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Gregory Kristof is the Co-founder and a managing partner at Zero Gravity Basketball. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s business development, as well as the event management for more than 200 events a year.
Kristof is a 2004 Cum Laude graduate of Brandeis University, with concentrations in Economics, International Business and Sociology. Kristof was a four-year letter winner on the Men’s Varsity Basketball team where he was also a two-year captain and made the University Athletic Association All-Academic team for three years. From 2006-2012, Kristof was the head coach at The Brimmer and May School in Chestnut Hill, where he won over 120 games in a six-year span. More importantly, he placed 7 of his players at NCAA Division I collegiate programs at schools such as: Harvard University, Bryant, Fordham, Northeastern, and The University of Hartford.
In 2010, Kristof and Co-founder, Steve Gibbs, Founded Zero Gravity Basketball with the mission of improving opportunities for basketball players of all ages and abilities. Since the founding, Zero Gravity has seen unparalleled growth in the grassroots basketball industry. The company now operates in 23 states and has entered in strategic partnerships with the best sports complexes and facilities along the East Coast to produce the highest quality tournaments available in youth sports.
In addition to Kristof’s role as the Co-founder and managing partner at Zero Gravity Basketball, he also serves as the director of the prestigious All Academic Camp, which draws over 120 college coaches to evaluate at each summer.
Steve Gibbs is a Co-founder at Zero Gravity. He is responsible for managing all of the day-to-day business and event operations of the organization for more than 200 events a year.
Gibbs is a 2007 Graduate of the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management & Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. While at UMass, Gibbs served in multiple roles for their NCAA Division I Athletic Department. This included time on both the Athletic Marketing Staff and the External Operations and Sales side. In addition to working for the Minutemen’s Athletic Department, Gibbs served as an assistant to Sports Lawyers Association President, Glenn M. Wong. He helped in the development of Careers in Sports; a book dedicated to helping young students break into the sports industry.
After graduation from UMass, Gibbs joined the Boston College Athletic Operations staff. He was responsible for assisting in the event operations efforts of nine NCAA Division I varsity programs During this tenure, Gibbs also assisted in the management and operations of the ACC Field Hockey Championship Tournament, Women’s Basketball NIT and the NCAA Tournament for both Men’s and Women’s Soccer. Gibbs was also in charge of recruiting and managing the BC Athletic Operations Student Work Program and High School Intern Program.
In 2010, Gibbs and Co-Founder, Gregory Kristof, Founded Zero Gravity Basketball with the mission of improving opportunities for basketball players of all ages and abilities. Since the founding, Zero Gravity has seen unparalleled growth in the grassroots basketball industry. The company now operates in 23 states and has entered in strategic partnerships with the best sports complexes and facilities along the East Coast to produce the highest quality tournaments available in youth sports.
Director of Basketball Operations
Jason started his ZG career as a Co-Op during the Spring of 2018. After eight months, he left for a Graduate Assistant position on the Men’s Basketball Staff at Arizona State University for Coach Bobby Hurley and Associate Head Coach Rashon Burno. During that season, the Sun Devils won their first NCAA Tournament game in Hurley’s tenure. After one season, Jason had opportunities at the NBA level but ultimately decided to return to Zero Gravity.
Jason is the Director of ZGXL, an elite exposure circuit, and All-Academic Basketball, a national showcase and camp series, the first of its kind in the nation. His responsibilities at Zero Gravity include oversight of the New England region, all of Zero Gravity’s exposure events and other big picture company objectives. Jason graduated from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst in 2017 with a degree in Sports Management and grew up in nearby Andover, Massachusetts.
Director of Business Development
Scott joined the ZG team in 2018 upon graduating from Arizona State University. While at Arizona State, Scott worked as a student manager for Bobby Hurley and the men’s basketball staff. He spent his final two years serving the program as Head Manager, and in his senior year was apart of the Sun Devil’s first NCAA Tournament team since 2014. Scott graduated from Arizona State in 2018 with degrees in Business Marketing and Business Management.
Scott’s responsibilities with Zero Gravity include managing Adidas events, oversight of full-time staff and working with the CEO/CFO on market strategies and long term company goals. Scott was raised in Reno, Nevada where he was a three year varsity basketball player.

domain: sports


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Home Contact Us Graphic Sitemap. Loranger was no longer priest of St. Under the pretext of honouring the Virgin Mary, she insults her by outraging and misrepresenting her adorable Son.
Nevertheless to avoid fornication let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. With total clarity several subjects are covered: Fear God, my child; walk in His presence, for His eye seeth you everywhere.
50 Years In The Church Of Rome
I had enough self-control, however, to conceal my pleasure, and I answered my friend: A terrible example of this I had in my own house. The sight of him sent a thrill of uneasiness through my whole frame. He often invited me to his solitary but neat little home, and I fifty years in the church of rome pdf download visited him without receiving some proofs of a sincere kindness.
I said to my child: Had mother herself, frightened by the threats of the priest, relinquished that treasure? Ever since my first confession I felt angry every time I thought of that priest.
Free 50 years in the church of rome PDF
Chiniquy’s extensive Table of Contents. How long, O Lord, shall eownload insolent enemy of the gospel, the Church of Rome, be permitted to fatten herself upon the tears of the widow and of the orphan by means of that cruel and impious invention of paganism purgatory? I was often struck with terror and filled with disgust at what I heard in those meetings.
Though churhc had taken a large quantity of wine he did not fall. It took us three years to study the Latin grammar, when twelve months would have sufficed for all we learned of it. Twice they rolled with him under the table.
Has there ever been, or will there ever be, a priest or a layman to believe what the Church of Rome teaches on this dreadful mystery of the Real Presence?
Vive le son, vive le son, Mangeons a la gamelle, Vive le son du flacon! She welcomed him as an angel from heaven.
It is fiftg sun of the world, the foundation and the only support of Christian knowledge and civilization. The world today in order to keep the Faith of All times needs more than poetic words. The singular mystery in which they were trying to wrap the poor monk, filled me with trouble and anxiety.
The poor Roman Catholic people have been fitty by her and are facing spiritual disaster. The grave events of last night have, no doubt, decided many of you to attend debates which some began oc forsake, but the importance of which, it seems to me, increases day by day.
How soon such an one gets to the summit of science, and becomes master of all knowledge. He has broken my chains, and with His holy Word He has made me free.
Fifty years in the Church of Rome
With what pleasure did he see me working difficult problems in algebra, and even in geometry! After each health a song or a story was called for, several of which were followed by applause, shouts of joy, and convulsive laughter.
Several pieces of music, well executed, gave new life to this part of the entertainment. Rome, in her colleges and convents, brings up, or raises up, the youth from their earliest years; but to what height does she permit the young man or woman to be raised? That place was then in its infancy, and no school had yet been established. Without my telling you by whom it was done, you may be assured that Mr.

domain: literature


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TMJD: How to Recognise and Treat Jaw Pain
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJD) or more simply put, jaw pain, is a common condition that is estimated to affect approximately 12% of the population at some point in their life. Learn the causes and symptoms of TMJD as well as the best actions to take to treat jaw pain.
What is TMJD?
The jaw is a complex joint that has multiple muscles and a small disc that is attached to the mandible. TMJD includes a group of conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and the muscles which control jaw movement.
There are three main categories that the conditions fall into:
1. Pain from the muscles around the jaw that control jaw function.
2. Problems involving displacement or degeneration of the disc that sits within the jaw joint.
3. Arthritis involving the jaw. Excessive wear and tear due to incorrect jaw alignment or joint biomechanics can lead to arthritis developing in this joint.
Causes of Jaw Pain
There are many potential causes of jaw pain. These include:
- Joint tracking dysfunction
- Clenching and grinding
- Muscle imbalances
- Damage of the disc
- Cartilage in the jaw
Repercussions of Untreated TMJD
Because there are so many potential causes for jaw pain, it is important to treat jaw pain and get any type of pain correctly assessed as soon as possible. Temporomandibular dysfunction can be an extremely debilitating condition to suffer from. It can lead to issues beyond just pain in the jaw. It can lead to difficulty eating and chewing heavy foods, facial pain, headaches and migraines, hip tension, and shoulder imbalances plus weakness in the internal core.
Jaw Pain Treatment
There is a range of health care professionals who can assess and treat jaw pain and dysfunction, ranging from allied health practitioners such as chiropractors and TMJ physiotherapists, many dentists plus more specialised neuromuscular dentists.
A good starting point to effectively treat jaw pain is visiting an allied health practitioner who will assess the range of motion, assess tracking of the jaw, release the tight muscles and joints around the jaw, as well as prescribe TMJ pain relief exercises if needed. If the jaw dysfunction requires further intervention involving a specialist or neuromuscular dentist, the allied health practitioner should have a good referral network to someone specialised in that area.
Treat Jaw Pain with Dr Miki
I treat a lot of TMJD or jaw pain patients and have had success helping people who have suffered from headaches and neck pain associated with their jaw dysfunction. If you would like more information about how chiropractic may be able to help treat jaw pain or if you would like to come in for an appointment I would love to help. Feel free to book online or contact us today.

