It was in February, 1970 that I came to know Mr. Monir ul Islam for the first time. I remember the month and the year so well because they coincided with the beginning of an important chapter of my own life -- I had just moved with my family to Spain to join the Madrid office of PriceWaterhouse (now riceWaterhouse Coopers), an international firm of auditors and consultants.
A friend of mine, the late Mr. Humayun Kabir -- who later went on to become one of Bangladesh's most successful diplomats -- was at that time working as the First Secretary of the Pakistan embassy in Madrid. Humayun helped me with all sorts of settling in prob�lems like buying a house, find�ing a good English-medium school for my children, etc. for which I shall always be grateful to him.
In those days, there were hardly any Bengali-speaking people in Madrid . Having lived abroad for so many years, I was worried that I was going lose to my native language, Bengali. This was the reason why I was anxious to meet with other native Bengalis. As usual, Humayun was most kind. One evening, at a dinner party at his Madrid flat, he introduced me to a young mild-mannered lanky-looking student called Monir, who had arrived in October 1969 from Dhaka on a scholarship given by the Spanish government.
I am not absolutely sure but I believe there was another stu�dent called Dr. Ali (sorry, I do not remember his full name) at that dinner, who was doing some research work in nuclear science. A few days later both Monir and Ali came to my house to share a meal with my family. This was the beginning of a warm friendship which has lasted for more than thirty-five years despite the usual vicissi�tudes of life.
A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. That mild-mannered lanky�looking young man has turned out to be one of Bangladesh 's top artists. In the process he has also earned international recognition.
Monir was born on August 17, 1943 , in Islampur, a small village near Jamalpur. His fam�ily moved to Kishoreganj when he was a little baby. He went to school at Kishoreganj and Chandpur. Monir remembers his childhood and adolescence with affection although his father was always busy with his work as an officer at the local heath department and his mother equally busy looking after her nine children (Monir is the fourth).
According to Monir, he was not a good student at school. But everybody at Kishoreganj, including the headmaster of his school, Mr. Jagodish Roy, knew that he had an artistic mind and a bent for drawing. He drew portraits, houses, landscapes, clouds, rivers, boats, multi-coloured sails of river boats, signboards, flags, rickshaws --anything and everything that caught his attention and imagination.
"Rivers Narashundha and Meghna on whose shores I grew up, their shore lines and the nature reflecting the rela�tions between the river, the earth, and the sky have always inspired me and continue to do so," Monir declares.
Of all these early attempts, he remembers one in particu�lar, a signboard for a local laun�dry featuring a famous movie actress carrying laundry, which he painted when he was only fifteen. He also designed the school wall-magazine.
In the pursuit of his artistic talent, Mr. Jagodish Roy, the school headmaster must have exercised a great influence on Monir, because even today after so many years, he speaks of him with great respect and affection. Actually the artist considers his school headmas�ter as his first mentor, who encouraged him never to give up his passion for art and to study art at the Institute of Fine Arts in Dhaka which was founded by the artist Zainul Abedin and some of his col�leagues in 1948.
But there was a slight tech�nical hitch -- one had to pass the matriculation examina�tion before one could seek admission into the Institute of Fine Arts and Monir was hav�ing difficulty in passing that exam. His father, who was worried about his son's future suggested that since Monir was not good at exams, he should perhaps try to become an electrician which would at least guarantee bread and butter for him.
Luckily, Monir passed the matriculation exam at the third attempt. In 1961, at the age of eighteen, Monir moved to Dhaka for formal training to become a professional painter. This marked the turn�ing point in his life. The world lost a mediocre electrician but won a brilliant artist.
At the Art Institute, Monir simply blossomed. Finally he had found his place in the world where he could develop his natural aptitudes. He never looked back. He went from success to success. He worked incessantly producing innu�merable watercolour studies. Even at that early stage of pro-aggression perpetrated against the Bangladeshis. In Madrid , he had learnt the art of etching. So he produced a series of twelve large images under the title of Homage to Bangladesh which was shown in an exhibition in Madrid . In this, he followed the example of Goya, the great Spanish painter, who brilliantly reproduced the suffering of his people in etchings during the Napoleonic invasion of Spain approximately two hundred years ago.
This also meant a depar�ture from painting to graphic art. Monir confesses that he did not have much knowl�edge of etching as a method of artistic expression. True, he had dabbled into it a few times in Dhaka , but had not taken great interest in this method. Monir's roommate at the university hostel was an etcher from the Philippines called Virgilio Aviadio, who introduced him to etching in a professional manner. It was like a calling. All of a sudden Monir realised that he had finally found his vocation.
At that time, there was an art studio called Urupo-15, where artists of international stature and fame like Antonio Saura and Antoni Tapies used to come to work. Monir joined his roommate Virgilio in visiting this studio and in helping these great artists to this technique have become so successful in Spain and abroad that that today in the Spanish art world, this tech�nique has come to be known as "La Escuela de Monir."
His scholarship came to an end in 1972. Monir remem�bers that life was tough in those days. He had to move out of the university hostel and find cheap accommoda�tion in one of Madrid 's slums. "It was a rat-infested house with a garden but no bathroom or running water. I lived in that house for a num�ber of years, " Monir recalls.
Although he lived under miserable housing condi�tions and ate poorly, he worked relentlessly, produc�ing oil paintings, etchings (graphic art on copper plates), watercolor paint�ings, sketches, participating in group exhibitions in Japan , USA , Hungary , Korea , France , India , Bulgaria , Germany , Switzerland , Morocco , Egypt , and Spain .
Besides participating in many workshops, he also organised individual exhibi�tions in Holland , Kuwait , Canada , USA , Bangladesh , etc. He was also invited to serve as a member of the jury at various international exhi�bitions. During this period he produced a series of rare city images, The City, in which rats figured prominently.
Monir was not supposed to stay in Madrid for more than a year. Back at home, the political situation was get�ting worse day by day. Every Bangladeshi was worried about the safety of his family members, particularly if they were young. Fearing for his life, Monir's family asked him to prolong his stay in Madrid . Luckily, the Spanish govern�ment renewed his scholar�ship.
The liberation war broke out in 1971. Monir, like all Bangladeshis, was dis�traught. He used his artistic talent to denounce the acts ofroll out prints of their works. This apparently humble work helped Monir to study their techniques at close range. Very soon he developed his own technique which has come to be known as the "free-bite" technique. It is based on "apparently casual agglomeration of robust lines, imaginative shapes, sensuous colours, and expansive space which end up in a lyrical interplay of abstract and figurative art."
Through the use of extraordinary combinations of colour and suggestive images, he created a world, "a kaleidoscopic field of vision" which was some�where in between fantasy and reality.
In developing this style, he was much influenced by two contemporary artists, Mustafa Munwar from Bangladesh and Antonio Lorenzo from Spain . "In some of my abstract works, figures lie in hiding. They are never grotesque and they do not take up prominent posi�tions. They blend with nature, so that the focus is not on the figure, but on some aspect of nature, or on the relations between the world of man and that of nature. Nature still remains a very important part of my work."
Monir's etchings using Monir was awarded the EkusheyPadak, Bangladesh 's national award. He had become a maestro. During this period, he worked hard not only to establish himself as a distin�guished artist in Spain and Bangladesh , but also to forge cultural and business rela�tions between the two coun�tries. He led an active social life, visited Bangladesh as often as possible, and played host to Bangladeshi artists, politicians, government officers, and businessmen, who visited Spain . He also gave help and guidance to Spanish artists and business�men visiting Bangladesh .
Over the years, when Bangladesh did not have an embassy in Madrid , he came to be known as Bangladesh 's unofficial Permanent Representative to Spain . By the early eighties, the num�ber of illegal immigrants to Spain from Bangladesh had increased significantly and since Bangladesh did not have an embassy in Spain , their situation was getting desperate.
It was through Monir's personal intervention that in 1985, a Spanish industrialist called Don Alvaro Sarmiento was appointed as the first honorary consul for Bangladesh in Spain , who, over the years has proven to be a good friend of the Bangladeshi community in Spain .


