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What We Can Learn From The COVID Seroprevalence Study
This week, the latest results of the Nationwide COVID-19 Infection-Induced Antibody Seroprevalence (Commercial laboratories) Study was released. These results estimate the percentage of the population of each state that has been infected with COVID-19 as of the end of December 2022. The results are quite remarkable and indicate that there has been enormous variation in the frequency of the infection among the states and among different age groups.
The commercial laboratories seroprevalence study is done monthly and uses left-over samples of blood drawn by commercial laboratories for routine blood tests. Patients getting tested specifically for COVID-19 are excluded. The antibodies detected in this study are directed against the nucleocapsid antigen and these antibodies are only produced from actual infection by the virus. The COVID vaccines produce antibodies against the spike protein antigens and these are not measured by the tests used in the commercial laboratories seroprevalence study.
Limitations of the seroprevalence study
The methodology of the seroprevalence study was published in the April 2021 edition of JAMA Internal Medicine. Because the samples are anonymous, there are several potential limitations of the study that could affect the prevalence results:
Healthy adults and children are less likely to have routine blood tests. Therefore, people with chronic diseases are more heavily represented in the samples. If patients with chronic diseases are also more likely to get infected with COVID-19, then the results may overestimate the percentage of the population previously infected with COVID.
Because the results depend on blood tests drawn in December 2021 from live patients, those people who died of COVID-19 prior to December 2021 are not included. This results in the study underestimating the percentage of the population infected since the beginning of the pandemic. This limitation can be corrected by adding the number of COVID deaths to the seroprevalence data to get total infection data (see the analysis later in this post).
People who do become infected with COVID-19 frequently have lingering symptoms ("long-haulers") that could prompt their physicians to order various blood tests and this could result in the the seroprevalence study overestimating the percentage of the population previously infected with COVID.
Because antibody levels decline over time, it is likely that some patients who had COVID-19 infection early in the pandemic no longer have detectable antibodies against the virus. This could result in the study underestimating the percentage of the population infected since the beginning of the pandemic.
People with less access to healthcare due to socio-economic disparities and people who choose to avoid healthcare are less likely to have routine blood tests drawn. These groups include the uninsured, those who choose to not get vaccinated, residents of rural areas, and the poor. These groups are known be at higher risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. This could result in the study underestimating the percentage of the population infected since the beginning of the pandemic.
The number of blood tests from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming was too low for statistical analysis and so the study does not include seroprevalence rates from these three states.
Despite these limitations, compared to other epidemiology studies, the commercial lab seroprevalence study gives us the most accurate estimate of the percentage of the U.S. population that has had a COVID-19 infection. First, it is likely that the limitations above that result in overestimation are balanced out by those limitations that result in underestimation of the number of infections. Second, it is likely that the above limitations apply more-or-less equally among different states, allowing reasonably accurate comparison of the rates of infected between different states.
Differences between states
The CDC regularly reports on the total number of infections (based on nasopharyngeal PCR or rapid antigen tests) per 100,000 population since the pandemic began. These results indicate a low of 12.2% of the population in Maine to a high of 30.2% of the population in Rhode Island. However, these results depend on COVID test results reported to local health department and underestimates the true number of infections because (1) many infected people are asymptomatic and do not get tested, (2) many infected people use retail COVID tests with results that are not reported to the health department, and (3) many symptomatically infected people choose to not get tested. For these reasons, the seroprevalence studies offer a more accurate measure of the true rates of infection. The commercial lab study indicates enormous variations in the rate of COVID among the states and territories from a low of fewer than 1 out of every 10 people to a high of nearly 1 out of every 2 people
States with the lowest rates of infection. 15 states and territories had antibody prevalence rates of less than 30% of their population. The lowest rates were in Puerto Rico (9.7% of the population previously infected) and Hawaii (11.1% of the population previously infected. Living on an island was protective against becoming infected. Rhode Island (which is not really an island) is notable because by nasopharyngeal testing, it has had the highest rate of infection in the U.S. but by seroprevalence testing, it has had one of the lowest rates of infection. Rhode Island has the third highest vaccination rate (78.1% of its population) in the country. It is likely that for Rhode Island, the seroprevalence data is more accurate than the case rates determined by nasopharyngeal testing. The common feature of these 15 states & territories is that they all have high COVID vaccination rates with greater than 65% of their population fully vaccinated. We'll give these states a grade of "A" for controlling the pandemic.
States with intermediate rates of infection. 19 states had rates of infection between 30-40% of their populations. We'll give these states a grade of "C" for controlling COVID-19. With a United States overall average of 33.5% of the population previously infected, these states performed about average overall.
States with high rates of infection. 15 states had antibody prevalence rates above 40%. Iowa and Montana tied for the highest rate of infection with 47.7% of their population having been infected during the pandemic. These states also have low COVID vaccination rates with all of these states having fewer than 65% of their population fully vaccinated. This provides additional evidence that vaccination prevents infection. We'll give these states a grade of "F" for controlling the pandemic. Lamentably, my own state of Ohio is the 4th worst in the country for antibody prevalence. The tone for Ohio's response to COVID-19 was set early in the pandemic when AR-15 wielding anti-maskers protested in the front yard of our state's Director of Public Health when she was trying to get her children off to school… she resigned, leaving Ohio with no health department director for months.
Differences between genders
Overall, there was no difference in the antibody prevalence among men (33.2%) and women (33.8%). In most states, the difference in rate of infection between men and women was less than 5 percentage points. However, three states had gender differences of more than 6 percentage points:
Pennsylvania: 30.3% of men and 39.6% of women
Indiana: 37.4% of men and 45.0% of women
Montana: 51.4% of men and 43.9% of women
Differences by age
There was a striking relationship between age and seroprevalence of COVID-19 antibodies with the study indicating that far more younger Americans have been infected than older Americans:
In this table, the second column from the left is the seroprevalence of COVID-19 antibodies indicating past infection for each age group. The third column is the percentage of the population in each age group that has died of COVID since the pandemic began. The fourth column is the sum of the seroprevalence plus the percentage of each age population that died of COVID; this column gives a more accurate number of the total percentages of Americans in each age group that became infected with COVID and then either lived (seropositive group) or died of COVID (% died group). Even correcting for the fact that most of the deaths from COVID occurred in people over age 65, it is still clear that younger Americans were more likely to become infected than older Americans.
The causes for the age differences in infection rates is likely multifactorial. Younger people were more likely to have employment or school exposures whereas retired older people were more likely to be able to isolate at home during the pandemic. Younger people tend to live in larger households with children and adults together whereas older people are more likely to live with only their spouse or to live alone. Older Americans are more likely to be vaccinated than younger Americans. Older people are also more risk-adverse than younger people when it comes to masking and social distancing in public areas.
So what does all of this mean?
There are two ways to get immunity to COVID-19: (1) get vaccinated or (2) get infected. Immunity causes a reduction in the chance of subsequent infection (or re-infection). Immunity causes a greater reduction in the chance of hospitalization from infection (or re-infection). And immunity causes an even greater reduction in the chance of dying from infection (or re-infection).Which type of immunity is better? It appears that vaccination gives better immunity than past infection. But even if the two give equivalent immunity, the risk of dying from a COVID vaccine is negligible whereas the risk of dying from a COVID infection is 1 out of 85 – getting immunity from vaccination is far safer than getting immunity from infection.
Epidemiologists talk of "herd immunity" when enough of the population has immunity from either vaccination or past infection. Most epidemiologists now believe that between 75% and 90% of the population must have immunity in order to bring an end to the pandemic by herd immunity. Because people can get re-infected with COVID, the coronavirus will probably never go away but if we achieve herd immunity, we should be able to keep the number of new infections relatively low. More importantly, herd immunity should keep the number of hospitalizations and deaths extremely low. In other words, the goal of herd immunity is not to prevent all COVID infections but instead to prevent COVID hospitalizations and COVID deaths. Indeed, the current data indicates that most of the people who are hospitalized with COVID are unvaccinated and almost all of the people who are die of COVID are unvaccinated.
Currently, we know that 64% of the U.S. population has immunity by being fully vaccinated. We know that 33.5% of the U.S. population has immunity by having had a past COVID infection. What we do not know is to what extent these two populations overlap; that is, how many people who have had a COVID vaccination also had a COVID infection (either before or after they got their vaccination). Another way of looking at this is that we do not know how many people have immunity from either vaccination or past infection. Certainly more than 64% of the U.S. population has immunity but probably less than 90% has immunity.
To forecast what COVID may look like in future years, consider rhinoviruses. They cause 1/3 to 1/2 of all common colds. Given that the average person gets 2-3 colds per year, most people become infected with a rhinovirus every year and nearly everyone has been infected at least once by adulthood. Because re-infection with COVID can occur, it is likely that COVID will continue to circulate in the community for the indefinite future. Eventually, nearly everyone will have either been infected or been vaccinated. At that point, hospitalization or death from COVID should become uncommon. In other words, COVID won't go away but it won't kill you in the future.
The primary goal of medicine is to prevent people from becoming severely ill or dying from infections. A more aspirational (but usually unobtainable) goal is to prevent all infections, even mild ones. As long as there are people with weak immunity against COVID (either because they are not vaccinated or they have not yet been infected), then COVID will continue to cause hospitalization and death.
Therefore, our realistically obtainable goal in public should be to prevent severe COVID infection and prevent death from COVID. In that sense, we are reaching a point where we should not be looking at vaccine mandates but instead be looking at immunity mandates. In other words, instead of requiring all of a business's employees to be vaccinated, we should be requiring all employees to either be vaccinated or have antibodies indicating past infection.
Immunity mandates should become our new public health doctrines – for our workplaces, our schools, and our military. For me personally, sign me up for a second booster when they become available… but I'll pass on getting a COVID-19 infection to keep my immunity up.
← A Postmortem Examination Of The Pandemic → Managing Pain In The Hospital