domain: medical


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2014 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale - The company has introduced the Trident Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale four seats on the Geneva Motor Show 2013. There are also other versions of the new Quattroporte. This is the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale four-seater , which has made ??its world debut at the Swiss event. Come accompanied by other versions of the Maserati Quattroporte .
The Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale will be built in the historic factory in Viale Ciro Menotti in Modena. As is the case with the previous two-seater model, the new Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale is inspired by the competition version involved in the Trofeo Maserati. The new carbon bonnet, framing a large central air intake and two rear extractors , and tires of 20 inches, the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale adds a four-seater cabin and an interior renovated in style and materials. The carbon finish also allows you to keep the weight of the previous version of -1700 kg two-seater, which makes the new MC Stradale in the car lighter and faster for up to four adults in the GranTurismo range.
The black grille and red finishes on the Trident denote belonging to the MC range. The moldings are standard black soft and seats are standard on combined perforated Alcantara with red stitching finishes complementing the Trident on the grille. Additionally there are three types of wheel, all multifunction, combining leather and Alcantara or leather and fiber carbon.
In the mechanical, the new Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale equipped the 4.7-liter V8 engine and 460 hp and used in the GranTurismo Sport , although this is lower than -10 mm in the front and 12 mm rear- . This block is fitted with a manual gearbox MC Race Shift robotized six-speed that allows change to higher gears in 60 milliseconds, associated with transaxle scheme which will provide a great deal of weight between the front and rear. This transmission system can also choose between Automatic modes, Sport and Race, each of which improves throttle response.
It reaches 100 km / h in 4.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 303 km / h. Its power and efficiency while the program to be friction-reducing Maserati carried out, taking advantage of the vehicle length and includes the addition of a deep front splitter integrated with the front bumper, side skirts, one rear bumper new profile and a pronounced tailgate spoiler. The brake system has carboceramicos Brembo discs with a diameter brake pump 27 mm to increase the power and the pedal stroke is shorter than usual.
It features four wheels 20-inch alloy lighter than usual and tires made by Pirelli PZero Corsa to ensure greater adherecia.2014 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale pictures gallery

domain: design


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(Left to right)Gleb Iakovlev, David Conroy, PhD, Miriam Davidson, MSCS, Angela Pfammatter, PhD, Jennifer Warnick, Ginne Meyers, Gene McFadden, Steven Driver, MD, MPH, Bonnie Spring, PhD, Elyse Daly, Tiara Adams, RD, LDN, Christine Pellegrini, PhD, Sara Hoffman, Claire Maby, Jeremy Steglitz, MPH, MS, Elena Garza
Current trials Make Better Choices 2 and Opt-In are part of the lab's work in intervention development to reduce unhealthy diet and activity behaviors related to obesity. Our work explores the efficacy of interventions on diet, exercise, and sedentary behaviors using feedback supplied via mobile technologies. EBBP, along with its sister project, Team Science, helps bridge gaps among research, policy, and clinical practice in the US and internationally. Collaborative work with Erie Family Health Center in Chicago is securing physician input in order to improve provider tools for obesity intervention in electronic health records.
Major funding comes via grants from the National Institutes of Health, particularly NIDDK, OBSSR, and NHLBI, as well as foundations, such as the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced awards for 11 Big Data (BD2K) Centers of Excellence on Oct. 9, 2014. We're proud to be part of a team of researchers from 11 universities (Cornell Tech, Georgia Tech, Memphis, Michigan, Ohio State, Northwestern, Rice, UCLA, UCSD, UCSF, UMass) and Open mHealth that has been awarded a grant for an NIH Center of Excellence on Mobile Sensor Data-to-Knowledge (MD2K). Congratulations to the entire team. You can find more details on our research agenda and the team on the MD2K website.
For an overview of the ongoing research and work within Bonnie Spring’s Center for Behavior and Health, visit www.springteam.org.
Spring Lab in the News:
January 2015 In our team's review of the top-ranked physical activity apps, two general types of apps emerged: (1) educational + support and (2) motivational + support. News of our findings can be found in: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Reuters, Huffington Post, Shape Magazine, Pop Sugar, ThinkProgress, Medical Xpress, PsychCentral, and Health24.
'Friending' Your Way Thin' news article captures our recently published research discovery on how even online friends whom you’ve never met can help you lose weight.
November 2014 Article in Medscape describes that most primary care patients have multiple health risk factors, with poor diet, inactivity, and sleep problems being the most common. On the bright side, most patients report valuing their health and being ready to change one risk factor.
October 2014 Feinberg announces Spring Lab's NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiative grant to develop sensors and adaptive feedback system targeting smoking relapse and overeating prevention.
July 2014 Dr. Bonnie Spring is interviewed by Healthy Day News for "Change Bad Habits Early, Save Your Heart Later".
Dr. Bonnie Spring is interviewed by the Feinberg School of Medicine News for Adopting Healthy Habits.
June 2014 Dr. Bonnie Spring is interviewed by NPR.org for "A Misspent Youth Doesn't Doom You to Heart Disease".
May 2014 Listen to an NIH "The Connector" podcast with Bonnie Spring as she discusses the major challenges of integrating technology into intervention development.
April 2014 Bonnie Spring quoted by Fox News in a piece about the benefit of adding tech to weight-loss programs.
January 2014 A mobile messaging software company seeking an outside evidence-base for describing the "power and potential of mHealth technology", cited Spring Lab's research as published in JAMA Integrating Technology Into Standard Weight Loss Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
April 2013 Spring Lab is hiring postdoctoral fellows and research assistants in preparation for launching our new Opt-In trial. For more information, please see the departmental employment page.
February 2013 Bonnie Spring interviewed by Chicago Magazine.
December 2012 Interview with Bonnie Spring on smartphones and weightloss in Boston Globe. Also read Bonnie Spring's comments on the intersection between mobile health and RCTs "Is the RCT Too Slow for Mobile Health?" and "mHealth Developers Point to Need for Better, Faster Testing"
November 2012 Tribune article about holiday eating in the office. Bonnie Spring is interviewed.
August 2012 Make Better Choices 2 has begun to make headlines. Bonnie Spring was interviewed by Fox News on 8/15. See the video here.
July 2012 The original Make Better Choices study has garnered significant media attention. A selection includes this ABC interview aired on 27 July 2012. A US News & World Report piece can be read here, the Chicago Sun Times reported on the study here. Other pieces can be found here, here, and here.
Bonnie J Spring, PhD, ABBP
Dr. Spring is a Professor of Preventive Medicine, Psychology, & Psychiatry and also the Director of Northwestern University’s Center for Behavior and Health. She also serves as the Chief of Behavioral Medicine in Preventive Medicine, Co-Program Leader for Cancer Prevention and Director of Team Science, NUCATS. For more information, visit www.springteam.org

domain: health


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I recently came across this quote that has left my spirit rather restless.
When it comes to beliefs that I feel unapologetically convicted about, my confirmation bias tends to take over, rendering my judgements unreliable. How does one rectify one’s obstinate—and perhaps what ought to be obsolete—beliefs, to improve oneself?
Exhibit A of a Stagnant Belief of mine: My Romantic Ideologies.
I am a romantic, who pretends not to be. My personalities swing like pendulums between idealism and pragmatism. There are my hopes and dreams for people, for my relationships, for the future, and then there are my crude understanding of the reality. Whenever I hear stories about how relationships fail to work, I am reminded of the obsolescence of romanticism. Since I’ve read the quote above a few weeks ago, I have been seriously considering abandoning my romantic ideologies, I just haven’t quite figured out how yet.
And if I may be a hundred percent transparent, a huge part of me preemptively mourns and weeps for the loss of that romantic part of me. After all, if I am no longer a romantic, would I still be me?
This was another quote I came across recently that has really resonated with me. It has succinctly captured a powerful concept that I couldn’t quite articulate well myself; it is the notion that: both the quality AND quantity we invest into our goals define how successful we will be at it. Alex Hormozi said that doing 100 repetition of anything well, will result in noticeable improvements, however incremental it may be. It is not any one workout that we do is impressive, rather, the culmination of workouts that we day in and day out, devote ourselves to, that make a difference.
Have I devoted enough time and energy into the goals that I vehemently care about? Have you? If not, what we some of the accountability measures we can implement to ensure that we are doing our due diligence to be better, rather than waiting passively, praying and hoping that our desired goals would miraculously manifest themselves?


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If there’s something every hockey fan knows about Philadelphia it’s that they’ll always be known for the “Broad Street Bullies” of the 1970s. Hell, they’ve been trying to recreate that atmosphere in Philly ever since then it seems and why not, those were the teams that brought Philadelphia their only two Stanley Cups in team history. If you’re wondering what it could take to have players from those teams endear themselves to the city of Philadelphia even more, how about becoming American citizens? That’s what four players from the Flyers’ golden age are doing.
Canadians Bill Clement, Orest Kindrachuk, Bob Kelly and Dave Schultz are known for leading the Flyers to their only two Stanley Cup titles in 1974 and 1975. They raised the Cup together and they’ll raise their right hands to take the citizenship oath.
“It’s just the right thing to do,” Kelly said. “It’s something we should have done a long, long time ago.”
The Flyers foursome was encouraged by former teammate Bob Dailey and U.S. Representative Bob Brady to start the citizenship process this year.
“They’re not terrorists, though they were terrorists on the ice,” Brady said. “They’re law-abiding contributing citizens in the Philadelphia area.”
Most fans probably know Bill Clement by now either from his days as Gary Thorne’s sidekick on ESPN or EA’s NHL video games or from, perhaps his forever creepy bug spray commercial. Orest Kindrachuk has one of the best all-time hockey names and centerman on those teams while Bob Kelly was a left wing.
Dave Schultz you may know better from his nickname as “The Hammer.” Schultz was one of the toughest guys on those Broad Street Bullies teams which is a compliment in and of itself. Don’t worry, with such a reputation on the ice it’s doubtful the United States will hold that against him while doing a background check on him to become a citizen. He’s been an upstanding person since retiring from the NHL, at least as far as we can tell. The thought of Schultz giving someone the business in an office setting is both hilarious and terrifying all the same.
With the process to become citizens underway, the foursome hope to become official dual citizens by the end of the year.

