text:
This Week In Tabloids: Who's Gonna Tell Beyoncé About the Unauthorized Destiny's Child Musical?
Joan Summers
Photo: Joan Summers
Welcome to Jezebel's Midweek Madness, where intrepid reporter and local menace Joan Summers is trawling the streets of New York City looking for the rumored rehearsal space of the unauthorized Destiny's Child musical—written, directed, and produced by Beyoncé's former father, Matthew Knowles. My plan is to secretly invade the theatre troupe, sow discord amongst the cast, dramatically ruin opening night, and leave with a book deal and movie rights to my story.
As for this week's tabloids, let's dive in!
Image: In Touch
In Touch:
Just last week, Jennifer Aniston was fine. This week she's not! As previously reported, the hair product spokeswoman and hydration advocate appeared on InStyle's September issue double dipped in self-tanner and looking (frankly) ridiculous. Fans were obviously displeased! In Touch reports that Twitter "erupted" with controversy over the cover—a claim I'd seriously dispute. At best, Twitter users mocked the wildly inaccurate shade that she'd clearly been photoshopped and moved on with their lives. I also detect a whiff of derision for said "controversy" and the incredibly valid critiques of the cover throughout In Touch's blurb. "Sources" claim that "Jen would be mortified that people are offended" and stress InStyle's only intention was to "style her after iconic beauty looks," not put her in blackface. It simultaneously creates a controversy where there isn't one while also deriding legitimate accusations of blackface as merely the byproduct of furious Twitter mobs incapable of critical thought. Yikes!
I'm also told Mark Vincent Kaplan, Kevin Federline's lawyer, has gone on record to claim that his client has custody of his sons with Britney Spears "closer to 90 percent" of the time. This conflicts with earlier reports that under a new custody agreement filed August 28, that same agreement was adjusted to a 70-30 split. (With Kevin receiving the larger share of custody rights.) How this will play out as her new conservator Jodi Montgomery assumes more responsibility remains unclear.
Meanwhile, Rosie Huntington-Whitely wore a suit and Kristen Bell wore a dress. Celine Dion matched Chanel belts with Jenna Coleman, Katherine Heigl is allegedly a brunette now, and everyone's getting bowl cuts now. Blake Lively donated to charity. Nobody wants to hang out with Prince Andrew, a known associate of an infamous pedophile . Jennifer Lopez was seen on a yacht. Ellen Pompeo bought a massive watermelon at the supermarket. Reese Witherspoon surfed. And, surprisingly, Sarah Jessica Parker descended from the Upper East Side to grace some regular people with her presence in Times Square. As In Touch reports:
SJP cast a spell while wielding a wizarding wand during a Times Square takeover to mark the global expansion of the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
I was also saddened to learn that Ryan Gosling has yet to move on from La La Land, as the star was reportedly seen out and about in Los Angeles wearing bowling shirts and baggy chinos. Worse, a disturbing interview with Matthew Knowles was wedged halfway through this issue was nothing short of explosive. The former manager of Beyoncé and Destiny's Child revealed that he'll be releasing an unauthorized auto-biography of the groundbreaking girl group. According to In Touch, he went on a "mini-rant" halfway through the interview about a variety of nonsensical topics ("I dare you to have the courage to say this interview don't have shit to do with Matthew Knowles") There's also the revelation that he has "zero interface" with his daughter's teams. Shocking! What else?
"Renaissance inspired" clothing is apparently big right now.
Celebrities love capes.
Iman was the best dressed at the Venice Film Festival.
Nina Agdal loves to meditate and google tennis match schedules.
Alexis Bledel is a Virgo.
Michael Buble rode a rollercoaster.
Ivanka Trump debuted a villainous bob in Paraguay.
This week's blind item, meanwhile, is absolutely about Brad Pitt. Prove me wrong—I dare you!
You may want to think twice before shaking this Academy Award-winning actor's hands. The divorced and single dad, who's been in the news a lot lately, never washes his hands after he leaves a restroom. It's so well known in the industry that even fist-bumps are discouraged!
Photo: Star
As always, Renée Zellweger was not interviewed as this cover leads you to believe. Regardless, Star reports that one of the greatest working actresses is "ready for the next chapter of her life." That involves, from what I'm told: yoga, mediation, therapy, and working out. Good for her! I'm more interested in the sources claiming that Miley Cyrus has taken a massive step forward in her relationship with Kaitlynn Carter—appearing on her (alleged) girlfriend's reality television show! Per the tabloid:
Miley is adding a new occupation to her resume: Reality Star! "Miley has agreed to appear on The Hills with Kaitlynn next season. She loves stirring the port, so she was all in," an industry insider revealed. "Kaitlynn also assured producers she'll be open about the end of her marriage to Brody and her new relationship with Miley—it's all everyone is talking about!"
After the uneventful first season, I'd imagine that MTV is desperate for a storyline they can cash in on—and Kaitlynn delivered! There's also reports that Miranda Lambert's cop husband Brendan McLoughlin is "on her payroll" as the head of her security team. An interesting choice! As one source claims:
"Miranda wanted Brendan on her schedule because she's always traveling, and of course, she wanted him to be by her side. She told him, 'I'll pay you way more money and we'd be working together on our own terms.' It's just one more way for Miranda to control the relationship. She doesn't completely trust Brendan. She has money, power—and she uses it to keep the upper hand over people."
Moving past this rather boring accusation, I have a question: Who do you think planted this story? It reeks of a jealous family member, but don't forget he has an 11-month old son with another woman (a lawyer) who gave birth after he broke off his engagement to a third woman (a pro-soccer player) and started dating Miranda (5 months before they got married.) Either one of those women are equally likely candidates, but my bet is on the lawyer. Think about it! This man who left you for a pro-soccer player while you were pregnant calls you up and explains he'll be away from his newborn son for long periods of time while on tour with a famous country music star he's now married too. Any rational person would dial-up the Star tip-hotline!
Elsewhere, Chris Martin allegedly wants Dakota Johnson to stop "smothering" him. Margaret Qualley has been photographed with Pete Davidson everywhere. Austin Butler is doing his best to look like Elvis. Miles Teller and his mustache married Keleigh Sperry. Camila Cabello stepped out in chunky sandals. Reese Witherspoon apparently spends $20,000 a month on her fitness regime. Dua Lipa partied with Pepe Jeans. Kit Harrington rode a bike. Lisa Vanderpump unveiled the Vanderpump Pets subscription box. Melissa Gorga posed with her pizza box.
Image: Ok!
Ok!:
Is that…?
I'm sorry, but….
Sir, excuse me—
Let's move on. I'd like to discuss this photo of Whitney Port hailing a taxi with KeVita kombucha. It's the wildest sponcon I've seen in some time—you have to admire the ingenuity!
What else? Katie Holmes has been seen across New York City looking better than ever after her split from Jamie Foxx earlier this summer. Lana Condor wore a pussy bow blouse. Kyle Richards and Brie Bella were seen in the same Retrogete sequin wrap dress. Laura Dern and Scarlett Johanson wore stripes. Liv Tyler revealed she "loves being engaged. Kirsten Dunst, somewhere else in Los Angeles, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Chace Crawford also revealed that producers behind the HBO Max reboot of Gossip Girl sent him an email that left an "opening in the future for doing a cameo." Sure!
As for this week's installment in the ongoing Midweek Madness Summer Art Series—I call this one, "Kirsten Dunst Receiving Her Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Except It's That Photo of Keanu Reeves Smiling."


4703 Clarkson Road, Greensboro, NC 27410 - SOLD!
You'll have a hard time finding more square footage for the money in 27410 for a home this new! Most homes in the area with this much to offer are priced above 200K! 4703 Clarkson has everything you need - ample beds, baths, living area, huge deck, laundry room on the main with the master, 2-car garage and huge bonus / loft / rec room area! Some updates include painting, new carpet on the main, new 2-tiered deck, upgraded ceiling fans & more! You'll want to see this one and get your offer in while you can! Ask your agent to schedule today!
Low HOA Dues which include yardwork! - $57/Mo.
Rec Room / Loft - 21'5"X14'1"
4703 Clarkson Rd, Greensboro, NC is marketed by Zane Gerringer of Allen Tate Realtors in Greensboro, NC.


