an avid video game player, the other not) to try it out. They each tried a few different games, and though not everything clicked, once something did, it was true love. One friend, while playing Job Simulator, realized she could just throw all of the game's objects around her virtual workspace. Her face lit up and she started grabbing and chucking virtual things everywhere using the Move controller. As she did it, she drifted to the left before hitting her hand against the wall: "Oh my god, I forgot there was a wall there!"
The other, while playing Headmaster, became even more invested. In one level, a featureless painting of a "goalie" on a large wooden plank stands in front of the player. Misjudging the angle, my friend slammed the ball straight into the goalie, knocking it backwards. Immediately, she apologized. Then she paused. "Wait, why did I just say sorry to that piece of wood?"
Of course, it's not even that—she was apologizing to a bunch of polygons and textures. But in that moment, she was on that soccer field. And when she swung her head forward, she had actually hit that soccer ball straight into that piece of wood with a human shape on it. That is presence. That is what makes virtual reality so special and so significant. There is truly nothing else like it.
Sony is gambling big with PlayStation VR, pouring tons of money into the product itself as well as its accompanying games. Making it a peripheral is risky, but the potential benefit of attaching it to a console already in tens of millions of homes is enormous. If you have a PS4, you know you can use PlayStation VR. It'll just work. And for that reason alone, it is the best headset you can buy right now. Mass market VR is finally here, and it's incredible.


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Raven tool
Raven Tools is a combination of 30 tools in one single platform. These tools are aimed at helping to manage, monitor and improve your search engine positioning, manage your Google advertising, in addition to performing your social media management. There is so much functionality in Raven tools that covers all the features that would make this an incredible SEO tool.
This is one of the best SEO tools, which has accessed numerous positive reviews from SEO experts. SEMRush is a keyword oriented toolkit that helps users to look into related popular keywords, key phrases and important terms that can be included in website content. Also, SEM-Rush is great as a link builder as it develops novel strategies for the purpose of link building.
Elite Site Optimizer (ESO)
This is an innovative SEO analysis tool that makes sure highest website optimization. Also, this SEO tool focuses on mobile ranking analysis and keyword ranking analysis, thus making it easy for users to augment the performance of their websites. The Elite Site Optimizer offers SEO professionals with analysis and reports of different types such as rank analysis, competitor rank analysis, page-wise rank analysis, mobile rank analysis, site audit report, on page SEO elements report, missed opportunities report, link checker analysis, different analytics, social signal tracking and many more.
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You have to picture this in your mind because, for several reasons, I have no photos.
The other night, my teacher colleagues headed back to Oaxaca in a taxi, and I, as usual, stayed behind to take in the quiet of Tlacochahuaya and to take a bus home. I got a moto taxi to the highway crossing.
Once I hopped out of the moto, a man had all sorts of questions for me: where was I going, what was I doing, etc. Upon discovering that I needed to get back to Oaxaca, he told me I could not walk on the hot asphalt they were pouring. I knew they were pouring it. For one, I could see it. And, the bus we'd come in on had been stopped by the process. I told him I was fine, that I'd walk across the pedestrian bridge. He wanted to show me the way, but I insisted it was right there and I had crossed before.
As I sat on the other side of the highway watching the roadwork and traffic and other commuters coming and going, I watched this same "helpful" man trying to assist a local woman to get a taxi in the narrow spot where she could stand. It would be silly for a cab to stop there with the road so narrowed because of the work and the high speeds and the fact that she could have walked not even an eighth of a mile more and we all would have been safer, but she didn't.
As I was watching the Danger Channel, a van deposited two ladies and seven boxes of produce and other goods in front of the bus stop. As they arrived it started to rain. I was helping them lug the boxes under the bus shelter before the pouring really began, and I noticed the traffic had stopped in both directions. There was a sort of quiet (except for the weather).
Then, the water truck came rolling by to cool the tar. We couldn't hear her scream, but we could see the foolish woman gesticulating wildly as the water truck seemed to aim for her.
Unabashedly, I laughed out loud. The other two ladies looked at me, looked back at the steaming new pavement and the woman stomping down the road, and decided to laugh with me.


