SDCC '08 - So You Want to do a Graphic Novel?
Recognizing that many of the attendees of Comic-Con International: San Diego are there because they want to learn how to break into comics, AiT/Planet Lar set up a panel to help them do just that. A packed room of enthusiastic hopefuls spent an hour last Thursday asking questions and learning the ins and outs of the business from publisher Larry Young and a team of graphic novel creators.
The panel included Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman (Monster Attack Network, Genius, The Highwaymen), Steven Grant (Badlands, Whisper, Two Guns), Adam Beechen (Hench, The Dugout), Kirsten Baldock (Smoke and Guns), Matt Silady (The Homeless Channel) and Daniel Merlin Goodbrey (The Last Sane Cowboy & Other Stories, Necessary Monsters).
While the focus of the panel was on creating comics, at least two bits of news slipped out – as reported previously by Newsarama, Bernardin and Freeman's Monster Attack Network has been optioned by Disney. And Young said Grant is currently working on an as-yet-unannounced Vertigo graphic novel.
Goodbrey said he heard writer Garth Ennis would write down everything he wanted to happen in one big long list, then move stuff around until he had a story. "I found that's a really good way to work within a structure," he said.
Another approach, Baldock said, is to think about the structure of a play. "When you need to change the set, basically that's the next scene," she said. "So you think about the scene, and each of the things that are going to happen within that scene." She said she'll make an outline of the major elements of the scene, then break down each scene into panels.
He said writers should let the story determine the structure. For instance, he recently turned in the first 12 pages of his Vertigo graphic novel, and he said it jumps all over the place.
Freeman said he and Bernardin attended film school, and while structure can be overrated, "it works. In order to break the rules, you have to know the rules," he said. He pointed out that certain patterns have emerged in stories over time, from mythology to TV today. "Some things work," he said.
One audience member said they were a writer who couldn't draw and asked for the panel's thoughts on finding an artist.
Baldock then suggested checking websites like Digital Webbing or deviantART.com, both of which allow writers to make connections with artists. Beechen added that he knew some writers who found artists on CraigsList and suggested looking at art schools.
Silady's advice was to go ahead and draw the book.
He added that he had trouble finding an artist for The Homeless Channel, so he ended up drawing it himself. He started by tracing photographs he took.
Someone else asked what they should put into the first two pages of a script to grab the audience.
Grant said it depends on your story, but recommended giving the audience a question they want to see answered. "That's what's called the hook. And if you don't give them a hook, they're not coming back," he said.
Freeman said it's crucial to grab someone in those first pages. "The best thing to do is think of a really amazing scene that's going to grab people, and then start page one as late into that scene as you possibly can, and still have it make sense," he said.
Silady suggested starting things "right in the thick of it," and trust that the reader will work out what's happening. He said the impulse to figure out what's going on will motivate the reader to keep reading.
The next question was about how to pitch a graphic novel.
He suggested that they know their story well and try to condense it down to a minute and a half pitch. He said a lot of people make the mistake of trying to give too much back story before getting into the story itself.
Beechen said it's also helpful to know who you're pitching to.
"Look at the materials of the company you know you're going to be talking to, decide if your property is right for them, and tailor your pitch accordingly," he said.
Grant added that it's important to know how to pitch something.
Silady said he never worried about the pitch or a publisher when he started; he made mini-comics and published them himself at his local copy shop. "My mom got me a long-arm stapler for Christmas, and she said, 'This is the worst gift I've ever given anyone.' And I said, 'No, this is the best gift you've ever given anyone, because it means you get it,'" he said.
Silady took his mini-comics to a small convention and sold them himself. He said before he knew it, he had half a graphic novel done in the form of mini-comics, and took that to a publisher as his pitch.
Goodbrey also started out by doing mini-comics, each of which was a single story set in a shared universe. Eventually they were collected into The Last Sane Cowboy and Other Stories. He added that it's important to do more pages than you normally would your first time out, because publishers want to know you can produce a 100-page book. After getting published once, it's much easier, he said, to convince them to do a second book.
He said it's easier for artists to break in, because they can draw five pages and show the editor they can tell a story. "Nobody has the time to read your five pages of script and make that kind of judgment," Bernardin said.
In regards to how long a script should be, Silady suggested visiting the website Scryptic Studios for samples of script. "The difference in size of scripts from one author to the next can be astounding," he said.
Bernardin said he and Freeman spent about two weeks just figuring out the logistics, like how many words go in a balloon and how many balloons can go into a panel. "It's elastic depending on who's writing it, it's elastic depending on the kind of story you're telling, and it's elastic depending on your writing style," Bernardin said.
Grant said a general rule of thumb is six panels to a page, 30 words to a panel. Grant said he avoids plotting if he can, because he "hates writing the same story more than once." He only does that if the editor asks for it.
Goodbrey said before the web, independent creators could either just work on a graphic novel or try to serialize it as a comic book first.
He added that more and more publishers are going that route; he's currently doing it with Necessary Monsters (http://www.necessarymonsters.com/). Someone asked if publishing it on the web first would hurt sales.
A young creator asked if any of the panelists had confidence issues when making their comics and how they overcame them.
Silady said he struggled with "incredible confidence issues." During grad school, he was drawing a panel a day, and he was worried how it would all turn out.
When asked to name the book that inspired them, Young mentioned American Flagg. Baldock mentioned Enigma by Peter Milligan, but said the book that made her want to write her own graphic novel was The Interman by Jeff Parker. Goodbrey mentioned Grant Morrison and Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, Bernardin mentioned Lone Wolf and Cub, and Grant mentioned His Name is Savage by Gil Kane. Freeman said the X-Men graphic novel God Loves, Man Kills, while Beechen said Legion of Super-Heroes by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen, as well as Cerebus.


text:
Handspring launches colour Treo PDA in UK
The Treo 90 adds a whole host of features to the Palm licensee's range - support for SD and MMC cards is just the beginning
By Matthew Broersma | September 24, 2002 -- 15:00 GMT (08:00 PDT) | Topic: Hardware
Handspring has released its latest colour-screen organiser -- the Treo 90 -- in the UK, with non-English versions to follow later this year. The organiser builds on Handspring's Treo line of PDAs that also include mobile phone features, although the Treo 90 is not itself a wireless device.
The £249 (inc. VAT) device contains a few features distinguishing it from other Palm OS-based organisers, including a built-in QWERTY thumb-board, an expansion slot for Secure Digital (SD) or Multi-Media Cards (MMC), a colour screen and a flip cover. It comes with 16MB of memory and a lithium ion battery that lasts 10 days on a full charge, Handspring claims.
The Treo 90 runs Palm OS 4.1.1H, Palm's most recent operating system, with some Handspring enhancements.
Handspring is currently best known in the UK for its heavily hyped line of mobile phone organisers, which include the Treo 180 and Treo 270 Communicators, available through mobile phone retailers. Handspring is shifting its entire line toward the flip-cover, keyboard-equipped Treo design and away from its earlier designs, which included a handwriting-recognition area.
Handspring has had high hopes for its Treo line, which first hit shops early this year. But in the second quarter, the company faced steep declines. It shipped 170,590 handhelds during that period, almost half as many as it did during the first quarter. Still, it held fourth place among the handheld makers -- behind Palm, Hewlett-Packard and Sony -- and grabbed 6.5 percent of worldwide unit shipments.
Earlier this month, Handspring released a software upgrade for the Treo line which allowed the devices to use SD card peripherals, such as a Bluetooth card.
CNET News.com's John G. Spooner contributed to this report.
If it moves, we cover it. See ZDNet UK's Mobile Technology News Section for the latest news, reviews and price checks on mobile phones, PDAs, notebook computers and anything else you can take away.
More from Matthew Broersma
Retailer's Web site hack exposes credit card details
The alternative world of yesterday's future
Red Hat rolls out Fedora 14
Oracle signs Solaris deals with HP and Dell

