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Book cover art by Danilo Ducak.
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[This review contains spoilers. Also, I get a nice long rant on, so get ready.]
Omega feels like a religious tract masquerading as a hard SF novel. In its final scenes, Jack McDevitt takes a brilliant and exciting adventure saga with a can't-fail premise — a team of human scientists must save an alien race from destruction while doing their best to avoid revealing themselves to said aliens or interfering with their culture — and turns it into a frontal assault on science and reason themselves. This may not bother readers of a religious bent as much as it does Skeptical Inquirer-types like me. But I can't think of the last time when I was so disgusted with the climax of a book I had up to that point been loving that I threw it across the room hard enough to dent the sheetrock. Especially when it's a book with such estimable prequels as this one. Right up until the last sixty pages I was ready to give this book one of my most enthusiastic recommendations ever, kids. Disappointments don't come more acute than this. Omega's ending is almost enough to sour me on McDevitt altogether (though it won't in actuality — I take my critical responsibilities of fairness seriously), and it will take some time and detail to explain where this book went all wrong for me. So bear with.
Now let me just start by acknowledging that a number of folks reading this are most assuredly religious themselves, that not all of SF's readership is made up of hardcore scientific rationalists and atheists, and I respect that completely. I don't know what Jack McDevitt's own personal religious inclinations are, though I have a pretty good idea. And, whether he's really expressing his own views here or just assigning different beliefs to different characters like a game of musical chairs, his personal beliefs are his business and don't matter. It's a free country.
What I'm critiquing here is the way in which religious themes are suddenly thrust into the story at its climax — for which only the term "reprehensible" seems to suffice — and, moreover, how the novel then goes on to question, if not repudiate entirely, the value of the scientific method and even truth itself, compared to the perceived benefits of religious faith. Omega's ultimate thematic message is that when the chips are down, reason and science simply can't cut it, and one needs, in the words of one character, the "priceless gift" of faith. By now you are either pitying my poor lost soul, or doing your best to choke back vomit. If you belong to the latter camp, feel free to click over to another review now. You know all about Omega you need to.
Set some years after Chindi, Omega has Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins, now older and retired from the business of nonstop hairs-breadth rescues, entrenched in the life of the bureaucrat. The constant political wrangling and hair-pulling involved in getting anything done at all is wearying, but gives her a new appreciation for how much work goes into what does in fact get done.
The omega clouds, the inexplicable interstellar nanotech storms that travel throughout the galaxy, zeroing in on any civilization and eradicating it, are still 8000 years away from reaching Earth. There is of course a contingent of people who insist that now is the time to start worrying about them, otherwise, the inertia of human procrastination will sink in and before humanity knows it, the things will be on our doorstep catching us without a plan. But most people, naturally, don't think of the clouds as a threat.
The situation changes when a living civilization is discovered on a distant planet directly in the path of one of the omega clouds. Early indications are that while the aliens, who come to be called Goompahs, have a relatively sophisticated and peaceful society centered on a narrow isthmus, they are pre-technological (there seem to be no other settlements anywhere else on the globe) and have no way of knowing what the omega cloud looming over them is, much less what to do about it. It is up to humanity to figure out a way to save the Goompahs somehow, without violating the Protocol (think Trek's Prime Directive).
A mission is hastily assembled, among whose scientists is David Collingdale, who has a Captain Ahab-ish single-minded determination to destroy every omega cloud in the universe. Collingdale knows one possible way to foil the cloud, as he once saw one alien city spared because it was under the thick cover of a blizzard. Meanwhile, another team of scientists led by Harold Tewksbury is studying an omega cloud-related phenomena named after himself, in which they suddenly flare up with nova-intense light, forming what may be a pattern. It is discovered that each cloud is guided by a strangely shaped vessel of some kind.
This whole part of the book is terrific, particularly the way in which Hutch has to deal not only with the actual mission underway, but also fend off the numerous commercial and political leeches who see saving the Goompahs as a way to gain stature for themselves. And once we get to Lookout, the Goompah's planet, Omega is working on a higher level than Chindi, as its structure is more focused while Chindi was all over the place.
Wearing devices called "lightbenders" that render them invisible (McDevitt has never been above resorting to indistinguishable-from-magic technology when the mood suits him), the team's specialists wander freely among the Goompah cities, drinking in their culture, their arts and politics, and forwarding samples of the language to another incoming Earth ship where a staff of linguists waits. These are eminently rational beings who, while they have religion, don't seem to consider it all that important, and believe firmly in open debate and the scientific method. Their schools have signs posted reading "Think For Yourself" and "Accept No Claim Without Evidence," something I can hardly imagine existing an any public school in America, especially during the Bush years. However, there does seem to be something in the Goompah's past that makes direct contact a bad idea for more reasons than one. They fear creatures they call zhoka, who are represented in their art as looking nearly...human. The few times one of the team is seen by a Goompah, the poor creature runs screaming.
All of this so far has, again, been fine storytelling. But as we near the end, things go horribly, horribly wrong.
After an attempt to speak directly to one Goompah — the lecturer Macao, who seems one of the most level-headed and esteemed in their society — fails dismally (she doesn't run screaming, but her fear overtakes her willingness to heed the warnings), drastic measures seem called for. So while some members of the team install devices to shield the isthmus under heavy storms, the rest of them install holographic projectors in key populated areas. At the right moment, an image of the deity Lykonda appears to the awestruck Goompahs and warns them to head for the hills.
Okay, there are ways in which you might say this kind of thing could be morally defensible — for instance, if the civilization in question were nothing but ignorant stone-age savages. But the Goompahs aren't, and so to suggest that there was no other way to save them than by creating false religious visions that will no doubt impact their sociological development for the next few millennia is absurdly off-base. For one thing, these are supposedly rational beings, whose favorite public activity (aside from orgies, a subplot McDevitt wisely doesn't overuse to humorous effect) is freewheeling public debate not unlike what goes in England's House of Commons. For another, McDevitt never resolves the mystery of the zhoka — who they were, why they look human, why the Goompahs fear them so. One possible way to have continued the plot might have been to have further encounters between Macao and the humans, where the humans, in gradual stages, convince Macao they aren't evil, that there are other inhabited worlds in space, and that they've come to help. First contact is made in a meaningful way, and the integrity of Goompah culture is not only preserved but enhanced, as the Goompahs learn the zhoka are simply boogeymen. Then the Goompahs could be persuaded via evidence that they must flee their cities to survive the coming omega cloud.
But McDevitt doesn't go this route. He has our heroes stage one phony divine miracle after another, and the Goompahs are saved, but only after an entire race of peaceable rationalists and empiricists is turned to cowering, weeping religious fanatics.
McDevitt, apparently remembering that a good chunk of hard SF's readership does consist of scientific rationalists who might find all this appalling, has one of his characters voice a token moral objection to what has been done. But she's shut up pretty quickly, with naive arguments I can't even imagine McDevitt is foolish enough to believe.
"This is the sort of thing," Whit said, "that constitutes the stuff of legends."
"You mean they'll tell this story to their grandkids," said Julie.
Digger smiled. "And nobody who wasn't here will believe it."
"Don't be too sure," said Whit. "One day this might all become part of a sacred scripture."
"Not on this world," insisted Digger. "I keep remembering a sign we saw at one of the schools. 'Think for yourself.' If they can really push that, I doubt any of their grandkids will believe Lykonda actually showed up."
"Pity," said Julie. "It's a lovely story."
Yes, lovely. But on our own planet, the wisdom of the Greek philosophers didn't prevent the coming of the Inquisition centuries later, and a lot of people think the Gospels are a lovely story too. What may well happen is that Goompah schools will take down the "Think for yourself" signs and replace them with ones reading "Lykonda Saves." Especially as they've had what they consider to be direct proof of Lykonda's existence, without any way of knowing the "proof" was a fabrication.
From reading McDevitt's previous novels, I know the man isn't part of the anti-science fringe, who are currently championing all sorts of nonsense in America these days, whether it's "intelligent design" or climate change denial or what have you. But the fact that McDevitt went this direction with his story — instead of one that satisfies, rather than denigrates, the value of science — gives the unfortunate impression that he doesn't really value science, at least not as much as religion and its euphoric raptures. There are diary entries he gives the aforementioned Whit character, in which the virtues of faith over knowledge are defended with, predictably, emotional appeals.
It has been the fashion since Darwin to attack religious belief.... Yet there is much that is ennobling in the belief that there is, after all, a higher power. That there is a purpose to existence. That we owe loyalty to something greater than ourselves. And it strikes me that, even when we get the details wrong, that belief can produce a happy result.
Shooting heroin can produce a "happy result" as well, but that doesn't means it's good for you. (And did you notice Whit's use of the weasel-phrase "since Darwin"? What is that, I wonder? A sop to Religious Right anti-evolutionists? Hmm.) In any event, feeling that there is a "purpose to existence" and that we owe "loyalty to something greater than ourselves" is hardly the exclusive domain of theists. And as an atheist I'm proud to state my belief in a "higher power"... one that I call reason. Anyway, McDevitt's repudiation (via the Whit character) of reason and knowledge gets even stronger a few chapters on.
Tonight, perhaps for the first time, I can see the true value of faith. It strikes me as a precious gift. Those of us who have traded it for a mechanical universe may have gotten closer to the actual state of things, but we have paid a substantial price. It makes me wonder about the value of truth.
You heard it right, kids. Truth has questionable value, but faith is a precious gift. Don't worry about what's real, what's factual, what's provably true, because all that really matters is walking around life with the warm fuzzies in your tummy and a blissful blank smile plastered on your face. Faith brings happiness, knowledge misery. All those stuffy scientist types may actually be, you know, right, but so what? They've paid a substantial price. They have no purpose to their existence, no sense of loyalty to anything greater than themselves. Belief good. Knowledge bad.
Gah.
I don't think I've ever read such stridently anti-science sentiments in the pages of a science fiction novel in my life. (But then, I refuse to read L. Ron Hubbard, so I don't know.) And personally, I think it's woefully remiss of SFWA to reward these sentiments with a Nebula nomination. Regardless of what the personal beliefs of any SF writer in the business may or may not be, to claim that truth itself is something of questionable value ought to be repellant in the extreme to anyone, believer or skeptic, with a shred of respect for reason. Some readers might find Omega's story truly uplifting. Well, go right ahead. As for me, I came away from this tale disappointed and disheartened that McDevitt felt his characters had to destroy the Goompahs in order to save them.
E-MAIL EXCHANGE WITH JACK McDEVITT


