text:
Tag Archive: "The Pass"
REFLECTIONS ON 2018 AND WHAT'S TO COME IN 2019
Filed under: About Writing, Personal, Uncategorized — 2 Comments
With 2018 drawing to a close, I'm sure a lot of us are reflecting on what's happened in each of our lives as well as wondering about what 2019 holds. For me 2018 was a strange year of revelations, new opportunities, as well as upheavals. Two bouts with bronchitis, the second one becoming pneumonia, really took a lot out of me and my vacation time from work. I was supposed to be off this last week and not returning until January 2nd.
Our 1st anthology "The Vampyre Blogs – One Day At a Time" had been slated to be released in late September/early October but didn't see the light of day until early this month (not a great time to push a new book, not when the big publishers are pushing a bunch of titles they've been holding back in time for the holidays). However, things will pick up. I know this from past experience, so I'm not too worried.
However, the big question of course is what can you all expect from us in the coming year? Well, quite a lot. Firstly, we've been gathering our thoughts on a number of writing topics to share here on the blog. We've got plenty of insights from our adventures to share with you all, so we hope you'll still be checking in regularly and re-sharing our posts with others.
Secondly, there are things that have been happening behind the scenes we haven't shared with you yet such as what's been happening with the collaborations. As you know, my high school friend Rich Caminit and I have been working by e-mail and Skype on a project involving Chinese vampires and actual historical events. I am happy to announce that the first draft of our collaboration "The Pass" is nearing completion as I write this post. Part of the reason the project has taken so long is the fact that the story was becoming more and more lengthy and farther removed from the Para-Earths vision Helen and I created. So, we decided to make "The Pass" the first in a new paranormal/historical set of books we are considering calling "The Paranormal History Series" (tell us what you think in the comment section below please). Furthermore, we decided to break the story up into two books because it was getting so long. We'd already found the perfect cliffhanger for the end of the "The Pass", as well as a startling beginning for the second part of the story which will culminate in a battle scene of epic proportions.
Thirdly, Helen and I have embarked on yet another new series that she is taking the lead writing role on, called "The Forever Detective Series". The first book is "Forever's Too Long". Set in the late 1940s, the detective, a former policeman and officer has opened his business as a private investigator to find out that the cases he's working on are leading somewhere there is no coming back from. She's already written over 19,000 words of the first book and we have already started building a website for it over at https://foreverdetective.com/. Mind you the site is still under construction, but if you click on the "Blog" tab you'll find some interesting background information about her leading man. And there will be a lot more coming soon to that site, so you might want to bookmark it. Her current goal is to have the book out by summer so stay tuned. She's a lot faster writer than I am so the likelihood of it being out on time is very good.
Finally, I want to let you all know that the long-awaited sequel to "The Bridge" and "The Ship" is once more fully under way. "The Door" takes up where both those books ended in a hospital where the wail of an infant leads Alex Hill, Veronica Ross, Cassandra Elliott, and Julianna Cloudfoot to face old and new threats from the realms of two different Para-Earths. Part of the reason this book has taken so long to write was the simple fact that I had a good idea of what I wanted the main story to be, but not a clear vision of how it should unfold. This is what led to our branching off and doing "The Vampyre Blogs – Coming Home" tale, which was more clear and complete in my mind.
That book also allowed me to find the missing pathways I needed to get "The Door" back on track with new characters and scenes that will "bridge the gap" (please excuse the pun) between the first two books and "The Vampyre Blogs" part of our Para-Earth Series. The story that will be unfolding in "The Door" will start the beginning of bringing the casts between all three books together creating opportunities for many more stories down the road, including one that will bring Alex face-to-face with the nightmare dwelling that nearly destroyed him in every sense of the word. I am of course referring to "Harlequin House".
As you can see, there's a lot coming your way in 2019 and beyond. We hope you'll keep joining us for the ride ahead. It will probably have more twists and turns than a roller-coaster, and I hope will be just as exciting.
Until time, we wish you all a very Happy New Year, and urge you all to keep writing!
Tags: "The Pass", "THE SHIP", "The Vampyre Blogs - Coming Home", collaborations, Happy New Year, Harlequin House, Helen Krummenacker, Noir, Para-Earth Series, Richard Caminiti, The Bridge, THE DOOR
Life Gets Complicated Sometimes…
****HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL****
Last year ended on a few rough notes for us, namely all our holiday plans for visiting family and friends were rudely interrupted by two very nasty cases of Flu and Bronchitis. We are happy to report that the two of us are finally on the mend. However, life has been throwing us some other curve balls in the meantime, such as we are looking for a new place to live since our current location requires a commute to work that can last from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours one way, which means we spend a good 2-3 hours a day in the car going to and from our jobs. This is of course leaves us very little time for writing, editing, correcting or even braining story ideas.
Between the commute from Hell and being sick, we've had little or no time to work on anything lately. Thus the release of the anthology "The Vampyre Blogs – One Day At A Time" has to be pushed back at this time. We're not sure when it will be released, other than the fact that it WILL come out sometime this year, the question is simply WHEN?
Currently we have been looking at new apartments much closer to work which would leave us more time and more importantly ENERGY to write and work on the backlog of stories we have planned. There are at least 4-5 books already under way, some are much more advanced than others. In one case we have a complete "Untitled" 1st draft of a two book saga focusing on Brandon Elliott (the ghostly figure who watches over Cassandra in "The Bridge" and "The Ship"). However, his story cannot be told until "The Door" has been finished and released (hopefully later this year). The reason for the delay is the fact that certain events must unfold in the present day, before Brandon's story, along with certain family secrets that take place back in early 1800's, can be fully revealed.
*Note: This is not the final version of the cover
The eagerly awaited second installment in "The Vampyre Blogs" side of the Para-Earths Series is also currently under way. Those who read the first book, already got a glimpse into where the second book will begin and we have also given readers a glimpse to the approaching danger that threatens not on Nathan and those he loves, but the entire town of Pointer. (Click on these links to read that short story:
Part I https://thevampyreblogs.blogspot.com/2017/11/lisas-private-thoughts-october-22nd.html
Part II https://thevampyreblogs.blogspot.com/2017/12/lisas-private-thoughts-october-22nd.html
Also under way, is "The Pass" my first collaboration with my old high school friend Rich Caminiti.
L
This has been the most challenging pieces we've worked on, since all of the book has been worked on by long-distance, file-sharing, and Skype sessions. This is one of the first full-length Para-Earth entries to be set in the past where we meet people and 'others' from this reality taking on a threat form a Para-Earth that could not only change the course of the Civil War, but the survival off all life on this Earth. Oriental mysticism, American history, and Native American folklore come together in this epic tale that will keep the readers on the edge of their seats.
Finally, Helen and I have also started bringing characters from "The Ship" and "The Vampyre Blogs – Coming Home" together in the upcoming "Misty Mountains", which brings the readers back to the shores of Santa Cruz (where the events of "The Ship" took place). Julie Cloudfoot's younger brother Johnny and his new girlfriend the mysterious Michelle, are house-sitting Cassandra's beach residence when they meet a strange fellow named "The Professor" (aka Professor Otto Hofstadter from "The Vampyre Blogs – Coming Home") near the tide-pools at Natural Bridges. Their meeting becomes the backdrop of a new Para-Earth threat that has entered this world. A threat that will place all three into terrible dangers from not only the intruding life-forms, but illegal drug wars.
So as you can see we have a lot in store for you all coming up. But first we need to get re-settled and free up our time and energies. We ask for your patience and understanding in the meantime and will be keeping you all updated on what's happening and how we're doing here on our official website.
You can also subscribe to this website by using the sign-up link, located at the bottom of the Home Page, and receive notifications of all new updates. We will be posting several times a month sharing information about our thoughts on the writing process, book reviews, and of course updates on our own works in progress.
Thank you all for your continued support, and may the new year bring you all much joy and pleasure in all aspects of your lives.
Tags: "The Pass", "THE SHIP", "The Vampyre Blogs - One Day At A Time", apartment, bronchitis, delay, Flu, Happy New Year, moving, The Bridge, THE DOOR
THE PARA-EARTH SERIES… WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? – Part II
Hello everyone… when last I left you, I had promised to discuss some of the writing projects currently under way in the Para-Earth Series, and that is exactly what I intend to cover in this entry.
Currently there not one, not two but over seven books under construction so to speak.
Each is at a different stage of development as far as length, but all are still only 1st drafts. So there's still a lot more to do on them, but progress is being made.
I'll start with the book that will be released this coming November/December. This one focuses mainly on my vampyre Nathan and his friends. Before I released the first full-length novel starring Nathan last year, he and his friends had been the focus of a blog I started back in 2014 appropriately called "The Vampyre Blogs – Private Edition" (You can click this link to see the latest story: http://thevampyreblogs.blogspot.com/).
The purpose of the blog was to introduce readers to Nathan and company in a series of blog, e-diary, and e-journal entries and raise interest for the novel. After three years there are now over 50 different stories of varying lengths that have appeared on the blog. However, this also means that there are a lot of pages for a newcomer to try and scroll through to find the earliest tales or even the beginning of the more lengthy tales which can stretch from one to six separate entries.
This has been a common lament that has reached our ears. So just in time for the holidays, Helen and I have been gathering some of the earlier entries and are putting them into the first of what we hope will be a number of anthologies. Mind you, this anthology will NOT just contain old stories. Brand new tales are being added that have never appeared on the blog before, giving the readers something more to enjoy besides the convenience of accessing the earliest tales. Some will be written solely by me or Helen, while others will be a joint venture, so you'll be getting a taste of both our combined and individual styles. Furthermore, as in the novel, the entries will be written from the points of views of various characters who appeared in "The Vampyre Blogs – Coming Home"
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MDO8SLO/ref=series_rw_dp_sw
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-vampyre-blogs-allan-krummenacker/1124855249?ean=2940153799605)