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text:
Senior civil servant appointed to top administrative role at St Paul's
A senior civil servant with experience across Whitehall departments has been appointed Registrar of St Paul's, the Cathedral's top administrative position.
The Cathedral Chapter is delighted to announce Emma Davies will take up the role in September 2015.
Emma will move from her position as Change Director for Defence People in the Ministry of Defence, where she has also been Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence and Head of Business Strategy and Governance. She previously worked at the Ministry of Justice.
Emma originally trained and worked as a solicitor, qualifying in 1994. She joined the Crown Prosecution Service as Senior Crown Prosecutor covering child abuse, sexual offences and youth offending. She then undertook a number of roles in the Home Office Criminal Justice IT Department and the Department of the Deputy Prime Minister. She served for four years in Her Majesty's Court Service as Deputy Director in operational roles.
In 2013-14 Emma attended the Royal College of Defence Studies and was awarded an MA in International Relations and Security by King's College London. Emma lives with her family in Hertfordshire.
Emma's appointment as Registrar of St Paul's will see her assist the Cathedral Chapter with their executive responsibilities and to take on much responsibility for the management and development of the Cathedral.
The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, said: "I'm very glad indeed to welcome Emma as a member of the team at St Paul's. She brings with her a wide range of skills and experience, including managing complexity and implementing change, and is well placed to help the Cathedral as we work together to achieve our strategic plan for the next generation, building on the good work of our current Registrar."
Emma said: "It is a privilege to have been appointed Registrar. I am looking forward to working with the team at St Paul's to deliver the wide range of responsibilities, serving the Chapter, as well as the wider community in and around this world famous institution and iconic building."
Emma takes up the position on the retirement of Nicholas Cottam, Registrar since 2008.
Emma Davies

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
SNL should make Dana Carvey its new Joe Biden
Allahpundit Mar 24, 2021 3:41 PM ET
A treat to cleanse the palate on a slow Wednesday afternoon. Before this, I don't know that I'd ever seen a truly good Biden impression. (I've never seen a great one.) The almost irresistible temptation when impersonating him would be to resort to a broad parody of senility, but that would end up off the mark. Biden rarely seems like he's so far gone that he doesn't know what day it is.
But he often seems like his train of thought is perilously close to running off the rails.
That's one thing that makes Carvey's spoof good. He's got Biden's mien and cadence dialed in well enough but the laughs come from the degree to which he dissolves into casual gibberish. The other clever element lies in which Biden he chose to satirize. Sleepy Joe's most memorable moments are when he turns into a daffy loudmouth, challenging some heckler to a push-up contest or whatever, but you rarely see that side of him anymore like you did in his younger days. Nowadays we're more apt to get the soft-spoken, grandfatherly "healer" persona. And that's the one Carvey has fun with, shrewdly.
SNL should bring him back sporadically to reprise this. I don't know how many skits can be squeezed from a single joke about the president descending into affable incoherence, but let's find out.
By the way, if you're my age and grew up watching Carvey on SNL, here's a fun fact to make you feel very, very old: He's not that much younger than Joe Biden himself. In my mind he's perpetually in the heyday of his early 30s but in reality he's 65. Consider this clip an amusing memento mori.
Carvey is so much better than anyone SNL has had doing Bidenpic.twitter.com/Wyw18cfE8n
— Christopher Cadelago (@ccadelago) March 24, 2021
Tags: JOE BIDEN SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE SNL COLBERT IMPRESSION DANA CARVEY


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Hold the Press: Runaway Smile is out! | Sally Ember, Ed.D.
Hold the Press: Runaway Smile is out!
You may remember how Runaway Smile is published in Greece under the auspices of a traditional publisher, George Vasdekis. He kindly arranged for Electra and me to visit the printers today, for a sneak peak behind the scenes. We arrived there just as the still-hot-from-the-presses books were shipped to bookstores.
Seriously though, there's nothing quite like the smell or the sound of a press. I found myself drawing deep breaths to take it all in, and even taking random pictures of printing machines. In fact, I thought you might enjoy to share these, so here are the exciting photos!


A soil-cement sampling device and method of sampling soil-cement is provided. The soil-cement sampling device may include an inner tube arranged within an outer tube. The inner tube may be removably connected to the outer tube and may be split into two longitudinal sections removably connected to each other. The inner and outer tubes may be inserted into a recently mixed soil-cement mixture before it hardens and a sample of the soil-cement mixture may be collected in the inner tube after it hardens. Once the sample hardens, the inner tube may be removed from the outer tube and the longitudinal sections may be separated to expose the soil-cement sample for inspection and testing.
Music by Margo Guryan; Produced by Allen Stanton.
"Baby I Could Be So Good At Lovin' You" by The Sandpipers was written by Buz Clifford. This song was released in 1973 with A-Side "The World Is A Circle" (A&M AMS-7040, AMK-4868, A&M 1388), and produced by Allen Stanton, arranged & conducted by Nick De Caro.


