They came before Columbus… and what?!? | Taino Woman Comes Dancing...in the spirit of Hatuey!
They came before Columbus… and what?!?
I read They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America by Ivan Van Sertima. I wasn't halfway through this book and I was thoroughly offended, but I finished it just to hear their point of view.
The belief that Africans were in the Americas before the Europeans were makes sense to me. There is plenty of proof of intercontinental contact world wide. Even evolution depends on intercontinental travel, I don't see why it would just stop once the lands were populated. However, the offense lies in the implication that the indigenous people of the Americas were empty-headed morons just waiting, with open arms, for someone to come and guide them to civilization. As much as Van Sertima states that he is not seeking to imply this, his claims that the advances in agriculture, textiles, architecture, ancient academics and most all things upon which civilization is based upon is thanks to the African guidance. He even correlates the Africans arrival at the same time the Olmec civilization was booming!
One of the points Van Sertima makes, that I found intriguing for a minute was the megalithic Olmec heads. These huge carved heads have thick lips and flat noses and he places these images side by side with pictures of West African people who have similar features. He goes as far as to suggest that these carved images were possibly made to glorify these black leaders who have taught them so much! (argh!) What I found confusing was that although his comparison was of West African features, these black leaders that were supposed to have been canonized by a grateful indigenous population supposedly came from East Africa. The physical features of East African people are very different from those of West Africa, and nothing like the Olmec heads.
And apparently Van Sertima never considered that Mongolian and Polynesian features include thick lips and flat noses, too.
From a Native perspective, this book is the same garbage that the Europeans have been dishing out since they got here. Not once does the author consider the possibility that maybe the indigenous folks from over here went to Africa to school them, instead. I mean, considering the world's oldest mummy is Chinchorro, from Chile, and the mummification processes are similar- including the removal of the internal organs and the placing of a mask over the face- the thought that this technology came from Egypt to the Americas doesn't make sense. The oldest known Egyptian mummy was dated around 3500 B.C. while the Chinchorro mummy was dated at 6000 B.C. Do the math!
It is also interesting to note that although the Mayan pyramids are younger than those in Egypt, there have been pyramids found under Japanese waters that date 5000 years (at least) earlier than the oldest Egyptian pyramid, the Saqqara. This makes one wonder about who went where, especially since genetics are now showing that the Native American came from Asia to the American continent- maybe some just continued the journey all the way to Africa and taught them how to make pyramids also. And what of the megalithic Bolivian structures of Pumapunku and Tiahuanaco, that are estimated to be 17,000 years old, yet their design makes the Saqqara look like child's play! These ruins baffle scientists not only because the blocks used to build it weighed in at over 100 tons a piece; the cuts and fittings between them are so precise that their very creation is a mystery. And the materials the blocks are made of, dolomite, can only be cut by diamond tipped cutting tools!
The fact that there are pyramids all over the world is used by afrocentrists to prove that the technology was introduced by Black people. Yet this "evidence" is also used by those who say that extraterrestrials were the creators of these pyramids, because human beings- particularly ancient, indigenous human beings, could not have figured out how to make these huge structures all on their own. Especially when modern architects say they can't make them with the tools available at that time themselves!
Just as it's not cool to say that Africans were not intelligent enough to build the pyramids, it's not cool to attempt to elevate your ethnic group by disparaging another. There is no need to deny the advances that belong to Black people; I can drive my automatic transmission car, in air conditioning while eating a peanut butter sandwich thanks to the inventions of Black people! But there is also no need to take away from the advances of the Native American Indian people to pad Black history. It's just as debasing as the Eurocentric view is, and just as sadly desperate.
I am in the process of revamping those videos.
There is no evidence that Africans made it to the Americas before 1492. If any crossed it would have been a lost ship that never made it back. Not enough to make a dent in culture, DNA or leave any physical evidence of their presence.
The Japanese underwater structures are natural underwater formations, not pyramids.
Pumapunku is in Bolivia and is part of the Tihuanaco culture. You are looking at 300 AD for that one. Teotihuacan is in Mexico. It's pyramid dates to around 100 AD. The earliest pyramids are in Peru, in the Caral region that date to around 3000 BC.
Automatic transmission wasn't invented by an African American, nor was Air conditioning or Peanut Butter. African Americans have accomplished many things, but those myths are not a part of them.
The first automatic transmission was designed by the Sturtevant brothers of Massachusetts in 1904. Richard Spikes, an African American, invented one of many improved automatic gear shifts in 1932. But the proto-type of the one we use now was invented in 1939 by Earl Thompson with a group of engineers.
Dr. Willis Carrier built the first air conditioner in 1906, Frederick Jones, an African American built an air conditioner for food transport in trucks in 1949.
Peanut Butter existed since the time of the Aztec. It is not any one person's invention. Commercially produced, it already existed in 1884 in Canada. George Washington Carver did write about many uses of Peanuts and marketed a few peanut products icluding a supposed tuberculosis treatment ointment, a hair dressing and a massage oil. But not Peanut Butter.
Thank you Salsassin for your comments and links. I appreciate your additional information as well as your corrections- some of these were silly on my part, like Tiahuanaco and Teotihuacan.
However, I must say that there were other corrections that I cannot accept as of yet.
With regards to the Yonaguni formations, it looks too much like the man made structures in Peru and it wouldn't be the first time that we find vestiges of a civilization of thousands of years ago underwater.
As for the inventions of the African Americans, I stand corrected. These were the inventions I had heard growing up.
I saw the Caral video and found it amazing! The city is as expansive as any present day metropolis and as well organized yet it was in existence 2600 years ago!
That makes the pyramids in Caral 5000 BC! As old as the Saqqara!
What I find interesting is that there are pyramids in China thought to be older than these and the Afrocentrists are now looking to see how they can sequester their ancient history and accomplishments as well!
Caral and Huaricanga are among 30+ sites in what is called the "Norte Chico" region of Peru, all dating to the 3rd millennium B.C., and all having monumental stone platform mounds. We have over 150 radiocarbon dates from these sites, and 30 of them date between 2600 and 4100 B.C. It is clear that the Peruvian platform mounds are at least as early as the first pyramids of Egypt and some of them are older. I hope this information is helpful to you.
Wow I can't believe they way you talk so bad about Dr. sertima it really shows that you never read the book the your talking so badly about because if did you would have know that Dr. van sertima said and I quote that I'm not saying that the africans found america I'm saying that they made contact on more then one time there where trading with the natives because how else did the bananna's,bean's,gourd get there they are native plants of the old world africa and Dr. sertima also points out that the natives made the olmec head's and other things in the likeness of the african and he quote's "WHY WOULD A GREAT PEOPLE MAKE FIGURES OF GOD'S THAT ARE IN IMAGE'S OF AFRICAN'S IF THEY NEVER MET EACH OTHER.READ:Clarence Weiant……….
wow it doesn't matter because all life came from africa if you people forgot ad then went east and into asia that is why half of asia speaks and afro-asiatic language not a asiatic-afro so what is that telling you black people are not trying to take any fame from any other race we just would like people to now the true life,people,language,math,art,ect …. to the world we have the stronger gene pool and are the beginning of life so people should give respect as you would for your olders…………. thank you and from adam to eve we are all one from the old world and thats AFRICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good day Tiseti, and thank you for your interest and comments.
My registered Cree great-grandmother was hurt when her African American/Native American descendants were denied benefits and acceptance on her reservation. The derision of your blog is just another example of the desire to deny of our linked heritage. Give ME a break.
The disenfranchisement of the Indigenous American of mixed blood, by any of their ancestral lines, is a sad and shameful affair. Sad, because it's a rejection of the very people who have, by their presence alone, enriched the societies that now disown them. And shameful, because it reflects how deeply we, the original Peoples of this hemisphere, have been assimilated into a Westernized, black or white concept of the world. It shows how far we have grown from our roots. It shows that we are in some desperate need for critical thinking, contemplation and active choice-making.
My heart goes out to your Grandmother, to you, to your family and to all our relations that are going through the same thing. This idea of auto-segregation seems to be trending among our relations. I have heard of this in both federally recognized and non recognized Peoples, not only the Cree. Makes me wonder, when did racism become a good idea?
Current sciences show that there is no such thing as "race". That there is more variation within a so-called race than there is between one "race" and another. Additionally, people have been mixing and matching between geographic areas, cultures and ethnicities since the dawn of time. It's how the planet was populated. There is even talk that Humans mixed and matched with archaic hominids that no longer exist! Why not? It's how the planet was populated. Intercontinental travel is not a recent idea, people used to travel and explore before the invention of cars, trains and planes… it's how the planet was populated. All this started in prehistoric times and has never stopped. The modern thought that all this travel and coupling, mixing and matching only started a couple of years before we realized it was happening, is ridiculous.
Shame your Gramma had to see that. I feel for her.
I also feel that honesty, sincerity, and authentic participation in our lives are the only things that will promote healing, if not resolution, to the conflicts in our lives. Conflicts like the one you mention. Conflicts that in turn reflect in our relationship with and between ourselves, families, organizations, societies and nations. Conflicts that raise passions, passions that blind us to details other than what supports our argument… which is what seems to have happened here.
From your comment, I understand you see my arguments against Afrocentric revised history as a denial of our mixed heritage. This is not the case. My attempts to make this clear seems to have failed, or maybe you chose not to read so far into the article, or maybe you missed it… I don't know and it doesn't matter. In the end, nothing in my writings deny mixture: physical or cultural.
My argument is against Afrocentric claims taking full credit for the growth of another ethnic group for the purpose of self-aggrandizement. In this case, we're talking about Afrocentricity cannibalizing the ethnicity of the indigenous American, but the same could go for a number of ethnicities across Eurasia, just read the literature! It reads like Eurocentric history in blackface! Afrocentrism claims credit for the growth and development of every facet of life in other ethnicities and societies without considering the possibility of independent discovery and invention, as if any mind other than African or black, was too primitive to create, discover and invent. The bulk of their evidence leans heavily on the opinion of African superiority. Many of the interpretations of the physical evidence that Afrocentrics do present, is incomplete and unconvincing, particularly since, in my experience, they tend to ignore conflicting evidence and argue personalities instead.
Using the assumed character or personal qualities of the opposition as evidence against their argument is, first of all, not evidence. And secondly, it's a logical fallacy, in other words, it makes no sense.
Even now, your comment only judged my blog as "deriding" and separatist, a labeling that makes it easier to discard or ignore my points. Not once do you specify the post(s) you disagree with nor the arguments that actually bothered you. You only mention what's going on in your family. And while tribal self-segregation may be a good topic to explore, it is not one I have written on. You attacked the messenger and ignored the message, which seems pretty much status quo as described above.
The big picture of human history includes a lot more than just skin color. Racial division is a human construct, not a scientific one. And while archeology was founded by racist people and it's first findings reflected these ideas, we are at a time where it's best not to assume these are the beliefs of the people who disagree with us. Sometimes, the door is open for dialogue. But to continue propagandizing a revised history based on a racial agenda is propagating racism, not critical thinking, not good scholarly form, not good relations and definitely not history.


