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Home » ANU Research » ANU Theses » Open Access Theses » Promotion in the Commonwealth Public Service : its development and current practice compared with those of the New South Wales and Victorian public services
Promotion in the Commonwealth Public Service : its development and current practice compared with those of the New South Wales and Victorian public services
Subramaniam, Venkateswarier
Career services with recruitment at the bottom, security of tenure and safeguards against outside recruitment had been more or less established in Victoria and New South Wales before the end of the last century and the Commonwealth service took over these traditions. Under the strong control of a single Commissioner the efficiency of officers was judged by examinations and the reports of inspectors but procedural difficulties and central control irritated permanent heads. At the same...[Show more] time public service associations, grown strong after gaining access to the Arbitration Court were demanding promotion appeal rights. On the recommendation of McLachlan in his Royal Commission Report, promotion power was transferred to permanent heads in the new Public Service Act of 1924 while the new Board (which replaced the Commissioner) determined promotion appeals of officers through the enquiries of Inspectors. The new Board also devised a classification of narrow salary ranges. Under the new system departments like the P.M.G's formulated their promotion procedures. But the depression greatly reduced promotion opportunity and returned soldiers were flooding the Commonwealth service under statutory preferences. The associations agitated for an appeal committee system instead of inspectorial enquiry in promotion appeals. During all these years Victoria had a single Commissioner but Ministerial control of service economy reduced his powers in practice and promotion opportunity was very low. New South Wales started with a strong Board and the Allard Royal Commission recommendations in 1918 made it stronger. Both state services suffered as much as the Commonwealth service during the depression. The second world war showed up the need for a new type of official leader ship and strengthened the service associations who won some of their demands. In the Commonwealth service, the Bailey Committee recommended enquiry in to promotion appeals by appeal committees. In New South Wales, a new open Court was created to hear appeals, while in Victoria the association succeeded in getting an independent powerful Board with a service representative. in the current period of expansion all the three services have quite high rates of promotion and the professional officers are particularly favoured in many ways. m the Commonwealth service each department has its own variations in promotion procedure; the authorities feel the need for a new concept of efficiency but there is no unified movement or direction. in all the services, employer- employee relations are smooth. The history of Australian promotion practices during all these years shows how greatly they were affected by Australian non-traditional egalitarian environs in the beginning and how much they were later influenced by changing social and political conditions such as the second world war, depression and the increasing strength of trade unions. An analysis of this history and current practices also illustrates the limitations of "general" principles of public administration when they are divorced from their social context and stage of evolution.
Open Access Theses
10.25911/5d6f9c5185405
b16498628-Subramaniam.pdf 59.98 MB Adobe PDF