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The Witches soon find there is an arcane magic in their world, far beyond what they had ever imagined. When Roxanne becomes determined to uncover this arcane magic, the foundations of their world begin to change.


The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) is the law of the European Union regulating the treatment of electrical and electronic waste at the end of their life cycle. Since 2012, WEEE has set up the rules for the collection and recycling of photovoltaic panels. The Producers are now responsible for taking back and disposing of the modules and its financing. The main goal of the directive is to reduce waste volumes and foster innovation by making Producers of electronic and electric products more responsible.
Who is responsible for PV panels at the end of their life cycle?
The European Union has decided to promote the practice of "Extended Producers Responsibility" for PV panels. This means that it would be up to the Producers of the modules to collect and dispose them of at the end of their life-cycle. End-users will not have to pay any additional cost to dispose of the PV modules and will have to be instructed from the Producers on how to proceed with the take-back of the modules.
Who are Producers of PV modules? Why are they important?
According to WEEE, there are four categories of Producers: manufacturers, distributors or resellers, importers and internet or distance sellers. When selling panels, they must all comply with WEEE by carrying out a number of requirements, including a number of administrative and financial duties with the designated authorities. Producers are a key figure in the disposal and recycling of photovoltaic modules because they are ultimately responsible for the panels they sell in the European Union.
How are the photovoltaic panels recycled?
It depends on what kind of panels they are. A silicon-based module is usually crushed in a mill and treated mechanically. A great majority of the different components of the panel can be recovered and recycled (glass, semiconductors, aluminum) through this process. Non-silicon based panels are similarly crushed but also undergo chemical bathing processes to separate the semiconductor materials and allow for their recovery and recycling.
Do the rules change between countries of the European Union?
The WEEE legislation has set up the general rules – and targets – for the disposal of photovoltaic modules across EU Member States. However, each European country has to transform this EU legislation into national law to further refine the rules behind the collection and recycling process.
What about solar thermal modules?
Up until today, WEEE legislation does not cover the disposal of solar thermal modules.


Kim's Blog – My life and thoughts.
I have started a new blog here because I've decided I want to take a new direction. Some of these new articles will be focused on fitness (fat loss, etc.) as I've begun a new journey to improve all aspects of my health.
Let's first go back to where I was a couple of years ago. My life was quite a mess to be honest with you. I was in a relationship that turned out to be one-sided, meaning I was committed to him but it was far from mutual. He said he cared about me, but his actions showed otherwise. We broke up and I spent a few weeks feeling really down. Most of my friends have good guys so I wondered why I ended up with such losers.
One of my friends gently confronted me and said maybe I needed to change my outlook and the choices I was making. I realized that she was right–I needed to take charge of my life if I wanted different outcomes.
I decided it was time to get healthy–inside and out. I started working on spiritual and emotional health first. I haven't been to church in a few years and it's affected my relationship with God. I started attending with one of my friends and I even started going to a Bible study. I decided to put romance on the back burner for a while and just focus on my relationship with God. It was kind of liberating to leave behind all that drama for a while.
I also started looking to get physically healthy again. It's not that I was in terrible shape but I had stopped going to the gym. I needed a program to get back into things so I started doing a little bit of research online. I looked up "bikini body workout" online and compared Jen Ferruggia vs. Kayla Itsines programs (you can click here to see the article I read). They both looked pretty good but Jen's was less expensive so I ordered hers.
I studied the Bikini Body Workouts program material and started to do everything she said: training, diet–everything. Within just a few weeks I noticed that I was getting a bit leaner (though I didn't really need to lose much weight). I also felt much, much better. A clean diet and regular exercise can make a big difference!
I'm in good space now: mentally, spiritually, and physically. I'd encourage you to consider the choices you make and don't be afraid to start making different ones. Change is hard, but so is staying the same.
Updated: I'm still working out and feeling great!!


Well, Mother Nature, it took you long enough.
Spring is finally here, hopefully for good. Lake Ontario has thawed out, the birds are back, the fish are starting to spawn, and it's time to get back out on the water.
We usually make the first trip of the season a short shake-down cruise, rarely more than an hour or two, just to make sure everything's running properly. At this point the engine's been sitting unused for seven months, the remaining fuel's a bit older than that, and if something does decide to break we'd rather not be out of rowing distance from the dock.
What does it mean when your epoxy hardener comes out coloured? Will it put your project in jeopardy?
Nope. It turns out that this is not really a problem for strength or curing characteristics, only for appearance.
Folding trailer tongues are nice, but a folding mechanism is expensive and hard to retrofit to an existing trailer.
With the local water levels already low and going lower, the time was right for us to modify Sunset Chaser's trailer for shallower ramps. Here's how we did it.
The trimaran's folding crossbeams are a fairly conventional box section structure, with plywood webs fore and aft joining thicker top and bottom flanges of laminated wood strips.


