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PCMag India Computers & Electronics Health & Fitness
Apple-Google 'Contact Tracing' System to Roll Out to iOS, Android Via Updates
If you want to opt into the system, you won't need to download an app. Both companies plan on rolling out the feature to iPhones and Android handsets via software updates in the coming months.
April 14, 2020, 6:51 a.m.
An Apple-Google effort to stop COVID-19 by creating a warning system through people's smartphones is going to arrive via future updates in iOS and Android.
Last Friday, the two companies announced the voluntary "contact tracing" system, which is designed to alert people about their potential exposure to the virus. The system will do this by tapping everyone's smartphones to track who they've come in close contact to. In the event you do test positive for COVID-19, you can send a warning to everyone you've met in the past 14 days.
The proposed technology is designed to be opt-in with its scope limited to public health purposes, and nothing more. Nevertheless, the system is raising concerns about potential abuse and surveillance. So on Monday, Apple and Google held a press briefing on the technology, according to TechCrunch.
Among the takeaways from the briefing is that Apple will roll out the contact tracing system via an update in iOS. Google, on the other hand, will be delivering it on Android over a Google Play Services update, enabling older Android devices to activate the technology. As a result, you won't need to download a new app if you want to try out the contact tracing system. You'll just have to click to opt in.
How the system works.
Expect the updates to arrive in the coming months. In the meantime, Apple and Google are giving public health authorities access to the technology in mid-May. This will arrive via an API, so that health groups can begin incorporating the system into their own contact tracing apps, which will be made available over the iOS App Store and Google Play.
Both Apple and Google stress that only public health organizations will be able to access the API, and no one else. But as TechCrunch notes, it's not exactly clear whether this means federal or state governments will be able to access the data as well.
To protect your privacy, the system tries to avoid location tracking and instead relies on your phone's Bluetooth connectivity to transmit a digital identifier to neighboring smartphones of the people you're meeting with. In this way, your phone can create a list of all the devices it's come in close proximity to.
How it can warn you about potential exposure.
However, your phone's identifier never remains static. It will actually change every 15 minutes, scrambling traces of your movements.
The data from the contact-tracing system will also solely reside on your phone. This will only change if you've tested positive for COVID-19 and choose to upload the information to servers, which can begin notifying everyone you recently met about their exposure to the virus.
But what about the risk of people submitting false tests? According to TechCrunch, the companies say they're working with health authorities to validate a person's COVID-19 test is legit before a warning is sent out to affected users.
Nevertheless, some critics are worried the upcoming contact tracing system will be marred with errors. Ross Anderson, a University of Cambridge professor in computer science, points out Bluetooth can transmit through walls, and detect other smartphones over ten feet way.
"How will things work with an orderly supermarket queue, where law-abiding people stand patiently six feet apart," he wrote in a blog post.
The other challenge is the public's distrust in technology, which could dissuade users from trying out the contact-tracing system. "If the app's voluntary, nobody has an incentive to use it, except tinkerers and people who religiously comply with whatever the government asks," Anderson added. "If uptake remains at 10 to 15 percent, as in Singapore, it won't be much use and we'll need to hire more contact tracers instead."
No, 5G Is Not Causing Coronavirus (or Anything Else)
Google to Display More Virtual Healthcare Options in Search and Maps
Apple, Google Prep 'Contact Tracing' System to Warn People About COVID-19 Exposure
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Michael has been a PCMag reporter since October 2017. He covers a wide variety of news topics, including consumer devices, the PC industry, cybersecurity, online communities, and gaming. Please send him tips.
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Most of the global setup features in SBT Executive Series are located in the Administration module. The benefit is that one location maintains pertinent system information and eliminates the need to change data in more than one module. SBT Executive Series is easy to administer. Procedures are clear and easy to learn; online help provides clear reminders.


Perfectly designed for the sound desires of guitar hero RITCHIE BLACKMORE. Based on the successful Savage technology, this amp delivers perfect performance matched, fine tuned sounds from clean, crunch to high gain lead. A wide range of killer tones in an exceptionally easy to handle package: A sound fanaticís dream come true. Just BURN!!!


There's always a grander plan- even if you can't see it right away.
Do you. Take care of yourself.
You need to know what comforts and restores you. For me, it's the beach and spending time with girlfriends.
Live in the moment. You're only in this stage of your life once.
Friends come and go through different seasons. Some are longer than others. If these "friends" are only bringing you down, let them go. Don't let them overstay their welcome.
It's never to late to start working out and becoming healthy. Focus on it one day at a time- you WILL get there. Be patient.
Find one good thing in every day. It's amazing how that small thing can bring so much positivity.
Learn to love yourself without a signifigant other. Finally becoming comfortable with this.
Blogging has been such a creative outlet and I've met so many wonderful, inspiring women.
My Momma has become my best friend. She's there through thick and thin, and actually means it.
Change is scary, learn to embrace it. Our greatest accomplishments didn't come from our comfort zones.
You will see people's true colors- when you see do, remove these people from your life. They are not worth your time or energy.
If there's ever an opportunity to take a trip to the beach, DO IT.
Being home is always worth it. It allows time to become grounded and refreshed.
Some of the greatest blessings come from things we didn't even know we wanted or needed.
A fresh coat of nail polish can cure a multitude of sins.
Always turn to God. In triumphs, trials and lulls, He is there even if it doesn't seem He is.
You are enough. Allow no one to tell you otherwise.


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Xavier University readies protocols for fall semester
By Christine Bordelon
Graphic courtesy of Xavier University of Louisiana
Dr. C. Reynold Verret, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, has put measures in place on campus to ensure the safety this fall of its 3,000 students, faculty, employees and visitors.
"The decision to return to campus is driven by our collective knowledge that students learn, grow and benefit greatly from the in-person engagement with a committed faculty and classmates," Verret wrote to students at the historically black college.
To reduce the probability of the virus spreading on campus, Xavier's leaders formulated "One Safe XULA" guidelines that involve wearing masks; practicing social distancing (with reduced class sizes, desks moved 6 feet apart in classrooms and clearly marked entry and exits from all buildings); unidirectional signage on pathways; proper personal hygiene, such as hand washing and sanitizing the surfaces of desks, dining tables and chairs used by students and faculty before and after each use; and quarantine facilities for students who test positive or have been exposed to COVID-19.
A daily check-in model online will also be employed in the fall where anyone coming on campus has a personal health check-in to ensure no one with symptoms comes to school.
"We have been in consultation with partners in public health, both locally and outside the region," Verret said. "Our goal is to provide a significant measure of safety to all members of the community. … We are creating a learning and working environment to reduce the possibility/probability of transmission by means grounded in reliable and sound science."
Wearing masks and having individuals contribute to a sanitized campus are congruent with Xavier's motto of "caring for others," a tenet of St. Katharine Drexel, who founded the university and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, Verret said.
"You should not make yourself a danger to anyone else – you must mask; you must wash your hands; you must keep your social distance. You have to think of the other person, not just yourself," Verret said. "I think we get lost in thinking of ourselves. In a public health emergency, you have to think of 'not me' but if you are endangering another person."
Financial impact
Verret, who is an immunologist and biochemist, said the university was preparing as early as January to address the virus. As needs arose, Xavier stepped up with measures such as: telemental health services for students and faculty experiencing emotional stress due to online learning or losing loves ones or friends to the coronavirus; free laptops and the creation of hot spots for digital connections, enabling faculty and students to access online learning; and financial help for students who lost jobs or housing or families struggling to pay tuition during the pandemic.
Verret said federal funds from the CARES Act made these adjustments possible. In addition, Xavier refunded $2.5 million to students for unused housing.
Part of the federal money was reserved for fall financial aid for incoming students whose families have financial challenges "so they come back to continue their education.
"We do not want any of our students to interrupt their education due to financial needs," he said.