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Mrs. Nicole S. Thompson-Martin is the current elected Treasurer for the Chesterfield County Branch NAACP. Nicole is a native New Yorker, and an honorably discharged U.S. Army Veteran, Logistics NCO. Nicole served her country for over 10 years on active duty before retiring due to service-related injuries where her last duty station was Fort Lee, Virginia. Nicole has been a devoted member of the Legal Redress Committee since 2016 serving as the Committee's top advocate. Nicole continues to serve her country as a Senior Management Analyst for the Force Management Support Agency. Within this capacity, Nicole oversees and approves multimillion-dollar acquisitions for the United States Army while also routinely briefing Generals and high-level executives on the needs of today's Army. She possesses years of experience ensuring that financial records are kept within the standards of an organization and holds three degrees to include a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Averett University.
Nicole and her husband, Mr. Lynn A. Martin, also a NAACP member, have been happily married for over 16 years. Together, they have 4 children, Stedman, J'Lynn, Shane, & Ava. Nicole also manages the successful acting and modeling careers for two of their children, Shane and Ava. They reside in Chester.


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Gunst to publish new cookbook
There's a lot of angst behind cookbook author Kathy Gunst's new cookbook, co-authored with friend Katherine Alford. "Rage Baking – The Transformative Power of Flour, Sugar and Women's Voice" (Tiller Press, Simon and Schuster) isn't due out until February, just before Women's History Month, but given its back story, there's likely a lot of people looking forward to it. Should be a real corker.
Its inspiration was the Brett Kavanaugh hearings – really. As Gunst listened to the proceedings, she become increasingly "deeply disturbed" by what she heard, "but I couldn't stop listening."
"I kind of lost my s*** that week; I was so upset. I'd felt like women in the country had come so far, but that week proved we hadn't." she says. "No one believes or listens to women."
Gunst, resident chef on NPR's "Here and Now," took to all her detressing activities naps, taking walks and the like, "but nothing worked."
"I found myself in the kitchen pulling (ingredients) and I started baking – not knowing what I was doing," Gunst, a cook rather than a baker, says. "Two hours later, I had an incredible cake and a calmer heart."
The next day she felt driven to do the same. Cakes, pies and other delights were her response to the hearing, Susan Collins' reaction and other occurrences.
"I started posting pics on Instagram 'Rage Baking,' and kept posting and baking," she says. "The name was literally because of what I was doing. I had this rage over how woman are being treated. I was full of rage."
After some discussion with Alford, "an old friend," the two decided to collaborate on a cookbook, one with intent.
"We invited a community of women to be in it. So there are recipes (cookie, cake, tart, and pie) and essays ... from a very diverse group of women, activists and writers; all kinds of women."
The baking continues to serve its purpose in her world.
In retrospect, she understands why baking was her response, what it did for her at that time. Baking requires discipline, it demands you slow down and follow the rules "or you have disaster," she says. "So, I found myself doing it for the focus and discipline and the science of baking. That got me through that time."
"Rage Baking" may be preordered at Simon And Schuster or Amazon. Check out what else Gunst is up to at www.kathygunst.com., and Instagram.
Rock Water Film Festival
Rock Water Film Festival was launched in 2016, a collaboration between founders Darcie Blake and Alex Keown, and Sue's Space and Wrong Brain, the latter two the event beneficiaries. Year three has only just reached its submission deadline.
"We've had people come from all over New England, ... and across the country. We have all ages and levels, teenagers to seasoned pros," Blake (who is also a stand-up comic) says. "It's been a really great way to get the community together. Seems a nice event to get people into a room ... and rub elbows with each other."
The two started the fest "because it's a great way to sit down with an audience, rather than sit alone, and watch locally made films," Blake says. "And because we're both filmmakers."
"Alex went to school to study film in Keene, and he's a professional animator. He's had films shown at the Rhode Island Film Festival and New Hampshire Film Festival, and works for an animation company based out of Cambridge."
"I'm a comedian, more an amateur," she adds. "I love the internet for getting my comedy out there, and making goofy little videos."
The festival is set for Sunday, July 28, beginning at 2 p.m. until 8 or 10 p.m., at Sue's Space, 3 Front St., Lower Salmon Falls Mills, Rollinsford. Info at https://www.facebook.com/rockwaterfilmfestival/ and https://www.facebook.com/events/1134895510028044/?ti=icl.