domain: news


Preventing the “works in my dev environment” scenario often times requires creating a Vagrant box to mirror the QA and production environments as closely as possible. RealEyes gives provides some tips and links that we’ve leveraged to create a solid execution of “vagrant up”.
When I was tasked with determine the max users that an m4.xlarge AWS instance running WowzaStreamingEngine delivering HLS content could reliably handle; I found out quickly I had a fairly difficult task ahead of me. Luckily I found a few blog posts that pointed me in the right direction and provided the base JMeter test plan to work with.
Adobe made some changes to AMS in version 5.0.8. The included Apache server got upgraded to 2.4, and with that came a change to the live packaging of streams. Now you can inject ID3 data into HDS and HLS streams! This article walks through how to.
Using the PHDS, PHLS, or PRTMP feature of Adobe Media Server is reliant on some certificate files provided with the installation. From time to time these files are set to expire and new files are provided by new AMS install versions. With the release of AMS 5.0.7, it has been noted in the release notes that these certificate files will need to be replaced again before April 6th, 2015:
The idea of being able to upload recordings to Connect can be an attractive thing under the right circumstances. The two most common use cases are when a recording needs to be repaired because of an audio issue (this is probably going to be done by Adobe or a savvy support person with your reseller) and wanting multiple versions of the same recording.
Wowza has been growing up as a product well placed to take over the streaming media world. As a result of their attention to focusing on ease of use and an ability to reach every screen they have created the new industry leader in streaming media technology. Because of this we have come to see the Wowza Streaming Engine (WSE) as the most future proof option you can purchase.
Released today (Nov 18, 2014) are three new products to add to the Varnish Plus application; Unlimited cache sizing, increased caching performance and customized cache optimization support content-heavy, high-traffic sites.
“For most consumers, websites are now the pivotal point of interaction with companies. If information and content isn’t delivered instantly, they will seek alternatives that are just a mouse-click away,” – Per Buer, Founder and CTO, Varnish Software.
Unlimited cache sizing with Varnish Massive Storage Engine
The new Varnish Massive Storage Engine tackles the problems of content-heavy sites by allowing the Varnish caching layer to handle multi-terabyte data sets. This makes it possible to cache almost unlimited objects while the website performance remains stable over time. The Varnish Massive Storage Engine is targeted at business with large data sets such as online retailers, image banks, video distributors or Content Distribution Networks and enables them to deliver high quality content within their current infrastructure while pushing the bounds of modern web experience delivery.
Increased caching performance and resilience with Varnish High Availability
Varnish High Availability is a high performance content replicator that eliminates cache misses (when an item looked up in the cache is not found) and ensures the stability of the Varnish Cache set-up. By protecting the backend infrastructure from overload caused by cache misses, it increases website performance and minimizes the risk of frustrated visitors leaving websites. Varnish High Availability is for Varnish Cache users whose sites are business-critical. It can be installed with any multi-cache Varnish Cache setup, including two/three node CDN POP installations.
Customized cache optimization with Varnish Tuner
Varnish Tuner automates customized cache optimization in both the Varnish and operating system environments. It recommends configuration options for the Varnish Cache set-up including how the operating system should be tuned, which cache parameters should be changed or replaced and also explains these recommendations. Varnish Tuner makes it possible for businesses to find the specific set-ups that best matches their resources and needs, resulting in better website performance.
Varnish Massive Storage Engine, Varnish High Availability and Varnish Tuner are all available from today with a Varnish Plus subscription
Contact us today for all your Varnish purchasing/training/configuration needs!
Since iOS 8 went live on the 17th and I updated a few of my devices over the weekend, I decided to do some quick testing of web video playback. I wanted to see if there were any little, undocumented changes that would affect our custom, cross-platform video player, or our general approach to working with HTML video – like the changes to exiting fullscreen video that came in the update from iOS 6 -> iOS 7.


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We thought that the silk man probably worked as a spy whenever he was not selling exquisite embroidery to tourists wandering the stone lanes of Dubrovnik. He seemed too clever and too inquisitive to be a full-time shopkeeper. His English was fluent with an engaging knowledge of the vernacular ('Did you know that the English are the only people in the world who say "doily"?'). But he put his command of languages - fluent German, a smattering of Japanese - down to the fact that tourists are returning to this historic city.
Like thousands of other Croatian men, his life was very different a decade ago as he stood up above the walled city beyond the mountain ridge where a large cross stands. 'I was in the 163rd Brigade. They called it the barbecue brigade and scientists will one day find the remains of shrimps and fish we cooked and think the sea once rose so high,' he recalled. 'My daughter was born while I was up there. I looked forward to returning to the front line to get some sleep. That,' he added 'is what we call black humour'.
Dubrovnik took a hammering when the Serb-led Yugoslav army began a seven-month onslaught on 1 October 1991. Despite World Heritage status, the city's medieval buildings, centuries-old cathedrals, palaces and harbour were shelled heavily. TV cameras captured the mean-spirited devastation and, 11 years on, Croatia is still suffering from the blow to its image, says Marijana Darrer, head of tourism.
While German tourists are back, some Slovenians and Austrians, Poles and a few Italians, she says that the Brits, who once flew in their thousands to soak up the sun, the wine and the friendly culture, are missed the most. Dubrovnik and the nearby islands attract the kind of British tourist who wants unspoiled loveliness, peace and quiet, fine local wine and food and to be liked by the locals. This southernmost tip of Croatia has all the best characteristics of the Greek islands of Corfu and Cephalonia with none of the despoiling features that have altered their appeal over the past 25 years. Croatia is cheap enough for a family holiday but not so cheap that gangs of marauders on their way to Ayia Napa might be tempted to stop off.
On the day that we met Marijana she was fuming that a German newspaper had labelled Croatia a danger zone 'in full colour'. Dubrovnik is not dangerous. Nor is the surrounding countryside and certainly not the islands: wooded, pointy havens in a cobalt sea. Although memories of the war were powerful, wandering about the shops and cafes, walking along the pebbly beaches, taking in Dubrovnik's glorious hinterland with its scent of pine, the image now of Croatia is that it is clean and open for business once more. And what a business they could have.
Even the short drive from the airport Cilipi to Dubrovnik is spectacular. Meandering along the cliff road, the sea opens up before you and the islands of Cavtat and Lokrum rise up. Then Dubrovnik itself, in all its sandy terracotta glory, perched on the edge of a promontory at one end of a bay.
Dubrovnik is a gem and was once known as the jewel of the Adriatic. It was more important than Venice as a trading post. Its former wealth is evident in the intricate water features and magnificent buildings. The absence of cars within the walls makes for a safe, pleasant experience. There are not many other European cities whose pavement cafes are fume-free and where children have the run of a medieval theme park late into the evening.
Like most southern European cities, Dubrovnik closes down for lunch and reopens in the afternoon to welcome the families who come out to parade and to play. Beyond the Franciscan monastery, the aquarium and a couple of cathedrals there is little to see. The real beauty is in the buildings themselves, the view from Onofrio's Fountain along the placa to Orlando's Square and steep alleyways leading to the lanes which run parallel to the coastline. At the main entrance, the Pile Gate, the drawbridge spans a moat full of perfect lemon trees. For an old city, Dubrovnik is truly alive. Its marketplace is vibrant, its churches host classical concerts and there always seems to be one festival or another in progress.
Then there are the boat trips. Dubrovnik was a serious port, a stopping-off point for crusaders and traders alike. Now the boats mostly visit the string of islands such as Korcula and Mljet although many tourists opt to cut the travel time by driving northwards to smaller ferry points such as Orebic.
The road north is vertiginous and verdant: no cat's eyes, no crash barrier and, therefore, no go in the dark for most visitors. The views calm taut nerves. In the morning the sea was silver and the islands dark green, in the evening they weresilhouettes against a cobalt backdrop. Mljet (the honey island where Odysseus is believed to have stayed for seven years) looks magical. On the mainland, cypresses stick to the cliffs like toys. Wild broom, lavender and vetch hang over the roads, their scent mingling with sea air.
At Ston, the town joining the mainland with the Peljesac peninsula, it was shocking to see evidence of shelling and the rebuilding of homes. A sort of Chinese wall, built to keep Turks out centuries ago, rises out of Ston almost vertically.
The road towards Orebic for the Korcula ferry reveals another aspect of the region: fertile plains where the local specialty wines Postup and Dignac are produced and inlets where the fishing nets are spread right across the bay.
If you yearn for the scenery of the pre-package Greek islands that your parents' generation enjoyed then the southern Croatian islands are for you. Dubrovnik is the rich icing on the cake.
Anyone for Polo?
Korcula's claim to fame is as the birthplace of the explorer Marco Polo. Though few outside the island are convinced of this, most accept he lived there when Korcula was part of the Genoese empire. His house, one of the island's attractions, is the subject of a dispute: Stanka Kraljevic, head of Korcula's tourism, wants to acquire it from Polo's descendants.
Korcula's real selling point is its old, walled town, left, planned so that the 'unpleasant' east wind could not disturb the residents while the 'cleansing' west wind is allowed to do its work. Kraljevic is fighting to prevent the creep of garish plastic bunting and branded brollies. She is busy promoting Korcula's food (sweets a speciality), scenery (fecund inside, sandy edges at Lumbarda) and key festivals.
Veronica, the widow of Sir Fitzroy Maclean, whom many believe was the model for James Bond and is revered by Croatians for his support for Tito, has made Korcula her home and they venerate her.
Korcula may be quiet but we fell in love with it and wished we could stay longer. Aim to spend at least one night. The journey from Dubrovnik to Korcula by bus and Orebic ferry takes three and a half hours or two hours if you hire a car yourself to get to Orebic.
Croatian National Tourist Board (020 8563 7979). Dubrovnik Tourist Board (00 385 20 323887) Korculan Tourist Board (00 385 20 715701)
Hotels:There is just one Dubrovnik five-star hotel, the Excelsior (00 385 20 414222). Most hotels are two or three-star and located on the Lapad peninsula, 3km - a short bus trip - from the old city. Sarah Ryle stayed at Hotel Vis (00 385 20 437303), £30 ensuite for two adults and a baby; and the Korcula Hotel (00 385 20 711078). If you want to stay within Dubrovnik's walls, privately let rooms are cheap and plentiful (via tourist office).
Air: Croatia Airlines (020 8563 0022) flies twice weekly from Gatwick to Dubrovnik (Cilipi, 22km from the city) and Split April-October, and daily to Zagreb with connecting internal flights. Fares around £245 return. British Airways flies daily from Heathrow to Zagreb. The flight is two and a half hours.
Sea: Low-cost flight to Bari or Ancona, Italy, and a ferry (8 hours from Bari, 15 from Ancona).
Road: There are no trains out of Dubrovnik (too mountainous) but excellent bus services, inter-city and locally. A book of 10 tickets is 70 kuna (£6) for short hops.
Car: Most roads were good to excellent and driving felt safe. Car hire can be pricey (about £100 per day) but is worth doing for one or two days for flexibility.

