When we first visited Lisbon in 2016 Gloria was out of operation and we were unable to travel on all three in a day. So on our return to this beautiful city earlier this year the funicular trail was high on my list of activities. We planned it for the afternoon after our wonderful morning (and lunch) in Cacilhas, which meant of course our first funicular would be the one which is probably the most photographed – Ascensor da Bica. Before we got there though I got sidetracked by a fountain, I blame this new and fascinating attraction with water supplies on our tour the previous day of Lisbon's water works!
I think I am right in saying that Ascensor da Bica was constructed by Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard and opened to the public in 1892. The gradient is less than 12% so most locals tend to walk up and down rather than wait for the funicular. And for a moment we did consider walking as there was quite a crowd waiting at the lower station on Rua de São Paulo. However I was keen to travel up as we had not used it going up before, and fortunately there was just enough space for us to squeeze on board.
You arrive on Calçada do Combro and if one funicular is enough for you or if the weather is unsuitable for a stroll then this is the point when you can hop directly on board a tram and explore more of Lisbon by tram. There are numerous passing by at this point and they are not too crowded.
We though were on a funicular adventure so made our way through the narrow streets to Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara so we could board Ascensor da Glória. There are various routes you can take and you could easily find yourselves not making it as there are so many little streets to explore and even more places to stop for a photograph or a cup of coffee! Fortunately however we remained focused and it was only the lamp-posts that caught my eye.
As you may have gathered from the name Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara is a lovely viewing point but for some reason I cannot find any photographs of the view. If you want to discover what it is like you'll just have to visit yourself! Whatever you do though don't walk up the street that Gloria travels on. As you may recall in 2016 we did walk up this 18% gradient and our legs are still in recovery!
Arriving at the bottom on the western side of Avenida da Liberdade, just off Restauradores square we then made our way directly to the eastern side of Avenida da Liberdade. As it is from here that you board the oldest and steepest funicular – Lavra funicular. However before we could board I was sidetracked again this time by azulejos. I wonder if it was a dairy before it became a restaurant.
Turning around to join MrB and to board the funicular I discovered that we were going to experience the same problem as we had in 2016! Yup this time it was Lavra that was temporarily out of action. I was so disappointed not to complete our adventure. We did consider strolling up but it is a 23% gradient and I wanted refreshment!! So we decided to leave it until next year, and headed back to towards Restauradores. I am sorry though not to have completed the walk for Jo and her Monday Walkers. However like Blue Peter I do have one that I did earlier!! So if you would like to know what is at the top then do visit this post from 2016 which includes photographs of the upper station as well as another rather lovely walk at the top.
So glad you have enjoyed your trip . . . and yes the funiculars are definitely a good reason to return!
Wonderful post. We love Portugal. We have been on Azores, Madeira, Lisbon, Estoril and Praia da Rocha.
Thank you so so much . . . it is a fabulous country isn't it. We have not yet been to the Azores but hope to make it one day soon.
Just visited Lisbon and sad about the graffiti on the funicular trams and the excessive advertising.
oh I know . . . . I wouldn't mind it so much if was attractive street art but it is mostly just names.


Founded in 1955, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) is comprised of 84 private nonprofit colleges and universities in California. Together, these institutions make up the Independent California Colleges and Universities Sector (ICCU).
The core mission of ICCU institutions is to improve lives through higher education. ICCU institutions are committed to the public good and are incredibly diverse—ranging from small to large traditional liberal arts institutions, including nationally ranked research universities; colleges offering faith-based, performing and visual arts, and "non-traditional" programs of study; as well as professional schools that specialize in business, law, and medicine.
Providing access to quality higher education for California's diverse population.
The independent sector has played a pivotal role in the development of the state's model higher education offerings and in making California a symbol of innovation across the globe. California's independent colleges and universities award over 20% of all undergraduate degrees and over 50% of graduate degrees in the State.
AICCU members collectively help shape policy for higher education.
An Executive Committee of member presidents and campus trustees governs AICCU. For Audited Financials please contact Susan Cotton.
AICCU speaks on behalf of the Independent California Colleges and Universities (ICCU) and seeks to strengthen those institutions through collaboration, governmental advocacy, and public engagement aimed at supporting the ability of the ICCU to successfully serve students, families, their communities, and the state.
AICCU will be a transformative influence and positive force for change in the California higher education ecosystem through advocacy and leadership at the state and federal levels. The association will support member institutions in their commitment to prepare and empower students to have positive impacts in their communities, the country, and the world. Finally, AICCU will be a valued resource for policymakers, business and community leaders, and the media via our work to advance statewide goals of making college more accessible, affordable, and effective for students, society, and the economy.


