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The performance of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) over the last 40 years.That we are discussing the subject of advertising today is enough proof that the AAAN over the years has done so much for the entire industry. Advertising has its formal history in UAC-related trading activities and the oldest agency, Lintas, was set up in 1928 as a UAC company to design and display billboards in Nigeria. The company was later divided and Afromedia set up from it. AAAN was founded by a body of Nigerian practitioners over forty years ago and has helped to professionalise the practice, such that today thousands of people legitimately earn their living from the profession.
As a former AAAN President, I can tell you that the association has helped to build some of the strongest and most successful brands in Nigeria. Look at the short list: OMO, Bournvita, Glucose D, First Bank, Etisalat, Star, Maltina, Harp, Guinness Stout, Guinness Malta, Milo, Nacet, UBA, Indomie, etc. Nigerians working in Nigerian agencies developed launch and follow-up campaigns for these and other brands.In addition, the AAAN has partnered governments in the development of key branding projects. During the tenure of Prof Dora Akunyili as the Information Minister, the Federal Government Rebranding Project was initiated and the pioneer Secretary and CEO was a Nigerian AAAN agency head. Prior to this time one of the previous Information Ministers, Owelle Emeka Chikelu had also worked closely with AAAN agencies to develop social mobilisation programmes for the country.
From the APCON perspective, the AAAN has continued to play a leading role in ensuring that the government regulatory agency performs optimally. The 5th amendment resulted in the new Code and saw AAAN agencies participating actively at all stages of the developmental work. Indeed, our colleagues in countries like Ghana invited us to come support them in the development of similar initiatives in their country. You can say Nigeria is exporting something good.Aggregating all these, we have a stronger, more respectable, better-known and appreciated profession because of the key role the AAAN has and continues to play.
APCON and advertising reforms in NigeriaAmendments to the Code are not new. Today we have the 5th amendment, which means we have had the second, third and fourth. The Council by law is empowered to do this when we see a need for it. When I assumed the position of APCON Chairmanship in 2010, it presented an opportunity to actualise some of the visions and dreams that some of us within the AAAN had shared over a period. In addition, we got some help and support from the late May Nzeribe, a past AAAN President and the third APCON Chairman, who also had done some extensive work on advertising reforms in Nigeria. All of these became necessary so that we could move the profession to the next level. While the 4th Code was adequate, it didn’t quite take care of later and immediate industry and professional developments. In doing this, for the first time, we got all stakeholders involved and ensured very wide consultation. There were thirteen objectives, which covered the management of industry debt, the use of local talents in the film industry, the management of unqualified practitioners etc. It was far-reaching.
Striking a balance between protecting the industry from foreign invasion and encouraging partnerships that will aid the growth, capacity development and Creativity in the industry.If I speak for the advertising industry, I don’t think this is a serious issue. APCON was set up by the government to regulate the practice so that we can develop professionalism and ensure there is no abuse. APCON was not set up to stop foreign practitioners from working or operating in Nigeria, and we have many of them gainfully employed and even managing their own agencies. The same government also has it as part of its agenda to ensure that it provides jobs for all employable Nigerians even as it encourages useful foreign investments. No government in any part of the world will want a foreigner to take away the job that its own people are qualified to, and can do. And so APCON has reviewed the relevant sections of the Code in line with these expectations. Foreigners are allowed to work in Nigeria, as long as they pass through APCON and pass the necessary examinations and meet the relevant conditions, just like Nigerians. And for those who wish to set up own agencies, they can do this in partnership with Nigerians or go it alone. The APCON Code is a public document, which was passed through all official channels and presented to President Jonathan Goodluck by the Hon. Minister of Information, Hon. Labaran Maku. It has also been gazetted and is now part of the laws of the Federal Republic. Let me add that government keeps encouraging the participation of foreigners in this economy. However, it will be counter productive if in the name of FDI, foreigners now bring in their people to take away the jobs Nigerians can do. Every investment must have a plan to engage qualified Nigerians, and where such talents are not available, the investors must have a rapid plan to develop such local talents within the shortest possible period.
Resistance to advertising industry reformsWe have seen a few tepid and incoherent, indeed largely not very strategic attempts at raising some dust. While APCON was and is always ready to engage such opinions towards working together to achieve government objectives, we investigated these comments and discovered, and very sadly too, that they were being motivated by very selfish reasons.
We found out that a particular foreigner had spent lots of money engaging “PR” consultants and other hack writers in trying to discredit the reforms. Really, one would have expected a well and professionally coordinated contribution from these people, expressing their opinions and expectations. Instead, they have largely operated as faceless hackers writing a mixture of propaganda and untruths. Even when we made attempts to speak to them, we found out that their Nigerian arrowhead did not have any serious motivation beyond doing his master’s bidding and protecting his own daily bread. We feel very disappointed that a Nigerian, and indeed the group of Nigerians involved with this could not see beyond their mercenary and very selfish roles. APCON is still open to everyone who has a genuine appreciation of the role of what government is trying to do and wants to partner us. We are by no means perfect, but must insist that those who want to contribute to the development must do so with clean hands.
Expectations from sectoral groups in the advertising industrySuch expectations would be largely professional. Let’s work very hard to develop our various sub- sectors and continue to make ourselves relevant. I am not an advocate of lazy protectionism. I don’t want the government to simply protect any industry when it is clear the same industry is lazy, complacent and is not making any effort to improve itself. We need to recapitalise, invest in good people, train them, remunerate them well and keep on doing this. For example, I had a meeting with a foreigner, whose first words were, “I have come to take over in Nigeria”. Now what would make such a person utter such an arrogant statement? The advertising profession in Nigeria is mature within local and global contexts and has produced giants like Sylvester Moemeke, Olu Falomo, Ayo Owoborode, Segun Ogunbunmi, Mac and Dorothy Ovbiagele, Biodun Shobanjo, May Nzeribe, Akin Odunsi, etc. See the great brands we have birthed and developed over many years. So what would make a man from a much smaller and less developed country and economy to sit opposite me and utter such nonsense? The only way we can put such people in their positions is to ensure that we up the game and continue to deliver such a high level of value that would make us more relevant.
Collaboration between the Sectoral bodies in the advertising industryIt is good and APCON has worked hard in ensuring this. APCON has taken up issues that affect them with a view to providing solutions. For example we organised a media workshop to bring to fore the challenges the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) members were facing. I led a delegation of the same OAAN people to the Lagos State governor where we presented the challenges they were encountering with LASAA. We keep doing all we can to enhance the relationship and create value.
Aligning to global best Practices in the Nigerian Advertising industryWe don’t have a choice. Advertising is a global profession and cuts across borders. And because of the size and strategic importance of the Nigerian economy, many local and foreign participants want to play. As you well know, advertising drives trade and commerce. And so, to continue to offer premium and relevant service to local and international clients, Nigerian practitioners must ensure the best global practice. This must be seen in the quality of people and work. Most of the global networks are here in Nigeria and are in various types of partnerships with Nigerian agencies and practitioners. This must continue because the cross fertilisation is good for the industry. However, the international partnering agencies must have a clear understanding of our expectations. It is not another opportunity to simply walk in to “take over”; it is not an opportunity to create a system that will see them ignoring the Nigerian talents and bringing in foreigners to do our jobs. We clearly need plans to help develop local talents. The invasion of the economy by the telecoms and other big industries has put a lot of pressure on local talents. APCON, the AAAN, ADVAN and other groups are working hard to achieve this for the overall industry interest. And this is where we come in as Nigerian practitioners. Foreign clients should not take a short-term position of importing such talents where they are not available or inadequate; there must be a strategy and plan to ensure that the same environment is empowered to support the vigorous development of local talents. It’s a task that must be done.
Attracting new talentsMore than many people will believe. The fact many people don’t also know is that the advertising profession is multi and cross-cultural. We have doctors, engineers, scientists, lawyers, etc., who are in the profession and who also want to come in. This is aside of the traditional mass communication, marketing and creative pool. At some point in this country, the late Banjo Solaru was one of the most versatile writers in the industry. He wrote the famous Gluco D campaign. He was a lawyer. APCON supervises the syllabus for the practice in higher institutions and approve such schools for accreditation. We have continued to upgrade the subjects and make them more relevant and contemporary, such that others outside the direct link will want to come in.
Improving Agency/Client relationshipThis question assumes that clients in general don’t have respect for their agencies. This is an untrue and unfair assumption. Would the Coca Cola client not respect its team in Prima Garnet? Would the First Bank client not appreciate its team in Prima Garnet? Will MTN not have respect for its team in DDB? Will Etisalat not appreciate the 141 Worldwide team? Will Guinness not appreciate the SO&U team? Will Nigeria Breweries not appreciate the Lintas and Insight teams on the Star, Maltina and Gulder accounts? The only reason a client will not appreciate an agency is when the agency is unproductive. And it must be mutual. An agency is usually as good as the client. If you have an incompetent client, chances are it will affect the agency performance. And in the best tradition, this talk of master-servant relationship is nonsense. I can tell you categorically that no client will treat Prima Garnet, 141, Insight, SO&U, DDB and other serious agencies as servants. Who will be the servant? Will it be me, Bunmi Oke, Jimi Awosika, Udeme Ufot, Enyi Odigbo?
Contribution of the advertising industry to the Nigerian EconomyActual figures may not be readily available, but in direct and indirect contributions, it runs into billions of Naira. You have budgets from the agencies, employment, below-the-line activities, printing, productions etc. It’s a huge amount.
Nigerian advertising agencies and 2015 general electionsThe big events are the elections. Thankfully our members now run most serious campaigns by those seeking elective positions and ads are vetted by APCON. The politicians and governments must continue to work with our professionals who are trained in the art and science of effective communication. As a run up to the elections, our members should invest in things that will make us relevant. For example can we conduct industry-led researches which politicians can find useful? We are major stakeholders and beyond offering advertising services, we must ensure that we work in other ways that will ensure that the right people are elected or appointed. We also must work with other Nigerians in ensuring that governments deliver on promises made through our campaigns.
Advertising in Nigeria and FDII am very passionate about ensuring the growth and development of the industry. I wish to appeal to government to please ensure that while foreign investment is welcome, we should be clear about those who truly are coming in to partner Nigerians, and those whose main reason is to feed on the country, contributing no value. Government must not allow the kind of situation we have in Kenya for example when 80% of the advertising business is with a single man and group. This cannot help us. Right now there is plenty of noise about FDI. Let’s investigate what people are truly bringing in. The government should set up a body that will investigate the genuineness of such investments and their value. It’s not enough to want to come and set up in Nigeria because you have concluded with some foreign clients to take over the business that Nigerian agencies had been managing well. Your only investment is in office space. The accounts are here. So what FDI are you talking about?
Government should not be shy to offer support to its people where necessary. The US government does this for its agric related industry and subsidises them. Europe does the same for its aerospace industry. No Nigerian can go to India and set up an agency without meeting roadblocks. For too long foreign interests have blackmailed us that we must open our doors because we are signatories to certain protocols. At the moment the UK is running a campaign asking foreigners to leave so that their own people can do jobs in the country. I have always made the case that even though we want investments from offshore, they must be credible, of high value and must help us. We must not revert to the days of car-assembly plants when no technology was transferred. We truly must enjoy the benefits of democracy, after all democracy is the government of the people by the people for the people and NOT the government of the people by the people for foreigners.
This interview was originally published in Brand Communicator magazine.


