text:
Reviews and Previews
Beeps and Beers
Gaming Thoughts
Level-Up
Memorable Music
What Makes a Game Memorable? - 4 Parts
Favorite female characters in video games (Part 1)
E3 2016 - Games That Have Us Hyped
2017 - Games of the Year
Home / CGRreview / console / JRP / Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel / Nihon Falcom / playstation / PlayStation 4 / PS4 / review / rpg / sony / The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II / XSEED / Xseed Games / The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 2 - PS4 Review
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 2 - PS4 Review
June 27, 2019 CGRreview , console , JRP , Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel , Nihon Falcom , playstation , PlayStation 4 , PS4 , review , rpg , sony , The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II , XSEED , Xseed Games
Welcome back to Erebonia, a land once yours to explore with your classmates, now embroiled in a civil war. Participate in intrigue, side-questing, monster extermination, and giant mech fights. Join Rean in his adventure to reunite his fellow classmates, and maybe scrounge together some form of resistance against the heavy handed generals participating in the civil war.
Before getting into the game itself, for those returning to Trails of Cold Steel 2, you can like in Trails of Cold Steel import your data from the PS3 or Vita for some bonuses. For those looking for their clear data of Trails of Cold Steel, the original import bonuses are back though they are nothing really ground breaking. After talking with PY who loaded data from Trails of Cold Steel before going into the second chapter, it seems like there's a bigger bonus for returning players than new ones going through the series for the first time.
The story of Trails of Cold Steel 2 picks up right after the ending to Trails of Cold Steel. For those unfamiliar with the first game, there is a plot summary for you to get caught up with the previous events though you may not be as invested in the characters. Continuing from where the previous game left off, Rean awakens in the mountains alone after escaping at the end of the first game. Striving to reunite with his friends, he embarks on his journey to bring the butcher squad *cough* party from the first game back together, meeting new people along the way, as well as some memorable faces, whether that be a good thing or not.
The battle system from the first game is largely unchanged, at least for the most part. You still have your turn based battle system starting up after colliding with enemies on the field map. You have your normal attack, your character specific craft skills that take CP to use, which you recover through attacking enemies, and your magic art skills that take EP, which doesn't naturally regenerate. You still have your link attack follow ups and "bonus actions" when you've stored up enough points from follow-up attacks.
What is new is the overdrive ability. When first starting out, anyone linked to Rean is able to go into an overdrive mode with him, which gives three attacks inserted into the turn order for the two partners that are assured to unbalance the enemy, allowing you to perform follow ups. You can unlock this for other party members by finding these blue chests scattered throughout the field. Beating the boss from these chests allow other party members to use overdrive when linked with each other instead of Rean.
Additionally, the "rock, paper, scissors" mech fights have now become more prominent, with a few additional features. While the main concept of choosing an area to attack that will unbalance your opponent is the same, you now have more skills available to you. Your teammates are now also recognized as party members for the fights, and can cast spells and will allow you to use a special finishing move if you stock up enough unbalance points.
In the long run, not much has really changed from the original game in terms of how you play. You still play in "chapter" installments, although this time they're sort of grouped together in chapter halves. You have a portion spent in the town you use as your base of operations. Here you can interact with your party members, building your bonds and learning more about your friends. You can help out the townsfolk, do some snowboarding minigames, or explore the monster infested mountain out back, and maybe get some fishing in.
When you're all set to head out, you journey out to either find your missing classmates or complete whatever you have set as your objective. Generally this means visiting a location from the first game now changed by the war, and helping out the locals while trying to get Laura the Obliterator and Fie the Ninja, er, I mean, your classmates back together. So off you go, fighting the monsters in your path, fishing in unlikely locations, and general side-questing while exploring the familiar and new at the same time locales. If you recall areas from the first game, they may have changed from what you remember, with some new areas to explore and collect all the treasure chests from.
Good news for those who found the cheese strategies from the first game, most of them still work. The quartz system is still around, only instead of unlocking nodes, now you upgrade them to allow you to use higher rarity quartz, and most of the Master Quartz have also made a comeback. Those new to the scene, Master Quartz act as a sort of "class mod", enhancing some of your stats and giving you some arts and skills that you can use. The Master Quartz can be upgraded by having them equipped during battle. As they level, the skills they provide will increase or get better, and you are given access to more arts.
The normal quartz act as sort of "equippable magic", as you can slap quartz on your "grid" to allow the character to use the associated spells in battle. Some quartz have passive effects as well, such as giving stat boosts, or allowing you to see treasure chest on the field map. This provides a lot of customization options for your party, as you could technically make your warrior into a healer if you really wanted, as ill-advised as that may be. As I mentioned earlier, most of the cheese strategies involving quartz set-ups are still available, so all you (myself included) who turned Laura into a walking death tank, or Fie into a ninja that never got hit and got seven turns to the enemies' one, you can still do that if you want to make some of the bosses a joke.
So are there any differences in the PS4 version? Compared to the PC version, which I also played, not really. In terms of content and key gameplay, nothing has been added. The console port does, however, feature additional voiced lines, a Japanese language option, and the function that should have promoted someone ten times over say, the turbo function. For those of you on console who didn't get this option previously, turbo mode allows you to move four times as fast in battle and two times as fast on the field map. This also applies to cut scenes, so those going for a new game plus run on nightmare will appreciate this mode.
Trust me when I say the turbo mode is one of the most beautiful additions to the PS4 port. I almost always have it on, not because battles are boring or I want to speed through the game, but sometimes you just REALLY don't want to spend two hours farming money to buy that new weapon or to level enough to beat that boss that's been rolling you over for the past forty minutes. You can also "skip" actions in battle to speed up the fight, but I found I didn't notice if my characters got status infliction if I did that, although the option is nice. The graphics are also all nice and crisp, which I really noticed coming from my PC version that for some reason refused to display the "blurred" effect correctly. So now I can see all of the anime-esque stylized character models in HD instead of "ugh".
Is it worth getting the PS4 version if you already own another version? Probably not unless you're a hardcore collector aiming for a special edition. Is it worth getting in general? I'd definitely say yes. The game runs smoothly, the music is still as great as I remember, with some of my favorite battle and field themes, the characters are interesting, and the battle system is both traditional enough to not give someone a meltdown, but also has enough unique properties for me to not call it a clone of another game. The game also blatantly tells you each time you hit a "point of no return", which is super handy for finishing everything you want to do and not getting peeved because you can't get back to a town. Overall, I would definitively recommend giving this JRPG a shot, even if you haven't played the first installment.
Nihon Falcom
XSEED Games
Other Platform(s):
Article by Richard
Subscribe to our Content
Digitally Downloaded
Monkey Ball is back! - *News by Matt S.* Here's a delightful thing for SEGA to drop on us. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD is a HD remake of the Wii original, and it's on it...
SuperPhillip Central
Super Mario Maker 2 (NSW) Review - After spending more than 115 hours with Super Mario Maker 2, creating levels and playing through the game, it is finally time for my review. Speaking of cr...
A whole lot of thoughts on Ever Oasis for the Nintendo 3DS - I bought a copy of *Ever Oasis* all the way back in early 2018--when Walmart was clearing out its stock of 3DS games for some reason or other. Sadly, it sa...
PS Plus Free Games – July 2019 - We'll be updating this page every month with the latest games that you can grab for free with a PS Plus membership. Check back regularly to stay up to da...
The Heartless Gamer Girl
New Loot! #47 - "The Obsession Continues..." Edition - The series in which I brag about all my latest gaming acquisitions. This post is a bit late, as I grabbed these games several months ago. My bad... ------...
Coffee With Games
Crazy Caffeinated Predictions - Nintendo Switch for $199.99 and launch games! - *Coffee Beans* We are less than an hour away from learning all about the Nintendo Switch and its planned release! What Nintendo first party games will be ...
ShopKandy
Kingdoms of the Lost
Days Past Games
Storefont by our team member Jim!
Hamza Ansari - Displate
Chalgyr's Game Room @ ZergNet
Copyright © 2009-2019 Chalgyr's Game Room


Eliminates Ugly Wheelgap So Your X5 Doesn't Look Like a "mom car"
This kit is an excellent choice for those looking for a slightly more aggressive stance without sacrificing ride quality. Eibach Pro-Kit Performance Springs are perfect for street and occasional track use. It drastically decreases body roll and provides a lower center of gravity, giving you better handling when taking on sharp corners. When combined with a new aggressive set of wheels, this Eibach Springs Kit is the perfect finishing touch to any BMW E70 X5 Suspension.


The Hamilton Arts Council is pleased to announce artists Tor Lukasik Foss has been awarded the Hamilton Arts Council's European Artist in Residence Program taking place in September, 2018.
The vision of this residency program is to build and strengthen cultural connections between Europe and Canada by providing an opportunity for Hamilton artists to work in Europe and meet local artists in the vibrant Estonian arts scene. The program is a partnership with the Hamilton Arts Council, the Estonian Artists Association and funded through the generous support of The Cotton Factory. The residency provides an opportunity for professional and artistic development through access to facilities to create new work; Access to local artists through the Estonian Artists Association; and includes two speaking engagements in Tallinn and at Tartu University.
TOR LUKASIK FOSS is a native Hamiltonian artist whose creative practice spans over two decades and encompasses visual art, performance, and creative writing. In the last decade his practice has investigated social anxiety particularly as it relates to public and private space. Lukasik Foss has used storytelling and song writing as both intimate and public actions, particularly stories and songs that stem from myth, folklore, and religion.
His multidisciplinary practice investigates the eccentricities of the public sphere, everything from municipal signage to the concert stage. He exhibits work both individually and as part of TH&B, an artist collective of which he is a founding member (along with Ivan Jurakic, Simon Frank, and Dave Hind). Lukasik-Foss performs under the pseudonym 'tiny bill cody' and has released four Cd's of original songwriting over the last two decades, He writes regularly for "Hamilton Magazine", is a founding member of the Hamilton Seven, a story telling collective seen most notably at the 2017 Hamilton Fringe Festival. He has also been awarded the 2007 K.M. Hunter Award for Visual Arts, 2008 Visual Arts Award from the City of Hamilton, a 2009 Hamilton Music Award (Best Male Artist) multiple Ontario Arts Council Mid Career Visual Arts Grants and a 2014 Canada Council Project Grant. He lives with his family in central Hamilton and works as the Program Director for the Art Gallery of Hamilton.
Our partners on this unique residency are the The Estonian Artist's Association (EAA) and The Cotton Factory.
The Estonian Artist's Association (EAA) is the legal successor of the Soviet Estonian Artists' Association established in 1943 and is an umbrella-organization uniting 19 professional unions of artists and art historians. Fixed on October 1, 2002 there are 965 professional artists and art historians in the EAA. Most of the Members of the EAA have graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts.
Located in the heart of lower Hamilton, The Cotton Factory has been transformed into a creative industries complex, with space for workshops and small manufacturing, office space for creative professionals, and studios for artists. Though the complex is now fully leased, the community and uses of the complex are always growing and evolving. Over 60 tenants currently call the facilities of The Cotton Factory home for their artistic or creative practice. Among them are photographers, designers, curators, painters, potters, textile artists and woodworkers. Areas of the building have also been used for a wide variety of television and movie productions.
Stay tuned for more news about this one-of-a-kind residency.


