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Below Rail Infrastructure
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Below Rail Infrastructure, Freight Rail
Reopened Northland line already shifting freight onto rail
Work to improve the Northland line to allow containers to be hauled by rail from Northport to Auckland are already bearing fruit. Read more
Connor Pearce 1 day ago January 20, 2021
Below Rail Infrastructure, Passenger Rail
Trains return to New Zealand commuter networks after Christmas shutdown
Trains have returned to the Auckland and Wellington networks on Monday morning, after a two-week shutdown over the Christmas and New Year break. Read more
Connor Pearce January 11, 2021, 8:00 am January 11, 2021
Below Rail Infrastructure, Latest Contracts
KiwiRail opens engagement for $1bn works pipeline
KiwiRail will hold an industry engagement session for companies to get involved with upgrades and new builds on the Auckland Metro projects portfolio. Read more
Connor Pearce December 9, 2020, 1:02 pm January 14, 2021
KiwiRail expands KLP Hybrid Polymer Sleepers application to tunnels and bridges
KiwiRail had to find an alternative solution for its aging timber sleeper infrastructure. With first positive outcomes using Lankhorst's KLP Hybrid Polymer Sleepers on mainline and turnouts, KiwiRail is moving ahead with implementing KLP Sleepers in tunnels and on bridges.
Staff Writer December 7, 2020, 10:30 am December 8, 2020
Services returning to Auckland lines after shutdowns for major repairs
Work on restoring Auckland's rail network has taken a major step forward, with weekday services returning to all lines. Read more
Connor Pearce November 18, 2020, 2:11 pm November 18, 2020
Below Rail Infrastructure, Passenger Rail, Rail Supply, Signalling & Communications
Contracts awarded for track and systems works on CRL
Two contracts have been awarded for the delivery of works for Auckland's City Rail Link.
Known as C5 and C7, the contracts have been awarded to delivery consortium Link Alliance and are within the existing project budget.
C5 primarily involves the connection between the new line from Britomart, via Aotea and Karangahape, to the existing line at Mt Eden. Where the CRL meets the North Auckland Line at Mt Eden, the twin track split into two branches, eastbound and westbound, said Francois Dudouit, project director for the Link Alliance.
"This requires changing the vertical alignment of the NAL tracks and partially the horizontal alignment, meaning replacement of tracks and overhead line equipment (OHLE) on more than 1km of the North Auckland line," he said.
"It also requires retaining walls to transition from the existing NAL track level to the CRL line – a 3.5 per cent slope. More than 1,000 piles, diaphragm and sheet pile walls will be needed to build these retaining structures and the two cross-over structures to connect to the NAL upmain."
Road and pedestrian bridges at a number of level crossings will also be built, including at Normanby Road, Fenton Street, and Porters Avenue, to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety.
The C7 contract covers the Systems Integration, Testing and Commissioning components of the CRL project. These include trackslab, track, overhead line, signalling, control systems, communications systems, control room fit-out and building work, and trackside auxiliaries. Work also includes integrating the new line and systems with the legacy systems on the Auckland rail network.
Dudouit said that work to connect the various components of the project is already occurring.
"Integration of the C5 and C7 teams into the Link Alliance is well underway across multiple workstreams including civils, programme and cost control. Early works such as utility relocations and establishing single-line running are already taking place as part of an integrated programme to deliver the City Rail Link to Aucklanders in 2024."
As these elements of the project require involvement from various stakeholder from the current network, such as the transport authority, Auckland Transport, close working relationships have been established.
"KiwiRail and Auckland Transport, and their supply partners, are formally engaged for the City Rail Link project through stakeholder partnership agreements. On a day-to-day basis, staff from both Auckland Transport and KiwiRail work in the Link Alliance offices to maximise collaboration opportunities, as part of an established interface and relationship management programme," said Dudoit.
Connor Pearce October 21, 2020, 3:15 pm October 21, 2020
Below Rail Infrastructure, Freight Rail, light rail, Passenger Rail
Election results keep rail on track in ACT and NZ
Election results over the weekend have reconfirmed the pipeline of rail projects on both sides of the Tasman.
In the ACT, where the Labor-Greens coalition government was returned with a likely increased number of representatives in the legislative assembly, future progress on the Canberra light rail is confirmed.
Prior to the election the opposition Liberals had cast doubt over the second stage of the project, suggesting that a connection to Belconnen should be built instead of the currently planned extension to Woden. ACT Labor has said that once the extension to Woden is complete, work will begin on a line from Belconnen to the Airport.
Public Transport Association of Canberra chair Ryan Hemsley said that light rail was a key election issue in the capital.
"Saturday's election results have re-confirmed the trends we saw four years ago, with strong swings towards the government in Murrumbidgee and Brindabella cementing light rail as a vote-winner," said Hemsley.
"In contrast to the pro-light rail policies offered by Labor and the Greens, the Canberra Liberals offered half-hearted and at times inconsistent support for the extension of light rail to Woden."
Light rail also made an appearance in the New Zealand election which saw the Labour Party returned with a parliamentary majority. The party, which had previously governed in a coalition with the Green Party and NZ First, has committed to progressing the Auckland light rail project from the city centre to Māngere and the Auckland Airport.
The party has committed to continue investing in KiwiRail, which has received large cash injections in recent budgets to improve New Zealand's rail infrastructure and freight services. Upgrades to Wellington's commuter rail network are also part of the party's platform.
Under investment in Auckland's rail network was revealed earlier this year and led to a city-wide restriction on services. The most recent works have seen a 10-minute frequency returned to the Eastern Line and improvements between Otahuhu and Newmarket on the Southern line. Further work on the Southern Line between Homai and Pukekohe will continue for the next three weeks.
KiwiRail chief operating officer Todd Moyle said works have been completed efficiently and on schedule.
"During the first closure on the Eastern Line the teams met their target of replacing 20 km of rail and more than 3500 sleepers on the 10km between Panmure and the city centre," he said.
"We are continuing to work with Auckland Transport to review our progress and plan the way ahead. We have agreed a programme of rolling line closures across the network is the best and most efficient way to progress this work over the coming months. For the next month our focus will remain on the Southern Line."
Further network closures are planned for the Christmas period when patronage decreases.
Connor Pearce October 20, 2020, 8:05 am October 20, 2020
A new look at rail construction: Martinus' plant department
Martinus' in-house approach is de-risking rail construction.
Having stepped up from a product supply business into a rail construction outfit, the young upstart of the Australian rail construction industry decided three years ago to head out on its own with the purchase of major multi-million-dollar pieces of machinery.
"The business has only been delivering construction projects for around eight years," said Martinus chief operating officer Ryan Baden. "For the first part of five years, we would be relying on other people's plant and equipment to do the final piece, mainly tampers, regulators, and flash butt welders. We had grown to a position where it was only the large, tier one contractors that had these pieces of equipment and we were now competing with them."
To de-risk construction projects it was working on, Martinus made the decision to purchase the plant, machinery, and equipment and recruit their own team to overhaul and maintain the growing fleet.
"It's essentially about de-risking project delivery and overall business risk ," said Baden. "We control all the pieces of the puzzle; we recruit all of our own labourers, engineers, and supervisors, plus our strong financial position and current project pipeline means we can significantly invest in our own plant and machinery.
"Our next goal was to purchase our own ballast trains – that has really changed everything for us, it solidified our end vision of having the largest fleet of specialised rail equipment in Australia, all the while ensuring we were well equipped to deliver upcoming projects and maintain full control of logistics and maintenance."
For any major rail construction project, having a few pieces of bright yellow kit is not enough by itself, there needs to be a level of logistical and rail safety knowhow to ensure that the kit is fully operational, at the right place, and at the right time.
"In the past, particularly for the product supply side of the business, we were using freight forwarders and received good service, but the plan for some time has been to bring it all inhouse."
As the fleet grew, so did the team. Martinus hired logistics manager Jason Gibson who has previously worked for a large mining company. The vertical integration of Martinus' supply chain has worked before and is now even more enhanced by their inhouse experts.
The value of these investments was realised straightaway, said David Van Hoos, national plant and asset manager for Martinus.
"The first tamper we secured was mobilised as part of the Gold Coast light rail project Stage 2. We were able to quickly bring it up to site specification and employ our own operators and fitters, we gained flexibility to adapt to program changes and minimise any potential interruptions or delays that may have occurred relying on external suppliers."
With the successful implementation of the first piece of major plant and several large- scale projects in the pipeline, it made good business sense to create a standalone plant department dedicated to servicing their own rail projects. This has also increased Martinus' capacity and capability to become a consistent and reliable interface on major rail and civil construction projects.
"What we've found is clients are looking to de-risk themselves around interfaces on sites," said Baden. "In the past, clients would bring us in to deliver the track, someone else to complete the overhead wiring, and another contractor for signalling – that's three different interfaces for them to manage. With extensive rail knowledge and strong project management skills, the next step to further add value for our clients was bringing in subject matter experts to handle the overhead wiring, signalling and comms as part of the Martinus team."
Martinus's The continuous track laying machine has been built locally.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RAIL-DEDICATED PLANT DEPARTMENT
Having established the plant department, the team under Van Hoos' leadership has grown to include a maintenance team of 15 fitters, project managers, engineers and support staff.
"Our fitters are key to the success of the plant department, we've selected them based on their industry experience, but to build on that experience we've also recruited electrical and mechanical apprentices to build a diverse and well-rounded team for the future," said Van Hoos. "It's great to be able to invest in the younger generation and teach them everything we know about rail."
Rather than swelling in size for each individual project, the team at Martinus are employed full-time to ensure that the business can deliver on any of the major projects it is engaged on. Being solely focused on rail has contributed to the energy and enthusiasm in the workshop, said Van Hoos.
Supplementing the skilled tradespeople are local suppliers, when needed. Currently, Martinus is constructing the Carmichael Rail Network (CRN), in Central Queensland, and has just engaged a local Mackay business in a $1 million contract to fabricate the metal framework for the supply consist behind Martinus' tracklaying machine. Staying in touch with locals has also come in handy as border restrictions have limited the movement of people across Australia and New Zealand. Martinus have engaged Harsco to build two continuous track lifters (CTL), who are local to Martinus' main plant department in Brisbane. The CTLs are being fabricated and manufactured locally.
"The border restrictions have also forced us to look outside of the rail industry to build our team," said Van Hoos. "We have employed members from the military, electricians from the automotive industry, and fitters from the mining sector all led by experienced industry leaders – this diverse mix adds another level of knowledge and bring a unique set of skills to our team."
"With travel restrictions in place, it's been a great advantage to have Harsco close by as we've been able to have regular progress visits and factory acceptance testing at Harsco's workshop. Any issues can be resolved very quickly, and seeing the production in the workshop first-hand has also been a bonus."
Not only has Martinus invested in machinery, but also the people needed to operate and maintain it.
MULTIGAUGE AS STANDARD
While the CRN and another project that Martinus is currently working on, the Forrestfield Airport Link are narrow gauge, the team are mindful that having dedicated narrow gauge plant and equipment will limit where it can work in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally.
"We operate an international rail business that works across three different gauges and probably about 20 different railway networks. Van Hoos and the in-house rollingstock engineers work closely to ensure that our build specification enable us to move the machinery around safely, quickly and efficiently," said Baden.
In terms of the equipment that Martinus has purchased, which in addition to ballast wagons and the continuous track lifting machine also includes a sleeper laying machine, a track laying machine, four tampers and four ballast regulators, six flash butt welders among other pieces of plant, all are designed to be used across multiple projects.
"When purchasing plant, be it new or second-hand, we have been focused on gauge convertible plant which ensures the flexibility from one project to the next," said Van Hoos.
Being able to move between standard and narrow also allows Martinus to work on shorter jobs on metropolitan networks.
"Soon, we will be taking delivery of 40 ballast wagons, two continuous track, six flash butt welders on hi-rail trucks – all brand new, gauge convertible equipment ready to go," said Van Hoos.
This fleet is complimented with six locomotives that Martinus purchased from KiwiRail.
"It was perfect timing for Martinus that KiwiRail were renewing their current locomotive fleet. The gauge and specifications of the locos were aligned to our requirements for CRN" said Van Hoos. "These locomotives will be used for construction only to haul our ballast and sleeper wagons."
While the fleet sets Martinus up for any number of projects around Australia and New Zealand, as the past year has shown, there are any number of unpredictable events that could occur in the meantime and require new thinking to ensure projects get over the line. In New Zealand, where Martinus has a contract to provide flash butt welding services to its Woburn depot and around the network. Of course, getting people there has not been possible so Van Hoos has come up with a unique fix.
"We've come up with a solution to train a local operator via video link under the supervision of our project team in New Zealand. One of our Australian based operator/fitters has been providing non- stop online training for carefully selected Martinus fitters and operators in New Zealand. This initiative has allowed us to continue on despite travel restrictions and resulted in minimal delays to KiwiRail's re-railing projects."
Martinus is ready to look at rail construction in a different way.
Connor Pearce October 1, 2020, 10:04 am October 1, 2020
KiwiRail shuts down Auckland's Southern Line for four weeks of repairs
A four-week shutdown of the Southern Line between Newmarket and Penrose will allow for major upgrades of the Auckland network. Read more
Connor Pearce September 23, 2020, 3:51 pm November 18, 2020
Government funding supports up to 100 KiwiRail apprentices
KiwiRail will employ 100 new apprentices, thanks to government funding from the Regional Apprenticeship Initiative.
The New Zealand infrastructure manager and rail operator will receive $4 million to support the employment of up to 100 apprentices who will have a pathway into employment in the rail industry.
Apprenticeships will involve areas such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electricity supply, rail operations, building/structures, and track infrastructure. Job roles will include signals and electrical specialists, train drivers, and track staff.
To facilite the training component, KiwiRail will also establish four new apprenticeship qualifications, taking the total number of qualifications to six.
