Some people are saying that the massive multiplayer game World of Warcraft, with more than 6 million players, is the new golf of the business world. Hitting a small white ball around a chemically groomed park isn't for everyone, and is more expensive than the $15 per month fee for WOW, but at least you get some fresh air and exercise.
Some people are saying that the massive multiplayer game World of Warcraft, with more than 6 million players, is the new golf of the business world. Hitting a small white ball around a chemically groomed park isn't for everyone, and is more expensive than the $15 per month fee for WOW, but at least you get some fresh air and exercise. But, the virtues of virtual worlds like WOW and Second Life are now the subject of serious study and even startups focused on applying game concepts, such as reputation systems, rewards, persistence, deep engagement, immersion and social interaction.
During a panel at PC Forum, WOW wizard Helen Cheng said that many players spend more time playing the game than working at their regular jobs. Cheng is also part of a startup, Seriosity, which plans to apply the game design to solving what she called "generally boring business tasks" and pain points in the enterprise. The 15-person company is in stealth mode, and co-founded by Byron Reeves, a Stanford University communications professor.
"We are trying to use the metaphors inside the game and mapping them to information tasks done outside the game," Cheng said. "There is more emotion and engagement in the game. We are figuring out how to bring more emotion to software, so users are compelled to use it."
Intel, for example, has a large percentage of virtual workers. Seriosity is talking with Intel about applying the lessons from online gaming to improving how hundreds of remote team members can collaborate effectively on projects that require lengthy engagement. "A [WOW] raid can take two to eight hours," Cheng said. WOW players work together to go on quests and raids to increase their levels (standing in the game). Players can be ostracized for behaving badly. Players who farm 'gold' (WOW currency) and resell it on eBay are not highly regarded, Cheng said. When asked what about Seriosity's goal, Cheng said it was to make work "fun."


Creating believable human face has been one of ultimate goals of many 3D artists. The process of creating an average human face is nothing new or rather a very old topic, however to aichive the most realistic and natural-looking possible we have to make the best out of every step we do: from collecting references, planning before modeling,topology, texturing, rendering…etc.
In this study I will only cover part of my research of the modeling process, I will skip through the fundamental things like how to use tools in specific software like Maya/Max or step by step instructions but rather paying more attention to upper level things such as : overall work flow, different approach of modeling, topology, common mistakes …etc as well as all other things that you should put your mind on while working to create a realistic head model.
One fundamental thing you should always aware of is that: always doing research/ planning before digging into doing any actual work. This is critical important for almost anything not just realistic head modeling.
Some master (yes,if there is any) don't require any reference to work their way up to the final product, but practical-wise and production-wise it is highly recommended or even a must that we must based our work on references, whether it is concept art or photograph…etc. The way we set up references and concept arts have direct influences on our models later. The most important thing in this part is the accuracy and quality of reference photographs, concept arts. If we under estimate or make mistake in this process, we might face serious problems later when the model fit with the front view reference image but does not fit at all with the side view. Other case is that our model look exactly fit in orthographic view but in perspective view it doesn't look alike the person in reference.
This will consume a lot of time tweaking back and forth, we feel lost and our reference images didnt come in handy as we expected.
If we are going to take photograph of a real person for references, It is important to take photograph at right angle or else our model will look wrong and we will have to spend considerable amount of time to adjust it. we should also take into account of our camera 's focal length. the longer our focal length is, the better reference photographs we have.
Because the longer our focal length is, the closer our view angle to orthographic view ( like front view, side view which we base our modeling on). However, in theory we never get a orthographic reference photograph due to distortion of view angle so the models in 3D always look a little bit fatter than the real person, but this can be solved by additional editing in perspective view. One other thing I like to mention is that we should use even lighting because all the detail will be washed out or become hidden under lighting that is too strong or too low.
We should not import the raw photo image straight from camera into our 3D software yet, because of the deviation during photograph process we have to check whether these image are exactly fit with each other or not. we should correct our reference images in Photoshop ( using lense profile correction to get rid of the lense distortion) or any other images processing application.
Draw horizontal lines across key elements such as: eyes, nose, mouth and eye browns to check if our references image is consistence and correct-scaled.
We should always plan our topology before modeling or else we will get lost in maze of edge loops or lost control of our polycount and end up wasting poly on uncecessary parts.We have to sketch out the main shape of the head then base from that we plan our edge structures.Topology is one of key element in 3D modeling in general and especially human face modeling in particular.
Because topology and edge loops play an important part in building up the head volume,face's characteristics as well as make up what our head model can do/deform in animation.Unlike other parts of character, the head have much more screen time with many close up shots that involve complex facial expression animation like: smile, sad, anger…etc all bring up different shapes and deformations stages of the face.
With a good and smart topology, it is possible for our head model to be able to deform well into to any realistic expression. if we have a messed up topology, our head model can not do a single facial animation and even if it can, the expression will look very un-natural and distorded badly or require alot of heavy skining/ deform rigging work.
Another plus plint is that nice topology will also make it possible to build the model with less geometry but still look realistic and accurate yet easy to edit and maintain.
Example of how a bad topology cannot hold up when being deform during animation due to poor skinning and topology, the polygons at the mouth corner are being sketched as bad as they can.
With a better planned/correct topology we can achieve a much better result with less poly count.
Reference images from "D'artiste: Character Modeling" – Ballistic Publishing 2005.
What is a good head topology?
Reference images from fineartamerica.com – Anatomy Of Human Face Muscles.
reference images by Steven Stahlberg at www.cgsociety.com.
The foam rubber is the skin surface which our model is, and the strings are muscle, and the table is skull. so we should study the movement and shape of the outside skin not the muscle. So we decide the topology base on the major wrinkles which is formed by facial muscles. so a good knowledge about muscle and facial anatomy is a bonus but our head model might not look realistic if we try to plan the edge structure on exactly every muscles and wrinkles, it would lead to a dead end. it 's better for us to exaggerate the wrinkles on the reference images and build our topology upon that.
This is a basic example of how should we sketch out our topology on reference images, we start with the most identical wrinkles then building up intersected edge flows from that.
Looking at those good topology examples,you can see that each model has a slightly different topology but they still base on the same concept of edge flows and plannings.
It 's also better to know that there is no such looping structure in our human face, as we can see in those reference, breaking our face structure into edge loop is only for the sake of sufficient and simplification of polygon topology. So that the face's topology in 3D technical term is approximated and there is no absolute single perfect topology for head, it 's depended on our reference and purpose of the model.
-Keeping a suitable tris count ( not too high for easy editing , not too low for better model definition ).
when animated and smoothed but it will save us unnecessary edge loops and faces.
– These are some area that usually have pole and they are acceptable.
no long thin nor diamond shaped ( some of these are acceptable to form wrinkles ). Square & chuppy polygon are hold up nicer when being deformed.
– The edge direction should not run across the curvature line of surfaces.
– The worst case is topology running at 45 degrees to the curvature line of the surface form those diamond shape deforms which will look terrible later in render and smoothed.
"D'artiste: Character Modeling\"- Ballistic Publishing 2005.
The more edge and polygon we have, the more accurate and realistic our model is but the more difficult we can edit and maintain it. This apply for both still image and animation. With still image sometime it 's ok but it 's a good practice to keep our model as necessary light and low res as possible. If we want to have extra details, the key thing lies in the texture part.: especially normal and displacement map.
Green lines are mostly to help polygon flows form the shape of the body part base on surface curvature while Red line will play their role during particular extreme expressions.
– Start from a primitive shape ( cube or sphere…etc) : some people start by modifying primitive basic mesh like cube or sphere.
We block out the overall shape of the head first and delete some unnecessary face and edge loops to form a basic topology.
Start from curve/lines and seperated part: Some people prefer to draw curves ( mentioned in above example as green lines ) that run along the surface 's curvature of body part in reference images, these lines together will form a basic head shape. After all, extrude out polygon around the lines and start building separated parts of the face, connect them together when done and carry on editing those gap ( adding red lines ) to form a completed face.
Polygon modeling let us have direct control over edges, faces and vertices, it 's fast and easy to keep track of modeling process however it require a lot of editing work and sometime it does not work efficiently with surface that need high smoothness and accuracy. However with human head modeling it work best in my opinion.
SUB-D : this can be also called polygon modeling. Not many people choose this method to work with.
At the beginning, it is the same as polygon modeling, once we have our basic head model, we can go into detail by adding edge flow to areas that have more detail ( need more edge / vertices ) than other areas like eyes, nose and lips.
N gon and unterminate edge loop are allowed at the base mesh because we will have to smooth the whole model to convert all the polygon to quad.
in topology when we go to higher level, all these N-gone will be all quad and smooth without losing any detail.
Sculpting : an alternative way to modeling a human head is using 3D sculpting software like Zbrush or Mudbox, we can start from very basic primitive base mesh then we start sculpting and adding detail to the model. After you have done with the sculpting process, we can use the retopology the head whether it can be done in Zbrush/Mudbox or your 3D package to create a lighter/topology-correct model but still keep the similar look of our high res sculpture model.
The advantage of this methid is that we can detail our head model with millions of polygon, in the plus side: the process of modeling and topology is separated so we can concentrate on one thing at a time,modeling first, topology later!. Derived from the high res model we can generate normal map, cavity map, displacement map…etc these textures will help us a lot in texturing works later.
Among all the modeling method I mentioned above, i find my self comfortable with the basic polygon modeling which I will use to create the base mesh in Maya and then i will bring it into Zbrush for sculpting and re-topology. Then I can export the lowest-level mesh in Zbrush back in to Maya and apply a displacement map & normal map generated in Zbrush to make it look like the original high res model.
However, despite of what modeling method we are using. Below are some tips & tricks and details that we should pay attention to.
Eyes are the window of the soul" they said, eyes are the critical important element in painting as well as 3D. Viewers always look at the eyes of character first. It 's the eyes that make the most characteristic out of character's face. So it is never redundant when we spend extra time for the eyes.
It is better to use a sphere as reference to model the eye lids or else they will look unnatural and intersect with the eyeball. the eye lids are decided mainly by two curves that formed by upper and lower eyelids. We should also have an extra edge loop inward to make the thickness of the eyelids.The angle of the eye lids' thickness is also have to pay attention to, so that they can catch light better.
The eye's canthus should be modeled with real polygon ( ie : not just texture / bump map ) or else our eyeball wont fit in the eye holes. Some people make eye's canthus separately from the face, but this will make it look like having dirt in the eye's comer so it 's better to having everything as one union mesh object.
It is not recommended when making an absolute circle edge loop around eye areas, in stead we should have a line go out from the outside eyes corner which will help building up the volume of the upper eyelid .These small detail seem not to be noticeable from far distance, but in close up scene they make the eyes look much more realistic and soulful.
Many people underrate this part and they only use one single simple sphere for the eye ball, this make the eye look robotic and dollish. Looking at realistic eyeball, we can see that the eyeball look much deeper and glossier.
The key is we have to mimic the real anatomy of the human eyeball. the most used method in modeling realistic eyes nowadays is breaking the eye ball into two separate part: cornea and eyeball.
-the cornea is like a sphere but more bent forward at the center, and it's transparency with only catch specular, reflection and even refraction.
-The eye ball is a sphere but sunken inward at the center to form iris.
This detail modeling can make our model 's eyes believable.
The water part between the eye lid and eye ball should also be modeled as seperated mesh object to have realistic looking water ring around the eyes.
It is important to get the natural shape of eye slashes right. the shape is determined by the many features of the eye slashes.
Many people use image plane with eye lashes texture on it. But this will make the eye lash look flat, and not good enough in close-up shot.I do some extra study of different method in making eye lashes. some people use Hair & fur in Maya or Hair plugin to make this, but it 's still not really food for close-up.I find out that the best way to do eye lashes is : polygon eye lashes !. Despite of what method we use but the output should be polygon. Polygon eye lashes have a better look with more depth feeling and cast nicer shadows.
We can use Maya paintFX or third party- plugin to make the eye slashes then convert it to polygon. I find myself comfortable with the method of using Maya paintFX hair to model eye lashes then convert it to polygon, this way i can still render the eyelash properly in polygon form while keeping the construct history of PaintFX, i can modify the randomness, the thickness as well as the number of strands ).
Francisco A.Cortina -"D'artiste: Character Modeling" – Ballistic Publishing 2005.
The edge around nose area form a round curve starts from top of the nose and go along ala and terminate at area where Philtrum meet nostrils. The mistake we often have is that edge loop doesn't go around the nose but grid-like edge loop instead, it make the nose look square and big.
In the lips area, we should have at least 2 edge loops go out at the lip's corner or else the model's mouth look like being cut. Also, To emphasize the shape of the lips, we should add an extra edge loop around lips areas because without this edge loop when we smooth or subdivide one more level, the lib shape will be smoothed out.
In addition we model the head with close mouth but it 's better to have some extra face loop inside the mouse just in case to hide the border edge when character open his mouth.
At the chin area we should terminate edge that run from above with a square polygons area. This topology will make we adjust the shape of the chin easier or just in case when our character have a double chin. we should also have an edge loop start from chin and terminate at ear, this will form our character 's jaw bone more nicely.
Ear is a very tricky area in the face, it has spiral structure with a lot of detail in, if we are not careful we might end up spending too many polygon for it. The easiest way is to model the ear separately while keep in mind that its edge flow need to meet with the head topology, in the end we can sew the ear to the head model, we may have some triangle around the sew area but they are hardly ever deform while animation so it is totally safe. This seperated ear model can be reused for any other modelsin the future.
It is essential to keep in mind that whether our model are good enough to move on to other stage like UV or sculpting. We should always review our topology one more time before continue moving to next step to check for unnecessary edge loop, triangles, badly deformed face etc. This will make our work much easier later.
It is necessary to keep the topology of the model as symmetrical as possible unless we have to model character with half of his face altered. This will help us a lot in UV and texturing whether we do it in Maya or other software.
-Review our topology to check whether our character 's face will have a good deform when doing expression or not.
-If our character will talk or open his mouth, we will have to hide the open edge of the inside lips area or we have to model the mouth 's inner interior.
-Putting extra edge loop in the upper eye lids area so we will have enough polygon for the eyelid to cover the eye ball when character closes his eyes.
-Just in case that the character might have frowning or glaring expression, the forehead area will form some wrinkles here. unless if we want to do it by texturing, we should add some extra edge loop around fore head area so that we can have enough polygon to make those wrinkles deformations. But this is not always necessary if we dont want such realistic deform.
Modeling human face is a common topic in 3D graphic. It can be said that face modeling is a simple task, but the most difficult things lie in the harmony of details and shape that make up the unique characteristic and natural of the face. A small change can lead to a vast difference, sometimes it 's difficult to evaluate whether the face look right or wrong, if it looks wrong, which part should be edited ?.A realistic and successful face model will depend much on texture, shader and lighting, however these parts can never be success if they don't have a solid steady base – the model itself.