Betel nut chewing has direct correlation to disease - KUAM.com-KUAM News: On Air. Online. On Demand.
Here at home and in our neighboring islands it's a common practice. Approximately 600 million - or 10 percent of the world's population - chews betel nut. Though it's cultural and there are some documented benefits of chewing, there's also a greater risk to multiple disease outcomes, most alarming of which is oral cancer.
Earlier this week, researchers presented their findings on the beloved betel nut. Dr. Thaddeus Herzog told KUAM News, "What this is basically a quit chewing program. It's done for betel nut chewers who want to quit."
It's called the Betel Nut Intervention Trial - just one of the many research investigations presented by members of the University of Guam and University of Hawaii Cancer Center Partnership to Advance Cancer Health Equity. Dr. Herzog is from the University of Hawaii. He has a background in smoking cessation research, and he said, "When I arrived in Hawaii I was introduced to betel nut and betel nut research. And so we got the idea: why not take smoking cessation techniques - those sorts of programs you might be familiar with - and adapt them in various ways to help betel nut chewers quit."
What did they know? Many betel nut chewers and cigarette smokers had a lot in common, including the desire to quit.
Dr. Herzog said, "They did want to quit. Many have tried to quit. As is the case with cigarette smokers, but they didn't have a clear idea of how or when they'd quit. But putting all this information together, we thought, yes it does make sense to try to develop a betel nut cessation program using as a starting point, cigarette smokers."
What did they do? 150 betel nut chewers - those who added tobacco - from Guam and Saipan participated. Half were given the full intervention program, the other half wasn't.
Dr. Yvette Paulino from the University of Guam told KUAM News, "The intervention group will get the full cessation program, plus a basic booklet on information on quitting betel nut as well as the harmful effects of betel nut. Then the control group just gets the booklet without any intervention."
Dr. Herzog said, "At the end of the 22 days, the intervention - in other words, the people who actually went through the program - 15.5% of them reported that they quit at the end of these 22 days, compared to just the 9.1% who did not get the full program. And somewhat surprising the quit rates even go up at the six month follow-up."
After six months, those who participated in the full intervention reported a 40-percent quit rate compared to the control group who reported only a 21.4-percent quit rate.
In a nutshell, it worked. Investigators admit they struggled with recruitment, but hope to continue enrollment, analyzing data, and publishing the results - with an emphasis on the tobacco aspect of betel quid.


text:
Lib Dem leader Judith Woodman to retire
Cardiff Liberal Democrat Opposition leader Cllr Judith Woodman will stand down as group leader later this week and will not seek re-election as a councillor in May, the party has announced.
Cllr Woodman was first elected in Pentwyn and Llanedeyrn in a 2003 by-election. She served as Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council between 2004 and 2012, when she was responsible for communities, housing and social justice. Her legacy includes a successful pilot of the non-emergency 101 number and requiring plastic glasses in pubs on match days to reduce glassing incidents.
Following the council elections in 2012 she became Lib Dem group leader and Leader of the Opposition, and in 2016 she drew on her experience as Deputy Council Leader as her party's Police and Crime Commissioner candidate for South Wales.
Outside of the council she takes a keen interest in voluntary work, currently a director of the Welsh Boxing Association and Honorary President of Diverse Cymru.
Two of her Pentwyn council colleagues, Cllrs Paul Chaundy and Keith Hyde, have also announced that they are stepping down in May.
Cllr Judith Woodman said:
"After nearly 14 years of dedicating my life to serving my community and my city, I've decided to take a step back to develop my business interests and charity work – as well as spending time with my new grandson!
"I will absolutely miss being on the Council, but I think now the time is right to hand over the reins to a promising new generation of Liberal Democrats in Pentwyn and across our city.
"Whoever is elected as the new Opposition Leader will have my full support, and I know that Cardiff Lib Dems remain the only credible alternative to this failing Labour administration."
The Liberal Democrat council group will meet on Wednesday to elect a new leader.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Operation Battle of Rennell Island
The 'Battle of Rennell Island' was fought between Japanese aircraft and US warships as the final major naval battle of the Guadalcanal campaign in the Solomon islands group (29/30 January 1943).
The battle was fought in the South Pacific waters between Rennell island and Guadalcanal in the southern part of the Solomon islands group. In the battle, Japanese land-based torpedo bombers, providing protection for the impending 'Ke' (i) evacuation of Japanese forces from Guadalcanal, made several attacks over two days on US warships operating as a task force to the south of Rennell island. In addition to approaching Guadalcanal with the objective of engaging any Japanese ships which appeared, the US task force was protecting an Allied transport ship convoy carrying replacement troops to Guadalcanal.
As a result of the Japanese air attacks on the task force, one US heavy cruiser was sunk, one destroyer was severely damaged, and the rest of the US task force was forced to retreat from the southern part of the Solomon islands group. Partly as a result of their success in the 'Battle of Rennell Island', the Japanese successfully evacuated their remaining troops from Guadalcanal by 7 February 1943, leaving it in the hands of the Allies and ending the battle for the island.
On 7 August 1942, Allied forces, comprising primarily US troops, landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi and the Florida islands in the Solomon islands group in the course of the 'Watchtower' and 'Ringbolt' undertakings. The landings on the islands were meant to deny the Japanese their uses as bases from which to threaten the supply routes between the USA and Australia, and to secure the islands as starting points for a campaign with the eventual goal of isolating the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain island while also supporting the Allied New Guinea campaign. The landings began the six-month Guadalcanal campaign.
The last major attempt by the Japanese to drive Allied forces from Guadalcanal and Tulagi was defeated during the decisive 'Naval Battle of Guadalcanal' early in November 1942. Thereafter, the Imperial Japanese navy was able to deliver only subsistence supplies and a few replacement troops to the Imperial Japanese army forces on Guadalcanal. Because of the threat from Allied aircraft based at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, as well as the nearby presence of US aircraft carriers, the Japanese delivered these supplies at night, usually by destroyer or submarine, in operations which became known to the Allies as 'Tokyo Express' undertakings. These supplies and replacements were not sufficient to sustain the Japanese troops on the island, who by 7 December 1942, were losing about 50 men each day to malnutrition, disease and the combination of Allied ground and/or air attacks. On 12 December 1942, the Imperial Japanese navy proposed that Guadalcanal be abandoned. Despite initial opposition from army leaders, who still hoped that Guadalcanal could eventually be retaken, on 31 December 1942 the Imperial General Headquarters, with approval from Emperor Hirohito, agreed to evacuate all Japanese forces from the island and to establish a new line of defence for the Solomons on New Georgia island.
The evacuation was 'Ke' (i). and was scheduled to begin on 14 January 1943. An important element in the plan was an air superiority campaign to inhibit Allied aircraft and/or warships from disrupting the final stage of 'Ke' (i).
The Allies misinterpreted the preparations for 'Ke' (i) as the start of another Japanese offensive to try to retake Guadalcanal. At the same time, Admiral William F. Halsey, the Allied theatre commander, was under pressure from his superiors to complete the replacement of the 2nd Marines, a regiment which had been in combat on Guadalcanal since August, with fresh US Army troops. Halsey hoped to take advantage of what he believed was an impending Japanese offensive to draw Japanese naval forces into battle, while at the same time delivering the replacement army troops to Guadalcanal. On 29 January, Halsey sent five task forces toward the southern part of the Solomons islands group to cover the relief convoy and to engage any Japanese naval forces that came within range. These five task forces included two fleet carriers, two escort carriers, three battleships, 12 cruisers and 25 destroyers.
Leading this array of task forces was Task Group 62.8, the troop convoy of four transports and four destroyers. Ahead of the troop convoy, between Rennell island and Guadalcanal, was Rear Admiral Robert C. Giffen's Task Force 18, a close support group comprising the heavy cruisers Wichita (flag), Chicago and Louisville, the light cruisers Montpelier, Cleveland and Columbia, the escort carriers Chenango and Suwannee, and eight destroyers. A fleet carrier task force, centred on the carrier Enterprise, steamed about 250 miles (400 km) behind TG 62.8 and TF 18. The other fleet carrier and battleship task forces were about 150 miles (240 km) farther back. Giffen, with Wichita and the two escort carriers, had just arrived in the Pacific after participating in the Allied 'Torch' landing in French North-West Africa. Chicago had just arrived back in the South Pacific after completing the damage she had suffered during the 'Battle of Savo Island', almost six months earlier, had been completed.
In addition to protecting the troop convoy, TF 18 was charged with rendezvousing with a force of four US destroyers, stationed at Tulagi, at 21.00 on 29 January in order to conduct a sweep up 'The Slot' through New Georgia Sound to the north of Guadalcanal on the following day to screen the unloading of the troop transports at Guadalcanal. The escort carriers, under Commodore Ben Wyatt and steaming at 18 kt, were too slow to allow Giffen's force to make the scheduled rendezvous, so Giffen left the carriers behind with two destroyers at 14.00 and pushed on ahead at 24 kt/ Wary of the threat from Japanese submarines, which Allied intelligence indicated were probably in the area, Giffen arranged his cruisers and destroyers for anti-submarine defence as he was not expecting an air attack. The cruisers were aligned in two columns, spaced 2,500 yards (2285 m) apart with Wichita, Chicago and Louisville, in that order, to starboard, and Montpelier, Cleveland and Columbia to port. The six destroyers were disposed in a semi-circular formation 2 miles (3.2 km) ahead of the cruiser columns.
Giffen's force was tracked by Japanese submarines, which reported its location and movement. At about the middle of the afternoon, based on the submarine reports for Vice Admiral Jinichi Kusaka's South-East Asia Fleet and 11th Air Fleet, 16 Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' twin-engined medium bombers of the 705th Air Group and 16 Mitsubishi G3M 'Nell' twin-engined medium bombers of the 701st Air Group, all armed with torpedoes rather than bombs, took off from Rabaul to locate and attack Giffen's force. One G3M turned back with engine trouble, leaving the air attack force with 31 bombers. The leader of the 705th Air Group's aircraft was Lieutenant Tomoo Nakamura, and Lieutenant Commander Joji Hagai commanded the aircraft of the 701st Air Group.
At sunset, as TF 18 steamed to the north-west at a position 50 miles (80 km) to the north of Rennell island and 160 miles (260 km) to the south of Guadalcanal, several of Giffen's ships detected unidentified aircraft on radar 60 miles (97 km) to the west of their formation. Having previously insisted on absolute radio silence, Giffen gave no orders about what to do about the unidentified contacts, or in fact any orders at all. With the setting of the sun, TF 18's combat air patrol of fighters from the two escort carriers returned to their ships, leaving Giffen's ships without air cover.
The radar contacts were the approaching Japanese torpedo bombers, which circled around to the south of TF 18 so that they could attack from the east, with the black backdrop of the eastern sky behind them. From this direction, the Japanese bombers were hidden by the night sky, but Giffen's ships were silhouetted against the twilight of the western horizon. The aircraft of the 705th Air Group attacked first, beginning at 19.19. All of Nakamura's aircraft missed with their torpedoes and one was shot down by anti-aircraft fire from Giffen's ships.
Believing that the attack was over, Giffen ordered his ships to cease zigzagging and continue toward Guadalcanal on the same course and at the same speed. Meanwhile, a Japanese reconnaissance aeroplane began dropping flares and floatlights to mark TF 18's course and speed for the impending attack by Hagai's bombers.
At 19.38, the 701st Air Group attacked, hitting Chicago with two torpedoes, causing heavy damage and bringing the cruiser to a dead stop. Another torpedo hit Wichita but failed to detonate. Two bombers, including that of Hagai, were shot down by anti-aircraft fire. At 20.08, Giffen ordered his ships to reverse direction, to slow to 15 kt, and to cease fire. The absence of muzzle flashes concealed the ships from the Japanese aircraft, which had all departed the area by 23.35. In pitch darkness, Louisville managed to take the crippled Chicago in tow and slowly headed south, away from the battle area, escorted by the rest of TF 18.
On being told of these events, Halsey immediately took steps to try to protect Chicago, notifying the escort carriers to make sure they had a combat air patrol in place at first light, ordering Enterprise's task force to approach and to augment the escort carriers' combat air patrol, and sending the fleet tug Navajo to take over the tow. a change which had been competed by 08.00. Between the break of day and 14.00, numerous Japanese reconnaissance aircraft approached TF 18. Although they were all chased away by the combat air patrol, they observed and reported Chicago's position. At 12.15, Lieutenant Commander Kazuo Nishioka led a force of 11 G4M torpedo bombers of the 751st Air Group, based at Kavieng and staging through Buka, New Guinea, to attack the damaged US cruiser. An Australian coastwatcher in the Solomon islands group warned the US forces of the bombers and estimated their arrival time as 16.00. However, Halsey ordered the other cruisers to leave Chicago behind and head for Efate island in the New Hebrides islands group. They departed at 15.00, leaving behind six destroyers to protect Chicago and Navajo.
At 15.40, Enterprise was 43 mi (69 km) away from Chicago, with 10 of her fighters constituting a combat air patrol over the damaged cruiser. At this time, four of the combat air patrol's fighters chased and shot down a scouting G4M bomber. At 15.54, Enterprise's radar detected the incoming bombers and the carrier launched 10 more fighters. The escort carriers, however, had difficulties in getting their aircraft launched and the fighters did not attack the bombers until the engagement was over.
At first, the Japanese bombers appeared to be trying to approach and attack Enterprise, but then turned toward Chicago after six of Enterprise's fighters had started to engage them. Four other combat air patrol fighters chased the the 751st Air Group's bombers as they entered the anti-aircraft fire from Chicago's escorting destroyers. Two of the bombers were shot down before they could release their torpedoes, and six more were shot down moments later, but not before they dropped their torpedoes.
One torpedo hit the destroyer La Vallette in her forward engine room, killing 22 men and causing heavy damage. Chicago was hit by four torpedoes, one forward of the bridge and three others in her engineering spaces. Captain Ralph O. Davis of Chicago ordered the ship to be abandoned, and she sank, stern first, 20 minutes later. Navajo and the escorting destroyers rescued 1,049 survivors, but 62 of her crew died. A final attack force of Japanese torpedo bombers failed to find the remaining US ships. Navajo took La Vallette in tow, and all of TF 18's remaining ships made port at Espiritu Santo island without further incident.
The Japanese publicised the results of the engagement widely, claiming to have sunk a battleship and three cruisers.On the other hand, the USA tried to conceal the loss of Chicago from the public for some time, with Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet and the Pacific Ocean Areas, threatening to 'shoot' any of his staff who leaked the loss to the press. Halsey and Nimitz blamed Giffen for the defeat and noted this in Giffen's official performance report for the period. The defeat and resulting recriminations did not affect the career of Giffen, who continued to lead Allied battleship and cruiser task forces in the Pacific until 1944, and was later promoted to vice admiral.
With Japanese aircraft engaged with TF 18, the Allied transports completed their replacement of the remaining marines on Guadalcanal over the last two days of January. During this time, the other Allied task forces, including the two fleet carrier task forces, took station in the Coral Sea in anticipation of an expected Japanese offensive in the southern part of the Solomon islands grorp.
With TF 18 forced to retreat, very few Allied naval forces were left in the immediate area of Guadalcanal, allowing the Japanese to retrieve most of their remaining ground forces from Guadalcanal over three nights between 2 and 7 February. The Allies were not aware of the Japanese withdrawal until it was over, but the evacuation of 11,000 starving troops and the loss of one cruiser became a footnote to the securing of Henderson Field and Guadalcanal, which provided the air support springboard to successfully complete the Solomon islands campaign, a major turning point in the Pacific War.
Start date: 29 January 1043
End date: 30 January 1943
Scope: Medium
Nature: Sea, Air/sea battle
Nations involved
Antagonists
Kusaka, Jinichi
Giffen, Robert C.
Halsey, William F.
Naval forces
ProtagonistsNone
Enterprise (aircraft carrier)
Parent operation
Child operationsNone


