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February 12, 2020 February 12, 2020 S.R. Kheas deep space nine, Next Generation, Retro Review Series, Retro TV Review, Reviews, TV Series Reviews
Retro TV Review: Star Trek DS9 SSN 7 Episode Four: Take Me Out to the Holosuite
The crack of the bat, the smell of roasted peanuts, It's Ben Sisko's favorite game and the subject of the episode that originally aired on October 21,1998. This is Take me Out To The Holosuite.
The Episode:
Station Log Stardate Undetermined: Take Me Out To The Holosuite
It's Baseball fever on the station and Ben Sisko is determined to prove to a rival captain that the crew of Deep Space Nine can beat the crew of the USS T'Kumbra.
Ben Sisko greets visiting Captain Solok of the USS T'Kumbra as his ship is docked for repairs. It is immediately clear that the two have a rivalry when Solok comments on the inefficiency of the station. Things get even more heated when Solok requests a holosuite for his senior staff to play an ancient Earth game. Intrigued, Captain Sisko assembles his own senior staff to form a team to play Baseball.
The rest of the episode plays out like a combination of A League of Their Own, Major League and Bad News Bears. I could go through the beats but honestly, I can sum it up pretty quickly. Several of the crew-members take the game too seriously while others look at it as nothing but a silly mandatory event. They go through a rough training period, clearly showing they have no talent, and, eventually, pull together as a team. Ben even convinces Odo to act as the Umpire and talks his girlfriend, Kasidy, into playing as well.
While you would expect the main characters to win, in the end it is actually Solok's team that wins the game. Sisko blindsides the Vulcan Captain with a huge celebration when they finally score their first point in the final inning.
The final lesson, it is not winning that matters, but how you play the game. In the end Sisko is presented with a baseball signed by the his team, The Niners.
Is this a 'Good' Episode:
Before I begin this part I have to make something clear, I am not a baseball fan. In fact, I find the entire sport to be boring and the games to be far too long. I have been to live games, seen them on television and even played a few myself and never once felt a kinship with the bat and ball.
Sisko's love for the 'ancient sport' never made sense to me but, seeing that it was part of his character, I set my dislike of Baseball aside and accepted this fact. Then, this episode came along. Even though I am not a fan of the sport, I found a certain joy in this episode. This is one of the rare 'fun' episodes that makes sure to include the entire crew and not just a select few.
For the first time in the series we see every character get involved with 'fun' episode and, much like the films I mentioned above, this episode is genuinely a blast to watch. While it doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the series, it does give us a moment of reprieve from the dark story of the war with the Dominion. It is episodes like this that remind us of one of the fundamental themes of Star Trek, a simple concept called Hope. It is in these optimistic moments that we are reminded just what the Federation is fighting for.
Gleanings and Cool Bits:
We see Rom without his Ferengi headgear for the first time in the series.
The station gets an 'official' baseball team now known as 'The Niners'
Much like the recent popularity of Baseball in Japan and Korea, it seems the game made it's way as far as Vulcan in the 24th century. I guess the 'Great American Past time' knows no borders, interplanetary or otherwise.
Thanks for reading the Retro TV Review, I look forward to discussing the rest of the series with you, one episode at a time every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Next Review: Chrysalis
If you would like to read more reviews I have a weekly series called Key Movies Of My Life that comes out every Thursday and for more retro TV goodness check out the rest of the Retro TV Reviews here.
As always, please feel free to comment below and share your experiences with these episodes as well. If you just happened by, tell me what you think! Don't Forget To Follow me if you like the blog!
Late To The Game 2/12/2020
In order to avoid the party Worf secretly replaced himself with his lesser known cousin Dorf, Let's see if the rest of the crew notices.
Special Thanks to Memory Alpha as they are one of the best sources for details on Star Trek information available. Although I have a pretty deep knowledge on the subject, they have proven invaluable as a regular resource.
"Star Trek and all related marks, logos and characters are solely owned by CBS Studios Inc. This fan production is not endorsed by, sponsored by, nor affiliated with CBS, Paramount Pictures, or any other Star Trek franchise, and is a non-commercial fan-made production intended for recreational use. No commercial exhibition or distribution is permitted. No alleged independent rights will be asserted against CBS or Paramount Pictures."
Tagged Benjamin Sisko, Dax, deep space nine, DS9, Ezri Dax, final season, Jadzia Dax, Julian Bashir, Major Kira Nerys, Miles O'Brien, Odo, Quark, retro review, Retro Reviews, Retro TV Review, review, Reviews, Sc-Fi, Sci fi, science, science fiction, scifi, Season 2, season 7, Star Trek, STNG, Wormhole
Stand Out Albums: The Avett Brothers 'Closer Than Together' (2019)
Key Movies Of My Life: The Gate (1987)
Key Movies Of My Life: Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)


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Home > Folkestone > Art | Cinema | Escape the City | Free | Fun Things To Do
by Bryony Harrison (subscribe)
Freelance writer and poet from London; if you would like to read my poetry, please check out my book, 'Poems on the Page', available from goo.gl/Ta4oAX.
Event: 25/08/2014 - 02/11/2014
Art Around the Seaside
Image from www.folkestonetriennial.org.uk
Folkestone is a Kentish port town by the English Channel. Some of its major landmarks include the seaside harbour and the Leas on the cliffs above the beach. Here you will also find Martello Tower, which was built in 1806 as a defence against Napoleon.
Every three years these landmarks are joined by some other stunning sights as part of the Folkestone Triennial . Established in 2002, artists are invited to use the town as a canvas, utilising the public spaces to reflect local and global issues. While most of these are temporary installations, others become a permanent feature, meaning every three years, a new landmark is created.
Folkestone's fifth Triennel runs between the 30th August - 2nd November with a pre-introductionary talk on the 25th August. There will be many other talks, artwork tours, film screenings, and workshops throughout the event. The screenings are £7.50 adult or £5.50 concessions, but everything else is free.
subscribe to Bryony Harrison's articles
Why? Fun for art lovers
When: 25th Aug - 2nd Nov
Website: www.folkestonetriennial.org.uk
Where: Around Folkenstone
Cost: Free - £7.50
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More articles by Bryony Harrison
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Old School Games Through The Decades
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People and Portraiture Photography (Adelaide)
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Anthony Gormley's Iron Man in Folkestone
Folkestone's Creative Quarter - The Old High Street

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Philip Daubenberger
Monona Twp.
Philip Daubenberger was born in Baden, Germany, Sept. 13, 1837, and received his education in his native country. In 1852 he came to the United States, landing in New York, thence to Albany, N.Y., where he resided two years, then removed to Madison County, Wis., where he spent one year. He then purchased a farm east of LaCrosse, and remained until 1864, when he came to Clayton County, purchasing a large farm in Monona Township, and has resided here since. In 1874 he married Martha Walch, who was born in Austria, Jan. 20, 1850. The fruit of this marriage is three children-- Albert H., Vincent E. and Frederick William. Mr. Daubenberger has a farm of 200 acres, valued at $40 per acre. Though coming to this county in limited circumstances, by close application to business has accumulated a fine property and home.
source: History of Clayton County, Iowa, 1882, p. 1039
transcribed by Sally Scarff and Marlene Chaney


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Buy the Official 2022 Tour de France Guide – with free UK delivery
The build-up to the 2022 Tour de France starts here
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Published: June 24, 2022 at 2:00 pm
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Wy'East Nordic, Mt. Hood's specialists in telemark and cross country skiing, provides year round instruction for all backcountry adventurers. Educational seminars, group workshops and individualized private lessons are available. Our professional teaching staff will guide you through new drills and skills to bring your skiing to a higher level.
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Q: Injection of HttpContext related dependencies I'm trying to figure out what's the best way to inject HttpContext related dependencies in Web API project. I have a ActionFilterAttribute which constructs an instance of application specific context from the current HTTP context and then stores it in Request.Properties bag:
    public override async Task OnActionExecutingAsync(HttpActionContext actionContext, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
    {
        IAppContext context = await this.CreateAppContextAsync(actionContext, cancellationToken);
        actionContext.Request.Properties["ctx"] = context;
        .....
    }

