text:
James Morrow
Tachyon tidbits featuring Kimberly Unger, Joe R. Lansdale, James Morrow, David Liss, Michael Swanwick, Jacob Weisman & David Sandner, and Alyssa Wong
Rick Klaw blog alyssa wong, born for trouble, dafni ma, david liss, David Sandner, game rant, hungry daughters of starving mothers, jacob weisman, James Morrow, Joe R. Lansdale, kimberly unger, lancer kind, michael swanwick, nonstop reader, remembrance of things past and future, snapdragon alcove, tales from a hack, tales of old earth, the asylum of dr caligari, the extractionist, the new voices of fantasy, the peculiarities
Kimberly Unger
Photo by Karen Lansdale
Photo by Beth Gwynn
David Sandner and Jacob Weisman
Photo by James Patrick Kelly
Alyssa Wong
Tales from a Hack enjoys Kimberly Unger's THE EXTRACTIONIST.
Fast paced. An action-movie of a novel.
Joe R. Lansdale's BORN FOR TROUBLE: THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF HAP AND LEONARD garners a 5 star review from Nonstop Reader.
Hap & Leonard are simply a mighty force of nature. The stories are violent, outlandish, over the top, and hysterically funny (often at the same time and with a suddenness which leaves the reader with whiplash). Lansdale is such a capable writer that I can simply go along for the ride knowing that he knows where we're going and I can just look around and enjoy the scenery. And what scenery it is. There's a real-ness and urgency to the storytelling that *must* be from the writer's stored experiences. He's simply a virtuoso storyteller and I love his work.
Design by John Coulthart
The little befuddled Snapdragon Alcove recommends James Morrow's THE ASYLUM OF DR. CALIGARI.
This book is hard to describe what it is and it just weird. If you like old films and weird things then give this book a read.
Lancer Kind on his Scifi Thoughts podcast interviews David Liss about his book THE PECULIARITIES.
TALES OF OLD EARTH by Michael Swanwick was included in Dafni Ma's "8 Best Lesser Known Sci-fi Books To Read During The Holidays" at Game Rant.
In this anthology of nineteen sci-fi and fantasy tales, writer Michael Swanwick manages to push, pull, stretch, and dissect the whole genre of speculative fiction.
There are some really hard sci-fi stories that would make for perfect movie adaptations. But they work amazingly well as short stories too – if the reader is prepared to be slapped in the face with some harsh truths about the society we live in. But then again, that's a constant when it comes to sci-fi.
Cover by Michael Dashow
Eric Smith for the San Francisco Book Review praises David Sander and Jacob Weisman's sequel to Mingus Fingers, Hellhounds.
This short, sweet, supernatural story touches on a few myths and legends surrounding blues music.
Cover by Tom Canty
The authors also contributed to John Scalzi's The Big Idea.
When two writers join forces… how does the work actually get done? David Sandner and Jacob Weisman get real on this topic, and how it was their collaboration on Hellhounds got done.
Cover art by Camille André
Remembrance of Things Past and Future reviewed Alyssa Wong's short story "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers," which was reprinted in the World Fantasy Award winning THE NEW VOICES IN FANTASY (edited by Peter S. Beagle and Jacob Weisman).
I didn't intend it like this (reading these stories blind and all), but it feels like "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers" is a good counterpoint to Kornbluth's "The Mindworm," as if Wong took the animalistic vampire of that story and made him human—all too human.
The Hollywood Horror Bundle, curated by Lavie Tidhar, features Kage Baker, Ellen Datlow, Daryl Gregory, and James Morrow
Rick Klaw blog ancient rockets: treasures and trainwrecks of the silent screen, daryl gregory, Ellen Datlow, hollywood horror bundle, James Morrow, kage baker, lavie tidhar, shambling towards hiroshima, story bundle, storybundle, the cutting room: dark reflections of the silver screen, the violent century, we are all completely fine
The Hollywood Horror Bundle from the fine folks at StoryBundle offers a tour through worlds of ancient rockets and the devil, black and white monsters and deep hidden fungus, of vampires, fire-breathing giant lizards, horror film survivors and, of course, a dinosaur detective.
ANCIENT ROCKETS: TREASURES AND TRAINWRECKS OF THE SILENT SCREEN by Kage Baker, edited by Kathleen Bartholomew
Who Wants to be the Prince of Darkness? by Michael Boatman
THE CUTTING ROOM: DARK REFLECTIONS OF THE SILVER SCREEN edited by Ellen Datlow
Deep State by Christopher Farnsworth
WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE by Daryl Gregory
Monsters From the Vault by Orrin Grey
Revenge of Monsters From the Vault by Orrin Grey
The Imaginary Corpse by Tyler Hayes
SHAMBLING TOWARDS HIROSHIMA by James Morrow
THE VIOLENT CENTURY by Lavie Tidhar
Scream Queen by Edo van Belkom
Ah, Hollywood! The glitz, the glamour – the monsters! For Halloween this year I thought it would be fun to collect books with some connection to Tinseltown – whether by actors, screenwriters, books about the movies or those in development to become films and TV shows. It's a mixed bag of fabulous! But all of it unsettling in some way. As the nights draw long and the frost settles on the windows and the wind howls mercilessly outside, what better time to settle down with a blanket and read some tales dark and grim?
So join me as we take a tour through worlds of ancient rockets and the devil, black and white monsters and deep hidden fungus, of vampires, fire-breathing giant lizards, horror film survivors and, of course, a dinosaur detective. Here is a mixture of novels and intelligent non-fiction, anthologies and novellas – the full gamut of the field spelled out in stars against a silver screen.
cue lights!
Camera!
… Aaaaand action!
Lavie Tidhar
For StoryBundle, you decide what price you want to pay.
Happy birthday to the enigmatic James Morrow
Rick Klaw birthday, blog bigfoot and the bodhisattva, birthday, James Morrow, shambling towards hiroshima, the asylum of dr caligari, the cat's pajamas, the madonna and the starship
Satirist James Morrow initially focused his prodigious storytelling skills into making 8MM genre films with his friends. The dozen or so films included The Revenge Of The Monster Maker, Cagliostro the Sorcerer, and two literary adaptations, The Ancient Mariner and The Tell-Tale Heart. Their efforts garnered a CINE Golden Eagle for the 16mm short film, Children Of The Morning and the Francis Scott Key Award at the Baltimore Film Festival, the Judge's Prize at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, the Jury's Prize at the Columbus Film Festival, and the Audience Prize at the Midwest Film Festival, all for the short film A Political Cartoon.
After receiving degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University, Morrow taught and worked on various odd writing jobs including as a contributor to TV Guide, creator of the murder-mystery board game Suspicion, and the graphics designer and script doctor for the video game Fortune Builder, often regarded as a forerunner to SimCity. His first two novels The Wine Of Violence (1981) and The Continent Of Lies (1994) received positive reviews but it was the third novel This Is The Way The World Ends (1986) that proved to be his breakout work with a Nebula award nomination and lots of acclaim. If the previous work got peoples attention, Morrow's next cemented his reputation as an explorer into the enigma of religious faith. Only Begotten Daughter (1990) earned a World Fantasy Award. Next came the Godhead Trilogy with Towing Jehovah (1994; winner of the World Fantasy and Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire), Blameless In Abaddon (1996), and The Eternal Footman (1999). Morrow's recent novels (The Last Witchfinder [2006], The Philosopher's Apprentice [2008], and Galápagos Regained [2015]) dramatize the birth of the scientific worldview.
Cover by John Picacio
Cover art by Richard Braithwaite
Morrow has had five novellas published as books: The Adventures of Smoke Bailey (1983), City of Truth (1991), SHAMBLING TOWARDS HIROSHIMA (2009; winner of the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award), THE MADONNA AND THE STARSHIP (2014), and THE ASYLUM OF DR. CALIGARI (2017). In 2018, his acclaimed novelette BIGFOOT AND THE BODHISATTVA (2009) also enjoyed a separate edition. Morrow's numerous short stories including the Nebula award-winning "Bible Stories for Adults, No. 17: The Deluge" are collected in Swatting at the Cosmos (1990), Bible Stories for Adults (1996), THE CAT'S PAJAMAS & OTHER STORIES (2004), and Reality By Other Means: The Best Short Fiction of James Morrow (2015).
All of us at Tachyon wish the enlightening Jim an entertaining birthday. Keep watching the skies and ponder, is any of this really happening?
Join Lavie Tidhar and James Morrow for Les Imaginales
Rick Klaw blog, Events Épinal, France, James Morrow, lavie tidhar, Les Imaginales
Join the always exceptional and at times enigmatic award-winners Lavie Tidhar (CENTRAL STATION, UNHOLY LAND, THE ESCAPEMENT) and James Morrow (SHAMBLING TOWARDS HIROSHIMA, THE MADONNA AND THE STARSHIP, THE ASYLUM OF DR. CALIGARI) at the international fair for imaginary literature Les Imaginales in Épinal on October 14-17.
