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Clampers Only
The Legend of Joaquin
Plaqued Historic Sites
Plaque Sites Map
Murphys Pins
Historical Society Websites
Jan. 12, 1876 – Nov. 22, 1916
John Griffith Chaney (Jack London) was born in San Francisco, raised in Oakland. At 14, he quit school to escape poverty and seek adventure. In SF Bay, he was an oyster pirate, worked for the gov't fish patrols, then went to Japan as a sailor and saw much of the US as a Hobo riding freight trains. He entered UC Berkeley but quit after a year to search for riches in the Klondike Gold Rush. Returning broke, he decided to earn a living as a writer. He began writing sonnets, ballads, anecdotes and adventure stories. His first book, "The Son of the Wolf: Tales of the Far North" (1900) gained a wide audience, writing some 50 books, many short stories and articles in the next 17 years. London was considered a living symbol of rugged individualism whose success was due to mental ability and vitality. He oversaw the construction of his sailing ship, the "Snark", Wolf House near Glen Ellen and his farm, Beauty Ranch. Intending to sail around the world, he made it to Australia, but returned due to ill health. His health declined rapidly in his last few years and he died after a brief coma. His ashes were laid to rest on a knoll overlooking the Valley of the Moon near Wolf House. His second wife, Charmain died in 1955 and was laid to rest next to Jack.
Back to Murphys Pins

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The Importance of Physical Fitness as a Teenager
Three Exercises to Boost Sex Drive
What Hormones Are Responsible for Libido?
What Are the Health Benefits of Gymnastics?
The Best Diet Plan for Men Over 50
Effect of Exercise on Sex Drive
Written by Ozzie Jacobs
The goal of exercise is to obtain a healthier lifestyle. Exercise is a powerful tool in the development of muscular strength, cardiovascular fitness, mind-body coordination and stress relief. Exercise also has been proven to increase sex drive for men and women.
Facts for Men
Exercise has positive effects on the sex drives of men. A 1990 study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior revealed that men participating in exercise (60 minutes per day, three to five days a week, with a peak sustained intensity of 75 percent to 80 percent) developed "significantly greater sexual enhancements " (e.g. frequency of various intimate activities, reliability of adequate functioning during sex, percentage of satisfying orgasms).
Read more: 13 Exercises Every Man Should Do to Improve His Sex Life
Exercise has positive effects on the sex drives of men.
A 1990 study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior revealed that men participating in exercise (60 minutes per day, three to five days a week, with a peak sustained intensity of 75 percent to 80 percent) developed "significantly greater sexual enhancements " (e.g.
frequency of various intimate activities, reliability of adequate functioning during sex, percentage of satisfying orgasms).
Facts for Women
Exercise has positive effects on women's sex drives as well. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine revealed that intense, short-duration exercise (20 minutes with a target heart rate of 70 percent) significantly enhances the physiological sexual arousal of women (i.e. genital arousal).
An additional study published in a 2007 issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine discovered a link between increased body awareness and increased perceptions of arousal. The researchers concluded: "Exercise could feasibly increase body awareness via increased bodily sensations (e.g., increased heartbeat and muscle tension)."
Read more: 15 Exercises Every Woman Should Do to Improve Her Sex Life
Exercise has positive effects on women's sex drives as well.
A 2008 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine revealed that intense, short-duration exercise (20 minutes with a target heart rate of 70 percent) significantly enhances the physiological sexual arousal of women (i.e.
genital arousal).
It is well known that exercise increases energy, reduces stress, improves performance, aids in weight loss and helps prevent injury. The positive contribution that exercise has toward the male and female sex drive can be an appealing motivator for the sedentary individual. The aesthetic gains (e.g. reduced waist line, firm thighs, shapely rear end and overall body tone/definition) from exercise often lead to greater self-esteem, which may develop into a greater interest in sex.
It is well known that exercise increases energy, reduces stress, improves performance, aids in weight loss and helps prevent injury.
The positive contribution that exercise has toward the male and female sex drive can be an appealing motivator for the sedentary individual.
Increasing sex drive can be one goal of an exercise program, but it would be wise to incorporate additional goals (e.g. stamina, strength, balance and stress relief) so that the exercise program stays relevant and timely. The goal of enhancing sex drive may not be appropriate for all individuals given their relationship status, age and emotional maturity.
Couples in healthy relationships can consider utilizing exercise as a tool to enhance the sexual aspect of their relationship. This could lead to increased motivation and compliance with an exercise program. As the frequency and duration of intimate encounters increases, sex can serve as a cardiovascular activity included in the fitness program.
What Are the Benefits of Increasing Testosterone?
Does Weight Lifting Increase Testosterone Levels in Men?
How to Calculate VO2 Reserve
Things Every Personal Trainer Should Know
Gender vs. Level of Cardiovascular Fitness
Archives of Sexual Behavior; JR White et al; June 1990
Journal of Sexual Medicine; "The roles of testosterone and alpha-amylase in exercise-induced sexual arousal in women"; L. Dawn et al; April 2008
Journal of Sexual Medicine; "The impact of body awareness on sexual arousal in women with sexual dysfunction"; B.N. Seal and C.M. Meston; July 2007
Jiannine LM. An investigation of the relationship between physical fitness, self-concept, and sexual functioning. J Educ Health Promot. 2018;7:57. doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_157_17
Pujols Y, Seal BN, Meston CM. The association between sexual satisfaction and body image in women. J Sex Med. 2010;7(2 Pt 2):905-16.doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01604.x
Thomas HN, Hamm M, Borrero S, Hess R, Thurston RC. Body image, attractiveness, and sexual satisfaction among midlife women: A qualitative study. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2019;28(1):100-106. doi:10.1089/jwh.2018.7107
van den Brink F, Vollmann M, Sternheim LC, Berkhout LJ, Zomerdijk RA, Woertman L. Negative body attitudes and sexual dissatisfaction in men: The mediating role of body self-consciousness during physical intimacy. Arch Sex Behav. 2018;47(3):693-701. doi:10.1007/s10508-017-1016-3
Penhollow T, Young M. Sexual desirability and sexual performance: Does exercise and fitness really matter?. INT: Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality. Oct 2004;7.
Salci LE, Martin Ginis KA. Acute effects of exercise on women with pre-existing body image concerns: A test of potential mediators. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2017;31:113–122. doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.04.001
Fergus KB, Gaither TW, Baradaran N, Glidden DV, Cohen AJ, Breyer BN. Exercise improves self-reported sexual function among physically active adults. J Sex Med. 2019;16(8):1236-1245. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.04.020
Urology Care Foundation. American Urological Association. What is Erectile Dysfunction? Updated June 2018.
Bacon C, Mittleman M, Kawachi I, Giovannucci E, Glasser D, Rimm E. Sexual function in men older than 50 years of age: Results from the health professionals follow-up study. Ann Intern Med. 2003;139(3):161. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-139-3-200308050-00005
Lamina S, Agbanusi E, Nwacha RC. Effects of aerobic exercise in the management of erectile dysfunction: A meta analysis study on randomized controlled trials. Ethiop J Health Sci. 2011;21(3):195-201.
Gerbild H, Larsen CM, Graugaard C, Areskoug Josefsson K. Physical activity to improve erectile function: A systematic review of intervention studies. Sex Med. 2018;6(2):75-89. doi:10.1016/j.esxm.2018.02.001
Stanton AM, Handy AB, Meston CM. The effects of exercise on sexual function in women. Sex Med Rev. 2018;6(4):548-557. doi:10.1016/j.sxmr.2018.02.004
Carcelén-Fraile MDC, Aibar-Almazán A, Martínez-Amat A, et al. Effects of physical exercise on sexual function and quality of sexual life related to menopausal symptoms in peri- and postmenopausal women: A systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(8):2680. doi:10.3390/ijerph17082680
Dąbrowska J, Dąbrowska-Galas M, Rutkowska M, Michalski BA. Twelve-week exercise training and the quality of life in menopausal women - clinical trial. Prz Menopauzalny. 2016;15(1):20-25. doi:10.5114/pm.2016.58769
Hawkins VN, Foster-Schubert K, Chubak J, et al. Effect of exercise on serum sex hormones in men: A 12-month randomized clinical trial. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008;40(2):223-233. doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e31815bbba9
Mantzoros CS, Georgiadis EI, Trichopoulos D. Contribution of dihydrotestosterone to male sexual behaviour. BMJ. 1995;310(6990):1289-1291. doi:10.1136/bmj.310.6990.1289
National Institutes on Aging. Sexuality in Later Life. Updated November 30, 2017
Sex: The Workout
Based in Los Angeles, Ozzie Jacobs has been writing fitness articles since 2008, with work featured in various online publications. Jacobs holds an M.B.A. from Florida A&M University and an M.S. in exercise science from California University of Pennsylvania.