And as I mentioned earlier, we are planning more anthologies involving other never-before-seen tales of Para-Earth encounters starring characters from "The Bridge" and "The Ship" as well as brand new characters who may become part of our growing cast. The first of that anthology will hopefully be coming in 2018, we'll keep you posted on that front.
In the meantime, what other projects do we have that are currently in the works?
Well, the long awaited sequel to "The Bridge" and "The Ship", currently titled "The Door"…
…stars Alex Hill, Veronica Ross, Cassandra Elliott and Julianna Cloudfoot is currently weighing in at 60,000 words. This one has been a long project for me because I've been expanding the cast and finding the weight cumbersome at times. As in previous novels, I've tried to keep a mystery going, while also playing fair and giving hints to the audience as to what's really going on. Furthermore, this book will address certain unanswered questions from the first two books about the mysterious white-haired man who has plans for Cassandra. As well as provide more insight into Rachel's baby. It will also open the eyes of certain characters into past experiences they've had and even begin the first major crossover between this part of the series and the Vampyre Blogs characters.
I'm hoping to have the first draft completed and the second under way by the end of this year. From there my goal is to release it mid or late 2018. I will make sure the release date will not interfere or overlap with the Para-Earth anthology mentioned earlier. I like to give each installment its moment in the spotlight, as well as release books more frequently than I have in the past.
Of course, working with two other authors is also allowing the series to build up a reserve of books to make future releases more regular and frequent (a goal I've been hoping to see come true for a long time).
The next novel(s) to be released after that will hopefully be "The Pass" and "The Vampyre Blogs – Family Ties". Both books are currently under way, with "The Pass" being the more advanced of the two.
As I mentioned in the previous entry, "The Pass" takes place during the Civil War. Espionage, intrigue, paranormal, and Para-Earth all come together in this epic tale that draws upon actual historical events to make the tale even more exciting. My partner Rich has been dutifully scouring history books and maps to make sure timelines, maps, modes of travel and how long the journey from the east coast to the west (before the Trans-Continental railroad was available) are completely accurate.
While most of the characters are original, certain historical figures will be appearing in the book as well as a 'cameo' by our favorite vampyre (whose origins are also directly connected with the Civil War).
But wait there are still more projects in the works, which I will cover in my next entry. Until then, take care and keep writing my friends.
Tags: "The Pass", "The Vampyre Blogs - Family Ties", "The Vampyre Blogs - Private Edition", anthologies, Civil War, projects, releases, THE DOOR, vampyre
THE PARA-EARTH SERIES… WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
In the last two years, so much has been changing for me when it comes to writing. For starts, I completed my first collaborative work with my wife Helen, which became "The Vampyre Blogs – Coming Home". As I've said in previous entries, she has been my sounding board, my adviser on both science and science fiction, my rock, and my inspiration.
Shortly before work was completed on the "The Vampyre Blogs – Coming Home", a friend from high school days, Rich Caminiti, asked me to look at a piece he'd been working on for a number of years. I read what he had done and quickly saw he was in the same boat I had been back in 2009-2011. A story idea which needed some serious direction, scene cutting/editing, a little more cohesive connection between ideas… but a SOLID concept. As we talked more, he asked me to help be his mentor and after having read my first two books he wished to know if we could work on a project together and I agreed. Like Helen, Rich is a huge knowledge of science fiction as well as computers and actual science, so I found the idea very appealing. After a few sessions of kicking around ideas a joke was made about vampires in the old west. But not just any old vampires, oh no. We started thinking about Chiangshi, or Chinese "Hopping" vampires. We had some serious laughs, but for me history repeated itself.
Taking a few steps back to four years ago, I had sworn I would never do a vampire story unless I could introduce a whole new angle to the idea, that also allowed my creation to be highly recognizable as such a creature. Furthermore, any vampire of mine would have to be science fiction based and be able to fit into my Para-Earth series. Yet at the same time such a being needed to have typical vampire powers such as being able to shape-shift, turn to mist, and be strong. But it would also have many of the usual limitations and needs such as avoiding sunlight for extended periods, sleep in the ground and of course drink blood.
Clearly this was a tall order and probably out of my league. Yet no sooner had I said this to myself, when the beginnings of an idea began to germinate in the back of my mind and soon Nathaniel Eoghan Steward was born. But even then I had to consult with my wife Helen to help me decide on what kind of life-form could turn an ordinary man into such a being. But she quickly thought up several possibilities based on actual life-forms that actually exist in today's world that would suit the purpose and we were off and running.
Now we fast-forward to two years ago with me and Rich joking about Chinese vampires in the old west and once more the seeds of an idea began to take root. Drawing upon his knowledge of history and the Civil War, we soon came up with a working idea of espionage and the seemingly supernatural working together towards the last year and a half of the Civil War. We were even able to pull in some Native American lore and actual historic events to create "The Pass", which is still under construction at the writing of this entry.
At first, in spite of Rich's hopefulness that this could become part of the Para-Earth series, I hesitated. Not because I was possessive of the series, but I simply was unable to see how the story could be incorporated into the overall concept. The tale we were creating seemed so much more fantasy/horror, and I could not see how it could be incorporated into the Science Fiction aspect of the series. Then about a week ago, while taking my usual hour long drive to work (which is when I do a lot of 'braining' for various story ideas) a thought struck me that made the entire story itself come together in a way I hadn't seen before. This brainstorm also allowed it to fit perfectly into the Para-Earth series, allowing me to take a step I had planned long ago for the series. Adding another new writer to it.
You see, long ago I had been inspired by HP Lovecraft who of course created the Cthulhu Mythos which continues to grow to this day long after his passing. While still alive, Mr. Lovecraft allowed and even invited other authors to build upon his mythos and help expand it. Some of those who joined in were August Derleth, Robert Bloch, and others. And as I mentioned before, modern day writers, including Stephen King, have continued adding to the mythos and bringing new life to it.
So when I began the Para-Earth series, I knew right off the bat I had created something with near limitless story possibilities, more than I alone could ever cover. Therefore, I planned that as the series progressed to allow others, who proved their writing skills and ability to stick close to my vision, to help expand and build upon the series. To date, I've only allowed my wife Helen and Rich to be part of the writing for the series. However, in the years to come I hope to invite more writers join us. But that is something for another entry. At the moment, the three of us have our hands full with several stories currently under way and more to be started, which I will cover in the next installment of this lengthy entry.
Until then, take care and keep writing my friends.
Tags: "The Pass", collaboration, Helen Krummenacker, HP Lovecraft, mythos, Para-Earth Series, Richard Caminiti
How I Chose My Collaborators – Part 2
Filed under: About Writing — 2 Comments
In the first half of this discussion I talked about collaborating with my wife Helen and how much of an impact she's had on my writing.
Today I would like to introduce you all to my other cohort in crime, mischief, nonsense, lunacy, chaos, and other things too numerous to mention, as well as writing.
Rich Caminiti and I go back as far as Levittown Memorial High School (Go Panthers). Mind you shortly after we graduated the school was closed. Coincidence? You decide.
I cannot count he number of hours Rich and I spent together both in and out of school. We shared a number of interests such as science fiction, the paranormal, and a number of great friends. He was also involved in the Nassau County Auxillary Police and still has his badge from those days.
But when I left Levittown, Long Island (New York State), in 1985 I lost touch with him an so many others. So I was not there to watch him rise up through the ranks from police officer to Sergeant. Nor was I around when he served as part of the Volunteer Fire Department as an EMT/Firefighter. I was also not around for when he began one of the most intriguing jobs he's had, namely Paranormal Investigator (which he still does). He's seen and debunked a lot of things and helped to put people's minds at rest, but he has also encountered phenomenon that is less easily explained and is a true believer in the paranormal.
So you can easily see why I felt so lucky and thrilled that thanks to FB, after 20+ years of being out of touch, to be in contact with him again. Especially when we started to Skype and it felt like very little time had actually passed since the last time we got to sit down together. Much had happened for each of us in those years, but the camaraderie we shared had not diminished in the slightest. So when he asked me to take a look at a writing project he'd been working on and off for the last two decades, I was only too glad to say yes.
What I found was very much a rough first draft of a science fiction/time travel story. There was a lot of setting the scene in the future, and technobabble, which made it a bit dry reading but there wa sa real story here. I was able to see the story he wanted to tell and where he intended to take it. In short, it had potential. With a bit of reworking his story had legs and wanted to run. So during some Skype sessions I gave him a lot of the same advice I've shared on this blog in the past and acted as a sounding board as he came up with new ideas and helped guide him to rework what he had. The newer versions I and others have seen are a great improvement and he is extremely fired up to keep it going.
After seeing how far he was coming in such a short time, and because of our long friendship and shared interests, I was more than willing to agree to collaborate on a novel with him. I knew his strengths and insights, as well as how good we could work together. And I enjoy our brainstorming sessions and how thoroughly he cares about accuracy when it comes to writing in a historical setting. Which is what we're doing currently. "The Pass" will be our first joint project and will involve some interesting supernatural entities that one might not think of blending together for a piece. But I assure you all, we're being careful and making sure the beings we incorporate have reasons for being in this setting. History and the supernatural will be meeting in this tale set during the waining years of the Civil War, but the battlefront will not be on fields of Gettysburg or Atlanta. This story will be set on west coast and involve a famous pass who's name is associated with people who tried to travel through it during a terrible winter back in the 1840's.
We plan on keeping you all updated on our progress and I'll be helping my partner create a blog of his own so you can all get to know him better. He's wealth of knowledge and is only too happy to share with others, which makes him an excellent storyteller, collaborator and very dear friend.
So there you have it folks. Choosing to work with someone on a collaboration is not easy by any means. But if you truly feel you can rely on the individual in question and that the two of you can really work as one, then give it a shot.
Until next time, take care and keep writing.
Tags: "The Pass", auxilliary police, collaboration, paranormal investigator, Richard Caminiti, volunteer EMT/firefighter