domain: travel


text:
Hoods / safety cabinets are very important products when using laboratories. The cabinet is designed to maintain the safety of the worker.The hood reduces the level of exposure of workers to hazardous materials. Thanks to the technology available today, the safety cabinet causes a significant improvement in the conditions in the laboratories.
working principle of Biological Safety Cabinet, Fume Hood and Laminar
The bellows inside the hood produces negative pressure during the experiments, the negative pressure increases and the air outside enters the bellows.This action results in the health of the workers in the laboratory by preventing the inhalation of toxic substances that may affect the product or experiment. Inside the safety cabinet there is a filter that flushes out the toxic substances.
As the cabinet continues to work, the negative pressure increases and the air in the space is sucked into the bellows. Working in a space that has a quality safety cabinet prevents the inhalation of toxic substances by the user. Neutralizes the effects of the substances in the air that may affect the product or experiment.The air that enters the hood passes through a filter whose function is to remove the harmful substances from the air and return it, clean, to the work space.
It is important to choose a cabinet that has a standard as we sell in order to provide a proper solution for laboratory work.
All types of safety cabinets for laboratory, biological, fume hoods, laminar
fume hoods-A chemical fume hood removes the toxic substances in the air and leaves work clean during the work from bacteria. A chemical fume hood also protects laboratory equipment and the materials themselves from toxic substances that may harm research or experimentation.Any odor gas or vapor of the chemicals that laboratory workers come in contact with, Sucked into the suction and leaves the workplace sterile.The bellows are made of PVC, they are resistant to chemicals, and in all external environmental conditions. When choosing a chemical fume hood choose the most suitable model for you.
Biological safety cabinets-A product that allows safe work and biological protection for the researcher in the laboratory and a clean work space for the biological samples inside.Biological cabinets have 3 types. Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3. Choose the most suitable model for you of biological hoods.
Laminar Flow Cabinets- The Cabinets inhales the air from the room space into the fume hood space and out of it without contaminants.A high-quality laminar hood will prevent contamination of the material and the operator. A laminar Cabinets comes horizontally and vertically.
Instructions for use of hoods for laboratories
- Read the manufacturer's instructions before using the hood to know how to operate it.
-Indeed all the tools for experimentation before starting and check that the place is sterile.
- Wear safe laboratory clothing
- The cleaning of the hood must be entrusted
- The hood must be kept clean
-Wash hands before starting work on the hood.
-Smooth airflow must be maintained in the laboratory.
For more details you can contact us and we will help with any Consulting you need

domain: chemistry


text:
9 may, 2011
MDMouse in Medical Briefs
A computer control mouse device includes a sphygmomanometer and software package to take recordings and store them as digital data.
The MDMouse system incorporates a pre-existing medical device into a conventional computer control mouse. The tool is designed to measure blood pressure outside of the medical environment, and to provide that information for use by individuals, clinical evaluation companies (CROs), healthcare providers, and healthcare payers. –
Read the complete article here.


text:
Thursday, August 16, 2013, President Correa of Ecuador announced a landmark decision to promote oil drilling in the Yasuni National Park, an area carrying the designation of being a ‘strict protected area’ — a rare category, setting it apart from the rest of the Western Amazon region. And this is occurring despite the provisions of the Yasuni-ITT Initiative, according to which Ecuador received millions of dollars worth of donations from those concerned about the potential impact of oil drilling in this region. The equivalent of $13.3 million US dollars donated to the cause since August 2010 came nowhere near compensating for the $3.6 billion in oil revenues, though. So drilling will resume.
While this situation is quite different from harvesting a renewable resource like lumber, it underscores some fundamental truths about rainforests and revenue.
Tropical forestry may not be ideal, but we don’t live in an ideal world. Simply looking at and studying the amazing biodiversity would certainly be nice. Especially in places like the Yasuní National Park and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which contain more species of animals and plants per acre than anywhere else in the world. Interestingly, this park also gives refuge to the Tagaeri-Taromenane people, who voluntarily live in isolation. For those of us who don’t live off the land like the Tagaeri-Taromenane, it doesn’t make sense to not be able to make money; this concept relates both to individuals and to developing nations.
Imagine that you own a farm and rely on raising and selling corn in order to buy the other things you need, and then having someone say that they’d prefer to enjoy the beauty of your corn fields. What if they suggested that you not harvest your corn, simply so they could enjoy the view? Well, if they agreed to pay you the amount you would normally earn from selling the corn, perhaps you would comply with their whim; such was the basic idea behind the Yasuni-ITT Initiative. Of course, the details of oil drilling impact the global ecology far more than a single farm, but the economic issues are still relevant to the discussion.
As much as Ecuador’s decision makes sense for their short-term financial situation, the fact that oil is not a renewable resource definitely makes the choice more complicated. When it comes to lumber, though, the renewable nature of these natural resources allow lumber exporting to positively impact exporting nations’ ecosystems and economies, over the long haul.
Because of the renewable nature of tropical hardwoods, tropical forestry aids in job creation and long-term additions to a country’s GDP. Responsible forestry management improves both quality and yield, providing a higher return for exporters. It’s a win-win. By contrast, when forests are clear cut for use as Palm oil plantations or cattle ranches, these beautiful rainforests and the ecology they promote cannot survive.
The next time someone tries to tell you that buying Ipe, Mahogany, or Teak is bad for rainforests, ask them if they know why the Yasuni-ITT Initiative didn’t work. The bottom line is that there is a bottom line. And the lumber industry helps everyone.


text: The long-term objective of the project is to regulate biological systems with light, an 'on' and 'off' photoswitch. For example, blue light would turn the system 'on' and yellow light would turn the system 'off.' Turning the system 'on' and 'off' would be a result of a change in the molecular structure. Molecular structure is important in molecular recognition events including cellular recognition and metabolism, which are responsible for diseases such as cancer and diabetes. The specific objective of the grant is to determine the feasibility of using fulgimides, a class of photochromic organic molecules, as photoswitches in biological systems. Fulgimides change from a flexible open structure to a rigid closed structure when blue light is used and then revert back again with yellow light. Fulgimides are robust photoswitches as they can go back and forth repeatedly with little degradation and are stable in aqueous solutions. In addition, they turn 'on' all the way and turn 'off' almost all the way or vice versa. Specific Aims are: (1) Synthesize fulgimides with two reactive groups for incorporation into polymers and proteins. If the fulgimide is attached at two points, it will have more profound consequences when it changes from the 'on' to the 'off' state as opposed to when it is attached at only one point. (2) Characterize the photochemical properties of each novel compound. The photostationary state or how far 'on' and 'off' the molecule will turn will be determined at several wavelengths in various environments. (3) Incorporate fulgimides into polymers and proteins and apply them to biochemical problems. Fulgimides will be used to regulate enzyme activity. Enzymes will be imbedded in a polymer crosslinked with fulgimides. By illuminating with light the polymer's conformation will change, which will then alter the accessibility of the enzyme's active site. Polymers crosslinked with fulgimides will also be used in microfluid devices, 'lab on a chip,' to alter flow rates by changing pore size. In addition, fulgimides will be used to target specific enzymes by covalently connecting them to an active site directed inhibitor and an NHS ester which should react with a lysine group close to the active site. Upon illumination the inhibitor will in some cases be removed from the active site of the enzyme, thus reactivating its catalytic activity. Photochromic switches can be used to improve diagnostic kits ('lab on a chip') and the production of pharmaceuticals using enzymes, and for targeting particular cellular locations for therapy.