text:
package codechicken.wirelessredstone.addons;

import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.LinkedList;
import codechicken.lib.math.MathHelper;
import codechicken.lib.colour.Colour;
import codechicken.lib.colour.ColourARGB;
import codechicken.lib.colour.ColourRGBA;
import codechicken.lib.render.ManagedTextureFX;
import codechicken.lib.render.TextureUtils;
import codechicken.wirelessredstone.core.RedstoneEther;
import net.minecraft.client.Minecraft;
import net.minecraft.util.IIcon;
import net.minecraft.util.ResourceLocation;

public class TriangTexManager
{
    private static Colour[] texRing = new Colour[256];
    private static Colour[] texGrad = new Colour[256];
    private static int[] imageData = new int[256];
    private static ManagedTextureFX[] textures = new ManagedTextureFX[256];

    private static ColourRGBA pr = new ColourRGBA(0xFF0000FF);//pointer colour redstone
    private static ColourRGBA pb = new ColourRGBA(0x0000FFFF);//pointer colour blue
    private static ColourRGBA pg = new ColourRGBA(0x808080FF);//pointer colour grey
    private static ColourRGBA pd = new ColourRGBA(0x404040FF);//pointer colour dark grey

    private static HashMap<Integer, Integer> freqslotmap = new HashMap<Integer, Integer>(256);
    private static LinkedList<Integer> freeslots = new LinkedList<Integer>();
    private static HashSet<Integer> activetextures = new HashSet<Integer>(256);
    private static HashSet<Integer> visibletextures = new HashSet<Integer>(256);

    private static ColourRGBA[] pointercolours = new ColourRGBA[]{pb,pr,pr,pr,pr,pr,pr,pr,pb,pr,pr,pr,pb,pb};
    private static ColourRGBA[] pointersidecolours = new ColourRGBA[]{pg,pg,pg,pg,pg,pg,pd,pg,pd,pd,pd,pd,pg,pg};

    static
    {
        for(int i = 1; i < textures.length; i++)
            freeslots.add(i);

        for(int i = 0; i < textures.length; i++)
        {
            textures[i] = new ManagedTextureFX(16, "wrcbe_addons:triang_"+i);
            textures[i].setAtlas(1);
        }
    }

    public static void loadTextures()
    {
        texRing = TextureUtils.loadTextureColours(new ResourceLocation("wrcbe_addons", "textures/items/triangRing.png"));
        texGrad = TextureUtils.loadTextureColours(new ResourceLocation("wrcbe_addons", "textures/items/triangGrad.png"));
        processTexture(-1, 0);
    }

    public static IIcon getIconFromDamage(int damage)
    {
        return textures[getIconIndexFromDamage(damage)].texture;
    }

    public static int getIconIndexFromDamage(int freq)
    {
        if(freq == 0)
            return 0;

        visibletextures.add(freq);

        Integer iconindex = freqslotmap.get(freq);
        if(iconindex == null)
            iconindex = allocateSlot(freq);

        return iconindex;
    }

    private static int allocateSlot(int damage)
    {
        if(freeslots.isEmpty())
            throw new RuntimeException("More than 256 different triangulators!");

        int slot = freeslots.remove(0);
        freqslotmap.put(damage, slot);
        return slot;
    }

    private static void processTexture(int freq, int iconindex)
    {
        int colour = freq <= 0 ? 0xFFFFFFFF : RedstoneEther.get(true).getFreqColour(freq);

        mergeTexturesWithColour(new ColourARGB(colour));
        if(freq > 0)
            writePointer(freq);

        textures[iconindex].setData(imageData);
    }

    private static void mergeTexturesWithColour(ColourARGB texcolour)
    {
        for(int i = 0; i < 256; i++)
        {
            Colour colour;
            if(texGrad[i].a == 0)
                colour = texRing[i];
            else
                colour = texGrad[i].copy().multiply(texcolour);

            imageData[i] = colour.argb();
        }
    }

    private static void writePointer(int freq)
    {
        if(RedstoneEther.get(true).isPlayerJammed(Minecraft.getMinecraft().thePlayer) || !RedstoneEtherAddons.client().isTriangOn(freq))
            return;

        int id = RedstoneEther.get(true).getFreqColourId(freq);
        ColourRGBA pcolour = id < 0 ? pr : pointercolours[id];
        ColourRGBA scolour = id < 0 ? pg : pointersidecolours[id];

        float angle = RedstoneEtherAddons.client().getTriangAngle(freq);
        double cos = MathHelper.cos(angle);
        double sin = MathHelper.sin(angle);

        for(int i = -4; i <= 4; i++)// for side parts
        {
            int col = (int) (8.5 + cos * i * 0.3);
            int row = (int) (7.5 - sin * i * 0.3 * 0.5);
            int p = row * 16 + col;

            imageData[p] = scolour.argb();
        }

        for(int i = -8; i <= 16; i++)
        {
            int col = (int) (8.5 + sin * i * 0.3);
            int row = (int) (7.5 + cos * i * 0.3 * 0.5);
            int p = row * 16 + col;

            Colour c = i < 0 ? scolour : pcolour;
            imageData[p] = c.argb();
        }
    }

    public static void processAllTextures()
    {
        HashSet<Integer> wasActive = new HashSet<Integer>(activetextures);
        for(int freq : visibletextures)
        {
            int slot = freqslotmap.get(freq);
            if(!wasActive.remove(freq))
            {
                RedstoneEtherAddons.client().setTriangRequired(Minecraft.getMinecraft().thePlayer, freq, true);
                freeslots.remove(slot);
                activetextures.add(freq);
            }

            processTexture(freq, slot);
        }

        for(int freq : wasActive)
        {
            RedstoneEtherAddons.client().setTriangRequired(Minecraft.getMinecraft().thePlayer, freq, false);
            freeslots.add(freqslotmap.get(freq));
            activetextures.remove(freq);
        }

        visibletextures.clear();
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Yesterday Mario and I watched the Laramie Project, the movie version of the play. It's essentially the story of Matthew Shepard's murder through the voices of the citizens of Laramie. I had seen it before, but it was appropriate to watch it again on the 10 year anniversary of Matthew's death.
It reminded me how hateful so many people are. Not that I needed that reminder. I've heard the hateful and ignorant remarks coming from some McCain supporters at his rallies. Doesn't it make you shudder?
Anyway, you all know that Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, beaten, tied to a fence, and left to die as his brain swelled. He was left out in the cold Wyoming night. Eighteen hours later, a man found him and called the police. The first police officer on the scene was Reggie Fluty. She said Matthew's head and face was covered in blood, except for two lines down his cheeks his tears had made.
But Reggie saw something else as she ran up to help Matthew. Right next to Matthew was a bush and lying on the other side of the bush, close to Matthew, was a huge doe. When the doe saw Reggie, she jumped up and ran away.
The mother deer most likely spent the night next to Matthew. Did she reassure him? Did she breathe on him and wish him well? Did she keep him company as he lay dying?
This is what Reggie said about it: "When I was running up there, there was a big doe lying there—a huge deer, a mother deer. Here Matthew is, and there's a big bush right next to him, and the doe is lying right on the other side of the bush. I didn't see her until I started running up. ...she looked right at me, and poom! she was outta there. I thought, Wow. Did she know Matthew was there? Oh, most definitely. It's not something that was brought out in the reporting, I don't know why. Matthew couldn't talk to me. He had been exposed half the night and half the day. Even though I tried the best I could to comfort him and let him know somebody was there, I think [his comfort came from] that big old doe...I'm sure he could feel her and she could feel him, and she was staying with him till help came."
Sometimes I wonder if the flora and fauna watch us and don't know what to think, what to do. So they offer us compassion. Love.
It's not enough. But sometimes all we can do is to love and to witness.
Shared this on my Facebook page.
*RESPECT* to you for doing a blog post on Matthew Shepard!I had done a post on him the other day on Facebook,and a friend told me about the doe being by his side,so I decided to Google.


