Lawyers for Planned Parenthood filed an application for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction late Friday night asking the judge in the litigation over Medicaid cuts to prevent Texas from defunding Medicaid to the abortion provider. Officials in Texas took action after gruesome videos filmed at various Planned Parenthood facilities, including the mega-abortion facility in Houston, Texas were released.
Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas received $4,223,598.69 in Medicaid funding in FY2015. The move ends Medicaid participation for Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas and is based on stated Medicaid violations.
As reported by Breitbart Texas on December 20, Texas officials sent Planned Parenthood final notice that it would no longer allow it to participate in the Medicaid program in the state. The basis was that Planned Parenthood was "not qualified to provide medical services in a professionally competent, safe, legal, and ethical manner," said the letter from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). In October 2015, the HHSC issued an order banning Planned Parenthood from participating in Medicaid programs, as reported by Breitbart Texas.
The December 2015 letter by the Office of Inspector General of the HHSC was sent to Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas/Planned Parenthood of North Texas, Planned Parenthood in San Antonio and Cameron and Willacy Counties, and the Planned Parenthood South Texas Surgical Center.
State funding for women's health services has reached an all-time high. Women in Texas can get free or affordable healthcare services statewide through the Healthy Texas Women program. This program offers comprehensive healthcare, including birth control, pregnancy tests, health screenings and treatment for hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol. Also, the Family Planning Program now offers more services, including limited prenatal care. We have expanded the provider network to the largest it has ever been and we will continue working to make sure women all over the state can access family planning and other preventative health services.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas Family Planned and Preventative Health Services, et al. filed the lawsuit on November 23, 2015. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Texas' huge abortion facility in Houston – Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, as well as Planned Parenthood providers in South Texas, San Antonio, and Cameron County. There are also 10 "Jane Doe" plaintiffs who have sued on behalf of themselves and as a representative of a class of Texas Medicaid beneficiaries who obtain, or who seek to obtain, covered health care services at these various facilities.
The abortion providers urge in their application that: they have shown a likelihood of success on the merits; they will suffer irreparable harm if an injunction is not issued; and the balance of harms and the public interest weigh in favor of granting the preliminary injunction. These elements must be met in order to obtain a preliminary injunction under federal law.
The case is pending before U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division. A hearing has been set for January 17 at 9 a.m.
Lana Shadwick is a writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and associate judge in Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2.


Wednesday 6 September saw the annual Sight Northeast exhibition at St James Park, Newcastle. It was attended by over 25 different exhibitors, some of them local to the Northeast.
VIEWS, Tyne Sound News, Newcastle Vision Support, Macular Society local group representatives, and RNIB Local and Campaigning teams were among some of the local exhibitors present. They were able to give us information on how they help visually impaired people in the region. Counselling services, in the form of Dandelion Counselling, can provide both telephone based and face-to-face counselling support to cope with their visual impairment on a local level.
Nationally, Sight and Sound, Optelec, RNIB National teams and Envision featured some products that help make life independent. These include: magnifiers; braille note takers; text to speech products; and cctvs all designed to make reading and writing more accessible.
sports groups were not left out as the Northeast Visually Impaired Tennis Club had tennis demonstrations to wet the appetite for sport. They will also be present at an activity day at the Walker Dome in October. We also spoke to someone who not only does blind sailing, but skis, and loves it. He was able to bring home silver at the Chicago sailing competition last year.
The VIP Lounge was also represented by Lianne and myself who were able to spread the word about how, by building confidence, visually impaired people can achieve their goals.


This is a quiet space in an island of bars, restaurants, and wonderful shops. Owners and renters want a refuge for relaxation before getting back out there to whatever their next adventure may be.
The property was everything I expected and more. Such a convenient location, to all the fabulous restaurants and local attractions. Thank you Allan for being so very accommodating with our early arrival.


According to the CBC, Green Party leader Elizabeth May will be in Nanaimo with events for the entire day. Meanwhile the other Federal leaders are campaigning in eastern Canada with Stephen Harper in Mississauga and St. Catherines, Tom Mulcair in Montreal and Toronto and Justin Trudeau in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Nanaimo, B.C.: News conference on party policy on investor state agreements at Harma Room at The Port Theatre. 10 a.m., 125 Front Street.
Nanaimo, B.C.: Meets with young party members at Peace Garden, Vancouver Island University. 11:30 a.m.
Nanaimo, B.C.: Greets commuters at corner of Northfield and Bowen Roads. 2:30 p.m.
Nanaimo, B.C.: Meets with residents and staff at Berwick on the Lake Retirement Residence. 4 p.m., 3201 Ross Road.
Nanaimo, B.C.: Campaign town hall at Beban Park Auditorium. 7 p.m., 2300 Bowen Road.


Yes, the TV show came before the book! Which explains why I kept thinking "this feels like an adaptation." I have a love-hate relationship with book adaptations of movies; mostly they always feel derivative and pointless, and not even Neil Gaiman can make one great. The Neverwhere novelization is better than most, but it still can't top the TV show.
The problem might be because when you're writing an adaptation, you have to stick pretty close to the original source. You can expand things a little (like internal dialogue or whatever), but basically you've got a paint-by-numbers kind of thing. It ends up feeling very stale and forced, and it's particularly strange that Neverwhere-the-book has that problem because it was written by the same person who wrote the thing it's being adapted from! Or maybe I'm just projecting, because of my bias against novelizations. Maybe if you haven't seen the TV show, you wouldn't even know this was an adaptation! Something to think about.
Anyway, enough about that. Though I could feel the weight of the TV show pressing down upon me the entire time I was reading the book, I still pretty much enjoyed the story. It's one of my favorite scenarios– a hidden city, one with magic and danger and living right alongside the mundane city, too! It's also a quest story, another of my favorites. Quests can be very satisfying, especially when the people on the quests learn something new about themselves, and they grow into better people. Richard in particular benefited from the quest in Neverwhere, though he wasn't the only one who did so.
I loved the story and the setting, the characters are pretty good (the Marquis is my favorite, of course), and the writing is pitch-perfect early Neil Gaiman-y.1 But I couldn't stop comparing the book to the show, which is something I do a lot in general2 and which I should probably correct one of these days. Especially since it knocked down what would have been a 4-star book into a 3-star book. Hm.
Guess what? There's an Author's Preferred Text version! With added scenes and so on. I wonder if I'd like that one better than this "old" version. I really liked the 10th Anniversary edition of American Gods, even more than the original version. Hmmmmmm.
Sidenote: I do NOT mind tie-in novels! In fact, I kinda love them. (See: my huge collection of Doctor Who tie-in books.) I think the difference is that tie-ins take the source material and expand from it in a way that feels more creative than just copy-pasting the dialogue/action/etc.
Do you like tie-in novels? What're some of your favorites? Besides the Doctor Who books, I also have a decent-sized collection of Young Indiana Jones books. Woohoo!
Oo, I wonder if I have the preferred text. I know that there was an edition of it I started reading in a bookstore in London that had scenes my copy (which I got in America) didn't have. So I guess that is the Preferred one? Or is there some other edition with STILL MORE SCENES?
I do love the miniseries of Neverwhere but I saw it long after I loved the book, so it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book. Paterson Joseph is kind of a genius.
I think there's a version that's not the preferred version but which has more scenes than the US version? It might just be the UK version, come to think of it.
I have just discovered the radio version of Neverwhere! It's free somewhere on the BBC website for a bit and I definitely want to listen to it and see how it compares to the book/TV show.


text:
\section{Introduction}
The interaction between intense laser beams and plasmas
leads to a variety of different instabilities, including
Brillouin and Raman forward and backward
\cite{Shukla86,Sjolund67,Yu74,Shukla75,Shukla84,Tsintsadze74} scattering and
modulational instabilities.
In multiple dimensions we also have filamentation and side-scattering
instabilities. Relativistic effects
can then play an important role \cite{Shukla86,Tsintsadze74,Max74}.
When two laser
beams interact in the plasma, we have a new set of
phenomena. An interesting application is the beat-wave accelerator, in
which two crossing beams with somewhat different frequencies
can accelerate electrons to ultra-relativistic speeds via the
ponderomotive force acting on the electrons. The modulational
and filamentation instabilities of multiple co-propagating electromagnetic
waves can be described by a system of coupled nonlinear Schr\"odinger equations from which the
nonlinear wave coupling and the interaction between localized light wave packets
can be easily studied \cite{Shukla92,Berge98}. Two co-propagating narrow
laser beams may attract each other and spiral around each other \cite{Ren01} or merge \cite{Dong02}.
Counter-propagating laser beams
detuned by twice the plasma frequency can, at relativistic intensities,
give rise to fast plasma waves via higher-order nonlinearities
\cite{Rosenbluth72,Shvets01,Bingham04}. At relativistic amplitudes, plasma
waves can also be excited via beat wave excitation at frequencies
different from the electron plasma frequency, with applications
to efficient wake-field accelerators \cite{Shvets04}.
The relativistic wakefield behind intense laser pulses is
periodic in one-dimension \cite{Berezhiani90} and shows a
quasi-periodic behavior in multi-dimensional simulations \cite{Tsung04}.
Particle-in-cell
simulations have demonstrated the generation of large-amplitude
plasma wake-fields by colliding laser pulses \cite{Nagashima01}
or by two co-propagating pulses where a long trailing pulse is modulated
efficiently by the periodic plasma wake behind the
first short pulse \cite{Sheng02}.

In the present paper, we consider the nonlinear
interaction between two weakly relativistic crossing laser
beams in plasmas. We derive a set of nonlinear mode coupled equations and nonlinear dispersion
relations, which we analyze for Raman backward and forward scattering instabilities
as well as for Brillouin and modulation/self-focusing instabilities.

