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|Regis Prototype Wins Award at AAAI-07|
UDC student Glenn Nickens spent summer 2007 at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute, where he helped develop the protoype for a new educational robot called Regis.
Working with CMU professor Dave Touretzky and Ph.D. student Ethan Tira-Thompson, Glenn contributed to the robot design, did all the assembly, and helped develop the software for control of the robot's "crab arm" gripper and unique "goose neck" webcam.
In July 2007, Glenn, Dave, and Ethan exhibited Regis at the Association for Advancement of Artificial Intelligence meeting in Vancouver, Canada, as part of the annual Mobile Robot Competition and Exhibition, where the robot received a Technical Innovation Award. Check out the Regis video.
Glenn's summer internship was funded by the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program of the National Science Foundation. Glenn is currently attending graduate school in computer science at Norfolk State.


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Do you struggle with chemical sensitivity, tingling in the hands and feet, tremors, brain fog, anxiety, or depression? These, and many more mystery symptoms, are connected to neurological and central nervous system issues.
The symptoms can be frustratingly inconsistent, and well-meaning practitioners can sometimes misread the signs your body is displaying and prescribe an ineffective protocol. No one should have to spend their time trying things that will never work! Below I will detail many of the mystery symptoms that signal neurological issues and the foods and supplements that offer you healing support.
Neurological Symptoms Continue reading

domain: health


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WITTGENSTEIN, POLITICS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
- Autor: HOLT, ROBIN
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In this highly original work, Robin Holt skillfully reveals the implications that Wittgensteins ideas on language may have for contemporary politics of human rights and political theory. Using Wittgensteins late philosophy, Holt sees a shift in ontological aspect from the dominant view of the self as a rational core-individual and alone-to the self as a rational core. This perspective shows that the practices of grammar give rise to a self which is less separate entity than one which responds to the flow of circumstances. He reveals the human rights claimant as far less a lone reasoner than a grammatical player, and that human rights do not express universal ethical truths.

domain: sociology


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Celiac Disease Symptoms
You feel a little odd lately. You think that there is something that sets you off your usual pace. You decide to visit the doctor just to see what’s up. There you are examined along with a holistic assessment of your entire being. Minutes later, you come out of the doctors room with a newly diagnosed condition called Celiac Disease. You feel like you have just been bombarded with lots of things. You are dumbfounded about what to do and where to start. So here are some basic tips in order to survive a life where you have to live with Celiac Disease.

domain: medical


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This page is a walkthrough for the Grand Theft Auto III Story Mission, Shima. It’ll navigate you through the necessary steps to finding all three briefcases.
You’ll acquire $10,000 for completing this mission.
Where to find the Protection Money
Go to Kenji’s Casino and he’ll request that you go to several locations around Staunton Island to pick up protection money. After the scene has come to a close, make your way over to blue marker on your map to reach Torington and you’ll find the Briefcase #1 on the floor.
From here, follow a second waypoint to Bedford Point and you’ll find Briefcase #2. Take out the gangster standing by it with a baseball or Uzi, then pick it up and make Belleville.
You’ll be greeted by the owner and he’ll refuse to pay the Protection Money due to recently being robbed. Stock up on ammo for the Sniper and Uzi from the nearby ammu nation store, then travel to Hepburn Heights. Park up good distance away and quickly take out the enemies with the sniper before collecting Briefcase #3. Finally, return to the Casino to bring this mission to a close3

domain: game


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Remarks at the Annual Celebration of the International Day of Older Persons – “Take a Stand Against Ageism”
06 October 2016
Janet Sigal, Chair NGO Committee on Ageing,
Nelida Quintero, Co-Chair UNIDOP Planning sub-committees,
H.E Ambassador Martin Garcia Moritan, Permanent Representative of Argentina,
Ms. Daniela Bas, Director, Division for Social Policy and Development, DESA,
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is an honor to join you today to celebrate the International Day of Older Persons.
I would like to thank the NGO Committee on Ageing, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the Permanent Mission of Argentina, for organizing today’s event, and for bringing focused attention to the pervasive and destructive issue of ageism.
Ageism is a global phenomenon.
While many societies take pride in the reverence with which they regard the wisdom and enlightenment of older persons, far too often this veneration has not benefited the lived experiences of older persons.
Prejudicial attitudes, negative stereotypes, restrictive social and cultural norms, and prohibitive legislation and policies, can often serve to devalue and limit older persons’ contributions to society. The compounding effects of other forms of discrimination and vulnerability, including gender inequality, disability, and race, as well as poverty, food insecurity, and lack of adequate housing, can have devastating consequences.
Countering ageism, combatting bias and discrimination, and upholding the human rights of older persons, must be addressed as a global priority – not only as a moral imperative, but as a human rights and socio-economic necessity.
Globally, our population is ageing at an unprecedented rate. Almost one quarter of the world’s population is expected to be 60 years or older by 2050.
Last year, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by world leaders with the historic promise of transforming our world by eliminating extreme poverty, building prosperity, sustaining peace, and combating climate change.
The universal nature of the SDGs, and the foundational promise that its benefits will reach all people, means that achieving the SDGs will require that we specifically address our approach to ageing and the rights of older persons.
By 2030 the number of people aged 60 and above is set to increase from 900 million in 2015 to 1400 million. Our challenge therefore is not only to ensure that development gains reach older persons, but that their knowledge and expertise are also harnessed, as a fundamental part of the unprecedented mobilization of resources that will be necessary to deliver on the SDGs.
For the General Assembly, we have made the principle objective of the 71st Session driving a universal push to achieve meaningful progress in the implementation of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
I encourage you all to become a part of this effort to advance the realization of the SDGs.
Ladies and gentlemen
Persons’ living longer and healthier lives is a fortunate issue for us to contend with. However, the consequences of this global trend – including the rebalancing of our societies, and the impact on our economies and communities – require focused policy attention.
Governments around the world need to develop programs and policies that respond directly to ageing societies and empower older persons.
Older persons are one of our world’s greatest, and often most overlooked and under-appreciated, resources. Promoting and protecting the human rights of older persons by countering the corrosive effects of ageism is only our first step towards ensuring that all older persons are able to live their lives with respect, dignity, and life-long opportunity.


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Angie from Target McConnells ad agency, writes:
Here at TMcC we’re obsessed with Game of Thrones. Given the day that’s in it, we did a bit of research and couldn’t help but notice some uncanny similarities between the GoT characters and some of Dublin’s most loved statues. What do you reckon? [More at link below]
Name those statues and characters anyone?

domain: entertainment


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Polyamory can be this is the act of, or at least desire for, romantic human relationships with more than just one single partner, without the consent of all involved in the relationship. It is sometimes referred to as multiple love interactions. People who practice polyamory could identify as such if they have married and are also involved in a polyamorous romance, have a close platonic relationship with some other person and have kids. The midst of polyamory can be a deeply rewarding experience for those who are trying to achieve it. There are a number of benefits associated with polyamory, and it is a journey that is certainly open and accepting of almost all relationships.
Polyamory affords a variety of flexibility. In a monogamous romantic relationship, a couple is usually committed to a singular partner and, as such, own a clear type of communication regarding the expected values to which their particular partner can adhere. Polyamory allows for such open lines of interaction to are present, which often produces an environment a vast amount of more consideration and sharing. This is especially helpful in monogamous relationships just where one or equally partners might have been hurt somehow. With polyamory, any person in the marriage may feel safe to express the requirements and desires without fear of rejection or perhaps ridicule of their partner.
In polyamorous romantic relationships, there is no such need for a clear line of interaction because the romances themselves are clear of preset goals. Every relationship is definitely, essentially, an experimental affair. In this way, each person may mail order bride dominican republic seek the companionship of another person as they desire. While some polyamorous interactions work absolutely fine and provide a stable home for by least two people, other polyamorous relationships are less successful and, in some cases, need the introduction of a 3rd party.
In some polyamorous relationships, the 2 main people included will type a “swinging” relationship. From this situation, one person in the relationship may feel that their partner is not fulfilling their demands and purposes in a particular marriage. In this case, the “swinger” in the relationship provides this issue up and begin to find a new spouse. While this can be done inside the primary relationship, it is also easy for a “swing” relationship to involve a number of partners over and above the primary couple. The new partner may take over the characteristics within the “swinger” and will attempt to integrate the moving the lifestyle into the relationship.
There are numerous pros and cons associated with polyamory. While it does usually be a even more open environment for experimenting, there is also the chance that the new partners will endeavour to make the relationship work. For polyamory associations to be successful, the partners involved must have similar compatibility with respect to the lifestyle and must be allowed to self-evaluate when it comes to the potential of having children. Numerous children in nonmonogamous human relationships will be raised in single-parent family members, this can be a main factor in deciding whether or not the relationship will work.
On the whole, polyamory can be a healthy approach to explore erotic and other romantic relationships. Yet , it is important to appreciate that it can even be dangerous any time not approached correctly. Polyamory requires wide open communication among partners to work, multiple companions are needed in order to conserve the system of consent and nonmonogamy that is required pertaining to polyamory. When you are interested in checking out polyamory, it is important to speak with a counselor or other knowledgeable individuals to enable you to learn about polyamory and its positives and negatives.