text:
Chang Wanquan
May 11, 2015 by Dmitry Gorenburg
Moscow Conference on International Security 2015 Part 3: Speeches by foreign defense ministers
This year, there were a lot of foreign defense ministers participating in the Moscow Conference on International Security. In fact, there were so many that the organizers had to take an unscheduled break as the conference running well over time, with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu notably absent after the panel resumed. In this post, I will summarize the most interesting of the presentations. Videos of all the plenary speeches are available on the Russian Defense Ministry website.
Not surprisingly, the first slot in this lineup was given to Chang Wanquan, the Minister of Defense of the People's Republic of China. Minister Chang focused on the development of a multipolar world as the center of gravity in international affairs has moved in recent years. He noted that some countries (not mentioning the U.S. by name) have been trying to obtain absolute security, which has complicated the international situation. China has been promoting a comprehensive vision of global security, focused on the need for a fair international order, the idea that common development enables security, and the primacy of dialog and cooperation over threats and the use of force. He noted that the PLA has been focused on safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as crises on China's periphery have been causing insecurity for the country. He also mentioned the role of the PLA Navy in conducting evacuations from Yemen and Libya and conducting other humanitarian missions such as disaster assistance and providing medical help for the Ebola crisis in West Africa. He highlighted the need to commemorate the victory over Nazism in World War II and the steps that China has been taking to promote development through the AIIB Bank and various Silk Road initiatives. Minister Chang concluded with a discussion of new efforts to conduct military dialog and increase military cooperation between China and the United States as part of efforts to counter terrorist threats and violent extremism. The overall perception from the speech was of China performing a careful balancing act between supporting Russia as the conference host while telegraphing that it was not interested in getting involved in any kind of confrontation with the United States.
Panos Kammenos, the Greek Defense Minister, was the only senior military official from a NATO country to make a presentation. He began with a statement highlighting the strong ties between Greece and Russia based on spiritual and historical connections, as well as on the two countries' joint fight against fascism. He mentioned the dangers posed by terrorism and by new asymmetrical and hybrid security threats. The financial crisis that has affected the European Union has led to an increase in instability. Traditional security problems have been joined by new threats, such as ethnic and religious conflict, mass migration, and the dissemination of arms to non-state actors. He argued that the greatest security threat is posed by terrorism and religious conflict in the Middle East and the role of Greece as the bastion of Europe in this area. In this context, he mentioned the significance of Greece's Hellenic initiative to protect Christians in the Middle East. He concluded by noting that security cannot be divided into internal and external areas. The same terrorist groups are attacking both the U.S. and Russia, so there is no choice but to have both countries working together to resolve this crisis.
The Pakistani Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, highlighted the emergence of new security threats in the last years. He noted that the radicals of the Islamic State have created a transregional crisis that has heightened the danger of the fragmentation of the modern state order. Conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen can all be viewed as outcomes of failed regime change, the Arab spring and regional conflict. The old order in the Middle East is dying, while external powers are the only force preventing the emergence of a new order based on religious radicalism. Local extremists in Southeast Asia and Africa are losing foot soldiers to transnational groups such as the Islamic State and Daesh. The region needs a comprehensive social, economic, and political reform package that must be combined with ongoing military actions. 200 thousand Pakistani soldiers are currently fighting terrorists in northwest Pakistan. We need to compromise on principles to ensure that the conflict ends (referring to Charlie Hebdo and Muhammad cartoons).
The Iranian Defense Minister, Hossein Dehghan, started by describing ISIS as a global cancer that has support from foreign states. He blamed the United States and Israel for using these groups to change the strategic balance in the region. He made a very strong statement against Saudi aggression in Yemen, arguing that as a result in the future Saudi Arabia will face the same situation as Saddam Hussein did. He argued that Saudi Arabia has killed many civilians through its aerial bombing campaign and needs to stop supporting terrorism in the Middle East. The international community needs to stop foreign interference in Yemen. Iran, by contrast, is a factor for stability in the region. He then turned to U.S. cyber attacks on Iran and the role of the U.S. as a threat to international security. He proposed a multilateral cooperation initiative between Iran, Russia, China, and India against U.S. missile defense and other international threats. He highlighted that Iran is focused on the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The North Korean Defense Minister, Hyon Yong Chol, did not pull any punches in his speech. He started by arguing that the U.S. is the greatest threat to world peace and has caused an increase in the risk of war on the Korean peninsula by its actions. He called the U.S. and South Korea a cancer, because they want to overthrow the DPRK and dominate northeast Asia in order to put added pressure on Russia and China. He called the 1953 armistice worthless and argued that North Korea has been threatened by a U.S. nuclear attack. Efforts to have dialog with the U.S. did not achieve any results as it became clear that the U.S. just wanted to eliminate North Korean nuclear weapons without creating a peace deal. "If we had peace, we would not need nuclear weapons." If the U.S. were to suspend joint exercises with South Korea, North Korea would stop its nuclear program. Instead, the U.S. is trying to create an Asian NATO.
The Indian Defense Minister, Rao Inderjit Singh, highlighted that most nations have now given up some of their sovereignty to various transnational bodies, as the have recognized that traditional state instruments are not adequate to respond to modern threats. Non-state actors are becoming orchestrators of conflict. States can't reign them in or are even tacitly encouraging them in some cases. Responses need to combine hard and soft power. Conventional wars have declined in recent years, as have civil wars. Now, multi-polarity is allowing old rivalries to reemerge. In addition, there are new forms of threat from resource scarcity and climate change. Armed forces have to be prepared to fight both high end threats and irregular warfare. Space, cyberspace, and even underground warfare are now part of the war environment and have to be taken into account. Rapid technological innovation will help wealthy states and local entrepreneurs of violence, while potentially hurting the middle powers.
Posted in Security issues	| Tagged Chang Wanquan, China, Greece, Hossein Dehghan, Hyon Yong Chol, India, Iran, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, MCIS, North Korea, Pakistan, Panos Kammenos, Rao Inderjit Singh | 2 Comments


24 feet, holy hell thats awesome..............what are the width and height of this bad boy!!!
It's 3....8 foot sections that form an L shape. 3 Feet wide and 30 inches high.
Arent pbass a little aggressive?
Ahhh! Should have made it Saltwater. That size aquarium you could have really made it a great looking setup! Nothing agasint FreshWater fish there just less apealing I guess to myself. To each their own though.
Post pictures when you have them!
"A Bite Above The Rest"
saltwater fish are very colorful and beautiful but if you want fresh water.. are you in canada or outside the US? I would get some asian arowana, datnoids, leopoldi stingrays, tigrinus, ornate and delhezi bichirs. if i had the tank and it was allowed here to have those fish i would fill them up with the fish i mentioned.
True, canada = snake heads and asian aro's!!!


IBM® IMS™ High Performance Image Copy for z/OS® provides high-speed database copy and recovery features for the rapid backup and recovery of database data sets. It automates the error-prone manual operations normally required to create IMS image copies. It helps you speed database backup and recovery time by supporting quick shots of image copies and restarting methods.
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text:
'use strict';

/**
 * Creates a Map instance that can be serialized to JSON
 *
 * @param {(Array<!Array<?>>)=} [data] - data to create the instance
 * @returns {!Map<?, ?>}
 */
function createSerializableMap(data) {
	const map = new Map(data);

	map.toJSON = () => ({
		'%data': '%data:Map',
		'%data:Map': [...map.entries()].sort(([key1], [key2]) => {
			if (key1 > key2) {
				return 1;
			}

			if (key1 < key2) {
				return -1;
			}

			return 0;
		})
	});

	return map;
}

/**
 * Creates a Set instance that can be serialized to JSON
 *
 * @param {!Array<?>=} [data] - data to create the instance
 * @returns {!Set<?, ?>}
 */
function createSerializableSet(data) {
	const set = new Set(data);

	set.toJSON = () => ({
		'%data': '%data:Set',
		'%data:Set': [...set.values()].sort()
	});

	return set;
}

/**
 * Reviver for `JSON.parse` to parse Map/Set instances
 *
 * @param key
 * @param val
 * @returns {?}
 */
function jsonReviver(key, val) {
	if (val != null && typeof val === 'object' && '%data' in val) {
		return val[val['%data']];
	}

	if (/^%data:/.test(key)) {
		switch (key.split(':')[1]) {
			case 'Map': return new Map(val);
			case 'Set': return new Set(val);
		}
	}

	return val;
}

module.exports = {
	createSerializableMap,
	createSerializableSet,
	jsonReviver
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The time has come to reverse the narrative. I write to you to authenticate YOUR story; one that you wrote out by the flick of your very own wrist, as the ink gushed all through the ages from your majestic lips. I write that the façade that has been long accepted by your children will be replaced rightfully by truth, and love. And love.
Gone are the days of familiarity with utter failure, disgust, lack of resources, ridicule, remorse… all of which was pasted on each self standing vertebrae on this glorious spine of a living narrative, while your face was and always had been aglow. Its beholders unaware of the stem cells spelling reputation renewed and blossoming to heal the wounds of centuries censored to deception. To deception.
Gone is the season that your children were made commodities for no better reason than to veil the insecurities of the outsiders, of what a mighty, indestructible home you were going to build for your children at a steady and sure pace. They wouldn't let it slide; thus came hurry with no blessings, instilled insidious seeds of destruction to drag you down. But my, oh my, Afrika, thou art resilient. You turned those seeds of shame into splendor. And still, unshaken, you rise. You rise.
Gracefully gliding to the dawn of a new age. A new age.
Afrika mama, we shall hold onto your roots, to the ultimate, unclouded foundation of our being. We shall embrace our language, our legacy, our lineage, our diverse beauty and intellect and creativity.
Because in the heart of Afrika is the well of our strength and vigour. Afrika, you are the source, they, the sink. Your children shall know that You are the giver, the lender and the possessor of the great wealth that you birth. You are, you are, our Mother.
The time is this, the time is now. We shall proclaim that we have broken free from the mental slavery that has for so long held us back. We are reversing our narrative to that which is purely true and told by you. Because our identity is not grounded on abstract colour, rainbow though it be, or whatever else They have to say. Their opinion is the least of our concerns. For now we shall be called by your name, mama; Afrika. Afrika.
I'm so glad you loved the piece. You could always pass on the word and spread the vibe.
She did a splendid job on this one.
What a piece! This generation'z gonna set the pace for this continent. Rise up Afrika. The TIME IS NOW.
The time sure is now.


