text:
Environmentalist Drag Queen Pattie Gonia Says The Outdoors Is for Everyone
by How to Save a Planet
It's no secret How to Save a Planet is a pro-nature podcast, and that's not just because we like the mountains, or because trees suck carbon out of the atmosphere: outdoors experiences can also be an important way to build the climate movement. But not everyone feels welcome or safe in the outdoors. Environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia is on a mission to change that. Her goal: bring more queer people into the outdoors (and into the climate movement.)
Guests: Wyn Wiley (Pattie Gonia)
There are tons of activists, educators, and meetup groups working to diversify the outdoors. Check out all the groups listed on Melanin Basecamp, the activists and influencers from Diversify Outdoors, this list of LGBTQ+ outdoors leaders and organizations, and map of LGBTQ+ outdoors meetup groups. Maybe you'll find someone to go on a hike with!
Check out the Job Board that Pattie put together – if you're a queer person looking for work in the outdoors, you can add yourself to the list, and if you're hiring for outdoors workers, you can put the job posting there!
Draw your Climate Action Venn Diagram – what are you good at? What is the work that needs doing? What brings you joy? Pattie's work is a great example of finding a climate action unique to you at the center of that venn diagram. If you're not sure what this is, check out our episode Is Your Carbon Footprint BS?
And finally...go outside! Touch grass! Send us pictures if you do.
Check out our Calls to Action archive for all of the actions we've recommended on the show. Send us your ideas or feedback with our Listener Mail Form. Sign up for our newsletter here. And follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
This episode of How to Save a Planet was produced by Anna Ladd. The rest of our reporting and producing team includes Kendra Pierre-Louis, Rachel Waldholz, and Hannah Chinn. Our supervising producer is Lauren Silverman. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Our intern is Nicole Welch. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard with original music from Emma Munger. Our fact checker for this episode was Claudia Geib.
Alex Blumberg: Welcome to How to Save a Planet. I'm Alex Blumberg, and this is the show about what we need to do to address climate change, and how we make those things happen.
Alex: Ah, the great outdoors!
[ARCHIVE CLIP: Oldest, largest and one of our most beautiful vacation lands is Yellowstone National Park.]
Alex: About 300 million people visit US national parks every year, and people spend around $800-billion a year on outdoor recreation activities like camping, backpacking and kayaking. And if you've ever hiked to the top of a mountain and looked around, it's probably not all that hard to understand why.
[ARCHIVE CLIP: For many years, Old Faithful has played with average regularity every 65 minutes. It's a majestic, awe-inspiring sight, reaching up with a plume of white steam that towers above everything and seems to dominate the world.]
Alex: They don't make newsreels like that anymore, do they? Spending time in nature has all sorts of physical and mental health benefits—we've talked more than once about literally hugging trees on this show. That's for a reason. But there is another reason why these outdoor experiences are so important: they help to build the climate movement. People who have outdoor experiences as a child—especially more "wild" ones—are more likely to be environmentalists as adults. And a survey of youth climate leaders showed that childhood outdoor experiences were formative in their activism.
Alex: But not everyone sees the outdoors as being a place for them. That was certainly the case for today's guest who showed up to our Zoom conversation with the camera off, then turned it on to reveal a surprise full face of drag makeup, and a wig that took up most of the frame.
Pattie Gonia: Hello! [laughs]
Alex: I mean, the only word is "Fabulous!" Well, I wish all of our guests took the interviews so seriously. Anybody else who's gonna come on How to Save a Planet ...
Pattie Gonia: You gotta turn to look.
Alex: Tell us who you are and what you do. [laughs]
Pattie Gonia: I am an intersectional environmentalist. I am a professional homosexual, and I am a drag queen. And my name is Pattie Gonia.
Alex: Pattie Gonia. And Pattie is just one of a growing number of leaders and activists trying to widen and diversify the climate and environmental movements. Because right now, it's a narrow group who are mostly benefiting from outdoor experiences.
Alex: Of the 300 million visitors to the national parks, nearly 80 percent of them are white, and nearly 80 percent of the employees are too. And more than 60 percent of the park rangers are men, mostly white men. The people experiencing and working in what Ken Burns the documentarian has called "America's Best Idea?" They look nothing like what America looks like.
Alex: And that might be, in part, because a lot of Americans don't feel safe in these places. You don't have to look very far into the past to find acts of violence towards marginalized people in the outdoors. On the 4th of July last year, white men in Indiana tried to lynch a Black man while he was camping. This summer, a newly married lesbian couple was shot while camping in Moab, Utah. Like Pattie told us ...
Pattie Gonia: People are always like, "The outdoors isn't racist or isn't homophobic." And I'm like, "Yeah, but guess what? People in them are."
Alex: And it is Pattie Gonia's mission to be a part of changing all that, and that is partly what we're going to be talking about with her on today's program. But also, before Pattie joined the movement to diversify the outdoors, she was known only as Wyn Wiley, a photographer in Nebraska who had no intentions of becoming a drag queen or a climate activist—and certainly not a combination of the two. How Wyn Wiley became Pattie Gonia, and how Pattie Gonia is working to make the climate movement more inclusive and more fabulous. That's coming up after the break.
[00:04:26.14]***
Alex: Welcome back to my conversation with Wyn Wiley, aka Pattie Gonia. And just to say up front, Wyn uses he/they pronouns as Wyn, and she/they pronouns as Pattie. And Wyn told me that growing up in Nebraska, he remembers spending a lot of time outdoors as a kid.
Pattie Gonia: Some of my first memories of childhood ever were literally being in my backyard, and performing Cats: The Musical for an audience of literally nobody. It was my jellicle ball in my backyard. But yeah, like, I remember just being this little queer kid running around in the outdoors in Nebraska, and really just soaking up all the beautiful nature in Nebraska. You know, no one thinks of Nebraska as a really beautiful place, but it's full of more varieties of trees than you could ever imagine. Fall is so gorgeous there.
Alex: Mm-hmm.
Pattie Gonia: And I remember also, like, the times, like, alone growing up in Nebraska, even on my grandma's farm, where I was just at so much peace with the world, watching these sunsets over the Midwest, seeing hundreds and thousands and millions of birds migrating across the whole entire state, like through all of fall.
Alex: But not all of Wyn's early outdoor experiences were so positive.
Pattie Gonia: In high school, I joined Boy Scouts because my father forced me to. And the homophobia that I faced there in the outdoors really turned me off to the outdoors, and while I was learning amazing skills like backpacking and figuring out how to survive outdoors, which I'm really grateful for, it was also one of the most traumatic places of my life. And I mean, I remember in Boy Scouts being at summer camp and being called the F-word every single day. I remember feeling like the outdoors were only a place for masculine people, or for people that were conquering and were out there to really, yeah, not be with nature and not celebrate nature, but to conquer nature.
Alex: During this time, Wyn had still not come out to his family and close friends, but after high school he did.
Pattie Gonia: what I was met with was a lot of love, but I was also met with a lot of conditional love. I was met with, "That's okay, we love you. But never paint your nails. Never do drag. Never do anything effeminate, never be trans, never choose to transition." And I really internalized that. That really just told me what I had to be to be a successful gay, because I could be gay, but I had to change to still succeed in life, you know? And I wanted to succeed. I wanted to make it in this world.
Alex: Right.
Pattie Gonia: And so I remember my freshman year of college changing my voice lower, because I wanted to straight pass more. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to be a part of things. I didn't want to be left out. And so I feel like when I came out of the closet I almost went further back in.
Alex: Part of this pressure that Wyn felt had to do with his decision to stay in Nebraska, and not do what so many young, rural, LGBTQ+ people do: move away from home to live in a city, or somewhere with more of a queer community. Wyn says he didn't want to do that.
Pattie Gonia: I think the dominant narrative for forever has been for queer people to run to cities for acceptance. I remember sitting in high school and being like, "Where's it gonna be? Is it gonna be LA? Is it gonna be New York City? Is it gonna be Seattle?" It was never gonna be somewhere rural. It was never gonna be somewhere outdoors for me.
Pattie Gonia: Because there's safety in numbers. I think people find that in cities, but to be honest, Alex, like, I'm not gonna survive or thrive in a city. I'm gonna survive or thrive in a place that's surrounded by nature. I think I told myself I wanted to be one of the ones that, like, stayed and made it work, or to change the place, you know? And I tried to do that through a lot of love, I tried to do that through a lot of education. And I really didn't want to just throw my middle finger up. I wanted to see what it would be like to stay and to maybe do the harder thing and to try to make it better. But 10 years of it was a lot.
Alex: 10 years. A decade of talking with a deeper voice, trying to blend in, feeling that conditional support. During that time, Wyn did manage to build a career for himself in Nebraska as a professional photographer, but even though he was living where he wanted to live, he wasn't living as who he wanted to be. And having both of those things at the same time was feeling increasingly impossible. Pattie Gonia, in other words, was nowhere on the horizon. But then a few years ago, Wyn took a trip to this annual photography conference in LA.
Pattie Gonia: They always have this giant dance party at the end of this conference, and the invitation is just to come as who you are. And so I decided about three years ago that I was gonna come as who I wanted to be that night. And so I went to LA, I went inside this drag queen store. I bought a pair of high-heeled boots, and I did drag for the first time that night. And I'll never, ever forget looking in the mirror and seeing so much of the femininity and the queerness and the freedom that I had left out of my life. And it was a life-changing experience and it was so beautiful. And that night was filled with so much joy and fun, and was just crazy and beautifully queer and weird.
Alex: [laughs]
Pattie Gonia: And my drag looked absolutely terrible, but I did not care. I was having the time of my life. My face was literally like—okay, so fun fact about drag makeup for you?
Alex: Uh-huh?
Pattie Gonia: Your face literally—when they say your face melts, your face literally melts off your face. Like my eye makeup was down here sitting on my cheekbones. But I'll never forget the freedom that I felt that night, and also just how I viewed drag for the first time as this playground where anything is possible.
Pattie Gonia: And the next day, you know, as happens in the world, I posted some photos online and those photos eventually made their way back to people in Nebraska. And I will never forget the silence from people that I thought were in my corner and I thought were in my life. People just slowly started to back away because they were like, "Oh, well, here we go. Wyn is finally, like, making everything about his queerness." Or "Here goes Wyn. Like, the liberals have finally got him. Like, here he goes, like, doing all the queer things."
Pattie Gonia: And really making them uncomfortable. And yeah, going back home to Nebraska, my house was egged. I lost clients. Literally, I had some clients cancel on me. And it was just a really sour taste in my mouth.
Pattie Gonia: And it hurt so much that I said, "Screw it." And I remember taking those boots and putting them into my closet and, like, closing that door and just being like, "Screw this. This is too hard. This is too much. No, I don't want to do this, not if it means that I'm losing so much."
Alex: And those boots sat in the back of that literal and now metaphorical closet for six months, until one day when Wyn opened that closet door to get ready for an upcoming backpacking trip. He was going out with some of his closest friends. Friends who he knew he was safe to be himself around.
Pattie Gonia: I looked and I saw my backpacking backpack and those boots. And I just said, "Hmm, what if?" And I decided to pack those boots into that backpack and to go on the backpacking trip.
Alex: So Wyn, boots at the bottom of his big camping backpack, made his way with his close friends to the top of the trail in the Colorado wilderness near the Continental Divide. And it was there that the boots came out of the bag.
Pattie Gonia: My friends all turned around and I was just, like, standing in these high-heel boots. And I was, like, strutting around and kicking. And it was so fun, and we took some fun photos, and we took some fun videos. And I, like, edited these little video clips into a little video of me dancing in these high heels.
Alex: I want to watch that first video that you—that you posted.
Pattie Gonia: Oh my dear God. Here we go! [laughs]
Alex: [laughs] And I happen to have a link right here.
Pattie Gonia: Oh wow. Here we go! Oh my gosh!
[video plays]
Alex: Oh, there are the boots!
Alex: The video opens on a close-up of two thigh-high, patent leather stiletto heels strutting across the ground. And then it cuts to a wide shot of Wyn in the heels with a huge backpack, twirling those telescoping hiking sticks like batons. The bottom half is all nightclub drag queen, the top half is all rugged backpacker, complete with backwards baseball cap and bag of snack food.
Alex: Are those Flamin' Hot Cheetos that you're eating? [laughs]
Pattie Gonia: Yes, it is. Alex. Yes it is. [laughs]
Alex: Did you guys bring a drone with you on your hiking trip?
Pattie Gonia: You know, we did to take drone of, like, nature. And then, like, it just found a different purpose.
Alex: [laughs] What did that feel like?
Pattie Gonia: I felt free. I felt feminine. I felt masculine. I felt like a mix of all of it. I felt empowered. I felt—yeah, I just felt like kind of anything was possible. You know, I think it's like a supershero finds her cape, you know?
Alex: Do you have the boots now? Can you show them to us?
Pattie Gonia: Yeah. So these are six-inch heels. They are black patent leather. They are filled with rocks from hiking.
Alex: Oh!
Pattie Gonia: Just literally rocks stuck in the boot. [laughs] So this is what I get for backpacking. Like, they just get ripped to shreds but ...
Alex: Oh my God those are totally—like the heel on the—I mean, the sole of the boot is completely torn.
Pattie Gonia: Yeah. And as the youth do these days, I posted it online to this joke little Instagram account called Pattie Gonia and, like, thought that, like, 30 of my friends would follow it. And then woke up to, like, 10,000 people following it. Hundreds of thousands of views on the video. Like, Fergie resharing the video because I was dancing to a Fergie song. But yet also again, it was this thing where, like, a lot of people back home were seeing this again. And I was like, what am I gonna do? Am I gonna finally choose myself and say, "No, I'm gonna go for this?" Or am I gonna put those boots back into my closet again?
Pattie Gonia: And I'm just so glad that I kept on going. Ugh, this wig is hot. Can I actually take it off? We're doing the rest of this podcast with this wig off.
Alex: Yes, of course, of course. We don't have to do that.
Pattie Gonia: Here we are. The wig's off, shit's getting real.
Alex: After the break, shit gets real, and Pattie Gonia finds her unlikely place in the climate movement.
Alex: Welcome back. So Wyn Wiley just posted his first video as the outdoors-y drag queen Pattie Gonia, and suddenly, tens of thousands of people were following Pattie Gonia's account.
Alex: So this video, your first Pattie gonia video goes—we'll call it viral, and ...
Pattie Gonia: Thanks, Alex. Appreciate the stamp of approval. You're like, "Not viral, quite. But kind of."
Alex: Viral-ish. How did it feel? Did it feel like, "Holy shit, I've unleashed something here and I need to figure out what to do with this?"
Pattie Gonia: Yeah. It felt like "Holy shit, I've unleashed something here. And that is how it felt." The messages I was getting from queer people that are like, "Yes, we are out here. Like, thank you so much. Like, the outdoors needs a drag queen. Like, oh my gosh. Like, I feel this." The people that were sending in videos to me of wearing their high heels and strutting and backpacking, like, it was unbelievable to watch and to see. I was like, okay, like, I think there's some momentum here.
Alex: It seemed clear that Pattie was filling this hunger, something that people had been looking for: queer representation in the outdoors. In the immediate aftermath of that video, Wyn responded by making lots more videos. There's one where Pattie emerges from a tent in Central Park and backpacks around New York City in full camping gear. There's another where Pattie is wearing a dress made out of leaves, out in mother nature—which Pattie calls "Mother Natch." And one where she bends and snaps to pick up trash on a hiking trail.
Alex: The more Pattie posted, the bigger her profile got. In the months after her first video, her follower count increased rapidly, sometimes by as much as 20-30,000 a month. And more and more, Pattie's followers were feeling like a community. So Pattie thought maybe there's another way to engage that community beyond just posting these videos. So four months after that first video went viral, Pattie invited her followers to come on an actual IRL hike with her. Over 50 people and at least three dogs showed up. Since that first group hike in 2019, Pattie has traveled all around the country, helping to lead hikes in parks and wilderness areas from California to Oregon to New York.
Alex: The hikes she hosts can vary from short afternoon trail cleanups, to four-day-long backpacking trips in the wilderness. And a huge variety of people join.
Pattie Gonia: Everyone from people who are getting in the outdoors for the first time ever. Like, one of the quotes I'd love to say to people is just, "Go touch grass! It's amazing! You know, like, just go outside. It's cool!" But then there's also, you know, really seasoned outdoor people, and really these people seeing, oh, here are queer people in my city or in my area that I never knew were out here, you know? And it's incredible how many queer people just find each other and they're like, "Oh, you are a biologist and work in this area of Yosemite National Park? Well, I'm a naturalist and I work in this area." And it's so cool to see people just meet and be like, "Okay, cool. I now know people that are queer or also that are allies that are in this area that I can just have be a part of my community."
Pattie Gonia: Some people bring heels, some people don't. It's fun. We make it really accessible for people of all different talents and abilities. And yes, it's about a hike, but it's never about a hike. In the outdoors, there is a diversity movement, and that's filled with incredible community groups of plus-size hikers, of Black hikers, of disabled hikers, of queer hikers, and people that are experiencing the outdoors in different ways than just what's been fed to them.
Pattie Gonia: And there's nothing that I just do as, like, "It is I, Pattie, organizing these group hikes." It's more like I'm going out there and I'm saying, "Hey community, show up." But when people come to these group hikes, I'm almost stepping aside and being like, "And here are way more knowledgeable people that I am co-hosting this hike with that will speak to you on really incredible things about our climate and our planet and social justice. Listen to them. I learned from them. You should too." You know? And that feels beautiful.
Alex: Pattie has co-hosted hikes with Teresa Baker, founder of the African American Nature & Parks Experience, Cindy Villaseñor, a zero-waste educator, and Karen Ramos, founder of Get Out Stay Out, a nonprofit that provides outdoor programming for Indigenous youth.
Pattie Gonia: It always ends with different, you know, people that are basically co-hosting this hike with me, speaking on different subjects, from low-waste living to environmentalism in general to social justice in the outdoor movement to just different topics that people always leave with, I feel like, so much more knowledge and thinking from different perspectives.
Pattie Gonia: I almost feel like drag too, gives you an opportunity to be a host and to create that attention, to create that "Here is your mother, but also here are way smarter scientists," you know?
Alex: Right [laughs]
Pattie Gonia: Drag has always been at the forefront of social rights movements.
Pattie Gonia: Drag queens and trans people and queer people have always been at the forefront of advocating for other people's rights and also their own. Now I just want to see what drag can do when it's at the frontlines of the climate justice movement.
Alex: In the last year, Wyn has also started working as a counselor for an organization called Brave Trails[https://www.bravetrails.org/], which is an outdoors summer camp for queer youth. And Pattie's performance work has also continued to grow beyond videos on Instagram. She recently did a big pride event at Yosemite, and worked with REI on a spoken word piece about plastic, where she performs in a dress made entirely out of plastic bags. By the way, REI is working with her? Patagonia? What are you guys doing? She's literally named after you.
Alex: Anyway, the point is that when Wyn described himself as an intersectional environmentalist, professional homosexual and drag queen, he wasn't kidding. It is a full-time job. And Wyn loves it. But it happened very quickly. Like, he didn't have a background in climate science or environmental activism, and that first Pattie Gonia video was literally the second time in Wyn's life that he'd ever dressed in drag.
Alex: It strikes me that you're having to learn so many things all at once. Like, so you're sort of like, "How do I head up this community?" At the same time, you're also learning literally to put makeup on, to be a part of this community. [laughs]
Pattie Gonia: Yeah.
Alex: It's sort of like, "Here's what we're gonna do, folks. Also, by the way, do you have any makeup tips for me?" [laughs]
Pattie Gonia: Literally. That was literally my life. No, literally my life was like, "Hey, like, strutting here. And, like, this amazing, like, activism project here." And then also I was like, "Also, call for any makeup artists in the San Francisco area that can, like, do my makeup for me." And, you know, like, I felt ashamed to do that because I felt like I should be able to just pick it up and do it. But, like, here's what I'm learning too: ask for help. There are people out there that have amazing skills, you know? Like, when I think about my drag even to this day, like, visualize this. Like, drag is literally the definition of, like, a transformer of so many humans' crafts coming together. Like, my friend made this dress for me out of quilts that are over a hundred years old. And this lady, like, made this quilt. And, like, you know, my friend styled this wig. And drag is a beautiful invitation for collaboration, but so is activism as well. And so yeah, it was learning a lot.
Alex: And why do you think it's important to create these specific spaces for queer people outdoors? Like, why is that necessary?
Pattie Gonia: I think it's important because nature has been weaponized against queer people for forever. We're told that we are unnatural. We're told that queerness is not normal. You know, we're split into these binaries already since birth. And I think that being in nature, we get to reclaim nature as a space that is incredibly queer. It's not queerness as in, "I am attracted to X, Y, or Z." It's queer as in nature has always taught us that creativity and queer solutions are the way to anything not just surviving, but thriving. And nature always shows us how important diversity is. Like, without diversity in ecosystem, it will never thrive.
Pattie Gonia: And with it, magic is possible.
Alex: Perhaps you're familiar with the patented How to Save a Planet final question. But perhaps you're not.
Pattie Gonia: Refresh my memory. Like, I've listened to every episode but I'm drawing a blank.
Alex: Pattie Gonia, how screwed are we?
Pattie Gonia: I get, like, emotional. I don't know. I wake up every day and it's different. Sometimes I just, like, have very little faith in humanity, and then sometimes I feel like so much is possible. And yeah, I believe that now is a really important time. A more important time than ever. If not now, then when? And that motivates me. And I think—I feel like my purpose on this Earth and our purpose right now is to figure this out.
Alex: Yeah.
Pattie Gonia: I will leave us with a quote that is not my own words, because I think that people are way smarter than I am.
Pattie Gonia: But yeah, I feel like this is really fitting that one of my all time favorite quotes is by E. B. White, and they say, "I arise in the morning between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy or savor the world. This makes it really hard to plan the day."
Pattie Gonia: Yup. Thank you, E.B. You know? So yeah, I don't know. I think we might be screwed, we might not. I'm gonna give it my best shot because why the fuck not.
Pattie Gonia: Quote Pattie Gonia. There we go. There's my quote to go into the outcries for forever. Oh God, y'all, the amount of sweat that's under this quilt right now, you have no idea.
Alex: I know. I bet, I bet. Your—I want to say that your mascara held up really, really well through that answer. Not showing anything.
Pattie Gonia: Thank you so much, Alex.
Alex: Which brings us—mascara intact—to our patented How to Save a Planet calls to action. First, there are so many activists, educators and meetup groups working to diversify the outdoors, groups like Brown People Camping, Unlikely Hikers, Outdoor Afro. We're gonna link to a bunch of these groups in our show notes and newsletter for you to check out. Maybe you'll find someone to go on a hike with. If you're not the hiking type, it's worth giving a few of these activists a follow, and learning from some diverse experiences in the outdoors.
Alex: Our next call to action this week is to revisit this notion that we talked about on the program before: your climate action Venn diagram. This is the brainchild of our former but still beloved co-host Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. And if you haven't heard about this on How to Save a Planet yet, she introduced it to our audience in our episode called "Is Your Carbon Footprint BS?" It's a method of finding a climate action that uses your unique talents, connections and interests. Rather than just eating more salad or feeling guilty about not recycling enough, you can actually do something that connects uniquely to you, and will therefore have a greater impact.
Alex: The way it works: you draw three overlapping circles. In one, write a list of what you're good at—what are your skills? In the second, write a list of what work needs to be done, what climate solutions need to happen? And in the third, write about what brings you joy, what gets you out of bed in the morning? Pattie's work is a great example of finding something unique to you that fits right in the center of that circle. If you make your own Venn diagram, send it to us at howtosaveaplanet.show/contact. We may share it on the show.
Alex: A third call to action: Pattie put together a job board. We will link to that in the show notes as well. If you're a queer person looking for work in the outdoors, you can add yourself to the list. And if you work somewhere that's hiring people for work in the outdoors, you can add your job posting to this job board.
Alex: And our final call to action—this is a simple one—go outside! Touch some grass. Send us some pictures of it, and tell us how it felt. You can sign up for our newsletter at howtosaveaplanet.show, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @how2saveaplanet—with the number 2. We will be doing a Q&A with Pattie Gonia on Instagram next week, so make sure you're following us there so you can submit your question.
Alex: How to Save a Planet is a Spotify original podcast and Gimlet production. It's hosted by me, Alex Blumberg. This episode was produced by Anna Ladd. Our reporters and producers are Kendra Pierre-Louis and Rachel Waldholz. Our supervising producer is Lauren Silverman. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Our intern is Nicole Welch. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard, with original music by Peter Leonard, Catherine Anderson and Emma Munger. Our fact checker this episode is Claudia Geib. Thanks to all of you for listening. We'll see you next week!
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Q: PBW for Lie Superalgebras The PBW Theorem
In the literature there are many sources discussing the PBW-basis for Lie superalgebras, see for example M. Scheunert - The Theory of Lie Superalgebras theorem 1 and corollary in section 2.3
In a more recent source (Ian Musson - Lie superalgebras and enveloping algebras) the theorem is stated in the following form (for finite dimensional Lie superalgebras):
Theorem 6.1.2 (Musson)
Let $x_1, \dots, x_m$ be a vector space basis for $\mathfrak{g}$ consisting of homogeneous elements. Then the set of all monomials of the form
$$x_1^{a_1}\cdots x_m^{a_m}$$
with $a_i \in \mathbb{N}$ if $x_i \in \mathfrak{g}_0$ (i.e. $\bar{x_i}=0$) and $a_i\in \{0,1\}$ if $x_i \in \mathfrak{g}_1$ (i.e. an odd element) is a basis for $U(\mathfrak{g})$ over $\mathbb{C}$.
Question/Counterexample (?)
My question is on the following situation, which seems to disagree with the result above. Let $\mathfrak{g} = \mathfrak{sl}_{2|1}$ having even generators $E_1,F_1,H_1,H_2$ and odd generators $E_2,F_2$ subject to the following relations
\begin{align*}
[H_i,H_j] &= 0 = H_i H_j - H_j H_i\\
[H_i,E_j] &= a_{ij} E_j = H_i E_j - E_j H_i \\
[H_i, F_j] &= -a_{ij} F_j = H_i F_j - F_j H_i\\
[E_i, F_j] &= \delta_{ij} H_i = E_i F_j -(-1)^{\bar{ij}} F_j E_i \\
[E_1,[E_1,E_2]]&= 0 = E_1^2E_2 - 2 E_1 E_2 E_1 + E_2 E_1^2\\
[E_2,E_2] &= 0 = 2E_2^2 \\
[F_1, [F_1,F_2]] &= 0 = F_1^2F_2 - 2 F_1 F_2 F_1 - F_2 F_1^2 \\
[F_2,F_2] &= 0 = 2F_2^2
\end{align*}
with $a_{ij}$ some integer coefficients (see e.g. Scheunert - Serre-type relations for special linear Lie superalgebras).
N.B. I have included the relations in $U(\mathfrak{sl}_{2|1})$ on the right side.
The theorem states that a basis is given by monomials $$H_1^a H_2^b E_1^c F_1^d E_2^e F_2^f$$ with $a,b,c,d \in \mathbb{N}$ and $e,f\in \{0,1\}$.
The question will maybe seem rather silly after such a build-up, but here goes:
Question: How does one express the element $E_2 E_1$ in terms of such a basis? (Similarly $E_2 E_1 E_2$)
As far as I can tell that is not possible and the basis is actually of the form
$$H_1^a H_2^b E_1^c F_1^d (E_2E_1)^e E_2^f (F_2 F_1)^g F_2^h$$ with $a,b,c,d \in \mathbb{N}$ and $e,f,g,h\in \{0,1\}$
This basis seems to contradict with the theorem above. Thus if the answer on the first question is, `this is not possible'. What then should I make of the theorem above? Comments are most welcome.