\section{Nonlinear model equations}

We consider the propagation of intense laser light in an electron--ion
plasma.  The slowly varying electron density perturbation is denoted
by $n_{es1}$. Thus, our starting point is the Maxwell equation
\begin{equation}\label{eq:evol}
  \nabla\times\vec{B} = -\frac{4\pi}{c}(n_0 + n_{es1})e\vec{v} + \frac{1}{c}\frac{\partial\vec{E}}{\partial t} .
\end{equation}
The laser field is given in the radiation gauge,
$\vec{B} = \nabla\times\vec{A}$ and $\vec{E} = -({1}/{c}){\partial\vec{A}}/{\partial t}$.
Since $\partial\vec{p}_e/\partial t = -e\vec{E}$, we thus have
$\vec{p}_e = e\vec{A}/c$.
Moreover, $\vec{p}_e = m_e\gamma\vec{v}_e$, where $m_e$ is the
electron rest mass and $\gamma = (1 - v_e^2/c^2)^{-1/2}$ is the
relativistic gamma factor, so that
\begin{equation}\label{eq:e-vel}
  \vec{v}_e = \frac{e\vec{A}}{m_ec}\left(1 + \frac{2 e^2|\vec{A}|^2}{m_e^2c^4}\right)^{-1/2}.
\end{equation}
For weakly relativistic particles, i.e.\ $e^2|\vec{A}|^2/m_e^2c^4
\ll 1$, we can approximate (\ref{eq:e-vel}) by
\begin{equation}
  \vec{v}_e \approx \frac{e\vec{A}}{m_ec}\left( 1 - \frac{e^2|\vec{A}|^2}{m_e^2c^4} \right) .
\end{equation}
With these prerequisites, Eq.\ (\ref{eq:evol}) becomes
\begin{equation}\label{eq:nlin}
  \left( \frac{\partial^2}{\partial t^2} - c^2\nabla^2 \right) \vec{A}
  + \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2\left(1 + N_s \right)\vec{A}  -
  \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2\frac{e^2|\vec{A}|^2}{m_e^2c^4}\vec{A} = 0 ,
\end{equation}
where $\omega_{\mathrm{p}0}=(4\pi n_0 e^2/m_e)^{1/2}$ is the electron plasma frequency and we
have denoted $N_s=n_{es1}/n_0$.

Next, we divide the vector potential into two parts according
to $\vec{A} = \vec{A}_1 + \vec{A}_2$, representing the two laser
pulses. We also consider the case $\vec{A}_1\cdot\vec{A}_2 \approx 0$.
With this, we obtain from (\ref{eq:nlin}) the two coupled equations
\begin{subequations}
\begin{equation}
  \left( \frac{\partial^2}{\partial t^2} - c^2\nabla^2 \right) \vec{A}_1
  + \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2\left(1 + N_s \right)\vec{A}_1  -
  \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2\frac{e^2}{m_e^2c^4}(|\vec{A}_1|^2 + |\vec{A}_2|^2)\vec{A}_1 = 0 ,
\end{equation}
and
\begin{equation}
  \left( \frac{\partial^2}{\partial t^2} - c^2\nabla^2 \right) \vec{A}_2
  + \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2\left(1 + N_s \right)\vec{A}_2  -
  \\
  \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2\frac{e^2}{m_e^2c^4}(|\vec{A}_1|^2 + |\vec{A}_2|^2)\vec{A}_2 = 0.
\end{equation}
\label{eq:nlin-coupled}
\end{subequations}
Assuming that $A_j$ is proportional to $\exp(i\vec{k}_j\cdot\vec{r}-i\omega_j t)$ where
$\omega_j\gg|\partial/\partial t|$, we obtain in the slowly varying envelope approximation
two coupled nonlinear Schr\"odinger equations
\begin{subequations}
\begin{equation}
  -2i\omega_1 \left( \frac{\partial}{\partial t}+\vec{v}_{g1}\cdot\nabla\right)\vec{A}_1 - c^2\nabla^2 \vec{A}_1
  + \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2 N_s \vec{A}_1  -
  \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2\frac{e^2}{m_e^2c^4}(|\vec{A}_1|^2 + |\vec{A}_2|^2)\vec{A}_1 = 0 ,
\end{equation}
and
\begin{equation}
  -2i\omega_2 \left( \frac{\partial}{\partial t}+\vec{v}_{g2}\cdot\nabla\right)\vec{A}_2 - c^2\nabla^2 \vec{A}_2
  + \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2 N_s \vec{A}_2  -
  \\
  \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2\frac{e^2}{m_e^2c^4}(|\vec{A}_1|^2 + |\vec{A}_2|^2)\vec{A}_2 = 0 ,
\end{equation}
\label{eq:nlse-coupled}
\end{subequations}
where $\vec{v}_{gj}=\vec{k}_jc^2/\omega_j$ is the group velocity and
$\omega_j=(\omega_{p0}^2+c^2k_j^2)^{1/2}$ is the electromagnetic wave frequency.

In order to close (\ref{eq:nlse-coupled}), we next consider
the slow plasma response. Here we may follow two routes.
First, if we assume immobile ions, the slowly varying electron
number density and velocity perturbations satisfy the equations
\begin{equation}
  \frac{\partial n_{es1}}{\partial t} + n_0\vec{\nabla}\cdot\vec{v}_{es1} =0 ,
  \label{eq7}
\end{equation}
and
\begin{equation}
  \frac{\partial\vec{v}_{es1}}{\partial t} + \frac{e^2}{m_e^2c^2}\vec{\nabla}(|\vec{A}_1|^2+|\vec{A}_2|^2) =
    \frac{e}{m_e}\vec{\nabla}\phi_s -
    \frac{3T_e}{m_en_0}\vec{\nabla}n_{es1}
\end{equation}
where $T_e$ is the electron temperature, together with the Poisson equation
\begin{equation}
  \nabla^2\phi_s = 4\pi en_{es1} .
  \label{eq9}
\end{equation}
Thus, combining (\ref{eq7})--(\ref{eq9}) together with the vector potential
decomposition, we obtain
\begin{equation}\label{eq:acoustic1}
  \left( \frac{\partial^2}{\partial t^2} - 3v_{Te}^2\nabla^2 + \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2
  \right)N_s
  = \frac{e^2}{m_e^2c^2}\nabla^2(|\vec{A}_1|^2 + |\vec{A}_2|^2) ,
\end{equation}
where the electron thermal velocity is denoted by $v_{Te} = (T_e/m_e)^{1/2}$.

Second, if the electrons are treated as inertialess, we have in the
quasi-neutral limit $n_{is1}=n_{es1}\equiv n_{s1}$
\begin{equation}\label{eq:inless1}
  \frac{n_0e^2}{m_ec^2}\vec{\nabla}(|\vec{A}_1|^2+|\vec{A}_2|^2) = n_0e\vec{\nabla}\phi_s - T_e\vec{\nabla}n_{s1} ,
\end{equation}
and
\begin{equation}\label{eq:inless2}
  n_0 m_i\frac{\partial\vec{v}_{is1}}{\partial t} = -n_0e\vec{\nabla}\phi_s - 3T_i\vec{\nabla}n_{s1} .
\end{equation}
Adding Eqs.\ (\ref{eq:inless1}) and (\ref{eq:inless2}), we obtain
\begin{equation}
  n_0 m_i\frac{\partial\vec{v}_{is1}}{\partial t}
  + \frac{n_0e^2}{m_ec^2}\vec{\nabla}(|\vec{A}_1|^2+|\vec{A}_2|^2) + (T_e + 3T_i)\vec{\nabla}n_{s1}=0 ,
\end{equation}
which should be combined with
\begin{equation}
  \frac{\partial n_{s1}}{\partial t} + n_0\vec{\nabla}\cdot\vec{v}_{is1} = 0,
\end{equation}
to obtain
\begin{equation}\label{eq:acoustic2}
  \left( \frac{\partial^2}{\partial t^2}
  - c_s^2\nabla^2\right)N_s =
  \frac{e^2}{m_em_ic^2}\nabla^2(|\vec{A}_1|^2 + |\vec{A}_2|^2) ,
\end{equation}
where the sound speed is $c_s = \sqrt{(T_e +
3T_i)/m_i}$ and $T_i$ is the ion temperature.

\section{Coupled laser beam amplitude modulation theory}

We shall consider, successively, Eqs. (6a, b) combined with
(\ref{eq:acoustic1}) (Case I: Raman scattering) or with
(\ref{eq:acoustic2}) (Case II: Brillouin scattering).

\subsection{Evolution equations}

Setting $\nabla \rightarrow i K$ and $\partial/\partial t
\rightarrow - i \Omega$ into the equations for the plasma density
responses, we obtain
\begin{equation}
N_s = \alpha_0 \, (|\vec{A}_1|^2 + |\vec{A}_2|^2)  \, ,
 \label{response}
\end{equation}
where,
\begin{subequations}
for Case I:
\begin{equation}
\alpha_0 = \frac{e^2}{m_e^2 c^2} \, \, \frac{K^2}{\Omega^2 -
3 K^2 v_{Te}^2 - \omega_{p0}^2} \, ,
\end{equation}
and for Case II:
\begin{equation}
\alpha_0  = \frac{e^2}{m_e m_i c^2}  \, \,
\frac{K^2}{\Omega^2 - K^2 c_{s}^2} \, .
\end{equation}
\label{alpha0}
\end{subequations}

The expressions (\ref{response}) and (\ref{alpha0}) derived above
provide the slow plasma response for any given pair of fields $\{
\vec{A}_j \}$ ($j=1, 2$). The latter now obey a set of coupled
equations, which are obtained by substituting (\ref{response}) into
(\ref{eq:nlse-coupled}),
\begin{subequations}
\begin{equation}
  2i\omega_1\left( \frac{\partial}{\partial t}
  + \vec{v}_{g1}\cdot\vec{\nabla} \right)\vec{A}_1 + c^2\nabla^2\vec{A}_1 + \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2  \, \biggl( \frac{e^2}{m_e^2 c^4}
- \alpha_0 \biggr) \, (|\vec{A}_1|^2 + |\vec{A}_2|^2)\vec{A}_1 = 0
\, ,
\end{equation}
and
\begin{equation}
   2i\omega_2 \left( \frac{\partial}{\partial t}
   + \vec{v}_{g2}\cdot\vec{\nabla} \right)\vec{A}_2 + c^2\nabla^2\vec{A}_2
   + \omega_{\mathrm{p}0}^2  \biggl( \frac{e^2}{m_e^2 c^4}
- \alpha_0 \biggr) \, (|\vec{A}_1|^2 + |\vec{A}_2|^2)\vec{A}_2 = 0
\, ,
\end{equation}
\label{cnlse1}
\end{subequations}
For convenience, Eqs. (\ref{cnlse1}a) and (\ref{cnlse1}b)
are cast into the reduced form as
\begin{subequations}
\begin{equation}
 2i\omega_1 \left(
\frac{\partial}{\partial t} + \vec{v}_{g1}\cdot\vec{\nabla}
\right)\vec{A}_1 + c^2 \, \nabla^2\vec{A}_1 + Q \, (|\vec{A}_1|^2 +
|\vec{A}_2|^2)\vec{A}_1 = 0 \, , \label{red1}
\end{equation}
and
\begin{equation}
2i\omega_2\left(
\frac{\partial}{\partial t} + \vec{v}_{g2}\cdot\vec{\nabla}
\right)\vec{A}_2 + c^2 \, \nabla^2\vec{A}_2 + Q \, (|\vec{A}_1|^2 +
|\vec{A}_2|^2)\vec{A}_2 = 0 \, , \label{red2}
\end{equation}
\label{cnlse}
\end{subequations}
where $\vec{A}_j$ has been normalized by $m_e c^2/e$ and where
the nonlinearity/coupling coefficients are
\begin{subequations}
\begin{equation}
Q= \omega_{p0}^2 \biggl( 1 - \frac{K^2 c^2}{\Omega^2
- 3 K^2 v_{Te}^2 - \omega_{p0}^2}   \biggr) \, ,
\end{equation}
and
\begin{equation}
Q= \omega_{p0}^2 \biggl( 1 - \frac{m_e}{m_i} \,
\frac{K^2 c^2}{\Omega^2 - K^2 c_s^2}   \biggr) \, ,
\end{equation}
\label{Qcoeff}
\end{subequations}
for stimulated Raman (Case I) and Brillouin (Case II) scattering, respectively.
We observe that the expressions (\ref{Qcoeff}a) and (\ref{Qcoeff}b)
may be either positive or negative, depending on the
frequency $\Omega$, prescribing either the modulational instability
or the Raman and Brillouin scattering instabilities \cite{Tsintsadze79}.