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Three-D Issue 24: Make media ownership an issue for the election (and beyond)
Chair, Media Reform Coalition
The evidence just keeps mounting up: from the testimonies provided to the Leveson Inquiry to Peter Oborne's resignation from the Telegraph. Powerful media organisations in highly concentrated markets – whether online or offline – distort democratic debate by privileging issues and agendas that suit the interests of proprietors and advertisers, fostering corrupt relationships between public officials and media barons, and placing even more pressure on compliant politicians who are increasingly nervous to upset such influential gatekeepers. How can we expect fearless and robust coverage of financial scandals, austerity policies, policing, immigration and foreign affairs when so much of our established media are in hock to vested interests?
Leveson himself spent a significant amount of time assessing the implications of the proposed acquisition by NewsCorp of BSkyB of those shares that it did not already own and included questions of ownership and proprietorial influence in his assessment of press ethics and standards (Leveson 2012). He concluded that these were matters for regulatory action and indeed recommended, much as the Lords Communications Committee has recently done in its report on media plurality (House of Lords 2014), that there should be periodic plurality reviews. He also concluded that 'it will be important for the regulatory authorities to be able to impose structural remedies and remedies [with respect to plurality] which will change behaviour which can relate, if appropriate, to editorial independence and journalistic standards' (Leveson 2012:30).
Yet, despite these words and despite the continuing abuse of media power that includes, for example, revelations of widespread hacking at the Mirror (Halliday 2015) and a degraded editorial policy at the world's most popular online title (King 2015), there has been little movement towards securing the sorts of remedies needed to protect plurality and to enhance the number of distinctive voices in the communications environment.
Let us remind ourselves of the problem. We have an environment in which three companies control some 70% of daily national newspaper circulation, five companies control 70% of regional circulation, a single news wholesaler provides bulletins for the vast majority of commercial radio stations and where, in 35% of local communities, a single daily newspaper has a 100% monopoly (Media Reform Coalition 2014). We have an environment in which 'media freedom' is increasingly defined by billionaire proprietors, most of whom are then happy to sanction widespread surveillance and attacks on civil liberties that affect the rest of the population.
The government's response to its own ownership consultation (DCMS2014) fails to address the urgent need to secure plurality. It has commissioned Ofcom to develop indicators that can show the extent to which the UK is sufficiently pluralistic and has additionally confirmed that online news should be included within the scope of any new framework for measuring plurality, that news and current affairs are the most important genres in considerations of plurality, that the BBC should be included in an assessment of plurality, and that there should be at least some consideration of local and regional markets as well as the national picture. It has, therefore, effectively shunted the need to find remedies to the problems identified by Lord Justice Leveson well into the future.
In this situation, the Media Reform Coalition has launched a campaign throughout 2015, funded by the Rowntree Reform Trust, to highlight the need for systematic reform of our media ownership rules, for more stringent democratic obligations to be imposed on some of our largest news providers, for new sorts of funding sources to secure and sustain public interest journalism and for an approach to plurality that highlights the need for diverse voices to be equipped to participate fully in mediated conversations. This is not about restricting a free press but about finding ways to liberate our media so they can be more effectively free to hold power to account and to address the needs of the public, as opposed to shareholder, interest.
The targets of our campaign are not only political parties and MPs, MSPs and Assembly Members but civil society organisations engaged in issues where media representation is part of the problem: from unbalanced coverage of NHS reforms to the demonisation of Muslims, from the stereotyping of women to the marginalisation of environmental threats.
So far we have produced a statement – sent as a letter to the Guardian – on the need to make media reform ownership an election issue that has been signed by academics, journalists, trade union leaders and celebrities including Nick Davies, Frankie Boyle, John Cleese and George Monbiot (Jackson 2015). We have sent a letter to Labour leader Ed Miliband calling for Labour to make a manifesto commitment to ownership reform that was signed by 9 union general secretaries and have met with members of Labour, Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru with many more expected in the coming months. We intend to secure pledges on media ownership reform from as many politicians, civil society organisations and activists as possible in the coming months and will publish a draft plurality bill towards the end of the year.
We would welcome your suggestions, support and participation. If you want to organise an event at your institution on some of these issues, please get in touch with us: info@mediareform.org.uk
Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Media Ownership & Plurality Consultation Report, 6 August 2014. Available at www.culture.gov.uk
Halliday, Paul (2015) Phone hacking at Mirror titles was on an industrial scale, court told. Guardian, 4 March: 1
House of Lords Select Committee on Communications (2014) Media Plurality. Available at https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201314/ldselect/ldcomm/120/120.pdf
Jackson, Jasper (2015) Frankie Boyle and John Cleese back push for media plurality law. Guardian, 4 March. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/mar/04/frankie-boyle-john-cleese-media-plurality-law
King, James (2015) My Year Ripping Off the Web with the Daily Mail Online. Gawker, 4 March. Available at https://tktk.gawker.com/my-year-ripping-off-the-web-with-the-daily-mail-online-1689453286
Leveson, Lord Justice (2012) An Enquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press: Executive Summary. London: TSO
Media Reform Coalition (2014) The Elephant in the Room. Available at https://www.mediareform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ElephantintheroomFinalfinal.pdf

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


When you're in the middle of your separation process you're probably not thinking about your taxes, but you really should be. There are a number of tax implications that will arise coming out of your divorce, and it is important to be aware of them while you are creating your separation agreement.
Here is a small sample of some of the tax issues that will likely surround your divorce. You may want to seek the assistance of a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst ("CDFA") to get a better understanding of all of the tax implications at play.
If you are married and you separate or divorce after December 31st, you will continue to file your tax returns with Canada Revenue Agency ("CRA") as if you are married. Once you reach December 31st of the next year, you will begin filing your tax returns as "separated" until the time in which your divorce is finalized. Once you have received your divorce decree, you can begin to file your tax returns as "divorced".
Regardless of your official legal status, Revenue Canada will not consider you as separated while you are still living under the same roof. You must be living separate and apart, at different addresses, for at least 90 days before you can update your Revenue Canada marital status to "separated".
It is important to promptly inform CRA of any changes to your marital status because certain tax credits are calculated on the basis of total household income. Generally, your total household income will go down when you separate, which makes you eligible for benefits you weren't previously eligible for.
Child support is not taxable if you are the recipient and not deductible if you are the payor.
Spousal support is taxable income if you are the recipient and deducted from your total gross income if you are the payor, as long as the spousal support payments are made monthly. This tax benefit does not apply if the payment is made as a lump sum or if there is a property transfer taking the place of regular spousal support.
Be wise with these calculations as the added income (support to you) could place you in a higher income bracket, causing you to be taxed at a higher rate, lose HST/GST tax credits or lose Canada Child Benefits. Consequently, paying support, may also conversely lower you to a new tax bracket, but also have implications on your ability to qualify for a mortgage.
The separation of assets often requires transferring assets from one spouse to another. The recipient of an asset needs to understand that they will typically be taxed at the time he or she ultimately sells or disposes of the asset, called a tax-deferred rollover. This tax-deferred rollover provision applies automatically unless the parties decide to transfer an asset at its fair market value, thereby triggering a capital gain upon transfer.
Your joint RRSP and TFSA accounts can be split with your spouse on a tax-free basis. Funds from one spouse's account can be transferred to the other without penalty while you are still legally married. In addition, your RRSP's may be rolled over to your spouse and defer the tax penalty, so long as you are living apart and have a separation agreement in place. You will want to account for what is called "notional tax" which is the tax amount that will be incurred when RRSP's and TFSA's are cashed in.
Any legal fees paid to a lawyer to prepare a separation agreement or to assist in the court process are not deductible with CRA.
When clients divorce or separate, they often transfer assets to their former spouses as part of a legal settlement. The question becomes, who is the income attributed to and who will pay the subsequent tax? There are many misconceptions about the attribution rules during separation and after divorce. Attribution is a set of rules that tax income or gains to one spouse even though the other spouse receives the income. When a relationship breaks down, attribution may or may not still apply on income and capital gains generated by the recipient spouse. It is very important to confirm this before you sign any Separation Agreement.


Barney is a sweet young boy who loves a cuddle, but he does have some behavioural issues and needs an experienced owner who can carry on with his training. He has bundles of energy so is looking for an active owner who will enjoy being energetic as much as he does. He loves having a good play and likes chasing around after his toys. He gets on well with other dogs when out on a walk but needs to be the only pet in his new home. Barney would benefit by going to obedience classes to help him make good decisions. He would prefer an owner who has experience with his breed, and may suit a home with high school aged children who can get involved in his training too.
To arrange to meet Barney, please visit Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, or call them on +441316695331.


Lock up your personal, private, and valuable items in style. The Vaultz Locking Binder Pouch is perfect for securing school supplies, small valuables, personal items, and anything else you want to keep locked up. Constructed of durable nylon, this pouch fits in a standard 3-ring binder. The patent pending locking zipper uses the zipper pull as the latch for the convenient and sturdy combination lock pad. This locking binder pouch stores easily in a backpack, glove compartment, purse, or drawer. Vaultz offers a wide range of fashionable security storage products that allow you to store, transport and protect the things that are important to you.
If you have any questions about this product by Vaultz, contact us by completing and submitting the form below. If you are looking for a specif part number, please include it with your message.


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Why Do You Need a Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror?


First let me Thank each and every person who visits our site and a special thanks to those who make the journey to come and watch Walter work. While our goal is to provide heirloom quality iron work for our clients, Walter's gift has become so much more in our lives than a way to make a living.
We have been blessed to touch peoples lives and have them touch ours with stories and testimonies. Clients have become friends and Walter has been given the opportunity to share the knowledge that comes to him by grace. His gift was not sought after like many who find a love in their heart for something. His whole life was preparation for something he didn't know he had all along. But the Lord knows when the time is right and he set Walter forth on a journey that is for us a path of blind faith and a hope that we will serve him well.
The first step of our journey was a move to Alabama. There among many other wonderful things we found that folks had a real appreciation of iron work. Our area is very rural and mainly an agricultural community. Every community had a blacksmith and most farmers had a forge for repairing equipment. Walter found a deep well of knowledge from elders with a lifetime of "been there, had to do that" common sense to pass along. School books and classes don't teach the tricks of the trade and the lessons learned that you can acquire from a lifetime of experience.
Our business began to grow and all the while Walters skills were developing to a level that amazed us. He just never thought of himself as any kind of artist. All of the practical knowledge passed to him by his father and grandfather became part of his arsenal of skills to call on. When he finally had the opportunity to study with a master he told me that he had gone there to learn that he already understood the process. When you love what you do it shows in your work.
We have lots of stories to share, so check back often. I tend to ramble a bit and they will jump forward and backward in time, but I hope you enjoy walking this journey with us and enjoy meeting some of the good folks and characters we have met along the way.


