Getting time elapsed since preset was loaded?
Hi everyone I am new to preset development so this may be a basic or obvious question but I would really like some help here as I haven't found the answer I'm looking for in the preset authoring guide.
I know you can use the time and frame values to get the time and number of frames elapsed since the program started. But how would you go about getting the time or frames elapsed since the preset was opened? Is there a work around for this? I don't necessarily need the exact time, just a value that starts at 0 on preset initialize, and counts up over time.
I'm not sure how active this forum is anymore, but hopefully someone out there can point me in the right direction.
That is easy: The preset initialisation section is executed once only, when the preset is started, while the per frame section is run each frame.
In the per frame section, time-t0 then gives you the running time. Similar with frames.
You may also be interested in a very little known intrinsic variable named "progress". It starts with zero at preset start, and counts up; when it reaches one, the next preset will be loaded. I never used it, but it gives you the possibility to do something - maybe fade out - as the preset reaches its end.
That means that milkdrop knows the preset running time in advance. This time can be adjusted in the options.
Note - while editing a preset, you should disable the automatic preset change by activating numlock on the keyboard (if there IS a numlock key). The effect is that milkdrop will not change the preset while you are writing it. It does so by setting the preset running time to infinity: hence with numlock on, "progress" will always be indicated zero. That caught me a while ago, and made me think that this progress variable is buggy; it is not.
EDIT: It's the scroll lock button, not numlock.
Hey Nitorami thanks so much for the reply, this is exactly what I needed and you explained it all so well. Thanks for helping me with my first roadblock and hopefully have set me down a good road of making something cool with Milkdrop.


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Tag Archives: Windows 10 Sticky Notes
Sticky Notes Receives Tags and Enlarge Mode
Microsoft updates its Sticky Notes app for Windows 10 with brand new features. An upcoming version of the app receives hash tag support along with new Enlarge mode.
By Sergey Tkachenko on June 8, 2020 in Windows 10.
View, Delete, and Print Windows 10 Sticky Notes on Outlook.com
How to View, Delete, and Print Windows 10 Sticky Notes on Outlook.com
Microsoft add Sticky Notes support to their Outlook web service. Earlier, you could access your Sticky Notes from various places, such as OneNote app on Android, OneNote web app, Outlook for Windows Desktop, etc. Finally, Sticky Notes is coming to the Outlook web site.
By Sergey Tkachenko on December 16, 2019 , last updated on December 29, 2019 in Windows 10.
Sticky Notes for Windows 10 Receives Usability Improvements
Microsoft is releasing a new version of the Sticky Notes app to Fast Ring insiders. With version 3.7.68, Microsoft introduces the ability to show or hide all the notes from the jump list menu.
By Sergey Tkachenko on September 26, 2019 in Windows 10.
Sticky Notes with Ink Analysis and Better Insights hits Microsoft Store
Microsoft is releasing a new version of the Sticky Notes app to everyone. With version 3.7, which previously available to Fast Ring insiders only, Microsoft introduces a number of useful changes and new features to the Sticky Notes app. Here are the key changes in this release.
By Sergey Tkachenko on August 9, 2019 in Windows 10.
Manually Sync Sticky Notes in Windows 10
How to Manually Sync Sticky Notes in Windows 10
Sticky Notes is a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app which is bundled with Windows 10 starting in "Anniversary Update" and comes with a number of features which the classic desktop app didn't have. Its recent versions allow you to sync your notes manually. Here's how it can be done.
By Sergey Tkachenko on July 24, 2019 in Windows 10.
Sticky Notes v3.7 Adds Ink Analysis, Improves Insights Feature
Microsoft is releasing a new version of the Sticky Notes app to Insiders in the Fast Ring. Here are the key changes introduced in version 3.7 of the app.
Windows 10 Sticky Notes 3.6 with Image Attachments and Multi-Desktop Support Released
Sticky Notes is a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app which is bundled with Windows 10 starting in "Anniversary Update" and comes with a number of features which the classic desktop app didn't have. Microsoft today released a new version of the app to the stable branch users that finally includes the image attachments feature along with other useful features.
By Sergey Tkachenko on May 14, 2019 , last updated on May 14, 2019 in Windows 10.
Sticky Notes 3.6: Image Attachments, and more
Sticky Notes is a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app which is bundled with Windows 10 starting in "Anniversary Update" and comes with a number of features which the classic desktop app didn't have. Recently, developers announced support for images in Sticky Notes. Microsoft today released a new version of the app to Insiders in Skip Ahead, that finally includes the image attachments feature.
By Sergey Tkachenko on March 18, 2019 , last updated on March 18, 2019 in Windows 10.
Sticky Notes Now Allows Adding Images on the Web
Sticky Notes is a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app which is bundled with Windows 10 starting in "Anniversary Update" and comes with a number of features which the classic desktop app didn't have. Recently, developers announced support for images in Sticky Notes. Finally, you can add images to your notes by using the OneNote web site.
By Sergey Tkachenko on January 7, 2019 , last updated on January 7, 2019 in Windows 10.
Windows 10 Sticky Notes Will Allow Adding Images To Your Notes
Sticky Notes is a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app which is bundled with Windows 10 starting in "Anniversary Update" and comes with a number of features which the classic desktop app didn't have. A new announcement reveals that the app will get support for image attachments in notes.
By Sergey Tkachenko on November 21, 2018 in Windows 10.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996, has been passed to consolidate and amend the law relating to domestic arbitration, international commercial arbitration and enforcement of foreign arbitral award and also to define law relating to conciliation and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The conciliation has been introduced for the first time in India for settlement of commercial disputes.
The 1996 Act is very different from the Arbitration Act, 1940. The provisions of this Act have therefore; to be interpreted and construed independently and in fact reference to 1940 Act may actually lead to misconstruction. In other words, the provisions of 1996 Act have to be interpreted being, uninfluenced by the principles underlying the 1940 Act. In order to get help in construing these provisions, it is more relevant to refer to Article 6 of the UNICTRAL Model Law rather than the 1940 Act.
Arbitration is the reference of a dispute or difference between not less than two parties for determination after hearing both sides in a judicial manner, by a person or persons, other than a Court of competent jurisdiction.
Thepersons to whom a reference is made are called arbitrators. An arbitrator is thus a person to whom, the matters in dispute are submitted by the parties, a judge of the parties own choice, whose functions are judicial and whose duties are of an impartial judge to dispense equal justice to all parties and to decide the law and facts involved in the matters submitted with a view to decide and finally end the controversy.
An exchange of statements of claim and defense in which the existence of the agreement is alleged by one party and denied by the other.
The reference in a contract to a document containing an, arbitration clause constitutes an arbitration agreement if the contract is in writing and the reference is such as to make that arbitration clause part of the contract.
The existence of a dispute is a condition precedent to arbitration and if there is no dispute, there cannot be any arbitration. If the agreement provides for reference of any dispute to arbitration, it is an arbitration clause and the dispute can be referred to arbitration, when the disputes and differences have actually arisen.
The parties are free to determine the number of arbitrators, provided that such numbers shall not be an even number. If the parties do not determine the number of arbitrators, the arbitral tribunal shall consist of sole arbitrator.
A judicial authority before which an action is brought in a matter that is the subject of an arbitration agreement shall, if a party so applies not later than, when submitting his first statement on the substance of the dispute, refer the parties to arbitration. The application for arbitration shall not be entertained unless the original arbitration agreement or a duly certified copy thereof accompanies it.
Notwithstanding that an application has been made and that the issue is pending before the judicial authority, an arbitration may be commenced or continued and an arbitral award be made.
Such other interim measure of protection as may appear to the court to be just and convenient, and the court shall have the same power for making orders as a case for the purpose of, and in relation to, any proceedings before it.
A person of any nationality may be an arbitrator, unless otherwise agreed by the parties. Subject to the provisions, the parties may agree on a procedure for appointing the arbitrator or arbitrators.
The law of arbitration is the same, as the proper law of contract is a commercial contract between parties of different countries. The parties have the freedom to choose the law, governing an international commercial arbitration agreement. They may choose the substantive law governing the arbitration agreement as well as the procedural law governing the conduct of the arbitration. Such choice is exercised either expressly or by implication. Where there is no express choice of the law governing the contract as a whole, or the arbitration agreement as such, a presumption may arise that the law of the country where the arbitration is agreed to be held is the proper law of the arbitration agreement. But that is only a rebut table presumption. However, the mere selection of a particular place for submission to the jurisdiction of the courts or for the conduct of arbitration will not in the absence of any other relevant connecting factor with that place be sufficient to draw an inference as to the intention of the parties to be governed by the system of law prevalent in that place. This is specially so in the case of arbitration, for the selection of the place of arbitration may have little significance where it is chosen, as is often the case, without regard to any relevant or significant link with the place. This is particularly true when the place of arbitration is not chosen by the parties themselves, but by the arbitrators or by an outside body and that too for reasons unconnected with the contract.
he does not possess the qualifications agreed to by the parties.
The parties may agree on a procedure for challenging an arbitrator. If the parties do not agree on a procedure for challenging an arbitrator or arbitrators, the rules and the procedure contemplated under the Arbitration & Conciliation Act 1996 applies.
by or pursuant to: agreement of the parties.
If a controversy remains concerning any of the grounds referred to in clause (a) above, a party may unless otherwise agreed by the parties, apply to the court to decide on the termination of the mandate.
Where the mandate of an arbitrator terminates, a substitute arbitrator shall be appointed according to the rules that were applicable to the appointment of the arbitrator being replaced. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, where an arbitrator is replaced any hearings previously held may be repeated at the discretion of the arbitral tribunal. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, an order or ruling of the arbitral tribunal made prior to the replacement of an arbitrator shall not be invalid solely because there has been a change in the composition of the arbitral tribunal.
The arbitral tribunal may rule on its own jurisdiction, including ruling on any objections with respect to the existence or validity of the arbitration agreement. Any party to the arbitration may raise the plea that the arbitral tribunal does not have jurisdiction, not later than the submission of the statement of defence. However, a party may raise such a plea, even if he has appointed an arbitrator or participated in the appointment of an arbitrator.
Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the arbitral tribunal may, at the request of a party, order a party to take any interim measures of protection as the arbitral tribunal may consider necessary in respect of the subject-matter of the dispute. The arbitral tribunal may require a party to provide appropriate security in connection with such measure ordered.
Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the arbitral proceedings in respect of a particular dispute commence on the date on which the respondent receives a request for that dispute to be referred to arbitration. The parties shall be treated with equality and each party shall be given a full opportunity to present his case.
The parties may agree on the place of arbitration. If the parties do not agree on the place of arbitration, the place of arbitration shall be determined by the arbitral tribunal having regard to the circumstances of the case, including the convenience of the parties.
The parties may agree upon the language or languages to be used in the arbitral proceedings. If the parties fail to agree upon the language or languages, the arbitral tribunal shall determine the language or languages to be used in the arbitral proceedings.
An arbitral award shall be made in writing and shall be signed by the members of the arbitral tribunal. unless otherwise agreed by the parties in arbitral proceedings with more than one arbitrator, any decision of the arbitral tribunal shall be made by a majority of all its members. The signatures of the majority of all the members of the arbitral tribunal shall be sufficient so long as the reason for any omitted signature is stated.
The arbitral award is final and binding on the parties, unless it is set aside by the court. There is no necessity of filing the award before a court and passing of decree by it.
Where the time for making an application to set aside the arbitral award has expired or such application having been made, it has been refused, the award shall be enforced under the Code of Civil Procedure in the same manner as if it were a decree of the court.
An arbitral award made by an arbitral tribunal may be set aside by the court on an application made by a party on the reasonable and accepted ground enumerated in the Act.
The application for setting aside of an arbitral award may be made within three months from the date on which the award has been received by the party or if a request had been made for correction or interpretation of the award, from the date on which that request had been disposed off by the arbitral tribunal.
An order granting or refusing to grant an interim measure under section 17.
No appeal shall lie to the higher court against the order passed in appeal. However, appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court of India under Article 133 of the Constitution of India, if appeal is allowed under the provisions of that article.
in one of such territories as the Central Government, being satisfied that reciprocal provisions have been made may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare to be territories to which the said convention applies.
A judicial authority, when seized of an action in a matter with respect to which the parties have made an agreement, shall be at the request of one of the parties or any person claiming through or under him refer the parties to arbitration, unless it finds that the said agreement is null and void, inoperative or incapable of being performed.
Any foreign award which would be enforceable shall be treated as binding for all purposes on the person as between whom it was made, and may accordingly be relied on by any of those persons by way of defense, set-off or otherwise in any legal proceedings in India and any references to enforcing a foreign award shall be construed as including references to relying on an award.
The award will not be enforced by a court in India if it is satisfied that the subject-matter of the award is not capable of settlement by arbitration under Indian law or the enforcement of the award is contrary to the public policy.
The enforcement of the award would be contrary to the public policy of India. If an application for setting aside or suspension of the award has been made to a competent authority, the court may, if it considers it proper, adjourn the decision on the enforcement of the award and may also, on the application of the party claiming enforcement of the award, order the other party to give suitable security.
Where the court is satisfied that the foreign award is enforceable, the award shall be deemed to be a decree of the court.
A judicial authority, on being seized, of a dispute regarding a contract made between persons to whom the provisions of preceding section applies and including an arbitration agreement, whether referring to present or further differences, which is valid under that section and capable of being carried into effect, shall refer the parties on the application of either of them, or any person claiming through or under him to the decision of the arbitrator and such reference shall not prejudice the competence of the judicial authority in case the agreement or the arbitration cannot proceed or becomes inoperative.
Any foreign award, which would be enforceable, shall be treated as binding for all purposes on the persons as between whom it was made, and may accordingly be relied on by any of those persons by way of defense, set-off or otherwise in any legal proceedings in India and any references to enforce a foreign award shall be, construed as including references to relying on an award.
The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 has for the first time provided legal provisions relating to conciliation of commercial disputes. The part relating to conciliation applies to disputes arising out of legal relationship, whether contractual or not and to all proceedings relating thereto.
Unless the parties agree that there shall be two or three conciliators, there shall be one conciliator. Where there is more than one conciliator, they ought, as a general rule, to act jointly.
In conciliation proceedings with one conciliator, the parties may agree on the name of a sole conciliator. In conciliation proceedings with two conciliators, each party may appoint one conciliator. In conciliation proceedings with three conciliators, each party may appoint one conciliator and the party may agree on the name of the third conciliator, who shall act as the presiding conciliator.
by the written declaration of "a party to, the other party and the conciliator, if appointed, to the effect that the conciliation proceedings are terminated, on the date of the declaration.
During the conciliation proceedings, the parties shall not initiate any arbitral or judicial proceedings in respect of a dispute that is the subject matter of the conciliation proceedings except that a party may initiate arbitral or judicial proceedings, where, in his opinion, such proceedings are necessary for preserving his rights.
The fact that the other party had indicated his willingness to accept a proposal for settlement made by the conciliator.
High Court Rules Section 82 of Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 may make rules consistent with this Act as to all proceedings before the court under this Act.
The stamp duty is payable on an agreement to refer dispute to arbitration under Article 5(c) of Schedule I to the Indian Stamp Act, 1899. The rates in different states on such agreements are different. The stamp duty is payable on an award in writing by an arbitrator or umpire under Article 12 of Schedule I to the Indian Stamp Act, 1899. The rates on the award are also different in different states. However, the awards given in references made by a court in a pending suit or directing a partition are exempt from the payment of any stamp duty.
The arbitration agreement to refer a dispute to arbitration is not required to be registered. The awards, which deal with immovable property of the value of Rs. 100 or above, are required to be registered, unless they are delivered in reference made by a court. The awards not creating or declaring any interest in any immovable property of the value of Rs. 100 or above do not require registration. The, award is presented for registration by the arbitrators or the umpire, and it should be presented for registration within four months of the date of its execution. If the award deals with movable as well as immovable property and is compulsorily to be registered and it is not registered, then effect can be given to the part of award, which deals with movables, if that part can be separated with reasonable clearness from the bad part. But if it cannot be separated, the award cannot be enforced and has to be rejected as a whole.