Dmitry Bivol manager explains issues with making Canelo Alvarez rematch
Dmitry Bivol's manager, Vadim Kornilov, has revealed that negotiations for a rematch with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez have stalled.
Bivol first fought Alvarez in May 2022 and was declared the winner on the judges' scorecards following a dominant performance in Las Vegas.
Since that loss, Alvarez has frequently expressed his desire to face the WBA light heavyweight champion for a second time, but the weight limit for the rematch has become an issue.
Bivol would prefer to drop down to super middleweight if he was to take on the Mexican for a second time, while Alvarez wants the fight to take place at 175lbs.
Speaking to ESPN Knockout, Kornilov stated that the rematch is in doubt despite ongoing negotiations and instead will try to land an undisputed fight with Artur Beterbiev for Bivol.
“They don’t want a rematch. They know that they lost very badly in the first fight and that they have less chances of winning in the second. When have you heard of a fighter who, after losing, asked for a rematch on the same terms?” Kornilov said.
“In my opinion I think they don’t want a rematch and they are saying that to justify themselves and make another fight like they did with Golovkin, John Ryder and maybe Berlanga.
"A rematch cannot take place on the same terms as the fight you lost. It’s stupid. We are looking forward. Artur Beterbiev is our target.”


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Traveling to the strangest and most obscure places in the world to find underground metal bands is what we do here at The Metal Crypt. Indonesia, a country not really known for its metal scene, in western metal communities at least, is up next. As I have stated in earlier parts of this series, there probably isn't a place in the world where you won't come across a metal band, either completely by accident or after a long search (the coldest and harshest areas of Siberia might be something different).
Indonesia, the world's largest island country with about 270 million people, has its own actively bubbling underground metal scene and there's no way that we here at The Metal Crypt could possibly ignore it.
Instead, we contacted a bunch of metal musicians from several Indonesian bands to tell us more about their bands, what drove them to get together and play metal music and what it is like to be a member of a metal band in Indonesia where metal isn't something that gets major headlines.
Thanks to every individual who took the time to introduce their band for this special on Indonesia.
When you decided to form/join this band, what did you want to achieve?
Isaro Aprilianto (PERISH MOON): I formed this band at the behest of darkness, with the aim of achieving self-satisfaction by creating a black plague.
Wolven (WOLFFROST): To create something with the band and keep playing music, as long as it is fun. I am sure we will continue to do just that.
Valendino Mithos (VALLENDUSK): We had no really ambitious goals at the beginning. We were doing music just as a hobby. Being very innovative has never really been our purpose. We try to make music from our hearts and trust our feelings. I am not sure whether we've succeeded in adding our own personal touches along the way. We do everything the best we can and enjoy the ride as much as possible.
Faizal Al Karam (KEMENYAN): My main reason for joining this band was actually very simply because I and some other of my friends had the same vision and mission for making music. I wanted to be free to create music without any limitations; to record albums and to play them live for the crowds. It didn't matter if we were playing our music on a small or big stage. Another main reason was to create music that I really wanted to play on tour so fans would really know what we are doing.
STAX: What we actually want to achieve with the band is to run it consistently as our long-term plan for the future until we are too old to run it anymore.
Doni Herdaru Tona (VOX MORTIS): The band uses music as a medium to raise awareness about animal welfare under the banner of death metal. Vox Mortis focuses on the least-protected domestic animals, cats and dogs. The idea was to put a different perspective on this community, which often gets a negative stigma, and deliver positive messages about animals. We do believe that metal is related to rebellion against normative ideas and shackles of conservative themes, and we want to rebel over the injustice of these animals.
Dennis (PARGOCHY): Pargochy was formed in early 2013. Our goal was to play music that we wanted to play and hear ourselves. Each of us likes different types of metal. In Pargochy, we are all united under the umbrella of death metal. Our main target was to record a full-length album and that milestone was accomplished in 2016. Our debut album was released by Armstretch Records and it was called Tribe.
Subhan Rizal (WALKER): What I would like to achieve with this band is to travel around the world making as many new friends as possible from all over the world.
Arief (TRAGEDY KERETA JENAZAH): We started the band in 2001. We started with the concept of black metal until we decided to change our style to death metal back in 2006. We have done three albums and for the latest (Dropping of the Human Wrath, 2021) we worked with Rottrevore Records of Indonesia. With our fourth album, titled Worst Fatigued, we have been working with Coyote Records from Russia, and the album is set to be released in May 2022. We are from the small town of Javatimur, Indonesia and our only goal is to play death metal, release albums and tour. Last year we wanted to tour, but all our plans were blocked by the fucking Covid-19 virus. Our goal is to tour as much as possible, though. The rest of our goals besides playing in the band is to form friendships between different communities.
D (WARKVLT): Warkvlt was formed on June 22, 2013. Previously we used the name Impish (from 2011 to 2013) but due to a name dispute, we decided to form a new band named Warkvlt.
At the beginning we just tried just to make a noisy and fast black metal band based on our personal dark experiments in our musical journey and experience because all the band members had the same background as black metal enthusiasts.
Warkvlt have released three albums so far and themes are all different, and this will be our primary target and objective, to make each of our albums a little bit different from the others, both theme and song-wise.
Ipuletar (PROLETAR): I joined the band in early 1999. Our initial goals were to release a demo EP in 2000 (nine tracks). We actually run this band like running water. But if there is a plan, we must focus on working on it by looking at the reality of the situation we are facing. Maybe our goal/hope is to be able to tour Europe, America, and other continents in the world.
RITUAL ORTODOKS: My personal goals are to express myself as an artist and because I like extreme music, I want to share my vision and ideas by being a member in bands or through songwriting. I joined several bands and almost all of them belonged to the black metal genre. Previously I joined the Ritual Orchestra, but I have left the band now. I am currently a member of Misanthropic Imperium, Ritual Ortodoks and Abyssic Hymn, and I want to achieve some of my personal artistic visions through them. I want to get albums released on international labels and also, if possible, it would be nice if I could tour or play in big events in countries abroad or just play around my own country. That would be nice as well.
How has the political and/or cultural tolerance towards metal bands changed in your country in the past 10-15 years? Is it more "accepted" to play metal music these days?
Isaro Aprilianto (PERISH MOON): I have maybe a lot of insignificant thoughts regarding this subject, but I'm still on the black track and a rebel. I guess certain things will all remain the same from one year to another.
Wolven (WOLFFROST): I don't think our society has a problem with metal music. There will always be gigs and events everywhere and more and more new bands are appearing even if some of them have already disbanded.
Valendino Mithos (VALLENDUSK): Nothing significant has changed here. We can't speak of other genres, but black metal is still only for a select few and it's always meant to be like that. Some people with bad taste disrespect this music but that's their problem. We don't really care about politics, and it's our privilege that we don't have to. What happens politically will not overtly affect our lives. It may even benefit us, so we just keep quiet and do our thing. And yeah, to this day Indonesia is still considered the least noticeable country in the black metal worldwide scene.
Faizal Al Karam (KEMENYAN): A few years ago, generally speaking, metal music had achieved some status with the public but sometimes it feels like it still isn't an accepted thing because we have had many problems in our culture and in our country. Regular people still think in a negative way about metal music in our society. Our government sometimes kind of tries to limit our space as the members of this band for no good reason but that does not make us give up.
STAX: Metal music is more and more accepted in our country and there are even more events for metal bands nowadays.
