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Healthy Life and Infections Treatment Blog
Life without infections here and now!
Trichocephalosis (Trichurosis)
22.07.2019 admin Medicine
What is Trichocephalosis (Trichurosis)? Trichurosis (trichocephalosis, trichiuriasis) is a helminthiasis from the group of nematodoses, characterized by predominant dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system. It is widespread everywhere, especially in the humid
What is Strongyloidosis? Strongyloidiasis is a chronic nematodoz that does not have a tendency to self-healing, characterized by an extraordinary variety of organ pathology of the gastrointestinal tract and the hepatobiliary system. Strongyloidosis called "Kokhinkha
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
What is AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)? Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, English AIDS) is a condition that develops on the background of HIV infection (eng. Human immunodeficiency virus, HIV) and is
What is Sap? Sap is an acute infectious disease characterized by a septic course and the formation on the skin and mucous membranes of pustules, ulcers, multiple abscesses in the internal organs. Causes of Sapa
Pneumocystis (Pneumocystis Pneumonia)
What is Pneumocystis? Pneumocystis is a protozoal disease caused by Pneumocystis carinii, which is one of the most common causes of pneumonia in people with weakened immunity. Causes of Pneumocystis The causative agent of pneumocystis,
Pasteurellosis
What is Pasteurellosis? Pasterellosis (hemorrhagic septicemia) is an acute infectious disease characterized by fever, general intoxication, inflammation of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, arthritis, osteomyelitis. Refers to zoonosis. Causes of Pasteurellosis The causative agent – Pasleurella
Parvovirus Infection
What is Parvovirus Infection? Parvovirus infection is an acute infectious disease of predominantly childhood age caused by a parvovirus and characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations. Most often, parvovirus infection manifests itself as an
Acute Poliomyelitis
What is Acute Poliomyelitis? Acute poliomyelitis (epidemic infantile paralysis, Heine-Medina disease) is an acute infectious disease with localization of the pathological process in the anterior horns of the spinal cord. The greatest number of diseases
What is Onchocerciasis? Onchocerciasis (Onchocercosis) is a chronically flowing filariasis characterized by a predominant lesion of the skin, subcutaneous tissue and eyes. Onchocerciasis is common in forest areas along rivers and streams. Onchocerciasis is widespread
Urinary Schistosomiasis
What is Urinary Schistosomiasis? Urinary schistosomiasis is a chronic helminthiasis with predominant damage to the urinary organs. Clinical manifestations are determined by the cycle of development of helminths in the human body, the localization of
Infections of the Lower Urinary Tract
Migraine in Children
Symptoms of Aspergillosis and Pathogenesis during Aspergillosis


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The Proton Tiara is a Malaysian automobile based on the Citroën AX, built under licence by the automobile manufacturer Proton between 1996 and 2000.

History

The genesis of the Tiara was the result of an agreement during the mid 1990s, between Proton's then CEO, Yahaya Ahmad, and PSA Peugeot Citroën, a producer of Citroën and Peugeot vehicles. Yahaya had expressed wishes that Proton did not use Mitsubishi platforms, and that Proton cooperated with PSA Peugeot Citroën for access to its diesel engines.

In April 1996, Proton began a separate joint venture with PSA to build the Tiara called USPD (Usahasama Proton DRB Sdn. Bhd.).

Yahaya Ahmad was killed in a helicopter crash in 1997, and Proton returned to using various Mitsubishi based platforms and developed in house designed models later. Production of the Tiara ceased in 2000, due to low sales volume; in June 2005, the Proton Savvy was launched, as an indirect successor to the Proton Tiara or Citroën AX.

Design and market
The appearance of the Tiara mimicked that of more powerful Citroën AXs, such as the AX GT, but the grille was restyled to match the existing Saga and Wira models. Other cosmetic differences included different bumpers and taillight clusters. It was only available with a 1.1 litre  engine, paired with a five speed manual.

The Tiara sold in two variants, the material coloured bumper 1.1 GL and full body paint 1.1 GLi, and came with six colour options; silver, red, royal blue, dark green, greenish blue and grey. The Proton Tiara was sold only in the Malaysian market, as the license restricted Proton from exporting the car.

References

Tiara
2000s cars
Cars introduced in 1996
ID:Citroën AX

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Here I will explain how to find or get name of the day in a week in asp.net using c#, vb.net when user will input the date.
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i want to show day in english. what can i do??


