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Message from the President and CEO
We are pleased to present a new and improved design for CEO Update, your weekly summary of industry and association news! This electronic newsletter serves the same purpose, and we hope you like the updated format.
You will also see a new design in our other NABH communication pieces that we send our members via
e-mail. At our recent staff retreat, our team discussed what information we share with our members; how we present that information; and how we want to share that information in the future.
We decided to keep what works and add some new forms of communication in 2019. In addition to your weekly CEO Update, you will receive the following communication pieces throughout the year:
NABH Alert: This message will contain urgent news briefs.
NABH Inside Scoop: This message is meant to share inside information about what our team is hearing on Capitol Hill, at the regulatory agencies and accrediting bodies, and within the industry.
NABH Issue Brief: This message will include all major points of an issue with some analysis.
NABH Analysis: The message is the longest form of communication we will share and is meant for in-depth summaries of bills and regulations.
We hope these resources will help you in your work as you advance NABH’s mission. As always, we welcome your feedback!
—Mark Covall, NABH President and CEO
Davos 2019 Spotlights Mental Health
The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week highlighted mental health as a growing global challenge that is both a health issue and an economic one.
According to one London-based report of the annual conference in the Swiss alps, mental health is especially a challenge in low- and middle-income countries where numbers are rising but services lag behind. The story cited the World Health Organization’s estimates that more than three quarters of people with mental disorders in those countries receive no treatment.
Meanwhile, mental health is responsible for 13 percent of the global burden of disease, and the World Economic Forum estimates it will cost the global economy $16 trillion by 2030 in lost productivity and healthcare costs. Even so, countries spend an average of less than 2 percent of their health budgets on mental health, the story noted. And less than 1 percent of global health aid—about $132 million a year—was directed to mental health between 1995 and 2015.
Bipartisan Policy Center Releases Report on Integrating Clinical and Mental Health
NABH’s top advocacy priorities were included in Integrating Clinical and Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities, a 46-page report from the Bipartisan Policy Center this week that examines the barriers to integrating clinical and mental health services and identifies potential policy solutions to achieve integration.
According to the report, nearly 45 million American adults suffered some form of mental illness in 2016, and at least 25 states experienced at least a 30-percent increase in suicide rates between 2014 and 2016. Meanwhile, 20.1 million Americans experienced a substance use disorder (SUD) and 8.2 million experienced both a mental illness and SUD in that same year.
NABH is pleased that the Bipartisan Policy Center recommendations include repealing the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion in Medicaid; eliminating the 190-day lifetime limit; and providing resources for behavioral health IT.
The report is organized by the following topic areas: use of grant programs in treating mental illness and the transition to integrated care; insurance coverage barriers and policy options; workforce barriers and policy options; and federal administrative barriers and policy options.
NABH and Six Other Hospital Associations Present HIT Interoperability Agenda
NABH was one of seven national hospital associations this week that urged public and private stakeholders to support a six-point agenda that would help the United States achieve the secure exchange of patient health information.
NABH joined America’s Essential Hospitals, the American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, Catholic Health Association of the United States, Children’s Hospital Association and Federation of American Hospitals in presenting the health information technology (HIT) agenda to “support optimal individual health, healthcare, and value.”
Included in the report Sharing Data, Sharing Lives, the agenda identifies six pathways to exchange patient health information securely: security and privacy; efficient, usable solutions; cost-effective, enhanced infrastructure; standards that work; connecting beyond electronic health records; and shared best practices.
An infographic accompanied the Sharing Data, Sharing Lives report that the seven organizations released on Jan. 22.
CMS Seeks Public Comment on the Follow-Up After Psychiatric Hospitalization Measure
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG) is seeking comments from healthcare professionals and stakeholder organizations on the new Follow-Up After Psychiatric Hospitalization quality measure.
After the measure is made final, it may be proposed to be included in the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting program.
The public comment period opens today, Friday, January 25, 2019, and will remain open through Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at noon ET. Click here for more information and here to submit comments. Please contact HSAG at PQM@hsag.com if you have trouble submitting comments.
Thank you to Our 2019 NABH Annual Meeting Exhibitors and Sponsors!
NABH thanks all of the companies that will serve as exhibitors or sponsors at the 2019 NABH Annual Meeting in March.
Please take a moment to view our Exhibitors & Sponsors on our Annual Meeting homepage, where you can click on each organization to learn more. Also, please remember to visit with our exhibitors and sponsors during the Annual Meeting from March 18-20 at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC.
And if you haven’t done so yet, please take a moment to read our updated preliminary program; register for the Annual Meeting; and reserve your hotel room! The hotel cut-off date is Monday, Feb. 11.
We look forward to seeing you in Washington!
For questions or comments about CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.

domain: medical


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2. Gautam Adani and family. Now Asia's second-richest person, Adani, leading a conglomerate of infrastructure and commodities, has a net worth of $90 billion.May 9, 2022
3. Shiv Nadar . The founder of HCL Technologies Limited, Nadar, is India's third-richest person and increased his wealth by 22 per cent, according to Forbes, accounting for a net worth of $28.7 billion. He's ranked number 47 in the world.
Adani is worth an estimated $122 billion as of Monday afternoon, according to the Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker, making him the richest person in Asia and the No. 6 wealthiest person in the world.
Mukesh Ambani The chairperson of Reliance Industries, Ambani, retained his position as Asia's richest person and the tenth-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $90.7 billion.May 9, 2022
Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani maintained their top slots in the list of India's richest, ranking number 1 and 2, respectively. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, which was raging last year, the 36th-annual ranking of billionaires across the world, had several Indians on the list.
Top 10 richest persons in India in 2022
Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani is the second richest man in India. He added the most amount of wealth in a year. Adani's wealth surged by $49 billion in a year, taking his net worth to $81 billion. Adani's wealth increased by around ₹6,000 crore every week over the last year.
1. Mukesh Ambani . The chairperson of Reliance Industries, Ambani, retained his position as Asia's richest person and the tenth-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $90.7 billion.
Jeff Bezos - $194.1 billion Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has a net worth of $194.1 billion and ranks as the second richest person on the earth today.Apr 6, 2022
Hemant Singh PersonNet worth (Billion Dollars)Company/Country1. Elon R Musk$239.3Tesla/ United States2. Bernard Arnault & family$198.6LVMH/ France3. Jeff Bezos$187.3Amazon/ United States4. Bill Gates$132.6Microsoft/ United StatesList of 20 Richest person in the world 2022 www.jagranjosh.com › general-knowledge › list-of-20-richest-person-in-th...
Top 10 richest persons in India in 2022
The pecking order of the top three is a repeat of 2021. Despite a modest 7% boost to his wealth, Mukesh Ambani , whose Reliance Industries is India's most valuable company, retained his position as Asia's richest person—and the tenth richest person in the world—with a net worth of $90.7 billion.Apr 5, 2022
Forbes found 2,668 billionaires around the globe for the 2022 World's Billionaires list, down from a record 2,755 last year. Collectively, they're worth $12.7 trillion, down from a record $13.1 trillion on the 2021 list.
Elon Musk, with a fortune of $212 billion, is the richest person on the planet. Tesla delivered nearly one million vehicles globally in 2021. ... Top 10 Richest People in the World. NameElon MuskSourceTesla, SpaceXNet Worth (Mar 2022)$212BNet Worth (Mar 2021)$151BChange 2021-22$61BThe Richest People in the World in 2022 - Visual Capitalist www.visualcapitalist.com › richest-people-in-the-world-2022
THE REAL-TIME BILLIONAIRES LIST ranknameNet Worth1Elon Musk$228.9 B2Bernard Arnault & family$145.1 B3Jeff Bezos$137.6 B4Bill Gates$126.1 BReal Time Billionaires - Forbes www.forbes.com › real-time-billionaires
Top 100 Richest People In The World
These are the top 30 richest people in the world in 2022:
Top 10 Richest People in the World
THE REAL-TIME BILLIONAIRES LIST ranknameage1Elon Musk502Bernard Arnault & family733Jeff Bezos584Bill Gates66Real Time Billionaires - Forbes www.forbes.com › real-time-billionaires
Top 25 richest Indians RankNameNet worth (USD)1Mukesh Ambani90.7 billion2Gautam Adani90.0 billion3Shiv Nadar28.7 billion4Cyrus Poonawalla24.3 billionList of Indian people by net worth - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_Indian_people_by_net_worth
Although the number of billionaires fell sharply in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it rebounded and surged in 2021. ... Hemant Singh. PersonNet worth (Billion Dollars)Company/Country1. Elon R Musk$239.3Tesla/ United States2. Bernard Arnault & family$198.6LVMH/ FranceList of 20 Richest person in the world 2022 www.jagranjosh.com › general-knowledge › General Knowledge Lists
or the second year in a row on Forbes' list of the World's Billionaires, the planet's richest woman is L'Oréal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers of France. Worth an estimated $74.8 billion, Bettencourt Meyers is an estimated $1.2 billion richer than a year ago, making her the fourteenth richest person in the world.
Who are the Top 10 richest people in the world?
Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani -- two of India's richest men.

domain: news


Rising producer Andrew Luce has made appearances on TSIS a couple times in the past for his collab with Dr Fresch and his original track “Loyalty”. Now he’s back with an impressive original track “By My Side” featuring rapper Indica.
“By My Side” is an incredibly chill track incorporating chill trap percussion with dreamy sound design that has a calming quality about it. This time he linked up with Indica who’s been putting out super catchy autotune rap in a similar vein as Travis Scott and absolutely nails the laid-back vibe on this new collaboration. Stay tuned for more from both of these talented artists and enjoy!
Andrew Luce – By My Side (Ft. Indica)
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former Atlanta United coach will be suspended from the bench for the semifinal against Haiti after he picked up his second yellow of the tournament. Under new rules introduced in 2018, coaches and
members of their staffs can be formally issued yellow or red cards instead of warnings or ejections.
Canada appeared to be in complete control of the first game, taking a 2-0 lead on goals by young star Jonathan David, who was born in Brooklyn to Haitian parents, and Lucas Cavallini, but sloppy defending allowed Haiti back in the match in the second half.
A poor backpass by Canadian defender Marcus Godinho allowed Haitian Duckens Nazon to sneak in and reduce the deficit to one goal in the 50th minute. After a Godinho foul inside the box, Herve Bazile equalized in the 70th minute, and six minutes later Haiti amazingly pulled ahead on a goal by Wilde-Donald Guerrier.
The loss is a huge setback for Canada under new coach John Herdman.
"We are all gutted," he said. "We are disappointed in that second-half performance because we gave Haiti everything that they wanted. We've got all the talent here, but at the end of the day Haiti were very direct and made it difficult for us. That was tough.
Five Haiti players came out of U.S. youth ranks: Andrew Jean Baptiste, Steeven Saba, Frantzdy Pierrot, Derrick Etienne and Zachary Herivaux. In addition, two players play for USL teams: Jems Geffrard (Fresno FC) and Bicou Bissainthe (North Texas SC).