text:
INDYCAR MEDIA CONFERENCE
Josef Newgarden
Alexander Rossi
THE MODERATOR: We'll welcome in Josef Newgarden, driving the No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, second fastest overall on the time sheets this morning and afternoon. I know you didn't get any practice time, actually, in practice 1 today. It seems like you guys were able to work past that issue and actually set a pretty fast lap in practice 2.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I think we were okay. We tested here last week, so we were pretty ready to go. It was difficult this afternoon to be honest. When I first went out I wasn't very happy the first run, and then we made really good progress the second run, and seemed pretty decent compared to last week. We were happy with our cars when we tested here last Thursday, so we felt optimistic coming into the weekend, and now we're just trying to go through the motions and make the right steps all the way up through the end of Sunday. That's kind of what you do on a race weekend. You try and make the right decisions every day.
So it was a pretty decent start. Now we've just got to put it together tomorrow and Sunday on race day.
THE MODERATOR: Joined also by Alexander Rossi, driving the No. 27 NAPA Auto Parts Honda for Andretti Autosport, 11th fastest on the overall time sheets this afternoon. Alex, I know that you probably wished you were a little higher up on the speed charts, but are you happy with what you're seeing from the car so far and heading into qualifying tomorrow?
ALEXANDER ROSSI: No, but the whole combined thing is weird because they overtake in the morning, so I don't really pay attention to that. I think this afternoon is the representation. I think we made a step forward this afternoon from this morning, and we had the test yesterday, which I thought was really good for us, but this place changes so quickly, and so often that what you have one day doesn't necessarily transfer completely to the next day. We definitely have some work to do overnight and need to put our heads together. It's not the first time we've had a bad Friday, so I have a lot of confidence in the 27 NAPA team that come tomorrow afternoon we'll be all right.
Q. Alex, you say the place changes so much. Do you learn anything or do you need to test seven times to have seven different conditions to try and chase it back and forth?
ALEXANDER ROSSI: Probably, yeah. I mean, the wind makes a big difference to the car balance. Obviously with there being dust on the edge of all the track surfaces, I mean, that contributes. Yeah, the temperature obviously at every track we go to makes a difference. Yeah, the test is very important because you definitely cross things off your list. But in terms of your setup options, I think here it's a pretty wide range, which is honestly kind of similar to Portland, I think, so it's strange that we've had two races like that sort of back-to-back, but we have four cars to kind of lean off of and pick apart the good things, so that's a positive of being on a big team, and we'll get it done tonight and tomorrow.
Q. What about the wind? Do you almost need a meteorologist here because that changes this racetrack considerably?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I think compared to other tracks, it's a big variable here with just the wind direction. It really changes the balance of the car here dramatically compared to other racetracks. You're always watching it. It normally flips on you halfway through the race, and then sometimes in qualifying it does that, too, so you need to pay attention because it can catch you out if you don't catch it when it does change, it can cause a problem for you. So you're always watching it. The team is trying to keep you up to date on it, too, just to make sure you get it right.
Q. Josef, what was the problem this morning?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Some sort of fueling issue. I don't know specifically, but we weren't able to get our fueling sorted out. We didn't even realize it because we were going to run pretty late, so we didn't have a lot of time to work on it I think was the big deal. I think when we were going to run there was 20 minutes to go, and then we realized we had a problem. Not a huge setback in my opinion just because we were able to test, and that makes a world of a difference. You sort of already know what you have and what you want to do. So I felt like getting back on it this afternoon wasn't really a big deal.
Q. I also heard you're ill. Those two events of you not starting --
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: It's funny, so I had food poisoning last night for sure and have been up all night, and my girlfriend texted me as soon as the end of the first session, she goes -- because she thought I was too ill to drive, and I go, it's just a coincidence, like it just looks funny. But no, it wasn't because of the sickness, it was more because of a car problem. Just a coincidence, yeah.
Q. Alexander, we always talk about the degradation of the tires. Less downforce, is that good or bad for tire wear?
ALEXANDER ROSSI: Very bad. Terrible for tire wear. Yeah, it's something that we're all thinking about, we're all concerned about. Fortunately it's the same for everyone, right? So it's just about kind of finding a way to hopefully make the tires last. It's difficult without a warmup for sure so you're kind of going through practice sessions trying to do both things, work on the qualifying car and the race car at the same time. But no, it's definitely going to be a challenge on Sunday for sure.
Q. Alex, the importance of qualifying, winning the pole, this is a tough track to pass on; how important is it to really start up front?
ALEXANDER ROSSI: I mean, I think qualifying is important at every track that we go to aside from probably Texas or Iowa. So I think that it doesn't really change. I mean, you try very hard and you lay it all on the line to get a pole in Portland, Toronto, Long Beach, here. It doesn't really change.
There's a lot more options that you have available to you when you start up front, so regardless whether or not it's hard to pass here, so you want to be on the front row and prefer to be on pole.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
2018 Broadway Roundtable
Theatre Forward held its FIFTEENTH Annual Broadway Roundtable hosted by UBS on february 2, 2018.
2018 Broadway Roundtable Panelists included:
Heather A. Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing
Keegan-Michael Key, Emmy-winning actor, comedian, writer and producer (Meteor Shower, Hamlet, "Key and Peele")
John Leguizamo, Emmy and Obie Award-winning actor and playwright (Latin History for Morons, Freak, Mambo Mouth)
Daryl Roth, award-winning Broadway producer (Kinky Boots, Indecent);
Lea Salonga, Tony Award-winning actor (Once On This Island, Miss Saigon, Les Misérables)
Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the Tony-nominated and Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Award-winning songwriting and book-writing team behind Come From Away
The luncheon also shone a light on Theatre Forward's mission and vision. Bruce E. Whitacre informed the guests that for 40 years, Theatre Forward has advanced American theatre and its communities by providing funding and other resources to the network of 19 leading not for profit regional theatres across the country. He also welcomed Theatre Forward Board Members and members of the National Society, a dedicated group of individuals who support Theatre Forward's efforts with their philanthropic contributions.
On top of their other efforts, Theatre Forward also hosts the Chairman's Awards Gala every year. This year's exciting event will be held on April 9 at The Pierre and will honor the works of August Wilson, composer David Yazbek and Citi. Tickets for the evening are still available.
The Private Dining Room of UBS
Photos by Russ Rowland Photography
Bruce E. Whitacre and Lea Salonga
Carl Sylvestre, Rob Kauffman, and Milton Speid
Daryl Roth, Keegan-Michael Key and Irene Sankoff
David Hein, Heather A. Hitchens, Irene Sankoff and Bruce E. Whitacre
Jill Simonson-Luciano, John Leguizamo, and Fernando Luciano
Fernando Luciano and John Leguizamo
Greg Hurst, Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo, Lea Salonga, Irene Sankoff, David Hein, Daryl Roth, Heather A. Hitchens, and Bruce E. Whitacre
Heather A. Hitchens and John Leguizamo
Heather A. Hitchens, Lea Salonga, and John Leguizamo
Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Keegan-Michael Key, Lea Salonga, and John Leguizamo
Ruth Pomerance, Daryl Roth, Irene Sankoff and Cathy Dantchik