text:
"""
Manages a hub for easier access in UCSC genome browser
"""
import os
from config import PUBLISH_URL_PATH_HUB, PUBLISH_DIR, TRACK_DESCRIPTION_TEMPALTE

__author__ = 'eranroz'

def add_track(track_name, url_name, short_label, long_label, description_html=None, genome="hg19"):
    """
    Adds description for the new track to the track config file
    @param description_html: url of html with description for the track
    @param track_name: name of the track
    @param url_name: url name for the track
    @param short_label: short label for the track
    @param long_label: longer description for the track
    @param genome: relevant genome for the track
    """
    tracks_db_path = os.path.join(PUBLISH_DIR, genome, "trackDb.txt")
    colors = url_name.endswith('.bb')
    auto_format = ""
    if colors:
        auto_format += "itemRgb On"
    else:
        auto_format += "autoScale on"

    track_config = """

track {track_name}
bigDataUrl {url_name}
shortLabel {short_label}
longLabel {long_label}
type {type}
{autoformat}
""".format(**({'track_name': track_name.replace('[', '_').replace(']', '_'),
               'url_name': url_name,
               'short_label': short_label,
               'long_label': long_label,
               'type': 'bigBed 9' if url_name.endswith('.bb') else 'bigWig',
               'autoformat': auto_format
                                 }))

    with open(tracks_db_path, 'a') as tracks_file:
        tracks_file.write(track_config)

    if description_html is not None:
        # description path must be the save name as the track name
        description_path = os.path.join(PUBLISH_DIR, genome, track_name.replace('[', '_').replace(']', '_') + '.html')
        with open(description_path, 'w') as description_file:
            description_file.write(description_html)

def publish_dic(dic_to_publish, resolution, name, short_label="", long_label="", genome=None, description_html=None,
                colors=False):
    """
    Publish dictionary: transforms it to big wig place it in PUBLISH_DIR
    @param description_html: html data to describe the track
    @param colors: False for bigWig otuput (gray scale), True for bigBed colored
    @param long_label: longer description to explain in track
    @param genome: relevant genome from UCSC such as hg19
    @param short_label: description for the file track
    @param dic_to_publish: data to publish
    @param resolution: resolution of the data
    @param name: name for the file and the track
    """
    import tempfile
    from data_provider import SeqLoader
    from config import GENOME

    if genome is None:
        genome = GENOME
    if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(PUBLISH_DIR, genome)):
        raise Exception('No hub! Create hub manually or using create_hub method')

    # if this is a path to saved dictionary...
    if isinstance(dic_to_publish, str):
        dic_to_publish = SeqLoader.load_result_dict(dic_to_publish)

    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile('w+', encoding='ascii') as tmp_file:
        if name.endswith('.bw'):
            name = name[:-3]  # trim it
        if colors:
            SeqLoader.build_bed(dic_to_publish, resolution=resolution, output_file_name=tmp_file.name)
            SeqLoader.bed_to_bigbed(tmp_file.name, os.path.join(PUBLISH_DIR, genome, '%s.bb' % name))
            track_header = 'track type=bigBed name="%s" description="%s" bigDataUrl="%s/%s/%s.bb"'
        else:
            SeqLoader.build_bedgraph(dic_to_publish, resolution=resolution, output_file=tmp_file)
            SeqLoader.bg_to_bigwig(tmp_file.name, os.path.join(PUBLISH_DIR, genome, '%s.bw' % name))
            track_header = 'track type=bigWig name="%s" description="%s" bigDataUrl="%s/%s/%s.bw"'
    print(track_header % (name, short_label, PUBLISH_URL_PATH_HUB, genome, name))
    add_track(name.replace(' ', '_'), ('%s.bb' if colors else '%s.bw') % name, short_label or name, long_label,
              genome=genome, description_html=description_html)

    return track_header

def create_hub(short_label, long_label, email, genomes=['hg19']):
    """
    Creates a new hub directory
    @param genomes: genomes in your hub
    @param short_label: short label for the hub
    @param long_label: longer label for the hub
    @param email: your email
    """
    hub_description = """hub %{hub_name}
shortLabel {short_label}
longLabel {long_label}
genomesFile genomes.txt
email {email}
""".format(**(dict(short_label=short_label, long_label=long_label, email=email)))
    if not os.path.exists(PUBLISH_DIR):
        os.makedirs(PUBLISH_DIR)

    tracks_db_path = os.path.join(PUBLISH_DIR, "hub.txt")
    print('Creating hub.txt in {}'.format(tracks_db_path))
    with open(tracks_db_path, 'w') as tracks_file:
        tracks_file.write(hub_description)

    with open(os.path.join(PUBLISH_DIR, "genomes.txt"), 'w') as genome_file:
        genome_file.write('\n\n'.join(['genome %s\ntrackDb %s/trackDb.txt' % g for g in genomes]))

    for g in genomes:
        os.makedirs(os.path.join(PUBLISH_DIR, g))

def create_description_html(description, methods, verification, credits_details, references):
    """
    @param description: Description for a track
    @param methods: details of methods used in the track
    @param verification: verification details for the track
    @param credits_details: credit details for the track
    @param references: references
    @return: a partial html with the given details
    """
    with open(TRACK_DESCRIPTION_TEMPALTE, 'r') as template_file:
        template = template_file.read()
    template = template.format(**({'Description': description,
                                   'Methods': methods,
                                   'Verification': verification,
                                   'Credits': credits_details,
                                   'References': references
                                  }))

    return template

def create_composite_track(tracks, columns, directory, short_label_func, parent_track_name='rawMM9Data',
                           parent_short_label='mm9_ENCODE_raw'):
    """
    Creates composite trackDb file. WARNING: wasn't fully tested
    """
    from config import GENOME

    long_label = parent_short_label
    tracks = []
    track_item_format = """    track {}
bigDataUrl {}
parent {} off
shortLabel {}
longLabel {}
subGroups {}
metadata {}
"""
    if short_label_func is None:
        short_label_func = lambda data_item: '{}|{}|{}|{}|{}'.format(data_item['cell'], data_item['age'],
                                                                     data_item['sex'],
                                                                     data_item['treatment'], item_name)

    for data_item in tracks:
        item_name = data_item['file'].replace('.bigWig', '')
        item_parent = parent_track_name
        item_url = '{}/{}/{}'.format(PUBLISH_URL_PATH_HUB, GENOME, data_item['file'])
        item_short_label = short_label_func(data_item)
        item_long_label = item_name
        subgroup = ' '.join(['{}={}'.format(col, data_item[col].replace(' ', '_')) for col in columns])
        item_meta_data = ' '.join(['{}={}'.format(col, value.replace(' ', '_')) for col, value in data_item.items()])
        tracks.append(track_item_format.format(item_name, item_url, item_parent, item_short_label, item_long_label,
                                               subgroup, item_meta_data))
    iter_to_str = lambda iter_object: ' '.join(map(lambda it: '{}={}'.format(it, it), iter_object))
    tracks = '\n'.join(tracks)
    subgroupsValues = []
    for col_i, col in enumerate(columns):
        col_values = set([data_item[col] for data_item in tracks])
        col_values = iter_to_str(col_values)
        subgroupsValues.append('subGroup{} {} {} {}'.format(col_i, col, col.capitalize(), col_values))

    meta = """track {}
compositeTrack on
visibility dense
shortLabel {}
longLabel {}
{}
dimensions dimX=factor dimY=cellType dimA=lab
filterComposite dimA
dragAndDrop subTracks
type bigWig
autoscale off
sortOrder view=+ factor=+ cellType=+ lab=+
	track uniformDnaseSignal
	parent uniformDnase
	shortLabel ENCODE DNase-seq Signal
	view Signal
	visibility dense
{}
""".format(parent_track_name, parent_short_label, long_label, '\n'.join(subgroupsValues), tracks)

    tracks_db_path = os.path.join(PUBLISH_DIR, GENOME, "trackDb.txt")
    with open(tracks_db_path, 'w') as track_db:
        track_db.write(meta)
        track_db.close()

def composite_track_from_metadata(metadata_path, directory, parent_track_name='rawMM9Data',
                                  parent_short_label='mm9_ENCODE_raw'):
    """
     Creates composite trackDb file.
     """
    import csv

    short_label_func = lambda data_item: '{}|{}|{}|{}|{}'.format(data_item['cell'], data_item['age'], data_item['sex'],
                                                                 data_item['treatment'], item_name)
    columns = ['lab', 'cell']
    tracks = []

    with open(metadata_path, 'r') as metadata:
        metadata_csv = csv.DictReader(metadata, delimiter='\t')
        # extract the experiment type
        items = [item for item in metadata_csv]
        ex_type = lambda item: item['dataType'] if item['dataType'] == 'DnaseSeq' else item['antibody'].split('_')[0]

        for data_item in items:
            if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(directory, data_item['file'])):
                continue
            item_name = data_item['file'].replace('.bigWig', '')
            data_item['factor'] = ex_type(data_item)
            tracks.append(data_item)

    create_composite_track(tracks, columns, directory, short_label_func, parent_track_name=parent_track_name,
                           parent_short_label=parent_short_label)