Blake, who performs under the moniker Skimmed Milk, also hosts and conducts interviews for music events. She also performs standup at Sue's Open Mic, the first Friday of every month, and writes a blog. You can see her work here: https://www.youtube.com/user/sensitivewhitegirls and https://instagram.com/skimm3d_milk
Ice show performers practicing
Ice Dance International is "channeling the chill," while practicing its ice routine in the gym at the Kittery Community Center for a Jacob's Pillow performance on July 17. It's the first ice skating routine presented at Jacob's outdoor, free concert series, thanks to the miracle of synthetic ice.
Executive Artistic Director Douglas Webster pitched the event at conferences, targeting Jacob's Pillow. He sent photos of IDI's PBS TV special and they went for it.
"They said they loved it, and said they'd like us to do a concert in the summer, and begin developing a relationship with us," Webster says. "We thought it would be a fun idea to present for the summer. ... They like their concerts to engage families."
The indoor rehearsals will run for five days. On Monday, July 15 at 6 p.m., they'll open one to the public. "Anyone can come and it's free." Of course, you're welcome to donate, IDI is a nonprofit, he says, "but it is free."
They will also offer a special skating demonstration for KCC campers – again open to the public – at 3:45 p.m.
Those performing are Sinead Kerr (a seven-time British Champion, a European Medalist and a two-time Olympian), Turkish Ice Dancing Champion and 2-time Olympian Alper Ucar, Azerbejian Ice Dance Champion Nadine Ahmed Kerr, and skaters Matej Silecky, Aaron Gillespie and Liz Schmidt.
The 6 p.m. demonstration/practice will include a Q & A. Webster will talk about the plans for IDI's winter at Strawbery Banke Museum - its first as SBM's company-in-residence.
"We'll have a company living at the Banke for two months, building a program," Webster, one of SBM's Labrie Family Skate founders, says. "We're also enlarging our program with public schools. ... We have one with Little Harbor School already, and now we'll do more schools and more of it."
IDI, which has its home-base in Kittery, also plans to expand programming into Maine's York County in the near future.
Bradley sets the record straight
Jamie Bradley is happy to set the record straight regarding his departure from the Interim Artistic Director position at Seacoast Rep, a position he held for just under a year.
"I WANTED to resign," he says, with emphasis. "It just wasn't the right fit for me. It wasn't what I really want to be doing."
Bradley met with Executive Director Kathleen Cavalaro to talk about the position, he says. " I told her I was not happy doing what I was doing. The work wasn't making me happy. I'm glad I got to do it, but I was hoping to do something else," he says. "I consider myself an entertainer. I just want to perform."
Bradley is staying on with the theater. He'll continue to curate its Jamie Bradley's Homegrown Series, and plans on directing more, "and I'll be acting time to time as well."
He's already scheduled to perform in "Once" Sept. 12 to Oct. 12 at the Rep.
As for the turn of events, he's relieved, he says, "very much so."


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Essential issues on solving optimal power flow problems using soft-computing
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This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Numerical Algebra, Control and Optimization following peer review. Chan, K.Y. and Yu, C. and Teo, K.L. and Nordholm, S. 2014. Essential issues on solving optimal power flow problems using soft-computing. Numerical Algebra, Control and Optimization. 4 (4): pp. 341-351 is available online at: https://www.aimsciences.org/journals/contentsListnew.jsp?pubID=739
Optimal power ow (OPF) problems are important optimization problems in power systems which aim to minimize the operation cost of generators so that the load demand can be met and the loadings are within the feasible operating regions of the generators. This brief paper emphasizes two essential issues related to solving the OPF problems and which are rarely addressed in recent research into power systems: 1) the necessity to validate operational constraints on OPF, which determine the feasibility of power systems designed for the OPF problems; and 2) and the necessity to developconventional methods for solving OPF problems which can be more effective than the commonly-used heuristic methods.
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It's been four years since I last undocked, and I'm immediately greeted by explosions as a player's ship detonates.
A terse "gf" – for "good fight," proper dueling etiquette – pops up in the local solar system's global chat, interrupting the wall of text from merchants hawking deals that feel too good to be true (because they're scams). Elsewhere, someone has erected countless mobile structures just outside of a station, their icons spelling out… well, it's either a recruiting advertisement, a way to mark territory, or they're just killing time.
I'm finally back in EVE Online, and nothing has changed.
