Human body is comprised of many organs whose anatomy and physiology is really mesmerizing. One such example is Thyroid Gland. Thyroid Gland, in spite of its small size, has profound effect on every organ of the body. Hormones released from this gland are involved in nearly every metabolic reaction taking place inside the body. It is a butterfly shaped gland located on front region of neck just below the larynx, comprises of two lobes; one on right side and the second on the other side of the neck connected by a tissue called isthmus. Its weight is about 12-20g (Brent GA, 1994 and Cheng SY et al., 2010). Thyroid gland makes three hormones: thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and calcitonin. Upon stimulation of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine and triiodothyronine are produced from thyroid follicular cells. Thyroid stimulating hormone is released from pituitary gland after being stimulated by thyroid releasing hormone (TRH), produced from hypothalamus. This thyroid stimulating hormone stimulates thyroid gland to express more sodium iodide transporters (NIT) so that iodide metabolism can be initiated which is the first step in the synthesis of thyroid hormones. After iodide uptake by NIT, thyroperoxidase (TPO) enzyme will oxidize it followed by iodination of thyroglobulin (Tg) at tyrosyl residues to produce mono and di-iodinatedtyrosyl residues. This iodinated Tg will eventually produce T3 and T4 upon proteolysis inside the lysosome by enzyme T4-5'-deiodinase (Kohrle J, 2000 and Piehl S et al., 2011). Abnormalities in thyroid gland result in two types of disorders i.e., hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. During hypothyroidism low levels of thyroid hormone are produced. Goiter, thyroiditis such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis and un-differentiated thyroid carcinomas are accompanied by Hypothyroidism. Their general signs and symptoms are dry and brittle hair, puffy face, hoarseness and deepening voice, angina, decreased heart rate, constipation, cold dry skin, muscular pain and weakness, cold intolerance, decreased sweating, tiredness and fatigue (Gillet M, 2004, Topliss DJ and Eastman CJ , 2004). During Hyperthyroidism high levels of thyroid hormones are produced. Grave's thyroiditis and differentiated follicular thyroid carcinoma are developed due to hyperthyroidism. Signs and symptoms for hyperthyroidism are fine hair- thinning, goiter, palpitations, diarrhea, hot flushed moist skin, muscular fatigue and weakness, heat intolerance, increased sweating, nervousness, irritability and insomnia (Pinto A and Michael G, 2002 ).
Syn-thyroid drug used for the treatment of hypothyroidism is Levothyroxine sodium. Starting dose is 0.25mg per day which is carefully monitored after titration to reach maximum dose of 1mg per day. T3 along with T4 may also be used if T3 levels remain abnormal even after T4 replacement. Hyperthyroidism state is normalized by the use of anti-thyroid drugs such as Carbimazole and Propylthiouracil. Initial dosage for Carbimazole is 30-60mg per day divided in two doses, while dosage for Propylthiouracil (PTU) is 300-600mg after 8 hours in a day (Cooper DS, 2005). Levothyroxine is converted into T3 inside liver by deiodinases. Mode of action for anti-thyroid drugs is different. Carbimazole blocks the coupling of iodine residue on thyroglobulin molecule while propylthiouracil blocks the conversion of T4 to T3 (Singer PA et al., 1995).
Thyroid hormones have very dominant effect on proper functioning of kidney by affecting its growth and development. This in turn affects structure and function of kidney. So, any abnormality in thyroid hormone production will affect anatomy and physiology of the kidney (Bradley SE et al., 1982, Bentley AG et al., 1985 and Canavan JP et al., 1994). Renal parameters which are used to monitor structure and function of kidney are glomerular filtration rate (GFR), serum creatinine, uric acid and blood urea nitrogen (Kreisman SH and Hennessey JV, 1999, Iseki K et al., 2001 and Obermayr RP et al., 2008). Since thyroid hormones are involved in the downstream regulation and expression of renin-angiotensin system, and of several ion transporters across nephron membrane, so, variation in their concentrations during thyroid disorders will also affect kidney function by altering the action and number of transporters on plasma membrane (Santos OD et al., 2003 and Wang W et al., 2007).
Patients suffering from thyroid disorders gradually develop renal disorders if their thyroid abnormalities remain untreated. So, as soon as they get treatment for thyroid disorder their renal dysfunction must be settled down automatically. Current study was based on objective to find out role of thyroid drugs in reversing abnormal renal markers due to hyperthyroidism in Pakistani population.
Study was conducted on 60 thyroid patients who were recruited from Centre of Nuclear Medicine (CENUM), at King Edward Medical University (KEMU), Lahore, Pakistan. 50 patients were experiencing hyperthyroidism and 10 were of hypothyroidism. Carbimazole and propylthiouracil were administered to patients of hyperthyroidism to avoid thyroid storm and also to prepare those patients for radioactive iodine therapy or surgery. 40 patients of hyperthyroidism were prescribed carbimazole and 10 were given propylthiouracil. Standard doses of carbimazole and propylthiouracil i.e., 15-40 mg /day and 200-400 mg/ day respectively were administered to patients. Patients of hypothyroidism were taking levothyroxine 50-100 micrograms once daily. Patients suffering from concomitant disorders such as hepatitis, diabetes and hypertension etc. and those on multi-drug therapy were excluded from the study and all participants gave their informed consents. Renal parameters such as creatinine, blood urea and uric acid were analyzed through spectrophotometry on micro-lab equipment by using reagents of Crescent Company (Jeddah 21423, KSA) and Human Company (Max-Planck-Ring, Wiesbaden, Germany). Results were compared with levels of 20 healthy subjects and statistical analysis was done by using analysis of variance test (ANOVA). Confidence Interval was 0.95. P-value below 0.05 was considered significant while values above 0.05 were considered non-significant.
Table 1. Values of means (M) and standard error of means (SEMs) of creatinine, blood urea, blood urea nitrogen and uric acid in control, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism groups.
The patients of hypothyroidism were administered levothyroxine. Mean values of control and hypothyroid group for creatinine were 0.86 and 0.03; for blood urea: 17.14 and 29.37; for blood urea nitrogen: 7.99 and 13.69, and, for uric acid: 5.46 and 6.42 for both groups i.e., control and hypothyroid group respectively. The standard error of means for creatinine: +0.03 and +1.00; for blood urea +0.92 and +2.94; for blood urea nitrogen: +0.43 and +1.37, and, for uric acid were +0.32 and +0.73 for both groups i.e., control and hypothyroid group respectively. P-values were identified by comparing hypothyroid group with control and those were 0.219, 0.004, 0.001 and 0.192 for creatinine, blood urea, blood urea nitrogen and uric acid respectively.
Elevated serum creatinine levels in hypothyroid patients decreased to normal levels after treatment with levothyroxine. Statistical analysis also confirmed the results since p-value for creatinine was 0.219 when analyzed for both study groups. Thus, creatinine levels are instantly affected by thyroid status due to effect of thyroid hormones on creatinine synthesis by kidney cells secretion via glomerulus (Den Hollander JG et al., 2005 and Devika T et al., 2009).
Serum urea levels, for control and hypo groups, were found statistically significant with p-value 0.004 representing drug inefficacy to normalize urea levels in hypo group. These raised levels of serum urea are due to possible side effects of L-Thyroxine (Den Hollander et al., 2005).
The levels of uric acid were appeared to be normal after treatment with levothyroxine. Statistical assessment also proved the non-significant difference between control and hypo group. P-value of 0.192 shows the strong effect of drug indirectly on kidney because as the levels of thyroid hormone gets normal, kidney function also tends to be normal. Further we can validate our results by findings of previous studies in establishing a strong correlation between uric acid levels and abnormal thyroid status and effect of L-thyroxine in normalizing thyroid function directly and uric acid levels indirectly (Nakahama H et al., 2001 and Obermayr RP et al., 2008).
Mean and standard error of mean values of hyperthyroid patients with carbimazole treatment were as follows: for creatinine: 0.94 and +0.04; for blood urea: 25.73 and +1.06; for blood urea nitrogen: 11.99 and +0.49, and, for uric acid: 5.63 and +0.26. While on treating hyperthyroid patients with propylthiouracil, mean and standard error of mean values for creatinine were: 0.88 and +0.06; for blood urea: 22.30 and +0.45; for blood urea nitrogen: 10.39 and +0.21, and, for uric acid: 4.58 and +0.54. Significance or insignificance was established on the basis of p-values after comparing whole group of hyperthyroid patients with control population and those were 0.337, 0.020, 0.010 and 0.198 for creatinine, blood urea, blood urea nitrogen and uric acid respectively.
Creatinine and uric acid levels were also appeared to be non-significant with p-value of 0.337 and 0.198 respectively. Since the patients included in hyperthyroid group were on anti-thyroid medication and this medication normalized their T4, T3 and TSH so creatinine and uric acid, whose levels are dependent on thyroid profile, also become normalized. Our research findings on Pakistani population are clearly strengthening the previously held notion of renal dependency on thyroid gland as documented by den-Hollander and his coworkers during 2005 that renal anomalies improve as abnormal thyroid function gets better by using anti-thyroid drugs (Iseki K et al., 2001, Den Hollander JG et al., 2005 and Devika T et al., 2009).
Serum urea levels were found to be significant in our study with a p-value of 0.020 when control group was compared with hyperthyroid group through statistical analysis. This increase in urea level was due to side effect of carbimazole and propylthiouracil when used for a long duration as reported in different studies in various timings. Similarly Clara Day and his co-workers presented a case report in 2003 when a male patient under treatment with carbimazole experienced elevated blood urea nitrogen levels. High blood urea nitrogen has also been reported as a side effect of propylthiouracil (Fang T and Chiu-Ching H 1998, Clara D et al., 2003 and Frenais R et al., 2009).
During treatment of hypothyroid patients, combination therapy must be recommended to effectively treat the disorder and increase the social and psychological status of the patient. The patients of hyperthyroidism on carbimazole and propylthiouracil may present disturbed renal markers as the associated effects of these drugs, so, adjunctive therapy should be employed to mask related side effects. Furthermore, patients coming with renal disorders must also be examined for thyroid abnormalities so that culprit cause of this renal abnormality could be treated.
I would like to acknowledge Prof Dr MH Qazi for his support and interest in this study. Special thanks to Zahra Batool for her entire efforts and hard work during the course of completion and we are also thankful to CENUM, Mayo Hospital Lahore for their continuous participation in this project.
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2. Cheng SY, Leonard JL, Davis PJ. Molecular aspects of thyroid hormone actions. Endocr Rev 2010; 31(2): 139–170.
3. Kohrle J. The deiodinase family: selenoenzymes regulating thyroid hormone availability and action. Cell Mol Life Sci 2000; 57(13-14): 1853-1863.
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19. Devika T, Chawla R, Arora S, Gupta VK, Sohi JS, Mallika V. Dynamic Changes in Biochemical Markers of Renal Function with Thyroid Status – A Study in Indian Population. Internet Journal of Medical Update 2009; 4(2): 36-41.
20. Nakahama H, Sakaguchi K, Horita Y, Sasaki O, Nakamura S, Inenaga T, Takishita S. Treatment of severe hypothyroidism reduced serum creatinine levels in two chronic renal failure patients. Nephron 2001; 88(3): 264-267.
21. Fang T, Chiu-Ching H. Propylthiouracil-induced acute interstitial nephritis with acute renal failure requiring haemodialysis: successful therapy with steroids. Nephrol Dial Transplant 1998; 13(3): 757–758.
22. Clara D, Bridger J, Rylance P, Jackson M, Nicholas J, Odum J. Leukocytoclastic vasculitis and interstitial nephritis with carbimazole treatment. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2003; 18(2): 429–431.
23. Frenais R, Rosenberg D, Burgaud S, Horspool LJ. Clinical efficacy and safety of a once-daily formulation of carbimazole in cats with hyperthyroidism. Journal of Small Animal Practice 2009; 50(10): 510-515.