The two nonlinear wave equations are identical upon an index ($1,
2$) interchange, and coincide for equal frequencies $\omega_1 =
\omega_2$.

\subsection{Nonlinear dispersion relation}

We now investigate the parametric instabilities of the system of
equations (\ref{red1}) and (\ref{red2}). Fourier decomposing the
system by the ansatz
$\vec{A}_j=[\vec{A}_{j0}+\vec{A}_{j+}\exp(i\vec{K}\cdot\vec{r}-i\Omega
t)+\vec{A}_{j-}\exp(-i\vec{K}\cdot\vec{r}+i\Omega
t))]\exp(-i\Omega_0 t)$, where $|\vec{A}_{j0}|\gg |\vec{A}_{j\pm}|$,
and sorting for different powers of
$\exp(i\vec{K}\cdot\vec{r}-i\Omega t)$, we find the nonlinear
frequency shift
\begin{equation}
  \Omega_{j0}=-Q_{K=0}(|\vec{A}_{10}|^2+|\vec{A}_{20}|^2)/2 \omega_j,
\label{nonlin}
\end{equation}
where $Q_{K=0}$ denotes the expression for $Q$ with $K=0$. For the nonlinear
wave couplings, we have from (\ref{cnlse}) the system of equations
\begin{subequations}
\begin{eqnarray}
&& D_{1+}X_{1+}+Q|A_{10}|^2(X_{1+}+X_{1+}+X_{2+}+X_{2-})=0,
\\
&&D_{1-}X_{1-}+Q|A_{10}|^2(X_{1+}+X_{1+}+X_{2+}+X_{2-})=0,
\\
&&D_{2+}X_{2+}+Q|A_{20}|^2(X_{1+}+X_{1+}+X_{2+}+X_{2-})=0,
\\
&&D_{1-}X_{1-}+Q|A_{20}|^2(X_{1+}+X_{1+}+X_{2+}+X_{2-})=0,
\end{eqnarray}
\label{nonlinsys}
\end{subequations}
where the unknowns are $X_{1+}=\vec{A}_{10}^*\cdot\vec{A}_{1+}$,
$X_{1-}=\vec{A}_{10}\cdot\vec{A}_{1-}^*$,
$X_{2+}=\vec{A}_{20}^*\cdot\vec{A}_{2+}$, and
$X_{2-}=\vec{A}_{20}\cdot\vec{A}_{2-}^*$.
The sidebands are characterized by
\begin{equation}
D_{j\pm}=\pm
2[\omega_j\Omega-c^2\vec{k}_{j}\cdot\vec{K}]-c^2K^2,
\end{equation}
where we have used $\vec{v}_{gj}=c\vec{k}_j/\omega_j$.
The solution of the system of equations (\ref{nonlinsys}) yields the
nonlinear dispersion relation
\begin{equation}
\frac{1}{Q}+\left(\frac{1}{D_{1+}}+\frac{1}{D_{1-}}\right)|\vec{A}_{10}|^2
+\left(\frac{1}{D_{2+}}+\frac{1}{D_{2-}}\right)|\vec{A}_{20}|^2=0,
\label{nonlindisp}
\end{equation}
which relates the complex-valued frequency $\Omega$ to the
wavenumber $\vec{K}$.
Equation (\ref{nonlindisp}) covers Raman forward and
backscattering instabilities, as well as the Brillouin backscattering
instability or the modulational/self-focusing instability, depending
on the two expressions for the coupling constant $Q$. If either
$|\vec{A}_{10}|$ or $|\vec{A}_{20}|$ is zero, then we recover the
usual expressions for a single laser beam in a laboratory
plasma, or for a high-frequency radio beam in the ionosphere \cite{Stenflo90}.

\section{Numerical results}

We have solved the nonlinear dispersion relation (\ref{nonlindisp})
and presented the numerical results in Figs. 1--5.
In all cases, we have used the normalized weakly relativistic pump wave amplitudes $A_{j0}=0.1$
with different sets of wavenumbers for the two beams.
The nonlinear couplings between the laser beams and the Langmuir waves,
giving rise to the Raman scattering instabilities (Case I), are considered
in Figs. 1 and 2. The instability essentially obeys the matching conditions
$\omega_{j}=\omega_{s}+\Omega$ and
$\vec{k}_{j}=\vec{k}_{s}+\vec{K}$, where
$\omega_{j}$ and $\vec{k}_{j}$ are the frequency and wavenumbers of the pump wave,
$\omega_{s}$ and $\vec{k}_{s}$ are the frequency and wavenumbers for the
scattered and frequency downshifted electromagnetic daughter wave,
$\Omega$ and $K$ are the frequencies of the
Langmuir waves, and where the light waves approximately obey the
linear dispersion relation, $\omega_{j}=(\omega_{p0}^2+ k_j^2 c^2)^{1/2}$,
$\omega_{s}=(\omega_{p0}^2+k_{s}^2 c^2)^{1/2}$ and the low-frequency waves
obey the Langmuir dispersion relation $\Omega=(\omega_{p0}^2+3K^2 v_{Te}^2)^{1/2}$.
We thus have the matching condition
$(\omega_{p0}^2+k_{j}^2 c^2)^{1/2}=
[\omega_{p0}^2+(\vec{k}_{j}-\vec{K})^2 c^2 ]^{1/2}+(\omega_{p0}^2+3 K^2 v_{Te}^2)^{1/2}$, which
in two-dimensions relates the components $K_y$ and $K_z$ of the Langmuir
waves to each other, and which gives rise to almost circular regions
of instability, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. In the upper left and right panels of Fig. 1, we
have assumed that the single beams $A_1$ and $A_2$ propagate in the $y$ and $z$ direction,
respectively, having the wavenumber $(k_{1y},k_{1z})=(6,\,0)$
and $(k_{2y},\,k_{2z})=(0,\,4)$, respectively. We can clearly see a
backward Raman instability, which for the beams $A_1$ and $A_2$ have maximum
growth rates at $(K_y,K_z)=(2 k_{1y},\,0)=(12,\,0)\,\omega_{p0}/c$ and
$(K_y,\,K_z)=(0,\,2k_{2z})=(0,\,8)\,\omega_{p0}/c$, respectively.
The backward Raman instability is connected via the obliquely growing wave modes
to the forward Raman scattering instability that has a maximum growth rate (much smaller than that
of the backward Raman scattering instability) at the wave number
$K\approx \omega_{pe}/c$ in the same directions as the laser beams.
In the lower panels, we consider the two beams propagating simultaneously in the plasma,
at a right angle to each other (lower left panel) and in opposite directions
(lower right panel). We see that the dispersion relation predicts a rather weak interaction
between the two laser beams, where the lower left panel shows more or less a
superposition of the growth rates in the two upper panels. The case of two
counter-propagating laser beams (lower right panel) also shows a weak interaction between the two beams.
For the case of equal wavelengths of the two pump waves, as shown in Fig. 2, we have a
similar scenario as in Fig. 1. The lower left panel of Fig. 2 shows that the
growth rate of two interacting laser beams propagating at a right angle to each other
is almost a superposition of the growth rates of the single laser beams displayed
in the upper panels of Fig. 2. Only for the counter-propagating laser beams in the
lower right panel we see that the instability regions have split into broader and narrower
bands of instability, while the magnitude of the instability is the same as for the single beam cases.

We next turn to the Brillouin scattering scenario (Case II), in which
the laser wave is scattered against ion acoustic waves, displayed in Figs. 3 and 4.
In the weakly nonlinear case, we have three-wave couplings in the same manner
as for the interaction with Langmuir waves, and we see in both Figs. 3 and 4
that the instability has a maximum growth rate in a narrow, almost circular band
in the $(K_y,K_z)$ plane. In the upper two panels, we also see the backscattered Brillouin instability
with a maximum growth rate at approximately twice the pump wavenumbers, but we do not
have the forward scattered instability. Instead, we see a broadband weak instability
in all directions and also perpendicular to the pump wavenumbers. A careful study
shows that the perpendicular waves are purely growing, i.e. there may be density channels
created along the propagation direction of the laser beam. In the lower panels of
Figs. 3 and 4, we display the cases with interacting laser beams. Also in the
case of Brillouin scattering, the nonlinear dispersion relation predicts a rather
weak interaction between the two beams, where the instability regions of the
two beams are more or less superimposed without dramatic differences in the growth rates.

