text:
Need For Speed Payback is really very terrible indeed
With the worst people
Feature: Race to the bottom
Driven to distraction: Why do open-world racers have the worst plots in gaming?
By John Walker • 9 months ago • 78
I have a question. Is there a reason why absolutely every single racing game of the last decade has an unimaginably stupid story?
Tagged with EA, feature, Ghost Games, Microsoft, open-world racer, Playground Games, Forza Horizon 4, Need for Speed, Need For Speed Payback.
Need For Speed Payback will add online free roam mode
Cars are mechanical goats. Sure, you can teach them tricks and make them move with purpose, but they'd rather lark about chasing and butting each other. It's silly, then, that Need For Speed Payback does not let cars scamper freely around together in a multiplayer free-roaming mode. Plenty of that game is pure daft--especially the writing, our John will tell you in his Need for…
Tagged with Electronic Arts, Ghost Games, Need For Speed Payback.
Need for Speed Payback reduces the need for loot boxes
By Fraser Brown • 2 years ago • 7
As the heated debate over loot boxes and player progression continues, Need for Speed Payback joins Star Wars Battlefront 2 in making changes based on the discussion, largely in regards to how the game doles out currency and experience. Essentially, drivers will earn more for less from events and races, making it easier to upgrade cars and level up.
Tagged with Electronic Arts, Ghost Games, loot boxes, loot crates, Need for Speed, Need For Speed Payback.
Feature: Hey, listen
Podcast – Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Need For Speed
The hosts of the RPS podcast, the Electronic Wireless Show, have accidentally overdosed on EA games this week, and they don't like it. You could say they're in a ... critical condition! Ha ha ha. But seriously, don't buy the new Need For Speed.
Tagged with Dice, Electronic Arts, feature, Ghost Games, Podcast, The RPS Electronic Wireless show, Ubisoft, For Honor, Need For Speed Payback, Star Wars: Battlefront 2.
Feature: With the worst people
By John Walker • 2 years ago • 107
Welcome to Need For Speed Payback. I would like to introduce you to the worst people in the world.
Tagged with EA, feature, Ghost, review, Need For Speed Payback.
Need for Speed Payback is out tonight, fast and with fury
Though Need for Speed Payback's official launch day is Friday, for us here in the UK it'll be 11pm tonight. Payback brings fast and furious driving through an action movie-style story campaign, as well as an open world to pootle around and, I suppose, car races if that's your short of thing. Actually the game is already out now if you've paid enough, as the…
Feature: Payback's a switch
'We don't attempt to be too serious' – Need For Speed Payback has some comically overblown car chases
I couldn't tell you exactly why the truck in front of us has started dropping explosive red barrels out of its container doors, but I am now keenly aware of the fragility of my own speedy car, which is giving chase behind. The oil drums explode and leave firey trails all across the motorway. Innocent drivers swerve and crash to avoid the flames. Then the…
Tagged with EA, Electronic Arts, Fast and the Furious, feature, Ghost Games, Need for Speed, Need For Speed Payback.
Feature: Ev3rying Ev3r
Every PC game announced or trailered at E3 2017
Each year E3 rolls around like a giant evil worm, crushing all that's good and pure. BUT that worm also announces lots of exciting gaming news as it wreaks its carnage upon the Earth. Here we have gathered every announcement, reveal, and exciting new trailer that emerged from the barrage of screamed press conferences over the last few days. And lots of it looks rather…
Tagged with City, E3 2017, Elder Scrolls Online: The Horns Of The Reach / Clockwork, feature, Mount & Blade 2, The Elder Scrolls: Legends - Heroes of Skyrim, Ylands, A Way Out, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, Anthem, Assassin's Creed Origins, Battlefield 1, Beyond Good and Evil 2, Call of Duty: WW2, Code Vein, Crackdown 3, Destiny 2, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Doom VFR, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Fallout 4 VR, Far Cry 5, FIFA 18, Forza Motorsport 7, Griftlands, LawBreakers, Life Is Strange: Before The Storm, Metro Exodus, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Monster Hunter: World, Need For Speed Payback, Ooblets, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Quake Champions, Sea of Thieves, Skull and Bones, South Park: The Fractured but Whole, Star Wars: Battlefront 2, State of Decay 2, Tacoma, The Crew 2, The Elder Scrolls: Legends, The Evil Within 2, The Last Night, Total War: Warhammer II, Transference, Tropico 6, Tunic, Wargroove, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, XCOM 2: War of the Chosen.
Need for Speed Payback shows cars punching cars
EA have blasted the first "gameplay trailer" for Need For Speed Payback [official site] during their E3 announce-o-rama, showing a cut-down mission of cars battering cars so they can beat up a truck and steal another car from its belly. It's fast and furious but, sadly, has no Jason Statham. Have a peek:
Tagged with E3 2017, Electronic Arts, Ghost Games, Need For Speed Payback.
Star Wars and sports stars: EA's E3 press conference live
Electronic Arts are kicking off E3 this year with their own press conference, which starts at 12pm local time here in Los Angeles. That's 3PM Eastern, 8PM in the UK…around fifteen minutes from now. You can watch the conference live in the stream below, and I'll be covering the main stories as soon as they happen. Highlights will include more details on Star Wars: Battlefront…
Tagged with E3 2017, EA Play 2017, Electronic Arts, FIFA 18, Need For Speed Payback, Star Wars: Battlefront 2.
Need For Speed Payback will be fast, potentially furious
By Adam Smith • 2 years ago • 17
If I were in charge of a big car game, I'd be taking a long hard look at the Fast and Furious series and wondering if I could incorporate some kind of automotive heists or "IT'S ABOUT FAMILY" muscular soap opera into the equation. Turns out I might be on the same page as EA: Need for Speed Payback, coming November 10th this year, sounds…