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Reap the Wild Wyn on Friday
Reap the Wild Wyn: Newcastle United news and other links to make you a better person for June 3, 2016
By Brian.Fullford@iambwf Jun 3, 2016, 2:30pm BST
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Friday is here. You don't have to be poor anymore.
A few days ago the Swiss-based football economics research unit CIES Observatory released what they believe are the value of Newcastle United's "six crown jewels". The players, in order, are Georginio Wijnaldum (19.2 mil dollars/24.8m Euros), Aleksandar Mitrovic (18.7 mil dollars/24.2m Euros), Jonjo Shelvey (12.8 mil dollars/16.6 Euros), Chancel Mbemba (12.2 mil dollars/15.8m Euros), Moussa Sissoko (11.4 mil dollars/14/8m Euros) and Vurnon Anita (2.1 mil dollars/2.8m Euros). CEIS claims it has a strong success rate in player evaluation:
Since the 2013 summer transfer window, the correlation between values estimated by our algorithm and the sums actually paid for the recruitment of big-5 league players has been close to 80%.
With three of the four players signed last summer increasing in value (Florian Thauvin is your outlier), that does speak well for something within the Newcastle clubhouse. It also, however, asks the question of what their value was over the course of the season. Gini, Mitro and Shelvey all saw bench time under Rafa Benitez. Sissoko and Anita appeared to receive strong votes of confidence. Yet, it could be argued, only Shelvey completely disappeared from the landscape with the others showing signs of improvement. What were the value of these players prior to Benitez coming on board?
This led me to look for information on what players were considered lost after Newcastle's last relegation, which I found in an old piece from the Guardian (link below). The Guardian looked at twice as many players, but of those listed Newcastle transferred out only four prior to the start of the season. The culture of the Premier League has changed since then, but also has Newcastle's. One key name on the list kept was Kevin Nolan, who along with Andy Carroll led the team with 17 goals for the season. The 2009/10 season in the Championship saw Newcastle lose a total of four matches.
These are really nothing more than talking points, used as a means of speculating what might happen. We have already been told Newcastle will not be forced to sell anyone. In an interview yesterday Fabricio Coloccini stated he felt the team would see off some older players and go young in their rebuild. This was more focused on players presently on the roster as opposed to players looking to be signed.
We here at Coming Home Newcastle are working on some articles focusing on player evaluations, akin to what Jim already did with the goalie position. It should be an interesting Summer.
Let's kick the ball.
Newcastle United fire sale: How much are the players worth?
As promised above this is the Guardian's piece on those players who could be transferred out after Newcastle's 2009/10 relegation. The Joey Barton sentiments are funny.
Steven Taylor to leave Newcastle after 21 years at the Championship club
While we can bemoan Taylor's recent quality of play it must be noted that he is a product of Newcastle's club system, and has given his heart to both club and country. Fans can debate whether he optimized his talent, or never realized it. Best of luck in your opportunities both local and abroad. Thank you for your play.
Here is Newcastle United's retained list for 2016/17: Mbabu agrees new deal as seven depart
Apart from Taylor leaving the name that jumps out is Kevin Mbabu getting a new contract. Time for me to do some research on these other boys.
Everton look to Newcastle ace
Everton and Roma are the spotlight clubs looking at Wijnaldum. Everton has been linked to Gini in the past.
Transfer rumours: The top 100 players in the summer transfer window 2016
It's a slide show. You have been warned.
Aston Villa confirm Roberto Di Matteo is club's new manager as he targets promotion in his first season
The promotion battle just got more interesting. If I am a Villan this hiring would make me quite happy.
5 Alternatives to the Diamond Engagement Ring
Two years old, but still timely. I've been married for 20+ years so hopefully I'll never need this advice.