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You are at:Home»News»Latin America is now the 'epicenter of the outbreak,' says health official
Latin America is now the 'epicenter of the outbreak,' says health official
By Gaynelle Marshall on	 27th May 2020 News
Latin America has surpassed Europe and the United States in the daily number of reported Covid-19 infections, the director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Tuesday, putting the region at the center of the global outbreak.There have been more than 2.4 million cases and more than 143,000 deaths in all of the Americas, Dr. Carissa Etienne told a press briefing, adding the region "has become the epicenter of the Covid pandemic."PAHO is particularly concerned about Brazil, where the number of new cases reported last week "was the highest for a seven-day period since the outbreak began," Etienne said.Peru and Chile are also reporting a high number of cases, she added, warning that for countries in the region "now is not the time to relax restrictions or scale back preventive strategies."
Peru and Chile are among the region's worst hit. They now hold the world's highest infection rates per capita over a seven-day rolling average, according to Our World in Data (OWID), an independent statistics website headquartered at Oxford University.On Tuesday, Chile had 77,961 infections and 806 deaths since the outbreak began. Two members of its government, Minister of Energy Juan Carlos Jobet and Public Works Minister Alfredo Moreno, tested positive for the virus on Monday after showing mild symptoms.Brazil overtook Russia over the weekend to become the country with the most confirmed cases of Covid-19 after the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University figures. By Monday, it had 374,898 infections in total and 23,473 deaths, according to the health ministry."Now is the time to stay strong, to remain vigilant, and to aggressively implement proven public health measures. We have learned from other regions, we have learned what works and what doesn't and we must continue to apply this knowledge to our context," Etienne said.
Brazil's crisis
These grim milestones come hours before a US travel ban for Brazil comes into effect at 11:59 pm ET Tuesday night. It will limit the entry of any foreign nationals, including Brazilians, who were in the country within the past 14 days.Sao Paulo governor Joao Doria told CNN that the ban may affect diplomatic and economic relations between both countries.
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro greets supporters on May 24.His city of 12 million is the worst-hit in the country, with more than 83,000 infections and 6,220 deaths, according to the latest data from the Brazilian health ministry.Doria told CNN that President Jair Bolsonaro had been undermining the preventative measures and messaging by the governors of the most impacted places in Brazil. "The behavior of President Bolsonaro is the wrong behavior. He is against social isolation. He's against orientation of the science," Doria said, adding that in his city, "we support social isolation, we recommend to the people to use masks and stay home."
Bolsonaro has referred to the virus as a "little flu" and frequently downplayed its risks. Two health ministers have left his cabinet in a 4-week period — one was fired and the other resigned — after disagreements over how to handle the pandemic.A coronavirus model that has been cited by the White House, suggests the country's trauma is far from over.Analysis from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington projects there will be 125,833 deaths by August 4, with a possible range as low as 68,311 and as high as 221,078.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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2023 Brings The Triumphant Return of In-Person Events
Philadelphia, PA (Newsworthy.ai) Tuesday Jan 3, 2023 @ 3:00 PM Eastern —
SharedXpertise Media, publishers of the award-winning HRO Today magazine, producers of the renowned Baker's Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings, and organizers of the HRO Today Forums and Educational Events, is announcing its schedule of in-person events and conferences for 2023.
Do you remember looking forward to connecting with your HR peers and learning new things at live in-person events and conferences?
After a couple of years of social distancing and curtailed travel budgets, 2023 will be the year in-person events make their return to the annual business calendar, and HRO Today has a series of events prepared to reignite that spirit of professional development and camaraderie.
Here's the 2023 HRO Today In-Person Conference Schedule:
HRO Today Forum North America – May 3-5, Las Vegas, NV https://www.hrotoday.com/events/hro-today-forum-north-america/
Corporate Culture Summit – June 21-22, Atlanta, GA https://www.hrotoday.com/events/2023-culture-and-engagement-summit/
Inclusion Summit – September 12-13, Washington, DC https://www.hrotoday.com/events/inclusion-summit-2023/
People in Healthcare – September 26-27, Houston, TX
Talent Acquisition Strategies & Technology Showcase –October 17-18, Atlanta, GA
HRO Today Forum Europe – November 8-10, Barcelona, Spain
Employee Learning & Development Summit – November 29-December 1, San Diego, CA
For the complete 2023 HRO Today live event and conference schedule, visit https://www.hrotoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-HROT-Events-Calendar.pdf.
For more information about the HRO Today Media Network, visit https://www.hrotoday.com/about-hro-today/.
This press release is distributed by the Newsworthy.ai Press Release Newswire – News at the speed of influence . Reference URL for this press release is here.
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The UConn women's basketball team is set to rekindle its rivalry with Tennessee. Here's a look at the series by the numbers.
Aaron Hernandez estate settles wrongful death lawsuit
Hubs of innovation in strong Connecticut industries key to state's economic revival, and cities are at the center, says state's economic development chief
City of Hartford's interim chief operating officer nominated to permanent position
Trump on trial: Mitch McConnell abruptly eases impeachment rules with handwritten changes after closed-door meeting
Here's what sold, and what didn't, at a recent auction of blighted Hartford properties
By Rebecca Lurye
Hartford Courant |
| Hartford
This old industrial warehouse at 740 Windsor St., formerly owned by the Estate of Abraham L. Giles, went unsold at the city of Hartford's first tax deed sale since 2015. The previous owner owed $351,156.88 in delinquent taxes, and no one was willing to bid on the property for that price. (Michael McAndrews / Hartford Courant)
The city of Hartford will recoup more than $770,000 in delinquent taxes from the recent sale of 11 blighted and vacant properties.
The buildings and lots were auctioned off at the city's first tax deed sale since 2015.
Hartford Land Bank to help find responsible owners for blighted, vacant properties »
The city has not released the names of the buyers and winning bids while the transactions are pending. Each had a starting bid of the amount owed in delinquent taxes and charges.
The group includes 18-20 Madison St., an old dental office currently owned by the federal government, which owed the city $103,793 as of the end of March.
[Related] City of Hartford's interim chief operating officer nominated to permanent position »
The government got the property in 2015, when it was forfeited by Mehran Zamani, a New York dentist involved in a multimillion Medicaid fraud scheme.
Here are the 10 other properties sold at the auction, along with their former owners and they amounts they owed:
55-57 Russ St. was among 37 blighted properties up for auction at the city of Hartford's first tax deed sale in five years last month. The lot, which was sold, had a starting bid of $306,495, the amount owed in delinquent taxes and charges. (Michael McAndrews / Hartford Courant)
55-57 Russ St. Formerly owned by Bridgeport Funding Alliance LLC, owing $306,495.
18-20 Hamilton St. Formerly owned by Rene Thomas, owing $38,676.
221 Jefferson St. Formerly owned by Shirley C. Wilkins, owing $38,967.
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15 Marshall St. Formerly owned by 55 Market Street LLC, owing $30,449.
212-214 Martin St. Formerly owned by Samuel Covington, owing $67,056.
212 Martin St. in Hartford was auctioned off at a recent tax deed sale. (Michael McAndrews / Hartford Courant)
228-230 Maple Ave. Formerly owned by Eraway Enterprises LLC, owing $60,372.
122 Brookfield St. Formerly owned by Neff Companies LLC, d/b/a REI Holdings, owing $23,600.
22-24 Oakland Terr. Formerly owned by Isaac Alphonso Roberts, owing $28,932.
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53-55 Acton St. Formerly owned by Bakari Stepherson, owing $39,273.
163 Palm St. Formerly owned by Estate of Issiah Williams and Estate of Ethel M. Williams, owing $33,820.
Postponed for future sale
492 Farmington Ave., will be up for auction at a future tax deed sale. (Michael McAndrews / Hartford Courant)
The city initially advertised six more properties for auction, but reserved them for a future tax deed sale. Their owners collectively owe more than $700,000.
Those include 488-492 Farmington Ave., the old Churrascaria Braza restaurant owned by Colonial Theater Renaissance Corp. The company owed $266,971 in delinquent taxes and charges on the building as of the end of March.
The former Brazilian restaurant abruptly closed its three Hartford locations in 2012, just three months after opening its latest spot at Constitution Plaza downtown.
[Related] Hartford's Front Street developer in talks to sell apartment building, invest in new development in the city »
The Farmington Avenue building has a historical appearance but is just 16 years old — the state borrowed $5 million in order to tear down the grand movie palace that once stood there, construct the 4,500-square-foot building that housed Braza, and make other improvements to the site.
Colonial Theater Renaissance Corp. also owns 11-15 Sherman St., which will be included in the future auction. The company owes $28,888 on that property.
Here are the four other properties postponed from last week's sale, their owners and how much they owed:
234 Barbour St. Owned by Spring River Development Group LLC, owing $158,757.
128 Westland St. Owned by Spring River Development Group LLC, owing $84,351.
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206 Walnut St. Owned by Alegandrina Vasquez or her estate and the Estate of Angel Vasquez, owing $28,994.
212 Walnut St. Owned by Alegandrina Vasquez or her estate and the Estate of Angel Vasquez, owing $137,178.
Acquired by the city
156 Mather St. failed to sell at a recent tax deed sale, so it now belongs to the city of Hartford. It will likely be acquired by the city's new land bank, which will work to get blighted, vacant properties back on the tax roll and into the hands of owners who will care for them. (Michael McAndrews / Hartford Courant) (Michael McAndrews / Hartford Courant)
Of the 37 properties included in the auction, 26 went unsold. The properties collectively owed nearly $1.5 million in delinquent taxes and charges.
They now belong to the city of Hartford, and have been added to the list of surplus properties available for sale.
They will all likely be acquired by the new Hartford Land Bank when the nonprofit launches this summer. The land bank is a legal entity apart from the city, seeded with $5 million in state funds to buy and sell blighted properties, fixing them up or finding owners who are able to do so themselves.
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Here is the full list, along with their former owners and the amounts they owed:
49 Annawan St. Formerly owned by SVL Associates, LLC, owing $83,982.
53 Benton St. Formerly owned by The Arnold Group LLC or its successor TAG Constructors LLC, owing $15,278.
151 Brook St. Formerly owned by Brook Mather LLC, owing $71,888.
188 Capen St. Formerly owned by Norma Y. Aparicio, owing $37,463.
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233 Capen St. Formerly owned by Harbhajan Singh, a/k/a Harbajan Singh, owing $61,390.
233 Capen St. was listed for public auction on April 26 to satisfy delinquent taxes and charges. (Michael McAndrews / Hartford Courant) (Michael McAndrews / Hartford Courant)
61 Charlotte St. Formerly owned by Residential Rehabilitation LLC, owing $26,274.
99 Dart St. Formerly owned by the Estate of Charlie L. Williams, owing $41,113.
128-130 Edgewood St. Formerly owned by Stephanie Ann McBride, owing $39,947.
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36 Essex St., Unit 1B. Owned by Mieczyslaw Oldziej or his Estate and Wieslawa M. Rozynski, owing $29,359.
471-473 Garden St. Formerly owned by Jovan Cooper and Clauroge Murat, owing $64,854.
196-198 Homestead Ave. Formerly owned by Bryon G. Tyrell, Sybil M. Tyrell a/k/a Sybil Tyrell, Ranville Wilfard Thomas, and Agatha May Thomas, owing $72,008.
208-210 Magnolia St. Formerly owned by Magnolia Development Associates LLC, owing $32,458.
1573 Main St., Unit C4. Formerly owned by Unoasia CT LLC a/k/a Unoasian CT LLC, owing $57,339.
[Related] Historic Lyric Theatre demolished, making way for Hartford's new $12.5M Park Street library »
1585 Main St., Unit C2. Formerly owned by Florence LLC, owing $39,590.
2312-2316 Main St. Formerly owned by Cyril S. Persaud a/k/a Cyril B. Persaud, owing $26,997.
3364H Main St. Formerly owned by B Lessing Enterprises LLC a/k/a B Leasing Enterprises LLC, owing $38,558.
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63-65 Mansfield St. Formerly owned by DTH REO Inc., owing $18,555.68.
79 Martin St. Formerly owned by Vernon Avenue LLC, owing $37,369.
156 Mather St. Formerly owned by Goulbourne Drakes or his Estate, owing $42,854.
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88-90 Nelson St. Formerly owned by 88 Nelson Realty LLC, owing $99,212.
1-3 Sterling St. Formerly owned by Shirley C. Wilkins, owing $38,967.
740 Windsor St. Formerly owned by the Estate of Abraham L. Giles a/k/a Abraham Giles, owing $351,156.88.
Rebecca Lurye can be reached at rlurye@courant.com.
Hartford's Front Street developer in talks to sell apartment building, invest in new development in the city
AIDS CT's red-carpet gala one of several Oscar-viewing parties in Connecticut


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Acuna gets big hit as Braves score 3 in 8th, beat Cubs 4-1
ATLANTA (AP) — Even the youngest player in the majors knows better than to be surprised by another extra-base hit from Ozzie Albies. As Ronald Acuna Jr. has quickly learned, that's what Albies does. Albies…
Cubs throw out 2 runners at home, rally to beat Braves 3-2
ATLANTA (AP) — Willson Contreras threw one away, then made the tag at home plate to keep the Braves off the scoreboard in the very first inning. Turns out, the Chicago catcher was just getting…
Realmuto helps Marlins end skid with 6-3 win over Braves
MIAMI (AP) — J.T. Realmuto had three hits Friday and wanted one more, even though his team didn't need it. Realmuto finished a triple shy of the cycle, but did plenty to help the Miami…
Albies hits a slam, Braves roll past Marlins 9-2
MIAMI (AP) — Three swings. That's all it took for the Atlanta Braves to blow the game wide open. And from there, it was another road rout for the NL East leaders. Ozzie Albies hit…
Posey, McCutchen help hot-hitting Giants beat Braves 11-2
ATLANTA (AP) — Bruce Bochy kept the faith when San Francisco's hitters struggled in the first three weeks of the season. The Giants suddenly are showing that their manager had good reason to remain confident.…
LEADING OFF: Mets part with Matt Harvey, MLB in Mexico
A look at what's happening around the majors today: A KNIGHT'S TALE Matt Harvey will be designated for assignment by the Mets after he refused a minor league assignment. The 29-year-old right-hander, nicknamed the Dark…
Bautista debuts, Acuna draws fans but Braves lose to Giants
ATLANTA (AP) — Braves manager Brian Snitker liked what he saw from Jose Bautista, Atlanta's new third baseman. Even though the Braves' five-game winning streak was snapped, Snitker watched Bautista double off the wall in…
A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday: A KNIGHT'S TALE Matt Harvey will be designated for assignment by the Mets after he refused a minor league assignment. The 29-year-old right-hander, nicknamed the Dark…
Acuna, fellow Braves youngsters romp over Phillies 10-1
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tucked in the corner of the Atlanta Braves clubhouse, Ozzie Albies couldn't button the cuff of his shirt. He called over Ronald Acuna Jr., and the two struggled for about a minute…
Herrera makes great catch for Phils in 4-1 loss to Braves
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Like everyone else, Freddie Freeman marveled at Odubel Herrera's amazing catch . But the Atlanta star doesn't want to see a repeat performance — at least not while he's batting. Herrera reached…