Founded in 2002, the Imaginales festival is one of the first international fairs for imaginary literature.
For four days, more than a hundred guests from various backgrounds (France, Europe, United States, etc.), writers or artists, authors of fantasy, science fiction, fantasy, historical novels, tales and legends, share their passion with an increasing audience every year.
More than 45,000 visitors came in 2019 to immerse themselves in these imaginary worlds, between exhibitions, conferences, literary cafes and unusual activities, in a shaded park, bordered by the curves of the Moselle.
The festival naturally found its place in a town, Épinal, which has always been dedicated to culture and image.
Rick Klaw birthday, blog bigfoot and the bodhisattva, James Morrow, shambling towards hiroshima, the asylum of dr caligari, the cat's pajamas, the madonna and the starship
NOW THROUGH SATURDAY (3/20)
Celebrate the anniversary of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with 20% off on all James Morrow titles
Tachyon and Humble Bundle combine forces for the Supermassive Sci-fi, Fantasy, & Horror bundle in support of Electronic Frontier Foundation and Carl Brandon Society
Rick Klaw blog ann vandermeer, bruce sterling, Caitlín R. Kiernan, carl brandon society, Carol Emshwiller, Carrie Vaughn, daniel pinkwater, daryl gregory, David G. Hartwell, eff, eileen gunn, electronic frontier foundation, Ellen Datlow, Evangeline Walton, hannu rajaniemi, humble bundle, jacob weisman, James Morrow, James Patrick Kelly, Jane Yolen, jeff vandermeer, jo walton, John Kessel, kage baker, kameron hurley, Kathleen Bartholomew, kimberly unger, lauren beukes, lavie tidhar, lisa goldstein, marie brennan, mary shelley, michael moorcock, Nancy Kress, nancy springer, Nick Mamatas, patricia a. mckillip, Peter Watts, r. b. lemberg, Richard Klaw, susan palwick, thomas m disch, Tim Powers
We've partnered with Humble Bundle for the Supermassive Sci-fi, Fantasy, & Horror bundle with award-winning, acclaimed books from Kage Baker, Lauren Beukes, Marie Brennan, Ellen Datlow, Daryl Gregory, Kameron Hurley, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Nancy Kress, R. B. Lemberg, Patricia A. McKillip, Michael Moorcock, James Morrow, Daniel Pinkwater, Tim Powers, Mary Shelley, Nancy Springer, Bruce Sterling, Lavie Tidhar, Kimberly Unger, Jeff VanderMeer, Carrie Vaughn, Jo Walton, Peter Watts, Jane Yolen, and many more.
Portions of this Bundle's proceeds will go to the your purchase will support Electronic Frontier Foundation and Carl Brandon Society!
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The groundbreaking Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari premiered in Germany on Feb 26, 1920. One of the earliest cult films, its influence would be felt on nearly every horror and noir movie that followed. Also, it served as an inspiration for James Morrow, author of The Asylum of Dr. Caligari. To celebrate this important movie and our author, Tachyon Publications is discounting all Morrow titles in our store through Morrow's birthday on March 17 and finally ending on March 19, the 100th anniversary of US release.
20% off all James Morrow books, with free media mail shipping within the U.S. Use coupon code CALIGARI at checkout.
Join Nancy Kress, James Morrow, and Carrie Vaughn for Capclave 2020
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Nancy Kress
Photo by Liza Trombi
Photo by Helen Sittig
Tachyon authors Nancy Kress, James Morrow, and Carrie Vaughn will participate in the virtual Capclave 2020, October 17-18.
Sponsored by the Washington Science Fiction Association, Capclave is a small relaxed literary convention with a program that usually focuses on the short fiction form. Guests of Honor and other notable authors, editors, artists, and fans of the short fiction form will explore the creation and enjoyment of short fantasy and science fiction genre stories.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to the novel coronavirus, the Capclave team has made the decision to be virtual this year. We will be holding Capclave October 17-18. Yes, this is two days, but we will run longer on Sunday than is typical. We will be focused on presentations, panels, and small group activities such as author readings or discussions.
Going virtual does present the opportunity to include people who would likely not be able to participate in a normal year. Keep an eye on our website and social media for news regarding new participants.
We plan to use Zoom for most activities, but we are looking at adding a text chat area via Discord as well. We will be updating our Code of Conduct to reflect the online nature of the convention. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact chair@capclave.org.
As a special deal, if you purchase a full membership for $55, you will be able to attend both Virtual Capclave 2020 and next year's Capclave, to be held October 1-3, 2021. For those of you who can't attend in 2021, we are offering a $10 Capclave 2020 only membership as well. Memberships can be purchased on our registration page.
Bill Lawhorn
Capclave 2020 Chair
Capclave offers a large selection of readings, signings, and panels including several with the Tachyon authors.
Overused Mistakes in Hard SF (Ends at: 11:25 am)
Participants: Charles Gannon, Inge Heyer (M), Nancy Kress, Bud Sparhawk
Hard SF is all about accurate science. So why do authors frequently fall into clichés and outright errors. The same writer who works out elaborate orbits can have FTL drives, lag-free interstellar communications, temperatures below absolute zero, and so on. How can writers tell their story without without breaking the laws of physics along the way? Are some exceptions to scientific plausibility "grandfathered" into hard sf? What can be done to encourage greater plausibility?
Noon ET
Carrie Vaughn discussion with Connie Willis (Ends at: 12:55 pm)
Participants: Carrie Vaughn, Connie Willis
Two of Colorado's finest authors, Carrie Vaughn and Connie Willis, discuss anything and everything.
Laughter with Bite: Satire and Other Funny Stuff (Ends at: 12:55 pm)
Participants: Charlotte Honigman, James Morrow, Alex Shvartsman (M), Michael Alan Ventrella
What is the difference between satire and other forms of humor? Is satire just humor with a purpose? Is all political humor satire? What is the difference between satire and mocking something? What can you do in satire that you cannot do in other humor? Is satire always funny (or at least trying to be funny)? Why or why not? What are some satires that worked and ones that have failed?
Cover art by Rebecca Harp
Connie Willis and Nancy Kress Discussion (Ends at: 2:25 pm)
Participants: Nancy Kress, Connie Willis
Past Guests of honor Connie Willis and Nancy Kress discuss a little bit of everything.
Magic – Obvious or Mysterious? (Ends at: 2:25 pm)
Participants: Sarah Beth Durst, Charlotte Honigman, Jon Skovron, Carrie Vaughn, Jean Marie Ward (M)
Some modern fantasy settings have the existence of magic and magical creatures known to the public – think True Blood, or Poul Anderson's Operation Chaos. Others have the magic secret, such as Incryptid or Supernatural. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach? Why might an author choose one or the other? Are some authors better at one than the other?
Writing Time Travel and Paradoxes (Ends at: 3:55 pm)
Participants: Iver Cooper, Aliza Greenblatt, James Morrow, Ian Randal Strock
Time travel stories date to the 19th century. How can you make your type of time travel unique, or have all the twists already been mined? How do writers keep everything (relatively) straight for the writer and readers, even while the characters are facing convolutions? How can you explain worldbuilding challenges, such as why time travellers don't mob every historical event? Panelists will discuss what makes some time travel stories work and which ones do not.
Author Reading – Carrie Vaughn (Ends at: 4:55 pm)
Participants: Carrie Vaughn (M)
Author Carrie Vaughn reads from their recent and upcoming work.
Sharing a Universe (Ends at: 8:25 pm)
Participants: Iver Cooper, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Carrie Vaughn, Jean Marie Ward
Shared universes have been around years. 1632 is its own cottage industry these days and WildCards has experienced rebirth. Panelists will discuss the advantage, disadvantages and what it take to work in this type of writing. What is the appeal to authors and readers? Why do some shared universes work while others produced a handful of volumes and vanished? What caused Thieves' World to turn dark and toxic and how can other shared worlds escape this?
Biology – the other hard SF (Ends at: 11:25 am)
Participants: Charles Gannon, Nancy Kress, Seanan McGuire, Ted Weber (M)
It's not all spaceships and physics. Where's the love for the genetically altered and the killer viruses? Why is biology seen as less hard than FTL drives? Which stories rigorously explore the science of biology and its implications? Where can writers go to get good insights on using biology in their stories?
Book Launch – Carrie Vaughn (Ends at: 1:55 pm)
Participants: Carrie Vaughn
Join Carrie Vaughn to celebrate the launch of her collection KITTY'S MIX-TAPE from Tachyon Publications.
James Morrow Returning GoH Interview (Ends at: 12:55 pm)
Participants: Jim Freund, James Morrow
James Morrow interviewed by Jim Freund.
It's the End of the World and I Feel Fine (Ends at: 12:55 pm)
Participants: Sarah Avery, Tom Doyle (M), Juliet Kemp, Nancy Kress
Alien invasions, giant meteors, nuclear war, global pandemics. The end of the world usually does not sound like a fun time. But in fiction, and real history too, there are frequently people who want to cause the Apocalypse or bring on the end of days. Others want anarchy so they can punish everyone who looks at them funny. What works does this the best and what falls short? What are some humorous approaches to the end of everything?
