text:
Amplitude (PlayStation 2) review
"The system works astonishingly well, because it grows quite difficult to leap from track to track. Making sudden changes can throw off your groove, so to speak. Sometimes, tracks are just too far out of range. This means that you need to anticipate your moves. See two tracks with score multipliers waiting ahead? One of them is going to make it easier to reach the multiplier that lies beyond, while the other will make such a stretch next to impossible."
If you like sneaking around abandoned Russian military compounds, Amplitude is not for you. Or maybe you like saving the kingdom from an evil dictator? Again, this isn't meant to address that. There are a lot of things you may have enjoyed about videogames in the past, but they don't matter. That's because Amplitude is less a game than it is an experience. The love child of Parappa the Rapper and MTV Music Generator, this astonishingly addictive hybrid (and sequel to Frequency, its less polished predecessor) splices music and adrenaline into one of the most unique products on the market.
Look at the cover and you'll find yourself greeted by a serious of names that you've probably heard on the radio: Pink, P.O.D., Blink 182, David Bowie, Weezer, and so forth. Boot up the disc and you'll see more of the same. A video clip runs through footage of the various musicians that contributed to this project, and then you're left staring at the title screen. At this point, you may well be wondering what you've gotten yourself into.
As you wonder about that and press the 'start' button, you'll find yourself greeted by several play modes. Amplitude can be played with a friend. Or you can set up your own music mixes. These are nice modes, but to me they don't matter a single bit. What captivates me and gets me anxious to play 'just one more round' is the addictive nature of the single-player mode.
The premise is quite simple: you are a DJ who mixes music by piloting a tiny little spacecraft along a series of tracks. These loop through psychedelic backgrounds that feature small windows of video footage. It's not the video that's important, though, or anything about the background. You'll hardly notice such details. There could be pictures of flowery fields or strippers or file cabinets and it just wouldn't matter. Thus, I'll speak of graphics no more. Instead, I need to address the music.
Each stage in the game has a different song looping in the background. Most of these songs are quite popular. You've heard the full versions of at least a few of them on the radio if you surf channels very often. Here, though, each song is chopped into smaller pieces, then looped repeatedly (unless you just access the game's soundtrack directly and let it play in the background while you're doing chores around the house). The effect is rather disconcerting if you're familiar with the music in question, but you'll grow accustomed to it because the minute you notice what song is playing, you're forced to react.
This is where the gameplay begins. Remember that I said you got to pilot a spaceship? Well, that comes with a wrinkle or two. Just flying along the tracks isn't going to get you anywhere in Amplitude. You're going to have to drop little bombs if you want to succeed. So there you are, situated at the bottom of the screen, while ahead of you there are three pale outlines of hexagons. The hexagons are the most important feature in the game... next to the pods.
Yes, the pods. While you're racing along the tracks in a vertical fashion, pods are zipping along beneath you. As you pass over each pod, you need to press the button that corresponds to that pod's placement along the track you're following. This is done with the shoulder buttons. The left-most pod is bombed by pressing the 'L1' button, while the 'R1' and 'R2' buttons tend to the middle and right pods. Strictly speaking, those are the only buttons in the game you absolutely must press besides the 'left' and 'right' buttons on the 'd'-pad (unless you press 'X' to use a special item and clear a panel or two).
The 'd'-pad is important because you really don't want to keep following just one track. Suppose you're following a middle track. You come to a set of notes that you must bomb (delineated by glowing panels). You begin pressing the shoulder buttons, but partway through you miss a note. Instantly, the panel's light fades. You can no longer get points by bombing that panel. Now, you can wait for the next panel to come along on the track you're following, or you can save previous time by hopping left to the next track, where a panel is available more readily.
So you move left, and get right to work on the set of notes that waits you. Success! Perhaps this set of notes is simpler, or maybe you've prepared yourself a little better. When you reach its end, you've mastered the notes and your score improves appropriately. More importantly, you notice another track to your immediate right with a 'x2' multiplier hanging in the air above it. This means that if you quickly dash over to that track and successfully complete the next set of notes, the points added to your score for that segment will double. Finish there and you might see a score tripler, and so forth. You can gain up to eight times a track's normal value in this manner, and it's really the best way to improve your score.
The system works astonishingly well, because it grows quite difficult to leap from track to track. Making sudden changes can throw off your groove, so to speak. Sometimes, tracks are just too far out of range. This means that you need to anticipate your moves. See two tracks with score multipliers waiting ahead? One of them is going to make it easier to reach the multiplier that lies beyond, while the other will make such a stretch next to impossible. For this reason, you're not only mashing buttons to the rhythm, but also thinking.
And you do need to think in this game, more than you might imagine. As the songs grow increasingly difficult, this comes into play quite a lot. Suppose, for example, that you're coming up on two possible music note groups. One is really simple, while the other is a complex string of notes that will put your fingers to the test. Which do you choose? If your meter is high, you might go with the complicated route in hopes of a higher score. Otherwise, the simple route is going to work best or your meter will drain and the game will end.
Yes, there is a 'Game Over' screen, and you don't want to see it. The way to avoid this is to keep your meter happy. As your spaceship zips along the tracks, it burns fuel. Your meter slowly drains and will eventually empty unless you refill it. You do this in one of two ways. First, you can pass checkpoints, which recharge your waning meter. These are spaced far enough apart, though, that you simply can't rely on them. Instead, you'll need to tackle those groups of musical notes. Each successfully bombed series will give your meter a slight boost that allows you to take more risks for those musical sets that will gain you the highest score.
Speaking of score, it's the main reason I found myself playing so many games of Amplitude. As you might suppose, each stage begins with 0 points on your score. Complete music notes and the score rises. Keep the multipliers going and you'll quite rapidly score hundreds upon hundreds of points. Miss just a few notes here and there and you'll instead find yourself struggling to top more than two or three hundred. Whenever I reached the end of a stage, I found myself thinking that if I had just moved a little faster on that one track, if I had just switched a bit more quickly, I could have done so much better.
Even if you're not the sort that challenges himself to reach a higher score, the game will push you toward that same end. On the higher difficulty levels, you absolutely must score quite well if you want to unlock the various songs the game features. Though you can choose from four difficulty levels, you'll only hear all of the game's 26 tracks if you ratchet things up to 'Brutal' or 'Insane.' In case you're wondering, those descriptors are accurate.
I could keep writing about Amplitude, of course. It has things going for it that I haven't even been able to experience. Like playing online? Try the game's online mode. Like being rated on your performance? Try scoring three bars on each arena. Like humiliating friends? As I've said already, there's the multi-player mode. You can even go freestyle and make some modifications of your own. What this really means is that if you can stand the music (and to be honest, some people will find that the selections here grate on their nerves), you'll likely have a great time playing Amplitude. You can get the hang of the controls and general concept in a minute or two, but it will take hours before you'll have mastered all there is to see here. To me, that's the mark of a truly great game. Give it a try sometime. You might be surprised.
Staff review by Jason Venter (March 17, 2004)
Jason Venter has been playing games for 30 years, since discovering the Apple IIe version of Mario Bros. in his elementary school days. Now he writes about them, here at HonestGamers and also at other sites that agree to pay him for his words.
More Reviews by Jason Venter [+]
South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! (Xbox 360)
There have been some truly awful South Park games over the years. This isn't one of them, but it's still no triumph.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch)
Kirby's adventure in three dimensions is uneven, but delightful enough to overcome its worst shortcomings.
Balloon Pop Remix (3DS)
Those balloons surely had it coming.
If you enjoyed this Amplitude review, you're encouraged to discuss it with the author and with other members of the site's community. If you don't already have an HonestGamers account, you can sign up for one in a snap. Thank you for reading!
None of the material contained within this site may be reproduced in any conceivable fashion without permission from the author(s) of said material. This site is not sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, or any other such party. Amplitude is a registered trademark of its copyright holder. This site makes no claim to Amplitude, its characters, screenshots, artwork, music, or any intellectual property contained within. Opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily represent the opinion of site staff or sponsors. Staff and freelance reviews are typically written based on time spent with a retail review copy or review key for the game that is provided by its publisher.


DolceEryka Erikahotxx jasmin. TinaPs. TrioAmigos. ANOTHERSWEETY.
LongDong4YouTIFANNYCANDYX1juanitaymarcusAdonissXavier .NikkiBlondxNikkiBlondxLovelyDarvinArinaMadi .LongDong4YouRedCherryEvaKarinaWhiteXkitty333 .ShantalleeSmithFrontseatBeckyXkitty333CristalDiane .chocolatedippLittleRileychocolatedippTrioAmigos .ANOTHERSWEETYRamonReynoldsANGELSSinbedxxtwocutieslady .KarinaWhiteXShinyLorrainetwocutiesladyHotlick .JayinaTinaPsNikkiBlondxTrioAmigos .chocolatedippANOTHERSWEETYThomasYoungSexyDarkPleasureCris .WifeyXRatednatallyangelTIFANNYCANDYXSaraBigBoobsxx .sexyladysexySquirtmihaAishaXWhiteJayina .
SoniaMarizelHHotNatashaJoi4MatureMDesireX .ElZbongoElZbongoFrontseatBeckyXDarkPleasureCris .sexyladysexyAmyTsJolieAishaXWhitekaterinlatin .SoniaMarizelFrontseatBeckyXWifeyXRatedTeenagerAction .AlisonFoxGirlDeepestblue1TinaPsyzza9999 .TIFANNYCANDYXRamonReynoldsDaveGrantSmithCuteYoung .SaraBigBoobsxxHornyVera4UBryceDavisLovelyKetty .ScarlettWillowcarmeneliteHammiakiwiywi .SmithCuteYoungkiwiywiSaraBigBoobsxxCristalDiane .ANGELBOYSEXXXMDesireXGirlLisaHotlick .MeisaCoolVanessaDiMariaRedCherryEvaDarkPleasureCris .