text:
Holmfirth chef Tim Bilton told he has 12 months to live after cancer returns
Dad of two Tim Bilton, 47, ran the Butcher's Arms and the Spiced Pear
Harriet Whitehead
Lauren Ballinger
Tim and Adele Henry and Charlie (Image: PA Real Life/collect)
An award-winning TV chef who was on the cusp of receiving a Michelin star when cancer treatment cruelly robbed him of his sense of taste, has revealed the devastating news that the disease has returned - giving him just 12 months to live.
Tim Bilton, 47, was at the height of his career, planning to open his second restaurant and appearing on shows including the BBC's Great British Menu, when he was first diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer, in his eye in March 2013.
Supported by his farm manager wife-of-13-years Adele, 37, and their children Henry, 13, and Charlie, seven, he fought it a second time when the melanoma returned in 2015, with treatment cruelly robbing him of his sense of taste.
But clear for nearly three years, Tim, of Holmfirth , felt confident he had beaten it, only to discover cancer in his left leg and kidney in December which, at stage four, is incurable.
Now focusing on keeping things as normal as possible for their children, despite having to give up his restaurants, showing remarkable fortitude, Tim, who has regained 80 per cent of his taste, is continuing to work as a chef.
Describing how in March 2013 she first discovered an unusual red blister on the white of her husband's eye, Adele said: "I'd noticed it had grown bigger, but Tim didn't actually go to the doctor for that – he went about four weeks later after pulling his back and asked them to take a look at it.
Tim following the operation on his eye (Image: PA Real Life/collect)
"Within hours I'd had a call from the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield saying he needed to go to their eye unit immediately.
"We were in a huge panic. Everything was a bit of a whirlwind, because at that stage we were also in the process of opening a new fine dining restaurant in Hepworth.
"He had a biopsy and within days he had the cancer diagnosis. He had a tumour which was diagnosed as melanoma on the white of his eye."
The news was a terrible blow for the chef, who was flying high - having sold his house in 2007 to buy The Butcher's Arms in Hepworth , which he had transformed into an award-winning restaurant.
Tim said: "My vision was fine because it was on the white of my eye rather than the retina.
"Surgeons removed the tumour and 30 to 40 per cent of the white of my eye, which they then re-stitched with a baby's placenta.
Tim shaved his head after his hair started to fall out following treatment in 2015 (Image: PA Real Life/collect)
"I'd always thought cancer wouldn't happen to me so my attitude was that they'd removed the tumour and I'd carry on as normal. The next day I was back to getting the restaurant ready."
Refusing to curb his ambition, Tim opened a new venture, The Spiced Pear, also in Hepworth, in June 2013 - having started working in kitchens washing up when he was just 13, before spending two years working under celebrity chef Raymond Blanc, travelling across France and Italy honing his skills.
By the time his melanoma was first discovered, Tim was excelling professionally with two appearances on the BBC's Great British Menu under his belt and a Michelin star - seen as the greatest fine dining accolade - within his grasp.
But 18 months after his initial diagnosis he found a hard lump on the left side of his face and his consultant at Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital confirmed in August 2015 that the melanoma had returned - leading to an eight hour operation to remove the lump, half his saliva glands and some lymph nodes.
Tim following an operation to remove a tumour on the left side of his face (Image: PA Real Life/collect)
Tim, who had the left side of his face stapled up afterwards, said: "There's no other way to describe it – I looked like the elephant man."
Six gruelling weeks of intense radiotherapy followed, with him having to travel for two hours every day for treatment, while Adele tried to keep the restaurants ticking over.
"It was like putting my head into a microwave. The first couple of weeks were okay but between week three and seven it was horrendous," Tim recalled.
"My mouth was covered in ulcers. I couldn't swallow. Speaking became impossible. Imagine how hard it is to eat with one ulcer and times that by a thousand. They were spreading down my throat.
"I lost 100 per cent of my taste. Everything I tried had the taste and texture of cardboard.
"It's like being a carpenter, wood is your tool, and for me being a chef my mouth is my tool, so not being able to use it was absolutely devastating."
Tim undergoing an MRI in 2015 (Image: PA Real Life/collect)
Normally weighing 15 stone, within six weeks of surgery Tim's weight had dropped to nine stone and, after losing his hair, because of radiotherapy he was unrecognisable.
Unable to eat and struggling to get out of bed some days, he relied on high calorie supplements from the hospital for nutrition, but became extremely dehydrated, so doctors threatened him with a feeding tube.
He continued: "I thought, 'I'm a chef and that's not going to happen.' I knew I had to do something and I thought about how much I had to live for – my beautiful wife and children - and that made me more determined. I'd been given a second chance.
"I was eating pureed food and slowly introducing lumps. It took four months from my operation to being able to eat properly.
Tim with the mask used for the radiotherapy (Image: PA Real Life/collect)
"It was very hard, because we had The Spiced Pear and a Michelin star was my ultimate goal, but I knew I had to concentrate on myself and my health. Knowing I might not taste again and being so close to achieving so much was very tough."
Gradually, Tim's sense of taste came back, with the turning point being a holiday in Padstow, Cornwall, when he ate scallops with lime, chilli and coriander at the Prawn on the Lawn restaurant.
Tim said: "It was the first time my taste returned, when I tasted lime and coriander. I actually started crying. I couldn't believe it. It was an emotional moment and a turning point."
Having sold his first restaurant in 2013 to concentrate on The Spiced Pear Tim then took the decision to sell up again in June 2016 to concentrate on his health. Tim spent a few months recovering from the physical and emotional impact of the radiotherapy.
Tim and Adele (Image: PA Real Life/collect)
Then in July 2016, determined to continue in the profession he loved, he was offered a job at a local tourist attraction, Cannon Hall Farm near Barnsley, where he still works today.
Adele said: "Tim's life had changed and he was no longer in the big chef world, but he was really happy and just wanted me and the boys to be okay.
"He was cancer free and was returning to the hospital for check ups every six months, with everything looking fine.
"But it was Christmas last year that he started to get a pain in his knee which he put down to an old footballing injury.
"It got worse and in January he went to his GP who sent him for some scans. We had no idea it would be linked to cancer."
Tim and Henry and Charlie (Image: PA Real Life/collect)
Tim recalled being phoned by his doctor, who told him there was a tumour in his left knee, running down his leg.
He said: "It was like a steam train had come and knocked me sideways."
A further biopsy at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham in April confirmed the original melanoma had spread to the bones in his legs and later his kidney. At stage four, it was incurable.
Under the care of Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield, Tim is now receiving dual immunotherapy treatment, which activates the immune system to attack the cancer cells, but this can only prolong his life and not offer a cure and has led to inflammation of the liver.
Tim having immunotherapy treatment (Image: PA Real Life/collect)
Adele said: "It was completely heart-breaking news. This cancer is such an aggressive thing and moves so quickly.
"Tim's reaction was, 'Cut off my leg,' but by the time they'd done that, it could have spread somewhere else.
"We don't know if the immunotherapy will work, but without it he was given 12 months."
While they have been honest with their children about the prognosis, Tim said they are now trying to live as normally as possible.
He said: "You can do what you want in our house but there's one rule we live by and that is we don't lie to each other. We've been completely open and honest with the boys.
"They know their dad will be fighting this until his last breath.
Adele with Henry and Charlie (Image: PA Real Life/collect)
"We're being as normal as possible. I'm not sitting in a rocking chair at home saying, 'Why me?' I'm still going to work and taking the boys to football and cricket."
In the meantime, Tim has a wishlist, which includes taking Adele and their boys to New York, where they celebrated their honeymoon, and seeing his sons lead his beloved Leeds United on the pitch as mascots.
Having hidden away during his second diagnosis, he has also set up a blog to update people on his progress, stressing the importance of talking.
Tim, who has been overwhelmed by his family and friends' support - having received well wishes from celebrity chefs, too, including Raymond Blanc and Tom Kerridge - added: "The blog allows me to update everyone on what's happening and I've actually found it very therapeutic. I always wanted to help other men and let them know it's okay to speak out. Now people are not phoning us asking for updates, they can just read that. People won't come and ask how I am now but will come up and give me a cuddle."
To follow Tim's blog visit https://onaknifeedge.home.blog .
To donate to their fundraiser visit https://www.gofundme.com/msw8x-making-memories .
Cannon Hall