domain: psychology


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The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) was incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII and is considered the second oldest military corps in the world. Today, it is a registered charity whose purpose is to attend to the "better defence of the realm". This purpose is primarily achieved by the support of the HAC Regiment and a detachment of City of London Special Constabulary. The word "artillery" in "Honourable Artillery Company" does not have the current meaning that is generally associated with it, but dates from a time when in the English language that word meant any projectile, including for example arrows shot from a bow. The equivalent form of words in modern English would be either "Honourable Infantry Company" or "Honourable Military Company".
In the 17th century, its members played a significant part in the formation of both the Royal Marines and the Grenadier Guards. More recently, regiments, battalions and batteries of the Company fought with distinction in both World Wars and its current Regiment, which forms part of the Army Reserve, is the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior in the Army Reserve. Members of the Regiment and Specials are drawn, for the most part, from young men and women working in and around the City and Greater London. Those leaving the active units may become Veteran Members and remain within the fraternity of the Company.
The HAC can trace its history back as far as 1087, but it received a royal charter from Henry VIII on 25 August 1537, when Letters Patent were received by the Overseers of the Fraternity or Guild of St George authorising them to establish a perpetual corporation for the defence of the realm to be known as the Fraternity or Guild of Artillery of Longbows, Crossbows and Handgonnes. This body was known by a variety of names until 1658, when it was first referred to as the Artillery Company. It was first referred to as the Honourable Artillery Company in 1685 and officially received the name from Queen Victoria in 1860. However, the Archers’ Company of the Honourable Artillery Company was retained into the late 19th century, though as a private club. Founded in 1781 by Sir Ashton Lever, it met at Archers’ Hall, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, London. The Archers' Company remained a part of the regiment operated from 1784 to the late 1790s, along with Matross, Grenadier (established on 11 August 1686) and Light Infantry companies/divisions, with a Rifle or Yager Company introduced around 1803.
From its formation, the company trained at a site it had occupied at the Old Artillery Ground in Spitalfields and at The Merchant Taylors' Company Hall. In 1622, the company built its first Armoury House at the site of the Old Artillery Gardens.
In 1638, Sir Maurice Abbot granted the company use of lands at its current site south of Bunhill Fields Burial Ground on City Road, which in 1649 consisted of twelve acres enclosed by a brick wall and pale. In 1657, it sold its old Armoury House in Spitalfield to Master Gunner Richard Woolaston for £300.
In 1656, the Grenadier Guards were formed from gentlemen of the Honourable Artillery Company who had taken the then heir to the throne, Prince Charles (later Charles II), to Europe for his safety during the English Civil War.
In 28 October 1664, in the New Artillery Gardens, the body of men that would become the Royal Marines was first formed with an initial strength of 1,200 infantrymen recruited from the Trained Bands of London as part of the mobilisation for the Second Anglo-Dutch War. James (later King James VII & II), the Duke of York and Albany, Lord High Admiral and brother of King Charles II, was Captain-General of the Honourable Artillery Company, the unit that trained the Trained Bands.
The Company served in Broadgate during the Gordon Riots of 1780 and in gratitude for its role in restoring order to the City, the Corporation of London presented "two brass field-pieces", which led to the creation of an HAC Artillery Division. (These guns are on display in the entrance hall of Armoury House.)
In 1860, control of the Company moved from the Home Office to the War Office and in 1889, a Royal Warrant gave the Secretary of State for War control of the Company's military affairs. In 1883, Queen Victoria decreed that the HAC took precedence next after the Regular Forces and therefore before the Militia and Yeomanry in consideration of its antiquity.
Members of the Company first served as a formed unit overseas in the South African War (1899–1902). Almost two hundred members served; the majority in the City of London Imperial Volunteers (CIV) as infantry, mounted infantry and in a Field Battery that was officered, and for the most part manned, by members of the Company.
In 1907, the Company became part of the newly formed Territorial Force with the passing of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act. The HAC Infantry was due to become part of the newly formed London Regiment as the "26th (County of London) Battalion" but instead managed to retain its own identity as the Honourable Artillery Company Infantry Battalion. The HAC also had its property and privileges protected by the Honourable Artillery Company Act 1908.
The HAC expanded to three infantry battalions and seven artillery batteries during the First World War. Second Lieutenants Reginald Leonard Haine and Alfred Oliver Pollard, of the 1st Battalion HAC, were awarded Victoria Crosses for their actions at Gavrelle in 1917. In total 1,650 men from the HAC were killed during the war.
In September 1914, the 1st Battalion followed the British Expeditionary Force to France and fought in the 1st Battle of Ypres. After the fighting at the Battle of the Ancre in 1916 and the Battle of Arras in 1917, it became an officer training battalion and provided demonstration platoons. Elements of the battalion were used to help quell the Étaples Mutiny. The 2nd Battalion HAC was raised in August 1914; it was in France by October 1916 and in action on 25 February 1917 at Bucquoy. They fought at the Battle of Arras in May and the 3rd Battle of Ypres in October. In November 1917, the battalion moved to the Italian Front under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Richard O’Connor. In the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, in October 1918, they led a force of Italians, Americans and British that compelled the garrison of the strategic island of Papadopoli (in the main channel of the River Piave) to surrender. For this remarkable feat of arms, the HAC was awarded two Distinguished Service Orders, five Military Crosses, three Distinguished Conduct Medals and 29 Military Medals.
Both A Battery and B Battery went to Suez in April 1915. In July, B Battery fought in the recapture of Sheikh Othman (key to the water supply to Aden) from the Turks as part of the Aden campaign. In February 1917, both batteries took part in the Palestine Campaign, were in action at the First and Second Battle of Gaza and entered Jerusalem in December 1917. In the German counter-attack during the Second action of Es Salt on 1 May 1918, A Battery was forced to make a rapid withdrawal under heavy fire, which resulted in the loss of all its guns. Both A and B Batteries took part in the Battle of Megiddo in September.
The 2nd Line batteries – 2/A Battery and 2/B Battery – were formed in 1914 and served on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918 as part of an Army Field Artillery Brigade; the 3rd Line batteries – A (Reserve) Battery and B (Reserve) Battery – were formed in 1915 to provide trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line batteries.
In 1919, Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Lisle Strutt, arranged for a detachment of the 2nd Battalion to form a Guard of Honour at Imst Station to give a final Royal Salute on the departure of the Imperial State Train for Charles I, the last Austro-Hungarian Emperor-King, to safety in Switzerland, after having served as the family's protector at Eckartsau on the personal initiative of King George V.
When the Territorial Force was reconstituted as the Territorial Army (TA) in 1920, the HAC infantry battalion was reformed, while A and B Batteries formed a composite RHA unit with the City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) (one battery) as 11th (HAC and City of London Yeomanry) Brigade, RHA. The TA began to expand rapidly at the time of the Munich Crisis in 1938, and the Yeomanry left to form a separate light anti-aircraft regiment leaving 11th Regiment RHA (HAC). Subsequently, the HAC formed the 12th (1939) and 13th Regiments RHA (HAC) (1940) and the 86th (HAC) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (1939).
In 1939, the Infantry Battalion became 162 (HAC) Officer Cadet Training Unit, this was the Officer Training Unit of the Reconnaissance Corps. In 1942, 101 RAC OCTU amalgamated with 162 Reconnaissance Corps OCTU to form 100 RAC OCTU based at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
The 11th (HAC) Regiment, RHA, served in North Africa at the Battle of Knightsbridge with 25-pounder guns and, after re-equipping with the M7 Priest self-propelled gun, in the Second Battle of El Alamein where it was commanded by Bill Leggatt. The regiment's guns were the first guns ashore in the invasion of Sicily; then they took part in the Allied invasion of Italy and the Italian Campaign.
The 12th (HAC) Regiment, RHA, took part in the Operation Torch landings and were in action at Thala in February 1943, where they halted a German advance following the Battle of the Kasserine Pass. After re-equipping with Priests, they too moved on to Italy in March 1944 and fought at Monte Cassino.
The regiment formed part of 26th (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade defending the London Inner Artillery Zone. Anti-Aircraft Command mobilised on 24 August 1939, and so 86th (HAC) HAA Rgt was already manning static gunsites at places like Primrose Hill and Finsbury Park when war was declared on 3 September. The regiment served in the defence of the capital throughout The Blitz. It became a mobile unit in 1942 and was one of the first units to land on D-Day, with Regimental Headquarters commanding a composite AA Assault Group on Juno Beach. During the Normandy Campaign and subsequent advance into Belgium the regiment's 3.7-inch HAA guns were sometimes used to engage ground targets. During the winter of 1944–45 its guns and radar defended Brussels and Antwerp against V-1 flying bombs (known as 'Divers').
Over seven hundred members of the Company lost their lives during the Second World War.
In 1947, the Company was reorganised into:
- an Infantry Battalion
- 1st Regiment HAC, RHA, of self-propelled Artillery (from 11th (HAC) RHA Regiment)
- 2nd Regiment HAC, (HAA) of heavy Anti-Aircraft Artillery (from 86th (HAC) HAA Regiment; disbanded 1955)
- G Locating Battery (from 12th (HAC) RHA Regiment; disbanded 1961)
In 1973, the Regiment was again reorganised; it was given the role of providing 'Stay Behind' Observation Posts (OPs) for the British Army of the Rhine as one of the three Territorial Army units making up the Corps Patrol Unit (with 21 and 23 SAS). The new structure was:
- Three patrol squadrons (1, 2 and 3 or I, II and III) – a fourth patrol squadron was formed for a short period in the 1980s
- Headquarter Squadron, including Training Wing and Medical Wing
- The Gun Troop (a battery of six 25 pounder guns and not part of the OP role)
- Corps of Drums
In 1992, the signals troops that had been integrated into the patrol squadrons were brought together to form the Signal Squadron; they were subsequently re-integrated with the patrol squadrons in 2010.
In 1992, on Salisbury Plain, the HAC was the last British Army unit to fire the twenty-five pounder in the field, as the Gun Troop retrained onto the 105mm Light Gun. The 25 pounder continued to be fired ceremonially until replaced by the Light Gun.
The Regiment participated in the celebration of HM The Queen's Golden Jubilee on 4 June 2002 by firing a 62 gun salute at the Tower of London, and by providing a Guard of Honour (including the Regimental Band and the Massed Corps of Drums of the 1st Bn Grenadier Guards and the HAC) at St Paul's Cathedral. In December of that year, the Captain General visited and dined with the company to commemorate her Golden Jubilee as Captain General.
In 2005, the guns were withdrawn from Gun Troop, which was renamed Liaison Troop.
In 2006, the HAC was the first major unit of the Territorial Army to convert to the Bowman communications system. When Bowman was withdrawn from the Territorial Army in 2008/9, it was one of the few units to retain the equipment.
Current role and organisation
The HAC has a ceremonial role in providing guards of honour at the Guildhall in the City of London during state visits and, since 1924 (when the Royal Artillery ceased to be stationed at the Tower), has provided the saluting battery at the Tower of London for state occasions.
Due to the demanding requirements of their role, the HAC is privileged to be one of only a small number of Army Reserve units with responsibility for the carrying out portions of Phase One (recruits) and Two training of its own soldiers 'in house'. The Phase One course comprises six HAC-only weekends, followed by a two-week training period with other reserve soldiers at an Army Training Unit. Unlike most Army Reserve units, who are only required to train at up to sub-unit (company or squadron) level, the HAC is required to train as a regiment.
Those who wish to serve in the Special OP squadron are required to undertake the Surveillance Reconnaissance Patrols Course (SRPC) an arduous course with only a 10% pass rate. During this course's test week candidates are required to cover 100 km cross country over 4 days at a speed of 4 km per hour.
The HAC is not part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, being an older and separate regiment with its own uniform, insignia and colours. Operationally, the regiment forms part of 1st Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade. The sub units of the HAC are:
- Headquarters Squadron. The Corps of Drums. Inherited from the infantry battalion and still wearing the grenade beret badge, Foot Guards belt, beret badge backing and tactical recognition flash. As with an infantry battalion corps of drums, the drummers are 'soldiers first' and regularly deploy soldiers on operations as well as fulfilling their ceremonial role. The Corps of Drums forms part of HQ Squadron and is a separate entity from the Band, who are primarily musicians. They provide personnel for A Battery whilst still maintaining their ceremonial drumming role. The Medical Wing, commanded by the Surgeon Major, who is a Royal Army Medical Corps officer, provides medical support to the Regiment for peacetime training and on deployment. Combat Medical Technicians within the Medical Wing undergo additional specialist medical training with the Defence Medical Services. CIS Troop, a troop to provide Communications Information Systems capability to the HAC and other units within 1ISR. Sicily Troop. The enablers of the Regiment, providing logistics and motorised capability to the HAC and other units within 1ISR.
- A (1st City of London) Battery, Honourable Artillery Company, a Battery of 105mm Light Guns. The Battery is paired with 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.