This is one of our TELL YOUR STORY cases that just happened a couple days ago. We'll follow this patient through their whole procedure in real time. It's a great way to see the real timeline for hair transplantation and how much growth and change we can get from a FUE case.
This patient had a visible scar and transplants with a "pluggy" appearance from a previous transplant at another facility. We harvested 3000 grafts from the sides and back of the patient's head and moved them to the crown and forelock. We also placed hairs in the old scar to conceal the old scar and create more even coverage across the back of the head.
Keep tuning into the blog to watch this patient transform and get a new head of hair. This is a great example of how soon you'll look normal and be easily able to get back to work. Keep checking back in to follow the whole case as it's happening. Just another example of the great results we get here at our Toronto hair transplantation facility and our ongoing quest to really show what we do and share what the procedure is really like.
Thinking about a hair transplant? We only do hair transplants and our results really shine through. While other facilities may have a couple blurry old photos from 2008 we're constantly showcasing our work and updating our site. This dedication to sharing our results is one of the things that sets us apart. Don't trust your appearance to just anyone. Trust the expert team at DrRobertJones.com.


text:
Use of point-of-care ultrasound to diagnose spontaneous rupture of fibroid in pregnancy
Stephen Lammers, MD1; Christopher Hong, MD1; Jared Tepper, MD1; Christy Moore, BS, RDMS, RVT2; Cameron Baston, MD, MSCE3; Cara D. Dolin, MD, MPH1
(1) Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
(2) Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
(3) Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24908/pocus.v6i1.14757
Background: Complications of fibroids in pregnancy are well known, including postpartum hemorrhage, labor dystocia, and cesarean delivery. Outside of pregnancy and labor, the rare occurrence of spontaneous fibroid rupture has been documented. Case: The current case report involves a woman who presented with acute abdominal pain in the third trimester of pregnancy and was found to have spontaneous rupture of a fibroid before the onset of labor. Her initial presentation, diagnosis through use of point-of-care ultrasound, acute surgical management, and postoperative course are described. Conclusion: When assessing acute abdominal pain in a pregnant patient, fibroid rupture should be considered despite the absence of prior uterine surgery. Bedside point-of-care ultrasonography is a useful tool for assessment of abdominal pain in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Uterine fibroids are smooth muscle, benign tumors found in 12-25% of reproductive-age women [1]. Up to 10% of pregnancies are complicated by fibroids [2].In pregnancy, the presence of fibroids has been associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes including labor dystocia, postpartum hemorrhage, abnormal fetal presentation and cesarean delivery [2-4].Cumulatively, the presence of fibroids in pregnancy is associated with 10-40% incidence of obstetric complications [5,6].
Outside of pregnancy, spontaneous rupture of fibroid and subsequent hypovolemic shock necessitating emergency laparotomy for control of hemorrhage has been reported in young, nulliparous women as well as in post-menopausal women [7-10]. Rare case reports have described spontaneous rupture of fibroids occurring during pregnancy in women without prior myomectomies, notably in the second trimester as well as postpartum [11-14].
In both pregnant and non-pregnant patients presenting with abdominal pain and concern for active hemorrhage, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been utilized for triage and management decision making [8-10, 12].In the present report, we describe the use of POCUS for the evaluation of a patient with a known fibroid and no prior surgical history presenting with acute abdominal pain and concern for active hemorrhage in the third trimester of pregnancy.
A 28-year-old, gravida 3 para 0, at 35 and 6/7 weeks of gestation presented to a triage unit with worsening abdominal pain. Her subjective history was notable for abdominal cramping the previous evening that progressively worsened through the morning of presentation. She described her pain as constant and sharp with radiation towards her back. She reported regular fetal movement and did not report any leakage of fluid or vaginal bleeding. Her review of symptoms was otherwise negative. Prior to pregnancy, her medical history was notable for a left-sided subserosal fibroid measuring 6.7 x 5.0 x 8.2 cm by transabdominal ultrasound that was identified in a workup for abnormal uterine bleeding. This fibroid then measured 8.4 x 10.2 x 6.1 cm at 20 weeks of gestation and 9.5 x 9.3 x 8.4 cm at 32 weeks of gestation (Figure 1). Her prenatal course was otherwise uncomplicated. Her medical history was unremarkable and prior to pregnancy she took no regular medications. Her surgical history was notable for one prior surgical abortion via dilation and evacuation.
Figure 1. Representative image of a fibroid in the third trimester of pregnancy.
On initial presentation, her vital signs were as follows: pulse of 122 beats per minute, blood pressure of 146/67 mm Hg, respiratory rate of 22/min, and oxygen saturation of 96% on room air. On physical exam, the patient was alert and oriented and in mild distress. Cardiac exam was notable for regular rhythm tachycardia by manual pulse palpation and pulmonary exam was unremarkable. Abdominal exam demonstrated a firm and severely tender abdomen in all four quadrants with rebound tenderness. Cervical exam was 1cm dilation, 50% effacement, and -3 station. On electronic fetal heart monitoring, the fetus had a baseline heart rate of 140 beats per minute, moderate variability, and no accelerations or decelerations over a 20-minute period. On external tocometry, there were regular contractions every 2 minutes. Transabdominal POCUS demonstrated a cephalic fetus and large, bilateral collections of free fluid in the maternal abdomen. Figure 2 (supplemental Video S1) and Figure 3 (supplemental Video S2) show representative findings in the right upper quadrant and pelvis, respectively. Laboratory evaluation showed a hematocrit of 37%, platelets of 415 x103/µL, serum creatinine of 0.7 mg/dL, AST/ALT 22/20 units/L, total bilirubin of 0.5 mg/dL, and LDH 195 U/L. Coagulation studies showed an INR of 0.9, PTT of 26 seconds, and fibrinogen of 700 mg/dL.
Figure 2. Positive FAST exam of the right upper quadrant. Free fluid is highlighted inferior to the liver with red circle. More anatomy visible in Supplementary Video S1.
Video S1. Positive FAST exam of the right upper quadrant.
Figure 3. Positive FAST exam of the pelvis. Clotted blood is highlighted in red circle. More anatomy visible in Supplementary Video S2.
Video S2. Positive FAST exam of the pelvis
In the setting of worsening abdominal pain with positive rebound tenderness and significant free fluid concerning for hemoperitoneum, possible uterine rupture was suspected. The patient underwent an emergency cesarean delivery under general anesthesia. Upon entry into the peritoneum, light brown serosanguinous fluid and dark blood was visualized without evidence of an active hemorrhage. Inspection of the uterus and adnexal structures revealed an 8 to 10 cm uterine fibroid on the left side that distorted the lower uterine segment (Figure 4). No uterine dehiscence or rupture was identified. To avoid a low transverse hysterotomy extending into the fibroid, a midline vertical hysterotomy in a classical fashion was performed. A viable, male infant was then delivered through the hysterotomy. The placenta was removed intact. The uterus was exteriorized and the hysterotomy was then closed in three layers. The fibroid was again inspected and a rupture in the fibroid capsule was appreciated (Figure 4). The serosal capsule was entered and the contents within the fibroid were hemorrhagic, liquefied, and nearly entirely degenerated with minimal fibroid tissue remaining (Supplementary Image 1). Given these findings, the decision was made to proceed with a myomectomy. The fibroid was grasped with a tenaculum and the capsule was dissected from the underlying myometrium using a combination of blunt and electrosurgical dissection to shell out the remaining contents of the fibroid. The defect was then repaired in three layers. The uterus was returned to the abdomen and the remainder of the surgery was completed without complications. The infant had APGAR scores of 3 and 8 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. Total estimated blood loss from the procedure was 1800 mL. Intraoperatively, the patient did not require any blood products or vasopressor therapy. Postoperatively, the patient was transferred to the postpartum floor in stable condition. Her postoperative course was notable for acute blood loss anemia with a Hgb nadir of 7.0 g/dL; the patient declined blood transfusion. Otherwise, her postoperative course was uncomplicated and she was discharged home on postoperative day #4 in stable condition. Final pathology resulted as benign leiomyoma.
Figure 4. Left sided fibroid with capsular rupture.
While it has been established that prior myomectomy is a risk factor for uterine rupture in pregnancy, there have been only a few reports of a ruptured fibroid complicating pregnancy. Spontaneous fibroid rupture postpartum at two days and nine weeks has been reported [13,14]. Similarly, there are also reports of spontaneous rupture of fibroid intrapartumand in the early second trimester at 15 and 20 weeks gestation [11, 12, 15].To date, there is no report of a pregnant woman with known fibroids and no history of myomectomy presenting with spontaneous rupture of fibroid in the third trimester prior to the onset of labor, as we present here. In context of the rarity of this presentation, antepartum knowledge of fibroids is useful for management of abdominal pain in pregnancy.
In women with prior myomectomy and entry into the endometrial cavity, cesarean delivery at 37 weeks of gestation is recommended for the prevention of uterine rupture in labor [16]. However, in women without prior myomectomy, there is no consensus on the management of fibroids in pregnancy regarding size, number, and interval growth with the effects on pregnancy and labor outcomes. Concern for fibroids obstructing the birth canal is an indication for cesarean delivery [6].In general, myomectomy in pregnancy is not recommended due to concern for pregnancy loss and hemorrhage [17].Myomectomy in pregnancy has been reported for the treatment of intractable pain that has failed conservative management,torsion,renal compromise secondary to obstruction,and septic necrosis [17-21].Limited retrospective studies have evaluated pregnancy outcomes in women who undergo first or second trimester myomectomies and while successful pregnancy outcomes have been reported conservative management is recommended and surgery is indicated only on a case-by-case basis [18, 22, 23].
While the rates of hemorrhage, fetal malpresentation, cesarean delivery, and other adverse obstetrical outcomes associated with fibroids are beginning to be understood, it is not definitively known to what effect myomectomy in pregnancy or planned cesarean delivery decreases the incidence of these outcomes. As this and other case reports suggest, the spontaneous rupture of fibroid in pregnancy is a very rare event. Thus, in a pregnant woman with fibroids, the risks associated with myomectomy in pregnancy or planned cesarean delivery likely outweigh the benefits of preventing spontaneous rupture of fibroid and other adverse obstetric outcomes associated with fibroids in labor.
Importantly, this case demonstrates the usefulness of point-of-care transabdominal ultrasonography (POCUS) in the evaluation and management of acute abdominal pain in pregnancy. Ultrasonography is a useful diagnostic tool for the detection of hemoperitoneum, visualized as free fluid in the abdomen or pelvis, especially in the setting of blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma [24-25].In a patient with acute blunt or penetrating abdominal trauma, Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) exam has a reported sensitivity of 69-98% for the detection of hemoperitoneum, with the higher ranges reported for patients with hypotension following trauma [26-27].The specificity of FAST exam for free fluid in this patient population is reportedly 94-100% [26].Follow up reviews have found that in hemodynamically stable patients the sensitivity may be as low as 22-28%, therefore serial exams and/or follow up imaging are recommended [28].
Among pregnant patients presenting with acute blunt or penetrating abdominal trauma, FAST exams have a sensitivity of 61-85% and specificity of up to 99% for the detection of intraperitoneal free fluid; this is similar to the non-pregnant population [26, 27, 29-31]. For image acquisition, obtaining the pelvic views for evaluating free fluid in the pouch of Douglas may be more difficult secondary to the gravid uterus [26]. Nevertheless, there are no recommendations that the FAST exam be modified regarding how to obtain the standard FAST exam images when evaluating a pregnant patient with abdominal trauma. Compared to non-pregnant patients, ultrasound for the identification of hemoperitoneum may be associated with higher false positives secondary to increased physiologic free fluid [29]. However, specificity and negative predictive value for ruling out free fluid appear to be similar between pregnant and non-pregnant patients. Thus, while pregnant patients may have increased physiologic free fluid at baseline, when presenting with abdominal trauma and FAST scan is negative, this is reassuring for ruling out active bleeding and further diagnostic workup may be warranted pending overall maternal and fetal status.
In the present case, POCUS showed significant free fluid in the pelvis in the bilateral lower quadrants concerning for hemoperitoneum. The differential diagnosis included uterine rupture, placental abruption, fibroid rupture, fibroid necrosis, rupture of adnexal mass, as well as vascular and gastrointestinal etiologies. Although uterine rupture and placental abruption are not usually diagnosed with ultrasound, POCUS in the present case allowed for the rapid identification of intra-abdominal hemorrhage with reasonable certainty. Whereas POCUS did not rule in or out specific etiologies in this case, it appropriately identified a concerning intra-abdominal process necessitating urgent intervention. While the patient did not have a history of blunt or penetrating abdominal trauma, her overall clinical presentation was concerning for acute hemorrhage. In the context of tachycardia, rebound tenderness, and ultrasonographic signs of intra-abdominal bleeding, the decision was made to proceed with emergency exploratory laparotomy and delivery. With the use of FAST exam, intraabdominal bleeding was identified without requiring transport to CT scanning or serial lab monitoring, and she was transported to the operating room for stabilization, likely preventing further clinical deterioration. Ultrasound was therefore a useful tool in the present case for the urgent triage of a pregnant patient presenting with signs and symptoms of an acute abdomen potentially requiring surgical intervention.