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West Haven man tried to leave country to fight for Islamic State, feds say
Caroline Tien
The FBI's New Haven Field Office on State Street in New Haven, photographed on October 13, 2021. A 25-year-old West Haven man pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in federal court in Bridgeport Wednesday.
Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media
WEST HAVEN — An Islamic State supporter tried to travel to the Middle East to fight on behalf of the terrorist organization, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.
Ahmad Khalil Elshazly, 25, of West Haven, pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State in federal court in Bridgeport Wednesday.
"Today, the diligent efforts of law enforcement has culminated in a guilty plea of a conspirator of potential terrorist crimes against the people of the United States," Special Agent in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI's New Haven division said in a statement. "Our top priority of the FBI remains the disruption of would-be terrorists and the havoc they attempt to cause here and abroad. Justice has been served."
Starting in about September 2018, Elshazly, a U.S. citizen, allegedly voiced a desire to travel to Syria and the surrounding area to fight for the Islamic State. He pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and the organization's leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, in "numerous conversations online and in person," according to the U.S. attorney's office. In October 2019, after Al-Baghdadi's death, Elshazly also pledged his allegiance to Al-Baghdadi's successor, the office said.
In December 2019, Elshazly allegedly attempted to make his dreams a reality. He paid $500 to a person he believed to be an "ISIS facilitator" on Dec. 14 to smuggle him from the U.S. to Turkey, according to the U.S. attorney's office. Once in Turkey, Elshazly believed Islamic State members overseas would aid him in traveling to Islamic State headquarters in Syria, the office said.
Elshazly was arrested on Dec. 15 after he arrived in Stonington to board a boat to begin his trip and has been detained since. He faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.
caroline.tien@hearst.com


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News - October 2014 RSS Feed
Local News (126)
National News (122)
World News (113)
Franciscans, Dominicans take center stage in new Frist Center exhibit
by Ned Andrew Solomon, Tennessee Register
On Oct. 31, The Frist Center for the Visual Arts will premiere "Sanctity Pictured: The Art of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders in Renaissance Italy."
A letter from Bishop Choby
Priesthood Sunday is a special day set aside to reflect upon and affirm the role of the priesthood in the life of the Church. On Oct. 26, we celebrate Priesthood Sunday in the Diocese of Nashville.
Miller has 'given everything he could' to St. Mary Villa
by Theresa Laurence, Tennessee Register
Even though Mike Miller has stepped down as executive director of St. Mary Villa Child Development Center due to advancing terminal cancer, he remains connected with the Center's staff and board. "He doesn't want to let go," said Susan Ney, president of the Saint Mary Villa Child Development Center Board of Trustees. "He applies a high level of dedication and service to whatever he does."