IAppContext is totally isolated from HttpContext to make my query handlers work in a host different from Web API. Now I want it to be injected into my handlers:
public class MyController : ApiController {
    [HttpGet]
    public MyModel GetStuff([FromUri ]MyQuery q)
    {
        var handler = ... .Container.Resolve<MyQueryHandler>()
        return handler.Execute(q);
    }
}

where MyQueryHandler is like this:
public class MyQueryHandler {
    private IAppContext ctx;

    public MyQueryHandler(IAppContext ctx) {
        this.ctx = ctx;
    }
}

How do I make the container to inject the context from Request.Properties bag? I suspect my solution with ActionFilterAttribute may cause the trouble but it looks so natural to me.
No dependency to HttpContext.Current please.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Signed by the Titans as an undrafted free agent on May 11, 2018…appeared in 49 games with 31 starts over four seasons at Colorado…totaled 140 catches for 1,621 yards and nine touchdowns…ranks eighth in program history in receptions, 12th in receiving yards and tied for 19th in touchdown receptions…added seven carries for 34 yards and returned five kickoffs for 107 yards…had four career 100-yard games…earned 67 first downs as a Buffalo.
As a senior (2017), played in all 12 games and made 11 starts…caught 43 passes for 508 yards and two touchdowns…averaged 11.8 yards per reception and made nine catches of 20+ yards…made eight catches for 143 yards and a score against Northern Colorado (9/16)…named to the preseason watch list for the Biletnikoff Award…as a junior (2016), started all 14 games at wide receiver…posted a team-leading 66 receptions for 765 yards and five touchdowns…his 66 catches ranked as the fourth-most in the Pac-12…caught two touchdown passes in the first quarter at Michigan (9/17) and became the first Buffalo to accomplish that since 1982…finished the game with seven receptions for 78 yards and two scores…caught seven balls for a season and career-high 153 yards at Oregon (9/24)…earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors by the league coaches…was a second-team All-Colorado team pick by the NFF College Football Hall of Fame Colorado Chapter…as a redshirt sophomore (2015), saw action in 13 games with six starts…totaled 25 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns with a 13.0 receiving average…had five plays of 20+ yards and eight plays of 10+ yards…posted a season-high nine receptions for 101 yards at UCLA (10/31)…as a sophomore (2014), redshirted due to injury…as a freshman (2013), appeared in 10 games and caught six balls for 24 yards…also returned five kickoffs for 107 yards…graduated from Colorado in 2017 with a degree in sociology.
High school/personal: attended Bishop Alemany (Calif). High School…earned PrepStar All-West Region honors at wide receiver, first-team All-Serra League accolades and named to the Los Angeles Daily News second-team All-Area as a senior…also ran track in high school…has three cousins who played football at Southern California…son of Doug Ross…SavageRoss_2 on Twitter and Instagram…born Devin Eugene Ross on Aug. 12, 1995 in Altadena, Calif.


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https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2018/08/one-championship-features-boxing-world-title-fight-in-upcoming-main-event-in-thailand
ONE Championship features boxing world title fight in upcoming main event in Thailand
August 9, 2018 10:30 am ET
ONE Championship has recently added kickboxing contests to its regular lineups, and now boxing will take a prominent role, as well.
Company officials recently announced that reigning WBC super flyweight champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (46-4-1) will put his title on the line against Iran Diaz (14-2-3) in the main event of "ONE Championship 81: Kingdom of Heroes," which takes place Oct. 6 at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
"World championship boxing has always been on the radar for ONE Championship, ever since we introduced the ONE Super Series," ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong stated. "In Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, we have the perfect athlete to introduce the sport of boxing to the largest martial arts organization in the world. Sor Rungvisai embodies the fiery willpower of Thai martial arts and is a great representative of ONE Championship.
"This is going to be the biggest event in Thailand's history, and with thousands of fans expected to come out and cheer for their hero, I can't wait to witness greatness unfold in the ONE ring."
A Thai native, Sor Rungvisai has earned 41 of his 46 wins via knockout and is currently ranked No. 5 on BoxRec.com's pound-for-pound rankings list.
"I am excited to showcase my skills at home in Bangkok," Sor Rungvisai stated. "As a world champion boxer, this is a rare opportunity for me to be able to compete in front of my people. I thank ONE Championship for the honor, and I will do my best to retain my title. I am very deep in preparations right now for one of the most significant bouts of my career."
Additional bouts are expected to be announced soon.
For more on ONE Championship 81, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.


Europe is normally considered as the home to some of the world's most beautiful cities. From Prague through to Paris, there's a city for any hopeless romantic. But which are the most passionate cities of Europe? Below we list what we think is the top 6 of the romantic getaways in Europe.
With its paved squares, al fresco trattorias as well as time-weathered Baroque cathedrals, Rome gives the feeling of being a movie set created particularly for your very personal Italian experience. It is likely that you won't be allowed to go wading barefoot into Trevi Fountain as Anita Ekberg did in the film La Dolce Vita. However there are plenty of other scenic settings for a romantic dalliance or perhaps even a special announcement. And Rome has a fantastic climate which always helps create a fabulous holiday, romantic or not.
It's hard to bring up Venice without mentioning the word 'passionate'. From its beautiful reflections in the peaceful waterways to its gently splashing gondola boats, along its winding backstreet and quiet lanes where the peace get disrupted by nothing other than the intermittent echoing tread of another person, each and every single inch of Venice is filled with romance. You must have the EHIC card ready before going to any of these places. Click here for applying for this card. Your imagination will be insprired as you thrust your way through throngs crossing over the Rialto Bridge, or in the queue for visiting St Mark's basilica. This incredible buildings maybe popular but they are part of the fabric of this beautiful city and what sets it apart. They are well worth braving the crowds for – although if you go in winter you often have these places to yourselves and the misty atmosphere can be even more romantic than the sunshine!
Friendly, quirky, scenic and entertaining, Amsterdam both charms and seduces. This old historic city has been attracting visitors for centuries, and is still a prime attraction for tourists. Its canals that are lined with trees, fairy-lit overpasses, soaring swans, beautiful houses, interesting boats, friendly cafes and restaurants and of course people on bicycles! In this place there are many small-scale places that seem to be made exclusively for romance; cafe culture is strong in Amsterdam and the perfect place for couples to enjoy the great view and talk to each other whilst watching the world go by.
Despite being an old classic this charming city rarely lets you down. Paris is the very definition of romance and passion and is often top of the list when the time comes for a weekend away a deux. You can enjoy leisurely walks along the length of the River Seine with its romantic bridges, enjoy a drink in a pavement cafe watching the world go by, dining in romantic candlelit eateries or gastronomic places of worship, or perhaps sharing a kiss at dusk on the sparkling Eiffel Tower.
The Old township of Dubrovnik carries you centuries back in time, along ancient paved lanes lined by gracious Baroque stone buildings. Along the edge of the city are the wonderful medieval city walls which are a wonderfully atmospheric place to take a stroll. You can also take a dip in the deep cobalt waters of the Adriatic at the hip Banje beach or you can take a taxi-boat out to Lokrum isle, which is famous for its botanical gardens as well as its peacocks. You can also go on a tour of the wineries at Pelješac for tasting the velvety reddish Dingač and eating oysters at Ston. Following sunset, you can feast by candlelight at Proto in Old Town of Dubrovnik's or at Orsan that overlooks the fabulous boats in the yachting marina.


"On the SADC Gender and Development Index, South Africa was ranked second in 2012, with a score only slightly lower than that of the top performer, Seychelles.
"On the World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index, South Africa has consistently remained in the upper levels, reaching sixth position in 2011," Minister Dlamini said.
Before 1994, the South African Parliament had a mere 2.7% representation of women. Today, the number of women representation has increased to 44% in Parliament and 42% in Cabinet.
The country has also adopted significant legislation reforms and has developed policies that seek to promote and protect women's rights in the home, community and in the workplace.
The Domestic Violence Act; Prevention of Family Violence Act; Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act; 200 and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act are some of the laws the country has put in place to protect women.
To provide relief to victims of crime and violence, government introduced the Integrated National Policy Guidelines for Victims Empowerment Programme (VEP) in 2009. The VEP forms an integral part of government's goal of protecting the rights of women and children.
The VEP focuses on programmes and services that protect, support and care for victims of crime and violence.