Outside of obstetrics, the use of POCUS for the evaluation of unstable patients has been utilized in the fields of emergency medicine, anesthesia, and critical care. For example, the use and interpretation of bedside ultrasound are training requirements in these fields [32-34]. Additionally, the FAST exam skillset is readily taught in general surgery residency in order to appropriately evaluate patients with trauma/critical illness and formal training for POCUS has been developed by the American College of Surgery [35,36]. Furthermore, POCUS skillsets are becoming widely adopted throughout medicine as the American Association of Family Physicians, the American Board of Anesthesiology, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Emergency Physicians, as well as the Society for Hospital Medicine have all developed formal training curricula for POCUS [37-41]. The American College of Physicians has also committed to developing curricula, guidelines, and training for POCUS, further demonstrating the rapid uptake of these skillsets throughout clinical medicine [42]. However to date, there are no formal training requirements for emergency POCUS skills for obstetrics and gynecology residents.
As the present case highlights, POCUS was vitally important for the evaluation and management of an obstetrical patient with an urgent clinical condition. Given that POCUS is a readily accessible and inexpensive imaging modality, formal training in these techniques like FAST exams should be included in obstetrics and gynecology residencies. Evaluation of obstetrical parameters like fetal growth and cervical length as well as gynecological assessment of the adnexa and endometrium are ultrasonographic skillsets taught during training. Combining basic familiarity in gynecological evaluation of fibroids, for example, along with emergency POCUS skills would allow for further ability to develop a differential and management plan for patients presenting with acute abdominal pain. With this basic familiarity in use of ultrasound, training in POCUS would not require significant burden regarding use of equipment or availability of machines. Obstetrics and gynecology residents will encounter patients with urgent clinical conditions in which POCUS may be helpful, such as in patients with ruptured ectopic pregnancy, postpartum hemorrhage, and abdominal trauma in pregnancy. Beyond the abdominal cavity, POCUS may be useful for the cardiothoracic systems as well for the evaluation of peripartum shortness of breath, post-operative hypoxia/fever, and other clinical presentations in which evaluation of the lung, pleura, and pericardial spaces may be beneficial for the triage of critically ill patients [43-44]. Given that obstetrics and gynecology residents already receive training in basic obstetrical ultrasound technique, the addition of formal training in selected emergency POCUS techniques will further serve their ability to appropriately triage patients with critical illness that they may encounter.
In review, this case highlights the importance of considering spontaneously ruptured fibroid when triaging a pregnant woman with acute onset of severe abdominal pain, even without a history of prior myomectomy. The present case also highlights the usefulness of POCUS to aid in the medical decision making when evaluating a pregnant patient with severe abdominal pain. When an acute surgical abdomen is suspected in pregnancy the FAST exam is a quick and useful tool during triage. Obstetrics and gynecology residency programs should consider implementation of formal training in POCUS.
The patient consented to the use of de-identified information as well as the operative images. She provided full verbal consent for the publication with the understanding that while all information will be de-identified, absolute anonymity cannot be guaranteed.
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
1. Koo Y-J, Lee J-K, Lee Y-K, et al. Pregnancy Outcomes and Risk Factors for Uterine Rupture After Laparoscopic Myomectomy: A Single-Center Experience and Literature Review. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2015;22(6):1022-1028. doi:10.1016/j.jmig.2015.05.016
2. Coronado GD, Marshall LM, Schwartz SM. Complications in pregnancy, labor, and delivery with uterine leiomyomas: a population-based study. Obstet Gynecol. 2000;95(5):764-769. doi:10.1016/s0029-7844(99)00605-5
3. Vergani P, Locatelli A, Ghidini A, et al. Large uterine leiomyomata and risk of cesarean delivery. Obstet Gynecol. 2007;109(2 Pt 1):410-414. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000250470.78700.f0
4. Zhao R, Wang X, Zou L, et al. Adverse obstetric outcomes in pregnant women with uterine fibroids in China: A multicenter survey involving 112,403 deliveries. PloS One. 2017;12(11):e0187821. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0187821
5. Ouyang DW, Economy KE, Norwitz ER. Obstetric complications of fibroids. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2006;33(1):153-169. doi:10.1016/j.ogc.2005.12.010
6. Milazzo GN, Catalano A, Badia V, et al. Myoma and myomectomy: Poor evidence concern in pregnancy. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2017;43(12):1789-1804. doi:10.1111/jog.13437
7. Lotterman S. Massive hemoperitoneum resulting from spontaneous rupture of uterine leiomyoma. Am J Emerg Med. 2008;26(8):974.e1-2. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2008.02.029
8. Elkbuli A, Shaikh S, McKenney M, et al. Life-threatening hemoperitoneum secondary to rupture of a uterine leiomyoma: A case report and review of the literature. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2019;61:51-55. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2019.07.004
9. Kelson KR, Riscinti M, Secko M, et al. Point-of-care Ultrasonography of a Rare Cause of Hemoperitoneum. Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2018;2(4):320-322. doi:10.5811/cpcem.2018.7.38210
10. Lim WH, Cohen SC, Lamaro VP. Intra-abdominal haemorrhage from uterine fibroids: a systematic review of the literature. BMC Surg. 2020;20(1):70. doi:10.1186/s12893-020-00736-5
11. Kasum M. Hemoperitoneum caused by a bleeding myoma in pregnancy. Acta Clin Croat. 2010;49(2):197-200.
12. Olsthoorn A, Wang D, Swift B, et al. Ruptured Degenerating Fibroid Causing Preterm Labour and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2002;42(7):P903-905.
13. Swarray-Deen A, Mensah-Brown SA, Coleman J. Rare complication of fibroids in pregnancy: Spontaneous fibroid rupture. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2017;43(9):1485-1488. doi:10.1111/jog.13405
14. Tan YL, Naidu A. Rare postpartum ruptured degenerated fibroid: a case report. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2014;40(5):1423-1425. doi:10.1111/jog.12334
15. Ramskill N, Hameed A, Beebeejaun Y. Spontaneous rupture of uterine leiomyoma during labour. BMJ Case Rep. 2014;2014. doi:10.1136/bcr-2014-204364
16. Medically Indicated Late-Preterm and Early-Term Deliveries – ACOG. Accessed February 4, 2020. https://www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Medically-Indicated-Late-Preterm-and-Early-Term-Deliveries?IsMobileSet=false
17. Domenici L, Di Donato V, Gasparri ML, et al. Laparotomic Myomectomy in the 16th Week of Pregnancy: A Case Report. Case Rep Obstet Gynecol. 2014;2014. doi:10.1155/2014/154347
18. Lolis DE, Kalantaridou SN, Makrydimas G, et al. Successful myomectomy during pregnancy. Hum Reprod. 2003;18(8):1699-1702. doi:10.1093/humrep/deg318
19. Suwandinata FS, Gruessner SEM, Omwandho COA, et al. Pregnancy-preserving myomectomy: preliminary report on a new surgical technique. Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care Off J Eur Soc Contracept. 2008;13(3):323-326. doi:10.1080/13625180802075281
20. Allameh Z, Allameh T. Successful Myomectomy in the Second Trimester of Pregnancy. Adv Biomed Res. 2019;8. doi:10.4103/abr.abr_236_18
21. Tahmasebi F, Morje M, Hurrell A, et al. Successful Second Trimester Myomectomy in a Critically Ill Patient. Crit Care Obstet Gynecol. 2018;04(02). doi:10.21767/2471-9803.1000158
22. Leach K, Khatain L, Tocce K. First trimester myomectomy as an alternative to termination of pregnancy in a woman with a symptomatic uterine leiomyoma: a case report. J Med Case Reports. 2011;5(1):571. doi:10.1186/1752-1947-5-571
23. Mollica G, Pittini L, Minganti E, et al. Elective uterine myomectomy in pregnant women. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 1996;23(3):168-172.
24. Brown MA, Casola G, Sirlin CB, et al. Blunt abdominal trauma: screening us in 2,693 patients. Radiology. 2001;218(2):352-358. doi:10.1148/radiology.218.2.r01fe42352
25. McGahan JP, Richards J, Gillen M. The focused abdominal sonography for trauma scan: pearls and pitfalls. J Ultrasound Med Off J Am Inst Ultrasound Med. 2002;21(7):789-800. doi:10.7863/jum.2002.21.7.789
26. Richards JR, McGahan JP. Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) in 2017: What Radiologists Can Learn. Radiology. 2017;283(1):30-48. doi:10.1148/radiol.2017160107
27. Bochicchio GV, Haan J, Scalea TM. Surgeon-performed focused assessment with sonography for trauma as an early screening tool for pregnancy after trauma. J Trauma. 2002;52(6):1125-1128. doi:10.1097/00005373-200206000-00017
28. Carter JW, Falco MH, Chopko MS, et al. Do we really rely on fast for decision-making in the management of blunt abdominal trauma? Injury. 2015;46(5):817-821. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2014.11.023
29. Richards JR, Ormsby EL, Romo MV, et al. Blunt abdominal injury in the pregnant patient: detection with US. Radiology. 2004;233(2):463-470. doi:10.1148/radiol.2332031671
30. Goodwin H, Holmes JF, Wisner DH. Abdominal ultrasound examination in pregnant blunt trauma patients. J Trauma. 2001;50(4):689-693; discussion 694. doi:10.1097/00005373-200104000-00016
31. Meisinger QC, Brown MA, Dehqanzada ZA, et al. A 10-year restrospective evaluation of ultrasound in pregnant abdominal trauma patients. Emerg Radiol. 2016;23(2):105-109. doi:10.1007/s10140-015-1367-9
32. ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Emergency Medicine. American College of Graduate Medical Education; 2020:26.
33. ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education In Anesthesiology. American College of Graduate Medical Education; 2020:24-25.
34. ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Critical Care Medicine. American College of Graduate Medical Education; 2020:24.
35. Kotagal M, Quiroga E, Ruffatto BJ, et al. Impact of Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training on Surgical Residents' Confidence. J Surg Educ. 2015;72(4):e82-e87. doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2015.01.021
36. Staren ED, Knudson MM, Rozycki GS, et al. An evaluation of the American College of Surgeons' ultrasound education program. Am J Surg. 2006;191(4):489-496. doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2005.10.023
37. American Academy of Family Physicians. American Academy of Family Physicians. Family medicine residency curriculum guidelines. Point of care ultrasound. Published 2018. Accessed October 20, 2020. https://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/medical_education_residency/program_directors/Reprint290D_POCUS.pdf
38. Ramsingh D, Rinehart J, Kain Z, et al. Impact assessment of perioperative point-of-care ultrasound training on anesthesiology residents. Anesthesiology. 2015;123(3):670-682. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000000776
39. Critical Care Ultrasound. Accessed October 20, 2020. https://www.sccm.org/Education-Center/Critical-Care-Ultrasound
40. American College of Emergency Physicians Policy Statement. Ultrasound Guidelines: Emergency, Point-of-care, and Clinical Ultrasound Guidelines in Medicine. Published June 2016. Accessed October 20, 2020. https://www.acep.org/globalassets/new-pdfs/policy-statements/ultrasound-guidelines—emergency-point-of-care-and-clinical-ultrasound-guidelines-in-medicine.pdf
41. POCUS Certificate of Completion. Accessed October 20, 2020. https://www.hospitalmedicine.org/clinical-topics/ultrasound/pocus-certificate-of-completion/
42. ACP Statement in Support of Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Internal Medicine. Accessed October 20, 2020. https://www.acponline.org/meetings-courses/focused-topics/point-of-care-ultrasound-pocus-for-internal-medicine/acp-statement-in-support-of-point-of-care-ultrasound-in-internal-medicine
43. Wong A, Galarza L, Forni L, et al. Recommendations for core critical care ultrasound competencies as a part of specialist training in multidisciplinary intensive care: a framework proposed by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM). Crit Care. 2020;24(1):393. doi:10.1186/s13054-020-03099-8
44. Leitch JK, Ho AM-H, Allard R, Mizubuti GB. Postpartum reverse-Takotsubo from pheochromocytoma diagnosed by bedside point-of-care ultrasound: A case report. POCUS Journal. 2020;5(2):37-41. doi:10.24908/pocus.v5i2.14432
← The PEGASUS Games: Physical Exam,…
Diagnosing Early Cardiac Tamponade in… →
Vol 06 Iss 01 - APR 2021
Trans-hepatic Lung Ultrasound – A Window for Supine Patients
Pseudoaneurysm of the Dorsalis Pedis Artery Diagnosed on Point-of-Care Ultrasound
Hematocrit Sign Elucidates Cause of Abdominal Pain
Seven Year Old Male with Tricuspid Endocarditis
Diagnosing Early Cardiac Tamponade in Patient with JAK2+ Myeloproliferative Syndrome with Point of Care Ultrasound
The PEGASUS Games: Physical Exam, Gross Anatomy, phySiology and UltraSound Games for Preclinical Medical Education
Focused Cardiac Ultrasound Curriculum for Internal Medicine Residents
Surgeon Performed Ultrasound for Diagnosis of Intussusception – A Pilot Study
Measurement of the Applicability of Abdominal Point-of-Care Ultrasound to the Practice of Medicine in Saudi Arabia and the Current Skill Gaps
Point of Care Ultrasound First: An Opportunity to Improve Efficiency for Uncomplicated Pregnancy in the Emergency Department
Evaluation of Diagnostic Imaging Capacity and the Role for Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) within the Zanzibar Health System
Cover Image: "The POCUS Lesson of Professor Tulp"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
	xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
	<modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

