text:
Covid-19 cases are exponentially rising across the world, including in the United States. New York City, for example, continues to break its own record for positive cases in a single day. Much of the concern with these new infections relates to cases in which a fully vaccinated individual contracts the disease.
As we have seen with other vaccines, breakthrough cases occur. They are expected to occur, and they will continue to occur.
But it’s wrong to read the situation as a sign that the vaccines aren’t working; in fact, how Covid is being experienced in the vaccinated is a sign that they are. The messaging around these infections wrongly focuses on their numbers and uses a misunderstood term — “breakthrough” infections — that can make the cases sound more unexpected and dangerous than they are. Receiving a vaccination doesn’t mean that recipients don’t need to worry about getting any symptoms of a given illness. What vaccinations offer is enhanced safety from severe illness and death.
As we have seen with other vaccines, breakthrough cases occur. They are expected to occur, and they will continue to occur. What is remarkable about the Covid vaccinations is their ability to prevent a great number of serious illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths in the face of breakthrough infections, and to effectively do that for different strains.
The vaccines are working — but we need to be clearer about how we discuss their efficacy and how this should be measured. The unfortunate medical terminology of “breakthrough” cases has resulted in damaging confusion, with many conflating these infections with vaccine failure. Instead, we should focus on the impact of these breakthroughs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the risk of Covid infection is eight times higher in the unvaccinated than in the vaccinated; the risk of hospitalization or death in the unvaccinated population is 25 times higher. And while there is evidence that omicron is more skillful than delta in outmaneuvering the Covid vaccines, there is also data suggesting that those who are vaccinated are likely to experience milder symptoms, while hospitalizations may be prevented in 70 percent of cases.
In other words, the vaccines that were developed prior to the outbreak of omicron and its "wacko" new mutations, as a former official at the California Department of Public Health put it, are still effectively fighting this novel strain. That itself demonstrates the remarkable power and importance of getting the Covid shots.
Of course, while the vaccines seem to decrease severe illness and death in the vaccinated, our understanding of how effective the shots are at preventing the illness is still evolving— it could be that the number of breakthrough cases indicate further research is needed to optimize vaccine potency.
That’s why, even when people are vaccinated, it’s important to maintain precautions such as wearing masks, getting tested before gatherings and social distancing, while scientists investigate how effectively the vaccines battle the new variant. And it’s particularly important to help protect those, such as young children, the elderly and the immunocompromised, for whom vaccines may not yet be available or be as effective.
Still, what we are seeing with Covid inoculations tracks so far with other vaccines. The mumps vaccine, according to the CDC, is 88 percent effective at preventing infection. Similarly, the chickenpox vaccine has an efficacy of 85 percent. And in 2019, the influenza vaccine was about 45 percent effective.
Importantly, for all three vaccinations, individuals who have breakthrough cases experience significantly reduced symptoms compared to the unvaccinated. For mumps, breakthrough cases result in milder symptoms and a decreased likelihood of developing severe neurological complications such as encephalitis and meningitis. With the chickenpox vaccine, patients develop less severe fevers and skin eruptions than the unvaccinated. And the influenza vaccine, despite reducing the risk of flu by just 40 to 60 percent overall, prevented an estimated 7.5 million cases and 6,300 influenza-associated deaths in the 2019-2020 season alone.
The Biden White House, to its credit, is attempting to shift public discourse surrounding Covid from a focus on the total number of cases of the virus to a reporting of its resulting deaths and hospitalizations. During a press briefing Dec. 20, White House press secretary Jen Psaki caught herself as she began to describe the goal of reducing Covid cases and instead stressed reducing more serious outcomes. She responded to a question by explaining that President Joe Biden’s objective “is to continue to make vaccines available, reduce cases around the co-," then stopped herself and resumed with,“reduce hospitalizations and deaths across the country."
This is an important change from previous benchmarks, which had underscored the importance of limiting the sheer quantity of Covid infections. Focusing on case numbers – especially as the illness moves toward becoming endemic, or regularly found within a population like the common cold and the flu are — is misplaced because it focuses on the wrong number, which seems larger and scarier than the actual threat the virus represents. It doesn’t screen out for the details that matter: whether cases are asymptomatic; whether they result in hospitalizations and deaths; whether they are occurring among fully vaccinated people. Without this further context, it’s impossible to measure the impact of these breakthrough cases.
While it can be frustrating to have received a Covid vaccination and then come down with the illness, it’s a mistake to think that vaccines can free us entirely from illness — or that it was pointless to get the shots in the first place. Breakthrough infections are, in fact, part and parcel of immunization as long as a disease is circulating. If the vaccines are saving lives, they're doing their job.

domain: biology


text:
What We Know About Indoor Tanning Among Minors
Indoor tanning begins during youth. Indoor tanning often begins during adolescence and increases with age until the late teens or early- to mid-20s.23 Nearly one out of every three white high school girls tans indoors each year. Some start tanning as early as age 14, or even younger, as shown below.
Many white high school girls tan indoors frequently. Girls are more likely to tan indoors than boys, and non-Hispanic whites are more likely to tan indoors than members of other racial and ethnic groups.24 Most indoor tanners report tanning frequently (10 or more times per year).25
Parents influence indoor tanning. Adolescents whose parents tan indoors or allow them to tan indoors are more likely to report indoor tanning themselves.26 Girls who first tan indoors with their mothers tend to start at a younger age and are more likely to become habitual indoor tanners than girls who initially tan indoors alone or with a friend.27
For indoor tanners, the short-term cosmetic effects of tanning may be more apparent than the many long-term health risks:
Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Wrinkles and Age Spots
Cataracts, Macular Degeneration, and Other Eye Damage

domain: health


text:
Ask a Counselor Table
Room Number: Learning Commons
Date: Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Time: 11:10 am End Time: 12:00 pm
Event Category: Career & Counseling Center Events
Division Host: Stephanie Sarafinas
Monthly tables staffed by a counselor for mental health resources and Q&A. April 11th @11:10am: DWN Learning Commons with Stephanie Sarafinas.

domain: psychology


text:
As per the ECP, PTI leaders, including party chair Imran Khan and KP CM Mehmood Khan attended a rally in Peshawar and used state resources ahead of the by-polls.
Following the violation, District Monitoring Officer (DMO), Peshawar, Shahabuddin, had served notices to the PTI chair, KP CM and others and sought an explanation.
As media reports , the counsels for Imran Khan, Mehmood Khan, and cabinet members appeared before the DMO and submitted written replies.
An official of the ECP said the DMO, while terming the reply not satisfactory, imposed a fine of Rs50,000 each on Imran Khan, Mehmood Khan, provincial cabinet members Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Ishtiaq Urmar, Shaukat Yousafzai, Kamran Bangash, Anwar Zeb, Muhammad Iqbal, Khaliq-ur-Rehman, and Wazir Zada. They were directed to deposit the fine to the state exchequer by September 18.
The ECP also sent letters to the KP governor and chief minister, asking them not to violate the code of conduct for the by-polls during a rally of Imran Khan scheduled to be held in Charsadda on September 17.

domain: news


Step into a world of enchantment with the RAAJAS Anklets. Handmade with care and precision using 92.5 pure silver, these anklets are adorned with delicate bells that echo the timeless tunes of tradition. As you move, the gentle jingling of the bells creates a symphony of elegance, adding a touch of musical magic to your every step. The intricate design showcases the skilled artistry and attention to detail that goes into crafting each piece. Whether you’re dancing to your own rhythm or celebrating a special moment, the RAAJAS Anklets are your companions in grace and style.


text:
Back to 2013 Photos
Mill City Cyclomaniacs
web site by
August 16, 2013
Lake Calhoun - Lake Harriet - Minnehaha Creek Trail - Lake Nokomis - Sandcastle - Minnehaha Creek Trail - Lake Harriet - Lake Calhoun
Angie arranged the trip to Sandcastle with Amy Greeley, one of the owners.
If you have additional photos to contribute, please contact firstname.lastname@example.org.

domain: geography


text:
Juro Saltwater Kit
Juro lure kits have been designed for the experienced or weekend angler alike. The Juro Pro Test Team have selected their favourite Juro lures to suit the most commonly found fishing environments around Australia. These lure kits offer great value for money without compromising quality or fish catching ability. They make a great gift idea and are also ideal for anyone just starting out in the fantastic sport of fishing.
Write Your Own Review

domain: sports


text:
Mostrim Players, the Edgeworthstown based amateur drama group, will perform the hilarious pantomime ‘Zak and the Dreamstalk’ this weekend, April 10 - 12 at the Park House Hotel.
This adaptation of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ is the creation of the very talented Pauline Flood. And while the storyline is similar to the original it incorporates many extremely funny characters, concluding with a dramatic and unforeseen twist.
Directed by local man Jimmy Connell, ‘Zak and the Dreamstalk’ features the perfect blend of comedy, variety, song and dance.
Jimmy also directed last year’s sell-out show, ‘Snow White and the Five Dwarfs’.
He explained, “This is a very funny panto and I laugh aloud during every rehearsal; Pauline has excelled with this script.”
The cast comprises 16 main actors, five solo singers and in excess of 25 dancers. When the backstage crew are included then the total number of people involved in the production exceeds 60, which is a great testament to the people of Edgeworthstown and surrounding areas.
Many of the cast have previous stage experience but as Mostrim Players continues to expand we will see some performers for the first time including Amanda O’Brien and Chloe McGerr.
Some of the more experienced cast members include Eileen Spillane, Colette Conway, Josephine Lynch, Cathal Kelly, Angela McLoughlin, Mike Duffy, Sorcha Kenny, Betty Mulhare and Diane Spillane while Rachel Lyons and Darragh Kelly continue to develop their unique styles.
The role of ‘Mother’ is a very humorous one and this is expertly performed by Trish Cronogue who will have the audience in stitches. The lead part of ‘Zak’ is played by James Martin and this has been his biggest challenge to date but he uses his relaxed style to bring the character to life.
The pantomime will also appeal to those who enjoy music, song and dance. The talents of harpist, Shannon Browne; vocalists Lynn Fox, Marie Brady, Colm O’Reilly, Bart Nannery and Thomas Doyle and an array of dancers choreographed by Josie Cregan will bring a lovely variety.
The pantomime is very enjoyable and while ‘Zak’ makes his way on his journey into the unknown he encounters many diverse characters that will influence his future in a way that even he could not predict. Look out for Daisy, Ming, The Mammies and a certain Leo.
All will be revealed on Friday, April 10 at 8pm, Saturday, April 11 at 8pm and Sunday, April 12 at 6pm in the Park House Hotel, Edgeworthstown.
Tickets are on sale in local outlets, from Mostrim Players cast and committee members or by contacting 087 2891726. Tickets are priced at €10 for adults and €5 for children, OAPs and students. Family discounts also available.
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domain: artistic