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Ford: Works councils in Germany and Spain outdo each other with savings proposals
Ulrich Rippert
In the past, when a major international corporation like Ford was planning cutbacks and layoffs, the experts from McKinsey would go through the factory halls to identify which positions to cut. The workers clenched their fists in their pockets and made plans to fight for their jobs.
Today, Ford can dispense with such expensive management consultants. The layoff and cutback plans are drawn up by the trade unions and their works council representatives, who have turned into paid shills and stooges of the board. They not only offer the company extensive concessions on wages, working hours, holiday arrangements and many other social standards, but also make sure that any resistance to them is nipped in the bud.
In September, the US auto company announced it would review the efficiency of its European sites and close either the German plant in Saarlouis in the German state of Saarland, or the Spanish one in Almussafes near Valencia. The works councils at both plants are outdoing each other with cost-cutting offers and trying to prove to the board that their respective site can produce more profitably than the other.
Works council leader Markus Thal and his colleagues, reports the Süddeutsche Zeitung from Saarlouis, "are therefore now constantly sitting in working groups and thinking about what concessions the workforce could still make. On wage costs, on investment costs."
The same thing is happening in Valencia. There is a contest over wage cuts and social cuts. Both works councils are going into overdrive to offer management the better conditions of exploitation.
In Valencia, where wages are almost a third lower than in Saarlouis, management is insisting on further wage cuts and an extension of working hours. So far, the works council is reluctant because it fears resistance, but stresses, "We know of no red lines and are ready to negotiate." Works council leader José Luis Parra urges, "If we don't reach an agreement by the end of the year, we could miss the electrification train," referring to the industry-wide adoption of fully electric vehicles.
In Saarlouis, the works council is collaborating closely with the government to lure the multi-billion dollar corporation with subsidies and tax breaks. But it is pinning its hopes first and foremost on workers' willingness to make sacrifices. "They had always supported the concessions in the past, and they are also prepared to make concessions now," the Süddeutsche quotes works council leader Thal.
Both works councils are suspicious of what the other is doing, driving both to push their offers of cutbacks even higher. The Valencia Plaza newspaper reported shortly before Christmas, citing union sources at the Ford plant, "In Germany, the social partners, workers, company and government are working together." They were even prepared to review lower taxes in order to keep the factory open. The German works council assumes Almussafes has "considerable advantages," especially in terms of personnel costs. Therefore, it is trying to weaken the superiority of the Valencian plant through additional state support.
While the works councils in Saarlouis and Valencia attack each other and offer more and more far-reaching concessions, the company bosses are calmly waiting. They use the concessions at one to blackmail for more at the other. There is no end to this downward spiral.
Many workers are following this development with growing unease, disgust and anger. They know that all their rights and social achievements—be it the eight-hour day, the regulated wage system, paid holidays, sick pay, job security and much more—were fought for in the common fraternal struggle of all workers against the capitalists. The terms "workers' solidarity" and "international collaboration" are deeply embedded in the collective consciousness of workers because of fierce and often bloody class battles.
But the corporate lackeys in the trade unions and works council offices only recognize the arguments of the managers and act like social demolition contractors. They play the different sites off against each other and suppress any joint struggle to defend jobs, wages and social gains in principle.
However, the two works councils know each other well. Both Markus Thal and José Luís Parra are members of Ford's European Works Council, which was previously led by the German General Works Council Chairman Martin Hennig. Thal belongs to IG Metall in Germany, and Parra to the social democratic majority union UGT in Spain, both of which are members of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). But they are not using these international links to unite the workers in Germany and Spain, but to play them off against each other and divide them in the interests of the corporation.
The long background article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung tries to take the Saarlouis works council out of the firing line and support it. It portrays works council leader Thal as a tireless fighter to keep Ford-Saarlouis open.
Like always, the works council there describes its savings offer as a "programme for the future." That was already the case two years ago, when the Saarlouis works council agreed to the abolition of the night shift and thus to the reduction of 1,800 jobs. At that time, too, it was said that this was the only way to save the future of the plant. Another 600 jobs were then cut this year, so that at present, less than 5,000 of the 7,000 employees who were there a short time ago remain. Saarlouis exclusively manufactures the Ford Focus, production of which is expected to end in mid-2025.
Since 2019, Ford has closed five plants in Europe—in Russia, Eastern Europe, France and the UK. 12,000 jobs have been destroyed, not counting the impact on suppliers and others indirectly affected. Everywhere, the trade unions have played the key role in preventing a united struggle to defend jobs.
The Saarland and Valencia plants have many parallels. Both were built in the early 1970s and are the largest employers in the region. Their closure would have devastating consequences. In Saarland, one in two industrial jobs depends on Ford. A total of 44,000 people work for suppliers, equipment suppliers and manufacturers in the auto industry. In Valencia, 10,000 workers were employed by Ford and 21,000 in the supplier industry in the best years.
Production in both plants has already declined rapidly in previous years. In Saarlouis, there were several months of short-time working in 2020 and 2021 due to coronavirus. A lack of semiconductors means the short-time working will last at least until the end of January 2022. And in Valencia, the night shift will be discontinued in January, which means further job losses.
Works council leader Markus Thal is a typical IG Metall functionary. Having risen from toolmaker to works council leader, he sits on the Ford supervisory board, where he pockets supervisory board bonuses, meeting fees and expenses, in addition to his lavish works council salary. Like management, he looks at the company from the perspective of competitiveness and profits, not the interests of the workers. In this, he is no different from his Spanish counterpart José Luís Parra.
Thal rejects a joint struggle of Ford workers at all sites to defend jobs. Instead, he seeks to pass on the social cutbacks to Valencia by making concessions that would also have devastating consequences for workers in Saarland. He considers the reduction of jobs during the conversion to electric vehicle production to be unavoidable.
But the attacks on jobs, wages and social gains are not the result of new technologies. If the working class had influence over economic decisions, the conversion of production could lead to improved working conditions and greater prosperity. The real problem is capitalism's insatiable greed for profits.
The past two years of the coronavirus pandemic have clearly shown this. While workers have been forced to continue working and risk their lives and health despite the risk of infection, corporations have used the pandemic to amass even greater fortunes.
The world's 16 biggest auto makers made more profits than ever in the third quarter of 2021, despite computer chip shortages and coronavirus. Ford was among them. In the third quarter of 2021, the corporation made a profit of $2.4 billion, six times as much as in the same period last year.
Ford employees in Germany and Spain are currently going through the same experience as workers all over the world. It is not possible to defend jobs without breaking with the unions, their works councils and their nationalist orientation.
Three decades ago, the chairman of the works council of Opel-Bochum, Rolf Breuer, said, "We can be blackmailed even into child labour!" Today, it is not necessary to blackmail the works councils. They are partners of the corporate boards, call themselves co-managers and carry out the attacks on the workers.
In order to resist the blackmail of management and the works councils, a new political orientation is necessary, which proceeds from the common interests of all workers in all locations and opposes the logic of the capitalist profit system. Workers must take the defence of their interests and their rights into their own hands and organise themselves completely independently of the pro-capitalist trade unions and their works councils.
Only when workers themselves intervene can the constant playing off of the different locations against each other be stopped. According to this beggar-thy-neighbor policy, production has already been halted in Belgium, France and Wales, and several plants have been closed in Russia. Only recently, Ford announced it would end production in India and Brazil.
The Ford workers in Saarlouis have shown in the past and in 2021 that they are ready to fight. Now, all those who are serious must take the initiative and build links with their colleagues in Cologne, Valencia and all other plants.
The International Committee of the Fourth International and its affiliated Socialist Equality Parties formed the International Workers' Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees to coordinate workers' struggles worldwide against corporate attacks. We call on Ford workers in Saarlouis, Valencia, Cologne and around the world to join together in rank-and-file committees independent of the unions to prepare joint strikes and protests at all sites. Contact us today.
Stay informed. Sign up to our Autoworker Newsletter.
Works council ready to hand over huge concessions to "save" Ford plant in Saarlouis, Germany
Union-dominated works councils pit Ford workers in Germany and Spain against each other for jobs
Defend all auto jobs in Germany and around the world! Break with the IG Metall union and form independent rank-and-file committees! Unite workers internationally!
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Instead of pork, this lighter take on Mexican pozole enlists shrimp, which is a tender accompaniment to those soft, puffy corn kernels (or hominy) and blistered tomatoes. Our cacao-free version of mole enriches the basic broth with its own complex flavors, including the nutty-spicy blend of almonds and an ancho chile.
1. Shell and devein shrimp; refrigerate shrimp and place shells in a pot. Add 8 onion wedges, 4 cloves garlic, and 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Strain, discarding shells; return stock to pot.
2. Heat a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high. Cook chile until charred on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a heatproof bowl; add 1 cup boiling water, placing a dish on top to keep submerged. Soak until soft, 20 minutes. Remove stem and seeds; reserve liquid.
3. Meanwhile, toast almonds in skillet over medium until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate; let cool. Repeat with sesame seeds, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to another plate; let cool. In separate batches, finely grind almonds and sesame seeds in a spice grinder, then combine.
4. Place remaining 4 onion wedges and 2 cloves garlic in skillet; cook over medium-high until softened and charred in places, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender with chile, 2 tablespoons soaking liquid, 1/3 cup stock, almond-sesame mixture, tomato paste, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt; pulse to a paste.
5. Return skillet to medium-high and blister tomatoes, turning occasionally, until charred in spots, 7 to 9 minutes. Add to pot with remaining stock. Add 1 tablespoon salt; bring to a simmer. Add shrimp and hominy; continue to simmer until shrimp are just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add mole and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Divide soup among bowls and stir about 2 tablespoons mole into each; serve, with tortillas.