	<groupId>com.undertree.showcase</groupId>
	<artifactId>jsf2-primefaces</artifactId>
	<version>0.0.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
	<packaging>war</packaging>

	<name>jsf2-primefaces</name>
	<url/>

	<properties>
		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>

		<jvm.source.version>1.7</jvm.source.version>
		<jvm.target.version>1.7</jvm.target.version>

		<slf4j.version>1.7.5</slf4j.version>
		<logback.version>1.2.0</logback.version>
		<commons-lang3.version>3.1</commons-lang3.version>
		<guava.version>30.0-android</guava.version>

		<javax.servlet-api.version>3.0.1</javax.servlet-api.version>
		<apache.myfaces.version>3.0.1</apache.myfaces.version>
 		<primefaces.version>8.0</primefaces.version>
		<casablanca.version>1.0.10</casablanca.version>
		<springframework.security.version>5.2.11.RELEASE</springframework.security.version>
		<springframework.webflow.version>2.4.8.RELEASE</springframework.webflow.version>
		<junit.version>4.13.1</junit.version>
	</properties>

	<dependencies>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>commons-logging</groupId>
            <artifactId>commons-logging</artifactId>
            <version>[1.0,)</version>
            <scope>provided</scope>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
			<groupId>ch.qos.logback</groupId>
			<artifactId>logback-classic</artifactId>
			<version>${logback.version}</version>
		</dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
            <artifactId>jcl-over-slf4j</artifactId>
            <version>${slf4j.version}</version>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
       		<groupId>javax.servlet</groupId>
        	<artifactId>javax.servlet-api</artifactId>
        	<version>${javax.servlet-api.version}</version>
        	<scope>provided</scope>
		</dependency>

		<dependency>
			<groupId>org.apache.myfaces.core</groupId>
			<artifactId>myfaces-api</artifactId>
			<version>${apache.myfaces.version}</version>
		</dependency>
		<dependency>
			<groupId>org.apache.myfaces.core</groupId>
			<artifactId>myfaces-impl</artifactId>
			<version>${apache.myfaces.version}</version>
		</dependency>

		<dependency>
			<groupId>org.primefaces</groupId>
			<artifactId>primefaces</artifactId>
			<version>${primefaces.version}</version>
		</dependency>
		<dependency>
			<groupId>org.primefaces.themes</groupId>
			<artifactId>casablanca</artifactId>
			<version>${casablanca.version}</version>
		</dependency>

		<!-- Including for Spring Security support -->
		<dependency>
			<groupId>org.springframework.security</groupId>
			<artifactId>spring-security-core</artifactId>
			<version>${springframework.security.version}</version>
		</dependency>
		<dependency>
			<groupId>org.springframework.security</groupId>
			<artifactId>spring-security-web</artifactId>
			<version>${springframework.security.version}</version>
		</dependency>
		<dependency>
			<groupId>org.springframework.security</groupId>
			<artifactId>spring-security-config</artifactId>
			<version>${springframework.security.version}</version>
		</dependency>

		<!-- Including to allow use of FaceletsAuthorizeTagHandler -->
  		<dependency>
			<groupId>org.springframework.webflow</groupId>
			<artifactId>spring-faces</artifactId>
			<version>${springframework.webflow.version}</version>
			<exclusions>
				<exclusion>
					<artifactId>spring-webmvc</artifactId>
					<groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
				</exclusion>
				<exclusion>
					<artifactId>spring-js</artifactId>
					<groupId>org.springframework.webflow</groupId>
				</exclusion>
			</exclusions>
		</dependency>

  		<!-- Miscellaneous includes -->
		<dependency>
			<groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
			<artifactId>commons-lang3</artifactId>
			<version>${commons-lang3.version}</version>
		</dependency>

		<dependency>
			<groupId>com.google.guava</groupId>
			<artifactId>guava</artifactId>
			<version>${guava.version}</version>
		</dependency>

		<dependency>
			<groupId>junit</groupId>
			<artifactId>junit</artifactId>
			<version>${junit.version}</version>
			<scope>test</scope>
		</dependency>
	</dependencies>

	<build>
		<finalName>jsf2-primefaces</finalName>

		<plugins>
			<plugin>
				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
				<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
				<version>2.3.2</version>
				<configuration>
					<source>${jvm.source.version}</source>
					<target>${jvm.target.version}</target>
				</configuration>
			</plugin>
		</plugins>
	</build>

	<repositories>
		<repository>
			<id>java-net</id>
			<name>Java.net Repository for Maven</name>
			<url>http://download.java.net/maven/2</url>
			<layout>default</layout>
		</repository>
		<repository>
			<id>prime-repo</id>
			<name>Prime Repo</name>
			<url>http://repository.primefaces.org</url>
		</repository>
		<!--
		<repository>
			<id>springsource-repo</id>
    		<name>SpringSource Repository</name>
    		<url>http://repo.springsource.org/release</url>
		</repository>
		 -->
	</repositories>
</project>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Why do we need 12GB RAM?
According to Samsung, the RAM will help power phones with more than five cameras, those with large displays, and phones with artificial intelligence and 5G capabilities. The company says it will enable better multitasking and faster searches through apps.
Samsung was able to build the 12GB RAM by combining six 16Gb PDDR4X chips manufactured using a 10nm-class process into a single package. The company says the memory will deliver a data-transfer rate of 34.1GB per second.
While Samsung doesn't say which phones will use the new RAM, the feature list it mentions suggests it could be used in the upcoming Galaxy Fold and the 5G Galaxy S10. Samsung is expected to release both these devices in the coming months and they both come with 12GB RAM.
There is also a 12GB version of the Galaxy S10 Plus. However, according to SlashGear, this uses an older type of RAM build using a 20nm process.
Samsung says it plans to more than triple the supply of 8GB RAM and 12GB RAM in the second half of 2019. This suggests not only will we start to see more phones with 12GB RAM, but phones with 8GB RAM could become more common.
Remember, it was only summer last year that Samsung announced its first phone with 8GB RAM—a high-end version of the Galaxy Note 9.


text:
Roerdalen () () ist eine niederländische Gemeinde in der Provinz Limburg.

Die Gemeinde entstand ursprünglich 1991 durch die Eingemeindung der bis dahin selbständigen Gemeinde Vlodrop in die Gemeinde Melick en Herkenbosch. Seit 1993 trägt sie den Namen Roerdalen. Zum 1. Januar 2007 wurde die Nachbargemeinde Ambt Montfort eingemeindet, wodurch die Gemeinde ihre Einwohnerzahl verdoppelte.

Ortschaften
Die Gemeinde besteht aus sechs Kirchdörfern und neun Bauerschaften und Weilern.

