We've talked about the importance of helping cats get acclimated to carriers in order to help them feel more comfortable when you need to take them to the vet. We already have some special carriers we keep out all the time to use as our beds and it helps to let us travel to the vet with less drama.
Mom Paula was introduced to a new expandable cat carrier when she attended Global Pet Expo this year.
We received the new Jackson Galaxy® Double Extendable Cat Carrier from Petmate® to review. We've read a lot of research ways to help cats when you must travel, even if it's a trip to the vet. One of the first things to do is to help your cat become acclimated with their carriers in advance to avoid unnecessary stress while traveling. Cats can already sense the stress in humans (Mom Paula knows every pet parent is stressed when taking their fur child to the vet.), so anything one can do to help alleviate stress in cats is important.
Leave a carrier in a location or room where your cat spends a lot of time. Our carriers are left in the great room where we spend a lot of time.
Place familiar soft bedding inside the carrier. Our carriers have a soft liner and Mom Paula will spray Feliway spray inside prior to us traveling. She's also put one of our "Peggy Blankies" in the carrier for Truffle because she gets more stressed.
Place treats, catnip, or toys in the carrier daily. Mom Paula does this to encourage us to go into a carrier or bed when it's first brought into the house. After reading the recommendations from Cat Friendly on being a Cat Friendly Caregiver, she realizes she needs to toss our treats in the carriers on a daily basis.
One thing Mom Paula has learned is to try different carriers with Truffle and Brulee. We've had hard and soft-sided carriers with different shapes and types of openings. There are different types of carriers needed for traveling in a vehicle vs. flying in a plane. Some cats like small spaces without a lot of visual access to the outside world while other cats, like Brulee and Truffle, like to see what is happening around them. Some cats like to curl up in a ball while others like to stretch out. The important thing is to find a carrier that is comfortable and safe for your cat that works for both of you at home and when traveling.
We were very interested in reviewing the Jackson Galaxy Double Extendable Cat Carrier from Petmate. We have several friends who travel on daily trips with their cats and take them on vacations. We've heard comments at conferences where people would say their cat wanted to stretch out more in the car or the hotel room and their current carriers didn't meet those needs. This carrier is designed to be left open and available for cats to use as a bed on a daily basis so they can be more acclimated prior to travel. There are several points for entry and exit so cats don't feel trapped inside the carrier. When the carrier is totally "zipped up" it looks like a traditional soft-sided carrier, which is needed when carrying the cat to and from the car. There are 5 points of entry and exit (2 on the end, 2 on the side, and 1 on the top). There is an adjustable padded shoulder strap, carrying handles, and a comfortable and removable machine washable bed inside. What makes this carrier unique is the sides fold out to allow a your cat more space to lounge when the carrier is used as a safe space.
This carrier is designed to be open and available for your cat to use as a bed when not in use as a carrier. We remember one of our blogging friends saying she needed to take her cat out of her carrier and put in a crate so she could "stretch out" while traveling to BlogPaws this year. This carrier would allow cats to stretch out and move around inside when the sides are unzipped and extended. You can either leave one of the ends open where your cat can enter through the "traditional" opening or unzip one of the mesh sides and your cat can enter from a wider opening. The extendable sides are made of mesh, so your cat can feel comfortable seeing her surroundings while resting comfortably at home (or in a hotel room).
There are a lot of zippers in this carrier. Zipper clasps are featured on all external double zippers. When you lock the two zippers together, the carrier is secured for safe travel. Cats are known to work zippers open with the paws and escape, so this safety feature is important. The carrier is 18" x 11" x 11.4" and will hold a cat up to 15 pounds. When the side flaps are open, the carrier is approximately 28" in length. It's a dark gray carrier with blue trim. The Jackson Galaxy Double Extendable Cat Carrier retails for $64.95 and can be purchased at Petmate. We know this carrier would be ideal for people who travel with their pets for vacation and conferences because it can be opened up and expanded into a safe and comfortable bed where their cats can stretch out and relax.
The Jackson Galaxy Collection fuses product insights from Jackson's 20+ years of experience as a trusted cat behaviorist with Petmate's 50+ years of leadership in the pet industry. The line focuses on cats as the heroes in Cat Play, with a wide variety of products offering fun and interaction to cats and their families.
We're excited to announce that Petmate has agreed to let us host a giveaway for one of our readers win a Jackson Galaxy Double Extendable Cat Carrier of her own. No purchase necessary. The giveaway is open to residents of the United States 18+ years, except where prohibited by law. The giveaway will run from June 28 - July 6, 2018 and end at 11:59 pm ET. The winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter (powered by Random.org) and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to claim the prize; failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the prize and a new winner will be randomly chosen. To qualify for the giveaway, a comment must be left on our blog post. Other entry options are available after a comment is left. Please check your email and be sure to add sweetpurrfections@sc.rr.com to your address book! Good luck!
My momma needs to do a better job on acclimating us - she's tried giving us some treats occasionally when we're already in there, but she'll try leaving them out wif treats and nip.
My cats are young and courious. Usually all I have to do is open the door and they walk in.
That is a pretty cool carrier. We always put the carrier out a few days before the vet appt for our kitties. They love to crawl right in and take a nap.
We like the looks of that one! You are so right, some carriers we like, some we don't. Thanks for joining the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
I leave our hard-sided carrier out all the time, and the cats totally ignore it until I touch it, which tells them one of them is going someplace (i.e., to the vet). So I guess I haven't acclimated them to the carrier at all! I would love to try a carrier that might be more inviting to them as a place to hang out.
I really don't have a good way to acclimate meet my cat 🐱 to the carrier. I look forward to reading other peoples comments so I can get some advice.
Our meowmy leave our carriers out all the time. Sometimes we sleep in them! But when it's time to go to the v-e-t, we run!!!!
I leave mine out for my cat to use as a bed.
What an interesting carrier. It would have been a good thing to have when we traveled across country!
Now that's a carrier Angel Minchie would have loved!
We leave our carpet out at all times to make it a safe zone for out cats. This way when it comes time for them to be taken out of the house in it they aren't afraid. We also do small travel trips to get them used to being in the car or being carried in the carrier.
I would keep it in the living room, open, so she could come and go as she wanted. It worked with our hard kennel so she didn't get scared of it.
Our carriers are out in the living room and bedroom all the time, and we sleep in them often, especially Pierre, who likes to sleep in enclosed spaces.
We currently only have the basic, plastic cat carriers. I do leave them open and where the cats can go into them, and I will put the little blankets they already sleep on inside the crates so they have their own scent. I'd much rather have something like this for them, that they could use as a play house when not being transported.
That is a cool carrier. I always leave one of ours out and some nap in it.
Thanks for the share. This looks really comfortable for those long car rides. We like how the sides are wider, so plenty of room to time a little cat nap. Have a wonderful day.
i feed her in it, take her for short rides in it. leave it the open so she can go in it if she wants and maybe put some toys in it.
I take the carriers out a few hours before and let them check them out and give them treats every time they go over to the carrier and if they go in.
I acclimate my cat to a carrier by letting the carrier sit out for my cat to explore it, placing her in it with a few treats for short periods of time and then by taking a short trip or two in it.
This is amazing, and inspired. We LOVE your write up it is informed and very helpful! Good luck everyone!!
I want to win this pet carrier. I just love it.
I like the new design. This carrier seems to be very flexible for a variety of kitty preferences. Leave it to Jackson!
This is such a cool carrier!! We're moving this year and this may help us feel more comfortable on moving day.
I've seen that carrier online but never in person. To be honest I didn't think much of it, so hard to see the benefits from a single picture, but thanks to your review I see how cool this carrier really is. I love how much more comfortable the animals will find it, having more space to move around.
I love the expandable carriers as I think that they make life so much easier especially when I do dog events with Layla or go somewhere with her and need to keep her in one especially if I am not using the backpack. Brilliant idea and a must have for all.
Wow, what a terrific carrier! I've never seen a double extended one before, what a wonderful feature. I keep our pet carrier out all the time for Phoebe. She's small enough to fly with me and I make sure she loves her carrier and feels safe in it. She loves to sleep in it right next to my desk when I'm working! Great giveaway! Sharing.
I agree that leaving a pet carrier out and using it often with treats is a good idea. Buffy eats her meals inside her crate. This looks like a very nice carrier.
Petmate always has such good ideas - I love that you can open it up to give more room to explore while still being contained. I have 3 soft sided carriers & 2 of them really need to be replaced - they are falling apart so I can't even donate them.
I love the extendable sides to this carrier. I should leave the carrier out for my new cats. They will ride in it. My previous cat refused to be in a carrier and used to actively fit her way out so I gave up and left her loose in the car - which she preferred. Fortunately, our vet is only a few blocks away. The new ones, however, will stay in the carrier.
Thats a really neat cat carrier that serves a dual purpose of being a great place for the kitty at home. Bravo!
I love how you can extend the sides to make it roomier and more comfortable for your cat. I would put it in an area of the house where he is often and put some treats and toys inside and let him get used to it.
My cat was really mellow, so once he was in the carrier, he seemed fine. This one looks so nice because it is expands. I could use it for my small dogs!
Wow, not it looks like a holiday resort! How cool is that; great idea.
That is a very cool carrier. I need one for Kilo the Pug - I didn't see one like that for dogs but I did see another nice Petmate line. The expansion is great.
I would put some of my cats toys in there to get her used to the carrier.
fortunately our cats are very trusting and loving. We can usually just use a treat and talk very calmly because they can sense so easy when we are nervous.
My current cat, and the last one I didn't have to! They hang out in the thing during the day, willingly. I think they view it as their "room" (even though they have their own actual room) or their "fort" or something.
I bring out of storage a day or 2 before needing to use it. I put in "their" favorite lounging spots so they get acquainted to it again!
We usually get treats to help.
My girls love just going inside to check it out .
I just sit it out and let him get used to it and offer treats to get him useed to going in and out of it.


We tried. Really we did. We wanted to limit today's Origami posts to the one we ran this morning. But we can't resist the lure of Robert Scoble, whose haiku-like pronouncements on what Origami isn't graced our newsreader a little while ago. According to Scoble (whose sources at Microsoft are, of course, impeccable), Origami isn't an iPod killer, portable Xbox, OQO killer or PSP killer. So, what exactly is it? Coy boy Scoble isn't telling, though he says he's seen it, and that he'll buy one with his own money. We assume he won't be forced to do that. He's more than earning his keep by feeding us these infuriating snippets.