- 1 (Special OP) Squadron, comprising two troops of Surveillance and Reconnaissance patrols.
- 2 Squadron, composed of a Squadron Headquarters, and three Troops (Knightsbridge, El Hamma and El Alamein) of light ISR Detachments.
- 3 Squadron, composed of a Squadron Headquarters, and two Troops of light ISR Detachments.
The Regiment has had individuals or sub-units on active service at all times since 1996; with the personnel serving in a wide variety of roles in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and various countries in Africa. Commitments included the deployment of individuals to HUMINT roles in the Balkans (including as part of Joint Commission Observer teams) and then formed patrols to Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq; independent sub-units to Operation Telic 4 and 5 in Iraq and L Troop to Operation Telic 9; as well as individual and group reinforcements to other infantry and artillery units. In Afghanistan deployed personnel were divided between operating and maintaining anti-mortar systems and other high technology equipment and forming part of the Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF).
On Tuesday 4 December 2007, Trooper Jack Sadler, who was serving with the BRF, was killed when his vehicle was hit by a blast north of Sangin, in Helmand province. Two other soldiers were injured in the attack. In 2008, the Runner-up for the Cobra Trophy for Volunteer Reservist of the year was Trooper Adam Cocks of 2 Squadron, who was severely injured in Afghanistan when his vehicle struck a mine. While recuperating at Headley Court rehabilitation centre, he and a friend came up with the idea of a rugby match at Twickenham to help raise money for the charity Help for Heroes.
In 1830, King William IV ordered that the uniform of the HAC should be based on that of the Grenadier Guards, except that where the Grenadiers wear gold, the HAC were to wear silver. This tradition is continued today by the wearing of the silver coloured grenade in the forage cap similar to the brass one of the Grenadiers, and the buttons and lace on HAC dress uniforms being silver coloured instead of gold.
The HAC wear a khaki beret with the HAC's own cap badge ("short arms") in white metal on a black backing. Officers and warrant officers wear an embroidered cloth version of the same badge. The Corps of Drums and Regimental Band wear the HAC infantry grenade on a blue red blue backing, which is superficially identical to that of the Grenadier Guards. From July 2008, members of 4/73 (Sphinx) Special OP Battery, part of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery, the HACs paired regular regiment, adopted the khaki beret to mark their close working relationship.
On the forage cap, the HAC infantry grenade (white metal) is worn by junior ranks of all subunits of the regiment. Sergeants and Warrant Officers wear a different version of the grenade, which has the letters HAC in brass on the ball of the grenade. Officers wear an embroidered silver grenade on their forage caps in No 1 Dress (Infantry) and on the Service Dress forage cap but when in No 1 Dress (Gunner) they wear the HAC Artillery cap badge. The latter is similar to that of the Royal Artillery but with "HAC" and "Arma Pacis Fulcra" replacing "Ubique" and "Quo Fas et Gloria Ducunt". In Full Dress (normally only worn by the Band and Corps of Drums), the Bearskin is worn without a plume.
In No 2 dress, Soldiers wear the larger Foot Guards badges of rank and qualification. Lance Corporals wear two chevrons and Lance Sergeants three. In Full Dress and Number 1 dress, WO2's wear a large colour badge of the same pattern as the Grenadier Guards, but in silver rather than gold. Officers' crowns and stars are of the same pattern as those of the Grenadiers (Order of the Garter), woven for combat uniforms but in silver for Service and Barrack Dress.
Each Squadron wears a different stable belt:
- Headquarter Squadron and Band – red and blue edged with narrow yellow stripes
- I Squadron – red
- II Squadron – green (Identical to that worn by The Rifles)
- III Squadron – blue
- Training Wing – black
- Corps of Drums – blue red blue (Identical to that worn by the Foot Guards)
In 1906, King Edward VII gave the HAC the distinction of a special ribbon for the Volunteer Officers' Decoration and Volunteer Long Service Medal. The ribbon, based on The King's personal colours (in turn taken from the Royal Standard), is red and blue edged with narrow yellow stripes. This ribbon has been carried forward to subsequent Territorial long service medals awarded to HAC members.
B Battery HAC supported the 10th Hussars during the Second World War and, in 1972, the Captain General approved the Battery wearing a 10th Hussar button as the top button on Numbers 1, 2 and 10 dress. This privilege is carried on by Number II Squadron following the 1973 re-organisation.
Each year the Captain General awards a prize to the member of the Regiment who is deemed to have made an outstanding contribution to the Regiment. Holders of this prize, known as the King's or Queen's Prize wear a badge incorporating the Captain General's cypher and the year of award on Numbers 1, 2, 10 and 13 Dress.
The coat of arms of the company is a Shield of Arms, helm, mantling and crest with as supporters a Pikeman and a Musketeer and the motto 'Arma Pacis Fulcra', Unlike other regiments of the British Army, the HAC is incorporated and is therefore eligible to bear and use a Coat of arms. It is believed to date from circa 1615 and the coat of arms appears on a military manual published in 1629.
The regiment's battle hours are as follows:
- South Africa 1900–02.
- The Great War (3 Bns and 7 Btys): Ypres 1915 '17, Somme 1916 '18, Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, Arras 1917 '18, Scarpe 1917 '18, Arleux, Bullecourt, Pilckem, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Amiens, Albert 1918, Bapaume 1918, Drocourt-Quéant, Hindenburg Line, Épèhy, St. Quentin Canal, Cambrai 1918, Selle, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914–18, Piave, Vittorio Veneto, Italy 1917–18, Rafah, Egypt 1915–17, Gaza, El Mughar, Jerusalem, Jordan, Megiddo, Sharon, Damascus, Palestine 1917–18, Aden.
- The Second World War: Bourguébus Ridge, Antwerp, Le Havre, Rhine, North-West Europe 1944–45, Knightsbridge, El Alamein, El Hamma, Sbiba, Thala, Tunis, North Africa 1941–43, Sicily 1943, Cassino II, Coriano, Senio, Italy 1944–45.
The battle honours listed were awarded for services of both infantry and artillery units of the HAC. Those in bold are borne on the Colours.
The HAC is unique within the British Army in having two types of Colours. The HAC has its ceremonial Guns (which are considered Colours in Artillery regiments), but also carries a stand of traditional Colours of the Infantry. These Colours follow the pattern of line infantry regiments: the Queen's Colour being a version of the Union Flag, the Regimental Colour being blue with the HAC Coat of Arms in the centre. The last four occasions that new Colours have been presented to the Regiment were in 1928 by Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), and in 1955, 1980 and on 18 May 2007 by HM Queen Elizabeth II, the regiment's Captain General.
City of London Police Special Constabulary
In 1919, following a decision to increase the strength of the Metropolitan Police Reserve Force, the Home Secretary approached the HAC to form a Division of Special Constabulary. Some 150 members, mostly Great War veterans, rallied to the call and joined the Division, forming the HAC Detachment. At the outbreak of the Second World War, the Detachment was integrated into G Division of the Metropolitan Police and then later with Islington Division. Following reorganisation, the Detachment is now part of the City of London Police Special Constabulary, its administrative base is Armoury House.
In 2010, the Ferrers Trophy was awarded to Special Constable Patrick Rarden of the detachment for using his banking skills and experience to help train colleagues and provide invaluable assistance to solve fraud cases.
As well as the Territorial Army Regiment and Specials (the "Active Units"), the HAC exists as a separate charitable organisation—often colloquially referred to as "The Company" or "The House". The Company owns Armoury House and the Regiment's current grounds and, in addition to supporting the Active Unit, provides the basis for a social calendar. There are two distinct classes of member of the Company. The first, Regimental Members, are those who are currently serving or who have previously served in the HAC Regiment or City of London Special Constabulary. The second, Members, must have served at least two years in Regular or three years in Volunteer units of the Crown or in the Police. Some members are people who have reached senior rank (for example Major General The Duke of Westminster) and they provide some 17% of the overall membership of the Company.
The Pikemen and Musketeers (formed 1925, given a Royal Warrant 1955) are made up of veteran members of the Active Unit. They are the personal bodyguard of the Lord Mayor of the City of London and form his Guard on ceremonial occasions.
The Light Cavalry Troop (formed 1979, granted Royal Warrant 2004) is open to both Regimental and Non-Regimental members of the Company. They escort the Lady Mayoress, and in particular provide her 'Travelling Escort' at the Lord Mayor's Show.
From 1538 to 1658, the HAC occupied and trained at the Old Artillery Ground in Spitalfields on the site of the outer precinct of the dissolved Priory and Hospital of St Mary Spital. In 1658, following disputes over use of the Ground with the Gunners of the Tower, it moved to its current site south of the Bunhill Fields Burial Ground continuing to the south as far as Chiswell Street. This area is described in a map of the area of 1677 as the 'New Artillery Garden' and has variously been referred to as the Artillery Ground and the Artillery Garden. This current site now falls in the London Borough of Islington, and is just north of the City of London, the main entrance being in City Road. During the aftermath of the 7 July 2005 London bombings on the London transport system, the Artillery Garden was used as a temporary mortuary.
Armoury House stands at the north of these grounds, and is the home of the HAC. It was built to replace a smaller 17th-century armoury; the central portion being completed in 1735 to designs by Thomas Stibbs financed in part by a gift of £500 from King George I. Subscriptions were received from members of the Company and from the Court of Lieutenancy for the City of London. The building cost £1,332.
In 1802, a distinctive flag tower was added to the roof. The East and West Wings were built in 1828, replacing much smaller buildings on either side of Armoury House. A cottage, originally for the Sergeant Major, was built against the West Wing in 1850. 1862 saw the completion of a Victorian drill hall attached to the rear. The Albert Room, as it was called, featured an iron trussed roof and was named in honour of the then recently deceased Prince Albert.
Finsbury Barracks is the Regiment's Headquarters and is leased by London RFCA from the HAC itself. Completed in 1857, it was designed by the architect Joseph Jennings and built in Kentish Ragstone. An extension, faced in striped stone and granite, linking Finsbury Barracks to Armoury House was designed by Arnold & Boston and added in 1994. Finsbury Barracks was refurbished in the same year and was re-opened by the Captain General in 1996.
The lodge was built in 1928 on land leased from the National Rifle Association at Bisley and replaced the original hut on the site. The building was funded by donations, including some in memory of the fallen of the First World War.
In 1999, the Company acquired the Welsh Pencelli Estate near Brecon as an area that could be used by the Regiment for military and adventure training. The historic estate lies in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park and comprises approximately 14,000 acres (57 km²) of hill land.
Notable members of the HAC
- Colonel the Earl of Denbigh (1903–1933)
- Colonel the Viscount Galway (1933–1935)
- Colonel the Earl Fortescue (1935–1943)
- Field Marshal Viscount Gort (1943–1946)
- Field Marshal Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke (1946–1954)
- Major General Sir Julian Gascoigne (1954–1959)
- General Sir Richard Goodbody (1959–1966)
- General Sir Rodney Moore (1966–1976)
- General Sir Victor FitzGeorge-Balfour (1976–1984)
- General Sir Richard Trant (1984–1992)
- General Sir Michael Wilkes (1992–1998)
- General Sir Alexander Harley (1998–2003)
- General Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman (2003–2010)
- Lieutenant General Sir Barney White-Spunner (2010–2013)
- General Sir Richard Barrons (2013–2019)
- Lieutenant-General Patrick Sanders (2019–)
- Major Tom Addington, an outstanding all-rounder: sportsman, Commando, paratrooper and horse gunner, he was awarded an MC in the Netherlands.
- Jock Airlie (Seton), Association Football Player
- Kevin Alderton, holder of the blind speed ski world record
- Edward John Amoore, Olympic Gold and Bronze medalist for shooting at 1908 Olympics
- Major General Dennis Beckett CB DSO OBE awarded a DSO at the Battle of Monte Cassino
- Prince Rupert of the Rhine
- George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
- Gregory Barker, MP
- Nigel Bruce, actor. Served with the Regiment 1914-1915.
- Leo Cooper, publisher
- John Laurie, actor
- Charles Greenwood, HAC before joining regular artillery, earned MC at Monte Cassino
- Sir Edward Heath, former Prime Minister
- Colonel Robert Dow Hunter – Army officer who knocked out two Tiger tanks in Germany
- LGen Andrew Leslie OMM, MSC, MSM, CD, former Chief of Land Staff, Canadian Forces
- Major David Liddell MC
- Guy Liddell CB MBE MC, Deputy-Director-General MI5, One of Britain's principal wartime spymasters. Brother of Major David Liddell MC
- Gilbert McMicking CMG Scottish Liberal Party politician.
- Vincenzo Lunardi, honorary member
- General Sir Richard O'Connor, KT, GCB, DSO, MC, ADC
- Richard Owen, English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist.
- Kenneth Powell, Olympic hurdler
- Hugh Pritchard (Olympic biathlete 2002 games)
- Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
- Patrick Shovelton, one of Whitehall's most formidable international negotiators
- John Talbot, awarded the MC in Normandy in 1944.
- Basil Williams, historian
- South Africa – Sandfontein Artillery Regiment
- United States – Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts
In 1995, six public schools (Eton, Harrow, Marlborough, Radley, Rugby and Wellington) became affiliated to the Company. The rationale behind these affiliations is to facilitate communication with the schools and to inform students of the opportunities available to them within the HAC.
The HAC established a Cadet Battalion in 1942 during the Second World War which continued until 1958. During the War and until 1948 members of the Cadet Battalion fired salutes and provided guards of honour whilst members of the HAC were away on active service. In 2012, the HAC sponsored and helped establish a cadet unit at the City of London Academy Islington.
- Honourable Artillery Company Museum
- Transvaal Horse Artillery
- Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts

domain: history


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domain: economics


Well being the cheap ass I am. I decided to try and make my own Dreamcast keyboard so I can play Typing of the Dead. I bought a Dreamcast controller for $2 to use as a donor. Wouldnt it be as easy as cutting the wires from a pc keyboard and Dreamcast controller and interchanging them so that the pc keyboard plugs into the controller port? Is there a specific device in the Dreamcast keyboard that tells the Dreamcast that it's legit? Any help is appreciated.


HOPE Radicalisation Network
Join the HOPE Radicalisation Network
The HOPE Radicalisation Network is a European learning hub on radicalisation for continuous training and knowledge sharing in the Balkan, Southern and Eastern European countries.
Why should you be part of the Network?
Contribute to the awareness of radicalisation prevention
Be part of a multidisciplinary stakeholders network building new approaches to raise awareness about the phenomenon of radicalisation and extremism that lead to terrorism in detention environments.
Access the experts’ network shared library
Browse through the shared library to find an extra set of materials and documents within the HOPE project’s scope and related topics.
Connect with the HOPE community
Engage in conversations, share your vision, build partnerships with practitioners and decision-makers, collect and discuss needs, learning, and best practices on improving the skills of judicial, prison, and probation professionals through the community forum.
Follow up the network events’ agendas and deliverables
Stay on top of what is happening throughout the project events: training sessions, workshops, high-level seminars and policy forums.


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On Oct. 10, the Broadway musical Chicago and Givenik.com presented a special performance and reception to benefit Kara DioGuardi's four favorite charities.
The organizations involved in the evening included Phoenix House, Columbus Citizens Foundation, Malaria No More and Sister Domingas and Friends Foundation.
Here is a look at the after-show reception:
Kara DioGuardi and Chicago Co-Stars Give Back to Charity
"I am so thrilled that the producers of Chicago and Givenik.com are so willing to lend a hand and give support to those in need," said Kara DioGuardi. "When they first approached me with this idea, I immediately fell in love with it. To have the opportunity to give back is something we should all be thankful for!"

domain: artistic


Reasons to Purchase UPF Clothing
Getting to learn everything about protecting your skin is critical and this UPF guide will be quite effective when you want to discover more about skin protection. Sun protection is quite important and people have a lot of investigations to do to identify which methods will suit them depending on their skin sensitivity. Multiple methods can be used when he wanted to protect yourself and people want to learn more about UPF and SPF
The role of ultraviolet protection factor is still new and is used when designing protective fabrics for people that want to spend a lot of time in the sun. this UPF guide is crucial especially when it comes to determining whether the sun’s UV radiation can penetrate different fabrics. Anytime you are purchasing fabrics, you have to look at the quality test the manufacturer has performed over the years to determine whether they’re closing off sun protection.
Talking to several people who have purchased fabrics and the past is better since they’ll tell you about different manufacturers that use the UPF model. Getting the best information about the measurement scale is quite important since it should be between 15 to 50 to ensure you get the best protection. A major difference between the ups and SPF is that the ups can be used to determine the amount of UVB and UVC rays that manage to reach the skin.
If you decide to purchase sunscreen it is better to look for reputable brands so you know whether there’s enough protection for your skin from dangerous ultraviolet rays. Going through this UPF guide is quite important since you get a lot of in-depth details about different ways sunscreen can protect your skin. You have to consider the qualities of different sun protective clothing especially since some sunscreen might not offer their protection you are looking for so check out this UPF guide.
People decided to purchase sun protective clothing as a way of keeping off harmful sun rays from affecting their skin especially if it’s highly sensitive. It is common for people to get sunburned but it might be critical for people with sensitive skin which is why UPF clothing will come in handy. People have different needs when it comes to purchasing sun protective clothing and they prefer getting accurate information from this UPF guide which is informative.
Purchasing sun protective clothing is quite important especially if you’re located near the equator or body of water such as lakes or the ocean. Anyone purchasing UPF clothing has to focus on ratings that are above 50 to ensure they are adequately protected from harmful sun rays.