Dörfer
 Herkenbosch (4.180 Einwohner)
 Melick (3.625 Einwohner)
 Montfort (3.100 Einwohner)
 Posterholt (3.945 Einwohner)
 Sint Odiliënberg (3.355 Einwohner)
 Vlodrop (2.355 Einwohner)

Bauerschaften und Weiler
 Aan de Berg
 Etsberg
 Holst
 Lerop
 Paarlo
 Reutje
 Varst
 Vlodrop-Station
 Zittard

(Stand 1. Januar 2022)

Geografische Lage
Die Dörfer liegen in der Niederung der Rur. Die Dörfer Posterholt und Vlodrop, und das nördliche Wald- und Heidegebiet Nationalpark De Meinweg liegen an der deutsch-niederländischen Landesgrenze.

Geschichte

Die Dörfer Melick und Vlodrop wurden 858 bzw. 943 erstmals urkundlich erwähnt.

Das Dorf Sint Odilienberg entstand rund um eine angeblich schon 706 vom Hl. Wiro gegründete Abtei, die sicher 870 im Vertrag von Meerssen erwähnt wird, als sie dem Reich Ludwigs des Deutschen zugeteilt wurde (Regesta Imperii I., 1480).

Durch das Gemeindegebiet führt seit 1879 die eingleisige Bahnstrecke Eiserner Rhein. Die Reaktivierung der stillgelegten Strecke wird kontrovers diskutiert. Versuche der Steinkohleförderung wurden nach wenigen Jahren mit der Schließung der Beatrixmine im nördlichen Gemeindegebiet 1962 eingestellt.

Wappen
Blasonierung: Gespalten, vorne in Rot ein aufrechter, zweischwänziger, schwarzäugiger, silberner Löwe, hinten geteilt, oben von Silber und Blau sechsmal geteilt, darunter in Silber eine rote heraldische Lilie. Ein hersehender aufrechter Löwe mit offenem Maul in natürlichen Farben dient als Schildhalter – er hält den Schild vor seinem Körper, mit den Vordertatzen an den oberen Schildecken, so dass der Schild außer Kopf und vier Tatzen den gesamten Löwen verdeckt.

Das von einem Löwen gehaltene Wappen vereint Wappenmotive der drei Ortschaften: den Löwen von Melick und Herkenbosch, die rote Lilie von Vlodrop und die drei blauen Balken von Posterholt.

Gemeindepartnerschaft
 Es besteht eine Partnerschaft mit der Verbandsgemeinde Birkenfeld in Rheinland-Pfalz.

Politik

Sitzverteilung im Gemeinderat

Der Gemeinderat wird seit der Gemeindegründung folgendermaßen gebildet:

Anmerkungen

Kollegium von Bürgermeister und Beigeordneten
Folgende Personen gehören zum Kollegium:
Bürgermeisterin
 Monique de Boer-Beerta (VVD) (Amtsantritt: 1. Juli 2013)
Beigeordnete
 Eugenie Cuijpers (CDA)
 Jan Smits (Democraten Roerdalen)
 Jan den Teuling (Roerstreek Lokaal!)
Gemeindesekretär
 Jan L'Ortije

Freizeit

Der Nationalpark De Meinweg lädt zum Wandern und Reiten an. Ein Besucherzentrum vermittelt Einblicke in Natur und Kulturgeschichte des Gebiets.

Sehenswürdigkeiten

 Romanische Basilika der heiligen Wiro, Plechelmus en Otgerusaus dem 11. Jahrhundert in Sint Odiliënberg
 Prins Bernhardmolen (Prinz-Bernhard-Mühle) zwischen Melick und Herkenbosch: Nach Zerstörung im Zweiten Weltkrieg bis 1999 funktionsfähig rekonstruierte Bockwindmühle. Neben der Mühle befindet sich ein Museum mit historischen Landmaschinen aus der Zeit vor 1950.
 Kolleg St. Ludwig. Von 1909 bis 1979 diente das Klostergebäude als Internatsschule und seitdem unter der Bezeichnung Maharishi European Research University (MERU) als Meditationszentrum. 2001 wurde das denkmalgeschützte Gebäude teilweise zerstört und dem Verfall preisgegeben. Ein Neubau ist geplant und wird seit Sommer 2007 mit einer gebäudehohen Abbildung vor der Hauptfront des Gebäudes visualisiert. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi starb im Februar 2008 hier.

Weblinks

 Website der Gemeinde (niederländisch, deutsch, englisch, französisch)

Einzelnachweise

Gemeinde in der Provinz Limburg (Niederlande)
Gemeindegründung 1991

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I was reminded recently about one of the last times I meet up with Tony Conrad…it was in Madeira off the coast of Portugal.
I wrote this shortly after he passed….
Here's five things Tony Conrad taught me.


A recent report by the Biodiversity Research Institute, Great Lakes Commission and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse cited that while environmental controls have limited the amount of new mercury pollution in our Great Lakes region, the levels of mercury found in some species of fish in local waterways have continued to increase.
Most locally-caught fish are a healthful, low-fat source of protein and can be safely eaten. However, consumption of some fish should be limited. For this reason, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) issues the Michigan Fish Advisory to help people choose fish that are low in mercury and other contaminants.
"With the evidence of increasing mercury levels in some areas, it's important for local residents to consult the Michigan Fish Advisory when deciding which fish to consume," said Joshua Meyerson, MD, Medical Director for the Health Department of Northwest Michigan.
Unlike other chemicals sometimes found in fish, you cannot reduce the amount of mercury in fish by cleaning and cooking it a certain way. You also cannot see or taste mercury in fish. The only way to detect mercury in fish is by having it tested by a laboratory.
This is why filets from fish taken from lakes and rivers around the state are tested each year for mercury and other chemicals at the MDCH Laboratory. The results from these tests allow MDCH to determine which species of fish are more likely to have higher levels of mercury than others.
MDCH uses the test results from the fish filets to develop consumption advice that protects everyone who eats the fish. The results, published in the Michigan Fish Advisory, can help you choose fish that are safe to eat for your entire family. Since Michigan has more than 11,000 lakes, streams and rivers to fish in, not all bodies of water have had fish tested for mercury. The MDCH Statewide Mercury Advisory provides general information on safe fish to eat from lakes that have not been tested and included in the Michigan Fish Advisory. You can use the MDCH Eat 8 tool to help you select store-bought fish that are lower in mercury. Eat 8 features commonly purchased fish that have been assigned points based on the amount of mercury reported by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Eat eight points or less per month to stay within the accepted limits of mercury consumption to avoid health effects.
The Health Department of Northwest Michigan is mandated by the Michigan Public Health Code to promote wellness, prevent disease, provide quality healthcare, address health problems of vulnerable populations, and protect the environment for the residents and visitors of Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Otsego counties. For a copy of the Michigan Fish Advisory and the Eat 8 Tool, visit www.nwhealth.org.


Can My Friends & I Use the same Gun Trust to Share Firearms.
Using a Gun Trust for multiple people is a common scenario that we discuss with people. Our general recommendation is that it is not a good idea to have several people contribute firearms to a single trust for the purpose of sharing ownership and use of the firearms.
While it is not such a bad idea, if people are going to be contributing firearms to your trust, most people want to use a trust like a company where each person will have equal rights. The equal rights scenario is a generally a bad idea because your gun do not necessarily go to who you want.
Imagine the following example. Adam, Burt, and Charlie want to form a trust so that they can each use all the firearms in a single Gun Trust. Adam is married and has children, Burt is single, and Charlie has a live in girlfriend. Each is planning on purchasing a silencer so that there will be three silencers to share. It would be important to add Adam's wife and Charlie's girlfriend on the trust to protect them from constructive possession and inadvertent transfers which are both violations of the NFA and have penalties that can include 10 years in jail and a 250,000 penalty.
If Adam gets a divorce, will his wife have a claim against the silencers contributed by Burt and Charlie?
What if Adam, Burt, or Charlie no longer trust one or more of the others.
What if one moves or becomes a prohibited person?
Will Adam's silencer go to his children or to someone else in the Gun Trust or the child or spouse of another person who is involved with the trust.
Who will be responsible for the taxes if any are owed as a result of buying or selling Trust assets?
While Adam may trust Burt does he trust who Burt will want to use the restricted items in the trust?
What if any of the trustees has a financial problem, will the assets of the trust be subject to the claims of creditors of all three?
As you can see, there are many potential pitfalls in creating a trust like this. On the other hand if Adam sets up a trust and makes Burt and Charlie co-trustees and they each contribute property, Adam gets to control the use, possession, and eventual disposition of the property. This is not bad for Adam but may not be fair to Burt or Charlie.
If each of them setup their own trust, they can select the others as authorized users and then can each select what they would like to have happen to the property upon their death.
To solve these problems we would recomend a series of reciprocal trusts.
Adams Trust could name his wife, Burt, and Charlie as co-trustees.
Burt could name Adam and Charlie as co-trustees.
Charlie could name his girlfriend, Adam, and Burt as co-trustees.
Each could choose what they wanted to have happen to their properly upon their death or incapacity and make changes to the trust as they see fit regardless of what the others thought.


text:
Weekly Digest – 15 July 2020
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. We hope you and your family are safe and doing well. Read on for this week's update.
Temporary VAT Cut for Food, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Accommodation, and Attractions
The UK Government has announced that from 15 July 2020 to 12 January 2021, there will be a temporary reduction to the Standard Rate of VAT from 20% to 5% for supplies of food and non-alcoholic drinks from restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes, and the hospitality sector across the UK. This move is designed to increase customer demand in response to the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is great news for the hospitality industry as they start to reopen, albeit on a reduced capacity basis. If you need some guidance on how to operate safely after a period of inaction, you may visit this resources page by the national tourism agency, which focuses on practical guidance for reopening during the pandemic. Meanwhile, if you need personalised advice for your business, feel free to drop us a message.
Running a Business in the a-Pandemic World
They say the worst of times can bring out the best in people– and this is also true for businesses. Last week, we put businesses showing resilience in the face of adversity in the spotlight, and shared the creative ways they serve their customers and communities amid the COVID-19 crisis.
This week, we talk about the hallmarks of an organisation designed for speed, as outlined by McKinsey & Company (see page 40). Below is a list of characteristics of operating models they've identified that result in faster speed to market, increased customer responsiveness, greater efficiency, and enhanced employee satisfaction. These characteristics will help companies stay competitive in the post-pandemic business environment:
Flatter organisations with less hierarchy and streamlined decision rights
Faster information flows and decision-making, powered by embedded data and analytics
As number-crunchers – we love this one!
Cross-functional teams collaborating to tackle common missions through test-and-learn approach
Flexible ways of working, including affinity for hybrid remote/ in-person teams
Dynamic allocation of talent deployed against mission-critical priorities
Agile, resilient talent able to move fast, adapt to change, and continuously learn
This Forbes article also shares tips on how to future-proof your business for a post-pandemic workplace, including:
Making flexibility as a core benefit
Upgrading equipment and investing in technology
Prioritising employee health and wellness
Increasing communication
Investing in management development
Creating a sustainable company culture
The future of businesses will no longer be determined by what has worked, but instead, what will work in the post-pandemic world. While the "when" and "how" of the end of the pandemic remain unknown, reimagining your organisation and re-evaluating the way you work can help you rise to the occasion and lead your business as the "new normal" we hear so much about takes shape.
If you want to talk about your specific situation, please get in touch with us and we'll help you work out a strategic plan.
What funding is available for my business?
You may be eligible for some grants made available by the government such as the Future Fund and R&D rescue package for fast growth businesses and smaller businesses with a Research & Development focus. The UK government has recently expanded this rescue package for start-ups to include those whose parent companies are based abroad. As of this week, a total of 429 convertible loans have already been approved, representing over £419 million, and the government says it is willing to increase the fund's size if necessary.
There is also the Small Business Grant Fund, which is a one-off grant of £10,000 that supports small businesses that pay little or no business rates as a result of small business rate relief (SBBR), rural rate relief (RRR), and tapered relief. Businesses in the retail, hospitality, and leisure industries that use premises with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000, and will therefore pay no business rates for the current year, will receive grants of £25,000 from their Local Authority. For further details on eligibility and payment arrangements, contact your local authority.
If your business has been severely hit by COVID-19 and you need more support, the government is giving small- and medium-sized businesses access to financial support through various initiatives such as the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), where you can get up to £50,000 no-interest loans for the first 12 months. Approximately 1.05 million smaller businesses have received a total of £31.7 billion through this scheme so far.
As for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, which offers a maximum loan of £5 million made available through commercial banks, lenders have provided £11.9 billion worth of facilities to 54,500 companies.
You can also claim for 80% of your employee's wages plus any employer National Insurance and pension contributions if you have put them on furlough because of COVID-19 under the Job Retention Scheme, which has been recently extended until the end of October. You can check your eligibility here.
With all the financial assistance schemes available for businesses, it can be difficult to assess which one is suitable for your business. We can help you evaluate your options if you get in touch.
Contact us if you have any questions or would like to chat about the next steps for your business.