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Tottenham Hotspur came through the ultimate test in their Champions League campaign as they took on Real Madrid and earned a commendable point.
Mauricio Pochettino's side took the lead when Raphael Varane deflected the ball past his own goalkeeper.
But Real Madrid were level when Cristiano Ronaldo converted from the penalty spot shortly before half-time.
Relive the action as it happened with Sportsmail's TOM FARMERY.
A fair result. Tottenham's supporters give out a loud cheer as the full-time whistle is blown. The two sides will meet again in two weeks. Tonight will have proved to Mauricio Pochettino and his players than they can exploit Real Madrid's weaknesses. Hugo Lloris should get all the plaudits. He was fantastic. Special mention to Llorente. His link-up play with Eriksen was very good indeed. That also concludes out coverage of tonight's game. Thanks for joining me.
90+1min: Real Madrid corner after Marcelo's shot is deflected behind. Ronaldo's corner, however, is easily claimed by Lloris. An outstanding performance by him this evening. Three minutes of stoppage time to be played.
89min: Tottenham go forward with Aurier but the attack eventually breaks down. Sissoko then goes down after colliding with Ramos. He's currently receiving treatment. He is eventually replaced by Heung-min Son.
85min: Second change Real Madrid. Lucas Vasquez replaces Isco.
84min: Vertonghen and Alderweireld do excellently to keep Ronaldo quiet. The ball came in from the left but the two defenders combine to stop the Portuguese star from getting a run at the ball.
83min: 'Oh when the Spurs go marching in,' rings out at the Bernabeu. The Spurs fans will go home very happy if they leave here with a point. The way the tempo has dropped suggests both sides would be content with a draw.
79min: Real Madrid enjoying yet another period of possession. Tottenham doing well to keep their shape as Ronaldo and Modric try to find ways past the opposition's defence. Meanwhile, Llorente is coming off for Danny Rose.
76min: First change of the night from either side. Marco Asensio replaces Karim Benzema for Real Madrid.
75min: Eriksen manages to weave his way into the Real Madrid box after another good ball by Llorente but his shot is pushed round the post by Navas for a corner which is easily cleared.
71min: Massive chance for Spurs. Llorente accepted Eriksen's pass before playing Kane one-on-one with Navas but the Real Madrid goalkeeper makes a superb save to deny Tottenham's star striker.
70min: Real Madrid corner as the ball comes off Vertonghen. Kroos plays the ball in towards Ronaldo but the Real Madrid captain shoves Vertonghen in the back and play is stopped.
66min: Lloris with yet another save to deny Ronaldo. Ronaldo's shot goes down to Lloris's left and the goalkeeper does well to push the effort clear. These attacks are happening too often as Spurs continue to struggle with retaining possession in Real Madrid's half.
63min: Superb save by Lloris to deny Ronaldo. Ronaldo struck his shot on the half volley and Lloris somehow managed to push his effort over the bar. Real Madrid eventually falls to Isco whose shot is deflected by Sanchez and Lloris has to scramble across his line to claim. Dangerous moments for Spurs.
61min: Tottenham free-kick. Casemiro on Eriksen outside of the Real Madrid area. Eriksen's delivery, though, drops straight into the arms of Navas.
58min: Good work by Sanchez to cut out Ronaldo's clever ball across but Real Madrid have two more chances through Modric and Kroos but neither can trouble Lloris's goal. It certainly seems as though Real Madrid are growing in confidence. Spurs have noticeably dropped deeper.
56min: Tottenham corner. Hakimi does well to cut out Vertonghen's cross from the left. Eriksen floats it in and Sanchez heads over. Eriksen's cross wasn't the best to attack.
53min: Real Madrid corner. Played to Marcelo to Kroos and now to Modric. He plays it wide to Casemiro. The ball eventually comes in a Lloris does brilliantly to deny Benzema from point blank range. Ronaldo moments later goes through one-on-one with Lloris but is judged offside.
50min: Kane showing flashes of inspiration. He wins a corner for Spurs. Eriksen will take. His corner comes in but is headed clear by Ronaldo. Winks then fouls Modric as the Real Madrid man attempted to break forward.
47min: Good defending by Vertonghen on Hakimi as the 18-year-old charged down the right side. The Belgium did very well to keep pace and put the ball out for a throw.
46min: Real Madrid attacking down the left. It seems as though Ronaldo will return to the position he is most comfortable in - on the left side. Aurier, on a yellow card, could be in trouble.
Frustrating finish to the first half for Spurs. A strong performance before Aurier needlessly brought Kroos down inside the Tottenham area. 1-1 at half-time and Real Madrid, you expect, will want to make the most of the second 45 minutes after a fairly inadequate first period. Tottenham will have to revert back to the counter-attacking football that has brought them success.
Ronaldo goes to Lloris's left as the France goalkeeper goes right. Big blow for Spurs.
42min: Real Madrid penalty. Kroos fouled by Aurier inside the Spurs penalty area. Aurier also gets booked in the process. So stupid to go down when and where he did.
41min: Tottenham corner. Eriksen takes but Casemiro is able to get to the ball before Kane. Kane would have had a clear chance at goal had the Real Madrid man not got back in the nick of time.
34min: Marcelo hits the side netting after Sanchez just did enough to get a touch on it. Corner comes in but goes well above Ramos at the far post and out for a Tottenham goal kick. That's two corners Real Madrid have wasted in the last 10 minutes.
32min: Isco turns Eric Dier and forces a strong save from close range by Lloris. Ronaldo goes into the book after a brief bust-up with Vertonghen. Ronaldo is looking frustrated. Spurs, to thei credit, are capitalising on Real Madrid's misfortune.
29min: 'Harry Kane, he's one of our own,' the Tottenham fans chant. It wasn't Kane who scored but it's not going to matter one bit to the travelling fans.
What a bizarre goal. Ball played in by Aurier on the right towards Kane at the near post but Varane deflects it past Navas and into the Real Madrid net. Tottenham's first ever goal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
25min: Vertonghen does well to stop Ronaldo advancing into the area. He gives away a corner. Isco takes but it is deflected for a second corner which is cleared as far as Sissoko who breaks forward. He find Eriksen who plays it to Winks but the youngster's shot goes over the Real Madrid bar.
21min: Real Madrid corner. Kroos takes but Llorente heads clear at the near post. Kroos really should have done better.
20min: Llorente is down after Casemiro appeared to make contact with him in the Real Madrid penalty. No penalty and Llorente is soon back on his feet.
19min: Second corner comes in from Eriksen from the opposite side but this time Alderweireld goes harmlessly wide.
18min: Tottenham corner. Eriksen plays in the corner and Kane forces a save from Navas to give Spurs another corner.
17min: Ronaldo goes close again. From just inside the Spurs penalty area he drags his right-footed shot wide of Hugo Lloris's goal.
15min: The man who some thought would be vulnerable for Real Madrid is having a brilliant game. Hakimi, the 18-year-old, has been full of confidence so far and it's showing in his play down the right. He looks comfortable on the ball and is prepared to get forward and assist the attack. Certainly backing himself against Vertonghen, who is playing on the left side of the Spurs defence.
12min: Alderweireld thanking his lucky stars after going down easily when trying to win the ball back off Ronaldo as the Portuguese star broke into the Spurs box. Thankfully for the defender and his team-mates Ronaldo, on the turn, loses his footing and Spurs are able to win back possession.
9min: Spurs starting to look more comfortable on the ball. Real Madrid aren't chasing Tottenham's players down which should give Pochettino's men a chance to find a rhythm. That doesn't seem to have got to Aurier who seems intent on trying long balls up to Llorente. Twice he's tried the long ball and twice it's finished back in Real Madrid's possession.
7min: Eric Dier could be crucial for Spurs tonight. He's having to protect the back four much more often than he has had to in recent weeks. Ronaldo is pushing Tottenham's defence back which means Dier is finding difficult to occupy any other position than just ahead of Tottenham's defensive line.
4min: Two big chances for Real Madrid. Hakimi played the ball back across the Tottenham area. Ronaldo's header comes back off the Spurs post to Benzema but he shoots wide. A big let off for Spurs and particularly Vertonghen who stood watching as the ball flashed past him.
3min: Llorente with a chance for Spurs. He managed to get inside the Real Madrid six-yard area but decided to shoot with the outside of his right boot rather than with his left and his effort goes out for a goal kick.
2min: Steady start. Spurs a little rushed to begin with as they attempt a couple of needless long balls that are easily intercepted. Ronaldo has just been flagged for offside as he looked to make the most of a Modric through ball.
He writes: 'For all the talk of a young team, Spurs do not lack experience.
'Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen are closing in on 100 international caps. Sissoko and Eriksen have more than 50. Serge Aurier has played deep into the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain.
The excitement and interest surrounding Harry Kane continues to grow.
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has labelled him a 'complete player' and the statistics seem to back up every compliment.
Indeed, in 2017, Kane has scored 36 goals. That is four more than Cristiano Ronaldo who has 32 and has played 365 minutes more.
The 18-year-old full back who replaces Dani Carvajal tonight. It's only his third game for Real Madrid, and his first ever appearance in the Champions League. He will be the one the Tottenham players need to target simply based on his inexperience.
No rain in Madrid for 51 days but today the heavens have opened and it's bucketing it down. The rain is expected to continue. The temperature is 16c and failing. The rain will make for a fast yet slippery surface. A good first touch will be crucial.
Working out the Spurs formation... modified 4-4-2 or 4-3-1-2 or 4-1-2-1-2?
It's certainly an interesting selection by Mauricio Pochettino. Opting for Kane and Llorente is odd but the midfield lacks width.
Pochettino, it seems, is playing four players in midfield. Sissoko and Dier a little deeper and Winks and Eriksen in more advanced positions.
Expect them to sit just behind Llorente and Kane. To clear up the defensive line-up, it appears as though Vertonghen will occupy the left back position as he does regularly for Belgium.
But then look at it another way. Real use a 4-1-2-1-2 formation so could Pochettino be copying that? Dier being the holding midfielder with Winks and Sissoko behind Eriksen?
Other than that there is the option of a 4-3-1-2 with Winks, Sissoko and Dier behind Eriksen.
Another issue that comes to mind is Serge Aurier. He was sent off against West Ham and could well find himself up against any one of Ronaldo, Isco and Benzema during the match.
Have a look at this... what was Harry Kane doing the last time Spurs played at the Bernabeu?
Playing for Leyton Orient against Plymouth Argyle in League One.
The Champions League is back and tonight we have a cracker for you.
Real Madrid host Tottenham in a match that is expected to be full of energy and excitement.
Conversation has focused on Harry Kane these past few days. Even some of the Spanish newspapers have found it difficult not to indulge themselves in his recent form.
Stay with me for all the build-up and live coverage once kick-off arrives 7.45pm (BST).


text:
The Brittain-Garvin House, at 411 North 9th St. in Duncan, Oklahoma, was built around 1916.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.  The listing included three contributing buildings and a contributing object.

