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Bentonite reactivity in alkaline solutions: interim results of the Cyprus Natural Analogue Project (CNAP)
W. R. Alexander, A. E. Milodowski, A. F. Pitty, S. M. L. Hardie, S. J. Kemp, J. C. Rushton, Andreas Siathas, Avrim Siathas, A. B. Mackenzie, P. Korkeakoski, S. Norris, P. Sellin, M. Rigas
Journal: Clay Minerals / Volume 48 / Issue 2 / May 2013
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 July 2018, pp. 235-249
You have access Access
Bentonite is one of the more safety-critical components of the engineered barrier system in the disposal concepts developed for many types of radioactive waste. It is used due to its favourable properties (including plasticity, swelling capacity, colloid filtration, low hydraulic conductivity, high retardation of key radionuclides) and its stability in relevant geological environments. However, bentonite is unstable under alkaline conditions and this has driven interest in low-alkali cements (leachate pH of 10–11). To build a robust safety case, it is important to have supporting natural analogue data to confirm understanding of the likely long-term performance of bentonite. In Cyprus, the presence of natural bentonite in close proximity to natural alkaline groundwaters permits the zones of potential bentonite/alkaline water reaction to be studied as an analogy of the potential reaction zones in the repository. Here, the results indicate minimal volumetric reaction of bentonite, with production of a palygorskite secondary phase.
Reaction of bentonite in low-alkali cement leachates: an overview of the Cyprus Natural Analogue Project (CNAP)
W. R. Alexander, A. E. Milodowski, A. F. Pitty, S. M. L. Hardie, S. J. Kemp, P. Korkeakoski, M. Rigas, J. C. Rushton, P. Sellin, C. J. Tweed
Journal: Mineralogical Magazine / Volume 76 / Issue 8 / December 2012
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2018, pp. 3019-3022
The Cyprus Natural Analogue Project was carried out due to the requirement to support ongoing laboratory and modelling efforts on the potential reaction of the bentonite buffer with cementitious leachates in the repository engineered barrier system. Although it is known that the higher pH (12.5–13) leachates from ordinary Portland cement will degrade bentonite, it is unclear if this will also be the case for the lower pH (10–11) leachates typical of low alkali cements. Ongoing laboratory and underground rock laboratory programmes, which are currently investigating this, face the obstacle of slow kinetics and the production of short-lived metastable phases, meaning obtaining unambiguous results may take decades. It was therefore decided to implement a focussed natural analogue study on bentonite/low alkali cement leachate reactions to provide indications of the probable long-term reaction products and reaction pathways to provide feedback on the existing short-term investigations noted above and to ascertain if any critical path research and development needs to be instigated now. The results of the analyses presented here, in this short overview of the project, suggest that there has been very limited alkaline groundwater reaction with the bentonite. This is generally supported by both the geomorphological evidence and the natural decay series data which imply groundwater/rock interaction in the last 105 a.
Evidence for gas-induced pathways in clay using a nanoparticle injection technique
J. F. Harrington, A. E. Milodowski, C. C. Graham, J. C. Rushton, R. J. Cuss
Corrosion, water radiolysis and microbial degradation will result in the generation of gas within repositories designed for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. It is therefore crucial in the design of such facilities that the relevant mechanisms allowing gas migration through repository materials, both engineered barriers and clay-based candidate host rocks, are correctly identified. In Belgium, the Boom Clay represents a candidate host material for which the advective gas breakthrough characteristics and transport properties have been extensively tested and are well defined by numerous studies. The Boom Clay displays a significant capacity for self-sealing and both laboratory and field tests indicate that advective gas transport occurs not by visco-capillary flow, but instead through the formation of pressure-induced dilatant pathways. In this study, we present results from a gas injection test designed to demonstrate the presence of these features by injecting nanoparticulate tracers with helium gas into a sample of Boom Clay. The results provide conclusive evidence for the formation of transient, dilatant gas pathways within a candidate clay-based host rock. This technique provides a novel diagnostic tool for the identification of processes governing multi-phase flow, supporting robust long-term assessments of repository performance.
Qualitative systematic review of barriers and facilitators to patient-involved antipsychotic prescribing
Rebecca Pedley, Caitlin McWilliams, Karina Lovell, Helen Brooks, Kelly Rushton, Richard J. Drake, Barnaby Rumbold, Vicky Bell, Penny Bee
Journal: BJPsych Open / Volume 4 / Issue 1 / January 2018
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 January 2018, pp. 5-14
Despite policy and practice mandates for patient involvement, people with serious mental illness often feel marginalised in decisions about antipsychotic medication.
To examine stakeholder perspectives of barriers and facilitators to involving people with serious mental illness in antipsychotic prescribing decisions.
Systematic thematic synthesis.
Synthesis of 29 studies identified the following key influences on involvement: patient's capability, desire and expectation for involvement, organisational context, and the consultation setting and processes.
Optimal patient involvement in antipsychotic decisions demands that individual and contextual barriers are addressed. There was divergence in perceived barriers to involvement identified by patients and prescribers. For example, patients felt that lack of time in consultations was a barrier to involvement, something seldom raised by prescribers, who identified organisational barriers. Patients must understand their rights to involvement and the value of their expertise. Organisational initiatives should mandate prescriber responsibility to overcome barriers to involvement.
An empirical analysis of the cost of rearing dairy heifers from birth to first calving and the time taken to repay these costs
A. C. Boulton, J. Rushton, D. C. Wathes
Journal: animal / Volume 11 / Issue 8 / August 2017
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 February 2017, pp. 1372-1380
Print publication: August 2017
Rearing quality dairy heifers is essential to maintain herds by replacing culled cows. Information on the key factors influencing the cost of rearing under different management systems is, however, limited and many farmers are unaware of their true costs. This study determined the cost of rearing heifers from birth to first calving in Great Britain including the cost of mortality, investigated the main factors influencing these costs across differing farming systems and estimated how long it took heifers to repay the cost of rearing on individual farms. Primary data on heifer management from birth to calving was collected through a survey of 101 dairy farms during 2013. Univariate followed by multivariable linear regression was used to analyse the influence of farm factors and key rearing events on costs. An Excel spreadsheet model was developed to determine the time it took for heifers to repay the rearing cost. The mean±SD ages at weaning, conception and calving were 62±13, 509±60 and 784±60 days. The mean total cost of rearing was £1819±387/heifer with a mean daily cost of £2.31±0.41. This included the opportunity cost of the heifer and the mean cost of mortality, which ranged from £103.49 to £146.19/surviving heifer. The multivariable model predicted an increase in mean cost of rearing of £2.87 for each extra day of age at first calving and a decrease in mean cost of £6.06 for each percentile increase in time spent at grass. The model also predicted a decrease in the mean cost of rearing in autumn and spring calving herds of £273.20 and £288.56, respectively, compared with that in all-year-round calving herds. Farms with herd sizes⩾100 had lower mean costs of between £301.75 and £407.83 compared with farms with <100 milking cows. The mean gross margin per heifer was £441.66±304.56 (range £367.63 to £1120.08), with 11 farms experiencing negative gross margins. Most farms repaid the cost of heifer rearing in the first two lactations (range 1 to 6 lactations) with a mean time from first calving until breaking even of 530±293 days. The results of the economic analysis suggest that management decisions on key reproduction events and grazing policy significantly influence the cost of rearing and the time it takes for heifers to start making a profit for the farm.
Economics of zoonoses surveillance in a 'One Health' context: an assessment of Campylobacter surveillance in Switzerland
S. BABO MARTINS, J. RUSHTON, K. D. C. STÄRK
Journal: Epidemiology & Infection / Volume 145 / Issue 6 / April 2017
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 January 2017, pp. 1148-1158
Cross-sectorial surveillance and general collaboration between the animal and the public health sectors are increasingly recognized as needed to better manage the impacts of zoonoses. From 2009, the Swiss established a Campylobacter mitigation system that includes human and poultry surveillance data-sharing within a multi-sectorial platform, in a 'One Health' approach. The objective of this study was to explore the economics of this cross-sectorial approach, including surveillance and triggered interventions. Costs and benefits of the One Health and of the uni-sectorial approach to Campylobacter surveillance were identified using an economic assessment framework developed earlier. Cost information of surveillance activities and interventions was gathered and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with the disease estimated for 2008 and 2013. In the first 5 years of this One Health approach to Campylobacter mitigation, surveillance contributed with information mainly used to perform risk assessments, monitor trends and shape research efforts on Campylobacter. There was an increase in costs associated with the mitigation activities following integration, due mainly to the allocation of additional resources to research and implementation of poultry surveillance. The overall burden of campylobacteriosis increased by 3·4–8·8% to 1751–2852 DALYs in 2013. In the timing of the analysis, added value associated with this cross-sectorial approach to surveillance of Campylobacter in the country was likely generated through non-measurable benefits such as intellectual capital and social capital.
Active animal health surveillance in European Union Member States: gaps and opportunities
B. BISDORFF, B. SCHAUER, N. TAYLOR, V. RODRÍGUEZ-PRIETO, A. COMIN, A. BROUWER, F. DÓREA, J. DREWE, L. HOINVILLE, A. LINDBERG, M. MARTINEZ AVILÉS, B. MARTÍNEZ-LÓPEZ, M. PEYRE, J. PINTO FERREIRA, J. RUSHTON, G. VAN SCHAIK, K. D. C. STÄRK, C. STAUBACH, M. VICENTE-RUBIANO, G. WITTEVEEN, D. PFEIFFER, B. HÄSLER
Journal: Epidemiology & Infection / Volume 145 / Issue 4 / March 2017
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 December 2016, pp. 802-817
Animal health surveillance enables the detection and control of animal diseases including zoonoses. Under the EU-FP7 project RISKSUR, a survey was conducted in 11 EU Member States and Switzerland to describe active surveillance components in 2011 managed by the public or private sector and identify gaps and opportunities. Information was collected about hazard, target population, geographical focus, legal obligation, management, surveillance design, risk-based sampling, and multi-hazard surveillance. Two countries were excluded due to incompleteness of data. Most of the 664 components targeted cattle (26·7%), pigs (17·5%) or poultry (16·0%). The most common surveillance objectives were demonstrating freedom from disease (43·8%) and case detection (26·8%). Over half of components applied risk-based sampling (57·1%), but mainly focused on a single population stratum (targeted risk-based) rather than differentiating between risk levels of different strata (stratified risk-based). About a third of components were multi-hazard (37·3%). Both risk-based sampling and multi-hazard surveillance were used more frequently in privately funded components. The study identified several gaps (e.g. lack of systematic documentation, inconsistent application of terminology) and opportunities (e.g. stratified risk-based sampling). The greater flexibility provided by the new EU Animal Health Law means that systematic evaluation of surveillance alternatives will be required to optimize cost-effectiveness.
A role for flies (Diptera) in the transmission of Campylobacter to broilers?
A. ROYDEN, A. WEDLEY, J. Y. MERGA, S. RUSHTON, B. HALD, T. HUMPHREY, N. J. WILLIAMS
Journal: Epidemiology & Infection / Volume 144 / Issue 15 / November 2016
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 August 2016, pp. 3326-3334
Campylobacter is the leading cause of bacterial diarrhoeal disease worldwide, with raw and undercooked poultry meat and products the primary source of infection. Colonization of broiler chicken flocks with Campylobacter has proved difficult to prevent, even with high levels of biosecurity. Dipteran flies are proven carriers of Campylobacter and their ingress into broiler houses may contribute to its transmission to broiler chickens. However, this has not been investigated in the UK. Campylobacter was cultured from 2195 flies collected from four UK broiler farms. Of flies cultured individually, 0·22% [2/902, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0–0·53] were positive by culture for Campylobacter spp. Additionally, 1293 flies were grouped by family and cultured in 127 batches: 4/127 (3·15%, 95% CI 0·11-6·19) from three broiler farms were positive for Campylobacter. Multilocus sequence typing of isolates demonstrated that the flies were carrying broiler-associated sequence types, responsible for human enteric illness. Malaise traps were used to survey the dipteran species diversity on study farms and also revealed up to 612 flies present around broiler-house ventilation inlets over a 2-h period. Therefore, despite the low prevalence of Campylobacter cultured from flies, the risk of transmission by this route may be high, particularly during summer when fly populations are greatest.
The Neurotransmitter Revolution: Serotonin, Social Behavior and the Law. Roger D. Masters, Michael T. McGuire (eds.) Carbondale, IL:Southern Illinois University Press,1994, 254 pp. US$39.95 cloth. ISBN 0-8093-1792-3. US$19.95 paper. ISBN 0-8093-1801-6. Southern Illinois University Press, P.O. Box 3697, Carbondale, IL 62902-3697, USA.
J. Philippe Rushton
Journal: Politics and the Life Sciences / Volume 14 / Issue 1 / February 1995
The g Factor: the Science of Mental Ability. Arthur R. Jensen, Westport, CT:Greenwood,1998, 700pp. US$39.95 cloth. ISBN 0-2759-6103-6. Greenwood Publishing, 88 Post Rd. West, Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881, USA.
Journal: Politics and the Life Sciences / Volume 17 / Issue 2 / September 1998
Gene-Culture Coevolution and Genetic Similarity Theory: Implications for Ideology, Ethnic Nepotism, and Geopolitics
J. Phillippe Rushton
Journal: Politics and the Life Sciences / Volume 4 / Issue 2 / February 1986
Are Some Humans Phylogenetically More Advanced Than Others?
Journal: Politics and the Life Sciences / Volume 8 / Issue 1 / August 1989
2 - Erotic (Subject) Positions in Chaucer's Merchant's Tale
Edited by Amanda Hopkins, Robert Allen Rouse, Cory James Rushton
Book: Sexual Culture in the Literature of Medieval Britain
Published by: Boydell & Brewer
Print publication: 21 August 2014, pp 27-38
View extract
Scholarly assessments of Chaucer's fabliaux seldom acknowledge that these tales are erotic as well as funny; even less frequently do such investigations delve into why fabliaux are a source of pleasure. As Tom Hanks and W. W. Allman note in their article 'Rough Love: Notes toward an Erotics of The Canterbury Tales', scholars seem 'to have averted their gaze when Chaucer's characters leap into bed'. Allman and Hanks, as their title implies, study an erotics of violence, mostly of men doing violence to women, and they focus in particular on the Merchant's Tale and its 'erotics of stabbing'. A more positive erotic reading of the Merchant's Tale appears in Andrew Taylor's 1996 essay 'Reading the Dirty Bits'. Taylor notes the lingering gaze of another scholar, E. Talbot Donaldson, upon a description of young May's body:
Hir fresshe beautee and hir age tendre,
Hir myddel smal, hire armes longe and sklendre,
Hir wise governaunce, hir gentilesse,
Hir wommanly berynge, and hire sadnesse.
(MT 1601–4)
Donaldson writes, 'the Spring of pretty young girls is a permanent thing, and that May in their personas will always warm the masculine heart'. Taylor suggests that pleasure taken in this description and in Donaldson's gloss of it is mimetic: 'For the young college man to share Donaldson's and Chaucer's pleasure in May is to become, like them, a connoisseur of both good writing and pretty girls, a master of ironic detachment and well-modulated heterosexual desire'.
Print publication: 21 August 2014, pp i-iv
Print publication: 21 August 2014, pp v-vi
Print publication: 21 August 2014, pp 183-186
1 - 'Open manslaughter and bold bawdry': Male Sexuality as a Cause of Disruption in Malory's Morte Darthur
As Roger Ascham famously observed, Malory's Morte Darthur is primarily concerned with 'open manslaughter, and bold bawdry'. I would not disagree; in fact, I would say that these themes are not only dominant but are inextricably interwoven. Male sexuality, in Malory, is consistently portrayed as potentially violent and disruptive, dangerous not only to individuals but to the whole structure of society, and therefore in need of controlling measures. The medieval world did not, of course, often portray any form of sexuality positively. Sexual desire leads both men and women to sin: both directly in committing fornication, incest and adultery, and indirectly in committing treason or disregarding their duties. It could easily be assumed that this is a divide between the clergy on the one side, themselves compelled to live in celibacy and thus suspicious of sexual desire, and the more relaxed nobility and commons on the other, cheerfully ignoring the rules when it suited them. However, this is too simple a dichotomy. Malory himself, despite the bold bawdry, shares in the suspicion of unregulated desire, in his nostalgia for a chaster time,
nowadayes men can nat love sevennyght but they muste have all their desyres … But the olde love was nat so. for men and women coulde love togydirs seven yerys, and no lycoures lustis was betwyxte them, and than was love trouthe and faythefulnes.
9 - Animality, Sexuality and the Abject in Three of Dunbar's Satirical Poems
In her seminal 1980 essay Pouvoirs de l'horreur, Julia Kristeva identifies 'the abject' as the human reaction to a breakdown in meaning caused by the loss of distinction between the subject and the object, the interior and the exterior, or the self and the Other. Her classic example of a site of abjection is that of the human corpse, which although a continuation of the dead person's corporeal presence also becomes simultaneously a marker of his or her spiritual absence, and thus must be rejected or repressed, causing the subjective experience of 'horror'. Kristeva argues that human rationality necessarily involves a series of such repressions, and that the association of the human with the unrepressed thus becomes a site of potential tension. 'The abject confronts us', she suggests, 'with those fragile states where man strays on the territories of animal'. This borderland between the acceptable and the unacceptable thus becomes the site of the carnivalesque, the comedic and the socially transgressive, as attested by post-medieval writers from Rabelais to Bakhtin and beyond.
In the first decade of the sixteenth century, the abject was also a major concern for the poet William Dunbar, writing at the court of King James IV. Dunbar's poems are critically regarded as some of the most brilliant – and, frequently, the most offensive – writings produced in late medieval/ early modern Scotland. Many of his satirical pieces depict the court of James (who would later go on to lose his life at the disastrous Battle of Flodden) at play, simultaneously parodying and affirming the excesses of late medieval/Renaissance aristocratic culture.
8 - Text as Stone: Desire, Sex, and the Figurative Hermaphrodite in the Ordinal and Compound of Alchemy
George Ripley, in his apostrophic preface to God in the Compound of Alchemy, claims to have 'renounced … fleshly lust' and asks God to provide him (and, presumably, other worthy alchemists) with His 'secret treasure': 'Shew us thy secrets and to us be bounteous' (21.4). Throughout the Compound, Ripley guides readers away from worldly pleasures, urging them instead to focus their desires on God-granted alchemical secrets and 'our stone of great delight' (37.2). Likewise, Thomas Norton, in his prologue to the Ordinal of Alchemy, warns of avaricious would-be alchemists who 'in fyre / Of brennyng couetise haue therto desire' (27–8). Norton emphatically shuns 'wordly werkis' in favour of alchemical 'connyng', advising his reader to 'sett fully his trust' in God and 'in connyng be fixid al his lust' (509, 517, 535–6): 'For above all erthlye thynge / I mooste desire & love connynge' (2595–6). Desire or lust, in both the Compound and the Ordinal, is thus redirected from the physical body and material world toward the divinely inspired knowledge of the alchemical corpus. Moreover, as I will illustrate, Norton and Ripley both direct their reader to focus on the text's rhetorical structures in order to achieve desired alchemical objectives.