text:
DIAGNOSIS: AML (leukemia)
HOBBIES: Dogs, playing , baseball, football, Barbie, cooking, laughing
Because of Pinky Swear, they didn't need to worry about their mortgage being paid one month when everything but cancer was at the back of our minds.
Share Abby's Story
Before cancer, Abby was a flag football player, an avid baseball fan, and had been in fencing, Kung-Fu, and anything else she wanted to try. Then Abby was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in October 2012, when she was just eight years old.
She immediately moved into Children's Hospital in Minneapolis to begin treatments, living in the hospital until she was done with treatment in March 2013. After eight months of remission, Abby relapsed in September 2013. They moved back into Children's, and then to the Mayo Clinic/St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, for a bone marrow transplant. Abby was released from the hospital in April of 2014.
Although 11-year-old Abby continues to have after effects of her treatment and transplant, she remains in remission, with regular follow ups with both the Mayo Clinic and at the University of Minnesota Children's Masonic Hospital. She is now attending 5th grade, and enjoys being around other kids after missing out on three years of school. Her favorite hobbies still include playing sports, but not competitively. She now loves swimming, playing Minecraft, being a big sister to Jill, hanging out with her dogs, drawing and coloring, cooking and many more interests. And while Abby may be shy, she keeps those around her laughing with her hilarious sense of humor.
Pinky Swear helped Abby's family during their cancer journey more than once. Because of Pinky Swear, they didn't need to worry about their mortgage being paid one month when everything but cancer was at the back of our minds.
As it does to any family who goes through such an awful experience, cancer has made it's mark on Abby's family. They report having come out of the experience as a stronger family, and instead of sweating the small things they appreciate the time they have together now more than ever.
Help Support Families Like Abby's


Sometimes in life, you have to just wait and be patient.
You asked us for a great purple coffee maker. We searched, waited, and searched some more. Finally we found one we're proud to recommend and sell to you! It's not cheap, but it's worth owning.


