Synopsis: A British agent goes deep undercover in Cold War Berlin in order to recover a list of clandestine operatives that, if it falls into the wrong hands, could extend the Cold War for several decades.
Two things have happened in the past few years to lead us to Cold War actioner Atomic Blonde. Firstly, John Wick exploded on to cinema screens in 2014, revealing co-director David Leitch as one of the foremost practitioners of a particularly brutal, Hong Kong-inspired brand of big screen fight choreography. A year later, a one-armed Charlize Theron absolutely stole the show in Mad Max: Fury Road and established herself as a bona fide action hero. So what we now have is Atomic Blonde, in which Leitch teams with Theron for a movie that is batty, brutal and occasionally brilliant. Unfortunately, it doesn't make even a lick of sense.
We follow British agent Lorraine (Theron) as she is interrogated by her MI6 superior (Toby Jones) and CIA colleague (John Goodman) about a disastrous operation she took part in immediately prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Lorraine is sent to Berlin in order to help the rather feral British undercover agent Percival (James McAvoy) to find a list which, if it were to fall into Soviet hands, could reveal the identities of every active operative in the country and extend the Cold War for decades. While attempting to track down the list, Lorraine is forced to deal with jittery Stasi defector Spyglass (Eddie Marsan) and a mysterious French woman (Sofia Boutella), who is somehow involved in what is happening.
Atomic Blonde deserves credit for having the truly unique feel of something original. It's a film that is bathed in punky neon colours while indulging in the bleak, grey environs of Cold War Berlin. That contrast is at the heart of a film that has no idea of its own identity and doesn't seem to care much about that, blithely veering in tones almost as often as the allegiances of its characters shift in the wake of endless betrayals and double crosses. It's a bonkers film without much care for narrative coherence and that proves to be its biggest issue – it's almost impossible to actually know what's going on.
Narrative coherence, though, has been traded for some of the best action that has been depicted on the big screen this year. Leitch brings a 'Wickian' sense of balletic gun-fu to the action and there's some use of improvised household weaponry that recalls Gareth Evans and his Raid movies. One virtuoso scene, designed to appear as an unbroken near-ten-minute take, sees Theron battle a group of heavies in the stairwell of a tower block. Every punch lands and the exhaustion that builds throughout the breathless sequence is palpable in the performances, contrasted cleverly with the tireless energy of Leitch's roving camera.
Charlize Theron is bruised, battered and beaten throughout the movie, with every scuffle leaving its mark on her body. We frequently see Theron submerge herself in an ice bath and given the punishment she takes, that's no surprise. Theron emerges from the film looking thoroughly ferocious and every inch an action hero, which is not a trait that applies to co-star James McAvoy. He seemingly picks up where he left off in Split with a character who is feral and wild, seemingly serving a different paymaster every time he pops up. Far more convincing is Sofia Boutella, who really makes the best of a brief role as a mysterious French woman.
The question of whether Atomic Blonde is a great action movie is a tough one. On the level of pure fight choreography and adrenaline, it's one of the most impressive genre films in recent years. However, it's a dysfunctional, disfigured mess of a story that struggles to find purchase outside of its chilly cinematography and Theron's tenacious, committed performance. It's a paranoia thriller with a campy 80s-pop soundtrack and a bouillabaisse of tones that never coalesce. When it hits, though, it hits incredibly hard.
Charlize Theron and David Leitch prove to be a compelling, violent double act in Atomic Blonde. It's a film that stumbles as often as it flies, but it is strongest when it settles into pure popcorn entertainment.
James McAvoy's unhinged performance, meanwhile, almost serves as a metaphor for a film that never quite seems to know what it's doing unless it has a gun, blade or miscellaneous household object in its hands.


text:
You are here: Home » Interviews » Dee has conquered cancer, but can he conquer the Paralympics?
Dee has conquered cancer, but can he conquer the Paralympics?
Many professional sailors in the big boat scene - the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race - learned their trade in the Olympic classes. But it's not often you see the pro sailors come back later in their careers to compete on the Olympic scene, certainly not when they're 62 years old.
But American pro Dee Smith has done exactly that. He's competing in the 2.4mR Paralympic singlehanded keelboat. No one would have been more surprised than Smith himself if you had told him eight years ago that this is what he'd be doing in 2015. It was in 2007, during the America's Cup in Valencia, that he first discovered that a long-term cancer had been residing in his body and gradually eating away at his spine.
CLICK BELOW FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Songadh (Guj): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday slammed the Congress over its manifesto promise to repeal sedition law and reduce forces from Kashmir. The opposition party is trying to fulfil the demands of Pakistan, Modi said, adding the only "business of Pakistan is to export terror.
Are people who want to break the country into tukde- tukde (pieces) not anti-nationals?... Congress is now saying that they will repeal the sedition law. Can we expect this from a 125 year-old party?, Modi said at a rally here.
The Congress manifesto is totally opposite to the thinking of Sardar Patel. If he was alive, he would have rejected this manifesto. They are abusing our armed forces. They want to reduce the strength of our forces in Kashmir, he said.


He was involved in a research project to determine how Palestinians cooperate as individuals in society. Oh, and basketball. He taught that at the American school in Beirut.
I won't go into the details on how cooperation is determined, except that he used political game theory and an interesting exercise called Prisoner's Dilemma.
The result was that he found Palestinians (and Arabs) be 400% LESS cooperative than the average westerner. Palestinians are FOUR TIMES less likely to cooperate with each other in a society than those of us from the West. Those of you who know something of the history behind the Arab Israeli conflict won't be surprised by this.
It is precisely because of their inability to cooperate with each other that Israel survives today. In 1948, NONE of the Arab powers cooperated with ANYONE in their attacks, and Israel won. In 1967, NONE of the Arab powers cooperated in their attacks, and Israel won. The only time the Israel came close to losing was in 1973 when Syria and Egypt DID cooperate.
This lack of cooperation will always be the Achilles heel of the Arab world. It holds back progress. It keeps them from developing as a society. It keeps them from making peace with their enemies. It invites terrible conflict.
The upside is that they are less of a threat. Terrorist groups often fight each other, instead of Israel. Competing factions will turn to betrayal for personal advantage. Groups like Al Kaida cannot depend on a friendly reception in countries that hate the West.


Dreams are spontaneous representations of the psychological state of the dreamer rendered naturally into symbolic form. While didactic processes help us to learn something of value about dreams, the most valuable way by far is to work with one's own. This group seeks to provide a confidential, collegial environment in which clinicians can learn about dream work from the inside out. The value of this process extends well beyond the development of a greater self-understanding. By engaging the interplay of qualitative elements within dreams, learning to understand the internal logic through which they convey their meaning, we develop a more finely honed capacity to understand the innumerable nuances of communication that permeate the clinical sessions and become more adept at understanding the psychological dynamics occurring in your work. Whether you work directly with dreams in your practice, or not, you will take with you a valuable tool for understanding psychological experience, imagery, and a means to deepen and enrich your work.
Each week we will explore at least one dream provided by our participants. We will spend time exploring the dream material, discuss its structure, symbolism, and relevance to the current context of the dreamer. As we proceed, we will provide commentary regarding aspects of dream life out of our collective knowledge. Our gathering is not therapeutic, but rather collegial in nature, aimed at learning more about dreams, ourselves, and our work. That said, all materials and communications within this group will remain strictly confidential. The group will be limited to 6 participants.
The group will meet at the Lansdowne home/office of the host in a spacious, secure, and comfortable setting. Tea and coffee will be provided. Ample parking is available. Driving and transportation directions from your location provided on request.We meet in the Lansdowne office located at 42 Windermere Ave., Lansdowne, PA 19050.
We will meet the fourth Sunday of the month for two hours, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.; 5-week commitment requested.
Mark. Dean, MFA, MA, ATR-BC, LPC is a co-founder of The Center for Psyche and the Arts, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and Art Therapist, currently in his 9th year of analytic training with the Philadelphia Jung Institute and the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts.
You must be a current member of The Center for Psyche & the Arts, LLC to receive the discounted price. Consider becoming a member to receive additional discounts on our programs.


Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) has reported a 40 per cent rise in profits for 1993. Assets at the privatised bank grew by over 18 per cent to $3,050 million. MCB's accounts show a $264.3 million profit for the year before tax. During the year, authorised capital doubled to $66.47 million. Issued, subscribed and paid-in capital stood at $22.02 million on 31 December 1993, compared with $19.15 million the previous year.


text:
package org.embulk.filter;

import is.tagomor.woothee.Classifier;

import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

import org.embulk.config.TaskSource;
import org.embulk.filter.WootheeFilterPlugin.PluginTask;
import org.embulk.spi.Column;
import org.embulk.spi.Exec;
import org.embulk.spi.Page;
import org.embulk.spi.PageBuilder;
import org.embulk.spi.PageOutput;
import org.embulk.spi.PageReader;
import org.embulk.spi.Schema;
import org.embulk.spi.type.Types;

import com.google.common.collect.Maps;

public class WootheePageOutput implements PageOutput
{
    private final PluginTask task;
    private final List<Column> outputColumns;
    private final List<Column> inputColumns;
    private final Map<String, Column> wootheeColumnMap;
    private final Column keyNameColumn;
    private final PageReader reader;
    private final PageBuilder builder;

    public WootheePageOutput(TaskSource taskSource, Schema inputSchema, Schema outputSchema, PageOutput output) {
        this.task = taskSource.loadTask(PluginTask.class);
        this.outputColumns = outputSchema.getColumns();
        this.inputColumns = inputSchema.getColumns();
        Map<String, Column> inputColumnMap = Maps.newHashMap();
        this.wootheeColumnMap = Maps.newHashMap();
        for (Column column : outputColumns) {
            if (!inputColumns.contains(column)) {
                wootheeColumnMap.put(column.getName(), column);
            } else {
                inputColumnMap.put(column.getName(), column);
            }
        }
        this.reader = new PageReader(inputSchema);
        this.builder = new PageBuilder(Exec.getBufferAllocator(), outputSchema, output);
        this.keyNameColumn = inputColumnMap.get(task.getKeyName());
    }

    @Override
    public void finish() {
        builder.finish();
    }

    @Override
    public void close() {
        builder.close();
    }

    @Override
    public void add(Page page) {
        reader.setPage(page);

        while (reader.nextRecord()) {
            String userAgentString = reader.isNull(keyNameColumn) ? null : reader.getString(keyNameColumn);
            Map<String, String> ua = Classifier.parse(userAgentString);
            setValue(builder, ua);
            if (task.getFilterCategories().isPresent()) {
                if (task.getFilterCategories().orNull().contains(ua.get("category"))) {
                    builder.addRecord();
                }
            } else if (task.getDropCategories().isPresent()) {
                if (!task.getDropCategories().orNull().contains(ua.get("category"))) {
                    builder.addRecord();
                }
            } else {
                builder.addRecord();
            }
        }
    }

    /**
     * @param builder
     */
    private void setValue(PageBuilder builder, Map<String, String> ua) {
        if (task.getMergeAgentInfo()) {
            builder.setString(wootheeColumnMap.get(task.getOutKeyOs()), ua.get("os"));
            builder.setString(wootheeColumnMap.get(task.getOutKeyName()), ua.get("name"));
            builder.setString(wootheeColumnMap.get(task.getOutKeyCategory()), ua.get("category"));
            builder.setString(wootheeColumnMap.get(task.getOutKeyVersion()), ua.get("version"));
            builder.setString(wootheeColumnMap.get(task.getOutKeyVendor()), ua.get("vendor"));
        }

        for (Column inputColumn: inputColumns) {
            if (reader.isNull(inputColumn)) {
                builder.setNull(inputColumn);
                continue;
            }
            if (Types.STRING.equals(inputColumn.getType())) {
                builder.setString(inputColumn, reader.getString(inputColumn));
            } else if (Types.BOOLEAN.equals(inputColumn.getType())) {
                builder.setBoolean(inputColumn, reader.getBoolean(inputColumn));
            } else if (Types.DOUBLE.equals(inputColumn.getType())) {
                builder.setDouble(inputColumn, reader.getDouble(inputColumn));
            } else if (Types.LONG.equals(inputColumn.getType())) {
                builder.setLong(inputColumn, reader.getLong(inputColumn));
            } else if (Types.TIMESTAMP.equals(inputColumn.getType())) {
                builder.setTimestamp(inputColumn, reader.getTimestamp(inputColumn));
            } else if (Types.JSON.equals(inputColumn.getType())) {
                builder.setJson(inputColumn, reader.getJson(inputColumn));
            }
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The 82-year-old Alaska Airlines is flying high with a reported 27 percent increase in profits. That takes the leadership of people like CEO Brad Tilden, who was ranked in the top 50 CEOs of major corporations in the most recent edition of Fortune magazine. Tilden, who spoke at AWB's Policy Summit in September, is known for harnessing innovations to create efficiencies in the company and for customers. Fortune reports that he is mulling over the idea of creating an "e-thumb" system at Alaska Airlines that would allow passenger thumb prints to replace tickets, credit cards and identification. Our state is known for business leaders who think outside the box…we can't wait to see what is next with Tilden at the helm.
Congratulations to all of these great business leaders and innovators.


Carolina Dunes is the perfect place for your Myrtle Beach vacation if your family loves to splish and splash in the water. With multiple water amenities and the ocean right outside our front door, our resort is the perfect place for a pool-centric getaway.
Exclusive Carolina Dunes Oceanfront Pool: Step right outside to the Carolina Dunes pool deck and you will find our secluded oceanfront pool. Loved by guests, this pool is not only quiet and relaxing, but it is also just steps away from the Atlantic Ocean. Had enough of the beach? Rinse off and come to the pool and relax on one of the many poolside lounge chairs or dip your toes in the water and go for a swim. The pool is surrounded by beautiful landscaping and has both a shallow and deeper end at five feet. Best of all, this swimming pool is only open to registered Carolina Dunes guests.
Carolina Dunes Kiddie Pool: Are you traveling with little ones? If so, they will love the Carolina Dunes Kiddie Pool. Located adjacent to the main Carolina Dunes swimming pool, the kiddie pool is the perfect spot for the little ones to splish and splash. This shallow pool is a great way for younger kids to cool off without worrying about getting into water that is too deep. Sitting at 1.5-feet deep, kids love this option just for them.
Wild Water Pool: Another kid-favorite pool is the Wild Water Pool, located just next door at the main Caravelle Resort building. A bonus to booking direct through CarolinaDunesMyrtleBeach.com, you are able to enjoy this awesome additional children's pool. This water play area features a jungle theme with parrots, two giant dump buckets, a mushroom fountain and more. Sitting at just one foot deep, it is the perfect place for the little ones to play with their parents while on vacation.
Indoor Pool: Are you visiting Myrtle Beach during the cooler months or would you rather spend some time out of the sun? If so you may want to step inside to the indoor pool on the 7th floor of the main Caravelle Resort building, just steps away. Not available to guests of other rental companies, this pool is a great feature for CarolinaDunesMyrtleBeach.com guests. Heated to about 82 degrees with fantastic views of inland Myrtle Beach, this pool is a great place to enjoy some time with your family no matter what time of year.
Lazy River: Another Caravelle main building pool, the seasonally heated outdoor lazy river allows you to float away while relaxing on the three-foot deep lazy river. It's the perfect place to sit back, float, and let your worries wash away!
We hope you enjoyed our roundup of the top five pools at Carolina Dunes in Myrtle Beach. This is just a sampling of the water features and amenities you will have available when you book direct through CarolinaDunesMyrtleBeach.com. Learn more about our array of resort amenities here!


text:
Rappaport (I'm Not Rappaport) è un'opera teatrale del drammaturgo statunitense Herb Gardner, che debuttò a Seattle nel 1984 e l'anno successivo arrivò a Broadway.

Trama
La commedia racconta dell'incontro tra due anziani newyorchesi: un afroamericano (Midge) e un ebreo (Nat), dai caratteri opposti. L'improbabile amicizia nasce su una panchina di Central Park, visto che entrambi convenivano dell'inutilità del modello acino epatico o lobulo di Rappaport (chiaramente inferiore al modello del classico lobulo epatico). Intorno a loro si muovono vari personaggi: Clara, figlia di Nat, uno spacciatore, un rapinatore.

Rappresentazioni
La prima assoluta di I'm Not Rappaport è stata nel 1984 al Seattle Repertory Theatre, ripreso nel giugno 1985 off-Broadway all'American Place Theatre. Il debutto a Broadway è stato il 19 novembre 1985 al Booth Theatre per un totale di 891 repliche. La regia era di Daniel Sullivan e gli interpreti Judd Hirsch (Nat), Cleavon Little (Midge), Jace Alexander, Mercedes Ruehl.

La prima italiana è stata il 7 novembre 1989 al Salone Pier Lombardo di Milano, per la regia di Ennio Coltorti e le scene di Stefano Pace. Interpreti: Mario Scaccia, anche traduttore del testo, nel ruolo di Nat, Fiorenzo Fiorentini (Midge), Augusta Gori, Gianluca Farnese, Paolo Montevecchi, Denny Cecchini, Nicoletta Robello.

Adattamenti
Nel 1996 l'autore diresse il film I'm Not Rappaport, uscito in Italia con il titolo Una coppia di scoppiati, con protagonisti Walter Matthau e Ossie Davis.