In order to investigate the nonlinear dynamics of the interacting laser beams
in plasmas, we have carried out numerical simulations of the reduced system of
equations (\ref{eq:nlse-coupled}) in two spatial dimensions,
and have presented the results in Figs. 5--8. In these simulations, we
have used as an initial condition that either $A_1$ has a constant amplitude
of $0.1$ and $A_2$ has a zero amplitude, or that both beams have a
constant amplitude of $0.1$ and that they initially have group velocities
at a right angle to each other. Due to symmetry reasons, it is sufficient
to simulate one vector component of $\vec{A}_j$, which we will denote $A_j$ ($j=1, \,2$).
The background plasma density is slightly
perturbed with a low-level noise (random numbers). We first consider
stimulated Raman scattering, displayed in Figs. 5 and 6. The single beam
case in Fig. 5 shows a growth of density waves mainly in the direction of
the beam, while a standing wave pattern is created in the amplitude of
the electromagnetic wave envelope, where maxima in the laser beam amplitude is
(roughly) correlated with minima in the electron density. This is in line
with the standard Raman backscattering instability. The simulation is
ended when the plasma density fluctuations are large and self-nonlinearities
and kinetic effects are likely to become important. In Fig. 6, we show
the case with the two beams crossing each other at a right angle. In this case,
the wave pattern becomes slightly more complicated with local maxima
of the laser beam envelope amplitude correlated with local minima of the
electron density. However, this pattern is very regular and there is
no clear sign of nonlinear structures in the numerical solution.
We next turn to the case of stimulated Brillouin scattering,
presented in Figs. 7 and 8. In this case, the waves grow
not only in the direction of the laser beam but also, with almost
the same growth rate, obliquely to the propagation direction of the laser beam.
We see in the single beam case, presented in Fig. 7, that the envelope of the ion
beam becomes modulated in localized areas both in $y$ and $z$ directions,
and in the nonlinear phase at the end of the simulation, the laser
beam envelope has local maxima correlated with local minima of the
ion density. For the case of two crossed laser beams, displayed in
Fig. 8, we see a more irregular structure of the instability and that
at the final stage, local ``hot spots'' are created in which
large amplitude laser beam envelopes are correlated with local depletions
of the ion density.

\section{Summary}

In summary, we have investigated the instability and dynamics of two nonlinearly
interacting intense laser beams in an unmagnetized plasma.
Our analytical and numerical results reveal that stimulated Raman
forward and backward scattering instabilities are the dominating
nonlinear processes that determine the stability of
intense laser beams in plasmas, where relativistic mass increases and
the radiation pressure effects play a dominant role.
Our nonlinear dispersion relation for two
interacting laser beams with different wavenumbers
predicts a superposition of the instabilities for the single beams.
The numerical simulation of the coupled nonlinear Schr\"odinger equations
for the laser beams and the governing equations for the slow plasma
density perturbations in the presence of the radiation pressures,
reveal that in the case of stimulated Raman scattering,
the nonlinear interaction between the two beams is weaker than for the
case of stimulated Brillouin scattering. The latter case lead to
local density cavities correlated with maxima in the electromagnetic wave
envelope.  The present results should be useful for understanding the nonlinear
propagation of two nonlinearly interacting laser beams in plasmas, as well as for the acceleration
of electrons by high gradient electrostatic fields that are created due
to stimulated Raman scattering instabilities in laser-plasma interactions.

\newpage

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Here Joanny Panel is celebtating the victory of a Chemineau bike in the Touristes-Routiers class of the 1929 Tour de France.
Despite all the claims that competition drives technological development, I find that when bike companies become interested in racing success they almost always lose their technological edge. Only the very largest companies can concentrate with lazer-like intensity on two things at once - and the culture of racing suits a very differnt type of person from the culture of technical development - so one person rarely can handle both. The writing is on the wall for Chemineau's claim to be 'always at the head of progress'.


text:
comicon-versation - search results
ComiCON-versation: Talking with ReedPOP's Lance Fensterman
Torsten Adair - 07/22/2015 10:00 am 2
Lance Fensterman might just be the busiest man in comics. As the Senior Global Vice President of ReedPOP, he oversees a diverse portfolio of fan events spread over four continents and ten countries, including New York Comic Con, Penny Arcade Expo, and Star Wars Celebration. Mr. Fensterman graciously agreed to an email interview, finding time to answer my questions during his frequent travels around the globe. It will be structured similar to a radio interview, although a bit like talking with an astronaut on his way to Jupiter. This interview will take multiple days weeks to complete, then formatted for readability.
ComiCON-versation #13: LBCHC 2013 Wrap-up…
by Mike Scigliano So after what amounts to close to a year of preparation and work, the 2012 edition of the Long Beach Comic...
ComiCON-versation: Live (almost) Blogging Behind the Scenes at LBCHC 2012
Beat Staff - 11/03/2012 3:54 pm 2
by Mike Scigliano After having given some heavy insight into what exactly it takes to produce a well run comicon it's time to show you...
ComiCON-versation #12: Public Relations…
by Mike Scigliano Having a great show that features a superb guest list, awesome panels, quality exhibitors and much more is every comicon's goal. Making...
ComiCON-versation #11: Join the CON-versation
Heidi MacDonald - 09/26/2012 3:12 pm 10
The team at Long Beach Comic & Horror Con has spent much of the last week working on booking new dates for 2013. We discovered that Stan Lee's Comikaze had booked our traditional dates for 2013 and we needed to decide what the best course of action was for LBCHC. When it came down to it the answer was a lot easier than you'd expect. Do we stick with our dates and get ready for a battle or look into new dates for 2013? Our immediate thought was that staying put is not fair to ANYONE. Attendees are forced to choose. Our partners, our exhibitors, and creators, are then all put in the middle and forced to choose where they will be. It will cost LBCHC more money and will certainly result in less than desired results from not only our comicon but for Stan Lee's Comikaze as well. Everyone loses. And that's just not how we conduct business. We have our attendees and partners to consider as we do when making any major decision about LBCHC. And frankly, we just don't do 'Con Wars.'
ComiCON-versation #10: The secret of marketing your comicon
By Mike Scigliano
-- I'm guessing that most of you were wondering when I would get to the marketing aspect of producing a comicon. Marketing is a very important part of the process of putting on a comicon. Much of the success you hope to have will hinge upon how you are able to reach your potential attendees.
ComiCON-versation #9: Be our guest…
-- A guest list and the expenses associated with it, like everything else involved in producing a comicon, come out of your overall budget. You've got to balance the books to make the show work. Hotel rooms and airfare add up quickly and spending all your cash on guests but next to nothing on marketing or programming needs, for instance, could lead to a train wreck pretty quickly.
ComiCON-versation #8: Programming the comicon experience.
San Diego Comic Con is arguably the mecca of all comicons. It features the most robust programming schedule that any comicon can create. Comics, movies, kids, television, games, books and much, much more pack every minute of its crowded programming grid. It's what many, if not most of the comicon attendees look forward to each year. Attendees plan their schedules to the minute to make sure they get a chance to get a seat at their favorite panels. Some will go so far as to camp out in a panel room from early in the day, moving up as each panel lets out to ensure they have the best seat they can possibly get. Obviously this is the extreme case when it comes to comicon programming. The likelihood of having a programming schedule as massive as SDCC's is slim to none. Even New York Comic Con, one of the largest shows in North America after SDCC, doesn't feature a programming grid as vast. So what does this mean for your own comicon programming schedule? Probably, it means very little when it comes down to the details and content; however, overall it there are certainly some things you can look at and put to good use at your own show.
ComiCON-versation #7: Details, Details, Details…
Over the last two months I've discussed a good deal of things you need to think about when putting together a comicon. From venues and dates to decorators and floor plans, we've covered much of the big stuff. So let's take a look at some of the fine details that can easily be overlooked.
ComiCON-versation #6: Let's decorate…
-- One of the biggest elements in the production of a comicon that attendees will never see is the show decorator. Once you are locked into doing your comicon you'll absolutely need to have one. And they aren't cheap either. Before we get to deep into this let me explain what a decorator does.
ComiCON-versation #5: It's all about the experience
There's a point in every comicon production process where things get real. The utter insanity of what you have undertaken becomes concrete. Booking your first exhibitor is a great high. Each subsequent booking continues that awesome feeling of things going well. That is until you get your first email or phone call from an attendee. Once that happens there is NO going back. The cat's out of the bag so to speak. It's at that point that you come to the realization that what you've been working so hard on for the last few months is now out there for public consumption. It was a very surreal moment for Martha, Phil and I for sure.
ComiCON-versation #4: How do you pitch your show to exhibitors?
By now you've gone through all the hard work involved with the pre-production of your comicon. You have a venue and dates for your show. You've got a floor plan design that you feel happy about AND was approved by the fire marshal. The next step in the process is to begin to promote and pitch your show to potential exhibitors. By "exhibitors," I mean publishers, small press publishers, retailers, artist alley creators (artists, writers, inkers, colorists, painters, etc) and whoever else you feel might be a fit or want to exhibit at your comicon. For Long Beach Comic & Horror Con we place a specific emphasis on comics and their creators in our Artist Alley. That emphasis varies from comicon to comicon, of course, but for us it was a must.
Kindt & Jenkins's FEAR CASE #1 goes to a second printing...
New INDIANA JONES game coming from Bethesda