We have had a lovely week of rain and it's currently raining at the moment. It's perfect for crafting!!
This week, we are casing the front and back covers of the 2018 Holiday Catalogue. Yes even the covers of the catty are inspiring!!
I decided to case the little square card on the back cover.
I've gone with a standard sized card and not a square. I've kept similar to the original and used the Subtle embossing folder for the background. I cut out a square of whisper white cardstock and used the new Corrugated embossing folder. I then gently ran the crumb cake ink pad over the top. I created a square outline using the Suite Seasons washi tape.
I decided to create a wreath using the Sprig punch. I made a circle frame using the circle framelits to make sure that the sprigs stayed in a circle shape, otherwise it would be a wonky wreath!!
I was going to add a bow or ribbon but I decided to use the Merry Christmas thinlits in Merry Merlot from the Joyous Noel glimmer paper. I then randomly painted some of the sprigs with Wink of Stella.
I'm really happy with how the wreath turned out! It's always nice when your card ends up like you imagined!!
Make sure you share your creation with us over on at our facebook group.
In case you were wondering, it's 11 days until my trip to Orlando!!! It's coming up quickly!!
Well I've had an exciting week visiting China with my sister. We had a great time visiting the Great Wall, the Beijing Zoo, Shaolin Temple and the Yellow River.
So I've unpacked, washed and had a great sleep and am ready to jump into the 2018-2019 Annual Catalogue.
I wasn't going to join in the hop this week as I wasn't sure I'd be able to have time to create a card. But my new catalogue order arrived whilst I was away and when I opened up the box, I just had to join in!! So many exciting new goodies to play with!!
So this week, we are casing the Tea Room section, pages 13-25 of the 2018-2019 Annual Catalogue.
I decided to case the card on page 20 using the Botanical Bliss Bundle. Did you know that you save 10% when you purchase a bundle.
This bundle is just so lovely! I can't wait to play more with them. I pretty much cased the card as is. I used the gorgeous Share What You Specialty DSP. For the background, I used the new Soft Sea Foam cardstock and stamped the flower from the Botanical Bliss stamp set.
The roses and flowers come from the Botanical Tags thinlits. You can use these dies as a tag or there is an additional die that allows you cut the flower out completely.
I used copper embossing powder on the oval and Tranquil Tide for the sentiment. I used copper foil for the leaves in the background and added a little bit of copper metallic thread.
Next up is my lovely friend, Mel.
You can also join us at our Facebook Group and share your creations with us.
I hope you enjoy our hop this week, make sure you leave a comment and let me know!
Aren't you just loving the Holiday Catalogue!! If you don't have one, you NEEEED one!! Let me know if you want one and I'll post one to you, or you can click on the link at the side.
This week, we are casing the Merry Little Christmas section, pages 10-19, of the 2017 Holiday Catalogue.
I decided to case the card on page 17 using the Feeling of Christmas stamp set.
I just love the Pinewood Planks embossing folder. It's hard to decide which side to use as both look fabulous. I pretty much cased the card exactly but I used a gold metallic doily instead. I have to confess that I had to stamp the wreath about 6 times!!! I couldn't believe it! I either stuffed up the distressed circle or the flower wreath.
I wanted to make a second version using the Wood Textures DSP stack. I also just coloured the wreath using my aqua painter and Pear Pizzazz ink. And I added a white doily this time.
Which one do you prefer? I think I like the DSP version.
Make sure you join in with us at our Facebook group!
Next up on the hop is the amazing Fi.
Can you believe that we are in September and my holiday is just around the corner!! Aren't you just loving the 2016 Holiday catalogue? There are so many gorgeous projects to case!! Of course, this week is no exception.
We are casing the Big Shot section between pages 8-11. There are lots of amazing stamp sets in this section and it was hard to decide which one to use.
I love the Banners for Christmas stamp set and the Bunch of Banners framelits so I was excited to case this card on page 10.
I did pretty much the same as the catalogue but I did gold foil instead of gold glimmer paper as I'm going to use this card for my stamp club project and I didn't have enough glimmer paper for everyone. I also used the red and green glitter embossing powder as it is so pretty and sparkly.
I think I like the red best but both look pretty. Let me know which one you like!!
Next on the hop is the lovely Rachel.
Don't forget you can also join us with your own creation. Just link it up using the link below.
Sunday's just seem to come around so quickly, don't they!! This week, we are casing the Birthdays section of the 2016-2017 Annual Catalogue from pages 10-25.
I have loved the Birthday Fiesta as soon as the catalogue came out although I don't know how often I need a Llama on a card!! But I have a friend who has Alpaca's and it's his birthday shortly, so this card will be perfect for him!!
I have cased the gift bag on page 10 and instead of the cactus, I've put the Llama.
I love the banners and I can't wait to do more with them as they are soooo cute!! The Festive Birthday DSP is so lovely and the colours are great together.
Let me know what you think of my card!!
Next on the hop is Monique so make sure you check out her lovely project!
Don't forget to join in with our monthly challenge. You just need to case a project from any of the categories that we showcase this month and post it to your blog and link it to our challenge. Just click on the image below to go to the link up.


text:
Q: What's the difference between `f()` and `new f()`?
Possible Duplicate:
What is the 'new' keyword in JavaScript?
creating objects from JS closure: should i use the "new" keyword?

See this code:
function friend(name) {
    return { name: name };
}

var f1 = friend('aa');
var f2 = new friend('aa');

alert(f1.name); // -> 'aa'
alert(f2.name); // -> 'aa'

What's the difference between f1 and f2?

A: The new in your case isn't usefull.
You only need to use the new keyword when the function uses the 'this' keyword.
function f(){
    this.a;
}
// new is required.
var x = new f();

function f(){
    return {
        a:1
    }
}
// new is not required.
var y = f();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


E. Howard & Co., Boston, MA. Model No. 14. Wall clock.
This clock is an early E. Howard form that was made in three variations. The largest size is the model 12 and is listed as a Watchman's Regulator. It is 5 feet long and the dial measures 14 inches in diameter. This model came in a number of movement and pendulum configurations. The Number 13 is 4 feet 8 inches long and has a dial that measures 12 inches in diameter. This clock has the Number 1 set up in terms of movement and pendulum It beats seconds, has maintaining power and a deadbeat escapement. The Number 14 is the smallest of the three. The case measures 3 feet 6 inches long and the dial is 10 inches in diameter. It is interesting to note that the vast majority of the 14's were ordered before the 1880's and that the majority of these were sent to regions outside of New England.
This is an excellent example. The case is made of black walnut and retains and older finish. It measures approximately 42 inches long. The front also serves as a door. It is fitted with two sections of glass. The upper section is left clear in order to view the dial. The lower section is decorated in the tradition colors of black, gold and red. The format also one to view not only the bob but the rod of the pendulum. Open this door and one can access the dial and pendulum. The dial is iron and features an original script signature. The hands are an open moon form. The movement is excellent quality. It is weight driven movement and designed to run eight-days on a full wind. The front plate is die-stamped with the Maker's name and working location. It reads, "E. Howard & Co. / Boston." This movement features a recoil escapement. The pendulum rod is made of seasoned cherry and retains its original gold leaf treatment. The heavy lead bob is covered in brass and features a damascened design or pattern on the front surface.
This clock was designed for excellent service. It was made circa 1870.


text:
This German 16-year-old has the largest feet on a teenager at a whopping size 20
By Connie Suggitt
The record for the largest feet on a teenager (male) has been broken by German teen Lars Motza, who was 16 years and 59 days old at the time of measurement on 19 November 2018.
His left foot measures 35.05 cm (13.79 in) and his right foot measures 34.98 cm (13.77 in). That makes his feet a whopping size 57 (EUR) - that's a 20 (UK) or 21 (US).
Lars has taken the record from Mathu-Andrew Budge, whose left foot is 32.95 cm (12.97 in) and right foot is 32.85 cm (12.93 in), however the Brit still holds the record for the largest hands on a teenager.
Lars' father, Frank, always knew Lars was going to have big feet - when he was born, his feet measured a huge 9.5 cm (3.74 in)!
"We as parents also have big feet – I have 50 (EUR) or 14 (UK), and Lars' mother has 43 (EUR) or 9 (UK), which is why we didn't worry at that time.
"But when Lars outgrew me in shoe size at the age of 11, we as parents got a bit scared. Never had we thought that his feet would reach such proportions."
Having large feet is problematic enough as an adult, but for a 16-year-old it's even harder.
We caught up with Lars following the verification of his record to find out more about what it's like to live with size 20 feet at age 16.
What do your friends think of your big feet?
There are hardly any envious people, because whose wish is it to have such big feet voluntarily?
But it just catches the eye and people sometimes laugh or say something stupid. Especially smaller children think it's great if they can put their feet next to mine.
Is it hard to find shoes that fit you?
You can't just go to the shoe shop in the nearest shopping centre and buy a cheap pair. Unfortunately, I can't even buy a more expensive pair, because in German shops there are no shoes in my size anymore. Europe-wide I am currently at the upper limit of shoes for sale.
For me there are only custom-made shoes left, which are of course very, very expensive.
It is also difficult to buy suitable clothes, because to top it all off I also have very long hands and arms. But that is another topic and perhaps also a new record attempt…
What would be your dream pair of shoes?
A pair of suitable sneakers or a pair of fancy sneakers would be nice, or even hiking boots for my tours with the scouts. Or simply to have two pairs of shoes to choose from would be an experience of a special kind.
How does it feel to hold this Guinness World Records title?
I am literally always one step ahead and therefore the first in the family and my circle of friends with a Guinness World Records title.
I love to browse the Guinness World Records books. Even though I set my record with my physical dimensions, I am fascinated by technical records and everything about aeroplanes.
Even though I didn't contribute much to the title except to grow, one is proud to be something "special" somehow. Who wouldn't be proud to have a certificate from Guinness World Records hanging in his room?
What message would you give to other young people who have uncommon features?
No matter what others say, stay true to yourself and always think positively.
You can find Lars' record as well as hundreds of others in Guinness World Records 2020. There are plenty of new facts and features to power your curiosity when it hits the shelves later this year.
Ten-year-old's 'monster milk tooth' seals record for longest of its kind
Woman with world's biggest female feet gets her custom-made size 15 wedding shoes
This is the man who makes shoes for the biggest feet in the world
Tales of the tallest men in the world and why they reach such heights
Man with the largest feet talks about his dream as he stars on TV show of record breaking
'I'm no different to anyone else' - meet Lucky Diamond Rich, the world's most tattooed man

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new piece of legislation endorsed by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos could put Catholic or other religious schools within reach of many families who would otherwise not be able to afford them.
Essentially, each state that decides to participate in Education Freedom Scholarships would structure its own program, including provisions for which scholarship students can apply and what schools those scholarships can be directed toward. The federal government's only role in making it work would be instituting the federal tax credit for those who donate to state entities which provide scholarships.
"There will be a number of challenges in attempts to gain bipartisan support for the bills in both houses of Congress and get a final bill passed," said the National Catholic Educational Association in a fact sheet about Education Freedom Scholarships on its website, www.ncea.org.