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Tag Archives: Nicole Kidman
THE NETFLIX PROCLAMATION – REVIEWS OF: EARTHQUAKE BIRD (2019), i LOST MY BODY (2019), THE KING (2019), THE TWO POPES (2019) and more…
March 17, 2020 Paul. Writer and Filmmaker	4 Comments
THE NETFLIX PROCLAMATION – FILM REVIEW CATCH-UP MARCH 2020
With COVID-19 threatening the world's population, it is a time to remain calm and, if required, stay indoors out of the way of potential infection. As long as the Internet holds then there are thousands of films and TV shows to watch online to keep us all occupied. Obviously, one must also take a deep breath and pray that aside from the illness affecting the world, society manages to keep it's social, financial and medical structures in place too.
Clearly, we need distractions at this difficult time. Films may not be the solution, but they can offer diversion at least. Thankfully, I love staying in and watching movies as it is a major hobby of mine. Indeed, I have been busy lately catching up on some of the latest releases Netflix has to offer. Thus, I present some quick reviews of films currently on the streaming platform, all with the usual marks out of eleven.
***MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS***
A PRIVATE WAR (2019)
Rosamund Pike is absolutely enthralling as the brave war correspondent, Marie Colvin. Putting her life and sanity on the line to report the terrors of conflict in Sri Lanka, Libya and Syria, to name a few, Colvin was both fearless and crazy in equal measures, but remains an incredibly powerful voice. This fine biopic feels haphazard and structurally chaotic but is certainly an impressive tribute to an iconic journalist. (Mark: 8 out of 11)
DESTROYER (2018)
Nicole Kidman gives another excellent performance in this gritty neo-noir-cop-procedural drama. The clever structure — which tracks back and forth between Kidman's burnt out character in the present and her violent past going undercover in a crime gang — arguably works against the emotional power of the film. However, director Karyn Kusama and Kidman make a formidable team in delivering a moody, bruising and bitter revenge thriller. (Mark: 8 out of 11)
EARTHQUAKE BIRD (2019)
I really loved director Wash Washmoreland's previous film, Colette (2018), because it was such a vibrant. colourful and sparkling biopic of a fascinating character. I was thus surprised to see he had followed it up with an under-cooked thriller like Earthquake Bird (2019). Alicia Vikander portrays a dour ex-patriot in Japan who gets drawn into a love triangle involving the effervescent, Riley Keough, and photographer, Naoki Kobayashi. The film felt, like Vikander's protagonist, depressed; ultimately drifting toward a tepid denouement. (Mark: 6 out of 11)
ENTEBBE (2019)
Rosamund Pike again! Here she is cast alongside Daniel Bruhl as they portray two Germans who joined a Palestinian military group that hijacked an Air France Flight in 1976. While the politics of the Israelis versus the Palestinians is explored to some extent, I felt more could have been done during the hostage situation to examine such complex issues. Instead, we get something more generic from director Jose Padiha, who inexplicably uses dance troupe montage to convey nebulous emotion and meaning. (Mark: 6 out of 11)
I LOST MY BODY (2019) – (Contains spoilers)
Both original and generic in terms of story, this romantic drama contains some of the most wonderful animation concepts I have seen in a long time. Brilliantly rendered and directed by Jeremy Chaupin, the narrative has two major strands. A severed hand – yes, a hand – seeks to unite with its body. Simultaneously, flashbacks reveal young Naoufel attempting to romance the girl he loves, Gabrielle. I really wanted to enjoy this more as the filmmaking is stunning. But, the final act of the film was too poetic, and it left me feeling cold and confused. (Mark: 7 out of 11)
THE KING (2019)
David Michod has been a filmmaker worth keeping tabs on since the release of brutal Australian crime film, Animal Kingdom (2010). After the big budget military satire War Machine (2017), failed, in my view, to hit the target, Michod has gone with another big production in The King (2019). Adapting Shakespeare's Henry V trilogy (co-writer with Joel Edgerton) is no easy task and they deliver a film full of bravura cinematic moments. Timothee Chalamet is impressive in the lead role as the reluctant, but strong-of-heart young Prince Hal/King Henry. Lastly, Sean Harris, Robert Pattinson, Edgerton (as Falstaff) and Thomasin Mackenzie provide excellent acting support in a stirring period epic. (Mark: 8 out of 11)
THE LAUNDROMAT (2019)
Filmmakers Scott Z. Burns and Steven Soderbergh are usually so reliable in their cinematic endeavours. However, a star-studded cast including: Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Sharon Stone, Antonio Banderas, Matthias Schoenaerts and Jeffrey Wright cannot save this misguided comedy-drama about the Panama Papers scandal. I'm sure there is a great film in such financial crimes, but this was not it. (Mark: 5.5 out of 11)
MID 90s (2019)
Jonah Hill adds director to his already very successful acting, writing and producing curriculum vitae. Mid 90s (2019) owes much to the low-budget, improvisational and gritty style of filmmakers like Harmony Korine and Larry Clark, however, Hill's approach is less extreme. The loose and episodic rites-of-passage narrative centres on Los Angeles based skater gangs and specifically Stevie (Sunny Suljic). He longs to grow up too fast and his experiences reminded me of an American version of Shane Meadow's This is England (2006). While it's a solid work of cinema, full of heart and believable performances, it's ultimately quite underwhelming from an emotional perspective. (Mark: 7 out of 11)
THE TWO POPES (2019)
Fernando Merielles directs this adaptation of Anthony McCarten's play featuring two giants of the acting world in Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce. The two heavyweight actors portray the real-life Pope Benedict XVI (Hopkins) and future Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pryce). The duo conflict, debate and laugh about serious matters related to the history of the Catholic Church; plus, some not-so serious matters such as pizza and football. Having sat through Paulo Sorrentino's uber-pretentious TV series The New Pope (2020) recently, I was not in the mood for more theological drama. However, the two leads are excellent, especially Pryce; and while the film is very dialogue driven, the flashbacks of Argentine history from Cardinal Bergoglio's early years were powerfully evoked. (Mark: 8 out of 11).
A Private WarAlicia VikanderCinemaCinema FixCinema ReviewsCOVID-19David MichodDestroyerdistractiondiversiondrugsEarthquake BirdEntebbefranceI lost My BodyisolationJAPANJonah HillMid (0smusicNetflixNetflix film reviewsNetflix reviewsNicole KidmanpoliticsRosamund PikeScott Z. BurnsSexSteven SoderberghThe Cinema Fix reviewsThe KingThe LaundromatTimothee ChalametUncut Gemsvirus
Reviews, Television
HBO TV REVIEW – BIG LITTLE LIES (2019) – SEASON 2
August 14, 2019 Paul. Writer and Filmmaker	2 Comments
Created by: David E. Kelley and Liane Moriaty
Producers: Barbara Hall, David Auge
Executive Producers: David E. Kelley, Jean-Marc Vallee, Reese Wetherspoon, Bruna Papandrea, Nicole Kidman, Liane Moriarty etc.
Based on: Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty
Teleplays written by: David E. Kelley
Directed by Andrea Arnold
Main Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Zoe Kravitz, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Alexander Skarsgård, Adam Scott, James Tupper, Jeffrey Nordling, Kathryn Newton etc.
Cinematography: Yves Belanger, Jim Frohna
Original Network: HBO
**CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SEASON ONE**
I hate Social Media and Twitter especially, sometimes. I also hate myself for getting dragged into the bullshit it sometimes brings. I'm referring specifically to the distorted prejudice the mind can take on when reading a few negative posts about a programme, film or personality. Such reports can obviously be accurate. However, they can mislead and stain your expectations of a show or film or actor or artist. In this case the second season production of HBO's, Big Little Lies, came under fire from a few people on my Twitter feed. They said it was an awful and an ultimately disappointing series. Were they right? I mean, how bad could it be?
Then there was the Indiewire article which highlighted an issue during production. They asserted in a well written piece of click-bait that director Andrea Arnold was unceremoniously disregarded in the editing process and first season director, Jean-Marc Vallee, brought in to oversee re-shoots and final cut. If you believe the Indiewire article, this was the act of a heinous media corporation cutting down a beloved artist and robbing her of her vision. Arnold's auteur status remains untainted for me. She is a fine director who carried out her contract and did not have final cut anyway. This belonged to HBO and they had say on who they hired during the production.
Thus, in a short period of time, a couple of tweets and one article had seriously affected my expectations of the second season of Big Little Lies. I was expecting a mess of a show. One which did not make sense and was robbed of all artistic and dramatic impetus by the HBO hierarchy. However, I can safely say I was wrong and, while not as good as the brilliant first season, it was still a really intriguing eight episodes worth of entertainment.
After the exceptional first season which found a stellar cast including: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Adam Scott, Zoe Kravitz, Alexander Skarsgård and Shailene Woodley on top acting form, the second season follows on with the aftermath of prior events. The first season expertly inter-weaved stories concerning an unknown "murder" victim; school bullying; warring parents; extra-marital affairs; and abusive relationships, expertly played out over seven compelling episodes. With the "murder" victim revealed in the final episode, we now get an exploration of suspicion, guilt, conspiracy and a test of loyalty and friendship.
Without wishing to give too much away the newest and strongest addition to the series is Meryl Streep. She plays the mother ***SPOILER ALERT*** of the dead guy from the first season, Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgård). His death occurred when he was pushed "accidentally" down some stairs at a party. But, the friend's, including his wife, Celeste (Nicole Kidman), collude to say he fell instead. With the police still suspicious the main investigator is actually Streep as the dogged Mary Louise. She is passive-aggressive and subtle in her enquiries as to how her son died. It's a delight watching her deviously pull apart each of the lead suspects. It is also an absolute masterclass in acting as Streep's crafty characterisation makes this series a must-watch. Her scenes with Nicole Kidman's crumbling personality are especially compelling.
Allied to the investigation into Perry's death, the show gives some interesting narrative strands to Laura Dern's energetic power-mum, Renata. Her world is about to disintegrate around her in the face of her husband's financial wrong-doings. Equally powerful is Bonnie's (Zoe Kravitz) attempt to heal the rift between herself and her mother. Bonnie suffers the most guilt as ***SPOILER ALERT*** she was the one who pushed Perry down the stairs. As she battles with the emotional repercussions of her actions, she experiences a painful re-emergence of historical parental abuse. Perhaps, not as intriguing are Madeline (Reese Wetherspoon) and Jane's (Shailene Woodley) narrative strands. Nonetheless, they do support the series' themes of family, trust and love that add depth and subtext.
To finish, I learnt once again that social media and Twitter surfing can have a negative impact on one's critical expectation of a programme or film. You have to basically make your own mind up and not be swayed by the pitchforks and torch-bearers baying for blood online. Big Little Lies (2019), Season 2, therefore, while not reaching the dramatic heights of the first season is an excellent follow-up. It explores the privileged lives of the rich Monterey set instilling a sense of humanity and frailty to their lives. The more improvisational direction of Andrea Arnold works well with the fragmented impressionism of the editing style to bring this out. Mainly though, it's the impressive cast and script which glued me to the screen while experiencing this very watchable drama.
abuseAdam ScottAlexander SkarsgårdAndrea ArnoldBig Little LiesCinema Fix reviewCrimeDavid E. KelleyDEATHfamilyHBOHBO reviewhumourinfidelityJames TupperJeffrey NordlingJim FrohnaKathryn NewtonLaura DernLianne MoriartyloveMeryl Streepmyserynegative postsNicole KidmanReese WitherspoonRomanceSeason 2Shailene WoodleySocial MediasuspenseTelevision reviewTwitterYves BelangerZoe Kravitz
Cinema, New Releases, Reviews
BOY ERASED (2018) – CINEMA REVIEW
February 26, 2019 Paul. Writer and Filmmaker	6 Comments
Directed by: Joel Edgerton
Screenplay by: Joel Edgerton – Based on: Boy Erased: A Memoir by Garrad Conley
Produced by: Joel Edgerton, Steve Golin, Kerry Kochansky Roberts
Cast: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Joe Alwyn, Xavier Dolan, Cherry Jones, Flea etc.
**MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**
It never fails to sadden me the horror that other human beings inflict on each other out of ignorance, intolerance and misguided indoctrination. Boy Erased (2018), is a film that highlights such negative practices committed by parents on their actual children because they are perceived to be abnormal in their eyes and the rules of their faith. I'm not religious but respect those who have different beliefs to me, unless of course those beliefs are used to castigate and punish other human beings. Surely, the basic tenet of any religion, including Christianity, should be kindness, understanding and forgiveness. When such integral ideals are broken then such doctrine should be shunned and held up for criticism.
Boy Erased is based on Garrad Conley's memoir of how his religious parents send him for gay conversion therapy, and the film is structured around the sad events which occurred to Garrad. Conley's persona and emotional strife is evoked brilliantly in the character of Jared Eamons. Portrayed with sensitivity by the talented Lucas Hedges, the humanity and empathy he delivers is highly impactful. Jared is an innocent who is undeservedly thrust into an unnatural and bullying environment, forcing him to change his sexual identity through shame and persecution.
The main thrust of the film finds Jared at the assessment centre and this brings about some harrowing scenes where young men and women are effectivelly imprisoned and vilified in the name of God. While certain scenes are emotionally charged and disturbing the film could have gone even further, however, director Joel Edgerton wisely opts for more subtlety rather than "fire and brimstone" tabloid filmmaking. Indeed, Edgerton and his cinematographer opt for a drained colour scheme and natural lighting style to evoke realism within the action.
Edgerton not only directs and writes with purpose, but also casts himself as the main antagonist and lead "therapist", Victor Sykes. Sykes is seen as dominating but ultimately weak-willed, deflective and controlling. As Jared's parents, Nicole Kidman gives a solid performance in the role of his conflicted Mother, while Russell Crowe imbues his preacher with both religious fervour and a sense of torn loyalty. Jared's parents, in the end, are not bad people. They have just been faced with a difficult situation and are advised badly by their faith and Church.
Ultimately, this is a quietly compelling character drama which highlights very important issues in regard to faith, sexuality and family. I'm not sure why it wasn't acknowledged more by the Academy Awards, notably in Lucas Hedges fine performace. Nonetheless, it is an important story which is constructed with care. Rather than demonize families and religion, it seeks to highlight and campaign for education, tolerance and love. These things, for me, are what true faith should be about.
Baptist ChurchBoy ErasedCherry JonesCinema ReviewdramafaithFilm ReviewGarrad ConleyGay conversionintoleranceJoe AlwynJoel EdgertonKerry Kochansky RobertsLucas HedgesNicole KidmanPaul LaightreligionRussell CroweSteve GolinXavier Dolan
Cinema, Film Festivals, Reviews
THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER – LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2017 – REVIEW
October 19, 2017 Paul. Writer and Filmmaker	2 Comments
THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER – LFF 2017 – REVIEW
I started writing film reviews a few years ago and the main reason was because I wanted to try and understand why I liked or disliked a film. I also wanted to improve my creative writing by understanding the thought process of others. Living filmmakers whose work I have consistently enjoyed, save for the odd one here or there, are: Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, The Coen Brothers, Lynn Ramsay, Jonathan Glazer, Woody Allen (even some of the later ones), Park Chan Wook, David Fincher, Edgar Wright, Jacques Audiard, Darren Aronofsky, Kathryn Bigelow; and many others no doubt!
Such directors capture the quintessence of what cinema is for me. Not simply just in style and form but also powerful themes, imaginative concepts and sheer bloody entertainment. Filmmakers, of late, you can add to that list are: Denis Villeneuve, S. Craig ZAHLER and Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos. I have now seen three of his films, namely: Dogtooth (2009), The Lobster (2015) and his next release The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), and they all defy conventional film conventions to deliver absurd, surreal, funny, dark, thought-provoking and imaginative visions of human nature. Also, let's not forget the writer too; so kudos to his writing partner Efthymis Filippou, who combines with Lanthimos to create such memorable cinematic offerings.
The story itself begins in a reasonably conventional fashion. Colin Farrell's successful surgeon, Steven Murphy, is happily married to his wife, Anna, portrayed with glacial precision by Nicole Kidman. They have two healthy and intelligent children, a boy and a girl, and their lives are a picture of upper middle class contentment. Steven and Anna's family equilibrium is skewed when a teenage boy, Martin, brilliantly portrayed by Barry Keoghan, inveigles his way into their lives through a combination of innocent charm and surreptitious pathos. Martin is a dark angel representative of the cloud of sickness and guilt and remorse and his actions force Steven and Anna to have to face up to a parents' worst nightmares.
Lanthimos and Filippou, in Godardian fashion, constantly calls attention to cinema form; especially with a strangely effective form of anti-acting where, Farrell notably, dryly delivers dialogue as unconnected non-sequiturs. The words also constantly surprise us as the characters speak at each other with phrases that create humour and emotional disassociation. Nonetheless, such artifice only adds to the off-centre and sinister nature of the piece. The film is also beautifully shot with a wonderful symmetry to the composition of many shots. I also liked the choice of wide-angle lenses and the flowing Steadicam shots. Many were pitched at just over head-height, and provided an eerie floating sensation throughout the drama.
Colin Farrell (as he did in The Lobster (2015), Nicole Kidman and the rest of the cast buy completely into Lanthimos and Filippou's striking vision which takes its' influence from l Greek tragedy. But while Farrell excels in another praiseworthy under-stated deadpan performance, Barry Keoghan steals the show. The young actor follows up his impactful supporting appearance in Dunkirk (2017), with a compelling character study and eerily mature portrayal. Overall, this is a gripping, absurd thriller-turned-horror film which constantly wrong-footed me with its plot turns. It is a truly chilling, yet darkly comical and surreal genre film that manages to be somehow extremely accessible too.
(Mark: 9 out of 11)
absurdBarry KeoghanComedyEfthymis FilippouFilm ReviewGreecehorrorKilling of a Sacred DeerLFF 2017LONDON FILM FESTIVALmetephorNicole KidmanSurgeonSurrealThe LobsterThrillerTragedyYorgos Lanthimos