Kaffeeklatsch – Nancy Kress (Ends at: 2:25 pm)
Participants: Nancy Kress (M)
Join Nancy Kress for a small-group discussion on anything of interest. Limited spaces, advanced sign-up required.
Kaffeeklatsch – Carrie Vaughn (Ends at: 3:55 pm)
Join Carrie Vaughn for a small-group discussion on anything of interest. Limited spaces, advanced sign-up required.
Heighten the thrills and chills of this Halloween with The Tachyon Scare Package: Spooky Books at 50% Off!
Rick Klaw blog care package, Charles de Lint, daryl gregory, deadman's road, Ellen Datlow, Halloween, hauntings, James Morrow, Joe R. Lansdale, lisa goldstein, promises to keep, sale, scare package, the asylum of dr caligari, the immortal conquistador, the stress of her regard, Tim Powers, uncertain places, we are all completley fine 0
This Halloween season, dare to curl up with some of Tachyon's spookiest books, now at 50% off! Selected by our own Scary Rhino, here are truly (well, mostly) terrifying tales: horror movie survivors in group therapy; a tyrant with hypnosis rallying the troops; a vampire who stalks famous poets; and of course, fast, slow, and even kinda smart zombies — because who doesn't love zombies? Authors in the Scare Package include Joe R. Lansdale, Peter Straub, Carrie Vaughn, Kelly Link, Daryl Gregory, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Peter Straub, Lisa Goldstein, Neil Gaiman, and many more.
Limited to 10 packages only
Available in the U.S. only
Retail value: $124.60
Care Package, 50% off: $62.00
$7.50 for shipping and handling
This pack includes:
PROMISES TO KEEP by Charles de Lint
THE STRESS OF HER REGARD by Tim Powers
UNCERTAIN PLACES by Lisa Goldstein
THE ASYLUM OF DR. CALIGARI by James Morrow
DEADMAN'S ROAD by Joe R. Lansdale
HAUNTINGS edited by Ellen Datlow
THE IMMORTAL CONQUISTADOR by Carrie Vaughn
2017 Shirley Jackson Award nominee
B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy blog: The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books of June 2017
Amazon Best Books of the Month: Editor's Picks (June 2017)
io9 Summer Reading List Best Summer Books,
Campus Circle Feature,
Barnes & Noble.com Week's New Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books
If you think today's profiteers are diabolical, blink again. In this witty, satiric tour de force, James Morrow (The Last Witchfinder) offers a provocative take on a film classic.
1990 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winner
1990 World Fantasy Award nominee
1990 Locus Award runner-up
"Good serious fantasy doesn't come much better than The Stress of Her Regard."
—Oxford Times
Michael Crawford is forced to flee when he discovers his bride brutally murdered in their wedding bed, trapped by the embrace of the malignant spirit claiming him as her bridegroom. Telling a secret history of passion and terror, Tim Powers masterfully recasts the tragic lives of the Romantic poets.
2012 Mythopoeic Award Winner
"An exquisitely beautiful, eerily compelling modern fairy tale."
—Library Journal, starred review
This haunting tale of an ages-old family secret breaches the boundaries between reality and magic, revealing the places between them. It is the story of the Feierabend women, whose luck is so good that it is as though they are living in a fairy tale without a dark side.
World Fantasy Award Winner
Shirley Jackson Award Winner
Nebula Award, Locus Award, and Theodore Sturgeon Award Nominees
"[Gregory's] plotting, characterisations, and yes, the writing itself, is all that good. In short, this one completely blew me away."
—Horror After Dark
What happens when five seemingly-insane outcasts—survivors of horror movie scenarios—form a support group? Together they must discover which monsters they face are within…and which are lurking in plain sight.
Cover art by Travis J. Elston
"Deadman's Road is a delightfully pulpy, wickedly funny, satisfying read. Saddle up, because you are in for one helluva ride!"
—The Grimdragon
When renegade author Kameron Hurley (The Light Brigade; The Stars Are Legion) takes you to the future, be prepared for the unexpected. It will be dangerous, frequently brutal, and often devastating. But also, savagely funny and deliciously strange. In these edgy, unexpected tales, a body-hopping mercenary avenges his pet elephant, an orphan falls in love with a sentient starship, and a swamp-dwelling introvert tries to save the world—from her plague-casting former wife.
Cover by Valentina Brostean
"Datlow once again proves herself as a master editor. Her mission to broaden readers' concepts of what a haunting can be is nothing short of a success, and the twenty-four stories on display run the gamut from explicitly terrifying to eerily familiar. Readers who wish to be haunted themselves should not miss this one. Highly recommended."
—Arkham Digest
This spine-tingling anthology—complied by the horror genre's most acclaimed editor—collects a chilling array of ghost stories from the past twenty-five years. Authors include Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link, Peter Straub, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Connie Willis, Jeffrey Ford, and more.
"A must-have for Kitty Norville fans, but also an excellent standalone for readers new to Vaughn's worlds."
From the author of the beloved Kitty Norville werewolf talk-show host series, comes the vampire origin story of Kitty's famed ally, Rick—and his sudden turn to darkness in the seventeenth century. More than 500 years before his friendship with Kitty, noble Ricardo de Avila's life met a fate-changing twist, and his morally-complex, blood-soaked existence as an immortal began.
Cover art by Mike Dringenberg
"De Lint returns to Newford and Jilly Coppercorn's youth . . . de Lint presents Jilly's choices, the memories impelling them, and the solution to the riddle of Donna in his characteristic powerful yet intimate style. Jilly's reader friends, including those first meeting her, will be more than delighted."
Jilly Coppercorn of Newford is back. With the help of a mentor and an anonymous benefactor, the talented young artist has overcome her troubled past and is enrolled in art school. The future is full of bright promise.
Suddenly, when a tempting opportunity roars into town, Jilly's life takes a turn for the supernatural.
Fulfill your book fix with Tachyon Care Packages!
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Bringing Tachyon's newer books to you for 50% off
Limited to ten packages, don't miss your chance!
If you are based in the U.S. and need your hardcover and paperback fixes, we are offering Tachyon Care Packages. Our options currently include the Collector, the Novellas, the New Stuff, and The Lansdale Fan. All titles are 50% off and availability is limited, so check them out and get them while stocks last.
Bringing Tachyon's award-winning novellas to you for 50% off
Limited to eight packages, don't miss your chance!
Bringing Joe R. Lansdale's best to you for 50% off
Limited to 10 packages, don't miss your chance!
Bringing Tachyon's Classic Collectibles to you for 50% off!
Limited to five packages, don't miss your chance!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Today I am grateful to have woken up and made it safely to the hospital. I am grateful for all those who sent me prayer requests last night. I am grateful for all I got done yesterday. I am grateful for not having to cook for Zoe today. I am grateful that I have the surgical team I have.


Mitch Zeller, the Director of the Center for Tobacco Products at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, recently published an article with six questions about the future of nicotine regulation.
As he has taken the time to put some questions and expressed interest in the answers, here are mine. I have spent most effort on his sixth question, the one about youth. Mitch Zeller's six questions are in bold below and my responses follow each. I also address a further three questions posed by Ken Warner in the same series.
1.How comfortable are we with long-term, or possibly permanent, use of less harmful nicotine delivery mechanisms by adults, if they help keep currently addicted smokers from relapsing to combustible tobacco products?
More than comfortable, I'd be very content. It may also improve their welfare and life satisfaction (in the same way a glass of wine or two improves mine), as well as protect against relapse. We have yet to even start the conversation about the possible therapeutic value of nicotine in mitigating the effects of neurodegenerative diseases (See Paul Newhouse presentation at GFN).
The main basis for public health interest in tobacco/nicotine is in the the collateral health consequences of consuming nicotine via inhalation of smoke from combustible tobacco products. It is not about the use of a relatively benign recreational drug that does not cause significant harm, intoxication, violence, accidents or various forms of vulnerability.
2. How much weight should be placed on diminished interest in quitting nicotine altogether?
Very little. Diminished interested in quitting should be expected if the cost to a user falls: in this case the non-monetised health and welfare costs associated with being a smoker. If there was a choice between having 20% of a community smoking for the long term or 10% smoking and 30% vaping (i.e. half the smoking and twice the nicotine use) I would definitively choose the latter (see Rethinking Nicotine quiz for more like this).
Because the health benefits of complete cessation of nicotine compared to continued non-combustible nicotine use are so small, then it will be extremely difficult on cost-effectiveness grounds to justify allocating public resources to 'nicotine cessation' other than through smoking cessation.
3. Given the potential health impacts of dual use of tobacco, how acceptable is a short period of dual use while transitioning to less harmful nicotine-containing products?
It is not only acceptable but potentially desirable and necessary as a transition from exclusive smoking to exclusive vaping for some users. It may be beneficial in guarding against immediate failure and relapse if the behaviour change required is too abrupt.