Sweet sesame soy glazed grilled chicken, served over sesame rice noodles and green onions. Topped with toasted sesame seeds and crispy nori.
Combine the chicken, paste, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, corn syrup and salt in a mixing bowl. Spread on a baking sheet and heat according to package instructions.
While the chicken is heating, cook the noodles according to the package instructions, drain and chill them in an ice water bath. Be sure to drain well from the ice water and toss in a mixing bowl with sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, vinegar and sesame seeds. Pour onto a serving platter or bowl and top with hot chicken. Finish with a garnish of rice seasoning to your liking.


text:
The 46th Annual Creative Arts and Entertainment Daytime Emmy Awards, honoring excellence in technical achievement, were handed out on Friday, May 3, 2019.
Outstanding Original Song
Composers & Lyricists: Bradley P. Bell, Anthony Ferrari, Casey Kasprzyk
Composer: Matt Pavolitis
Do you remember specifically writing this song and what the process was like?
Casey Kasprzyk: This is the third Emmy that this team has won for The Bold and the Beautiful, and we've had a lot of success for writing songs for Hope and Liam. They have the most tumultuous relationship, and I really connect as a lyricist with Hope and Liam in a lot of ways... it was actually the first song we recorded at Tony's home studio, as well. And it felt really magical when we recorded it, but I have to say, Annika [Noelle] and Scott [Clifton] were the ones that did the scene for the song, and it came out perfect.
Technical Team for a Drama Series
Technical Director: Gary Chamberlin
Camera Operators: Ted L Morales, John Carlson, Dean LaMont, Nico Svoboda
Video Control: Roberto Bosio, Scha Jani
Video Recordist: George Forbes
You're someone the fans really rely on.
Nico Svoboda: Yeah, we've got to make it look sexy. [Laughs]
What's key to making B&B look sexy?
Nico Svoboda: Not shooting too low, that's a big one.
John Carlson: I think working with the directors. The directors are the ones who have the vision, and we sort of bring it alive with them.
What is the most challenging type of scene to shoot? Is it the big events, the biggest divas?
John Carlson: No, we have a great cast. That's never a problem on our show! It's probably the big events, where there are a lot of elements involved, a lot of scenes where we have to bring our best to the table.
Where are you going to keep your Emmys?
John Carlson: I've got to rethink having it on my subwoofer.
Nico Svoboda: My fianc�e [Hunter King] has one in her bathroom, just on top of the toilet, and it's so brilliant. Every time I see it, I'm so proud.
So what is she going to think of this?
Nico Svoboda: Oh, she's going to love this. Hers won't be alone.
Did you meet on set?
Nico Svoboda: Yeah, we met at The Young and the Restless. I was doing boom over there, and I just hit her with the mike, and she looked at me, and that was it! [Laughs] I don't know why; I got lucky, I guess.
»READ MORE COVERAGE OF THE CREATIVE ARTS CEREMONY
Are you glad that the men and women behind the camera are awarded for their hard work? Are you a fan of digital series? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.


Weatherill govt to rewrite transport legislation.
South Australia wants to become the first state to pass rules that would allow driverless cars on its roads, possibly within years.
Governor Hieu Van Le opened the SA parliament's 2015 sittings yesterday with a speech outlining the re-elected Weatherill government's policy agenda.
The plans include a review of the state's Motor Vehicles Act, which Van Le noted was "written when the FB model Holden was being released to the market in 1959".
Transport Minister Stephen Mullighan revealed the government is eyeing off changes that could see driverless cars brought into SA's traffic laws.
"Our legislation also needs to modernised. It's a patchwork of over 55 years of amendments and is often unwieldy, overly prescriptive and blind to new technologies," Mullighan said.
"Our review of the legislation will identify obstacles that prevent the introduction of self-driving and highly automated cares on SA roads, while also maintaining existing high levels of road user safety."
He highlighted the potential for driverless vehicles to improve road safety, traffic congestion, and to give the elderly and disabled greater freedom to move around. He forecast fully autonomous cars would be used across the world in "in a few short years".
To date, self-driving vehicles have only really made an impact in the mining sector, where fleets of autonomous trucks have offered a safe and efficient alternative to risky driving scenarios.
Internationally, a number of US states, including California, have passed laws that allow driverless cars on their roads.
The UK government is also trialling the technology in a handful of sites, but only on closed roadways, with a review of the country's Highway Code due to to be released soon.


This entry was posted in Beech, Forests, Mindfulness, Nature Writing, Philosophy, Trees and tagged fall colors, human nature, Joan D. Chittister by The Balsamean. Bookmark the permalink.
Sometimes it's just pointing out their qualities!
I'm reading and commenting offline, so have not followed the link (yet) to the junk-tree post!
It's good to see you back online!
Hi Z! Glad to hear from you.
That guy's claimed junk status was because almost all American Beech is infested with a condition commonly called "bark rust." But that does nothing to make the tree undesirable. But they are hardy and live with it for a long time … great numbers of them much longer than I will. Do you have a beech species in Ecuador?
I had a big mast year here. The seed pods were everywhere. Squirrels threw them down as I walked along the trail.
And, like everything in Nature, pressing a hand to a beech and opening the mind and heart to its nature, one may come closer to a truer sense of reality as it is, that we are of the forest, not just in it, part of One Nature.
I love the examples you shared. Of course, Dr. Scholls, et. al. do NOT want to hear about it.
And, like everything in Nature, pressing a hand to a beech and opening the mind and heart to its nature, one may come closer to a truer sense of reality as it is, that we are of the forest, not just in it, part of One Nature." === that's a brilliant quote, btw!!!
i hope that your weekend was a good one – and yes, welcome back – good to see that your incubation has hatched some nice food for thought!
Productivity here and in other things will drop off for a couple of months. Having a surprise guest for the summer, 24 hours a day, starting in a week. A good thing, a deeply beloved person, but the usual isolation/solitude won't work. We discussed it and will try to make it work, but it won't be my normal way, where inspiration in most things works by whim. It will be interesting. In its 13 year history Balsamea never had a human guest for more than 1 overnight at a time (and none of them are still coming … forest immersion practice at Balsamea is not for everyone), and only one human resident. Tree nymphs and trail tending sprites (I have pictures of one) and such, yeah, but not humans. This one will be 2 months or more. I'll learn yet more about the power of choosing to love no matter what tries to get in its way.


text:
Research Groups - Education and Arts
Literary and Linguistic Computing
Centre for
Professor Hugh Craig
Deputy Head of Faculty of Education & Arts
Dr Alexis Antonia
Conjoint Fellow
School of Humanities and Social Science
Dr Ellen Jordan
Conjoint Lecturer
Associate Professor Peter Peterson
Conjoint Associate Professor
Professor Harold Tarrant
Conjoint Professor
Dr Elizabeth Spencer
Dr Bill Pascoe
eResearch Consultant
Jack Elliott
PhD Candidate and Developer
Naomi Fraser
Founding Director
Emeritus Professor John Burrows
John Burrows@newcastle.edu.au
Professor of English: University of Newcastle 1976-1989
Appointed the fourth Professor of English at the University of Newcastle in 1976, Burrows acted in this capacity for 13 years retiring in July 1989 to become the Director of the newly established Centre for Literary and Linguistic Computing (CLLC).
During his time as Professor of English, he was Dean of the Faculty of Arts, head of the Department of English, a member of council and Senate, and served on many committees. Burrows held the Commonwealth Fellowship of St. John's College, Cambridge in 1979-80 and returned to the College on sabbatical leave in 1984. In 1988 he was Visiting Research Fellow in the Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh.
Emeritus Professor and Director of the CLLC (1989-2000)
Shortly following his retirement, the title of Emeritus Professor was conferred on Burrows.
With funding from ARC, during the last 10 years of his term as Professor of English, Burrows and his colleagues developed a number of valuable methods of computer-assisted textual analysis. The Centre for Literary and Linguistic Computing was established to allow Burrows and his colleagues to continue the ground-breaking research on the computer assisted analysis of texts.
In 2001 Professor Burrows was awarded the prestigious Busa Award for Outstanding Contributions to the field of humanities computing.
He continues to develop and test the methods of computational stylistics and is an active researcher and collaborator.
Written by Alexis Antonia
Tribute to John Lambert
John Lambert, who died in May 2001, had been associated with the Newcastle University College and the University of Newcastle for almost half a century. He was appointed to a Lectureship in Mathematics in the early days of the University College. An early interest in computing led him forward to his eventual appointment as the University's Foundation Director of Computing Services. His interests and his efforts ranged across the spectrum of university life and his contributions were many and varied.
Many of his contemporaries first knew John as a cheerful voice on radio. He was a member of John Dease's team of Quiz Kids, who engaged in a high-grade general knowledge program for Radio 2GB. We others, up and down the state, pitted our wits against theirs and usually had to give them best. John's quick wits, confidence, and wide range of knowledge were apparent then and were to remain his hallmark.
Others can say more of his contributions to the life of the young university. His connection with what was later to become the Centre for Literary and Linguistic Computing began in August 1979 when I sought his advice on the use of computer-assistance in my research on Jane Austen's language. John took an immediate and enthusiastic interest and was able, as always, to suggest the latest software for the task.
Over the next decade, as the work advanced from rudimentary trials to widespread international recognition, John was always available when help was needed and was never impatient with our many blunders. He was generous in his help for our research assistant and our keyboard operators. He pointed us in the right direction in the appointment of our first two part-time programmers and, after his retirement from the Computing Service, himself became the third of them.
Throughout the nineties, he refined and added to our growing suite of programs for the VMS-Vax and then, in his last two years or so, helped us to forestall the replacement of the Vax by PCs. His new suite of LILAC programs (LIterature, LAnguage, Computing) existed as a set of advanced prototypes at the time of his unexpected death. He always insisted that, as a computer programmer, he was no more than a tradesman. These fast, accurate, and user-friendly programs are a worthy memorial to a man of many gifts and great modesty.
On the technical side, he had an astonishing capacity for keeping up to date across the growing range of computational possibilities and a youthful willingness to attempt something entirely new. On the personal side, we will always be the poorer without his cheerful company and his quick grasp of a line of thought, whether it bore on our work or on the world at large.
Written by John Burrows
News article 2002 - RIP John Lambert pdf
Director - Professor Hugh Craig
Hugh.Craig@newcastle.edu.au