def _main():
    import argparse

    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(help="")

    public_track_parser = subparsers.add_parser('publish_result_track',
                                                help='publish result dict to hub')

    public_track_parser.add_argument('file', help="npz file to publish")
    public_track_parser.add_argument('--name', help="name of the published track")
    public_track_parser.add_argument('--short_label', help="short label for the published track")
    public_track_parser.add_argument('--long_label', help="long label (description) for the published track")
    public_track_parser.add_argument('--file_resolution', dtype=int, help="resolution of the npz file (bin sizes)",
                                     default=20)
    public_track_parser.set_defaults(
        func=lambda args: publish_dic(args.file, args.file_resolution,
                                      args.name or os.path.basename(args.file),
                                      short_label=args.short_label or os.path.basename(args.file),
                                      long_label=args.long_label or os.path.basename(args.file)))

    create_hub_parser = subparsers.add_parser('create_hub',
                                              help='Creates hub meta files/directories')
    create_hub_parser.add_argument('--short_label', help="short label for the hub", required=True)
    create_hub_parser.add_argument('--long_label', help="long label (description) for the hub", required=True)
    create_hub_parser.add_argument('--email', help="Email of the hub owner", required=True)
    create_hub_parser.add_argument('--genome', help="relevant genome for the track", required=True)
    create_hub_parser.set_defaults(
        func=lambda args: create_hub(args.short_label, args.long_label, args.email, genomes=[args.genome]))

    command_args = parser.parse_args()
    command_args.func(command_args)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    _main()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Because writing 50,000 words in a month isn't enough, I've decided to write an article about the most impressive tv pilot I've seen this autumn, a show from five years ago which has only recently ended: Friday Night Lights.
As far as NaNoWriMo goes, I'm up to 17,206 words, a feat which has surprised me. I've attended the social NaNoWriMo events and met a ton of awesome Nanites… Wrimos… whatever we're called. Many have netbooks, similar to mine, but have eccentricities about them like not-working screens. I keep whispering to mine not to listen to the prayers and pleads that a netbook behave. I did get a sticker for hitting the 5,000 word point on a write-in this Wednesday and a set of light-up pens for winning a mini word war today. I will either use them at work to seem uber-dignified, or hand them out to my gaming group when we play WoD: Innocents to help them role play seven to elevent year old children.
This entry was posted in NaNoWriMo, Television and tagged Friday Night Lights, NaNoWriMo, Overthinking It. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Hausu (1977): Eureka Masters of Cinema Blu-Ray Review
by Sean Burton on February 23, 2018
Original Japanese Release: 30th July 1977
UK Blu Ray Release: 12th February 2018
A schoolgirl and six of her classmates travel to her aunt's country home, which tries to devour the girls in bizarre ways.
Nobuhiko Ôbayashi
Kimiko Ikegami, Miki Jinbo, Kumiko Ohba
Imagine being stuck in the tunnel of Willy Wonka's boat ride for an hour and a half and you'll get a small idea of how deranged Nobuhiko Obayashi's Hausu is.
At first glance, Hausu sounds like countless other haunted house movies: a schoolgirl, Angel, sets off with her friends to her aunt's mansion for a summer getaway. While there, emotional traumas of the girls have terrifyingly physical embodiments and they must use their individual talents to survive.
It's the presentation and surreal direction which makes it stand out for every other movie in the genre. It is no exaggeration to say that Hausu is a visually unmatched experience with endless creativity from Obayashi. Every possible transition imaginable is used: wipes, fades, wiping fades – you name it, it's here. The special effects have obviously aged as technology advances, but these glaringly distinct uses of chroma keying make the film all the more surreal.
Don't let the excessively cheery and hilariously upbeat setup fool you though: Hausu is as bloody as they come. Decapitations, mutilation, monsoons of blood – Hausu has it all. The comedy remains biting throughout, with inanimate objects becoming sinister threats – watermelons, dolls and even mattresses. There's a definite playful streak through Hausu and reminded me of more mainstream films like Evil Dead, Drag Me To Hell and Cabin In The Woods.
Still, for all its satire, self-awareness and humour it does contain some unnerving imagery thanks to unconventional editing techniques and its juxtaposing and memorable music score. A scene involving a piano and another with a giant clock are standout examples, but it's the climax which really drives this point home. The last 15 minutes or so are a barrage of colours, sounds and rapid editing making it a sensory overload that will imprint on your mind like a dried patch of mud on a welcome mat.
The young cast is extremely animated in their reactions and play up to their set characteristics perfectly. In the video essay of the Blu-Ray special features, it sheds some light on why they were so distinctly different and it is so that the limited screen time usually given to seven characters could be combated by giving them defining personalities. Through the essay, I discovered that Hausu was the first Japanese film to employ a stylist. The video essay contains a treasure trove of tidbits such as this, but if you've never seen the film before I recommend saving this insightful feature until after as it gives a little method to the madness. There are an hour and a half of interviews included too as well as a collectors booklet making this the definitive version of the Japanese smash hit.
Eureka's loving presentation and high-quality transfer give Hausu the long overdue Blu-Ray home it deserves. The colours leap from the watercolour looking backdrops and the UK mainstream release of a cult classic means there's no excuse for horror fans to miss this.
Hausu is a wholly unpredictable, unrestrained ride through the mind of a surrealist master and its unique style means there's no time to become bored as its 90 minutes zips by faster than you can ring the bell and scarper.
Incredibly ahead of its time in style
Mind-bendingly surreal
One of the most unique horrors ever made
Will require an open mind, especially for those who are used to conventional studio offerings
Scares
Eureka gives this House a cosmetic makeover with a stunning Blu-Ray transfer and worthwhile special features, but the films surreal foundations remain unbreakably strong. A must watch for genre fans and those looking for something completely different from cinema.
Eureka, Latest Additions, Reviews, The Basement
EurekaJapaneseMasters of CinemaSurreal
Eureka, Japanese, Masters of Cinema, Surreal
EurekaJapaneseEurekaLatest Additions
The Man Who Laughs (1928): Eureka Masters of Cinema Blu-Ray Review
by Oliver Woodings on August 28, 2020
Whilst I think a 90 minute cut would make this practically perfect, there is no denying transformative powers of star Conrad Veidt and director Paul Leni, who both unfortunately died before they could find major success in the talkies.
by Sean Burton on July 25, 2020
Alice is a success story of liberation through taking control of your own life, regardless of what others think of your path.
The Specialists (1969): Eureka Classics Blu-Ray Review
by Sean Burton on May 18, 2020
Although likely to be remembered more for a jack of all tropes and master of none, The Specialists benefits from a hugely charismatic lead in Hallyday and some creative flourishes to well-trodden paths from director Sergio Corbucci.
Throw Down (2004): Eureka Masters of Cinema Review
by Oliver Woodings on May 14, 2020
A perplexing film that is saved from total disaster by some beautifully shot scenes from an obviously talented director.
Kwaidan (1965): Eureka Masters of Cinema Review
by Oliver Woodings on May 6, 2020
Despite the unavoidable struggles of anthology films, Kwaidan more than makes up for it with visual artistry. The hand-painted, impressionistic backdrops are worth seeing the film for alone. They capture the folkloric essence that presides over all of Kwaidan so perfectly whilst never distracting you away from story or characters.
The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960): Eureka Masters of Cinema Review
If you have an acquired taste for espionage flicks from the 1960s, The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse will be one to watch. Everyone else best avert their gaze.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


My home network has had a pretty basic setup for the last six years. My wife and I each have a laptop, connected to the internet with an Asus wifi router and a cable modem. And we have a wifi B&W laser printer. That's it.
Since we finished the basement and installed a 55″ TV, however, I've had my eye on some drastic improvements and additions to our home's IT capabilities. I will outline the overall plan in another post, however, to get things rolling I thought I'd just write about the first small step in that plan, which I took today: I bought a monitor.
I have almost zero spare computer parts lying around my house, which is surely strange for an IT manager. I've made a point of getting rid of stuff I don't need, which means I get to start from scratch.


The immunoreactivity of gluten and wheat flour proteins crosslinked with chosen chemical reagents was investigated. Native proteins and flour hydrolysates subject to enzymatic proteolysis with collagenase and subtilisin were studied. Determination of immunoreactivity was performed with noncompetitive ELISA method with coeliac patients' sera. The lowest immunoreactivity values were obtained during cross-linking of wheat flour hydrolyzates with polyethyleneimine, below 5% of the values for nonmodified flour.