Crisis discussions in January
Xavier was getting reports and started paying attention to the pandemic in China in January and began discussions with faculty to transform its campus to teaching online. One-on-one teacher training – called XULA/FLEX – for faculty needing help to effectively teach online began in February.
While Xavier taught online classes before COVID-19, more online classes will come in the fall, Dr. Verret said, with a goal that quality instruction is not diminished. Xavier also will ensure every student has a laptop.
"Our learning will shine," he said. "We have a faculty that has our students' backs and gives 110%. We are investing money over the summer so our faculty can take (virtual) training initiatives so they will be better in the fall."
Housing was another concern. To reduce occupant density, the 1,300 total on-campus beds was reduced by half, causing Xavier to find 650 single-occupancy offsite hotel rooms or housing at UNO for returning students.
Verret anticipates opening the fall semester on its original Aug. 17 start date. New student orientation will be online via webinars, followed by in-person visits with social-distancing protocols and masking.
Further protective measures include canceling fall break in October and ending instruction before Thanksgiving (to prevent illness from other states, and in case of a resurgence). Final exams and papers will be completed remotely.
"We will protect and care for one another by our masking, social distancing and hygienic practice," Verret said. "To do otherwise would not be worthy of a Xavierite, called to follow in the example of service of Mother Katharine. The return to campus will be a reaffirmation of our calling and our mission to serve one another and to show the way to the more just and humane society."
Updated details can be found at: https://xula.edu/xavier-university-fall-return
Christine Bordelon can be reached at cbordelon@clarionherald.org.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Valentine's Day is the optimal day for lovers to take their relationships to the next level. Whether you are the one popping the question or being proposed to, you want the day to be memorable. Millennial and celebrity event planner Courtney Ajinca is the Queen of Valentine's and a hopeless romantic who has some great ideas to make your proposal over the top.
Here, she offers tips for a proposal that suits your budget.
Reserve a private car through a limousine company for the evening. Not having to drive allows you to fully enjoy each moment together.
Reserve a private dining room in your favorite restaurant (or reserve the whole restaurant) and customize the menu with your honey's favorite dishes. Dimming the lights and lighting lots of candles creates a backdrop for a wonderful evening ahead.
Sure, you surprise them with roses all of the time, but this is your chance to go all out! Have large floral arrangements consisting completely of red roses made and situate them within the private dining space. Scatter rose petals throughout the room to create a passionate scene and light a lot of candles. Most expensive restaurants will coordinate this for you if you give them advance notice.
I've found that smooth jazz music creates an ambience unmatched. Hire a violinist or saxophonist to play smooth music for you throughout the meal. The soothing music will allow you both to relax and will set the atmosphere for the perfect proposal.
It's Valentine's Day. You have your sweetie and you want to plan the perfect proposal. Follow these tips to ignite the senses and create the perfect proposal without breaking the bank.
Dinner by candlelight is one thing that will never go out of style. Dimming the lights and lighting a few candles works to create a romantic ambience that will set the mood for the night ahead.
A light shoulder massage can ease tension and allow you both to relax and take in the scenery.
Ignite the passion with lots (and lots) of red roses. Buy 4 dozen roses from your local florist. Use 2 dozen to place in a vase on the table or to give to your partner and use the remaining to scatter rose petals throughout the room. You can create a shape such as a heart lined with small votive candles, spell out 'I love you,' or scatter them freely throughout the room. Red roses are so romantic; you could never go wrong.
Do you share a favorite song that provokes warm memories? Hire a violinist to play it over dinner. The soothing sounds of the violin will create an experience that every heart desires. To save money, create a playlist on your phone that can play throughout dinner.


Home » Forums » Public Access » Chit Chat » This game will be great!
This game will be great!
This post has been edited for content by SSgt_En4cer.
This post originally forwarded users to a Windows Media file advertising a game. However on the same screen there was links and advertising to an adult website.
As this is a public access forum, it is possible for minors to see such material. I do not think it prudent to allow such a post in an uncontrolled forum area.
Those of you wishing to view the aforementioned link should contact the originator of this thread to obtain the link.
Sorry if this moderation offends anyone, but [SAS] has a vested responsibility to its forum viewers.
Any complaints regarding the use or application of this moderation should be forwarded to SSgt_En4cer via PM or Email. Please do not post here.
Oh didn´t saw that. I´m sorry. I just thought the video was funny, that´s why I posted it.
I hereby declare the Rasaïan state.
One is responsible for one's actions when reaching adulthood.
Adulthood is hereby defined as a person over the age of 14.
Thats debateable Rasa, in the UK you are classed as a minor untill the age of 18.
Same in the US Wiz, although some still adhere to the old Till 21 bit.
I'm the king of Rasa, WIZ. No more of this state-threating talk!
At the age of 14, ppl used to go to work in the mines.
And we had younger lads fighting in the Civil War.
Rasa, Rasa -- you know the drill: Your state have to comply to the UN Conventions of the Rights of Children. If your state doesn't, you risk UN condemnations from the Security Council, where China and Russia refrain from voting. Then you face trade embargos. The European Union foreign ministers will lash out in all directions, nobody really understanding their messages.
If you still don't comply, NATO will bomb Rasaria back to the stone age. And you need a good solicitor at ICC in The Hague.
Hm. Sounds like an idea for a game??


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← The Namesake, Part II; Or, Gogol's Overcoat
A People's History of Heaven, by Mathangi Subramanian →
The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted, by Robert Hillman
Posted on March 6, 2019 by Annie
Tom Hope is a good man. He is kind. He is reliable. Unfortunately, he is also unlucky in love. His first wife leaves him twice, foists an illegitimate child on him, and then snatches that child away after Tom grew to love him. But The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted, by Robert Hillman, is not the story of Tom's first marriage. Instead, it is the story of his second marriage and the long healing it provides for himself and his Holocaust-scarred wife, Hannah Babel.
I had requested this book so long ago from NetGalley that I had forgotten it was a Holocaust book. The first chapters didn't do much to remind me, as they open on the last weeks of Tom's troubled marriage on his farm somewhere in Victoria, Australia, in 1962. Tom frets and broods at his farm, wondering what he might have done to keep his first wife while trying to take care of her child, Peter. He broods even more when, after Peter turns five, his first wife reclaims the boy and whisks him away to a repressive Christian community south of Melbourne.
The only things that finally shakes Tom out of his funk are his determination to start dating again and his fortuitous meeting with Hannah Babel shortly after he makes that decision. Hannah has arrived in Hometown, the biggest settlement near Tom's farm, to launch a bookstore. Hannah's quirky joie de vivre brings Tom back to full life. Before long, the two are lovers. Then they are engaged. They're married before the halfway point of the novel; this book is truly a whirlwind.
The only fly in the ointment is Peter's situation. The boy is desperately unhappy with the Christians. He's been singled out for a lot of corporal punishment because he refuses to follow the dictates of the communities leader and because he keeps trying to run away to get back to Tom. Tom would swoop in in a heartbeat to rescue Peter if he could do it with the law's blessing—and if the presence of a young boy didn't stir up painful memories for Hannah of the loss of her own child at Auschwitz.
My only criticism—and it's really more of a quibble—is that it feels a little too fast. I wanted to wallow in this book and its wonderfully unique characters, but it was over almost before I knew it. Still, this is just a preference thing. I think other readers who like unusual love stories and give extra points for an uncommon setting will find a lot to love here.
