text:
In 1958, nearing the end of a decade of directing some of his most memorable and deeply profound films, Alfred Hitchcock completed Vertigo. While the picture earned a modest profit at the box office, it was largely considered a disappointment, both commercially and critically. Many reviewers found the story plodding and the ending unsatisfying. Hitchcock attributed the disappointing response to the age difference between the two leads. Jimmy Stewart was 49 and Kim Novak was only 24.
As a boy, I regularly watched films with my brother Stephen on one of our televisions. The larger one had a 19-inch screen I believe. Early televisions had to be paired with manual antennas known affectionately as "rabbit ears". We would often struggle to put the two "ears" in just the right position to pull in a clear signal from the transmission tower (usually the Empire State Building). Sometimes one of us would stand and hold one of the antennae "just so" in order to get the clearest image. There was always a big feature on Saturday Night at the Movies, and when it was a Hitchcock film they were showing, we knew we were in for a fun time. Even though we saw Rear Window or The Man Who Knew Too Much or To Catch A Thief or Dial M for Murder or Vertigo many times, we watched with rapt attention to these classics by the Master of Suspense. Yes, we only saw them in Black & White. Unlike most of our neighbors who purchased their first color TVs in the mid-60s, we didn't get our first color set until the early 1970s, after I had gone off to college.
I was fortunate to see Vertigo so many times during the 60s (even in B&W) because in 1973, Hitchcock pulled five of his classic films from circulation, including Vertigo. Rumor had it that he wanted to preserve something that he could use to benefit his heirs after he died, knowing that these films would garner greater interest because they hadn't been seen for a long time. In March of 1981, I got a mysterious call on a Friday night from a student of mine, Gary Hertz, who had just graduated high school the previous spring. Gary was studying cinema at NYU. This was a decade before I wound up going to Tisch to earn an M.A. in Cinema Studies. Gary didn't introduce himself on the phone. He didn't have to. He simply said, "Doug. Vertigo. 10:00 AM. 721 Broadway. Room 700. Be there." And he hung up. It was illegal to show Vertigo, but my wife and I drove in. Sure enough, one of the professors owned a 16mm print of the film and secretly projected it in a screening room for students in Gary's class--and two guests who trucked in from Jersey! When Hitchcock died a few years later, the five films were rereleased across the globe. One theatre in New York showed the five films to sold out audiences for more than a year!
I could never understand why Vertigo didn't receive the praise it deserved. In fact, why Hitchcock, himself, never received his due. When he died in 1980, his NYT obituary was woefully inadequate, almost to the point of disrespect. Vertigo never made it on the "10 Best" lists that movie critics compile (except in France, where Hitch was viewed as a sort of God). But things slowly started to change. The most prestigious film journal is probably Sight & Sound, a publication from the British Film Institute. It has been around since just after WWII. In 1952, the magazine decided to compile a Best Films list from critics, reviewers, and filmmakers from across the globe. They proceeded to update this list every decade in the year ending in "2". In 1962, the #1 film on the list was Orson Welles's classic Citizen Kane. In 1972, the winner was Citizen Kane. In 1982, the selection was Citizen Kane. But Vertigo had now been reappraised to the point where it made this list, tied for seventh place! By 1992, it had moved up to fourth place, behind Tokyo Story, Rules of the Game, and of course Citizen Kane. By 2002, Vertigo had vaulted into second place, and had only a handful of voters switched, it could have tied or even eclipsed Citizen Kane! So, when 2012 approached, people wondered whether Citizen Kane, which had been deemed the greatest film ever made for so long that it seemed an inevitability, might just fall. And fall it did. In 2012, Vertigo received 191 votes and Citizen Kane 157, followed distantly by Tokyo Story at 107 and Rules of the Game at 100. The picture that disappointed five decades earlier was now considered the greatest film ever made!
Is it? Well, there really is no greatest film ever, but if there were, Vertigo would surely be in the conversation. It is so rich and powerful and personal a work of cinematic art. Let's just take a look at some of its attributes. If you haven't seen Vertigo (and of course what I'm saying is that you should stop reading this and go watch it immediately on the biggest screen you can find with the best sound system, preferably in 4K or at least HD), I'll make sure that any spoilers are identified ahead of time. Vertigo is great from the dizzying opening credits, designed by the legendary Saul Bass and integral to establishing the mood of the film right from the start. As much as Hitchcock was a genius, film is a collaborative art form, and Saul Bass should not go unrecognized. He is arguably the most important influence in the history of creating opening title sequences that enrich the films they accompany. Here they are, or you can check them out at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvaahmgmz8w
Vertigo is a prime example of personal cinema. No one else could have made this picture, but it speaks to virtually everyone. In the 70s, the very fine director Brian DePalma made his version of Vertigo, a film called Obsession. It was an interesting experiment by a skilled filmmaker, but it only proved how much more gifted Hitchcock was than any of his acolytes. The plot of Vertigo is quite simple. According to iMDB: "A former police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with a hauntingly beautiful woman." That about captures it, but what if someone else was taking advantage of the protagonist's personal demons? And what if one of those manipulators was being manipulated herself? And what if the emotions and desires of those people were so entwined as to make it nearly impossible to separate truth from artifice, passion from ploy? No matter how many times I've seen Vertigo, it always rewards me with a new slant on one or more characters. I see something I hadn't noticed before. Surely, this is the mark of a work of cinematic art.
Another telling point? When I was a boy, I was always dissatisfied with the film's ending. It wasn't a comforting one and left me a little baffled and disturbed given what had led up to it. Today? I can't imagine any other conclusion. Nothing else would do.
If I think about what I love best in the film, it is a more than twelve-minute sequence in which Scottie, the ex-police detective with a bad case of vertigo, is asked to tail a beautiful woman named Madeleine (Kim Novak at her most sensual and mysterious) at the request of her husband, who is concerned about his wife's emotional state. Scottie, played wonderfully by Jimmy Stewart, follows Madeleine's car throughout the streets of San Francisco, stopping where she stops to observe her increasingly bizarre behaviors. Almost no words are spoken during this sequence; we just hear the haunting orchestration by cinema's greatest composer, Bernard Herrmann. It's a classic example of what film theorists call "Pure Cinema", where the visuals tell virtually everything and few words are necessary. Hitchcock began his career during the silent period, so he was well versed in telling his stories with striking imagery. Let's take a look at a brief video from this scene:
We evince the same curiosity as Scottie does; in effect, he is acting as our surrogate in the sequence. The scene involves point-of-view shots (watching Madeleine's car) followed by reaction shots (we see Scottie's increasing frustration). When you watch the whole film (as you must), you will feel the hypnotic effect created by minute-after-minute of this slow motion chase. Here is legendary director Martin Scorsese's view of that scene:
Critics have analyzed this scene in far greater depth than one might imagine if we are only considering the sequence as a plot element. Below is one example--a video suggesting the subliminal effects the viewer experiences when watching this scene (don't worry--no plot spoilers!)
As you might expect, when you go to San Francisco next, you can join a Vertigo tour to see all the famous locales that appear in the film. Other critiques explicate the structure of each scene in the most minute detail. The brilliant clip that was below did contain spoilers, but it is no longer available; it demonstrated beautifully how careful Hitchcock was in blocking a scene and locating the position of the camera in order to create the desired effect. The scene it examined is attached, and you can focus on how the characters move about the set, how their body language conveys meaning, and how their positions looking up or down at the other character connote power shifts or deception or some other motivating force. It was an insightful study of a single scene.
I mentioned personal cinema before because the film can be examined and explored on so many levels. Feminists, for instance, have long written about Scottie's manipulation of Madeleine to the point of obsession. In the wake of Me/Too, Madeleine certainly appears to be a victim. I had a back-and-forth recently with a woman who was no longer comfortable watching Vertigo because of its treatment of women. It's a legitimate viewpoint, but I think we forget that an even more egregious violation destroys Scottie with a corrosive force rarely seen in the cinema--and Madeleine plays no small role in that ruination.
Below are other "takes" on elements of Vertigo, including scrutiny of a particular scene, an examination of the color palette employed by Hitchcock, and a study of relationship dynamics in the film. You shouldn't watch these until you have seen the film at least once. I could have added many more videos taking a look at such elements as the memorable film score, the use of location shots, and the film's troubling and disturbing conclusion. (All videos below contain spoilers!!!)
There is no more profound examination of identity, of the need for a human being to come to terms with his or her desires, even to the point of self-deception. It examines how we compromise our own values in our search for what we tell ourselves are not "wants" but "needs". It plumbs the depths of our fears, no matter how irrational they might seem. It asks us to reexamine compulsive behaviors in our search for happiness and fulfillment. Needless to say, Vertigo is one of my favorite films, and it is the acme of Hitchcock's long and distinguished career. It rewards multiple screenings and, for me, watching it again is something I make sure to do at least annually. I hope you will feel the same way after you watch it. Below is the NY Times review. Hope it convinces you if I haven't succeeded!