text:
The Opera House gets a taste of Oxford Street next month when a bevy of Sydney’s best drag queens descend on the iconic venue for their annual Christmas revue.
Produced by DIVA Award-winning Amelia Airhead, Drag! XXXmas will feature the talents of Dallas Dellaforce, Joyce Maynge, Les Girl legend Monique Kelly, Minnie Cooper and hostess with the mostess, Portia Turbo.
“I’m lucky enough to play Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli, so I’ve done well,” Turbo told the Star Observer of her dual hosting/performance roles.
For Turbo and the other performers, the annual Opera House stint means an opportunity to get treated like a queen after slogging it out on the scene throughout the year.
“It’s such a special feeling performing in a venue like this,” she said.
“We’re always on shit stages with awful dressing rooms, getting terrible money and performing for people who aren’t giving us full attention. So to be in a theatre is the most incredible rush.”
It’s also a chance for the wider community to get a taste of drag.
“I’d say the audience is about 50 percent people who love drag and would be in the pub seeing it anyway, and then you get mums, dads and grannies who come along because it’s at the Opera House,” Turbo said.
“It’s taken drag to a new level: it’s huge, lavish and in your face – but it’s classy too.”
The girls will perform a mix of new songs and much-loved numbers from stints in venues like the Imperial, the Albury and the Newtown, with suitably glamorous costumes created by acclaimed designer Matthew Aberline.
“Last year he put me in a chocolate box — it was the most awkward, uncomfortable costume I’ve ever worn,” Turbo said.
“This year, I get to be glamorous. Apparently I have the biggest dress in the whole show, so I’m thrilled.”
info: Drag! XXXmas plays at the Opera House from December 9-12. www.sydneyoperahouse.com

domain: entertainment


text:
Covid 19 Update
Please note the market is open for the sale of all goods.
We ask everyone to remember the need to keep 2m apart at all times and to stay safe.
The market has a long history, dating back to 1923 when it was owned by J.Biggs.
In 1988 the market was bought by Blackheath (Midlands) Trading Ltd, who have owned Blackheath Market since 1978. Over the years the stallholders have worked together to achieve the thriving market that is the centre of Cradley Heaths'' retail trade.

domain: history


text:
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All our designs are artist approved and fully authorized. No funny stuff goin' on here!
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Each product is professionally packaged and shipped with tracking information provided.

domain: artistic


text:
Air Sunshine was established in 1982 and is a small airline with its main base at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the United States.
The airline also has a Caribbean hub located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and mostly operates short flights connecting popular destinations within the Caribbean.
Top Tip: Our Flights Around the Caribbean page is a helpful guide if you plan on discovering the Caribbean islands, with information on airports, destinations, and popular airlines.
The free luggage allowance for full-paying passengers is 40 lbs. Excess baggage rates vary in accordance with the airline's routes.
Please note that there is an additional checked baggage service charge of $25 per bag for flights arriving to/from St.Maarten (SXM).
There is only one cabin class available, with standard Economy seating.
There are only a limited number of seats in the aircraft: Twin engine C402C has 9 seats, the Twin engine B-1900 has 19 seats and the Twin engine Saab 340 has 30 seats.
Air Sunshine passengers can only check-in at the airport.
Online check-in is not currently available for this airline.
Passengers will need to check-in at least 90 minutes before the flights departure.
A valid passport will be required for international travel, and Visa requirements will need to be met. On all domestic flights, a Government issued ID card can be used instead of a passport.
As flights are short-haul, meals are not served. Passengers are welcome to bring their own snacks onto the plane.
No entertainment system is available.
WiFi is not available on flights.
'Sun Pass' is the name of the airline's frequent flyer program. When passengers travel six times (round trip) in 18 months, to and from any destinations operated by Air Sunshine, the seventh trip will be free of charge (except for taxes and fees).
Because of the size and design of the aircraft, the airline can only accommodate passengers that are able to climb steps to access the cabin. Assistance is available upon request; however, regulations mean that it is not possible for employees to lift or carry. Wheelcahirs can be requested to travel through the airport once the passenger has departed from the plane; please contact our customer service team to find out more.
Children under the age of 2 are permitted to sit on the lap of a full-paying adult. A child seats can be used if the parent wishes to purchase an additional seat, and will need to provide a FAA/DOT approved child seat.
The airline operates a number of scheduled services to destinations including San Juan and Vieques, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Anguilla, Dominica, Saint Maarten, Nevis, St. Kitts, Tortola and Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands, and Saint Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands.
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While the airline has a primary base at Fort Lauderdale, in Florida, it operates from its hub at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU). The airport is located in suburban Carolina (Puerto Rico), about three miles southeast of the city of San Juan. SJU is the busiest airport in the Caribbean region. Other airlines that operate from the airport include: Air Antilles, Air Century, Copa Airlines, Frontier Airlines, InterCaribbean Airways, Sun Country Airlines, Seaborne Airlines, Silver Airways, Vieques Air Link, Southwest Airlines, and Delta Air Lines.
The airline operates a small fleet of aircraft, including the Beechcraft 1900 (up to 19 passengers), the Cessna 402 (up to 6 passengers), and the Saab 340A (up to 30 passengers).

domain: geography


text:
How HBOT Works
A chronic wound is a disruption in the body’s tissue that is most commonly associated with the loss of skin and the underlying tissue, the loss of muscle, or the loss of bone. When there is a lack of oxygen it makes it difficult for the wound to heal. Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy makes it easier to see what tissues may need to be removed, lessens the chance of infection, promotes growth of new tissue and encourages bone repair.
Wound healing is a complicated process. Many different steps need to take place in order for a complete healing process to occur. Whether the wound is hypoxic or ischemic such as diabetic wounds, venous stasis ulcers, failing grafts or flaps, necrotizing soft tissue infections or refractory osteomyelitis, two basic staples are needed for healing – sufficient oxygen supply and perfusion of oxygen to the affected tissues. Increased oxygen tension is a major controlling factor in killing bacteria, resistance to infection, collagen production, new blood vessel growth, and new skin generation. In wounds with low oxygen levels, some or all of these processes are impaired. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy delivers 15 times more oxygen than breathing normal room air. HBOT helps in the healing process by stimulating the cells which create new blood vessel (capillary) growth. These new vessels are created in the wound area, allowing for nutrient enriched blood to reach the area of the body which requires healing.
Angiogenesis, or new blood vessel growth, generally occurs around the 20th HBOT treatment. Increased oxygen is also needed in the creation of collagen and new skin growth, which are both necessary in the healing process. In the outer areas of a wound, oxygen levels are decreased. The lack of oxygen makes these areas prime targets for bacterial growth.
By increasing oxygen levels, bacteria are killed off and the body is able to stave off infection. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps in the recovery of oxygen-compromised wounds. The therapy helps revive cells in viable tissue, allowing for a more complete healing of the affected area. HBOT treatments for wound care are performed at 2.4 ATA for 90 minutes of oxygen breathing.
Information provided by Hyperbaric Medicine Practice, Second Edition Revised – Eric P. Kindwall, MD and Harry T. Whelan, MD.


