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Compliance Sheriff by AppGate - Home Page
Test Your Site Now
I Just Got Sued Again After I Settled An Accessibility Case and Was Already Fixing My Website!
From the desk of Ken...
Your company runs a website that attracts a lot of customers. One day, your company gets sued by a blind plaintiff and, after several months of negotiations, you agree to pay their attorney's fees and make your website accessible. You hire a web developer and agree on the changes that are needed. Now you're several months into making the changes to make your site conform to WCAG 2.0. Then, the next day, you get sued again by a different blind plaintiff for not meeting WCAG 2.0 accessibility compliance!
This scenario has come up several times in web accessibility litigation, where litigators have tried to use a defense called "mootness," which basically says that you shouldn't be sued for something after you've been sued for it already and fixed the problem. As much as you would love to tell the second plaintiff and her attorney to go jump in a lake because you're already making the necessary changes, the law is on the plaintiff's side. In several recent cases, this scenario has played out—and each time, mootness has not worked to make the second lawsuit go away.
Markett v Five Guys Enterprises, LLC
In Markett v Five Guys Enterprises, LLC ,2017U.S. Dist. LEXIS 115212 (S.D.N.Y. 2017), a popular New York restaurant with about 30 restaurants was nearing completion of overhauling its website when they were sued by a blind individual as part of a class action lawsuit. The court rejected the restaurant's assertion that the claim was moot because, "While defendant may be in the process of updating the accessibility of its website, they have yet to successfully do so. Defendant has not established that 'it [is]absolutely clear that the allegedly wrongful behavior could not reasonably be expected to recur.'"
Haynes v. Hooters of AmericaLLC
The lead case in this area, however, the Eleventh Circuit case of Haynes v. Hooters of AmericaLLC,893 F.3d 781(11th Cir. 2018). In this case, the well-known Hooters restaurant chain was sued by two plaintiffs and they settled with one of them. The settlement agreement required that Hooters make their website comply with WCAG 2.0 A/AA and to monitor compliance with WCAG 2.0. This was exactly the same two remedy that the second plaintiff also requested in his complaint. As expected, Hooters then moved to have the second case dismissed, claiming that it was mooted by the settlement in the first case. This argument worked at the lower district court level but it was reversed on appeal. The 11th Circuit noted that the only person who could enforce the settlement agreement was the first plaintiff. This factor, combined with the fact that the defendant could not show that it was already in compliance with WCAG 2.0 was enough to allow the court to allow the second plaintiff's case to proceed. Haynes is important to keep in mind because it is an appellate case and it is binding precedent in Florida (where most web accessibility cases originate).
Diaz v. Lobel's of New York
Because I work at a company that sells an excellent automated scanning tool, there is one other case that I need to point out. In Diaz v. Lobel's of New York, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 127126(E.D.N.Y. 2019), a New York chain of meat products. Diaz v. Lobel's was sued by a blind plaintiff because their website was inaccessible. For years, the company had relied on an automated scanning tool (NOT Compliance Sheriff!!) and had assumed that their website, based on these test results, was fully in compliance with WCAG 2.0 A/AA. The defendant also included a feedback form where users with disabilities could point out inaccessible content for correction. Based on these efforts, the defendant moved for summary judgment asserting that the lawsuit was moot. This argument didn't work as the plaintiff testified that she could not access the site because it was inaccessible. Worse yet, she also could not access the page where feedback was requested. The Diazcase is a good reminder too that automated testing does NOT fully test accessibility—no matter what a salesman may tell you. So what can we learn from looking at these cases?
One lesson is simple: simply settling and starting to fix a site is no guarantee that you won't get sued. Unless you have fully made your site accessible—and ensure that new content will also be accessible—you're always in danger of litigation. I can understand why that may feel like extortion from the plaintiff's bar—especially after you have agreed to do the hard work of fixing inaccessible web content. But an inaccessible website can really be a barrier to users with disabilities just as much as a set of stairs at your front door is to a wheelchair user. I think it's important to put frustration aside and just focus on the job at hand—make your website accessible quickly and stay on top of it to make sure it stays that way.
For more information, please reach out to info@compliancesheriff.com
Ken Nakata is the one of the most well-known attorneys in the area of IT accessibility and is the Director of Compliance Sheriff's Accessibility Consulting practice. He has worked for twelve years as a Senior Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice. He has argued on behalf of the United States government many times before the federal courts and has helped shape the government's policies for the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation.
This information is provided for educational purposes only and not to provide specific legal advice. By using this site, you understand that there is no attorney-client relationship created and that you should always seek competent legal advice from a licensed attorney in your state.
Compliance Sheriff by AppGate
©2020 AppGate. All rights reserved.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home 7TH PAY COMMISSION CHARTER OF DEMANDS JCM PAY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS STRIKE ACTION PROGRAMME OF NJCA ON 26 POINT CHARTER OF DEMANDS SUBMITTED BY NJCA
ACTION PROGRAMME OF NJCA ON 26 POINT CHARTER OF DEMANDS SUBMITTED BY NJCA
Pay Commissions 7TH PAY COMMISSION, CHARTER OF DEMANDS, JCM, PAY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, STRIKE
NJCA
NATIONAL JOINT COUNCIL OF ACTION
No.NJCA/2015
Dated: December 21, 2015
All the Constituent Organizations
NJCA Members,
I am confident, by this time you must have studied the 26-point Charter of Demands, submitted by the NJCA to the Cabinet Secretary on 10th December, 2015, circulated vide NJCA's Circular No.NJCA/2015/7th CPC dated 11th December, 2015.
As per decision of the NJCA, the following programmes have to be successfully observed by all your affiliates all over the country.
(i) 30.12.2015 Holding demonstrations and hand over copy of the NJCA's letter dated 10.12.2015 to the Head of the Office for onward transmission to the Cabinet Secretary, demanding for immediate settlement of the issues.
(ii) 19-21.01.2016 3-day dharna in all the State capitals and industrial centers/ establishments for educating and mobilizing the employees.
In view of the NJCA's decision for an "Indefinite Strike", on the above cited 26-point Charter of Demands, commencing in the 1st week of March, it will be essential that, AIRF, NFIR, AIDEF, INDWF and Confederation of the Central Government employees should conduct strike ballot. It will be quite appropriate that strike ballot is taken by the 2nd week of February, 2016.
The NJCA will meet and decide about the date of issue of the Strike Notice and also about the date of commencement of the Indefinite Strike. In the meantime, all out efforts may be made to build up pressure on the government, so that a negotiated settlement can be reached on our demands.
I shall keep you informed about the further developments.
With fraternal greetings & best wishes for a Happy & Prosperous New Year!
Comradely yours,
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
Source:- NCJCM Staff Side
CHARTER OF DEMANDS
1. Re-compute the minimum wage on the basis of the actual commodity prices as on 1.7.2015 and factor the Dr. Aykroyd formula stipulated percentages for housing and social obligations, children education etc. Revise the fitment formula and pay levels on the basis of the so determined minimum wage;
We are not in agreement with the methodology adopted by the 7th CPC in computing the minimum WAGE. We give hereunder briefly the reasons thereof.
1. The retail prices of the commodities quoted by the Labour bureau is irrational, imaginary and even absurd in respect of certain articles at certain places. The Staff Side had objected to the adoption of those rates in its meeting with the Commission on 9th June,2015.
2. The adoption of 12 monthly average of the retail prices is contrary to Dr. Aykroyd formula. Same is the case with the reduction effected by the Commission on housing and social obligation factors. The house rent allowance is not a full compensation of the expenditure incurred by an employee for obtaining an accommodation. Therefore, no reduction on that count in arriving at the minimum wage is permissible. We may cite the minimum wage computation made by the 3"l CPC in this regard, The employees were in receipt of HRA even at that time. But still the 3"" CPC, and rightly so, adopted the 7.5% as the factor for housing. In respect of the addition to be made for children education and social obligation as per the Supreme Court judgement, (25%) the Commission has reduced the percentage to 15% on the specious plea that the employees are separately given children education allowance. The Children education allowance is not a full reimbursement of the expenses one has to incur. After the liberalization of the Education Sector where private parties were allowed to set up universities and colleges, the expenses for education had increased heavily . No concession or allowance is granted to the employees for educating the children beyond the higher secondary levels. The earlier Pay Commission has only tried to compensate a little in the increasing cost of education and that too at the primary level, since even the Governmental institutions had started charging abnormal tuition and other fees.
3. The website maintained for the Agriculture Ministry depicts the retail prices of commodities which go into the basket of minimum wage computation. Even though the rates quoted by them vary from the real retail prices in the market, it provides a different picture. If one is to take the rates quoted by them for different cities and make an all India average of the prices as on 1.7.2015, it will work out to Rs. 10810. It will result in the computation of the minimum wage of Rs. 19880. Adding 25%'for arriving at the MTS scale, it will rise to Rs. 24850. To convert the same as on 1.1.2016, 3% will be added as suggested by the 7th CPC. The final computation will be Rs. 25,596, when rounded offshall be Rs. 26000.
4. The Andhra Pradesh State Pay Commission in its report has taken the commodity prices at Rs. 9830.- as on 1.7.2013 which works out to a minimum wage of Rs. 18080. The wage of MTS will then be Rs. 22600 as on 1.7.2013, The Corresponding figure for 1.1.2016 shall be Rs. 26758 , rounded off to Rs. 27000.
5. The Staff side had computed the minimum wage as on 1.1.2014 at Rs. 26,000, taking the commodity price at Rs. 11344. The rates were taken on the basis of the actual retail prices in the market as on 1.1.2014( average prices of 8 Cities in the country) substantiated by the documentary evidence of Cash bill obtained from the concerned vendors. As on 1.12016, the minimum wage work out to Rs. 29339, rounded off to Rs. 30,000.
6. The 5th CPC adopted the rate of growh in the economy ( as reflected in the increase in the per capita net national produce at factor cost) over a period of ten years to arrive at the increase required to be made to arrive at the minimum wage. The per capita NNP at factor cost registered an increase of 65.28% over a period of ten years in 2013-14. If we apply the same percentage to the emoluments (Pay +DA) as on 1.1.2016 (assuming that DA will be 125% as on that date), the minimum wage as on 1.1.2016 for an MTS will have to be Rs. 26030, rounded off to "Rs. 27000.
