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Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS
[Spaceships] I'm closing on nothing, and 4 other confusions.
weevis
Location: 3.165, -3.048, -0.0818
I'm trying to understand how the Basic Space Combat system in Spaceships works. I'm hoping someone on this excellent board has given this some thought and can tell me if my interpretations are right. I checked the errata and searched the forum already. I'm not really looking for discussion of good or badness of the rules in question (but knock yourself out). I'm just trying to understand them. These questions may be pretty basic, for all I know. I really appreciate any help. I have five confusions and I will title them with caps:
IS THERE "NON-BONUS" ACCELERATION THAT MATTERS?
(...in a setting where there is no reaction mass.)
p. SS54 says "All maneuvers except Drifts provide the option to accelerate." This seems to mean that if you can't get an acceleration bonus then you can't accelerate at all? There is no "non-bonus" acceleration? I think the meaning would be that you can accelerate but it doesn't matter, as acceleration is "enough acceleration for a long enough period to achieve a significant position change." Maybe I should think of the word "acceleration" as "significant acceleration"? But if I do that leads to some other issues.
In my setting you could fire your engines for 40Gs during your 20-second turn but would you then have to describe what your ship is doing as a "controlled drift" because 40G is less than the 50G minimum for an acceleration bonus at that scale (p. SS55)? "Drift" seems like the wrong word for that. Or maybe that's wrong because Drifts don't "provide the option to accelerate," thus ruling out non-bonus acceleration as well as bonus acceleration?
I see "The GM will need to keep track of the…acceleration a spacecraft used on its last turn." (p. 55) and I see the brief combat examples are carefully tracking acceleration and speed via mps. But unless you have limited fuel -- in my setting there is not limited fuel -- tracking acceleration only seems to matter if it gets a "acceleration bonus." Is that right? I think my confusion is with the word "bonus" since I don't understand the "non-bonus."
There do seem to be some minor gameplay implications. In the text for "Retreat" p. SS56 -- in that instance the wording is just "if you accelerated." If I take that to mean did you accelerate *at* *all* this turn, and therefore I take it to mean both bonus and non-bonus acceleration, I should then always choose not to accelerate if I receive no bonus. The consequence of non-bonus acceleration is bad for me -- I don't get to control my facing. So I should either go 50G for the bonus, or turn off the engines. Am I understanding the rules correctly?
Sorry that was so long. The other questions are simpler.
FAILED CLOSING MANEUVER?
What is your ship doing if you fail an attempt at closing (bottom of p. 55)? I think this is just a naming issue: at first I thought that the answer was "just flying around without a particular status." All of the other statuses have names and this one doesn't so it is puzzling me. I didn't want to miss a status. But now after re-reading everything I think that for the purposes of the next turn (e.g., the Ambush rule) you would still count as "Closing" even though you failed. I'm guessing I should think about the word "Closing" in that case as "Tried for Closing but Couldn't Close"? Or more generally think of the status as: "Attempted Closing But May or May Not Have Actually Closed On Anything"? Is that right?
I'M GOING SO FAST I HAVE TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION
Since your acceleration bonus "may not exceed +3" to take a "Hold Course" maneuver (p. 56), if you really turn on those engines (above +3), it seems like the only maneuver you can choose is either Evasive Action or Closing. Since drifts don't "provide the option to accelerate" p. SS54 you can't choose those, and since Retreat requires you to take Evasive Action first you can't choose that. I guess forcing quickly-accelerating ships to be Evading or Closing is OK but it seems counter-intuitive so I just want to be sure I have it right. If there is nothing I want to close with I guess I must take evasive action? Maybe it is simulating the fact that the acceleration alone gives you the Evasive Action bonuses even if you are trying to fly in a straight line? Again, just making sure I understand how the rules work here.
CLOSING ON NOTHING
Under the Ambush rules on p. 55, it states that you can use an Ambush closing strategy if your target performed "a Closing maneuver on its last turn, but only if your vessel was not yet Detected." This can't mean I can perform a closing maneuver on an undetected ship, can it? The rules for "Closing" don't actually say that the target must be detected, but I still presume this text there means my target was CLOSING WITH SOMEONE ELSE. Right? But... The Maneuver Modifiers list says -6 if "in a quick contest of skill with a target that you have not detected." I think you can only *be* in a quick contest if you are attempting a closing maneuver, so I guess it is OK to close on nothing? Really not sure about this one.
CRITICAL HITS DON'T AFFECT POINT DEFENSE?
From vanilla GURPS combat I'm used to critical hits doing something on an attack roll: "In all cases, the target gets no active defense against the attack." says p. B556. But in spaceship combat under "Successful Attacks" in the "Ballistic Attack Roll" section on p. SS60 it says, "Critical success means the target cannot dodge." I don't see other effects. Earlier in the "Beam" section it said "as usual, critical success means the target cannot dodge." I'm confused by this, and the *as usual*: wouldn't the usual behavior be no active defense at all? Why is the effect of a critical hit limited to preventing a dodge? I ask because if I'm attacking a space station with a missile, the rules say the defender has no dodge. The defense to beat is point defense. If I rolled a critical hit with my missile attack and the critical prevents dodge, who cares? Do I have the rules right here? The critical just does nothing?
I really appreciate your thoughts!
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mlangsdorf
Re: [Spaceships] I'm closing on nothing, and 4 other confusions.
Originally Posted by weevis
I'm trying to understand how the Basic Space Combat system in Spaceships works.
p. SS54 says "All maneuvers except Drifts provide the option to accelerate." This seems to mean that if you can't get an acceleration bonus then you can't accelerate at all? There is no "non-bonus" acceleration? I think the meaning would be that you can accelerate but it doesn't matter, as acceleration is "enough acceleration for a long enough period to achieve a significant position change."
You imply below that you're using the Standard Combat scale with 20-second turns, so so the typical engagement range is 200 to 20,000 miles. If ships are 15,000 miles apart at no relative velocity, 40Gs for 20 seconds changes their position by not quite 50 miles - so it's not enough acceleration for long enough to achieve a significant position change.
But unless you have limited fuel -- in my setting there is not limited fuel -- tracking acceleration only seems to matter if it gets a "acceleration bonus." Is that right? I think my confusion is with the word "bonus" since I don't understand the "non-bonus."
If you don't provide enough acceleration for long enough, your position doesn't change enough to matter. You may be accelerating some, but compared to the vast distances and speeds of the encounter, your position change isn't noticeable. You're basically drifting.
There are two conditions that let you choose the Retreat maneuver: you accelerate out of an an Evasive maneuver, which necessarily puts your rear hull to anyone who isn't maneuvering for a different shot, or you retreated last turn and chose not to continue accelerating, in which case you're basically in a controlled drift away from the engagement and can turn back to face anyone who is still trying to Close with you and prevent you from escaping.
If you don't significantly accelerate away from the engagement by using enough acceleration to qualify for the acceleration bonus, then you're really in a controlled drift. Retreat is a hard burn to break contact; just changing your position by 50 miles - when your opponent can can trivially copy your maneuver and match your new velocity - is not sufficient.
What is your ship doing if you fail an attempt at closing (bottom of p. 55)? I think this is just a naming issue: at first I thought that the answer was "just flying around without a particular status."
You're Neutral to everyone. See SS1 p 57. "Use this column to calculate range if your vessel failed to succeed with a Closing Maneuver this turn."
Since your acceleration bonus "may not exceed +3" to take a "Hold Course" maneuver (p. 56), if you really turn on those engines (above +3), it seems like the only maneuver you can choose is either Evasive Action or Closing. If there is nothing I want to close with I guess I must take evasive action? Maybe it is simulating the fact that the acceleration alone gives you the Evasive Action bonuses even if you are trying to fly in a straight line? Again, just making sure I understand how the rules work here.
You're adding velocity and changing position a lot. You're either moving into engagement (Closing) or you're moving away from it (Evasive Action). There isn't an option where you go really fast in place.
Under the Ambush rules on p. 55, it states that you can use an Ambush closing strategy if your target performed "a Closing maneuver on its last turn, but only if your vessel was not yet Detected." This can't mean I can perform a closing maneuver on an undetected ship, can it? The rules for "Closing" don't actually say that the target must be detected, but I still presume this text there means my target was CLOSING WITH SOMEONE ELSE. Right?
Sure, what's the problem?
By way of example: A Jovian Pathfinder is desperately taking Evasive Actions as it tries to not to get overwhelmed by a CEGA Cerebrus' vastly superior firepower. The Cerebrus pilot is taking Closing maneuvers to try to set up an advantaged attack vector in order to hit the nimble spacecraft. As the two pass a nearby asteroid, the Jovian Vindicator that was hiding behind enters the combat by choosing a Closing Ambush maneuver. The Cerebrus is at -6 on the Quick Contest because the Vindicator was undetected; the Vindicator succeeds by 11 and chooses to achieve a collision course so it can deploy a plasma lance.
Does that make sense? The Vindicator could choose a Closing Ambush maneuver because the Cerebrus was Closing in on the Pathfinder.
But... The Maneuver Modifiers list says -6 if "in a quick contest of skill with a target that you have not detected." I think you can only *be* in a quick contest if you are attempting a closing maneuver, so I guess it is OK to close on nothing? Really not sure about this one.
If someone else ambushes you, you're probably at -6 on the quick contest of skill, because you haven't detected them. If you're trying to close with another vessel, you've obviously detected them.
From vanilla GURPS combat I'm used to critical hits doing something on an attack roll: "In all cases, the target gets no active defense against the attack." says p. B556. But in spaceship combat under "Successful Attacks" in the "Ballistic Attack Roll" section on p. SS60 it says, "Critical success means the target cannot dodge." I don't see other effects. Earlier in the "Beam" section it said "as usual, critical success means the target cannot dodge." I'm confused by this, and the *as usual*: wouldn't the usual behavior be no active defense at all?
Point Defense is actually a Wait maneuver performed by the target vessel, not a defense.
Critical hits sometimes get benefits that aren't really benefits. In melee combat, if you attack someone while you're invisible, they can't defend against your attack. If you critically hit them, they still can't defend against your attack. It's the same situation as getting a critical hit in spaceship combat against a space station.
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Fred Brackin
<sigh>I have to confess that even though I was a playtester for Spaceships I can help you with few of your questions. I was never actually able to set up a combat that fit the abstract "dogfight" the Basic rules seem to envision. Everything seemed to end up either as a Fast Pass situation or one where maneuvering made no difference.