The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted is great book group fare. There's plenty to talk about as readers learn more about Hannah's past and her heartbreaking memories. Tom's struggles with rejection and love are also a fruitful avenue for discussion. It's a lightning fast read, so group members are more likely to finish it on time. It's in a fresh setting and Hillman skillfully recreates rural Australia in the 1960s and early 1970s, both the physical landscape and the social mores. At times, it felt like a lighter version of the classic Australian novel, A Town Like Alice, by Nevil Shute, which also tells the story of characters finding love at healing in the Australian Outback after harrowing experiences during World War II.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
This entry was posted in Book Review and tagged 1900s, Australia, Holocaust fiction, Poland, World War II. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Society for the Study of Addiction
Developed with
Includes brief interventions
Includes harm reduction
About the matrices
Articles, slides, and video
Matrix cell
Drug Treatment Matrix cell B3
Practitioners; Medical treatment
Seminal and key research and reviews on the influence of the practitioner in the medical treatment of drug dependence. Investigates the how clinician-patient relationships might be affected by enforcing clinic rules and the potential importance of doctors forming a "whole person' relationship with patients.
S Seminal studies K Key studies R Reviews G Guidance more Search for more studies
S Quasi-randomisation reveals methadone counsellor is an 'active ingredient' (1988). Effectively random allocation of patients to different methadone counsellors at the same service revealed that effective counsellors were more diligent and active, helping patients anticipate problems and solutions. Related study below. For discussion click here and scroll down to highlighted heading.
S What makes a methadone counsellor effective? (1985). In US study differences in effectiveness could partly be explained by the personalities of the therapists, particularly their abilities to quickly form warm, supportive relationships with patients.
K Treatment staff matter as much as the drug (1999). Trio of US studies finds methadone patients do better with active counsellors who respond constructively to their problems. One of the three was the study below.
K Quasi-random allocation exposes impact of methadone counsellors (1999). When methadone doses had been tailored to the individual and stable for at least three months – effectively taking them out of the equation – US study found which counsellor the patient had effectively at random been assigned to substantially affected retention and illegal substance use. One of three studies featured in entry above. Related study above. For discussions click here and here and scroll down to highlighted heading.
K Patients more likely to avoid illegal opioid use when relationship good with methadone-prescriber (2014). Of all the assessed variables, whether six months in to treatment patients in France felt they had a good relationship with their doctors was most closely related to the elimination of non-prescribed opioid use six months later, possibly because it meant they were more likely to discuss their dose with their physician and therefore to be prescribed appropriately. For discussion click here and scroll down to highlighted heading.
K Patients do best with GPs who they feel know them as a whole person (2007). Free source at time of writing. US patients referred to primary care after detoxification reduced drug use/problems most when they saw GPs who they felt knew them as a whole person and who consistently saw them rather than referring to a colleague or assistant. Related study below. For discussion click here and scroll down to highlighted heading.
K Not just an addict/patient (2007). Free source at the time of writing. Interviews with long-term buprenorphine maintenance patients in France revealed that "the physician's behaviour may convey to the user that s/he is … a life-long junkie or a repentant junkie, or on the other hand may allow him to see himself as a whole person," promoting "a positive worthwhile image free of the stigma of the junkie". Related study above. For discussion click here and scroll down to highlighted heading.
R Clinicians' impact on treatment quality (2000). Free source at the time of writing. Found great variations in retention and substance use outcomes between clinicians and that "past assumptions that levels of training, experience, or other simple therapist variables could account for such differences does not hold". For discussion click here and scroll down to highlighted heading.
R Above all, don't do the wrong thing (2015). Free source at the time of writing. Across health care in general, doctor-patient interactions that are invalidating (do not successfully communicate acceptance and understanding) damage relationships more powerfully than positive communications cement them. For more on the importance of not doing the wrong things see cell B2.
G What UK doctors should do and be able to do ([UK] Royal College of Psychiatrists and Royal College of General Practitioners, 2012). Guidance from UK professional associations for GPs and for psychiatrists on the competencies, training and qualifications expected of doctors involved in caring for substance users, from generalists such as doctors in emergency departments and general practitioners to addiction specialists.
G What UK specialist addiction doctors should do and be able to do ([UK] Public Health England, Royal College of Psychiatrists and Royal College of General Practitioners, 2014). Guidance from body overseeing addiction treatment in England and from professional associations for GPs and for psychiatrists on the "essential functions which can usually only be carried out by addiction specialist doctors" and the importance of retaining their expertise in the sector.
G What US specialist addiction doctors should do and be able to do ([US] American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2014). Consensus guidelines from the US professional association for doctors specialising in treating addiction on what they are expected to do and the standards they should meet throughout addiction treatment from assessment to aftercare.
more This search retrieves all relevant analyses.
For subtopics go to the subject search page and hot topic on treatment staff.
Open Matrix Bite guide to this cell . First 'bites' funded by
Close Matrix Bite
What is this cell about? About the treatment of dependence on illegal drugs in a medical context and/or involving medical care, typically by GPs or hospital drug treatment units. Clinical staff are responsible for medications, so the centrality of these to an intervention marks it most clearly as medical. Medications may be intended to help patients withdraw from drugs, sustain longer term abstinence, or to replace the drug the patient is dependent on with a prescribed drug of the same kind but which can be taken more safely, enabling social stabilisation and protecting health.
Medications are, however, never all there is to medical care. Even when they seem to be all there is, that in itself sends a message to the patient about how they are seen and valued by the service. Founded on a good relationship with the prescriber, effective prescribing requires the collaboration of the patient to stay in or complete treatment and help choose the medication and set an appropriate dose by disclosing their use or non-use of the medication, how they have reacted to it, and their non-prescribed drug use, while appropriate provision of ancillary support depends on a frank admission of needs. In particular, how long patients stay in treatment is related to the quality of their relationship with clinical staff, and retention is the main factor in the effectiveness of 'maintenance' treatments such as methadone maintenance.
In these ways, relationships with staff may affect outcomes indirectly because they enable more or less appropriate prescribing and broader help. Interactions with staff are also in themselves potentially therapeutic, and medical care may consist entirely of advice and psychosocial support. These are among the reasons why of medical care in general, it has been said that " 'talk is the main ingredient … and it is the fundamental instrument by which the doctor-patient relationship is crafted and by which therapeutic goals are achieved'. From this viewpoint, a good interpersonal relationship can be regarded as a prerequisite for optimal medical care."
The relationship-forming qualities of treatment staff are much less easily manipulated by researchers and less commonly researched than the intervention. Studies usually have to rely on an association between relationship quality or staff attributes on the one hand, and retention or substance use on the other, rather than deliberately allocating patients to workers known to differ along these dimensions. This makes it difficult to be confident that relationship quality or staff attributes actually caused any differences in outcomes, rather than the reverse, or both ends of this supposed causal chain not being cause and effect at all, but related to other, more active ingredients.
Relevant specifically medical studies are few, but for further studies possibly as relevant to medical care turn to the cell dealing generically with practitioner influences.
Where should I start? With this freely available review listed above, still a valuable introduction to the issues. It systematically runs through evidence on the possible reasons why patients do better with one clinician than another. The reviewers comment that such effects often emerge from studies not designed to find them, sometimes being strong enough to surface through the study's attempt to eliminate 'extraneous' influences. Relative neglect by research is contrasted with the everyday experience of front-line clinicians, managers and patients, for whom it is "obvious … that some practitioners are highly regarded whereas others are avoided". The reviewed research reveals that "clinicians typically account for more [of the difference] in patient outcomes than do differences between active treatments or patients' baseline characteristics".
If clinicians are important, the next question is, 'Why?' – one the rest of this 'bite' addresses more fully. The review itself examined research relating retention and substance use outcomes to (among other potential influences) the professional status of the clinician, whether they are an ex-addict, their adherence to protocols, emotional reactions to patients, personalities, beliefs about treatment, and interpersonal functioning. What did not account for differences in clinicians' impacts were professional characteristics, including qualifications and whether they were ex-addicts. According to the reviewers, instead the most consistent influence has been the clinician's ability to build a positive relationship with patients, one best identified in practice: "Select and evaluate clinicians based on their 'track record' … assumptions that levels of training, experience, or other simple therapist variables could account for such differences does not hold."