text:
The protests in Hong Kong and Ferguson, like so many others, were both characterized by a strong presence of artists. In China, dissidents plastered the streets with posters, erected sculptures, installed interactive artworks, and even live-sketched the demonstrations. In Missouri, artists embellished the flimsy plywood boards that had been tacked on shop windows with bright drawings and inspirational slogans.
Members of both communities are now rallying to save these creations. Yesterday, police in Hong Kong dismantled the metal barriers in the central Business District that had protected the Umbrella Movement’s make-shift camp — but not before the Art Preservation Group carried out a last-minute sweep to save as many pamphlets, drawings, paintings, and sculptures as they could. “We will keep them temporarily in our storage and then plan what’s next,” Sampson Wong, of the Umbrella Movement Visual Archives and Research Collective, told The Straits Times.
In Ferguson, the Missouri History Museum and the Regional Art Commission have announced their plans to preserve the plywood paintings made by a group of about 100 artists working through Paint for Peace STL, the Columbia Missourian reported. Speaking with the newspaper, Director of Library and Collections Chris Gordon explained that the museum hopes to collect them for research and a possible exhibit.
Since it wouldn’t be in the true spirit of protest if there weren’t at least a few voices of dissent, not everyone’s on board with preserving these ephemeral but powerful works. In Hong Kong, many museums that were asked to keep some of the artworks rejected them because they were “political.” And in Ferguson, one BBQ joint owner whose business was burned down said this: “It’s not the history you’d want to remember.”
But you only have to browse archives of protest art from the civil rights era and Vietnam War demonstrations (like this one and this one) to see how valuable they are. Preserving modern mementoes of resistance will offer future generations an important window into the discontents of our own.
I’m not a big fan of the Google, but they do have the “Open Gallery” web app that allows organizations to make “digital exhibits” out of items of cultural / historical interest.
It’s not exactly “open” in that one has to request an invitation to use it, but it might be worth looking into:
I have written about this off and on for years in the context of “local history” in Washington DC. Because we don’t have a strong local history museum, this type of material isn’t being systematically collected. This came up in a post on Engaging Places too, to which I replied.
Note that right now the Museum of the City of New York has a long term exhibit on “local” protest in NYC, funded by the Puffin Foundation, and it is fantastic, addressing historical and contemporary protest issues.
I wrote about it here: http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2014/10/local-history-museums-and-critical.html
ONE more thing. While more “fellow traveler” than specific to this issue, the French organization Lieux Publics is an interesting group, devoted to “street art” (an element of protest) and the kind of org. that we don’t seem to have here.
Comments are closed.


text:
Institute of Musicology Library
The library of the Institute is housed on Novi trg 4, 2nd floor.
Opening hours: Monday and Thursday, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Telephone: +386 1 4706 203
The library of the Institute of Musicology operates in conjunction with the main Library of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, where they process musicological literature and mediate information about it through their catalogues. The library is primarily used by the researchers of the Institute, but it is also open to the public, especially with regard to literature which is perhaps not available at other general and specialised libraries. Books, periodical publications (currently the institute sustains subscriptions for about 20 scholarly journals), various music materials (especially recent prints and copies of older manuscripts) and sound materials (records, compact disks and audio cassettes), with special emphasis on Slovenian composers, (together more than 7000 units, with yearly additions of more than 200) are inventoried at the Institute in an alphabetical name catalogue, while information on literature acquired since 1991 is also available through the shared electronic database in the COBISS system (50100 – Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts – Musicology).
Part of the library of the Institute is also the acquired Donation of Prof Reinhard Strohm. Professor Reinhard Strohm (Oxford, UK) donated 820 books to the Institute of Musicology in late 2003. The Institute inventorised all of them and in 2005 incorporated them into the institute library. The donation mostly contains musical monographs, but in addition there are also a series of Festschrifts, scores, a few serial publications, catalogues of libraries and exhibitions, auction catalogues and bibliographies.
On 18 August 2008 Prof. Reinhard Strohm donated to the Institute of Musicology another 488 volumes of musicological literature; above all monographic workd, music scores, periodicals, but also audio materials on CDs.
In 2007 the institute's library was enriched by a smaller donnation of books belonging to the late Head of the Institute, Dr Danilo Pokorn. The corpuis donated by the family comprises literature in Slovenian language and some encyclopedias.

domain: library


text:
Holly Springs is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. It is bordered by Canton, the county seat, to the north, and by Woodstock to the south. Interstate 575 passes through the city, with access from exits 11 and 14. Downtown Atlanta is 36 miles (58 km) to the south.
The median income for a household in the city was $57,019, and the median income for a family was $61,651. Males had a median income of $40,717 versus $26,823 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,992. About 0.8% of families and 1.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.


text:
Hi I’m “ART“, and these are my unspoken words, my opinions!
These words were encouraged by the likes of Masters that abide by no law nor societies conformity. I find comfort in the world of masters that set us free as we are, to be taken or left as we are. See, in the world of Master Sounds Tabuu
I am created to the limit of his satisfaction, the last touch is the last touch. I will NOT be edited to suit the eye of an oblivious hater. When he sees perfection in me, then I am complete, I am his happiness.
In the chamber of Master Dunn Phantom I find peace, I am his joy and contentment. I am a puzzle of notes and keys. The only decree I accept, is the level at which you listen to me. I am a melody of his ability, composed to satiate the craving ear. I am Art of sounds and reverberations, a concoction of thumps, hits and Rhythm.
I am created to accompany the vocal Art of Master Qricha, I mate with the lyrical other of my kind. We get deep and deep until we form a poetic harmony, filled with rhythm and sentimental confrontations. Together, we make u ponder as we exude stanzas that are filled with meaning. We are ART of the gifted, given meaning, we are soothers of your soul.
See, I was created this way, my edges and contours tell a story. See that funny, odd flaw was made so I stand out just a bit, it’s a mark that brands me and I’m fine with it. I don’t know if I please the eye of a human, but what I do know is that I do catch their attention. My creator formed me to portray a tale that only s/he can tell. I am the vision/vocal of what runs in the mind of a human artist, my master.
I am ART, I cannot not be deemed Wrong nor right. If u question my “form”, then you are questioning the aptitudes of another man. See what I am cannot be graded nor rated, because, I am the chance for u to see what runs through the very mind of your kind. Words cannot Articulate my form, I am an expression of thoughts and Talent. My master created me for his own satisfaction and imaginations. You are allowed to be captivated by my form, as long as you don’t criticize my norm, gages and conditions.
Someone has to make a living right? So they put a price on my kind and this opened an ingress for humans to judge us. Master has to to think twice before he unveils us to the world to slay his “talent”. Oh how harsh and bitter of the humankind to crash each other’s endowments down. We are not formed to be rated and certified, yet we are. Ever thought that when you degrade me, you are degrading the strengths of my creator, your kind?. Ever thought that my existence gives you the chance to see what you may have only fantasised about or imagined?. Oh wait, have you have ever thought that, I am made of forte, sweat and stint?. No wait, don’t answer. I am not going to thrill you with the obvious.
If it were up to me, i’d stand against it all, societies criteria to standardize us, Laws of art, and professions of talent slaying. Our beauty lies in the stories we are made to depict. We are the perspiration of what was once a dream, a thought, and emotion and we are the confinement of TALENT, therefore I say, we are priceless. You should be lucky then, that we have been tagged with value and we can be adopted with your precious dime. Take me home with pride, pride of knowing that I am the power of another man, formed to capture the attention of an arty eye. But I have been turned down, because I made no sense to the oblivious purchaser of my kind,rejected.
Now I stand, draped in Rags of dust and dirt, I am unwanted,even by my creator. The hands that made me touch me no more. The mind that birthed me thinks twice about my purpose. The eyes that ensured that I am what was once a thought, don’t even look in my direction anymore. I am like a forgotten feeling, I’m love unwanted, dear me.
I am the expression of creative human skill, applied into a form, I am a tangible figure of unseen thoughts and imaginations. My kind comes in visual forms that branch out into paintings, music, Literature and Dance. We work well hand in hand. Without music,dance wouldn’t be, and within literature lies paintings as the visuals of the story that the author is telling.
As i conclude my dialogue, I plea the world to A
espect and T
ruly understand the uniqueness of ART.