Project CARS Official Forum > Other Games > Project CARS > Project CARS on Playstation 4 > PS4 - Technical Help & Support > Video: DS4 Controller Bug - Mods?
View Full Version : Video: DS4 Controller Bug - Mods?
Got a problem in the DS4 controller set up - I've posted a video to show you. With throttle and brake sensitivity at 30, when I change brake sens. to 40 after pressing save throttle jumps to 40 too. Happens v.v. too see vid.
Pretty problematic seeing as I want more sensitivity in the brake than in the throttle..
Sorry, I dont have this issue, just to be sure I just tried it and I can individually set them with out one affecting the other. I tried in diffrent order, and still not getting this issue.
Thanks Max for checking. Much appreciated! Weird that it's happening to me.
Happens to me as well. Annoying.
I'm almost 100% sure you're an old school PS guy like me and use the throttle and brake on the right analogue stick ? When using both functions on the same analogue stick it results into both sensitivities and deadzones to become identical.
True, already suspected that was the reason why it was doing that. So it's not a bug then?
You can't have different deadzones or sensitivities on the same axis.
I always hated using the right thumbstick as a throttle and brake, but being that the DS1 didnt have triggers or pressure sensitive buttons I see why the did it. But most of those games on PS1was designed for buttons so it wasnt really all to bad by using the buttons for throttle and brake.
Sorry about the late answer guys, it's just like danowat mentioned above, there cannot be different deadzones or sensitivities, so it's not a bug.


text:
Prof. Media
Prof. Media for Mac
PhotoIns
Home » Guide » Related Technology
What is Adobe Premiere
February 23, 2012 / Posted by David Brooks on Related Technology
About Adobe Premiere
Adobe Premiere Pro is a timeline-based video editing software application. It is part of the Adobe Creative Suite, a suite of graphic design, video editing, and web development applications developed by Adobe Systems, though it can also be purchased separately. When purchased separately, it comes bundled with Adobe Media Encoder, Adobe Encore, and Adobe OnLocation. Premiere Pro supports many video editing cards and plug-ins for accelerated processing, additional file format support, and video/audio effects. Starting with the version in Creative Suite 5 (CS5), it is a native 64-bit application for Mac and Windows, making it one of the few cross-platform non-linear editing systems (NLEs) available. As a 64-bit application, it does not run on 32-bit computers. However, in the Master Collection and Production Premium Suites, a version of Premiere Pro CS4 is included for 32-bit computers.
Premiere Pro supports high resolution video editing at up to 10,240 x 8,192 resolution, at up to 32-bits per channel color, in both RGB and YUV. Audio sample-level editing, VST audio plug-in support, and 5.1 surround sound mixing are available. Premiere Pro's plug-in architecture enables it to import and export formats beyond those supported by QuickTime or DirectShow, supporting a wide variety of video and audio file formats and codecs on both MacOS and Windows. When used with Cineform's Neo line of plug-ins, it supports 3D editing with the ability to view 3D material using 2D monitors, while making individual left and right eye adjustments.
Leawo Video Converter: An all-inclusive video converter for you to convert video between various video file formats like AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4, FLV, RM, MOV, Xvid, 3GP, etc., transform audios between MP3, WMA, WAV, M4A, AAC and AC3 audios for various media players, including BlackBerry devices, Android devices, Apple devices, Microsoft devices, etc.
Leawo DVD Ripper: Rip, backup, edit and convert DVD to videos in various popular file formats like AVI, WMV, MP4, MP3, 3GP, MOV etc for editing on various video editing software or playback on media devices like Adobe Premiere Pro, iPhone, iPhone 4S, iPod, iPad, iPad 2, etc. With this DVD to video converter, you can also choose to trim video length, crop video size, adjust video effect and add your own signature or picture as watermark to the output videos for online sharing or other purposes.
Related Source
AVI, MP4, M4V, MOV, VOB, WMV, MKV, AVCHD, M2TS/MTS, DVD, Blu-ray
How to Import YouTube Video into Premiere for Editing?
How to convert and import AVCHD (.mts) to Adobe Premiere Pro for editing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Premiere
http://www.adobe.com
SD Card Backup & Micro SD Card Recovery
What is vCard & VCF
What is CSV File & CSV Contact
What is Vevo
What is YouTube
Blu Ray to MKV with subtitle
Copy and Backup Blu-ray DVD
Transfer Photos from iPhone 5
Compress DVD-9 to DVD-5
iOS Data Recovery V3.0.0.0
DVD Copy for Mac V7.1.8
Prof. Media for Mac V7.1.8
Video Converter Ultimate for Mac V7.1.8
DVD Ripper for Mac V7.1.8
DVD Creator for Mac V7.1.8

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This is a placeholder page for Cindy Littleton, which means this person is not currently on this site. We do suggest using the tools below to find Cindy Littleton.
You are visiting the placeholder page for Cindy Littleton. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Cindy Littleton. We created this page automatically in hopes Cindy Littleton would find it. If you are not Cindy Littleton, but are an alumni of Wossman High School, register on this site for free now.


Inspired by this famous quote, Joel Nakamura's vivid, colorful illustrations transport readers on a magical journey that begins as a young boy falls asleep and dreams that he is a dog. Populated with animals and beautiful scenes of the natural world, the story shows the interconnection between all creatures in the vastness of the universe. A perfect bedtime story for readers of all ages! Hardbound: 32 pp.


text:
Q: How much damage dominance skill can cover? http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/wizard/passive/dominance
The effect can stack 10 times. Does that mean it can cover 80k damage on it's maximum stacks?

A: I'm not sure where you got the 80k number from. Dominance reads:

Killing an enemy grants a shield that absorbs 2477 damage for 3 seconds. This effect can stack up to 10 times.

Each stack will absorb 2477 damage. Since you can have 10 stacks at maximum, your shield will absorb 24,770 damage if you are at maximum stacks. Each time you kill an enemy, it will refresh the full stacked amount of the shield. If you have 6 stacks, for example, and kill an enemy, the stack counter will go to 7, and the shield will refresh to 7 * 2477 or 17339 capacity.
Note that each stack will also extend the length of the shield by 0.5 seconds, so at maximum stacks, the shield will last for 8 seconds on top of shielding for 24,770 damage.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Don't just send a birthday card; give the United States Mint 2018 Happy Birthday Coin Set as a unique gift that will be cherished for a lifetime!
The festive packaging includes the words "Happy Birthday!" and "2018 United States Mint Happy Birthday Coin Set" and is adorned with gift boxes and balloons. The coins are encapsulated in the folder so both the obverse (heads) and reverse (tails) of each coin can be seen. There is even space to write your personalized birthday greeting to the recipient for a truly thoughtful gift.