text:
Wednesday Martin, the author of Primates of Park Avenue, speaks to DansPapers.com in advance of her appearance fo the inaugural CMEE Author’s Night this Saturday, June 20, at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. She’ll also be appearing this Month at Southampton Arts Center in Southampton Village for “Conversations with Alex Kuczynski” on Thursday, June 25.
Primates of Park Avenue is a tell-all book about life and motherhood on the Upper East Side of Manhattan—and behind the hedges in the Hamptons. Martin spoke to us about the impetus for the book, some shocking behaviours of the high society “tribe,” and the “wife bonus.” She also responded to critics of the book that challenged its veracity.
Stream or download the interview:

domain: artistic


text:
- Melted butter, to grease
- Dried packaged breadcrumbs, to coat
- 250g butter, at room temperature
- 215g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
- 4 eggs
- 200g (1 1/3 cups) plain flour
- 50g (1/3 cup) wheaten cornflour, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
- 1 x 100g pkt almond meal
- 75g good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 100g good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 60ml (1/4 cup) thickened cream
All nutrition values are per serve.
In this month's issue
Eat in, eat out, eat well. Look for the taste liftout on Tuesdays in the Herald Sun, Courier Mail and Daily Telegraph, on Wednesdays in the Adelaide Advertiser, and in Perth’s Sunday Times.
From the magazines
Here's a great way to celebrate all things Aussie. This Golden syrup Anzac cheesecake will wow any crowd.
Win hearts with this easy flatbread topped with caramelised onion and blue cheese.
Entertaining over the weekend? This beautiful Chicken, Leek & Sour Cream Pie is perfect to share with friends.

domain: food


NVidia premieres its ninth-generation GPU
With generational shifts in graphics processors taking place almost every 12 months now, instead of the 18 months GPU manufacturers prefer, the value proposition becomes more difficult each time. Yesterday, NVidia hoped it could make a play to the mainstream buyer.
The company's ninth generation of graphics processors burst onto the scene yesterday, in the form of the GeForce 9600 GT card, the first unit to feature its GeForce 9 series GPU.
With a moderate pricetag estimated to be around $199, NVidia claims the 9600 to be "HD Gaming for the Masses." However, this is not to say that enthusiasts will not also take note when considering processing-per-dollar.
The specs revealed yesterday for the 9600 GT reference card read as follows: 64 stream Processors, a core clock speed of 650 MHz, shader clock speed of 1625 MHz, and a memory clock of 900 MHz. The card's 512 MB of 256-bit memory has a bandwidth of 57.6 GB per second, and a texture fill rate of 20.8 billion per second.
If you're familiar with NVidia's nomenclature, you'll note right away that the "6" in the second digit, and the absence of an "X" at the end, indicates this will not be the high-end card in the product line, or in that of any of NVidia's OEMs. But SLI configuration will be an option, the company said.
The GeForce 9 GPU is designed for the PCI Express 2.0 bus architecture, but devices on this standard feature backwards compatibility with former PCIe motherboards by design.
News of the new line of GPUs has been circulating since before Christmas, and some sites are already claiming this card to be the best in its class when weighed against competitors.
Additionally, the 9600 GT features NVidia's trademarked PureVideo HD acceleration, which speeds up the decoding and post-processing, and Dynamic frame-by-frame contrast enhancement.


KAHLLA is the solo project of singer, songwriter and producer Freya Volk. Born in Amsterdam and raised somewhere in the nomansland of South West Germany, she decided to leave behind her rural hometown at the age of 18. Now based in London, KAHLLA merges her classical upbringing with dreamy soundscapes and tinges of R’n’B to create intimate and vulnerable pop songs - brought to the listener like a picture straight from her photo book.
Having already received support for her promo single “Come With Me” under her previous alias “Katharsis", from Amazing Radio, BBC introducing and various blogs, earning her comparisons to contemporaries Meadowlark and The Japanese House, KAHLLA is now releasing her official debut EP. The “Come With Me” EP will feature the original single as well as two genre-defying remixes from Brighton’s electro newcomer Missiles Over Moscow and mysterious North London duo mudman.
This release marks an exciting new chapter for KAHLLA as she gears up to release new material this year that will place her amongst the wave of new female artists who, in an age of superficiality, aren’t afraid to explore the darker corners of the mind and do so on their own terms.


text:
An expert witness is one whose opinion a court or other tribunal is prepared to admit as evidence for the purpose of assisting in the resolution of a dispute or in arriving at the truth, and whose opinion is based on the application of particular expertise and knowledge to the relevant facts. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
Civil litigation begins when one party, referred to as the plaintiff, files a lawsuit against another party, referred to as the defendant, alleging some harmful conduct or failure to act on the defendant’s side. The defendant is accused of being the one who caused the damage or loss. The majority of cases are settled outside of court when all relevant material, including that provided by the forensic accountant and other specialists, has been discovered.
In a forensic accounting inquiry, the accountant employs auditing and other investigative skills to examine what happened, develop hypotheses about what might have happened, and explain these hypotheses in a written report that usually assesses damages to an affected party.
If the case proceeds to trial, this report may be given in the courtroom. Although auditing skills are useful in this process, it also necessitates the employment of extra investigation techniques because the process extends far beyond the testing that serves as the foundation for audit.
A normal accountant’s traditional responsibilities at a firm included ensuring that the company has strong internal controls and auditing the books of account in order to prepare financial statements.
The need to detect and prevent financial fraud became a need in firms as the rate of financial fraud increased, and this was not a part of a typical accountant’s responsibilities. As a result, a void was formed – necessitating the hiring of a forensic accountant. In addition to uncovering financial crime, a forensic accountant can also serve as an expert witness in a court of law.
An expert witness’ job is to assist the judge in discovering the truth. This is also true in the field of accounting. Most attorneys now rely on these specialists’ expert advice and services. It is due to their financial knowledge and experience that they are valuable in financial litigation.
They can be involved in cases involving valuation testimony, fraud, financial analysis, damages calculation, family law accounting, electronic data analysis and bankruptcy. More importantly, accountants are frequently called upon to testify in court as professional expert witnesses.
As a result, financial data must be translated into simple, effective and clear testimony so that a judge can understand the results quickly. A rational analysis of numerous scenarios in a particular set of circumstances is required to make the report believable and appealing.
Forensic Accounting Roles
In its current state, forensic accounting can be divided into two categories: litigation support and investigative accounting. Other support services that generally fall under the area of investigative services, such as corporate intelligence and fraud investigation services, revolve around these two key categories. It would also be imprudent not to explain what litigation support and investigative accounting entail.
Litigation support is the provision of accounting assistance in a case where there is already or will be litigation. It focuses primarily on difficulties involving the quantification of economic damages; therefore, a typical litigation support assignment might entail assessing the economic loss or harm caused by a violation of contract. However, it also includes appraisals, asset tracing, revenue recovery, accounting reconstruction and financial analysis, just to name a few.
Contract disputes, insolvency litigation, insurance claims, royalty audits, shareholder disputes and intellectual property claims are just a few of the areas where litigation support works closely with lawyers. Investigative accounting, on the other hand, is concerned with criminal investigations.
Employee fraud, securities fraud, insurance fraud, kickbacks, and advance fee frauds are all examples of regular investigative accounting assignments. Many jobs, without a doubt, necessitate both litigation assistance and investigative accounting services.
In many circumstances, the combination of these services will not be enough to solve the problem unless a comprehensive fraud risk management and control programme is in place.
If management is serious about preventing or reducing the occurrence of corporate fraud in its various forms, the only viable option is to create an ethical work environment with a strong anti-fraud culture that is implemented seriously by senior management through the promotion of a clear anti-fraud policy.
Forensic Accountants’ Expert Testimony
Forensic examiners are supposed to be objective and unbiased scientific tools that may be used to educate investigators and then lawyers. This places a responsibility on them to conduct themselves in a way that preserves scientific integrity while also adhering to strict personal standards.
The bulk of forensic examiners, on the other hand, work for law enforcement or government agencies on behalf of police and prosecution. This work structure, which stems from the unusual evolution of forensic science in tandem with law enforcement, presents competing cultural influences that have been recognised but largely ignored in professional forensic literature until recently.
The prospect of being called upon to present and explain their results under oath in a court of law distinguishes forensic examiners from other scientists. They will next be asked to describe how they arrived at their conclusions and what they mean. The expectation that forensic scientists will appear in court to testify about their results and express a judgment on the relevance of those discoveries is the one quality that differentiates them from other scientists.
Not only will or should the forensic scientist testify as to what things are, but also as to what they mean. As a result, the forensic examiner’s anticipation of sworn expert witness and presentation of sworn expert testimony are distinguishing characteristics.
Because forensic examinations involve the competence to deliver sworn expert testimony, a trustworthy character requirement is presumed. This is true for the vast majority of persons who work in the legal system. In the worst-case scenario, forensic professionals’ mistakes or a lack of professional standards might result in unjust convictions.
In conclusion, Forensic accounting is a field of accounting that uses a set of investigative tools to uncover and deal with fraudulent acts both inside and outside a corporation. This method of investigation is insufficient because the fraudsters must be prosecuted in a court of law, and their cases may not be established without the assistance of a forensic accountant’s sworn expert witness.
Management, suppliers, contractors, employees and customers can all be investigated for corporate fraud using their knowledge. Typically, these investigations result in reports that pinpoint the source of the problem and quantify the damage.
Forensic accountants are used by lawyers in a wide range of civil issues – from contract disputes to large antitrust trials. Fraud and other improper conduct are investigated by corporate forensic accountants, which may or may not result in lawsuits.
They can examine prospective damage claims and advise corporate legal departments on whether or not to pursue action. Attorneys will engage expert witnesses at some point within a civil trial. Expert witnesses such as forensic accountants can be very useful at different phases of the litigation process.
The criminal justice system has a serious problem with forensic fraud. Retesting evidence, overturned cases, dropped cases and civil proceedings for erroneous convictions all result in a considerable financial penalty. It has the potential to endanger the lives of innocent defendants, the careers of forensic examiners engaged, and the integrity of their employers and co-workers.
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AIPCA). 2003. Litigation Services and Applicable Professional Standards, Consulting Services Special Report 03-1. New York: AIPCA.
- E. O’Hara, and G. L. O’Hara, Fundamentals of criminal investigation, 5th ed. (Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1980)
- Gafford, W. W. 1996. Engagement letters for experts in valuing damages in personal injuries and wrongful deaths. Litigation Economics Digest, 2(1): 31–53.
- W. Greenwood, J. Chaiken, and J. Petersilia, The criminal investigation process (Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath and Company, 1977).
- D. Lyman, Criminal investigation: the art and the science, 3rd ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2002).
- Cleary and J. C. Thibodeous, Applying digital analysis using benfords law to detect fraud, auditing: A Journal of practice and theory, 2005, 77-81.
The writer is a PhD candidate, Certified Forensic Investigation Professional, Researcher, and Accountant for Serviceships Ghana Ltd & Cape Logistics Ltd) – Contact: 0246390969 – Email: [email protected]