You might also want to look at how hard it is for a ship to go undetected before you worry too much about what happens after that. ambushes are another thing I never manged to set up. Detecting ships was too easy for ambushes to happen.
Your last question though is simple and clear. Point Defense is not an Active Defense. Point Defense is an Attack action taken by a gunner against the missiles. Frequently in a Wait situation. Dodge is usually the only Active Defense a ship can take.
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Thanks for your fast replies! So fast! And so helpful.
Originally Posted by mlangsdorf
If you don't provide enough acceleration for long enough, your position doesn't change enough to matter.
I get that part, but I'm saying that in the book there are some passages that ask you to consider to whether your ship is "accelerating" or not. Then there are other passages that ask you to check whether it has earned an "acceleration bonus" or not. The latter (the bonus) I understand. But what are the former -- those "plain" acceleration passages -- doing? Are they trying to convey that non-significant (or what I called "non-bonus") acceleration counts for something?
There are two conditions that let you choose the Retreat maneuver: you accelerate out of an an Evasive maneuver,
Yay! This helps so much -- I missed the "accelerate out of" (acceleration bonus required) part. So it seems to me that maybe there is no "non-bonus" acceleration to consider? That use of the word "bonus" is what confused me.
Ah, great. I obviously missed that. So the follow-up question would then be... when the rules ask you if a ship "performed Hold Course or a Closing maneuver on its last turn," (p. SS55) does that really mean "performed" and "Closing" or does it also mean to include "tried but failed to perform Closing" and therefore "neutral."
Since it has "Hold Course" in there I'd say it wants "neutral" too.
OK that's what I was thinking. I guess I was hung up on the names. When I imagine telling the PCs with their superfast ship which is accelerating a lot "you can either evade or close" it seems like too few options -- but I understand the need to remove options to make things simpler.
Just so I'm clear about the problem: This looks to me like it could be read to mean that you can close on nothing (an undetected ship). It could also be read to mean that the other ship is closing on a third party. So if closing on nothing makes no sense -- which sounds right -- I will put that reading out of my mind.
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin
Point Defense is not an Active Defense
OK. Looks like we can call that case closed. This ineffectiveness of criticals vs. point defense seems too bad, but I said I didn't need any commentary on the rules so I won't go there. The *as usual* threw me.
Really appreciate the help.
The posts on here about the Spaceships basic combat rules are so filled with wistfulness and disdain. I hope I am not learning this for nothing.
Aside from being in a Fast Pass, the only maneuvers that don't specify that you must accelerate enough to get the acceleration bonus are the two Drift maneuvers, and Hold Course. Drifting is obviously not accelerating. Hold Course is ambiguous with "you must accelerate, but may not exceed a +3 acceleration bonus." I think the intent was for Hold Course to require an acceleration bonus, but I think it's also fine to say that you can Hold Course without accelerating enough for an acceleration bonus, though you have to be capable of maneuvering. If your ship's engines aren't working for some reason, you can't Hold Course, you must perform a Drift (Controlled if you still have a a Control Room and gyros/local thrusters, Uncontrolled otherwise).
So the follow-up question would then be... when the rules ask you if a ship "performed Hold Course or a Closing maneuver on its last turn," (p. SS55) does that really mean "performed" and "Closing" or does it also mean to include "tried but failed to perform Closing" and therefore "neutral."
I'd generally treat "performed" as "attempted" or perhaps "chose". Back to my example: the Cerebrus has been choosing Closing Maneuvers to set up an attack vector on the Pathfinder. The Pathfinder has more delta-V and reaction mass, and has been winning the contest, but the Cerebrus has still been performing the Closing maneuver.
In 3-D space, if your ship is moving relative to my ship, you're either approaching my ship or you're moving away from my ship. Because the third option, that you're stationary with respect to my ship, means that you're not moving relative to my ship.
I guess I'm just confused by your confusion. What third option should there be?
Just so I'm clear about the problem: This looks to me like it could be read to mean that you can close on nothing (an undetected ship). It could also be read to mean that the other ship is closing on a third party.
You can't close on nothing, but you can close on a third party.
FredBrackin has more issues with them than I do. I wrote up a fairly extensive series of sample combats on my blog (http://noschoolgrognard.blogspot.com...bel/Spaceships) and mostly liked it. I have some specific issues in the way that GURPS Spaceships isn't a good model for Jovian Chronicles, the particular game/setting I was trying to model, but a large part of my problem was that GURPS doesn't give large vehicles enough HP.
I really should rescale HP and go back to those combats sometime.
My issues are more with realistic space movement and attempts to match that up with adventure-worthy space combat. They don't go together IMHO.
I understand the gameplay aspect of "going fast, so you're harder to hit." I just mean that since I have PCs with a very fast ship they are going to want to have it go very fast all the time. (I know them.) Offering them "evasive action" or "closing" just seemed like too few options when I was reading these rules so I thought I was misunderstanding the rules. In GURPS basic combat using only the most abstracted rules, players get to say other things about where and how they move, even without a map. It's not a big deal, I just wanted to be sure I understood these rules.
In 3-D space, if your ship is moving relative to my ship, you're either approaching my ship or you're moving away from my ship.
I'm not trying to be snide or arch or sarcastic -- I'm not seeing what you mean when you say you're not seeing what I mean! I think it is that you know these rules and so the conventions in them seem normal. I am reading them for the first time so I am not used to some of the decisions that were made to simplify things.
All I was thinking is: If I am moving and in a room with a chair, I have other options besides moving away from it or toward it. And: If I am moving away from it I have other options besides jinking from left to right eratically as though to dodge incoming lasers. In 3-D space the same is true but I have even more directions to move.
In my imagination if my ship has fantastic engines and no fuel requirements (like TL11^ reactionless engines), I can spend some of that thrust to turn or turn continuously. So I could, say, circle around something at a constant distance. The SS rules mention that my combat area can have "cover" so I thought that maybe I could do something with that. I don't know specifically *why* I would want to do these things in a particular combat situation with these rules because I am just learning these rules for the first time. I am also used to giving the players more options.
But I understand the need to simplify. Just trying to grasp the decisions that were made here.
Thanks again for your help on this thread.
As I was working out some test combats I drew a flowchart for Pilot Move. To me, this was the hardest part to grok and remember. Here is the flowchart:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y_3...ew?usp=sharing
Now I see from Fred Brackin that maneuvers may not be that important! But maybe this will help someone else in my position. Let me know if you notice any errors!
Okay, let's try a mental model that is fairly inaccurate but closer to what might be happening in Spaceships: two jet aircraft high over an ocean. They're flying due north on parallel courses at 600 mph, with 10 miles separation, and are basically nose to nose with each other on the east-west axis. One of them then kicks in the afterburners, accelerating to 1500 mph. It has a couple of options here:
1. Turn to west west, moving horizontally towards the other aircraft.
2. stay on course, moving horizontally away from the other aircraft.
3. Turn to the east, moving horizontally away from the other aircraft.
4. Perform a loop or similar maneuver, using some of that extra change in position (ie, speed) to change it's vertical position without changing its horizontal position relative to the other aircraft.
Option 1 is a closing maneuver. Option 2 is effectively an evasive maneuver (making it harder to hit). Option 3 is effectively an evasive maneuver (making it harder to hit). Option 4 is obviously an evasive maneuver (it's doing aerobatics).
If the aircraft didn't want to be forced to take either an evasive maneuver or closing maneuver, it shouldn't have accelerated up to 1500 mph. If it had only accelerated to 700 mph, it could have Held Course and stayed roughly in the same relative position to the other aircraft.
Movement in Spaceships is abstract and relative to the other vehicles in the combat. Relative to some fixed object (say the Sun), all the ships involved in a combat could be moving really fast, say 1000 mps, but as long as they're not moving that fast relative to each other it doesn't matter.
Spaceships aren't "fast", they're "quick accelerators." This is important, because any spacecraft can get to any relative velocity to a distant fixed object, given enough time and reaction mass. In a combat between a solar sailor that accelerates at 0.0001gs and got to 1000 mps velocity relative to to the sun over a couple of weeks, and a super reactionless drive starcraft that accelerates at 100gs and got to 1000 mps velocity relative to the Sun over a couple of minutes, they're both moving at 1000 mps velocity relative to the Sun. And relative to each other, they're both moving at about 0 mps. If the starcraft decides to turn on that super reactionless drive to max ouput, it's going to change its velocity relative to the solar sailor somehow: either closing quickly, opening the distance quickly, or making astrobatic maneuvers to keep the same relative distance.
So if your super TL11^ spaceship wants to stay in the vicinity of an asteroid to use it as cover - well, remember, the asteroid is moving pretty fast relative to the sun already. But the important velocity is your ship's velocity relative to the asteroid. If you want to stay near the asteroid, you don't use all that awesome acceleration by performing a Controlled Drift or Hold Course maneuver. And if you decide to use all that awesome acceleration, then you need to go somewhere: closer to it or away from it or in a loop, and two of those options are evasive.
Okay, I would probably re-order the options slightly, because it took me a couple of tries to figure out your chart. From the top, I would do: Uncontrolled Drift, Controlled Drift, Hold Course, Retreat, Evasive Action, Closing. And then I would swap the order of conditions for Evasive/Closing and Retreat. Then the +s would still descend from left to right, but there wouldn't be that gap between Evasive and Closing.
Maneuvers don't matter as much as they could because:
1) Missiles are much too powerful.
2) Beam weapon damage is too high relative to the HP of large ships.
3) point defense is all or nothing
Based on my sample combats, Spaceship combats is an exchange of beam weapons until a ship loses point defense, and then a barrage of missiles destroys it. In theory, you can overwhelm a ship's PD with missiles, but that's a strict design and force structure question: does your fleet have more missile launchers than your target has PD shots? If you do, your target dies, and if not, you wasted all your missiles.
But the first two sample combats I did were between small spaceships (SM+5 to SM+6), primarily armed with beam weapons, with enough PD that PD couldn't be overwhelmed until the spaceship was damaged. At that point, maneuvering mattered a lot to get good range for their beam weapons.
But well-designed Spaceships are missile and PD batteries, and a fleet engagement involves single ships blowing up on each side until one fleet lacks enough launchers to blow up a ship on the other side, at which point that fleet is destroyed. Which is possibly realistic but not particularly fun.
combat, rules clarification, space, tl11, vehicles