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From the Editor's Desk — a terrible anniversary
I've had this column on my mind for the past week. I couldn't get away from the fact that this is the January 6 paper. I felt I couldn't ignore what happened one year ago. Then sometimes I would think to myself: "do you really want to bring that up and get angry comments?"
I've heard several radio commentaries and read some other columnists' thoughts about this topic. One that I found very compelling came from a daily newsletter I receive called "Al Cross and Heather Chapman at The Rural Blog" from the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media. It's a collection of newspaper articles from around the country on rural issues. I usually skim the topics and read a few to get ideas and learn from the writers.
This week the topic in the header caught my attention: "Jan. 6 must be remembered by all, and truth must be told."
It was an article by Al Cross, Director and Professor, Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, University of Kentucky. He was giving advice to newspaper editors and publishers in the U.S. about whether to include something about Jan. 6 in the paper this week.
This is how Al Cross started his article: "Yes, the national news media will be full of remembrances and recriminations what happened at the U.S. Capitol that day, so you may think you don't need to say anything. I think you do.
"The riot, assault or insurrection (take your pick), an attempt to disrupt or even prevent the certification of the presidential election clearly and fairly won by Joe Biden, was driven by then-President Trump's lie that the election was stolen from him. I say 'lie' because there is plenty of evidence that Trump knew the truth but chose to repudiate it, on the longshot hope that he could remain in office."
Cross went on to lay out his argument that as local newspapers, we should take our responsibility to inform, and even try to influence, our readers on a topic of this much importance to the future of our democracy.
He convinced me. I am used to having readers disagree with my political leanings. That's okay, we don't all have to agree on the policies of our government. We don't all have to agree on who we think are the best people to fill any variety of elected offices. But we shouldn't disagree on facts.
I am very interested in government and politics. The rally planned for January 6, 2021, had been promoted by President Trump as a day when something "very big" and "wild" was going to happen in Washington D.C. The day was chosen because the election, which Trump lost but refused to concede, was going to be certified by Congress that day—in a process set in the U.S. Constitution.
Just like many other people, last Jan. 6 I had the TV on to see what would happen at this rally and follow the counting of the electoral votes.
Just like many other people, I saw exactly what happened. There is no question that the people who listened to President Trump tell them to walk to the Capitol building and stop the process of counting the votes, walked to the Capitol and tried to do just that. They were not simply demonstrating, they were not citizens simply "touring" the Capitol. The people who climbed the stairs, scaled the walls, broke windows and doors or entered where others had broken in, were trying to stop our democratic process. They threatened our representatives, they beat police officers, they threatened the Vice President.
And what did President Trump do? He watched it on TV and did nothing to stop a violent insurrection. Of course it seems that he was pleased with the actions of his followers. We've learned that his children and other close associates urged him to call the attackers off—which he didn't do for 3 hours. And, isn't it curious that he wasn't whisked away to a safe space while our government was under assault?
All of this because President Trump lied about the election results. At his insistence there have been recounts upon recounts, audits and more recounts, with no real discrepancies found. The election was fair and accurate. Our process of voting overseen by the good people who run our elections—including our local election judges—proceeded securely.
Last month the Associated Press published a report on its months-long investigation of voter fraud allegations. The AP reported: "of every potential case of voter fraud in the six battleground states disputed by former President Donald Trump, [they found] fewer than 475 [fraudulent votes], a number that would have made no difference in the 2020 presidential election."
Our fair and secure elections are the backbone of our country's democracy. The insurrection attempt last Jan. 6 was a terrifying attack on all we stand for.


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Home Past Lists + Guides Past Monthly Lists Top 10 Games & Sports Events This Month: March 2019
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Past Monthly Lists
Top 10 Games & Sports Events This Month: March 2019
Justin Jerkins
Photo courtesy of Supercross
Hoist your fanatic flag high at these exciting games and sports events around Houston in March 2019.
Also in March 2019
Top 15 Events This Month
Top 10 Games & Sports Events
Top 12 Food & Drink Events
Top 15 Concerts & Live Shows
Top 9 Plays & Arts Performances
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Nightlife in Houston This Week
Top Things for Kids This Week
Plan Your Weekend This Week
From cyclists to bicycle kicks, March finds many high-profile events coming to Houston from across the spectrum of the sporting world.
With the Dynamo starting a new season, the Rockets wrapping up theirs, and an International soccer match, you'll find plenty of opportunities to get out and enjoy action around town.
Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake at BBVA Compass Stadium | Saturday, March 2 – The Dynamo kick off a fresh MLS season, reinforced by new signings and with an eye on a return to playoff success. New signings Maynor Figueroa, Kiki Struna, and Matías Vera are ones to watch, along with returning strikers Mauro Manotas and Alberth Elis. Tickets range from $24 to $49, but you may find better or cheaper seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 5pm.
Houston Rockets vs. Philadelphia 76ers at Toyota Center | Friday, March 8 – A reinvigorated Philly team, anchored by Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Jimmy Butler, face the newly healthy Rockets on the way to looming playoff runs. Tickets range from $38 to over $500, but you may find better, cheaper, or hard-to-get seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 7pm.
Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center | Wednesday, March 13 – The final matchup of the regular season between these teams promises to be a thrilling addition to what's become a highly competitive rivalry in recent seasons, studded with some of basketball's greatest players ever. Tickets range from $72 to over $500 and are expected to sell out, but you may find better, cheaper, or hard-to-get seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 8:30pm.
Houston Dynamo vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BBVA Compass Stadium | Saturday, March 16 – After missing last season's playoffs, both teams will be looking to get their seasons off on the right foot at this weekend afternoon match in Week 3. Tickets range from $24 to over $50, but you may find better or cheaper seats using the TicketNetwork resale marketplace. 2pm.
Tour de Houston at Hermann Square at City Hall | Sunday, March 17 – The annual bike ride sends cyclists down one of three routes in 20-, 40-, and 60-mile lengths, offering new views of Houston on two wheels. This fundraising ride for the city's reforestation efforts is perfect for casual and enthusiast riders alike. Helmets are required. Registration is $40 for riders 13 and older until March 17; $20 for kids 12 and under. Check-in starts at 6am, with the first riding event at 7:30am.
Houston Sabercats vs. Utah Warriors at Constellation Field | Thursday, March 21 – The Sabercats rugby team scrums for one last time at Constellation Field in Sugar Land before their brand new Aveva Stadium opens in April. Tickets range from $10 to $95. 7pm.
Houston Astros vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: Spring Training at Minute Maid Park | Monday, March 25 – The Astros open a home slate of Spring Training games with Pittsburgh as a final tune-up before the start of regular season baseball later in the week. Tickets start as low as $10, but you may find better or cheaper seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 7:10pm.
United States Men's National Team vs. Chile at BBVA Compass Stadium | Tuesday, March 26 – With World Cup qualifying on the horizon, a youthful USA team led by Christian Pulisic faces a Chile squad that is preparing for their summer continental tournament in Brazil. Tickets range from $38 to $295, but you may find better, cheaper, or hard-to-get seats using the TicketNetwork resale market. 7pm.
Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets at Toyota Center | Thursday, March 28 – A clash of top Western Conference teams, the Rockets face the surprising Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic, as Harden looks to lock up back-to-back MVP runs. Tickets range from $17 to over $500, but you may find better or cheaper seats using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 7pm.
Monster Energy AMA Supercross at NRG Stadium | Saturday, March 30 – The rip-roaring, mud-slinging dirtbikes of AMA Supercross arrive at NRG Stadium for another FIM World Championship event. Tickets start at $30, but you may find better or cheaper tickets using the TicketNetwork online marketplace. 6:30pm.
Find More Things to Do in Houston All Year Long
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Justin Jerkins is a soccer writer and analyst, living in Houston. When not reporting on local and international soccer, he covers sports, concerts, destinations, and breweries for 365 Things to Do in Houston.