text:
US-ROK Alliance
N-S Relations
Labor and People's Struggles
Peace and Militarism
Trade and Neoliberalism
DPRK
Korean Diaspora
Updates from D.C.
Historical Text
North Korea is Not Waiting for The Next President
Jul 28, 2016 | DPRK, Updates from D.C. | 0 comments
By Daniel Jasper
As the U.S. prepares for general elections in November and with national conventions set for the remainder of July, the focus in DC is on speculation about what the next Administration could look like and how each candidates' platform would manifest in office. This tendency to look ahead along with the short (but packed) Congressional calendar and the legacy considerations of those in their last terms in office have created an environment of paralysis in Washington. In no other area of foreign policy is this more apparent than in Washington's dealing with North Korea and rising tensions on the Peninsula.
While numerous sanction and regulatory actions have been taken recently against North Korea, these actions have amounted to a 'policy auto-pilot' with little attention or response to a rapidly changing political environment. Lacking constructive avenues for engagement and consistent channels of communication, US-North Korea relations have continued to decline. Yet, a menu of policy options are available that could de-escalate tensions, spur diplomatic cooperation, and lay the groundwork for the next Administration to make meaningful progress towards peace on the Korean Peninsula.
On July 6, the United States imposed sanctions on Kim Jong Un and 10 other North Korean officials for their alleged complicity in human rights abuses. These measures, along with the U.S.' designation of North Korea as a primary money laundering concern in early June, were legislative aftershocks of the sanctions imposed last January following North Korea's fourth nuclear test. Those sanctions contained several congressionally mandated tasks for the Administration, such as reporting on the human rights situation in North Korea and on money laundering operations as well as determining who, if anyone, is responsible and imposing more sanctions accordingly.
These measures set into motion a series of regulatory actions on North Korea that did not coincide with any particular further provocations on the part of North Korea. In fact, just hours before the U.S. Treasury Department announced it would place sanctions on Kim Jong Un, North Korea issued a statement indicating a willingness to talk and even hinting at the possibility of denuclearization. This series of regulatory actions has produced a state of complacency in Washington, creating the feeling that policy options are exhausted and North Korea is 'being dealt with.' As a result, diplomatic signaling has been replaced by hardline posturing, as the situation continues to deteriorate.
While Obama's legacy has yet to be finalized, his foreign policy accomplishments already include impressive diplomatic feats that include restoring relations with Myanmar, Iran, and Cuba. While the situation vis a vis each country was dictated by individual circumstances and historical idiosyncrasies, the process of improving relations in each case included similar initial policies that helped shape an environment conducive to diplomacy. The U.S.- DPRK relationship remains an exceedingly urgent issue for the Administration, yet, the basic foreign policy tools employed with Myanmar, Iran, and Cuba have either never been implemented or have ceased due to a U.S. policy of "strategic patience", which demands voluntary North Korean denuclearization as a precondition for diplomacy and constructive engagement.
One such policy the US has implemented repeatedly during times of diplomatic deadlock is people-to-people exchanges. International exchange programs have been an elementary, yet critically powerful foreign policy tool for almost a century – utilized to help move along normalization with the U.S.S.R., China, Myanmar, Iran, Cuba, and other nations. North Korea is one of the only, if not the only, remaining countries with which the U.S. does not conduct government-sponsored exchange programs. What is not always understood in regard to exchanges is that the programs contribute much more than citizen enrichment. The impact of exchange programs can be seen in shifts in understanding among rising officials who translate these experiences into real policies. For example, F.W. de Klerk attributed a fundamental change in his thinking regarding race relations and apartheid in South Africa to his participation in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program (an exchange program for mid-level officials). Further, these programs activate bureaucratic and diplomatic processes that establish low-level modes of cooperation which, through time, develop official capacity to work across cultural and governmental divides.
Figure 1: Governor Bill Richardson speaks about the need to restart retrieval operations for the remains of US POWs/MIAs
On July 23, the Korea Peace Network, an alliance of civil society groups and individuals working for peace building, human security, and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula, held an all-day conference in conjuncture with Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia at George Washington University highlighting four policies the U.S. can implement now to improve relations with North Korea. The event was surely like no other held in Washington, DC in recent days, as it put forth concrete proposals for the U.S. to de-escalate tensions through principled and safe means of engagement.
The proposals made during the conference included restarting operations to retrieve the remains of U.S. veterans left in North Korea after the Korean War, facilitating family reunifications between Korean-Americans and North Koreans, ending the Korean exception to the U.S.' landmine policy, and initiating people-to-people exchanges. The most significant aspect of these policies is that none of them require a reversal of the U.S.' current policy measures such as sanctions or undermine high-level stances on denuclearization.
During the conference, the American Friends Service Committee released a full report on the feasibility of U.S. government sponsored people-to-people exchanges, which included insights from ordinary North Korean citizens, U.S. exchange professionals, and an assessment of the impact and implications of initiating such exchanges. The report found that nothing except political will stood in the way of implementing a potentially dynamic-changing exchange program and, in fact, Congress has an opportunity with existing legislation such as the North Korea Human Rights Act to establish the program this year.
Other existing pieces of legislation regarding reunifications for Korean-American and North Korean families (H.Con.Res 40 and S. 2657) as well as the retrieval of U.S. veteran remains from North Korea (H.Res 799) offer other promising areas in which pressing humanitarian issues can be resolved while, at the same time, reducing overall tensions. Both issues have received significant bipartisan support in Congress, but appear to be coupled with the nuclear issue for the Administration. In fact, retrieval operations for U.S. veteran remains received the most comprehensive exemption from Congress in the sanctions legislation passed in February – meaning that operations could restart at any moment without fear of violating sanctions. The inaction on the part of the Administration on these humanitarian issues ignores the rights of families and insults the dignity of U.S. veterans who have been left behind for over six decades. Moreover, inaction on these issues overlooks the potential for basic, principled foreign policy tools to help stabilize the situation on the Peninsula.
The Administration's 'Korea exception' to its landmine policy is, perhaps, the most indicative of how North Korea is treated as a matter of foreign policy – an exception. The Obama Administration has indicated its desire to sign onto the Mine Ban Treaty, and the U.S. has led demining efforts around the world. However, Korea is the sole reason why the U.S. has not signed on to one of the world's most successful international conventions. Despite well-known testimony that landmines are detrimental to military strategies, the U.S. refuses to sign the Mine Ban Treaty on the basis that somehow, Korea is an exception to those testimonials and that the situation on the Peninsula is a valid reason for the U.S. to skirt international obligations.
As the U.S. prepares for a critical political transition, it is easy to get swept up in domestic issues, safeguarding legacies, and speculating about what the future holds. However, as we look ahead, we can miss what's happening now. The situation on the Korean Peninsula continues to deteriorate, and the dismissal of North Korean statements and actions could result in missed opportunities and a worse negotiating position for the next Administration. Policies are available, legislation is in play, and tensions are reaching a breaking point – so, where is the action? Washington cannot simply rely upon 'auto-pilot policies' to deal with a dynamic situation, and if Obama seeks to leave a positive foreign policy legacy, he shouldn't ignore North Korea for the next five months, in hopes the situation on the Korean peninsula will resolve itself. On July 11, North Korea announced that it is closing its U.N. office to communication with the U.S. – the only direct diplomatic channel between the two countries. With so many doors closing, someone has to open a window. Washington has the tools; it's time to get to work.
Featured News & Articles
Korea News Roundup (April 7, 2019)
Labor unions mobilize to call on South Korean government to adopt internationally acknowledged standards for labor organizing | Further details emerge on failed DPRK-US Summit in Hanoi | Spain investigates attack on North Korean embassy | South Korean Defense Minister meets with US Senate Foreign Relations Committee member.
Korea News Update (September 3, 2018)
U.S. reneges on Trump's pledge to end Korean War; Moon sends envoy to Pyongyang; U.S.' strategic footing in "Indo-Pacific" may be weakening
Please follow us:
Click Here to Make a Donation
Please share & follow us


text:
<!DOCTYPE html>

		<title>three.js webgl - shadow map</title>
		<meta charset="utf-8">
		<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, user-scalable=no, minimum-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=1.0">

		three.js - shadowmap - models by mirada from rome

		move camera with WASD / RF + mouse

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


CANE CORSO ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA VOTED YVONNE ALEMAN ONTO THE WELCOMING COMMITTEE!
I am so proud to announce that on January 4th, 2012, I was voted onto the Welcoming Committee for the Cane Corso Association of America, which is the official Cane Corso breed organization for the American Kennel Club! It will be great to have this opportunity to serve as part of this awesome breed organization and hopefully make a positive contribution to our Cane Corso community! Thank you to the Board of Directors for voting me in and to Steel Campbell for nominating me!


Friday File: The Americans are Coming!
Joe Dombrowski in pink at the 2012 GiroBio.
Joe Dombrowski may well be the new American wunderkind rider to grace the 2013 pro peloton.
And, he does have the credentials to do very well in a Grand Tour. I may be ahead myself. He is a climbing forza, becoming the first American rider ever - winning the 36th edition of the U-23 GiroBio or the 'Baby Giro'. His name joins famous winners such as Marco Pantani, Francesco Moser and Giovanni Battaglin.
It's definitely unique when someone like that comes along because it doesn't happen very often.
And, American hopefuls; Taylor Phinney, Tejay Van Garderen and Andrew Talansky will try their talents this weekend. Phinney is TT force and also a classics specialist. He will line up for Strade Bianche for a tussle on the sterrati. Starting Sunday, Van Garderen (2012 Paris-Nice: 5th overall and young riders classification winner) and Talansky will go head to head in Paris-Nice. Tejay Van Garderen has a very strong BMC squad and mighty chance in winning his first stage race.
Canadian veteran, Francois Parisien is on WorldTour team, Argos-Shimano and is amped to do well in the Strade Bianche.
Here's to a fun action-packed cycling weekend!
Nice post.I like the way you start and then conclude your thoughts. Thanks for this information .I really appreciate your work, keep it up..


text:
2021 Fort Frances Sports Hall of Fame banquet postponed
By Ken Kellar
The effort to honour local sports legends continues, but it will be a little while before the next banquet.
Following a call for volunteers to step up to the committee of the Fort Frances Sports Hall of Fame and help guide the organization into the future, committee member Terry Ogden said they're in a good place, but the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused them to push their timeline back.
"We've had people step forward, so we're in good shape there," Ogden said.
"But because of COVID we're going to skip one year, take a year off from the banquet. We'll be taking nominations later this year through 2021."
Ogden explained that the banquet usually runs on odd years, but with the continuing uncertainty around pandemic restrictions, the committee has decided to hold off on the next banquet until 2022. The extra year will give the committee time to observe the ongoing pandemic and potentially see some loosening of the physical distancing requirements in time for the next banquet.
Back in May of this year, Ogden had opened up the call for volunteers to join the board, and while he said that they've had a good level of interest and new volunteers step up, it's not quite time to let everyone in on who they are or what roles they will fill.
"We'll have our next meeting in the fall, late September or early October, and look at restructuring," he said.
"We've had some really good people come forward, so we're in good hands. After the meeting we'll have an update and probably name those people."
The Fort Frances Sports Hall of Fame has had three banquets since its inception, which has seen the induction of 11 athletes, 14 builders and seven teams. 2019 saw the induction of Scott Fawcett, David Mitchell, Ken Christiansen, Bob and Mary-Beth Tkachuk, Bruce McLeod, Barney Maher, the 1953-1954 Fort Frances Jaycees and the 1996 Police National Curling Championship team, comprised of Clint Barton, Steve Maki, Don Robertson and Scott Gobeil.
The Fort Frances Sports Hall of Fame evolved out of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, which itself contains many locals.
Sports Hall of Fame seeking new members
Maher leaves lasting legacy with Muskie hockey, Ducks…
Latest class enters Fort Hall of Fame
Bass Championship small, but exciting
Posted in Local Sports


Lucy Atkins is an award winning British author and journalist. Her novels The Night Visitor (2017), The Other Child (2015), and The Missing One (2014) are all published by Quercus. She has also written seven non-fiction books, two of which have won national awards. Many of her books are published internationally.
Lucy has a background in literary and feature journalism. She judged the Costa Book Awards (2017), and is a books critic for The Sunday Times. She has worked at the Times Literary Supplement and has written for UK newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, Psychologies, Red, and Woman & Home. She chairs events at literary festivals including The Cheltenham Literature Festival and The Oxford Literary Festival, talks about books on BBC Radio Oxford and teaches creative writing. Lucy has a First in English from Oxford University and was a Fulbright Scholar to the USA. She has lived in Philadelphia, Seattle and Boston, and is now based in Oxford, UK with her family. To get in touch, please go to the Contacts page.


text:
Australiana Baby
Woolmark Certified Merino Collection
Merino Wraps & Blankets
Royal Paisley Print Collection
Little Pawpaw
Noël's top 5 pregnancy must-haves
Pregnancy was a gift, it was beautiful, it was the start of our journey with our new little person. But it was also uncomfortable, new and unknown. It was a big leap of faith into the unknown. But in that unknown, there were some things that kept me content, comfortable and happy. This is my must-haves during pregnancy and I just realised it sounds a lot like marketing but it's not. It's all my genuine experiences and opinions. Belly Bean Maternity Pillow - Sleeping through the night takes on a whole new meaning when pregnant. If I could have 4 hours of straight sleep, it was a good night. My back and tummy needed support but all the maternity pillows out...
The birth of Little Pawpaw...
When I was 8 years old, I started my very own business called Odd Bod Jobs…I offered my family and friends a range of (odd) services like bringing in the newspaper (10 cents) and peeling the impossible-to-peel plastic from it and leaving it on the dining table (additional 5 cents). cleaning mum's wallet and throwing old receipts and reorganising her cards ($1) fishing out cane toads from the swimming pool ($3) The list was endless and funny and I loved it…I created receipts, had a timetable of services, calculated weekly profits and even gave bulk order discounts. It may sound simple but this was before smartphones or computers were common…I would spend hours thinking about it and then implemented each...
© 2019, Little Pawpaw