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Poet Rajinder Tumber receives MBE in Queen's New Year honours for work in Cyber Security
With the endless opportunities the world of Cyber Security has created in today's digital world, businesses and individuals alike were bound to find unique ways to be at the forefront of the field. Rajinder Tumber, a cyber security specialist, has been awarded an MBE for services to the Cyber Security sector. Standing for Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, an MBE is awarded for an outstanding achievement or service to the community. This will have had a long-term, significant impact and stand out as an example to others.
Innovation is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought. Really success for Rajinder Tumber is no accident. It is through hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing and learning to do. He is best known to devise a unique framework called CyberDD6®, which addresses the lack of cyber due diligence in the Mergers and Acquisition (M&A) process.
Rajinder Tumber is a name that doesn't need any introduction now. He was awarded 2017 Security Consultant of the Year and has been often covered widely by the high tier news publications including Forbes, The Times, Huffington Post, SC Magazine, ISSA Journal and several others on the topics of Cyber Security and Artificial Intelligence. He is a cyber security expert by profession and a poet by heart, known for penning the world's longest love poem of 2,413 words and 244 lines.
Rajinder has worked for more than a decade on high-profile projects. These include projects for the Cabinet Office, Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Heathrow Airport, TalkTalk, E.ON and others. He shares, "My experiences have helped to equip me in the specialist area of cyber security in mergers & acquisitions." He faced up to a near death experience in 2010 from Meningitis and recovered from it strongly to achieve what he is today. Rajinder is now an advocate of raising awareness of Meningitis' potentially fatal impact.
Rajinder is also an active mentor for cyber security students and a board member at the University of Westminster. He often speaks at conferences and industry events on the topics of Cyber Security. His passion is driving him to incorporate cyber security into the syllabus for universities and business schools, fit with today's cyber age. Rajinder aims to integrate his unique CyberDD6® framework into the academic syllabus'. This will essentially help to add value to students' skillset, and create the next generation of students in the lucrative area of M&A.
In 2018, within the House of Lords, he received the British Community Honours Award for his contribution to the cyber security industry. He shared with the media that he was really not at all expecting an MBE. He was shocked to find his name in an email that stated the sender as the Cabinet Office, referring to the Prime Minister wanting to submit my name to the Queen, for an MBE. He double-checked by telephoning the Cabinet Office to confirm legitimacy of the email.
Rajinder Tumber might have been shocked to be nominated for the MBE, but really this was not a matter of chance and it was achieved through sheer hard work. There were no shortcuts. Constant discipline, service to others and his creativity have helped to align his destiny with an award from Her Majesty the Queen.
In 2021, a major book publisher will be releasing Rajinder's latest innovation, Cyber Security in Mergers & Acquisitions. This industry handbook will help to create the next generation of students in the domain of M&A.
(Syndicated press content is neither written, edited or endorsed by ED Times)