The question of 'acceptability' raises the question of acceptable to whom? And what is supposed to happen if this is deemed 'unacceptable'? We should stop thinking as public health or regulators as all-powerful controllers of human behaviours. The aim should be to create a 'choice architecture' that supports informed consumer behaviour and facilitates switching to lower risk behaviours in the user's own interest.
"Dual use" is not an adequate characterisation of any specific behaviour. If someone smokes once a week and vapes the rest of the time, they are a dual user. But they are also a dual user if they smoke all the time and vape occasionally. The behaviours and risks are obviously completely different in every respect. If they are doing 'dual use' as an alternative to exclusive smoking, then it is somewhat beneficial in two ways: (1) reduced exposure to some toxins; (2) may evolve into a preponderance of vaping if users are making a transition. There isn't much evidence that dual use prevents quitting.
5. Can we revise labeling and indications for medicinal nicotine to increase quitting?
Yes, nicotine replacement therapies should have broader harm-reduction indications and make clear this type of use is desirable – though some care is need in translating the findings of trials to the impact of over-the-counter sales. But, most importantly, improving the options for medicinal treatments should NOT be an alternative to having a vibrant market in consumer alternatives to smoking. The medical paradigm is "illness > treatment > cure", whereas the consumer paradigm is "smoking > less harmful pleasure > switch". These are fundamentally different in motivation and appeal.
6. How might youth initiation be affected by the availability of different nicotine-containing products and how should we account for youth uptake of these products?
We should worry less about youth initiation of vaping and more about youth and adult smoking.
First, youth vaping should be put in context with other youth risk behaviours. See Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance reporting on alcohol, drugs, violence, suicidal intent, sexual behavioural risks etc. It makes quite bleak reading.
Youth nicotine use or vaping is not desirable, to be condoned or recommended. But in context of all youth risk behaviours, it is a relatively minor risk to young people with no immediate consequences and only minor impacts if the behaviour persists for many years. Other prominent risks can have immediate and fatal consequences or cause a lifetime of blight. If we care about young people's well-being, these risks should be the primary focus, not just what US Federal agencies happen to have money for.
Second, there is no credible evidence of a material gateway effect from vaping to smoking – so the harms of smoking cannot be attributed to vaping via this mechanism. Without such a mechanism, the harms, if any, are likely to be minor. It is unlikely that there would be a causal gateway effect, given that vaping has many advantages over smoking. There, of course, are many studies and almost as many wild claims, but all inevitably fail to address confounding and the problem of common liability. The reasons why people smoke are similar to the reasons they vape.
Third, youth vaping embodies at least two distinct behaviours, substance use and experimental. We should carefully distinguish between heavier substance use (primarily daily users growing dependent on nicotine) and social, experimental or frivolous use (e.g. blowing big clouds at parties) – by conflating the two, we risk overstating the probability and dissipating focus on those at risk. It is important to delineate these behaviours and be clear about who is doing which. For example a large increase in frivolous use should not concern us that much, and should not be a reason to inflict harms on adults due to an excessive regulatory response. If more frequent use is increasing, then we should ask whether this is among smokers, who may be starting to use this as an alternative to smoking. A further behaviour may be what we know as a 'fad' – a transient phenomenon, often arbitrary or inexplicable in its origins. The danger of fads is an excessive regulatory reaction which has unintended consequences that are suffered long after the fad has itself dissipated.
Even if kids are using ENDS instead of cigarettes — and that migration in part accounts for the decline in youth cigarette use — that's still not an acceptable trade. Parents who see their children using e-cigs and say, "well at least my child isn't smoking," should take no comfort.
Yes, they should take comfort, though given the widespread misperceptions about nicotine and vaping, few will. The corollary of this position is that FDA is indifferent to whether young people smoke or vape and that it would be willing to take action that harms young people who are or likely to become nicotine users to prevent other young people becoming nicotine users. That runs counter to the public health ethos that is supposed to guide FDA. The debate over vaping is often positioned as a conflict between the welfare of adults and detriment to kids. This is a false dichotomy – there are trade-offs within the teenage population.
Fifth, parental smoking is an important risk factor for youth smoking and adult smoking is a driver of youth initiation. The adult and youth populations cannot be conveniently separated, as adult behaviours are risk factors for youth smoking. This happens at the large scale (young people are often trying to emulate adults they look up to) but also most important within the family.
It is of course a leap of logic to claim that stopping parental smoking will stop youth smoking, but it is highly unlikely that stopping parental smoking would have no beneficial effect. At least those who are prepared to give less weight to the welfare of adult smokers should consider the effect of parental role-modelling on youth smoking initiation.
Sixth, real harm arises from the smoking through the life course, not from being a teenage smoker or vaper. Serious smoking-related harms accumulate over decades. We have to recognise that teenagers become adults and that their interests over their whole life course are what matters and should be our concern. Again we cannot conveniently separate youth and adults into two distinct population groups for which we can determine different degrees of concern. Almost all premature mortality risk is avoided if a smoker quits by age 35 and so what happened to a teenage nicotine user over the first two decades of use should be our concern.
In this context, we should recognise that the means to switch to vaping later in life is a benefit (it has "options value") to young people today, including those who are committed smokers from an early age and hence at greatest risk over the longer term. In many ways, we should focus our concern on adults who are turning 40 as smokers, and our concern for teenagers should be to the extent that their experiences contribute to that. But the means to quit smoking and switch to vaping before 40 greatly improves the life chances of adolescent smokers. The following stylised examples suggest a more thoughtful analysis of youth smoking and vaping is required.
Youth who would have never smoked takes up vaping = minor detriment (depending on how long it persists).
Youth who would never have smoked starts smoking and this is caused by vaping, but does not revert back to vaping or quit before age 35 = significant detriment. This is the one that does material harm: no evidence exists that this is likely to be a substantial pathway.
1. Will FDA develop sensible and affordable MRTP and PMTA procedures (or standards) that will make it feasible for smaller companies to seek approval? To date there is no indication that they are tackling this critically important component of their comprehensive regulatory plan.
Whatever the intent, the effect of the system as it is will be to function as a starkly asymmetric regulatory protection of the cigarette trade (cigarettes have been given a gigantic pass by the grandfathering provisions of the 2009 Tobacco Control Act) and to distort the market to favour those companies capable of cross-subsidising their vaping or other reduced risk businesses – the tobacco majors. The current arrangements have a profoundly distorting effect on the market that works against the better, lower risk nicotine products, and in favour of cigarettes and the vaping products of tobacco companies. Why does anyone think that is a good idea?
2. How will FDA withstand enormous political pressures opposing both nicotine reduction and support of risk reduced products? FDA's inability thus far to ban menthol in cigarettes does not inspire confidence that the agency will be able to achieve much more radical policies. Menthol increases smoking initiation and nicotine dependence and decreases cessation.
It is true that FDA has achieved very little (please suggest achievements) with respect to the most dangerous products, cigarettes even though these have been under its jurisdiction for since 2009. There is every reason to doubt FDA's political, legal and intellectual capability to deliver an intervention so gigantic and complex as mandated nicotine reduction, which intervenes in the personal behaviours of 35 million Americans. So many affected stakeholders are outside FDA's direct competence (farmers, state treasuries, law enforcement etc) and the unintended consequences are potentially enormous. The political will to make bold acts is perhaps best calibrated by the level of taxation on cigarettes, which is low by international standards.
Fortunately, FDA only needs to withstand the pressure opposing the second of these – the anti-vaping crypto-prohibitionists. The former is unnecessary. This should be easy given millions of Americans actually want these products even though there is much misinformation about them. No-one really benefits from nicotine reduction (or if they do, it would be the consequences of coercion) and millions will see it as Federal over-reach. With good enough alternatives and innovation-friendly regulation, the process of creative destruction will do more heavy lifting than nicotine reduction in the bringing about the obsolescence of smoking. If FDA insists on actually doing nicotine reduction, rather than retaining it as an 'agency threat' as we recommend, then it will need to resist both forms of opposition – the former cannot work without the latter. Whether it tries to secure its reduced nicotine rule or not, it is a prerequisite to ensure the availability of a diverse range of reduced risk products – as argued in Attorney General Miller's response to the reduced nicotine standard ANPRM.
Because expanding to all combustibles greatly expands the scope of the rule, the range of interested and opposed parties, the likelihood for unintended consequences and illicit trade (e.g. hand rolling tobacco), and hardly any research $$ have been expended on non-cigarettes. Recall, FDA could barely cope with the large cigar lobby or banning menthol cigarettes. So expanding the scope – though impeccably logical on practical grounds – makes the whole enterprise even more likely to collapse.
Warner is right to highlight the inconsistency in allowing these forms of combustible product, but draws the wrong conclusion: the vast scope creep required to reduce nicotine in all combustible products is a further reason why reduced nicotine rule-making will fail. Note, in fairness, FDA did ask about extending scope in its ANPRM.