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Is Ellen White the Last of God's Prophets?
Matthew Quartey
In early Adventism, the declaration that "Where there is no vision [prophet] the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18a KJV) was a highly valued insight. This verse came to define and embody Ellen G. White's (EGW) role in the post-Millerite movement that developed into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She became the Lord's prophet and would shepherd the dispirited group of fervent believers who had expected the Lord would return in the fall of 1843 or 1844, or at least in their lifetimes. She would become, to this "little flock," the conduit through whom God would reveal end time prophecies.
In what sense was EGW a prophet? To understand how she came fully to this role, we should situate her in the proximate time and events that influenced her. Ellen White (1828-1915) was born near the end of the so-called Second Great Awakening, the Protestant revival that began in the late 1790s and extended well into the mid-1830s. The three authentically American Christian denominations that have continued to our day — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS/Mormons-1830), Seventh-day Adventists (SDA-1863), and to a lesser extent, Jehovah's Witnesses (JW-1870) — were all affected to varying degrees by the environment of this period.
Of these three, the LDS and SDA denominations had founders, Joseph Smith and EGW, who declared they communicated directly with God in ways reminiscent of biblical prophets. Ellen White more extensively than Joseph Smith. Neither Joseph Smith nor EGW had high formal schooling, and they relied on others in transcribing their encounters with God. Both leaders produced immensely important extra-biblical literature that would guide their respective churches long after their deaths. Joseph Smith had the Golden plates (precursor to the Book of Mormon) and other "revelations" — the "Doctrine and Covenants" and the "Pearl of Great Price." Ellen White produced some 40 books, 500 periodical articles, and more than 8,300 additional unpublished documents.
All biblical prophets, the models EGW is compared to, are simply God's mouthpieceso—not in the secular sense of press secretaries but as spokespersons for God. And as such, their roles have sometimes been pastoral. In which case, they serve as God's shepherds, pointing out the people's waywardness with the aim of bringing them back to God. The prophet Amos, for example, fits this role. At other times, the prophets' pivotal roles have been foretellers or "predictors" of a distant future. The apocalyptic writer of Daniel falls into this category in predicting a future much further ahead than any of his contemporaries could comprehend.
There are also biblical prophets who combined these roles of shepherding and sometimes foreseeing events that were very disruptive to Israel. This was Jeremiah's lot. He had the unenviable task of warning a people unaccustomed to foreign domination and exilic life. And convincing the populace that it was God's plan to use their enemy, Babylon, as an instrument of punishment, was no mere task. As Jeremiah was predicting doom, he was also counseling the Israelites to believe in God's goodness and to trust his overall providence.
These dual roles, of shepherding the flock and providing a "road map" to future eschatological events, have been core to EGW's prophetic legacy. And her pastoral ministry to the church she co-founded ran the gamut. It is impossible to evaluate Adventist education, healthful living, or evangelism and not be impressed by how much has been accomplished under her guidance.
In education especially, no comparable denomination has done more globally than Adventism. Wherever the church has gone, it has established schools, ranging from the one-room elementary to accredited universities offering tertiary degrees. Although first generation Adventists are generally among the least educated, because of the church's educational emphasis, succeeding generations leapfrog the ladder into ranks of those most educated. With almost 8,000 educational institutions in over 100 countries, the church can be justifiably proud of its accomplishments in this area.
To a similar, though less expansive extent, the church has made significant contributions to healthful living, and healthcare generally. Through its numerous clinics, healthcare centers, and many first-class hospitals in the U.S. and around the world, the Adventist healthcare brand has achieved an enviable reputation. The co-mingling of Adventism and healthful living has long been an integral association, one established long before vegetarianism caught the popular imagination. As with education, the Adventist healthful living success story cannot be fully told without recognizing EGW's contributions.
But using accomplishment as barometer for prophetic authenticity is tricky. As the LDS story illustrates, Mormons could make claims to Joseph Smith's legitimacy based on comparable accomplishments under their founder's guidance, such as a worldwide presence, fine institutions, and temperate living. Many LDS members view the church's historical connection with Utah as prophetically guided. Therefore, an examination of EGW's other prophetic role, as foreteller of future events, could provide a better measure to assess whether her 19th-century, end-time predictions are unconditional.
And here I would indulge a brief digression to comment on whether EGW can be legitimately criticized. Some get righteously indignant when EGW is studied objectively, in a non-apologetical manner. For them, EGW's role should be a settled matter, in much the same way biblical authors are. But this is not a helpful approach because each new generation of Adventists should discover her for themselves, in their own way. This means they should come to know her, warts (if any) and all. In matters of religion, we must resist the temptation to uncritically absorb a superficial inheritance of the tradition without a diligent involvement in the acquisition. Faulkner's insistence is right: "The past is not dead. It's not even past." His is an astute recognition that time and events do not stop but continue in the lives of later generations. We should neither be reluctant or apprehensive about interrogating our past, including Ellen White. Our history stretches back over 175 years and should be open to scrutiny.
But back to the task at hand. Virtually all traditional Christian denominations profess that Christ will return, as scripture attests, in the future. What is contested are the markers of that future event. What makes our Adventist eschatological outlook different and proprietary are key extra-biblical details we subscribe to. Our end time chronology consists of important pre-advent events, including the Investigative Judgment (IJ) in heaven. Our IJ doctrine postulates that since October 1844, God has been "going through the books" of everyone ever born, in judgment of their deeds, to determine their salvation suitability. Christ will return only after the end of this process, labeled "the close of probation."
Also, a National Sunday Law must be passed before Christ returns. It is unclear if it will be passed only in the U.S. or globally but, when it does, the law will mandate Sunday worship exclusively. The promulgation of this Sunday Law will signal that Apostate Protestant churches have joined the Catholic Church and ceded power and authority to the Pope, and these joined powers seek our destruction. We will be persecuted because of our continued allegiance to God through faithful Sabbath observance. When this law passes, the faithful should start heading for the mountains.
These fine details are what make our eschatology different and "special" — but also problematic—problematic because some of these positions, acquired predominantly via EGW's prophetic gifts, clash with the evidence from our own stubborn senses. In a recent conference in Rome, attended by some 360 Adventist theologians and administrators under the aegis of the General Conference Biblical Research Institute, the attendees sought to "affirm biblical eschatology" from an Adventist perspective. In the conference consensus statements, no mention was made of Ellen White. I can understand the attempt to carve out an SDA eschatological position from the Bible alone, but this is a difficult undertaking because most of our distinctive eschatological positions come to us, extra-biblically, through EGW.
When we take Adventist eschatology seriously, we cannot escape some nagging questions: 1) Do we still hold to the view that, in this age of supercomputers, the 19th-century accounting and auditing metaphor derived from the book of Hebrews describes the literal heavenly process where God is painstakingly reviewing our records—a task which must be completed before he returns? 2) Do we still envision the passing of a National Sunday Law in the same way and urgency that EGW and our founders did? 3) Will the world's power brokers — Apostate Protestants, Muslims, Hindus, secularists, global political governments — align with and become subordinate to Papal Rome? 4) Will this "cabal" force us to flee up into the mountains?
This admonition to flee appears particularly dated because of the obvious conceit from our 19th-century beginnings when mountains and mountain-tops were symbols of safety. But it has ceased to symbolize the security that mountains once signified. In our time, and no doubt going forward, how safe will the mountains be against our enemies' satellite photos, missiles, warplanes, and drones?
Though we do not profess knowledge of the Second Coming's exact date, we currently endorse the view that all these events will take place before Jesus comes. Usually, God raises up prophets in response to specific societal needs. And when the prophetic function is predictive, the prophecy is often conditioned to the response of its targets, as was the case with Jonah. But EGW's end time predictions come with no conditional constraints. So, regardless of time and circumstance, is it really certain that the Sunday Law will happen, the global alliance against the church will take place, and the faithful will be chased into the mountains?
Because EGW made these statements over a century and a half ago, even though the landscape has shifted considerably, in the view of many Adventists, we cannot, dare not, reappraise her assertions, or we will be accused of opposing her prophetic authority. She subscribed to conditional prophecy and the idea of present truth, two concepts which should allow for adjustments when contingencies in our theological outlook call for changes. But because we refuse to make any adjustments, we have inadvertently bound the Lord to her 160-year-old predictions.
This is less an Ellen White critique than it is a criticism of how we have shaped her. By discouraging meaningful discussions, particularly in official church communication channels — ANN, Adventist Review, Ministry — we have created an unsustainable, inerrant posture toward her that does not serve the church well—a posture, I suspect, she would have found repugnant. At the very least, we should encourage engagement by the total church, especially within its academe, about whether EGW is the last of God's prophets who has written the last chapter on end times, for all time. Or must God raise up another who will update her predictions?
Matthew Quartey is a transplanted Ghanaian who now lives in and calls the Adventist ghetto of Berrien Springs, Michigan, home.
Image Credit: EGW Estate
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EMMY AWARD WINNING TRAVEL TELEVISION PERSONALITY
Creator & Host of Beyond Your Backyard (national - PBS)
On average, travels 23 weeks per year
From Des Moines, Iowa - Lives in NYC area
Aviation nerd
Managing Editor of his travel empire
Loves his daughters, gets up early and loves coffee
Two things I ask of you, watch, like and share my videos and subscribe to my YouTube channel. THEN, keep exploring the world!
Erik's Biography
Photo Credit: Erik The Travel Guy
Erik Hastings, a.k.a. Erik the Travel Guy is an EMMY award-winning television personality who speaks directly to consumers who can't afford to "get their vacations wrong". He is the host and managing editor of the internationally syndicated television series "Beyond Your Backyard" for public broadcasting stations (PBS) and other networks/VOD platforms. Erik leads an incredibly talented team of industry pros and is the editorial driving force of his platform. While the travel industry directly supports millions of families worldwide, Erik believes travel makes the world a better place. Through exploration and discovery, he has learned that travel brings cultures together and he eagerly shares that spirit with his viewers.
Erik Hastings got his first taste of being an entrepreneur as a young Iowa boy when he began selling school supplies at Hubbell Elementary School in Des Moines, Iowa. He parlayed that experience into a lifelong commitment to living life successfully on his own terms. Drawn to performing, Erik became a steady face on the local theater scene, highlighted by a lead performance in the international production of Peace Child at the Des Moines Playhouse; a powerful musical about war from a child's point of view. At the age of 14, this production took him to the Soviet Union for a six-week performance tour.
Lucky enough to attend one of the few high schools in Central Iowa that included several incredibly creative and hands-on performing arts classes, Erik honed his performance craft through dance classes at Betty Hill Dance Studios, music lessons and acting intensives. At the age of 15, Erik began his radio career. Working "on the air" every weekend until graduation, Erik learned through experience how to become a successful on-air personality. He continued his radio career in Des Moines and then in New York at WABC. He added video production and hosting to his long list of credits at 17, which added a new level to his appreciation for the incredibly powerful potential of the creative arts. Leaving the comfort of his Midwestern roots for the challenges of NYC in 1996, Erik returned to video production repeatedly over the next decade while building an impressive resume in radio, media design and production, theater, commercial work and hosting duties, including work for WABC, HBO, The Disney Channel, PBS, and Starz & Encore. Over the years, Erik has interviewed thousands of celebrities and headline-makers including Gary Player, Jennifer Aniston, Brian Williams, Tom Hanks, Lester Holt, John Ritter, Phil Mickelson, Michael J Fox, Miss America, Bubba Watson, Dan Rather, Haley Barbour, Jim Justice, Wayne Newton, Tom Watson, and countless others.
In 2005, Erik launched his own production company that specialized in creating high-quality, low-cost travel videos for online distribution, which has added "world traveler" to his resume. This enterprise encapsulates all of Erik's true joys by combining video production, writing, discovery, adventure, performing and interacting with fascinating people in some of the most inspiring and beautiful travel destinations in the world. Since inception, he has amassed an impressive client roster including Hertz, The Greenbrier Resort, CruiseOne, Carnival, Pinehurst, Iberostar, and countless official tourism bureaus throughout the world.
In 2017, Erik and his creative team began production on "Beyond Your Backyard", a new educational travel series for Blue Ridge PBS. The series debuted in April of 2018 on Blue Ridge PBS and other public broadcasting stations and quickly gained national attention and new affiliates. Today, the series is seen by millions of viewers nationwide. The series is syndicated by NETA, carried on the CREATE Channel, represented internationally by TVS and available to Amazon Prime members. In it's first season, the series was honored by the industry with two EMMY awards for the show and its host.
Erik spends (on average) about 25 weeks on the road per year. When he's not traveling, he spends time with his two daughters in New York City.
For all inquiries, please contact Kevin Allen.


