text:
China discovers the world, Strayer 9
Hallie Schulze
MQ #1: Why are the centuries of the Tang and Song dynasties in China sometimes referred to as a "golden age"?
-growth of population (120 million by 1200)
-agricultural production (fast-ripening, drought-resistant strain of rice from Vietnam)
-urbanization (Hangzhou held large markets and houses more than a million people)
-industrial production (iron industry provided 32,000 suits or armour and 16 million arrowheads annually)
-technological innovation (new inventions like gun powder and printed books)
-commercialization (producing for the market rather than for local consumption)
Miss anything?
Sydney Han
Hey Hallie, to add on to your list there was the rise of neo-Confucianism, reviving Confucian thinking while incorporating insights of Buddhism and Daoism. They also built lasting state structures, including 6 ministries (personnel, finance, rites, army, justice and public works) and the Censorate (agency which exercised surveillance over the rest of gov. checking for character and competence or public office). And I'm not sure if this is also included but there was the revival of the examination systems as well. They became more complex and there was an effort to prevent cheating (checking the candidates before the test and using numbers instead of names). The preparation in schools and colleges- for the examination systems- became a central feature in upper class life. So, I'm not sure if the examinations part is included in the answer, but I hope this helped :)
Yeah thanks!!!
Um, you have most of the elements here between the two of you, but my reading was a bit different.
During this period, China reached a cultural peak, setting standards of excellence in poetry, landscape painting, and ceramics.
Particularly during the Song dynasty, there was an explosion of scholarship that gave rise to Neo- Confucianism.
Politically, the Tang and Song dynasties built a state structure that endured for a thousand years.
Tang and Song dynasty China experienced an economic revolution that made it the richest empire on earth.
Population grew rapidly, from 50 million–60 million people during the Tang dynasty to 120 million by 1200, spurred in part by a remarkable growth in agricultural production.
During this period, China possessed dozens of cities of over 100,000 people and a capital at Hangzhou with a population of over a million people.
Industrial production soared during the period, and technological innovation flourished, including the invention of printing and gunpowder, along with innovations in navigation and shipbuilding that led the world.
The economy of China became the most highly commercialized in the world, producing for the market rather than for local consumption. Look up the word "commercialized."
MQ#2: In what ways did women's lives change during the Tang and Song dynasties?
-they were involved a lot in religion (Queen Mother of the West in Daoism)
-new Confucianism supports and worsens patriarchy
-foot binding (supporting the idea that women should be smaller, weaker, and more delicate than men)
-they worked as either maids, cooks, dressmakers, etc. or as entertainers/concubines/prostitutes
-their property rights expanded
-they were encouraged to get an education
Cathleen
I'm just going to elaborate on your stellar answer, is that cool?
-women no longer participated in textile creating
Maybe try separating the working as maids, etc from the concubines and prostitutes, because those are different ideas. Women working as maids, cooks, dressmakers was a positive trend, because they ha dmore autonomy in that sense. Becoming a prostitute showed the dominating patriarchy and resulted in jealousy amongst women (concubines versus the wife. both compete for man's attention)
There's a big difference between women getting jobs like selling fish versus selling their bodies.
MQ#3: How did the Chinese and their nomadic neighbors to the north veiw each other?
Nomads:
-drawn to China
Chinese:
-annoyed by the constant attacks if the nomads
Both:
-need each other's goods
-thought the of the other as a threat
The nomadic neighbors saw China as the source of grain, other agricultural products, and luxury goods.
They also viewed China as a threat, because the Chinese periodically directed their military forces deep into the steppes, built the Great Wall to keep the nomads out, and often proved unwilling to allow pastoral peoples easy access to trading opportunities within China.
The Chinese saw the nomads as a military threat. (Which they were.)
But they also needed the nomads, whose lands were the source of horses, which were essential to the Chinese military, and of other products, including skins, furs, hides, and amber.
Also, the nomads controlled much of the Silk Road trading network, which funneled goods from the West into China.
elle (praying hands emoji) norman
For MQ 4 (What assumptions underlay the tribute system,?), I was wondering if it's completely necessary to explain the tribute system or not. Should I just go into my explanations or give an example of what the system was?
I think that when you discuss the underlying assumptions, you'll end up being descriptive of the system.
Morgan Levine
MQ #4: In what different ways did Korea, Vietnam, and Japan experience and respond to Chinese influence?
Okay, so this question seems outrageously broad, and I'm sure that I'm going to miss things. Also, I think it's interesting to note that all of the countries engaged in a tributary relationship with China while retaining distinctive identities (each created their own language based off of Chinese, too), so that's a general thing - I think the differences lie in the ways that they engaged w/ China and cultivated their own culture. Okay, so here's my take:
- creation of state was dependent on Silla-Chinese alliance
- sharply resisted Chinese efforts to assimilate Koreans
- sought to replicate Chinese culture and court life
- Korean aristocracy used Chinese luxury goods
- Students sent to China to study
- Confucianism and Buddhism became prevalent religions
- As Confucian/Chinese influence grew, traditional freedoms for women decreased
- 1,000 years of strong Chinese presence stirred resentment and rebellions that eventually allowed Vietnam to gain independence.
- Vietnam utilized Chinese state structure to assert state power
- Vietnamese women retained power in local religions
- physically separated from China, so all borrowing of Chinese culture was voluntary (!!)
- Japanese aristocrats engaged in missions to China in order to create a Chinese-style state
- Confucian emphasis on moral quality of rulers
- adopted Chinese culture/schooling/cities
- blended Buddhism with native Japanese Shinto
- women retained status until rise of samurai culture
Ok, this is a lot - it needs to be cleaned up, and probably (sigh) needs some additional information. Help, anyone?
Morgan again, sorry
It's actually MQ #7, folks. Sorry bout that.
in what different ways did Japanese and korean women experience the pressures of confucian orthodoxy?
Korean women restrictions were heightened by Confucian orthodoxy. Rights they had before like raising children in their families' homes, female inheritance, widow remarriage, and burial ceremonies of a husband in his wife's burial area went against the fundamentals of confucianism. Plural marriages for men were eroded and primary wives were given better privileges than a secondary wife. This caused tension amongst families and women.
Japanese elite women escaped this restrictive form of chinese confucianism like foot binding or being restrained to the house all day. This is largely part to the influence of chinese confucianism from the more liberal tang dynasty with more freedom for women.Japanese women were allowed to inherit property, live apart from her husband or with her family, and could break a marriage easily.
Too much? Too little? Way off?
While this is a great place to test your ideas about margin questions and big picture questions, consider thinking "outside the box" and connecting this content to your life, and other experiences you've had with learning.


John Edward Pittman, Sr., died April 7, 2019 in Naples, FL. He had been a resident the past 21 years. Jack was born in South Boston, MA and attended Northeastern University. He served in the US Coast Guard from 1952 to 1956. Jack worked as an electrical engineer for Bell Labs and later New England Telephone. He enjoyed woodworking and was a very good handyman especially with electrical issues.
His family was important to him and spending time with family and friends on Sagamore Beach were cherished memories. He is survived by his children, John E. (Laura) Pittman II of Ashland, MA, Steven V. (Caryn) Pittman of Upton, MA, and Lisa M. (David) Dawe of Oriental, NC. He is also survived by 8 grandchildren, a sister Betty Sullivan of North Dartmouth, MA, and his brothers, Don, Bill, and Bob Pittman all of Naples. He was preceded in death by Jeana in 2018 and by a brother James Joseph Pittman, Jr.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, April 17 at 10:00 am at St. Margaret Church 141 Main Street, Buzzards Bay, MA. The family will receive friends on Tuesday from 6 until 8 pm at the Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home 40 MacArthur Blvd., Bourne. Interment at the Massachusetts National Cemetery. Donations in his memory may be made to the WoundedWarriorsProject.org, or the National Kidney Foundation of Florida, 1040 Woodcock Road, Suite 119, Orlando, FL 32803.


text:
Police attend shooting in Los Angeles area, multiple casualties
(Reuters) -Police were attending a shooting in Monterey Park, California with multiple casualities on Saturday night, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a law enforcement source.
The shooting took place after 10 p.m. (0600 GMT) around the location of a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration held in Monterey Park, the newspaper said.
Tens of thousands of people had attended the festival earlier in the day.
Footage posted on social media showed deserted, cordoned-off streets guarded by police cars.
Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles county, around 7 miles (11 km) from downtown Los Angeles.
Previous SBF's newest Excel spreadsheet reveals all By Cointelegraph
Next California rampage is the latest mass shooting in the United States By Reuters
Adani's $2.5 billion share sale faces crucial day after Indian rout By Reuters
GunFight Drops Heavy-Hitting Dubstep Single "Salvo"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Morpheme Garcinia 5X capsule is enriched with garcinia cambogia extract (standardized to 60% HCA), green coffee extract Standardized to 50% chlorogenic acid) and green tea extract (standardized to 90% polyphenol), forskolin extract (standardized to 20% forskolin), grape seed extract (95% procyanidins). It is a natural and effective product for management of weight. For adults, take one capsule, 30 minutes before suggested lukewarm water, 1-2 times a day. Avoid snacking and try to drink 10 glasses of water each day. For best results, use it for 60 days in combination with diet and training. Use under medical supervision.


text:
Q: Load testing WCF service (hosted on IIS) What tools are there that I can test out a WCF service?
I am expecting allot of load so I want to have an idea how much a single server can handle.

A: I wrote my own tool (WCFStorm).  These are the features:
General:
◦Dynamically invoke and test WCF Services
◦Dynamically invoke and test Web services written in any language
◦Save your opened service and its test cases into a "project" which can be reloaded anytime
◦Dynamically invoke service methods even those containing complex data types
◦UI-based, dynamic editing of complex data types
◦Test multiple WCF and Web services within a single UI.
◦Multiple-tabbed interface
◦Basic and windows authentication
◦Test services sitting behind a proxy
◦Dynamically modify the URL endpoint of a WCF or Web service.
◦Dynamically edit the service binding.
Functional Testing:
◦Create functional test cases and save it as part of a project
◦Create and save functional test cases containing Expected results.
◦Graphically compare (side-by-side) the expected results with the actual response of a service.
Performance Testing:
◦Create performance test cases and save it as part of a project
◦Graphically display charts in real-time as the performance test progresses.
◦Configurable test parameters (# of Agents, Test duration, interval etc.).  You can    stress out your service as much as you want.
Check out the screenshot.