The average maximum daily temperature — 29.9°C in August. Average maximum night temperature — 23.9°C in August. The average minimum daily temperature — 14.4°C in January. The average minimum night temperature — 11.4°C in January.
Average maximum temperature of the water — 26.3°C fixed in August. The average minimum temperature of the water — 16.1°C fixed in February.
Maximum precipitation — 52.7 mm It was recorded in January. Minimum precipitation — 2 mm It was recorded in July.


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Human Diseases and Conditions
E-Ga
Photo by: Henrik Larsson
Elephantiasis (el-e-fan-TY-a-sis) is the result of a tropical worm infection called filariasis (fil-a-RY-a-sis). When infected mosquitoes transmit the parasitic worm Wuchereria bancrofti to people, the worm blocks the lymphatic system. The blockage causes swelling in the legs or other parts of the body, making these body parts appear large and puffy, or elephant-like. Elephantiasis is not "elephant man disease," which is an inherited condition with completely different causes and symptoms.
for searching the Internet and other reference sources
Wuchereria bancrofti
Elephantiasis was known to the early Greeks and Romans. It is a tropical or subtropical disease, occurring where many kinds of disease-carrying mosquitoes are found: South America, Cuba, Puerto Rico, West Indies, Africa, Spain, Turkey, Asia, Australia, and many South Pacific Islands. About 100 million people worldwide are affected.
The Mosquito Carrier
Insects that carry diseases are known as vectors * , and several species of mosquito are vectors of Wuchereria bancrofti, the nematode worm that causes elephantiasis. When a Culex (KYU-lex), Anopheles (a-NOF-e-LEEZ), Aedes (ay-EE-deez), or Mansonia (man-SO-ne-a) mosquito carrying the Wuchereria bancrofti organism bites a human, the mosquito may inject worm larvae * into the body. The tiny larvae then may make their way into the lymph glands and the lymphatic system.
* vectors are animals or insects that carry diseases and transfer them from one host to another.
* larvae are worms at an intermediate stage of the life cycle between egg and adult.
The lymphatic system is a complicated network of very fine tubes, about the diameter of a needle, which criss-cross body tissues to collect a fluid known as lymph. Lymph is a milk-like substance (containing white blood cells, proteins, and fats) that plays an important role in absorbing fats from the intestine, in fighting infections, and in the proper functioning of the immune system. Lymph is returned to the bloodstream via many vessels known as lymphatics. At various points, the lymphatics drain into masses of tissue known as lymph nodes or glands. If a blockage occurs, fluid may collect in the tissues, causing a type of swelling known as lymphedema (limf-e-DEE-ma). In the lymph system draining the legs, for example, few connections exist, and the legs often are a site of swelling when lymphedema occurs.
Parasitic worms transferred to people by infected mosquitoes can block the lymphatic system, causing the puffiness and swelling of lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis).
Lymphatic filiariasis
Worm larvae that make their way into lymph vessels can mature into adult worms. Male worms are long and slender, about 4 to 5 cm long, and 0.1 mm in diameter. Female worms are much larger, 6 to 10 cm long, and about three times wider than the males. The adults make their home mostly near the lymph glands in the lower part of the body. The adult female releases eggs enclosed within an egg membrane (microfilariae), and the microfilariae (mi-kro-fi-LAR-ee-i) develop into larvae to continue the life cycle.
In most parts of the world, microfilariae are at their peak in the blood during the night. The worms restrict the normal flow of lymph, resulting in swelling, thickening of the skin, and discoloration. This is what can cause the appearance of an elephant's leg. However, the swelling of elephantiasis usually does not occur until a person has been bitten by the disease-carrying mosquitoes many times and has had years of exposure to infected mosquitoes.
What Happens to People with Elephantiasis?
In addition to the characteristic swelling, people with this disorder sometimes have bouts of fever and headache. Sometimes their swollen limbs become infected.
Joseph "John" Cary Merrick was known as the Elephant Man, but he did not have elephantiasis.
Born in 1862 in Leicester, England, Merrick became a human attraction in circus side shows. His appearance was normal at birth, but when he was about age 5, he developed extensive overgrowths of skin that affected his face, head, torso, arms, and legs. He was reported to have had a 12-inch wrist and a fin-like hand.
For many years, researchers believed that Merrick had neurofibromatosis (neur-o-fib-ro-ma-TO-sis), a genetic condition that causes large growths on the skin and in tissues. Recent research using x-ray studies, however, suggests that Merrick in fact had Proteus syndrome, a condition so rare that only 100 cases in history have been reported.
Microfilariae sometimes can be seen in blood under a microscope. Often the doctor diagnoses the disorder based on the symptoms and a medical history, after ruling out other disorders with similar symptoms.
Medications are not very effective against adult worms. New microfilariae produced by the adult worms often continue to show up months after treatment.
Because elephantiasis is found mainly in poorer countries, money for research into the cure and prevention of the disease has been limited. Effective treatment and preventive efforts would include:
spraying to kill mosquitoes
giving antibiotics to prevent infection
giving medications to kill microfilariae circulating in the blood
applying pressure bandages to reduce swelling
surgically removing infected tissue.
World Health Organization, Avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. WEHO posts a fact sheet about lymphatic filariasis at its website.
http://www.who.org/home/map_ht.html
Also read article about Elephantiasis from Wikipedia
Elephantiasis forum
Ebola Fever Embolism


You didn't pick the house that was best for someone else, you picked the one that's right for you! Trust our professionals to find the mortgage loan that best fits your needs, too. "Less paperwork and more personal attention" means you enter a frustration-free zone from application to decision.


This entry was posted in CETA, Europa, Nachhaltigkeit, Politik allgemein, TTIP and tagged ceta, Christian Tietje, Christoph Then, Foodwatch e.V. Jürgen Maier, Testbiotech e.V, Thilo Bode, Umwelt by Victor Fuchs. Bookmark the permalink.


the act or fact of igniting; state of being ignited.
a means or device for igniting.
(in an internal-combustion engine) the process that ignites the fuel in the cylinder.
1610s, "act of heating to the point of combustion," from French ignition (16c.) or directly from Medieval Latin ignitionem (nominative ignitio), from Latin ignire "set on fire," from ignis "fire" (see igneous). Meaning "means of sparking an internal combustion engine" is from 1881.


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Q: Error : 'str' object does not support item assignment i am changing a cpp code to python.
but python code dosent run.
This is my python code :
n,k=input().split()
s=input()
l = len(s)
ans = 0
k=int(k)
for i in range(l):
    ans += max(ord(s[i]) - ord('a'), ord('z') - ord(s[i]))
if (ans < k):
    print("-1")
for i in range(l):
    if ((ord(s[i]) - ord('a')) > (ord('z') - ord(s[i]))):
        now = ord(s[i]) - ord('a')
        if (now >= k) :
            s[i] -= k
            k=0
        else :
            s[i] = chr(ord('a'))
            k -= now
    else:
        now = ord('z') - ord(s[i])
        if (now >= k):
            s[i] =chr(ord(s[i])+ k)
            k=0
        else:
            s[i] ='z'
            k -= now
print(s)

and i get this error :
...line 22, in <module>
    s[i] =chr(ord(s[i])+ k)
TypeError: 'str' object does not support item assignment

can anybody help me?
Thanks a lot

A: *

*string are immutable in python

*You are trying to change a string

*I would recommend you to convert your string to a list by doing this:
string = "abs"
string_list = list(string)
print(string_list)

*Output:
['a', 'b', 's']

*Now operate on this list because list is mutable string_list

*In your code you have to convert the variable s to a list and then operate on it

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Sir Charles Hastings Doyle  (10 April 1803 – 19 March 1883) was a British military officer and he was the second Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia post Confederation and the first Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick.

Military career
Born in London, England, the eldest son of Lieutenant-General Sir Charles William Doyle and Sophia Cramer Coghill, he attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and joined the army as an ensign of the 24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot on 23 December 1819. He was promoted to the ranks of lieutenant on 27 September 1822 and captain on 16 June 1825. He received a brevet as major on 28 June 1838. Rising through the ranks (Lieutenant Colonel in 1846,), he reached major-general in 1860. He was Colonel of the 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot from 1868 to 1870.

After service in the Crimean War, he was stationed in Nova Scotia and, during the American Civil War, resolved the Chesapeake Affair, which took place in Halifax. He then countered the threat of the Fenian Raid on Canada's Maritime Provinces by ending the Campobello Island Raid. By April 1866 the menace of a Fenian invasion of New Brunswick was at its most serious, and Doyle quickly responded to Lieutenant Governor Gordon's request for military aid. On 17 April 1866, he left Halifax with Royal Navy warships carrying over 700 British regulars and proceeded to Passamaquoddy Bay, where the Fenian force was concentrated, under the command of John O'Mahony. This show of British armed might discouraged the Fenians, and the invaders dispersed.