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Chief Secretary reviews establishment of industries under New Industrial Policy
By Press Desk on October 25, 2022
SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 25: Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta today reviewed the progress for establishment of industrial units here in the UT under New Industrial Policy (NIP) 2021-30.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce; Directors of Industries, Jammu/Kashmir; MD SIDCO & SICOP and many other concerned officers in person or through virtual mode.
Dr Mehta impressed upon the officers to ensure that each of the prospective unit holder is facilitated to establish their units in a hassle-free manner. He asked them to have interdepartmental coordination for better performance under single window system created by the government.
The Chief Secretary upheld that the youth are the direct beneficiaries of the policy as the industrialization is proportional to employment generation. He emphasised on the fact that the applicants who do not come forth for execution of lease deeds should be put to notice for cancelation of their allotments. He asked them to give these to other applicants who are waiting for the allotment for establishing their units.
The Chief Secretary was informed that during the year 2022-23, 197 units with an investment of Rs 542 cr and employment to 2202 persons have come under production in Jammu Division. In Kashmir Division some 401 units have come under production with an investment of around Rs 300 cr and employment generation for 4120.
It was given out that 70 units in Jammu have initiated work on ground with a projected investment of Rs 1454 cr. Similarly in Kashmir Division 38 units with a projected investment of Rs 952 cr have initiated work on ground. Besides it was added that the total employment potential of all applications is nearly 2.8 lakh persons.
The meeting was further apprised that 314 lease deeds have been executed till date and more 295 are under process. Moreover, land has been allotted to 519 new units in Jammu Division and 1122 units in Kashmir Division.
In the ensuing month it was revealed that 55 lease deeds had been executed and 30 have deposited the premium. In addition,132 lease deeds are under execution and 35 units have initiated work on ground during this month. The meeting also came to know that work in 4 industrial estates has been initiated during this period.
The meeting also deliberated that a total of 529 units in Kashmir Division were granted general extension upto June, 2022 by APCC. Out of which 401 units have come into production, about 85 units have completed construction of factory shed and require further extension of 6 to 12months for coming into production.
Similarly a total of 325 units in the Jammu Division were granted general extension. Out of which 160 units could come into production and were granted Permanent Registration whereas 2 units merged/amalgamated into existing units.
It was informed that a slew of policy measures to promote ease of Doing business have been initiated. In this direction some 161 e-Services majorly G2B services pertaining to 17 Departments are being provided on a single window portal.
As far as BRAP-2022 is concerned it consisted of 352 reform point suggestions for implementation. J&K has achieved 100 % implementation in 247 points, partial implementation in 52 points and 53 points are yet to be complied. It has been given out that as per the earlier directions of the Chief Secretary 100% implementation is targeted till the end of this month.


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Tag: Austrian artistic movement
Biedermeier Style (1815-1848)
The Biedermeier style, which flourished in Germany, saw the dawn of the art of Romanticism.
Biedermeier Salon in Romania (1928)
Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/b120b61e-926a-40da-8ea2-67c80e3261ba by archer10 (Dennis)
Gossip (1873) by Giovanni Boldini – Oil on wood
Image source: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435691?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Biedermeier+Style+(1815-1848)&offset=20&rpp=20&pos=24
What is the Meaning of Biedermeier?
The Biedermeier style gets its name from the fictional character Gottlieb Biedermeier. The authors of such, Adolf Kussmaul and Ludwig Eichrodt, wrote for a satirical magazine called Munich Fliegende Blatter. Further, the style represents the German middle class as it was created for the public. The word itself is a combination of a simple adjective (bieder, but that also means intact, honest and one of the most famous German surnames: Meier (or Maier).
Mahoniehouten Biedermeier tafelpiano (1820,1850)
Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/a74e6cf9-9cfc-41f5-86ac-ba7fe6e596f2 by Museum Rotterdam
Side chair (1815–20) – Circle of Josef Danhauser
Image source: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/231805?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Biedermeier+Style+(1815-1848)&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=2
The Biedermeier period began with the Congress of Vienna, after the Napoleonic Wars ended. Under the Austrian Chancellor Metternich, conservative politics reacted to the fearful days of the French Revolution. For this reason, Biedermeier was introduced as a Restoration style, or a desire for a normal life.
Important Biedermeier Designers
Despite the conservative politics, it was a period of productive creativity. The most important painters were Franz Krüger, Georg Friedrich Kersting, Julius Oldach, Carl Spitzweg, and Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller.
Woman Embroidering (1814) by Georg Friedrich Kersting.
Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/789fce1d-6074-4b36-a7fe-a53076a8b8ed by fluor_doublet
Josef Danhauser was a painter and designer, born in to an Austrian family of artists. His father was Josef Ulrich Danhauser, and his sketches were quite famous in Europe. Further, several original drawings of his works are preserved today in museums.
Wein, Weib und Gesang (1839) by Josef Danhauser
Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/85c7d582-a467-47f7-9bc8-7f43336f9e7c
Frauenporträt (1836) by Josef Danhauser
Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/0894d68f-1d2d-4b01-93ce-443e00ace8fe
Style Characteristics
Painters of this style, often showcase historical fiction and country life, depicting comfortable everyday existence, which was changing by the time of the revolutions in Europe in 1848. Biedermeier designs come from the simplistic forms of French Empire and Directoire styles. Yet, Vienna was in many ways a relevant center for this style, strong enough to fuse various impulses into a balanced synthesis. Further, the most important collection of Viennese Biedermeier painting is available in the Belvedere Palace Museum in Vienna.
Biedermeier pieces
Image source: https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/26ede687-ff88-4266-84fc-a7c5bc760d64
Info source: https://www.britannica.com/art/Biedermeier-style
Author JBDAdminPosted on December 15, 2016 October 18, 2022 Categories Styles and MovementsTags 1815, 1825, 1848, 19th century, amrchair, Austria, Austrian artistic movement, backed chairs, Biedermeier, Biedermeier style, capitals, chair, chairs, cherry, cherubs, classical architecture, columns, Congress of Vienna, conservative, curved legs, European revolutions, Georg Friedrich, German artistic movement, hermes, Josef Danhauser, meier, Napoleonic wars, natural beauty of veneers, sphinxes, vienna, Viennese cabinet makers, walnut, wooden ornamentLeave a comment on Biedermeier Style (1815-1848)