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The Atari MegaST-2 was introduced in 1987 and was the follow-on to Atari's MegaST, with 2meg of RAM. It is housed in a slim, grey pizza-box style case, and contains a 68000 cpu, MS-DOS compatible 720k floppy, an external floppy connector, external DMA connector for hard disks and such, 2 MIDI ports, a serial port, a paralell port, and the TOS ROM's, which contained the ST's GUI operating system, based on GEM by Digital Research. The ST doesn't require any disks to boot, since it's OS is in ROM, and is quite a nice looking system when run using the high-resolution mono monitor. The ST line of computers has been a favorite of musicians for years due to the built in MIDI capabilities of the line. The MegaST provided 8-bit mono sound and a palette of 512 colors. Maximum resolution was 640x400 in monochrome, 640x200 in 4 colors, or 320x200 in 16 colors.
The ST line of computers was concieved as Atari's answer to the Apple Macintosh by Jack Tramiel after his purchase of the company from Warner Communications. Atari had previously lent Amiga Corp. money to finance the developement of the 'Lorraine' prototype and signed an agreement with the company allowing Atari access to the technology. The ST series, often referred to as the 'Jackintosh', incorporated such items as the blitter into thier design.
Atari dropped all remaining support for the 8-bit computer line on January 1, 1992. Atari was bought out by disk drive manufacturer JTS Corp. on July 30, 1996, and production of it's computers stopped. The Falcon was sold to C-Labs of Germany who enhanced it and continued it's production. On February 23, 1998 JTS sold it's Atari division to Hasbro Inc. for $5 million, forming Atari Interactive Inc. Atari Games, the coin-op division which remained seperate from Atari Corp. and was later known as Time-Warner Interactive, became a subsidiary of Midway Games Inc.


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Pet CBD Products Need Better Regulation, Researchers Say
Benjamin Adams
I cover cannabis, health, and politics.
Buyer beware—pet products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are freely available and sold as supplements, but research shows labels aren't always accurate and those products often get mixed with reputably-sourced brands.
Like clockwork, in early July, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine tweeted its yearly warning to pet owners about unregulated CBD products, ahead of the seasonal spike of CBD sales due to firework-induced dog anxiety. Distrust of the FDA abounds, but the organization may have a solid point when it comes to the sketchier side of CBD products marketed for pets.
Brett Hartmann gives his dogs Cayley, a six-year-old-Labrador Retriever drops of a cannabis based ... [+] medicinal tincture to treat hip pain and anxiety, June 8, 2017 at his home in Los Angeles, California. It's early morning, just after breakfast, and six-year-old Cayley is wide awake, eagerly anticipating her daily dose of cannabis. The black labrador, tail wagging, laps up the liquid tincture owner Brett Hartmann squirts into her mouth, a remedy he uses morning and evening to help alleviate Cayley's anxiety. As the multi-billion dollar medical and recreational marijuana industry for humans blossoms in the United States, so is a new customer base -- animals. / AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Recent findings from Leafreport found that 56% of pet CBD products that were sampled were mislabeled with inaccurate claims. Leafreport collected a sampling of 55 pet CBD products, and found over half had inaccurate labeling, most often, incorrect levels of CBD. Out of 55 pet products that were independently tested at Las Vegas-based Canalysis Laboratories, 31 contained the wrong amounts of CBD, and many also contained no THC despite being labeled as "full-spectrum CBD."
Beyond pet products, the team's continued research also found an alarming amount of mislabeled delta-8-THC products (often converted from CBD-rich biomass or isolate in a lab) and on July 13, the team published findings detailing wildly different pricing standards between CBD products, meaning some companies scoop up newbies—hook, line, and sinker.
One pet product was particularly deceptive—containing only about 1.5% of the CBD the label claimed it contained, meaning that your pet might not even be getting amounts of the healing compound significant enough to do anything.
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Instead, go with a brand that provides certificates of analysis and that is sold in a reputable store, such as a state-regulated dispensary or a CBD store that vets its vendors to ensure their products are safe.
What if we regulated pet CBD products better, consistently providing analytical data, or at the very least—allow veterinarians to properly guide pet owners?
Leafreport—originally founded in 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel—is an online resource on CBD with discussions from medical doctors, clinical consultants, chemists, nutritional and natural health experts from around the world.
Dr. Zora DeGrandpre practices naturopathic medicine and is a medical and scientific writer and editor, specializing in naturopathic, functional, botanical, and integrative medicine. DeGrandpre writes online courses for medical students around the world including courses for continuing medical education and on the use of medical marijuana and CBD.
DeGrandpre explained that the same product caution that anyone uses for themselves should ideally be applied to their pets—adding that consumers need to look into the company's history and reputation.
"While different animals may respond differently to CBD, contaminants such as microbial products, heavy metals, toxins, and pesticides are often more toxic to pets than to humans," DeGrandpre says in an email. "In addition, dogs appear to be particularly sensitive to THC—so you should only use zero-THC products with dogs, and to be safer, with any animals. Also, there isn't a lot of research around CBD and animals—many vets (for many reasons including legal and professional ones) urge caution when using CBD with your pet."
The effects of CBD on a 200-pound person is not going to work the same way on a 10-pound toy dog, which is why titration is a bit more imperative when dealing with pets, even though they are fully equipped with an endocannabinoid system. Source CBD, for instance, provides a dosing calculator for humans and pets, and relies an anecdotal reports from people who claim a variety of beneficial effects on both mammals and reptiles.
Luna, a pug with acne and seizures, takes her daily dose of CBD oil.
Photo credit: Richard Saunders
"Finally, you should always use the same principle with pets that we recommend for humans!" DeGrandpre adds. "Start low and go slow, always monitoring the effects on your pet carefully. You want to ensure your pet's health, after all! We also recommend checking with your vet to ensure that CBD products will not interfere with any medication that your pet may be on already."
The global pet CBD market is projected to witness considerable growth over the coming years of the forecast period 2018-2028, according to data compiled by San Francisco-based TMR Research. In Europe, researchers came to nearly the same conclusion: Data released on July 12 from Dublin, Ireland-based Research and Markets reported similar findings. The global CBD pet products market to rise with a CAGR of 41.3% during the forecast period (2021-2026). Research and Markets analysts attributed the rise in part to the 2018 Farm Bill, which set things off in the United States.
Some states in the U.S. are starting to allow specific provisions for veterinarians and medical cannabis, such as Nevada's forward-thinking Assembly Bill 101, allowing recommendations, sponsored by Assemblymember Steve Yeager. Then there's California's Assembly Bill No. 2215, approved in 2018, which basically only allows veterinarians to discuss medical cannabis treatment without fears of repercussions. California's Assembly Bill 384 would take it a step further, allowing them to give recommendations. Oregon and Washington State Veterinary Medical Associations posted their own cautionary fact sheets for medical cannabis advice online. New York's Assembly Bill A5172 would offer similar provisions.
Eloise Theisen is a board certified Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner who specializes in cannabis therapy. For over 20 years, Theisen has worked primarily with cancer, dementia, and chronic pain patients—focusing her efforts on cannabinoid therapies for the past five years. Theisen is the president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association."CBD products for pets and humans are still not regulated and testing is not required," Theisen says. "It is important to look for companies that do independent 3rd party testing to ensure that the product label. matches the certificate of analysis. Some products may have THC levels that are above the legal limit and that could be unhealthy for pets. Additionally, some companies may have more or less CBD than listed on a label and you may not be giving your pet exactly what you expected."
Furthermore, some companies can be misleading about ingredients such as hempseed oil, which contains antioxidants and fatty acids, but no CBD.
"I recommend only buying from a company that provides an independent 3rd party certificate of analysis," Theisen adds. "It is important to know exactly what you are giving your pet. A comprehensive certificate of analysis from a reputable 3rd party testing lab will ensure that the product is free of contaminants and that the potency is accurate. If the company cannot provide a certificate of analysis, look for another company that does. There are enough companies out there providing transparency with their products."
In general, it's on the consumer to vet the safety and ingredients in pet CBD products—for the health of their pets, if for no other reason.
Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website.


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Black woman takes over @ireland Twitter account, is immediately attacked by racist trolls
Michelle Marie is a blogger and plus-size model from Oxford, England.
On Monday, she took over the Twitter account for @ireland — an account run by the U.S. news website IrishCentral.com, which focuses on Irish news and rotates weekly to let a different reader tweet from it.
Marie is also black. Within hours of taking over the account, Marie was beset by trolls who ridiculed her weight and took racist and xenophobic jabs at her.
Marie responded as graciously as she could:
Similarly abusive accounts have since been suspended or deleted, but text from their tweets has been reported by Mashable, the Telegraph and others.
Fortunately, far more Twitter users showed their support:
By the end of Marie's first day on the account, the abuse had clearly taken its toll.
She signed off with a statement thanking some users for their support, while stating that others had subjected her to "racism, sexism, fatphobia and homophobia to a degree I have never known."
Marie was back tweeting again Tuesday morning:
All told, just another pleasant day for black women on the internet.


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AAA / Alternative Rock / Classic Rock / General / Hard Rock & Heavy Metal / Indie Rock & Pop / Pop Music / Rock
THE BRAVERY RECORD STIR THE BLOOD IN ABANDONED CHURCH
The Bravery talk about recording their latest album "Stir the Blood" in a church and why it helped the band's sound.
The Bravery are set to release their upcoming new album "Stir the Blood" and it will the bands highly anticipated follow up to 2007's "The Sun and The Moon" which debuted at number 24 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 chart. The first single off "Stir the Blood" will be the single "Slow Poison" and the album will also feature a new remix of their hit song "An Honest Mistake." For the upcoming new album the band recorded the tracks in upstate New York in an abandoned church giving the album and unmistakable huge sound.
Artisan News caught up with lead vocalist Sam Endicott of The Bravery to get his thoughts on the band recording "Stir the Blood" in an abandoned church.
"We recorded most of it in an abandoned church in upstate New York. We went up to this church in the woods. I just lived there for awhile, for a long time and I just layed down all kinds of sounds. Just bizarre stuff and then we came back home to the city and remixed it. Just went through everything and cut it up and rearranged it and that's how we made the songs. There's a massive room that was the church but with all the pews taken out and it's filled with equipment. So you just set up mics in there and you get a really ambient sound."
"Stir the Blood" was produced by Endicott alongside John Hill (Santigold, Shakira) and the band are currently touring North America with dates extending until November 11th in Vancouver, British Columbia. Look for The Bravery to announce another round of tour dates closer to their December release of "Stir the Blood."
Tags: Sam EndicottStir the BloodThe Bravery
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Stryker Welding was tasked with fabricating a machine base frame for a customer in the injection molding industry. Using a variety of tools and processes, we fabricated the machine base using W21 wide-flange beams and flat steel.
The frame weighed approximately 16,000 pounds and cost $38,000. We used the prints provided by the customer throughout the fabrication process to ensure everything met the exact specifications.


