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Antti Revonsuo is a Finnish cognitive neuroscientist, psychologist, and philosopher of mind. His work seeks to understand consciousness as a biological phenomenon. He is one of a small number of philosophers running their own laboratories.

Currently, Revonsuo is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Skövde in Sweden and of psychology at the University of Turku in Finland. His work focuses on altered states of consciousness in general and dreaming in particular. He is best known for his Threat Simulation Theory, which – in the tradition of evolutionary psychology – states that dreams serve the biological function of rehearsing possibly threatening situations in order to aid survival, and his advocacy of the dreaming brain as a model of consciousness.

Biography

Revonsuo completed his graduate education at the University of Turku, receiving his master's degree in Psychology in 1990, a Licentiate in Philosophy in 1991, and finally a Ph.D. in Psychology in 1995. Since 2003, he is a member of the Academy of Finland.

Works

Revonsuo has himself written two books laying out his philosophical and scientific approach to consciousness: Inner Presence: Consciousness as a Biological Phenomenon (2006) and Consciousness: The Science of Subjectivity (2010).

In addition, Revonsuo has co-edited two books on consciousness: Consciousness in Philosophy and Cognitive Neuroscience (1994) and Beyond Dissociations: Interaction Between Dissociated Implicit and Explicit Processing (2000). He is also the European Editor of the journal Consciousness and Cognition.

Dreaming as a model of consciousness

According to Revonsuo, the dreaming brain is particularly suitable model system for the study of consciousness because it generates a conscious experience while being isolated from both sensory input and motor output. Regarding the rival paradigm of visual awareness, Revonsuo argues that it does not allow one to distinguish between consciousness and perception. Revonsuo holds that there is a "'double dissociation' between consciousness and perceptual input". Accordingly, dreams are conscious experiences, which occur without any perceptual stimuli, and, conversely, perceptual input does not automatically engender conscious experience. In support of the independence of consciousness from perception, Revonsuo cites Stephen LaBerge's case study on a lucid dreamer performing previously agreed upon eye movements to signal to the experimenters that he had become conscious of the fact that he was dreaming.  A second study that supports Revonsuo's view of dreams was conducted by Allan Rechtschaffen and Foulkes (1965). In this study, subjects were made to sleep with their eyelids open, thus allowing the visual cortex to receive visual stimuli. Though their eyes were open, and the perceptual input was accessible, the subjects could not see the stimuli and did not report dreaming of it. It is the brain that is having the internal experience, independent of perceptual input. This internalist view of consciousness leads Revonsuo to compare both dreaming and waking consciousness with a virtual reality simulation decoupled from or only indirectly informed by a brain's external environment.

Philosophically, Revonsuo's claim that dreaming is a state of consciousness at all contradicts arguments propounded by philosophers Norman Malcolm and Daniel Dennett. Malcolm argues that, if a person is in any way conscious, "it logically follows that he is not sound asleep". Dennett suggested that we needed a well-confirmed, empirical theory of dreams before we could say whether
dreams were like experiences or not.

Threat Simulation Theory

Revonsuo's threat simulation theory claims that much or all of dream experience is "specialized in the simulation of threatening events", for the evolutionary purpose of rehearsing fight or flight situations to better prepare for such instances in waking life (similar to a "fire drill"). According to Revonsuo, empiricial research supports this theory by showing the recurrence of threatening situations in dreaming: of all of the emotions experienced in dreaming, "fear [is] the most common and anger the next most common".

An otherwise supportive 2009 review of threat simulation theory stated that "The main weakness of the theory is that there is no direct evidence of the effect of dream rehearsal (or the lack of it) on performance or on survival rates across generations of ancestral humans", and also notes it is not clear why some threat simulations end without a reaction from the dreamer. The review finds that "Overall, the available new evidence and the new direct tests of the predictions of (threat simulation theory) yield strong support for the theory. A mass of evidence indicates that threat simulation is a function of dreaming, an evolved psychological adaptation selected for during the evolutionary history of our species. On current evidence, the strengths of the theory seem to outweigh its weaknesses."

According to a 2017 study in Sleep, an analysis of the statistical content of intelligible sleep-talking found that 24 percent contained negative content, 22 percent had "nasty" language, about 10 percent contained a variation of the word "no", and 10 percent contained profanity. 2.5 percent of the intelligible words were a variation of the word "fuck", which comprised only 0.003 percent of spoken words when awake. The study authors judged the findings as being consistent with threat simulation theory.

Cross-cultural surveys find that the most typical dream theme is that of being chased or attacked. Other common negative themes include falling, drowning, being lost, being trapped, being naked or otherwise inappropriately dressed in public, being accidentally injured/ill/dying, being in a human-made or natural disaster, poor performance (such as difficulty taking a test), and having trouble with transportation. Some themes are positive, such as sex, flying, or finding money, but these are less common than dreaming about threats.

Revonsuo outlines six "empirically testable" propositions (Revonsuo, 2000) to illustrate his "threat simulation" theory.

Proposition 1

Dream experience embodies an "organized and selective simulation of the perceptual world." Sensory modalities are fully integrated into perceptual dream experience, and the "active dream self" has a body image similar to that of the waking self in the "visuo-spatial world." Dreams are composed of interactions that mimic archetypical wake-state experiences and situations with people and objects. Revonsuo states that dreams are the result of an "active and organized process rather than a passive by-product of disorganized activation." The predicable organization of dreams renders them as more than "random noise"; rather, he views their function as a "selective simulation of the world."

Proposition 2

Representations of daily life experiences are absent while dreaming. Dreamers experience a "selective simulation of the world" biased towards threatening situations. The high proportion of negative emotions experienced while dreaming correlates to the need for "adaptive responses that increase the ability to respond appropriately in adaptively important situations" (Revonsuo, 2000). The misfortunes and aggression experienced in a dream state may act as a simulation that prepares the dreamer in the case that a similar situation may occur in the awake state. Evidence lies in the activation during REM sleep across regions that are necessary for the production of these emotionally charged experiences.

Proposition 3

Real waking life experiences that are traumatic to the individual causes the dream-production system to create dream content that simulates responses to threats as a mechanism to "mark situations critical for physical survival and reproductive success." Revonsuo writes that "what from a psychological point of view is a 'traumatic experience' is, from a biological point of view, an instance of threat perception and threat-avoidance behavior."

Proposition 4

The threatening dream content, while not an accurate depiction of one's real-time experience, seems incredibly realistic and is therefore effective and productive practice for threat-avoidance responses. He postulates that there is proof of this proposition in that dreamed action is consistent with real motor behavior and that "dreaming about an action is an identical process for cortical motor areas as actually carrying out the same action."

Proposition 5

The perceptual and motor skills simulated in dreams will increase the efficiency of an individual's performance of those skills even if the dreams are not explicitly remembered. Studies have shown that the implicit learning of skills that are important for human performance can be learned and actualized without any conscious memory of having learned them. Furthermore, Revonsuo writes that "REM sleep physiology appears to selectively support implicit, procedural learning."

Proposition 6

The threat-simulation system "was selected for during our evolutionary history," implying that it was not innate but rather came to be in response to the multitude of threats experienced by human ancestral populations. These populations lived in a "more or less constant post-traumatic state" and the dreaming brain constructed the threat-simulation technique as an evolutionary tool, resulting in improved threat-avoidance skills and, thus, a higher probability of survival.

References

Philosophers of mind
Cognitive scientists
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Finnish neuroscientists
Academic staff of the University of Skövde