It is a two-story, Prairie School house.  It is roughly L-shaped and has a porte cochere.  It was expanded and wooden awnings were added around 1937.

References

National Register of Historic Places in Stephens County, Oklahoma
Prairie School architecture
Houses completed in 1916

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Glial fibrillary acidic protein for the early diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage: Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy
Luke A. Perry, Tom Lucarelli, Jahan C. Penny-Dimri, Matthew D.F. McInnes, Stefania Mondello, Alejandro Bustamante, Joan Montaner, Christian Foerch, Patrick Kwan, Stephen Davis, Bernard Yan
Associazione Oasi Maria SS.
Background and aims: Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has shown promise in several studies for its ability to diagnose intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of blood GFAP level to differentiate (ICH) from acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and stroke mimics, both overall, and in the first three hours after symptom onset. Methods: We searched multiple databases, without language restriction, from inception until December 2017. Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) modeling was used to meta-analyze results. We conducted subgroup analyses restricted to blood samples collected within 0–60, 60–120, and 120–180 min time groups after symptom onset, to evaluate diagnostic accuracy in the early pre-hospital phase. Between and within study heterogeneity was explored using meta-regression. Results: The search identified 199 potentially relevant citations from which 11 studies involving 1297 participants (350 ICH, 947 AIS, or mimic) were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the HSROC curve were 0.756 (95% CI 0.630–0.849), 0.945 (95% CI 0.858–0.980), and 0.904 (95% CI 0.878–0.931), respectively. Differences in assays used, but not the other covariates, partially explained between-study heterogeneity (p = 0.034). The summary estimates for the 0–60, 60–120, and 120–180 min subgroups were comparable to the primary analysis and there was no statistically significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between subgroups. Conclusions: GFAP is a promising diagnostic biomarker for ICH diagnosis in the early pre-hospital phase. Test accuracy is affected by assay subtype, but there are still unexplained sources of heterogeneity. High quality, international multi-center trials are warranted to develop and validate a point-of-care GFAP assay for the rapid triage and evaluation of acute stroke in the pre-hospital setting.
International Journal of Stroke
Routine Diagnostic Tests
Point-of-Care Systems
Perry, L. A., Lucarelli, T., Penny-Dimri, J. C., McInnes, M. D. F., Mondello, S., Bustamante, A., ... Yan, B. (2019). Glial fibrillary acidic protein for the early diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage: Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy. International Journal of Stroke, 14(4), 390-399. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747493018806167
Glial fibrillary acidic protein for the early diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage : Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy. / Perry, Luke A.; Lucarelli, Tom; Penny-Dimri, Jahan C.; McInnes, Matthew D.F.; Mondello, Stefania; Bustamante, Alejandro; Montaner, Joan; Foerch, Christian; Kwan, Patrick; Davis, Stephen; Yan, Bernard.
In: International Journal of Stroke, Vol. 14, No. 4, 01.06.2019, p. 390-399.
Perry, LA, Lucarelli, T, Penny-Dimri, JC, McInnes, MDF, Mondello, S, Bustamante, A, Montaner, J, Foerch, C, Kwan, P, Davis, S & Yan, B 2019, 'Glial fibrillary acidic protein for the early diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage: Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy', International Journal of Stroke, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 390-399. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747493018806167
Perry LA, Lucarelli T, Penny-Dimri JC, McInnes MDF, Mondello S, Bustamante A et al. Glial fibrillary acidic protein for the early diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage: Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy. International Journal of Stroke. 2019 Jun 1;14(4):390-399. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747493018806167
Perry, Luke A. ; Lucarelli, Tom ; Penny-Dimri, Jahan C. ; McInnes, Matthew D.F. ; Mondello, Stefania ; Bustamante, Alejandro ; Montaner, Joan ; Foerch, Christian ; Kwan, Patrick ; Davis, Stephen ; Yan, Bernard. / Glial fibrillary acidic protein for the early diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage : Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy. In: International Journal of Stroke. 2019 ; Vol. 14, No. 4. pp. 390-399.
@article{c03a7185f65a4083aca331b497eaa1ed,
title = "Glial fibrillary acidic protein for the early diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage: Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy",
abstract = "Background and aims: Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has shown promise in several studies for its ability to diagnose intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of blood GFAP level to differentiate (ICH) from acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and stroke mimics, both overall, and in the first three hours after symptom onset. Methods: We searched multiple databases, without language restriction, from inception until December 2017. Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) modeling was used to meta-analyze results. We conducted subgroup analyses restricted to blood samples collected within 0–60, 60–120, and 120–180 min time groups after symptom onset, to evaluate diagnostic accuracy in the early pre-hospital phase. Between and within study heterogeneity was explored using meta-regression. Results: The search identified 199 potentially relevant citations from which 11 studies involving 1297 participants (350 ICH, 947 AIS, or mimic) were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the HSROC curve were 0.756 (95{\%} CI 0.630–0.849), 0.945 (95{\%} CI 0.858–0.980), and 0.904 (95{\%} CI 0.878–0.931), respectively. Differences in assays used, but not the other covariates, partially explained between-study heterogeneity (p = 0.034). The summary estimates for the 0–60, 60–120, and 120–180 min subgroups were comparable to the primary analysis and there was no statistically significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between subgroups. Conclusions: GFAP is a promising diagnostic biomarker for ICH diagnosis in the early pre-hospital phase. Test accuracy is affected by assay subtype, but there are still unexplained sources of heterogeneity. High quality, international multi-center trials are warranted to develop and validate a point-of-care GFAP assay for the rapid triage and evaluation of acute stroke in the pre-hospital setting.",
author = "Perry, {Luke A.} and Tom Lucarelli and Penny-Dimri, {Jahan C.} and McInnes, {Matthew D.F.} and Stefania Mondello and Alejandro Bustamante and Joan Montaner and Christian Foerch and Patrick Kwan and Stephen Davis and Bernard Yan",
journal = "International Journal of Stroke",
T1 - Glial fibrillary acidic protein for the early diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage
T2 - Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy
AU - Perry, Luke A.
AU - Lucarelli, Tom
AU - Penny-Dimri, Jahan C.
AU - McInnes, Matthew D.F.
AU - Mondello, Stefania
AU - Bustamante, Alejandro
AU - Montaner, Joan
AU - Foerch, Christian
AU - Kwan, Patrick
AU - Davis, Stephen
AU - Yan, Bernard
N2 - Background and aims: Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has shown promise in several studies for its ability to diagnose intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of blood GFAP level to differentiate (ICH) from acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and stroke mimics, both overall, and in the first three hours after symptom onset. Methods: We searched multiple databases, without language restriction, from inception until December 2017. Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) modeling was used to meta-analyze results. We conducted subgroup analyses restricted to blood samples collected within 0–60, 60–120, and 120–180 min time groups after symptom onset, to evaluate diagnostic accuracy in the early pre-hospital phase. Between and within study heterogeneity was explored using meta-regression. Results: The search identified 199 potentially relevant citations from which 11 studies involving 1297 participants (350 ICH, 947 AIS, or mimic) were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the HSROC curve were 0.756 (95% CI 0.630–0.849), 0.945 (95% CI 0.858–0.980), and 0.904 (95% CI 0.878–0.931), respectively. Differences in assays used, but not the other covariates, partially explained between-study heterogeneity (p = 0.034). The summary estimates for the 0–60, 60–120, and 120–180 min subgroups were comparable to the primary analysis and there was no statistically significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between subgroups. Conclusions: GFAP is a promising diagnostic biomarker for ICH diagnosis in the early pre-hospital phase. Test accuracy is affected by assay subtype, but there are still unexplained sources of heterogeneity. High quality, international multi-center trials are warranted to develop and validate a point-of-care GFAP assay for the rapid triage and evaluation of acute stroke in the pre-hospital setting.
AB - Background and aims: Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has shown promise in several studies for its ability to diagnose intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of blood GFAP level to differentiate (ICH) from acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and stroke mimics, both overall, and in the first three hours after symptom onset. Methods: We searched multiple databases, without language restriction, from inception until December 2017. Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) modeling was used to meta-analyze results. We conducted subgroup analyses restricted to blood samples collected within 0–60, 60–120, and 120–180 min time groups after symptom onset, to evaluate diagnostic accuracy in the early pre-hospital phase. Between and within study heterogeneity was explored using meta-regression. Results: The search identified 199 potentially relevant citations from which 11 studies involving 1297 participants (350 ICH, 947 AIS, or mimic) were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the HSROC curve were 0.756 (95% CI 0.630–0.849), 0.945 (95% CI 0.858–0.980), and 0.904 (95% CI 0.878–0.931), respectively. Differences in assays used, but not the other covariates, partially explained between-study heterogeneity (p = 0.034). The summary estimates for the 0–60, 60–120, and 120–180 min subgroups were comparable to the primary analysis and there was no statistically significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between subgroups. Conclusions: GFAP is a promising diagnostic biomarker for ICH diagnosis in the early pre-hospital phase. Test accuracy is affected by assay subtype, but there are still unexplained sources of heterogeneity. High quality, international multi-center trials are warranted to develop and validate a point-of-care GFAP assay for the rapid triage and evaluation of acute stroke in the pre-hospital setting.
JO - International Journal of Stroke
JF - International Journal of Stroke


Bliss & Harm, Paweł Matyszewski's first solo exhibition at the Le Guern Gallery, is a personal statement comprising paintings, objects and installations that reveal the artist's fascination with nature. The show spills out of the gallery space and into the garden, where Matyszewski has intervened by introducing his own selection of plants. Paweł Matyszewski's creative efforts span the divie between art and nature. He creates objects and installations by shaping organic tissue into the desired form. He then recreates these elements in his paintings, at times with naturalistic precision that resonates on the line between the abstract and realism. He frequently moves from one extreme to another, consistently studying themes of corporeality, psychosexual identity and eroticism, as well as existence and passing, exploring them in the context of life's dependences on the natural cycle of birth and death. Paweł Matyszewski's work reminds us, at once of the vitality of nature and the fragility of life and matter. The titular instances of bliss and harm underscore the ambivalent nature of these phenomena and experiences.
The exhibition is part of the Warsaw Gallery Weekend 2018.