Riconoscimenti
Tony Award
 1986 - Tony Award alla migliore opera teatrale
 1986 - Tony Award al miglior attore protagonista in un'opera teatrale a Judd Hirsch
 1986 - Tony Award per il miglior disegno luci a Pat Collins
Outer Critics Circle Award
 1986 - Best Broadway Play
 1986 - Best Actor a Judd Hirsch
 1986 - John Gassner Playwriting Award a Herb Gardner

Note

Collegamenti esterni

Opere teatrali di autori statunitensi
Opere teatrali in inglese
Opere teatrali ambientate a New York
Opere teatrali del 1984

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Rick Grimes and Michonne The Walking Dead Series Coming in 2023
Revealed at SDCC Pannel
Brendan Frye | July 22, 2022
At The Walking Dead SDCC panel, it was revealed the long awaited spinoff series focusing on Rick Grimes and Michonne is coming in 2023.
With AMC's The Walking Dead coming to a close soon, there was a lot of buzz for the series going into San Diego Comic-Con, and fans were not let down. Many members of the cast and crew of the iconic series came together to celebrate the final few episodes of the show. From trailers, to a star-studded panel, there was plenty to be excited about from this year's show.
It has been years since the news of a Rick Grimes spin off was announced, but little has been said up to this point. Outside a teaser and some small trickles of information, fans had little to go on about the spin-off or when they could expect it to finally hit. That all changed with the SDCC panel, where Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira hit the stage and revealed the news that a Rick and Michonne series would be coming our way in 2023.
Originally intended to be a trilogy of movies, the new six-episode series would be a last goodbye to the legendary characters, and the story that has stuck with so many as they pushed through their struggle against the undead and the many people who will stop at nothing to survive. While there is little to go on beyond a poster and a synopsis, fans who have been anticipating the spinoff finally have an answer on when they can expect the next chapter in the saga.
"This series presents an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world. Kept apart by distance. By an unstoppable power. By the ghosts of who they were. Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead… And ultimately, a war against the living. Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they've ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive — or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?"
It is not long now before we finally put an end to this chapter of The Walking Dead, and give Rick and Michonne the send-off they deserve.
File Under: AMC, The Walking Dead
The Last of Us Renewed For Season 2 by HBO
Players Are Having Serious Trouble With Goldeneye 007's Controls on Switch
Big Twitch Improvements In The Works For 2023
The Simpsons Renewed for Two More Seasons, Will Run Through 2025
Fortnite's The Kid LAROI Centred 'Wild Dreams' Event Gives Fans A Concert With Debut Tracks


text:
Mueller testimony to U.S
Grandparents arrested for 60 pounds of marijuana meant for Christmas gifts
The two were subsequently arrested and remain in custody at the York County Jail on charges of possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver, as well as having no drug tax stamp. They were simply spreading holiday cheer, they told authorities.
Patrick Jiron, 80, and his wife Barbara, 83, were driving from California to Boston, Mass. and Vermont when they were pulled over Tuesday by sheriff deputies in York County, the outlet said, citing the York News-Times.
After the stop, deputies said they smelled marijuana coming from the pickup.
"They said the marijuana was for Christmas presents", Lieutenant Paul Vrbka from York County reported.
They conducted a search, and inside the truck's topper, found approximately 60 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of more than $300,000.
Senate Tanks Garrett's Ex-Im Bank Nomination
In 2015, he lambasted the Export-Import Bank as an institution that " embodies the corruption of the free enterprise system". Brown said Garrett could not provide "a straight answer" at his confirmation hearing about why he now wanted to lead it.
They also found what the department described in a statement as "multiple" containers of concentrated THC, the chemical compound found in cannabis that causes a euphoric high. No set court date for the Jirons has yet been reported.
Deputies allegedly saw the Jirons' Toyota Tacoma going over the center line with the driver failing to signal, authorities told the newspaper.
Don't drive around 60 pounds worth of marijuana in a state where it's illegal.
In California, it is legal to possess up to 28 1/2 grams of marijuana for recreational use.
These options may not be quite as impressive as $336,000 of raw weed, but hey, it's the thought that counts.
U.S. existing home sales jump to 11-year high
The inventory was 9.7 percent lower than a year earlier and has fallen year over year for 30 consecutive months. But for those on the higher end of the home market, increases are seen in all regions of the country.
Amazon may be working on a YouTube rival called AmazonTube
The company needs a video hosting service for its products and if it can't get it via YouTube, it might just create its own. Such works could include, according to the filings, photos, videos, text, images, documents, or books.
FDNY: 4 People Killed, 10 Others Hurt in Brooklyn House Fire
A 40-year-old woman, an 11-year-old boy, a 7-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl died in the fire, according to cops. According to the Times, the FDNY says that the cause of the fire does not appear to be suspicious.
Ex-food worker smashes up cars at Green Bay's Lambeau Field
Smith also said that the lot is a huge crime scene, but no weapons were found and no one was injured, per Bollier. Smith said the suspect found the victim sitting in his auto and then used his vehicle to hit the victim's auto .
Variety Publisher Penske Media Acquires Majority of Rolling Stone, Wenner Media
The companies said Wenner Media would retain "majority control and editorial oversight" of Rolling Stone . PMC owns Deadline Hollywood as well as Variety , Women's Wear Daily , IndieWire , and The Robb Report .
Uber Should Be Considered As A Transport Company
Ten companies provided technology platforms to implement transportation e-contracts, including Uber and Grab. Uber assures drivers that they can make great money and set their own schedule.
The door is closing on DC's white Christmas hopes
Canada made the top 10 as well, coming in as number eight with a 44 percent chance of a White Christmas. Here are the latest white Christmas odds from Ladbrokes (accurate as of 2.30pm on December 20).
Samsung Now Mass-Producing Industry's First 2nd-Generation, 10nm-Class DRAM
According to the company, it features the highest performance and energy efficiency and smallest dimensions for an 8Gb DRAM chip. The chips are 15 percent more energy efficient and run 10 percent faster than the last generation, launched just 20 months ago.
BlackBerry app store closing after 2019, BB10 gets two years of support
As for the trade-up program, the company will give them the option to upgrade to BlackBerry KeyOne or Motion at discounted rates. The Priv was backed by a non-removable 3,410 mAh battery with support for Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0 technology.
Nokia 9 Appears In Render
Interestingly, despite recently leaked specs not mentioning it, the render appears to show dual-camera sensors on the front. The FCC filing of the Nokia 9 also revealed a 5.5-inch OLED display manufactured by LG that may support 18:9 aspect ratio.
Trump performs first commutation of prison sentence as president
The White House released a collection of letters from over 30 members of Congress and former Justice Department officials online . Federal agents arrested hundreds of people in the raid, some of whom were found to be living and working in the U.S. illegally.
Virginia House Dems to vote on would-be speaker
According to the Post, legislation in the house requires 51 votes to pass, and there is no mechanism to break ties. Election officials in Newport News on Tuesday will rescan ballots cast in the 94th District.
Christmas Eve: What's open and closed on PEI
During the week following Christmas, residents can place an extra bag or can of garbage without a tag on collection day. Register offices will be closed on all Bank Holidays - Christmas Day , Boxing Day , and New Year's Day .
Arsenal and Liverpool share the spoils in six-goal thriller
Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas had some surprise answers when asked to pick his Arsenal and Liverpool combined XI. That is the only occasion in 34 years that Liverpool have won at Arsenal by more than one goal.
Britton Expected To Miss At Least 4-6 Months With Ruptured Achillies
Now, they face the prospect of releasing Britton, or hoping that he can perform well after his return from injury. That won't be almost enough time for him to get back and establish any kind of value before the trade deadline.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Launches In China As The Redmi 5 Plus
The recently launched Special Edition Red Mi A1 is also available at a discount of Rs 1,000. The Mi Max 2 is being offered at a discount of Rs 2,000 and in now available at Rs 12,999.
A 'Mrs Doubtfire' Remake Starring Kevin Hart? He's Up For It
There was one moment of genuine shock in the film involving Jonas' character, but it passes quickly and without lasting effect. Probably the second it really hit me was when I was at the table read, and I got sat between Jack Black and Dwayne Johnson .
Facebook has new tools to prevent unwanted friend requests and messages
Oftentimes, says Antigone Davis, Facebook's head of safety, people don't want to block their harassers for fear of retribution. Let's say you block someone and then that person decides to create another account so they can contact you.
Tuesday forecast: Above average temperatures continue through today and tomorrow
EXTENDED: Temperatures will continue to be mild throughout region all the way through Thursday , ahead of our next cold front. We'll have a dry airmass in place, so no snow, sleet, or freezing rain, despite the frigid temperatures.
Somerset Freeholders place wreaths at 2 Veterans Plazas
Thousands of people across the United States participate in the memorial, said 1st Lt. At that time, he was working as a paperboy for the Bangor Daily News .
Track Palin, son of Sarah Palin, charged with assaulting father
Sarah Palin attacked his father over the weekend while "freaking out" after taking an unknown medication, it was reported Monday. Sarah Palin's oldest son allegedly broke into his parents' house and beat his dad bloody until cops showed up and busted him.
Sen. Markey presses Congress to extend CHIP
However, because of the way it uses its share of CHIP funding, Minnesota has not been hit as hard ( more on that in a bit). The funding deadline for CHIP was September 30, but the program was overlooked due to lawmakers' focus.
Insider Trading Probe Launched After Bitcoin Cash Increases Suddenly
Armstrong says that his goal to to make Coinbase the easiest to use digital currency exchange that customers trust the most. Coinbase said it would enable bitcoin cash trading for the first time Tuesday evening, and did so for about two minutes .
Stephanie McMahon Announces First-Ever Women's Royal Rumble Match
This week's episode of WWE Monday Night Raw featured some huge announcements regarding the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. WWEShop.com is now selling "Top Guys" t-shirts for The Revival, who made their WWE TV returns on Raw last night.
Facebook's New Facial Recognition Feature Could Have Creepy Repercussions
You can view it to confirm and tag yourself, ignore it, report it, or message the poster to have words about the photo. The company will also tell you when anyone - friend or not - uses a photo of you in their profile picture.
Palestinian teen and mother held in custody over goading of IDF soldiers
This morning, at 4, the Israeli armed forces stole the family's cameras and telephone, beat the son, and arrested Ahed. However, the servicemen did not oblige the girls, and refrained from retaliating throughout the encounter.
The EU is probing IKEA's Dutch tax arrangements
Regulators will assess "if the level of the annual license fee reflects" the company's contribution to the franchise business. State aid can occur whenever state resources are used to provide assistance that gives a company an advantage over others.
Chelsea yet to pay Ethan Ampadu transfer compensation
Dave Chapelle's Secret Netflix Special to Drop on New Year's Eve
Meryl Streep has been targeted with 'She Knew' posters
Winter Weather Advisory for parts of WNY Friday
Honda Insight hybrid gets a slick Detroit preview
Jeep Cherokee revealed ahead of Detroit debut
White House blames North Korea for 'Wannacry' ransomware attack
Lady Gaga Is Getting Her Own Las Vegas Residency
Thomas Fire raging through Los Padres forest, still threatening Santa Barbara
Record Audiences Get Set to Make the 2017 Grand National the Biggest To Date
Arrested Migrant Ferry Captain to Sue Salvini for Slander
'Copycat' ice cream licker arrested for tainting Blue Bell at grocery store
Justice Department signals to court it's still fighting for citizenship question
'Iran Must Seize UK Oil Vessel If Tanker Not Released'
Jeffrey Epstein arrested in NY, charged with sex trafficking
Will Trump's visit to North Korea lead to a nuclear deal?
Multiple People Reported Injured After Gas Explosion at Florida Shopping Center
China To US: Drop Tariffs Or No Trade Deal
Detained migrants shown pleading for help in released US government photos
Missing Aussie Student Alek Sigley Has Been Released From North Korea
Betsy Ross Is Canceled
Earthquake Rocks Los Angeles Area on Fourth of July
Trump says administration is still trying to get citizenship question on census
Facebook aims to prevent census misinformation after criticism for voter-suppression ads
Navy SEAL acquitted of ISIS murder says media tried to frame him