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https://sportswire.usatoday.com/2014/10/07/the-sinkhole-rex-ryan-cant-clean-up-jets-mess/
The Sinkhole: Rex Ryan can't clean up Jets' mess
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
October 7, 2014 8:50 am ET
Geno Smith gets the blame, but Rex Ryan and John Idzik are responsible for the Jets' woes. (Jake Roth, USA TODAY Sports)
Week 5 featured far more comebacks than blowouts, but the problems plaguing certain teams were still evident whether they came in a close call or a rout.
The Sinkhole takes a weekly look at the people, themes and trends that are threatening teams' competitive chances. This week's edition features a team without an identity, two turnover-prone quarterbacks, a cornerback looking lost and a contender's key vulnerability.
1. Rex Ryan and John Idzik, New York Jets
Credit Rex Ryan with one thing: He knows where to place the blame after a complete dismantling, such as the 31-0 defeat his Jets suffered at the hands of the Chargers this week.
"This is on one person and that's it. It's certainly not on the quarterback or one individual. It's on me," Ryan told reporters after the game. "(San Diego Chargers coach Mike McCoy) really outcoached me. … It's a complete ass-whipping and it was me that got his ass kicked."
Ryan was right to divert the conversation from his quarterback controversy – the Jets' dysfunction was unparalleled in Week 5. But Gang Green is a team without a plan, and that comes back to the disconnect between Ryan and general manager John Idzik.
The Jets' shortcomings could be seen before the season even began. Plugging in Eric Decker does not make a passing game, nor does adding Chris Johnson transform a running game. And if the defensive-minded Ryan had his way, would he have ever allowed the team to start its season with such an obvious vulnerability in the secondary?
There's plenty to pin on Ryan, who, along with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, has failed to develop the overwhelmed quarterback handed to him in Geno Smith. And New York's vaunted defense front yielded 114 yards to the Chargers' Branden Oliver, a 5-7 undrafted rookie.
But Idzik hasn't taken an honest look at the state of the roster and mapped out how it needs to be overhauled. Until he and Ryan – or more likely another coach – can provide a consistent vision, the Jets will remain a haphazardly strewn-together collection of ill-fitting parts.
Ryan Fitzpatrick's limitations are holding back the Texans' offense. (Tim Sharp, Associated Press)
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Houston Texans quarterback
Fitzpatrick appeared to be a one-year placeholder for the Texans at quarterback, and he might not even make it that far. The 10-year veteran was 16-of-25 for just 154 yards in Houston's 20-17 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. For a Texans team that looks ahead of its expected rebuild timeline, Fitzpatrick looks like the one limiting factor.
With a reliable running game and two threats at wide receiver in Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins, Fitzgerald has no excuse for not finding his playmakers. But even his trustworthiness as a game manager is eroding, as his six interceptions are tied for the league lead.
The Texans might be in position to compete for a playoff spot by season's end. But if they've fallen from contention, Texans coach Bill O'Brien should turn to Ryan Mallett or Tom Savage so the team can evaluate what it really has at the position moving forward.
This wasn't even the worst of Buster Skrine's day. (Wade Payne, Associated Press)
3. Buster Skrine, Cleveland Browns cornerback
For a defense with so many promising pieces, the Browns still can't find a reliable corner to put opposite Joe Haden. First-round pick Justin Gilbert is slated to be the long-term solution, but he has been slow to adapt.
Charlie Whitehurst and the Titans' off-kilter passing attack found their footing Sunday by repeatedly attacking cornerback Buster Skrine. Kendall Wright outmaneuvered Skrine on a corner route for an 11-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Justin Hunter later flew past Skrine for a 75-yard score.
If Skrine can return to the solid-but-unspectacular form he showed in previous weeks, the Browns' pass defense shouldn't be such a liability. But Joe Haden's hip injury could signal trouble should it put Skrine and Gilbert in uncomfortable spots this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jay Cutler's overconfidence came back to cost the Bears. (Jeremy Brevard, USA TODAY Sports)
4. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears quarterback
There's little mystery left to Jay Cutler at this point. Bursts of top-tier quarterback play quickly give way to the same mistakes that have encapsulated his career.
Cutler once again marred an otherwise stellar outing with turnovers. His two interceptions gave the Panthers' fuel for a comeback 32-24 win. Matt Forte's fumble also was costly, but Cutler's errors have been a recurring theme for a 2-3 team that has struggled to finish games.
There's no reprogramming Cutler at this point. The best Marc Trestman can do is emphasize safer opportunities, like the screen game that worked for the Bears early against the Panthers. But as long as Cutler has the ball late in games and his hallmark confidence to make any throw, he'll have his team on edge.
The Bengals couldn't keep pace with the Patriots' running game. (David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports)
5. Cincinnati Bengals' run defense
One week after being abandoned in a rout to the Chiefs, the Patriots' running game resurfaced with a breakout performance against the Bengals. Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen combined for 203 yards on 36 carries in what could be the blueprint for taking on Cincinnati this season.
The Bengals rank 27th in run defense at 140 yards allowed per game. That's even more alarming given their other opponents – the Titans, Falcons and Ravens – have middling rushing attacks. And this comes just one year after the Bengals finished fifth in rushing yards allowed.
Most of the problems should be fixed by coaching. Bengals players admitted they were caught off-guard and out of position by the Patriots' up-tempo attack. But the repeated missed tackles must quickly be eradicated.


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Tag: Haiti Broadcasting
Tele Caraibes
Tele Caraibes Channel 22 is a broadcast television station in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, providing Entertainment, Sports and Cultural programs. As part of Radio Television Caraibes, Tele Caraibes 22 produces and airs programming of interest to viewers of Haiti. F
Télé Shalom
Radio Télé Shalom is a broadcast radio station in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, providing Christian Education, News, Ministries and Entertainment. Favorite
Télévision Hirondelle
Radio Television Hirondelle : The new color of the South. It broadcasts for various categories new local, national and international the sport of the world Whole music and video clips Promotions of local artists, Promotion of the tourism on Channel 16 and on t
TeleMix
TeleMix is a 24/7 streaming TV channel broadcasting a mixture of cultural, recreational and educational programming from the ethnically and culturally diverse country: Haiti Favorite
Haiti Sky FM is a online music radio station. Haiti Sky FM broadcasts to the regions 24 hours a day, 12 months of the year. With a great mix of pop music. Haiti Sky FM has something for all discerning music lovers. Favorite
Télé Eclair
Radio Télé Eclair 100.5 Haïti Live est une station diffusant une gamme variée de programmes musicaux et notamment des créations musicales locales et nationales de Dance, Hip-Hop, Classique, Jazz, Alternative, Rock Folk, Blues et ethnique. Favorite
Tele Soleil
Radio Tele Soleil is a radio station based in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She plays your favorite music all day and also offers spiritual and cultural programming. The voice of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince Favorite
Nago TV
A project to revalue and promote Haitian music. We are the first 100% traditional music channel of our proud "HAITI" nation. NAGO TV wants to put Haitian identity at the heart of the world audiovisual sector. Visit the official website: http://nago
Television Espace
Created in 2014, Radio Television Espace Haïti en Direct is dedicated to supporting social progress and raising public awareness of democratic processes through culture. It broadcasts various programs on civics, sport, information, literature and theater. Fav
Telévision Nationale d'Haïti
THN (Télévision Nationale d'Haïti) is a broadcast television station in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, providing Government programs. As part of Radio Télévision Nationale d'Haïti, THN produces and airs information about activities of state agencies


Amazon Wildlife Peru is dedicated to do real ecotourism tours. We have our own vehicles and boats, as well as local experienced staff. As we operate all Manu tours directly, we have good control over their quality.
You will spend most your nights during the tour at our lodges: Rainforest Lodge and Bonanza Lodge, designed for your comfort, and you will have our helpful staff at your service. Camping options or expeditions are also available.
With more than 18 years experience of operating Manu tours, we have constantly improved our service and itineraries. Our itineraries are flexible enough to maximize your chances to see wildlife and our naturalist guides will do their best to show you the marvels of the rainforest.
Amazon Wildlife Peru works hard to limit the environmental impact of our tours. We return all waste to Cusco, buy local or Peruvian products wherever possible and avoid buying tins or other material that are difficult to recycle. We recommend the Manu Biosphere Tour, which requires less boat fuel.
Working in Manu also means working with local and native people; the lodge staff and the boat team are all from Manu and in our tours to Manu Biosphere Reserve. We use the Casa Matsiguenka Lodge which is managed by local indigenous people that generate income to them. It is very important for us that money generated from our jungle expeditions goes to help and preserve the jungle as well as the way of life of the people there, while offering them a good income. We believe those communities are the real owners of Manu, and for that reason we work with them to provide sustainable tourism.
We work with experienced, English speaking naturalist guides with many years of guiding experience in Manu. Most of our guides have grown up in Manu and have been working in research projects and living in the rainforest. They are very experienced in spotting wildlife, recognizing birds and mammals by sound and sight to ensure that our customers don´t go away disappointed. They can imitate the animals to call them closer, as well as giving you the scientific names of the animals. They all carry field guides of animals, birds, plants, insects, and many others.
Amazon Wildlife Peru is committed very much with the rainforest conservations, in order to do sustainable action. We do reforestation in our private land of Bonanza Ecological Reserve, as well as we are planting native tree species in places where the forest has been destroyed many years ago. We plant the following trees species, Mahogany, Amazon Teak Tree, Cedar Tree, Ceiba or Kapok Tree and many others.
We use professional binoculars and telescopes so you can get a closer view of the animals, without disturbing them.


Visiting extended family usually involves some sort of adventure (whether or not it is a pleasant adventure is a different question), especially if your family lives on the other side of the world. Students like seniors Michelle Magsino and Alexis Millan, as well as junior Kabir Mohammed, have had the opportunity to spend some of their summers visiting their families while also experiencing the culture of Southeast Asia.
Magsino grew up in the Philippines and lived there until she was 11 and she moved to America.
Magsino recently went back to the Philippines to see her family and revisit old memories. While she was there, she also got the chance to go to new places.
Millan also recently visited her family in the Philippines. She has been on several occasions and aside from seeing family, enjoyed some vacation time.
Filipino fashion is similar to that in America, but Millan said that she likes the larger and more diverse variety of clothes found in the Philippines.
Magsino said that she enjoys the differences between Filipino and American culture, particularly those pertaining to holidays.
Mohammed has been to Malaysia many times to visit his extended family and while there, enjoyed other parts of Asia as well.
Magsino, Millan and Mohammed agree that food is another great aspect of Asian culture. Traditional Filipino cuisine consists of rice, some sort of meat, sauce and maybe vegetables, but there is a variety of dishes made with these ingredients.
Malaysian dishes tend to have more of an Indian influence.
Magsino, Millan and Mohammed said that they love getting the opportunity to visit their families in lands an ocean away from their current homes and look forward to going back to Asia.


