"The Perk of Being a Wallflower" is a short novel written in first person through the form of letters. The book follows the main character, Charlie, through his difficulty getting through the lost of two people he was really close with, as well as his first love. The book is written in such a way that you only know a very small part of what is going on in the main character's life. I find it an OK book, I feel like if you like following a teen and seeing how they deal with their life, this would be the book for you.
"The Perk of Being a Wallflower" has an interesting format when it comes to books. I haven't read many books, if any, that are written in letter form. This format doesn't allow to much insight into the character's life. The restrictive view defiantly leaves the reader the ability to imagine more of the story then the author might want.
I feel like the main character in this story doesn't evolve much, and remains very similar to the be beginning of the book until the very last letter. Now this may be due to the limitations of the format, but none of the characters seem to change much, except they go off to college. I'm certain that the limited change is due to the entire book being written in Charlie's view point, but I would have like there to have been much more character development.
Had this been an anime I would have referenced it as a slice-of-life and left it at that, but since this is a book review I feel the need to expand this thought. This book really just follows Charlie around through his life and what happens in his life. Similar to a slice-of-life, it is focused on one specific time and group of friends. The entire book is finished within a year, but there are gaps between the letters as time passes. Charlie's love story doesn't really play much of a role in this book, but that is probably due to him being a wallflower and analyzing everybody else.
This is really all that I have to say about this book. I may just be too old for this book but this book just wasn't for me.
I feel like the movie, though it cut a lot of parts of the book out, actually managed to expand on the story a little bit more. Since the book is written as a set of letters, the movie allow you to actually see what is going on around Charlie, other then what is written in the letter. Especially during the flash backs and the end of the book/movie. I much prefer the movie over the book, which is sad to say.


I first met Marli Atterton through my job at Zomp Shoez many years ago. She made such a lasting impression on me. She was (and still is) one of the most stylish girls I have ever laid eyes on. She moved to Melbourne around 5 years ago, and I hadn't seen her since she had left. It was so amazing seeing her, it didn't feel as if we hadn't seen each other in that long a time. Marli has such a great eye, so I knew Slow Waves would be incredible. Slow Waves' vibe and the labels it stocks makes it very unique – there really isn't any other store doing anything similar in Australia. Marli's Slow Waves also shares the space with Verner – a popular Melbourne label by designer Ingrid Verner.
> Please tell us a bit about Slow Waves; what is it all about and what inspired its beginning?
I had been on a holiday overseas around the beginning of 2014, and when I returned to Melbourne I found that my job was made redundant. The company I had worked for was pretty sketchy and I was over being screwed around, so I took some time out just to figure out the next step.
I think I might have been drunk when the idea of opening a store first came to me, but it didn't go away, so I started to seriously think about whether I could pull it off or not.
> You have an amazing eye! Are there any brands in particular that you're most excited about having?
There are so many great labels my friends and I like and wear, some of them are known to most people, others are a bit less familiar.
I know I have taken a risk with some of the labels, prices and even my buying style, but I'm just trying to get that low-high balance right, that's super important to me. The vibe in the store is pretty chill, some of the pieces I have in stock are pretty up there in price, but I don't want people to feel pressured or unwelcome if they're just having a look.
I fully support all of the labels I have 100%, I love them all for different reasons, but I'm really hoping people respond well to Ambush from Japan and KYE from Korea. These two brands are so massive overseas, Ambush in particular, but for some reason are fairly unknown in Australia.
> Your recent buying trip to Paris – any highlights?
I have just gotten back from a buying trip in Paris, my stay was short and hectic but I love Paris. I really enjoy going to showings, I love seeing a collection in full and seeing what's next.
The only fash bash I went to was the cocktail reception for Faustine Steinmetz, to celebrate bring shortlisted for the LVMH price. It was fun, they had an amazing cake that was a pair of jeans, and I met Faustine for the first time, who was lovely.
> What can we expect to see next season at Slow Waves?
For next season I'm really excited about the collections coming in to Slow Waves, we are keeping all the labels we opened with, we have a new jewellery label from a Korean designer based in Milan coming, and hopefully our first menswear label.


text:
Labnotes: Experiments in Chemistry and Jazz
Hal Harris | Thu, 04/01/1999 - 00:00
Jazz pianist Don Asher earned a baccalaureate degree in chemistry from Cornell University before finding a career in jazz and writing. In this memoir, he describes episodes from his years at Cornell and two of the most unpleasant jobs in chemistry that one could could imagine: synthesizing aryl sulfonates from benzyl mercaptan and monitoring the contents of vats of seaweed in a processing plant. The pressures of these unappetizing positions while avoiding service in the Korean War eventually led to a nervous breakdown. I wouldn't use this piece as a recruiting brochure for chemistry, but his descriptions of chemical reactions definitely ring true, and his affection for the science is obvious. Happily for us all, Mr. Asher surrendered to the jazz siren that had been tugging at his sleeve through these years, and Cornell obviously taught him something about writing as well as chemistry. This whole essay is online at the Harper's archive.
Pick Link:
Pick Attribution:
Don Asher
Publisher/Company Link:
Hal Harris
University of Missouri - St. Louis
Highlighted Pick
Numbers Guy: Are our brains wired for math?
Online Activity: Chemical Kinetics and the "Radium Girls"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Terrorist threatens leader along with entire Russian population: "You will not find peace in your homes."
ISIS released new video footage on Wednesday of the beheading of an alleged Russian spy. The video included a direct message for Russian President Vladimir Putin, threatening every Russian citizen, according to a report by Fox News.
In the video, the alleged Russian spy confessed to his crimes in a darkened room, claiming to be working on behalf of Russian intelligence to gather information on the Islamic State militants, specifically those of Russian origin, and jihadis in the area.
The video then moved on to the scene of the murder which took place outside near a body of water. The video showed the Russian prisoner in a bright orange jumpsuit with a knife wielding ISIS militant standing behind him.
"Here today, on this blessed land, the battle [against Russia] begins," the militant says in Russian.
The terrorist explained in the short video that the airstrikes ordered by Putin against ISIS only made the terrorist group realize that "we are doing the right thing," and will continue in their fight.
The ISIS terrorist continued on to threatened the entire Russian population.
"You will not find peace in your homes. We shall kill your children for every child you've killed here," he said. "And we will destroy your homes for each home you destroyed here," he continued, brandishing his knife.
The president of Russia's Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov, said on Thursday that whoever was responsible for the beheading of a Russian man from Chechnya, purportedly shown on an Islamic State video, will be killed.
"Yes, he was Russian-Chechen, he was beheaded .. there are proven facts," Kadyrov told journalists. "Whoever killed that man ... won't live for long."
The video came in response to President Vladimir Putin's decision to intensify Russia's air strikes on Islamist militants in Syria following the October attack on a Russian passenger jet over Egypt that left 224 passengers and crew members dead. The attack was claimed by an ISIS affiliate group operating in the Sinai.
Ordering the country's secret service to hunt down those responsible for blowing up the plane, Putin said at the time that the effort to bring them to justice should be exhaustive.
"We will search for them everywhere, wherever they are hiding. We will find them anywhere on the planet and punish them," Putin said.


text:
Cephalops abditus är en tvåvingeart som först beskrevs av Hardy 1949.  Cephalops abditus ingår i släktet Cephalops och familjen ögonflugor. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Ögonflugor
abditus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The Innovator's Dilemma, a 1997 book by Harvard professor Clayton Christensen, made the point that successful companies can lose their way when they pay too much attention to legacy products and not enough attention to new stuff. They are making so much money they either don't see a competitor rising up or are too complacent to feel threatened. In either case the incumbent generally loses and the upstart (usually one of many) generally wins. The best way for successful companies to avoid this problem is by inventing the future before their competitors do.
Some readers have asked me for a post on the new Apple iPhones announced yesterday. I'll get to that in time but prefer to do so when I actually have an iPhone 5S in my hands because I have a very specific column in mind. And no, it's not the column you think it is. But this is still a good time to write something about Apple in general, which is how Cupertino appears to now stand at a crossroads.
A couple weeks ago when Google introduced its Chromecast HDMI dongle I wrote a column wondering whether it was really such a good product or simply good demoware? Now that I have my own Chromecast and have been playing with it for a few days I have to admit I was wrong. Chromecast appears to be every bit as good as Google claims. That's not to say it's perfect (more below) but pretty darned good.


text:
#nullable disable
using PasPasPas.Globals.Parsing;

namespace PasPasPas.Parsing.SyntaxTree.Standard {

    /// <summary>
    ///     simple pascal identifier
    /// </summary>
    public class IdentifierSymbol : StandardSyntaxTreeBase {

        /// <summary>
        ///     identifier symbol
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="identifierSymbol"></param>
        public IdentifierSymbol(Terminal identifierSymbol)
            => Symbol = identifierSymbol;

        /// <summary>
        /// symbol
        /// </summary>
        public Terminal Symbol { get; }

        /// <summary>
        ///     identifier value
        /// </summary>
        public string Value
            => Symbol.Value;

        /// <summary>
        ///     accept visitor
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="visitor">visitor</param>
        public override void Accept(IStartEndVisitor visitor) {
            visitor.StartVisit(this);
            AcceptPart(this, Symbol, visitor);
            visitor.EndVisit(this);
        }

        /// <summary>
        ///     symbol length
        /// </summary>
        public override int Length
            => Symbol.GetSymbolLength();