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For combustion to take place, three things must be present:
1. Fuel - the substance that burns, e.g. wood, oil.
2. Oxygen - when a fuel is burned it is reacting with the oxygen in the air.
3. Heat - this ignites the fuel and keeps the fire burning.
This can be represented in a diagram known as the fire triangle:
The three essential ingredients for a fire are shown in the fire triangle. If any one of these ingredients is removed the fire will go out.
Fire fighters will try to remove one side of the triangle to extinguish a fire. There are several ways to extinguish a fire. Here are some:
Sand: When sand is added to a fire it removes the oxygen.
Fire blankets: Fire blankets can be wrapped around burning objects or people. The blanket stops oxygen getting to the flame.
Carbon dioxide (CO2): Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are sprayed onto the fire to remove the oxygen.
Water: Water can be added to fires to remove the heat. Water must never be used on an electrical fire or any burning oil. Adding water to burning oil will cause the fire to become fiercer. Shown below is a picture of what happens when water is added to burning oil in a chip pan (not good!):
If you ever experience a chip pan fire in your home place a damp towel over the pan, call 999 and leave the house.
Let's have a go at some questions now.

domain: chemistry


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[Paris Fashion Week Hoopla]…Part 1
Ah yes…I can’t believe that we’re almost at the end of the mainstream fashion week season. Of course there’s always a fashion week going on somewhere in the world…and I do plan on covering Japan Fashion Week and Africa Fashion Week…but until then, let’s take a look at what’s been going on in the Land of Romance…
Paris Fashion Week seems to be the week when the most opulent, creative, and innovative designers show. While Milan had a plethora of gorgeous and wearable S/S 2011 looks, Paris has a plethora of collections that certainly appeal to those that love fashion as wearable art – like myself. My loves, Viktor & Rolf finally showed…and while their collection wasn’t my favorite of their work, it was still awesome. Hussein Chalayan also showed, and his work was stunning as well. Lanvin’s collection was beyond amazing – and brought out some of my favorite celebs too! Gaultier (another love of mine) also brought some amazing pieces to the runway, so I think its safe to say that Paris Fashion Week is thus far, the best one in opinion. But enough of my blabbering, let’s get on to the collections, yes?
Lanvin (my, was every look in this collection gorgeous!)
Others I loved…
Akris – I loved the kelly green’s and red used. Plus the sportswear separates were oh so chic!
Nicolas Andreas Taralis – I loved the black and grey that was used prominently in these collections.
Hakkan – awesome collection of futuristic whites
Carven – neat silhouettes…I loved these pleated wide leg shorts that were shown
Anne Valerie Hash – loved the taupes, creams, and greys that were used in this collection
Andrew GN – tons of 1940’s pantsuit silhouettes
Balmain – edgy looks that would be awesome for a night out on the town


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Does willie robertson from duck dynasty adopt a black son, Does willie robertson from duck dynasty adopt a black son (lil will)?. Willie robertson talks about his biracial son lil will, In a touching video footage, willie robertson talked about the adoption of their biracial son lil will. korie and willie robertson’s adopted son, lil. Star in the making: jamir "lil future" robertson, "he developed pretty fast, man. by the time he was like 5 or 6 years old, i could really see that he knew what he was doing. i would teach him something and within 3.
Willie robertson | celebrities net worth 2014, Willie robertson net worth. view willie robertson net worth and other interesting and rare willie robertson facts you won't find anywhere else.. Lil sam "do it all over again" official music video - youtube, Look out for my second studio album the first single is titled "pass the ball" feat. lil chuckee and will be released this monthwatch my black ops. Lil kim net worth | celebrities net worth 2014, Lil kim net worth. view lil kim net worth and other interesting and rare lil kim facts you won't find anywhere else..
'duck dynasty' will go on with phil robertson, but not, Transcript for 'duck dynasty' will go on with phil robertson, but not everyone is happy. Wesmirch, Never miss another hot celeb story! the juiciest celebrity news from all around the web on a single page.. Pandora internet radio - listen to free music you'll love, Pandora is free, personalized radio that plays music you'll love. discover new music and enjoy old favorites. start with your favorite artist, song or composer and.

domain: celebrity


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Welcome to Smile Solutions
Smile Solutions is the largest dental practice in one place anywhere in Australia. We occupy four levels of the heritage-listed Manchester Unity Building in Melbourne’s Central Business District, where our 25 beautifully appointed operatory suites serve a patient base of over 65,000.
Multidisciplinary care within our practice is virtually seamless, drawing on the resources, knowledge and experience of as many as 51 clinicians, 18 of whom are specialists registered with the Dental Board of Australia; 20 of whom are general dentists, each with unique skills and post-graduate training; and 13 of whom are fully qualified hygienists/therapists.
Collectively the team offers a full range of treatments, including cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, Invisalign®, dental implants, oral surgery, root canal therapy and paediatric dentists.
Smile Solutions is unique in offering in one location such a cohesive team of registered dental specialists spanning all faculties. We provide complete patient care, addressing complex dental needs in cosmetic dentistry, adult orthodontics, implantology and dental rehabilitation as well as all other areas.
Smile Solutions offers the services of multiple experienced clinicians in the field of cosmetic dentistry. While conventional cosmetic dentistry focuses on teeth whitening, porcelain veneers and ceramic crowns, multidisciplinary cosmetic enhancements may include specialist care in areas such as internal braces, Invisalign®, dental implants and laser gum lifts.
Porcelain veneers and crowns may be the solution to your cosmetic and functional needs. In consultation with you, our cosmetic dentists will tailor your porcelain veneers and crowns to best suit your age, gender and facial features.
Smile Solutions offers extensive specialist care and surgical experience for wisdom teeth management in hospital or in the chair. There is often insufficient gum space for the normal eruption of wisdom teeth, causing the teeth become impacted – and this is when they need to be removed. We recommend our resident specialist oral and maxillofacial surgeons for management of any problematic wisdom teeth.
Root canal treatment by our resident specialist endodontists can alleviate suffering associated with infected or inflamed teeth – often the cause of pain, distress and other health problems.
Since the mid-1960s, it has been possible to permanently replace teeth with implants that look and feel like natural teeth. All teeth implants have three main components: a titanium screw fixture, an abutment and an all-ceramic or porcelain crown fused to precious metal. We utilise the services of a number of general and specialist dentists in the field of dental implantation – a procedure to replace missing teeth or teeth that cannot be saved by conventional means. Smile Solutions offers a holistic approach to dental implants, with options including conventional implants, immediate implants, and Teeth in 3 Days™.
Smile Solutions’ registered specialist orthodontists provide various cosmetic orthodontic treatment options for adults and children. Our orthodontists can achieve a beautiful straight smile for you by means of either conventional braces, clear external braces, internal lingual braces, or Invisalign®.
If you are looking for a flexible orthodontic solution, Invisalign® No Braces may be the answer. With Invisalign®, sometimes referred to as invisible braces, your teeth can be straightened without any braces at all. This treatment involves a series of clear aligners that are individually tailored to achieve an ideal outcome.
At Smile Solutions, you can have all of your family’s dental needs taken care of in the one location. Our team of general and children's dentists offer exceptional care in a child-friendly practice. With the expertise and care of our paediatric dentists, your little ones can achieve lifelong outcomes.