How can I get to the Stip?!
You mean the town of Stip??? if it is that, from Skopje you take the bus and go to Stip in an hour and a half...Or by car from Skopje you take the highway to the south and after 30 km you exit toward Stip, there is a sign that you can't miss...good luck!


text:
Q: Android проект выдаёт ошибку Скажите как исправить ошибку?
package First.App2;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.*;
import android.widget.Button;

public class MyActivity extends Activity {

    Button button = (Button) findViewById(R.id.Num1_btn);
    button.OnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        public void onClick(View v) {

        }
    }
    );

Выдаёт ошибку на OnClickListener и View v

A: Вот так:
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.my_layout);

    Button button = findViewById(R.id.Num1_btn);
    button.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View v) {

        }
    });
}

и так: import android.view.View;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Pro Stock Motorcycle
You are here: Home / Archives for Pro Stock Motorcycle
Relaxed pace for Pro Stock Motorcycle's Katie Sullivan
March 22, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels// 2 Comments
Beside the big sea of semi-rigs and stacker trailers, a smaller grassroots-style gooseneck trailer sits at the end of the PRO pit row. The pit configuration is more fitting of the relaxed pace for Pro Stock Motorcycle's Katie Sullivan and her father-daughter team based out of Corning, California. Sullivan, who at age 18 was the youngest female to ever qualify for and NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle event, has been a steady face in the class ever since, working hard to make her Pro Stock Motorcycle dream a reality.
She began in the Junior Dragster ranks at the age of nine, quickly falling in love with the sport and earning herself one track championship, one runner-up, and numerous event wins in the junior ranks. Around age 12, she fell in love watching motorcycles racing, and knew she belonged on a drag bike. That dream turned into a reality shortly after her 16th birthday. Her first year on a drag bike, she appeared in 5 finals and qualified number 1 at numerous events. But at the age of 17, she suffered a devastating knee injury while playing high school basketball, that sidelined her racing.
Determined to come back to her motorcycle, she spent hours in physical therapy with the goal to climb back on the bike and resume her racing career. Once she was able to overcome the injury, she quickly set her sights on becoming the youngest female to ever qualify in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle. At 18, just days after her high school graduation, Katie was able to accomplish her goal of qualifying for an NHRA national event. She became just the seventh female to do so in the class, and even earned her first round win against her childhood idol, Karen Stoffer in her first professional start.
In 2009, Katie and Charlie purchased their own Pro Stock Motorcycle, embarking on their own program which has allowed Katie the flexibility to finish her college education and handling her full-time responsibilities for her two own businesses: Kalifornia Katie's Trailer Sales and Tough Girl Designs. Though she would love to be out on the tour full-time, the fun and family-focused relaxed pace for Pro Stock Motorcycle's Katie Sullivan has been very rewarding for her personally. The duo spend their time together traveling on the road to races, and working on the bike during the evening hours when home. Though it may be a lot of hard work for the small team, and can be especially tiring when returning to a full-time job at home, Katie says her heart is in NHRA PSM racing, as evident by her persistent smile. At the track, she enjoys interacting with the fans in a more relaxed and friendly setting, and takes time to help inspire kids by allowing them to be up close to her PSM bike, even sitting them on the seat for photos.
2016 Gatornationals
Katie and her dad Charlie made the over 40 hour and 2,900 mile haul from their northern California home base to Gainesville, Florida for the 47th annual Amalie Motor Oils NHRA Gatornationals, the Pro Stock Motorcycle (PSM) class season opening event. Last season, they attended 5 events total – Charlotte, Denver, Sonoma, Las Vegas and Pomona – finishing 23rd out of 39 drivers in the class at the end of the year. They made a few changes over the off-season on her Suzuki PSM and were ready to get started in Katie's eighth professional PSM season of racing in Gainesville.
But the family encountered some unexpected issues in qualifying. In the opening round, Katie made it about 400 feet out before having to abort, coasting to an 11.695 at 68.94 mph. Round two saw her launch stray towards the wall, resulting in another aborted run of 12.132 at 63.73 mph. In round three, she made her best pass of the weekend, running a 7.136 at 187.26 mph, moving her from the bottom of the ladder to the No. 23 position. Between rounds, the team had made some changes to the carburetors looking to improve, but something went wrong in the linkages after the burnout, and while trying to stage the bike for her final attempt to get into the field, the idle refused to come down. NHRA shut the bike down for safety, and Katie would not qualify for the Gatornationals this year, ending up in the No. 25 spot.
Undiscouraged, she plans to try again at the 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte later in April. They will regroup and come up with a game plan to pick back up and improve their efforts. Always mindful of their limited resources, they arranged to house the bike with a fellow competitor on the east coast to avoid another pair of cross-country hauls. Though she has yet to earn her first event victory, she's having fun and to her, that's just as rewarding.
Best of luck to "Kalifornia" Katie Sullivan!
Category: Driver Features, Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Katie Sullivan, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing
Mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey
March 22, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels// Leave a Comment
Photo: Star Racing
Angelle Sampey was fresh off a near-perfect test session with her brand new Star Racing Buell NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle entering the 47th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. The three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle World Champion posted her career-best ET on the new bike in only the second pass of testing. As they arrived at Gainesville Raceway, the Star Racing team showed plenty of confidence in the new program. But mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey meant the team had plenty of hard work on their hands for the duration of the weekend. She made the field, but would not have the season opening event she had hoped for, exiting early in the first round of eliminations.
Mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey plague qualifying
The very first session, Angelle would launch hard, but something went amiss on the bike, and by half track she was coasting to an 8.629 at 98.03 mph effort. Star Racing team owner, George Bryce, took it back to the pits and discovered that the engine had expired in 4th gear. That left them swapping engines between rounds.
Round two, Angelle was able to get it down the track, and jumped up the ladder with a 6.854 second E.T. at 192.44 mph. It was good enough to get her the provisional No. 4 position, but the back-up engine also had issues at the lights.
Angelle made it to high gear before we tossed a pushrod out," said Bryce after the run. "Still went 6.85, we where down 5 MPH, as she coasted through."
This meant engine number three for Angelle, and the Star Racing team was back to work in the pits, preparing for the third round of qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Sampey, who had maintained the provisional No. 4 qualifying position entering the third round, would complete her burnout and begin to stage when the starter spotted fluid coming from the bike – an oil leak, and shut her down.
After taking care of the oil leak, Angelle and her Star team would have one last qualifying attempt to try and gain some data on the track and the swap to back up engine #3. Sitting at the back of staging awaiting her final qualifying pass, a few in front of her would bump her down the ladder a few spots. She would take the line in the No. 7 position, and would get down the track with a 6.847 at 195.70 mph pass, enough to push her up to the No. 5 final qualifying position. The pass was the third-quickest run of the round, giving her 1 additional bonus qualifying point.
Seeing Red in Eliminations
With a secure spot in the top half of the eliminations ladder, Sampey would face No. 12 Jim Underdahl in the opening round on Sunday. She had lane choice, and entered the round calm and confident on the bike. But unfortunately, the dreaded red light came on for Angelle by just -0.002 thousandths of a second, handing the win to Underdahl. She would post a 6.956-second pass at 197.19 mph.
The bike bogged at the launch," said Sampey. "I have to tell you, I don't know what else I could've done differently. I did everything like I usually do and I can't believe it went red. After I launched, it bogged so bad it almost died. We're thinking that contributed to why it went red."
An early exit was a big disappointment to Angelle and the PSE/Star Racing team, but Sampey knows the team made a lot of progress, although they did not experience the successes they were hoping for.
George Bryce confirmed that the red light was due more to mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey and not driver error.
"We got beat and outrun," said Bryce of the first round loss. "I missed the clutch tune up, the clutch did not slip at all. A Pro Stock motorcycle must have clutch slip at the launch. When Angelle popped the clutch the bike just reacted too quick AND the engine bogged 2800 RPM. I try to get it to 600 to 700 rpm bog. Of course all of that "helped" her go -.002 red light. She was very calm and confident and the starting line, 1st round but, when the engine almost choked off, it took so long to recover. The time for the quarter mile took too long, 6.95 instead of the time it should have run. Good news is she still ran over 197 MPH on that bogging run."
Sampey didn't let it keep her down long though. She knows that they are working out some early issues and is ready to get to the next event to pick back up and show the field what they are truly capable of doing in the class.
"I feel I was lucky to be No. 5 with all the trouble we had with the engines in qualifying. It's the first race of the season and I'm riding a brand new motorcycle. It's the first race back with two bikes and we're trying to learn. It was a productive weekend even though it wasn't a successful weekend by our standards."
Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors watch out, Angelle and the Star Racing team is coming for them. The next race for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class will be the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina April 22-24, 2016.
Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Angelle Sampey, Drag Racing, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing
Angelle Sampey ready for the Gatornationals
NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran and the winningest female in all of motorsports, Angelle Sampey is fresh off a successful test session and ready for the 47th Annual Amalie Motor Oils Gatornationals.
The Gatornationals marks the season opener, and first of 16 events for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Angelle Sampey is no stranger to the Gainesville, Florida racetrack, having made her way to the finals four times in her career, taking the event win in 1999, 2003, and 2006. The 3x time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle World Champion returned from retirement briefly in 2014, before returning full-time in 2015 after her recovery from a pit-related accident in 2014 ended her return prematurely.
I'm very very excited," said Sampey. "I can't wait to get back on. I'm nervous but not a worried nervous. It's more of an excited and anxious nervous."
For 2016, Angelle and teammate Cory Reed will debut new Precision Service Equipment/Star Racing Buells for competition. After not feeling 100% comfortable with her bike last season, the new bike was custom fitted to her, and the Star Racing team has worked hard during the off-season to prepare for a championship run in 2016.
The Americus, Georgia based Star Racing team took the new bikes to South Georgia Motorsports Park for some test passes.
I've been training hard and I've got a brand new motorcycle. I haven't had a brand new motorcycle in a long time and they build this bike to fit me and nobody else."
After a brief introduction by Star Racing owner, George Bryce, to her brand new motorcycle, Angelle was pleased and wasted no time in getting down to business putting the new bike through the paces. The veteran champ showed confidence on the motorcycle pulling into the waterbox, through the first burnout and in staging. The very first pass down the racetrack, Angelle posted a 6.86 second, followed by a career-best 6.826 @ 197.57 mph in just the second ever pass on the brand new motorcycle. The Star Racing team and Angelle Sampey are ready for the Gatornationals!
Angelle Sampey | Career-Best ET in Gatornational Testing [VIDEO]
Second run in the books and its low ET again!! 6.826 @ 197.57 mph!!!! And We still have room for improvement! #Angelle#StarRacing
Posted by Angelle Sampey on Monday, March 14, 2016
Victory Motorcycle driver Angie Smith eager to return
December 14, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels// Leave a Comment
Victory Motorcycle driver Angie Smith is eager to return to NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competition in 2016. The husband-wife power team of Angie and Matt Smith introduced the Victory Motorcycle brand to the NHRA Mellow Yellow drag racing series competition this season, after Victory began looking for a way to get into the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class in late 2014. They met with a handful of teams before settling on the championship-winning pair.
Tough transition for Victory Motorcycle driver Angie Smith
But pioneering a new build and combination isn't without its difficulties and challenges, as the team worked hard to develop the new Victory Pro Stock Motorcycle program. Angie struggled early in the season with the aerodynamics of the new smaller fairing on the Victory race-prototypes. At one of the first test sessions with the new bike, the team discovered that the Victory's smaller fairing pro duced much higher wind resistance, with Angie's hand actually blowing off the handlebars on one of her early runs, overpowering her slight build. She kept control and stayed on the bike, but her confidence suffered.
An NHRA-approved midseason adjustment to the bodywork alleviated some of the wind resistance that the team was fighting, also helping to put the Victory more on par to the other manufacturers in the class in performance and speed.
"It took a while to get my confidence back," she said. "But toward the end of the season, I was doing a lot better. I think in 2016 we're going to be really, really good."
As the season progressed, so did the confidence of Angie Smith. She began the season at the bottom of the Pro Stock Motorcycle ladder, with a DNQ at the 4-wide Nationals and 7 total #16 qualifying starts. But midseason, during the Western swing, their tireless efforts would begin to turn around, netting her a #11 qualified position for the Bandimere event and a season-best #8 effort in Maple Grove.
We are 100 percent behind this deal," Angie said. "There's no 9-to-5, 40-hour work week. We've been putting in all of out time to make this program better because we want to make Victory happy and we want to be happy as racers. We want this partnership with Victory Motorcycles to last a lifetime. We want to get as many people as we can riding Victory Motorcycles. The best way to do that is win because that shows everyone how great these motorcycles are."