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27 7012 trondheim Telefon: Merete Rnnes Grethe Kulseth Valstad Midtbyen Fysioterapi St Olavs. Telefon:, adresse: Trondheimsveien 436 A, 0962 oslo, anette Hartmann - Psykomotorisk fysioterapi. Rosenborgklinikken, sverresborg Fysikalske, tempe manuellterapi, tiller Fysioterapi Manuellterapi, trondheim Fysikalske. Olavs..
In the early '70s he joined forces with Otis Spann disciple Honey Alexander (now his wife) on piano, and when they formed the MightyFlyers in the early 1980s, his career really hit its stride. NBU..
dimly by reflecting and refracting light from fibre-optic lights embedded between the steel triangles and glass components. Oslo Airport Gardermoen 71 km : Oslo, Norway (RYG / enry). Architects from Barlindhaug Consult, who were kulr harstad responsible for the design of the vault, included a 10-centimetre-deep niche in the roof and the upper part of the entrance faade in order to accommodate an integrated art project. Weitere Informationen zu unseren Cookies und dazu, wie du die Kontrolle darüber behältst, findest du hier: Cookie-Richtlinie. The seeds are duplicates of a diversity that is an obligation for the future. The vault itself, which consists of three caverns blasted into the mountain, is designed to accommodate samples of up.5 million types of seeds from all over the world, with seed types that are important for food and agriculture being given priority. The highly visible artwork contrasts with the almost invisible vault. Although the seed vault is embedded deep in the Arctic permafrost and hidden from public view, the luminous artwork acts as a year-round marker of its presence beneath the dramatic Svalbard landscape. Wenn du auf unsere Website klickst oder hier navigierst, stimmst du der Erfassung von Informationen durch Cookies auf und außerhalb von Facebook. Karlstad Airport 179 km : Torsby, Sweden (TYF / esst).
During the very light polar postkontor kongsberg summer, the artwork refracts and reflects sunlight and the surrounding environment. If you're booking an international flight, you probably want the closest major airport, otherwise if you're a pilot you may be looking for a local airport. Torsby Airport, domestic airports near Svalbardveien, Oslo, Norway 56 km : Oslo, Norway (OSL / engm). Even so, its contents are a reflection of certain consequences and a complexity that affects us all. On the other hand, natural wonders such as the northern lights, the midnight sun, the fjords, and quiet national parks highlight Norways serene qualities. Region: Oslo, country: Norway, category: streets Nearest airports Travelmath helps you find the closest airport to any city, as well as a list of smaller local airports. Wir verwenden Cookies, um Inhalte zu personalisieren, Werbeanzeigen maßzuschneidern und zu messen sowie die Sicherheit unserer Nutzer zu erhöhen. Fagernes Airport, Leirin, local airports near Svalbardveien, Oslo, Norway 10 km : Oslo, Norway (FBU / enfb). Use this tool along with the flight distance pages to plan your travel). Skien Airport, Geiteryggen 157 km : Karlstad, Sweden (KSD / esok). Sanne herself explains: The interior of the seed vault is shielded from public view. Many times there are multiple airports near the city you want to visit, so you can often find a cheaper flight into a different airport.
Sanne filled this space with different sized triangles of highly polished stainless steel and other refracting and highly reflective components such as dichroic mirrors and prisms. The vault is intended to function as a back-up stock of seeds in order to guard against the risk that existing gene banks could be destroyed as a result of, for example, war, pollution or climate change. Must-see nature attractions, the glaciers, mountains, and waterfalls are all about raw, sublime power.