First-time judges meant some harsh scoring at the latest Mock Trial competition, according to members of the red team.
The red team beat Casa Roble Fundamental High School, 309-267, receiving 53 percent of the points. However, most of the members thought they deserved a lot more.
Captain senior Emma Belliveau praised junior Zane Jakobs's pretrial argument, calling it the best pretrial argument from Country Day in the four years she's been on the team.
Consequently, she said, Jakobs deserved all 10's, but instead he received two 8's and two 6's.
Co-attorney freshman Jack Christian said they also stepped up on their objections, but scores did not reflect their success.
Another problem, team members said, was that the inexperienced judges didn't take the trial seriously enough.
For example, when the closing argument begins, the prosecution goes before the defense. After both have finished, each team is supposed to get one minute for rebuttal in the same order.
However, in this case, Belliveau said, the judge announced that the debate was over before she had given the defense's rebuttal. When Belliveau spoke up, the judge asked whether there was enough time.
Each team is given one minute, so the answer was yes.
Another problem occurred with the timekeepers, who track how much time someone has and tell people when to stop.
Students serve as the official timekeepers and are supposed to have a time discrepancy of 15 seconds.
Freshman timekeeper Joe Mo said the time discrepancy was 17 seconds, and the judge's response was to continue.
What Mo really had to do was determine with the other timekeeper if their times were correct, but the judge said to continue.
Although there were some problems during round 2, Belliveau said the team has improved. During round 1, Belliveau said she thought they had to work on objections, but this time around they did fine.
The black team competed against Laguna Creek High School, winning 238-198.
Sophomore Smita Sikaria said witnesses did well this round.
She particularly praised junior Jaelan Trapp.
Junior Shriya Nadgauda said the team needs to work on presentation and learn to respond directly during cross examinations and to object to the right things.
Senior captain Emma Brown won MVP.
Nadgauda praised captain senior Emma Brown, who was chosen MVP by the other team.
Brown said she spent a lot of time preparing, so she was able to memorize all her questions for cross examination and direct examination.
Coach Wayne Strumpfer said that the teams have to be more in the moment.
"A lot of Mock Trial is scripted, so when the attorneys can go off script and focus on the actual testimony and happenings of the trial, that's when you score points against the best teams," Strumpfer said.
Round 3 will be Monday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m at the courthouse.


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Attend Hospitalog Asia 2018 - the revolutionary conference for the healthcare logistics industry in the Asia Pacific region.
Rising patient demands and disruptive healthcare development mean that healthcare professionals need to be able to adapt from traditional healthcare operations to innovative and strategic healthcare in order to provide quality healthcare service. The 2-day conference will address various healthcare industry challenges from controlling operating costs to ensuring hospital efficiency and technology implementation whilst ensuring patient safety.


text:
Zazie / Zazie dans le Metro (1960)
October 14, 2010 admin Comments 1 comment
"All Paris is a dream; Zazie is a reverie."
A young girl (Catherine Demongeot) visiting her aunt (Carla Marlier) and uncle (Philippe Noiret) in Paris runs away to explore the city.
French Films
Louis Malle Films
It's difficult to describe just how uniquely surreal Louis Malle's adaptation of Raymond Queneau's 1959 novel really is. Dubbed "an elaborate French exercise in cinematic Dadaism" by Bosley Crowther of the New York Times, it's both deliciously mindbending and seemingly random; if it weren't based on a novel, one would accuse Malle of relying on (possibly drug-induced) free association as the basis for his script. Indeed, it's literally impossible to absorb every moment of this story in one viewing — and you may very well feel giddily exhausted by the end of your attempt to keep up with both Zazie and Malle (whose other films give little indication of the radical parameters he sets for himself here). Malle's cinematic bag of tricks seemingly knows no boundaries, as he speeds up his camera and then slows down again, utilizes jump-cuts, and generally messes as much as he can with the viewer's sense of continuity and rationality.
To provide an example: in just one 25-second section of a delightfully lengthy chase scene between Zazie and a policeman named Trouscaillon (Vittorio Caprioli), Zazie pours a glass of water over Trouscaillon's head, which he promptly spouts out of his mouth like a fish. Zazie then jumps down the stairs and hides in a metal pail, which Trouscaillon sits down on. He hears rattling inside, and when he opens the lid, he sees that Zazie has transformed into a black cat. He leaps up in surprise and is suddenly found standing on the banister of a marble stairway, reeling Zazie in with a fishing pole. When Zazie reappears on-screen, she's played by an elderly woman wearing the same orange shirt and gray skirt. This "older Zazie" slaps Trouscaillon, and their chase continues, with the original Zazie now back on-screen. And so it goes.
Zazie herself is an incomparably precocious and delightfully salty protagonist. As played by Demongeot (who apparently never pursued an adult acting career), she's fearless in her encounters with the lewd and/or sexually confused adults she's surrounded by — including her uncle (the always wonderful Philippe Noiret) and creepy Caprioli (who reminds me of Stanley Tucci). Meanwhile, another of the many delights offered by the film is its time-capsule view of Paris: made the same year as Godard's Breathless, it provides a heady visual counterpart to that fabled vision of the city, shown here in vibrant colors rather than in stark b&w. Though Zazie is repeatedly foiled in her attempts to see the Metro (whose employees are on strike), her experiences in the rest of the city — including, naturally, the Eiffel Tower — are a treat to partake in.
Catherine Demongeot as Zazie
Philippe Noiret as Uncle Gabriel
Simple but effective special effects
Wonderful use of authentic Paris locales
Countless surreal moments
Amusing word play, very creatively translated into English: "Damngodit!"
Yes, as an entirely unique New Wave masterpiece. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Cult Movie in the back of Peary's book.
Foreign Gem
Historically Relevant
Important Director
Spinning Image Review
I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
Heartbreak Kid, The (1972)
One thought on "Zazie / Zazie dans le Metro (1960)"
A must – if for no other reason than its very unique place in cinema history. As well, although now 50 years old, it's amazingly fresh. In the film's closing line, when asked what she did in Paris, Zazie replies, "I aged." I can't foresee the same ever happening to 'ZDLM'.
The film's point hides in plain sight behind a thin veneer of charm; that is its power. Essentially, it is not very pleasant at all – a film that starts with one of its main characters walking down a line of his countrymen commenting on how they all stink, then ending in a free-for-all that's both anarchic and violent couldn't have an uplifting message. Though I haven't read the novel, it would seem that Malle follows author Queneau's lead in this whirlwind guided tour that views Parisians as worthy of little but ridicule. Malle wisely serves up this harsh view as medicine that goes down with a soothing taste.
There is no one to really root for here. Not that anyone is shown as being particularly evil – but the range runs from naive to nuisance to shallow to ineffectual malcontent (the last being the Noiret character). And then there's Zazie herself: aside from the fact that she doesn't kill, she is only somewhat more genuine than Rhoda in 'The Bad Seed'. She does not have any real nuance or saving grace moment, and the assumption is that, as she grows, she will become just like the people around her. (It's tempting to wonder if that is, indeed, what the film's last line means. Does "I aged." = "I'm no different from the adults."? Hmm…)
Queneau's novel was published in 1959. In 1950, Eugene Ionesco had his early, absurdist one-act play 'The Bald Soprano' produced in Paris. It was not received well at first – but Queneau (and other writers) came to its defense and the play caught on. (Apparently it is still running in the same theater in which it opened!) Queneau's novel and Ionesco's play have a marked similarity in wordplay and negative worldview. If they are comic (and they are), they are very darkly so. They are also both dreamlike (note Noiret in 'Zazie': "All this is a reverie within a dream."). And, like Ionesco, Queneau seems to see life as little but nonsense (note the cafe customer reading Mad magazine; the parrot commenting on those around him with "Yakety-yak. All you do is yak.").
I do esp. like some marginally romantic or madcap moments: the love-struck Baroness (who nevertheless thinks "All people are jerks.") who is mad for the cop (the energetic Caprioli); Mado, the waitress, who rhapsodizes lovingly about her bf only to end by criticizing him for being too romantic; Zazie's attempts to slow up the running cop by taking his photograph; 'Albertine' delivering the dress while accompanied by light, lilting jazz; the rapturous if frantic descent of Zazie and the cabbie down the Eiffel Tower's spiral staircase.
Malle fought against repeating himself in his work. With the zany 'Zazie' (whose 'heroine' – significantly? – never does get inside the Metro), he created something unexpected from him, and it's a masterpiece of pure cinema.