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city architecture has become a punishment in covid19
The world is negotiating extremely troubled times. Everyone seems confused, anxious, possibly afraid, perhaps trying to make sense of the perpetual uncertainty of what has just unfolded in front of them, and even more seeing how our societal systems & city architecture are responding to it.
When I began writing the first drafts of this piece in late March, I was in home quarantine, having returned from abroad to my home town. While I was holed up in my room in self-isolation, much has changed around me. Various state governments and the Centre have announced a lockdown till early May, 2020.
The novel Coronavirus that originated last December in Wuhan, China has now spread rapidly in four months. The number of cases till date reached 4,224,721 worldwide and 69,400 cases in India). The virus has killed 285,145, globally as per world meter on coronavirus.
The World Health Organization declared it as ‘pandemic’ on March 11, 2020 on its official twitter handle.
After this, the familiar blame game started between the United States of America and the WHO about their response to this global crisis.
India seems to be slightly ahead of the curve in terms of the number of positive cases as of now given the limitations of our healthcare system. The coronavirus testing rate has been at the centre of the debate. The main opposition party, Congress, has been accusing central govt on the lax testing rate. While some states in India are the forefront in managing the situation, some others are facing unprecedented challenges.
My Quarantine Musing : Deep Dive
My personal experience being in quarantine hasn’t been exactly pleasant, even from a position of relative privilege. Although I am aware of the need for being in isolation and social distancing at this time, yet I began to realise that my mental health and well-being continually took a toll as each day passed staying isolated. I will share few notes where the architect in me attempted to theorise the situation, and how it could potentially have implications about how we conceptualise and contextualize a single space, multiple spatial configurations within the city as a whole.
How different is our ‘isolated space’ from a prison space (cell)? Why is it that one is restless even inside her/his own home when isolated? Contending that we are social beings and hence need to connect to have our mental health is frankly an oversimplification. I am not creating an unnecessary hyperbole here? We might have to go back in time to think deeper about this.
The Idea of Prison
Prisons have existed and designed by humans since Babylonian times. The Romans used prisons as a form of ‘punishment’ – in spaces such as metal cages or basement dungeons. In Europe, during the middle ages, prisons manifested themselves in fortresses and castles. For the curious readers, the book ‘Discipline and Punish’ by the famous French philosopher Michel Foucault revolutionized western thought on the role of prisons in maintaining power relations within society through dominance by the state over the body and minds of individuals.
Foucault also argued that new forms of technology of dominance emerged in Europe (and elsewhere) between the Middle Ages to modern times. While the early prisons were based upon the idea of violent retribution, the technology has since then shifted towards more silent forms of incarceration and isolation in recent times.
He also drew remarkable similarities between prison spaces, schools (especially the early schools in England built on the Lancaster model), hospitals and military spaces.
Lockdown, New Form of Incarceration
The whole idea of punishment is based upon the theory of deterrence, which is to control social behaviour through fear and change. In modern times, few changes were seen – various new forms of incarceration have emerged across the globe such as open prisons and home detentions (house arrest) that are usually used as a political tool by the state. In the above context, I have been engaged in re-imagination of the present lockdown situation as the emergence of a new form of incarceration.
A new punitive-ness seems to have emerged here, where the entire civilization and its social systems are in a voluntary ‘self-confinement’. In the absence of freedom to socialize and an uncertain future due to the pandemic, and exacerbated by an unpredictable state (kids born in the 80s and 90s will connect with this, imagine getting showered with affection and getting a couple of scolding from your parents in the same day, how unpredictable are Indian parents, that’s how the state is acting right now!), homes seem to resemble prisons (at least metaphorically).
All due to an invisible micro-organism that holds enough power and seems to be temporarily inducing governmentality within the society. There lie some important things to ponder for scholars in the future post this pandemic.
Lockdown Violations Happenings, Design or Human nature
Firstly, in a society where we have been brought up in a culture of incarceration as the ultimate punishment and shame, it is natural that we will resist it- our brains are wired to get affected by the lockdown, even if we are aware of its benefits.
Lack of awareness is not likely the only reason why we see so many images of people breaking lockdown guidelines; it may also be linked to the mental conditioning and societal structure. And here comes an important governance challenge: Beyond the middle-class fads of taalis/thalis and diyas, how long will people manage to bear the lockdown without any impact on their mental health. Unfortunately, the mental health debate in India still at a very nascent stage.
Current Architecture, Commodification or Belongingness
Secondly, architects might be interested to reimagine residential space designs as important learning from the pandemic. Residential spaces are usually perceived as spaces to relax and be calm, promoting the well-being of individuals and families. But as I mentioned before, this lockdown has shown that residential spaces in their present form of design may induce restlessness if the sense of freedom is taken away temporarily, and more importantly ‘voluntarily’.
This poses a philosophical question related to how we can design spaces where users will not only negotiate the space but also connect more with the materiality of the space to arouse a more sense of belonging with it, as opposed to commodifying it.
I wonder how we can achieve it through design: can an open lay-out solve some of our issues; or conscious choice of materials that have real tangible and intangible value to the users may spark us to appreciate the materiality of our space in our increasingly materialistic urban space.
I do not have solutions, but these are important questions that will likely help us reimagine a collective future where we can promote social and emotional well-being through conscious design solutions.
The New Normal in City Design Has to Emerge to Fight Pandemic
Of one thing I am certain, we must not return to the old normal – full of mindless material accumulation in our residences at the cost of our mental well-being; and endeavour to create a new normal through careful re-imaginations of our spaces and cities.
At the social level, we must re-think our societal structure that is currently built upon the evils of inequity, oppression, society induced guilt and shame-based punishment, that has affected our social well-being deeply. Instead, we must strive to have intellectual debates that can create new structures, new forms of knowledge and technological shifts in the way we understand crime, incarceration and isolation in our society.


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Carrer dels Almogàvers, 208
- Sustainable urban development
- Pedestrian zones or inverted priority
- Bike lane (west)
- Bike lane (east)
- Bicycle parking
- Neighborhood association and movement
- Park or public garden
The Poblenou superliga, as defined in the project "Filling the streets of life" of the city council of Barxelona, is an urban unit constituted by the sum of several islands of houses in which the streets are calmed to recover public space for the pedestrian traffic is limited, and priority is given to sustainable mobility and the shared, green and safe space. It is a long-run model that is carried out with a gradual, participatory implementation, where the neighbors of the different neighborhoods that want to intervene collaborate in defining the needs that the superilla must cover.
In September 2016, the first supercell was deployed in the district of Sant Martí, on the perimeter formed by the streets of Badajoz, Pallars, La Laguna and Tangier, on horseback between the neighborhoods of Poblenou and the Parc and La Laguna del New town.
As a result of having heard the complaints and proposals, and the work carried out within the framework of the Working Committee, the pilot test was closed. The final mobility was implemented and the actions in the public space began to adapt the model to the territory, its inhabitants and the activities carried out there. In the first phase, which extended until spring 2017, paintings, street furniture and turret trees were created to create and highlight living and living areas, specially dedicated to children and citizen interaction , in sections of street and in cruises liberated from traffic of motor vehicles.
Subsequently, from the fall of 2017, the second phase of work began, in which the urbanization of the stretch of Carrer dels Almogàvers was executed, between the streets of Roc Boronat and La Llacuna, as well as the crossroads of access to the superilla. The works of urbanization of the squares of Dolors Piera and Isabel Vila are scheduled to start in the fall of 2017, with a planned duration of two years.
Automatically translated with Google Translate API.

domain: sociology


Former Governor Edwards to speak at chamber banquet
The Iberville Chamber of Commerce will host its annual banquet on Jan. 17.
The special guest speaker will be former Governor Edwin Edwards.
The Chamber's annual event recognizes businesses and individuals who have excelled in economic, education, workforce and leadership for Iberville Parish.
For more information, go to www.ibervillechamber.com.


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Jay Mohr has filed for divorce from his wife of 10 years Nikki Cox once again, making it the couple's second time breach, TMZ reported.
The decision comes just five months after Mohr filed a dismissal from his July divorce papers to the "Unhappily Ever After, Las Vegas" actress, telling the gossip site they were still "very in love — very happy and that's really all there is."
In court documents obtained by E! News recently, Jay sited "irreconcilable differences" within the marriage, and is also requesting joint custody of the couple's five-year-old child Meredith Daniel.
Mohr initially filed for an emergency order back in July when he was said to have believed Meredith was "at risk" due to Cox's alleged drug problem. No reports suggest the second filing was in relation to similar matters.
Back in 2008, the comedian legally changed his name to Jon Ferguson Cox Mohr in union with his longtime wife, and there is no indication yet of his plans to revert back.
According to TMZ, the couple also has issued a prenup lining up both party's financial records.


The Nats now have 24 hours to place Young on the 25-man roster - which is incredibly unlikely - or the veteran right-hander will become a free agent.
Young, 33, again said that he has thoroughly enjoyed his time with the Nationals and added that his agent has had talks with the team about working out a new deal that would allow him to remain with the organization. Because the Nationals don’t currently have room for Young in their rotation, such an arrangement would likely involve another minor league contract with a new opt-out date.
The priority for Young, however, is landing a big league deal.
“We talked about maybe trying to work something out to where I can stay,” Young said. “We’re not there right now. There’s interest from other clubs and I just have to weigh all the options and see what’s best for me and my family and my career.
“I will say this: I love it here. I would love to stay. This has been a terrific spring training being around a great group of baseball people. ... There’s nothing negative to say about this place. Maybe that they have 15 pitchers deep. But aside from that, I’d like to work something out if I can be here, but I understand the circumstances. There are five great starters here and I realize there’s no spot at this point.”
Young said that he has not considered a bullpen role, and that topic hasn’t been broached with the Nationals. Over the course of his nine-year career, he’s appeared in 159 big league games. All 159 have been starts.
This spring, Young’s fastball has topped out in the low-80s, but he’s still found a way to be effective. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 12 innings and has posted a 2.25 ERA over four spring starts.
He admitted that this spring has been tough when it comes to putting the business side of things out of his mind, but he’s had his first healthy spring in years and despite his 6-foot-10 frame, has been able to repeat his mechanics.
Young politely talked for over seven minutes with reporters about his future, but he couldn’t say too much. He had yet to have full discussions with his agent, and until he gets briefed on where things stand, he isn’t sure what will happen next.
He does hope he finds out soon, though.
“I won’t sleep much if I don’t,” he said. “... I’ve been focusing on pitching. That’s my goal - getting ready for the season - and I’m happy with where I am in that regard.
“I feel like I’m a major league pitcher and I can help out a major league team, but I’d also love to help out the Washington Nationals, whenever and however that may be.”
Update: In non-Chris Young news, Craig Stammen got lit up for five runs on six hits over 1 1/3 innings, and the Nats lost to the Astros 6-4.
Newly-signed left-hander J.C. Romero made his Nats debut in the eighth inning, throwing a 1-2-3 frame with one strikeout.