Excellent read. So refreshing to see plain common sense in print.
Excellent, Clive. This is exactly what I can use when going in to talk to the Ministry of Commerce about lifting the ban of ecig here in Thailand at the end of this month.
Great write-up, but I have an honest question-what is so alarming about youth nicotine use, and yes, even habitual use, given what we know about the drug? By itself it is as innocuous as caffeine; as you mentioned, its potential negative externalities pale in comparison to alcohol or marijuana use, both drugs more commonly consumed by youth. Is there any evidence for the "harm to adolescent brains" theory? To my knowledge, there is none for human brains.
We keep insisting that youth should be barred from any and all nicotine use sans smoking, but I see no good reason to, anymore than there is a reason to ban youth from drinking coffee. If I'm missing something, I would like to know. Of course I'm aware of how politically incorrect it is to even suggest this at all, so I ask this question in context of your post. The alarm over youth experimentation with vaping seems completely overblown, and not just because of Gottlieb's histrionics about a youth vaping "epidemic", but because of everything we currently know about nicotine use isolated from cigarette smoking.
Yeah, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this as well. I understand not wanting teens to get addicted to a substance, yet as far as science has shown, nicotine is no worse for you that caffeine, just slightly more addictive. And vaping as a method of consumption has been shown time and time again to be relatively harmless. Surely it's better that teens try nicotine out through e-cigarette usage rather than traditional usage. I'm not sure why people are so deadset on demonizing nicotine.
You sent this to him, I hope?
What about that FDA study that shows NICOTINE IS NOT ADDICTIVE WITHOUT SMOKE?
It was a public announcement — BY THE FDA. CASAA might have a bookmark for it. Tonight I'll rummage around in my old bookmarks to see if I have it.
I strongly agree with Clive's answers to Mitch Zeller's six questions, and his focus on question 6.
Ironically or not, since Zeller became a GSK lobbyist in 2002, he has also agreed with Clive's answers to Mitch's first four questions if they refer to FDA approved NRT products, but has vehemently disagreed with Clive's answers if they refer to smokeless tobacco products, and subsequently vapor products.
My answer to Mitch's question 6 is that FDA should acknowledge that "past 30 day use" of a vapor product by teens is an inaccurate and unreliable statistic for assessing nicotine dependence and actual teen vaping trends. Other far more important data from the NYTS (and other DHHS teen surveys) thoroughly refute and disprove the FDA's recent claim that teen vaping is an "epidemic" and DHHS's longstanding claim (since 2014) that vaping and nicotine have been addicting another generation of teens.
– Half of 6th-12th graders who ever used an e-cig reported vaping THC/marijuana, up from 38% in 2016.
– 41.5% of 6th-12th graders who vaped in the past 30 days did so just 1-2 days, and 61% vaped 1-5 days.
– Just 1.24% of nonsmoking 9th-12th graders (mostly exsmokers) vaped on 20+ of past 30 days, while the 2015 NYTS found 0.3% of never smoking 6th-12th graders vaped 20+ of past 30 days.
– 18.5% of 9th-12th graders who used an e-cig in the past 30 days were 18+ adults (not youth, as DHHS calls them).
– 45% of 9th-12th graders who vaped 20+ of past 30 days were 12th graders (most who were 18+).
– Just 1.1% of 6th-12th graders vaped daily, and just 1.6% vaped 20+ of the past 30 days.
– Ever use of e-cigarettes by 6th-12th graders declined from 26.6% in 2015 to 21.1% in 2017.
– Past 30 day e-cigarette use by 6th-12th graders declined from 11.2% in 2015 to 8.2% in 2017.
– Youth access to e-cigarettes declined significantly from 2015 to 2017.
– Since 2011, cigarette smoking among 6th-12th graders has sharply declined, including daily smoking (-64%), frequent smoking (-63%), past 30 day smoking (-52%), ever smoking (-43%).
Per Ken Warner's 1st question, since 2014 I've pointed out that no more than six companies in the world have the massive financial and human resources needed to submit PMTA and MRTP applications to FDA for vapor products (that FDA would even consider reviewing). Even if FDA reduced the $100+ Million cost (to submit PMTA and MRTP applications for a vapor product to FDA) by 90%, fewer than 1% of the several thousand vapor manufacturers would submit PMTA and MRTP applications.
Finally, FDA's proposed nicotine cigarette ban (er standard) cannot reduce cigarette smoking as FDA has repeatedly claimed (via millions of smokers switching to vapor or smokeless tobacco products) unless the FDA repeals/rescinds its Deeming Rule and rescinds its proposed smokeless tobacco ban (er standard).
Very nice passages. Those people might actually learn some welfare economics (i.e., the science of how real people actually act and what they care about) if they ever read what you said.
spot on. The whole "issue" hinges around the question of whether or not nicotine is a "problem" when in the absence of smoke.
vaping industry is what consumers want. The thing that should be banned is the constant meddling in the choices we make. And the deceit that goes with it!


text:
Exclusive: Keith Terry talks about International Body Music Festival and its 10th anniversary
by ayushi July 7, 2018, 4:49 pm
When we think that we have found a way to define and categorize art, someone comes up to disrupt our notion and offer a new form.
Thanks to Keith Terry, Body Music has finally found its place in the hearts of dance enthusiasts. Keith Terry has been working to spread awareness and bring together people who wants to explore the art form.
The founder of International Body Music Festival will be retiring this year from producing full scale Body Music Festival but his legacy has paved a path for the future generation to further his aim and bring light to the art form. For his immense contribution, he will be receiving a Percuaction Lifetime Achievement Award by Percuaction Global Percussion Network.
Talking about his decision to step away from producing IBMF, Terry said,
"I'm stopping to produce the full-scale IBMF, still producing the IBMF MiniFests, plus continuing to tour as a performer and teacher. Still out there, still doing it."
Fuzzable talked to Terry to learn about his journey. Check out the complete interview below:
1. Keith, you have been working for years to help educate people about Body Music and appreciate it. For readers who are yet to learn about you, can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
I was fortunate to grow up with an excellent music program and teachers all the way through school, and started on drums when I was very young. Through drumming I was drawn to jazz early on, via recordings my parents had around the house. When I was 12, my cousin and her boyfriend took me to a concert where I heard Thelonious Monk's trio, plus the Cannonball Adderley Quintet (with his brother, Nat) and Dione Warwick. The experience made a huge impression on me, I knew, then, that I had the bug. I started working in night clubs in my teens, and moved from Dallas to New York City to pursue music when I was 21. After a few years there, I ended up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Body Music grew out of a natural extension of drumming for me. When I was working with the Jazz Tap Ensemble in the late 1970's in Los Angeles, I stood up from my drum set and started displacing my percussion onto my body, and moving it around. Charles 'Cookie' Cook and Charles 'Honi' Coles, both famous hoofers, told me what I was doing was similar to the hambone they had done in vaudeville, but it moved differently, and the rhythms were different, and they encouraged me to pursue it. The pianist in the group, Paul Arslanian, and I coined the term Body Music to include the melodic and harmonic possibilities with vocalizing, whistling, etc., not solely the percussive side. I've been using it as my primary art form since — in a variety of settings — one-off collaborations with a wide range of musicians, dancers and actors; plus ongoing projects such as my Crosspulse Percussion Ensemble (based on the West African Diaspora, now in its 25th year) and the Body Tjak Project (a 30 year collaboration involving Indonesians with North and South Americans.) Inspiration comes from a myriad of musical sources around the world — traditional and contemporary body musics, as well as other instruments – both the common and the unusual; plus circus drumming, found sound, nature, visual rhythms in design and architecture, mathematical patterning, geology, the solar system, epidemics, flocking/herding instincts, to name a few.
2. As an art director, how do perceive music?
I love that humans basically have the same instrument, yet they express music on it so differently culture to culture. I also love the intimacy and primacy, the visceral connection people have, when you use your body as the sole instrument. This is also the most challenging aspect, as it's not as bombastic as contemporary culture has come to expect from performance. It's both personal and universal.
3. What prompted you to start International Body Music Festival? In all these years as the founder of IBMF and an admirer of Body Music, which moments would you consider to be the highlights of your journey?
The International Body Music Festival was long-time a dream of mine. Traveling the world teaching and performing, I was meeting other like minds, artists, cultures and wanted to bring them together into the first festival of its kind. In 2008 I received a Guggenheim award and used it, along with other funding, to launch the festival. With Executive Director Evie Ladin we created a six day event that touched a diverse and multigenerational audience and cast of artists, with free and ticketed events, and extensive educational outreach. The impact was profound, especially amongst artists that had never had contact with others whose work was both so different and so related. It was a bit of an epiphany.
From the outset we wanted the IBMF itself to be international, so after two years of establishing the model in the San Francisco Bay Area, we've worked with partners around the world, hosting the annual event in Istanbul,Sao Paulo, Bali, Paris, and now Ghana for our 10th. The 10th will be the last full scale festival we plan to produce, primarily because now there is demand for iterations in so many places. Our new model of an IBMF MiniFest suits a higher frequency, community building event wherever it's produced. We continue working with partners in all of these places to make sure there is a mix of traditional and contemporary work, and is international whether pulling from diverse cultures in that region, or adding artists from far flung places. We also work with partners to ensure the MiniFests are spread out regionally.