A 29-piece collection birthed from the union between MR PORTER and Visvim is an escapade into outdoor happiness and the pursuit of nirvana from the simple things in life. Inspired by California National Parks and the open cultural revolt of the Yosemite Valley Camp 4 rock climbers of the 50s and 60s, the collection has a rugged but also a warm fuzzy feel to it. The outdoors along with deep smiles are prominently featured in the marketing campaign in ways that would soften the heart of the hardest curmudgeon. Visvim's designer Hiroki Nakamura pays high homage to native American culture with references that span from jewelry to trims to headgear symbols. The collection is a crisp representation of freedom at its purest essence.


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← Film Noir | Pulp Fiction (1994)
Noir Music | "Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix →
Noir Comics | Scalped: Casino Boogie
Volume 2 of the Noir Comic Scalped
Volume 2 of the noir comic series Scalped is a masterpiece of modern fiction. The trade paperback is made up of 6 individual comic book issues (called "floppies" by the initiated) that come together to tell one cohesive story "arc" in Jason Aaron's world. Mr. Aaron used each of these sections to tell the story of one of the characters on the Prairie Rose Reservation. What really amazed me was that each "floppy" covers the same night; the grand opening of the Crazy Horse Casino. The author's ability to tie each of these characters and their stories together over the course of "Casino Boogie" was awe-inspiring. Reading this trade it's hard to determine who the main character of the story is, because Jason gives such care and development to each individual that he introduces us to. It dawns on me that the Prairie Rose Reservation may be the main character, and each tragic resident just another aspect of her existence. I've struggled with settling on the very best way to review this noir comic, simply because of how it jumps around so rapidly character to character. So I've decided to spend a little time on each character's section.
1. Dashiell Bad Horse
Dash's angle is treated in the first issue, gritty, fast-paced and violent to an extreme degree. Despair and Bondage are resounding themes of his character. We haven't been given much of a glimpse at his past at this point, but it doesn't take much guessing to assume that it's pitiful. Dash portrays strong emotional resentment towards his mother and his heritage, and constantly wants to escape but lacks the means. He's the quintessential anti-hero backed in a corner, spiraling ever downward to impending destruction. My one complaint with this section of the trade is that the artwork gets rather muddy. It seems like the inker/colorist combo for the first couple issues was brutal, because in some panels its hard to see what R.M. Guera drew. Noir comics should be dark, but not unreadable.
the overwhelming weight of being the chief.
2. Chief Lincoln Red Crow
On the night that should be his greatest triumph (the opening of his casino), Red Crow must cope with disaster after disaster after disaster. He mingles among his thousands of guests, politicians and beautiful women spilling compliments and oozing gratitude, posing for pictures and shaking hands. While behind the scenes he is hounded by creditors, bribe-seeking officials, and tribal traditionalists who all want their pound of flesh. The pinnacle of this chaotic hell is when he finds his personal office ransacked and burgled, his dogs murdered and their blood used as paint for obscene messages. Jason Aaron does an amazing job of humanizing this would-be villain from the first trade, and breaking our hearts when Red Crow utters, "he didn't have to kill the dogs."
3. Diesel
Diesel is an intriguing character because he provides a look at Native American racism from an opposite angle. As a 1/16th Chicktaw Indian, he has lived as an outcast from both white and rez communities. His whole life he has wanted to be an Indian brave like his ancestors, but all of his peers have mocked and ridiculed him for it. As a result, he is hardened, violent, and a very outspoken traditionalist. He's the one who 'redecorates' Lincoln Red Crow's office (putting his life in danger to do so). Couple that with a struggle of machismo with Dash and Diesel becomes a very dynamic character.
life wasn't too attractive...
4. Catcher
Catcher is the village idiot/drunk of the Prairie Rose Reservation. The only 'catch' is that he really isn't. He is one of the few Native American's left on the rez who believes in the "thunder-beings" (the creators of their people) and he is very outspoken about the visions that they share with him. He believes that Dash will play an important role in the future salvation of the tribe, and that the road is as bloody as it is long to get there. We get the feeling that Catcher will be a sort of guardian angel over Dash, and that his past with Gina (Dash's mom) will complicate things. One of the coolest things I have seen in any of the noir comics I have read is when Catcher sees the "totem" or "spirit" animals of the characters in the story.
5. Dino Poor Bear
I believe that Dino's character was introduced to show us the realities of rez life. He, like Dash, dreams of leaving everyone behind and escaping his fate. Sadly, the reality of this ever happening is slim at best. He is a single/teenage father to a baby his grandmother is raising, brother to a boy with a disability and a drug-addicted pregnant sister, nephew to a diabetic amputee, and friend to a bunch of drunk nobodies. Lastly, he's a janitor at the new casino, and is tasked with cleaning up the mess in Red Crow's office. It's there that he has one of the most illuminating scenes in the book about the importance of his Indian heritage. I won't spoil it, but its magnificent.
No one believes poor crazy Catcher
6. Gina Bad Horse
Gina's chapter is a look at the past, particularly at moments and decisions that have cause hellish waves in her life. She spends much of her time in introspection and dwelling on regret. We catch wind that she has a past with Red Crow and Catcher, and that the events of today are a direct result of their shared history. We also get to meet one of her dear friends as she visits him in prison, and we guess at the injustice that placed him there. We know what the final page of this trade paperback will be, but its gravity is not diminished by our knowing.
Dashiell teaches us the pain of despair
Red Crow teaches us the weight of responsibility
Diesel teaches us the fruits of intolerance
Catcher teaches us to reconcile our future with the past
Dino teaches us to hope for something better
Gina teaches us it's never too late
this image is really blurry, but he's covered in spiders and webs
this was my favorite image in the whole trade
"this is a crime story, all right (a neo-western/political/historical/Native/ultra-violent/black comedy crime story, to be precise), but it's not relying on any of the usual props from other genres for its survival. None of the aforementioned super-types, no horror, no fantasy or sci-fi, nothing. Not an elf or an angel in sight. And for an adult-imprint monthly in the current sales climate, that's both refreshing and pretty bloody brave." -Garth Ennis October 2007
The realm of noir comics will never be the same after Scalped : Casino Boogie. A believable story from an unbelievable creator team: Jason Aaron & R.M. Guera. I'll be adding to our noir definition soon!
Tagged as Noir Comics, Scalped
One response to "Noir Comics | Scalped: Casino Boogie"
Paul D Brazill
I've only read issue one of Scalped, which I liked, but it does sound really good. I'll try to pick some up when I'm in Britain over the summer.


Yesterday, the space shuttle Discovery took its final flight from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the Washington, DC, area where it will go on permanent exhibition in a Smithsonian Museum.
Moving the shuttle is no small feat; it was designed to get hurled into space at thousands of miles per hour and then land on its own. As a child, I remember all of the launches; the Challenger disaster happened when I was a freshman in high school and nearly propelled me into a career of aeronautical and astronautical engineering. Then I made it through geometry by the skin of my teeth and came to the realization that for the safety of those around me, heavy lifting math might not be my forte.
Which makes the video below all the more amazing. Each mission the shuttle undertook involved so many people, countless hours of preparation and had to be conducted and executed to the highest levels of perfection. Astronauts lives were and always are at stake. There are two grim reminders from the life of the shuttle program about how dangerous a profession it is.
NASA moved the shuttles from their landing points around the country with a modified Boeing 747 that gave piggy back rides to the shuttle. The precision tolerance for the bolts and getting it properly in places is only three inches. Go ahead; grab a ruler; see how little three inches is in relation to the length of a 747. It is no small feat of human engineering to make this happen each and every time.
We salute NASA and the people involved in the shuttle program who are now looking for new professions, either within a smaller agency or in the private sector. Until the next round of manned space flight gets underway in earnest, we have images like this to look at and smile about.