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Fifty years after becoming the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth, John Glenn will be bestowed with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor.
Since 1963, the Presidential Medal of Freedom has been awarded to individuals for "meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors," according to the White House.
Glenn is a former Marine Corps Colonel, NASA astronaut, and Senator. In 1962, he was the third American in space and the first to circle the planet. Nearly four decades after his first mission and a quarter century after being elected to Congress, Glenn lifted off on board the space shuttle to become the oldest person to fly in space at the age of 77.
President Barack Obama named John Glenn among the 2012 honorees who will be awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in late spring. Twelve others were chosen with Glenn to receive the medal, including former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, legendary musician Bob Dylan, and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison. [Photos: John Glenn's Historic Spaceflights]
Obama said that despite their different backgrounds, each of the honorees have "made a lasting contribution to the life of our nation."
"They've challenged us, they've inspired us, and they've made the world a better place," the president said. "I look forward to recognizing them with this award."
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The news of the honor came just months after NASA and the nation celebrated the Feb. 20, 2012, 50th anniversary of Glenn's Mercury-Atlas 6 mission aboard his Friendship 7 spacecraft.
Glenn took center stage again earlier this month, helping to induct his second ride to space — shuttle Discovery — into the Smithsonian on April 19.
"NASA sends its warmest congratulations to Senator John Glenn," NASA's chief Charles Bolden said in a statement about the Presidential Medal of Freedom. "Both of John's historic missions to space personified America's dreams and what we believed we could be."
"John Glenn helped this nation forge a path to a brighter future with greater capabilities," Bolden said.
In addition to referencing Glenn's spaceflight experiences, the White House release that announced the award also highlighted the Senator's political achievements. He was an architect and sponsored the 1978 Nonproliferation Act and served as chairman of the Senate Government Affairs committee from 1987 until 1995.
Glenn retired from Congress in 1999 after representing his home state of Ohio for 25 years.
With this honor, Glenn joins the small group of astronauts who've been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The crew the first manned moon landing, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, were bestowed the honor soon after their return to Earth in 1969. A year later, the Apollo 13 crew, Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert, as well as Apollo 14 lunar module pilot Ed Mitchell, were similarly honored.
The Apollo 13 Mission Control team, led by Sig Sjoberg, Glynn Lunney, Milt Windler, Gerry Griffin and Gene Kranz, as well as former Johnson Space Center director George Abbey, were also among those recognized by President Richard Nixon with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Among his many earlier awards, Glenn was presented with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978. NASA's highest award, it was given to Glenn by President Jimmy Carter.
Last November, Glenn received the Congressional Gold Medal, which with the Presidential Medal of Freedom is considered the highest civilian honors. Together with the Apollo 11 crew, Glenn was among the first astronauts to be awarded the Gold Medal.
Robert Pearlman is a space historian, journalist and the founder and editor of collectSPACE.com, an online publication and community devoted to space history with a particular focus on how and where space exploration intersects with pop culture. Pearlman is also a contributing writer for Space.com and co-author of "Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space” published by Smithsonian Books in 2018. He previously developed online content for the National Space Society and Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, helped establish the space tourism company Space Adventures and currently serves on the History Committee of the American Astronautical Society, the advisory committee for The Mars Generation and leadership board of For All Moonkind. In 2009, he was inducted into the U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2021, he was honored by the American Astronautical Society with the Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History.

domain: news


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Displaying results 1 - 25 of 561 for alcohol abuse. Subscribe to this search
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Keith Urban has checked himself into a rehabilitation treatment center for alcohol abuse, less than four months after his marriage to actress Nicole Kidman. The Grammy-winning country singer released a statement Friday that said he entered rehab Thursday night with his wife by his side.
Keith Urban walks across the stage to accept his award for video of the year at the CMT Music Awards show in this file photo from April 10, 2006 in Nashville, Tenn.
June 3, 2004
Members of the Salt River-Pima Indian Community will vote Tuesday whether to allow the sale of alcohol by the glass at restaurants along the Pima Freeway corridor.
Tempe police say their "Back to School" alcohol crackdown led to nearly 200 arrests.
BOSTON - Above all else, John Bauhs credits a drug for helping him stop drinking - a story line some alcoholics, doctors and drug companies hope will become more common as new treatment options emerge.
A man accused of first-degree murder and child abuse in the death of a 2-year-old Gilbert boy is scheduled to go on trial today.
Plenty of parents figure young adults are so determined to drink alcohol after the prom or a graduation that it's best to take away the car keys and host a supervised party for their kids and their friends.
The Arizona Medical Board is cutting costs by terminating required drug and alcohol therapy for 17 doctors with substance abuse problems.
PARIS - A spot of Calvados, the apple brandy, in the bottle to help baby sleep. Champagne for all at the family fete. And wine anytime, well, because we're French.
Parents of Coronado Elementary School seventh- and eighth-graders are invited to a Not My Kid Clear Choices parent presentation at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the school's Media Center, 4333 S. DeAnza Blvd., Gilbert.
Six women, the youngest probably in her late 50s, sat in a room at the Mesa Library on Tuesday morning.
The county’s failure to oppose a defense motion has resulted in a judge effectively dismissing a child abuse charge against a Scottsdale mother whose 4-year-old daughter died after locking herself in a car.
SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Michael Jackson committed "exploitation and sexual abuse," and his only defense has been to attack the credibility of his accuser's mother, a prosecutor said Thursday as closing arguments began.
FORT HOOD, Texas - Army Spc. Charles Graner Jr., the reputed ringleader of a band of rogue guards at the Abu Ghraib prison, was convicted Friday of abusing Iraqi detainees in a case that sparked international outrage when photographs were released that showed reservists gleefully abusing prisoners.
The little blue pill once promoted by Bob Dole has become a party pill in the Valley gay scene — one that could be leading to the spread of HIV here, according to local health workers.
PHOENIX - Prosecutors have filed negligent homicide charges against four people in connection with the death of a 13-year-old runaway Phoenix girl.
It was no surprise a 20-year-old man was arrested over the weekend for stabbing another man at the Country Thunder music festival in Pinal County. News reports tell of an argument escalating into violence. I’d bet excessive and criminal alcohol consumption played a part in this crime.
She’s young, tall-model-slender, beautiful and with a song bird voice. I’ll call her Annie. And, today she sits in jail, serving a lengthy term for her history with drugs. Like so many others, her road to trouble started with alcohol.
East Valley communities are seeing a tech-savvy young adults or teen “entrepreneurs” scoping out foreclosed homes, isolated locations or homes not under adult supervision to hold Friday and Saturday night parties where alcohol and drugs are available to young people, a Valley prevention agency says.
A Desert Mountain High School parent group, concerned over word a parent held a recent keg party, wants parents to stop serving alcohol to children not their own and urges all parents to investigate the parties their children go to.
Alarmed at the high number of teen drinkers, state officials launched a new preventative effort Monday with a different focus: convince adults to refuse to supply alcohol to those under 21 and to be more vigilant to keep alcohol away from teens.
The son of the Rev. Guy Davidson, founding pastor of two of Tempe’s largest community churches, has come forward to share his story of alcoholism and illegal drug use amid the pressure of being a “PK,” or “preacher’s kid.”
The burns on the 17-year-old girl’s legs will scar her forever.


Besides the variety of fonts, character recognition systems for the industrial world are confronted with specific problems like: the variety of support (metal, wood, paper, ceramics . . .) as well as the variety of marking (printing, engraving, . . .) and conditions of lighting. We present a system that is able to solve a part of this problem. It implements a collaboration between two neural networks. The first network specialized in vision allows the system to extract the character from an image. Besides this capability, we have equipped our system with characteristics allowing it to obtain an invariant model from the presented character. Thus, whatever the position, the size and the orientation of the character during the capture are, the model presented to the input of the second network will be identical. The second network, thanks to a learning phase, permits us to obtain a character recognition system independent of the type of fonts used. Furthermore, its capabilities of generalization permit us to recognize degraded and/or distorted characters. A feedback loop between the two networks permits the first one to modify the quality of vision.The cooperation between these two networks allows us to recognize characters whatever the support and the marking.


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Creamy Strawberry Crepes
In this video, we'll show you how to make homemade strawberries-and-cream filled crepes. See the technique to make perfect crepes that will come together in a blender and cook in just a few minutes. Consider the lemon flavored, sweetened cream cheese and fresh strawberries- the icing on the cake. Get the recipe for Creamy Strawberry Crepes.

domain: food


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For bonus points: This moment has spared White House press secretary Jay Carney from the contortions he had...
Do you HONESTLY believe Obama is being HONEST about his position on same-sex marriage? This man would say ANYTHING to get a vote. He would probably through his white granny under the bus ... oh wait. He already did that.
President Barack Obama emerged from his ideological closet last week when he said, "Same-sex couples should be able to get married." Obama supported same-sex marriage in 1996. He opposed same-sex marriage, however, in 2004 and 2008 and right up until Vice President Joe Biden announced that he is "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex nuptials on "Meet the Press" May 6. Thus, I would categorize the president's position on same-sex marriage not as having evolved, as he claims, but as a long overdue moment of honesty.
- Why won’t the White House explain how off-budget ObamaCare money got spent? Ed Morrissey 24 minutes ago
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Plastic Container Materials – What Are The Dangers?
Plastic container are commonly known as plastic containers, often made of clear plastic or translucent plastic, or of some other color. Plastic containers are common either as reusable or disposable plastic containers, clear plastic bottles, plastic mugs, plastic containers, plastic totes, and plastic containers. These containers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, colors, and textures. There is surely a plastic container for every use that you can imagine.
Plastic has replaced the metal as the most popular material for the production of packaging materials because plastic doesn’t easily degrade or Leach metals. It also does not attract and harbor insect and fungal infections. Plastic is lightweight, strong, resistant to heat, chemicals, moisture, and pressure. Furthermore, plastic is environmentally friendly as it does not emit dangerous substances into the atmosphere when it breaks down. Plastic is used in food packaging because it is low in cost and high in tensile strength, which makes it ideal for products that require toughness.
One great benefit of using plastics is that it can be recycled easily. This kind of recycling not only reduces the cost of manufacturing plastic but also helps save Mother Nature. Recycling saves resources and helps reduce the demand for natural resources thung phi nhua. Many environmental groups have raised concerns about the effects of chemicals in our environment, especially in food containers, on human health and survival. These groups are concerned about the dangers of using plastics as food containers; they warn about the risks of phthalates (linked to reproductive disorders), DEHP (linked to cancer), and BPA (linked to infertility).
Plastic has become a very important commodity in today’s modern society. Modern plastics, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are stronger and lighter than ever before, making them ideal for food containers and packaging. PET and HDPE are also biodegradable, meaning that they break down without creating any dangerous waste. But what’s more, these plastics have another advantage over traditional packaging: they don’t go bad.
The dangers of using dangerous chemicals in food containers were highlighted in an investigation by the Associated Press. Researchers found that nearly all the chemicals used in the manufacture of plastic containers fall into one of three categories linked with serious health problems: phthalates, DEP and BPA. Phthalates are linked to cancer and reproductive disorders; DEP causes cancer and endocrine disrupting effects, while BPA mimics estrogen. While it’s impossible to avoid using plastics because they are needed in every day life, avoiding them in food containers is a wise choice.
Another problem with plastic is the fact that it is one of the most widely used synthetic materials in the world. In addition to the health effects described above, there are many other problems that are caused by the chemicals in use. For example, plastic has been found to transport toxic chemicals, such as lead, into our foods. It also takes hundreds of years for phthalates to break down, meaning that the levels of the chemicals remain in our bodies for up to half a century. The long-term health effects of these chemicals are not known, but the evidence is mounting.


