MIT anthropologist Stefan Helmreich on the boom of the FLIP ship in October 2017.
A tug tows the FLIP ship (which has no engine) in its horizontal position to a location off the coast of California were it will transition to the vertical position for scientific research.
The FLIP ship being shifted into its vertical position, a 20 minute process.
When the FLIP ship is in its vertical position, 300 of its 355 feet are underwater, which creates a stable platform on which scientists can conduct experiments in the open ocean.
Sunset at sea — from the boom of the FLIP ship in its vertical position.
Wave patterns on a computer monitor aboard the FLIP. Helmreich emphasizes that waves are not just physical phenomena; they are entities that become scientifically legible through measurement, models, and theories — that is, through human cultural activity.
The author of the award-winning book "Alien Ocean: Anthropological Voyages in Microbial Seas," MIT anthropologist Stefan Helmreich has a wealth of experience examining how scientists think about the world. And recently, he gained a new perspective — quite literally — by taking his research to the Floating Instrument Platform, known colloquially as the FLIP ship.
Operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, the FLIP ship is a unique scientific vessel that can operate in either a horizontal or vertical position. "Everyday life on the ship has an M. C. Escher sort of feel, with doors, sinks, and stairs appearing in both vertical and horizontal alignments," says Helmreich, who is the Elting E. Morison Professor of Anthropology and head of anthropology within the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
Helmreich boarded FLIP in October of 2017 to conduct anthropological fieldwork into contemporary ocean wave science — seeking to understand more about the changing theories, models, and technologies that physical oceanographers use to apprehend waves. While aboard ship, he conducted interviews and joined people in their everyday work to learn how they engage with and understand the surface of the sea.
In his current research, Helmreich emphasizes that waves are not only physical phenomena; they are entities that become scientifically legible through measurement, models, and theories — that is, through human cultural activity.
On FLIP, Helmreich had the opportunity to investigate such questions while getting to know a unique vessel. In its horizontal conformation, the FLIP travels like an ordinary oceangoing vessel. But by "flipping" 90 degrees into a vertical position once it arrives at its destination, it can become, essentially, a enormous spar buoy.
"In this position, the vessel looks like nothing so much as a floating metal treehouse," says Helmreich. With most of the platform's 108-meter length below the surface, scientists have the rare opportunity to work on the open ocean in a remarkably stable environment. FLIP has been a significant instrument in the long history of U.S.-based wave science, permitting scientists to investigate underwater acoustics, to capture the varied spectrum of ocean waves, and much else.
What did Helmreich learn on FLIP? Helmreich says that he became particularly fascinated by the work of oceanographers who were using novel laser technologies — operating in visible and invisible frequencies — to make precise measurements of ocean turbulence at the sea surface, where wind and waves interact in ways that are still not fully characterized.
What struck him — aside from the experience of doing fieldwork on a ship on which everything seemed sideways — was how wave scientists apprehend their data through cameras and computer screens that present frame-by-frame, color-coded visualizations of the wave field.
"This mode of understanding waves reminded me of the technology of cinema — even recalling to me an 1891 film called 'La Vague,' made by Étienne Jules Marey to study the movement of a wave in the Bay of Naples," says Helmreich.
"In important ways, wave science is enabled by the media — photographic, computational, acoustic — that scientists employ to comprehend ocean wave generation, propagation, breaking, and more," he adds.
Back on land, Helmreich continues to extend his research on waves to a wide range of disparate phenomena that employ the same abstract concept. Drawing on media theory and sound studies, for example, he has lately asked, in an essay in Wire magazine, how we should understand the sounds of gravitational wave detection (a related article in Cultural Anthropology drew on interviews with MIT physicists Nergis Mavalvala, Scott Hughes, and David Kaiser), and in an article in Current Anthropology, how medical measures of cardiac waves have changed health care.


Welcome to the Framester photo gallery from Cincy Cinco 2015 (Saturday) presented by Kroger. Enjoy your event photos, below.
Want some high-quality digital amazingness, (print from home), we recommend downloading the "original" file size (you've got options...just scroll over the large image below...high-res start at just $2)...otherwise you can download up to 2x image size for FREE. You can also buy prints through our awesome shopping cart tool which allows you to zoom/crop/print/ your photos on glossy/matte/metallic/canvas...shipped straight to your doorstep!


text:
A big red tape F
The Yukon's efforts to cut red tape was given a failing grade by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, this week. The territory should have seen it coming, said federation vice president Laura Jones.
The Yukon's efforts to cut red tape was given a failing grade by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, this week.
The territory should have seen it coming, said federation vice president Laura Jones.
For the last five years, the federation has met with Premier Dennis Fentie on an annual basis to try to convince his government to make it easier for businesses tangled in red tape.
Fentie's reaction to the idea was "tepid" at best, said Jones.
He expressed "lukewarm interest," she said.
"Followed by no action."
So this week, the federation gave the Yukon government an F.
"It's disappointing to see the Yukon the lowest in Canada," said Yukon Chamber of Commerce chair Andrew Stouffer, who agrees with the federation.
"Excessive red tape is a deterrent to business," he said.
"And in the Yukon, where a large percentage of businesses are small, it is particularly impactful."
The average citizen doesn't come across a lot of red tape, said Jones.
"Maybe when they do their taxes, or if they want to put an extension on their house."
But businesses deal with it on a daily basis, she said.
"And it creates a lot of stress."
In small jurisdictions like the Yukon, business owners are afraid to speak out for fear of repercussions, said Jones, mentioning one owner who received a letter telling her she owned $90,000 following a tax audit.
"She was going to lose her house or her business, and all she was doing was following the advice government gave her," said Jones.
It took a year to sort it out.
In the end it was a government mixup.
"But that's a year of stress," she said.
"And I bet the government employee who wrote her the letter didn't lose one night's sleep."
In the Yukon, the government bends over backwards to assist with economic development, especially in the mining sector, said Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce president Rick Karp.
"But in other sectors it's quite difficult to do business in Whitehorse because of red tape," he said.
The federation of independent businesses would like to see provincial and territorial governments across Canada measuring red tape and taking steps to reduce unnecessary regulations.
British Columbia has been measuring its red tape since 2001, has introduced a red tape awareness week and has committed to reducing regulatory requirements for businesses.
It got a B plus.
The Northwest Territories, Alberta and Manitoba were the only other regions with failing grades.
The Yukon needs to measure its red tape and set targets to reduce it, said Stouffer.
But red tape is only part of the problem, said Karp.
The Yukon needs to become less reliant on Ottawa and develop its private sector, he said.
Part of building the private sector means being more business-friendly and reducing red tape, he added.
Fentie did not return calls by press time.
Contact Genesee Keevil at
gkeevil@yukon-news.com
Community cares for carver
a dip into icy waters

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Antenatal Clinic provides mums-to-be with care during their pregnancy.
Here we monitor your health during pregnancy, as well as the health and development of your baby. We can also help predict any possible complications with your pregnancy or birth so we can take care to avoid or treat them.
We are located on the ground floor of the east wing of Russells Hall Hospital.
The clinic is open from 9am until 5pm, Monday to Friday.
You can get in touch with the clinic by calling (01384) 456111 extension 3351.
The antenatal clinic is located in Russells Hall Hospital, Ground Floor, East Wing.