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Q: python: DataFrame.append does not append element I am working one week with python and I need some help.
I want that if certain condition is fulfilled, it adds a value to a database.
My program doesn't give an error but it doesn't append an element to my database
import pandas as pd
noTEU = pd.DataFrame() # empty database
index_TEU = 0
for vessel in list:
    if condition is fullfilled:
        imo_vessel = pd.DataFrame({'imo': vessel}, index=[index_TEU])
        noTEU.append(imo_vessel) # I want here to add an element to my database
        index_TEU = index_TEU + 1

If I run this, at the end I still get an empty dataframe. I have no idea why it doesn't do what I want it to do

A: You should reassign the dataframe such as:
import pandas as pd
noTEU = pd.DataFrame() # empty database
index_TEU = 0
for vessel in list:
    if condition is fullfilled:
        imo_vessel = pd.DataFrame({'imo': vessel}, index=[index_TEU])
        noTEU = noTEU.append(imo_vessel) # I want here to add an element to my database
        index_TEU = index_TEU + 1

and don't use the keyword list for a List because it's included in the Python syntax.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Employees or Contractors – Which Way is the Right Way?
Congratulations on taking the next step to grow your business … bringing in help! Making the choice to hire an employee or a contractor is something that requires a good deal of thought. It might not seem like it, but this is a big decision and one that can significantly impact your business now and well into the future.
Do I Really Need A Written Employee Handbook?
I was recently asked if a small (10-employee) company was legally required to have an employee handbook. This business owner's concern, an attorney friend had told him that poorly documented policies could work against you in court. Is this true?
A bad hire can cripple, even destroy your business, while a good hire can take your business farther than you ever imagined the business could go. How do you distinguish between the two?
According to the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the updated Form I-9 (Rev. 03/08/13) is to be used immediately. They are, however, extending a 60-day grace period to employers to allow them time to update any electronic systems with the revised form. Effective May 7, 2013, only the Form I-9 (Rev. 03/08/13) should be used.
Do Employees Really Understand Their Cost to the Employer?
When an employer implements an effective total rewards strategy, employees respond with higher job satisfaction, they become more engaged, and ultimately more productive. This, in turn, means a higher return on your human investment.
Tattoos and Piercings? Not in My Office!
As Millennials continue to enter the workforce, companies will be challenged to consider whether appearance is so important that it overtakes the company's desire to hire based on a person's qualifications. Is it OK to disqualify a candidate because of their visible tattoos or piercings?


The Kitchen team is led by local chef David O'Donnell, his philosophy is to use classic and imaginative cooking with local, seasonal ingredients from our land, sea and air combining a depth of flavour with the traditions of the castle. The elegance and splendour of the 19th Century Manor House is the perfect place for our elaborate 2AA Rosette cuisine.
We cater for all dietary requirements and are happy to look after you on all special occasions.
Take your seat at the hand carved oak tables of the former library of the Earl of Arran.
Top Class service and excellent food. Look forward to visiting again soon.
Fabulous meal. Beautiful atmosphere and surroundings.
Amazing surroundings service and food! Loved it!


CougarCast is a semi-regular podcast produced by various classes that I teach. Computer Maintenance and Elementary Networking includes a unit on computer specifications, components, and peripherals. As part of the summative assessment of that unit students produced an episode with advice for those purchasing a computer. Students decided which stories to include in the podcast, wrote at least one story, assisted each other with editing, recorded the stories, located other resources for the podcast, and cooperatively completed the post-production work to finalize the podcast. The podcast can be found on the school website.


text:
Title: Sailor Party
Romance Overdrive
Image Format: 1 FDI file
Sub-Tags:
Nudity (Censored)
Sailor Party is a fighting game distributed by Pasoket. It is rather simple, and has a 2D axis similar to the Beats of Rage games. Unfortunately, this makes combat pretty awkward, and there's only one type of enemy. CG scenes are displayed between wins.
Keys are arrow to move, Space and Shift to punch and kick, and ZXC for other moves.
This version is a modified version from the original dump, in that it is set up to boot into the game.


Lügenbaron / Lying baron, 2017.
Sued unsuccessfully 41 times, German graphic designer, publisher, political activist and lawyer, Klaus Staeck has triggered far-reaching scandals often ending in legal disputes aimed at banning his artwork from public display.
The feisty 80-year-old held the office of President of the Academy of Arts in Berlin from 2006 to 2015 and has since been its honorary president. Based in the German capital and almost unknown outside German-speaking areas of Europe, Staeck's provocative poster designs have pointedly highlighted socio-critical issues and crises in the Federal Republic and occasionally beyond, since the late 1960s.
His on-going campaign Aktion für mehr Demokratie / Action for More Democracy founded in 1971, in aid of culture and press freedom, will be presented as a documentary room installation within his retrospective exhibition at Museum Folkwang from next month until April.
Self-taught, Staeck had begun creating posters, postcards, and flyers, while pursuing his legal studies in the 1950s. In 1960, he became a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and was involved in local politics in Heidelberg throughout the 60s.
After his notorious posters, depicting a haggard old woman (actually, Albrecht Dürer's mother), posing the question: 'Would You Rent a Room to This Woman?', mysteriously appeared overnight on 380 advertising pillars during the 1971 Dürer – Year of the City of Nuremberg celebrations – at the time, the city happened to be hosting a house and landowners' conference – he was catapulted to national fame. The following year Staeck produced and paid for one million posters for the SPD election campaign.
Having set up his publishing company Edition Staeck in 1965 – which is still going strong – to sell his prints and raise funds for his political activities, his first works had been woodcuts. In 1967 he switched to screen printing and, when his projects demanded longer print runs, he utilised commercial, offset lithography.
A close friend of Joseph Beuys, Klaus Staeck was invited to exhibit in Documenta 6 (1977), 7 (1982) and 8 (1987) – Germany's most prestigious exhibition of contemporary art that takes place every five years in Kassel – and from 1986 was a guest professor at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. He became a member of the culture senate of the Free State of Saxony in 2004.
Via his website Unterwegs in Sachen Kunst und Politik / Travels in Art and Political Things, in addition to his own works, Staeck's online shop sells postcards, posters, books and objects by many of the prominent international, politically-minded artists he has been associated with and who have lent him their support, including Bernd and Hilla Becher, Max Bill, Christo, Günter Grass, Naim June Paik, Blinky Palermo, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter and Dieter Roth.
Klaus Staeck: Sand in the Gearbox at Museum Folkwang will present 180 of Staeck's subversive poster designs as well as early prints, postcards and objects. Edition Folkwang / Steidl are publishing a catalogue to accompany the exhibition.