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Undercurrents: An Interview with Justin Hocking
Words By Justin Hocking, Interviewed by Dani Hedlund
The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld is a multifarious work. From memoir to cultural analysis, history book to literary theory, and spiritual pilgrimage to political exposé, this book balances an extraordinary number of genres, subjects, themes, and narrative styles. Yet, at its heart, Wonderworld is about a young man finding his place in the world.
Why, as a writer, did you decide that it was necessary to tell "your story" through all these different lenses? Do you think you could have told the same story without these elements?
Well, the memoir was inspired largely by my preoccupation with the life of Herman Melville and the novel Moby-Dick, which is itself densely packed with multiple genres and varied modes of storytelling. It was a kind of postmodern book, before the term "postmodern" even existed—most mid-19th Century readers didn't know what the hell to make of it, and it wasn't until seventy or so years later that a wider audience recognized its brilliance. So I didn't want to just imitate Melville, but I did allow myself to be inspired by his multivalent, digressive, collaged way of spinning a story. Technically, I suppose I could've just told my own story, without the other elements. But I think I've found my own voice in this braided form of narrative; I'm not sure there's any going back to traditional, linear storytelling. Not for me.
Given your choice to include all these components, how did you ensure that they didn't overshadow or distract from the central story? There are many fascinating plot threads—like the adventures of your aunt and uncle—that could have easily been shortened to mere sentences are expanded to dominate a good section of the book.
How did you decide how much of these elements to include?
What I love most about this braided, digressive storytelling style is the way it allows us to dive deeply into our own personal stories, while also weaving in news from the wider world. The story I tell in Wonderworld is deeply personal; I consciously braided in other elements as a way to give the reader some room to breath. I needed to get the reader (and myself) out of my head quite a bit, to avoid this sense of claustrophobia that can sometimes plague a memoir or any first person narrative. But to be honest, when I completed the first draft of the memoir, back in 2011 or 2012, it was over 460 pages. My agent was like, "Yeah, great, you're on the right path, but there's no way I can sell a book this long and rambling." The problem was exactly as you put it: all the digressions and experimentation were overshadowing the central, personal narrative. I'm fortunate to have a great agent and editor, and over the course of a couple years, they helped me tunnel in and chip away at all the extraneous stuff. I excised a good 200 pages or more—anything that felt like it would distract the reader too much from the central emotional trajectory.
Early on in the memoir, you address your obsession with motion, this insurmountable desire—nay, need—to stay in constant motion, either on your skateboard or your surfboard, perhaps in your entire life plan. How does a man so infatuated with speed and adrenaline fall in love with Moby-Dick, one of the densest works of classic literature?
In my estimation, Moby-Dick is one of the most action-packed, page-turning novels ever written, especially in the beginning. There's a palpable sense of confronting nature in its most raw, dynamic and dangerous manifestation—the ocean—that is just thrilling. I can still pick up the book, flip to a random page, and feel completely transported. On a bit deeper level, Moby-Dick can be read as a monumental confrontation between action and contemplation. Ahab is all action and no contemplation; the First Mate, Starbuck, is the opposite. Ahab's ceaseless, unthinking action is what brings down the ship. A balanced life requires both action and contemplation. A perfect day for me would be to spend the morning reading and writing, followed by intense physical activity—surfing or skating or swimming with friends—in the afternoon. I also have to admit that I really don't love surfing or skating for the adrenalin, per se. The practices of surfing and skating are, for me, a way to mitigate the adrenalin and fear. On the best days, you reach a sense of timelessness and flow that have nothing to do with thrill-seeking. It's more akin to art-making or writing.
Throughout the book, you visit various historical sites tied to Herman Melville's life—his birthplace, his family estate, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, New York itself. These pilgrimages form narrative markers throughout the book, guiding your own story toward an Ahab-worthy descent or the possibility of salvation on the Rachel.
The visits are beautifully spaced, pulling the reader back into the frame of Moby-Dick at pinnacle intervals, as if each trip were meticulously scheduled at just the precise moment so that—when you did eventually write this memoir—your narrative roadmap would have all the right markers.
How intentional was this? Did you see the makings of this memoir (guided by Melville's memory) before you began writing it and thus paid extra attention to these foray into the author's past?
By the time I moved to New York, I'd already done a little writing about my pre-occupation for Moby-Dick. It was in a thinly veiled fiction story entitled "Whaling," which eventually appeared in the anthology Life and Limb. But I honestly had no plans or intentions about writing a memoir on this subject, not at all. Almost the entire three years in New York, I was working on an entirely unrelated novel. Mostly I was just visiting all the Melville sites out of pure curiosity, and because I felt a little haunted by Melville's struggles as a writer in New York, but also inspired by the fact that he never gave up, not even decades after the complete commercial failure of Moby-Dick. This period was also the height of the Iraq War, and I felt Moby-Dick had so much to teach us about the abuse of power, revenge, and the lengths America will go to secure our oil interest (whaling was, quite literally, the original "Big Oil" industry.)
After 30 pages of first-person narrative, your reader is shocked to turn to the chapter entitled, "The L Train." Suddenly, our friendly narrator is replaced by the voice of an inanimate locomotive, speaking to a fictional passenger. Written in traditional theatrical format, the L Train opens a dialogue with the female passenger about a young man who rides on the train—you—and how terrible your fear of traveling under the East River has become.
This is not the only surprising narrative you employ. The entire book is sprinkled with sudden shifts in voice, including the frame of a third-person mental diagnosis and an entire flashback told in second person.
Where did the idea for this unconventional storytelling originate? How did you decided on these narratives specifically? Were there once more like these?
I love the way Walt Whitman, Melville and others incorporated into their narratives all the noise and manifold voices and ceaseless activity of New York City. The "L Train" chapter was my attempt to do the same. While writing this book, I was also thinking very consciously about the issue of narrative distance. This particular chapter chronicles something that's difficult for me to talk about directly: my struggles with acute anxiety. So I wanted to give the reader, and myself as the writer, a little more distance from the narrator and his problems here. I was also inspired by a 90's era film, called Naked in New York, in which Eric Stoltz plays a struggling writer who converses periodically with inanimate objects. I like the way it adds an element of the surreal to the narrative.
Writing a memoir is one of the most intrusive, petrifying—perhaps liberating—experiences any artist can undergo, especially if they are exploring a period of their lives when they were struggling. Most of The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld follows you through the most difficult moments of your life. You have mental breakdowns, suffer from an addiction to relationships, make choices that, frankly, made me want to throttle you. Yet, it is this bravery that makes the book so poignant, that makes the hope of your triumph so dearly desired.
How did you overcome the impulse to "fictionalize," to use your power of the pen to sugar coat your own downfalls?
I'm glad that you wanted to throttle the narrator at times—I feel the same way! So much of the book was about interrogating my own flaws and shortcomings and poor decisions, especially in relationships. I really wanted to avoid the kind of memoir in which the narrator is continually victimized, but never really examines his/her own small contributions to the world's misfortunes. This book was, in some ways, a way for me to take personal responsibility. But the process—especially now that it's out in the world for everyone to read—has been really difficult at times. As David Shields writes, memoir is a genre in which the writer gets their teeth bashed in, so to speak. I think I just tried to tell the truth, on every page. I didn't worry too much about appearing as a conventional "hero," but at the same time I tried to consciously avoid hurting the feelings of anyone involved.
No matter how close your life flirts with catastrophe in the memoir, your reader never believes your white whale will drag you under. Certainly, if you are now narrating your story, you must have survived the eminent shipwreck and made it to shore safely. If we are ever truly worried, all we need to do is flip to the book back and read your bio, clearly telling us the results of many of the largest trials in the book.
Did you ever consider revising your bio or acknowledgements to hide the "end of the story" from your readers? Is that one of the reasons that your bio is so brief?
This is an interesting point, and one that I've never really thought about, to be honest. The bio is pretty brief, but I guess I could've further camouflaged the fact that I ended up in Portland. Hopefully the narrative is compelling enough to still hold the reader's attention, despite the fact that they know some general details about my current life.
As many of our readers are also writers, I'm always keen to ask our featured writers about their craft. Tell me about your writing process. In Wonderworld you describe mornings hulled up in coffee shops, working on your novel, before an afternoon of surfing. Is this how you wrote your memoir?
I did spend thousands of hours in coffee shops, working on this book. There's a particular cafe in my Portland neighborhood that has high countertops, where I can work while standing up. Writing is such challenging work; I find that utilizing different processes at different stages is extremely helpful. When drafting early material, I write in short, hour-long bursts, usually first thing in the morning. I also carry a small notebook around to jot down notes. I can work for longer periods of time once I transpose my handwritten first drafts onto the computer. During this phase, I need a lot of silence and solitude, because you never know what kinds of creative gifts you might receive if you're paying close attention. Oddly, the gifts often arrive when you take a short break from the work, to make a sandwich or take a shower or go for a long walk. The moments when you have to drop what you're doing and rush back to your computer to get a new idea or bit of dialogue down—those are what I live for as a writer. During the more advanced drafting and editing phases, I can write for hours and hours at a time. I was fortunate to spend a two-week writing residency at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, where I worked ten or more hours a day to finish a first complete draft. It was arduous but exhilarating work.
Also, specific to this genre, how did you ensure that you were accurately depicting the events in your life? Did you keep journals of your time in New York? Did you spend countless hours on the phone with your old flat mates, taking notes as they recalled memories of your melancholy years?
I was certainly concerned with presenting an accurate portrayal. I spent hours and hours on the phone with my uncle, making sure I'd gotten down correctly the details of his exploits at sea, and his falling out with the Scientologists. I also write copiously and obsessively in journals; I mined those for quite a lot of material. I'm still close with my old flat mates from New York, but I didn't really consult with them. As memoirists, we need to have fidelity to the truth and accuracy of details; I think it's immoral and stupid to grossly fabricate the details of your life, as writers like James Frey did in A Million Little Pieces. On the other hand, we're writing creative nonfiction, not journalism, and we're drawing on memories, which are invariably fallible, so I do think there's room for a certain amount of embellishment, especially when recreating dialogue that took place a decade ago. To me, this is all in service of striving toward the emotional truth of what happened.
Now that you've successfully published two books, what advice do you have for new writers trying to break into the industry?
I won't sugarcoat the fact that it's very difficult to break into the commercial publishing industry. However, in many ways, there's never been a better time to be a writer. What I encourage my writing students to do is this: make the best work you can, and then play the publishing field at every level possible. Self-publishing does not have the stigma it used to—especially when you're talking about zines, chapbooks, e-books, etc. Long before I got a book deal, I actually self-published an excerpt of Wonderworld, in a small chapbook with a letterpress cover. It was nice to have a physical chunk of the book out in the world, to begin the process of connecting with readers. Learning the traditional art of letterpress printing was fun and empowering. I think it's increasingly important that writers learn some basic graphic design and layout skills, such as Adobe InDesign and Illustrator. I'm also intrigued by the possibilities for new modes of storytelling via social media, digital publications, as well as the possibilities for crowd funding via sites like Kickstarter.
While writing my memoir, I also sent individual chapters out for publication at literary journals. Of course, I got a ton of rejections. Fortunately, a great California-based journal named the The Normal School published a chapter called "All I Need is This Thermos." In a stroke of amazing luck, a literary agent read this particular issue of The Normal School, and contacted me about developing it into a book. So you just have to put yourself out there; if you're not getting consistently rejected, you're not submitting enough.
Last but not least—yes, I promise I'll stop after this one—what is the next step for you? Are you planning to finish the novel you were working on while you were in New York? Are you going to toss your pen away and spend the rest of your life on your surfboard? Will you start constructing the museum for the oil industry you so brilliantly hypothesized in your book (because I will definitely want to visit…perhaps just for the regal paintings of Dick Cheney hanging over a miniature oil rig)?
After running a small arts nonprofit for eight years, I'm transitioning out of the Executive Director role to make more time for my writing and teaching. I'm excited to work on some short articles and essays, but I also have a few more major projects on deck. I'm drafting a new, long-form nonfiction piece—possibly another memoir or essay collection—that goes further back into my childhood and early adult years. A short story collection is also in the works, plus a possible novel idea (although it's completely different from the novel I was working on in New York). I'm also excited to continue teaching in two programs I helped launch: The Certificate Program in Creative Writing and Independent Publishing via the IPRC, and a new Wilderness Writing concentration in the Low Residency MFA program at Eastern Oregon University.
Justin Hocking, Interviewed by Dani Hedlund
Justin Hocking is the author of The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld, and is an avid surfer and skateboarder. He lives in Portland, Oregon, and teaches creative writing at the Independent Publishing Resource Center and Eastern Oregon University.
After the publication of her first novel at the age of eighteen, Dani Hedlund founded the international literary nonprofit Brink Literacy Project (formerly Tethered by Letters). Over the course of the last decade, Brink has grown into one of the largest independently-funded literary nonprofits in the nation, with bases across the US, UK, and Southeast Asia. She is also the founder and Editor-in-Chief of F(r)iction, an art and literary collection specializing in boundary-defying work. Since its inception in 2015, F(r)iction has risen to critical acclaim, becoming one of the fastest growing literary journals in the world. In her ever-elusive free time, Dani lectures about the ins and outs of the publishing industry, writes very weird fiction, and runs a strange little board game company called Bad Hipster Games.