7. In para 4.2.9 of the report, the Commission has given a table depicting the percentage increase provided by the successive Pay Commissions, according to which the 2nd CPC had made a paltry increase of 14.2%. The 3rd CPC gave a rise of 20.6, 4th 27.6, 5th 31.0 and 6th CPC 54%. While the per centage increase had been in ascending order all along, the 7th CPC has sought to reverse that trend ostensibly for reasons unknown. it is was the meager increase of 14% provided for by the 2"d CPC that triggered the volatile situation in the civil service and led to all India strike encompassing all employees which lasted for 5 days in 1960. We do not know whether the 7 CPC really intend to create such a scenario once again.
8. In the case of Bank, Insurance and many other Public Sector Undertakings wage revision takes place once in 5 years. In the recently concluded agreement, Bank employees were provided more than 15% increase.
9. After the implementation of the Pay Commissions Report the AP State Employees have been given a wage structure based on a minimum wage far above the level of Central Government employees. In their case also wage revision does take place once in 5 years.
It could be seen from the above that the computation of minimum wage by the 7 CPC is prima facie wrong and computed on untenable premises and incorrect data. The minimum wage therefore requires re-computation and revision. Once the minimum wage gets revised, the fitment formula, the multiplication factor applied for determining the pay levels and the pay matrix itself will have to consequently revised.
Determination of Pay Level Minimum
It is seen that the 7th CPC has applied varying multiplication factors for different pay levels. The 6th CPC has taken the emoluments in the private sector to hike the salary of officers by applying different yardstick to compute the pay bands disturbing the vertical relativity while the 7th CPC has further accentuated the gap of differences in wages between officers and employees. This being unacceptable we urge upon adoption of uniform multiplication factor for determining pay levels.
2. Revise the pay matrix basing upon the revised minimum wage and rounding off the stages to the next hundred. Accept the suggestion ,made by the Staff Side in its memorandum to 7 CPC for de-layering viz. to abolish the pay levels pertaining to GP 1900, 2400 and 4600.
In our memorandum to 7th CPC the staff 'side had requested for de-layering by abolition of Grade Pay of Rs 1900, 2400 & 4600. The pay levels pertaining to GP 1900, 2400 and 4600 may be abolished and merged with the next higher levels.
3. Revise the rate of increment to 5 % and Grant two increments in the feeder cadre levels as promotion benefit.
The rate of increment has been pegged down to 3% by the 7th CPC. At this rate an employee will not be able to double his pay even after 30 years. The demand of the staff side to increase the rate of increment to 5% to be accepted.
Promotion from one cadre to another is a rare phenomenon in government services especially in lower grades. If one to be awarded only an increment amounting to 3% of pay, it might not become a sought after affair and will in fact act as a 'de-motivating factor. This apart, in most of the Govt. Departments, promotion is followed by posting to a different location. Those who are posted to unclassified cities or from Metro cities to towns will financially suffer due to such mandatory transfer on promotion. This is because of the fact that the rate HRA, Transport Allowance etc vary from one station to another. The financial benefit on promotion must be, therefore, at least two increments i.e. 10% of the pay.
4. Fill up all vacant posts by holding special recruitment drive
5. MACP to be treated as financial up-gradation, without any grading stipulation; to be provided on the basis of the promotional cadre hierarchy of the concerned department; increase the number of MACP to five on completion of 8, 15,21,26 and 3oth years of service. Reject the Efficiency Bar stipulation made by 7th CPC. Personnel promoted on the basis of Examination should be treated as fresh entrants to the cadre.
6. Upgrade the LDCs in all departments as UDCs for it is stated by the Commission that the Government has stopped recruiting personnel to this cadre.
The cadre of LDC, after the introduction of MTS has presently overlapping functions. Most of the specific functions have also become obsolete on introduction of computerized diarizing and maintenance register. There is no specific need for this cadre in any of the offices. While future recruitment can be stopped, which the government has conveyed to the Commission, what has to be done to the existing cadre is not mentioned. It is therefore necessary that the existing incumbents be promoted as UDCs by upgrading all posts of LDC as UDCs.
7. a) Parity to be ensured for all Stenographers, Assistants, Ministerial Staff in subordinate offices and in all the organized Accounts cadres with Central Sectt. By upgrading their pay scales ( and not by downgrading the pay scales of the CSS)
b) Drivers in all Government offices to be granted pay scale on par with the drivers of the Lok Sabha
The question of Parity, as has been rightly mentioned by 7th CPC, is a settled matter. It is the Department of Personnel which the cadre controlling Department for CSS cadre that unsettles the parity every time. The recommendation to downgrade the CSS is however not acceptable. What is required is to grant higher pay levels at par with CSS ministerial and stenographer cadres and other similarly placed cadres in the field/subordinate offices and IA&AD & Organized Accounts cadres.
8. To remove existing anomaly, the annual increment date may be 1st January for those recruited prior to 3oth June and 1St July in respect of those recruited prior to 31st December.
9. Wage of Central Government Employees be revised in every 5 years
10. Treat the GDS as Civil Servant and grant them all pay, allowances and benefits granted to regular employees on Pro ~rata basis
11. Contract/casual and daily rated workers to be regularized against the huge vacancies existing in various Government offices.
12. Introduce PLB in all departments. All existing bilateral agreement on PLB must continue to be in operation
13 Revise the pension and other retirement benefits as under:-
(a) Parity between the past and present pensioners to be brought about on the basis of the 7th CPC recommendations with the modification that basis of computation to be the pay level of the post / grade/ scale of pay from which one retired; whichever is beneficial.
(b) Pension to be 60% of the last pay drawn in the case of all eligible persons who have completed the requisite number of years of service.
(c) The family pension to be 50% of the last pay drawn.
(d) Enhance the pension and family pension by 5% after every five years and 10% on attaining the age of 85 and 20% on attaining the age of 90.
(e) Commuted value of pension to be restored after 10 years or attaining the age of 70, whichever is earlier. Gratuity calculation to be on the basis of 25 days in the month as against 30 days as per the Gratuity Act.
(f) Fixed medical allowance for those pensioners not covered by CGHS and REHS to be increased to Rs. 2000 pm.
(g) Provide one increment on the last day in service if the concerned employee has completed six months or more from the date of grant of last increment.
14 Exclude the Central Government employees from the ambit of the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and extend the defined benefit pension scheme to all those recruited after 1.1.2004
15 In the absence of any recommendation made by 7 CPC, the Government must withdraw the stipulated ceiling on compassionate appointments
16 Revise the following allowances/advances as under in place of the recommendations made by the 7th CPC
The 7th CPC has recommended to abolish large number of allowances and interest free advances without going into the exact relevance in certain departments where the allowances are provided for. The allowances which are stated to be subsumed and which are clubbed with other 5 also require consideration. If these allowances are withdrawn, it might affect adversely the very functioning of the Department itself in certain emergent situation. Of the allowances mentioned in the report for abolition, we have mentioned hereunder those pertaining to civilian employees which require to be retained.
In respect of advances the Commission appears to have taken a shylock view of the matter. Most of the under mentioned advances are required to meet out contingencies which the employees cannot manage to organize. These advances are, therefore, to be retained.
(i) Allowances
(a) Retain the rate of house rent allowance in place of the recommendation of the Commission to reduce it.
(b) Restructure the transport allowance into two slabs at Rs. 7500 and 3750 with DA thereof removing all the stipulated conditions.
(c). Fixed conveyance allowance: This allowance had no DA component at any stage. This allowance must be enhanced to 2.25 times with 25% DA thereon as and when the DA crosses 50%
(d) Restore the island Special duty allowance and the Tripura Special compensatory remote locality allowance.
(e) The special duty allowance in NE Region should be uniform for all at 30% (f) Overtime allowance whenever sanction must be based upon the actual basic pay of the entitled'employee
(g) Cash handling /TreasUry allowance. The assumption that every transaction in Government Departments are through the bank is not correct. There are officials entrusted to collect cash and therefore the cash handling allowance to be retained.
(h)Qualification Pay to be retained.
(i) Small family norms allowances;
(j) Savings Bank allowance
(k) Outstation allowance
(i) P.O. & RMS. Accountants special allowance.
(m) Risk allowance
(n) Break-down allowance.
(0) Night patrolling allowance.
(p) Special Compensatory hill area allowance.
(q) Special allowance for Navodaya Vidyalaya Staff.
(r) Dress Allowance ceiling to be raised to Rs. 32,400/- p a
(s) Nursing Allowance to be raised to 2.25 times of Rs 4800/-
(t) All fixed allowances must be raised to 2.25 times as per the principle enunciated by the Commission
(u) The erroneous statement in Para 9.2.5 to be corrected. Vide OM No. 13018/(1/2009-Estt (L) dated 22.07.2009, DOP, P&W, the leave period for Child adoption has been increased to 180 days
(v).Restore the allowances abolished for the reason that it is either not reported or mentioned in the Report by the Commission
17 Advances.
Restore the following advances and revise the same to 3 times.
(a). Natural-calamity advance; I
(b). Festival Advance
(c) LTC and TA advances
(d). Medical advance
(e). Education advance.
(f) Vehicle advances including cycle advance
18 The stipulation made by the 7th CPC to grant only 80% of salary for the second year of CCL be rejected and the existing provisions may be retained= 19.50% of the CGEIS premium to be paid by the Government in respect of Group B and C employees.
20 Health insurance to be introduced in addition to CGHS/REHS and CCS(MA) benefits and the premium to be paid by the Government and the employee equally.
21 Reject the recommendations concerning PRIS
22 Full pay and allowances to be provided for the entire period of WRII
23 The conditions stipulated in clause (4) 84 (5) under Para 9.2.37 be removed
24 Reject the recommendation made by the 7th CPC in Para 8.16.9 to 8.16.14 concerning dress allowance to PBOR as otherwise the five Ordinance Equipment factories under OFB will have to be closed down
25 Set up a Group of Ministers' Committee to consider the anomalies including the disturbance of the existing horizontal and vertical relativities' at the National level and Departmental/Ministry level with provision for referring the disputed issues to the Board of Arbitration under the JCM scheme
26 To increase the promotional avenue for Technical and other Supervisory staff.
Source:- http://ncjcmstaffside.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/charter-of-demands.pdf
Labels: 7TH PAY COMMISSION, CHARTER OF DEMANDS, JCM, PAY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, STRIKE