The heel of Italy's boot, Puglia, extends for around 400km from the Gargano Peninsula in the north to Santa Maria di Leuca in the south. Puglia has 6 provinces, which are: Bari, Lecce, Brindisi, Foggia, Taranto and the BAT (Barletta-Adria-Trani) province. Its 800 km of coastline, sculpted over millennia by both the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Ionian Sea to the west, is dotted with magnificent beaches. Puglia's towns and villages are wonderful variations in their architectural styles and atmospheres.
Puglia has increased it tourism by 40% in 2 years in many facets of tourism. What does this mean and why might it affect you? With Puglia being one of the hottest destinations of course we advice coming sooner rather than later and to ensure you start speaking to us as soon as possible as the lodging we really like are tiny structures. Think 5/18 Rooms.
Salento is the south-eastern extension of the Puglia region, also known as 'the heel of the Italian boot'. It encompasses the entire area of the province of Lecce, a large part of the province of Brindisi and a part of that of Taranto. This area was also known as Terra d'Otranto and in ancient times it was called Messapia and even Salentina. Salento stops and starts where people deem it necessary. For Instance in wine terms now Salento covers an extraordinary broad territory that has no base on the reality of where Salento Starts and finishes. We tend to think that From Brindisi to Taranto and everything to the east is the Salento. Its a Marketing thing.
Salento is stunning, especially the coasts, remarkable landscapes, from the Alimini Lakes just north of Salento to Porto Selvaggio on the Ionic coast this whole area is covered in vine and endless olive groves… Salento's coast has the most pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters.
Salento has natural and architectural beauties, hospitality, atmosphere and of course, its coast. The food and the wine coupled with Lecce make for very compelling reasons for coming to Salento while your here.
Lecce is a beautiful Baroque city commonly referred to as "The Florence of the South" and one of the most important towns (95,000) of Puglia as the capital of the province of Lecce and of the sub-region Salento. Located just 11 km from the Adriatic Sea and 23 km from the Ionian Sea, Lecce lies in the middle of fertile plain surrounded by attractive countryside, seashore and small towns and all surrounded by olive trees and vines.
Lecce has a great restaurant scene and plenty of wine bars. Nightlife can be loud and late due to the University students, If you are staying in the centre, Internal and higher floor levels are advised. Lecce always has a great vibe and buzz and in summer being a university town has lots on.
Please Note: We have one of our favorite cooking experience in Lecce. If you like cooking this is something anyone should try. Just a few secrets shared will enable you to start Apuglian cooking. 1/2 day immersions to deeper more involved stays.
Gargano National Park is located in the province of Foggia. Aside from its magnificent display of flora and the primeval forests of Quarto, Spigno and Umbra, the park takes in miracle town San Giovanni Rotonda and the historic pilgrimage destination of Monte Sant'Angelo. Seaside towns Vieste and Peschici are popular summer destinations. We are well placed for the Northern Puglia wines and San Severo and the place where Frederick II found his last breathe at the age of 56 Torremaggiore.
Vieste is a small town on a hillside above the sea. It is the capital of Gargano and has a spectacular beach and offers breathtaking water views. In summer it is bustling with all types of travellers and August is probably best avoided. The Road trip round this section of the Gargano is stunning in itself.
Trani is a Pugliese gem. It has a sophisticated feel, like a mini Italian Saint Tropez, particularly in summer when people pack the marina-side bars. Its Norman cathedral and piazza, perched above the sea, are an unforgettable sight.
One of the main sights of Trani is the cathedral which was completed in 1143. It lies near the sea, on an open area. Although the interior has been modernized, the crypt is still in its original state.
Some 40km from Bari, Trani makes an ideal base for exploring this part of Puglia.
Bari is Puglia's capital and one of the South's most prosperous cities – check out the designer shops along Via Sparano da Bari. Bari has a surprising amount of charm, particularly Bari Vecchia, its increasingly chic medieval old town.
Bari's most famous church is the Basilica di San Nicola which has the remains of St. Nicholas, also known as father Christmas. This cathedral is however not the cathedral of Bari. Bari's cathedral is Cattedrale di San Sabino which is from the late twelfth century.
This citadel and castle was built during the 1240s and is situated on a small hill close to the monastery of Santa Maria del Monte. It lies in the commune of Andria.
The Castle's geometric design is unique. It is an octagonal prism with an octagonal tower at each corner. Because of its small size it was believed that the Castle was not more than a 'hunting lodge', but after finding signs of curtain walls it is considered to be a citadel. The Castle is acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Unesco World Heritage Site Alberobello is a town famous for its many trulli. It's an amazing and unique story.Alberobello is also painfully popular and we need to choose carefully when you come in the day to avoid the masses. The Poeta Contadino Restaurant is the only place in town to eat. Simply marvellous.
Martina Franca is located in the Valle d'Itria on top of a hill. In the 10th century this town was founded by refugees from the Arab invasion of Taranto. Stunning historic Centre with views back to Locrotondo make this part of most itineraries.
Locorotondo smack between Martina Franca and Alberobello. Officially, it is described as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. The historic part of Locorotondo is circular and perched on the top of the hill. Besides the Trulli there is another famous type of housing here: 'Cummerse', houses with pointed gable roofs, uncommon in Italy. You will find examples of these in the historic part of the town. The views from here are unmissable and we have a super lunch here at 'U Curdunn' or we take you a little further to Il Fornello de Ricci, the only Michelin star in Puglia we like, 'Al Fornello-da Ricci'.
Ostuni is situated in the province of Brindisi. The city is also referred to as the Città Bianca (the White City) because of its white colour. At the highest point of the town you will find the cathedral from where you have an amazing view of the surroundings. The views over the Olive groves and on to the sea are spectacular. Couple the views with the history and charm of Ostuni and it certainly merits half a day.
Taranto is a port located by the gulf of Taranto. It is also the third-largest continental city in Southern Italy. It was founded in 706 BC by the Spartans and is therefore also known as "The Spartan City".
One of the most famous symbols of Taranto is the Ponte Girevole. The Ponte Girevole is a swing bridge that was built in 1887. When the bridge is open, the two parts of the town are disconnected.
Only 18km from Taranto, you can find the biggest centre in Puglia for the production of ceramics: Grottaglie. There is no doubt that the town's main attraction is represented by the ceramics district, crowded by ateliers, shops and showrooms making and exposing an incredible range of ceramic goods for any use and taste. The museum of ceramics is worth visiting, as it is situated in the right wing of Castle Bishopric: a huge 14th Century building.
South from Taranto we can find the Manduria region, which is known for its Primitivo di Manduria DOC. This DOC wine is made from 100% Primitivo grapes (unlike other Primitivo wines, like Gioia del Colle Primitivo, which are blends). The level of alcohol in the Primitivo di Manduria DOC is unusually high, around 14%.
Otranto is located in the province of Lecce by the Strait of Otranto which connects the Ionian Sea to the Adriatic Sea. Its is the cutest and most delightful of small port towns. The sea and water are just impossibly clear and blue.
The main sights of Otranto are the Castello Aragonese and the cathedral, which originates from 1088. The cathedral has a floor mosaic which can be read like an immense book or tree life. The history, sometimes brutal here is incredible, the port was deemed incredibly strategic and thus lusted after over by various peoples.
Gallipoli is a town in the province of Lecce. Gallipoli consists out of two parts: the modern and the old city.We are interested in the old. The fishing industry is very present here and you can eat like a king here. The old part is located on an island which is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The name of Gallipoli comes from the Greek word Kalepolis which means: "Beautiful City". Nowadays the city still has a Greek look because of its white houses with flat roofs. Placed at the end of the most beautiful bay, Green bay just 10 mins on this beach even out of season you can imagine what summer must be like. There is no more in place in Puglia than Gallipoli.
Sorry Gallipoli, but Otranto gets our vote if you had to choose due to its easier location and its historical significance.
Santa Maria di Leuca sits on the southernmost tip of the Salento peninsula where the waters of the Adriatic Sea mingle and merge with those of the Ionian. A popular resort for wealthy Puglians since the early 1900s, as testified to by the eye-catching Art Nouveau villas that line the seafront, Leuca has all the necessary attributes for a quintessential Mediterranean holiday. The town's name comes from the Greek "Leukos", meaning light or luminous, while the appendage of Santa Maria refers specifically to the religious sanctuary built on a site high above the harbor, once home to a Temple of Minerva. Legend has it that the temple crumbled to the ground as St. Peter passed through… But Santa Maria di Leuca is also, and perhaps principally, about the sea. The sandy beaches at nearby Felloniche, Posto Vecchio, Torre Vado and Pescoluse are excellent and well equipped with lidos, bars, restaurants and other facilities, while the more dramatic stretches of coastline feature rocky cliffs pierced with around 30 Karstic grottoes. The best way to truly these fascinating geological formations is by boat and there is no shortage of local sailors ready to take you out to sea off the coast where the world ends!
Santa Maria di Leuca has an iconic lighthouse. Its where two great seas meet, super to swim here.
A total paradise at the end of the World that is Italy. No hotels of note or glam places, a delight.
The sea and beaches and rocks are perhaps the most favoured for a small passionate group of converts, RWT included. Hard to sea the love out of season but if you are about in May through October come and take a look.
Puglia is characterized by a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot summers, which are usually dry in most of the region. The coastal stretches, thanks to the mitigating effect of the Adriatic and Ionian Sea, also have a typically maritime climate, with less pronounced seasonal variations in temperature.
When is the best time to visit Puglia? Well, all in all, the temperature is pleasant all across the region and allows you to have your holiday both on the coasts and in the hinterland any time in the year, depending on what holiday you are looking for. In general, we recommend visiting Puglia between March and June and September when the temperature is perfect for any kind of activities and sports. Avoid July and August, as the temperatures are simply too high to do anything but lying at the beach.