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This is the eighth post for this feature here at BOLO Books – The APB (All Points Bulletin).
Available July 11 – The name Robotham is more than enough to make this a hotly-anticipated novel. This is a stand-alone and is sure to expand Michael's popularity. I'm not a huge fan of this cover design, but it's what is inside that counts.
Available July 11 – Claire Booth's series debut last year – The Branson Beauty – was such a revelation and I hear that this follow-up is even better. Those who are fans of "local color" in their reading will particularly enjoy this portrait of Missouri.
Available July 18 – Domestic suspense is typically the domain of our female crime writers, so it is particularly nice to see other male writers joining the likes the Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay in this popular sub-genre.
Available August 1 – A fictionalized look at the Lizzie Borden case, this intimate tale is going to call into question everything you thought you knew about this horrific crime.
Available August 8 – The fourth book in one of my favorite series. You need only look at my review of Land of Shadows, Skies of Ash, and Trail of Echoes to see why this one is on my radar. And look at that gorgeous cover design.
Available August 8 – If you haven't heard me screaming to the rafters about Kellye Garrett's hilarious series debut, you haven't been paying attention. I can't imagine that this won't be my favorite debut novel of the year. I still find myself smiling when I think about Dayna and her escapades.
Available August 22 – Here's another case of an author's name selling the book. Slaughter never fails to deliver a exciting story with much to think about. This one is a stand-alone that is getting serious pre-pub buzz.
Available September 5 – We Were Liars is one of my all time favorite Young Adult novels, so of course I am eagerly waiting to see what e. lockhart is going to do next. From this title and cover, I don't think I am going to be disappointed.
Available September 12 – Unlike many other writers of crime fiction, Attica Locke does not pump out a new novel every year. So when it happens, you know it is going to be special. This is the first release since her success with the TV show Empire and appears to be a very personal story for Attica.
Available September 19 – I'll be reading this one when the UK version comes out earlier in the summer, but I couldn't not include this title here simply for this cover. No one has ever accused me of not loving orange.
Such a great list here! You're always on top of it all!
I love the titles on this list. One I've already read and three are on my TBR pile.
Thanks Dru. I've read about half of them already, and I can tell you, readers are in for a great summer.
I know how you feel. So much good stuff out there.
Great APB titles for the summer, Kristopher. Like you, I really enjoyed reading an ARC of Hollywood Homicide. I also liked Claire Booth's first book, so book #2 is on my TBR list. And any book by Rachel Howzell Hall is a must read for me.
Those are great choices, Grace. I'm sure some of these will be the books on everyone's lips at Bouchercon Toronto.
What an exciting list! I have always had a fascination with Lizzie Borden, so that one's a definite must for me. Have you watched the Lizzie Borden series on Netflix? Hollywood Homicide is already pre-ordered. And, a new e. lockhart? We Were Liars blew me away. All the others on the list are outstanding, too. With the picks I have on my list, these new additions are going to make for one of the best reading summers ever. Thanks!
I haven't seen the Netflix show yet, but I do want to watch it. And yes, I'm right there with you concerning e. lockhart. It's really an excellent season of books and this only scratches the surface.


I have a huge number of pages I want to prepare for Optimal Mark Recognition (OMR). This means each page must be fitted to a target image for the OMR software reliability spot the marks (i.e. answers to items of a questionnaire). For any reason, when I scan the pages the result varies slightly in alignment and scale. The "redress" option of XnView does a great job but I need another transformation. My idea is that the image should be further rotated and rescaled so that a pre-defined line (x1,y1 -> x2,y2) fit a target line. Am I reasoning correctly? Is there any (already existing) possibility?
Thank you Pierre for your answer.
I'm new in the field of image processing but I think it's slightly different than a deskew (e.g. https://www.codeproject.com/articles/13 ... w-an-image).
After redressing the image, the (my) idea is to **rescale** the image and **move** it within the page so that the check boxes (i.e. item response) are at the expected position for the OMR scanner to find which are marked. OMR works with fixed coordinates and systematically fails if the image is not stackable on the template. Combined with redress, there would be a total of three successive operations. Maybe a more correct name would be "smart positioning" (http://www.pdfill.com/align_smart_positioning.html)?
More precisely, here is what I'm looking for: https://imagej.net/Align_Image_by_line_ROI. This feature was requested by others in the last years who also work with scanned images.
In my case, the user would enter the begin and end coordinates of an horizontal (target) line, and the addon would have to find the first line for the top of the image (like what redress does, right?) and align the entire image in such a way that the found line and the target line would be stacked. Any programmer around here interested in coding this?


text:
Vacanceselect Reisen GmbH
The Vacanceselect Reisen GmbH and The Reach Group GmbH control capacity utilisation by an automated availability check with the aid of a feed-based integration of product priorities and thus increases sales by 20% as well as conversion rate by 20 % and capacity utilisation by 26 %.
Across Europe, travel company Vacanceselect Reisen GmbH rents out family-friendly glamping sites (glamping = glamorous camping) and holiday homes. The company exemplifies extraordinary customer service and is known to carefully select its travel destinations. Users describe the booking process as straightforward, fast and safe.
As a result of a Google AdWords campaign, Vacanceselect had been generating new bookings on a daily basis. Especially the most popular campsites had been fully booked very quickly. Other camping sites were left with zero bookings. What the campaigns were lacking was information in real-time on which camping sites had free capacities and which did not. In addition to that, the lack of booking information prevented achieving an even utilisation of all camping sites.
Two objectives should be achieved: Firstly keywords should only be bookable, when the respective camping sites had free capacities. Secondly all campsites should be equally utilised. These two objectives should be achieved by an automated availability check with the aid of a feed-based integration of product priorities.
For this purpose Vacanceselect assigns priories on the basis of campsite-capacities. The higher the number of generated bookings of a specific camping site, the lower its priority.
There are many ideas and requirements in our daily business. Through expert advice and outstanding technical realisation The Reach Group ensures the success of our SEA campaigns. The integration of camping site-priorities has increased the utilisation of our camping sites as well as the turnover enormously.
Klaus Schneider, Managing Director Vacanceselect Reisen GmbH
Vacanceselect stores information on the respective priorities in a data feed. To automatically and in real-time retrieve the relevant information from the data feed, The Reach Group developed a software solution in the form of a feed tool.
On the basis of the information provided by the data feed, the feed tool helped create labels on keyword-level in Google AdWords. Classic bid management tools do not allow such definitions of labels with corresponding priorities.
Automated AdWords rules help us access label-information and check whether or not the current position of the ad corresponds with its priority. When a high-priority keyword is not placed accordingly, the automated AdWords rule will raise the bid. Likewise, for low-priority keywords, the bid will either be lowered or the ads will simply not be displayed.
Finally the solution described above could be implemented within only a few days. This approach made sure keywords were only bookable when the respective camping sites, too, were bookable. Moreover we achieved the goal of equally utilising all camping sites. Following these adjustments capacity utilisation could be increased by 26 % as well as the conversion rate by 20%.
About Vacanceselect Reisen GmbH
Establishment in 1984 by Loek van de Loo
International travel agent under the umbrella of the Vacanceselect International AG
www.vacanceselect.com/de/
Advertisement of camping sites only when available
Even utilisation of all camping sites
Creating labels on the basis of capacities and linking these with automated AdWords rules.
Booking of camping sites solely when there were free capacities
Turnover: +20 %
Conversion rate: +20 %
Capacity utilization: +26 %
SEMY Award 2016 for best SEA-Campaign
www.semyawards.com
Download PDF Back to customers
Locations of the Reach Group
Media Library Contact OPT-OUT Privacy Statement Imprint


Do not blame yourself for the important things in the past and specifically about the divorce that lags you. Old doors close for a factor as well as brand-new ones are about to open in advance.
Never ever consider your old self, that person does not exist any longer. Look deep in your mind and spirit and see exactly what person you have actually come to be, the new You is definitely better and also understands what's ideal presently. No one obtains separated without a reason, so be sure to recognize that your life currently is much better than in the past which you should have to be pleased.
There is an unwritten rule that every new person in your life is better compared to the old one. Sure, all individuals have excellent and also negative sides regarding them, but in time you discover exactly what you can not stand and what is bearable in partners so you search for a companion who is closer to your demands. Even if you do not seem like it, your below consciousness will certainly prevent personalities that you learned you do not such as well as get into action with people that you like extra.
If you have children, you'll believe that they are a worry you need to lug while dating. They most absolutely are not a problem. Kids are adaptable, they do not realize the grown-ups situations and issues however will follow to whatever you inquire.
Discover a great nanny as well as delight in life due to the fact that pleased parents suggest pleased kids.
If you jump on a bumpy road in your new relationship, keep in mind that no one is perfect. Be clever to finish it prior to it turns much more severe and also do not obtain dissatisfied in yourself if it does not exercise. Some birds are not indicated to fly, however it also doesn't suggest you are that bird. Maintain browsing as well as never settle unless it's the best you could find.
Like I stated, nobody's excellent, which implies neither are you. Remember exactly what your previous companion made use of to whine around and also aim to end up being a better individual by changing that. If you were constantly late, try to be prompt. If you were leaving socks throughout the house, attempt to choose them up on your own. Work with yourself and come to be a much better person for your partner, and surely you will certainly come back exactly what you are entitled to.
Really, this is the best piece of guidance you can hop on practically every topic in life. Fear is imaginary and there is no rational means to justify it. Of course, unless you see a tiger crossing a road, but when it pertains to connections as well as partners, do not hesitate to commit and fantasize for the future if that is just what you want.
Life is full of surprises, both delighted as well as unfortunate. We feel happiness and frustration up until the very last day of our lives, so make sure that the line will certainly never ever be flat, it will certainly fluctuate, yet that's precisely how it's expected to be. Be brave as well as have some enjoyable.
Your Newton divorce got wrapped up and you are now in a brand-new relationship. No one gets separated without a factor, so be certain to know that your life currently is much better than in the past and also that you should have to be pleased.
If you obtain on a bumpy road in your brand-new relationship, keep in mind that no one is best. Job on yourself and also become a better individual for your companion, and undoubtedly you will certainly obtain back just what you are entitled to.
Actually, this is the ideal item of recommendations you could get on almost every subject in life.


Are you considering a career at Illovo Sugar Africa? Let us know about you by registering and creating an account with Illovo.
Processes the financial information of a production facility.
Science behind growing, cultivating plants for food.
Science of the chemical process, interaction of non/biological components in production.
Review of the quality of all factors in production.