text:
Posts Tagged 'Batman'
Superman v. The Great Depression
Posted by: Preston Wheatley on: August 8, 2010
In: The World in a Golden Age
"Fans come to me asking how this works or that works, and I say, 'It's a comic book. It's not real.' We already have a real world, why do you want fiction to be like that too?"
– Grant Morrison, 2010
An ad for Flash Comics
Lately I've been reading a lot of Golden Age comics. I know there aren't many of my generation who appreciate this stuff, and I'm positive I don't "get it" the way my grandparents did, but the mixture of innocence, desperation, and humanity I find in these old stories is quite compelling.
When my generation imagines old comics we think of Super Friends, but for all its glitter the times of the Golden Age were rather bleak. Thanks to Captain America and Wonder Woman we think the heroes of that first era were framed against the backdrop of WWII. This is not true. While it is true that Superman, Batman, and others came to stand for the American Way their personae were not forged in flames of war, but in the embers of Depression.
"We can do it!" Rosie the Riveter said that for the first time in 1942. Superman debuted in 1938. We met Batman, Namor, and the Human Torch in 1939. Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, and the Spirit first appeared in 1940 alongside most of the Golden Age crew. Wonder Woman is the only major character to appear after Pearl Harbor, and she also joins Steve Rogers in color coordination. All of these heroes were born into an era scarred by record unemployment and rising crime as the country completed a full decade of economic depression.
People were starting to lose hope and this, my friends, is the world Superman needed to save.
Superman saves a woman framed for murder.
Something I love about the early days of superheroes is the lack of super-villains. Oh, sure there were a few notable bad guys like the Joker and Wotan, but on the whole super-villains were exceptions to the norm of mob bosses, corrupt officials, and street thugs. This is what I meant when I said the Golden Age comics were desperate. America thought the problems of everyday life were bad enough to need heroes.
This reveals a real sense of hopelessness deep in the psyche of that generation. Rampant unemployment. Gang violence on the rise and crime organizing like never before. Times were desperate, and the Common Man felt he was quickly losing his place in the day-to-day life of America.
See, creators like Rob Kanigher and Len Wein saw comics as fantastical tales to thrill an audience with absurdity and bizarre scenarios. Jerry Siegel, Bill Finger, C. C. Beck, and Mart Dellon saw comics as a cathartic escape from the harsh reality of violence, corruption, and black-mail.
They saw comics as a weird mixture of hope and escape.
Never mind the crude drawings and clumsy dialogue. The heroes idolized by my grandfather didn't need to fight aliens to have meaning. Superman was great because he could stop a lynching. We believed in the Green Lantern because he could expose a mob-boss who had framed an innocent man. These heroes didn't protect us from the unknown; what they brought was hope in the face of something very real and immediate. Put another way, the Golden Age offered escape from reality simply by solving the problems of poor Americans. I cannot imagine anything sadder or more exhilarating. So, while 1938-1950 may not have produced the best art or the most clever prose, America has arguably never seen comics that had more meaning. And that is enough to make a Golden Age.
-Jonny
[Subscribe to High Five! You know you wanna.]
Tags: 1938, Batman, Bill Finger, C. C. Beck, Green Lantern, Human Torch, Jerry Siegel, Mart Dellon, Namor, Superman, The Golden Age, The Great Depression, the Spirit, Wonder Woman, WWII
Batman Beyond #1 and Why Bruce Wayne Will Never Again Be Batman
Posted by: Robert Bazz on: July 2, 2010
In: Fandom | Reviews & Booze
When I was a young'un, I'd wake up early every Saturday morning to watch the crap out of some Batman Beyond. For whatever reason, a Batman in the future kind of seemed like one of the most awesome things ever (even if the show was pretty much just made up words, Seth Green, and day-glo everything). This is why following Dan DiDio's 2007 announcement, I eagerly awaited the new Adam Beechen Batman Beyond limited series and some sweet Earth-12 action. I didn't know what I was getting into.
It all started with Paul Levitz's Superman/Batman Annual #4, in which Terry teams up with Superman to stop a decrepit Lex Luthor who has been lacing street drugs with Kryptonite. The issue references the shit out of an episode of Batman Beyond called "The Call" (Superman talks about being possessed by Starro and the death of Lois Lane). I'd assume it takes place in either the DC Animated Universe or on Earth-12. In other words, this issue may or may not be canon.
This was followed by Grant Morrison's phenomenal Batman #700. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend you do before reading the rest of this paragraph. In the future, when Damian Wayne is Batman, he saves an infant Terry McGinnis from 2-Face-2. The next page (under the heading "and tomorrow") features a shot of Terry in the Batman Beyond costume beating the crap out of a bunch of Jokerz. Essentially, Batman #700 finally plugged Terry into the main continuity of the DCU.
Now we come upon Batman Beyond #1 (of a six issue mini-series). Let's get the review portion out of the way real fast; Beechen is comfortable writing for a DCAU character (he wrote for both Warner Brothers' The Batman and Carton Network's Teen Titans) and DC made an excellent choice picking him for this project. Ryan Benjamin's art parallels that of the original series well, but I've yet to decide if that's really a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, pick it up. Totally worth the $2.99 cover price.
Anyway, with the events of Batman #700, it is safe to assume that Batman Beyond is also taking place on New Earth rather than Earth-12. This book starts off assuming that you watched the show and already know who Terry is. Taking place after the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker movie (but before that Justice League Unlimited episode where Terry finds out Bruce is his dad), this book follows Terry trailing a killer who's been offing characters from Bruce's past.
This does raise a lot of questions though. Morrison's Batman #666 (released in July 2007) revealed that, at some point, Damian will witness the death of a Batman and avenge his death by taking up the mantle. In 2007, we naturally thought Batman meant Bruce Wayne. Fast forward to 2010 and we now know that Dick (not Bruce) has been Damian's mentor. And Batman Beyond proves that Bruce is still alive in 2039 following Damian's tenure as Batman. Holy shit. In one fell swoop Grant Morrison killed Dick Grayson and proved that Bruce Wayne will never be Batman again.
Consider the title of Morrison's The Return of Bruce Wayne. In retrospect, this sort of implies that it is not Batman returning from the past, merely the man. And with Morrison having already touched upon the distant future of the Batman legacy in JLA: One Million (the Batman of which also cameos in Batman #700), it is safe to assume he knows where he's going with it. The legacy appears safe in Morrison's hands but, sorry fanboys, it looks like Bruce's days behind the cowl are over.
-Rob and Jonny
PS: Anybody who says Grant Morrison is hard to follow can suck it.
[Liked this? Vote it up on reddit!]
Tags: Adam Beechen, Batman, Batman Beyond, Bruce Wayne, Damian Wayne, DC Comics, DCAU, Dick Grayson, Grant Morrison, JLA: One Million, Paul Levitz, Ryan Benjamin, Superman/Batman, Terry McGinnis, The Return of Bruce Wayne
Batman/Doc Savage Special: The Return of Pulp
Posted by: Robert Bazz on: November 14, 2009
With his work on such original titles as Jonny Double, 100 Bullets, and Filthy Rich as examples, Brian Azzarello is clearly a huge fan of pulp and noir style comic books. Hell, even his prior superhero work occasionally ended up tapping more into the seedy underbelly of the crime world than just straight up superheroic action (such as Joker being from the perspective of a henchman). Despite all this, when I had heard that Azzarello was both going to be writing for legendary pulp comic character Doc Savage and making it a crossover with Batman, I was somewhat skeptical. After all, would Savage, a character who hasn't changed one bit since his first appearance in 1933 radio serials, work in a 2009 book?
At first glance, the oversized one-shot (illustrated by Phil Noto with an awesome J.G. Jones cover) seems a bit like it should be under the Elseworlds imprint. Batman is running around Gotham City trying to take down organized crime with not only his own cunning, but a pair of .45 pistols. Gotham is all a twitter, believing that the Batman has murdered and robbed a notorious porn producer / nightclub owner. Immediately following the death of his father, a grieving Doc Savage leaves New York City and arrives in Gotham with the hopes that taking down Batman will make for a good distraction. James Gordon is a lowly cop boozing it up in a local bar, swearing that Batman is nothing but trouble. And, perhaps most important of all, there are no superpowered heroes. Things are drastically different in Gotham City, more on par with how life was in the 1940s Doc Savage comics than in the modern DCU.
Without really ruining anything about this book, it's much more of a prologue for the upcoming Brian Azzarello / Rags Morales mini-series First Wave than it is the advertised one-shot. I suppose I'd recommend picking up The Batman / Doc Savage Special if you are either a fan of Marvel's Noir series or feel like you might end up invested in First Wave (a Batman / Doc Savage / the Spirit / Black Canary / Blackhawks cross-over? How could I not?). I'd just recommend maybe going back and reading some of the older Doc Savage books (or listening to those radio serials, which are pretty awesome) to get more acquainted with the character.
Tags: 100 Bullets, Batman, Black Canary, Blackhawks, Brain Azzarello, DC Comics, Doc Savage, Elseworlds, Filthy Rich, First Wave, J.G. Jones, Jonny Double, Phil Noto, Rags Morales, the Spirit
So, Batman, Tell Us How You Really Feel?
In: Fandom
While taking a break from writing a post for tonight, I decided to flip through November 1967's Brave and the Bold Vol. 1 #74 (hell yeah, Metal Man/Batman team-up!). And then, on page two, I found this little gem.
Let that sink in. Batman is talking shit on Spider-Man, a character who doesn't exist in the DCU (well, until that JLA/Avengers thing). Not only is he calling Spider-Man's ability to, um, "flit," a rip-off, but he's doing it over five years after Spider-Man's debut, long enough for Spidey's solo series to release issue #54 that same day as this book's release. Oh, well. Whatever. Either way…
Tags: Batman, DC Comics, JLA/Avengers, Marvel Comics, Silver Age, Spider-Man, The Brave and the Bold
Brave and the Bold Vol 1 #81: The Flash vs. Crappy Karma
Posted by: Robert Bazz on: November 8, 2009
In: The Silver Age with Rob
When it comes to Barry Allen and his Silver Age stories, I notice a running theme (pun so totally intended): up until the last page or two, he has the absolute shittiest luck ever. It doesn't matter who he fights, he always ends up knocked out, stranded, incarcerated, and/or pretty much powerless until he either remembers that he can vibrate through anything or that comic book chemistry can fix everything ever. Even when teamed up with somebody as legendary as Batman against somebody as dumb as Bork (as is the case in January 1969's Brave and the Bold #81), he still manages to just get the shaft over and over again.
Our story begins at the Gotham City docks where street thug Carl Bork has been spotted trying to steal cargo from a ship. The captain must be crazy forgiving, because all he does is shoo Bork away. As he sulks away from the failed heist, Bork walks straight into the path of an oncoming truck and is creamed at full speed! But instead of dying like us normal folks, Bork just gets up and realizes that he is both now invincible and only able to talk in the third person (oh, that's not going to be annoying)! He decides to try out his new found power by robbing a diner's register. The cops show up and immediately try to shoot him in the leg (Gotham cops don't have time to fuck around), but the bullet just bounces off!
Meanwhile, Barry Allen is getting a tour of Gotham's police lab by Batman and Commissioner Gordon when they hear the call over the radio: there's a "rumble" at the docks! Barry and Gordon carpool to the scene while Batman "flits" and beats them there, just in time to see a lone Bork challenging Milo Manning and his gang. Milo takes a swing at the invincible Bork, who survives getting hit with a forklift and pretty much just claims Milo's gang as his own. Batman realizes that Bork is invulnerable and, for whatever reason, decides that his fist can do what a forklift couldn't. Yeah, it can't. Bork shouts his catchphrase, "You can't hurt Bork but Bork can hurt you," and then takes out a bunch of cops and hands Batman his own ass, just in time for Barry and Gordon to show up. Bork then announces that he's taking over Gotham and there ain't shit they can do about it. By the way, that annoying catchphrase? Yeah, Bork says it four times within the first seven pages (five if you count the cover).
A couple of hours later, Bork has practically the entire Gotham underworld under his control and has announced his demands to the Gotham City Hall. They have 24 hours to kick Batman out of town, give over half of the city counsel seats to his goons, and give him areas of the city that cops can't touch. If not, there's gonna be a riot! Batman decides that Bork must have gotten his invincibility at some point during his never before mention travels all over the world and asks Barry to suit up and figure out the where and how of it all. As the Flash, Barry gets the manifests to all of Bork's destinations and discovers that he's been all over the damn place, including a small unnamed African nation where he impoverished all of the citizens (somehow). And as luck would have it, their president has sent some commandos to Gotham to apprehend him! Simultaneously, those same commandos open fire on Bork but the bullets just bounce off! Batman shows up and everybody runs away.
During his investigation, Flash discovers that Bork was once shipwrecked on Desolation Island where the natives carved a magical sculpture of him. Oh, man, Barry is having some awesome luck! All he has to do is destroy the sculpture! He races to the island and finds the Bork statue on top of a volcano. Sweet! What could go wrong? Well, just then the volcano erupts and the whole island fucking explodes. The Flash and the statue are thrown into the air where is hit in the head with a lava rock and passes out. He lands on a big piece of driftwood while the statue gets caught in a current and is picked up by some "grizzled adventurer" in a sailboat. While Barry tries to follow the current, the adventurer gets caught in a storm miles away and the statue falls overboard. Just as the Flash finally finds it again, a tiger shark starts trying to eat it. Barry jumpkicks the shark (yeah, that's kinda awesome), grabs the statue, and starts banging it against rocks. When that doesn't do anything, he ties it to his back and starts running at the speed of light, trying to use friction to burn the Bork statue. He goes fast enough to end up both in the future and a different dimension, but that damn statue is still in one piece. When he's about to give up, he decides, "Fuck it, I'm gonna shoot it with a laser." It doesn't do much, but it kiiiiinda burns a spot on the hand of the statue. Kiiiiinda success!
Meanwhile, Batman and Gordon confront City Hall, who are ready to give in to Bork's demands. Batman says that Bork is just like Hitler (for some reason) and he and Gordon storm out. Apparently there are some panels missing, because the next thing you know, Batman is throwing Bork into a paddywagon while reminding him that invulnerability doesn't mean that a jail cell can't hold him. I, the reader, then think to myself, "Actually, it kinda does. I mean, couldn't he just punch the wall a bunch of times until he knocks a hole in it?" One page later, Bork punches the wall a bunch of times until he knocks a hole in it. The African commandos catch up with Bork and decide that a blowgun will be able to do what machine guns couldn't. The dart just happens to hit the same spot on his hand as the laser hit on the statue and it works. What are the odds!
Barry decides that the only way to destroy the statue is by throwing it into the sun (you know, the same way every fictional character has destroyed every fictional dangerous object ever). He straps it to his back, runs up a ramp, and vibrates through the sun with the statue, burning it to a crisp. At that exact moment, Batman punches Bork in the jaw, knocking his ass out. In the end, they send him to Africa to stand trial for being a douchebag and dicking over an entire country.
Final verdict? Barry Allen needs to get a fucking desk job and Bork needs to shut the hell up.
Tags: Batman, Bob Haney, Bork, DC Comics, Neal Adams, The Brave and the Bold, the Flash
World's Finest #1: That's Not Nightwing (Yes, It Is)
Posted by: Robert Bazz on: October 30, 2009
Ever since World's Finest debuted in 1941, DC Comics has had a comic chubby for Superman/Batman team-ups. I mean, granted, they go well together what with all the differences between Bruce and Clark. But when I heard DC's plan to bring back a World's Finest limited series I was confused. I mean, Bruce is dead (sort of) and Clark is busy soldiering on New Krypton. So, how the hell do you showcase the world's finest team-up when the world's finest are kind of, well, anything but?
Apparently, Sterling Gates figured it how to pull this one off. Just because the main heroes are a tad predisposed, it doesn't mean the other characters from their respective corners of the DCU can't mingle a bit. Even better, Gates manages to pull out some of the lesser used heroes; case in point, issue one teams up Red Robin and Nightwing (the Kryptonian son of Zod, not Dick Grayson). World's Finest #1 is all about the duo trying to rescue a kidnapped Flamebird (Nightwing's partner/girlfriend) from the combined clutches of the Penguin and the Kryptonite Man, who are looking to sell her to the highest bidder (yeah, that's pretty fucking creepy).
There's more talk than action throughout most of the book, with a lot of chatter between either Red Robin and Nightwing or the Penguin and his cohorts. I'm usually bored to tears by an overly chatty book, but Gates manages to keep this book moving, even with a lot of dialogue. Actually, my only complaint was with Julian Lopez's art, which occasionally felt a bit goofy. There's one panel in particular of Red Robin with this giant grin lifted from a Golden Age comic. Yes, I understand he thought Nightwing was Conner and he was psyched for a team-up but, man, the guy is trying to solve his adoptive dad's murder. Considering how pissed off Tim seems directly before and after this panel, the grin seems almost inappropriate. But that's just me.
What the hell though, I'm going to go ahead and recommend this book. I'm excited for the other three upcoming team-ups (Damien Wayne and the Guardian, Stephanie Brown and Supergirl, and the first ever Dick Grayson Batman / Superman pairing) and issue one did have an interesting cliffhanger at the end. Slow starts be damned, I have a feeling that this book is seriously going to pay off in the end.
Tags: Batman, Julian Lopez, Red Robin, Stephanie Brown, Sterling Gates, Superman, World's Finest
Things I Learned From Comics: How to Get a Nemesis
In: Things I Learned From Comics
So, you've gotten yourself some powers and established a secret identity, but if you're gonna be a real superhero, you're going to need an ass to kick. I mean, after a while, using your superpowers to take down petty criminals will start putting the cops out of a job. And we all know how productive bored cops are, right? When it comes to getting a foil, some guys have it lucky. All they really have to do is put on some Spandex and break up a bank robbery or two (see: the Flash's entire Rogues Gallery). Chances are pretty good, however, that you'll have to put a lot more effort into it. And remember, the first step to finding your mortal enemy is to always make sure that it was totally an accident!
(1) Reunite with your childhood enemy! Seriously, it doesn't matter how much time passes, that one kid who hated six-year-old you is definitely going to resurface the second you slap on some tights and make a headline or two. It doesn't matter which one of you was taking lunch money from the other, he still hates your guts. And since you ended up being a good guy, he's pretty much destined to knock over liquor stores until you show up and give him a fight. O'Doyle rules!
(2) Make an ex really, really bitter! We all have those exes that we really wish we could forget. Problem is, they really, really don't want to forget us. Somehow, they will come across a crazy power source and, dammit, if they can't have you NO ONE WILL. The list of these cases goes on and on: Star Sapphire, Lady Deathstrike, Star Sapphire, Elektra, Jean Loring, and Star Sapphire! Sorry, super-ladies, this rules does not apply to you (whoa, whoa, don't blame me, blame the industry).
(3) Get a double! Whether you get replicated via shadowy government agency, alien abduction, or the workings of a mad scientist, there's a good chance somebody will try to clone or otherwise make a copy of you (or make a robot double of you.) I mean, who wouldn't want a superhero of their very own? Except that's not how comics work, like, ever. Most likely, they'll end up with your looks, your powers, and the moral compass of a complete bastard. Then you gotta deal with at LEAST two issues of everybody thinking he's really you and you're a jackass. BONUS HINT: Fix this problem by taking the fight somewhere public. As soon as the first stereotype of an Irish patrolman rubs his eyes and says, "I'm seeing double!" your dignity will be restored.
(4) Foil a drug smuggling ring! Or any mob-based crime, really. The world is full of mob families, gang lords, and drug kingpins trying to make a quick bajillion dollars. These are the kind of guys who beat up old dudes for protection money and you'll be damned if you're gonna let these guys claim that this is their town! And when you take them down, they won't handle it well at all: "Nobody makes a mockery of the Blah-Blah Family / Gang and gets away with it!" Let the years and years of fistfights bookended by "I'm just a businessman" speeches begin!
(5) Accidentally kill someone's relative! Kill, indirectly cause the death of, whatever. Look, there will always be collateral damage in fights, there will be always be villains who won't give you very many options, and, at some point, somebody will die. When this happens, their kid/sibling/second cousin twice removed will blame you. Look what Harry Osborn did when he saw what Spider-Man accidentally on purpose did to his dad! Actually, speaking of Harry…
(6) Alienate Your Best Friend! Bad news. Once you don the cape and tights, your best friend will try to kill you. I know, it fucking sucks, but it's the way it works. One too many philosophical disagreements? Accidentally destroy that laboratory you built him? Take the last beer out of the fridge? Well, great, now you've done it. And the worst part is, chances are pretty good that he knows everything about you and will be your worst enemy. On the plus side, it makes that "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" thing one a little bit easier to manage!
Now go forth and kick ass!
Tags: Batman, Daredevil, DC Comics, Green Goblin, Hush, Kingpin, Marvel Comics, Spider-Man, Superboy, Things I Learned From Comics, Wonder Woman