He was appointed the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick in 1867, the first Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick after Confederation. From 1867 to 1873, he was the second Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia post-Confederation. In 1869 he was appointed a Knight Commander of St Michael and St George, and in 1870 he was promoted to lieutenant-general. He became Commander of the British Troops in Canada in 1870 and general officer commanding Southern District in April 1874. He was promoted full general in 1877.

There is a full-length portrait of him by Adolphus Robert Venables in Province House (Nova Scotia). He is the namesake of Port Hastings, Nova Scotia.

See also
 Military history of Nova Scotia

References

Sources
Hart, H.G. 1841. The New Army List. London.
Paton, G. 1892. Historical Records of the 24th Regiment. London.

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1804 births
1883 deaths
Military personnel from London
British Army generals
Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Lieutenant Governors of New Brunswick
Lieutenant Governors of Nova Scotia
Governors of the Colony of Nova Scotia
Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst
British Army personnel of the Crimean War
Military history of Nova Scotia
South Wales Borderers officers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Local Code
Digital Design Journal
Is This a real House!! The Red Pepper House Lamu, Kenya
by zainab 12/04/2017 Leave a CommentIs This a real House!! The Red Pepper House Lamu, KenyaArchitecture, Art, Design News
The Red Pepper House Lamu, Kenya
It was normal to see people built traditional huts using the natural materials that are available to them. They did that because it was the only why that they can build a shelter that can suit their climate, culture and architecture possibilities at that time. However, seeing a modern hut at this time!! It is really weird, with all architectural developments that we have today, all these types of materials that can suit any climatic region and all technology that we own today we can still see a building that created as a form of organic architecture!!.
Lying on the ground in the forest located on the island of Lamu, Kenya towards the north end of the town, the plot is immersed in vegetation and bordered by the beach on its southeast slopes. This house project built as a traditional/modern hut that had balance traditional craft and modern requirements, where it use straw and wood with stone, and mud to form one not only of the wonder but also one of the stranger buildings in architecture world within our days. It was possible to accept its idea if it was a hotel for example but as private residence!! It was really weird for me.
This house combines greenery, water, and history forms one of my dream houses to live in. Although it is a private house, the good news is that you can still rent part of it and enjoy Kenya traditional huts life in Lamu and be experimenting with the way of life living in the past, where there was absent of the real architecture.
Which really make me great admiration for this house that even though it was built by Kenya traditional huts style, it is really remained me of Bahrain traditional houses that no more existing. The use of straw into the roof and the trees twigs walls remained me of my grandmother's house when I was a child. I do not need another reason to take the decision and luggage packages to visit this project at the earliest opportunity to reclaim childhood memories that I really missed.
Bahraini traditional houses
Eight-acre plot surrounded by an acacia forest from the Red Pepper House area. In an attractive way the house elements were drawn in the open spaces between the trees, so they do not cut or harm the site nature. By a distinctive thinking the client request for designed his house into 5 different zones that can be taken by the whole family or reduced to one if he was alone. Vividly fulfilling the friendship, Fernando (the residence client) request that one acre of his plot to be designed secluded for his friend to form the sixth zone of this house.
Its organization challenges the respect of all trees on site and exploit the benefit of their exist to create a disposition of open/closed and sunny/shadow areas, that makes the lighting inside the house really attractive. The complexity of the project extends into the use of the local construction systems, workmanship, and sense of space. Which make this project looking towards the future yet having one leg grounded in the past that give it a special character.
As an interesting feature to experiment the life in the nature environment without any barriers. Using of different levels of closure to create a transition between indoors and outdoors. Inside the house, you can found a coral stone masonry houses on the sandy beach creating a scattered urban pattern. They used this layout and material to form the bedrooms, which are the only fully enclosed spaces in this house.
Respect the surrounding environment and being part of it, create many open spaces, and exploit the benefit of trees exist to play within the shade and shadow. But its most striking feature is the Swahilli architecture the makuti roof, which runs continuously to cover the whole house zones and the use of trees twigs to create walls for some places that form traditional Kenny huts, which take me far away from the present where childhood memories are in grandma's house.
This project was well deserved to leave an impression of presence in the world of architecture by all its features, style and its association with the past.
1- http://www.archdaily.com/453440/red-pepper-house-urko-sanchez-architects
2- http://urkosanchez.com/en/project/11/the-red-pepper-house.html
3- http://www.designboom.com/architecture/urko-sanchez-red-pepper-house-lamu-kenya-07-02-2014/
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Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. - 1 Timothy 4:12
Good Shepherd strives to provide a wide variety of opportunities for youth to engage and practice their faith. From the prayer workshops for toddlers to senior high students serving folks in Appalachia, youth of all ages can find a way to practice discipleship at Good Shepherd!
Good Shepherd's Confirmation program is open to Junior High students and consists of regular Sunday classes, retreats, workshops, and service. The program culminates in the rite of Confirmation at the beginning of a student's 9th grade year.
Faith Milestones
Recognizing the presence of God in the significant moments of our lives.
Senior High (aka "The Flock")
Good Shepherd's Senior High Youth Group, dubbed "The Flock", picks up where Confirmation leaves off. Sunday morning meetings/discussions are the cornerstone of the program. Senior High students can also expect regular service events, fellowship opportunities, overnight retreats, and summer trips.
Latest News & Events for Youth Groups
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Souper Bowl of Caring
2/11/2023 8:00 AM - 2/12/2023 12:00 PM
Spring Rummage Sale
3/11/2023 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
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Select month: Select month January, 2023 February, 2023 March, 2023 April, 2023 May, 2023 June, 2023
Return to Youth Groups page


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Living With ALS
Forms of ALS
Familial ALS
Sporadic ALS
Approved Treatments
Non-drug Treatments
Joyful Sorrow — Kristin Neva
Living Well With ALS — Dagmar Munn
OutSpoken — James Clingman
Thunder Road — Juliet Taylor
The Mighty Mind — Rachel Doboga
Notes From the ALS Front — Rick Jobus
Study Reviews Role of TBK1 Gene Mutations in ALS Development
by Joana Fernandes, PhD | December 5, 2016
How the TBK1 protein, the cell's "clearing machinery," contributes to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was the focus of a recent review study.
The review, "Association Of Mutations In TBK1 With Sporadic And Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis And Frontotemporal Dementia," published in the journal JAMA Neurology, was conducted by researchers at Ulm University, in Germany, and Umea University, in Sweden.
TBK1 is one of the genes associated with familial cases of ALS. This gene encodes a protein whose work is to clean up damaged proteins in the cell. Mutations in this gene can lead to a protein that is unable to carry out this work (loss-of-function) or that works at reduced levels. In either case, damaged proteins accumulate within neurons, affecting their activity.
Recent evidence suggests that mutations resulting in TBK1 loss-of-function cause ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), two related neurodegenerative disorders.
"To our knowledge, 77 … TBK1 variants have been identified to date in 103 of 5528 patients diagnosed with either ALS or FTD and reported in published screenings for TBK1 mutations," the authors wrote. "These data indicate that … TBK1 variants can be found in approximately 1.9% of all ALS and FTD cases in the studied populations."
According to the researchers, a 50% reduction in the levels of TBK1 protein is pathogenic — disease causing — to the brain. The production of loss-of-function TBK1 variants can be due to a mutation that stops the production of the protein too soon, or to deletion of one or more portions of the gene, leading to the production of an incomplete protein that is then degraded.
In ALS and FTD, it is possible that TBK1 plays a role in inflammation control and in autophagy (a process through which cells eliminate old or damaged organelles and molecules). When the protein is mutated, these processes are not carried out as they normally would be, affecting neuronal regulation and activity.
"Malfunctions of the autophagic pathway are of special interest because neuronal protein aggregates are hallmarks of both ALS and FTD," the researchers wrote. "It is plausible to hypothesize that such aggregates accumulate due to dysfunction of the clearing machinery."
Although most studies suggest that lack of TBK1 causes ALS and FTD independently of the mutation underlying it, researchers here recommended more studies be developed to accurately determine the role of TBK1 in the pathology of ALS and FTD, to know the minimal degree of TBK1 impairment necessary to cause neurodegeneration, and to be able to predict the level of damage certain mutations will cause in neurons.
Joana Fernandes, PhD Joana brings more than 8 years of academic research and experience as well as Scientific writing and editing to her role as a Science and Research writer. She also served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology in Coimbra, Portugal, where she also received her PhD in Health Science and Technologies, with a specialty in Molecular and Cellular Biology.
frontotemporal dementia (FTD), loss-of-function mutations, mutations, TBK1 protein
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But I know a place that I'm in love with that has a lot of trees that look like that…and mountains…and hiking trails…and I might be moving there in two months 🙂 Yeah. Just saying.
Sorry this isn't a real blog post, but I want to look back on this day and remember how excited, emotional, confused, and happy I was! My real wisdom can wait until next week.
Have you ever made a cross country move? What advice do you have for someone who *might* be doing that very soon?
Try New Things Tuesday: Spin Class!
Yes. This girl has made many a'move. Michigan to New Jersey when I got married. Jersey to North Carolina a year later. After three years in NC we moved here to WI. Might have another move in our relatively near future as well. (I also moved around a lot as a kid. All in MI though.).
Thanks! We've been planning this move for a year, but last night I got a job offer so now it's really REALLY happening! I'm so excited about where we are going, just not about driving all my stuff across the country to get there 😦 It's a bit overwhelming right now but once we figure out the logistics I know I'm going to be so excited!
That is awesome. I am so glad it worked out for you! The drive only happens once. It'll be long and might be sucky, but you'll get to see lots of the country and that can be pretty cool!
You're kind of close! I can't wait to tell everyone but I need to figure out some details first because I know if I just blurted out where we are moving everyone would have a million questions that I won't be able to answer until late next week!
Sounds exciting! Good luck and I hope the detail sorting isn't to stressful. This horrible winter has me dreaming of moving to warmer climates but I need mountains – that is where I am happiest! Some day it will happen!
Haha we are definitely not moving somewhere warm! I should have more details by the end of next week so I'm excited to share that with everyone!
in 2012, i made the move from southern california to chicago. it was a big step for me, as i was doing it alone, but i have loved every minute of it so far (…okay, maybe not the subzero minutes, but besides that!) my advice is to let yourself get excited! look up races and restaurants and everything that the place has to offer so you have things to look forward to. also, it seems like you already love this place, so just revel in the fact that you have the opportunity to move; not everybody gets that chance! i'm excited to hear more about it next week!
Wow that's a pretty big move! We are also moving somewhere colder but I think we can handle it! I've actually started looking up races there and my husband told me I'm insane. But I've got to keep running no matter where I live!
I wish I could tell everyone but there are so many questions that I can't answer until the end of next week! I'm dying over here!
Haha yes we do! You're not running any local races in the next two months are you?
I am but I don't think that they are the same ones you are. Are you doing the BOMF 5 miler?
Thanks! I'm so crazy excited and I can't wait to share all the details!
Wow! I just moved to New Jersey from Ohio so I can somewhat relate. It is an adventure, but really fun and not nearly as difficult as you think it will be. Can't wait to hear where the new location is!
Wow I didn't know you were from Ohio! I'm nervous about the logistics of moving because I've never even imagined moving this far away but we'll see what happens!
Exciting! Hope you're coming west!
I am actually! I can't wait to reveal where it is!
wow!! that would definitely have me feeling all sorts of things too! I love where I live and can't imagine moving anywhere–it seems like you like where you might be headed though and that's awesome!!
I wish I could say I love where I live, but I am so sick of commutes that take over 1 hour each way, humidity in the summer and (usually) no snow in the winter, and no nearby hiking opportunities. We are ready for a change for sure!
Love that quote and can't wait to hear your news!
Yay! I can't wait to tell everyone!
Just catching up on your post now! So exciting! Due to my husbands line of work we made several cross country moves within a year and a half time period. Wyoming to Michigan/New Mexico (training for him) , New Mexico to Texas, Texas to New York. I learned that I can pack up an entire house in 3 days flat (pre children) but I still loathe the moving process. We're looking at relocation again.. Cross country in one of several directions and I can't even fathom moving everything now! Good luck, I can't wait to hear more about your big move!