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Alejandra Castilla
Alejandra is a Colombian biomedical engineer (Universidad de los Andes), and is pursuing a career in research and development of engineered tissues for the cure of neurodegenerative diseases. She is pursuing her Master of Science degree at the University of Regina to be followed by a Ph.D. in Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials. Alejandra's research focuses on understanding the effect of a peptide that causes Alzheimer's disease. Her goal is to develop a treatment to cure Alzheimer's and other types of dementia caused by the accumulation of amyloid beta.
Andrew Hiltz
Andrew is a zamboni driving bartender, turned photographer/videographer from Coronach, Saskatchewan. If he doesn't have a camera in hand, it's because he's holding a coffee or a pint of beer. He works full-time creating and sharing stories from around Saskatchewan on social media. Andrew started in the world of content creation after spending 2017 as the Saskatchewanderer—the official travel blogger for the province of Saskatchewan and now works for Tourism Saskatchewan. Andrew loves capturing moments, spending time on the road, and meeting new people. Travelling caused him to fall in love with the craft of photographer – owing all of his expertise not to formal training but to books, YouTube tutorials, and mentors.
Erik Mehlsen
Erik is a musician, author, speaker, teacher, and music producer. His primary artistic outlet is a project called "Del Suelo", which combines music and literature. In September of 2018, Erik released a novel+album called "The Musician's Compass: A 12 Step Programme", which talks about the extreme highs and lows of the life of a touring musician. Over the past four years, Del Suelo has toured across Canada, the US, Germany and the UK extensively as a solo act and as a trio. Erik also collaborates with other musical acts as a songwriter and sideman. He is also passionate about building musical community and teaches a guitar-theory Jam once a month in Regina.
Heather Cline
Heather Cline is a painter and mixed media artist based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Over the past 10 years Cline has been involved in a series of residency programs and public engagement across Canada. Her activities have included setting up a 'Story Collection' office from an inner city store front in Oshawa, Ontario and riding along on combines in rural Manitoba. She is fascinated by how personal history intersects with human geography; currently this involves merging collage soundscapes with lush intricate paintings of everyday places. Cline has her MFA from the University of Saskatchewan and has an extensive history as an art educator. Currently, Cline is an instructor at the University of Regina.
Heather Murphy
Heather is passionate about the human brain, art, and decision making. She studied first as an art teacher, with her convocation in 2010 and instead of teaching began to blog, develop conversion strategies, and study graphic design; becoming a full-time freelancer and mother. She developed the Content Marketing department at Look Agency in 2015, and then started Authentically in 2016 as a refreshing new take on the marketing agency: putting clients and neuroscience first. She was invited to the Forbes Coaches Council in 2016 and is now a Forbes Contributor, mentor, and speaker.
Kyle Smyth
Kyle is a software developer turned entrepreneur. Born and raised in Regina, he studied Software Systems Engineering at the University of Regina. He is currently building a tech startup, called Offstreet, that aims to solve inefficiencies in the parking industry. He is passionate about running, science-fiction, building things, and problem-solving.
Adrienne Ivey
In Food We Trust: The True Story Behind The Beef on Your Plate
Adrienne is a rancher, mother and communicator, and is passionate about food and farming. Growing up on a grain farm, and now cattle ranching with her husband and children, Adrienne learned early in life the importance of understanding where her food comes from. She now dedicates her time off the ranch to helping others gain the same understanding. From her viral video of a cattle herding beaver to the daily ups and downs on the ranch, Adrienne uses snippets of daily ranch life to bridge the growing gap between farmers and consumers.
Jordan McFarlen
Create a Community of Learners
Jordan is an infinite learner who is always looking for new ways to grow and help others in the community. Jordan spent seven years working in education as a high school business educator working to build a community and innovate in the areas of youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy. He is now in charge of building a business incubator to serve Regina entrepreneurs. Jordan sees himself as fortunate to be learning every day while he works to create this innovative space. Jordan seeks out opportunities to grow, loves working with others, and supporting the community.
Karley Parovsky
Music Education Is the Tool for Self-Discovery
Karley Parovsky is a violin/fiddle teacher and performer in Regina. Growing up, Karley studied violin and established her musical roots in classical music. Over the past decade Karley has expanded into other genres of music, incorporating them into her own style of playing and teaching. She has been performing with the Regina Symphony Orchestra for the past 17 years. Karley is also the head of the child/parent string program where she is able to mix her passion of music with community building.
Kellie Garret
Cultivating Curiosity about Other Ways of Being
Kellie is someone with multiple interests, talents and pursuits. She calls herself a "recovering executive" and former workaholic. Now an executive coach, board director and a writer, Kellie is also an expert in strategic planning, governance, communication, leadership, employee engagement, change and organizational culture. She coaches individuals, teams and boards of directors on everything from
constructive conflict, political savvy and influence, to trust and accountability. Kellie is an avid flower gardener, and one of her greatest joys is deep friendship with true connection.
Shawn Broom
Everyone Has An Interesting Story to Tell
Shawn is a massage therapist by trade who hosts a weekly podcast called the Story of U. He is fascinated by people and believes that everyone has an interesting story to tell. Shawn sees something about everyone's unique perspective that I think is so cool. Shawn also has a passion for float tanks and for helping people by planning fundraisers for causes like mental health. He is also in the process of converting a school bus into his future home, that he will share with his 3 cats.
Brad Bellegarde
Rap as the New Buffalo: The Role of Hip Hop in Indigenous Education
CBC Future 40 award recipient and Neechie Gear Role Model, Brad Bellegarde aka InfoRed has rocked the microphone across Turtle Island and has been a featured artist at events such as the 2014 North American Indigenous Games, Aboriginal Music Week in Manitoba, APTN's Aboriginal Day Live and Vancouver's Olympic Games celebrations. Brad is a proud Nakota/Cree member of the Little Black Bear First Nation who calls Regina, SK home.
A true believer that education is the new Buffalo, his work in schools gave him a unique opportunity to present his methods of education at the VIII International Conference of Intercultural Education in Indigenous Contexts in Temuco, Chile. In the professional world, Brad is also a storyteller as a journalist and has had articles published by the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, National Post and the Globe and Mail. As a performer, InfoRed was invited to perform for His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during their Royal visit in 2012.
Colin Hall
Three Ways Yoga will not Change the World…and One Way it Might
Lecturer in Religious Studies, Kinesiology and Sociology at the University of Regina and Luther College, Colin Hall has been teaching and studying yoga for over 15 years. He is the co-director of Bodhi Tree Yoga, where he and his wife Sarah built a thriving yoga community in the small prairie city of Regina, Saskatchewan. Colin started practicing yoga in the late 1990's and continues to learn from his original teacher, David McAmmond.
In addition to his courses at the UofR, Colin provides workshops and teacher trainings on asana and yoga philosophy in addition to leading yoga tour groups to India. With his background in Religious Studies, Colin studies and teaches a fully integrated approach to yoga that incorporates biomechanics, psychology, philosophy, and story telling. His classes and writings are funny, challenging explorations into the depths of the body and mind. He has been published in Om Yoga Magazine, Elephant Journal, Rebelle Society, and is a regular contributor for Yoga International.
Jennifer Ehrmantraut
The World Needs you to be Selfish
Jennifer is edgy, funny, and a little sweary. With over 20 years of tell-it-like-it-is leadership in public and private organizations, she climbed the corporate ladder to discover her passion for coaching and leadership development. She is a professional accountant by trade and an inspirer of intentional joy by passion. Her biggest lesson has been that when we lose the connection to ourselves then we can no longer connect with others.
In finding her connection to herself again, Jennifer is redefining what success looks like through her company, Intentional You. There, she challenges individuals to question their stories, their capabilities, and their judgments of themselves, to give them the platform to jump beyond what they thought was possible.
Jeph Maystruck
Why I Hate the Word 'Can't'
Jeph has an utter disregard for the status quo, for the past 9 years he has been disrupting the marketing industry in Canada. He gives keynotes regularly on a variety of topics, hands out lottery tickets daily, and runs a marketing company out of Regina called Strategy Lab.
Jeph has had the pleasure of working with organizations such as Carmichael Outreach, the Regina Police Service, Gentle Teaching International, and teaches social media marketing at the University of Regina. Other than marketing, his real passion is coaching volleyball. He cofounded "Big Idea Camp" (a Summer Entrepreneurship camp for highschool students), doesn't believe in cutlery organizers, and has inspiringly funny business cards.
Mohammed Nazari
Identity: Created or Inherited
Mohammed was born in Iran, a country of many cultures, religions and languages. As the son of an army man, Mohammed spent his childhood in places where neither he nor his parents were from. He eventually left for Dubai, UAE with never having known a true sense of belonging.
Things started to change when he arrived in Canada in 1997. Mohammed started to feel like he had found his place, and has been able to create an identity, independent of an attachment to anywhere specific.
Mohammed is a physical therapist who also owns his own business in Regina. He also hosts a television show where he explores a variety of interesting topics. He is an avid runner, a healthy eater and always looks at the world with sense of curiosity.
2017 & 2018 Speaker Talks