Shreen Haywood RVN completed her NVQ in veterinary nursing at MYF Training in Aldershot and became a registered member of the RCVS in 2010. Shreen has been an integral part of The Cat Doctor since day one and in 2017 she completed the ISFM certificate in feline nursing and uses this knowledge every day to ensure that our patients are happy and comfortable.
This is my cat Aaliyah, isn't she cute?
Aaliyah eats all her food, goes out into the garden, interacts with my family and chats like there is no tomorrow, she generally seems happy.
Aaliyah has arthritis, and is in a lot of pain when not on her medications. Before we started her medicine, she wasn't writhing around the floor, screaming or holding her paws up, so how did I know she was in pain? She was doing what she has always done… but was she really?
It's important to understand, in the wild, cats as well as being the hunters are the hunted, they are programmed to assume everything is going to kill them. This means that they will not show pain or weakness unless it is severe or acute, even then we only see a fraction of what they are feeling.
Aaliyah, like many elderly cats, started to slow down a bit, wasn't venturing outside as much and was sleeping a bit more. Was this pain? Maybe. Maybe she was just getting old and preferred her creature comforts to the great outdoors. I had a conversation with my colleague and explained that Aaliyah wasn't coming upstairs anymore, it wasn't a sudden change, if it had been I am sure I would have been more alarmed. She had slowly been reducing the amount of trips she was doing until we got to the point where she wasn't venturing there at all.
I now started to assess her life and look at how she was today compared to two years ago, comparing that to 3 years ago.
She would take a longer route to get to the sofa, or stop and think for a while before jumping onto the sofa. I guess she was deciding if it was worth the effort or discomfort.
Would eat her food in two halves when she had previously been happy to scoff the lot. I think this was because the leaning to get to the bowl was uncomfortable so she did it as long as she could then she took a break.
There are many more small signs that cats are in discomfort, like constipation, limping, bunny hopping downstairs, a change in posture, eating in a different way , to name a few. They will continue to eat even if they have arthritic pain, this may sound silly but we owners often think of appetite as a marker for ill health, but it's not in this circumstance.
After a veterinary exam had confirmed she was suffering from arthritic pain, the vet prescribed some anti-inflammatory medication (ones specifically for cats, human ones are toxic to them). I provided Aaliyah with steps to get to some of her favourite places, raised her food bowl by putting it on a box, she already drank water from a pint glass so that seemed a sufficient height. I gave her a larger litter tray, which allowed her to stand in a more comfortable position to urinate. She loves her pet safe heat pad which gives some relief to those achy joints and our vet Emily administered a course of acupuncture.
We see our pets everyday and it's hard to notice the small changes that show us not everything is as it was. Annual health checks help detect problems and gathering history is an important part of that. So the next time you look at your cat and she isn't doing that jump, ask yourself, did she used to do that?
For more information about detecting pain in cats including a quick summary of signs, visit our our cat health page on pain recognition.


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Heart Cambridgeshire
Waterfalls TLC Download 'Waterfalls' on iTunes
Police - 12 Horses Killed By Train At Milton
20 November 2014, 18:41 | Updated: 20 November 2014, 18:46
British Transport Police say at least 12 horses have been killed, after being hit by two trains at Milton on Wednesday evening.
Two trains travelling in opposite directions were involved in the incident at the Fen Road level crossing in Milton, Cambridgeshire.
It led to major travel disruption and a female passenger was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The 5.01pm Stansted to Birmingham service collided with the animals at about 5.15pm on Wednesday evening, British Transport Police said.
Another train, travelling from Birmingham to Stansted, was also involved.
Sergeant David Barker said:
"We are very keen to find out who the horses belong to. At the moment it is not clear how many horses died in the incident, however, we believe that at least seven were killed.
I also want to know how the horses came to be on the tracks. If anyone has any information, which they think that could help us in our investigations please get in touch.''
The breeds of the horses, which are believed to have come from the fields in the Fen Road area, are unknown.
Cambridgeshire Police, the ambulance service and firefighters also attended the incident.
Witnesses should contact British Transport Police on 0800 405040.


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Acute Appendicitis in Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome : Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Editorial, Legal, and Ethical Policies
Thought you might appreciate this item(s) I saw in Journal of the Chinese Medical Association.
Original Article: PDF Only
Acute Appendicitis in Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Liu, Kuo-Yinga; Shyu, Jia-Fwub; Uen, Yih-Hueic; Chen, Tien-Huaa, b, *; Shyr, Yi-Minga; Su, Cheng-Hsia; Wu, Chew-Wuna; Lui, Wing-Yuia
aDepartment of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C.
bDepartment of Anatomy, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C.
cDivision of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C.
*Correspondence to: Dr. Tien-Hua Chen, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Received: June 18, 2004 • Accepted: January 21, 2005
Journal of the Chinese Medical Association 68(5):p 226-229, May 2005. | DOI: 10.1016/S1726-4901(09)70212-6
We report our experience with patients who had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and who presented with signs and symptoms suggesting acute appendicitis.
Observational data are documented for 9 patients with AIDS who underwent surgery for acute appendicitis.
Of the 9 patients, 6 (66.7%) had acute appendicitis without perforation, while the other 3 (33.3%) had perforated appendicitis. An elevated preoperative temperature was found in 4 patients without perforation (66.7%), and in 1 patient with perforation (33.3%). An elevated white blood cell count was found in all 6 patients without perforation (100%), but in none with perforation (0%). The mean interval from surgical referral to laparotomy was 61.1 hours, the mean hospital stay was 9.3 days, and the perioperative mortality rate was 22.2%. Conclusion: Our experience should alert emergency medical staff who care for AIDS patients to the need for early diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment of appendicitis.
© 2005 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.
Journal of the Chinese Medical Association68(5):226-229, May 2005.
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome\r, AIDS\r, appendicitis
Articles in PubMed by Kuo-Ying Liu
Articles in Google Scholar by Kuo-Ying Liu
Other articles in this journal by Kuo-Ying Liu
800-638-3030 (within the USA)
301-223-2300 (outside of the USA)
Journal of TheChinese Medical Association


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#Stevens2021
Wealdstone Football Club are delighted to announce that defender Connor Stevens has signed a new two-year contract with the club.
Stevens had a breakthrough first year with the Stones after signing from Watford in July 2018. The 21-year-old made 40 appearances last season and made a large contribution to the Stones progressing to the play-offs.
The Stones earned 12 clean sheets in 2018/19 when Stevens was in the side. The defender also contributed to the Stones with goals as he scored on five occasions last season.
The centre-half caught the eye of England C manager Paul Fairclough in May 2019 and Stevens was selected to represented the Three Lions in Estonia.
You can watch Connor's interview after signing his new contract below:


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HomeIndustry SectorsFinance and PolicyEskom welcomes McKinsey apology and ZAR902m
Industry SectorsFinance and PolicyNewsSouthern Africa
Eskom welcomes McKinsey apology and ZAR902m
By Ashley Theron
On Monday, McKinsey & Company global managing partner, Kevin Sneader, publicly apologised to the people of South Africa and confirmed that R902 million would be paid back to Eskom.
Sneader made the apology during an address at the University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) forum on their association with Trillian, then controlled by the Guptas.
"On behalf of McKinsey & Company, I sincerely apologise to the people of South Africa. We are deeply sorry," Sneader said.
Welcoming the apology, Eskom highlighted in a statement: "The apparent lapses in our own governance processes coupled with improprieties around – and mismanagement of – our procurement process led to a loss of trust in Eskom, its processes and its people.
"We have vast learnings to be taken out of this as we investigate what went wrong and as part of the recovery process. Whilst we are still in the process of strengthening our governance control systems, we continue to review our greater internal control environment to ensure that our key controls are not only adequately designed but are also effective."
What are the biggest challenges facing McKinsey? New global managing partner Kevin Sneader shares his thoughts. https://t.co/R3T9XdTaUv pic.twitter.com/E1C7vWe0yH
— McKinsey & Company (@McKinsey) July 6, 2018
Recovered funds
The Eskom board and management has recovered funds from McKinsey and are committed to continue to deal decisively with improper and irregular contracts.
"To this end, Trillian, which was not party to the settlement, will be pursued for the recovery of the remainder of the payments through the legal review process together with the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions (NDPP)," the utility said.
Eskom Group Chief Executive Phakamani Hadebe says: "We would like to thank the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU), NDPP and McKinsey for their cooperation and confirm that we have received the payment of R902m.
"This payment goes a long way towards our quest to address the issues of funds lost and regaining the trust of our people. We commit ourselves to root out financial mismanagement and malfeasance and we will continue to work with the six regulatory bodies and law enforcement agencies in addressing corruption, which are the National Treasury, Special Investigative Unit (SIU), SAPS, Hawks, NDPP and the Zondo Commission."
Trillian
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Ashley Theron
Ashley Theron-Ord is based in Cape Town, South Africa at Clarion Events-Africa. She is the Senior Content Producer across media brands including ESI Africa, Smart Energy International, Power Engineering International and Mining Review Africa.