Tulpa | Dusha are two sound projects, manifested themselves through a studio girl, Anna Martinova. Original point of view towards sound creation makes performed audio landscapes unique. Tulpa DJ sets are based on Zenon and Uroboros Record labels published music, and therefore represent dark progressive trance.
Dusha is music, composed and sung by the girl. Ambient worlds, extruded out of noise, gently accompany the listener to deeper self.
Dusha is performed Live in ambient and minimal techno mode.
Welcome to Tulpa | Dusha dream.


Can a small town compete with a "cool" city? So many books have been written about the creative economy and what it is that our next generation is looking for in a place to live. Is it a Starbucks on every corner, is it an exciting nightlife or is it the large array of shopping outlets? Richard Florida in his book "Rise of the Creative Class" is adamant about his belief that all cities aspire to lure that "creative class" of individual, and to do that we need creative environments and stimulating places to live and work. But honestly, how do small towns compete with this?
Having lived on a farm as a youngster, I have this love of the country that just won't quit. I think there are quite a few people that are so afflicted. I have a good friend, a city "boy" from Connecticut, who bought a place in the country several years ago, and he and his wife have now moved to their acreage and they both love it. Instead of selling stocks and bonds, he is now raising rabbits and chickens.
Polk was only seven years old when Dad and Mom Alfred and their four children moved to the new town at the urging of Rev. F.E. Benjamin, pastor of Polk's First Baptist Church. Rev. Benjamin was a builder of communities and churches. The idea that there might be a "Second" Baptist Church and that Polk might become a city had a strong hold on the residents' hopes and imaginations. Reality finally set in, but that was twenty years later with the Great Depression and drought of the 1930s.
As often said, a picture can say it all. This summer that image was electronic video capture a mile below the sea surface. It contained a twisted heap of metal from which a brackish jet plume of long-deceased ancient life spewed forth. The ugliness of the scene was immediate and visceral. Both the corporate and federal responses seemed inadequate and frustrated us. Maybe a deeper, more commonly shared frustration is that the Deepwater Horizon spill was one of those instances when we humans are reminded that our attempts to control the Earth can be illusory. Technology, expertise and good intentions can't protect us from ourselves 100 percent of the time.
We've come a long way since Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson organized the first Earth Day in 1970, providing a tangible starting point for the modern environmental movement while developing a framework for action that we adhere to even now. We've come a long way since he first recognized that this framework requires equal elements of both education and activism, necessitates dedication and commitment and employs a brand of foresight and selflessness that is unique in modern society.
As might be imagined, the implementation requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act 1969 as described in this issue of Prairie Fire sent a variety of shock waves through the federal bureaucracy. But some agencies without the "benefit" of the many subsequent court interpretations of the act proceeded to fulfill these requirements straightforward as they saw them.
These excerpts from my "Bird Journal" tell of the joys we've had from planting shrubs and trees "for the birds." When my partner and I moved into our newly built home in the East Campus area of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), she suggested that we plant only trees and shrubs that would provide natural food for the birds. I was skeptical, but we (mostly) did that, and found that "if you plant it, they will come." We choose not to have birdfeeders, but many birds live in and feed in our yard; we've seen 62 species of birds in the 17 years we've lived here.
Nebraskans are fortunate to have a wide variety of turtles to observe. They occupy most habitats throughout the state. From the arid west to the Sandhills, to the wetlands of the Rainwater Basin and the mighty Missouri River in the east and everywhere in between, these ancient survivors continue to add to their 230-million-year-old story.
The following is a recent commentary I wrote with my colleagues Rob Santos and Molly Scott for ImmigrationImpact.Org, referencing a 2008 study by University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) academics Decker, Deichert and Gouveia.


This six color screen print was designed and printed by Ben for a performance by French music duo Justice in 2008 in Austin, Texas. It's 20" x 26" on white uncoated paper. One of the six colors is a gloss varnish, and the navy blue is slightly metallic.


text:
Q: Is it possible to use code from a Web project in C# Interactive? I would like to use C# Interactive on Visual Studio 2017 to run some methods on classes in an .NET Framework 4.6.1 project I have created which uses ASP.NET Core.  In a traditional class library project, I am able to right-click on the project and choose Initialize Interactive with Project to use classes from my project in the C# Interactive window.
Right-clicking on my ASP.NET Core project, I do not have this option. Is there any way to use classes from this project in C# Interactive?
If it matters, the classes I would like to use in C# Interactive do not directly interact with ASP.NET Core; they are simply data containers with methods. It would probably be possible to move them to a separate class library project in the solution, but I'd like to know if it's possible to keep them in the ASP.NET Core project first.
My .csproj:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net461</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Folder Include="wwwroot\" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="EntityFramework" Version="6.1.3" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.ApplicationInsights.AspNetCore" Version="2.0.0" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc" Version="5.2.3" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNet.Razor" Version="3.2.3" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore" Version="1.1.2" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.StaticFiles" Version="1.0.0" />
    <PackageReference Include="RazorEngine" Version="3.10.0" />
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

A: Just open C# interactive window and type
#r "full path to dll\exe with your asp.net core project"

Then you can use your classes as usual.
Note that if your project targets .NET Core - it might not work as expected (or at all), because as far as I know - C# interactive currently runs under full .NET Framework. However, in your case your project is also under full .NET (<TargetFramework>net461</TargetFramework>) so you should be fine.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