A Medford teen was among a team of Boston College High School students who shared two prizes at a regional robotics competition in March.
Nicholas Memme, a BC High senior, was among the team of 14 who designed ROOK, a robot that competed in the FIRST Robotics Competition held at Boston University.
"ROOK and the boys did great." said Mark Pumphrey, a faculty adviser to the team. "The team won the award for the highest seeded rookie team and for creativity for the innovative design of the drive system."
The robot was so named because like a rook on a chess board, it can move laterally.


While it may not be a requirement to be obsessive when prototyping armour, I’d argue that it helps. “Prototyping” may be the wrong word since much of the armour I’m working on building was “perfected” hundreds of years ago, but it is definitely an iterative process.
Try a pattern and a set of techniques
learn a new technique, or modify one you have been using
realize that this changes the pattern
Update the pattern and or set of techniques
Part of doing this well (or at least not doing it badly) is recognizing when you know that you need to do multiple iterations, and determining what this specific iteration is trying to refine. I’m just about ready to finalize the gauntlet pattern that I’ve been working on for almost 20 years, so I thought that I’d share a picture of the latest few iterations
So what’s going on here? On the far left are gauntlets where I was refining the ulnar bump, along with some spare cuff plates since I realized partway in that this pattern (which I hadn’t changed for over a decade) needed to be fixed. The four gauntlets on the left are a “simplified” gothic pattern in stainless steel. These will probably be finished up and used as “loaner” gauntlets, provided as gifts or prizes, or sold.
The gauntlets in the middle (largely complete) are my experiments at the proper gothic fluting and shaping, as well as the knuckle plate design and technique refinement. These are 20 Gauge (0.040″ / 1mm) stainless steel and are reasonably serviceable, although the fluting is rougher than I would like both because I was learning a new technique and needed to figure out how much I needed to round the edges of my fluting hammer and still be able to make crisp “centers” for the chevron fluting. These are likely to be my “practice” combat gauntlets .
The remaining gauntlet pieces are carbon steel: the cuffs in the back of the picture in the middle are 20 Ga 1050, and when heat treated and tempered are likely to be fairly bulletproof. The gauntlets to the right (which are in the early stage of construction) are 22 Ga 1050 (0.032″ / 0.8mm) and are very close to medieval thickness. Assuming that I can do decent heat treatment on these this is likely to be my “production” gauntlet design, and the first two will probably be my “tournament” gauntlets both because they will be pretty, but also because they will be very close the medieval weight, and I’m hoping they will come in at under a pound, a fraction of the weight of most medieval gauntlets.
My moderately large pile of steel just arrived from Chicago (Admiral Steel). It’s amazing how little space 600 pounds of steel takes, this is a stack of 2′ x 4′ sheets of various thicknesses ranging from 14 Ga (0.80″ / 2mm) down to 22 ga (0.032″ / 0.8mm). Interestingly the (nominally) 20 Ga sheets which are supposed to be 0.040″ (1mm) thick came in at a hair over that thickness, so I have a lot of material (20 2′ x 4′ sheets) that is very close to this thickness. Fortunately, this is the range of thickness that most medieval armour sits in (breastplates, helmets and gorgets are thicker, some gauntlet components are thinner) so I anticipate that I will go through this in a year or three.
The whole stack is about 2″ thick, with the thicker material in the back since it gets used less. I’m currently working on some gauntlets, so I’ll try these in the 1 mm thickness first (so that I have material that I can lose to abrasives when I “clean up” my hammer scuffs) and I will then test the medieval thickness which is generally on the order of 0.030″ (0.75mm) and see if it makes a significant difference in how it moves – gauntlets made of 16 Ga (1.5mm) material are very “clunky” because the plates are thick enough that the “stepping” for articulations is noticable: this is mostly alleviated in 20 Ga material (1mm) but may be even better with the “correct” thickness used.
I’ve been refining my gothic gauntlet pattern, and I’m coming down the home stretch on the current pair, with most of the fluting done. It’s time to start cleaning up the pieces, polishing and assembling. Here is how the pieces are coming together (bolted together) before any sanding or polishing.
The cuff is fairly rough. I have since modified the hammer, since the “corners” are what was causing the scarring that can be seen, so the “wrapper” is a lot cleaner. The alignment of the cuff and wrapper worked fairly well: note that this is the other cuff and wrapper – before hemming the edges:
I probably need to tighten the fluting, since the wrapper has minimal space for an edge roll on the leading edge – tightening the spacing up by 1/16″ (from 3/8″ to 5/16″) will clear me an additional 1/4″ on the cuff edge, which is coincidentally the amount of material I need for a tight roll.
It’s interesting how rapidly you learn to flute: the gauntlet pictured here was my second attempt at close laid flutes. My 6th piece (in carbon steel) will have no scarring that won’t sand out, and I could probably go directly to polish and not have it look too bad – and probably better than any armour I made in my first 5 years!
Updates and instructions (including final pattern layouts) to follow soon(ish)
My wife thinks that I have too many hammers, since the last time we moved she counted over 50 – and I didn’t mention the dozen that were at a friends’ house…
Here are a few of the hammers in my shop – one of the boxes (not sacks) of hammers that I filled while cleaning up my shop. My currently most used hammers are a modified 8 oz ball pien, a couple of autobody planishing hammers, and a peddinghaus that I am using a lot for fluting right now. The pedinghause hammers and one of the autobody hammers can be seen in the middle of the photo above (click on it to get a full sized pic) – they were all on my “finishing” bench while I was doing the shop clean up so the went in last.
I’ll have to post a follow up showing a few of the specialty hammers that I use on a regular basis, and why I use these in preference to other options. It will also help explain why I have so many hammers, and which ones I have multiples of so that I can keep one at each of several stations like the aformentioned 8 oz ballpien, which is an excellent “tight areas” hammer as well as being my most useful riveting hammer.
There is a common misconception that once you hit a certain level of ability, it’s suddenly easy to make patterns for armour. Another common misconception is that once you have the pattern for a piece of armour it’s easy to make that piece. Neither of these is true, and in one way I am fortunate that when I was learning to build armour there weren’t any armourers in the area that I could get patterns from.
I’ll take these in reverse order. To build armour from a pattern, you need the pattern and the methodology used to build armour. In the early days or armour reproduction when the techniques were simple, it was reasonable to be able to take anyone’s pattern and be able to build their armour. As more advanced techniques developed, it started to be important to know how the armour was built. The pattern for a raised sallet is generally some variation on a circle – a milanese sallet will be close to a circle, while a gothic sallet with a tail will be a teardrop. The reason that I don’t generally provide armour patterns is because without having a set of instructions, they are really a bit of an exercise in frustration. That said, I’m workng on providing patterns and instruction sets so that it is possible for people to learn from my numerous mistakes and save a considerable amount of time (years) from their development as a plattner.
Here are some pictures of the last 3 sallets I have built, as I have been working on a 2-piece sallet pattern for a number of years:
The knuckle plate is a fairly complex piece, and it took me a number of tries to figure out a simple way of making these using the tools that I built for making the finger gadlings. The base pattern for this is a rectangular strip of steel 1 1/4″ in width roughly 6″ wide (38mm x 150mm) Mark the center line, and 2 lines on each side 1 1/8″ to either side, these delineate the outer edges of the knuckles. Mark the center of these since this is where they will be domed. I use a lead block for most of the shaping, but pewter or firm clay will also work, although the clay will not provide as clean an impression.
The “pattern” for the knuckle plate is a rectangle 1 1/4″ wide by 6″ (or a bit more) long. This will be trimmed later, so the length isn’t terribly important. the 1 1/4″ width is slightly wider than it needs to be, but it’s easier to grind down a bit of extra material than to have to make a new plate if your punch locations aren’t perfect. Mark the middle of the sheet and mark at 1 1/8″ intervals from this centerline. If your hands are large, you will need to increase this spacing, if they are small you can decrease it. this will give you 4 “squares”, and if you put a mark in the middle of each one you can use this to line it up on your dapping block. Below are a couple of pictures, one of the “marked” knuckle plate aligned on the striking block, the second showing the lines I used to align the punch depression. The hammer I use is a 24 oz ball pien, and it has an almost spherical “ball” which is why I chose it for this forming.
Once I have set the hammer I strike the ball pien hammer with an 8 lb (4kg) sledge hammer with a cut down handle to allow it to be swung with a single hand. Because the “alignment” punches are fairly “light” and relatively shallow (about 1/8″ deep) and supported by the rest of the lead block they leave the rest of the plate flat, and ready for the major forming operations to follow. The following pictures show the first punch, and the series of 4 demonstrating that the plate is still flat following the alignment punches.
Metal is generally pretty forgiving, and there is a lot of shape that you can give using hammers and other such tools. Unfortunately you can push it too far, as I periodically discover. Here is an example of an ulnar bump on a gauntlet. This is a pivot plate that fits on the wrist – the pyramid covers the “bump” on your wrist so that it isn’t in contact if the gauntlet is hit.
This is what happens when you exceed the ability of the metal to conform – these photos show a fracture (some would call this a tear) and this is what happens when your material work hardens and then you put a lot of force on it. In this case, hammering a pyramidal stake into a lead block with an 8 lb (4kg) sledge hammer. This is simple enough to avoid by annealing – but a full anneal would require a lot of time in a forge or kiln. An easier alternative is to stress relieve the material, heating it to a bright orange and then letting it air cool. This can be done with a propane torch and will work for most materials, but carbon steels can be a bit finicky so for carbon steels I tend to actually anneal them. For mild and stainless steel, heating to orange works fine, and lets you get on with your forming. In this case, I simply heated the intermediate stage, where I formed the “bump” with 3 progressively smaller dapping punches, one on top of the other and then heated this to orange.
As you can see, forming the pyramid after stress relieving worked perfectly well. So why wouldn’t you stress relieve as a matter of course? This takes time, and a fair amount of the time I can actually get away without needing to do any stress relief of pieces. When you stress relieve, you are eliminating any work hardening of the piece, and in the case of some pieces (such as knuckle gadlings) you actually want these as hard as possible since in any condition where they can fail (such as being struck when braced against something) you would generally prefer them to have as much strength before failing than having them yield (deform).
Stress relieving also takes time, and while it isn’t a lot of time, when making a lot of pieces (like the aforementioned gadlings) an extra few minutes per piece adds up: I need 16 finger gadlings for a pair of gauntlets which I generally don’t stress relieve. I also need 2 thumb gadlings, which I always stress relieve because these have a lot of depth to them.
This is one of the “simple” tools that I have made and kicked myself afterwards. It took less than 30 minutes to make, and saves me about 5-10 minutes per hinge!
For background I’ve been making a fair number of hinges lately, and I realized that it would be useful if I could put together a tool to “set” the curve of a hinge, rather than working to hammer the metal repeatedly onto the pin to make it conform nicely. When thinking about this I realized that the solution would be similar to a rivet set, but instead of a dome, as used in a rivet set, I needed a “gutter”. The easiest gutter I could think of was to drill through a chunk of steel and then cut through it. Instead of spending lots of time analyzing (my normal modus operandi) I decided to try it, and then adjust if it didn’t work. My first pass Worked remarkably well, taking a significant bite out of my hinge build times, and making it easy tobuild a nice clean hinge knuckle. Before I get into the details (and pictures) I figured I’d provide a nice table outlining the size of drill you will need to get appropriate clearance for a 1/8″ pin:
Sizing to accommodate a 1/8″ Hinge pin
Max Hinge thickness
The table is a fancy way of taking the difference between your hinge pin size and the drill bit size and divide by 2. You will note that I included some “silly” sizes, since for armour there is no point making a “hinge set” on metal significantly thinner than 1/32″ / 22 ga (3/16″ for a 1/8″ hinge pin). In general I make my hinges with material ranging from 0.5 to 1mm (24 Ga to 20 Ga) so I decided to make this tool with a 7/32″ hole.
In reviewing the stuff on the site, I realized that I’m a bit short on a number of the “foundational” techniques. I’m unlikely to add content on welding, since there are a million people who are better at it than I am, but there aren’t a lot of articles out there on riveting – perhaps in large part because everyone welds stuff these days…
I though that it would be useful to provide a quick guide to riveting so that I could just reference this in construction articles and say “use a countersunk leather rivet – here’s a link if you don’t know how to do this” instead of spending a lot of time duplicating material with minor variations across multiple articles. This also gives me a single place to update if I realize that there is another type of rivet that I should add.
Types of Rivets
In general there are 5 basic classes of rivets: these are used to solidly fix plates, allow plates to pivot, or allow plates to move on multiple dimensions. I’ve broken these out from least to most movement:
Note that the last class (Leather Rivets) is really a hard rivet connecting a metal plate to leather: I have made it a separate class here since the type of rivet used is generally different than that used on metal to metal connections since leather is much easier to tear, and there some considerations that need to be kept in mind which are not relevant to metal to metal connections.