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Accordion Magic: Cotati Festival
Be drawn in by the bellows-sweet ballads at the August sound summit.
By Alysia Gray Painter	• Published at 10:23 pm on June 23, 2016
The Mad Maggies
MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER: Summer, it might be said, ever so tritely, means many things to many people. (Okay, a lot tritely, is the case here.) But we can agree on the fact that alfresco sound-makery, the kind seen in parks and at bandstands and from the stands at county fairs, pretty much rules the stretch from June to August. For while all seasons plenty of lovely concert action, summertime takes it outdoors, to the festivals and fairs, and musicians can often be seen jamming together.
AND... one of the most famous of summertime jams, or at least heartfelt play-togethers, happens in Cotati each August, and the song revisited is always, as Led Zeppelin says, the same: It's "Lady of Spain." If you just shouted out "accordions!," because accordions always deserve a shout, and an exclamation point, too, you'd be correct: Accordionists do join a charming "Lady of Spain-a-Ring" each year, while also putting on their own shows. And those shows will wheeze and lilt, bellows-style, on...
AUG. 20 AND 21, 2016: If you're simply an aficionado of the instrument, you can still attend and enjoy the tunes. A bevy of acts, from The Mad Maggies to The Great Morgani, will play a part over the weekend. Some artists are solely about the instrument, some bands incorporate it into a larger vibe, but anyone who loves that specific accordion sound wins in the end. As single instrument parties go, this long-runner is full of quirk, talent, and so much "Lady of Spain"-o-sity.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The Rise of the Mobile Collectible Card Game
CG Spectrum
Concept Design Mentor (Online/Remote)
Game Design Instructor (Online/Remote)
Game Programming Instructor (Online/Remote)
Senior Gameplay Animator
Disruptor Beam, Inc.
Senior Game Designer
by Christian Nutt [Design, Interview, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet]
February 14, 2013 Page 2 of 3
The Collectible Card Game as a Genre
It's hard to know if something has the potential to grow into a true and lasting genre unless you can understand its value. Gree's Araki once again articulates the collectible card game's potential -- both to players and to developers:
"With the added bonus of keeping hundreds of cards digitally (as opposed to physically carrying them around), the accessibility of asynchronous gameplay, and engaging socially with a committed community of other like-minded players, CCGs have the potential to be more than just a mobile game, but an extended hobby and experience for players," he says.
Meanwhile, when it comes to developers, "the development cycle of free-to-play mobile games allows us to constantly update the game with new events, themes and campaigns – like new cards, bosses, and fusion features – which help promote high engagement; and the casual element of mobile gaming helps to draw a more mass audience."
"Within Japan, card games are treated as their own established genre, similar to FPS and third person shooters," notes Cygames' Iino. "In Japan, the market is vibrant and varied."
Turning the physical card game into a video game genre was easy, he says, because "Users in both regions... have a vast knowledge of card games, giving them the mindset of card games as its own separate genre."
Horiuchi sees this as key to the genre's newfound success, but also the fact that "it was a kind of game that could provide acceptable operation and rules for mobile users who had not been gamers." Once you added social functionality to that, he says, "it grew up into a social mobile genre with communication between users of trading card games."
A (Global) Focus on Card Games
Still, what works in Japan doesn't always work in the West, as everyone well knows. Why did this genre translate? Rage of Bahamut's Japanese success had made the developer "very confident that it would find an audience in the West," says Iino, though the degree of this success was a surprise.
The genre has gotten so big in Japan that it forms the cornerstone of several companies' strategies. Konami's Dragon Collection is the premier game in the category in Japan, with more than 7 million registered users, according to Horiuchi.
"This title represents our company's social game development," he says. He's not exaggerating; a reliable source last year told Gamasutra, off the record, that Konami had bet its game business on Dragon Collection's continued success.
Konami is not alone. "We're focusing on simulation and card battle games globally," says Gree co-founder and executive vice president Kotaro Yamagishi.
Yes, globally. Gree's U.S. development studio, based in San Francisco, has taken the genre away from the fantasy tropes that power Dragon Collection and Rage of Bahamut with MLB: Full Deck, an officially licensed Major League Baseball product. "The combination of baseball and card collection is a timeless concept that we knew baseball and CCG fans would enjoy, so it made sense," says Tyler Nation, the game's lead product manager.
In fact, the flexibility of the genre is precisely what makes it appealing, says Yamagishi. "It varies according to each title," he says, and the audience "could be anyone from anime fans to sports fans."
"We discussed several game concepts internally, but ultimately the license for MLB: Full Deck was pursued specifically to create a great baseball game for collectible card game fans," says Nation. "Typically, CCGs have a small yet highly engaged user base, so I set out to create an MLB card-collection game that was more accessible and therefore captured a larger audience."
Making it Work in the West
Nation says his U.S.-based team strove to make the game more accessible. What has to change to bolster the genre's popularity in the West? Surprisingly little, is the answer, and what changes is pretty predictable if you follow the market.
"While we did not make any changes to the system that was used in Rage of Bahamut, we focused on designing a UI that would resonate with Western users," says Cygames' Iino.
"For the Western version of Bahamut, we focused on being sensitive to religious issues and the different tastes of Western gamers. There is a slight difference between the cards, due to their optimization for the overseas market. We have also adjusted the stats of certain cards to fit the market. Furthermore, we implemented a Battle Ranking system because we believed that Western gamers would enjoy competing against each other."
Similar changes were made to Dragon Collection, says Horiuchi. "We haven't changed the balance in the game," he says. "There were adjustments to make it easier to operate and understand to users in U.S." The company tweaked the UI, and even removed text, but in doing so also made the game's story elements "stronger," he says.
Ngmoco's Scott puts it like this: "the core compulsion and design of Rage of Bahamut remains true to what made the game a success in Japan. The core of what makes Rage of Bahamut a great game is absolutely universal across all iterations of the franchise."
Horiuchi hopes that marrying the "know-how of user analysis achieved in Japan" with an understanding of the "uniqueness of the market and users" in the West will be Dragon Collection's recipe for success -- the same blend Ngmoco's CEO, Clive Downie, says will make his company successful in the long run.
"I truly believe that we are the leaders in maintaining and growing the live services in Western mobile because of what we've been able to learn from DeNA in Japan," he recently told Gamasutra.
Sucker Punch Productions — Bellevue, Washington, United States
CG Spectrum — Online/Remote, California, United States
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Persinger is an unincorporated community in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. Persinger is located on West Virginia Route 41,  northeast of Summersville.