domain: finance


NAPLES - She spent a decade serving her community.
But on Feb. 3 — exactly 10 years after she was first sworn in as a Naples City Council member — Penny Taylor said goodbye to public service, and hello to life as a private citizen.
"I have mixed emotions," Taylor said about her departure. "But I have been blessed to be a part of this."
Taylor, 60, was unable to run for re-election this year because of term limits.
"Penny Taylor grew into the position," former City Manager Bob Lee said. "And when you serve 10 years in a world-class city as an elected official, you certainly deserve (recognition)."
Taylor was first elected in 2000 to finish out the term vacated by then-Councilman Fred Coyle. Taylor, at the time, told the Daily News she thought two years was the perfect amount of time to assess the position.
But her first term on council was anything but an easy trial run.
City residents in 2000 voted to institute a 42-foot height limitation in commercial districts. The decision resulted in a smattering of lawsuits, and a discussion about whether planned developments, approved before the charter amendment, should have vested rights.
The city in 2000 also was faced with the difficult issue of what to do with the Wilkinson House, the home of Naples' first elected mayor.
The city sold bonds to buy the house in 1998 for $2.6 million, and leased it to the Naples Historical Society. The organization then had three years to pay off the loan.
The group made a small dent in the payments, and the city began looking at options to recoup the money. The city eventually took control of the house, and in January 2001 the house was put on the market.
A bevy of lawsuits and complaints followed, and in 2003 the city sold the house to the next-door neighbors for $4 million. The city's deal with the family included deed restrictions for five years.
Taylor said recently that the Wilkinson House resolution is one of the bright points of her 10-year career on council.
She was re-elected in 2002 and 2006, and throughout her years on council vowed to work to keep Naples' small-town feel.
Preservation — and working to limit growth — is how Taylor made a name for herself in the city.
Taylor first came to the political forefront in the early 1990s, when Coastland Center mall developers began talking about expanding the mall. Taylor, a Lake Park resident, started speaking out about the impact of a mall expansion on her community.
While hundreds of Naples residents signed a petition against the expansion, the city decided to put the issue to the voters in October 1993. Every precinct in the city including Lake Park backed the expansion, according to a Daily News report.
Sharon Patti, a member of the Lake Park Neighborhood Association, said she thought Taylor did a good job fighting for her neighborhood early in her political career. That changed over the years, though.
"In the beginning I think she was very good at representing her neighborhood," she said. "But I don't expect (council members) to represent their neighborhoods. They're here to represent all of us."
But Patti said a neighborhood issue centering around commercial parking at a neighborhood church left her wishing that Taylor would have been representing the neighborhood's interests.
Patti said she felt that Taylor was representing the interests of the church – which was renting out its parking lot for commercial parking, and in turn creating more traffic in the residential neighborhood – instead of her neighbors. But she also said she "understands how things work in this town."
"I like Penny and I respect her, but I might disagree with her on the business end," she said. "But as politics grow, the individual grows with it."
Lee — who served as city manager for four of the 10 years Taylor was on the board — said Taylor grew as a councilwoman during her tenure, and that's something Naples residents should hope for in their representatives.
"She started off maybe anti (development) but I think the longer you're in a position of any type, and you're open-minded and the more you learn, the more balanced position you take," he said.
Taylor has not given up working for the community, though.
She said recently she plans to stay involved with local issues, particularly in the River Park community.
One issue that's near and dear to her heart is the need for a new River Park Community Center pool. The current pool has been in place for 50 years, and the city recently committed to replace the pool with a new aquatic center.
Taylor has been a strong supporter of children's programs — such as efforts to save the River Park Community Center pool and after-school programs at Fleischmann Park — throughout her years on City Council.
But Taylor's work with children doesn't stop with her work on City Council. Taylor has been a foster parent with the Children's Network of Southwest Florida for the past six years, said Nadereh Salim, the organization's chief executive officer.
Salim said Taylor has had 36 children during her years as a foster parent, many of which were teenagers.
"Our teenagers are a little more challenging in their behavior and they need special care," Salim said. "It takes a special kind of foster parent to take a foster child and keep them, and she hangs in there through thick and thin."
Salim said children get along with Taylor because "she's approachable and forward thinking, she's not old-fashioned and rigid in her ways."
That approachability, Lee said, is what made Taylor an exceptional council member.
"We didn't necessarily agree on everything, but we could always talk," Lee said. "She represented her constituents well. If she were to get a telephone call from a constituent, she didn't hesitate to call. And as a city manager, I appreciated that, because it was a way to address an issue before it becomes an issue."
Taylor hasn't ruled out future runs for office, and has said she plans to stay active in the community.
"When I came it was the turn of the century, and taxpayers taxed themselves to (buy Naples Preserve)," she said. "In the end I see the city has changed. I'm leaving it in better shape than it was (when I started)."
__ Connect with Naples reporter Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster at www.naplesnews.com/staff/jenna-buzzacco
Need Help? Call us at 1-888-878-6842.
Monday-Friday: 6am-6pm / Saturday: 7am-3pm / Sunday: 7am-2pm


Microsoft Windows 8 on ARM processors is a Big Deal at Computex, and it's sparked fireworks between chipmakers Intel and ARM. Microsoft calls the ARM-based OS "Windows RT."
Asustek Computer (Asus) this week was one of the first to show a hybrid tablet with the new OS and an ARM CPU -- the Asus Tablet 600, with a 10-inch display, quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 CPU. The tablet weighs 1.12 pounds, and is 0.33 inches thick; sports an 8-megapixel camera at the rear with LED flash, and a 2-megapixel camera at the front; boasts 2GB RAM, 32GB of storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0; and is preloaded with Office 15. No word on when it will ship.


text:
This "Feasting on the Faraway Island" column originally appeared in the Dec. 16, 2010 Inquirer and Mirror.
I have always enjoyed hearing about and sharing in other people’s holiday traditions as much, if not more, than my own. There was a delightful book published years ago and tailor-made for people like me called “Christmas Memories with Recipes” (Gramercy, 1988) in which 25 leading chefs and food writers of the day elaborated on their holiday food recollections through warm essays accompanied by cherished family recipes.
I recently snatched the book from the Christmas section of my cookbook collection for reading on a ferry crossing and found myself thoroughly relishing in reconnecting with many of the food personalities who had influenced my own formative culinary years.
The very first thing that struck me as I revisited the pages of this book was that people really cooked without taking shortcuts a few decades ago. For example, Julia Child’s Buche de Noel recipe spans five dense pages while wine critic Robert Finigan’s Plum Pudding takes two weeks of tending to make. Betty Fussell unapologetically suggests Scrambled Eggs with Brains for Christmas breakfast in memory of her Depression Era Christmases and Irena Chalmers honors her British upbringing by sharing the 17th-century Christmas Pudding recipe apparently still used by the Royal Family today (the first ingredient is 1-1/4 pounds of suet).
Since I sincerely strive to tempt my readers to cook the recipes I run in this column each week, I have opted not to reprint any of the aforementioned recipes. Esoteric ingredients as well as time can be hard to come by these days on our faraway island.
More enticing and doable recipes with timeless appeal are shared by the grande dame of Scandinavian cooking, Beatrice Ojankangas and Italian cookbook author Edward Giobbi, who recalls celebrating Christmas Eve in Waterbury, Conn., with the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Ojankangas writes of her grandmother’s unusual Swedish Meatballs seasoned with a brown sugar glaze as an absolute essential for Christmas Eve.
While I know from personal experience that preparing the Feast of the Seven Fishes can be a daunting task in the midst of all the other hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve, there are isolated and easy components to this piscatorial extravaganza, such as Giobbi’s antipasto suggestion of Shrimp and Artichoke Hearts San Benedetto Style.
Since I have noticed that eggnog seems to be making a big comeback this Yuletide season, I am especially intrigued by the Family Christmas Eggnog recipe shared by the late French Canadian food writer Jehane Benoit. She had noted: “Once you try this eggnog, you will never use a different recipe.” An indulgent cup of eggnog seems to call out for an accompanying and tasty Christmas cookie.
Martha Stewart featured a plethora of Polish cookies in her chapter entry in “Christmas Memories with Recipes.” Martha recalled her father buying nuts in the shell and freshly cracking them to order for their Christmas cookie-baking, but don’t feel you have to go to such extremes to enjoy Martha’s treasured Noel Nut Balls from her years of growing up in Nutley, N.J.
Noel Nut Balls
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus additional for rolling
2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bourbon
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Makes about 3 dozen.
Family Christmas Eggnog
6 large fresh eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 cup maple syrup or granulated sugar
1 cup rum
1 cup Grand Marnier
Grated rind of 1 orange
1/2 cup brandy
1 vanilla bean
6 cups milk
3 cups heavy cream
Shrimp And Artichoke Hearts San Benedetto Style
1 pound medium-size raw shrimp in the shells
1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely-chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely-chopped Italian parsley
Salt and hot red pepper flakes or freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Serves 8 as part of an antipasto.
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
1 egg, slightly beaten
6 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup concentrated beef broth
2 tablespoons melted butter
Serves 6 to 8.
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here