Let's start with [redacted]. above are various screenshots from further into the game. And take a look at the last one. Yes, someone beat the entire game in RPCS3 proving it to be "playable" although slow and with broken bloom (and the total play time is wrong because it is running slow). But Nekotekina knows how to make the game significantly faster and kd-11 has a good idea of why the bloom is broken. In the coming weeks Nekotekina will finally make libfiber work with the recompiler which will make the game quite a bit faster. kd-11 will hunt down one or more broken PPU instructions which send slightly broken floats through the pipeline which eventually end up as too bright bloom in this game. Theoretically these PPU fixes could also fix various bugs and crashes in other games too. Of course libfiber is used by more games than [redacted], like Red Dead Redemption, not that it really works, yet.
Oh and one more thing. Here is [redacted] peaking at 60FPS. I don't know exactly what CPU was used (probably something very expensive) but it definitely proves the possibility.
Here is a selection of games that were improved in one way or another. The update history of the compatibility database can be found here for a more complete listing.
This little sports game got a speed boost with kd-11's changes this month, and now it runs faster than it did before, although still very slow to be considered Playable.
Akimi Village became approximately twice as fast with the Vulkan improvements by kd-11 and therefore it's now pretty much playable. The screenshots above were taken by different people but they have similar i5 CPUs and Vulkan was slower than OpenGL before, so the comparison is valid.
Armageddon Riders saw general performance and graphics improvements with several of the kd-11 changes this month. Previously it ran slower and had some graphical glitches.
Armored Core: For Answer now goes past the main menu to some loading screens. It doesn't go ingame yet, but previously it would crash on the main menu.
Atelier Rorona (Plus), Totori, Meruru and Ayesha as well as Ar Tonelico Qoga now run at 30FPS+ all the time on for example a Intel Haswell Core i5. These games run at full speed at any frame rate above 15FPS. Yes you could run this game at 144FPS or something (given a fast enough CPU that doesn't yet exist) and it would probably still work fine. PhyreEngine is very good in this regard. Some minor graphical glitches persist and Ar Tonelico randomly crashes on the world map, but these games are in a very good state now. Atelier Ayesha is featured in the Vulkan improvements video in the introduction of this progress report.
Batman: Arkham Asylum previously only showed some intro screens but now it goes ingame and looks alright overall. It's way too slow to be playable though, and it also hangs after a while.
Catherine saw significant performance improvements from the Vulkan changes by kd-11. Together with the LLVM recompiler it can run at full speed on much wider range of hardware than before. This screenshot was taken on a normal quad core Intel Core i5-4690k.
CellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars now goes ingame but is way too slow and also crashes randomly. Previously it only showed some intro screens.
A Discord member beat a boss in Dark Souls at very low frame rate. This game is on the same engine as Demon's Souls but for whatever reasons it runs much worse and frequently crashes.
Thanks to the Vulkan improvements by kd-11 this game not only runs on Vulkan now, it's more than twice as fast as it was before.
Using the speed hack patch by Nekotekina along with the Vulkan performance improvements by kd-11 great performance is achieved in Disgaea 4 and Disgaea D2. These games ran much slower overall before.
Dragon Quest Builders performance was approximately doubled with the Vulkan improvements by kd-11.
Eureka Seven AO Attack The Legend is approximately twice as fast with the recent graphics improvements.
With changes to .sprx loading from Nekotekina and Vulkan improvements by kd-11 Final Fantasy X HD now runs a bit faster than before, with correct graphics and great stability. A bit slow but basically almost there now. Interestingly X-2 basically doesn't work at all even if X runs great.
Folklore used to do nothing and now it shows a loading screen. Maybe not too exciting but this game is quite unknown and interesting. It is the last real game to see the involvement of the veteran director "Cozy Okada" famous for directing the early Shin Megami Tensei games and working on Persona 1 and 2. Keep your eyes open on this one.
Guitar Hero III went from nothing at all to going ingame. It's of course not playable at 10FPS but surprisingly it kind of works otherwise.
Initial D Extreme Stage is about 2 – 3 times faster now on Vulkan. Also check this before and after video of the game.
Significant performance improvements, this ran at less than 10FPS last month.
Lumines Supernova is now flawlessly playable at full speed with Vulkan.
Knytt Underground is now flawlessly playable at nearly full speed with Vulkan.
Mobile Suit Gundam Side Stories used to only show the intro, now it goes ingame with good graphics.
Slight performance improvements, but also stability improvements with Vulkan in the original NieR. The screenshot above is from a little further into the game. There are still some graphical glitches though.
Graphics are now pretty much flawless in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.
Oddworld is now playable at 30FPS+ all the time on a decent CPU with good graphics thanks to the recent Vulkan improvements.
Poker Night 2 saw tremendous performance improvements. It used to only run with OpenGL at 4FPS. Now OpenGL runs at 8FPS, but more importantly Vulkan pushes it to 16FPS!
Race Driver: Grid kind of works now. It's squashed down to the left side of the screen and runs at 3FPS but it's better than showing a black screen only like before. It's basically known why it's squashed down like this, kd-11 will look into it some day (in simple terms some unknown parameters for some image format things).
Rayman Legends is now playable at full speed with perfect graphics. Previously it was too slow.
To the left: Red Dead Redemption now also renders pretty good on Vulkan, but it still crashes almost instantly thereafter.
To the right: User Jay on Discord managed to quickly go past the main menu and technically go ingame for a single frame or two before it crashed. The screenshot was very blue which randomly happens so to clearly see the graphics it has been edited a bit.
For a game with this good graphics it runs unexpectedly smooth, in fact may almost run just about as fast (or slow) as on a real PS3. Take a look at this video recorded by JohnGodGames.
Resonance of Fate used to crash very quickly but thanks to recent .sprx loading improvements and some graphics fixes it now reaches the main menu.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game is now completely playable at full speed with any controller (for a short while this month it only worked with a DualShock 4). This is important because for whatever silly licensing reasons this game has been delisted from both the Xbox and the PlayStation store. But RPCS3 will preserve it forever.
Sengoku Basara 4 went from only showing a black screen to going ingame at quite acceptable performance. It's basically playable, especially if your CPU can push it all the way to 30FPS.
Silent Hill: Homecoming is also almost full speed now with the latest Vulkan improvements with very good graphics.
Featured are Symphonia and Xillia, the other Tales of games may or may not work, no one has tested them recently as far as I know. These two in particular saw performance improvements this month. Xilia now also works on OpenGL, previously it would crash going in game. Xillia also still has broken text at random places which is important for a game like this, and therefore it's not really considered playable yet even if it runs fast enough.
Shadow of the Colossus now very briefly goes ingame, but the graphics are completely broken and it crashes pretty fast. Still, it used to do nothing at all. This improvement is thanks to recent .sprx loading fixes among other things.
Topatoi is now approximately three times faster than before, but the graphics are still completely broken so it can't be played.
Significant improvement are being made on the Linux version of RPCS3. In fact, so few bugs remain now that we will almost certainly start to provide Appimages this month, maybe even sooner rather than later this month!
In short various LLVM bug fixes were made, improvements for the open source graphics drivers are in place, and the infamous "st11range_error" that breaks RPCS3 for so many users has been narrowed down. Also with the recently merged new QT interface various old bugs were fixed like broken DPI scaling sometimes. (QT was not merged in time for detailing in this report, also it technically happened in June anyway). Moreover QT has moved RPCS3 very very close to Wayland and Vulkan support on Linux. At least Vulkan support may even be in the Appimages this month.
Based on feedback from the previous progress report this isn't a complete list of every single commit everyone made. It would be ridiculously long and boring to read (and time consuming to write). Instead we will present a smaller selection of more notable commits and summarize the work each person did in general. For those who are interested a complete commit log can be found here.
This month kd-11 has mostly been working on Vulkan behind the scenes as well as other RSX (graphics) improvements.
#2769 – Vulkan renderer rewrite: This resulted in massive speed boost over the other renderers with the exception of OpenGL due to lack of hw accelerated blit.
SPU 'speed hacks': A hint to the scheduler to lower priority of SPU emulation threads. Currently only works on windows, but UNIX support is on the way.
#2803 – Rewrites of vertex upload paths: Vertex upload paths are a major resource drain and are largely unavoidable at the moment due to architecture of the PS3. This changeset rewrites uploads to select an optimal upload path at runtime drastically improving performance.
#2818 – Bug fixes for Vulkan selection dialog: Fixes regressions introduced by the addition of the Vulkan GPU selector and rewrites some of the Vulkan instance handling code.
Nekotekina has been working on libfiber LLVM all month basically. This enables the PS3 system module libfiber to work with the LLVM recompiler, or in other words: when this is implemented [redacted] will (hopefully) be very fast. It's not quite ready yet however but work is ongoing.
In the meantime Nekotekina did various smaller commits fixing odd bugs here and there improving a lot of games in different ways. He also did some general code cleaning, restructuring a few things here and there.
#2774 – Various bug fixes and some PPU preparations for libfiber among other things. Also further improves the file system module.
#2780 – Cleans up hundreds of lines of code and improves logging for developers. This is actually significant for developers testing games.
#2787 – Fixes broken sound in Dragon's Crown and also improves the ALSA audio backend on Linux.
#2826 – This fixes the Scott Pilgrim game, previously a buggy input function would cause it to crash. Also implements a new function making Epic Mickey 2, Singstar and other games boot.
#2786 – Implements a missing function making Tony Hawk Pro Ground go ingame.
#2782 – Updated the ASMJT module. Can theoretically fix bugs and improve performance.
#2781 – This PR fixed a parenthesis error in a shader. But never mind that, the story behind this one is really funny. Shameful is the guy who first beat the entire 100+ hours long game [redacted] in RPCS3. As if playing at low frame rate and with sometimes very broken bloom making everything very blue wasn't bad enough the game would suddenly and consistently crash every single time he approached the last area before the last boss. Luckily it was only basically a typo in a file but for a brief moment of pure despair it looked like he wouldn't be able to complete [redacted] in RPCS3.
Also scribam stubbed a lot of modules.
All in all, this has been a month full of progress for RPCS3. Many games have seen improvements to graphical accuracy and performance, and compatibility has risen as well. With kd-11 on board the Patreon train progress will only accelerate even more from here.
Any and all donations are appreciated, and they each come with Discord rewards! If you want to help out Nekotekina and kd-11, you can check out the Patreon page here.
This report was written by ssshadow in one whole long day. The day after intensely finishing a master's thesis, which by itself was worked on intensely for the last two weeks. Because I'm kind of insane that way.


text:
Re-appointment of deputy vice-chancellors
Deputy Vice-Chancellors Professors Cheryl de la Rey and Martin Hall have been re-appointed for second terms of office.
Hall's current responsibilities include planning and budgeting. He is affiliated to the Graduate School of Business, where he teaches and carries out research on the intersection of the public and private sectors, entrepreneurship and the role of "knowledge organisations" in advancing development in highly unequal societies.
Trained as an archaeologist, he has written extensively on pre-colonial and colonial history and on contemporary public culture. He is a past president of the World Archaeological Congress and a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa and of UCT.
De la Rey's current responsibilities include research and innovation. She is a registered psychologist and a Fellow of the Psychological Society of South Africa. Her research interests are social psychology, specialising in gender, race and leadership.
She also serves on a number of boards: as chair of the South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development; chair of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa Board of Control; the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the National Advisory Council on Innovation, and the South African Reference Group on Women in Science and Technology.
<!-- University of Cape Town News embed article --> <script src="https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/embed/js/-2006-10-16-re-appointment-of-deputy-vice-chancellors"></script>
<!-- University of Cape Town News embed article --> <script src="https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/embed/js/-2006-10-16-re-appointment-of-deputy-vice-chancellors?notitle"></script>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


"This war can't be won in a conventional way. It can only be won by showing that our values are stronger and more just than the alternative," Prime Minister Tony Blair told the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles this week. An extract, was published yesterday in the Sydney Morning Herald, "Doing this requires us to change dramatically the focus of our policy...Unless we revitalise the broader global agenda on poverty, climate change, trade, and in respect of the Middle East, bend every sinew of our will to making peace between Israel and Palestine, we will not win. And this is a battle we must win."


text:
Q: $A = \liminf(A_n) = \limsup(A_n)$ then $P(A_n) \to P(A)$
Let $A = \liminf(A_n) = \limsup(A_n)$. Show that $P(A_n) \to P(A)$

$Def.: \limsup A_n = \bigcap\limits_{m\geq1}\left[\bigcup\limits_{n\geq m}A_n\right]$ and
    $\liminf A_n = \bigcup\limits_{m\geq1}\left[\bigcap\limits_{n\geq m}A_n\right]$
$P$ a probability measure on $(\Omega,\mathscr{F},P)$.

I know from a already proven theorem that, if $P$ is $\sigma$-additive (and it is), then if $A_n \uparrow A\implies P(A_n)\to P(A)$ and if $B_n \downarrow B \implies P(B_n) \to P(B)$.
Let $E_m = \bigcup\limits_{n\geq m}A_n\implies E_m \downarrow A \implies P(E_m) \to P(A)$
Let $F_m = \bigcap\limits_{n\geq m}A_n \implies F_m \uparrow A\implies P(F_m) \to P(A)$
Now, I don't believe this shows that $P(A_n) \to P(A)$. How can I finish this proof?

A: For fixed $n$, $E_n \supset A_n\supset F_n$; therefore $P(E_n) \ge P(A_n)\ge P(F_n)$. Since both $P(E_n) \to P(A)$ and $P(F_n) \to P(A)$, by the squeeze theorem $P(A_n) \to P(A)$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


As part of a study of vocabulary found in Elie Wiesel's Night, readers complete a magic square using the provided words and their definitions.
Fifth graders explore the German language. They discuss the similarities between German and English. They speak several German words. Students identify the German words for common English words.
In this ESL activity, students read four vocabulary lists in alphabetical order and organized by topics. The topics include occupations, countries and nationalities, the Internet, and geography.
In this vocabulary quiz worksheet, students use the given vocabulary words from the story 'The Black Cat' to complete the 15 sentences. Students also complete a matching definition activity.
In this ESL vocabulary worksheet, students fill in blanks to complete sentences, choosing from 4 options given. Students may click on an answer button.
In this vocabulary instructional activity, students complete a quiz, answering 8 multiple choice questions about definitions of given words. Students check answers in the dictionary when finished.
Students, in groups, plan and serve a typical German supper. They use basic vocabulary to express their needs and opinions. The groups create PowerPoint presentations, including topics of cultural customs, cultural differences, and menus.
Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Even if you can't speak German now, you'll be fairly accomplished after practicing with the games and words that make up the greater part of this app!
Students examine the consequences of the Holocaust. In this WWII lesson, students watch the film The Pianist. Students will collect vocabulary and engage in periodic discussions as they watch the film.
For this foreign language worksheet, students find the words that are used in German. The answers are found by clicking the button at the bottom of the page.
In this vocabulary skills worksheet, students respond to 15 fill in the blank questions regarding the use of indefinite pronouns.
In this vocabulary review #9 activity, students interactively complete 10 sentences by selecting the correct word with immediate online feedback.