Sunday, July 22, 2018: 4:00 pm (Ritchie): NFC toys are figurines with a built-in near-field communication tag, containing supporting data for games or play. Reading from and writing to these figures is restricted; you can buy the toy, but only special hardware or software can fully use it, not you! This introductory-level case study will explore the NFC tags found in three makes of toys, using off-the-shelf hardware and software. You'll see how much can be learned with each different tool, and once read/write credentials are obtained, what some of the legal risks are under the DMCA. Original documentation and code will be presented to generate credentials for any of the three makes of NFC toys, and NFC toys will be distributed for attendees to explore on their own.


Hebrew Language Table will meet every Wednesday in the Asbell Center.
Spanish & Portuguese for all levels of comprehension.
Goodyear Gallery Exhibition featuring Clay work by Arnie Zimmerman and Photographs by Izzy Zimmerman, "14.
Informal sustainability discussions and networking.


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Gölcük (türkisch: "Teich" oder "Pfütze") ist der Name mehrerer Orte in der Türkei:
Gölcük (Çardak), Dorf in der Provinz Denizli
Gölcük (Kocaeli), Kreisstadt in der Provinz Kocaeli
Gölcük Gölü, See in der Provinz Isparta

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This 3-day campout at Sunset Beach is a long time ACTC tradition usually held in the middle of March. The odd name is derived from the typically cold conditions (chilly) and the Saturday night feast (chili). Sunset Beach is only about 40 miles from Los Gatos so riding to the campout Friday and back Sunday is a good option. I've been leading rides to and from the Chilly Chili campout the last few years with some riders going self contained and others arranging to have their gear transported.
Saturday includes a nice 40 mile out and back ride along Elkhorn Slew to Phil's Fish Market at Moss Landing. Great early season camping and touring warmup.
This weekend adventure started over twenty years ago by Brad Wade. In recent years Pam Downs has led both a spring and fall edition. If you like riding lonely remote roads with little traffic then this tour is for you! The ride starts in King City and goes to Coalinga where everyone spends the night at Cambridge Inn before returning to King City the next day. You'll cover about 130 miles total with 7500 ft of climbing. It is supported, sometimes by a dedicated sag driver, other times by sharing driving duties. You do not want to do this ride unsupported, particularly in the fall, as it can get very hot and there are no services along the way on either day.
King City is less than a 2-hour drive from the Bay Area and many people drive down Saturday morning and drive back Sunday afternoon. Others arrive Friday and spend the night at Keefers Inn.
In recent years this ride has been done in a clockwise direction but in October 2006 Pam tried counter-clockwise and many riders were pleased with the change. I suspect both directions will be ridden in the future. Last year Mylo and I turned this into a 6-day self contained tour and I expect to do that again next time. We discovered a great campground along the Salinas River right in King City so camping at San Lorenzo Park is definitely an option for those so inclined.
To join the ACTC Touring email list.


Home / Fashion / "Linda Ikeji, My Role Model Is A Snub" – Controversial Blogger Kisha said after rendering 37 apologies to her mail without any response from her.
Controversial Blogger and CEO Of WWW.AMIBOISLAND.COM Kisha, Has Once Again Trolled Popular Blogger Linda Ikeji On her silence after Mailing 37 Apology Messages to Her Regarding her Article Tagged: Linda Ikeji's Predicaments Were The Reasons Why I Got Married.
"Good Afternoon Ma. I hope you're having a great day. Over the weeks, i have tried The best way i could to at least reach out to you especially after knowing your reaction towards an article that i was linked To, Tagged: Linda ikeji's Predicaments were the reason why i got married….
As much as it pains me that it was misconstrued though in a way many saw as to my advantage but do I care about all that when "someone I care about most" is somewhere sad? That was why without hesitating, I cleared the air.
I must state my dissatisfaction on how you handled the whole issue especially when you're the queen of Shaking Tables…lol.
I'm sorry it did hurt you but your predicaments that I meant to say is the way most people harass you even on your blog. In many occasions, I've stumbled and tackled comments like Linda stop posting someone else's husband, linda go and marry, linda and eggplant and more of such unprintable words..
Linda, look at the truth for what it is and stop been sentimental. don't judge me but even if you do, i have enough patience to bear it all after all, "I'm Your Creation".
Note: Just as I'm looking up to you, there are other fellows towing my way but I don't pray to treat them with this same attitude you've shown me".