To write an unforgettable story, you need an unforgettable character. But what makes a character interesting? What keeps the reader / audience intrigued? If the character is the same from beginning to end, do you have a story? Yes, but do you have an unforgettable story? Think about the books on your keeper shelves. Even detective series stories sell better when the recurring sleuth character faces personal problems and continues to grow. Janet Evanovich knows this. Do we really care so much about Stephanie Plum's latest mystery? No. We want to know what she's going to do to resolve her romance with Joe Morelli while fighting her attraction to Ranger. We want to know if she can manage to keep from losing her newest car to yet another mishap. We want to know if her parents will finally reconcile themselves with her life's chosen work. Personally, I want to know how she manages to zip her jeans after all those Tasty Cakes.
So how do we make our protagonist stand out? First, you give him a flaw—at least one. Then you give him an opportunity for personal growth. How he responds to that opportunity is your story.
To paraphrase Donald Maass (Writing the Breakout Novel), you should list five things your hero would never say and five things he'd never do. Then take the top one from each list and make him say/do it. Characters forced by circumstances to grow make memorable stories. Who can forget Scarlett O'Hara, Southern belle at the first of the book, shooting that trespassing Yankee and dumping his body in the well three or four hundred pages later?
At the beginning of the 1990 film Quigley Down Under, we learn that Matthew Quigley prefers his special rifle to a handgun. We also know that Crazy Cora mistakes him for her ex-husband, Roy. She insists on calling him Roy, and Quigley insists on her calling him Matthew. The last thing he'd say is his name is Roy Cobb. The last thing he'd do is confront his nemesis with a handgun. Yet in the final ordeal, [spoiler alert] he kills Marston in a shootout using the pistol Marston provides, thinking to put Quigley at a disadvantage. At the movie's end, when he's a wanted man and is booking passage back to the states, the ticket master asks his name. Quigley sees Cora standing in the doorway and replies, "Roy Cobb," the answer that saves him from capture but also communicates his affection for Cora.
In the movie Collateral, Max is a taxi driver who takes great pride in his work and in the condition of his cab. The last thing he'd do is wreck his taxicab deliberately. [spoiler alert] Yet that is exactly what he must do to escape Vincent, the hit man holding him hostage. Collateral is a strong example of the hero's journey (The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler). The story is Max's, skillfully portrayed by Jamie Foxx, from the Call to Adventure to the Return with the Elixir. During the course of one night he grows from playing it too safe in his ordinary world to [spoiler alert] confronting the hit man and killing him. Max is not the same man at the end of the story, and that keeps us riveted.
Find the one thing your character fears or loathes then make him confront it. If your heroine must rescue her child from being trapped in a cave, make her claustrophobic. If the child is trapped in an upper floor of a burning building, make the rescuer fearful of heights. Notice how in every Indiana Jones movie Indy has to confront snakes? The fearless archaeology professor faces down Nazis and savage tribes but is deathly afraid of snakes.
Find Cheryl's newest novel, Reclaim My Life, here. Cheryl's web site is here.
~ by Monette Michaels on January 19, 2010.
I'd just like to add that in regency romance, where there are really only 3-4 major plot lines, characters are everything.
Uninvoked — how very true. Georgette Heyer was the first romance author I ever read as a teenager and her characters were her novels. Devil's Cub was my favorite and the byplay between Dominic and Mary kept me reading. Thanks for the comment!
Cheri is a Joe-girl. I am a Ranger-girl. So who do you like?
Great advice…I'm going to try the three things list now. Thanks for the tip Cheryl! Nice to "meet" you.


Do women need to do the first-born fast for a minor son?
Rema in Shulchan Aruch, 470:2 says that a father should fast for his first born (or attend a siyum) on Erev Pesach, if the son is too young to fast, himself. He also states, that if the father, himself is a first born, then the mother should fast for the son.
Let's say the father died, or for some reason, the father cannot fast for health reasons. Is the mother obligated to fast or attend the siyum for her son?
If she doesn't have a husband to fast on behalf of her child, she does not need to fast if she is pregnant or nursing and she will have pain from fasting, and the same Din applies to a woman who gave within the last 30 days even if she suffers no pain.
Nevertheless, if she fasted once in the past on behalf of her son and she had in mind then to act accordingly forever until her son grows up, then this fast is to her like a neder (vow) and she must annul it through sheilah vachrota (the process of annulling one's vows).
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged women passover fast-days bechor-firstborn .
Does a minyan use fast-day liturgy for the fast of the firstborn if some will override the fast?
Is there a custom that the person who makes the siyum on the fast of the first-born should be a bechor?
Fasting on yarhzeit of parent — must be "m'kabel" the fast from the day before?
Why do the first born fast on erev Pesach?