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'THE HAPPENING OF TRUTH' – EDITING AN ANTHOLOGY ON THE 1956 HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION
The 1956 Revolution, the most glorious chapter of twentieth-century Hungarian history despite its quick and brutal crushing, is regarded worldwide as unequivocally beautiful, valuable, and exemplary. It is an event about which most people in Western countries have heard at least something. An English-language anthology of Hungarian poems and prose
SAYING WHAT COULD NOT BE SAID: CSABA LÁSZLÓFFY'S THE HERETIC
A prolific Hungarian poet, fiction-writer, essayist and playwright, Csaba Lászlóffy (1938–2015), member of the Hungarian ethnic minority in Romania, lived part of his life under the dictator, Nicolae Ceauşescu, in a world that strongly resembled that pictured in George Orwell's 1984. Hungarians living inside the Romanian borders had to endure


Conservative groups, funded in part by oil and gas interests, are stepping up efforts to reverse state renewable energy requirements. In his weekly radio address, Gov. Paul LePage blamed the law for Maine's high energy prices – for the second time in as many months.
LePage did not cite a specific study in his radio address.
The governor, a Republican, also criticized the renewable requirement in an October radio address. In this speech he referenced a study by the Beacon Hill Institute.
The legislative council, or ALEC, is a conservative-leaning group of state legislators from all 50 states that has sought to roll back climate regulation in the past.
The analyses – which examine current or proposed standards in states as Maine, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina and Oregon – assume the Energy Information Administration's projected renewable energy price estimates are too low, and that cost-containment measures embedded in state policies will fail. As a result, the reports conclude Kansas' requirement to obtain 20 percent of its electricity will cost consumers $644 million over the next eight years, while Oregon's goal of 25 percent renewable electricity by 2025 will cost consumers $992 million by 2025.
"Maine needs a truly free energy market," LePage said in the address aired Saturday. "Recent events and reports show how Maine could better compete in the global economy if we had a competitive energy market that allows consumers their choice of resources.


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Leo Fall (Olmütz, na 1921 Olomouc, 2 februari 1873 - Wenen, 16 september 1925) was een Oostenrijks operettecomponist van Joodse afstamming, afkomstig uit Moravië. De nationaal-socialisten verboden zijn werk.

Leo Fall, die aanvankelijk van zijn vader Moritz Fall (1848-1922) les kreeg, studeerde muziektheorie aan het conservatorium van Wenen. Hij studeerde daar bij Robert Fuchs en Johann Nemomuk Fuchs. In 1892 ging hij werken als kapelmeester in Hamburg en aansluitend werd hij soloviolist bij het Berliner Metropoltheater.

Zijn eerste composities waren niet erg succesvol, maar na de operette De fidele Bauer, was zijn naam gevestigd en werd hij een beroemd man. Daarna volgden nog vele, meestal succesvolle operettes, geheel in walsstijl volgens de Weense traditie. Naast Franz Lehár en Oscar Straus werd hij van de belangrijkste operettecomponisten van zijn tijd.

Zijn operette Madame de Pompadour stond tot ver in de 20e eeuw op het repertoire van diverse muziekgezelschappen in Duitsland en Oostenrijk. Zijn opera Die goldene Vogel, die in 1920 in Dresden werd opgevoerd met Richard Tauber en Elisabeth Rethberg, werd echter geen succes.

Werken (selectie)
 Der fidele Bauer (1907)
 Der Rebell (1905) (tweede versie: Der liebe Augustin (1912))
 Der fidele Bauer (1907)
 Die Dollarprinzessin (1907)
 Brüderlein fein (1909)
 Das Puppenmädel (1910)
 Der ewige Walzer (1912)
 Die Rose von Stambul (1916)
 Die spanische Nachtigall (1920)
 Madame Pompadour (1922)
 Der junge Herr René (1925)

Externe links

 Leo Fall in AEIOU
 Tsjechische componisten

Oostenrijks componist
Operettecomponist

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text: 2. Deutsche Volleyball-Bundesliga 2013/14 steht für:


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Dejan Pavlovic, född 23 januari 1971 i Gustav Adolfs församling, Helsingborg, är en svensk före detta fotbollsspelare.

Pavlovic moderklubb är Helsingborgs IF, vilka han även spelade på junior- samt seniornivå för. Han spelade därefter för Högaborgs BK innan det blev allsvenskt spel i Malmö FF. När MFF blev nedflyttade ur Allsvenskan valde Pavlovic att flytta till grekiska Kavala. Under sin utlandskarriär blev det även spel för cypriotiska Anorthosis Famagusta och norska Bryne. Han återvände sen till Högaborgs BK 2004, ett år han även spelade för allsvenska Landskrona BoIS

Klubbkarriär

Helsingborgs IF
Han började som sjuåring spela fotboll i Helsingborgs IF. Han gick genom alla ungdomslag upp i A-laget där han debuterade som 20-åring i söderettan. Han spelade 20 matcher och gjorde ett seriemål under sin första säsong i A-laget 1991.

Under sin andra säsong i A-truppen blev HIF uppflyttade i Allsvenskan. Pavlovic fick dock sitta mest sitta på bänken och spelade endast fyra seriematcher. Klubben hade Henke Larsson och Mats Magnusson, som hade värvats från Benfica på anfallet och det gav inte mycket plats för Pavlovic. Efter säsongen 1992 meddelade HIF att de inte tänkte förlänga hans kontrakt.

Högaborgs BK och sabbatsår
Pavlovic valde att säsongen 1993 spela för Högaborgs BK i division 3. Han gjorde under säsongen åtta mål på 21 matcher i serien.

Efter säsongen 1993 bestämde han sig för att ta ett sabbatsår från fotbollen. I slutet av år 1993 att började han istället träna boxning i Helsingborgs BK. Han gick tre matcher under året 1994 och vann samtliga. Pavlovic tvingades dock sluta med boxningen då han under en skidsemester vurpade och skadade båda ledbanden.

Till säsongen 1995 återvände han till fotbollen och Högaborgs BK. Klubben vann division 3 detta år och hade en stark trupp med spelare som Daniel Nannskog, Daniel Andersson och Lino Boriero. Året efter, i division 2, gick det mycket bra för Pavlovic som gjorde 17 mål på 20 matcher.

Malmö FF
Inför säsongen var Pavlovic och provtränade i Malmö FF med vännen Björn Hofvendahl. MFF som hade en ny tränare i nederländske Frans Thijssen, valde att värva Pavlovic medan Hofvendahl ratades och flyttade till Finland. I MFF:s femte träningsmatch för säsongen fick Pavlovic göra sin debut för klubben. Matchen spelades den 15 februari på en träningsplan vid Malmö Stadion mot danska Herfølge BK och slutade med en 2–0-seger efter att Goran Trpevski och Björn Enqvist gjort mål. Han första mål kom den 28 februari när MFF besegrade Viking Stavanger under sitt träningsläger i Cypern med 1–0.