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Has physics ever been deterministic?
Researchers from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the University of Vienna and the University of Geneva, have proposed a new interpretation of classical physics without real numbers. This new study challenges the traditional view of classical physics as deterministic.
In classical physics it is usually assumed that if we know where an object is and its velocity, we can exactly predict where it will go. An alleged superior intelligence having the knowledge of all existing objects at present, would be able to know with certainty the future as well as the past of the universe with infinite precision. Pierre-Simon Laplace illustrated this argument, later called Laplace's demon, in the early 1800s to illustrate the concept of determinism in classical physics. It is generally believed that it was only with the advent of quantum physics that determinism was challenged. Scientists found out that not everything can be said with certainty and we can only calculate the probability that something could behave in a certain way.
But is really classical physics completely deterministic? Flavio Del Santo, researcher at Vienna Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the University of Vienna, and Nicolas Gisin from the University of Geneva, address this question in their new article "Physics without Determinism: Alternative Interpretations of Classical Physics", published in the journal Physical Review A. Building on previous works of the latter author, they show that the usual interpretation of classical physics is based on tacit additional assumptions. When we measure something, say the length of a table with a ruler, we find a value with a finite precision, meaning with a finite number of digits. Even if we use a more accurate measurement instrument, we will just find more digits, but still a finite number of them. However, classical physics assumes that even if we may not be able to measure them, there exist an infinite number of predetermined digits. This means that the length of the table is always perfectly determined.
Imagine now to play a variant of the Bagatelle or pin-board game (as in figure), where a board is symmetrically filled with pins. When a little ball rolls down the board, it will hit the pins and move either to the right or to the left of each of them. In a deterministic world, the perfect knowledge of the initial conditions under which the ball enters the board (its velocity and position) determines unambiguously the path that the ball will follow between the pins. Classical physics assumes that if we cannot obtain the same path in different runs, it is only because in practice we were not able to set precisely the same initial conditions. For instance, because we do not have an infinitely precise measurement instrument to set the initial position of the ball when entering the board.
The authors of this new study propose an alternative view: after a certain number of pins, the future of the ball is genuinely random, even in principle, and not due to the limitations of our measurement instruments. At each hit, the ball has a certain propensity or tendency to bounce on the right or on the left, and this choice is not determined a priori. For the first few hits, the path can be determined with certainty, that is the propensity is 100% for the one side and 0% for the other. After a certain number of pins, however, the choice is not pre-determined and the propensity gradually reaches 50% for the right and 50% for the left for the distant pins. In this way, one can think of each digit of the length of our table as becoming determined by a process similar to the choice of going left or right at each hit of the little ball. Therefore, after a certain number of digits, the length is not determined anymore.
The new model introduced by the researchers hence refuses the usual attribution of a physical meaning to mathematical real numbers (numbers with infinite predetermined digits). It states instead that after a certain number of digits their values become truly random, and only the propensity of taking a specific value is well defined. This leads to new insights on the relationship between classical and quantum physics. In fact, when, how and under what circumstances an indeterminate quantity takes a definite value is a notorious question in the foundations of quantum physics, known as the quantum measurement problem. This is related to the fact that in the quantum world it is impossible to observe reality without changing it. In fact, the value of a measurement on a quantum object is not yet established until an observer actually measures it. This new study, on the other hand, points out that the same issue could have always been hidden also behind the reassuring rules of classical physics.
Publikation in Physical Review A:
Del Santo, Flavio; Gisin, Nicolas: Physics without Determinism: Alternative Interpretations of Classical Physics. Physical Review A 2019.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.100.062107
© Lorenzo Nocchi
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President Barack Obama wasted no time keeping a couple of his politically popular, but controversial campaign promises, among which was issuing a directive last Thursday to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba by this time next year.
Thus, for Americans the war on terror is over.
The Post has a talent for understatement: President Bush did a lot more than create a definition of the war on terror, and Americans will do well to remember all that he did.
Who would have thought on September 12, 2001, the day after 19 radical Muslim murderers hijacked and crashed four airliners, killing nearly 3,000 Americans, that more than seven years later the United States would not have had another terrorist attack on its soil?
For a time the country united behind President Bush and his efforts to protect the American people. But we Americans have become soft over the last few decades; we don't understand hardship and we have short memories. Whereas after the Japanese attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in 1941, killing more than 2,000 military personnel, that memory and the pain that accompanied it lingered for decades. When the U.S. retaliated against the Japanese, the country was united behind that action.
For many Americans the pain from 9-11 lasted only as long as it took Mr. Bush's political enemies to find causes around which to rally, like the Iraq war and efforts to thwart terrorist activities.
Almost as suddenly as that pain developed after the planes crashed and the buildings collapsed, it vanished in a puff of political smoke. Mr. Bush's efforts have protected Americans, but they also provided a level of comfort and security, leading to complacency about further threats.
Complacency bred contempt, and some Americans replaced worrying about terrorist attacks with hysteria over the government's intercepting international phone calls trying to disrupt international terrorist activities. And soon thereafter they began to fret about whether U.S. personnel at Guatanamo Bay were making sure the murderers captured on the battlefield got first-class treatment and plenty of beauty sleep. It sometimes appeared they were more concerned about protecting the rights of suspected foreign terrorists than protecting the nation.
Mr. Obama's stated policy is sharply at odds with the Bush administration's approach, to the great pleasure of Mr. Bush's liberal critics, to whom President Obama is beholden for his nomination and subsequent election.
On the subject of the war on terror, Mr. Obama said, "We intend to win this fight. We're going to win it on our terms." Our new President also said he didn't want to have to make a false choice between successfully waging war against terrorist organizations and maintaining U.S. human rights ideals in the process.
"This is following through not just on a commitment I made during the campaign but an understanding that dates back to our Founding Fathers, that we are willing to observe core standards of conduct — not just when it's easy but also when it's hard," the President said.
But before the President's signature on the order to close Guantanamo Bay was dry, we learned that a former Guantanamo Bay detainee who was released a while back has become a high ranking al-Qaeda operative in Yemen.
Al-Shihri was released from Guantanamo Bay to Saudi Arabia in 2007 after denying involvement with terrorists or terror activities, and was put through a Saudi rehabilitation program for former jihadists before resurfacing with al-Qaeda in Yemen. Al-Shihri is a suspect in the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Sana, Yemen that killed 16 people last September. Obviously, releasing these people to certain countries is not an acceptable solution.
The tactics employed by the Bush administration produced results in identifying terrorist and planned terrorist attacks. But in the case of Mr. Shihri, even those effective techniques are not always successful. Could the reaction to the outcry against aggressive interrogation techniques have been a factor?
This begs the question: If the methods employed by the Bush administration and so loudly and roundly criticized by Mr. Bush's political enemies failed to reveal Mr. Shihri's true character, what are the chances that the "not Bush" policies endorsed by the Obama administration would have produced a more satisfactory result? And what does that say about future anti-terror efforts? Will intelligence officials be better equipped to discover and thwart terrorist activities under Mr. Obama?
That President Bush protected us from deadly enemies may not seem like much of an accomplishment in today's soft culture, particularly to those who criticize the methods Mr. Bush allowed. But his accomplishment may be more fully appreciated if President Obama waters down those effective tactics in order to curry favor at home and abroad.
Lofty principles are a worthy goal for Mr. Obama and the United States. But if his softer approach toward terrorists leads to or allows another terrorist attack here at home, Mr. Obama's Presidency will drown in the blood of dead and injured Americans.
Is any principle worth that sacrifice?


Window tinting is more popular than many people realize, which means that not everyone knows everything they should about the process. If you are considering window tinting, you should understand what it is, why people use it, considerations, and more.
First, you should have a clear idea of what window tinting is. This is the process of applying material in a thin film to the car windows. The material is multilayered polyester and can be applied either to the inside or outside of the windows of your vehicle depending on the type. The preference tends to be applying the tint to the inside of the vehicle since it will not have to deal with natural elements, extending durability. Alternatively, you could buy glass with tint inside of it, but this will be more expensive since it obviously involves replacing your glass.
You should also have a basic idea of why people choose to tint their windows. There are many reasons for this and most drivers choose tinted windows for a combination of factors. Tinted windows can deliver an increased sense of privacy since it becomes harder for passersby to see into your vehicle.
Tinted windows are also very practical, particularly during hot weather due to their ability to deflect some of the light from the sun. Windows that are tinted will let in significantly fewer UV rays and general sunlight than non-tinted windows. This can make the difference between a warm car and an incredibly hot one if you let it sit in the sun for a few hours.
Tinted windows will also improve your visibility when driving by reducing the glare associated with all types of light, from headlights to streetlights to sunlight. This can prevent temporary blindness or other distractions from light, keeping you safe on the road.
The film portion of tinted windows can also keep shards of glass together if you are in a collision, preventing the possibility of tiny shards flying everywhere and causing cuts.
During the installation process, first, the glass on the window is cleaned thoroughly and wiped down. Most of the time, it will be cleaned twice since any dirt can lead to an air bubble in the film. From there, the technician measures the window and cuts film of the appropriate size, with an extra inch around. They apply it, using a special squeegee to remove air bubbles.
After the window tint is applied, you should wait at least three days, preferably a week before cleaning your windows or rolling them down. Either action could result in the tint not staying in place as well until the solution used dries fully.
There are many misconceptions about window tinting, including the idea that the process is expensive or time-consuming. Neither is true as window tinting is surprisingly affordable and very quick. A professional can install it within just a few hours, and it will not typically cost more than several hundred dollars. Prices will vary based on the tint you choose and the size of your vehicle's windows.