KiwiRail group chief executive Greg Miller said the apprenticeships would not only ensure the trainees' future, but the longevity of the company.
"The new qualifications will make rail more than just a job – they will make it a rewarding career – and help ensure KiwiRail has the new blood and skills it needs for a strong future," he said.
With the funding support from the government, which KiwiRail will match with in-kind and cash contributions, will expand the depth of the rail industry workforce.
"This government support for apprenticeships will help us attract more young people into rail, including through a school gateway programme, and it will allow us to create a clear, sustainable pathway for them to learn skills and progress in the businesses," said Miller.
Apprentices will be employed in the regions, however applications are open to anyone. Some apprenticeships will be offered to existing staff for upskilling, but most will be delivered to new staff.
"There is a wealth of experience and knowledge among KiwiRail's staff and I want to see that passed down to the next generation," said Miller.
"KiwiRail is committed to delivering an efficient and effective rail system for New Zealand – that can help take trucks off our roads and reduce our carbon emissions – but that can't be done without people."
Apprentices who are employed by KiwiRail will have a workforce development adviser assigned to them to provide pastoral care and ongoing support to enable the apprenticeship to be successfully maintained.
Connor Pearce September 15, 2020, 1:30 pm September 15, 2020
Roll out of New Intercity Fleet delayed until 2021
Melbourne airport rail link no longer up in the air
Tracklaying underway on Carmichael Rail Network
First tunnel boring machine arrives at future State Library Station
North East Rail Line upgrade finished ahead of schedule
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Tag Archives: Mad Max
"And then what happens?"
This is the question I've been hearing in my head a lot lately. When talking to other writers trying to get going with their first project, or more importantly, with my own work. It's the question at the heart of every Stephen King novel (by his own admission during an interview) that drives him to completion. It's driven me through every tabletop RPG I ever ran. If the characters have a lot of stuff, steal it/break it/lose it. If they are sitting around doing nothing, attack them. Basic D&D fare, but it keeps the players entertained and gives hooks to hang a plot on.
Lately, I've been thinking about the little brushes I've had with Post-Modernist philosophy as I sit there watching the world burn around me in this soon to be Post-Covidiocy world with monetary collapses, market collapses, and the death of western civilization staring me right in the puss.
As a spec fic author, this is really important when I start considering the future. How much of it will be Mad Max? How much "1984" or "Brazil"? Will it be "A Brave New World"? Anyone for "Soylant Green"? Or will it be all of it with a side of "Hunger Games"? My money's on "A Brave New 1984 in Brazil while having Soylent Green for Tea with Mad Max".
Photo by Artem Lysenko on Pexels.com
But it's also got me thinking more deeply on the roots of creativity thanks to a video by "The Quartering" who talked about the new "Cruella" film being a female version of "Joker". Mind you, I've seen the spoilers and went…. really? Not my cup of tea, but at least the fans seem to like it so who am I to criticize too severely (of course to laugh yourself silly, See the "Pitch Meeting" video on Youtube lampooning it… come to think of it, that's really what got me into the question I've been facing lately.
BTW, all this pop culture jargonist mish-mash has been in service to my point today.
What all this spawned in my head lately was this: If Post-Modernist philosophy posits the smashing of the old symbols, semiotics and semantics in which to create new things out of the wreckage (think mashup music, crossover films, retellings, trope twisting and pop culture pile ups like "Ready Player One"… none of which am I criticizing because I LIKE much of these things) at what point are the symbols so broken down that they become the fertile soil for the creation of NEW ideas?
Yes, yes. Stop there now. I know "there's nothing new under the sun". This has all been done before. I, for one do not believe that history repeats itself, but lean more to the "but it does rhyme" school of thought. I'll go so far as to say it will also riff and ad lib too. The broad tropes/genres/mediums will always exist to some degree for they speak to the human experience, but consider the evolution of how mankind reacts. How does it cycle through history? There's always been horror stories for instance. But what was once cautionary fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm have evolved to slasher films and torture porn of today thanks to mankind's memory and boredom for the familiar.
So, now that I've committed to using up my allotment of "Quotation Marks" for the month… I'll sort of get to the point of what I've been pondering. When will we start seeing some new and "truly unique" creative endeavors in entertainment? When will it stop being a recycling of "Star Wars", or a perversion of "Superman"? Is it possible to break free from the Pixar Formula? Will we finally be far enough removed from nostalgia porn to want to put something great and new that can thrive on the silver screen instead of just crappy imitations of the masters who came before? Are there any masters left or do we have to wait till we are sufficiently removed from them to finally have new ones show up on the scene again?
How many people know or have read great authors or playwrights from the Roman empire? Beyond Cicero that is, but that also belabors my point. There's a good chance that the tens if not hundreds of thousands of artists who existed then, and may have created great works are lost to time. Destroyed by neglect or burned up in the destruction of institutions like the Great Library fire. Some may say that's the same conundrum looked at by sci fi in dozens of books/shows/movies as they try to save mankind from becoming extinct. But that type of extinction seems to be central to existence in this world. Species go extinct. Houses rot away and are reclaimed by the land. We are just dust in the wind, and so are our ideas.
I look at my own work and wonder if it will stand the test of time? In 500 years, assuming the Rapture didn't happen, will my books be remembered like "Pilgrim's Progress"? Or even "The Chronicles of Narnia"? Now that would be the real achievement! The real blessing of God. At least in heaven I may know the true impact of my work. But on earth?
I mean, consider one of the greatest films of all time that was on the verge of being forgotten till someone missed the deadline to renew the copyright and it lapsed into public domain: "It's a Wonderful Life". Thanks to that mistake, the movie was run almost non-stop at Christmas in the US because it was cheap and nobody wanted to work in the TV station on the holiday so it was discovered by a whole new generation of viewers, and was reborn without ever having changed. An artistic resurrection.
So what fertile soil is coming from the grinding down and emulsification of the symbols of western civilization as multi-culti-green-globalism tries to roll over everything? What new fronds will grow up from the digested mass media and symbols that once were considered holy and proud? Even my own "Tales From the Dream Nebula" is supping on small pieces and inspirations from dozens if not hundreds of sources, drawing itself a new vitality from the loam of creative history. Am I making something new and fresh, or am I making a mosaic out of the pieces of entertainment symbols as I dance in the graveyard garbage dump that is the current state of pop culture?
Early in my writing endeavors that I realized there was a chance my books would be my only bid for immortality in a world where there is no immortality. With no prospects for progeny, this was where I would grasp the mane of eternity and attempt to hang on as long as I could. But in the end, just like every artist that came before me, how long would it be before I was forgotten. Would it be the day after I died and my manuscripts were thrown into the trash? Would my tombstone wear away in the rain? The internet is not forever. It must have electricity and human desire to persevere… or would (as some would believe… not me) some A.I. rise up and delete all of man's history in a microsecond? None of us know for sure, but we who create all hope to be the exception to the rule, and are re-discovered like "Beowulf" or never forgotten like Homer's "Odyssey".
So we circle back to the original question, but now standing on top of a giant societal "Butte Des Mortes" and cry out to any who will listen:
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com
Posted in Art, Culture, Opinion, Personal
Tagged 1984, A Brave New World, Apocalypse, Beowulf, Brazil, Cicero, crossover, Cruella, D&D, Genres, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Homer, Hunger Games, It's A Wonderful Life, Joker, Mad Max, Mashup, Media, Medium, Modernism, nostalgia, Odyssey, Pilgrim's Progress, Pitch Meeting, Pixar, Pop Culture, Post Apocalyptic, post modernism, Ready Player One, retellings, RPG, Screen Rants, Slasher Films, Soylant Green, Star Wars, Stephen King, Subversion, Superman, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Great Library, The Quartering, Torture Porn, tropes
The Breakers: Mad Max:Fury Road -Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Breakers was the original idea for this series title. Its more of what I was thinking of but derped when trying to name it.
Just for those who didn't guess it by the title:
Originally, I was going to write about only one movie, "Something Wicked This Way Comes". A gem of a little film and the first horror film that Disney ever really did. Sure there are scary parts throughout many other films (The Black Cauldron or Darby O'Gill and the Little People), but this one was devoted to it.
What I was going to discuss was the dissection of story with the Hero's Journey again, but had an epiphany about it while talking to a friend on what I was going to write.
I realized that Joseph Campbell's "Clock" denoting the 12 main ideas of the Hero's Journey were handed extremely differently between Mad Max: Fury Road and SWTWC. I further realized that this is not an isolated thing, save for MMFR.
First, here's a reminder for those who don't remember what the clock looks like.
What is this monster realization?
Well, first off, In SWTWC (and also in T5E I looked at last time) is that if you look at the clock, and treated it as proportional time given to a story, proportionally. On the other hand, when you watch most movies, the first six steps take up well over three quarters of the plotline, leaving sometimes only 15 minutes of a two hour story (and in some cases even less… I'm looking at you SW:ANW). For the last three steps (Return, New Life, Resolution) it is somewhat short shrift IMHO.
Furthermore, sometimes half the movie is spent in steps 1-3 and then spends most of the last half shoving through 4-9, while leaving 10-12 hanging. I realized that I saw this in many films actually, but this is the first time I realized that Roger Miller did something very different from this in MM:FR. He flipped it to a certain extent. Now, the setup (Status Quo, Call to Adventure, Assistance and even Departure) are all crammed into the first 15 minutes, while the ending four slices of the clock take up almost 30-40 minutes on their own. Even better that it works astoundingly well.
Mind you, Roger Miller got to cheat a little. He was not establishing anything new. If you were going to this film you had either seen all of or at least some of the previous movies so you knew what the status quo was. In such an apocalyptic setting, it didn't take much for him to get that call to adventure, nor help… though he does get it twice (The first when Nux demands him up front on his car and the second when Furiosa includes him on the escape getting him to drive the war rig)
The best part of this film is that it pays off with an all in royal flush even though a lot of the action occurs after a lovely trick of a "Lesser Reward". They are already looking a "New Life" and ready to start their resolution when Max shows them a greater reward and that is to reverse the "Return" and try to stealth by Immortan Joe and the rest and steal the coveted green space from him. I am not sure if this is a pushing back of the clock to the "Crisis" point again, or an expansion of the Return.
But with them going back regardless of how you look at it, the return, is fraught with its own peril akin to the "Result" on steroids. Immortan Joe is defeated… messily, they take the citadel and begin their new lives, with only Max deciding to be Max in the end. Oh well. Helloooooo new sequels! (Which apparently are already started).
Such a bad trailer… I mean wow. Marketing really didn't know what to do.
On the other hand, SWTWC spends almost 30 minutes setting up the Status Quo alone. Now, this is definitely NOT a poorly spent 30 minutes. It is immersive and very much a pleasant departure to a pastoral 1930's small Illinois town that is somehow untouched by the Great Depression. It's one of the first times you will see a writer "Chew the Scenery" like Ray Bradbury does, and Disney lets him get away with. Some of my favorite in cinema. It sets up the dichotomy between the evil that is coming and what I think so many of us wished we still lived in. Not only that, the "Call to Adventure", "Assistance" and even the Departure almost take a full 50 minutes or so into the 90 minute film before the approach starts. I like to consider the Departure to be synonymous with the breaking of Miss Foley's window. Although we have been watching the damage done by Dark's Pandemonium and Carnival, its been set up for the trials or at least dangers that threaten Will and Jim and Mr. Halloway.
The final conflicts of the movie occur in 2 points, and they are mostly internal in nature. Heavy on the temptation and the ultimate failure of Mr. Halloway to stand up for the boys in the face of evil, but he is only toyed with as Mr. Dark retrieves his McGuffin (the boys) and is satisfied with having suitably cowed Mr. Halloway into cowardice. Of course, this fails, and the final confrontation of inner demons happens at the mirror maze in what could be viewed on one angle as cheesy, but on another, it makes a great morality play on the power of love over regret and sorrow. Even if you call that the "Result" stage which culminates in the freak storm, it has stepped over the "Reward", which it turns out has become a bitter sweet reward of a new, changed perspective while retaining a lot of what was loved about the first 30 minutes of the film in protecting the status quo. Yes, it has changed for poor Mr. Tetley, Miss Foley, Ed the Barman, and Mr. Crossetti forever, but that is to be expected, and thank God Disney did not insist that they be saved from their choices.
BTW, the Reward, Return, Result and New Life take place in the final 3 and lasts less than 1:50 of the movie before the credits roll. But on the other hand, the handling of those final 110 seconds is masterfully done. In that, the establishing shots reconnect the viewer with the original ideals, explain what had changed for the characters but yet what was still retained. In this, Ray Bradbury, who wrote this screenplay as well, was sublime. It takes real skill to provide a satisfying ending like that in so short a time and not leave us feeling cheated. Of course, having good skill in using the narrator's voice helped a ton. The use of voice-over at the beginning and end are well handled and appropriate as it is done by an adult Will.
Now, why do I consider though this to not be bad goes back to a 'throw away' piece of set design. When the Barber, Mr. Crossetti is discovered to be missing, the only indicator is his pole is still turning and a sign in the window saying "Closed due to Illness". Now, I find this brilliant because of something I know of history. The nation had become numb to many horrors thanks to WW1, which is hinted at with Tom Fury walking with his army uniform and Campaign Hat on with chin strap. But also a sign like that in Mr. Crossetti's would have been very familiar thanks to the Swine Flu epidemic which ravaged the US in 1918. That influenza epidemic was horrifically deadly and often killed those who seemed healthiest in society (by a process which we now understand called a Cytokine Storm), and left many a house behind the quarantine sign. Which made the excuse perfectly legitimate and believable as well being a very subtle touch for authenticity.
Honestly I thought the movie was more into the early 1920's, but then realized that the bar was operating openly during a time of prohibition. Therefore, it must have been after, and I doubt it would have been before because of the cars. Otherwise it goes into that magical Disney era of Walt's youth that blends the most pleasant aspects of society from a child's point of view during that era. Walk down Walt Disney World's Mainstreet USA and see what I mean.
What this all is teaching me is that there does not be a balance in how much time is devoted to each "hour" of the Hero Journey clock, but rather how it moves the story forward. Not only that, sometimes the reward is not always what you think it means.
Posted in Art, Craft, Opinion, Video, Writing
Tagged deconstructing film, dissecting stories, Hero's Journey, Mad Max, Mad Max: Fury Road, Something Wicked This Way Comes, story analysis, storytelling, The Breakers, Writing