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Q&A: How To Brag Better With Author Meredith Fineman
If there's one thing the TO THE MARKET team has learned as a woman-owned and female-driven company, it's that it's more than okay to talk about your accomplishments. If you want to achieve your dreams or you're doing work you're really proud of, the world needs to hear about it! So why do so many people find it hard to speak up about their talents?
Author Meredith Fineman has seen this phenomenon again and again throughout her career. As a speaker, writer, entrepreneur, PR professional, and host of sustainable fashion podcast It Never Gets Old, she regularly meets talented people who shy away from owning their accomplishments. Fineman's new book, Brag Better, tackles this conundrum head on. The book is full of tips for helping the "Qualified Quiet" step into ways of speaking with pride about their accomplishments.
TO THE MARKET recently spoke with Fineman about her book, her work, and how to make your accomplishments heard. Take Meredith's tips to heart, because your big ideas are about more than just you - they have the potential to change the world! If you ever felt you needed a permission slip to speak boldly about your goals, take Meredith's tips as the green light you've been waiting for.
TO THE MARKET: How did you first realize there was a need for a book like Brag Better?
Meredith Fineman: I have my own company, FinePoint, and when I first started it, it was more of a traditional PR firm. I started to become the go-to for individual representation. As I was representing people I was noticing a pattern that I also noticed in other areas of my life, which is that nobody knew how to talk about themselves.
This is particularly egregious for women but i want to make clear that Brag Better isn't just for women. It's for a demographic that I called the Qualified Quiet: people who have done the work but just don't know how to talk about This was clear for people who would come in and want to work with me, particularly young women, who wouldn't know how to talk about the work that they had done. It happened with friends too, where we'd be at a networking event or out somewhere, and it was happening at a very high level with people I'd represented. So I was watching this whole trajectory and it really bothered me. I knew I had to do something, but I didn't know what.
My aha moment happened in Las Vegas, in October of 2013. I was there for a friend's conference, I was at the pool on the phone with a client. This client is an amazing person - very aspirational for a lot of different reasons, both personal and professional. And I booked her on TV, and she said to me, "I don't know if i'm the best person to go on. There might be someone who knows more than I do." And she was in a presidential administration on the topic. And she didn't do it.
I hung up the phone and wrote her this impassioned note that she kind of brushed aside. Then my phone died, and if you're ever at a pool in Vegas, you know there are no outlets. So I asked the cocktail waitress for a pen, and I wrote in the margin of the book I'd been reading. I wrote brag(art), with parentheses around art. The art of self-promotion. And I wrote a little outline. So for the past 7 years, I developed this idea consistently, and it evolved from that to Brag Better.
I've been speaking and training on why bragging and self-promotion and the habits of publicists matter in our world today. They matter for your professional goals, they matter for professional confidence. Whether that is bragging within an organization or promoting yourself so you get what you want publicly, whether that's recognition, money, or something else. I still have individual clients, FinePoint is now a bit more of a leadership and professional development company that still has some media relations involved. And that's where it all came from.
TTM: So it sounds like during this time you were doing all kinds of research.
MF: Yeah. I have developed my own exercises and programming. I really care that Brag Better communicates to people that not only are their accomplishments worth talking about, but that bragging is work. It's an essential part of work - people don't know what you've done until you tell them, but also they don't know what you want until you ask for it.
One thing I've noticed as a writer and publicist, and being around the media for a really long time, is that we have this really intense relationship between volume and merit. We reward loud. As much as I'd like to be optimistic and say that we can get the loud people to be quiet, I don't think that's the case. I think it's just a matter of getting the Qualified Quiet, the people who have done the work, to talk about it. And I tell people it's not a weakness to be a part of the Qualified Quiet, it's a strength! It's significantly more difficult to put in the time and the work, to know your stuff, than it is to talk about it. What I train and teach and write about is not rocket science, but it's an important cherry on top so people can see what you've done to get you to the next phase of your career, or whatever else you decide you want.
TTM: And it seems that a lot of people don't think of it that way, but it's really needed.
MF: People who don't think that way are not alone. It's what I do for a living and yeah, sometimes bragging feels really icky and feels really uncomfortable. So I figured out a system to alleviate that, because you're missing out by not doing it - but there's nobody telling you how. We have some people screaming, and then everyone else has no idea where to even begin. So I cared that Brag Better was aspirational and made you feel good, but I also really cared that it offered tips on what you do, and how you can do it right now. I cared that it was deeply tactical, because I think that's what ends up helping people feel better about bragging.
TTM: Something great about the book is that you point out to readers that when you brag, you're lifting up others too. How can the Qualified Quiet remind themselves that speaking out is good for everyone?
MF: So, a couple of things. We have very limited vocabulary to talk about our own accomplishments. "Brag" is one of the only words we have for what I'm talking about. So, bragging is stating true facts publicly, whatever that might mean - publicly is a lot of different things - so people can give you the acknowledgment that you want, whether that's public acknowledgment like tv spots, internal acknowledgment like a raise, or fundraising.
Then there's also the fact that we need better examples of people who know about the stuff that they're talking about. It inspires other people. We can't be what we can't see, and all we're seeing right now are people that aren't' as qualified being very loud, and that ends up being a turnoff. Instead of shying away from it entirely, there's a whole other way to do this that feels true to you. Sometimes it will be scary and sometimes it will be hard, and some people will have not nice things to say, but I also think that particularly in a time like now, we need people with the know-how and experience to talk about it and show others.
The book's release was moved to June 16 from May 19 [due to the COVID-19 pandemic], so worked on an extra free chapter about how to brag better from home. Because that's hard when you can't get in front of people - but there are tons of ways to do it. It's sort of unprecedented right now, and the subsequent extreme joblessness means that you have to be able to tout your stuff more than ever. I'm not saying that if you brag better the economy will get better, and you will just immediately get a job, and systemic quieting of voices that aren't white men won't happen anymore. But this is my contribution. Who we listen to in the world is layered with privilege, so a huge part of Brag Better is doing it for others, elevating the voices of other people, and paying it forward.
TTM: In your podcast you interview a lot of people who are high profile and accomplished. Do you find that even they have trouble bragging about themselves?
MF:Yes. I've talked to people who are true household names, and when I tell them what I do, they'll say "Oh I need that" or "Oh I'm so bad at that." There's this misconception that you should know how to do these things, but you can learn them! I've taught them to myself, and I've taught them to so many other people. It's funny, often the more accomplished you are, the harder time you have [bragging]. I think it's that level of introspection and self awareness that makes you also question yourself, and that's why we have some of these phenomena.
TTM: If somebody knows they have this problem, what is the first baby step they can take to improve along with reading Brag Better?
MF: Create a strong bio. I tell people to put a quarterly calendar reminder to update their bio. The bio is an original bragging spot that I do not see changing. That is where people expect you to brag. Every accomplishment, every major win, that's where it goes. And I tell everyone that you need a long, a short, and a two-line bio. They all need to be consistent, you need to update them frequently, you need to put everything in there. It's easier to do it once a quarter than to have to think back about everything you've done. So that's a great first step, along with buying the domain of your name. You want to own that for a lot of different reasons, so it's time to start thinking about a personal website.
Brag Better is out today at your favorite bookseller! Find more of Meredith Fineman's work via her website, podcast, or the Brag Better website.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Greetings! We return with many things to discuss with you! As you know, our Earth allies are busy finishing up final details. These include mainly outstanding paperwork but also a few last matters that require their full attention. It seems that your reality can transform only after huge amounts of piddling details are properly dealt with! Therefore, bear with us, keep your wits about you, and focus on envisioning your impending victory. The dark cabal understands how to stave off its looming defeat, and yet both sides of this face-off know what the inevitable outcome will be. It is important to remember that an immense amount of work has gone into manifesting an end product that is to release you from the wretched slavery that the dark fully intended to impose on you. Now they are being forced to recognize that a new course, which guarantees your freedom, sovereignty, and abundance, is shortly to be unleashed by us. This new reality requires you to be prepared for things that are very unfamiliar to you. And yet they come to you from Heaven.
Our recent activities in support of this cause have been in the main to observe and advise when necessary. The rapport developing between our Earth allies and us is most encouraging and has allowed the uneasiness that marked our initial encounters to fully evaporate. This new era of cooperation permits us to plan a program that includes our participation in the policies that are to be carried out once the present US regime is removed. What we now know is that first contact is to be a simple yet dramatic moment. Global official announcements are to swiftly end a decades-old cover-up and provide you with a framework that will allow you to accept our pre-first-contact broadcasts. Thereafter, the initial flyovers of your major cities and other preliminary events can be carried out without misinformed speculation about who and what we are. This is essential for alleviating any potential negativity during our actual mass-landing maneuvers. We intend to carry out this massive proceeding as smoothly and perfectly as divinely possible.
The magnitude and extent of these worldwide landings requires the full cooperation of your major governments. In the beginning, we believed our use of advanced technology to affect a first contact with the people of this planet made governmental cooperation unnecessary. Since then, we discovered just how important to you, from a mass psychological viewpoint, governmental approval actually is. Your former overloads, the Anunnaki, wielded the ploy of governmental authority to great effect. Today, you are deeply in thrall to this control devise. Government is meant to be a divine instrument reflecting the collective will. Safeguarding your sacred unalienable sovereignty and your divine rights confers upon any government its legitimacy, not the other way around! Usurping powers not originally given to them, government took upon itself the role of nurturing the interests of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of you the people. Out of this back-to-front arrangement arose the UFO cover-up of the late 1940s. Both our Earth allies and we are equally set on putting an end to this silliness and to restoring the proper structure and purpose of your global governments.
Completing first contact is both a simple and a complex task. The unique aspects of this mission taught us much about you as a people and about the very nature of limited consciousness. Your abrupt separation from your spiritual selves left you susceptible to wide varieties of manipulation. This process of management was first applied by the Anunnaki who then, over millennia, taught it to their on-planet chosen ones. This Earth-bound group learnt quickly how to use their Masters' methods to take control of the many societies set up by the Anunnaki around the world. Discord and war were two essential components of this format for control, as the Anunnaki had learnt the hard way during the first post-Atlantean civilizations that a too-prolonged period of harmony created rebellion against their rule. So now our task is to help you release this divisive programming and return you to your naturally peace-loving natures.
The challenge here is the multiple religions and philosophies that the Anunnaki use to manipulate you. In their hands, these became instruments that fostered regional hatred and stoked perpetual wars and strife. This toxic situation persists today. Now, however, rising consciousness is allowing many to perceive the obvious insanity of this. Among these are our Earth allies. Besides this, they are also aware of the secret histories buried long ago by the Anunnaki. What survived was a series of revealing and enlightening documents available exclusively to the elite and their faithful allies. The children of this power elite who read these texts and learned the rituals associated with them began to hunger for a new world where these could be made public. This knowledge ends all speculation about Creation and your true origins. These texts also enumerate your true inherent powers and fully describe who you really are.
It is this knowledge that we intend to make public. Hidden away in many places of power is the incontrovertible proof of your true identity. These texts fully explain your extraterrestrial origin and tell the saga of how your divine ancestors reached and populated Mother Earth. They further detail your past histories and your glorious destiny. The dark ones dread the power of these revelations and buried this knowledge deep, under stringent lock and key. One of the signs of full acceptance into the higher levels of the dark's secret hierarchy is the revealing of this arcana. Rumors of these texts and their unique subject matter were circulated by the dark to make their initiates feel special, thus reinforcing loyalty to their depraved crusade. Once you are informed of these basics, you can more readily accept what we need to tell you.
The ring of truth can help you to accept things that now may seem preposterous to you. Your planet is a living entity whom your present global society has continuously raped. Technology and its destructive applications have been used to bring this globe to a point of near extinction. Our Earth allies are aware of this. They are also aware of the huge varieties of secret technology that can quickly bring this unconscionable plunder to an end. They also understand how we fit into this bigger picture. The prime consideration is the interconnectivity of all life everywhere. It is essential that you graduate to a new series of perceptions about yourselves and the universe you share with us, your spiritual and space families. This acceptance paves the way for the completion of your return to full consciousness and the fulfillment of your divine heritage.
Thus, first contact becomes a great watershed in your consciousness history. Your world is preparing to leap into the new reality we try to prepare you for in our messages. She is now primed for a new vision, one which puts to flight the outworn notions fed to you by the Anunnaki and their minions. This new vision can only take root in you once the old ways are swept aside by the unveiling of the truths long kept hidden from you. This is a core ingredient of our mission. Recounting your true history, backed up by the proof provided by those ancient documents, is to birth a wholly new system of understanding that can become the underpinnings of a new global society. Then, healing Mother Earth and spreading abundance to all can at last set Earth's humanity free!