*Our sponsor Workman Publishing introduced us to an exciting new Instant Pot cookbook where we found this amazing Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos recipe!
Have you joined the Instant Pot craze like I have? These Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos are OUT OF THIS WORLD AMAZING and this recipe came out of one of the BEST new cookbooks for learning to use your Instant Pot to it's fullest potential!
I am a HUGE fan of authentic Mexican tacos and Taco Tuesday is a real event here at our house EVERY week. My kids look forward to it each week. I've had some amazing steak tacos, beef tacos, and even chicken tacos, but I have NEVER made beef barbacoa tacos. The name sounds a bit intimidating, but the How To Instant Pot cookbook couldn't have made this recipe any easier. I was quite surprised at how simple it was and this has become a new staple recipe in our house!
I am the real deal when it comes to loving your Instant Pot. I love mine so much so that I have TWO of them! That said, I didn't realize how many of the functions I was missing out on until I read this amazing cookbook, How To Instant Pot by Daniel Shumski. This is the only cookbook organized by function and it has definitely helped demystify all those buttons on my Instant Pot!
Inside you'll find over 100 Instant Pot recipes, many I've never attempted before (can you say yogurt?!). From cooking perfect risotto in six minutes, no stirring required, to five kinds of yogurt, to creating one-hour killer chili and soups from scratch, using dried beans, you'll find a little bit of everything in this book. What I love about this cookbook is that the directions break it down and tell you step by step how to operate the buttons. Instead of just telling me to saute it and then cook for 30 minutes on high pressure, it tells my exactly which buttons to push and in what order. It'd be amazing for beginners, but even as an avid user I found this to be a must-have cookbook for anyone that owns an Instant Pot.
These Instant Pot beef barbacoa tacos are salty, spicy, and slightly tangy, hitting all the perfect notes. The beef is SO tender and easily shreds apart with just 30 minutes of cooking time. It's amazing. Forget the slow cooker, this dish delivers and in record time!
Begin by whisking together vinegar, lime juice, garlic, chipotle chile in adobo, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and cloves in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Next, press Saute and use the saute or adjust button to select the highest temperature (more). Place the vegetable oil in the inner pot and wait until the display reads "Hot" then add the beef. Cook with the lid off, turning the beef every 2 minutes until beef is browned on most sides. This takes about 8 minutes.
Add the vinegar sauce and chicken broth, being careful as steam may whoosh up. Add bay leaves and stir to combine. Close and lock the lid. Set the valve to "sealing" and press manual and use the pressure button to to select high pressure. Set the time to 30 minutes using the adjust button or – or + button.
When the cooking cycle ends, press cancel. Allow the Instant Pot to cool and naturally release pressure. This ensures the meat doesn't dry out. Using the quick release method will dry out the meat. It takes about 20 minutes to naturally release the pressure.
Remove the lid and then discard the bay leaves. Use tongs to remove the beef and place it on a cutting board.
The meat will easily shred apart using two forks or meat shredders. It's amazing how tender it is and it is SO packed with flavor!
Serve the beef barbacoa piled on pan fried corn tortillas topped with pico de gallo and some Cotija cheese. Don't forget some lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the tacos. It's a must!
These tacos are out of this world and so flavorful. It's the perfect weeknight dinner idea because it's fast and easy. You can also use this recipe to meal prep. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store it in its juices for maximum flavor and to keep them juicy and tender. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the beef in a shallow baking dish with the juices. Cover with foil and bake until hot, about 15 minutes.
Quick and easy Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos recipe with incredible flavor and juicy, tender beef!
Press Saute and use the Saute or Adjust button to select the highest temperature ("More"). Place the vegetable oil in the inner pot. Wait until the display reads "Hot", about 5 minutes, then add the beef. Cook with the lid off, turning the beef every 2 minutes, until the beef is browned on most sides, about 8 minutes.
Add the vinegar sauce and chicken broth (be careful - steam may whoosh up!), and then the bay leaves. Stir to combine.
Close and lock the lid. Set the valve to Sealing. Press Cancel, then press Manual or Pressure Cook and use the Pressure or Pressure Level button to select High Pressure. Use the - or + button to set the time to 30 minutes.
Remove the lid, Discard the bay leaves. Use tongs or a large spoon to remove the beef from the inner pot and place it on a cutting board. Shred the beef using two forks. Use one fork to pull off a chunk and then use two forks to shred that piece, holding down the meat with one fork and pulling at it with the other. Repeat with the remaining beef.
Beef Barbacoa and its juices will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the beef in a shallow baking dish with enough of the juices to reach a depth of about 1/4". Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until hot, about 15 minutes.
*Excerpted from How to Instant Pot by Daniel Shumski (Workman Publishing). Copyright © 2017.
Check out more fabulous recipes from How to Instant Pot from Daniel Shumski. Buy it from Workman publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others.
Find More Instant Pot Recipes here!
I would love to have this because my friend gave me one of these but honestly I haven't used it to its potential!
I just got an instant pot as a gift. I would love to find some awesome recipes to make.
I have an IP but need to learn how to use it. This cookbook sounds like just the ticket. I hope I win!
I have to the pot but no cookbook so this would help me create some yummy meals.
I'd like it because I need some good ideas on what to make!
I would love to win this because I need some new ideas of what to make using my Instant Pot.
Oh my. I would look forward to taco Tuesday if I had tacos like this too. Thanks so much for sharing this on Merry Monday. Pinned.


The Salon Show is the Gallery's biggest exhibition of the year. Featuring new work by many of the top artists from the Midwest. Participating artists are: Tom Berenz, Mary Bero, Chris Berti, Craig Blietz, Mark Brautigam, Derrick Buisch, Mark Chatterley, Marion Coffey, Terrence Coffman, Ben Grant, Doug Hatch, Kathy Hofmann, Laurie Hogin, Mark Horton, Breehan James, Ed Larson, Clare Malloy, Cathy Martin, Nancy Mladenoff, Mark Mulhern, Charles Munch, Dennis Nechvatal, William Nichols, Michael Noland, Jennifer Price, Bill Reid, Jeffrey Ripple, Jason Rohlf, Jan Serr, Elizabeth Shreve, Brook Slane, T.L. Solien, Nathaniel Stern, Fred Stonehouse, Stephanie Trenchard, Tom Uttech, Russ Vogt, Mary Alice Wimmer, and Betsy Youngquist.
"The Modern Landscape" includes artists whose methods vary widely but who share a fascination with the natural world. A marvelous collection of landscapes from intimately scaled and highly detailed to grand, expressive studies in color. Peaceful pastoral scenes, vibrantly abstracted works and scenes of the west and Midwest are included in the exhibition.
Exuding the energy of our favorite time of year, this comprehensive, triennial exhibition features new work by our many talented Wisconsin artists in a diverse collection of contemporary styles that range from abstract to realist.


Turns all URLs and e-mail addresses into clickable links. The :link option will limit what should be linked. You can add HTML attributes to the links using :html. Possible values for :link are :all (default), :email_addresses, and :urls. If a block is given, each URL and e-mail address is yielded and the result is used as the link text.
post_body = "Welcome to my new blog at http://www.myblog.com/. Please e-mail me at me@email.com."
# => "Welcome to my new blog at http://www.myblog.com.
Please e-mail me at me@email.com."
# => "Welcome to my new blog at http://www.myblog.com.
I'm using Rails 2.2.2, but I believe that this also happens for more recent version .