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America's shame
Raffique Shah
Follow Raffique Shah
As decent Americans try to come to terms with the shameful conduct of their president and his robotic army of white supremacists, dumb nationalists and sundry dissidents of multiple obscure persuasions, billions of people around the world who have suffered at the uneven, prejudiced hands of the world's greatest power will be inclined to gloat, to celebrate its implosion.
Such emotions are understandable. From the descendants of the native Americans, the handful who have survived the extermination of their ancestors by the invading Europeans, to the millions of Afro-Americans whose forebears suffered unspeakable atrocities for generations, during and after slavery, and who, to this day, face irrational racism from the lingering caucasian detritus that coalesces around the likes of Donald Trump, the hurt is palpable.
Many liberal whites in and outside of the United States whose lives are shielded from the everyday indignities that people of colour and, indeed, people of ordinary means, be they white, black, brown or in-between, must face, had their sensibilities shocked when Trump's madding mob invaded the Capitol. In horror, they screamed: "No! This is not America! This must be some banana republic!"
Oh, but it is America. And the rampaging beasts you see are the ugly Americans, the snarling, snorting animals your leaders, almost throughout the history of your country, have unleashed on people of diverse ethnicities, religions and ideologies, across the world. From Asia to Africa, the Middle East to the Far East, people and nations have faced the wrath of your armies and armaments, as your leaders imposed their will on hapless, powerless people. You invented the banana republics, controlling the Americas from Mexico to Chile. You manufactured despots such as Somoza, Duvalier, Pinochet, Trujillo. When you settle down, after this storm is over and we will have helped you isolate and rid yourselves of Trump, read the history of American's bloody interventions in the affairs of nations and people just about everywhere in the world.
Before I tripped off on the sins of America, and I apologise for that deviation, I was making the point that many countries and people who have suffered at the hands of your leaders and armies might be tempted to welcome the home-bred terrorists who have emerged to threaten your democracy. I urge them to do no such thing. We must see their assault on your government, their refusal to accept the will of the majority of Americans as an abomination that must be repelled with every means at our disposal, even a voice like mine, emanating from a tiny island-state in the Caribbean.
I must admit I find it unpalatable that there are people in my country, and nationals from T&T who are residing in the US, who blindly support Trump. I say "blindly" because I cannot conceive of informed, thinking people who would even listen to a man who lies as much as he breathes oxygen, and rather than apologise for lying, would add layers to his lies. Trump's claim that the recent presidential and other elections were "stolen" by the Democratic party are manifestly untrue. I sat here in T&T, monitoring the polls via television, and from that distance I could almost count the votes, such was the transparency. In several states, Georgia for sure, the officials who supervised and verified the process, which was painstaking, were from Trump's Republican party.
That the incumbent's supporters could not, or likelier will not, see that, speaks of a level of ignorance that is difficult to imagine. Further, that Trump's claims of irregularities have been dismissed by scores of judges in various courts adds to the prospect that the man is mad. Last Wednesday, when he assembled a mob such as has not been seen in America in many years, if ever, it was clear he was taking his fight to retain his presidency to the lowest level possible. That is when he and those who aided and abetted him should have been arrested and charged with treason.
But who would arrest him? Who would stand in the way of that maddened mob, fury etched on their faces, murder on their minds as they mounted a full-scale assault on The Capitol? But for a few police officers who were dangerously outnumbered, nothing stood between the thugs and their targets.
Where was the National Guard? Where were the federal police officers and the army? Most of all, where were the generals? On any given day, at any function in Washington, the "brass", assorted army, navy and air force officers, can be seen preening in full uniform, their breasts plastered with ribbons and medals. On Wednesday when Washington needed them most, the generals had mysteriously disappeared.
I repeat: Trump should be charged with treason, sedition and other offences, and the generals must explain their absence and face the consequences. They brought shame on America.
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Discounted rates apply only when reserving your room through the ASHHRA hotel reservation link provided upon completion of your registration.
The above-discounted ASHHRA rates are only guaranteed, based on availability, if you make your reservation using the official ASHHRA reservation link by Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. After that date, the official ASHHRA room blocks are released and the hotels may charge higher rates. ASHHRA rates are extended three days prior and three days following the annual conference dates, based on availability.
Each reservation must be accompanied by a one night's deposit plus tax or guaranteed by a major credit card with a valid expiration date of October 2019 or after. The credit card is only a guarantee and will be charged upon arrival at the hotel. One Night's room and tax will be charged if the guest cancels after 3:00 p.m., 48 hours prior to arrival date.
Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. local time and check out time is 12:00 p.m. local time. Be sure to reconfirm your check out date upon checking in. Late check-outs may be requested at the front desk and are based on availability. Early check-in is also based on the hotel's availability.
IMPORTANT: Hotel reservations for ASHHRA should be made directly with the hotel by using the link listed on your registration confirmation. ONLY those suppliers identified in ASHHRA conference-related communications are official partners of ASHHRA and AHA.
You may be solicited by other companies to book your hotel room or make travel arrangements for the ASHHRA annual conference. Such companies are not affiliated with and are not sponsored or approved by ASHHRA and the AHA to provide these services. ASHHRA and AHA will not be responsible for any actions or omissions of such companies.
Hyatt Regency Chicago: The following options are available in the parking garage located under the hotel.
Self-Parking $49 for 24 hours. With self-parking, you must pay prior to exiting the garage. Self-parking does not include unlimited in/out privileges.
Valet parking is $69 for 24 hours. Valet parking may be charged to your guest room bill and includes unlimited in/out privileges.
ASHHRA is offering special discounts for all attendees of the conference. Simply call (or have your travel agent call) one of our preferred airlines directly to receive these special fares.
Call Delta Meeting Network reservations at 800-328-1111, Monday through Friday, 7:00 am – 7:30 pm CT. Refer to Meeting Code NY2HD. You may also go to www.delta.com and input the Meeting Code into the Meeting Event Code box to obtain the discounted fare and avoid any service fees.
Discounts will range from two to 10 percent off of published airfares and vary by market and booking class. Visit www.united.com/meetingtravel and enter ZFZN227273 in the Offer Code box. You may also call the United Meeting Reservation Desk at 800-426-1122, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 10:00 pm ET, and Saturday/Sunday, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm ET. Booking fees are waived for meeting reservations.
Use meeting number CV# 03AB0015 at www.hertz.com (click on "Enter a Discount or Promo Code) or call 800-654-2240.
Use the meeting number K2C1074 at www.enterprise.com or www.nationalcar.com, or call 800-261-7331 to reserve your car over the phone.
Use meeting number L461444 and call 800-633-3469.
Chicago Water Taxi: Located across the Chicago River from Hyatt Regency Chicago, Chicago Water Taxi offers riders access to Ogilvie Transportation Center, Union Station, Willis Tower, Chicago Riverwalk, Chinatown and more via the city's waterways.
Divvy Bikes: If you want to explore Chicago by bike, stop by the conveniently located Divvy station at Stetson Avenue and South Water Street and enjoy 24-hours of unlimited 30-minute rides for $9.95 per day.