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Babcock and Marr: Justice for All Includes Low-Income Residents
By Kenneth W. Babcock and Kate Marr | July 26, 2018
At a recent meeting of the Costa Mesa City Council, Councilmember Jim Righeimer displayed a shocking misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the pro bono legal services provided in recently settled lawsuits against the City of Costa Mesa. Mr. Righeimer said the suits were only about the money going to the lawyers in the case. Mr. Righeimer is entitled to his opinions, but not his own set of facts.
For over 60 years, lawyers in Orange County have volunteered to provide free legal services to low income Orange County residents through the Public Law Center and the Legal Aid Society of Orange County. For example, volunteer lawyers, law students, paralegals and others donate each and every year pro bono legal services valued at approximately $20 million to low income Orange County residents referred to them by the Public Law Center. This spirit of volunteerism and dedication by volunteer lawyers to the cause of access to justice is nothing unique to Orange County – it is replicated in every State in our nation. They do so not because they are "quote unquote pro bono law firms" who "go out and get pro bono awards and then turn around and send a bill" for attorneys' fees as Mr. Righeimer claims, suggesting some sort of improper motivation.
Rather, they volunteer their time to help the indigent out of a profound sense of the importance of the rule of law, fundamental fairness and justice for all. The clients they represent include veterans, domestic violence survivors, seniors defrauded by scam artists, human trafficking victims and – as was the case here – men, women and children who find themselves homeless because of the paucity of safe, decent and affordable housing in Orange County.
While clients referred by the Public Law Center and the Legal Aid Society of Orange County are not charged a fee for the legal services they receive, California law is clear (and has been for decades) that legal services staff lawyers and pro bono volunteer lawyers who represent the prevailing party in a lawsuit can recover the reasonable value of their services from the other side. While this may frustrate Mr. Righeimer, any other rule would create an incentive for wrong-doers to harm the poor with impunity.
The Public Law Center and the Legal Aid Society of Orange County, along with other legal services organizations who represent low income individuals, regularly receive fees based on the reasonable value of their staff attorneys' services as well as donations of fees from law firms recovered from the opposing party on cases we've referred to them. In this case, the Haynes and Boone law firm (which was honored as Public Law Center's 2017 Law Firm of the Year at its Volunteers for Justice Dinner) is donating all of its fees from the settlement agreement to public interest law firms involved in the lawsuits. This money allows nonprofit programs to continue the necessary work of assisting low-income residents in this County.
If Mr. Righeimer is frustrated by the amount of money included in the settlement agreement for our and our co-counsel's attorney's fees, he need only look in the proverbial mirror. The lawsuits started over an ordinance that prevented residents from staying in Costa Mesa motels longer than 30 days, when the City had allowed motels to provide alternative low-income housing options for years due to City's lack of affordable housing options. The lawsuit contended that the ordinance was part of a campaign to force the motels and its residents out of Costa Mesa to be replaced with luxury apartment complexes.
When the ordinance was first passed, then Mayor Righeimer acknowledged that the motel residents were financially challenged and some had mental problems, but his justification was "if you are living in a motel, you should be moving…you should be reminded every 28 days, this is not working in your life." In fact, a number of the residents displaced were families of very limited means and disabled persons. When a 72 year old wheelchair bound woman dying of liver failure asked for an exception to the 30 day limitation to stay longer, the City denied her request, forcing her to move from her convenient, first floor apartment at the Costa Mesa Motor Inn. It was this unbelievable insensitivity to the homeless in Costa Mesa that prompted legal action, not a desire for legal fees.
The City could have discussed settlement when plaintiffs got an injunction against the Ordinance in March 2015, but instead elected to employ a "scorched earth" litigation strategy for years, justifiably losing nearly every motion and challenge, never taking settlement seriously until a new City Council was elected in November 2016 and even then waiting until September 2017 to engage in serious discussions. Again, if Mr. Righeimer wants to know why the attorney's fees were high, he need only look at the City's litigation strategy and refusal to discuss settlement for three years.
Recently in Orange County, federal court lawsuits, including one filed by the Legal Aid Society of Orange County on behalf of homeless persons who were living in the Santa Ana riverbed area, have received considerable attention and demonstrate the dire need for regional solutions to address the issues of affordable housing and homelessness. We hope that the recent settlement of the lawsuits against the City of Costa Mesa will point out the importance of municipal entities being part of the regional solution and not part of the problem.
Kenneth W. Babcock, Executive Director & General Counsel, Public Law Center. In his 18 years as head of the Public Law Center, Ken Babcock has significantly expanded PLC to provide pro bono legal assistance to more Orange County low-income residents.
Kate Marr, Executive Director, Legal Aid Society of Orange County. Legal Aid's Executive Director Kate Marr has 17 years of experience managing programs and organizations, litigating and advising clients at several legal services programs in southern California.
Opinions expressed in editorials belong to the authors and not Voice of OC.
Voice of OC is interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. If you want to weigh in on this issue or others please contact Voice of OC Involvement Editor Theresa Sears at [email protected]
SUBMIT A COMMUNITY OPINION PIECE: Voice of OC is interested in hearing different perspectives and voices on civic matters. If you want to submit a community opinion piece read these guidelines and then send an email to [email protected].
Costa Mesa Community Opinions
Jim Righeimer
Legal Aid Society of Orange County
Trahan: Feet To The Fire And The Homeless Crisis in Costa Mesa
Rebecca Trahan, Costa Mesa City Council Candidate in District 5, writes about the Feet the Fire forum and dealing with Costa Mesa's homelessness crisis.
Second Federal Lawsuit Filed Against County On Behalf of Riverbed Homeless
The Legal Aid Society of Orange County has filed a federal lawsuit against the County of Orange on behalf of seven homeless individuals with disabilities, who lawyers say have not been able to access the county's housing and case management programs because of their disabilities.