For small but serious chocolate cake emergencies.
According to The Stores Out There, the holiday baking season is already upon us—and we are woefully ill-equipped to handle it. We all have our weaknesses. Some girls fall prey to expensive clothes. Others own 45 pairs of totally impractical shoes. And there are those who cannot live without 'just one more' designer handbag. I lose control in the kitchenware section.
This is a dangerous time of year for me.
Captivating displays of shiny accessories stacked 12 feet high shimmer in the blazing glow of overhead flourescent lights. I stand there mesmerized, mid-aisle, blocking traffic, swept up into my own little fantasy world full of all the Wonderful Things I could make if only these items were part of my culinary arsenal.
They beckon to me. And then they begin to look vaguely familiar. I'm knocked out of my mouth-watering reverie by the realization that I bought half of these things last year. (Or was it two years ago?) They're sitting, never used and, until this moment, completely forgotten, in the dark recesses of my pantry.
Everyone knows that it's difficult to rationalize buying more of whatever it is you desire when you don't even use what you already own. There are, of course, sneaky ways around this, but the virtuous thing to do is to simply put your previous purchases into action. This means, though, that you must have the knowledge, not only of their existence, but of their location in your home. I'm not real good at this part.
I'm constantly amazed by the things I come across tucked here and there that, at some time or other, I bought (and obviously thought I needed). And so it was with great surprise that I recently found myself assisted in this area by yet another of my weaknesses.
I was in a state of Chocolate Cake Emergency. Unlike a generic chocolate emergency—when anything from a Snickers Bar to a spoonful of fudge sauce will do—nothing will cure this one except a piece of chocolate cake. I wrote all about this condition in this post, which also includes a lifesaving recipe.
Usually in a situation like this, one loses all ability to think clearly. Actually, one loses all ability to think of absolutely anything except getting one's hands on some chocolate cake. But the other day was different, and I must give credit to The Chocolate Force. It is out there, and it is real.
Its influence usually has me frantically tearing into a bag of chocolate chips and practically pouring them down my throat because they are the quickest source of chocolate I can get my hands on. But not this time.
I already had my simple Emergency Chocolate Cake recipe and my newly purchased (not on impulse) electric hand mixer at the ready. But I was craving more than just a plain hunk of cake.
Suddenly I remembered the mini muffin pan still in its original wrapper in the pantry. Then while blindly grasping around the cupboard for the cocoa powder, an unopened package of mini muffin papers decorated with cute little flowers jumped into my hand. And when it turned out I had extra cake batter left after filling the muffin pan, I walked straight over to yet another never-before-used pan languishing on a dusty shelf in the pantry.
I was obviously acting under some influence other than my own. The Chocolate Force was with me. On the spur of the moment, I created a delicious new buttercream frosting and even managed to scrounge up a few tablespoons of mini chocolate chips that had miraculously been spared during some previous chocolate crisis.
Ta dah! Ten minutes in the oven, and the delicious little darlings pictured above were born—and immediately shot straight to the top of my favorites list.
And not only that, but when I head Out There tomorrow for a day of running around, I know that I'll be able to hold my head high and my hands out as I enter the kitchenware section. I have put my previous purchases to good use, and I have plenty of extra space in the back of the pantry.
February 2012 updates: I recently came across a still new Calphalon dessert bar pan hiding in the pantry (a birthday gift from a few years ago), and it makes really cute little square cakes that—for those of you who are interested in this type of information—gives you a higher frosting to cake ratio per bite. (Makes 12 cakes plus a little extra batter).
Click here to see what else I learned about this cupcake batter after making six batches of it in three days.
This is the same recipe I used to make my Emergency Chocolate Cake; I just baked it in different pans and added frosting.
The frosting does add a little extra work, but you could always make it ahead of time (perhaps a double batch), keep it in the fridge or freezer, and just spread individual cupcakes with frosting as necessary. You can omit the espresso powder if you prefer plain chocolate buttercream.
I think these taste better the next day; the cake has more flavor, and the frosting is mellower, but you can eat the cake warm if you need to. The mini muffin cups measure 1¼" across the bottom, 2" across the top, and are about 1" deep.
The cake batter is thick, so I used a stainless steel cookie scoop to fill the cups, and it worked really well. As you can see, I also baked some without the paper liners. I wasn't sure if the cake would stick to the papers or not. They didn't stick at all, and they came out taller and cuter using the papers. Although this is a nonstick pan, I greased the cups without the papers; they popped right out.
Not quite as adorable, but just as yummy.
This recipe made 24 mini cupcakes and three of these baby loaves. They measure 3½" x 2½" and 1½" deep.
Serves one to three, depending on size of emergency.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric hand held mixer, cream butter and sugar 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. On medium low speed, add dry ingredients to creamed mixture (you can combine them first but I never do), alternating with yogurt. Beat just until smooth.
Turn batter into prepared pans. Bake mini muffin size 10 minutes and baby loaf size 15 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Bake standard size cupcakes about 17 minutes. Do not over bake.
Cool in pan. Frost cooled cakes and top with mini chocolate chips or sprinkles if desired.
Melt chocolate chips and a small dab of the butter (just enough to help stir the melting chocolate chips) in the microwave and stir until smooth.
In a small bowl, beat remaining butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla, then cocoa powder, espresso powder, melted chocolate, and enough milk (or coffee) to make desired consistency.
Can't live on cupcakes alone? You'll find links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index.
© FarmgirlFare.com, the chocoholic foodie farm blog where we sometimes eat chocolate cake for breakfast.
Holy yumminess!! I would love one of these on Thursday, the day I claim my own babycakes, Cashew.
I totally agree with Amy - the chocolate force is so funny, but I don't for a second doubt the truth of the force!
I don't like chocolate myself (I know - let the gasps of shock and awe begin) but I was scrolling past these pictures when my husband (who does like chocolate and is somewhat deprived by my lack of chocolate baking) walked by and saw them. He stopped short and asked, "Wow, what was that!?"
Chocolate force indeed! It's gotta be as strong here as it is there! I have to go make my chocolate cake now... and devour it too. No wonder I have had a hankering for cake! It's all your fault Susan!! sheesh! LOL Have a great day!
I have to admit when I saw the title of the post, I thought to myself they decided to name the sheep Babycakes?
Thank you, thank you! Last year I bought on sale a bunch of silicon baking pans, including one that is tiny torte shapes. Then all summer I didn't bake. I forgot I had them. They might have all gone to silicon heaven without your timely reminder.
I went to Eurochocolate in Perugia Sunday to buy my annual 2 kilos of Valrhona select dark. I am ready!
Mmmm.. those look yummy. I think I will try them when I get my next chocolate deficiency emergency. I belive they will be a nice cure.
I am intimately familiar with the Chocolate Force. In fact, in a mini chocolate emergency just this morning I had to open the designated Hallowe'en mini O'Henry bars and conmsume at least 6. Luckily the whole household has inherited this malady/addiction, which may just mean Chocolate babycakes for dessert tonight. Thanks for the recipe. Thanks for the enabling.
those look almost as good as the cakes I baked you this morning to send you as a bribe. (I have your address). But it looks like you already have so many, and I don't want to be blamed for any weight gains on the farm or anything, so I'll just keep them here and share them with my needy colleagues instead.
Okay, that's it. I'm never ending the Name That Sheep Contest. My life will be too empty without your incredibly witty (and hysterical) comments.
Yellow 21 is just gonna have to live with that name for another coupla years. At least.
Glad to know you're already aware of the amazing power of The Chocolate Force. I don't even bother trying to fight it.
That or you've managed to set up some kind of deflector field around your body that causes all chocolate cravings and other Chocolate Force related behavior to end up hitting your husband.
Oh, I'm sure you will be able to find all KINDS of gadgets to cram into your kitchen!
Oh, I didn't eat all the Babycakes myself. I shared one with The Doodle.
P.S. Hey, don't go blaming me for your chocolate cravings--it's The Chocolate Force.
Re 'all my fault' please see the above P.S to Clare.
Wow, that would be some expensive soup. I love drooling over the Williams Sonoma catalog, but there seems to be a problem with the delivery. I call and request one, and I receive one. I find all kinds of things that, if I only owned them, would make me a much happier girl. Then, unlike every other catalog I could care less about, I never get another one. I have a feeling Joe keeps calling and requesting that my name be dropped from their mailing list.
Why thank you so much! Yeah, I figured it was about time I put some food on my food blog.
Welcome to the farm! Of course I'm no medical expert, but I can definitely say without hesitation that I felt much better after having had a few babycakes.
Wait! Wait! My babycakes are, um, all gone. Weight gain is not a problem (they're small, remember?), and I sincerely doubt that your colleagues are needy. You probably shower them with homemade goodies all the time. *sniff* Meanwhile, I don't even have any colleagues.
How much... is a cup! lol..
Welcome to the farm! I'm glad you like the looks of my cupcakes--just wait until you taste them.
Hopefully someday the U.S. (and I!) will actually learn the metric system. In the meantime, thanks to Emma (who is British) at Modern Girls Kitchen I just discovered this wonderful site which gives all sorts of Cooking Measures & Conversions.
I also checked my measuring cups. One 'cup' is 8 fluid ounces/250 ml. Our butter comes in 4-ounce sticks; 1 stick of butter equals 1/2 cup. Hope this helps! Thanks for taking the time to write. If you do try my recipe, I'd love to hear about it.
Yep. it´s a strange ting with those different measuring systems.. my first thought was ..a cup.. right.. a coffeecup.. or an even bigger cup.. who knew? ;) LOL..
Hi FarmGirl! I'm avid reader of your blog, which I found through a Portuguese gardening blog. Each day I come here and delight myself with your wonderful pictures and stories. Tonight I decided I should delight myself with one of your recipes also. And what a delight indeed! Best cupcakes I've ever made, even without the frosting!Thank you so much for this yummy recipe and keep them coming!
Just made it and is scrumptious!! Chocolate emergency cake-definitely yes, but am going to tweak that label a bit and file it away as 'PMS cake' ;) Was'nt keen on frosting it, but did anyways, and I must say your choco buttercream frosting and the cake complete each other! Thank you for a zero hassle, keeper of a recipe.
Absolutely awesome!!! I loved them!! I did not make the icing, but the actual cake...wow!!