    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


 Micks Garage Voucher Codes and Current Promotions for micksgarage.co.uk.
If you are looking for voucher codes and other discounts and offers for Micks Garage, then you have come to the right place. You will find a list of the latest promotions available to use at micksgarage.co.uk below. Click to reveal the available voucher codes and micksgarage.co.uk will handily open too so you can make your discounted purchase in an easy and hassle free way.
Check for the latest Micks Garage offers.
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You can go to MicksGarage.com when you are in need of products, tools, equipment, and other parts for your car. Their online shop, micksgarage.com has products that are categorised as car parts, car accessories, car care, car tools, car travel and leisure, and baby/ child travel. They started in 2004 and have grown to be the largest car parts and accessories online retailer in the UK and Ireland. They have over 1,500,000 car parts and accessories that can be found on their site and they offer these products in different high quality and top of the line brands such as Bosch, Bosal, Irimo & Exide, Quinton Hazell, Wix, Total, Philips and Mechanix to name a few. You can shop online with the use of your Visa, Visa Electron, Visa Debit, PayPal, One4all, MasterCard or Maestro. Should you have any question or inquiries you can contact them through mail at info@micksgarage.com or call them at +44 (0) 2476 998425.
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We concentrate all our efforts on listing the latest voucher codes and discounts for a select few of the UK's most loved stores. As Micks Garage is one of the handpicked stores that we have selected to add to Fliggo, it means that we are devoting our energies to providing you with deals that you will love. If you are one of the many people in the UK that loves to shop at micksgarage.co.uk, then checking for the latest discounts here can save you a fortune.
If saving money is not important to you, then you must have won the Euromillions jackpot. For the rest of us however, we want our money to go as far as possible. This means that rather than having to spend all our available cash on the essentials, we will be able to afford the little luxuries in life, such as holidays, handbags, shoes and nice meals. Finding a great promo code for Micks Garage is not only satisfying as you will know you have not paid full price for your order, but it can also help you to enjoy life more as it will make your pennies go further.
Our handpicked stores all have great exchange and refund policies, and Micks Garage is no exception. Many of our stores deliver not just in the UK, but also worldwide. There are also often deals available entitling you to free delivery or free express delivery from many of our stores.


text:
Duncan: Replacing LaFontaine won't be easy task
The Wichita Falls Wildcats will soon be hiring another coach.
Good luck to whoever replaces John LaFontaine.
And not for why you might think.
Sure, LaFontaine accomplished feats no hockey coach ever has in Wichita Falls. One of the most telling stats of his two-year tenure was that his teams finished 56 games over .500 during the regular season.
No other coach left Wichita Falls with a winning record. The franchise was 28 games below .500 in its first 10 years before LaFontaine's arrival.
Have fun trying to replicate that. LaFontaine will be the first guy to tell you he doesn't deserve the credit, and there's no doubt the talent Paul Baxter helped recruit allowed him to flourish.
Following up LaFontaine won't be easy after his record-setting two years. Whoever gets that chance will have an even more difficult time succeeding the Michigan native off the ice.
I've probably dealt with a couple hundred coaches at this job during the past 13 years. I've built good relationships will almost all of them and great relationships with a few.
I've written before that coaching is a selfless profession that generally attracts a quality group of people. Of course there's a bad apple every now and then, but I think highly of these molders of young minds.
So when I write John LaFontaine is the most genuine and remarkable coach I've worked with, those words don't come lightly.
Most coaches will be very approachable for an interview after a game, regardless of outcome. LaFontaine would always check to see if I needed him before he addressed the team, a courtesy I never accepted but still appreciated.
Most coaches will chat with my small children while hanging around a locker room while I conduct interviews.
LaFontaine once retrieved a Wildcats hockey puck from his office to deliver to my son for his birthday even though he was already running late for practice. He'd let my daughter color on his dry-erase board while I asked him questions.
Most coaches would let me travel with their team on a bus, even if it's a last-minute decision and the ride is an overnight haul leaving from the Minneapolis suburbs.
LaFontaine sprawled out on the ground so I could stretch my legs out across the seats since I was sitting across the aisle from him on that charter bus (I found out this — one guy high, one guy low — is standard procedure for overnight-traveling junior hockey teams). Coach even picked up the tab on my snacks and Gatorade at a remote Iowa gas station.
LaFontaine didn't do these things to try to gain favor with someone who covers his hockey team. He did them because that's the kind of generous Christian man he is. He doesn't just talk the talk, he walks it as well.
When I told my older two kids Wednesday that LaFontaine wasn't going to be the Wildcats' hockey coach anymore, they were bummed. I'm sure they weren't the only people in Wichita Falls with that reaction.
When I pulled over in my van to scribble down LaFontaine's words when he called me back that night, the kids yelled from the back seat 'tell him we say bye.' Saying farewell to Wichita Falls wasn't easy for LaFontaine, either.
'It's just a great city and great people,' LaFontaine said. 'It felt like home in my short time here. I feel like I have lifelong friends in Wichita Falls. It was not easy to leave.'
And it's not going to be easy for LaFontaine to be replaced, either.


text:
Arab-Israeli Conflict Uncategorized
Saudi Prince gives millions to Harvard and Georgetown
Editorial Staff December 14, 2005
Harvard University and Georgetown University each announced Monday that they had received $20 million donations from Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, a Saudi businessman and member of the Saudi royal family, to finance Islamic studies. The prince was fifth on the Forbes 400 list of wealthy people this year, with a fortune of $23.7 billion.
In October 2001, then New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani returned a $10 million check from the prince after a news release quoted the prince as calling on the American government to "re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stance toward the Palestinian cause."
Being the intelligent man that he is, Giuliani refused the check and told the arab to shove it where the koran don't shine.
Alwaleed Bin TalalArab lobbyFunding Islamic studies on American campusesMuslim lobby
The Promise of Democratic Peace – Condoleezza Rice (Washington Post)
Israeli Nano-Armor: Protecting the Soldiers of Tomorrow


Find your direct lender online for "Empirefinance Com Contact Info" Have you ever considered using a pawnshop in order to get money? You will probably heard of this process. You show up at the store, provide them with merchandise you want to sell, and they will offer you money for it cash on the spot. Others may allow you to bring in valuable merchandise as collateral. They will then provide you with a loan for a very high interest rate. However, there are businesses that are much more reasonable, and easier to work with. This is definitely what you will have if you decide to work with the EmpireFinance cash company. Get loan today at Empirefinance Com Contact Info.
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If you reach a pawnshop, you will see a large number of items they have purchased through the years. These will probably be available for sale. It might be everything from jewelry to tools, and electronic equipment. These are just some of the various items that you will observe inside an average pawnshop. When you visit one of these brilliant pawn shops, it will probably be similar. However, these are going to present you a greater dollar value for that merchandise that you simply bring in. If you need a loan, you are able to speak to them regarding a loan they will be willing to provide as long as you have some kind of collateral to give them.
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LUMBERYARD, formerly known as the American Dance Institute, is a leading-edge arts center offering residencies to performance artists, as well as events and performances that are open to the public. Located in Catskill, NY, LUMBERYARD is the first place in the U.S. designed to allow artists to explore their creation, to test, experiment and bring their vision to life immediately before premiere.
The LUMBERYARD contemporary performing arts center hosts technical residences for performance artists who need access to a theater, studio, event space, production staff, and more to bring their vision to life. The benefit of the center is that artists-in-residence can live, eat, even do their laundry, right at the center.
In addition to its performing arts facilities, LUMBERYARD is a Qualified Film Production (QFP) facility, which allows film production companies to utilize the center's spaces for filming and post production. Most recently, John Krasinski's directorial debut A Quiet Place was filmed in the area. Lumberyard Studios features a purpose-built sound stage offering 12,000 square feet of production space, state-of-the-art acoustics, and on-site accommodations just two hours from Midtown Manhattan.