But everything has, too: back in 2016 CCP Games' EVE Online, the massively multiplayer online space opera with the famously brutal learning curve and single, shared server, became one of many to drop the subscription requirement and move to a free-to-play model that's ostensibly friendlier to the curious. This past June, two longtime CCP developers were promoted to the position of creative director and executive producer. They have plans to steer EVE in new directions, but how do you keep a notoriously unfriendly 15-year old MMO game alive (and thriving) in the free-to-play era?
In light of their new positions and new updates to the game, Gamasutra chatted (via email) with creative director Bergur Finnbogason and executive producer Sveinbjörn Magnússon, to learn more about how they'll lend their experience to guide an ever-evolving vision for the future of EVE.
More players means more content
Players are the lifeblood of any game, but EVE Online is different: every capsuleer coexists in a single shared universe, separated only by time zones and the distance between stargates. Over the last 15 years CCP has shepherded a singular spacefaring society, built on the mantra that players are the content.
"EVE is a social game and we do definitely want to grow the current playerbase. Going [free-to-play] was definitely a step in that direction."
In those spectacular battles EVE is so famous for, every ship destroyed, and every shot or missile or laser fired, was built, hauled, and traded by an individual. And for over a decade, those players turned over a few dollars a month directly (or indirectly, through in-game currency) to CCP's coffers.
Today's players balk at monthly subscriptions, and are flocking to free-to-play, "freemium" experiences that earn their coin on things like cosmetic upgrades, or temporary bonuses: think Fortnite, Paladins, or Warframe. Lowering the barrier to entry is a smart move for any game developer who wants to see healthy subscriber totals, and a game as notorious as EVE Online might do well to appear as friendly as it can.
"EVE is a social game and we do definitely want to grow the current playerbase," Sveinbjörn says. No matter what your playstyle, be it a mission runner or a resident of lawless zero-security space, there's a place for everyone to contribute to the vast canvas that is EVE. "Going [free-to-play] was definitely a step in that direction and something we will keep expanding on in the future," he continues.
With the move to a free-to-play model, the universe of EVE Online has been split between Alpha and Omega players. Some context: in EVE, players advance over time, literally, by accruing skill points. As minutes, hours, and even days or months pass, these skills grant them the ability to pilot more advanced ships, use exotic equipment, or manufacture items more efficiently.
The game's skill trees reward specialization, to the extent that new players aren't crowded out by veterans: after six years of play my characters can fly advanced ships equipped with top-tier gear, but that just makes me an attractive payday for newer players with superior tactics (or numbers) on their side. The free-to-play Alpha tier limits the ships you can fly, the skills you can train, keeping the most advanced items out of reach, while Omegas are subscribers; they're playing the same EVE they always have. So how do you build a universe-spanning empire on the backs of an underpowered, potentially transitory free-to-play population?
The meat and potatoes of EVE Online player progression: skill trees
Just fine, apparently. The move to a free-to-play model "has attracted new types of players and has diversified the player community," Bergur says. "With [the] introduction of alpha clones, our players have adopted a new doctrine where younger players have more of a role in the everyday activities of New Eden."
I've been experiencing this first-hand. In groups, Alpha characters play much the same role newer players always have: you don't need an expensive ship or a lot of fancy character skills to roam in a successful pirate gang, or hold another player in place while your buddies rip them to pieces. Alphas miss out on some of the fancier toys but the core, community-driven experience that makes EVE distinct is arguably more important, and still shines through.
As a returning player currently puttering around on an Alpha account it's admittedly been a bit painful to dust off my old equipment and discover I can't use most of it, having long passed the skill threshold. But I've found quiet joy in tackling challenges with fresh eyes. And as I find myself idly mulling over resubscribing, I realize how effective this free-to-play experiment can be.
Keeping players engaged
CCP's developers say that experimentation, and engaging with the playerbase, is what keeps EVE Online feeling fresh for new players and veterans alike. Those experiments are driven, in part, by player feedback.
"We are relying more on combining and comparing both analytical data and surveys," Sveinbjörn explains. There's nothing especially novel there. CCP's twist comes in the form of the Council of Stellar Management (CSM), a group of players, elected by other players, to serve as liaisons to the developers.
The CSM has weighed in on a number of controversies over the years, as well as working closely with the developers to shape the direction of EVE Online. Abyssal deadspaces, a new type of content introduced in May this year, are a recent, interesting result of this approach.
"Abyssal Deadspace… gives us an opportunity to test out new types of gameplay that previously we've been quite reluctant to test out."