text: The aim of this study was to clarify changes in sex steroids at the final menstrual period (FMP). We have shown previously that estradiol (E2) declines substantially in the 4-year period around the FMP, but hypothesize that testosterone (T) declines modestly and adrenal Δ5 androgens dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenediol (Adiol) remain unchanged. Methods: Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and immunoassay was used in approximately annual samples collected before and following FMP in 1490 women. We estimated time-related changes in each log-transformed androgen using piecewise linear mixed modeling, with knots (slope changes) at FMP-2 yrs and FMP+2 yrs as seen for E2. These models then were re-estimated for subgroups with different time courses identified using group-based trajectory modeling. Results: In the full sample, T was generally stable, although time course varied by subgroup, with a significant decrease of 5%/year in T in [FMP-2yrs, FMP+2yrs] only in the lowest T women. For DHEA and Adiol, declines were similar across all 3 time segments and across subgroups. Mean circulating androgen concentration declined modestly (P> 0.05) from five years before to five years following FMP. However, when stratified only the lowest 7% of circulating T declined significantly (p< 0.05) in the four years surrounding FMP when mean circulating E2 declined. This trajectory divergence of the lower circulating T suggests a different, non-adrenal source that is decreased at FMP which may be useful in clarifying ovarian versus adrenal testosterone production during the post-menopause. Paired results from samples collected before and following FMP in the same subjects indicate mean circulating E2 is less than 5% of mean circulating T suggesting that a relatively large portion of circulating E2 may be largely a result of peripheral conversion of adrenal androgens. Longitudinal LC-MS/MS analyses of circulating E2 and T indicate that the principal change in sex steroid influence at menopause is largely a decrease and dampening of ovarian and not adrenal steroid production.

domain: medical


text:
Holistic approach in engineering design - controlling risks from accidental hazards in bridge design
Sammanfattning: Popular Abstract in English A central requirement in the design of bridge, or any structure, is that they are safe and do not fail unexpectedly. To ensure that such occurrences are acceptably rare involves predicting the various ways in which the bridge can fail and ensuring that provisions are made to prevent or control these potential failure. In other words, the risks associated with failure should be controlled such that they are within acceptable limits. The broader issue investigated in this thesis relates to the manner in which risks of failure are treated in engineering design of structures – specifically bridges – to ensure their safety. Historically, the safety of a structure was assured by relying on past successful practices and by using factors of safety to account for any uncertainties. These factors alter the design values of loading or structural capacity to ensure a sufficient margin for error against the unknown. Historically, the selection of such factors was based on experience and engineering judgment and failures from less well understood phenomena had higher factors of safety. However, in the middle of the 20th century rational approaches to the selection of safety factors and of the treatment of structural safety were developed which eventually started replacing these previous methods. Currently, design codes are the main instruments used in regulating procedures for verifying that a structures design is adequate in terms of safety against collapse. This includes specifying the magnitude of safety factors to be used during design. Such codes are written by code writing bodies and help provide assurances to society and other stakeholders that a design is safe and compliant with building regulations. There are, however, some important limitations of design based on code-compliance. These limitations are such that revisions of codes do not suffice in remedying the situation; a complementary approach is needed. The main outcome of this thesis is a framework for an approach which is intended for treating risks inadequately covered by the design code. This approach focuses on the design of bridge structures to withstand accidental or extreme loading situations – or hazards. These situations are rare and their magnitude can be very significant compared to more conventional loading situations such as the weight of traffic on a bridge. The approach also focuses on the how to consider the risks from these hazards during the early conceptual stages of design – in which case there are usually multiple competing technical solutions. The main advantages with the approach are: 1. The approach is holistic and broadens the scope of assessment – while codes are focused on the safety of single structural elements 2. The approach can be applied during the conceptual design stage – while the codes are only applicable during the detailed design stage 3. The approach complements codified design instead of competing with it In developing the approach further, three crucial aspects were identified and investigated. To start, the usefulness of the approach during the conceptual design phase was tested by applying it for an actual construction project in Sweden. Second, the importance of broadening the scope was highlighted when conducting a more detailed assessment of a specific hazard – train collisions – to a second bridge case. Finally, risk modeling approaches were investigated in detail for the case of heavy vehicle collisions to bridge supporting structures. It was found that current codified approaches relating to this hazard are inadequate and an alternative design method was developed using stochastic modeling approaches – where uncertainties related load and structural behavior are directly considered. Furthermore, a simplified method for assessing the risks related to this hazard was developed.
KLICKA HÄR FÖR ATT SE AVHANDLINGEN I FULLTEXT. (PDF-format)

domain: design


Engine Mechanical problem
1986 Jeep CJ7 6 cyl Four Wheel Drive Automatic 171363 miles
My 86 CJ7 has 171K miles, but the engine was completely rebuilt at 169K, so it basically has about 2000 miles on a new engine. The problem: I cannot get the Jeep to start, no fuel is getting to the carb. If I pour gas into the carb, fires right up. I checked the line between the carb and fuel filter and fuel filter to fuel pump, both are clear. I replaced both the fuel pump and fuel filter. If I put gas in the carb to turn the engine for a few seconds and disconnect the fuel line before the fuel filter, no fuel comes out. Assuming the brand new pump works, I guess the fuel line from the tank is clogged? I have over 10 gals of fuel in the tank, any ideas about what is going on or how to handle it? Thanks!
have the same problem?
Sunday, September 5th, 2010 AT 6:06 PM


Having a small or medium-sized living room shouldn’t prohibit you from owning a genuinely brilliant TV, which is why it’s a shame that for the last few years, true flagship models have gone no smaller than 55in. For many, that’s simply too big.
But this year, that has changed. Predictably, the first 48-inch OLED TV was launched by LG, the company behind all of the OLED TV panels currently used by every manufacturer, and excellent it is, too.
Hot on its heels comes Sony’s XBR-48A9S, which is even better. In fact, it may well be the best sub-55-inch TV ever made. It’s certainly the best you can buy right now, although that sort of quality does come at a price.
Clearly looking to capitalize on the compact nature of the new, smaller OLED panel, Sony appears to have made the 48A9S as small as possible, at least in terms of height and width. The flush, black bezel along the top and sides is less than 1cm thick, while the stylishly glossy bottom edge – which features a Sony logo so subtle that in most light is invisible – is only slightly thicker.
The pedestal stand, which gives the set a narrow footprint of just under 47cm, has such a low profile that there’s barely a 5mm gap between the bottom edge of the TV and the surface upon which it’s placed.
The downside to that discrete stand is that any soundbar placed in front of the set will block a fair amount of screen. Sony hopes you won’t consider purchasing a soundbar necessary, thanks to the screen-vibrating audio tech built into the TV.
While OLED panels are extremely thin, all OLED TVs need an enclosure for the speakers, processing hardware and connections. The enclosure on the rear of the XBR-48A9S is bigger than most, both in terms of how much of the panel it covers and the overall depth that it adds. While LG’s own 48-inch OLED (the OLED48CX) measures 4.7cm at its thickest point, the Sony is 6cm. Ultimately, though, it just looks a little less impressive in profile.
The set’s connections, many of which can be hidden by plastic panels included in the box, include aerial and satellite (full Freesat functionality is coming soon), ethernet, three USBs, optical and headphone outputs, and four HDMIs. HDMI 3 supports both ARC and the more advanced eARC, but that’s the only advanced HDMI feature that the set has.
There’s no support for 4K@120Hz (HFR), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) or even ALLM, and that will come as a disappointment to gamers, particularly those planning to buy a PS5 or Xbox Series X. The set does at least boast a competitive input lag of under 19ms when the Game mode is (manually) selected.
Sony’s X1 Ultimate processor, which debuted in 2019 but remains the company’s top TV chip, is nestled at the core of the XBR-48A9S’s chassis. This means it gets advanced features such as Object-Based Super Resolution, which is designed to intelligently analyse and enhance the definition of individual objects in an image, and an improved version of Object-Based HDR Remaster, which applies a similar approach to contrast. The set also gets Sony’s Pixel Contrast Booster, which is designed to enhance color and contrast in bright areas of the image.
Screen type OLED
Operating system Android 9
HDR formats HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
While this A9S carries ‘Master Series’ designation, which Sony uses for its flagship models, a couple of its features are at the same level as the A8H, which isn’t a Master Series model, rather than the A9G, which is. It has X-Motion Clarity instead of Motionflow XR, and Acoustic Surface Audio rather than Acoustic Surface Audio+. Those minor downgrades don’t hold the A9S back from excellence, but they do highlight some inconsistencies in Sony’s marketing.
Sony has kept the faith with Google’s Android TV operating system, and it’s beginning to pay off. While it may never be the equal of Samsung and LG’s bespoke systems – it often feels like having a media streamer built into the TV rather than the true heart of its software – it is steadily becoming slicker, more intuitive and more fully-featured.
There are no significant gaps in the Sony A9S’s app offering. So, you get Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Google Play Movies & TV and Rakuten, all in 4K and HDR (Dolby Vision in the cases of Netflix and Disney+); Hulu, HBO Now and Showtime Anytime are all present and correct; Plex is on board for local streaming of your own media files; and music is covered by Spotify and Tidal. Sony promises that Apple TV is on the way, too.
If any service you use isn’t covered – Amazon Music or Apple Music, for example – the set also features both Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast. The only slight disappointment is that content in the Disney+ app that should be available in Dolby Atmos appears to only work in 5.1 via the Sony. This has been the case on all of the Sony (and Philips) models we've recently reviewed.
Straight out of the box, the A9S is cautious in its delivery, seemingly reluctant to deliver the sort of dazzling contrast we’ve come to expect from great HDR signals. After a bit of tweaking, that issue is solved, and as we fire up Blade Runner 2049 we’re delighted to see the film’s bright red and white text appear on the perfectly black screen with serious punch and purity. In fact, it has the measure of the LG CX in this regard.
It also trumps the CX at the opposite end of the spectrum: while both sets deliver pure, pitch black, the Sony digs up more dark detail, reproducing the interior of Sapper Morton’s dingy farmhouse with more scene-setting insight.
Less of a surprise is that the A9S handles motion better than the CX. Sony has long been the master of motion processing and, while other manufacturers have made improvements this year, the way the A9S (and many of its siblings, for that matter) smooth and sharpen motion without introducing fizz or artificiality is superb. Everything looks as it should, only better, and the fact that Sony has been so far ahead of its rivals for so long proves what a tricky feat that is.
Sony’s Master Series models are sold on their dedication to delivering the picture as intended, and the A9S also delivers here. There’s a slight warmth and richness to the colors that may not be entirely true to life, but it is true to cinema. We’re not talking about the horrible sepia-tinted blandness that you’re confronted by when you select most TVs’ Cinema mode: this is a subtle rosiness that enhances the sense of life in skin tones. Again, everything looks as it should, only better.
For sharpness and detail, there’s never been a better TV at this size, and the way the set combines ultra-deep blacks and bright, pure whites works with these qualities to create an unrivalled sense of depth and solidity in the image. Whether it’s the close-up of K’s hand at the start of Blade Runner 2049 or the eerily beautiful shots of the decimated town in 1917, everything has palpable three-dimensionality.
Dropping down to 1080p with the Blu-ray of Children Of Men, the Sony does a superb job of maintaining control of the shaky, handheld action, keeping everything blur- and judder-free without adding an unpleasant soap opera effect. Colors are again superb and the image is sharp, detailed and clean.
That cleanliness continues as we stream old, standard-def episodes of Spaced via Netflix. Given the low resolution of the signal, the image is both smooth and sharp, surprisingly detailed, and with colors that are vibrant but controlled.
The Sony A9S is a significant step-up on its closest rival for sound, too. The uncomfortably bass-heavy beginning to the second chapter of Blade Runner 2049 makes the LG CX’s drivers flap badly, but the Sony is composed and clean.
It’s punchy and dynamic, too, building the drama just as it should as K approaches the foreboding LAPD building. We opt for the Cinema preset, which adds openness and spaciousness, and this generates a good sense of atmosphere as our protagonist takes his bewildering baseline test, the disembodied voice of his commanding officer echoing off the bare walls of the boxy room. K’s own voice, by comparison, is clear and direct and, thanks to the A9S’s screen-vibrating tech, the audio and video are more spatially connected than from other TVs.
But while the A9S sounds good for a TV, particularly one this size, it can be pushed to hardness by high volumes. If you want audio quality that’s equal to the picture, a dedicated sound system is still the way to go, particularly if you like your films loud and bombastic.
The Sony XBR-48A9S is a stunning TV. The quality of TVs below 55 inches in size has been limited for years, but LG has blown the doors off those limitations by making a 48-inch OLED panel available. Sony has taken LG’s panel and, with its own picture processing and audio wizardry, raised the benchmark previously (and briefly) held by LG’s own OLED48CX.
This is, without doubt, the best sub-55-inch TV you can buy – and possibly the best ever made. It’s expensive for a TV this size, but if you have the budget and aren’t phased by a lack of HDMI 2.1 features, you should consider it well worth the money.
- Picture 5
- Sound 5
- Features 4
Read our LG OLED48CX review