text:
You are here: Home / Research / Industrial / What If Uber Were To Adopt Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAVs)?
What If Uber Were To Adopt Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAVs)?
June 22, 2015 |by Tasha Keeney, ARK Analyst|Industrial
Mentioned Companies: CAR, GM, TSLA
Tags: Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, Robotics, Shared Autonomous Vehicles, Sharing Economy
If Uber uses shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs), it could charge as little as $0.35 per mile1, much less than the $0.70 per mile that individuals pay, both directly and indirectly, to drive their own cars today. While individual car ownership will not disappear entirely, it is likely to fall precipitously shorter term in the sharing economy thanks to Uber, ZipCarCAR, et. al., and longer term thanks to SAVs.
While individuals drive their cars for only one hour, or 4%, per day on average, SAVs will allow them to capitalize on their cars during the other 23 hours.2 Uber, for example, could leverage its existing dispatch platform, giving auto owners the opportunity to rent their cars between the time they and their children are dropped off at and picked up from work and school, respectively, as in the example shown below.3 Owners with an unpredictable schedule could opt-in or opt-out on an hourly basis.
If Uber uses shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs), it could charge as little as $0.35 per mile…
Given current economics, owners could recoup more than half the purchase cost of their shared autonomous vehicle within five years by renting them out part time. Today, a new car costs an average of $30,000. The incremental price of autonomous technology could be $1,000 – $2,0004 by 2020, when autonomous vehicles are expected to commercialize. Theoretically, pricing rides at 35 cents per mile, equivalent to an autonomous taxi, an SAV owner could earn more than $13,0005 per year, potentially defraying the cost of the SAV.
Prices for a SAV service will vary based on competition and type of vehicle. For example, if multiple houses in a neighborhood were to own SAVs, pricing would be lower than if only one were available. Even if competition were to push prices down to about 20 cents per mile, however, owners still would profit.6 As with Uber, an autonomous dispatch platform could incorporate a surge pricing mechanism, increasing supply to accommodate demand and adding to profitability. Luxury vehicles such as the TeslaTSLA Model S or CadillacGM CT6 also would command a premium.
Apart from the taxi model, part-time SAV owners could provide chauffer service to a small, vetted customer base. Comparing the economics of SAVs to those of chauffeur services and Uber's current service offering casts the value proposition of SAVs into stark relief. The cost of personal drivers ranges from $70,000 to $125,000 per year. The current cost to use Uber's service would be at least $30,000 per year in New York City, based on the 13,500 miles per year that the Federal Highway Association estimates people travel per year on average. In contrast, the cost of an SAV chauffer would be 84% lower, or $4,725 per year,7 as shown below.
Autonomous technology will boost participation in the sharing economy as SAVs take many of the pain points out the current transportation system, chief among them parking and the stranded nature of most auto assets. Also, part-time SAVs could speed the uptake of shared autonomous vehicles as the capital requirements can be spread out across multiple entities. The disruption will create major winners and losers, several of which we list below.
While individual car owners will benefit from earning income on vehicles that would otherwise be "stranded assets", taxi drivers will be displaced and auto sales could collapse. Luxury vehicles may prove an exception, as auto purchasers veer toward quality name-brands which will pay off over time in the form of higher SAV income streams. On balance, consumers should be the largest beneficiaries, with more travel options at significantly lower costs, and fewer stranded assets.
Please see ARK articles: "Low Cost LiDAR Will Save Lives" and "Autonomous Cars, Enormous Opportunity" ↩
While personal cars are used on average for 4% of the day, ARK assumes that owners may choose to block off a larger portion of the day to ensure guaranteed access to their car when they need it. ↩
Although the car is available for passengers, we assume that it is in use for a portion of that time. ↩
ARK original research. Assume components include a combination of LiDAR, Graphics Processor Unit (GPU), System on a Chip (SoC), camera, radar, GPS, odometry, and sonar. ↩
This is annual cash flow. Source: ARK original research. Annual costs include depreciation, insurance, taxes, fuel, maintenance and repair, tires, a connected car subscription, operating costs for the autonomous system, and parking. Cash flow does not take into account money saved from avoided parking costs. ↩
Same assumptions as above but a 15% hurdle rate. ↩
13,500 miles per year at $0.35 cents per mile. ↩
https://ark-invest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Uber-Uses-Shared-Autonomous-Vehicles-2.jpg 295 885 Tasha Keeney, ARK Analyst https://ark-invest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ARK-Invest_Logo.png Tasha Keeney, ARK Analyst2015-06-22 15:22:362016-09-21 12:28:30What If Uber Were To Adopt Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAVs)?
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6 Takeaways from ARK's Brainstorming: Solar City, Google Self-Driving Cars, Intel Enters AI, ...
ARK Disrupt Issue 84: AI, ICOs, Dashcams, and CRISPR
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Yesterday, in the first California trial over Johnson & Johnson's talc powder, a Los Angeles jury awarded $417 million (including $347 million in punitive damages meant to punish the company) to a 62 year old woman, Eva Echeverria who developed ovarian cancer after using its talc-based products for feminine hygiene. (Echeverria v. Johnson & Johnson, BC628228, Los Angeles County Superior Court.) Specially, the lawsuit, (along with thousands of others filed across the country), alleged that Johnson & Johnson knew or should have known that perineal use of its talcum powder products can cause ovarian cancer in women, but failed to provide adequate instructions and warnings with respect to the products.
This verdict is the largest so far. Four earlier juries in St. Louis have returned verdicts of $110 million, $70 million, $72 million and $55 million. In February 2016, a jury awarded $72 million for the family of Jackie Fox. Ms. Fox lived in Birmingham, Alabama and claimed she used the products for feminine hygiene for more than 35 years. Three years prior she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and died on October 2015 at age 62. The family of Ms. Fox argued that Johnson and Johnson knew of the risk, but failed to warn customers, such as Ms. Fox. The jury agreed.
Similarly, in May 2016, a jury in St. Louis awarded $55 million in damages to Gloria Ristesund, a woman who used Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder for feminine hygiene more than 35 years before being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In October, 2016, a St. Louis jury awarded a California woman, Deborah Giannecchini, $70.075 million in her lawsuit alleging that years of using Johnson & Johnson's baby powder caused her cancer. In May, 2017, a jury to pay over $110 million to a Virginia woman, Lois Slemp, who developed ovarian cancer after decades of using of its talc-based products for feminine hygiene.
As in yesterday's CA verdict, in each of these cases the juries all agreed that Johnson and Johnson knew of its talc-based products' cancer risks, but failed to warn consumers such as Ms. Ristesund, Ms. Giannecchini, Ms. Slemp, and Ms. Echeverria.


I've been looking at tree-shaking with lodash in work and came across this blog. The blog itself was good but I really liked the warning at the top of the article that reminds you that best practices change regularly - a nice touch from the author.
Why can't I set the font size of a visited link - because of security! Really interesting post that explains why you can't do certain styles using the ':visited' pseudo selector.
Improving the keyboard accessibility of CodePen embeds - the author suggested some changes that you can make in your own site to improve a11y which was a different way of looking at the problem to me, i.e. assuming someone else will fix it.