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YOUNG AUSTRALIANS in
More Than A Stone's Throw Away: Where in the Indo-Pacific is Latin America?
Ariel Castro-Martinez | Latin America Fellow
Image credit: Yoko Correia Nishimiya (CC)
Latin America is a continent caught with its back to the Pacific.
A history of trans-Atlanticism and a mountain range along its western spine limits South America's Pacific access. In Central America, the United States dominates geopolitical decision making. Throughout the continent, internal instability is pulling attention away from international opportunities. Meanwhile, across the Pacific, a dynamic regional order centred on China is outpacing Latin America's ability to reorient its focus.
So why is Latin America being left behind, and how can it re-insert itself into a Pacific century?
An Ascendant Asia-Pacific
The recently signed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the victory of one Pacific vision over another. When ratified, the RCEP would unify the network of bilateral trade deals that exist between ASEAN and five of its neighbouring Pacific economies: China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. The deal stands in contrast to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a salvaged version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. Launched and subsequently aborted by the United States, the TPP would have more deeply integrated the Pacific rim under American leadership in an effort to counterbalance China.
Instead, the RCEP and downgraded CPTPP geoeconomically narrows the Indo-Pacific idea into an Asia-Pacific reality, eschewing India and the Americas.
Accelerating this global reorientation is the COVID-19 pandemic's more devastating impact outside the Asia-Pacific region. Castaway in this consolidation of a once expansive Indo-Pacific is Latin America: the region that stands to gain the most from the promises of trans-Pacific economic opportunity.
A Lagging Latin America
The difficulties of integrating Latin America into the Pacific economy are demonstrated in its reluctance to enter into the CPTPP agreement. So far, Mexico is the only Latin American of the seven Pacific economies to ratify the CPTPP, which came into effect in December 2018. For potential signatory Peru, internal political instability at the national level has pushed the trade deal to the sidelines as the country struggles to steady itself amidst protest and pandemic. In Chile––perhaps Latin America's most externally facing economy––social demands from protestors have stalled the treaty at its final step before approval.
The CPTPP binds signatory countries more tightly than the RCEP, which does not seek to harmonise labour or environmental conditions across its member economies. This makes it harder for governments to sell domestically. While the CPTPP may sacrifice speed for depth in Pacific relations, internal disharmony in Latin America is stalling its Pacific entry altogether as Asia powers ahead.
Outside the CPTPP, Latin America's few links to Asia are nascent, asymmetric, or one dimensional. Amongst South America's Pacific countries and Mexico, each lags behind the Pacific average on various measures of trans-Pacific connectivity. The bulk of Latin America's Asian exchange consists of extracting commodities through bilateral arrangements. Mercosur––a trade bloc of Latin America's Atlantic-facing economies––has struggled to ratify deals with all but four Middle Eastern countries in its almost 30-year history.
In Central America and the Caribbean, most trade flows north. Mexico's close integration into the North American market complicates its trans-Pacific relationships and opportunities. As a member of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), it stands to both benefit and lose from ongoing U.S trade tensions.
A Trans-Pacific, Trans-American Alliance
Where Latin America can engineer more balanced, unified, and future-oriented trading relations is through its Pacific Alliance trade bloc. The four 'Pacific Pumas' of macroeconomically stable and, until recently, fast growing economies––Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico––are cooperating to attract international economic attention. Together, they constitute half of Latin America's trade, little of which is intra-bloc. This means that Pacific Alliance growth will depend on building richer external connections.
Where ASEAN succeeded in the East, the Pacific Alliance may replicate its success in the West. The incomplete integration of the Pacific demonstrates that middle power cooperation can unite where superpower competition divides. Here, there is an opportunity for Latin America's Pacific Alliance to begin building the bridge across the ocean it seeks to cross. To begin, the Alliance's efforts to include Panama and Costa Rica––two Central American economies with similarly open trading relationships––would bolster its international connectivity, and help open greater Latin America to Pacific flows. In 2021, the Pacific Alliance will sign its first external trade deal with Singapore. Ongoing negotiations with Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea will help deepen Latin America's Asia-Pacific ties.
Great potential exists for Latin America to turn from a peripheral player to an essential catalyst in the trans-Pacific project. The infrastructure for greater trans-Pacific integration has already been built. If Peru and Chile ratify the CPTPP, then all four continents of the Pacific will be linked under a single agreement for the first time. An impulse towards greater Pacific partnership would likely radiate up the Andes into Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and perhaps even into a Biden administration looking to de-escalate trans-Pacific trade tensions. China and South Korea's expressed interest in joining the pact would, if fulfilled, cement it as the most consequential in history. Latin America must be proactively open and engaged if it wants a place in a wider Pacific century.
Ariel Castro-Martinez is the Latin America Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs
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Tax Laws Amendment (2005 Measures No. 5) Bill 2005
Tax Laws Amendment (2005 Measures No. 5) Act 2005
Second Reading Speech
Mr BROUGH (Longman-Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer)
I move:
That this bill be now read a second time.
This bill amends various taxation laws to implement a range of changes and improvements to Australia's taxation system.
Firstly, this bill modifies some aspects of the foreign employment income exemption. This tax exemption applies to the foreign earnings of Australian residents engaged in foreign service for a continuous period of 91 days. The existing credits and debits rule used in determining whether a taxpayer with breaks in their employment service satisfies the 91-day rule period will be replaced with a simpler and more generous rule. The new rule-the one-sixth rule-states that a period of foreign service will not be considered to have been broken until the point when absences exceed one-sixth of the days in foreign service. This rule allows for more absences and reduces compliance costs for taxpayers.
The amendments reinstate the exemption where a taxpayer was employed in Iraq during the period that Iraq's income tax system was suspended.
In addition, the amendments change the law to ensure that, where a taxpayer dies before reaching 91 days of continuous service, the exemption will apply.
Secondly, amendments to the film tax offset provisions will allow qualifying high-budget television series to claim the refundable 12.5 per cent offset against their qualifying Australian production expenditure. This amendment aims to attract large-scale, high-budget television series to Australia. This will help showcase Australian locations and talent and help to increase spending on infrastructure development, local casts, crew, postproduction facilities and other services.
The third measure this government is taking is to do with further refinements to the consolidation regime. The refinements clarify the operation of the bad-debt rules to multiple entry consolidated groups. They also ensure that the modifications to the bad-debt rules for consolidated groups and multiple entry consolidated groups apply to determine whether those groups can deduct swap losses.
This measure also extends until 31 December 2005 the time in which head companies of consolidated groups and multiple entry consolidated groups can make or revoke certain choices in relation to setting the tax cost of assets and the utilisation of losses.
Schedule 4 of the bill amends the thin capitalisation regime to ensure that a taxpayer's thin capitalisation position is not immediately affected by the alignment of the Australian accounting standards with the international financial reporting standards. For three years taxpayers will be able to use accountings standards as they existed prior to the alignment with the international financial reporting standards when undertaking their thin capitalisation calculations.
Schedule 5 extends the operation of the 12-month rule for forestry managed investments from 30 June 2006 to 30 June 2008. This fulfils a 2005-06 budget commitment by this government that the 12-month rule would be extended for a further two-year period.
The 12-month rule provides a year-of-expenditure deduction in respect of expenditure incurred by a taxpayer under an agreement with a manager of a forestry scheme. The expenditure must cover 'seasonally dependent agronomic activities' that will be carried out during the establishment period of a particular planting of trees.
The provision currently applies to expenditure incurred on or after 2 October 2001 and on or before 30 June 2006. The two-year extension will allow an extensive review to be conducted into all aspects of support for the plantation timber industry.
The final change recognises that the government is concerned about imposing compliance costs unduly on small businesses and is acting to keep compliance costs down. Under the general rules for determining whether an interest in a company is debt or equity for tax purposes, special advice may be needed, and the subsequent treatment of a related party at-call loan as equity would require the keeping of tax accounts. This means the compliance costs can be relatively high compared to treating the loan as debt in accordance with its legal form and commercial classification.
The proposed changes involve a simple test-the tax law will treat the at-call loans of companies with an annual turnover under $20 million as debt.
Full details of the measures in this bill are contained in the explanatory memorandum.
I commend the bill to the House and present the explanatory memorandum.


Two University of New Brunswick research teams were awarded $1,140,556 last week by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's Strategic Project Grants program. Kelly Munkittrick, professor of biology at UNB Saint John, received $591,500 to look at the recovery of fish populations near pulp and paper mills. His research group will visit closed mill sites across the province to see whether the fish populations have recovered from reproduction effects by comparing the results to previous studies done in these areas when the mills were operational. Brigitte Leblon, professor of remote sensing at UNB Fredericton, and her team were awarded $549,056. The funding will go towards their work on the development of new sensors for the forest products industry. The project is being done in collaboration with UNB's Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Centre, scientists of FP Innovations, University of Toronto and Nagoya University in Japan. This project will help the Canadian forest products industry achieve high processing efficiency by using sensing technologies that are able to monitor wood product quality in real time. The funding announcement was made at the University of Waterloo by Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology). "Supporting science and research is critical to Canada's future economic growth," said Minister Goodyear. "This investment will bring together 100 teams of some of the world's top researchers to work with industry on promising new projects that will help strengthen our economy, create jobs and bring other benefits for communities." Greg Kealey, UNB provost and vice-president research says enhancing collaboration and partnerships is a priority because it will allow UNB to be a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship. "NSERC's Strategic Project Grants program gives our researchers the opportunity to form partnerships and implement their research in our communities." In total, the government will invest $55 million through NSERC's Strategic Project Grants Program in support of more than 120 research teams across the country.


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We pride ourselves on your holiday being everything you expected it to be. We are happy to help arrange airport transfers and can help with car & bike hire too. The supermarket 'Coop Varagoulis' in the centre of the village Agios Mattheos offers home delivery and will even take you to and from the villa in their van to do the shopping yourself! We will assist with a smile whatever your needs... please just let us know.
With a luxurious interior and tasteful decor Helios is a two storey semi-detached 80m² designed stone built house. It can sleep 4 people with 2 comfortable air conditioned bedrooms with orthopaedic mattresses & shuttered windows and a comfortable sofa bed downstairs for 1 guest. House Helios is the house on the left in the main Villa Liostasi photo.
Kitchen & Dining Room: a spacious fully equipped kitchen with electric stove/oven, microwave, electric kettle, coffee machine, toaster, juicer, large fridge freezer, apron, steam iron, a dining table that seats six and a comfortable sofa bed for 1 guest. A highchair for children and crib are available on request. Air conditioning, shuttered windows, TV/Satellite TV and free WIFI.
Bathroom: a few steps up lead to a bathroom with a toilet, shower cabin, wash basin, hair dryer & hair straighteners.
Double Bedroom: The first bedroom, with an orthopaedic mattress on a double bed, lies at the front of the house. It offers a large wardrobe & set of drawers, air conditioning, shuttered windows, TV/Satellite TV and free WIFI. French doors open on to a veranda with a table for 2 and views over the garden & swimming pool.
Twin Bedroom: 2 single beds with orthopaedic mattresses and en-suite WC. It offers a large wardrobe & set of drawers, air conditioning, shuttered windows, TV/Satellite TV and free WIFI. French doors open on to a veranda with a table for 2 and views over the garden & swimming pool.
Large Veranda: This bedroom has a second larger veranda with a spectacular mountain view at the back & overlooking the pool at the front and a table for 6 people.
With a luxurious interior and tasteful decor Gaia is a single storey 40m² designed stone built house. It can sleep 2 people in a comfortable air conditioned bedroom with shuttered windows and orthopaedic mattress. House Gaia is the house in the centre of the main Villa Liostasi photo.
Kitchen & Dining Room: a spacious fully equipped kitchen with electric stove/oven, microwave, electric kettle, coffee machine, toaster, juicer, large fridge freezer, apron, steam iron and a dining table that seats four. A highchair for children and crib are available on request. Air conditioning, shuttered windows, TV/Satellite TV and free WIFI.
Bathroom: with a toilet, shower cabin, wash basin, hair dryer & hair straighteners.
Double Bedroom: with orthopaedic mattress on a double bed it offers a large wardrobe & set of drawers, air conditioning, shuttered windows, TV/Satellite TV and free WIFI. French doors open on to a veranda with a table for 2 and views over the garden & swimming pool.
With a luxurious interior and tasteful decor Thalassa is a two storey 75m² designed stone built house. It can sleep 4 people in 2 comfortable air conditioned bedrooms with shuttered windows and orthopaedic mattresses. House Thalassa is the house on the right in the main Villa Liostasi photo.
Kitchen & Dining Room: a spacious fully equipped kitchen with electric stove/oven, microwave, electric kettle, coffee machine, toaster, juicer, large fridge freezer, apron, steam iron and a dining table that seats six. A highchair for children and crib are available on request. Air conditioning, shuttered windows, TV/Satellite TV and free WIFI.
Bathroom: with toilet, shower cabin, wash basin, hair dryer & hair straighteners.
Twin Bedroom: 2 single beds with orthopaedic mattresses. It offers a large wardrobe & set of drawers, air conditioning, shuttered windows, TV/Satellite TV and free WIFI. French doors open on to a veranda with a table for 2 and views over the garden & swimming pool.
Double Bedroom: with orthopaedic mattress on a double bed and en-suite WC. It offers a large wardrobe & set of drawers, air conditioning, shuttered windows, TV/Satellite TV and free WIFI. French doors open on to a veranda with a table for 2 and views over the garden & swimming pool.
Laundry Room: with washing machine and detergents.
Large Garden & Swimming Pool: a large and beautifully green garden that boasts a swimming pool 12 x 8 x 1.7m deep (with children's smaller pool) adorned with cushions, sun loungers and umbrellas. A playground and seating area are next to the pool. Our pool is private and for your use only, it is not shared and it is not open for public use.
BBQ: a purpose built BBQ area.
Parking: ample space for secure parking on the property.
Check-in is after 2pm local time and check-out before 12pm.
"Hidden gem. Great location for peaceful relaxing holiday"
"La villa è bellissima e praticamente nuova. È molto curata e dotata di ogni comfort: wi-fi, a.c."


