Remote sensing is defined as the science of obtaining and interpreting information from a distance, using sensors that are not in physical contact with the object being observed. Animals (including people) use remote sensing via a variety of body components to obtain information about their environment. The eyes detect electromagnetic energy in the form of visible light. The ears detect acoustic (sound) energy, and the nose contains sensitive chemical receptors that respond to minute amounts of airborne chemicals given off by the materials in our surroundings. Some research suggests migrating birds can sense variations in the earth's magnetic field, which helps explain their remarkable navigational ability.
At its broadest, the science of remote sensing includes aerial, satellite, and spacecraft observations of the surfaces and atmospheres of the planets in our solar system, although the earth is obviously the most frequent target of study. The term remote sensing is customarily restricted to methods that detect and measure electromagnetic energy, including visible light, which has interacted with surface materials and the atmosphere.
Remote sensing of the earth is used for many purposes, including the production and updating of planimetric maps, weather forecasting, and gathering military intelligence. The focus in this chapter is on remote sensing of agriculture and the associated environment and resources of the earth's surface. It explores the physical concepts that underlie the acquisition and interpretation of remotely sensed images, the characteristics of images from different types of sensors, and common methods of processing images to enhance their information content. For additional information on remote sensing refer to <http://www.microimages.com> for a useful tutorial on remote sensing of the environment.
ble light includes the entire range of colors seen in a rainbow, a cruder subdivision into blue, green, and red wavelength regions is sufficient in many remote-sensing studies. Other substantial fractions of incoming solar energy are in the form of invisible ultraviolet and infrared radiation. Only tiny amounts of solar radiation extend into the microwave region of the spectrum. Imaging radar systems that are used in remote sensing generate and broadcast microwaves, then measure the portion of the signal that has returned to the sensor from the earth's surface. The nature and laws of the electromagnetic spectrum are discussed in Chapter 2.
The sensors in remote-sensing systems measure electromagnetic radiation (EMR) that has interacted with the earth's surface. Interactions with matter can change the direction, intensity, wavelength content, and polarization of EMR. The nature of these changes is dependent on the chemical makeup and physical structure of the material exposed to the EMR. Changes in EMR resulting from its interactions with the earth's surface therefore provide major clues to the characteristics of the surface materials. EMR that is transmitted passes through a material (or through the boundary between two materials). Materials can also absorb EMR. Usually absorption is wavelength specific: that is, more energy is absorbed at some wavelengths than at others. EMR that is absorbed is transformed into heat energy, which raises the material's temperature. Some of that heat energy may then be emitted as EMR at a wavelength dependent on the material's temperature. The lower the temperature, the longer the wavelength of the emitted radiation. As a result of solar heating, the earth's surface emits energy in the form of longer-wavelength infrared radiation. For this reason, the portion of the infrared spectrum with wavelengths greater than 3 (am is commonly called the thermal infrared region. EMR encountering a boundary such as the earth's surface can also be reflected. If the surface is smooth at a scale comparable to the wavelength of the incident energy, specular reflection occurs in which most of the energy is reflected in a single direction, at an angle equal to the angle of incidence. Rougher surfaces cause scattering, or diffuse reflection, in all directions (Figure 7.2).
To understand how different interaction processes impact the acquisition of aerial and satellite images, let us analyze the reflected solar radiation that is measured at a satellite sensor. As sunlight initially enters the atmosphere, it encounters gas molecules, suspended dust particles, and aerosols. These materials scatter a portion of the incoming radiation in all directions, with shorter wavelengths experiencing the strongest effect. An example is the preferential scattering of blue light in comparison to green and red light, which accounts for the blue color of the daytime sky. Clouds appear opaque because of intense scattering of visible light by tiny water droplets. Although most of the remaining light is transmitted to the surface, some atmospheric gases are very effective at absorbing particular wavelengths. The absorption of dangerous ultraviolet radiation by ozone is a well-known example.
As a result of these effects, the illumination reaching the surface is a combination of highly filtered solar radiation transmitted directly to the ground and more diffuse light scattered from all parts of the sky, which helps illuminate shadowed areas. As this modified solar radiation reaches the ground, it may encounter soil, rock surfaces, vegetation, or other materials that absorb, transmit, and reflect the radiation. The amount of energy absorbed, transmitted, and reflected varies in wavelength for each material in a characteristic way, creating a spectral signature. The selective reflectance of different wavelengths of visible light determines what we perceive as a material's color. Most of the radiation not absorbed is diffusely reflected (scattered) back up into the atmosphere, some of it in the direction of the satellite. This upwelling radiation undergoes a further round of scattering and absorption as it passes through the atmosphere before finally being detected and measured by the sensor. If the sensor is capable of detecting thermal infrared radiation, it will also pick up radiation emitted by surface objects as a result of solar heating.
Scattering and absorption of EMR by the atmosphere have significant effects that impact sensor design as well as the processing and interpretation of images. When the concentration of scattering agents is high, scattering produces the visual effect we call haze. Haze increases the overall brightness of a scene and reduces the contrast between different ground materials. A hazy atmosphere scatters some light upward, so a portion of the radiation recorded by a remote sensor, called path radiance, is the result of this scattering process. Because the amount of scattering varies with wavelength, so does the contribution of path radiance to remotely sensed images. The path radiance effect is greatest for the shortest wavelengths, falling off rapidly with increasing wavelength. When images are captured over several wavelength ranges, the differential path radiance effect complicates comparison of brightness values at the different wavelengths. As detailed in Chapter 2, the atmospheric components that are effective absorbers of solar radiation are water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozone. Each of these gases tends to ab sorb energy in specific wavelength ranges. Some wavelengths are almost completely absorbed (Figure 7.3). Consequently, most broadband remote sensors have been designed to detect radiation in the "atmospheric windows," those wavelength ranges for which absorption is minimal and, conversely, transmission is high.
Why broadband sensors have been desiegned to detect radiation in the atmospheric window?


Having closed the previous EUR:AUD swing short for a quick profit the time has come to take another look whilst price continues to struggle against Daily resistance.
The MACD negative divergence has now confirmed itself and price breaks above the 1.4270 level appear to attract selling pressure. I was so close to entering short last night but at that time price was above 1.4270 and looking lively so the decision was made to wait until today. Price did drift lower overnight and my entry wasn't at the best possible levels but it turned out to be good enough.
The trade was opened with a 200 point stop loss well above the existing high and I'm yet to lower this following today's fairly low volume price action. The main sell off that occurred today was following signals given by the ECB that it would continue to loosen monetary policy, which is quite the opposite to signals given by the FED in the U.S.
Although at 200 points the risk on this trade isn't small, I believe the potential reward from a sell off to the mid level of the 2 Year trading range at 1.29 makes this a trade well worth taking the risk for. Although if you know me you'll know I'll probably close the trade well before such levels are seen!
Closed half of this EUR:AUD swing short at 1.3916 which is the 23.6% fib level for a profit of 321 pips.
This is taken with the view a topping process will be a longer term affair and a re-entry of this portion of the trade at better levels should become available.
The 2nd half of the EUR AUD swing short was stopped out for a loss of -180 pips.
Based on the 321 points profit taken on the first half, this gives an aggregate overall profit of +141 points on the trade.


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About As People & Organization Development Transformer, I'm focused on brightening the people and organization power to achieve the overall business perspectives, and together with them, creating a culture that attracts and inspires the global passionate talent. I love working with all the people to transform coporate culture into a more diverse, inclusive environment where everyone can learn and thrive. I'm inspired every day by our people and the way they're changing the world. I strongly believe in people power because it is the ultimate power to change all things in the word to be the best and this is the purpose of my life.