(source: geekswithblogs.net)

A: Start with this:
http://www.codeplex.com/WCFLoadTest
It doesn't do everything possible with WCF, but it is the best tool to start with. Worse comes to worse, it's not that hard to write manual invocation code with web services. They are much easier to load test than web sites.

A: WCFLoadTest all the way. I've even talked to MS guys who swear by this tool.
Visual Studio also has some load testing tools available, but I cannot vouch for how well they do their job, nor can I say which versions of VS contain the load testing tools.

A: The SO-Aware test workbench makes things very easy with a rich visual experience. You can build a variety of tests and scenarios and run them very quickly.
http://www.tellagostudios.com/products/so-aware-test-workbench%E2%84%A2

A: Try http://www.soapui.org/ there's an open source and pro version you will need to tick download loadui, which is your load test bit.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Speciesism
Ethical theories and nonhuman animals
Animal interests
Introduction to sentience
Animal sentience
The relevance of sentience
Animals used for entertainment
Animals kept as companions or for leisure
Animals as workers and tools
WILD ANIMAL SUFFERING
The situation of animals in the wild
Why wild animal suffering matters
Helping animals in the wild
Welfare biology
DEFENDING ANIMALS
Frequently asked questions about veganism
Vegan tips
Volunteer with Animal Ethics
The idea that only humans are sentient
Sentience is the capacity to have positive and negative experiences, such as feeling pain and pleasure. Sentience can only exist in a creature who is conscious, because to have an experience means to be conscious of something. Sentience puts the emphasis on the experiences themselves, but in order to experience anything, an individual must be conscious.
Those who deny that nonhuman animals are sentient sometimes claim that it cannot be demonstrated whether animals are sentient. As we don't really know how a structure must be organized in order to give rise to conscious experience, these critics say we cannot know for sure if the central nervous systems of nonhuman animals are actually those kinds of structures. They also point out that the behavior associated with conscious responses might result from other causes, and suggest that apparently analgesic substances secreted by the bodies of nonhuman animals – which relieve pain, something that would not be needed in a creature who was not conscious of pain – have other purposes. And finally they have argued that the critical step in the evolution of consciousness has taken place only in the last few tens or at most hundreds of thousands of years.
This is often argued by claiming that the development of the neocortex was that critical step. But we have reasons to reject that posit. In fact, we can call this an anthropocentric view. Moreover, it can be characterized as a radically anthropocentric view, since its proponents claim that animals must be assumed not to be conscious because it can't be proven for sure, despite a great deal of evidence that they are.1 These anthropocentric arguments do not hold up well to scrutiny, for three main reasons.
(1) Animal physiology. It should be noted at the outset that it is impossible to prove today that a being with a centralized nervous system cannot be conscious. So the anthropocentric position suffers at least one of the same problems that skeptics raise, the unprovability of whether or not particular types of centralized nervous systems can give rise to conscious experience.2
(2) Consistency. Those who hold a radically skeptical view about other minds believe that we cannot assume from the available evidence (such as centralized nervous systems and behavioral and physiological indications) the presence or absence of consciousness, and the only acceptable evidence would be if we had access to the mental states of others and could know for sure if they have conscious experiences. If we held a radically skeptical view about other minds, it would be inconsistent to assume that only human beings are conscious. On this view, we should conclude that no individual being other than ourselves is conscious, whether human or nonhuman. That is, we should extend our skepticism to humans, too. The reason is very simple: if we cannot conclude that nonhuman animals are conscious because we have no access to their mental states, then we cannot conclude that human beings are conscious, because we cannot get into their heads and access their experiences, either. This seems, however, highly unlikely, if not practically absurd. Yet this is the view implied by the arguments presented in favor of anthropocentrism, when we take them seriously enough.3
(3) Plausibility and simplicity. We must be guided by the perspective that is most plausible. From the points made above, we see that the radical anthropocentric position cannot prove what it claims to prove, and that if we take its arguments seriously, we reach an implausible conclusion. Since the argument of radical skeptics about the inaccessibility of other minds also applies to other humans, they would also be forced to reject their own assumption that humans other than themselves are conscious. Therefore their hypothesis does not seem to be a plausible one. Most of us believe and act on the assumption that other humans are conscious based on evidence that these skeptics claim to reject. We can see this more clearly if we consider the criteria for sentience: observable behavior, relevant physiology and evolutionary logic. Not only humans, but many nonhuman animals satisfy these criteria.
One of the basic considerations for choosing one scientific theory over another is parsimony, i.e., simplicity in explanation.4 That one explanation is far more complex than another to account for why something happens does not make it false. But it is, in principle, a reason to prefer the simpler alternative. Thus, parsimony leads us to consider that a large number of nonhuman animals are sentient beings. To accept the skeptical view presented above we would have to assume a lot of things that seem very unlikely. For example, we would have to assume that the same complex structures (such as areas of the brain responsible for pain processing in humans and also present in animals) and physiological processes (nervous system activity) have different purposes in animals than they have in humans. When an animal with an injured leg cries out, stops putting pressure on the leg, experiences rapid heartbeat, and produces opioid substances (associated in humans with relieving pain) and what we commonly call stress hormones, we would have to assume that all those things we are observing are present in an injured animal for completely different reasons than when they are present in an injured human.
For further information, see also:
What beings are conscious
Criteria for recognizing sentience
Indicators of animal suffering
Allen, C. (2004) "Animal pain", Noûs, 38, pp. 617-643.
Baars, B. J. (2001) "There are no known differences in brain mechanisms of consciousness between humans and other mammals", Animal Welfare, 10, pp. 31-40.
Bekoff, M. & Allen, C. (1997) "Cognitive ethology: Slayers, skeptics, and proponents", in Mitchell, R. W: Thompson, N. S. & Miles, H. L. (eds.) Anthropomorphism, anecdote, and animals, New York: State University of New York Press.
Bekoff, M. (2007) The emotional lives of animals, Novato: New World Library.
Bekoff, M. & Pierce, J. (2009) Wild justice: The moral lives of animals, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Bekoff, M.; Allen, C. & Burghardt, G. M. (2002) The cognitive animal: Empirical and theoretical perspectives on animal cognition, Cambridge: MIT Press.
Burghardt, G. (1985) "Animal awareness: Current perceptions and historical perspective", American Psychologist, 40, pp. 905-919.
Chandroo, K. P.; Yue, S. & Moccia, R. D. (2004) "An evaluation of current perspectives on consciousness and pain in fishes", Fish and Fisheries, 5, pp. 281-295.
Darwin, C. (1871) The descent of man and selection in relation to sex, New York: Appleton.
Dawkins, M. S. (1993) Through our eyes only?: The search for animal consciousness, New York: W. H. Freeman.
DeGrazia, D. (1996) Taking animals seriously: Mental life & moral status, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, chapter 5.
Edelman D. & Seth, A. (2009) "Animal consciousness: A synthetic approach", Trends in Neuroscience, 9, pp. 476-484.
Glock, H. (2000) "Animals, thoughts and concepts", Synthese, 123, pp. 35-64.
Kirkwood, J. K. & Hubrecht, R. (2001) "Animal consciousness, cognition and welfare", Animal Welfare, 10, pp. 5-17.
Lurz, R. W. (ed.) (2009) Philosophy of animal minds: New essays on animal thought and consciousness, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Nagel, T. (1974) "What is it like to be a bat?", Philosophical Review, 83, pp. 435-450.
Panksepp, J. (2004) Affective neuroscience: The foundations of human and animal emotions, New York: Oxford University Press.
Radner, D. & Radner, M. (1986) Animal consciousness, New York: Prometheus.
Robinson, W. S. (1997) "Some nonhuman animals can have pains in a morally relevant sense", Biology and Philosophy, 12, pp. 51-71.
Rossano, M. J. (2003) "Expertise and the evolution of consciousness", Cognition, 89, pp. 207-236.
Seth, A. K.; Baars, B. J. & Edelman, D. B. (2005) "Criteria for consciousness in humans and other mammals", Consciousness and Cognition, 14, pp. 119-139.
Steiner, G. (2008) Animals and the moral community: Mental life, moral status, and kinship, New York: Columbia University Press.
1 For defenders of the view that only humans are conscious, see: Dennett, D. (1995) "Do animals have beliefs?", in Roitblat, H. & Meyer, J. (eds.) Comparative approaches to cognitive science, Cambridge: MIT Press, pp. 111-118. See also: Carruthers, P. (1989) "Brute experience", Journal of Philosophy, 86, pp. 258-269; (1992) The animal issue: Moral theory in practice, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. For criticisms of these views see: Jamieson, D. & Bekoff, M. (1992) "Carruthers on nonconscious experience", Analysis, 52, pp. 23-28. McGinn, C. (1995) "Animal minds, animal morality", Journal of Social Research, 62, pp. 731-747.
2 See for instance Clark, S. R. L. (1984 [1977]) The moral status of animals, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
3 Allen, C. & Bekoff, M. (1997) Species of mind, Cambridge: MIT Press.
4 Rollin, B. E. (1989) The unheeded cry: Animal consciousness, animal pain and science, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Animal Ethics in other languages
Ethics & animals
Animal Ethics is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.


The purpose of the Marine Insurance Association of Seattle (MIAS), shall be to promote harmony, fellowship and good practice in the profession, the interchange of views, opinions and personal experience and discussion of topics of interest to the profession.
Established in 1911, the purpose of the Marine Insurance Association of Seattle (MIAS), shall be to promote harmony, fellowship and good practice in the profession, the interchange of views, opinions and personal experience, the topics of interest to the profession; consideration of such subjects as may be brought before the Association.
Looking for information on our events? Check here to make sure you are staying up to date with registration information, dates and more. If you dont see what you are looking for, give us call. 1-877-460-5880 or contact us via email at office@miaseattle.org.


Falmouth Folk & Cider Fayre: 80 kinds of ciders and live music, what more?
Keep coasts clean! Does a two minute effort make a difference?
How has Twitter reacted to the new F1 season?
What's it like filming at the official Aston Martin testing?