This week, the State of Maryland reported that they tested a specific lot of Stella & Chewy's freeze dried chicken dinners which tested positive for listeria monocytogenes. There have been no reports of illness.
On July 4th, out of an abundance of caution, Stella & Chewy's has decided to voluntarily recall this specific lot (#111-15) and product that was produced that day that may have come in contact with that lot.
Hungry Hound has determined that we did in fact have a few bags of recalled items that were on the expanded recall list. We have disposed of them properly. If you find that you have any affected product, please bring it back for replacement or refund.


text:
Britney Spears' dad makes wild new claims
In new court documents, Britney's father Jamie Spears alleges he paid out her huge debts and saved her from million dollar lawsuits.
Bianca Mastroianni
December 18, 2020 - 1:11AM
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Britney Spears' father Jamie Spears allegedly helped his daughter climb out of momentous debt and build her $60 million fortune, say new claims.
The claims come from documents filed by his lawyer, as theDaily Mail reports.
Jamie Spears, 68, is currently fighting Britney, 39, as she tries to dump him as her conservator.
Britney Spears with her father Jamie Spears. Picture: Supplied.
RELATED: Spears is "fu**ed for life', star says
He also claimed that he helped her get out of huge lawsuits which could have cost her tens of millions of dollars.
"For over 12 years, Mr Spears has more than capably and dutifully served as the conservator of his daughter's estate, always doing what he believed was in his daughter's best interest," said Vivian Thoreen, Jamie's attorney, in a legal declaration.
"Mr. Spears has performed his job well. This is a fact. He has taken the estate from being in debt and facing tens of millions of dollars of lawsuits, to a current value of well over $60 million.
Britney Spears supporters have long been protesting for her freedom. Picture: Getty.
RELATED: 'Unsettling' Britney video shocks fans
The new declarations were filed at Los Angeles Superior Court ahead of a Wednesday hearing.
Jamie, nine attorneys representing Britney, her mother Lynne and the conservatorship were live on audio and video connection at the court hearing, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Judge Penny set new dates in February, March and April 2021 for continued hearings on how the star's conservatorship should be run.
Britney Spears often assures her fans that she is "fine" amid conservatorship drama. Picture: Instagram.
RELATED: Britney Spears' $57m fortune at risk
It comes after Britney's lawyer Sam Ingham told the court that Britney was "afraid" of her father and would not perform again until he is no longer in charge of her conservatorship.
Lynne claimed Jamie once told her Britney is "like a racehorse and needed to be handled like one".
Jamie has been overseeing her conservatorship since her public breakdown in 2008. He has not seen her in four months.
This week, he told CNN: "I love my daughter and I miss her very much. When a family member needs special care and protection, families need to step up, as I have done for the last 12-plus years, to safeguard, protect and continue to love Britney unconditionally.
"I have and will continue to provide unwavering love and fierce protection against those with self-serving interests and those who seek to harm her or my family."
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The US actress turned TV talk host has stunned viewers with a revelation she had an "open relationship" with actor Luke Wilson.
Tiger King Joe Exotic has had his prison sentence reduced, but a judge rejected his plea to free him from prison.
Prince Andrew's lawyers are reportedly trying to get Kevin Spacey to testify in the Duke's upcoming sexual abuse trial, in a desperate bid to help clear his name.


So as you know, I took up the inktober challenge this month and have been doing updates on the inking and other pieces of artwork that I have. Well, I stopped with the daily challenge. And to be honest, I don't regret it at all.
With 5 kids, post hurricane clean up, squeezing in moments with my husband in between his two jobs and my schedule, a daily challenge wasn't exactly on the top of my priority list. When I started it, I wanted to use it as a way for me to stick with my art and to keep at it and I can confidently say that it served its purpose. Not to say that I have miraculously become a better illustrator, person, wife, and mother that I could become in less than two weeks, but I have seen things in a different perspective and was kind of thrown into a better life for it.
There is much to this post today. I am in the middle of a second coloring book and its going to be a blast! So this is short, yes, but you taking time to read it has made my day!
Be sure to check out my newest coloring book now on Amazon!
Show some love and support for more artwork on Patreon!
The flowers are the last set of the flower sticker pack I have for the fall festivals this year. Once all the chaos has died down a bit, I will be adding them to my shop!
Tree coloring book page download!
Inktober was started by Jake Parker as a way to challenge himself by posting an inked illustration everyday for the month of October. Since then, artists everywhere take up the challenge themselves by posting daily or even weekly drawings for Inktober!