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Citizens For Farm Animal Protection
About Citizens for Farm Animal Protection
Vote YES! on Question 3 to protect farm animals in Massachusetts!
Residents of the Commonwealth have shown time and time again that they want commonsense protections for animals, the environment, and food safety. Now they're expressing support for Question 3, a modest measure to protect the most abused animals in the pork, veal, and egg industries. More than a thousand volunteers helped collect over 170,000 signatures of Massachusetts voters to put Question 3 on the ballot this November.
Voting YES! on Question 3 will prevent farm animals from being crammed into cages so small they can hardly move an inch. Voting YES! on 3 will also ensure that food items sold in the Commonwealth are compliant with these modest standards. Major companies like Walmart and McDonald's are already implementing similar standards. And yet, agribusiness lobbyists are still fighting these common-sense, moderate regulations. Read more about the opposition to Question 3 here »
We're a broad coalition of charities, family farmers, veterinarians, businesses, and community leaders dedicated to protecting animals and Massachusetts consumers from substandard, inhumane, and unsafe products. Check out our full list of endorsers here »
Prevents animal cruelty
Voting YES! on 3 will prevent the cruel confinement of farm animals, which is why the MSPCA, Animal Rescue League of Boston, ASPCA, The Humane Society of the United States and more than 500 Massachusetts veterinarians endorse a YES! vote on Question 3. Science shows that pigs, chickens, and cows are intelligent, social animals. But on some industrialized "factory farms," they're locked in cages so small they can barely move. Independent animal welfare experts agree that this causes physical and mental suffering. Read more here »
Improves food safety
Voting YES! on 3 will eliminate unsafe products from the Massachusetts marketplace. Cramming tens of thousands of animals into tiny cages promotes the spread of disease. That's why the Center for Food Safety and Consumer Federation of America endorse Question 3. Numerous studies show that Salmonella-the leading cause of food poisoning-related death in America-is more common in cage facilities than cage-free farms. Read more here »
Protects the environment
Voting YES! on 3 would protect rivers, air, and public health, which is why the Massachusetts Sierra Club endorses Question 3. Factory farms that confine farm animals in cages produce enormous amounts of concentrated waste that's often contaminated with antibiotic residue and other dangerous chemicals. Factory farms are a leading cause of air and water pollution. Read more here »
Promotes responsible farming
Voting YES! on 3 will help promote responsible farming. Responsible Massachusetts family farmers know the importance of treating animals with respect. And better animal welfare tends to mean better conditions for farm laborers. That's why Question 3 is endorsed by more than 100 Massachusetts farmers and the United Farm Workers. Read more here »
Establishes modest sales standards
Voting YES! on 3 would ensure that substandard, inhumane, and unsafe products from these cruel confinement systems aren't sold in the Commonwealth. Question 3 is a moderate measure supported by Massachusetts veterinarians and farmers and would cost only about a penny per egg according to the egg industry's own studies. That's why big egg buyers have already committed to go cage-free – including McDonalds, Walmart, and Burger King. Read more here »
You can help secure a YES! vote on Question 3, whether you live in Massachusetts or beyond.
In Massachusetts: sign up here »
Out-of-state: sign up here »
Our coalition
More Endorsements
Cruel confinement has no place in Massachusetts.
Paid for with regulated funds by Citizens for Farm Animal Protection PO Box 470857 Brookline, MA 02447. For more information, go to www.ocpf.us. Top Contributors: The Humane Society of the United States, ASPCA, MSPCA, Maximilian and Deborah Stone, and Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap.