This mechanically stabilized earthen (MSE) wall solved the homeowner's problem of a drastic slope just behind his home. The slope made mowing the yard and enjoying his property impossible. We installed this wall for the customer which allowed him to add onto his patio and provided him with a lifetime of enjoyment.


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Wick Poetry Center
Kent State's Wick Poetry Center to Debut National Interactive Exhibit in Support of 50th Commemoration of May 4
Kent Campus
Kent State University's Wick Poetry Center is set to debut its "Armed With Our Voices" exhibit this week in Austin, Texas, as part of the National Council for the Social Studies annual conference. Curated and designed in collaboration with Kent State's May 4 Visitors Center and the College of Arts and...
Celebrating Our Own & Open Mic
The Wick Poetry Center held the Celebrating Our Own Poetry Reading and Open Mic on Thursday, Oct. 3. The reading started at 7:30 p.m. in the Wick Poetry Corner on the 2nd floor of Kent State's University Library. The event was held to celebrate the 2019 Undergraduate Poetry Scholarship winners, who were all invited to read their poems. Max...
Celebrating Tommy Freeman's Life
The Wick Poetry Center kicked off its 2019-20 event series year on September 13 with a celebration of Tommy Freeman's life. The event was held in Room 120 of the Center for Architecture and Environmental Design with a reception afterward that expanded into the Wick Poetry Center's Poetry Park. The event had a large turnout, attended mostly by...
Kent State University Partners With Opera di Santa Croce to Present 'Sisters in Liberty' Exhibition at Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration
Kent State University and the Opera di Santa Croce in Florence, Italy, will celebrate a collaborative partnership around the creation of "Sisters in Liberty: From Florence, Italy, to New York, New York," an exhibition opening on Oct. 17, 2019, and running through April 26, 2020, at the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration on Ellis Island...
"What Does It Mean To Be Human?"
Sonia Sanchez's visit to Kent State University's campus on Wednesday, September 18, touched many members of the community, both students and visitors alike. Sanchez's visit is part of the year long 50th Commemoration of the events of May 4, 1970 at Kent State. Sanchez discussed how poetry, civil rights, student activism, and peace can...
IS SOCIAL JUSTICE DEAD? CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Sonia Sanchez, a recipient of the 2019 Anisfield-Wolf Lifetime Achievement Award, will speak at Kent State University on Wednesday, September 18, 2019, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the KIVA auditorium on the Kent campus. Sanchez's visit is part of the year long 50th Commemoration of the events of May 4, 1970 at Kent State. Sanchez will discuss...
Kent State's Wick Poetry Center to Receive $90,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
KENT STATE TODAY
Nearly a half century ago, sparks from a passing train not only set fire to oil-slicked debris on the Cuyahoga River, which sent flames five-stories high, it ignited the river's reputation as one of the most polluted in the United States. Since then, clean-up efforts have helped return the river to its natural state, and now visitors will have...
Kent State University College of Nursing, Wick Poetry Center Unveil Poem Comprised of 600 Nurse Voices
A day in the life of a nurse is a dynamic experience. Containing both bright and dark moments, a nurse must sort through an emotional roller-coaster daily. These sensitive moments and memories are tangible elements in Kent State University College of Nursing's new poem, Some Days, an interdepartmental collaborative project between the college,...
Wick Poetry Center to Benefit From Ford Foundation's $200,000 Grant to the Poetry Coalition
The Poetry Coalition, of which the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University is a founding member, will benefit from a $200,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. To be given over two years, the grant, which will be administered by the Academy of American Poets, will enable the founding members of the coalition to produce national programs on themes...
The Ford Foundation to Support the Poetry Coalition With $200,000 Grant
Kent State's Wick Poetry Center to benefit from grant The Poetry Coalition, of which the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University is a founding member, will benefit from a $200,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. To be given over two years, the grant, which will be administered by the Academy of American Poets, will enable the founding...


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In the pipeline: These 4 construction conditions are cementing multifamily industry trends
Four factors in the construction industry are undergirding an expensive multifamily market
June 1, 2018, 2:24 pm By Jeremiah Jensen
All signs point to a multifamily market that is cementing into stable growth. Rents are rising at a more sustainable rate than they have in recent years; capital is flowing into the industry; construction is tapering off to a sustainable level; and demand is strong.
These are great signs for investors and developers, but they also signal continued exacerbation of the affordability issue. While slowing rent growth should also slow the growth of the affordability issue, it won't do anything to solve the issue.
In talks with industry professionals, it appears that the source of the affordability issue is a lack of affordable units, and the source of the dearth of affordable units is the cost of building an affordable project.
We did a little digging, and according to experts in the construction and multifamily industry there are four main factors pushing up the cost of construction and propping up rent growth:
The focus on high-rise, urban-core product
Natural and artificial growth in commodity prices
Inexperienced builders
Dominance of the urban core
For the last few years, the lion's share of the increase in U.S. apartment units has been consolidated in urban cores (think San Francisco, New York, Chicago). Typically, these projects cost more because of their size, location and material makeup. According to Dodge Data and Analytics Chief Economist Bob Murray, this is the root cause of the overall increase in price per project.
"I think really the big element of the current multifamily upturn is that it has been dominated by activity in downtown metropolitan areas…What's happening is a continuation of the focus as far as the activity being in downtown areas, means that the steel component within multifamily housing–typically because you're talking about high-rise structures in many cases–is causing the overall cost of multifamily projects to rise," Murray told HousingWire.
"The fact that multifamily housing, in this particular cyclical upturn, has been dominated by downtown high-rises, more so than in the prior decade, I think it makes it more vulnerable to increases in the price of steel," Murray added.
Rising commodity prices
Now, some say that the threatened tariffs on steel are to blame for the rise in multifamily construction costs, but according to Murray, the cost of steel was on its way up long before the Trump administration started waving steel tariffs around.
"When you look at the producer price indexes for steel, back in 2016 it was down 4% whereas in 2017 it was up 13%, if I use a full-year to full-year basis, and there have been other increases that have taken place in 2018," Murray said.
"The rise in metal prices…that price increase was already taking place prior to the announcement of tariff increase," he added.
According to Murray, the tariff situation has actually been watered down, because some U.S. trade partners such as Canada and Mexico, have been exempted from the tariffs pending the renegotiation of NAFTA.
On top of that, Murray noted that the American Institute of Steel Construction says the U.S. has enough steel producing capacity to supply the estimated multifamily pipeline of roughly 600,000 units.
"Yes, I'd say tariffs may be having some of a contributing element to higher metal prices and higher steel prices, but it's not the only thing," Murray said.
However, within the last few days, global trade tensions have been building rapidly as the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs begin to take effect. The EU announced it is triggering a dispute settlement case against the U.S. with the World Trade Organization over these tariffs.
Canada is crying foul; Mexico is promising retaliation; and the World Trade Organization is expressing "very real concern" over global trade tensions. The price of U.S. steel is bound to rise as these tariffs put a major chill on imports of steel and aluminum.
In the case of lumber, which affects the construction of mid-rise and low-rise apartment communities much more than high-rise communities, tariffs, namely the ones on Canadian lumber, have a much larger effect on the price of low to mid-rise product (i.e. suburban projects).
For Summit Contracting Group, a group that builds mostly low to mid-rise communities and the number one contractor in the nation by number of units started in 2017, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council, increases in the price of lumber take a big toll on their budgets.
According to Summit's lumber supplier, the amount of lumber Summit purchases each year can be stretched from Florida to Oregon if converted into 2×4's. That's billions of board feet for just one builder out of the many in the U.S.
"That's a lot of lumber," Summit President and CEO Marc Padgett told HousingWire with a laugh. No kidding.
What those billions of board feet translate to in dollars for summit is roughly $1.5 million to $2 million per project in lumber costs. No labor, no concrete, no wiring, just lumber.
The tariff war between the U.S. and Canadian lumber industries has been going since the 1980s, and right now it is at a fever pitch, just below the all-time peak back in 1993.
Labor shortages
On top of climbing commodity prices, for reasons natural and otherwise, there has been a shortage of labor since the housing crash in 2008, and construction wages have been on the rise.
Now, the labor shortage is interesting in that it does not touch every developer equally. Construction wages have been going up, but contractors' quotes for jobs vary greatly depending on the relationship they have with the developer.
"When the recession hit, a lot of the labor left the industry, and it's been slowly coming back," Padgett said. "We haven't seen it that bad. We've done a lot of business with our relationships that we've had, 10, 15, 20 years, and their sub crews are pretty loyal to them, so we probably don't see it as bad as some of the industry does."
For Summit, the formula for construction cost goes like this: experience + relationships + buying power = total cost.
Companies without the relationships and experience of buying power to leverage end up spending more on construction, which in turn leads to higher rents.
Inexperienced players in the market
Because the multifamily market has been on fire, newcomers of all sizes have tried to throw their hats in the multifamily ring to cash in on some units.
Padgett said the Summit team has been seeing an influx over the last few years of newcomers trying their hand in the multifamily space and making rookie mistakes that cost them. This could be anything from not knowing how to properly design a project to using the wrong materials.
One of the things that leads to a higher construction cost is not knowing exactly how long a project will take. This leads to higher quotes from contractors and subcontractors and more time spent on jobs where there are inefficient building methods in use. This leads to a larger construction budget than more experienced developers typically don't suffer from.
Add these four factors together, and what you've got is continued added upward pressure on rents.
Going forward, it doesn't look like anything will change since demand is strong and constraints on supply are significant.
"I just don't see it slowing down much," Padgett said. "Will there be a valley? Sure. But will there be a big, huge overnight drop like we saw in the recession? I don't think so."
Buckle up America, the multifamily market isn't going anywhere but up…slowly.
Sanjiv Das, CEO of Caliber Home Loans, is stepping down as CEO of the company, less than one year after New Residential Investment Corp. (Newrez) acquired the mortgage lender and servicer, sources familiar with the situation confirmed.