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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War of the Rebellion: Serial 003 Page 0419 Chapter X. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. - UNION.
the general commanding can influence the matter, will they be subjected to punishment unless they have committed murder or some other aggravated offense.
The following just received from Colonel Marsh, with request to send to you by telegraph. A scout of his from Pillow's camp brought the information; also a proclamation of Pillow's, who says no quarters to be given those in arms against him.
The following information, just received, is, I believe, reliable: General Pillow was at New Madrid on the morning of the 31st, with 11,000 troops well armed and well drilled; two regiments of cavalry splendidly equipped; one battery of flying artillery, 10-pounders, and ten guns, manned and officered by foreigners; several mountain howitzers, and other artillery, amounting in all to 100; 9,000 more moving to re-enforce. He has promised Governor Jackson to place 20,000 men in Missouri at once. I have a copy of his proclamation and also one of his written passes.
SAINT LOUIS, August 2, 1861.
General Scott has telegraphed that two batteries of artillery have been sent from Cincinnati. Shall I forward them to you when they arrive? General Lyon wants soldiers - soldiers - soldiers! So says General Hammer, who has just arrived from Springfield.
Order two companies Fourth Artillery, with their batteries, under Howard and Kingsbury, to Saint Louis, without delay.
Since ordering the two batteries for you yesterday, it appears one company has no guns and the other is in Western Virginia; neither can be withdrawn. The order is countermanded.