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CartoonsAvatar: Last Airbender
Avatar Book Four: Air
By: goldberry2000
.Old - Incomplete. A month has passed since Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai by stripping him of his Bending. The Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes aren't as quick to forgive as Aang, maintaining their hatred for the Fire Nation. Is another war on the horizon?
Rated: Fiction T - English - Adventure/Fantasy - Aang, Zuko - Chapters: 2 - Words: 3,127 - Reviews: 2 - Favs: 3 - Follows: 1 - Updated: 8/25/2008 - Published: 8/20/2008 - Status: Complete - id: 4487635
1. Prologue2. Chapter One: Appa's Last Days
Book Four: Air
Chapter One: Appa's Last Days
Appa whined under the strain of the flight, the Flying Bison seemed the have been having some serious trouble carrying himself, let alone others, recently. Aang pretended not to notice, giving him the same cheery encouragement he always had, but inside he was worried; Appa meant so much to him, not only as his friend and his pet, but also as one of his few remaining links to the past... to his childhood. Aang was on his way, as the Avatar, to mediate a petty dispute over land in the Earth Kingdom. Despite Zuko having ordered the Fire Nation military disbanded until further notice and recalled all troops the the homeland, many of the soldiers remained loyal to the ideals of Fire Lord Ozai and chose to remain in control of some of the smaller and in theory unnoticed settlements. His mind should have been on the task at hand, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Appa was ill and needed to rest, so he had decided to detour to Gaoling on his way to the settlement to give him some rest. Although it may have seemed selfish, the twelve year old Avatar reasoned that the renegade soldiers had been AWOL and in control for three months, and that another day or two would make no difference when weighed up against the wellbeing of the last Flying Bison.
Aang pondered places he could stop off and eventually decided that he could probably get away with visiting the Bei Fong estate to see his friend Toph and allowing Appa to rest at the same time, and mentally patted himself on the back for his percieved intelligence on the matter. He had been meditating at the Southern Air Temple for a full week with only Appa for company until he recieved a message deilvered by "Hawky", a Messenger Hawk that had previously been owned by Sokka, now among the legions of messengers in Fire Lord Zuko's service. "Hawky" was the only Messenger Hawk that could successfully find Aang wherever he was in the world, and this was handy, because Aang did like to spontaniously travel, not least because of his role as the Avatar. The message had been quite short and to the point:
TERRA ISLAND STILL UNDER CONTROL OF AWOL SOLDIERS
PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN
-MAY
Aang didn't think it strange that it had been May who wrote the letter and not Zuko, after all he was busy in his new role as Fire Lord, and it was well within May's duties as Fire Lady to assist in what were essensially "border disputes". Unfortunately Aang couldn't help but think that Zuko had been kept out of the loop as far as how bad things actually were; he imagined that May had been dealing with the insurrectionists in secret while letting him go about his daily life believing all to be well. The last Airbender smiled at this; thinking of what May was doing to make Zuko's life easier made Aang think of what Katara was doing for him. Following the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai, Katara and Sokka had reunited the Northern and Southern Water Tribes under a shared banner, and had taken over psuedo-leadership as they were hailed as war heroes. It made it more difficult to see Katara when he was travelling, but also meant that he had peace of mind knowing that even though the Earth Kingdom may be having issues dealing with the end of the war, the Water Tribes were safe and prosperous once more. Once the world was in balance, truly in balance, once more, Aang intended to ask for Katara's hand in marriage and to move into the Northern Air Temple so that he can be as close as possible to her while remaining casually contactable by all those who may need his help.
He shook himself from his daydreams; this was no time to be thinking about the future, but rather it was time to worry about what was happening to the world at present. In truth, he knew, that the turmoil the world was suffering now was the expected backlash from the end of the longest war in the Four Nations' history, and that it was inevitable, but also that it would eventually pass. He prayed for that day to come quickly, and wished silently for an end to all the fighting. If he was honest with himself, he never wanted to have to enter the Avatar State again for anything that didn't involve stopping some kind of unavoidable natural disaster or the likes.
It took a lot longer than he was used to when travelling on Appa (but he chose not to comment), but eventually Aang arrived at Gaoling. Rather than hiding Appa as he would have had to do the same time the previous year, he went ahead and landed in the small green behind the Bei Fong mansion, and waited until guards came to inspect the visitor before dismounting and asking casually "Is Toph around?". There was a rumble, like a small localised earthquake starting somewhere nearby, and a moment later a crevice appeared right where Aang was standing, swallowing him whole and closing behind him, leaving only his head aboveground. The sound of bare feet against the earth echoed in the silent courtyard as Toph casually, yet triumphantly, walked over to the shamed Avatar, knelt down, and jabbed him playfully on the nose.
"You've gotten sloppy, Twinkle Toes."
There was a moment after Toph stood back up where the earth seemed to shift, but it passed as quickly as it came so she paid it no heed and continued to mock.
"I can't believe a shrimp like you actually managed to beat Ozai..."
Aang's face panged with disappointment, and for a moment Toph felt sorry for him, fearing that she had touched a nerve somehow with what she had said, even though there was no truth behind it. But she could feel his heart beating faster in the earth under her feet, not slower as though he were upset. There was a moment of hesitation, and then she understood what was going on. She realised what was happening a moment too late, turning only just in time to see the water from the lake behind her cover her completely and freeze solid around her, locking her shocked expression in place. Aang had swiftly and silently Earthbended the ground away from him enough so that he could move his arms freely, and had then proceeded to bend the water from the lake and freeze it around her before she could act. For all her jeering, the last thing Aang had gotten was sloppy. He jumped out of the hole he was half-buried in and covered it over with a tap of his foot on the ground, then decided to take the time to show Toph how "sloppy" she was. He melted the ice encasing his young friend with a cheery wave of his hand and laughed as the massive body of water fell all around her, soaking her from head to toe and waterlogging the garden almost beyond repair.
The joke over, the two cleaned up and went inside, talking about the time they'd been apart. Toph had done very little in fact; she had come home and taken up teaching the local children how to Earthbend, but other than that she had gone back to being the little girl of the Bei Fong family who spent all of her time couped up indoors. She insisted when quizzed that this had nothing to do with her family's disdain for her travelling around the world without their consent, but rather a choice made by her to get a little "me" time for a while. In truth, it was more of a mixture of the two; when she had come home her parents had told her how proud they were that thier little girl had grown so much... so strong. It was this that made her want to make them happy, so she had done as she had originally been told and made do with her life on the estate. Of course she had no intention of staying there permentantly, but she enjoyed seeing the smiles on her mother and father's faces for the time being, all the same.
Toph could tell that Appa was ill, but she decided not to be the one to bring it up, and instead began talking about all of their distant friends. Katara and Sokka had remained with the North and South Water Tribes respectively, both of them as heads of the tribes in an apparent sense rather than an actual one (both of them being too young to truly lead the tribes in all aspects). Zuko and May were the Fire Lord and Fire Lady, obviously, so time spent with them was rare at best, although if Aang felt like going and visiting he only needed to claim it was on "Avatar Business" and he would cut to the front of his schedule at any time. Suki, Ty Lee, and the other Kyoshi Warriors had returned to the Kyoshi Island to protect it as they always had and to get back to what they considered to be normal life. Toph, clearly, had gone home after the war ended to be with her family. Iroh had returned to Ba Sing Sae to reopen his tea shop, and the other White Lotus members had returned to their "Old People" lives. The conversation made Aang think of Bumi, who he had seen at Zuko's corronation, and he made a mental note to visit as soon as the issue on Terra Island was resolved.
Toph tired of the line of conversation fairly quickly after this and came out and said what she had been holding on to:
"Appa's dying, Aang."
It was matter-of-factly and to anyone but Aang, Katara, or Sokka it would have seemed cold, but it was Toph's way... and most importantly, she was right. Toph knew because she could feel his raspiness and the weakness of his internal organs just as she felt everything else in the ground as she stood nearby to him when Aang had first arrived, and she knew that, since he had ridden on him all the way to the estate, Aang knew the reality as well. He had come to see Toph so she could tell him he was wrong. But he was, unfortunately, all-too right on this account.
"Appa can't die. He's the last of his kind."
Aang spoke with such conviction, even though he knew it wasn't true; Appa had been old, the boy didn't know how old, when he was frozen in the iceberg with him. One hundred years in an iceberg hadn't done much to dull Aang's personality or harmed Momo, but silently, it had taken its toll on Appa's large body. Over the past year and a half Appa had gone through a lot, and at last it looked like the Flying Bison, having given and given and given all the time he was needed by the Four Nations to look after the adolescent Avatar, was ready to rest. Questions raced through Aangs mind, from the downright selfish, to the genuinely confused. What would the world do without Flying Bisons, the original Airbenders? How would Aang get around without him? What would Momo do without his companion and how will he react when he realises he's dead? Why was the world so unfair? He voiced none of these questions, and instead just bowed his head to Toph as a sign of thanks for the somewhat down to earth approach she had taken with his denial, turned, and walked off into the gardens of Toph's family's estate to be alone for a while. Toph let him go, deciding instead to go and be with Appa, sure that he didn't actually have very long left at all, and somewhat worried that Aang would still be in pieces when he eventually did die.
The Avatar found himself sitting at the far southeastern corner of the estate among the trees, out of sight of the guards, Toph, and her family... crying quietly to himself. Even with the knowledge that he had all of his friends to hand if he needed them, that he could call on any of his past lives for guideance at any time, he could not stand the thought of loosing Appa, nor could he accept that it was going to happen. He'd seen alot of death in the year and a half that had passed since he was found in the iceberg at the South Pole, but never so close to home as this; it scared him more than anything had, perhaps even more than the time he found out he was the Avatar one hundred years previously. He sat there for a while, and was just beginning to get a hold on his feelings when he heard a roar; the roar of an angry, injured Flying Bison, and was pulled to his feet entirely by instinct, paying no heed to what may have made his pet and his friend to cause such a noise, only to the journey from where Aang was to where Appa was.
He covered the distance in a single jump, but it took him a moment to realise what was going on. A moment too long. There were in excess of twenty ex-Fire Nation soldiers standing around Appa, standing in stances that showed their hostility. The message was clear; if Aang moved a muscle, his pet would pay for it. The Avatar had no intention of antagonising the group, and simply raised his hands into the air in submission, and waited patiently as the apparent leader walked over and examined him.
"So this is the Avatar..." The woman had blonde hair and beautiful yet cold features, and reminded Aang scarily of Azula in the aura she gave off. Aang gave her a look that seemed to scream "Why are you doing this", and as if in answer to his unasked question, she put lowered herself to his level, put her head against his next to his ear, and whispered:
"The girl and the beast are our insurance that you won't be coming to Terra anytime soon." She pulled away and smiled at him before adding, louder: "I'm sure you realise what will happen if you feel some great need to interfere..." To illustrate her point she pulled a throwing knife from her belt, waved her hand over it to cover it in flames, and threw it at the Bei Fong guard closest to Appa. The knife hit the unexpecting guard right in the jugular vein and he was dead before he even hit the ground, as the flames roared over him to finish the job the blade began. Without stopping to guage the boy's reaction to this, the woman gestured to the soldiers to move away, two of them riding the now-shackled Flying Bison out of the estate, and with Toph nowhere to be seen. Many of the soldiers simply jumped away, propelled by fire as if they were flying, but the woman instead chose to casually walk out of the front gate, blasting the wrought iron gates off the hinges with an effortless wave of her arm that tore them down them with concussive flames. She turned to the stunned Avatar and waved, offering another smile and a goodbye before disappearing with the others:
"See you around, Kiddo."
Aang dropped to his knees; he was at even more of a loss now than before, and had no idea what he could do to make it right. Who was the woman leading the troops and why did she remind him so much of Azula, Zuko's insane younger sister? How had the soldiers known where he would be? How could he now possibly get Toph and Appa back all alone, when their lives were at stake if he intervened? What was the young Avatar to do...?
Next Time, Chapter Two: A Mother's Love
Zuko, the new Fire Lord, finds himself before his father, Ozai, asking him about his mother's banishment. Where will this line of questioning lead him? Meanwhile, Aang does everything he can think of to save Toph and Appa without endangering their lives...
To be honest I'm not too happy with this; it sounded better in my head. Hopefully things will improve as this continues. I have the whole story mapped out, but it's all subject to change, so I'll probably come back over the next few weeks and change bits and pieces as I go. Hope people like it more than I do!


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Lauren's project experience involves institutional, office, industrial and residential space, including tenant improvements and additions.
He has is a graduate of the Carpenter's Apprenticeship Program. Lauren is a member of the Carpenters Local Union 322.


What: He was a Polish Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the German death camp of Auschwitz, during World War II. He was active in promoting the veneration of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
☕ Founded the monastery of Niepokalanow near Warsaw. He also founded monasteries in Japan and India.
☕ Operated an amateur radio station SP3RN, and founded several other evangelical organizations and publications.
☕While imprisoned in Auschwitz, a group of men were chosen to be tortured and killed as an example to others not to try and escape. Kolbe was not chosen, but volunteered to take the place of a man with a family.
☕ After two weeks of dehydration and starvation, he was given a lethal injection. Witnesses said that he raised his left arm and calmly awaited death.
☕Due to Kolbe's efforts to promote consecration and entrustment to Mary, he is known as the Apostle of Consecration to Mary.
☕ He is a Patron saint of drug addicts, prisoners, families, and the pro-life movement.