Regions for possible cooperation: Vitebsk (Belarus), Minsk (Belarus), Kiev (The Ukraine).
Education: department of design of Vitebsk State Technological University (2000).
"Summer Art School" Marc Chagall Art Center, Vitebsk (curator, photographer), 2011.


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Results tagged with "Poland"
Passion in Poland
Drifted photographer Pawel Jermak pays a visit to the world-famous STW Drift Team to find out what goes on during season down time. More after the jump…
EVENT: Drift Allstars Europe: Round Six 2013 – Poland: THE FINALS
Drift Allstars Europe would make its final stop off the 2013 season at the home of Polish drifting. Some can say this was one of the first places drifting was viewed in eastern Europe. With the championship on the line this is how it all unfolded…
EVENT: EEDC 2013 Round 4, Nemunring, Kaunas, Lithuania
On June 29th 2013, The Eastern Europe Drift Championship drivers came face to face with a new challenge. Stage 4 was held in Lithuania's only racetrack, Nemuno Ring.
EVENT: Drift Allstars Round One 2013 – Drift GP of Poland
The Drift Allstars European series would kick off its fifth year for the first time in Europe. The BudMat Driftshow in association with the PFD Polish national series would be quite the season opener. With Drift Allstars being present in Poland for four years and Polish drivers coming to the UK to Drift Allstars events it was only fitting one day that the best drivers from Western Europe would clash in this trend-setting European championship…
EVENT: Crazy Karpacz Touge, Poland
or those who don't know, Touge is the Japanese word for a winding mountain road. That is where the drifting started. It is currently the fastest growing motorsport and certainly every fan of drifting would love to see a competition on winding mountain roads. Surely this is the same thing that inspired organizers of the Polish Drifting Championship (DMP) last year, who decided to do a round in Karpacz, the small town located in the Polish mountains…
EVENT: Bucharest Grand Prix 2011 Part III: The Battles
We conclude our coverage of the Romanian Drift Grand Prix in Bucharest with the top 16 battles.
EVENT: Bucharest Grand Prix 2011: Part II: Free Practice & Qualifying
We were invited out to Bucharest for the Drift Grand Prix Romania 2011 by the Drift Allstars crew and practice/qualifying was about to kick off. After returning back from the circuit on Friday night we hadn't really gotten the rest we needed after being awake for over 36 hours - it was a lot to take in.....
EVENT: JDM Allstars Round 2: Hot Hot Hot!
Saturday 26th June saw round 2 of the JDM Allstars championship take place at Donington Park. This round was a real treat for drivers and spectators alike…
A brand-new Drifted exclusive from the legendary Drift Hunters series, providing more insane cars, tracks, and features than ever before.
Drift Hunters is the top-rated drifting game of 2021. Choose from a selection of ten high-performance drift cars, upgrading, tuning and customizing them into your dream cars.
The long-awaited sequel to Madalin Stunt Cars 2 has arrived. Under the title of Madalin Multiplayer, Madalin Stunt Cars 3 is open for free play.
Need a break from your winter drift car build? Off season blues? We've got the cure - a round up of the best online drifting games for free.