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MM 3603 - Jamia Evans
Directed Study in Mass Media II
#10: Wildcard
Google Play is dead! Or at least it will be...
According to 9to5google.com, "our tipster said that Google was planning to 'move the entire service over to YouTube Music ["Remix"].' They said that Google is 'working on YouTube Music features to bring it more in line with what Play Music offers.' While our tipster didn't provide a timeline, Kellen's 'reliable source' says 'users will be forced off of Play Music by the end of 2018 and onto Remix.'"
I, for one, am personally excited for a YouTube hosted rival to Spotify and Apple Music. Around 2009, a younger version of myself would find myself deep in the content of YouTube whether is was random videos or music. Streaming was the only way I could listen to music on my devices other than using the voice recorder app while playing a song out loud. The main struggle with music and YouTube is the lack of multitasking. As soon as you close out of the application, everything shuts off until you reopen it. People have been complaining about this for years, and in order for them to keep up demand, YouTube Remix will most definitely have to be able to play in the background. Remix is apparently YouTube's attempt to please music publishers with more revenue from music placed on its service. With YouTube continually pulling in major online traffic, a lot of which is dedicated to music streaming, music executives want in on the action. But what about YouTube Red, isn't that good enough? Well, apparently not, and Remix will be more focused solely on music, not just removing ads from videos the user wants to watch.
Another benefit to YouTube Remix is the universal aspect it brings for android and iPhone users. Although Apple Music will probably never give up, the division that Android and iPhone has with it's products makes it hard to have unity in within their audiences. On the other hand, the deep apartheid may have been the key to keep their brads alive.
at April 25, 2018 2 comments:
#9: Classmate Blog Critique
I want to start off by saying that I am extremely impressed with the blog turn out. A lot of people may take the words "LOOK AT WHAT YOUR PEERS DID" for granted, but you guys have no idea how much you inspire my creativity. I have a system of evaluation that not only helped me conduct this critique , but it also allows me to browse through your work when I am stuck on my own. So let's get to it!
FIRST, I would like to point out the ones who obviously know how valuable research is. Kobe, Cole, Lauren, Forest Pierce, Shariya, Houston, Joshua Turner, and Suzanne all post with exceptional detail. If I need the expertise on something they most definitely know what they are talking about. As for writing style, I find Lauren, Anna, Desmion, Dasha, Justice and Suzanne to dazzle the crowd. When it comes to length, Anna, Justice, Houston, Joshua Turner, and Suzanne always meet the requirements. And last but not least, Kobe, Justice, Forest Pierce, Lauren, and Houston own the blogs that are most visually pleasant.
I personally loved the layout of Kobe's blog the most:
It is easy to navigate, and I don't have to exhaust myself with a lot of scrolling. However he has this huge amount of space to the right of his text that is not used. His graphics and word choices are consistent, but his font style and sizes are very inconsistent. I would also like to see his post for "Predictions" connect more to what could be artificial intelligence rather than just technology in general. He could also distinguish his post titles more from his body text with a different font. Other than this, I feel that his blog has a very serious vibe to it, and his posts are all well written.
Lauren's blog definitely reflects a powerhouse of analyzation:
Her combination of aesthetics and writing style show promise, and her blog feels the most natural to me. I like the nostalgic feel of the graphics, but I am missing a splash of color from something other than the pictures. I would suggest making the links a slightly brighter color or changing the color of your post titles/blog title. Otherwise, I shall let you be great! [insert clapping emoji here].
Suzanne's blog stands among the ones that I explicitly admire:
Besides her great work ethic, Suzanne exemplifies a writing style that is personal, informative, and continuous. She is very articulate with work, and she does not hold back her opinion. The only complaints that I would have would be the color choice along with the length of her writing. Although her writing is far from boring, the color brown could be misleading and somewhat unattractive. I feel like using lighter nude colors will complement appeal. I noticed the map at the top sort of gets drowned out by how dark the brown is. If the background color is a must then I suggest changing the font of your blog titles to something a little more playful. Try a font that resembles that of a map of a vintage globe.
Both Justice and Houston never fail to leave me envious with their aesthetic appeal and writing abilities:
Justice is very entertaining, and his blog is beautifully contrasted. I actually sort of feel like I am reading a magazine. I like the touch of sectioning with underlined titles within your "Predictions" post. Perhaps you can go back and separate your ideas the same way in your other posts. Houston, on the other hand, comes off extremely intellectual without being too serious with his themes. I would like to see more consistency with his fonts and text orientation. Also, as beautiful as the background is, I'm not sure if I like how it's tiled in the background instead of just one continuous picture.
As for others: TURNER has great information, but I feel like he could use a different font or background or develop a theme for his blog. SHARIYA's done great with her color choices, but I think the back ground picture is low resolution and needs to be continuous instead of tiled as well. PIERCE has an inconsistent picture to text ratio to me. The pictures space out the words too much almost like it's a slideshow, but his blog still looks awesome! DASHA's blog is very consistent, but her "Advertising" post needs at least one graphic. I really want DESMION to change the font of his blog title and probably the posts too. It's blocky, and, for me, takes the personality out of the rest of the blog. There are only a few punctuation problems that can be easily looked over on ANNA's blog, unlike her nice eye-grabbing vintage flare. And finally COLE, I like the red, but you have too much. I can't help but stare at the background even though it is simple.
at April 10, 2018 No comments:
#8: Predictions
Between being flashed by social media and practically suffocated by advertisements, there is absolutely no room for pre-web patience. The most obvious path of television's downfall will start with the infamous practice of "cutting the cord". Now obviously you are not physically clipping any wires or permanently destroying ties with cable/satellite companies. The term "cutting the cord" is specifically described as the process of "cutting expensive cable connections in order to change to a low-cost TV channel subscription through over-the-air (OT) free broadcasts, through antenna, or over-the-top (OTT) broadcast over the Internet" by Techopedia. This act began around 2010, and is now an ongoing trend more encouraged today by popular video streaming hosts like Netflix, Hulu, and Apple TV.
There are major advantages to ditching your satellite dish. The most noticeable would be the fixed, low prices that are available; depending on the price of your cable bill, you can purchase more than one streaming service subscription and still save money in comparison. But, is this enough to completely eradicate regularly scheduled programming?
Honestly, we don't give network innovators enough credit for their adaptation concepts. I don't think television will completely die. I think that it will simply merge into a more relevant format that tailors itself to the internet audiences. I can imagine cable television going completely digital. The context would bare resemblance to Hulu or Netflix, but each network will start off independent, and they will eventually merge and one will buy them all out. There will be more commercials unless given the option to pay and remove/lessen them which is a huge commission in itself. Also the extended options will be a plus considering that a common complaint (especially for Netflix) is that there is nothing good to watch or choose from.
Another question could be: "How will the cable providers integrate the convenience of live on-going television with the liberties of streaming video?" Well if you think about it, the format has already been created. Products like Tivo and dish add-ins allow you to pause, rewind, fast-forward, etc. on live television, but for a fee of course. Either way the fear of several contracts and upgrades could still easily send anyone straight to Internet services. If cable/satellite television wants to keep up with the Jones', they are going to have to make some huge financial compromises with costs and commercials. Either that or throw in some very flattering deals to widen their market.
#7: Binge Watching
Think of me as an explorer of a different spectrum when it comes to subscribing or streaming movies and video series. Most of the time I stretch out in my bed, turn on a random television series, and probably pass out from exhaustion or general disinterest. I guess you can say I binge subconsciously for the background noise. If I actually feel like seriously watching something, my innate instinct is to check the "Comedy" category of Netflix for something good. My next option would be "Drama" simply because of the context that comes with the word. When I think of dramas I think of nail biting, breath holding, mind numbing stories with several probably predictable themes; I mean, let's be honest, if there is no tension or cliff hanger then the plot just sort of melts away. Then there's "Horror", but after that I just search the home screen option for what they think is best.
Even though I am a part of the Netflix and Chill demographic, I mostly keep it PG-13, and I'm not talking about the ratings [insert unsettling laugh here]. But outside of my love life, I recently found myself scheduling binges with my friends. Since they all have different personalities and interests, my friends often introduce me to some awesome productions that I would have normally just looked over. Even though I do enjoy my alone time, binge watching becomes 10 times better when you have a friend to make side comments with. Sometimes, when my friends and I binge a TV series, we like to predict the next episodes while we analyze the connections between what we just saw. A couple of sodas, some Ramen noodles, and maybe even a bag or two of popcorn later, and we realized we just had some of the best moments of our lives bonding through hours of lost time.
Almost a year ago, my best friend and I would rush back to our dorm room for an AHS session otherwise known as American Horror Story. At the time AHS was still fairly popular. On Netflix they only had seasons 1-5, and naturally we started at 4 because we were never the most traditional human beings. The real reason was because my best friend had heard about "Freak Show" before, and since each season is a completely different story, it really didn't matter which order they were watched. I feel like if we had watched them in the order they were made, I would have appreciated season 4 more than I did. Consequently, my favorite had to be season 3: "Coven". I often binge watch with my friend Britney. She likes to watch more lively and animated shows like anime, actions, and comedies unlike my best friend who would prefer something more serious feeling like dramas and Sci-Fi/fantasy. Not too long ago I began venturing back into anime, and I plan to watch Seven Deadly Sins with Britney because she surprisingly had never watched it before. We also started watching Atlanta from Hulu, we have binged several Poppy videos on YouTube, and we found her after binge watching a series of theoretical shorts called Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.
When I'm alone I like to re-watch classics which are sort of cultural staples that Netflix continues to host. I took it upon myself to binge watch Family Guy, American Dad, and Futurama because they are considered as vintage and commonly known. One of my favorite vintage television shows of all time would have to be A Different World! I was seriously devastated when I made it to the last episode because I didn't want it to end and I didn't know where to go next. It was just that good! Another understated and underappreciated, but popular, Netflix series that I loved was Dear White People. Every episode was formulated to keep you wanting more while delivering a strong and empowering message to society. A similar binge that everyone (especially in my dorm) was raving about in the beginning of this semester was She's Gotta Have It (2017). This is a TV series created by Spike Lee adapted from the movie She'sGotta Have it (1986) also written and directed by Spike Lee. All three of these shows have the common element of basing either college students or young adults that face the struggles of life and growing up. The stars are also black or African American, just like myself, and they are mostly intellectual in several aspect even though they are ultimately confused and learning new things.
Although I don't know anyone else's personal habits, I feel like the things we watch reflect something within ourselves. Maybe we subconsciously use it to play out situations that we could possibly go through or have already been. This could be why we binge watch and create bonds or connections with the characters. We could also be using the shows or videos to escape from reality and live through them. I know that when I watch my favorite shows, no matter how many times I watch it, I can still evoke the same narcissistic emotions as the first time compared to basically feeling nothing when I binge watching something that barely relates to me.
#6: Global Trends
Gamifying Behavior Change | Mariam Adil | TEDxYouth@ColumbiaHeights
West African Entrepreneur, Innovator, and Educational Specialist Mariam Adil has a dream of enlightening not only her country but the world to new challenges and ways of thinking. Alumna Mariam Adil is the founder of The Gaming Revolution of Inspiring (or International) Development otherwise known as GRID. This is a social venture that creates low-cost mobile games that are played by people around the world to change stereotypes and serve as educational resources according to GW Hatchet. Believe it or not this large inner-web of latter cognition began with just a day-dream in an economics class back in 2013. Today we see Adil in her prime as a game developer and team leader, nearing a total of 9 productions. However, this is a side job to her position as an operations analyst for the World Bank.