I den allsvenska premiären mot Västerås SK på Malmö Stadion var Pavlovic uttagen i startelvan. Han gjorde inget mål i debuten men MFF vann ändå med 2–0. Han gjorde sitt första allsvenska mål den 11 maj när MFF besegrade Örgryte IS med 3–0. Efter halva säsongen blev det svårare för Pavlovic, som oftast hamnade på bänken under höstsäsongen. Det blev dock 20 matcher samt ett mål i Allsvenskan för Pavlovic som fick sin första medalj, lilla silvret. Totalt spelade han 30 matcher och gjorde 6 mål under året.

Under sin andra säsong i Malmö FF förstördes nästan hela hans försäsong av sjukdomar. Han medverkade dock i åtta av fjorton träningsmatcher, varav de flesta från bänken och utan att göra något mål. MFF hade stora problem med spelet denna säsong och laget hamnade långt ner i tabellen. Hans första mål för säsongen kom den 18 juni mot BK Häcken. Efter knappt en halvtimme av matchen hade Pavlovic nickat in tre mål. Matchen slutade med en 4–0-vinst och han gjorde assist till det fjärde målet som gjordes av Mike Owusu. I derbyt på Olympia gjorde Pavlovic ett straffmål i matchen som slutade med en 2–1-vinst för MFF.

Han blev MFF:s bäste målskytt under 1998 med sina 12 mål och spelade totalt 40 matcher. Han gjorde även sitt första mål i Europacupen denna säsong. Målet gjordes den 22 juli när MFF spelade borta mot FC Shirak i Jerevan från Armenien. MFF vann matchen med 2–0 och det andra målet gjordes av Jörgen Ohlsson.

Han spelade de flesta cup- och träningsmatcherna 1999, där han gjorde fem mål. Den 20 april gjorde han båda målen när MFF vann med 2–0 över AIK. Han var skadad under halva säsongen och kunde inte spela igen förrän i sista matchen mot Västra Frölunda, men då var MFF redan klara för nedflyttning till Superettan 2000. Han spelade 33 matcher och gjorde 11 mål för MFF under 1999, varav fem var i Allsvenskan.

Säsongen 1999 var Pavlovic sista säsong i MFF och han spelade totalt 103 matcher och gjorde 29 mål.

Senare karriär
När Malmö FF blev nedflyttade till Superettan valde Pavlovic att prova lyckan utomlands och blev proffs i grekiska Kavala. Efter ett år i Grekland hamnade han på Cypern och i klubben Anorthosis Famagusta. Han var inte långvarig på Cypern heller och 2001 värvades han till norska Bryne, där Reine Almqvist var tränare. Pavlovic debut i klubben var lyckad då han gjorde två mål när Bryne vann åttondelsfinalen i cupen mot Molde med 3–2. Han debuterade i Tippeligan den 29 juli och var kvar i klubben säsongen 2003 ut.

Därefter flyttade han tillbaka till Skåne, där han återigen hamnade i Högaborgs BK. Eftersom han hade skrivit på en klausul som gav honom rätt att omedelbart lämna HBK vid ett allsvenskt erbjudande, så valde han att acceptera ett erbjudande på ett tvåmånaderskontrakt med Landskrona BoIS. Han spelade två matcher för Landskrona under sitt lån innan han återvände till Högaborg. Efter säsongen 2004 valde han att avsluta sin fotbollskarriär.

Referenser

Webbkällor

Noter

Svenska fotbollsspelare
Födda 1971
Levande personer
Män
Idrottare från Helsingborg
Spelare i Helsingborgs IF
Spelare i Högaborgs BK
Spelare i Malmö FF
Spelare i Anorthosis Famagusta FC
Spelare i Bryne FK
Spelare i Landskrona BoIS
Spelare i Fotbollsallsvenskan
Spelare i Tippeligaen
Svenska idrottare under 1900-talet
Svenska idrottare under 2000-talet


I have low back pain. Can I just come in and make an appointment?
If insurance is being used, a referral or authorization with the diagnosis signed by a physician for physical therapy is usually required for services.
What is the proper attire for physical therapy?
What is the proper attire for pool Therapy?
A bathing suit or apparel made of nylon, Lycra or polyester blend. Cotton fibers can clog the filter.
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On your first visit expect to be at the office for at least one hour.
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Yes, our physical therapist have received degrees from accredited institution and they are licensed to work in the state of California.
Our physical therapy assistants, who work alongside the physical therapist, have completed a degree from an approved Physical Therapy Assistant Program.