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Psychiatrists Top List in Drug Maker GiftsQuicklink submitted by Rob Kall Permalink
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|As states begin to require that drug companies disclose their payments to doctors for lectures and other services, a pattern has emerged: psychiatrists earn more money from drug makers than doctors in any other specialty. The more psychiatrists have earned from drug makers, the more they have prescribed a new class of powerful medicines known as atypical antipsychotics to children, for whom the drugs are risky and unapproved.|
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I'm English & live in France with 4 dogs & 2 cats (& 1 man!)
I started creating cross stitch patterns in 2007 as I couldn't find any I liked that weren't just imported 'confetti' stitching!
It's absolutely wonderful to get photos of customers' finished pieces.
It makes me want to pick up my needle again
If only I had the time!
Logo designed exclusivley for Witchykitt Designs by Nifrendiel
I did this cross stitch earlier this year and enjoyed sewing it immensely.It took me nine months and looks extremely impressive mounted and on the wall. Whilst it was at Alan's (my framers) shop, various people approached him asking where the kit came from. I left him information on how to get hold of the chart!

domain: design


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Central & South Asia
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Mexico gang suspects confess to mass killings
Three suspects admit to killing 43 missing students and burning their remains, but parents say they need proof.
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Jews expelled from Guatemala village
Lev Tahor community "forced out" after villagers say they felt intimidated by the group's lack of contact with locals.
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Problems put Puerto Rico's future in doubt
Whether debt-ridden island should become 51st state of USA is still undecided despite last year's two-part referendum.
Last updated: 06 Nov 2013 11:59 GMT
Guatemala builds eco-friendly school
A unique project is helping to clean up local environment in western highlands region of San Juan Comalapa.
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Major storms strike Caribbean region
Floods destroy hundreds of homes in Puerto Rico, which has seen wettest July ever recorded in rainy season, and in Cuba.
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Nicaragua plans canal across Central America
Planners say project will lift the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere out of poverty.
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Boxer's murder highlights Puerto Rico crime
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Puerto Ricans press US for state status
Puerto Ricans have voted to become the 51st US state, but it remains to be seen if American lawmakers will oblige.
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Thousands march against Argentine government
Protesters rally against President Cristina Kirchner's policies that allegedly hurt middle and upper class citizens.
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Drug arrests made at Puerto Rico airport
At least 33 airport officials among those held for smuggling millions of dollars' worth of drugs aboard commercial jets.
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Swathes of the British electorate continue to show discontent with all things European, including immigration.
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Astronomers have captured images of primordial galaxies that helped light up the cosmos after the Big Bang.
The photo controversy over indigenous people
Critics assail British photographer's portrayal of indigenous people, but he says he's highlighting their plight.
'We got this, Bob Geldof, so back off'
As Western stars re-release 1980s charity hit, many Africans say it's a demeaning relic that can do more harm than good.
JOURNALISM UNDER FIRE
The 'Jewish state bill' doesn't matter to us, Palestinians
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'One black, one white, separate and unequal'
Michael Brown was not a boy, he was a 'demon'
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Nov. 22, 2011 -- There's been a big spike in the number of people who need emergency medical attention after they guzzle popular caffeinated energy drinks, according to a new government report.
The report shows a more than a tenfold increase in the number of emergency room visits tied to the use of these drinks between 2005 and 2009.
In 2005, 1,128 ER visits were associated with the use of energy drinks compared to 13,114 in 2009. That number peaked in 2008 with more than 16,000 ER visits linked to energy drinks.
Beverage manufacturers fired back at the statistics, charging that they are misleading since they are being taken out of context.
"Of the more than 123 million visits made to emergency room facilities each year, less than one one-hundredth of one percent involved people who consumed energy drinks according to this report," says the American Beverage Association in a statement.
"Even so, this report shares no information about the overall health of those who allegedly consumed energy drinks, or even what symptoms brought them to the ER in the first place," the statement says.
Energy Drinks and the ER
While 44% of cases involved energy drinks in combination with alcohol or other drugs, the report shows most people who wound up in the ER told doctors they had downed only energy drinks.
"There's been quite a bit of attention paid to those energy drinks that have alcohol with them. What we found was that there are actually more visits for those energy drinks that don't have alcohol," says Albert Woodward, PhD, director of the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in Rockville, Md. DAWN reports, such as this one, are published periodically by the network.
Experts who study the health effects of energy drinks called the finding surprising and worrisome.
"I do a lot of my research on combining alcohol and energy drinks and I know that's really risky, but energy drinks by themselves, it's been quite in debate whether they're really all that dangerous," since they're supposed to contain about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, says Cecile Marczinski, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights.
But Marczinski said she recently learned that manufacturers don't have to report the total caffeine that's in the drinks. They only have to list what they add. There may be much more caffeine that comes from stimulant herbs like guarana.
"The caffeine in these drinks could be vastly underestimated," she tells WebMD.
Young adults, usually men, were most likely to get into trouble using energy drinks, the report shows.
- More than half of all ER visits linked to energy drinks were in college-age adults ages 18 to 25.
- Adults ages 26 to 39 accounted for almost a third of the visits.
- Teens 12 to 17 and adults over 40 each accounted for 11% of visits.
- Men accounted for nearly two-thirds of all visits.
Marczinski says that's not surprising since the drinks, which come in brightly colored cans and have macho, high-octane names, are made to catch the eye of teens and young adults, who may not yet be coffee drinkers.
But she thinks the drinks are more dangerous than coffee, for several reasons. They come in large containers, making it easy to slug several servings in a single sitting. And because they're usually sweet and served cold, they are tempting stand-ins for thirst quenchers like water or sports drinks.
"So it is easier, I think, to consume more of an energy drink than any other caffeinated food or product," Marczinski says.
Caffeine Overdose Symptoms
The report didn't gather data on the specific symptoms that sent people to the hospital. Most were simply classified as adverse reactions.
But ER doctors say they're probably similar to a typical caffeine overdose.
"Those symptoms include a fast heart rate, elevated blood pressure, maybe a fever, agitation, moodiness, confusion, and perhaps difficulty with fine motor control," says Tamara R. Kuittinen, MD, director of medical education in the department of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Those effects may be amplified if a person has already taken another medication or drug.
The report showed that 27% of people who landed in the ER after using energy drinks were also taking another pharmaceutical, often a stimulant medication like Ritalin.
In about 16% of the cases, alcohol was also a factor. In 10% of the visits, energy drinks had been used in combination with illegal drugs.
Caffeine in energy drinks can mask feelings of intoxication. Previous studies have found that bar patrons who mix energy drinks and alcohol are three times more likely to leave highly intoxicated and are four times more likely to drive drunk.
Adults ages 18 to 25 were most likely to get into trouble combining energy drinks with other substances.
The lesson for college students about to cram for final exams is "pace yourself," says Kuittinen. "Nothing beats getting at least seven hours of sleep a night."
Besides, overdoing energy drinks probably won't help. "Your thoughts are going to be disorganized. You're going to be hyper-jittery and just wired," and that's not likely to lead to a better grade, she says.


This is why everyone’s talking about Bob Woodward’s new book on Donald Trump
It’s been nine months since Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House shocked readers with its revelations about the 45th president. And now, another (and arguably much more legitimate book) about Donald Trump’s presidency, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward, is making waves. Fear: Trump in the White House has once again depicted Trump as an incompetent liar, and even the president is talking about it.
The Washington Post, where Woodward works as an associate editor, published an overview of Fear yesterday, September 4th. Quotes shared from the book by the Post paint a picture of a clueless president who’s treated with scorn by his senior staff. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is quoted as calling Trump “unhinged” and saying, “We’re in Crazytown.” Woodward writes that former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, meanwhile, calls Trump’s bedroom “the devil’s workshop” because of the president’s tendency to tweet while watching the news.
In Fear, the president is described as calling Attorney General Jeff Sessions “mentally retarded” and reportedly mocked his Southern accent. In a September 4th tweet, Trump denied ever saying these things, writing that Woodward “made this up to divide.”
One of the most disturbing details revealed in the book is perhaps the president’s reaction to the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Woodward reports that after Trump made a statement about violence “on many sides,” White House aides urged him to condemn white supremacy. But Fear reveals that Trump called the second address “the biggest f*cking mistake I’ve made,” and the “worst speech I’ve ever given.”
After the Post shared the overview of Fear, Trump tweeted statements from Kelly, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Secretary of Defense James Mattis claiming that Woodward’s quotes were falsified. Sanders called the book “fabricated stories,” Mattis said the quotes attributed to him were “never uttered by me,” and Kelly wrote that “this story is total BS.”
But Woodward, who famously reported on the Watergate scandal, has a reputation for thoroughness. Although Trump has tried to discredit Fear by claiming he didn’t know about the book, a transcript of a conversation between Woodward and the president reveals that the journalist made several attempts to book an interview with the POTUS himself.
Fear: Trump in the White House comes out on September 11th and is currently available for preorder on Amazon.