We're so excited to produce our 10th IBMF in Ghana with Dr Kofi Gbolonyo, a native to Dzodze. We have participants and artists coming from all over the world – the US, Brazil, Israel, France, Spain, Colombia, Austria, Thailand, China, Vietnam, South Africa, Canada – and know from experience the event draws some of the most high energy and adventurous people.
4. In today's arts world where a lot of well known and rare art forms co-exist, where do you see Body Music placed amongst its counterparts? Has it been able to gain the momentum that you had been aiming at?
In the 10 years we've been producing the IBMF, body music has become a thing. So many more people are practicing Body Music today than they were before we began the festival. It's connected and networked people from all over the world who are drawn to this art form – both traditional and contemporary styles. It is most popular in Europe and South America, with smaller pockets in Canada and Southeast Asia.
5. IBMF has hosted its events all over the world. This time, the event and the workshops will he held in Ghana, a place where music plays a huge role in communication amongst people. What made you choose the place for its 10th year?
It's been my dream, from the beginning to produce IBMF in West Africa, a tap root for much of the world's rhythmic music and dance — a creative force of nature. I've been developing the idea with our host, Dr. Kofi Gbolonyo for the past five years, or so. It's taken this long to create the infrastructure to support the project of this scale.
6. Does 10th year offers something different as compared to the previous years? What all can be expected from the event?
Each year is different in that we tailor the festival to it's setting. We've produced the full-scale IBMF in the San Francisco Bay Area, where we are based, and in Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, and France; plus MiniFests (shorter, regional incarnations) in Italy (twice), Greece, Canada, and Brazil. We did not create a model in the States that we replicate in other places. We always keep in mind the people and culture where we are producing.
7 You said that the pre-requisite condition for participating in the event should only be "curiosity" to learn about Body Music. Does curiousity in your opinion, offers one a chance to really learn about an art form, they have no knowledge of?
I do, particularly a curiosity to explore new things – new ways of perceiving and making music/dance, and new ways of thinking through the lens of a different cultural perspective.
8. How would you make sure that interested people feel enlightened after attenting the workshops and sessions?
We strive to provide our participants and artists with a deep, authentic cultural experience, packed with world-class artistry.
9. Percuaction Global Percussion Network has decided to honour you with a Lifetime Achievement Award. How do you feel about it?
It's a great honor to have your work acknowledged.
10. Can you share with us your vision for Body Music? What do you think will happen to the art form once you take a back seat as a host and an initiator?
I'm taking a backseat to producing the full-scale IBMF. I will continue to create body music performances, to teach, to tour internationally, and to produce IBMF MiniFests. It's just the large scale productions that I'll be moving away from. Hopefully, I'll have many more years of involvement, but Body Music has become a thing, I feel confident it will continue on, with or without me.
The 10th International Body Music Festival (IBMF) will take place in Dzodze, Ghana from 6-16 July 2018. Check out the details here: http://www.internationalbodymusicfestival.com/2018/
So, what's your views on Body Music? Have you ever attended an event by IBMF? Share your thoughts via tweet @Fuzzable.
Written by ayushi
Hello! I am Ayushi from India. I love writing poetry, listening to K-POP and spending time alone. Writing is what defines me and I am on the journey to make the definition as good as possible.
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Danuta Hoek is "your new best friend in town" if you are an international trying to relocate in the north. Her initiative Expats at Ease is dedicated to assisting foreign professionals as they start their new lives in the Netherlands.
Having moved abroad herself with her family as a child, Danuta Hoek from the Netherlands is familiar with all the struggles that professionals can face. She remembers the times she and her mother would join her father on assignments and how that helped her become more familiar with the processes involved in moving abroad and settling into new environments. Her personal experience inspired Hoek to start helping internationals eight years ago as an independent consultant who frequently collaborates with HR (Human Resources) companies and relocation services.
Hoek's work primarily focuses on helping newcomers get familiarized with everything they may need when starting their new lives. "It's important at a certain point that you have somebody [to help] if you don't know the ropes," she says. "I always go through everything with them." She accompanies professionals on all of the simple tasks that seem to make life more difficult, such as school appointments, opening a bank account and viewing houses.
Hoek sees her role as serving as an objective third party when foreign professionals want to rent a place to live. "I will be there to make sure whether promises that have been made are held or not," she says. She meets with the newcomers and after they reach an agreement on the services offered, they start their collaboration. Hoek provides guidance on rental properties since many newcomers prefer not to buy a house immediately. "I always advise them to rent a house during the first months, because then they can get a feeling for the surroundings that they're going to live in, and they know exactly what area, city or village they prefer," Hoek says.
One of the most challenging tasks for internationals looking to relocate to the northern Netherland is rebuilding their social lives. "Integration is one of the key things," Hoek says. She always tries to find activities for people that are not only related to work or studies. "I always ask what do they like to see or what are their interests," she says. Introductory tours and sports, such as tennis, are some of the activities the new incomers prefer.
Expats at Ease specialises in the picturesque villages and lively cities of the eastern and northern parts of the Netherlands. Hoek says that newcomers show a preference to these areas of the Netherlands as everything is at a short distance from the big cities such as Rotterdam and Groningen. Hoek spends most of her time in her office located in Hattem, at Libanonweg 11, and if you need help facing all the struggles of relocation, you can contact her at Expats at Ease or via email: info@expatsatease.nl and phone: +31 655 152424.


Gunshots in Sniper Elite 4 can be deafeningly loud, sometimes almost instantly revealing your location to the enemy. And while you can make use of the fairly rare Suppressed Ammunition found across the map, there do exist a few ways to mask the sound of your gunshots without it.
Every so often, enemy planes will fly overhead during the game's levels. These planes only serve to create temporary periods of loud noise when they pass by, allowing the player to fire off their weapons without the risk of ever being detected. This is however very random, and there is almost no guarantee that a plane will always go by when you need it.
The second method is slightly more reliable, and makes use of generators like the one seen below.
These generators can be found strewn across the maps in various different locations, some of which just happen to be very convenient sniping spots, and can be used to create noise on demand.
Simply walking up to one and kicking it will cause the device to emit a constant stream of noise, giving you ample opportunity to snipe without being heard. Unlike the planes however, the generators are stationary and can only be used within their specific areas.
Similarly, these sources can also be used to mask the sound of other loud noises such as the player running past enemies.


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home / opinions / Slack what does the acquisition of the company mean
Slack what does the acquisition of the company mean
03/12/2020 21:56 by giorgos
Slack's life as a Silicon Valley outsider ended on November 2, 2016. Then, the startup published an open letter to Microsoft, telling the company that the release of the Teams app (a clone of the Slack app) was dishonest.
In its letter, Slack warned Microsoft that "Slack is here to stay." But the 4 million users it had then grew to just 12 million four years later, while Microsoft - which added Teams to the 365 package without raising the price - saw the app have from scratch - 115 million users.
This story helps to explain why Slack was sold this week to Salesforce. The deal, which gives Slack $ 27,7 billion, has been widely welcomed.
But the same agreement marks the end of an era where employees had the power to bring their own tools to the office and decide for themselves how they wanted to complete their work.
Slack did it first with small teams that wanted to speed up their work and then it was adopted by organizations and companies. Today, consolidations do not leave us much choice.
The rise of smartphones in the early 2010s also brought with it an increase in productivity tools in the workplace. Box and Dropbox brought easy file storage and sharing. Evernote has come up with the idea for cloud synchronization notes. Sunrise has created a social diary, while Mailbox and Acompli have redefined email for mobile phones.
Slack came in the middle of the decade and almost immediately became the fastest growing software business tool of all time. In 2015, just 18 months after its launch, the company reported that it had more than 1 million daily users - a number never heard before in corporate software.
The company embodies the belief that the best product wins in the end.
"Building a product that allows for significant improvements in the way people communicate requires a degree of reflection and skill that is not uncommon in corporate software development," the company wrote in an open letter to Microsoft.
"How far you go to help companies really transform and benefit from this shift to work is even more important than the individual capabilities of the software you copied."
Slack's struggle for success as an independent company unfortunately reflects the struggle of many innovative companies in business productivity. Mailbox died and Acompli was sold to Microsoft and became the Outlook mobile app. Evernote is a pale shadow of her former self. As a result of this crisis, only Box and Dropbox remain public companies.
Why is this happening; Aaron Levie, CEO of Box he says that everything ends up in sales. The idea that employees will one day be able to choose their own tools has always been a fantasy, he says, and in part most employees do not even want to think about their tools. In such a world, the winning application will almost always have a huge, purchasing power behind it.
Microsoft had. Slack did not. And Salesforce came.