Last week I discussed the significance, both literary and personal, of John Scalzi's Hugo-nominated novel Old Man's War (2005). Today I shift focus to The Ghost Brigades (2006), the direct sequel and second book in the on-going series.
Rather than continue the story of John Perry, 75-year-old recruit to the Colonial Defense Forces, The Ghost Brigades shifts focus to the eponymous special forces units—including Perry love interest Jane Sagan. Only Sagan isn't really the protagonist here, per se. But more on that later.
Early in the novel, a cover operation uncovers a conspiracy among three alien races to slice up the Colonial Union. It involves the Rraey, who you will recall as humanity's chief antagonists in Old Man's War, but also the insect-like Enesha—who the Colonial Union is officially allied with—and the mercurial Obin, who everyone is afraid of. What's more, if a military alliance of this kind weren't bad enough, special forces discovers an underground laboratory where scientists from all three species are researching the technology behind the BrainPal, humanity's secret weapon in its endless wars against anything that moves. And there is one more problem: a traitor, a human scientist named Charles Boutin, is aiding the conspirators in their quest to conquer and destroy humanity.
I remember The Ghost Brigades as my favorite entry in the series, and it certainly impressed on re-read. It is also a very different kind of book—an Empire Strikes Back, if you will, to its predecessor's Star Wars. And I mean several things by that. First, as much as it's the second book in a trilogy, The Ghost Brigades is also the first in a two-part story, and so lacks the degree of resolution found at the end of Old Man's War. Second, like Empire, it is far, far darker than its predecessor. This is, after all, a book about uncovering a conspiracy, and averting a cataclysm by whatever means necessary. Even still, it could have been cartoonish. It's decidedly not.
Special Forces soldiers gaped up at the skinned torsos on hooks. Barrels below the hooks were filled with offal. Limbs in various states of processing lay stacked on tables. On a separate table lay a collection of heads, skulls sawed open to extract the brains. Discarded heads rested in another barrel next to the table.
This is how it happens with us…the first time we see colonists, they're dead. The first time we see children they're dead. The first time we see an intelligent creature who isn't human, it's dead or trying to kill us, so we have to kill it. Then it's dead. It took me months before I saw a live colonist. I've never seen a live child.
This shift in tone is also reflected in the decision to leave Perry offstage and focus, instead, on a mostly different cast of characters. Sagan and Harry Wilson are holdovers, but the true protagonist is Jared Dirac—one of the eponymous "ghosts," but who has been overlaid with the recorded consciousness of the traitor, Boutin. He is a legitimate special forces operative assigned to Sagan's unit, but equally he is a joint experiment run by special forces and military research—an experiment which, the general staff hopes, will reveal Boutin's plan, his motivations and even his location.
As far as I'm concerned, the change in tone marks a welcome departure for the series, as Dirac's often-painful struggle feels much more appropriate for the subject matter than Perry's Midwestern earnestness (or Wilson's relaxed humor) would have. In their place, the hard truths of a fucked up universe as understood by a soldier literally born to kill, who then on top of things finds out that he's actually the result of a pretty unethical military experiment.
The tragedy of Dirac's short life, moreover, haunts me. From the trauma of his "birth" and integration into his training platoon, to the awkward tenderness of his romance with fellow recruit Sarah Pauling, to the abject horror of loss in war, it is never lost on the reader that Dirac is, in essence, a child—someone who, BrainPal aside, simply isn't emotionally equipped to truly make sense of what's happening to him. And Scalzi draws attention to this so often that I inevitably started thinking about real-world child soldiers, and all the horrible social implications of that practice.
On another mission, Sagan's team is tasked with committing what can only be described as an atrocity—though one that promises to set the anti-human coalition back significantly. Many soldiers object on moral grounds, but carry it out anyway. The actual act is pretty horrible, and feels closer to HBO's Game of Thrones adaptation than Old Man's War. Actually this didn't sit so well with me, as I wanted to see more fallout, psychological or political, than I got. But the shock it provides does serve a purpose—to jolt Dirac out of his truncated childhood and into something resembling maturity.
In other respects, Scalzi refines the narrative established in Old Man's War. For one, he provides a better explanation of why the Colonial Union exclusively recruits 75-year-old Westerners as soldiers and families from the developing world as colonists. 75-year-olds would "readily accept a life in the military rather than die of old age," while not creating multigenerational demographic damage (which would occur if the CDF took colonists). And it was not so much a decision to only to take soldiers from Western countries as much as a decision to not allow Westerners to become colonists (in order to keep the pipeline operating at full capacity). It's still not an entirely satisfactory explanation, but it's certainly an improvement.
My main issue, however, lies with Boutin, and more specifically, with his motivation for turning on the Colonial Union. We are made witness to the obligatory mad scientist speech, in which he taunts Dirac with the "genius" of his plan, but really offers only the shell of an argument as to why he's right. That is, Boutin states that his problem with the Colonial Union is political, not personal, and that he hopes, through war, to "save" humanity from the source of its misfortune (i.e. the Colonial Union, in his view). But he doesn't provide a substantive argument, and as such, isn't very convincing. In fact the argumentation is so weak, and the counter-argument so obvious, it was hard for me to understand how Boutin convinced himself, let alone how he would convince another intelligent human being, that this is a worthwhile risk to take. Of course people do adopt colossally stupid political ideas from time to time, but usually there's at least a more insistent form of rationalization in play.
To me this constitutes a missed opportunity. The way it plays out makes it too easy to pigeonhole Boutin as a "bad guy." But his argument, or at least the argument he could make, is one Scalzi has been seeding for two books now. So I think what I wanted was even greater ambiguity, where the reader could actually contemplate the notion that Boutin might actually be the "good guy." Not that I actually want him to be the "good guy"—I'm one of those "ends don't justify the means" types, after all. However, I wanted more of an exploration of what you might describe as "the uncomfortably gray areas." Maybe something along the lines of what Iain M. Banks did in Use of Weapons.
The Ghost Brigades is nevertheless a very strong book. It's thoroughly gripping and, like everything Scalzi writes, hard to put down. Better yet, it's genuinely thought provoking—and not just politically. Scalzi uses the process of creating Special Forces, and the peculiarities of Dirac's consciousness transfer, to philosophize on what it truly means to be an autonomous, sentient being. The ultimate conclusion, that it is the recognition and free exercise of choices, is of course debatable. But it is elegantly and thoughtfully presented.
Yet, even with that in mind, the thing I appreciate most about this book is its humanity. All the characters, from Dirac and Sagan to Wilson and captive Rraey scientist Cainen, show real vulnerability, real doubts and real struggle to come to grips with the various open-ended questions posed throughout the text. That, as much as the darker tone, marks The Ghost Brigades as an unusual entry in this series. And one likely to remain my favorite, when all is said and done.
Join us next week for a look back at the third book in the series, The Last Colony.
John Scalzi's Old Man's War is Coming to SyFy!


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First, apologies for not activating Deuchar Law (GM/SS-144). The WX was attrocious and I seemed to be very drained of energy by the time I had packed up on Dun Rig (GM/SS-052). It'll have to wait for another day.
Anyway, Dun Rig. I decided I'd park somewhere near Glen House and walk in from there. Glen House is a fantastic Gothic country mansion and it's worth checking out their website (you can hire it for £14k for a weekend) and also checking the photos on Geograph. When I got to Glen House it was very obvious from the signs that this was a private estate. I was a bit miffed by this as I thought I'd have to park further away but I spotted an estate worker on a quadbike and told him I wanted to walk up into the hills and could I park anywhere. He said it wouldn't be a problem and sent to a small car park at the back of a milking shed (NT296329). Fantastic!
The weather was attrocious, fairly heavy rain and the mist level looked like it was about 400m. Wonderful! The walk in is along a well made, but not metalled track to a small cottage at Glenshiel Banks. I was behind schedule but this path is so good I was able to make up the time I'd lost looking for a parking space.
The next stage was to test my navigation skills. I'm not an experienced walker by any means and I've been activating "easy" hills this winter to gain experience of being outdoors away from civilisation and also I haven't done any walking like this for 25 years and there's a lot of lard to get fit! This was the first hill I've climbed that there isn't an obvious path to the summit. Also the mist was low and dense enough that I couldn't see any features at all. I'd checked the 1:25000 map and there were some fences marked that met at the summit. A recent photo on Geograph shows the fences clearly meeting at the trig point. Also I'd had a play with Google Earth to get a feel for the shape of the land. But when you can't see anything then that's not so much use.
I took a bearing from the farmhouse to the summit on the map and tried to follow that. Now I knew that if I kept going up and North East I should hit the summit or a wire fence. So when I found myself at NT265302 I was suprised as that's about 90degs off my heading. Navigation needs more work and I've decided to do a course later this year. I also knew that I just had to follow the fence to the summit from here. Experienced walkers are probably wincing at my error here but I think that as I knew there was a fence I'd hit eventually, I wasn't being ultra accurate with my navigation. Still it's best to learn how bad you are when it's safe to do so rather than in a real wilderness where errors can have serious consequences.
Again every fence I've followed to date has always had a clearly visible path by it. Not this one. From where I met the forest up to about half way to the summit was wild heather. It was very heavy going and I think this was a big reason why I was so tired when it came to set off for Deuchar Law. When the hill steepened up a lot, a path of sorts appeared and that made progress much faster than the less inclined but pathless heathery section.
I don't have Bog Snorkeling equipment with me when I do SOTA but I can recommend it if you attempt Dun Rig after a few days rain! The final section where the summit flatens out was bog-tastic. After a prolonged freeze it would be nice and easy but with the rain falling today and over the last days, I had to pick my way around to avoid the deeper bits.
Setup was trivial. I followed some advice from Jack, GM4COX, who said to try to make everything "doable" with gloves on. The FMF SOTA system is just about 95% doable with gloves. I thought activity was a bit down, but on reviewing the log I worked 22 people. Thanks to everyone who worked me. It was good to be on the receiving end of the new G4ZRP antenna. Brian has traded in his pea-shooter for a Panzer 88mm and he was S8 on the 817's meter. 2x S2S with G1INK/P on LD-017 and G0MJG/P on NP-030.
I packed up and headed down. The rain was heavier and the mist thicker and for a moment I lost contact with the fence in trying to avoid going bog snorkeling. This time my compass skills did get me in the right direction. What surprised me was how far you can wander when you are concentrating on not treading in a bog and not trying to maintain a heading. When I dropped out of the mist I was able to see parts of Deuchar Law in the distance. It was only when I got back to down to NT265302 that I could see that the route to Deuchar Law was over about 1.5miles of the impenetrable heather that I wimped out and headed down to Glenshiel Banks.
By the time I was back on the track to Glen House, the mist had lifted, and there were sunny patches. Typical. If the weather had been better I'd have pushed on. But to confirm my wimping out was the right move, when I got back to the car, the heavens opened and the rain was quite torrential all the way back until I hit Penicuik, about 20 miles driving with double speed wipers needed at times.
So once more, sorry for wimping out. But I did see a much better and easier route up to Deuchar Law from near Loch Eddy. I'll save that one for a nice day.
M0COP & G0MJG/P and thanks to all of them.