The most popular, developed and regulated market "Foreign Exchange Market" commonly called as Forex, FX or the currency market is the market for buying, selling and exchanging currencies. Currencies differ from country to country. In order for the public to exchange currencies for operational and trading use, Forex market plays a vital role in exchange as they determine the rate of exchange. The major participants of Forex are the banks and the financial institutions.
The digital currency technically called as cryptocurrency is ruling the market now enabling the investor/user to purchase goods and services using the digital currency and at the same time, also permitting them to trade the digital currency. Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency introduced in the market. The popularity of bitcoin led to the creation of different cryptocurrency such as Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple etc. With the number of users reaching 25 million, some foreign exchange market has begun integrating the cryptocurrencies into their trading methods. Some of the best Forex traders can trade cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin through their online trading platform.
Completing 8 successful years, Bitcoin still ranks as the top traded cryptocurrency list and the value of Bitcoin are expected to go high. Since this currency is dominating the market and being internationally accepted for purchase of goods and services, many foreign exchange platforms prefer to trade this currency.
1) The primary advantage of trading cryptocurrency in the foreign exchange market is the versatility. It permits the user to transfer, sell or exchange currencies. And, the trader executes this cryptocurrency transaction without any third party which is not the case in case of trading other currency in a Forex market.
2) Cryptocurrency also offers the traders in the Forex market to trade them as a Contract for Difference (CFD) or as a derivative in addition to regular trading. Under CFD, the user makes the profit by trading the price movement of cryptocurrency without actually owning it. There are cryptocurrency robots that help the traders to trade efficiently by reporting the market projections. We have trading bots for CFD trades as well. Crypto CFD Trader is a trading software that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence technology to monitor, analyze and forecast the markets of cryptocurrencies.
3) Trading with cryptocurrencies is beneficial for traders looking for occupying a passive position within the exchange market. With the limited coins to trade bitcoin and lack of volume of other cryptocurrencies in the Forex market, traders must do an intense research and purchase cryptocurrencies like Ethereum that are traded frequently and has a potential growth in future so that he can make a significant return trading the same.