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Nintendo has announced that two of its mobile games will no longer be available in Belgium in compliance with their new ban on loot boxes in games. Beginning on August 27th, both Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will no longer be offered in Belgium. This results from both games allowing players to purchase packs that provide randomized assortments of items and/or characters.
Back in 2018, the Belgium Gambling Commission that the act of selling randomized in-game items for real-world currency as illegal. Because of this, Nintendo, along with other developers like Valve and Blizzard, have begun removing games that have loot box mechanics from storefronts in Belgium. The company has also stated that any future games that are similarly monetized will not be offered in the country.
According to Eurogamer, it is currently “unclear” as to why Nintendo has waited until now to remove its mobile games. They also stated that the Netherlands implemented similar loot box regulations, and yet Nintendo currently still offers both titles there.
How do you feel about Nintendo removing some mobile games from Belgium? Are loot boxes gambling? Let us know in the comments below! For more News, check out our articles on PS5 May Launch Later Than Expected As PS4 Will Remain Sony’s Lead Console For A Few Years More and Minecraft Earth Announced for IOS and Android Devices. Otherwise, keep it on Culture of Gaming for all things gaming!

domain: entertainment


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Burna Boy Releases New Single In Memory Of All Victims Of The #Lekki Massacre
Popular Nigerian Afro beat star, Burna Boy has released a new single in honor of the lives lost at the Lekki Toll-Gate shooting.
The song titled “20 10 20” comes after lives of unarmed and peaceful protesters were lost after soldiers rained bullets on them.
20th October, 2020 was and will be a day to remember for all of Nigeria.
The Self acclaimed African giant took to twitter to announce the release of the song titled, “20 10 20”

domain: artistic


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Pros: Characters well-crafted, good use of pacing
Cons: Can get a little technical in places
From the back of the book:
We survived the zombie apocalypse, but how many of us are still haunted by that terrible time? We have (temporarily?) defeated the living dead, but at what cost? Told in the haunting and riveting voices of the men and women who witnessed the horror firsthand, World War Z is the only record of the plague years.
One of the first things that struck me about this book was the way the author chose to handle the plot. Instead of a linear plot focusing on one character’s journey, we instead have a collection of viewpoints that through their observations paint a picture of the overall plot of what is happening in the world at that time. This isn’t an easy format to follow without losing the thread of the narrative, but Brooks gets around that quite handily by paring down each character’s contribution so that the details provided are details that advance the story.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the characters are mere plot devices to forward the overall story. Instead, when a military perspective is needed, we hear from a general or a foot soldier. Other times we see doctors, pilots, and even a young child who was four years old when the zombies attacked her town. That was one of the most memorable vignettes for me, seeing other people’s terror through the eyes of one so young she doesn’t know why she should be afraid.
Another thing that is impressive is the range of characters. Over forty appear in the novel, each with their own set of experiences and their own perspective on the war. Despite all of the variety, I felt as if there was an element of each story that I could connect to, whether it was a feeling of hope, of fear, or even of desperation in the face of destruction. Brooks doesn’t paint idealistic heroes, he paints people trying to survive, trying to help others, trying to retain their humanity in the face of something completely inhuman.
Which brings me to another important element: the zombies. I spent a while trying to pin down exactly what it was that creeped me out so badly. (I spent the night before listening for the sounds of moaning and shuffling outside my window). What I finally realized was that I couldn’t understand them. We aren’t told the mechanics of how the virus spreads, only that it is transmitted through bites. We also aren’t given any understanding of why they behave the way that they do, why they swarm, why they are so strong, or why they are able to move along the ocean floor well beyond the human crush depth. The characters don’t know, and so neither do we. Uncertainty is a large part of fear.
The only thing that broke the flow of the story occurred during some of the military oriented stories. A lot of abbreviations and slang were used, and every once in a while I would have to backtrack among the text looking for the meaning of the abbreviation I had just encountered. A little nitpicky, but it did slow down reading.
The more I read, the more I started wondering, “What would I do? How would I feel?” It made it so easy to relate to these characters, struggling for their very survival. I became involved with the book on a personal level that not many stories engage me at. Even after the book was done, I kept wondering what I would do, how I would handle situations. Or would I just give up? This book hasn’t just made me think, it’s made me think about myself, something books don’t often do.

domain: library


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||DLR Jet-REMPI as a Continuous Emissions Monitor: Measurements of Chlorinated Dibenzodioxins.
Oser, H. ;
Thanner, R. ;
Grotheer, H. H. ;
Gullett, B. K. ;
French, N. B. ;
||Acurex Environmental Corp., Research Triangle Park, NC. ;Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Stuttgart (Germany, F.R.). Inst. of Physical Chemistry of Combustion. ;Sky (Plus), Oakland, CA.;Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC. Air Pollution Prevention and Control Div.
Air pollution monitors ;
Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins ;
Chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons ;
Combustion products ;
Air pollution sampling ;
Flue gases ;
Vapor phases ;
Mass spectroscopy ;
Test methods ;
Continuous sampling ;
Combustion kinetics ;
Polychlorinated dibenzofurans ;
REMPI(Resonance Enhanced Multi-Photon Ionization)
||Some EPA libraries have a fiche copy filed under the call number shown.
REMPI (Resonance Enhanced Multi-Photon Ionization) mass spectrometer systems are known for high selectivity, good on-line capabilities, and sensitivities to about 1 ppbv. In this paper, the authors present new data showing DLR Jet -RMPI measurements of tri- and tetra-chlorinated dibenzodioxins. The authors believe these are the first data of their kind, and note their significance in demonstrating that single-color (1 wavelength) Jet-REMPI can measure PCDD congeners at this level of chlorination. The current instrument sensitivity is in the low (60) pptv region, and further work will focus on improving sensitivity by at least 1 or 2 orders of magnitude.

domain: chemistry


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I grew up in the midwest and have moved a lot. I am willing to try new things. I never saw myself being a parent, but now that I am parenting enhances my life which she is a huge part of.
I am looking for someone who is no drama and wants someone to share their daily life with. So easy going with new experiences.


You have replaced the DPFE with a Ford one? Aftermarket ones are not so great at this... Have you replaced the EGR valve or just try to "clean" it?
P0401 - EGR Flow Insufficient Detected
The EGR system is monitored during steady state driving conditions while the EGR is commanded on. The test fails when the signal from the DPF EGR sensor indicates that EGR flow is less than the desired minimum.
EGR valve stuck closed
EGR valve leaks vacuum
EGR flow path restricted
EGRVR circuit shorted to PWR
VREF open to D.P.F. EGR sensor
D.P.F. EGR sensor downstream hose off or plugged
EGRVR circuit open to PCM
VPWR open to EGRVR solenoid
D.P.F. EGR sensor hoses both off
D.P.F. EGR sensor hoses reversed
Damaged EGR orifice tube
Damaged EGRVR solenoid
Perform KOER self-test and look for DTC P1408 as an indication of a hard fault. If P1408 is not present, look for contamination, restrictions, leaks, and intermittents.
Define "Crap" If you have crap that go in there then you have larger issues then just EGR codes. The EGR is a quasi closed system. It only routes a small portion of pre CAT exhaust into the intake after the TB. Any "Crap" would also be coating your catalytic converter and plugging the honeycomb or building up over time a thicker and thicker layer on the exhaust manifold.
2001 ZX3 Zetec - Rebuild "The TICK" (
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
2004 ZX5 SVT - Restoration "Code Name Rocket" (http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=722698&referrerid=62897)


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Early man thought that, when volcanoes erupted, the gods were angry. These days, it is homeowners who are angry when they discover that their insurance doesn’t cover “acts of god”.
Buried by ash in 79AD, preserving the inhabitants in whatever they were doing at the time. In many cases this was running Hades for leather shouting: “I told you it was going to blow” in Latin.
What most Pompeiians were when Vesuvius erupted.
What they quickly became.
But not quickly enough.
Person who packed the valuables of people who left in time.
The more athletic of those running away did this.
The Welsh eat hot rock as bread.
Pressure group trying to ban volcanoes.
Member of the kamikaze wing of the geological profession
What people on the slopes of Mount Etna mutter when it rumbles. Generally followed by “Mia!”.
Worrying about when your house is going to be flattened by flying rock can bring you out in spots.
Volcano on Mars. It is curious that we should know what it is called, but there you are.
Latin for “I knew it would blow!”
Javanese for “Yes, but I didn’t think it would be THAT big!”
Sicilian for “Oo-er…”
Small rodents found on the slopes of volcanoes. When they harden they can be used in the bath to rub ash off the skin.
Devastation. Next time you’ll read the insurance policy small print.