text:
A woman found brutally murdered in a locked room. A chemically preserved corpse discovered in a steamer trunk. An audacious robbery committed by a masked and tuxedoed thief in a grand Paris hotel. Nothing connects these crimes, only the suspicion that the same perpetrator committed them all. Who? Fantômas!
Written between the years 1911 and 1914 by the writing team of Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre, the Fantômas serial ran for a total of thirty-two novels. In that time, the title character eluded the forces of justice and committed increasingly daring crimes to satisfy an urge for “beautiful-compulsive” violence. To read a Fantômas novel is to enter a fast-paced, bewildering world loaded with violent imagery. Where ultimate evil is never defeated, but escapes every time.
Fantômas was the prototypical supervillain. He had no goal beyond the desire to wreak havoc, a hybrid of Edmond Dantès (the Count of Monte Cristo) and the Joker; not so much a character as a phantom, an invoked spirit: the Lord of Terror, the Master of Crime, the Genius of Evil.
From the opening exchange of the first novel, there is no doubt as to his powers:
“What did you say?”
“I said: Fantômas.”
“And what does that mean?”
“But what is it?”
“Nobody…. And yet, yes, it is somebody!”
“And what does the somebody do?”
The novels’ popularity cut through social classes. They were read avidly by the public, as well as championed by the surrealists who saw in the series a predecessor to their own work and a key to the imagination. Raymond Queneau, Blaise Cendrars, Magritte, and Pablo Neruda all admitted to being fans. Guillaume Apollinaire called the series “inestimably rich” and suggested that in order to achieve the full poetic effect the novels should be read straight through as quickly as possible (a habit he also recommended for the works of Dumas and Paul Féval, the originator of the “cloak-and-dagger” genre and the author of a series of vampire novels that predate the works of Bram Stoker). James Joyce described the series simply as, “Enfantômastic!”
However, Allain and Souvestre had not set out to create anything of cultural import when they began the series.
The pair had met while working for the automotive magazine Poids Lourdes (“Heavy Trucks”). They were veterans of Paris’s pulp trade: the cheaply produced and poorly printed paperback novels called feuilletons. Souvestre was impressed by the young Allain’s ability, especially after seeing Allain churn out a seventeen-page article in two hours about a truck he had never seen before. They had no artistic pretensions and were in it entirely to earn their living. The characters are flat, the plots beyond hackneyed, and the dialogue overblown and bombastic. Allain and Souvestre ripped off other novels by the cartload and plagiarized their own works. They came up with the plot one week, wrote the prose over the following week, each one writing an alternate chapter, and then spent a week grooming the manuscript into a cohesive whole. Meanwhile, the marketing department arranged the cover artwork. An assignment handled by the Italian artist Gino Starace, whose lurid covers provided the perfect graphic milieu for the narrative. These presage the grisly aspects of EC comics and artists such as Johnny Craig and Bernie Krigstein.
It was three o’clock when Juve arrived at the rue Lévert, and he found the concierge of number 147 just finishing her coffee.
Amazed at the results achieved by the detective, the details of which she had learned from sensational articles in the daily papers, Mme. Doulenques had conceived a most respectable admiration for the detective of the Criminal Investigation Department.
“That man,” she constantly declared to Mme. Aurore, “hasn’t got eyes in his head, but telescopes, magnifying glasses! He sees everything in a second—even when it isn’t there!”
But why did Fantômas capture the imagination so strongly? The novels are not whodunits, nor even whydunits (as is the work of George Simenon), but howdunits. We know who did it: Fantômas. We know why: Lord of Terror, etc. But it’s the how that hooks us.
How did he get into the Marquise de Langrune’s bedroom after the door was locked?
How did he escape the Paris hotel after the Princess Sonia notified the authorities?
How did he trick Inspector Juve even when the detective practically walked him to the steps of the guillotine?
A recapitulation of the plot is irrelevant. A series of unsolvable crimes are committed. The detective Juve believes they are the work of Fantômas. In his pursuit of the villain he is assisted by Jérôme Fandor, a young man wrongfully accused of one of these crimes. The pair adopt various disguises and track Fantômas, who is also disguised, through the Paris underworld. There are set-piece scenes consisting of deathtraps, criminal locales, and a number of courtroom episodes. Severed heads and hands abound, as do bells dripping blood and disasters such as trainwrecks and shipwrecks. Colorful characters appear for a chapter and then disappear into the background. Identities are mutable, and in any given chapter one or more characters might remove their mask and reveal themselves to be Juve, Fantômas, or Fandor (or, after the eighth novel, Hélène, Fantômas’ opium-smoking, pistol-toting, cross-dressing daughter). This gimmick gets played so often that it goes well beyond the plausible, bypassing absurdity, verging on the pathological. The characters have no identity, and it’s only by wearing masks that they become real.
In this fact one can possibly see why the series appealed to the surrealists. Not only was the plot propelled by the actions of a nihilistic antihero at war with society, but the characters were only “real” when they pretended to be someone else. The results when attached to breakneck plotting and violent imagery approached a sort of pulp delirium that directly affected the imagination.
Fandor saw that Juve was staggering and seemed about to faint. He rushed toward him.
“Good God!” he cried in tones of anguish.
“It isn’t Gurn who has just been put to death!” Juve panted brokenly. “This face has not gone white because it is painted! It is made up—like an actor. Oh, curse him! Fantômas has escaped! Fantômas has gotten away! He has had some innocent man executed in his stead! I tell you, Fantômas is alive!”
Pierre Souvestre died of Spanish Influenza in 1914. Allain was sent to the trenches of the First World War, but survived to pen eleven more Fantômas novels (he also wound up marrying Souvestre’s widow). In 1913, Fantômas made the leap to movies in a series of serials directed by the silent-film pioneer Louis Feuillade (best known for his later serials Judex and Les Vampires). A 20-episode American serial followed in 1920; and Fantômas movies, television shows, and radio serials were made well into the 1980s. Later films resembled James Bond-style capers and featured technological gadgets and hidden bases. They also gave Fantômas blue skin.
Around the world Fantômas spawned a variety of supervillains. Throughout the rest of his life, Allain continued to churn out Fantômas-style characters such as Tigris, Fatala, and Miss Teria. The 1960s saw various Italian, French, and Spanish publishers competing with ever-increasing doses of sadism to follow the Fantômas model. The character had sunk so deep into pop culture as to be largely invisible. European comic characters Diabolik, Kriminal, Killing, and Satanik can all trace their heritage back to Fantômas. Other characters, such as Dr. Mabuse and the Joker, owe a fair debt to the Genius of Evil and his love of “beautiful compulsive” violence. In a strange character reversal, Fantômas even went on to become a hero. When the Japanese anime Ogon Bator was syndicated in Brazil the character was renamed Fantômas and protected the earth from alien invaders.
If all this sounds fun, you’re in luck. Tracking down Fantômas novels is fairly easy. The first novel is readily available as a Penguin Classic, and a variety of small presses and print-on-demand publishers produce translated reprints of some of the series in varying quality. There’s also an apocryphal storyline where Fantômas goes to England and fights Sherlock Holmes.
But, what is most intriguing in the Fantômas-myth is the notion that popular fiction can be intoxicating and serve as a catalyst to the imagination. It suggests the possible inspiration residing within soap operas, comic books, and mass-market paperbacks. By their very ubiquity and devotion to the trends of the present these items overcome our judgments and speak to our unconscious.
I believe there’s a charm in the violent popular melodrama of earlier eras. Whether it’s The Monk, Vathek, The Werewolf of Paris, or Flowers in the Attic. This stuff is shocking in wholly unsuspecting ways, and Fantômas is no different. Even all this won’t prepare you for how unstintingly absurd it all is. It needs to be experienced first hand.
* (This essay first appeared in April 2009 on the soon to be shuttered Internet Review of Science Fiction website. It’s been and edited and tidied up some for reprinting here.)
Here we go with what I liked and loved in the way of books for the month of March.
Lotus Blue by Cat Sparks: This is a fun, picaresque science fiction novel. Star and her sister Nene are orphans living in a wagon caravan that travels between the far flung outposts of a blighted post-apocalyptic landscape. Star has hopes of ditching the caravan as soon as they reach the next big settlement, but events interfere with her plans and soon she’s traveling across the Obsidian Sea to do battle with a recently awakened war machine. The thing I liked most about this was that the world feels populated by all these characters and the plot’s not so much what they want, but how they react to this bigger event outside themselves.
So you have caravan scavengers, sheltered collapsing technological societies, half-dead super soldiers, and decadent merchants all put in motion and trying to make sense of this one war machine returning to life.
Child of Fortune by Norman Spinrad: There’s this old RPG called Fading Suns that I never played but devoured every book I could find for it. It’s basically an intergalactic medieval society and while I’m not a 100% sure I would like to play it, as a setting I love it. Anyway, Child of Fortune is sort of like that. I love the setting, but not sure I completely love the execution. In more than a few ways I wish someone else had taken whatever notes Spinrad had for the setting and written their own novel for this.
On the other hand, I did really, really like this. It’s basically people in rockets traveling the universe looking for drugs, and that’s a sub-genre I can get behind.
So, in the far future people have figured out faster than light travel (via orgasms natch, because this book’s very much in the Hugh Hefner school of SF) and it’s become a rite of passage for youngish people to enjoy a wanderjahr after their main education is over but before they commit to whatever their adult work may be. Moussa Shasta LastnameIcan’tremember is a young woman who sets out on her own wanderjahr and in true classic bildungsroman sense grows from being a callous youth into a full-fledged adult. Along the way she joins a youth gang, the Gypsy Jokers, seduces their leader, Pater Pan, and barely escapes a planet made out of drugs, the Bloomenveldt, before she discovers the true purpose of her life as a ruespeiler.
Part of this book had me rolling my eyes, and part of me adored it. I suspect if I had read this book between the ages of 16 and 23, I would have loved it.
Silent Hall by N.S. Dolkart: I described this as a smarter Dragonlance novel and the more time that passes from when I read it, the more I am impressed by how smart it is. Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s still very much Dragonlance, with a Breakfast Club‘s worth of unlikely heroes brought together to complete quests for a wizard, BUT within that framework Dolkart has fun and subverts with the conventions by bringing some ugly reality to the tropes. The character injured early in the quest is permanently disabled by it, the character trained as a warrior is unnerved by killing, and the character “chosen” by a god is completely twisted by the event that he second guesses everything he encounters as being a further sign from his god. Not to mention the character raised by wolves who has a decidedly cavalier attitude towards sex and menstruation that fuels at least a few chapters worth of subplot. And none of which takes into account the dragons, the elves, the wizards, and the quests. Overall, if you have fond memories of David Eddings, Terry Brooks, and Weiss and Hickman, but wish they were a little bit more socially engaged and relevant, you might be surprised by how much you like Silent Hall.
Wagner the Werewolf by George W.M. Reynolds: I can’t even. Literally, I can’t. This book… this book has plot enough for maybe four or five other books.
To say this book is a mess is to insult both it and messes. To say it’s some of the worst prose I ever read with some of the most breakneck thrilling plot I’ve ever encountered is another matter. Both those things are true. This book was both a delight and a chore to read. All of which I feel is spot on for something that’s an actual, honest to god, Penny Dreadful. There are evil nuns, bandits, pirates, werewolves, demons, assassins, nobles, the Inquisition, and progressive Victorian views of the Other that are still racist, but slightly more palatable than their contemporaries. While I do think The Monk is a better book, Wagner is dizzyingly enjoyable as long as you don’t get hung up on the actual words and just keep turning pages.
Here are my three favorite reads from last month.
Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr by John Crowley: Easiest way to describe this is it’s like Watership Down except only the really trippy bits and about crows instead of rabbits. But it’s more than that. It’s a series of linked stories centered on the interaction of Dar Oakley an immortal crow and various humans – a bronze age shaman, an Irish monk, a Native American storyteller, a spiritualist medium in the 1870s, and a near future professor. But it’s more than that too. It’s about language, memories, names, love, and death.
The Bards of Bone Plain by Patricia McKillip: I think the cover oversells the magic in this book and doesn’t depict the rather mundane majority of it, but so it goes. Phelan’s a teacher at the local bard college working on a dissertation about the legendary bard Nairn when strange things start to happen to him and his friends, all of which are tied to the riddle contest Nairn lost in the remote past. McKillip’s fantasy is more Ren Faire than Renaissance, but she uses that to her advantage. The fun for me was that she’s writing a story centered more or less in one location (a literal college town), and in a world that’s menacing but not cruel. (Also, am I wrong to see nods to William Kennedy’s Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game in this? Both novels are about guys named Phelan who have dads who are drunks.)
Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans: 1890s French novel about the ailing, misanthropic aristocrat Des Esseintes who decides to move to an isolated villa where he can indulge his taste for luxury without any interruptions. What follows then are chapter long musings on art, literature, nightmares, and diet as Des Esseintes roams about his home decorating and organizing his library. It’s a bit of an absurd book, and I don’t know how much of that’s intentional. Des Esseintes is a pretty awful human being, but sometimes comically so. I went back and forth between reading this as a black comedy and a horror novel. I also wanted to scream “Get a f—ing job!” at Des Esseintes. It almost made me happy that the Great War came along.
Before I get into a rundown of the books I wanted to acknowledge the passing of one of the greats, Ursula K. Le Guin. I fell in love with The Wizard of Earthsea as a kid, and later when I was in my 20s and doing a lot of thrift and second hand book store prowling I knew anything I found by her would be a treat. At some point I had the chance to see her speak and it was great. She was fierce and funny and kind in all the best ways.
Now, about the books… you see I went back to the USA in December and that meant a lot of time on planes and in airports and jet-lag making me to keep all sorts of odd hours. In other words I read a ton over the past two months, but as not to bore you all (my two readers) I’ll keep my reviews to a sentence or two.
So sit back and relax as I blather.
The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter: A Gothic novel set in 1960s London about a teenage girl sent to live with her creepy toy-maker uncle after the death of her parents. The first of the books I read that featured incest as not an awful thing.
The Faithful Executioner, Life and Death, Honor and Shame, in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century by Joel F. Harrington: A fascinating read about the life and times of one Franz Schmidt, an executioner in 16th century Nuremberg, using Schmidt’s own journal as its source. A must read for history and true crime fans.
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon: A woman seeks to solve the mystery of her mother’s death on board an intergalactic generation ship that’s managed to replicate an approximation of the slave society of the American South. A rough read at times, but worth it.
A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel: All the movers and shakers in the French Revolution knew each other from middle school and carried the hurts and rivalries from those days into the revolution, except for Danton. The sadness of this book is not simply the tragedy of the Terror but that it’s not hard to see your high school self in the various characters.
Head Lopper, The Island or A Plague of Beasts by Andrew Maclean with Mike Spicer: Head Lopper’s a barbarian swordsman who carries around a cackling hag’s head for reasons. Fun and weird.
The Giant, O’Brien by Hilary Mantel: Set in London during the 1780s, this is a tragedy about the conflict between the folk wisdom of the Irish giant O’Brien and the cold scientific materialism of Scottish Surgeon John Hunter. It’s a short, savage book, and a quicker read than A Place of Greater Safety.
Autonomous by Annalee Newitz: Pirates and robots in the later half of the 22nd century. This was a great book to be stuck with on a trans-Pacific flight.
Collected Folk Tales by Alan Garner: Garner’s goal with this was to write a collection of folk tales that read less like anthropology and more as oral accounts you would hear spoken by family or friends. In that he largely succeeds.
Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeanette Ng: The truth about Fairy land is that there is no truth, and the search for answers is less about the answers and more about the search. A great read, despite the inevitable incest.
Solution Three by Naomi Mitchison: A utopian novel set in a future where all the best gay pot smoking college professors have taken over and a poor heterosexual couple hopes to find a bigger apartment. Fortunately everyone learns the real enemy is greed.
A dozen of my favorite reads from the past year in no particular order. Not all books were published in 2017. In fact, most weren’t.
Day of the Arrow By Philip Loraine: Folk horror among the 1950s jet set. If you like William Sloane and Shirley Jackson this might be for you.
The Internet of Garbage by Sarah Jeong: A brief history of the internet’s development, online harassment, and how we got from there to here. The internet is garbage.
Woe to Live On by Daniel Woodrell: If Huck Finn meets A Clockwork Orange sounds like a thing you’d like, then read this.
Laura by Vera Caspary: 1950s murder mystery that’s near to perfect if you overlook the single page near the end where the heroine goes on a racist tirade.
Gilded Needles by Michael McDowell: A criminal dynasty squares off against a moralistic judge’s family in 1880s New York City, but the fun comes from McDowell skewering Victorian morality.
Ombria in Shadow by Patricia McKillip: The book you bounce off the head of those people who go on about “realism” in fantasy novels.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells: A pitch-perfect SF adventure novella. Smart and fun with a character exchange that still makes me laugh to this day.
The Twenty Days of Turin by Giorgio De Maria: Italian journalist investigates mysterious library and learns that supernatural forces beyond time will use terrible magic for ultimately petty purposes.
The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley: Grotty biogunk SF at its best.
The Fortress at the End of Time by JM McDermott: An introspective SF novella in the vein of CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ with an enjoyably frustrating main character.
Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng: Stanislaw Lem meets George MacDonald meets VC Andrews meets Sylvia Townsend Warner. If having your expectations swung back and forth sounds like fun give this a go.
The Only Ones by Carola Dibbell: Post-apocalyptic but optimistic novel that shows that the dad in The Road had it easy because he never had to worry about getting his kid into a good school.
Good books, but do they stick the landings?
First, the books that do.
News of the World by Paulette Jiles: Captain Jefferson Kidd is an old widower and war veteran making his living by traveling through Texas from town to town and reading the news to paying audiences. On his latest trip he gets hired to return a ten-year old girl taking captive by Kiowa tribes people four years before to her relatives in San Antonio. What follows is a very sweet and beautiful western novel that’s part adventure and part elegy to landscape and the interplay between the wilderness and civilization. A great read.
Reynard the Fox: A New Translation by Unknown, translated by James Simpson: If you’re reading this blog I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with the Reynard character. If not, he’s the protagonist/antagonist in a series of medieval tales where he outwits his many enemies in the Lion’s court, by his quick-wit and murderous cunning. I wasn’t quite ready for how horrible and violent these stories were, but I guess they reflect an era where casual violence was a staple norm. Imagine Sam Peckinpah’s version of Disney’s Robin Hood.
Day of the Arrow by Philip Loraine: James Lindsay’s a young painter living in Paris. His former lover Francoise is now married to his one-time friend, the aristocratic Philippe de Faucon, Marquis de Bellac. When Francoise turns up seeking Lindsay’s help she brings a strange story in regarding Philippe’s sudden personality shift. He’s become cold towards her and fixated on his impending death. Francoise wants Lindsay to come to Bellac and investigate. What Lindsay uncovers is a Folk Horror plot that reads like a mix of William Sloane and Shirley Jackson. Definitely track this down.
Now the books that are good but wobble for various reasons at the end.
Dear Cyborgs by Eugene Lim: This is a fragmentary novel that starts with two Asian-American kids growing up in the Mid-West bond over reading comics. From there it spins sharply into an assortment of superheroes discussing resistance and political action in the modern world, and goes on to careen between the two. I was rooting for this book and had no problem with the jarring leaps, but I fear at the end the threads spun too far and needed a miracle to bring them back. A fun trip even if it makes me wonder how do smart people do anything without analyzing it endlessly?
The Enclave by Anne Charnock: This is very slice of life in some post-collapse but not complete collapse future about Caleb, a young refugee, and the life he leads in England working for a recycling gang. and the people he meets as he travels across Europe to England. While it doesn’t just end, it doesn’t also conclude so I wonder if there’s a sequel to it in the works. From further reading it looks to take place in a larger world, and maybe the other novels set there would fill in the gaps here. Also with a name like Caleb though I have to wonder where he came from originally. He says Spain, but Caleb?
The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson: Molly grows up on an isolated farm with her parents and quickly learns the rules she needs to survive. Whenever Molly bleeds a new Molly is born and intent upon killing her. Needless to say this makes Molly a rather odd person to be around. What I loved in this is that there’s something of Victor Frankenstein to Molly Southbourne as she grows and studies her situation. A cold intelligence involved in a gory investigation. While the ride was great, it may well have ended with a To Be Continued. But I’ll definitely read the next installment.
Yeah so, this month was great for reading, mostly.
Selected Poems of Kim Sakkat translated and edited by Kevin O’Rourke: Kim Sakkat was 19th century Korea’s version of the failed scholar turned wandering drunken poet. He’s sort of an embarrassment, but well-regarded. Most of his poems deal with the mundane or scatological with a side order of self-pity and/or pointed rage. Of course throughout the book there’s a varnish of respectability layered on his work that probably shouldn’t be there.
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer: Rachel and Wick are a pair of scavengers living in a ruined city crawling with deadly biotech, factions, and a colossal flying bear named Mord. One day while out scavenging Rachel discovers a strange egg-like creature that she takes home and names Borne. From there things start to get weirder and weirder. I liked this a lot but preferred the Southern Reach books.
I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Conde: I’m really glad I tracked this down. It’s more The Crucible than a historical novel in that it’s an exploration of contemporary issues through the lens of the past. Tituba’s life is one of tragedy and power in which she has a gift as a witch only each society she moves through has a different meaning and reaction to that claim.
The Internet of Garbage by Sarah Jeong: Jeong’s a tech journalist with a background in copyright law. This long form essay is an exploration of the internet’s history and the development of online harassment. It’s a great read. One thing that stuck with me was that very early on in the internet’s development it became apparent that mass-mailed email spam would be a problem, so that became an issue that was dealt with from the start with money and tech invested in countering out. What wasn’t foreseen was how the internet would embolden stalkers and harassers, and how anti-harassment and safety measures lag so far behind anti-spam infrastructure.
The Fissure King by Rachel Pollack: Another supernatural detective except this one is more John Silence than Harry Dresden. If you like Blackwood or 90s era Constantine and haven’t dug into Pollack yet you’ve got a treat ahead of you. Be warned this is a fix-up/mosaic novel of interconnected stories, which is a form I like but I know some folks get annoyed with. In this case, I feel it suits the subject matter quite well.
Also I loved these two short stories:
Give’em a read!