Highlighted study Philadelphia in the USA was the site one of those serendipitous accidents which expose previously obscured influences – the sudden resignation of two counsellors at a methadone service. Their caseloads were reassigned effectively at random to remaining counsellors, offering the opportunity for a seminal study listed above to assess whether the four allocated at least a dozen of the 61 clients altered the trajectory of their progress from the six months before to the six months after. Not only did this permit the counsellors to be compared with each other, it also meant pre-transfer measures could be used to assess how patients changed, not just where they ended up. Clinic records were the data source in this study, led by an eminent US researcher later to become an adviser on addiction treatment to Public Health England.
Before the transfer each of the sets of patients later allocated to the four counsellors was spread across the two counsellors who left, and each set was doing about equally well. After the transfer, each set was in the hands of a single counsellor, and the impacts were substantial. Despite higher methadone doses and more of their patients being prescribed other medications, those transferred to the least effective counsellor worsened in their drug use, arrests and employment. In contrast, over a six-month period the most effective counsellor was able to bring patients to the point where their non-prescribed drug use was virtually zero and employment significantly improved, while at the same time substantially reducing their doses of methadone and the proportion prescribed ancillary medications.
Differences between patients and the qualifications of the counsellors did not account for the findings, which were also reflected in their prior caseloads; before and after the transfer, they consistently differed in how well their patients did. Case-notes indicated that the more effective counsellors took a well-organised and diligent approach to care planning, documentation and clinic rules, suggesting that good organisation is a fundamental platform for everything else, including relationship-building. The stand-out counsellor built on this platform, anticipating patient problems and discussing strategies to deal with them in advance, focusing counselling on the development of new behaviours and new ways of thinking. He or she was not only administratively diligent, but actively problem-solving and therapeutic. The authors speculated that this enabled them not just to have better outcomes, but to achieve these with less medication and less use of street drugs by their patients.
This was one small – if virtually unique – study, but the proposition that methadone counsellors (the same seems true of the prescribing physician) alter the prospects of their patients is confirmed by another larger US study involving 265 patients and 13 counsellors, which took advantage of what was said to be the random allocation by the clinic of patients to counsellors. Importantly perhaps, the clinic in this study comprehensively assessed each patient to determine and adjust the dose of methadone, which had been stable for at least three months, effectively taking dose out of the equation and enabling other influences to more strongly emerge. One which "clearly stood out" was that "some counselors obtained better results than others" in terms of the illegal heroin and cocaine use of their patients.
Issues to consider and discuss
What do rules do to relationships? Consider this quote from an article listed above and described in the previous section: "Methadone dose … has been given too much emphasis … the interpersonal processes involved in a working alliance with the substance-abusing patient and the assigned therapist has been given too little" – a conclusion based on the finding that counsellors significantly differed in their effectiveness, yet not because they authorised higher doses for their patients. Another study found (summary above) that the best counsellor in the study actually reduced doses relative to counsellors who did less well. Sufficient dosing is one of the most solidly established success factor in methadone maintenance. If relationships are as important, then they are very important.
It may, however, be false to ask which is the greater influence, because dose and relationships almost certainly interact. Relationships could act partly through dose, permitting patients to feel they can be honest and open and enabling prescribers to flexibly adjust dose in response to those messages, at least as important as the average dose level across a caseload (1 2). The interaction might work the other way too: patients who get the doses they feel they need are likely to be easier to form relationships with and more positive about the clinic and the staff responsible for their care.
However it happens, if relationships are important, that means influences on relationships are important too. In methadone programmes, the most obvious are the sometimes unpalatable requirements imposed through keyworkers and doctors, including patients having to come to the clinic or pharmacy nearly every day to swallow their methadone in front of staff, and regular urine tests to spot non-prescribed drug use. Both (see for example an evaluation of supervision) have their justifications, but both too are easily seen as signs of a lack of trust in the patient: in the case of supervision, that they will take their medication as directed rather than selling or otherwise 'diverting' it; and in the case of testing, that their reports of their (non-)substance use can be believed. Supervision also forces the patient into what they may feel to be a stigmatising position, exposed as a drug user in the pharmacy. When consumption is supervised at the treatment site, it can contribute to making visits there a dehumanising experience. In regard of drug tests, the humiliation is obvious if it is felt that the submission of urine specimens has to be observed to prevent 'cheating'.
Current UK clinical guidelines acknowledge several valuable roles for urine testing but try to reduce it to a minimum and to make the undignified process of watching patients provide the specimen very much the exception, and then only with informed consent. "Many patients will," say the guidelines, "admit to continued drug use without the need for repeat testing, especially if they are clear that this information is welcomed positively with concern rather than with any disappointment or frustration." Effectively the guidelines construct a virtuous circle: trust in how the clinician will react maximises voluntary disclosure and minimises the need for trust-eroding drug tests.
The guidelines are also relatively (eg, in comparison with the USA and Australia) relaxed about supervising consumption, largely leaving it to clinical discretion. Without stipulating this, they recommend that in most cases it will be appropriate for new patients to be required to take their daily doses under the direct supervision of a professional for a period of time to allow monitoring of progress and ongoing risk assessment. How long supervision lasts should, say the guidelines, depend on assessed clinical need rather than arbitrarily determined. This step back from the three months' supervision previously recommended – a stipulation for which there is no evidence (1 2) – opens up the space for clinicians to give individualised reasons for supervision, making it a matter for discussion rather than imposition.
How do the patients see this unusual requirement to take their medication under the eyes of clinic or pharmacy staff? They may accept the rationale for supervision at the start of treatment, but more extended supervision is generally unpopular (1 2 3 4). Doctors know patients find supervision aversive, so exploit its relaxation or imposition to manipulate how patients behave; in Scotland, 20 out of 32 clinicians said they did this, and 13 felt supervision led some patients to drop out prematurely. Supervision also entails near-daily attendance at the prescribing clinic or pharmacy, in itself an unpopular requirement.
How do you think imposition of these requirements might affect relationships with keyworkers and doctors? Can they be implemented in a sensitively skilled way which does not undermine the vital communication channel with the patient? From the Highlighted study described above, it would seem so; remember all the most effective counsellors were diligent in this respect as in others. How might they have defused this potential source of friction?
Not just an addiction In this section we examine something which ought to be important, but for which in the context of the medical care of drug dependence, the evidence is slim. It is the adoption by the clinician of a 'whole person' approach to working with patients, in health and mental health (1 2) generally, a principal component of patient-centred care and a recovery orientation, especially for people with multiple and complex needs. It was there strongly among the attributes mental health service users wanted changed in their clinicians – their "failure to take account of all domains of a person's life; focus on symptoms and illness; … failure to see the 'whole person' ".
Responding to patients as whole person means responding to their complaint in the context of its relationship to them as multi-faceted human being with other problems, strengths, interests and identities, even if in the case of drug dependence these may have been subjugated to their need to finance, find, and take illegal drugs. Effective treatment relieves these needs, opening the way for suppressed and new identities to flourish. As we'll see, whether they do flourish seems to depend partly on relationships with clinical staff.
Why a whole-person approach ought to be important was explained in cell A2, where it was pointed that for behaviours as socially unacceptable as heroin or cocaine dependence, "by the time you have narrowed down to the minority who try these drugs, the very few who become regular users, the fewer still who become clinically dependent, and finally the subset who want to stop but feel they can't without treatment, then you have sifted down to a highly atypical and usually multiply disadvantaged and/or troubled population … whose drug use is entangled with social, economic and psychological features which unless addressed repeatedly precipitate them back into dependent substance use." That constellation seems to demand holistic support, and that demands assessing and understanding the person as a whole.
Creating a new identity is an important task in avoiding a return to addiction
There is another reason too. Creating a new identity both in terms of one's self-conception and one's social network is an important task in avoiding a return to addiction (1 2). In cell E2 we argued that "Making substance use central to a person's identity is not necessarily the best way to help them de-centralise from substance use". Instead of being something they do among others, users of illegal drugs are reinforced in seeing their drugtaking as central to their identity because this is how they are treated by people and institutions with power over their lives, among whom are treatment staff who control access to medications and broader support. If the patient is led to see themselves as nothing but a 'junkie', the route to recovery is likely to be that much harder.