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MSM Minions Covering Floyd Trial Criticize Chavin's Lawyer for Going for Reasonable Doubt in Closing Argument…Their Ignorance is Embarrassing
On April 20, 2021 April 19, 2021 By kingsjesterIn PoliticsLeave a comment
https://twitter.com/MichaelBerrySho/status/1384319268032946177?s=20
"PBS NewsHour" correspondent Yamiche Alcindor put forward novel legal analysis on Monday during closing arguments in the Derek Chauvin trial.
Defense attorney Eric Nelson focused heavily in his closing argument on George Floyd's health and drug use, claiming they were more responsible for Floyd's death than Chauvin placing his knee on Floyd's neck, as seen in now-infamous footage.
Alcindor, however, appeared to fact-check Nelson by relying on the prosecution's case, which exclusively focused on Chauvin's use of force.
"Chauvin's lawyer said it flies in the face of common sense to say Floyd's death was not caused at least in part by his underlying conditions or drug use," Alcindor tweeted. "This argument is in direct contradiction to the prosecution's case which says believe your eyes, Chauvin's knee killed Floyd."
Critics mocked the taxpayer-funded reporter for her less-than-trenchant analysis.
"Yeah wow so weird that the defense is contradicting the prosecution," conservative commentator Matt Walsh reacted.
"Yes, typically the defense and the prosecution do present contradictory arguments," Daily Caller reporter Dylan Housman told Alcindor.
"Does not seem odd or surprising that the defense case would be in 'direct contradiction' to the prosecution case. That's the way it works," Washington Examiner senior political correspondent Byron York chimed in.
"Is she really confused or outraged that the defense and prosecution might have differing views on a case? How does someone so clueless get a job anywhere?" radio host Derek Hunter asked.
"I have news about the kinds of arguments made every single day by criminal defense lawyers," National Review senior writer Dan McLaughlin said.
Alcindor wasn't the only journalist to share questionable analysis of the Chauvin trial. CNN senior legal analyst Laura Coates tweeted: "Defense begins the closing by defining reasonable doubt, not with why #DerekChauvin is innocent. Think about that," an apparent dismissal of the bedrock principles of the American justice system.
MSNBC legal analysts Glenn Kirschner and Barb McQuade similarly focused on Nelson's "reasonable doubt" arguments.
"When you have NO compelling facts/evidence supporting your defense, you start with long-winded discussions of legal principles like presumption of innocence & proof beyond reasonable doubt. That's how defense attorney Nelson started his closing argument. That is a tell…" wrote Kirschner, a former Army prosecutor.
"I have found that the defense spends more time on presumption of evidence and reasonable doubt when he does not want to focus on the facts of his own case," tweeted McQuade, a former U.S. Attorney appointed by Barack Obama.
Why are the Main Stream Media Minions of the Far Left Democrats so stupid?
Because, boys and girls, they are "useful idiots".
Their job is no longer the objective reporting of facts.
Their job, which they perform with glee, is the brainwashing of the gullible with propaganda-driven falsehoods, so that those who actually pay attention to then, believe the alternative reality they are baring witness to.
As anyone who has any education at all…or has watched any legal dramas on television knows, the Defense Lawyer does not have to prove their client to be innocent.
They just have to prove to the jury that there is a reasonable doubt as to whether he should be found guilty to the charges placed against him by the Prosecution.
In this case, Attorney Eric Nelson laid out a masterful closing argument in his defense of Derek Chauvin.
By breaking down the video of that fateful incident which ended with the death of convicted criminal George Floyd, he was able to point out that Officer Chauvin was following the Minnesota Police Department Training Manual.
He was also able to show that Floyd violently resisted being placed in a squad car, exhibiting behavior that certainly showed him in a drug-induced state.
If this was a level playing field, I would venture to say that Former Officer Chauvin would either be found Not Guilty or receive a minimal sentence.
However, this is not an even playing field, as the dimwitted performer and her fellow Main Stream Media Minions have been demonstrating in their coverage of this case for the last year.
Also, Rep. "Mad" Maxine Waters' threatening of the jury was interference of the highest order.
I wish Judge Cahill could summon her before the court to, excuse the expression, "read her the riot act" on television before the entire country.
PBS Reporter Yamiche Alcindor and the rest of her colleagues would never tell you that.
They wouldn't know the truth if it walked up to them and French Kissed them.
DONATIONS ARE WELCOME AND APPRECIATED.
Trump 's Budget Cuts Funding for PBS and NEA. Liberal Propagandists Hardest Hit.
On March 17, 2017 March 17, 2017 By kingsjesterIn PoliticsLeave a comment
President Donald Trump has released his Proposed Budget.
The screaming that you're hearing is coming from melting Snowflakes.
President Trump's first budget blueprint is calling for the elimination of federal funding to a host of arts and humanities programs, as the new administration seeks to redirect taxpayer dollars to defense.
The blueprint released by the White House "proposes to eliminate funding" for: the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which sends some money to PBS and National Public Radio.
Federal funding of arts programs, including money for public radio and television, has been the target of Republican administrations and congressional budget hawks for decades.
Mitt Romney said during his 2012 presidential campaign that the test of a program's value was whether it was "so critical that it's worth borrowing money from China to pay for it."
Supporters of public funding of the arts have fought out challenges for years, but this year could be different with Republicans controlling the budgetary levers at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
"The president finally got to the point where he said, 'do I really want to make the coal miner in West Virginia, or the auto worker in Ohio, or the single mom in Detroit to pay for the National Endowment of the Arts or the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?' And the answer is no," White House budget Director Mike Mulvaney said Thursday during an appearance on "Fox & Friends."
Public broadcasters and their supporters were quick to respond to Trump's plans to fulfill a campaign promise to end federal financing of public media.
Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) cast the cuts in apocalyptic terms, saying they would "initially devastate" and "ultimately destroy public media's role in early childhood education, public safety, connecting citizens to our history, and promoting civil discussions – all for Americans in both rural and urban communities."
Created by Congress in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, the CPB is the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related online services. In 2016, the CPB received a $445 million slice of the federal government's $4 trillion budgetary pie.
National Endowment of the Arts Chairman Jane Chu, an Obama administration holdover, told staff she was "disappointed" by the Trump administration budget blueprint, but added she looked forward to working with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to "prepare information they have requested" and would "operate as usual" until cuts were actually made.
She then noted that the NEA as a federal government agency is prohibited from engaging "in advocacy, either directly or indirectly" but would "continue our practice of educating about the NEA's vital role in serving our nation's communities."
Established in 1965, the NEA's primary mission is to provide grants to museums, symphony orchestras, as a means to "encourage individual and institutional development of the arts."
The NEA also distributes funds to individual artists and to state arts agencies. In fiscal 2014 and 2015, NEA had a budget of $146,021,000, according to the NEA's latest financial statement.
The NEA has long been a target of fiscal and social conservatives, whose opposition reached peak levels in the 1980s after several controversial artists and projects received federal funds.
The more controversial grants included one to artist Andrew Serrano who featured a photo of a crucifix submerged in a glass of his own urine. Another was given to Robert Mapplethorpe, whose NEA-supported exhibit in Cincinnati was cancelled because of protests of aspects of his art that showed explicit photos of sexual acts and S&M culture.
PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger argued the annual cost to Americans was insignificant but the payoff for children was huge.
"The cost of public broadcasting is small — only $1.35 per citizen per year — and the benefits are tangible: increasing school readiness for kids 2-8, support for teachers and homeschoolers, lifelong learning, public safety communications and civil discourse," said Kerger in a statement.
The fact is both PBS and the NEA have become Political Tools.
PBS has been around for a long time.
Per discoverthenetworks.org,
An outgrowth of National Educational Television, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a nonprofit TV network composed of 354 stations in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. With financial support from large liberal philanthropies like the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Ford Foundation, and PBS was established in 1969 and commenced broadcasting in October 1970. Aiming "to create content that educates, informs and inspires," the network's programming, which consists predominantly of educational and artistic presentations, reaches almost 117 million people through television and nearly 20 million people online each month.
Notwithstanding the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967's requirement for "strict adherence to objectivity and balance in all programs … of a controversial nature," the content of PBS programming generally has reflected a liberal-to-left political slant ever since the network's inception. As the Capital Research Center reports, "most PBS news programs are little more than left-wing agitprop"; PBS's "flagship public-affairs series, Frontline, typically focuses on "corporate malfeasance" and "political intrigue"; the "human-interest stories on Independent Lens and P.O.V. are politically correct lamentations on social oppression or celebrations of 'diversity'"; the science program Nova "frequently bemoans man's destructive interference with nature"; and the series NOW, hosted by David Brancaccio, "is dedicated to blaming corporate America for every crisis and targeting politicians and big media for every cover-up." Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center puts it this way: "The left maintains an iron grip on PBS."
Bill Moyers, president of the Schumann Center for Media and Democracy, was a prominent host and producer of various PBS programs from 1970 through his retirement in 2004. Toward the end of Moyers' career, approximately 30 PBS affiliates stopped airing his partisan show NOW (which he hosted before David Brancaccio) during the network's pledge drives, partly out of fear that the program's unmistakable bias would alienate many potential donors. NOW had also become an ethical embarrassment because Moyers, without informing his audience, had used his taxpayer-subsidized show to promote guests from at least 16 leftist organizations that had received some $4.8 million in grants from the Schumann Center.
…PBS receives the bulk of its funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a nonprofit, private entity that was created by Congress in 1967 and whose annual budget is derived almost entirely from federal grants.
Another key PBS supporter is the PBS Foundation, which was established in 2004 "to seek, cultivate, and receive philanthropic gifts [for PBS] at the national level."
Additional backers of PBS include the Adobe Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies, the Carnegie Corporation, the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the Community Foundation Silicon Valley, the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund, the Fannie Mae Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Newman's Own Foundation, the Northwestern Mutual Foundation, the Orfalea Family Foundation, the Park Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, the Skoll Foundation, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Why should average Americans fund television programming which espouses a singular minority political ideology?
The only time that most average Americans even watch PBS is when the good concerts and specials about old television programs that we grew up with come on during their "Beg-a-thons".
Concerning the NEA,
Elizabeth Harrington, a writer for The Washington Free Beacon, posted an article titled "The National Endowment For The Arts Funds Political Propaganda", in February of last year at TheFederalist.com. In it, she wrote that
The president appoints the chairman of the NEA, who then chooses field directors who hold two-year appointments. While some appointees may stay for just two years, others remain at the agency for much longer. For instance, Douglas Sonntag, who is the dance director, has been with the NEA since 1997.Who approves the individual grants is a different story. The first round of this fiscal year's grants were awarded to 1,126 different individuals and organizations across the country.
The simplest answer is that people in the art world tend to lean to the left on the political spectrum.
The sheer number of grants, and number of panelists who approve them—237 for the latest round—make it likely that political projects slip through the cracks. The projects the panelists choose then go through the National Council of the Arts, the NEA's advisory body, which makes recommendations for what should get funding. But ultimately, the decision for every single award lies in the hands of the chairman, the NEA says.
The simplest answer is that people in the art world tend to lean to the left on the political spectrum, making them more likely to select projects that align with their worldview. Furthermore, liberals do not tend to see their issues as political: climate change is settled science, "there are not two sides" to the debate over same-sex marriage, etc.
Perhaps past NEA appointees who tended to be more conservative were too afraid to deny grants for promoting a liberal agenda. The solution is for the next Republican chairman to fund the premiere of a traveling musical that preaches to its audience that climate change is a hoax to enrich the likes of Al Gore.
To follow up on a previous question, why should average Americans be forced to fund "art" projects which espouse a singular minority political ideology and while doing so demean the Faith of 75% of our nation's population?
Back in September of 2012, Todd Starnes of Fox News reported that
"Piss Christ," once branded as a "deplorable, despicable display of vulgarity," will be displayed at the Edward Tyler Nahem Gallery in Manhattan on Thursday. The artwork features a "photograph of the crucifix submerged in the artist's urine."
The artwork debuted in 1989 and was funded through prize money provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. The art gallery hosting the retrospective salute to Andres Serrano is privately owned.
"Diversity" is one thing. Insanity is another thing, completely.
I love music. I love the arts. I despise anti-American Far Left Political Propaganda being force-fed to America's children and grandchildren in the name of "the arts".
If you think that smearing elephant dung all over a painting of the Virgin Mary is "art"…there is something seriously wrong with you and I refuse to fund your psychosis.
At this point in our nation's history, the rebuilding of our Armed Forces and the safety of our nation takes funding precedence over the funding of documentaries about how awful America is and funding some under-achiever who thinks that dropping a crucifix in a jar of urine is "art".
There are plenty of Liberal Organizations out there who will fund them.
Americans should not be forced to with our Tax Dollars.
Obama Campaign's Bird-Brained Idea Backfires
On October 10, 2012 October 10, 2012 By kingsjesterIn Entertainment, Politics1 Comment
…and the feathers are flying.
First, let's hear from the rather large fowl in question:
Big Bird, it seems, isn't thrilled about his cameo in the presidential race.
The folks at Sesame Street are asking the Obama campaign to pull down a TV ad released Tuesday that mocks Mitt Romney for vowing to yank the subsidy to PBS.
At the presidential debate in Denver last week, Mr. Romney said he would end the subsidy in view of the nation's fiscal troubles.
"I love Big Bird," the Republican challenger said "… But I'm not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for."
Up went an ad by team Obama called "Big Bird'' that suggests Mr. Romney is targeting children's programming rather than legitimate threats to people's economic interests.
The ad shows images of Bernie Madoff and others implicated in various financial and corporate scandals. A narrator then intones: "And the evil genius who towered over them?"
A silhouette of Big Bird flashes on screen.
"Mitt Romney knows it's not Wall Street you have to worry about, it's Sesame Street," the narrator said.
The ad is airing on national cable and broadcast TV, in time slots devoted to comedy shows, the Obama campaign said.
Sesame Street isn't amused. Sesame Workshop, a nonprofit educational organization that produces and owns the show, issued a statement Tuesday saying "we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns. We have approved no campaign ads, and as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down."
A blog post on the Sesame Workshop website said that "Sesame Street would not exist were it not for PBS and its local stations, which is the distribution system for Big Bird and friends to reach all children across the United States, particularly the low income children who need us most."
Of course, everyone has an opinion on this issue. No one wants to be seen as being chicken:
From Obama for America:
Big. Yellow. Loved by kids everywhere. And only one candidate has the courage to go after him. Today, Obama for America is out with a new TV spot because, while President Obama passed historic Wall Street reform to hold big banks accountable and give consumers tools to make informed decisions for themselves, his opponent, Mitt Romney, has shown true conviction by vowing to take down Big Bird and keep Sesame Street under control.
From Washington Examiner's Philip Klein:
Watching the "Big Bird" ad… I couldn't help but think back to this part of Obama's February 2007 speech in Springfield, Ill. when he launched his first campaign for president: "What's stopped us from meeting these challenges is not the absence of sound policies and sensible plans. What's stopped us is the failure of leadership, the smallness of our politics — the ease with which we're distracted by the petty and trivial, our chronic avoidance of tough decisions, our preference for scoring cheap political points instead of rolling up our sleeves and building a working consensus to tackle big problems."
And Chuck Todd notes on MSNBC:
Serious question though: We're six days later. The Obama campaign, on their own, seems to be looking back at the debate, not yet figuring out how to turn the page from the debate. Maybe it's understandable given what we're seeing given the bounce in the polls, and that it's part of the entire campaign conversation. But of course they're the ones running these look-back-at-the-debate ads. And you have to ask yourself, every time they bring up the debate, is that good for Obama or is that good for Romney?
Finally, the Republican Candidate, himself, got in a zinger yesterday:
Mitt Romney, speaking to a crowd of about 1,200 on a farm here in Van Meter, Iowa, criticized President Obama's recent focus on Big Bird on the campaign trail.
"You have to scratch your head when the president spends the last week talking about saving Big Bird," he said. "I actually think we need to have a president who talks about saving the American people and saving good jobs."
But, Mitt…Obama can't explain how his domestic policies have brought us to this point. That would be claiming responsibility for his own mistakes. Didn't you know…after 4 years…it's still Booooosh's fault?
Anyway, kiddies, don't feel sorry for the Bird. He aint exactly hurtin' for money:
The 2011 IRS 990 form for Sesame Workshop (formerly the Children's Television Workshop), the producers of Sesame Street, revealed that they received $7,968,918 in government grants last year. That sounds like a hefty amount, but the 990 also revealed that Sesame Workshop received $44,984,003 in royalties last year, which includes sales of Sesame Street brand merchandise like "Tickle Me Elmo" dolls. That means Big Bird made five times in merchandise sales than what he received in government grants.
An even closer look at Sesame Workshop's finances shows the government funding Romney wants to cut is only a small part of their budget and may not be necessary at all. In 2011, Sesame Workshop received $31,555,192 in grants and donations last year apart from the U.S. government. They also raised over $2 million in additional funds from various fundraising events. In all, Sesame Workshop raised almost $34 million in private funds for Sesame Street, aside from government grants.
In addition, Sesame Workshop brought in almost $30 million in revenue from content distribution and media production. In total, Sesame Workshop brought in over $122 million in revenue, not including government grants. On their website, Sesame Workshop claims corporate, foundation, and government support make up 35% of their budget. Realistically, however, government funding only accounts for just over 6% of their budget.
Sesame Workshop has faced drops in revenue in recent years and seems to have weathered it. Recent tax returns reveal a drop of 3% to 5% in budgets in recent years, so a loss of government funding would certainly not mean the end of Big Bird. In 2009, they laid off 20% of their workforce in a cost-cutting move, and still survived. However, salaries still make up a large part of their budget. In 2011, they paid out over $54 million in salaries, a high percentage of their budget for a non-profit.
And, if he needs to, he can always do commercials.
Big Bird: Future Spokesperson for Church's Fried Chicken.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Late chef, Anthony Bourdain with locals at a beach front restaurant in Montego Bay beach in Jamaica, during a "Parts Unknown" shoot on the island.
Four years ago, late world-renowned chef and host of CNN's Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain said, "I love the food in this country. I must have Oxtail, whether in the Bronx or in Kingston." These were endearing words uttered by the storyteller and adventurer, while filming his series in Jamaica.
The 61-year-old beloved author of Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw, who it was reported committed suicide in a French hotel while in Europe to film his hugely popular show, went on to say, "I must have curried goat and jerk chicken, with pigeon pea rice and callaloo, as he clicked glasses with locals, during shots of rum and local beer.
The chef of the beach front bar in Montego Bay, chatted with Bourdain about Jamaica's slowing economy and the challenges small restaurants were facing, to which Bourdain asked," but why, this is a beautiful country with beautiful beaches and good food," and spoke about the foods that were brought to the Island by immigrants, that he called a good mix of African, and East Indian.
The episode that was seen by this reporter, a fan, in 2014, and recently viewed on YouTube, showed how much Bourdain connected with people during his many years of sojourns.
His exciting commentary, love of cultures, and exquisite cuisines, attracted millions of viewers to his show, and who will forever miss his effervescent personality.
Charles, who attended the French Culinary Institute where Bourdain was a dean, called Bourdain the quintessential rustic, figure.
"Every artist has a method to his madness and some of Bourdain's was perfect imperfections that helped to create his uniqueness," said Charles, of the Emmy-Award winning TV personality.
"Chef Bourdain, I will miss your smiles, crooked teeth, sun burnt skin, and motorcycle riding chic. As a Chef, I'd like to thank you for filling in the gaps that I didn't learn at the French Culinary Institute. Rest in the arms of the food angels," added the Midtown-Manhattan food consultant.
"His talents never ceased to amaze us and we will miss him very much, said a statement from CNN, of Bourtain, who left a 11-year-old daughter and family members to mourn his loss.