domain: geography


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So It’s Thanksgiving 2014, grand meals are being prepared, baked and sauteed. Appetizers, wine and fires are at full blast and families are sharing why they are thankful. In tradition, here is what I’ve been thankful for the past year.
This year i’m thankful for being alive. I’m thankful for the four cardiac catheters that enabled heart surgeons to insert three stents in my chest and sending me home without pain medication. I guess I’m thankful for no one buying any of the books I’ve authored, you saved me from the crush of fame, money and paparazzi. I’m thankful for GERD and heartburn medication, for it helps me sleep. I’m thankful for shoe inserts to help with plantar fasciitis. I’m thankful for cheap eyeglasses, for they help me see. I’m thankful for an incompetent pharmacy system at my hospital, for they keep the blood pumping throughout my veins. I’m thankful for an eight year old computer, for it’s slowness, bugginess helps with my patience.
I’m also thankful for a wonderful boyfriend, who loves me just as I am-a neurotic mess, even enough to propose this year. I’m thankful for his sticking through the wide and varied health issues-from hearing loss, weight issues, colonoscopies and seizures. Standing by my side in the fight against the apartment manager, for indulging my flavored peppers for my failed cooking series.
I’m thankful for the unconditional love of my cats, (the rotten little shits) who have been with me for ten years of vomiting, pooping all over the apartment and meowling at all hours of the night. I’m thankful for my online friends, who have read about my life, read my blog posts, liked status updates and business pages.
Finally, i’m thankful for wine and hard liquor. Without you, life would be more stressful.

domain: literature


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This is so exciting for me! Never did I think that I would have a website featuring my photography!!! Well... welcome!
My name is Savoy and I am 20 year old photographer living in Lake Forest, California. I won't go on too much about myself because there is a whole page dedicated to that (go check it out)! I have created this website to showcase all of my favorite sessions and other helpful information!
On this 'What's Happening' page, I will be posting a ton of session work and updates! If you would like to receive emails on when I post, be sure to leave it in the comments below!


RICHMOND, Va. — The crisis gripping Virginia’s government spilled into the legislative branch Monday when a rift emerged between African-American lawmakers and a white state legislator attempting to begin impeachment proceedings against Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who is facing demands he resign over two accusations of sexual assault.
Shortly after a second woman emerged Friday night to claim she had been raped by Mr. Fairfax, who is the highest ranking black official in the state government, Delegate Patrick A. Hope, a northern Virginia Democrat, said that he would file legislation to impeach the lieutenant governor if he did not resign by Monday. And on Sunday, with Mr. Fairfax refusing to quit, Mr. Hope circulated a resolution that would have directed a House committee to determine whether allegations of sexual assault against Mr. Fairfax by two women, Meredith Watson and Vanessa C. Tyson, were grounds for impeachment.
But on Monday, Mr. Hope backed off after black lawmakers demanded on a conference call of House Democrats that there not be a rush to oust Mr. Fairfax at a moment when the state’s white governor and attorney general are refusing to resign after they admitted wearing blackface in their youth.
“Sometimes we have disagreements in the family, but we always are close-knit and we always come together,” Mr. Hope said, acknowledging he was pressured to abort his effort to impeach Mr. Fairfax. “Everyone wants the same outcome here.”
As the scandal engulfing Virginia’s three state elected officials entered its second week, it was clear that Mr. Fairfax, who denies both allegations, is in the gravest jeopardy. Four of his employees — two in his state office and two of his political aides — have quit, and he rushed out of the Capitol here with state police Monday at the end of the State Senate’s session to avoid answering questions about the resignations.
In an interview, Mr. Hope called for “a public hearing and a Virginia investigation” into Mr. Fairfax.
But his colleagues in the legislative black caucus, who have been agonizing over what to do about all three of the state’s executives since racist images from Gov. Ralph Northam’s medical school yearbook surfaced on Feb. 1, believe the claims against Mr. Fairfax should be litigated in a legal setting.
Delegate Lamont Bagby, the chairman of the black caucus, said Monday that it was important for Democrats to find “the proper avenue” to investigate the claims against Mr. Fairfax, and he made clear he did not think that was in the state Legislature.
“I think that’s what the accusers want, and the accused wants,” said Mr. Bagby, adding, “I think that’s what everyone needs, that’s what the commonwealth deserves and that’s what the accusers deserve.”
And Delegate Charniele L. Herring, who is the chairwoman of the House Democratic Caucus and a former state party chairwoman, said she did not want any legislative inquiry to have an effect on a potential criminal investigation.
“I’m concerned about how it could impact a prosecution,” Ms. Herring said.
Yet the lawyer for Ms. Watson, who claims Mr. Fairfax raped her in 2000 while they were students at Duke University, indicated otherwise and ratcheted up the pressure on the state’s lawmakers to open an inquiry into the lieutenant governor.
“Meredith Watson asks the Virginia Legislature to hold hearings, regardless of what they are called, and to reject a secret and delayed proceeding,” said Nancy Erika Smith, the lawyer. “Both victims of his sexual assault have agreed to testify and they will produce witnesses and documents to show their honesty and good character. Please do not allow these women to be further victimized by delay and defamation.”
The tensions among Democrats here reached a simmer late Sunday night when the party’s House caucus dialed into a conference call.
One after another, a handful of black lawmakers spoke up to express their anger at Mr. Hope over what they see as his haste and making an already excruciating dilemma even more painful by trying to force them to take a public position on impeachment this week, according to three Virginia Democrats directly familiar with the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss party matters.
“Due process is important, which is exactly why I have called for resignation so Justin can take the time to do that versus the impeachment,” Delegate Lashrecse Aird, who was one of the lawmakers urging Mr. Hope to slow his push to impeachment, said in an interview Monday.
The black caucus has collectively called on Mr. Fairfax to resign. But there were unmistakable differences across racial lines in how the legislators viewed the matter.
“I believe both of these women,” Mr. Hope said of Mr. Fairfax’s accusers.
But some of the African-American lawmakers would not go that far: “I’m sensitive to anyone who has publicly had the bravery to come forward with these type of allegations,” Ms. Aird said.
Making an already delicate moment that much more awkward, a major tax measure working its way through the Legislature would not make a credit refundable for low-income Virginians. This prompted black caucus members to take to the floor Monday to denounce what one called “a bad deal” for black families in Virginia.
The state Capitol was still filled with local and out-of-town cameras and the building was a hive of activity as lawmakers sought to continue with the business of their legislative session.
[Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping American politics with our newsletter.]
When Mr. Fairfax arrived in the morning he simply repeated that he had “called for an independent investigation,” adding that he was “still very confident in the truth.”
But the lieutenant governor, who last week dismissed the first allegation against him as a “smear,” said in an interview published Monday that he wanted Americans to know him as someone who had “stood up for women and survivors to be heard.”
“They should be heard in every case,” he told The Root, a news website aimed at black readers, adding that it should not come at the expense of due process for the accused.
“I believe that what is happening now should be a model going forward in how we deal with survivors and their stories,” he said.B:
九龙图118红姐图库【一】【步】【上】【前】，【一】【把】【薅】【住】【风】【铃】【铛】【的】【手】。【其】【手】【法】【快】【如】【闪】【电】，【令】【风】【铃】【铛】【躲】【避】【不】【及】。 【风】【铃】【铛】【本】【也】【没】【打】【算】【躲】，【毕】【竟】【理】【亏】【呀】。【她】【心】【里】【就】【抱】【一】【个】【态】【度】，【玩】【就】【玩】，【不】【玩】【拉】【倒】，【大】【不】【了】【还】【你】【就】【是】，【丝】【毫】【不】【觉】【得】【这】【有】【什】【么】【不】【对】。 【一】【发】【愣】【间】，【那】【人】【一】【把】【攥】【住】【她】【的】【双】【臂】。 【你】【别】【看】【她】【风】【铃】【铛】【平】【时】【里】【风】【风】【火】【火】【大】【大】【咧】【咧】【地】【好】【像】【对】【男】【人】【不】【怕】【不】【怕】
【这】【会】【儿】，【凤】【鸣】【萧】【下】【了】【车】，【三】【两】【步】【走】【过】【去】，【一】【把】【扯】【了】【她】【的】【手】【腕】，【轻】【轻】【一】【带】，【将】【她】【拉】【进】【怀】【里】，【微】【微】【低】【头】，【一】【个】【吻】【落】【了】【下】【来】。 【闪】【光】【灯】【不】【断】，【各】【大】【记】【者】【激】【动】【的】【连】【连】【拍】【照】，【还】【有】【直】【播】【也】【立】【马】【上】【了】【电】【视】。 【此】【时】【在】【他】【们】【俩】【个】【的】【眼】【里】【只】【有】【彼】【此】，【凤】【鸣】【萧】【抱】【着】【江】【灿】【灿】，【在】【她】【的】【耳】【边】【说】：“【我】【不】【管】【以】【前】【的】【事】【怎】【么】【样】，【也】【不】【管】【未】【来】【会】【怎】【么】
【去】【年】【战】，【桑】【干】【源】，【今】【年】【战】，【葱】【河】【道】。【洗】【兵】【条】【支】【海】【上】【波】，【放】【马】【天】【山】【雪】【中】【草】。 【万】【里】【长】【征】【战】，【三】【军】【尽】【衰】【老】。【匈】【奴】【以】【杀】【戮】【为】【耕】【作】，【古】【来】【唯】【见】【白】【骨】【黄】【沙】【田】。 【秦】【家】【筑】【城】【避】【胡】【处】，【汉】【家】【还】【有】【烽】【火】【燃】。【烽】【火】【燃】【不】【息】，【征】【战】【无】【已】【时】。【野】【战】【格】【斗】【死】，【败】【马】【号】【鸣】【向】【天】【悲】。 【边】【塞】，【雁】【门】【关】。 “【鱼】【将】【军】，【你】【下】【一】【步】【如】【何】【打】【算】？【厄】【奴】【多】
【结】【局】【感】【言】 【嗯】，【诸】【神】【完】【本】【了】。 【可】【能】【大】【家】【会】【不】【满】【意】，【原】【辰】【飞】【竟】【然】【没】【有】【成】【就】【至】【高】，【但】【这】【的】【确】【就】【是】【我】【当】【初】【创】【作】【这】【本】【书】【时】【的】【想】【法】。 【人】【生】【在】【世】，【哪】【来】【这】【么】【多】【至】【高】【可】【言】？ 【重】【要】【的】【是】【我】【们】【一】【直】【在】【追】【求】，【一】【直】【不】【停】【止】【在】【追】【求】【的】【路】【上】。 【只】【要】【活】【着】，【只】【要】【有】【希】【望】，【只】【要】【还】【在】【努】【力】，【那】【就】【无】【愧】【此】【生】。 【这】【是】【我】【想】【说】【的】。 九龙图118红姐图库【一】【个】【优】【秀】【的】【人】【到】【底】【能】【为】【了】【自】【己】【的】【工】【作】【拼】【到】【什】【么】【地】【步】【呢】？【博】【文】【以】【前】【一】【直】【认】【为】【自】【己】【已】【经】【够】【优】【秀】【了】，【每】【天】【的】【工】【作】【时】【间】【在】12【个】【小】【时】【以】【上】。【然】【而】【在】【看】【到】【邱】【伟】【之】【后】，【博】【文】【终】【于】【意】【识】【到】，【像】【是】【巅】【峰】【时】【期】【的】【刘】【德】【华】、【马】【云】、【比】【尔】【盖】【茨】【那】【样】【工】【作】【状】【态】【的】【人】【是】【真】【的】【存】【在】【的】，【每】【天】【工】【作】【二】【十】【个】【小】【时】【左】【右】，【只】【有】【四】【个】【小】【时】【不】【到】【用】【来】【保】【持】【维】【生】【级】【别】【的】
【且】【说】【玄】【极】【于】【大】【殿】【之】【上】【驳】【斥】【佛】【法】，【大】【德】【又】【寻】【道】【家】【破】【绽】，【一】【番】【辩】【驳】，【让】【人】【难】【分】【孰】【强】【孰】【弱】，【遂】【准】【备】【行】【外】【道】【斗】【法】【之】【事】，【以】【分】【高】【低】【时】【候】【胜】【负】。 【所】【谓】【斗】【法】，【可】【不】【单】【单】【是】【打】【打】【杀】【杀】，【还】【包】【括】【斗】【转】【星】【移】、【呼】【风】【唤】【雨】、【鞭】【山】【移】【石】，【火】【中】【种】【莲】、【坐】【忘】【禅】【定】……【种】【种】【神】【通】【道】【术】【的】【比】【试】。 【而】【此】【时】【乾】【帝】【与】【众】【臣】【来】【到】【午】【门】，【众】【臣】【分】【两】【边】【站】【定】，【乾】
“【先】【生】，【有】【人】【正】【在】【试】【图】【破】【解】【我】。” 【七】【月】【的】【话】【让】【李】【维】【大】【吃】【一】【惊】。 “【知】【道】【是】【谁】【么】？” “【还】【没】【有】【追】【查】【到】【具】【体】【位】【置】，【现】【在】【可】【以】【确】【定】【在】【纽】【约】。” “【启】【程】【去】【纽】【约】。” “【好】【的】【先】【生】。” ***【号】【向】【纽】【约】【飞】【行】，【李】【维】【则】【是】【直】【接】【开】【门】【回】【到】【城】【堡】。 【试】【图】【破】【解】【七】【月】……【能】【让】【七】【月】【提】【醒】【自】【己】，【怕】【是】【水】【平】【很】【不】【一】【般】。【有】