text:
Athens (706) 567-6151
Madison (706) 343-4043
Watkinsville (706) 310-0324
Biologic Treatments
Dr. Wingate
Harry "Tripp" Wingate, MD, FACEP
Dr. Wingate is a Georgia native who has been a member of the Oconee community for a number of years. Dr. Wingate is a 1984 cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a 1988 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine. Dr. Wingate is a 1990 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia Family Practice Residency Program and holds board certifications in both Family Practice and Emergency Medicine. Dr. Wingate has over 25 years of experience in emergency medicine and family practice and is the founder and associate editor of the Journal of Rural Emergency Medicine and past chair of the American College of Emergency Physicians section of rural emergency medicine. Dr. Wingate has held numerous leadership positions in professional organizations nationally and in rural hospitals throughout northeast Georgia. Dr. Wingate and his wife Ann are the parents of ten children, live in Watkinsville and are proud to be part of a vibrant and growing community.
Jeff Chambers
PA-C
Jeff Chambers
Jeff is a Rome, Georgia native who has lived in Oconee area for over 25 years. Jeff is a 1991 graduate of the University of Georgia with a BSeD in Exercise Science/Sports Medicine, a 1998 graduate of the University of Georgia Graduate School with a MeD in Health Promotion, and a 2000 graduate of the Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program with an MMSC. Jeff has worked in both emergency medicine and orthopedics over the past 17 years and holds board certifications in primary care medicine and a certificate of added qualification in general surgery and orthopedic surgery. Jeff's experience prior to physician assistant school included serving as an athletic trainer for the University of Georgia, the Minnesota Twins and numerous years with local high school athletic teams. Jeff currently serves as a Lt. Col. in the United States Air Force Air National Guard with the 187th Fighter Wing and has extensive medical training in trauma as the executive officer of the Alabama Air National Guard's CERFP disaster team. Jeff and his wife Jennifer have three boys in the Oconee school system and are proud to be part of the Oconee community.
John Campbell, PA-C
John received his master degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Emory University in Atlanta. John became interested in Sports Medicine after suffering a collegiate sports ending knee injury and decided to enter the field of sports medicine. While serving as an athletic trainer for the University of Central Missouri, John graduated with honors receiving a bachelor's degree in fitness/wellness and a masters degree in Sports and Exercise Science. While at Central, he was the head graduate assistant athletic trainer for baseball, wrestling and volleyball and assisted other trainers in football, basketball, track and sports rehabilitation. While at Emory, John was able to work in many different facets of medicine including emergency medicine, pediatrics and orthopedics. John currently volunteers his services to the ARC Disaster Services to help boost efforts to help individuals and families in need of assistance during difficult and trying times. He is a member of the Air National Guard training with a search and rescue medical group in Alabama. John's areas of interest include family medicine, sports medicine, orthopedic trauma and pediatric care. He and his wife, Ivy, are parents of 2 children, a boy and a girl.
Kara Whyte
Kara Whyte, PA-C
Kara Whyte is a Physician Assistant certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) since 1994. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wagner College, while concurrently earning her certificate of completion from Bayley Seton Hospital PA program in Staten Island, New York. For the past 25 years, Kara has worked in Family Practice, College Health, Interventional Radiology and Neurosurgery prior to joining the Urgent Care of Oconee. She was raised in Connecticut, went to school in New York and has happily spent her entire career in the south. Kara enjoys time laughing with her husband Brad as they venture into life with two children in college.
Natalie Moseley
Natalie Mosley, PA-C
Natalie is from Springfield, MO, however, she has lived all over the world, including Africa. Natalie made Georgia her home 20 years ago. She earned her undergraduate degree from Georgia College and State University and her Physician Assistant Master's Degree from the Medical College of Georgia. Natalie previously worked in Orthopedic Surgery Primary Care and Emergency Medicine. Her interests include music, reading, hiking, camping and traveling. Natalie is an avid gardener. She volunteers her time with ACC-SANE, which is an organization that specializes in helping victims of sexual assault.
Mary Allice Gallant
Mary Alice Gallant - PA-C
Mary Alice is from Southeast Georgia. She has a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Georgia Southern University. Mary Alice went on to earn her Master's of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from the Medical University of South Carolina. She has an extensive background in Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine and Internal Medicine. Mary Alice and her husband are devoted to running a homestead and homeschooling their three children. In her spare time, she loves to travel to new places.
Crystal Cotrell
Crystal Cotrell PA-C
Crystal received her Masters Degree of Physician Assistant from Medical College of Georgia. Prior to MCG, she graduated from Lagrange College in Biology as a collegiate athlete playing softball. Crystal's areas of interest are orthopedics and family medicine. She has been practicing medicine for over 14 years. Crystal loves practicing medicine and helping others. She is married to Steve Cotrell, Commerce High School Baseball coach, and they have 4 children. They love to travel and camp as a family.
Joe Hwang
Joe Hwang, PA-C
Joe grew up in Huntsville, Alabama. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology with a Minor in Clarinet Performance. Joe earned a Master of Education in Physical Activity and Health. While attending Auburn University, he met his wife, Sarah. Joe worked in three different hospital systems as a medical laboratory scientist, with a focus on hematology and blood banking. In 2016 he moved to Atlanta to attend Mercer University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Public Health and Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies and received the Distinguished Graduate Award for his PA cohort. Joe's current hobby is powerlifting, and he holds over a dozen national records and four world records. His best lift is a 584lb deadlift at 163lb body weight. Joe is a prolific board gamer, with Settlers of Catan and chess intramural championships under his belt. He is also undefeated (3-0) in university talent shows. His favorite book series is the Color series by Ted Dekker. Joe enjoys anything to do with Winshape Camps, mission trips, and working with the children's ministry at his local church.
Emily Hunt
Emily Hunt - PA-C
Emily Hunt was born in Athens, GA. At the age of 6 her family moved to Rochester, Minnesota where she spent most of her youth. During her adolescence and twenties, Emily was active in participating and teaching marital arts. She achieved her second-degree black belt in 2002 and fought competitively winning the National Championship in Women's fighting in 2002. She enjoyed spending her time mountaineering, back packing, snowboarding, canoeing and river rafting. Her most memorable adventure was a two-month back packing expedition in the Yukon Territory in Canada.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Biomedical Sciences with minors in chemistry, art and history. In 2010, Emily graduated from Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke, Virginia with her master's in medical science as a Physician Assistant. During her time in graduate school, she continued to hike and enjoy the outdoors.
After practicing Pain Management in Phoenix, Arizona for 2 years and working Emergency Medicine for 4 years in rural California, Emily returned to Georgia in 2016 to be closer family. Once back in Georgia she continued her career in Emergency Medicine in the greater Atlanta area for 3 years. She then joined the Urgent Care of Oconee team in early 2019.
Emily enjoys adopting rescue dogs and continues to work in medicine so she can support this habit. She frequently jokes that she may never be able to retire secondary to ongoing vet bills.
In her free time, she enjoys gourmet cooking, throwing dinner parties, yearly hiking trips out West, trips to the beach, running 5ks, traveling internationally and spending time with her family, dogs and friends.
Emily is excited to be back in her home state of Georgia and is pleased to be serving the local community.
Joseph Alfera
Joseph Alfera PA-C -
Joseph "Joey" Alfera is from Annapolis, Maryland. He graduated from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. In 2019, Joey gradated with his Master's in Health Science and Certificate of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Maryland Baltimore. Joey worked in Oncology/Hematology before joining the Urgent Care of Oconee. He has a special interest in Orthopedics, Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Rural Medicine.
In his free time, he likes to build furniture and house renovating. Joey's hobbies include hiking, running, paddle boarding and Disc Golf.
X-Ray Technologist
Jennifer Jones - X-Ray Technologist
Jennifer is from Monroe, Georgia. She graduated from the Radiography Program at Athens Technical College in 2018. Jennifer joined the Urgent Care of Oconee team in September of 2018. She is married and has three daughters and a nine-month-old grandson. Jennifer loves being with her family, going to the beach or lake and watched the Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Braves.
Harry Wingate
Harry Wingate - X-Ray Technologist
Harry Wingate IV is a Georgia native, graduating from North Oconee High School in 2007. He served in the Army National Guard for six years and graduated in 2015 from the Athens Technical College Radiography program. Harry loves watching the Georgia Bulldogs with family and friends.
Amanda Manion
Front Desk and Medical Assistant
Amanda Manion - Front Desk and MA
Amanda is a Georgia native. She graduated from a local high school and furthered her education at Gwinnett Tech. She holds a certificate as EMT-I and Medical Assistant. Amanda has over 6 years of experience in the medical field and hopes to continue her education to become a registered nurse. Amanda's largest achievements are becoming a wife to her loving husband and mother to her free-spirited child.
Ashley Milligan
Ashley is from Madison, Georgia. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She has several years of experience in customer service. Ashley enjoys traveling, hiking, and loving on her dogs in her spare time.
Michelle Fletcher
Michelle Fletcher - Front Desk
Michelle is a Georgia native from McDonough. Michelle began her career as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines before working part time and raising her children. She has served our community through teaching at First Presbyterian Preschool and volunteering at her church and in her children's school.
Vanessa Cartwright
Vanessa Cartwright- Front Desk
Vanessa is from Canton, Georgia. She has lived in Athens for the past eleven years. She is working in her degree in Biology from the University of Georgia. She has six years of experience in customer service. Vanessa loves spending time with her family and spending time outdoors with her two dogs.
Aimee Felton
Aimee Felton - Billing and Front Desk Coordinator
Aimee has 9 years of experience in the medical office setting and a true passion for patient care. She was born and raised in Athens and loves spending time outdoors with her family.
Jennifer Chambers
Jennifer Chambers - Practice Manager
She is originally from Roswell, Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia with a BBA. She has worked in franchising, informational technology and software development and then in ministry at Athens First United Methodist church working with children. She and Jeff settled in Oconee County where they have raised their 3 boys who are an eighth grader, freshman, and senior. They feel very blessed to be a part of this wonderful community and now able to serve it here at Urgent Care of Oconee.
2061 Experiment Station Rd., Suite 505
1680 Eatonton Highway
frontdesk@urgentcareofoconee.com
2375 W. Broad St. Suite. G
Athens GA 30606
Watkinsville and Athens Hours
Madison Hours
Sunday: 10:00am - 6:00pm
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Q: How do I store an intermediate convolutional layer's result in tensorflow for later processing? The image below describes the output before the application of a max-pooling layer of a single intermediate filter layer of a CNN.
I want to store the co-ordinates of the pixel with intensity 4(on the bottom right of the matrix on the LHS of the arrow) as it is in the matrix on the LHS of the arrow. That is the pixel at co-ordinate (4,4)(1 based indexing)in the right matrix is the one which is getting stored in the bottom right cell of the matrix on the RHS of the arrow, right. Now what I want to do is to store this co-ordinate value (4,4) along with the co-ordinates for the other pixels {(2,2) for pixel with intensity 6, (2, 4) for pixel with intensity 8 and (3, 1) for pixel with intensity 3} as a list for later processing. How do I do it in Tensorflow.
Max pooling done with a filter of size 2 x 2 and stride of 2

A: You can use tf.nn.max_pool_with_argmax (link).
Note:

The indices in argmax are flattened, so that a maximum value at
  position [b, y, x, c] becomes flattened index ((b * height + y) *
  width + x) * channels + c.

We need to do some processing to make it fit your coordinates.
An example:
import tensorflow as tf
import numpy as np

def max_pool_with_argmax(net,filter_h,filter_w,stride):
    output, mask = tf.nn.max_pool_with_argmax( net,ksize=[1, filter_h, filter_w, 1],
                                            strides=[1, stride, stride, 1],padding='SAME')

    # If your ksize looks like [1, stride, stride, 1]
    loc_x = mask // net.shape[2]
    loc_y = mask % net.shape[2]
    loc = tf.concat([loc_x+1,loc_y+1],axis=-1) #count from 0 so add 1

    # If your ksize is all changing, use the following
    # c = tf.mod(mask,net.shape[3])
    # remain = tf.cast(tf.divide(tf.subtract(mask,c),net.shape[3]),tf.int64)
    # x = tf.mod(remain,net.shape[2])
    # remain = tf.cast(tf.divide(tf.subtract(remain,x),net.shape[2]),tf.int64)
    # y = tf.mod(remain,net.shape[1])
    # remain = tf.cast(tf.divide(tf.subtract(remain, y), net.shape[1]),tf.int64)
    # b = tf.mod(remain, net.shape[0])
    # loc = tf.concat([y+1,x+1], axis=-1)
    return output,loc

input = tf.Variable(np.random.rand(1, 6, 4, 1), dtype=np.float32)
output, mask = max_pool_with_argmax(input,2,2,2)

with tf.Session() as sess:
    sess.run(tf.global_variables_initializer())
    input_value,output_value,mask_value = sess.run([input,output,mask])
    print(input_value[0,:,:,0])
    print(output_value[0,:,:,0])
    print(mask_value[0,:,:,:])

#print
[[0.20101677 0.09207255 0.32177696 0.34424785]
 [0.4116488  0.5965447  0.20575707 0.63288754]
 [0.3145412  0.16090539 0.59698933 0.709239  ]
 [0.00252096 0.18027237 0.11163216 0.40613824]
 [0.4027637  0.1995668  0.7462126  0.68812144]
 [0.8993007  0.55828506 0.5263306  0.09376772]]
[[0.5965447  0.63288754]
 [0.3145412  0.709239  ]
 [0.8993007  0.7462126 ]]
[[[2 2]
  [2 4]]

 [[3 1]
  [3 4]]

 [[6 1]
  [5 3]]]

You can see (2,2) for pixel with intensity 0.5965447, (2, 4) for pixel with intensity 0.63288754 and so on.