CHECK out these photos of Liverpool stars enjoying their time off in Tenerife.
Alberto Moreno, Steven Caulker and Roberto Firmino all shared photos on social media of their trip during the international break.
Jurgen Klopp's depleted squad have been doing some warm weather training on the island over the last few days.


text:
Q: Visualize an RDFLIB Graph in Python I am new to RDFLIB in python. I found this example of creating a graph on here. What is the simplest way to visualize graph created by this code?
import rdflib
# Now we create a graph, a representaiton of the ontology
g = rdflib.Graph()

# Now define the key words that we will use (the edge weights of the graph)
has_border_with = rdflib.URIRef('http://www.example.org/has_border_with')
located_in = rdflib.URIRef('http://www.example.org/located_in')

# define the things - base level objects that will be the nodes
# In this case first we have countries
germany = rdflib.URIRef('http://www.example.org/country1')
france = rdflib.URIRef('http://www.example.org/country2')
china = rdflib.URIRef('http://www.example.org/country3')
mongolia = rdflib.URIRef('http://www.example.org/country4')

# then we have continents
europa = rdflib.URIRef('http://www.example.org/part1')
asia = rdflib.URIRef('http://www.example.org/part2')

# Having defined the things and the edge weights, now assemble the graph
g.add((germany,has_border_with,france))
g.add((china,has_border_with,mongolia))
g.add((germany,located_in,europa))
g.add((france,located_in,europa))
g.add((china,located_in,asia))
g.add((mongolia,located_in,asia))

I see that the rdflib package has a tools component that has a function called rdfs2dot. How can I use this function to display a plot with the RDF graph in it?

A: Using the hint in this question: https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_there_any_open_source_RDF_graph_converter
I was able to plot the RDF Graph by converting to Networkx Graph and using the Networkx/Matplotlib plotting tools.
import rdflib
from rdflib.extras.external_graph_libs import rdflib_to_networkx_multidigraph
import networkx as nx
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

url = 'https://www.w3.org/TeamSubmission/turtle/tests/test-30.ttl'

g = rdflib.Graph()
result = g.parse(url, format='turtle')

G = rdflib_to_networkx_multidigraph(result)

# Plot Networkx instance of RDF Graph
pos = nx.spring_layout(G, scale=2)
edge_labels = nx.get_edge_attributes(G, 'r')
nx.draw_networkx_edge_labels(G, pos, edge_labels=edge_labels)
nx.draw(G, with_labels=True)

#if not in interactive mode for
plt.show()

To visualise large RDF Graphs the styling might need some finetuning ;-)

A: I could make a picture of your RDF Graph with rdf2dot, as you suggested. Nevertheless I am not completely happy with that library since it makes no nodes for literals. This is my code:
!pip install pydotplus
!pip install graphviz

import io
import pydotplus
from IPython.display import display, Image
from rdflib.tools.rdf2dot import rdf2dot

def visualize(g):
    stream = io.StringIO()
    rdf2dot(g, stream, opts = {display})
    dg = pydotplus.graph_from_dot_data(stream.getvalue())
    png = dg.create_png()
    display(Image(png))

visualize(g)

Giving the following result:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Get WPF single path data from . png file I would like to convert png file(transparent icon) to  WPF "path data".
Any idea how to get single wpf path data from .png icon.?