text:
#52. The 'Orphan'
Two days to the new moon and the sky darkened quickly. A faint yellow glow on the western horizon was the last remnant of a warm dry-season day. Tom Nugent's eyes, however, were as good as a cat's in low light. Years of night watches on droving jobs, and desperate dusk-to-dawn rides had honed that sense to blade-sharpness.
Tom also knew the lay of the land around the Ragged Thirteen's old claim at Rosie's Flat. His current position, lying prone in an old trench near where Jake and the girls had camped, overlooked the Chinese diggings, without offering himself to view.
His eyes were fixed on the man he had spoken to a few days earlier: the guard with the rifle, protecting the Celestials and their rich new find. Ever since Tom had stopped to talk to that guard, something had bothered him. 'I know the bastard from somewhere,' he said to himself. Everything about the man: his walk, the way he handled his rifle, was familiar. Tom continued to watch while the Chinese miners finished up for the day, performing the last few chores by the light of slush lanterns.
The last miners came up from the shaft, and a barrow of rich ore was drawn up into the centre of the camp so it could not be pilfered. Tom was more interested in the heavy lumps of pure gold that had come from the 'jeweller's shop' they'd found, deep down in the shaft.
'The Ragged Thirteen's gold,' said Tom quietly. 'The gold that should have been ours.'
The Thirteen had been digging, out at the new claim, with high hopes. Tom had stayed positive as they stripped load after load of spoil off the surface of the hill, running in a ribbon parallel with the direction of the first leader. But in his heart he knew that it was dead ground. There was no second vein of gold underneath. No miracle, and he had been wrong to talk the others into staying. Now he had to make things right for them.
Tom watched as one of the Celestials, a boss to judge from the swagger, counted a number of coins into the white man's hand, and bowed. The guard shouldered his rifle, and left the claim, walking along the track towards town, whistling as he went. At that moment, Tom remembered a name, and a drunken meeting some two or three years earlier.
Picking himself up, he dusted down his clothes, and set off in pursuit, leaving his gelding where he had tethered him, at the base of a black wattle tree. He followed on foot for half a mile, some hundred yards behind, until they reached a sly grog shop run by an old cheat called Hobbs.
The place was near empty, and the guard pulled up a chair. Once seated, he shouted for rum. Old Hobbs himself skidded out with a bottle and glass, pouring it full. He was scarcely half way back to the bar before his customer demanded another.
'A man's not a bloody camel, ya know. He doesn't carry moisture in his damned hump!'
Tom waited until the man had downed the second rum before he stepped out of the shadows, adjusted his turban, and sat down at the table. The rum drinker's face darkened with annoyance.
'Scuse me, but I don't recall inviting such as you to sit down with me.'
'I know who you are,' said Tom. 'You're Jack Martin – the man they call the Orphan.'
The reaction to this was instant. In a fraction of a second the rifle that had been leaning against the table appeared, laying across the tabletop to point at Tom's gut. 'Who the hell might you be, then?'
Tom lifted off his turban, keeping it off for a moment or two before replacing it. 'My name's Tom Nugent.'
'Tom Nugent? The captain of the Ragged Thirteen? The poor bastards who used to work that claim I'm mindin' the Celestials on?'
'You got it, old mate. You and me met up in Borroloola once, at Billy McLeod's shanty.'
'I remember now, you were ridin' with Harry Readford.'
'And proud to do so,' said Tom.
The Orphan drained the last of his glass, then banged the table to get the barman's attention. 'More rum, and hurry it up.' Hobbs hurried over, and waited for a coin, which was slow in coming. The Orphan said loudly, 'Bein' an Afghan and all,' he winked, 'I take it you won't be drinking.'
'That's right,' smiled Tom. 'No rum for me.'
When Hobbs had gone the Orphan squinted slyly. 'I heard that the traps were out looking for you.'
Tom inclined his turbaned head. Two days had passed since word reached his ears that Alfred Searcy had sailed back to the NT. 'I know they were, and I'd say that they're still looking for you too. I heard about the robbery on the Palmer River. Is that what you're planning here?'
'To be honest, they're paying me so well I'm not even thinking that way.' The Orphan paused. 'So why did you follow me?'
'I've got a bit of a hankering to find out where the Celestials have stashed the gold from my claim.' Tom smiled. It was a well-known fact that they always took their gold home to China rather than cashing it in locally, mainly because it was worth more per ounce over there.
'Why would I tell you that? If I wanted to steal it, I'd take it myself, but as I said, things are good, and I'm keeping clear of the law in this state.'
'Just tell me where it is and I'll make it worth your while.'
'And what do I get out of it?'
'A one-sixteenth share, fair dinkum and risk free. You don't have to raise a finger.'
'I'm listening,' said the Orphan.
Chinese man with gold cradle. NT Library
Half an hour later, both men, mounted now, rode into the Hall's Creek township. They steered clear of a prize fight going on between two bloodied and shirtless men before a yelling, betting crowd on the main strip. Leaving the horses tethered to public hitching posts they walked away from the gas-lit area, and into the lantern-lit alleys of the town's little Chinatown.
Winding their way past smells of Asian cooking and gambling dens, they reached an intersection with an outdoor dance hall and pub on one corner. The two men took a table closest to the street, with the Orphan looking pointedly across at the opposite side.
'There's three types of Celestial on the diggings here,' said the Orphan. 'The Pekinese, Cantonese and a smaller group from Macao. The ones working your claim are from Canton, which is why they wear their hair in a bun and not a pig-tail. That's their Joss House, across the street.'
Tom looked. The diggings-style temple was built of poles, and clad with sawn timber, as substantial a building as any around here. Chinese letters were painted in red above the open door.
'They bury the gold in the ground under the altar, and a courier takes it up to Wyndham and back to China every three or four weeks.'
'When's the next shipment?' asked Tom.
'Soon. Prob'ly the next few days, but I have to warn you, four or five of their best men sleep in there every night. They're young tong fighters, tough as nails, and they're armed.'
Without any warning, a band consisting of an accordion, a drum and fiddle started up behind them. The two men turned to see a dance act come out onto the stage. One of the dancers was a graceful Aboriginal girl, and the other a grown man no more than four feet tall, hamming it up, making a hash of the dance to make the crowd laugh.
From the Joss House across the road, a young Chinese emerged, then another. Both were square-jawed, athletic types. They laughed at the act, then called for three more of their mates to come and watch, laughing amongst themselves.
'That's them,' said the Orphan in a low voice. 'They like the free entertainment.'
Tom wasn't listening. He was watching how the young Chinese men left the Joss House, moving closer, half way across the street to get a better view of the act. After the dance was over, they turned and disappeared into the red Chinese lantern light of the interior.
Tom continued to sit, thinking hard, the seed of an idea germinating in his mind.
Previous: Previous post: #51. To Hell with Hall's Creek
Next: Next post: #53. Dear Tom