Our exclusive Bali-inspired Beach Club offers a sophisticated and upscale environment to all our guests. There is normally a 150 pesos ($14 USD) fee per person / per day usage fee to the public. But, all our guests receive complimentary use.
Located on the sugary white sand beaches it's the most upscale beach club in Playa also known as Indigo Beach club.
…. with a gourmet restaurant that combines exquisite cuisine in a unique setting.


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Hines to Develop 46-acre Planned Community Inside Houston's Prestigious 610 Loop
(HOUSTON) – Hines, the international real estate firm, announced the recent purchase of a 46-acre tract of land inside the 610 Loop at Interstate 10, located on Old Katy Road behind Star Motor Cars, the Aston Martin dealership and next to The Houston Design Center, on which the firm will develop Somerset Green, a high-end planned community with detached townhome sites, water features and green spaces.
The European-style neighborhood, which is in close proximity to Memorial Park, will contain elegant three- and four-story single-family townhomes that will be gated and guarded 24/7.
Hines will master plan the site, design and build all of the infrastructure, and sell the lots to builders for both spec and custom homes.
Coventry Homes, Pelican Builders and Toll Brothers have committed to develop a significant portion of the project. Preston Wood & Associates is the land planner for Somerset Green.
The community will be fashioned after the Regency style of architecture. The development will contain pocket parks, dog parks, and an amenity area/gathering spot with a resort-style swimming pool.
"Hines has developed a number of high-profile master-planned communities including: First Colony in Sugar Land, TX; Las Colinas in Irving, TX; Palencia in St. Augustine, FL; Cool Springs in Franklin; TN; Aspen Highlands and Five Trees Aspen, CO; Pokrovsky Hills in Moscow; and Mala Sarka in Prague," noted Hines Senior Managing Director Rob Witte.
"We are pleased to bring our expertise to Somerset Green, and to create a new property tax base of up to $300 million for the City of Houston."
Hines is a privately owned real estate firm involved in real estate investment, development and property management worldwide. The firm's historical and current portfolio of projects that are underway, completed, acquired and managed for third parties includes 1,283 properties representing more than 516 million square feet of office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, hotel, medical and sports facilities, as well as large, master-planned communities and land developments.
In Houston alone, Hines has developed more than 51.8 million square feet since its founding in 1957.
Currently, Hines manages 378 properties totaling 151.9 million square feet, which includes 84.3 million square feet for third parties.
With offices in 111 cities in 18 countries, and controlled assets valued at approximately $25.2 billion, Hines is one of the largest real estate organizations in the world. Hines is also a world leader in sustainable real estate strategies, with extensive experience in LEED®, ENERGY STAR®, BREEAM, Haute Qualité Environnementale and DGNB green building rating systems.
Visit www.hines.com for more information.
Somerset Green