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ACCEPTED

#### According to
International Plant Names Index

#### Published in
Fl. orient. 1:837. 1867

#### Original name
null

### Remarks
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Madhur Canteen () is a familiar name in the history of the Dhaka University as well as in the national politics of Bangladesh because of its association with various political movements which originated from the Dhaka University. The canteen's current location holds important architectural and heritage value.

Madhusudan Dey (Modhu), the canteen's founder, is an equally important figure in the socio-political history of the region. He was killed on 25 March 1971 at the beginning of the Bangladesh Liberation War. As part of Operation Searchlight, the Pakistan Army attacked the Dhaka University. Madhusudan Dey was taken to Jagannath Hall by the Pakistani armed forces where he was executed along with many university students. After the Liberation War, Arun Kumar Dey assumed the responsibility of running the canteen. Years after Modhu's death, the canteen remains a significant landmark and also a place for gathering in the community.

History of the canteen

Origin
Madhur Canteen was started in 1921, when Madhusudan Dey (Modhu) came to Dhaka with his father, Aditya Chandra, at the age of 15. Aditya Chandra, with the permission of the university authorities, began selling food in the Dhaka University Campus which was, at the time, located in the present Dhaka Medical College building. The canteen was shifted later when the Arts Faculty of the university was shifted to a new building at Nilkhet.

Madhur canteen played a pivotal role in the Bangladesh Liberation Movement. It was the focal point for the start of various political movements in the country. The canteen played a significant part in the Language Movements of 1948 and 1952, the movement of fourth-class Dhaka University employees in 1949, the student's revolt against the black laws (kala kanoon) of the university, and the 1969 mass uprising in East Pakistan. During these critical political moments, Madhur Canteen was a social epicentre frequented by student leaders and activists. The Pakistani army targeted Madhur Canteen on 25 March 1971, with the beginning of operation Searchlight.

Massacre
Madhusudan Dey was killed on 26 March 1971. The Pakistani military stormed his house and started firing in the early morning hours. Dey's wife, son and daughter-in-law were amongst those killed. Madhusudan Dey was injured in the firing, arrested and taken to the Jagannath Hall playground where he was killed alongside many students.

Present location

Madhur Canteen was reconstructed after suffering severe damage during the liberation war. The canteen was relocated from its original location in the present-day Dhaka Medical college building to an old structure. The canteen's present location served as the Durbar Hall of the Dhaka Nawabs. Apart from being used as a venue for formal and informal meetings, it also served as a skating rink and ballroom for the enjoyment of the Nawabs. Construction of the building began in 1873 which continued over several years. In 1906, a conference was held in the building, sponsored by Nawab bahadur Sir Khwaja Salimullah, the Nawab of Dhaka that led to the formation of the All-India Muslim League.

Toufiq Hosen Khan, a student of fine arts, engraved a statue of Madhusudan Dey in 1995, which remains in front of the Madhur Canteen to the present day.

See also
Haji Biriyani
Star Kabab

References

Further reading
 Muntassir Mamoon 2003 Dhaka Shomogro,
 Mahbubur Rahman 2011, City of an architect,
 Gopal Das 2007, Manidipto Campus

University of Dhaka
Restaurants in Bangladesh
Politics of Bangladesh
Dhaka
Restaurants in Dhaka
Bangladeshi cuisine