Pure Space Mountain Retreat is a Zen bed & breakfast located on Lantz mountain overlooking the Blue Grass Valley of Highland County VA. Our spacious, peaceful, 'Zen-like' space offers a private floor with your own entrance. The spectacular, 'far as the eye can see' mountain views can be viewed thru (3) 8 ft. sliding glass doors. Enjoy the plush, king size bedroom retreat with soft n' cozy bathrobes and the spacious private bath with oversize walk-in shower, intimate lighting & spa products. The private sitting room offers books & games: a space for reading, intimate conversation and yoga (mats provided). You can awaken to singing meadow birds…or Buddhist chanting (CD's provided). Renew the spirit w/ the sounds of nature by hiking our magnificent mountains or go exploring on a storybook wooded path.


text:
Home > Artists > Powys Evans > Artwork
Sir Nigel Playfair
Quiz (Powys Evans) (1899-1982)
Inscribed with title below mount
Drawn for but not illustrated in The London Mercury
'The Illustrators. The British Art of Illustration 1780-1993', Chris Beetles Gallery, 1993, No 381
Nigel Playfair (1874-1934) began his career as an actor in plays by Shaw (at the court theatre) and Shakespeare (directed by Beerbohm Tree and Granville-Barker), however, he is best remembered for his greatly successful managership of the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, which resulted in his knighthood (1928).
Dean Inge
The task that made John Digweed sick Was ...
Glyn Philpot ARA
Jacob Epstein
Sir Charles Holmes
D S MacColl
Professor Tonks
Sir Robert Blair [Late LCC Education Officer] ...
Mr Kenneth Lee, Gen Sir Herbert Lawrence, Sir ...


Anvi Smart Defender uses double scan engines (local engine & cloud engine) to efficiently detect viruses, including trojans, spyware, rogueware, ransomware, rootkits and more. Particularly the antimalware scan of this version is enhanced in terms of system services, startup items, memory image, and malicious extension, besides the disk scan. More positive strategies, especially the anti-hacker and anti-exploit, are composed of the Anvi Smart Defender Guard this time. This version provides both basic file system guard and network guard, and advanced guard for all-round protection. The previous defend your computer system against potential virus infections and possible damages and loss due to virus infections, while the latter enhance the protection from risky system operations, adware infiltration, e-shopping risks, hacker attacks and possible exploits. Cyberspace is crowded with various hacker activities over time. And this version customizes this anti-hacker module to make it possible to avoid diverse hacker attacks. It can check all related system services and settings to keep your computer system far away from hacker attacks. If any risky item detected, one-click solution is offered to fix all, while you can also choose the item to ignore as per your personal needs.


Also so a big congrats to my giveaway winner the lovely Jess from @thecrownwings on twitter!
Thanks to everyone who entered! I'll be running another soon.
if you're at leeds fest, tweet me @lucindalocket26 and we can drink and dance!.
"Take it easy; Di Palomo Dry Oil Review*"


Mangrove Cove is the first level of the Lost Mangroves in the game, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, as well as the first level of the entire game.
The level begins with Donkey Kong falling from the sky (after being blasted all the way from his homeland), and landing in a crashed plane stranded in a tree. After pounding his way out of the wreckage, DK begins his adventure. After doing this, (and going back inside the cockpit if desired), the player will find a slope, which they must slide down. They will land in a water pond full of mangrove roots and discarded scuba helmets that release Air Bubbles. At the end of the pond is a sandy shore with bird-enemies on it. After dispatching them, the player will use some mangrove platforms to reach a ledge with Ground Poundable rocks on it. After dropping off the other side of the ledge, players reach a shady area with a leafy platform with a head resembling a Chomps. Dodging the chomping head and continuing on, Donkey enters an enclosed area with metal walls. Here, he is introduced to the new "Pluck" move, and must use it to activate some platforms needed to reach a high ledge. After going down the slope on the other side of the ledge, the player will pass through some tree roots, and find the first checkpoint.
Moving on, there is a root in the ground, which must be plucked in order to move a wall, and reach the room behind it. Inside is a chomp-headed platform and a DD Barrel. A short segment of platforming leads to the end of the metal room, where the Kongs will find themselves back outside, where a large water pond is. There are platforms floating on the surface, which will launch the player higher if they ground pound the springs. After jumping back onto the beach, players will have to pull a root, causing a large mangrove tree to grow. After using multiple Arrow Barrels to blast up the tree, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong will automatically hop across multiple treetops, and bounce off the mast of a ship. After a short trek across a beach, the primate pair reaches a wooden pier with crates on it. One of which has a walrus in it, who will pop out and surprise them. After this, the Kongs will finally reach a DK Plate, which must be pounded three times for the Slot Machine Barrel to appear, thus ending the level.
The level's music is a D-major remix of Jungle Hijinxs' theme from the original Donkey Kong Country and its Wii sequel.


S!zzling actress, Tashu Kaushik is another new [email protected] to Tollywood. Tashu kaushik started her career in Bollywood. She want to became a princess in heart of south Indian film viewers. Her telugu debut, now on f!re with her 'Raju-Maharaju. Tashu Kaushik looks $teamy in this movie.


text:
Closed edge
Cologne, June 25, 2014
The recipe for success in the auto industry currently has three letters: SUV. In Europe alone already chooses a fifth of customers for one of the watered-terrain vehicles, often without all-wheel drive. This segment provides the only between Helsinki and Madrid still fat gains. And one end of this shaft is not in sight. According to a study by IHS Automotive in 2018, according to more than 20 million cars worldwide will be an SUV. In particular, the emerging markets such as Russia and China are almost crazy about cars in this category.
No wonder then that a global brand like Ford SUV for portfolio continues to expand. For small Ecosport and the Tiguan opponents Kuga in this country joined in the second half of 2015, the Edge. We could take him closer look already. First, the facts: " Edge" is the English word for edge, edge, edge. Since 2007 there is the Edge in the U.S. and other markets, the second generation is all new Ford models designed and globally. Basis for the Canadian-built Edge is the CD platform, on which also the new Mondeo is. Both share the wheelbase of 2.85 meters. With a length of 4.81 meters, the Edge is six inches shorter than the next Mondeo and is roughly at the level of a VW Touareg.
massive type
The other Edge Data: With 1.93 meters, it has come quite wide, the height is 1.70 meters. The empty weight falls US-lush with 1950 kg. Speaking of America: In the United States there is the SUV from the beginning of 2015 with gasoline engines, we Europeans get only a two-liter diesel. Level one makes 180 hp and 400 Newton meters of torque brings to the crankshaft. The standard here is a manual six-speed transmission, CO2 emissions are Ford with 149 grams per kilometer. At 159 grams, it brings level two with 210 hp, 450 Newton meters and six-speed dual clutch transmission. A start - stop system and an intelligent all-wheel drive are always on board.
Help in any position
Technically, the Edge wants to flaunt among others with an adaptive power steering: It changes depending on the speed ratio between the revolutions of the steering wheel and the turning of the front wheels. For a lower noise level, the active noise control ANC should provide. Three microphones register noise frequencies in the interior and contrasting it with opposing sound emissions. Also new is a two-part 180-degree front camera, which aims to improve the overview poor visibility intersections or when leaving a parking. Other helpers include adaptive cruise control with Forward Collision Warning, a Quereinparkassistent, air belt in the rear and a Totwinkelwarner.
Noble sentiments
A first sample in the short seat Ford Edge shows how much one makes an effort to achieve a premium appearance. Although it is still in a pre-production model, convince the materials used. The driver looks at a large speedometer, flanked by two monitors. As with the Mondeo and the facelifted Ford Focus has cleared out the center console. Central functions are controlled via a large touch screen. In the rear, passengers can expect a good space, but you do not sit too high. Over the heads clamped on when needed large panoramic glass sunroof. Striking: The rear doors open very wide and provide a good introduction. The offer of the Edge is exclusively as a five-seater. Ford pride is on the trunk of the SUV: Here are fit a maximum of 1,788 liters, 146 liters more than the VW Touareg.
Our first judgment for Ford Edge: On him shows that Ford with his current world car strategy drives a clever way. Unlike the first attempt in this direction beginning of the 1990s, this time is not the U.S. taste decisive, just think of the former Ford Explorer. With Ecosport, Kuga and Edge the brand successful in the SUV sector is well placed, a shortcoming that has for example Opel catch up yet. Whether, however, the Edge can poach in the premium range of Audi, VW and Volvo, remains open. His opponents are likely to be vehicles such as the Hyundai Santa Fe or the Jeep Grand Cherokee majority. The success of the new Ford Edge will however largely depend on the pricing. ( rh )
Ford Winz turbo wins again
Nissan brings 20/20-Aussichten
Snappy lion child
Hyundai brings luxury sedan
Skoda CitiJet: ? Like this?
City car in training dress
To see them again
VW: That's the new Passat
Hellcat already etched with the tires
Smaller size, smaller price