OTP stands for "One Time Password". OTP SMS are those Messages which are received or sent for verification of authenticity of users of that particular entity. OTP SMS must be delivered instantly otherwise it becomes useless within the duration set by organization.
OTP SMS gets delivered to both Non-DND & DND enabled mobile numbers.


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NATO chief calls for justice over US Capitol mob siege
'I'll do the right thing': Milford man seeks state GOP top spot
Historic Milford house will be restored in new development
'A lot of ins and outs,': Milford advises businesses on block grant...
Police: Milford man accused of strangling, threatening woman with knife
'A role model': Milford student named to state Kids Governor Cabinet
Bysiewicz touts anti-virus progress at Milford COVID test center
Free COVID test site to open at Milford mall
Milford neighbors' zoning appeal rejected
Jan. 14, 2021 Updated: Jan. 14, 2021 12:43 p.m.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The head of NATO said Thursday that all those responsible for last week's deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol should be held accountable, and he expressed confidence that American institutions are up to the job.
"Democracy must always prevail over violence, and I'm confident that the democratic institutions of the United States will handle this challenge," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.
The storming of the Capitol as lawmakers were certifying President-elect Joe Biden's election victory resulted in the deaths of 5 people. In impeaching President Donald Trump Wednesday for inciting the mob that broke into the building, several U.S. lawmakers insisted that Trump posed a "clear and present danger."
Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, said that what happened in Washington last week is "absolutely unacceptable." He said it "was shocking, and the outcome of the election has to be respected and we have to make sure that our democratic values are fully respected."
The United States is by far the biggest and most influential member of NATO, but Trump has surprised and routinely confounded many allies by berating them over defense spending or taking unilateral actions such as pulling U.S. troops out of Afghanistan and northern Syria.
Stoltenberg did not mention Trump by name, focusing instead on the incoming administration.
"I look forward to a peaceful transition, and I look forward to working with Joe Biden," Stoltenberg said, adding that the president-elect "is strongly committed to our trans-Atlantic cooperation, to NATO, and I know that he also of course strongly supports the idea of further strengthening the cooperation between North America and Europe."
Hundreds of National Guard members are camped out at the Capitol to protect lawmakers, some still reeling from the violence and preparing for Biden's inauguration next week.


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Traverse Mountains är ett berg i Antarktis. Det ligger i Västantarktis. Argentina, Chile och Storbritannien gör anspråk på området. Toppen på Traverse Mountains är  meter över havet.

Terrängen runt Traverse Mountains är huvudsakligen lite kuperad. Den högsta punkten i närheten är Noel,  meter över havet,  kilometer norr om Traverse Mountains. Trakten är obefolkad. Det finns inga samhällen i närheten.

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Berg i Västantarktis
Storbritanniens anspråk i Antarktis
Chiles anspråk i Antarktis
Argentinas anspråk i Antarktis
Berg i Antarktis 1000 meter över havet eller högre

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


As the name implies, adware displays advertisements as the program runs. If you're connected to the Internet, the adware program may access a server and display an ever-changing array of advertisements every time you use the adware program.
By incorporating advertisements in their programs, programmers can ensure that they earn a certain amount of money whether people ultimately register and pay for the program or not. Advertisers love adware since it provides access to more potential customers. Unfortunately, the only people who don't seem to care for adware are the people using it.
For more information about adware, visit the Adware.info site. In case you're curious about the types of companies that help programmers develop adware, visit the Software Marketing Resource page.
Since so many people find the idea of their programs bombarding them with advertisements less than appealing, most adware programs disguise their built-in advertising. To help you find adware programs that may be lurking on your computer, download a free copy of Ad-aware.
For another adware removal tool, visit Bulletproof Software and try their BPS Spyware/Adware Remover. Unlike Ad-aware, BPS Spyware/Adware Remover isn't free, but it does include features to scan and remove any spyware it finds on your computer.
Better yet, visit the Spychecker site before you download that shareware or freeware program. Spychecker has a database of all known adware programs, so you can find out if a program will spy on you before you decide to download and install it.
Not surprisingly, Ad-aware's efforts have upset a great many advertisers and adware programmers, who see Ad-aware as a threat to their source of income. One adware program in particular, RadLight version 3.03 release 5.0 would scan your hard disk for Ad-aware. If it found Ad-aware lurking on your computer, RadLight would secretly uninstall it without your knowledge. That way it could continue flooding your computer with advertisements and transmitting your data back to the advertiser without Ad-aware's interference.
At the time Igor Janos, author of the RadLight software claimed, "As Ad-aware's behavior was hostile to our bundle, I had to defend."
If you never connect to the Internet, you can protect yourself against the large majority of Web bugs, adware, pop-up ads, and spyware. Since that isn't an option for many people, your next best solution is to understand how various threats to your privacy work, and then use protective programs to defend against each threat, such as Bugnosis, Ad-aware, and anti-spyware programs.
Maybe your computer isn't bugged, and maybe nobody is spying on you. But is it worth the risk of losing your privacy not to find out?
Best-selling computer book author Wallace Wang is a former contributor to Boardwatch Magazine, where he wrote a monthly column called "Notes From the Underground." He is also a successful stand-up comic who has appeared on A&E's "Evening at the Improv" and appears regularly at the Riviera Comedy Club in Las Vegas.