First ship date is middle of June.
The InterMountain Railway Co. HO scale SD40-2W has been manufactured with the 4-window safety cab, the snow shields over the air inlets and the distinctive stairwells and handrails. The model features include: sharp painting and lettering, etched metal details and wire grab irons.


text:
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Finding a Conservatory Blinds firm in the Chester area who will easily give a cost effective and local solution, will very often be a pretty tiresome task. Blocher roof blind systems, finding Roller Roof Blinds for a Victorian conservatory, our company can offer truly great assistance concerning many of these topics and more, reliable information on these topics can often be awkward to find.
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In the beginning of my beadmaking career it was how many colors can I use at one time? This color, no this one . . . it was a flurry of glass and ideas storming around in my head! Mercy! Nothing looked good together and I had no clue where I was going.
I began to put myself on restriction, limiting the number of colors I was allowed to use for a morning at the torch. Amazingly, I was more focused, had a better understanding of how each color would react, and I had a body of work I could actually use!
Working within the guidelines I give makes you work harder and be more creative. You are being challenged to make a very specific kind of bead. This makes you step outside your usual box and stretch your skills and creativity. You gain the most when you follow the "rules" so read carefully!


text:
Q: why SOAP response comes with xml tags in iOS, and how to avoid it I'm working with SOAP web service.if I check web service in the browser the Response is
[{"sno":null,"AirportCode":"YQM","Airport":"Moncton Airport","City":"Moncton","Country":"Canada"}]

but when I check in the iOS the response comes with xml tags.like this
[{"sno":null,"AirportCode":"YQM","Airport":"Moncton Airport","City":"Moncton","Country":"Canada"}]<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

this is my method....
NSString *autenticationkey = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"authkey"];
    NSString *acode = @"YQM";
    //NSString *empty = @"";
    NSString *soapMessage = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\"?>"
                             "<soap:Envelope xmlns:xsi=\"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance\" xmlns:xsd=\"http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema\" xmlns:soap=\"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/\">"
                             "<soap:Body>"
                             "<GetAirport xmlns=\"http://mapi.uk/\">"
                             "<Authkey>%@</Authkey>"
                             "<AirportCode>%@</AirportCode>"
                             "</GetAirport>"
                             "</soap:Body>"
                             "</soap:Envelope>"
                             ,autenticationkey,acode];

    NSData *soapData = [soapMessage dataUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
    NSString *mainurlName = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"http://somuturlop/GetAirport"];
    NSURL *getcodeserviceUrl = [NSURL URLWithString:mainurlName];
    NSMutableURLRequest *theRequest = [NSMutableURLRequest requestWithURL:getcodeserviceUrl];
    NSString *messageLength = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%lu", (unsigned long)[soapMessage length]];

    [theRequest addValue:@"text/xml; charset=utf-8" forHTTPHeaderField:@"Content-Type"];
    [theRequest addValue:@"http://mopi.uk" forHTTPHeaderField:@"SOAPAction"];
    [theRequest addValue:@"mpi.uk" forHTTPHeaderField:@"HOST"];
    [theRequest addValue:messageLength forHTTPHeaderField:@"Content-Length"];
    [theRequest setHTTPMethod:@"POST"];
    [theRequest setHTTPBody:soapData];

NSURLSession *session = [NSURLSession sharedSession];
    NSURLSessionDataTask *dataTask = [session dataTaskWithRequest:theRequest completionHandler:^(NSData * _Nullable data, NSURLResponse * _Nullable response, NSError * _Nullable error) {

        if (error) {
            NSLog(@"data Task With Request error:%@", error);
            return;
        }
        if ([response isKindOfClass:[NSHTTPURLResponse class]]) {
            NSInteger statusCode = [(NSHTTPURLResponse *)response statusCode];

            if (statusCode != 200) {
                NSLog(@"data Task With Request HTTP status code :%ld", (long)statusCode);
                return;
            }
        }

        webData = [[NSMutableData alloc] init];
        [webData appendData:data];

        NSLog(@"Received bytes from the server :%lu", (unsigned long)[webData length]);
        resultString = [[NSMutableString alloc] initWithBytes:[webData bytes] length:[webData length] encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];

resultString gives this result. I want to get this json data into an Array.
I tried with this. but it didn't work
resultStringOne = [[NSMutableString alloc] initWithData:webData encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
        NSError *jsonError;
        NSData *jsonData = [resultStringOne dataUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
        NSArray *getArray = [NSJSONSerialization JSONObjectWithData:jsonData options:kNilOptions error:&jsonError]

A: Found a solution. I removed xml tags from the string.now it works.....
used this method to remove xml tags.
- (NSString *)stringBystrippingxml:(NSString *)provideString
{
    NSRange range;
    while ((range = [provideString rangeOfString:@"<[^>]+>" options:NSRegularExpressionSearch]).location != NSNotFound)
        provideString = [provideString stringByReplacingCharactersInRange:range withString:@""];

    return provideString;
}

then used return provideString, then .....
resultStringOne = [[NSMutableString alloc] initWithData:webData encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
        NSString *one = [self stringBystrippingxml:resultStringOne];
        NSError *jsonError;
        NSData *jsonData = [one dataUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
        NSArray *getArray = [NSJSONSerialization JSONObjectWithData:jsonData options:kNilOptions error:&jsonError];

this works fine....... thnx all and thanx @m.kocikowski for the tag remove method.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


If I had a dime for every time somebody asked me, "What's that green sh*t you always have on your face?," then I would probably have enough dimes for a lifetime supply of said green sh*t, the Yon-Ka Masque 105 ($48).
I was first introduced to Yon-Ka Masque 105 by my facialist five years ago with zits on my chin and the skin around my nose peeling off, and not a day has gone by that I haven't used it since. I have combination skin, meaning while my skin is generally very oily — like pizza, a boy once told me in high school — that does not stop it from peeling like a banana in the cold weather. Masque 105 is a clarifying mask for dry and sensitive skin that addresses this wintry mix of skin issues.
Scroll ahead for the full review of Yon-Ka Masque 105, plus my thoughts on some of the brand's other products that might work for you, too.