Compensatory Financing Facility (1963) Medium-term assistance for temporary export shortfalls or cereal import excesses. Available only when the shortfall/excess is largely beyond the control of the authorities and a member has an arrangement with upper credit tranche conditionality, or when its balance of payments position excluding the shortfall/excess is satisfactory. Typically disbursed over a minimum of six months in accordance with the phasing provisions of the arrangement. 45% of quota each for export and cereal components. Combined limit of 55% of quota for both components.
Exogenous Shocks Facility (2006) Short-term assistance to address a temporary balance of payments need that is due to an exogenous shock. Adopt a 1-2 year program involving macroeconomic adjustments allowing the member to adjust to the shock and structural reform considered important for adjustment to the shock, or for mitigating the impact of future shocks. Semiannual or quarterly disbursements on observance of performance criteria and, in most cases, completion of a review. Annual: 25% of quota; cumulative: 50% of quota except in exceptional circumstances.
1 Except for PRGF, the IMF's lending is financed from the capital subscribed by member countries; each country is assigned a quota that represents its financial commitment. A member provides a portion of its quota in foreign currencies acceptable to the IMF—orSDRs (see Chapter 8)-and the remainder in its own currency. An IMF loan is disbursed or drawn by the borrower purchasing foreign currency assets from the IMF with its own currency. Repayment of the loan is achieved by the borrower repurchasing its currency from the IMF with foreign currency. See Box 8.1 on the IMF's Financing Mechanism. PRGF lending is financed by a separate PRGF Trust.
Although any member country, rich or poor, with a balance of payments problem can apply for an IMF loan, since the late 1970s, when industrial countries began to be able to meet their financing needs in the international capital markets, all IMF lending has gone to emerging market, transition, or developing countries. In recent years, the greatest number of IMF loans have been made through the concessional Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, but the largest loans are made through nonconcessional facilities and policies, including Stand-By Arrangements.
The IMF frequently reviews and refines its lending instruments to ensure that they meet members' needs, and studies the effectiveness of past programs. During FY2006, the IMF introduced two new instruments for low-income countries, the Policy Support Instrument and the Exogenous Shocks Facility; reviewed the design of programs under its Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility; undertook ex post assessments in countries with longer-term program engagement and ex post evaluations of exceptional access arrangements; and revised the operational guidance for its conditionality guidelines.
Ensuring that the Fund's financing instruments are adapted to the needs of member countries is a perennial challenge. Many emerging market countries have taken advantage of favorable economic and financial conditions to strengthen their net foreign asset positions, and growing access to capital has greatly reduced their need for Fund financing. During FY2006, both Argentina and Brazil repaid their entire outstanding obligations to the Fund ahead of schedule. Other members, particularly in Asia, have built up liquidity by accumulating international reserves and entering into regional agreements. For more details about developments in the IMF's financial operations and policies during FY2006, see Chapter 8.
In addition to providing loans to help countries recover from a crisis and resolve an external payments problem, the IMF works on issues relevant to the orderly resolution of financial crises, such as debt restructuring. Regarding its own role in this area, the Fund continues to monitor the implementation of its lending into arrears policy and will undertake a review of the policy in FY2007. In May 2005, the Executive Board discussed the factors that determine the pace at which countries emerging from a crisis are able to regain access to international capital markets.
In FY2006, the Fund reviewed the design of programs supported by its Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) and created a new window in that facility for helping low-income countries meet balance of payments needs arising from exogenous shocks. A group in the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department set up to study the impact of Fund policies on poverty and social issues (Poverty and Social Impact Analysis, or PSIA), primarily in PRGF-eligible countries, became operational. This group's findings will be used to inform the design of future IMF-supported programs. For low-income countries that do not need or wish to borrow from the Fund but that want the Fund to monitor and evaluate their policies, the IMF introduced the Policy Support Instrument (PSI) in October 2005. The PSI will help countries design effective economic programs—as strong as those supported by Fund financial arrangements—and, once such a program has been approved by the IMF's Executive Board, will signal to donors, multilateral development banks, and markets the Fund's endorsement of a member's policies. The IMF's instruments for helping low-income countries are described in greater detail in Chapter 6.
The Executive Board held a preliminary discussion in June 2005 on the charges and maturities for IMF financing, with a focus on bolstering the revolving character of the Fund's resources.3 Directors believed that the Fund's policies on charges and maturities could be made clearer, simpler, and more transparent, but they emphasized that any changes should be considered as part of a comprehensive reform package that provides appropriate incentives for repayment. Most Directors favored an alignment of surcharges across facilities in the General Resources Account, thereby removing the cost incentive for seeking exceptional access financing from one facility rather than another. Directors also called for the abolition of the policy on time-based repurchase expectations, viewing the existence of both expectation and obligation schedules as inherently confusing. However, such a move should be accompanied by the establishment of appropriate incentives to encourage advance repurchases, with many Directors taking the view that such incentives should be based on charges. Directors asked staff to further explore the options and to return with proposals.
In 2005, the Board reviewed the IMF's safeguards assessments policy. The main objective of the safeguards assessments policy, which was introduced in 2000 and made a permanent feature of Fund operations in 2002, is to minimize the possibility of countries misreporting information to the IMF and misusing Fund resources. Before member countries can use its resources, the IMF assesses their central banks' external and internal audit mechanisms, legal structure and independence, financial reporting framework, and internal controls.
The review included discussions on a staff paper, a report prepared by an independent panel of central bank officials,4 and further work on a proposal to share reports on safeguards assessments with other international financial institutions. Following up on their April 2005 discussion, Directors concluded their review in December 2005. They considered the existing framework for assessing central banks' operations to be broadly appropriate and noted that the Fund's policy had had a positive impact on these operations, leading to improvements in governance and controls. They also agreed on a proposal to permit transmittal of safeguards assessments to other financial institutions, subject to assurances that similar reports from other international financial institutions would be shared with IMF staff and that the reports would be treated as confidential documents. Transmittal of reports will be subject to the consent of the central bank being assessed; initially, the reports will be shared only with the World Bank. The Fund's policies on charges and maturities, and safeguards assessments, are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 8.
The IMF continued its work on the orderly resolution of financial crises, analyzing cross-country experiences with sovereign debt restructuring and policy issues raised by specific cases, and promoting the use of collective action clauses (CACs) in international sovereign bonds. A review of the effectiveness of the Fund's instruments in facilitating crisis resolution is one of the priorities listed in the Medium-Term Strategy (see Chapter 2). The staff's "Progress Report on Crisis Resolution,"5 which covers progress with initiatives such as CACs, the Institute of International Finance's Principles for Stable Capital Flows and Fair Debt Restructuring in Emerging Markets, and the Paris Club's Evian Approach, as well as developments in sovereign debt restructuring cases, was discussed by the IMF's Executive Board on September 16, 2005.
CACs are designed to prevent small minorities of creditors from blocking restructuring deals to which large majorities agree. In its efforts to help improve the sovereign debt restructuring process, the IMF has encouraged the adoption of CACs, maintaining an active dialogue with private market participants and debt managers from a number of emerging market countries, including through such vehicles as the Forum for Public Debt Managers.
The adoption of CACs in international sovereign bonds has become the market standard for bonds issued under New York law. International sovereign bonds governed by English and Japanese law have continued the existing practice of including CAC provisions. As of end-February 2006, the share of emerging market sovereign bonds that include CACs climbed to 60 percent of the total outstanding stock of such bonds, in terms of their value, from 32 percent at the end of 2002. This reflects both the increased use of CACs in sovereign bond contracts and the recent sovereign debt exchanges that have replaced a large volume of bonds that did not include CACs with bonds that do include CACs. The inclusion of CACs has had no observable effect on the pricing of bonds.
Outside the Fund, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) reported that progress had been made on developing a monitoring process for its voluntary Principles for Stable Capital Flows and Fair Debt Restructuring in Emerging Markets,6 with the establishment of a Principles Consultative Group. The Group is seeking dialogue with debtor countries and creditors on transparency and investor relations. At the invitation of the IIF, IMF staff participated as observers in the Group's conference calls in November 2005 and February 2006, intended to allow private sector representatives and emerging market officials to participate in informal discussions with the Group about how the Principles apply to specific countries.
In October 2005, the Paris Club provided a flow rescheduling to the Dominican Republic under the Evian Approach—a flexible approach adopted by the Paris Club in 2003 for addressing the debt sustainability concerns of countries not receiving debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.
Following the Fund's approval in October 2005 of a Policy Support Instrument for Nigeria, Paris Club creditors granted Nigeria a comprehensive, concessional debt treatment. The treatment includes the clearance of arrears in two phases, together with a debt reduction under Naples terms on eligible debt, and the buyback of the remaining debt at a market-related discount. Consistent with the Evian Approach, the debt treatment was phased and aimed at providing a definitive solution to Nigeria's debt problems.
In December 2005, the Fund approved a Stand-By Arrangement for Iraq, which was a condition for the second stage of debt reduction agreed with Iraq's Paris Club creditors in 2004 (Box 5.1).
The IMF's Executive Board approved a Stand-By Arrangement equivalent to SDR 475.4 million (about $685 million) for Iraq in December 2005 to support the country's 15-month economic program. Iraq, one of the IMF's founding member countries, received Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance from the Fund in September 2004.1 That loan supported Iraq's economic program through 2005 and facilitated Iraq's negotiations with its Paris Club creditors over a debt-restructuring agreement. The Stand-By Arrangement, which will support Iraq's economic program for 2006, was a condition for the second stage of debt reduction agreed with Iraq's Paris Club creditors. The Iraqi authorities intend to treat the arrangement as precautionary.
Despite the extremely difficult security environment, the Iraqi authorities made progress toward macroeconomic stability in 2005. Growth was about 4 percent, following a rebound of almost 50 percent in 2004, although inflation remained high and volatile. The Central Bank of Iraq built up reserves and the exchange rate remained stable. The projected fiscal deficit was much lower than expected mainly because of higher-than-projected export prices for crude oil.
Iraq's program for 2006, which envisages an increase in economic growth, a reduction in inflation, and an increase in net international reserves, maintains a focus on macroeconomic stability, while improving governance and advancing Iraq's transition to a market economy. Throughout the rest of 2006, Iraq plans to expand the oil sector, cut back on general subsidies in favor of improving public services, and strengthen administrative capacity. The country's central bank is establishing a modern payments system and improving its supervisory capacity.
Iraq took an important first step in raising prices of refined petroleum products and now needs to press ahead to reduce fuel subsidies further and carry on with other structural reforms, including measures to enhance the efficiency and transparency of public financial management and the development of a comprehensive restructuring strategy for the state-owned banks. The central bank needs to develop the instruments required to strengthen its ability to conduct a monetary policy geared to ensuring price and financial stability.
The Dominican Republic has staged a remarkable economic turnaround since its banking crisis in 2003–04. Large amounts of public assistance to bail out depositors and inadequate fiscal management had set off a vicious cycle of weak activity, high inflation, peso depreciation, growth of public debt, and capital flight.
Upon taking office in August 2004, a new administration formulated a comprehensive program aimed at strengthening macroeconomic policies and introducing a wide range of structural reforms. In January 2005, the IMF supported this program with a 28-month Stand-By Arrangement.
Macroeconomic performance in 2005 exceeded expectations, with real GDP growing 9.3 percent and inflation declining to 7.4 percent. The consolidated fiscal balance improved by 4 percentage points of GDP, owing to expenditure cuts and a tax package approved in late 2004. Net international reserves recovered, climbing to $850 million by the end of 2005.
With the restructuring of the Dominican Republic's external debt—a key element of the program—external bond spreads have dropped below 250 basis points. Two global bonds with combined principal of $1.1 billion were exchanged, with bondholders' participation at 97 percent. Commercial banks and Paris Club creditors restructured claims amounting to about $550 million, and a bond for $300 million was issued to buy debt back from a creditor, providing additional cash relief.
The country's Article IV consultation, completed in October 2005, focused on the significant challenges that lie ahead. Fiscal consolidation will require strengthening the revenue base, following the significant tax reform of late 2005; pursuing prudent expenditure policies; and improving fiscal institutions. Large financial losses in the electricity sector need to be reduced, and the central bank's financial position requires strengthening. The banking sector needs further strengthening, including enhanced supervision.
The Fund has provided technical assistance in the fiscal and banking areas, and the Dominican Republic has begun participating in the Fund's General Data Dissemination System (GDDS).
In October 2005, the IMF's Executive Board approved a two-year Policy Support Instrument (PSI) for Nigeria. Nigeria was the first of the IMF's member countries to benefit from the new instrument, which was approved in FY2006. The PSI is designed for low-income countries that may not need IMF financial assistance but that still seek close cooperation with the IMF in the preparation and endorsement of their economic policy frameworks. PSI-supported programs are based on Poverty Reduction Strategies developed by countries in a process in which civil society and development partners participate.
Nigeria's performance under the PSI has been strong. Real GDP growth in the non-oil sector accelerated to 8 percent in 2005, exceeding expectations. Inflationary pressures subsided in the fourth quarter of 2005 and in early 2006. Progress in implementing the structural reform agenda, as outlined in Nigeria's 2004 National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), has been excellent. The first review under the PSI was completed in April 2006.
The completion of the first PSI review enabled Nigeria and its Paris Club creditors to fully implement the agreement they reached in October 2005 on a comprehensive concessional debt treatment. Nigeria's external public debt will be reduced to a projected 4 percent of GDP by end–2006. Implementation of the debt agreement is well under way.
Directors reaffirmed that the circumstances underpinning the loss of market access were a key determinant of how and when a country regained market access, noting that countries that lost market access because of adverse market developments normally regained access quickly if there was only a minor decline in investors' risk appetite that did not affect the assessment of the country's creditworthiness. When a country lost access because of both adverse market developments and policy slippages that caused concern about its ability to service its debt, it had to commit to policy adjustments to regain access, which could take anywhere from several months to approximately a year and a half when conditions in international capital markets were favorable. The length of time depended heavily on the strength of the country's corrective policies. Some Directors suggested caution in unduly relying on tightening monetary policy in response to crises, given the associated balance sheet effects. Structural reforms played a crucial role. Directors stressed the role that Fund policy advice could play in helping countries regain market access, and many Directors pointed to the importance of Fund financial assistance during the crisis.
A country that restructured its debt also had to demonstrate a commitment to strong corrective policies to regain access to markets. Countries that had bond restructurings had taken anywhere from 18 months to 5 or more years to regain market access, or 4 months to 4 years after completion of the debt restructuring, depending on the nature of the external environment and the success of their policy efforts. Directors also emphasized the importance of a sound and independent debt sustainability analysis in helping countries regain market access. It was also noted, however, that demand as well as supply factors influence capital flows, and that countries may choose to delay their reaccess to capital markets—for example, because of the cost of borrowing.
Directors stressed that countries seeking to regain access to international capital markets should put in place a strong communications strategy to explain to investors their efforts to strengthen their creditworthiness and the nature and objectives of their corrective policies. This would allow investors to better manage the information risk and to reassess the risk-return trade-off of possibly increasing their holdings of the country's debt. Directors believed that a country would benefit from open, two-way dialogue with investors.
For their first bond issue after regaining access to the markets, countries needed to give careful attention to selecting target investors and to the size and maturity of the bond. Market participants often preferred that such countries issue a fixed-coupon, bullet, or "plain vanilla" bond, which was easy to price and trade and facilitated price discovery. However, countries should also consider that issuing a bond with a more complicated structure could facilitate the management of certain risks.
Directors supported continued work by the staff in this area, including the development of a framework for predicting the pace and terms of market reaccess based on further analysis and country experiences, the potential role played by reaccess to domestic markets, and the effects of IMF support on market reaccess and the implications for the Fund's work.
"Statement of the IMF Staff, Principles Underlying the Guidelines on Conditionality, Revised January 9, 2006," www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2006/010906.pdf; and "Operational Guidance to IMF Staff on the 2002 Conditionality Guidelines, Revised January 9, 2006," www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2006/010906g.pdf.
See "Ex Post Evaluations of Exceptional Access Arrangements Guidance Note," www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2005/080805.htm; and "Report on the Incidence of Longer-Term Program Engagement," www.imf.org/external/np/pdr/ufr/2005/081605.htm.
The staff paper on which the discussion was based is available at www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2005/052305.htm. The summary of the Board discussion can be found at www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pn/2005/pn05101.htm.
The staff paper, "Safeguards Assessments—Review of Experience," is available at www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2005/033105.pdf; the "Report of the Independent Panel on Safeguards Assessments," at www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2005/013105.pdf. The summary of the Board discussion can be found at www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pn/2005/pn05170.htm.
For the current version of the Principles, see www.iif.com/data/public/Principles.pdf.
Available at www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2005/030105a.pdf. The summary of the Board discussion can be found at www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pn/2005/pn05132.htm.