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61572 (LNER 8572, LNER 7486, LNER 1572 & BR 61572)
61572 is the only British inside cylinder 4-6-0 to be preserved.
61572 was built by Beyer Peacock & Co Ltd and entered service in August 1928 as GER number 8572. It was built as a one of the last ten of the B12 class and was classified as B12/3 with the running plate raised over the wheels and with Lentz valve gear. It was rebuilt by Gresley in 1933 with a larger round topped boiler and had the Lentz valve gear was removed and it was classed as a B12/3 engine.
8572 was renumbered as 1572 in June 1946, under the LNER's renumbering scheme, and again in May 1948 to 61572, when it changed ownership to the newly nationalised British Railways.
61572 spent most of its working life in East Anglia. 1953. Under BR it was based at Stratford from January 1948 until February 1953 when it spent a month at Grantham. After this it was based at Ipswich until in October 1959, 61572 was transferred to Norwich but was soon withdrawn as a result of a cracked cylinder. However, as it was one of the last surviving B12s and Bill Harvey, the Norwich shedmaster, had an affection for the B12s, he discovered that it wasn't a cracked block, but a pitted casting and the locomotive was soon reinstated. At a time when the rest of the B12 class were being withdrawn, 61572 was kept busy, and regularly worked the Lowestoft–Whitemoor goods train between Norwich and Kings Lynn (via Dereham). Passenger trains from Norwich to Melton Constable (coincidentally running over the line which is the North Norfolk Railway), and a railtour for the Midland and Great Northern (M&GN) Society, later to be the engines owners.
61572 was finally withdrawn in September 1961 (outliving the rest of the B12 class by nearly two years) and was bought (along with J15 65462) by the M&GN Joint Railway Society in 1963 having been stored at Stratford works.
In 1963, two years after withdrawal 61572 embarked on an ambitious railtour. The tour was organised by the M&GN Joint Railway Society (now the B12's owners), and was one of the first railtours on British Railways with a privately owned locomotive. The 260 mile tour would take the engine from London's Broad Street station to Bedford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Rugby and return. 61572 performed admirably throughout the tour for an engine that had been out of service for two years, topping 70mph on the return to Broad Street, arriving all but two hours late. 61572 then went into storage at Devons Road in London and later at March in Cambridgeshire before moving to its new home in 1967.
It arrived on the NNR at Sheringham in 1967 and was found to be in poor condition and much time and money would need to be spent to restore it to full working order. Also at this time there were serious concerns about the axle loading on one of the bridges and whether the B12 would be permitted to cross it. Because of this, it was decided to only cosmetically restore the engine. In the meantime the Society concentrated on the restoration of the J15 whilst 61572 stood at Sheringham on public display. On completion of the work on the J15 in 1977 an appeal for £20,000 was launched to restore the B12 to full working order.
The eventual restoration of the B12 was one of the most complex in railway preservation history, and was to be plagued with pit falls and twists of fate. Initially the locomotive was to be restored at Sheringham. The tender was to be rebuilt by volunteers whilst a local boilersmith worked on the boiler. The target was to have it running by 1982. The boiler work sped ahead, but work on the rest of the engine ground to a halt, by which time the boiler certificate had already started to tick away. After several failed attempts to kick start the project it eventually got restarted in 1984 at Weybourne. While work was concentrated on the frames and wheels at Weybourne, the boiler was sent away to a specialist contractor in Essex. However, before much work was carried out on the boiler the contractor went bust. After much negotiating with the new owner of the company the M&GN Society were told to remove it or it would be sold and cut up for scrap.
At this time the Society was introduced to a Dutch contractor by Steam Railway magazine, who was looking for a flagship UK contract to kick-start business in the UK. He took over the boiler work and made arrangements for the frames and tender to be restored and 61572 was rebuilt at a works in former East Germany. So the unprecedented step was taken to ship the boiler to Holland where some significant firebox repairs were carried out prior to it being moved to Germany to meet up with the remainder of the locomotive.
The works in East Germany were at Kloster Mansfeld near Leipzig. The workshops still utilised traditional skills to maintain a small museum fleet of narrow gauge steam locomotives, that had been in daily use until the fall of the Berlin Wall the previous year. The frames arrived in September 1991 followed the next year by the boiler from Holland. Work soon started on the frames and wheels. Cracks were found in some of the driving wheels, and specialist welders had to be bought in from Holland to repair them.
At a time when the new united Germany set about reforming the inefficient industries in the East, the State owned works at Kloster Mansfeld was to be sold off. The contractor in Holland carrying out the work, said he would buy the works, but it was eventually bought out by the current management. Unfortunately though, the Dutch contractor never paid the Germans for any of their work, assuming he would buy the works. It was therefore not surprising that the new management were reluctant to carry out any further work on the B12 without guarantees of funding.
By now 61572 was totally dismantled and in hundreds of bits. It was looking bleak for the B12, and during negotiations, the M&GN Society were told, in no uncertain terms, to remove the B12 from the workshops and "dump it in the North Sea on the way back to England". The society worked very hard to gain the trust of the new management, and after much negotiation persuaded the new company, Malowa, to continue with the job of restoring the B12. Work began in stages, firstly on the tender, and then on the locomotive. Over the next two years work progressed steadily until in November 1994, the loco was finally completed.
61572 arrived back at the North Norfolk Railway (NNR) in December 1994, resplendent in LNER apple green as 8572. There was still a little work to be done before it could run for the first time in 30 years.
The B12 was officially re-commissioned in March 1995.
Since returning to service in 1995, 61572 has worked extensively on the North Norfolk Railway. It has also visited other preserved railways, including the Severn Valley Railway, Great Central Railway (both at Ruddington and Loughborough), and the East Lancs Railway. In 2000 it also ran on the mainline again, when it attended Steam on the Met.
When restored in Germany 61572 was given the1930s LNER apple green livery, and remained in this livery for five years. It was repainted black in 1999. First into unlined North Eastern wartime black for the NNR's popular 1940s weekend, and then shortly after it was changed to BR lined black, the livery that the locomotive carried until its next overhaul.
After 13 years of service the 61572 was withdrawn in the summer of 2007 as a number of small tubes in the boiler had started to leak and needed to be replaced. Due to the cost involved, it was decided that it wasn't cost effective with just 6 months remaining on the boiler ticket.
Having learnt many lessons from the trials and tribulations of its first preservation overhaul, the B12 was kept in one piece whilst fundraising for its boiler appeal took place. The locomotive boiler was then removed and sent to Chatham Steam in Kent for assessment and overhaul. With greater resources to hand, the Society was able to invest a much greater amount into the overhaul and much work was done to the boiler. The locomotive frames were sent to Riley and Son (E) of Bury for overhaul, whilst the tender was overhauled in house at Weybourne works. Following successful steam testing of the boiler at Chatham Steam, it was moved to Bury where further out of frames testing took place, before the frames, boiler and tender were reunited.
In March 2012 61572 returned to traffic on the North Norfolk Railway. It was outshopped in LNER apple green once again.
Since returning to steam in 2012, 61572 completed over 90 steamings in 2013, including a visit to the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway in May of that year and on the 5th October, it hauled the Sheringham to Holt leg of the Wandering 1500 charter, which ran from Liverpool Street to Holt, hauled by 70013 Oliver Cromwell, exactly fifty years to the day that 61572 hauled the original tour from Broad Street.
In September 2015 61572 ran into the stop blocks at Holt station which demolished the stop blocks and resulted in the buffers of the engine riding ridding up onto the wall behind the stop blocks. The locomotive was subsequently removed to Weybourne where it was examined by the relevant safety authorities before it was stripped down to properly access the damage. The rectification work that was needed was undertaken as part of the winter maintenance allowing the locomotive to return to service in 2016.
It is planned that the locomotive will be equipped to work over the Network Rail section to Cromer but there are no plans to run on other parts of the main line.
The boiler certificate expires in November 2020.
North Norfolk Railway Operational M&GN Society
61572 on Norwich shed in front of 65462 – 1960
61572 on Stratford shed – November 1962
61572 at Willesden shed – October 1963
61572 at Broad Street station – October 1963
61572 at Sheringham on the North Norfolk Railway – May 1968
61572 at the North Norfolk Railway – May 1968
61572 at Burrs on the East Lancs Railway after receiving attention at Ian Riley's works at Bury – January 2004
61572 at the NRM York – 2004
61572 at Weybourne on the North Norfolk Railway – May 2014
61572 at Weybourne on the North Norfolk Railway – September 2017
69523 & 61572 leaving Sheringham on the North Norfolk Railway – September 2017
69523 & 61572 at Holt on the North Norfolk Railway – September 2017
Back to B12