A: Let's say you have the following max-pooling layer:
pool_layer= tf.nn.max_pool(conv_output,
                           ksize=[1, 2, 2, 1],
                           strides=[1, 2, 2, 1],
                           padding='VALID')

you can use:
max_pos = tf.gradients([pool_layer], [conv_output])[0]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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John Winston Howard OM, AC, SSI (ur. 26 lipca 1939 w Sydney) – australijski polityk, premier Australii w latach 1996-2007.

Życiorys
Ukończył studia na Uniwersytecie w Sydney z tytułem magistra prawa w 1961.

Z Partią Liberalną związany od 18 roku życia, był jej przywódcą w latach 1985-1989 oraz 1995-2007. Przez większość swojej kariery politycznej Howard znany był jako "Honest John" ("Uczciwy John").

W 2001 został laureatem Nagrody Erniego za wyrażenie opinii, iż w Australii nie ma kobiety godnej piastowania stanowiska gubernatora generalnego.

Był 25. premierem państwa od powstania Australii. Utrzymał fotel premiera po wyborach w 1998, 2001 i 2004. Był drugim po Robercie Menziesie najdłużej sprawującym ten urząd w historii Australii. Howard zdobył wcześniej duże doświadczenie w rządzie jak i opozycji.

Doprowadził do wprowadzenia 1 października 1996 r. programu wykupu broni po wartości rynkowej – skupiono 640 tys. sztuk broni. Po trwającym rok okresie przejściowym posiadanie wielu rodzajów broni stało się nielegalne. Działa Howarda były reakcją na masakrę z 26 kwietnia 1996 r., w której zginęło 35 osób, a 23 zostały ranne.

Wybory parlamentarne w październiku 2004, kiedy Partia Liberalna zyskała przewagę w obu izbach parlamentu, uczyniły z Johna Howarda najbardziej uznanego polityka ostatnich lat. W przegranych przez partię Liberalną wyborach w 2007 Howard nie dostał się do Parlamentu przegrywając z walkę o mandat poselski z Maxine McKew, byłą dziennikarką i kandydatką z ramienia partii laburzystowskiej. Po przegranych wyborach wycofał się z polityki.

W 2005 roku został odznaczony Gwiazdą Wysp Salomona.

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne
 John Howard w National Archives of Australia (ang.)

Premierzy Australii
Członkowie Izby Reprezentantów Australii
Odznaczeni Orderem Australii
Odznaczeni Orderem Zasługi (Wielka Brytania)
Odznaczeni Prezydenckim Medalem Wolności
Odznaczeni Gwiazdą Wysp Salomona
Laureaci Nagrody Erniego
Urodzeni w 1939
Ludzie urodzeni w Sydney


Soon to be fourteen year old Redmond began snowboarding at age two. He quickly learned as the sixth of seven children that if he didn't keep up, he'd be left behind. It's not always easy in a family of nine to get attention. Dirtbikes, bicycles and snowboards were Red's saving grace. But living in Cleveland didn't allow for a whole lot of snowboarding. It wasn't until the winter of 07-08, when Redmond's mom's love for the mountains could wait no longer, that the family decided on a trial move to Breckenridge. Here seven year old Redmond got his chance to hone in on snowboarding. Unfortunately, back and forth moves didn't help his cause, but when back in Cleveland there was always the living room stairs to ride.
Since then Red has been fortunate to get help from his sponsors, Burton, Red Bull, Von Zipper, Woodward at Copper, High Cascade Snowboard Camp, ProTec, Celtek, Cobra Dogs, Stance and Hobo. Red was recently asked to join the US Olympic Rookie Team and is looking forward to meeting new challenges!


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Three new iPhones are out very soon: the rumour mill cranks up
Yes, it's that time of year again. The kids are going back to school and Apple releases a new iPhone. That's how things work now.
Well, they have at least since 2012. So it would be a shocker if Apple decided to pass on releasing a new iPhone model or models in 2018!
And, as per, Apple's many fan-sites and tech news sites see it as their mission to second-guess what Apple's hardware and software engineers have in mind for us this time around.
According to Business Insider this week, many Apple 'insiders' are calling this year an 'S' year, based on this latest report from Bloomberg. In normal language, an S year is a 'speed year', compared to those years in which a new design is unveiled by Apple. Which, weirdly, aren't called a D year.
Apple is looking pretty likely to launch three new iPhone models this September, according to Bloomberg and other reports.
Each with an iPhone X-like design, with the following three models set for release, according to the BI report:
One phone will look like the iPhone X, which costs $999, but have internal upgrades, including faster processing and a better camera.
Another will be a "high-end" large phone that's about the size of the iPhone 8 Plus but with an edge-to-edge screen measuring 6.5 inches. One new software feature will be the ability to use two apps side by side, taking advantage of the bigger screen, according to Bloomberg. It's possible that because of the larger screen, this device will cost even more than $999, though prices haven't been announced yet.
Perhaps the best-selling new iPhone model will be a less expensive device that could come in multiple colours and use a 6.1-inch LCD screen — also with the cut-out for Apple's Face ID camera — to keep costs down. Previous estimates suggest this device could be priced closer to $550 or $650.
Apple's annual launch event will no doubt be announced within the coming days and we'll have all the finalised details sooner than we know it.
Via Business Insider
- - - - - - - - - Yes, it's that time of year again. [...]


Share the post "The Benalla Affair Explodes"
At first I minimized l'Affaire Benalla. When the story of his video-recorded misdeeds first hit the news, I appeared on France24 and expressed my firm opinion that what happened on the place de la Contrescarpe reflected nothing more than the inflated self-importance of a 26-year-old kid from les quartiers to whom Macron had imprudently given a leg up. Certainly it did not rise to the level of une affaire d'État, as many others seemed to believe.
With the latest revelations, however, that position can no longer be sustained. Benalla's self-importance was inflated, to be sure, but it led to more than an unimpressive collar in the middle of a lackluster demonstration. Benalla, despite his tender age, was a man of grandiose ambitions. And two Russian oligarchs–said to be "close to Putin," but is it possible to be a Russian oligarch without being at least tolerated by Putin–saw him as their point of entry into security surrounding both the president and prime minister of France, as revealed today by Mediapart.
Thanks to Mediapart's reporting, we now know that Benalla, while working at the Elysée as the head of Macron's security, personally negotiated a contract with Iskander Makhmudov, a Russian billionaire. In exchange for more than a million euros, the contract would have provided a year's security for Makhmudov's girlfriend and 7-year-old triplets, residing in Paris (Makhmudov himself did not visit France during the period of the contract). Benalla's partner in this deal was Vincent Crase, who also worked in the Elysée as head of security for Macron's party, LREM.
But that was not all. Benalla and Crase recruited a third partner, Choukri Wakrim, whose live-in companion is Marie-Elodie Poitout, until last week the head of security for the French Prime Minister. And meanwhile, Benalla negotiated another, equally lucrative contract with another Russian billionaire, Farkhad Akhmedov, who made his fortune in Russian oil and gas.
The Mediapart story is full of other interesting details. But the bottom line here is that several individuals involved in the close protection of France's two top leaders were doing business with Russians involving sums several times what they were being paid by the French government. So I must revise my opinion. The Benalla Affair has indeed now become an affair of state of astonishing proportions. How could this have happened? Why were these amateur entrepreneurs in the positions they were in? Did the real security services of the state know what was happening? Did President Macron? If so, why did they let it happen?
The reason it happened is that Macron liked and trusted Benalla, and that was enough for Gerard Colomb to take a 'hands off approach to Benalla. Everyone followed Colomb's lead, and Benalla was allowed to run amok. That's my theory, anyway.
See the Giuliani-Kerik story circa 2002 -history repeats itself.
Unlike Giuliani, Benalla's ascension does not appear to have anything to do with Macron, as much as with people at the Elysee who thought they were doing themselves a favor by treating Benalla with kid gloves. Notice how quickly Gerard Colomb pleaded his need to return to Lyon when the investigation began. And the irony is that Macron has not been friendly to Putin, but nursed Benalla –a viper in his breast– who was.
With friends like Colomb, who needs enemies?
And if Macron and"the real security services of the state" not know, that says much about Macron's executive competence and the reliability of the state's security apparatus.


The fourth in a series, this historical novel details the lives of Richard Cutler and his family as the young United States of America battles the Barbary pirates. The scenes involving fighting ships are riveting to anyone interested in the Age of Sail and rival stories told by C. S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian. Fans of these types of tales will enjoy this well-written, historically accurate book. There is a glossary of naval terms in the back that is very helpful in differentiating a camboose from, say, an orlop.
The difficulty with A Call to Arms afflicts anyone who has not read the first three books and come to know the Cutler family and their connections. Especially in the beginning pages, before the action on the Barbary Coast starts to build up and hold the reader's attention, the book is full of names and relationships that are impossible for a new reader to comprehend. The Cutlers seem to have come from England, where some remain. They apparently had some varied experiences in the Revolutionary War, and this is all intriguing. A list of characters with some brief, spoiler-free notes about the first three books is needed. The dearth of explanation of the family backstory diminishes a book that is excellent in relating the political and military issues of the time.
Having said that, this book is highly recommended to those interested in naval history. It would probably be wise to go back to Book One and read them in order, rather than starting with A Call to Arms.