To up-level and take your friends with you is very difficult as each person has their own view of what their future looks like. It is hard enough to grow and change and keep the same life-partner let alone five. It is also important that we appreciate our friends for who they are and what they mean to us. We don't go into relationships hoping to change people.
So, as to up-levelling and your inner-five, it is not a goal to get rid of the people around you. You will find that, as you change, some people will not fit with your new views, your new goals, your new connections, your new ideas. You, as a person, will not have changed your core ethics or morals, but you will come at them in a different way. Your friends may not or will not see it that way and you will find yourself sometimes in conflict, sometimes in wonder, and sometimes simply exhausted with the work it takes to explain.
When I was in high school, I had friends that were considered "the cool" people. They were known by most in the high school. I was not cool but they liked me anyway. They also did not aspire to the things I wanted to aspire to. They did not do as well in school and all of them were only focused on grade 12 education. I, on the other hand, was in the academic stream. I loved the sciences and maths, and I did well in them. I was going to grade 13 and university. This made me feel equal to them (I'm not cool, but I am smart). As I started my work in high-tech, my friends and I went our own ways. No one had to say anything nasty or hurtful, we just did our own things independent of each other. We still see each other, and laugh about our shared past, but we don't work together towards our future goals.
To truly reach a new level that you have not been at before, you must travel with people that want to go there, be welcomed by people that have made the trip, and be understood by people who are open to the idea of the journey required. If your current friends are not willing to walk with you, not already on the path, and not understanding of the possibilities, then you will simply find yourself spending less time with them. No apology required. You are walking different paths in life and that is OK.
You spend a lifetime studying, training, attending lectures, learning, reading, practicing, working, going to conferences, hiring coaches and mentors, and it is not until you make the mistake that you understand the big picture of what you can do. The failure is where true expertise is born.
Experts have experience in their area of focus, but they also know where things go wrong, because they have experienced the failures as well as the successes.
The challenge for so many business owners is to figure out how they can call themselves an expert. I have had so many people say to me, "well I don't want to sound arrogant" or "I don't like to talk about myself" or other statements that show they are afraid to admit to their expertise. There are likely one of two reasons for this: 1. They don't think they have learned enough to be an expert or 2. They don't feel they have the right to name themselves an expert. It may also be because they know people that are not experts that have given themselves this title and they don't want to be lumped in with "that type of person".
The problem is, if you don't believe you are an expert, no one else will. So to get you started on believing you are the expert at what you do I want you to make a list of your failures. When have you failed and what did you learn from it?
Doing the work is important.
But like the potter who molds the clay into pots and bowls on his pottery wheel, it is the empty space inside the vessel that makes it useful.
You mold your life with all your experiences, but it is your failures that makes your expertise useful to others.
In my book the Entrepreneur Awakening – Making a Move from Employee to Business Owner I describe several rules and tools of decision-making. One tool I use all the time for helping people make any type of decision is the Decision Matrix.
The decision matrix is basically a way to evaluate your choices and their potential effect on your values. You get a score for each decision that will more clearly reflect how you feel about the option and how it may affect your life.
To use this tool, you need to know all of your options and all of the possible outcomes. I recommend you brainstorm ideas with a friend, colleague, or your accountability partners to ensure you get the full picture of what's available.
The important point to recognize is that the numbers only apply to you and no one else. It is your decision and your outcome.
Must be available to pick up kids when the husband is on shifts.
Cannot afford to buy a second car.
Or other items about your business and your life that will be affected by the decision.
"Commute to the city for a job" vs "be available to pick up kids" is likely less valuable to your desired outcome so you would rate it lower.
"Commute to the city for a job" vs "Pays well" is likely more in line with your desired outcome.
Use a higher number for combinations that are more desirable and a lower number for combinations that are less desirable.
When you have completed the evaluation you simply need to add up the totals for your options. After doing the tally some options become front-runners and some are easily removed from the list.
This does not make your decision for you, it shows you what you see as valuable and how you rate your options against what is valuable to you in your life. If you still want to take the option that rates the lowest, then you need to justify that choice. When you do, you will likely have another "item that is important to you" to put in your matrix.
Check out my book for another decision tool and the other rules of decision-making.
Making the Move From Employee to Business Owner.


A vighly visible life jacket that has split front panels to provide a better fit aswell as retro reflective patches, a whistle and a lifting handle under the collar. Elsewhere on the life jacket is a nylon front zip, adjustable waistband and top and bottom ties.
The 15-30kg jacket has more foam on one side at the front to speed up the turn over time.


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John Boultbee (* Mai/Juni 1753 in Brailsford bei Derby, England; † 23. November 1812 in Osgathorpe, Leicestershire) war ein britischer Pferdemaler.

Familie
Er war einer der Zwillingssöhne des Thomas Boultbee (1724–1785) und der Jane Bage (1732–1789), die beide aus Brailsford stammten, und wurde gemeinsam mit seinem Bruder am 4. Juni 1753 in Osgathorpe getauft. Sein Zwillingsbruder Thomas Boultbee (1753–1808) studierte später an der Royal Academy of Arts und wurde Porträtmaler. John Boultbee heiratete am 11. Dezember 1784 in Bursted (Essex) Ann Caulton.

Leben
John Boultbee erhielt wahrscheinlich nicht wie sein Bruder eine akademische Ausbildung, sondern soll Schüler von Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) oder vielleicht auch George Stubbs (1724–1806) gewesen sein. Ebenso könnte er auch Schüler von Sawrey Gilpin (1733–1807) gewesen sein. Bisher konnte diesbezüglich nichts eindeutig belegt werden. Im Jahr 1775 hatte er seine erste Ausstellung in London. Zu dieser Zeit lebte er mit seinem Bruder Thomas gemeinsam in der Oxford Street 338 und war Mitglied der "Society of Painters". In den 1780er Jahren gab er auch Malunterricht.

Erst mit 30 Jahren (1783) zeigte sich sein Interesse an der Pferdemalerei. Im Jahr 1785 malte er "Highflyer", das erfolgreichste Pferd des 18. Jahrhunderts, mit dem sein Eigentümer Richard Tattersall ein Vermögen verdiente. Dieses Pferdeporträt veranlasste wohl auch andere Auftraggeber, ihre Pferde von Boultbee malen zu lassen. Boultbees Art zu malen, die Verbindung von naiver Malerei mit Detailtreue, begeisterten den Züchter Robert Bakewell (1725–1795), den Begründer der modernen Schafzucht. Er ließ seine züchterischen Erfolge auf seiner Farm Dishley Grange (nahe Loughborough in der Grafschaft Leicestershire) schrittweise von Boultbee in Bildern dokumentieren. Auch König Georg III. war von Boultbees Gemälden von Schafen und Pferden begeistert, bestellte einige Pferdebilder und stellte ihm sogar Wohnraum in Windsor Castle zur Verfügung, um ihm die Arbeit zu erleichtern.

John Boultbee, der in der Literatur oft mit seinem Zwillingsbruder Thomas verwechselt wurde und wird, arbeitete in Derby (Derbyshire) und Loughborough (Leicestershire) sowie Chester und Liverpool.

Literatur
 Walter Shaw Sparrow: John Boultbee. Sporting Painter. In: Connoisseur. Band 91 (1933), Nr. 379.