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Review: Body of Water (Dir. Lucy Brydon, 2020)
No Comments on Review: Body of Water (Dir. Lucy Brydon, 2020)
Nothing quite brings a family together – or tears it apart – like a wedding. At least that's the theory. For war photographer Stephanie (Sian Brooke), she must contend with organising a Hen party, writing a speech, attend dress fittings (complete with unhelpful comments like, "it'd probably look better on some curves") and repair relationships with her teenage daughter Pearl (Fabienne Piolini-Castle) and mother/bride-to-be Susan (Amanda Burton). All of this while navigating getting well following several months of supervised showers, weigh-ins, eating plans and therapy in an inpatient treatment facility for an eating disorder.
Initially, interactions are overly polite and awkward – strained, fractious and as diminishing as Stephanie's frame swamped in layers of clothing and over-sized hoodies. The tension palpable. Even more so at mealtimes when Stephanie is sat alone at the dinner table, a glass of water to hand to wash down the food or to fill her up so she doesn't have to eat more. Long takes are utilised in these moments which only add to her struggle and isolation as she attempts bite after bite, hoping that an apple won't defeat her. It is excruciating to watch.
The performances are all excellent, collectively working well together while creating three fully realised characters and a convincing family unit. Burton's Susan is throwing herself into wedding preparation while trying to keep Stephanie, her illness and Pearl somewhat at arm's length. She's the authoritarian guardian of both her daughter and granddaughter having had to raise Pearl for much of her mother's treatment – seven months at a time and on four separate occasions. Her impending nuptials are desperately important, not just for the significant commitment it celebrates but she's hoping (or deluding herself) that it will be free from anorexia's grasp.
Piolini-Castle perfectly encapsulates the teenage angst of Pearl – bouncing from apathy to anger, and aggression, flirting with rebellion as she sneaks out of the house using inappropriate sexual entanglements as a means of distraction. At its core, however, this is Brooke's film. Her performance is powerful, subtle and complex. There's a delicacy, a fragility which is at odds with the character's tenacity and strength. She's trying to be a good mother (and daughter) but illness has a grip on her, it won't let her go and she's tired of fighting it.
There are few men onscreen. There's no mention of either Stephanie or Pearl's father(s) – leaving us to draw our own conclusions and Stephanie's Caseworker Shaun (Nick Blood) doesn't paint a particularly positive picture of his sex or the social care system.
The term 'eating disorder' never quite communicates the severity of the mental illness that affects both men and women (3/4 tend to be the latter) and has the highest fatality rate, yet is the hardest to treat. It is not a subject matter new on film but writer-director Lucy Brydon's BBC-backed drama seeks to reframe the narrative that is most prevalent (though still bearing a white protagonist). There is no pre-pubescent gymnast or ballet dancer whose goal-orientated weight loss is taken too far (and overcome through puberty) but an adult woman who is battling it and there is no trigger. We don't know how, why or when it started for Stephanie, if it is psychological, sociological or genetic (or all of the above). It just is. Which makes the film all the more powerful for it.
Brydon makes the most of the 95 minute runtime, utilising space (or in Stephanie's case limiting it) intuitively and Darran Bragg's cinematography is captured through an almost continuously moving camera – sometimes slow and languid, other times a not-so-steady-cam, continuing the water theme – the colour palette adding to the muted tone with a mise-en-scène awash with blues, greens and greys. It's a perfect metaphor for a lot of things but it encapsulates Stephanie's struggle so perfectly, and in those moments when old habits creep in and threaten her recovery the sound design distorts so the audience is briefly under water with her, coupled with Rory Attwell's atonal score.
Body of Water is an impressive debut, however, it is by no means an easy watch. Yet, it manages to convey some of the difficulties and psychological problems anorexia can present and how it can engulf sufferers and their families alike, all without judgement, stigma or fetishising the female body. This is a sensitively made and beautifully performed British drama that does well to depict the horrors of an illness, and questions whether true recovery actually exists for those who continue to shrink themselves to fit the world.
Tags Amanda Burton, Body of Water, British cinema, eating disordered, Fabienne Piolini-Castle, film review, mental health, mental illness, Review, Sian Brooke
← Death Proof → Review: Jumbo (Dir. Zoé Wittock (2020)