Burnadette Jordan visits her children, Shonnell, 3, left, and Maurianna, 1, rear, at Hasbro Children's Hospital where they are treated for lead poisoning. Both children receive intravenous medication for three days to reduce their elevated blood lead levels, which have been linked to mental impairment in young children. Jordan was also lead poisoned as a child and treated by the same physician as her children.


text:
(ESEA/ESSA) Letter From Senator William T. Ligon, Jr. To Speaker of the House Paul Ryan
Americans will not forget how their elected officials voted on this unconstitutional bill.
SOS vote postponed until tomorrow, Wed, Dec. 9 at 10:30 AM.
CALL,CALL, CALL 202-224-3121 to vote NO. Also call Georgia Senators Isakson and Perdue and request they forward copies of Sen. Ligon's letter to EVERY Senator before the vote.
http://media.campaigner.com/media/25/257620/Speaker%20Ryan%20ESSA%20Letter%20to%20Congress.pdf
William Ligon
158 Scranton Connector
Brunswick, Georgia 31525
Email: william@senatorligon.com
421-C State Capitol
Email: William.Ligon@senate.ga.gov
Georgia Senate
Majority Caucus Chairman
Judiciary Non-Civil, Vice Chairman
Rules, Ex-Officio
The Honorable Paul Ryan
1233 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
Dear Speaker Ryan,
As a State Senator, it never ceases to amaze me how often our federal officials easily overlook the constitutional principle of federalism and the U.S. Constitution's guarantee that the States have a republican form of government. This lack of constitutional integrity is especially true in the arena of education. As someone who has taken the lead in the Georgia Legislature on attempting to restore state, local, and parental sovereignty over education, I recognize that the real obstacle is the federal government.
I can honestly say I understand the frustration people are feeling in the Republican Party and why they are so willing to support total outsiders in the race for President. People are frustrated that the federal government is too large, fails to do what the Constitution requires, meddles where it has no real authority, and actually creates more problems than it solves.
The latest attempt by Congress to reauthorize ESEA under its new name, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), is a prime example of how the federal government exceeds its constitutional authority. Many of our supporters in the Republican base are wondering why we need a 1061-page federal bill dealing with education policy. I have been told by a member of our congressional delegation that bill's length was needed to repeal many existing federal laws dealing with education. Unfortunately, a review of the bill reveals not much in the way of repeal but that once again the federal government is driving education policy in every State in the Union through grants and waivers.
I certainly recognize that the federal ESSA provides somewhat more flexibility for States than the previous No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reauthorization of ESEA. However, it is not the proper role for the federal government to guide education policy. When will federal officials start to realize that their massive educational reform agenda, almost approaching a 30-year effort, has not improved education? In fact, the federal reform agenda has thrown away countless billions of taxpayer funds into progressive educational schemes that have greatly contributed to the ill-prepared, unruly, and polarized student bodies we now see in many of our universities today.
As for ESSA specifically, here are a few of the issues that I find troubling in the bill. Although Section 8544 (p. 859) assures us that States face no penalties for withdrawing from the Common Core standards or for otherwise revising their standards, ESSA requires that state standards must align with higher-education requirements. Since federal mandates have already ensured that our colleges and universities have aligned their entrance requirements with Common Core (known as College and Career Ready) then it would appear that we again have an entire process, both lengthy and expensive, to readdress college entrance requirements before Georgia could exit the Common Core. Furthermore, ESSA still requires "career and technical education standards" that must align to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). It is also apparent that ESSA still requires state educational plans, which includes standards, to comply with 11 existing federal statutes, and that the Secretary of Education must sign off on these plans (Section 1005, amending Section 1111(a)(1)(B), pp. 38-39). These statutes run the gamut from Head Start to WIOA. As with all the previous reform legislation from Goals 2000 onward, this bill is intertwined and additive to the overall federal framework for education. ESSA may mitigate some of the onerous effects of NCLB, but it continues to advance the top-down, federal reform agenda.
I am also greatly troubled by the bill's language that expands the federal role in government preschool in Section 9212, bringing us closer to President's Obama's vision for universal preschool. The best research shows that early education has little to no effect on long-term learning. In fact, the Department of Health and Human Services conducted its own rigorous scientific evaluation of Head Start and found that three- and four-year-old preschoolers had no measureable benefits from the program when evaluated in both the first and third grades. The study even failed to show improvements in parenting outcomes and child health outcomes. There were even negative social-emotional development effects associated with these children who had attended Head Start.
Early education through government programs not only wastes money, but is based on a faulty foundation. The best early childhood learning takes place with family, not government programs. Furthermore, the assurances (pp. 968-969) that the Secretary of Education cannot prescribe early learning development guidelines, standards, or specific assessments, preschool curriculum and the like are meaningless when considering that preschool authority rests within the Department of Health and Human Services (p. 971), and such programs already require adherence to Head Start, which demands federal performance standards, or the Baby Common Core as some have dubbed it. There are already 45 federal early learning and childcare programs that spend $14.2 billion annually. This bill continues to expand early learning subsidies and will add another $1 billion in spending over the next four years.
Within this topic of early childhood education, I would be remiss if I did not also mention that data collection on these children is invasive and that these early learning data systems are designed to link with not only the K-12 data systems, but also post-secondary data, and labor data, as well as universal newborn screening and health data systems. This is readily apparent from a quick review of Early Learning Challenge grants from various states. It is truly a cradle-to-grave system of government data collection on the citizens of this nation. Congress is paving the way for the next generation to live in the" brave new world" which facilitates the government's management of its citizens. If history is any guide, when government controls this much information on its citizens, it will abuse its power.
ESSA continues the federal testing mandates (Section 1005, amending Section 1111(b)(2), pp. 52-54). And the types of assessments dictated by the bill include subjective assessments of students' skills and psychological attributes via the requirement to assess higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). Even though the bill states that assessments will not evaluate or access personal or family beliefs or attitudes, by definition, HOTS, as developed in Bloom's Taxonomy, includes not only the cognitive domain, but the affective domain and the psychomotor domain. Particularly, the affective domain includes attitudes, feelings, values, motivations, and the like. The federal government has no business imposing any requirements concerning state assessments, but certainly should not require assessments that target students' psychological profiles.
The bill also incentivizes the Obama administration's pet concept of schools as "community learning centers," perhaps more accurately dubbed "parent replacement centers." This section of the bill, Part B- 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Section 4201, starting on p. 489), creates a service center for youth development that could offer anything from health care and wellness programs to service learning or "environmental literacy." In addition, the Promise Neighborhoods (Section 4624, starting on p. 606) provide another smorgasbord that offer services to train families to promote early learning and child development as well as provide "social, health, nutrition, and mental health services and supports, for children, family members, and community members..." (609-610). The nanny-state just continues to grow in this legislation.
Although I have other concerns about the bill, I would also like to say that the process epitomizes everything that's wrong with how Washington conducts the people's business. ESSA was drafted behind closed doors, by unknown parties. The news was sprung on the public only a day or two before a conference committee was hastily appointed. No draft of the bill was released. After a few hours of discussion, the conference committee quickly approved the document the public was not allowed to see. A final draft of the 1,061-page bill wasn't released until November 30, with a vote planned in the House only two or three days later. Personally, I have not had enough time to wade through every part of the bill. No congressman should be expected to vote to pass a tome he hasn't even had time to read, and the people are right to expect that their congressman will refuse to do so.
Let me also remind Congress that throughout the federal government's educational reform efforts, there has been a woeful lack of concern for the legislative process in the States. For decades, each reauthorization of ESEA, along with grants such as Race to the Top, ignore the right of the people to decide if they want federal involvement in their local schools. Congress sets up the flow of money straight to State Executive branches. When the people's representatives in the States are bypassed, we no longer have a republican form of government where education is concerned.
Finally, it should give Republicans great pause to consider that every anti-Common Core grassroots group in the nation appear to strongly oppose this bill, and the very organizations (National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers) that masterminded and engineered the development and rollout of the Common Core are quite pleased with the ESSA and give it their full endorsement. It should also be another red flag that ESSA is a bill that President Obama will readily sign. By now, surely we know that his view of America and his solutions for America are quite different from those of us who believe in a self-governing Republic of free people who do not need a nanny state to look after our best interests. We just need big government to get out of the way and let the people in each of our states determine the best course for their families and their children's education.
Therefore, I am urging you not to even take up this bill for consideration. Instead, I urge you to wait until we have a new President in the White House, hopefully one who would work for greatly decreasing the federal role in education. If this bill is brought to a vote, I ask you to vote no.
William T. Ligon, Jr.
State Senator, 3rd District
Happy New Year!... The Fat Lady Sings
An Important Message From Charlotte Iserbyt
The King of Kings Reigns Now and Forever…
Communism: Are We There Yet? Read This And YOU Decide
HUD: A Communist Neighborhood For You
Is This Tomorrow? America Under Communism
Is Common Core Really Gone?
The Country That Saved Itself
History Of America's Sell Out (1946-2015)...
(ESEA/ESSA) Letter From Senator William T. Ligon, ...
The "Hidden Hand" Behind The Deadly Esea Curtain
The "Hidden Hand" Behind The Curtain
1/2 Minute To Midnight! ESEA Bomb Set To Go Off On...
The Selling of the American Family
ESEA Is The Final Chapter Of The Montgomery County...
Urgent! ESEA Vote This Week!!!