The world is a wondrous place. There is intricate beauty everywhere, even in the mundane and the repetitive, even in the things you see every day, but never really notice.
Recently, I watched an extract from a BBC Wales documentary where a young boy with autism, Jaco, takes delight in repeatedly visiting a market as it closes for the day. He and his father, Richard Mylan, who you may recognise from Waterloo Road, have been to the market hundreds of times.
And, every time, it plays out the same. Shutters are closed, floors are swept, lights are turned out and people leave – just the same, every day. Nothing of interest, you might think. Just the daily grind. But, for Jaco, it is so much more than that. It is an obsession that brings him delight, a routine that brings him comfort in a confusing world.
My son has recently become obsessed with the inner workings of pianos. He saw a TV programme on how pianos are made and he was utterly bewitched. He must watch the clip that prompted the interest again and again. Each time, his face lights up with excitement. He tells me how many keys they are and how they work a lever, which moves a hammer, which hits a string, which makes a vibration, which makes a note – a different note for each key.
He tells me, over and over again. His excitement is never lessened. His sense of wonder is just the same, each time.
It is infectious. Pianos are astonishing things – how have I never thought about it more before?
A friend has a little boy who also has autism. He loves football. Every Saturday, he asks his mother questions about the scores. She must learn them, off by heart. If she makes a mistake or cannot remember, he becomes distressed. But discussing his passion with his mother makes him happy, brings him joy. And so, she learns the results every week, and every week his joy is her joy.
Autistic obsessions can be an extension of autism itself. They may seem so rigid – inflexible and solitary. But they can defy your expectations. They can open your eyes to the spectacle, the marvellous, the remarkable in the mundane.
When my son is anxious, he plays a game to feel calmer. We must think of confusing things – people and objects in odd places, out of context and absurd.
The game distracts him when the world becomes too much. It makes him feel safe when he is barely coping. Once, when he had scarlet fever, waiting for the out-of-hours GP, I played confusing things for three hours straight. My boy's temperature soared above 40, in a room packed with strangers and flickering lights. Playing the game was the only thing that kept him with me, the only thing that meant he could wait and not meltdown. I would have played it for hours more – played it until I could think of no more confusing things, played it until my throat was dry and I could no longer form the words – to keep him happy, to make sure he was seen, and safe.
Last week, my husband took our little boy to see the grand piano at his school. I did not witness it because I had to take our daughter to nursery – but the expression on my husband's face when he recounted it, the smile that curled on his lips, the light in his eyes – it told me all I need to know.
My son flapped and laughed and told his father all about the keys, all about the hammers and notes, and he watched the strings vibrate, mesmerised. He tells me about it, every day. He saw a grand piano, and daddy lifted him up, so that he could see the strings vibrate.
We will take him to see the grand piano, as many times as we can, to see that joy, to witness that unadulterated wonder. We will play word games, we will learn facts about football and dinosaurs and trains and whatever else may come.
Because it brings comfort and joy to anxiety and chaos. Because it makes him feel safe and happy, in a world where he often feels scared and alone. Because it makes us see the world through his eyes.
The astonishing and extraordinary can be found everywhere.
Sometimes, you just have to look little closer.
I love my son's obsessions. Mine are boring in comparison lol. LOVE that piano!


After 3 days on Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas, I was sure I had gained at least 5 pounds. So much food and drink, without any trips to the onboard gym, was a sure fire way to kill my weight goals. However, I guess taking the stairs instead of the elevator must have paid off because my first day back I weighed in at 205 lbs. I did a solid workout on Tuesday and ate well (not great, but not terrible either) and was 203 lbs. Wednesday morning. Now that I have passed this test, 200 is looking good !


text:
Last month I had the pleasure of being written up in First Interview's Newsletter when I teamed up with another Medical Sales Recruiter. Here is the story:
Recently, I had the pleasure of working with Andrei Hintze on searches in Fl and VA with a relatively new client. I am trying to become their go to recruiter and so these searches were important to solidify my value. Andrei engaged and stood by my side through some really strange twists and turns and some profile tweaks along the way.
At one point, I was concerned the manager we were working with might be replaced. And we had to wait 2 weeks for a final interview to happen that was supposed to be a day off. Andrei assisted in keeping the candidate engaged throughout the process.
Also, during the process, he never complained but just kept bringing candidates, working at night and producing candidates over the weekend. Andrei also learned many things about me through our sidebar conversations, including that I'm a Beatles fan. So, he sent me an article about a new song recorded by Ringo and Paul that John had written and had been recently discovered in his archives. I had the biggest smile on my face telling Andrei we made the deal and can't wait to cut that check to Andrei.
Two days later after the split was finalized, I received the new CD of the song on Ringo Starrs newest album and an Abbey road special reissued Deluxe Version which is the first album I ever bought. What a great success story and relationship builder moving forward. Andrei obviously believes in the power of forging strong relationships/partnerships and in making deposits along with withdrawals. That good Karma will keep coming back.
So in closing, to quote my favorite lyrics from Abbey Road, my first Beatles album …. "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." Think about this the next time your partnering with an affiliate.


It's episode 138 and we've got plugins for Extra Author notes, Base Permalink removal, LinkedIn Auto Publish, Local SEO, Coupon Creator and a cool new plugin for dashboard social stats. All coming up on WordPress Plugins A-Z!
3.6.1 Update Has been released to address some security concerns and a few bug issues. It's suggested that you upgrade to this new release right away.
Well I think I finally found what I have needed for Linkedin sharing. This plugin allows you to share your posts with linkedin as easily as wordbooker does for facebook and twitter tools does for twitter. If however you want it all in one plugin this does offer a premium version that offers that and the ability to republish back posts. It looks to be a pretty good plugin.
Looking for a way to improve your local SEO then this may help out here is what is does. The plugin uses the https://schema.org/LocalBusiness information schema and incorporates the meta data into your websites footer using the wp_footer() hook form WordPress. Setup is pretty easy and takes only a few minutes and may help your local search.
Looking for a way to place a coupon onto your website, this simple plugin will allow you to create a great looking coupon that stands out on the page so your viewers don't miss it. You can set an expiration date so it disappears from the site and your do not have to remove it. If you like you can upload an image instead of using text. all in all a pretty good coupon plugin.
Admin Social Shares is a great plugin that displays how many social shares, likes and gestures of pleasure your posts and pages have received. It displays them neatly in the post list screen so that you can keep tabs on your most popular content in the social scene. This is an admin only plugin that works really well out of the gate. It provides an easy way to report regularly updated social shares to your authors, client and contributors. You can even use it as an internal scorecard among your authors to see who gets the most social approval.
WP No Base Permalink optionally removes the base function from your category or tags in your permalinks. The "base" is always a dead ringer for identifying an off-the-rack WordPress site and something that my development project users can't stand. It is both Multisite and WPML compatible as well. Previously I had used two different plugins to accomplish this task, but now I can remove or rename the tag and category bases with just one plugin. If this benchmarks as a faster solution when compared to the simultaneous load time of the other 2 plugins I use, I can think of at least 50 domains I will use it on.
TSP Authors Note allows you to add author's notes and after-thoughts to your blog posts and pages. This pairs with the plugin's author box output, but the new "notes" can be added via shortcode. This enables you to go back and add your own "I told you so" passages to older posts, or the opportunity to highlight new findings, specific comments or anything else you need to reflect a new perspective on an old post. I found the plugin to be quite useful for a friend that does a lot of interviews about start-ups. He can use this for making notes on people's later successes and milestones they faced in business along the way.


These simple Teriyaki and Pineapple Chicken Skewers are the perfect reintroduction to grilling season. Created by Lauren from Climbing Grier Mountain, our Charred Pineapple Relish adds a sweet and spicy balance to this quick recipe. Add this to your list of favorite relish recipes!
Warmer weather is upon us, which means it's time to take dinner outside!
One my favorite ways to make dinner feel like a breeze is to turn on the grill. Whether I'm grilling steaks, salmon, chicken, or veggies, not having to mess with a sink full of dirty dishes makes me want to break out into a happy-dance.
A regular in my grilling rotation are these Teriyaki and Pineapple Chicken Skewers with Charred Pineapple Relish. The best thing about skewers is that they're a cooking no-brainer. Use whatever meat, fruit, or veggies you have on hand, slide them onto a skewer, and get grilling!
For this recipe, I decided to marinate chicken breasts overnight in a teriyaki dressing. The teriyaki pairs really well with the sweet pineapple flavor. This charred pineapple relish is the perfect topping for a variety of grilled veggies. A mixture of pineapple, mango, jalapenos, and bell peppers gives this relish a gourmet-level flavor.
You can use pineapple relish as a condiment for dipping chips or other appetizers. But, I highly recommend spreading it on top of these grilled teriyaki chicken skewers. Just add warm weather and you'll think you're on a tropical island!
In a large plastic container fitted with a lid add the chicken breasts and teriyaki dressing. Marinate the chicken for at least four hours to overnight for better results. Next, preheat your grill.
Thread the chicken on the skewers along with the peppers and red onion.
Grill the chicken skewers for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to your desired liking. Remove the skewers from the grill and place on a serving platter.
Garnish each skewer with some of the Harry and David Charred Pineapple Relish and fresh parsley.


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Chelsea FC: Players
Born in Serbia, made in Chelsea: Branislav Ivanovic melts your cold steel heart
By David Pasztor@D_Peezy Jan 23, 2016, 7:40am GMT
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Chelsea kicked off the weekend with a wonderful bit of news, inking Branislav Ivanovic to a one-year contract extension almost exactly eight years to the day after he arrived for what was then a Russian record €13m (£9.7m) transfer fee. It took a while for him to settle in, to say the least, but eventually he announced himself with a two-goal night against Liverpool in the Champions League and the rest, as they say, is history. The man in charge during that fateful evening was none other than Guus Hiddink.
"He's important, one of the main characters now in this team. He has developed himself as one of the leaders. I knew him from my time in Russia, when he was playing as a central defender for Lokomotiv Moscow and went to Chelsea after that. He's become a key member of the first team and squad."
"I think he's back to where he once was [in form]. He can also play in central defence [as well as right-back], he can play easily in both positions."
-Guus Hiddink; source: Chelsea FC
Ivanovic also gave a short interview to Chelsea TV, which you can watch on the official site. The part that should speak to your heart is when he reveals just how much Chelsea means to him.
"Means a lot, really, for me. I always say, I was born in Serbia, but made in Chelsea Football Club, as a player, as a person as well, so for me another huge and massive step in my career."
"I hope I will give a lot for the club, to try to first get out of this difficult situation then to go back on the real way where we have to be, and try to win trophies for the club, for the fans, and for ourselves."
"The eights years have gone by really quickly. When I go back to the beginning, it was really difficult. [...] But time goes really quick [and] when you see what you have achieved with the team, it's a great feeling and you will always be proud of that."
"I think this team still has great performances [left in them], we just need a turning point, we just need to click mentally. We still won't give this season away; we think we can still do something positive and do great things this season. It will be difficult, but we are ready and we are working very hard. And next year, we need to be back on the level where this club belong."
-Branislav Ivanovic; source: Chelsea TV
After all the club legends who have left Chelsea in the last few seasons — one of whom will be between the sticks for the wrong team on Sunday, even — Ivanovic's new contract, that's Chelsea Vice-captain Branislav Ivanovic's new contract, is something to feel good about. Football can be a cold, hard business; it's nice to be able to cherish and reward our heroes sometimes.