By setting a target towards maturation, she opens mental doors for people who have never had the chance to be reached. Adil worked with UNICEF Pakistan to spread the games through workshops with students where the group provides information on the topic and encourages attendees to download. GRID games are accessible as mobile applications which target a younger or more complicated demographic. Adil's games are free on the App Store for both iPhone and Android users. This ongoing trend of "faster and cheaper" enhances the attraction of low-cost and free applications which increases the chances of downloads. In fact Adil brought up a shocking revelation that "we are looking at a world where people have mobile phones, even if they don't have toilets," so the importance of entertainment and connections is definitely a high priority.
Mariam Adil is on a mission for the success of others. She told GW Hatchet "I want to have many, many games, solve several different problems and really become a pioneer in the use of games to inspire behavior change and to solve problems not only in the West but around the world." Adil is currently working with George Mason University on a new game that educates users on endometriosis, a painful disorder when the lining of the uterus grows on the outside, and their target audience is women in the United States. Adil said she is also working on games related to climate change, student loans, financial literacy and youth employment. Not only does she exemplify a super hero for unconsciousness, she is sort of the kind of kindred light that the world currently needs.
#5: Survelliance or Law Enforcement
A little dog's terrifying encounter with an angry moose was caught on camera. (Source: Kim Mahosky)
In the urban depths of Anchorage, Alaska, a dog cries moose to alert neighboring ears of danger. On Sunday February 18th, a surveillance video was released of a cocker spaniel named Daisy being chased and trampled several by a moose cow in the backyard of her owner, Kim Mahosky. This well-loved pup was let outside for some play time along with Mahosky's other dog, a pit bull, before the moose cow jumped the fence as seen in the video.
Although some controversy arose about the video's intent, Kim Mahosky had no knowledge of the moose before the abuse took place. She told KCCI that "the dogs were barking and [she] looked up." Mahosky had been acknowledged with criticism from misunderstanding that the video was simply proof that accompanied her warning of how dangerous moose can really be. She concluded her address by saying "I didn't let my dogs out to go chase down a moose and torment it and you know people need to realize that I didn't stand out there and videotape this. It was my house surveillance camera that picked it all up. I had no idea."
at February 22, 2018 No comments:
#4: Advertisement Analysis
People Of Color Discuss Black History Month
We are nearing the middle of February, a.k.a. Black History Month (BHM), where the push for low levels of hostility between black people and the rest of the world are at an all-time high. As we know, racial translation has always been, and will probably always be, an ongoing process in America. Most people often use it to create an example out of a person or situation while others choose to ignore our obvious differences and claim that they "don't see color". But, what is America really saying about African Americans during their most influential period of the year?
Major news outlets are glorifying Black History Month, as they should, for the support of the public, but rather than applying a small amount of pressure, some have gone as far as challenging the hate or even calling it out. Author Kerra L. Bolton wants to know "are you willing to challenge and change your beliefs…?" through CNN by revisiting the essence of BHM and why America provided this celebration in the first place. In this, they pose some rhetoric for reflection which sends a strong positive message of how CNN feels about black history. Washington Post went even deeper with their target: the parents. Author A. Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez explains that "BHM provides education to white Americans who are unaware of the social, systematic and personal grievances experienced by the descendants of African slaves." She strongly heeds not only the youth but their providers of the circumstances of this opportunity for unity.
Although there are several individuals and groups who can truly classify themselves as "woke", even the slightest bend to the Black History Month rules can lead a trail of fire behind it. WBUR News reported on February 12, 2018 that sometime this month, the Boston Police Department were set ablaze by social media standards. The department's decision to recognize a white male for his contributions to black history in the NBA was put to rest very swiftly due to responses calling them "tone-deaf" and "clueless". The tweet was later removed and paired with not only a statement from Boston's Mayor, Marty Walsh, saying it was "completely inappropriate", but with a new tweet where tribute was payed straight to the source. This is a great example of how strategic, planned, and careful an advertisement should before laying it out to our diverse audiences. The Boston Police Department claims to have had no intentions in offending anyone and apologized for the matter, but have possibly broken a bond with their public eye.
#3: Product Review
Fall is usually a very active season for consumers. After school lets back in, we are trampled with fall fashion traffic, holiday traditions, and not to mention the "deals" that we just can't pass up. But, if you follow the Apple Inc. trends like a 16 year-old would keep up with the Kardashians, fall means that thousands of dollars will be burned on a brand new iPhone upon its release.
In 2017, Apple baffled the public by dropping not one but three iPhone additions; There is the iPhone 8, the iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X (pronounced iPhone "ten"). The purpose of this triple threat was to maximize sales by providing a smartphone that attracts the entry-level users that usually stray because of the high prices while also catering to the veterans that are only really shook by the new advances.
Virtually, the iPhone 8 and 8+ are exactly the same as the iPhone 7 and 7+ give or take a design change or two. So let's focus on the iPhone X. As we all know, every change to the newest edition's design is tagged as revolutionary, but is it really? The features that seem to make this product desirable are the 5.8-inch Super Retina screen, facial recognition features, and portrait mode. Neither are brand new to the advocated smartphone scene. As a matter of fact they, Android has played around with each of the features for years, but Apple has a unique system of exposure that makes them feel like they are original ideas especially for their clientele. The new all-screen front is more of an aesthetic feature that does not really add anything to the ease of access. According to Techradar:
The disappearance of the home button is a very debatable topic especially if you are an Android user considering the conversion. Yes, the look is sleeker without it, but will consumers be up for learning a whole new set of controls? Touch ID is completely booted from the iPhone X; This means if face recognition ever decides to fail, you have the option to type in your personally generated pass code.
#2: Programming Trends
Growing up practically an only child gave me loads of time to discover the many corners of the internet. Around the age of 13 I discovered YouTube videos which, at the time, sufficed as the prehistoric era of binge watching; and same as today, we called it getting lost. As time went on, I grew and developed and so did the value, production, and distribution of www.youtube.com.
YouTube was founded back in 2005 as a social platform for "users to upload, view, rate, share, add to favorites, report, comment on videos, and subscribe to other users." The site went by the slogan: "Broadcast Yourself" from 2005 up until 2012, and that is just what people did. Today YouTube serves as an outlet for several artists, concepts, and personalities. In all actuality, the most prevalent distinction between the "old YouTube" (2005- 2009) and the "new YouTube" (2010-present) has major dealings with self-promotion and advertising. It has become a permanent staple for exposure in any field from amateur to professional.
About 2 years later in 2014, the cyber entertainment subculture was already more than booming. Everyone became obsessed with skits, parodies, and other forms of comedic release. While indulging in this society, through one of my religiously watched channels (qbanguy) I stumbled across a YouTuber with the username LaToya Forever. In the beginning of her YouTube career, she projected herself as some crazy, Trinidadian girl from Canada who loved to make people laugh with her friends and family. Throughout the years she brought her "Crazies" through her life tribulations and has yet to fail in utilizing YouTube as a host for her many niches across the web. Today she is a wife, mother of 2, fitness enthusiast, and entrepreneur all while maintaining her two successful YouTube channels full time.
LaToya Ali began her first channel, LaToya Forever, in 2009 where she created progression content through her YouTube personality "LaToya Forever™". She began her second channel, LaToya's Life, to separate her scripted comedy from the reality of her everyday life through a reality vlog-series. The first channel excels in the idea of collaboration while the seconds channel gives her viewers a more personal relationship with her. Latoya is what I like to call an imperial vlogger. An imperial vlogger is someone who uses their credibility to build those around them creating a sort of empire that strengthens relevance of their social presence. Since her start 2009, LaToya has exposed her followers to over 50 other YouTube personalities from the 5+ countries including Dianá aka Tootsie Time from the UK and Jamie and Nikki from Australia. She also frequently features her many connections with family and friends like Auntie Jillian, her real life aunt, whom is one of several that she inspired/helped to create a YouTube channel, and established model and friend Winnie Harlow. Latoya skillfully navigates her content around her personal strengths and turning points. Her strongest attribute overall is her appeal to emotion. LaToya Forever is an inspiring character that dared the average female to take risks and make changes. LaToya's Life incorporates the LaToya Forever everyone knew and loved but appeals to growth which triggers the viewers sense of apathy by basically living through her and comparing their own lives as inferior to hers. LaToya's social strategy made a drastic change from keeping up with the latest trend to focusing more on family life.
#1 : Personal Video Habits
Many times I have prided myself over the restraint that I can put against my media browsing rituals, and how I can hop in and out of a cyber rut at any time. But let's face it; I'm a social junkie and I am willing to blame it on my peers for the constant temptation. Well, maybe it's not entirely their fault, but they definitely do help me stay posted on the latest season of American Horror Story. They also seem to never skip a Queen Bee or Kardashian ultra sound, but who does?
As a college student, and a Mass Communications major if I may add, the most used video source I have would be Facebook. I spend countless hours scrolling through videos that have been shared all over the world. It usually starts with a couple of flicks on my screen to find posts of interest to view, but once you click a video, there are several featured or similar videos under it that will automatically play if the screen is left idle in order to make your lazy day even less occupational. I constantly switch between Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter videos while almost never missing a conversation or group chat message. For my generation, binge watching is not just a pass time. It is a tradition! And my friends and I enjoy the strong connection we can build between the emotions of a Netflix series; we even like how lost we feel once the series is played out and our lives no longer have meaning. YouTube, however, is more of a tool rather than an entertainment experience. I usually use it to conduct product research and to find tutorials while providing the occasional awe to the many commentators and entertainers that utilize YouTube as an outlet for their art.
My personal video habits are not only secondary. On pretty much any social media platform, any one person has the ability to create video content and to upload it publicly. If you were to add me on Snapchat (@itxxmimi), you would see that I post to my Snapchat story several times a week. Usually it will be an instance from my everyday life, but sometimes I will even promote myself and my own content with commentary, support tactics, entertainment, comedy, and recently a fad or two just to get people thinking in the direction of my future. I aspire to be a YouTuber one day, and I usually observe current artists mostly through video to create my own name.
Google Play is dead! Or at least it will be... According to 9to5google.com , "our tipster said that Google was planning to 'mo...
Between being flashed by social media and practically suffocated by advertisements, there is absolutely no room for pre-web patience. The...
Jamia Evans
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Cotinus coggygria, syn. Rhus cotinus, the European smoketree, Eurasian smoketree, smoke tree, smoke bush, Venice sumach, or dyer's sumach is a species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae, native to a large area from southern Europe, east across central Asia and the Himalayas to northern China.
It is a multiple-branching shrub growing to 5–7 m (16–23 ft) tall with an open, spreading, irregular habit, only rarely forming a small tree. The leaves are 3–8 cm long rounded ovals, green with a waxy glaucous sheen. The autumn colour can be strikingly varied, from peach and yellow to scarlet. The flowers are numerous, produced in large inflorescences 15–30 cm (5.9–11.8 in) long; each flower 5–10 mm diameter, with five pale yellow petals. Most of the flowers in each inflorescence abort, elongating into yellowish-pink to pinkish-purple feathery plumes (when viewed en masse these have a wispy 'smoke-like' appearance, hence the common name) which surround the small (2–3 mm) drupaceous fruit that do develop.
It is commonly grown as an ornamental plant, with several cultivars available. Many of these have been selected for purple foliage and flowers.
The species and its cultivars 'Royal Purple' and 'Flame' have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
The wood was formerly used to make the yellow dye called young fustic.
Macrofossils of Cotinus coggygria from the early Pliocene epoch have been found in Western Georgia in the Caucasus region.
^ "European smoketree". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
^ "RHS Plant Selector Cotinus coggygria AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
^ "RHS Plant Selector Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
^ a b "RHS Plant Selector Cotinus 'Flame' AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
This page was last edited on 14 July 2018, at 23:11 (UTC).