domain: library


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The second batch of Nigerians fleeing the xenophobic attacks in South Africa has departed, OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
The Air Peace flight conveying about 319 Nigerian returnees left south Africa at about 2:58pm local time and is expected to arrive Muritala Muhammed Airport in Lagos at 18h58.
Recall that the first batch of returnees evacuated by Air Peace arrived in Nigeria, last week Wednesday, September 11, 2019, amidst such fanfare.
Despite the national apology from the South African President, Ceril Ramaphosa, the Consul-General, Nigerian High Commission in South Africa, Godwin Adama has revealed that the number of Nigerians interested in returning home have risen to 1,004.
The chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri Erewa has said Nigerians coming home will receive government support to aid them settle back into the Nigerian society.

domain: sociology


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Return to: Microsoft Word 2003


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In a just-released casting scoop by EW's Michael Ausiello, it is revealed that Gram will be brought back to life in "True Blood". Not as a supernatural phenomenon, but the character which is played by Lois Smith, will appear in a series of flashback scenes in the second season.
Gram aka Adele Stackhouse, the grand mother of Sookie and Jason Stackhouse, was killed in season one while defending herself against a serial killer in Bon Temps who actually wanted to kill Sookie. The second season production meanwhile, will begin this week with the season premiere set for, reportedly, June. The first episode will be titled "Nothing But the Blood".
Several new characters will be brought in, including Luke who will be played by "We Are Marshall" actor Wes Brown. Appearing in a multiple arch episode, Luke is described as a big bear type of guy who has spent most of his time serving God and has become increasingly competitive when he bonds with Jason at a church camp.