text:
Trump's authority crisis deepens
Donald Trump is making an aggr...
Posted: Sep 11, 2018 6:47 AM
Updated: Sep 11, 2018 6:47 AM
Donald Trump is making an aggressive effort to stem the crisis of authority afflicting his presidency at a critical moment.
With midterm elections looming, he's facing new questions about his fitness for office, and he's hunting a hidden rebel within his own camp.
US political parties
US Republican Party
The President took immediate steps to address the situation on Monday, hitting out at Bob Woodward's new book, which, along with an op-ed by an anonymous senior official in the New York Times, presents a devastating picture of his performance.
"The Woodward book is a Joke - just another assault against me, in a barrage of assaults, using now disproven unnamed and anonymous sources..." Trump tweeted.
"Many have already come forward to say the quotes by them, like the book, are fiction. Dems can't stand losing. I'll write the real book!"
Typifying the sense that what would once seem absurd now counts for normality in this White House, Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday offered to take a lie detector test to prove he was not the author of the op-ed which assailed Trump for "half baked, ill-informed and occasionally reckless" leadership.
Pence and the President's counselor, Kellyanne Conway, tried to put the spotlight on the motives of the anonymous official, warning that there could be "criminal" dimensions to the op-ed, boosting Trump's calls for a Justice Department investigation.
But the controversy is unlikely to ease in the week ahead. Woodward's new book is due to be published on Tuesday, and the veteran journalist is promoting his damning account of the President's leadership.
"People better wake up to what's going on," Woodward said on CBS's "Sunday Morning" while touting "Fear: Trump in the White House" as a detailed inside account that mirrors the op-ed's claims that a group of senior officials is working to save the nation and the world from Trump's rash decisions.
If the version of events revealed by Woodward and the anonymous official is true, America is facing a deeply dysfunctional presidency and crisis of governance with no parallel in modern history, apart, perhaps, from the paranoid final days of the Nixon administration.
According to these accounts, the President of the United States would appear to be deeply unsuited to his responsibilities, uninterested in the details of policy, lacking knowledge, and in the words of the anonymous senior official, "impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective."
Such a state of affairs would leave the country with a leadership void in the Oval Office and compromise the effectiveness of government. It would also tarnish America's image in the world and could offer openings to adversaries if the White House is constantly distracted.
But the idea that there is a core of "adults in the room," as described by the op-ed writer, subverting the President's authority and wielding for themselves the power granted to the commander-in-chief during an election season should also be a troubling one, since it raises questions about the integrity of America's democratic system itself.
The counter punches
Following days in which the White House was in a defensive crouch, Conway and Pence fought back on political talk shows Sunday after sources told CNN the administration had narrowed its suspicions over who wrote the article to a few individuals.
"To the President's point, there could be a national security risk at hand; he doesn't want this person in a meeting where he's discussing China, Russia, North Korea," Conway told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."
She said there could be a criminal aspect to the writing of the opinion piece -- though she was unable to say exactly how the author might have broken the law when it appears that the act of disloyalty amounted to exercising the right to free expression.
"I have really no idea, nor do you, what else this person has divulged," Conway told Tapper. "I think somebody so cowardly and so conceited would probably go a step further."
On "Fox News Sunday," Pence was asked whether senior officials should take lie detector tests to prove they did not write the explosive opinion piece in the Times.
"I would agree to take it in a heartbeat and submit to any review the administration wanted to do," Pence said.
The Vice President also argued that the author of the Times article was guilty of more than just disloyalty.
"The honorable thing to do here is for this individual to recognize that they are literally violating an oath. If they are that senior administration official, they are violating an oath not to the President, but to the Constitution."
Pence appeared to be arguing that by showing such disloyalty to the President and even whispering about invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him, the "resistance" the op-ed writer mentions is subverting the democratic process.
But those who have praised the actions of the op-ed writer, and officials mentioned in Woodward's book who appear to be acting to contain an impulsive President, counter that senior officials may be acting to protect the Constitution itself from Trump's attacks.
Trump's calls for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate the author of the Times article have renewed fears about the President's expansive view of executive power. After all, he is effectively calling for the government's instruments of criminal investigation to be brought to bear against someone who has committed no obvious crime.
"Does this President not understand that the Justice Department is not a tool of his own personal power?" Virginia Sen. Mark Warner asked Sunday on "State of the Union."
Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, meanwhile, warned that the incessant chaos at the White House was distracting from crucial problems.
"I don't have any desire to beat this President up, but it's pretty clear that this White House is a reality-show, soap-opera presidency," Sasse, a frequent Trump critic said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
"What you'd like is the President to not worry so much about the short term of staffing, but the long term of vision-casting for America, pull us together as a people, help us deliberate about where we should go and then build a team of great, big-cause, low-ego people around you," he said.
November is coming
The fresh uproar at the White House and questions about Trump's leadership style and personality could not come at a worse time for Republicans, with less than two months to go before midterm elections in which Democrats hope to cripple his presidency by winning the House of Representatives.
Some pundits are now beginning to wonder if Democrats have a narrow path to victory in the Senate as well.
Any sense of demoralization that sets in amid GOP voters could dampen their turnout in the election, one reason why Trump is stepping up his campaign swings through red states and imploring his loyal base to turn out in record numbers.
One top Trump aide, budget chief Mick Mulvaney, warned behind closed doors on Saturday that even GOP candidates such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz could be at risk of losing and were not "likable" enough, The New York Times reported.
Mulvaney made his comments, according to the Times, at a meeting with party donors alongside Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. The Times said a person at the private event provided the paper with an audio recording of Mulvaney's remarks.
Trump however is adamant that there will not be a "blue wave" of Democratic victories, but a Republican tide in November, based on the strong economy and what he claims is the record-breaking performance of his administration.
"Republicans are doing really well with the Senate Midterms. Races that we were not even thinking about winning are now very close, or even leading," the President said in a late Saturday evening tweet. "Election night will be very interesting indeed!"
Facebook's data crisis deepens as questions mount
Trump's pardon spree deepens crisis gripping American justice
GE could break itself apart as cash crisis deepens
Jose Mourinho's Manchester United crisis deepens after Derby defeat
Amid deepening addiction crisis, FDA approves powerful new opioid
Mystery of missing father deepens
Acrimony deepens after government shutdown's first day
Why stock buybacks may deepen income inequality
White House paranoia deepens after Omarosa tapes