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

Maler (Vereinigtes Königreich)
Pferdemaler
Brite
Geboren 1753
Gestorben 1812
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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New Millennium Stars
Tall, San Francisco born actor, who began his career in commercials & plays before appearing in the short-lived TV series "Cracker" (1997). Josh later eased into big screen feature films most notably "The Faculty" (1998) ,"Pearl Harbor" (2001), "Black Hawk Down" (2001), "O" (2001), "40 Days & 40 Nights" (2002), & "Hollywood Homicide" (2003) with superstar Harrison Ford.
Joshua Daniel Hartnett
Date Of Birth: 21st July 1978
"Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" (1998)
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Josh Hartnett's Top 10 Movies on DVD
Halloween: H20 [DVD](1998) DVD
Twenty years after Michael Myers terrorized the screen for the first time, the mysterious "Shape" is back, wreaking havoc once again for sister Jamie Lee Curtis, now a boarding school headmistress and single mother, as well as her teenage son and his pals. With Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams, Adam Hann-Byrd, LL Cool J and, in a cameo, Janet Leigh. 86 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; featurette; trivia; music video.
The Faculty [DVD](1998) DVD
Director Robert Rodriguez and scripter Kevin Williamson blend "The Breakfast Club" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" for this creepy sci-fi tale about a small-town Ohio high school whose teachers and staff begin acting strangely. A small group of students discovers that the adults are the first victims of an alien invasion. Well-made chiller stars Elijah Wood, Laura Harris, Robert Patrick, Piper Laurie and Bebe Neuwirth. 105 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Here On Earth [DVD](2000) DVD
Chris Klein is a snotty senior at a boys' prep school whose recklessness leads to a crash and the destruction of a diner. Part of his probation involves rebuilding the eatery with townie rival Josh Hartnett, who was also involved in the crash. During the construction, Klein meets and falls in love with Leelee Sobieski, daughter of the diner's owners and Hartnett's girlfriend. Michael Rooker, Annie Corley and Annette O'Toole also star. 96 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround, French Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English, Spanish; music video; theatrical trailer; TV spots; scene access.
Town & Country [DVD](2001) DVD
Successful New York architect Warren Beatty must grapple with his conscience after learning that his best friend, antiques dealer Garry Shandling, was caught cheating on wife Goldie Hawn. You see, not only can't Beatty come clean to spouse Diane Keaton that he's having an affair with cellist Nastassja Kinski, but he can't manage to stay out of bed with kooky rich girl Andie McDowell, store clerk Jenna Elfman, or even Hawn! Stylish screwball romantic romp also stars Charlton Heston, Marian Seldes and Buck Henry.
Blow Dry [DVD](2001) DVD
Humor and pathos mix as former ace hair stylist Alan Rickman gets a second chance at glory when the British Hairdressing Championships are due to be held in his small Yorkshire town. But can Rickman and estranged wife Natasha Richardson, who left him for his favorite female model, cooperate long enough to win the coveted Silver Scissors from a scheming rival? Rachael Leigh Cook, Josh Hartnett, Bill Nighy and Heidi Klum co-star in this seriocomedy penned by "The Full Monty" writer Simon Beaufoy. 93 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; behind-the-scenes footage.
Pearl Harbor (Director's Cut) [DVD](2001) DVD
Titanic wartime adventure from Michael Bay ("Armageddon") stars Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett as flying-obsessed childhood friends who enlist in the Army Air Corps in early 1941 and Kate Beckinsale as the nurse who falls for Affleck. When Affleck goes to England to serve on the RAF and is shot down, Beckinsale and Hartnett begin their own romance, but the trio are reunited at the U.S. military base in Hawaii on the eve of the devastating Japanese attack. With Cuba Gooding, Jr., Alec Baldwin, Jon Voight and Mako. The director's cut of Michael Bay's epic includes 60 previously unseen shots. 184 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, French Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: Spanish; audio commentary; featur
O [DVD](2001) DVD
Shakespeare goes to high school in this controversial revamping of the Bard's "Othello." The setting is a modern-day suburban prep school where basketball star Odin (Mekhi Phifer), the sole black student, becomes the target of jealous teammate Hugo's (Josh Hartnett) plan to stir feelings of mistrust between Odin and his girlfriend, dean's daughter Desi (Julia Stiles). Martin Sheen also stars. 94 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Digital Dolby 5.1; Subtitles: English, Spanish; deleted scenes; audio commentary; interviews; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Black Hawk Down (Deluxe Edition) [DVD](2001) DVD
Director Ridley Scott's gut-wrenching military drama chronicles the doomed 1993 mission of American forces in the war-torn Somali capital of Mogadishu, sent to apprehend top aides of a rebel warlord. When two Black Hawk helicopters are shot down, the surviving soldiers find themselves trapped and outnumbered in the city streets, and a desperate rescue mission is launched. The superb ensemble cast includes Eric Bana, Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Sam Shepard and Tom Sizemore. 144 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, Chinese, Spanish, French, Thai; featurette; theatrical trailers; deleted scenes; filmographies; scene access; photo gallery;
40 Days And 40 Nights [DVD](2002) DVD
After being dumped by his girlfriend, Josh Hartnett goes on a dating rampage, going out with every hot chick he knows. But his hedonism troubles his brother, who is studying to become a priest, and Hartnett decides to change his ways, giving up all forms of sex for the 40 days of Lent. He's determined to hold true to his promise, but when he meets perfect Shannyn Sossamon at the laundromat, he and his close friends wonder if he'll ever reach his goal. With Vinessa Shaw, Adam Trese, Emmanuelle Vaugier. 94 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: Spanish; theatrical trailer; audio commentary.
Hollywood Homicide [DVD](2003) DVD
In this fast-paced action comedy, Harrison Ford is a veteran Los Angeles cop who teams with young Josh Hartnett to investigate a homicide at a rap club run by music mogul Isaiah Washington. The case takes them all over L.A., but the detectives are also occupied with other things like an Internal Affairs investigation, Ford's real estate wheeling and dealing, and Hartnett's interest in becoming an actor. Lena Olin, Keith David, Bruce Greenwood, Martin Landau, Dwight Yoakam also star. 116 min.
Pearl Harbor Posters
Josh Hartnett's Videos & DVDs - Complete List
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40 Days & 40 Nights (2002)
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Humble Roots to Global Fame, Covid Warrior KK Shailaja's Extraordinary Story
Kerala's health minister KK Shailaja has made global headlines for her handling of the Covid crisis, but she continues to stay alert, rooted in grassroots reality.
by Aekta Kapoor
KK Shailaja, the much-feted Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Kerala who shot to global fame for her handling of Covid in the southern Indian state, is so down-to-earth and approachable that everyone calls her Shailaja Teacher or even Teacher Amma (teacher-mother). It's a respectful and affectionate term Malayalis use for schoolteachers and professors, and though Shailaja gave up teaching decades ago, she continues to wear the honorific comfortably.
Born and raised in the scenic seaside district of Kannur in northern Kerala, the friendly politician is accustomed to being in the news of late. In June, after three months of India's nationwide lockdown, she was invited to a United Nations panel discussion for her efforts to fight Covid in Kerala.
International newspapers variously headlined her as the "rockstar health minister" or "coronavirus slayer", and her smiling face was broadcast on television channels worldwide.
KK Shailaja launching the automatic sanitiser machine as part of Kerala's Break the Chain campaign
The 66-year-old was also voted the world's 'top thinker' for Covid by a UK magazine, beating even New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. On September 24, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that Kerala had received the UN Interagency Task Force award for its "outstanding contribution" towards preventing and controlling the spread of non-communicable diseases, the first in the state's history.
For Shailaja, however, the onslaught of plaudits this year comes after decades of working on the ground with the common folk of Kerala and promoting scientific thinking. Even when she was approached by film producer Rima Kallingal for the Malayalam film Virus (2019) about her successful handling of the Nipah outbreak in Kerala in 2018, in which popular actor Revathi would play Shailaja's role, she had only one request to make of the film's director Aashiq Abu: "The film should be scientific. In future, students should be able to gain knowledge from it."
In her own characteristic aunty-next-door way, Shailaja chuckles on the phone: "I am not silent and sad like Revathi was in the film, though. I am vocal and vigorous." She laughs it all off good-naturedly.
KK Shailaja with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launching the Break the Chain campaign to fight Covid
Shailaja's earthiness is typical of women of her generation, especially in the northern districts of Kerala where the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM has been a dominant political force and organisational entity since the mid-20th century.
Unlike in other parts of India where electoral politics are perceived as either a lucrative career option or a dirty business (or both), here one's political affiliation is often something one is born into, much like Hinduism. You don't convert to other political ideologies unless it's a matter of life and death.
In Shailaja's case, her maternal grandmother Kalyani and her grand-uncles laid the foundations of her own political affiliation early on. "My grandmother's father worked as a supervisor on a British tea estate; they called him Raman Maistri ('maistri' means supervisor). The family was considered one of the wealthiest in the district; they lived in a two-storey house that was called a bungalow because everyone else lived in huts," she reminisces, immediately breaking off to joke, "Now it's one of the smallest houses in the neighbourhood!"
KK Shailaja Teacher, 66, is originally from Kannur in northern Kerala
The good life, however, did not continue into Kalyani's generation. Though she married into a wealthy family and had two daughters, she was widowed at a young age and things went downhill after that. After the premature death of her husband, Kalyani was attracted to India's freedom struggle and communism, which was still in its nascent stage in the 1930s and '40s in the region (the state of Kerala was later formed in 1956).
Her five brothers too espoused the cause, and with their education and relative privilege, they fought for the rights of the bonded labourers against the exploitative landowners of the time.
"Can you imagine how pathetic the condition of the lower castes was at the time? Their women were not even allowed to wear top garments. Their children were not allowed to go to school. Untouchability was at its peak," says Shailaja, crediting social reformers like Sree Narayana Guru for bringing about lasting change in all levels of society.
KK Shailaja flagging off mobile medical units as part of Kerala's National Health Mission
The only woman activist in those days in her community, Kalyani managed to win the respect and support of both the landowners and the labourers, and became an informal village leader, helping solve disputes, fighting for the rights of the lower castes, distributing food and clothes to the needy, educating them about India's freedom movement, and even scolding drunken troublemakers from time to time!
"At that time, women were not allowed to even sit in large gatherings, but my grandmother was given a chair amongst all the men," Shailaja narrates.
Once the communists were elected to power in 1957, they set about changing discriminatory social structures. Through various reforms in land ownership, healthcare and education, they ensured that each individual had access to free schools, hospitals, housing and food.
"All this led to a great transformation in Kerala society," explains Shailaja. "Literacy increased, Kerala's Human Development Index rose, prosperity followed."
KK Shailaja with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
The only child of a farmer and a homemaker, Shailaja idolised her grandmother and took to social work at a young age along with her. She joined the Students' Federation of India (SFI), a student organisation affiliated to CPM, in 1979 when she was studying chemistry and physics at Pazhassi Raja N.S.S. College in Mattannur, which was 20 km away from her home.
Life for Shailaja in those years was all about the study of science, activism, and travelling to and from college. "The only cinema hall in Kannur was five km away from home; we walked down there once or there twice a year," she smiles.
The year 1981 brought two massive changes in her life: she not only completed her second Bachelor's degree and got a job as a teacher, but she also married fellow CPM worker and teacher K. Bhaskaran. They went on to have two sons together – Sobhith, now 34, is an electrical engineer and currently heads operations at a Covid healthcare facility in Abu Dhabi, while Lasith, 32, did his MTech and works at Kannur International Airport.
KK Shailaja inaugurating World Breastfeeding Week along with Special Secretary of Social Justice Biju Prabhakar
Shailaja joined CPM full time in the 1990s. She volunteered in Kerala's Total Literacy campaign for a year, teaching septuagenarians how to read and write. "They told me, 'Now no one can cheat us of our land'."
One of the few women in the party at the time, and a good speaker at that, Shailaja quickly rose in the ranks of the women's cadre. In 1996, she was elected Member of Legislative Assembly to the Kerala state from the Koothuparamba constituency, and her position in the CPM was sealed.
She is one of only two women ministers in the present state government headed by Pinarayi Vijayan, and under her watch as healthcare minister, the state now boasts of top facilities and technologies at government hospitals.
She rues the eroding of civic values in the newly consumerist Kerala, flush after decades of economic prosperity. "Instead of following scientific thinking, they are now drawn towards superstitions and false beliefs. They want to live on individual terms and in closed communities, and the sense of social and civic unity is disintegrating. This makes it easier for Hindu and Islamic fundamentalists to make inroads into society. We have to fight these tendencies once again," she says gravely.
Shailaja Teacher at a press conference in September 2020
Having successfully overcome the Nipah virus outbreak, Shailaja and her team were doubly concerned when the first Covid case was reported in Wuhan, and took immediate action as early as January 2020.
"I knew that more than 6 lakh people would return from abroad and other states to Kerala due to the lockdown, and it was my duty to contain the spread," says Shailaja. Stringent measures were put in place at airports and teams were assigned to follow up on each passenger to ensure quarantine.
As a result of these measures and strict lockdown enforcement, Kerala's Covid death rate is 0.35 percent, as compared with 1.6 percent average India rate and 3 percent globally (Kerala reported 180,000 cases out of India's 6 million as on September 28). But there's no giving up for Shailaja's team: "We control the spread in one cluster, and then another one comes up."
There were other bitter challenges too along the way: the tragic Air India plane crash at Kozhikode airport in early August left nearby districts reeling with added demands on the healthcare system and devastated infrastructure.
Then, in early September, a young Covid patient was raped by an ambulance driver who was transporting her to a Covid facility in southern Kerala. "I had sleepless nights," Shailaja admits. "Whenever such incidents occur, I tell myself, 'Never repeat this'."
While the incident forced the health ministry to enforce even more stringent rules, it also gave ample ammunition to the state opposition to launch attacks on Shailaja. "Elections are coming," she says wryly, brushing off a Congress leader's sexist remark calling her 'Covid Rani (queen)' as yet another effort to tarnish the ruling CPM's image. "It is a reflection of deep-rooted misogyny in society. It does not bother me anymore," she says.
Shailaja shares the slogan of a campaign she launched after taking over Kerala's Women and Child Development Department, Sadhairyam Munnottu, which translates to "be brave and go ahead".
"Women should study, get a job and be earning members of their families; that is the most important factor for women's rights and society as a whole," she emphasises. She regrets that even as the state has become richer and women are better educated, they stay home after marriage and don't work even if they have BTech or MBA degrees.
"Whatever their field, they should work for society, otherwise their education is a waste and women will always be looked down upon as the second sex," she says.
Indeed, Shailaja's campaign slogan could well be the motto of her own life and her lasting legacy.
Photography: Navneeth Anna. First published as the cover story of eShe's October 2020 issue
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Tagscommunism • coronavirus • cover personality • covid warrior • covid-19 • freedom movement • global fame • human development index • india • Kannur • kerala • kk shailaja • kk shailaja on magazine cover • magazine cover • malayalam film virus • malayali • minister of health and social welfare • pinarayi vijayan • politics • scientific thinking • shailaja teacher
About Aekta Kapoor
Editor and publisher of eShe magazine. Lifestyle journalist and personal development coach. Email: aekta@eshe.in
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After finished T63 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, it's fair to say Phil Mickelson had a tournament to forget as he searches for form heading into the US PGA Championship.
But with winner Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka leapfrogging the five-time major winner in the world rankings, Mickelson now sits at No.23, the lowest he has been since January 1996, a remarkable sign of the 45-year-old's consistency over the past 20 years.
The Englishman held a share of the overnight lead with Jim Furyk heading into the final round at Firestone, but struggled to a two-over-par 72 to finish four shots adrift of Lowry.
But, despite a disappointing, the 2013 US Open champion feels he's in a good place heading into the final major of the year.
Although Furyk ended his four-and-a-half year win drought at the RBC Heritage in April, the WGC-Bridgestone marked the tenth time since 2011 that the American has failed to win after holding a 54-hole lead.
Like Rose, Furyk shot a two-over-par 72 but unlike his final round playing partner, believes he's got plenty to improve on ahead of the US PGA Championship.
Scot Jamie McLeary rose further up the Road to Oman rankings on the Challenge Tour after his third top five of the season at the Northern Ireland Open.
The 34-year-old, who won the KPMG Trophy earlier this year, was in with a chance of winning heading down the back nine, but couldn't get anything going as he came home in level par 36, at least two shots worse than those who finished above him.
McLeary ended up finishing three shots behind Clement Sordet, who claimed his maiden victory at Galgorm Castle in front of a tournament crowd of more than 39,000.