text:
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Associate Donna Schwarz
Associate Donna Schwarz dates her introduction to the Viatorians back to 1995, when she began working with the Office of Viatorian Missions, as an administrative assistant.
The second group of associates gathered in 2000, including Kay Dowling, left, and Tim and Donna Schwarz, right, with Fr. Charles Bolser and Fr. Thomas von Behren
A little more than five years later she would be promoted to work as administrative assistant to the provincial, and she hasn't looked back. Over the years, Donna has worked closely with Fr. Mick Egan, CSV, Fr. Charles Bolser, CSV and Fr. Thomas von Behren, CSV.
Through working with Viatorians, Donna and her husband, Tim, discerned a calling to join the community as lay associates. In fact, the were among the second group to become Viatorian associates.
They made their first commitment in 2000 and ultimately made their definitive commitments in 2010. Both were acknowledged at the Provincial assembly in 2015, for reaching the 15th anniversary of their commitments.
Associate Donna Schwarz and Fr. Thomas von Behren attend one of the plenary sessions during the General Assembly in 2011 in Colombia
Over her more than 20 years of partnering with Viatorians, Donna has played a lead role in animating the spiritual and social life of the community.
She has served on both the regional committee and Viatorian Community Council, that plan and carry out important spiritual dates within the community, as well as the Provincial assembly. In 2011, she was elected to serve as part of the U.S. delegation to the Viatorians' General Assembly in Bogotá, Colombia.
Donna and her husband are active members of St. James Church in Arlington Heights, but they draw rich, spiritual renewal from their longtime membership in a small faith group made up of Viatorian associates, brothers and priests.
All of these opportunities to deepen her faith came to mind, when Donna and her husband attended a day of reflection. They and other Viatorian associates gathered with lay members of other religious communities to consider the impact of being an associate — and of their impact on their respective communities.
"This retreat," Donna said at the time, "reaffirmed why I am an associate."
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Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV, Provincial
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You're going backwards through the story. And it's coming in installments that are too small and too infrequent.
You did paint a picture of a serious Johnny Depp ,bud :) waiting to see our man's exploits on the island. cool stuff!
Awesome dude... u really shld think abt publishing more frequently!
Very interesting.. Loved the detailed description.. Only thing is.. it began and ended too quickly.. You built this amazing picture in my head and even before i began to feel it, it was over..
Cant wait to read more of what you write..


The 2001's juicy, peppery, meaty bouquet reveals notions of black currants, black cherries, tobacco leaf, and smoky barbecue. This expressive, medium-bodied, seductive La Mission has shed most of its tannin, revealing a gentle roundness. The wine builds incrementally in the mouth, finishing with impressive purity and length. Neither the biggest nor most flamboyant La Mission-Haut-Brion, it is a classic example to drink over the next 10-15 years while waiting for the bombastic, massive 2000 to evolve.
Perhaps one of the more overlooked vintages in recent years, the Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2001 is one of the finest wines of the vintage. Here, one is immediately taken aback by the precision exuded by the nose: small dark cherries and orange blossom still there, perhaps the mineralité more heightened than ever. The palate displays exquisite balance with nigh on perfect acidity, demonstrating more tension, if not the dimension of the 1990 tasted alongside. This is a serious La Mission for long-term aging. Tasted June 2014.


text:
Topic AI business strategies
AI in sports helps teams and leagues engage with fans
The use of artificial intelligence in sports industry is a growing trend that is helping leagues and teams engage with fans and improve the quality of in-game officiating.
Kathleen Walch, Cognilytica
Professional sports is a multibillion-dollar industry, and teams and leagues need to do all they can to keep and...
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grow their fan bases. That's why many are now turning to new AI tools to engage fans and offer new experiences.
Professional services company PwC projects that the sports market in North America alone will grow to $73.5 billion in 2019. With spectator sports reliably bringing in such revenue in good economic times and in bad, sports and entertainment companies need to continue to find new ways to provide value to sponsors. That's where AI in sports comes in.
Chatbots help keep fans engaged
Teams across a wide range of sports have started to realize how important it is to engage with and keep their current fan base while also focusing on adding new fans. These organizations are starting to make greater use of chatbots to answer fans' questions about a team's games and to schedule or encourage interactions, such as distributing tournament data. Using these conversational interfaces, teams can now better engage with fans one on one and create unique personalized experiences.
Professional hockey team the St. Louis Blues tested an AI-powered Facebook Messenger bot last season to help connect and engage with their current fan base in an effort to turn casual fans into fanatics. As part of a 16-game pilot program, the Blues were able to offer more personal communication with fans via the Messenger bot, increase fan loyalty, encourage fans to participate in interactive fan polls with the results displayed in-venue during games, and quickly address questions or concerns fans might have during and after each event.
Tennis fans at Wimbledon have also found their experience enhanced with the help of a chatbot named Fred. Created by IBM and named after British tennis player Fred Perry, Fred helps spectators navigate the venue, suggests dining options, provides an easy way to change or upgrade seats, supplies player stats, and distributes tournament data and insights in real-time.
AI helps make better calls
AI-based systems are also starting to find their way into the contentious world of refereeing. AI-based referee assistants are helping refs review penalties and other important in-game moments. AI systems can automatically review game footage and help determine the timing of plays and the location of players during plays.
In much the same way that live video and on-screen systems have helped make game decision-making more fair and transparent, these machine learning-enhanced systems provide an unbiased approach to determining game outcomes. However, some fans might prefer the experience of yelling at a human referee whose decisions they might not agree with. Yelling at the bot is not as much fun.
AI isn't just about fan experience. Machine
learning can also predict the outcome of games.
Similarly, AI technology is starting to assist coaches as an augmentative assistant. These systems can review thousands of historical plays in mere seconds and suggest plays to coaches in real time. AI can also calculate situational options and make predictions based on prior plays.
These systems can even help provide guidance with unexpected variables that come up on game day, such as injuries, weather and field conditions, players having off days, and other factors. Of course, nothing can replace the guidance and experience of a coach, but soon we'll see AI-enhanced devices used by coaches to provide even more of a competitive advantage on and off the field.
AI automatically generates game coverage
The use of AI in sports is also extending to reporting on sports and entertainment events. Natural language generation (NLG) systems can create post-game coverage and assemble highlights and promote regional sports events where human sports broadcasters can't be physically present. These systems generate content using numerical data and translate it into a human-readable summary format in much the same way that sportscasters recount the experiences of a game. In addition, chatbots are being used to broadcast sports news for small and regional games down to the high school level.
Microsoft recently created the Bing Sportscaster bot, which broadcasts sports news to fans, in addition to providing information such as game rosters, results and other game-related information. Users can interact with the Sportscaster bot using Facebook Messenger and other platforms to initiate conversations about their favorite teams.
AI systems are also being used to deliver clips and highlights of games to various channels faster than was previously possible. The PGA Tour is using AI to generate and post video highlights, including a five-minute video overview of an individual player's round. Previously, this video would have taken hours to produce and post to digital platforms.
The Tour also uses an NLG platform called Quill to generate customized recaps for each player after every round of the tournament. This enables coverage of some of the lesser-known players on the Tour, which can introduce fans to players they might not otherwise follow.
It's clear that we can expect the use of AI in sports to grow. Experiences both in and out of the stadium will be more personalized, interactive and information-rich as AI continues to become part of how these sports and entertainment companies engage with their community.
Dig Deeper on AI business strategies
MLB Statcast delivering real-time insights with Google Cloud
By: Eric Avidon
IBM serves more AI power at Wimbledon 2021
Premier League promotes football analytics with Oracle Cloud
By: Brian McKenna
PGA Tour teams up with AWS to improve fan engagement during tournaments
By: Caroline Donnelly
Driving IT Success From Edge to Cloud to the Bottom Line –HPE
How AI Will Blanket Your World –Intel
Unlock the Value Of Your Data To Harness Intelligence and Innovation –HPE
How can IoT and AI transform sports? – IoT Agenda
Baseball team digitizes media, uses AI to uncover ... – SearchContentManagement
Pandemic speeds up digital transformation in sports – SearchBusinessAnalytics


Track arms beside a bold frame make a big statement for the Corvo 2-Cushion Queen Sleeper Sofa by Lazar. Made in the U.S., a kiln-dried hardwood frame with a lifetime warranty assure quality; as comfort is provided by plumply stuffed seat and back cushions. Short-cut back cushions along a higher frame provide a well-pitched seat for any height. The Corvo is available with a great array of custom options.
I knew of Lazar's stellar reputation before, and this sofa did not disappoint. It's probably the most comfortable sofa bed I've ever experienced. And it seems like it has really high quality construction. Which is great. I want to keep it around.
Great customer service. You guys were so helpful with us while were trying to pick out a sofa. very generous with sending out samples and answering our questions. Thank you for helping us find the perfect sofa for our home.


Vivaldi Group started in 1999 as a firm focused on brand leadership and has since developed into a global growth strategy firm. Working with CEOs, general managers, marketing teams, and change agents within their organizations, they bring together teams and capabilities from within their four core businesses to feature the unique company structure and offerings each business offers.
Kounterattack partnered with Vivaldi Group to help re-envision their brand experience with a new website to properly represent the services and tremendous growth that the company has had.


GITTLER-Adele Watkin. September 27, 1978. Twenty years have passed. You are still in our hearts & minds each day. We remember you & cherish your memory today and in all the years ahead. Lovingly, Amy Jo, Marshall, Harvey, and all the others.


The colorimetric control of photographic prints is an important issue of color reproduction quality. Concentration series of the three photographic dyes Yellow, Magenta and Cyan on photographic paper are very often measured without considering the optical quality of the substrate. However, this substrate, the photographic paper, produces problems for colorimetry because it emits luminenscent light from optical brighteners. Many instruments used in colorimetry are not adapted to measure such an output correctly. Here, an experimental investigation is presented which quantifies systematic shifts of spectral curves and colorimetric values of photographic paper and dyes for various measuring parameters. Several spectrophotometers equipped with different sources for irradiation such as Tungsten halogen lamp, Xenon flash lamp, D65 simulator, and two Xenon lamps with adjustable UV-filter were referenced against the results of two-monochromator spectrophotometer. In the photographic paper the largest color-difference extended to approximately 10 CIELAB-units between irradiation by a Tungsten halogen and a Xenon lamp. These differences diminished with increasing concentration of the photographic dyes, however, did not die away at the highest concentration of the dyes used. The correct colorimetric values for D65 irradiation were halfway between those for the two former lamps and near to measures received from Xenon lamp irraditoin with adjustable UV-filter. Therefore, such spectrophotometers may be used for colorimetric control of photographic prints to attain an accuracy below 3 CIELAB units, or else, two measurements with a Tungsten halogen and a Xenon lamp should be averaged.