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The echoes of a crisis still heard to this day
By Stephanie
Ingham County Legal News
Tom Kirvan
Legal News, Editor-in-Chief
He was deep in Africa, deeper than most people realized.
He was in Malawi, a far-flung country that nobody will ever mistake for a resort destination. It is a little known African nation, negligible in size and surrounded by Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.
His purpose in being there, in a tiny country nearly 50 percent surrounded by the civil war in Mozambique, was to talk with refugees who had just escaped from their home country after their villages had been pillaged and burned, after family members had been killed or carried away.
It was not an assignment he had sought with great anticipation. He had already seen and heard enough that confirmed the horror stories of so many African situations. His party was to talk with, or interview, 15 or 20 of the group of 300 who had crossed into Malawi from Mozambique a couple of days earlier. The refugees were existing under shrubs, trees, and open skies near a Red Cross camp on the outskirts of Lilongue, Malawi's capital city.
Seconds after his team of six arrived at the location, they were surrounded by all 300 of the refugees. They were not screaming or fighting for individual attention. They were stunned, docile, exhausted, and quietly seeking the basic necessities of daily life. They had no possessions except what they were wearing or could carry in their hands. Most spoke only Portuguese or a tribal dialect.
They had only three native young men as interpreters – for 300 people with stories to tell. It was a hopeless task and they knew immediately that they could interview only a few of them.
A young woman who was nursing her baby might have been 25, but more likely 17 or 18. She had another child and a husband but had no idea where they were or what had happened to them.
A man in his 30s, who looked 60, appeared to be in shock and stared at them with vacant eyes. His halting story: he returned from his work one afternoon to find his home burned, and his wife and four children missing. He had no way of knowing if they were alive or dead, or where they might be.
Another young man experienced a similar loss of his wife and two children. Virtually no families were intact, all fled with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. Some were carrying babies or small children . . . many of them ill. The immediate past had been horrendous, the immediate future was nearly as bleak.
Most of the refugees were caught in villages between the rebels and government forces. The rebels would raid and steal everything of use and then the government forces would move in, charge the villagers with assisting the rebels, shoot some of the "aiders and abettors," rape and take away some of the women, and torch the homes.
After several hours of hearing these stories, the group prepared to leave. As they were moving through the crowd, offering what solace they could with comforting words, smiles, and warm handshakes, they were faced by an old looking woman who asked: "What can you do for me? I don't have the strength to walk to the water, and if I could, I have no cup."
He couldn't give her a cup because he had none. He didn't need one as he could get into an automobile and ride away from the misery he had just witnessed.
The time was 1986, the year my late father retired and had the time to travel halfway around the globe on a mercy mission. He seldom told the story, but it's definitely worth re-telling, especially for those who get caught up in the mundane moments of everyday life.
Even a man who made a habit of helping others, whether they be near or far, couldn't escape the memory of that insufferable day in Africa years ago. Said he:
"In my comfortable home, 10,000 miles for Malawi and the 130,000 refugees who crossed that country's borders, I see that woman's tragic face every time I raise a water glass to my lips."
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I use a really 'low-tech' method of printing involving a hand held silk screen, rubber squeegee and stencils made from paper. There are many limitations to this process which is why it is not commercially used, but I enjoy the immediacy that needing little equipment allows and never tire of the clean lines that the paper can produce. I also enjoy the challenge of working around the constraints.
I develop a design and separate it out into two, three or sometimes four carefully chosen colours. As with any screenprinting a different stencil is required for each colour printed, which I cut with a fine, sharp stencil knife from a medium weight paper. I then place a screen stretched with a fine fabric mesh (originally silk but these days usually polyester) on top of the paper. Ink especially formulated for screenprinting is spread on to the mesh and pressed through with a rubber squeegee. The paper stencil adheres to and is supported by the mesh screen and the ink is forced through all the holes that have been cut into the paper. Many prints can then be made.
Subsequent stencils in different colours are then keyed on to the first colour to build up the whole design. This can be tricky, it is a rather inexact process, but I have always found this to add to the hand printed nature of the item (unless it is too 'off' and then it gets sold as a second!) Every finished print will have slight variations.
Screenprinting and designing is what I love to do but what I print on to is very carefully considered. Cotton is a beautiful natural fibre and we rely on the poorer parts of the world to produce it for us. It is important to me to support and promote ethically made fabric and garments. Organically grown cotton as well as being less toxic for people to work with has the added bonus of being kinder to the environment. The fabrics that I choose feel lovely to handle and work with and absorb the ink well to support a crisp print.
My aim is to produce fun, practical and comfortable things that you can enjoy using in your everyday life. I hope my customers can enjoy using the pieces that I produce as much as I have done working with the materials.


Scout is a camp that focuses on wilderness skills and learning about being comfortable in nature. Sessions are two-weeks long and run throughout the summer.
Description Go out for a week on the land with nothing but a knife, blanket, water bottle and the food you can carry.
Description In this scout program you will learn advanced skills and start perfecting the art of stealth.


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Milk Bar Is Now Selling Its Cookies at Target Stores Nationwide
It's the latest step in the company's ongoing plans to grow into a national, household dessert brand
by Luke Fortney@lucasfortney Oct 5, 2020, 12:49pm EDT
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Chocolate birthday cake truffle crumb cakes from Milk Bar
Milk Bar [Official]
Milk Bar, the famed New York City bakery turned national brand, continues its rapid expansion this week through a new partnership with Target. The bakery is now selling packages of its soft baked cookies — along with newly created desserts, called truffle crumb cakes — at Target stores nationwide, a spokesperson for the company confirms.
To start, the brand will sell packages of its cookies in several flavors — including confetti, compost, and cornflake chocolate chip marshmallow ($4.99 for eight cookies). Birthday, chocolate birthday, and chocolate chip flavored truffle crumb cakes ($2.99 for two) are also available from Target stores beginning this week.
News that the company has inked a deal with a national brand like Target isn't completely unexpected. In February 2019, Milk Bar founder and acclaimed pastry chef Christina Tosi shared plans to bring the company's popular baked goods to grocery store shelves nationwide. Meanwhile, earlier this year, the company quietly began selling its desserts at Whole Foods stores across the country.
The new partnerships are the latest in the company's ongoing plans to grow into a national, household dessert brand. Last year, the company opened its most ambitious project to date: a sprawling 4,000-square-foot flagship store within the Nomad's Ace Hotel paid for using more than $10 million in capital raised from investors. Tosi likened the store to a daytime "slumber party," but Eater critic Ryan Sutton found that the company had lost some of its character and much of its charm on the road to the top.
"What was once a cool East Village hangout peddling egg sandwiches alongside cereal-flavored milk has become a national chain with shiny flagships in Melrose, Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; and here, in Manhattan," he wrote in his January 2020 review. "For those of us who remember the glory days of Milk Bar in the East Village, the new flagship feels like walking through a joint outpost of a Hudson News and a commercial bakery at JFK."
The latest, but not last, expansion from Milk Bar is now available at Target stores nationwide.