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Liquid-repellant tape is latest innovation from CSU materials lab
By SOURCE Contributor
By Sona Srinarayana
Arun Kota, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and in the School of Biomedical Engineering, has made a "superomniphobic" tape that, when adhered to any surface, gives the surface liquid-repelling properties. This recent breakthrough has been published by the American Chemical Society.
Superomniphobic surfaces are extremely repellent to all liquids, made possible by an air cushion that lies between a liquid and a solid surface. With more than 10 years of research in this area, Kota has made many breakthroughs in super-repellent coatings. This latest product is similar in flexibility to Scotch Tape, but has the additional functionality of being extremely liquid-repellant.
Kota, doctoral student Hamed Vahabi, and postdoctoral fellow Wei Wang, developed the unusual tape. Though simple at first glance, the technology's potential impact is extraordinary, the researchers say.
Simple fabrication
The concept of superomniphobic surfaces isn't new. Researchers have been studying superomniphobic coatings since about 2007, and currently superomniphobic coatings can be sprayed, deposited or etched onto any surface for a similar effect; however, it requires costly equipment, complex techniques, and must be done by an experienced professional.
By contrast, the Kota group's superomniphobic tape can be used by anyone, making it a practical solution in a variety of civilian, commercial, and military applications including corrosion resistance, self cleaning, drag reduction, liquid waste minimization, and more.
Future challenges
The researchers feel that future challenges in this field are exciting – yet puzzling. While many applications of superomniphobic coatings have already been outlined, coming up with a superomniphobic coating that is mechanically durable remains a major challenge.
What's next for superomniphobic tape? Kota has filed a patent and sees tape and adhesive manufacturers as well as the packing industry having a strong interest in the product. He and his group will continue to research the mechanical durability of their product.
Department of Mechanical EngineeringResearchSchool of Biomedical EngineeringWalter Scott Jr College of Engineering
SOURCE Contributor
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"What are we going to do?" Aubree asked as she and Brooke took Whiskey and the female Labrador and Husky out for a stroll—mostly to get away from everyone to talk in private. "I can probably get Dad drunk, but Mom is another matter. She doesn't like getting drunk. A slight buzz, maybe, but never drunk."
All three dogs stopped to sniff a bush as Aubree heaved a sigh and raked her hand down her face. "This was a bad idea."
Brooke sighed with her. "It's your call. They're your parents."
That wasn't helpful.
If she couldn't get her parents drunk, how could she get them to agree to spend the night here?
"Where will we be staying?" Aubree asked, hoping the information might spur some ideas.
"There are safe rooms in the lower basement of the community center, kind of like underground bunkers. That's where the elderly, pregnant, and pups go when there's a threat such as this. Everyone who can't go out and hunt tonight will go down there. It's nothing spectacular, but you'll be safe and that's the important thing."
Aubree nodded in understanding. The information didn't give her any new ideas. She'd never be able to convince her mother to go there without some kind of valid reason. If they lived in a tornado zone, they could fake a warning, but they didn't. They lived in a safe neighborhood in Chicago as well. The only crime ever reported was the odd vandalism and theft cases. There was never any gang violence, shootings, stabbings, and the like.
Even if she used gang violence as a reason to keep them from going home, would they take it seriously to stay, or would it seem too odd since Stone left for that same reason?
"Bree," Brooke cut off her train of thought, "my mom offered to make one of her famous cocktails that is sure to knock your mother off her feet, if you want."
Aubree gaped at her.
Brooke carried on, "I mean, two of those make a werewolf nice and tipsy, and your mother won't have the tolerance that we have. Coupled with that glass of wine, she'll be out like a light before she downs the last swallow. Plus, she won't even realize how strong it is, so we might be able to get her to try it if we say otherwise."
A shuddering sigh left Aubree's lips. Everything would be so much easier if she could tell them the truth. "Okay. Let's try it. But have your mom make a really weak or non-alcoholic version for me. My mom will be more adventurous if she sees me have one."
Brooke cracked a grin. "Sure thing. We'll all have one, but we'll make yours a virgin."
Aubree elbowed her. "Well, if everyone's going to get tipsy, might as well add a smidgen of alcohol to mine so I'm not left out."
Brooke's grin widened. "Only a smidgen though. You'll have to pretend to get drunk like the rest of us."
They hurried home, giving the dogs a bit of a run.
The cocktail was prepared and Brooke's mother was getting ready to pass them around when they arrived. She gave Aubree hers first with a mischievous gleam in her eyes that crinkled with a smile.
Aubree's mother naturally declined the drink because she'd already had a glass of wine, but at everyone's insistence, she gave into peer pressure so as not to seem rude.
Aubree had never laughed so hard in her life. Her mother was a hilarious drunk and flirted openly with her father like they were a pair of college kids.
"My mom needs to get drunk more often," she whispered to Brooke. "I can finally see now what my dad saw in her forty years ago."
It was only a few hours ago that she discovered the truth that explained why her mother was so high-strung and she couldn't blame her. The past was in the past, though. She needed to let go of it and move on, much like Stone needed to let go and move on with the baby that slipped through his fingers. They were both terrible for mental beatings in that regard.
She watched the sun slowly descend, feeling calmer with the slight numbness that came with drinking alcohol. Not enough to get her tipsy, but enough to relax her.
Her mother passed out with two swallows left of her glass, her head resting on her husband's shoulder while he was still talking animatedly with Brooke's father despite his slurred speech and struggle to string words together in a coherent sentence.
"Home. I-I dunno how we gon-gonna git home," her father stuttered.
"Don't worry. We have a crash pad for you," Brooke's father assured him. "You're all more than welcome to spend the night."
He managed a drunken nod as he thanked Brooke's father for his hospitality. Even though he knew his wife would oppose being a burden, he knew none of them were in any shape to go anywhere. A few minutes later, he was nodding off as they all heaved a sigh of relief.
"I don't know how you're going to keep everything a secret from them, Luna," Brooke's father said.
Frowning, she insisted they skip the formalities with her, but he shook his head.
"We know our place and we can't be an exception, even in our own pack."
"It will take a bit of getting used to, but we have to set an example around here," Brooke's mother added as she put a reassuring hand on Aubree's shoulder. "We all know of your mate's reputation, but the Goddess doesn't give blessings without reason."
Aubree gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you. Could you pass on some of that wisdom to the elders? Seems they're a little stiff."
Brooke's father chuckled as he rose from his patio chair. "They can be, but they've lived through many battles that have hardened them. Many more battles than I have ever been involved in."
"We've been spoiled in our lifetime," Brooke's mother agreed as her eyes drifted out to Justin lighting a sparkler that his son held tightly in his hands, his mate inside with the toddler. "I hope your generation doesn't have to endure too many struggles."
"We should get you all settled into your humble abode before everyone else makes their way over there," Brooke's father said. "It will be a little awkward carrying two passed out humans down two flights of stairs."
They nodded as they watched the young boy wave the sparkler in the air, the sparks dancing in the looming shadows cast by an orange sky. Brooke was silent, while Crystal sat quietly in the corner with a large sketchbook on her lap as her fingers brushed a pencil across the surface.
When the sparkler was snuffed out, Justin swung the boy up into the air over his shoulder as he giggled, carried him over to his mother, and handed him to her.
"I'll grab Steve, Brooke Sandra, and Pa and Aubree will take the luggage," Justin said.
His mother nodded. "I'll help Teresa with the pups and meet you all there."
They set out with their duties. Justin huffed as he carried Aubree's father—as he was a bit heavier than he expected—which made Brooke laugh at his expense.
"You're lucky you're my sister, otherwise I'd smack some respect into you," he jeered, to which she stuck her tongue out at him like a pair of kids.
After loading her parents into the backseat of Brooke's parents' car with Whiskey sniffing them curiously, Aubree climbed into the front passenger seat with Brooke's father while Brooke and her brother got in Brooke's car with all of their luggage stashed in her trunk.
As they pulled away from the house to drive the minute-long drive to the community center, Brooke's father cleared his throat.
"Luna, I just want you to know that whatever happens in the coming days, you have my family's support."
Her heart swelled. "Thank you. It means a lot to me."
"It's going to be rough for the first few days. You're going to have some of the stronger werewolves try and ruffle up your fur, but just know that they're testing you. Keep a cool head and you'll be fine."
She nodded. "I'll try."
He scratched his graying light brown hair. "I don't know what your pack is like, but newcomers here aren't always treated kindly. Werewolves are territorial and very protective of their families and everyone else in the pack. Stick with Brooke, Justin, and Cricket and don't let anyone intimidate you. They won't know what to make of you, but if they see you with any one of us, they'll think twice about giving you a hard time."
He pulled up to the community center, where two men guarded the entrance. "Breakfast will be served at seven until nine. Most likely porridge because it's warm and comforting."
"Gotcha. Don't sleep in late," she replied as she eyed the men.
They climbed out of the car as Justin and Brooke pulled up.
No words were exchanged as they set to work, carrying Aubree's parents into the building and down two flights of stairs while she and Brooke's father carried the luggage with Whiskey trailing behind on his leash.
She followed Brooke and Justin down an off-white hallway lined with doors on both sides to the end where, to Aubree's surprise, Jackson was waiting.
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Олександр Федорович Уваров (; 1745 — 26 листопада 1811) — генерал-майор, учасник російсько-турецьких воєн.

Біографія
Народився в 1745 році в родині російської знаті татарського походження. До військової служби був прийнятий в 1748 році до лейб-гвардії Семенівського полку.

У 1771 році Уваров перевівся до діючої проти турків армії та брав участь у багатьох боях, причому 26 грудня 1771 року за відзнаки був проведений в полковники та призначений командиром Апшеронського піхотного полку. 26 листопада 1775 року був нагороджений орденом св. Георгія 4-го ступеня (№ 219 за кавалерським списком Судравського та № 266 за списком Григоровича — Степанова)

У 1774 році він брав участь у битвах при Туртукае і Русе.

Після укладення миру Уваров був відряджений з полком до Польщі, де взяв участь у приборканні польських конфедератів.

21 серпня 1776 року Уваров був призначений віце-полковником лейб-Гренадерського полку і 19 березня 1777 року вступив на посаду командира цього полку, 8 липня 1777 року імператриця Катерина II зробила його своїм флігель-ад'ютантом. 2 серпня 1778 року проведений в бригадири і 5 травня 1779 року — в генерал-майори. У січні 1782 року Уваров здав посаду полкового командира Гренадерського полку своєму братові Семену Федоровичу Уварову та отримав призначення командиром гвардійської гренадерської бригади.

21 квітня 1787 року, на початку російсько-турецької війни 1787—1792 років, Уваров отримав чин генерал-поручика, але в наступному році через хворобу залишив діючу армію і 14 квітня 1789 року вийшов у відставку.

Помер 26 листопада 1811 року в Москві.

Примітки

Джерела
 Волков С. В. Генералитет Российской империи. Энциклопедический словарь генералов и адмиралов от Петра I до Николая II. Том II. Л—Я. М., 2009
 Милорадович Г. А. Список лиц свиты их величеств с царствования императора Петра I по 1886 год. Чернигов, 1886
 Список воинскому департаменту … на 1776 год
 Судравский В. К. История лейб-гвардии Гренадерского полка. 1756—1906 гг. Т. 1. СПб., 1906

Учасники Російсько-турецької війни (1768—1774)
Уварови
Кавалери ордена Святого Георгія 4 ступеня