text:
Fetish/BDSM
Kick Me in the Nuts, Please
A Look at the Erotic Art of Ball-Busting
Lara Sterling
May 9 · 15 min read
Goddess Aviva Diamond expresses dominance over one man's testicles.
For most men, getting kicked in the testicles is one of the worst things that can happen to them. For a growing number of men, however, the erotic art of ball-busting is a sought-out sexual activity. Goddess Aviva Diamond, a New York-based Dominatrix, defines ball-busting as "a form of impact play in which force is directed onto a male's testicles. This can include kicking, kneeing, slapping, hitting, punching, and using implements like a riding crop."
The question remains, why do men like this? Does it hurt? Is it safe? Can busting a man's testicles cause irreparable damage to his cherished man parts? As always, my ground-zero place to start my research is Twitter. Twitter abounds with images and videos of women quite ruthlessly kicking men in the jewels. Women with names preceded by titles such as Mistrix, Humiliatrix and Domina all attest to their delight in destroying a man's reproductive goods. Goddess Hayley proclaims in a tweet: "Popping your balls, stealing away your manhood forever, that would make my little pussy cum so hard." Queen Xamara announces: "Your balls are perfect to kick and stomp." Goddess Lacey tweets: "Who wants to get kicked in the nuts? Dm [with] tribute." Tribute is sex-worker speak for "payment." In other words, men pay to be kicked in the testicles, and not just a little amount of money either. The going rate for a dominatrix is $300 an hour. That's saying a lot about how much enjoyment a man can derive from this activity. Bastienne Cross, a dominatrix in Toronto, told me that "these men can do anything with their disposable income, but this is what they choose."
Bastienne Cross poses where she performs her ball-busting sessions.
"They wouldn't be called balls if they weren't meant to be kicked."
The question still remains as to why a man could possibly want this and even more, pay for it? It's not just a few men either. In my investigation on Twitter, for as many women advertising their ball-busting talents there are men advertising their desire to be ball-busted. In short, ball-busting is hardly some bizarre fetish that lives in the farthest recesses of the Internet. Instead it's an activity desired by a growing number of men.
James, 23, of Los Angeles, California, is one of these men. On his Twitter profile, he writes: "I love ball-busting! They wouldn't be called balls if they weren't meant to be kicked." Carl, 35, from San Francisco, California, tweets: "Looking for ball-busting instructions. Who wants me to ache all weekend for you?" Another man whose Twitter avatar is "Ballbusting Brian" sends me a message that he's seeing a woman later that day to have his balls kicked. Afterward he follows up: "Nothing like sitting on your couch with a bag of frozen peas on your nuts. I had a great session today."
I contacted some of these men and most of them were more than happy to speak to me. The consensus was they not only had an interest in ball-busting, but were also curious to learn why other men had it, too. Through my interviews I discovered that the attraction of ball-busting has less to do with the physical sensation of pain than with the psychological thrill of having a woman inflict it. Not a single one of the men I interviewed were interested in having their balls busted by a man.
"The turn-on is being physically vulnerable but also sexually controlled by a woman," said Jim, 42, of Scotland.
Wally, 40, of Cleveland, Ohio, had a similar answer. "I'm a big, tall guy, and a girl who is five-two can completely level me and have me in agony at her feet."
Ben, 29, of New York, agreed. "The excitement is in the taboo of having a smaller woman control me: that the woman caused that pain, and I let her."
James of Los Angeles attested: "I like the idea where the girl kicks me in the nuts, I go down, and she says, 'Man up.' "
Most of the men I interviewed spoke about a "power transfer" as the main hook of ball-busting. Marty, 49, of Atlanta, Georgia, said, "I love getting kicked in the very spot that makes me a man. I'm supposed to be a man, but there I am on the ground, writhing in pain because of a woman."
Harrison, 46, of the UK, concurred. "It's a domination thing. I like seeing the woman enjoying it, almost in disbelief that she's got the opportunity."
For Wally, it's the challenge of taking more pain in order to put a smile on his mistress's face that he enjoys. He also cited uncertainty as a pull. "Will the kicking be light or will I end up on the ground, begging for mercy?"
For Ben, he doesn't even need to be ball-busted to enjoy it. "It's as fun for me to talk about it as it is to do it."
"It's part of our foreplay, her squeezing my testicles, slapping them, applying pressure to them with her knee."
Is it sexual?
Harrison was the only man I interviewed for whom ball-busting wasn't directly sexual. "The feeling of a foot swinging up towards me — the anticipation gives me a rush. But I very rarely get hard when it happens." Still, his Twitter feed is peppered with requests for testicular abuse.
All the other men I interviewed, though, said ball-busting gave them sexual pleasure. "But only once I'm aroused," Marty said, "I have to start off light. Once I become erect I can take more. If you give me full-force kicks to begin, it's over. If it's playful, then I get aroused, and then it can be more forceful."
He sent me a photo to illustrate his favorite position for ball-busting, one in which he stands naked behind a woman who is also nude, so that "I am close enough I can smell her hair, touch her breasts." Then she swings her heel back into his testicles. "One move, and I'm on the floor, defeated by a female."
For all the men I interviewed, the visual part was one of the most important aspects that sexualized ball-busting. "I get aroused by the look of a woman kicking or stepping on my balls," said Javier, 25, of Bellflower, California.
Jim of Scotland said, "I fantasize about being ball-busted all the time. I rarely fantasize about sex."
Some of the men I interviewed agreed with Jim, stating that their interest in ball-busting is inextricably linked to their sexuality. "As I got older," Marc, 42, from Switzerland, told me, "I've been more careful to introduce the topic in an early conversation about sexual preferences for both of us. One girl I really liked locked herself in the bathroom and cried after I told her. Another girl punched me in the groin really hard. For the most part, girlfriends have been either mildly amused or worried about hurting me. It's an extremely difficult thing to talk about with someone you care for because you know you might lose them but you also can't keep the secret."
Luckily, Marc's current partner is an enthusiastic ball-buster. "We're very playful, so we incorporate ball-busting as a fun thing. For example, I'll say something jokingly sexist to her, and she'll respond by smacking me in the nuts. In bed it's more about squeezing my testicles and rough play as we 'fight' for dominance."
Because ball-busting is part and parcel of his sexuality, Ben also shared that he has "the conversation early in any dating scenario. This is best because if it's going to be an issue I want to get it out of way."
Today Ben is married, and ball-busting is part of his sexual routine with his wife. "It's incorporated, part of the usual flow in bed. It's part of our foreplay, her squeezing my testicles, slapping them, applying pressure to them with her knee. That way I get the sense of being dominated."
Even though Ben's wife ball-busts him in bed, "she doesn't have a dominant sexual personality," he explained. "She does this to fulfill me. It's not through a desire on her part."
This has left Ben feeling sexually unfulfilled in his marriage though. "It's tough for men in committed relationships," he told me. "Relationships are built on compassion and respect. And now it's like, please, physically hurt me."
Because he senses his wife only goes through the motions of ball-busting him to make him happy, he has searched for sexual satisfaction outside of his marriage. "I've made appointments with dominatrixes and have paid for it," he admitted. He also said he's met "random women on Twitter and in real life, at bars." When he's asked women in bars to ball-bust him, "there is a degree of shock. Women think you're kidding or that you're crazy. I've done it so many times I don't get my feelings hurt anymore when they say no. Some women are willing to try it for the new experience though."
He has created fake dating profiles where he told me he's "straight forward that I have a ball-busting fetish." On Tinder, he advertises that he's "here to get kneed in the nuts." He said, "Women think you're kidding but at least it's an avenue to have conversation. Sometimes I meet them. Usually it's just ball-busting and it doesn't consummate into sex."
Goddess Aviva Diamond shows off the business end of her boot heel.
"Relationships are built on compassion and respect. And now it's like, please, physically hurt me."
Is it hard to find a woman to ball-bust you?
Almost all the men I interviewed agreed with Ben that it isn't easy to find women who will ball-bust you for free. According to Tom, 50, of Miami, Florida: "I have been online since about 2000 and have only met a handful of ladies willing to play."
"I did find a girl on a fetish website," James told me. "But we only met up for a ball-busting session after six years of chatting and talking on Skype."
Harrison's solution has been to create elaborate ploys to get women to ball-bust him. "I've contacted old school girlfriends, saying I want them to ball-bust me for as a Jackass-style compilation video."
Daniel, 29, of Los Angeles, California, has solved this issue by offering his services as a ball-busting slave for women who produce ball-busting videos. "Mistresses know I can take a lot of pain to my testicles so they recommend me to other mistresses. I'm in demand."
"Once that pain sets in there isn't much else on the mind other than the pain I'm in. I'm more in love with the idea of it than doing it."
Doesn't it hurt?
Which leads me to my next question: ball-busting must be painful for men. As such, why do so many still seek it out? My assumption was that the men I interviewed would tell me they were masochists, however I didn't find this to be the case. Most of the men I spoke to said the pain was definitely not enjoyable and that they only endured it as a means to gain access to the other things they sought from ball-busting.
"It hurts a lot," Marty told me. "A solid, accurate kick can completely debilitate me; not much else I have been through can do that. Once that pain sets in there isn't much else on my mind other than the pain I'm in. I'm more in love with the idea of ball-busting than doing it. Before getting kicked I love the idea. When in pain, I hate it. Then as soon as the pain fades I want more. It is really weird to say the least."
Daniel was the only man I interviewed who said he simply had a higher tolerance for pain. "When it comes to getting kicked in the balls, I don't feel it to the point where it hurts too much." He did add, "I don't like pain on other any parts of my body than my testicles. I don't like whipping on my back. I don't like spanking on my butt. I can only take more pain on my balls."
"The first girl I had a crush on, she was known for kicking guys in the balls. I made an association in my head: I think she's pretty; she kicks guys in the nuts."
Where does the urge originate?
It's the age-old question: did something happen in these men's childhoods to make them want ball-busting as adults? Most of the men I interviewed agreed there was something from their boyhoods or at least from their early adult years that triggered their current interest in ball-busting.
According to Harrison: "At school as a kid, I used to put myself in the position where I might get kicked in the testicles by a girl. I didn't know this was a thing people were actually into at the time. As I grew a little older, I started to realize it might be something. Then I found ball-busting was actually a thing through porn."
James said his desire for ball-busting originated from an experience in the first grade. "The first girl I had a crush on, she was known for kicking guys in the balls. I made an association in my head: I think she's pretty; she kicks guys in the nuts."
Wally grew up in a neighborhood where all the kids his age were girls. "They all had little brothers who they would kick in the balls. The girls would laugh and make jokes as their brothers walked home sobbing, holding their bruised manhood. I was never a target though. That developed a natural curiosity in me. I wanted to know what it felt like."
Ben's fixation with ball-busting began at age five. "I was watching a movie, and there was a scene where a guy pinned a women against the wall, and she kneed him in the nuts. Even at age five, I was irrationally excited about it. I didn't realize it was sexual at the time but I now realize that was the catalyst."
Daniel discovered his interest in ball-busting through sexual experimentation as a teen. "I was seventeen and had a girlfriend who liked to inflict pain. The first time it happened was during sex. In the doggy-style position, she reached behind with her hand and grabbed me by the balls. She groped and squeezed me there. It didn't hurt. I wondered if it was supposed to hurt? You get taught it will hurt, but this wasn't my case."
For Marty: "It started when I was twenty. I got a job as a security officer at an all-girls college. One of my duties was to teach the women a self-defense class. I had to teach twenty girls in each class, eighteen to twenty years old. I was in the big suit. I was protected." That summer Marty got kicked in the balls a lot. "That was when the idea began to turn me on."
Goddess Aviva Diamond feels calm and relaxed after ball-busting a man.
"The toe of her boot hit beyond my testicles to the perineum. I was pissing blood for a week."
I watch video after video of women ruthlessly kicking men in the testicles, straddling them and repeatedly punching their balls, tying up their scrotum and then stepping on it, holding the testicles in place and then slapping them with their open palms. One dominatrix named Jasmine Mendez posted a video where she dons a pair of boxing gloves and uses a man's testicles as a punching bag. I couldn't help but ask if ball-busting is safe or can it cause irreversible damage to a man?
What disturbed me even more were tweets like the one I read from a dominatrix calling herself Hollyhotxx.
An instadomme is Twitter-speak for a new dominatrix with no real experience.
A man who runs the Twitter account "Painful Ballbusting" also appears to have received too much of just that.
I asked the men I interviewed if a ball-busting scene has ever gone awry in their cases. Daniel said yes. "I've been kicked by the sharp toe of a boot. I was kicked so hard that I started bleeding through the puncture."
This happened when he used to train new mistresses. "Many new mistresses don't know how to do a proper kick." Daniel explained that an improper kick is where the mistress uses her toes or the toes of her shoes. "The time it happened to me, the toe of her boot hit beyond my testicles to the perineum. That's where the penis nerves and prostate nerves connect. I was pissing blood for a week."
Daniel said ball-busting is safe as long as a woman kicks the testicles the proper way. "Using the upper top part of the foot, between the ankle and the toes — that's the best way to kick." Though many mistresses kick with their bare feet, Daniel advised: "The mistress can damage her toes, too. So use the top of the foot."
When I spoke to Goddess Aviva Diamond, she underlined the importance of communication to keep ball-busting safe. "You need to discuss what a man's limits are. If you start playing, and he has physical signs to stop — usually if he goes into fetal position — you should give it a break." She also said not twist the scrotum, "which can cause internal damage."
Bastienne Cross enjoys the extreme intimacy of ball-busting.
"Ball-busting is inherently scary. It doesn't matter if there are googly eyes on your balls; you're still going to be terrified."
Best ball-busting techniques
Of all the videos I reviewed on Twitter, Bastienne Cross had some of the most unique ball-busting styles. In one video, she put little, plastic eyes on a pair of testicles then drew a frown on the scrotum with a red Sharpie before she hit it with a leather paddle. In another she crushed a man's testicles with her foot while wearing a pair of rainbow unicorn slippers. In another she placed a miniature cowboy hat on the head of a penis before she tied the balls with yellow rope and fastened the testes with spring clamps straight out of a wood workshop. Obviously, I was thrilled when she agreed to speak to me.
"When you're doing more extreme stuff it goes well with a lighthearted attitude," she said of her style. "The purpose of balls is to have fun. I don't need to act in an intimidating way. The act of ball-busting is intimidating in itself."
According to Bastienne Cross the fun stops with her. "I want the man to be scared. Even if I'm not constantly hurting a man, he knows I have that capacity. Ball-busting is inherently scary. It doesn't matter if there are googly eyes on your balls; you're still going to be terrified."
Bastienne Cross said she likes ball-busting for the same reason that the men I interviewed do. The appeal is not as much the physical sensation of her foot making contact with the testicles. "It's the eye contact I'm making. It's insanely intimate. It's the exchange that I'm having with this person in pain and who's experiencing fear. I'm the person doing the inflicting, and I'm the person who can show mercy. This exchange is the attraction of ball-busting. The balls are just a tool to get to that."
For Goddess Aviva Diamond, the power exchange is also the pull: "I like the power of knowing that I can weaken a man with a few blows to his balls."
However, Goddess Aviva Diamond only engages in ball-busting when she feels a man's "getting something out of it. I like someone to let me inflict pain because they want to please me. Even if they don't actually like pain, they can still enjoy giving over their bodies to me."
According to Goddess Aviva Diamond: "When I do find that good connection, being allowed to explore my sadistic side is cathartic. It gives me a space to let out energy, and that feels like a release. I've had a space where I can be aggressive, let loose on someone, and afterward I feel relaxed."
However, the practice of ball-busting goes even deeper for Goddess Aviva Diamond. "Every time a man pays me to kick him in the balls I believe it's balancing the universe. It's reparations for all of the shit that men have done to women. It's like a man saying, 'I am giving you my cock and balls that men have hurt women with.' This is important for men to be doing right now."
Whether it's a way to reclaim power for women or a means to surrender power for men, ball-busting provides pleasure for both genders, regardless of how painful it may seem.
Soccer Domme
Sexy Fiction and Essays by Lara Sterling
Male Sexuality
Writer focused on gender; sexuality; the modern, divorced family; and the art of writing. Currently shopping the novel, The Dream of the Faceless Men.