Industrial production continues to show steep declines in the Zone. France reported the largest decline to day since 1990 when the INSEE series first began. Spain's volatile index fell by 8.4% in January. Italy's index dropped by 2.8%. For these three countries of the EU, three month declines in output range from an annual pace of -45% in Spain to -26% in France. Over the past year Spain is off by 23% while France and the UK see IP however by about 13%. Quarter-to-date in January of 2009 IP is falling at an annual rate drop of greater than 20% in each of these countries and as much as -35% in Spain.
Europe is STILL in denial: What? Me worry?
Despite all this and despite new warnings of slower growth and a global decline in growth from the IMF Europe seems distant. Trichet sounds upbeat. Weber says there is no reason for the ECBs key lending rate to go below 1%. Europe has spurned the US request for more stimulus. The German's have tuned a cold shoulder to France's idea of cutting back the VAT tax. Yet the EU commission, that bastion of fiscal responsibility, is issuing a warning to Germany about excess spending.
Alfred E Newman meets Euroland: Europe is not on the same page as the IMF, the World Bank, or the US. Economists in the US are talking about the prospect of DEPRESSION. In Europe they are 'la tee da' about the downturn treating it like a minor inconvenience, not even as the powerful recession that it clearly is, let alone acknowledging the risk of worsening. The EU Commission is concerned about the Mass-Trick criterion for debt to GDP and about annual fiscal deficits as if Europe were out of sorts with its fiscal pledges in a boom year. A boom year it is not. Europe is in denial from the EU Commission to the ECB itself.
The industrial output index is not out of touch. It is taking noting lightly, it is taking it on the chin. And that raises some issues for Europe if policy is not going to be responsive to its clearly deteriorating situation.


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Q: Windows Batch: Reading/Searching a File Whilst it is Being Edited? I can't seem to find any information on what happens if you read/search a file using a Windows Batch Script when the file still needs to be editable at the same time (eg an application log file bring written to in real time).
Does the batch file lock the file you are reading/searching?
Does it read the file contents from the particular datetime you accessed it only ignoring any subsequent edits. In particular, I'm interested in the answer for using for /f or findstr or find.
Thanks

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Ricciardo delivers under pressure
What a curious race. Daniel Ricciardo won in a car which in any other test, practice or qualifying session would have been parked up and an army of mechanics would have opened up the toolboxes.
Missing 160 of his normal 900+ racing horsepowers, and lapping sometimes nine seconds slower than his impressive pole position qualifying lap, Ricciardo went into crisis management mode, and with all the mental agility of a Heathrow air traffic controller lining up jets while learning to juggle, he coaxed his Red Bull to the chequered flag first.
What surprised me was not so much that the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton couldn't get past him in their two-metre wide heavily aero-laden Ferraris and Mercedes on the narrow streets of Monte Carlo (let's not forget Nigel Mansell trying to pass Ayrton Senna in 1992), but that they couldn't catch him, or even ultimately keep up with him.
Pirelli had three tyre compounds at the race, Supersoft, Ultrasoft, and Hypersoft. Yes, I'm fed up with the names and the whole dominating tyre thing too. While the Hyper was mighty in qualifying to generate a sub-71 second lap on the two mile series of corners, none of the compounds turned into a proper race tyre. Almost everyone was struggling with ripping the surface of their tyres and floundering for grip.
There is a phase of that race I'm really not proud of. Drivers calling in to say how slow the pace was, shortly followed by Force India drivers lifting off the throttle of their Mercedes-engined cars to give way to a recently pitted works Mercedes car, for position. Now I accept there's often no point in losing time to your real race rivals by fighting against an inevitable pass, but that was just too blatant.
There was the inevitable cry of 'get rid of Monaco' post race, but during the 103 minutes we did not struggle to find things to commentate on, and I found the whole thing intriguing as to whether Ricciardo/Red Bull would push and spread the field, or keep the pack closer to manage his tyres and stop Ferrari and Mercedes splitting strategies given they were two against one. And whether he could somehow hold on.
Monaco GP driver ratings
'Ricciardo reaches new F1 peak'
The F1 Gossip Column
It's clear that if Max Verstappen hadn't have started last, and if Ricciardo's race had been trouble free, such was the Red Bull's advantage in keeping the tyre surface largely intact in a very fast car, they would have absolutely dominated the race.
And it was this advantage which meant that Ricciardo could still win despite having to manage an underpowered car. He was so down on power that he didn't even reach seventh gear (of eight) in the tunnel.
The Motor Generator Unit Kinetic is like a dynamo which charges the battery while helping slow the car down. It's actually attached to the engine rather than the rear wheels, but it's similar to pulling the handbrake on in a road car.
This 'brake by wire' system means that in true F1 style the rear brakes can be made much smaller thereby saving both weight and drag inducing cooling. The problem is that when the MGU-K fails the rear brakes quickly overheat. The driver can move the braking bias and therefore stopping power to the front to protect this, but then it's very easy to lock the front brakes and retardation is generally compromised.
Ricciardo had to further protect the car by lifting off the throttle early and use aerodynamic drag to slow the car. The problem will have created many incidental side effects such as his tyres cooling down through lack of braking energy, and not using up his fuel so the car being heavier than desired at the end of the race.
He was slow down the pit straight, the only DRS zone on the track, and it seemed inevitable that Vettel and Co would be cruising past. Except they didn't, and couldn't because of the inherent Red Bull advantage on the day and Ricciardo's calm determination that Monaco would not rob him of a deserved victory once again. He thoroughly deserved that.
When Verstappen threw away victory back in China whilst running into Vettel, I mistakenly thought it would be the turning point for him to begin to play the percentages better and choose his battles more carefully. By hitting the barriers in free practice three on Saturday morning he threw away yet another glorious chance of victory, and for the first time his team bosses publicly demonstrated that even they are running out of patience with their golden boy.
Max told me on the grid that his only focus was to finish the race, and he drove a well judged race to ninth from 20th. He got punchy with Carlos Sainz in the works Renault when necessary, and the rest was smart driving.
He mustn't waste his amazing talent by brazenly brushing off so many incidents as unimportant or not his fault. Watching Ricciardo on the podium and in the post race celebrations must have dented even his supreme self confidence. We need him on peak form and with all four wheels pointing in the same direction, he's F1's future along with some other fast boys.
Talking of the future, I had a long sit down interview with Fernando Alonso pre-race and he gave me a distinct impression that he likely wouldn't be on the F1 grid next year. That wouldn't have been helped by his retirement in the race, and post-race he publicly criticised Monaco and applauded the Indy 500. You never know with him, he could retire then un-retire very quickly, but I think even his relentless energy and motivation is fading.
Hamilton had an unremarkable weekend and was particularly grumpy about his tyres through the race, but only losing three championship points to Vettel humoured him a little.
It's going to be fascinating now for Ricciardo moving forward. He is out of contract for 2019 and if he leaves Red Bull he can only sensibly move to Mercedes or Ferrari. And those teams appear largely focused on Verstappen, Hamilton and Vettel respectively. But the Aussie is the man of the moment, getting the job done and just coming into his peak years, and so presumably on speed dial at most teams. Or is he?
Red Bull reckon they will be on the pace in Montreal in two weeks too, so hopefully normal F1 service will be resumed in a six-way fight with great supporting acts.
See the final word on all the Monaco GP action and latest F1 talking points on the next edition of the F1 Report – make a date with Sky Sports F1 on Wednesday at 8.30pm Get Sky Sports F1.