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Case Study: Neck and Arm Pain
In this case, we meet a female patient who suffered numerous injuries in a car accident years ago, resulting in painful nerve conditions that persisted until she came to the Institute for Nerve Medicine for treatment.
Case History: This is a female that presented with left occipital pain for the past seven years in addition to left and right forearm pain for the past four weeks.
The patient was involved in a motor vehicle accident in 1996 that resulted in severe whiplash laterally. She notes that following the injury she developed left neck pain with radiating upper extremity pain; however, she was diagnosed with stress and referred for stress reduction.
However, in June of 1998 she began developing severe headaches, vertigo and weakness in the left hand. She was diagnosed with herniated disc at C3, C5 and C6 levels. In July of 1998 she underwent a C3-C4 and C6-C7 left posterior foraminotomy. It is not known exactly what happened during this surgery, but it is a possibility that he severed her vertebral artery.
Following the surgery she had significant aphasia that has been persistent most noticeably exacerbated with increased pain. She had significant swelling and no relief of the pain. She continued to have followup and in June of 1999 had a second surgery for a C6-C7 left anterior foraminotomy. Following this surgery she had six months of relief from the pain she was experiencing in the C6 distribution; however, she suffered some trauma to her esophagus.
In 2002 the patient obtained a second opinion and was recommended for a C5-C6, C6-C7 fusion, as well as a left ulnar transposition. Following the surgery the patient had a significant relief of her neck and shoulder pain and also the forearm and hand pain. However, she continued with persistent left occipital pain and intermittent dropping of items with her left hand. In 2003 to 2005 she persisted with upper neck pain and occipital pain further evaluation led to a recommendation for a C3-C4, C4-C5 fusion and in December of 2005 she underwent a C3-C4, C4-C5 anterior fusion. Following the surgery she had an increase in her pain level that continues to be persistent.
Between 2005 and 2010 she continued to have epidurals, nerve blocks and facet blocks with no significant relief. In 2009 she developed bilateral foot pain that was shooting to the knee. She was first evaluated by a podiatrist and recommended for bunion surgery; however, on further evaluation it was found that she had significant herniation of the L5-S1 disc with bilateral pars defect. In August 2009 she had an L5-S1 fusion and this led to complete relief of her lower extremity symptoms.
Currently the patient has significant decrease in range of motion to her neck as any turning to either the right or left will significantly aggravate her pain. The patient has some relief when lying down or sitting in a recliner. She has intermittent blurry vision to the left eye, also intermittent numbness to the left side of her face with increased pain. Currently, she rates her pain as a 5/10 and continuous and intermittent.
Physical Examination: Examination for the upper extremities for the biceps, triceps, wrist flexion, wrist extension, supination, pronation, finger abduction, finger adduction, grip, finger flexion, finger extension, lumbricals, opposition of first and fifth digits, pincer grip, and at the shoulder for internal and external rotation, protraction and retraction, abduction and adduction, with her arm at her side, at 90 degrees, and at 180 degrees revealed some mild hand intrinsic weakness on the left side. No evidence of scapular winging. Adson's maneuver is positive on the left.
Additional directed exam with palpation and percussion over the carpal tunnel, Guyon's canal, mid-forearm, cubital tunnel, mid-upper arm, axilla, infraclavicular and supraclavicular regions revealed significant to severe tenderness over the middle scalene muscle, moderate tenderness of the levator scapula, tenderness near the sternocleidomastoid attachment on the mastoid process and also along the inferior occiput. There is slight tenderness over the anterior scalene muscle. On the right side, there is a mild tenderness over the middle scalene.
MR Neurography Scans: The MR Neurography of the Left Brachial Plexus noted the multiple cervical spinal procedures from the patient's history. She had irritative changes in the long thoracic nerve distal to the middle scalene. Additionally there was a mild change in image intensity with no significant change in the course, caliber and contour of the brachial plexus elements as they traverse the scalene triangle.
Open MRI guided Procedure: Based on the physical examination and the MRN-Neurography findings the patient was recommended for a Open MR image-guided approach for percutaneous chemomyolytic ablation of the left anterior and middle scalene muscle, left levator scapula, superior and inferior portions left sternocleidomastoid, the left splenius muscle and chemoneuroplastic treatment of left accessory nerve at the level of the sternocleidomastoid. Medications that were utilized were Marcaine, Celestone and Hyaluronidase. Following the procedure the patient had significant improvement to her significant neck pain that persisted for 5-6 months. She was able to discontinue her pain medications and manage her pain primarily with anti-inflammatories during this period of time.
MR Neurography Image 1 :: MR Neurography image showing the brachial plexus
Dual MR Neurography images :: The upper details the Middle Scalene on the T1 image; the lower shows the long thoracic nerve at the middle scalene (sag view)
Injection process 2 :: This MR Neurography image captured during the injection process shows the blood vessel complex (upper); medication filling the scalene muscle (left); and the MRI-compatible needle delivering the medication to the scalene muscle (right)
Arm pain Brachial plexus Neck pain Open MR Guided
Case Study: Neck and Arm Pain2011-04-012016-07-27https://nervemed.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/nervemed-logo.pngNerveMedhttps://nervemed.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/0411-casestudy.jpg200px200px
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Underrated '98 - Dave Wain
Dave Wain is one half of the creative team behind www.theschlockpit.com - an online feast of genre film analysis and leftfield retrospectives. Along with his scribing life-partner, Matty Budrewicz, he's part of the writing team on the acclaimed tome, It Came from the Video Aisle: Inside Charles Band's Full Moon Entertainment Studio, which is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all good bookstores. Paired with Matty you can regularly find him adorning Blu-ray releases from 88 Films while studiously beavering away on their new book - Schlock & Awe: The Forgotten Films of the 90s Rental Realm. Dave can be found on Twitter @thedavewain.
TAXMAN (1998; Avi Nesher)
Having worked in video rental now for the best part of two decades, I can say with a degree of authority that your average Joe has the bewildering proclivity to pick a film based on the title alone. To battle-hardened cinephiles like ourselves, that may well seem like sacrilege, but it does in part explain why more people haven't seen Taxman. Much like Gavin O'Connor's recent crime-drama The Accountant (2016), it's a vocation that hardly elicits an excitable hum of excitement, yet beneath the po-faced, suit-wearing façade, Avi Nesher's film delivers a gripping tale of murder, mafia and mountains of money. Its success is in no small part thanks to the sparsely coiffured brilliance of Joey Pants, who revels in his first lead role; quite why he never made the leap to top billing will forever be a mystery. With a dynamite supporting cast that includes Mike Starr, Fisher Stevens, Michael Chiklis and Wade Dominguez (who tragically died just after shooting wrapped), this is one Taxman you'll be happy to find on your doorstep.
STILL CRAZY (1998; Brian Gibson)
"I think God got fed up of all that 70s excess" ponders Hughie (Billy Connolly), "Perhaps that's why he invented The Sex Pistols?" Billed on the poster as 'This year's Full Monty', such woefully misjudged platitudes were never going to benefit a film that takes its title from a Paul Simon song, and has its characters roots blended with those of Syd Barrett, Keith Moon and David Lee Roth. Based around that well-travelled scenario of 'putting the band back together', the inevitable moments of cringe in Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais' script are softened by a soundtrack that features new songs penned by Mick Jones (Foreigner), Chris Difford (Squeeze) and Jeff Lynne (ELO). A cast to die for may be a well-worn banality, but with Connolly, Bill Nighy (who's never been better), Timothy Spall, Stephen Rea and Jimmy Nail it's not far from the truth. By the time Withnail & I director Bruce Robinson turns up in what would be his sole acting gig since '77, this little crowd-pleaser will have you punching the air with delight, with tears dripping from your cheeks.
BROKEN VESSELS (1998; Scott Ziehl)
'Bringing Out the Dead (1999) on crack' would be one way to describe Broken Vessels, even if Scorsese's overlooked masterpiece about a two-man ambulance team surfaced the year after Scott Ziehl's movie which centres around a coincidentally similar backdrop. Here we have Jimmy, played with a pitch-perfect swagger by Todd Field, whose idea of mid-shift downtime is parking up in the cemetery and pulling beers from the icy confines of an organ transplant carrier. His new partner Tom (Jason London) is the total opposite; wide-eyed and seemingly innocent, but it's not long before he's dragged under the wheels of Jimmy's hedonistic bus to hell. This bleak journey into a whacked-out drug-addled hell isn't for the faint-hearted, but with treacle-dark humour emanating through the needle marks in its veins, along with cameos from William Smith, James Hong and Charlie Spradling, it's an easy recommendation.
GET REAL (1998; Simon Shore)
Based on the play by Patrick Wilde (who also wrote the script), Get Real may well be the finest of the crop of kick-ass British Queer Cinema titles that landed during the back end of the nineties. As with Beautiful Thing (1996), we're in coming-of-age territory here as young student Steven (Ben Silverstone) is left reeling from an awkward encounter with closeted athletics-nut John (Brad Gorton) while out cruising the local park toilets. However, love blossoms against a backdrop of secrets, bullying and schoolyard homophobia, and this unlikely pair embark on a crash course in self-discovery. Even though it's only twenty years old, there's something a little antiquated about John passing Steven a hastily scribbled note through a gloryhole. Given the advent of apps like Grindr and Scruff, part of the charm of Get Real lies in the smartphone-free complexity of the scenario these boys are in, and the fact that they deal with everything face to face. The movie belongs to Silverstone; as Steven his depiction of a young lad who's at ease with his sexuality, but not quite ready to shout about it is astonishingly real, while Gorton portrays the conflicted jock to a tee. With a soundtrack that features some great British indie bands like Republica, Sleeper and Dodgy, it's a lush time capsule of another era that feels like yesterday, but in reality it's far, far away.
BLUES BROTHERS 2000 (1998; John Landis)
I can't convey just how important The Blues Brothers was to me as a kid. A perfect movie if ever there was one, its brilliance is underpinned by the look of it - the dirt, the stench, and the desperation. As far as sequels go, the PG-friendly perkiness of Blues Brothers 2000 is so far removed from the gritty f-bombing genius of the original, that there are moments in the film I find frankly embarrassing. From its forays into slapstick (the puffball scene, the zombification sequence), to poor old John Goodman who does not fit in any way, shape or form. Despite a litany of faults though, there are enough moments in this Dan Aykroyd scripted caper that succeed in providing a temporary amnesia to the cringe, with music director Paul Shaffer managing to assemble a cast of music legends to die for. From the returning familiarity of James Brown and Aretha Franklin, to iconic figures like Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd, Dr. John, B.B King, Junior Wells, Sam Moore, Bo Diddley and many, many more. So hate me at your will for reminding you that this exists, but then savour the mass assembly of such musical genius that we'll never see the like of again.
DEAD MAN ON CAMPUS (1998; Alan Cohn)
"Josh! We have only three weeks 'til finals. He's our only hope. He wants to die!" I knew I loved this movie for a reason, but until I revisited it during these last few weeks, I had forgotten that my appreciation lay in the sheer darkness of its content! Josh (Tom Everett Scott) and Cooper (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) are two failing students, with the former at the point of a total meltdown with the impending withdrawal of his scholarship. By total chance they stumble across an archaic college rule that should their roommate die they get straight A's, so not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, the scheming twosome set about tracking down the most mentally unstable student they can find and fast-track them into their dorm! It's an utterly screwy concept, and one that two decades later you couldn't see getting greenlit. But, with Mike White (Orange County (2002), School of Rock (2003)) on scripting duty, it retains a lovable charm beneath its cynical façade, while Lochlyn Munro absolutely kills it as Cliff O'Malley, a deliriously nutzoid Frat guy.
VELVET GOLDMINE (1998; Todd Haynes)
I recently posted online that I was taking another look at Haynes' movie, and one of my social media buddies (Steve Balshaw) managed to encapsulate this film with deft perfection; "It got savaged at the time because it "wasn't historically accurate" or some nonsense. It's not meant to be - it's like a gaudy, queer underground movie fantasia of a particularly gender-fluid moment in UK musical history, which owes as much to the work of Jack Smith, the Kuchars, Kenneth Anger, and even Nick Zedd (who the young Rhys-Meyers resembles), as it does to drab reality." He's right too. Upon its inception it was threatened with a lawsuit from David Bowie owing to the similarities with his life story, but it's a film that's best enjoyed far away from its brief flirtations with history. It's a glitter-soaked daydream of colour and fancy that should resonate with anyone harbouring even the slightest penchant for flamboyance. With the words of Oscar Wilde coursing through its duration, and laced with the "cocksure faggotery" of the era (as director Haynes calls it on the audio commentary), the movie is owned by Rhys Meyers, exhibiting a mesmeric beauty as 70s glam superstar Brian Slade. The boy can sing too with the tracks The Ballad of Maxwell Demon and Tumbling Down (the Steve Harley song) being notable highlights, while the music videos are a work of art. Oh, and it also has Obi Wan shagging Batman, so there is that…
OUTSIDE OZONA (1998; J.S Cardone)