Company Wellness Premium Plus is located in the city of Louisville. The legal address of the company is 5212 Hassock CT. Other interesting information can be found on working days by phone (502) 439-5222. The scheme of travel to the company Wellness Premium Plus can be viewed on the interactive map.


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What do Google, Amazon, Facebook, and IGS All Have in Common?
January 07, 2020 Industry News ASA
Data is their lifeblood! By Jackie Atkins, Ph.D. International Genetic Solutions (IGS) partner organizations, representing 18.9 million beef cattle, gathered in Bozeman on October 22-24, 2019, for a meeting of the minds. Thirty guests including executive vice…
2019 Recipients of the Walton-Berry Graduate Student Support Grant Announced
December 26, 2019 Industry News ASA
By Emme Troendle, Editor | Since 2013, the Walton-Berry Graduate Student Support Grant has aided graduate education with an emphasis on genetic improvement of livestock. Six years later, the grant continues to support the progress of livestock research. The…
Learning, Leading and Cattle Feeding
Dec 08, 2019 Industry News
The "Why" Behind Whole Herd Reporting
Check Out What We Have Done So Far
Nov 19, 2019 Industry News
Culbertson Joins ASA and IGS Science Team, Hyde Steps into Retirement
2019 Candidate Profiles. 2020 ASA Board of Trustees Election is in its Final Stage
New November HOLSim Bull List Now Available
Good Information, Progressive Management, and Quality Commercial Cows
Nov 13, 2019 ASA Spotlight
IGS Feeder Profit Calculator ™ Highlights Profit, Reduces Risk
FPC	Feeder Profit Calculator	IGS	IGS Multi-breed Genetic Evaluation	Authors/Crystal Albers Grant Company
International Genetic Solutions offers free, third-party validation on feeder calves.
Bozeman, MT - When profit-focused genetics combine with superior calf management, the producer has done the hard work. Still, that leaves little guarantee on sale day. The IGS Feeder Profit Calculator TM seeks to minimize such risk.
Using the IGS Feeder Profit Calculator, cattlemen are able to provide sire information, regardless of breed, as well as preconditioning, weaning and health data in exchange for a Total Relative Value that compares the profit potential of their calves to the industry at large. That value, indicated on a formal certificate, can be used for producer benchmarking and buyer insight.
Superior Livestock Representative Clint Berry says such technology is in line with what he sees for buyer demand.
"We sell cattle in all capacities, all formats, but the one thing we see continued pressure on is cattle that offer flexibility to the buyer, that gives the buyer a chance to have some value-added options," Berry says. "If he can recapture from that purchase price, he can recapture a profit on his side. Whether those are export verification programs or cattle that simply grow and grade better in the feedyard on his side of the business."
"Producers get paid to have better cattle. It's common to see spreads of $20-$40 at market from additional information and value-added programs," Berry says. At present, he adds, there's no ceiling.
"As we move forward, the genetic key in that is becoming more and more prominent for producers who are wanting to sell at the top of the market," he says. "Being able to verify those genetics and have a record of those genetics is the key difference."
As a third-party validation tool, the IGS Feeder Profit Calculator TM satisfies that need. Buyers who pay a premium on a set of calves will look to recoup those and add additional profit down the road at harvest.
"In our format, they might buy a calf in July, that ships to them in October, that doesn't die until April of the next year. There's a lot of time frame between the day that he made the decision to do the bid price, and the day that he recaptures his monetary value," Berry notes.
By leveraging what is there on the front end, success is more likely to follow.
"Having flexibility and having a security blanket, you might call it, for a buyer to know this set of cattle is better than the average goes a long way when you want to demand a premium for your cattle on the market," he says.
The IGS Feeder Profit Calculator is offered to all cattle producers at no cost, and is available for mobile use through the App Store.
Commercial producers wanting to learn more can visit internationalgeneticsolutions.com.
Video package available at:
IGS Youtube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DZrQsHq4o8)
International Genetic Solutions (IGS) is an unprecedented collaboration between progressive breed associations across the US and Canada that are committed to enhancing beef industry profitability. The collaboration encompasses education, technological advancement, and genetic evaluation. Through collaboration, IGS has become the largest beef cattle evaluation in the world.


Your WIRED daily briefing. Today, Tencent now owns five per cent of Tesla, the European Patent Office has granted a key CRISPR/Cas9 patent to the University of California, Twitter is going to put ads in front of Periscope videos and more.
Chinese internet giant Tencent has bought five per cent of Tesla's stock, in a move that's could give the electric carmaker a valuable cash injection (Ars Technica). Despite its successes, Tesla continues to lose money on its cars, although its forthcoming (relatively) budget friendly Model 3 could make inroads on the competitive mainstream consumer car market. Tesla CEO Elon Musk also told Ars Technica in a direct message that we can also expect to hear more about a rumoured fourth Tesla vehicle "next week". Meanwhile, a worker at Tesla's California factory, which has previously faced criticisms over staff pay and conditions, is suing the company over what he describes as racial, sexual, and physical harassment that Tesla did nothing to stop.
The European Patent Office will be granting a patent for the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-snipping technique to the University of California (UC) team, headed by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, that first published a paper about it (Science). The news follows the USA's Patent Office concluding that patents for would be awarded to both the UC team and a second group of scientists from the Broad Institute of Cambridge, Massachusetts, which submitted an accelerated patent for a refined development of the CRISPR/Cas9 system that was processed before UC's earlier submission. It is likely that Broad will appeal the European decision, but many in the scientific community are calling for both parties to forge a cross-licencing agreement to prevent ongoing confusion among those who wish to produce medicines using CRISPR-Cas9.
Twitter's latest attempt to monetise its social media platform will see video ads appearing before both live and archived Periscope streams (The Verge). The company says that, to reduce the potential impact of the inherently unpredictable nature of public livestreams, it will initially only be selling ad slots on high-profile streams, such as sporting and fashion events. The adverts will be placed via Twitter's Amplify ad sales programme, will be available in a variety of lengths - some skippable - and will run over streaming content, which means that viewers will miss several seconds until the ad finishes.
Popular password manager LastPass has warned users of an unpatched vulnerability in the current version of its password-filling browser extension (Gizmodo). The exploit was discovered by Google Project Zero researcher Travis Ormandy, who wrote: "I had an epiphany in the shower this morning and realized how to get codeexec in LastPass 4.1.43". Details have not yet been released, but LastPass has advised all its users to enable two-factor authentication on any site that supports it and "launch sites directly from the LastPass vault. This is the safest way to access your credentials and sites until this vulnerability is resolved". Earlier this month, LastPass patched a different vulnerability[/link], also discovered by Ormandy, before it could be exploited in the wild.
Google is bringing its own home router to the UK (WIRED). Suveer Kothari, director of product and partnerships at Google Home, said the device is meant to make Wi-Fi available "like a sprinkler system rather than a firehose". To do this, it uses wireless mesh networking. The protocol works by spreading out the wireless connection across a number of devices to create a wider coverage pattern. A Google Wi-Fi unit is able to connect to other Google Wi-Fi devices to increase the wireless broadcasting range throughout the space it is placed in. Google Wi-Fi goes on sale on April 6 and will cost £129 for one device, with packs of two costing £229.
Google as launched a new site dedicated to assembling all of its open source projects and describing the processes behind their development and release (TechCrunch). The catalogue includes source code and documentation for projects ranging from Android and Chromium to its recently released Noto Fonts and more obscure tools such as End-to-End, an OpenPGP encryption extension for Chrome, and the Tesseract optical character recognition engine. In an announcement, Google's Will Norris writes: "This new site showcases the breadth and depth of our love for open source. It will contain the expected things: our programs, organizations we support, and a comprehensive list of open source projects we've released. But it also contains something unexpected: a look under the hood at how we "do" open source."
Five years after it launched on smartphones, dating app Tinder finally has a web-based incarnation (WIRED). From Tinder.com it is possible to use the dating service in a web browser. The website works in the same was as the application: you log in to the website using a Facebook account, set profile details and then either click left or right to match or decline the person. However, this is one snag. Tinder Online is only currently being tested in a number of countries prior to its worldwide release. These are: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Philippines, Italy, and Sweden.
Nasa has launched a new image search tool to make it easier for everyone to explore its stunning collection of photos, audio recordings and videos from space (Mashable). In a press release, Nasa said: "The NASA Image and Video Library website consolidates imagery spread across more than 60 collections into one searchable location." The images are free to use by anyone, and the new search engine and API are designed to make them easy to embed elsewhere, check the EXIF data on and view on mobile devices.
Black Isle Studios' legendary RPG Planescape: Torment is getting a new Enhanced Edition in the style of the recent updates of the studio's Baldur's Gate games (Eurogamer). A trailer and new official site reveal that Beamdog is once again making the updated version of the isometric Dungeons & Dragons based role playing game, with original designer Chris Avellone on board to "curate" the enhancemens to the game and some any editions to its script. Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition is due out on iOS, Android and home computer platforms on April 11. If you can't wait, the original game is available now on GOG.
A set of never-before-seen maps for cult classic Half-Life 2 may include content from an unfinished third episode of the game (Polygon). The maps, which were leaked on the Facepunch Studios forum, are in Valve's Hammer Editor format, and include a never-before-seen map of Ravenholm that appears to have originated from inside Valve. It's also been speculated that some of the content could have been created by Warren Spector's Junction Point studios, which was at one point contracted to make a never-released third episode of the game. Valve Software has reportedly issued a formal takedown request for the files, but they're still online at the time of writing.
On the internet, truth has become a commodity. "I Supported Hillary Clinton Until I Saw This," stated the headline on a sponsored story from UpVibes.com that appeared on the New York Post in September 2016. "These Bill Clinton Facts Will Change Your Opinion of the Clintons" claimed another from LifeDaily. Both articles were put on the Post by Outbrain, a leading content marketing network. The most popular English-language publishers increasingly rely on "promoted stories" from companies such as Taboola, Outbrain, Revcontent and Adblade to boost their revenues.