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Climb to the Dents-du-Midi Glacier and Hut, alt. 2884m.
Duration : 5h00
Length : 10.67 km
Period : June-October
Difficulty : T3
Highest point : 2884m
Elevation gain : 1006m
Vertical drop : 1006m
Open Swiss Mobile map
Magnificent hike on the southern slopes of the Dents-du-Midi which takes you to the glacier and the Dents-du-Midi hut.
From the Inn, follow the jeep trail which passes behind the second building (1). The trail crosses another one which leads up to Jorat pass (2), then heads towards the Dents-du-Midi via Chalet de l'Alpage (3). As the trail climbs, it becomes rockier, but it is very well-maintained by the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) which runs the hut. The trail goes around the well-known landmark, Pierre Carrée (Square Rock, 4). It then meets up with an unmarked trail which leads towards the Susanfe pass. About half an hour away from the hut, the trail passes just below it and there can often be patches of snow remaining here. There are fabulous panoramic views from the refuge (6). It is also known as the Plan Névé refuge and is managed by the Bex section of the SAC Argentine. The return is via the same trail.
This is a very pleasant way to extend the trail between Auberge de Salanfe – Cabane de Susanfe and a good alternative to climbing the Haute Cime for anyone who is not keen on heights.
NB: Do not go onto the glacier as there are crevasses.
Level T3 difficulty according to SAC ratings.
Climb to the Dents-du-Midi Glacier and Hut on SuisseMobile


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Fan Art Fridays: Rachel McAdams
Our favorite Canadian drama actress, Rachel McAdams, is pregnant with her first child!
News of the broke pregnancy on Thursday, and I am so happy for her!
As most probably do, I've loved pretty much loved every film I've seen starring Rachel McAdams. I think my favorite film she's starred in would have to be The Time Traveler's Wife, in which she played Clare Abshire alongside Eric Bana's character Henry DeTamble.
In light of this baby news, I've decided to feature some fan art I found of the actress on Deviant Art by k-dezign. It appears to be inspired by a still of her character Kay Nesbitt in the film Married Life, which takes place in 1949.
I think this black and white sketch captures her essence perfectly. K-design definitely got her on her good side!
See the original fan art here, and check out some more of k-dezign's sketches of celebs!
Simon Cowell is Going to be a Father?!
This morning I learned that 53 year old grouch Simon Cowell, X Factor judge and former American Idol judge, is going to be a father.
And that's not the best part.
The mother of his child is his friend Andrew Silverman's estranged wife, Lauren Silverman.
Yes. You read correctly. Simon Cowell got his friend's wife pregnant.
The two have been hanging out quite a bit over the past two years.
Real estate developer Andrew Silverman and 36 year old New York socialite Lauren Silverman "have been unhappy in their marriage for some time, and their divorce has been in the works for a while," a source says. "As their marriage deteriorated, she and Simon became close."
Lauren Silverman plans to leave her husband to be with Cowell. She's ten weeks along in her pregnancy.
I'm not sure how to react to this news.
First there's the fact that he's having a child with a woman who is married to another man.
Another man who he happens to call his "mate."
Isn't this a violation of bro code? I mean, I know that Andrew and Lauren have been separated for a while but Jesus! That doesn't give him permission to swoop in and impregnate the woman!
Then there's the terrible reality that this is Simon Cowell we're talking about here. The man we love to hate.
Back in 2009 he said, "God, no. I couldn't have children. If I had them here drawing on the walls I'd go nuts. With kids, you've got a routine you can't escape from. You've got to be up at a certain time. Got to listen. When all you want to do is sit in a corner thinking."
His feelings on being a father changed last year, as he stated in an interview with AOL Music, "I do really, really like kids, because I can talk to them and listen to them. The problem has always been how much time you need to devote to bringing up kids. I've always dedicated all my life to work, and at 52, I've probably missed the opportunity."
This year he claims, "If I knew I could be – how do I put this delicately – faithful, I would. I do like kids, I'm just not sure I'd be any good for the first six months. I don't think I'd adopt because I'd rather have my own. I'd have to say I'd like a little girl."
I wouldn't exactly trust him to babysit a child, much less be the parent or guardian of one. He's just not the type of guy you can picture cradling a child in his arms.
No matter how hard I try I just can't do it!
I hope Simon Cowell treats the youngster better than he treats the contestants on The X Factor.
I really do.
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The bill specifically says the Department of Public Safety must use Rapid DNA technology. Rapid DNA instruments from companies ANDE and Thermo Fisher Scientific are already used at the crime lab, according to a DPS spokesman. These are the only companies that currently manufacture the instrument.
The bill also specifies that the instrument must be certified by the FBI. James Davis, a former FBI agent and representative for ANDE, told the Senate committee that only ANDE has that certification.
No information was provided during the committee hearing about how much the bill would cost DPS to implement.
Multiple committee members expressed concern that this would give ANDE a monopoly with the state.
"This bill started out including so many groups," Sen. Lisa Otondo, D-Yuma, said. "I saw it shrink and I saw it shrink and I saw it shrink. Now we're looking at a bill with merely representation by the vendor. There's a certain discomfort I have with this bill."
It's not clear whether the results from a Rapid DNA system would even be admissible in court. Davis said they don't know because every case so far has ended with the defendant pleading guilty before the case went to trial.
Sen. Lupe Contreras, D-Avondale, described the bill — even in its newest form — as a "stepping stone into madness." He said he was shocked that Livingston was even considering the bill.
Livingston said he's discussed the bill with attorneys, police chiefs and others, but no law enforcement personnel or victims' advocates spoke during the hearing. It's not clear which law enforcement and advocacy groups — if any — support the bill in its new form.
Only ANDE's representatives spoke in favor of the bill.
The committee approved the re-vamped rape kit testing bill 5-3 with Otondo, Contreras and Sen. Jamescita Peshlakai, D-Window Rock, voting against it. It now advances to the full Senate for consideration.
Third bill in three days
Livingston explained that the initial bill was brought to him following the scandal at Hacienda HealthCare, where an incapacitated patient was raped and impregnated.
"That bill got my attention," he said. "Why did it get my attention? Sexual assault. Abuse. Rape. Unacceptable. This body needs to do something about it."
While anyone can write a proposed bill, only a state lawmaker can formally introduce it.
Livingston admitted the original versions of the bill were too broad and intrusive. It would have required anyone who needs fingerprint clearance from the state — health care workers, teachers, school volunteers, foster parents, realtors, etc. — to submit their DNA to the state.
DPS would have maintained the collected DNA alongside the person's name, Social Security number, date of birth and last known address. Plus, applicants would have to pay a $250 fee.
After The Arizona Republic reported details of the early version, Livingston proposed an amendment to narrow the bill to collect DNA only from an individual who "provides direct care" in a nursing care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Shortly before the committee hearing, Livingston introduced the latest version, which appeared to be more palatable to the Republican-led committee. For a few, it helped that it was accompanied by a promise that Livingston would continue to work on refining it.
Reach the reporter Bree Burkitt at bburkitt@republicmedia.com or at 602-444-8515. Follow her on Twitter at @breeburkitt.
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Understanding spatial arrangements, lone pairs, and hybridizations for large molecules in chemistry is no walk in the park! This is why we've designed the MM-006 to help students visualize atoms and its arrangement in life. The MM-006 contains a large variety of pieces to cover fundamental functional groups, ring structures, advanced VSEPR Theory, molecular geometry, hybridizations, halogens, transition metals and types of bonding. Simply put, the MM-006 molecular set is designed for both Organic and Inorganic Chemistry students!
These atoms were designed to help to understand the concepts behind Molecular Orbital Theory: VSEPR, Hybridizations, and Stereochemistry.
We've designed our MM-006 to build larger and more complex molecules like those needed for inorganic chemistry. Our set includes 5 and 6 bond atoms which can be used to display hybridizations, orbitals, and bonding with their proper geometrical arrangements and bond angles.
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Why will GOES-R take a whole year for validation?
I've been reading a few things about NOAA's GOES-R satellite, and I noticed this on the GOES-R site:
...will be placed in the 89.5° checkout orbit where it will undergo an extended checkout and validation phase of approximately one year.
What are they doing in that validation to take a full year? It seems like they could make sure it's working a lot faster than that.
Also, it looks like future launches for other GOES satellites won't take as long for that part of the process. I haven't yet found exact timelines for GOES-S, GOES-T, and GOES-U, but their test phase isn't nearly as long as GOES-R. Why not?
artificial-satellite testing geostationary noaa
duzzyduzzy
$\begingroup$ Good question! Wild guess would be to cross-check with other satellite and ground truth data sets the various new technologies used by GOES-R throughout a full cycle of meteorological extremes known to Earthlings as "weather", before deploying similar systems? Or maybe to keep some data under wraps until some nice papers can be published? Or to make sure everything is understood before making enhanced emergency weather warnings based on the new technologies? Predicting the weather isn't rocket science, it's harder! $\endgroup$ – uhoh Nov 20 '16 at 8:21
There are two questions in this question. I'll answer the second question first because (a) this second question is easier to answer, and (b) the answer to this question leads to the answer to the key question. The second question:
I haven't yet found exact timelines for GOES-S, GOES-T, and GOES-U, but their test phase isn't nearly as long as GOES-R. Why not?
GOES-S, -T, and -U are intended to be exact duplicates of GOES-R. They will have the same sensors and the same operational processes as will GOES-R. Intents are one thing, reality is another. The sensors on the follow-on satellites will inherently differ slightly from those on GOES-R. The validation period for those follow-on satellites will address the slight differences between those satellites and the already validated GOES-R.
The validation period for those follow-on satellites will not address the complex ground processes that transform the raw data transmitted by the satellite to Level 1A, Level 1B, and Level 2 products. Those processes will already have been validated by the time those follow-on satellites are launched. That will take considerably less time than will the validation effort for GOES-R.
Now the key question:
This is primarily because GOES-R essentially is a brand new instrument. The goal is to reach what's called "provisional status" within six months after launch. This means that all of the processes that transform the raw downlink to Level 1A products to Level 1B products to Level 2 products are functioning correcting, and that the underlying science in those transformations is basically correct.
There are several key challenges here:
Are the scientific instruments measuring what the scientists think they are measuring?
Is the processing from raw data to Level 1A products correct?
Is the processing from Level 1A to Level 1B products correct?
Is the processing from Level 1B to Level 2 products correct?
Can all of that required processing keep up with the much increased volume of data transmitted by the satellite?
Do those Level 2 products agree with alternative observations of the same effect?
There are a lot of ways things can go wrong in the above. The instruments themselves might have problems, the underlying science might have problems, and the complex software that performs the transformations from raw data to derived products might have problems. The system has to function properly, end-to-end, and the derived products have to agree with already validated (but perhaps localized) alternative measures of assessing those derived products.
The goal is to have the system at provisional status within six months after launch. That's not quite good enough. Having the system achieve operational status and have the products compare favorably year-round with validation data will take another six to nine months.
$\begingroup$ As an aside, I was personally involved early in my career in two major effups regarding those points I raised. My first job out of college was to document the supposedly complete Level 1B processing for the Nimbus-7 SBUV/TOMS experiment. The entire programming team had left for other jobs because they were done. They had a chest high stack of computer printouts to prove this. I spent a few of weeks learning FORTRAN and then delved into their code and test results. Back in those days, when a program dropped core, the computer printed the entire program, in hexadecimal (continued). $\endgroup$ – David Hammen Nov 20 '16 at 17:13
$\begingroup$ Those core dumps (abend dumps back then) were their test results. Nothing worked; their software was pure excrement. I was supposed to be a junior programmer, but I quickly proved myself to be more than that. The company hired a new senior programmer, who was excellent, and a new midlevel programmer, who was quite bad. The senior programmer and I rewrote the entire system in less than a year. We let the midlevel programmer do what he did best, which was not much. (continued) $\endgroup$ – David Hammen Nov 20 '16 at 17:19
$\begingroup$ We two rewrote the system, resulting in considerable local acclaim for the two of us. I was offered multiple jobs within that contractor. Having a science background, I wanted to do science. I was assigned to work directly with the principal investigator. The PI, along with the rest of the scientific team, did not their good scientific names sullied by suspect data. I was asked to come up with a scheme that rejected suspect data. The biggest problem lay with low backscatter angle data. (continued) $\endgroup$ – David Hammen Nov 20 '16 at 17:36
$\begingroup$ My code marked suspect ozone levels involving the low backscatter angles as missing. I initially argued against that, but the team was adamant. I argued for having two products, one for NASA-only use and the other for public dissemination. The team remained adamant. There would only be one product. My name was all over the code that resulted in NASA not being the first to observe the ozone hole over Antarctica. That fame instead went to a British scientist who used a relatively cheap handheld Dobsonmeter. (continued) $\endgroup$ – David Hammen Nov 20 '16 at 17:40
$\begingroup$ Almost a decade after I wrote that code, very high level NASA management managed to find me, despite four job changes and a move to Texas (I had been infected with the highly contagious human spaceflight virus). NASA seriously wanted to know whether I was a traitor (seriously!). This has been noted as one of "ten historical software bugs with extreme consequences". (continued) $\endgroup$ – David Hammen Nov 20 '16 at 17:45
Let me add a few other points on top of David's already excellent answer. There are some other fixed timeframes that occur after launch but before the Satellite can become operational:
Orbit-raising: It will take GOES-R about 2 weeks to get to geostationary orbit.
Outgassing: It can take quite a while for all of the atmospheric gasses that "hitchhiked" in the satellite to be dispersed, to enable all the instruments to operate properly.
The above items will be, of course, common to all the launches (R, S, T, U). Additionally, the GOES-R satellite series includes new products and instruments, not yet flown on earlier GOES missions. So, in addition to testing the ABI imager and Ground Station software's ability to process the data from the imager at higher resolutions, as David mentioned, there are three times as many spectral channels to check-out. Also, there are some brand-new instruments on GOES-R, such as the GLM (Geostationary Lightning Mapper), that the ground team could only test using simulated data (instead of, for example, scaling GOES-NOP data to use as test data) up to this point.
Here's a nice publicly accessible document that goes into more of the details of what is planned for testing: Post Launch Calibration and Testing of the Advanced Baseline Imager on the GOES-R Satellite.
Ogre Psalm33Ogre Psalm33
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged artificial-satellite testing geostationary noaa or ask your own question.
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Real World Hero 2012 and Beyond: Here We Go!
The 2012 Real World Hero Charity Drive is underway!
Things are a little different this year, because of the pending closure of the City of Heroes MMO which has been our home for the past several years. Still, we are determined to continue on and have felt the support of quite a number of our fellow heroes. The auction is indeed underway and has a lot of bid-worthy swag. We are working on additional events to share time with our community in game and promote Real World Hero.
Most importantly, we want everyone to know that the charity drive is not ending on November 30th when the servers go dark for City of Heroes. As terribly sad and upsetting as it is, we hope the Real World Hero charity drive can continue on and do good for a long time to come. We ask that you take Real World Hero with you into whatever game or community you may find yourself and let us know where you are. We hope to find welcome among the broader world of gamers and invite them to take part. The folks at Paragon Studios often said that City of Heroes had the most amazing, giving and kindest players…lets show them and the gaming world at large that no matter what, that is -exactly- what we remain.
Previous post: The 4th Annual Charity Drive is Coming!