Not to sound overly morbid or anything, but when J. S Cardone finally bids his final farewell to this mortal coil, The Slayer will no doubt dominate the obituaries that follow. Like the majority of genre filmmakers whose careers are dominated by the cult classic they made decades ago, their other works are too frequently forgotten, to which Cardone is the perfect example. Be it the latent homoeroticism of The Forsaken (2001), or the underrated wonder of The Mummy an' The Armadillo (2004), Cardone has racked a stack of great features onto his resume. Outside Ozona is the crown in this melange of diversity, fitting neatly into that short-lived glut of late-nineties, post-Tarantino thrillers. It's a simple premise - While the local radio station plays in the background, a group of strangers' lives intertwine as a serial killer prowls the Badlands of Oklahoma. But the magic is in the tone, the execution and the casting, as a broad array of actors including Robert Forster (replacing the recently deceased J. T Walsh), Meat Loaf, Sherilyn Fenn, David Paymer and Kevin Pollack provide the ingredients for a brilliant character-driven indie.
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Labels: dave wain, underrated '98
Underrated '98 - John Arminio
John Arminio is a lifelong Nerd and lover of film, comics, art, books, and all manner of storytelling. He is on a never-ending quest to discover new stories and to tell them to others. You can find him working at Comix Connection in Central Pennsylvania or simply follow him on Twitter @QuasarSniffer. He will podcast with you about movies and comics or write you long-winded letters by hand and mail them to you. With actual stamps and everything! He is madness. You can also follow the happenings of Comix Connection on Facebook or visit their webpage at http://comixconnection.tumblr.com/
The Faculty feels like an example of when filmmakers (in this case, Robert Rodriguez) on assignment get bored and reach for something unexpected. While the movie might have been a creation of market research focus groups intent on cashing in on the teen horror craze going on in the late 1990s, the result is a bizarre and, in hindsight, fascinating collision of influences ranging from The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, toRoger Corman horror. Plus, you get to watch Elijah Wood, Clea Duvall, Usher, Josh Hartnett, and Jon Stewart share a scene with a CGI space larva. It's weird. The Faculty is built on setting up and subverting stereotypes in admittedly obvious ways, but in a film market that celebrated I Know What You Did Last Summer, these subversions are a breathe of fresh air. The talent of the character actor-ridden supporting cast should not be discounted, as the preternaturally intimidating Robert Patrick meets all our expectations for Scary Authority Figure, thereby setting the viewer up to take the proceeding teen hormone-fueled thrills at face value. This is contrasted with Salma Hayek and Famke Janssen both cast decidedly against type, and absurdly so, manifesting in a meta-narrative almost as apparent as that of Wes Craven's Scream, only a lot more fun and with less self-satisfied winking. Sure, it doesn't approach the brilliance of the commentary on horror fiction seen in a movie like John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness, nor is it a brave assault on horror tropes (and the representation/exploitation of women and young people in the genre) seen in films like 2000's Ginger Snaps or 1999's Audition, but does manage to be a hell of a lot of fun. It does make the mistake of directly stealing scenes from far superior horror films like The Shining and the previously mentioned The Thing, but it is at its best when it exploits the very real adolescent fears if isolation, loneliness, and being scrutinized by one's peers. What could be more terrifying for a teenager than realizing that all of the adolescent paranoia he or she is experiencing is actually justified? It doesn't matter if it's aliens or teenagers since, after all, both are equally capable of evil. Also, The Faculty has the band Creed's cover of Alice Cooper's "Eighteen" on the soundtrack, which might be the worst attempt to appeal to the teen market via song I've ever heard. It's awful in the most hilarious way, which somehow makes the film more enjoyable.
Star Trek Insurrection
Perhaps I am stretch the definition of underrated here, but being the Big Time Star Trek Nerd that I am, I often encounter the opinion, even among Star Trek fans, that Star Trek First Contact is the only good Star Trek: The Next Generation movie.
This is a nonsense opinion.
True, Star Trek First Contact is a top-notch sci-fi actioner, and perhaps the most fun of the Star Trek films (it has Captain Picard wielding a Tommy gun while wearing a white dinner jacket, after all), but it is Star Trek Insurrection that manages to be the most Star Trek of the Next Generation films, and one of the most philosophically consistent science fiction films released in my lifetime. It is here the Enterprise crew is everything we want them to be, heroic not only in the face of Space Dictators with Ugly Faces (played with delicious wickedness by F. Murray Abraham) but also in the face of their own bureaucracy, giving self-serving a short-sighted orders. They stand up for the true values of the Federation, and we see the cast giving performances as if they believe it themselves. They embody the future we wish for, the people we truly want to be, as they fight for the weak under cruel bombardment from the strong. The direction is clear, the plot is straightforward, and the photography captures not only the science fiction elements beautifully, but it renders the pastoral planet-side locations with genuine, gorgeous affection. It's a Star Trek film that makes me want to Live Long and Prosper.
Apt Pupil
Apt Pupil is the other 1998 movie in which Ian McKellen plays and old weirdo paired with a much younger, handsome protegee. In Gods and Monsters, thought, he's playing genius film director James Whale, the victim of discrimination and oppression, instead of the murderous Nazi creep of Apt Pupil. While Apt Pupil is a film that definitely has its flaws (its third act begins with a montage in which the young protagonist overcomes the struggle of studying REALLY HARD for a high school test), it is a film that has, in a way, become more relevant in the twenty years since its release. Brad Renfro plays an alienated teenage boy who becomes obsessed with Nazis and the Holocaust who then, through happenstance, comes across Ian Mckellen's Kurt Dussander, a Nazi war criminal hiding out in anonymity in suburban America. The current political and social climate of 2018; the resurgence of Nazism, the mainstreaming of white supremacist ideology, and the continued mass killings visited upon American schools and public places by disturbed young people; makes Apt Pupil a positively chilling viewing experience. Knowing the true back story of Renfro's own tragic death makes his performance, as the disturbed Todd Bowden, more believable and affecting.
The interplay of homo-eroticism, homophobia, and sadomasochism between the leads and their respective fantasies, reliving Dussander's "glory days" in World War II through the telling of stories, results in stomach-churning anxiety in the viewer. The shared sickness between the elderly Nazi and Todd is disturbing for how they are simultaneously so simpatico with one another, but also full of antipathy and resentment. Their shared experiences is based off of how much they thrill to hate, which is how their particular brand of hate spreads. Sure, these themes and the plot could use some streamlining (David Schwimmer plays a guidance counselor whose sole purpose seems to be to slow down the action and say, "well gee, you seem to be disturbed, young man') and the ending is a rather convenient bow-tie wrap-up for one of the villains, but the film is something worth revisiting as an artifact of when we thought Nazism was dead in America. Apt Pupil was telling us that no, it definitely was not.
John Boorman is not a subtle filmmaker. From unquestionable classics like Deliverance and Point Blank to mad fantastical vision of a past that never was (Excalibur) or a future that never will be (Zardoz), Boorman's themes of self-destructive masculinity, fate, and the futility of authority pervade his work in obvious and sometimes brilliant ways. Also, there's Exorcist II: The Heretic, a film that remains impossible to explain or justify to this day. Standing in sharp contrast to these is the stark, humorous, and even occasionally warm biopic The General, starring the unequaled Brendan Gleeson. Gleeson's character, the real-life Irish master thief and eccentric crime boss Martin Cahill, is unapologetic in his quest to live an independent life, raising his family (which consists of a polyamorous relationship between himself, his wife, and her sister) his own way, free from the reach of authority. He clearly loves his children, but he is stubborn in his determination to remain a criminal and a thief, even if that means going to jail for years at a time, separating himself from those he loves for years at a time. In a lesser film, Cahill would take the form of a lovable rogue or perhaps even a sort of modern day Robin Hood figure, but The General is too smart for that. Gleeson's Cahill is no stranger to violence and murder to achieve his aims, while also willing to put his family through any privation or mortal danger just to prove a point. His behavior is, at times, infuriating and bizarre, which makes him a fascinating figure to watch, but would clearly have been an aggravating and dangerous man to know. His inevitable journey to self-destruction, photographed in absorbing black and white, is a fascinating story that could only climax at the wrong end of a gun.
The Bird People in China
Just before he broke big internationally with the masterclass in horrific romantic discomfort that was Audition and the blood-soaked lunacy that was Ichi the Killer, Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike directed The Bird People in China, a much more meditative, human, and positively tender film than the extreme cinema he is more known for, at least in the West. The Bird People in China is a sort of combination road movie, buddy comedy, and fish-out-of-water tale about, on its surface, a salary man from a Japanese corporation and a yakuza fixer going to the same region in China to reconnoiter a potentially lucrative source of jade in the region. It manages to shift widely in tone, from philosophical musings to the translations of ancient texts to a hilariously bizarre image of the yakuza man defecating outside in the rain, asking for an umbrella.
Both protagonists are each from wildly different worlds themselves, but their differences pale in comparison to the divergent experience of the characters they encounter. They must turn to each other to better understand their circumstances, while the characters who cross their path help them better understand themselves. Both the yakuza and the salary man are hell bent on achieving their agenda and meeting their deadlines, while the Chinese villagers are content to learn to fly. It's a conceit that could be maudlin or even paternalistic, but with Miike's expert hand guiding the film, the protagonists and the villagers both are the source of just the right amount of wisdom and sympathy, comedy and light humiliation, that the viewer is left with genuine affection and warmth for all parties concerned. The film is also gorgeously shot, utilizing the rural China locations in all their lush, green glory. So even if The Bird People in China does not have the frenetic pace of some of Miike's later work, it never feels stifled or slow because what is on screen is so beautiful to look at.
Twenty years on, Alex Proyas' Dark City has garnered a definitive cult following and influenced a cadre of filmmakers, yet I still contend it is underrated. It's presence in cinema history will perhaps forever be eclipsed by the films that succeeded it and borrowed some of its key aesthetics (like The Matrix), but Dark City's brilliance is not to be overlooked.
Dark City is a movie that truly feels like a nightmare, and the structure of the city itself, along with the film, is a physical manifestation of endless, agonized somnambulism. John Murdoch (played with brilliant desperation by Rufus Sewell) and his efforts to escape the stone and steel of his city are thwarted not only by the mysterious, black-clad pale beings that seem to lord over the events, but by the buildings and streets themselves, morphing in illogical ways to thwart him. Jennifer Connelly is hypnotic in her performance, a beauty that transcends even this place, and one both the viewer and Murdoch would be willing to brave this nightmare for. With its German expressionism-influenced architecture, untouchable villains that are as much a part of the city as its mortar, and ability to lure the viewer within its borders, Dark City is one of the most successful attempts at merging science fiction and film noir I have ever seen, and perhaps the best neo-noir since Chinatown. That feeling of running in place while being chased by monsters in a dream? That is what Dark City feels like. Watch it.
Labels: john armino, underrated '98
Just The Discs - Episodes 56 - Three Versions of BREATHLESS
Inspired by the recent release of ALOHA, BOBBY AND ROSE (Scorpion Releasing) which Director Floyd Mutrux says was very much inspired by Godard's BREATHLESS, Brian takes a look at the original film and the 1983 remake and compares thoughts on all three.
Or you can listen to the episode right here:
Discs Discussed on this episode:
ALOHA, BOBBY AND ROSE (Scorpion Releasing)
https://amzn.to/2IJCre7
BREATHLESS (1960) (Criterion)
https://amzn.to/2KO6jm7
BREATHLESS (1983) (Shout Factory)
https://amzn.to/2GMnDWk
Labels: criterion collection, cult movie, just the discs, just the discs podcast, scorpion releasing, shout factory
New Release Roundup for the Week of May 29th, 2018
THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD on Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)
https://amzn.to/2Lr4htf
COLD TURKEY on Blu-ray (Olive Films)
https://amzn.to/2s7QQq0
ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW (Olive Films)
https://amzn.to/2GODNhP
SMASH PALACE on Blu-ray (Arrow)
https://amzn.to/2ks63OJ
MIDNIGHT COWBOY on Blu-ray (Criterion)
https://amzn.to/2KPyxge
SWEET SWEETBACK'S BAADASSSSS SONG on Blu-ray (Vinegar Syndrome)
https://amzn.to/2GMbbG9
BLOODSUCKERS FROM OUTER SPACE on Blu-ray (Vinegary Syndrome)
https://amzn.to/2IK8FFU
SHOCKING DARK on Blu-ray (Severin Films)
https://amzn.to/2Lr6iWl
ZOMBIE 3 on Blu-ray (Severin Films)
https://amzn.to/2Lpdcv8
ZOMBIE 4: AFTER DEATH on Blu-ray (Severin Films)
https://amzn.to/2J5GMHG
AU HASARD BALTHAZAR on Blu-ray (Criterion)
https://amzn.to/2s9hluA
THE TWO OF US on Blu-ray (Cohen Media)
https://amzn.to/2J39F7I
THE MAN WHO WATCHED TRAINS (ClassicFlix)
https://amzn.to/2KPEWrU
ANNIHILATION on Blu-ray (Paramount)
https://amzn.to/2GNa1tU
FIST OF THE NORTH STAR on Blu-ray (Discotek Media)
https://amzn.to/2IIxHVV
Labels: arrow academy, blu-ray new releases, criterion collection, kino lorber studio classics, new release roundup, olive films, Severin Films, vinegar syndrome
Just The Discs - Episodes 56 - Three Versions of B...
Underrated '98 - John Cribbs
Underrated '98 - Brandon Smith
Underrated '98 - Bernardo Villela
Just The Discs - Episode 55 - A Twilight Time Five
New Release Roundup for the week of May 22nd, 2018
Just The Discs - Bonus - An Indicator Quintet
Underrated '98 - Scott Drebit
Just The Discs - Episode 54 - Sci-Fi!
Just The Discs - Bonus Episode - Catchin' Up With ...
Underrated '98 - Anya Stanley
Just The Discs - Episode 53 - Vinegar Syndrome Spe...
New Release Roundup for the week of May 8th, 2018
Underrated '98 - Patrick Bromley
Underrated '98 - Stephanie Crawford
Underrated '98 - Justin LaLiberty
Just The Discs - Episode 52 - Full Moon High Ambul...