text:
Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man is bitten, and subsequently cursed by, a werewolf.
Director: Joe Johnston
Stars: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt
Lawrence Talbot's childhood ended the night his mother died. His father sent him from the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor to an insane asylum, then he goes to America. When his brother's fiancée, Gwen Conliffe, tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns to his father's estate to learn that his brother's mauled body has been found. Reunited with his estranged father, Lawrence sets out to find his brother's killer... and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself. Someone or something with brute strength and insatiable blood lust has been killing the villagers, and a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline comes to investigate.
Writers: Andrew Kevin Walker, David Self
Simon Merrells - Ben Talbot
Gemma Whelan - Gwen's Maid
Emily Blunt - Gwen Conliffe
Benicio Del Toro - Lawrence Talbot
Mario Marin-Borquez - Young Lawrence
Asa Butterfield - Young Ben
Cristina Contes - Solana Talbot
Anthony Hopkins - Sir John Talbot
Art Malik - Singh
Malcolm Scates - Butcher
Nicholas Day - Colonel Montford
Michael Cronin - Dr. Lloyd
David Sterne - Kirk
David Schofield - Constable Nye
Roger Frost - Reverend Fisk
Taglines: The Legend Is Alive
Release Date: 12 February 2010
Filming Locations: Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
Budget: $150,000,000 (estimated)
Gross: $61,937,495 (USA) (28 March 2010)
Runtime: 103 min | 119 min (unrated director's cut)
This is the first film Joe Johnston has directed to be rated R.
Continuity: When Lawrence is back in the asylum, he is dunked in a large ice tank. When he's brought back to the surface, he has two chucks of ice on him that fall off leaving none, but when the scene cuts to him being raised and locked upright, suddenly there's a chunk of ice on his right arm.
Maleva: Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms, and the autumn moon is bright.
A Worthy Remake, Very Dark.
I saw "The Wolfman" in special screenings Sunday and to be truly honest, I didn't know what to expect. I saw the original 1941 version and I really liked it and it is a classic. I was afraid that the new remake would of been very tacky and that was my biggest concern. But I have to say after I watched this movie. I was very impressed. Benicio Del Toro (An Oscar Winner) portrays the role very well and believable. The cast is very well known with people such as Emily Blunt and the great Anthony Hopkins. They don't technically give "Oscar Worthy performances", but their acting certainly is very believable. The movie oozes mysteriousness and the very Dark mood of it makes it very enjoyable. But the movie has some flaws like the story is not original and has been portrayed at least a million times. Also there are "some" tacky parts in the movie, but they aren't very important at all. So my overall consensus about the "Wolfman" is that it is a worthy remake the 1941 classic and it will gain many new fans.
I highly recommend people to watch this movie, it is very entertaining and Dark.
Comment on "The Wolfman"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Description: The Serpent is a suitable Macrame project for older children, as well as beginners. There are only a few decorative knots used in the design, so it's easy to make.
This Macrame snake features a body make with a chain of knots that spiral, a flat head, and large eyes. Adding wiggle eyes to the beads makes him look really interesting.
Adults may need to participate, especially if the child is not familiar with the basic knots. Be sure to practice each knot before making the snake.
Please note that the Lanyard Knot is now named the Crown Knot. The images still say "Lanyard Knot".
Prepare the ends of the cords with tape.
Step 1: Locate the center of a 1.5-yard cord. Fold the second 1.5-yard cord in half, and use it to tie a Larks Head knot onto the first cord, placing it at the center.
The front of this Larks Head knot is the nose for the Serpent.
Step 2: Flip the knot upside down, and secure it. Arrange all four ends vertically, and mentally number them 1 - 4.
The working cords are 1 and 4, and the fillers are cords 2 and 3.
Tie one Square knot with the working cords.
Step 3: Fold a 6-yard cord in half. Place it under cords 1 and 2, and secure it.
The ends of this new cord are the working cords for the next Square Knot. The short cords (1 and 2) are the fillers.
The first working cord you move, which curves over the fillers, determines the knot's direction.
The knot in step 3 will face left, if you move the left working cord in front of the fillers for the first step.
The knot in step 4 will face right, if the right working cord is over the fillers for the first step.
Step 4: Fold another 6-yard cord in half. Place it under cords 3 and 4, and secure it.
Attach it as in the previous step, but make sure it's a right Square Knot.
Step 5: Here is a closer view of the two knots.
Mentally number the cords 1 - 8 as shown.
Left Eye: Pass cord 2 through the first bead, heading left to right. Pass cord 3 through as well, heading right to left.
Right Eye: Pass cord 6 through the second bead, heading left to right. Cord 7 goes through the hole right to left.
Step 6: Mentally re-number the cords, so the four in the center are 3 - 6.
Cords 1 and 2 are on the left, and cords 7 - 8 are on the right.
Tie a left Square Knot with cord 3 - 6. It should rest between the two eyes.
Tie a left Square Knot with cords 1 - 4, and a right SK with cords 5 - 8.
Tighten the knots firmly so the eyes bulge upward slightly.
Step 7: Tie a left Square Knot with cords 3 - 6.
In the next row tie a left Square Knot with 1 - 4, and a right SK with cords 5 - 8.
For the final row, tie a left SK with cords 3 - 6.
Step 8: Flip the head of the Serpent upside down and secure it to your board in two places, so it's stable. Separate the short and long cords.
Using only the four short cords, tie 3 Square Knots to make the lower jaw. The working cords are 1 and 4.
Use two short cords to tie an Overhand knot, so it rests against the three knots you just tied (at the tip of the jaw). Apply glue just before tightening the knot, so it's on the inside of the knot.
Do the same with the other two cords.
Trim the ends to 3 inches. Do not cut them off completely.
Step 9: To finish the head of the Serpent, flip the design back to how it was originally (face up).
Add two 5-yard cords to the four long cords that are left, using the same technique as in steps 3 and 4.
Arrange the head of the Serpent as shown.
Pull on the segment at the end of the nose, which is the Larks Head knot you tied in step 1.
Make it as large as possible.
Pass the 4 cords in the lower jaw (made in step 8) through the loop from the bottom up.
Make sure the Overhand knots pass through the loop.
Weave the ends through spaces in the head, so they rest along the bottom of the upper jaw. Apply glue.
Step 1: Organize the long cords into four sets of two.
Bundle each set to make them easier to work with.
Step 2: Make a series of Crown knots, following the instructions below.
Stop when the sennit measures 10 inches.
The images below show a Crown knot made with only two cords (one cord per segment). The knots you will make have 2 cords per segment (working together).
The cords will be coming off the head rather than secured in the center, but the process is the same.
Make sure the cords are arranged neatly after you fold each segment. Mentally number the segments A - D, beginning on the lower left.
It helps if you place the head of the Serpent between your knees to work on the body.
Move the two cords in segment A to the right, so they rest on top of segment B.
Make sure you leave a space for the fourth set of cords to pass through.
Fold the two cords in segment B towards the back of your board (backward).
Position them on top of segment C.
Fold the two cords in segment C to the left.
Place them on top of segment D.
Fold the two cords in segment D towards you (forward).
Pass them through the space made by segment A where it folds, over - under.
Pull all four segments gradually to tighten the knot.
Step 3: To coil the body, curve it towards the head and neck of the Serpent. Pass two ends through a space at the neck.
This step is optional- You can leave the body straight if you wish.
Important: When you resume tying the Crown knots, start with the two cords you passed through the space at the neck.
Step 4: Continue to tie Crown knots for at least 10 more inches.
To make sure you have enough material to finish, stop when the shortest cords are around 12 inches.
Step 5: Pass one cord through a space in the first 10-inch sennit (if you are coiling the body).
Tie one more Crown knot.
Hold the Serpent between your knees for the next step.
Step 6: Bundle the four shortest cords, and twist them together. You may need someone to help hold them upright.
Tie 5 more Crown knots with the four remaining cords. One cord should pass behind the bundle, so the knot surrounds the four twisted cords.
Step 7: Find the longest cord and wrap it around all the others 4 times. Finish with a Half Hitch. Before tightening, apply glue to the inside of the knot.
Select another cord and tie a Half Hitch around all the others (including the one just used). Apply glue to the inside. When it's dry, cut off the extra material.
Step 8: Apply glue to the wiggle eyes and attach them to the beads, completing the Serpent.
Have any comments about the Serpent? Contact Me.


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In working with individuals, I use my many years of educational training and clinical experience over the past three decades to combine various approaches from the field of depth psychotherapy to develop a deeper understanding of the unique challenges that you are faced with and to address these challenges more deeply to arrive at effective change and transformation.
While using a similar approach in working with couples, I try to maintain a neutral and non-judgmental approach and utilize various techniques in couples therapy to facilitate a deeper understanding between the couple, support each person in identifying, honoring and expressing their needs, discover unsuccessful patterns of relating which lead to conflicts ands teach and improve communication skills. Furthermore, I try to support the couple in determining ways in which they can find fulfillment in their relationship as they come to understand and define their own unique values in their relationship.
There are many types of counseling and the type of counseling that you receive heavily depends on the level of the educational training and clinical experience of the counselor or therapist whom you work with. For example, doctoral level counselors have more educational training than master's level counselors. In general, counseling involves a therapeutic approach towards emotional and psychological problems with a focus on problem solving and supportive emotional work. Depending on their level of education and training, different counselors use different techniques which impacts the focus and the depth of the work that can be achieved, as well as the amount of insight and consciousness that can be gained through the counseling work.
Depending on their level of education and extent of training, various psychotherapists define and approach psychotherapy differently. Some therapists use the words counseling and psychotherapy interchangeably. While this issue is controversial and is debated in the field, psychotherapy can involve deeper psychological approaches and techniques. In general, psychotherapy involves the use of one or more psychotherapeutic approaches, and can involve working with the unconscious as well as past family issues towards addressing various psychological and emotional problems. While providing emotional support, psychotherapy can help clients not only gain insight and consciousness about the problems which have brought them into therapy, but also obtain tools and learn ways to make necessary changes in their lives towards improvement and achievement of a more fulfilling life.
Depending on their educational level and training as well as years of clinical experience various depth-psychotherapists will define and approach depth-psychotherapy differently and there is a debate about this issue in the field. In general, in-depth psychotherapy is a more in-depth form of psychotherapy and it involves working with emotional and psychological issues at a deeper level in order to develop a better understanding of the roots of the particular emotional and psychological challenges that the client is confronted with. In-depth psychotherapy generally involves various approaches to working with both conscious and unconscious issues, it can involve an exploration of past family issues as well as present problems, dream work and other in-depth ways of working in order to develop a deeper understanding of oneself and to make long term effective inner change towards improvement and achievement of a more fulfilling life. Many people, even including some psychotherapists, do not know that the word psychotherapy itself comes from two words: psyche which means "soul", and therapy, which comes from the Greek word therapeuein, which means "to render service to". In essence, psychotherapy means rendering service to the soul. The more in-depth forms of psychotherapy, such as Jungian psychotherapy, can involve a deeper approach with a therapeutic attitude of supporting a client's individuation process to achieve a deeper understanding of themselves and develop a better balance between their conscious and unconscious aspects of their psyche in their process of individuation and achieving wholeness.


Greece Super league will see Xanthi take on Aris for round 15.
The hosts have been in dire form having failed to win any of their last six matches.
Aris on the other are not doing well with just three wins in their last 10 matches and have failed to win their last three .
Both sides are level on point in the standing after 14 rounds of play.
Three of the last four meeting have ended in stalemate with two of those going barren.