This classic massage incorporates long fluid strokes of light to moderate depth and pressure to enhance muscle's tone and function. Massage improves circulation and assists in increasing your body's natural immune response. If you have never experienced massage and provides a sense of well-being... it is pure relaxation!


Man, I haven't baked or cooked anything in FOREVER it seems. I had the urge. I needed to, I wanted to, dang it I HAD TO! Nobody could stop me, not even the fact that I had NO vanilla, no whisks, no mixing bowls, NADDA! Just a saucepan and a wooden spoon baby. I'm brave, so I starred my oven right in the face and told her what was up! Yes, my oven is a lady. Don't you worry about that! I'm just stoked that I was finally able to turn on my oven in my new house! My oven? YES! Wooo Hoo! I also didn't have a square baking dish to make these, so I just turned them into cupcakes. Hence the name.
I was super nervous leaving out the vanilla, I truly love what it does to many baked goods. I love the flavor to pieces, and if I could I would add it to everything. I'm sure you've noticed! After letting the cuppies cool, I dug in and let me tell you.. The vanilla wasn't missing in this at all. Definitely a good choice to bake today! We also don't have internet yet, so I walked up to Starbucks, got myself a tasty little mama aka Passion Tea Lemonade, and am enjoying life.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray or line with liners. Set aside. In your handy dandy saucepan, combine the eggs and sugar. With your spoon mix well, until no longer streaky. Add in the melted butter, the flour, the ground chocolate, baking powder, and salt. Mix Mix Mix! Once ingredients are fully combined,mix in the toffee, then spoon batter into muffin pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Now, bask in all your makeshift glory.
Much Thanks to Ghirardelli for making a rad recipe that I didn't have to whisk or cream something together.. You rule! For the original recipe, I'm sure you can visit their website, I found mind on the side of my ground chocolate can.
Wow! You honestly are a baking wizard!!
The things you can do are so incredible.
Yum yum yum... once again!


American Christians have been blamed for the anti-gay bias that allegedly led Omar Mateen to carry out the Pulse massacre. But recent testimony demonstrates that was far from the truth.
Since the 1960's, the left and right have swapped positions on freedom of expression, speech, and conscience.
Are we really so confident that "our" views will always dovetail so neatly with those of the government?


For horse riders who want a classic look with a tall fit, Ariat International has launched the Vortex, an innovative, athletic, tall boot for spring 2017. Ariat, the leader in equestrian footwear and apparel, developed the Vortex tall boot with extensive rider testing and research, plus the Vortex tall boot has unique performance construction that is unmatched in the tall boot category.
Ariat's revolutionary Nitro™ technology includes an innovative, iridescent composite frame which supports and stabilizes the midfoot to prevent excessive twisting, yet bends freely to allow forefoot flexibility. Proprietary Shock Shield™ technology delivers the shock absorbency of an athletic shoe, and rider-tested Traction Zones offer grip just where a rider needs it most. Additional features include a calf leather upper, stretch lining, behind-the-knee mobility curve and a Duratread™ outsole.
The innovative design of the Vortex is the result of extensive research and development in partnership with Ariat equestrian athletes who were with fitted with pressure sensors and recorded during test rides. The research revealed that varying levels of traction are necessary for optimal grip in the stirrup. Additionally, the company commissioned an independent third party to test the Vortex. Tests revealed that Shock Shield technology provides 30% more shock absorbency in the heel and the Nitro midsole offers 33% more shock absorption in the forefoot. Exceptional cushioning delivers reduced joint stress and helps prevent athlete injury.
The Ariat Vortex and Vortex S are available worldwide in a wide variety of foot sizes, calf widths and heights for $599.95USD beginning March 2017 at designated Ariat retailers, boutiques and online at ariat.com.
Ariat International, Inc. is the leader in equestrian performance footwear and apparel. Known for its patented technologies designed to deliver stability, durability and comfort, Ariat pioneered the application of advanced athletic shoe technology into English riding boots and authentic Western boots. Ariat products are sold in a network of retail outlets throughout the world.


text:
A Win for CBD: CBD Podcast Named Podcast of the Year
by Petar Petrov
Written by Petar Petrov
PR Daily's 2021 Digital Marketing & Social Media Awards has named CPG & CBD University Podcast by Global Widget, the manufacturer and distributor behind the popular CBD brand Hemp Bombs, Podcast of the Year.
Considering the prominence of podcasts, digital marketing, and social media occupy in the mainstream, this award is a major win not just for Global Widget, but for the entire CBD industry altogether, a true testament to its progress and increasing legitimacy.
To put the success into perspective, the CPG & CBD University Podcast, formerly known as the CBD University Podcast, has only been on air for less than 3 years, since November 2019, while the legal CBD industry as a whole has been around for just one more year, since the 2018 Farm Bill.
The CPG & CBD University Podcast has had 91 episodes, discussing everything from CBD policies and regulations, cannabis and hemp, Delta-8-THC, collaborations and innovations in the evolving CBD industry, making headlines in the CBD space, and more.
It's almost impossible to have a great podcast, at least in a field as complex and multi-faceted as the CBD one, without expert guests to help listeners piece the full landscape together and navigate it. Some of the guests who have contributed to the podcast's success include Nikki Fried, State of Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Holly Bell, Director of Cannabis, State of Florida, and Michael Patterson, CEO, U.S. Cannabis Pharmaceutical and Research.
"Since the launch of our podcast, it has been our mission to educate consumers, retailers and distributors on everything CBD, health and wellness," says Joe Agostinelli, host of the CPG & CBD University Podcast and Global Widget's PR Manager. "In an evolving industry, it is essential our audience has the latest regulatory, scientific research and product news, along with insights from leaders in the industry."
The CPG & CBD University Podcast comes out weekly and is available on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and other major podcast platforms.
Troubleshooting CBD: Why Doesn't it Work for Some People?
Petar is a freelance writer and copywriter, covering culture, art, society, and anything in-between that makes for a nice story. And as it so happens, cannabis is a great element to add to each of those conversations.


This entry was posted in Survey Says and tagged 49ers, Bears, DeMarco Cosby, Fort Hays State, Jamorris Warren, Jets, Joe Hastings, Josh Baker, MIAA, Mike Higgins, NCAA-II, NFL, Northwest MO St., O.J. Murdock, Panthers, Rams, Ryan Jones, Saints, Titans, UCM Mules, UNO, Washburn. Bookmark the permalink.


Tough house medical gear, also called home medical equipment or HME, is a health care piece of equipment that facilitates the old and handicapped individual to accomplish every day activities in an effortless manner. It comprises of objects such as for example walkers, wheelchairs, air tanks, and clinic beds. Additionally, it comprises of things such as treatment dispensers, rehabilitation gear, convalescent care products, freedom aids and different things. What's more, by providing economic help to homeowners and landowners to hold out home changes, the Federal housing businesses desire to have an effect on the lives of old and handicapped persons.


…a new site, with posts focused on what I know and what I see – leading well in life, making a difference, building local church, walking with God and other stuff too.
…giveaways, book reviews and more interaction with those who happen to pass by these pages.
I've even managed to finish a one month devotional which I aim to launch as soon as I can and the Leadership book is almost completed too. This is not to boast, more to make myself accountable to you.
Wherever we have got to it is important that along the way we celebrate the journey. I can look at these statements and be frustrated but I can also see that I have managed to get a little further with them too which puts a smile on my face.
The books are out for editorial suggestions. I surprised myself and asked some well-known church leaders to contribute to the book, and have even had some replies. What they have written will add a different aspect to the book and I am really happy with that.
The publishing journey never moves as fast as you would like but the aim is to send the leadership book '19' to the publisher in January 2017. Some kind of crowd funding project may come soon to help bring this dream to reality.
So how is your journey shaping out? Let's not just look at what we haven't managed to accomplish but rather notice where we have made progress. It will never be as much as may have wanted but hopefully it's something.
Keep plugging away. Check out the previous posts in this series too.


text:
The 31st New Brunswick Legislative Assembly represented New Brunswick between March 26, 1903, and January 23, 1908.

Jabez Bunting Snowball served as Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick until March 1907 when he was succeeded by Lemuel John Tweedie.

C.W. Robinson was chosen as speaker. Charles J. Osman was selected as speaker in 1907 after Robinson became premier for the province.

The Liberal Party led by Lemuel John Tweedie formed the government. William Pugsley became party leader in 1907 when Tweedie became lieutenant governor. Clifford William Robinson succeeded Pugsley later that year when Pugsley entered federal politics.

History

Members

Notes:

References
 Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1903, AJ Magurn

Terms of the New Brunswick Legislature
1903 establishments in New Brunswick
1908 disestablishments in New Brunswick
20th century in New Brunswick

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Often, in a divorce, the most difficult task is the division of property. Though some assets and obligations can be divided equally, decisions have to be made about how real estate and personal property are allocated. Furthermore, it's not uncommon for one of the parties to a divorce to have assets hidden somewhere. That's why it's important to have an experienced attorney to help you equitably divide the debts and assets of a marriage.
At the David M. Lipshutz Law Office, in Stratford, we have provided sound legal counsel to men and women in divorce proceedings for more than 30 years. We built our successful reputation on a commitment to personal service and attention. When you hire us, you'll work directly with Attorney Lipshutz at all times, never with a paralegal or an inexperienced associate. We carefully choose the cases we accept—we won't agree to represent you unless we believe we can make a difference. We'll keep you involved and informed throughout the legal process, so that you know your options and can make good decisions.
For an appointment, send us an e-mail or call our office at 856-627-1990.
New Jersey is an equitable distribution state with respect to the division of marital debts and assets. That means that, in a divorce proceeding, if the parties can't come to an agreement regarding the division of debts and assets, the court will try to fashion an outcome that is "fair," though not necessarily equal.
If we are unable to amicably divide the debts and assets of your marriage, we are prepared to take your case to court, in order to get the outcome you want.
Contact our office online or call us at 856-627-1990 to schedule a meeting. We are available to meet with you weekdays between 9 am and 5 pm. We won't take your case unless we know we can help.