Bangladeshi
Bangladeshi culture

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Things You Forgot Happened In He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe
By Stephen Wilds/Updated: Jan. 10, 2022 3:01 pm EST
He-Man is back and he still has the power! Now that "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" is out on Netflix, many viewers will want to look back at the original show for more musclebound action. Whether these are new fans, eager to see where the legend started in its animated form, or those who grew up with the original show but have forgotten the mysteries Grayskull holds, there is a ton of adventure and fun to be had with the classic cartoon.
Based on a hit toy line from Mattel, "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" ran for two seasons from 1983-1985, collecting an impressive 130 episodes, a Christmas special, and several crossover adventures with She-Ra. That can be a lot to try and absorb, especially since there are several characters who cycle in and out, as well as one-off heroes and villains that push individual stories, never to return. Somehow, the world of Eternia was not explored very much unless it pertained to that particular episode's narrative, making it harder for newbies to get a handle on where the characters are and why they're fighting.
For those who only have the basic lore down, a few facts might slip through the cracks — leaving plenty of secrets to be rediscovered.
He-Man is cultured
When most people think of He-Man it's about muscles, action, and the fights against Skeletor to save Eternia. Each episode creates a new conflict that sends the hero into battle to help someone or keep the peace — but that can't be all that the titular character does with his time, right?
He-Man was eventually given an alternate identity in the form of Prince Adam within the pages of the comics. This was kept a secret from many of the supporting cast, so that Skeletor couldn't simply kill his foe while he wasn't powered up. But it also gave the character a weakness and created some entertaining story moments when Adam couldn't easily slip away to transform, or had to make excuses to exit a battle so his alter ego could help out.
During the classic show's episodes, viewers are given a few small glimpses into Adam's duties as a member of the royal family: receiving guests, attending events like the joust, and watching performances from Man-E-Faces and other entertainers, as well as other small diplomatic outings. When those duties aren't taking up his free time, the Prince is seen training, or more often opting to skip these lessons with Teela to nap, fish, or even do watercolor paintings. Perhaps if he had been given more time to work on his artistic hobbies, he could have helped create some additional backgrounds for the show.
Queen Marlena isn't from Eternia
For a series that takes place on Eternia (a planet that is not secretly Earth from another time), everyone would be forgiven for assuming there were no Earthlings in the story, but that's not true. The show sees its fair share of people from the planet, mostly in the form of kids (as we saw in the Christmas special), but a couple of members from the main cast are hiding that secret origin as well.
Queen Marlena, He-Man's mother, was originally an astronaut from Earth who was thrown off course after meteors hit her ship, the Rainbow Explorer. This detour to Eternia was supposed to last a few days, but after we are shown a flashback of this in the episode "The Rainbow Warrior," she explains that love took hold instead. This sequence might have meant more had she not dropped a random, "back on Earth," line during the joust earlier, but it's still an intriguing revelation. Marlena gets to show off her piloting skills and save the day in this adventure, while Prince Adam is stuck without his powers, temporarily at least.
This means that Prince Adam is also half-Earthling, and even he (as He-Man) is shocked to see that it was his mother that freed them, meaning it is unlikely many other than King Randor knew much of her past as a captain of the stars. This is also the episode where Queen Marlena not-so-subtly hints that she knows who her son truly is.
The darker side of Man-E-Faces
His name is a cringe-inducing attempt at some sort of pun, but the backstories for the action figures and comics tried to make "Man-E-Faces" more serious, giving him the origin of a tortured actor, transformed by one of Skeletor's potions and given split personalities. The character would make only two main appearances and a couple of cameos, leaving more of an imprint with his gimmick than time on screen. He was originally going to pop in for a side gag in the episode "Into the Abyss," but was cut to help the tone. At least in this version, he was allowed to do more than just three faces.
Those who do recall Man-E-Faces remember him as a hero, fighting alongside He-Man, or at least are aware of his reputation as the greatest actor in Eternia. But in "The Mystery of Man-E-Faces," viewers are also shown that he began on the wrong side of the law, terrorizing people smaller than him, even if he wasn't purely evil. Man-E-Faces tells He-Man that these acts were because others were afraid of him, fearful of his abilities, and shunned him for this. In his own words, this led him to be "cruel" toward everyone and steal from them. After a run-in with Skeletor and Beast Man, who abused him for their own purposes, He-Man and Teela helped free the future actor, and Orko even gave Man-E-Faces his name.
Teela's Parentage
Teela is arguably one of the most interesting characters in the He-Man universe, but having several changes made to her backstory and altering the relationship she shares with the group for various incarnations can make it difficult to keep up with her. In the original minicomics, Teela was a clone of the Sorceress created by Skeletor, an element that was probably inserted to help explain the armor on the original action figure. In other versions, Man-at-Arms is her biological father. There's also a theory that Fisto might actually be her dad, and in the 1983 cartoon Duncan adopts Teela and keeps the identity of her mother a secret, which is revealed in the episode "Teela's Quest."
Here, Teela gets a bit envious of Prince Adam's relationship with Queen Marlena and sets off to find out who her mother really is by seeking the oracle. Being a bit rash, Teela heads off to a dangerous place by herself and runs afoul of Mer-Man and a sea monster, but He-Man shows up to help. She goes through all of this and discovers that her mother is none other than the Sorceress, only to have those memories erased. The knowledge is treated as an incredibly important tidbit that she can't know, but now He-Man is aware of it also. This is brought up one other time in "Teela's Triumph," where she temporarily assumes the role of the sorceress, but not mentioned after that until a 2012 storyline from DC Comics killed off the Sorceress.
Orko's many facets
Many viewers were not fond of Orko. This could be because the character didn't appear in the initial run of the toy line (having been created for the cartoon), or perhaps because he typically played the role of comedic relief. He is the King's Royal Buffoon, after all.
Orko was a klutz, never really able to do his magic correctly, often hindering the heroes on their missions and constantly damaging Man-at-arms' lab. Somehow, he's still one of Prince Adam's closest allies. It isn't surprising that most fans were more upset at the lack of Battle Cat in the live-action film than not seeing Orko.
He's a powerful character – to the point he becomes a villainous mad god in one of the comic storylines – even if he has trouble getting his spells to work properly. As a Trollan, Orko possesses a mastery over matter creation, his hat opens up into a dimensional space where he can keep any number of items, as well as an extra hand comes out of there (which seems helpful), and his teleportation powers allow him to easily escape many traps.
His potent tricks do seem to work somewhat better back in his home dimension, where the laws of physics work differently, and there is a medallion that helps him as well, but some of these points contradict themselves as the show progresses. More importantly, in "Creatures from the Tar Swamp," Orko saves Adam and Cringer at a young age, before they had their powers.
He-Man's sword is a tool, not a weapon
He-Man was originally supposed to wield a battle-ax back when he was in toy form, but looking back now, he wouldn't seem right without his Power Sword.
The "Masters of the Universe" toys also came with two swords (one belonged to Skeletor), and these had to be put together to unlock Castle Grayskull. In the '80s, however, shows came under fire from parent groups and politicians alike, prepared to blame much of society's ills on the pop culture of the day. As pre-emptive measures, Skeletor got a staff, He-Man held back on his swordplay, and other creative decisions were made to walk a tightrope ensuring that the series could be kid-friendly, yet still be appealing to kids.
He-Man barely uses his fists, let alone his sword, and most of his aggressive actions are levied against large monsters or robots. Whenever the hero is dealing with humanoid-type characters, his tactics become more about subduing the enemies. His preferred method is usually to throw large rocks, or simply to pick the perpetrator up and toss them — if you look for it, you'll notice that He-Man spends a lot of time throwing others off-screen.
There are a few times when He-Man will chuck his sword at larger monsters – but even if the blade hits, it almost always bounces off them. He isn't allowed to use the sword against anyone offensively to any effective degree, and most of the time he's seen using it to cut items or deflect laser blasts.
He-Man went hard on the PSAs
Public Service Announcements (PSAs) have a long and complicated history that can arguably be traced back to the Civil War, but Filmation is often mentioned for modernizing these messages with their work on "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" and "He-Man." The latter almost had to have these little lessons with how closely parents related the show to violence, and the producers tried hard to balance out the program. Running 130 episodes, the show covered a lot of ground with these messages, so it makes sense that they don't all land quite right. A few are uncomfortable and others are just plain silly.
Consider, for instance, the PSA that had Ram Man telling kids not to run their heads into things. Or another that had Ram Man and Man-E-faces making up after an argument.
Additionally, there were episodes about drugs, so those PSAs were present, and one PSA about inappropriate touching, but it went further to tell kids that they shouldn't feel ashamed if it happened. These ending sections also tried to warn children about being ageist, judging people based on their appearances, not to take shortcuts for wealth and power, accepting failures and learning from mistakes. Within the episodes themselves were some solid examples of needing to have faith and that even He-Man can lose his confidence, which the creators say paid off based on stories fans told them years later. They crammed a ton of valuable information into the show for those who were listening, and then there were straightforward points, like Teela telling audiences about the Magna Carta.
How money changes someone
It's no secret that Filmation was banking on "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" to help put the company on the map, and to make sure everything worked out the way they wanted it to, costs had to be kept low. This pride in an American-made show kept under budget lead to cuts all around, with voice acting and animation taking the largest hits. As anyone who watches the show can hear, various small characters have familiar voices, and zoomed-in shots frequently take the place of actual animation, as reused assets, rewound motions, and replayed sequences became the norm.
Speaking of cutting corners, the character of Orko originally had another name, Gorpo, which can still be heard in some Portuguese translations of the show. This late alteration seems to come from a financial standpoint instead of a creative one, because if the character had a large letter G imprinted on his clothing, it would be harder to flip footage of him and make scenes look different without having to re-draw the floating magician. The giant O, however, helped with this and looked more mystical on the Trollan. This brings into question how many other changes might have happened all in the name of saving a few dollars, even if Orko is the better name.
Some great people worked on the show
Most folks don't think of great writing or production value when recalling "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe," but the truth is that the program had some incredibly skilled behind-the-scenes talent.
Not only was there a tremendous group of voice actors who brought the characters to life – many of them having to talk to themselves in a majority of the scenes – but other voices had to be filled in by one of the founders of Filmation, Lou Scheimer, as well as his wife, and daughter, making that a tightknit group. The energetic music was handled by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy, giants with stellar resumes in the world of children's programming.
Behind the scenes was Bruce Timm, now known as the mind behind some of DC Comics' greatest animated projects. One of his earliest gigs was as a background artist and designer for "He-Man," while he was also given a chance to work with the mini-comics.
Some of his fellow comic book brethren were present to help on scripts, with Paul Dini and J. Michael Straczynski working on the show early in their careers. "Star Trek" scribe D.C. Fontana contributed an episode featuring the origin of Battle Cat as well. Even if children's show trappings restricted what could be done, no one could ever say that He-Man didn't have a wealth of talent behind him.
There was a 1990 follow-up cartoon
"Masters of the Universe: Revelation" is attempting to give fans a proper continuation to the '80s cartoon, but it's not the first time this has been attempted.
Although rarely remembered, there was an attempt at a direct sequel that mutated into its own strange oddity. Sales for the toy line had begun to decline drastically by 1986, and it was evident that the franchise needed some sort of rejuvenation. This came in the form of a redesigned set of toys, which would require a new show to help sell them like last time. Enter "The New Adventures of He-Man."
This show uprooted Adam from Eternia, placing him instead on the ultra-high-tech planet Primus. Leaving most of the cast behind (some would occasionally cameo), Skeletor did tag along to remain his nagging nemesis.
This near-complete re-haul of He-Man featured a protagonist that didn't look like the musclebound warrior kids were accustomed to seeing, as well as one of the worst designs for Skeletor. Other than the upgraded visuals, almost everything else was worse, and the show is often remembered (if at all) as the weakest of the franchise.
Somehow, "New Adventures" ran for 65 episodes. There were rumors of a second season that would send Adam back to Eternia, but instead the '90s led He-Man into relative obscurity. With "Masters of the Universe: Revelation," perhaps it is finally time once again for He-Man to have the power.