text:
Q: Why isn't quiet boot.. quiet? (Ubuntu 22.10) it is a minor "problem" but I don't understand why I don't have quiet boot on despite having the option GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" in the /etc/default/grub file (which was by default, I haven't edited anything)
To be more clear, that's what I see (sorry for the terrible pic, but I can't screenshot during boot)
Isn't that what should happen without the quiet option?
Thanks in advance if anyone can clarify this
The output to cat /proc/cmdline is this:

BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.0.9-060009-generic
root=UUID=1e0be401-da74-4b41-91ad-bfa72d115837 ro console=tty12 quiet
splash vt.handoff=7


text:
CVD-Mali
History of CVD-Mali
CVD-Mali Personnel
Prof. Samba Sow
Applied Immunology
Primary Health Care Research and Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Demographic Surveillance Study
Primary Health Care & Universal Health Coverage
Preparedness, Response to Emergencies and Epidemics
CVD-Mali & COVID-19
Solidarity Trial Vaccines (STV)
STV questions and contacts
Past trials
CVD-Mali was created in 2001, by an agreement between the Government of Mali through the Ministry of Health and the University of Maryland in the United States of America through its Center for Vaccine Development.
CVD-Mali's core work since its inception has revolved around quantifying the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases, and testing the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of new vaccines.
CVD-Mali also plays an important role in the training of young investigators in Mali and around the world. CVD-Mali shares all of its research results with the Ministry of Health to guide public health decisions.
In recent years, alongside its core vaccine-related work, it has partnered with many international organisations, to deliver public health research and interventions – most notably ABCD, Champs, and two ongoing Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded azithromycin trials in the Sikasso and Kayes regions of Mali.
CVD-MALI'S MISSION & VISION »
Myron M. Levine, MD, DTPH and Prof. Samba Sow
Karen Kotloff, MD, Professor
cvd-mali founders
CVD-Mali owes its creation to the vision, determination and commitment of three extraordinary people alongside the Government of the Republic of Mali through the Ministry of Health:
Myron 'Mike' Levine, MD, DTPH
Kathleen M. Neuzil, MD, MPH, FIDSA
CVD-Mali owes them a profound debt of gratitude.
Myron M. Levine, MD, DTPH
© 2023 CVD-Mali


text:
In meteorologia la Circolazione di Walker, nota anche come Cella di Walker, è un modello concettuale, ideato dal meteorologo Gilbert Walker, relativo ai flussi d'aria atmosferici nella regione tropicale della troposfera. Secondo questo modello, le masse d'aria tropicale seguono una circolazione a cella chiusa nelle direzioni zonale (da ovest verso est, secondo il moto di rotazione terrestre) e verticale. Questa circolazione, che è grosso modo in linea con le osservazioni, è causata dalle differenze nella distribuzione del calore tra la superficie del mare e crosta terrestre.

Descrizione

La metodologia di Walker
Walker ha stabilito che la scala temporale annuale, usata normalmente dagli studiosi dell'atmosfera, è inadeguata perché i rapporti geospaziali potrebbero essere completamente diversi a seconda della stagione, quindi ha spezzato l'analisi temporale sulla scala dei trimestri e più precisamente dicembre - febbraio, marzo - maggio, giugno - agosto e settembre-novembre. Walker ha quindi selezionato un certo numero di "centri di azione", che comprendeva aree come, per esempio la Penisola Indiana. Questi centri d'azione erano situati in zone caratterizzate da alte e basse pressioni sia stagionali che permanenti. Ha tenuto in considerazione per quelle zone precipitazioni, vento e la temperatura.

Ha esaminato i rapporti tra valori estivi e invernali di pressione e precipitazioni, prima concentrandosi su valori estivi ed invernali, e poi estendendo l'analisi alla primavera e all'autunno. Lo studio conclude che le variazioni di temperatura sono generalmente regolate dalle variazioni di pressione e precipitazioni. Era stato in precedenza suggerito che le macchie solari potrebbero essere la causa delle variazioni di temperatura, ma Walker ha confutato questa ipotesi, mostrando che le correlazioni mensili tra macchie solari e temperatura, vento, copertura nuvolosa, e pioggia erano incoerenti.

Basi matematiche
Il modello statistico, coinvolto nell'analisi dei dati atmosferica che ha portato alla scoperta della circolazione Walker, è definito un processo autoregressivo.

Funzione di autocorrelazione
Analizziamo la funzione di autocorrelazione. Una funzione di autocorrelazione studia la dipendenza dei valori ad un dato istante dai valori ad un altro istante.
Data la serie in funzione del tempo , la funzione di autocorrelazione a lag è definita come:

Il valore della funzione di autocorrelazione a lag  è la potenza di , o la sua varianza se il valore medio di  è zero:

inoltre,  è il valore medio per i processi casuali.
La funzione di autocorrelazione può essere utilizzata per rilevare componenti deterministiche apparentemente casuali, perché funzioni di autocorrelazione per processi deterministici persistono per tutti gli spostamenti temporali, mentre le funzioni di autocorrelazione per i processi stocastici tendono a zero sui lunghi periodi di tempo.

Modello autoregressivo
Quindi, consideriamo il modello autoregressivo proposto da Walker: si tratta di un modello matematico relativo a una serie temporale basato sul presupposto che ogni valore della serie dipende solo da una somma ponderata dei valori precedenti della stessa serie più una variabile di "rumore". Se  è il  -esimo valore della serie storica, il modello di autocorrelazione di ordine  è dato da:

dove  è il rumore. L'ordine,  , può essere considerato come un indice del ritardo entro la serie storica dei dati presi in considerazione per l'analisi . Più grande è il lag, più grande è il sistema di equazioni da risolvere.
I coefficienti di autocorrelazione possono essere calcolati dalla sequenza di autocorrelazione risolvendo l'equazione di Yule-Walker.
La matrice generalizzata del modello autoregressivo è data dall'equazione:
Gidon Eshel fornisce una ripartizione utile delle equazioni di Yule - Walker che discute la loro relazione tra l'approccio dei minimi quadrati per la creazione di un modello autoregressivo.

Equazione di Yule - Walker

Il modello autoregressivo è dato dall'equazione:

Si basa sui parametri  dove .
C'è una corrispondenza diretta tra questi parametri e la funzione di covarianza del processo , e questa corrispondenza può essere invertita per determinare i parametri dalla funzione di autocorrelazione (che è a sua volta ottenuto dalle covarianze). Questo viene fatto utilizzando l'equazione di Yule - Walker:

dove, ottenendo l'equazione .  è la funzione di autocovarianza di ,  è la deviazione standard del rumore di ingresso, e è la funzione delta di Kronecker.
Poiché l'ultima parte dell'equazione è diverso da zero solo se  l'equazione si risolve come matrice per  ottenendo così:

risolvendo tutti i . Per  abbiamo

che ci permette di risolvere .
Le dette equazioni di Yule-Walker forniscono un modoper stimare i parametri di un modello autoregressivo, sostituendo le covarianze teoriche e valori stimati. Un modo di specificare le covarianze stimate equivale a un calcolo utilizzando le relazioni dei minimi quadrati dei valori  sul  esimo precedente valore della serie.