"The original concept [for Abyssal Deadspaces] and what we ended up delivering are two very different things, though the core DNA is still there," Bergur explains. The concept is familiar, albeit wildly out of place in EVE Online: they're single-player dungeons on a 20-minute timer, with randomized encounters to challenge a player's skill and equipment.
But the developers have actually snuck in a petri dish for experimentation, under the guise of giving players content in bite-sized chunks. "Abyssal Deadspace… gives us an opportunity to test out new types of gameplay that previously we've been quite reluctant to test out," Bergur says.
An abyssal deadspace zone in EVE Online
An abyssdal deadspace zone might feature more cinematic camera angles or "weather" effects that alter a ship's behavior in strange ways, so CCP can observe how players respond, or how the game's engine performs without upsetting the rest of the game's balance. The changes experienced might not make it into the final product, but the knowledge informs future updates and interations.
"We've already tried out multiple new ideas and we should start seeing some of them bleed out to the rest of the game," Bergur continues. And the players, and their democratically-elected council, where at the heart of this development. "The CSM input really helped us shape the concept to a point where it became as successful as it was," he adds.
To implement this regular feedback from the player community, CCP also ramped up their update schedule. Like many MMOs, EVE's development was once bookended by regular expansions, with major features (new ships, equipment, and activities, for example) arriving every six months. By 2014 that gave way to regular updates roughly every four to six weeks.
Watch out for moonpir8s
"One of the great things that happened when we went to the monthly release cadence is that it allowed us to really test out new ideas and iterate way quicker than before." Bergur says. CCP can then quickly pivot based on player reactions, honing in on what keeps players happy.
What's next?
In September, CCP was acquired for $425 million by Pearl Abyss, the developers of the free-to-play MMO Black Desert Online. Pearl Abyss CEO Robin Jung specifically cites CCP's "incredible job of engaging and maintaining their playerbase" as one of the reasons for the acquisition, and stated that the EVE Online developer "will continue to operate independently." That said, while the influx of cash and the promised independence bode well for EVE Online (and its fans), the future is impossible to predict.
CCP has recently stepped back from the VR space, which makes EVE's success even more important for the company. And the company hasn't shared subscriber counts since March 2013, when EVE Online hit 500,000 subscribers. But the free-to-play model aligns with CCP's culture of experimentation, and will continue to shape how the game evolves.
"We are constantly looking at the market and how it's moving and what's happening," Bergur says. "We strongly believe that more players equals more content equals more fun!"


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Fall for Italy's second city, and you'll fall for good. Dig below the suave surface, and holidays in Milan are richly rewarding.
Milan excels at many things, but, above all, it excels at fashion. The city hosts numerous events and trade fairs, is inhabited by often dauntingly dapper locals, and boasts boutiques by everyone from Armani to Zegna.
There's also serious financial oomph: as well as being home to a battalion of bankers, Italy's stock exchange is located here.
The industrial powerhouse scores too for football (calcio) – multi-European champions AC Milan and Inter Milan share its legendary San Siro stadium – and food, with a raft of newly Michelin-starred chefs making it one of 2022's culinary must-visit destinations.
Milan also has a reputation for being reserved, a stereotype that's based upon the city's often grey, modern buildings and business-like locals. Give a holiday in Milan a chance, however, and you'll encounter culture, charm, flamboyance and beauty.
There's La Scala, a world-leading opera house, the Pirelli tower, a triumph of 1960s modernism, and grand Gothic cathedral Il Duomo, one of the world's finest buildings.
And then there's the Santa Maria alle Grazie Basilica, home to Leonardo da Vinci's mural 'The Last Supper'. Art doesn't come any more vital than this masterpiece.
This is also a place where incredible galleries hide in plain sight and where fantastic cocktail bars are squirreled away in unpromising courtyards: a place that rewards exploration and enterprise.
Stroll districts such as the canal-filled Navigli or raffish Corso Como and you'll encounter Milan's own dolce vita (good life).
Here, gelaterias, aperitivi bars and cheap pizzerias accompany high-design furniture stores and impressive, plant-swathed high rises.
Another plus of cheap city breaks in Milan is the dreamy location. Lake Como and ski slopes are both within reach as a day-trip, as are vineyards, beaches and all-inclusive resort hotels.