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Two years after Angels of Light’s debut, Michael Gira and his new group returned with How I Loved You, a collection of love songs — yes, love songs — that began as sketches for voice and guitar and gradually developed into the huge, full-ensemble pieces that they are. (Some songs, like “My Suicide,” mimic that process of becoming in their arrangements, beginning as skeletal, unadorned meditations and gradually growing into full-band rave-ups.) What felt shaky on the Angels’ debut is here swollen; what felt spindly is sleeker, sturdier, brimming with power and heartbroken pathos. Much of that surely has to do with the solidifying dynamics of the group, which again features Christoph Hahn, Larry Mullins, Thor Harris and Birgit-Cassis Staudt; “Our combined sensibilities feel very natural at this point,” said Gira at the time, “which I guess comes from having played most of the songs live a lot.” Bassist Dana Schechter, a member of the Angels’ touring lineup at the time, also appears on the record; a more surprising addition is Kid Congo Powers (of the Gun Club, the Cramps, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), who plays electric guitar on “My True Body” and “New York Girls.” If there’s any single player who stands out, however, it’s Hahn, whose lap steel guitar extends throughout the album like a glowing filament.
By Philip Sherburne on 11.28.12 in Icons
When Swans released their album The Seer in 2012, it was cause for celebration on several counts. For one thing, no one had ever expected them to return after they disbanded in 1997, so their comeback two years prior was...
By Wondering Sound Staff on 12.22.14 in Galleries
Wondering Sound's staff picks the year's best albums.
By Andrew Parks on 11.11.14 in News
Believe it or not, Swans just sparked the sixth leg of their worldwide To Be Kind tour, and they're showing no signs of slowing down in 2015. As reported in a press release earlier today, Michael Gira's merry madmen just...
By Andrew Parks on 09.17.14 in News
As TV on the Radio get set to release their first album in four years on November 18, co-founder/producer Dave Sitek has revealed his latest business venture. Much like his Federal Prism label, the ACME Creative Group is...


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Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Monitoring: The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that Israeli soldiers shot 16-year-old Omar Abu Bakr in the chest after storming the village of Yabad near Jenin on Wednesday.
The ministry also noted that 24-year-old Abdul Nasser Mustafa Riyahi succumbed to his wounds after he was shot by Israeli forces during a raid on the Balata refugee camp, east of the city of Nablus.
Palestine’s official WAFA news agency also reported that clashes erupted after Israeli forces broke into the camp and surrounded a house.
“Confrontations broke out during which the soldiers opened live fire at the Palestinians injuring four. One of them later died of his wounds,” the news agency said.
Earlier in the day, the health ministry said Israeli forces had killed two Palestinians during clashes in the villages of Tamun and the nearby Al-Fara’a refugee in the northern part of the West Bank.
The victims were identified as 16-year-old Abdul Rahman Imad Khaled Bani Odeh and 23-year-old Moath Ibrahim Zahran.
Israeli forces also raided the Dheisheh refugee camp, located just south of Bethlehem, wounding three Palestinians, one of them critically, the ministry said in a separate statement.
Israel has intensified its attacks against Palestinians throughout the West Bank since October 7, when it launched a devastating war on the besieged Gaza Strip.
At least 262 Palestinians have been killed and thousands more injured by Israeli troops in the West Bank since the Gaza war erupted, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry figures.
In Gaza, at least 16,248 Palestinians, including 7,112 children and 4,885 women, have been killed and approximately 1.9 million others displaced so far./Press tv


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Dr. Nicholas Leadbeater, University of Connecticut - Biodiesel Production
Albany, NY – In today's Academic Minute, Dr. Nicholas Leadbeater of the University of Connecticut discusses how easily biodiesel fuels can be refined from food industry waste.
Nicholas Leadbeater is an associate professor of organic and inorganic chemistry at the University of Connecticut, where he heads the New Synthetic Methods Group. Leadbeater and the NSMG research cleaner and more efficient methods for creating synthetic materials. Dr. Leadbeater holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, where he was a research fellow until 1999.
Dr. Nicholas Leadbeater - Biodiesel Production
People are looking for more environmentally friendly fuels to replace those originating from crude oil. If they could be cheaper too then that would be an additional bonus.
One such fuel that has attracted attention is biodiesel. You can use biodiesel in your regular diesel car with little or no modification required. It can also be used as heating oil. Biodiesel is made in a very simple chemical reaction called a transesterification. The starting materials are usually vegetable oil and methanol. A little bit of acid or base is added as a catalyst to make the reaction go. Along with the biodiesel, glycerin is formed as a byproduct and this can be used for other applications.
The fact that vegetable oil is often used as a starting material can be problematic since it directly competes with a feedstock also used for food. However, used vegetable oil can also be converted to biodiesel. That means that you could go to your local restaurant and use their old frying oil to make biodiesel. In collaboration with a company in North Carolina, my research group has done just this, using a microwave oven to speed up the reaction. We could make a lot of biodiesel in a short time. We gave it to our co-workers who used it in their off-road vehicles. Their only complaint was that when it was consumed in engines, the exhaust smelled of French fries and made them hungry.


New Turcot headaches – work at 56% complete
New Turcot headaches – With the announcement of work on the new Turcot interchange now 56% complete, also came a confirmation that the new configuration will not be able to handle any more traffic than the previous tangled mess. In fact, according to Quebec Transport Minister Andre Fortin, it will have the same number of lanes on its ramps – maybe even fewer.
“In terms of widening highways, we can’t just look at highways to fix our mobility issues. We need to look at urban transit, active transportation,” said the Minister in a CTV news report.
Last Monday November 20th, Mayor Valérie Plante was on hand for a ceremony marking the new section of Hwy 20, part of the Turcot reconfiguration. She was pleased at the progress, but no mention was made about the volume of traffic the Turcot will (or will not) be able to accommodate when it is completed in 2020. Nonetheless, there is not much for her to say, as construction of the new interchange is under provincial jurisdiction and well underway, making it highly unlikely for any changes to take place.
But Mayor Plante did bring up the subject of ‘Dalle Park’ again, a pedestrian/bicycle/greenspace’ overpass linking NDG to LaSalle. It was in the original Turcot plans but somehow quietly disappeared until several environmental groups and cycling activists took notice and cried out.
Plante, an avid cyclist herself, had discussed reviving the project with Minister Fortin, who said he was open to discussing it further. He was not able to say why it was left out, but they agreed to a ‘consultation process’ with advocates of the original project. The area where it was supposed to be built is still available but even if the project gets the go ahead, Fortin said it would probably not be constructed until after the Turcot is finished – yet Plante is still determined to make it happen and believes it can be done in conjunction with the project’s completion.
The interchange was built in 1967 and originally designed for Expo 67, in order for visitors to have better access into the city with links to rail transportation and airports. It was first constructed to support a capacity of only 20,000 to 30,000 vehicles daily – but has far exceeded its design. The materials used to build it were inferior and clearly not capable of handling the more than 300,000 vehicles now using it every day, from both the north-south and the east-west directions.
Its reconstruction actually began in 2009 when sections of it were in need of urgent, although temporary, repairs – with several instances of concrete and other material falling dangerously on to the roads below. First scheduled to be completed by 2018, at an estimated cost of almost $3 billion dollars, the amount has already risen to well over $3.5 billion and climbing. Delays and cost overruns have become part of the landscape, as just about every big project put forth in this province has.
To be fair, challenges are reasonably expected for a project such magnitude, especially one that includes the rebuilding of four major interchanges and sections of three highways, moving sections of highway and railway, adding dedicated lanes for public transit and building new links to the road network it will service – and that is just part of what needs to be done. Add in bad weather conditions where work has to be stopped, strikes or slowdowns and unforeseen technical problems, it would not be surprising if the completion of the Turcot will go past the projected 2020 date. Should that happen, commuters may very well go past their ‘best before date’ and the capacity to remain tolerant while trying to navigate the city’s infrastructure nightmare.
It is why one might stop and ask how the project was ever conceived without ensuring it would be able to handle more vehicles. Until public transit lives up to the hopes, dreams and ensuing political promises, the volume on the roads will only continue to rise.
Once completed, the new Turcot might appear impressive in design and offer a safe and solid infrastructure (prompting loud sighs of relief) but in the end, if it doesn’t help relieve traffic congestion, the anxiety and mental health of commuters might be exacerbated.
Bonnie Wurst – mtltimes.ca