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Doctor Who review season finale: Death In Heaven and an ideological battleground
Doctor Who: Death in Heaven season finale — an ideological battleground.
Cybermen meet zombies in the second half of this A Matter of Life and Death nick in which our intrepid heroes hissy-fit around a lot.
There's so much that could have worked beautifully in this series. How can you have those great production values and Peter Capaldi on board and still make such a hash of it?
The problem, as always, is the script. The writers' caprice runs through the Doctor Who reboot like Nick Clegg's election promises. It's all Patrick Duffy in the Dallas shower, a dream, a mish-mash of half-remembered images and tropes, mis-threaded backstory lurches (a sudden retro-fit and Gallifrey exists, the Doctor's nemesis conveniently telling him where). Characters don't so much arc as teleport to whichever position the writers decide suits the script du jour.
Dream logic seems to have been employed to suit the writers rather than designed to delight the audience the way a modern Maya Deren or Bunuel (from whom the writers appear at times to be borrowing) might do while burrowing into the collective unconscious, taking the audience on a ride rather than taking us for a ride.
Russell T Davies' heavy reliance on undermotivated melodrama and shouty frenetics is still, after all this time, shrilling away like a dentist's drill. Clara is SO deeply in love and yet she wastes an irritating plot-blocking age verifying, like software gone wrong, that it really is Danny who's speaking to her from the afterlife. Everyone's so cross all the time, operating within their own little thunderous clouds of fury. Like late-night coke-fiends running out of Charlie, you half expect them to sniff and wipe their noses before running off in the Tardis to score more.
The producers set Missy (short for misogyny?) lurching around like a menopausal drunk, neurotic and malevolent because, deep down, she lurves the Doctor, really. Michelle Gomez brings her demented Mary Poppins amusingly to life thanks to a histrionic script and neck-breaking nods to Heath Ledger's Joker. Turns out Missy's spotted the dominatrix in Clara and the sub in the Time Lord and has expended a ton of energy keeping them together. Dunno why. It doesn't help the plot but skitters along the surface of better past-masters, nicking all the glittery bits.
The script dusts the cobwebs off old favourites — "Why are you doing this?" "I need you to know we're not so different" from a squillion denouments where, quelle surprise, the protagonist and antagonist are inwardly the same. Aw, and love conquers all, unless you're the season's Big Bad.
This may be Borg territory (poking that hoary old question: what makes us human?) but collective action is trumped by the one single Cyberman — Danny Pink — who loves more than anyone in the entire history of the human race, more than any of the dead who make up the army of Cybermen because some people are more SPESHUL. (If Danny is capable of redemption, then why none of the other Cybermen? If the Brigadier retains a vestige of humanity, then why can't the entire Cyberman race be redeemed and escape genocide?) It aims for the sublime moments in Buffy where the Slayer has to kill Angel gone bad, or finally gets to kiss Spike, but misses, barely achieving bathos. There's no underpinning of the emotions at a deeper level. For a series about a Time Lord, they do get the emotional timing spectacularly wrong.
Once again, the military and authority are fetishised and ideological markers slipped in under the bells and whistles. Danny's a former soldier who meant well but accidentally killed a boy when he was serving in the Middle East. He is the idealised self-sacrificing soldier who never gets to question what it was he killed for. In this narrative, it's not the politics or the premise for the war that's wrong — it's the fault of individual soldiers like Danny, whose conscience pays the price.
Lethbridge-Stewart falls from the Presidential flight and survives because, as it handily turns out at the end, another good Cyberman caught her, her Brigadier father. If favourite characters can be saved from death as easily as this, then nothing is at stake and any anxiety invested in the outcome is thereby diminished. A huge pic of her father dominating the President's plane provides another "hunh?" moment. A humble brigadier? Really? It would take a whole Clifton Suspension Bridge of disbelief to buy that. Not only another sloppy moment of disrespect for the audience, but also an unpleasant reinforcement of the principle of dynastic succession, hardwiring young viewers with ruling-class values of social and political hierarchy.
Hysteria is sloshed on— papering over the narrative canyons instead of generating authentic emotion and catharsis — and the resulting ambience is simply over-mannered and harsh, trite and sentimental.
Superficially inclusive, the narrative brings non-whites and LGBTs under the umbrella of existing power structures – on condition that they don't actually challenge those structures. Even the cheeky black schoolgirl is another version of the perky, privileged white Clara. Prepare to be assimilated!
The BBC has calibrated its culture to the norms of business and the military, with more armed forces personnel featuring as protagonists in its drama and documentaries over the past few years than I can remember, while the space to challenge the mainstream political narrative has shrunk to almost nothing. Imposing a reading of the world at odds with people's experience, BBC output not only leaves capitalism and the status quo unquestioned, it's actually reinforced. All those celebrity chefs, big swinging business dicks and talent judges constantly putting you in your place in the New Order, clipping your wings, accustoming you to taking orders. They're even enlisting Santa, as dreamt up by the Coca-Cola corporation, for the Christmas special. They'd better subvert this one!
Doctor Who was always a bastion of establishment values when it was created just as the Sixties began to swing, but there was something innocent about it, and you could filter out the stories from the residual politics. However, our beloved creation now sneakily puts a new generation back in the box marked pleb. Respect hierarchy, genuflect before authority, fall in with militarism under the delusion that you have value as an individual. Forget the proud heritage of the post-war era where the mass of the population enjoyed an unprecedented confidence born of an increasingly (if far from perfect) egalitarian society. Science fiction fans of the world unite - you have nothing to lose but your gains.
Review of Deep Breath, the season opener.
Labels: Death In Heaven, Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi, science fiction, television
Nastyoff said...
Well done, Ms. Chen! Have been enjoying the current season of DW but have been wondering at some bits that appeared a twinkle 'off' (and I regret to say I have watched the series since just before the departure of Will Hartnell). You may have put your fist on it! Will have to go back and watch the season again, but... yeah. Could just be. Thanks for the post.
The Slug said...
Just to warn you that your Doctor Who post is getting slagged off on Reddit right now:
http://www.reddit.com/r/doctorwho/comments/2mdj8l/doctor_who_review_season_finale_death_in_heaven/
It's almost as if they just want to shout your argument down without engaging with it. Just fancy that!
Then again, that's the Nu Who faithful for you; every episode is the best ever and it's heresy to say otherwise. In many ways Doctor Who is a far more conservative program than it used to be, and this shows up both in the show and the fandom.
Thanks, The Slug. Let a hundred flowers bloom and may intelligent debate thrive.
Cheers, Nastyoff. William Hartnell and John Pertwee looked like the archetypal Doctors to me. Capaldi should have been awesome.
Well, Capaldi may yet be awesome. I often feel bad that Christopher Eccleston was only the Doc for one season; he had a sort of working class attitude that I thought Russell Davies could have done something interesting with, given time. Capaldi, thanks to his marvelous Scottish burr, may be better utilized in Season 35, per, 9. Also a bit sorry to hear from Mr. Slug that your post is getting dissed on Reddit. Come over here and make your views known, I'd say. Are you expected to go over there? Thanks for the reply, by the way.
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Trust is fast becoming the most important factor for the modern-day consumer. Developing a transparent data strategy, being clear on digital rights, and remaining GDPR compliant are essential for today's businesses.


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Oliver William Hargreaves Leese (ur. 27 października 1894 w Londynie, zm. 22 stycznia 1978 w Llanrhaeadr w Walii) – brytyjski dowódca wojskowy, generał porucznik British Army, żołnierz obu wojen światowych.

Wczesne życie i I wojna światowa
Urodził się 27 października 1894 r. w londyńskiej dzielnicy Westminster, jako pierwsze z czworga dzieci Williama Hargreavesa Leese (później 2. baroneta), z zawodu adwokata, i Violety Mary Sandeman. Kształcił się w Wokingham i Eton. W 1909 r. wstąpił do Korpusu Szkolenia Oficerów.

Na początku I wojny światowej wstąpił do armii brytyjskiej i został umieszczony w Specjalnej Rezerwie Oficerów jako podporucznik Pułku Gwardii Coldstream 15 września 1914 r., a później w rezerwie wojsk lądowych 15 maja 1915 r. Pomimo odbycia zaledwie pięciu tygodni szkolenia, Leese został wysłany do Francji w połowie października 1914 r. i przydzielony do 3. batalionu Pułku Gwardii Coldstream, części 4 Brygady Gwardii 2 Dywizji Piechoty, niedaleko Ypres w Belgii. Jednak 20 października, na tydzień przed swoimi 20. urodzinami odniósł pierwszą z trzech wojennych ran, po tym, jak został trafiony odłamkami pocisku w plecy.

Wrócił do Anglii na leczenie, a w 1915 r. wyjechał znowu do Francji, służąc tym razem z 2. batalionem Pułku Gwardii Coldstream, z którym większą część roku przeżył w okopach i otrzymał drugą ranę, tym razem na twarzy, ale pozostał w czynnej służbie. We wrześniu jego batalion, teraz przeniesiony do 1 Brygady nowo utworzonej Dywizji Gwardii, walczył w bitwie pod Loos, a 3 października Leese awansował na porucznika. Następne kilka miesięcy spędził w okopach, bez większych starć.

Został ranny po raz trzeci podczas bitwy nad Sommą we wrześniu 1916 r., w której wspomniano go w wysyłkach i otrzymał Order Wybitnej Służby. Uzasadnienie nadania odznaczenia, opublikowane w listopadzie 1916 r., brzmiało:

Dwudziestolecie międzywojenne
Po wojnie pozostał w armii brytyjskiej, awansując na kapitana w 1921 r. i uczęszczając do Staff College w Camberley od 1927 do 1928 r. Wśród jego wielu kolegów z roku było wielu przyszłych generałów, takich jak Robert Bridgeman, Eric Hayes, Angus Collier, Evelyn Barker, Philip Christison, Ronald Penney, Stephen Irwin, Eric Dorman-Smith, Reginald Savory, William Bishop, John Whiteley, George Surtees, Wilfred Lloyd, Stanley Kirby, John Hawkesworth, Charles Norman, Colin Jardine, Edmund Beard, Clement West, Christopher Woolner, Alfred Curtis, Oliver Edgcumbe i Eric Nares. Po powrocie do batalionu po ukończeniu studiów, w listopadzie 1929 r. został mianowany dowódcą sztabu 1 Brygady Piechoty Gwardii, a kilka dni później został formalnie awansowany na majora. W lipcu 1933 r. awansował na brevet podpułkownika.

18 stycznia 1933 r. Leese poślubił wnuczkę Baldwyna Leightona, 8. Baroneta i córkę Cuthberta Leightona, Margaret Alice; nie mieli dzieci. Brat pani Leese był ostatnim z szeregu posiadaczy dóbr w Knutsford, które oddał po swojej śmierci w 1975 r. National Trust.

W latach 1932–1938 Leese odbył szereg podróży służbowych i został awansowany do stopnia podpułkownika w grudniu 1936 r., brevet pułkownika we wrześniu 1938 r. i pułkownika w październiku 1938 r. We wrześniu 1938 r. Został wysłany do Indii jako instruktor do Staff College w Kwecie. Udało mu się odziedziczyć tytuł baroneta po śmierci ojca 17 stycznia 1937 r..