The Gozo Football Association together with the Parliamentary Secretariat for Consumer Protection, Fair Competition, Local Councils and Public Consultation, will host the second edition of the Gozo Cup at the Gozo Stadium, between the 25th and the 27th of March.
During a visit to the premises that will serve as headquarters for the club FC Floriana, Parliamentary Secretary, Chris Said, said that the second edition of the competition confirms the commitment of the Secretariat and the Gozo Football Association towards this annual competition on the Gozo sporting calendar.
Tthis year the Gozo Cup will be contested by the tournament selection of Gozo, FC Floriana, Valletta FC, Hamrun Spartans, Hibernians and Qormi FC.
The participating clubs were divided into two groups. Group A, Gozo FC, Valletta and Hibernians FC, while Group B will be composed of Floriana FC, Hamrun Spartans, and Qormi FC.
The programme starts at 6pm, on Friday, the 25th of March, wth two tournaments of 45-minute games, on Sunday the respective group winners will be contesting the final, second place teams play for third and fourth place, and those who have finished last in their group will play for fifth place .
Both play-offs and the finals are 90 minute matches, starting at 1pm and the final played at 5pm.
Besides these games will be a number of tournaments of categories U / 8, U/10 and U/12 held in various grounds around Gozo.
The President of the Gozo Football Assocation, Alvin Grech, thanked the Parliamentary Secretary for his assistance and also the participating clubs for their interest in the competition.
Alvin Grech said that a competition like this gives the opportunity to some Gozitan league players to play against the best players in Malta and Gozo, as well as for the football enthusiasts who will be able to watch the best elements of Maltese fooball .
Representatives of the participating clubs said they were pleased with their participation in the Gozo Cup and that through such tournaments their link with Gozo clubs and their supporters continues to strengthen..


A very windy day - Nekomimi Lisa: Project LIFE!
Lisa, the Donate button that you put on your main website (http://nekomimilisa.com) is so small. You should make some changes so people can notice it, like a bigger button or add special formatted text or a special area section for the donation link, you know. Well, that's my suggestion, because someone told me about that link and I had trouble finding it the first time. Regards.
How I wish that I could control the wind as well. I'd truly have ruler-ship over my life. But alas, I make plans, and life flips the script on me and those around me. ...Or is it the other way around.


PGA Professionals in western North Carolina often find themselves unable to compete in many of the great section events because of the distance needed to travel and time of the season. The Mountains Chapter was established with the purpose to provide PGA Professionals living in western North Carolina an opportunity to participate in an active tournament, meeting and education schedule that compliments the Section schedule. The Mountains Chapter of the PGA consists of approximately 75-100 members each year. Any member of the Carolinas Section can become a member of the Mountains Chapter.
Thank you for your interest in the Mountains Chapter of the Carolinas Section PGA. Please contact us if you have any questions or need assistance finding information about our organization.
©2014 Mountains Chapter PGA. All rights reserved.


We offer several varieties of WaterHogs, suitable for any environment.
This unique mat offers a unique shape to boot.
See the demonstration from the manufacturer on these mats.
Combines the best in utility with amazing design capabilities.
A hard-working mat, with a little bit of design flair.
A description of this remarkable mat material.
Simple instructions for the upkeep of your mat.


text:
Troubling the Line: Trans and Genderqueer Poetry and Poetics a collection of poetry by transgender and genderqueer writers, edited by TC Tolbert and Trace Peterson. The collection itself contains some of the works by 55 different poets along with a "poetics statement", a reflection by each poet that provides context for their work. The book was published in 2013 by Nightboat Books. The collection was reviewed by Stephanie Burt on Poetry Foundation's website. It has been called "the first-ever collection of poetry by trans and genderqueer poets." An earlier anthology, "Of Souls and Roles, Of Sex and Gender," was compiled by trans activist Rupert Raj between 1982 and 1991, but remains available only in manuscript form at The ArQuives: Canada's LGBQT2+ Archives and at the Transgender Archives, University of Victoria.

Awards
The collection was a finalist for the Lambda Award in LGBT Anthology (2014).

Contributing Poets

 Ahimsa Timoteo Bodhrán,
 Amir Rabiyah
 Ari Banias
 Ariel Goldberg
 Bo Luengsuraswat
 CAConrad
 Ching-In Chen
 Cole Krawitz
 D'Lo
 David Wolach
 Dawn Lundy Martin
 Drew Krewer
 Duriel E. Harris
 EC Crandall
 Eileen Myles
 Eli Clare
 Ely Shipley
 Emerson Whitney
 Fabian Romero
 Gr Keer
 HR Hegnauer
 J. Rice
 j/j hastain
 Jaime Shearn Coan
 Jake Pam Dick
 Jen (Jay) Besemer
 Jenny Johnson
 John Wieners
 Joy Ladin
 Julia Talamantez Brolaski
 kari edwards
 Kit Yan
 Laura Neuman
 Lilith Latini
 Lizz Bronson
 Lori Selke
 Max Wolf Valerio
 Meg Day
 Micha Cárdenas
 Monica / Nico Peck
 Natro
 Oliver Bendorf
 Reba Overkill
 Samuel Ace
 Stacey Waite
 Stephanie Burt
 TC Tolbert
 Tim Trace Peterson
 Trish Salah
 TT Jax
 Y. Madrone
 Yosmay del Mazo
 Zoe Tuck

References

External links

 http://www.tctolbert.com/
 http://www.nightboat.org/title/troubling-line-trans-and-genderqueer-poetry-and-poetics

Poetry anthologies
Transgender literature
2010s LGBT literature
LGBT poetry
2013 poetry books

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
100 Most Influential Women
Pioneer Hall of Fame Nomination Process
All Past Pioneers (by name)
Jobs Connect
Capt. Rosemary Bryant Mariner
Year Inducted:
Capt. Rosemary Bryant Mariner, U.S. Navy (ret.) (deceased) earned her private pilot certificate on her 17th birthday. She was the first woman admitted to the Purdue University Professional Pilot program, and after graduation was selected in the first group of eight women to train as naval aviators in 1973. Rosemary received her Navy wings of gold in June 1974, and became the first military woman to qualify in a tactical jet aircraft, the A-4 Skyhawk, in 1975. The following year, she broke another barrier, becoming the first female naval aviator to fly the A-7E Corsair II. Rosemary continued to add many "firsts" to her accomplishments including the first Navy woman to fly the vintage F-86, the first woman aviator to qualify as a Surface Warfare Officer, and the first military woman to command an operational aviation squadron. She flew over 3,500 flight hours and 17 carrier landings and was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal among many other awards in her naval career. Rosemary passed away at age 65 and was honored by the Navy with a four F/A-18F aircraft flyover at her funeral in East Tennessee.
Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)
Brigadier General Linda K. McTague
Fiorenza de Bernardi
Florene Miller Watson
Alice du Pont Mills
Elizabeth "Elsie" MacGill
Scholarship Spotlights
Scholarship FAQs
10 Tips For A Winning Scholarship Application
1997 Scholarship Winner
Girls in Aviation Day 2021
Aviation for Girls 2021 App
Find Your Local GIAD 2021 Event
GIAD 2021 Partners
GIAD Merchandise


RAMBO SP-6 open dot sight.
Open sight allows Head-up, both eyes open aiming for easy targeting.
5 Levels brightness of Red/Green illuminated reticle.
66mm large objective lens provide a wide targeting view, suitable for rapid-fire and shooting moving target.
Full metal housing with soft rubber cover.
Comes with built-in mount for standard 20mm (7/8") weaver bases.
Fit to mount on 20mm standard rail.


This is a monster. Someone spotted this MASSIVE alligator in a Florida reserve and it has left many asking, "Is this real?"
The gator was reportedly spotted at Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland over the weekend. I don't know if I could have stood there knowing this monster was just feet away.
If this is real, wow! We have seen some rather large gators in Florida, but I don't recall ever seeing one this big.
This gator should consider itself lucky that Troy Landry from "Swamp People" isn't around. This would be special catch for our friend.


Icebug/CEP Hillary Inspirer Rebekah gets to the nitty-gritty of what gets her out the door. – The Hillary – 80, 34 or 16km Trail Run/Walk on the Legendary Hillary Trail – Conquer your Everest!
Icebug/CEP Hillary Inspirer Rebekah gets to the nitty-gritty of what gets her out the door.
Home/2017 Icebug/CEP Inspirers/Icebug/CEP Hillary Inspirer Rebekah gets to the nitty-gritty of what gets her out the door.
So there I was, fully caffeinated and trying to take a nap at 10am after my son decided we'd get up at 4am, only to realise … holy cow! My training has been going well, I bet I could complete the 80km! I could so do it! I'd do it for Jake and with Jake in my heart. Okay, lets back up the bus, who is Jake? Why would I run into a world of pain for him? Why is he in my heart?
Jake's a sweet wee guy, three years old, lover of sandpits, trains and toy tractors that have removable trailers. We attend the same Playcentre. Mid last year he developed epilepsy which resulted in physical limitations so severe he couldn't walk without maximal assistance from a strong adult. So there we were, Jake and I and his Mum, hanging at Playcentre playing inside with the trains, when Jake told me he wanted to go out to the sandpit. I helped Jake to his feet and we began the journey outside. Carefully Jake lifted his left foot and moved it forward then placing it carefully, next the right foot, while crouching behind Jake and holding him upright I used my right foot to help slide his right foot forward. We repeated this dance/walk for a few minutes to go the few meters to the steps off the deck. With maximal assistance from two adults Jake walked down the steps. The sandpit still a good few meters off I offered to 'fly' Jake over. "No! I want to walk!". There it was, my light bulb moment. This guy wanted to go somewhere, it wasn't easy, but he was going and under his own steam. I've never seen commitment like that before. Ever. An easy option was handed to this guy on a silver platter, a 'flight' or run a marathon. He chose the marathon. Jake became my inspiration to train really well, no easy options, run every interval as fast as I could, every puffy run at maximal sustainable heart rate … you get the idea. I can, so why shouldn't I?!
So I've rolled this idea around in my head and through my ever patient husbands too. Why would I run 80km? Because I can and because it would hurt, because it seems a few spots have come open due to other entrants injuries. Sounds good enough. 80km is a long way. Ultimately not the best idea though. Steve helped me think my race decision through. I can enter the world of pain on the 34km event too!!! Oh yes! I've never entered an event I knew I could finish, up until this one. Training has gone well and my initial goal was to finish. Now my goal is to go absolutely as fast as I can, aiming to leave the back of the pack where I usually enjoy my run and move towards the middle of the pack (note: move towards … not overtake, lets be rational here). I will keep Jake and his marathon and his gorgeous grin in mind and I too will move forward with determination!
So what motivates you? Who motivates you? Who will you hold in your head and heart when you run? Have a think on this one in advance … I'm sure it'll help during the big day!
So there it is folks. My cards are on the table. My training is going well (apart from when it isn't, and that's time availability limited not effort). I'm going to keep putting one foot in front of the other, as fast as I can, enter that world of pain and ridiculous heart rates and run run run The Hillary Challenge.