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Comments Closed. Today, Suzie and Saks have a boy.
Being open to different cultures is the only way to fight racism, they believe. A lot of these gossipping aunties and uncles are unhappily married themselves. May 21, am. Great article that instills hope for a future with more sources of radiance. The demise of human civilization. We have an amazing life. He tried his best lines to charm her and they worked. Twitter Share.
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Thats what most desi parents fear while raising their kids abroad. The learning continues to this day. Being the youngest of three children, he was always given preferential treatment. Tolerance prevails. Hamid shafiq. There was no turning back; hereon their relationship went from strength to strength. Not only is Ali from India, there is another ificant difference between the two: she belongs to the Sunni school of thought and he is from the Ismaili sect. As soon as Sara complied, her future sister-in-law was very confused.
Syed Irfan ali. But to avoid getting lost in the maze-like office building she avoided taking the stairs and met her future husband on her way up. It was at this time that she came to the United States. We live once. But I rebelled.
She met her husband, John Kravitz when she initially came to Pennsylvania to interview for a legal job. Allahdino Muhammad Hussain Kango. The couple lives in New York, he is a multi-disciplinary artist and she is a standup comic.
We observe Passover, the Jewish High Holidays By introducing Laila to different schools of thought, Chaudhry and Kravitz have given their daughter the liberty to actively choose how she identifies. The date went so well that he postponed his woman for a week later; the two met every day while he was in Redwood City.
A bit messed up really. She started to learn Urdu. If two consenting adults are getting married then it's their life. A fter a year-long struggle, the couple finally got married. Ali grew up in Mumbai the city he still lovingly refers to as Bombay. I have married a Canadian girl and we have two beautiful children. This level of acceptance did not surprise Ali. In his observation South Asians who moved to the US in the s or s are perhaps more pakistani than their counterparts in India. Of course, that could dating be my perception.
Love in the time of lockdown
My perception is that the Muslim community is very open and engaging towards John in these settings, but when I'm at a Jewish event, I feel like a get strange looks and people generally try to keep their distance. But Sara had other plans involving further studies. She also feels that the South Asian Muslim community has been more accepting of Kravitz than the Jewish community is of her.
Chaudhry and Kravitz are raising their daughter by introducing her to their respective faith traditions and more. How Pakistani-Americans are entering interfaith and interracial marriages — and making them work "I rebelled. Apart from that they were fine with whomever Ali chose, as long as he was happy. But undeniably there is a cultural difference. Good luck to all of them.
American culture. While she managed to win over her mother, one sister and one brother, others were not on board. Sara and Ali sometimes exploit this for comic relief. Suzie, however, did not expect the same enthusiasm from her family.
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But it was too late. The first time she was meeting his sister, for example, he instructed her to bow down and touch her feet as a of respect. She believes these experiences have informed her career choice.
T he job was not difficult for Saks. We ask Chaudhry if the differences in their cultures and religions was ever a concern for her parents.
I said 'I'm going to marry whomever I want. Finally civilised. She was already falling for Saks; soon enough, the two were making plans to see each other again.
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This is where Chaudhry was born and brought up. Facebook Count. Make a jungle of humanity. Similarly, in Sara, Ali finds his support system. At her funeral, she met her brother who had been angry with her all those years.
After convincing her parents, soon she was on a flight to New York.
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The trend we have seen is that the mosques are more welcoming of John, than the synagogues are of me. Pakistani's are unique and they uplift the genes of others with their legacy. We could certainly use more of this. The young couple knows that they will have to settle in a country other than Pakistan or India.
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As predicted, her attempts to get them to accept Saks did not bear fruit. After all, this was the age at which her mother had become his wife. Siva d. Suzie manages to find the funny in her situation and is currently writing a book titled I Married a Muslim and No One Died.
Israr Backward thinking. While her parents have been more accepting, she foresees her extended family having a thing or two to say about the union. Popular Newest Oldest. Fantastic and enlightening read. While they agree on so much, they still find plenty to debate about. Ali made a big mistake. Why do people make it their business?
The best decision I made and did not worry about religion and cultural differences. When he told his parents he has met and fallen in love with a Palestinian Christian girl they were forthcoming. This friendly banter reflects the dynamics and comfort level of their relationship. For one, they decided early on that since their personal religious identities are important, neither would convert for the marriage.
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Where is statistics used in data science?
If you are newbie to data science, learning programming for the first time and you came to know that mathematics in your 12th standard and bachelors is again used in data science, you feel like whaaat!!!( It felt like that for me). I had a vague overview of data science. I used to think where should i use math, I didn't know exactly. If you are also feeling like that this article is for you.
Today i will write where is exactly is statistics is used in data science workflow. Statistics, in my point of view makes upto 30–35% or more. Because in data science or analytics understanding the problem is a main thing. If you want to build a DS model you need the basics of what math I am doing or what part of math like if you relating between any two concepts correlation(statistics) is useful or when assessing whether a customer clicks on an ad we use probability etc.
So a DS model requires math in every step of workflow.
I will discuss the situations where statistics is used in a DS problem.
AD 1 has a click rate higher than AD 2 (Say when both are advertising similar thing).
Statistics can be used to determine whether the difference in click rate effects the AD 2's to AD 1 customers visiting the site, traffic , future aspects etc.
Problems arising due to experimental results like when using different metrics etc , rising of the problem of simpsons paradox etc can be averted by using statistics.
In the above problem we use experimental testing, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals.
When a company's previous and present years revenue becomes low.
Statistics tells you what is the reason behind the low revenue. It helps you understand the sales behavior, trends and predict future results, trying to increase the revenue.
In the above case the data should be considerable enough to make insights(bigger the better).
Here we use Regression, classification etc.
Turning the raw and humongous data into cooked and simple data.
Consider a company having a 1 million customers and buying different types of products (say 100k), statistics can be used to determine or label each person's taste, group them, make possible steps to make a customer buy that product and also recommend the products. We also look at sentiment of the customers to make good recommendations.
You are planning to launch a website on selling an item. You want to know who are your target customers or you have now opened the website but customers who have purchased once aren't visiting your site again. You want to know how can you bring customers or lure them to buy products from your site.
Here we use statistics to estimate the problems , risks and budget to be allocated etc for your company.
Statistical concepts like regression , classification is used for estimating the results, clustering , dimensionality reduction, casual effect analysis, latent variable analysis are used for customer labeling, engagement , retention etc and collaborative filtering can be used for recommendations.
For predicting the results using previous data , one of the most important and crucial step in any business model.
Here we use statistical models like predictive modelling. Getting insights of the data.
As it is said "Data science is the bridge between data and company".
We use the power of statistics to build insights, predict, estimate and visualize the data.
The above are some situations where statistics is used. Having the knowledge of programming , math , data understanding ability , understanding business models and general knowledge makes up a good data scientist.
I hope this clarifies some of your doubts.
please mail me at francisvikramsagar@gmail.com .


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67th Legislative Session
About CAWS
Mission. Work. Vision.
Women's Opportunity Scholarship Fund
Safety Alert
Professional Allies
Advocate for Policy
Awareness Displays
Training Descriptions
Best Practices Policies & Protocols
CAWS ND Media Resources
Federal & State Laws
Planning underway for 2nd annual Race to Zero 5K!
March 15, 2014 /in CAWS Blog, News Releases /by CAWS
BISMARCK— Planning for the second annual Race to Zero: Run/Walk for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention is underway and registration is now open. The 5K event is intended to raise public awareness about sexual violence throughout the lifespan as well as military sexual trauma. This year, Race to Zero will take place on Saturday, April 12, at the Hay Creek Trail Loop with registration and displays in Shiloh Christian School.
April is both Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month. In 2012 alone, more than 900 victims of sexual assault sought help from crisis intervention centers throughout the North Dakota (2013 statistics are still pending). Nearly 40 percent of victims were under the age of 18 at the time of the assault. The Pentagon reported that in 2012, more than 26,000 military service members experienced unwanted sexual contact. Nationally, more than half of sexual assaults go unreported. The intent of the race is to encourage community conversation about sexual assault awareness and prevention. Support for survivors from the larger community can translate into better response for victims of sexual assault and ultimately, change social norms like silence and victim blaming.
Pre-registration is $20 and participants receive a Race to Zero t-shirt the day of the event. Registration the day of the race is $25. Check-in and day-of registration begins at 8 a.m. in the Shiloh Christian School Elementary foyer, and the race begins at 9 a.m. Racers can register for either competitive or non-competitive categories. A small awards ceremony and light refreshments will be held after the race. Educational and outreach displays and activities will be located in the chapel of Shiloh Christian School (just inside the elementary entrance).
To help spread the word about the race, please visit www.facebook.com/RacetoZero or register directly on Eventbrite at https://racetozero.eventbrite.com. For more information about registration, please contact Stephanie Gerhardt at 701-225-6240 or sgerhardt@ndcaws.org. For more information about the race, contact primary organizer Heather Mattson at 701-333-3293 or heather.m.mattson5.civ@mail.mil.
Race to Zero: Run/Walk for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention is a collaborative project between the Abused Adult Resource Center, Bismarck Prevention Task Force, CAWS North Dakota, the North Dakota National Guard Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program (SARP), Prevent Child Abuse North Dakota (PCAND), and Region 7 Foster Care/Adoption Recruitment Coalition. Along with advocacy centers around the state, these agencies work toward a shared goal of zero sexual assaults in North Dakota.
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Carrier gas The term carrier gas was introduced by A. J. P .Martin, the inventor of gas chromatography who used it as an alternative term for the mobile phase; obviously, the term could only be used as such in gas chromatography. The term has persisted and is still used synonymously for a gaseous mobile phase. The carrier gas can be any inert gas (a gas that can not react with either the solutes or the stationary phase) such as helium, argon, nitrogen, and under certain circumstances hydrogen. The gas that is used is sometimes dictated by the detector, e.g., the argon detector requires argon to be used as the carrier gas. With no other restrictions, helium is the most popular carrier gas used in gas chromatography although it is the most expensive. Helium has a low density and solutes have a high diffusivity in it. Thus, high gas velocities can be used providing faster analyses without seriously denigrating the performance of the column.