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Out and about or from your living room.
Discover the real Hong Kong with our walking tours and virtual tours.
Our Tours:
Walk in Hong Kong's lovingly-designed and well-researched walking tours are open to anyone eager to experience the lesser-seen sides of Hong Kong — fun, informative and celebratory of the city's tales, past and present, in all their gritty, quirky glory.
As the city's leading cultural enterprise, we also curate memorable experiences for corporates and education institutions, and are also a strong advocate for heritage conservation.
What Our Guests Say About Our Tours:
"Would recommend this for first time travellers and those who may already have some info on Hong Kong - exceptionally knowledgeable guides who are able to add a special, nuanced view into Hong Kong's past and present."
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"I would highly recommend this tour for people who don't want to do the typical touristy spots. This was definitely a 'off the beaten path' experience."
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"[Walk in Hong Kong's] tours are one-of-a-kind in a city like HK which is always portrayed as a materialistic, shopper's paradise. "
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"We have done many walking tours and this was a stand out experience. Not just a standard facts and figures but a truly engaging discussion."
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Our real-time online tours
Fun online learning excursions for kids during local schools "special vacation"
English Learning with Fun — Central Market with Miss Sabrina
On private request
Bringing kindergarten and primary school kids on a journey through Graham Street Market to boost their confidence in English speaking.
Mandarin Learning with Fun — Let's visit the pandas!
Chengdu, Sichuan
A one-of-a-kind opportunity for kids to hone their Mandarin speaking ability, as they follow our expert guide in touring the world's largest panda breeding base in Sichuan.
English Learning with Fun — Tsim Sha Tsui with our English Speaking Guide
Kids could gain practical experience in introducing things around them in English, as our guide walk through the landmarks of Tsim Sha Tsui and introduce them in a conversational manner.
Need a different timeslot or something more tailor-made?
Have a look at private virtual tours here.
Our public in person tours
Far Far Away Movie Locations Tours
25 Sep 2022 (Sun)
East Kowloon and North District
from HK$580
Bringing you to the far-flung corners of Hong Kong featured in the local box office hit Far Far Away.
LEGO® 90 Years of Play
Aug to Sep 2022
Various districts in HK
Hop on our specially decorated LEGO® double decker bus and explore the playful side of Hong Kong!
Walk Into Movies: Film Screenings and Location Tours
Filmmakers of five local movies will bring you to the locations featured in their works and shed light on the hidden stories behind.
Looking for more in person private tours?
We are more than just tours
Building on the rich culture and heritage of Hong Kong, we collaborate with our corporate partners to create customized solutions — immersive and memorable experiences that suit their specific needs and goals.
Passing our love of Hong Kong to the young generation is one of our key missions. We do it in a variety of entertaining, informative ways — experiential learning, youth training programmes, workshops and seminars...
We are an influential advocate for heritage conservation and social change. Our team was instrumental in securing Grade 1 historic building status for State Theatre in North Point, one of the city's most important theatrical venues.
The City's Beloved Storyteller
Walk in Hong Kong offers lovingly-designed and well-researched walking tours open to anyone eager to experience the lesser-seen sides of Hong Kong. We are known for our wonderful storytelling, which allows us to curate equally engaging journeys both offline and online.
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This introductory guide explains the basic concepts behind the term geospatial.
The real advantage of adding geospatial attributes to data.
Geo loosely means 'the Earth'. Spatial refers to 'in space', meaning anything that can be represented in terms of position, coordinates etc.
Geospatial is also used to refer to the kinds of analyses you can do with the aid of computers and software-the combination of computer and software is called a Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Geospatial data tends to require large storage volumes and fast processors, and this is especially the case for remotely sensed data.
The power of a geospatial 'tag' lies in its ability to make connections to other research modes, types and even to seemingly unrelated things.


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Fandomopolis
All Fandoms, All the time.
Fandom Charities
Katee Sackhoff Cast as Lead in Sci-Fi "Origin Unknown"
Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, Riddick, Oculus, Don't Knock Twice) will play the lead role of Mackenzie 'Mack' Wilson in the sci-fi thriller Origin Unknown.
After the first manned mission to Mars ends in a deadly crash, mission controller Mackenzie 'Mack' Wilson (Sackhoff) is summoned to assist an artificial intelligence system – A.R.T.I Their investigation uncovers a mysterious object under the surface of Mars, leading to a discovery that could change the future of our planet as we know it. Principal photography begins later this month in London, UK.
Origin Unknown is being directed by Hasraf 'HaZ' Dullul (Project Kronos, Sync) an award nominated visual effects artist (Hell Boy II, The Dark Knight) who recently signed on to direct the much-anticipated Robin Hood reboot, Robin Hood 2058, produced by Atlas Entertainment (Suicide Squad, Batman vs Superman, Warcraft) and Gianni Nunnari (Immortals, 300). While simultaneously directing music videos and commercials, HaZ transitioned into scripted fare with his Sci-fi short film Project Kronos, which became an Internet hit on YouTube and Vimeo.
The screenplay for Origin Unknown is written by Gary Hall based on a story by Dulull. The director of photography is Adam Sculthorp (aerial unit on 'Prometheus', 'Spectre"). The VFX will be handled by Territory Studio ('The Martian', 'Guardians of the Galaxy', Blade Runner 2, Alien Covenant), Paddy Eason is the VFX Supervisor ('28 Weeks Later', 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban') and Michael Stevens ('Million Dollar Baby', 'Invictus', Gran Torino) will compose.
Origin Unknown is being financed by Head Gear Films and Parkgate Entertainment; Phil Hunt and Compton Ross of Head Gear Films are Executive Producers on the project.
Origin Unknown marks a partnership between Parkgate Entertainment (a Production Company) and Coffee & Cigarettes (a Producer's Representative and Distribution Consultancy). Tom Clark and Eduardo Panizzo are representing the film and Executive Producing.
Categories:	Movies & TV	/ No Responses / by Marsia Powers
Post Author: Marsia Powers
Assignment Editor for Fandomopolis and Whedonopolis - Twitter and Facebook @Marsia - Taught to read on super hero comic books by her cool mom who enjoyed Star Trek, James Bond and the original Doctor Who, Marsia is a second-generation SciFi/fantasy aficionado. Marsia went from socializing over the internet in 1999 to organizing in 2003 a combined SciFi/Fantasy/Whedonverse Meetup in Los Angeles that has grown to over 650 members.
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Helmuth Rilling conducts Mozart's 1789 arrangement of that "Grand Musical Entertainment". According to Rilling, it is due to the details that this arrangement is so fascinating: dynamic changes, a different segmentation of solo and chorus parts, the instrumentation modulated to the tone characteristic of Mozart's time. "Actually", says Rilling, "this Messiah is a new work, more colorful, and very interesting!" "I was particularly impressed by Cornelia Kallisch; her singing of "He was despised" is beautifully controlled and her declamation clear and affecting... [Her] light-textured voice, sometimes recalling the youthful Ameling, is ideal in this repertory.
07 Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759) In der Bearbeitung von Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - KV 572 Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe!
09 Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759) In der Bearbeitung von Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - KV 572 Kommt her und seht das Lamm!


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Q: How to convert a byte array to binary? Python So currently I have a .bin file that I read in as a byte array and get an array like this:
with open ('test.bin') as x:
    arrayneeded = bytearray(x.read())

print(arrayneeded)

I get an array like this:
b'\x03\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00... etc
The question I have is, how do I do the opposite of this? Lets say I have a byte array already, how do I convert that and append it to a .bin file? I know how to write to a file already using
x.write()

I looked online and couldn't find a way to do the opposite of what I did above. Any insight would be great.
Thanks!

A: Not sure if this is what you are searching for but if you want to decode your variable (i presumed that in this case is a list of integers) write it on a file and then read it you would have to do it like this:
my_str=[1,2,3,4,5]

byte_str = bytearray(my_str)

you can append it by writing "ab" as the mode
with open("file.bin","ab") as f:
   f.write(byte_str)

You don't have to convert it but just use it as it is:
 with open("file.bin", "rb") as f:
        x = f.read()
        print(list(x))

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Collection of 'Unique and Unusual Bottle Openers' from all over the world.
Citrusaw: This cool bottle opener slices the citrus and opens the bottle.
Key Shaped Bottle Opener: Brewzkey bottle opener blends in perfectly with your keys.
iBottle Opener: This unique and handy iPhone case includes a bottle opener at its back side.
Cufflinks Bottle Opener: Cool stainless steel cufflinks double as bottle openers.
idrink Bottle Opener: "Tongue-in-cheek humor from the guys at Sonic Design with their idrink bottle opener."
Hopandpop Bottle Opener: This bottle opener looks like a frog, removes off bottle caps with his mouth.
Fang Bottle Openers: These come from Fang collection of bottle openers, there are 9 patterned versions of these vinyl creatures and one plain one.
PocketToolX: This modern bottle opener boasts of 5 unique features; the multi-purpose flat tip acts as a pry tool, a scraper tool, and a flat head keychain screwdriver.
Shark Bite Bottle Opener: This cool bottle opener takes the cap right off the bottle with ease.
Bottle Opener Shoes: This bottle opener shoes come with a built-in bottle opener on the 4" stiletto heel.
Top Gear Bottle Opener: This sleek and stylish chrome design bottle opener opens bottles by hooking, pushing or pulling.
Star Trek Bottle Opener: Officially licensed bottle opener shaped like the USS Enterprise.
Double Bottle Opener: Why open one bottle cap when you can open two at the same time? With this bottle opener you can open two bottle caps at a time.
Don't miss to check out "Unique and Unusual Bottle Openers – Part: 1| 2| 3".