The latest technology in anti-allergy and anti-pollen Mosquito netting.
Tests have shown a very high effectiveness in stopping pollen from trees, grass and flowers from passing through the netting. This product is also proven to be suitable especially for allergy sufferers.
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Follow this step by step design process for my recent digital art piece, Vogue. The design combines textures and distressed elements to create a dark and beautiful theme. Learn how a range of Photoshop techniques pull together the various elements to create the final design.
Vogue combines the beauty of the female model with a range of grungy/dark textures and abstract elements to create an eye catching and interesting design that blends the two contrasting themes.
Open up Photoshop and import a nice base texture to form the background of the design. This particular concrete texture is from LostandTaken. Adjust the Levels to darken the tones of the texture file.
Next we'll need to source a stock photo as the main subject of the design. This rather lovely female model image is courtesy of Katanaz-stock. Find the channel with the darkest tones and drag that layer to the 'new icon' to duplicate that particular channel.
Adjust the Levels of the duplicated channel to really blacken out the majority of the image, but keep an eye out for the edges becoming pixelated or distorted as the contrast increases.
Use a mixture of the Burn tool and a black brush to fill the centre areas of the image black. CMD-Click the channel thumbnail to load the selection, then toggle off the visibility of the duplicated layer and turn back on the original RGB channels.
Go to Select > Modify > Contract and enter 2px in the options box. This will help avoid clipping a thin white outline around the subject. Make a copy and paste it into your main design document.
Zoom in and check the edges for any unsightly white clippings. Use the Burn tool to remove these tiny white patches so the model sits seamlessly on the background.
Source a stock image of an ink splatter and paste it underneath the model layer. Change the blending mode to Multiply to render the white areas transparent.
Use some watercolor Photoshop brushes to add more distressed black areas around the model, particularly around the edges of the black clothing.
Add another ink splatter image to the skirt area to blend this portion of the model into the background.
Add a layer mask to the model layer and use a range of distressed Photoshop brushes to erase out portions of the model to seamlessly blend the black areas with the dark ink textures to give the impression that the model is emerging from the grungy elements.
Use the Polygonal Lasso tool to draw a thin diagonal selection over the design. Press CMD+Shift+C to Copy Merged and paste back into the document. Move this new selection to offset from the original to create an abstract effect.
Erase out the hard edges using a grungy brush on a layer mask to limit the offset effect to the model's body.
Create a series of other offset effects across the design each at a different size and thickness.
Switch over to Adobe Illustrator to create a simple triangle shape with the pen tool. Copy this shape and paste it into the Photoshop document.
Randomly rotate and scale multiple copies of the triangle to create a series of shard elements. Position groups of shards to flare from behind the model.
Change the blending mode of the shard to Overlay. The overlay effect alone isn't quite powerful enough, so duplicate the layers and adjust the opacity of the new layers to give the shards more prominence.
Draw more rectangular selections across the document, but this time give them a white fill. Change their blending modes to Overlay, adjust the opacity and erase out the edges with a layer mask.
Use a large grungy brush to add a red fill to the lower portion of the design. Change this layer to Color Dodge and lower the opacity to leave a very subtle colour cast.
Add an area of blue to the top corner, followed by a strip of purple in the centre. Change these layers to Soft Light and adjust their opacities to create more subtle colour casts.
A grungy white brush stroke in the centre of the canvas set to Overlay will brighten up the details in this otherwise darker portion of the design.
Press CMD+A to Select All, CMD+Shift+C to Copy Merged and CMD+V to paste in a copy of the whole design at the top of the layer stack. Go to Filter > Other > High Pass and adjust the settings so the details are just visible from the grey backdrop.
Set this high pass layer to Linear Light at around 50%. This layer really sharpens up the design and brings out the tiniest details. Add a layer mask and erase out portions around the edges to create subtle changes of focus.
Use some long brush strokes to create a border around the canvas to frame the design. Set this border to Soft Light at 65%.
Finish off the design with a title. Here I've added the title 'Vogue' in suitably beautiful Bodoni font and set the layers to Overlay. A few highlight brushes help add some pretty sparkles to the text.
Wow! this really good one! i like the grungy look.
Really great result and tutorial!
High-impact stuff Chris, great piece of work!
Cool! I started working on something similar last week I shall be sure to take your techniques on board too!
Good work. Great tutorial. Thanks you Chris.
Very nice images with the great information, thanks for the sharing.
Chris i think you need to add more effect for Picture!
Bookmarked to work on later! :) cant wait… looks awesome!
nice work! but it is too complicated to do this job.
Very nice pice of work you created. I'm very impressed. Will suggest this tutorial for our designers.
Thanks for the tutorial. I will give it a try.
Had great fun with this tutorial.
N!Ec tutorial i will give it try .
I've been searching the web and looking for an online tutorial about looking grungy and dark. I tried it and I was amazed by how ragged it turned out! I had so much fun doing experiments with the layering and using different textures. How cool is that?!!
Great effect! Thanks for the info!


Mammoth Cave National Park near Glasgow, Kentucky includes portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world.
When it comes to outdoor adventure, Glasgow and Barren County are probably best known for Mammoth Cave National Park – the world's longest surveyed cave with 365-plus miles of mapped passageways. Its peculiar formations and the sheer size of this natural wonder draw millions of visitors to Barren County each year. Nearby Diamond Caverns in Park City also shows off nature's sculptures.
The 1,500-acre Barren River Lake State Resort Park is another big attraction with recreational offerings such as golf, tennis, volleyball, hiking, cycling, horseback riding and more. Overnight guests can choose from lodge rooms, cottages and campsites along the scenic lake.
The county has plenty of parks with ball fields, playgrounds, walking trails, picnic shelters, a soccer complex, and more. Five parks and the city swimming pool are part of the Glasgow Recreation Department which sponsors leagues in all major sports. Barren County's privately-owned facilities include a country club, golf course, bowling lanes, and an indoor theater.
Find more adventure in Glasgow, KY.
Glasgow, KY is full of outdoor adventures, from caves to parks and trails.
Glasgow, KY is a regional hub for the arts and culture, thanks to the community's abundance of attractions featuring music, theater, art and history.
From Italian and Tex-Mex to locally grown produce, you'll find a bounty of food and restaurants in Glasgow, KY and Barren County.
Glasgow, KY's Arts Guild of the Barrens and new 212 On the Main gallery inspires the community, and along with independent artists like woodworker Leo Esters, proves artists can thrive in the area.


Care for this menacing hunter, help it hunt, and protect it from dangers. Watch the wildlife through the eyes of one of the most feared predators. Complete a variety of tasks and develop your crocodile, improve its performance, and learn different skills. Fight with lions, elephants, rhinos and other dangerous animals. Help your crocodile become the strongest in the world and start a family. Game features: ☒ Control crocodile clan. ☒ High quality graphics. ☒ Easy controls. ☒ 60+ challenging tasks. ☒ Character progression.


Dan Morehead, The CEO of Pantera Capital, in a discussion with CryptoTrader Ran NeuNer, shed some light on the emerging patterns in the cryptocurrency ecosystem and their current state. He notes that last October, Bitcoin (BTC) started to rise and crossed the $19,000 barrier, things this year are quite the contrary.
Morehead insist that while Bitcoin is on the verge of completing a decade, the stress should be not on the current state but what the future entails for the token and the overall cryptocurrency markets. Furthermore, investors need to view the market with a multi-year approach and not just seek immediate gains.
The people in the Bitcoin space as well as the overall cryptocurrency space need to realize the concept of buying low and selling high. We have calculated the percentage of inflows and spikes and have realized that the investors just need to observe the market calmly and not experience FUD.
Morehead referred the current situation as the buy one, get two sale, indicating the price drop and predicting the hike. Elaborating further he states that the FOMO devil has been controlling the investor sentiment as investors tend to stream in when the prices are too high.
Discussing the benefits of utility tokens he described them as "one of the most powerful financial tools ever." The use case of Bitcoin as a multi-utility tool and not just as a store in value is dependant on the keen eye of investors. He hopes that the coming years the ecosystem will grow to 500 million.