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TTV TALKS: CHECK MASSES on their debut album 'NIGHTLIFE', influences and more
Published: Jun 8, 2020 By: Suzanne Oswald
CHECK MASSES emerged from the shadows earlier this year like something out of a nocturnal fever dream.
Bringing a wealth of collective experience to the table, singer 'Philly' Angelo Collins, multi-instrumentalist Vic Galloway and producer Saleem Andrew McGroarty each railed against the "crassness of the mainstream disco pop culture" as teenagers in Edinburgh, Vic forming a love of underground rock & roll, ska and reggae and Philly and Andy surrounding themselves in a "more cultivated music scene that revolved around black music".
It's no surprise then that their music draws from a vast and varied list of influences, making up a tightly-knit collage of of shuffling dubby beats, soulful vocals, guitar twangs, melodica and strings. Full of hazy mystique and gritty soulfulness, CHECK MASSES are the soundtrack to an early-hours wander in the middle of town; the sound of hedonistic desire, temptation, paranoia, relationship fall-outs and more. With enticing melodies and yearning beauty, they grab you by the hand and lead you into their dimly lit, seductive sonic world; a world kindled by smouldering candlelight, dusk-to-dawn tension and lysergic, trip-hop soundscapes.
A collection of nocturnal thoughts and stories are woven into their debut album 'NIGHTLIFE'. Currently available on main streaming platforms but with a physical release slated for 1st July, it's the glorious dose of escapism we all need right now.
As they build up to the record's physical release at the start of the July, the band have continued its promotional roll-out with the release of a brand new video for 'LOST IN THE CITY', as you can see at the bottom of the page. Following its release last week, we catch up with the band's Vic Galloway, also known for his long-standing weekly show on BBC Radio Scotland which champions new and alternative music from around Scotland and beyond. Our conversation covers lockdown, radio, 'NIGHTLIFE', influences, new music and more.
"I've been able to keep doing some BBC shows during lockdown – I'm freelance though, so loads of other work stuff has just vanished" he tells us. "These are challenging times for sure! I've been cooking loads with my girlfriend, taking walks & runs, catching up on some reading, listening to loads of jazz and watching documentaries. I've also started working on loads of new CHECK MASSES instrumentals so that singer Philly can jump on them when the restrictions are lifted"
Of course when the band initially set out to create their debut album, few could have predicted the circumstances which now surround its release.
"It's definitely a strange time to be releasing music in any form just now. However, before Covid-19 we had a plan in place to put stuff out with singles, album, promo etc… and we've just gone for it!! We thought about delaying everything, but we've been sitting on the album for a wee while now so we were keen to get it out into the world. I hope folks like it. The music doesn't stop because of Coronavirus! In some ways, it will be terrible timing… in others, it may help people focus on the release and actually listen to the songs. The vinyl sales have been great so far, and it looks like the label may sell out of the pressing fairly soon"
'NIGHTLIFE' will appeal to fans of Massive Attack, TV On The Radio, UMO, Dangerhouse, Bob Marley and more. A sum of all of their influences, it touches down on psychedelic soul, hip-hop, indie-grunge and more and is a product of the trio's 30-year immersion in Edinburgh's eclectic music scene.
Vic says: "We've all known each other for years through Edinburgh's different music scenes and club-culture, but never dreamed of making music together. I'm from a more garage/punk/rock'n'roll background, Philly was signed to EMI, sang vocals with Macy Gray and made acoustic soul music before, and Andy is a Hip-Hop head who's been producing tracks and making beats for ages via labels like Mo Wax and others. In a way, you can hear ALL those influences in the music on the album. It's a melting-pot of sounds, but is all the better for it I think"
"The whole project started when Andy and I went to see Alexei Sayle doing some stand-up a few years ago. We grabbed a pizza afterwards and talked about music-making. We decided to collaborate on a track together, and ended up doing 5 or 6 songs. They sounded good too! We then asked Philly if he wanted to get involved, and he did thankfully. The first track we worked on together was DRIPN ANGEL, which became the first single and the album opener. Immediately we knew we had something special!"
'DRIPN ANGEL', which was released back in January, is a perfect snapshot of what to expect from the record. The dub-meets-electro track wouldn't sound out of place on the soundtrack of a Spaghetti Western – Vic Galloway's twanging guitars ring out against a steady rhythmic march which effectively recalls the foreboding, almost primal momentum of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It proved the catalyst for what was to come as they hunkered down in their home studios to complete a whole record.
"The NIGHTLIFE album was recorded across 2 (fairly low-spec) computers in Andy and my flats! Yep, just home recording and mucking about on hardware and software at home. I think being relaxed and having had experience in previous bands and projects, prepared us for this. Having said that, it was all kinda spontaneous and came together really quickly. Each song has its own story of course, but for the most part… they start with a beat, sample or loop from Andy, then I build up the instrumentation with guitars, bass, keys etc, and then Philly and I turn that backing track into a song, with melodies, lyrics etc. Andy takes the parts back and produces/mixes things. Hey presto, we have a tune!"
Having all pursued individual projects in the past, we ask what has made this particular experience so special. "This whole project has felt totally natural and devoid of ego." Vic says. "No-one's a primadonna and we all just want the tunes to sound good. If an idea works, it works… simple as that. Maybe all that experience before has prepared us for this band. We're probably more open-minded and less tribal in our tastes too – we all like all sorts of art and that's reflected in the music. Older, wiser, but more inspired than ever!
Their influences stretch beyond the realm of music too. There's a very cinematic feel to the album – the trippy, laid-back soundscapes, the sense of Lynchian unease, the smoky late-night tension, the shudder and twang of Vic's guitar parts and the gritty lyrical content. Vic notes "We're all into film, visual art, painting, poetry, sound, fashion and aesthetics, so it all goes in there. For cinematic references, there's some David Lynch, Jim Jarmusch and Akira Kurosawa influences in there. We want the videos for the singles to have a certain vibe too – check them out online. Gareth Goodlad from Dangerkill Productions is our main-man!! And our artist friend Bernie Reid (@reid.bernie on Instagram) kindly helped by donating his stunning paintings for our artwork on NIGHTLIFE and the first 2 singles. We're lucky to have such talented pals!"
Whether it's their striking debut single, the bluesy, deeply atmospheric 'KILLER', the swaying, melodic ska-pop of 'LONESOME LITTLE PARADISE' it's hard to pick a favourite moment on the record. "Ooft, they're all your children aren't they?! This is like Sophie's Choice'! I think we all like KILLERS – it's probably the darkest track on the album and maybe the least commercial, but it has a heavy vibe and is saying something profound in its own way. I like all the singles too – DRIPN ANGEL really connects with people and was our first track together, LONESOME LITTLE PARADISE is a personal song and a real ear-worm, and LOST IN THE CITY is a soulful head-nodder too! They're all good though, and have lots of different textures… Hopefully we've made a belter of a debut album!"
Latest single 'LOST IN THE CITY' has been accompanied by compelling new visuals courtesy of frontman Philly and Marta Aspe. Teaming up with Gareth Goodlad from Dangerkill Productions once again who is on directing and editing duties, it's a suitable trippy visual which features vintage footage taken in the 1970s.
"We had to think completely out of the box for the video for 'LOST IN THE CITY, being in lockdown in Edinburgh and unable to meet or gather in groups. So lead singer Philly's girlfriend Marta filmed him singing and swaying to the track in their house. Gareth Goodlad at Dangerkill Productions took that raw film, worked his magic and superimposed Philly onto swirling, kaleidoscopic cine-film collages of New York City from the 1970's. Much of the footage was actually filmed by Andy's grandparents back then, and has never seen the light of day."
Channelling vintage sounds through a modern lens, CHECK MASSES are a unique and refreshing addition to the nation's ever-evolving music landscape. Of course, Vic Galloway is a true authority on this subject as he is also known for his weekly show on BBC Radio Scotland which champions new and diverse talent from all over Scotland and beyond. Who has been catching his eyes and ears recently?
"Oh man, it's never-ending… there are so many great new things that appear on an almost weekly basis. Right now, I'm enjoying Nova Scotia The Truth, Jill Lorean, Chlobocop, Callum Easter, Outblinker, WaltDisco, Scarlett Randell, Cheap Teeth, Wuh Oh, Dead Pony and M3ON…amongst many others. We're lucky we have such a diverse and interesting music scene."
As for CHECK MASSES, festival season may be out the window but there's still lots to get excited about.
"We're got the new single LOST IN THE CITY with a new video (made in lockdown!), and point people towards the NIGHTLIFE album as much as possible. The vinyl looks and sounds great, and it's across all streaming and download sites. I really think if people dig in and listen, they will really enjoy the 10 tracks. As I said, as soon as we're allowed to meet again we'll start working on new tracks, and rehearse for playing LIVE again asap too. We had gigs and festivals lined-up, but they've all disappeared now… The thing I'm most looking forward to is being able to travel again – for work, the band and for fun. Oh, and I need a feckin' haircut too!"
NIGHTLIFE is out now on Triassic Tusk Records. Currently available on all main streaming platforms, you can listen HERE.
The album will be released on vinyl on 1st July. PRE-ORDER HERE.
Watch 'LOST IN THE CITY' below.
TTV TALKS: In Isolation With... Luke La Volpe
TTV TALKS: DRIFT on 'Lifeline', songwriting, collaboration, Paisley and more


In the not too distant future, we will all be out of work! Scary thought, but it's true. Machines are taking over all the menial task already. Cars are mostly made by robots, and have been for many years. This is true of many manufacturing processes. Supermarket are employing fewer checkout staff as the checkout process has been automated. Banks are employing fewer tellers as most customers now use ATM's to withdraw and deposit funds. Companies are making many of their processes like accounting more streamlined.
Staff are by far the most expensive cost centre for many companies and many companies are contracting out much of their non-essential non-core processes which can't be automated. This leads to less job security for many.
And things are only going to get worse as artificial intelligence takes over more and more high level functions. Driver-less cars, busses and trucks will mean no more truck drivers, taxi drivers and buss drivers. According to a news article, Uber recently placed an order for 2000 driver-less cars. They will not be the only company to be ordering driver-less cars. Any hire car or taxi company who fails to place their order will collapse and disappear. I doubt the individual will be able to purchase any kind of vehicle ten years from now, and maybe much sooner.
So, what will happen when we are ALL out of work!
I think this will be the next big paradigm shift for humanity. Thousands of years ago we each fended for ourselves or formed small groups to find food and resources to live. Then, hundreds of years ago, the industrial revolution meant people worked in factories to earn a living, which put power into the hands large companies and left the majority powerless.
We are still in the powerless mindset, thinking we have to get a good education in order to have a chance of getting a good job in order to have a decent lifestyle, or any kind of job and of course, this makes sense if the only way to earn a living is to work for others.
Time for a shift in thinking! If machines are putting everyone out of work and there are fewer and fewer ways the "earn" a living. then how are companies going to sell their products? They will have less and less customers. Unless money is given to everyone as a basic right. There is a movement afoot called "Unconditional Basic Income" (UBI) where everyone gets a basic amount in order to pay for their day-to-day living expenses. No means testing, and everyone gets the same amount, unconditionally!
Sounds too good to be true? Well what are the alternatives? Companies are reducing costs in order to stay competitive and that usually means employing less people. But this means products and services are now getting cheaper and cheaper, again, because companies need to be competitive. The only real cost that is difficult to eliminate is energy. But what if that problem was solved? What if energy became free or very cheap? Then companies could manufacture products for next to nothing! Then a tax could be applied which would fund the UBI. The details of how this will happen is the subject of much debate around the world.
So, what would life be like in this new era? People no longer need to work in order to live and to feed their families. People now have a choice! Some would not do anything! but I think many would follow their own interests just for the fun or the challenge it presents. Some would enjoy studying just for their own interest. Some would like to work with less fortunate people, as volunteers. Some would be artists. Some would climb mountains.
What would you do? If my predictions do come true, how do you see yourself in the very near future?


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Lincolnshire woman jailed after smothering her partner to death
Murderer sentenced: A Lincolnshire pensioner has been sentenced to life in prison after she confessed to smothering her partner with a pillow.
Lynn Stallard will serve a minimum of 12 years in prison
A Lincolnshire pensioner has been sentenced to life in prison after she confessed to smothering her partner with a pillow.
Lynn Stallard, 67, was told at Lincoln Crown Court that she must serve a minimum of 12 years for the murder of 68-year-old Louis Spires.
Stallard had initially denied murdering Spires at their home address of Eastfield Road in Louth on the afternoon of May 15.
However, she changed her plea to guilty after appearing at Lincoln Crown Court in September.
Following sentencing, Malcolm Spires, brother of the victim, said: "Louis is, and will always be, missed by all his family and friends.
"He was such a lovely, caring man, who would not hurt anyone, so it was such a shock to hear of the terrible and tragic news of how his life was taken from him too soon.
"We just want justice for Louis now, not just for his death but for all the pain and suffering Louis had to deal with over the years at the hands of Lynn Stallard, someone who was meant to care and look after him as he was registered disabled and partially sighted. He needed help, which he did not get."
Senior Investigating Officer for Lincolnshire Police, DI Helen Evans, added: "Mr Spires was housebound and relied on Stallard for his care but that afternoon, his carer became his killer.
"Stallard initially lied about what happened but I am pleased that she has finally admitted her actions and saved Mr Spires' family the further stress of a trial."
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text:
Q: Comparing User input to an Array of Objects I am working on a User login service. Below I am pulling data from a text file to create an array of user objects. I then need to compare console input to see if it matches any of the objects in the the Array, specifically username (array position [0]) and password (array position [1]). I am assigning input to String username and String password. How can I then see if those inputs are at array [0] or [1] in any of the user objects.
public static User[] createArray() throws IOException {
    User[] users = new User[4];
    BufferedReader fileReader = null;
    try {
        fileReader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("data.txt"));
        String line;
        int i = 0;
        while ((line = fileReader.readLine()) != null) {
            users[i] = new User(line.split(","));
            System.out.println(line);
            System.out.println(users[i]);
            i++;
        }