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Enjoy the Crunchy Authentic Nimki (Spicy Flour Crackers) at Home
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serving size: 6-8 servings
Nimki is a traditional snack from Nepal, which not only tastes amazing but comes with a crunch that is utterly delightful. It’s the perfect treat for any occasion or just as an everyday snack. With this recipe, you can make delicious and authentic Nimki in no time! All you need is some all-purpose flour, cumin seed, oil and salt to get started. The easy steps will take you through every step of making these tasty treats quickly and easily. Follow along now and enjoy your own homemade Nimki in less than 30 minutes!
Written & Reviewed by
Sanju oversees day-to-day operations at Lalmon.com, managing a team of content writers to ensure quality articles are published regularly on relevant topics.
-Flour (all-purpose recommended) 1.2 lb-Cumin seed 1/2 teaspoon-Oil 2 cups or more for deep frying-Salt to taste
1. Roast the cumin in low oven heat for some time (If it is seed form, grind it).2. Mix cumin and salt with flour.3. Knead the flour, adding 2-3 teaspoons of oil and water in a dough.4. Roll the mixture dough flat, fold it, roll it flat again then repeat the process one more time.5. Cut dough in diamond shape (2 triangles on top of each other) and make them around 1-inch in size.6. Heat the oil on medium heat and fry the Nimki until they are brown.
Making Nimki at home is an easy and delicious way to get a taste of authentic Nepali cuisine. With a few simple ingredients, you can make these crunchy treats in less than 30 minutes – perfect for any occasion or just as an everyday snack! Whether you choose to serve them hot or cold, your friends and family will love this fun and flavorful snack that's sure to please all taste buds.
Uncover the Secrets of Authentic Nepali Cooking
Learn How to Prepare Delicious Entrees and Traditional Dishes with this Comprehensive Cook Book!

domain: food


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Alman Çocuk Koruma Sisteminde Türkiyeli Ailelerin Kültür ve Göç Bağlamında Koruyucu Aile Olma Deneyimi
(Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, 2020)
This research addresses the experiences of Turkish foster families, who migrated to Germany as workforce in the 1960s. The data obtained in the study are titled under three categories: The foster family, institution, the ...

domain: sociology


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The footballer touches down in Rome to play with the Italian team AC Milan. Plus: Zac Efron, Brad & Angelina, Anne Hathaway and more
Updated: Friday Jan 09, 2009 | 06:00 AM EST
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domain: entertainment


Women to Join Military Academy
CHISINAU, July 25, 2012 — Over 200 young people from the Republic of Moldova passed the admission examination at Alexandru cel Bun Military Academy of the Armed Forces from Chisinau. For the first time in the National Army, 33 of the candidates are women.
The Rector of the Military Academy, Col. Mihail Buclis, stated that the 33 young women apply for eight places at the Faculty of Signals. “We decided to let women candidate for a place in our academy as a result of the modernization process of the institution and the status of member of the Partnership for Peace Program Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes”, Buclis specified.
Col. Buclis appreciated the female candidates’ performance and commitment during the admission exams. “Although women will be accepted at the Military Academy for the first time in the National Army history, I was quite surprised by their good motivation and excellent physical conditions being able to compete with men on an equal footing”, the Head of the Academy said.
The admission exams at Alexandru cel Bun Military Academy of the Armed Forces are held July
For the academic year
The length of studies is four years. Accommodation, food and military equipment are free for students.


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The burden of growing old
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Re: Knowing when to ask for help, Opinion Feb. 18
Knowing when to ask for help, Opinion Feb. 18
I haven’t seen the movie Amour. But Rabbi Marmur touches on a serious issue that many of us don’t want to face. Whether elderly or young, we are each a burden to someone at sometime in our lives.
I have often said that grandchildren are the dividend we receive for not eating our young. Raising children is stressful and there are times when parents feel overwhelmed and burdened by it all.
But as we were once burdens to our parents, our parents can become burdens to each other and their children.
I remember telling my mother after hearing her say, too many times, that she didn’t want to become a burden (was she planning to go out on an ice-floe?), that I agreed, yes, she was, and that was fine. It was my turn to help her. The circle of life.
When we don’t prepare for the later years, declining health and mobility, the need for extra help from family, friends, community, it can lead to fear of being a burden and instead of accepting that role as a right of passage, thoughts of suicide may flit in and out, or as in Amour, a loved one kills another.
Diane Weber Bederman, Caledon
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As described in the introduction, city size scaling can be traced back to work that emerged in the early 1970s, in which Michel Fontaine and colleagues started looking for power law breakdowns in data collected from the French department of the Somme (Fontaine et al. 1971; Fontaine 1974). In these studies, the null expectation that people in large cities are larger than in smaller cities was tested. The results showed that power law scaling was a more likely explanation for cities than traditional exponential growth models, which at that point still had broad roots in the study of city patterns and apparently had not yet been challenged or replaced (Bettencourt et al. 2007). More than 50 years later, the Fontaine’s findings have been picked up by many researchers, who have investigated urban phenomena in various areas, including but not limited to, cities and regions in the US (Bettencourt and West 2010; Bettencourt and West 2013), World Bank cities (Leombruni et al. 2017), cities in low- and high-income countries (Bettencourt and West 2013; Bettencourt et al. 2017), historical regions (Ferrier et al. 2017) and in the Middle East (Fontaine 1991; Fontaine and Stevens 1991). For a wide overview, see Altaweel and Palmisano, 2019.
One example of the power law scaling revealed in (Bettencourt et al. 2007) is the value of the concentration parameter K. K is the exponent/slope from a simple power law equation, K = Cαp, where p stands for the site population. C is a constant that reflects the starting population. α was 0.85 in the range 350–350,000 for the Netherlands (Bettencourt et al. 2007; Bettencourt and West 2013). In this paper, we use the term urban scaling to define such relationships.
The changes in the value of urban scaling over time, which Bettencourt et al. (2020) are especially interested in, are also of importance for other areas: this equation has been used, for example, to properly describe the cities of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and the Abbasid Empire (Fontaine 1991; Fontaine 1991; Fontaine et al. d2c66b5586