text:
Resource post, Thoughts and things
Short intro to Slovenian contemporary culture (guest post by Andreja C.)
21st June 2020 23rd December 2020 by Erratic Engineeress
The other day me and one of my humanist friends had an interesting debate about Slovenian contemporary culture and book recommendations, so I asked here to write a guest post about it. Andreja Cimprič is a historian with a keen interest in philosophy and literature, and even though I'm a huge bookworm, I'll admit I don't pay as much attention to Slovenian contemporary literature as I should, so she was the perfect person for this blog post (thanks!). She did a great job covering all the aspects of popular culture (books, music and movies) and their place within the broader context of Slovenian mentality and history, even though she was limited to the ones that are translated in English. I've added a few of my recommendations and comments in between as well, so if you ever wanted to know more about my country or are just looking for something fresh and different, give this list a try (I know I will)!
Slovenia is a country which takes an unusual pride in its culture. Therefore any attempts at cutting the funding for culture aren't exactly meet with enthusiasm in a significant part of the population. The reason for it should be sought in the historical process of the Slovene nation building, as the Slovenian nation is one the nations without a significant political tradition. If western European nations, such as England and France, could and did rely on their tradition of state and politics, that wasn't the case for Slovenians when we were struggling for recognition of our language and national right in the supranational Habsburg empire. If our neighbours Hungary and Croatia could rely on the continuity of the crown and their empire, we had none of that. Our elites spoke mostly German or Italian, and therefore seemed like foreigners in the nationalist frenzy of the nation-forming 19th century. But we had culture, which was the most significant way of showing our national being. That is the reason we celebrate the Reformation Day (31st of October), even though Protestantism didn't have a significant impact on Slovene culture. It is for celebrating rebellion and, even more importantly, the making of the first Slovene books by Primož Trubar.
Culture is still a very significant part of our national identity and our cultural production is pretty big for a nation of our size. Since I am a humanities bitch who always buys a book when I travel, I find it suitable to give you a short introduction to Slovenian contemporary culture, which can open your eyes not only to the Slovenian reality, but also in regards to the broader cultural tensions of the Balkans, central Europe and post socialist states as such. So, here are my recommendations for books, movies and music with a short introduction for every mentioned piece:
Slovene books
#1: Drago Jančar – I Saw Her That Night
Drago Jančar is probably the most well known Slovene writer and with good reason. Not only is he a really supreme stylist, but also gives a voice to the cultural anxieties of the current Slovenia in a quirky, postmodern fashion. He is also known for his vocal, controversial and strong opinions about the Slovene society and politics. Jančar is, for example, a former dissident from the socialist Yugoslavia and a conservative, who voiced opposition not only against vulgar nationalism, but also against capitalism, which is probably inconceivable to many Western readers. This unique view is also a part of this novel, which is constructed in a similar manner as Akira Kurusawa's cult movie Rashomon. It shows an event from the Second World War through different eyes and gives the reader both a window into the pre-war Slovene society, and food for thought in regards to the interpretation of historical events. Link to the novel here.
At this point I should also mention two more of Jančar novels, which had been translated into English: The Galley Slave, which is set in the early Modern era and builds a real, paranoid atmosphere of religious struggles, witch hunts and the birth of absolutism in the Habsburg lands. The other one is The Northern Lights, which describes the tensions in pre-war Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city, and really shows the birth of totalitarian tendencies within a society. It is probably the most current of his books in this era of Donald Trump, Brexit and Viktor Orban. /Edit: My favourite among Jančar's books is Zvenenje v glavi (Headnoise), which isn't translated to English, but was made into a movie – here./
#2: Lojze Kovačič – Newcomers
This is a novel Petra hates and which I had to read and write an essay about for my high school graduation. It follows the author's life story: he was born in Basel, Switzerland, to a German mother and Slovene father, which isn't a surprising fact as Germans used to form a significant parts of the population in Slovenia. The author describes moving back to Slovenia, the stigma of being half-German and the cultural shock of encountering the reality of Slovenian countryside. Kovačič also possesses a very interesting writing style, which is the consequence of the fact that he was thinking in German many times while he was writing in Slovenian. This book is a nice addition to the works of Drago Jančar as an introduction to understanding the cultural and class anxieties of central Europe. Link to the novel here.
#3: Vladir Bartol – Alamut
This is probably the most famous Slovene novel and one that gained significant notoriety after the terrorist attack on 9/11 and the rise of political Islam as a force to be reckoned with. This work was a subject to both praise and criticism, praised as a prophecy of the future and criticised as being full of prejudice against orientalism. Both points of view are kind of correct, but both fail to understand the point of the novel and miss the spirit of the age.
Firstly, while Alamut is set in the Islamic world, the themes of the novel are much more universal and actually inspired by European events. Vladimir Bartol was originally from Trieste, the town which now lays in Italy, but always had significant Slovenian presence, and was very alarmed by the rise of fascism, which was specifically anti-Slovenian in Trieste. Inspired by the works of F. Nietzsche and psychoanalytics, Bartol's Alamut offers us a timeless window into how extremism and fanaticism are born. Link to the novel here.
#4: Suzana Tratnik – Games with Greta
Suzana Tratnik is one the most important current Slovenian cultural figures and she can rightfully be called ''donna universalis'' as she is a writer, translator, sociologist and LGBT activist, who was one of the most important figures in the alternative and dissident movements in the 80s. Her favourite art form is a short story. Games with Greta is also a short story collection, in which the protagonists are mostly from the margins of society and offer a perspective of rebellion and difference, which is kind of hard in a small country where everybody knows everybody. Link to the stories here.
#5 Goran Vojnović: Southern Scum, Go Home!
In the heat of the Black Lives Matters movement the voices from the margins are becoming more and more important. While Slovenia is seen as an extremely homogenous country from the outside, and most of the immigrants are pretty much blended into the mainstream society, due to being both white and Slavs, the cultural tensions and the use of Southern Slav immigrants as ''the Other'' since the downfall of Yugoslavia are still present, specially since they replaced the Germans as the supreme Other after WW2. Vojnović offers a humorous and realistic view of the culture and society of immigrants from the ex-Yugoslavia without indulging in idealization. Oh, and there is also a movie based on the novel (Čefurji Raus!). Link to the novel here.
#6: Katja Perat – The Masochist
Katja Perat is probably one of the most important voices of the younger generation in Slovene literature, who first made herself a name with poetry, but also entered into the world of prose with her novel The Masochist. It is a fictional autobiography, which uses the backdrop of the 19th century central European culture as a way to dive into feminist themes and exploration of the female sexuality. Link to the novel here.
#7: Mojca Kumerdej – Harvest of Chronos
As I already mentioned in the introduction, the Reformation was an important event in the building of the Slovene national identity, even if mostly through later interpretation. Therefore it seems fair to include a novel, which deals with it and the early modern Slovenia. Mojca Kumerdej uses it as a backdrop to explore universal, or even modern topics such as violence, intolerance and scapegoats, but she does it with stunning historical accuracy – she was helped by Dr. Sašo Jerše, who is one of the most important Slovene historians of the younger generation. Link to the novel here.
#8: Boris Pahor – Necropolis
Since we live in an age when extreme right is re-entering the political arena and the crimes of the 20th century are on a brink of oblivion and a source of material for Internet memes, a holocaust novel written by a member of the Slovene minority in Italy is a must read. Particularly because Boris Pahor has a great command of language and is an important figure in both Slovene and Italian culture. /Edit: He's also 106 years old and considered the world's oldest Nazi concentration camp survivor/. Link to the novel here.
#9: Jela Krečič – None Like Her
Another Slovene novel, which deals with highly contemporary and universal themes, is None Like Her by the Slovene author and philosopher Jela Krečič (who is also Slavoj Žižek's wife – /Edit: Žižek is the world famous crazy Slovenian philosopher/). The basic plot of the novel is a guy's obsession with his ex girlfriend: to prove that he is over her, he goes on a series of dates. Through his interaction and dialogues, the author offers a clear window into crypto-misogyny, which is still present in the millennial generation, despite their nominally progressive views. Link to the novel here.
#10: Maja Haderlap – Angel of Oblivion
While it was originally written in German and not in Slovenian, this book still deserves a place, as Maja Haderlap is a member of the Slovenian minority in Carinthia, Austria where their belonging to the Slovene nation is much more reflexive than in Slovenia itself. There are two reasons for it, firstly of course the historical discrimination and the Nazi terror, and secondly is the role that Carinthia plays in the Slovene national mythology. The novel deals with contemporary history and the search for identity, and is, despite dealings with a highly specific time and place, extraordinarily universal. Link to the novel here.
Ivan Cankar – The Bailiff Yerney and his rights
Petra asked me to avoid Cankar, as some of his works are probably a source of trauma for every Slovenian school goer, but he is also an extremely important writer and a testament of his time. His work offers a corrective view to the Stefan Zweig's The World of Yesterday and shows also the poverty and ancient regime mentality of the old Austrian Empire besides the elegance of the Viennese society. Link to the novel here.
/Edit: While I agree with Andreja that Cankar is an extremely important historical and cultural figure, he is often hailed as the greatest Slovenian writer. I actually like his plays, but not his prose – as you might have gathered from this list, lots of Slovenian novels tend to be firmly rooted in the horrible past, reliving all the woe which had historically befallen Slovenians. We're obsessed with it, to the point that this pathos is a part of our national and cultural identity, which must be understood within its political and historical context. I've found that both Slovenian students and foreigners often read Cankar as the best representative of Slovenian literature and give up on it entirely, because his prose is heavy, suffering and melancholic to the point of being unreadable, which is a shame. We have many other good authors (most of them listed in this post) and they deserve to be read and not overshadowed by the "greatest Slovenian writer", whose quality is, in my opinion, not so much in his actual works, but rather in what they meant for the Slovene nation during his time (although it is fair to point out, that Cankar was actually quite optimistic regarding the future of Slovenians and that based on the Slovene achievements in the 19th century he had good reason to be)./
Fulvio Tomizza – Materada
OK, this author was born in Croatia and was Italian by nationality, but his works are probably the best window into the culture and society of Istria, the region caught between Slovenia, Italy and Croatia, which was caught between Austria and the Republic of Venice even earlier on. Materada is a highly empathic novel, showing the diversity of the Istrian penisula, which is also my homeland. Link to the novel here.
Peter Handke – Sorrow Beyond Dreams
Peter Handke is a controversial Austrian recipient of the Nobel prize, but his controversy steams more from his blind support for the Serbian nationalist leader Slobodan Milošević than his writings. While he is from Austria and writes in German, he is also the son of Slovene mother and the closest that we have to a Noble prize winner so far. This novel deals with mother, a Carinthian Slovene. Link to the novel here.
Non-fiction books:
#1: Oto Luthar – The Land Between
The best overview of Slovenian history available in English, which includes contributions from many famous Slovene historians. Link to the book here.
#2: Slavoj Žižek – Sublime Object of Ideology
It is hard to recommend a book by Žižek, as they are all mostly very dense and a hard read, but the Sublime Object of Ideology is the book which is largely responsible for his fame and offers a unique thought about Marx's concept of ideology with the help of concepts borrowed from Jacques Lacan. If you aren't exactly a bookworm, you can also check the various documentaries from Astra Taylor's Zizek! to Slavoj's own The Pervert's Guide to Cinema and The Pervert's Guide to Ideology. Link to the book here.
#3: Jože Pirjevec – Tito and his comrades
Probably the best book on Tito, the Yugoslavian leader, available in English. Link here.
#4: Noah Charney – Slovenology
This is an interesting book, written by an American who moved to Slovenia and whose enthusiasm for our society and system serve as a great corrective view to the often overly critical Slovene voices. It is also a good portrait of Slovenia for a foreigner. Link here.
#5: Renata Salecl – The Tyranny of Choice
A book by Slavoj Žižek's ex wife (P.S.: Slavoj Žižek is the proof that being an incel is a choice) in which she offers a great exploration into the problematic of choice and the obsession with it in the neoliberal society. Link here.
/Edit: There are of course many more good books out there, but few of them are translated into English. However, another author that should be mentioned as #6: Miki Muster, a famous Slovenian cartoonist and comic writer. His comics about Trickster the fox, Hardie the turtle and Hungerly the wolf are a part of every Slovenian's childhood and you can check out his animations in different languages here. Link to the comics here, but most are in Slovenian.
Slovene music
Slovenia isn't exactly a force in the world of popular music, but I still decided to choose 5 Slovenian contemporary albums, which are very well worth a listen:
#1: Laibach – Spectre
Spectre (link here) is neither the best, nor the most popular of Laibach's work (that honor would go to albums Laibach and Opus Dei), but it is their most accessible and contemporary work, which deals with the heated problems of our era in a traditional Laibach fashion. /Edit: Laibach are probably the most famous and controversial Slovenian rock band, which even managed to have a concert in North Korea, a first for that tightly controlled nation./
#2: Melodrom – The Guide
A great artsy Slovene synthpop band with a Laibach female vocalist as their frontwoman, The Guide is their accessible album in English. Link here. /Edit: My favourite Melodrom song is September, but it's in Slovene./
#3: Silence – Vain, A tribute to Ghost
Another band, which collaborated with Laibach on their album Volk, is a great and innovative electro band that also creates soundtracks for theatre plays. Link to the album here.
#4: Katalena – Noč Čarovnic
A Slovene folk rock band, which dives really deep into our musical and ethnical tradition. This album is based around witches and has lyrics written by controversial writer and poet Svetlana Makarovič. Link here.
/Edit: Svetlana Makarovič is a genius in my opinion and if more of her work was translated in English she would be a world literary force to be reckoned with. Although she claims she doesn't write books for children, every child in Slovenia in recent generations grew up with her cheeky mouse Sapramiška and strange furry Kosovirji, which fly on flying spoons with tomatoes. Here is her poetry collection Aloneness, which has been translated into English./
#5: Pankrti – Stožice 2017
A live album by one of the most important European punk bands from behind the iron curtain. Link here.
/Edit: It's hard to recommend music to others, if they can't understand the language. However, Andreja did a pretty good job choosing contemporary bands, without the tacky, supposedly traditional turbofolk Slovenian stuff (by that I mean this horror, which is quite popular amongst an embarrassingly large part of Slovenian population, specially when they get a bit drunk). I do have a few suggestions to add though:
#6: Magnifico – Hir aj kam, hir aj go
This is a song by one of Slovenia's weirdest controversial pop stars, who somehow managed to make a name for himself as the charlatan of the Balkans. His music is a mixture of traditionally influenced bad party music and to me it always seems as if all his work is a sarcastic counterpoint to regular Balkan party hits, so he's worth a listen for the bizarre factor alone. Link here.
#7: Neca Falk – Dravski most
This album is named after the title song, which is a Slovenian rendition of the Banks of Ohio, sung by Neca Falk, a legendary Slovenian vocalist. Personally, I consider her one of our best contemporary singers, as her voice is crazy good. Link to the song here, you can find more of her songs here. /
Slovene movies
#1: Dvojina/Dual
A critically acclaimed lesbian romance, which also dives deep into the problems and lack of vision present in the millennial generation. Link here.
#2: Class enemy
An exploration of the teacher-student relationship, high school society and the meanings of freedom and authority. Link here.
#3: My last year as a loser
A movie about an art historian who is slowly getting tired of temporary jobs and lack of perspective and tries to take her life into her own hands. Another great millennial movie, link here.
#4: Piran/Pirano
The movie shows the changes in the Slovene Istria, following the exodus of Italians and the arrival of the immigrants from the other ex-Yugoslavian republics. Written by G. Vojnović, who also wrote the novel Southern Scum Go Home listed above. Link here.
#5: The Curse of Valpurga
Oh, yeah, Slovenians can also make horror movies and this one is pretty funny. It also includes a Swedish black metal legend as a guest star. Link here.
/Edit: Slovenians are proverbially bad at movies, but we're getting better in recent years. In conclusion I feel like I should add another movie:
#6: Houston, we have a problem
A seriously amazing recent Slovenian mockumentary, a documentary about the Yugoslavian space programme in the 1960s. It features real archive footage of Tito, as well as Slavoj Žižek, and shows the history that never happened: how Yugoslavia scammed the U.S. and sold them their non-functioning space programme during the Moon race. Their conspiracy theory/myth is airtight, it features a healthy dose of Yugonostalgia and I promise you will laugh your ass off while watching it, even if you're not from the Balkans. Link here. /
Andreja Cimprič
Andreja is a passionate historian, a proud Slovenian Istrian and a cat lover. She often writes for Razpotja, a Slovenian cultural magazine, doesn't really do social media and obviously loves reading and coffee.
For Slovenians: Razpotja the magazine
Books and poetry Culture and folklore Guest post History Resource post Review Slovenia
Travel Trivia: 14 facts about Sweden
Ljubljana marshes
3 thoughts on "Short intro to Slovenian contemporary culture (guest post by Andreja C.)"
23rd July 2020 at 19:23
Nice article. I love music from other countries!
Thanks, you should listen to it.
7th August 2020 at 00:52
First I have to go to Solvenia 🙂