In terms of political and cultural tolerance for metal bands in Indonesia, there's no big difference with how the underground metal scene was in the past and how it is today because many musicians here in Indonesia move from one community to another, hence they are more involved in social activities in the same forum. Also, in our society, so-called "normal" people cannot understand our type of music but they are still kind of accepting it as a part of our culture little by little. Even though from a political point of view, arranging things like gigs is still possible in our country, yes, but due to some of these restrictions because of Covid-19, there are many gig organizers that have moved on to do other things as the restrictions won't allow them to be involved 100% with getting concerts arranged.
Doni Herdaru Tona (VOX MORTIS): The Indonesian metal scene is now more "accepted" by society, including being acknowledged by the public for exporting out cultural products through the music. Compared to 10-15 years ago, this is great. We can hold a big metal festival and the mainstream media/press love to put it into the news and the most important thing is that we can voice things in our music, such as animal welfare and political views. The metal scene has a point that has been proven, that this independent music survived when the popular music channels collapsed. We proved that we built a stronger market because we have our own loyal supporters, the extreme music fans. This one thing that helped the metal scene, as well as the outsider, respect the way we survived and adapted to the new technology.
Dennis (PARGOCHY): Thankfully, metal music has been accepted in Indonesia, especially in Medan city where Pargochy is located. Although not all people understand what metal music is all about, compared to 10 or 15 years ago, metal music in Medan, is more accepted by the general public.
Subhan Rizal (WALKER): Yes, it really influenced politics in my country but didn't affect my band. In the past 10-15 years or so, people were very enthusiastic about metal bands. In fact, it was very good at that time and during recent times, people have started to listen to metal music, but people have moved to different types of metal subgenres. They seem to bow mostly toward many new genres of metal music these days.
Arief (TRAGEDY KERETA JENAZAH): Indonesian society has begun to adapt to the existence of death metal music compared to 15 years ago. Getting to play a metal music concert in our community used to be complicated, as "regular" people thought this type of shows would cause chaos.
Over time, there have been several shows and festivals in Indonesia that have also had an international line-up of bands, such as Hammersonic, Rock in Solo, Hellprint and so on.
Each city in Indonesia puts on shows in accordance with their respective traditions, from small gigs to big events. Performances at each festival always make the cities crowded with visitors. In essence, our government still sees metal events in a negative light that only create chaos, trouble and so forth. But there are also people in our government who see concerts in different light and help to get shows organized in Indonesia and make these events pretty successful.
D (WARKVLT): During the new era (before 1998)/before the reformation political era, performing music in general was not as "free" or "accepted" as it is now. Many musicians were being targeted as supporters of a rebellion movement or something along those lines. But after the reformation era and the Internet era, playing metal music, especially extreme music, is currently far more acceptable in our country, and we are also free to wear metal shirts when wandering on the street. It's actually a common trend now.
Ipuletar (PROLETAR): When it comes to playing underground metal music in this country, I don't think there are any regulatory problems. The main thing is money. We will be able to put on gigs/festivals (outside of the pandemic) I think the same as other countries in Europe/America. Maybe the culture here is less familiar with underground metal because underground metal is difficult to make a living from. So, if you live as an underground metal musician, make merchandise and then sell it, organize shows/gig/festivals as your livelihood, your neighbors might not see it as not a normal job.
RITUAL ORTODOKS: Extreme music in Indonesia is more accepted nowadays than it was in previous years, and I don't have a problem with the culture in my country. Yes, now my music is more accepted although not so many people in my country like the music that I play.
Which things are you most proud of regarding past or present achievements of your band?
Isaro Aprilianto (PERISH MOON): Achieving satisfaction through dark music, this is what I want to achieve.
And just a few days ago, I released a single in CD-R format which I only printed in a limited run of 15 copies.
Wolven (WOLFFROST): As for me and our band, we haven't produced much. We are still quite young. We don't want to look too much to the past. The most important things are new albums and gigs getting arranged in our city.
Valendino Mithos (VALLENDUSK): Every time we finish work on an album. The fact we've survived working on the ideas that we have at each given time, both in rehearsal and in the recording sessions, the ongoing development throughout the process (ups or downs, expected or unexpected) are things that we're most proud of.
Faizal Al karam (KEMENYAN): Things that make me happy in this band. Also, it's important for me personally to feel that we aren't doing this only for our passion for music but also to feel like all of us form a small family in which we all have the same purpose. We have already created many songs together and even managed to play our stuff for audiences in a few cities. We hope that we can play more shows in many more cities in the future, just to prove to people we are worth coming to see us live.
STAX: We are proud of the fact that we have been able to release our first album (Negara Hitam in 2015) and continue writing new music via our band Stax.
Doni Herdaru Tona (VOX MORTIS): There's nothing we can be proud of other than our music being heard and accepted by metalheads anywhere. We prove that extreme music is the finest medium to express or speak to others, universally. Beyond our musical achievement, the war on animal abuse seems to have no end as long as a bunch of scumbags who think themselves superior are still out there. And we are proud to stand against that kind of ignorance.
Dennis (PARGOCHY): One of our main goals was to form Pargochy, has now been fulfilled, and releasing our debut album, of course! This is an achievement that we are very proud of. We have been hit by various problems, trials, and obstacles, but in spite of all of them, the material for the Tribe album was born without the slightest flaw. Also, with the help of the Tribe album, we managed to achieve several other dreams, for example appearing on the Hammersonic stage, in 2017.
Subhan Rizal (WALKER): What I am proud of is that we have been featured on a couple of split/compilation albums, have many new songs ready, and have even played on a big stage in Southeast Asia, namely Hammersonic Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia. YEEAAAHH...!!!!! \,,/
Arief (TRAGEDY KERETA JENAZAH): There were a lot of things when we had to flash back to our past bands. Regarding achievements, one that comes to my mind is when we had to record a song in one take. It felt like a live recording and the results were pretty unexpected.
All the enthusiasm coming from the listeners of our first album is what made us want to continue and make albums. We have always felt like our next album should be better than the last one was.
D (WARKVLT): Yes, one of our past achievements from 2018, a song called "Infectoremus Regima," was put on Spotify's Black & Dark Metal playlist for a year and during that period of time it received almost 19K plays, which is pretty nice.
Lately our last album, Deathymn released in 2020, was honored and listed as one of best black metal albums of 2020 by several web magazines, which absolutely feels great!
Ipuletar (PROLETAR): We were able to document the story of the band's journey in a documentary film that was just released on DVD format (129-minute duration).
RITUAL ORTODOKS: What I am proud of is that I have succeeded in producing an album and worked with my artistic visions through all of my bands. My band Misanthropic Imperium has put out two releases so far; Cawan Amarah, released in 2017 and Legion Luxferre, which was an EP and was released in 2019. We have also released singles titled Abomination Spells in 2016 and Bejana Logam Hitam, which was released back in 2018.
Misanthropic Imperium have also performed on stage with In Flames, Ihsahn, Vital Remains, Brujeria and other bands at the 2018 Hammersonic Festival event in Jakarta. All the albums that I have with my bands and sharing the stages with bigger names are some of those things that I am very proud of.
Ritual Ortodoks have released one single Prosatanistterror in 2020 and one split album Morbid Agression in 2021 so far.
As for Abyssic Hymn, with that band we have managed to release just one single so far, titled Forest, which was released recently.
PERISH MOON: https://perishmoon.bandcamp.com
RITUAL ORTODOKS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2NSnEL2-ac
TRAGEDY KERETA JENAZAH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwjzdUZnops
VOX MORTIS: https://voxmortisdeath.bandcamp.com
The Metal Crypt - Crushing Posers Since 1999
Copyright © 1999-2023, Michel Renaud / The Metal Crypt. All Rights Reserved.