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Home News In Retrospect Latest Crypto News from Around the World: Oct. 03 – 10 in...
Latest Crypto News from Around the World: Oct. 03 – 10 in Review
Tamara Mrak
Here's what's been happening in the crypto world over the past 7 days.
Cryptocurrency Community and Adoption News
Online Travel Agency Now Accepts 6 Cryptocurrencies
Last week, a Spanish online travel agency, which operates globally, started accepting additional five cryptocurrencies as payment methods. Aside from Bitcoin, which the agency started accepting back in 2014, travellers can now see prices in, and pay for their accommodation and flights with Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, EOS, and Dash.
Venezuela Gets a New Bitcoin ATM
The largest (and crypto-friendly) department store in Venezuela, Traki, installed a Bitcoin ATM in one of its stores last Friday. At the moment, the Bitcoin ATM supports Bitcoin and Dash. Also, for now the customers can only buy these cryptos, not sell them for fiat. According to data from Coin ATM Radar, the new machine seems to be only the third crypto ATM in the country.
Hoy se hace historia con esta apertura al público del primer #CajeroCripto En @TRAKIenganchate El Recreo ya puedes comprar fácilmente #Bitcoin #DASH Gracias @Criptotrakivzla @Veinte_ven Compra ya!!! #4Oct pic.twitter.com/aOr7oAGKST
— Alejandro Fernandes (@alefcripto) October 4, 2019
Crypto Tipping Service TipJar Shuts Down
TipJar, a service that was making it easy to send micropayments over social media, is shutting down. A free, Ethereum-powered service which allowed Redditors to easily send micropayments to each other, exists since May 2017. However, according to the TipJar developer, "there has been very little activity on the [Reddit] bot", so it "is being shut down immediately". Although the website will be live until April 10, 2020, the developer is urging everyone, who has an existing balance in their TipJar account, to withdraw it "as soon as possible".
Crypto Donations on the Rise
According to a new report, the number of charities accepting cryptocurrency donations in Australia, Europe, and North America, has increased by up to 100%.
And one concrete example comes from UNICEF, which launched Cryptocurrency Fund on 9th of October. Through the Crypto Fund, the organisation will be able to "use cryptocurrencies to fund open source technology benefiting children and young people around the world", according to the statement. The fund, which is part of UNICEF's ongoing work with blockchain technology, will accept BTC and ETH contributions.
We don't see the Crypto Fund so much as being crypto. What we really see it as is being ready for a digital future. We're going to need to be ready to deal with digital assets whether that be bitcoin, or ether, or some other government-backed digital currency, Christina Lomazzo, Blockchain Lead at UNICEF, told Forbes.
Aside from the NPO and NGO sector, crypto donations are welcome in the political world as well. Japanese politicians are allowed to accept donations to fund their election campaigns, but only if those donations are in cryptocurrency. All other forms of donations are unlawful.
US Tried to "Take Down" Bitcoin
According to Katie Haun, former US Justice Department's prosecutor for Bitcoin-related felonies and today's crypto expert and investor, the US attorney's office asked her to look into "shutting down" Bitcoin, back in 2012. They said 'we have this perfect assignment for you' — there's this thing called bitcoin and we need to investigate it, she told CNBC.
Working on the case, she realised one extremely important thing – that Bitcoin is similar to cash in terms of criminal activity. And that means that Bitcoin could enable criminal activity but it wasn't responsible.
Bitcoin a "High-Tech Cry for Help"
This Sunday, Forbes chairman and editor-in-chief, Steve Forbes, was a guest on ARK Invest podcast. He shared his thoughts on cryptocurrencies, describing Bitcoin as "a high-tech cry for help". Bitcoin has performed a very important role in helping people in distressed situations around the world: getting around governments (institutions, really) that want to control you, starve you, and hurt you, he said.
Yet Another Deadline for Bitcoin ETF
The road to Bitcoin exchange-traded fund approval has been a pretty long one. October 13 is yet another SEC deadline for approving or rejecting a Bitcoin ETF – this time from Bitwise Investments.
Matt Hougan on CNBC's "ETF Edge"
We're closer than we've ever been before to getting a bitcoin ETF approved, said the company's managing director, Matt Hougan. Sometime before Monday, the SEC has to give its decision: yes or no. They have no more ways to postpone it at this point.
Land Records on Blockchain
UAE's Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities will be using blockchain for land records. The solution for Abu Dhabi citizens, called SmartHub, will store all property-related documents on a blockchain. In this way, tracing land records will become easier and the processing time it takes to do real estate transactions will be reduced.
NBA Uses Blockchain for a Reward Program
NBA's Sacramento Kings are no strangers to the crypto space. Five years ago, they were the first NBA team to accept Bitcoin payments in the arena. In 2018, they even started minig cryptocurrency as part of a charitable program, MiningForGood. This Monday, they announced their new blockchain-powered reward program. The program will be an enhancement to the NBA's predictive gaming app "Call the Shot".
We have only just begun to see the benefits of blockchain technology as it transforms the way business is conducted worldwide, ensuring secure transactions across multiple sectors and customers, said Vivek Ranadivé, Sacramento Kings Chairman, CEO and Governor in a statement.
Liechtenstein's Blockchain Act
Last Thursday, the already crypto-oriented, Liechtenstein Parliament approved the Token and TT Service Provider Ac, i.e. the Blockchain Act. This is a very significant step in terms of developing the regulatory framework. With this act, according to the statement, Liechtenstein will be positioned as an innovative and legally secure location for providers in the token economy.
According to the same statement, Liechtenstein is the first country to have a comprehensive regulation of the token economy. The aim of the Blockchain Act is to improve investor and client protection, combat money laundering and establish clarity in regards to digital securities.
Hong Kong's Regulations for Crypto Fund Managers
Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued rules on cryptocurrency funds and fund managers investing in "virtual assets". A document called "Proforma Terms and Conditions for Licensed Corporations which Manage Portfolios that Invest in Virtual Assets", is effective immediately.
UK Tightening the FCA Crypto Regulations
The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) intends to enforce strict rules on crypto exchanges, ATMs, and open-source projects. Some experts also believe that the ban on selling crypto-derivatives to retail investors is almost certain.
In response, the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) is urging the FCA not to ban the sale of crypto derivatives to retail consumers while supporting the regulator's desire to better protect vulnerable consumers.
Brazil Clearing the Crypto Industry of Scams
On the other hand, Brazil has declared war on crypto scams in order to increase confidence in the industry. The aim is to improve the security of the crypto sector, so the courts have been targeting and shutting down illegal cryptocurrency "investment" firms. The country is trying to eliminate, or at least, reduce the number of scams, as that would positively impact the industry's legitimacy.
Despite the recent price dip, Bitcoin is the best performing asset of 2019, since the price has more than doubled.
As far as the predictions go, a new one aligns well with some mentioned in our previous review. They don't align as much in terms of the exact price, but rather in the sentiment that May 2020 will be a significant period. Based on the fractals identified by a crypto commentator @davthewave, BeInCrypto analysis suggests that Bitcoin will be worth around US$15,000 in May 2020, right before halving. As mentioned in our last week's review, a German bank predicted that Bitcoin will reach US$90,000 after the halving.
Bitcoin price October 02 – October 09; Source: CoinDesk
Speaking of the price, in the last seven days, Bitcoin has been between US$8,067 and US$8,377 for the most part. The only exception was the weekend, when the price dipped below $8,000, and it was trading for around $7,815. However, it quickly recovered on Monday, and went above $8,150. We closed the day, October 09 2019 (AEST), at a price of US$8,170 (~ AU$12,148 / £6,692).
Tamara is a marketing and PR professional, enthusiastic about crypto, blockchain and technology in general. She's the editor at Bitcoin Australia.
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The New York Stock Exchange has produced a 30-second video of Alcoa's November 2 closing bell ceremony to air on the CNN Airport Network. From December 5th through the 19th, the video will appear in 46 major markets across the U.S., including Chicago O'Hare and New York's LaGuardia and JFK airports. From December 5th through the 26th, the video will also be featured on FORTUNE and Time Inc. websites. But why wait? Watch the video now!


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The Beetle was the nickname of a large mobile manipulator built by Jered Industries in Detroit for General Electric and ordered by the Air Force Special Weapons Center. It was designed to handle nuclear material for nuclear bombers. Work on the Beetle began in 1959 and it was completed in 1961. It was built on a chassis from a M42 Duster. The Beetle was 19 feet long, 12 feet wide, 11 feet high and weighed 77 tons. The top speed was 8 miles per hour.

In popular culture
 Gundam Century
 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

See also
Mecha

References

Individual mecha

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Below is a ground plan for Raglan Castle from the Cadw Guidebook. The ground plan is a "clickable image map," which means that by clicking on different areas of the map you'll be taken to pages providing close-up details and explanations for that section of the castle.
Take our Virtual Tour of Raglan Castle!


Are you in need of a professional commercial carpet cleaner near Fair Lawn NJ and other local areas? We've got you covered at A Able Carpet & Upholstery. You're capable of trusting A Able Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning with your business or building's carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning requirements, however small or large. Your daily flow of business does not need to disrupted when you make us your top choice. So that you can be certain of a seamless cleaning service on your time, we work with you and your schedule. Make us your first call when you're in need of expert carpet cleaning near Allendale NJ and other local areas.
Finding a company that has your best interest at heart is important if you're selecting a company for commercial carpet cleaning in Upper Saddle River NJ. The fact that owning a commercial building or running a business isn't easy is something we are aware of at A Able Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning. You don't want to need to worry about your furniture and floors being damaged by a commercial contractor. A Able Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning keeps this in mind with every commercial carpet cleaning job. We ensure that all of the contractors in our employ be certain that during the deep-cleaning process, no damage comes to your property by using the utmost caution and care. A Able Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning offers a complete range of services for commercial carpet cleaning, from regular cleaning to deep cleaning. Making certain your carpets are treated to deep cleaning at least yearly to ensure a longer lifespan and eliminate allergens is something we recommend. Making sure your carpets stay clean is an excellent initial step to ensuring that your carpet won't have to be replaced as often, but to get the most out of carpet – whether it is simply one or two rooms or throughout your commercial property – it's essential to enlist professional carpet cleaning services for annual deep-cleaning. For a commercial carpet cleaner near you're able to depend on for expert deep cleaning, A Able Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning is the company to call.
When you need an upholstery cleaner near Fair Lawn NJ, A Able Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning is your best bet, together with our commercial services. When it comes to your upholstered furniture, we make sure the utmost care is taken so that they not only get the deepest clean possible, but also receive the greatest protection possible while doing so. While these kinds of treatments in the past may have called for harsh chemicals and treatments which were actually damaging, at A Able Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning we are known for using the newest technologies and strategies for cleaning. When you're looking for an upholstery cleaner near Fair Lawn NJ you're capable of trusting with even the furniture you value most.
If you need expert oriental carpet cleaning in Glen Rock NJ and other local areas, contact A Able Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning. Rugs and oriental carpets present a challenge when you want to truly get them clean. A Able Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning has developed a unique technique of cleaning and treating oriental rugs that will not damage the delicate fibers but leave the rug clean and fresh. If you have oriental rugs that you have been avoiding cleaning because of fear of damaging the fibers or causing the dyes to run or bleed, A Able Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning is the ideal solution. To determine whether or not they're stable enough for our special cleaning process, we will assess your oriental or other type of rug's strength and quality. Our cleaning specialists will never try to clean an oriental rug that they find to be too delicate to safely clean without causing damage to the dyes and/or fibers. Are you in need of a professional oriental rug cleaning service near Fair Lawn NJ or other local areas? Don't hesitate to contact Able Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning.