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radiobc
Broadcast The Lastest News
3D printing a lightweight knee brace for the elderly
December 26, 2021 December 22, 2021 radiobcorg
A lighter, yet more robust knee brace for the elderly who suffer from knee problems has been developed locally by Singapore engineering firm Delsson, in a collaboration with 3D printing specialists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore).
Using 3D printing techniques—also known as additive manufacturing—the team has managed to reduce the weight of a traditional exoskeleton knee brace, typically built using metal, by 30 percent, thanks to a new design that uses lightweight plastic and assistive springs.
Knee pain is a common problem around the world for people over 65, with an estimated one-third of the United States population reported suffering from knee pain at some time or another. In 2017, 20 percent of the elderly in Singapore aged 60 and above suffer from chronic pain.
Braces are usually prescribed to the elderly patients to help alleviate the burden on their knee joints, as well as to assist patients who have undergone surgery on their knees, such as reconstruction of torn ligaments, often suffered by athletes.
Based on the prototype assistive orthopedic brace 3D-printed by NTU researchers, Delsson and the Centre for Orthopaedics in Singapore have developed a unique product, named X-Brace, which looks similar to the sleek knee brace used by Batman in the movie, The Dark Knight Rises. It weighs about 720 grams, 30 percent lighter than the typical metal orthopedic braces that weigh over 1 kg.
Supported by the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), a national platform initiative led by NTU's innovation and enterprise company NTUitive, this joint research project showcases how Singapore's strong R&D capabilities can transform conventional products and give a boost to the competitiveness of our local companies.
The prototyping process and product design iterations using additive manufacturing were conducted at NTU's Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, one of NAMIC's University Hubs that supports project R&D and translation. The project funding has been supported by NAMIC's Rapid Concept Funding scheme.
NTU Assistant Professor Chan Wai Lee, the principal investigator of this project from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, said 3D-modeling was heavily used to validate the various design ideas that led to the weight reduction.
Mr Joel Lim, an NTU Ph.D. student in Asst Prof Chan's team, led the design efforts in discussion with Delsson and 3D-printed the prototype for real-life validation tests.
"Lightweight and strength are crucial to this project. We first analyzed the conventional knee braces and their current bill of material. We decided to change to a plastic material with optimized structure. Using topology optimisation with a delineated stress map and 3D modeling, we then designed new structures and joints that are strong enough to withstand the flex of the knee and still assist it to move in the correct direction," explained Mr Lim.
Mr Fabian Ong, executive director of Delsson Singapore, said the X-Brace is set to change the way doctors and physiotherapists treat and manage different knee conditions, given that the amount of assistance given by the brace can now be customized, from 6 kg to 32 kg of force.
"X-Brace will be revolutionary for patient recovery. It is light weight and does not slip, while its modular assistance load allows patient recovery to be individualized. NTU's help in providing a quantitative methodology to reduce wall thickness and profile of the frame was crucial in achieving the weight reduction after several reiterations," Mr Ong said.
The joint team worked to improve version 7 of the X-Brace, which consists of a light-weight Nylon 6 frame designed to support bending forces of up to 50 kg about the axis of the knee. The product development is now in its 9th version, designed to be even slimmer.
Dr. Jeffery Chew, chairman and CEO, Centre for Orthopaedics in Singapore, said: "In my over 25 years' of experience practicing orthopedic surgery, I have come across many patients with knee pain. Both young and elderly patients with knee problems often have weakened muscles as they adapt their walking style to reduce load bearing on the knee.
"The lives of patients with weak muscles continue to be severely limited by knee pain despite treatment. The X-Brace reduces the load on the knee, helping patients to walk with less pain in their journey to complete recovery."
Exoskeleton aids knee recovery for patients
X-Brace is designed to aid in patient recovery at the pace that is custom to the user.
While the purpose of a conventional brace is to keep the knee unflexed and restrict the movement of the knee by stopping the user from bending the knee beyond a certain angle, the modular design of the Exo-brace allows patient recovery to be based on exercising the knee after surgery.
Since everyone recovers at a different pace, the tension of the spring and the location of the spring (left, right, or both sides) on the brace is decided by the doctor or physiotherapist to best provide the needed support, while allowing the patient to recover at his or her own pace by daily movement.
Dr. Ho Chaw Sing, co-founder and managing director of NAMIC said, "With a fast-aging global population, light-weight assistive orthotics enabled by 3D printing—such as personalized knee braces, will increasingly become an essential tool in geriatrics, to achieve better elderly patient care and outcomes."
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I was recently asked if I would start a blog explaining my processes for constructing photographic shoots, so now as well as posting general articles, you will find in my blog here some more technical posts.
I thought a good shoot to start with for a behind the scenes is one I recently devised in preparation for a shoot this coming January.
One aspect of the shoot is a top down 'drone' style shoot with the subject laying on the floor, looking up to camera.
My shooting space is very small, and I work with around 2.5m of height and at the narrowest point, 1.4m width, and within this space I needed to create the illusion of height and significant negative space.
My first consideration was the camera set up. I needed a lens which would be wide enough to capture the subject, given the 2.5m height limitation, and light enough to not hinder the suspension of the camera. I settled for my old kit lens - an 18mm-105m DX lens, but with the full frame camera I was using (Nikon D810), the widest zoom would be an increase in the Field Of View of 1.5, so 27mm aprox. Distortion was minimal, and the kit lens was much lighter than my 24mm-70mm FX lens.
So I had the starting point.
Next, I needed to suspend the camera from the ceiling. I needed it to be adjustable and accessible, as well as secure. I have in my kit an extendible pole with 3/4 inch sockets at each end - suitable for slotting over most standard light stands. I erected two heavy duty light stands at a width exceeding the necessary shooting space, and bridged the pole across them.
I next had to get the camera attached to the horizontal pole in a way where I could adjust it, and where it would hang securely perfectly facing downwards, and with the correct orientation for the shooting space. I tend to over think things initially, and often complicate set ups. I was going to construct a harness for the camera using gaff tape, but then I realised that by utilising the battery grip extension on my camera, I could loop the existing camera strap over the horizontal bar, and the secure it back over the camera. Some gaff tape on the camera secured it from slipping as a precaution. The bonus of this is that the weight of the camera stabilised the set-up, and allowed enough friction on the strap for me to adjust it on the bar without it slipping - thus creating a slide-able, tilt-able harness.
On to the final steps!
I use Camera Control Pro 2 as my tethering software choice, and with a remote trigger on the camera, I was able to fire the shutter remotely, as well as trigger my strobe. I shot at f4 - enough to let in light and not cause shadowing on the one light setup I had, and forgiving enough on the depth of field as I would be shooting remotely and would have to adjust the focus point through my laptop (not as quick and reactive as if I was doing it directly on-camera). I used a large soft box for a soft, even light, angling it as much above where the subject (me in this case (no housemate to torture!)) would be as possible.
The rest of the shoot really was very quick - I set my focus point remotely, and laid on the floor! In photoshop the adjustments I made were primarily just Content Aware Scale to create a greater negative space to the floor, colour graded as I also had halogen light colour contamination from my ceiling lights (which I left on intentionally as ambient fill), and a brutally fast re-touch to tidy things up (greater care will be taken when it's the actual shoot).
The actual shoot will involve props, and a theme, but for the purposes of this explanation, that isn't essential information - plus the shoot is rather secret, so I can't give much away. Needless to say, I am very much looking forward to it, as it will be a lot of fun.
Below is the image I got. A couple of hours of building and head-scratching, and then 10 minutes laying on the floor understanding body angles/limb placement etc so I can better direct my client when it comes to the shoot.
As with all of my shoots, I make sure that my problem solving process is fun. I never get stressed with the challenge of shooting in a style I've not done before. A fresh slate to create an image is a wonderful position to be in, I think. Enjoy your photography, and I would love to hear your stories about experimental camera set-ups and photoshoots.
The Vault Festival (www.vaultfestival.com) is an an incredible annual festival showcasing a huge range of performance art. Starting on 24 January 2018, the tunnels underneath Waterloo Station will be transformed into a hive of activity.
If you are one of the artists who is performing at the Vaults - congratulations!
If you are one of these artists, but haven't yet got your visual advertising finalised - WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! The deadline before your poster and visual advertising needs to be finished is 30th October!
Last year I had the pleasure of working with two performers to create their images - Gemma Arrowsmith for 'Earthling' and for Joseph Cullen 'You having Olaf' - two very different shows.
I love the challenge of creating images which capture the aesthetics and concept of a show, and if you don't yet have your advertising complete, consider dropping me a line. I'll make sure you have a fantastic set of images ready in time for the looming deadline!
And, if you are looking for the complete poster package, www.sofi.co.uk is a great place to go to add that finishing touch to your photos.
One of the things I feel very strongly about as both a photographer, as well as an observer of photography, is the now commonplace act of digital body manipulation/augmentation.
It is now such a widespread and commonplace practice that virtually every photograph we see has been changed in some way, and the acceptable 'norm' of what we are now used to seeing and digesting as 'natural' has escalated significantly in recent years.
This trend also stretches to the widespread use of skin filter apps used daily in social media. The sad thing to me is that the technology in the apps is often so poor, it is very evident when an app has been used, rendering the subject with a blurry, texture-less face and liquified features. Totally unrealistic, unnecessary, but now evident in the majority of people's personal photos.
Firstly, let me clarify the difference between what I regard as acceptable digital post production and something which is not. I freely discuss with clients that I will retouch their photos both to grade them and to perfect the overall development of the photo in post production, as well as mindfully edit the photo to remove such things as stray hairs, temporary skin blemishes, lint on fabric which I didn't spot and remove during the shoot, etc. Anything outside of that category, I treat as a dedicated conversation with the client about the necessity and nature of the post production, and why (or why not) it is artistically appropriate.
My main discomfort with body manipulation is that it creates a dishonest photo. It also, in my opinion, does not respect and represent the client truthfully - both for themselves, and for any employer who may see them. I have in the past refused to edit in such a way for these reasons.
There is so much dissatisfaction already created with body awareness due to the unrealistic images in the media, online, and in film, that to bend to it and perpetuate it to me feels morally wrong.
I sometimes feel old-fashioned to have this view, and I often find myself explaining my reasoning with clients (and in this blog!), however recently I have met several clients who feel as strongly as I do about post production. However we look, and with what ever "imperfections" (note the quote marks as I mean this facetiously) we have, this is what we are. And these characteristics are special to us. We should own them, and not apologise for them.
I hope in the not so distant future, body manipulation and the prevalence of modifications such as skin filters will start to see their day and fade out. Yes it will put the retouchers out of some work, however it will be a huge step forward for body acceptance and honesty.
Drop me a line if you would like to celebrate your own personal perfection!
The Elephant in the Studio.
I felt compelled to write this blog, to discuss the often unmentioned elephant in the room - headshots can be scary.
You are in a situation with a photographer you may not have met before, in a studio you may not be familiar with, doing something that may not be your first choice of fun for a few hours.
Headshots can be awkward. I sometimes analogise it to like being in an audition which you can't leave until you get the part. It's easy to put a lot of pressure on yourself.