text:
by Nino Orjonikidze and Vano Arsenishvili
GEORGIA, Germany - 2019 - 90 MINUTES
People are working hard to extend the railway in a remote Georgian mountain village. When they're done, the new Silk Road Express will pass through here. But before this high-speed connection between China and Europe can go anywhere, a tunnel has to be dug - a tunnel that crosses a mountain where the villagers have their fields and pastures. In his office at the station, a former station master prepares for his role in the future, when many more trains will pass through the station.
There are promises of prosperity and progress, but in the dreamy atmosphere of the fairytale village, the arrival of the express train looks more like a nightmare. The roar of the mountain coming closer and closer, the villagers watch helplessly as the ground fractures and crumbles. Uncertainty is growing, as no one knows whether the houses are going to have to be demolished or not.
Language and communication problems between Georgian and Chinese workers lead to fierce disputes, and ultimately a tense strike. The stunning disengaged shots perfectly reflect the surreal atmosphere of a changing world order.
Artifact Production
Ventana-Film GmbH
ZDF / ARTE
2020 : DOK.FEST Internationales Dokumentarfilmfestival München - Munich (Germany) - Horizonte Competition
2019 : IDFA - International Documentary Festival Amsterdam - Amsterdam (Netherlands) - Premier Film Competition


text:
Q: How to upload video on YouTube with Ruby I am trying to upload a youtube video using the GData gem (I have seen the youtube_g gem but would like to make it work with pure GData if possible), but I keep getting this error:
GData::Client::BadRequestError in 'MyProject::Google::YouTube should upload the actual video to youtube (once it does, mock this test out)'
request error 400: No file found in upload request.
I am using this code:

def metadata
  data = <<-EOF
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<entry xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
  xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"
  xmlns:yt="http://gdata.youtube.com/schemas/2007">
  <media:group>
    <media:title type="plain">Bad Wedding Toast</media:title>
    <media:description type="plain">
      I gave a bad toast at my friend's wedding.
    </media:description>
    <media:category scheme="http://gdata.youtube.com/schemas/2007/categories.cat">People</media:category>
    <media:keywords>toast, wedding</media:keywords>
  </media:group>
</entry>
EOF
end

@yt = GData::Client::YouTube.new
@yt.clientlogin("name", "pass")
@yt.developer_key = "myKey"
url = "http://uploads.gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/name/uploads"
mime_type = "multipart/related"
file_path = "sample_upload.mp4"
@yt.post_file(url, file_path, mime_type, metadata)

What is the recommended/standard way for uploading videos to youtube with ruby, what is your method?
Update
After applying the changes to wrapped_entry, the string it produces looks like this:

--END_OF_PART_59003
Content-Type: application/atom+xml; charset=UTF-8
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<entry xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
  xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"
  xmlns:yt="http://gdata.youtube.com/schemas/2007">
  <media:group>
    <media:title type="plain">Bad Wedding Toast</media:title>
    <media:description type="plain">
      I gave a bad toast at my friend's wedding.
    </media:description>
    <media:category scheme="http://gdata.youtube.com/schemas/2007/categories.cat">People</media:category>
    <media:keywords>toast, wedding</media:keywords>
  </media:group>
</entry>

--END_OF_PART_59003
Content-Type: multipart/related
Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary

... and inspecting the request and response looks like this:
Request:

<GData::HTTP::Request:0x1b8bb44 @method=:post
@url="http://uploads.gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/lancejpollard/uploads"
@body=#<GData::HTTP::MimeBody:0x1b8c738 @parts=[#<GData::HTTP::MimeBodyString:0x1b8c058 @bytes_read=0
@string="--END_OF_PART_30909\r\nContent-Type: application/atom+xml; charset=UTF-8\r\n\r\n
<?xml version=\"1.0\"?>\n<entry xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom\"\n  xmlns:media=\"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/\"\n  xmlns:yt=\"http://gdata.youtube.com/schemas/2007\">\n  <media:group>\n    <media:title type=\"plain\">Bad Wedding Toast</media:title>\n    <media:description type=\"plain\">\n      I gave a bad toast at my friend's wedding.\n    </media:description>\n    <media:category scheme=\"http://gdata.youtube.com/schemas/2007/categories.cat\">People</media:category>\n    <media:keywords>toast
wedding</media:keywords>\n  </media:group>\n</entry>
\n\r\n--END_OF_PART_30909\r\nContent-Type: multipart/related\r\nContent-Transfer-Encoding: binary\r\n\r\n">
#<File:/Users/Lance/Documents/Development/git/thing/spec/fixtures/sample_upload.mp4>
#<GData::HTTP::MimeBodyString:0x1b8c044 @bytes_read=0
@string="\r\n--END_OF_PART_30909--">]
@current_part=0
@boundary="END_OF_PART_30909">
@headers={"Slug"=>"sample_upload.mp4"
"User-Agent"=>"GoogleDataRubyUtil-AnonymousApp"
"GData-Version"=>"2"
"X-GData-Key"=>"key=AI39si7jkhs_ECjF4unOQz8gpWGSKXgq0KJpm8wywkvBSw4s8oJd5p5vkpvURHBNh-hiYJtoKwQqSfot7KoCkeCE32rNcZqMxA"
"Content-Type"=>"multipart/related; boundary=\"END_OF_PART_30909\""
"MIME-Version"=>"1.0"}>

Response:

#<GData::HTTP::Response:0x1b897e0 @body="No file found in upload request."
@headers={"cache-control"=>"no-cache
no-store
must-revalidate"
"connection"=>"close"
"expires"=>"Fri
01 Jan 1990 00:00:00 GMT"
"content-type"=>"text/plain; charset=utf-8"
"date"=>"Fri
11 Dec 2009 02:10:25 GMT"
"server"=>"Upload Server Built on Nov 30 2009 13:21:18 (1259616078)"
"x-xss-protection"=>"0"
"content-length"=>"32"
"pragma"=>"no-cache"}
@status_code=400>

Still not working, I'll have to check it out more with those changes.

A: I apologize for just linking but I think this may help out linky

A: I had the same problem with gdata gem.
This fixed it for me.
C:\Ruby\lib\ruby\gems\1.8\gems\gdata-1.1.1\lib\gdata\http
In "class MimeBody" replace "wrap_entry" with this code to fix it.
"def wrap_entry(entry, file_mime_type)
        wrapped_entry = "--#{@boundary}\r\n"
        wrapped_entry += "Content-Type: application/atom+xml;
charset=UTF-8\r\n\r\n"
        wrapped_entry += entry
        wrapped_entry += "\r\n--#{@boundary}\r\n"
        wrapped_entry += "Content-Type: #{file_mime_type}\r\n"
        wrapped_entry += "Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary\r\n\r\n"
        return MimeBodyString.new(wrapped_entry)
      end"

A: Not sure if you ever fixed this, but I believe the mime_type param in post_file should be set to the mime_type of the video - you've got it set to "multipart/related" in your sample code.


text:
Neymar confirms he will stay with Paris Saint-Germain this season
In an interview with PSG Le Mag, Brazil international Neymar has officially confirmed that he will be staying with Paris Saint-Germain for the 2020/21 season.
The 28-year-old experienced another injury-plagued season with Les Parisiens, but he still contributed an impressive tally of 19 goals and 12 assists from just 27 appearances.
Barcelona have been regularly linked with a potential move to re-sign Neymar, but earlier this month, president Josep Bartomeu acknowledged that a deal is unlikely with the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
As such, it was always inevitable that Neymar would continue with the French champions and he has now formally confirmed the same while speaking to the club's official magazine.
He told: "I am staying at PSG next season!. And with the ambition to return to the Champions' League final, this time to win it. I like this idea of doing everything to leave my name in the history books of my club."
Under Thomas Tuchel, Les Parisiens won another domestic treble last term and they also excelled in the Champions League, where they made it to their maiden final.
However, they could not pass the final hurdle against Bayern Munich as they were beaten 1-0. Former graduate Kingsley Coman scored the winning goal for the German champions before the hour mark.
Les Parisiens may have fallen short of the Champions League title, but they showed plenty of character to make it to the final, having failed to progress beyond the round of 16 stage in the previous three seasons.
With Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in their ranks, they will definitely be regarded as one of the favourites to win the European crown for the 2020/21 campaign.
Due to their Champions League participation, Les Parisiens have yet to begin their new Ligue 1 season. Nice are currently at the top of the table with the perfect tally of six points from two matches.
Related TopicsParis Saint-Germain
More in Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon go head-to-head at the Parc des Princes in one of...
Thiago Silva confirms Paris Saint-Germain exit with a farewell post
Paris Saint-Germain make bid to sign Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin


text:
Q: Passing data to a bootstrap h3 element in modal I've this html code
<button class="btn btn-warning slider__button--primary" type="button" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#myModal" data-name="product name">more...</button>

When I click on this button, I want to open a bootstrap 4 modal, and pass this Name  to 'h3' tag in the modal.

  <button type="button" id="subscribe" class="btn btn-warning mx-3 my-sm-2 ml-sm-0 ml-md-0 px-md-3" value="products/details">subscribe now</button>

$('#myModal').on('show.bs.modal', function (event) {
    var button = $(event.relatedTarget)
    var name = button.data('name')
    var modal = $(this)
    modal.find('.modal-body h3').val(name)
})

How can I pass data to h3 element??