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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A voter's guide to the Republican National Convention
Amrita Khalid—
Illustration by Max Fleishman
Republicans gather in Cleveland on July 18.
This year's Republican National Convention is set to seal the deal for Donald Trump. But the RNC Convention is a lot more than just picking a presidential candidate.
The future of Republican Party will be decided when party leaders and delegates gather in Cleveland July 18-21. Many predicted the 2016 RNC Convention would be a full-out disaster for Trump, but it's shaping up to be better than expected.
An impressive list of Republican leaders, new and old, have signed on to speak at the convention, according to a list obtained Thursday by the New York Times. Even one-time opponents Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) have signed on to speak (the latter via video). Infamous Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight, who famously threw a chair during a game in 1985 and was once arrested for assault, will also address the convention.
The Republican Party, which once seemed to be slightly embarrassed by Trump, is slowly coming to terms with the fact that the contentious real-estate tycoon will be the GOP nominee for president. The hope of a contested convention for the Never Trump movement is in the distant past. Any remaining doubt over Trump's electability is likely to be extinguished (at least in the short term), by a New York Times/CBS poll that found Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton locked in a dead heat for the first time this election cycle.
The 2016 Republican National Convention will likely be one of the most unconventional conventions in recent history. As in the past, delegates will vote on credentials, the party platform, and most importantly, make official their party's nominee. But Trump has promised a "different kind of convention," and there's evidence to show that he'll stick to his word.
Over the course of four days, we'll hear speeches from both establishment Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and rising stars like Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Tom Cotton (R-Okla.). Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel will also speak. Party old-timers such as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will stand for applause once again. Benghazi will be the sole focus of an entire night. And brace yourself for a presentation on former President Bill Clinton's history of sexual improprieties.
Mirrors ✅, cameras ✅. Heading to Cleveland. https://t.co/sxfVk65e55#EverythingSheSaysMeansEverything pic.twitter.com/hZJOBFYgB2
— Spencer Tunick (@SpencerTunick) July 13, 2016
Expect some last-minute surprises, controversies, and tensions to arise at this year's RNC Convention. There's an energy and vigor in Cleveland that hasn't existed for a generation—thanks largely to the Cleveland Cavaliers giving the city its first sports championship in more than 50 years. Efforts to take down a LeBron James banner from the Quickens Loan Arena, the site of both the NBA finals and the RNC Convention, were widely rejected.
Recent shootings in Dallas and Orlando won't make the RNC shy about their position on guns. Security fears have mounted ahead of the convention. There's Matthew Jansen, an RNC delegate from York County, Pennsylvania, who plans on carrying a 9mm Glock at the convention. A biker gang of Trump supporters have promised to patrol the arena. While the U.S. Secret Service has placed a ban on guns inside the arena, protestors will be allowed to carry guns near the arena. (Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson told reporters Wednesday that Ohio's open-carry laws prevent him from placing a more thorough ban on guns.) Finally, legions of naked women holding mirrors will pose outside the arena for photographer Spencer Tunick.
#seaofhull follows us to Ohio. #spencertunickcleveland.com #EverythingSheSaysMeansEverything pic.twitter.com/a1LfXsJZvv
The Daily Dot will be there covering the convention, protests, and more. So, what should we all be prepared for during the big Republican shindig? Here's everything you need to know.
What's the schedule like?
The convention opens on July 18. The first night will be the "Night of Benghazi," featuring speakers like border patrol agents and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Sen. Cotton is also expected to speak about the military and veterans.
The second day will feature the "roll call of the states," during which Trump's name will be officially placed in the convention. To get a rough idea of what that's like, check out the video of the 2012 RNC Convention below:
Speakers on Day Two are a melange of influential Republican figures such as Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Senate Majority Leader McConnell, and former Bush administration Attorney General Mike Mukasey, who recently came out against Clinton's use of a private email server on Fox News Business Network.
There's also Trump offspring like Tiffany Trump and Donald Trump Jr. Dana White, commissioner of UFC, the nation's largest mixed martial arts promotion company, is also expected to speak.
On Day Three, expect Trump's vice presidential pick, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, to speak. Sen. Cruz will also speak. Golfer Natalie Gulbis, a Trump friend and supporter, will also speak on this night.
The last night of the convention is usually when the nominee speaks, so expect the focus to be on Trump himself. Other speakers include Ivanka Trump, Peter Thiel, and RNC President Reince Preibus.
When does Trump get nominated?
There's been some speculation about a last-ditch effort to prevent Trump from earning the nomination. As this infographic by the Wall Street Journal details, there are several steps the Rules Committee can take to block Trump's nomination on the first vote. But after a test vote and some backroom deals, that scenario appears next to impossible.
Who won't be coming to the convention?
Plenty of prominent Republican are swearing off the convention. Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney says he can't support Trump because of the candidate's "trickle-down racism" and vowed to avoid the convention, as did Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi. Neither Bush Sr. or Bush Jr. are expected to attend, but former Clinton opponent Bob Dole will make an appearance.
As pointed out by Vox, Republicans in tight Senate races such as Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) likely won't make an appearance.
When does the RNC start?
The RNC kicks off on Monday, July 18 in the afternoon and concludes on Thursday night with closing remarks from Donald Trump. Each day will focus on a theme (e.g., national security, the economy) and feature a list of prime-time speakers.
Monday: Make America Safe Again
Focus on: immigration, national security, Benghazi
Event starts at 1pm ET on Monday, July 18
Watch for: Melania Trump, retired Bush administration Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Scott Baio (former star of Charles in Charge, played Chachi in Happy Days), former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, various immigration reform advocates, veterans who fought in battle of Benghazi
Tuesday: Make America Work Again
Focus on: jobs, the economy
Event starts at 5:30pm ET on Tuesday, July 19
Watch for: Donald Trump, UFC President Dana White, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Dr. Ben Carson, House and Senate leadership
Wednesday: Make America First Again
Focus on: American prosperity, the nation's continued growth
Event starts at 7 pm ET on Wednesday, July 20
Watch for: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Florida), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Indiana Governor and Trump running mate Mike Pence
Thursday: Make America One Again
Focus on: uniting America, identity politics, religion
Event starts at 7:30pm ET on Thursday, July 21
Watch for: Donald Trump, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, venture capitalist Peter Thiel, Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr.
How do I watch the RNC?
Virtually all the cable news networks will cover the convention's prime-time speeches, but only CNN and Fox News will be offering 24/7 RNC coverage.
CNN will report round-the-clock, live from Cleveland, as well as through the CNN Politics mobile app, Facebook Live, and other platforms.
If you have Google Cardboard or VR glasses, you can also see what it's like to be on the convention floor through CNNVR.
You can also watch the primetime speeches on NBC, MSNBC, C-SPAN.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air two weeks of live shows focusing on the national conventions; starting with the RNC convention this week. Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart will reunite with Colbert on the episode that airs on Monday, July 18. You can watch The Late Show on CBS, it airs at 11:30pm ET.
YouTube, Snapchat, and Facebook
The RNC will stream the entire convention on YouTube.
There are many options to view the event on Snapchat. CNN is the one broadcast news organization that will extensively cover the event on Snapchat.
You can also follow the RNC on Snapchat at gopcovention16.
Snapchat stars such as Mark Kaye, Ali Spagnola, Wysamx, and Audrey Spencer will also covering the convention along with reporters from the Cleveland Plains Dealer.
Many prominent Republicans who are speaking at the convention are also on Snapchat. Be sure to follow them for a behind-the-scenes glance at the convention.
Follow me on @snapchat newtgingrich94 for #SuperTuesday snaps.Making surprise appearance at one candidate's rally! pic.twitter.com/HC9SGGVugD
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) March 1, 2016
The Daily Dot will also be covering the RNC on Facebook Live, beginning at 10:30am ET on July 18. To stay abreast of the updates, be sure to like us on Facebook.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to provide additional information.
Amrita Khalid is a technology and politics reporter who specializes in breaking down complex issues into practical, useful terms. A former contributor to CQ, a Congressional news and analysis site, she's currently a master's candidate in international relations at the University of Leeds.
2016 Election Benghazi Chris Christie Donald Trump Hillary Clinton Marco Rubio Rnc Ted Cruz


text:
ISL 2017: 'Compact and clever' - Mumbai City FC looking unbeatable at home
Sportzpics
Mumbai City v Delhi Dynamos
Delhi Dynamos
Alexandre Guimaraes' men have looked very solid at home so far and that form continued on Friday at the expense of Delhi Dynamos...
Friday's night's emphatic 4-0 win over Delhi Dynamos was the third home win of the season for Mumbai City in four games and propelled them to second spot on the Indian Super League (ISL) table.
With Lucian Goian marshalling the team expertly, they have conceded just twice at home in four games so far and so much credit for that goes to a clever choice of ground and playing style implemented by Alexandre Guimaraes.
The pitch at the Mumbai Football Arena (MFA) is very small and it suits the compact way in which the Mumbai defence is organised. Despite not having the cream of Indian full-backs at their disposal, Mumbai City's small pitch has ensured they won't get exposed much with Gerson and Goian able to help the full-backs get out of tight situations.
South Africa draw Ghana and Sudan in Group C of Afcon 2021 qualifiers
Da Gama: Hunt, Mosimane or Komphela should coach Bafana Bafana
Zlatko Krmpotic appointed as new Polokwane City head coach
Black Leopards chairman Thidiela returns to football after winning appeal against PSL
On Friday night, their attack clicked as well, racking up four goals, but much of that had to do with Delhi's wayward defending - which has been a big factor in them enduring a six-game losing streak.
All four goals from Mumbai City had basic mistakes from Delhi behind them. After Arnab Das Sharma's reckless challenge on Everton Santos, Achille Emana went on to smack the post with his penalty. However, none of the Delhi defenders followed up and allowed Lucian Goian to convert the rebound.
Less said about Mumbai City's next two goals, the better it is for Delhi Dynamos. For all the emphasis on possession and passing style, the Lions' defensive organisation has been woeful. So it proved when Everton Santos outjumped Pritam Kotal and Matias Mirabaje at the near post to score a header from Emana's freekick, with both of them not taking the initiative to put the Brazilian under pressure.
It was the same story again in the second half when Everton Santos once again popped up at the near post to send a looping header in. Clearly, the Delhi defence had not learnt their lessons. For Balwant's goal, the entire defence went to sleep with Emana picking out Balwant in between the central defenders with ease. It didn't help that Pratik Chowdhury stepped up to catch Balwant offside but his partner failed to read that move and played the Punjabi striker onside.
But it was not always plain sailing for Mumbai City on the night. Delhi did create chances in attack but the lack of a proper finisher let them down. Miguel Angel Portugal deployed Guyon Fernandez as the target man in the absence of the injured Kalu Uche and the Curacaoan showed why he is not a clinical finisher. There was this one notable chance for him when Romeo stood up a delivery from the byline for him. With the goalkeeper and the defenders stranded, all he needed to do was to nod the ball in from 5 yards out but he glanced it pitifully wide.
Miguel Angel Portugal does not even have an Indian striker as cover and had no choice but to play Guyon as his striker, which puts serious questions on their recruitment strategy. On the other hand, in stark contrast, Balwant Singh justified Mumbai City's belief in him with his fifth goal of the season - the highest scoring Indian this time around.
Mumbai City now have a very good platform from which to plan their assault on one of the playoff spots while Delhi have fallen into a rut. And in a punishing league like ISL, one feels the time is running out for the capital-based side.