Though she encountered a rocky start in 2015, Smith is no novice to the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks. Angie is one of just 15 women in NHRA's 64-year history to claim a national event trophy, and her crew chief/husband Matt says she will be adding to her career total in 2016.
She's come a long way over the last couple of years," he said. "The 2015 season was kind of a setback for her, mainly because of how the wind affects her on the Victory. She'll be a lot better in 2016. We've just got to get her some more laps. She'll be good next year."
Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Angie Smith, Drag Racing, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing
Valerie Thompson returns to NHRA
November 9, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels// Leave a Comment
Seven-time land speed record holder Valerie Thompson returns to NHRA Drag Racing competition to compete in the full season as an independent team owner and driver. Thompson will be riding a Star Racing built Pro Stock Motorcycle in all of the events on the schedule for the PSM class. The team will be led by recently appointed crew chief, Chris Rivas, a former Pro Stock Motorcycle racer with four NHRA event wins and six land speed racing world records of his own.
"Chris Rivas has been successful in drag racing while setting new land speed records. As a crew chief, he will be one of my biggest assets. He understands the difference between quarter-mile and land speed racing, so he can help our team with everything from bike set-up to my riding technique as I transition back to drag racing," added Thompson.
Valerie Thompson began her motorcycle-racing career in the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA), where she finished third in the V-Rod Destroyer class in 2007 and was featured in a Super Bowl commercial with Danica Patrick. She entered several NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle events in 2008, with a best elapsed time of 7.05 seconds.
"I have a real passion for land speed racing, but I can't express how excited I am to return to my 'racing roots' with a bike built by George Bryce's Star Racing team. George and his wife Jackie, operate one of the most successful NHRA Pro Stock motorcycle teams in the history of the sport, so I'm confident we will do well next year," said Thompson.
Star Racing and owner George Bryce have won six NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championships and collected 80 different NHRA national event wins under their 10 different Star riders. The high performance motorcycle company is also a worldwide mail-order parts business, with engine building, a state-of-the-art machine shop and dyno services.
"I'm delighted to see Valerie returning to drag racing and thankful she chose Star Racing to help her new team. We are also looking forward to working with Chris Rivas again," said George Bryce, Star Racing owner.
While Valerie Thompson returns to NHRA and is excited for the homecoming, she also plans on continuing the quest for new land speed racing records with her team's BMW S 1000 RR at select events in 2016 as her schedule permits.
Thompson formed her own land speed racing team in 2012, and has went on to record a personal best top speed of 217 mph at the 2014 Texas Mile. This year, Valerie became the first female member of the Colorado Mile 200 MPH Club on her Quicksilver Powersports Lubricants/CTEK BMW Motorrad and is now a member of six-land speed racing 200 MPH Clubs, including the prestigious Bonneville 200 MPH Club. As a result, she is often referred to as "America's Queen of Speed."
The 2016 NHRA schedule includes 16 Pro Stock Motorcycle events with the first scheduled for March 17 – 20 at the Gatornationals in Gainesville Florida.
Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Valerie Thompson, Women Racing
D.R.A.W. Awards Angelle Sampey
November 9, 2015 // by Kelly Morris// 5 Comments
The ladies of the Drag Racing Association of Women (D.R.A.W.) presented the People Of The Year Award to NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Angelle Sampey on Saturday October 31, 2015 at the Las Vegas Strip.
"I don't feel like I deserve this award but I am so honored and blessed to receive it!! I was so shocked when the awesome ladies of D.R.A.W. Presented it to me here at the Las Vegas Strip." – Angelle Sampey
D.R.A.W. – Fast Help for Fast Friends
The Drag Racing Association of Women (DRAW) is a non-profit organization that provides financial and emotional support to qualified individuals involved in drag racing accidents at a track. From 1985 through 2014, DRAW has helped 799 racing families and provided a total of $4,055,442 in financial assistance.
A year ago, after Angelle suffered a season-ending injury to her achilles tendon, D.R.A.W. was able to give her assistance financially to help her and her family through the experience.
Sampey donated the helmet worn in Pro Stock Motorcycle competition all season long in 2015 to the organization for a future fundraising auction. As she says today "they truly are, Fast Help For The Fast Friends."
Source: Angelle Sampey, Facebook
Category: Heel ClicksTag: Angelle Sampey, Drag Racing, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing
New Jersey event sponsor for Angelle Sampey
June 3, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels// Leave a Comment
NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle driver Angelle Sampey and her Star Racing team just announced a new event sponsor for the upcoming 46th Annual NHRA Toyota Summernationals in Englishtown, New Jersey. Platinum General Construction Services joined the Star Racing team as an event sponsor after owner Ralphie Navarro visited the three-time world champion's new crowd-funding program, JoinTeamAngelle.com a sponsorship initiative for fans to get involved with the team.
With sponsorship through the JoinTeamAngelle.com campaign, Platinum General Construction Services will have its logo featured on Sampey's Star Racing motorcycle during the event. Other perks include pit uniforms for Platinum General Construction Services staff members, meet-and-greet time with Sampey and the Star Racing team and tickets to all sessions of the Toyota Summer Nationals event.
When I first saw the opportunity that Star Racing and Angelle were offering through the JoinTeamAngelle.com website, I knew right away that it would be a great fit for us because it offers affordable access to a major sponsorship with benefits our staff can enjoy," said Mr. Navarro. "I've been looking for a special event opportunity to share with our staff. We have a great team of people who do such a terrific job every day, and the chance to share a weekend of NHRA racing with the Star Racing team is one I couldn't pass up. Plus, I've been a big fan of Angelle over the years. She's a true superstar in this sport. Star Racing is one of the all-time great teams in NHRA, and this was an opportunity for me to be able to step up and make a difference for them."
Employee Hospitality
Select employees of the New Jersey-based Platinum General Construction Services company will get the opportunity to experience the activities at the Toyota Summer Nationals event. Star Racing will be hosting the Platinum General Construction Services staff in the team's pit area, and they will have the opportunity to see what takes place behind the scenes as Sampey and the Star team prepare to race.
What makes this event sponsorship with Star Racing and JoinTeamAngelle.com so special is that they are going to be sharing time with us and taking us inside their racing operation," said Mr. Navarro. "I want to compliment Star Racing on the JoinTeamAngelle.com program because it offers our company a number of advantages through our sponsorship. This type of opportunity is totally unique and I would encourage other smaller or mid-sized companies to visit JoinTeamAngelle.com. Platinum General Construction Services is proud to be a part of Team Angelle, and we are counting the hours until we get to the track."
Star Racing team owner George Bryce was able to put together a custom program that fit the needs of Navarro's company.
Quite obviously, we are thrilled that Raphie Navarro and Platinum General Construction Services will be joining us through the JoinTeamAngelle.com campaign at the Toyota Summer Nationals as an event sponsor. When Ralphie contacted us about what he had in mind to celebrate the work of his staff, we immediately began working with him on designing an event sponsor package that would create a meaningful and memorable experience for his company. We want to salute Ralphie as a sponsor and as a business owner who sincerely cares about his staff. One of the advantages we have with the JoinTeamAngelle.com campaign is that we can customize sponsor packages for an event, a series of events or the entire season."
Approaching Crowd Funding Goal
The JoinTeamAngelle.com fan sponsorship drive has continued to gain momentum since the program debuted in mid-May during the NHRA Atlanta Dragway event. Currently at the 70% threshold, the campaign is on-track to reach its initial $30,000 goal in its first 30 days.
It's been quite gratifying and quite humbling to see the response we have received in the first couple of weeks following the announcement and debut of JoinTeamAngelle.com," said Mr. Bryce. "We have seen our fans engaged in ways that I've not seen in my 40 years in racing. Through the website, fans are watching our videos, reading our blogs and getting a sense of what happens on the inside of a racing team. We've also seen small and mid-sized businesses approach us concerning sponsorships that are financially reachable and provide value for their organizations. The campaign has given our team tremendous momentum and we are excited about the possibilities for the season."
Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Angelle Sampey, Drag Racing, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing
Karen Stoffer out first round in Atlanta
An early exit for Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran, Karen Stoffer at the 35th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia this weekend. Stoffer, who is still running a limited schedule due to lack of sponsorship, started the weekend off well in qualifying but was just too aggressive off the line, losing at the tree on Sunday.
Photo: NHRA
All-female opening round
During qualifying, the 2015 Gatornationals winner was able to post an impressive 6.875 second elapsed time at 195.59 mph, earning her the top qualifier position. The pole marked Karen Stoffer's third career No. 1, and the first this season. This would pair her first round against No. 16 qualifier, Angie Smith. Though Stoffer carried the advantage entering the first round of eliminations, a 7-0 record over Smith, she was a touch too early off the starting line, turning on the red light and handing the win to Angie. Karen left 0.002 seconds before the tree, a false start making her 6.861 second 195.3 mph pass invalid. Meanwhile, Angie would have trouble down track, running a slower but winning 7.199 second E.T. at 162.98 mph.
Seeking Sponsorship: Help Karen Stoffer
Karen entered Atlanta Dragway No. 3 in points, but is still lacking sponsorship to put together a full-schedule. Despite her position in the championship points chase, she is unsure of where her "limited schedule" will take her for the 2015 season. The team is still aggressively seeking marketing partners to secure a full-time schedule.
Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Karen Stoffer, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing
Join Team Angelle
May 16, 2015 // by Horsepower & Heels// 1 Comment
Star Racing and three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Angelle Sampey just announced a crowd funding fan sponsorship campaign called Join Team Angelle designed to provide fans with unique opportunities to get closer to the action and the inner workings of the drag racing team. Today at the 35th Annual Summit Racing NHRA Southern Nationals, Star Racing team owner George Bryce and Angelle Sampey-Drago, the winningest female motorsport athlete in history held a press conference at the Atlanta Dragway to share the details of the new campaign.
The team announced that through a new website JoinTeamAngelle.com, visitors will have access to latest news and behind-the-scenes perspectives from Sampey and Bryce, through team blogs, YouTube videos and social media posts from the track, the shop and testing grounds. JoinTeamAngelle.com also allows fans a chance to get involved in the action, with details on sponsorship opportunities that have been designed to deliver enhanced access to the team and one-of-a-kind collectables from Team Angelle and Star Racing.
When I was asked to return to the NHRA circuit last year by George and Jackie Bryce of Star Racing, the overpowering pull that ultimately brought me back to the track was my connection with our fans. At Star Racing, we believe that the time has arrived to change the dynamics involved with funding a race team. Through this campaign, we are striving to provide our fans with opportunities to enjoy unmatched experiences," said Sampey.
One of the crowd favorites, Angelle regularly interacts with fans online and at the track between rounds, sharing information about her life on the road, her family and other interesting aspects of her colorful personality. Faced with an uncertain future in funding of her program, she was bombarded by fans who wanted the opportunity to help.
Over my more than 40 years in racing, I've lost count of how many fans I've met who have a deep love for our sport and also have the desire to get as close as they possibly can to it. The passion people have for our sport and the support our fans continually provide for our Star Racing Team continues to amaze me," said Bryce. "Those fans who become members of Team Angelle will have access to unique experiences that promise to bring fans closer to our team in a significant way."
From a $100 Join Team Angelle membership to event sponsorships of $7,500 and above, the crowd funding program offers a range of options which seek to provide fans with memorable benefits. The team has structured its sponsorship levels to place experiences within reach of fans and it has also designed the upper-level sponsorships packages with smaller and mid-sized businesses in mind.
Through the success of this campaign, we believe that we will consistently race to the Winner's Circle and we will be in the hunt for the Championship this season," said Sampey. "We also believe the time has arrived to give fans the opportunity to see the inner workings of a NHRA team. The packages we are offering to our fans as memberships have been designed to provide unique experiences that will take our fans behind the ropes of our race operation."
There is no doubt that Angelle has what it takes to return to the winner's circle and capture the winningest driver in the class, a feat she trails by 4 wins. She has already overcome a season-ending injury late last year, powering through rehabilitation and training to return to the bike in time for the season opening Pro Stock bike race. Since her return from retirement, there has been a different vibe surrounding her team. The vibe is a more personal feeling, a closer connection to fans that may be attributed to the old adage, "absence only makes the heart grow fonder". Her long awaited homecoming has been a treasure appreciated on both sides.
I've been in winner's circle and held the championship trophy many times in my career, but our success this year promises to be the sweetest one of all. This year, we will have a special opportunity to share our victories in the most meaningful of ways with our fans," said Bryce.
Watch Angelle and George's Announcement
For more information on the fan sponsorship campaign, visit JoinTeamAngelle.com.