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text:
Anxiety in Our Times
This is part of our special feature on Anxiety Culture.
You'd slip and blame me
When you came to, and couldn't accept
Our anxious hope with no household god or
Harpist's Haven for hearty climbers.
So fluke through unflustered with full marks in
House-geography: let history be.
"The Age of Anxiety" (1947)
At the beginning of our contemporary societies, Soren Kierkegaard in 1843 wrote his seminal book "The Concept of Anxiety." Kierkegaard, with his sharp analytical mind, and ability to build from concepts of the initiator of modern philosophy (Immanuel Kant), recognizes anxiety as an expression of human freedom, of the self-awareness of our ethical choices. According to Kierkegaard, "The whole actuality of knowledge projects itself in anxiety," and, ultimately, anxiety as a positive impulse has the strong capacity to steer humans towards ethical living, pulling them away from sin. From this point of view, anxiety could be presented as a "positive" emotion that can help humans to be more self-conscious and ethical in their decisions and actions[1].
Twenty-five years later, in 1869, a young New York-based doctor, George Miller Beard, coined a new medical term: neurasthenia (from neuro for "nerve" and asthenia for "weakness"). Dr. Beard identified neurasthenia as a "nervous exhaustion," primarily affecting ambitious individuals from the middle and upper classes of urban America. Dr. Beard attributed neurasthenia as the result of the overtaxed nervous system of individuals attempting to achieve more than what they could cope with. The rapid changes and the striving nature of modern American society were the clear conduits for neurasthenia. Anxiety was one of their symptoms[2].
Forty years later, in 1895, Sigmund Freud developed the term "anxiety neurosis," first connecting it to the mere fact of being born. "The act of birth is the first experience of anxiety." Over the years, Freud further developed his ideas and etiological theories around diverse types of anxiety, ultimately identifying two modes of origin to anxiety. "One was involuntary, automatic and always justified on economic grounds, and arose whenever a danger situation was established. The other was produced by the ego as soon as a situation on this kind merely threatened to occur, in order to call for its avoidance." "We might say -Freud said- that a person protects himself from fright by anxiety."[3]
Fifty years later, two books were published almost simultaneously, where the topic(s) of anxiety took significant place. In 1951, Alan Watts published The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety and, in 1952, Paul Tillich published The Courage to Be. Tillich distinguishes three types of anxiety: that of fate and death (ontological); that of guilt and condemnation (moral); and that of emptiness and loss of meaning (spiritual). Tillich notes that the three types of anxiety are particularly relevant in different periods of Western history: "At the end of ancient civilization ontic anxiety is predominant, at the end of the Middle Ages moral anxiety, and at the end of the modern period spiritual anxiety."[4] Watts focuses on the spiritual anxiety, underscoring that the anxiety prevalent in our times is not related to insecurity. "Our age is no more insecure than any other. Poverty, disease, war, change, and death are nothing new. In the best of times "security" has never been more than temporary and apparent"[5]. The key to anxiety in our times, Watts says, is the deep feeling that there is "no future" (either in the world after our demise, or in the planet we inhabit), and this lack of a future is perceived as the ultimate lack of hope. Watts and Tillich coincide in pointing that the feeling of spiritual vacuity (no future, no hope, no redemption) is the crucial source of our contemporary anxiety. Each gives a different antidote; Watts (practicing Buddhism Zen) ask us to move beyond our need for religious believe and to open our mind to the strength that emanates from the mystery of not believing. Tillich (it could be argued that following Kierkegaard's "optimism") invites us to have the courage to self-assert ourselves. "The courage to be is rooted in the God who appears when God has disappeared in the anxiety of doubt."
In 1960 Elias Canetti, in his encyclopedic Crowds and Power, pays particular attention to what he coins as the "anxiety of command." Bordering in paranoia, in the fear that the strong ruler grows concerning the retaliation of his subjects, the anxiety of command can lead to madness, as it certainly did to several Roman rulers. "To free him from the anxiety of command what is really necessary is that not only his enemies should die, but also many of those who fight for him. The forest of his fears has grown so dense that he cannot breathe and he longs for it to be thinned (…) The anxiety of command increases in him until it results in catastrophe. But before catastrophe overtakes him it will have engulfed innumerable others"[6].
Year 2018. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are now the most common and pervasive mental disorder in the USA. ADAA understands as "anxiety disorder" the specific psychiatric disorders that involve extreme fear or worry. 42 million Americans are afflicted by it, 40 percent of American adults have experienced anxiety disorder at some points in their life[7]. A recent study published by the Center for Diseases Control, indicates that there is a correlation between anxiety disorder, depression and suicide, the study points that the rate of suicides in the USA have increased by nearly 30 percent since 1999[8]. Although the USA seems to have the larger percentage of individuals with anxiety disorders, these are not only "American problems." According to a 2017 study of the World Health Organization, globally more than 300 million people suffer from depression, and 260 million suffer from anxiety disorders—many of whom live with both conditions[9].
Many studies point out that young people are the largest segment of the population being afflicted by depression and anxiety disorders. Jean Twenge, author of Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled –and More Miserable Than Ever Before, rightly remarks that the words "depression" and "anxiety" could mean different things at different times. To properly make correlations applied to different times, she looked for the symptoms (such as trouble falling asleep, feeling well rested, having trouble thinking, etc.) over the period of 1940 through 2010, using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) which has been administered to high school and college students since the 1930s. Twenge also consulted the "Monitoring the Future" (MtF) survey, a nationally representative sample of USA twelfth graders administered every year since 1976. Both studies underscore that the symptoms of depression and anxiety have clearly increased in the last 40 years. Twenge concludes by affirming that "the research tells us that modern life is not good for mental health (…) There is clear evidence that the focus on money, fame, and image has gone up (causing youth) more likely to be depressed and anxious"[10]. It could be argued that Twenge echoes here George Miller Beard, when, in the late 1800s, he coined the medical term "neurasthenia" and connected its symptoms to the modern life style of American middle and upper classes.
Many studies and experts are pointing that the main reason of the increase of anxiety in our society (particularly in youth, but not only) are the uses we are making of contemporary media, in particular of social media. We are addicted to social media. We feel the urgent need to be connected at all times. We feel lost otherwise. We feel awkward when we are left alone in silence with only our thoughts for company. To illustrate this, Timothy Wilson and others designed a test with hundreds of their undergraduate students at the University of Virginia. The students were asked to put aside their mobile phones and to stay alone in a bland lab room for 15 minutes, just by themselves without any distraction. They were given the choice of inflicting themselves a mild electroshock if they felt the need of an external "distraction." 67 percent of men and 25 percent of women chose to inflict the electroshock to themselves[11]. Self-reflection makes us uneasy; we need our "shot" of social media distraction.
Many researchers coincide in pointing out that this addition to social media is not accidental, that it has been designed as part of the economic strategies of the social media platforms from their inception. The corporations running the platforms need our attention as long as possible so they can extract as much data from us as possible -and then selling this data to third parties (mostly advertisers, but not only). Researchers such as Natasha Dow Schull, author of Addiction by Design, draw correlations between social media addiction and the designed gambling addictions put in place to hook gamblers into Las Vegas slot machines. Her research reveals that gamblers aspire to enter the "zone," where winning is no longer the most important outcome, but just being in the game; "a kind of state in which you lose worldly being, you loose a sense of clocked time, a sense of physical space"[12].
Some sort of "zone" is precisely what social media (Facebook, Instagram etc.) provides. It is obviously a complex phenomenon with many and multifaceted variants, but research clearly points to the fact that a large portion of young people is addicted to social media and that this is causing anxiety disorders in them. A phenomenon such as the "Fear of Missing Out" (FoMO) is one of the evident symptoms of social media addiction. FoMO is identified as "a social anxiety, characterized by a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing (it is) perceived to have negative influences on people's psychological health and well-being because it could contribute to people's negative mood and depressed feelings (by facilitating) the apprehension that one is either not in-the-know or is out of touch with some social events, experiences, and interactions"[13]. It could be argued that the "FoMO anxiety" has always been part of the experience that individuals (particularly youth) encounter in their lives, but social media exacerbates it to levels that ultimately affect the general well-being and mental health of individuals addicted to social media.
Another phenomenon that social media addiction exacerbates is "the pleasure of being the cause." As one of the very foundations of our being, Karl Groos in his 1901 book The Play of Man first noticed by observing infants that they expressed extraordinary happiness when they first discover their ability to cause predictable effects in the world[14]. It could be argued that social media addicts are experiencing pleasure when they are the first ones announcing on FB some event, sharing a news story on Twitter, an awesome picture on Instagram, etc. They need that pleasure, they have the addictive urge to share and be the cause.
The recent report "Social Media and Young People's Mental Health and Wellbeing" by UK's Royal Society for Public Health[15], clearly signals out that:
91 percent of 16-24 year olds use internet for social networking
Social media has been described as more addictive than cigarettes
Rates of anxiety and depression in young people have risen 70% in the past 25 years
Social media use is linked with increased rates of anxiety, depression and poor sleep
Over the last few years, many studies, papers, and articles have been published around the topic of the negative impact of social media in youth's health, particularly when addressing anxiety disorders, depression and suicide. The very well-researched article "Increases in Depressive Symptoms, Suicide-Related Outcomes, and Suicide Rates among U.S. Adolescents After 2010 and Links to Increased New Media Screen Time" reports some relevant studies linking Facebook usage to depressive symptoms. The article is conclusive: "Adolescent mental health issues rose sharply since 2010, especially among females. New media screen time is both associated with mental health issues and increased over this time period. Thus, it seems likely that the concomitant rise of screen time and adolescent depression and suicide is not coincidental"[16].
The societal challenges and political repercussions of social media have been highlighted ad infinitum across the world, particularly after President Trump's successful campaign towards the White House. George Soros in a recent op-ed article writes "There is a similarity between Internet platforms and gambling companies (…) Something similar –and potentially irreversible- is happening to human attention in our digital age. This is not a matter of mere distraction or addiction; social media companies are actually inducing people to surrender their autonomy. And this power to shape people's attention is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few companies. (…) This would have far-reaching political consequences. People without the freedom of mind can be easily manipulated"[17].
The societal harm and mental health crisis that digital platforms and social media are causing in our communities has been acknowledged by Silicon Valley. Many articles are echoing these concerns, such as Olivia Solon's piece in The Guardian earlier this year "Former Facebook and Google workers launch campaign to fight tech addiction"[18]. Foundations and centers to address these challenges and propose solutions have been created; one in particular is The Center for Humane Technology, led by Tristan Harris, former Google design ethicist, and Roger McNamee, former Facebook investor and adviser. The statement in the center's website reads: "Our society is being hijacked by technology. What began as a race to monetize our attention is now eroding the pillars of our society: mental health, democracy, social relationships, and our children"[19].
These concerns are publicly echoed by powerful individuals who helped build the platforms of the Internet's social media industry. Sean Parker, the former president of Facebook, and Justin Rosenstein, an engineer who helped build Facebook's "like" button, have both expressed regret about having taken an active part in developing a technology that they now consider psychologically damaging. But as Moira Weigel and Ben Tarnoff noted in their recent article "Why Silicon Valley can't fix itself," published in The Guardian on May 3rd this year, these efforts of the "tech humanists" to "maximise the tech industry's contributions to a healthy society" (as Pierre Omidyar , the founder of eBay, indicated) will ultimately strengthen the power of the few tech companies controlling (and cashing in) the already existing social media platforms. Facebook's "Time Well Spent" initiative also aims at maximizing the monetizing of the social media platform but in a "healthy" manner. "Today's tech humanists come from a tradition with deep roots in Silicon Valley. Like their predecessors, they believe that technology and humanity are distinct, but can be harmonized. This belief guided the generations who built the "humanized" machines that became the basis for the industry's enormous power. Today it may provide Silicon Valley with a way to protect that power from a growing public backlash –and to even deepen it by uncovering new opportunities for profit-making"[20].
Weigel and Tarnoff state in the last sentence of their article, "Never before have so many people been thinking about the problems produced by the tech industry and how to solve them. The tech backlash is an enormous opportunity—and one that may not come again for a long time. The old techno-utopianism is crumbling. What will replace it? Silicon Valley says it wants to make the world a better place. Fulfilling this promise may require a new kind of disruption."
Building on Kierkegaard's understanding, "anxiety" is an opportunity for reflection and ethical behavior. Perhaps we can take the opportunity that the current "Internet anxiety" is offering as an urgent invitation to reconsider contemporary society at large. But, perhaps, the positive ethical behavior that may come out of our contemporary Internet anxiety may require a new kind of disruption, as Weigel and Tarnoff suggest. Perhaps it requires a political disruption that will question the whole system put in place by modern corporations focusing on economic gain as the ultimate goal for humans.
As Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels detailed in their Manifesto of the Communist Party, "The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society (…) All fixed, fast-frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holly is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life, and his relations with his kind"[21].
Let's build a new society, more ethical and self-reflective, out of the anxiety of our times.
After obtaining a degree in Philosophy at the University of Barcelona, Jordi Torrent followed graduate studies in Paris at the Sorbonne University (Film Esthetics) and at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (Anthropology Filmmaking). From 1985 to 1990 he was Media Curator at Exit Art in New York. He was Media Educator Consultant for the Department of Education of New York City from 1990 to 2007, where Torrent created Media Literacy Education programs as well as conducted media education workshops for educators and parents. From 2004-2008 he was co-director of "Overseas Conversations," a series of international conferences focusing on youth, media and education. Since 2007 Torrent manages Media and Information Literacy Education initiatives at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). Mr. Torrent has published articles at El País, Liberation, El Mon, Video Actualidad, and Casablanca, among other publications. He has co-edited, among other publication, "Mapping Media Education Policies in the World," "Youth Media Voices: Conversations Across Cultures," and "Opportunities for Media and Information Literacy in the Middle East and North Africa". As a media maker, Torrent has written, produced and directed, television programs, documentaries and feature narrative films.
Photo: HILVERSUM, NETHERLANDS – APRIL 03, 2014: Social media are trending and both business as consumer are using it for information sharing and networking. Showing social media icons on smartphone.
[1] See: http://sorenkierkegaard.org/concept-of-anxiety.html
[2] See: http://exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/nerves
[3] "How Freud Arrived at the Origin of Anxiety", see: https://www.rscpp.co.uk/article/20/freud-anxiety.html
[4] See: http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/tillich/resources/review_tillich-paul_couragetobe.htm
[5] See: https://antilogicalism.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/wisdom-of-insecurity.pdf
[6] See: http://shifter-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/canetti_crowdsandpower.pdf
[7] See: https://adaa.org
[8] See: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6722a1.htm?s_cid=mm6722a1_w
[9] See: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/254610/WHO-MSD-MER-2017.2-eng.pdf;jsessionid=D6BAC669E803FF022A508AD78FCAC6D1?sequence=1
[10] See: https://www.thecut.com/2016/03/for-80-years-young-americans-have-been-getting-more-anxious-and-depressed.html
[11] See: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/07/people-would-rather-be-electrically-shocked-left-alone-their-thoughts
[12] See: http://ethnographymatters.net/blog/2015/02/09/the-addiction-algorithm/
[13] See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_missing_out
[14] See: https://archive.org/details/playofman00groouoft
[15] See: https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/status-of-mind.html
[16] See: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2167702617723376?journalCode=cpxa
[17] See: https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/social-media-security-threat-by-george-soros-2018-02?barrier=accesspaylog
[18] See: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/feb/05/tech-addiction-former-facebook-google-employees-campaign
[19] See: http://humanetech.com/problem/
[20] See: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/may/03/why-silicon-valley-cant-fix-itself-tech-humanism
[21] See: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Manifesto.pdf
Published on July 2, 2018.
Long Night at the Vepsian Museum: The Forest Folk of…
Anxiety and the Contestation of the Liberal Order