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NSWALC has been providing assistance to the Murrin Bridge Local Aboriginal Land Council after being advised of a COVID-19 related matter affecting its community near Lake Cargelligo.
Subsequently, the Murrin Bridge LALC (MBLALC) voluntarily closed the Aboriginal community on Monday 10 August, 2020 for 14 days.
No visitors will be allowed in and community members have been asked to isolate at home.
These measures have been implemented to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 entering the community. It is in line with similar precautions taken by other remote and discrete Aboriginal communities across New South Wales throughout the health pandemic.
NSWALC supports the decision of MBLALC to close the community, and would like to reinforce the importance of exercising caution during these challenging times. COVID-19 poses a major threat to Aboriginal peoples and we must work together to keep each other safe.
NSWALC asks visitors to reconsider travelling to Aboriginal communities where possible and encourages individuals and communities to continue to practice the following precautionary measures:
Assistance for the Murrin Bridge community
NSWALC advises that it is working with the MBLALC, NSW State Government and NSW Health to address the situation and is providing assistance to help community members take adequate precautions to limit the risk of transmission of COVID-19.
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Ocean City Maryland Boardwalk
Like Coney Island and Atlantic City, Maryland has a town known for its exciting boardwalk and access to the Atlantic Ocean. Ocean City, nestled on a narrow strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and Isle of Wright, also has a boardwalk full of fun. All three of seaside resort towns have been favorite destinations for generations. Today, the boardwalk in Ocean City continues to be an exciting place from sun up to long after the sun goes down.
The Ocean City Maryland boardwalk stretches for three miles, separating the sand from the Coastal Highway. The white-sand Ocean City beaches are easy to reach from the boardwalk; within a few steps of the bustling boardwalk, you can go swimming, build sandcastles, step up to the challenge of surfing, play volleyball, and so much more.
Back on the boardwalk, which is consistently voted one of the best in America, you'll find a huge amount of things to do in Ocean City. Thrill rides, games, great shopping, night clubs, concerts, and saltwater to taffy are just the beginning of the Ocean City boardwalk attractions.
The boardwalk in Ocean City has been home to the Trimper's Carousel for nearly century. Visitors also can take in the views from the top of the Ferris wheel and find thrills with the roller coaster. Other Ocean City boardwalk attractions within steps of the rides include arcades, miniature golf, water slides, and the Jolly Roger, a pirate-themed amusement park.
Many of the Ocean City boardwalk attractions and happenings are free, which is something those on a tight budget will appreciate. You could take in a street performance, watch the kites catch the breeze, listen to live music, or simply go for a walk. The beaches are always free to visit, and of course, it's forever free to watch the sun set and enjoy the ocean breeze. For a few dollars, you can catch a ride on the boardwalk tram when you want to relax but still get to the next fun attraction.
Skateboards, rollerblades, and bikers are allowed on the boardwalk in Ocean City, but some regulations are in effect. In the summer, when the crowds are the biggest, cyclists and rollerbladers are welcome at select times, and skateboarding is limited to the park on Third Street and St. Louis Avenue. If you don't want to bring your own bike, don't worry; there are plenty of places to rent a bike along the Ocean City Maryland boardwalk.
There are plenty of places along the boardwalk to find something great to eat. Several restaurants and snack stands serve up crab cakes, Delmarva fried chicken, boardwalk fries, pizza, and barbecue. Sit-down restaurants are also found along here, which are perfect when the night air gets a little chilly or the mid-day sun is a little much. Visitors with a sweet tooth will enjoy the taffy, funnel cakes, fudge, ice cream, and cotton candy.
Shoppers also will be in their element along the Ocean City Maryland Boardwalk. At Somerset Plaza, you'll find an array of shops, cafes, and even Internet access. All along the way, there's souvenir shops, boutiques, and other interesting places to shop.
Before there was a Coast Guard, there was the U.S. Life-Saving Service. You can learn more about them at the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, right on the boardwalk. Young visitors especially love seeing what's swimming in the Aquarium Room.
It's possible to enjoy an Ocean City vacation without leaving the boardwalk. Several hotels enjoy a prime location right along the beach, offering fantastic ocean views and easy access to all of the action. These Ocean City boardwalk hotels can suit all kind of vacationers, whether you're looking for a weeklong family getaway or a romantic escape for two. Tight budgets and luxury vacationers alike can make reservations at the oceanfront hotels along the boardwalk.
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