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This was the last session for 2020 and we had 26 members.
Lisa started with the 2pm Karaoke session and then everyone looks forward to some chat time before the next part of the session starts again. It was a real pleasure today to have Helen Tierney for music entertainment. Members remembered Helen from many times before the Covid. Helen entertained everyone with some popular songs and a few Christmas songs. She played the piano, the accordion and the Harp. Helen played beautifully and members thoroughly enjoyed singing along especially with the last song with Hogmanay. Helen also told us that it was her birthday tomorrow and therefore Lisa made sure that members all sang happy birthday to her.
Eon Walters then continued with the session and today he had some festive music which members really enjoyed working out to.
Lisa then read out a couple of Christmassy jokes which everyone enjoyed and then had a Christmassy multi choice quiz and the winner for the quiz today was Irene. Lisa then called out the Bingo numbers and as the game is played twice for December, the winners were John and Audrey.
Lisa then wished everyone Happy Christmas and seasonal holidays and reminded them that the sessions will start again on Monday 4th January 2021. Lisa was touched by everyone’s best wishes to her and thanked her for everything too.

domain: hobby


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Attend the Downtown Living Tour this Sunday!
The Downtown Living Tour, presented by Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, will showcase a diversity of urban living by highlighting various buildings and amenities in Downtown!Learn more
Celebrate the 50th Season of the St. Louis Blues!
Come celebrate the Blues as they commemorate 50 years on the ice here in St. Louis. Lets Go Blues!Learn more
Celebrate Q in the Lou at Soldiers Memorial September 23-25!
Featuring nine of America’s legendary pitmasters, Q in the Lou is a celebration of great barbecue, with cooking tutorials, a BBQ innovations expo, great live music, and of course, the best barbecue in America.Learn more
Join us for Lunchtime Live Every Friday!
Enjoy live bands, food trucks and great networking opportunities every Friday, May – September, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at the Old Post Office Plaza.Learn more
Downtown Restaurant Week is September 19-25!
Celebrating its 12th year, this years DRW will include 20 diverse and delicious destinations. Last years event attracted over 15,000 diners, so make reservations early to secure your table for this fabulous food event.Learn more
Downtown St. Louis is the region’s hub for tourism, dining and entertainment. Whether you’re a permanent resident or in town for a day, Downtown has plenty of activities, filled with culture and fun for all! Downtown is home to 200+ annual events, delicious eateries and numerous attractions.
St. Louis is a culture of diversity, vibrancy and art; embrace our city’s beauty in the heart of it…Welcome to Downtown St. Louis!
There is so much to do in Downtown St. Louis! From runs and biking events to free concerts; Downtown has something for everyone. Below are a few of our featured events, take a look or click here to view the full calendar of events!
Downtown Living Tour
Downtown Living Tour Overview: The 2016 Downtown Living Tour is scheduled for Sunday, September 25th, featuring 12 Downtown lofts. Annually, the Downtown Living Tour showcases the diversity of urban living by highlighting a variety of buildings and amenities. Online registration has closed, but walk-up tickets are still available. Check-in will open at noon at Q […]Learn More
Society of Architectural Historians
Tonight St. Louis Public Library and the Society of Architectural Historians welcome Amanda Burke, Preservation Specialist with the Missouri State Historical Preservation Office to discuss “The Preservation of Cemeteries.” Amanda Burke will provide an overview of the types of cemeteries, establishing eligibility, survey, preventive maintenance, and do’s and don’ts of cemetery maintenance, documentation, restoration, and […]Learn More
Young Friends of Downtown Micro Mondays
Micro Mondays Join us for Micro Mondays on Monday, October 3rd! Every month, Young Friends hosts a happy hour at a local pub; we drink good brews, mingle with other young friends and support local businesses. On this particular Monday, we will be teaming up with the Special Olympics of Missouri. Join us for a […]Learn More


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Some films are ensured of success from the moment they are conceived. The 1977 feature “The Purple Taxi” does not fall into that category. Directed by a Frenchman, shot in Ireland with a predominantly Anglo-American star line-up and financed with Italian funds, the film seems more like a tax shelter than a cinematic statement.
Based on a novel by Michel Deon (who?), “The Purple Taxi” takes place in a small Irish village which is so postcard-quaint that it makes the pastoral setting of “The Quiet Man” look like “Metropolis” in comparison. The focus of the story concerns three expatriates who somehow wound up in town. One sort-of belongs there: Jerry (Edward Albert), the scion of an Irish-American dynasty who returned to the roots after a nasty business involving opium, arson and an Iranian girl who went up in narcotized smoke. But the other two guys don’t seem to belong in Ireland at all: Philip (Philippe Noiret) is a French journalist who escaped his wife and life after the death of his son, and Taubleman (Peter Ustinov), a Russian-sounding raconteur whose profession is unclear. Taubleman is allegedly broke, but he lives in a mansion and keeps a stable of horses; he also employs Sean, a handyman who gets drunk and plays the bagpipes (in case you forgot, this is Ireland).
Hovering on the periphery of this madness is the local physician, Dr. Scully. He’s played by Fred Astaire. Yes, that Fred Astaire – complete with the worst Barry Fitzgerald brogue imaginable and a tailored wardrobe which is more suitable for a Park Avenue neurosurgeon than a small town Irish physician.
As luck would have it, this happy all-male world is disrupted by women. First it’s Sharon, Jerry’s sister. Sharon is a self-styled aristocrat who married a German prince. She’s played by Charlotte Rampling, the gorgeous British actress. Of course, the vocal resemblance between Rampling and Albert is literally an ocean apart, but that’s explained away playfully when Albert remarks “You’ve changed your accent again.” Rampling, in turn, growls in a Brooklynese worthy of Barbra Streisand: “Oh really?”
Then comes Anne, Taubleman’s daughter. She is a mysterious beauty – although the mystery comes from her silence. Is Anne a mute or is there a deep secret that keeps her from speaking? She eventually speaks, but there’s a slight problem: Anne is played by Italian actress Agostina Belli, who obviously could not converse in English. Belli’s lines are badly dubbed (the lip movements are nowhere near the mark). Clearly she is present to keep the Italian moneymen financing “The Purple Taxi” happy.
Oh, there is a purple taxi. Dr. Scully drives it around, for no clear reason except that it looks cute. It shows up about three or four times in very brief scenes.
Any way, the mixture of accents sets off some highly combustible carnal urges. Anne and Jerry get hot and bothered, but is she really in love with Jerry or just after his family fortune? Both Belli and Albert were very attractive, so their romantic liaisons help spark some voyeuristic jollies.
At the same time, Sharon sets her eyes on Philip, with the hope he could plant the seed to bring forth an heir (it seems her German prince of a husband can’t rise to the occasion). While Charlotte Rampling is drop-dead gorgeous, Philippe Noiret is not exactly every woman’s idea of a French lover. In fact, the man is a fat, baggy-eyed, atrocious mess. Watching the shirtless Noiret roll Rampling on her back and press his flabby body on hers is enough to make anyone swear off sex for a month.
But all of this ooo-la-la is not without consequences. Taubleman is concerned of losing Anne, Philip doesn’t want to father another child (remember, his son recently died), Jerry is concerned that his sister is being seduced by his French pal, Dr. Scully gets upset when Taubleman cheats at poker and wins, Philip falls in quicksand but survives the ordeal, Taubleman’s mansion burns down, and Sharon’s Vietnamese maid gets goosed by Philip. Did I forget the Vietnamese maid? Yeah, she doesn’t do much except follow Sharon around, open the curtains, clear the dishes and curse Philip in Vietnamese after his Gallic digits squeeze her Mekong Delta.
There is also a lot of Celtic music on the soundtrack performed by the Chieftains. Or at least it is Celtic-sounding: French composer Philippe Sarde wrote the score. And the Irish countryside is beautifully framed by the cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli (whom, as you might guess, is not Irish).
Time Out London dubbed “The Purple Taxi” as the worst French movie ever made – which is amusing since the film is actually in English. Yves Boisset, a minor filmmaker who never made an English-language film before this, clearly had no control over his cast. For the most part, the stars were left to their own devices. Even the New York Times theorized Ustinov was making up his own film as he went along – with wild rides of emotional and vocal chaos, eye-rolling and zany hand gestures, Ustinov was having too much fun. Rampling gamely takes him on and their on-screen time is priceless. When Ustinov abruptly gets up from a dinner, goes to the front door and opens his fly to urinate (out of camera range) for an absurdly long time, Rampling views him with aristocratic boredom, turns casually to Albert and exclaims: “Incredibly small bladder your friend has.” Even Fred Astaire gets carried away: at one point he yanks off a cap he is wearing and nearly loosens his toupee in the process.
Is there any wonder why “The Purple Taxi” is barely known? The film debuted at Cannes in 1977, but to no great impression. No American distributor would touch it for three years until Quartet Films picked it up and cut 13 minutes from its two-hour running time. Alas, a brief New York playdate was poorly received and the film was sold to syndicated TV, where it played as late night filler during the early 1980s.
“The Purple Taxi” did have a video release during the mid-1980s from the now-defunct RCA Columbia label. Incredibly, the label opted to play up Fred Astaire on the cover art, even though his role was relatively small. Perhaps the label wanted to confuse the buying public into thinking this was an Astaire musical. But no one was buying that, figuratively and literally.
Today, “The Purple Taxi” can only be obtained in America from private bootleg collections or from the very rare eBay auction of the original RCA Columbia videos. It is available on DVD from a Spanish source, but I cannot determine if that is a dubbed Spanish version or if the English-language edition is on the DVD. How fitting: where else can you find a French-Italian-Irish movie with American and British stars than in Spain? Excuse me while I go out for a breath of fresh Eire.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The unauthorized duplication and distribution of copyright-protected material is not widely appreciated by the entertainment industry, and on occasion law enforcement personnel help boost their arrest quotas by collaring cheery cinephiles engaged in such activities. So if you are going to copy and sell bootleg videos, a word to the wise: don’t get caught. The purchase and ownership of bootleg videos, however, is perfectly legal and we think that’s just peachy! This column was brought to you by Phil Hall, a contributing editor at Film Threat and the man who knows where to get the good stuff…on video, that is.
Discuss The Bootleg Files in Back Talk>>>
Posted on December 16, 2005 in Features by Phil Hall
If you liked this article then you may also like the following Film Threat articles:
- THE BOOTLEG FILES: “THE PURPLE TAXI”
- CHARLOTTE RAMPLING: STILL REIGNING
- BURNS’ “PURPLE VIOLETS” PREMIERES ON ITUNES!
- ALBERT FISH UP NEXT FOR BOROWSKI
- ALBERT FISH
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Sistema reports arrest of its stakes in MTS, Medsi, BES as part of dispute with RosneftBusiness & Economy June 26, 20:58
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MOSCOW, August 17 (Itar-Tass) — The political asylum policy of London is unclear to Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday with regard to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s situation.
“We are closely monitoring the situation of Julian Assange who has taken refuge on the premises of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London,” ministry vice-spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. “The situation makes us think about the observation of the letter and the spirit of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, in particular, Article 22 that declares the inviolability of diplomatic missions’ property.”
“There is one more question. It is the matter of common knowledge that dozens of suspected felons whose extradition is demanded by Russia and other states have found refuge in the UK and feel safe there. What about the refuge right of Assange, since London calls absolute the observation of this right of such category of persons?” she wondered.