A: There is no direct way to do it. A PNG file is a raster format (i.e. it stores the colour of each pixel in the image). WPF Path Data is a vector format (i.e. it stores the image as geometric drawing instructions). If you are unsure what this means, see here for more info.
Vector can be converted to raster (at a set size), but raster cannot be obviously converted to vector (which is what you want).
The only way to try and convert raster to vector, with varying results, is to "trace" the raster image to guess what the equivalent geometric vector instructions might possibly be. The ability to trace a raster image accurately is directly proportional to its pixel dimensions and complexity of graphics. So tracing a [presumably] small icon might not be possible at all.
If I were faced with your problem, I would get as high a quality PNG image as possible, import it into Adobe Illustrator, use the Illustrator tracing tools to trace the image, and finally export the result of the trace to XAML (using something like http://www.mikeswanson.com/xamlexport/).
If you are looking for runtime tracing, this is something I have not come across. Given the massively varying tracing parameters which are required for different styles of raster images, I don't suppose it would even be realistically possible.
Good luck.


If you remember a while back, I installed the LaMp stack on Linux in preparation for installing Wordpress... which I did but didn't post the How-to. Err, sorry about that. I'll get around to it, promise.
Well, that LaMp How-to was a tad simple-minded and things have moved on a little. Here's an update with a bit more detail to it. You'll note I'm doing this the old fashioned way, step by step, command line by command line. We'll look at an easier way soon.


Working together with the Myer team & Woods Bagot we shaped and developed the concept into reality across Brand Space and Place. Facilitating curated experience that is visual and tactile, the design balances the retail demands of one of Australia's leading department stores with the casual lifestyle of Sydney's northern beaches. The design reimagines the experience of the department store experience in days past, where service was paramount.
The design reimagines the experience of the department store experience in days past, where service was paramount.
Focused on elevating the customer experience, the design supports Myer's new strategies by offering a quality, customer-first approach to the layout and design, setting a new benchmark for contemporary retailing in the process.
The finishes comprise a variety of materials selected to convey quality and an aspirational ambience for customers.
Introducing customers to the new retail environment and creating a sense of anticipation, the first opportunity the customer has to encounter Myer Warringah is via the façade. Fronting the mall, a new double-height fitted glass entrance creates a threshold usually experienced on a high street – now within a shopping centre context.
The finishes comprise a variety of materials selected to convey quality and an aspirational ambience for customers. Used to define space, materials such as engineered stone, glass, fabric and metals have been applied, reflecting the various customer demographic and providing each department a sense of identity. Raised ceiling heights and dramatic visual merchandising create a theatrical experience – encouraging customers to explore and wander.


If you have concerns about a senior's driving ability, it may be worthwhile to visit an occupational therapist (OT) who is trained in driving assessment and evaluation. A trained OT can help seniors determine how health impairments and other limitations may be affecting their driving, and then help develop and implement a plan for how they can reduce their risks and stay safely mobile.
The locator below only contains information about California Occupational Therapist driving programs. If your county is not listed below, it may be helpful to search in nearby counties for a program.
The Mobility Evaluation Program (MEP) is a program of California's vocational rehabilitation agency, the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), serving all counties throughout the state. The DOR assists people with all kinds of disabilities, beginning at age 16, to obtain, retain, or regain employment. MEP provides comprehensive driver evaluation services for clients of the DOR who need to drive to participate in training, education, job search, or work. For additional information about MEP please call (323) 562-1308.
For programs in other states, please visit the AOTA Driving Program Database.
California OT's, to be included in this database, please submit your program/business information.
12 OT's provide community mobility and access to public and alternative transportation.
The contents of the Eldersafety Site are for informational purposes only.
Website content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Eldersafety Site.
it guarantee its accuracy, completeness, efficacy, or timeliness. Reference to any commercial service, including specific providers and programs, does not constitute or imply endorsement or recommendation. We assume no responsibility for consequences resulting from use of the information contained herein or obtained at linked sites. Reliance on any information provided by Eldersafety, employees, others appearing on this site is solely at your own risk.
A member of the Injury Prevention Web family of sites. Copyright ©2005-2011. Previously funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.


Crush the saffron with mortar and pestle, until powdery.
Then, in a saucepan add water, and all of the above ingredients, except milk and sugar.
Allow the mixture to boil on high heat for 5 minutes or until aromatic.
Turn heat down to medium and add milk and sugar, until a gentle brown colour develops.
Stir the karak chai until heated thoroughly.
Pour into a cup through strainer.
Place this cup in the fridge until it completely cools down.
Pour into a serving cup/glass, and stack it up with ice to keep cool.
Garnish with pistachios/ rose petals/ saffron strands.


text:
The Oxford Artisan Distillery
It was grain – organically grown, ancient populations of heritage grain to be precise – that provided the seed for the Oxford Artisan Distillery. Perhaps not the sexiest of starting points for a spirit brand launched by Tom Nicholson, The Oxford Artisan Distillery's Founder who said goodbye to a successful career in the music industry, but one we're incredibly grateful for. Read More
It was grain – organically grown, ancient populations of heritage grain to be precise – that provided the seed for the Oxford Artisan Distillery. Perhaps not the sexiest of starting points for a spirit brand launched by Tom Nicholson, The Oxford Artisan Distillery's Founder who said goodbye to a successful career in the music industry, but one we're incredibly grateful for.
Captivated by the thought of establishing Oxford's first craft distillery, Tom combined family roots in the wine and spirits industry and a passion for the ideals of British excellence with the skills of Californian-board Cory Mason, Master Distiller and Barman, who he met in 2013. Together they concocted a brand, previously known as TOAD and launched in 2017, that encourages us to challenge expectations of spirits, starting with what we all-too-readily overlook when it comes to our choice of tipple: ingredients. They placed the motto "from grain to glass" at their business' heart, partnering with pioneering farmer and archaeobotanist, John Letts, to produce spirits using exclusively organically grown, heritage grains sourced from four local farms. This motto has shaped their company's purpose. As of 2020, they're certified organic, the UK's first certified organic grain-to-glass distillery, and the only distillery in the world using ancient heritage grain to produce their full range of spirits. OK, that's pretty sexy.
With an aim to be different, more sustainable, and considerate of the world around us, The Oxford Artisan Distillery maintains its philosophy within the distillery walls. To avoid importing stills from across the globe (still making in the UK is very rare), they commissioned some from scratch – taking cues from the best of distilling practice, the romance of steam, old diving helmets and imagery from Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, of course. While their stills (Nautilus and Nemo) are worth a visit, their spirits are even more worthy of a taste. The Oxford Artisan Distillery gin is as captivating as its story – Juniper-led, bold, and bursting with bitter orange, lemon peel, nutmeg and meadowsweet, while the Oxford Artisan Distillery Vodka can convert even the wariest consumers, with a smooth body, beautiful butterscotch and hints of spiced caramel that will rock your world – on the rocks, shaken or stirred.


Lecture capture company Sonic Foundry has formally released a new application intended to help faculty members and others record straightforward screencasts or audio and slide presentations from a podium PC without the intervention of a production person. Mediasite Catch is specifically intended for classrooms not equipped with extensive audio or video capabilities. The announcement came during this week's annual Educause conference taking place in Anaheim.
Catch supports several kinds of workflows. "Connected mode" allows the recording to be timed to start automatically using the scheduling features of Mediasite. The recording settings are set by template. Once the recording is finished, it can be published through auto-upload. The instructor being recorded doesn't have to see any of the recording interface. Ad hoc recordings can also be made by initiating them through My Mediasite. Also, the program can handle "local" control with start/stop/pause buttons with "confidence monitoring."
Because the video capture is limited to a webcam, it's not intended to record lectures being presented as the instructor moves around the room, Sampat emphasized. It doesn't "support cameras with sophisticated interfaces; it's primarily for USB capture," he said.
Catch plays well into an education environment, said Alan Greenberg, a senior analyst and partner for Wainhouse Research, in a statement. "Scheduling, ease of use and the ability to expand their lecture capture deployments are among the very top features we hear our educational clients asking for in their video solutions." He added that "a simple-to-use, podium-based solution like Mediasite Catch is ideal for many classrooms and will allow campuses to scale their deployments and make lecture capture more ubiquitous."


text:
D. Mendo Alão ou Alaniz (Bretanha, c. 1000, — Bragança, c. 1050), 1.º senhor de Bragança e doutras terras, foi um nobre e cavaleiro medieval que viveu na região de Bragança, contemporâneo do Rei D. Afonso VI de Leão.

Segundo o Livro Velho de Linhagens era clérigo, muito provavelmente no mosteiro de S. Salvador de Castro de Avelãs, e «filhou» uma princesa arménia (que, segundo o que se sabe, pertencia à família Arzerúnio de Vaspuracânia), quando esta se instalou no dito mosteiro, no decurso de uma peregrinação que então fazia a Santiago de Compostela.

Genealogia
Uma hipótese sobre a ascendência de Mendo Alão, baseada na raridade do seu patronímico, Alano, dá-o como filho do Conde Alano II da Bretanha (c. 965 - d. 990), 5.º Conde de Nantes, que fugiu da Bretanha para Leão, sendo possivelmente o fundador do mosteiro de São Salvador de Castro de Avelãs. Este  casado com Princesa Joana Romães Arzerúnio da Armenia e Vaspuracânia, Europa Oriental , e filho de uma descendente sucessora do conde Oduário ou Odoário, presor de / em Chaves, que era casada com o quinto Conde de Nantes, e que possivelmente, o condé Oduario também está relacionado com a fundação do Mosteiro de Castro de Avelãs, sendo, talvez, o seu fundador.

Alguns autores franceses considerem que Alain de Bretanha morreu em 990 e que seu primo Conan I, o Torto, lhe tomou nesse ano os condados de Bretanha e de Nantes. Mas isso não é verdade, pois Conan o Torto já aparece num documento de 16 de Agosto de 976 na corte do conde Eudes de Chartres como «Conanus commes Britanniae» e o poder na Bretanha estava dividido pelo menos desde 965, como provam as cartas do Papa João XIII, e provavelmente desde 958, com a morte de Drogo.

Portanto, Conan o Torto foi conde (ou duque) da Bretanha ainda em vida de seu tio Hoel I, que só morreu em 981, assassinado justamente a mando de Conan o Torto, portanto muito antes de ter sido conde de Nantes seu tio Guerech, assassinado em 988, também a mando de Conan o Torto, sendo sepultado na abadia de Saint-Sauveur de Redon.

Conan o Torto reclamava a sucessão como neto (materno) legítimo do duque de Bretanha Alano Barba-Torta, primeiro contra o tio Hoel, duque/conde da Bretanha e conde de Nantes, e depois contra o tio Guerech, que estava nomeado bispo de Nantes mas quando soube da morte do irmão fez-se antes eleger conde de Nantes, ambos filhos bastardos do antedito Alano Barba-Torta.