Where strength, endurance and fun meet!
Obstacle course racing (OCR) is the latest mass participation sport enjoying exponential growth around the world. Started as a sport in the seventies in England, where they did an annual obstacle run called the 'Tough Guy', OCR really took off in 2010 when the Spartan and Toughmudder obstacle races launched in the USA, with over a million Americans registering for and participating in OCR in 2011.
The sport is more closely related to military-style obstacle courses that are used to test and familiarise recruits with the sort of tactical movements they're likely to engage in during combat. These obstacles have since been adapted, and have evolved in many instances, into the more common obstacles participants encounter today.
These events generally combine running (or walking) with different obstacles, from monkey bars, rope climbs, swings and wall climbs, to mud pits, tunnels, river crossings and platform plunges into icy water, among many others.
The factors that seem to be driving the rise in popularity of the sport, other than the challenge itself, are the fun and group participation elements, for the amateurs at least, and the camaraderie that comes from overcoming a series of obstacles together. For the elite athletes it is more serious, with an annual OCR World Championship event already established, where the best from around the world can go head to head to determine a global champion.
This rise in popularity has also spawned a number of race series around the world, with race organisers and route planners applying their unique blend of obstacles and challenges to each to try and distinguish their offerings.
In South Africa the more popular, established events include the Jeep Warrior series and the Impi Challenge – both multi-event series that take place in major centres around the country. A more recent addition to the local OCR calendar is the Spartan Race, with urban-based events like the Urbanathlon offering fringe Parkour-like events.
The Jeep Warrior Race series offers four courses, namely the Brats Race – 1km, 8 obstacles tailored for the kids – a Rookie Race – 6 to 8km, with 15 obstacles – a Commando Race – 10km, with 20 obstacles – and the elite level Black-ops race – 18 to 20km, with 30 obstacles.
The Impi Challenge has also grown tremendously to become an OCR institution in South Africa. Starting out as the brainchild of three young pioneers in search of an innovative adventure that could be tailor-made for the South African market, the challenge celebrated its seventh anniversary in 2015. According to Pieter du Plessis, Impi Challenge director, participant experience will always be at the heart of the event.
"The Impi Challenge is a national event that attracts over 10,000 participants within the three regions each year. What sets the Impi Challenge apart from other events is that it is essentially a trail run that features an adventure-style obstacle course. The event is ideal for participants of all ages and all fitness levels. Although challenging, all obstacles are safe and fun." A huge highlight of the Impi Challenge is the "best dressed" award, which encourages participants to let their creativity run wild. The best dressed Impi and/or team win prizes compliments of the event sponsors.
The events on offer at Impi events include the Mini – 1km with smaller supervised obstacles – the Dash – 5km with 12 obstacles – the Challenge – 10km with 18 obstacles – and the Elite – 18-20km with 25 tough obstacles. There is also a Corporate Challenge event.
Du Plessis adds that race venues are specifically chosen for their exclusivity and ability to accommodate innovative obstacles that will challenge participants both physically and mentally.
A huge draw card of the Impi Challenge is that all events are spectator friendly. Family and friends are encouraged to show support on the day, while soaking up the vibe in the festival village that includes live entertainment, a food village and beer tent. Participants can enter individually or as part of a team (teams vary in size from 2–10 people).


Discussion in 'Buy Sell Auction - Archives' started by binkey, Mar 31, 2008.
I have seven rooster chicks I need to give away if anyone wants them. I am in Roswell GA. I do not know what they are as they were space fillers in an order I got. Also I don't know how to use this site well so if ther is an option to email me for them it may get you to me better.
I sent you a pm. After you log on and click the yellow forum bar, click the message option in the blue toolbar at the top of the page. Thanks.


text:
Saturday Night SuperFight was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the Major League Wrestling (MLW) promotion, which took place at the Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois on November 2, 2019. This was MLW's first pay-per-view event and the second event under the Superfight chronology. The event aired live on traditional PPV outlets and FITE TV.

Twelve matches were contested at the event including four on the pre-show. The main event was a no disqualification match, in which Jacob Fatu defeated LA Park to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. In other prominent matches on the card, Alexander Hammerstone defeated Davey Boy Smith, Jr. to retain the National Openweight Championship, Teddy Hart defeated Austin Aries to retain the World Middleweight Championship, The Von Erichs (Ross and Marshall) defeated The Dynasty (Maxwell J. Friedman and Richard Holliday) in a Texas Tornado match to win the World Tag Team Championship and Mance Warner defeated Jimmy Havoc and Bestia 666 in a Stairway to Hell match.

Production

Background
In July 2017, Major League Wrestling resumed promoting events for the first time since the promotion's original closure in 2004. The success of these events lead MLW to secure a television deal with beIN Sports for a new program, MLW Fusion, which debuted on April 20, 2018. In November, MLW broke their attendance record with their Fightland event in Chicago at Cicero Stadium. Eventually, MLW began airing live specials on beIN Sports, in which the promotion was broadcast live during Fusion television tapings. MLW's first live special of 2019 was SuperFight, which was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the 2300 Arena.

On July 5, 2019, MLW announced their first pay-per-view event titled Saturday Night SuperFight, which would be held on November 2, 2019 at the Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois. On August 8, MLW announced that they had reached a deal with FITE TV to produce content for their streaming network, with Saturday Night SuperFight being the first MLW event produced for the platform. Before the event aired on pay-per-view, a live pre-show aired as a special episode of MLW Fusion.

Storylines
The event features professional wrestling matches that will involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers will portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and will culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

On April 5, 2019, LA Park won the Battle Riot, earning a "Golden Ticket" for a MLW World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing. On September 7, it was announced that LA Park would cash in his "Golden Ticket" and face MLW Champion Jacob Fatu at Saturday Night SuperFight.

Event

Pre-show
In the opening match, Savio Vega took on Leo Brien. Vega avoided a middle rope elbow drop from Brien and attacked him and shoved the referee down, allowing Brien to hit Vega with a cowbell and a diving elbow drop for the win. However, Vega attacked Brien with a kendo stick after the match.

Next, Air Wolf took on the debuting Gino Medina. After avoiding a Pele kick by Wolf, Medina hit a knee strike and an Eat Da-Feet for the win.

Next, El Hijo de L.A. Park took on Zenshi. After avoiding a 450° splash by Zenshi, Park nailed a package piledriver to Zenshi for the win.

The final match on the pre-show was a three-way tag team match pitting Contra Unit (Simon Gotch and Ikuro Kwon) against Dominic Garrini and Douglas James and The Spirit Squad (Mike Mondo and Kenn Doane). Garrini applied an armbar on Doane but Doane caught the ropes, allowing Kwon to spit mist into Mondo's face and Gotch nailed a cradle piledriver to Mondo for the win.

Preliminary matches

The event kicked off with a Texas Tornado match, in which The Dynasty (Maxwell J. Friedman and Richard Holliday) defended the World Tag Team Championship against The Von Erichs (Marshall Von Erich and Ross Von Erich). After dumping Holliday out of the ring, the Von Erichs hit a claw slam to MJF to win the titles.

Next, Gringo Loco, Puma King, and Septimo Dragon took on Injustice (Jordan Oliver, Kotto Brazil, and Myron Reed) in a six-man tag team match. Reed delivered a springboard 450° splash to Dragon for the win.

Next, Teddy Hart defended the World Middleweight Championship against Austin Aries. After kicking out of a roll-up by Aries, Hart executed a Hart Destroyer to Aries to retain the title.

Next, Low Ki took on Brian Pillman Jr. Pillman threw his mouthguard at Ki and Ki nailed a running somersault kick to Pillman for the win.

Next, Tom Lawlor took on Timothy Thatcher. Lawlor made Thatcher submit to the rear naked choke for the win.

Later, Bestia 666 took on Jimmy Havoc and Mance Warner in a Stairway to Hell match. Warner drove Bestia through a table with a superplex to win the match. Havoc attacked Warner from behind after the match and nailed a piledriver to Warner on the steel guard rail and delivered an Acid Rainmaker to Warner.

This was followed by the penultimate match, in which Alexander Hammerstone defended the National Openweight Championship against Davey Boy Smith Jr. Smith countered a Nightmare Pendulum by Hammerstone into a cradle and a series of cradles between the two culminated with Hammerstone pinning Smith with a schoolboy while grabbing the ropes for leverage to retain the title.

Main event match
The main event was a No Disqualification match, in which Jacob Fatu defended the World Heavyweight Championship against L.A. Park. Park avoided a moonsault by Fatu and covered him for the pinfall but Fatu's Contra Unit teammate Josef Samael interfered by throwing a fireball into the referee's eyes and Park tried to hit a spear to Samael but Samael ducked and Salina de la Renta was hit with it being sent through a table. The distraction allowed Fatu to hit a superkick, a pop-up Samoan drop and a moonsault to Park to retain the title.

Results

Gallery

See also
2019 in professional wrestling

References

External links
Saturday Night Superfight official website

Major League Wrestling
Professional wrestling in the Chicago metropolitan area
Events in Cicero, Illinois
2019 in Illinois
November 2019 events in the United States
2019 in professional wrestling
Pay-per-view professional wrestling events


You can adopt a RedKite. It is a big bird that flies around Oxfordshire.
I named my blog after this bird after going out to see them with a conservation group in Oxford we went out there in the minibus and we watched them with my binoculars.