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Divine Justice
Following the instant # 1 New York Times bestseller Stone Cold, Oliver Stone and the Camel Club return in David Baldacci's most surprising thriller yet . . . Known by his alias, 'Oliver Stone,' John Carr is the most wanted man in A...
First Family
Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, back from their harrowing and near-fatal adventure in the blockbuster #1 bestseller Simple Genius, return in a mesmerizing new thriller. A daring kidnapping turns a children's birthday party at Camp Dav...
Will Robie is the government's most professional, disciplined, and lethal assassin. He infiltrates the most hostile countries in the world, defeats our enemies' advanced security measures, and eliminates threats before they ever reach...
Hell's Corner
HELL'S CORNER John Carr, aka Oliver Stone-once the most skilled assassin his country ever had-stands in Lafayette Park in front of the White House, perhaps for the last time. The president has personally requested that Stone serve ...
The Fix (Amos Decker series)
Following his #1 New York Times bestsellers Memory Man and The Last Mile, David Baldacci returns with his next thriller featuring detective Amos Decker.
In Paradise, nothing is what it seems... THE FORGOTTEN Army Special Agent John Puller is the best there is. A combat veteran, Puller is the man the U.S. Army relies on to investigate the toughest crimes facing the nation. Now he has a...
Whole Truth
So begins David Baldacci's new book--a thriller unlike any he's written before. 'Matt' is Mathew Pender, of Pender Associates--a shadowy organization that specializes in managing seemingly impossible situations for its clients. Someti...
No Man's Land (John Puller Series)
Zero Day
From David Baldacci-the modern master of the thriller and #1 worldwide bestselling novelist-comes a new hero: a lone Army Special Agent taking on the toughest crimes facing the nation.And Zero Day is where it all begins....John Puller...
The Collectors
When Camel Club member Caleb Shaw nearly falls victim to one of a series of mysterious deaths targeting the elite of Washington, D.C., the members of the Camel Club enter into an uneasy alliance with a gifted con woman to unravel a de...
Deliver Us From Evil
In South America a 96-year-old man of great wealth reads a book late one night and an hour later he lies dead in his bed, the secrets of his past starkly revealed. Six months later another mystery man lies dead at the bottom of his po...
The Innocent
America has enemies--ruthless people that the police, the FBI, even the military can't stop. That's when the U.S. government calls on Will Robie, a stone cold hitman who never questions orders and always nails his target. But Will Rob...
The Escape (John Puller Series)
David Baldacci is one of the world's most popular, widely-read storytellers.In his blockbuster thrillers Zero Day and The Forgotten, readers met John Puller. A combat veteran and special agent with the U.S. Army, Puller is the man the...
Long Road to Mercy (Atlee Pine)
Introducing a remarkable new character from #1 New York Times bestselling writer David Baldacci: Atlee Pine, an FBI agent with special skills assigned to the remote wilds of the southwestern United States who must confront a new threa...
Oliver Stone and the Camel Club are back in their most dangerous adventure yet, a war on two fronts. Casino king Jerry Bagger from THE COLLECTORS is hunting Annabelle Conroy who conned him out of millions. Stone and his colleagues Reu...
With over 110 million copies of his novels in print, David Baldacci is one of the most widely read storytellers in the world. Now he introduces a startling, original new character: a man with perfect memory who must solve his own fami...
Edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci and including stories by Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, and more, this one-of-a-kind anthology pulls together the most beloved characters from the best and mo...
After alleged serial killer Edgar Roy is apprehended and locked away in a psychiatric unit, private investigators Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy's lawyer-an old friend of Sean King- to look into the case. But thei...
From David Baldacci, bestselling author and one of the world's most popular, widely read storytellers--comes the most thrilling novel of the year. THE HIT Will Robie is a master of killing. A highly skilled assassin, Robie is the man ...
The President knows it's a perilous, high-risk assignment. If he gives the order, he has the opportunity to take down a global menace, once and for all. If the mission fails, he would face certain impeachment, and the threats against ...
Web London roars into a dark alley one night with his FBI Hostage Rescue Team. Seconds later, the team is ambushed and every man is dead-except Web. As the FBI conducts their investigation, the suspicion surrounding Web deepens. Now, ...
A mysterious high-profile homicide in the nation's capital collides with the dark side of national security in David Baldacci's new, heart-stopping thriller.TRUE BLUE Mason 'Mace' Perry was a firebrand cop on the D.C. police force unt...
Absolute Power
Available for the first time Unabridged on CD in an all-new recording by Scott Brick, the first of the blockbuster thrillers by New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci. The book that will change the way you think about Washin...
A Hachette Kindle book.
THE SIMPLE TRUTHIt's never what it seems...Young attorney Michael Fiske broke the law when he took Rufus Harms's prison letter from the Supreme Court. But he also sealed his own fate. Suddenly everyone who has anything to do with Harm...
The Width of the World (Vega Jane, Bo...
NARRATOR: Fiona HardinghamThis is it. Vega Jane's time. She's been lied to her whole life, so she breaks away from Wormwood, the only home she's ever known, in search of the truth. She battles horrors to fight her way across the...
The Keeper (Vega Jane, Book 2)
Vega Jane was always told no one could leave the town of Wormwood. She was told there was nothing outside but the Quag, a wilderness filled with danger and death. And she believed it - until the night she stumbled across a secret that...
Total Heat Sidney Archer has the world. A husband she loves. A job at which she excels and a cherished young daughter. Then, as a plane plummets into the Virginia countryside, everything changes. And suddenly there is no one whom Sidn...
The Camel Club
Four oddball political conspiracy theorists--the Camel Club of the title--get some actual grist for their paranoia in this near-future thriller by the bestselling author of HOUR GAME. As American actions abroad and at home spin out of...
From #1 bestseller David Baldacci comes a new thriller reminiscent of his phenomenal bestselling debut, Absolute Power.It was only a split second--but that's all it took for Secret Service agent Sean King's attention to wander and his...


text:
- `v::subdivisionCode(string $countryCode)`

Validates subdivision country codes according to [ISO 3166-2][].

The `$countryCode` must be a country in [ISO 3166-1 alpha-2][] format.

```php
v::subdivisionCode('BR')->validate('SP'); // true
v::subdivisionCode('US')->validate('CA'); // true
```

This rule is case sensitive.

## Available country codes

- `AD`: Andorra
- `AE`: United Arab Emirates
- `AF`: Afghanistan
- `AG`: Antigua and Barbuda
- `AI`: Anguilla
- `AL`: Albania
- `AM`: Armenia
- `AN`: AN.html
- `AO`: Angola
- `AQ`: Antarctica
- `AR`: Argentina
- `AS`: American Samoa
- `AT`: Austria
- `AU`: Australia
- `AW`: Aruba
- `AX`: Åland
- `AZ`: Azerbaijan
- `BA`: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- `BB`: Barbados
- `BD`: Bangladesh
- `BE`: Belgium
- `BF`: Burkina Faso
- `BG`: Bulgaria
- `BH`: Bahrain
- `BI`: Burundi
- `BJ`: Benin
- `BL`: Saint Barthélemy
- `BM`: Bermuda
- `BN`: Brunei
- `BO`: Bolivia
- `BQ`: Bonaire
- `BR`: Brazil
- `BS`: Bahamas
- `BT`: Bhutan
- `BV`: Bouvet Island
- `BW`: Botswana
- `BY`: Belarus
- `BZ`: Belize
- `CA`: Canada
- `CC`: Cocos [Keeling] Islands
- `CD`: Democratic Republic of the Congo
- `CF`: Central African Republic
- `CG`: Republic of the Congo
- `CH`: Switzerland
- `CI`: Ivory Coast
- `CK`: Cook Islands
- `CL`: Chile
- `CM`: Cameroon
- `CN`: China
- `CO`: Colombia
- `CR`: Costa Rica
- `CS`: CS.html
- `CU`: Cuba
- `CV`: Cape Verde
- `CW`: Curacao
- `CX`: Christmas Island
- `CY`: Cyprus
- `CZ`: Czech Republic
- `DE`: Germany
- `DJ`: Djibouti
- `DK`: Denmark
- `DM`: Dominica
- `DO`: Dominican Republic
- `DZ`: Algeria
- `EC`: Ecuador
- `EE`: Estonia
- `EG`: Egypt
- `EH`: Western Sahara
- `ER`: Eritrea
- `ES`: Spain
- `ET`: Ethiopia
- `FI`: Finland
- `FJ`: Fiji
- `FK`: Falkland Islands
- `FM`: Micronesia
- `FO`: Faroe Islands
- `FR`: France
- `GA`: Gabon
- `GB`: United Kingdom
- `GD`: Grenada
- `GE`: Georgia
- `GF`: French Guiana
- `GG`: Guernsey
- `GH`: Ghana
- `GI`: Gibraltar
- `GL`: Greenland
- `GM`: Gambia
- `GN`: Guinea
- `GP`: Guadeloupe
- `GQ`: Equatorial Guinea
- `GR`: Greece
- `GS`: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- `GT`: Guatemala
- `GU`: Guam
- `GW`: Guinea-Bissau
- `GY`: Guyana
- `HK`: Hong Kong
- `HM`: Heard Island and McDonald Islands
- `HN`: Honduras
- `HR`: Croatia
- `HT`: Haiti
- `HU`: Hungary
- `ID`: Indonesia
- `IE`: Ireland
- `IL`: Israel
- `IM`: Isle of Man
- `IN`: India
- `IO`: British Indian Ocean Territory
- `IQ`: Iraq
- `IR`: Iran
- `IS`: Iceland
- `IT`: Italy
- `JE`: Jersey
- `JM`: Jamaica
- `JO`: Jordan
- `JP`: Japan
- `KE`: Kenya
- `KG`: Kyrgyzstan
- `KH`: Cambodia
- `KI`: Kiribati
- `KM`: Comoros
- `KN`: Saint Kitts and Nevis
- `KP`: North Korea
- `KR`: South Korea
- `KW`: Kuwait
- `KY`: Cayman Islands
- `KZ`: Kazakhstan
- `LA`: Laos
- `LB`: Lebanon
- `LC`: Saint Lucia
- `LI`: Liechtenstein
- `LK`: Sri Lanka
- `LR`: Liberia
- `LS`: Lesotho
- `LT`: Lithuania
- `LU`: Luxembourg
- `LV`: Latvia
- `LY`: Libya
- `MA`: Morocco
- `MC`: Monaco
- `MD`: Moldova
- `ME`: Montenegro
- `MF`: Saint Martin
- `MG`: Madagascar
- `MH`: Marshall Islands
- `MK`: Macedonia
- `ML`: Mali
- `MM`: Myanmar [Burma]
- `MN`: Mongolia
- `MO`: Macao
- `MP`: Northern Mariana Islands
- `MQ`: Martinique
- `MR`: Mauritania
- `MS`: Montserrat
- `MT`: Malta
- `MU`: Mauritius
- `MV`: Maldives
- `MW`: Malawi
- `MX`: Mexico
- `MY`: Malaysia
- `MZ`: Mozambique
- `NA`: Namibia
- `NC`: New Caledonia
- `NE`: Niger
- `NF`: Norfolk Island
- `NG`: Nigeria
- `NI`: Nicaragua
- `NL`: Netherlands
- `NO`: Norway
- `NP`: Nepal
- `NR`: Nauru
- `NU`: Niue
- `NZ`: New Zealand
- `OM`: Oman
- `PA`: Panama
- `PE`: Peru
- `PF`: French Polynesia
- `PG`: Papua New Guinea
- `PH`: Philippines
- `PK`: Pakistan
- `PL`: Poland
- `PM`: Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- `PN`: Pitcairn Islands
- `PR`: Puerto Rico
- `PS`: Palestine
- `PT`: Portugal
- `PW`: Palau
- `PY`: Paraguay
- `QA`: Qatar
- `RE`: Réunion
- `RO`: Romania
- `RS`: Serbia
- `RU`: Russia
- `RW`: Rwanda
- `SA`: Saudi Arabia
- `SB`: Solomon Islands
- `SC`: Seychelles
- `SD`: Sudan
- `SE`: Sweden
- `SG`: Singapore
- `SH`: Saint Helena
- `SI`: Slovenia
- `SJ`: Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- `SK`: Slovakia
- `SL`: Sierra Leone
- `SM`: San Marino
- `SN`: Senegal
- `SO`: Somalia
- `SR`: Suriname
- `SS`: South Sudan
- `ST`: São Tomé and Príncipe
- `SV`: El Salvador
- `SX`: Sint Maarten
- `SY`: Syria
- `SZ`: Swaziland
- `TC`: Turks and Caicos Islands
- `TD`: Chad
- `TF`: French Southern Territories
- `TG`: Togo
- `TH`: Thailand
- `TJ`: Tajikistan
- `TK`: Tokelau
- `TL`: East Timor
- `TM`: Turkmenistan
- `TN`: Tunisia
- `TO`: Tonga
- `TR`: Turkey
- `TT`: Trinidad and Tobago
- `TV`: Tuvalu
- `TW`: Taiwan
- `TZ`: Tanzania
- `UA`: Ukraine
- `UG`: Uganda
- `UM`: U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
- `US`: United States
- `UY`: Uruguay
- `UZ`: Uzbekistan
- `VA`: Vatican City
- `VC`: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- `VE`: Venezuela
- `VG`: British Virgin Islands
- `VI`: U.S. Virgin Islands
- `VN`: Vietnam
- `VU`: Vanuatu
- `WF`: Wallis and Futuna
- `WS`: Samoa
- `XK`: Kosovo
- `YE`: Yemen
- `YT`: Mayotte
- `ZA`: South Africa
- `ZM`: Zambia
- `ZW`: Zimbabwe