I also often hear stories from clients about bad experiences they have had in the past. This makes me sad, and frustrated that they had to go through this in order to get headshots.
Headshots are all about showing who you are. Not reinventing or forcing a persona for a photograph. The strongest tool you have as a performer is yourself. As you are. Nobody else has that. And those 'flaws' that you think set you back? No! They set you APART. One of the many things I love about having the opportunity to photograph people is to see how unique, nuanced, and individual everybody is. By allowing yourself to be yourself in the photo, you will, by definition, be showing yourself at your best. Sure - lighting, removing the odd blemish in post production, and making sure your t-shirt isn't covered in lint (seriously, I swear it is self replicating) is important too, but nothing is as powerful and you being YOU.
One of the things that makes me very happy is when an enquiry comes through and I get told that the reason a client has contacted me is that they saw that the people in my portfolio looked relaxed. That they seemed at ease. Since that is my raison d'etre when working with someone on a shoot, I am so happy that comes across in my work.
I guess this blog post is, in summary, to say - don't worry if you're nervous having your headshots taken. Thats normal. They can be scary. If, however you chose to have yours taken with me, I will work hard to make sure you feel comfortable enough so that your true self can shine through. And I've been there myself. I've had the awkward shoot. I know 100% how it feels.
Embrace that elephant. Conquer it!
As is tradition (well, second year running anyway), this blog post is to reflect on the wonderful, challenging, rewarding, exciting year that 2016 has been for me.
I have done more shoots than I imagined being reasonably able to shake a stick at, I have grown fondly familiar with the long drive to Manchester (lots of scream-singing in the car), I have met, and worked with so many fantastic people, and as I write this, I have already confirmed bookings up until April of 2017. Thats insane. It's great, but insane.
2016 didn't come without it's challenges. In July I sustained a severe leg injury which meant that for a considerable length of time I was unable to walk, and even setting up a shoot or holding a camera was impossible. That was so frustrating. But I'm back now (albeit temporarily a bit slower), and with a determination of such magnitude to grow even more in 2017 that it's giving me goosebumps. OK, maybe the goosebumps are because it's freezing cold as I type this, but I have excitement non the less.
In May I was proud, excited, and exhausted, to exhibit my 'Dark Hollywood' work. Since it's debut in Angel, London, it's travelled around, giving people food for thought as they stare into the noir shadows. This makes me so happy. 2017 will see me start work on my next project 'fas-ɛt', and I can't wait.
If you would like your headshot or portrait taken, your portfolio expand with new material, or you have a performance piece, creative project, business, or event you would like capturing, please drop me a line to discuss.
So…It's been around seven months since I officially opened my second photography studio in the lovely market town of Altrincham, Manchester. The location is so lovely - right by the train station, and actually WITHIN a shopping centre, so there is parking RIGHT BY MY STUDIO!
And yes, I am also proud to say I am located about a two minute walk from a lovely pub which does fantastic Sunday roasts. For £4.50. That isn't a typo.
The studio has recently had a new coat of paint, and myself and the other lovely artists of the building are currently organising an open day, where good folk like yourself can come by, no appointment needed, meet the studio owners, learn about their work, and if you want, talk about booking in a photography session.
We are currently in the throws of launching a website for the studios, where details of myself, and the other artists can be found.
In the meantime, feel free to drop me a line here for details.
And yes - the rooftop in the photo of my studio IS accessible - perfect for impactful natural light portraits!
I am really excited to be exhibiting for a second year running at the wonderful 'Surviving Actors' congress in Manchester.
This year it is is being held at the Northern Royal College of Music on 22 October.
The link to the event (which is free of charge!) is http://www.survivingactors.com/manchester and its a wonderful opportunity for actors and performers (new and established) to network, meet other industry professionals, get advice, as well has have the opportunity to meet with Casting Directors and Agents.
Last year I met with lots of lovely fellow actors, and shared with them my advice for getting a great headshot, as well as taking a few on the day in the pop-up studio I had at the event.
It would be great to see you there, and I will be doing a raffle on the day where one lucky person to win a headshot shoot at my Altrincham studios!
An apology that I haven't updated my blog in a while. Bad form I know, but be assured, I have been very, very busy.
As well as helping people with their headshot portfolios, I have been working away on a portrait collection, which I am very proud to announce will be exhibited by the Camden Arts Trust from 12th - 15th May in Angel, London.
It is a collection of twelve portraits, shot in a Film Noir style, using the lighting techniques which are similar to those used in the 1930's. My portraits are in the style of the classic Hollywood portraits, however they tell a different story.
All of these portraits show a 'moment' which shouldn't have been seen. A private moment which chips away at the perfect veneer which Hollywood of that era portrayed.
The exhibition is free entry, and if you are around, please do stop by and see what stories you see in the portraits yourself. And leave a comment down below!
For the last few weeks, I have had the pleasure of photographing the graduating class of the London Studio Centre (www.londonstudiocentre.org).
It's been a wonderful challenge as have been meeting everybody from the school and creating their portfolio, as well as fitting in my other clients, bookings, and now also managing my time in Manchester, but it has been so, so rewarding.
Below are just a few of the students whom I have photographed.
Everybody from the school has, without exception been a delight, and I've even been invited along to see their tour in June, which I have accepted.
Wow. Just wow. What an amazing year its been.
I've been lucky enough to do countless headshot shoots for a fantastic bunch of actors and performers, I've shot for theatre companies, business professionals, dance productions, portraits, websites, festivals, cabaret, businesses, and still found the time to take photographs for myself for the sheer pleasure of it.
I've made the leap to open a studio In Manchester, and as I type this, the last lick of paint is drying on the walls ready to to showcase a whole new demographic of wonderful actors and performers. To say I am excited would be an understatement. And to try and quantify how happy I am that I am already getting jobs booked in for 2016 in Manchester and London is an impossible task.
I've exhibited, been published, and had the honour of teaching other photographers. With all this behind me, and knowing what is ahead, I am only growing more and more excited and driven to succeed in a sector which I love.
Thank you to everybody in 2015 who has been a part of this journey.
I wish you and your families a VERY merry Christmas, and a happy and successful 2016. May your hopes, aspirations and happy daydreams come true.
One of my very favourite styles of photography is Film Noir. I think it is a beautiful form of expression, which expands the boundaries an image by having often the majority of the subject in shadow, thus creating a visual story which the viewer's own mind needs to complete.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing the wonderful actor Edwin Flay. We spent a few hours going through various looks, narratives and shooting styles, and we finished the shoot with over 300 frames which I am currently sorting through.
For me, during a shoot, as soon as I capture just one useable image, everything else after that image is a bonus. By shooting in this way, it creates a pressure free, relaxed atmosphere, and allows the subject to just 'be' in the moment, and not worry about creating a 'product'.
This photo was the first photo where I knew the shoot had been a success. We of course captured many fantastic images after this, but this frame communicates everything I wanted from the shoot.
This images is as shot - and aside from grading the colour to make it a little less saturated, I have done no editing. Working with controlled lighting (this was shot in a fully lit studio) is an aspect of photography I love, and the creative results are virtually boundless.
What does this photo say to you? I'd be interested to hear your comments. Every photo has a story, after all.
I know I haven't blogged in a while - it's not because I haven't had anything to talk about - it's because I've been so busy.
As well as having some great people to shoot here in London, I've been taking trips to Manchester to work on setting up my new studio, as well as juggling some creative shoots.
Last weekend I had a change of pace and spent the day photographing for Latin Angel Tattoo Studio in Richmond (www.latinangel.co.uk). As well as doing portraits of the team, I also spent some time quietly going around taking some abstract shots of the studio and have spent the last few evenings editing them in a way which I hope will be conducive to the ethos and marketing style of the Studio.
And yes...I also left with a tattoo. And I love it!
If you are looking for shots of your creative space for advertising purposes, or a website, please drop me a line.
We've all done it. A selfie. Some, more than others. There's nothing wrong with it in moderation, so long as you NEVER, EVER use 'duck-face'. Just don't.
As a photographer, sometimes I don't have anybody to practice on other than myself and a portrait selfie (pelfie?!) is inevitable.
Yesterday I was trying out a new lighting set up which I will be using for modelling and portrait shots. It's a ring light which gives a really soft (or striking, depending on how you expose it and set up the shoot) light and due to the shape of the light source it gives the subject's eyes a lovely circular catchlight (the name given to the point on the eye where a light source can be seen). It also gives next to no shadows, so will be great for dynamic, strong portraits, as well as really soft, flattering shots.
For my 'pelfie' I chose to go more dynamic than soft, put on some reflective contouring makeup and snapped away for 10 minutes. The results were really satisfying as the below image (which is an example of how the light works) required no editing, other than me changing the white balance. This wasn't even necessary, but I wanted to give the shoot a bright, slightly etherial look.
I'd love to hear from you if you are considering portraits or modelling shots. Drop me a line on my 'Contact' page.
I'm really pleased and excited to announce that Rosemary Rance Photography (i.e. me!) will be exhibiting at the Surviving Actors 2015 exhibition in Manchester on 10 October.
The exhibition is a great opportunity for performers to meet industry, go to workshops, find out what resources and organisations are out there who can offer support, and get to meet face to face some of the people who are dedicated to supporting their (your?) future careers.
I can't give too much away at this stage, but in the forthcoming weeks I will be announcing something which I will be doing at the congress which is an all time first for Surviving Actors!
I would love to say 'hi' to you if you plan on being there, and to discuss face to face how I can help you get that casting-bullseye of a headshot.
This week I had the opportunity to shoot the dancer and actress Miranda Mac Letten. She originally had arrived solely for a headshot shoot, but it transpired that she was also looking for some character shots for her involvement in the forthcoming dance production 'Red' by the dance company Mischief.
Once we had wrapped with the headshots, I quickly switched around my studio to suit a noir style shoot, and below is one of the images.
I absolutely love doing character shoots as the creative range is practically limitless.
Drop me a line if you need something yourself!
Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing the fantastic Courtney Wallis for a 'Film Noir' style shoot.
We had time in the studio, and also took to the streets of London (and dodged a few cars which were driving the wrong way up one way streets!) to get a great range of looks.
Film Noir is such an iconic style of shooting, often associated with 1930's Hollywood. It's a style that I absolutely love for portraiture as it means playing with low key black and white imagery. On a few of the photos, I've snuck in a modern twist, but remained sympathetic to the style.
Take a look at my 'Model' page for a few images from the day.
Yesterday I shot for a very interesting client - a Milliner, who in another part of her professional life is a burlesque performer, actor and model.
Her hats are as unique as her style of burlesque, as well including references to her love of 'Alice In Wonderland'.
I shot at her home studio. The shoot went well, and because of her work as a model, I didn't need to give her any direction at all.
The bonus of being cooked a roast dinner afterwards was the icing on the photoshoot cake.
Miss Ava's Millinery can be found here www.missavasmillinery.com.
Today I had the pleasure of shooting the publicity shots for a forthcoming production of ' A Doll's House' by Dissolve Theatre (www.dissolvetheatre.co.uk) at my studio.
I shot it with a buoyant, bright composition so that it nicely made the dark, suggestive undertones of the story juxtaposed, and not immediately obvious.
'A Doll's House' is currently in production, so check out Dissolve Theatre's website for details of the production, which will be on in June 2015.