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Notification: Sept 3, 1855, more than 12,000 Turkish cavalry broke out ... @ Sat 3 Sep 2016 12:00 - 13:00 (On This Day)
Sept 3, 1855, more than 12,000 Turkish cavalry broke out of Kars at night and forced their way through the Russians.
Sat 3 Sep 2016 12:00 – 13:00 Athens
Kars, Turkey (map)
Notification: Victoria Cross: Private Alfred Ablett, 3rd Battalion, Gre... @ Fri 2 Sep 2016 14:00 - 15:00 (On This Day)
Victoria Cross: Private Alfred Ablett, 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, His citation reads: 1855 during the siege of Sebastopol, Crimea, a burning shell fell into a trench containing two cases of ammunition. Private Ablett at once realising the danger to which all were exposed, seized the shell in his hands and threw it over the parapet, where it immediately exploded as it touched the ground, but not a man was touched.
Fri 2 Sep 2016 14:00 – 15:00 Athens
Notification: Sept 2, 1854, King Léopold the First of Belgium arrived a... @ Fri 2 Sep 2016 12:00 - 13:00 (On This Day)
Sept 2, 1854, King Léopold the First of Belgium arrived at Boulogne to visit the Emperor Napoleon III.
Boulogne, France (map)
Notification: Victoria Cross: In September 1855 (precise date not known... @ Thu 1 Sep 2016 14:00 - 15:00 (On This Day)
Victoria Cross: In September 1855 (precise date not known), at Sevastopol, in the Crimea, when on duty, Private George Strong, Coldstream Guards, picked up a live shell which had fallen into the trench, and threw it over the parapet. He was well aware of the extreme danger involved, and his action saved many lives.
Thu 1 Sep 2016 14:00 – 15:00 Athens
Notification: Sept 1, 1855, Lieutenant Lionel S. T. Munro Cary, 2nd Rif... @ Thu 1 Sep 2016 12:00 - 13:00 (On This Day)
Sept 1, 1855, Lieutenant Lionel S. T. Munro Cary, 2nd Rifle Brigade, wounded at Sevastopol. Died of those wounds at Malta, 9 Nov, aged 18 years and 9 months.
Valletta, Malta (map)
Notification: Victoria Cross: August 31, 1855, Boatswain Joseph Kellawa... @ Wed 31 Aug 2016 13:00 - 14:00 (On This Day)
Wed 31 Aug 2016 13:00 – 14:00 Athens
Notification: August 31, 1854, the British and French were engaged in d... @ Wed 31 Aug 2016 12:00 - 13:00 (On This Day)
Notification: Victoria Cross: August 30, 1855, Sergeant John Coleman, 9... @ Tue 30 Aug 2016 14:00 - 15:00 (On This Day)
Tue 30 Aug 2016 14:00 – 15:00 Athens
Notification: Victoria Cross: third of three citations for Private Alex... @ Tue 30 Aug 2016 13:00 - 14:00 (On This Day)
Notification: August 30, 1854, British naval failure at Petropavlovsk. @ Tue 30 Aug 2016 12:00 - 13:00 (On This Day)
Notification: August 29, 1854, the troops at Varna started to embark fo... @ Mon 29 Aug 2016 12:00 - 13:00 (On This Day)
Mon 29 Aug 2016 12:00 – 13:00 Athens
Notification: August 28, 1855, Ordinary Seaman James Ward from HMS Lond... @ Sun 28 Aug 2016 12:00 - 13:00 (On This Day)
Sun 28 Aug 2016 12:00 – 13:00 Athens
Notification: Sept 3, 1855, more than 12,000 Turki...
Notification: Victoria Cross: Private Alfred Ablet...
Notification: Sept 2, 1854, King Léopold the First...
Notification: Victoria Cross: In September 1855 (p...
Notification: Sept 1, 1855, Lieutenant Lionel S. T...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Andrew has just annouced those much anticapated American tour dates including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia and the one you have all been waiting for New York. We know Andrew loves New York City I carn't wait to see if New York City loves Andrew as much as we do!
ANDREW ANNOUNCES OFFICALLY FULL TOUR OF THE REST OF EUROPE ON THE OFFICAL WEBSITE!
Andrew has annouced offically on his website that they will be playing some dates in the rest of Europe including Paris, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo for more info please check out the Tour section of this page.
ANDREW TO RELEASE NEW SINGLE IN THE UK!
Andrew will release the 2nd single of his debut UK album "I Get Wet!" the follow up to the hit single "Pary Hard!" will be "She Is Beautiful!" which will be released on 25th February so go and buy it so it get's to NUMBER ONE.
AMERICAN TOUR DATES SOON!
I can annouce To You that Andrew will be annoucing his American Tour Soon, So keep checking here to see what the venues are a where they will be!
ANDREW W.K. AMERICA AND JAPAN - I Get Wet - ALBUM RELEASE DATES!
March 26th - I GET WET released in America.
March 6th - I GET WET released in Japan.
NME TOUR 2002 ANNOUNCED WITH ANDREW TO HEADLINE!!
Andrew is set to headline next years NME tour with support coming from Britain biggest Nu Metal hopes The Lost Prophets, rock indie guru's The Coral and some band called Black Rebel Motorcycle Gang whoever they are. This is a good chance for Andrew to show people what he is about and to have the biggest Party of next year.
ANDREW W.K.'s A-Z of ROCK
Anyone who has been watching MTV 2 recently might have catched Andrew's A-Z of Rock which depicted Andrew's view on which each letter meant to him in the rock world. The show showed an intellegent side to Andrew which was a surprise to some people who didn't realise what Andrew was about! which is having a good time and letting no one bother him or dictate what he has to be like.
ANDREW W.K. LIVE ON TOTP (TOP OF THE POPS)
7:30pm, Friday 9th Nov. on BBC1
1:45am, Sunday 11th Nov. on BBC1
The Andrew WK sound (it stands for Wild Killer, Wild Kid, Wet Kite or Want Kicks, depending on who's asking) is a tricky beast to pin down. Take a smidgen of Blink 182's attitude, a cupful of Liam Gallagher's swagger and a big spoonful of super-loud guitars, courtesy of Sum 41. Then add the kind of bouncy pop tune that wouldn't be out of place on one of those zany kid's TV shows where people get 'gunged' all over the shop. Oh, and punch the singer repeatedly in the face until he bleeds, then send him onstage.
Now if you'd told us that this mutant mixture would be a big hit, we'd have sent you on your way with a flea in your ear, but seeing as it already is...anyone fancy a mosh? (Taken from the Top Of The Pops Site).
I GET WET IS RELEASED 12/11/01
Finally after countless delays their remarkable album "I Get Wet!" is released in the UK.
ANDREW W.K. Played his UK debut show at the London Highbury Garage on 23rd of October. After the show Andrew was sent to a hospital near by after recieving head injuries. These head injuries were caused by Andrew hitting himself in the head with the microphone and diving into the garage's hetic and rampant crowd.
Andrew made his English Radio debut as a guest on Jo Whiley's Breakfast Show Radio One (97-99 FM) at 10am in the morning before the London Garage gig 23/10/01.
"PARTY HARD" SINGLE RELEASED IN THE UK OCT 29th ON MERCURY RECORDS. The "Party Hard" single and video are on air in the UK, and has managed to be requested all the time by fans ringing in. The CD single even featured the Video of "Party Hard" on it which can be viewed on your home computer.
"I GET WET" THE UK DEBUT ALBUM "I GET WET" WILL BE RELEASE IN THE UK IN LATE NOVEMBER.
- Always do what you want to do. Anything is possible, and when we say anything, we mean anything. Anything is only what you see in front of you - not what doesn't exist. The limits of reality are stretched when you put your hand through your face and cut your throat. What a highly unlikely miracle life is. The fact that the bodies stay together after all that blood, tissue, energy is thrashing ahead - incredibly fast. Take advantage. We are thankful. - Andrew. (words from Andrew taken from the offical site)