Effetti

Sugli oceani

Il risultato della Circolazione di Walker sulle porzioni tropicali dell'Oceano Atlantico, Pacifico e Indiano è la seguente: in estate (dell'emisfero Nord) venti occidentali nell'Indiano e orientali negli altri due. Di conseguenza la distribuzione di temperatura nei tre oceani evidenzia enormi differenze. Il Pacifico e l'Atlantico equatoriali hanno temperature superficiali fresche in estate (dell'emisfero Nord) a est, mentre l'Oceano Indiano risulta più fresco ad ovest. Queste differenze di temperatura superficiale causano conseguenti differenze nella profondità del termoclino.

Cambiamenti della Circolazione Walker nel tempo hanno luogo in occasione di variazioni di temperatura superficiale degli oceani. Alcuni di questi cambiamenti sono imposti esternamente, come per esempio dall'incidenza della radiazione solare stagionale, altri cambiamenti sembrano essere il risultato dell'accoppiamento oceano/atmosfera per cui, per esempio, i venti orientali provocano la diminuzione della superficie marina a est, accentuando il contrasto termico zonale e quindi l'intensificazione venti orientali in tutto il bacino.

Questi venti orientali inducono maggiore risalita di acqua fredda dal fondo dell'oceano (upwelling) con il conseguente aumento del termoclino a est, amplificando il raffreddamento iniziale dei venti da sud. Questa accoppiata risposte oceano-atmosfera è stata proposta originariamente da Bjerknes. Da un punto di vista oceanografico, la lingua fredda equatoriale è causata dai suddetti venti orientali.

El Niño
La circolazione Walker è causata dalla forza del gradiente barico che risulta da un'area di alta pressione sopra l'oceano Pacifico orientale, ed una bassa pressione sull'Indonesia. Quando la circolazione di Walker si indebolisce o inverte, un El Niño causa una superficie dell'oceano più calda rispetto alla media, indebolendosi la risalita d'acqua fredda dal fondo dell'oceano (upwelling). Una Circolazione di Walker particolarmente forte provoca "La Niña", con conseguente temperature oceaniche fredde causa di un aumento del suddetto upwelling.

Note

Voci correlate
 Circolazione atmosferica
 Atmosfera

Altri progetti

Meteorologia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A classic surf and turf recipe guaranteed to bring about mouthwatering deliciousness!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a sauté pan heat olive oil until hot. Season steaks and sear in pan, browning both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Place steaks in oven for 5-10 minutes, or for desired doneness.
In the same sauté pan, cook pancetta until crispy. Add Scampi Butter and allow to melt. Add shrimp, cook for about 2 minutes while turning the shrimp. Immediately add thyme, salt, and pepper, continuing to sauté for about 1 minute or until shrimp are cooked.
Remove from heat and adjust flavor with salt and pepper. Add in chopped parsley.
To serve, place steak on plate and spoon the shrimp over the steak. Garnish with a slice of lime.
Tulkoff is known as a high-volume co-packer for customers nationwide.


text:
Quadrastichus plaquoi är en stekelart som beskrevs av Reina och La Salle 2004. Quadrastichus plaquoi ingår i släktet Quadrastichus och familjen finglanssteklar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Finglanssteklar
plaquoi


It is finished. Naturally Cozy has been successfully transferred to its new owners. Our final orders are out the door, the sewing machine is quiet and bolts of fabric no longer fill our "shouse". I have ceased to be haunted by looming orders, deadlines or mechanical malfunctions. I don't wake up in the morning with the weight of the world on my shoulders, organizing my schedule before my feet even hit the floor. Once again, I am but a wife and mother, seeking nothing more than to serve my family. I am back to my first love.
Before Naturally Cozy, I spent my time caring for my husband, nurturing my children and managing my home. As my business grew, my time was no longer my own and I longed to return to my first love. And now, 4 1/2 years since I took my first Naturally Cozy order, I am once again free to be "only" a wife and a mother. I can hardly contain my excitement!
What did we do with our first free day in years? Sir Knight and I packed up the children and headed to the lake! We spent hour after glorious hour splashing in the tide created by passing speedboats, playing "King of the Hill" on the top of a driftwood log and chasing each other to our hearts content. Oh, wonderful, sweet days of summer!
I am so grateful for the blessing of Naturally Cozy, but I am thankful beyond belief to once again resume my rightful role of wife and mother and return to my first love.
You created a wonderful business and succeeded with it. Congratulations!
Now it's time to enjoy your family and live life to it's fullest.
I know the feeling! Right now I'm trying to get myself geared up for sewing costumes so I can have one more good Halloween selling season before the baby comes, then I'm just going to sell off everything I have and if I even sew again it will be for me and my husband, no more stockpile of fabric weighing me down! I'm looking forward to just being a new family for a while.
Your business was a success, a reflection upon your efforts. Your family is much the same. Enjoy! Congratulations to you and best wishes to the new owner of Naturally Cozy.
You guys are lucky you got each other. Treasure what you have Enola.
Over 20 years ago I decided to remain single after a relasonship ended and I focused on other endeavors knowing that marriage and children would slow me down and keep me from doing some of the things I wanted to do.
I had a few friends that had kids over the last few years and my thinking started to change about family but I decided that chance had long since past and I need to refocus on some of the stuff that kept me happy for so many years with no family. That's one big reason I'm getting back into surfing. I should get my new longboard (surfboard) tomorrow and its time to start too grow the gills back.
I evan quite my job not long ago. No point in making extra money. I got investments coming in and the mineral rights, albeit Im far, far, far from being rich but at least my tax rate will go down.
Whats the point of working if you get taxed to death!
I guess it kind of mirrors your selling your business Enola. You got your family and I got the Gulf of Mexico.
This weekend a trophical storm will be moving in from the Carribean in between the Yucatan Pennisula and Cuba. Sea water temp in the Gulf is 87 degrees, ripe for development into a hurricane and that kick waves over towards Padre Island where I surf.
You have not lived until you knock a small sea turtle off your surfboard who's trying to hitch a ride, that and being "bum rushed" by a full grown dolphin that thinks your a threat to its pod.
An interesting piece of content. One of life's most simple pleasures is spending time with those we love. Thank you for such a great write up.


Looking for Texas Rangers vs. Minnesota Twins free mlb predictions? MLB betting sees the Rangers taking on the Twins on Saturday June 23rd, 2018 at Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all MLB baseball matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily MLB predictions like this Rangers Twins free pick.
It's an American League showdown on Friday night at Target Field. The Texas Rangers make the trip to take on the Minnesota Twins.
This will be the first game of the year between the two teams this year. Last year the Twins won five of the eight games played between the two teams.
The Texas Rangers have had their struggles this season, but they are playing a lot better baseball as of late coming into this game having won five of the last six games.
Their last series was against the Royals, and the offense wasn't really clicking but the pitchers shut down a really bad Royals offense.
On the mound for the Rangers is Yovani Gallardo who has struggled so far this year in his time with the Rangers. He comes into this game with an ERA over nine.
On the other side of this matchup is the Minnesota Twins who have been playing better as of late, and have been beating some really good pitchers.
In the last few games they have wins over Corey Kluber, David Price, and Chris Sale.
In this game the offense needs to get going early. Romero has been struggling as of late, for the Twins, and the Twins are going to need to get him some run support.
If they don't get run support, they are going to have issues winning this game.
Under is 16-5 in TEX last 21 road games.
Over is 16-5-2 in MIN last 23 Fri. games.
Under is 6-2-1 in MIN last 9 home games.
The Twins seem to have their mojo and that will be the difference in this game.
They will get some early runs, and cruise to a victory.