Nascido cerca de 933, Guerech terá casado cerca de 964, pelo que seu filho Alano de Nantes, nasceu cerca de 965, tendo portanto cerca de 24 anos quando seu pai foi assassinado. Como ficou dito, já desde 976 que Conan o Torto se intitulava conde da Bretanha, apesar de Hoel fazer o mesmo. Não é crível que o jovem Alano lhe fizesse frente e tivesse condições para se fazer eleger conde de Nantes, e muito menos da Bretanha, ou tivesse sequer condições para manter a sua vida a salvo, depois de ver o pai e o tio assassinados.

É portanto perfeitamente aceitável não só a informação francesa de que este Alano desapareceu, mas também a informação ibérica de que se refugiou no reino de Leão. Isto mesmo refere José Carlos Lourinho Soares Machado ("Os Bragaçãos", Lisboa, 2004), seguindo a sugestão de Luiz Paulo Manuel de Menezes de Mello Vaz de São-Payo, que identifica este Alano com o D. Alano que está na origem dos senhores feudais de Bragançãos e que,  casou com a Princesa Joana Romães Arzerúnio Homaz asp da Armenia e Vaspuracânia, descendente sucessora do conde Oduarius, presor de Chaves e provável fundador do mosteiro de S. Salvador do Castro de Avelãs.

Como bem salienta Luiz Paulo Manuel de Menezes de Mello Vaz de São-Payo, o nome Alain/Alanus (Alano/Alão), para além de absolutamente desconhecido na Península Ibérica, era então propriedade exclusiva da Casa de Bretanha. O aparecimento naquela cronologia de um Alanus na Península Iberica só pode corresponder ao do despojado filho de Guerech, tendo também em conta que deu origem a uma das poucas famílias verdadeiramente feudais que aqui se conhecem.

Casamento e descendência
Casou com uma princesa arménia, da dinastia Arzerúnio, e filha (ou neta) do rei João Senequerim Arzerúnio, (960 - 1027) último rei de Vaspuracânia, e de sua mulher Koushkoush Bagratuni da Armênia, esta filha do Rei Cacício I da Armenia. A princesa terá sido raptada quando vinha a Santiago de Compostela em peregrinação com seu pai João Senequerim visitar o corpo do apóstolo Santiago Maior de Compostela. Os turbulentos acontecimentos que então tinham lugar no seu longínquo reino de Vaspuracânia, com ameaça iminente das invasões bárbaras, justificariam esta peregrinação por parte do piedoso rei.

 D. Fernando ou Fernão Mendes de Bragança I (1020 —?)
 Ouroana Mendes de Bragança (c. 1020 -?) casou com Fafes Sarrazins de Lanhoso (1020 - Batalha de Águas de Maia, Coimbra, 1071), filho do Conde Sarracino de Lanhoso e Goda Moniz

Referências
 Nobiliário das Gerações de Entre Douro e Minho, Manuel de Sousa da Silva, Carvalhos de Basto, Ponte de Lima, 2000. vol. II-pg. 9.
 Nobiliário das Famílias de Portugal, Felgueiras Gayo, Carvalhos de Basto, 2ª Edição, Braga, 1989. vol. I-pg. 248 (Alões).

Fidalgos de Portugal
Nobres do Condado Portucalense
Portugueses do século XI
Bragançãos

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I was honored to be in attendance and to take some photos at my dear friend Kristy's wedding on Martha's Vineyard last month. I met Kristy over 10 years ago when I was working at a Crisis Management service provider and she was at an airline. As with many of my clients from those days, Kristy and I became friends and have continued our friendship through other jobs and life paths. Kristy and her now husband Noel's story is one of true love, international long distance love at that, and perseverance. I've never been so happy or emotional at a wedding in my life. These two are the perfect couple and worked hard to get to their special day.
The last few weeks have been a bit challenging for many and with the media full of emotional stories, I wanted to send out a little love today, in my own style.
Yes, Kristy, you helped prove that!
And just like my trip to Amsterdam last year and my #LoveLettersToAmsterdam theme, I have a lot of love for Martha's Vineyard so here is my #LoveLetterToMarthasVineyard. An Impressionist photography image from Edgartown Harbor.
Thank you Martha's Vineyard for the beauty and magic you always share.
You can see more wedding weekend fun, the magic of Debi Lilly's wedding designs and Martha's Vineyard scenery in a video I created for the happy couple. Visit my melissaAnne COLORS Facebook page to view.
My Palouse Roadtrip recap is underway on my Instagram page. It's always fun to revisit a trip after I've returned and see the photos and remember the sights, sounds and feelings I experienced along the way. And, I love to indulge in my passion for storytelling with both words and photos that bring people along "with" me.
It's a long drive out to the Palouse, 6+ hours to be exact. That's a lot of radio time and focus at the wheel time! As I drove, not really sure what was between home and the "finish line", I waited for just the right place to slow down, take an exit and get out of the car for a few minutes to rest my mind and eyes. I sure found the perfect spot at Wanapum Reservoir (and I'm sure glad I was in the right lane to make a split second exit when I saw the scenery!).
Who wouldn't want to stop here in the middle of a long drive and take a stretch? I mean…EYE CANDY!
When I moved to the Pacific Northwest I read about a place called The Palouse. "What is The Palouse?" you might ask if you aren't from around here. Well, it's a 4,000 square mile region of rolling, asymmetrical hills covered in wheat. I was completely smitten by the idea of heading out with my camera to explore this divine-looking destination. It only took me 4 years, but hey, better late than never.
Let me show you my impressions on The Palouse!
I was amazed by the rolling fields of wheat, the colors, and the shapes and textures they created.
If you've followed my photography over the years you know that you don't see many people in them. I find my creative expression inspired by nature scenes, urban settings and nautical environs. But this year I had a goal to push myself out of my comfort zone in all areas of life, so I took a photography workshop a few months ago and pushed myself out of my comfort zone and dedicated my eye and camera on people. The workshop involved one of my favorite things, the Seattle ferries, so it was a safe and inspiring place to get into the unfamiliar.
On Tuesday evenings, over a 3 week period, we rode ferries. Three different ferry routes around the Puget Sound to communities across King County. We visited Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, and Vashon Island. Well, we didn't exactly visit the destinations, we visited the route there and back. As the ferries loaded, moved, and returned commuters and tourists, workshop participants took pictures of life on the ferry. Each participant had their own style and way of seeing the ferry experience, from focusing on the shapes and light to black and white studies. While I pushed myself out of my traditional comfort zone and focused on people, I came away with photos that still reflected my love of color, shape and texture…but with people in them!
I've found inspiration in daily micro-blogging over on my Instagram account, but I know I've neglected my Blog and subscribers. I'm going to try out a new goal to do a weekly blog highlighting my most popular images on Instagram. Hopefully you will be inspired by these images too. I'll also provide a coupon code and a one week only discount on select fan favorite images so you can get images off your screen and onto your walls.
Last week I featured images from a recent trip to Anacortes and one of my favorite area beaches, Rosario Beach. Here are the top 2 "fan favorites" for the week.
Coming in tops with 100 likes and several comments was this fun photo of the violent surf roaring onto the beach as the sun was setting. These were the biggest waves I've seen on this beach and was thankful that I was paying attention when a particularly BIG one crashed in and tried to take me and my tripod out! Still standing (and running quickly away from the looming waves) I was able to get some great shots of rolling waves highlighted by the sun's glowing rays.
Coming in second, with 83 likes, is this Impressionist photography image of sunset color beginning to paint the sky.


Does anyone else feel like they always end up combining Thanksgiving with Christmas? We don't usually mean to do it but we can just never seem to separate the two. But it's not all our fault because a lot of other people seem to do the same thing. Stores put out Christmas decorations right after Halloween and radio stations start playing Christmas music as well. It's hard NOT to get into the Christmas spirit with everything around you! Also, we just love getting into Christmas early because..well..it's Christmas! And what's not to love about this holiday? Sweet peppermint and gingerbread goodies, warm and delicious hot chocolate and all the beautiful and colorful light displays. We'll admit that we have already put up one Christmas decoration.
We have a small tree that we put up in our upstairs. We love putting it up right after Halloween so we can see the lights at night. But the rest of our house is decorated for thanksgiving right now. We have little turkey figurines like this guy….
We even recently got a blow up turkey for outside. Kids seem to love him when they get off the bus stop!
We might be listening to some Christmas music or watching some Christmas movies already but we also try to stay in a more harvest mood as well for Thanksgiving. We think we have a pretty good balance going so we can get the best out of both holidays.
And after we finish the turkey and watch the parade, we'll be all ready to go into full Christmas mode. The last two years we've actually put up our outside Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving night and it's a tradition we might just continue. It's a fun activity for us to do after Thanksgiving dinner. And we've always decorated the house during the weekend after Thanksgiving!
We hope you all find the right balance to celebrating both holidays. Whether you celebrate them both at the same time like us or you wait until after Thanksgiving to do anything Christmas related, we hope you do whatever works for you! After all, it's the holidays and they are suppose to be fun! So don't panic and don't get stressed. You can have the tree up during Thanksgiving dinner and that's just fine! The more the merrier right?