Wouldn't you love for your cocktail hour, wedding reception, or banquet to go off without a hitch? We can all appreciate when entrees are brought out promptly, plates are cleared to make room for dessert, and all the guests get their champagne in time for the toast. This is all made possible by your sharp and dedicated servers, waiters, and waitresses. A professional waitstaff is key to any successful dinner, cocktail party, or private event. Let the professionals handle the details so you can enjoy your event! Search for Waitstaff in Seattle, Washington above.
Please note that these Waitstaff may also travel to Medina, Clyde Hill, Yarrow Point, Rollingbay, Newcastle, Seahurst, Shoreline, Tukwila, Lake Forest Park, Southworth, Manchester, South Colby, Normandy Park, Woodway, Brier, Indianola, Suquamish, Retsil, Vashon, Woodinville, Issaquah, Keyport, Tracyton, Port Orchard, Kingston, Burton, Poulsbo, Maltby, Olalla, and Clearview.


Added another waitlist slot, since evolution fruit have a much shorter wait period.
Note to everyone: Please only waitlist for many lucid flowers if you are okay with a long wait period.
Hey, I'd like to buy 2x evolvulus flowers again.
@ meatball Your order is ready! Your trade has been sent.
@Faeryheart Your order is ready! Your trade has been sent.
Can I buy your evo fruit?
Sure can! Sending trade now.
Can I be put on the waitlist for 1 evovulus flower please?
I actually just harvested one! Sending it your way.
Hello again :) If it's a problem that I requested 3 lucid flowers at once you can just put me down for one so other people have a chance at one without having to wait forever.^^ I can allways come back and request another one after all.
It's not a problem for me whether it's you buying them or someone else.
I just know that it takes 4.5 days for each flower to grow and I wanted to warn future customers that it would be 13.5 days until the next flowers beyond that would be available.
Updated stock and slots! Been somewhat busy irl but I'm starting on a new production scheme to increase slot return rate. Prices are going up slightly to compensate for the change.
May I buy your last two Evolution fruit, please?
10 grade 100 Evolution Fruit in stock now.


text:
Interior. Leather Bar. Movie
By Brian D. Renner Aug. 20, 2013
Interior. Leather Bar. movie production status is currently Development
August 20, 2013 • Story selection and rights acquired; idea being crafted into usable script; financing and casting attachments sought; aiming for 'greenlight'. Strand is eyeing late 2013 or early 2014 for release.
Who's Involved:
James Franco, Travis Mathews
To Be Announced (TBA)
Runtime: N/A
Plot: What's the story about?
Poll: Will you see Interior. Leather Bar.?
Will See 2
Won't See 0
Cast: Who stars in it?
Travis Mathews
About Cherry, Oz: The Great and Powerful
Crew: Who's making Interior. Leather Bar.
A look at the Interior. Leather Bar. behind-the-scenes crew and production team.
Interior. Leather Bar. Trailers & Videos
No trailer available.
Production: What we know about Interior. Leather Bar.
Inspired by 40 minutes of deleted gay S&M footage from William Friedkin's 1980 film Cruising.
Filming Timeline
On or about August 20, 2013, the film was in Development status.
Strand is eyeing late 2013 or early 2014 for release.
Interior. Leather Bar. Release Date: When is it coming out?
Interior. Leather Bar. is coming out To Be Announced (TBA).
Questions: Asked About Interior. Leather Bar.
Feed Updates
Tue., Aug. 20, 2013 from Deadline
changed the production status to Development
added James Franco as director to the film's credits
added Travis Mathews as director to the film's credits
added Strand Releasing as a distributor
created the movie profile
Looking for more information on Interior. Leather Bar.?


text:
Владимировка () — село в Голованевском районе Кировоградской области Украины.

Население по переписи 2001 года составляло 118 человек. Почтовый индекс — 26122. Телефонный код — 5255. Код КОАТУУ — 3523684202.

Местный совет
26122, Кировоградская обл., Новоархангельский р-н, с. Подвысокое, ул. Пролетарская, 2

Ссылки
 Владимировка на сайте Верховной рады Украины
 Административно-территориальное устройство Кировоградской области

Населённые пункты Новоархангельского района


text:
Q: In which case will C++ do array bounds checking at compile time? Inspired by the idea of "C++ HTML template engine that uses compile time HTML parsing", I am trying to write a sample class to check whether the first char in a string is a.
int dummy[0];
class Test
{
public:
    constexpr Test(const char *p):p_(p){}
    constexpr void check()const
    {
        if (p_[0]!='a')
            dummy[1]=0;
    }
    const char *p_;
};

constexpr Test operator"" _test(const char *pszText, size_t)
{
  Test t(pszText);
  t.check();
  return t;
}

int main()
{
    //dummy[1] = 0;
    constexpr Test t = "baa"_test;
}

It works well(GCC7.1 on Ubuntu). If the first char is not a, it will give a compile error:
main.cpp:29:24: error: array subscript value '1' is outside the bounds
of array 'dummy' of type 'int [0]'
constexpr Test t = "baa"_test;

What confused me is that if I change the code to:
int main()
{
    dummy[1] = 0; //no compile error anymore
}

I am wondering when C++ reports an array out of bounds error.

A: constexpr requires that the compiler evaluates the code.  And, because, in the context of the C++ abstract machine, dummy[1] is undefined behavior, it must emit a diagnostic. (This can be either a warning or an error.  However, both g++ and clang++ choose to make this an error.)
However, just because dummy[1] is undefined behavior in the context of the C++ abstract machine, doesn't mean that something else isn't defining the behavior.  This means that the code should not necessarily be rejected (if the compiler itself doesn't need to use it).  It simply is undefined behavior, not an error.
For instance, compiler writers will use out of bounds array accesses, and because they're writing the compiler, they can ensure that the behavior that occurs is the one desired.  A good example is array memory management, where the pointer returned is typically one word past the beginning of the allocated memory (because the size also needs to be allocated.)  So when the compiler writer needs to read the size he or she may do ((size_t const*)ptr)[-1].
That being said, a better way to trigger a compiler error in this case is to simply use a static assert: static_assert(p_[0]!='a', "String does not begin with 'a'.").

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Recently Alisa saw the need to enforce a no-grumbling policy for her oldest daughter. Each time Hadassah complained with statements like "I am tired" or "this is too hard" or "why do I have to clean my room?"– Alisa challenged her to turn the statement into something positive – something to be grateful for.
Try being grateful and grumble at the same time.
It doesn't work. In fact, gratitude drives out complaining and complaining drives out gratitude. We each make a choice about which mindset we develop in ourselves.
During "Oma-school" this week, my grandkids and I considered how our words impact others.
I warned them that when we speak about others, our words can be repeated, distorted and move from person to person. It's how rumors grow and individual lives are harmed! What a responsibility we have in portraying others in kind and true ways!
We also discussed how our thoughts influence our lives day-by-day.
Do you want to see the culture of your home grow more positive?
The culture of our homes is made up of what each person brings from within themselves. Our children are influenced most by what we, as their parents, model in our own lives. What a difference we can make by developing and maintaining a positive, uplifting perspective which is rooted in looking to, and trusting in, the source of life itself: JESUS.
ONE: Look to Jesus and not around at your circumstances.
TWO: Look to Jesus and not to others.
Even your best friend or your spouse will let you down at times and in the same way you will disappoint them. We are not 100% trustworthy. But Jesus is. He never lies or slanders. He is loyal and understands our pain.
THREE: Look to Jesus and not to your own thoughts.
Are you directing your thoughts or are they directing you? And where do they come from anyway? Often our thoughts are rooted in worries and fears and are not to be trusted.
Correct rather than criticize: They are far more receptive to hearing what you want them to do rather than listening to what they did wrong.
Speak belief and affirmation: Even when they mess up, remind them of who they are becoming. Kids grow hopeless when they come to believe they can never "win" or be good enough to earn your approval. Speaking highly of them in front of others. They will rise – or fall – to your description of them.
Focus on what you want: What you feed will flourish and grow, so bring attention to behaviors you desire to see happen. Notice when things are going well.
Consider the positive side to their negative behaviors. Your son who loves to argue is practicing how to express his beliefs and he is staying in communication with you. Your strong-willed daughter is practicing standing up for herself and not giving up. Your dramatic 3-year old is learning how to express emotions.


Wellsville proved to be an amazing location for photos with fall leaves still on the trees and covering the ground. I couldn't be more pleased with the location and how the lighting turned out; add that to the beautiful family and it was a win for sure!!