Lund is the most popular study location in Sweden. The University offers one of the broadest ranges of programmes and courses in Scandinavia, based on cross-disciplinary and cutting-edge research. The compact university campus encourages networking and creates the conditions for scientific breakthroughs and innovations. The University has a distinct international profile, with partner universities in over 70 countries.
The establishment of the world-leading facilities MAX IV and ESS will have a major impact on future scientific and industrial development in both materials science and life science. MAX IV, which was inaugurated in June 2016, is the leading synchrotron radiation facility in the world, while the European research facility ESS will be the world's most powerful neutron source when it opens for research in 2023. Adjacent to these facilities, Science Village Scandinavia is also being developed into a meeting place and testing environment for research, education and entrepreneurship.
Tujuh grafik menunjukkan bahwa hari ini dunia semakin membaik dibandingkan era. sebelumnya dalam sejarah manusia. Perang berkurang drastis.
Rudolph Valentino and Agnes Ayres in The Sheik (1921).
Panned as rubbish when it was published in 1919, The Sheik spawned a legendary movie and hundreds of desert romances, despite its questionable central theme.
Una mirada a los datos clave muestra que el mundo está mucho mejor hoy que nunca antes en la historia, pero ya se sabe que las buenas noticias no son noticia.
Could the country now face a return to civil war?


French Montana is being sued for taking a 2012 beat off of Soundclick by the producer known as Hotwire.
"Ain't Worried About Nothin" appears on Montana's debut album Excuse My French. It lists Earl & E and Rico Love as its producers.


There's a whole new breed of exotic fruits below just waiting to tempt your taste buds. So go ahead & try some interesting choices!
"The avocado is a tree native to Mexico and Central America, classified in the flowering plant famil..


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Die Liste der Mannschaftskader der Extraliga (Tschechien, Schach) 1992/93 enthält alle Spieler, die in der tschechischen Extraliga im Schach 1992/93 mindestens einmal eingesetzt wurden mit ihren Einzelergebnissen.

Allgemeines

Insgesamt setzten die 10 Vereine 129 Spieler ein, von denen 27 keinen Wettkampf verpassten. Lokomotiva Olomouc kam mit 9 eingesetzten Spielern aus, während bei TJ Bohemians ZPA Čakovice und dem ŠK Vyšehrad die meisten Spieler mindestens eine Partie spielten, nämlich jeweils 16.

Erfolgreichster Spieler der Saison war Pavel Zpěvák (TJ Jiskra Staré Město), der 7 Punkte aus 9 Partien holte, je 6,5 Punkte aus 9 Partien erreichten Jaroslav Sobek (ŠK Baník CSA Karviná) und Pavel Vávra (TJ Bohemians ZPA Čakovice). Mit Georg Danner, Zdeněk Choleva (beide TJ Bohemians ZPA Čakovice), Jan Ambrož (TJ Slavia Hradec Králové) und Jiří Gregor (ŠK Vyšehrad) erreichten vier Spieler 100 %. Von diesen wurde Danner viermal eingesetzt, die übrigen genannten Spieler je einmal.

Legende

Die nachstehenden Tabellen enthalten folgende Informationen:

 Nr.: Ranglistennummer
 Titel: FIDE-Titel zu Saisonbeginn (Eloliste vom Juli 1992); GM = Großmeister, IM = Internationaler Meister, FM = FIDE-Meister, WGM = Großmeister der Frauen, WIM = Internationaler Meister der Frauen, WFM = FIDE-Meister der Frauen, CM = Candidate Master, WCM = Candidate Master der Frauen
 Elo: Elo-Zahl zu Saisonbeginn (Eloliste vom Juli 1992), sofern vorhanden
 Nation: Nationalität gemäß Eloliste vom Januar 1993; AUT = Österreich, BUL = Bulgarien, CZE = Tschechische Republik, GER = Deutschland, LAT = Lettland, POL = Polen, ROM = Rumänien
 G: Anzahl Gewinnpartien
 R: Anzahl Remispartien
 V: Anzahl Verlustpartien
 Pkt.: Anzahl der erreichten Punkte
 Partien: Anzahl der gespielten Partien
 Elo-Performance: Turnierleistung der Spieler mit mindestens 5 Partien
 Normen: Erspielte Normen für FIDE-Titel

TJ Bohemians ZPA Čakovice

TJ Dopravní podniky Prag

Lokomotiva Olomouc

TJ Slavia Hradec Králové

ŠK Baník CSA Karviná

ŠK Vyšehrad

ŠK Slavia Havířov

ŠK Lokomotiva Kolín

TJ Jiskra Staré Město

TJ TŽ Třinec

Anmerkungen

 Kampflose Siege sind in den Einzelbilanzen berücksichtigt, kampflose Niederlagen finden keine Berücksichtigung.

Weblinks
 Saisonübersicht bei olimpbase.org (englisch)

Extraliga (Tschechien, Schach)
Schach 1992
Schach 1993


One of the lightest single ropes on the market, the Beal Opera 8.5mm Unicore Golden Dry weighs in at a mere 48g per meter and its 8.5mm diameter reflects the brand's use of the most advanced technology.
The Opera boasts the latest UNICORE technology, which has, until now, been reserved for semi-static ropes. Beal has managed to bond together the sheath and the core so that there's no movement between the two and the sheath even stays in place if cut. Dynamic ropes with UNICORE technology swell less, are more flexible and durable and are easier to handle. The sheath is smoother than a classic rope and this reduces friction against the carabiner and facilitates rope recovery for clipping in. The result, is that climbers will feel as if they're using a much thinner and lighter rope that conserves all the advantages of a rope with a wider diameter.
Golden Dry treatment features all the same treatment characteristics of the Dry Cover but has an extra treatment on each filament of the inner core strands, which further enhances its resistance to water. This makes it the ideal choice for use in more extreme winter conditions, helping to prevent water absorption and ropes icing up. The Golden Dry treatment will therefore enhance the rope handling characteristics in wet/cold conditions and will also extend the lifespan of the rope.
The Opera 8.5mm also has a triple rating: as a single, half and twin rope. This is something that will greatly appeal to expert climbers and mountaineers who prioritise lightweight, smooth running ropes and, of course, safety. It is also an excellent choice for all those looking for a highly versatile rope for use on trad, mixed or snow climbs.
UIAA certified for water-repellency and with Thermo Fluid technology, which uses infrared treatment to reinforce the sheath fibers and achieve a more compact and manageable rope.
Each Beal rope has an Individual Identifcation Number which appears at the end and on the individual ID card. This guarantees its traceability.
Weight per meter: 48 g.
CE certified. EN 892 (Single, Half & Twin).
Use as Single rope: ≤ 12 kN.
Use as Half rope: ≤ 8 kN.
Use as Twin rope: ≤ 12 kN.
Use as Single rope: 7.4 kN (with 80 kg).
Use as Half rope: 5.5 kN ( with 55 kg/ 1 end).
Use as Twin rope : 8.8 kN ( with 80 kg/ 2 ends).
Use as Single rope: ≥ 5.
Use as Half rope: ≥ 5.
Use as Twin rope: ≥ 12.
Use as Single rope: 5 (with 80 kg).
Use as Half rope: 18 ( with 55 kg/ 1 end).
Use as Twin rope: 25 ( with 8º kg/ 2 ends).
Use as Single rope: 37%.
Use as Half rope: 32%.
Use as Twin rope: 29%.
Use as Single rope: 8.4%.
Use as Half rope: 8.4% (1 end).
Use as Twin rope: 5.1% (2 ends).
IMPORTANT: when used as a single rope, the Opera is not designed for all climbers and is not suitable for all devices: only expert climbers should belay with this rope, due to its narrow diameter. It will slide more quickly through classic devices and be more difficult to brake and it may even not work at all in certain automatic belay devices.
Customer Opinions "Opera GDry Unicore 8.5 mm x 60 m"
Me ha sorprendido gratamente. Utilizada en escalada en hielo y alpinismo. No absorbe nada de agua incluso estando horas en contacto con el hielo y nieve. Tiene un deslizamiento perfecto tanto para frenadas en caídas y vuelos y a la hora de dar cuerda en chapajes rápidos. Su tratamiento GoldenDry y antiarista un 10. Una Gran compra, como el servicio Barrabes.