text:
How you can expect to be treated if you fall behind on a credit card bill varies widely depending on what company you’re dealing with. I cannot claim to have dealt professionally with every company out there, but I have encountered enough to know what to expect with most of them. Here they are, organized in ascending aggression (meaning that the nicest ones are at the top, meanest ones are at the bottom).
1. Capital One. Aggression Rating: 10 out of 10.
I have literally seen Capital One sue a customer who had paid them religiously for years exactly three months after she fell behind on her payments. Not only did they sue her right out of the gate, but they hit her with lengthy discovery requests and basically boxed her in and left her no choice but garnishment or bankruptcy. If you aren’t rich enough to be immune to, say, an accident that leaves you hurt for 6 months of no income, you may want to avoid them.
2. Discover Bank, Issuer of Discover Card. 9 out of 10.
Discover is the only credit card company I have personally seen file an appeal when they lost a collection lawsuit. They almost never refer their accounts to debt collectors. They are definitely of the “sue first, ask questions later” mindset; so much so that they make personal injury attorneys look like timid lambs. That isn’t to say that you can’t work out a deal after you’ve been sued – if you’re uncollectable, then their collection lawyer may be able to settle with you. But don’t expect any kindness at the outset.
3. American Express. 7 out of 10.
Amex is also of the “sue first, ask questions later” mindset, but they seem to be a bit less attached to their lower-value accounts. For some reason, I don’t see many small claims suits from them, possibly because they work to make payment arrangements with people. Honestly haven’t had many chances to tangle with them in court as of yet.
Next Page: The more lenient credit card companies.
Page 1 >> 2


New Jersey-based The Victory Drive formed to create a pop-punk band that had a similar sound to bands like Fall Out Boy, Motion City Soundtrack and others. With a song like “The Countdown,” the band was well on its way to gaining the same type of notoriety that those other bands were having. This meant being part of The Warped Tour where bands with the same style would share the stage in front of many fans of the music. Before long, The Victory Drive was no more. Soon, however, Jamie McClanahan would return under the same moniker and start creating music on his own.
While the band version of the group had that pop-punk sound, the newer version of The Victory Drive has a musical style that is much closer to that of the musical outfit known as Owl City. The music of the new version of the band is more electronic-based just like Owl City’s sound is. And like that band that is essentially one man, Jamie McClanahan takes the lead as he creates the music for The Victory Drive on his own. During the time that The Victory Drive has existed, the music ensemble has created two previous EPs of music. To add to that library of material, a new three-song EP has just been released under the moniker of The Victory Drive. The new EP is entitled Before I Self Destruct.
Before I Self Destruct from The Victory Drive begins with the track “Bad Romance,” a cover of the song made famous by Lady Gaga. While the original version of the song by Lady Gaga contained quite a bit of darkness contained within the gothic rock feel to the music, the new version from The Victory Drive lightens things up a tad as the music takes on a feel that feels as if it had been influenced by The Eurythmics. The new version takes the song in a New Wave/Alternative direction. The resulting track ends up being a very strong interpretation of the song as it keeps much of the original style but allows enough of a difference that the song feels fresh and new.
The new release from The Victory Drive continues with the track “The Countdown, Pt.2”. Back in 2012, the song “The Countdown” was released on the band’s Almost Famous release. Like much of the music that had come from the band at the time, “The Countdown” contained a pop-punk sound that contained plenty of pop hooks that would have fit on any Top 40 radio format. The track dealt with counting down the time before the pain of no longer having someone in their life. Now, in 2017, a new track has been created that picks up later on as the singer returns to see about renewing the relationship that should never have ended. The new track features a much lighter feel to the energy level than the original. “The Countdown, Pt. 2” has enough of the old song’s feel to it so that the two tracks feel connected. However, the newer, lighter track is fresh enough that it easily stands on its own.
The third and final track on the Before I Self Destruct release from The Victory Drive is the song “Dynamite”. Like the track of “The Countdown Pt. 2,” “Dynamite” finds Jamie McClanahan creating a track with an easy pace to the music. The track contains a musical direction that is very reminiscent of that from Owl City. The pop/rock approach of the music is mixed with strings that help to add a certain amount of beauty to the track about ruining chance after chance. The final track of the three-song EP finds Jamie McClanahan creating a song that has a lot of substance to the music.
While only containing three tracks, Before I Self Destruct from The Victory Drive shows three different styles of pop-rock in those tracks. The different sounds give the new EP variety despite its rather short play time. With the new direction that Jamie McClanahan has taken his musical outfit, this short release gives new and old listeners alike a glimpse of what lies ahead for The Victory Drive.
To check out the music of The Victory Drive, check out the track “Dynamite“.
For more information, check out Jaygurl Entertainment, the PR firm for the band. Also check out The RMG Media Group for additional information.
To check out Before I Self Destruct from The Victory Drive, click on the album cover below:


text:
Our trained specialists follow a multidisciplinary approach to wound healing. After an initial evaluation, each patient receives a comprehensive, individualized plan designed to help heal these complicated wounds. We work to address the underlying cause of the problem, control infection, and improve the overall health of our patients.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
At Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital, we offer hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help heal wounds. Over the course of several treatments, many patients achieve wound healing that is not otherwise possible using other methods.
Originally developed to help deep-sea divers overcome decompression sickness, also called “the bends,” hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used today to accelerate the healing of wounds that are slow to close on their own. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also used to help fight certain types of infections and to treat conditions ranging from cyanide or carbon monoxide poisoning to radiation injuries.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a specialized treatment that allows you to breathe pure oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. High concentrations of oxygen are delivered to the bloodstream, ranging from 10 to 20 times the normal amount. This pure oxygen can penetrate areas that oxygen-carrying red blood cells cannot reach. As a result, it helps revitalize tissues that receive poor blood flow and stimulates the growth of new blood vessels.
Increased oxygen also enables more infection-fighting white blood cells to reach affected areas. Most patients require treatment over the course of several weeks to effectively treat wounds.
The Treatment Experience
Hyperbaric therapy is painless, and most patients watch TV or sleep during their treatments. A Certified Hyperbaric Technologist (CHT) will monitor your treatment at all times and a physician will always be nearby. During treatment, once you are comfortably positioned inside the chamber, the technologist will slowly increase the air pressure. As the pressure increases initially and decreases at the end of the treatment, you may notice the same sensation you sometimes feel when changing altitude in an airplane. Your technologist will help you equalize the pressure between your ears, if necessary.
- Diabetic Foot Ulcers
- Lower Leg Ulcers
- Venous Stasis Ulcers
- Arterial (Ischemic) Ulcers
- Bone Infection
- Skin Tears & Lacerations
- Radiation Burns
- Postoperative Infection
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
- Specialty Wound Dressings
- Alleviation of Weight-bearing Wounds
- Blood Sugar Control
- Skin Grafts

domain: medical


Download the latest SmartSensor Manager update now
The newest version of the SmartSensor Manager HD is now available.
The easiest way to obtain this new release is to download it from the SmartSensor HD support page.
Previously installed versions of SmartSensor Manager HD can be upgraded to this new version now. For questions or help, feel free to contact us


text:
John Giddings has widened his partnership with Viagogo further as the secondary ticketing website has been announced as a reselling platform for the Isle of Wight Festival.
Viagogo will provide “a secure and guaranteed platform to resell to the event,” according to a release. “This gives music fans all over the world the opportunity to buy tickets safely and securely, even when the festival is sold out at the box office.”
Viagogo was announced as the official ticket marketplace for ...
Register for a Music Week trial to access this article. Sign up today and you will receive:

domain: news


text:
A composition of stone and water. The centrally-located water fountain is built up of circular tops like ripples with a spring flowing from the top step, and it serves as the natural focal point of the square.
Project: Toldbod Plads
Role: Landscape architect
Size: 18,000 m², DKK 27 million
Client: Aalborg Municipality
Lead architect: Frode Birk Nielsen
Toldbod Plads completes the entire newly refurbished stretch from John F. Kennedys Plads down to the waterfront and its purpose is to cohere the waterfront promenade with Østerågade/city centre. In so doing, Toldbod Plads forms a connecting link between the historical centre of the city and the waterfront and is dominated by the Royal Customs House from 1902.
The square was created as an interplay and composition of stone and water. The central water fountain – 17 x 34 metres – is built up like ripples in the water of circular tops with a spring emanating from the top step and it serves as the natural focal point of the square. The water fountain sprays water in time with Handel’s “Water Music” at 3 pm, 6 pm and 9 pm, and the music resounds across the square through centrally placed loudspeakers, for a sensual interplay of music and water.