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Family: Jonathan Woodward / Patience Ward (F609)
m. 26 Mar 1712
Jonathan Woodward
Born 28 Sep 1685 Cambridge Village (now Newton), Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Died 2 Apr 1745 Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Married 26 Mar 1712 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Other Spouse Thankful Myrick | F668
Married 8 Jun 1720 Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Father John Woodward | F513 Group Sheet
Mother Rebecca Robbins | F513 Group Sheet
Patience Ward
Died 18 Oct 1719 Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Rebecca Woodward
Born 11 Mar 1713 Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Died 5 Dec 1741 Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
+ Margaret Woodward
Born 14 Jan 1715 Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Died Jul 1761 Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Spouse Timothy Ward | F608
Married 4 Nov 1741 Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Born 7 Jul 1718 Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
[S665] Woods, Henry Ernest. Vital Records of Newton, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, (Boston: New England Historic-Genealogical Society, 1905).
[S452] Woodward, Norma Slater. Descendants of Richard Woodward New England 1589-1982, (Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1982).


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Longjia making a 650cc, V-twin cruiser
Longjia files patent for 650cc v-twin cruiser
Online Free Patents March 2, 2021 - 1:59 PM
Long before Chinese motorcycle makers offered the large displacement bikes we're familiar with today, they started with smaller displacement models, typically 150 to 250cc in displacement, many riders called "China cruisers." I should know, I used to own one.
They may have disappeared for a while in favor of the more popular scrambler and street styles. But now, it seems these cruisers from China could make a comeback, this time, bigger and hopefully better.
Just recently, Longjia, filed for a patent for an upcoming production 650cc, V-twin cruiser motorcycle. According to sources, the V-Bob 650 will most likely be powered by the same water-cooled powerplant underneath Hyosung's GT650 motorcycle. Some sources claim it's also the same engine as Suzuki's SV650.
If that's the case, this new cruiser from Longjia might be producing up to 70 horses and at least 50 Nm of torque. For the chassis, it looks like straight-forward steel construction.
The patent filing also suggests that the V-Bob 650's final drive will be similar to most Harley-Davidson cruisers, using a V-belt drive typical of cruisers as opposed to a chain drive. The patent also suggests the inclusion of a fully-digital panel gauge.
If this goes into production, it is highly probable that the V-Bob 650 will land here in the Philippines, albeit rebadged by an established brand here.
Honda, KTM, Piaggio, Yamaha teaming up for swappable battery tech
Honda teams up with KTM, Piaggio, and Yamaha to form a consortium to standardize swappable battery technology across several brands.
Is the Honda Click getting a 160cc next?
Industry insiders say Honda's Click scooter may be the next model to receive a new 160cc engine.
Tags: 650 china made cruiser


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Kevin Kranz (Fráncfort del Meno, 20 de junio de 1998) es un deportista alemán que compite en atletismo, especialista en las carreras de velocidad. Ganó una medalla de plata en el Campeonato Europeo de Atletismo en Pista Cubierta de 2021, en la prueba de 60 m.