domain: artistic


Machine vision is widely used in die bonders to provide perfect alignment between the wafer or leadframe and the die pickup tip during pick and place operations respectively. This also results in better detection of bad ink-dotted dies and accurate placing of epoxy resin on the die bond pads of the leadframe. Pattern matching using Pattern Recognition techniques and area alignment using edge detection techniques are the two most widely used methods in providing die and leadframe pad alignment. The increased emphasis on quality improvement on semiconductor assembly has results in the use of machine vision for quality inspection in addition to alignment. The inspection is usually, done at two points in the die bond cycle, one just after epoxy application on the leadframe pad (pre-bond inspection) and the other after the die is bonded to the leadframe pad. The post bond inspect confirms if the placement of the die on the leadframe pad is within the required specification. It also looks for angular die placement as well as for epoxy spills on top of the die.
The mechanical integrity of the wire-bond connections in an integrated circuit governs the electrical integrity of the IC chip. Good quality control of bonding operation requires the wire-bond ball size on the aluminum pad of the silicon chip to be within certain specified range of diameters and heights. This paper describes the problems associated with the inspection of wire bonding balls height using 2D images. Two methods of inspecting the bonding ball height were described. The first method uses structure lighting approach to gauge the height and the second method estimates the height by computing the focus indices of a series of the 2D wire-bond images. Fourier energy spectral density of the gradient image is used as a basis for computing the focus index of the image. A simple and effective differential method was used to compute the gradient image. Both methods are able to achieve an accuracy of +/- 1 micrometers for wire- bond ball height measurement.
Machine vision is a well established method of automating mark inspection on IC packages. Defects such as missing mark, blurred mark, mis-orientation, illegible mark, etc. can be caught accurately and repeatedly by a good mark inspection system. The most common inspection algorithm that is employed is `correlation' (or template matching). Here the mark characters are taught to the system by the operator on one device. These characters are stored as a template set. Subsequent devices are compared with this stored template set and based on the comparison results the mark is classified as good or as reject. One of the setbacks of this traditional method of inspecting mark with a single template set is that it overkills when marking has variation. Variation in the mark can arise from the same or different marking machines and also when device lots with different mark characters are combined. Mark inspection using multiple templates provides a solution to this problem. In this method, instead of one template set, multiple template sets can be taught and subsequent devices are checked with these multiple mark template sets.
In pixel based setting, thinning is often accomplished by removing contour points in connected regions iteratively. Such algorithms require the image be presented in a regular spatial grid. Missing data points are not allowed. In range data processing, such requirements are not always fulfilled due to reflectance and sensor geometry. An algorithm is developed for extraction and thinning of 3D linear features. It is based on fitting of structuring element. The data is assumed to be 3D measurement points of the objects of interest. Three criteria are employed to extract and simplified the required linear feature. First, connected point sets are identified. For each connected set, an occurrence of linear structure is then located by fitting a cylindrical structuring element. Finally, the complete linear feature is identified by motion of the structuring element along the major axis. This algorithm is useful for 3D inspection.
We report on the development of an automated inspection and dimension measurement system for optoelectronic components. Images of the components are captured with a CCD camera. Precision templates are designed for image calibration, and a sub-pixel detection software is developed for dimension measurement. Experimental results demonstrate that the system is capable of measuring the dimensions with an accuracy of 30 micrometers .
Automatic inspection systems for IC mark, package and lead inspection are being widely used as in-process controls and check points. Here their primary function is not only to inspect and sort out defective parts but also to provide feedback on how well a process such as marking or trim and form is performing. Inspection results of every part inspected are often accumulated in a statistical process control (SPC) program that can monitor drifts in the process. Not all drifts are caused by problems in the process itself. For example the mark contrast on a package may be reduced not only because of some problem with the marking process but also because of changes in the mold compound of the package or changes in the light intensity of the inspection system. In latter case a statistical tool such as the SPC program may alert the user of a process drift and he will have to retune, recalibrate or change the parameters of the inspection system. Often the change in parameter is done by trail-and-error. A change too much or too little can result in excess overkill or even escapes. Alternatively the statistical data itself can be used to suggest the user what changes should be made to the inspection parameters. This method of automatic parameter optimization is discussed in detail in this paper. A mark inspection system is chosen as a specific example on how to apply this method.
This paper presents a system for automatic recognition of Integrated Circuit chips on assembled circuit boards by recognizing characters on its package label. The paper concentrates on the extraction and recognition of these character. The extraction of characters involves binarization of the image, character localization, orientation alignment and character re-sizing. A pre-trained two-layer feed-forward neural network is used to recognize the extracted characters. The neural network is trained using the back-propagation method. Experimental results are presented.
Texture is one of the important characteristics used in identifying objects or regions of interest in an image. Statistical approach algorithms for image classifications are very poor techniques in identifying texture in particular the spatial gray level dependence method (SGLDM). The main disadvantage is the intensive computation required for this algorithm. The advantage of using ANN is less computational time once the network is trained and constructed in a parallel architecture. To improve the computational speed and parallelism further a structured ANN is used. Here, we will describe the use of this ANN for textured image segmentation. A structural artificial neural network with three sub-networks is proposed to estimate the SGLDM algorithm. A texture image segmentation system can be built by using this network and searching window method. The advantage of this design is that the ANN structure is a feed-forward network, so that the system can be built in a pile-line fashion. One of the applications can be the object searching in wafer or VLSI circuit inspection.
During the stage of pre-cap inspection, 3D profiles of bonded wires are inspected to detect defects such as lifted, tight and sagging wires, and to measure the maximum wire height. This paper presents a novel inspection system based on the application of the stereo technique. In our single- camera setup, stereo views are obtained by rotating the IC chip under the camera. Wire bond edges are detected using Canny's method. These are then linked to form curves, and matching is conducted between two curve lists of a stereo pair. Results of local matching are combined to find the global optimum. The depth measurement of our system has an accuracy of 14 micrometers , which corresponds to one-fortieth of the total range of wire height.
In this paper, a new model-based tracking algorithm is proposed for tracking rigid objects in 6 degrees of freedom. Only one calibrated camera is used in the approach which can handle the motion of objects with known geometry. Information in 2D images from the camera would conduct motion in 3D space. The useful image features are contour edges of object to be tracked. The matching process includes two aspects of: (1) feature extraction using local minimum energy and (2) global matching of known 3D models against the projected features. The algorithm is robust to change in lighting and background. The small motion hypothesis is used for fitting feature energy which is defined as the negative absolute value of the edge strength. An autoregressive AR(1) model is employed for detecting incorrect matches in terms of the feature energy. We have found a new invariance-based method to eliminate false matches caused by strong shadow or occlusion. The invariance is the ratio of trigonometric functions of the angles formed by a polygon. Both performance analysis and real object tracking show that the proposed algorithm is effective and robust.
In modern semiconductor and optics industries, there is a strong demand for a highly sensitive and non-contact surface profilometer. This paper describes an optical heterodyne surface profiling interferometer with automatic focusing which has been developed recently. The essential feature of the profilometer is a newly designed common-path method to minimize the effects of environmental conditions. A powerful signal processing scheme is also developed, which includes three parts: automatic voltage control, phase measurement and automatic focusing control. All these make the repeatability and stability of the profiling interferometer greatly improved. The height resolution is 3.5 nm and lateral resolution is 0.4 micrometers . Experiments show that the profiling interferometer is suitable for on-line use.
One of the areas in which a great deal of research is taking place is the application of image processing techniques for automatically detecting moving objects. The common object detection techniques used by several researchers are based on background differencing. However, in practice, the accuracy of this technique mainly depends on the methods used for background updating and the thresholding techniques. Edge-based image detection is generally more effective than background differencing and has been used by few researchers for detecting moving objects. The conventional gradient-based edge detection operations have found wide acceptance in image processing applications. However, morphological edge detectors have shown better performance than conventional edge detectors while having a lower computational cost. This paper describes a novel method for object detection based on morphological edge detection techniques. This method eliminates the background updating and has been implemented in real-time on a low-cost Pentium-based microcomputer system.
Periodic corrugations in the form of gratings are an important component in integrated optical devices. In most cases, the period of the corrugations required is of the order of a micron or less and hence conventional photolithography could not be applied. In this paper, we discuss the development of a holographic interference exposure system based on a He-Cd laser of wavelength 325 nm. The laser light is kept as one beam as it transverses through the various optics. Upon incidence on the exposure assembly, the wavefront reflected from a mirror and that incident directly onto the photoresist-coated sample will interfere to generate the required interference pattern on the sample. Gratings with periods of 320 nm to 1.69 micrometers have been fabricated on positive photoresist-coated silicon samples. The periods were analyzed by both Atomic Force Microscopy and optical diffraction measurements. The periodic patterns have also been transferred onto glass substrates via etching. The measured grating periods are in good agreement with the designed values.
A phase-shifting Twyman-Green interferometer has been constructed. Using three consecutively captured interferograms, the phase profile of a reflective surface can be determined. Results using various fringe processing techniques are compared. These methods include uniform averaging, Gaussian mask and spin filtering. For simulated fringes superimposed with random noise and fixed-pattern noise, it has been observed that a combination of weighted averaging and spin filtering could generate the best results. The computerized system has been applied to the measurement of the form errors of a silicon wafer and a cosmetic mirror, respectively. The root-mean-square error of the wafer is determined to be 11.13 nm.
A novel solution for image pattern identification based on the description of linear structure is proposed. The concept is currently applied to the classification of documents such as business forms and logos. The geometric layout of objects such as lines, text and spacing is converted to a 1D string representation. A novel, generic and quantized string format is proposed for the system. Very encouraging results have been obtained and the technique can be used for a wide range of applications and extended to handle patterns including electronic circuit diagrams without obvious linear features. The use of strings facilities quick and robust measures of similarity between two patterns and a quantifiable tolerance of segmentation inconsistencies is possible. In addition, no training is required.
A novel solution to the problem of correcting leaded semiconductor packages damaged during test and handling is presented. The elimination of the high costs of reworking and maintaining lot integrity is accomplished by integrating a highly programmable lead conditioning system with the traditional lead inspection system. The equipment accommodates gull and J lead forms via a quick change lead conditioning tool. Devices ranging from 10 mm to 40 mm, square, rectangular, two or four sided can be effectively conditioned with no increase in setup time or decrease in overall throughput. The effectiveness or device recovery rate of such a system is documented with data from semiconductor manufacturing and printed board assembly environments. While previous methods relied on huge amounts of hand labor and very expensive hard tooling, the programmable conditioner allows a high product mix within the setup and changeover time of the inspection equipment. Data demonstrating the effectiveness and versatility of a `one-lead-at-a-time' conditioner is presented. Although the throughput is less than for inspection alone, the total cycle time and throughput are actually higher than for process configurations which separate inspection and conditioning. Conventional processing flows impose severe cycle time delays, hand labor costs and re-inspections that are eliminated in the integrated system. The major factors of determining the payback and justification for an integrated system are also discussed. The economic factors discussed include direct labor, capital cost, tooling cost and cycle time. Systems justified to date have done so on the basis of a single factor, the value of the recovered units. Intangible factors are also identified and discussed.
Visual inspection has long been a necessary method of quality control in Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBA) manufacturing. The characteristics of electronic assemblies have changed substantially over the last decade. Todays high lead count, fine pitch SMT components are becoming even more difficult for humans to inspect at the same time automated inspection systems have become reliable than manual inspection and are now accepted as valuable tools for producing high quality PCBA products. The basic requirements of an automated inspection system remain same in all PCBA manufacturing but the type of the automated system (off- line/on-line), where applied in the production flow, entire boards or only on a sample basis, inspection coverage (100% or partial) vary between different PCBA manufacturers. In PCBA manufacturing the emphasis is more in the electrical functionality of the PCBA than in it's appearance. It is nearly impossible to impose stringent specifications in the appearance of the components and other materials used in PCBA manufacturing. Due to the large number of component/PCB supplier and wide variations in materials and processes the challenge in successfully automating the inspection process is the variability in the appearance of components on PCBA. But in a high volume PCBA manufacturing where fewer board types are running in large volumes for long periods of time, the variability in component appearance can be controlled much better than a low volume PCBA manufacturing where more types are running in low volumes for short period of time. This paper discusses the development and implementation of a low cost flexible automated inspection system for PCBAs. The system can detect over ninety percent of visual defects on PCBAs. The key features of the system are quick and easy set-up, capability to inspect different types of board and quick change over between different boards and low cost.
This paper presents an investigation into the color space and the recognition methodology for developing a non-contact approach to reading the value of a resistor by identifying the color bars from its color image. In this work, several color spaces for measuring colors are evaluated and compared. The uniformed color space known as the CIE-LAB color space is found to exhibit good properties for color recognition task. Hue(H)-Saturation(C)-Intensity(V) color space, which are calculated from CIE-LAB color space, provides an intuitive measure of color. Two color identification methods are investigated. The first method uses the Bayes classifier which defines color boundaries based on the variances of colors. The second method uses predefined fixed color region boundaries. A color is identified if it falls within a color region. A combination of both methods can achieve reliable recognition of color bars and hence correct resistor value can be derived.
Based on optical non-contact sensing and machine vision technology, an optical non-contact measurement instrument for measuring blind holes, as well as through holes, has been developed. By projecting a precision optical target on the internal wall of hole and sensing its reflected image, the instrument can be used to measure the hole's diameter, ovality and cylindricity. An optical selective amplification system was developed that greatly increases the sensitivity of CCD camera. Experimental test shows that the sensitivity of the laboratory apparatus is about 3 micrometers /pixel and the measurement accuracy is about 10 micrometers .