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Author: Psy-Q
First Wii player reports in TIME
Time (or is it TIME? They seem to insist. If so, what does the acronym stand for?) was given the honor of sending one of their writers to Kyoto to sample Nintendo's Wii. Nudge-nudge, wink-wink.
Here's Lev Grossman's fairly interesting [Time.com article](http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1191861,00.html). While he's a bit inaccurate with some of the more obscure details, I'm surprised to see an article of this depth in the mainstream press. I hope the plan is working out and this gets Nintendo where they want to be; I suppose this kind of coverage is all part of the Wii plan.
Author Psy-QPosted on May 9, 2006 Categories GamingLeave a comment on First Wii player reports in TIME
The GIA DVDs are in the mail
As [hinted at earlier](http://terror.snm-hgkz.ch/blog/articles/2006/03/10/hope-for-a-complete-gia-mirror), my GIA mirror might soon be complete thanks to the help of two people who between them own a copy of the entire site, on a bunch of DVDs 🙂
The discs are in the mail now, and I will post something as soon as they've had any impact on the mirror.
Author Psy-QPosted on May 7, 2006 Categories Culture, GamingLeave a comment on The GIA DVDs are in the mail
Coop launches new line of lactose-free products
Coop is taking an active stance and has released (this week) several new lactose-free products. Among them:
– 3 different flavors of ice cream
– Mozzarella
– Cottage cheese
– Whole milk
– Skimmed milk
– Vanilla-flavored milk
– Chocolate-flavored milk
– Curd cheese
– Cream
– Various yoghurts
This is great news for lactose intolerant people (including Asians and Africans of course) living in Switzerland! Coop has so far been very quiet in this sector, but Migros recently released a new line of soy-based products like puddings and chocolate drinks. This was a response to high demand from people on a vegan diet, but those with LI also profited from the move. That coop targets us specifically with this new line is fantastic. The products are made out of processed dairy milk, no soy involved (in case you're worried about soy allergy).
Some small manufacturers, such as Breisgaumilch from Germany, already produce lactose-free cream for example, but that was a niche product only available in select stores in Germany. This is the first time such a product makes it to a Swiss mass-producer like Coop, who is present in nearly every larger town.
Olé!
I will try some of the stuff to see if it tastes like mold or toothpaste or newspapers.
Source: A Coop employee posting at the [Libase.de forum](http://www.libase.de/thread.html?threadid=13270&boardid=14).
Author Psy-QPosted on May 5, 2006 Categories UncategorizedLeave a comment on Coop launches new line of lactose-free products
Is Nintendo ripping off Europe?
While trying to find cheaper Nintendo DS games, I noticed a large discrepancy between prices in the US, the EU and Switzerland. Here's a comparison, all prices in Euros.
Price USA
Price EU
Price CH
Brain Age 15.00 27.00 31.00
Tetris DS 28.00 35.00 44.00
Mario Kart DS 28.00 39.00 44.00
I started investigating and asked a bunch of Swiss retailers why some games are more than twice as expensive in Switzerland. A game that is clearly only worth EUR 15 (Brain Age) is selling for EUR 31 here — how does that make sense? The retailers couldn't really answer me, they think that Waldmeier AG might be to blame. Waldmeier has the monopoly on Nintendo imports in Switzerland. In many other European countries, Nintendo does their own distribution, but Switzerland is handled by Waldmeier. I asked Waldmeier for a comment but received no answer in more than one week.
So not only do the Swiss get less value for money (the Nintendo VIP club isn't available here, for example), but we also pay significantly more. Similarly, people in the EU are paying between 40 and 80% more than North Americans. Canadians, by the way, pay about the same as USians.
Of course I realize that it costs money to translate the games into the different languages of all the territories where the same single EU DS cart is sold. But a 40% increase to translate the 200 or so text strings that pop up in a kart racing game? The per capita purchasing power of the EU is slightly higher than that of the US, yes, that's true. But how do you explain the differences between titles? Why is Mario Kart DS 40% more expensive and Brain Age 80%? If we had price parity, the percentual difference for every title would be the same.
Something is fundamentally broken with Nintendo's pricing.
Author Psy-QPosted on May 2, 2006 Categories GamingLeave a comment on Is Nintendo ripping off Europe?
Retrospective Review: Shadow of the Colossus
A bird of prey swoops from the sky, down into a deep gorge, trees and vibrant green grasses fringing the sides, a proud river snaking along its bottom. The bird cries, then plunges on, gaining speed as it darts toward a majestic landscape composed of canyons, deserts and endless plains. But avian matters are of little concern to our hero. His problem is an entirely human one. He's carrying the limp body of a woman. Unconscious or dead? Dead, we must presume. As he sets her down on the stone altar in the middle of this barren temple, her unbreathing chest leaves no doubt. We do not learn her name or what she is to him, but his intentions at least are clear: he wants to resurrect her.
That's how Shadow of the Colossus (SotC) welcomes you into its world and points you in the right direction. It's not the best intro I've ever seen, but it excels at what it's there for: to set the stage for what follows. It gives your eyes a small taste of the lush terraces you may once visit, drenched in warm sunlight, and then dumps you into a chilly stone temple, with an equally cold woman and a tall horse. Oh yes, the horse. But I'll get to that.
The problem I face is that I've got this dead woman, but I probably want her alive. Rumor has it that there's a temple where someone can help. A god, maybe. *The gods*, maybe. All I get to see of it is a bright light in the sky, and its voice is a mix of many, whispering the same subtitled mumbo-jumbo we've heard in Ico. It seems to know what it's talking vis à vis revival possibilities for mysterious dead women, so I listen. It shows me sixteen statues. These represent sixteen colossi, it explains. To revive my fallen girlfriend/wife/sister/accountant, I have to kill them all. With my magical sword that locates and slays colossi. Bummer.
So I set out. Glancing round the temple to find an exit, I mount my horse, Agro. It feels strange to ride Agro. Controller movements lack any immediacy, and pushing the left analog stick accomplishes nothing on its own. But there's a button to make the horse move forward, and only with this forward motion do left and right have any effect, since horses aren't helicopters and can't slide sideways. Except in the circus, perhaps. But this isn't the circus! See, I told you I'd get back to the horse.
I tenderly coax Agro toward the temple's exit, getting a feel for the controls while bumping his nose into the odd pillar. The hoofbeats are transferred to my hands through the vibrating controller, which adds a bit to the realism. Not so bad, a horse.
The first unexpected thing comes up here. While the landscape outside the gloomy temple was an indistinguishable glowing cloud so far, it turns into a wide plain of green grass as my character's eyes adjust to the glare. Amazing! Slowly more details emerge, the bright blue sky, the play of sunlight and shadow, the earthy colors of a distant rocky hill. The landscape looks breathtaking. Throughout the game I never tired of the feeling I got when I saw it. Particularly after emerging from a dusty cave or deep forest, the liberating sensation of a ride on Agro's back through the varied deserts, plains and hills is remarkable.
Did we talk about the sword? I have a magical sword. The gods seemed mighty impressed by that. They even showed me the built-in colossus locator: hold the blade into the sun and follow the beam of light. So that's what I do. Ah-hah. It points straight ahead towards a hill. Let's ride! As I ride there I notice how Agro's controls make more sense now. The faster he's running, the harder it is to make him go anywhere but straight ahead and I found myself yanking the stick left and right spasmodically as I tried to home in on my goal. It feels quite natural, though. The only places where the horse controls are really lacking is when it's time to turn around in close quarters. Agro will refuse to turn, then turn too far, then refuse to turn again and take a step back only to walk foward into whatever's in his way, so it takes you ages to get out of a narrow cave. Not comfy. But manageable, mind you, and probably realistic.
There, now we've arrived at the hill. It seems to be a horse-free zone, Agro still lacking rotors. So I jump off my horse. The next section functions as a tutorial for how to control the various climbing and grabbing movements your character can perform. Well done, there, it's instructive without boring you to death, and at the end of the section you've actually accomplished something: you're standing in front of your first colossus. Yikes.
The colossus battles are the meat of the game: there are no other enemies at all, and you spend more time in actual colossus battles than riding around. Unless you choose to just ride around. But that's your choice. Don't cheat yourself, though, as the colossi are at least as beautiful as the landscape. Each of them has patches of fur to which you can cling, and some features are made out of horn- or tooth-like material. One particular individual wears a crown of supersized teeth right there on his head. Must be hell to brush. All of these biological, plantlike and animal-like elements give the creatures a look that's at the same time otherworldly and sort of recognizable. Very eerie! The result is that every encounter is accompanied by a very dense atmosphere as you ride towards the lair of your enemy and wonder what it looks like, where it might appear from and how it fits into its surroundings. You'll meet a gigantic water snake, an oversized bulldog and several magnified humanoid warriors, each in its very own and very fitting setting. Sometimes, I felt a gulliveresque sense of unbelonging in their company, and I wonder if it was mutual.
The dramaturgy of the battles is roughly the same each time. Find colossus, discover weak spots, attack weak spots. The difference lies in how these spot are exposed and how you get to them in the first place. Most of the battles see you climbing a colossus, perhaps starting with his arm so you can jump on his head, then sliding down the back to find a weak spot in his spine and plunge your sword into it. The colossi aren't stupid, so they'll want to shake you off, stomp you, drive a fifteen ton stone sword into your skull or drown you in the lake. So be careful.
When the battle is over you're back on your quest. You get on Agro's back again to find the next colossus. The lack whisper of the wind and the soothing landscape bring your pulse rate back to normal. These parts of the game are oddly meditative in that sense.
One thing that deserves a special mention is the music. Most of the time, you don't hear anything. No music, at least. Agro's hoofbeats, the sound of the wind in your ears, your own footsteps on grass, sand and gravel are all there, and the lack of any other sounds creates a dense, expectant atmosphere. The music only starts when you catch a glimpse of a colossus. Violins and celli are your accompaniment for most battles, playing a timeless epic harmony and launching into wild crescendos in synch with your struggle. I found the soundtrack captivating and excellently produced. The pools of silence between the islands of dramatic, intense music add greatly to the effect.
This game is so full of technological marvels: HDR, blooming effects, meticulously animated fur and specialized adaptable collision detection in the colossus models. But it never feels like a tech demo, it never feels like it aims to please the hardcore gamer crowd, but it also never feels like it's something for the uninspired game buyer who picks whatever's on the top spot of the sales charts. This is no NFS Underground. Instead, if you try it you will find a very creative, very *finished* game that defies accurate categorization. One that can suck you in for an entire weekend, one that invites you to lose yourself in its world, and puts very few obstacles in your way once you arrive.
This title was a must-buy for me ever since it was announced over a year ago, and I'm glad it doesn't disappoint.
Title Shadow of the Colossus
Platform(s) PlayStation 2
Links Official Website
Various Reviews
Author Psy-QPosted on April 22, 2006 Categories GamingLeave a comment on Retrospective Review: Shadow of the Colossus
Hope for a complete GIA mirror
I was contacted by someone who knows someone who has a complete copy of the GIA. On 13 CDs. He's willing to go to all the trouble and burn them to snailmail-friendly DVDs. If everything works out, I might finally be able to complete the GIA mirror. Joy!
Author Psy-QPosted on March 10, 2006 Categories Gaming, GeneralLeave a comment on Hope for a complete GIA mirror