(a) What are distributed systems? Name two advantages and two disadvantages of distributed system over centralized ones. Explain in your own words the concept of parallelism transparency.
(b) Give five types of hardware resource and five types of data or software resource that can be shared. Give example of their sharing as it occurs in distributed systems.
(c) Why is computer clock synchronization necessary? Describe the design requirement for a system to synchronize the clocks in a distributed system?
(d) Give an example execution of the ring-based algorithm to show that processes are not necessarily granted entry to critical section in happened before order..
(e) Explain the Bully algorithm.
(f) What are vector clocks? What are the advantages of vector clock over Lamport clock?
(a) What are Phantom Deadlocks? Explain the algorithm which could detect phantom deadlocks?
(b) Construct a solution to reliable, totally ordered multicast in a synchronous system, using a reliable multicast and a solution to the consensus problem.
(c) What are Agreement Protocols? What are Agreement and validity objectives of Byzantine Agreement Problems?
(a) What do you mean by the Distributed object model ? Write a short note on Remote method invocations.
(b) What do you mean by Digital Signature ? Explain the different methods for generating and verifying signatures.
(c) What is the difference between a file service using the upload/download model and one using the remote access model? What is the difference between tree structured directory system from a general graph structured system?
(a) Describe how a non-recoverable situation could arise if write locks are released after the last operation of a transaction but before its committment.
(b) What are the advantages and drawbacks of multiversion timestamp ordering in comparison with the ordering timestamp ordering.
(c) Explain the difference between linearizability and sequential consistency, and why the latter is more practical to implement, in general ?
(a) What is Routing? What is Destination based routing?
(b) What is Election Algorithm? Suppose that two processes detect the demise of the coordinator simultaneously and both decide to hold an election using the bully algorithm. What happens?
(ii) Deadlock free Packet Switching.