These concerns may be particularly applicable to medical care. With just a few minutes to spare in a typical consultation, and the tendency of medical training to generate a focus on "techniques and procedures", issues like adjusting the medication regimen may be all that are seriously addressed.
So much for the theory, what of the evidence? From France we have evidence that for patients the distinction between whole-person and more limiting relationships with doctors is a reality, emerging (study listed above) in interviews with long-term buprenorphine maintenance patients. Four relationship patterns were identified, focused on: dose; compliance with treatment; drug prescription; or on the person – a whole-person approach. The first three were characterised as consigning the user to a "lifetime identity as a junkie", to being a compliant ex-addict patient, or acting the role of a compliant patient to obtain drugs. Only the whole-person relationship promoted "The redefinition of self in an identity released from the stigma of drug dependence," making it possible for the user to "express himself/herself in the relationship as a person in his/her own right". Unfold the supplementary text for more on how these kinds of relationships were seen by the patients and their advantages and limitations.
Close supplementary text
According to the researchers, "These users did not perceive going to the doctor as a constraint; the doctor's office was instead a special space where they could renew their strength, rest, be themselves, and find some kind of comfort. The physician appears to be the user's preferred contact, viewed as a bridge between the world of drugs and mainstream society. At this point in their progress, these drug users felt they occupied a difficult position between these worlds. They no longer fully shared the values, references, interests and lifestyles that previously linked them to the drug culture, but could not yet lay claim to those prevailing in mainstream society. In this context, the physician may be the only touchstone that gives meaning and continuity to their history (depository for the past, witness to the present, participant in a future). The doctor is one of the rare persons in their environment with whom they can 'fully exist' and remain coherent with themselves."
That sounds distinctly preferable to the other patterns built more on distrust than trust, but especially after it had been cemented, fear of jeopardising this valued relationship could lead patients to conceal misuse of illegal drugs – an attempt to preserve trust and avoid the guilt of disappointing the doctor. "The relationship is sometimes trapped by the image reflected by the physician, and may be depleted by the accumulation of lies or even of things left unsaid. It can lead to situations of great vulnerability that become dead ends." There were similar and seemingly more intrinsic and damaging downsides to the other relationship patterns, which lacked the redeeming features of the person-focused relationship.
If the distinction between whole-person and more circumscribed doctor-patient relationships is a real one, what are the consequences? Here we run up against the difficulty of disentangling cause and effect. It may, for example, be that rather than promoting recovery, such relationships form because the patient is already doing well, and there is less need to focus on compliance, stabilisation and control. With that caveat, the search for consequences takes us to at least three studies. Unfold the supplementary text to read about what they found.
1 First is another French study listed above, but of methadone patients starting maintenance treatment or transferring to it from buprenorphine because that was not working well for them. As perceived by the patient, the closest it came to identifying whole-person or person-focused relationships involved patients who at six months into treatment felt they had a very good relationship with their doctor. The raw figures were that among the 'very good' relationship patients, 18% went on to use non-prescribed opioids five to six months later, twice the average of 37% across the entire sample.
When a large number of variables including patient characteristics, drug use, and relationships with their doctors, were put into the mix together to identify active ingredients, most strongly related to opioid use was having versus not having a very good relationship with the doctor. It was estimated that if all the patients had such a relationship, over a quarter who later used opioids would not have done so – an estimate which assumes a causal relationship the study was not designed to establish, but which at least had the advantage of presumed cause coming well before presumed effect. If there was cause and effect, the researchers thought the link between them was probably that a very good relationship meant patients were more likely to discuss their dose with their physician and therefore to be prescribed doses appropriate to their needs.
2 Like the French study above, data relevant to the doctor-patient relationship emerged from a US study primarily intended to test an intervention through a randomised trial. In both cases the reassurance of the level playing field created by randomisation applied only to the interventions, not to the presumed impact of the doctor-patient relationship. Instead results were adjusted for a long list of factors which might have influenced outcomes, an attempt to isolate the effect in this case of the quality of primary care services.
For the main analysis patients leaving a residential detoxification unit had been at random more or less intensively referred to primary care services. Intensity of referral improved service uptake but made no significant difference to substance use. The analysis (listed above) which used the same study to investigate doctor-patient relationships drew this data from a standard questionnaire to assess the quality of their care administered to patients in the study who initiated primary care. Most of these patients primarily used heroin or cocaine, but many alcohol. At issue was whether questionnaire responses were related to change in the severity of alcohol or drug use at least six months later.
Once other variables had been taken into account, the only dimension of the doctor-patient interaction significantly related to greater severity reductions for both types of substances was "Whole-person knowledge". For drug use severity, this was the only dimension significantly related to severity reductions. When the outcome was any cocaine or heroin use or any heavy drinking, to whole-person knowledge was added trust in the doctor. The authors concluded that "whole-person knowledge emerged as the most consistent predictor of better addiction outcomes. Individualizing clinical decisions based upon the 'contextual knowledge' of a patient's beliefs and values as well as responsibilities at work, home, or school may have particular importance for individuals with addiction problems."
3 Lastly and most peripherally are findings from an Australian study which found that extending care at methadone clinics to include treatment for hepatitis C infection had the unexpected effect of improving relationships with patients, who felt they were no longer there just to be dosed with methadone but to be cared for as a (whole) person. Service extension challenged "the discredited identity of the 'drug user', evident in the accounts of patients who "felt trapped –fixed – in an undesirable, stigmatizing identity by their place of treatment" – an identity pressed on patients by the perceived attitudes of clinic staff and by the "depressing" environment, in which they lined up "like you're a cow going into slaughter" to be dosed with methadone and little else.
Extension of the service made patients feel more like people being cared for and less like merely addicts there to be dosed: "the experience of being recognized beyond the immediate and instrumental needs of their daily 'dose' opened up other, more expansive narratives about the self, creating new and enabling possibilities for identity formation". The transformation for staff was perhaps even greater, as they began to see themselves as relating to service users "as a whole" and as people worthy of the same kind of medical care afforded the general population.
Among other things, what we can take from this study is that whole-person care can only flourish (or flourish best) when the organisational environment in which that relationship is formed is conducive to making a reality of treating the 'drug user' as more than that.
The three studies are suggestive but cannot be definitive about the consequences of a whole-person relationship. If these consequences are real, almost certainly they are overshadowed by the effects (for example) of being offered versus denied effective pharmacotherapy, though they may help that pharmacotherapy be effective by keeping patients in treatment, taking the medication, and feeling able to be frank with their doctors about the dose they need and how it is best dispensed. Whether on its own a whole-person relationship with a doctor can be therapeutic is untested, and testing it may be unrealistic because it would require the blanket standardisation of other aspects of care, in itself antithetical to a whole-person relationship. It is one example of how what may be quite important cannot easily be proved.
Given the evidence we have, your own experiences as a patient (not necessarily in addiction treatment) and perhaps as a doctor, and your experiences of addiction treatment services, how would you rate the importance of what we have short-handed as a 'whole-person' relationship? Nice, but not an active ingredient in medication-based recovery, a diversion from the technical care and prescribing which are the active ingredients, or essential to optimising the care of complex cases?
Thanks for their comments on the original entry in draft to James Bell of the National Addiction Centre in London, England. Commentators bear no responsibility for the text including the interpretations and any remaining errors.
Last revised 14 March 2018. First uploaded 01 June 2013
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There's nothing more divisive and controversial in Southeast Asia than street food. Each country claims they have the best, knocking off others as pale and inferior. You know the usual battles: Singapore vs Malaysia, Malaysia vs Indonesia, Indonesia vs Singapore, Singapore vs Malaysia vs Indonesia.