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Home » Teams » Eagles » Eagles Take Care of Steven Nelson
Eagles Take Care of Steven Nelson
By Kevin Kinkead
Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Birds news:
Eagles CB Steven Nelson was made a healthy scratch in Week 18, a move that prevented him from reaching a 90% play-time incentive worth $375K.
The day before the game, Philly gave him a $375K signing bonus to make up for that missed incentive. Very good on the Eagles for that.
It's always great to see stuff like this. Helps build a good culture and good reputation when you take care of your players with actions like these.
Over at Pro Football Reference, they've got Nelson listed at 982 snaps, which amounts to 87.21% of the available snaps through Week 17. If the Cowboys game in Week 18 meant something, he would have started and played the entirety of the defensive snaps, which would have put him over the 90% mark. He actually finished with the most snaps played among any Eagles defensive player, because he stayed healthy and was the #2 corner out there.
$375k might not seem like a ton of money for an NFL player, but Nelson only signed a one-year deal worth three million, so this dollar amount represents a little more than an additional 10%. I also would like a $375k incentive and I've emailed Kyle Scott aka "The Maestro" about that.
eagles, nfl
Kevin Kinkead
Kevin has been covering Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started on the Union beat during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to Boyertown High School and West Virginia University and past bylines include Philly Voice, Philly Views, MLSSoccer.com, Philadelphiaunion.com, the Canadian Press, and the Philly Soccer Page. email - kevin@crossingbroad.com
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Yeedzin Football Club was a football club from Thimphu, Bhutan. Founded in 2002, they were promoted from the B-Division to the A-Division in the same year. They won their first A-Division title in 2008 and have won a total of four A-Division championships. They also qualified for the National League in 2012 and 2013, winning the inaugural national competition in 2012. They have been Bhutan's representative in the AFC President's Cup on four occasions, and lost all of their twelve games played in the competition with a goal difference of –75.