II wojna światowa

Francja i Belgia
Powrócił do Indii z Indii w marcu 1940 r., sześć miesięcy po wybuchu wojny światowej. Planowano, że będzie dowodził brygadą w Norwegii, ale po inwazji armii niemieckiej na Europę Zachodnią w maju został wysłany do dowództwa gen. Lorda Gorta jako zastępca szefa sztabu Brytyjskich Sił Ekspedycyjnych. Ewakuował się z Dunkierki wraz z Gortem 31 maja.

Po powrocie do Wielkiej Brytanii otrzymał rozkaz utworzenia i wyszkolenia dużej grupy brygadowej, 29 Brygady Piechoty. W grudniu 1940 r. został mianowany pełniącym obowiązki generała dywizji i objął dowództwo nad hrabstwem West Sussex, w tym 29 Brygadą. Miesiąc później został przeniesiony, by zostać dowódcą  szkockiej 15 Dywizji Piechoty, a następnie stacjonować we wschodniej Anglii. Jego ranga została podniesiona do generała dywizji stanu wojny w listopadzie i zatwierdzona na stałe w grudniu. W czerwcu 1941 r. został powołany do nowo utworzonej Dywizji Pancernej Gwardii podczas jej formowania i szkolenia.

Afryka Północna i Sycylia

We wrześniu 1942 r. został wysłany na prośbę dowódcy brytyjskiej 8 Armii, gen. Bernarda Montgomery'ego do Afryki Północnej, aby objąć dowództwo, jako czynny generał porucznik, XXX Korpusu 8 Armii. Montgomery wyrobił sobie dobrą opinię o Leese'ie, gdy uczył go w Staff College w Camberley w 1927 i 1928 r., a także był pod wrażeniem jego pracy sztabowej we Francji. Leese dowodził XXX Korpusem do końca kampanii afrykańskiej, która zakończyła się kapitulacją wojsk Osi w maju 1943 r. w Tunezji. Został wymieniony w dypozycjach za swoje zasługi w Afryce Północnej. Następnie XXX Korpus brał udział w alianckiej inwazji na Sycylię w lipcu 1943 r., a po zakończonej w sierpniu kampanii na Sycylii powrócił do Wielkiej Brytanii, aby przygotować się do przyszłej inwazji na północno-zachodnią Europę, zaplanowanej na wiosnę 1944 r.. Leese został awansowany na tymczasowego generała porucznika we wrześniu.

Włochy
24 grudnia 1943 r. Leese otrzymał telegram nakazujący mu odejść z Włoch i zastąpić Montgomery'ego jako dowódca 8 Armii, ponieważ Montgomery miał wrócić do Wielkiej Brytanii w styczniu 1944 r., aby przygotować się do alianckiej inwazji na Normandię. Leese dowodził 8 Armią podczas czwartej i ostatniej bitwy o Monte Cassino w maju 1944 r., kiedy większość sił 8 Armii została potajemnie przeniesiona z wybrzeża Adriatyku w rejon Cassino, aby zadać wspólny cios z amerykańską 5 Armią pod dowództwem gen. Marka Clarka (z którym Leese nie lubił współpracować) i dla operacji Olive na linii Gotów w 1944 r. Jego stopień generała porucznika został zatwierdzony na stałe w lipcu 1944 r.

Birma i Daleki Wschód

We wrześniu 1944 r. został mianowany następcą George'a Giffarda na stanowisku dowódcy 11 Grupy Armii i objął dowództwo w listopadzie, kiedy ta grupa armii została przemianowana na Alianckie Siły Lądowe na Południowym Wschodzie Azji (ALFSEA). Leese został zastąpiony jako dowódca 8 Armii przez gen. Richarda McCreery'ego. Uznał istniejącą strukturę dowodzenia w Azji Południowo-Wschodniej za nieefektywną i zaczął mianować byłych członków swojego personelu 8 Armii. Metody obu sztabów różniły się, a nowicjusze byli oburzeni. Jak to wyraził gen. William Slim w swoich wspomnieniach:

Leese dowodził trzema grupami: Dowództwo Północnego Obszaru Walki z jego amerykańskim podwładnym, gen. Danem Sultanem, 14 Armia pod dowództwem gen. Williama Slima w środkowej Birmie i dalej na południe w Arakanie indyjski XV Korpus pod dowództwem gen. Philipa Christisona, jego kolegi z klasy w Staff College. Do końca roku prowadził udaną kampanię, która doprowadziła do zdobycia Rangunu przez desant morski pod kryptonimem operacja Dracula na początku maja 1945 r..

Slim przekształcił 14 Armię w skuteczną siłę militarną i dowodził bardzo udaną kampanią od przełomu pod Imhalem do odzyskania Rangunu i zniszczenia sił japońskich w Birmie. Leese uważał, że Slim był bardzo zmęczony (poprosił o urlop po zdobyciu Rangunu) i oświadczył najwyższemu dowódcy Azji Południowo-Wschodniej, Louisowi Mountbattenowi i szefowi Generalnego sztabu Imperialnego, marsz. Alanowi Brooke'owi, że powinien zostać zastąpiony przez Philipa Christisona, który miał doświadczenie w wojnie z wykorzystaniem amfibii i dlatego byłby odpowiedni do kierowania armią w planowanych desantach morskich na Malajach, pozostawiając Slimowi przejęcie nowej 12 Armii, z mniej wymagającym zadaniem zlikwidowania nieprzyjaciela w Birmie. Leese źle odczytał reakcje Brooke'a i Mountbattena, a następnie spotkał się ze Slimem, aby omówić propozycję i odszedł, wierząc, że Slim się na nie zgodził. W rzeczywistości Slim zareagował, informując swój personel, że został zwolniony i napisał do Leese'a oraz gen. Claude'a Auchinlecka, naczelnego wodza wojsk brytyjskich w Indiach, że odmówi przyjęcia nowego stanowiska i zrezygnuje z armii w proteście. Gdy te wiadomości rozeszły się w 14 Armii, grożono buntem i masowymi rezygnacjami oficerów. Leese był zmuszony przywrócić Slima, gdy Mountbatten odmówił mu wsparcia w tym sporze, mimo że zatwierdził jego pierwotne propozycje. Następnie Mountbatten zwrócił się do Alana Brooke'a (który zawsze wątpił w przydatność Leese'a do tej roli) i zgodzili się, że Leese powinien zostać usunięty. Jego następcą został Slim.

Powojenne losy
Żaden z bohaterów tego dramatu nie wypada dobrze z perspektywy czasu. Historyk Richard Mead w książce Churchil's Lions sugeruje, że Leese był naiwny, Slim wiecznie rozdrażniony, a Devbatten podstępny. Kariera Leese'a ucierpiała po tych wydarzeniach nieodwracalnie. Wrócił do Wielkiej Brytanii, aby objąć Dowództwo Wschodnie, co było znaczącą degradacją dla kogoś, kto był jednym z trzech dowódców grup armii w armii brytyjskiej. Uważa się, że jego awans na pełnego generała został zablokowany przez Mountbattena, przez co Leese odszedł z wojska w styczniu 1947 r. Na emeryturze został znanym ogrodnikiem, pisząc książki o kaktusach i prowadząc dobrze znany ogród w swoim domu, Lower Hall w Worfield w hrabstwie Shropshire. Chociaż był zapalonym krykiecistą, odniósł jedynie skromny sukces jako pałkarz w Eton XI w 1914 roku, ale w 1965 roku został honorowym prezesem Klubu Krykieta Marylebone Służył jako High Sheriff of Shropshire w 1958 r. Był gościem teleturnieju What's My Line? 10 kwietnia 1960 r. Po amputacji prawej nogi w 1973 r. przeprowadził się do Walii do domu o nazwie Dolwen w Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, niedaleko Oswestry. Zmarł tam w wyniku powikłań po zawale serca 22 stycznia 1978 r. w wieku 83 lat i został pochowany przy kościele parafialnym w Worfield.

Przypisy

Bibliografia

Brytyjscy generałowie
Uczestnicy I wojny światowej (Imperium brytyjskie)
Uczestnicy II wojny światowej
Odznaczeni Orderem Imperium Brytyjskiego
Odznaczeni Orderem Łaźni
Odznaczeni Orderem Wybitnej Służby
Odznaczeni Legią Zasługi
Odznaczeni Legią Honorową
Odznaczeni Krzyżem Wojennym (Francja)
Cudzoziemcy odznaczeni Krzyżem Srebrnym Orderu Virtuti Militari (władze RP na uchodźstwie)
Uczestnicy kampanii włoskiej 1943–1945
Urodzeni w 1894
Zmarli w 1978
Ludzie urodzeni w Londynie

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Digital video displays can now be connected to high definition multimedia interface devices using a DVI to HDMI conversion device. Since HDMI and DVI are both digital signals, there is no need to convert the digital signals to analog and then back to digital. They are relayed in uncompressed digital streams. All one needs to do is secure the connections of the device and it is ready to use since it works on simple plug and play functionality. Installation is simple and does not require complex procedures. The images that are finally displayed are crisp and clear and there is no loss of data. This device supports resolutions of 1080p, 2k and 1920 x 1200.
Available in two formats, the HDMI DVI converter can either be used to connect a DVI source to a HDMI display or it can be used to connect a DVI or HDMI source to the VGA display device. Whereas in the former model, there is no signal conversion from digital to analog, by using the latter model, one can convert the signals and show them on the VGA display devices. This is a key feature of this device as it can be used to connect the older televisions to PCs, or game consoles which work on the digital interface. Compliant with HDMI standards and equipped with agency approvals from FCC, CE and RoHS, this dvi-d to vga converter seamlessly integrates audio and video equipment with home theater devices.
Since this unit supports high bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP), it encrypts and protects digital video and audio signals transmitted between the source and display devices. This converter encodes digital audio on to the view signal for HDMI video and audio. The input selection is done via push buttons on the front panel. This unit is available in wall mountable versions as well and supports a video bandwidth of 350 MHz and an audio bandwidth of 50 MHz. Requiring an external power supply of 5V DC@2A, it consumes only five watts of power. The vga to dvi-d converts the vga signals to dvi-d signal.
Due to its functionalities, the DVI to HDMI conversion unit is used in educational institutions, corporate offices, government agencies in order to make presentations on high definitions display devices while keeping in mind the privacy of the content displayed.