text:
Archive Festivals / Events Live
Jalometalli 2014
2014-08-21 2017-09-24 GastmitarbeiterInnen / guest contributions 0 Comments Algazant, Behexen, Dark Angel, festival, Finland, High On Fire, Insomnium, Jalometalli, King Diamond, Kuolemanlaakso, Loudness, Messuaukio, Metalfestival, Omnium Gatherum, Oulu, Ranger, Sacred Reich, Samael, Triptykon, Woland
8.-9.8.2014 Oulu, Messuaukio, Finland
(Interactive photo gallery at the bottom)
Contrary to advance information, the weather in Oulu was just as great as it had been in Helsinki for the past few weeks, as I was happy to observe upon leaving the train on Friday afternoon. It had been a more than seven-hour ride, which meant missing the first few bands but I caught the last bit of Dark Angel's set while exploring the area. The two main stages were facing each other, with a small third stage a little bit to the side.
In between were several vendor tents with good selections of black metal vinyl; on the downside, there was only one single food stand, and a quick look at the menu revealed only meat alternatives – no serious option for a vegetarian of more than thirty years. Too bad, but after all, I hadn't come for culinary experiences but for the music.
Such was next offered by High On Fire, which – I swear to Thor – was the loudest band I've ever heard at a festival. I don't know how this is physically possible, but it felt as if the bass from the subwoofers was strangling my throat. On top of that I found that I had forgotten my earplugs at home, so I fled the photo pit as soon as I had scored the mandatory pictures. The singer's tattoos were in fact quite photogenic – about his voice, on the other hand, I cannot say a thing because it was lost in a mud of drum and bass. As was the guitar.
Driven by the dire need of makeshift earplugs, my search for tissue led me back to the food stand. I had to admit that the scent was extremely tempting, and after the long train ride I was undeniably hungry, so I took heart and asked for a veggie portion. Surprise, surprise – they did have a pan of carcass-free paella, it just wasn't advertised anywhere. Total lack of marketing skills here, as the stuff was pretty damn awesome. With my plate, I sat down on the lawn in front of the small stage, where Woland had just begun their set.
Too bad that it was very difficult to hear them because of the overpowering noise from the main stage, but what I heard was nice melodic black metal, very much to my liking. Let me state right away that the volume balance improved quickly in the course of the weekend, and the initial problems were fairly natural: in past years, Jalometalli had been at Teatria, but with that legendary venue being sacrificed to residential construction, a replacement had to be found, and the first day at a new place is always a challenge.
If High on Fire were just loud, Loudness were certainly on fire – and not troubled by sound issues at all. The Japanese veterans had never visited Finland before, so booking them for Jalometalli was a remarkable cultural feat. Right from the opener "Crazy Nights", it was evident that their legendary status was not founded on their long history alone – the old material still sounds fresh, but the new songs do not pale in comparison, and the live show was perfect. Singer Minoru Niihara was in total control of the audience – whose choir in "Heavy Chains" was impressive – and Akira Takasaki confirmed his reputation as the ultimate guitar samurai with outstanding solos, for example in "The Stronger". His most dedicated fan in the front row had even brought a guitar replica with Takasaki's portrait on one side and a "Loudness at Jalometalli" inscription on the other! The set was well constructed not only with regard to the band's history but also in purely dramaturgical terms; the faster songs dominated but were effectively balanced with more tender moments, particularly the larger-than-life ballad "So Lonely".
Sacred Reich singer Phil Rind paid his respects to both Loudness and Dark Angel right in the beginning of the set, and while it took people a few moments to move from one stage to the other, crowd action was well under way by the second song, "Love…Hate". That was already the last I saw of their set, though, because Algazanth then started to play on the small stage.
I had just missed them at Steelfest this spring due to their impossible slot in the middle of the day and their gigs are still a rarity, so this time around I made sure to catch them from start to finish. Fortunately they were better to hear than Woland before them and their sound was mostly okay, although I still had to strain my ears to make out the keyboards and lead guitar. On the upside, Thasmorg's deep clean vocals stood out enough to form the required contrast to his growls, and in my opinion they are Algazanth's strongest asset.
The true monarch of awe-inspiring vocals, though, was the one and only King Diamond, whose show was just as perfectly staged as his Tuska gig last year. Speaking of Tuska comparisons, one of this year's most expected acts there had left me rather disappointed, namely Dimmu Borgir, who made the mistake of overemphasizing dramatics at the expense of musical excitement. King Diamond, much to the contrary, proved that it is quite possible to do a full-blown theater performance and a powerhouse metal gig at the same time. Of course he was accompanied by his crazy old Grandma again, who this time not only haunted the stage during "Welcome home" but also got a proper burial during "Cremation", which was part of the encore. The main set, in good tradition, also contained a couple of Merciful Fate tracks, "Evil" and "Come To The Sabbath". The band, including brand new bass player Pontus Egberg, did a flawless job as well, despite having to content themselves with supporting roles. The ruler of the evening was undisputed – all hail the King!
The evening didn't end with him, though, although a majority of the audience left after King Diamond. Their loss, says I – missing Kuolemanlaakso is not something I'd recommend to a friend.
They're one of the best things Finnish doom metal currently has to offer, and one of the few representatives of the genre who actually sing in Finnish. While a bigger audience would have been deserved, otherwise the timing was perfect, as it coincided with nightfall. Some bands simply work best when it's dark, and if "Verihaaksi" was perhaps a bit too slow for those who battled sleepiness at this point – I love this song but had only slept one hour the night before… – the following "Me vaellamme yössä" was as uptempo as this band gets. Kuolemanlaakso may not have been the evening's true headliner, but without doubt an excellent closer for the first Jalometalli day.
Instead of spending the rest of the night drinking downtown, I went for a good long late-night run – blame it on Oulu's underdeveloped public transport rather than my enthusiasm for exercise – and then went straight to bed. Which had the positive effect of being awake and un-hungover when Insomnium hit the stage in early afternoon on Saturday.
Nevertheless I wonder, why on Earth do these guy always get those early afternoon slots? Not to mention the rain – seriously, we've had the most awesome summer in decades, with heat and sunshine nonstop from late June to almost mid-August, but both Tuska Sunday and Jalometalli Saturday saw Insomnium playing in the rain. Ain't there no fairness in this world? On the upside, said rain was still fairly harmless at that point and only developed into a proper nuisance later on. And the relative scarcity of the audience had the rare benefit that after leaving the photo pit it was easy to get a central spot in the front row and enough place to mosh, which I particularly appreciated during "Ephemeral" and "Unsung". The choice of songs was mostly the same as it had been at Suvilahti a few weeks ago, but this time "Promethean Song" didn't close the set but was followed by two more gems – "Mortal Share" and "One For Sorrow". Sweetness!
Jalometalli has long been on my list of festivals to check out some day, but in the past it always lost out to events that were closer to home. The 2014 line-up, however, was so strong that there simply would have been no excuse for not going. Yet there were no annoying clashes: the bands that played simultaneously were dissimilar enough to cater to different tastes. The first band on the other big stage for example, Ranger, was a safe bet for connoisseurs of classic heavy and thrash metal, but not a lamentable loss for me who went to watch Behexen on the small stage instead.
They were responsible for some of the weekend's best black metal and also looked the part, although right after Insomnium their show was perhaps a bit too static. So was the audience for the most part, but at least the faster "Under The Eye Of Lord" elicited some movement. At this point I spotted a friend who complained that she could not get a cup of coffee anywhere – a major oversight by the organizers given the notably chillier temperatures on Saturday and the fact that people tend to be tired and hungover on the second day of a metal festival. I for my part was a bit hungry but didn't want to eat the same as the day before; since no alternative was available on the festival grounds, I joined my friend for a trip to the nearby supermarket. Both of us were first-time visitors to Oulu's extensive sports complex, so we got somewhat lost on the way.
By the time we finally got back, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats were almost done, but their pychedelic-oriented hardrock would have been better suited to Friday's sunshine anyway.
On Saturday, the rain never stopped completely – to the contrary, it slowly intensified in the course of the evening. I am anything but fond of getting wet, yet ignoring the inconvenience required no effort as long as Omnium Gatherum played. Just what in seven hells was one of Finland's currently leading bands doing on that small stage? On the big one, some marginal duo from Germany entertained a mere handful of people (judging from a photo I saw on the internet afterwards – obviously, I wasn't the only one who had never heard of Mantar), while the sixpiece from Kotka had no more room to move about than its audience, and the lawn on which I had enjoyed such a relaxed picknick the day before was now packed all the way to the beer area a good way behind the mixing desk. And it was possibly the most enthusiastic crowd of the day, no wonder given Jukka Pelkonen's supreme talent for interaction. It is hard to upstage guitar hero Markus Vanhala, but the curly-haired vocalist seemed to dedicate himself 150% to every single spectator and was rewarded in kind. The line-up had changed slightly since I had last seen the band: the drums were played by Toni Paananen (Malpractie, To/Die/For), but apparently he is just substituting while Jarmo Pikka is on paternity leave. The set relied heavily – and rightfully – on the two latest albums, and from the opening bars of "Luoto" to the epic closer "Deep Cold", there was not a single weak moment.
At a metal festival in northern Finland, you wouldn't necessarily expect two major acts from Switzerland on the same day, but in this case both were classics in their own right. Samael started deftly with "My Saviour", Vorph's near motionless performance contrasted notably by energy bundle Mas, whose exercise regime of jumping up and down while playing bass might yet become a fitness trend. The gig as such was solid despite falling somewhat short of their club gig at Nosturi a few years ago, but the weather may have influenced my impression. Not sure if it was deliberate irony on part of the band, but they actually played "Rain" during the set…
At this point the genius of the venue designers manifested itself. Right in the middle between the open concrete fields in front of each main stage was a huge long tent with open sides, from which it was possible to watch both stages without exposing oneself to the rain. A major portion of the beer areas at each end was sheltered by the roof as well. And Kvelertak offered an appropriate soundtrack for drinking on those nice dry benches, the existence of which I was highly grateful for after having been on my feet the whole day.
My peace with the rain wasn't for long, though, and the blame for its breach lies not with me: I was back outside to photograph Testament – a pure joy under normal circumstances, as Chuck Billy and his men enjoy a good flirt with the camera – but noticed after a few clicks that the display of my Nikon refused to function properly. Unable to check my settings and afraid of worsening the damage, I retreated back under the roof to enjoy at least the music, but admittedly most of my attention was dedicated to getting the camera dry and back into working order. Unfortunately the wiping was to no avail, so when Triptykon entered the stage, I only attempted a few shots for the sake of this report and otherwise simply concentrated on the show, which didn't need photographs to be utterly memorable.
Or magic might be a better word, right from the moment when the intro gave way to the monumental "Black Snow". Speaking of precipitation, the rain was pouring down even harder by then. Yet somehow it enhanced the atmosphere instead of diminishing it, providing the finishing touch to the heavyweight darkness of the music and Tom Fischer's bleak lyrics. The set included a couple of nods to his former bands – Celtic Frost's "Circle Of The Tyrants" and Hellhammer's "Messiah" – but they were a kind favor to long-standing fans rather than a necessity. Triptykon's own material is by far strong enough to carry a set on its own, and I hope to see them back for a full-length club gig before long. An hour is not quite enough for a band whose songs last up to twenty minutes, as did the slow but menacing closer "The Prolonging". After that, I was almost relieved that the rain made for a good excuse to miss any possible after-hours clubs downtown – after Triptykon, any of them would have been a mere anticlimax…
photos: Tina Solda
← Down By The Laituri 2014
Dark River Festival 2014 →
Regular guest contributors e.g. Melanie Kircher, Tatjana Tattis Murschel, Grit Kabiersch, Marina Minkler, Jasmine Frey, Maria Levin, Elvira Visser, Nina Ratavaara, John Wisniewski
Before The Dawn: The weight on dad's shoulders
2012-04-22 2017-10-03 Klaudia Weber 0
Simerock 2007
2007-07-17 2017-10-02 Sandy Mahrer 0
Metalfest Germany 2013
2013-07-02 2017-09-26 Björn Schmiterlöw 0