Animal Services has a dedicated phone line for appointments for free/reduced fee/low cost spay/neuter. The appointment line is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Three telephone lines are dedicated to appointments for the public to have access to local calling in their area.
Pet surgeries are completed in the morning and animals are released to owners that same afternoon.
View the Pet Vet calendar to find a location near you.


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What was originally just some random thoughts I had to rush out of my then-overloaded brain, became an continuous string of connected logic and observations that I made throughout the years as a fan of film and animation. You see: I was a fan of film and western animation since I was a child. I became interested in film music not long ago, and even more recently, JAPANESE animation. So inevitably, this jumble of interests in somewhat connected mediums would eventually combinate into one massive melting pot of artistic observations, as I strive to understand how multiple human sensories combine to enhance the experience of the picture.
I discovered the gimmick that was film music back during the wee hours of some random day in 2012, upon listening to the track 'A Way of Life', which I found whilst browsing YouTube. It was from Hans Zimmer's score for The Last Samurai (a film I remembered watching a long time ago, before 2012, even). And it was a beautiful piece of music: atmospheric, densely orchestrated and lyrically colourful. However, I am not a stranger to symphonies, piano concertos or other classically-inclined musical pieces, so what truly hooked me about the concept of film music, is the idea of music accompanying the picture to form a storytelling whole: my mind was literally replaying random scenes from the movie, as the 8 minute suite played. I was nearly in tears by the time the track ended, having almost involuntarily recalled some pretty bittersweet scenes from the film. Somehow, even with my blurred memories of the film, Zimmer's music was able to trigger my lingering appreciation for it. Naturally, I wanted to understand: how, and why?
Advocating for a Music 'Genre' That's…Not Meant to be Noticed?!
Well, considering that the ENTIRE MEDIUM of film is emotionally manipulative anyway (it's practically BUILT with the intent of conveying messages and stories that affect audiences), I see no merits in such arguments. To me, film music exists to tell a story, alongside all the working and tangible elements that make up a film: its underlying personalities and the composer's creative angle during its inception are paramount in determining the nature of the final product. In other words, film music has as much to contribute to a scene as a cut, or an actor's performance. And since film music has such a impactful role in a film's ability to convey its ideas, it wouldn't hurt for the creators and audiences to pay extra attention to what *other* effects and roles film music can create and contribute to, other than just existing to 'fit the show/film/scene'.
So…if film music isn't meant to be emotionally manipulative…then why was Star Wars' plain TEXT opening crawl accompanied by a goddamn fanfare? Is reading words in a film 'epic' to begin with?
In order for me to provide some observable examples of how film music can be utilized to not only enhance a film, but also define and elevate its very essence, I decided to hand-pick some animated films from both sides of the world, and analyze their respective soundtracks' artistic endeavours, uncover the less obvious tonal developments they each go through throughout their run-time, and highlight how different approaches can change the role background music plays in a film, and the differing impacts that they may have on the audience. And no, I don't intend to swap Death Note's music with K-on!'s to make the point that film music can convey different feelings. Its certainly 'true', but I'm dealing with far more complex ideas than this.
How to Train Your Dragon and its sequel How to Train Your Dragon 2, both scored by renowned animation composer, John Powell.
Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Ponyo and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, all scored by the Japanese maestro, Joe Hisaishi.
In some ways, these film scores can be considered similar: they are mostly orchestral, obviously (which is by far the best medium for film music, no matter the film's genre. But that's an opinion I will have to defend in a later post) and they all accompany some pretty well-liked animated films. However, the similarities end there, as both composers approached their respective films in both subtly and wildly different ways. By comparing and contrasting the intricacies of these film scores (While also delving into A LOT OF tangents), hopefully I can produce an intense, tightly phased but extensive narrative that can better prepare you to notice film music, enhance your enjoyment of films and perhaps even give you more things to talk about, if you happen to be an anime or film blogger, reviewer, YouTuber or medium analyst.
Composers tend to have…creative habits that they repeatedly come back to, every time they helm a new project. So before I dive into each composer's above-chosen works in detail, I will provide some 'extension' opening insights into their musical styles and what, when and how they typically utilize their music for certain scenes and films, and why.
Alright people, please do the honours by turning on your stereos and raising your volumes, or dig out your best pair of headphones.
Joe Hisaishi wasn't always a 'character themes' kind of guy (something I will touch upon later). Like any multi-medium creative practitioner, Hisaishi's musical career has well-defined roots in multiple facets of the music industry ever since the late 70s, having produced and published his own solo albums; all of varying electronics, rock, jazz, instrumental minimalist, experimental symphonic, traditional western and Japanese orchestral styles, while also finding work composing for lesser known anime titles, such as Hajime Ningen Giatrus, Sasuga no Sarutobi and Techno Police, before taking on the position of lead composer for Hayao Mizazaki's adventure animation feature, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.
Evidently, this mark on his resume gave birth to a blooming creative composer-director relationship that has invited positive comparisons between similar instances in Hollywood; creative partnerships that received much acclaim, such as legendary film maker Steven Spielberg and his almost perfect track record of continuously working with maestro John Williams for almost all of his films. A simple web search would conjure up examples such as the ending scene of E.T; whose accompanying background music was universally considered to be unconditionally irreplaceable and integral to the picture, as well as other countless iconic musical identities that has defined Hollywood culture, such as the Indiana Jones march, Jaws' two-note motif, Jurassic Park's main theme and Schindler's List's brutal violin-led soundscape; a score that accompanied a film that is still considered to be one of the best of all time.
Another more modern comparison can also be drawn with the collaborative ventures embarked on by relative newcomer director Christopher Nolan and experimental musician, producer and film composer Hans Zimmer. As a film maker whose deliberately complex creative voice has united the usually divided public of critics and casual film goers in praising his works for massive entertainment value, intelligent and relevant explorations of the human condition, Nolan's working process with Zimmer's highly experimental, gut instinct and largely unsubtle musical style has garnered much praise (and some criticisms). But there's little denial that Nolan and Zimmer's work on The Dark Knight (with additional material by Zimmer's friend and fellow film composer, James Newton Howard) franchise, Inception and Interstellar were iconic, influential, individualistic (before they were cannibalised by less creatively inclined film makers and composers) and acted as the podiums that defined the 2010s Hollywood 'sound': for better or worse. Hollywood producers' rush to replicate this creative relationship's success has resulted in a surplus of unimaginative musical copycat efforts that failed to evoke the same level of unashamed grandeur achieved by Zimmer in both his earlier and modern works. Nevertheless, the creative pioneer should never take responsibility for his failing imitators.
The working nuance between auteurs and film composers is certainly not something to scoff at, as the above examples may have shown you.
Now that I've provided the comparisons with some extended commentary, I invite you to form your own personal and internalised narratives on why Hisaishi's music work so well with Miyazaki's imagery. Let's compare our notes on why these two are the perfect artistic couple that has drawn comparisons with TWO of Hollywood's most influential collaborative relationships.
Ignoring Hisaishi's live action ventures (which…you really shouldn't outside of this discussion, since he has done plenty of great stuff outside animation), it is interesting to observe how his musical voice slowly evolved to favour the organically symphonic when scoring animation films, before they eventually morphed into a series of signature compositional ideas and styles that gave Hisaishi his unique sound. In truth, these signature touches are rather easy to spot, if you know what you are looking for.
If one were to identify a single common thread that defines every Hisaishi soundtrack for a Ghibli film; despite their slow transition from films such as Nausicaa, Laputa (its original, Japanese mix at least) and Totoro's largely synth-based soundscapes to the massive orchestral ventures that defined films such as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo's musical identities, it would be the function that the music serves in the picture's overall presentation.
Joe Hisaishi world-builds with music.
A simple enough answer, right? Miyazaki's films are prolific in their utilisation of dense background art, diverse framing, shot compositions and vast landscapes: conveying the setting through the environment. In other words, the story is told through non-verbal world-building. Hisaishi composes with intentional focus on the overall frame of the setting, simultaneously informing the audience of the atmosphere that envelops the film and building it as well. In many ways, this is a step above the notion of music supporting the agenda of the on-screen footage: Hisaishi's music inhabits the setting through its melodic personalities, acting as ingrained building blocks that populates the film, thus creating the 'illusion' that Miyazaki's worlds are alive. But how so?
Oh.my.gosh. This is really extensive. Wow. Impressive. Well done. I must confess that I'm not familiar with a lot of the composers you mentioned here, but of course I'm a fan of both Hisaishi and Powell. I love listening to Hisaishi's Ghibli collection whenever I'm doing household chores because his music put me in a semi-meditative state where my mind is relaxed while my body automatically cleans the house. So instead of feeling tired after doing chores, I actually feel relaxed, even energized. Excellent post, as always. Thanks for sharing this with us at my blog carnival. Keep it up. Cheers!
As per usual, like I wrote in the post, this is a publication meant for extensive revisits, also, I implore you to explore the composers you're not familiar with. Watch the films, listen to the music, note how they tell their story. As always, this post will be here for you to return to, if you either have problems finding words to describe what you found, or you just need interesting ideas to start exploring.
I hope this post is a useful eye-opener to perhaps look beyond the purely reactionary reasons as to why you like the film music written by a certain composer.
What a wonderful, insightful, and thoroughly enjoyable read! The musical pieces were fantastic and the writing was smooth.
Despite having maybe two hours worth of musical training (I tried), I could follow most of the post, which is great. But needless to say I was taken through an emotional journey through this post and all the musical pieces. I've only started to listen to more soundtracks. Now I'm starting to notice and understand a little–of why these great pieces are so effective, and how each of them are unique. It's certainly fascinating to read and listen to how HIsaishi has evolved (and also returned to his roots). He is one of my favorite composers and that Budokan concert is sublime. How I wish I was there!
And to answer your question re Deep Sea Pastures, and having not actually watched Ponyo (yet), I actually felt like I was exploring a shiny and colorful world under the sea, filled with diverse sea creatures moving around me, and I was filled with curiosity and excitement like a child. One alternate image I had was being a kid walking through a huge toy store (lots of shiny and colorful things as well)…like…Home Alone 2 sort of, I think. And nearing at the end of the piece, it was as if I was surrounded by something majestic, powerful beyond my control, but benign. Like being surrounded by magnificent, crashing ocean waves. And somehow I still retained that kind, childlike curiosity till the end. If that make sense.
Anyway! Having watched a lot of anime, I really like Yoko Kanno's works, except people has been saying she just takes other people's works and modifies it? I don't know. Hmm…ReLife's soundtrack is unconventional but I liked it a lot as far as I can hear from the anime. More jazzy piano. Samurai 7 soundtrack is cool, lots of traditional Japanese instruments! But my personal honorable mention goes to Nobuo Uematsu's "Cloud Smiles" as the first piece of music I've ever truly listened to – and what got me into music. Every time I hear woodwinds played so beautifully, I die a little. Also worth the mention I guess is MCU Captain America Winter Soldier's Theme, which is effectively disturbing. Arcade Fire's (?) piano pieces for Her are also my favorite – that and Lullaby of Pi!
Thank you so much for writing this post and sharing this with us. You must've put an incredible amount of time and effort into this! I love this post and all the music, and I will definitely return to this post again and again.
Your comment alone already made this 6 month project worth it. Interest in something can only turn to love if you understand what and why you liked it in the first place. I'm glad that the little questions I popped in the posts were responded to so wonderfully by you, and I agree! The ability of music to transform the experience is almost impossible to describe at times.
From your list of film music you like…Hmm…regarding Yoko Kanno's plagiarism: every single composer does it one way or another. It is practically a part of the medium, taking ideas from around you and reinventing it. Kanno's just a lot more guilty of not trying hard enough to hide her inspirations and making them uniquely hers. Remember what I said about Hisaishi taking inspirations from Ravel and Menken's Mermaid for Ponyo? Also…you have a really diverse canvas of examples from film music. I love that!
I'm glad this was a great read for you, if this piece made you love film music more, then my job is satisfyingly complete.
Having already seen Ponyo, the mental image I got from this scene might have been a little biased by knowing where this theme comes in. Nevertheless it's been a while since I've seen the film so I'll describe what I imagined.
The strings and choir softly starting up before getting louder almost seemed like a sunrise. The vast sea is slowly waking up and emerging from some sort of sleep. Then when the sound starts to pick up, the scope of the scene hits me. We are in a vast space, and the ocean IS vast. But the flutes that come in give a sense of detail-they're the fish flitting about reef, and there are alot of them. The track feels extremely filled out (not sure what musical jargon describes this feeling), I just feel life brimming from every note of the piece!