text:
Attendant Care is the most basic level of care for seriously injured people with brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, serious orthopaedic injuries and/or amputations. It allows for a Personal Support Worker to assist with personal care, safety, supervision, meal preparation, hygiene, other therapies, and more.
The Form 1 assessment is a tool which was originally intended to calculate a monetary amount for which those injured could use to a hire a Personal Support Worker.
The amount would be calculated using the amount of time required each month for a type of support multiplied by the Form 1 hourly rate for that type of support (eg. $14.00. $14.90 and $21.11). These rates have not been updated in decades and are well below minimum wage.
In the wake of the Malitskiy v. Unica decision, certain insurers have introduced blanket policies that limit payments for Attendant Care based on these outdated hourly rates. Consumers are expected to pay for remaining amounts in order to receive services.
Most individuals are unable to pay for the unpaid portion of these services and therefore go without receiving this vital support. This seems like an unfair opportunity for these insurers to unofficially deny paying for a pre-paid, mandatory auto insurance benefit.
This has left many severely injured individuals without crucial support.
In the course of our discussions with the FRSA, we have been advised to write to our MPPs and request that the Form 1 rates be increased to reflect the current market rates. We have created a letter template to share in hopes of encouraging concerned parties to contact their MPPs.
We encourage you to join us in this cause by downloading our letter template, personalizing it (if you wish) and mailing or emailing it to your MPPs office.
A copy of our letter template can be found here:
Contact information for your MPP can be found here:


text:
http://www.fashionaires.co.uk/ are doing a very good shoot on Sunday 6th of May in london westend.
They are looking for a female model very good fashion and good experience
Model must be of a editorial high-fashion standard and london based
Very good skin
Hight 6 and above
Dress size 6 to 8
Hair to medium
Blonde to brunette
No visible tattoos On face neck or hands
Fashionaires is a premier lifestyle brand working with leading commercial and editorial studios offering bespoke portrait packages, models portfolios, designer lookbooks and brand awareness. With a twist of creative energy, vision and balance, all catered for by friendly, inclusive sessions in exceptional studio environment in addition to location shoots. We create opportunities and give asurance that sensational and distinctive images will be composed and captured. Our photographers are some of the most dynamic in their field and have a passion for achieving excellence.
To apply to be submitted for this, please email your photos to firstname.lastname@example.org
If you think you have what it takes to be a fashion or commercial model please email a photo to email@example.com
PLEASE ENSURE YOU INCLUDE YOUR CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER WITH APPLICATION SO WE CAN EASILY CONTACT YOU.


text:
Thousands of citizens have taken to social media to demand that an official investigation is launched into the recent deaths of six anti-Clinton activists, all of whom died in suspicious circumstances over the last month.
Various insiders who threaten the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign were all found murdered in a short space of time, giving rise to theories that elements within the DNC or Clinton camp may be responsible for their deaths.
The unsettling events have given way to a host of Internet conspiracy theories, with denizens of Reddit and social media platforms trying to connect the deaths.
1. Molly Macauley: The world-renowned “space economist” Molly Macauly was brutally murdered while walking her two dogs around the corner from her Baltimore home.
The assailant attacked Macauley and left her for dead in upscale Roland Park — it was the first murder there since 1998.
Police say they have no suspects and no leads, though Twitter is convinced that authorities downplayed the murder because it happened during the height of the #BlackLivesMatter-related unrest.
- I Was A Hitman For Bill And Hillary Clinton — The Larry Nichols Confession
- Buried Secrets of Bill and Hillary Clinton Now Revealed — The Trail of Blood
- Bill Clinton’s Sex Victims Fear for Their Lives
2. John Ashe: The former President of the UN General Assembly was awaiting trial on bribery charges when he turned up dead in June, apparently having crushed his own windpipe while lifting weights in his home.
According to theories floating around on the web, Ashe was “scheduled to testify against the Clinton family” when he met his untimely end.
There isn’t much independent confirmation for his testimony appointment, but Ashe was part of a scheme to funnel foreign money to the Democratic National Committee during the Clinton years.
3. Victor Thorne: Thorne was, himself, a conspiracy theorist (and a Holocaust denier), but his suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound drew attention from political media because his latest project – a forthcoming book – was reportedly a treasure trove of Hillary Clinton opposition research.
4. Seth Rich: The DNC staffer was attacked near DC’s up-and-coming Bloomingdale neighborhood three weeks ago. DC police say they still have no clues or leads in what they say was a random killing, likely part of a burglary attempt.
But while Rich was beaten, shot and killed, he wasn’t robbed; he still had his wallet, watch and phone when police discovered his body.
Reddit, which has been “investigating” Rich’s death, is convinced that Rich was pushed to pass internal email to Wikileaks, resulting in the document dump that forced Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s resignation.
5. Joe Montano: An aide to Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Kaine died of an apparent heart attack in his Falls Church, Va., home in late July.
Montano, who was close to Kaine and had been employed by him for several years, was working for the Democratic National Committee when he died.
Eagle-eyed conspiracy theorists immediately connected his death to Rich’s, even though Montano reportedly passed away from a medical event.
6. Shawn Lucas: Lucas, the lead attorney and process server in fraud case against the DNC filed by Bernie Sanders supporters, was found dead on his bathroom floor just this past week.
Lucas’s death is strange, as he was reportedly in good health, according to his girlfriend. He had just appeared in a viral video showing the moment he surprised DNC officials with the fraud allegations.


text:
Glow Neon Birthday Party Backdrop-Glow in The Dark Let’s Glow Banner Backdrop Black Light Themed Photography
Available online only
About this item
•Glow Design - This Let's Glow Banner Backdrop Items Do Not Glow In The Dark Or Under Black Light. Colorful neon rings design and LET'S CLOW signs on black background, bright and vivid colors make your party more attractive and impressive.
•Large Size - The party backdrop measures 71 x 47" / 180 x 120 cm, which is large enough to decorate birthday parties or use as a photo prop to take many beautiful photos and videos with your friends as souvenirs.
•Durable Material - Polyester fabric for the fluorescent backdrop, comfortable hand and clear pattern, lightweight and foldable for easy portability and storage, washable and tear-resistant for years of use.
•Easy to Use - This glow neon banner comes with a 10m rope, easy to hang the rope through the copper grommet ready to hang on indoor, outdoor, wall, living room, balcony, lawn fence, ceiling, stage background, bringing you and your guest a joyful party atmosphere.
•Multiple Uses - Glow neon backdrops are ideal decorative items for boy girl birthday parties, glow happy birthday parties, blacklight parties, rave summer parties, stage decoration, concert, photo booth props, photography backdrops, can even be used as cake table decor and picnic mats, product photoshoot.
- British Columbia (Remote)
- Alberta (Remote)
- Saskatchewan (Remote)
- Manitoba (Remote)
- Ontario (Remote)
- Quebec (Remote)
- New Brunswick (Remote)
- Nova Scotia (Remote)
- Prince Edward Island (Remote)
- Newfoundland and Labrador (Remote)
- Northwest Territories

domain: design


text:
Metallic creation is definitely the production of aluminum from scrap or live golf club. In metal production, harmful particles like straightener and extra carbon are taken out of the raw metal and used in producing aluminum. This process can be known as blackening. Nonetheless, the definition of is by and large accustomed to explain particles modifying in terms of iron into valuable precious metal.
If you’re ready to find out more regarding Industrial Steel buildings look into our web-site.
The organic product is either a clubhouse of flat iron or maybe a line of metal that was handled making it flexible. This might bring the type welding, brazing or moving, or it usually is a variety of these procedures. In terms of iron ore is the major method of obtaining live product for aluminum creation. Oahu is the most frequent substance helpful to develop steel. Other kinds of raw materials involve discarded and recycled little bit from an industry. Aluminum can also be made from forged iron or gentle material or equally.
The best kind of steel is a top-notch mix. The aluminum is often a combination of metal and co2 or natural in terms of iron. Precious metals tend to be a lesser amount of crisp than natural metal and for that reason demand much less proper care.
The operation employed for precious metal creation consists of heating the natural content into a precise temperature. The climate is elevated before the fusion results in being molten and it’s forced by way of media and wheels.
The organic content goes through many stages prior to being employed in aluminum production. Within these stages, the metallic can modify its homes and appearance. There’s two standard levels in the organic materials processing: warm operating and cool. The heat range where the fresh materials passes through these two steps will determine how will probably be refined.
The raw materials are heated to temperatures of 1000 certifications Celsius. This method aids you to develop a host that allows the material to interact with air, being created an oxide on the surface. This enables the straightener to react with other components to create new golf club chemical compounds.
Subsequent, a solution of several toxins is used towards the in terms of iron. This could be a thicker slurry that combinations while using metal. The mixture creates a covering which enables you to get the metal that has a simple conclude. and the cooled straightener is forced via rollers and constrained once more. This will take time and a lot of strength.
As long as the natural material used in the production course of action is high quality, the finished material items may last for some time. Nonetheless, aluminum could only become in a small amount. The uncooked content should not be used over the big space since it is too brittle to face up to large numbers of temperature.
Precious metal bags are largely created at metallic plant life. These industrial facilities are heaters plus they can be found in mills, producers and steelworks.
Steel goods are applied in a number of uses. One can use them in architectural structures and vessels, for manufacturing vehicles, in airplanes motors, in making bullet proof vests plus much more. The steel strategy is also employed to make auto parts.
There are numerous types of steel goods. You will discover the hard sorts of precious metal, which often can merely used in companies, although the gentle kinds can be used for home-based requirements. Difficult aluminum is more epensive and it must be dissolved at higher temps.
Alternatively, comfortable material is less expensive and are dissolved at very low temperature ranges. It could be formed into many patterns.
There are two tips on how to make precious metal goods. The initial way is using tough wide range and the more affordable form of material while the alternative route is using the less expensive but more affordable gentle metal.
In case you have any queries concerning exactly where in addition to tips on how to employ industrial steel frame buildings https://www.springfieldsteelbuildings.com/industrial-steel-buildings/, you are able to email us from our internet site.
Should you be enthusiastic about this content with this write-up, here are several far more webpages with a similar material:

domain: chemistry


text:
Here is every thing to grab about actor and comedian Anthony Johnson, who died at age 55 attributable to his ‘chronic ethanol expend.’
Actor and comedian Anthony Johnson, who passed away at the age of 55 in September, died from his “longtime ingesting,” in step with the scientific examiner, per TMZ. In his autopsy narrative, obtained by the outlet, Anthony’s “chronic ethanol expend” became cited because the motive of death, whereas his manner of death became pronounced as pure. When officers ran a toxicology narrative, there had been no capsules or alcohol in Anthony’s machine. In the meantime, his widow, Lexis, urged the outlet she may well maybe maybe be creating a basis in Anthony’s name and that her mission is to “snort youth referring to the hazards of alcohol.”
Around the time of Anthony’s death, his nephew urged TMZ that he “became realized unimaginative” lying in a store in Los Angeles in early September and became without extend rushed by ambulance to a scientific institution, where he became pronounced lifeless.
Born in Campton, California on Would possibly maybe also 6, 1965, Anthony became effectively-acknowledged for his profession as a comedian and actor in Hollywood. Here are five key issues to grab about Anthony Johnson.
1. Anthony became most tremendous acknowledged for his role in ‘Friday.’
Anthony is arguably most tremendous acknowledged for his role within the 1995 comedy movie Friday, which starred Ice Dice, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, and Bernie Mac. Anthony played Ezal, a drug addict and petty thief. He didn’t appear within the movie’s two sequels, Next Friday and Friday After Next.
2. His gargantuan performing destroy became his role in ‘House Birthday party.’
Ahead of his role in Friday, Anthony’s performing profession started within the 1982 TV movie Puss in Boots. But he bought his gargantuan destroy in 1990 when he landed the role of E.Z.E within the comedy movie House Birthday party. The flick starred Christopher “Kid” Reid, Robin Harris, Christopher “Play” Martin, and Martin Lawrence.
After House Birthday party, Anthony scored roles in Lethal Weapon, Panther, The Avid gamers Membership, I Received The Hook Up and more. He furthermore had about a TV gigs, including The Dauntless and the Honest, South Central, Moesha, and Malcolm & Eddie.
3. He became furthermore acknowledged for his profession in stand-up comedy.
Anthony became furthermore a effectively-acknowledged comedian for the length of his lifetime. He started doing standup comedy periods in bars and golf equipment in L.A. as soon as he bought notorious after his movie roles.
4. He became featured in about a tune movies.
Anthony’s resume furthermore integrated about a tune video appearances. He played Sleazy-E, a parody of Easy-E, within the video for Dr. Dre‘s 1992 video display “Dre Day.” He reprised that role for the “Trusty Muthaphuckkin G’s” 1993 video.
5. He had a terror assault on a plane in 2009.
Anthony made headlines in 2009 when he suffered a terror assault whereas on a plane at Laguardia Airport. Stories said that Anthony had a heart assault, but he later clarified in interviews that it became a terror assault. “I became on a plane and i became sitting between two heavy elephantine dudes, and I became sitting all by them and I couldn’t breathe,” he said in 2018. Per reports, paramedics had been referred to as to the scene and Anthony made a pudgy recovery at a scientific institution.

domain: entertainment


Finally: New Remote Weapon Systems for Stryker
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait — Members of the 2nd (Stryker) Cavalry Regiment recently became the first Army unit to have the new Remote Weapon Systems refitted and mounted on their Stryker vehicles.
The RWS is the Army’s latest advancement in weapon systems. The system has a new laser range finder for its .50-caliber mounted machine gun. Before 2nd SCR Soldiers deployed to Iraq the new systems were mounted on Strykers in Germany and Kuwait.
First, note the regiment’s location.
Secondly, the article actually seems to make the RWS sound like a new invention. It’s not, and all Strykers have always had the M151 RWS (called the ‘Protector’ in the commercial market). The upgrade is actually a new and improved version of the RWS which incorporates, among other things, the Small Tactical Optical Rifle Mounted (STORM) Laser Range Finder:
Storm is a component of the RWS that provides stabilization so gunners can shoot on the move. The stabilizer has a built-in laser range finder, which has a more accurate balance between the weapon and the target.
The majority of the Strykers assigned to the 2nd SCR were recently fitted with the new Storm system in Vilseck, Germany, prior to unit deployment. The remainder of the Strykers received the Storm system once the vehicles arrived in Kuwait.
“Once we got here, they made some adjustments to the Storm system and tested it all,” said Bright, a native of Walton, W.Va. –The Storm is part of the gun system. All components put together helps stabilize the gun system,” said Bright. “It helps us to shoot on the move.”
The stabilization and a later comment that the RWS turns more rapidly make this sound like the M151E2 Block II RWS. The STORM laser range finder was part of the M151E1 Block I upgrade, which means that it should already have been available. This article almost makes it sound like Block I and Block II are hitting the field at the same time.
I’ve long noted the lack of RWS stabilization that would allow accurate fire while on the move, and I’ve noted the CROWS system, which is motion stabilized, several times (most notably here and here.) It seems to me that this upgrade alone is a pretty significant one.
The imaging and targeting capabilities are also heavily used for surveillance, so upgrades in those areas will have a far greater impact than just improving the Strykers ability to shoot.
Plus note this from yesterday:
Kongsberg Gets $1.4B Army Deal
WASHINGTON – A Norwegian defense subsidiary won a five-year deal worth up to $1.34 billion from the U.S. Army to supply remote controlled weapons for 6,500 Abrams tanks and Stryker armored vehicles used in Iraq.
Remote Weapons Stations are part of the M1 TUSK program.
Here is a 2005 article noting the Block I and Block II changes, as well as some proposed future upgrades for the RWS:
M151E1 (Block I) Changes to the Protector Remote Weapon Station
–New Thermal Imaging Module (TIM) which more than triples the ID range of the original thermal camera and provides two optical fields of view and two electronic fields of view. This improvement leverages the current technology in the Heavy Thermal Weapon Sight program.
–Integrates the new Small Tactical Optical Rifle Mounted (STORM) Laser Range Finder providing the operator with increased response time and visible and IR pointers to coordinate engagements with ground troops. This system is common with Land Warrior Units and directly interchangeable.
–Modified Video Imaging Module (VIM) includes a color display which allows for improved situational awareness and coordination with ground troops.
–Larger ammo can with a low ammo sensor provides longer engagement times between reloads and the low ammo sensor provides a warning when ammunition is getting low.
–Enhanced Control Grip provides the gunner improved accessibility and easier operation.
M151E2 (Block II) Changes to the Protector Weapon Station
–Capability to engage targets while moving at speeds of up to 25 mph over various terrains.
–Increased slew rate which will improve engagement times and provide “hooks” for future enhancements that will leverage sensors and provide automatic slew to target on demand.
The M151 Remote Weapon System future considerations
–Integrated Javelin capability;
–Future armament upgrades such as the Advanced Crews Served Weapon;
–Acoustic and IR sensors to detect and slew to threats; and
–Far target designation–will lase a target and determine target location (grid coordinates) for hand off to other resources for engagement or situational awareness.
DVIDS article via Stryker Brigade News.