The community most likely was named after nearby Persinger Creek.

References

Unincorporated communities in Nicholas County, West Virginia
Unincorporated communities in West Virginia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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New UK law could make it illegal to post retouched photos in ads without public signage – Vogue
by Cory Weinberg January 15, 2022 Top News
New UK law could make it illegal for the public to post unmarked retouched photos (Photo: Getty Images)
Last year, Norway passed a law that made it illegal for digital influencers not to re-display paid content posted on their social media profiles. Now it's the UK's turn to tackle body dysmorphia online.
call of digitally converted body image bill ("The Law of Digitally Altered Body Images", in free translation), motion was made in the English Parliament this Wednesday (13.01) and calls for greater transparency from brands and influencers for content, such as That has been improved with tools like Photoshop, Facetune. , among others. Other Image Editors. The idea is for content producers to flag paid posts with touch-ups the same way they currently do for commercially created posts.
The initiative came soon after the UK's National Health Service, the NHS, reported a 41% increase in hospitalizations for anorexia, bulimia and eating disorders among young people under the age of 17 between April and October 2021. The rise in the number of cases is partly attributed to the pandemic and the greater interaction on social media that has happened between us during this period.
"If someone was paid to post a photo on social media that was edited, or advertisers or whoever posted it, is making money from a photo that has been corrected, they should not know about it." I must be honest," said Dr. Luke Evans, proposing the responsible legislation. This is the second time an MP has introduced a law for the purpose. In 2020, he had made a similar proposal earlier as well, but it was not approved.
See also Coronavirus: 'Scandal' BAME evaluation recommendations 'buried'
He said in his speech during the law's presentation, "This law is not intended to prevent people from retouching their wedding photos or removing red-eye from a publication, it is designed to protect those with significant influence and are with commercial intent." If passed, the legislation should be referred to the Advertising Standards Authority, which would define how information in the post should be flagged.
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What happens when Bunbury (Algie's "imaginary friend" from Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest) meets up with Rosaline (Romeo's "off-scene" love before Juliet)? The resulting havoc to the classics of English literature is unimaginable and quite, quite funny. Imagine Poe's Raven as a peacock saying, "Anytime" and Woolf's John and Martha joining AA. If you love the classics and have a well developed sense of irony, you simply MUST see this play, darling!