text:
Fundamental Questions About Alcoholism in Society
Perhaps no medical topic arouses more confusion, dismay, and passion in both the public and the medical profession than alcoholism. Although alcohol is often associated with joy and celebration, ritual, and reverence, alcoholism is associated with sorrow and moral failing, disease, and death. No other disease entity can be conceived as having such extreme attributes.
Society's decision to ban certain substances while allowing others to be freely available has little to do with the dangers inherent in any particular substance, and it has more to do with the emotional outcry that a particular substance engenders. For example, consider the seemingly benign over-thecounter medication acetaminophen, or Tylenol. Tylenol was first introduced in 1956. About 150 acetaminophen-related deaths are reported every year in the United States alone. Add to that the associated morbidity and mortality from those requiring liver transplants from Tylenol overdoses, and the numbers become even greater. Contrast that with Ephedra, a once hugely popular drug for weight loss and bodybuilding that has been linked to a grand total of 155 deaths. The deaths from Vioxx are more difficult to calculate because these deaths are primarily from patients already suffering from cardiovascular disease and not from the direct effects of the drug itself.
The estimates suggest up to 27,000 deaths since its introduction in 1999. The outrage leading to its removal had more to do with the company's refusal to acknowledge the risks than the risks themselves. Alcohol, however, is responsible for approximately 85,000 deaths annually from injuries or diseases directly related to the use or abuse of alcohol. Thus, people often judge the risks and benefits of a particular substance based more on cultural, religious, and moral beliefs than on scientific fact. Alcohol is a prime example
Alcohol is the single most unique intoxicant because it is a legal, non-prescription, and culturally sanctioned substance that causes more devastating effects to human lives than any other known drug, whether available by prescription or over the counter or on the street. Prohibition, the one attempt in American history to prohibit alcohol use, was a miserable failure, with the cure being worse than the illness. Although it successfully cut the deaths from cirrhosis in half, it came at the cost of increased crime and social unrest.
Ingesting anything-medicine, an illegal drug, or even food-is an act that entails a degree of risk. Therefore, people should understand the risks and the alternatives before ingesting anything. Informed consent is both a legal and an ethical responsibility of healthcare providers to ensure that their patients are knowledgeable about the drugs they are ingesting, including over-the-counter medications, herbal remedies, street drugs, food, and alcohol.
Although the institution of medicine has accepted the concept of alcoholism as a disease, the larger culture with its personal values and beliefs, which includes healthcare providers themselves, continues to debate the issue, with many still viewing alcoholism as a moral failing.
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text:
City attorney lives in Scripps Ranch
San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott (courtesy of San Diego City Attorney's office)
When San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott ends her day leading a 360-person office that handled approximately 21,000 cases last year, she is happy to return home to Scripps Ranch.
"Scripps is just fun," Elliott said. "I feel like when I drive into my neighborhood, I'm really getting away."
One can understand the need for Elliott to decompress following a workday after considering the diverse, important role she plays as city attorney.
Elliott's job as San Diego city attorney is not to be confused with the work of the San Diego County's district attorney. Elected in 2016, City Attorney Elliott and her staff handle misdemeanors within the city of San Diego. The San Diego County district attorney, on the other hand, handles felonies and misdemeanors happening outside of the city of San Diego.
Elliott explained that the city attorney's office handles "quality of life" issues like vandalism; unsafe housing conditions; a neighbor who might not be trimming brush back, creating a fire hazard; and code compliance issues.
"We're trying to make sure the quality of life is good wherever people are living," Elliott said.
Overall, her role is a complex one. On one hand, she's the attorney for the city. Her clients are the mayor and the City Council, and her role is as their civil advisor. All laws and municipal codes come through the city attorney's office. The city attorney sits in with the City Council and Council committees, and advises them on how to conduct their meetings; including whether they may have a conflict of interest. Elliott's duties also include issuing memoranda of law, which describe particular legal issues, and to give the city advice on how to conduct its actions or the important things to consider before taking action.
On the other hand, she is the attorney for the people, prosecuting misdemeanors on behalf of the city's residents. In that situation, Elliott doesn't consult with the Council or mayor, but moves forward independently.
The city attorney's office argues for and defends against legal actions involving the city in civil court. Prosecutions could be for faulty work done by a city contractor or for illegal dumping. Defense of the city's cases can involve things like accidents involving city vehicles, trips and falls on city property or right-of-way, even damage caused by potholes.
Elliott and her family, husband Greg and two sons, ages 11 and 13, moved to Scripps Ranch four years ago after living in Carlsbad.
"We love the trails, and the people here are really friendly," she said. "We spend a lot of time at the lake. And I like our library — our library is really terrific, and I'm a book nerd." she said.
Elliott also enjoys trips to the local bakery and café, The French Oven.
"It's good to walk there because once you arrive, you've already burned some calories," she joked.
Like many parents, she's involved in her sons' schools and also works to stay involved with the local community, despite her busy schedule. She was involved in school government when her sons were at Jerabek Elementary School, and she helped that school develop its emergency plan. She's still involved with her sons' school field trips, but the duties of her job have affected the time that she has available.
"Most of the meetings I cover (as city attorney) are held during school hours," she said.
Her husband, Greg, is on the board of the Scripps Ranch Civic Association, providing Elliott with a way to remain involved in her community.
"For his work on the Fourth of July Parade, I helped him get in touch with elected officials to invite them," she said." That's the best way these days that I can do community service."
No matter the demands of work, family, school or community, Elliott said it was a longtime goal of hers to live in this area and she's very happy to have made Scripps Ranch home.
"I've always wanted to live there. We used to live in Serra Mesa and my dream was always to move to Scripps Ranch," she said. "Now, we're finally where we always wanted to be."
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text:
Q: Swift access control on protocol conformance I have a private protocol defined in a file as below
private protocol testProtocol {
 func testFunc1()
 func testFunc2()
}

A public class conforms to the above protocol as follows
 public class testClass : testProtocol {
 func testFunc1() {}
 func testFunc2() {}
}

As per apples documentation , the members of a public class get internal access control by default unless it is explicitly set to a different access control modifier.
The documentation also says that a type's conformance to a protocol with a lower access control will make the type's implementation  of the protocol access control the same as that of the protocol. In this scenario since the type's access control is public and the protocols access control is private , the methods testfunc1  and testfunc2 should get an access control of private.
When the class is instantiated in a different source file and the methods are accessed as below , the compiler does not show an error which is not expected as the methods should be private as per the guidelines
var test: testClass = testClass()
test.testFunc1()

Is this expected behavior ? Am i missing something?

A: Apple Documentation says:

When you write or extend a type to conform to a protocol, you must ensure that the type's implementation of each protocol requirement has at least the same access level as the type's conformance to that protocol.

According to this I assume that implementing methods testFunc1 and testFunc2 with another access control modifier inside testClass just overrides that from protocol. If you use default protocol implementation of this methods like the following compiler will return error:
extension testProtocol {
    func testFunc1() {}
    func testFunc2() {}
}

As far as Swift is Protocol Oriented Language with replacing inheritance with protocols it's probably reasonable if you want to change protocol defined access level of function inside your custom class.

A: According to Apple's documentation:

When you write or extend a type to conform to a protocol, you must ensure that > the type's implementation of each protocol requirement has at least the same > access level as the type's conformance to that protocol.

Please be aware of the "at least" in the doc, it means that the as long as the access level of the type's implementation of the protocol requirements is higher or equal to the access level of the protocol, it will be ok. In your case, testFunc1 and testFunc2 from testClass have the default access level of internal, it is higher than access level of private. So actually the two methods in testClass get the access level of internal, and compiler won't treat it as en error.
We can change your code a little bit as follows:
    fileprivate protocol TestProtocol {
        func testFunc1()
        func testFunc2()
    }

    public class TestClass : TestProtocol {
        public func testFunc1() {}
        public func testFunc2() {}
   }

This piece of code will also compile without an error.


(aka The Hammer, Sheila) The Hammer hands out high fives like it's her job—witness her recent enthusiastic TV appearance on the Food Network. Jenna is a renaissance woman who has traveled the world to learn about gastronomic delights. She went to Greece to make olive oil, upstate NY to grow biodynamic vegetables and make cheese, and she even cultivated a gummy worm farm in Iowa. OK, the last part is false, but the rest is true.
Now she is in PA making the sweet indulgence known as chocolate. On the side she's swinging on a trapeze and learning the violin. Not at the same time of course, but we wouldn't put it passed her. Jenna is the kind of girl who will wear a prom dress to a dive bar and eat her dinner out of coffee cup. You love her the minute you meet her! Just yell out The Hammer or her other nickname, Shelia, and she'll come running to throw you a hug.
What a great description of the wild girl from high school that always made me smile whenever I saw her - it appears she has refined the art of taking on the world and winning it over!! Jenna - looking forward to seeing you!!!!!!!