text:
Alexa Fluor® 488 anti-human IL-12/IL-23 p40 Antibody
C11.5 (See other available formats)
Interleukin-12 p40, Interleukin-23 p40, Cytotoxic lymphocyte maturation factor (CLMF), Natural killer cell stimulatory factor (NKSF), CTL maturation factor (TcMF), T-cell stimulating factor (TSF)
IFN-g-primed and then LPS-stimulated (overnight) human peripheral blood monocytes surface stained with with CD14 (M5E2) PE and intracellular stained with mouse IgG1 Alexa Fluor® 488 isotype control (upper panel) or C11.5 Alexa Fluor® 488 (lower panel)
Compare all formats See Alexa Fluor® 488 spectral data
The C11.5 antibody reacts with human IL-12 p40 subunit of the IL-12 p70 heterodimer and IL-23 p40 subunit of the IL-23 p19/p40, as well as p40 monomer and homodimer. The C11.5 antibody can neutralize the bioactivity of natural or recombinant IL-12 p70.
Human, IL-12/IL-23 p40 subunit (monomer, homodimer and heterodimer IL-12 p35/p40 or IL-23 p19/p40)
CHO-expressed, recombinant human IL-12 p70 heterod
Phosphate-buffered solution, pH 7.2, containing 0.09% sodium azide, 0.2% (w/v) BSA (USA origin).
Each lot of this antibody is quality control tested by intracellular immunofluorescent staining with flow cytometric analysis. For flow cytometric staining, the suggested use of this reagent is 5 µl per 106 cells in 100 µl volume. It is recommended that the reagent be titrated for optimal performance for each application.
Flow Cytometry3,5: The fluorochrome-labeled C11.5 antibody is useful for intracellular immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometric analysis to identify IL-12 p40 (monomeric, heterodimeric, homodimeric) -producing cells within mixed cell populations. For intracellular cytokine staining protocol, please visit www.biolegend.com and click on the support section.
Neutralization6: The LEAF™ purified antibody (Endotoxin <0.1 EU/µg, Azide-Free, 0.2 µm filtered) is recommended for functional assays (Cat. No. 501813).
Additional reported applications (for the relevant formats) include: Western blotting, ELISA Capture1,2, ICFC Blocking, immunohistochemical staining4 of paraformaldehyde-fixed, saponin-treated tissue frozen sections, and immunocytochemistry.
Note: For testing human IL-12/IL-23 p40 (monomer, dimer) in serum or plasma, BioLegend's ELISA Max™ Sets (Cat. No. 430701 to 430706) are specially developed and recommended. For testing human IL-12 p70 in serum or plasma, BioLegend's ELISA Max™ Sets (Cat. No. 431701 to 431706) are specially developed and recommended.
D'Andrea A, et al. 1992. J. Exp. Med. 176:1387.
Prussin C, et al. 1995. J. Immunol. Meth. 188:117.
Leifeld L, et al. 2002. Hepatology 36:1001.
Pekkari K, et al. 2001. Blood 97:3184.
Bolovan-Fritts CA, et al. 2004. J. Virol. 78:13173.
Cytokine; monomer, heterodimer (p40:p35 or p40:p19) or homodimer (p40:p40)
IL-12 p70 (p40:p35) induces IFN-?, TNF-a production in T and NK cells; costimulation of PBL proliferation; proliferation/differentiation of TH1 T lymphocytes. IL-23 (p40:p19) induces proliferation and production of IFN-? by human memory T cells, but not n
Dendritic cells, monocytes/macrophages, B cells, T cells
T cells, NK cells, PBL
IL-12Rß1 binds p40; dimeric with IL-12Rß2 binds p35
2. Quesniaux V. 1992. Research Immunol. 143:385.
3. Trinchieri G, et al. 1992 Prog. Growth Factor Res. 4:355.
4. Trinchieri G, et al. 1993 Immunol. Today. 14:335.
5. Oppmann B, et al. 2000 Immunity. 13:715.
6. Aggarwal S, et al. 2003 J. Biol. Chem. 278:1910.
7. Parham C, et al. 2002 J. Immunol. 168:5699.
8. Belladonna ML, et al. 2002 J. Immunol. 168:5448.
9. Lankford CS, et al. 2003 J. Leukoc. Biol. 73:49.
Downregulated by IL-10; homodimeric p40 antagonistic to functional p70 heterodimer; p40 monomer has no function; p40 subunit in common with IL-23
View information about IL-12 p40 on UniProt.org
View All IL-12/IL-23 (p40) Reagents Request Custom Conjugation


text:
Q: Add counter to consecutive observations of categorical variable in R? I have a dataframe with a variable that groups my observations (ID) and another variable that is categorical (type). I am working in R and am trying to make a new variable that counts consecutive observations of the same type within ID (the data are time series). See the example table below- Counter is the variable I want to create. It doesn't really matter whether 0 gets counted or not.
dat <- data.frame(id = c(rep("a", 7), rep("b", 4)),
                  type = c(0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 0),
                  counter = c(0, 1, 2, 1, 2, 0, 1, 1, 2, 1, 0))

So far I am able to make the counter, though probably not in the most efficient manner, but am struggling with doing this within the grouping (ID) and effectively switching between type = 1 and type = 2. The code I wrote to make the counter is below. Any ideas on how to do this efficiently? Thanks.
dat$counter <- 0
counter     <- 0
for(i in 1:nrow(dat)){
  if(dat[i,"type"] != 0){
    counter <- counter + 1
    dat[i,"count"] <- counter
    # use to differentiate between 1 and 2?
    this_group <- dat[i,"type"]
  }
  if(dat[i,"type"] == 0){
    counter <- 0
  }
}

A: For each id, type and consecutive rows starting with type 0 create a sequence using ave and seq_along.  No packages are used:
transform(dat,
  counter = (type > 0) * ave(type, id, type, cumsum(type == 0), FUN = seq_along))

giving:
   id type counter
1   a    0       0
2   a    1       1
3   a    1       2
4   a    2       1
5   a    2       2
6   a    0       0
7   a    1       1
8   b    1       1
9   b    1       2
10  b    2       1
11  b    0       0

A: library(dplyr)

dat %>%
  mutate(counter = case_when(
    type == 0 ~ 0,
    id != lag(id) ~ 1,
    type != lag(type) ~ 1
  )) %>%
  mutate(counter = case_when(
    id != lag(id) ~ 1,
    type == lag(type) ~ lag(counter) + 1,
    T ~ counter
  ))

Result:
   id type counter
1   a    0       0
2   a    1       1
3   a    1       2
4   a    2       1
5   a    2       2
6   a    0       0
7   a    1       1
8   b    1       1
9   b    1       2
10  b    2       1
11  b    0       0

Note: some of the code is repeated in both of the case_when() arguments, but those repeats are necessary to cover the many conditions.
I tested this code in various conditions and it seemed robust. One thing that it does not handle is if you have a repeat at the very last value (it will return NA because I use lag()).
This longer code also covers this situation and (I think) should work regardless of your code:
dat %>%
  mutate(counter = case_when(
    type == 0 ~ 0,
    type != lag(type) ~ 1
  )) %>%
  mutate(counter = case_when(
    id != lag(id) ~ 1,
    type == lag(type) ~ lag(counter) + 1,
    T ~ counter
  )) %>%
  mutate(counter = case_when(
    is.na(counter) ~ lag(counter) + 1,
    T ~ counter
  ))

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Shaw named his squirrel Hazelnut, because it likes hazelnuts.
What makes you think Matt will listen to me?
Shannon should've gone to Boston with Ross.
I think Tuna is fit.
Stagger couldn't be bothered making the effort to get on with Pierce's mother.
Rafik should've let his children come camping with us.
I need to be ready when Roderick arrives.
Graham didn't open the door for Those.
Jinchao is an exchange student.
That's exactly what I've been telling Sehyo.
Juri doesn't swim so much anymore.
It's time for Dominic to wake up.
Rahul didn't know what the wood was going to be used for.
I thought Meeks did a good job.
Jiri shouldn't have left the window open.
Monty earns twice my salary.
Jason didn't get the joke at all.
I seldom speak to Fred.
Irving may not be able to do that anymore.
Gail said he'd like to see more.
Moe opened the door and stepped outside.
Sridhar needed to sweep the floor.
Dani said he wanted to get out of town for a while.
Albert and Fay saw themselves in the mirror that was hanging on the wall.
Curtis bought Vern a ticket.
I'll mention it to Magnus.
Jeanette knows what that means.
Justin knew what Bertrand had done.
Kim knows better than to throw rocks at the other children.
Rich knew that Hsuan was in Boston.
Look after Chet, will you?
Sumitro seems reluctant to go.


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1. Twilight of the Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza era. Cavalli-Sforza died on August 31. He helped create many of the modern techniques of population genetics, and his life's work was an attempt to fit all of humanity into a single family tree. If you're interested in an overview of his career, see this excellent post by John Hawks The man who tried to catalog humanity. So rather than an overview, I want to narrowly comment on a debate that spanned Cavalli-Sforza's career, but now is drawing to a close.
Richard Lewontin's highly influential paper from 1972 noted that 85% of the genetic variation of humans was within populations, and only 15% was between populations. Therefore: "racial classification is now seen to be of virtually no genetic or taxonomic significance either, no justification can be offered for its continuance." The Lewontin argument against the biological concept of race immediately became the gold standard for discussing the subject. And has remained so ever since.
Edwards and Lewontin are both right. Lewontin said that the between populations fraction of variance is very small in humans, and this is true, as it should be on the basis of present knowledge from archeology and genetics alike, that the human species is very young. It has in fact been shown later that it is one of the smallest among mammals. Lewontin probably hoped, for political reasons, that it is TRIVIALLY small, and he has never shown to my knowledge any interest for evolutionary trees, at least of humans, so he did not care about their reconstruction. In essence, Edwards has objected that it is NOT trivially small, because it is enough for reconstructing the tree of human evolution, as we did, and he is obviously right.
The reason Lewontin's argument stood the test of time is because humans as a species really are closely related. And it's reasonable to conclude those differences don't matter. But that's an argument subject to empirical scrutiny, albeit impossible to test until very recently. Now with the advent of whole genome sequencing and modern statistical techniques, we've entered the era of polygenic scores. These polygenic predictors score an individual's genome against a trait of interest. For example, here's a new paper using genomes to predict human height to within an inch.
What's happening is the Lewontin framing is still holding for the moment, we're in the dimming twilight of that era. The debate Cavalli-Sforza's career successfully straddled has become empirically testable. No doubt the answers we discover will be far more complicated than were dreamt of in our philosophical youth, when we didn't have actual data to grapple with.
Speaking wins by a large margin at a whopping 184 wpm. Typing is in second place at 40 wpm for the average typist. (I'm quite a bit faster—83 wpm—but I doubt you care about my specific stats. To measure your own wpm: livechatinc.com/typing-speed-test.) Handwriting is roughly 13 wpm, just 1/3 the speed of average typing, 1/6 my typing speed, and 1/14 the speed of speaking.
4. Saved you a click stories. Here's stories which have a couple of sentences of interest, but aren't worth reading in full. But click through if one strikes your fancy.
Why you should hesitate to give books as gifts and instead just throw them out. This is correct.
Department of education says 240 school shootings per year. Turns out real number is 11. What happened? Survey went to thousands and thousands of schools, and a small percent came back with typos.
Human brain sizes were bigger 10,000 years ago. But human health declined with advent of farming. No we're roughly back to where we were.
Eating poop of naked-mole-rat queens makes subordinates care for the colony. Hormones in the poop.
5. Some excellent charts. Let me finish this week's post by showing some charts. Click through to read associated article.
And that's all for this week. Thank you for reading.
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How do we make popular projects healthy and supported?
People will get excited about something a project doesn't yet support. Deliver it, and they will get excited about the next thing.
People will threaten to not use open source software because it lacks a feature, thereby mistaking themselves for paying customers.
What have you tried so far?" is the best question to identify time wasters.
Users will go to the effort of seeking you out online, to directly ask you a question that is answered two clicks from the front page of a website.