text:
Officials unveil a recently found 1908 coroner's report on Sheriff Pat Garrett that names his killer
Jun 20, 2017 Goran Blazeski
Sheriff Pat Garrett earned himself a place in the annals of American history when in 1881 he shot and killed one of the most notorious outlaws of the Old West, Henry "Billy the Kid" McCarty.
Many are familiar with the story of how Sheriff Garrett tracked the Kid, a wanted man, to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, and shot him dead on July 14, 1881, but few people know that 27 years later, Sheriff Garrett was himself murdered in the desert in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.
The great number of unsolved mysteries is part of what makes the Old West so interesting, and one such mystery is the murder of Pat Garrett when he was supposedly unarmed. There have been many rumors and speculations concerning Garrett's death. A ranch hand named Jesse Wayne Brazel who was traveling with Garrett and had a financial dispute with him confessed to the crime and was put on trial for it, but acquitted. Since then some historians have doubted that it was Brazel who committed the murder. Intricate conspiracies have been discussed.
Portrait of Pat Garrett from "The Story of the Outlaws."
Garrett worked in law enforcement, and no doubt made many enemies; his life was under constant threat. He achieved national fame for shooting Billy the Kid and was a friend of John Nance Garner, a man who was elected vice-president of the United States. Garrett was appointed to the office of Texas customs agent in 1901 by President Theodore Roosevelt. But some people had serious run-ins with Garrett, and he did not always instill respect. "Garrett gambled, was often profane in speech, and frequently consorted with saloon-keepers and prostitutes," wrote Leon Claire Metz in his book Pat Garrett: The Story of a Western Lawman.
Garrett was a controversial man then, and he remained one.
However, a 109-year-old document discovered inside a box of never-filed records by a county clerk's office employee in Doña Ana County sheds some light on matters.
Behold, #PatGarrett's coronary report. Mystery solved! @abc7breaking pic.twitter.com/LdtyB2OLMU
— Kate Bieri KVIA (@KateBieriKVIA) June 16, 2017
The document was discovered last year, but it was kept secret for months before being presented to the public for the first time on June 16th. The coroner's report, written in cursive script and signed by six men, refers to the investigation of Garrett's death.
As reported by Las Cruces Sun-News, Susannah Garrett, Pat Garrett's granddaughter, heard about the ceremony from friends and traveled from Santa Fe, New Mexico, just to be present at the unveiling of the document. "Finding the document was an amazing miracle, really. It's very powerful," Garrett's granddaughter said.
Pat Garrett Historical Dona Ana County Documents to be revealed pic.twitter.com/PFhgCAIS2c
— KFOX14 Photogs (@KFOX14Photogs) June 16, 2017
The coroner jury's report, dated July 9, 1908, reads:
"We the undersigned Justices of the Peace and Coroners Jury have attended the investigation of the body of Pat Garrett who was reported dead within the limits of Precinct No. 20, County of Doña Ana, territory of New Mexico on about five miles northeast of the town of Las Cruces and find that the deceased came to his death by gunshot wounds inflicted by one Wayne Brazel."
KVIA reports that Arizona State University Professor Emeritus Dr. Bob Stahl, who addressed the audience at the ceremony, said that the coroner's report is very sparse in detail. For example, it didn't include that Garrett was unarmed at the time and was probably murdered while he was urinating.
Amy Buesing and Nancy Ann Warner also attended the ceremony after they discovered that their great-great uncle, Vincent May, was a member of the coroner's jury and signed the document.
On Tuesday, June 13, 2017, Doña Ana County commissioners declared June 16 as "Pat Garrett Day" in honor of the document's unveiling.
Here at the unveiling ceremony for Old West lawman Pat Garrett's coroner's report. People looking at other historical county records. pic.twitter.com/e9kYiBijdI
— Diana Alba Soular (@AlbaSoular) June 16, 2017
The coroner jury's report of Sheriff Pat Garrett is not the only historical document in the possession of the clerk's office and according to Las Cruces Sun-News, there are many others, including some dating back to the 1800s.
Related story from us: The tangled story of Pat Garrett, the Old West lawman who kept getting into trouble
The project to preserve the historical documents of the clerk's office started about a year ago and the employees worked patiently, reading each of the documents and labeling them with a sticky note to make it easier for those interested in examining the records.
« After an intense bout of serious bidding, a Brâncuși sculpture sold for $57.4 million at Christie's
Roald Amundsen: The unbeatable explorer who reached the South Pole and North Pole first »


text:
Q: Is memory barrier needed in this situation or just a volatile I'm reading this article, and I follow the author's steps but get a different result.
I create two threads. One is reader, and one is writer.
// volatile uint64_t variable1 = 0; <- global
// uint64_t* variable2_p = new uint64_t(0); <- in main function
// const unsigned ITERATIONS = 2000000000; <- global

void *reader(void *variable2) {
    volatile uint64_t *variable2_p = (uint64_t *)variable2;
    // bind this thread to CPU0

    unsigned i, failureCount = 0;
    for (i=0; i < ITERATIONS; i++) {
            uint64_t v2 = *variable2_p;
            uint64_t v1 = variable1;
            if (v2 > v1) {
                failureCount++;
                printf("v1:%" PRIu64 ", v2:%" PRIu64 "\n", v1, v2);
            }
    }
    printf("%u failure(s)", failureCount);
    return NULL;
}

void *writer(void *variable2) {
    volatile uint64_t *variable2_p = (uint64_t *)variable2;
    // bind this thread to CPU1

    for (;;) {
        variable1 = variable1 + 1;
        *variable2_p = (*variable2_p) + 1;
    }
    return NULL;
}

In the article above, the author said that the compare v2 <= v1 may fail for some time because the compiler or the processor may change the execution order.
But I tried so many times, there isn't any failure cases. I'm confused that is that right to use only volatile is this situation? Or it will lead to some delicate bugs?
If it isn't OK, please give me a example. Thanks a lot.
compile command: g++  -O2 -Wall -g -o foo foo.cc -lpthread
uname -a: Linux Wichmann 3.5.0-48-generic #72~precise1-Ubuntu SMP Tue Mar 11 20:09:08 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
cpuid: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3230M CPU @ 2.60GHz

A: It may fail doesn't mean that it will fail, on all machines.  If
you're running on a single core, for example, it probably won't
fail.  If you're running on a multicore Alpha, it almost
certainly will fail some of the time.  On other machines, the
results will vary, depending on any number of things.
As for volatile, it offers no guarantees for multi-threaded
code.  It may be necessary if you're also using inline
assembler, or other things the compiler can't understand, but
otherwise: any time you do what ever else is necessary to ensure
thread safety, you don't need volatile.  In particular, if you
use the C++11 atomic types or threading primitives, volatile
is never necessary.

A: Edit
Actually, in this very specific case the code is correct because both variable1 is volatile and the pointer variable2_p is marked as pointer to a volatile. This enforces ordering of memory access.
Volatile is misused so often that I jumped the gun here, sorry.
Old answer:
Using volatile only guarantees two things:

*

*Reads and writes happen to the actual memory address where the variable resides and are not optimized away or kept in registers

*Sequential accesses to volatile variables are not reordered

You asked for an example, but you have given it yourself in your question:
variable1 = variable1 + 1;
*variable2_p = (*variable2_p) + 1;

This could be reordered, leading to the failure in the other thread. That this doesn't happen in your specific environment is irrelevant. The compiler is allowed to do it so the code is not correct.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Today is April 5th! And since we wrote that post, luckily since the show is today, Beerland has revealed the entire lineup of tonight's show, and it looks like this: Feedtime, Gospel Truth, OBN IIIs, Spray Paint. Rock.