"The reality with business is that you can have the best product, but that's not enough," says Levie. "You need distribution. And what does Salesforce have? they have the procurement managers, they also have the financial ones. They have all the infrastructure you need to interact and sell software. "
What seems to be coming is a unified market where the threads will be moved by a few. All over the Internet, from app stores, search engines and social networks.
The fact that there are government antitrust authorities does not seem to mean anything.
Slack what does the acquisition of the company mean was last modified: 3 December, 2020, 9: 56 mm by giorgos
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"Mars is a lot of money"… as the late Spyros Kalogirou used to say.


Looking for the perfect hub service company to work with is no easy feat, especially now that there are lot of them. Most, or shall I say, all of them, claim that they are able to properly do their work, but how will you know if what they are saying is true?
In order for you to know if they are saying the truth, you need to make a check on some parameters before transacting with them.
However, what are the factors that a pharmaceutical manufacturer or a patient consider when choosing a hub services company?
The topmost priority in any healthcare setting, whether they are directly or indirectly involved with patients, is safety. With all the things that the patient experiences with his medical condition, for sure we do not want to aggravate his condition.
If the hub service provider truly cares for its patients, they should be ready to assume responsibility should something goes wrong with their drug therapy. They should be ready to provide appropriate support.
Since the industry relies on the data they procure from the end-users, the patients, they must be truthful in all their transactions. Whatever results they get from the analysis, they should truthfully inform both the doctor and the patient about it.
Previously, hub services were put up to serve as a means for reimbursement services to be done swiftly. However, in today's set up, medical hubs now serve as patient solution centers. Having said that, these providers should make sure that they have appropriate channels to connect the patients and physicians to the product.
Limiting the number of distribution points is important to ensure that they have the maximum coverage on lives without losing control of how it is distributed. This also ensures that they can shorten the supply chain.
No matter who you choose to work with, check them out first. Lives are at stake should you make a mistake in your choice.
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Interestingly, studies have suggested that the black coloration in big cats may be linked to beneficial effects for their immune system, which might in part explain its prevalence. Researchers also believe that the coat of the black panther may be advantageous for hunting, primarily in dense forests where the light level is low. Wherever you decide to display this beautiful figurine, make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't slink off into the shadows!
Contrary to popular belief, the black panther is not its own species. Rather, it's the melanistic color variant of any member of the Panthera species. In other words, black panthers from Asia and Africa are actually leopards, and black panthers found in the Americas are jaguars.
Characteristics: Stalking through the dark shadows of the undergrowth, this enormous cat's unique coat doesn't hinder its prowess as a hunter! Crafted by professional artists and hand painted with care, all Safari figurine are scientifically accurate with true-to-life details.
Size and Color: Black panthers have dark black coats, and depending on the region in which they're found, have the markings of either a leopard or a jaguar. 5 inches long and 2 inches tall, this figurine the size of a soda can laid on its side.
The Black Panther is part of the Wild Safari® Wildlife collection.


The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) recently published for comment proposed amendments to Form 58-101F1 of National Instrument 58-101 Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices ("Form 58-101F1").
As outlined in our earlier Update from August 7, 2013, entitled OSC Initiates Public Consultation Process Regarding Women on Boards and in Senior Management, the OSC responded to a request by the Ontario provincial government, which highlighted gender diversity as a priority in its 2013 budget, by initiating a public consultation process regarding women on boards and in senior management.
OSC Staff Consultation Paper 58-401 Disclosure Requirements Regarding Women on Boards and in Senior Management (the "Consultation Paper") highlighted the relatively low rate of women among the ranks of public company directors and senior officers, outlined the approaches being adopted in other jurisdictions to enhance gender diversity and proposed a "comply or explain" disclosure regime to encourage and facilitate public comment and debate. Throughout the fall, the OSC convened a public roundtable to discuss the model of disclosure requirements set out in the Consultation Paper, issued a survey to TSX-listed issuers regarding gender diversity and participated in events held by a number of other organizations.
many stakeholders believed that now is an appropriate time to take action.
After considering the feedback from stakeholders, the OSC recommended in its OSC Report 58-402 Report to Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for Women's Issues - Disclosure Requirements Regarding Women on Boards and in Senior Management amendments to Form 58-101F1 following the "comply or explain" approach.
The proposed amendments are intended to encourage more effective boards and better corporate decision making through requirements for greater transparency, which will benefit investors and the capital markets. According to Howard I Wetston, Q.C., Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the OSC, "[T]his is about helping TSX-listed issuers tap into a pool of talented and capable resources currently under-represented on today's boards and senior management." The OSC invites interested parties to comment in writing by April 16, 2014. The OSC will also take into account the comments submitted in respect of the Consultation Paper.
For further information on the proposed amendments, please contact any member of our Corporate Securities Group.


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James Hutton Institute Partner Websites Macaulay Institute home SCRI home ASIS - Arable Seed Identifcation System Commonwealth Potato Collection Fruitgateway Living Field Plant Bioinformatics Group Phytocomp Programme 1 Scottish Society for Crop Research Enprint Mylnefield Research Services Mylnefield Isotope Signatures Mylnefield Lipid Analysis COST Action 851 COST Action 872
General Information - Networks
Networks comprise growers, researchers, users and other stakeholders that carry out collaborative R&D in legumes or aim to promote the cultivation and use of legumes. Networks typically have several member organisations and actively promote activities such as collaborative multi-site field trials, the exchange of practical information on legume growing and links between different disciplines and stakeholders. Both national and international networks are listed here.
Click on a link in the list below to move lower down this page to a brief description of the network and web links.
Fabatropimed (France and countries in Africa)
NitroEurope (Europe, Africa, China, Russia)
PCGIN Pulse Crop Genetic Improvement Network (UK)
RUENA (Spain and wider)
Fabatropimed (France and countries in Africa and the Mediterranean)
This collaborative project, supported by the Agropolis Fondation, France, operates through a network of research organisations in France and in Madagascar, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Mali, Burkina-Faso, Algeria and Egypt. Among its aims is to set up a network of field experiments at African and Mediterranean locations on the contribution of legumes as ecological engineers, for example influencing soil processes and element cycles.The project supports 12 doctoral projects.
Further information, contact details and web links can be found on this site under Projects/ecosystem services.
NitroEurope
The nitrogen cycle and its influence on the European greenhouse gas balance
NitroEurope is a 'project for integrated European research into the nitrogen cycle'. It is part of the EU Sixth Framework Programme and runs for 5 years over the period 2006 to 2011. The project, coordinated by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, developed a large and comprehensive network of 62 partners in Europe, Russia, China and Africa. A summary of the main findings was published in 2011 and available as a download from the web site (cover shown right). See also the page on this web site at Projects/nitrogen cycle for other information on NitroEurope.
Web link: NitroEurope
The PCGIN web site indicates its participant organisations are the John Innes Centre, Norwich, NIAB Cambridge, and (PGRO) Processors and Growers Research Organisation, Peterborough. PCGIN is funded by Defra, UK. The web site gives access to a wide range of projects on legumes (e.g. pea) and links to related work.
Web link: PCGIN
RUENA Thematic Network for the Efficient Use of N in Agriculture
The network's main task is to provide a connection between all of the people who are interested in the efficient use of nitrogenous fertilizers within a single scientific-technical framework, taking into account the far-reaching implications that the use of N has for the environment.
The overall aim is to create an open network, incorporating both the best research teams and teams of experts in applied agriculture and related technical fields, with the aim of fostering exchanges of information in both directions. This will clearly benefit the agricultural sector, which will be the main receiver of the resulting technological transfer.
The network´s objective is to create a discussion forum, a space in which to exchange practical experiences relating to both the use of fertilisers and organic sub-products that act as fertilisers and to techniques for carrying out evaluations and applying appropriate dosages.
Information on RUENA, including its constituent research institutes, universities, companies and other members is available through:
http://www.ruena.csic.es/e_index.html [Ed: currently inaccessible]
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BTS X LONDON - REVIEW
After watching BTS perform the first of their two sell out shows at the O2 in London - a day which many BTS fans never thought would happen, I drove straight back up to Manchester and now I can't sleep. It's 4am as I write this. Let's just acknowledge it now. This is not an impartial review. For the past 12 months, I've wanted BTS to win. As I have learnt more and more about the band and especially it's fans, known as ARMY, I have felt fiercely protective of them. So if you want me to give balance, I can't. Sorry.
Firstly, I have mad respect to anyone who turned up really early in the morning and waited all day. The people who wanted to be with their community and soak up the atmosphere. When I arrived in the late afternoon you could feel the sense of pride and sheer joy. Pride because BTS finally made it to the UK. Secondly, I have mad love for the fan accounts on twitter who kept people informed, you guys always step up to the plate.
Then there's the parents, the parents who were waiting outside the venue in their hundreds. The mums and dads who had given up their Tuesday evening to drive long distances or sit lonely in a restaurant for 2 hours so that their children could for fill their dreams. It made me emotional. Those kids will never forget what you did so that they could be there. When I stopped off at 2am somewhere near Northampton on my drive home there were parents, buying water for their son and daughter in BTS hoodies.