History

2002–2008
Yeedzin were founded in 2002 by Jigme Norbu and participated in the 2002 B-Division. During the group stage, they won four out of their five matches, losing only to Rigzung Club who finished one point above them. In addition to Druk United and Sharks, who qualified from the other group, they progressed to the semi-finals. They beat Druk United 1–0 but lost 5–3 on penalties after extra time in the final following a 1–1 draw in regular time with Rigzung. However, both finalists were promoted to the A-Division for the following season. Yeedzin's first recorded appearance in competition was in the 2003 season where they finished in sixth place out of ten teams. Few results are recorded for this season and none for Yeedzin, but is known that they either won three, drew one and lost four of their eight games or won two, drew four and lost two. It is not known where they finished in the league the following season, although it is certain that they did not finish in the top four of the 2004 A-Division. However, there was a knockout competition for all the clubs in the A-Division in which Yeedzin were runners-up, losing to Drukpol in the final.

In 2005, Yeedzin achieved their best finish to date, finishing in third place, a point behind the winners Transport United and behind on goal difference to Drukpol, 14 points ahead of fourth-place finishers Druk Star. They topped the table after four of the twelve matches, with three wins and a draw, including a 4–0 victory over Transport United. However, by halfway, they had slipped to second place, two points behind Drukpol, but still ahead of Transport United on goal difference. The league went to the final game of the season, and Yeedzin were beaten to the title, losing 2–1 away to Transport United. They also lost 3–1 on penalties to Drukpol in the A-Division Knock-Out Championship. Details are scant for the next season, it is only known that they did not finish in either first, third or fourth place, beating RIHS in the process 4–1. Slightly more data is available for the 2007 season, Yeedzin finished in fourth place on 23 points, ahead of Royal Bhutan Army, but behind champions Transport United, Drukpol and Druk Star in a season that included a 15–0 victory over RIHS when the opposition fielded only nine players. The following season Yeedzin produced their best performance to date winning both the league and cup. They finished the league season unbeaten, four points ahead of runners-up Transport United, dropping points in only two games, including a 1–1 draw with Choden FC, the Bhutan U-19 team whilst also beating Rigzung 20–0 in the second half of the season. They won the 2008 A-Division Knock-Out Tournament, beating Royal Bhutan Army 4–3 in the final.

2009

However, despite scoring more goals than any other team and more than the bottom half of the table managed combined and with scorelines of 10–2, 20–0 and 16–1 against Rigzung and Druk Athletic twice respectively, they were unable to retain their league title in the 2009 season, losing three games throughout the course of the season and finishing five points behind Druk Star, who ended the season unbeaten. They were equally unfortunate in the Club Cup Championship. Despite beating Nangpa 12–0 in the quarter-finals and Choden 4–1 in the semi-finals, they lost 1–0 to Druk Star in the final as the mirrored what Yeedzin had achieved the previous season.

2009 was also the first season that Yeedzin represented Bhutan in continental competition, their victory in the previous season's league competition meaning that they were awarded Bhutan's berth in the 2009 AFC President's Cup. They were drawn in Group C for the Group Stage, along with Dordoi-Dynamo Naryn of Kyrgyzstan, Kanbawza of Burma and Phnom Penh Crown of Cambodia. They travelled to Bishkek, where all the group games were played, but were beaten in all three games, conceding fourteen goals and scoring only three through Pema Chophel, Jigme Tenzin and Tschedupla, and did not progress.

2010–11

Yeedzin bounced straight back the following season with another unbeaten season, finishing nine points clear of Drukpol to win their second championship, dropping points only once; in a 0–0 draw against Drukpol. In winning the title, they were awarded Bhutan's place in the 2011 AFC President's Cup.

Details for the 2011 season are again minimal, although it is known that Yeedzin continued their domestic success, winning a second consecutive title and third overall, in an abridged season where they A-Division was contested only as a single round-robin set of matches in anticipation of the commencement of a new national league competition that was ultimately cancelled. They also competed in the 2011 AFC President's Cup and were drawn in Group B for the group stage along with Istiqlol from Tajikistan, Yadanarbon from Myanmar and Jabal Al Mukaber from Palestine. They travelled to Yangon in Myanmar, where all the group games were played. In a repeat of their 2009 campaign, they were again beaten in all three games, this time without managing to score a single goal and again, did not progress to the next round.

2012

The next season started off in a disappointing fashion. Despite two heavy defeats of Nangpa (12–0 and 16–0), Yeedzin were beaten twice by Drukpol and drew twice with Zimdra (now known as Thimphu City FC) to finish behind these two sides in third place, with Drukpol taking the A-Division title. However, this was sufficient for qualification to the inaugural Bhutan National League. This new league was a genuine national competition, whereas previously the A-Division had nominally been termed the National League between 2001 and 2003, it was in practice a league for teams based in Thimphu. Yeedzin qualified along with Drukpol and Zimdra and were joined by Phuentsholing, representing Chukha District, Samtse, representing Samtse District and Ugyen Academy, representing Punakha District. A team representing Gelephug District was supposed to enter as well but apparently did not. Yeedzin performed strongly in the competition, finishing the league after ten games unbeaten, whilst conceding only five goals. They won the league by beating Drukpol 2–1, coming from behind following a goal for Drukpol from Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck to claim the 400,000 Ngultrum prize. Although they had lost their A-Division title, with this competition now merely being a qualifier for the new national league, Yeedzin had won their third consecutive national championship, the first time a team had achieved this feat since Transport United in 2006, the only other time in the history of Bhutanese football that this had happened.

In addition to their domestic success, their championship-winning performance in the prior season also meant that they received Bhutan's place in the 2012 AFC President's Cup, the second consecutive time they had competed in the tournament and their third overall appearance. Yeedzin were drawn in Group B for the Group stage along with Dordoi Bishkek of Kyrgyzstan, Nepal Police Club and Phnom Penh Crown from Cambodia. They travelled to Phnom Penh, where all the Group B games were to be played, but again Yeedzin's performance was disappointing, as they lost all three games for the third time and conceded 23 goals, their worst defensive performance to date and did not progress. Unlike the previous year's tournament however, they were able to score two consolation goals through Chencho Gyeltshen and Tshering Wangdi in a 11–2 loss to Dordoi Bishkek.

2013–14

Yeedzin were able to recover their A-Division title in the 2013 season, qualifying for the second National League competition in first place following an unbeaten performance, dropping points only in a 0–0 draw with eventual runners-up Thimphu City, scoring 27 goals in their eight matches, including a 10–2 victory over Druk United. They were also unbeaten in the National League as well, the first time a side had gone through both competitions without losing. Although, with five draws to their name in the national league they were only able to finish in second place behind Ugyen Academy and so missed out on Bhutan's place in the AFC President's Cup for the first time in three years. However, since they had won the previous year's National League competition, they did compete as Bhutan's entrant for the third consecutive year in the 2013 AFC President's Cup.

They were again drawn in Group B for the group stage of matches along with Dordoi Bishkek, for the second year in a row, Global from the Philippines and KRL from Pakistan. They travelled to Cebu City in the Philippines, where all the Group B matches were to be played, but for the fourth time were unable to gain any points, losing all three games and, for the second time in their for appearances, were unable to score a goal and did not progress from the group.

2014 saw the worst performance in the A-Division by Yeedzin in their history. With only three wins and two draws from their twelve matches, they finished in sixth place and failed to qualify for the National League for the first time. In addition, since they lost the National League title to Ugyen Academy the previous season, they did not participate in the final edition of the President's Cup.