Palmarés internacional

Referencias

Atletas de Alemania
Velocistas
Nacidos en Fráncfort del Meno
Alemanes del siglo XXI

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Margaret B. Seymour (born 1947) is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina.
Born in Washington, D.C., Seymour received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1969 and a Juris Doctor from Washington College of Law at American University in 1977. She was an equal opportunity specialist for the United States Department of Health, Education & Welfare from 1972 to 1979, and for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 1979 to 1980. She was an attorney in the Office of Civil Rights of the United States Department of Education from 1980 to 1988. She was in private practice from 1988 to 1990. She was an Assistant United States Attorney of the District of South Carolina from 1990 to 1996, serving as the United States Attorney (interim) for that district from 1993 to 1996.
Seymour was a United States Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina from 1996 to 1998. On September 9, 1998, Seymour was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the District of South Carolina vacated by William B. Traxler. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 21, 1998, and received her commission on October 22, 1998. On January 3, 2012, she became chief judge, serving as such until she took senior status on January 16, 2013.
Margaret B. Seymour at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.


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2020 Steelers' Futures Report: WR Saeed Blacknall
By Alex Kozora
Posted on May 3, 2020 at 9:30 am
As we've done in previous years, we're taking a look at those Pittsburgh Steelers under futures contracts for the 2020 offseason. We'll focus this on the future players who spent no or limited time on the team during 2019. Taken a bit of a break but following up with a new futures report today.
Saeed Blacknall/WR Penn State – 6'2 208
If you're feeling lucky and wanting to call your shot of a training camp sleeper no one is talking about, Saeed Blacknall is your guy. Wide receiver always produces fierce summer competition but Blacknall has the athletic profile to make noise in Latrobe.
Blacknall came out of high school as a top, four-star recruit, a New Jersey product staying relatively local while still playing college football on a big stage. But he never panned out quite as expected. A low-volume, big play threat who always seemed to play third or fourth fiddle in Penn State's offense.
For his career, he recorded just 50 receptions. The good news is he made the most of those chances, averaging just shy of 20 yards per catch and finding the end zone once every seven catches. A career line of 50 grabs, 979 yards, and seven scores. I'm generally loathe to post highlights but this is a cutup of all his TDs. You'll sense a common theme – run fast, run far, hit paydirt.
An impressive Pro Day workout helped grab the NFL's attention. A blistering 4.37 40, 10'7″ broad, 6.77 three cone, and he even threw up 24 reps on the bar for good measure.
Still, the low productivity caused him to go undrafted in 2018. Oakland signed him as a UDFA and in the preseason finale, he had a run-and-catch 45 yard score, using his size to bounce off the safety and walk into the end zone.
He made the practice squad and earned a one-week call-up to the 53 but was sent back down for the rest of 2018. Blacknall wasn't able to make it to the 2019 Raiders' camp, cut in July and claimed off waivers by Miami. The Dolphins waived/injured him in August and quickly released him with a settlement.
After spending a month with Arizona in December, he made his way to the XFL as a Los Angeles Wildcat. His first catch? Big Play Blacknall struck again, hauling in a 42 yard score against New York.
Before the league folded, he finished with a very Penn State stat line: 4 catches, 120 yards, 2 touchdowns. Low-volume but big plays.
And that's what he's going to bring to Pittsburgh. He'll win deep and his size and toughness can allow him to fend off cornerbacks trying to take him down 1v1. Similar to Deon Cain, his height doesn't stand out in a very tall receiver room (he's one of six WRs standing 6'0+) but in a practice environment where size and speed often win out, Blacknall might become a camp darling with a chance to finally stick.
Related Items:Pittsburgh Steelers, Saeed Blacknall
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'Dude, I'm Dead Tired:' Freiermuth Says He Hit Rookie Wall In 2021
Pat Freiermuth Admits Steelers Didn't Have Hot Routes Built Into Offense


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Azurite Druzy, Crystal Quartz and Kynite pendant set in Sterling Silver. Size approx. 2" x 3/4"
Azurite is a powerful gemstone, known to ancient civilizations and us for its extraordinary healing powers.
The stone of heaven, but also of Earth, azurite is used in crystal healing therapies for the multitude of properties it holds. The azurite meaning can easily be understood if we trace back the wealth of legends surrounding this shimmering blue stone.
The Egyptians revered it, the ancient Chinese named azurite the stone of heaven guided by the belief that it opened celestial gateways while the ancient Roman and Greek civilizations used it for the visionary insights it could bestow.


"Investigating the co-existence of fisheries and offshore renewable energy in the UK"
Keep ahead of the game - making sense of the ever increasing encroachment on fishing grounds by a diverse range of activities concerns many fishermen and their livelihoods. Thankfully, there are members of the scientific community reaching out to the fishing community in order to make sense of these changes.
Here is an excellent paper written just up the road at the University of Plymouth: "Investigating the co-existence of fisheries and offshore renewable energy in the UK: Identification of a mitigation agenda for fishing effort displacement" a paper by De Groot, J., Campbell, M., Ashley, and M. & Rodwell.


Fruit Bread / Fruit Toast by edioth. A Thermomix ® recipe in the category Breads & rolls on www.recipecommunity.com.au, the Thermomix ® Community.
4. during last minute add dried fruit slowly through lid while kneading continues.
If you find the bread too dense increase your yeast to 2-2.5 teaspoons. I find that in colder weather I have to increase the yeast and let it rise in the thermoserver in a slightly warm oven to get fluffier toast again.
Submitted by Kabresa14 on 29. July 2018 - 08:25.
Based on some of the previous comments, I doubled the quantity of yeast to 3 tsp. Bread turned out SO light and fluffy!
To suit my personal preference, next time I'll add a little more sugar and a little less salt.
Definitely will be a make again recipe, thank you!
Submitted by vickiewalmsley@hotmail.com on 25. January 2017 - 13:12.
Great fruit loaf, made this morning for my 2 boys. I used only sultanas and my oven was hot so I put into loaf tin and let it prove on the bench for about 20-30mins. Baked for about 35mins. Came out very light and fluffy! Will be making this again. Thank you for the recipe!
Submitted by MrsSpry on 20. August 2016 - 15:36.
I've added 3 tsp dry yeast, then mixed water, sugar & yeast for 10mins, rather than only 1min 30secs.
Perfect, light & fluffy bread this time!!!
Submitted by MrsSpry on 18. June 2016 - 16:08.
I've made this bread 3 times now!!! My husband thought it's too dense the first 2 times, so added 3 tsp yeast today & it's perfect.
Submitted by traceyds on 25. April 2016 - 15:05.
This is good! It IS a very sticky dough, but such yummy result! I love adding chopped figs, apricots and whole almonds as well. Becoming a regularly used recipe in my file!
Submitted by bernie13 on 7. April 2016 - 12:30.
Made this and turned out lovely. Probably added a bit more fruit than recipe stated, kids loved it. Next time will have to put on bottom rack in oven as it burnt slightly on top!
Submitted by schachts on 15. January 2016 - 23:39.
Just made this and it was a huge hit! I used a tangy fruit mix for the fruit and malthouse brown bread flour. Going to be a regular in our house now. Thanks a million!
Submitted by Imogen81 on 6. January 2016 - 20:47.
Submitted by deegal1975 on 8. December 2015 - 12:13.


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film review london
~ concise movie reviews & news
Tag Archives: Apocalypse
Apocalypse with Bruce Willis (1998, VG) – review
Posted by Arnold in Reviews
≈ Comments Off on Apocalypse with Bruce Willis (1998, VG) – review
Apocalypse, blog, Bruce Willis. PS1, Film, game, Movie, Playstation, PSOne, PSX, UK
If Bruce Willis has taught me anything, it's that videogames used to actually be fun.
A bit of back story: about a month ago, all-around excellent film blogger and Tweeter i-Flicks discovered an ad on an old VHS for a Playstation game called Apocalypse, starring Bruce Willis.
Yes that's right, Bruce Fucking Willis. This caught my attention – I remembered playing the game once in the late nineties and, back in 1998, having Bruce Willis in a game was a big deal. So obviously I did what any respecting film blogger and videogame fan with a backwards compatible blu-ray player PS3 would do, I brought the bloody thing on ebay!
A whole 50p later (plus £2 postage & packaging, grr), and a few days spent eagerly awaiting the postman… this arrived:
Utilising the full power of the PS3 to boot up a 13 year old game, I didn't know what to expect. I mean film tie-ins are usually rubbish right? But then again, this wasn't a film tie-in – it was just a game. With Bruce Willis in it.
What I found was a lot of fun. It plays a lot like what's now described as a dual-stick shooter – you run around using the left stick and shoot in any direction using the right one. These games now are commonplace but again, in 1998, they were pretty rare.
So I find myself running around – AS BRUCE WILLIS – strafing to avoid bullet hell while trying to get a good shot on the hordes of approaching enemies. It's fast paced and lots of fun. There are a few more platformy sections which are a little frustrating due to an inconsistent jump mechanic, but these don't get in the way of the core shooting stuff too much.
Plot-wise it's as straightforward as it gets, but also slightly bizzare: Some dude decides to raise the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, so Bruce Willis decides to break out of prison to fight them (because he knows the evil scientist dude who's causing all the trouble see). Graphically it's fairly impressive for 1998. The 3D-rendered environments are blocky but attractive, there are destructible elements in the environment, and there are times when music videos are projected onto large screens in the Blade Runner-esque cityscape. I got a little bit excited the first time I strolled down a street and was greeted by a low-fi System of a Down music video.
Like I mentioned before, Apocalypse wasn't based on an existing film or franchise. The game developers just thought it would be cool to have Bruce Willis in it. Thus Bruce contributes his likeness, a little bit of voice acting for the cut-scenes – which are short and to the point (modern games, pay attention) and a couple of 'cool' action-hero one liners to be heard randomly during combat. These can get repetitive but still, having Bruce Willis shout "Bring it on baby!" or "Oh, you want some?" when you shoot things is fairly satisfying.
What Apocalypse gets right the most is the balance between fun and difficulty. It's enjoyable to blast your way around the environments but at the same time you need to take care, with only a limited amount of lives per level. 'Lives' and 'levels' seem like such old-school concepts these days but they really work, splitting the game up into neat chunks and making it a challenge. I get bored with so many modern games, like Gears of War for example, because all the levels blend into one, the cut-scenes are long and pointless, and there's no sense of jeopardy.
So, Apocalypse is great fun, and certainly worth £2.50. Maybe I'll start expanding my PS1 collection again? This may make me seem old, but I really wish more modern games could re-capture the simple, naïve joys that games like Apocalypse had.
My favourite things of 2014
The BFI London Film Festival 2014
June to December 2013 in review
Something In The Air (Apres mai) (2012) – review
Half a year of movie viewing in review
Review roundup – Spring Breakers, Oblivion, Trance and more…
Underground (1928) @ The Phoenix, East Finchley
The Paperboy (2012) – review
Stoker (2013) – review
Pan-Asia Film Festival: Headshot (2011)
Nick Sparks and the 'women's picture' – a review of Safe Haven
Cloud Atlas (2012) – review
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – review
Side By Side (2012) – review