I STILL have to read the classified rules page after 4 years?
What is up with that? I understand that we get a lot of bull on the classifieds here but why do I still have to click the link in Corey's thread before I can actually go in and view the classifieds? I've probably clicked that "I understand" link in Corey's thread about 423 times.
Can that be disabled for veteran members who already have a certain time here or something?
just type this in everytime instead of going to yotatech forums, then classifieds. Saves you time too.
This link works too to expand all folders.
because even veterans make mistakes.
Yep, pretty annoying. It might be slowing down the bots and idiots, but it's also keeping the casual browsers and potential buyers away.
Quick Reply: I STILL have to read the classified rules page after 4 years?


text:
Skogie may refer to:

Carl Skoglund (1884—1960), Swedish-American socialist and political figure
Skogie, nickname of Freddy Moore (born 1950), American rock musician
Skogie, a name of Moore's rock band
Skogie and the Flaming Pachucos, a name of Moore's rock band

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Are you dreaming of purchasing a Florida vacation condo but not looking forward to furnishing it or even finding the budget to do so?
You, along with many others feel the same way.
That's why I made a list of Port St. Joe area furnished condos that you can vacation at immediately!


CONVERSION: Mike and Ryley Short have converted a sheep and beef farm to dairy after buying a lot of what they needed off Trade Me.
"The tanker driver was a bit surprised," Ryley says. "He asked if this was the first milk picked up. It was. It had been a sheep and beef farm before the conversion."
The switch by Ryley Short and her husband Mike to dairying is a conversion with a difference. They have relied a great deal on Trade Me for secondhand equipment, which they often get cheaply. Even the dairy shed came through the online auction website.
Mike Short says he is addicted to Trade Me, buying the shed and some pipes and gates from a Taranaki farmer.
He also bought the colostrum tank, the quad bike, calf trailer, irrigator and fertiliser spreader and ute, on Trade Me.
And that's just the farm equipment.
The Taranaki farmer was going to scrap the herringbone dairy shed when a friend suggested he put it on Trade Me. It was adapted for the Mt Stewart farm.
Mike and Ryley wrote in their wedding invitation that they wanted to buy cows for the converted farm.
Some wedding gifts included money for cows. The ones they got have special ear tags. They bought 35 cows off Trade Me.
"The conversion was the hardest thing I have done in my life," says Mike.
He is still putting in gates and troughs.
They say they couldn't have done it without Mike's parents, who live on the Mt Stewart farm, as well as engineer Grant Bowater, who helped Mike cut the shed from its Taranaki farm. They had to wait until the end of the season because the farmer was still using it while his rotary shed was being built.
Mike and Ryley say Bowater was crucial and resourceful in the conversion, delving into a box of parts, and finding useful things and installing them.
Builder Chris Wilson was another key figure in the project, as well as contractor Alan Sutherland.
The couple met at Fieldays. Mike Short won Rural Bachelor of the Year at Mystery Creek Fieldays in 2009. He returned the following year as a judge.
Keeping an eye on him in the first year as bachelor was Ryley, who was working as an events co-ordinator.
On his return the following year, he tapped her on the shoulder and she was shocked but delighted to see him again.
"I literally ran to my boss and said 'I've found my husband'."
Eight months later in February 2011, Ryley moved from her Waikato home to Manawatu. In March last year they were married and they are expecting their first baby in November.
"I am from a farm and have always wanted to stay living in the country," Ryley says.
"I loved Mike's rugged look. While it sounds weird, he is very similar to my father. He has such a soft heart and is so kind, hard working, is heaps of fun and ruggedly handsome. The quintessential Kiwi guy."
At the time Ryley had a "really good job" and had just bought a house in Hamilton. But she gave it all up and made what she describes as the best decision of her life by moving to Feilding to be with Mike.
Mike was raised on a sheep and beef farm, and has been focusing his attention on the conversion.
He and Ryley have taken an unconventional approach. They sold their house and live in a converted two-bay shed.
Ryley laughs about how she lived in a house when they first married and have progressed to a converted shed.
Before calving last year, Mike stripped back all the plant and rejuvenated it. He and Bowater changed many things. They prepared the foundations and installed the pipes themselves.
The 70-hectare farm is owned by Mike's parents, and Mike and Ryley own some land and lease some. They run 140 friesians.
Mike's mother helps feed the calves.
"And Dad fixes things. We couldn't have done it without their support."
Mike says part of the move to dairying was so he could work for himself. He likes being responsible for the cows and pasture. He does most of the milkings by himself but a relief milker has just started so Mike can have some days off.
Ryley says having the baby in the converted barn, or one room, means they may all miss out on sleep.
"The hardest thing in Mike's life was doing this conversion - wait until we have the baby."
But early waking is not a hardship for Mike.
"If I am woken, I'll just get up early for milking."