text:
Nicosia New General Hospital is the Nicosia district's main medical center. It opened in 2006, replacing Nicosia Old General Hospital.

The contract for the construction of the New Nicosia General Hospital was signed in 1997. On 14 April 1997, the former President of the Republic of Cyprus, Glafkos Clerides, laid the foundation stone.

The cost for the construction and equipment of the New Nicosia General Hospital was about 120 million Cyprus pounds (205 million euro). On 17 October 2006, the removal from the Old to the New Nicosia General Hospital was completed.

The New Nicosia General Hospital was inaugurated by the former President of the Republic of Cyprus, Tassos Papadopoulos, on 30 March 2007.

The hospital occupies an area of 102000 m2, of which approximately 31000m2 are non-hospital premises.

Notes

Hospital buildings completed in 2006
Hospitals in Cyprus
Buildings and structures in Nicosia
Hospitals established in 2006

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
← Johnny Vegas in conversation with Steve Royle – Chorley Little Theatre
Taking the crunchy with the smooth, Cardinals style →
Helping out … through the power of literature
We've all seen and heard the devastating pictures, the alarming footage and heart-breaking stories. A lot of us have also delved deep to support the Disasters Emergency Committee's Philippines Typhoon Appeal in whatever way we feel we can.
In a nutshell, Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines on Friday, November 8, causing catastrophic damage across an area where thousands of people were already homeless after an earthquake in mid-October.
The 300-mile wide typhoon left a trail of destruction, with thousands feared dead. The full extent of the damage is only becoming apparent now as rescue teams reach the more remote areas.
Philippine Red Cross volunteers have been on the ground since before the storm hit, helping with evacuation plans and warning communities. Now, they are getting aid to the people most in need and preparing to help thousands more.
I'd rather be writing about other stuff – exclusive interviews with my literary and musical heroes; new and old albums, books, films and gigs; my football team; under-valued classic cinema, commemorations of public figures or reluctant heroes; or just a general misty-eyed nod to halcyon days gone by. But sometimes there are stories much more worthy of taking up big chunks of this huge interweb thingy. And Authors for the Philippines is one of them.
These past couple of years while setting up as a freelance writer and working towards getting published, I've been lucky enough to speak to a few authors who have made an impression on me. And this past week several have come together to help international aid efforts in the light of the Philippines typhoon.
Their efforts may not be hands-on efforts in the danger zone, but could make a real difference in this latest humanitarian crisis, raising funds for aid by donating signed books or original artwork, arranging author visits or offering chances to get your name in a book – either as a character or a listed sponsor.
The main movers and shakers in this internet charity auction, raising money for the Red Cross' Typhoon Haiyan Appeal, are London-based Philippines-born writer Candy Gourlay (left) and fellow children's fiction writer Keris Stainton. And very quickly a lot of people in the book world agreed to help their cause.
As YA author Keren David put it: "We're getting a fabulous response from the publishing world – big names donating stuff like Simon Pegg, JJ Abrams, Philip Pullman, Malorie Blackman, David Nicholls, and many more.
"We're getting varied and interesting lots – a night down the pub, original illustrations, a character with your name killed by zombies. But the auction ends on Wednesday, so we need to attract as many bids as possible."
It's fair to say Authors for the Philippines is already proving a real force for good. There are too many names to mention here, but I'll at least mention some of those who either jumped off the page (so to speak) for their high-profile status or I'm just happy to plug anyway (and in some cases the authors hit both of those categories for me).
So step right up and bid if you fancy a signed hardback of Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, your name as a character or to to name a character in the next book by children's laureate Malorie Blackman, or take advantage of a free author school visit or event involving Tony Bradman, complete with a free box of signed books for your school.
You can also be a 'halfman' in Melvin Burgess' next book, receive three signed and personalised Cathy Cassidy books, enjoy a selection of signed Lucy Coats books and arrange an author visit, or receive a dedication in Steve Cole's first Young James Bond novel.
Then there's a chance of signed books from YA author James Dawson and a character name in his next book, a first edition of The Graveyard Book signed by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell, or a special signed limited edition of Sally Gardner's Maggot Moon.
How about some original artwork by Emily Gravett or a character name in Matt Haig's next book (with a mention in the acknowledgements)? Alternatively, perhaps a signed, full set of Emily Windsnap books by Liz Kessler, or four-book signed set by Linda Newbery.
Others might head straight for a signed limited hardback of David Nicholls' One Day plus signed shooting scrips for the film version of that and Starter for Ten, the signed, personalised copy of Simon Pegg's Nerd Do Well or a signed hardback of The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman, or perhaps original artwork from the Harry & The Dinosaurs series by Adrian Reynolds or a 2003 manuscript of Meg Rossoff's How I Live Now.
Then there's original Pip and Posy artwork by Gruffalo artist Axel Scheffler, a signed copy of Tracey Thorn's Bedsit Disco Queen, or an original illustration by Clara Vulliamy along with her Dixie O'Day book signed by both the author (which just happens to be her mum, Shirley Hughes) and the illustrator, or even three signed Holly Webb books.
And although that list seemed to go on for ever, believe me – that really is just skimming the surface. So how do you find out more? Well, head to the http://authorsforphilippines.wordpress.com/ link, find an item you're interested in bidding on, then click on and leave a comment detailing how much you would like to bid.
But you need to hurry, as the auction ends this Wednesday (November 20), at which point the winning bidders will be contacted and asked to donate directly to the Red Cross and send confirmation of payment.
On receiving that confirmation, the relevant author will then contact those winners. In other words, the authors aren't dealing directly with donations, which go directly to the Red Cross appeal.
If you're interested in bidding and aren't sure how to go about it, look at the website's browsing and bidding page via http://authorsforphilippines.wordpress.com/
That's about it from me. No pressure, just taking the chance to further spread the word and hopefully help that aid get through.
About writewyattuk
A freelance writer and family man being swept along on a wave of advanced technology, but somehow clinging on to reality. It's only a matter of time ... A highly-motivated scribbler with a background in journalism, business and life itself. Away from the features, interviews and reviews you see here, I tackle novels, short stories, copywriting, ghost-writing, plus TV, radio and film scripts for adults and children. I'm also available for assignments and write/research for magazines, newspapers, press releases and webpages on a vast range of subjects. You can also follow me on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/writewyattuk/ and on Twitter via @writewyattuk. Legally speaking, all content of this blog (unless otherwise stated) is the intellectual property of Malcolm Wyatt and may only be reproduced with permission.
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This entry was posted in Books Films, TV & Radio and tagged Authors for the Philippines, Candy Gourlay, Cathy Cassidy, David Nicholls, Disasters Emergency Committee, Keris Stainton, literature, Malorie Blackman, Philip Pullman, Philippines, Shirley Hughes, Simon Pegg. Bookmark the permalink.
4 Responses to Helping out … through the power of literature
Candy Gourlay says:
writewyattuk says:
No worries, Candy. Hope it all comes together – there are some big bids in there! You've clearly worked hard on this.
kerissays says:
This is wonderful – thank you!
Thanks Keris. Here's to even more bids (I'm already way out of the picture, but it's still worth a good look!)