text:
Philippine Statistics Authority National Capital Region
PSA Main Website
Household Based
Census of Population and Housing (CPH)
Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF)
Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES)
Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS)
Family Health Survey (FHS)
Labor Force Survey (LFS)
National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS)
Survey on Children (SOC)
Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS)
Household Energy Consumption Survey (HECS)
Survey on Overseas Filipinos (SOF)
Household Survey on Domestic Visitors (HSDV)
Industry Based
Census of Philippine Business and Industry (CPBI)
Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry (ASPBI)
Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (MISSI)
Producer's Price Survey (PPS)
Consumer Price Survey (CPS)
Survey of Tourism Establishments in the Philippines (STEP)
Survey on Information and Communication Technology (SICT)
Survey of Energy Consumption of Establishments (SECE)
Administrative Based
Foreign Trade Statistics
Commodity Flow in the Philippines
Construction Statistics from Approved Building Permits
Statistical Planning and Coordination
National Statistics Month (NSM)
Regional Statistical Committee (RSC)
Regional Statistical Development Plan (RSDP)
Statistical Frameworks and Indicators System
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
Gross Regional Domestic Products (GRDP)
Core Regional Indicators (CoRe-IS)
Regional Social and Economic Trends (RSET)
Statistics on Children
Quickstat
Provincial Offices
NCR I
NCR II
NCR III
NCR IV
NCR V
2015 Census of Population - Final Results PATEROS
Population decreased at the rate of 0.09 percent annually
The municipality of Pateros, the only remaining municipality in the National Capital Region, had a total population of 63,840 persons as of August 1, 2015, a decrease of 307 persons over its total population of 64,147 persons in May 1, 2010. The decrease in the population translated into an average growth rate (PGR) of -0.09 percent annually during the period 2010 to 2015, which is 1.21 percent lower than the annual PGR of the municipality for the period 2000 to 2010.
Santa Ana was the most populous barangay
Among the 10 barangays comprising the municipality of Pateros, Barangay Santa Ana was the most populous. Its population size was 44.20 percent of the total population of the municipality. Aguho came in second in terms of population size, with 10.23 percent share. This was followed by Santo Rosario-Kanluran with 8.34 percent, Santo Rosario-Silangan with 8.18 percent, Martires del 96 with 7.70 percent and San Roque with 7.04 percent share. The rest of the barangays contributed less than 5.00 percent each.
The least populated barangay was Magtanggol with 2.59 percent share to the total population of the municipality with 1,652 persons residing in the barangay. This was 5.87 percent lower than recorded in the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH).
The following table presents the total population of the top 6 barangays in Pateros.
Household population decreases by 0.59 percent
The total household population of the municipality of Pateros reached 63,643 persons in 2015, posting a decrease of 0.59 percent compared to 64,020 persons in 2010. Household population accounted for 99.69 percent of the municipality total population.
Population density decreases by 0.5 percent
With land area of 10.40 square kilometers, the population density of the municipality of Pateros registered 6,138 persons per square kilometers in 2015. This showed a decrease of 29 persons (-0.47 percent) from 6,167 persons per square kilometer in 2010. In 2000, there were 5,520 persons residing in every square kilometers of land.
Sex ratio is 97 males for every 100 females
Of the total household population in the municipality of Pateros in 2015, 49.30 percent were males and 50.70 percent were females. These figures resulted to a sex ratio of 97 males for every 100 females, which is the same as that recorded in 2010 (97 males for every 100 females). The census result further revealed that the sex ratio for age group below 15 years had more males than females. Age groups 15-19 years and 30-34 years had equal numbers of males and females. However, age groups 20 to 29 years and 35 years and over had more females than males.
Refer to table 5 for details.
The following figures present the comparative age-sex pyramids of NCR and the municipality of Pateros for the years 2015 and 2010.
Children aged 5 to 9 years comprised the largest age group
The age-sex distribution of the household population showed that children aged 5 to 9 years comprised the largest age group, making up 8.99 percent of the household population, followed by those in the age groups 10 to 14 years (8.88 percent), and 0 to 4 years (8.78 percent).
Median age increased to 26.95 years
The household population of the municipality of Pateros had a median of age 26.9 years, which means that half of the population was younger than 26.9 years. This is slightly higher than the median age of 26.0 years that was recorded in 2010.
There were more males than females among the never-married persons
Of the total population aged 10 years old and over, 47.63 percent were never-married while 35.56 percent were married. The rest of the population were categorized as follows: common-law/lived-in marital arrangement (10.27 percent), widowed (4.32 percent), and divorced/separated (2.18 percent).
The males (51.49 percent), outnumbered the female (48.51 percent) among the never-married persons while the rest of the categories for marital status had more females than males to wit: widowed (22.39 percent for males and 77.61 percent for females), divorced/separated (33.10 percent for males and 66.90 percent for females), and common-law/live-in (49.46 percent for males and 50.54 females).
Roman Catholics decreased to 90.7 percent
Among the total population in the municipality of Pateros in 2015, 90.67 percent reported the Roman Catholic as their religious affiliation. This proportion is slightly lower than the 92.30 percent reported in 2010. The next largest religious affiliation in the municipality was Iglesia ni Cristo with 2.82 percent, followed by the Evangelicals (Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches) with 1.33 percent.
School attendance rate was higher among males than among females
Of the 23,900 household population aged 5 to 24 years, 69.41 percent was attending school in School Year 2015-2016. The school attendance rate in 2015 was higher among males (51.40 percent) than among females (48.60 percent).
More females had attained higher levels of education
Of the total population aged five years and over, 18.88 percent had attended or completed elementary education, 37.63 percent had reached or finished high school, 17.30 percent were college undergraduates, and 18.23 percent were academic degree holders. The females (56.51 percent) outnumbered the males (43.49 percent) among those with academic degrees. On the other hand, there were more females (58.67 percent) than males (41.33 percent) among those with post baccalaureate courses.
Simple literacy rate was recorded at 99.8 percent
The municipality of Pateros posted a literacy rate of 99.77 percent among the 52,331 household population aged 10 years old and over. In the POPCEN 2015, a person is considered literate if he/she is able to read and write a simple message in any language or dialect. Literacy rate in 2015 in the municipality of Pateros was higher among females (51.21 percent) than among males (48.79 percent).
Senior citizens constitute 8.10 percent of the household population
Senior citizens, comprising of those aged 60 years old and over, numbered 5,155 in the municipality of Pateros. Males accounted for 42.13 percent and the rest were females. Senior citizens represent 8.10 percent of the total household population.
Dependency ratio decreased to 47 dependents per 100 persons in the working age group
Dependency ratio remained at 47 dependents per 100 persons in the working age group. In 2015, the young dependents (0 to 14 years) comprised 26.65 percent of the total household population while the old dependents (65 years and over) posted a share of 5.16 percent. The working-age population (15 to 64 years) accounted for the remaining 68.19 percent.
The overall dependency ratio was 47, which indicates that for every 100 working-age population, there were about 47 dependents (39 young dependents and 8 old dependents). This ratio is lower than reported dependency ratio in 2010, which was recorded at 50 dependents per 100 working-age population.
About two in five of the household population are of school age
The school–age population (5 to 24 years) in the municipality of Pateros represents 37.55 percent of the total household population. This is slightly lower than the proportion of school-age population (38.47 percent) in 2010. Of the 23,900 household population who were of school age, males made up 50.64 percent while females made up 49.36 percent.
More than half of the total household population were of voting age
The municipality's voting-age population (18 years and over) comprised 67.53 percent of the total population in 2015, an increase of 2.38 percent from 65.15 percent in 2010. There were more females (51.83 percent) than males (48.17 percent) among the voting-age population.
Male overseas workers outnumbered their female counterpart
In the municipality of Pateros, 2.96 percent (or 1,382 persons) of the 46,680 household population aged 15 years old and over were overseas workers. Male overseas workers outnumbered their female counterpart. They comprised 58.10 percent of the overseas workers from this municipality. The age group 45 years and over had the largest percentage (28.80 percent) of the total overseas workers from this municipality in 2015, followed by the age group 35 to 39 years (18.31 percent), 30 to 34 years (17.22 percent), 40 to 44 years (15.70 percent) and 25-29 years (14.33 percent). Furthermore, younger age overseas workers (24 and below) had a share of 5.64 percent.
Almost three in every five persons were engaged in gainful activity
Of the total 46,680 household population aged 15 years and over in municipality of Pateros in 2015, approximately three in every five persons (58.71 percent) were engaged in a gainful activity during the 12 months preceding the census.
By major occupation group, service and sales workers comprised the largest group (19.62 percent of all person with gainful activity). Clerical support workers came in next (16.36 percent), followed by workers engaged in elementary occupation (12.94 percent), plant and machine operator/assemblers (11.37 percent) and workers engaged in craft and related trades workers (10.10 percent).
Average household size in 2015 was 4.5 persons
The household population of the municipality in 2015 was 63,643 persons, lower by 377 persons from the household population of 64,020 persons in 2010. This translates a decreased by 0.59 percent from 64,020 in 2010 to 63,643 in 2015. The average household size in 2015 was 4.5 persons, higher than the average household size of 4.4 persons in 2010.
The table below presents the number of households and average household sizes by census year in the municipality of Pateros.
The Philippine Statistics Authority conducted the 2015 Census of Population (POPCEN) in August to September 2015 pursuant to Republic Act 10625, also known as the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013 and Executive order No. 352 – Designation of Statistical Activities that will Generate Critical Data for Decision-Making of the government and Private Sector, stipulates the conduct of a mid-decade census primarily to update the population count in all barangays nationwide. It was the 14th census of population that was undertaken since the first census in 1903.
The POPCEN 2015 was designed to take an inventory of the entire population of the country and collects information about their characteristics. The census of population is the source of information on the size and distribution, and composition of the population for different geographic units, that is, at the national down to barangay level. These information are vital in making rational plans and programs towards national and local development.
Census day for the POPCEN 2015 was August 1, 2015 as of 12:01 a.m. The Philippine Standard Geographic Codes (PSGC) was used for the disaggregation of geographic levels for the POPCEN 2015.
POPCEN 2015 made use of the de jure concept of enumeration wherein households and persons are enumerated in the area where they usually reside as of the census reference date. Enumeration lasted for about 25 days, from August 10 to September 6, 2016. Enumeration was extended until September 15, 2015 for the large provinces and some highly urbanized cities.
Proclamation No. 1269, signed by President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III on 13 May 2016 made official the census counts for all purposes. Population counts also include Filipinos in Philippine Embassies, Consulates and Missions abroad. The population counts were based on census questionnaires accomplished by about 90,000 enumerators deployed during the nationwide census taking. These questionnaires were processed at the different Regional Census Processing Centers using the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) technology along with the Census Integrated Processing System developed by PSA for this purpose. The successful completion of census-taking was made possible with the support of the local and national officials, government agencies, local government units, media, private agencies, and non-government organizations.
Age is the interval of time between a person's date of birth and the census reference date (August 1, 2015). Expressed in completed years (as of last birthday), it is recorded in whole number.
Barangay is the smallest political unit in the country.
Household is a social unit consisting of a person living alone or a group of persons who sleep in the same housing unit and have a common arrangement in the preparation and consumption of food.
Household population refers to all persons who are members of the household.
Institutional population is the population enumerated in collective or institutional living quarters such as: dormitories or lodging houses, jails or prisons, military camps, convents or seminaries, and mental hospitals.
Marital status is the personal status of each individual with reference to marriage laws or customs of the country.
Median age is the age at which exactly half of the population is younger than this age and the other half is older than it.
Overall dependency ratio is the ratio of persons in the dependent ages (under 15 years old and over 64 years old) to persons in the economically active or working ages (15 to 64 years old) in the population.
Overseas worker is household member aged 15 years old and over who is out of the country due to an overseas employment.
Population growth rate is the rate which the population is increasing (or decreasing) in a given period due to natural increase and net migration, expressed as a percentage of the base population.
Religious affiliation is a particular system of beliefs, attitudes, emotions, and behavior constituting man's relationship with the powers and principalities of the universe.
Sex ratio refers to the ratio of males to females in a given population, expressed as the number of males per 100 females.
Simple literacy rate is the proportion of person aged 10 years and over who are able to read and write a simple message in any language or dialect.
School attendance rate refers to the proportion of persons 5 to 24 years old who were attending school during the School Year June 2015 to March 2016 to school-age population (5 to 24 years old).
Total population is the sum of household population and institutional population. It also includes Filipinos in Philippine embassies, consulates, and mission abroad.
Usual activity or occupation is the kind of job or business, which a person aged 15 years old and over was engaged in most of the time during the 12 months preceding the time of census.
Pateros Popcen 2015
Special Release 2015 Popcen(Pateros) Final Results