text:
These Brands and Artists Won the Grammys on Social Media
People Magazine, Hyundai, Gucci are tops
By Chris Ariens
While Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift were the big winners at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards last night, the two mega-stars were not the most popular on social media, at least according to Engagement Labs' 2016 ranking of top Grammy-nominated artists.
Lamar took home five Grammys and Swift added another three, but Wiz Khalifa, The Weeknd and Charlie Puth were the biggest draws on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, respectively, for the night. Swift was No. 7 on Facebook and Instagram, while Lamar peaked at No. 5 on Twitter.
Swift added the most followers of the day. She brought in 67,701 new Twitter followers and 121,549 new Instagram fans. And in a night of memorable performances, she certainly made one of the biggest statements during her Album of the Year acceptance speech:
Khalifa snagged the highest eValue score on Facebook with 88.44 out of 100, while Charlie Puth dominated Instagram with a score of 94.34. An eValue score measures engagement, impact and responsiveness on social media.
Among the winning brands, People magazine was tops on Facebook and Instagram. And Hyundai was No. 1 on Twitter.
People ranked first with an overall eValue score of 92.66. The Time Inc. brand posted frequently leading up to the Grammys with news about the awards show, in addition to reporting live updates during the day. Hyundai was a close second. The "highest responsiveness" came from Aflac with a score of 76.16.
Intel, which partnered with Lady Gaga to debut an ad touting the technology that went into her stunning Grammys tribute to David Bowie, ranked No. 5, No. 8 and No. 3 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, respectively.
On Facebook, Hilton Hotels & Resorts saw the most growth of all sponsors with 972 new followers. On Twitter and Instagram, Gucci saw the most growth based on its red carpet posts, earning the fashion brand 5,039 new Twitter followers and 11,687 new Instagram fans.
http://adweek.it/1KUdg3H


Stained glass effect Art Deco window film designs ideal for a period property. Each design is resized to your exact measurements and the resulting film very easy to apply in minutes.
Collection of seamless Art Deco designs.
Art Deco inspired design made to your exact measurements.
Our Art Deco stained glass film designs can be ordered printed on clear film for added colour vibrancy, or on frosted film for added privacy. Non-Frosted film will still allow for some privacy so would be ideal for a front door, but we wouldn't recommend it's use in a bathroom where privacy is more of an issue. Please order samples if you want to compare the two types.
The film will be printed and cut to your exact measurements.
As a rule, our films are printed for internal application, and in the case of house numbers, with the text or number printed in reverse. The glass you apply the film on should be smooth.
The finished product is easy to apply using soapy water and a squeegee, and will last for many years. Use soapy water and a soft cloth to clean once a year.


Economic Development Offices work within communities to help entrepreneurs find there sources and tools they need to be successful. Staff from the Lennox & Addington County Economic Development office can liaise with all 3 levels of government and help initiate partnerships with colleges, universities and other businesses in the region.
Focused efforts of the Economic Development Office to promote their region and the businesses within it, result in the following community benefits for local residents.


Belgian software developer SCIA says that the latest version of its building information modelling (BIM)–integrated structural engineering application SCIA Engineer will raise the speed and efficiency of producing designs that are fully compliant with Eurocode requirements.
SCIA Engineer 17's developers have upgraded the software structure code so that it can run without legacy code, delivering new internal technology that will translate into significantly enhanced speed for end users.
This new internal technology includes an updated solver link, the removal of data conversion, multiprocessing in all Eurocode designs and optimization of various aspects of the engineering report such as pictures.
The upgrades brought to SCIA Engineer 17 are quite extensive. Changing the code and adding new internal technology, such as an updated solver link, has kicked the speed of the software up to two to four times its previous speed. Considering the additions and changes made to the software, it's not difficult to imagine how the new technology is able to increase speed and efficiency for making BIM designs.


From car showrooms to retail units, from offices to leisure facilities our company has the knowledge and expertise to undertake these specialist works. We are able to utilise various delivery methodologies, including cost estimating, negotiated price, traditional & management contracting. With suitably qualified office and site teams we are only a phone call away from working with you in helping you realise your vision.


text:
Remy Ma Releases Diss Track, Ignites Feud With Nicki Minaj — See Her Response!
Updated: Feb 25, 2017 5:25 pm·
By Emma Hernandez
Feud alert!
Love & Hip Hop star Remy Ma is taking a break in between filming the hit VH1 reality TV series to focus on her music career, and she's already setting her sights on her next target. She posted a diss track against fellow hip-hop star Nicki Minaj — and the "Anaconda" singer clapped back!
Remy took to Instagram on Saturday afternoon to post a photo of the cover art for her new song "Shether," featuring a barbie doll that looked like Nicki Minaj — pink wig and all — with its legs and arms torn off. For the nearly seven-minute-long song, Remy went in on Nicki, taking shot after shot — from accusing Nicki of getting butt shots to making fun of her failed relationship with Philadelphia-based rapper Meek Mill.
"You wanna see a dead body" (little kid from BoyzNdaHood voice) @nickiminaj LINK IN BIO #shETHER #Barz #AndBARZonly #RemyMa #RemyMafia #PlataOPlomo
A post shared by Remy Ma (@remyma) on Feb 25, 2017 at 10:02am PST
MORE: Naya Rivera, Nicki Minaj, and More Celebrities Who've Opened Up About Having Abortions
Nicki seemingly started the feud with her verse on Gucci Mane's new song, "Make Love," which was released yesterday — is what prompted Remy's response.
But instead of responding to Remy's new track with another track, Nicki posted a screenshot of an article that stated that "Plata or Plomo" — the follow-up track for Remy's 2016 hit song "All the Way Up" featuring Fat Joe — only debuted at no. 44 on the charts, which was a disappointment.
A post shared by Barbie® (@nickiminaj) on Feb 24, 2017 at 4:55pm PST
MORE: 'Love & Hip Hop: New York' Stars Remy Ma and Papoose Turn to IVF After Suffering Miscarriage
"Yikes," Nicki wrote in the caption, adding a face palm emoji.
Remy opened up about her feud with the "Bang Bang" rapper earlier this month during an interview with NYC-based hip-hop radio station Hot 97. She explained that — at the time — they weren't feuding because Nicki had not done anything to her so she wouldn't go after her for no reason. But then she foreshadowed her reaction to Nicki's "Make Love" verse.
"This is known — check my history — any person I ever had a problem with or felt any type of way about, I would have no problem saying your name," Remy said. "I don't want you sitting there wondering if I'm talking about you. I'm going to say your name, your government name, I'm going to talk about your kids, your dog, your grandmother — this is what I'm gonna do. It's not gonna be a sub, it's gonna be a direct head shot."
love & hip hop new york