Featuring over 1,000 alphabetically arranged, biographical entries, Who's Who in World War One builds up a complete and vivid picture of the major figures of the Great War. The subjects are drawn not only from the political and military spheres of all thirty-two nations involved, but also from the social and cultural life of the period.
* from the British war poet Siegfried Sassoon to the Serbian assassin Trifko Grabez and the Emperor Wilhelm II.
Each entry provides biographical data and basic factual information about its subject's role in the Great War, and in the case of major figures there is also an assessment of their reputation in the light of current scholarship.
Maps, cross-referencing, a list of military ranks, a guide to further reading and a thorough introduction complete what is at once a comprehensive work of reference and a fascinating overview of a crucial period in twentieth century history.


Did you know that I have the key?
It is not for you and I.
For the opinions of your gate keepers?
Yes! Beautifully realized, breathtakingly articulated. Bravo!
Gods, did I need this today!
I hope that you do not mind if I re-blog?
I do not mind in the least! I would love it if you provided the link, so I may take a look.


text:
FROM ubuntu:latest

MAINTAINER ymorired

RUN locale-gen en_US.UTF-8
ENV LANG en_US.UTF-8
ENV LANGUAGE en_US:en
ENV LC_ALL en_US.UTF-8

RUN apt-get update && \
    apt-get install -yq python-dev wget && \
    apt-get clean && \
    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* && \
    wget https://bootstrap.pypa.io/ez_setup.py -O - | python && \
    easy_install pip && \
    mkdir -p /var/app && \
    mkdir -p /var/data

ADD requirements.txt /var/app/
WORKDIR /var/app/
RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
ADD . /var/app/

VOLUME ["/var/data"]
WORKDIR /var/data
ENTRYPOINT [ "/var/app/s4backup.py" ]


This is Pink Floyd guitarist's Dave Gilmour's Astoria recording studio.
The houseboat was originally built in 1911 for theater impresario Fred Karno.
Parts of each of the last two Pink Floyd studio albums, A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell, were recorded on the boat, as were parts of Gilmour's most recent solo album, On an Island. It was also used for mixing the Pink Floyd live albums Delicate Sound of Thunder and P•U•L•S•E as well as the P•U•L•S•E film, Gilmour's Remember That Night DVD and his 2008 live album, Live in Gdańsk.


Oversized 2 bed / 2.5 bath Barclay condo. Tremendous amount of natural light shines everywhere in this welcoming property. The home is painted in neutral tones...creating a blank canvas for any type of decor. Hardwood floors can be found throughout the unit. Open concept living and dining room. A large bonus room is found off the main living room. This space has built-in floor to ceiling storage, built-in desk space, and sweeping views of the exterior grounds...a beautiful office or swing space for any professional. Attached, covered, and heated parking garage with assigned spaces. This units assigned space (#11) is conveniently close to the main entrance to building in garage. Building is equipped with an elevator that services all floors. The unit itself is a very short walk from the elevator entrance. Garage entrance is located off main floor. All utilities are included within the monthly HOA fee except electric. Central air. Additional guest parking can be found on street. Located directly across from the rapid transit for easy commute anywhere in the city! Located less than 1 mile (an easy walk or drive) to the new and very beautiful Van Aken District!


text:
Q: How to extract inline-tag styles from an html? I have an html page with some <style>/*I need to extract this*/</style>
and how can I extract that styles and get html without styles?

A: I would suggest you you use all:initial or all:unset so that you could make the element use default style.
I don't think you could create variable for the class, but you could use classList.add and classList.remove to switch.

document.querySelector('button').onclick= function(){
document.body.classList.add("nostyle");
this.classList.add('nostyle');

}
.nostyle{
all:revert;
}
body{
background:black;

}
button{
color:white;
background:black;
}
<button >Remove</button>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


If you're considering buying a Polaris World Mar Menor Golf Resort apartment, townhouse or villa in the beautiful Murcia region of Spain you'll no doubt want to gain as much information about the region and all it has to offer before making a trip out to view the property. In this article we'll provide details about getting to the Murcia region and Mar Menor resort and also show you the type of golf properties currently available at Mar Menor which you can expect to see when you arrive.
Murcia is just 75km south of Alicante and both cities have their own airport from which you can travel to Mar Menor. Currently there are 10 airlines flying to both these airports which means plenty of low-cost flights. In 2010, another airport will open in Corvera just 20 minutes outside of Murcia city.
With a flight time from London to Murcia airport at just under 2 hours, and many UK regional airports also providing daily flights to the region, Mar Menor is simple to get to making it a great golf resort for long breaks or a short weekend trip.
If you're flying into Alicante you're just a 45 minute drive from the Polaris World Mar Menor resort via the A7, AP7 and A30 motorways. From Murcia airport, which is actually situated near the town of San Javier (45km from the city of Murcia) it's a mere 10 minute car or taxi journey.
If your flight lands at Murcia airport then your best options for getting to the Mar Menor Golf Resort are by taxi or hiring a car – public transport does not serve the area well.
A taxi from Murcia airport will cost around €20.00 and take approximately 10 minutes. If you're landing at Alicante, expect to pay around €70.00 for a 40 minute journey into the Mar Menor Golf Resort.
If your search for a golf property at Mar Menor is over a few days why not take advantage of hiring a car so you can get around and visit some of the fantastic attractions, mountains and beaches the region has to offer. Spanish car hire is relatively cheap and you'll find a good choice at both Murcia and Alicante airports. Book ahead and then pick up your keys from the terminal rental office on arrival. You can get some great deals using online internet car hire brokers such as Sky Cars or Car Jet.
Once you become a Polaris World Mar Menor Golf Resort resident or owner you'll be able to take advantage of Polaris World's own car rental service. You'll find the service offers some competitive rates and exclusive services such as collection from the airport and your car being delivered to your golf property. Prices for this exclusive service for a small hatchback begin at around €40-50 per day.
Given that your golf property search is at Mar Menor it makes sense to try and stay in the heart of the golf resort to soak up the atmosphere, play a round of golf and see for yourself all that this quality resort has to offer. Mar Menor has its own 5-Star hotel with all the facilities you'd expect from a world-class hotel including a pool, gym and a number of bars and restaurants.
A short car journey west of the Mar Menor Golf Resort is the municipal of Torre Pacheco where you'll find some quality accommodation for your stay in Murcia. A few miles East of the resort is Los Alcazares, a village on the coast of the Mar Menor sea famous for its therapeutic waters. Here you'll find some great 4-Star hotels ideally placed for water sports and your journey to Mar Menor to check out some golfing properties.
Once you've arrived safely in the sunny region of Murcia you can begin your search for the ideal golf property at Mar Menor. The resort boasts a Jack Nicholas designed golf course surrounded by lush green vegetation and palm tree lined pathways which will guide you around this magnificent resort. Created as place for complete luxury, relaxation and a healthy lifestyle for its residents, you won't be disappointed by the unique atmosphere Mar Menor has to offer.