HOME > CURRENT EVENTS > March Birthday Party!
We had the March Birthday Party today! It was so much fun and we were so glad to say, "Happy Birthday" to all our IYK friends. With the March birthday party finished, all of the IYK children have celebrated their birthdays here during this 2016 – 2017 school year. Before the party, we announced art contest winners. Then, all 12 of the birthday children did excellent saying their names and ages. They all got presents and we sang "The Birthday Song". After that, we had a play where the English teachers made a cake. Many children laughed and seemed to enjoy it. When everything was finished, the IYK children presented a "Thank you" gift to Saito-san, one of the ladies who makes our yummy lunches each day. Good job today everyone and Happy Birthday!


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A Display of Faith
Madawaska is a town of approximately 3000 residents. Nearby Van Buren has a population of just under 2000. But this August, streets, inns, and spare bedrooms will be packed with visitors when the St. John River Valley and the neighboring Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec host the World Acadian Congress.
"You're looking at expecting 50 to 60,000 people," says Lorraine Pelletier, Maine regional coordinator.
The World Acadian Congress or Congrès mondial acadien is held every five years to celebrate Acadian culture and history, of which Catholicism is an integral part. It draws people from around the world.
Previous congresses have been held in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Louisiana, but this is the first time Maine has had the privilege of being one of the hosts. It is also the first time that the congress will take place on both sides of the border.
The festival runs from August 8 - 24 with events throughout the region designated as Acadia of the Lands and Forests.
"Overall, there are 300 activities planned within those seventeen days," says Lorraine. "We have, just in Maine, over 100 activities."
The events are designed with families in mind. You can drop by the whoopie pie festival in Portage, bang pots and pans in the tintamarre (noise) parade, join in one of the Acadian family reunions, or attend an outdoor Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert Deeley in Madawaska on August 15.
"Every congress has a Mass but not to the level that we're putting into this Mass," says Lorraine.
Preparations for the congress have been underway for five years, since the last one concluded. However, in some ways, its roots go back more than 300 years, to the 1713 treaty which ceded control of the French colony of Acadia, now Nova Scotia, to the British. In 1755, the British forced the Acadians, who refused to renounce their faith, from their land, putting them on boats and dispersing them throughout the United States and the world. As the years passed, some of the Acadians returned, primarily to neighboring New Brunswick and then into Maine.
"We're here to celebrate a people who have gone through so much in their history," says Father Jacques LaPointe, O.F.M., pastor of St. Peter Chanel, Van Buren. "But, nonetheless, they're people who never let go of their Marian roots. The Virgin Mary has always been their protectress. And so, this is an opportunity to bring to the forefront the importance of prayer, the importance of Marian devotion. As Catholics in this diocese, we are proud to be able to stand up and to show to the world what we're all about and what faith means when it's applied through the heart."
One of the ways in which that faith will be displayed is through a 125" x 100" quilt.
"We have a fantastic project where we've asked all the parishes in our three regions to send their old stoles, so that we could make them into a quilt representing our faith. It's a fantastic, humongous quilt with three steeples that represent the Church in Quebec, the Church in New Brunswick, and the Church in Maine," says Father LaPointe.
The quilt was stitched and sewn by a group of ten women, nearly all of them parishioners of Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Parish in Madawaska. Most stepped forward not knowing exactly what they were getting into.
"I just happened to open my mouth saying that I was busy quilting, and then, that is how it started," says Priscilla Cannan, laughing.
One of Priscilla's first jobs was to contact the parishes to ask for stoles.
"Father gave Priscilla a list of all the churches, and she started writing letters," says Lois Muller.
"Then I had to go out and bug them," Priscilla adds.
Stoles were sent from parishes throughout Aroostook County, from several parishes in New Brunswick, and from one parish in Quebec.
"We got some that were new, some that were old. We have a little bit of everything in there," says Lois.
When the group first got together, there was just a general idea, not a specific design. The members had to come up with a pattern that would work using stoles, which are long strips of cloth. The concept came from the cover of a missallette.
"It's been in the pews for a year, and here we are trying to find a pattern. I go to church after seeing this for a year, and I presented it, and this was it," says Priscilla.
"Then, we started sketching. That's how we ended up with a concept, because, of course, it has to be straight," says Lois.
Once the design was created, Priscilla's husband, who is an architect, produced exact measurements of all the pattern pieces.
"We put them together on a table, and then we numbered them, the pieces, because some were made a certain way that they could fit together," says Rinette. "Remember numbering the pieces?"
"That was the longest part," says Bern Thibeault.
Because it is made from stoles, the quilt had to be designed with liturgical colors in mind. The backs of some of the stoles provided needed blacks and browns.
"The quilt represents the land of trees and forests, so you have to have the green, you have to have trees, and looking at liturgical colors, you only have so many colors to work with, so the trees became the background with the sky and then the river and then, of course, the churches. The churches are white, but we used off white on the side churches so we could show a distinction between the three churches. That was probably the most difficult, finding the right whites to work with," says Lois.
Getting the river to look like water also took some thought. The idea for that came from Bern Thibeault, who took a cruise and noticed the carpeting on board the ship resembled ocean waves.
"We tried to get the colors and the variations of colors because you start with grass and then dirt and then water and then deeper into the water," says Lois. "We had tons of blues, but they were all the same color, so we started to work in the purple. Then, afterwards, the water didn't quite look like flowing water, so we added the gold to look like waves."
Separating the edge of the river from the churches is one solid strip donated by the Maliseet First Nation.
"The strip at the bottom of the churches is from the Maliseets, the first nation, and we used their whole piece because it looked like stained glass all on its own," says Lois.
The quilt also includes the Acadian star, representing Stella Maris, and in the center of the quilt, there is a stained glass window with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
"There is not a church in the valley without a stained-glass window so Linda designed the window," says Lois.
"I had done the stained-glass picture of the Holy Family for Christmas and brought that in just for the heck of it, and Father [LaPointe] happened to come along, and he really fell in love with it," says Linda Roy. "Father thought it was too small, so we enlarged it."
Linda also has a long-arm quilting machine, which she used to put the three layers of the quilt together when it was completed.
The women began working on the quilt in 2010 and finished it this March.
"It was interesting because I had never really done anything like that. I learned a lot. You learn from the other ladies," says Jackie Daigle.
"It's enriched me," says Joan Levesque Jones.
"It's an accomplishment, especially to show the spiritually of the Acadians. They were very committed Catholics," says Priscilla.
"The Acadian faith is very, very strong, and of course it brought us together," says Lois.
The women who worked on the quilt include Kate Albert, Rinette Cyr, Priscilla Cannan, Jackie Daigle, Adrienne Dubois, Lois Muller, Rinette Pelletier, Linda Roy, and Bern Thibeault.
The quilt will be displayed at Saint David Church in Madawaska throughout the World Acadian Congress, then travel to various parishes before moving to the Musée culturel du Mont Carmel in Lille.
Father LaPointe says he hopes people from throughout the diocese will have a chance to see it and to attend the World Acadian Congress.
"We're bringing all of this rich heritage that we have in our faith with so much joy, and we wish to share it," says Father LaPointe. "I want to see every one of you."
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