ALL Lovejoy secondary students are required to take ALL pre-AP/AP core classes.
Lovejoy has refused parental requests for regular track core class offerings.
The bright students are bored, the average students struggle.
Bright students, or students who are good in one subject are bored in pre-AP classes while teachers continually repeat information for students who struggle with pre-AP classes. Not EVERY student is strong in EVERY subject, in fact few are.
The end result of this experiment is that every students loses.
Parents have speculated for years that Lovejoy could not afford to propertly operate the new high school when opened.
Lovejoy chose to ONLY fund pre-AP & AP core classes for grades 6th-11th, despite promises to the community that regular track classes would be offered as well as 32 pre-AP & AP classes, plus GT classes. Many predicted that Lovejoy could not afford to offer all the classes promised, but it never occurred to anyone that Lovejoy ISD would ELMINATE CORE REGULAR TRACK classes offered by EVERY OTHER TEXAS DISTRICT!
Read about it in the Dallas Morning News article: New high school sets bar high for students Lucas: All those incoming at Lovejoy will be on pre-AP track.
"Why have two tracks based on the same curriculum?" Superintendent Ted Moore said. "You don't negotiate the standard down; you negotiate the support up. Some kids are going to require more support than others."
The Lovejoy administration is proud of their advanced-only philosophy. It should help to deter average children and children with learning differences from attending Lovejoy ISD and keep ratings high!
Lovejoy school officials say their payoff came from unusually high standards in that district. The district last year added grades six through nine, which meant first-ever TAKS testing at middle and high school levels.
Every student in the small district's new high school took pre-Advanced Placement classes last year. Superintendent Ted Moore believes that move protected the district's rating.
Lovejoy has historically neglected children with learning differences and special education funding reflects this. Many of these children have left the district. How do children with learning difference survive in a district which only funds honors classes?
Lovejoy ISD prides itself on excellence, but at what cost?
The district touts the AP-track curriculum for all students and high TAKS scores while ignoring the undue stress felt by students, parents and teachers.
My children manage to keep up but constantly ask to be home-schooled.
Often the school receptionists appear harried and bothered to have to help parents or students. My calls to the school tend to be answered abruptly, as if I've interrupted something important.
This attitude is not the Lovejoy way that was predominant when we moved here seven years ago.
With the influx of new families and fast departure of seasoned teachers came expectations from a few parents hoping their child will end up at Harvard.
One parent was confronted by a concerned teacher because their second-grade daughter's Cognitive Abilities Test (COGAT) score taken in September was only 2.3 (testing at a second grade level the third month into school). According to the teacher, average was not good enough because Lovejoy kids routinely test higher.


When I was a little tyke, I was running with the toy lawn mower.
I fell and it cut my chin. If I tilted my head back, while someone else held the mirror, I could see the scar. I doubt I could find it now with all the chins that I have.
Aging is fun, isn't it?
This scar taught me a couple of lessons.
Toys from the 50s were dangerous and I'm not sure how we survived.
I shouldn't run and mow at the same time.
We aren't always afforded a physical manifestation in order to have faith but in this case, God provided it.
The disciples eyes were opened and they believed.
The scars in His hands, feet, and side were the physical representation of the pain He experienced.
I don't remember the pain of the mower incident but I do remember the pain involved in the acquisition of some of my other scars.
Sometimes the pain was just physical but sometimes the scar is a representation of stress or emotional pain.
There are times that scars are emotional and not physical.
These are tough to deal with because no one can see these other scars.
They are a silent burden.
Actions can leave scars because we don't live in isolation.
Our actions and choices at times ripple away from us in concentric circles affecting others in the wake.
In the case of our Lord, those scars remind us of His sacrifice and chastisment.
He wore the crown of thorns reserved for me.
He took the whipping I deserve.
His hands and feet bore the nails that should have been mine.
He took consequences that should have been my punishment.
My old scars remind me that healing took place.
They are a mere snapshot of a past wound.
I can look at them, however, and be reminded that He bore scars on my behalf.
The scars He endured on His journey toward death on the cross became life for me.
Life today and life for eternity.
We can chat over email.
A lovely and heart warming message to all on this day.
This is just a beautiful post, Katie. Beautiful in every way. Happy Easter.
What a wonderful Savior we have.
May your Easter be blessed.


Let's follow each other on Pinterest, please?
I was reading The Bearfoot Baker yesterday, and was struck by her latest simple post here about being Pinterest friends. Simple, right?
We all love Pinterest – Right?
So, let's do it! We are all wanting more things to pin anyway, so will you be my Pinterest friend?
I also have an awesome community board called the "Blog Community Most Repinned" board. A board can have multiple contributors (by invite only) and there are super benefits. One, you will gain a follower every time someone follows the board on another contributor's page. Two, this exponentially increases your number of re-pins. Three, other contributors will be sharing your pins on their sites. You can see what I wrote about it here and follow it here. To join, please follow the board and contact me for an invitation.
Follow Ginny | A Modern Commonplace Book's board Blog Community Most Repinned on Pinterest.


text:
Now I'm seeing these wierd lights..?
0 · 89 views · located in The City of Nerris
a character in "Spellwar: Creation and Destruction", as played by TikiStar
Name: Sirsi
Appearance: Slim, blonde, not athletic but fit enough to fool people, light blue eyes and a smile that shines to cover her real feelings
Role: Spell-Link
Partner: TBD
Ability/Magic Specialty: Unknown...
Weapon Name/Appearance: Unknown.. but strangely good with a knives in the kitchen
Personality: Sirsi is friendly, to everyone, but doesn't really let anyone get close. She has only recently started seeing weird things that no one else seems to see... She hopes she's not loosing it, like her mom did before she disappeared...
Bio: At this point she's confused about what going on, and as alone as she's always been. But her positive attitude is her shield.
Theme Song: Behind these hazel eyes
So begins...
Sirsi's Story
Seen 5 Times • Page 1 of 1
The City of Nerris
# 2012-02-08 08:43:57 , as written by Arthurna
Renjou just stood there with a dumbstruck face glued to his face. He had witnessed some dunce head guy making a fool out of himself before but this was outrageous, unbelievable, out of question! Mages and their Spell-links had just using their magic in a public place. For God sake, public place where normal people and civilian walking around! Then as if suddenly snapped, he ran toward them while took off one of his hair pin. Reconstruction magic.
"Brethren-in-arms withdrawing for the distance of 8 sun and standing still; blue bolt, white bolt, black bolt, red bolt; sinking into the ocean together seeking redemption-"
He bit his hair pin and snapping it in two, legs still ran toward the mages direction while still spelling incantation.
"Twenty eight mansion, four symbols; dragon tail, tiger fang, turtle shell, phoenix wings-"
He stopped. One of the broken hair pin was dropped to the ground while the other part was thrown to the sky.
"Shiji no Kekkai." (The barrier of four beasts)
Both part of the broken pin disintegrated. Its particle spread wide and made a giant transparent dome. At least inside barrier the Mages and Spell-links would not hurt any normal people. Ren looked around, damn there's still left some people with little magic potential. They were still remained inside even though their magic was so tiny to the point almost non-existent. If only he had a Spell-link, but he was too cowardice to ask Sirsi. He was afraid she would get hurt.
He scratched his head and approached the Mages. He hoped he could stop their non sense fight with 'talk' even though he didn't have Spell-link and dare he say 'absolutely weak'.
# 2012-02-08 12:49:22 , as written by DragonWriter
Suzuki, unsure of what to do, continued to watch the fighting until a guy with red hair ran over to the fight and pulled out of his hair what looked like a hair pin. She saw him begin to chant and then a strange, transparent dome surrounded the area where she had been. She found herself somehow on the outside of the barrier, no thanks to what Vlad had done to move her away from the center of the fighting. Curious as to why Renjou had done this or what he had done she walked over to him hesitantly and said, "Hey, um, I hate to ask, but can you explain what's going on? A lot of civilians have been hurt over at the school I know. I was headed over to the hospital with someone from the school until we got ambushed. I don't know why, but that guy Satosha says this seems to be a fight between magicians. He also says I'm a magician too."
She waited for Renjou's answer hoping that he would give her a proper answer since he was not occupied with fighting. He looked kind of like a student from her school, so she assumed from the fact that he was around her age and no older looking than this. If he didn't have the answers she would have no idea what to do since she obviously couldn't throw herself into the fighting, and hadn't wanted to in the first place. She was glad Vlad, Klaus and the others that were trying to hurt Satosha hadn't killed either of them quite yet, but she wasn't sure how long he could hold out if magic allowed someone to chop through parts of buildings with relative ease. She went to Renjou for the simple fact that if he was a mage she'd be in better hands with him in terms of receiving protection and learning a concept she knew little about within a few minutes.
Nicholas felt Renjou's transparent barrier come up around them and thought, "On second thought, I'm not going to chase the people that I was going to. I can't chase them now with this barrier up." Nicholas looked across the battlefield trying to figure out who erected it and saw Renjou on the outside of it. He could clearly feel from where he was standing that Renjou was weak, but extremely smart. Generally, Nicholas liked to work in the shadows, but because of how Vlad and Klaus seemed to approach their work it that this would be impossible now.
"Hey kid!" he cried out in Renjou's direction, "Thanks for keeping us contained I don't know what those two youngsters would do if they got bored with our current target. Oh wait, maybe they have..." Nicholas looked back to where the fighting had taken place and saw that Satosha seemed to be still standing where he was, but that Vlad and Klaus had left.
The girl and the Spell-link were talking to him. He frowned in annoyance but quickly shook his head and instead put a grin on his face.
"Well, Ossan!" He shouted at the Spell-link. "Never knew you're a chatter box. But I don't give a shit whether you want to stand there all day or not. And you." He pointed at the girl. "Stop with all of the Q&A session. Didn't you realize among all of the Spell-links and Mages around he's the most critical one? He has internal bleeding because of his broken rib. A little late and this Satosha guy can say goodbye to the living world."
He took out his cell-phone and dialing the ambulance. "Beside, my magic has limit. I can't heal everyone in sight." He mumbled quietly.
Indeed, the amount of magic he could perform was limited because of his half–contract state with Sirsi. If only he was a little braver and asked Sirsi to be his full fledge Spell-link. He shook his head, no time for grieving that now. To cope up with it he always carried a high compressed magic in the form of his hair pins but he never wore more than four of it. Carried it too much would damage the flow of magic inside human body.
The phone was connected and he talked to them, explaining the condition plus the state of the school, yelled at them for hurrying up and brought the damn ambulances. Several time expletive words came out from his mouth before he closed the phone. He sighed and observed the wrecked state. Fool Mages and their stupid battle, and he thought the evolution supposed to clean any stupid genes. Guess they missed out a few.
(sorry double post)
"Do you mean he's the most critical one to me?" Suzuki shot back at Renjou. She did not like how he had stood her to stop with all the Q&A she and Satosha could have died, Satosha could still die and it would be her fault because she still felt she didn't have a clue what was going on. "I'll stay quiet about this since you're the magic expert but I don't like what you've just said to me." Suzuki added letting him see her nose twitch and eyes squint. She wanted him to see her anger. She put on a frown for added effect in that regard.
Then she looked down at Satosha and said, "It'll be okay, hopefully I have healing magic... You'll be healed right here and now before the hospital's ambulance's arrive and then you can tell me how to get out of this mess permanently. I don't care now about who killed my father if it's going to lead me into situations where I would possibly die." she directed this at Satosha but she was close enough to Renjou that he could still hear him.
NIcholas just stoopd there and watched. Renjou and the girl could definitely not kill him with their current abilities, at least he felt so, and they were not a threat to him or his master it seemed. Nicholas turned and looked around for his master Halbert. "Sir, I wonder if we should leave here or wait and see what this girl does." he thought to himself. The police would be coming soon with medical personal, so he needed to leave soon. A guy with swords in the middle of an alley was definitely not a good looking prospect. He could, for the heck of it, wreck the coming ambulances once they arrived and then cause Satosha to die from a lack of medical care, but that would be dishonorable and would not work in Halbert's favor. Even if managed to erase all the memories of every normal person present at this scene the hospital that sent the ambulances would wonder what happened to them and there was the fact that the girl and this white magician would defend themselves, if they could.
(Hey, when did Sirsi arrive on the scene? I don't remember here being here at the scene.)