Then there's the security guards who sang along to mic drop, police officers who took photos for people, event organisers who made sure the show could happen and the bars who put on BTS karaoke. You all added the finishing touches to make this one of the best nights of plenty of people's lives.
From the moment that the familiar hook of IDOL kicked in, the arena was overcome with adrenaline. These men were born to perform. I thought it interesting they performed IDOL first, normally you have to wait right until the end of the hear the biggest song but here we were with bangtan laying it out on the table straight away. It's because BTS know it's audience. To people who have only just discovered BTS, IDOL is their biggest tune but inside this arena, most people haven't just discovered them. They have known about and appreciated these men for a very long time. They may have only just popped into the consciousness of mainstream media but they have been gaining momentum online for years.
Sat next to me, was a lovely journalist who seemed very overwhelmed by the whole experience. He muttered to himself 'oh my goodness' as his head panned around the room taking in the ARMY bombs that were already glowing and pulsing. Then a music video started playing and the fans came to life chanting the echo of 'Fake Love'. He turned to me and said 'But why are they screaming? They're not even on stage yet, it hasn't started'. The thing is, it had. It started when people got here. This by now is about much more than BTS's performance. It's a festival for the community that ARMY have created, the friendships that have been forged, the self love that has been learnt.
So, back to the boys. They introduced themselves after finishing to rapturous applause for their first song. The camera clumsily panned across the group which allowed members to say something they'd learnt in English. I kept reminding myself that they've just finished touring America and so had been speaking English for a while which is probably why they said it with such confidence. They were dressed in something I can only compare to jackets The Beatles wore in Sgt. Pepper, with black sequins and gold detail - all of them matching. They each got the screams they deserved, none of them louder than the other as they took their time to say hello. It was a real moment. A moment for BTS to acknowledge not only how appreciated they are but also to appreciate ARMY. To gaze out into the crowd and imagine the lives of the people in front of them.
I'll be honest, it took my eyes a minute to adjust to the sight of six people dancing. Jungkook had injured himself and had to sit out, something which resulted in him breaking down in tears at the end of the show. He apologised profusely, something that no-one required from him because for the past 2 hours he'd nailed every single vocal he'd been given and he'd spun his chair round at any given opportunity which made for some rather endearing moments. The other members of the band had done their best to include him too, at one point Jimin rubbed his head against Jungkook's whilst he sang, RM rapped directly to him, it was wonderful.
Their friendship and genuine love for one another is part of what makes them so successful. They each respect one another and that allows them to perform as solo artists too, which they did. JHope's energy was second to none for his rendition of Just Dance. Jimin's vocals on Serendipity were phenomenal. Jin's intensity during Epiphany was tingling. Suga came alive when singing Seesaw. Taehyung had the room in the palm of his hand during Singularity. Jungkook's voice shone on Euphoria. RM performed Trivia: Love with authority. Their strength as individuals is also their strength as a band.
From memory, I counted five costume changes but I may be wrong. My favourite being the brightly sequinned jackets which have become synonymous with their song IDOL. My least favourite was a white outfit, made up of lace and I SWEAR RM was wearing a bracelet made out of tinsel. It was reminiscent of angel Gabriel from a school nativity play. I chuckled to myself when I noticed it.
For me, seeing BTS was like seeing a unicorn. They've seemed so magical but so untouchable for a long time. To see them here in the flesh, more than a few times I found my hands clasped together just underneath my chin with a tear in my eye. For those who missed out and really wish they'd been there, the consolation is that seeing BTS wouldn't have taught you anything. They only confirmed what you already know. But for the journalists who stood around me with mouths agape, that had finally seen the unicorn after not believing in it for such a long time, they learnt their lesson last night.
#bts #BTS #bangtanboys #bangtan #bulletproofboyscouts #london #btsxlondon #review #musicreview #loveyourself #loveyourselfworldtour #btsworldtour #jungkook #jungkookinjury #O2 #Taehyung #V #JHope #Jimin #jin #minyoongi #suga #rm #ARMY #wearearmy #arena


Kate first came to LUBDUB. while working for Rolling Stone Magazine in New York City in 2013. She recently moved from Hell's Kitchen to Colorado, where she now works in content marketing for Oracle Data Cloud. Kate has professional experience in copy editing, accounting, and international business development and now manages corporate marketing projects for a division of over a thousand employees.


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Q: Glue two spheres Taking a small open neighbourhood around a point $p$ in $S^3$ gives a new domain $M=S^3\setminus U(p)$, then gluing $M$ with itself along the boundary will give a new space $\tilde{M}\sim S^3$. I am just curious if I do the similar thing to a circle instead of point $p$. what will the new space look like ? Or what topology does this new space has ? for example, how do fundamental groups change $\pi_1,\pi_2$?

A: What you're asking about is called "Dehn surgery" of 3-manifolds. You can get an incredible number of different 3-manifolds, with very different fundamental groups, by taking a knot in $S^3$, deleting a neighborhood, then gluing it back in by a diffeomorphism of the boundary; the best way to talk about what $\pi_1$ is of the result is to talk about $\pi_1$ the knot complement.
It's a big subject, you might enjoy reading about it.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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H.R. 666 (113th)
H.R. 666 (113th): To amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian tribes.
We don't have a summary available yet.
The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.
2/13/2013--Introduced. Amends the Indian Reorganization Act to apply the Act to all federally recognized Indian tribes, regardless of when any tribe became recognized. (This effectively overrules the Supreme Court's decision in Carcieri v. Salazar, which held that the Secretary of the Interior could not take land into trust for a specified tribe because that tribe had not been under federal jurisdiction when the Act was enacted.)
Ratifies and confirms any action taken by the Secretary pursuant to such Act for any Indian tribe that was federally recognized on the date of that action.


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Watch LCD Soundsystem perform fan favourite 'Other Voices' for the first time live
Mick McStarkey
Fri 3rd Dec 2021 12.15 GMT
Legendary New York outfit, LCD Soundsystem, performed their classic track 'Other Voices' for the first time ever during a show at their Brooklyn Steel residency this week. James Murphy and the group are well into their lengthy month-long residency by this point.
The 18-song set was comprised of a whole host of classics, and it was early in the set where fans were dazzled by 'Other Voices', which is taken from their last studio outing, 2017's American Dream.
The band also performed a cover of Joy Division's 'No Love Lost' as well as other classics, including 'All My Friends', 'Time To Get Away' and 'Someone Great'. Seemingly aware of its revered status, they also played 'Other Voices' again as part of Wednesday's show (Dec 1st).
The residency at the New York venue kicked off on November 23rd and runs until late December. The band made headlines last week when they played their early banger 'Beat Connection' for the first time in 16 years. Released as the B-side to their debut single 'Losing My Edge', it has long been hailed as a favourite by the band's diehard fanbase.
It's been a busy year for the LCD Soundsystem. Prior to the run of shows, synth player Gavilán Rayna Russom announced her departure from the band in an interview with Pitchfork. She explained that the decision was made in order to focus on her solo material.
"At some point, James reached out to me about this new set of shows," she said. "I asked for a little time to think about it, and we sat down and had a nice coffee, and I basically said that I couldn't do it, but that I was super grateful."
Russom explained that there was no bad blood between her and the band after her decision and labelled her departure "pretty amicable". She also took the time to thank Murphy for his support and said, "I have a tremendous amount of gratitude".
LCD Soundsystem are due to return to European shores next Summer as one of the headliners for Bilbao's BBK live in July.
Watch fan-shot footage of the band playing 'Other Voices' below.


Tricog Health Services, which manufactures cloud-connected ECG devices for faster and accurate diagnosis of heart conditions, has raised nearly Rs 12 crore from venture capital firms Inventus Capital Partners and Blume Ventures in its Series A round.
It raised another Rs 2 crore from angel investors.
The Bengaluru-based health-tech startup, which was founded in January 2015 by a team comprising Dr Charit Bhograj, PhDs Dr Zainul Charbiwala and Dr Udayan Dasgupta and software architect Abhinav Gujjar, has manufactured its own hardware for ECG devices that can send information to a cloud.
The company has a 24/7 specialist team that analyses the data and sends reports from its mobile app.
Tricog will use the funds to scale across the country and develop the technology, Dr Bhograj said. The company has already installed 250 devices in hospitals and clinics in Karnataka, and has also conducted trials in countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines.
"Our device helps not only in reducing the time for diagnosis but also ensures accuracy. We have filed a patent for our technology, all of which we built in Bengaluru," Bhograj said.
A novel product and a balanced founding team helped the Tricog attract VC investments.
"Data intensive problems are getting disrupted by machine-learning, which will soon be the case in every single industry," said Parag Dhol, managing director, Inventus.
"It was also the inter-disciplinary nature of the team that we liked. It is a complete team," he said.
Tricog plans to expand to cover all major cities and towns during 2016-17.