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Q: using aws credentials manager for aws rds database I have a general question for the rds feature within aws credentials manager. When I get the secret, it looks like this:

Does this mean that these credentials directly will work or is the password encrypted? Like if I wanted to sign into my database with a connection what credentials do I use and do these credentials auto rotate with the cycling feature?

A: I assume you mean the RDSDataClient to access a database such as a Serverless Amazon Aurora instance.
To successfully connect to the database using the RdsDataClient object, you must setup an AWS Secrets Manager secret that is used for authentication. For information, see Rotate Amazon RDS database credentials automatically with AWS Secrets Manager.
To see an AWS tutorial that shows this concept and the corresponding code, see this example that uses the AWS SDK for Kotlin. You will need these values to make a successful connection:
  private val secretArnVal = "<Enter the secret manager ARN>"
  private val resourceArnVal =  "<Enter the database ARN>" ;

See the full example here:
Creating the Serverless Amazon Aurora item tracker application using the Kotlin RdsDataClient API
I just tested this again (been a while since it was developed), and it works perfectly.

We will port this example to use other supported programming languages too - like AWS SDK for Java.
UPDATE
You only need to use Secret Manager when using the RDSDataClient.  As mentioned in that tutorial, the RdsDataClient object is only supported for an Aurora Serverless DB cluster or an Aurora PostgreSQL. If you are using MySQL RDS, you cannot use the the RdsDataClient object. You would use a supported JDBC API.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Budget Amendments - SB30 (Member Request)
By Member » Item 186 #1s
Chief Patron: Reeves
UMW - Fund BSN Completion Program
University of Mary Washington FY2015 $150,000 FY2016 $200,000 GF
Page 165, line 8, strike "$64,102,458" and insert "$64,252,458".
(This amendment would provide $150,000 GF and 1.0 GF FTE in the first year and $200,000 GF and 2.0 GF FTE in the second year for a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) completion program at the University of Mary Washington (UMW). The program is intended to serve students who hold an RN and are graduates of two-year community college programs.)
Educational and General Programs (10000) $64,102,458 $64,139,427
Higher Education Instruction (100101) FY2015 $35,431,757 FY2016 $35,438,757
Higher Education Research (100102) FY2015 $418,561 FY2016 $418,561
Higher Education Public Services (100103) FY2015 $277,855 FY2016 $277,855
Higher Education Academic Support (100104) FY2015 $7,562,142 FY2016 $7,587,142
Higher Education Student Services (100105) FY2015 $4,576,215 FY2016 $4,576,215
Higher Education Institutional Support (100106) FY2015 $8,781,837 FY2016 $8,786,806
Operation and Maintenance of Plant (100107) FY2015 $7,054,091 FY2016 $7,054,091
Higher Education Operating FY2015 $41,508,405 FY2016 $41,518,995
Authority: Title 23, Chapter 9.2, Code of Virginia.
B. Out of this appropriation an amount estimated at $80,483 the first year and $80,483 the second year from the general fund and $36,130 the first year and $36,130 the second year from nongeneral funds are designated for the educational telecommunications project to provide graduate engineering education. The participating institutions and centers shall jointly submit an annual report and operating plan to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in support of these funded activities.
C. As Virginia's public colleges and universities approach full funding of the base adequacy guidelines and as the General Assembly strives to fully fund the general fund share of the base adequacy guidelines, these funds are provided with the intent that, in exercising their authority to set tuition and fees, the Board of Visitors shall take into consideration the impact of escalating college costs for Virginia students and families. In accordance with the cost-sharing goals set forth in § 4-2.01 b. of this act, the Board of Visitors is encouraged to limit increases on tuition and mandatory educational and general fees for in-state, undergraduate students to the extent possible.
D. Out of this appropriation, $1,314,772 the first year and $1,314,772 the second year from the general fund is designated to support the institution's approved six-year plan, consistent with the objectives of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011.
E. The University of Mary Washington shall reallocate two percent each year of its FY 2014 general fund appropriation for educational and general programs for strategies that serve to advance the objectives of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011. The amounts to be reallocated for this purpose are estimated at $396,003 the first year and $396,003 the second year. These reallocations are in addition to previous reallocations implemented by the institution in the 2012-2014 biennium. Specific programs and strategies for these reallocations shall be documented in the institution's six-year plan.
F. Out of this appropriation, $79,060 the first year and $83,750 the second year from the general fund and $38,940 the first year and $41,250 the second year from nongeneral funds is designated to support the First-Year Experience program, a quality enhancement program designed to improve the student experience, improve retention, and enhance student success.
G. Out of this appropriation, $16,750 the first year and $33,500 the second year from the general fund and $8,250 the first year and $16,500 the second year from nongeneral funds is designated to continue development of an Online Learning Initiative.


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BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop
The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, a program that is widely regarded as the premiere training ground for emerging musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists.
Applying to the BMI Composer Lyricist Workshop
Patrick Cook, Director
Frederick Freyer
Nancy Golladay
Arri Lawton Simon
Dionne McClain-Freeney
Mary Liz McNamara
Adam Mathias
David Spencer
Sara Wordsworth
Maury Yeston
Notable shows
By current and former Members and Alumni of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.
Workshop History
Learn about Lehman Engel and BMI's support for Musical Theatre through this award-winning program.
Opportunities & Awards
Presented by the BMI Foundation
Jean Banks Award
The Jean Banks Award is presented annually to the lyricist(s) and composer(s) of the best ten-minute musical created in The Workshop.
Jerry Bock Award
Named in honor of the BMI composer of Fiddler on the Roof, The Rothchilds, She Loves Me, The Apple Tree, and Fiorello, this monetary award is presented to Workshop writers and composers for furtherance of a promising musical project.
Jerry Harrington Awards
These monetary awards are made annually in memory of Jerry Harrington to outstanding members of The Workshop. Awards are available for first, second and advanced workshop participants.
Ellen Schwartz Award
The Ellen Schwartz Award for Outstanding Literary Merit in Lyric Writing is presented annually to a Second or Third Year participant of The Workshop.
Presented by BMI, managed by the Dramatist Guild Fund
The George Bailey Fund
This fund, donated anonymously by a Workshop member, was inspired by the film classic It's a Wonderful Life. The fund provides first and second-year members with financial assistance for unforeseen expenses that would hinder the pursuit of their craft. Grants are awarded during each workshop term.
For more information about the workshop:
Patrick Cook
Director, Musical Theatre
7 World Trade Center
250 Greenwich Street
BMIMusicalTheatre@bmi.com


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Al Murray on Brexit: 'Why are people voting for this stuff that has got us into this crazy position?'
The Pub Landlord comedian on politics, the death of satire and his new band Fat Cops
Al Murray: The Pub Landlord is at Dubai Opera on April 11.
We may as well get straight to it: Brexit. Oh come on, it's what The Pub Landlord would want to talk about. British comedian Al Murray has been performing as The Pub Landlord, a brash, "all-bought-and-paid-for" type, who is proud of Britain and suspicious of the French, for nearly two decades. But in some ways, it feels as if he is a creation made for Brexit Britain.
Of the Swiss, The Pub Landlord once said: "They're like a flat that will never sell because the Austrians, Germans, French and Italians are neighbours." It's fair to say that he doesn't deal in facts and would no doubt be very pleased to find himself reunited with a blue passport.
"On reflection, all this feels inevitable," says Murray, ahead of his show at Dubai Opera on April 11. "I was pretty much certain that this way of looking at the world had not gone away. It had been pushed to one side by other points of view and yet it was always there, always lurking. It turns out I was right and that's been quite interesting to watch."
Al Murray onstage at Wembley Arena in 2012. Getty Images
But as a comedian, Murray can't just watch. He has to respond, too, which is both a blessing and a curse. The turbulent political times ensure he is never short of new material, but equally, that material can quite literally date overnight. In 2016, for example, ahead of the EU referendum in Britain, Murray wrote an entire show based on the premise that "Remain" would triumph. "I had to completely re-write the show in July because I was going out on tour in August," he says. "The whole thing had changed into a completely different situation."
Since Brexit and the election of Trump, some people have questioned whether satire is even possible anymore. With actual events having become so far-fetched, it would be forgiveable for a comedian to think, 'You know what? I'm not sure I can top that.' But Murray doesn't agree. "To me, that seems like a challenge to keep up with," he says. "The thing that's really interesting is [understanding] how this happened. Why are people voting for this stuff that has got us into this crazy position? That's what's interesting, more than the crazy position [itself]."
The Pub Landlord is a very British creation and it is surprising how well the comedy translates to other cultures. He has performed in Dubai many times and is hugely popular in Australia. Murray explains that when he is performing abroad, however, the audience reactions tend to be different to those he in the UK. "When you take The Pub Landlord abroad people think that's what the British are like," says Murray. "In the UK, it's like, 'Is he referring to me?'"
Might run as Don't Know. Reluctantly. #withgreatreluctance pic.twitter.com/hqX6Zs9D1q
— Al Murray (Fat Cops) (@almurray) April 5, 2019
While Murray, 50, concedes that Brexit has brought to the surface extreme feelings on both sides of the debate, his experiences performing around the country suggest that most people actually just find the situation laughable. Much of the animosity, he believes, has been artificially generated. "The strange thing is, if you read the newspapers, you think, 'Gosh, we're at some extraordinary point of tension and everyone's on edge,'" says Murray. "I played a gig at a comedy club last night and there was absolutely no hint of that at all. What you've got is the extremes making a lot of noise and claiming that there's tension, but when you stand in front of people, they're all finding this as ridiculous as anyone else might."
Anyone who has spent the past few years making jokes about Brexit will understandably need to let off some steam from time to time. For Murray, that release comes when he gets to play drums with his new band, Fat Cops, which he formed earlier this year with two journalists, a doctor (who also happens to be the husband of Harry Potter author J K Rowling), an IT manager and Bobby Bluebell, former frontman of The Bluebells, who had a number one hit in 1993 with Young at Heart. "We have one person in the band who knows what they're doing, which is incredibly important," says Murray.
• Russell Peters to perform first-ever show at Dubai Arena
• Popular ballet 'The Nutcracker' is coming to Dubai this year
• '1001 Nights: The Last Chapter' coming to Sharjah's Al Majaz Amphitheatre
The music is part dad-rock, part '90s psychedelia (the band describes it as "hip-shakin', garage-groovin', punk-glam chaos') and I have to say it's pretty damn good. The story of how the band formed raises a smile, too. The five of them were having a spat on Twitter about the Scottish independence debate and decided to settle things over a drink in Edinburgh. "We decided that hanging out and playing music was better than arguing about stuff," says Murray. "We started sending tunes to each other and we ended up writing a load of music and making an album.
"We're not all 19," he continues. "We're not all thinking we'll have a number one record and give our lives to this. We're doing it purely for fun and to see if people like our music."
And if it doesn't work out with Fat Cops, well, it looks as if Brexit is going to rumble on for a little while yet, so Murray isn't going to be short of things to keep himself busy.
Al Murray: The Pub Landlord is at Dubai Opera on April 11. For more information, visit: www.dubaiopera.com
Hanane Hajj Ali's 'Jogging' takes Lebanon's 'unspoken stories' and runs with them
Theatre in wartime: striking photos from a show in Damascus, Syria
Syrian children's theatre group gains ground in Al Bab
Musical star Lea Salonga to perform at Dubai Opera next year
The joy of watching a football match in a gritty cafe in Morocco
Dana Dajani to lead Arab arts celebration in Liverpool
Syrian refugee stories at world's largest arts festival
Performers can now apply for a free seven-month course in Beirut
Arzoo Malhotra's slot at the Fringe Festival brings her full circle
Dubai's 'La Perle by Dragone' suddenly closes for two weeks