text:
Thu 23rd Apr 2020, 8:00pm (doors 7:15pm)
Ross Noble
Brighton Dome
Following his 2018 tour 'El Hablador' comedy legend Ross Noble has announced he is returning to stages across the UK for a spring 2020 tour of his brand-new show Humournoid.
What happens when pure comedy takes human form? What happens when a creature is created and bred to do stand up?
Nobody knows because that isn't a thing. What is a thing is Ross Noble doing a show. You can come and see it. This is it.
Ross's on-stage credits include 16 nationwide comedy tours and his recent critically acclaimed performance as Igor in Mel Brooks' West End revival of monster hit musical Young Frankenstein, at London's Garrick Theatre.
As one of the most successful cult comedians of our time, Ross has established himself as a...
BN1 1UE
brightondome.org
Bronze Status
Find places to stay on Thu 23rd Apr 2020


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text:
Sorbent-catalyst preparation
Sorbent-catalyst characterization
Thermodynamic calculations
Process tests
ST Sicong Tian FY Feng Yan ZZ Zuotai Zhang JJ Jianguo Jiang
Calcium-looping reforming of methane realizes in situ CO2 utilization with improved energy efficiency
Sci Adv, Apr 12, 2019; DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav5077
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav5077
The proposed CaL methane reforming process was tested using the prepared CaO-Ni bifunctional sorbent-catalysts in a ChemBET PULSAR TPR/TPD chemisorption analyzer. Approximately 0.1 g of the sorbent-catalyst was placed in a quartz U-tube and heated to 1073 K at a rate of 25 K min−1 under a N2 flow of 8 ml min−1. Then, the temperature was held for 60 min with the introduction of H2 (2 ml min−1) to reduce the sample. After that, the temperature was decreased to 873 K, followed by the introduction of a CO2 flow of 2 ml min−1 instead of the H2 flow to carbonate the sample for 6 min (the CO2 capture step). Then, the temperature was increased to 1073 K at a rate of 40 K min−1, followed by the introduction of a CH4 flow of 2 ml min−1 instead of the CO2 flow to calcine the sample for 6 min (the CO2 conversion and CH4 reforming step). Subsequently, the temperature was decreased to 873 K, and then a new CaL CH4 reforming cycle was started by the introduction of a CO2 flow. Ten CaL CH4 reforming cycles were investigated in this study, and a blank run was performed to correct for the effects of temperature and gas flow switches. During the whole experiment, concentrations of CO2, CH4, and H2 in the outlet gas from the reaction tube were monitored every 1.2 min using a micro-gas chromatograph (GC; 490-GC, Varian), while the concentration of CO in the outlet gas was monitored every 1.2 min using another GC (7890B, Agilent). Both the Varian micro-GC and the Agilent GC were equipped with a molecular sieve 5A column and a thermal conductivity detector (TCD).
In situ XRD experiments were performed in a Bruker D8 Advance x-ray diffractometer to compare the process decarbonation kinetics of CaL reforming of methane and separate CaL. The diffractometer was equipped with an Anton Paar XRK 900 reactor chamber, which enables the XRD investigation of solid-state or solid-gas reactions under controlled temperatures and atmospheres. During the experiment, an appropriate amount of the powder sample, resting on a ceramic-sieve holder, was placed in the reactor chamber and heated to 873 K at a rate of 10 K min−1 in a N2 atmosphere. Once the reaction temperature was reached, a gas flow containing 20 volume % CO2 (balance in N2) was introduced into the reactor chamber to carbonate the sample for 30 min. After that, the temperature was increased to 1073 K, and then the atmosphere was switched to a N2 flow or a gas flow containing 20 volume % CH4 (balance in N2), with the sample held at this temperature for another 30 min, during which the time-resolved XRD data of the sample were acquired in the 2θ range of 27° to 47° at a scanning rate of 10° min−1. In addition, the decarbonation rate of the materials during both processes was determined by carrying out the in situ XRD experimental procedures mentioned above in the chemisorption analyzer, and concentrations of CO2 and CO in the outlet gas during isothermal decarbonation were monitored using the Varian 490 micro-GC and the Agilent 7890B GC, respectively.