All data was extrated from [GeoNames][] which is licensed under a
[Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License][].

***
See also:

  * [CountryCode](CountryCode.md)
  * [Tld](Tld.md)

[Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License]: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 "Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License"
[GeoNames]: http://www.geonames.org "GetNames"
[ISO 3166-1 alpha-2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-1_alpha-2 "ISO 3166-1 alpha-2"
[ISO 3166-2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-2 "ISO 3166-2"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Bengaluru: Steam engines will make a comeback into service as the Railway Ministry plans to start a city tour on-board a vintage rail coach hauled by a heritage steam locomotive like the famous tramway in Milan. And the good news is that the Railway Board has plans to run the world's oldest working broad gauge steam locomotive between Mysuru and Bengaluru soon.
Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani has asked Railways to revive steam locomotives and restore the lost charm of steam locos in the country.
The oldest working broad gauge steam locomotive is EIR-21 (East India Railway Express). Built in 1855, the steam engine had been kept as an exhibit at the Jamalpur Locomotive Workshop and then at the Howrah Station in West Bengal after it was withdrawn from service in 1909. It is presently stationed in Chennai and runs short distances there to mark important occasions.
"We plan to run EIR-21 locomotive between Mysuru and Bengaluru. This is among the two oldest functioning steam locomotives in the world," he said. "Each steam locomotive will have one or two coaches and can house a maximum of 60 passengers. It will be brought from Chennai and it will run for a few days so that those in Karnataka can also be a part of this experience," Lohani said.
About the train: The name 'EIR 21 Express' was given to the loco by its creators, Kitson, Thompson & Hewitson of England, who built it in 1855. The loco was shipped to the Indian subcontinent, to span high and low lands. It carried people from different walks of life and heavy cargos for over 55 years.


"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it."
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."


text:
Call of Duty 2019 will feature the return of a single player campaign
by Lewis White
@lewis_d_white
Feb 12, 2019 at 23:15 GMT 11 months ago
Activision has revealed that Call of Duty's 2019 installment will see the return of a single player campaign.
Announced through the company's quarterly earnings call, Activision claimed that the 2019 iteration will include "an entirely new campaign".
Not only will the game have a single player portion, but Activision claims Call of Duty 2019 will also have "a huge and expansive multiplayer world and some fun co-op gameplay.
For fans of the series, Black Ops 4 has been a rocky road since launch. It focuses on battle royale did offer a fantastic take on the genre, but with free-to-play alternatives like Apex Legends releasing, it isn't looking appealing to new players.
Nevertheless, the return of CODs iconic AAA blockbuster campaign does sweeten the deal somewhat. While they may not always be great, they do provide a worthwhile spectacle, like, for example, the train sequence in 2017.
Hopefully, Call of Duty 2019 will be better supported than 2018's Black Ops 4. While it did add small elements to Blackout, such as snowballs, and a hefty amount of zombies content, traditional multiplayer fans have been left in the dust.
Call of Duty 2019
Huge PS5 leak could be true following PlayStation update
by Lewis White 0
by Rahul 0


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Fireproof materials are able to reduce the flow of heat through the thickness of the material. Although the materials may be called "fireproof," no material is 100 percent fireproof because all materials eventually are affected if temperatures are high enough.
Fire-retardant materials should not be confused with fire-resistant materials. A fire resistant material is one that is designed to resist burning and withstand heat, however, fire-retardant materials are designed to burn slowly.An example of a fire-resistant material is one which is used in bunker gear worn by firefighters to protect them from the flames of a burning building.
The term "fireproofing" may be used in conjunction with standards, as reflected in common North American construction specifications. An item classed as fireproof is resistant in specified circumstances, and may burn or be rendered inoperable by fire exceeding the intensity or duration that it is designed to withstand.
Nomex is fire resistant, it doesn't mean it can't totally burn but it is less likely to catch fire. If you don't know Nomex clothing is what firefighters wear!.
What Are the Different Types of Fire Resistant Materials?
There are some fire resistant brands of paint available, but most of these brands are actually fire retardant. Be sure to check if a fire resistant product carries the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) FR-S classification for surface burning characteristics of fire resistant materials.
Alibaba.com offers 266,415 fireproof material products. About 5% of these are other heat insulation materials, 2% are magnesium oxide boards, and 1% are plastic sheets. A wide variety of fireproof material options are available to you, such as free samples, paid samples.
While no practical building material is truly fireproof, well-constructed houses and buildings can help prevent such tragedies by using materials that are relatively fire-resistant. Consequently, it's not a question of whether a fire can damage a structure, but a question of when. It simply takes longer for fire to affect fire-resistant materials.
Despite this danger, these synthetic fabrics are considered fire-resistant fabrics, because they resist ignition at much higher temperatures than natural fibers. Synthetic materials can also be treated with fire-resistant chemicals to increase their ability to withstand high temperatures.
What Are Some Fireproof Materials?


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text:
Grizzlies fend off furious rally to beat Rockets in 126-125 OT thriller
Harden's 57 point outburst not enough
MIke Conley exploded for 35 points in the Grizzlies OT win over the Houston Rockets. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
By CLAY BAILEY Associated Press
James Harden scored 57 points but the Memphis Grizzlies outlasted Houston 126-125 in overtime Wednesday night, handing the Rockets only their second loss in the last 14 games.
Mike Conley scored 35 points for Memphis and Jonas Valanciunas had a career-best 33, including the game-winning free throw with less than a second left.
Jonas Valanciunas poured in 33 points including the free throw that won the game with .1 second remaining. (Photo: Warren Roseborough)
Valanciunas made the first of two free throws with 0.1 seconds remaining after he was fouled by Clint Capela under the Grizzlies basket. The clock ran out after Valanciunas, who also had 15 rebounds, missed the second foul shot.
Harden scored 15 during a 17-2 fourth-quarter burst that helped the Rockets tie the game at 115 at the end of regulation. Harden's three free throws with 4 seconds left tied it.
Conley ended the night 12 of 23 from the field, including 6 for 9 from outside the 3-point arc. Valanciunas made 10 of 19 shots from the floor and was 13 of 17 at the foul line.
Harden, who added eight assists, scored 28 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Chris Paul had 18 points and seven assists for Houston, which had won three straight. Capela added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Rockets: Eric Gordon (rest) was given the night off, and Kenneth Faried sat out with left knee soreness. . Harden's streak of five straight double-doubles ended. … Houston won the season series 3-1.
Grizzlies: Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel, signed recently by the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football, attended the game. . Memphis was already dealing with numerous injuries to key players when earlier this week CJ Miles was declared out for the season with a stress reaction to his left foot. Avery Bradley was ruled out Wednesday with a bruised right shin. The team will re-evaluate the injury in a week. . With Bradley out, Delon Wright started his third game since joining Memphis at the trade deadline. … Conley has scored at least 20 points in six straight games, matching the longest such streak of his career.
Rockets: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
Grizzlies: At the Orlando Magic on Friday.
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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The HEAT is on for Jeremiah Martin, who officially signs with Miami
FAST FRIENDS: Are young Grizz cubs developing true friendship off the court?