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Saddle On The Bomb "Everything is a jam, nothing is written, there are only song themes that we discuss."
Oct 3, 2019 - Rebecca Cullen
Following the release of two full-length album sessions, Croatia's Saddle on the Bomb kindly joined us for a chat about their music, their influences, and their plans for the future. Here's how it went.
Hi guys – thanks for the interview, congrats on the new release. Awesome performance. What made you want to release an experimental set like this, and why do you think the music connects so well in the raw and live setting?
Hello, thank you very much! Glad you like the playing and performance, not many can swallow this album.
After Tomislav Poje left Acid Hags because he moved to another city we didn't have time to do rehearsals any more, but we still love to play together and he visits me from time to time. Every time we see each other we record the session.
All of these songs are invented in that particular moment when we play, nothing is rehearsed and tried before. We talk before the session a little, when I do all engineering work with mics and sound, but when I press REC all plans are gone, and there is only our adjustment to the given situation.
Those are probably not the best songs in the world, but those are the purest emotion we could give in that moment, no thinking, just what we have forged over the years on our instruments and how we adopt that skills and fit them on the songs.
There's also a strong potential for this kind of playlist to be the evening ambiance for alternative music fans – sort of in the way people would gather round to play a Pink Floyd vinyl back in the day. Where do you personally imagine is the best setting for people to listen to these tracks?
The best thing would be to be in the room with us, but that would probably change the course of songs and we would maybe rush them, so our Terminal or Mammoth songs would be a lot shorter and maybe not so intense, haha. But we did probably 90% of recording also in video format so it is great to see the feeling and maybe easier to absorb performance. Cool thing would be to listen to this at low bulb light with a glass of wine, alone.
There's a certain sense of spontaneity to the music – is there a live jam aspect to what you do, or is everything precisely composed and arranged?
Everything is a jam, nothing is written, there are only song themes that we discussed over the months via Facebook messenger, so we can be on the same level of idea.
Ideas are always odd rhythms and odd time signatures (7/8, 13/8, 23/16 etc) but when we play and everything starts to go fluid, the deal is that one of us starts with poly-rhythm on given theme, so when you hear we both play the same theme together you can expect that one of us will change it drastically almost immediately and return back at some point, after that the turn to change it is on the other player 🙂 All in all there is a lot of fun in those songs, and a lot of challenges for each.
Why the name Saddle on the Bomb?
'Saddle on the bomb' is the name I had in mind with thinking how our music is weird like Kubrik's Dr. Strangelove, I watched that movie probably 20 times and I love it so much. Imagine the bomb with the saddle, and you are up there, listening to our music, you want to escape it and just jump off, but somehow you are still there listening, trying to understand what we poured into those themes of the songs, and why 🙂
How did you both meet?
Tomislav and me both played in Acid Hags from 2016.-2018. Then Tomislav moved and Acid Hags got a new drummer. But before that our wives were friends and they forced us to meet each other 🙂
How long have you been playing and mastering your instruments?
I play guitar probably 25 years but I had big 12 year pause when I was a luthier and electronic builder so I sold all guitars to buy machines and tools, now I started buying them again and I started to play again in 2015. I think Tomislav said he play drums also approx 25 years and he played most of his career in progressive rock band Fall Out Trio, where he mastered his amazing unique skills and talent.
Do you each bring different influences to the stage, or are you into the same sounds and styles?
We are totally on the different styles and influences, but we both think the same for 'Saddle on the Bomb' – the idea is that drums and guitar change the roles, you know how some guys think that drums are the rhythm section of the band? Well in 'Saddle' guitar is most of the time rhythm and drums are a solo instrument.
Many people hate that because they can't stretch their mind so much. Sounds weird as an idea but that idea is so tempting and cool. Some folks who heard this music said that "we sound like we now started to learn to play basics". It is a new level that we struggle to get to, the level where it is impossible to write this music in sheet, that uniqueness is so big that you immediately know it is 'Saddle'.
The level of playing this style and the style of particular thinking about music can be heard here. Constant using of poly-rhythms and poly tempos. Sometimes when I play 7/8 on guitar, drums play 9/8 but it is not in the same tempo, but our first note in the next bar is there together. After that we don't meet on first in next bar, but every second bar, or third. Sometimes when that is not enough we complicate it that he makes 18/8 over my 7/8, those are in fact just regular 9 over 7 signatures, but to regular listeners who never tired to play that, it sounds like we don't know what we play, but believe me every second of our music is our skill and nothing is played by accident.
Things pick up slightly at around the half way point – was there an artistic intention to this progression, something you wanted to represent or portray?
Nothing in particular, that is pure emotions driven by skills of playing, with the small intention to be different than anything else in music, if we can fit it in the song. We drove each other to that moment.
Have you performed to live audiences yet, and if so – what has the reaction been like so far?
We never preformed live together with 'Saddle' but we did with 'Hags', and we hope we can arrange some shows in 2020. That would be awesome. We will of course record that and release it as a new Session album 🙂
If you could perform at any venue or event in the world, which would you choose, and why?
Probably not a regular venue, but maybe an old church or big abandoned factory is most desired for us now. We already have some spaces and ideas for next sessions in my town. But for shows anything would be great where people are listeners and will want to go with us on the journey and experience what we can offer.
What are your plans creatively over the coming months?
Plans are to get some free time for 'Saddle' and do more recorded sessions, but next time at a different location, that will add to our feeling while we play, and maybe make the session authentically weird for that space where we will play and record. Searching for nice places right now, have some in mind.
Is there anything else we should know?
Acid Hags will release new album in beginning of 2020. On that album Tomislav Poje is also playing drums and last song is something out of this world, on the trace of the Saddle. Album is not a jam session like Saddle but the signature sound of both of us is also there, very intense.
Check out both Session 1 and Session 2 over on Bandcamp.
InstrumentalPsychedelicRockSaddle On The BombCroatia, Europe
Rebecca Cullen
Founder, Editor, Musician & MA Songwriter