Celebrate Xmas at Xmart. Buy a tent for your pet today!
LOL. Probably. I have like ~500:50 rating there. I was addicted to that game until neopets came back to me again. But I'm probably rusty so you might have a chance.
Anyways, what's warcraft? Sounds like starcraft... what's the difference?
WOW! Selling: Maps, Neggs, Stamps, Coins, Cards, ETC!
Lol! I've caught all but one pokemon in the red version, but one of my friends gave me his GBASP since his parents gave him two (He's so spoiled!), and another friend is letting me borrow her fire red version so I'm finally playing a game with better graphics... though the game seems to go slower with all these newfundangled graphics.
Step outside, take a breath of fresh air, then look down to see if you have a new text message.
Good Idea: Feeding stray kittens in the park.
Bad Idea: Feeding stray kittens in the park... to a bear.
Kirsty.. I totally played pokemon red for the first time while I was in Scotland.. went through the entire freaking game pretty fast too lol. I agree they're very addicting.
I'm at 20 hours now hehe.
I've also clocked up around 12 ish hours on the very first red game.
Best wearables shop owner ever!
Kirsty aka "the sensitive one"
I am a proud pokemon addict. I begged my brother for a game boy color(i got the clear white one) just so I could play Crystal(the absolute best!). I never had the advance, I went straight on to the Micro and got Sapphire. I have a DS now and I got Diamond. It is amazing! I've got over 60 hours on it, but I'm stuck and I stubbornly refuse to use the walk through.
I remember the Colosseum game for Nintendo 64... those were the good old days.
Lol I can't say much, I've probably spent a couple years looking into a computer screen for games, and I'm only 14.
_man its so easy wen you got that ds download play you can skip all the way to the end and my brother says wats the point of buyin the game if your not even gonna try. lol its because the starter wat evr stink |: ... .


A doctrine insulates the devout not only against the realities around them but also against their own selves . The fanatical believer is not conscious of his envy , malice , pettiness and dishonesty . There is a wall of words between his consciousness and his real self.


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About HBMA
Join HBMA
Lunch & Learn: Winners Circle – Behind the Scenes with 2022 Lantern Award Winners on the Strategy & Tactics Behind their Award-winning Results
February 16 @ 11:30 am - 1:00 pm CST
« Fifth Annual In Cahoots Holiday Mixer
Luncheon: Reputation Management in B2B Applications »
Winners Circle: Behind the Scenes with 2022 Lantern Award Winners on the Strategy & Tactics Behind their Award-winning Results
Every year at the Lantern Awards, an event celebrating excellence in business-to-business marketing and communications, HBMA recognizes top marketing creative and strategies executed in the prior years.
We're offering the unique opportunity to get behind-the-scenes details of our most recent winners including strategy, implementation, execution, results, and why their initiatives were so successful.
Our talented group of panelists will include:
Dana Zambon, Marketing & Brand Communications Manager, Insperity
Katie Gray, Fractional CMO, BlueByrd Strategic Sales & Marketing
David Falloure, Editorial Services Manager, SLB
Katie O'Malley, Associate Creative Director, Pennebaker
Bo Bothe, Co-Founder; President & CEO, BrandExtract
WHEN: Thursday, February 16
Networking: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Lunch & Speakers: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
WHERE: Maggiano's Little Italy | 2019 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, TX 77056
LANTERN WINNER: SALES ENABLEMENT, 2022 CATEGORY OF ONE BROCHURE
Dana Zambon
Manager, Marketing & Brand Communications
Insperity
Dana Zambon serves as manager of marketing and brand communications at Insperity. Since
2017, she has played a key role in the company's messaging and content strategy for integrated campaigns utilizing diverse channels and media. Her marketing career spans almost 20 years and includes experience in both agency and corporate settings, with a focus on writing and editing for top brands in the energy, financial, real estate and HR industries. Dana has a
bachelor's degree in journalism and advertising from Stephen F. Austin State University and a master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Houston.
JUDGE'S CHOICE – CATEGORY: INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN WITH BUDGET OVER $200K (D&I E-COMMERCE CAMPAIGN)
Katie Gray
Fractional CMO
BlueByrd Strategic Sales & Marketing
Katie has established a career of blending leadership and results, solving problems creatively, and satisfying multiple stakeholders for over 25 years. She has moved the needle for companies in a variety of industries, most notably energy, finance, and healthcare with her innovative and integrated B2B and B2C marketing and communications strategies.
Prior to joining BlueByrd, Katie served as Vice President of Pennebaker, Inc., where she headed-up the digital services and account management departments, and was Senior Vice President of Marketing Communications at Belmont Village Senior Living, a senior housing company with more than 30 locations nationwide.
Throughout her career, Katie has led multidisciplinary teams to achieve award-winning work and results. She's helped companies position and commercialize their brands and products and created strategic digital and offline marketing campaigns that exceeded companies' sales goals.
BEST OF SHOW – CATEGORY: LEAD GENERATION CAMPAIGN (AQUEOUS FLUID SOLUTIONS)
David Falloure
Editorial Services Manager
David H. Falloure, CBC is editorial services manager with SLB (formerly Schlumberger). His four decades of work have been recognized with mentions in AdWeek and the Houston Business Journal, as well as awards from several communications associations, most recently the HBMA for his Aqueous Fluids campaign. In fact, Falloure served on the board of HBMA when it was the BPAA and then BMA.
Falloure also spent significant time as a columnist and contributor for area publications about history and Texas, authored four nonfiction books, a novel, and penned articles in the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) Handbook of Houston. Falloure was even featured in a documentary on the Houston Ship Channel.
Husband of 30 years and father of three sons, Falloure makes his home in Houston. He is also an admiral in the Texas Navy. Yes, there is a Texas Navy—it's an organization dedicated to preserving state heritage and history.
AGENCY OF THE YEAR – CATEGORY: TRADESHOW CAMPAIGN (Drägertown USA – FDIC)
Katie O'Malley
Associate Creative Director
Pennebaker
Katie's widely varied design career has spanned a variety of industries and cities. From Chicago to New Orleans to Houston, Katie's design influences have been broad in style and personality. Working in different industries, such as Retail, Oil and Gas, Health Care, Real Estate, Architecture, and Recruitment, working in the advertising industry has added to her skill set and ever-expanding knowledge base. Combining a creative approach with solid business reasoning, Katie acts as the associate creative director in the studio. Katie's work has been consistently recognized by the American Institute of Graphic Arts and American Marketing Association. She was featured in PRINT magazine's Regional Design Annual as one of a few designers in the Houston area.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE – CATEGORY: INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM WITH BUDGET $100,000 to $200,000 (MILESTONE SLUDGIE CAMPAIGN)
Bo Bothe
Co-founder, President and CEO
Co-founder, president and CEO Bo Bothe has over two decades of experience helping companies seize opportunities and become the best versions of themselves. Over the course of his extensive career, Bo has guided brand strategy and development for hundreds of clients,
including some of the largest public and private companies in the world. Serving as the visionary leader of BrandExtract, Bo has led the firm to over 400% growth in revenue and industry acclaim from organizations such as AMA Houston, Art Director's Club of Houston, and Graphic Design USA. Bo has written professional insight pieces published in Forbes Agency Council, and has taught classes on brand experience at Texas State University and Rice University. Bo was nominated in 2022 as "Most Admired CEO" by the Houston Business Journal.
Bo grew up working in his father's carpet company from a young age, which informed his drive to lead a business that inspired belief and helped people grow. After earning his MBA from Rice University in 2005, Bo realized that dream by founding BrandExtract, where he has led his team through the .com bust, multiple financial crises, and a global pandemic. Throughout this journey,
Bo has empowered companies across a wide variety of industries to craft a brand promise that matches their mission and values.
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11:30 am - 1:00 pm CST
Ann Byrd
info@houstonbma.org
Maggianos Post Oak
Houston, Texas 77056 + Google Map
Houston Business Marketing Alliance