Missing Bay Ridge tortoise is back, after being found in Staten Island
Doris the tortoise is back home.
After 10 days of searching for their missing 22-year-old pet, a Bay Ridge family was finally reunited with him (yes, Doris is a “him” despite the name) after he somehow made his way to Staten Island.
Owner Laura Torres said that the 10-inch African Leopard tortoise went missing after being left in the backyard on 94th Street near Ridge Boulevard.
“We are thrilled,” she told the Home Reporter about being reunited. “When we learned that she was safe, I was jumping and just so happy. My kids were so happy as well when they saw her home, they fed her and were so loving and relieved.”
Doris was found in Staten Island and eventually was given to Robert Shapiro, who runs an animal rescue shelter in the borough.
“He saw the coverage in the news and reached out,” Torres said. I have no idea how Doris crossed the Verrazano. I guess that will remain a mystery.”
ABC 7 said the person who found the tortoise called the Staten Island Zoo, thinking that’s where she escaped from. Then, Animal Care and Control officers were finally able to get in contact with Torres.
“We have moved from states, taken airplanes, all along with Doris,” she said, explaining the importance of Doris to her family. “Our two daughters have known her since they were born, as part of our family.”
After Doris went missing on April 21, his family publicized their search on the Bay Ridge Pets Facebook page and set up their own Facebook page. They also enlisted the aid of Councilmember Jim Brannan, who shared the news on his own page and generated massive interest from local residents.
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Today's editorial feels like a lovely way to savour every moment of these fleeting summer days. The pastel palette, the gown, styling, and, pop of colour provided by the florals, all come together to make this a truly lovely feature. We are so in love with your work Verveine Studios!Read More
A beautiful summery day last June, Maggie and Brett exchanged “I dos” in rural Guelph, ON on a 150-acre family farm, with stunning photos by Artiese Studios and planning / styling by our very own Swish Lister - Laura Olsen.Read More
“Graydon Hall”, an ode to the always stunning and ever-elegant Graydon Hall Manor wherein which our stylists, cast and crew had the perfect opportunity to create something truly awe-inspiring.Read More
it's the clear intent, attention to detail, and visible heart that makes this an obvious Distinct Occasions wedding. Crystal and her team have a remarkable way of customizing a wedding to reflect the love and personalities of their couple, and this batch of heart-filled eye-candy is no exception.
I hope you all enjoy the details of this sweet day, which was beautifully captured by lifeimages, as much as I do.Read More


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As we come out of another lockdown, England’s rules are changing to allow us to go and do outdoor activities, including places like zoos, theme parks and botanic gardens. So we’ve made a comprehensive guide of the best outdoor activities to visit across England.
In Roundhay, you can visit Tropical World for £7.40 each. Within the park, they have a Waterfall area, aquarium, desert, rainforest canopy, creature corner, nocturnal and butterfly area available for guests to view.
York Gate Perennial Garden
York Gate is a Perennial Garden in Leeds, which is open from the 14th of April. It is a one-acre garden created by the Spencer family. It is a Grade II national heritage site with a cafe and 14 different garden rooms, all with their own character, separated by formal yew and beech hedging.
In Temple Newsam, you can go and visit Go Ape. Not quite a theme park, this adventure park has all sorts of activities for thrill-seekers. If you want to experience adrenaline at its best, then take a trip to Go Ape for only £30.
Gorse Hill City Farm
In Leicester, you can visit Gorse Hill City Farm from April 12th, where you can visit the fish, ducks, chickens, lambs, piglets, shetlands, and rabbits. Or, if you’re looking for something more exotic, why not visit Tropical Birdland, where they focus on education and conservation of beautiful tropical birds.
Botanic Garden and Attenborough Arboretum
The University of Leicester has started a Botanic Garden and Attenborough Arboretum, focusing on the necessity of global biodiversity. They’re opening a little later, on the 4th of May, and once there you can visit the herbarium amongst other things!
Twin Lakes Park
A short trip out of Leicester is Twin Lakes Park, where you can find a water park, roller coasters, a small zoo and plenty to keep you and your friends busy all day long.
Wavertree Botanic Gardens
If you’re living in Liverpool, be sure to take a trip to Wavertree Botanic Gardens. It is a 19th-century public park with a walled garden and Grade II listed building. It once played a huge role in the recreation and culture of Victorian Liverpool.
Longford Park Pet’s Corner
Not quite a zoo, but Manchester’s Longford Park Pets’ Corner is opening from April. There, you can see and sponsor goats, rabbits, ducks and chickens!
For any adventurous people, Tree Top Trek provides opportunities for sky-high treetop adventures, whether you fancy a full trek or a mini trek, or even just a bounce around on the treetop nets.
Friends of Platt Fields
Friends of Platt Fields will be opening in April, and you can go there to see the Lakeside Centre, the Shakespearean Garden, Eco Garden, Nico Ditch and Rose Garden. There’s even a BMX track.
Northumbria County Zoo
Just out of Newcastle is the Northumberland Country Zoo. They work on animals’ conservation and are home to arctic foxes, otters, lynx, capybara, lemurs, Scottish wildcats, snow leopards and even skunks.
Those looking for adrenaline can find it on a quad bike in Newcastle with Turbo Venture. OR you can try tank driving, clay pigeon shooting, or pretty much anything else wacky and adventurous!
Mayfield Alpacas Animal Farm
It isn’t a zoo, but it does have alpacas, and really, what more could you want. From April 12th, Mayfield Alpacas Animal Farm will be able to open its gates to people once again. There you can meet alpacas, llamas, goats, ponies, reindeer and birds.
Tropical Butterfly House
This wildlife centre’s outdoor areas are open in line with government guidelines, meaning you can wander around and visit some of their lovely animals.
Sheffield Botanical Garden
Sheffield Botanical Gardens are near the city centre and were opened way back in 1836. They cover 19 acres of land and are covered in plants from exotic locations and local regions.
Oxford Botanical Garden
You have to pre-book to visit the Oxford Botanical Garden, and at the moment, the glasshouses are still shut. Whilst there you can explore the walled garden, lower garden, and enjoy the sights.
New Forest Wildlife Park
Southampton is home to New Forest Wildlife Park, which is opening from Monday 12th. They will be running their keeper experiences and takeaway cafe services, but you will need to prebook. Once at the park, you can meet otters, bison, deer, ferrets, mice, lynx, hedgehogs and owls.
You can try your hand at donutting, snowboarding, and other extreme sports when you visit Alpine Snowsports. To have a go, book online through their website and get ready for excitement!
Thrill-seekers will be overjoyed with all the adventures available at Go Ape Southampton. They have treetop challenges, adventures, and plenty to explore!

domain: travel


Multitouch keyboard with multi-language support, skins, voice input, T9 and compact, Smart dictionary, custom Auto-Text, hard keyboard support, calibration, many appearance and prediction options.
Don't forget to read the FAQ on the web site if you have problems, answers to most common issues are there!
*** To enable the keyboard, go to “Language and keyboard” settings, and check “Smart Keyboard Pro” box. Then long press in any text input area until a popup menu appears, select "Input Method" in this menu, and choose "Smart Keyboard PRO" in the list (see the video).
A trial version is available on the market (look for the app "Smart Keyboard Trial"). Note that this Pro version is a standalone app, you don't need the Trial to use it.
If you find bugs such as force close issues, please go to the web site and contact the support. If you want help, it's completely useless to leave bad comments here as we cannot contact you!
Ignore the warning about the keyboard "collecting your personal data", this is a standard Android message when you activate any third party input method.
Contains layouts for all the following languages:
Arabic, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (simplified and Pinyin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Finnish, French, Greek, Georgian, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish, Ukrainian, Tatar, Thai, Turkish
* Option to customize punctuation displayed in the suggestion bar
* Greek: added compact, T9, and hard keyboard translation
* New languages: Pinyin and Tatar
* Fixed T9 in Spanish
* Fixed crash when ' is used in a custom Auto-Text
* New localizations: Slovak, Romanian, Ukrainian
Latest version: 3.14.0 (for all Android versions)
If you consider those resources have infringed upon your rights, please contact us, or read our detailed "Disclaimer"
If you want to upload apps on our website, just click here
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I see these wireless streaming media devices and wonder why the Zaurus can't do the same thing:
I use gnump3d at home to connect to my music collect from work. It works great since I all I need is a web browser and a media player (in my case it's Winamp). Now, since my Zaurus has a web browser (Firefox, dillo etc.) and a media player (xmms) it should work, but it doesn't. I get this error in xmms:
Server said: http/1.0 200 OK
I don't know what it means. Any ideas? I don't really want to fork-out $400 more dollars if the Zaurus can do it.