Ryutaro Saeki (32) was divorced and return to living alone again. He is quick to find a suspicious cheap property, but in that room, he was greeted by Zashiki Warashi. Bizarre and funny life of two people living together will start!


text:
Neuroscience News & Research
Experimental Gene Therapy Helps Restore Night Vision in People With Form of Childhood Blindness
| Original story from Penn Medicine
Credit: Photo by Leighann Blackwood on Unsplash
Complete the form below and we will email you a PDF version of "Experimental Gene Therapy Helps Restore Night Vision in People With Form of Childhood Blindness"
Adults with a genetic form of childhood-onset blindness experienced striking recoveries of night vision within days of receiving an experimental gene therapy, according to researchers at the Scheie Eye Institute in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
The patients had Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), a congenital blindness caused by mutations in the gene GUCY2D. The researchers, whose findings are reported in the journal iScience, delivered AAV gene therapy, which carries the DNA of the healthy version of the gene, into the retina of one eye for each of the patients in accordance with the clinical trial protocol. Within days of being treated, each patient showed large increases, in the treated eye, of visual functions mediated by rod-type photoreceptor cells. Rod cells are extremely sensitive to light and account for most of the human capacity for low-light vision.
"These exciting results demonstrate that the basic molecular machinery of phototransduction remains largely intact in some cases of LCA, and thus can be amenable to gene therapy even after decades of blindness," said study lead author Samuel G. Jacobson, MD, PhD, a professor of Ophthalmology at Penn.
LCA is one of the most common congenital blindness conditions, affecting roughly one in 40,000 newborns. The degree of vision loss can vary from one LCA patient to another but all such patients have severe visual disability from the earliest months of life. There are more than two dozen genes whose dysfunction can cause LCA.
Up to 20 percent of LCA cases are caused by mutations in GUCY2D, a gene that encodes a key protein needed in retinal photoreceptor cells for the "phototransduction cascade"—the process that converts light to neuronal signals. Prior imaging studies have shown that patients with this form of LCA tend to have relatively preserved photoreceptor cells, especially in rod-rich areas, hinting that rod-based phototransduction could work again if functional GUCY2D were present. Early results with low doses of the gene therapy, reported last year, were consistent with this idea.
The researchers used higher doses of the gene therapy in two patients, a 19- year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, who had particularly severe rod-based visual deficits. In daylight, the patients had some, albeit greatly impaired, visual function, but at night they were effectively blind, with light sensitivity on the order of 10,000 to 100,000 times less than normal.
The researchers administered the therapy to just one eye in each patient, so the treated eye could be compared to the untreated eye to gauge treatment effects. The retinal surgery was performed by Allen C. Ho, MD, a professor of Ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University and Wills Eye Hospital. Tests revealed that, in both patients, the treated eyes became thousands of times more light-sensitive in low-light conditions, substantially correcting the original visual deficits. The researchers used, in all, nine complementary methods to measure the patients' light sensitivity and functional vision. These included a test of room navigation skills in low-light conditions and a test of involuntary pupil responses to light. The tests consistently showed major improvements in rod-based, low-light vision, and the patients also noted functional improvements in their everyday lives, such as "can [now] make out objects and people in the dark."
"Just as striking was the rapidity of the improvement following therapy. Within eight days, both patients were already showing measurable efficacy," said study co-author Artur V. Cideciyan, PhD, a research professor of Ophthalmology at Penn.
To the researchers, the results confirm that GUCY2D gene therapy to restores rod-based photoreceptor functions—and suggest that GUCY2D–LCA patients with more severe rod-based dysfunction are likely to benefit most dramatically from the therapy. The practical message is that there should be an emphasis on rod vision measurements at screening of LCA candidates and in monitoring them throughout a treatment trial.
The findings, the researchers said, also underscore the remarkable fact that in some patients with severe congenital vision loss, the retinal cell networks that mediate vision remain largely alive and intact, and need only the resupply of a missing protein to start working again, more or less immediately.
Jacobson SG, Cideciyan AV, Ho AC, et al. Night vision restored in days after decades of congenital blindness. iScience. Published online October 4, 2022:105274. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2022.105274
CRISPR and Genome Editing
The Road to a Sustainable Precision Health Ecosystem in Taiwan
Precision qPCR and dPCR in the Discovery and Development of Cell and Gene Therapies


text:
Q: What is a good recentish book on numerical algorithms for stiff non-linear PDEs? The title pretty much says it all. The equations I am looking at are non-periodic with both finite and semi-infinite time horizons. Non-onerous licensing (if there are code snippets) is a plus.
Books which go beyond the techniques described in Boyd 2000 (http://perso.uclouvain.be/alphonse.magnus/num1a/boyd01.pdf) would be great, although that is a good example of the sort of book I am looking for.


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Sp3 is shorthand for "space, pulse, pattern, and presence," four abstract concepts from which this interdisciplinary music and movement work grew. Sp3 obliquely grapples with the increasingly post-human nature of modern living, where technology is wedged between us and everything, breaking into our interpersonal relationships as well as our relationships to time and our environment. The performance seeks to disrupt this interference, relocate the organic, and position the notion of presence as something radical.
Sp3's 60 minute original musical score is heavily inspired by "pulse pattern minimalism"— popularized by composers like Steve Reich and Terry Riley—as well as the techniques of DJs, and colored by the rich, uncanny sounds of analog synthesizers.
Clear, formalist architectures, created through light and choreography, are populated with densely textured movement, created from Bridge's improvising body and translated to a company of six dancers over a research and practice period of two years.
sp3's movement incorporates clarity of line, specificity of gesture, and detail of facial expression to create clear, formal architectures that are populated with densely textured and complex movement. Bridge's choreography unfolds in direct relation to the music, creating spatial analogies to the sound and using shared approaches to patterning (for example, canonic relationships or movement phrases that loop, repeat, and phase in and out of sync with each other). Price's electronic music score uses algorithmic approaches to pulse pattern minimalism— music created with a steady pulse but with the rhythmic complexity of shifting accents and cross rhythms. Both analogue and digital approaches to timbre synthesis will create a layered, multifaceted sound world that is complex yet accessible.


text:
Anton Vidokle: The Communist Revolution Was Caused By The Sun
May 28 - August 27, 2017
Opening reception: Saturday, May 27, 6-10pm
The Communist Revolution Was Caused By The Sun is the second film of Anton Vidokle's trilogy on Russian cosmism, a metaphysical philosophy and cultural movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among Russian scientists, intellectuals, artists, and revolutionaries, which speculated on the possibilities of space travel; the use of electromagnetic energies to enhance health, healing, and vitality; and prolonged human lifespan, immortality, and even resurrection. This film focuses specifically on the poetic dimension of the theories of Soviet biophysicist, Alexander Chizhevsky (1897-1964), whose lifework involved the study of the effects of aero-ionization and cosmological fluctuations such as sunspots and solar flares on human health and behaviour.
Shot in Kazakhstan, the location of a vast network of Soviet labour camps as well as the heart of the Soviet (and then Russian) space programs, where Chizhevsky was imprisoned and later exiled, the film introduces Сhizhevsky's research into heliobiology, the study of the effects and influences of the sun's cyclical flares and lulls on terrestrial organisms. Through analyzing solar records and comparing them to major events in human history, Chizhevsky discerned that human sociology, psychology, politics, economics, and culture shifted and changed in relation to the rising and falling activity of the sun. This undulating wave of solar and human activity followed eleven-year cycles, which consisted of the following four periods: the first, corresponding with a phase of minimal solar activity, is characterized by feelings of peacefulness, passivity, tolerance, and creativity; second, as solar activity increases, humanity enters a time of uplifted social mood, during which the masses begin to organize and unify under new leaders and ideas; this phase is followed by a peak interval of solar activity which causes maximum excitability and elevated passions in humanity, resulting in revolutions, upheaval, and wars; and finally, as solar activity once again declines, humanity enters a period of a gradual decrease of excitability and the disintegration of social unity, until the masses become separatist, apathetic, and fall back into a depressed social mood.
Collaging scenes of life in rural Kazakhstan, abstracted views of the world from space, vignettes of human toil, and passages resembling educational science videos, alongside excerpts from Chizhevsky's writing, historical accounts, religious ruminations, and poetic contemplations on the nature of life, death, and the invisible energies that affect us, The Communist Revolution Was Caused By The Sun evokes the ultimate, transhumanist focus of the futurological projects of Russian cosmism: the common cause of humankind in our struggle against the limitations of earthly life.
Through watching, we as viewers are implicated as well. Bookending the film with entrancing black-and-white scenes overdubbed with a voice coaxing us into a state of meditative relaxation, Vidokle employs elements of clinical hypnosis commonly used to help patients overcome addictions in a gesture toward breaking our human dependence on mortality—a through line of life and death which references the desire implicit in cosmism to rejuvenate, heal, and delay dying, and to assert the place of humans as immortal, cosmic beings.
Anton Vidokle (b. Moscow) is an artist based in New York and Berlin. Vidokle is a founder of e-flux and co-editor of e-flux journal along with Julieta Aranda and Brian Kuan Wood. Vidokle's work has been exhibited internationally, in venues such as the 56th Venice Biennale (2015) and dOCUMENTA (13) (2012). He has directed several films including 2084: A science fiction show (2012-2014) with Pelin Tan, which has been exhibited at the Bergen Assembly (2013); La Biennale de Montréal (2014); the Istanbul Biennial (2015); Home Works 7, Beirut (2015); and the Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw (2016). Vidokle's series of films on the Russian Cosmists, This Is Cosmos (2014) and The Communist Revolution Was Caused By The Sun (2015) have been exhibited and screened internationally at the Shanghai Biennale (2014); Witte de With, Rotterdam, (2015); the 65th and 66th Berlinale International Film Festival, Forum Expanded (2015, 2016); the Moscow Biennale (2015); and the Gwangju Biennale (2016); amongst many others.
Cyanotype Printing
Stacey Watson
During this day-long workshop participants will make photographic prints using sunlight. Small objects and negative transparencies will be used in exposures on light sensitive cyanotype paper. The resulting images will be compositions in shades of Prussian blue. Participants must be over the age of 16 to participate. All materials will be provided.
Registration essential.
Cosmic Kinships Exhibition Tour
What are the conversations that happen in silence? Is death a luxury? What exuberant, transformative forces surround and influence us every day? Join Curator Shauna Thompson on a tour of Jason de Haan and Anton Vidokle's current exhibitions in which we will discuss the conceptual, poetic, scientific, and speculative underpinnings of each of these evocative works.