Looking for a lighter way to enjoy Taco Tuesday? Here is a clean and delicious way to enjoy authentic tasting tacos from home.
Preheat an oven to 375°F and arrange the oven racks to the upper third and lower third positions. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Prepare the marinade ingredients: Juice the lime, mince the garlic, and finely chop the leaves and tender stems of the cilantro. Mince the chipotle, removing the seeds if desired, and reserve 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce.
In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, chipotle, 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, 1 tablespoon of the cilantro, honey, cumin, 2 tsp. kosher salt and 3 tablespoons olive oil until combined. Pour the mixture into a large resealable plastic bag. Reserve the remaining lime juice and cilantro for the cilantro-lime rice. Cut the cod into 8 evenly sized pieces and place in the bag with the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
While the fish marinates, cook the rice: Place the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Transfer the rice to a small saucepan and add the butter, 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring once, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered.
Remove the fish from the marinade and arrange on the prepared baking sheet; discard the marinade. Stack the tortillas on a large piece of foil and wrap tightly. Place the tortillas and fish in the oven and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the crema and reserved adobo sauce. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in 2 tablespoons of the remaining lime juice and 1/4 cup of the remaining cilantro.
To assemble the tacos, place 1 piece of fish in each tortilla, drizzle with spicy crema, and top with cotija and cabbage. Serve with the cilantro lime rice alongside.


Cloud Gallery is a lightweight application that offers a smooth experience for browsing your images and videos with ease. It is developed and published by Genien9 LTD; you can you download it on Android and iOS devices. The application is specially designed for those who want to create the online back of their important images and videos. It is completely free to use application and has millions of users around the world who can use to store their images and videos. Cloud Gallery is a powerful application and works like your phone gallery where you can easily filter albums, videos, and photos, add tags and place content in different locations. The best thing about this application is that it allows you to easily share groups of photos and videos from your gallery and social media platforms. Cloud Gallery also includes prominent features such as create an online backup, password protection, fingerprint protection, easy to understand and much more. First, you need to launch this app into your mobile device, and after completing the registration, you can easily access it all features.


We all like surprises, but not in our food! At Domino's, we're committed to providing transparent and comprehensive nutritional information.
We are constantly innovating to increase our menu choices, as well as providing the information our customers need to enjoy our pizza as part of a balanced diet.
We work hard with our suppliers to ensure Domino's pizzas include the best possible ingredients.
The origin and quality of the food we offer our customers is what makes Domino's, Domino's. Find out more about our ingredients here.