I've posted previously about the Lotus 49 previously having a tyre choice of "1974 Slick" and how it seems to have disappeared from the car setup menu. I saw the community driver network British Time attack with the Lotus 49 at Silverstone International and thought I'd have a go. I was surprised to be miles off the pace initially and knew that there were several tyres to choose from so I made a setup change to the 1972 Slick, this improved my times but I was still quite a way off the pace. Several patches ago the Lotus 49 was all that I drove and I had a few setups that I'd spent some time to dial out the understeer and enable me to steer and turn the car on the throttle. I loaded up an old Cadwell Park setup that I'd used a few patches ago and was immediately on the pace. The skin on the tyre appeared to be that of a historic 67 or 68 tyre however the resistance in the wheel was stronger presumably to the increased grip provided by the tyre. This got me thinking could the previous 1974 Slick now be labelled as the Vintatge 1970 tyre, to me it certainly felt like it. I did some testing and here were my findings. These times were all achieved in free practice at Silverstone international. By no means were they hot laps or on the limit as I was only doing a few laps and keeping consistent lines for comparison. I drive with all assists off and here are my findings.
This is quite confusing as you would certainly imagine the 1972 slick to be faster than the tyres with tread. Can anybody from SMS confirm what's happened here. I'm personally thinking that the profile of the 1974 Slick has been renamed to Vintage 1970 with the profile applied and the skin changed to the period tread look.
When I loaded up my old Cadwell Park setting before attempting the time attack I got around in 1.09.6 and it was just a neater lap than my free practice Vintage 1970 time so I don't think there was any old profile as such attached to the setup. However, before the leaderboards were wiped I saved all my times and I had previously lapped Cadwell Park in 1.27.3 a few patches ago on the 1974 Slick, I had another go after discovering my findings today but could only manage a 1.30.5 (using the Vintage 1970). It was not a hooked up lap by any means as I'm out of practice with my favorite car but it does leave that element of thought/doubt of if the Vintage 1970 is exactly the same profile as the missing 1974 Slick.
I'm just curious about this as it would be good to know the definitive answer, I was more fussed about this before the leaderboards were wiped tbh as I was frustrated that I couldn't get close to any of my previous times on what mistakenly I thought was the fastest tyre 1972 Slick. In my opinion if it is indeed the same profile with a period tyre skin it will make visuals more realistic so I'm happy with that as opposed to slicks on these cars which look slightly wrong in my opinion. It may however be confusing to those who naturally presume the slick will be quickest if they're new to the Lotus 49.
Anway definitive answers would be greatly appreciated if anybody knows anything!
Let's see if they're really faster or maybe just more suited for your driving style.
I'm trying this event at the moment. So after reading this, I experimented with the 72 slick and vintage 70 tyres using exactly the same setup as I had already.
I had managed a 1:08.1 with the 72 slick before. Just now with the vintage 70 I managed a 1:07.7.
BUT the behaviour of the car with the vintage 70s on is much more stable if a little understeery. The 72 slick is very tricky to keep stable mid corner needing some fine throttle feathering to avoid both lift off oversteer and power oversteer - the overall effect being that I'm much more tentative powering out of corners. I think that I have more grip with the 72 slick and could better my 1:07.7 if I only had enough skill to keep it in the optimal range and keep the power down.
The vintage 70 seems to act like all assists are on and there is much more room for error, but the understeer is a hindrance. This could all be down to setup though. Perhaps your setup allows for better use of the vintage 70 than mine?
All in all I think the 72 slick and vintage 70 are capable of the same lap times, but exhibit very different handling characteristics that might suit one setup over another. Which is pretty cool actually.
Needed to turn down the FFB for the car even with the classic preset.
The 72 has quite an evil snapback and you need to have faster reactions on the edge.
Also does seem less grippier to me though even when holding it on the griplimit.
Yes, also improved with a setup tailored to the 70 tyre. I just think it's much more predictable than the slick.
Certainly seems that you're both finding the same in that the Vintage 70 is slightly faster and more manageable then than the 72 Slick. Thinking about it presumably the 72 Slick would be a cross ply tyre so should feel quite manageable at bigger slip angles that it does in game. I'm certainly very hesitant on the throttle in it for the reasons you've both mentioned. We may have to test what happens if you mix the two with the 72 on the front and Vintage 1970 at the rear now we can with the 3.0 patch!
Is this a community event?
Yes it is. 6 days left on it.
I tried the slick front and vintage rear combo and it helped me improve further. Now have more grip at the front, but as a result the back breaks away again under braking. Still trying to reduce this by softening the rear. Although the front sticks better, the grip is less progressive and so getting the entry speed right is key.
I did have the top time on PS4 for about 5 minutes before it was beaten by 0.05s!
Does anyone know what tyre temps I should be aiming for with the vintage 1970 tyres?
The Vintage series tires is something I was (and still am) working on. The idea was that the same base tire per year could be reapplied to different cars. I do not know why some of the choices are disappearing on some cars though (as I am more looking a lot at PCars 2 at the moment). But I do know some reasons why the 1972 may be slower on the 49 than the 1970. First the Lotus 72D, which that tire is more tuned for, is kind of a freak (in a good way) of a car. It likes tires sort of out of the ordinary (much like the real 72D). Also, Doug has done a final pass on most of the primary tires for cars to meet certain criteria, meaning the 1972 tire has had this pass, while the 1970 has not (which is fine: different interpretations). This further makes the "Vintage Storyline" not necessarily continuous. Note though, that this is "recognized" in that the raw (my series mostly as a contiguous series) vintage tires have the word "Vintage" in their name, while a tire like the 72 tire does not.
Thanks for the really useful info Andrew, interesting to hear the process behind it all and the explanations into the differences.
I don't have this community event.
Thanks for the reply, although what in the world are you doing looking at this forum from the beach? Sand in computer. Hard to see in sun. Eyes looking down instead of the "scenery".
Andrew is right. Get back to work erm... back to your vacation I mean. Forget about this forum and relax. Holiday will be over soon enough.
That's probably right. It only appeared after the patch for me.
Anyone know why some ghosts go into the pits???
Wasn't there an exploit at Silverstone (not sure if this was just GP), where drivers were driving into the pits for a quicker lap?
I thought this was fixed though in patch 3.
Only checked a couple of ghosts during this one. The only thing I noticed once was that the ghost lap was different to the leaderboard lap.
Loaded up a faster ghost once and half way round the first lap I was ahead thinking wow, I might beat it! Crossed the line ahead but my time was a second slower, before realising this ghost was actually a much slower lap!
I'll check on the pit short cut and report back.
We will never get everybody on the same page as long as the LB mixes players with aids on and off too...this is the kind of car that TC and ABS helps a lot. We could have separate LBs regarding assists.
I couldnt agree more with you on this. These time trials are meaningless unless we know what aids people are using. Without assists the best i can do is a 1.13 thats no aids whatosever. Just by switching on the aids i can drop 4 seconds off my time , all this without even trying to tune the car.
Im convinced mr Choupolo is using the full spectrum of aids, not hating just stating !
I doubt id get anywhere near his time even with his custom tune and the aids on as that is a very good time with a control pad.
Just pisses me off that this game is forcing me to use false aids (for the vehicles time period) in order to be competitive.
Why I cant see the times of like minded drivers is beyond me. If the pc gamers have this functionality , separate leaderboards and visible driving aids why on earth did you guys neglect this feature for the consoles.
MASSIVE OVERSIGHT and please fellas dont give us that claptrap that it was too much work or not possible for the console as games have had these features since the last gen.
Oh and for the record i frigging love this game, nothing out there (on console at least) comes close to the driving and racing experience this game provides.
Shame, what appear to be little things like that can slightly spoil the experience!
yeah, dont think we necessarily need separate leaderboards, but itd be nice to have a filter of some kind + indication of assists used. you can assume the top times use best tires available but something as simple as 'real assists' vs artificial would be great.
If the pc gamers have this functionality , separate leaderboards and visible driving aids why on earth did you guys neglect this feature for the consoles!
I am not sure we have this on the PC side too, in the community events, unless I am blind...I will take another look later, but I think we do not have this inside the game. So far I have the 6th time there (assists off) and I am 1.3 seconds behind the leader, I would love to see if those guys in front of me have any assists on.
Hi, Joca63 here in this page shown who use assistance.
Ok, this is very useful info, didn't know about this.
Can someone clarify this scenario, I am running REAL assists with assists turned OFF on HUD, I am currently 14th in the list. I try this morning with NO assists. Couple of laps don't feel any difference, roughly same lap times.
Back to REAL assists. Even though I turn assists OFF when in REAL via keyboard assignments, LB still registers ON.
I've just woken up, had a coffee, brain on overdrive, I'll probably calm done and wonder why I am so bothered about this in an hour.......all good fun anyway!
For the record I agree with what has been said about assists. I'm all for authenticity and it would have been cool to have no assists and period tyres forced for this challenge.
Until now I have usually used assists as I'm not good enough to make the fine movements needed on a gamepad without them. I found myself to be competitive on this one (which is not always the case!) so I just carried on. It has been interesting to hear people's reactions - some congratulatory and some otherwise. It's a new experience! People haven't really cared what assists I use until today haha! Sorry to have spoilt the experience for some of you.
There has been a longstanding issue, whereby if you have assists set to "real," the leaderboard incorrectly states all assists were active.
1 - you can still cut through the pits. I did a very slow lap as I didn't want to overwrite my current time, then went through the pits and the time was registered on pit exit. I don't know if that means it would still count if I had done a fast lap or not. Don't want to try that though!
2 - I had a go with all assists turned off and.......... it felt exactly the same. I mean identical, no extra wheel spin, brakes locking or stability issues. Even managed a time within half a second within two laps. Does that mean it is not possible to turn assists on with this car or that they have no effect? Can anyone else confirm this?
Good lap! What tyre pressures are you using??
1.00 fronts and 0.98 rears. But honestly don't know if you could go lower. I don't notice any difference in grip after a certain point.
Im on .90 fronts and .88 back but our setups are obviously different. I'll give them ago though. I'm on your arse all the way till the last section after the straight. Can't get the traction!!


Landscape and Design in the Upstate, South Carolina and Western North Carolina - Greenville SC area.
Enhancing the Beauty of Nature.
Founded in 2001, Todd Rudisill, Inc. Landscaping & Design is a professional design and installation company based in Greenville, SC. We service the South Carolina Upstate region.
By combining the specific requirements of each individual client with our professional expertise we transform your dreams into beautiful outdoor spaces that enhance the appearance of your home while adding function and value. Every element of our landscape design is custom tailored to suit your site, climate conditions and your desired level of maintenance requirements. If you prefer, we offer maintenance service contracts, so you never have to lift a finger.
Todd Rudisill attended The New York Botanical Gardens Landscape Design program located in the Bronx, New York City, where he learned both the fundamentals of landscape design as well as horticultural knowledge of all types of plants. He has extensive experience working as a Roof Top Gardener in New York, along with more "traditional" landscape design. Todd's training and background have provided him with a strong foundation of design skills that he is ready to put to use on your special project. To learn more about Todd, please visit the About page.
We offer a wide range of design, installation, and maintenance services. To view a list, please visit our Services page.
Our goal is to design distinctive and functional landscapes that meet the individual needs of each client. We look forward to working with you to create the yard of your dreams!
Check out pictures of projects in our Photo Gallery.
© 2001-2019 Todd Rudisill, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Smaller Project 8-1, Open Floor Plan » Roger Perron Inc.
We created this open floor plan to provide a great room with all the amenities. The kitchen is in the background to the left; also in the background is the family room. We designed a custom bar in just the right location for the plan. The floor is tile with a stone insert.
Design plan and details for this Hollywood home by Roger Perron, design- build contractor.