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Home Boating California 52' Award Winning, designed by Vripack
Blending function with form, practicality with design and the promise of a day excursion with a dream encounter on the water, the California 52' is a boat with all-round appeal. A compact yacht with James Bond swagger, Waterdream's Vripack-designed boat made its international debut at the 2020 World Yacht Trophies in Cannes in July where it immediately proved its worth by scooping the Best Innovation Award.
The California 52' represents Dutch design through and through. It is the brainchild of Prince Bernhard van Oranje, founder of Loosdrecht-based Waterdream, whose brand mission is to deliver high quality, sustainable, practical, and timeless designs. Built by Van der Valk Shipyard, the latest Waterdream model hails from Dutch design studio Vripack, whose holistic vision is underpinned by strong naval architecture. The result is the California 52', a lesson in minimalist expression for maximum effect.
"Without a doubt, the biggest innovation within the California 52' is our Human Centred Design approach, which we applied from day one," says Bart M. Bouwhuis, co-creative director at Vripack. "This ensured the design, build, development and communication on the project remains primarily focused on the 'human' aspect. Simply look at the steering console and you get my point." California 52′ Award Winning, designed by Vripack
The California 52' is both a practical boat for family weekends and a versatile one-man cruiser. Built by hand in just five months, the boat oozes sex appeal: Curvaceous exterior lines; a voluptuous interior with full head volume and collapsible tables; a striking 35-inch all-carbon central W steering console that puts the driver at the heart of the action with an easy-handling joystick; and a soft top with epic sound system for the ultimate party.
Lightweight, strong, nippy, and easily customisable, it is also fuel-efficient thanks to a lowest in class weight to speed ratio. In fact, Vripack succeeded in making 80% of all build materials recyclable, including both the hull and superstructure, which are built from 100% green aluminium.
Fully optimized using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), the hull design offers a 30% reduction in seasickness and a 50% reduction in dynamic trim (greater comfort and visibility when underway). And at just over 15m, it is the only boat of its size to include a stern garage large enough to carry a stand-up jet-ski or tender, both of which guarantee extended on-the-water fun and convenience.
The Waterdream California 52' is more than a boat. It is a nod to innovative design, Dutch craftsmanship, and sustainable yachting, neatly tied up with a party bow.
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Ten years from today, who will be playing your dream rock festival bill? David Bowie and Prince headlining? A young Kurt Cobain in full-throated roar? Led Zeppelin at their world-shaking peak? Queen led by Freddie Mercury in his imperial pomp? How about Janis Joplin duetting with Jim Morrison? Lemmy reunited with his old pal Jimi Hendrix? Or Elvis Presley fronting an all-star supergroup featuring John Lennon, Lou Reed and Sid Vicious?
This Night of the Living Dead fantasy is not some macabre future episode of Black Mirror. Thanks to advances in hologram technology, all of the posthumous comebacks listed above are not just possible but increasingly likely. Digital 3D doppelgangers have been creeping into concert halls for more than a decade now. Holographic simulations of Madonna and Gorillaz performed together at the Grammy awards in 2006. A hologram of rapper Tupac Shakur grabbed global headlines with his Coachella Festival appearance in 2012. A computer regenerated Michael Jackson moonwalked onstage at the 2014 Grammys. Many more are in gestation, from Abba to Zappa, Roy Orbison to Lemmy.
But way out in front of this technological revolution is the late Ronnie James Dio. A holographic replicant of the legendary frontman, who died in 2010, made a sensational live debut in front of 70,000 surprised fans at Wacken Open Air festival in 2016. A European tour followed late last year under the name Dio Returns, featuring Dio's long-serving band alongside guest singers Oni Logan and Tim "Ripper" Owens, breaking new ground as the first ever live hologram rock show to go on the road. A more extensive world tour is planned for later this year.
The Dio Returns show in London, at the mid-sized Islington Academy, was a packed and warmly received affair. The set-list spanned Dio's Black Sabbath, Rainbow and solo years with classic anthems like Heaven and Hell, Catch the Rainbow and Straight Through the Heart. Synchronised to vocals lifted from vintage live recordings, the Dio hologram was a distracting gimmick at first, a white-smocked phantom that seemed to hover behind the band, his gestures limited and repetitive, his not-quite-human features invoking the eerie effect that computer animation designers call the "uncanny valley". But after a few numbers the alienating oddness faded and Digital Dio began to feel like just another visual effect in the modern rock-show toolbox. Though clearly still a work in progress, the latent potential is undeniable.
Dio's band members concede that any new technological change, from CDs to mobile phones to digital downloads, always meets initial resistance. "There are always people who will rage against change, it's very disturbing to a lot of people," nods keyboard player Scott Warren. "This is a dramatic new revolution in technology. We are at the forefront of that, and fortunate to be placed there because of Ronnie's legacy. Who better suited to be at that frontier than Ronnie James Dio? I think the doubters will adjust to the idea over time. It's like future shock.
The Dio Returns show has also served a test case for other musical trustees who may want to resurrect a famous family member to perform their back catalogue live again. Eyellusion are already working on a stage show fronted by a Frank Zappa hologram, despite the added complication of navigating deep rifts between Zappa's children Ahmet, Diva and Dweezil. One of the pre-announced guest players, guitarist Adrian Belew, has already dropped out of the summer tour dates, branding the project "caustic and divisive".
Where Dio are breaking new ground, others will soon follow. Live holograms of pop diva Whitney Houston and rapper Notorious BIG are reportedly in development. In April, meanwhile, veteran Manchester-based concert promoter Danny Betesh will bring a holographic version of Roy Orbison to the UK for an extensive arena tour backed by a full orchestra. Betesh, fresh from seeing the first pre-tour showcase in New York, believes this technology will prove a boon to old-time artists and their fans.
Betesh suggests that holographic shows will fully never replace live human performers, but could still grab major market share as an alternative option. And of course, as this technology evolves, there is no reason why it should remain limited to resurrecting dead artists alone. Where demand remains high but veteran performers can no longer face the stress of touring, holograms could fill a gap in the market as the ultimate tribute act. Indeed, TV talent-show tycoon Simon Cowell is currently developing 3D "digital avatars" of the very-much-alive Swedish pop titans ABBA for a world tour next year, backed by a full live band.
Jeff Pezzuti believes "a million per cent" that fully-rounded 3D hologram performers will soon replace the current Pepper's Ghost simulations. This is one reason why Eyellusion created their digital Dio footage in a super hi-resolution 5K format that can more easily be adapted for AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) in the future. Pezzuti also sees plenty of potential for holographic shows by living artists, including "de-aged" versions of legendary bands like the Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden or Fleetwood Mac performing their early classic albums.
In a quick straw poll of the Dio band for fantasy future hologram candidates, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Jon Lord inevitably lead the pack. Once this technology takes off, of course, all of these and more will be possible. Imagine the ultimate classic rock supergroup jamming together, forever.
From classical maestros to classic rock legends, don't fear the digital reaper. Death is no longer an obstacle to a healthy touring career. For those about to virtually rock, we salute you.


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Mediacom Communications Files Lawsuit Against City of West Des Moines
Requests intervention on conduit network development agreement that violates Iowa law
December 10, 2020 10:32 AM Eastern Standard Time
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MCC Iowa LLC, a subsidiary of Mediacom Communications Corporation, has filed a petition for declaratory judgment and injunction against the City of West Des Moines and the West Des Moines City Council.
The petition alleges the West Des Moines City Council improperly used taxpayer-backed financing bonds intended to remedy urban blight and poverty to build a $50 million city-wide conduit network for the exclusive use of one internet service provider. Filed in Iowa District Court for Polk County, the petition outlines seven specific violations of the law and requests West Des Moines suspend activities related to the conduit network.
Mediacom is not asking for any compensation that would increase costs on the taxpayer.
"We are simply asking for the West Des Moines City Council to follow the law. The facts are they made a deal out of public view, used a law intended for blighted areas to fund bonds, and took actions that will destroy marketplace competition. All of this raises costs on West Des Moines residents, reduces their choices and wastes taxpayer funds," said Thomas Larsen, Mediacom Senior Vice President, Government and Public Relations. "We aren't asking for any special treatment, just a fair and balanced regulatory environment that allows us to expand our network and compete for the business of West Des Moines consumers."
Specific points in the complaint against the West Des Moines City Council include:
Entering into a secretly negotiated, exclusive agreement with Google Fiber for the design and use of a taxpayer funded conduit network that the City falsely claimed would be open and accessible to all internet service providers in the City.
Unlawfully declaring the entire City of West Des Moines an "urban renewal area" under the Iowa Urban Renewal Law and classifying the conduit network as an "urban renewal project."
Using the Urban Renewal Law to authorize the issuance of $42.8 million in taxpayer-backed bonds with minimal oversight and input from voters.
Utilizing city resources to undertake a massive marketing campaign encouraging residents to connect to the conduit network and use Google Fiber's services while falsely promising residents will have a choice of providers.
Failing to solicit competitive bids for the parts of the construction process that Google Fiber is performing, as required by Iowa law.
When the City Council approved the agreement with Google Fiber, Google's primary statewide lobbyist was a member of the West Des Moines City Council.
Mediacom has provided broadband internet service in West Des Moines for two decades, investing tens of millions of dollars in developing, maintaining, and upgrading its internet infrastructure in the city. Mediacom employs 400 people in West Des Moines and pays approximately $275,000 per year in franchise fees to the city.
About Mediacom Communications
Mediacom Communications Corporation is the 5th largest cable operator in the United States and the leading gigabit broadband provider to smaller markets primarily in the Midwest and Southeast. Through its fiber-rich network, Mediacom provides high-speed data, video and phone services to over 1.4 million households and businesses across 22 states. The company delivers scalable broadband solutions to commercial and public-sector customers of all sizes through Mediacom Business, and sells advertising and production services under the OnMedia brand. More information about Mediacom is available at mediacomcable.com.
Thomas Larsen
Email: tlarsen@mediacomcc.com