"There's nothing I can do in my life to compensate for the fact that the world would be better without me in it," says Duncan Macmillan, smiling over his coffee. It's a bleak statement, but one that the writer and director explains is grounded in climate science. Each of us in the west, with our hefty carbon footprints, is a drain on the planet's resources.
When we meet, Macmillan is buried deep in research about the worsening state of the environment. This is all in aid of 2071, a new project for the Royal Court that he is co-writing with climate scientistChris Rapley. For the past six months, the two men have been meeting regularly at University College London, trading their respective expertise in an attempt to bring climate change centre stage.
"I sound like a broken record," Macmillan laughs a moment later, catching himself using the word complicated yet again to describe Rapley's insights. Conversation with Macmillan is punctuated with these moments of thoughtful, anxious self-awareness. Intense but amiable, he has a tendency to pause mid-thought, picking apart his own statements as soon as he makes them.
It's a tendency that Macmillan's plays share. Monster, the play that scooped two awards in the inaugural Bruntwood prize for playwriting, prodded uncomfortably at ideas of responsibility. In Lungs, a conversation about starting a family is folded into concerns about the state of the planet, interlacing the personal and the global. And when approaching George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, Macmillan and co-adapter Robert Icke set out to "represent the challenge" of the novel's ambiguities rather than attempting to solve them.
The same complexity applies to Macmillan's career. Increasingly, he has been working in a number of different roles, from co-directing Headlong's 1984 with Icke to collaborating with Mitchell on her multi-media productions in mainland Europe. One frustration, however, is the pigeonholing impulse of the British theatre industry. "I think there's a perception that the playwright is someone who writes the spoken text and that everything else is the domain of the director," says Macmillan, adding that this is not the case with many of his projects.
Not that spoken text doesn't interest Macmillan any more. He admits that Lungs, for instance, "is essentially just talking". That play, which is currently on the road with touring company Paines Plough, spans one long conversation over several years. Its agonised back and forth between a couple deciding whether or not to have children was Macmillan's attempt to wrestle with some of his own anxieties.
At the same time as travelling the UK, Lungs is also part of the repertoire at the Schaubühne in Berlin, in a German production directed by Mitchell. While the form that Macmillan initially imagined for the play – no sound, no lights, no props – was an attempt to "break out of a certain kind of formal cul-de-sac", Mitchell's production finds a new visual metaphor to communicate the narrative. In her version, the two actors are poised throughout on static bikes, powering the stage lights as they pedal.
"What I enjoy most as a theatre-maker and as an audience member is getting my brain to do more than one thing at once," says Macmillan, pointing to Mitchell's production of Lungs as one example. Another isEvery Brilliant Thing, which tours alongside Lungs this autumn. In this interactive monologue, misery and ecstasy are two sides of the same coin. The subject might be suicidal depression, but the show itself manages to be joyously life-affirming.
Like so much of Macmillan's work, Every Brilliant Thing came out of a desire to say something that wasn't being said. "I didn't see anyone discussing suicidal depression in a useful or interesting or accurate way," he says. Similarly, at the time of writing Lungs, he felt that he "wasn't seeing enough about what it's like to be alive now". He positions both of these plays as interventions of a kind, adding with an apologetic smile, "that sounds really grand".
So is 2071 an intervention? The questions it poses – "What is happening to our planet, and what is our role in that?" – would suggest so. Still, Macmillan insists, it is not quite as simple as issuing a manifesto for saving the planet. As Rapley might say, it's a bit more complicated than that.
Look at the programme of any regional receiving house and the line-up is typically scattered with popular musicals, famous faces and hits touring out of or into the West End. But beyond these crowd-drawing headliners, touring is often difficult for other areas of the UK theatre industry.
For those artists and companies working slightly below the radar, without big names or familiar shows to pull in audiences, touring is becoming an increasingly challenging and expensive activity. As everyone feels the squeeze on their funding, touring companies get hit twice, as struggling venues can no longer afford to pay guarantees and instead shift the risk onto those bringing in the work. It is difficult to build a relationship with audiences where engagement is often shallow and fleeting, while theatregoers with shrinking budgets are leaving it later and later to book tickets.
As I discovered in the process of researching a report for theatre producer Fuel, challenges faced by the non-commercial touring sector are manifold, but one particular area of difficulty is around the notion of collaboration – or lack thereof. Many touring companies express frustration about the reluctance of venues to cooperate on marketing strategies and share information about local audiences, with the level of collaboration varying wildly from theatre to theatre. At the ITC's conference in February of this year, meanwhile, the difficulty of accessing audience data was identified as one of the key barriers for UK touring.
"We don't always have access to audience data from all the venues," explains Hanna Streeter, an assistant producer with Paines Plough, "so it makes it difficult for us to build relationships with those audiences." This same frustration is shared by Jo Crowley, the producer of theatre company 1927, who identifies "how tricky it is as a company to access information around your audience" as one of the primary challenges of touring. Somewhere along the line, relationships between companies and venues are breaking down.
There are, however, those working towards a solution to these problems. Fuel's New Theatre in Your Neighbourhood project, one of a number of initiatives funded through the Arts Council's new Strategic Touring Programme, offers one possible model. As part of their aim to strengthen relationships with audiences on tour, the theatre producers are hiring local engagement specialists in each of the areas they visit, who then act as Fuel's main presence in that region.
These individuals, chosen for their knowledge of the local community and its arts ecology, can serve as a central point to bring together more collaborative relations between Fuel and the venues they work with. In the project's assessment, this approach and the "camaraderie" it created was identified as one of the key achievements of New Theatre in Your Neighbourhood's initial six-month research phase, shifting the way in which the way in which the venues in question work with visiting companies.
Fuel's co-director Louise Blackwell agrees, expressing her hope that the work Fuel are doing will provide benefits "not only for what we produce but for the wider theatre landscape". Through closer collaboration and a recognition that venues and companies are ultimately working towards the same goal, perhaps the challenges posed by touring can be collectively overcome.
Photo: Lizzy Watts in the Paines Plough production of Wasted. Richard Davenport.
Touring theatre: a risky business for audiences too?
Originally written for the Guardian Culture Professionals Network.
Risk is a word that regularly gets aired in arguments about the arts. We talk a lot about risky work, about venues and companies taking risks, about the current economic environment making many organisations risk averse – but it's rare that this vocabulary is used in discussions aboutaudiences. At a time of punishing austerity and squeezed budgets, what do theatremakers ask audiences to risk when persuading them to buy tickets to their shows?
This question is particularly pertinent for touring companies, many of whom are struggling to reach and engage with audiences through the current touring model. As lots of these theatremakers recognise, touring is challenging, not least because of the limited time spent in each of the areas they visit. Without the time and resources to build a deeper engagement with local audiences, touring companies demand even more risk on the part of the audience than their building-based counterparts.
However, as a number of new initiatives funded by Arts Council England's strategic touring programme are exploring, there might be ways for these companies to reduce the risk involved for their audiences without having to become artistically conservative.
One method is that of the tried and tested. "The things that are doing well anecdotally are things which have known writers and known faces," explains Caroline Dyott, associate producer at English Touring Theatre (ETT), who also notes that audiences are "booking later so that they can take less of a risk on something".
Taking this one step further, Fuel's New Theatre in Your Neighbourhood project is reaching out to form deeper connections with each of the areas it visits. The idea is to establish a relationship with the producers, allowing audiences to take risks on new work because they trust that Fuel will give them a good night at the theatre.
The approaches differ, but it is all about building a sustainable audience base for future work. "It's got to be about audiences," says Collier, "so it's got to be about finding ways of making theatre more popular." Streeter stresses that Paines Plough's work is essentially about "trying to develop audiences' taste for new work", while Dyott agrees that ETT's key aim is to create an audience that will outlive the length of this project.


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Q: Current WCF technology alternatives for .NET-to-.NET services? I'm splitting up an N-tier stack to allow independent scaling of the tiers, better deployment independence, and I'd like to know what people are currently choosing for service-boundary communication technologies.
The service itself and all of the "clients" to the service will have access to one another over an internal network and are currently all .NET 3.5 SP1 (Windows Services 3.5, ASP.NET MVC 1.0, ASP.NET WebForm 3.5).
I'm leaning toward Windows Communication Foundation, although I've heard rumors of WCF changing directions in the near future. Any validity to these rumors?
I've already dismissed ideas of building as a custom ASP.NET MVC service and as an old-school SOAP web service as WCF will have more flexible transport choices at the cost of ability to customize the response.
Are there really even any other .NET service technologies to consider?

Thanks everyone for your input. Glad to hear my inclination toward WCF is still the right choice and that it will continue to be for a while.

A: I haven't heard anything about WCF changing directions.
I would also say it's the answer you're looking for. You've got plenty of binding options that would work and provide various degrees of performance.
You can see the performance comparisons between WCF and legacy service technologies here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb310550.aspx

A: At the moment, WCF remains the most obvious option for a communications API between .NET services.

A: WCF is probably your best option.  WCF is not changing dramatically in .NET 4, so the migration should be very straitforward.
(Perhaps you were thinking of Windows Workflow Foundation, which is a near complete rewrite in .NET 4, and causes major migration headaches....)
That being said, you have alternatives - you can write your own networking layer using the System.Net namespace.  This will just require more work, as you're basically duplicating much of the benefits provided for free by WCF.

A: Any "new directions" in .NET communications will likely be built on the WCF platform, which is extremely extensible. WCF is the only technology stack you should consider for this purpose.

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