text:
Rock Climbing Walls for Kids in Central Illinois
Rock Climbing & Mountain Climbing in Illinois
Rock Climbing in Lake in the Hills, Illinois
Nancy Wagner, Leaf Group
(Photo: Goodshoot RF/Goodshoot/Getty Images )
Italian Restaurants Around Park Ridge, Illinois
Campgrounds in Rock River, Illinois
Rock climbers can learn and enjoy the sport in the northern Illinois village of Lake in the Hills. There are not many outdoor climbing opportunities in the town's relatively flat landscape and suburban Chicago setting. But a rock-climbing gym in the village gives climbers several options for learning and practicing belaying skills, gaining strength and mastering climbing techniques.
The North Wall Climbing Gym (climbnorthwall.com) has catered to both beginning and advanced climbers since it opened in 1994. The gym offers weekday and weekend passes good for an entire day of climbing. The day passes do not include climbing gear, but the facility rents ropes, shoes, helmets and harnesses. The gym provides its facility for group events and parties, including an overnight gym jam where at least 16 climbers can enjoy sole use of the gym for 12 hours. Fees for the overnight event include two chaperones.
Beginners to advanced climbers may participate in North Wall Climbing Gym classes. The classes include an introduction to climbing, teaching basic procedures and how to use climbing equipment. Other classes include refresher courses that help you improve your belaying skills. Parent and child lessons give you a chance to spend time with your kid while you both learn how to belay. The facility's two-day climbing technique class teaches you basic climbing skills, and the class fee includes all equipment rentals, a day pass and instruction by a certified teacher.
Classes at North Wall Climbing Gym for advanced climbers include learning how to lead climb. The class fees include all rental equipment and a day pass to the gym. The class is broken down into two 1.5-hour sessions. A class on advanced lead technique helps you perfect your lead climbing skills. The session lasts 1.5 hours, and you must bring your own rope. The facility also provides an introduction to traditional climbing, sometimes referred to as trad climbing. The class helps you learn about the equipment needed to enjoy trad climbing so you can learn what it takes to help other climbers make their ascent on a rock face in an outdoor setting. Before you take the class, you must complete a lead climbing class.
The village of Lake in the Hills offers a rock climbing camp for kids ages 6 to 15. The after-school camp takes place at North Wall Rock Climbing Gym. Kids choose one of 10 sessions, and each session consists of three two-hour classes. The classes help kids learn the proper techniques for climbing and belaying, and help them gain flexibility and muscular strength while teaching them coordination and problem-solving skills.
Village of Lake in the Hills: About the Village
North Wall Rock Climbing: About
Village of Lake in the Hills: Youth Programs
North Wall Rock Climbing: Classes
Nancy Wagner is a marketing strategist and speaker who started writing in 1998. She writes business plans for startups and established companies and teaches marketing and promotional tactics at local workshops. Wagner's business and marketing articles have appeared in "Home Business Journal," "Nation's Business," "Emerging Business" and "The Mortgage Press," among others. She holds a B.S. from Eastern Illinois University.
Rock Climbing in Fairfield, Connecticut
Indoor Rock Climbing in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Rock Climbing in Toledo
Rock Climbing Near Woodbridge, VA
Rock Climbing in Rockville, Maryland
Midwest US Travel»
Illinois Travel»


text:
Ecuador: Incredible Geological, Ecological & Biological Diversity & its Key Cities
Ecuador is a relatively small country compared to most of its South American neighbors. In fact over the years both Peru and Colombia have stolen border lands from Ecuador. Straddling the Equator that gives the country its name, it has such a range of animal species...
Peru: Visiting Businesses in the Andes
In May 2008, Rick and Wendy visited Peru—their third time—on a business trip for TechnoServe. Prior trips to Peru had included both pleasure–mainly visiting Lima and Machu Picchu–and a volunteer work project for Rick. This was part of their visit to five...
El Salvador Recovering from Civil War
In order to create more jobs and income opportunities for the rural poor, El Salvador is boosting its agricultural exports. Besides TechnoServe helping farmers in key sectors to sell to export markets, it also runs entrepreneurship programs that empower people to...
Honduras Successes: Ancient Indian Cocoa Grafted to Modern Cocoa
A major challenge for Honduras to move nearly 50% of its population out of poverty, is to increase its competitiveness in key areas while diversifying into other markets where it can leverage competitive advantages. Established only in 2003, TechnoServe Honduras is...
Nicaragua's Slowly Expanding Economy
In May 2008 Rick and Wendy's visit to five countries in two weeks for TechnoServe proved fascinating, exhausting AND invaluable. The TechnoServe teams in Central and South America were wonderful, letting us observe the impact they are having on their clients in Peru,...
Peru: Rick Volunteers in Ayacucho with Care Corps
In late 2005, Rick volunteered in three projects that would help him decide the kind of work and where we might attempt to live. In the first, he spent 2 weeks in Ayacucho, Peru as part of Care Corps. Each morning he would work in a school or local jail educating...


text:
Royal Free London consultant rules the waves
A Royal Free London consultant has successfully completed one of the toughest long distance swims in the world.
Nick Murch, 39, clinical lead for acute medicine at the Royal Free Hospital (RFH), is the first person this year to finish the gruelling North Channel route between Ireland and Scotland.
He set off from Donaghadee, Co Down, at 8.15am on 25 June and 21 miles later reached Scotland at 8pm.
Dr Murch is no stranger to long distance swimming having already conquered the Channel and Lake Geneva solo in 2016. But he admitted that the North Channel route had been a massive undertaking due to the low temperatures, strong tides and wildlife.
Dr Murch, who has worked at the RFH for seven years, said: "It's the same distance as the Channel but it's a lot, lot colder – just 10 to12 degrees – and is recognised as one of the hardest swims in the world.
"You also have to watch out for the jellyfish. I was stung a couple of times by the Lion's Mane which can pose a real threat. If you get stung too many times you can go into shock. It felt like a burning numbness and it's how I imagine a stroke would feel."
Getting ready for the perishing temperatures was a question of 'cold weather acclimatisation'. That meant trips to Parliament Hill Lido three to four times a week for long training sessions.
"The fact is that long distance swimming is 80% a mental battle," says Dr Murch, who is only the 53rd person to ever complete the swim. "You think about your breathing and it's a very meditative state of mind that you enter."
Not content with his marathon in the North Channel, Dr Murch went on to complete a Lake Geneva relay, with three other people, which took the record for the fastest crossing time.
As well as his acute lead role Dr Murch heads up the hospital's simulation and technology enhanced academic training hub (STEALTH). He helps to run simulations on wards to ensure staff are prepared for different scenarios and says he sees the similarities in his role to what he faces in the water.
"It's very much about keeping calm, focused and following a plan."
Dr Murch is already eyeing up new challenges, including the Catalina Channel and the Straits of Gibraltar.


text:
Home Tags Posts tagged with "robert kardashian's death"
robert kardashian's death
Khloe is not a Kardashian, two of her father's ex-wives claim
Two of Robert Kardashian's ex-wives claim Khloe does not have the same father as her older sisters Kim and Kourtney.
The late businessman's ex-wives have come forward saying he expressed doubts over the paternity of Khloe Kardashian.
Khloe Kardashian has hit back at the claims, calling them "really low".
In an explosive interview with Star magazine, Jan Ashley, who married the businessman after Khloe's mother Kris Jenner, said: "Khloe is not his kid – he told me that after we got married."
She added: "He just kind of looked at me and said [it] like it was a matter of fact. He said <<Well, you know that Khloe's not really a Kardashian, don't you?>> And I said… <<OK>> and that was it."
Ellen Pierson, 63, who married Robert Kardashian in 2003, just two months before his death, has also come forward after eight years of silence to "tell the truth" about the Kardashian family.
Ellen Pierson claims Khloe Kardashian, who is married to Dallas Mavericks basketball player Lamar Odom, knew she had a different father to her sisters and younger brother Rob.
"Khloe brought it up all the time. She looked nothing like the rest. She was tall, had a different shape, light hair, curly hair. Didn't look anything like the other three children," she said.
Ellen Pierson said Robert Kardashian, who is of Armenian descent, had told her that he and Kris were not sleeping together at the time Khloe was conceived.
"[But] he never would have considered a DNA test. He loved her very much. Robert did question the fact that Khloe was his," she said.
"Any normal man would if they knew their wife had cheated on him."
Two of Robert Kardashian's ex-wives claim Khloe does not have the same father as her older sisters Kim and Kourtney
Khloe Kardashian has responded to the claims today on Twitter.
She wrote: "The audacity you have to mention my father's name like this! Should be ashamed of urself! I let a lot of things slide but this one is really low… YOU ARE DISGUSTING! (yes you know who YOU are)."
Khloe's mother, Kris Jenner, 56, recently admitted in her new book that she cheated on Robert during their marriage and Jan and Ellen her husband also knew.
Since Robert Kardashian's death, Ellen Pierson had experienced financial difficulties, filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2010.
The home Ellen and Robert Kardashian shared in Indian Wells, California, was sold after going into foreclosure in October.
Kris remarried Olympian Bruce Jenner in 1991 and the couple had two daughters, Kendall and Kylie.
Bruce Jenner already had four children from two previous marriages: Burt, Casey, Brody, and Brandon.
Khloe Kardashian is often talking about how she looks nothing like her sisters, and Kris Jenner has been quoted as saying people asked her whether she was "the milkman's daughter" when she was born.
On Khloe Kardashian's blog in June 2010, she shared a number of pictures of her and the attorney.
She wrote: "Father's Day is two days away, so in preparation I wanted to post this photo album (mostly old school pics) dedicated to my dad and to Bruce.
"I was seriously the luckiest girl in the world growing up because I had two amazing dads who not only loved us kids more than anything, but adored each other as well.
"My dad and Bruce were always really close – Kendall and Kylie even called my dad Uncle Robert which I loved.
"Father's Day is always a bittersweet holiday for me because I of course miss my dad, but it also reminds me of how truly blessed I am to have had two incredible fathers."
Ten people who have been exhumed
The remains of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat have been exhumed to investigate allegations he was poisoned. The bodies of many …Read More »
Skin Food by Weleda: Victoria Beckham's beauty weapon for a perfectly smooth skin
Victoria Beckham has revealed her secret beauty weapon to achieve a perfectly smooth skin: a body moisturizer by Weleda. Speaking …Read More »
Cory Monteith dead: Selena Gomez posts picture of herself hugging Glee star
Selena Gomez is one of the many celebrities paying tribute to Cory Monteith after his tragic death in a Vancouver …Read More »
Kim Kardashian wants to copy Kate Middleton's royal wedding
Karen Houghton, Kim Kardashian's aunt, has revealed that the reality star is set to rip off Prince William and Kate …Read More »
Yemen: at least 5 people shot dead during protests in Sanaa, as President Saleh transferred the power
At least five demonstrators have been shot dead by loyalists of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh during protests in the …Read More »


David Bellwood is a leading expert on the evolution and ecology of reef fishes, his research focusing on the functional role that fishes play on coral reefs, and how reefs have changed through evolutionary time. He has made major contributions to our understanding of biogeography and the conservation of coral reefs, particularly the origin and maintenance of biodiversity hotspots, reef resilience, and the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function. In 2015 Bellwood was appointed Distinguished Professor in Marine Biology at James Cook University.