text:
Agro Infrastructure and Food Processing
Our Agro Infrastructure and Food Processing Division provides one stop solution to agriculture, livestock, post-harvest facilities and logistics and food sectors. It plays a proactive role in mentoring, developing sustainable agro and food businesses.We provide our expertise to our clients to tap the upcoming opportunities, Government initiatives and incentives and pave way for major investment in food processing sector.
Under this division we provide consultancy services like market assessment and pre-feasibility studies, preparation of DPRs, TEV studies preparation of project proposals as per government schemes etc. to several public, private and co-operative and government clientsfor setting up of cold storage, dehydration plant, food parks, modernisation of slaughterhouse, etc.
Our Company has been empanelled as Programme Management Agency by Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, New Delhi for setting up of new Abattoirs and modernising of existing Abattoirs.
Here is our Nine Steps Approach (Concept to Commissioning)
Identification of Potential Concept/Product
Preparation of Business Plan
Market Research for Backward & Forward Linkages
Location Identification and land Acquisition
Project layout & other approvals
Trial runs & commencement of Production
Product Launch & Brand Creation
- Spectrum of Services
- Empanelled and Associated with
- Projects Covered
- Some of Our prestigious clients
- Contact us
- Market survey and research, Demand-Supply Studies based on Desk Research/Field Survey
- Project/ Opportunity identification
- Techno-Economic Feasibility Report (TEFR)
- Assistance to project promoters in formation of SPV Company, finalization of project components and technology and assessment of technical viability
- Preparation of pre-Feasibility study reports/ Project Proposals & Detailed Project Report(DPR)
- Project Management Consultancy (PMC) and hand-holding services For turnkey implementation of projects
- Project appraisals and Program Management Agency (PMA) services
- Techno-economic appraisal of projects for financial sanction
- Preparation of Applications / Project Reports for Financial Grants From Govt. & Liaison with Govt.Authorities to obtain financial sanctions
- Assistance for Certifications / Licenses / Accreditation
We work with Ministry of Food Processing Industries,Govt. of India,New Delhi as Project Management Consultant (PMC) for Infrastructure Development Schemes, viz. Mega Food Parks, integrated Cold Chain, modernization of abattoirs, setting up / up gradation of Quality Control Laboratories / Food Testing Laboratories .
We have provided consultancy services to Mega Food Park Projects in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Tripura, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim for approval by the concerned Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Govt. of India, New Delhi.
We have also prepared several reports on Integrated Cold Chain Projects, Food Testing Laboratories and Modernization of Abattoirs in Maharashtra, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya etc. For more details, please visit our website www.mitconindia.com
- MoFPI ( Ministry of Food Processing Industries, GOI,New Delhi.)
- NIFTEM (National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management
- SFAC (Small Farmer Agri-Business Consortium)
- NMPPB (National Meat & Poultry Processing Board)
- Government Subsidy and Incentives Schemes
- Commercial Horticulture including Fruits, Vegetables, Flowers, Spices Cultivation, Nursery,Greenhouses Poly-houses,Organic Farming etc.
- Water harvesting
- Fruits,vegetables,spices processing
- Milk processing
- Processing of other Food products based on cereals, pulses, oil seeds including oil mills, bakery products, Flour mills, Dal mills, Ready to eat (RTE) & Ready to coor (RTC) products etc.
- Livestock rearing and Animal Husbandry including Dairy Farming, Goat Farming, Fisheries, Poultry
- Modern Abattoir and meat processing
- Export and Import oF Agricultural, Food and allied commodities
- Agro Tourism in India and abroad
- Post Harvest Infrastructure including Integrated Cold Chain, Cold Storage, Warehouses Primary Processing Centers, Reefer Vans and logistics
- Setting up up-gradation of Food Testing Laboratories
- Agro-lnfrastructure Development including Mega Food Parks,Industrial Parks etc.
We provide consultancy for development of following projects
- Mega Food Parks allied industrial and logistics parks
- Commercial Agriculture/horticulture Projects
- Dairy/Poultry/Fisheries Projects
- Primary Processing, Collection Centres and post harvest facilities
- Integrated Cold Chain
- Cold Storages, Warehouses and other Logistics for Agro & allied products, Food Processing Projects
- Setting up/up gradation of Food Testing Laboratories
- Infrastructure for Marketing of Agro Products,
- Development of need based Infrastructure & Common Facilities for the agro and food processing industries
- Infrastructure Development Programmes from Govt. of India, State Governments & International Agencies.
DPRs : Mega Food Parks
|Sr. No.||Name of The work||Name of Client|
|1||Mega Food Park near Melli, Sikkim||Himalayan Organic Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd.|
|2||Mega Food Park, near Satara, M.S||Satara Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd.|
|3||Mega Food Park near Nashik, Maharashtra||Suyojit Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd.|
|4||Mega Food Park, Jagdishpur, Uttar Pradesh||Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd.|
|5||Mega Food Park, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu||Tamil Nadu Mega Food Park Ltd.|
|6||Mega Food Park, Agartala, Tripura||Sikaria Infraprojects Pvt. Ltd.|
|7||Mega Food Park, Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh||N. P. Sugar Mills Pvt. Ltd.|
|8||Mega Food Park, Shirwal, Maharashtra||Western Agri Food Park Pvt. Ltd.|
|9||Mega Food Park, Vadodara, Gujarat||Anil Ltd.|
|10||Mega Food Park, Surat, Gujarat||Gujarat Agro Infrastructure Mega Food Park Pvt. Ltd.|
- Chandrashekhar Kurade
Asst. Vice President
- Mob: +91-9881304836
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
Newham detectives propose introducing ‘Rambo knife’ licences
- Credit: Met Police
Met detectives in Newham have proposed introducing licences for “Rambo knives” amid concerns a growing number are used in stabbings.
Senior detectives have discussed a "licensing or registration system" with the government amid fears hunting knives are increasingly becoming a weapon of choice among gangs.
Survival and hunting knives can be picked up online for as little as £15 online and can cause more damage than ordinary kitchen blades, police said.
The Offensive Weapons Bill, expected to come into law later this year, will mean retailers have to check the age of anyone purchasing a knife before handing over the order. The bill will also ban possession of weapons such as zombie knives, knuckle dusters and death stars.
But officers said there are legitimate reasons for buying a hunting knife and more could be done to stop dangerous blades getting onto the street. They have discussed the possibility of licences with the Home Office to make them less easy to get hold of.
You may also want to watch:
Detective Inspector Nathan Munson, from the community safety unit based in Newham, told the borough's crime commission a licensing or registration process for hunting knives could help control the numbers sold.
He said: "We need to make it more difficult for stabbings to occur. If you want a survival knife you go online and you buy one for £15.
- 1 Steven Fry: Canning Town man to face court charged with murder
- 2 Police name Newham man fatally shot in Haringey
- 3 Man killed and two injured in triple shooting
- 4 Newham town halls to be lit up in tribute to Sabina Nessa
- 5 US fried chicken chain Popeyes to open first UK outlet in Stratford
- 6 First apartments to go on sale at 769-home development in Royal Docks
- 7 New primary school in Stratford welcomes first reception class
- 8 Things to do: Explore east London this weekend
- 9 Sadiq Khan warns of flood threat in east London from climate emergency
- 10 Steven Fry stabbing: Custom House victim named in murder investigation
"The Offensive Weapons Bill will prohibit zombie knives, [but] they are not the main problem we see. It is the survival knives. I know people can say it is not hard to get hold of a kitchen knife because they are in your house, but they are not designed to kill. These weapons are more damaging."
A police spokesman said the Met is consulting with the Home Office on their serious violence strategy and a licensing or registration process for certain knives, a ban, and the need for greater diligence from retailers have all been discussed as ways of reducing the availability of potentially deadly weapons, he said.
He added: "The Met continues to work with the Home Office and other partners to see what measures can be put in place to reduce knife crime. The availability of dangerous knives and enforcement are part of that discussion."
The Offensive Weapons Bill was pushed back earlier this year for the Home Office to add knife crime prevention orders aimed at stopping feuding gang members by imposing curfews and social media bans.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Our serious violence strategy sets government action to address knife crime and the Offensive Weapons Bill includes specific new knife offences, like making it an offence to possess certain weapons in private, and limiting knives being sent to residential addresses after they are bought online.
"We've also listened to the police, which is why we are introducing knife crime prevention orders to help police manage those at risk in the community, including on release from prison."

domain: law


Concrete Mixer Machines Manufacturers, Suppliers & Dealers
Trucks / Concrete Mixer. Concrete Mixer Trucks. At Transwest, we provide concrete mixers from top manufacturers as well as financing options, services, and parts. Talk to us about our inventory today. View all Concrete Mixer Trucks.
We are providing Universal Concrete Mixers are available in various sizes. These mixers are very extensively used in India from a More. Online. Universal Construction Machinery & Equipment Ltd. New Delhi, India More Skipper Corner, Building Number 88, Office Number 403, Near HDFC Bank, Nehru Place, New Delhi, Delhi, India.
All in all, Aimix is an excellent concrete pump manufacturer. Besides, we also produce cement mixer with pump. With various certification, reliable quality of products, value-added services, you will never regret cooperating with us. By the way, if you are looking for concrete mixer pump manufacturers, Aimix is also a good choice for you.
Concrete Mixer Trucks - Cement Truck Latest Price
7/12/2016 · Six mobile concrete mixer manufacturers lead the way in production, yet there are key questions to ask each one before buying a volumetric mixer. Skip to content CONTACT US Contact Us 1700 N. 14th St. Indianola, IA 50125 Call Us: +1 800 247-2464
1/6/2017 · The company manufactured its first hydraulic twin-cylinder concrete pump in 1957 and its first truck mixer in 1958. Browse Related Reports: Global Waterproofing Membranes Market 2017-2021
Who is the best concrete pump manufacturer? We'll compare some of the top concrete boom pump and concrete trailer pump manufactures here and give you a chance to voice your opinion. Hi, I am Mike Day, owner of Day's Concrete Floors, Inc. in Maine, where I've been working with concrete for 40 years now, and this website is where I can share with you all the knowledge and wisdom I've gained
30kW concrete mixer with a productivity of 35m³/h. 1. 4 Sets (Min. Order) Beijing New Building Materials Co. Ltd. Beijing New Building Materials Co. Ltd. Our skilled workers can assemble a 200sqm, 2-story house in 45 days. 7th year with Global Sources.
Find here Mini Concrete Mixer, Half Bag Concrete Mixer manufacturers, suppliers & exporters in India. Get contact details & address of companies manufacturing and supplying Mini Concrete Mixer, Half Bag Concrete Mixer across India.
Concrete Mixer Trucks from Top Manufacturers - New & Used
Concrete Mixer (31) Motor Grader (13) Paver (8) Concrete Batching Plant (6) Hoist (3) Concrete Truck (2) Other Mineral, Metallurgy & Petroleum Machinery (1) more less Transmission Type Automatic (1) Manual (1) more less Power Diesel (2) more less Type
top cha company in india, Post free loads, online book truck at cheap cost, best trasportation service provider,international freight forwarders and custom clearance agents call-8800470037 KhaliTrucks.Com is web based transportation portal created with an aim to
7/12/2016 · Zimmerman. Founded by Harold Zimmerman, the company developed the Zim Mixer in 1979. Zimmerman focuses on the mobile volumetric mixers, cement silos, and serves many segments of the construction industry. The Zim Mixers are the only volumetric mixers that use a chain drive system.
Find here Concrete Mixers, Concrete Mixer Machine manufacturers, suppliers & exporters in India. Get contact details & address of companies manufacturing and supplying Concrete Mixers, Concrete Mixer Machine across India.
The mixing capacity of small mixer truck for sale is below 10m3. So the models of small cement trucks include DW-3, DW-4, DW-5, DW-6 and DW-8. Compared with large size of concrete mixer truck, the small cement mixer truck for sale can not only meet the demand of transporting concrete…
Choosing a reliable concrete mixer truck manufacturer is an important premise of buying a qualified concrete mixing truck for sale. Aimix Group as one of the most largest and strongest competitive concrete mixer truck manufacturers & suppliers in china, our products have been exported to 83 countries and areas.
GetDistributors offers Construction Equipment distributorship opportunities for sale. Wanted distributors, dealers & suppliers of Construction Equipment, Cement Mixer, Bar Cutting Machine, Concrete Mixer, Concrete Mixer Machine, Weigh Batcher for manufacturers


text:
El Paso To Enact Restrictions After Highest Positive COVID Case Count Of 717
If you think that the COVID-19 numbers in the 400 - 500 range are bad, you should really sit down for Thursday's new COVID-19 positive cases. El Paso officials announced that there are 717 new COVID-19 cases this morning. That doesn't mean that the cases all happened within the past couple of days, but rather, that is the number of cases that have been reported to the Department of Public Health. Those tests come in from state-run and privately-run testing sites. They could also be a couple of weeks old depending on when the tests were administered and how long it took for the results to be reported to the Department of Public Health.
Because of the skyrocketing cases, EPISD, Canutillo ISD, and Socorro ISD are extending their fall intercessions for another week, and they are still trying to get a waiver from the Texas Education Agency to keep kids at home until the spring semester. With Thursday's numbers, they might have made their case.
Here is a rundown of the new restrictions that were put into place this morning by City and County health officials:
As of midnight Friday:
Restaurants will be limited occupancy back to 50%, as with all non-essential businesses. After 9 p.m. restaurants will only be able to do take out and drive-thru only.
Bars remain closed.
Gatherings in parks are restricted to fewer than 10 people or less.
There will be no indoor sports and outdoor sports will not be allowed to have spectators. UTEP and the Locomotive will be allowed to have games and can have spectators if they choose.
No outdoor gatherings going forward will be approved.
Nursing home visits are now put on hold.
Trick-or-treating is not allowed.
These rules do not impact polling locations.
If you get a positive result and have not been contacted by the Public Health Department, you need to call them within 24 hours. If you get a call from City of El Paso on your caller ID, answer it because it will be a contact tracer. If you aren't sure if it is a legitimate phone call, call the Department of Public Health at (915) 212-6520.
We will continue to update any new restrictions as they happen.