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Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month
Posted by healtheo360 on Sep 21, 2015 12:28:12 PM
Did you know that about 1,950 people will die from thyroid cancer in 2015. ThyCa sponsors Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association educates the public about thyroid cancer, a cancer that has increased in incidence. The event focuses on the importance of early detection, treatment, lifelong monitoring, and the resources available for people with thyroid cancer and their families.
What is Thyroid cancer?
Topless Bar Tops Bucket List for Jake Stoneking with Brain Cancer
Posted by healtheo360 on Mar 13, 2014 11:11:43 AM
KATU/ABC News(WEST LINN, Ore.) -- Jake Stoneking's bucket list seems quite reasonable. A hunting trip, a tattoo and a trip to the local topless bar: all doable in the 19-year-old's hometown of West Linn, Ore.
"He put stuff on there that he knows can happen," said Jake's dad, Todd Stoneking. "We know the time's coming. We know it's coming. But he's doing pretty good and we can still do a lot of things."
Jake Stoneking has medulloblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer. He was diagnosed at the age of 14 after a string of unbearable headaches.
"He had a tumor removed about the size of a golf ball," Todd Stoneking said, recalling the 12-hour surgery in 2009 followed by months of radiation and chemo. "It pretty much took him down to nothing."
Once a 140-pound wrestler with "six-pack abs," Jake Stoneking withered to 104 pounds throughout the grueling treatment as he re-learned how to walk and eat, according to his dad.
"We thought it was gone," Todd Stoneking said of the tumor in Jake Stoneking' cerebellum – the brain center for balance and coordination. "They did scans every three months for a year to make sure it was gone. After that they did them every six months, and then once a year. We found out in February it was back."
Back with a vengeance, the tumor stretches from Jake Stoneking's brain to the bottom of his spinal cord, where his nerves are "matted" with cancer, according to his dad.
"The doctor told us he'd have three months," Todd Stoneking said, adding that Jake Stoneking is taking two experimental chemo drugs that could buy him an extra year. By Tuesday, the drugs were starting to take their toll.
"They said he would drop down really low Tuesday and then start feeling better Thursday," Todd Stoneking said. "They're going to do two rounds, and if it starts shrinking with these two treatments, they'll go ahead and keep treating him for up to 12 months."
Jake Stoneking started his bucket list when one night he couldn't sleep, according to his dad.
"He was up late, thinking, 'I want to do this, I want to do that,'" said Todd Stoneking. "We're knocking 'em off as fast as we can and we're adding them in between."
So far Jake Stoneking has checked five items off the 17-item list, including a helicopter ride and a visit to Jiggles – the local topless bar. Still left on the list: hunting a black bear, laughing until he cries and getting "Stoneking" tattooed on his back.
"It's bittersweet," said Todd Stoneking, explaining how friends are rallying to help Jake check off the rest of Jake's bucket list. "Some 19-year-olds die in car crashes and their parents wish they could have one more day. We're getting lots of one more days."
Todd Stoneking said that Jake Stoneking is not only his son, he's his best friend.
"It'd be easier if he wasn't," he said through tears. "He's an awesome kid. And I'm not just saying because he's mine. There's something about him, his infectious smile.
"I know what they mean now about heartache," he added with a shaky voice. "It just aches."
ABC Entertainment News | ABC Business News
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio
Advanced Cervical Cancer: Trial Therapy Offers New Hope
Keith Brofsky/Thinkstock(RIO DE JANEIRO) -- Researchers have made great strides in early detection and prevention for cervical cancer, the third-most common cancer in women, including the HPV vaccine. But with all the progress, there are still thousands of women with advanced disease, and the five-year survival rate for late-stage cervical cancer is 15 percent. That number may now climb dramatically, if the results of a trial for Erlotinib, now in its second phase, proves typical.
The standard care for advanced cervical cancer is chemo-radiation and Cisplatin, a nonspecific drug. Erlotinib, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, is a type of biologic medication targeting growth receptors in the cancerous cells -- they can't grow and cancer recedes.
For the study, which is published in the journal Cancer, Brazilian researchers at the Instituto de Cancer in Rio de Janeiro conducted a small trial in 36 women with Stage II and III cervical cancer (which now has a survival rate of 40 percent). After 77 weeks of treatment, all but two patients saw a complete disappearance of the cancer. At two and three years out, 92 percent and 80 percent of women survived, respectively.
Side effects of Erlotinib were generally manageable with patients experiencing mostly rashes and diarrhea.
According to the study authors, this is the first study to show that a target agent has promising activity against locally advanced cervical cancer. Still, more research is needed as the data presented in the trial is only preliminary.


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VR Armour Plate Components Armour Plating, Metal Bending, Plasma and Precision Laser Cutting, and CNC Machining Services
Leading South African-based metalworking company VR Laser Services is the biggest provider of metalworking engineering services in Continental Africa. Using the very latest technologies, we are able to provide a complete range of metalworking solutions and products for a variety of sectors, including the engineering and supply of armoured plating for the defence industry.
Bespoke armour plating
VR Laser are the leading armour plate engineering and service centre in Africa. We stock a full range of European-manufactured armoured steel and have easy and quick access to other armour steel ranges not held in stock. Our range of armour plating covers the hardness values of 380HBN, to 500HBN manufactured to specifications such as Mil – A – 46100, Mil – A – 1256 class 1 and 2. Both metric and imperial sizes are available.
Metal bending services
VR Laser offers a powerful choice of bending solutions. We have precision CNC press brakes that can handle a multitude of parts of all sizes and thicknesses, and specialise in the complex bending of carbon steels, particularly quench and tempered high-strength materials.
Precision laser cutting services
VR Laser's name derives from the precision laser cutting service that we offer our customers. Our laser cutting technology remains at the forefront of the industry, and employs the latest laser equipment to give clients a precise cutting service every time. We employ our own service technicians who are trained by the manufacturer to ensure that our equipment is maintained to the manufacturer's original specifications.
CNC machining solutions
VR Laser is the first plate service provider to offer a full CNC machining service. All steel plate parts requiring close tolerances can be machined and processed in our facilities, and we specialise in the machining of high hardness carbon steels.
High definition plasma cutting
We employ the latest European technologies from both MESSER and ESAB. Our high-definition plasma cutting equipment consists of three machines capable of cutting up to 40mm thick carbon steel plates. We are capable of processing plates up to 13m in length and 3m in width.
Profile cutting and chamfering
At our facilities in Alrode, which offers easy access to all major roads, specialise in high volume profile cutting and chamfering we can process up to 1,000t a month. Our five 12m x 3m profile machines can cut up to 300mm thick plate. We also do chamfering and heavy bending under one roof.
Sheet steel rolling services
To prove uniqueness in the plate service centre, we also provide our clients with sheet steel rolling solutions. We have a number of rolls capable of rolling sheets with widths of up to 3m. The thickness and diameter that can be accommodated is determined by the combination of width and thickness of the steel supplied.
Metal welding and fabrication
VR Laser offers clients an unparalleled range of welding services. Our comprehensive range of welding capabilities includes MIG, TIG, carbon arc, plasma and oxy-acetylene welding. Fabrications can be made to the customers required specifications with post fabrication operations supplied if required. Quality inspections are carried at every stage of production.
VR Armour Plate Components a division of VR Laser Services
136 Main Reef Road
North Gauteng
+27 11 306 8000 +27 11 306 8018 www.vrlaser.co.za
VR Armour Plate Components Images
SVI Max Armoured Personnel Carrier
The Max armoured personnel carrier (APC) is the latest armoured vehicle offered by SVI Engineering, a luxury and armoured vehicle manufacturer based in South Africa.


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Shin Samurai Jazz is a platform-adventure game. It combines the likes of film noir and samurai cinema, presenting them with 8-bit graphics, an electro-jazz soundtrack, and a comic/manga-like style creating a unique atmosphere.
Unlike it's predecessor, samurai_jazz, Shin Samurai Jazz features jumping mechanics inspired by chuunori, an old technique used in kabuki theatre to give the illusion of flying. It's combat mechanics consist of hacking and slashing with the ability to juggle enemies and perform mid-air combinations, also inspired by chuunori. While the adventure elements remain intact, the puzzles are more complex with varied level designs and enemy placements/attack patterns that make use of the game's mechanics.
Adventure through an 8-bit city and free it from it's pixelated nightmare
Chuunori inspired platforming with double-jumping, wall-jumping, and aerial dashing abilities
Perform attack combinations on land or in mid-air and juggle enemies to overcome their strategic placement and attack patterns
Solve puzzles that will test your platforming skills and tease the brain a bit
Supports Xbox 360 controllers


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Suite stay near Liverpool with British Music Experience tickets
Suites Hotel & Spa Knowsley, Merseyside
Bespoke deals at guaranteed lowest prices, which are unavailable anywhere else.
British Music Experience
Double or Twin suite
A music-filled stay near Liverpool with British Music Experience tickets
Calling all guitar heroes and Whitney wannabees - a modern suite stay near Liverpool with breakfast, dinner on your first night and tickets to the British Music Experience
The British Music Experience charts the history of British Music with its fascinating display of costumers, instruments and memorabilia from Britain's musical greats, from world-renowned icons like the Beatles to family favourites from the X Factor.
Head to the British Music Experience's Gibson Brands Interactive Studio to play on a range of instruments. Channel your inner guitar hero with a strum on a Gibson or Epiphone guitar, and jam with your band; Roland drums, synthesisers and keyboards are available too. Video lessons help you learn songs, and there's even a vocal booth.
The Suites Hotel & Spa offers contemporary interiors with plenty of modern comforts. All suites feature high technology communications areas, Wi-Fi and Freeview channels. The spa has a 'Five Bubble' award and offers luxury treatments, a thermal suite and a relaxation suite, plus a well-equipped gym, giving you plenty of opportunity to unwind.
- Pool
- Spa / leisure facilities
- Gym
The Suites Hotel & Spa is situated in Knowsley, in Merseyside, just under 13 kilometres from the centre of Liverpool. Liverpool can be accessed directly by train from many of the UK's major cities, including London, Birmingham and Manchester.
The included tickets to the British Music Experience will be booked on your behalf for 1pm, or as close to 1pm as possible, on your first full day in Liverpool (i.e. the day after you arrive).