Honours
Bhutan A-Division
Champions: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013
Runners-up: 2009

Bhutan National League
Champions: 2012–13

Continental record
AFC President's Cup: 4 appearances
2009: 4th in Group stage
2011: 4th in Group stage
2012: 4th in Group stage
2013: 4th in Group stage

References

Football clubs in Bhutan
2002 establishments in Bhutan
Association football clubs established in 2002
Association football clubs disestablished in 2016
Sport in Thimphu


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Q: How to open python in cmd with the 'python' command in stead of py -3 It is a minor issue, but since I reinstalled python (3.6.3 on windows 10), it no longer starts using the python command in the command prompt. Instead I have to use the py -3 command now.
The error:
'python' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

Since it is probably the most common way to use python in commands on forums, it becomes quite annoying to change it every time.
Thank you in advance.

A: Set the PATH variable

*

*Go to Control Panel/System and Security/System

*Click on Advanced System Settings

*Go to the Advanced Tab

*Click the Environment Variables button at the bottom

*In user/system variables section, edit the existing PATH variable with the appropriate python directories.

example
C:\Python3.6;C:\Python3.6\Lib\site-packages\;C:\Python3.6\Scripts\

A: As, others have said -- you could just add the python directory containing the executable to the PATH... I just want to give this as an extra option.
This is a general solution for any type of program or executable you'd like to run with a custom name.
I created an "Aliases" folder in my account C:\Users\{Your Account Name}\Aliases.
In that folder, I keep useful .bat scripts.
Just make a script called "python" and, in that script, put the path of your python.exe.
So, for example, this would be your entire bat file (named python.bat):
@echo off
echo .
C:\Python36\python.exe

if you want to be able to add args to your command, do the same but replace the execution line with the follows:
C:\Python36\python.exe %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6

That will give you the ability to add up to 6 arguments. This is helpful if you're doing python pip commands directly from the command line.
After you create this file, simply add the folder to your PATH variable
(Start -> Type Edit the Environment Variables for your account -> Click PATH -> click Edit -> Append the location of your "Aliases" folder to the PATH, using a semi-colon to separate it from the rest. -> Click OK and OK once again.) From now on, you don't have to worry about the PATH variable, just add more bat files and you're good to go!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


If you cannot bear the wait any longer, you can join the fight alongside the greatest heroes of manga three days early ahead of Jump Force's official release. All you need to do is fork out the extra cash needed for the Ultimate Edition of Jump Force and you can start saving the world immediately.
The Jump Force Ultimate Edition is available today for the hefty sum of £89.99, which comes with a whole host of extra goodies to enhance the experience. As well as the three days of early access for the full game, you'll also receive three exclusive costumes, a Starter Pack of in-game items, a new lobby vehicle, and 16 really cool t-shirts featuring iconic manga. The cream of the crop is the Character Pass though, which adds 9 characters over a period of time at no extra cost and enables you to play with each character four day ahead of everyone else.
Jump Force is a fighting game released to celebrate 50 years of the weekly Shonen Jump manga magazines, feature a load of heroes and villains that have invaded our world. Our aim is to create an avatar to help restore order by defeating the devious villains running rampant across some famous locations. Expect to witness epic battles that include characters from Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Saint Seiya, Bleach, and many more. Outside of the main story, you can take your hero online for all sorts of modes that'll test your skills.
If the Ultimate Edition is a tad pricey, the Deluxe (£79.99) and Standard (£54.99) versions of Jump Force for Xbox One will be available on 15th February via the Xbox Store. It's also arriving on PlayStation 4 and PC this week, should they be your platforms of choice.
Will you be grabbing Jump Force, helping the likes of Goku and Luffy save the world? Get in touch and let us know using the comments below or messaging us on social media. Keep an eye out for our full review too!
Order JUMP FORCE – Ultimate Edition digitally and receive: • 3 exclusive costumes for your Avatar • A new lobby vehicle • 3 days of early access to the game JUMP FORCE – Ultimate Edition includes: • The game • The Characters Pass: 9 additional characters + their respective costumes and moves for your Avatar + 4 days of early access to play with those characters before everyone else • 16 exclusive T-shirts for your Avatar • A Jump Starter Pack of in-game items The most famous Manga heroes are thrown into a whole new battleground: our world. Uniting to fight the most dangerous threat, the Jump Force will bear the fate of the entire human kind. Create your own avatar and jump into an original Story Mode to fight alongside the most powerful Manga heroes from DRAGON BALL Z, ONE PIECE, NARUTO, BLEACH, HUNTER X HUNTER, YU-GI-OH!, YU YU HAKUSHO, SAINT SEIYA and many others. Or head to the Online Lobby to challenge other players and discover lots of modes and activities.


Distributed blockchain ledgers are on the verge of becoming a disruptive technology, capable of profoundly impacting a wide range of industries and established applications, such as cryptocurrency, and allowing for novel use cases in both the public sector (e.g., eGovernment, eHealth, etc.) and the private sector (e.g., finance, supply chain management, etc.). Blockchains promise the ability to maintain critical information in a trustworthy repository without any centralized management. The reliability of blockchain-enabled applications is based on the innate immutability of stored data, maintained through cryptographic means, which enables blockchains to provide transparency, efficiency, auditability, trust, and security. As the technology is still in its infancy, a number of pain points must be addressed in order to make distributed ledgers more dependable, scalable, and pervasive. In this paper, we present the research landscape in distributed ledger technology (DLT). To do so, we describe a taxonomy of blockchain applications called blockchain generations. We also present the DCS properties (Decentralization, Consistency, and Scalability) as an analogy to the CAP theorem. Furthermore, we provide a general structure of the blockchain platform which decomposes the distributed ledger into six layers: Application, Modeling, Contract, System, Data, and Network. Finally, we classify research angles across three dimensions: DCS properties impacted, targeted applications, and related layers.


Mumbai, March 9, 2017: Reinforcing its commitment towards a greener environment, Lodha Group's Palava City has partnered with Big Basket to deliver 8000 saplings across Mumbai. This activity has been planned for the month of March as part of Palava's 'Go Green' initiative where one sapling will be delivered along with every organic order placed with Big Basket. The focus of this activity is to revive the green belt of the city in wake of increasing air pollution that is affecting the liveability of Mumbai and the health of millions. Thus, this drive will help in combatting the reduction of green cover and enhance the livelihood of Mumbaikars. Each of these saplings will carry a memo that will elaborate on Palava city and its sustainability drive.
Mumbai was ranked as one of the least sustainable cities amongst top 50 cities in the world (a report by Arcadis) reiterating on the city lifestyle that is detrimental to the environment. In lieu of this, many corporates have been encouraging citizens to practice a more environment friendly lifestyle by adopting carpooling, waste management etc. Palava is also taking small, but necessary steps to propagate the same ideology.
As part of their Go Green initiative, Palava not only plans to further add 2.5 lac trees to the development, but is also spending on several initiatives like waste water management, solar panels etc. which will support Palava in becoming one of the top 50 liveable cities in the world by 2025.
and has 31 ongoing projects across London, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune and Hyderabad. In FY 2015-16, Lodha Group delivered 6,800 units across projects. Lodha Group has several landmark developments to its credit including World One, Mumbai, the world's tallest residential tower, and has brought some of the top global names including Armani/Casa, Trump, Philippe Starck, Jade Jagger, Greg Norman and Pei Cobb Freed to India. In 2013, the Group has extended its international footprint with the acquisition of the landmark MacDonald House at 1 Grosvenor Square in Prime Central London from the Canadian Government for a consideration of over GBP 300 million (INR 3,100 Cr). Lodha Developers is one of the largest corporate entities in Mumbai and one of the largest employers in the MMR, with over 3,800 direct associates and over 25,000 workmen at its sites. The group is committed to investing two per cent of its profits towards corporate social responsibility, focused primarily on education as a transformative tool. With offices in London, Dubai and Shanghai and planned openings in the USA and Singapore, Lodha Group is on the road to substantial international presence.


In these turbulent times, clinging to the status quo is a surefire path to mediocrity and irrelevance. Too often, we tend to overestimate the risk of trying something new, yet we underestimate the risk of standing still.
If you're experiencing a spell of Traditionalism, you'll be happy to know that it is a curable disease. Josh Linkner delivers inspiring and practical leadership keynotes that will help you and your organization reconnect with the entrepreneurial mindset that put you on the map in the first place. His energizing sessions will help you develop your skills as an Innovative Leader, and in turn tackle competitive challenges and embrace growth and sustainable success.