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WGA Moves To Renegotiate Packaging Agreement With Talent Agents
Los Angeles On-Location Production Hit 5-Year Low In 2019
WGA; Association of Talent Agents
The WGA East and West have notified the Association of Talent Agents that they want to renegotiate their decades-old agreement covering packaging of TV series. "After months of member outreach, the WGA West board and WGA East council have voted unanimously to reopen the Guilds' 42-year-old agency agreement," the WGA West said in a email to its members.
To set a deadline for the talks, the guilds say they have sent the ATA a 12-month notice to terminate the existing deal – known as the Artists' Manager Basic Agreement. "We also made proposals that address the concerns members have discussed with us." The guilds held several membership meetings in recent months to gauge the members' interest in renegotiating the agreement.
WGA Members Urge Board To Divest From Companies That Support NRA
ATA executive director Karen Stuart said in a statement that she has received the guilds' "Notice of Election to Terminate" the deal but added: "It's unfortunate that the WGA has taken this step without ever having reached out to ATA to discuss any of the issues it raises in its proposals. That said, the ATA will do what it's always done: constructively engage in a dialogue with the Guild to address any legitimate concerns."
The terms and conditions of the current agreement will remain in effect through April 6, 2019, but the guilds seem determined to address concerns that packaging has gotten out of hand and poses more potential conflicts of interest than ever before.
Information packets handed out to guild members at the meetings say that 87% of the more than 300 series produced during the 2016-17 TV season were packaged by the agencies, and that "packaging is dominated by WME and CAA," which accounted for 79% of all the packaged series, in which the agencies bring together many elements of the shows, including the writers, directors, cast and financing.
The AMBA has never prevented agencies from packaging or holding ownership stakes in productions that employ their clients. Rather, it doesn't allow agents to take their 10% commissions on projects for which they are also receiving a packaging fee. Union leaders, however, believe that the big agencies are getting so fat off their packaging fees that representing writers is no longer their primary concern.
Packaging, however, isn't the only problem the guild is having with the agencies – they say that the agencies – and WME and CAA in particular – are also involved in a "conflict of interest" with respect to producing content. "WME and CAA are becoming active in content production, financing and distribution," with "projects set up at Netflix, Apple, Hulu, Amazon, and YouTube," the WGA told its members.
"Agencies are fiduciaries" under California and New York law, and in most other states as well, the guild says, "with full obligation to their clients, including the obligation to avoid any conflict of interest or to make any deals that benefit the agent at the client's expense."
The role of a fiduciary, the guild told its members, is "to represent the interest of a client, with a moral commitment to put the client first. A fiduciary is expected to refrain from acting for his private advantage or otherwise contrary to the interests of his client; the fiduciary should fully, without compromise, assert the complete and unmitigated interest of the client."
Artists' Manager Basic Agreement
Association of Talent Agents
NATPE Finds Syndie Sector Humming As Drew Barrymore, Nick Cannon Follow Kelly Clarkson, Tamron Hall Into The Arena


promotes contemporary art with an eclectic and inventive programming on emerging artists from all backgrounds.
Of course there has been the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay (where we queued in the rain for almost an hour to get in, as tourists do, we clearly don't have this problem in Australia) and the Pompidou Centre. After tweeting Musee du Quai Branly about their awesome program Electronic Naps I was invited by the lovely Sebastien Magro to view their exhibitions, talk about the collections and digital culture, gotta love twitter for this. (big thanks to Sebastien for taking the time to contact me and show me around).
Although I am in complete awe of the sense of history and the artworks inside the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay I must say I am drawn to the more experimental and slightly off the edge contemporary art venues and centres for culture, places that are mixing music, programming, outdoor culture and art in interesting ways. Thank you Paris for a great week!