text:
Zack Snyder Confirms A Big Change For His Justice League Release
Warner Bros./DC Entertainment
By Mike Bedard/Jan. 19, 2021 5:51 pm EST
2020 consisted of 12 months that defied expectations. It's the year that brought us a global pandemic and literal murder hornets. Then, just when you thought things couldn't get stranger, Zack Snyder fans got the best news about his Justice League movie: The legendary Snyder Cut was — in fact — real, and would debut on HBO Max in 2021.
The original film had a famously fraught path to the big screen. After Zack Snyder had to step down from the director's chair to attend to a personal tragedy, Warner Bros. brought in Joss Whedon to finish the film. This shift created some ... changes in the theatrical cut of the superhero team-up film. So how much of Justice League was actually directed by Zack Snyder? Apparently, about 20 minutes of footage shot by Snyder ended up in the finished product, resulting in a movie that was tonally inconsistent and overall viewed as a mess by audiences and critics alike.
However, there's reason on the horizon for DC Comics fans to be excited now that Snyder has the chance to finally bring his vision to audiences. With a March 2021 release date rapidly approaching, fans who have been asking for the Snyder Cut will soon get the chance to indulge, and while the project was initially announced to be a four-part miniseries consisting of four hour-long episodes, there's been a big change-up in how this project is going to be presented.
Zack Snyder's Justice League will be a single four hour-long movie, not a miniseries
Anyone who wants to stay in the loop with all things Zack Snyder really needs an account on the Vero app. Many of the updates we've gotten over the last few months concerning details of the director's cut of Justice League came from Snyder posting there, and now we have confirmation of a huge change-up that sounds as though it will make the forthcoming version more in line with Snyder's original vision.
A post from Vero was later uploaded to Twitter in which a fan asks Snyder, "So is [Justice League] still a series or a one shot watch of a movie?" Snyder then responds, "One shot."
It's unclear why the Snyder Cut went from being a movie to a miniseries and back to being a movie, but it ultimately makes sense. It's unlikely Snyder structured his film in such a way that you could evenly divide the story into four "episodes" that separately make for good individual pieces of television. Justice League was always meant to be a long-form theatrical experience, and while it may be launching on HBO Max, it's still a feature film.
Someone else then asks Snyder on Vero, "So [it's] 4 hrs with credits or without credits?" Snyder plainly replies, "Without." That means there's four whole hours of watching Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the team take on Darkseid and his forces of doom. Luckily, since people can watch it at home, they can easily pause the movie to go to the bathroom or get more snacks. You're probably going to need one or the other to get through Zack Snyder's (likely) final outing in the DC universe, since Snyder thinks DC won't work with him after the Snyder Cut. What a way to go out, though.


text:
Watchdog blames Syria for chemical weapons attacks
April 09 2020 09:56:00
THE HAGUE - Agence France-Presse
This file photo, taken on April 20, 2018, shows the entrance of the OPCW (The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) in The Hague. (AFP File Photo)
The global chemical weapons watchdog on April 8 for the first time explicitly blamed Syria for toxic attacks, saying President Bashar al-Assad's air force used the nerve gas sarin and chlorine three times in 2017.
The findings came in the first report from a new investigative team set up by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to identify the perpetrators of attacks in Syria's ongoing nine-year-long civil war.
Western nations and rights groups condemned Syria following the release of the report, which will now go to the United Nations among others to decide what and if any further action should be taken.
In March 2017, Syrian fighter jets dropped sarin on the northern village of Lataminah and a military helicopter dropped a barrel bomb full of chlorine on the same village, the probe found.
The OPCW said the team "has concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the perpetrators of the use of sarin as a chemical weapon in Lataminah in 2017... and the use of chlorine... were individuals belonging to the Syrian Arab Air Force".
Member states of the OPCW agreed two years ago to give The Hague-based watchdog new powers to attribute blame for attacks, despite the objections of Syria and its ally Russia.
Previously, it had only been able to say whether chemical strikes had occurred but without naming the perpetrators.
The OPCW said the new Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) could not identify the precise chain of command, but that orders for the attacks must have come from senior commanders.
"Attacks of such a strategic nature would have only taken place on the basis of orders from the higher authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic military command," IIT coordinator Santiago Onate-Laborde said.
"Even if authority can be delegated, responsibility cannot. In the end, the IIT was unable to identify any other plausible explanation," he said in a statement.
Western nations and human rights groups praised the OPCW report, saying it proved Syria continued chemical attacks on its own population.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said "no amount of disinformation from Assad's enablers in Russia and Iran can hide the fact that the Assad regime is responsible for numerous chemical weapons attacks."
"The unchecked use of chemical weapons by any state presents an unacceptable security threat to all states and cannot occur with impunity," Pompeo said in a statement.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas agreed.
"Such a blatant violation of international law must not go unpunished," he said.
Human Rights Watch's U.N. director Louis Charbonneau said that the "OPCW's conclusions should be used to support criminal justice for the individuals responsible."
But OPCW head Fernando Arias pointed out that the IIT was not there to name individuals, neither did it have the power to make findings on the non-compliance of the convention on chemical weapons.
It was now up to the OPCW's states parties, the U.N. Secretary-General "and the international community as a whole to take any further action they deem appropriate and necessary," Arias said.
The report said two Syrian Arab Air Force Sukhoi SU-22 jet fighters dropped two bombs containing sarin on Lataminah on March 24 and 30, 2017.
A Syrian military helicopter dropped a cylinder containing chlorine on a hospital in the same village on March 25 that year, the report said. In total, 106 people were affected by the attacks, the OPCW said.
Almost two years ago, the OPCW confirmed that sarin and chlorine were used in two attacks on the town, but did not name those responsible at the time.
The Lataminah strikes came just days before another deadly sarin assault in nearby Khan Sheikhun on April 4 that killed more than 80 people.
Western nations launched air strikes on Syrian military targets in response to the Khan Sheikhun attack.
The OPCW team is expected to deal at a later date with an alleged 2018 chlorine attack in the Syrian town of Douma in which at least 40 people died -- an investigation that has become a major bone of contention between Damascus and its Russian ally and Western nations.
Damascus has continued to deny the use of chemical weapons and insists it has handed over its weapons stockpiles under a 2013 agreement, prompted by a suspected sarin gas attack that killed 1,400 in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta.
The OPCW won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its work in Syria and says it has eliminated 97 percent of the world's chemical weapons.
Russian freight ship sinks off Turkey's Black Sea coast
Turkey introduces new tax for upscale houses
Pfizer reassures Europe over coronavirus vaccines as pandemic surges
NASA test of mega Moon rocket engines cut short
Turkish Cyprus announces overnight curfew
Armin Laschet elected leader of Merkel's party
UK to require all arrivals quarantine as virus deaths rise