On March 29th, I joined Mark "the Movieman" on his Spoiler Room Podcast to discuss 1995's Ghost in the Shell. The crew cover many outstanding aspects of this anime classic that you don't want to miss.
You can find our discussion of Ghost in the Shell at Special Mark Productions.


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Q: React-admin unhandled rejection in fetching data when it should not be I'm writing custom data provider. If I throw an error from data source method, e.g. delete('resource', options) I see error properly logged (react-admin uses showNotification for that internally) and immediately react death screen Unhandled Rejection (Error), and the question is how to stop react-admin throwing unhandled rejections ? Maybe there are some global error handler, because I must throw, because error goes to authentication provider's checkError method, and if I throw react-admin shows it's message properly, so seems like it's expected behavior for react admin.
What I need to do to fix this react death screen?
P.S. I'm returning promises from data sources and auth providers, react error boundaries doesn't handle async code
P.P.S. please do not suggest fix error which causes it, read article above, it should be thrown

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It seems that bitcoin ETF won't be coming soon. The Chicago Board Options Exchange's (CBOE) BZX Equity Exchange has canceled its request for a rule change by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to list and trade shares of SolidX Bitcoin Shares issued by the VanEck SolidX Bitcoin Trust.
The reason for this decision is still unknown.
The published announcement on the official website of the SEC states that the proposed rule change was published for comment in the Federal Register on July 2, 2018. Later, on December 6, 2018, the Commission designated a longer period for Commission action on the proposed rule change.
Bitcoin-ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a traded fund on the basis of bitcoin. Bitcoin-ETF allows the investor to buy a valuable paper for possession of bitcoin, and at the same time avoid worrying about safety and risks of hacking. Investors are protected in this case.


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Q: How to constrain the type of the output of a method of an abstract class? Say I have an abstract class:
class A(metaclass=ABCMeta):

    def __init__(self):
        pass

    @abstractmethod
    def a_function(self) -> int:
        return 0

I want to constrain the type of the output of a_function so that when a class inherits from A the output has to be an integer.
My first attempt was to make a decorator for a_function of class A (see below). But of course it only constrains A.a_function
def constrain_type(f):
    def decorated(*args, **kwargs):
        output = f(*args, **kwargs)
        class_annotation = f.__annotations__["return"]
        if not issubclass(type(output), class_annotation):
            raise TypeError("this class must return an object inheriting from " +
                            class_annotation.__name__ + " not " + type(output).__name__)

        return output
    return decorated


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Children of Emirati mothers allowed to compete in official UAE sports competitions for the first time
Sheikh Khalifa directive means those born to foreign fathers will have no barrier to sport
The children of Emirati women born to foreign fathers will be able to compete in official UAE competitions for the first time under a new directive issued on Wednesday.
President, Sheikh Khalifa, said a competitor would no longer need to be an Emirati national to participate, but would must have an Emirati mother. This applies to the holders of passports that are under the application process as well as those born in the UAE .
The state news agency Wam reported that Sheikh Khalifa directed the Cabinet to put in place the necessary regulations and conditions for the implementation of the directive.
The new directive comes in light of the government's move to activate, promote and support various sports activities, to benefit from the talents of athletes, and to enhance their participation in various sporting activities and official events, reported Wam.
It also plays a role in 'reaffirming that sport is an integral part of nations' civilisation and progress'.
Reem Al Falasi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood said: "We look forward to the implementation of His Highness's directives and seeing the children of Emirati mother's participating and competing in national competitions. We consider them to be Emirati and we do not discriminate or differentiate between them and children whose both parents are Emirati. We also want to encourage children of all nationalities to participate in sport activities,"
FNC member Salem Al Shehi said the initiative would only benefit the country.
"The UAE has always welcomed people of all nationalities. Children of Emirati mothers are Emirati and an important part of the country and the President's directives has affirmed that. Allowing them to take part in our national competitions will only bring added benefit to the country," he said.
The directive did not state or clarify whether the change will mean the same individuals would be able to compete in the UAE's national teams abroad.


Moose Arena: off-ice training (ball hockey and lacrosse). Students require helmet, gloves and stick.
Students will be training at the NDA. Please bring required change of clothes.
Students will be golfing at the Par-3 (Paradise Valley). Students can bring their own clubs and the school will also supply a limited number of clubs to students who do not have any to participate.
Students will be doing Performance Edge Testing at NDA.


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| Car Reviews
2018 Mazda6 First Look: Mazda's Midsizer Gets a Refresh and a New Engine
The Mazda6 gets updated to compete against the redesigned Camry and Accord
ManufacturerPhotosCollin WoodardWords
Mazda Mazda6 Full Overview
When Mazda introduced the redesigned Mazda6 for 2014, the car impressed us with its attractive design, sporty handling, and premium interior. It also managed to beat out the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry in our comparison test. "The Mazda imparts a sense of gracefulness and driver-connectedness that is deficient in the others," we said at the time. But the midsize sedan segment is seriously competitive. The latest Toyota Camry is much better than the previous one, and the new Honda Accord is even better than the Camry. To keep up, Mazda has given the 6 an update for 2018.
As you can see, the Mazda6 looks pretty much the same on the outside. The front end has been subtly restyled, but unless the new car is parked next to the old one, we doubt most people will notice. Instead, Mazda put its effort into updating the 6's interior. Only the steering wheel and a few small trim pieces carry over. All trim levels get refreshed, but there's also a new top-end Signature trim level. Mazda says it gives the cabin a true luxury feel, with wood trim, premium leather, and artificial suede covering most surfaces. The updated Mazda6 also gets new, more comfortable seats and updated technology, such as a 360-degree camera system, adaptive cruise control, and a larger infotainment display screen.
Under the hood, Mazda made another big change. The base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine carries over, but for the first time, Mazda will offer the 6 with a turbocharged engine borrowed from the CX-9. On premium fuel, the 2.5-liter turbo makes 250 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. That should make it significantly quicker than the naturally aspirated version with its 184 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque. In our last test, the Mazda6 posted an unremarkable 0-60 time of 7.9 seconds, so the added acceleration will be much appreciated. For comparison, the 2.0-liter turbocharged Honda Accord hits 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, and the V-6 Camry does it in 5.8.
Like the 2018 Mazda CX-5, the new Mazda6 features cylinder deactivation. A centrifugal pendulum is used in the torque converter of the six-speed automatic transmission to balance out vibrations that might normally be felt from running on two cylinders. That six-speed auto is standard with the 2.5 turbo engine, though there's no mention of a manual option. Mazda says it will continue to offer a six-speed manual with the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter, however.
To handle the extra power of the turbo and help push the 6 upmarket, Mazda says it's also improved the chassis and the suspension. Expect the car to be quieter, more refined, and more comfortable on the road. But the refreshed Mazda6 hasn't abandoned its sporty roots, either. It also reportedly handles better than before and offers more responsive steering.
Expect pricing to be announced closer to the 2018 Mazda6's on-sale date sometime in the spring of 2018.
Looks good! More details?