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Mark Casci: There are beauty spots despite Brexit imperfections
Mark Casci
I came across a wonderful phrase in the Japanese language this past few days. The expression wabi-sabi, derived from ancient Buddhist teachings, refers to things of great beauty but which are also home to tiny imperfections and flaws.
The concept is found through many areas of Japanese culture, from pottery to architecture, and has many adherents around the world. Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey is believed to be a fan.
Pro-Brexit supporter, Joseph Afrane waves the Union flag as he demonstrates outside the Houses of Parliament in London on March 12, 2019, ahead of the second meaningful vote on the government's Brexit deal. - Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal faced a likely defeat in an historic parliamentary vote Tuesday that risked pitching Britain into the unknown just 17 days before its scheduled split from the European Union. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP) (Photo credit should read TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images)
This notion of things being tremendous and desirable despite containing obvious flaws is a great prism to look through when contemplating our nation's future. This past few weeks have been a frantic and disestablishing, in which the over-arching message seems to have been about managing expectations.
Parliament has continued to say no to virtually everything, even defeats of a handful of votes seem to be treated as victories, and the message over and over again seems to be about protecting and defending our economy, rather than augmenting and enhancing it.
Front and backbenchers alike have been forced onto the backfoot for months now as they struggle to reach a consensus over how to best implement the referendum result.
They are hamstrung by the forces from the fringes, with the debate all too often dominated by those who either cannot accept the result of the 2016 referendum, or those who favour us joining the empty list of nations who trade solely on World Trade Organisation rules.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May (C) leaves the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, in central London on March 27, 2019. - British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday told Conservative MPs she would step down before the "next phase" of Brexit negotiations, without giving further details on when that might be, an MP at the meeting told reporters. Britain's parliament on Wednesday holds a series of votes to seek an alternative Brexit solution as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Theresa May to resign if she wants her own unpopular plan approved. (Photo by Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) (Photo credit should read DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)
As the struggle to find a sensible middle ground continues we must not allow ourselves to continue to have our lives dominated by the debate but rather look at this whole matter as a grand example of wabi-sabi being manifested in stark terms.
The impasse is undesirable, brings great uncertainty and stokes up more division in our great nation but it is not the only story unfolding in Britain right now.
Here are just a few things to be proud of from the last week alone. Late last week saw the launch of the Leeds Manufacturing Festival. In conjunction with Bradford Manufacturing Week, it aims to highlight and champion the considerable opportunities that the sector has to young people.
Around 50 Leeds manufacturers backed the launch at the Leeds City College Printworks Campus and the event aims to foster tie-ups between schools, colleges and Leeds businesses will host factory tours by students and manufacturers visiting schools, as well as taster days and work experience initiatives involving around 10,000 young people across the city.
Leeds Manufacturing Festival organisers prepare for the launch of the seven-month event. Back row, from left: David Baggaley, Leeds City Council; Bill Jones, Leeds City College; Mike Rimmer, Brandon Medical; Guy Foster, Leeds Chamber of Commerce; Mitch Scott, Leeds City College; Cath Black, Sound Leisure; Ben Wilson MPM''Front: Graham Cooper, Agfa Graphics
Similarly, the Bradford Manufacturing Week aims to double the reach it had from last year's successful debut, which saw some 2,200 students having in-school activities and 2,535 students taking part.
More than anything it will hopefully begin to dispel some of the negativity around the sector's image. Leeds alone is the UK's third largest manufacturing centre, home to more than 1,800 manufacturing firms and employing 26,000 people. Meanwhile Bradford's manufacturing sector has a GVA of £9.5bn.
And, of course, this past few days have seen more positive noises coming out of the Humber area as it continues with its superb ambition to become a clean energy epicentre. This supplement is filled today with several examples of high-end deals and investments involving our region's firms.
Sorry, this is why the August Bank Holiday is best time to shut East Coast Main Line – Rob McIntosh
They are creating jobs, fostering international link-ups and innovating services. These matters must be given more attention and prominence.
These are dark and worrying times but we cannot keep viewing the nation through this negative prism.
Brexit is a huge issue but not the only issue. We have always been a country defined by wabi-sabi, and in all likelihood this will never change. But there are still huge successes we should be proud of and navel-gazing on just one area will not help perceptions of our nation, either from abroad or in our own hearts.
Maybe that way things like the Brexit impasse will be viewed as minor imperfections rather than seismic cracks.


text:
Business ephemera (49)
Film reels (39)
Sketchbooks (37)
Cities and towns (14)
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (9)
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry (8)
Hartley, Marsden (7)
Soyer, Raphael (7)
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.) (6)
Ellington, Duke (6)
Evergood, Philip (6)
Kent, Rockwell (6)
Lawrence, Jacob (6)
Seeger, Pete (6)
Demuth, Charles (5)
Geological Survey (U.S.) (5)
Harvard University (5)
Henri, Robert (5)
Jackson, William Henry (5)
Kuhn, Walt (5)
Marsh, Reginald (5)
Piipaash (Maricopa) (5)
American Indian (4)
Havasupai (Coconino) (4)
Isleta Pueblo (4)
Niimíipuu (Nez Perce) (4)
Niuam (Comanche) (4)
National Museum of African American History and Culture (12)
Query: Cities and towns
National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian Institution). Office of Exhibitions
29.5 cu. ft. (29 record storage boxes) (1 document box)
Accession 01-102
This accession consists of records of general exhibition (show) files documenting the planning and execution of exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery. Materials include proposals, budgets, label copy, scripts, production schedules, drawings, floor plans, memoranda, correspondence, catalogs, publicity materials, bibliographies, financial records, checklists, research materials, permissions, installation information, lender files …
in Accession 01-102 for Cities and towns
Subject Files
These records document the administrative activities of the National Museum of American History (NMAH), Office of the Director, concerning NMAH departments, divisions, exhibitions, and special events, primarily during fiscal years 1993-1994, although some records date back to when the museum was named the National Museum of History and Technology. Directors represented …
1910, 1921, 1938, 1954-2000
9.5 cu. ft. (9 record storage boxes) (1 document box)
This accession consists of records created and maintained by James C. Cornell, Jr., a public information specialist and publications manager for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). SAO jointly administers the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) with the Harvard College Observatory. Materials primarily consist of photographs used in the production of …
Saburo Shimono Papers
Shimono, Sab
15 Cubic feet (19 boxes, 1 map-folder)
Collection documents the career of Saburo "Sab" Shimono, an American actor of Japanese descent.
in NMAH.AC.1379 for Cities and towns
Princeton University Poster Collection
135 Cubic feet (10,690 posters)
An extensive and comprehensive collection of posters from World War I and World War II.
Administrative Records
7 cu. ft. (7 record storage boxes)
This accession consists of the records of Lonnie G. Bunch, Director, and document his work in the development of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). His work touched upon every aspect of the museum including the collection of objects for the museum, the design and construction …
Event Files
Smithsonian Institution. Office of Special Events and Protocol
24 cu. ft. (24 record storage boxes)
This accession consists of records which document planning of special events at the Smithsonian Institution, such as conferences, meetings, lectures, exhibition openings, receptions, and award presentations. Materials include correspondence, memoranda, and notes; proposals; budget summaries; event schedules; meeting agendas and minutes; program information; press releases; guest lists; photographs; floor plans …
Hollerith family
Hollerith, Lucia Beverly, 1891-1982
Hollerith, Herman, 1860-1929
Hollerith, Nannie Talcott, 1898-1985
0.75 Cubic feet (approximately 2,500 35mm slides, 35mm)
AAG.HOL
Archives of American Gardens
The Hollerith Family Collection includes approximately 2,200 35mm slides dating from 1952 to 1980 that document the horticultural interests and travels of sisters Virginia and Nan Hollerith, members of the Georgetown Garden Club in Washington, D.C. The images primarily show private and public gardens, plantations, and historic sites in the mid-Atlantic and the southeast regions of the United States. Included in the collection are slides documenting the activities of the Georgetown Garden Club and various floral arrangements.
in AAG.HOL for Cities and towns
14.5 cu. ft. (29 document boxes)
Records in this record unit document the exhibition research and activities of the National Portrait Gallery and its Office of Exhibitions. Particularly well represented are exhibitions mounted between 1974 and 1976, with materials documenting research and publications on numerous artists, paintings, prints, broadsides, books, documents and letters. A large amount of correspondence …
in Record Unit 361 for Cities and towns
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Books
8.17 Cubic feet (consisting of 17 boxes, 11 folders, 24 oversize folders, 2 map case folders. )
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Books
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Books forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
in NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Books for Cities and towns