Keller District Councilman, Joseph L.Somday serves his 2nd term as the Tribes' Natural Resource Committee Chairman. Somday comes to the Tribes with a rich background in moving forest products to market. He has owned and operated a successful family-owned business, Joe Somday Logging Inc for 15+ years and continues to promote responsible stewardship of the land and its forests.
Somday who grew up in Malo, Washington on a Tribal Trust Allotment works alongside the Tribes' Land and Property director and other council to secure forest management projects on neighboring federal lands under the Tribal Forest Protection Act. The Tribes have two.
Somday also has a two-year Automotive degree from Spokane Community College and raises cattle in his free time.


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Did Selena Gomez Wear Chris Evans' Sweater To SNL? Hmm...
You know the one — the famous Knives Out knit.
by Genevieve Wheeler
Ladies and gentlemen, grab your magnifying glasses. It looks like Selena Gomez may (may!) have worn Chris Evans' sweater to a taping of Saturday Night Live. And we are absolutely dying to know more.
Remember the cream-colored cable-knit number Evans wore in the murder mystery flick Knives Out back in 2019? Of course you do. Well — while supporting her long-time pal Taylor Swift at SNL (Taylor's Version) on Nov. 13, 2021 — Gomez could be seen wearing a suspiciously similar sweater. And this, dear friends, is where the real intrigue lies.
As you may or may not have heard, the internet has been working overtime this fall to search for clues that Gomez and Evans are together and try its very best to manifest their relationship. Rumors first started to swirl in early October, when it seemed as though Gomez and Evans had left a few of the same spots around the same time frame. The rumors were quickly debunked — E! reported that the photos of Gomez and Evans leaving these locations had been taken years apart — but fans have continued to cross their fingers and hold out hope.
In late October, a few eagle-eyed TikTokers thought they spotted Gomez's reflection in Evans' piano on Instagram, turning the wheels of the rumor mill once again. And now (and now!), Gomez just so happens to be bopping around New York City — sporting sweaters that resemble Evans' iconic, cinematic knitwear — and we're meant to believe this is purely a coincidence? (OK, fine. It probably is a coincidence. But like, let me live!)
Footage of Gomez wearing the sweater in question (which yes, we'll admit, does look vaguely different from the one Evans wore in the film) can be seen on Swift's TikTok, where she posted a video of the two backstage at SNL and mouthed the words, "Oh no, my bestie… is a bad b*tch." But, is Gomez bad enough — and sly enough — to conceal a relationship with Evans from the world? Neither star has commented on the speculation to date, but don't worry: We'll be keeping our detective hats on.
Selena Gomez & Drew Taggart Held Hands After She Denied Dating Rumors