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50+ World > Birthdays > August Birthdays > August 28th Birthdays
August 28th Birthdays
If you were born on August 28th you share a birthday with these famous people:
David Soul is 76 (nee David Richard Solberg)
Septuagenarian American-British singer (Don't Give Up on Us), actor of stage, TV (Hutch on Starsky and Hutch; Here Come the Brides; Casablanca; The Yellow Rose; Unsub) and movies (Magnum Force; Appointment With Death), born August 28, 1943. (David Soul 1974 The Disappearance of Flight 412)
Wayne Osmond is 68 (nee Melvin Wayne Osmond)
American musician, Osmond Brothers songwriter & singer (One Bad Apple; Yo-Yo; Down By the Lazy River; Crazy Horses), TV producer (Donny and Marie) & actor (The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters; The Andy Williams Show), and senior born August 28, 1951. (Wayne Osmond 1971 Photo: MGM Records)
Luis Guzman is 63
Sixty-plus Puerto Rican character actor of TV (Jesse Sallander on Code Black) and movies (The Count of Monte Cristo; Boogie Nights; The Hard Way; Carlito's Way; The Salton Sea; The Limey; Black Rain; The Bone Collector; Dreamer), born August 28, 1956. (Luis Guzman 2009 Photo: David Shankbone)
Shania Twain is 63 (nee Eilleen Regina Edwards; "Queen of Country Pop")
Grammy Award-winning Canadian country music singer & songwriter (Any Man of Mine; You're Still the One; Man! I Feel Like a Woman!; Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?; That Don't Impress Me Much; The Woman in Me), born August 28, 1956. (Shania Twain 2004 Photo: Zoltan Szabo)
Daniel Stern is 62
American director & character actor of TV (Narrator Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years) and movies (Breaking Away; City Slickers films; Home Alone movies; Diner; Rookie of the Year; D.O.A.; Blue Thunder; Leviathan; Very Bad Things), born August 28, 1957. (Daniel Stern 2009 Photo: Gordon Correll)
Rick Rossovich is 62 (nee Frederic Enrico Rossovich)
American actor of TV (Lt. Anthony Palermo on Pacific Blue; ER; Sons and Daughters) and movies (Top Gun; Roxanne; Spellbinder; Paint it Black; Navy Seals; Cover Me; Black Scorpion; The Lords of Discipline; Streets of Fire; The Terminator; Truth or Consequences, N.M.; Artworks), born August 28, 1957.
Scott Hamilton is 61
American retired figure skater, 4-time U.S. & World champion (1981-1984), 1984 Lake Placid Olympics gold medalist, professional figure skater (Ice Capades; Stars on Ice), and TV figure skating commentator born August 28, 1958. (Scott Hamilton 1983 Photo: Susan Biddle / The Denver Post)
Emma Samms is 59 (nee Emma Elizabeth Wylie Samuelson)
British actress & host of stage, TV (Holly Sutton Scorpio on General Hospital; Fallon Carrington Colby on The Colbys & Dynasty; Amanda Clay Vardalis on Doctors; Models, Inc.), movies (Delirious), & Starlight Children's Foundation co-founder born August 28, 1960. (Emma Samms 1990 Photo: Alan Light)
Jennifer Coolidge is 58
America comedienne & actress of movies (Legally Blonde films; A Cinderella Story; American Pie movies; Best in Show; A Mighty Wind; Trial and Error; Austenland) and TV (Sophie Kaczynski on 2 Broke Girls; Bobbie Morganstern on Joey), born August 28, 1961. (Jennifer Coolidge 2005 Photo: KP / hi i'm jennifer)
Jason Priestley is 50
Canadian-American actor of TV (Brandon Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210; Richard Fitzpatrick on Call Me Fitz; Private Eyes; Sister Kate; Medium) and movies (Calendar Girl; Love and Death on Long Island; Coldblooded; Tombstone), born August 28, 1969. (Jason Priestly 2012 Photo: Eva Rinaldi)
Jack Black is 50 (nee Thomas Jacob Black; "Jablinski")
American comedian, rock musician & singer with Tenacious D, character & voice over actor of TV and movies (School of Rock, King Kong; The Holiday; Kung Fu Panda films; Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle; The Big Year; Gulliver's Travels; Ice Age), born August 28, 1969. (Jack Black 2006 Photo: P1040558)
(Lioness Photo: Pawan Sharma via Unsplash)
Happy Birthday to everyone celebrating their birthday on August 28th!
And remembering
Ben Gazzara (nee Biagio Anthony Gazzarra)
American director and Emmy Award-winning actor of stage, TV (Paul Bryan on Run for Your Life; Arrest and Trial) and movies (The Young Doctors; Voyage of the Damned; Summer of Sam; Road House; Don Bosco; Inchon; The Thomas Crown Affair) (born Aug. 28, 1930 – died Feb. 3, 2012; age 81). Ben Gazzara died of pancreatic cancer. (Ben Gazzara 1957 The Strange One Trailer)
Donald O'Connor
American singer, dancer & actor of stage, TV (The Donald O'Connor Show), and films (Singin' in the Rain; Francis in the Navy; Tom Sawyer, Detective; Sing, You Sinners; Out to Sea; Yes Sir, That's My Baby; Follow the Boys; Anything Goes) (born Aug. 28, 1925 – died Sept. 27, 2003; age 78). Donald O'Connor died of heart failure complications. (Donald O'Connor 1966 Photo: ABC TV)
French actor of TV (The Rogues) & movies (Algiers; Gaslight; Love Affair; Conquest; Tovarich; All This, and Heaven Too; The Constant Nymph; Confidential Agent; Barefoot in the Park; La Parisienne; The Buccaneer; Around the World in 80 Days) (born Aug. 28, 1899 – died Aug. 26, 1978; age 78). Charles Boyer died of a Seconal overdose. (Charles Boyer 1936 Photo: Photoplay)
American actress known for playing Miss Jane Hathaway on The Beverly Hillbillies, and other roles on TV (The Bob Cummings Show; Date With the Angels) and movies (The Three Faces of Eve; The Parent Trap; The Night of the Grizzly; The Patsy) (born Aug. 28, 1921 – died Feb. 3, 1991; age 69). Cause of death for Nancy Kulp was cancer. (Nancy Kulp 1960s Photo)
Robertson Davies (nee William Robertson Davies)
Canadian newspaperman (Peterborough Examiner), professor, playwright (Eros at Breakfast), essayist (The Diary of Samuel Marchbanks) and novelist (Tempest-Tost; Leaven of Malice; A Mixture of Frailties; Fifth Business) (born Aug. 28, 1913 – died Dec. 2, 1995; age 82). Cause of death for Robertson Davies was a stroke. (One Half of Robertson Davies Photo: Chris Drumm)
Jack Kirby (nee Jacob Kurtzberg)
Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame American comic book editor, writer, and artist, co-creator of comic book characters Captain America, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Hulk, and others for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and other publications (born Aug. 28, 1917 – died Feb. 6, 1994; age 76). Cause of death for Jack Kirby was heart failure. (Jack Kirby 1980s Photo: Marc Hempel)
Morris Ankrum (nee Morris Nussbaum)
American character actor of stage, radio, TV (Judge on Perry Mason; The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin; Climax!; M Squad; Bronco; Cheyenne; The Rifleman; Rawhide; 26 Men), and movies (Half Human; The Silver Star; The Light of Western Stars; Knights of the Range) (born Aug. 28, 1896 – died Sept. 2, 1964; age 68). Morris Ankrum died of trichinosis. (Morris Ankrum 1956 Freedom Highway)
*Images are public domain or Creative Commons licensed & sourced via Wikimedia Commons, Vimeo, or Flickr, unless otherwise noted*
Anita Hamilton
50+ World editor & baby boomer writer Anita Hamilton has always been interested in the "real people" stories behind the characters that create and inhabit the world of music, books, movies, television shows, current events, history, etc. A lifelong love of research (ok, nosiness) and writing, combined with a loving and supportive family complete with 3 mini-dachshund minions, keeps her busy.
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Willy had big plans for his professional life. He was going to move beyond the "odd jobs" he had been doing, go to college, and start a career. But first he had to get his GED.
Willy recalled, "I started at Literacy Services when they were at 27th and Wells, but I broke away; I just wasn't focused. Focus was hard, really hard for me." He continued working those odd jobs for a time, but never forgot his goal of earning his GED.
Willy's big plans are finally falling into place.
And he did: Willy graduated with his GED in 2012.


Soft and pliable chapathi dough is every woman's kitchen dream. My mom and your mom probably have told us that to get soft chapathi dough you need to knead the dough endlessly and beat the day lights out of it.
Raymond Calvel (Bread expert and Julia Child's Bread Guru) disagrees ! He says for making great flavorful dough for bread, all you have to do is mix your flour and water together until the flour is all moistened, cover it, and just step away. When you come back after twenty minutes, add the salt, yeast and bring everything together, your bread dough is ready to proof ! Yes, it's just that simple. Seriously. This technique is called as Autolysis.
For 1 cup of store bought Atta (whole wheat flour) like that of Ashirwad brand, you will need approximately 1/2 cup of water. That is 50% hydration. The water to flour ratio (hydration ratio) will differ slightly based on the texture/type of whole wheat flour. Usually coarser flours available in north India have the capability to absorb more water therefore you can go up to 70-80% hydration i.e., for 1 cup of flour you can use upto 3/4 cup of water. However, the super smooth (available in south India) varieties can only take upto 50-60% water. So, my advise is you start with 50% hydration and adjust as you go.
Take warm water, salt and oil in a bowl.
After 30 minutes knead very briefly.
Dough ready to make Indian flat breads.
approx 250ml. White flour generally consumes lesser water.


With wide streets, spacious villas, schools, supermarkets, a cinema, high-grade hotels and hot springs, Baoshan village in Pengzhou, Sichuan province, seems much like a bigger city or a tourist resort.
Forty years ago, poverty-stricken villagers lived in shabby sheds of bamboo and mud. They worried year-round about how to feed themselves.
The changes for the better, according to locals, were fueled by 82-year-old Jia Zhengfang, former Party chief of the village.
Jia is blind in one eye, and the vision in his other one is so poor that he can't see the person next to him clearly. Nevertheless, he can see far beyond his range of vision. Jia and his successors have turned the destitute village into the envy of many, according to neighbors.
Jia's eyes were injured in an industrial accident when he worked on a State geological prospecting team. After that, in 1964, he returned to his home village of Baoshan.
In 1978, many males in the village were so poor that their marriage prospects were severely limited. An old woman told Jia she would be satisfied with life if she simply had enough maize cakes to eat all year. Her words saddened him.
In the 1950s, a novel from the Soviet Union, How the Steel Was Tempered, was popular in China. Young people like Jia were moved by the youthful hero who lost his eyesight in a battle but managed to strive for the public good.
When China launched its reform and opening-up policies in 1978, Jia, the village Party chief, briefly established the village's first enterprise, a copper mine. With an investment of 3,000 yuan ($435), the mine earned the village a net profit of 50,000 yuan in its first year. Instead of dividing the profits among the residents, however, it was reinvested.
In the early 1980s, Baoshan-which is located beside the Baishui River-had no electricity. From 1983 to 1989, the village used funds from the collective economy, from individuals and from bank loans to build four hydropower stations with a combined capacity of 7,800 kilowatt-hours.
Despite objections from some authorities, construction of the Guihuashu Hydropower Station started in 1986.
The authorities argued it was impossible for a village to build such a station because 6,000-meter-long irrigation ditches would have to be dug through precipitous mountainsides having slopes averaging 62 degrees.
As no builders were found who dared to take the contract, residents created their own team. In less than three years, they overcame countless unimaginable risks to dig the ditches and place 350 pipes, each weighing 5 tons, on sheer precipices and cliffs.
In January 1989, the first station went into operation. With electricity, the village set up 26 enterprises in succession and gradually became wealthy on the western Sichuan Plain.
A magnitude-8.0 earthquake jolted Wenchuan county in Sichuan on May 12, 2008, killing 69,226 people and leaving 17,923 missing. The quake dealt a heavy blow to Baoshan.
Fifty-four residents in the village died, 7,078 houses collapsed, six enterprises were buried and seven enterprises were so badly damaged they could not be restored. The economic losses surpassed 2.7 billion yuan, said Ren Bin, the village head.
With money from the collective economy, combined with their own money, villagers rebuilt their damaged houses.
It has emphasized tourism development during the reconstruction, building a hot spring resort and other rural resorts, and investing 30 million yuan to increase the village's forest and grass coverage to 89 percent.
Tourism earnings in the village rose from 8 million yuan in 2007 to 140 million yuan last year.
"My family has an annual income of about 120,000 yuan from running a rural resort. Mine is only a middle-income family in Baoshan," said one villager, Huang Jiaxiu.
Every family in the village has a villa and car, he said.