text:
Pope Benedict approves the Decree on the Martyrdom of the Redemptorists of Cuenca, Spain
Courtesy of Scala:
On Thursday, December 20, Pope Benedict XVI approved the promulgation of the Decree on the martyrdom of the Servants of God José Javier Gorosterratzu and five companions, all martyrs of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists).
This decree has finally opened the way for the beatification that will be celebrated in Tarragona, Spain on October 27, 2013.
On the same day, the pope also approved the promulgation of the Decree on the life and virtues of Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini), whose cause is being shepherded to fruition by our devoted and hard-working Postulator General, Fr Antonio Marrazzo, C.Ss.R.
Our new blessed, all members of the community of St. Felipe in Cuenca, were martyred during the Spanish Civil War that was fought from July 1936 to April 1939.
The group is made up of five priests and one Brother:
Rev. José Javier Gorosterratzu Jaunarena (1877-1936)
Rev. Ciriaco Olarte y Pérez De Mendiguren (1893-1936)
Rev. Miguel Goñi Ariz (1902-1936)
Rev. Julián Pozo y Ruiz De Samaniego (1920-1936)
Rev. Pedro Romero Espejo (1871-1938)
Brother Víctor (Victoriano) Calvo Lozano (1896-1936)
Brief Biographical Profiles
Father José Javier Gorosterratzu Jaunarena, C.Ss.R., was born in Urroz (Navarra) August 7, 1877. At age 14, against the wishes of his father, he entered the Capuchin College at Lecároz. At age 16 he entered the Redemptorists, made his profession on September 8, 1896 and was ordained a priest on September 28, 1903. After a few years of teaching at El Espino (Burgos) and Astorga (León), he lived in the communities of Pamplona (Navarra), Madrid and Cuenca. He was a man of considerable culture as well as being a popular missionary, an expert confessor and a sought after spiritual director. He published two historical works and wrote a manual of philosophy. On August 10, 1936, he was arrested by the militia of the Popular Front, which took him to the cemetery of Cuenca and shot him during which he forgave his executioners.
Father Ciriaco Olarte Perez, C.Ss.R., was born in Gomecha (Álava) on February 8, 1893 into a very religious family. Encouraged from childhood towards a priestly vocation, he entered Redemptorist formation on September 21, 1904 at El Espino (Burgos) and professed his religious vows on September 8, 1911. After being ordained a priest on July 29, 1917, he went to Mexico as a missionary from 1920 to 1926. He returned to Spain and the growing anti-clerical spirit in the Mexico of that time. From 1926 to 1935, he exercised his apostolic ministry in Madrid, at the community of Perpetual Help. In May 1935 he settled in Cuenca. In the evening of July 31, 1936, he was arrested and taken to the place called "Las Angustias" where, severely wounded, was left to die after long hours of agony.
Father Miguel Goñi Ariz, C.Ss.R., was born in Imarcoain (Navarra) April 27, 1902. Manifesting the desire to become a priest even as a child, he would enter the Redemptorists on September 8, 1918 and professed his vows on August 26, 1920. Despite poor health and a shy nature, he was ordained a priest on September 27, 1925 and proved to be a strong and tireless preacher of popular missions. After serving in the communities of Nava del Rey (Valladolid), Granada, Santander and Vigo, he was transferred in 1932 to Cuenca, where he ministered especially in the Redemptorist Church of St. Phillip Neri. On August 31, 1936 he was arrested by the militia, shot and left to bleed to death.
Father Julián Pozo y Ruiz De Samaniego, C.Ss.R., was born in Payueta (Álava) January 7, 1903. He entered the Redemptorist seminary of El Espino in 1913, where he was much appreciated for the seriousness of his spiritual journey. He professed vows in 1920 and was ordained a priest on September 27, 1925. Suffering from tuberculosis since 1921, he was able to accept the disease with resignation, devoting himself to prayer, hearing confessions and caring for the sick. Of a serene disposition, he was much sought after for his gifts as a confessor and spiritual director. In 1928 he was transferred to the apostolic community of Cuenca. He then moved to the seminary because of the outbreak of persecution. There, on August 9, 1936 he was arrested while praying the rosary, and was shot along the road that leads from Cuenca to Tragacete.
Father Pedro Romero Espejo, C.Ss.R., was born in Pancorbo (Burgos) April 28, 1871.He entered the Redemptorist school at El Espino and was eventually professed on September 24, 1889. He was ordained on February 29, 1896. He was an extremely shy person and not given to outgoing missionary activity. So he devoted his life to the ministry of reconciliation, and to a religious life of meditation, prayer and mortification, witnessing a great spirit of poverty to others. After being in the communities of Astorga (León) and Madrid, he was transferred Cuenca. With the outbreak of the civil war, he was forced to leave the community and to live, as was the case for the other colleagues, with a local family in their private home. To escape the attention of the persecutors and continue to engage in the apostolate, he chose to go begging in the streets of the city. Detained several times by the militia, ultimately, in May 1938 he was arrested and taken to prison, where, physically and spiritually ministered to by other priests being held prisoner, he died of dysentery on May 29.
Brother Víctor (Victoriano) Calvo Lozano, C.Ss.R., was born in Horche (Guadalajara) December 23, 1896. Distinctly inclined to the spiritual life, he wanted to become a priest. Unfortunately, the times, the reluctance of his family to allow him and financial constraints all mitigated against starting his studies. On March 31, 1919, in a letter he left with his family explaining his reasons, he left them to become a Redemptorist. On November 13, 1920 he made his religious profession, taking the name Victoriano. In 1921 he was assigned to the Redemptorist community in Cuenca, where he worked as a clerk and porter. Although he had not attended school, he had an innate sense of culture, excelling particularly in a deep knowledge of asceticism. His superiors permitted him to be a spiritual director for young women, for whom he wrote a series of retreats and other works. On August 10, he was arrested by the militia, taken to the cemetery of Cuenca, and brutally murdered.
For more information visit the website of the province of Madrid at: http://testigosdelaredencion.blogspot.com/p/martires-de-cuenca.html