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Added Feb 20, 2010
Cameron Park, Ca...
This is a 2nd jumper I made with IKEA fabric. I fell in love with this fabric and the bird when I saw it made up on ikeafans.com. I can’t take the credit for the idea. I traced the bird on paper, backed it with iron on interfacing then used the zig zag stitch to made the details lines, same sitiching to apply it to the jumper. Added a small button for the birds eye. Made a head scarf in the same fabric as the bird, red & white dot fabric. Pattern: New Look #6578
IKEA cotton fabric
Meg's Magazine Mash Up 2014
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text:
North Korea attacks US funding of anti-censorship projects
North Korea’s state-run news agency issued a sharp criticism over the weekend of U.S. funding of technology projects that attack censorship.
The commentary, published on Saturday, points to dissatisfaction among the North Korean elite with U.S. funding of projects that enable the free flow of information and bypass Internet censorship.
It comes as U.S. State Dept.’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) is evaluating proposals for its latest round of funding aimed at human rights and democracy in North Korea. The DRL is offering up to $350,000 to organizations for projects targeted at the DPRK.
North Korea maintains one of the most formidable state-sanctioned censorship regimes in the world, cutting its citizens off from all information except that issued by the government. Internet access is off limits for all but a handful of the country’s 25-million people, international phone calls are banned and foreign radio broadcasts are routinely jammed.
The Internet is much less easy to control and that’s the reason why North Korea doesn’t give its citizens access. After all, a look at neighboring China shows the Pyongyang elite the constant battle between traditional censorship and free flowing information.
Increasingly, Internet users are getting around censorship and in some cases using tools created by projects funded by DRL. The U.S. is also using the Internet to target closed societies with uncensored news services, such as the Korean-language services of Radio Free Asia and the Voice of America.
“It is the U.S. calculation that if it operates internet, it can destabilize those countries courting its displeasure, put other counties under its political, economic and military control and realize its ambition for world domination with ease,” KCNA said.
It went on to charge the U.S. with “ideological and cultural poisoning” of the world.
KCNA’s commentary comes at a time when the U.S. is stepping back from one of its traditional roles at the heart of the Internet.
The system of numeric Internet Protocol addresses and domain names, which is vital to the functioning of the network, has long been overseen by a California non-profit that’s operated on a contract from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Earlier this year, the U.S. said it would relinquish control of those core functions in favor of a system that has yet to be decided.
But the U.S. continues to fund democracy projects.
“The U.S. move to isolate and stifle the DPRK in various fields after designating it as a target of cyber attack is part of Washington’s scenario,” KCNA said.
It wasn’t until the end of the commentary that KCNA spelled out its true target, just so there could be no mistake: funding of specific groups that attempt to circumvent its information blockade.
“The CIA has long carried out cyber attacks, providing every year more than 20 million U.S. dollars to the anti-DPRK plot-breeding bodies in south Korea including “the Citizens Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea” “Network for Democracy in North Korea” and “Duri Hana” by instigating “the National Foundation for Democracy” under the mask of a non-governmental body.”
The latter is likely the Washington, DC-based National Endowment for Democracy, a major funder of projects aimed at North Korea,
|Print article||This entry was posted by Martyn Williams on May 26, 2014 at 13:46, and is filed under Censorship, Internet, Media. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.|
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about 3 months ago - No comments
The State Department said Monday that it remains confident in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s conclusion that North Korea was responsible for the cyber attack on Sony — despite a growing number of voices saying that might not be the case. There has been some skepticism about North Korea’s involvement since the first reports earlier…
about 3 months ago - No comments
North Korea has reacted angrily to U.S. assertions that it was behind a devastating cyber attack on Sony Pictures. [UPDATE: The TV announcement is below the English statement] The official state-run news agency carried a statement from the country’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday that promised “serious consequences” if a joint investigation with the DPRK doesn’t tale…
about 8 months ago - 1 comment
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry took the opportunity of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to push the Chinese government to do a little more to enforce sanctions against North Korea. Speaking at a joint news conference after the meeting, Kerry said they discussed “the importance of enforcing UN Security Council resolutions that…
about 8 months ago - No comments
The U.S. government said Wednesday that it is concerned about a fourth round of missile launched by North Korea, in part because the country didn’t notify shipping and aviation traffic of its plans. Speaking at a scheduled news conference, State Dept. Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters the launches won’t bring security to the DPRK. “We…
about 10 months ago - 1 comment
The revelation by North Korean state media on Sunday that Pyongyang suffered a major construction accident underlines how strong the regime’s grip on information flow remains, despite cracks appearing in recent years. The accident occurred on Tuesday, according to the domestic media reports, but the world didn’t hear anything about the incident until those first…
about 1 year ago - 1 comment
A recently-launched iPhone app that delivers articles from the Korean Central News Agency to iPhones and iPads has been banned in South Korea. The app, iJuche, was developed and published in late 2013 and was highlighted on NorthKoreaTech earlier this week. That publicity was apparently enough to get it blocked. “I just got a call…
about 1 year ago - No comments
If you use an Apple iPhone or iPad, there’s a new app that lets you stay current with news from the Korean Central News Agency. IJuche is the product of work by Peter Curtis, who says he became fascinated with the DPRK after reading Andrew Holloway’s “A Year in Pyongyang.” “When I decided that I…
about 1 year ago - 1 comment
North Korean state media’s coverage of the arrest, trial and subsequent execution of Jang Song Thaek was “tantamount to mass intimidation,” Reporters Without Borders said on Thursday. “Although only to be expected from one of the world’s worst dictatorships, such manipulation of news and information is disturbing,” the Paris-based group said in a statement. “The extensive…
about 1 year ago - 3 comments
High-level purges in North Korea have been typically quiet affairs in the past. Rumors would circulate that someone had been removed from office, state media would be analyzed for mentions of the person’s name and confirmation would usually only come months or years later when they either reemerged or someone else appeared in a position…
about 1 year ago - 24 comments
The Korean Central News Agency issued the following on December 13, 2013. The English version of the article was issued in two takes. The first take runs about half the length of the full story until the “(more)” below. The story was then updated with the second half. So when the story originally ran, only…