We arrived in Cyprus on September 13 after a fast 29 hour sail from Kas, Turkey. We have been at the St. Raphael Marina which is about 14 kilometers east of the big city of Limassol. We rented a car for a few days and did some limited touring. There is a beach next to the marina where Laura swims and we watch the sunset. The Sailors Rest restaurant next to the marina turned out to be wonderful and we became friends with the staff.
This evening (September 23) we will leave for Ashkelon, Israel. We expect to arrive in Ashkelon early on Friday, September 25.
We took the train from Salzburg to Vienna on August 1 and took up residence in the lovely apartment of Peter, Alexandra, and Finn of "Risho Maru." It was very hot almost the whole time we were in Vienna but we still loved it, as we did last year. It got so hot after some days — with a forecast of 100 degrees Fahrenheit– that we looked for some place to cool off. I followed the railway track south from Vienna on Google Maps and then searched on-line for a place in the Dolomite Mountains of the Alps easily accessible by train. Everything seemed to be booked but finally we found a room for 3 days with a family in a converted farm house in a small town just in the northeast corner of Italy just 5 miles from the Austrian border and 5 miles from the Slovenian border. They even agreed to pick us up from the train station.
There are only a few photos of Vienna below as we posted many last year. We were lucky enough to have our good friends from Rhode Island, Shelley Roth and her sons Spencer and Jeremy, visit for an afternoon.
Spencer, Shelley, and Jeremy seated at Figlmuller's waiting for their famous schnitzel.
Posing in front of the Spanish Riding School located between Michaelerplatz and Josefsplatz near the Hofburg in central Vienna.
By late July, it gets very hot in southern Turkey. So, like last year, we flew off to Austria (on July 24) to see our sailing friends from "Risho Maru" and then house sit their flat in Vienna while they are off sailing. This time we flew to Salzberg and drove in our rental car to the Salzkammergut, the lake region to the east of Salzberg. Peter, Alexandra, and Finn of Risho Maru stayed in Peter's sisters house in Mondsee, the town made famous in the movie "Sound of Music." We could not find a place to stay nearby, and took a chance on a newly listed AirBnB flat in Traunkirchen, on lake Traunsee, a 45 minute drive away. It turned out to be a wonderful experience. We had a great weekend with the Risho Maru's exploring Mondsee and Bad Ischl, and hiking around Wolfgangsee and Traunsee. And the flat on Lake Traunsee was spectacular and came with wonderful hosts. We spent an additional week exploring Salzkammergut after our friends returned to Vienna, packed up their car, and drove to their boat in Italy. Below, are some of the photos from our 9 days in Salzkammergut. Tomorrow, we will post photos from Vienna, the South Tyrol, and southwestern France.
Our AirBnB hosts with their daughter who was visiting for the weekend. They lived upstairs in the two story villa and invited us for breakfast, supper, and a band concert.
View looking southeast from our flat on Lake Traunsee at sunset.
The church in Mondsee where Captain von Trapp and Maria were married.
Laura holds up a dirndl in Bad Ischl. Local women wore these. The men wore liederhosen.
Hallstat on the Hallstatter See. Site of the famous 2800 years old salt mines that gave Salzberg and Salzkammergut their names.
On the way up to Gosausee.
At the top of the Dachstein mountains overlooking Gosausee (Lake Gosau).
Lake Gosau (Gosausee) with the Dachstein Glacier in the distance.
List of those murdered at Ebensee Concentration Camp at the southern end of Traunsee.
Remembrances at the Ebensee Concentration Camp. Both Jews and non-Jews slaved here digging tunnels to produce V2 rockets at the end of the war.
Before leaving for Austria in July, we rented a car and drove to the mountain village of Gombe, just one hour away from Kas,. We had pre-ordered the lamb special which was eaten on a platform. The private platform sat over a fast-moving stream carrying snow melt. The meal was followed by a nap, watermelon, and coffee.


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Q: simple app that can be downloaded and installed to the android phone and once clicked on the app will open a URL in the default browser of the phone simple app that can be downloaded and installed to the android phone and once clicked on the app will open a URL in the default browser of the phone. pls tell me how to start this application?

A: At first try with Google before posting in here. Because you are idle person [ i think :) ] I am also giving you the solution also.
In your main activity's onCreate method just use these codes to open google's website :
 Intent browserIntent = new Intent("android.intent.action.VIEW", Uri.parse("http://www.google.com"));
startActivity(browserIntent);
finish();


Click competition logos for a link to the event page!
Youth 3 - 1st Place, Level 3 Grand Champions, and Highest Score of the Day!
Senior 3 - 1st Place!
Mini 2 - 1st Place!
Youth 1 - 1st Place and Level 1 Grand Champs!
Junior 2 - 3rd Place!
Senior 3 - 1st Place and Level 3 Grand Champs!
Senior 4.2 - 1st Place!
Senior 4 - 2nd Place!
Team Extraordinary - 1st Place!
Youth 1 - 3rd Place!
Youth 3 - 1st Place!
Junior 2 - 6th Place!
Senior 4.2 - 3rd Place!
Senior 4 - 3rd Place!
Senior 3 - 4th place!
Youth 1 - 1st Place!
Junior 2 - 1st Place!
Senior 3 - 3rd Place!
Senior 4 - 5th Place!
Tiny: 1st Place & Tiny Division Champions!
Youth 1: 1st Place & Best Stunts & Pyramid Award!
Mini: 1st Place & Mini Division Champions!
Youth 3: 1st Place, Best Choreography, and Tiny/Mini/Youth Grand Champions!
Youth 3 - 3rd Place!
Senior 4.2 - 8th Place!
Senior 3 - 5th Place!
Senior 4 - 4th Place!
Team Extraordinary - 4th Place!
Senior 4 - 17th in the Nation! Congrats!


This is a repost from Votaries. However, this time, I am going to split the post into 2 parts.
I mention in a prior post that yes, there are bad romances out there. A number of years ago, I read a book about how to write romances which was entirely unintentionally one of funniest things I have ever read.
I am reading a book called How to Write Romances on the principle that romances sell, so they must be doing something right.
He didn't have a leg to stand on when it came to taking Petey away from Ashley. Not unless he could prove she was an unfit mother. After seeing her with Petey today, he knew that was out of the question. She was a perfect mother, and he was an out-of-state politician who hadn't known the boy existed until a day ago. That's why he had to get her to Texas.
"Study the preceding paragraph," the author writes, "to understand the wealth of information fed so discreetly to the reader."
I had to read the above sentence twice to make sure it actually said what I thought it said ("discreetly"?) and to check that the author was serious. And that's when I realized I was going to have a lot of fun reading this book.
You should not use Arctic comparisons if your novel takes place in the tropics.
Such as . . . Tarzan lurched along the jungle floor, beating his handsome, muscular chest and yodeling like an Arctic seal calling for its mate!
For most romance lines, a coal-mining town . . . is too difficult to imagine as a romantic setting. A small-town setting with a fashionable resort, an Olympic-trial ski run, or other point of interest could easily be considered exotic.
And whilst you are describing the exotic ski run, do NOT write, "Daphne, taking a break from her hard life as a secretary to a billionaire lawyer who secretly loves her but can't show it due to some silly misunderstanding, which will be cleared up in Chapter 12, watched the snow fall on the ski lift like coal dust from a town very far away and completely unrelated to her." Because ski lifts and coal dust DO NOT mix.
There is an advantage to keeping a character chart. When you first begin writing, it is very easy to remember names and descriptions. However, as you progress from chapter to chapter and book to book, you will soon discover how easy it is to forget names as well as color of hair or eyes. By charting or listing the physical as well as psychological makeup of your characters, you will save time and effort.
I can just see Shakespeare: "Darn it all--is it Lear with the daughters in the rainstorms or is that MacBeth? Which is the Dane? Fudge! I keep confusing Juliet's boyfriend with Ophelia's!"
And what color are Romeo's eyes anyway?
Even the most villainous people should have at least one good point to make them believable.
Because we all know villainous people who steal, murder, and mug little old ladies but have a soft spot for cutesy bunny rabbits.
He swore COMPETENTLY? Is that like getting a prize at a spelling bee? "Jimmy, please stand up and swear competently. Are you ready, Jimmy? Begin with the s's."
How about some plot advice?
Mark, a newspaper columnist, finds himself attracted to Coryn. But after a few dates, he abruptly stops seeing her without explanation. Coryn's father is about to run for political office. Interwoven subplots involve Coryn's mother, who is in the initial stage of Alzheimer's Disease, and the death of Coryn's dog, all neatly tied together to make an inspiring and informative read.
I could write a novel like that: "The subplots of Pamela in Portland combine the ongoing search for Mr. Right (Now), the loss of the heroine's job, a sudden discovery of a cure for cancer, and the death of the heroine's cat by a passing car."