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New Living Translation
David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground.
King James Bible
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
Darby Bible Translation
And David besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth.
World English Bible
David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth.
Young's Literal Translation
and David seeketh God for the youth, and David keepeth a fast, and hath gone in and lodged, and lain on the earth.
2 Samuel 12:16 Parallel
CommentaryWesley's Notes on the Bible
12:16 Besought - Supposing the threatening might be conditional, and so the execution of it prevented by prayer. Went - Into his closet.
LibraryThat the Ruler Should not Set his Heart on Pleasing Men, and yet Should Give Heed to what Ought to Please Them.
Meanwhile it is also necessary for the ruler to keep wary watch, lest the lust of pleasing men assail him; lest, when he studiously penetrates the things that are within, and providently supplies the things that are without, he seek to be beloved of those that are under him more than truth; lest, while, supported by his good deeds, he seems not to belong to the world, self-love estrange him from his Maker. For he is the Redeemer's enemy who through the good works which he does covets being loved …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great
The Unchangeableness of God
How the Poor and the Rich Should be Admonished.
Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
2 Samuel 12:15
After Nathan returned to his home, the LORD sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah's wife.
2 Samuel 13:31
The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.
When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.
Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn't sleep at all that night.
Jump to PreviousBegged Besought Child David Earth Fast Fasted Food Ground House Inquired Keepeth Lain Lay Night Nights Often Pleaded Prayer Seeketh Spent Stretching Youth
Jump to NextBegged Besought Child David Earth Fast Fasted Food Ground House Inquired Keepeth Lain Lay Night Nights Often Pleaded Prayer Seeketh Spent Stretching Youth
Links2 Samuel 12:16 NIV
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The International Society of Female Professionals Recognizes VIP Member, Tamara Lockman
Tamara Lockman is Showroom Manager, in Atlanta, for Norwalk Furniture. The showroom is To-The-Trade and predominantly aimed at Designers, located in the AmericasMart Campus, downtown Atlanta, GA. Personally, she offers over two decades of experience in the gift and home furnishings industry. Tamara is known for her natural ability to identify décor and design that best speaks to people. She is also the proud owner of T. Lockman LLC, her wholesale company.
T. Lockman LLC is best known for selling high design home goods and accessories. They import lambs wool and cashmere throws from Scotland, alpaca from Peru; and carry handbags from France and Argentina. They design and manufacture the Cartesian Collection (wire mesh decorative letters), Origanimals (recycled wool design pieces), and a half dozen lines of pillows, all made here in the US.
She brings a wealth of knowledge in design, research, furnishings, furniture, gift, decor, catalogs, hospitality, retail, soft goods, hard goods, case goods, lighting, and more. She earned her Master of Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology, part of SUNY in New York City. She received her Masters in their History of Costumes and Textiles, Museum Studies Division. Her background also includes computer design, 3D rendering, database creation, CAD, as well as fabric design and development.
In her spare time she enjoys travel, taking in new experiences, and learning more about the art world.
International Society of Female Professionals VIP Member, Tamara Lockman, can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.


1. Basic Solution for Full Automation Glass Lamination Line
1.1 Solution Includes the Following Machines :
Full automation glass loading machine
Mechanical rotary tilting table for loading
Glass washing machine
Automatic positioning table
Automatic suction hanger
Extendable assembling table
Transition conveying table I
Forced convection pressing machine
Transition conveying table II
Mechanical rotary tilting Table for unloading
1.2 Working Process of This Lamination Line
1.2.1 For Primary Float Glass
Loading by Full-Auto Glass Loading Machine → Washing →Automatic Assembly → Pre-heating and pressing →Unloading by Mechanical rotary tilting table→ High pressing into autoclave→ Final product
1.2.2 For Small Processing Glass Sheet
Loading on Mechanical rotary tilting table → Washing →Automatic Assembly → Pre-heating and pressing →Unloading on Mechanical rotary tilting table→ High pressing into autoclave→ Final product
2. General Features of Laminated Line
The whole line adopts the advanced communication of industrial Ethernet network and is in centralized control by computer assisted in PLC and all display and operation are in touch screen of control box in the clean room. The hardware based on Siemens Smart 200 ensures the high efficiency and stability of the whole system. The frequency converters control all motors to ensure the stability of acceleration and deceleration at high speed. The non-contact sensors ensure that there is sensitive response, high precision and no wear and tear in the transmission. The glass autoclave adopts a fully intelligent TPC control system, according to the set temperature and pressure curve, the whole production process is completed automatically.
2.1 The Automatic Loading System
A light crane with vacuum sucker holder or automatic loading equipment ensures that the glass is safely transported from the glass storage rack to the front-end of the lamination line, and then the glass is positioned on the mechanical rotary tilting table and transmitted to the cleaning machine through rollers.
2.2 Washing Machine
Washing machine can wash glass sheet with thickness of 3-25mm. The upper rubber rollers, brush rollers and air-knives etc. can be automatically adjusted. The upper section of the machines can be elevated by 450mm for clean and repair. The brush rollers are driven by motors with upper and lower separately. Allocation of one soft brush and three hard brushes (can be lifted when needed) in the upper washing sector is designed for washing hard LOW-E glass, coated glass without damaging the coating. Two Stainless steel air-knives, the blower equipped with muffle cotton and air feeding filter screen pack ensures plenty of air, less noise and the good drying effect.
2.3 Clean Room
The clean room is a two-floor building composed of composite sandwich plates and steel structure. The clean room is on the ground floor and the PVB or SGP film storage room is on the second floor. Also there is another room for air conditioning machine and humidity machine. All ambient temperatures and humidity are controlled there.
2.4 Automatic Assembly Machine
The cleaned glass enters the automatic fast positioning machine at max. speed and it is automatically positioned longitudinally and horizontally through a group of positioning sensors. The automatic sucker hanger, equipped with traceless suckers will lift and position the glass. The transmission unit sends the glass to the assembly position through precise straight rails. Operator can choose a suitable PVB film on the PVB spreader. Then the spreader can automatically lay the film in compliance with the glass size. The next glass will be placed accurately on the top the ready glass. So now the laminated glass is ready. By pressing a button, the laminated glass can be sent fast to the pre-pressing section, while the assembly position is empty for next glass. The whole process is automatic, high precision, high efficiency and good stability.
2.5 Film Spreading Machine
Film spreading machine can load 3-8 PVB or SGP film and it can achieve electric laying and collecting film. It is convenient to choose the film according to the specification of glass sheet. In addition, according to the requirements of users, the spreader can be equipped with automatic cutting unit to achieve film horizontal cutting; also we can provide suitable lifting equipment for loading film into the spreader.
2.6 Forced Convection Pressing Machine
The roller presser’s heating mode is infrared radiation heating and nickel-chromium alloy heater heating. As well, there is a forced convection system in the heating box. The front and back two pairs of large pressure rollers are driven independently by four motors, worm reduction gearbox, linear bearing, guide pillar and encoder. The closed loop control can realize the synchronous rotation of the large pressure rollers and conveying rollers. This structure design ensures the best effect of pre-pressing the laminated glass under the high production efficiency. The whole machine is controlled by Siemens PLC of S7 series and comes with the touch screen display and operation. According to the glass thickness, the pressure roller clearance and prepressing pressure can be set separately, and the optimized parameters such as speed and temperature can be configured to realize automatic setting and operation.
2.7 Unloading Machine
The laminated glass from the pressing machine runs to the unloading machine and a rotary sucker hanger sucks the glass to the glass trolley and then the glass trolley is put into the glass autoclave.
2.8 Glass Autoclave
High pressure section uses forced convection glass autoclave, PLC automatic control, HIM interface, ensuring safety ,reliable, high efficiency and energy saving.
2.8.1 Adopting advanced partition heating, graded cooling structure, with forced convection system, achieves truly energy saving and high efficiency.
2.8.2 The accurate PLC control system and HIM interface make the operation simple and convenient
2.8.3 TPC (Thermal processing control) software, makes whole work be clear at a glance. The software contains: process control, data exchange, security protection, quality control, alarm output, etc.
3. Model and Specification
Max. Glass Size
Min. Glass Size
Note: Capacity is based on laminated glass size: 4mm+0.38mm+4mm


PROUDLY SERVING ALL TULSA METRO
Even the most cared air conditioning unit experiences problems sometimes. But don’t worry—Accu-Air is always ready to bring your comfort back! We have highly experienced technicians who can quickly fix the issue with high precision and guaranteed work. You can count on us to get your system back up and running at peak efficiency again.
Our team will expertly assess your unit, explain where and what exactly the problem is, and provide fast and reliable repair. Regardless of the types, makes, and models of your cooling system, we can handle it without sacrificing quality. We are expertly-trained and fully-licensed technicians who are dedicated to delivering exceptional and dependable services.
You don’t have to be an expert to know when your air conditioner needs help. Watch out for these warning signs:
For over 20 years of experience in the industry, we have been providing home and business owners with leading air conditioning repair services. We use state-of-the-art tools and cooling solutions so that you can get the most out of your equipment. Our skills and expertise can make all the difference in preventing breakdowns, maximizing comfort, and extending your unit’s lifespan.
Don’t let a malfunctioning A/C wreck your summer fun in Kiefer, OK. Talk to our experts at Accu-Air today for hassle-free and reliable air conditioning repair. Call us at (918) 416-4557 today!