text:
UK: TUC and Labour attempt damage control after Tories push murderous "back to work" strategy
Chris Marsden
The UK's Conservative government has distributed seven documents with employers' groups and the trade unions setting out its plans to exit the COVID-19 lockdown.
Boris Johnson has not allowed his own near-death experience with the virus to divert him from a "back to work" strategy that will endanger the lives of millions. True to his government's Thatcherite pedigree, there is not a single policy that legally enforces businesses to protect their workforce. Everything is voluntary and everything is clearly inadequate.
The draft plans are to be finalised ahead of Johnson delivering his supposedly "comprehensive plan" on Sunday for a full return to work. The seven documents reportedly use phrases such as "employers should consider" when discussing social distancing, handwashing and other basic measures in workplaces and whether to end practices such as "hot desking" and introduce staggered shifts. Nothing has been revealed about how the population is supposed to travel to work via mass public transport systems while maintaining social distancing.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has made clear that the advice surrounding workplace social distancing is entirely voluntary and that where distancing of two metres is deemed impossible, it is up to the employer whether they substitute shielding, other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE)—or even merely limits on the time spent in close proximity. "You could be closer than two metres but not for long," he said.
The proposals are politically explosive, given that the UK has overtaken Italy for the most deaths from COVID-19 in Europe. They were made known, moreover, as every opinion poll has cited continued and overwhelming public opposition—over 70 percent—to the type of reopening of the economy that the Tories plan to implement within days and weeks. They could backfire badly, creating the conditions for an explosion of new cases of COVID-19 and, more dangerous still for business—provoking social and political opposition in the working class.
For these reasons, British Chambers of Commerce President, Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, sent an open letter to Johnson stating that she wanted to see "the planning and communication of a carefully phased approach to lifting lockdown," including mass testing and contact tracing, clear decisions and guidance on what PPE is needed in workplaces. Josh Hardie, deputy director of the Confederation of British Industry stated that "Restart must put health first, or it will risk sending the economy backwards."
The same concerns have prompted a public display of limited and loyal opposition from the Trades Union Congress, union leaders and Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer.
TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady complained that the government's guidance places no actual requirements on employers. Appealing to "those employers who want to act responsibly," she said the proposals offered "an open goal for rogue employers…"
In the Guardian, O'Grady wrote, "The TUC proposes a new approach, one that supports good employers to get it right…". She called for mandatory risk assessments "done in agreement with recognised unions in the workplace. Union health and safety reps are experts who have special legal rights to investigate workplace hazards."
Her final call was for the government's job retention scheme to be made "more flexible to support a phased return to work… Like everyone else, unions want everyone to get back to work and start rebuilding Britain."
Similar criticisms were made by Prospect union General Secretary Mike Clancy, who stressed, "We all want to get back to work," while warning of a "spike in cases and another full-scale lockdown". John Phillips, acting General Secretary of the GMB union, proclaimed, "We desperately need to get the economy going and nobody is keener than GMB to get people back to work…".
Starmer echoed the union's pitch for a back to work strategy that would better serve the needs of business. On BBC Breakfast, Starmer stressed that he was "not setting up a rival camp here… We want to support the government to get this right and that is why we need a national consensus on what happens next."
A return to work should be based on "seven principles", he urged, including a "national safety standard" for businesses and schools, an "ambitious target" for contact tracing and a national plan to ensure supply chains for PPE for key workers.
The attempt by Labour and the trade unions to feign concern for the working class is laughable, given that they have functioned in a de facto national unity government with the Tories throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Starmer's appeals for national consensus are belated, given that the trade unions entered into extensive talks with the Tory government and employers in March, while suppressing all opposition by workers over the failure to provide PPE and other safety measures.
The TUC supported the government's £350 billion bailout for the corporations, with O'Grady, who sits on the Bank of England's court of directors, hailing Chancellor Rishi Sunak's "real leadership" and saying how she was "glad he's listened to the unions."
The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union (RMT) joined the government's Rail Industry Coronavirus Joint Forum with the aim of ensuring "close co-operation and collaboration between the trade unions and employers."
The Communication Workers Union representing Royal Mail workers not only called off a threatened national strike, but offered its members up as an "additional emergency service" without even demanding the most basic PPE.
O'Grady then published an open letter in the Times proposing "a big generous offer to government: bring us into the room, give us an equal voice, listen to our ideas and make sure working people are not left behind. In return we will roll up our sleeves and get stuck into the job of rebuilding our country so that it works for everyone. Just as we did after the Second World War."
The government responded by organising seven "sector-by-sector meetings" chaired by business secretary Alok Sharma with trade union and business leaders. The meetings were prompted, according to the Guardian, "after concerns arose in Whitehall that many employees may be reluctant to return to the workplace, even when the government gives the green light."
Out of these meetings, the TUC drafted a document proposing "A trade union approach… on how to manage the mass return to work." That document declared that the TUC "does not take a position on the science of how to manage a pandemic, or the speed or nature of any return to work," before stressing that "It is invidious to argue about the relative priority of public health or economic growth: both are important to the wellbeing of working people."
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The TUC called for the Johnson government to build on "its initial efforts to bring together unions, employers and government" by "establishing tripartite bodies", urging a "public information campaign" to proclaim it safe to return to work. The TUC mooted a government-sponsored role for "the UK's 100,000 trade union health and safety reps" in certifying workplaces as safe—not only in unionised workplaces but "where there are no existing union reps and unions are not recognised," in a "roving role… in order to ensure compliance."
One reason the trade unions made their minor criticisms this week is because the Johnson government's ignoring their various suggestions was a blow to their plans to secure a corporatist governmental role.
The Times commented on March 29 that the trade unions, which "used to be on the naughty step," had now been put "front of the house." To illustrate the shift, the newspaper cited the role of Jeremy Corbyn's leading trade union backer and supposed "left", Len McCluskey of UNITE.
"'Ever since the days of Margaret Thatcher, trade unions have been seen as the enemy within,' said McCluskey, whose union represents 1.2 million people, ranging from steelworkers to British Airways cabin crew. 'But I've never had any difficulty differentiating the political arena from what we need to do together in the industrial arena.'"
McCluskey has not abandoned his ambitions to work with the Tories. This week he refused to comment on the leaking of Johnson's criminal proposals because UNITE was still in talks with the government. He wrote to UNITE members, "We recognise that the task before the government is an enormous one and that the right calls have to be made to avoid further death and ill health and to avert a deep recession. We are therefore committed to contributing fully to the back to work discussions, ensuring that ministers and employers hear your voice at the table."
The Labour Party and the trade unions are naked political instruments of big business. Having suppressed opposition to the Tories for decades, they now want nothing less than a formal alliance against the working class to police a murderous drive for a return to work.
Workers are faced with the immediate task of breaking with the trade unions, forming rank-and-file committees and above all their own party to wage an independent struggle against the pandemic and all attempts to impose the crisis of the profit system on them and their families.
The Socialist Equality Party insists there must be no return to work under unsafe conditions. This means not only the provision of protective equipment, but maintaining the closure of schools, all non-essential production and guaranteeing a full income for furloughed workers and job retention.
A massive programme of investment in health and social care must begin now, alongside a proper system of testing and contact tracing and extensive research into a vaccine for COVID-19. The money for this must be provided by taxing the super-rich and taking social ownership and control of the major banks and corporations.
Against all calls to defend the "national interest", British workers must unite with their brothers and sisters internationally against their exploiters and in defence of the collective interests of the world working class through the struggle for a planned socialist economy based on production for social need, not corporate profit.
The coronavirus pandemicBritainEuropeHealth & Safety at WorkHealthcare


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Brisbane Heat keep finals hopes alive with win over Melbourne Renegades
The Brisbane Heat have kept their finals hopes alive with a five-wicket win over the struggling Melbourne Renegades on Thursday night.
The Renegades, who set the Heat a target of 150 runs to win, had their run of bad luck continue when Brisbane skipper Chris Lynn was dropped twice before receiving a third lifeline when Jack Prestwidge was called for a no-ball.
Lynn eventually finished with 50 from 40 deliveries, while Joe Denly and Joe Burns both notched 31 runs each to get the Heat over the line and into fifth place on the BBL ladder.
Despite reaching a respectable score of 6/149 at the end of the first innings, life was made tough for the Renegades who after 10 overs were 4/71.
Aaron Finch (Getty)
Shaun Marsh (0) and Aaron Finch (13 off 13) were both unable to fire but were bailed out by Beau Webster (50 off 40) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (40 off 33) who helped notch a defendable score for their bowlers to bowl at.
Finch after the match admitted his squad hasn't been up to standard, conceding he feels sorry for head coach Michael Klinger with the Renegades sitting on just two wins from 10 matches.
"You've got to to the basics right and we're not doing that with the bat or ball," Finch told Channel Seven.
"I seriously feel for Michael Klinger who's doing a great job as head coach."
Marsh falls for a golden duck
Sixers Steve O'Keefe savages BBL finals format
Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds apologise after crude Marnus Labuschagne criticism was aired


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Bricks To Life - Page 2 of 46 - Lego Game News, Deals & Guides!
Four New LEGO Hidden Side Sets Revealed at New York Toy Fair!
New LEGO Hidden Side Game Theme Announced!
New DC Films DLC Character Pack Coming February 12th For LEGO DC Super Villains!
LEGO Marvel Games Assemble In New 3 Pack – Coming March 12!
LEGO Worlds Troublemaker DLC Now Available!