    } finally {
        if (fileReader != null)
            fileReader.close();

    }
    return users;

A: You could so something like that and not bother with the User class.  This presumes that the passed password is compatible with what is read from the file.
This reads in the Data file and splits the line as you indicated. It then filters each array, looking for a user and password match.  If found, it returns true via the ifPresent() method.  Otherwise, it returns false.
public static boolean validateUser(String user, String passwd) {
    try (Stream<String> input =
            Files.lines(Path.of("Data.txt"))) {
        return input.map(line -> line.split(","))
                .filter(arr -> user.equals(arr[0])
                        && passwd.equals(arr[1]))
                .findFirst().isPresent();
    } catch (IOEException ioe) {
        ioe.printStackTrace();
    }
    return false;

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Type Has No Subscript Members? I get the error "Type 'Ship' has no subscript members when I try to do:
var coor = ship[index]

I tried to do
var coor = ship?[index] as? Coordinate

But I get this error: "Cannot use optional chaining on non-optional value of type 'Ship'"
Here's my Ship class:
import Foundation

class Ship: NSObject, NSCoding {

    var shipCoors: [Coordinate]?

    var count: Int {
        var count = 0
        for _ in shipCoors! {
            count++
        }
        return count
    }

    init(shipCoors: [Coordinate]) {
        self.shipCoors = shipCoors
    }

    required init(coder decoder: NSCoder) {
        self.shipCoors = decoder.decodeObjectForKey("shipCoors") as? [Coordinate]
    }

    func encodeWithCoder(coder: NSCoder) {
        coder.encodeObject(shipCoors, forKey: "shipCoors")
    }
}

The Coordinate class is also of type NSObject, NSCoding, etc...
The objects seem to be in the array when I load them (from NSUserDefaults)? How do I get them out?!

A: Had similar issue in Swift 3
Type '() -> [myObject]' has no subscript members

In my case, It was a simple case of not adding the brackets to the function-call "()". school boy error.
i.e. the below code was the culprit
dataModel.myFunction

Solved with     dataModel.myFunction()

A: You have to explicitly add subscripting support to the class in order to use the subscript syntax, e.g. ship[index].
Here are the docs that cover subscripting and how to add subscripting to your class:
https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/Swift/Conceptual/Swift_Programming_Language/Subscripts.html

A: Add a subscript to your Ship object to return an optional Coordinate:
subscript(index: Int) -> Coordinate? {
    guard let coordinate = shipCoors?[index] else {
        return nil
    }
    return coordinate
}

shipCoors is declared as [Coordinate]? (an optional array), so there's a risk a Ship won't have an array in shipCoors.  In this case I return nil, but you can return whatever you want instead.

A: For my code:
func takeN(_ numbers: Int...) -> [Int]{
    var intArray : [Int] = []
    for n in numbers{
        intArray.append[n]

    }
    return intArray
}

I was getting the following error:

error: type '(Int) -> ()' has no subscript members
          intArray.append[n]

It means the append function doesn't use subscripts or []!
changing the line of
intArray.append[n]

to:
intArray.append(n)

would resolve the entire issue!


Jail Break 3 is part 3 of this interesting arcade series, developed by Zakarias Kristoffersson. This game has simple graphics, suitable for all ages, especially children and families. You can experience this game on your browser because it is a flash game.