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Plumbers Local Union 130 UA Selects Cerner to Manage Health Center for Members
Press Releases	Cerner, Telemedicine
CHICAGO, Oct. 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plumbers Local Union 130 United Association (UA) announced it has selected Cerner, a global leader in health care technology, to operate a health center in the southwest Chicago area, where members of Local 130 and their families can receive health and care services as a part of their union benefits.
"Our members' health and well-being are our top priority, and we are committed to equipping them with the care they need to live healthy lives," said Plumbers Local Union 130 UA Business Manger James Coyne. "Providing our members and their families with quality care will give them greater control of their health, while they continue to provide top plumbing craftsmanship to the Chicago area."
Cerner's approach aims to minimize wait times while maximizing time with care providers to provide a better member experience and improve health results. By providing convenient access to acute and preventive care, chronic condition management, education and health risk awareness, Cerner's health centers can help members and their families stay healthy and reduce the need for costly emergency and urgency room visits and specialists, while providing a unique benefit to members.
"Local 130 is dedicated to building and maintaining a healthy and happy workforce, and Cerner looks forward to joining them in this important effort," said Cerner Population Health Services Vice President Mike Heckman. "Today's plumbers are called on to do complex work that can be physically taxing. With this new health center, Cerner is ready to bring years of workforce health expertise, clinical staff and technology to help achieve optimal health for members of Local 130."
Under Cerner's management, the health center will pair high-quality clinical services with technology including Cerner's big data platform for population health management – HealtheIntent® – to manage the health of Local 130 members and their families.
Through a person-centered model of care, members and their families will be encouraged to proactively manage their health through an integrated electronic health record and an online health portal designed to encourage sustainable, healthy behaviors.
A permanent location for the health center in the southwest area of Chicago will be announced at a later date and is expected to open in 2019.
Cerner currently operates health centers across the country, including centers for its own workforce, and other union organizations.
About Plumbers Local Union 130 UA
Plumbers Local Union 130 UA, with over 6,200 members, is the largest straight-line plumbing local in the UA International Union who represents 350,000+ building tradesmen across the United States and Canada. For more information, visit: plumberslu130ua.org
About Cerner
Cerner's health technologies connect people and information systems at more than 27,500 contracted provider facilities worldwide dedicated to creating smarter and better care for individuals and communities. Recognized globally for innovation, Cerner assists clinicians in making care decisions and assists organizations in managing the health of their populations. The company also offers an integrated clinical and financial systems to help manage day-to-day revenue functions, as well as a wide range of services to support clinical, financial and operational needs, focused on people. For more information, visit Cerner.com, The Cerner Blog, The Cerner Podcast or connect on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter. Nasdaq: CERN. Smarter Care. Better Outcomes. Healthier You.
Source: Cerner Corporation
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Artist Spotlight: Coffeehouse
on November 4, 2014 January 29, 2016 Artist Spotlight
Update: Coffeehouse is now Kapitol.
This month we're shining the spotlight on Coffeehouse, a 4 piece Chilean rock / pop band attempting to break through and conquer the international market. Coffeehouse is currently promoting their second single — Night Cruising.
We caught up with frontman, Francisco Martinez to learn more about Coffeehouse's music, upcoming projects, and what the band likes most about their Promenade theme.
What's the Coffeehouse story? How did you guys get together and decide to start the band?
The project started by 2007, when Sebastian (keyboards) and I (Frank – lead singer) met. We realized we had one common interest; making mellow soft acoustic songs. We recorded an EP in 2011 just for fun and planed to play it live on a party for friends and family, with no further intentions or aspirations.
And that's where it all fired up. It was crazy, the venue was full with almost 1,000 people and no one had any idea how that happened. We played a very short set, only the 5 songs that were on the EP, but those 20 minutes on stage with a 1,000 euphoric souls, made us change our minds forever: We wanted to take the project to a whole new level, start a band as such and take it as far as we can.
Since only Sebastian and I recorded the EP, we needed the support of other musicians to play it live. That's where Oscar appeared. As a long friend of the EP's producer (who played the drums for that gig), Oscar joined the band for the debut show and stayed in right away.
We were missing the drummer, though. Simon (the EP's producer, and lead singer of the band The Reaktion) was good at drums but of course, this wasn't his project, so we needed someone who was really interested in becoming part of this family.
I used to play in a school band with Cris, we were kind of friends back then, but not that close. Somehow his name came up so I gave him a call. He told us his recent band split and he was looking somewhere to play.
That was October, 2011. The EP was released on July that same year. Now, with the band fully formed, we were ready to get inside the studio and record our first LP: Square One.
How would you describe the music that you play?
We've been called tons of genres. To simplify everything, we just called it Rock Pop. But behind every tune there are emotions and energies that we try to print.
We believe that no words can describe exactly what our or anyone's music is. Music is different for every ear, mind, and heart. All we do is make music that we love, and fortunately, we share that same feeling with lots of fans.
We would say that there're two sides of Coffeehouse. The one you hear on the album and the one you hear live. We try to make our best on both, but it's the combination the one that defines us as a total.
What's your most popular/fan favorite song? Where can we hear it?
Right now our most popular song is On This Side. Its actually the first single of our album Square One and luckily, is one of our favorites as well.
Here are some sites where you can find our music: iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Pandora, Spotify, Soundcloud, Rdio, Deezer.
Of course, you can listen to it on our website.
You can also watch the official On This Side video here:
What's your favorite thing about your AudioTheme website or the AT framework?
It just really fits. We feel it represents us. It's simple but elegant at the same time. It's really easy for our fans to navigate through and the possibility to play our music right there without the necessity of using external sources. And a very important reason; the mobile version works great and keeps it simple but beautiful.
Is there anything new or exciting that you can share with us? Anything to look forward to?
We are currently pre-producing our next video for the song Give Or Take, and should be releasing it in a couple of months. Stay tuned to our YouTube channel.
We've been confirmed to play at the SXSW 2015 on march, as well as a couple other festivals (which names we can't reveal yet!)
We're planning on head into the studio on April 2015 to start recording our second album.
We try to keep our website as up to date as we can, so if you drop by regularly, you'll find out everything we're doing. We are great at responding tweets (@coffeehouseband) and we try to keep our Facebook Fanpage up to date!
Love the Coffeehouse Site?Learn more about the Promenade theme.
Prev Post: How to Connect with Fans in Person
Next Post: How to Connect with Influencers in the Music Industry


Robby Valentine takes this Beatles classic and makes it, as close to his own, as could possibly be done. Opening with a stirring piano segment, the song segues easily into the first verse, where Robby's expressive voice takes the focus. No doubt, this could be labeled as overproduced, as layers upon layers of vocals and instruments build upon each other, but that is the point. This is clearly the overdramatized version of the song. Some liberties are taken and the only thing that stands out to me, as not being perfect, is the horn section in the middle part of the song. Here the song loses focus somewhat. Still, this is the best cover version of "Here, There and Everywhere", I have heard.


This one of a kind necklace showcases a rare Victorian hand carved mother of pearl horse head with gorgeous rhinestone eyes and gold fill hardware detailing. It hangs from a collection of vintage cut glass rosary beads, Victorian mother of pearl rosary beads, vintage fob links, and vintage chain links. The necklace closes with a lobster clasp.
Necklace measures 33"; horse head measures 1.75" .


Helping You Buy Your Next Home!
From start to finish, our Royal LePage REALTORS® are professionally trained to make the buying process as smooth and hassle free as possible. Please take a look at the videos below to get an idea of what you can expect from your Royal LePage REALTOR®.
Questions? Please contact us at 604-261-9311 or email us here, and we'd be happy to answer your questions.