The Quail Creek Shopping Center in Howell.
Woodbridge-based The Kislak Company Inc. announced Monday the $4.43 million sale of the Quail Creek Shopping center in Howell.
The 52,000-square-foot shopping center features office space and is located at Ramtown-Greenville Road and Newton's Corner Road.
Justin Lupo, sales associate, represented the seller, Parker Partners LLC, and Matt Weilheimer, senior vice president, represented the buyer, 630 Grove Street LLC.
"The sale of Quail Creek represents the continued demand for investment properties of all asset classes in today's market," Lupo said.
"The purchaser needed to complete an I.R.C Section 1031 Exchange for which Kislak was able to assist in identifying a property," Weilheimer said.
The property, a mix of restaurants, medical offices and service-based tenants, is currently 65 percent occupied. It's within close access to the Garden State Parkway and Route 195.


text:
Borssele & the Power Plant
documentary (55 mins)
In Borssele, a small village in the south-west of the Netherlands, the last Dutch nuclear power plant is still operating. In 2005 it reached the age of thirty.
This documentary is about its history and about the people who took part in it. Anti-nuclear energy activists, employees of the plant and residents of Borssele talk about their lives and in how it was affected. Their stories are about the region, provincial identity and the controversies surrounding nuclear energy
director Hester Overmars
director of photography Harm Griekspoor
sound Maarten Walters & Ab Grooters
editor Albert Markus
producers Marc Thelosen, Yan Ting Yuen, Koert Davidse
co-producer Omroep Zeeland
DVD available (Dutch and international version), price (incl. P&P) € 12,-
for more information, please contact sales@seriousfilm.nl


Olfa - Cutters, Excel Black Blades, Rotary Cutters, Scissors, XSR Scrapers & more. Official U.K. distributor.
The new Metal Hyper Pro Cutter features the OLFA X-Design grip, designed for comfort and safety. The aluminium die-cast body is designed for durability and is corrosion resistant. Featuring a handy lanyard holder.
The new, fluorine coated Speed Blade is a specially crafted blade designed to reduce cut resistance. The blade is based upon OLFA's renowned Excel Black ultra sharp blade, but the extra coating greatly reduces friction, allowing the blade to cut through various materials much more easily.
The new GSR-2 Glass Scraper features the OLFA X-Design comfort grip. Durable stainless steel blades ensure an excellent result with no scratching. The blade safety cover can be stored away in knife during use. Also featuring a handy lanyard holder.


text:
Tag: Film Advice
Spike Lee's Advice: Follow Your Passion
In a recent podcast on The Craft of the Director with the Director's Guild Spike Lee gave lots of insight into the emergence of his career and how he has found success.
Lee emphasized several times that it only takes one person to inspire somebody and to ignite a spark within them that begins their creative journey. As a young man, a teacher of Spike Lee's expressed to him that he believed that Lee should become a filmmaker. Once he fully realized that was the direction he wanted to go with his life, everything fell into place, and an intense drive and ambition came to be.
According to Lee, we all have individual gifts and talents we can offer, and once we decide on a path, everything will begin to make sense. As long as you are following your passion, everything else will fall into place.
Lee's last piece of advice is that as a creative, you cannot put limitations on yourself and what you are capable of creating. Tell stories you are drawn to and passionate about. Don't be afraid to explore and get outside of your comfort zone.
Listen to Spike Lee's full podcast with The Director's Guild Here
ava duvernay: tips on being an effective director
In a recent podcast with The Director's Guild, Ava Duvernay sat down to discuss her tips of the trade on being an effective director.
Ava's biggest piece of advice is to know yourself as a director, including your limitations as a director. Knowing what you are and are not capable of creates a more effective production environment. It's also deeply important to be confident as a director. However, it's equally important to be able to listen to the ideas of those around you. Duverney went as far as to call the input a director gets from the people around them as gifts.
She also emphasized how important it is to view all three stages of production as a process. A director needs to build a film brick by brick, and it's critical to surround yourself with a cast and crew that you trust.
Ava's last key of advice was to train yourself in multiple areas of film and to be able to work in various forms of filmmaking. You never know what's going to happen, and it's always best to be able to adapt if need be.
Listen to Ava Duvernay's podcast with The Director's Guild Here
Countdown To Christmas! The 5 Best Holiday Films
There is no shortage of Christmas movies in the world. Here is my list of the 5 Holiday films I find myself gravitating towards every year. 1. It's A Wonderful Life (1946) It's a Wonderful Life is a film that I did not appreciate at all as a kid. It's my dad's favorite Christmas film, …
Continue reading "Countdown To Christmas! The 5 Best Holiday Films"
by Cinematic Geekster	 December 22, 2020 December 22, 2020
In a recent podcast on The Craft of the Director with the Director's Guild Spike Lee gave lots of insight into the emergence of his career and how he has found success. Lee emphasized several times that it only takes one person to inspire somebody and to ignite a spark within them that begins their …
Continue reading "Spike Lee's Advice: Follow Your Passion"
by Cinematic Geekster	 December 1, 2020
Sofia Coppola: Characterization and Relatability
In a recent podcast with The Treatment, Sofia Coppola discusses her newest film, "On the Rocks," starring Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. One of the things the podcast heavily focused on was the characterization of the two main characters and how relatable they are to everyday life. The film follows a father and a daughter …
Continue reading "Sofia Coppola: Characterization and Relatability"
by Cinematic Geekster	 November 19, 2020
julie taymor: the cross universe of film and theatre
In a recent podcast episode with The Treatment, Julie Taymor discussed her new movie "The Glories" and how she uses storytelling to externalize what characters are feeling on screen. Julie Taymor is a Tony Award-winning director of both theatre and film. Her goal as a creative is to master the fantastical elements of the film to express the emotion of a story and the complex relationships within the film.
According to Tamor, the thing that connects film and theatre is sound. Taymor aims to math the sound of the film with whatever is being shown on screen, in a way that makes an emotional connection between the audience and the characters on screen themselves.
For example, in "The Glories," she describes a scene where Gloria is being escorted home by police. Suddenly the crappy neighborhood of East Toledo transforms into gingerbread houses, mocking the imagery of Hansel and Gretal as she makes her way home. The imagery diminishes by Gloria's mother screaming at her once she finally arrives home, and the fantasy inside Gloria's head fades away. By externalizing the fantasy coming from inside the protagonist's head, Taymor allows the audience to feel alongside her.
In the podcast, Taymor stated: "I have to externalize. That's what I do as a filmmaker. That's what we're free to do. We just don't stick a camera on what we call naturalism or reality. I did it in Titus. I've done it in pretty much every film I've done."
Listen to Julie Taymors podcast with The Treatment Here
Lucas Hagar: The Influence of NArrative Storytelling on Documentaries
In a podcast with Film Riot, Lucas Harger talked in-depth about his filmmaking process as well as the creative cross between narrative film and documentary filmmaking. As a filmmaker, Lucas has been successful in crossing between editing both documentary and narrative stories to produce unique and creative content. According to Lucas, being able to create …
Continue reading "Lucas Hagar: The Influence of NArrative Storytelling on Documentaries"
Samuel L. Jackson: Career Reflection
In a recent article with IndieWire, Zack Sharf wrote about the impact shooting 'The Hateful Eight' had on Samuel L. Jackson. While receiving the Legend of Cinema Award at the 2020 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Jackson took the time to reflect on his professional career. Jackson states that his relationship with the cast members from …
Continue reading "Samuel L. Jackson: Career Reflection"
by Cinematic Geekster	 November 4, 2020
In a recent podcast with The Director's Guild, Ava Duvernay sat down to discuss her tips of the trade on being an effective director. Ava's biggest piece of advice is to know yourself as a director, including your limitations as a director. Knowing what you are and are not capable of creates a more effective …
Continue reading "ava duvernay: tips on being an effective director"
r-e-s-p-e-c-t on a film set: advice from mimi leder
In a recent podcast with the Director's Guild, Mimi Leder, an American director and producer, gave her best advice for keeping a healthy and productive film set. Mimi's key piece of advice was to treat everyone with the respect that they deserve, and to always show them your appreciation. She pointed out that the cast and crew of a film were handpicked because of their talent and qualifications and to show them the respect that both them and their art deserves.
Mimi stated that before COVID-19 life, she would arrive on film set and before doing anything else go around and hug everybody. To showcase gratitude and spread good vibes to everyone on set. She also advised taken the time to get to know your cast and crew on both a personal and professional level. Everybody has a story to tell, and in getting to know somebody on a deeper level, it's easier to understand them and how they function.
Another key piece of advice that Mimi gave is to find the perfect balance between listening to an actor's instinct and your initial director instinct. She stated that when working with experienced and talented actors, they almost always want to listen to their gut instincts as an actor. Most of the time their gut instinct will never steer them wrong, however it's okay to correct them and steer them more towards the directors instinct.
Read Mimi Leder's full podcast with The Directors Cut Here
Justin Baldoni: Meaningful storytelling
In a recent podcast with Film Riot, American actor, director, and filmmaker Justin Baldoni revealed his secrets to telling a meaningful story. The director discussed how his latest films were inspired by real-life and how he allows the story of those around him to motivate him creatively. Everybody has a story to tell, and so …
Continue reading "Justin Baldoni: Meaningful storytelling"
by Cinematic Geekster	 October 28, 2020
In a recent podcast episode with The Treatment, Julie Taymor discussed her new movie "The Glories" and how she uses storytelling to externalize what characters are feeling on screen. Julie Taymor is a Tony Award-winning director of both theatre and film. Her goal as a creative is to master the fantastical elements of the film …
Continue reading "julie taymor: the cross universe of film and theatre"
In a recent podcast with Film Riot, the creators of the film Faith Based (Vincent Masciale, Luke Barnett, and Tanner Thomason), gave constructive advice to filmmakers who think they need to wait till they make it into Hollywood to make their film. The filmmakers discussed how their original plan for the film was to shoot …
Continue reading "working with what you got: Advice from the creators of Faith Based"
by Cinematic Geekster	 October 8, 2020 October 8, 2020
In a recent podcast with the Director's Guild, Mimi Leder, an American director and producer, gave her best advice for keeping a healthy and productive film set. Mimi's key piece of advice was to treat everyone with the respect that they deserve, and to always show them your appreciation. She pointed out that the cast …
Continue reading "r-e-s-p-e-c-t on a film set: advice from mimi leder"
by Cinematic Geekster	 October 14, 2020 October 11, 2020
Aaron Schneider's Directing advice from film Greyhound
In a recent podcast with Film Riot, Aaron Schneider discussed the things we were forced to learn while shooting Greyhound. Most of the films set was composed of green screens, which had its challenges. Schneider's main advice is to come up with a detailed and set plan when working with extensive green screens and technology …
Continue reading "Aaron Schneider's Directing advice from film Greyhound"
by Cinematic Geekster	 October 1, 2020
Humility and Confidence in Filmmaking- Quincy Ledbetter's advice
In a recent podcast episode with Film Riot, filmmaker Quincy Ledbetter discusses his first feature film with Paramount and how he got to where he is today. Ledbetter's key advice is that a filmmaker needs to find the perfect balance between confidence and humility. He went on to state that as a director it's okay …
Continue reading "Humility and Confidence in Filmmaking- Quincy Ledbetter's advice"
by Cinematic Geekster	 September 24, 2020 September 23, 2020
In a recent podcast with Film Riot, Aaron Schneider discussed the things we were forced to learn while shooting Greyhound. Most of the films set was composed of green screens, which had its challenges.
Schneider's main advice is to come up with a detailed and set plan when working with extensive green screens and technology on set to try to minimize everything that could go wrong during filming. It's always a good idea to do test runs of everything before the camera even begins rolling. Once you have all the structure completed for a scene, then you know you are ready to roll the camera.
According to Schneider, the idea for the film came from a book Tom Hanks read and then wrote a script from. In terms of creating a movie that's been inspired from a book, Aaron stated that everything that you need story wise comes from the narrative. For Greyhound he said the complete structure for the film came from Tom Hanks script, which was inspired straight from the novel. His final piece of advice about the story is to make your main goal as a filmmaker to bring the story to life not to change it.
Listen to Arron Schneider's full podcast with Film Riot Here
John Badham's advice on seducing the actor
In a recent podcast with Film Riot, John Badham gave constructive and well-thought out advice on how he as a director has learned to improve his work relationship with his actors. The key piece of advice that John gave is not to persuade the actor but to seduce them. He explained that all actors have …
Continue reading "John Badham's advice on seducing the actor"
by Cinematic Geekster	 September 17, 2020
Judd Apatow: The Role of improvisation in FILMMAKING
In a recent podcast with the Director's Guild, Judd Apatow shared his advice for film directors. Judd had lots of brilliant advice to give, but the principal thing he kept reiterating was the important of improvisation in film-making. He expressed that throughout the entire film-making process he slowly allows the film to come to life. …
Continue reading "Judd Apatow: The Role of improvisation in FILMMAKING"
by Cinematic Geekster	 September 9, 2020 September 7, 2020
Jim Cummings is an extremely unique director in the sense that he often heads up the distribution of his films and their production. In a recent Podcast with Film Riot, he explains to the listeners just how he goes about accomplishing this. To many filmmakers, the idea of overseeing the distribution of your own films …
Continue reading "Control Your Property- Jim Cummin's Advice On Distributing Your Own Film"