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Switzerland and the Czech Republic
Interviews, Reden und Ansprachen
Interviews, Reden und Ansprachen des Schweizer Botschafters in der Tschechischen Republik
The Image Gallery illustrates Switzerland's activities in the country.
Embassy of Switzerland in the Czech Republic
Swiss Contribution Office Prague
All consular services and visa issues are provided by the Regional Consular Centre in Vienna/Austria.
Travel advice on Czechia
Bilateral relations Switzerland–Czechia
Projects in the Czech Republic
Switzerland supports 38 projects in the Czech Republic with its EU enlargement contribution
Bilateral Framework Agreement with the Czech Republic
Switzerland has concluded a bilateral framework agreement with the Czech Republic. Switzerland decides in consultation with the Czech Republic and independently of the EU which projects it will support
Results in the Czech Republic
Switzerland uses its enlargement contribution to improve public transport, help juvenile offenders reintegrate and foster the exchange of information between Czech and Swiss institutions
Military leave abroad
Military attestations
Reaching the age of legal majority abroad – your military obligations
You are a Swiss citizen living abroad, registered with your family at a Swiss representation and have reached the age of 18, the legal majority age in Switzerland, while abroad. Once you reach this age, the Swiss representation responsible for your place of residence will ask you to register separately from your family in the Register of the Swiss Abroad.
At the same time you will also receive a leaflet providing information for Swiss citizens abroad concerning military service, which is available in German, French or Italian. It contains all relevant information about military service together with links to various pages of the Swiss Armed Forces' website.
Please contact the Swiss representation responsible for your place of residence if you are not called up to register for military service after you reach the age of majority – your 18th birthday – and you have not received the above-mentioned leaflet.
Military service for Swiss citizens and dual nationals
Prolonged stay abroad – reporting to the military authorities in Switzerland (Military leave abroad)
Regionales Konsularcenter Wien c/o Schweizerische Botschaft Prinz Eugen-Strasse 9a 1030 Wien Österreich
Headquarters +43 1 795 05
Headquarters +43 1 795 05 21
Headquarters wien.cc@eda.admin.ch
on appointment
Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czechia, Hungary and Liechtenstein
Interviews, Speeches & Addresses


Having an ant farm is a wonderful knowledge for everyone involved. However, there are many men and women who wish they could have an ant farm, yet they do not want to have to deal with the upkeep of owning an actual ant farm. Therefore, for many years, these individuals would have to go without having an ant farm that is till now. Learn more on the affiliated article directory by visiting vision33-sap-business-one-demo-friday. With contemporary advancements in technology, there are many simulators that can imitate true life. This is evident in simulator video games and other sorts of items. However, there are a variety of possibilities now for men and women who want to have an ant farm, but don't want a true one particular. You can now view virtual ant farms on the Net, and even in your own property.
There are several products readily available to the public that are just like ant farms, only they are now virtual. Possibly that most well-liked virtual ant farm is in Japan, and it is the Bandai Virtual Ant Farm. This ant farm rests inside of a little electronic device and can hold more than 100 various colonies. Now, if you live in Japan, you can have an ant farm with you at perform, so even when you are bored of filling out your weekly reports, you can look more than and see what your virtual ants are carrying out right now. The only downside to this product is that it's only accessible to those living in Japan, so what about the rest of the globe?
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Had the senator-elect driving the black, BMW 7-series known he would be killed before he reached his home in the tony neighborhood of McLean, Virginia, he might have driven a different route. That is the opening sentence of my new novel. I thought about tweeting each sentence as I write it in case any of you wanted to read it. Freud said nobody is remembered for being normal. Maybe I am securing my legacy one blog at a time.
Please see the attendant. That was the text displayed on the gas pump's LED screen. There was probably a time in my life when I might have considered complying with those instructions, but since I am not a very compliant person, I doubt I would have heeded that directive. I studied the screen looking for a way to reply—I have money and if you want it, you come see me. That option was not available to me. And so, I was left with a choice, walk ten feet and see the attendant, or get in my car and drive three miles to the closest gas station.
I had a pleasant three-mile drive.
Great customer experience is so much easier to achieve than companies make it out to be. If you are at all like me, plus or minus a comprehensive psychological evaluation, you don't suffer fools gladly. It is important to make a distinction between those delivering the poor experience and those who created the poor experience. Person A is simply a victim. Person B is the overpaid mastermind who created the experience.
People with whom you are interacting are just following procedures. Rules. More often than not, bad rules. Rules designed to save the offending company a nickel. When we are affronted by those rules, we know how inane the rules are. We scream silent epitaphs (sic) at the rules. And then we create those same affronting rules for whatever company at which we are employed.
It is possible, albeit improbable, to think in terms of what is best for our customers. Instead, senior decision makers, after multiple meetings to figure out what is best for the company, come up with rules that ignore the company's customers.
What most firm's executives don't consider are the expectations of their customers. Customer expectations are not considered because nobody bothered to ask. As a result, the first thing firms do to deal with customer interactions is to build a call center. Customers call us. We should build a large room, buy a bunch of phones, and hire a bunch of people to answer customer calls.
You don't want to call any company you do business with. Neither do your customers.


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Уюлга — река в России, протекает в Пономарёвском районе Оренбургской области. Исток реки находится к западу от села Воздвиженка Пономарёвского района Оренбургской области. Является левобережным притоком реки Дёмы, её устье находится в 440 км от устья реки Дёмы, около села Кирсаново. Длина реки составляет 14 км. Населённые пункты у реки: Кирсаново.

Данные водного реестра
По данным государственного водного реестра России относится к Камскому бассейновому округу, водохозяйственный участок реки — Дёмы от истока до водомерного поста у деревни Бочкарёва, речной подбассейн реки — Белая. Речной бассейн реки — Кама.

Код объекта в государственном водном реестре — 10010201312111100024304.

Примечания

Притоки Дёмы
Реки Пономарёвского района

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Detectives in Crawley have been left dumbfounded after a bag dumped by a street robber was found to be filled to the brim with chocolate bars.
At around 6.30pm on Saturday, June 2, a 31-year-old man was walking along West Green Drive, in West Green, when he was approached by a man who threatened to hurt him if he didn't hand over money.
After handing over a small amount of cash, the suspect fled.
No weapon was seen and the victim was unhurt, but he thought the suspect may have had a knife or some other weapon in his pocket.
While fleeing, the suspect dropped a plastic bag which the victim picked up, only to find it was full of chocolate bars, including 123 Cadburys chocolate bars - including Dairy Milk, Wispa, Mint Oreo, Whole Nut - and a single Kit-Kat Chunky.
Detective Constable Jodie Palmer said; "We have made enquiries across the town and no major retailer has reported losing any such quantity of chocolate bars recently.
"We would like other from any other local business or outlet who may have had these stolen around this time.
"We would also, very importantly, like to hear from anyone who saw this incident.
"You can contact us online or by calling 101, quoting serial 1161 of 02/06."


Tag Archive | "Business Continuity Plan"
A lack of preparation could easily spell disaster for a business.
(NAPSI)—Despite the many risks small businesses face, many remain unprepared to handle the unexpected. One way they can minimize their risks is to create a Business Continuity Plan.
Only 6 percent of small-business owners say they're not at all confident about being adequately protected against a disaster, according to a survey conducted by Travelers at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce America's Small Business Summit. That same survey found that 44 percent of small businesses are operating without any type of business continuity plan, a plan designed to keep the business operating after an unexpected event.
That false sense of security and lack of preparation could easily spell disaster for a business. One- quarter of small businesses hit by a major disruption never reopen their doors, according to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. Other data suggests that even if businesses did reopen, most wouldn't fully recover.
A strategic business continuity plan, combined with securing the right insurance coverage, is critical in making sure a business can continue to thrive after a disaster. Policies to consider include a standard multiperil or business owner's policy and business interruption coverage. Business owners should also talk to their agents about additional options like flood coverage.
Formulating a business continuity plan, depending on the complexity of the business, may only take a few hours and can help ensure a business lasts years after a disaster.
The plan should include everything from important phone numbers of service providers to locations of backup data. For help getting started, business owners can visit www.travelers.com for free tips on developing a plan. These plans can provide the necessary road map to assist in handling a crisis, but they work best when communicated effectively and frequently with employees. Once a business continuity plan is developed, owners should walk employees through different scenarios that can significantly affect a business and explain how to manage the consequences.
Small businesses play a vital role in helping the nation's economic recovery. Properly protecting a small business through risk management is essential to its long-term survival.