In every representation of Asian street food in the media, you can't mention one location without the other, and expect to walk away scot-free. Netflix is learning that the hard way.
Coming to the streaming giant on April 26 is a new show focusing on the popular street food culture in Asia and what makes your favorite dishes so mouthwatering. Street Food: Asia - produced by the creators of the wildly popular Chef's Table - features nine of "world's most colorful cities" in the first season.
Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.
Neighbors Singapore and Malaysia have been embroiled in a street food war for the longest time. One claims their version of chicken rice is better, the other says "bak kut teh" (pork rib soup) originated from them. The banter and bickering never ceases.
And the country's exclusion from the show just further fuels Malaysians' bitter unhappiness towards Singapore's hawker cuisine. The reactions on social media are obvious.
Interestingly, even other countries were surprised that Malaysia's hawkers weren't included.


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Wayfarer – World's Blood Review Witchsorrow – Hexenhammer Review
Slayer Worst to First: 8-5
By Diabolus in Muzaka On June 6, 2018 · 147 Comments · In 2018, Blog Posts
After nearly four decades of aggression, the seminal metal institution known as Slayer is closing their final chapter with a suitably massive tour. Besides attending the tour – which of course I am, twice – what better way to celebrate the thrash titans than going through their entire discography as a fan and trying to order it from Worst to First? Slayer was my true initiation into metal upon hearing them around 2004, and for more than half of my life Slayer has been my favourite band. In a bizarre yet fitting coincidence, the day before AMG Himself asked the staff about this list, a great friend and I spent the night with some Hanneman-inspired Heineken and listened to the entire Slayer studio discography in reverse order, a task that takes roughly seven and a half hours. Since a purely "objective" list would be equal parts impossible and dry, so this list serves more as an exploration of my personal history with Slayer's discography and how their records stack up accordingly. I expect disagreement, and am aware that this list is far from unassailable. That said, it's my sincere hope that you reading find something interesting here and perhaps dust off a copy of a Slayer record you haven't heard in a while and enjoy it once again. Or, for the uninitiated, start your journey into the oeuvre of the greatest thrash band of all time.
Now that warmed up with the "worsts,", let's get to the stronger stuff. We're well into "necessary listening" territory here, so if any of these have eluded your rotation, fix that immediately. The fun is just beginning, so enjoy the list-based Hell that awaits.
#8. World Painted Blood (2009) – What does Slayer sound like? World Painted Blood, the follow-up to Christ Illusion, answers that question in a wide-ranging fashion, taking a more varied approach to songwriting than its predecessor. The record can sound like a bit of a mess, but this is exactly what makes it so compelling and a better record than God Hates Us All. This is epitomized by Dave Lombardo's drum performance, which is, even by his standards, wild and nearly unhinged. The fill around the 1:32 mark in "Snuff" is dizzying, especially with the seemingly random hi-hat abuse thrown in. Meanwhile, Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman are all over the place in songwriting, penning some of the band's fastest and most vicious material since Seasons in the Abyss ("Unit 731," "Psychopathy Red"), quick and catchy riff-fests akin to Christ Illusion ("Hate Worldwide," "Snuff"), disturbing and melodic material derived from the dark recesses of South of Heaven ("Beauty Through Order," "The Human Strain"), and even a punk-meets-Diabolus mashup ("Americon"). It's interesting to hear Slayer toying with the varied elements of their sound as it's developed over the years and this less focused and more impulsive sound kept me as a listener on my toes throughout repeated spins.
While always interesting and often underrated, World Painted Blood ever so slightly pales in comparison to the records above it due to its lack of a unified vision. It attempts the same general career-spanning ethos as Seasons, but by 2009 Slayer's past was messier and more varied than in 1990. The slow burn of the title track, bolstered immeasurably by Hanneman's maniacal avoidance of a "proper" guitar solo, is followed by the blistering "Unit 731" in what sounds like an attempt to recapture the "South of Heaven"/"Silent Scream" magic, but the disparity between the two quality songs is too wide for this to work as effectively. "Americon" is a song I've had to acquire a taste for, and while I can enjoy what's happening there it doesn't seem to fit anywhere on the record, especially not between the haunting and memorable "The Human Strain" and the excellent thrashing of "Psychopathy Red." "Hate Worldwide" is a good wildcard in that it could have gone essentially anywhere on the record, and switching it with "Unit 731" makes World Painted Blood's beginning flow better. These are all minor quibbles, and do little damage overall to the record.
Upon its release in 2009, I skipped school to take a bus to a Sunrise Records in downtown London to make sure I got my hands on the deluxe version of World Painted Blood as soon as I could. It's fascinated me ever since, and the raw, reedy, and red-hot production manages to suit the material to a tee. I've never had a consistent favourite song from World Painted Blood, although I'm unashamed to say that "Playing with Dolls" has always elicited a morbid respect and curiosity on each listen. The couplet of "all alone in my funeral home/there's just got to be something wrong with me" has been burned into my mind permanently along with the perfect burst of feedback which immediately precedes it. "Beauty Through Order" is unsettling in a way Slayer hasn't been since Divine Intervention, a sound and atmosphere that was largely absent on Christ Illusion. If nothing else, World Painted Blood demonstrates that Slayer was far from running out of ideas in 2009.
#7. Divine Intervention (1994) -Dark, tight, and focused are prime adjectives for Divine Intervention, an underrated Slayer triumph. Despite not being as fast as Reign in Blood, Divine Intervention is a downright brutal record, exceeded in this regard only by Hell Awaits. Some of this is due to the departure of Dave Lombardo after Seasons and the acquisition Paul Bostaph, a talented drummer with a different style than his inimitable predecessor. Controversial as it may sound, Divine Intervention simply wouldn't have worked without Bostaph, and the record is his victory as well. Being more restrained and deliberate in style than Lombardo, Bostaph gives Slayer a sound of Spartan discipline, causing Divine Intervention to sound more martial than frenzied. This makes the beginning of opening salvo "Killing Fields" so jarring; the almost obnoxious tempo change from Bostaph's unaccompanied fill to the song proper is clearly planned to wreak havoc on the listener, and isn't some botched take that was kept because it sounds interesting.
The contrast between Bostaph and Lombardo is perhaps most apparent on "Mind Control," the closing number written by Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman. Taking most of its cues from South of Heaven, which was arguably one of the wildest and best performances of Lombardo's career, Bostaph decides to play things comparatively straight with an emphasis on cymbal work instead of massive, nearly superhuman fills, leaving the chaotic element of the Slayer sound to King and Hanneman's leads, which don't disappoint on that front. This isn't the relentless whirlwind metal reaped when Slayer came to be, but the sound of an unstoppable force in lockstep. Both are exhilarating and compelling, but both are nonetheless different.
A palpable darkness pervades Divine Intervention, and Bostaph's less domineering presence helps to emphasize this. The title track is nearly sickening, with pained vocals from Tom Araya and riffs that plumb deeper the abyss explored by "Dead Skin Mask" and "South of Heaven." The ending lead, comprise largely of strained, held notes, is made all the more haunting by its concluding spasm, which sounds like the last gasp of the narrator. "Serenity in Murder" finds Slayer exploring again the eerie melodicism of South of Heaven, led by a stellar vocal performance by Tom Araya. The verses sound nearly meditative, which leads to the harsh yet deliberate chorus, and later to a violent, thrashing climax both vocally and instrumentally. A tremendous union of music and lyrics, "Serenity in Murder" is a less obvious Slayer highlight.