As life progresses we acquire items of all shapes and sizes. Often, when these items outlast their usefulness, they up in the garage. A messy garage can create frustration and potential hazards.
Now is the perfect time to clear the clutter in preparation of warmer weather and summer fun – a time when surfboards, swim gear and camping equipment are put to use! Organizing a garage can be done in stages, but first things first: Make a plan!
1. Divide the garage into zones: storage, charity, garage sale and trash. To help streamline the process and keep items safe during the process, call PODS® to deliver a PODS® container right to your garage door.
2. Loading the PODS® container at ground level is easy, so work at your own pace. The garage didn't become cluttered in one day so don't expect reorganization to take place in one day, either.
3. Consider using garage organization systems to organize tools, sporting equipment, lawn and gardening tools.
4. Once the garage is organized, set ground rules for ongoing maintenance such as keeping the parking area clear and putting tools and sporting equipment back in assigned places after use.
A garage free from clutter offers a setting for weekend or school projects with the kids and an opportunity to bond with family and friends.
For more information, visit PODS.com.
Moving is stressful for families. In some cases the home you are leaving is the only existence your child has ever known. It can be daunting, especially to little people, to say the least.
Tell your child(ren) as soon as you know you're moving; don't spring it on them at the last-minute. Give them time to adjust and expect tears and fears. Explain why you're moving in terms they can understand for their age. Do you need more room? Are you relocating because of a new job?
If moving to a new city or state, go to websites that offer visual photos of the new community. You also can write to the local chamber of commerce or government offices and request printed materials to read with your kids ahead of time. Share photos and floor plans of your new home if possible and plan for the future as a family. Remain positive, even if you have fears yourself.
Be sure and pack lots of games, books or DVDs to keep children occupied if you are in for a long drive. Buy a new backpack or tote and put their favorite things inside. This way, they won't have to look far to find items that bring comfort when you get to your new home.
PODS understands moving is stressful and offers flexible pick-up and delivery of its PODS containers when it is most convenient for families. Once your PODS container is delivered, keep it as long as needed to pack at leisure. When you're done, simply call and schedule pickup and your belongings will be delivered to your new home on the day you specify.
PODS, The Best Moving & Storage Idea EVER! Visit PODS.com today for more information.


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Funding opportunities for contraceptive research & development
Check out these frequent funders and compiled opportunities. Know of an opportunity that isn't here?
Contact us so we can add it to the list!
We are not aware of current requests for proposals focused on contraceptive R&D, but keep an eye out for funding opportunities on their website.
The Catalytic Opportunity Fund
The Catalytic Opportunity Fund (COF) for new and lesser-used reproductive health (RH) products is a funding opportunity administered by the Clinton Health Access Initiative with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). The fund provides short-term grants to fund catalytic activities that support introduction or scale-up of reproductive health products including for DMPA-SC and the hormonal IUD. The COF is a flexible pool of funds. You can learn more about the various funding streams, eligibility, supported countries, and application requirements here. Please contact the COF team if you have any questions.
Search for funding here.
Current opportunities:
RFA-HD-22-019: User-Based Design to Aid in Contraceptive Development by Small Business (R43 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
"The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to invite SBIR applications to study/identify characteristics that inform acceptability, desirability, and excitement of potential end-users of novel contraceptive products currently in the development pipeline for both men and women."
Earliest submission date: June 29, 2021
Applications due: July 29, 2021
Letters of intent due 30 days prior
RFA-HD-22-003: Contraception Development Research Center Program (P50, Clinical Trial Optional)
The primary purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support and facilitate multidisciplinary approaches towards the development of new and/or improved contraceptive methods for both men and women through the formation of a Contraceptive Research Development Center."
Applications due: November 29, 2021
Male Contraceptive Initiative
Search for funding opportunities here.
Male Contraceptive Initiative's Development Awards and David Sokal Innovation Awards
"This funding opportunity will support research projects with applications in the development of reversible, non-hormonal male contraceptives."
Letter of intent due: May 28, 2021
Application due: August 27, 2021
The Research Council of Norway
No current requests for proposals, but keep an eye out for calls for proposals on their website.
South African Medical Research Council
No current requests for proposals, but keep an eye out for calls for scholarships and research grant funding on their website.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Follow updates on the UNFPA procurement services page or via twitter; or search the United Nations Global Market site for open tenders here.
Research Reports for Eco-Friendly Condoms
"UNFPA has identified the project on development of eco-friendly condoms as one of the initiatives towards the overall endeavors towards Sustainable Development...UNFPA envisages to partner with agencies in the field of development and manufacture of condoms and their packaging, such as potential/actual suppliers, experts, research organizations, testing laboratories, logistics service providers, waste management agencies, regulatory agencies, academia and other related stakeholders in this area."
Deadline for submissions: April 30, 2021 at 17:00 (Copenhagen time)
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Search for funding opportunities via grants.gov.
SOL-OAA-13-000024: Family Planning and Reproductive Health Methods APS
"The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking concept papers from qualified U.S. non profit non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for a program titled "Family Planning and Reproductive Health Methods to Address Unmet Need" for funding of Cooperative Agreements. The purpose of this APS is to support the research, development, and introduction of technologies and approaches that better meet the needs of women and girls as their sexual and reproductive health concerns change over time."
No funding rounds currently open but follow the link for updates
Current closing date for the APS: January 14, 2023
Interested in who funds contraceptive R&D? Check out the 2020 G-FINDER Sexual & Reproductive Health report from Policy Cures Research and explore the data behind the report.


Give your color-treated hair that special care with the Kenra Color Maintenance Shampoo. This Kenra shampoo comes with a special formula that provides permed, colored or damaged hair with extra conditioning. Add shine to your hair with this color maintenance shampoo that helps detangle and condition the hair. In addition to strengthening your hair, this Kenra shampoo also has sunscreen that extends the life of your hair color. Just massage a small amount of this color maintenance shampoo into wet hair and rinse with warm water to get lustrous hair. The Kenra Color Maintenance Shampoo is just what you need to make heads turn and make your hair the talk of the town.
Fantastic Shampoo at an extraordinary price!!
Previously, I only bought Kenra at a beauty parlor. As I have curly, that occasionally needs more volume? I found this to be an extraordinary product!! When I found it on ebay....and this one being only a few dollars more, triple in size? What a fantastic value this is!
The product gives hair volume and shine. If you hair is fine with no body, this shampoo solves the problem. It has a fresh smell that is not overpowering. I heartily recommend this shampoo!
Great product! Helps maintain my color and leaves my hair clean and shiny!


With over 19 years in the exclusive hub of the city, Sandton Beauty Clinic has emerged as one of the best aesthetic clinics in Gauteng. Yielding an array of clients from celebrities and sportsmen to influencers and patients, the one thing that keeps them coming back is results.
Faeeza Sacoor, qualified somatologist and owner of Sandton Beauty Clinic, has over 23 years of experience in the industry and multiple accolades under her belt. Mentioned by Elle as an expert in the field of beauty technology and was rated the best brow and Brazilian waxer by Oprah's O magazine. She was also interviewed by Noeleen Maholwana Sangqu on Three Talk, sharing her expertise with the panel of Medical Professionals on the Cosmelan pigmentation results she has achieved. Even the Queen of soul, Erykah Badu, has used her products.


I don't know if you have ever heard of Keston, but it was a real surprise to me. I had no idea a place like that existed so close to London. There is a beautiful large area of forest, little streams, ponds and an ice-cream van selling a delicious lemon ice by one of the ponds! 🙂 The forest has a "moorish" feel to it in places, with heather and Gorse bushes.
This painting is from my visit in Autumn last year. I always find Autumn amazing and full of colours but this place exceeded my expectations. It has been raining before then and the grass had a silvery-blue colour to it, creating a strong contrast with the small groups of orange and pink long leaf grass clumps, scattered here and there like flames on a choppy silvery sea.
I always enjoy painting birch trees and this one really adds to the scene, with it's rich range or yellow and orange fluttering leaves. The pine trees behind add even more variety and depth to this picture.
I wanted to keep the brushstrokes loose. To capture colour and texture was my main aim, to give an impression and feel rather than a lot of detail that might distract. I used mainly brushes and added a few dabs with my palette knife. I called it Soft Light as the light felt very soft and gentle (if that makes sense to you) as opposed to light that's strong and bright.
If you would like to buy this painting it's available in my store, or if you would rather like to deal with me personally you can contact me. It is of course possible to just come and have a look – no obligation to buy! In the end, art should be there to be seen!