Vishruti M Patel is a General Dentist (General Dentistry dentist) practicing in Chicago, Illinois. This dentist is listed on Dentist Network with a medical license speciality in General Dentistry.
Vishruti M Patel,DDS is listed as specialized in General Dentist under General Dentistry in Chicago, Illinois .
There's currently no information available about fees or if Vishruti M Patel offers free initial consultation.
The information below about Vishruti M Patel is optional and only visible if provided by the owner. Call to learn more.
Contact Vishruti M Patel to find out about hours of operation / office hours / business hours.


Here's another from the "Get a load'a that cover" collection! Let's just get right into it!
The issue opens with both of our hard-traveling heroes finding themselves dealing with the stickiest of wickets. In space, John Stewart attempts to carry an unconscious Hal Jordan away from the pull of a neutron star... and Oliver Queen finds his on-again off-again Black Canary bound to a set of gears just ready to tear her in two! John questions himself, citing a lack of experience for his (seeming) failure to save Hal, while Ollie is greeted by a Colonel Krisp... who offers to spare his Pretty Bird, if he agrees to... if the cover hasn't given it away, kill the President of the United States! This being 1977, I'm guessing the shadowy President goes by the name of Carter.
Ollie's all "nuh-uh", because he's not an idiot. Krisp pleads his case, claiming the current President to be just as traitorous as all of his recent predecessors, because... get this, he offers aid to "lesser nations". The horror! As you might imagine, this doesn't persuade Ollie in the slightest. He plays along asking why Krisp isn't employing a gunman rather than an archer... for expediency sake, if nothing else. Krisp explains that due to metal detectors, an archer is the only way to go.
Ollie refuses again... and so, Krisp threatens to tear Dinah in half. Ollie pretends to consider it... even agreeing to do it, just before elbowing Krisp in the gut. A pair of heavies are sicced on him, and the gears that hold Dinah begin to slowly spin. Oliver launches himself into the gears in attempt to slow them down... which, proves to be rather futile.
Back in space, John finds that he and Hal now are now in the pull of something beside a black hole... they are yanked toward a spacecraft. Thankfully, it's a friendly one. The pink alien on board welcomes the Lanterns, and straps Hal to an examination table to see if he might be of any help. It turns out that Hal is suffering from a disease... of the soul! The only way to cure it is for the affected to do astral-plane-y battle with their deepest fear. John's all "no dice", because... Hal's fearless! The alien's all "That's adorable" before loading Hal into a Telluratron MRI machine.
Hal is inserted into the machine as the pink alien starts tapping buttons on the control console... which endows Jordan with artificial energy with which he might do battle with his worst fear... which turns out to be... Hal Jordan himself!
Back with Ollie, Colonel Krisp approaches the Emerald Archer as he tries holding the gears at bay. He reveals that he is holding a button... which, if he releases... the gears will begin moving again. Ollie knows he's outta luck, so he agrees to kill the President. He insists that he craft a new bow for the job, however... as he'll need to fire from 200 yards away. Krisp is cool with it, and even assigns some of his henchmen to help.
Back in space, we witness some wicked Hal on Hal violence. The yellow Hal embodies all of flesh 'n bone Hal's insecurities and feelings of inadequacy... which makes me think of how this would never fly in a post Green Lantern: Rebirth (2005) world... having any human weakness would totally harsh Hal's current Fonzie-ness. Hal ultimately wallops his alter ego, and crawls out of the strange MRI tube.
We return to Earth, where the President is holding an outdoor meeting with a group of folks. The only item on the agenda is a doozy... World Peace! Colonel Krisp is among the guests... and is keeping his right hand in his pocket... to hide the Black Canary death button he carries with him 24 hours a day. 200 yards away, Green Arrow readies himself to take his shot.
And... he does! It looks like Ollie is employing a trick arrow here, as it releases a cloud of vapor as it burrows into Jimmy Carter's chest. The entire collective of World Peaceniks appear to be dead... including Colonel Krisp... who still has his finger on the button. Some military types in a circling helicopter witnessed the entire affair, and prepare to open fire on Ollie (and the Krisp-geek who is with him). He reveals to the geek that this was a suicide mission... the arrow he fired wasn't going to kill anyone... just paralyze them. It probably still hurt poor Jimmy though, just sayin'. Anyhoo, it would freeze Krisp's hand, so he couldn't let go of the button. He figures the military or police would be able to find Black Canary and free her when they come to investigate the "murder".
The geek attacks Ollie... and it doesn't go so well. He is almost immediately shredded to ribbons by the helicopter fire. Just as Ollie prepares himself for his most fatal of fates... the cavalry arrives, in the form of John Stewart and Hal Jordan!
The Lanterns box off the ballistics and save Ollie's life. Time passes, and everything is straightened out. Ollie and Dinah are reunited, and just as it's about to get "mushy" Hal, and his tiny little plant-pet Itty vamoose.
It's so funny how things "escalate" in comics. It's unlike anything in the world. Our main threat here is like "You wanna save your girlfriend? Okay, all ya gotta do is... kill the President!" Okay, wow. Ol' Colonel Krisp don't mess around, does he?
The whole story feels sorta like a writer's workshop exercise. It's as though Denny wrote himself into a corner with both plot threads. First... how are ya gonna make Ollie not actually kill the President... but make it look like he did? Second, Hal Jordan is widely known as being "fearless"... so, how do you make him face a fear that doesn't exist? I think O'Neil handled both quite well... maybe a bit convenient, but well enough.
Colonel Krisp is a pretty terrible villain. I mean, if you hire a dude to kill anyone (much less the President!) against his will... would you let him out of your sight while he prepared his arsenal? That just seems ridiculous. Also, we're to understand that this fella's got his finger on a button 24/7? That's gotta cramp like hell! I'm lucky if I can hold a spoon long enough to eat a whole bowl of soup... couldn't imagine the dedication the Colonel has to his buttony cause.
To our cosmic half... this bit showed a side of John Stewart that I'm not entirely familiar with. Seeing him in awe of Hal Jordan... and so insecure in his own abilities struck me as kinda weird. Not saying it isn't right... just feels different from the character I know. I'm used to John being confident and headstrong. No real bearing on the issue... just an observation from a fan who came in many years after this issue hit.
Hal facing off with... himself? Interesting, while at the same time... kind of a cliche. Of course, the man without fear would only fear his own insecurities. Stands to reason... decent enough way to pull Hal out of his jam. Also, Itty appearance!
Overall, I really enjoyed this. Mike Grell delivers some excellent art here. Really wasn't sure about the clean-shaven Ollie... but, he makes it work. I gotta say, Grell's Black Canary... really nice! The entire package, art-wise was a ton of fun. I'd recommend checking this issue out if you come across it. It doesn't look like this one has been made available digitally... and given what appears on the cover, I'm not sure I'd be holding my breath (though, I've been wrong before!).
Before we wrap up and since we're on the subject, I wanna make mention of the most comprehensive resource for all things Grell... our pals Ruth and Darrin over at Warlord Worlds cover Mr. Grell's work on Green Arrow, Warlord, and Jon Sable: Freelance. Of late, they are also including discussion of his work on Legion of Super-Heroes. It's always a great listen... and definitely worth your time.
Thank you for the very kind comment Chris!


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https://lonzowire.usatoday.com/2020/04/10/lamelo-ball-news-lavar-ball-illawarra-hawks-purchase-owner-sale-nbl-report-rumor/
LaVar Ball says LaMelo Ball's purchase of Illawarra Hawks is 'still happening'
Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
After a wild flurry of news surrounding the sale of the Illawarra Hawks last week, updates have gone silent in recent days. The radio silence likely stems from the league negotiating not just with LaMelo Ball and his party but with other bidders as well.
While the Ball consortium once seemed like leaders in the clubhouse, the longer the wait the less likely it seems they'll be the chosen party. But while the purchase of the team seems to be further away than ever, LaVar Ball remains convinced the deal will get done.
In an interview with TMZ, LaVar maintained confident in the deal eventually being finished while also discussing the impact of LaMelo buying the franchise.
"It's still happening. Like I said, at the end of the day…what all my boys is starting to understand, once you have all this money and bought everything you want, at the end of the day, all you really want to do is make sure you help somebody. Whether it be one person, ten people, a hundred people. Melo's thinking along this term 'Wow, if I can own this team and have some say so with what guys come over and get the opportunity I have had.'
"A lot of guys come out of high school and they'll get over there in the NBL and guess what, you're not going to shine like that. There's some other high school players that didn't get no love. And Melo might see it differently like 'Dang, you get to Melo's team, you get to play.' That might be different because there's an American over there now. So, Melo's looking at like 'Shoot, they let me do my thing and I got a chance. I'm going to give the next guy a chance.'"
LaMelo's involvement with the franchise could open a pipeline for prospects to play in Australia. As it stands, his success with Illawarra already stands as reason enough for prospects to consider a route through the league's Next Stars program. Ball becoming more involved with the franchise could only mean good things in that regard.
Another aspect LaVar talked about in the interview was how much the purchase of the franchise could benefit his future.
"How you going to play for a team and you end up trying to buy the team. That's where my boys listening and understanding what ownership's about. Some people, they don't think that far. But as much as I'm pushing onto my boys to make them understand these other things, they're getting it and it's beautiful to see that."
For as unexpected a move Ball's potential purchase of Illawarra would be, it could be an equally savvy move. If handled appropriately, it could be a huge boost in so many aspects for LaMelo.
Alvin Gentry makes appearance on Katie Nolan's famous people Zoom call
DraftExpress names Warriors as best fit for LaMelo Ball for 2020 NBA Draft
LaMelo Ball lands with Timberwolves at No. 5 in latest ESPN mock draft


Designer, Manufacturer and Exporter of Silver Jewelry.
Designer, Manufacture and Exporter of Silver Jewlry.
OEM Brandname & Network stores.
Owner and designer who is key success of finishing new products and new technic of production.
The professional designer and university teacher who has over 30 years experience in hand drawing design, masterpiece production, and technic of production.