domain: news


text:
A character three bedroom detached house situated in one of the area's favoured locations in the heart of the Carbery Estate offering spacious accommodation and a modern kitchen and bathroom. The (...)
A deceptively spacious four bedroom, two bathroom detached house set in a great location just a stone's throw from Seafield Gardens and within a mile of both Southbourne Grove and Tuckton shopping (...)
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CALL US NOW TO ARRANGE A SITE VISIT. Designed by an award-winning local Architectural practice and overlooking Kings Park, we bring to the market this brand new two bedroom detached bungalow.
An immaculately presented three bedroom detached house with the benefit of a large side extension creating an additional reception room, and situated in a most convenient location for Bournemouth (...)

domain: design


text:
Carillion revealed that a review resulted in an £845million write-down on its construction business
The construction and support services group revealed that a review of its contracts by KPMG had resulted in an £845million write-down in its construction business.
Net borrowing at the end of the first half climbed towards £695million, despite targets to shrink it by the end of the year.
An £800million-plus pension deficit makes the debt situation all the more precarious. CEO Richard Howson stood down, with Keith Cochrane stepping in on an interim basis.
Dividends were suspended and “for sale” signs have gone up on various Middle East firms.
The “public private partnership” construction market is being exited altogether.
So where did it all go wrong? Construction is a tough industry.
Margins of below 3 per cent are the norm, so slightly mispricing a contract can demolish profits.
Carillion’s problems go a step further, with the group writing off large chunks of revenue from four major contracts.
Carillion wrote off large chunks of revenue from four major contracts
What has made it even more painful is the state of its balance sheet.
With cash struggling to make it through the door, the group is being forced to borrow to fund operations.
Long term, that is unsustainable, and today’s write-down will suck another £100million-£150million out of the business.
We’ll have to wait until September for details of Cochrane’s strategy.
The group is being forced to borrow to fund operations
But the immediate focus is hanging on to as much cash as possible.
Sales of businesses are expected to bring in £125million, cutting the dividend should save £80million and there is a chance the group will be able to recover more of the money it’s owed.
However, longer term, it looks like Carillion is going to have to raise money to get rid of the debt.
That suggests a rights issue is on the horizon. With the share price tumbling as much as 70 per cent, raising the £500million-£600million, analysts believe is needed would mean tripling the number of shares in issue.
It looks like Carillion is going to have to raise money to get rid of the debt
There is always the possibility that a suitor will appear to buy the business, but we are not sure any of the domestic players are obvious candidates.
In the absence of a white knight, and with the prospect of a rights issue looming, Carillion’s troubles may not be over.
This article is designed for investors who make their own decisions without advice, if unsure whether an investment is right for you, you should seek advice.
Shares can rise and fall in value so you could get back less than you invest.


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This solicitation is intended to help a number of tribes develop or modify tribal codes to support juvenile justice systems that focus on prevention, treatment and healing and/or that strengthen tribal efforts to develop trauma informed, culturally appropriate tribal child welfare services, in line with recommendations from the Attorney General'Âs Advisory Committee on American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence.
Number of Awards: 5
Total Amount Awarded: $3,011,040
- OJJDP FY 2020 Tribal Children's Advocacy Center Expansion Initiative for Child Abuse Victims
- OJJDP FY 2020 Training and Technical Assistance To Expand Children's Advocacy Centers Serving American Indian/Alaska Native Communities
- OJJDP FY 2020 Alaska Native Youth Training and Technical Assistance Project

domain: sociology


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Apologies for going Anon … I used to come on here ‘many moons’ ago but as I’m not diagnosed I left.
I’ve had problems for 6 years now - getting progressively worse over that time. I saw a Neuro for a while, but he said he couldn’t see me any more as he’d been told by hospital managers to reduce his follow-up appointments. He asked a colleague of his (a Rheumatologist) for a 2nd opinion and this guy diagnosed me with ME.
Since then my problems have got worse. I now have numbness in my lower left leg, ankle & foot. Slight dropped foot. Muscle stiffness in that same leg - a neuro physio friend couldn’t even bend my ankle upwards, the muscle was like wood. I have needed to increase my pregabalin to 200mg due to the pain in both legs (tight, gripping pain). My fatigue is awful. I had 3 bouts of dizziness/nause last year & although that has subsided I often feel ‘lightheaded’.
I now need to walk with a stick outside due to my balance + difficulty walking with the leg stiffness. My walking is limited to just going round the block. I only go shopping once every 4 or 5 weeks due to the effort of doing it, and once I’ve got there on the bus can only manage 2 shops maximum.
When I was with my Neuro about 2 years ago, he had another doctor with him who suggested to my Neuro that my symptoms were looking like PPMS.
Because I’m not seeing any medical people now, I went to my GP & at first he suggested that it might help me if I found a job!! . Thankfully my neuro-physio friend was so appalled at that she came round and did a complete history and physical examination and wrote a professional report for my GP. Anyway, he’s now changed his mind and wants me to have a 2nd opinion at the National Hospital for Neurology in Queens Square, London. It took him 5 weeks to even write the referral letter & now I’m still waiting for an appointment date.
Sorry this is so long…I’m just feeling very low tonight. I’m finding it hard with no answers and no-one really interested, despite my life having changed beyond recognition. I’m thankful for this new referral but the waiting…and waiting…
I’m sorry if I’ve come on the wrong board, but thank you so much for even reading this - I’m grateful xx

domain: health


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Surrey FA is pleased to announce dates of the 2017 County Youth Futsal Tournaments.
Deadline for entries is 19 Feb
Ladies football is back! Chelsea Ladies will play a pre-season friendly against Rosengard at Carshalton Athletic FC on Sunday 12/02 at 11am
An exciting Football Futures Event for all young leaders
Please see the FA's new feature film about how you can play your part in improving Safeguarding.
All matches this weekend will feature a minute's silence for the victims of the Columbian plane crash.
Surrey FA's Celebration of BAME Coaches Conference is being held next Monday 24th October at Imber Court.
The Surrey Youth League and the Surrey County Women's & Girls' League are pleased to announce that SYL Referee Development officer Steve Worsley has agreed to run 2 Mini Soccer Awareness Workshops for both leagues!
Chelsea Ladies Football Club will play VFL Wolfsburg at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday 5th October
England ladies play against Estonia tonight in a UEFA Euro 2017 qualifier!
Fixtures now available on SCWGL website
Are you aware of the football law changes for this season?
Keep up-to-date with our exclusive email newsletters.
© Pitch Hero Ltd 2008-2018
Pitch Hero Ltd Registered in ENGLAND | WF3 1DR | Company Number - 636 1033