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Beware the Scourge!
Ferran Delgado: Letters
Josh Eichhörn: an inexhaustible geyser of side-splitting jokes.
Maddy Dragon
Julia Gorelick (First Appearance)
Mei Ling Lai
Miss Hammerhart (First Appearance)
Pud II (First Appearance) (Death Issue)
The Scourge (First Appearance)
Thunder-Head and Mei introduce their newly-born baby daughter to the Dragon children who are all eager to hold their new aunt. This introduction allows for Battle Girl to question the recent decision Malcolm has made to go along with Maxine's insatiable sexual desires. She feels his indulging in the rampant sex is purely encouraging Maxine rather than to get her the psychiatric help that she perhaps requires. This debate turns out to be taking place as Malcolm and Angel are taking part in another threesome with Maxine.
Meanwhile at Genetech Laboratories, the company's founder Crawfish Kettlecorn is about to be ousted by his board of directors over some questionable recent decisions. The experimentation on animals that resulted in the creation of Buffalo Stu and his subsequent rampage were the last straw. Crawfish is incensed at this coup and walks away from his former employees to prepare for a new and previously unplanned future.
A group of Demonoids emerge in Toronto's sewer system once again causing Malcolm and Battle Girl to head out to deal with the situation. Angel comments on how she was disappointed that he had not had sex with her during the threesome but that she will definitely be happy to attend any other such sessions in the hope that she is luckier next time. Malcolm notes that he felt awkward as if he was cheating on Maxine despite his wife having offered words of encouragement to do it.
The two heroes head home to get cleaned up and Maxine suggests that they all take a shower together which inevitably leads to another threesome, with Angel getting her wish this time. The group are disturbed when a call comes in from the police to help with an incident at Genetech where Crawfish has returned to seek revenge upon his former company. He has donned a super-powered costume and become the Scourge, slaughtering old colleagues and police officers alike.
Malcolm and Battle Girl reach the scene soon enough and engage the new villain in battle but the Scourge swiftly proves to be a formidable foe. He shrugs off a lot of the heroes' attacks whilst demonstrating his firepower. Before too long Angel is blasted in the face and burnt to a crisp, leaving a devastated Malcolm to swear revenge. He is blasted in half but continues the fight, damaging the Scourge's equipment enough that he is forced to flee for his life. Malcolm is then left to mourn over his fallen partner…
DAREDEVIL AND SUPERPATRIOT
Save the Future!
NOTE: This story takes place sometime prior to SAVAGE DRAGON #219
Erik Larsen: Story
Billy Penn: Art
Dash Martin: Colors
The Special Operations Strikeforce
– SuperPatriot
– Daredevil
Assassin #1 (First Appearance) (Death Issue)
During one of the presidential debates of 2016, two members of the S.O.S. provide protection for the two candidates. The seemingly routine assignment explodes into chaos as time-traveller from the future teleports onto the scene. This man has come to assassinate Donald Trump before he can be elected as the fate of the world is at stake. Daredevil leaps into action to fend off this assailant and listens to more of the warnings about the future before getting knocked out.
Meanwhile, another assassin from the future teleports in but this woman has instead come to eliminate Hillary Clinton. She declares that it is this candidate that will bring ruin to the entire world and so must be killed. SuperPatriot fights with this deadly woman but is unable to gain the upper hand and is eventually shocked into unconsciousness.
This leaves both assassins to close in on their respective targets but they soon realize that the other has come to protect the one they wish to die. This leads to both assassins killing the other before either could complete their mission. Daredevil and SuperPatriot soon recover in time to witness the end of the debate, worried that no matter which one of them is elected that the world could be coming to a premature end…
Virgil's Bar by Simon Mallette St-Pierre (Malcolm Dragon and Thunder-Head)
Moonbeard by James Squires
Draw Brandon Draw by Brandon B.
Chris Giarrusso: Savage Dragon cast


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Load Cell Transitioning from one mode to another. Does it make a difference?
This post will examine the effects of calibrating the load cell in compression by switching to tension and then back to compression, versus calibrating in tension first and then compression. We will determine if there is a statistical difference in output from transitioning back and forth between compression and tension on newer load cells.
The reason this may be important is that ASTM E74 section 7.5 requires a test regimen that may not represent what is happening in the field. The current regimen suggests starting the calibration in compression, switching to tension, and then finishing the calibration in compression. The understanding of why transitioning was necessary for the test regimen may date back to the force measuring devices that were available at the time when the standard was written. Some of the early devices needed to be exercised several times in order for the material to stabilize when being switched from one mode to another. The lack of stabilization would often affect the load cell creep response and recovery. When a force is applied to a load cell and remains constant, the load cell will drift within a specified timeframe before reaching equilibrium (this assumes the load cell is designed well enough to meet a stable value). This drift is commonly referred to as load cell creep. Load cell creep is the difference between an initial response after a force change and the response at a later time.
Apparently, back in 1974 when the ASTM E74 standard was written, it was much more efficient to start with compression as the first direction for testing, then switch to tension, and then back to compression. The standard was written to start in compression first because the setup in tension was more difficult and more time-consuming. It was much more efficient to make two compression setups as opposed to requiring two tension setups. It is quite probable that some users may only use the load cell for tension in certain applications, or they may start their calibration routine in one mode and switch to another mode.
The null hypothesis is that there is not a difference between the output of a load cell in compression when transitioning from compression to tension and then back to compression.
The null hypothesis (H 0) is a hypothesis that the researcher tries to disprove, reject, or nullify. The 'null' often refers to the common view of something, while the alternative hypothesis is what the researcher really thinks is the cause of a phenomenon. In examining these results, it is very important to note that the load cells that were tested are of a newer variety, and there may be a difference with different types of load cells. The two types of load cells tested were S-beam and shear web type. It is also important to note that field testing requirements are entirely different from primary and secondary laboratory requirements. Even though there may not be a concern for applying the new proposed test regimen to "field" measurements, we would continue to advocate transitioning between modes for instruments used as secondary standards. Without this transition, there is just too much additional risk, and the additional random sampling should better represent the true performance of the device.
Morehouse Shear Web Type Cell
The above data in Figure 1 were compared using ANOVA analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is a collection of statistical models used to analyze the differences among group means and their associated procedures. ANOVA allows us to know if there is an agreement between the means of several groups. The P-values for comparing the same force points in compression and tension ranged from 0.54 through 0.77. These high P-values indicate that there is a very high likelihood of obtaining similar averages by repeating this test. There is enough evidence to conclude that there is not a statistical difference between switching from compression to tension and back to compression again or vice versa.
A graph of the tension output in Figure 2 shows very good agreement between the output during the first series of tests (blue bar) and the output after switching from compression mode back to tension (red bar). The standard deviation of the difference was less than 0.00002 mV/V, or two counts out of 399,271 total counts. This equates to a difference of about 5 parts per million (0.0005 %).
S-Beam type load cell
ANOVA ANALYSIS
The same type of tests was run on a 10,000 lbf S-beam cell (these tests were run by 2 different laboratories and calibration was performed at 10,000 lbf and 12,000 lbf to see if taking the load cell beyond capacity made a difference). The results are fairly consistent with those of the shear web type cell. The S-beam test had more variation in rotation, probably due to the fact that S-beam cells are very susceptible to misalignment errors. We have run a misalignment test on misalignment of a shear web versus an S-beam. Figure 4 shows the S-beam misalignment error below. The Morehouse shear web cell repeated within 0.0022 % when misaligned the same 1/16 of an inch. The S-beam only repeated with 0.752 %.
Conclusion: Both of these load cells show that there is not a difference between transitioning from tension to compression and then back to tension, proving the null hypothesis to be correct. The major caveat to this method is that the load cells must be exercised at least 3-4 times prior to making any measurements. Failure to exercise the cells when a mode transition is made will result in significant error.
The question remains if section 7.5 of the ASTM E74 standard should be changed to allow for only compression and tension calibration without requiring a transition back to the chosen starting mode. After reviewing these and numerous other instruments, my opinion is that for Class A devices, this may not make any statistical difference; however, with Class AA, a stricter testing regimen may be warranted. With tolerances of 0.05 %, the difference of 0.005 % on the S-beam cell may create too much additional error for a Class AA calibration (10 % of allowable tolerance). Class A tolerance of 0.25 % makes the transitioning difference insignificant (less than 2 % of allowable tolerance).
Update May 2016: This change was proposed to the E28 committee and it was decided that there is not enough evidence to change section 7.5.