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New Season Means New Challenges for Mason's Spring Sports
March 20, 2019 9:06 PM by Matt Delaney
MASON'S TRACK TEAM will need to summon the spirit of alumnus Kori Wills as it prepares to compete without much of its usual depth this season. As for other Mustang programs, they have plenty of hurdles of their own to clear on their respective schedules, whether it be new opponents or beating old personal demons. (Photo: Carol Sly)
Spring may be sprung-ing on and off, but George Mason High School's spring sports programs are already in the early portion of their schedule with most teams in their second week of the regular season.
The teams are all in different positions — some are looking to continue years-long state championship streaks, others are looking to supplant rivals at the regional and state level and a few are just trying to recuperate from a big graduating class last spring.
But enough of that — let's jump into the preview.
After being edged out 4-3 to eventual state champions Page County High School in the Region B quarterfinals, Mason's baseball team (1-3) is optimistic it can cause some trouble in the postseason — as long as they conjure up the bats to get them there.
Returning their one-two pitching combo in senior righty Jay Nesson and sophomore lefty Peter Villa is a big plus for the Mustangs. Rotational contributions from seniors Johnny Asel and Brian Murphy as well as junior Caleb Parnell and freshman Thomas Pierce make the mound a definitive strength for Mason.
Finding the right bats to deliver at the plate, however, is going to be a work in progress. Mason's top three offensive hitters graduated last year, so putting together an imposing order is just as important as the team buying into the head coach Adam Amerine's batting philosophy.
"We as a coaching staff just need to find the right combo of hitters who will buy into our style of situational hitting and smart base running and we should be able to compete every night. A little bit of luck never hurts either in baseball!" Amerine said.
Mason will play Strasburg High School tomorrow night on the road.
Overcoming a lack in numbers will be an ongoing challenge for Mason's boys lacrosse team (1-0) this season, but a switch in playing style plans to accommodate that.
Back in 2018, the Mustangs took a big step forward by beating 4A rival Loudoun Valley High School in the Region B quarterfinals. It was the first win that senior class had over Loudoun Valley, so it was a sweet moment. But to keep that on the ascending with a mostly new team, Mason's new crop of players will have to fill that hole with their talent more than their experience.
"We have a lot of young guys who have lots of talent. They are going to need to replace a lot of great players but I am confident that they will do so," Mason head coach Marc Mesmer said. "We have two seniors who will greatly help the team out with a lot of young guys taking roles as captains or team leaders."
A small roster has forced the Mustangs to adapt its style on the field. The approach will be more situational in order to slow the game down and preserve the team's legs. But it will also require the players to manage their bodies properly off the field.
The Mustangs will play Wakefield High School tonight.
A disappointing end to 2017 with a loss in the Region B quarterfinals saw Mason's boys soccer team (2-1-1) come back with a vengeance last spring to reclaim the Class 2 state title. Despite the past successes, the team still isn't looking any further ahead than it needs to.
"The expectations and goals have not changed from last year — we just want to focus on one game at a time, and then go win that game," Mason head coach Frank Spinello said. "If we can do that all season we will be successful."
So far, so good in that department. Spinello tasked the seniors with stepping up and taking on more leadership on and off the field, while underclassmen are being directed to take ownership of the team and contribute in all possible ways. According to Spinello, both have exceeded expectations.
Overcoming a regional and state-level heel in Staunton-based Robert E. Lee High School will be the main concrete challenge for this team. But the current #18 ranked team in the nation is confident it's made of the right stuff to handle any team in front of them.
Mason will host Springfield-based Robert E. Lee High School next Tuesday, March 26.
After winning it all for the first time in school history in 2017, Mason's girls lacrosse team (1-2) failed to qualify for the Class 2 state tournament in 2018 — something Mason head coach Courtney Gibbons could tolerate if she felt the team was buying in each and every game.
"Our biggest obstacle this year is showing up in games," Gibbons said. "Everyone needs to do their part and as a team we need to apply what we do in practice to games. We have to play together as a team if we want to win."
Mason's early end to the season was its first time since 2014 not making the state tournament. The road back will be bumpy, as only five seniors and one junior will lead a team full of freshmen and sophomores. Gibbons acknowledges that it will take time to get comfortable and play together, but also expects the team to do some work outside of practice to help speed the gelling process up.
The Mustangs will look to get a win against Culpeper County High School tonight at home.
Going for 12 years in a row to cap off a final season in the 2A classification is Mason's girls soccer team (1-1), even with a new head coach for the second year in a row.
Leah Partridge takes over the program after serving as an assistant coach for her first couple of years at Mason. She inherits a good amount of challenges to work through. Seven seniors graduated last season, leaving the only experienced players in senior midfielders Maddie Lacroix and Maura Mann along with junior defender Julia Rosenberger and junior striker Emma Rollins with a host of underclassmen.
Even with some adversity mixed in, the young team is rallying around their season's theme of "UN1T9D."
"A unified team works together," junior defender Isabel Davis said. "They trust each other, and become something better than simply the sum of their players. Everyone's involved. Everyone works for each other. And everyone wins."
Mason will play Springfield-based Robert E. Lee High School next Tuesday, March 26.
An absence of true fast-pitch softball teams in the area give Mason's softball team (2-1) a tricky hurdle to clear when it comes to acclimating to the game speed of the regular season.
"I consistently have groups of 5-10 girls asking to stay after practice just to get extra reps in," Mason head coach Kat Marsh said. "They are putting in the work, but with many of our first contests getting cancelled/postponed, our success this year will largely be determined by how quickly the girls can get in rhythm with one another in game situations."
Marsh is bringing in a slew of new girls to the program, primarily at the JV level, in hopes the investment will pay off as they age.
The Mustangs will travel to Strasburg High School on Friday.
Boys and girls track & field is an evergreen strength for Mason, but the team will be going through some growing pains as it tries to bring a young group of players up to speed.
Losing its top sprinter on the girls side will make its four-year streak of being Bull Run District champions a much steeper hill to climb. On the boys side, improving upon a third place finish in the district, a fourth place finish in the region and a 14th place finish in the state, while adding more state qualifiers, will also be difficult given the lack of numbers on the team this season.
"On both sides the biggest obstacle is depth," Mason head coach Jeff Buck said. "We have some great talent at the top, but if injuries, illnesses or other issues pop up we will need some athletes to step in — who may or may not be quite ready."
Mason will open its season at the Strasburg High School Invitational on March 28.
Author: Matt Delaney
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Jailed father of Berk Görmez, a 14-year-old boy who died of intestinal cancer last week, could attend his son's funeral only with his hands cuffed during the ceremony. 14-year-old Berk Görmez qualified for a 97 percent disability rating and had 80 percent hearing loss as well as several other severe health problems. It was reported that he experienced two operations on his intestinal knot last year. He has lost a kidney and his health situation did not improve since then. His mother Fatma filed, to no avail, several requests for Bekir's release so that he could boost their son's morale during Berk's time at the hospital.
Both Fatma and Bekir were fired from their jobs with a post-coup emergency decree which was issued by the Turkish government in the aftermath of a coup attempt in June 2016. Bekir Görmez used to work for Konya-based Mevlana University. Meanwhile, Fatma, a dismissed primary school teacher, has not been able to do her job as a teacher for the past four years as she also suffers from kidney insufficiency. Bekir Görmez is still behind bars over his links to the Gülen group, which the government accuses of masterminding the failed coup attempt. The group denies involvement in the failed takeover.


Need Sweetest Day gift ideas? We have a wide variety of "sweet" flowers and plants to choose from. From roses to plants , we have various bouquets to make someone smile. Debbie's Designs delivers locally to Crown Point, IN or nationwide.


G. Love & Special Sauce bring blues on an alternative hip hop beat. This band from Philadelphia really knows how to take the blues sound a little further. In my favorite song "Sweet Sugar Mama" you will get a taste of it! G. Love & Special Sauce show how the blues has influenced music in every decade.
In Hill Country and Chicago Blues songs I always admire the groove of the drum beat because these drummers often use crazy rhythms. Also on albums recorded for the Cadet Concept Label the drum surpasses the standard drumbeat.
Well, that is the kind of groove you'll find in the hip hop inspired blues of G. Love. "Sweet Sugar Mama" mixes blues harmonica with hip hop beats and on top it adds laid back vocal part. It is a easy trademark for some, but therefor G. Love created an unique sound.
The tradition of the hip-hop blues has always been to rip open the heart and bare the soul. Tell the listener what they want to hear and you'll have a fair weather friend; tell them the way it is and you'll have true love.