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Press Release Feb 3, 2021
Burnett Oil Seeking to Drill in Big Cypress National Preserve, Part of America's Everglades
The preserve has not even begun to heal from the severe impacts of Burnett's last hunt for oil. NPCA and partners vehemently oppose this new effort to create more destructive oil development in Big Cypress.
The Florida panther, one of the world's most endangered mammals. camera icon Photo © Jocrebbin/Dreamstime.
MIAMI, Fla.– Conservation groups sent a letter to state and federal agencies today opposing Burnett Oil Company's request to the state of Florida for permits to develop oil infrastructure to facilitate new oil drilling in the Everglades, inside Big Cypress National Preserve. The permits would allow the company to construct oil wells and access roads in wetlands and Florida panther habitat.
In its final days, the Trump administration approved the state of Florida's request to assume the federal government's Section 404 permitting authority under the Clean Water Act.
While Big Cypress National Preserve is a unit of the national park system, some of the oil and gas beneath the preserve is privately owned. Burnett Oil Company — which according to the application package, leases the right to explore for and extract oil from Collier Resources Company — is planning further harmful oil and gas activities inside Big Cypress. The company's seismic testing operations in 2017 and 2018 severely damaged wetlands and cypress trees in the delicate ecosystem, a crucial habitat for the endangered Florida panther, Florida bonneted bat and other imperiled species.
Burnett Oil's hunt for oil created massive soil ruts — some as deep as two feet — altering natural vegetation, wetland soils and hydrology in this incredibly important part of the River of Grass. This damage can still be seen in the preserve today.
Expanding oil infrastructure inside the country's treasured public lands would be inconsistent with the climate initiatives being championed by the Biden-Harris administration.
National Parks Conservation Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and the Center for Biological Diversity have opposed Burnett Oil Company's oil and gas activities in the preserve since they began exploration in 2017 due to the severe impacts and lasting damages caused by operating heavy machinery in the ecosystem. Big Cypress National Preserve is critical to sending fresh water south to Everglades National Park and surrounding communities and contains many vulnerable and endangered flora and fauna.
Dr. Melissa Abdo, Sun Coast Regional Director for the National Parks Conservation Association said, "Taxpayers in Florida and around the country have pumped billions of dollars toward restoring the Everglades ecosystem, of which the wetlands of Big Cypress National Preserve are a vital part. The preserve has not even begun to heal from the severe impacts of Burnett's last hunt for oil.
"Our national park sites are carbon sinks, uniquely positioned as one of the first lines of defense against climate change. They should be part of the climate solution, rather than being used to contribute to climate change.
"We vehemently oppose this new effort to create more destructive oil development in our first national preserve." Abdo said.
"After witnessing the damage Burnett Oil inflicted with seismic testing, we'll oppose any efforts to drill in this fragile landscape," said Alison Kelly, senior attorney with Natural Resources Defense Council. "The Sunshine State should instead focus on climate impacts in Florida, such as sea-level rise, and how to harness its solar energy potential."
"We refuse to watch this dying industry trash one of Florida's most important havens for endangered wildlife," said Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "This selfish, shortsighted request to ignore the harm in order to squeeze a few more drops of oil out of a national preserve must be denied."
About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its nearly 1.4 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation's most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
About The Natural Resources Defense Council: The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC
About The Center for Biological Diversity: The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
About The Conservancy of Southwest Florida: The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a not-for-profit environmental protection organization with a 57-year history focused on the issues impacting the water, land, wildlife and future of Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties.
Kyle Groetzinger
Senior Communications Manager
evelope icon kgroetzinger@npca.org phone icon 202-893-3391
Big Cypress National Preserve


Experience our workshops and create stunning, meaningful photos like a professional.
Spend a day, or longer, enjoying Chiang Mai while learning to take photos people will not be able to ignore.
Everyone who's invested in a good camera wants to make the most of it. This means learning the settings and how to use it well.
Photography is more than just making camera adjustments and your technical proficiency.
Expressing your feeling about what you see and experience will produce your best photos.
Combining your technical ability and creative expression is key. This is what we teach during our photography workshops.
Northern hill tribe people in a traditional setting.
Please check you have entered your email address correctly. I always reply to emails so if you don't hear back it may be because your email address was not entered correctly.
If you're wanting to book a workshop please include the date(s) and the workshop you are interested in. We'll email you back shortly.
For pricing and details please keep scrolling down this page.
Our day begins at a coffee shop where Kevin shares some foundational teaching to get you ready for the day ahead. Chiang Mai's biggest and busiest markets are where we start our photography. Here you'll learn more about light and gain understanding as to why it's the essential ingredient of photography. We'll teach you how your camera reads and responds to light, and how to make a good exposure. Understanding this will give you greater scope to be creative in your image making.
You will learn composition technique and how to look more carefully. We'll demonstrate the impact point of view has when framing your subject. You will gain a new appreciation of what you see when you look through your camera.
At the market we also focus on teaching about photographing people. Northern Thai people generally are not shy of being photographed. In every culture being sensitive and polite is very important. We will address this subject as we photograph the locals in their everyday work environments.
The 'decisive moment' – capturing the action and story telling with your photos are two other topics we will talk about throughout the day.
After lunch (except during the hot season**) you will be photographing craftspeople working on pressed metal, three-dimensional pictures at one of Chiang Mai's most beautifully decorated temples. At this location we experience a challenging situation to bring together much of what we have learned during the day – looking again at lighting, capturing the action, shutter speed and aperture control and isolating your subject. The ordination hall at the temple is a fabulous focus for some teaching on architectural photography to end our day.
** During the hot season (March until June) after lunch we will sit in a cool, relaxed environment, enjoy an iced coffee, soda or fruit drink and look over the images you have made during the morning. We will teach you our tried and true workflow for culling and beginning to edit your images. If you have your own laptop or tablet please bring it along or we can use our laptop to view your images.
Transport to each location during the day in an air-conditioned vehicle.
Entrance fees into the various places we visit.
If you wish to take this workshop privately please inquire about the price.
Starting at a serene rural temple we will begin with teaching about light and you'll gain understanding as to why it's the essential ingredient of photography. We'll teach you how your camera reads and responds to light, and how to make a good exposure. Understanding this will give you greater scope to be creative in your image making. Photographing these majestic old structures also requires a good eye for composition.
Next we visit a number of different hill tribe peoples who dress traditionally and enjoy being photographed, either as they go about their daily chores or pose for portraits. Here we focus our teaching on getting strong environmental portraits. The setting is very special and affords a great situation to really enjoy photographing people in their traditional village surroundings.
Over the time we have been visiting this village we have built up some lovely friendships with the people, so these relationships truly help our customers get more intimate photographs. We will also give you some tips and techniques on how to engage with your portrait subjects.
We then stop for lunch at one of our favorite Thai restaurants in an idyllic garden setting.
After lunch (except during the hot season**) we stop at a stunning orchid garden we will teach about getting in close and framing your subject carefully. This is where you learn about getting the best macro shots of the flowers. We'll also study in more detail about how your point of view affects composition and how to avoid distracting objects in the background. Depth of field control will be another topic covered along with more on how to better understand light.
Our day begins at a coffee shop where Kevin shares some foundational teaching to get you ready for the day ahead. Chiang Mai's biggest and busiest fresh market is where we start our photography. Here you'll learn more about light and gain understanding as to why it's the essential ingredient of photography. We'll teach you how your camera reads and responds to light, and how to make a good exposure. Understanding this will give you greater scope to be creative in your image making.
Next we stop at a stunning orchid garden we will teach about getting in close and framing your subject carefully. This is where Pansa really loves to be and loves to teach about getting the best macro shots of the flowers. We'll also study in more detail about how your point of view affects composition and how to avoid distracting objects in the background. Depth of field control will be another topic covered along with more on how to better understand light.
After lunch we visit one of our favorite places where you can learn to photograph a number of different hill tribe peoples who dress traditionally and enjoy being photographed, either as they go about their daily chores or pose for portraits. Here we focus our teaching on getting strong environmental portraits. The setting is very special and affords a great situation to really enjoy photographing people in their traditional village surroundings.
I cannot say enough good about Kevin. There are a lot of amazing photographers in this world, but not many are truly exceptional teachers. Kevin truly know how to put the art of photography and the technical aspects of the camera into the right light for each one of his students. He certainly did so for me. I've been traveling for 9 years now and have been a self taught mature photographer for a good majority of that time. I was looking to step my craft up a few notches but just couldn't seem to get past a certain level… I knew I was grasping all that my camera could do, and the frustration of not being able to capture a shot just the way I wanted it was beginning to kill my creativity. Then, along came Kevin. He was the key to unlocking the magic! Answered so many questions and inspired so many more, then gave me the answers with hands on experience. I'm inspired all over again. Thank you Kevin!!!
Kevin and Pansa introduced me to the local life in Chiang Mai, which allowed me to feel more comfortable in approaching people in the markets and later with the hill tribes. Along the way I was learning from a well respected professional photographer, who showed excitement for my photography as well as any photo opportunity that came our way. I look forward to my next journey with Kevin and Pansa, where we can create an even more special adventure over a few days. I don't normally write reviews so this was special for me and I am sure it will be just as special for you.
If you'd like to hear more from us please sign up for our photography newsletter. In this I share tips and insights in blog and video formats.
The first newsletter you will receive after signing up includes free enrollment to one of my online photography courses – "Ten Top Tips – Be More Creative With Your Camera." This course covers ten things I wish I'd known about photography when I was starting out. It also includes a number of practical photography exercises.
Please check the box, add your name and email address and click the send button.


Hi loves! How are you today? Before we go and take a look at the nails, I want to say something to my mom: Happy birthday! Hope you have a great day :-).
So, today's nails. This polish is AWESOME. I absolutely loved wearing this even though it is a bit dark for the time of year - I don't care, it has flakies! This is Urban Outfitters Mystic and I got my paws on this because of my awesome friend Mimi. Mimi, I'll love you forever for this! Urban Outfitters is also present in Europe, but they don't have these polishes here, so I can't get them myself :-(.
Mystic is a gorgeous jelly polish filled with flakies. The jelly base is blue or purple depending on the lighting, but I'd call it blue if I had to choose 1 color description. The flakies are your standard red/copper/green ones, but they way they look floating in the jelly base.. divine!
I needed 3 coats and the first coat was patchy and ugly. The pigment in the jelly base looks a bit uneven, but it evens out after 3 coats luckily. It allows a lovely buildup of flakie goodness! They all lie flat and 1 layer of topcoat (I used Essence Better Than Gel) makes for a gorgeous high shine finish. The only downside to this polish? I kept staring at it in the car.. luckily no accidents happend ;-)!
Do you like flakies? Tell me in the comments!
I saw this one last time I was there and thought about picking it up. It looks beautiful on you!
Mystic is my favorite UO polish - it's so gorgeous!
Happy Birthday Deborah's mom!! Thanks for bringing Deborah into this world! LOL!
Why did I pass up on this polish? It's gorgeous! I won't pass it up if I ever see it again, that's for sure!
Get it next time you spot it! Thanks Essie ♥.
It is! Thanks for your comment :).
Hahahaha Angie, you are funny ♥.
Ooooh yeah you totally NEED this! Like, now!
Yes it does remind me of that combo too!! Maybe layering could give a look like this :).
In the words of George Takei: OHHHH MYYYYY. This one is stunning!
Mystic.... nomen omen! <3 it's really gorgeous!