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Tutorials Index: udkTutorials YouTube Channel
Comments, suggestions for tutorials, etc, always welcome here, on my youtube page, or via email.
Graphics Overview: Introduction to Computer Graphics (8:54)
I will discuss what the goal of graphics is, what pixels are and how they are represented, generic RGB color representation, buffers/memory, and frame rate/fps.Content browser Overview (10:33)
I will cover what the content browser is, what packages are in UE3, how packages are structured and saved, common package practices, creating and saving a package, saving thumbnails, adding tags to art assets, creating collections in the content browser, and customizing the user interface.Intermediate LevelMaterial editor introduction (Part 1) (10:14)
Material editor introduction (Part 2) (10:38)
I will cover creating an RGB "merge" texture, how to import a texture without an alpha channel, how to create a new material, some material node manipulation, setting up color changers for use in Material Instances (MIC), creating an MIC, and placing an MIC in game.
Creating a fire material / VFX effect in Cascade (Part 1) (10:24)
Creating a fire material / VFX effect in Cascade (Part 2) (6:32)
I will cover creating a fire material using two texture samples, by using a scrolling bump offset to create noise in the fire opacity map. I will then show how to create the effect in cascade, with a basic layout overview and some basic module manipulations. Finally I will place the emitter (effect) in game by creating a prefab and saving it into our package.Creating a chrome/metallic material using a cube map (Part 1) (6:29)
Creating a chrome/metallic material using a cube map (Part 2) (7:56)
I will cover creating the chrome/metallic material using one external texture sample, and a user generated cube map in game. I will then show how to import a static mesh from 3dsMAX, how to apply the material to the static mesh, and a few keyboard shortcuts when manipulating models in editor.Creating a Level Blockout - Soccer Stadium Example (Part 1) (10:57)
Creating a Level Blockout - Soccer Stadium Example (Part 2) (9:54)
Creating a Level Blockout - Soccer Stadium Example (Part 3) (7:04)
Creating a simple level blockout by creating a generic soccer stadium.
I will cover proper scale conversion between 3dsMAX and Unreal Engine, using references to create a to-scale level blockout of a soccer stadium type environment. Will show how to create a simple mix map type texture, proper 2ndary UV setup for lightmap generation in-game using 3dsMAX, simple environment lighting using a direction and sky light, and adding all necessary actors to run around the environment.Creating an Earth / Planet Shader (10:52)
Creating a earth / planet shader in the Unreal Development Kit.
I will cover the 6 texture maps I use, including how to generate normal maps based off grayscale images using Crazy Bump. I will walk through the material network, talk about making the material MIC friendly, and also a quick explanation of how you can use the Light Vector function in the Mat Editor.Creating a Vertex/Mesh paint shader and painting Static Mesh's using the Paint Tool (10:22)
Creating a vertex / mesh painting material and using it to paint a wall in the Unreal Development Kit.
I'll discuss how to create a vertex / mesh paint supported material. I will also discuss how to create a smooth gradient transition between verticies and how to create a random hard edged transition in the material. Then I'll briefly also talk about how to paint the verts in the editor.
Some information about me:
Im a professional developer (Technical Artist specializing in shader creation, VFX, and environment design) with 4 years experience in UE3, 1 unreal title under my name (one of 3 lead artists for Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia) and another currently unannounced unreal-based title.
I plan to add 1 tutorial per week, and as soon as I get a basic foundation set, I will create some more advanced tutorials. All tutorials up to this point will focus on creating media for a project I am currently working on, called Dungeon Defense, so by watching these tutorials, you can also get an inside feel for the development of a small project.
I know there is a lot of competition when it comes to tutorials, my goal is not to compete,, but rather to show how to create something interesting and show a few little insider tips and tricks to make the workflow easier, and to increase performance when possible.
Feel free to follow me on twitter!


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PRESENTATION HIGHLIGHTS: Peace Process and Progress in the Sulu Sea
In the Sulu Sea cauldron of militancy, terrorism and criminality, with a continuing Philippine claim to Sabah, lingering hopes of peace, stability and order still depend on a new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in western Mindanao. What is its current progress and what are the likely alternatives? IAG Executive Director Benedicto Bacani shared his thoughts on this issue during the 7th Malaysian-German Security Dialogue on August 30, 2018 in Kuala Lumpur. Here are the highlights of his presentation.
There are two (2) critical issues that affect regional security and Philippine-Malaysia relations:
1. Terrorism, criminality and militancy in the Sulu sea
2. Philippine claim to Sabah
How does the new Bangsamoro Organic Law and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao impact these two issues?
1. It is important to understand the background of the Mindanao peace process to appreciate how it affects these issues. The peace process is driven not only by Muslim-Christian relations in the Philippines; nor by the majority-minority relations or by national government versus Moro region but by the internal dynamics within the Muslim community particularly along ethnic/ideological and territorial lines. The Moro National Liberation Front began in 1969 as a monolithic/united movement of Muslims in the Philippines waging a revolutionary struggle against the Philippine government. The separation of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front from the main MNLF in 1977 divided the Muslim community along ideological lines—MNLF as a political and social movement; MILF as Islamic; MNLF controlling the island provinces of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi and the MILF holding sway over the mainland provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao; MNLF as Tausog dominated and MILF being identified as a movement dominated by Maguindanaons.
2. But this division is not new as this goes back to the time of the Sultanate of Sulu in the 15th century and the Sultanate of Maguindanao in the 16th century. These sultanates were states in themselves and now form the basis for the historical claim of the Muslims in the Philippines for an independent state. The MNLF and the MILF have developed and are evolving the Bangsamoro identity to assert a one indivisible assertion of self-determination of Muslims in the Philippines.
3. The peace process between the Philippines and the Moro people exposed “Bangsamoro” as a social construct that is a source of unity in some aspects but divides the Muslims in the Philippines in others. The new Bangsamoro Organic Law identifies Bangsamoro as “those who, at the advent of the Spanish colonization, were considered natives or original inhabitants of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago and its adjacent islands, whether of mixed or of full blood.” This definition shows that being a Bangsamoro has to do with being indigenous in Mindanao and Sulu and not being Muslim. Yet, the territory of the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and the areas of expansion are Muslim dominated. Two reasons: Christian-dominated areas have in previous plebiscites rejected being part of the autonomous region and secondly, the MILF with Islamic orientation prefers a smaller yet Muslim territory. On the other hand, the MNLF, as a political movement with claim over Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan and North Borneo, considers all inhabitants including settlers as part of Bangsa Moro. This is why the MNLF of Prof. Nur Misuari has rejected to be part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and prefers to resolve its grievances thru the federalism track that can potentially establish one Mindanao and Sulu federal state.
4. The two separate peace processes that the Philippine government with the MNLF and the MILF has deepened this ideological and ethnic divisions among Muslims in the Philippines. The MILF peace process that culminated in the passage of the BOL is perceived by political leaders of the island provinces as favoring the Maguindanaons and the Maranaos in the mainland provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao. The Bangsa Sug Consensus composed of political leaders of the provinces of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi are opposing the BOL and are calling for the establishment of Federal State that shall include the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga City, Sulu, Tawi- Tawi and Basilan.
5. The position of the MILF on the Sabah claim and the Sulu Sea in the negotiations with government and in the legislation of the BOL has been questioned by political leaders and heirs and supporters of the Sultanate of Sulu. The MILF is of the position that the Sabah issue is a concern of Malaysia and the Philippine government not the revolutionary groups or of the peace process. Nowhere in the peace agreements from the Tripoli Agreement up to the CAB in 2014 that the Sabah issue is mentioned.
6. While Sabah was hands-off for the MILF, the Sulu Sea was the subject of the MILF negotiation with the Philippine government and the legislation of the BOL. This was not received favorably by the Tausugs. The reference to the Bangsamoro waters in the Sulu Sea in the BBL submitted by the MILF was opposed by leaders of the island provinces. In the BOL, the Sulu Sea has been declared a Zone for joint cooperation between the national and Bangsamoro governments. A joint body for the Zones of Joint Cooperation shall be responsible for formulating policies on the Sulu Sea.
7. Who is responsible for securing the Sulu Sea? The national government is responsible for national defense, maintenance of law and order and coast guard in the Bangsamoro. The police and military are under the control and supervision of the President. There are regional offices of the police and coast guard but they are directly under the national agencies not the regional government.
8. So we go back to the question: What does this the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region mean for security in the Sulu Sea and the Sabah issue?
a. The national government not the Bangsamoro government will drive the policies on these issues so we do not expect any major change in policies in the short term.
b. In the medium and long term, the success or failure of the new Bangsamoro government will significantly impact positively or negatively to regional security.
First, how inclusive will this Bangsamoro government in terms of leadership, access to resources and development not only for the mainland provinces and MILF but also the island provinces and the MNLF?
Second, how effective will this Zone of Joint Cooperation that will govern the Sulu Sea in coordinating security in the area? How effective will the MILF and the MNLF who will share responsibility with the Philippine government in securing the Sulu Sea against terrorists and criminal elements?
Third, the draft constitution of the Constitutional Committee for the Revision of the 1987 Constitution is restoring the phrase “…it has sovereignty over other territories belonging to the Philippines by historic right or legal title” as part of the Philippine territory. This is a reassertion of the claim to Sabah. The MNLF has adopted the federalism platform to implement its peace agreement with the government and will most likely support this provision in the draft constitution.
Fourth, the trilateral approach to countering terrorism involving Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia must consider and support the successful conclusion of the peace process with the MNLF and the MILF. Malaysia and Indonesia which are directly involved in the two peace processes with the MILF and MNLF must exert all diplomatic and moral pressure to bear towards inclusivity and unity in the Muslim community in the Philippines. As well, the Philippine government must insure that it will abide by the terms of the peace agreements it entered into with the Moro revolutionary fronts.

domain: politics