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text:
Home Business US: ViacomCBS to sell publishing arm for $2.1B
US: ViacomCBS to sell publishing arm for $2.1B
American media company ViacomCBS announced Wednesday it agreed to sell its subsidiary publishing firm, Simon & Schuster, for $2.175 billion.
The third-largest publisher in the US will be sold to British-German publishing company Penguin Random House, according to a statement by ViacomCBS.
"Proceeds from the transaction will be used to invest in ViacomCBS's strategic growth priorities, including in streaming, as well as to fund the dividend and pay down debt," it added.
As part of the strategy, the company also agreed in October to sell US consumer technology website CNET for $500 million.
Simon & Schuster will continue to be managed as a separate publishing unit under Penguin Random House after the transaction that is expected to close in 2021 with regulatory approvals.
But the deal could be blocked by the US Justice Department because the merger of Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House would create a large company, accounting for about one-third of all books sold in the US, raising anti-trust concerns.
Simon & Schuster has more than 30 publishing units across adult, children, audio and international genre, including best-selling authors Stephen King, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Jason Reynolds.
Previous article'Azerbaijan will restore, revive all liberated lands'
Next article'Turkey will take necessary steps against EU operation'
Borsa Istanbul bans short selling for 6 int'l investors
Turkish stocks up 0.48% at Tuesday's opening
Turkish furniture sector set to broaden its global presence


text:
Balanbaal is a town in the southern Togdheer region of Somaliland. It is located in the Burao District, northwest by road from Buuhoodle and south of Burco.

See also
Administrative divisions of Somaliland
Regions of Somaliland
Districts of Somaliland

Notes

References
Balanbaal, Somalia

Populated places in Togdheer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Postfix Expression with command line argument, segmentation fault? C So I have a program that should be taking an expression as a command-line argument with no spaces, for example:
./program 22+
./program 23+72-*
22+ is also 2 + 2 and 23+72- is (2+3)*(7-2). My problem is that i am getting a segmentation error. Can someone please help me on why I am getting this error? Thank you in advance.
My code (I only have the addition part for now):
#include<stdio.h>
#include<string.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
#include<math.h>

typedef struct stack{
    int top;
    int value[100];
}stack;

void push(stack *pushData, int num);
void initialStack(stack *data);
int pop(stack *popData);

int main(int argc, char **argv[]){
    int i, j;
    int a, b;
    int num = 0;
    stack data;

    initialStack(&data);
    for (i=1;i<argc;i++){
    j = 0;
    while(argv[i][j] != '\0'){
            if(strcmp(argv[i][j],"+") == 0){
                    a = pop(&data);
                    b = pop(&data);
                    num = a + b;
                    push(&data, num);
            }
            else {
                    push(&data, atoi(argv[i][j]));
            }
            j++;
    }

    //printf("%d\n", pop(&data));
    }

    printf("%d\n", pop(&data));

    return 0;
}

void initialStack(stack *data){
    data->top = 0;
}

void push(stack *pushData, int num){
    pushData->top++;
    pushData->value[pushData->top] = num;
}

int pop(stack *popData){
    int n;
    n = popData->value[popData->top];
    popData->value[popData->top] = 0;
    (popData->top)--;
    return n;
}

Edited: Forgot to include my functions

A: int main(int argc, char **argv[]){

That's wrong. Either use char **argv or char *argv[], but not char **argv[]. Once you fix that, fix your loop to use the right level of indirection (i.e., expect argv[i][j] to be a char, not a char*).


California based Brother Grand blends Psychedelic-Folk Rock with a twist of Film-score Soul. With an emphasis on engaging live performances, Brother Grand pushes the limits without breaking the ties. Not just a mere duo, Brother Grand expands their message through the use of live looping, a rhodes piano, chaotic string textures, thunderous drumming, and heartfelt vocal harmonies. Whether stripped down to acoustic guitar & upright bass, or surfing an electric wall of sound, Brother Grand always delivers with passion, honesty and presence.
Kera and the Lesbians, hailing from San Diego and currently residing in Los Angeles, lovingly refer to their musical style as 'bipolar folk'. Bipolar in the sense that in one song drummer Michael will pound his drums, expelling his demons with sheer force, while Kera croons and screams and serenades, enchanting all within earshot. Eamon's guitar playing is reminiscent of sleepy desert afternoons, spent on porches accompanied by the smell of leather and aging wood, while Phil's bass lines get the crowd moving and grooving. The lyrics more literally embody the band's polarity, telling tales of anxiety, friendship, insanity and ill-fated love, from Kera's very unique point of view.
This is a band to see live. Kera's passion is tangible, at times bringing the crowd to tears, but most consistently keeping a dancing crowd completely enraptured, hanging onto every word her very expressive being has to sing. She brings heaps of charm to the set, with her joking between songs and her Elvis-like dance moves, it's obvious that she and the whole band live for this. Their range has allowed them to perform with a diverse list of acts including Devendra Banhart, Best Coast, and Crystal Castles.
The band has a definite DIY work ethic, having self released two EPs, and their first debut "YEAR 23" released on Lolipop Records. They also do their own booking and artwork internally. Their newest release "Year 23"' is a manic story covering one of Kera's most aggravating habits and instilling in the listener a mounting feeling of tension that it mercifully relieves, while still giving a taste of the madness of obsession.


I was humbled and delighted to find I had been 'tagged' to answer eleven questions. Thank you Geoffrey Valentine at High Tea Dreams for nominating me to do this. I enjoy reading your reviews very much.
1 How long have you been a blogger?
Since December 2012, just over two and a half years and it has been a pleasure to learn and do something new.
2 At what point do you think you will stop?
When I am no longer able to read books and type!
3 What is the best thing?
Reading reviews of books I have read from kindred book bloggers.
4 What is the worst thing?
Finding a book that isn't for me. I would ideally like to love every book I read.
5 How long does it take you to find/create pictures for your post?
A few minutes, I screen shot covers for my book review posts and look for stock photos for anything else.
6 Who is your book crush?
It's been a while but my last book crush was Ben Hope from the Scot Mariani books. I love a deep, moody and capable hero and am willing to overlook the smoking as he's only on paper.
7 What author would you like to have on your blog?
I still get incredibly starstruck when an author contacts me after I have written a review about their book and that often leads to total mental block and I end up responding with the most nerdy cringeworthy tweet or comment. I would love to have Tess Gerritsen on my blog.
8 What do you wear when you write your blog posts?
Usually a couple of cats on my lap!! But seriously something comfy and light I can do a few yoga poses in.
9 How long does it take you to prepare?
10 How do you feel about the book/blogger community/culture?
I love it. I spend more time reading and finding blogs than writing them which suits me fine.
11 What do you think one should do to get a successful blog?
Success is extremely subjective but I think keeping at it and posting frequently is imperative to being a blogger.
Thank you. I find everything is quicker to do on a tablet and a device I can hold away from the cats is more pragmatic than a laptop or desktop.
I'm amazed how you can read books so quickly. I probably shouldn't ask this, but do you skim or get lost in the text? I love that you're willing to share and help others. An admirable quality!
I don't skim, I read very closely, I'm lucky that I can focus, despite distraction from the cats, for long periods of time. I love getting lost in the text and if I didn't do so there would be no point in opening a book. Reading is a pleasure for me and not a job, as is the blogging.
Love it. What a great way to get you talking about your writing/ reading process. Because of you I've now discovered Coffeeholic Bookworm and a few others. I truly admire how quickly you review. I have all good intentions. I read so many and then I have endless tasks with my children who distract me with lots of fun things to do and sometimes not so fun, when all I want to do is write and review :-), my books pile up and I am slow. Sigh. On and on I go.
I'm so glad you've met fellow bloggers through me, helping people connect makes blogging very satisfying. I am a voracious reader and didn't realise I read fast, it's just something I've always done, but I'm lucky I don't have many pressing demands on my time. I have become more selective over what I add to my reading list though. I think I read less crime thrillers than I used to and I find I'm less forgiving of the horror genre than I used to be.
I can't read more than one book at a time and earlier this year I tried audio books but just can't seem to concentrate on the book unless I have text in front of me.
I agree. Text is important to me too. I've never done audio books. I even have difficulty with a Kindle. I have to have a solid book in my hands. I'm getting used to the whole e-book though.
It took me a while to get used to Kindle but I can't do without the instant dictionary now and I have tiny hands which make holding big books awkward so kindle is easier on that front too.
Thank you for this 🙂 Here's my answers/post for the book blogger tag. It was great answering the questions!
Good to get to know a bit about you. I find that it takes no time at all for me to get ready to read when I know I have a great read at hand.
I'm curious to know how this blog tagging thing works?
I'm new to tagging too and got tagged twice this month, it seems to be spreading widely.
Well, I'll have to follow this new trend to see how it works. 😀 Goodie for you!


text:
Ha giocato con il ruolo di difensore in 24 stagioni nella National Hockey League per i Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins e Buffalo Sabres vincendo complessivamente ben cinque Stanley Cup, quattro a Toronto ed una a Pittsburgh.