Your first statement is fitting, but I personally disagree with the rest based on a lack of evidence that fits.
I said I do not believe in an immortal soul. Yes, when we die, we die. However, I do not believe that we are entirely mechanistic in nature. This line of thought falls outside, and is separate from my recent hypothesis, though not in disagreement. I personally think the life energy, that undefinable thing that spans the gap between material and immaterial comes from God, and returns to God. When that spark is gone, our thoughts stop and our biomechanical engine begins to deteriorate. I don't know if that spark is what gives rise to consciousness, or whatever this is. I don't even know how to frame the question, honestly, because it is reaching into an area that is unknown and, most likely, unknowable.


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In 1950, Alan Turing (a famous British crypt-analyst and computer scientist) developed a test to gauge a machine or computer's ability to interact with a person If the person isn't able to identify the interaction as being artificially generated, such a computer could be termed as smart, and to a high degree – intelligent.
But, what is it that differentiates smartness or intelligence from understanding and consciousness?
The Chinese Room is a thought experiment described by John Searle (a highly recognized philosopher) in 1980. He suggested that a strong artificial intelligence would be adequately programmed to take inputs and respond with appropriate outputs - just like how an intelligent person would. But would that AI be conscious? Would it understand what it was doing?
In the thought experiment John Searle describes an intelligent computer which has been programmed to take Chinese character inputs, process them according to a wide range of algorithms and rules; and then provide an output in Chinese characters. The Chinese character inputs (delivered by a person who speaks Chinese), would be processed by the computer and an output of Chinese characters is presented. These must be understandable by the person putting delivering the input. Not only would the computer be capable of processing the characters, but it would have done so to provide an evolved output. In the scenario, the Chinese speaker receiving the output would not be able to distinguish between the output provided by a computer to that by a person speaking Chinese. Such a computer would essentially have passed the Turing Test.
Now suppose the same sets of rules and algorithms along with the requisite Chinese character mix & match criterion, were available to an individual who does not speak or understand Chinese. This person sits within a closed room and Chinese character inputs are provided through a slot in the door. The person uses the rules and algorithms provided and successfully provides a Chinese character output – which a native Chinese speaker may completely understand. This would also pass the Turing Test.
Is there any difference between the intelligent computer and the person in the room? Are they really intelligent or have they just followed a set of rules (however complicated) which have been provided as programming? Both may have merely shown an understanding of Chinese.
So, this brings us to intelligence.
For a computer to be truly intelligent, it would need to reflect an understanding of cause and effect. It would require showing intention and the basis behind the intention. That would truly signify 'thinking' on part of the computer, making it intelligent. With the ability to think comes the need for moral judgement. To differentiate between good and bad; and act according to reasonable best outcome, with least damage. What would it take for a computer to learn this and become truly intelligent?
This is a concept (among many others) I'm extrapolating in my upcoming science fiction novel. Follow for updates. Be the first to know when books are released.
← The Fermi Paradox
Quantum Computing Avalanche →


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Chinese restaurant opens in Dundee and reveals stunning interior design
September 13, 2019 /in Featured /by Tangs
The owner of a luxurious city restaurant is taking things in a casual direction.
Dynasty has reopened as Tang's Dynasty, with a sole focus on traditional Chinese cuisine with a modern twist.
For a quick bite to eat a lingering lunch or delicious afternoon high tea or evening sipping some fabulous drinks and cocktails with or without dinner, Tang's is the latest addition to Dundee's vibrant restaurant and bar scene.
For owner and head chef Usman Malik, the change has come after customer feedback.
Destined to attract a discerning crowd, Tang's offers a majestic yet magnetic ambience for any occasion. Conveniently located in the bustling social district, opposite University of Dundee, in the heart of city.
Whether you are coming to dine, drink or party at Tang's – you won't be disappointed.
"We are so overwhelmed with the soft opening on September 6, we have had huge turn out where diners were delighted with the food, could not believe the amount of people turned out for sit and takeaways both!
"We offered Chinese dishes as one of the four 'dynasties' on our previous menu and those were very popular with customers," he explained. "So when we decided to make changes, it was an obvious choice to make."
Usman has worked with a highly experienced Chinese chef to create the menu for Tang's Dynasty, which includes familiar favourites.
"I wanted something unique for Dundee, so Tang's Chinese Table became a creative culvert for me that confines everything I love about Dundee!
"Food, art and design are all the features that I am passionate about are conscientiously chosen for this unique restaurant."
https://www.tangsdynasty.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Tangs-Dinner-1.jpg 1200 1800 Tangs https://www.tangsdynasty.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Tangs-Dynasty-Chinese-Dundee.png Tangs2019-09-13 20:03:032019-09-13 20:11:33Chinese restaurant opens in Dundee and reveals stunning interior design
Dundee restaurant to serve only Chinese food two years after opening with brain curry on menu
September 9, 2019 /in Featured /by Tangs
But Dynasty in Nethergate, which opened two years ago with a menu offering delights such as brain curry and camel meatballs, is to transform into a Chinese restaurant.
Owner Usman Malik said diners had responded so positively to the introduction of Chinese dishes on the Dynasty menu that he is now going to concentrate on "authentic" Chinese cuisine.
Although Dynasty will still serve high teas, in the evenings the restaurant, which will be renamed Tang's Chinese Table, will only serve Chinese food.
Mr Malik said: "A few months ago we started putting Chinese dishes on our a la carte menu and the feedback from customers was really positive.
"It's going to be very authentic, not like a British Chinese restaurant.
"We are flying over chefs from Hong Kong and are just finalising the menu and website."
Dynasty is known for its over-the-top decor, which includes props from Game of Thrones, and Mr Malik said this will not be changing.
"We will be keeping the decor but we are trying to make the restaurant more of a casual dining experience so it is for everybody in Dundee."
Mr Malik said he hopes to open Tang's Chinese Table within the next couple of weeks.
https://www.tangsdynasty.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/KCes_Dynasty_Restaurant_Pre_Opening_Dundee.jpg 372 559 Tangs https://www.tangsdynasty.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Tangs-Dynasty-Chinese-Dundee.png Tangs2019-09-09 12:51:192019-09-12 13:54:50Dundee restaurant to serve only Chinese food two years after opening with brain curry on menu
Desert Island Chef: Usman Malik of Dynasty and Oshibori restaurants in Dundee
Q Desert Island food?
A Hmmm gin and tonic, limes and some nice Chinese food, crispy calamari/squid and my favourite spicy kung po chicken.
Q Favourite TV chef?
A Difficult to choose just one. Delia Smith – I loved her great classical recipes which were well explained and simply loved watching her when I was younger; I also like Nigella Lawson as she is fun to watch with contemporary dishes and fusions.
Q Favourite cookbook?
A None – I don't believe in following recipes from cook books as I enjoy experimenting with different flavours and ingredients by using my own experience. Name a dish, and I will make it for you…
https://www.tangsdynasty.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/DesertIslandChef.jpg 372 558 Tangs https://www.tangsdynasty.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Tangs-Dynasty-Chinese-Dundee.png Tangs2019-09-09 12:44:022019-09-12 13:54:50Desert Island Chef: Usman Malik of Dynasty and Oshibori restaurants in Dundee
We are delighted to announce that Oshibori – Ramen & Sushi Bar will shortly be opening in Edinburgh!
More details coming soon…
Oshibori Dundee
Visit our Ramen & Sushi Bar
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Home Sports Stanley Cup Finals: Canadiens Still Out to Prove They Belong
Stanley Cup Finals: Canadiens Still Out to Prove They Belong
This appearance, against an Atlantic Division rival, is unlike any other in Montreal's venerable history. In this truncated 56-game season, the Canadiens soared, then slumped. They fired their coach, then their goaltending coach a week later. They lost Price and defenseman Shea Weber to injuries, then Joel Armia to a positive coronavirus test that further compressed an already condensed schedule. They played their final 25 games in 44 days and lost 15 of them, including their last five. The playoffs beckoned only because, playing in a one-time division populated by all seven Canadian teams, Montreal was slightly less middling than fifth-place Calgary.
"They are exactly where they thought they would be," Lightning Coach Jon Cooper said Monday morning. "They didn't go the same route, so it looks different because they look like the Cinderella team. But I don't believe that for a second. And nobody does in our room."
Montreal's general manager, Marc Bergevin, is fond of saying that there are players who get you in, and there are players who get you through. He overhauled the roster in the off-season and again at the trade deadline, acquiring six players who have won Stanley Cups, including defenseman Joel Edmundson, the backup goalie Jake Allen, and forwards Eric Staal, Tyler Toffoli and Corey Perry.
"You go down the line, that's really been helpful to our team this year and we want to use that and I think we have," said Montreal assistant Luke Richardson, who assumed coaching duties after Dominique Ducharme — who replaced Claude Julien as the head coach on Feb. 24 — contracted the coronavirus. (Ducharme missed the last four games in the semifinal round against the Vegas Golden Knights but expects to return for Game 3 in Montreal.) "Maybe all those players didn't win the Cup last year, but maybe there's even more drive to get back there to win that Cup and then know this could be one of their last chances. So that's a good message to pass around the dressing room."
The Canadiens, given scant time to practice after Ducharme took over, coalesced midway through their series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. They stunned Toronto in seven games, swept the Winnipeg Jets and throttled Vegas in six, going 7-2 on the road.
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