Ever since I had baby Isha, one of my favorite places to visit is the Baby Company which can be found in SM department stores or in SM Mall boutique branches. I know all of you can relate that there is something fulfilling when you shop for your baby. There is no trip at SM Mall without sidetripping to Baby Company. Haha! And, why not?! It's super convenient because you can find all your baby needs there in just one place. From toys to baby diapers, clothes and even furniture for your baby, you can shop all these things at Baby Company!
I remember when I was still pregnant with Isha and when we were canvassing for baby furniture hubby and I agreed that it should be for long-term use, practical, not bulky and pocket-friendly. (Btw, we bought our crib/playpen at Baby Company, SM North Edsa :)).
Fast forward to 8 months, Isha now is super active, loves to crawl and explore. The crib/playpen that we bought for her is perfect because we used it when she was still a newborn baby until now that she is crawling and trying to stand-up! Talk about maximizing its purpose. So I want to share some tips and top picks with you when buying baby furniture for your baby. Top priority is that the baby furniture should still be useful for several years or for the next baby. Para sulit na sulit, diba mga Mommies? Good, sturdy, and durable baby furniture is a bit pricey BUT it can be a good investment if you buy baby furniture that you can use through out the growing years of your child.
The fambam went all the way to SM Aura to check out what's new at Baby Company inside the SM Department Store. It really is a wonderland for mommies! So many nice and awesome finds on baby furniture and baby essentials. Some are on sale, too!!!
Wow! Baby Company sure has a lot of baby furniture to choose from. But for my top 4 picks, I narrowed it down using these criteria.
So here are my TOP 4 Picks of Baby Furniture at Baby Company!
The Keyway Stackable Drawers comes in three different sizes.
The smallest is 220mm in size and costs Php 499.75.
The medium is 445mm in size and costs Php 799.75.
The biggest is 670mm in size and costs Php 999.75.
The pastel colors are attractive to the eye!
It is stackable. So you can mix and match. Add more or just use less. You can also move it around easily.
It has different sizes. So you can choose to just get the big drawers or just all the small drawers.
It is very affordable. So you can just buy according to your need. And pwede pa isa isa muna ang bili if you are on a tight budget.
It is reusable. Basically, it's an all-around drawer. If you take good care of your drawers, hanggang sa paglaki ni baby pwede pa rin! You can still use it as their clothes drawer when they become older or toy cabinet pa nga. Or you can use it for your personal needs.
The 4-in-1 Fisher- Price High Chair costs Php 9,999.75 but it's now on sale at Php 7999.75.
Children at 6 months can start using it. The pads are washable. For plastic parts, you can clean it using wipes with or without soap.
This Fisher-Price High Chair is a standard size high chair that can be adjusted as baby grows older.
It is multi-function. For me, it is amazing that this high chair has 4 different functions. You can use it as needed as your baby grows and becomes older.
It is value for money. Because it has 4 different uses, this is a money saver in the long run. This is my absolute favorite and I definitely recommend this! And don't forget, it's currently on sale this June!
This Graco Pack 'n Play costs Php 13,999.75.
It is a standard size crib/playpen that is approximately 28 inches by 38.5 inches with a height of 33 inches.
It has a portable napper and changer. With just one flip it can be a diaper changer. Press a button again and it becomes a napper.
When your baby is still very young, you can use it as a crib like this.
There is even a diaper holder that you can hook at the end of the crib.
It is convertible. Like I mentioned earlier, I love to buy stuff that is a good investment and worth the money spent. The fact that it has multiple uses is definitely a plus plus for me! To a napper, diaper changer, and being able to adjust the crib to the age appropriate use for the baby.
It is portable. It is easy and convenient to pack and bring it with you anywhere! This is good if you are going out as a family for a long period of time. Like going to the province and visiting with relatives or spending several days at a hotel with your little ones. It's definitely handy and helpful to have this with you.
The Madison 3-in-1 Convertible Crib has three stages.
The Materials used for this crib is a combination of Pine Wood and Multi-Density Fiberboard.
The Paint used is non-toxic and lead-free.
It is convertible. Yessss I know, paulit ulit ako. But that's the point right? Budget-wise, we want the best bet. And with the three stages, winner na talaga!
It is a co-sleeper. This is convenient for mommies so that you don't have to stand up to put down your baby.
I have good news for you! Baby Company has a BIG STUFF BIG SAVINGS up to 50% OFF this JUNE on baby furniture. Big discounts await you. Don't forget to bring your Mom Card!
Baby Company has currently 50 stores nationwide inside SM Department Store, 6 mall boutiques: Power Plant Mall, SM Aura Premier, SM North Edsa, The Block, SM Fairview, SM Cebu, SM City Seaside Cebu and 17 select stores inside SM Hypermarket outlets.
To the 2 Sirs of Baby Company, SM Aura, thank you so much for assisting us! We truly appreciate all your help.
Don't forget to take advantage of the sale this month so you can save more!


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Sweet baby boy + beautiful weather = perfect session in the park!
I had the pleasure of meeting this family because Granddad wanted pictures of his grandbaby, so he got them a gift certificate for Christmas! What a great gift right?? Little Mister Wilson was as sweet as can be, with those chubby cheeks and infectious giggles. Mom and Dad made my job easy. They were so relaxed, and I could see how much they loved playing and cuddling with their little man.


Monsters trying to eat the Chinese guarding the Great Wall. You might think I am spinning a far-fetched yarn … and you would be right. The fantasy adventure The Great Wall is billed as a myth surrounding the famed structure that covers 8,850 kilometres and took a couple of thousand years to build.
Set in ancient Northern China, the film follows mercenary William Garin (Matt Damon) – a master archer – who leads a quintet of battle-scarred warriors. They are on the run from warring desert factions, who hunger for wealth, power and glory. One of the group possesses knowledge of a new weapon that could bring them all the riches they seek. This gunpowder is a fabled explosive, so rare and valuable at the time that it became the "holy grail" of war, a deadly treasure some would die trying to pursue. They have in their possession a magnetic stone, that all but Garin are ready to discard and which will play a significant role in his fate and the fate of others.
After barely surviving a hair-raising scrape with a desert tribe, the group is attacked one night at a remote canyon campsite by an unseen enemy. From their ordeal, Garin takes a severed claw the likes of which he has never seen before. Soon thereafter, Garin and his sword-wielding sidekick, Pero Tovar (Pedro Pascal – Narcos), a tough, wise-cracking Spaniard, are captured by an army of warriors known as The Nameless Order. From a vast military outpost called Fortress City, they end up fighting to protect humanity from supernatural forces atop one of the greatest defensive walls ever built. And just who are they in mortal combat with? Tao Tei, a breed of ancient, mythical beasts that rises every 60 years for eight days to feed upon humanity and punish mankind's greed.
Others of note in the cast include Jing Tian as Lin Mae, who commands one of the five battalions – the all-female Crane Corps of fearless aerialists. She turns Garin's head and plays a pivotal role in the outcome. Willem Dafoe (The Grand Budapest Hotel) plays Ballard, a shadowy prisoner inside the fortress who plans his escape from his longtime captors.
Directed by Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers), The Great Wall is his first English-language production and the largest film to be shot entirely in China, but to me it simply played out as lavish wallpaper. The original screenplay is by Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro (The Sorcerer's Apprentice) and Tony Gilory (The Bourne Legacy). It is based upon a story by Max Brooks (World War Z) and Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz (The Last Samurai).
The Great Wall is set in an alternate vision of ancient China circa 1100 A.D., during the Song Dynasty. The story imagines that The Wall was built to defend against a malignant species and gargoyle-like figure from Chinese mythology. I'm afraid I found that difficult to swallow and its execution even more so. Unfortunately, it is one lame script that special effects can't save and a serious misstep for Matt Damon.
A constant posse of horsemen riding through the desert, gunpowder, Alien-like creatures and a beautiful and feisty Chinese warrior – they are the ingredients. Stir liberally, add some hocus pocus or bunkum, a smattering of cornball humour and spend lots of fireworks, but still, unfortunately, in large measure you fail to get lift off. At times I just shook my head and thought, "what were they thinking". That's the point … because those behind the project weren't doing so meaningfully or were seriously misguided, or misjudged the public's desire for this kind of nonsense. The best scene is one involving letting off thousands of Chinese paper lanterns – it looked beautiful.
The film will do well in China, but in reality The Great Wall, the movie, deserves to crumble. Rated M, it scores a 4½ to 5 out of 10.


This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in cutting shaping and finishing granite marble limestone slate and other stone for building and miscellaneous uses. Stone product manufacturing establishments may mine quarry or purchase stone.
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Kabirwala es una localidad de Pakistán, en la provincia de Punyab.

Demografía

Según estimación 2010 contaba con 72.921 habitantes.

Referencias

Localidades de Punyab (Pakistán)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Pittsburgh Pirates this evening signed 3rd round pick Alex Dickerson (6-3, 225lbs), a left handed bat, who hit .367 with 9 home runs and 49 RBI's in 2011 for Indiana University.
The Pirates now have 17 players signed from their 2011 draft class.
Dickerson was the 2010 Big Ten Triple Crown winner. He played a lot of outfield at Indiana but projects to be a 1st baseman at the MLB level and could also possibly play left field in the majors.
Dickerson was the No. 37 rated prospect in the draft, according to ESPN's Keith Law.
Scouts project Dickerson as an everyday player and that he'll hit for power at the Major League Level. Few project him as a future star but he has a lot of upside as an impact hitter.
The 2010 Big Ten Triple Crown winner (.419 avg., 24 HR, 75 RBI) and First Team All-American ranks among Indiana's best hitters of all-time in school history.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have optioned reliever Danny Moskos to Triple-A Indianapolis. The team will activate reliever Joe Beimel for Friday's game.
Clint Hurdle on Sunday hinted at Steve Pearce being the next player to return after Joe Beimel. He is on track for a return fairly soon.
Pearce will begin his rehab with Triple-A Indy, the Pirates announced today.
Ross Ohlendorf's whose pretty much had a lost season, begins his rehab tonight with Bradenton.