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Binge And Purge
Week 19: It's the end of the purge as we know it (and I feel fine)
Wolf Parade
Binge And PurgeIn Binge And Purge, The A.V. Club's Josh Modell is going through his collection of 2,000 CDs, writing a bit about each artist, and then purging the unnecessary in the hopes of cutting that number in half by the end of 2016.
Wesley Willis: Wesley Willis is a Chicago legend for good reason: His massive frame was matched only by the joy he took in singing—and the mental illness that plagued him. It would be easy, especially in hindsight, to think that people listen to Willis' music to make fun of him, but in my experience that wasn't the case. His songs—pretty much all the same keyboard demo song, which he sang/talked over—were naïve and the very definition of "outsider art," but those who loved them genuinely seemed to be cheering for Willis. He sang about his favorite bands, his favorite venues, and the voices in his head that told him to do wrong. It was silly, but in a beautiful way.
I first met him in the early '90s on Clark Street in Chicago, and was the recipient almost immediately of one of his famous head butts. (He had a permanent mark on his forehead from giving them so frequently.) I interviewed him for Milk Magazine, and Eddie Vedder—also a Willis fan—once told me how much he liked the piece, because it captured the weird, circular conversations that Willis specialized in. Willis frequently stopped in at Atomic Records—once he showed up in a taxi and told us he had been kicked off the Greyhound between Green Bay and Chicago for "acting up." We got ahold of his doctor, who called in a prescription for us to pick up for him; in the meantime, he sat behind the front counter, drew some of his amazingly detailed pictures, and answered the phone for us. Out in the real world, he probably seemed like a scary menace. Those of us who knew him a little bit knew that he just needed a familiar place and face to get happy.
I once sort of co-authored a Wesley Willis song. (No, estate of Wesley Willis, I'm not trying to get a credit here!) He wanted to write a song about Atomic, and he called up and was looking for inspiration. He ended up with "This record store sells my CDs / A lot of people shop here to buy them," among other lines. That song does not appear on the Wesley Willis album Atomic Records, though there's a funny story behind that. He called the store one day and said, "If I named my new CD Atomic Records, would you buy 100 copies?" We of course said yes. The song appears on Drag Disharmony Hell Ride, alongside such classics as "Northwest Airlines" and "Veruca Salt." Wesley died back in 2003 of cancer, but his legend lives on. I'm keeping a select few discs—he put out 50, and I used to have many more—since they're all pretty much the same. Keeping three, purging two, and keeping the memories.
Wire: Here's a difficulty with this project, and I'm not really complaining: I'm standing here naked, in front of you all, admitting that I don't really care all that much about certain artists that are both generally accepted as "cool" (for whatever that's worth) and culturally important. So I confront something like the three-disc box set that houses the first three albums by post-punk pioneers Wire, which I admire and like, but really never listen to anymore. I know they're important, and I know they're good, but they're just taking up space on a shelf at this point. So I fare you well, and hope you, dear readers, understand that this project is much more about what's important to me than what's generally accepted as important by critics or the world at large. Those things sometimes intersect, sometimes not. Purging three.
The Wiseguys: And right after I let go of three discs that may have changed the direction of music, I'm keeping one that I just like because it's fun and clever. The Wiseguys were like the less-serious cousins of DJ Shadow and The Chemical Brothers, cutting and pasting sounds and beats into party-starters. Their music was almost certainly heard on TV commercials more than anywhere else. And their second album, The Antidote, is fun as hell. Keeping one.
Wolf Parade: Sometimes I'm pretty sure I love Wolf Parade—especially Apologies To The Queen Mary—and other times I'm not entirely sure. They're a band I don't listen to a lot, but every time I do, I feel like I should listen more. Am I getting wishy-washy toward the end of the alphabet? I'm keeping all three for now.
The Wombats: I really liked the Wombats record with "Let's Dance To Joy Division" on it—great song about a great band—but I haven't really kept up with them or dug deeper. They did a solid Undercover for us recently, though, so enjoy that! Purging one.
The Wonder Stuff: I loved The Wonder Stuff in the late '80s—I remember buying The Eight Legged Groove Machine at Mainstream Records in Milwaukee (on cassette, of course). But they were overtaken in my heart by Ned's Atomic Dustbin, who were roughly part of the same scene but never seemed as self-serious as The Wonder Stuff. There are some great songs in their early catalog—smart and sassy—but I never grab these records off the shelf anymore. Purging three.
Shannon Wright: I first saw Shannon Wright play on a bill with Eric Bachmann; they paired perfectly, since both were presenting their songs in their rawest forms. Wright had a weird light-up thing that music teachers used to use: She played an organ (or maybe it was an electric piano), and the display lit up with whatever notes she was playing. I'm just going to hang onto the record from that era, 1999's Flightsafety, though I celebrate her whole catalog, in its harrowing beauty. Keeping one, purging three.
Steven Wright: I'm torn, because I don't listen to Steven Wright's discs—I Have A Pony and I Still Have A Pony—often, but they're fantastic, and I feel like they're some of the stand-up that I should play for my son fairly early. Oh, and he's an incredible joke-teller. And why don't I have any George Carlin discs? Keeping two, for now.
Wunder: From the Boards Of Canada school, though with a bit of jazzy flair thrown in. I have fond memories of the one Wunder record I own—no idea if it's their only one—but I almost never listen to it. Purging one.
Wu-Tang Clan: Turning in my cred card again… I never listen to Wu-Tang Clan anymore. And there's only one to purge, so here it goes. Purging one.
Robert Wyatt: Robert Wyatt is a British musician who was in Soft Machine and other prog-leaning outfits that I have zero knowledge of. His 1997 album Shleep is gorgeous and weird, but not a go-to CD choice, so out it goes. Purging one.
Wye Oak: Wye Oak and The A.V. Club have a long history together that includes many, many fantastic appearances as part of our Undercover series, and our declaration that the duo's Civilian was the best record of 2011. (It totally was.) I actually wasn't sure if I'd have a copy of Civilian on the shelf, because I've given it away so many times. ("You don't have this? Take this one!") And of course the catalog goes deeper than that record, from 2007's If Children (which for some reason I don't have) to this year's odds-and-ends mini-album Tween. All excellent and worth your time. Keeping five.
X: Back when record companies were more generous, short albums were frequently released together on one disc. (For the longest time, Pixies' Surfer Rosa and Come On Pilgrim were sorta inseparable in that way.) That's the case with the only X disc I own, which features the band's classic first two albums, Los Angeles and Wild Gift—together they're only about 60 minutes of music, but it's powerful, tuneful punk that lives on in spite of one of its singer's total batshittedness of late. Los Angeles is 36 years old, but it sounds amazing. Keeping one.
Xiu Xiu: The world of Xiu Xiu is harrowing and emotional, and that's the point. The only record of theirs I own features a borderline-breakdown version of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" that's so raw it's uncomfortable to even hear—and that's not even frontman Jamie Stewart's own song. (He did once write a ditty called "Dear God, I Hate Myself.") So it's not for everyone, to put it mildly, but Xiu Xiu does push the boundaries of expression, and they've earned loyal, fragile fans because of it. But I don't bring this disc out much in my old age. Purging one.
Yabby You: I know very little about reggae, which is probably evident to anyone following along with this column. But there are a few things that have caught my ear over the years, including a collection by Yabby You called Jesus Dread. It's mellow (naturally) and particularly tuneful. And it's a lot about Jesus, which is a bit unusual for reggae (and he knew it). That's not necessarily a plus, just an observation. Anyway, this one will be a digital listen from now on, Yabby. Purging one.
Yeasayer: I'm a solid Yeasayer fan; I love the early tribal-twinged indie rock and especially Odd Blood, which is pitched even weirder and more electronic. But I rarely pull these discs out, and they don't have artwork anyway. To Spotify with you! Purging two.
Yo La Tengo: I'm really going to get my indie card revoked here, but I'm only a very casual Yo La Tengo fan. I'm much more likely to listen to one song at a time rather than a whole record, though that probably just means I'm doing it wrong. I think I ditched a few discs a while back, and I'm down to two—both great, but not essential when I'm out of room. Purging two.
Yo Majesty: I'll remember Yo Majesty as one of the greatest shows I ever saw at South By Southwest—an unofficial show at some off-the-beaten-path venue. The hip-hop trio—at least they were a trio then, before splintering—were unstoppable, fierce, and fun as hell. Christian? Check. Lesbian? Yup. Amazing? Twas. But none of that translates to the records, I'm afraid, which might be why the group faded away. Purging one.
Thom Yorke: I really like The Eraser, but this promo is in a little cardboard thing that gets lost on the shelf. But the record itself is just as good as much of the recent Radiohead output. Discuss. Purging one.
James Yorkston: Quiet Scottish troubadour. So quiet that I can't even hear it in my head. Purging one.
Neil Young: I consider myself a Neil Young fan, but I'm by no means a completist. I'm definitely in the typical late-'60s/early-'70s camp; On The Beach is my favorite, though I don't actually own it on CD. (Wait, I do—I have a bootleg in a thin pack in another box, purchased during that long period when it was shockingly unavailable.) All that said, I have a weird collection on disc. There's no reason I need Greendale or Living With War or even Unplugged, but I'm definitely keeping a bunch of classics. You know what's amazing? Live At Massey Hall 1971. Get that one. Keeping six, purging eight.
You Say Party: Canadian dance-rock. Doesn't necessarily live up to that name. Purging one.
Zero Zero: Guys from melodic hardcore band Lifetime laid down the guitars and picked up old synths. I remember liking this record, but just barely. Purging one.
The Zombies: Odessey And Oracle is one of those classic '60s albums that I try to get into every few years, but never quite get there. I think I can find this for a dollar (or on Spotify) next time I want to try. Sorry, psych-pop boosters! Purging one.
Zumpano: Before he was a New Pornographer, Carl Newman sang in the even purer-pop outfit Zumpano, which released two great albums in the mid-'90s. I'm a little surprised these records weren't reissued or at least re-pimped in the wake of the Pornographers' success—Goin' Through Changes is awesome. Keeping one, purging one.
That's the end of the alphabet! But there's more…
Another re-purgening: I went back through a week or so ago and pulled some more stuff that originally made the cut. Some of it is going into a box in a closet—you're going to hear about that box shortly—some of it is going out. A partial list: some Clem Snide CD singles and bootlegs, Big Tobacco's self-titled record, Death Cab For Cutie's The Open Door EP, Catherine Wheel's Wishville, David Bazan's Fewer Moving Parts, All Time Quarterback. It totaled another 30 purged. And I moved the Bee Gees box set to a different shelf. NOW YOU KNOW.
And now, some things that were at the end of the shelf but that aren't compilations or soundtracks.
Melba Comes Alive!: Is a prank-call disc that I barely remember—purging one.
Scharpling & Wurster: I own five discs of some of the greatest phone calls/radio comedy ever, but everything (I think) is included on the massive box set that Numero Group put out fairly recently. Rock, Rot & Rule is one of the funniest calls ever—it made the rounds on dubbed cassettes for years before it finally saw a release, and the goofy calls between Superchunk's drummer and a WFMU host became legendary. We interviewed Wurster for Milk way back when, in character, and I once played Scharpling's part—the exasperated straight man—on stage with Wurster at a SXSW party. A proud moment. Purging five. They're all in the box set, remember!
A Very Milky Christmas: I used to put on a Christmas concert every year, and in 2001 and 2002, those shows were acoustic affairs featuring sets from some of my favorite singers. I've got CD copies of all those sets, and for some reason I've got them together at the end of the alphabet. All great, and all great memories: 2001 was Eric Bachmann, Eef Barzelay, Josh and Eli Caterer, Dan Andriano, and Travis Morrison—he showed up and surprised us, and we made him get on stage. The next year was Bachmann, Barzelay, and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie. And of course Davey Von Bohlen of The Promise Ring played at all of these as well. Keeping seven.
Crank Yankers: I used to have two Crank Yankers discs. I don't know why. Purging two.
Kathy McGinty: More prank phone calls, this time from funny guy/artist/occasional rapper Derek Erdman. If I remember correctly, it's a recorded female voice tricking gross dudes into having phone sex. Haven't listened to it in ages, though. Purging one.
Celebrities… At Their Worst!: I must get this from my dad. These are discs full of celebrities freaking out, on set or in recording studios. It's ridiculous, and I'm a little embarrassed to own them, but I do love hearing Orson Welles talk about peas, or Dean Martin go blue when he thinks nobody's listening. These are going in a box in the closet, so technically I'm purging five.
Just Farr A Laugh: Last prank calls, I swear. These are awesome. Here, listen. Keeping one.
Compilations: I can't tell you about all of these individually, can I? There are loads of tributes, some '80s comps, a South Park thing, and more stuff I never, ever listen to. I'm purging 25 compilations, and keeping four that are just mix discs I made ages ago.
Soundtracks: I'm only keeping some ones you might be able to predict: The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, Reservoir Dogs, and Pulp Fiction. I'm a cliché. Keeping four, purging 11.
Classical: My parents met as members of the Dallas Symphony. My entire childhood my mom was a violinist in the Milwaukee Symphony. I grew up around a lot of classical music, which perhaps explains why I don't have much in my collection—just a handful of kind of obvious things, plus some Erik Satie. But I can listen to any of this stuff via Spotify (or even Pandora, where it can pick for me!). Purging six, keeping one of the Saties.
The tally: The grand total is 857 plus another 123 as this final heave-ho takes me to 980. This is not a failure, because my wife had about 50 discs on the bottom shelf, and she's purged about half of those. (This will not be a separate column, but keepers included The Housemartins, Third Eye Blind, and Morrissey, while Trembling Blue Stars and Phil Collins did not make the cut.) In other words, after moving a few things to a box in the closet, which is only sort of cheating, I DID IT. I mean, I knew I would, so maybe it's not that exciting. I'm just trying to put a really exciting exclamation point on this process, for both of us, really. Thanks for reading along with me and commenting. It's been fun. Bonus tracks below!
Personal Hall Of Fame (the discs that I'll take to the grave, maximum of one per artist): Wye Oak, Civilian; Neil Young, On The Beach; Eef Barzelay, A Very Milky Christmas 2001.
Bonus track—the skinny packs: If you've been following along this long, first of all, thanks again! It's been a fun project, and fun to interact with people—even those of you who think I'm crazy for having (or not having) something. So, in a closet, I've got a big box that has a few things in regular jewel cases that have sentimental value, like all the Adorable CD singles, a couple of autographed things, and Clem Snide bootlegs out the wazoo.
But also in this box is every disc I own that came in a skinny cardboard sleeve. Often those were promos, but also a bunch of CD singles and other random shit. Many of them are going right in the garbage, but there's some cool stuff in here. A short list of interesting things inside: the Band Of Horses tour EP; Boards Of Canada's Trans Canada Highway; some live Archers Of Loaf promos; some prank phone calls made by Scott Beschta of The Promise Ring and Erik Kowalski of Casino Versus Japan; Jeremy Enigk's The End Sessions; Fugazi's "Furniture" CD single; a couple of Grandaddy rarities comps; Neil Hamburger's 50 States 50 Laughs—featuring a joke for every state; the original Interpol EP along with a note from Daniel Kessler that says, "Josh, I have been saying forever how I wanted to send you my band Interpol's new recording, so here it is"; lots of Maritime demos, that great Modest Mouse live album…
Oh, here's a good one. Did I mention earlier that I did a remix once, for the band Pele? It's called "Your Mother Is Cold." I don't know how to remix anything. I did it with a borrowed four-track, a microphone, and a turntable. (And some help from my friend Mark Waldoch.) It samples a bunch of other weird shit and puts it on top of the drum and keyboard tracks from the original song, "The Faber." It appeared on a crazy, limited-edition remix disc called Emergency Room Egg, which features a hand-painted cardboard cover. I kind of like it still. I'll upload the remix for you (above), and the original song is below.
Finally, since you've come this far, I'll admit to you that I also put out another rap track, in addition to the one I did about The Dismemberment Plan. It's on a compilation disc called A Very Milky Christmas, which was for sale at our 2000 Christmas concert. I appear alongside The Dismemberment Plan, Alkaline Trio, and The Promise Ring, who all recorded Christmas songs for the show/comp. I rap (if you can call it that) about being half-Jewish on Christmas and being a badass. (Sample lyric: "Pissed off 'cuz I got ripped off / My holidays cut short, over too soon / Hanukkah's four days, and Christmas ends at noon!") This track has not made it to the internet as far as I can tell, and I'm not going to change that. Thanks for reading.
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