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I don't think I used to eat the much-scorned egg salad of my childhood. I don't remember avoiding it, but I am sure I must have been side-stepping it skilfully, because it is definitely the sort of thing I wouldn't have eaten. I preferred boiled eggs and soldiers, in those days, out of my Noddy egg cup (I gather that Noddy and Big Ears are un-PC these days. What a shame. I loved Enid Blyton and I am sure she inspired my passion for reading, even if her female characters all stayed in the house and helped Mother while the boys helped Father in the garden - remember the Faraway Tree?). I decided on this dish because we bought very fresh eggs this morning at the farm shop and the photo caught my eye, but I was resigned to not liking it that much before I began; I presumed it would probably be a bit too eggy for me. We were going into town this afternoon, to shop (which for me means meandering from bookshop to bookshop, punctuated by the odd clothes shop, Lakeland, and the kitchenware department of Fenwicks) and didn't have much time to prepare lunch, which was fine because this egg salad was as fast as can be.
We boiled the eggs in slightly salted water, refreshed them in cold water, drained, peeled and halved them, before drizzling over some lemon-spiked mayonnaise. We served with toast and rashers of pancetta.
A couple of our eggs were a bit over-boiled; others were just right. I tucked in with a smidgen of wariness, but they were nice - the lemony mayo really worked with the eggs.
This experience made me think about the extent to which fashion prevails in terms of what we eat. I suppose this might mean we miss out on a lot of dishes that people loved in the past, but in practice it probably doesn't because fashions in food as in clothes have a habit of returning, slightly modified, but in more or less familiar form. Fashions arise partly because we are fickle, grow tired of the familiar and want to branch into something more exciting, but then it would seem that we miss the past, or we miss its familiarity, and thus we embrace the once-forgotten foodstuff on its second or third time around. I think the important thing for me is to be open-minded, because I greet these retro foods with a degree of suspicion. I can eat sushi and seaweed with the best of them, but I am still repulsed by rice pudding (memories of school and the skin that formed on top). I am not afraid of the new or the foreign, but I am terrified of the old foods that made me retch during school lunchtimes and that made me hide behind the settee refusing to go to school until I was allowed to take packed lunches. I wonder what would have happened if Jamie had come to my school - I suspect I would have staged a hunger strike. All that said, I have now eaten egg salad and am proud of it; I will probably, even, eat it again.

domain: food


Photograph of the Park Lane Apartments, located on the west side of Mill Creek Parkway (presently J C Nichols Parkway) between just north of 46th Street Terrace.
Park Lane Apartments
Photograph with caption, "proposed extension of Brookside Boulevard north to connect with Main at 41st Street." At the time, Brookside Boulevard was to be extended north until 41st Street were it would meet with Main Street. The Country Club Car Line, Ponce de Leon Hotel, 47th Street, St.
Photograph with caption, "Mill Creek Drive at 47th Street, showing the proposed roadway due north to Brookside Boulevard Extension and main at 41st Street. Plaza shops, Park Lane Hotel, and St. Luke's Hospital are pictured.
Photograph with caption, "looking north from Park Land at 48th Street and Country Club Car Line, showing approach of proposed trafficway to widened east 48th Street." Park Lane Hotel, St. Luke's Hospital, and Ponce De Leon Hotel, and three unidentified children are pictured.


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Selections From 100 Greatest Pop Songs
Piano, Vocal, GuitarPrinted Music - 2003?
(Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook). A great collection of over 90 of the best and/or most influential pop songs of all time as chosen by the folks at MTV and Rolling Stone and documented in the popular video special. Songs: Beat It * Bohemian Rhapsody * Brown Eyed Girl * Careless Whisper * Dancing Queen * Every Breath You Take * Go Your Own Way * Good Vibrations * Hotel California * I Wanna Be Sedated * I Want to Hold Your Hand * Imagine * Jeremy * Just the Way You Are * Little Red Corvette * Losing My Religion * Love Shack * Maybe I'm Amazed * My Generation * Nasty * Our Lips Are Sealed * Proud Mary * Respect * Smells like Teen Spirit * Superstition * Sweet Child O' Mine * Time After Time * Under the Bridge * Waterfalls * Where Did Our Love Go * You Oughta Know * You Shook Me All Night Long * and more! 496 pages!

domain: library


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WARNING: Image below is NSFW (Not Safe for Work)
Today hasn’t been a good day for athletes when it comes to posting images and videos on social networking sites. First Kenny Britt posted a pornographic video on his Instagram. Now former Los Angeles Lakers forward Devin Ebanks has posted an explicit image of himself and another female on his twitter account.
Ebanks is a run-of-the-mill player that’ll likely spend the rest of his professional career in the Development League or professional team outside of the NBA, but it’s clear he’s better at basketball than he is at choosing which pictures to post or not post on his Twitter feed.
We’ve seen mistakes similar to this from countless athletes. If I had to guess, he meant to send the photo as a direct message to someone else instead of posting it as a tweet visible by the public.
Since the picture was posted, Ebanks has taken the easy way out, claiming that his account was hacked. Isn’t that original.
— Bengi #AllDay (@DevinEbanks3) May 10, 2014
In the words of rapper Jay-Z, “We don’t believe you, we need more people”.

domain: celebrity


text: An interesting study was conducted on the difference in the sex lives of fat men and thin men. The results of the 2-year study were published in the International Journal of Impotence Research. In a study conducted on 104 patients with premature ejaculation and 180 healthy men, it was found that as the weight of the men increased, the number of premature ejaculation patients decreased. out. Those who ejaculate normally are fat men. Men who ejaculate early are thinner than men who ejaculate regularly. This shows that there is an inverse relationship between weight and discharge. Men with longer relationships are 3 times more likely to be obese than early divorcees. Experts attribute these results to hormonal changes. As weight increases, estrogen increases and testosterone decreases. According to research, obese men stay in bed longer.


LUCKNOW/AYODHYA/NEW DELHI: Mohammed Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the Babri Masjid case, has accused Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan of seeking to take political advantage of the issue and said he will not pursue the case any further.
Ansari, who is in his early 90s, also said he did not want to see "Ram Lalla" in a tent but in a free and open state.
Ansari's remarks triggered political reactions, with the Bharatiya Janata Party welcoming them and the Bahujan Samaj Party demanding a probe into the circumstances in which he made the comments.
Ansari said he was fed up with the politicisation of the issue.
"Whether it is Babri masjid or Ram Janmabhoomi, it has become a battleground of politics. I do not want to befool Hindus or Muslims. I will not pursue the Babri Masjid case at any cost," he said.
Ansari also said he will not take part in any programme Dec 6, the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition.
He hit out at Azam Khan, a minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh, and said: "I file the case and political advantage is taken by Azam Khan. Hence, I will not pursue it. Let Azam Khan fight it."
Ansari said when Azam Khan can visit temples of Chitrakoot, why can't he visit Ayodhya.
Talking to All India Radio, Ansari said when he sees Ram Lalla in a tent, it pains him and he does not want that to continue. He said he wants to see Ram Lalla to be free and open.
In remarks to Times Now channel, Ansari said he was ready to talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.
"The door for talks is open. I will talk to him, welcome him," Ansari said.
Zafaryab Jilani, legal advisor to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said Ansari's recusal from the case would not have much effect.
He said Ansari may be upset over some issue or has not been properly briefed.
BSP chief Mayawati said the state government should probe the circumstances in which Ansari made the remarks.
"If the state government does not do it, then the central government should do it," she said.
BJP leader Yogi Adityanath welcomed Ansari's decision and said talks should be held and a bigger Ram Mandir should be constructed at the site.
BJP secretary Shrikant Sharma described Ansari's comments as "a good beginning".
He said if a solution to the Babri Mosque dispute could be found through talks, it will be a historic decision.
D. Raja of the Communist Party of India wondered if Ansari was under some pressure.
"Legal implications arising out of Mohammad Hashim Ansari leaving the case would have to be looked into by court but my point is whether he is under pressure," Raja said.