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Cooper's lawyer said she would carry the shame of what she did for the rest of her life. Picture: Ben Lack
Teenager on phone before crashing car into a brick wall
10th Aug 2018 2:59 AM | Updated: 11th Aug 2018 3:35 AM
A LEARNER driver had a devastating head-on car crash while making a two-minute video phone call.
Danielle Cooper, 19, was so engrossed in her chat she hit a wall without braking or steering to avoid it, The Sun reports.
Her two passengers, who were not wearing seatbelts, suffered catastrophic injuries. The hairdresser had been glued to her mobile as she drove without her L plates.
Learner driver Danielle Cooper, 19, was sentenced to 18 months behind bars after causing the horror crash. Picture: Ben Lack
Cooper stalled at a petrol station and forgot to put on her lights while repeatedly calling and texting a man.
Her Facebook Messenger call to him lasted two minutes and 11 seconds before it was cut off when she smashed her Ford Ka into a wall on a bend.
Her half-sister, who was sitting in the back, suffered brain bleeding and fractures to her neck, spine, ribs and jaw.
She was in intensive care for 19 days and had to be resuscitated and have a tracheotomy.
A male passenger suffered multiple fractures.
Neither remember the crash that happened in North Lincolnshire in the UK in August last year, Grimsby crown court heard.
Judge David Tremberg said Cooper had been "continuously distracted" by her phone.
He added: "If there was a driver who ought to have been paying full attention to their driving, it was you.
"It's a matter of pure chance you didn't kill somebody."
David Godfrey, mitigating, said the 19-year-old would carry the shame for the rest of her life.
Cooper, of Epworth, North Lincolnshire, was sent to a young offenders' institution for 18 months.
She was banned from driving for three years and nine months.
This story was originally published on The Sun and is republished with permission.
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Unraveling Pop Culture One Thread at a Time
More of a Comment Really
Hall of Faces
Matt Cipolla February 2, 2019 Festivals, Sundance 2019
Sundance 2/1 Dispatch: The Great Hack, Jawline, The Report, Greener Grass
The Great Hack | courtesy of Sundance Institute
Remember yesterday when I had prayed that the spirit of Robert Redford would forgive me for only seeing two movies on Thursday? Well, I saw four movies on Friday.
That's two documentaries, two scripted features, oodles of discomfort, and the best hit-to-miss ratio of thus festival thus far. I'll count that as a success.
First up was Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim's The Great Hack, a sprawling 139-minute documentary concering the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Throughout 2016 through up to now, Alexander Nix's shady organization was responsible with using people's data histories to feed personalized media to dozens of millions of people. Nix exploited apathy and preconceived notions in order to manipulate news circulation for some and suppress others' inclination to vote. But it was Facebook that played into Nix's agenda the most, breaching their own terms of service for the sake of contracted work. As such, the film instead focuses on Brittany Kaiser, a former Cambridge employee-turned-whistleblower who assisted the Obamas and Trumps alike all for the sake of a job.
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When we first meet her, she's lounging in a pool in Thailand. She's lavished, privileged, and maybe a little gaudy. Then we see the intelligence beneath the bravado and the bravado beneath the bereavement, all stemming from economic disillusionment. And then it clicks: The Great Hack isn't necessarily an examination of Cambridge Analytica and how it exploited us. It's about once-normal people who are corrupted by the greater evil.
The intentions are clear even if its moral alchemy doesn't always work. Amer and Noujaim have crafted a feature with surprisingly little bipartisan politics, and while this may seem like an excuse to ride the fence, the film does job work at juggling its own viewpoints with a sympathy for those corrupted by the greater evil. It's an astute picture for a while—that is, until it gets tangled in its own rhetoric. The movie eventually feels a need to tick off some boxes without saying much. (The last 15 minutes suddenly ape on Robert Mueller as if to say, "Wait, we didn't mention him yet? Here you go!") There's also an underlying sense of telling instead of showing, which is somewhat frustrating in the context of The Great Hack's fittingly glitchy aesthetic.
Jawline | courtesy of Sundance Institute
And with the almost technophobic bent to Amer and Noujaim's film, it was kind of serendipitous to follow it up with Jawline, Liza Mandelup's glimpse into the life of online influencers and the tenuousness of their careers. The documentary focuses on Austyn Tester, a 16-year-old from a low-income Tennessee household who gains fame through YouNow and Instagram. (Well, enough fame to equal 20,000 followers and a few throngs of screaming teen girls.)
He and his friends always look like they just came from a Magcon panel—the kind of boyish good looks that feel more like satire than reality. They even have a manager in the form of the not-much-older-than-them Michael Weist (yes, the guy behind the TanaCon fiasco). Michael, as it happens, seems to be the only one with a sense of practicality, but in what might be her most provocative decision, Mandelup makes no effort to contextualize anyone's lives aside from Austyn's. He might as well be the only person in a universe of archetypes. He's a boy that just wants to make others feel better, yet what good is that if he's always performing for himself?
It may be cringingly funny at times, but Jawline transcends easy schadenfreude. It's a chalky ethnography. The faces are pale and the environments swim in gentle pastels. The music, like the lost warmth of its subject, feels like a soap bubble that freezes over once it hits the air. And despite this, Mandelup never gets cynical or frames Austyn as a disillusioned shrew. He's a product of the human condition stuck in an alien culture. His sentiments are as universal as they are impractical—as probable as they are preposterous.
So does that make Austyn something of a tragedy? That would depend on how you look at it, but Mandelup's film explores a place where very little exists on either end of a good/bad spectrum. It's a bitterly unspectacular center of a much shinier world, and that's exactly the point.
Adam Driver in The Report | courtesy of Sundance Institute
Yet while this sort of paleness was intentional in Jawline, it isn't totally the case in Scott Z. Burns's The Report, which, despite its several positives, fell frustratingly short for me. It tells the true story of Daniel Jones (Adam Driver), a United States Senate employee who spearheaded an almost-7,000-page account on the CIA's torture methods following the September 11 attacks. He doesn't seem to do anything else with his time, really—he just works on this report. No family, no friends, no other ambitions, nothing. And this goes for everyone else, too, including his boss Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening) and a personification of what he finds reprehensible, shown here through Denis McDonough (Jon Hamm).
On one hand, I appreciate how journalistic Burns's film is. This is a largely no-nonsense film that aims to have the heft of a rainforest worth of paper, and Burns—whose regular collaborations with Steven Soderbergh seem to have rubbed off on him—stages and films most scenes as if they take place in the dungeons of America itself. It's instead up to Driver to give the film its central humanity and he does so like a tepid man who's trying to hide his aw-shucks qualities, and as for Bening? Well, she could torture someone just by shooting a glare. Burns's script lacks such fire. Its first half is outright erratic in its pacing and structure, and when the film gets to its meat in the second hour, the ethics often feel too pedantic or too isolated from what they decry.
It's really quite difficult to keep up with. The movie jumps back and forth throughout the aughts without much rhythm before skipping across the first half of the 2010s in the second hour. There's no adequate reason to begin in medias res let alone go so non-chronological. The characters are frustratingly afar as a result, but the most disappointing byproduct is how the movie simplifies its conflict. There's a truly fascinating battle between the brawny CIA and the brainy Senate, something that speaks to the disconnect within our government and how that affects the citizens. The execution is too black-and-white, and what could have been a look at utilitarian ethics feels… ordinary.
Beck Bennett and Jocelyn DeBoer appear in Greener Grass by Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe, an official selection of the Midnight program at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Lowell Mayer
At least the last movie of the day wasn't ordinary. Greener Grass, written and directed by Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe from a 2015 short film, stars the creative pair as Jill and Lisa, two soccer moms living in bizarro suburbia. All the adults have braces on their top teeth. Every couple coordinates their outfits as if they're chomping at the bit for a weird family photo. They all drive golf carts instead cars, and there's also a murderer on the loose, and there's a backyard pool with mystical powers, and there are more than a few cutaway gags that feel like deleted scenes from Satan's favorite childhood sitcom. So just where the hell are we? Somewhere between Lanthimos, Lynch, Waters, and Tim & Eric, it would seem. Yes, this movie is weird. Just go with it.
This is some stunningly stilted comedy in the vein of Adult Swim, and while it doesn't come close to warranting its 101-minute runtime, the attention to detail here is too strong to dismiss. There's always something in the background, always a new gag that seems to have fallen out of Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker's drawer. It even has a beautiful symbiosis of costume design and cinematography that, when combined with the soft '80s lighting, lets characters radiate the seething pastels they bury themselves in. That said, part of me laments how repetitive Greener Grass can feel in its last 50 minutes when compared to its oven-fresh first half. It's too long regardless of absurdity. But it's also a breath of fresh air, and I'd be damned if I said it wasn't fun.