Last night, I was asked once again, "why do you have Russell Brand on your showreel"? My reply, "why not"?
Just because Russell has resigned from his BBC Radio 2 show doesn't mean he'll never return to host a radio show or present on the BBC. Russell Brand is a brilliant comedian and he'll soon bounce back from the "Wozzagate" affair.


Séphora is a social entrepreneur whose nonprofit, FormatAide, delivers business training to small-medium sized business entrepreneurs in Haiti so that they may grow their businesses. She has worked with USAID, the UN Development Program, Women's Initiative as well as a manager for sales and marketing teams in the for-profit sector.
Séphora is responsible for managing the growth of The Plastic Bank's network and partnerships in Haiti. She designs and implements projects aimed at improving the lives of the most disadvantaged Haitians. She leads a small team of local Haitians who run the day to day operations in the country.
She earned her MBA from Mills College in Oakland, California, a Masters in Project Management from Quisqueya University, a bachelor degree in computerized management from Ecole Superieure d'Infotronique d'Haiti as well as a degree in Psychology from the Tele University of Quebec in Montreal. Séphora speaks French, English, Creole and Spanish.


text:
Two years in jail for sergeant who stole HK$1m bail money from police station
by Ellie Ng 13:02, 20 December 2016 20:51, 31 March 2020
The District Court has sentenced a former sergeant to two years behind bars for stealing HK$1.07 million worth of bail money from the Wan Chai Police Station.
Ex-sergeant Cheung Wai-lun, 43, pleaded guilty to theft on Monday. He told the court that he had hoped to use the money to win HK$1 million at casinos in order to pay off more than HK$1 million worth of gambling and investment debts.
The Wan Chai Police Station. File Photo: GovHK.
Cheung's lawyer pleaded in mitigation that the incident had cost Cheung HK$2 million from his pension, his police housing and his family, since his wife divorced him after the arrest. The ex-sergeant deeply regretted his decision, the court heard.
'Given himself up to vice'
The lawyer added that the HK$2 million pension Cheung had lost could cancel out the stolen money. Judge Eddie Yip Chor-man rejected the argument, saying that Cheung could not use money that did not belong to him as compensation.
The judge said Cheung was of good character but had "given himself up to vice." He added that Cheung – as a veteran officer – should have foreseen the onerous consequences of committing a crime.
Cheung had the only key to the safe containing the bail money and took five bags of cash while on duty in May. He then left the station claiming he was going for lunch, but called his colleagues about two hours later to apologise. The force subsequently confirmed HK$1.07 million was missing.
A casino in Macau. File Photo: Wikicommons.
After losing the amount at casinos in Macau within a month, Cheung fled to Zhuhai in China. He surrendered in August to the Chinese authorities, who then transferred him to Hong Kong.
The court heard that Cheung and his wife were both habitual gamblers. His wife incurred HK$200,000 in gambling debts in 2009, while Cheung had accumulated HK$1 million in gambling and investment debts over the years.
Cheung was earning HK$30,000 a month before his employment was terminated in November. During his 24 years in the force, he was awarded more than 30 merits for his performance.
Tagged: Macau, Police
Ellie Ng
Ellie Ng has written for Foreign Policy, the Daily Telegraph, Global Voices Online and others.
More by Ellie Ng


Repeats every week every Wednesday 52 times .
Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30 at the Daniel Island Library. Join Prof. Hillyer Rudisill for this free college-level course. Participants can attend at any time since each session stands on its own. For more information, call (843) 471-2952.


Have you been able to watch any of the Winter Olympics yet?
The athletes are so amazing – the figure skaters are so graceful – the ski jumpers can fly sky-high – the bobsleigh goes crazy fast and the ice hockey players crash a lot.
This morning I watched Julia Lipnitskaia a Russian figure skater perform. She is incredible and is only 15 years old.
You might like to check out this website for lots of information about the Winter Olympics or take a look here if you are looking for fun activities with a Winter Olympic theme.
Did you know that New Zealand's first gold medal was won by a boxer called Ted Morgan in 1928?
Boxing is one of the oldest sports at the Olympics; it's been around for around 5,000 years and was practiced in China, Greece and Rome. It was first introduced as an Olympic sport in 1902. It's been in every Olympic Games since then except the 1912 Games, as Sweden, the host country, had a law against boxing.
Boxing was traditionally fought with bare hands until 1867, when the Queensbury rules were introduced. It was these rules that also introduced weight limits to the sport. These rules were extremely influential on boxing, and changed it from bare-knuckle brawls to a real sport.
New Zealand is sending two boxers, Siona Fernandez and Alexis Pritchard to the London; this year is the first time women's boxing is appearing at the Olympic games.
New Zealand didn't compete as a nation in its own right until 1920; in the previous Olympics we had competed as a conjoint team with Australia. In 1920 New Zealand's first Olympic team took 9 weeks to get to Antwerp by ship. Every member of that team made it to the finals, and Violet Walrond, our first female Olympian, was with them. She was only 15 at the time, and only 14 when she qualified. Unfortunately, she stopped swimming at 18.
Our first gold medal was in boxing, and was won by Ted Morgan in 1928. Yvette Williams was the first New Zealand woman to win a gold medal in 1952, in long-jump. The next female Olympian to win Gold was Barbara Kendall, in 1992. Barbara Kendall competed in five Olympic Games…that's pretty impressive!
Perhaps the most famous historical Olympian is Peter Snell. He first won gold in the 800m race in 1960, and won two more gold medals in 1964. But he's not New Zealand's most 'successful' Olympian: that's Ian Ferguson, a canoeist, who has won 4 gold medals and one bronze across five Olympic games.
This is a great book that will tell you about some of out best Olympians.
Judo and Taekwondo are the only two Asian Martial Arts that are accepted as Olympic sports.
Taekwondo became an Olympic sport in 2000. That's quite late; early forms of Taekwondo began appearing in Korea almost 2000 years ago. That makes it almost as old as the Olympic games themselves! Today, Taekwondo is practised in about 190 countries. The country that has won the most medals in Taekwondo is South Korea, followed by China and then the United States. The three New Zealanders in Taekwondo are Logan Campbell, Vaughn Scott, and Robin Cheong.
Judo was started in Japan and became an Olympic sport in 1964, although it was demonstrated at the 1932 Olympics . Judo was created by Jigoro Kano, a Japanese educator. Visually impaired martial artists can also compete in Judo at the Paralympics. Japan has won the most medals in Judo, followed by France and then South Korea. Moira de Villiers is the only New Zealand Judoka (someone who practices Judo) at this years Olympics.
Did you know that sword-fighting is an Olympic sport? At the Olympics it is called fencing. Fencers fight one-on-one indoors on what is called the Strip. The Strip is 14 metres long and 2 metres wide. Competitors have to stay within this boundary. A fencing challenge is called a bout. Fencers fight in bouts of 3, which last 3 minutes each.
Competitors fight with three different kinds of swords: foils, epees and sabres. Medals are given for the winners in each competition for each kind of sword. Each sword has its own rules, but generally a competitor scores one point each time they touch the other person with the tip of their sword. To win they must score 15 hits on their opponent, or the highest number of hits in a bout. Fencers dress all in white. So that the competitors do not get hurt for real they wear gloves, padded jackets and pants, and wire masks to protect their faces. Most importantly, the swords have blunt tips!
Sword-fighting is a very old sport. Many soldiers in ancient cultures fought with swords, including the Greeks and Romans. Fencing schools were founded in Medieval England, and the rules of fencing were set up by the end of the 1400s. The foil sword was invented in the 1600s, as well as the mesh face mask.
Fencing was first part of the Olympics in 1896, and has been included in every Olympic Games ever since. France, Italy and Hungary have had a strong tradition of fencing since the 1800s. They frequently win the individual men, women and team events, along with Germany and Russia.
You can learn all about what it is like to be a fencer in Fencing is For Me, and learn all about every single Olympic sport in the Macmillan encyclopedia of Olympic sports.
Cycling has been an Olympic sport since the very beginning of the modern Olympic Games. It made its first appearence at the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens.
Bicylces had been around since the early 1800s, but they had only recently become popular. Can you imagine trying to race on the penny farthing? The bicycles at the first Olympics were much more like the bikes we ride today, with two wheels of the same size.
There was only one cycling event at the first modern Olympic Games: the men's road race, which had only seven contestants. Five of them were from Greece!
Today there are 18 different events, with both men and women participating. In the men's road race in 2012, there will be 145 contestants. That's quite a step up from 1896! Probably the most famous New Zealand Olympic cyclist is Sarah Ulmer, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
On Friday 27th of July is the opening ceremony for the 30th Olympic Games held in London, England. The opening ceremony is usually a spectacular show with all the competing athletes marching into the main stadium and the Olympic flame being lit by the Olympic torch. It'll be worth getting out of bed to watch!
Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, has launched a really great site full of information about the Olympics, Empire and Commonwealth games and New Zealand's involvement. It has information on our medal winners and the sports that we are really good at. Best of all, it has loads of videos and pictures so you can see what they are talking about. Take a look!
Did you know that archery is the proper name for Katniss Everdeen's special skill with the bow and arrow in The Hunger Games series? Archery has been a popular competition sport since ancient times. The Chinese, Egyptians, Romans, Greeks and Persians all used a bow and arrow for hunting, warfare and competition. Archery was very popular in medieval England, and archery tournaments were held. Robin Hood, as well as being a famous outlaw, was also known for being an excellent shooter with a bow and arrow.
Archery first became an Olympic sport in 1900, but it stopped being an Olympic sport for 50 years before being reintroduced in 1972. Archers compete on an outdoor range, and have to shoot 72 arrows at targets 70 metres away. Each target is 122 centimetres in diameter, and has 10 rings inside it, each 6.1 centimetres wide. Each ring increases by one point, until you get to the centre, the bull's eye, which is worth 10 points.
Men and women both compete in archery in individual, and in team tournaments. The female competitors from South Korea are very good; they have won every women's individual gold medal from 1984 to 2000. The South Korean women's team have won every team event since 1988 as well.
You can learn about every single Olympic sport in the Macmillan encyclopedia of Olympic sports.


An undated photo of Darling Harbour to sustain us over the Easter break!
Can you date this photograph?
We have many other undated photographs in Photo Investigator and on our Flickr account. If you know the dates or any other interesting facts about these images please let us know.
Category: -- Can you date...?
1920/21 – 1927 so far. See Flickr notes and comments.
Great start over on Flickr!