text:
On March 4, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court decided United States Fish and Wildlife Service et al. v. Sierra Club, Inc., holding that the deliberative process privilege exemption in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) protects predecisional, deliberative draft opinions from disclosure.
In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule regarding “cooling water intake structures” used to cool industrial equipment. Because the rule had the potential to jeopardize protected aquatic wildlife, the EPA was required to consult with two related agencies — the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) — and obtain a “jeopardy” or “no jeopardy” biological opinion from them before issuing the rule. During the consultation process, the EPA revised the proposed rule twice, with the final version of the rule “differ[ing] significantly” from the prior version. The FWS and NMFS issued a joint “no jeopardy” biological opinion to the final version of the proposed rule, and the EPA issued the rule.
The Sierra Club submitted a FOIA request for records related to the consultation process for the rule. The FWS and NMFS invoked the deliberative process privilege to withhold their draft biological opinions related to the prior versions of the rule. The Sierra Club sued to get the opinions in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The district court agreed with Sierra Club that the opinions were not privileged. The Ninth Circuit affirmed in part and held that the draft opinions were not privileged.
In a 7–2 decision, the first published decision to be authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court reversed. It held that the draft opinions relating to prior versions of the proposed rule “reflect[ed] a preliminary view — not a final decision,” and were, therefore, protected by the deliberative process privilege. The Court reasoned that the deliberative process privilege “distinguishes between predecisional, deliberative documents, which are exempt from disclosure, and documents reflecting a final agency decision and the reasons supporting it, which are not.” It defined documents as “predecisional” if they “were generated before the agency’s final decision on the matter, and it defined documents as “deliberative” if they “were prepared to help the agency formulate its position.” The Court emphasized that a document does not reflect a final decision “solely because nothing else follows it. Sometimes a proposal dies on the vine.” As an example, documents discussing ideas that have been “discarded or simply languish” do not reflect an “agency’s settled position” or “final view” on a matter.
The Court expressly rejected the Sierra Club’s proposed “effects-based test” looking at whether the document “provoked a response” to determine its finality, explaining that “[t]o determine whether the privilege applies, we must evaluate not whether the drafts provoked a response from the EPA but whether the Services treated them as final.”
Justice Barrett delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Alito, Kagan, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh joined. Justice Breyer filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Sotomayor joined.


text:
Weekly Links #218
Hello, everyone! The third game in my current series got done on Friday morning. I incorporated some lessons from the first one, but the game design didn't come together all that well. It's still a fun game that takes some skill and not just luck. And hey, for my first time actually making a strategy game (unused design documents don't count), the result could have been worse.
Now it's time to revisit the second one. As initially planned (should have stayed the course) it will be a two-player board game. Which establishes a new pattern: each entry should be in a different genre. And that tells me what to go for next.
But for now I need a break to sleep off accumulated stress from health issues. So let's see what's new in the world of game development.
Videogame preservation is an increasigly popular topic these days, as technologies keep changing at a dizzying pace even as PC hardware has begun to stagnate. I even have to skip over the occasional news simply for having little to add.
This time, Gamasutra points readers at an effort to preserve Flash games specifically -- a task made hard by Flash itself going away entirely in a couple of years, and the games also depending on files and server features that are hard to come by anymore. The author of this initiative does a good job of explaining why this is happening, and what is being done. What saddened me was hearing how Flash game portals don't seem to know what to do -- or else don't care. Like... this is their livelihood? A good part of it anyway, even if most of them have probably started transitioning to HTML5 years ago. But no.
A worthy cause, then, which deserves to be more widely known. Good luck to them!
This Thursday Rock, Paper, Shotgun has an introduction to collectible card games, something I ought to know more about. It's well-written too, lightly and humorously, giving a good overview of the market as of now. It even mentions a physical card game!
I would add the upcoming Slime CCG, that you can find on itch.io, and Patient Rogue, released earlier this spring. And hey, this might just be the kick in the pants I need to try and make one of my own.
To cap off the work week, RogueBase points me at the creator of Cogmind writing extensively about achievements in games, and it turns out they're useful for a lot more than just participation trophies to make kids interact more with a marketplace. I won't go into details; it's a long, thoughtful post which also segues into icon design (in ASCII art, natch) and implementation details towards the end. Lots of food for thought in there, so I'll just leave you to it.
As the weekend draws near, interactive fiction authors can enjoy a brief comparison between Twine and Ink (spotted by Raphaël Lucas). Written at an introductory level, it aims to give a feel for what it's like to work in either system, pointing out how both can do the same things, but in different ways, and with other defaults. In my opinion, it gives a better idea of what Ink can do than even the official documentation, which makes the system appear cryptic at best. A good read, then, and not long at all. Enjoy!
It's Saturday, and PCGamer treats us to a story about the making of Undetale, that makes unlikely connections but also provides excellent insights. I'm glad to see more people use the term "punk" while talking about a videogame, for instance. On the other hand, the game's success is hardly a surprise in retrospect: Undertale makes it painfully obvious just how same-y most other RPGs are, even those famous for letting players talk their way out of everything. Also how personal, heartfelt pixel art impresses players a lot more than millions of polygons that say nothing. Or, as the article points out, how underestimating kids is a mistake:
If its virality ensured the attention of young eyes, there were other reasons why youngsters were so enamoured with the game. “It’s funny, it’s messed up, kind of scary, and isn’t for kids, but doesn’t exclude them,” he says. “Kids love messed-up stuff that isn’t for kids, but doesn’t exclude them.”
So yes, we all have much to learn from this one game. But it's hard to accept the lessons we're being taught.
With that, I declare the week concluded. Enjoy the Sunday.

domain: hobby


General and transferable statistical potentials to quantify the compatibility between local structures and local sequences of peptide fragments in proteins were derived. In the derivation, structure clusters of fragments are obtained by clustering five-residue fragments in native proteins based on their conformations represented by a local structure alphabet (de Brevern et al., Proteins 2000;41:271-287), secondary structure states, and solvent accessibilities. On the basis of the native sequences of the structurally clustered fragments, the probabilities of different amino acid sequences were estimated for each structure cluster. From the sequence probabilities, statistical energies as a function of sequence for a given structure were directly derived. The same sequence probabilities were employed in a database-matching approach to derive statistical energies as a function of local structure for a given sequence. Compared with prior models of local statistical potentials, we provided an integrated approach in which local conformations and local environments are treated jointly, structures are treated in units of fragments instead of individual residues so that coupling between the conformations of adjacent residues is included, and strong interdependences between the conformations of overlapping or neighboring fragment units are also considered. In tests including fragment threading, pseudosequence design, and local structure predictions, the potentials performed at least comparably and, in most cases, better than a number of existing models applicable to the same contexts indicating the advantages of such an integrated approach for deriving local potentials and suggesting applicability of the statistical potentials derived here in sequence designs and structure predictions.


File(s) not publicly available
Liquid distribution in the axial direction of an inclined triangular micro heat pipe
conference contributionposted on 2023-01-29, 22:09 authored by D Sugumar, T K Kiong, B Venkatesh, C K Eng
Micro heat pipes (MHPs) are, essentially, miniature heat transfer devices which use phase change to transfer thermal energy. In recent years, there have been numerous proposals for their applications in cooling electronic devices. In this paper, the axial liquid distribution of a triangular MHP is investigated for the case of inclined orientation. The study is limited to the case of positive inclination, whereby the condenser section is elevated from horizontal position. In this case, the inclusion of gravity renders the governing equation unsolvable analytically, and the 4th order Runge-Kutta method has been selected to solve it numerically. The results show that for a horizontally oriented MHP, so that the effect of gravity can be neglected, the liquid distribution along the axial direction increases monotonically from the minimum value at the evaporator end to the maximum at the condenser end. However, if the MHP is positively inclined, the axial distribution of the liquid phase is changed qualitatively. While the liquid distribution still increases monotonically starting from the evaporator end, it reaches its maximum value not at the condenser end but at a certain point in the condenser section, beyond which the liquid distribution decreases monotonically. Moreover, as the angle of inclination is increased, the maximum-distribution point moves further away from the condenser end. This maximum point, where potentially flooding will first take place, results from the balance between the effects of gravity and the heat load on the MHP, the former having the propensity to move all the liquid from the condenser towards the evaporator while the latter the tendency to place more liquid in the condenser section. As the liquid distribution assumes its greatest value at the maximum point, a throat like formation appears there. This formation is detrimental to the performance of an MHP, because it hinders, and at worst may block, the axial flow of the vapor phase.