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Fantasy Art, Fishnets, and Red Sonja's Chainmail Bikini
by Tansy Rayner Roberts on Aug 6, 2013 in Nonfiction | 2 comments
Tags: apex magazine, fantasy art fishnets and red sonya's chainmail bikini, issue 51, nonfiction, tansy rayner roberts
I have some complicated thoughts about fishnet tights.
Specifically, I have some complicated thoughts about fantasy art, fishnets, and Red Sonja's chainmail bikini.
I've devoted a lot of energy over the years to the analysis of women in comics, especially superhero comics, which I love. I've looked at Wonder Woman's lack of bra straps, and asked the hard questions about why exactly the teenage Supergirl has to have quite such a short skirt as she flies over the Metropolis skies.
As a feminist, a comics fan and a historian, however, I will defend Black Canary's fishnet tights to the death.
So will Gail Simone.
Simone's fresh take on iconic fantasy heroine Red Sonja launched recently, with a whole lot of buzz and the support of some amazing female guest artists on covers. This version of Red Sonja wears the same tiny chainmail bikini she always has — but that doesn't mean she's not capable of cutting your face off in the middle of battle, or staring you down until you run terrified off the nearest cliff.
"I get why it upsets some people, there's a long tradition of sexist costumes and bullshit going back to the end of time in comics. But, I don't know, to me, it's a bit like Canary's fishnets, which I defend forever. To me, it makes some sense for Sonja. She wears what she damn well pleases and couldn't care less what you think about it. Conan wears less. The comics versions of Howard's barbarian characters barely wear clothes at all. Their core concept is freedom, a hatred of being encumbered. They're barbarians, not knights."
Gail Simone, interviewed by DC Women Kicking Ass
Black Canary's fishnets are a great example of the Fantasy Art Problem, and indeed the Comic Book Art Problem, when it comes to women. Black Canary was designed in the 1940s, and her original fishnets didn't look remotely kinky — they were a hash pattern over what looked like thick blue leggings. On the page, they didn't look any sillier than Wonder Woman's skirt, or Batgirl's suit.
Art by Ed Benes, Artwork for the cover of Birds of Prey #79 (Apr, 2005)
However, artists started getting more "mature" in the 80s, and Dinah's fishnets never quite recovered from the emphasis on the stripper/porn implications of her costume. DC tried to change her outfit a few times but the problem is, without the fishnets, she doesn't actually look like Black Canary.
This awkward balance between acknowledging the history of female characters, and addressing the sexist problems with that history without making that history disappear altogether, is constantly with us in characters that have longevity. You can't put Tarzan or Conan in blue jeans without radically changing their characters. You can't have Bruce Wayne fighting with his face showing.
It's not a coincidence, though, that when it comes to male characters that have been around for decades, the essential elements of their physical character are rarely about how sexually appealing they look to male readers. And in the case of female characters… well, it's hard to escape.
In the same week that Red Sonja #1 debuted, there was another announcement around the character: Gail Simone is putting together a major anthology of short comics called Red Sonja: Legends. This will feature work by an array of mostly female writers and artists including Tamora Pierce, Marjorie M. Liu, Kelly Sue Deconnick, Nicola Scott, Mercedes Lackey, Rhianna Pratchett and Devin Grayson. Many of these writers and artists are known for their credible and thoughtful portrayal of female characters — with Rhianna Pratchett's work on Lara Croft and Tomb Raider another recent example of giving character, depth and respect to a female character that has often been seen as a sex object.
This is where I stop myself, because — actually, that's unfair. Just because a lot of people used to make crude jokes about Lara Croft's boobs doesn't mean she wasn't pretty awesome in the early Tomb Raider games. I loved those games. She was dressed practically, she was good at shooting wolves, and at least she tied her hair back unlike almost every action heroine in movies/TV/comics ever.
It's worrying how easy it is to slip from critiquing the outfit chosen for a female fictional character to criticizing that character herself. Wearing sexy clothes is actually not a moral failing, in real people or fictional characters, and yet a lot of well–meaning gender critique can have a 'shaming' element to it that has a knock–on effect with real people, such as the cosplayers who are mocked or derided for wanting to wear (beautifully made, with geeked out details to the max) sexy sci–fi outfits.
I was drawn to a discussion that happened in the comments of the "Red Sonja: Legends" post at The Mary Sue about the problematic history of Sonja's chainmail bikini, her portrayal over the years, and the important question of whether it was possible for a character to be a power fantasy AND a sexual fantasy at the same time.
A great explanation of the difference between a power fantasy and a sexual fantasy, especially with gendered gaze, can be found at Shortpacked, a web comic that has made some excellent commentary on gender issues in comics over the years, and particularly on the 'New 52 Starfire' topic back in 2011. The comic "False Equivalence" addressed the common argument that male superheroes are just as 'sexually objectified' as female characters are, because of their muscles, and explains the difference between sexual fantasies and power fantasies.
However, it's not that simple. Plenty of characters do fulfill both roles — and as female fandom becomes more and more vocal, we're seeing far more expression of female power fantasies. As a social phenomenon, cosplay makes far more sense if you accept that most cosplayers do not choose a costume just 'to look hot' (though that is a perfectly legitimate motive in itself), but because they want to express themselves through that character. Many of them do in fact want to role play that character.
If you rule out the idea that all the women who dress up as Poison Ivy or Harley Quinn are doing it to nab geek boys, then the logical assumption is in fact that they are doing it because THEY WANT TO. They enjoy walking in those shoes.
I was quite excited at the recent announcement that Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti were getting their hands on Harley Quinn, because they have a long history of combining smart writing and cheeky, sexy (occasionally self–mocking) superhero art that also treats all the women on the page like they are people. This sort of thing makes a difference.
Red Sonja #1, art by John Cassaday and José Villarrubia
Back to Red Sonja, a character who is often held up as an example of everything that is horrible and sexist about the portrayal of women in comics and fantasy art — while also being the original badass, kickbutt warrior woman. Now she's being written by Gail Simone, who has a long history of addressing issues to do with feminism, sexism, gender and similar issues in comics. Her regular artist is male, but she's being presented to the public through a bunch of interesting cover art by some of the most important and exciting female artists in the business. Now there's going to be an anthology as well, harnessing the power of a LOT of talented creators who have made it their business to address issues to do with gender, female superheroes, female warriors, sensible armour, and all those other things over their careers.
Does this change the fact that the history of the portrayal of women in fantasy art has been deeply problematic over the years? No, it doesn't. For decades, 'women in fantasy' have often been represented by images of half–naked women in impractical, barely–there armour and/or wisps of satin. Chainmail bikinis and similar garments of improbability have defied physics and logic, not to mention any idea of genders being treated with equal respect. And while, yes, Conan likewise got around in a few scraps of leather, the depiction of women (and their body language in particular) was more consistently demeaning.
As a teenage girl learning about the genre largely through secondhand books, I found many of those covers profoundly embarrassing — and it only took one Gor novel to teach me that however bad it is when a perfectly sensible female character is drawn as a metal bikini model on the front cover, it's SO MUCH MORE DISTURBING when the sex slave covers actually reflect the contents of the book inside with some accuracy.
Can Red Sonja's chainmail bikini be reclaimed? Well, why not? If she's drawn with confident, non–demeaning body language despite her her traditional costume, and scripted by a smart writer who is aware of the gender implications of the history of the character, then we might actually end up with a comic that has much wider appeal — to readers of all genders and orientations who like to look at sexy ladies AND readers who like to read about active, well–written female characters cutting heads off and kicking butt (it's okay to like both things).
There are plenty of potential readers who won't make it past the chainmail bikini. I'd never have considered picking up a Red Sonja comic if it wasn't for the trust I have in creators like Gail Simone and Fiona Staples.
But it's interesting how many of Simone's 'Red Women' of the Legends project were excited to be part of a project to reclaim Red Sonja as a hero for women. How many great writers and artists loved her, not because of how she looks in her tiny and inadequate scraps of chainmail, but because of the power fantasy she represents.
"My pitch is pretty simple. When a lot of female characters were still mostly wet blankets, hostages and love interests, Red Sonja was commanding armies and cutting off demon heads. She is lusty, a bit of a drunkard, she does what she wants, says what she wants, and if you give her any shit, it's entirely possible she'll slay you and your best friend and your best friend's cat… It's a new series, a new story, it starts off at ground zero… there's no catching up involved, no knowledge of history required. She hits the ground running and slaying."
Gail Simone, interview at DC Women Kicking Ass
I really enjoyed the first issue of Red Sonja, despite knowing almost nothing about the character, and never having read a comic featuring her before. She felt like a grungier version of Xena, with slightly more variable moral lines, and a more adult rating for gruesome violence. I liked that the story was full of female supporting characters, and that Sonja had Opinions about not wanting to wear 'respectable' dresses or curtsey meekly to kings. I came away feeling like I had a strong sense for the character, and why she's the sort of person who sleeps by the campfire in a chainmail bikini.
Red Sonja is a very powerful character, and her power comes from not only her experience and competence on a battlefield, but her self–confidence, her sense of humor and her loyalty.
She's just — a tough, in your face barbarian warrior who can wear that outfit, because no one's ever going to get close enough to cut her, and no one is ever going to dare make fun of her.
And now I want to know what she's going to do next.
More from Tansy Rayner Roberts:
The Patrician
Girl Meets House: Kitchen Sinks, Joanna Russ, and the Female Gothic
The Australian Dark Weird
Tansy Rayner Roberts is the author of many fantasy novels, including the Creature Court trilogy and the Mocklore Chronicles. Her short story collection, Love and Romanpunk, was released as part of the critically acclaimed Twelve Planets series. She is the co–host of Galactic Suburbia and the Verity! podcasts. Check out her blog at http://tansyrr.com/ or follow her on Twitter at @tansyrr.
Paul Weimer (@princejvstin) - August 7, 2013
She felt like a grungier version of Xena, with slightly more variable moral lines, and a more adult rating for gruesome violence.
That's really insightful, and could help make her a female hero that appeals to a wide swath of readers, both male and female, especially in this Dark Fantasy/Grimdark age.
Will Shetterly - August 7, 2013
It seems to me that so long as female cosplayers feel the chain mail bikini is empowering, it is. Arguing about its practicality misses the fact that costumes for adventure heroes in visual media are symbolic, not naturalistic.
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