text:
OpEdNews Op Eds 1/15/2015 at 3:34 AM EST H2'ed 1/15/15
Russia Fires Ukraine as Natural Gas Transit for Europe
By Michael Collins (Page 1 of 2 pages) 35 comments, In Series: Ukraine Disaster - Strike three for Obama's neocons
(120 fans)
Natural gas is a hot topic in Europe
(Image by Tod Baker) Details DMCA
Russia executed a bold move on January 14, one that was largely unanticipated. It shows the level of disgust with both the coup-based Ukraine government and the European Union leaders and their small state followers.
Ukraine is finished as a supply route for Russian natural gas headed for European Union countries. EU countries get 25% to 30% of their natural gas from the Ukraine pipeline. The gas transiting Ukraine will be diverted to the recently announced Russia-Turkey pipeline. The Turks will create a portal at the Greek border where Europeans can purchase natural gas. The pipeline will be complete in 2017.
Of course, the EU countries will need to build the pipeline infrastructure from the Turkish portal to various European countries.
Russian natural gas delivered to Europe via Ukraine was off 47% in 2014. The end of Ukraine transit will eventually eliminate $1.7 billion a year that Ukraine earns from hosting the pipeline.
The Ukraine gas pipeline has been a headache for Russia for years. The Russians claim that Ukraine siphoned off gas from amounts intended for Europe. The issue came to a head in 2006 with Ukraine officials confessing that they had taken gas intended for Europe.
Lost opportunity for Europe
(Image by Gazprom) Details DMCA
Russia cancelled the South Stream gas pipeline to Europe and
replaced it with the Russia-Turkey pipeline (Image)
Shock and Awe
United States intelligence agencies tapping the phones of European leaders must be getting an earful about this announcement. The EU must replace the Russian gas, 30% of their annual supply, by 2017.
As the conflict between Russia and the EU and Obama administration festered, a number of suggestions were offered as replacement alternatives for Russia's natural gas. This is wishful thinking according to a revealing comment made by Germany's Economy Minister in March 2014:
"There is no sensible alternative to Russian gas to meet Europe's energy needs, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Friday.
"Many people acted as if there plenty of other sources from which Europe could draw its gas, but this is not the case, Gabriel told a energy forum organised by the local daily Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung on Thursday." AFP, Mar 28, 2014
Will Europe be able to find a sensible alternative before the gas shifts from the Ukraine pipeline to the Russia-Turkey pipeline in 2017?
Russia's patience has reached its limit. Why would that be?
The U.S. spent $5 billion to create an anti Russian government in Ukraine, right on Russia's border.
The U.S. and EU strongly supported the coup government despite its attacks on civilians in the eastern part of the country and the presence of extremist right wing elements and Nazi sympathizers.
The U.S. and EU stenographers in the mainstream media routinely report misinformation, e.g., Russian invasions of Ukraine that never occurred.
The U.S. and EU immediately blamed eastern Ukraine resistance forces and implicated Russia in the shoot down of Malaysian flight MH17. The charges were and remain completely unsubstantiated.
The U.S. and EU implemented economic sanctions against Russia and specific individuals in Russia that are intended to attack the economy.
Since December 2014, Russia has endured a vicious attack on its currency combined with directed efforts to drive down oil prices by U.S. protectorate Saudi Arabia. A significant portion of Russian government income comes from oil exports.
It's called regime change. The Russians know it. The Obama administration and its EU puppets know it. Just about anybody paying attention knows it.
Copyrighted Image? DMCA
In response to this, Russia engaged in efforts at a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis (the Minsk Protocols), making major energy deals with China, and construction deals with India through 2035.
It is clear that Russia has taken the gloves off and will begin to respond to the attacks on its people, nation, and leader with real force. Eliminating 25% to 30% of European gas supplies in two years is a stunning move. The EU must scramble to find alternatives that the German Economy Minister says are fictional. Even if it does have substitutes, the prices will be higher and the output dirtier. (Image data)
Michael Collins Social Media Pages:
Researcher, writer DC Area Attack on Syria - Struggle for Turkey - Attack on Libya - The Money Party = Survival - End Times - Obama Administration - Politics and Policy - Election fraud - Pennsylvania Sexual Abuse Scandal - (more...)
Related Topic(s): European Union; Natural Gas-Pipelines-Transport; Novorussia; Russia; Ukraine Coup, Add Tags
Series: "Ukraine Disaster - Strike three for Obama's neocons"
Democracy American Style - Macedonia (Article) ((View How Many People Read This)) 05/18/2015
Why Ukraine Matters to Americans (Article) ((View How Many People Read This)) 02/06/2015
Shooting Down MH 17 - BUK 312 Story False Says Ukraine Crew Member (Article) ((View How Many People Read This)) 12/17/2014
View All 36 Articles in "Ukraine Disaster - Strike three for Obama's neocons"
Ukraine President Once Agent for U.S. State Department
Worst President Ever - Barack H. Obama
It's official! You're on your own
Rigged Elections for Romney?
Real Unemployment at 23% - Dampening the Excitement
Humiliation And Death As A Tool Of National Policy
"Rob Kall's book, Bottom-Up: Tapping the Power of the Connection Revolution has really caused me to relook and reframe many of my thoughts on where our connectedness using social media tools like LinkedIn is headed, and not just for career trajectory but for life. If you are looking for a new perspective on our sometimes zany digital world we live in, this book will keep you reading and may ultimately revise but for sure challenge your current paradigm."
Wayne Breitbarth, author of The Power Formula for Linkedin Success: Kick-Start Your Business, Brand, and Job Search


We had active-duty firefighters and member of the general public watch videos of a white, male fire captain describing the most important traits of a successful modern firefighter. When he listed compassion first, followed by team orientation and physical strength, viewers' perceptions of female firefighters' abilities and support for gender diversification policies were much more positive then they were when they watched him present those same traits in reverse order.
I also encourage leaders to elevate the value of skills that align with stereotypes about women and minorities through concrete actions. For example, to promote the social and emotional strengths commonly associated with women, one might look for ways to acknowledge and celebrate crew members who demonstrate what we call the "heart and soul" of a firefighter in the station and out in the field. Joviality — defined as "markedly good humor" and one that helps process emotional trauma — is a positive trait associated with black Americans somewhat more than with white Americans, so explaining that a jovial culture can increase enhances crew effectiveness may reduce some of the skepticism about and exclusion of black firefighters. When you hold all department members accountable to excellence along the full spectrum of traits associated with being a successful firefighter, you help firefighters that don't fit the straight, white, male archetype and create more equal opportunities and inclusion.
Running a small business (and being your own boss) is a dream for many people, but it is not an undertaking for the faint of heart. While there are limitless opportunities that come with operating your own small business, there are just as many challenges and issues that must be considered to become successful.
In this economy, owning a business requires much more than just providing fantastic products and services. So what are some of the main worries that keep small business owners up at night?
Key among any owner's challenges is having the right foundation in place to launch and run a company from the ground up. This foundation requires meticulous management, from upkeep of operations and expenses to making sure your business is complying with industry-specific regulations.
Eventually, if your business plan is sound enough to see substantial growth, scaling it proportionally to keep up with demand is another consideration – there will be more advanced needs in all areas, such as administration systems, payroll and accounting software, marketing spend, and sales tools.
Overseeing all aspects of a business while leading a team is another delicate balancing act. Larger organizations have leadership in place to oversee areas like finance, operations and human resources. However, in the case of a small business, the owner is often the sole person in charge of all these decisions. Keeping track of priorities and finding the sweet spot of managing operations while staying on top of small logistical details is critical to keeping a business afloat.
Attracting and retaining customers is becoming increasingly difficult in this era in which consumers often have the option to select a better, faster or cheaper product. An online presence is a necessity at this point, meaning a mobile-first website that's easy to navigate and intuitive to use is essential to being competitive.
In addition, having a social media presence will help customers find information on your company and provide feedback on what is working and what may need improvement. Providing customers with excellent, consistent service is a must, and extra care is necessary to retain them as consumer preferences are continuously changing.
Consumers are also more likely to positively associate with a company if they have a great experience, regardless of the product. To provide that experience, you need a clear strategy that focuses on who your customers are and recognizes what they are looking for.
A good way to do so is through simple communication: sending them an email newsletter or survey asking about their experience. Small businesses that anticipate the needs of their customers will earn high marks in satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately leading to increased revenue.
Competition among small businesses is fierce, especially as new, innovative entrepreneurs enter the market daily. Differentiating your business is important not only when trying to gain more customers but also in finding and retaining the best talent for your company. Recruiting high-quality, hard-working employees is critical as turnover is costly to your business.
To attract the right team, it is essential to take their needs into account and give them the proper tools to feel engaged, productive, safe and supported. Technology is evolving at a rapid pace, and it should be a priority to stay up-to-date so that there are no unforeseen snags in your operations.
Small business owners are also tasked with keeping their employees safe and healthy through adequate health insurance and workers' compensation insurance. Talented individuals are in high demand, especially with such high confidence in the current labor market, and they will seek out better working conditions and benefits if you don't offer it to them.
Providing the best environment for employees will also give you a reputation as a sought after employer and help attract the best talent due to word of mouth. And though benefits are an aspect of your business that your customers will never see, they are crucial for employee morale, leading to better overall results.
These are a few of the issues small business owners must tackle to be successful. Navigating them will help you run your companies more effectively and, hopefully, sleep more soundly.


Grower's Source LLC is here backed by the expertise of The Soil Man to help you meet your goals by increasing your yields while reducing your costs. We understand there are many variables when it comes to crop production. These crop programs are general programs you can follow, but we advise consulting your Authorized Dealer for a specifically tailored program.