Summer's end is approaching and I've been remiss in keeping up with my blog lately. It's time to catch up on some kronic travel postings of two summer road trips and an exciting day of paragliding in Santa Barbara.
While Diane went to volunteer at the International AIDS Conference in Washington D.C., I decided to take a trip up north After staying overnight with my friend Lou, in Sunnyvale, I headed north towards Interstate 5 and made it as far as Canyonville, Oregon. The campground I stayed at was right along the Umpqua River (as was my campsite). A lush green setting although there was a little roadway noise. But that was all offset by the refreshing swim in the river after the day's long drive.
The following day I drove through Portland, Oregon with a brief stop in Beaverton. This is where the Nike Headquarters is located. I stopped in to see what its campus was like because Elliot is now gainfully employed by Nike Europe and I wanted to give him a report of the "mothership". From all appearances it looks like a very cool place to work.
The VW van that Nike founder drove to sell first shoes.
After the quick stop, I made it all the way to Port Townsend, to Tom and Diana's house. It was good to see them after a prolonged absence. It was a thrill to see all the wild life that came around their property. Deer nonchalantly traipsed through their front and back yards, squirrels were making themselves at home on their arbor, rabbits hopped along and grazed in the yard, an eagle was perched on a nearby a tree and even a weasel showed its head a few times (to Diana's disgust - they have a tendency to destroy their chickens and not even eat them).
It was good to see Port Townsend again. The town has an old, artsy and maritime feel to it. It has several well preserved large buildings as well as many Victorian homes. Tom told me that in the 1800's, it was speculated that the town was going to become the largest seaport on the west coast. But those ideas never came to fruition because the railroad never made it past Seattle.
One evening, Diana cooked a fabulous Bouillabaisse with a heap of fresh muscles. The sad part of it was that Diana didn't even partake in the meal - she doesn't care for fish! On the bright side, this presented Tom and I the opportunity to gorge ourselves - which we managed to do without hesitation.
On another day there, Tom and I drove to Siquem and then on to Port Angeles, where a festival and market was taking place. Music, lots of tasty food and an impressive array of sand castle building was in progress.
On Sunday, I set up a reunion with an old high school buddy - Dan Jacobs in Seattle. I drove to Kingston, then took the ferry (as a walk on) over to Edmonds, just north of Seattle. There Dan picked me up in his car and drove us to the Freemont, a funky area of Seattle that reminded me of Berkeley or the Mission District in San Francisco. As we reminisced Dan and I concluded that we hadn't seen each other in over forty two years.
Dan and I reminisced about the past, of playing guitar together, learning House of the Rising Sun when it came out, and we filled in some of the blanks in all those missing years. It was a better reunion than the one high school reunion I went to decades ago.
After lots of catching up, a Greek lunch and a walk along a street market, Dan drove me back to catch the ferry to Kingston. All in all, a pretty good day.
On Monday, I left Tom and Diana's home for Buckley, to visit with my old tennis partner Richard and his wife Barbara. Not long after arriving, Richard and I were on the tennis court. It was like old times - we were making each other run back and forth. There was no mercy for the senior citizens.
Afterwards, we played horseshoes, in Richard's backyard. To my surprise, I discovered that horseshoes was not as easy at it looked. I also found out the meaning of the saying "Close only counts in horseshoes." Unfortunately, most of my tosses, weren't even close.
The following day Richard and I played a little more tennis, but it wasn't easy - our bodies were not agreeing with the activity. After a while we gave up and went home to have lunch, after which I got back in the car and started my drive southward.
It was late afternoon by the time I arrived in Cannon Beach, OR, a place Diane and I remember fondly. It still seemed much the same as I remembered it. As I drove around, I noticed a private campground nestled adjacent to Highway 1. I got lucky - they happened to have one remaining camp site available. In the evening I took a stroll to town and along the beach. It was a short distance from the camp ground.
The drive along the Pacific coast the following day was unbelievably spectacular. The weather was agreeable and the scenery could hardly have been better. One of the small towns I decided to stop in was Depoe Bay, OR. Not much of a place really, but it was known for its small harbor with a very narrow entrance. Its main claim to fame is from the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". It is to this harbor that Jack Nicholson takes his bus load of people. I stayed long enough to watch a couple of fishing boats navigate the narrow channel into the inner harbor. I'm sure it's only doable in good weather.
At the end of the day, I was in Bandon, OR, a place where Diane and I had camped near years ago. The old town of Bandon was picturesque but consisted mostly of restaurants and some bars. I camped in the same campground we had camped at years ago.
From Bandon, the drive continued to be beautiful. I drove past Gold Beach, Arcada, Eureka and drove through the Avenue of the Giants, a narrow road, lined with majestic and incredibly tall redwoods along the Eel River. Near the end of it, I found a campground called Richardson's Grove, where I got a site among these giants.
The campsite was within walking distance of the Eel River. It had a great swimming hole and after getting settled, I immediately went to the spot and took a refreshing dip.
The following day, it was a long drive home but not overly so. It was good be home again.
On a day that Diane had a work commitment in Santa Barbara, I took the opportunity to tag along and attend a one day introductory class to paragliding at Elings Park in Santa Barbara. After the crew of Eagle Paragliding got there, the first order of business was to sign away my life on a number of pages of legalese disclaimers. This was understandable - indeed there was an element of risk involved.
With five students and four instructors, it was like having private lessons. After a couple of hours of explaining paragliding basics, taking us through the flight preparation and making sure we thoroughly understood the things NOT to do, they took us to a spot on the hill where there was a decent yet gentle drop off. Well, at this point you hope you paid attention to the most critical stuff they taught you!
My first flight was probably one of the most terrifying things I've ever done in my life. At the time, it did occur to me that I could just walk away right then and there and life would still go on. But I quickly decided against that alternative after I saw one of the ladies in the class prepare to go.
Soon, my instructor Bruce was asking me, "Okay George - are you ready?". Well, no backing out now, I thought. Bruce motioned me to start running towards him. Above me I soon felt the wing filling with air. With the wing now full and right above me, I struggled to make much headway. Quickly I could feel the ground begin to move away from my feet. It was an incredible sensation.
At once it was totally frightening but exhilarating. Although not high in terms of flight, when I looked down I realized that from this height you don't want to drop too quickly. But as I settled into the short flight and listened to Bruce's calm instructions over the radio, I relaxed and began to enjoy the ride. With Bruce's coaching, my approach and landing went fine. When I touched down, I turned around and collapsed the wing. I couldn't wait to get back up the hill to do it again.
For the remainder of the day, I made several more flights. What a fantastic experience. If you've ever thought of trying paragliding or some form of it, my recommendation is to "Just do it!".
Here's a video Diane took of my last flight of the day.
After a one night's stop in Long Beach, to visit Diane's mom (Skippy), we left the house at ten in morning, heading for Prescott, AZ. We used our new TomTom GPS to guide us to our destination. It came up with the most direct route until the last leg, when instead of taking us on a less direct, but straighter route, it took us on an extremely curvy road, one that Ed and Frances had warned us not to take. Alas, we made it in spite of all the curves.
Our days with Ed and Frances went by quickly. We spent lots of time catching up with what all our families were up to, Ed and I took morning walks around the neighborhood and on an afternoon, Diane and I made an excursion to downtown Prescott.
On our last evening, we celebrated with powerful beer margaritas followed by barbecued steaks. All-in-all a relaxing few days visiting old friends..
Next we drove to Sedona, less than two hours away, where we had a reservation at a campground in Oak Creek Canyon. After we arrived at the campground, we set up our tent and took a walk around the camp and along the creek. Later that evening, we were awakened by thunder and lightening and lots of rain. Luckily, the tent kept us dry.
The morning brought sun and after a leisurely breakfast, we drove into Sedona. The Sedona area is truly breathtaking. The spectacular red-rock mountains are visible from almost everywhere in town (even the wine bar).
After our visit to downtown we decided to take the advice of the visitor's center and drove several of the scenic loops through the area. As one might expect, our journey took us to a winery. Page Springs Winery welcomed us. Their wine maker, Eric Glomski, focuses on Rhone varietals such as Syrah, Petite Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Our hostess started us on some whites, including Malvasia Bianca, Chardonay and a Viognier. From there we went to the Rhone wines. In addition, I tasted a Cabernet Franc. Their wines are by no means cheap, but I really found them to be well made wines, good acids and good structure.
After the tasting we each ordered a glass of wine and an artisan-styled pizza and sat on their deck overlooking the vineyard. What a way to end a day.
The following day we had a hot and long drive to Yuma, where we planned to spend the night at a local Howard Johnson. At one point, the temperature gauge in the car read 108F. Let's see - the saying goes something like "If you can't say something nice, don't say it!". Done!
After a quick breakfast, we headed out of town towards Del Mar, just north of San Diego. There we planned to meet our friend Ixchel and her daughters (Quinn and Devi). They were at an equestrian event to show their horses. Our friends Dave and Kristi were going to meet us there too.
Eventually, we all met up as planned and watched riders and their horses strut their stuff. It was quite a sight watching the horses jump over the hurdles, sometimes dropping the top hurdle. Definitely an entertaining and educational event for Diane and I, since we know little about horses.
We spent the next couple of days at Dave and Kristi's home in Valley Center. Their house abuts a private airstrip, so Dave keeps both of his planes, there at his hangar. On one of the days, Dave took me up in the Citabria and once up, handed me the controls. Quite an experience.
The last stop of our road trip took us to Bonita (San Diego), where our friends Walt and Lorraine live. We only stayed one night, but surely we packed two nights into that one evening - especially when it came to wine and tasting Scotch .
We left the next day towards home with a one night stop in Long Beach to visit Diane's mom.