text:
Left holding the baby problem
After the 2011 General Election, former ports chief Grace Fu became the highest-ranking woman in Government and was promptly put in charge of a national problem that no less than former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has given up on. Ms Fu, who oversees population issues in the Prime Minister's Office and is Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, talks to Rachel Chang about staying optimistic about the abysmal birth rate and why being a woman and a People's Action Party politician can sometimes be the worst of both worlds.
The Straits Times, 14 Sep 2013
Mr Lee said that he would offer a baby bonus of two years' average salary per kid, just to prove that monetary incentives won't work to lift the birth rate. Would you try it?
If you take an extreme case, and you offer $2 million for a child, the answer is yes, it would probably encourage some couples. But the Government's perspective is not to just throw money at the problem. We want the child to grow up in a nice, wholesome family, and the right parenting background is equally important. Personally, I don't believe that we should use money to incentivise childbirth. We want the right values, it has to come from within, that 'I'm having this child, I believe in having this family.' With that as an inner motivation, then monetary incentives are to help lighten the burden. Going into this decision because there's money out there would be the wrong starting point.
Some think that the Government's baby-boosting measures are half-hearted since it can rely on immigrants to top up the population.
But in our Population White Paper, we have given commitments on the number of permanent residents (PRs) and new citizens, and we have to keep a Singapore core and make sure it remains strong. The more we are producing our own, the more we can reduce the reliance on immigration. In the White Paper, we have committed to the number of PRs and new citizens we can take (a steady pool of about 500,000 PRs and not more than 25,000 new citizens a year). That's limiting. We can't take any more. Take the worst-case scenario of not having any babies at all. We can't make it up through immigration because we have already committed to a certain number.
So even if the total fertility rate (TFR) plunges, we won't take more than this number of new citizens and PRs?
If it's really very dire, we have to come back to Singaporeans and explain why we have to revisit the numbers. Before that, we have to try our best to improve the fertility equation.
Has January's Marriage and Parenthood package, which includes one week of paternity leave and state-subsidised rental housing for young families, worked?
We have not had the (final) numbers yet. I am optimistic, there are some signs that it has moved up. But we would like to see it move up further and be a sustainable uptrend.
DPM Teo Chee Hean said in January that the Government is aiming for TFR of 1.5.
That's a very aggressive target. I think we will be happy if it goes up to 1.3 or 1.4, (as it was previously) on a declining trend. It's already not bad to stop the decline, primarily because it's not just a parenthood problem but a singlehood issue.
Many factors come into that. The options for young people are plentiful. People want to go overseas, undertake challenging, exciting options. I suppose their priority may not be settling down and getting married. We're trying to bring back family as a life goal, a priority. We like to remind young people that you can do all these exciting things, but spare a thought for what's important in life. It's actually easier to get married when you are younger. (Especially) for women, sometimes, opportunities slip by. For the men, it's always an option to marry someone younger. When you're 40, you don't mind marrying someone who's 25. But the reverse is difficult. It comes back to society norms again.
Some women are reluctant to start families before a certain age because of their careers. How did you raise three boys and still have a high-flying career?
When my second son was very young, I was travelling a lot. I missed his first step. Before I left on my business trip, he was crawling. When I returned, he was walking. I told myself, I shouldn't be missing too many of his milestones. I quit, and initially it was fine. My husband and boys enjoyed having me at home.
But (after a while), I felt that my own potential was limited. There was a part of me that wasn't satisfied with just staying home. I decided after nine months to come back to the workplace, although initially I thought I would stop for a few years. The bank book was also telling me that it was not sustainable.
I took a conscious decision to take a discount on my pay and look for a job that's a bit more domestically focused, with less travelling. I joined port operator PSA Singapore, which was then a government agency and so had more family-friendly hours.
It's tough, but at least, I think, recognise that you're in a certain phase of your life (where) you just need to slow down on one part of it to allow that other part to be stabilised. We like to see employers as being fair-minded and give women a fair chance. But on the other hand, it's also important for the woman to recognise her choices. Take the decision of slowing down and be happy with it. Just recognise that that's something you have decided and for three to five years, you won't be progressing as quickly as your peers. When it's time for you to come back and be at full speed, give it your all.
How has politics changed since you entered the fray in 2006?
It's tougher to recruit any good candidates, men or women. First of all, expectations of an MP are just higher. In the past, someone who is intelligent and capable, people accept him even if he's not very communicative or extroverted. But these days, constituents also like you to be down-to-earth, friendly, communicative, able to inspire them.
On the other hand, the demands on the candidates in terms of the exposure, the loss of privacy, especially for the family, are more severe now. One MP mentioned that when his child did well and received a prize in school, his friends said, it's because you're an MP's child. It's now become very open, very public and apparent because of social media. Things get amplified and circulated much more easily.
Does this impact you in real life, or just on social media?
There are moments when certain policies are not taken well on the ground, I find my children being affected. Their friends will give them feedback, make comments, say that your mum is doing this silly thing again. I don't think it's a nice feeling for my children. I don't think you can totally isolate or protect them. I just have to tell them, take it in your stride.
What have you had to give up in this line of work?
Personal time. My privacy. It's part of being a public figure and I knew that when I was making the step to contest.
My vice was to take an afternoon off and go shopping. It can sometimes be misunderstood. Immediately after the (2011) elections, I had a meeting at 7pm, and I was in Raffles City before that, so I thought I can shop for two hours before my meeting. And a woman actually came up to me and said, 'Oh now you have time to shop, ah? At this hour?' Like (she was saying) after you're elected, you still have the time? I am a purposeful shopper now. Just go straight to the shop and get what I want. So I'm very outdated on what are the latest trends.
What's for supper
- Coffee shop at Block 221, Jurong East Street 21
- Sparking Oldenlandia Water and Milo: $1.30
- Xing Zhou bee hoon, garlic pork, and stir-fried lettuce with chilli: $20
THE SUPPER CLUB | GRACE FU
Part 1: 'We don't want policies encouraging single parenthood'
Part 2: 'It's harder on the spouse of a woman MP'
Supper with Grace Fu -RazorTV
Labels: Interview, People, Politics, Population, Population White Paper, PR, Question & Answer, Social Media
Praising the right way
Learning - the Finnish way
So many varsities, so few students
Greening of Singapore not inferior
Trust is a many-splendoured thing
Online comments: Kill them or fix them?
Being poor is more than having too little money
The French can ban the veil but not the English
Curb rising cost of health insurance, allow switch
Singapore Hainanese heritage explored in 2 new books
Fast-ageing Singapore, fewer to support aged; Tota...
Once China catches up - what then?
ST cartoon + maths formulas = PM's Facebook likes
MOE Work Plan Seminar 2013: Big push to nurture al...
10 firms slammed for biased job ads
Most local residents give casinos a miss
Ex-offenders help ease labour crunch
Childcare centres get funds to open in more areas
More help for couples trying to conceive
Sports Excellence Scholarship awarded to first bat...
Property curbs keep speculators at bay
Ask The Prime Minister 2013
New fault lines may have emerged in society: DPM Teo
Caregiver Crunch
"Working poor" in Singapore can't make ends meet: NUS
Interpol chief Ronald K. Noble slams critics of Si...
Factories still needed to oil the economy
Fair Consideration Framework: Firms to Consider Si...
HDB to ramp up 2-room BTO flats supply
Tuition too prevalent to ignore
Suu Kyi: Leaders must value, respect people to win...
3Gen flats near Khatib MRT station in Sept 2013 BT...
4 more social service offices by June 2014
Asian giants need structural change: PM Lee Hsien ...
PM: Ruling parties have to fulfil aspirations of y...
Weaning S'pore off the Great Man leadership style
When markets don't work
'New momentum' in Singapore-Malaysia ties: Preside...
Tuaspring Desalination Plant: Another milestone as...
F1 revs up economy as it roars into town
The secrets to small state survival
End of Europe's welfare state?
Living a life of meaning
How poverty takes over the mind
SingPost sets aside S$100m for productivity enhanc...
Temporary flats scheme extended to more groups: Pa...
Fear Big Brother... or firms' abuse of Big Data?
Help for NSmen to prepare for IPPT
RSAF's F-15SG declared fully operational
Lee Kuan Yew showed foresight in urban development
PSC seeks more diversity in scholarships
Singaporeans first - Whither labour market testing...
Swiss to vote on scrapping social "glue" of milita...
Housing staff: S'pore offers best value for firms
Leader who struck a chord with China
'Continued success vital' for Sino-S'pore projects
COE categorisation - LTA addresses concerns
Education reform: The Hong Kong experience
Some firms abusing productivity grants
Parliament Highlights - 16 Sep 2013
The Big Ideas of Mr Lee Kuan Yew: LKY School 9th A...
Lee Kuan Yew's unwavering dedication to Singapore
Lee Kuan Yew turns 90
PCF committed to serve all Singaporeans: PM Lee
Mum and Dad are 'best teachers'
Idea of the '50-year flood' has been misunderstood
More flexibility for NSmen on family events: All-f...
Shorter processing, faster mobilisation
The practical politician: Chan Chun Sing
Firms hiring more locals and fewer foreigners: Lab...
MHA: Claim that inmate was deliberately assaulted ...
Kishore Mahbubani: I have a dream for Singapore
Japanese expats volunteer to clean up parks, streets
Invest in pre-schools to narrow the gap
'Value of multilingual skills is growing'
Singaporeans' attitudes to race: IPS-OnePeople.sg ...
New rules to curb credit card debt, unsecured loan...
Human Capital Key to Business Performance
Singapore is missing new software boat
Disabled's new drive to tackle apathy
Keeping pathways to success open to all Singaporeans
S'pore and Vietnam take ties to new heights
7 habits of a Singaporean
Reluctance to work abroad limits us: Prime Ministe...
Survey: Too few go for regular colorectal cancer s...
Social work veteran Abu Bakar Maidin dies, aged 86
Pre-school sector gets S$6m boost
Bids not the highest but childcare centre operator...
17 overhead bridges to be fitted with lifts by 2016
COE system tweaked to factor in engine power from ...
Why it's still worth learning from Finland
Shop for free at Taiwan's food banks
CGH to expand home care support for needy patients
A 12-year-old who prefers volunteering to gaming
S'poreans must develop spirit of taking care of on...
When Big Government gets even bigger
MediShield Life to cover pre-existing illnesses, a...
NUS online modules to give NSmen an early start
Construction firms offer pay hikes to skilled workers