WORTHINGTON - The jury began deliberations at approximately 2:40 p.m. today in the trial of Chim LoVan, age 47, of Worthington. LoVan is facing charges of second-degree murder, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, third-degree murder and two counts of first-degree manslaughter in the death of 19-year-old Blue Thyboualoy, who died June 19, 2015 after being stabbed in the abdomen with a knife. The weapon was never located.
LoVan has maintained his innocence since his arrest the day after Thyboualoy died. Although 18 people testified on behalf of the state, LoVan did not take the stand on his own behalf. The jury did hear three separate interviews between LoVan and law enforcement officials, in which he said he went over to Thyboualoy's home in the early morning hours June 19 because he was mad after he received a phone call from Thyboualoy. Allegedly, Thyboualoy had called asking for marijuana, and when he was turned down, called LoVan a racial slur.
In the first interview, LoVan says he was angry, yelling and pounding on the door. In later interviews, he states he was calm, barely touched the door and just wanted to talk. In one interview he says he planned to get money and go buy marijuana for Thyboualoy, in another he claims he doesn't do that. From one interview to another, LoVan changed his story about whether or not Thyboualoy owed him money or the amount of money he was owed.
Ryan Chomnarith, who was with Thyboualoy when the alleged assault took place, claims to have witnessed the stabbing. Ethan Duffy, who came to the residence with LoVan, testified that LoVan was angry and said they were there to get money, but claims he never saw a knife. He stated he did see LoVan pounding on the door and getting his arms inside while Thyboualoy and Chomnarith tried to hold the door closed.
Dr. Fernando Escobar testified earlier today Thyboualoy would have likely survived his stab wound if he would have sought medical attention immediately after the wound was inflicted. Instead, Thyboualoy waited until 5 p.m. that evening. He started having arrhythmia just minutes into surgery. A team was called in to resuscitate, Escobar said, and over two hours were spent trying to bring Thyboualoy back to no avail.
According to the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, the knife went through Thyboualoy's stomach and into his pancreas, severing a vein. More than a liter of blood was found inside his body cavity.
During closing arguments, defense attorney Michael Hanson said he had several issues with the case, such as a lack of a weapon, a lack of credibility on Chomnarith's part and the fact that no one called authorities after the stabbing.
Nobles County Attorney Kathy Kusz said she did not know why Chomnarith said some of the things he did, but told the jury it was their job to determine credibility. She theorized it was possibly a fear of arrest that stopped Thyboualoy and Chomnarith from calling authorities, acknowledging that Thyboualoy had methamphetamine in his system when he died, but stating no one knew when he had ingested the meth. The most compelling piece of evidence came, she said, from Thyboualoy himself, when he told law enforcement officials that he was stabbed by Monkey, a known alias of LoVan.