The judge who's deciding whether a western Iowa county attorney and sheriff should be removed from office has delayed that ruling. Judge Robert Hutchinson says he will issue separate rulings in the trial of Cass County Attorney James Barry and Sheriff Larry Jones, only after the Jones trial has concluded. Last week, Hutchinson indicated he might have a written ruling in the Barry case as early as 1:30-p.m. yesterday, the same time the Jones trial was to get underway. But that never happened. During the first day of testimony in the Jones case, the court heard from Cass County Civil Processor Stephanie Witzmann, who said Jones has kept a low profile since the investigation into his office. State Auditors Annette Campbell and Ernest Ruben testified their office identified over 11-thousand dollars in improperly distributed funds from the Sheriff's office, and a 250-dollar check endorsed by the Sheriff that was supposed to be donated to the Sheriff's department as part of a plea bargain. The money has not been accounted for.


text:
set -o errexit
set -o nounset
set -o pipefail

KUBE_ROOT=$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE}")/..
source "${KUBE_ROOT}/cluster/kube-env.sh"
source "${KUBE_ROOT}/cluster/${KUBERNETES_PROVIDER}/util.sh"

get-password
detect-master > /dev/null
detect-minions > /dev/null

MINIONS_FILE=/tmp/minions
# Make several attempts to deal with slow cluster birth.
attempt=0
while true; do
  "${KUBE_ROOT}/cluster/kubectl.sh" get minions -o template -t $'{{range.items}}{{.id}}\n{{end}}' > "${MINIONS_FILE}"
  found=$(grep -c . "${MINIONS_FILE}")
  if [[ ${found} == "${NUM_MINIONS}" ]]; then
    break
  else
    if (( attempt > 5 )); then
      echo -e "${color_red}Detected ${found} nodes out of ${NUM_MINIONS}. Your cluster may not be working. ${color_norm}"
      exit 2
    fi
    attempt=$((attempt+1))
    sleep 30
  fi
done
echo "Found ${found} nodes."

# On vSphere, use minion IPs as their names
if [[ "${KUBERNETES_PROVIDER}" == "vsphere" ]] || [[ "${KUBERNETES_PROVIDER}" == "vagrant" ]]; then
  MINION_NAMES=("${KUBE_MINION_IP_ADDRESSES[@]}")
fi

for (( i=0; i<${#MINION_NAMES[@]}; i++)); do
    # Grep returns an exit status of 1 when line is not found, so we need the : to always return a 0 exit status
    count=$(grep -c "${MINION_NAMES[$i]}" "${MINIONS_FILE}") || :
    if [[ "${count}" == "0" ]]; then
      echo -e "${color_red}Failed to find ${MINION_NAMES[$i]}, cluster is probably broken.${color_norm}"
      exit 1
    fi

    name="${MINION_NAMES[$i]}"
    if [ "$KUBERNETES_PROVIDER" != "vsphere" ] && [ "$KUBERNETES_PROVIDER" != "vagrant" ]; then
      # Grab fully qualified name
      name=$(grep "${MINION_NAMES[$i]}\." "${MINIONS_FILE}")
    fi

    # Make sure the kubelet is healthy.
    # Make several attempts to deal with slow cluster birth.
    attempt=0
    while true; do
      echo -n "Attempt $((attempt+1)) at checking Kubelet installation on node ${MINION_NAMES[$i]} ..."
      curl_output=$(curl -s --insecure --user "${KUBE_USER}:${KUBE_PASSWORD}" \
          "https://${KUBE_MASTER_IP}/api/v1beta1/proxy/minions/${name}/healthz")
      if [[ "${curl_output}" != "ok" ]]; then
          if (( attempt > 5 )); then
            echo
            echo -e "${color_red}Kubelet failed to install on node ${MINION_NAMES[$i]}. Your cluster is unlikely to work correctly."
            echo -e "Please run ./cluster/kube-down.sh and re-create the cluster. (sorry!)${color_norm}"
            exit 1
          fi
      else
          echo -e " ${color_green}[working]${color_norm}"
          break
      fi
      echo -e " ${color_yellow}[not working yet]${color_norm}"
      attempt=$((attempt+1))
      sleep 30
    done
done
echo -e "${color_green}Cluster validation succeeded${color_norm}"


The theme of our stewardship campaign for 2014 is drawn from our Christ Church mission statement, ―To live as disciples of Christ, seeking and sharing the abundant life of God.‖ A good place to begin, as we take up our call to share the abundant life of God, is by considering the many ways we've been blessed as members of Christ Church. Most of us had at least one experience at Christ Church that moved us - a time when we felt welcomed, or included, or learned something of great value, or felt God's presence, or sensed God's call to us. Or perhaps it was the action of a friend that moved us and made us want to serve with them, or the joy of teaching children or working with youth on a mission trip. In any case, we're in-viting you to share a few of your experiences of abundance at Christ Church. We've set aside a wall in the parish hall where you can join others in posting those experiences (see the picture above). Some samples of what others have posted follow – please visit the wall to add your own, and revisit it frequently over the next few weeks to read what your friends and acquaintances are sharing.
I was blessed by teaching 3rd and 4th grade Sunday School last year. Those kids have not only a great sense of humor and creativity, but also were very willing to soak up the Bible stories. Thanks Julie M. for priming the Sunday School pump to make it happen!
Small, but mighty choir! Great music!!
Shirley Eells ―sparkle‖ – always upbeat!
All the many hands who have made Welcome Table possible for the past five years – stepping up on short notice at times – such a blessing!!
Harvest of Hope Garden – I still can't believe the sheer amount of produce that such a small garden yielded! This really was a miracle garden! Thank you, Karen and Kate for your efforts.
Our youth: great bunch of young women/men who not only ―talk‖ Christianity but put it into action … mission trips, etc.
The Giving Tree!! Christ Church gives ABUNDANTLY during Christmas Time!


text:
ACMA Fly-ins Take on Greater Importance as Lame Duck Session Nears
Oct 5, 2018 | Recent News
Lame Duck Session, Rogue State Tax Actions, USPS In Financial Straits… What Does It All Mean?
Get To D.C. in Oct. & Nov.
Dear Industry Member:
There's no doubt, catalogers and other remote merchants are facing a myriad of hurdles. But in Washington, anything's possible as long as the final buzzer or last out of the 9th inning or the final putt on the 18th hole haven't yet occurred. And so it goes for the ACMA's October 11th and November 14th fly-ins, neither of which has a deadline or maximum capacity. (In other words, if you haven't signed up, there's still time.) Below are some simple Q&As about the issues our industry faces and the importance of getting to Washington this fall to do something about it.
Q: October 11th Fly-in – why attend? is it too late to sign up?
A: In comparison to the numerous other far-larger lobbies in Washington, ours is the eternal "David." We have a nice number of attendees coming next week, but could certainly use more bodies up on Capitol Hill, and urge you to join us. There's no registration fee; you'll just need to click here to sign yourself up, then reserve a hotel room at or near our host hotel, the Washington Court. Although our discount room block is sold out, there are still rooms available at a reasonable rate. Click here to book a room.
Register here for the October 11th and (or) November 14th Fly-ins
Q: November 14th Fly-in – why another one? do I attend both or which one?
A: We specifically timed both of these fly-ins for maximum impact in the House and Senate. While we'll still have some time prior to election day to encourage action on the Hill during next week's fly-in, the November fly-in is timed right at the outset of an anticipated lame duck session, which would run from November 13th to December 13th.
Historically, lame duck sessions have yielded some of the most impactful legislation, so here will be our last opportunity. This particular lame duck serves as a final opportunity to put pressure on Congress to act.
Attend one of these fly-ins? Absolutely. Attend both? Even better
As with next week's fly-in, registration is free for the November 14th one. Discount hotel reservations are available now through October 16th. Use this link and enter our group code "AMER 001," although the code should already show up on the web page. If you prefer, call 800-321-3010 and let them know you're with the ACMA group. Our negotiated room rate is $309/night at the same hotel as for the October fly-in – the Washington Court.
Q: Isn't the House going to be in recess next week?
A: The Senate will be in session next week while we have our fly-in. While the House will not be, all congressional aides will be present. Sometimes the best time to lobby is when the boss is not in town. It's very rare you get face time with the actual members of Congress; rather, the aides are the ones who listen to the constituents, process what they hear, then make recommendations to the elected officials.
Q: Isn't it going to be kind of late to lobby for our issues in mid-November too?
A: No. It's widely expected that Congress will hold a "lame duck" session, which will take place during this time. During the lame duck session, the key items on the congressional to-do list will include keeping the government funded, voting on the 154 nominees awaiting Senate confirmation, passing the Farm Bill, intelligence reauthorization, National Flood Insurance Program, and Tax Extenders. We have an excellent opportunity to get our core postal and remote sales tax issues on the agenda.
Q: Can I make any impact?
A: Pardon another sports analogy, but it's getting pretty close to two outs in the bottom of the ninth. With Democrats favored to retake the House, the likelihood of remote sales tax and postal reform legislation advancing in the new Congressional session next year is low given that Democrats on the House Judiciary and House Oversight committees have indicated they will be focused on issues related to the Trump Administration.
Vice President & Deputy Director
pmiller@catalogmailers.org


text:
Is Alfred Hiding Something on 'Gotham'? His Backstory Could Be Intriguing If It Borrows from DC Comics
By Kayla Hawkins
Alfred Pennyworth is one of the characters who's changed the most in the transition from comics to Gotham 's first season, which is currently on winter break. And while his brusque manner was sometimes surprising with Michael Caine's laid back take on the character still fresh in our collective minds, Sean Pertwee is really starting to grow into the character and make it work. But he doesn't seems much like your average butler (if there even is such a thing) or even like your average portrayal of Alfred Pennyworth. With his knowledge of sword fighting and almost militaristic sense of right and wrong, I believe they may be hinting at a Gotham backstory for Alfred. He sounds more like a double agent or former soldier than he does a mild-mannered British servant.
But why would the Waynes hire a trained killer to serve them tea? As always, the answer lies in DC Comics. There are several different versions to choose from, but many of the comics gave Alfred a complicated and varied personal history. He was, in fact, a retired secret agent in the original comics, who fell into butlerhood only because it was his father's trade. He had no personal history with the Wayne family, and Batman even tried to keep his superhero identity secret from Alfred. Obviously, Gotham has abandoned quite a bit of this original history.
After the "Crisis," which wiped the backstories for all DC characters clean, Alfred's backstory was amended to that of a highly respected British actor who was wooed away from his career by the Waynes. But then, he became Bruce's guardian and raised him following the deaths of his parents, like we're seeing on Gotham. Later on, another comics history amendment combines those two backstories to settle on Alfred Pennyworth, former British soldier and part-time actor.
If I had to hazard a guess as to where Gotham's backstory will fall among all of these choices, I'd say it involves the Pre-Crisis storyline — double agent or military man — but forces him into the Post-Crisis role of Bruce's legal guardian and the person responsible for helping him become Batman. Pertwee's performance just doesn't read "hopeful Shakespearean actor" to me. Instead, he seems militaristic, precise, and even a little stiff at times. He knows how to fight, and Bruce is the one who's clever and tactical — Alfred's the one who wanted to throw all of his books in a fire.
Images: Jessica Miglio/FOX; Giphy; Gotham Gifs/Tumblr