On the Saturday before last, a rainy and humid day, we made our way to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes to see the collection. Like all public museums, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes is free to enter. The government of Buenos Aires, being somewhat socialist, has a strong belief that cultural events should be accessible to everyone. Museums are free, ballets and operas are very inexpensive. It's really wonderful to be able to see art, both fine art and performance art, without breaking the bank. In New York, there are some museums that are free or have free days, but anything at Lincoln Center… forget about it.
The one pic I was able to snap inside before getting yelled at by the guards. This is the immediate entrance of the museum.
After a little searching, we were able to rent some headsets to give us a little background information about the art we were going to see. The paintings are arranged chronologically and as we walked through the museum we were able to see the progression of techniques from one century to the next and how previous artists, along with the political and cultural climate of the time, influenced the styles. It was really interesting to hear explanations from the Argentine perspective. Each room in the museum had a different theme sometimes dedicated solely to one revolutionary (often South American) artist and other times holding the entire donated collection of one individual. We were only able to visit the planta baja ground floor on this trip – the stairs we could find were roped off and the map we had actually only showed the ground floor, so I can't really say anything about the other 2 floors – but we have big plans of going back to try to find the other rooms.
Map of the Ground Floor. Go here to see a list of what each room contains. http://goo.gl/OhHd9 You can also click on each room to get an explanation of the art. It's in Spanish but if you're using google Chrome, the browser may offer to automatically translate for you.
Of course one of my favorite rooms was the french impressionism showing some of Dégas work. I remember studying his revolutionary sculpture, Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer, at the Musée D'Orsay in Paris, so seeing some of his pastels on cardboard was a treat. It's incredible how he can capture the movement and lighting of the moment just with pastels.
Degas's Little Dancer was the first time an artist had incorporated real materials into a sculpture. Many of his paintings and sketches focuses on French Ballerinas.
Another artist I really liked, that I had never seen before (that I can remember), was Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes. His work is a bit dark with thick, almost harsh, strokes and the subject matter, in this particular room, was dramatic and romantic, focusing on life during the war for independence that was ongoing in Spain at the time.
Two other rooms that stuck out both to Jesse and I were the rooms of Argentine art of the 19th century, which primarily featured work of Prilidiano Pueyrredón and his mentor Cándido Lopez. Their wide canvases and use of colors really opens up the scenes and allows you to feel the expansiveness of the countryside.
What is amazing is that Lopez lost his right hand in the war and completed many of his paintings, which focused on soldiers life during the war, using sketches he had made and painting with his left hand. The work is really precise and impressive.
There was also a temporary exhibit in a large room at the back of the museum that included prints from the early 20th century including those of Toulouse-Lautrec and Picasso. This exhibit was great – very different than other art we had seen throughout the permanent collection.
If you're in Buenos Aires and get the chance to check out the museum, it's a great stop. I hope we get to go back and see the statue garden! It is truly incredibly what nimble fingers can do with marble and copper.
← Happy MLK and Inauguration day!
Looks like a fascinating place. Definitely would love to see it!


text:
AndroidiCloud is a Android port of the [PyiCloud](https://github.com/picklepete/pyicloud) library. It provides a means for Android applications to use iCloud web services.
It is licenced under the MIT licence.

# Authentication

Authentication is as simple as passing your username and password to the ``AndroidiCloudService`` class:

    AndroidiCloudService icloud = new AndroidiCloudService("{example@icloud.com}", "{Your Password}");

Remember to call in background mode (thread/async task).

# Contacts

You can access your iCloud contacts/address book through the ``contacts`` method:

    JSONArray contacts = icloud.contacts().all();

Remember to call in background mode (thread/async task).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Cover shot of the "Racial Equity and Arts Funding in Greater Pittsburgh" report.
Disparities persist in the number of arts grants, total amounts of funds and average amount of grant dollars received by organizations of color, compared to white, non-Hispanic groups.
These findings come from the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council's (GPAC) report, titled "Racial Equity and Arts Funding in Greater Pittsburgh," which also found there have been no comprehensive studies on the subject of equity and arts funding.
Officials with GPAC say researchers gathered primary survey data from funders by administering a survey of their grant-making policies and procedures.
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council CEO Mitch Swain.
CEO Mitch Swain says not only is it hard to track that kind of funding, "but there are no clearly defined terms or agreed upon demographics and language."
"We found that funding is not equitable in some cases, although there are cases where funders like Pittsburgh Foundation and the Heinz Endowments have created dedicated programs to address those things," he said.
In Pittsburgh, minorities make up one-third of the population, and GPAC has included all arts organizations of color in its report.
"We wanted to not just look at black organizations, but the state of a lot of organizations which encompasses, Asian, Native American, African-American, Latino, etc." said Swain.
Only within the last 10 years has the arts community developed systems to standardize data collected by funders and arts organizations, which is one reason Swain says that it has taken so long to put together comprehensive data on the way arts organizations of color are funded.
He says some organizations aren't being proactive about making funding opportunities available to everyone.
"I think there's also a lack of understanding about how to do this kind of work, and the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone," he said. "In some cases, not just sending out information that a grant program is available, in many cases, you need to go where the people are, sit with them, talk to them and get to know them. You can actually get grant applications from people you wouldn't ordinarily come across and connect to."
Graphic from GPAC's "Racial Equity and Arts Funding in Greater Pittsburgh" report.
It also collected surveys from 12 of 18 private foundations, and found that 89 percent don't have a board-approved racial equity policy or plan, even though 70 percent reported that racial equity was a major priority for their foundations. Swain said he hopes the report will influence the funding community.
"I'm hopeful that funders will come to a greater understanding of the needs of organizations of color, and to have greater funding opportunities, and that those funding opportunities need to be more than just for projects; they need to be multi-year so that those entities can create capacity within the organizations and be more sustainable," Swain said.
The report recommends that funders establish racial equity policies and plans, including providing grant-writing support for applicants and conducting organizational self-audits of progress on equity and inclusion.


The SQL Server 2012 Presentation Management Pack was released together with the September 2013 version of the SQL Server Monitoring Pack.
This new Monitoring Pack contains a new dashboard component: the SQL Server 2012 Databases Summary Dashboard. It is a combination of a state widget, a detail widget, an alert widget, a free space widget and a performance tile widget in a single dashboard layout.
It can be configured to only displays a list of pre-selected SQL Server 2008 Databases and their health states, provides detailed information and related alerts, and visualization on performance data collected.
The first widget as shown below could be replaced by whatever name or image that suits the user's scenario.
The layout of this summary dashboard was designed with intention to allow the widgets to clearly display their messages without taking up much space, or wasting space, such that they all fit nicely into the limited real estate of a single screen.
Importing the management pack will allow the SQL Server 2008 Summary dashboard to appear under a Sample SQL Server 2008 Presentation folder under the root in the Monitoring workspace.
All the widgets will be blank initially except for the alert widget that will show all the unclosed alerts in the management group.
Importing the management pack will also add a custom group with the display name: Sample SQL Server 2008 Database Presentation Selector Group. SQL Server 2008 DB instances that are added to this group will show up in the Sample SQL Server 2008 Summary dashboard with their health states, detailed information, alerts and performance data displayed.
To populate the Sample SQL Server 2008 Database Presentation Selector Group with SQL Server 2008 DB instances, add the instances explicitly or dynamically into the group.
In order for the Performance Tiles in the top row to display their health states (Green, Yellow or Red), the corresponding monitors that target the SQL Server 2008 DB class that are disabled by default, must be enabled.
This is way cool, Wei!
I have installed this MP and other SQL server dashboards but for my installation all exhibit the same symptoms which are as follows. The database state view are fine except they don't display the "Display Name" field. "DB Alerts" doesn't show anything, "Database Details" are fine but neither "Free Space" nor "Performance" view show any data, they always return "No data"? Any guidance on what's going wrong would be helpful.
what is the file location to customize the first widget image?