After a much longer than anticipated hiatus, we have returned with our new podcast, Fancy Film Fellows!
For those of you who followed us over from Loose Canons, welcome! We hope you enjoy the new show. It's going to be a much looser format. Even though our old podcast was called Loose Canons, we actually started to feel that it wasn't quite loose enough. The format of "pick a movie, discuss it" every week started to feel a little too hemmed in. As such, our new show will be something of a variety show. A Film Revue, if you will. Sometimes we'll do the old way, where we focus on just one movie, but sometimes we'll just play some trivia games, or talk about multiple movies under broader topics, or just talk about what we've been watching lately. We have a lot of ideas and hope you'll enjoy every last one of them.
For those of you who have never heard Loose Canons, our old archive can be found right here on this website (under the aptly titled "Loose Canons Archive" tab), so feel free to go back and listen to some older episodes. They are very good!
Anyway, we concluded Loose Canons with a discussion of Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show," so we figured the only appropriate way to launch our new show was with a discussion of that movie's (far less famous) sequel, "Texasville." And that's what we did! For those who remember we were pretty harsh on old Petey Bog's AFI classic. Do we feel the same way about its sequel? Listen in and find out!


text:
<?php

namespace InoOicClient\Oic\UserInfo;

use Zend\Http;
use InoOicClient\Oic\Exception\HttpRequestBuilderException;
use InoOicClient\Oic\Exception\HttpClientException;
use InoOicClient\Oic\Exception\ErrorResponseException;
use InoOicClient\Oic\AbstractHttpRequestDispatcher;

class Dispatcher extends AbstractHttpRequestDispatcher
{

    /**
     * @var HttpRequestBuilder
     */
    protected $httpRequestBuilder;

    /**
     * @var ResponseHandler
     */
    protected $responseHandler;

    /**
     * @return HttpRequestBuilder $httpRequestBuilder
     */
    public function getHttpRequestBuilder()
    {
        if (! $this->httpRequestBuilder instanceof HttpRequestBuilder) {
            $this->httpRequestBuilder = new HttpRequestBuilder();
        }
        return $this->httpRequestBuilder;
    }

    /**
     * @param HttpRequestBuilder $httpRequestBuilder
     */
    public function setHttpRequestBuilder(HttpRequestBuilder $httpRequestBuilder)
    {
        $this->httpRequestBuilder = $httpRequestBuilder;
    }

    /**
     * @return ResponseHandler $responseHandler
     */
    public function getResponseHandler()
    {
        if (! $this->responseHandler instanceof ResponseHandler) {
            $this->responseHandler = new ResponseHandler();
        }
        return $this->responseHandler;
    }

    /**
     * @param ResponseHandler $responseHandler
     */
    public function setResponseHandler(ResponseHandler $responseHandler)
    {
        $this->responseHandler = $responseHandler;
    }

    /**
     * Sends a userinfo request and returns the response.
     *
     * @param Request $request
     * @param Http\Request $httpRequest
     * @throws HttpRequestBuilderException
     * @throws HttpClientException
     * @throws ErrorResponseException
     * @return Response
     */
    public function sendUserInfoRequest(Request $request, Http\Request $httpRequest = null)
    {
        try {
            $httpRequest = $this->getHttpRequestBuilder()->buildHttpRequest($request, $httpRequest);
        } catch (\Exception $e) {
            throw new HttpRequestBuilderException(sprintf("Invalid request: [%s] %s", get_class($e), $e->getMessage()));
        }

        $httpResponse = $this->sendHttpRequest($httpRequest);

        $responseHandler = $this->getResponseHandler();
        $responseHandler->handleResponse($httpResponse);
        if ($responseHandler->isError()) {
            throw new ErrorResponseException($responseHandler->getError());
        }

        $response = $responseHandler->getResponse();

        return $response;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
GNWT extension of economic relief measures for residents, businesses amounts to $5.7 million
by Blair McBride July 6, 2020 November 16, 2020
The GNWT has extended several Covid-19 economic relief measures that amount to $5.751 million in support for NWT residents and businesses.
Funding initiatives to support licensed child care programs, which were due to expire on June 30, 2020 have been extended until Sept. 30, 2020.
They include the GNWT's coverage of 75 per cent of eligible fixed costs for child care operators and funding for enhanced cleaning of child care spaces.
That extension amounts to $557,000.
Waivers have also been extended until Sept. 30 for Deh Cho Bridge tolls and truck permits; and until Dec. 31 for NWT airport landing fees and leases, and licences and concession fees at all NWT airports.
It is estimated that the extensions will save NWT residents and businesses about $5.2 million.
"As the GNWT works on comprehensive plans for social and economic recovery, we are reviewing and assessing the need for various measures that were brought in to provide immediate relief in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic," said finance minister Caroline Wawzonek. "Today's announcement signals our government's commitment to support NWT residents, businesses, and communities, as we continue to determine the best ways to provide support as we move forward."
Until June 30, the territorial government's total support measures came to $36.893 million, along with $11.644 million in support for the NWT aviation industry.
The suspension of all collection activities have also been extended until Dec. 31, 2022.
Tagged: #NWT, Business, child care, GNWT, support


text:
#include <QDebug.h>
#include <QMessageBox>
#include <QApplication>
#include <QSignalMapper>
#include <QtGui/QLabel>
#include <QtGui/QLineEdit>
#include <QtGui/QPushButton>
#include <QtGui/QGridLayout>
#include <QtGui/QShortcut>
#include <QtGui/QKeyEvent>
#include "application_controller.h"
#include "dial_pad_widget.h"

DialPadWidget::DialPadWidget(QWidget *parent) :
	QWidget(parent)
{
    QSignalMapper *mapper = new QSignalMapper(this);

	QString pad[4][3] = {
		{ "1", "2", "3" },
		{ "4", "5", "6" },
		{ "7", "8", "9" },
		{ "*", "0", "#" },
	};

	QGridLayout *layout = new QGridLayout();
	for (short i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {
		for (short j = 0; j < 3; ++j) {
			QPushButton *button = new QPushButton(pad[i][j]);
			button->setFixedSize(40, 30);
			connect(button, SIGNAL(clicked()), mapper, SLOT(map()));
			mapper->setMapping(button, pad[i][j]);
			layout->addWidget(button, i, j, 1, 1, Qt::AlignHCenter);
			QShortcut *shortcut = new QShortcut(pad[i][j], this);
			connect(shortcut, SIGNAL(activated()), button, SLOT(click()));
		}
	}
	setLayout(layout);

	connect(mapper, SIGNAL(mapped(QString)), this, SLOT(pressed(QString)));
}

void DialPadWidget::pressed(QString dtmf)
{
	emit dialed(dtmf);
}

DialPadWidget::~DialPadWidget()
{
}