Matt Cipolla
Film Editor at The Spool
Writer and film critic for hire who has worked with WGN Radio, Bright Wall/Dark Room, RogerEbert.com, The Film Stage, and more. Firmly believes that ".gif" is pronounced "jiff."
Latest posts by Matt Cipolla (see all)
The Top 25 Films of 2020 - December 15, 2020
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December's Filmmaker of the Month: David Fincher - December 3, 2020
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Posted in Festivals, Sundance 2019 and tagged 2019, adam driver, annette bening, austyn tester, cambridge analytica, comedy, dawn luebbe, documentary, drama, festival, film, hacking, independent, instagram, jehane noujaim, jocelyn deboer, jon hamm, karim amer, liza mandelup, movie, political, scott z burns, sundance. Bookmark the permalink.
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The Lions of Little Rock: A Review
Congratulations to Joyce Hostetter who won LONGBOW GIRL from last week's blog. I had promised you would hear the results of Sydney Kirsch's NaNoWriMo experience. But in typical "I-want-it-to-be-better" mode, Sydney wasn't quite satisfied with her guest post and is continuing to tweak it. Stay tuned, you'll read it soon!
As many of you know, when you're pitching your manuscript to an agent or editor, you're supposed to find comp titles you can compare your work to. Although I read a lot of young adult and middle grade historical fiction, I hadn't found a comp title for Half-Truths.
Until I read The Lions of Little Rock (Penguin, 2012) by Kristin Levine and found these similarities:
A friendship between a white girl and a black girl in a time and place when it was unacceptable.
A story that takes place on the eve of civil rights.
A story in which the black girl is light-skinned and passes.
A story of courage and change.
Of course there are significant differences. The Lions of Little Rock takes place eight years after Half-Truths is set in 1950. Those were eight years when a lot happened in the battle for civil rights. In the historic Brown case in 1954, the Court unanimously ruled that "separate but equal" public schools for blacks and whites were unconstitutional. Practices didn't change immediately. But in 1957, amidst physical and verbal abuse, nine black students integrated schools in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The year afterwards, both black and white schools were closed as Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus attempted to prevent integration. The Lions of Little Rock is a fictionalized account of that year.
Here are some scenes I particularly appreciated.
Marlee, a quiet girl who loves math and has a hard time speaking to anyone besides her family, becomes friends with Liz. Her new friend is light-skinned and Marlee doesn't realize she's a Negro until Liz doesn't come to school one day and the other students reveal her race.
After school, Marlee asks Betty Jean, their cook:
"Have you ever heard of a light-skinned Negro pretending to be white?"
Betty Jean stopped what she was doing, her hands full of chicken guts, and gave me a funny look. "Why are you asking that, Marlee?"
The kids at schools said...this girl I know... I was just wondering...I couldn't get any words to come. Finally, I just stood there, helpless, praying Betty Jean would understand.
I guess she did, because she finally pushed the basting pan aside and went to the sink to wash her hands. She cut two pieces of blueberry pie, then sat down at the table. I sat down too, and she pushed the pie across the table to me.
"It's called passing," she said. "Some Negroes who are really light-skinned and have straight hair try it."
"Why?" I asked.
"Better schooling. More opportunities." She shrugged. "Maybe they're just tired of being seen as second best."
I didn't say anything. It suddenly seemed like there was more gray around her temples than had been there just a moment before.
"It's a hard life," Betty Jean went on. "You have to give up seeing family and friends. Stop going the places you used to go. And you have to lie--every day--to everyone you meet."
Like Liz had done to me.
"Lying like that, well, it's exhausting. I hope you never have a secret like that Marlee. A secret so big, your whole life depends on it." (p. 68)
For the first time, Marlee begins to see the hatred and prejudice in her city. Marlee's sister, who has been out of school for a month because her school can't open, gets sent away to live with their Grandmother. At a time when she's just beginning to speak what's on her mind, Marlee feels abandoned by her sister and Liz. When her father is angered that the town votes against integration he says, "We are not just a town of racists, but those of us who believe in integration..." He shook his head. "We can't seem to find our voice." (p. 75)
Despite their parents' warnings for them not to see each other, the girls find secret meeting places. Marlee initiates these meetings because of her genuine affection for Liz and the reader senses that in the process, Marlee is learning, growing, and gaining her voice.
When Liz can't meet her one day because she has to take her little brother to the movies, Marlee has to make a choice.
I knew the Gem was over on West Ninth Street. If I could go to a Negro church, why not a Negro movie theater? I turned the idea over and over in my mind, like a lemon drop on my tongue. I imagined being the only white girl in a room full of Negroes and shivered. It was a little scary. But Liz had been the only colored girl in a whole school full of white kids. Negroes might not be welcome at the white theater, but I didn't think there was a rule against whites going to the Negro theater. If she could do it, so could I. (p. 106)
As Marlee grows in empathy for Liz, she also realizes she's changing. "For so long I'd been the quiet girl. If I wasn't her anymore, who was I?" (p. 113) Marlee also begins to see that what has worked for her (doing math problems in her head when she's upset) isn't going to work for Liz who loves words more than numbers. A part of Marlee's growth is helping Liz figure out a way to control her temper by writing things down. Seeing how her friend is different than her, takes Marlee beyond their racial differences.
When of my favorite parts is close to the end of the book. The school board members which blocked integration were voted off the board, paving the way for new members and school integration. But Marlee is still upset at school the next day. This is a scene with her Algebra teacher, Mr. Harding. (Who by the way, is an important secondary character.)
"I'm happy we won," I said. "So how come I don't feel better?"
He looked thoughtful and said nothing for a long moment, then he pulled out a pencil and started to write on the blank piece of paper I had before me. "I think what's happened, Marlee, is that you've realized the world isn't an addition problem."
He wrote 3 + 4 = 7 down on the paper. "We tell kids that sometimes. We pretend the world is straightforward, simple, easy. You do this, you get that. You're a good person and try your best, and nothing bad will happen."
"But the truth is, the world is much more like an algebraic equation. With variables and changes, complicated and messy. Sometimes there's more than one answer, and sometimes there is none. Sometimes we don't even know how to solve the problem." (p.270)
I wish I could say that the book ends with a beautiful tying-up-all-the-pieces between Marlee and Liz. But because of circumstances beyond their control, it doesn't. Like Mr. Harding's lesson, books don't always come out the way we want them to. But it is a realistic, hopeful ending that shows how much Marlee has grown. And there is hope for the future--which is vital when writing a book for young people.
Although the two main characters are girls, boys play significant roles in the book. I hope that teachers in upper elementary and middle school use The Lions of Little Rock when they teach civil rights; it will make this time period come alive.
Labels: 1954, Arkansas, book for middle grade girls and boys, Brown v. Board of Education, bullying, classroom book, comp title, Half-Truths, historical fiction, integration, Kristen Levine, segregation
What a lovely review! Thanks so much - I'm honored.
I'm sure this was especially intriguing to you, Carol, as you begin to think about sending your book out. I'll look forward to reading it along with yours soon!
Sounds like a great story and good comparable for what you're writing. Thanks for sharing.
Kristen, it is a terrific book. And LInda & TOny-- you would both enjoy it!
Connie Porter Saunders said...
This sounds like a wonderful book. Thanks for your great review.
You are welcome, Connie. I hope you read it. It's terrific!
I have heard about this book and have it on my TBR list. I hope I can get to it soon. Your very thorough review reminded me to get it moved up my list. Thanks for the post.
I'm glad that you found a great book to compare with Half-Truths. I know that was a great feeling.
Another great review and a book I know I would enjoy! Thanks!
Thanks, friends, for your comments. Lions is a great book and Rosi, I'm glad you're going to read it! Yes, Joan. It was exciting to realize I found a comp book!
Carol, thank you for this wonderful review and introducing me to THE LIONS OF LITTLE ROCK. I do lean toward books with realistic yet hopeful endings. It should definitely be used in schools. And I agree with Linda, someday soon HALF TRUTHS can be added to the list too. :)
Wow, Carol. Excellent review! I'll be sure to read it. In the meantime, I remember that time period and the ugliness of school closings. Prince William County, Virginia, closed all schools in protest and then used the tax money to fund a private all white academy for 10 years. I remember being amazed and dumbfounded when I read about that in the Washington Post. Thanks for sharing. Sarah
Thanks Sarah and Kathleen. Sarah, you have your own book there! And Kathleen, I appreciate your support--as always. Plugging away!
Cat Michaels said...
Thanks for introducing me to Lions, Carol. Growing up in a small northeastern city, I was blisffully unaware of struggles in the segregated south. Hiwever, the book contains messages that ring true across geographies even today.
Same here, Cat. I learned a TON more after moving south. Thanks for commenting!
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