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Energy Secreatry, Ed Davey has lost his Kingston and Surbiton constituency to the Tories.
With results piling in, the Scottish National Party are seeing a surge in the number of seats they hold, with huge swings throughout Scotland.
George Galloway is the latest in speculation to lose his seat this election, after talks of a recount in his Constituency, Bradford West.
Former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, is set to lose his seat, says a senior Lib Dem source.
Houghton and Sunderland South is the first constituency to count their votes, with a Labour hold for Bridget Phillipson.

domain: politics


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God will bring His chosen people into a phase of life where their lives will experience His perfect sovereignty and providence. You will find no insufficiency in your life. The fulfillment of His Word in Psalm 23 will happen upon His people. He is God the Great Shepherd who herds and guides His sheep in green pastures, to quiet waters, He refreshes our souls, even provides “a table” in the presence of our opponents.
Live your days in awareness of the reality of God who always gives peace and full joy, always enjoy God’s virtue, mercy and all the goodness of God that are with our whole lives. Numerous blow and crisis may happen, but if God is our shepherd then our lives will always be perfectly cared and provided in the hands of His power.
John 1:12 (NIV) Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
For this to happen, make sure we don’t become a person who is passive or have become familiar (accustomed) to the preaching and revelation of the words. Capture the word aggressively and continue to have the best heart attitude and open our hearts as wide as possible. Therefore, there will always be open access for us to draw closer to God and experience the power of His word that gives us a new identity in Christ, having real life changes to manifest life as children of God and experience the fullness of Christ in living everyday life.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts
When God’s voice comes, and we actively capture His word and internalizing it in our lives, then the word will upgrade our lives, makes us worthy and gives abilities that condition us able to enter and ‘rule’ over cities – functioning to be the key person for the movement of God’s plan over cities and nations.
Because God’s way and plan is far higher than the way and plan of our life. Truly He has established a grand plan for the fulfillment of every prophecy of the word through our lives.
Ps. Steven Agustinus
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domain: literature


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No charges against deputy involved in shooting in April
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - The 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office has completed their review of an officer involved shooting in late April of this year.
The DA is not filing charges against Deputy Andrew Baca in the shooting death of Rafael Lopez-Leon.
On April 28th, 2023, deputies with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office attempted to contact a vehicle evading law enforcement during a traffic stop.
Deputy Baca located Lopez-Leon’s truck and instructed him to stay inside it until other law enforcement arrived. Lopez-Leon did not listen and exited his truck holding a hammer and 3′ long wooden handle.
Deputy Baca used his taser to deter Lopez-Leon but was unsuccessful in stopping him. Deputy Baca then fired his service weapon once. After Lopez-Leon kept advancing on the deputy four more shots were fired.
Life saving measures took place until the Grand Junction Fire Department arrived and transported Lopez-Leon to St. Mary’s where he was pronounced deceased.
The DA’s office said if Lopez-Leon survived he would have been charged with attempted first-degree assault.
Copyright 2023 KJCT. All rights reserved.


We’re delighted to announce that IESVE 2019 is now available via our download centre.
IESVE 2019 offers a common theme of reduced simulation times, new metrics and new ‘easy-to-use’ workflows. Here’s some of the key features of the new release:
New Schematic Geometry Wizard
The new schematic geometry wizard offers a quick start and simplified approach to geometry and model creation.
- Enter building orientation & footprint (building type, shape, storeys etc.) and an entire model is prepared for you in one click
Solar Algorithm Enhancement
SunCast and ApacheSim have been enhanced to enable solar tracking through non-connected zones and translucent shades.
- Translucent surfaces, such as glass brise soleil, can now be modelled
- Algorithm can track the path of the sun through non-connected zones – previously only possible through connected zones
- Meshes or lattice shading devices can now be modelled with a single transparent surface drastically reduced computation and modelling times
HVAC Systems Wizard
HVAC Systems can now be streamlined in 5 easy steps or less!
- Simple and initiative UI for system creation, assignment and calculations
- Zoning, airside and waterside can be selected from list
- Full HVAC systems including proposed and baseline models plus ASHRAE loads calculations, sizing and reports created within minutes
Note: CIBSE Loads calculations to follow
Daylighting simulation times reduced!
- RadianceIES simulations can now be carried out quicker via Accelerad – up to 20 times quicker!
- Accelerad uses the power of the GPU to provide faster static and dynamic simulations.
- The more powerful the GPU the faster your simulation will be.
- Email email@example.com to get access to this feature.
- Sky resolution enhancements can speed up your simulation by 25%!
- Daylight Glare Probability Metric – developed in line with customer feedback
To find out about more new features specific to your region please visit www.iesve.com/VE2019


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The planet's average surface temperature!
The planet's average surface temperature has risen about 2.0 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century,
a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere.
Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with 16 of the 17 warmest years on record occurring since 2001.
Not only was 2016 the warmest year on record, but eight of the 12 months that make up the year —
from January through September, with the exception of June — were the warmest on record for those respective months
New NASA research models are shedding light on how insect populations may respond to severe changes in temperature
that are likely climate change. In a study recently published in Nature Climate Change,
scientists found that 65% of the insect populations they examined could go extinct over the next century.
Insects perform many important roles in Earth's ecosystems.
They assist with the production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers through pollination.
They decompose organic matter. They even help control harmful pests.
But there are gaps in our understanding of how insects and ecosystems will respond to climate change.


State Rep. Joey Hensley
HOHENWALD — Voters in the newly-drawn Senate District 28 decided Tuesday they want State Rep. Joey Hensley to step up as their new senator.
- Continuing coverage of Election2012
Hensley, a five-term Hohenwald Republican representative and physician, won the Senate seat over his Democratic competitor, John Tyler Ty Cobb, a Columbia firefighter captain/EMT and former state representative.
I am just humbled and honored that the voters worked hard to support us; I had a lot of people who helped me, Hensley said. I look forward to getting started in this next session.
Senate District 28 now includes Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Maury, Perry and Wayne counties. Republicans moved the district east from Memphis earlier this year.
Hensley and Cobb ran heavily on creating jobs and improving education.
I stood up for family values and conservative values, and people saw my record that I fought for in the House, Hensley said. I think people felt like that was their values. And we tried not to have negative campaign ads.
Hensley, 57, is married with two daughters and works as a family practice doctor in Hohenwald.