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Second phase of Chinese language training for tourism professionals concludes in Nepal
26th Jan, 2018 | Tourism Mail Crew
KATHMANDU, Jan. 26: Some 40 tourism entrepreneurs in Nepal on Tuesday graduated from the course on basis Chinese language training provided by the Chinese government.
The six-month long "Second Chinese Language Training Course for Nepalese Tourism Professionals" was organized by the Chinese embassy in Nepal in coordination with Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
Addressing the graduation ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal government officials expressed hope that the use of Chinese language will boost tourism of the country.
"Language not just connects two countries but also bring together diverse communities and culture together. We believe Chinese language learned by tourism professionals will facilitate tourism of Nepal," Maheshwar Neupane, secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation said.
The program comes at a time when the arrival of Chinese tourists is surging as China becomes the second largest tourism source for Nepal. In 2017, Nepal received nearly 1 million foreign tourists, with over 130,000 being Chinese nationals.
"We are organizing massive programs in 2018, focusing on China, to promote tourism," the secretary added.
Addressing the graduation ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong said the training program will enhance the cultural relations and bonding between the peoples of two nations.
"The language training will help the Nepali tourism professionals to provide high quality service to Chinese tourists and to boost tourism. I am hopeful that the professionals will work as messengers to promote mutual relations and friendship between the peoples of the two nations," Yu said.
A young tourism professional, who works in a hotel in Kathmandu, told Xinhua that "participation in the Chinese language training is the best decision. Since my organization receives many Chinese tourist groups, I will communicate with them in Chinese language and hope that I can serve better.


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Group seeking recall of Newport Beach…
Group seeking recall of Newport Beach Councilman Scott Peotter turns in required signatures
Newport Beach City Council Scott Peotter
By Susan Christian Goulding | sgoulding@scng.com | Orange County Register
NEWPORT BEACH Activists seeking to remove Scott Peotter from the City Council announced Friday, Oct. 27, that they have submitted the required number of signatures on petitions demanding his recall.
The Committee to Recall Scott Peotter, which needed at least 15 percent of the city's 53,000 voters to sign the petitions, turned in 10,688 signatures to the City Clerk's Office, said its leader Lynn Swain. Now the city clerk has 30 business days to review and certify the petitions.
The group claims that the first-time councilman, elected in 2014 to represent District 6, lacks transparency in his financial dealings, favors high-rise development over the wishes of his constituents and shows disrespect to others while conducting city business.
"He is in the back pocket of developers," Swain said.
Peotter said Friday that the recall backers are "misusing the process."
"None of their objections are anything but differences of opinion that should be discussed during an election," Peotter said. "They are using recall as a political weapon because they disagree with my politics."
Peotter noted he is up for reelection in 2018.
"Why not just wait for the election?" he said.
Peotter supported the Museum House — a proposed 25-story, 100-unit condominium development — even after the successful petition drive against it earlier this year. Ultimately, the council rescinded its initial approval of the project.
And in 2015, Peotter created controversy with an email blast, using city letterhead, in which he expressed his opposition to the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage.
Swain said the recall group raised $90,000 for its efforts, which started in April.
Recall efforts and special elections can cost cities hundreds of thousands of dollars. But Swain said the price tag is worth it because Peotter is "so tainted."
Peotter said he plans to run for reelection in 2018.
"I won decisively in 2014 because of my stand against extravagant spending and borrowing," he said. "I'm confident I will win again."
Once the signatures are vetted, the City Council must certify the petition and begin the nomination process for new candidates. A special election would be held between 88 and 125 days after the council calls for an election.
Mountain lion attacks, injures 3-year-old boy at Lake Forest wilderness park
Susan Christian Goulding
After majoring in journalism at the University of Texas, Susan Christian Goulding got her start as a copy editor and reporter at the (late, great) Los Angeles Herald Examiner. She then worked at the (late, great) Santa Monica Outlook and the Daily Breeze as a features editor, writer and columnist. She moved to the Orange County bureau of the Los Angeles Times as a features and business writer. After that five-year stint, she worked as a correspondent for People magazine and a regular freelancer for Readers Digest while raising her two kids, Erin and Matt. During this time, she also wrote a weekly column for the Daily Breeze. Next, she gave up all possibility of free time and earned a teaching credential and masters at UCI. She taught English for four often rewarding and always challenging years in Compton, then at LMU and El Camino College. Missing journalism, Goulding circled back to her original career last year, joining the Orange County Register as a reporter. She also enjoys her return to column writing for the newspaper's OC Home magazine.
Follow Susan Christian Goulding	@scgoulding
Southern California mayors head to Washington to discuss issues, meet with Trump and other feds