Era anche un imprenditore, fondatore della catena di caffetterie Tim Horton's, che da lui stesso prende il nome.

Nel 1962 stato iniziato in Massoneria nella Kroy Lodge No. 676 di Toronto.

Morì in un tragico incidente automobilistico a St. Catharines, Ontario, nel 1974 all'età di 44 anni, di ritorno dall'inaugurazione di uno dei suoi negozi. Al momento della morte, pur avendo 44 anni Tim Horton era ancora un giocatore della NHL, tesserato per i Buffalo Sabres. Fa parte della Hockey Hall of Fame dal 1977.

Carriera
Tim Horton è cresciuto giocando a hockey su ghiaccio a Cochrane, Ontario, e in seguito nel paese minerario di Sudbury, Ontario. I Toronto Maple Leafs durante un raduno di giovani giocatori notarono immediatamente le sue doti inusuali e nel 1948 si trasferì a Toronto per giocare a hockey nel campionato junior e frequentare il St. Michael's College School.

Quattro anni dopo esordì in NHL con i Toronto Maple Leafs, dove giocò ininterrottamente fino al 1970, conquistando quattro Stanley Cup e mettendo a segno più di 400 punti. Dopo 18 anni a Toronto si trasferì presso i New York Rangers, dove disputò due ottime stagioni, conquistando due semifinali play-off. L'anno dopo, all'età di 40 anni vinse la sua quinta Stanley Cup a Pittsburgh con i Penguins.

Chiuse la sua carriera prima della tragica morte a Buffalo, dove, pur avendo raggiunto i 44 anni, disputò stagioni più che dignitose.

Tim Horton's

Il nome e la figura di Tim Horton, oltre che alla sua brillante carriera sportiva, sono indissolubilmente legate al marchio della catena di caffetterie Tim Horton's, da lui stesso fondata insieme all'amico di vecchia data Ronald "Ron" Joyce, che dopo la tragica ed improvvisa morte del campione, acquisì i diritti sul marchio della catena ed espanse la compagnia fino a renderla una multinazionale da 4.000 negozi nel mondo (3.100 in Canada, 600 negli Usa e 300 tra Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait, Macao ed Hong Kong).

Tim Horton aveva l'abitudine di andare personalmente ad inaugurare i nuovi negozi, e proprio di ritorno dall'inaugurazione di un nuovo punto Tim Horton's a St Catherine, in Ontario, trovò la morte per incidente stradale a soli 44 anni.

Le caffetterie Tim Horton's oltre che per il caffè e per le classiche ciambelle fritte glassate (donuts) sono famose anche per i Timbits (piccoli bignè fritti ripieni di marmellata).

Note

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Membri della Hockey Hall of Fame
Massoni


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text:
is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Grasshopper Manufacture for the Wii. It was released by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan in 2007, Ubisoft in North America and Rising Star Games in PAL territories in 2008. The game was directed, designed, and written by Goichi Suda, also known by his nickname Suda51. The game follows Travis Touchdown, an otaku who wins a beam katana in an auction, from which he inadvertently becomes involved in the United Assassins Association and forced to kill assassins higher in rank to prevent other assassins from targeting him.

No More Heroes was met with critical acclaim, with its gameplay, writing and soundtrack receiving high praise, thought its perceived repetitiveness was criticized. A port of the game, titled No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise, was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 with additional content in Japan. Unlike the original, the international version of the game was published by Konami, and only the PlayStation 3 version of the game was localized in English. A port developed by Engine Software was later released for the Nintendo Switch in 2020, and for Amazon Luna and Windows via Steam in 2021. The game was followed by three sequels: No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (2010), Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (2019), and No More Heroes III (2021).

Gameplay
Throughout the game, the player controls the character Travis Touchdown. The game has a free roaming world, allowing Travis to move around on foot or on his modified scooter, the "Schpeltiger". Gameplay is open-ended, with the condition that the player must kill the top ten assassins to make the storyline progress. There are numerous part-time job side quests to earn money which can be spent on weapons, training sessions, clothes and video tapes. Money is also required to compete in a Ranking fight.

Control is handled through the Wii Remote and Nunchuk attachment, with the Remote controlling his weapon, the beam katana, and the Nunchuk moving Travis. Most attacks are performed using the "A" button, with certain other moves, including the "death blow" and sword lock struggles, executed by following on-screen instructions. Further, since the beam katanas run on batteries, they must be charged from time to time by pressing the "1" button on the remote and shaking it. Travis's beam katana can also be upgraded and replaced throughout the game by visiting Dr. Naomi. While the katana does not follow the exact position of the remote, it is able to distinguish between a "high" and "low" position which varies the character stance and the attacks done. In addition to attacks with the beam katana Travis can kick and punch, and when enemies are stunned he can throw them with a number of professional wrestling maneuvers, done by manipulating both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.

Travis has a secondary mode, "Dark Side", that is accessed when three icons line up in a slot machine after a successful death blow. In this mode, Travis gains a super powerful move depending on what symbols are lined up ranging from a speed increase to outright killing every enemy on screen instantly.

Plot
The story follows Travis Touchdown, who is a stereotypical otaku – his motel room decorated with professional wrestling and anime collectibles – living in near poverty in the No More Heroes motel of the fictional town of Santa Destroy, California. After winning a beam katana in an internet auction, he runs out of money to buy video games and wrestling videos. After meeting with Sylvia Christel, he accepts a job to kill Helter Skelter, also known as "the Drifter," which earns him rank 11 by the United Assassins Association, a governing body of assassins. Realizing that he has the opportunity to make it to the top, he sets out to secure himself the coveted position of number one assassin in the UAA.

After killing the tenth ranked assassin, Sylvia reveals that if Travis stops killing, he'll eventually be targeted by other aspiring assassins. Travis, now convinced there's no way out, goes on to kill every other assassin except for number eight, Shinobu, whom he spares because he wants her to get stronger. During the 5th ranked battle he meets Henry, a mysterious Irish man who wields a beam katana similar to Travis' own.

Before meeting the top-ranked assassin, Travis is told that the UAA was just an elaborate con set up by Sylvia, who overheard his drunken ramblings and organized his entry so that he could finally have revenge on his half-sister, Jeane, who murdered his parents. Jeane reveals in a fast-forwarded cutscene that their father had sexually abused her all her life, thus forcing her to become a prostitute to survive and become a killer. Travis is eventually saved by Shinobu and kills Jeane.

The game really ends with Travis being attacked by another assassin before Henry saves him, and challenges him to one last fight. It is during this fight that Henry reveals two twists: first, that he is Travis's twin brother, and second, that Sylvia is his wife (which would make her Travis' sister-in-law), and has a habit of disappearing before returning with lots of money (presumably due to conning people). Travis says to Henry "She's a bad wife, but a good woman." Insinuating Travis slept with Sylvia after becoming the #1 ranked assassin. Still locked in combat, the brothers discuss the nature of these revelations and their situation while they run down a long street. Finally, as the two leap towards each other for the final clash, the screen flashes and is revealed to be a painting hanging in an art gallery, where a little girl, Jeane, and her mother, Sylvia, are observing it.

The Japanese version's instruction booklet, entitled the United Assassins Association Official Manual, contains a small manga which contained much of the backstory about the UAA and Travis' first kill. This manga was not included in the North American release of the game, but is available on the official website.

Characters
Above Travis in the UAA are ten other assassins. The UAA official that provides ranks and sets up matches for the assassins is Sylvia Christel, a "mysterious" and "cold" woman who constantly flirts with Travis. Travis is aided by a weapons maker named Doctor Naomi, former pro-wrestler Thunder Ryu, and a drunk, Randall Lovikov. Naomi sells beam katanas and upgrades for them, Ryu operates a gym and trains Travis – allowing him to increase his strength, combos and health for a small fee – and Lovikov is a drunken old man who teaches new maneuvers and techniques in exchange for Lovikov balls which are scattered around the city.

The other ranked members of the UAA that Travis fights are as follows. Rank 11 is Helter Skelter (AKA "The Drifter"). Rank 10 is the English assassin Death Metal. Rank 9 is the Native American gunslinger and corrupt detective Dr. Peace. Rank 8 is the African American teenaged shinobi Shinobu. Rank 7 is the psychopathic superhero Destroyman. Rank 6 is the Swedish model with a prosthetic leg Holly Summers. Rank 5 is the Singaporean punk rocker Letz Shake, who was killed by Henry before Travis could fight him. Rank 4 is the Russian magician Harvey Moiseiwitsch Volodarskii. Rank 3 is the elderly Speed Buster. Rank 2 is the emotionally unstable Bad Girl. Rank 1 is the armor-clad Darkstar, before being killed and replaced by Jeane.

Development
No More Heroes, under its working title Project Heroes, was initially planned as an Xbox 360 game, until Yasuhiro Wada suggested the Wii and its unique control structure to director Goichi Suda ("Suda51"). Previously titled Heroes., Suda51 has said that No More Heroes focuses on social issues.