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TheBiggestJesus: Do you have to see to believe?
Jesus died, then rose from the dead. His resurrection is proof that He is the Son of God.
I believe this. And I hope you do too. But if you don't, I understand. We all start out as unbelievers. Someday you'll believe.
One of Jesus' closest followers didn't initially believe He had come back from the dead. His name was Thomas. And he's been given the infamous nickname "Doubting Thomas" for his refusal to believe in the resurrection without hard, tangible proof.
But Doubting Thomas soon became Believing Thomas. What made the most famous skeptic of all time become a believer in Jesus? Evidence.
From that moment on he was no longer Doubting Thomas. He saw the evidence and believed.
Jesus' first followers saw Him live, die, and live again. We don't get to actually see Jesus (not yet, anyway). But that doesn't mean we can't believe. There is enough evidence available for all people to believe right now.
Jesus said that believing without seeing Him in person is possible. Millions have come to believe in and know Jesus without seeing Him. And they have been blessed by God for doing so.
There were times when people asked Jesus for a sign and He refused to give it to them. So why did He give Thomas one when he said he would only believe with a sign - actually seeing and touching the One who supposedly came back to life? This was a bold request/demand from Thomas.
Those who asked Jesus for signs and didn't get them often asked with insincere motives. They had no intention of following Him, regardless of what He did. They just wanted a show. They wanted to ride the bandwagon of the popular guy at the time.
Some unbelieving people asked for signs so that when Jesus failed to perform, they could scoff at Him with a mocking attitude. To them, His lack of performance justified their unbelief. In many cases, they were ignoring what He had already done.
You can ask God for a sign if you want to. I don't know if He'll give you one or not. But if you do ask for one, make sure your motives are sincere.
But I will tell you that you don't need a sign. God has already provided us with enough evidence to believe. We just need to pay attention to what God's already done.
Following are three big questions about God and Jesus, and the evidence He has already supplied for all people to see and believe.
You don't have to look very far to clearly see evidence that God exists.
The creation that you wake up to every day is tangible, solid evidence that God exists. When you look in the mirror, you are staring at evidence. People, plants, animals, the earth, stars, water, fire, trees, rocks, and everything that has ever been created screams that there is a God. It's like the wind. You don't actually see the wind, but you see and hear the leaves move in the trees.
And it's not just the fact that these things exist, but that they work so precisely. God's creation moves, lives and breathes in amazing and mysterious ways. Romans 1:20 tells us that we have no excuse to deny the reality of our Creator based on this.
Jesus' first followers told about their experiences with Jesus. John, Matthew, Paul, and Peter all wrote in detail about the life of Jesus.
The Bible reveals to us the truth of God and His Son. The Bible has never been proven wrong, even though countless people have tried to discredit it over the centuries. Many of those who set out to discredit it became believers due to the power of God and the power of the truth.
This is why you need to read the Bible yourself and get the truth about Jesus straight from God's book. If your understanding of God, Jesus and other spiritual things is only from sources other than the Bible, you will be missing out on the ultimate written source of spiritual truth.
It's as if Paul was saying, "There's a boatload of people who saw the resurrected Jesus. Don't just take my word for it. Ask them."
Eyewitness testimony has always been the most valuable evidence used in court.
Imagine being on a jury and hearing consistent eyewitness testimony from over 500 people about seeing Jesus alive after He was dead and buried. And the opposing side has no good argument against all these eyewitnesses. Their testimony would convince you. You'd probably believe after just a handful told their story. You can't ignore these ancient eyewitnesses.
From personal experience, when God changed my heart and opened my eyes to the truth of Jesus, that became the most powerful personal evidence that I could get. And no one can refute that. God made me a new man. I was transformed by the power of God from doubter to believer. From rejecter of Jesus to follower of Jesus. From a man drowning in sin to a man saved by my Lifeguard. Ask my wife. She saw the transformation firsthand. Besides me, she was benefited the most by God's supernatural work in my life. God made a better person.
A changed life is one of the most powerful forms of evidence God can show us. Do you know someone that God has dramatically changed in this way. Maybe He changed you like this. This is real live proof of God accomplishing His will - changing people to become like Jesus.
Jesus was not mad at Thomas for wanting evidence, because He knew Thomas would believe if given evidence. But some will not believe, even with clear evidence right in their face.
You might think, "Sure, if I personally saw Jesus I would believe too." Maybe, maybe not.
When people see cold, hard evidence that should spur them to believe in God, and they refuse to do it, God is not happy.
Are you looking for evidence of God? What kind of evidence are you looking for? Are you currently ignoring solid evidence? Are you asking God to open your eyes to see evidence? If so, are you asking from a sincere heart that will believe if given evidence, even if it means drastically changing your mind? Or are you asking from an insincere heart that will not believe, even if the evidence cracks you right in the nose?
Anyone who lives by blind faith is a fool. And God never asks us to live by blind faith. He asks us to live by solid faith. Solid faith will be based on something He has already done. He has proven Himself in the past, so we can have faith in Him now and in the future.
God has always supplied humans with evidence on which to base our beliefs and actions. The creation is one of God's greatest pieces of evidence. And it has been here longer than humans. So there has always been evidence that points us to God.
The story of David killing Goliath shows how to live life with solid faith, not blind faith.
Young David killed the giant Goliath with Goliath's own sword. Then he cut off Goliath's big fat head.
David didn't go against Goliath in blind faith. He and God had history together. And God had previously proven Himself to be strong by giving David victory over the lion and the bear. David's faith was based on personal evidence. He rightfully reasoned that if God could give him victory over the lion and bear, He could surely give him victory over Goliath. And He did.
If you don't have history with God, you can look at what He's done in other people's lives to strengthen your faith. Then when He proves Himself in your life your faith can then also be strengthened by your personal history with God. Never forget what God has done in your life. It's powerful evidence.
My hope is that you seriously look at the evidence that God has already set before you. Slow down. Put away your cell phone. Go to a quiet place outdoors where you can see God's amazing creation. Chill. Relax. Think. Talk with God. Listen. If you come humbly to God, He'll show Himself to you.
P.S. God's answer to my prayers is sometimes "No." But He has never let me down. He's always faithful. But I need to have a proper understanding of His will. If I'm asking Him to do things that contradict His will, I have no right to be disappointed when He doesn't do it. Knowing as much about God as I can is key. This will guide my expectations, my prayers and my life. That's why seeking to grow in the knowledge of God through Bible study and prayer is so important.


I'm having trouble finding a tutorial for creating hypervoxel fire. I saw the tutorial to create a fire using a volumetric light but I want to be able to scale the size of the fire. I was hoping that using hypervoxels would be able to do that for me. Anyone know of a link for a good tutorial?
I always had difficulty with small scale volumetric light type fires. Hypervoxels can produce much smaller fires but take some tweeking to get it looking just right. Then it may still be off if you do not have a source to go by. I found using an emitter and move down the time line a ways will produce a whiter base for the flame. Once you have the flame tweeked, then you can set the emiter to start from that frame in the emiter properties so the time line can start at frame 0(if you want to animate the flame).


Cervelli 1-14 with 0 RBI with RISP. Real great for your 3rd hitter.
Pirates 3, Det 2 bottom of the 7th. Kang with a 2-run HR. Musgrove and Boyd hooked up in a pretty good pitching duel.
Kela is trash. Gotta put him on the DL for 10 days and give him a rehab assignment to figure things out.
That's another lead blown by the bullpen. As noted by BT it was Kela this time in the 9th with a 1 run lead.
Marte with a 2 run bomb in the 10th. Now up to Kingham to save it.
Nice win. But have to figure out Cervelli, Kela and Rodriguez. Hopefully Diaz comes back soon. He's hitting over .400 on his rehab. Cervelli was just atrocious tonight. Allowed a horrible passed ball that let in a run. And continued to struggle hitting, 0-20 slump.
Vasquez gets the save and the Bucs win again. Pirates move to 10-6 as the bullpen was strong tonight.
That mandatory helmet earflap saved Marte from a potentially serious injury. He really got drilled in the noggin by a pitch.
All these days off are really beneficial so they aren't playing too many games without Polanco or Dickerson. They have played less games to date than any of the other 29 teams.
Pirates will have a number of roster moves to make in the next 7-10 days. Polanco, Dickerson, Diaz, Chisenhall and Newman will all be back.
Only Martin and Reyes have options to go to the minors among position players. I'd be reluctant to DFA Stallings with Cervelli's injury history as well. I think he would be claimed. Shuck probably gets DFA'd but he might clear waivers. I like him because he seems to give a darn. Melky has played well enough to stick around as well. So I'm not sure who gets crunched but knowing how they operate, I'd guess we see some slumping guys "get hurt" like Cervelli.
By being off and Milwaukee losing the Pirates move into first place by win%!
Pirates were only second because they've played fewer games than any other team in the NL Central. They have 6 losses to Milw's 8.
Pirates win 4-1 over SF. Lyles goes 6 innings with 0 runs but took a liner off his pitching hand. Later Marte and Gonzales collide in the OF and both leave the game.