text:
Nebraska Today
Ramesh strives to expand inclusion, diversity in tech
May 13, 2019 · 3 min read
by Joe John and Annie Albin | University Communication and Marketing
Gauri Ramesh
When she was young, Gauri Ramesh would spend much of her time writing stories. After she finished, she created websites in order to share them with her friends and family.
Now a junior computer science major in the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management, Ramesh said she didn't realize her childhood passion would lead to a career path.
"I knew that I wanted to do something that dealt with solving problems for real people," Ramesh said. "It just kind of happened that way."
Ramesh chose computer science because it allows her to use a combination of logical thinking skills and creativity to tackle projects. She spends most of her time at Nebraska juggling numerous responsibilities on campus. When she isn't studying for her classes, she can be found helping run Girls Code Lincoln, university organization Computing for All or checking off the latest book on her reading list.
But she doesn't keep busy just for fun — she does it because she's trying to create a future where diversity and inclusion can flourish in STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — fields.
Through Computing for All, Ramesh and her fellow club members work to create activities for women in the computer science department, while also promoting accessibility in computing for people who may have never done it before.
Ramesh also makes an effort to make technology accessible to local girls through Girls Code Lincoln. Every Sunday she can be found helping lead the group on everything from basic coding concepts to skills like bravery and leadership. She said it's been one of her most rewarding experiences to teach them about coding through creativity, confidence and communication.
In 2019, Ramesh was one of 10 students honored at the inaugural Student Luminary Award, which honor students who shine a light on Nebraska with emphasis on academic accomplishments, diversity and inclusion.
"That's something that I'm really passionate about," Ramesh said. "Especially in STEM, since there is a really big gender pay gap."
So while things might get stressful at times, for Ramesh it's all worth it. She has her community through the Raikes School and her extracurricular activities to lean on, and the knowledge that her efforts will help others to keep her moving forward.
"I can deal with one stressful day if I know that this many students are going to be impacted by it, or I'm going to make someone's life better by it." Ramesh said.
Computing for All
Girls Code Lincoln
Grit and Glory
Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management
New vaccine platform could ease development, delivery of virus-fighters
All in the Hall rollout promotes sustainability campuswide
Agriculture & Environment On Campus
Chancellor search listening sessions begin Feb. 7
Olympian urges Huskers to maintain hope, keep dreaming
Garcia honored with MLK award for campus advocacy
Plant-derived pheromones show promise as greener insecticides
Agriculture & Environment Science & Technology
Achievements | Honors, appointments, publications for Jan. 27
Nebraska's leading economic indicator sees modest decline
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text:
Home Forums > The Niche's Corner > High Definition >
Creature from the Black Lagoon: Complete Legacy Collection - 8/28/18
Discussion in 'High Definition' started by X-human, Jun 9, 2018.
creature walks among us
X-human I ate my keys
3D Restoration expert Bob Furmanek has confirmed the Creature from the Black Lagoon: Complete Legacy Collection with be coming to 3D Blu-ray August 28th, 2018, with a new restoration of Revenge of the Creature:
Bob Furmanek said:
REVENGE OF THE CREATURE is newly restored and coming to 3-D Blu-ray on August 28, 2018: 4K scans of the original 35mm negatives by NBCUniversal and stereoscopic alignment by 3-D Film Archive!
For more information on the restoration and rare Creature memorabilia from the Archive, please visit: http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/revenge-of-the-creature
The Complete Legacy Collection:https://www.uphe.com/movies/creature-from-the-black-lagoon-complete-legacy-collection
The world premiere of the new restoration will take place in Bologna, Italy at Il Cinema Ritrovato in June 2018.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/mon...viewtopic.php?f=85&t=70106&p=1372837#p1372837
Awesome news. I had a feeling this was the case when Svengoolie pulled Revenge of the Creature off his schedule in March which I expect was because he was tipped off by Universal to expect a new scan to be available for use soon.
There's a good chance we'll be seeing The Invisible Man: Complete Legacy Collection to released at the same time, as the official announcement of CftBL is reported by Bob to be on the 11th of June. These legacy sets have historically been paired together, so the expectation is for The Invisible Man to be announced then as well.
X-human, Jun 9, 2018
russweiss, zbinks, buck135 and 3 others like this.
Myron Breck BOO!!! Gotcha!
I came.
Myron Breck, Jun 9, 2018
X-human likes this.
CPT HOOK Well-Known Member
X-human said: ↑
Invisible Man was announced as well, but the biggest news is that they're doing a complete 30 film monsters collection.
I haven't been buying these because owning 5 copies of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein would set off my OCD, so this is definitely the set for me! Glad I've been patient.
CPT HOOK, Jun 9, 2018
CPT HOOK said: ↑
Hate to break it to you then, but it looks like Universal is doing what they did the last time they built the DVD complete collection and they're just putting each legacy set's discs into one box. So you'll still get at least three copies of Meet Frankenstein along with three duplicates of other monster mashes like the House films and two copies of Frankenstein Meets Wolfman.
I've got the coffin set with all the firsts plus the Frankenstein and Wolfman sets. I'll have to see what the price point is on the 30 film set. Might be worth getting or scrounging up the final individual sets instead.
Nailwraps Well-Known Member
From the Digital Bits:
http://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/082918-1400
"I expect to have review product in hand by this weekend and will certainly dive into it for review here on The Bits as soon as I do. But we're already getting word of a problem with the Blu-ray 3D release of Revenge of the Creature (1955) that's included in the 30-Film and Creature sets. Readers are reporting that the 3D presentation has been improperly authored, causing the 1080p 3D image to be badly compromised. The film was beautifully restored in 4K by Robert Furmanek's 3-D Film Archive and was considered the highlight of these sets and something much anticipated by fans. But it's been included on the disc in such a way that the left and right-eye imagery is presented side by side (and not one on top of the other, per the Blu-ray spec). That means it's not full 1080p 3D as it should be. It also means that the second film included on that disc in 2D, The Creature Walks Among Us (1956), isn't full 1080p either. Both are 720. This appears to have been done as a deliberate choice by the studio to reduce replication costs, but it's a HUGE mistake, is completely unacceptable, and seriously compromises the presentation of both films. We've learned that Universal is "looking into the matter" but here's the deal: Universal... this is a mistake and you guys need to correct it and make it right with consumers. Author a proper 1080p Blu-ray 3D of Revenge of the Creature and a separate standard Blu-ray of The Creature Walks Among Us and make them available to everyone who has purchased these sets. The Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection currently sells for $137 on Amazon, while the Creature set is $27 for just three films. That is WAY TOO MUCH to pay for compromised quality. Make it right, guys... by redoing it right."
Nailwraps, Aug 29, 2018
Nailwraps said: ↑
Wow, DigitalBits biting the hand that feeds then? That's surprising. But then even a lap dog gets snippy once in a while.
While I heard Revenge wasn't flagged properly for 3D (apparently it works on some players though?) that's news to me that both features are 720p on the disc. Has any a major studio cheaped out at 720p before? Sure maybe a sub license from Echo Bridge or something. But a direct release from a major?
I can't help but think the whole disc authoring was a fuck up handed over to a team of amateurs.
X-human, Aug 30, 2018
SaviniFan I Have A Fetish
On the cutting room floor.
I've already got the 3D first film on blu, that's all I need.
SaviniFan, Aug 30, 2018
fattyjoe37 Well-Known Member
Didn't realize the site was known as lapdogs. When they report on an issue, it usually gets taken care of faster since they have relationships with the studios. They made a big stink about the several Star Trek Into Darkness store exclusives a few years back which made it so you had to buy the movie 3 or more times to get all the special features and even then the commentary was only available on iTunes. Paramount listened and then released the Star Trek Compendium double feature and included every feature. Complaints on the Creature set coming from them as opposed to random fans will likely fast track a fix for the issue.
fattyjoe37, Aug 30, 2018
shape22 Well-Known Member
I've only previewed Invisible Agent, and it's NOT an impressive transfer. It looks nothing like a new 4k scan, and I see anomalies that look like digital mosquito noise--not element damage. Were these supposed to be 4k scans? If so, as far as Invisible Agent goes, you can't see where the money went.
shape22, Aug 30, 2018
ImmortalSlasher Well-Known Member
In a dark moonlit forest.
fattyjoe37 said: ↑
I read about this story. I hope it's corrected. The Digital Bits is usually pretty good. The only problem I have with them is their early reviews of big movies. They or rather the main guy tends to be very generous with movies like Star Wars and a few others. It's the enjoy the spectacle mentality even if the movie is bad. That's the thing that makes me believe they don't want to be too harsh with studios that they want to work with.
ImmortalSlasher, Aug 30, 2018
Wow, after Paramount rung Star Trek fans dry they released another Special Edition to ring them some more? Go job Bill Hunt, I'm sure Paramount never would have thought of that themselves. Even if Star Trek executives did watch every move George Lucas makes.
They use to be good, real good, posting rumors months in advance that usually came true. But then slowly they started doing things like MC'ing Warner events and the next thing you know those rumors dry up and are replaced with timelines that match studio clockwork for new releases. I can only suspect that giving them free stuff and brushing elbows with industry insiders came at the price of publishing true rumors.
Now their reviews are light with universal praise and published well after better review sites already threw in their two cents. They only jump on glaring issues studios would probably fix anyways. They lost their edge some 10 years ago and by the time anything is reported on their site it's already old news. I finally stopped reading it when week after week every news item was something I already knew. Even Blu-ray.com users regularly joke that Bill's "insider" info is simply reading their public posts. If they have any insiders they're probably telling them not to publish until the studios OK it.
So yes, quintessential lap dogs.
shape22 said: ↑
Don't know. I think 4k was presumed because the recent remasterings of the core films were 4k but press releases never said that did they? Packaging doesn't. That's usually a bad sign. They tout the latest and greatest whenever they can. And if the same crew that botched the Creature features works on the Invisible set they probably botched those transfers too.
Glad I didn't jump on these sets. I was waiting for a good sale. In fact I'm still waiting on a good sale for Dracula/Mummy so I'm tempted to just get the complete 30 set they have now. During a good sale.
zbinks Beset by Creatures of the Deep
I think it was only Revenge of the Creature that was actually confirmed as a new 4K restoration.
zbinks, Aug 30, 2018
dave13 Well-Known Member
But then they went and did the EXACT same thing with Star Trek Beyond. I still haven't picked it up for that reason.
dave13, Aug 30, 2018
dave13 said: ↑
I didn't realize that. I knew Target had a bonus disc, but I thought that was the only one.
Your thoughts mirror mine. I kept assuming the 4k confirmation would come, but it never did. Funny how Universal pretended to give a shit while they still had additional releases pending.
This certainly doesn't bode well for quality HD releases of Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Black Cat, The Raven, and The Invisible Ray.
The Black Cat is a fantastic film, really deserving of some love...imo. I hope you're wrong....
I hope I'm wrong, too. The Black Cat is one of my absolute favorite classic Universal flicks. And The Raven is a favorite guilty pleasure. You can't beat Bela as a megalomaniacal lunatic with a Poe obsession.
dave13 likes this.
My Bela Lugosi collection is experiencing some problems. Last time I tried to watch The Black Cat, it kept skipping and freezing. It doesn't seem like there are any Blu Ray versions out there (am I wrong?).
It looks like universal released a Karloff & Lugosi DVD set earlier this year that has four of the five titles from the old Lugosi flipper disc set - it's missing Murders in the Rue Morgue. Might be worth picking up to get a more reliable single-sided copy of those other four films, but it's a shame it doesn't include Murders. I wonder why that is? Is it because Karloff isn't in it, and it didn't fit with Universal's "Karloff & Lugosi" theme? Or did they leave it off for another reason?
Incidentally, anybody know if this new version is a significant upgrade to the picture quality?
The 30 Film Complete Collection is currently $95 from Amazon Canada (approx $72 USD).
CPT HOOK, Sep 1, 2018