Graduates of the County College of Morris (CCM) Nursing Program have among the highest first-time passing rates in the nation on the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), even exceeding students from baccalaureate programs in four-year colleges and universities.
Nursing students work with instructor in simulation lab.
"In 2017, with only three quarters reported thus far, we have had 118 graduates take the NCLEX-RN with a 94.92 percent first-time passing rate," says Kathleen Horan, MSN, APRN, chair of the Nursing Program at CCM. The overall national average for first-time test takers from all types of programs is 87.85 percent, according to 2017 statistics from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. When divided further by educational level, the average first-time passing rate for Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates is 90.35 percent and the average for Associates of Science in Nursing graduates is 85.3 percent.
The CCM Nursing Program offers a balance of general education and nursing courses leading to an Associate in Applied Science degree. The program prepares graduates for employment as registered nurses in a variety of healthcare settings including acute care hospitals, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, clinics and community health. Day and evening options provide an opportunity for students to select a schedule that best fits their lifestyle.
The Nursing Program is fully accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. These accreditations qualify graduates to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam.
CCM credits from the Nursing Program are readily transferable toward a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at many state and private colleges and universities. The college also holds transfer agreements with The College of St. Elizabeth, Rutgers, Drexel University, Montclair State University and Ramapo College to make it easier for associate degree graduates to transfer their credits.
For more information on the CCM Nursing Program, visit http://tinyurl.com/yccjsfe3 or contact nursingdepartment@ccm.edu.


text:
Quotes tagged "Descriptions of Perfect Love Ecstasy"
"The sun came suddenly from behind a rain cloud, flooding the room with glorious light that wavered on the walls like water. Camilla's face burst into glowing bloom. A terrible sweetness boiled up in me. Everything, for a moment—mirror, ceiling, floor—was unstable and radiant as a dream. I felt a fierce, nearly irresistible desire to seize Camilla by her bruised wrist, twist her arm behind her back until she cried out, throw her on my bed: strangle her, rape her, I don't know what. And then the cloud passed over the sun again, and the life went out of everything."
— Richard Papen,	The Secret History
Tagged: Definitive Moments, Descriptions of Perfect Love Ecstasy
"He didn't notice a single face as he took a seat. He saw neither teacher nor students, and was aware only of the heavenly light in the room, an orange glow from the autumnal foliage outside. The room seemed full of a sweet viscous liquid, a honey nearly light as air, which he breathed in. Time slowed down, and in his left ear the ringing of the cosmic Om started up clear as a telephone. When we suggested these details had been laced with the same THC in his blood, Trip Fontaine thrust a finger into the air, the only time his hands stopped shaking during the entire interview. 'I know what it's like to be high,' he said. 'This was different.' In the orange light the students' heads looked like sea anemones, undulating quietly, and the silence of the room was that of the ocean floor. 'Every second is eternal,' Trip told us, describing how as he sat in his desk the girl in front of him, for no apparent reason, had turned around and looked at him. He couldn't say she was beautiful because all he could see were her eyes. The rest of her face — the pulpy lips, the blond sideburn fuzz, the nose with its candy-pink translucent nostrils— registered dimly as the two blue eyes lifted him on a sea wave and held him suspended. 'She was the still point of the turning world,' he told us, quoting Eliot, whose Collected Poems he had found on the shelf of the detoxification center. For the eternity that Lux Lisbon looked at him, Trip Fontaine looked back, and the love he felt at that moment, truer than all subsequent loves because it never had to survive real life, still plagued him, even now in the desert, with his looks and health wasted. 'You never know what'll set the memory off,' he told us. 'A baby's face. A bell on a cat's collar. Anything.'"
— Jeffrey Eugenides,	The Virgin Suicides: A Novel
Tagged: Marijuana, Om, Trip Fontaine, Blue Eyes, Eternity, Flashback, Love, Descriptions of Perfect Love Ecstasy


Flitter Milz challenged a debt collector's statement that the client's case "could be referred for suit" when they never sue. The lower federal court held that "could" was truthful, since the matter could be sent for a collection suit against the consumer. On appeal, the Court reversed, finding that even if technically true, it was still deceptive for the collector to suggest that suit might be coming when it would not be. This first-of-its-kind decision in the 3d Circuit has become important precedent for pro-consumer limitations on debt collectors and has been cited hundreds of times by courts since. The landmark case became featured in a story by Time Magazine, Sue Up or Shut Up!


text:
Video & Gallery: Primary schools celebrate special festival
Published: 2:07 PM July 17, 2009 Updated: 11:24 AM November 1, 2020
PUPILS from 14 primary schools across Cambridgeshire celebrated the end of a dance and traditions project this week with a special festival in Soham. More than a thousand youngsters from Cambridgeshire primary schools gathered in the grounds of St Andrew
PUPILS from 14 primary schools across Cambridgeshire celebrated the end of a dance and traditions project this week with a special festival in Soham.
More than a thousand youngsters from Cambridgeshire primary schools gathered in the grounds of St Andrew's Primary School in Soham from a celebration of dance, music and storytelling.
The pupils have all been in involved with the Cambridgeshire Roots project which saw them introduced to the rural customs of the county - through Molly Dancing and also to the traditions of newer populations, including Polish, African and Indian.
The youngsters learned about traditional dance music, story and associated seasonal customs, particularly those associated with the agricultural year such as ploughing and harvest.
County Council Arts Development Officer Joanne Gray, said: "All participants have had a unique experience of traditions and dance local to our area, and by studying the heritage and traditions of peoples moving to Cambridgeshire, participants have had the opportunity to see the similarities between different ethnic groups. The work has enabled members of minority communities to have access to the heritage of the locality they have moved into and to re-kindle links to their own cultures. This festival will provide the space for 540 Molly Dancers to dance together in one place - more that ever before!
9 Gin could be just the tonic needed for dilapidated farm buildings
10 Artist impressions of how Mepal will be transformed into a £6.5m crematorium
Video to follow


As a Member of The Local you can get a 30 percent discount on one of these beautiful Stockholm trays, designed by legendary Swedish designer Olle Eksell.
The trays depict two classic Stockholm views: the National Museum viewed across the harbour and Stureplan, the centre of the city's business, shopping and nightlife district.
Just provide the discount code thelocalmemberoffer at checkout and save 120 SEK (275 SEK instead of 395).
Visit the Olle Eksell webshop Olle Eksell registration for members of The Local to redeem the offer.


text:
What is Capitalism?
Milton Friedman: 5 Myths About the History of Capitalism
Nov 5, 2019 | News
Five myths cloud our perception of both the past and the present:
(1) The "robber baron" myth, which holds that in late nineteenth-century America there were powerful men who became rich at the expense of the poor. The reality is that they became wealthy by being productive, and that there is no other period in history which saw such a rapid and widespread improvement in the well-being of the average individual;
(2) The myth that the Great Depression was caused by a failure of business, when it was, in fact, produced by a failure of government and specifically by the Federal Reserve System;
(3) The myth that government in the economy has expanded in response to public demand, when, actually, the public has had to be sold "hard" for politicians to enact every major social program;
(4) The "free lunch" myth, which forces the individual to pay more, no matter how the government raises money – by taxing individuals, by taxing businesses, or by printing more money; and
(5) The myth that government, like Robin Hood, transfers wealth from the rich to the poor, when the reality is that the government usually transfers wealth and income from both the very rich and the very poor to those in the middle.
Dollars & Crosses (D&C) is the daily blog for Capitalism Magazine and The Capitalism Site.
CAPITALISM: TREATISE ON ECONOMICS
Howard Zinn vs. History
Holleran on Bridging Ayn Rand and Pittsburgh
Did Trump Act According to the Constitution in Regards To The Killing of Iran's Soleimani?
Iran vs Trump
Iranian Americans in San Francisco Celebrate Death of Soleimani
Socialism Works?
The 1619 Project Is Not History; It Is Conspiracy Theory Against Capitalism
The Objectivist Theory of Free-Will: Lessons for Sam Harris and Daniel Dennet
What's Wrong with Ari Armstrong's Account of Ayn Rand's Objectivist Ethics
Philosopher Onkar Ghate Refutes Sam Harris on Free Will and Determinism
NEW ROMANTICIST
Revisiting Love Story
Gervais, Hanks, and John All Shine at the Golden Globes
Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Cotton Club' Showcases the Jazz Age
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's Flaws are Fundamental
Richard Jewell: One of 2019's Best Motion Pictures
Obj Sci
Further Truths About Climate Change
Lockitch: Spacetime, Black Holes, and Gravitational Waves
How Evolution Works
Lecture on Climate Sensitivity by Professor Emeritus Richard Lindzen
300 Years of Element Discovery in 99 seconds
Milking Taxpayers for "Free Stuff" Contest, Round 2
The United States of America is Not a Democracy
What Was The Real Ayn Rand Like?
The Legacy of the Yalta Conference
Video: The Sanction of the Victims
Copyright 2019 Capitalism Magazine. All rights reserved.