text:
Postdoc: Responsible Collection and Analysis of Personal Data for Justice and Security
Faculty/department Technology, Policy and Management
Level PhD degree
Maximum employment 32 hours per week (0,8 FTE)
Duration of contract 23 months
Salary scale: maximum 4084 euros per month gross (scale 10) depending on (work) experience
Technology, Policy and Management
The Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management contributes to sustainable solutions for technical challenges in society by combining the insights from engineering with the humanities and the social sciences.
The Department of Values, Technology and Innovation (VTI) focuses on the value dimension of comprehensive engineering, the overarching research theme of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM). It uniquely comprises philosophers, economists and risk scholars. It studies how to develop and diffuse responsible technological innovations that reflect deeply held social and moral values. The department is one of the largest groups in the world studying value aspects, economics and risks for a wide range of sociotechnical systems. The department plays a leading role nationally and internationally in research in responsible innovation and design for values.
The Ethics and Philosophy of Technology section is one of three sections within the VTI Department. The section plays a central role worldwide in research on ethics and philosophy of technology. The section participates in the 4TU.Centre for Ethics and Technology, a world-leading centre in the ethics of technology. The research of the section covers a broad spectrum, ranging from applied research in collaboration with engineering scholars, experimental and empirical ethics in collaboration with social scientists, and foundational research in meta-ethics, risk theory, methodology, ontology and philosophy of science, technology and design. The ethics research programme focuses specifically on design for values, risk ethics, and responsible innovation. The Ethics and Philosophy of Technology section provides for service teaching at all engineering programs of TU Delft, primarily in ethics but also in philosophy of engineering methodology and philosophy of science.
The postdoc will study how transparency of data collection and handling can best be dealt with in the context of justice and security; we will conduct several case studies to provide recommendations to combine and balance transparency with other values, such as accountability, security, fairness, autonomy, accuracy and confidentiality. The research will be carried out by TU Delft and TNO in close collaboration with the Ministry for Justice and Security.
The research will focus on the (semi)automatic collection of large amounts of data from different sources, on the (semi)automatic analysis of these data, and on the practical application of the findings from these analyses ('in the field'). Moreover, we will focus on the role of algorithms (Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence) and on their understandability, explainability, accuracy and fairness—in order to be able to detect and combat, e.g., unwanted biases or discrimination.
Part of the research will be conceptual; e.g., the clarification of relevant values (e.g., transparency, accountability, security, fairness, accuracy, confidentiality and autonomy) and of the ways in which these values play out in the context of justice and security, and in relation to each other. Another part of our research will be empirical and will be carried in close collaborate with people form the Ministry's "Living Lab Big Data". Three case studies will be carried out that focus on experiments in this Living Lab, involving, e.g., workshops and interviews, and the development of scenarios, demonstrators, and experiments.
We are looking for applicants with the following qualifications:
PhD degree in relevant discipline, like for example philosophy, ethics, law or science and technology studies (STS) with a focus on a relevant topic like ICT, privacy, or big data.
Good conceptual skills.
Preferably experience with empirical research.
Willingness to engage with relevant stakeholders like the Ministry for Justice and Security.
Good organisational skills and ability to keep deadlines.
Good English skills.
Proficiency of Dutch or willingness to acquire it.
Flexibility and readiness to work in teams.
TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, a discount for health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. An International Children's Centre offers childcare and an international primary school. Dual Career Services offers support to accompanying partners. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
Information and application
For more information about this position, please contact Ibo van de Poel, i.r.vandepoel@tudelft.nl. A more detailed description of the project is available on request. To apply, please e-mail a detailed letter of application, a curriculum vitae including publication list, the names and contact information of references and a sample of published academic work by March, 19 to Vacature-TBM@tudelft.nl . When applying for this position, please refer to vacancy number ATTBM 18.004.
Interviews with a limited number of applicants will presumably be held in March 2018. The intended starting date is April 2018.
https://www.academictransfer.com/employer/TUD/vacancy/45407/lang/en/
Tutorial Teacher Philosophy / Applied Ethics
PhD position Value Sensitive Design and Living Labs on Robotics and Energy Transitions


RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — When Atlantic Coast Conference teams open the season this week, their games will air on several television platforms, from ABC and Fox to ESPNU and the CBS Sports Network.
"I think there's some other things we can do (financially), that we are looking at," Commissioner John Swofford told The Associated Press. "But none of those things would reach the ultimate potential that the channel has."
"The single most important thing for the future of this athletic program financially is the success of the ACC Network, without question," North Carolina State athletic director Debbie Yow said.
"We have maxed out on our multimedia rights deal. We have maxed out on our apparel deal. We have maxed out on our tickets sales in football, we're close to that in basketball," Yow said. "All the financial resources that are available for us to go get, we've done really well in. We've kind of hit the wall. ... We have to have it just like the SEC and the Big Ten did."
"The fortunate thing for us is our partner," Swofford said. "Because not only in terms of their being the leader in sports television and production, talent and so forth — it's Disney, and it's ESPN, and it's ESPN2, and it's ESPNU and it's ESPN News. But it's all those Disney channels. And that's powerful in the marketplace."
Dean Jordan, a global media managing executive with the Wasserman media group who has represented the league in negotiations with ESPN, declined to discuss the ACC Network specifically but said sports remain "the big value driver" with distribution deals.
"When you think about it, people's greatest passions are for their favorite teams and their favorite team's competitors," Jordan said. "That's why regional networks are so popular. . When you look at why college football in general has risen to the heights it has, it's because all over the country in communities big or small, there are these college programs that ignite passion in their alumni, their students and their fans.
"Same as fans of the pro teams, but there's a lot more colleges and they touch a lot more people."
Swofford said it is "probable" the 2019 football schedule opens with conference games, too, for attractive matchups "out of the chute."
"The ACC Network, for it to come on board and for us to have the opportunity to really showcase what this league is all about, like some of the other leagues who have taken advantage of that opportunity — the Big Ten Network, the SEC Network, whatever — it's just great for our programs," Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney said. "It's great for our players. And I don't have any doubt it'll be something our fans will truly love."
AP Sports Writers Stephen Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas; Pete Iacobelli in Clemson, South Carolina; and Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas; contributed to this report.


text:
Congenica earns major role in world's first routine national genomic medicine service
Genomics England names Congenica as Clinical Decision Support Service partner for the delivery of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service
Cambridge Innovation Capital plc (CIC) notes that its portfolio company, Congenica, has been awarded a multi-year contract by Genomics England to be a provider of Diagnostic Decision Support Services in relation to the delivery of the UK National Health Service's (NHS) world-leading Genomic Medicine Service.
Genomics England carried out a rigorous evaluation of all the leading providers of diagnostic decision support solutions for genomics from across the globe, during a formal competitive tender process. Features including usability, clinical accuracy, case throughput and commercial value were all tested and Congenica's platform, Sapientia™, emerged as the clear leader.
Professor John Mattick, Chief Executive of Genomics England, commented, "By working with Congenica from the start of the 100,000 Genomes Project, we've been able to provide high quality variant interpretation of genomes to the NHS, helping deliver benefits to patients at scale. Now that we are embarking on the next exciting step in our journey to embed genomic medicine in healthcare, Congenica will continue to play an important role with Genomics England in delivering results to clinicians and diagnoses to patients."
The NHS is establishing the national Genomic Medicine Service inclusive of a network of Genomic Laboratory Hubs around the country serving patients with a wide variety of needs. Initially, patients who suffer with rare and inherited diseases and cancer will be able to access genomic testing - an area of focus for the Sapientia™ platform. The service began mobilising in October 2018 and will continue to provide valuable clinical information to 100,000s of patients.
Congenica's CEO, Dr David Atkins, said, "Genomics England and the NHS have done extraordinary work in building the foundations for Genomics Medicine Service. We feel privileged to continue to be part of this initiative and to be a contributor to the world's first service of this kind. While we have many other customers who have subjected us to rigorous evaluation, we are particularly proud to have beaten a very competitive field in this competition."
Sapientia™ has already been extensively validated on approximately 10,000 genomes during the 100,000 Genomes Project. During this time, Congenica's clinical scientists used Sapientia™ for clinical analysis and genomic interrogation, to generate comprehensive and actionable clinical reports.
Genomics England was established by the UK Department of Health and Social Care to deliver the 100,000 Genomes Project, which is expected to complete before the end of 2018. The experience gained from this project has enabled the NHS to advance a service which transforms the way that people are cared for in the UK, bringing genomics to the clinic and improving the quality and efficiency of the healthcare system.
Dr Andy Richards, Congenica's Chairman, said, "The UK has always been at the forefront of genomic medicine and the launch of the new NHS service further demonstrates this. The experience that Congenica has gained, working alongside the NHS and Genomics England to achieve this, puts us in a strong position to expand globally and integrate genomics effectively into other international healthcare systems."
Dr Michael Anstey, Investment Director of CIC, added, "We have supported Congenica since its foundation. This contract win validates our original vision and confirms the global potential of Sapientia™ to improve outcomes for patients as use of genomic medicine becomes the norm."
Cambridge Innovation Capital
Michael Anstey, Investment Director
Louise Rich, Head of Investor Relations and Communications
Consilium Strategic Communications (City, financial PR)
Mary-Jane Elliott
Sukaina Virji
Lindsey Neville
CIC@consilium-comms.com
Holdsworth Associates (local and trade PR)
Rachel Holdsworth
Rachel@holdsworth-associates.co.uk


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Mvc;
using AutoMapper.QueryableExtensions;
using BabyDev.Data.Contracts;
using BabyDev.Web.ViewModels;

namespace BabyDev.Web.Controllers
{
    public class TopicController : SideBarController
    {
        public TopicController(IBabyDevData data) : base(data)
        {
        }

        public ActionResult Index(int page)
        {
            var topics = this.Data.Topics
                .All()
                .OrderBy(t => t.RelatedMonths)
                .Skip(page)
                .Take(5)
                .Project()
                .To<TopicViewModel>()
                .ToList();
            return View(topics);
        }

        public ActionResult Details(int id)
        {
            var topic = this.Data.Topics.All()
                .Where(t => t.Id == id)
                .Project()
                .To<TopicViewModel>()
                .First();
            return View(topic);
        }
    }
}