text:
Mortality as framed by ongoingness in digital design
Lookup NU author(s): James Thomas, Professor Patrick Olivier
© 2018 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This article presents a number of perspectives on mortality in light of both Victorian mourning and memento mori jewelry and bereavement therapy and grieving. Both help to reveal valuable qualities for digital design. The article then illustrates how these qualities influenced the design of four digital lockets, examining how both Victorian and modern practices relate to mortality, mourning, grief, and death, and exploring possibilities for digital design. Finally, ongoingness-by reference to the work of artist Moira Ricci-is explained as both a theoretical construct and a resource for design practice. Central in the proposal is the notion that, rather than being distanced or detached from the deceased (as has been the predominant grieving therapy approach of modernity), the bereaved can continue to have an active and growing relationship with them.
Author(s): Wallace J, Thomas J, Anderson D, Olivier P
Journal: Design Issues
Pages: 95-107
Online publication date: 03/01/2018
Publisher: MIT Press Journals
URL: https://doi.org/10.1162/DESI_a_00479
DOI: 10.1162/DESI_a_00479


text:
About Heroin
What is Heroin
Facts About Heroin
Heroin Statistics
How is Heroin Used
Heroin Withdrawal
Heroin Overdose
Types of Heroin
Cost of Heroin
Health Risks of Heroin
Where Does Heroin Come From
Who Uses Heroin
Effects of Heroin
Shooting Heroin and HIV
Smoking Heroin
Signs of Heroin Use
Signs of Heroin Addiction
Heroin Addiction Treatment
What is Methadone
Heroin Images
Heroin User Pictures
What is Methadone Maintenance
Side Effects of Heroin
Snorting Heroin
History of Heroin
Heroin Rehab
The side effects of heroin have a physical impact on the user's central nervous system. There are also many psychological side effects of heroin. When a person takes heroin, the initial feeling they experience is a rush or euphoria. The user's mouth will become dry and they often begin to nod in and out of consciousness. Additionally, their arms and legs will begin to feel very heavy. Users will experience diminished mental capacity and dulled emotions. The effects of this drug typically last 3 to 4 hours from the time of the user's last dose.
Users experience many negative side effects of heroin. The two primary risks are fatal overdose and contraction of HIV/AIDS. It may also cause constricted pupils, nausea, and respiratory depression, which in extreme cases may result in death. When a person takes heroin, it activates brain regions that produce euphoric sensations as well as brain regions that produce physical dependence. These changes in the user's brain function are what ultimately lead to heroin addiction.
Heroin addicts begin to lose interest in their daily activities. They find that their time is filled with using heroin or that it is focused on obtaining more of the drug. As their use progresses, addicts find that their tolerance continues to increase. This causes them to ingest more and more heroin to achieve the rush or high that they are looking for. As with other drugs of addiction, heroin addicts have trouble keeping their jobs and maintaining personal relationships. Their drug use becomes a number one priority in their lives and their bank accounts tend to diminish. It is not unusual for a heroin addict to spend upwards of $100-$200 dollars a day to feed their addiction.
The side effects of heroin include persistent craving for the drug, tolerance (the need for larger and larger doses to get the same results), and painful and dangerous withdrawal. Women who use heroin while pregnant increase their risk of heroin side effects including miscarriage and stillbirth. Infants exposed to heroin in the womb go through withdrawal at birth and exhibit various developmental problems.
Long-term users of the drug experience side effects of heroin such as:
Respiratory arrest, coma, death
Central nervous system:
Cardiovascular & Respiratory
Lowered heart rate
Weak pulse
Hypoventilation
Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Mouth
Pupil constriction ("pinpoint pupils")
Miosis
Vomiting (protracted)
Analgesia
Muscle spasticity
Physical dependence
Psychological dependence
Flushing/Rash
What would be an allergic reaction to the side effects of heron include? Allergic reactions to opiate-based drugs can sometimes prove fatal. Contact your doctor if you experience:
Severe allergic reactions
Swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue
Tightness in the chest
The risk of convulsions may increase in patients using heroin or other opiates, who also have a history of:
Alcoholism and/or withdrawal
Central nervous system disorders or infections
Drug dependency, addiction or withdrawal
Epilepsy, fits, convulsions, and seizures
Head trauma or surgery
Metabolic diseases and disorders
Persistent side effects of heroin may be precursors indicating an acute heroin overdose. Different people will react differently to various drugs and medications and can experience different symptoms, or to varying degrees.
The side effects of heroin withdrawal are extremely painful. The withdrawal symptoms may appear a few hours from when the drug was last administered. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose and subside after about a week. Sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health can be fatal.
The user experiences tremendous physical withdrawal symptoms such as:
Cold flashes with goose bumps
Kicking movements
Muscle and bone pain
Describe the situation:
Heroin Facts
Heroin is a highly addictive and rapidly acting opiate (a drug that is derived from opium). Specifically, heroin is produced from morphine, which is a principal component of opium. Opium is a naturally occurring substance that is extracted from the seedpod of the opium poppy.
Heroin is an extremely addictive drug, and even casual or recreational users run a real risk of addiction. Heroin is produced from opium poppies and derived from morphine. The synthetic altering of the morphine molecule into heroin significantly increases its potency by weight.
Heroin overdoses--which can result whether the drug is snorted, smoked, or injected--can cause slow and shallow breathing, convulsions, coma, and even death. Heroin use can and does kill, and the risks of use are many -- and begin even with casual experimentation.
Heroin use contributes to the possible onset of liver and kidney disease. Heroin users quickly develop a tolerance to the effects of the drug and need to use increasingly greater quantities to get high (and to avoid withdrawal symptoms). Heroin addicts incur significant expenses each day to support their heroin habit, and this often leads to criminal activities to finance the costs of heroin.
Heroin users smoke, snort, or inject the drug. In previous decades, American heroin was not potent enough for snorting, but today's heroin has a higher potency and can be snorted -- a means of administration that is popular with new users who are afraid of needles and the risks of IV drug use. Heroin users who inject the drug expose themselves to additional risks, including contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C, and other blood-borne viruses. Chronic users who inject heroin also risk scarred or collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and liver and kidney disease.
Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder. Heroin withdrawal is a very tough and uncomfortable period, and heroin addicts start to feel mild withdrawal symptoms only hours after their most recent dose has worn off. The fear of withdrawal pains is a significant motivator to keep using the drug.
Heroin withdrawal symptoms last for between five and seven days in the primary (intense) phase. High doses of heroin can slow breathing, and high enough doses of heroin can stop respiration completely. Regular heroin users often show cognitive declines (confusion and cloudiness) from their use.
It is encouraging to note that many teenagers recognize the risks of heroin. The NSDUH found that 87.8 percent of 12th graders agree that heroin substance abuse represents a "great risk." The fact that so many teenagers recognize the dangers of heroin use is encouraging, and could lead to further declines in teen drug use of heroin.
Amongst young adults and college students, heroin use is not seeing the decline it has in teenagers. Perhaps this older age group feels the risks are acceptable. A slight increase in heroin users in college students is seen - from 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent. Additionally, in young adults, those reporting that they have used heroin at least once in their lifetimes has increased from 1.7 percent in 2005 to 1.9 percent. It is a small increase, and one that shows that heroin substance abuse among young adults is stable, and perhaps growing slightly.
According to NSDUH information, in the last year about 91,000 persons over the age of 12 used heroin for the first time. Amongst recent first time heroin users, aged 12 to 49, the average age was 20.7. This indicates that many heroin users wait until they leave their teenagers years to begin using the drug. 3.8 million people (1.5 percent of the population above 12) say they have tried heroin at least once in their lifetimes. 560,000 people used heroin last year. 338,000 people used heroin last month.
The rate of heroin lifetime heroin use is higher among those in prison (23.4 percent for State and 17.9 percent for Federal). Even though heroin use isn't terribly widespread, it still represents a threat. The devastating effects of heroin overdose and prolonged heroin use, along with its addicting nature, can be very damaging and put strain on loved ones of someone involved in heroin substance abuse.
Copyright © 2004 - 2018 www.aboutheroin.com