Former Liverpool star Alou Diarra: I wasted two years of my life at West Ham!
FORMER West Ham and Liverpool star Alou Diarra claims that he wasted two years of his career at West Ham.
The French midfielder joined the Hammers in 2012 from French side Marseille for an undisclosed fee, but failed to hold down a place in the starting 11 at Upton Park.
Diarra, 33, made only 6 appearances for the Hammers during his two year stay in east-London.
The former Liverpool man cancelled his contract with the Irons earlier this month after becoming frustrated with his lack of opportunities at the club.
In an interview with French newspaper L'Equipe Diarra spoke about his frustrating time at the Boleyn Ground and claimed that he was never given a chance to showcase his skills.
He said: "I feel I have lost two years in a career, it counts.
"There was no solution. I was very ill-advised.
"Me, I left Marseilles very determined, with an international status, to bring my experience of the Champions League, the big games.
"I arrived at a club that came from [the second division], whose coach did not count on me. The dice were loaded from the start."


O my God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong and in failing to do good I have sinned against you, whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with the help of your grace, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.


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Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer
Michelle Solomon, Podcast Producer/Reporter
Published: November 30, 2022, 12:21 PM
Tags: Mexico, Crime
Investigation deepens after viral video shows beating of woman who died in Mexico
Mother speaks out after viral video shows beating of daughter who died in Mexico
Shanquella Robinson, 25, died of severe spinal cord or neck injury, autopsy reveals
A mother from the U.S. spoke with CNN this week about her final conversation with her daughter before she was killed while vacationing with friends in Mexico.
"When I spoke with her, she seemed to be pretty happy. She was laughing," Salamondra Robinson told CNN Monday. "She seemed very happy on that trip."
"I said, 'OK, enjoy yourself. Love you. I will talk to you tomorrow.' And I never spoke with her again."
Mexican prosecutors have since filed charges against an American woman in Shanquella Robinson's death after a video went viral of Robison being beaten.
Prosecutors in the state of Baja California Sur did not name the suspect in the Oct. 29 death of Robinson, who was a student at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina.
But last Thursday, they said they had approached Mexican federal prosecutors and diplomats to try to get the woman extradited to face charges in Mexico.
Robinson's death at a resort development in San Jose del Cabo shocked people in both countries.
News outlets in Charlotte, North Carolina, reported that the people Robinson was traveling with gave differing versions of how she died, but that an autopsy revealed she died of a severe spinal cord or neck injury.
A video apparently taped at the luxury villa in San Jose del Cabo shows one woman, apparently an American, beating another woman identified as Robinson.
The video has been reposted many times on social media sites. In it, a man with an American accent can be heard saying, "Can you at least fight back?" The man did not appear to intervene in the beating.
The video raised suspicions that Robinson may have died at the hands of people she was traveling with.
Local prosecutor Antonio López Rodríguez said the case was being treated as a potential homicide and an arrest warrant had been issued for the suspect. The group Robinson was traveling with, however, left Mexico after she was found dead in a rented villa.
Amanda Batchelor
Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.
Michelle F. Solomon is the podcast producer/reporter/host of Local 10's original, true-crime podcast The Florida Files and a digital journalist for Local 10.com.