text:
The Saker on False Flags
False flags fluttering in the Empire's hot air
the Vineyard of the Saker,
This article was written for the Unz Review: http://www.unz.com/tsaker/false-flags-fluttering-in-the-empires-hot-air/
When I think of the recent developments in the USA (Dallas shooting, Orlando shooting) and Europe (Nice, murdered priest, Germany shooting) I get this unpleasant feeling that something is not quite right. For one thing, the perpetrators are absolutely ridiculous: pseudo-Muslims who turn out to be drinking homosexuals, ex-patients of mental institutions – the kind of people I call "overnight Muslims": they all make darn sure to say Allahu Akbar a number of times, but other than that, they have no sign of Islam at all. In fact, far from being trained Daesh fighters, they are all losers with weak personalities. Exactly the kind of people the special services (and religious sects) like to prey on because they are weak and easy to manipulate. Oh yes, I know, the good folk a Daesh do end up claiming that the perpetrator is one of them, but that really proves nothing (except maybe that Daesh is desperate to increase its notoriety).
I have no proof of that, of course, but I am getting the very strong feeling that somebody is putting great deal of effort to scare the bejesus out of the TV-watching crowd. But why? Why would anybody go to the effort to create a completely fictional threat?
And should we really dismiss all the innumerable witnesses who speak of "more than one shooter"? What about the absolutely ridiculous police "overkill" when hundred of policemen are sent in to deal with one single shooter. Does that not strike you as odd? Am I the only one with the feeling that what is shown to us is a carefully choreographed show?
Then there is the canard about the Islamic threat. Okay, it is true that all these islamo-terrorists told the cops, and anybody else willing to listen, that they are killing infidels for the greater glory of God. That reminds me of the passports helpfully found in NY on 9/11 (and at the Charlie-Hebdo attacks) or how the alleged Islamic-terrorists of 9/11 left copies of the Quran in the bars were they were getting "lap dances". The problem with all that nonsense is that there is exactly zero real evidence that any of these terrorists had any real Islamic education or beliefs. Besides, even if every single one of them turned out to be a deeply religious and pious Muslim, that would hardly prove anything. The IRA was "Roman Catholic" and yet nobody spoke of a "Catholic threat". True, there is a very real threat to the entire Middle-East from the Daesh crazies (yes, the very same ones whom the US wants the Russians to stop bombing), but there is no evidence whatsoever of any real subordination/coordination between the Takfiris in the Middle-East and the perpetrators of the recent mass murders in the USA and Europe.
The cui bono, of course, immediately points to those interests who desperately want the prop-up the shaky "Islamic threat" myth: the Zionists, of course, but also the Neocons elites in the USA and the EU.
Think of it: their great hope was that Russia would "invade" the Donbass (or, even better, the entire Ukraine) and liberate it from the Nazi crazies the Neocons put in power in Kiev. Such a Russian move would have been used as a "proof" that the evil revanchist Russkies are about to rebuilt to Soviet Union, invade Eastern Europe and maybe even drive their tanks to the English channel. And if enough people would buy the "Russian threat" theory, they would also have to accept larger military budgets (to further fatten the US MIC) and more US forces deployed in Eastern Europe (where they would provide a much needed, and sometimes only, source of income). Then all the internal problems of Europe could be blamed on, or at least eclipsed by, the Russian threat (in the "Putin wants a Brexit" style). But that irritating Putin did not take the bait and now Europe is stuck without a credible threat to terrorize people with. NATO, of course, and its prostitute-colonies in the Baltics and Poland, likes to pretend that a Russian invasion is imminent, but nobody really believes this. According to some polls, even the people in the Baltics are dubious about the reality of a Russian threat (forget Poland: a country with a national hero like Pilsudski is a hopeless case).
But then, almost at the same moment when the Neocons came to realize that the Russians were not taking the bait, the steady flow of refugees coming from the Middle-East and Africa suddenly sharply increased, courtesy of the mayhem and chaos created by the Neocon policies in the Middle-East. How long do you think it took the rulers of the Empire to realize the fantastic opportunity this influx of refugees had just created for them?
First, this wave of refugees creates a series of major social problems which all could be used to provide distractions from the massive credibility crisis and economic woes of the EU. No matter how bad the economic indicators are, you can always "hide them" behind a headline like "Refugee rapes 79yo woman at German cemetery" (true case, just click on the link to see for yourself).
Second, just at the time when the ruling comprador elites of the EU are threatened by popular discontent, the refugee crisis creates the perfect pretext to adopt emergency legislation and, possibly, introduce martial law.
Third, the worse the crisis in Europe becomes, the better it is for the US Dollar which becomes the safe(r) currency to run to.
Fourth the more military units, as opposed to regular police forces, are deployed in Europe, the more the Europeans will get used to the notion that "only the military can protect us".
Fifth, if, at the end of the day, the EU really tanks and riots, uprisings and chaos spread – guess who will show up to "save Europe yet again"? That's right – Uncle Sam and NATO. Pretty good mission for an otherwise illegitimate leftover from the Cold War, no?
Ideally, the European population should become polarized between, on one hand, those who pretend like the refugees are no problem at all, and those who blame everything on them. The more polarized the society becomes, the more there will be a "need" to keep law and order.
Does that all look familiar to you?
Yes, of course, this is also exactly what is happening in the USA with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
While there are plenty of immigrants in the USA, they are mostly Hispanics and Asians who adapt rather well to the US society. The good news for the US "deep state" is that Blacks in the USA can very much accomplish the same function as the refugees do in Europe: they are a vocal, mostly deeply alienated minority, with a great deal of pent-up anger against the rest of society which can very easily be set-off to create riots and commit crimes. It is also rather easy to find a few crazies amongst these Blacks to start murdering policemen (the ideal symbol of the oppressive White establishment) and create a sense of crisis acute enough justify the use of police, National Guard and, potentially, military forces to restore and uphold "law and order".
Is it really a coincidence that the US Presidential elections features extremely polarizing figures like Hillary and Trump and that low-levels of violence have already been triggered by the hysterically anti-Trump propaganda of the US corporate media? Just imagine for one second what could happen in the USA if a "lone gunman" was to kill either Hillary or Trump? The society would literally explode and law and order would have to be "restored".
The modalities might be different, but in both the EU and the USA we now see heavily armed and generally militarized forces in the streets to "protect" us from some exotic and scary threat.
Might that have something to do with the fact that the ruling elites are absolutely hated by the vast majority of Europeans and Americans? Of course it does!
I am convinced that was is taking place is the gradually suppression of the civil society under the pretext of protecting it – us – from some very scary threat. I am also convinced that part of this plan is to polarize our society as much as possible to create civil strife and to hide the real systemic and structural problems of our completely dysfunctional society and discredited and illegitimate political order.
The panem et circenses (bread and games) method only works in a society capable of providing enough wealth to its people to enjoy them. But when an Empire is agonizing, when its military cannot win wars anymore, when its leader is being ridiculed, when its currency is being gradually weakened and even replaced and when its power is not feared anymore, then the Empire becomes unable to provide the minimal conditions needed to keep its subjects quiet and obedient. At this point the choice becomes simple: either find an external enemy or, at least, identify an internal one. This time around, the AngloZionist found what they think is the perfect combo: a diffuse/vague external threat (Islam) and an easily identifiable internal "carrier" threat (refugees in Europe, Blacks in the USA). The fact that the US government has been planning for various kind of emergency rule or martial law situations for years is not much of a secret (see: National Security Presidential Directive 51 and National Continuity Policy Implementation Plan or Rex84 ) but now there is also evidence that the Germans are also planning for it. In fact, we can be confident that they are all doing it right now as we speak.
The last time around, when the Empire felt the need to regain control over Europe and prevent the election of anti-US political parties to power they engaged in the notorious GLADIO false flag campaign to neutralize the "Communist threat" (see full documentary here). It appears that the same people are doing the same thing again, but this time against the putative "Islamic threat". And just to make sure that the common people really freak out, it appears that the AngloZionists have settled on a rather counter-intuitive plan:
1) officially (politicians) condemn any anti-Islamic rhetoric.
2) unofficially (media, public figures) constantly warn of the threat of Islamic extremism.
3) take some highly visible but totally useless measures (TSA, anti-terror training) to defend against an Islamic attack.
4) covertly but actively support Daesh-like Takfirism in the Middle-East and oppose and subvert those who, like the Russians, the Iranians and the Syrians, really fight it on a daily basis.
What does such an apparently illogical and self-defeating plan achieve? Simple! It maximizes fear and polarizes society.
That kind of artificial polarization is nothing new. For example, this is why those who hate Obama call him a socialist (or even a communist) while those who hate Trump call him a fascist (even though in reality both Obama and Trump are just the figureheads of different capitalist factions of the same 1%er elite).
What our imperial overlords really want is for us to either fight each other or, at least, fight windmills. Look at the American public – it is totally obsessed with non-issues like homosexual marriage, gun control vs "active shooters", Black Lives Matter vs cops, and the time tested pro-life vs anti-abortion protests. To some minority of Americans these issues do matter, I suppose, but for the vast majority of Americans these are total non-issue, meaningless crap which does not affect them in any way other than through the corporate media. This really reminds me of the Titanic's orchestra playing while the ship was sinking: the Empire is cracking at all its seams, there is a very real chance of a nuclear war with Russia and we are seriously discussing whether trannies should pee in male or female toilets when in the Target store. This is crazy, of course, but this is hardly coincidental. This is how our leaders want us: terrified, confused and, above all, distracted.
Frankly, I am pessimistic for the near to mid-term future. When I see how easily the "Islamic threat" canard has been bought not only by official propagandists but even by otherwise mostly rational and educated people, I see that 9/11 has taught us very little. Just like a bull in a bullfight we are still willing to go after any red rag put before our noses regardless of who is actually holding that rag or actually making us bleed.
The good news is that regardless of our gullible passivity the Empire is coming down, maybe not as fast as some of us would wish, but fast enough to really worry our rulers. Look at the Israelis – they have already read the writing on the wall and are now in the process of changing patrons, hence their newfound big friendship with Russia – a marriage of convenience for both sides, entered into with both sides holding their noses. Ditto for Erdogan who has apparently decided that neither the EU nor the US could be considered reliable protectors. Even the Saudis have tried, however clumsily and crudely, to get the Russians on their side.
For the time being the "Islamic threat" show will continue, as will the "active shooters", Black Lives Matter and all the rest of the program brought to us by the Empire. False flags will continue to flutter in great numbers in the Empire's hot air.
A report from Russia's news program on "Rossiya-1"
"Hi, everybody, I'm the guy hacking the Clinton ma...
The course of the day
The oil recovery is over
The Democrats' calls for war and corruption and fr...
The Democrats' war with Russia
Stephen Cohen on Donald Trump
BREAKING: Second Turkish coup underway??
"Blame Putin: From the imperial echo chamber
Tension between Turkey and its ally, the Untied St...
Facebook censorship on Wikileaks release
John Pilger on the US elections
Bernie Sanders betrays his followers
Robert Reich vs. Chris Hedges
Donald Trump's speech
Anthrax outbreak in Siberia due to extreme heat
Blaze in Siberia seen from space and will burn for...
Chris Hedges and Ralph Nader talk Bernie Sanders, ...
Focus on Turkey - 07/28/2016
Facebook censors article about Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders goes back to being an Independent
Listen to what Trump actually says
Political developments in Washington
Coverage from the Democratic National Convention -...
Putin's after the voting machines now
Chris Hedges on Bernie Sanders
Sam Carana on abrupt climate change
Pepe Escobar on the South China Sea
Climate change denial in the NZ Herald
The scorching Earth
Extreme heat in Yamal, Siberia
Marc Faber on Hillary Clinton
I have occasion to wrote of Robertscribbler one la...
Stephen Cohen on weaponising Putin
Another Wikileaks release
Donald Trump on the deleted emails
Leon Panetta Pitches Hillary's War Credentials
IRS investigaing Clinton Association
Tension and increased militarsation in the South C...
NYT censorship of article
Reports of Poroshenko leaving Ukraine as crisis sh...
The Establishment response to Wikleaks
Thoughts on the Democrat National Convention
NYT censorshipof Bernie Sanders article
Why does Donald Trump's name appear in Wikileaks' ...
Discussion on the failed Turkish coup
RT coverage at DNC
Bernie Sander supporters storm a media center
Bernie Sanders supporters locked out of DNC
Bernie delegates stage mass walkout at DNC
More hacked material coming from Wikileaks - Assange
Extreme weather and climate change in New Zealand
Warmonger Clinton chosen as Democratic candidate
US support for "moderate" terrorist groups in Syria
French government orders CCTV evidence in Nice
Climate extremes in the United States
Fire Near NATO Base in Turkey Possible Anti-Americ...
Egregious physical abuse of detained youths in Aus...
10C temperature increase by 2026 predicted
Failure of Kerry-Lavrov talks confirmed
The Turks thank Putin
Earthquake off Australia
Clinton the warmonger - the corruption
The DNC - RT coverage
Hearing from the whistleblowers - Assange and Snow...
Senator Sanders not the "revolutionary" people tho...
Is Hillary Clinton possessed?
Tensons between China and India
The complete speech of Putin at the St.Petersburg ...
Sibel Edmonds latest on the Turkish coup
Did Russian Spetnaz save Erdogan?
The truth abut the New Zealand economy
Putin, Putin is everywhere!
The Wikileaks documents
On the eve of the Democratic Convention
22 degrees Celsius in Christchurch - in the coldes...
Donald Trump works for Vladimir Putin - in case yo...
Alexander Dugin on the end of American hegemony
Russians bombed US base in Syria
Arctic sea ice collapse - 07/23/2016
The WADA Russian athlete ban
Nuclear warships: the US is trying to seize NZ sov...
German journalist at two terror scenes
Climate change as a question of justice - a Bangla...
Prof.Tim Garrett on civilisation as a heat engine
The US primaries - 0723/2016
Discussing Robertscribbler's latest article
Heat wave spreading across the United States
Siberia's wildfires seen from Space
British economy tanks after Brexit vote
Dmitry Orlov on the Turkish coup
The Saker on the Turkish coup
The changing Europe - talking about the Wuerzburg ...
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Hottest temperatures measured outside Death Valley...
Gunman on shooting rampage in Munich mall
More Hillary emails released by Wikileaks
Carbon Spikes over the Arctic, Africa, and the Amazon


During the Los Angeles Vegan Beer Fest, I had the awesome opportunity to try Searbirds' beer-battered avocado tacos. As a lover of tacos, of beer, and of avocado – this was a moment of sheer joy. As someone who enjoys cooking – this was inspiration to try to do something similar myself.
Given that avocados, when cut up, are somewhat slippery, I figured I needed a "more grippy" batter. Usually, for beer batter, I use Isa's recipe from Vegan Brunch. For this, I decided to make the batter more putty-like, less batter-like – the idea being that I could take gobs of it and mold it around the avocado slices.
I took clumps of the "batter" and molded it to wrap around each avocado slice. I then rolled them in a separate bowl of bread crumbs to get the final later of crispy outside.
I don't have a deep fryer, so I simply pour a thin layer of canola oil into a nonstick pot and fry in that.
That's it. Simple! In the first picture, I topped one of the tacos with Drew's Smoked Tomato Dressing and another with some salsa, stacking the avocado slices on top of a bed of chopped romaine lettuce. I think these turned out pretty awesome. My only complaint is that I am somewhat poor at picking out ripe avocados, so some of the pieces were not as buttery soft as I would have liked.