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BalletLab - 'Amplification'
Distorting Consciousness and Limbs
by Cecly Placenti
January 24, 2006 -- Performance Space 122, New York City
Using the car accident as a metaphor for mental and physical disassociation, "Amplification" deals with the human body's response to sound, light, and physical impact. Philip Adams, choreographer and Artistic Director of BalletLab, Australia's most experimental and challenging contemporary dance company, did extensive and impressive research on the effects of car accidents on their victims. Adams visited hospitals, morgues, and spoke to doctors and recovering patients. In this provocative, confronting, and challenging piece, he explores the themes of disassociation, pain, healing, reality and unreality within the form of an installation set in a stark minimalist environment, featuring live turntable composition by DJ, Lynton Carr.
We all have awareness of things we have experienced, either directly or second hand, that exist just beneath the surface of our consciousness. We either have been in a car accident ourselves, seen one happen, or know someone who has been in one. Suddenly one day, we lose control, our car is sliding, skidding, and coming closer and closer to another object. That awareness we've kept buried comes flooding into our minds, we distance ourselves, time stretches, and our senses become somewhat diffused--the moment of impact can seem to take several minutes rather than the split second that it actually is.
This seems a rather heady and difficult idea to portray in dance, but Adams succeeds brilliantly. What you are seeing when you watch “Amplification” is a total theatrical experience. The use of sound, light, movement and gesture exist together to convey deeply disturbing concepts. Andrew Livingston’s stark set of hanging white backdrops and horizontal florescent lights, reminiscent of hospital wards or sterile interrogation rooms, sometimes blinking, other times swinging, completely draws you into the cold environment Adams wanted to create. The sound score, dissonant and abrasive scratching and clicking noises, manipulated and stretched, become another layer of the piece, influencing the movements of the dancers and the comfort level of the audience. The way in which the music seems to both lead and partner the varying vignettes creates the feeling of a very smooth meditation and unique collaboration.
The dance segments were thrilling--super fast and highly technical. Adams’ choreography distorts classical technique, creating highly charged partnering with impeccable timing. The jerky movements--like robots on fast-forward--evoke the impact of bodies colliding. It is violent and demanding choreography in which every limb becomes an instrument for manipulation: an ankle moves a neck, an elbow pushes a torso, until the manipulation becomes frenzied without ever going out of control. Herein lies the amazing thing about the skill of both Adams and his dancers--their ability to be dangerously close to hurting one another while still having enough control to evoke the violence of collision.
The non-dance segments were often disturbing, definitely in your face, thoughtful, and sensitive. Naked bodies are carried downstage in body bags, dumped unceremoniously onto sheets, and then wrapped gently and specifically, as is customary in Chinese and Japanese ritual burial. At one point, a naked dancer is kicked, rolled, shoved and dragged across the stage, all without being touched by the other dancer’s hands, and manipulated into a box which is then covered.
“Amplification” is definitely not for the faint of heart, prudish, or anyone uncomfortable with very loud harsh sounds. But with its intelligent choreography, attention to the bizarre, highly committed and talented cast, “Amplification” breaks ground in dance and hopefully garners BalletLab international esteem.
Read related stories in the press and see what others are saying. Click here.


Have you ever listened to a song that sends chills up yourspine? Was it so memorable that you keep listening to it to this day? For methat song would be the J.E.N.O.V.A. song from Final Fantasy 7, but this song makes me feel the same way as well.
Obsession is afantastic OP that’s attached to a… not so good anime. What makes this OP sogreat is the way it uses the chanting with the background music because itcreates an eerie mood whilst giving the impression that there is some logicbehind the song. Since the chanting is in a language foreign language, theuncanniness of the song is enhanced, giving the song an almost lovecraftianvibe. The song just pulls you in with it’s bewitching chanting, but it alsogives you vibes of something more terrible lurking within… just like thedynamic between this song and the show…
I love this song because it evokes a lovecraftian theme. Itjust sends chills down my back every time and it keeps pulling me in, making mewant to listen to it more and more. It’s like an obsession that makes me wantto search for other songs that send chills down my spine or make me startreading some lovecraft.
Title: Obsession| Artist: See-Saw | Show: .hack//Sign
Fun Fact: YukiKajiura composed this song


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The title of Poet Laureate is a time-honored tradition. In 1668, England officially established the post as a royal office. In the 19th century some local Poet Laureates were recognized in their communities. In 1937 the U.S. created the position of National Poet Laureate.The position of California Poet Laureate was established as a part of the California Government Code in 2001 through AB 113.
Call for Amador Poets – Deadline August 14, 2020
This will be the second time that the Amador County Arts Council (“AmadorArts”) has announced the availability of the position of Amador County Poet Laureate. The first ever honor is currently held by Kat Everitt of Pioneer. As established by AmadorArts, the position is meant to respect local outstanding poets, integrate poetry into the community, enrich the education of our young people, and enhance the County’s position as a cultural center. The Poet Laureate is a two-year, volunteer, honorary position.
Now is the time to submit a nomination, and it may come from individuals or organizations within or outside the county. The poet must reside in Amador County, and poets may self-nominate. Nominating is easy.
Each nomination should contain:
1. Cover letter from the nominator identifying the nominator and/or the nominating organization with the recommendations for the nominee.
2. Name and short biography of the poet nominated (or resume) with contact information, a website address (if applicable) and a statement of interest by the poet (if not self-nominating).
3. Three to six poems by the poet.
The Poet Laureate’s named duties over the period of appointment include:
1. Presentations of poetry at an Amador County Board of Supervisors meeting.
2. Presentations at other appropriate public events, at least once each quarter.
3. Advocacy of poetry in the community, including, but not limited to, bringing poetry to school children, projects or programs that promote the appreciation of poetry, or poetry workshops with underserved populations in the community.
A qualified selection committee will convene in August and make the Amador Poet Laureate announcement in September. If the person selected has limitations, AmadorArts will assist in accessibility for public presentations.
To receive more information contact AmadorArts at firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow AmadorArts on Facebook or call 209-256-8166. Packets can by mailed to P.O. Box 206, Sutter Creek, CA 95685 OR to our new office at 229 New York Ranch Road, Jackson CA 95685. Nomination packets may be mailed, postmarked by July 31, or emailed by midnight July 31 to the above email address.
The position of Amador County Poet Laureate is currently held by Kat Everitt.
First Poet Laureate of Amador County: Kat Everitt
By Penny West, Publicist
It was an honor and a pleasure to have a phone conversation with Kat Everitt last week. She has completed her two-year term as Amador County’s first Poet Laureate, a fulfilling time for both her and the community.
The cheery go-getter in her mid-70s enthusiastically cited the many collaborative projects that came out of her tenure. She originated the 2019 Songbook of Amador and Calaveras Counties in which 28 local performers shared their lyrics in a magazine format published by the Ledger-Dispatch. Watch for a similar magazine, which she engendered, along with publisher Jack Mitchell, coming out June 26 that collaborates poets and photographers of the two counties. Poetry lovers have long-enjoyed her weekly poems in the Poet Laureate column in the Ledger-Dispatch called “Rivers and Rhymes.” Included most times is a photograph by a local photographer, in collaboration.
Tutoring the teenaged candidates for the Poetry Out Loud competition was another gratifying accomplishment for Poet Laureate Everitt. She greatly aided the young poets’ recitations by creating recorded samples of how to recite poems from the official Poetry Out Loud Anthology always available here www.poetryoutloud.org.
This past year, she established the Amador Storytelling Guild which has a faithful following, even though meeting through Zoom (required at the moment) somewhat decreases the “sociability” aspect so necessary to story recitation and sharing. The group is eager to meet in-person once allowed.
When asked who do you most admire, Kat quickly answered the 250 individuals she interviewed for “Everywoman’s Hour” on KQBM Blue Mountain Community Radio, a broadcast of “Women Who Make a Difference in Their Communities”, archived in www.everywomanshour.org and on the website of the Amador County Historical Society (https://www.amadorcountyhistoricalsociety.org/), as one of the largest collection of oral histories of women in the Mother Lode. Kat is also the creator of three cookbooks written in poetry, the latest being “Kat’s Eclectic Hodgepodge of International Cookery,” coming out in Fall, 2020.
I had to pose the question: “Who is your favorite poet?” Kat answered: e e cummings, because “He had the courage to write poetry HIS way.” And that lead us into her response to my closing question: “Do you have Words of Wisdom for us all? And Kat Everitt said it all with one sentence. “When being creative, do it exactly as you please. Nothing else will satisfy you!”
Kat Everitt is the original “woman who made a difference”. And she still does! Amador County Arts Council established the Amador Poet Laureate Program in 2018 to highlight all kinds of poetry throughout our community. The Amador County Arts Council thanks Kat Everitt for her superlative creativity and dedication to the project.