Hey, that was a really cool college football season, wasn’t it? Sure, it ended with literally the most boring outcome possible — Alabama won a national title, water is wet, the sun will explode some day — but even that was fun as heck. When a college football season can manage to make Alabama winning a national title entertaining and enjoyable, you know it was a good year.
But this season and the national champions both had an inherent flaw: Alabama making it to the Playoff in the first place was kind of controversial. Take yourself back to the day we learned about the field of four teams, remember how weird it was that the Crimson Tide made it in? Yes, they were super good. They also did not win their conference. They did not win their division. The team that won their division went on to lose in the SEC title game to a team that punched a ticket to the Playoff as the 3-seed. Of course, they didn’t lose 55-24 to Iowa, but at least Ohio State had a conference title upon which they could hang their hats. The point here is that no one knows what matters in college football anymore.
Do you know what would have rendered this whole debate thing obsolete? That’s right, you’re reading another column about how college football needs to expand its playoff. The thing is, I do not care the extent to which the playoff is expanded — it could be eight teams, it could be 16 teams, it could be 64 teams, we can let every Division One team in (both FBS and FCS) alongside the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the six-best high school teams from Texas, I do not care.
What I do care about is that we as fans get to consume as much college football as we possibly can. The act of crowning a champion is cool and what not, but guess what? All roads lead to doing that. Let’s take a little longer to getting to that point, because that means we get to watch more games between the best teams, more opportunities to watch the ludicrous stuff that seems to happen when big games happen in this delightfully stupid sport.
How would it happen? I don’t know! I do not get paid to make those decisions. My job is to sit here and make the argument for it. My argument stems from the simple fact that I like watching college football and I like when I get to consume as much of the game as possible. I hope you agree with this from your perspective.
There’s also the general fact that, as Washington State coach Mike Leach explained, it is legitimately crazy that literally every other level of football has figured out a way to have a large, comprehensive playoff. The NFL has 12 teams. FCS has 24 teams. Division II has 28, and Division III has 32. High school playoffs nationwide has a bunch. Really, the only levels I can think of where four teams are considered satisfactory are FBS and Tri Valley Pop Warner in Central New York, which I played in in fourth grade. This is extremely lame, because four teams does not a tournament make.
Determining a champion is literally the reason why we do team sports. Only giving four teams the chance to play for a championship is too restrictive. Letting more teams would not make a mockery of the process of determining a champion or devalue what it means to compete for a championship, it means that the pathway to winning a title is harder, which is inherently a good thing.
The argument against more teams that I always hear is that “The fifth team is mad now, just like the 17th or 33rd or 65th team would be in other setups.” That’s not true! The fifth-best team has a much stronger argument for being a championship-caliber squad than team No. 33. If you’re going to start excluding squads, do it farther down the food chain rather than right at the top. I feel pretty comfortable saying Ohio State or UCF could possibly win a title. I feel even more comfortable say that a team like Duke, which was 65th in S&P+ this year, could not.
The other argument is that you can’t have players that aren’t getting paid go through a 12-game regular season, then a conference championship game, then a playoff that might tack another 4-6 games onto the end of the year. This is a good and completely valid concern, and one that I hope would be addressed in addition to an expanded playoff. Reduce schedules to 10 games and even get rid of conference championship games if you’re feeling really frisky.
Don’t let teams schedule FCS opponents as part of their two non-conference games before jumping into an 8-game conference slate. Then, go to a playoff. To give players more rest, start the playoff during Thanksgiving weekend and give teams two weeks to prepare and heal up for each game. All of this can be adjusted based on how many teams are in, but with a 16-team tournament, for instance, the season can start during the first weekend of September, give teams a bye and one week between the end of the season and the start of the playoff before kicking things off Thanksgiving weekend and wrapping up during the first Monday of January like we do now.
I don’t know the answer for how an expanded playoff would work. For whatever reason, college football television and bowl contracts were signed in blood and notarized by a dark magician who will bring famine and death upon humanity if they are ever broken or something. But let’s say the College Football Playoff made this happen, and suddenly, we get an 8-team tournament to determine a champion. That would be great, right? Wouldn’t you enjoy this…
1 Clemson vs. 8 USC
2 Oklahoma vs. 7 Auburn
3 Georgia vs. 6 Wisconsin
4 Alabama vs. 5 Ohio State
Maybe you’d want to get UCF in there for Auburn because you have a soul, or maybe you’d want to replace Wisconsin (kinda boring!) with Penn State (fun!) or Miami (also fun!) or something. Or maybe you’d want to do a 32-team playoff! That would look like this, based on S&P+…
1 Alabama vs. 32 Stanford
2 Ohio State vs. 31 Troy
3 Georgia vs. 30 Toledo
4 Penn State vs. 29 Virginia Tech
5 Washington vs. 28 Mississippi State
6 Wisconsin vs. 27 Michigan
7 Central Florida vs. 26 USC
8 Clemson vs. 25 Arkansas State
9 Oklahoma vs. 24 Fresno State
10 Auburn vs. 23 Boise State
11 Florida Atlantic vs. 22 Ohio
12 Oklahoma State vs. 21 LSU
13 Notre Dame vs. 20 Memphis
14 TCU vs. 19 Michigan State
15 South Florida vs. 18 Appalachian State
16 Louisville vs. 17 Miami (FL)
The point is that this is more fun than watching the committee agonize over four teams, especially in a year like this where there were no great teams and a whole bunch of pretty good teams. The whole “five conference champs with three at-large selections” thing is fine. The “let’s just get the best 8/16/32/64/128 teams in there” thing is also fine.
The big thing is that we’ve determined that the bar for what the committee views as important changes every year. This is totally cool! This is absolutely not a problem. Sports are fluid, and sometimes, you have to go outside the rigidness that is “WE VALUE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS” or whatever barrier for entry the playoff committee claims teams have to pass.
That fluidity is easier when there are more spots available. Who cares if a 1-seed Alabama would truck a 16-seed Louisville or a 32-seed Stanford? Every year, come the third week of March, college basketball fans watch Duke/Villanova/the rest of the teams that are always 1 and 2-seeds suit up against hapless 15 and 16 seeds, because maybe — just maybe! — the game won’t end with a 50-point margin of victory. And we always sit back and enjoy it, because it is college basketball, and even if the games are blowouts, it’s fun because we’re all sitting back and taking them in. We’re all tweeting about them and going to bars and watching with friends, engaging in the communal experience of fandom, which is a delightful experience.
It’s something college football can stand to replicate. This is possible with an expanded playoff, and the sooner that happens, the better.


As society progresses into the future, various aspects of human interaction and entertainment, including strip clubs, are undergoing technological transformations. With an anticipation of a shift towards more immersive and advanced experiences, the strip club industry is ready to embrace innovation to cater to changing tastes and preferences. Virtual reality (VR) technology is expected to greatly change the strip club experience, allowing patrons to interact with lifelike avatars tailored to individual desires. Through VR headsets, customers could engage with digital performers in unprecedented ways, from private dances in virtual VIP rooms to front-row seats at digital stage shows. Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to play a significant role in strip clubs, offering personalized shows based on customer data and preferences.
Another intriguing possibility is the integration of robotics into strip clubs, where lifelike androids could execute flawless routines with precision and grace, mimicking human movements and expressions. However, these technological advancements raise questions and challenges.
Concerns about privacy, consent, and ethics must be carefully addressed as strip clubs adopt VR, AI, and robotics. Safeguarding data from virtual interactions, ensuring respect for customers’ boundaries in virtual environments, and establishing ethical guidelines for lifelike androids are essential considerations. Furthermore, societal attitudes towards strip clubs may shift, influenced by the blurring lines between reality and simulation.
Opinions on the integration of technology into the strip club industry vary. Some individuals see it as a natural evolution, believing that technological advancements can enhance the entertainment experience and offer new levels of customization for patrons. They argue that virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and robotics could attract a broader audience and increase profitability for strip clubs. However, others express concerns about the potential ethical implications of using technology in this context. They worry about issues such as privacy, consent, and objectification of performers. Some critics argue that the use of lifelike androids could dehumanize dancers and further perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Furthermore, there are discussions about the societal impact of these technological advancements. Certain individuals may argue that integrating technology into strip clubs may lead to the acceptance and normalization of specific behaviours or attitudes regarding sexuality..
Others suggest that it could challenge existing social norms and spark conversations about consent and personal boundaries in virtual environments.
Both perspectives have merit. Embracing technology in strip clubs could indeed normalize certain behaviours or attitudes towards sexuality if not properly regulated or guided. However, it could also serve as a platform to challenge existing social norms and foster discussions about consent and personal boundaries, particularly in virtual environments where such conversations are increasingly relevant. Ultimately, the impact depends on how technology is implemented and the conversations it sparks within society.
Overall, opinions on the integration of technology into the strip club industry reflect a range of perspectives, with advocates highlighting potential benefits and critics raising concerns about ethical and societal implications.
In conclusion, the future of strip clubs represents an intriguing convergence of technology, entertainment, and human desire. Advancements in VR, AI, and robotics are poised to revolutionize the strip club experience, offering patrons unprecedented levels of immersion and customization. However, it’s crucial to address important questions surrounding privacy, consent, and ethics as the industry evolves. By embracing innovation while upholding ethical standards, strip clubs can shape a future that is both exciting and responsible.
However, why do Virtual Reality when you can visit somewhere such as Showgirls Bar 20.


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Sun Beach on Canvas
£49.50 – £102.00 inc. VAT
What I love about sunrise on the diamond ice beach is the interaction of so many elements. All I have to do is organise the elements and then wait for the right moments. Here I caught three crystal clear icebergs sitting in the Atlantic ocean with the new sunlight shining through them to give them an amber glow. I also love how the sunlight is reflected in other pieces of glacier ice.
This wonderful scene is on the Jökulsarlon Ice shore in South East Iceland. There was nothing but thick cloud the entire evening before which gave us no expectation of Northern lights. We were contemplating whether we would have such a Sunlight on this morning at the diamond beach. We were taking our risks with a Glacier Ice Beach dawn before the drive back to Reykjavik.
Ordinarily I like be within arms length of the glacier ice so I can study their shape and surfaces, yet the ice shore toward the beginning of today was practically filled with tiny ice crystals and very few large icebergs. I detected these clear pieces of ice at the water’s edge. I set up my mount in the expectation that the ocean would swell nearer. As I was pausing, the mists opened up close to the skyline uncovering a cut of brilliant sunlight. Cheerfully, this interacted with the glacier ice. What a pleasant beginning to the day.
Hoping to add a little pizazz to your room or office? Look no further – this material print has a striking, blur safe print that you will undoubtedly fall head over heels in love with. This Canvas will become extraordinary in any room. Hang this picture to add a thrill of Iceland and some vivid sunrise colours to your interior design. Share this canvas print with your companions to move them towards loving Nature in Iceland. We work with a print-on-demand drop organization. They have stops all throughout the planet, so regardless of where you are, your orders are printed and shipped from the workplace closest to you!
• Acid-free, PH-neutral, poly-cotton base
• 20.5 mil (0.5 mm) thick poly-cotton blend canvas
• Canvas fabric weight: 13.9 oz/yd2(470 g/m²)
• Hand-stretched over solid wood stretcher bars
• Matte finish coating
• 1.5″ (3.81 cm) deep
• Mounting brackets included
• Blank product in the EU sourced from Latvia
• Blank product in the US sourced from the US
Check out my Signed Ice Beach Photos.
Size ChartSize guide