The ICO Advisors of BLOCK512 are pleased to announce their support for the CRYPTO20 initial coin offering (ICO), the world's first tokenized cryptocurrency index portfolio.
AUSTIN, TEXAS AND GEORGE TOWN, CAYMAN ISLANDS (PRWEB) OCTOBER 09, 2017. The ICO Advisors of BLOCK512 are pleased to announce their support for the CRYPTO20 initial coin offering (ICO), the world's first tokenized cryptocurrency index.
BLOCK512 has been a solid partner to us during our whole ICO process, and they are a great team to work with.
CRYPTO20 is introducing a new crypto investment paradigm based on an autonomous 'token portfolio' where participants can buy a single C20 token which holds balanced positions in the top 20 cryptocurrencies as underlying crypto assets. CRYPTO20 provides a way to track the performance of the crypto markets by holding a single crypto asset, the C20 token, which represents participants' share in the fund while providing full blockchain transparency through secure smart contracts.
Unlike many ICO's announced in the market, CRYPTO20 is developed, tested and verified as a finished product offering intrinsic value now. The C20 cryptocurrency index will be a fully operational platform and index portfolio with trading beginning January 2018. All participants are verified through a secure 'Know Your Customer' (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulatory process.
Daniel Schwartzkopff, CEO. Responsible for business development, marketing, and operations.
CRYPTO20™ is an autonomous, rebalanced cryptocurrency index that tracks the top 20 cryptocurrencies in a similar way as the S&P500 tracks the top 500 US company stocks. Token-holders are able to liquidate the C20 token for their share of the underlying assets via the smart contract. By going directly to the end-user as a cryptocurrency itself, CRYPTO20 gives participants the ability to sell or exchange their tokens at will with no platform fees, and no broker fees. C20 is AML/KYC compliant and aims to bring cryptocurrency portfolios to the mainstream with its proven structure and transparent approach.
BLOCK512™ is a platform agnostic consortium of experts providing Insights, Advisory, and Acceleration services for Blockchain enabled solutions and Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) with viable business models. Founded in Austin, TX and with offices around the world, the BLOCK512 team of advisors brings experience managing ICO's and strategic projects, programs and operations for companies of all sizes. BLOCK512 follows a disciplined approach to client programs incorporating proven process, methodology, relationships, and intellectual property embedded in what we do.


In collaboration with Maxwell & Williams, this collection of fine bone china mugs feature Nathan's pen and ink illustrations of vulnerable species. Each mug includes a unique floral illustration that represents the animals habitat.
A share of profits is donated to World Animal Protection.


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HomeFeaturedPope appeals for peace in Nicaragua as deadly clashes claim 100 lives
Pope appeals for peace in Nicaragua as deadly clashes claim 100 lives
June 3, 2018 Web Editor 0
VATICAN CITY/MANAGUA – Pope Francis has called for an end to violence in Nicaragua, where the death toll from weeks of violent unrest rose to 100 this week as President Daniel Ortega rejected calls to step down.
At least 15 people were killed and more than 200 injured this week in one of the worst days of violence since protests against Ortega and his proposed changes in social security. Over 900 have been injured.
Speaking to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square for his Sunday address, Francis expressed his "sorrow for the serious violence, with dead and wounded, carried out by armed forces to repress social protests. I pray for the victims and their families."
The Argentinean pontiff said the Church was always for dialogue "but this requires an active commitment to respect freedom and above all life. I pray that all the violence ceases and conditions are put in place to resume talks as soon as possible".
The protests were initially triggered by now-aborted reforms to the near-bankrupt social security system. But the unrest quickly broadened into a rejection by many Nicaraguans of Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, who are seen as autocratic.
Local human rights organization CENIDH says at least 100 people have been killed since the protests began.
The bloodshed was condemned by the Central American country's Episcopal conference of Catholic bishops, which called it "organized and systematic aggression".
The US State Department issued a statement condemning the "government's violent response to peaceful Mother's Day marches in Managua and other cities yesterday, including assaults on mothers mourning their children killed since protests began April 18."
The government and opposition had agreed on Monday to resume peace talks mediated by the Catholic Church that stalled last week.
But the Nicaraguan Bishops' Conference announced Thursday that it will not resume the dialogue as long as "the people continue to be repressed and killed" by "groups close to the government."
Nicaragua's Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo dies at 92
Ortega, meanwhile, denounced a "conspiracy" by the opposition aimed at "terrorizing" the people, referring to Wednesday's unrest.
"There are no shock forces or paramilitaries close to the government, so we cannot accept that we are accused of tragic and painful events that we have not provoked and we would never provoke," he said in a statement.
estos son los daños que ocasiona la M19 y Autoconvocados que quieren dañar la imagen del gobierno por medio de la destrucción de infraestructura @CIDH @Almagro_OEA2015 @OEA_oficial @PauloAbrao @totonia68 @ErikaGuevaraR @soyfdelrincon @CNNEE #CIDHenNicaragua @bbcmundo pic.twitter.com/TbSJZ78FJP
— Gladys Rocha (@GladysRo886) May 31, 2018
Installations of the official radio station Radio Ya and a rural credit cooperative were burned and the facade of the national baseball stadium was destroyed.
The unrest poses the biggest crisis ever faced by Ortega, a former guerrilla leader who first ruled between 1979 and 1990 before returning as president 11 years ago.
CENIDH
Daniel Ortega
The Santiago Times
AquaChile strikes $255m deal for Magallanes salmon farmer
West Ham manager Pellegrini and wife mugged at gunpoint in Chile
Chile Election
Chilean voters go to polls on Sunday
November 19, 2017 Web Editor 0
SANTIAGO – Today Chileans will choose a new president that will rule the country for the 2018-2022 period replacing current president, socialist, Michelle Bachelet. Senators, deputies and regional councilmen will also be chosen today (November […]
Snowfall in La Araucanía leaves 1,559 isolated
June 18, 2018 Web Editor 0
SANTIAGO – The Office of National Emergency (ONEMI) has updated the information regarding the snowfall registered in La Araucanía, which keeps 1,660 people isolated in the region. The most affected commune is Lonquimay, with 1,559 […]
Burn Messi shirts if he plays in Jerusalem, Palestinian football chief tells fans
RAMALLAH – The Palestine Football Association head, Jibril Rajoub has urged fans to burn pictures of star striker Lionel Messi and replicas of his shirt if he plays in Argentina's controversial friendly against Israel this […]


(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday secured a favorable U.S. appellate court ruling, overturning a verdict that had awarded $151 million to five people who blamed injuries they suffered on the company's Pinnacle hip implant devices.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said two of the plaintiffs' defective marketing claims were legally insufficient and a new trial was required overall in the case because of a judge's evidentiary rulings and "deceptions" by their lawyer.
U.S. Circuit Judge Jerry Smith, writing for the three-judge panel, said U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade in Dallas erred in allowing the hip implant recipients' lawyers to present certain "inflammatory character evidence" about J&J.
Smith said the "most problematic evidence" were bribes J&J paid to "henchmen" of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, allegations stemming from the company's agreement in 2011 to pay $70 million to resolve U.S. foreign bribery probes.
"Because the taint is unmistakable, the verdict cannot stand," Smith wrote.
He also said two of the plaintiffs, Donald Greer and Robert Peterson, had presented no evidence suggesting the doctors who treated them had even encountered the allegedly inadequate warnings the company issued about Pinnacle's risks.
Lanier said he believed the court "misunderstood" the issues but would not appeal and would seek a retrial as quickly as possible.
The Pinnacle devices are now the subject of around 10,000 product liability lawsuits, according to J&J.
The case at issue was a so-called bellwether, or test, trial aimed at allowing the parties to gauge the value of the remaining claims and inform potential settlement talks.
A federal jury in Dallas awarded five plaintiffs - Greer, Peterson, Margaret Aoki, Jay Christopher, and Richard Klusmann -$502 million in March 2016.
Kinkeade later reduced the award to $151 million.
DePuy prevailed in one other federal trial but was hit in two others with verdicts worth $543 million, after a post-trial reduction, and $247 million.