When a band is included in the Guinness Book of World Records, it’s easy to view them as a bit of a novelty. These types of honors are generally given out to artists that try something absurd, like playing with giant drumsticks or cranking the decibels to be the loudest band in the world, but for Napalm Death, their honor came organically. Though they hold the record for the shortest song ever recorded with “You Suffer,” there’s more to the band than this 1.316 seconds-long song would indicate. Over the course of their 16 albums and 14 EPs, Napalm Death has proven that they’re sprawlingly ambitious, even if, on the surface, that seems antithetical to their entire ethos.
As one of grindcore’s forebears, Napalm Death was pegged as the world’s most extreme band before they even nailed down a stable lineup. Famously, only drummer Mick Harris played on both the A and B sides of the band’s 1987 debut, Scum, and no founding members even made it to the B side. But, as a result, those constantly shifting ranks, there was no single voice driving the band. By never achieving any kind of status quo, they granted themselves a bit of freedom by never having anything to uphold.
As an outsider, it’s easy to look at Napalm Death’s output and derisively say all their music sounds the same, but that’s not only reductive, it’s patently false. After defining grindcore on their first two albums, the introduction of vocalist Mark “Barney” Greenway and guitarists Mitch Harris and Jesse Pintado, along with bassist Shane Embury, saw Napalm Death move away from their classic sound as soon as they perfected it. In the early 90s, they moved into the world of death metal, adding guitar solos, more technical riffs, and a slightly more discernible vocal styling courtesy of Greenway.
Similarly, in the middle of that decade, the band released four consecutive albums that alienated their fans all the more. Starting with 1994’s Fear, Emptiness, Despair and ending with 1998’s Words from the Exit Wound, these albums were bereft of the band’s signature speed and, in its place, was the kind of groove-oriented sound that had come into vogue. These albums often get pegged as being a kind of nu-metal precursor, but in a modern light, they show the band’s ability to adapt, taking what was happening in the larger metal scene and finding a way to make it work for them.
Despite having a handful of early albums that are rightly hailed as classics, Napalm Death proved to have one of the strongest second acts in metal. After returning to their classic sound in the 2000s, the band released some of their very best material within the last decade. With an increased focus on melody, atmosphere, and avant-garde experimentation, Napalm Death showed an outright refusal to coast, expanding their sound at a time when most bands would revert to playing the hits.
So how does a new listener make inroads into such a dense discography, and into a band that still has “You Suffer” get used as a punchline? It’s by embracing the band’s full scope, from the second-long songs to their moodier pieces—and all the leftist politics in-between—knowing that, no matter what era, there’s something worthwhile to be found.
Napalm Death as Grindcore Pioneers
Like so many albums that became building blocks for entire genres, Scum is more important than it is enjoyable. While plenty of bands were upping their tempos in the 80s, be they Siege, Extreme Noise Terror, Discharge, or G.I.S.M., none had the reach of Napalm Death. This was due in large part to BBC DJ John Peel championing the band early on, helping get Scum to number seven on the UK indie charts, and allowing for the band’s second album, From Enslavement to Obliteration, to go to number one on that same chart just a year later.
While Scum has some standout tracks, it’s ultimately two different groups of kids trying to push the limits of punk and metal to their logical endpoints. On the A-side, songs like “Scum” and “Siege of Power” show rudimentary versions of things that would become the band’s hallmarks, such as that grossly distorted bass tone and a frantic and a D-beat adjacent gallop that, 30 years on, still feels potent. Then, of course, there are the blisteringly short tracks like “You Suffer” and “The Kill,” which, brief as they may be, feel complete.
The B-side lineup achieved similar feats, with songs like “Life?,” “Success?,” and “M.A.D.” seeing the band utilize a dual-vocal approach, with Harris offsetting Lee Dorrian’s guttural vocals with some piercing background shrieks. This back-and-forth vocal styling paid dividends on From Enslavement to Obliteration, as the recording not only sounded better—you could actually hear the instruments independent from one another on this record—and the band had become more deliberate in their attacks. Listening to songs like “Its a MANS World,” “Lucid Fairytale,” and “Practice What You Preach,” a sharper Napalm Death had come to the fore, one that could still see Harris rocket them into a chaotic whirlwind, but he was becoming capable of pulling back and letting the band catch a groove every now and again.
Playlist: “The Kill” / “Scum” / “You Suffer” / “Siege of Power” / “Its A MANS World” / “Lucid Fairytale” / “Practice What You Preach” / “Inconceivable” / “Worlds Apart” / “Mentally Murdered” / “Musclehead”
Napalm Death Metal
Though Dorrian’s output with Napalm Death was scant, it’s considered by many fans to be the pinnacle of the band’s output. While Greenway often gets pegged as the catalyst for the band’s shift to death metal, the roots of that sound were already present on From Enslavement to Obliteration. “Unchallenged Hate” and “Display to Me” ebb toward death metal riffing and drum grooves, but it would be 1989’s Mentally Murdered EP that cemented the band’s fascination with this new flavor of extreme metal. With songs like “Rise Above” and “Cause and Effect,” Dorrian was singing in his lowest tones and the band was matching it, as Harris threw in slower double bass sections and the riffs started to show the band’s technical ability.
Mentally Murdered would be Dorrian’s last recording with Napalm Death, and when Greenway entered, it allowed the band to ditch grindcore without a second thought. 1990’s Harmony Corruption was a shock to fans, as the band went from releasing records that packed 27 songs into just a over half an hour, to writing ten that spanned nearly 40 minutes. There is a good bit of fat on Harmony Corruption, as even some of the best songs feel bloated, but “Suffer The Children” and “Extremity Retained” see the band settling into this new approach. 1992’s Utopia Banished would have a leg up on Harmony Corruption in nearly every respect. The recording fit the band a little better, and Harris ceded the drum throne to Danny Herrera. Though Harris was instrumental in establishing the band’s sound, as well as that of grindcore itself, his nickname of the “Human Tornado” was always apt, and on Harmony Corruption, his penchant for never settling into a beat made the album chaotic in an unflattering, jumbled way.
On Utopia Banished, Napalm Death showed just how powerful they could be within this new scene, as songs like “I Abstain” and “Dementia Access” showed that this death metal shift was something that they could actually make work. But it would be songs like “Judicial Slime,” and the aptly titled “Idiosyncratic,” that showed Napalm Death’s interest in pushing beyond the walls of extreme metal. Clearly, the band had grown tired of being pigeonholed, and they were looking for new ways to pummel their audiences.
Playlist: “Unchallenged Hate” / “Display to Me” / “Rise Above” / “Walls of Confinement” / “Cause and Effect” / “Suffer The Children” / “Extremity Retained” / “I Abstain” / “Dementia Access” / “Idiosyncratic” / “Judicial Slime”
The mid-90s were a strange time for metal. Death metal had exploded, cracking into the mainstream and quickly becoming a style that, outside of a handful of bands, was becoming increasingly rote. Simultaneous to that was the rise of groove metal, a genre that, along with Rage Against The Machine, would serve as the basis of nu-metal. It was a time that was both creatively rich and wildly confusing, seeing old bands toy with new ideas and sometimes shit the bed in the process. Napalm Death’s mid-90s material is often regarded as being full of unlistenable turds, but that’s a bit of an exaggeration. 1994’s Fear, Emptiness, Despair is the weakest of the four albums in the band’s wilderness period, and while they each sound a bit dated, they aren’t as bad as they’re made out to be.
Perhaps the atrocious cover art is to be blamed, but a listen through 1996’s Diatribes shows Napalm Death were retaining their heaviness while becoming a bit more palatable. “Greed Killing” had all the trappings of a song that could have found mainstream success—well, save for Greenway’s vocals—and creatively, they’re swinging for the fences. “Ripe for the Breaking” and “Dogma” take classic Napalm Death moves and twist them until they feel fresh, and on 1997’s Inside the Torn Apart and 1998’s Words from the Exit Wound, Napalm Death sounds even better. Songs like “Breed to Breathe,” “Reflect on Conflict,” and “The Infiltrator” hit hard even now, sounding like the type of thing bands like Code Orange have spent a few years ripping off.
Playlist: “Twist the Knife (Slowly)” / “More Than Meets the Eye” / “Greed Killing” / “Ripe For the Breaking” / “My Own Worst Enemy” / “Dogma” / “Breed to Breathe” / “Reflect on Conflict” / “Drown in the Zero” / “Prelude” / “The Infiltrator” / “Cleanse Impure” / “Clutching at Barbs”
How Napalm Death Got Their Grind Back
While conventional wisdom would suggest that, after their four albums of pure experimentation, Napalm Death would return to their roots, but that’s not entirely true. While 2000’s Enemy of the Music Business, 2002’s Order of the Leech, and 2005’s The Code is Red…Long Live the Code, were returns to a more aggressive sound, grindcore had evolved past Napalm Death in their years away from the style. Not only that, the band underwent lineup changes for the first time in a decade. Enemy of the Music Business was the last album with Pintado playing guitar and the band’s first away from Earache Records. It’s an album of pure venom spit in the direction of their former label, and while the songs are all fine, few leave a lasting impression. The same could be said of Order of the Leech, which sees Mitch Harris playing all the guitar parts after Pintado’s departure and trying to figure out how to make that work, while The Code Is Red is the moment they start to settle back into their groove.
After this three-album run of decent-yet-forgettable material, Napalm Death came back energized, releasing a run of albums that rivals their early work. 2006’s Smear Campaign showed Napalm Death was able to grind alongside bands half their age, but it also showed they were willing to take chances again. “When All Is Said and Done” is their version of a straightforward rock song, incorporating the kinds of elements that got them panned back in the 90s, but with a production style that suits them a little better here. Similarly, songs like “Sink Fast, Let Go” and “In Defence” show the band was still capable of going for the gut, having learned how to write songs that went in a million different directions but never spun out of control.
2009’s Time Waits for No Slave is the most punishing of the band’s material from this period, but it’s also the most consistent. Here, Napalm Death offers up a masterful piece of modern grindcore, writing songs that, from a compositional standpoint, are entirely alien from their early days. Opening with “Strong-Arm,” the record shows the band at peak form, writing truly chaotic songs that, even when they pull back a bit, are still fully consuming. There’s not a bum track in the bunch, making it not only one of their most cohesive albums, but possibly their best. 2012’s Utilitarian and 2015’s Apex Predator, Easy Meat are no different, as the band keeps their feet planted in the grind scene but are more confident about wandering outside of it, making albums that are more versatile than ever before without needing to worry about being called sellouts ever again.
Playlist: “Thanks for Nothing” / “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” / “Silence is Deafening” / “Sink Fast, Let Go” / “When All Is Said and Done” / “In Deference” / “Strong-Arm” / “Work to Rule” / “On the Brink of Extinction” / “Errors in the Signals” / “Analysis Paralysis” / “Will By Mouth” / “Smash a Single Digit” / “How the Years Condemn”
Napalm Death as Experimental Art-rock
Despite the fact the band was so prone to changing up their sound, even then they have a batch of songs that don’t cleanly fit into any of these previous sections. Be they the songs from their 90s period that feel truly singular, or “Everyday Pox,” their collaboration with longtime fan John Zorn, there’s a lot that stands out. This is the side of Napalm Death that rarely gets talked about and almost never gets the credit they’re due. Songs like “Smear Campaign” and “Atheist Runt” are Swans-influenced pieces that show an ability to slow down and stretch out, while songs like “Time Waits for No Slave,” with its strange, chanted chorus, shows their ability to still go way out on a limb. It’s these tracks that make Napalm Death so engaging and, even now, peerless. They’re willing to step aside from the pack and fully commit to those moves, in a way so few bands are ever willing to.
Playlist: “Contemptuous” / “Indispose” / “Just Rewards” / “Lifeless Alarm” / “Morale” / “Smear Campaign” / “Atheist Runt” / “Time Waits for No Slave” / “Everyday Pox” / “Fall on their Swords” / “Apex Predator - Easy Meat” / “Dear Slum Landlord…” / “Caste as Waste”