Despite the high level of quality throughout and a complete lack of duds, Divine Intervention doesn't contain a bona fide Slayer anthem like "War Ensemble" or "Disciple" except arguably the excellent "Dittohead," which makes sense of its occasional lack of real representation in live sets. I return to my beginning adjectives of dark, tight, and focused; Divine Intervention almost isolates itself from the rest of Slayer's discography with its unique sound, and is best enjoyed straight and without any outside elements. While "Hell Awaits" leads perfectly into "The Antichrist" on the invaluable Decade of Aggression, nothing on Divine Intervention has that flexibility. Divine Intervention is its own beast, a marked departure from its immediate predecessor and successor, and a special moment in Slayer's history. A top-shelf metal record and a highly respectable Slayer release.
#666. Hell Awaits (1985) – By far the most interesting debut-to-sophomore development of the Big Four, it's hard to believe anyone was prepared for Hell Awaits when it dropped a mere two years after Show No Mercy. The speed metal and NWOBHM influences are all but gone, replaced with something that's heavier than Mantas and Possessed, and despite not coining the term like the latter band, sounds like death metal in a truer form than either. Hell Awaits is neck-in-neck with Reign in Blood for the most extreme thing Slayer has ever put to tape. It doesn't match the coherence, focus, and viciousness via velocity of its successor, but is instead chock-full of legitimately evil riffs, horrific lyrics, and some seriously varied aural annihilation. Hell Awaits is a classic, arguably the first true extreme metal record, and would go on to influence that subgenre up until now and well into tomorrow.
The justly ubiquitous title track is a thrash classic for good reason – it's a show-stopping opener with approximately zero seconds wasted. Tom Araya's manic phrasing in the prechorus just barely keeps up with Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman's tremolo, and this part has always been a personal highlight of Slayer's oeuvre for me. "Hardening of the Arteries" doesn't seem to get a lot of praise, but it's a song of two parts, one which anticipates Reign in Blood and one which is thematically brilliant. The ceaseless intensity of the first part (0:00-2:08) could have fit neatly between "Reborn" and "Epidemic" should Slayer have chosen to hold onto the riffs, but fortunately the second part (2:08-3:55) makes the whole endeavour fit perfectly into Hell Awaits. Reprising the opening riff of the title track, the "welcome back" which introduces the riff at the start of the record makes more sense. The torments of Hell sound endless, eternally recurring while the screams of the damned echo through the atmospheric playing of King and Hanneman over top.
Compositionally, Hell Awaits is the most adventurous Slayer record by a considerable margin. This means that it lacks the immediacy of some later records, but retains the staying power in spades. Ranking Hell Awaits is therefore difficult, because since I first heard Slayer in the early 2000s, I've associated that immediacy with their sound. As I grew older, more complex and textured Slayer masterpieces like "Crypts of Eternity" and "Necrophiliac" made more sense and left me countless treasures to unearth upon close listens. Truthfully, this type of list inevitably becomes an explanation of emotional and aesthetic impact instead of a completely sober attempt at objective rankings at a certain point, and this is my time to take that plunge in its full glory. To the reader, I leave you with the exhortation to sit down with Hell Awaits and listen – really listen – if you haven't done so in the last six months or more. It's a timeless classic which still holds its extremity today through sheer compositional talent and exceptional performances.
#5. Seasons in the Abyss (1990) – Thumbing through the used discs at Grooves Records, an institution in Ontario's London, I said instinctively to my younger brother: "I wonder if they have any Slayer?" Moments later, Seasons in the Abyss crashed down in front of me; the cashier had just received and priced a used copy (it was $8.00, if you're wondering). My Slayer collection pre-2006 consisted solely of Reign in Blood and the Still Reigning DVD, so I wasn't sure which record I was looking or hoping for. Conveniently, this is the Slayer record to listen to if you're not sure exactly which type of Slayer you want to hear. I've often considered Seasons the synthesis of Reign in Blood (thesis) and South of Heaven (antithesis), but this simplified Hegelian analysis sells it a tad short. In reality, it's a sweeping musical review of Slayer's career up to 1990, and the exact point where Slayer effectively stopped massively innovating after doing so for four albums already. To be clear, this doesn't mean that the band was out of ideas. Rather, it means Slayer decided to tinker with the myriad musical ideas they'd unearthed and paved the way for, giving us a record that offers a great overall picture of what Slayer sounds like.
Seasons contains three all-time classics, placed interestingly at the very beginning ("War Ensemble"), the exact middle point ("Dead Skin Mask"), and the very end ("Seasons in the Abyss"). That's all I have to say about these songs, as even the most jaded metalhead knows them by heart in riffs and lyrics as they're timeless classics. While not every song here had the same impact, that's no knock against their quality. "Blood Red" sounds like a darker version of the NWOBHM influences on Show No Mercy, with an unforgettable main riff that can be adequately described as "Iron Maiden goes to Hell." "Spirit in Black" has always been a personal favourite with its impeccable songwriting in both the riffing and structure departments along with some great lead work. Reign in Blood gets its due most noticeably on "Hallowed Point," which is the closest approximation of the aural chaos unleashed there. King and Hanneman's solos recall 1986, and the driving midsection is nearly as effective as the beginning of "Jesus Saves" in terms of forceful contrast. Hell Awaits is least adequately represented, but the sheer heaviness of that record is heard in the oft-overlooked and perpetually underrated "Born of Fire" which is probably the most extreme song on offer here.
Seasons in the Abyss is a songwriter's record, one which gets better with closer listens. The two different vocal phrasings in the verses of "Temptation" demonstrate the versatility of the riffs, while "Skeletons of Society" is a clinic on how to write a simple, heavy chug that worms its way into the mind and takes up residence there forever. Nonetheless, there are better Slayer records than Seasons. It doesn't have quite the same impact as some of its predecessors due to it being a more polished affair overall, and there's one lesser point in "Expendable Youth," which despite being good isn't quite on par with the rest of Seasons. While it doesn't drag the album down significantly and I wouldn't cut it given the opportunity, it's one of those noticeable warts that prevents Seasons from placing higher in the list here. This is a minor quibble though, as Slayer's fifth is a great record that serves as a near-perfect introduction to the band and their multifaceted approach.
Slayer Worst to First: 12-9
Judas Priest From Worst to First: 13 -10
Judas Priest Worst to First: 5-1
Tagged with → 2018 • Blog Post • Blog Posts • Slayer


It is possible that a person loses his/her driver's license for some period of time after committing a DUI crime. It varies from one month to several years and it depends on whether there is a prior DUI or wet reckless conviction or not as well as a refuse to take DUI tests.
It should be noted that there is a crime of "driving on a suspended license", if the person with suspended driver's license continue driving during his/her conviction. The person who will be found guilty in this crime can face up to a jail time.
However, a DUI arrest does not mean that the person's driver's license will be suspended automatically. It is always possible to find some ways to escape such penalty.


Please also note that these times have been converted from UTC; if you see times on other sites that say "UTC"/ "UT", or "GMT", those are NOT the local times for you in Manville!
Manville is in the path of totality for the Total Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017!
Observers there will see (appx.) 1m 57s of totality!
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Magrino Digital Wins Social Media Assignment for Harborside
by Bulldog Reporter | Nov 30, 2017
Magrino Digital was recently hired by Mack-Cali to oversee the social media strategy and community management of Harborside JC.
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By investing in office renovations, amenity upgrades, and public infrastructure improvements, and by attracting a diverse mix of upscale restaurants and retailers, Mack-Cali is transforming Harborside into a true destination – one that harnesses the distinctive character of Jersey City while cultivating its own unique arts, dining, and lifestyle scene.
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Q: Scalar Product with positive definite matrix Suppose $S$ is a positive definite, real and symmetric  $n\times n$ matrix and let $x\in\mathbb{R}^n$. Consider the quantity
$$
\langle(Sx)_i,(Sx)_j\rangle
$$
Is it true that this quantity is positive for every $x\neq0$? How to prove it?