text:
It's time for part three of my ranked list of all the Batman games I played for The Caped Crusade – this time we will be taking a look at the games ranked #34 through #24, taking us up from the bottom half and into the… good games? Well, technically it's all smack dab in the middle of mediocrity I guess, relatively speaking, anyway. In any case, let's find out which games make it to these, uh, coveted spots. Here we go!
34. BATMAN RETURNS (DOS, 1992)
The DOS version of BATMAN RETURNS takes a pretty different approach to most of the other numerous adaptation of the 1992 film. In place of side-scrolling action and/or platforming, Spirit of Discovery's game is a point & click adventure focused on detective work, with some interesting time progression mechanics as well as gorgeous art.
That all sounds like a slam dunk, so how come it ends up relatively low on the list? Well, simply put, it's really not that great an adventure game. While the presentation is top notch, the puzzle design leaves a lot to be desired. Progression is extremely linear, with most locations being perpetually devoid of anything to interact with – with the exception of whichever particular place the game wants you to go to at that specific point. The game gives you very few options as to what to pursue, and even less clues about which option is correct.
On top of that the game features some ill-conceived semi-interactive fighting sequences, failure in which will lead to missing crucial interrogations, often leaving the game in an unwinnable state. I do think there's still a lot that's cool about BATMAN RETURNS, and I'd certainly recommend fans of point & click adventures to at least give it a look . Ultimately though, while it may suggest that a Batman point & click adventure could be something pretty great, BATMAN RETURNS fails to prove it.
33. LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME (PlayStation 3, 2008)
I was a bit apprehensive about playing LEGO BATMAN for the Caped Crusade – I'd played it in the past, but hadn't been particularly impressed, and fell off the game fairly quickly. I think in the end, that first impression ended up being pretty accurate – LEGO BATMAN isn't without charm, and it plays… competently, but once you've played a handful of levels, you've really seen everything the game has to offer.
Puzzles (and even calling them that feels like a stretch) are very simplistic, and combat is both far too imprecise and too inconsequential to ever really be engaging. Fighting really is complete busywork, and the endlessly respawning goons only serve as a distraction, slowing you down as you desperately try to complete whatever puzzle so you can eventually move on.
Compared to its DS counterpart, the console LEGO BATMAN at least has a few more positive things going for it. The pantomimed cutscenes are pretty cute, visuals are at least somewhat more interesting, and you actually get to build things other than ladders and switches. But no parts of the game ever really rise above competent mediocrity, and while playing through a level is rarely terrible (with the exception of the vehicle stages – those are terrible), having to go through 30 or so of them to beat the game gets to be a chore.
32. THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN (SEGA Mega CD, 1995)
Building off the technology developed for the Mega CD version of BATMAN RETURNS, the Batmobile action returns in force in THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN. As far as the gameplay goes, it's very similar – for good and bad. The sprite-scaling looks terrific, with tons of action on screen at any given time, and the art does a great job of replicating the look of the show. Handling feels good, and overall it's pretty fun to play.
Yet, it suffers from the same major issues as the driving levels in BATMAN RETURNS. The action is a little too intense for what the Mega CD can handle, so framerates get pretty rough (the rare section with less going on see a noticeable FPS bump, making me wish more of the game played like that). And perhaps most importantly, the game is absolutely ruthless. Time limits are very strict, health refills are few and far between, and bosses are incredibly bullet spongy.
However, there are a few notable features which to me clearly make THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN & ROBIN the superior game. For one, it doesn't have any annoyingly shitty platforming levels! But the more significant difference is that this game features essentially an episode's worth of original high-quality animation FMV, exclusive to the game. The unforgiving level of difficulty is this game's biggest downfall in my book, but either way the cinematics alone make it worth checking out for any fan of Batman: The Animated Series.
31. LEGO BATMAN 3: BEYOND GOTHAM (PC, 2014)
LEGO BATMAN 3 expands and diverges quite a bit from the formula established by the original game. There is – on paper anyway – a lot more you can do, with the ability to swap costumes (and eventually characters) on the fly, and longer, occasionally more open levels. It ultimately doesn't amount to a ton though; the game rarely if ever quite manages to escape that LEGO repetitiveness.
Perhaps the biggest difference to the overall experience compared to the original LEGO BATMAN is the focus on narrative. In the years since the first game the LEGO games transitioned from pantomime cinematics to fully voiced dialogue, and with that comes a much stronger focus on story. The story however isn't super compelling – it's a little all over the place, not particularly well-paced or structured, and its frequent attempts at humour often fall flat.
Like most LEGO games there is a lot to do if you're eager to revisit levels multiple times to find optional hidden doodads, but as far as playing through the story from start to finish, I didn't enjoy this a ton. It's perfectly serviceable, and under other circumstances I'm sure there's plenty of fun to be had with it, but personally I found it a big disappointment after the second game, which… well, more on that later.
30. BATMAN: DARK TOMORROW (Xbox, 2003)
Ah, now for what could very well be the most scorchingly hot take in this entire ranking. BATMAN: DARK TOMORROW is frequently cited as "the worst Batman video game of all time", and I'll admit that by certain metrics, that is a perfectly fair assessment. The game is shockingly, if not impressively, incompetent in how it's put together; the movement, camera, combat, and clunky handling of weapons and equipment make DARK TOMORROW feel like a mid-90's ripoff of ALONE IN THE DARK, not a 2003 action game. And on top of all that, it features bafflingly awful platforming, confusing gadgets, and possibly the worst implementation of a grappling hook in any Batman game.
YET… I really enjoyed my time with this game! I frankly can't fault anyone for hating DARK TOMORROW, but personally I found it weirdly charming, and far more memorable than many other, arguably more competent, games. I'll always appreciate the sheer novelty of a Batman game based on the comics and not another movie or TV adaptation, and DARK TOMORROW manages to hit quite a few unique notes to make it stand out. A lot of the character designs have a refreshingly old-school feel to them (not to mention the awesome classic Batmobile!), it features a bunch of villains not seen in many other games, and best of all, the Joker legitimately only has a bit part.
Even if half of the enjoyment I got out of BATMAN: DARK TOMORROW was sheer bafflement and incredulity at what was presented to me, I nevertheless enjoyed it. Simply put, it was more fun than most of the bad Batman games, but not exactly better than the actual good ones. Given that it was both one of the most memorable experiences in all of the Caped Crusade, yet undeniably one of the most poorly crafted ones – I feel like putting it somewhere close to the middle of the list feels fair.
29. BATMAN FOREVER (SNES, 1995)
We previously saw Probe's BATMAN & ROBIN further down the list, a game I praised for its ambition and innovation, even if it ultimately resulted in a nigh-unplayable game. Probe's earlier effort, the console version of BATMAN FOREVER, shares some of those qualities. It's something as unique as a MORTAL KOMBAT MYTHOLOGIES: SUB-ZERO-like… released two years before that game. It's arguably a more elaborate version of MKMSZ even, with huge levels to explore, filled to the brim with puzzles and secrets.
Probe had previously developed several MORTAL KOMBAT home ports for Acclaim, and I can only assume those experiences inspired them to use MK's controls and core combat mechanics as the basis for their Batman game. Although collision is frequently dodgy and the AI gets all kinds of weird, I think there is a fundamental joy to having such a wide range of attacks, abilities and gadgets to use, especially in a type of game where you wouldn't necessarily expect it. The digitized sprites is of course another standout feature, and it has to be said that Probe did an excellent job with them. Technically anyway – the costuming and performances of some of the actors are a bit questionable, but the sprites themselves look better than pretty much anything like this that wasn't done by Midway.
Similar to BATMAN & ROBIN, BATMAN FOREVER is annoyingly if not unfairly difficult. The game more or less relies on you finding a lot of the well-hidden secrets to unlock extra lives and additional gadgets, but even then it's an incredible challenge. All things considered though, I find the balance between "cool shit" and "unplayableness" a lot more palatable in BATMAN FOREVER. If it had only been a little less stingy with lives and continues, I think it could be a legitimately really fun game.
28. BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD (Wii, 2010)
I've long felt that WayForward Technologies is a developer that it's a little frustrating to be a fan of – their games are generally very appealing on their surface; gorgeous and with a lot of fun ideas, but faltering in execution, in one way or another. Good games, with the notable exception of one or a few issues that kind of drag the whole down.
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD for the Wii certainly fits that description. It is absolutely beautiful to look at, the combat mechanics feel good and are fun (despite occasionally awkward waggle controls), boss fights are pretty neat, and generally it just plays well. However, the game does have a glaring issue – pacing. The game consists of a mere four levels, and they each take somewhere between one to two hours to complete. That is an absurd amount of time to spend in samey locations fighting the same enemies, and just makes the game feel really repetitive.
The issue is also made worse by the game's really fun gimmick – each level has Batman partner up with a different character. So not only do you end up really wanting more levels just for variety in locales, but it'd also allow for more fun team-ups. Obviously having more playable characters would have been more work, it's understandable they had to cut corners somewhere and make the most of what they had. Still, I find it impossible to play this game without wishing it had eight 20-minute stages instead.
27. BATMAN (Arcade, 1991)
Atari's arcade BATMAN based on the 1989 film arrived weirdly late, but despite that seems a bit rushed – though frankly that feeling can probably be largely attributed to the game's healthy dose of typical Atari jank. BATMAN is essentially a clone of ROLLING THUNDER or SHINOBI but a lot jankier. Movement and animations are oddly choppy, platform collision is a little unreliable, and physics are, uh, questionable at best.
Despite these technical issues though, the arcade BATMAN is still a pretty cool game. The mechanical jank is largely made up for by the game's presentation, which do a notably better job than any other adaptation of actually capturing the feel of the 1989 film. Burton's Gotham City and its population of thugs are distinctly recognisable, the game uses FM synth interpretations of Danny Elfman's iconic score, and you frequently get to hear voice clips taken straight from the film. In addition to tone and atmosphere, the plot is also faithfully adapted – including cutscenes with movie stills, and some pretty cool Batmobile and Batwing stages.
26. BATMAN (Amiga, 1989)
BATMAN for the Amiga is notable for being a massive hit that really made the Amiga take off as a platform, as well truly cementing the viability of basing games on a movie license, which then became Ocean's standard practice for years to come. More than a novelty though, Ocean's BATMAN is a legitimately pretty good game, and its success is owed to more than a recognisable license.
The game has five levels, with the first and last featuring the same side-scrolling action gameplay, while the middle three sees you drive the Batmobile, concoct a Smilex antidote, and fly the Batwing, respectively. The side-scrolling stages aren't extremely noteworthy perhaps, but they're pretty solid and definitely do the job. The variety in gameplay types is really cool though; the Batcave level where you analyse the Smilex sample to create an antidote is a pretty simple puzzle, but a welcome change of pace and a novel way to include a key plot point from the film that's omitted in pretty much every other game adaptation.
The Batmobile and Batwing stages are where the game really shine, though. The Batmobile stage in particular might just be my favourite of all Batmobile sections in any Batman game! At its core it's a fairly straightforward first-person driving segment, but the simple addition of using the grappling hook to make left and right turns is incredibly satisfying and make an already fun driving segment even cooler.
25. BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (Game Boy, 1993)
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES on the Game Boy isn't a super remarkable game – but as we've seen, the bar for portable Batman games is not particularly high. Not to say the game is purely mediocre though; the platforming, while perfunctory, works well, and the visuals are really quite good! Even with a very limited colour palette and resolution, it manages to evoke the feel of the show, and the game even features a surprisingly faithful recreation of the show's opening for its intro.
As expected from Konami, the game features a rockin' – as well as moody – soundtrack, and overall the presentation of the game really quite nice. Mechanically it doesn't hold up as well – there isn't anything really wrong with it, but nothing too special about it either, really. I'd recommend it more for its presentation than anything else, but all in all it's still a solid little game.
24. BATMAN: ARKHAM VR (PlayStation 4, 2016)
I really didn't know what to expect going into BATMAN: ARKHAM VR. All I'd really heard about it was that it was a neat little sandbox VR experience kind of thing, but not much of a game. I think that's a fair way to describe it, but going in with low expectations meant I was able to enjoy it quite a bit more than I thought I would.
ARKHAM VR is a pretty short game from start to finish, about 90 minutes or so. If I'd stopped playing once credits rolled, I probably would have ended up putting it a lot lower on this list – the story is mostly complete nonsense, and the ending shits the bed really badly even by BATMAN: ARKHAM series standards. However, upon completing the story, you unlock the ability to revisit each of the game's little vignettes, freshly populated with hidden collectibles, riddles, and various other little secrets and challenges to discover.
Ignoring the narrative aspects, and just enjoying ARKHAM VR purely as a VR sandbox where we get to explore Wayne Manor, the Batcave, back alleys in Gotham and other neat locations, is where the game really shines. Well, calling it a "game" seems weird even; there are challenges to complete and items to collect, but most of the enjoyment I got from playing ARKHAM VR was simply taking in and lightly interacting with the highly detailed and atmospheric environments. One of the absolute highlights for me was the part in the Batcave where you can examine a handful of different character models – I always enjoy model viewers in games, but it is orders of magnitude cooler in VR.
BATMAN: ARKHAM VR not only made me wish more games had specific VR-enabled model viewers – but legitimately had me considering shelling out for a high-end PC VR headset just so I can mess around more with 3D model viewing and stuff. It doesn't exactly have a ton to do with the game – but I still feel I gotta give it some credit for sparking that kind of excitement.
Three parts down, two to go. Stay tuned for the next instalment, where we start getting into the legitimately good games! 🦇
BatmanBatman ForeverBatman ReturnsBatman: ArkhamBatman: Dark TomorrowBatman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Brave and the BoldLEGOLists
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