New Delhi, June 6 (Ajit Weekly News) The Congress has again targeted the Centre for recommending a CBI probe into the Odisha train tragedy and also accused it of shifting the focus away from its “failures” by bringing in new conspiracy theories.
Addressing a press conference here at the party headquarters on Tuesday, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said: “Instead of finding out what caused this grave accident, the government is now spinning conspiracy theories and shifting the focus away from the issue of safety.”
She added that Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw should take moral responsibility and step down.
“Once again the Modi government is shifting the focus away from its own ‘failures’. The government has refused to prioritise the safety of citizens.
“The reality is, accidents are happening because safety of passengers is not the priority of this government,” Shrinate added.
Taking a swipe at the Centre, she said that it had transferred the probe of the 2016 Patna-Indore Express and 2017 Andhra train derailment to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
However, even after seven years, the NIA is yet to file a chargesheet in both cases, the spokesperson claimed.
She said the two accidents claimed the lives of around 200 people.
The Congress leader further said that Railway experts should probe the June 2 Balasore train tragedy and the Centre must not involve any of the central probe agency to divert attention from the incident.
Firing salvos at the government for recommending the CBI probe, she said: “Will the CBI find out why the budget for track repair and laying of new tracks which was Rs 9,607 crore in 2018-19 reduced to Rs 7,417 crores in 2019-20?
“Will the CBI find out why only one zone was allowed to speak in the Rail Chintan Shivir when every zone was supposed to speak on security and why the focus in this camp was on ‘Vande Bharat’ Express trains. Will the CBI find out why the funding of the National Rail Safety Fund has been reduced by 79 per cent? Will the CBI find out why the annual budget of Rs 20,000 crore was not allocated to the National Rail Safety Fund, as promised?
“Will the CBI find out why more than 3 lakh posts are lying vacant in the Railway department? Will CBI find out why the loco pilots are being made to work for more than 12 hours?”
On Monday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concerns about the safety of passengers.
In his letter, Kharge wrote, “The devastating train accident in Balasore, Odisha, one of the worst in Indian history, has shocked the nation.The train accident has been an ‘eye opener’ for all of us. All the ’empty’ safety claims of the Railway Minister (Vaishnaw) have now been exposed.”
The Railway Ministry had earlier ruled out driver error or a malfunction in the interlocking system, and said that all angles are being probed extensively to come to the exact conclusion how this happened.
On Sunday, while speaking to the media, Vaishnaw said that the railway board has recommended a CBI probe into the horrifying accident which left 278 people dead and around 1,000 others injured.
Vaishnaw also said that the accident happened due to a change in electronic interlocking.
–Ajit Weekly News
News Credits – I A N S


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"To balance is to heal. To harmonize is to regenerate. The needle and herb can harmonize and heal any sickness."
~Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor's Classic)
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How to Convert the Projection of a Map in Surfer 9NewsletterHome
There is a new feature in Surfer 9 that allows the user to convert the projection of a dataset from within Surfer’s worksheet window. This tool has proven to be extremely useful to users who incorporate data from multiple sources and would like all of their maps and data to be in the same coordinate system. This new Surfer feature allows for complete data integration. Surfer has more than 1500 pre-defined coordinate systems to choose from, including the most widely used systems in the industry. There is also option to reference coordinate systems that are custom defined by the user. In order to provide a good, working example of how to convert projections in Surfer 9, a free Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of Honolulu was downloaded from the USGS in UTM coordinates. Although this article uses a DEM file, you can use any grid file. This article will show how to create a map of the original DEM file and then walk through the steps necessary to convert the coordinates of the map from UTM to latitude and longitude. If you simply want to convert the data in an XYZ data file, without starting from a map or grid file first, you can start at Step 3. Step 1. Display the Original DEM: It is a good idea to display your data before any conversion process is started to get a feeling of the coordinate units displayed on the X and Y axes. To display the DEM, a contour map and 3D surface layer are generated. Step 2. Convert the DEM to an XYZ Data File: The coordinate conversion process only works on XYZ data in Surfers worksheet window. If you don’t have the source XYZ data file for the grid you are working with, you must convert the grid to an XYZ data file. This is easily done in Surfer, the step are as follows: The coordinate conversion process takes place in Surfer’s worksheet window. To convert the coordinates, follow these steps: The result is a grid file that has a different coordinate system than the original DEM. You can create a contour map and a 3D surface layer, similar to the first image in this article. You will notice that the axis on the map now displays the converted latitude and longitude coordinate units. Thanks To Golden Group and her smart and genius technical team. Keeps doing innovations. We’re following you. Ahmet E. Mengen You know, every time I’ve ever had to re-build a computer, Golden [Software] has always been by far and away the easiest company to deal with. Bradley Joyce GIS Manager I can’t work without your product. Fantastic stuff. Russell L Thomas Jr Senior Geotechnical Engineer Copyright © 2016 Golden Software, LLC. All rights reserved. The names and logos for Surfer, Grapher, Voxler, MapViewer, Didger, Strater and Golden Software are registered trademarks of Golden Software, LLC. Source.


One of America’s most beloved performers, Barry Manilow, will perform Thursday through Saturday. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday. For ticket information, call (702) 632-7580.
Barry Manilow’s award winning career includes the classics Copacabana, Mandy, Weekend in New England, and Tryin’ to Get the Feelin’ Again and dozens more.
Acclaimed by Radio & Records magazine as the No. 1 Adult Contemporary Artist of All Time, Manilow has released 31 albums to date. In 1998, Manilow released Sings Sinatra, a tribute to the great songs that Frank Sinatra made famous, and the album was nominated for two Grammy Awards. Last November, Manilow released Here at the Mayflower, his first new material in more than 10 years, which has been in the Top 5 on the Billboard music charts.
The pop superstar’s unparalleled career touches every facet of music: including performing, composing, arranging and producing. Manilow has received Grammy, Emmy and Tony Awards and has been nominated for an Academy Award. He has written the songs and musical scores for several motion pictures as well as several stage musicals. Rolling Stone magazine captured the enduring appeal of Manilow when it called him "a giant among entertainers" and proclaimed him to be "the showman of our generation."


The Future of Cryptocurrencies | Bix Weir
Bitcoin is better than gold, says Bix Weir.
The old financial system is dying, and Weir says, “people are waking up to the fact that [Bitcoin] is a sound and honest alternative to the current system.”
Weir sees bright futures for not only Bitcoin, but also Ethereum, Litecoin, and Veritaseum.
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The emails about a 13 year old German Shorthaired Pointer being turned into the shelter by his owner began circulating last Friday, the day he was turned in, thanks in large part to another dog rescuer being present at his intake and sharing the story. Had this been at any one of the other high kill shelters, this would have likely been an immediate death sentence for Klaus as he never would been listed as available for adoption.
What few dog owners that relinquish their dogs to shelters don’t seem to realize is that there is a low percentage of “happy endings” for their dogs when they drive away. The older the dog, the fewer “happy endings” as most will be euthanized. While this particular shelter has a reputation for a higher adoption rate, it is still a very dangerous place for a Senior GSP.
California GSP Rescue didn’t waste any time. Fortunately, with a few volunteers in the area, we were were able to pull Klaus on Saturday and arrange a transport on Sunday.
A big thanks to Volunteers John, Teri, Fiona, James and Greg for springing into action so quickly. John and Teri for getting to the shelter to make sure Klaus was safe; and then taking care of Klaus his first night out of the shelter before beginning his transport the next morning; Fiona and James for taking Klaus on the second leg, and Greg for helping transport Klaus the rest of the way. A very special thanks to Volunteers Fiona and Teri for spending part of their Mother’s Day helping transport Klaus.
Blitz has been renamed Klaus, which literally means “victory of the people”, in honor of all the people disturbed that Klaus would be left at a shelter and notified us that he needed rescuing, in addition to the people who volunteered their time taking care of and helping transport Klaus after he left the shelter.
As an all volunteer organization, we rely solely on these individuals who choose to make a difference by dedicating their time to rescue German Shorthaired Pointers.
This isn’t the end of Klaus’s story. Since we are a rescue and not a sanctuary, you’ll see much more of Klaus in the coming weeks as we look for that special person to provide Klaus a forever home.
Klaus is going to need some medical attention, and being an all volunteer organization, in situations like this, we need to ask for your help. You can make a one time donation towards Klaus’ medical bills, or you can sponsor Klaus by making a monthly donation towards his care while waiting to find his new forever family. Thank you for your continued support to allow us to continue to save GSP’s like Klaus.

domain: pet