Thank you.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Opito strikes deal to work with ECITB
Oil and gas skills body Opito has agreed to work more closely with the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) to avoid duplication of effort. The two engineering skills bodies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to deliver to their members a "common menu of skills solutions", to collaborate on the collation of industry data around manpower trends and skills forecasting, as well as the creation of skills programmes that meet common industry needs. The collaboration will also build on work undertaken to date around the industry's modern apprenticeship scheme.
by Erikka Askeland
25/09/2015, 7:50 am Updated: 25/09/2015, 3:04 pm
ECITB and OPITO sign agreement
Oil and gas skills body Opito has agreed to work more closely with the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) to avoid duplication of effort.
The two engineering skills bodies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to deliver to their members a "common menu of skills solutions", to collaborate on the collation of industry data around manpower trends and skills forecasting, as well as the creation of skills programmes that meet common industry needs.
The collaboration will also build on work undertaken to date around the industry's modern apprenticeship scheme.
Employer funded ECITB, with its oil and gas contracting and cross-sector membership, invests £32million in skills each year
Funded by the industry, Opito ensures the sector's skills needs are fully understood by its stakeholders and enabled by key partners.
The agreement was signed by ECITB chief executive Chris Claydon and Opito UK managing director John McDonald during a ceremony at Opito's headquarters in Aberdeen.
Mr Claydon said: "This is a critical time for the oil and gas industry and retaining and continuing to develop a skilled workforce is non-negotiable for the long-term health of the sector.
"Leveraging the skills and expertise of both organisations will enable us to support the industry more effectively as part of a common vision."
Mr McDonald said the MoU would allow both organisations to deliver increased value to the oil and gas industry.
He said: "There is a clear need for a co-ordinated and co-operative approach to addressing the medium and long term skills issues within the oil and gas industry.
"This partnership will allow us to take the knowledge and expertise within each organisation and create a more strategic and integrated relationship which delivers tangible benefits across the UK energy sector."
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REVIEW: Viola Davis gives a career-best performance in psychological thriller Ma
PUBLISHED: 12:16 06 June 2019 | UPDATED: 12:16 06 June 2019
Ben Jolley
Movies don't come any more disturbing than Ma, the new psychological thriller from BlumHouse Productions which sees Viola Davis deliver a career-best performance.
A movie full of unexpected plot twists, Davis steals the show as she effortlessly switches between the personalities and emotions of protagonist Sue Ann - an unhinged woman whose scars have never truly healed.
Deeply pained by her past, Sue Ann longs to be one of the cool kids. Dreaming of finally fitting in at parties, she'll do whatever it takes to be a part of the gang.
This isn't your average horror though - rather than relying on cheap shocks, the tension gradually builds thanks to the well-developed plot.
Without revealing too much of the plot, things take a downright absurd - and bloodthirsty - turn later on in the movie.
There's also an element of sympathy for Ma and that she's justified in doing what she does; there's far more depth to her character than most horror villains.


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Hartford Students To Remain At King School — For Now
By Vanessa de la Torre
Deshawn Palmer, a Martin Luther King Elementary School 8th-grader, demonstrates outside his school against a proposal to move students to Achievement First into a space considered too small for the school's 350 students. (Mark Mirko / Hartford Courant)
HARTFORD — In a reversal, Superintendent Beth Schiavino-Narvaez said Tuesday that students will remain at the run-down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School for another year as Hartford considers a long-term plan for the city's schools.
Narvaez's afternoon statement ceding to the wishes of King families came a couple of hours before a silent protest was set to begin on Albany Avenue, just around the corner from King.
Pastor AJ Johnson, a community organizer with Christian Activities Council, said he was counting on about 80 people to show up and join him in protesting the proposed relocation of King students to a neighboring building. Now he figured the crowd would take on a celebratory tone.
"North End parents win," Johnson said. "This is a big win for them."
But it's complicated. The tight-knit King community has long coped with the disrepair of its nearly century-old Collegiate Gothic building — from ripped seat cushions in the auditorium to rodents in classrooms, according to staffers. Even before a $68 million proposal to renovate the north Hartford school was pulled from the city's capital improvements budget in April — Mayor Luke Bronin cited the budget crisis — district leaders had decided that King was too damaged for students to remain there in the fall.
Physically, "Martin Luther King is the worst school we have in this district," city schools' chief operations officer Donald Slater said in March. "It really is basically hanging on with duct tape and bubble gum. At any point, I would not be surprised if we had a major, major mechanical issue that would lead us to have to move those kids out anyway."
King parents and educators argued that moving to the former Lewis Fox Middle School building for the 2016-17 year, as the district proposed as recently as last week, would be worse — that it is cramped, with inadequate space for King's 350-plus students in prekindergarten to eighth grade. The Achievement First Hartford charter school is already located in the building.
At a June 1 rally outside King School, the only traditional public school in the area that is named for the civil rights icon, protesters insisted "We're not moving" as speakers such as Muhammad Ansari, president of the NAACP's Greater Hartford branch, said the city's treatment of King amounted to discrimination against the black and Latino children who attend the neighborhood school.
"Please give us a fair, equitable and well-developed long-term plan before you disrupt our children and move them to another subpar environment," King parent Natalie Langlaise wrote in an opinion piece published in The Courant on Sunday.
Without a long-term plan for King, supporters also worried that uprooting the school could spell its end as Hartford heads toward school consolidation. Narvaez's Equity 2020 panel, a coalition of educators, advocates, school board members and community leaders, met once in April and is expected to meet again during the summer before issuing recommendations in the fall.
"It is disappointing that due to fiscal crises, the renovation of MLK could not unfold as planned," Narvaez said in her statement Tuesday. "I understand the city of Hartford had some difficult choices to make, but my hope is that reasonable long-term solutions can be found through Equity 2020 and through investment by the city and state."
At a town hall meeting at the Artists Collective on Albany, Bronin said Tuesday evening that he was frustrated with the relative slow pace of facilities planning. On the topic of under-enrolled schools, Bronin said Hartford needs "a smaller number of better buildings and better schools.
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"The way you're going to have an MLK that's as strong as it should be is to have a building that's not two-thirds empty," Bronin said.
The 152,000-square-foot King building, the original home of Weaver High School, has capacity for 1,000 students, according to district records. "It's in bad shape," the mayor said.
King will remain open in the 2016-17 school year with a few safety provisions, such as connecting more exterior doors to a security alarm, closing off sections of the building that aren't being used, and training all staff on safety protocols, Narvaez said.
She reiterated that King's aging boiler system is on the brink of failure and warned of the possibility of having to move students during the school year. On May 31, the district said in a statement defending the King relocation that relying on the 80-year-old boiler was "an unnecessary risk to take, particularly during the winter months, and it is unreasonable to impose this risk on our families."
King educator Leah Tarnowicz, Hartford's 2015 Teacher of the Year, sits on the Equity 2020 commission and had opposed the move to the Lewis Fox building. She saw Tuesday's reversal as a "step in the right direction," part of a public conversation on the future of King School.
"Our parents who stepped up did an amazing job advocating for the kids and I really applaud them for that," Tarnowicz said. "I know they're not going to stop."
Courant staff writers Jenna Carlesso and Matthew Kauffman contributed to this report.


Businesses experience challenges at each stage of their development from starting out, through employing staff, raising capital, developing new markets, new products and new processes, going global, becoming sustainable, and facing adversity from without and within the organisation. These are all challenges of innovation – making new ideas happen to support the goals of the organisation. Each of these challenges requires different sets of skills to survive and thrive.


Shay is a mobile yoga, spin and fitness instructor living in the Coachella Valley but travels the world with her daughter Jae, one of the world's youngest yoga instructors. They wanderlust communities who have a passion to give back, especially those going through cancer. In early 2016, Shay was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, and ever since she is conquering cancer with the love and support of her family and an amazing community. Practicing yoga and meditation through her cancer journey has changed her life so much that it is now her mission through yoga, meditation and wellness to give back to those going through this horrible disease. During season Shay and her daughter, Miss Jae teach a Sunday evening donation-based class where 100% of proceeds go to the local cancer community.


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