As we finish compiling the Canon and we put the finishing touches on it, I was struck by a revelation regarding Pastafarianism. Let me elaborate.
Our Second Council of Olive Garden has had serious discussions on how the Loose Canon should be. We've considered whether the Apastrypha (Apocrypha) belonged in the text. We've talked about whether spelling mistakes should be corrected. We questioned whether we should have Gospels without having a messiah (yet). We've debated over how we should handle the First Announcement Regarding Canonical Belief. In each case we presented our views and put serious thought into our arguments and decisions.
As I read over the submitted texts I was legitimately amazed as I read serious and genuine reflections on our teachings. Almighty Doer of Stuff pondered the gap of knowledge regarding the afterlife. Solipsy analyzed what was meant by 'flimsy moral standards'. They put a lot of thought into those texts, texts that on the surface appear to be just a bit of comedy writing.
I also saw common views of morality and a sense of pride, almost awe, of our religion in all the texts. But that's the thing; is this really a religion? We have the common morality. We have the wonder. We have holy texts that we revere, customs we cherish, a community we are happy to be a part of.
I might just be caught up in a little sentiment now that the Loose Canon is finally just about finished. But I think we have gone beyond a mere joke. I think we really have something cool here. Sauce be upon all of you and RAmen.
I grew up not needing to believe in a God, or anything beyond what the five senses of every human, living and dead, have measured and accounted for. Others I identified and associated with often were of similar mindset. We would occasionally jest that it would be really, really nice to believe in the same way we see our more religious friends believe, to know the answers, to know that there's something out there keeping and eye on us, and possibly helping us out now and again. Not that we were uncomfortable not knowing all the answers, or feeling alone. Quite the opposite, we could only be comfortable in a state of questioning and uncertainty.
In 2005, I found the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and everything began to change. Now I have a God. Before, were I in a situation of stress and felt like crying out to the cosmos for help, I would feel silly eliciting the help of any deity I had learned of. Now, I can petition to the Great Noodly One In The Sky, and I truly see him. I do not, of course, actually believe a floating mass of carbohydrate dinner shaped the universe I inhabit. I found no more answer to where we came from, or why we are here than before. But now I have a face for the question. I have a conduit to the divine. I have prayed to the FSM, and he hath delivered. Then again, I can't say it wasn't just a well timed coincidence.
The FSM was real for me. The FSM was, and is, my Deity of choice, though I do not deny the possibility that He is merely a very helpful delusion. Then, I joined the second Council of Olive Garden. I began compiling scripture and forming what would be the unofficial Word. I was overjoyed with what I slowly began to realize. The FSM is real for others, and the FSM is gaining foothold in reality.
Think of it this way. Though we may not be able to prove the existence of God or Gods one way or another, it is unreasonable to argue against the existence of God as a concept, as an idea, as a word. Clearly, deities exist, though they may be of no "real" substance. At the very least, God is a character in a book. Quite a few books, actually. Take a favorite superhero. Batman is not literally real, of course. But Batman is real in a way. There really is an identifiable character known as Batman, separate from the rest. So it becomes with the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Of course, I knew this would happen, and had happened, as soon as Bobby wrote the Open Letter. That creates the idea right there. But it is the scripture that showed me the full extent of his Starchy Splendor. Though the words in the Loose Canon arrive from many different minds, across different times and locations, there is a constant in the Flying Spaghetti Monster Himself. He may appear more high and holy in one book, and behave more like a bored prankster in the next, but it is impossible to say that each instance of the FSM is a separate entity. Besides, His Globulence is ultimately here to entertain himself, and having different personalities and dialects depending on mood is a good way to mess with us. But I digress.
The point is that though the Word is assembled of many different people with many different ideas and agendas, there is a constant character of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Granted, some authors have taken a stab at it, and hit the mark far enough off that they were not considered for Canonization, so it is not that all who write the word of the FSM are divinely inspired. But for those texts Canonized, we have faith that it is the same Delicious Apparition throughout. I like to think that this means something. Perhaps all it means is that the FSM is incredibly easy to write for. But perhaps it means we're on to something.
I'm a believer in multiple paths to truth, plurality of religion, no wrong answers, that sort of thing. There is no wrong way to do religion, aside from intolerant and coercive practices. There is a vast diversity of culture and religion already in our world, and it tickles me to think that we're adding to that melting pot. And not just that we are adding more culture, a new phenomenon, or a new religion. It appears to me that we are, in fact, creating a new way to do religion. It's worked for me, it's worked for others, and I believe it will work for many more in the years to come. I only hope we are not too misunderstood for too long, and that we may be able to add to the rich diversity of our world.
Qwertyioupasd of the Second Council of Olive Garden.
ID and revisionist scientific theory were rampant (thanks George W Bush!) and suddenly the Neocon World was telling us everything we learnt about science was wrong. Why should I bother going to University for 10 years, when all I needed to do was switch off my brain and go to church? My university education was my inner strength and light. After being born and raised Catholic, and being told transubstantiation was real', it taught me to raise questions about our world like never before.
It took me years to evolve from a church non-attendee, to an agnostic to an atheist. But being an atheist was something I was now completely comfortable with.
I was working in a small engineering office (a 'Christian business'), where one of the Principal's was writing "a little book". As he was writing it in work time, I couldn't help be but be curious. about his "little book" and other matters, which he appeared to be deeply serious about.
It turned out his "little book" was an attempt to reconcile science with the bible, with ID as the antidote. He used examples ranging from a feather to the miracle of child birth as examples of a 'great divine engineer' in the sky. An omnipotent dude, intelligently designing away in his own celestial engineers office. Yes he was touting all this stuff at work, not church, umm, isn't that just a little bit weird? If I seemed less than convinced by his arguments, I tried hard not to show it.
But here was a dude who had studied engineering for years, but had no concept of evolutionary biology. I'd already politely fended off his requests to attend church, but after I finally outed myself as an atheist. I was completely 'on the outer' at work.I'd always kept my personal stuff to myself, but as the other guy in charge was also religious, I felt I couldn't do or say anything. I needed this job, as it was so close to home! But a religious workplace –not what I'd signed up for!
Every night I came home, needing to defrag my mind from the lunacy.
I sought refuge in the atheist web, looking to feel comfortable again about my own beliefs (or lack thereof). I hit the forums and ex-Christian sites, looking to vent my spleen at my "esteemed" colleague(s) ID beliefs. But the people on the ex-Christian forums were already grappling with their own de-conversion issues. As I was already fully comfortable with mine, I was flogging a "philosophical dead horse". Spleen vented, but it didn't cheer me up. Where did I turn?
One night I was reading Bobby Henderson's letter to the Kansas School Board and his depictions of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Pirates and Pastafarians. When I read Bobby's letter, then thought about my colleague's attempts to convince me about ID, I laughed so hard I nearly cried (and still do!). Bobby's letter was the perfect 'smack down' of Intelligent Design creationist theory. It was done in such a clever way, that suddenly the misery I (and many others) were feeling was replaced with humour and joy. Atheism, bah humbug! I'm off to be a Pastafarian!!
With the birth of Pastafarianism and the FSM Forums came some of the most original humour in I'd read (and wrote) in years. Online piracy, religious writing and kerbside preaching suddenly had new meaning as light-hearted parody took hold.
The FSM Forum call to write a Pastafarian Bible the 'Loose Canon' was a serious attempt at writing "our own little book". When the First Council of the Olive Garden was born, the initial momentum was like an unstoppable force. Under the watchful tuition of the First Council, we became poets and scripture writers, and it was heaps cool! At first, The Canon became just a parody of the Bible.
But it was becoming abundantly clear that The Canon it had taken on a life of its own, becoming a parody about all aspects of life, but with good humour, like Bobby's Kansas Board Letter.
While the First Council of the Olive Garden was a mighty attempt his bring Noodly works to life, its attempts ended as quickly as it began. The initial rush of joy was replaced with division and argument by forum members. After much 'throwing of toys from the pram' and general discontent, the First Council of the Olive Garden was simply disbanded. The Loose Canon writings laid dormant for years as a series of 'old threads' on the FSM Forum for years. It was like the Dead Sea Scrolls all over again!!
The Noodly dream seemed over – but it definitely wasn't!
After a bit of consideration, I eventually left that small office job for a much better one. Thanks FSM!
The completion of the Loose Canon!! Woot!
To all those inspired by the Noodly One, both back then and now, go forth into this gloomy world and make people smile with his noodly glory.
Not only will it make you feel good, but you'll put on heaps of weight celebrating his noodly deliciousness.
Praised Be to His Noodly Appendages – and may the Sauce be with You!


Scientific simulations approximate real world physical phenomena using complex mathematical models. In most simulations, the mathematical model driving the simulation is computationally expensive to evaluate and must be repeatedly evaluated at several different parameters and settings. This makes running large-scale scientific simulations computationally expensive. A common method used by scientists to speed up simulations is to store model evaluation results at some parameter settings during the course of a simulation and reuse the stored results (instead of direct model evaluations) when similar settings are encountered in later stages of the simulation. Storing and later retrieving model evaluations in simulations can be modeled as a high dimensional indexing problem. Database techniques for improving scientific simulations focus on addressing the new challenges in the resulting indexing problem.