Prince Charming may not be so charming after all.
Disney's fairytale princes are sexual predators, according to a Japanese gender studies and sociology professor.
In other words, the feminist academic activist argues such fairytales allow sexual violence.
In a Dec. 11 tweet, Muta accused the princes of sexual assault with a link to a news story of a real case where a man was arrested for kissing a sleeping woman on a train en route to Osaka.
A prince kissing Snow White to wake her from a "sleeping death" is actually sexual assault, one professor says.
Muta's comment brought a firestorm of reaction – support and criticism.
In the Disney versions of "Sleeping Beauty" the prince is led to kiss Princess Aurora by the fairies with the belief that he can cure her of her napping curse, "not motivated by his own pervy will," SoraNews24 pointed out in Japan Today.
After the criticism was picked up by Yahoo! Japan, Muta responded with an article for the Women's Action Network.
Muta argues that if someone doesn't look at the fairytales critically, they are essentially saying sexual harassment is permissible.
She expounded on the tweet, arguing that beyond the Disney versions, and within Japanese fairytales, the male figures kiss "without confirming consent," so they're actually committing sexual crimes.
Muta adds that many violent sexual crimes seem as if they "mimicked" the actions of male protagonists in fairytales and connected her argument to the #MeToo hashtag, highlighting sexual harassment which has been found to be especially rampant in Hollywood.
"Under such circumstances, changing society's recognition of sexual violence is not an easy thing to do," Muta said. "However, we must say these things loudly and boldly.
I think I might have told this story before on Coffee Talking but it completely ties into the subject matter of this professor's opinion - only my version is completely opposite.
When I was young, my best friend moved away with her family to a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. When I was 15 I went to visit her. Her oldest sister had gotten us all concert tickets for the Power Station and OMD concert happening at the Poplar Creek Music Theater (now long gone - closed in 1994 and demolished soon after). As we got dressed for that evening I applied my oh-so-80's makeup, feathered back my layered hair and after a lot of debate, I chose a pink 'camp shirt' (popular at the time) and a pair of Calvin Klein capri jeans. We had 'grass seats' so her sisters brought a couple blankets and we piled into the car.
When we arrived at the venue we found a place on the grass about 15 feet away from her two older sisters and their boyfriends; and laid down our blanket. We took note to see if there were any cute boys around us and obviously, with a large crowd, there were some. A little bit of glancing, a few shy smiles and we were lost in our own teen girl conversations as we waited for the sun to set and the concert to start. We had arrived so early (to get a good lower level grass spot right in front of the stage) that I laid back on the blanket and closed my eyes. My friend followed suit and we quietly laid there, not talking. She may have even fell asleep.
The sun was setting. Not quite sleeping but completely at rest on my back with my hands folded on my stomach and my hair back on the blanket (much like Sleeping Beauty, but with a bit shorter, feathered hair, I might add) I suddenly felt a soft, warm pair of lips touch mine. It was a soft and gentle, quick kiss.
My eyes fluttered open. I sat up. I looked at my friend who noticed me abruptly sitting and she too, sat up.
I told her "Someone just kissed me!" as I turned around to both sides, looking at those around us to see if I could tell who the 'kisser' was.
My view looked something like this.... (actual photo from the venue - found online - not sure what concert this was though; credit given in the alternate hover text).
When I turned and looked behind us I spied a group of 5 teen boys; one of which looked much like this random photo found online - except he was younger (think 16/17) and his hair was blonde. Pink shirt and white pants? Yep. Mullet? Yep. Except his hair was taller on top and he had his glasses on.
The group of guys were looking right at us with smiles... guilty smiles. Bingo. One of these guys was my phantom kisser. And I knew immediately which one. He was cute in that whole 1985 kind of way and he started to blush and looked away, but couldn't hold his gaze away and kept looking back.
My friend and I laughed and smiled and turned around... but yes, kept sneaking glances back as well. Not long after this the concert started. As we stood on our blanket, dancing in place to the music, suddenly two guys appeared next to my friend and I. One of them was 'my' phantom kisser.
He apologized... he said his friends had dared him to kiss me after he had told them he thought I was cute. He asked if it was ok and if it was OK if they watched the concert with us.
On that hot August night, we enjoyed the Power Station/OMD concert together and although I've forgotten most of it, I recall him getting us sodas at one point. At the end of the concert he walked me out of the venue to the car in the parking lot where my friends older sister and her boyfriend and her other sister waited for us.
My phantom kisser and I stood under a street light in the parking lot, talking and laughing and not wanting the night to end. My friend and her sisters waited in the car about 20 feet away, his friends in their car also waiting. They both called out warnings and begged us to hurry up and stop talking....and finally, out of patience, demanded we say goodnight. He kissed me good-bye.
We knew each others names and the towns we lived in. That was all.
John ______ from Geneseo, IL became a 'teenage memory' of the time I was kissed by a stranger while laying on a blanket on the grass at an outdoor concert.
And contrary to what the Japanese feminist academic activist might think; at no time did I consider it a sexual assault and still don't. It happens to be a very romantic, innocent memory.


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CRIMINAL MINDS: THOMAS GIBSON TALKS SEASON SEVEN
Criminal Minds: It's time to play a little catch-up with San Antonio celebrities. Here goes:
Though I hear Monte Vista resident Thomas Gibson has been spotted picking up groceries at the Olmos Park H-E-B, it took a visit to L.A. for me to get a little one-on-one time with the Criminal Minds star.
He prefers to keep his profile low here, he has said, in order to lead a quiet life with his family: wife Cristina and their three children. At a CBS party, however, he did chat a bit about his new contract and season seven of Criminal Minds, which premieres Sept 21.
Several fans had told me they were on pins and needles until mid-June when Gibson, who has played FBI agent Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner from the beginning, finally negotiated a new contract. He said he's glad, mainly because the cast of Minds is "such a great group of people." As for the new season, Gibson said: "It's going to be great. The show has a new energy and a new outlook."
The first episode will pick up some "unfinished business from last year that needs to be wrapped up," he added.
That unfinished business involves Paget Brewster, whose character, Emily Prentiss, was thought to be dead by most of the BAU team; Hotch and J.J. (A.J. Cook) were the only ones who knew she was alive. They had created the ruse, you see, to throw off a vicious criminal determined to kill her. She returns to feelings of shock and betrayal in the season premiere, however, when other team members realize that J.J. and Hotch had kept such an important secret from them.
Incidentally, Gibson's new contract seems to have netted the actor a nice raise. According to this week's TV Guide, he now earns $120,000 per episode - a solid increase from last year's reported salary of $100,000.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/entertainment_columnists/jeanne_jakle/article/Jeanne-Jakle-Thomas-Gibson-is-ready-to-take-care-2137851.php
CRIMINAL MINDS: A PEEK AT SEASON SEVEN
CRIMINAL MINDS: AJ COOK INTERVIEW
CRIMINAL MINDS PRESS RELEASE FOR "IT TAKES A VILLAGE"
CRIMINAL MINDS PROMO PIC FOR "IT TAKES A VILLAGE"
CRIMINAL MINDS GUEST STAR INFO
Kirsten Vangsness is dancing as fast as she can
The Women of Criminal Minds Celebrate: The Band Is...
CRIMINAL MINDS SEASON SEVEN SPOILER
CRIMINAL MINDS: SEASON SEVEN SPOILER
Criminal Minds' Thomas Gibson Arrives at the Annu...
Criminal Minds' Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, AJ ...
CRIMINAL MINDS FAN THREAD
CRIMINAL MINDS ACTORS & FANS WORKING TOGETHER


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A family getting well hung and tender (beef, that is) at the farmer's market.
This photo is available on Redbubble: Feeding the family.
I've been doing this blog now for six months, at least one photopost a day. I have done 210 posts (not counting this one), well over 210 photographs, and from 36 views for the four days of February, the total number of views for six whole months is now 9711. In the first week I did this blog I got 4 views: in this 26th week I've had 641 views, and 93 views today. It seems likely that I'll have my 10,000th view before the end of August. I really appreciate everyone who's visited, especially people who linked or left comments.
Notice the irony of the Tescos bag? Neither did I till I looked at the photo at home.
This photo is available on Redbubble: Crowds at the farmer's market.
These photos were all taken at the farmers' market, Saturday 28th June, on Castle Terrace.
A beautiful sunny day for the farmers' market this morning. One small yet sophisticated shopper was wearing her coolest sunglasses.
Look, you all know where the farmers' market is, right? This photo is available on Redbubble: Sophisticated Shopper.
Coffee that's out of this world!
Possibly the best vegetable in the world. Also, protects against vampires! Available from the farmers market but also on Redbubble: Garlic.
Today was the first day of spring. Also, it was Saturday. I went to the farmers' market. I bought a Savoy cabbage, carrots, an Arran cheese, a couple of brezeln and a cat's tongue – which is like a brezeln, but flattened, split open, with Emmental baked on top – and two bottles of wine.
But first of all I did what I always do: I walked all the way through the market, glancing sideways at the stalls to see who was here, and bought myself a cup of coffee at the coffee stall at the far end of the market. The coffee is exactly the same – same franchise – but the queue is usually shorter.
This photograph was taken here . It's on Redbubble: Brezeln at the farmers market.
These brezeln were baked by Falko (Konditormeister) and can be bought at the farmers' market in Edinburgh any Saturday. If you get there early enough and are willing to queue, that is. See you there!


In this post, we are giving away a Pair Trading Excel sheet which would help you automate your Pair Trading strategy.
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After 12 years of effort to bring a public dog park to Stratford CT, by all the various people and parties involved past and present, we have reached the final stage as of January, 2019.
The location has been set at the former Ranger Station site within Roosevelt Forest, design plans are complete and the name 'Jared's Dog Park' has been approved.
To move forward with the parks physical construction the Town of Stratford has proposed that our organization sign a Non-exclusive License Agreement for use of Town property, which requires compliance with its terms for the length of the agreement and any subsequent renewals.
In order to sign this document and become the legal entity responsible for the dog park, the Stratford Dog Park Action Committee must transition from a simple association of residents into an actual business, an LLC or an Inc. The new entity must then apply for its 501(c)3 non-profit status. This new entity must also purchase a General Liability Insurance Policy on an annual basis to comply with the terms of the License Agreement.
All of the initial and ongoing costs associated with this endeavor must be paid for through fundraising efforts. This will be in addition to the fundraising that also must be done for annual maintenance and operational costs of the park (fence repairs, waste bags etc.).
If we cannot do this, there will be no dog park in Stratford.
We urgently need more people to step forward and join with us! Committed individuals will be essential for this new organization to succeed.
If you are willing to volunteer for this new organization, please contact us at jaredsdogpark@gmail.com today!
If you have professional skills that you are willing to perform as a donation, please contact us.
If you are able to offer financial support for the dog park, please contact us.
We need to hear from you now!
Shop Small Stratford is almost here!! Is your pup camera ready??
On SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY Roger Salls Photography will PHOTOGRAPH YOUR PET in the studio and deliver prints. We do understand that some pets may be shy about being in unfamiliar surroundings, therefore a family member may make the pet more comfortable in the photograph.
A portion of each sale will be donated to the Stratford Dog Park Action Committee. Each participant will also receive a discount coupon for services at a local pet groomer.
Thank You Roger D Salls for being so generous and supporting Jared's Dog Park (Stratford Dog Park)!!