A number of films, actors and music have inspired Suda51's design for No More Heroes. Besides the title coming from UK Punk band The Stranglers 1977 album No More Heroes, the structure of the United Assassins' Association is based on the film El Topo which features a similar, albeit smaller, ranking system. Travis Touchdown and his antics are based on Johnny Knoxville of Jackass and wrestler Josh Barnett, who also served as the persona from which the Destroyman character was created. Contrary to popular belief, Travis' weapon, the beam katana, is not based on the lightsaber from Star Wars but from the 1980s Japanese TV series Space Sheriff Gavan and 1987 film Spaceballs. Other character influences included Scarlett Johansson as the UAA's Sylvia, Ian Curtis as Travis' twin-brother Henry, Charles Bronson as assassin Dr. Peace, and Genichiro Tenryu as Travis' mentor Thunder Ryu.

The city of Santa Destroy is based on San Diego, California (though, possibly mistaken, Suda implied that he used the version of San Diego shown in Dirty Harry, which takes place entirely in San Francisco, California), with the "No More Heroes" motel inspired by a similar one from the movie Memento. The Japanese cult movie Gozu provided the basis for the in-game video store "Beef Head". Two fictional anime series, "Glastonbury" and "Bizarre Jelly", that are shown within the game were influenced by Space Runaway Ideon and Pretty Cure, respectively. Suda also noted that Grasshopper Studios also worked on the anime-based video games Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked and BLOOD+: One Night Kiss, both which inspired the development of No More Heroes, considering the three together as a "sword action trilogy".

In one interview Suda wanted to make No More Heroes "as violent, or even more violent than Manhunt 2," a game that received an AO rating from the ESRB in its original form. A trailer shown at the March 2007 Game Developers Conference featured Travis Touchdown using the beam katana to decapitate or cut enemies in half, with copious amounts of blood being spilled. Later videos featured clouds of black pixels and objects resembling coins spurting from enemies instead of blood. It was later explained that the "black clouds" version would be released in Japan, while North America would receive the game with the previously seen blood. Later, however, Suda51 decided to release the bloodless version in Europe as well. The two versions both feature common enemies eventually burning away and a fountain of coins, with or without the inclusion of blood.

Yūsuke Kozaki, who has previously designed characters for Speed Grapher, designed the characters for No More Heroes. Others on the team include costume designer Okama, who designed the OP for Densha Otoko, and weapons and mechanics designer Shigeto Koyama, who worked on Eureka Seven as an illustrator.

On November 17, 2009, Famitsu magazine revealed that No More Heroes would receive a port to both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 from the company feelplus titled No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise. The game features new modes, revamped high-definition graphics, though it lacks motion control on the Xbox 360. Only the Xbox 360 version is uncensored, causing Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) to label the game with its adult "Z" rating. The ports were released in Japan on April 15, 2010. The PlayStation 3 version of the game was released in North America by Konami with added PlayStation Move support, instead of Ubisoft, the game's original publisher, which had stated that they would not be publishing this version in North America. The Switch port was released on October 28, 2020, in the eShop, with the help of Engine Software, who previously helped Suda with the port of Killer7 to PC a couple of years ago. Rather than retaining the black clouds in the PAL/JP versions like previous ports, it was uncensored. The port was published by XSEED Games. XSEED also published the port of No More Heroes and its sequel for Windows, released on June 9, 2021.

Music

The song "Heavenly Star" by Genki Rockets is used in many parts of the game. In the Japanese and PAL versions, a music video of it can be watched on Travis' television, but it was replaced with the original Heroes trailer for the game in the North American (NTSC) version. The song was no longer there in the Switch version as it was replaced by in-game music.

The three-disc No More Heroes Original Sound Tracks, featuring 71 tracks of original compositions by Masafumi Takada and Jun Fukuda, was released in Japan on January 23, 2008. A remix soundtrack, titled No More Heroes Sound Tracks: Dark Side, was later released on March 14, 2008.

The Outer Rim, a band featuring game composer Norihiko Hibino, released its self-titled debut album featuring an English drama using No More Heroes characters in a far future setting.

Reception

Reviews
Overall, No More Heroes received positive reviews. The game received a 34/40 from Famitsu. GameSpot gave it an Editor's Choice Award, praising the unique story, gameplay, and sense of humor. X-Play gave the game 5/5, citing "exceptional writing, sharp satire, satisfying game progression, unique visual style, intuitive controls, and a catchy and distinctive soundtrack. Xplay also called it the third best game and best Wii game released in the first half of 2008". Cheat Code Central called the game "a must-buy blast that out-shines all other third-party Wii titles to date." Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw praised the game for its satire, quirky aesthetic, and unpredictable story while criticizing the repetition and restrictive overworld. GamePro also praised No More Heroes with a Game of the Month Award and Editor's Choice award, saying "The entries for the best new character of 2008 are closed here's your winner (Travis Touchdown)" and that the game "easily ranks among the Wii's finest titles." GameTrailers, although reviewing the game positively, found its open world to be somewhat limited, an assessment shared by IGN, who went even further, claiming it ground an otherwise exciting game to a dead halt.  Despite awarding the game a less positive review than others, IGN awarded it "Game of the Month" for January, calling it a "must-play" despite its flaws. Game Informer gave it one of the lowest scores, stating that "the repetition and lack of substance behind the flash" was among the many problems they had with the game. Nintendo Power gave it an 8/10, stating that "No More Heroes's zany charm and zest for excess go a long way to make up for its weaknesses." They also listed it as the 7th best Wii game to date. No More Heroes won multiple Wii-specific awards from IGN in their 2008 video game awards, including Best Story and Best Action Game. It was also a nominee for several other Wii-specific IGN awards, including Best Artistic Design, Best Voice Acting, and Best New IP. GameSpot awards this game for 2008 for its original IP and platform award. Daniel Wilks of Hyper commended the game for its "very clever writing and great combat mechanics". However, he criticised it for being "deliberately repetitive". It was nominated for "Best Wii Game" at the 2008 Spike Video Game Awards.

Sales
For the Japanese release, a poorly attended launch event for the game was held on December 6, 2007, at Akihabara's Sofmap Amusement featuring both Suda51 and Yasuhiro Wada signing copies of the games and giving away premiums. After 20 minutes passed without any purchases, a Famitsu reporter had a copy signed while others took photos. No More Heroes sold approximately 10,000 copies on its first day of release in Japan.

Suda51 expressed disappointment in the Japanese sales of the game, saying that only Nintendo is doing well in regard to the Wii's success because of its adoption by casual gamers. He later retracted his comment, saying his "point was that No More Heroes, unlike a lot of Nintendo Wii titles currently available is the kind of product which will attract a different kind of consumer to the hardware, i.e. gamers who are looking for a different genre to the products which have been successful on this platform thus far."

By February 15, 2008, No More Heroes had sold 40,000 copies in Japan. The game saw shipments of 200,000 units in North America with about 100,000 of those units sold within the first five weeks. By January 2009, the game had sold 208,000 copies in USA. No More Heroes was expected to sell 160,000 copies in Europe. Shortly after No More Heroes's European release, PAL publisher Rising Star raved about its sales, with manager Martin Defries proclaiming, "We are weeping with delight. Especially as sales should improve further with the TV campaign moving up a gear from tonight. It is a verification of all the posturing and ambitious claims made these past months. I think a 'told you so' would be apt at some point. Thanks to Nintendo and the Wii console. Thanks to Mastertronic for their sales efforts and all our retail partners. Most of all thanks to Grasshopper for the greatest of products."

Sales for the Japanese launch of No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise were combined slightly better than with the original Wii version. The PlayStation 3 version of the game sold 16,000 units in its first week on sale in the country.

Marvelous stated the Switch ports of No More Heroes and its sequel had seen "strong sales" in North America and Europe.

Sequels and legacy
A 2010 sequel named No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle has been developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Ubisoft in the U.S. on January 26, 2010, and was released in Europe for the Wii by Rising Star Games on May 28, 2010. The Japanese version was released on October 21, 2010.

A new game in the series, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes, was first hinted at during the initial reveal of the Switch in January 2017, and fully revealed in a Nintendo Direct presentation the following August. Grasshopper Manufacture teamed with several other indie developers for the title, which sees Travis and Badman, Bad Girl's vengeful father, being transported into the demonic "Death Drive MK-II" video game console where they must fight boss battles within the games. It was released on January 18, 2019, for the Nintendo Switch and was later ported to the PlayStation 4 and Windows on October 17, 2019.

A new installment, No More Heroes III, was announced at E3 2019 to be released in 2020 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. On September 10, 2020, director Goichi Suda announced that the game would be delayed until 2021, citing disruption to development caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The game was released for Switch in August 2021, and for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows,Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in October 2022.

In 2018, it was reported that Suda was in talks with Marvelous Entertainment to bring No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle to the Nintendo Switch. The ports were later announced in a Nintendo Partner Showcase video on October 28, 2020, and released the same day.

Notes

References

2007 video games
Action-adventure games
Censored video games
Grasshopper Manufacture games
Hack and slash games
Marvelous Entertainment
Nintendo Switch games
No More Heroes (series)
Open-world video games
Single-player video games
Ubisoft games
Video games developed in Japan
Video games directed by Goichi Suda
Video games scored by Masafumi Takada
Video games set in California
Video games with cel-shaded animation
Wii games
Windows games
Rising Star Games games
Xseed Games games
Engine Software games