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Historic Markle Family Steinway & Sons "Model C" Grand Piano
Custom made for the prominent Markle family of New York, this stunning instrument is an irreplaceable piece of American history!
LENGTH: 7 feet, 2 inches
FINISH: Custom Ivory w/ Neoclassical Style Painted Murals
STATUS: Pending Restoration
This stunning instrument is an irreplaceable piece of American history!
This lovely piano was custom-built by Steinway & Sons' New York factory for J. Hood Wright, a partner in Drexel, Morgan & Company (now J. P. Morgan). Mr. Wright purchased this custom piano as a wedding gift for his beloved step-daughter, Mary Estelle Robinson when she married Mr. John Markle in Manhattan in 1884. Mary Estelle Robinson Markle and her husband John Markle were among New York society's most powerful and influential socialites with close personal ties to some of the most important American financiers including John D. Rockefeller and Stephen V. Harkness.
John and Mary Markle shared an interest in helping others and making the world a better place. Today, the MARKLE FOUNDATION is still making a difference in the world we live in. Since its inception in 1927 by John and Mary R. Markle, the Markle Foundation has worked "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge among people of the United States, and to promote the general good of mankind."
The piano was subsequently purchased by the famous American actor Jack Palance for his Pensylvania home. The Palance home was a showcase of rare Hollywood memorabilia and historic American treasures, and this piano was one Mr. Palance's prized possessions. The piano remained a focal point in the Palance home until his death in 2006. It has remained in private ownership ever since.
This piano is full size Steinway "Model C" grand, the second largest model to Steinway's full concert grand. This instrument was originally purchased as a standard piano in an ordinary black finish, chosen among all other instruments because of its tone quality. The instrument was then sent to Steinway's art department where it was custom carved and decorated to suit the original owners taste (once a common practice for wealthy buyers). The piano is done in a deep ivory color and is painted with exquisite colorful murals and painted accents; note the prominent letter "M" painted in vines and pink rosebuds to represent the Markle name. This beautiful artwork will be restored and the original antique patina preserved.
The piano will be restored to perfection, inside and out. Even now, prior to restoration, the sound of the piano is quite impressive, an indication of a superior caliber instrument post restoration. Pianos of this caliber with such important historical provenance are rarely offered in today's market.
Stunning Steinway & Sons Style 1 Rococo Victorian Grand Piano $100,000.00
Strohmenger Art Deco Baby Grand Piano $65,000.00
Steinway & Sons Rococo Style 1 Victorian Concert Grand Piano $85,000.00
Wurlitzer Apollo Carved Baroque Style Parlor Grand Piano $85,000.00
Steinway & Sons Model C Victorian Grand Piano $85,000.00
Hardman, Peck and Company 17th Century Jacobean Style Grand Piano $45,000.00
Mehlin & Sons Louis XV Carved Player Piano $38,000.00
Custom Made Mehlin & Sons Concert Grand Piano


text:
using System;

    class PlayWithIntdoubleAndString
    {
        static void Main()
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Enter 1-->int, 2-->double or 3-->sting: ");
            short var = short.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
            switch (var)
            {
                case 1:
                    int a = int.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
                    Console.WriteLine("{0} + {1}",a + 1);
                    break;
                case 2:
                    double b = double.Parse(Console.ReadLine());
                    Console.WriteLine("{0} ", b + 1);
                    break;
                case 3:
                    string str = (Console.ReadLine());
                    Console.WriteLine("{0} *", str);
                    break;
                default :
                    Console.WriteLine("Invalid types");
                    break;
            }
        }
    }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In this section, explore some of Leicester's highlights – from the charming and distinctive neighbourhoods surrounding the city centre to our award-winning universities and our personal picks throughout the year.
We picked out some of the hottest visitor spots in the city – it was a tough choice because we love every corner of Leicester! Make time to get out of the city centre to Leicester's diverse neighbourhoods. Why not relax in canal-side tranquillity, get your fashion and foodie fix from the sub-continent, explore a thriving creative quarter or stroll down the most multi-cultural street in Britain? All these experiences and more are within touching distance of the city.
Maybe you're thinking of moving to Leicestershire for university? Do it! With three world-class universities in Leicestershire and with over 65,000 students combined, it's safe to say we know how to welcome students.
Or perhaps you just want to know the newest bar, the most romantic date nights or the best upcoming event? This is the place to be if you want to be in the loop on Leicester! We will post our insider picks, views, reviews and city highlights right here.
So what are you waiting for? Start exploring Leicester today.


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ALBUM REVIEW: Empyre – Self Aware
Posted on June 30, 2019 June 30, 2019 by musicallotty
It's a rarity these days to find a debut album that has you fully immersed and engaged from the word go. Upcoming Rock quartet EMPYRE prove that this is a possible feat to do, the evidence lies within their upcoming debut album Self Aware.
To say opener My Bad hits you like a tonne of bricks would be a huge understatement. It gives you the first taste of their intense sound and engaging lyrics. BBC Introducing described their sound as "triumphant, chest beating rock" and judging from the sounds from Self Aware, it's safe to say this statement rings true.
It states in press information that this album contains no fillers, it contains eleven outstanding tracks. From listening to the album, this statement is spot on. Each track contains solid talent from the profound lyrical content to the fiery vocals. You can hear this passion and talent in all eleven tracks, even the ballads Only Way Out and Homegrown showcase this raw and fiery talent.
When listening to an album, you tend to pick a few tracks that become firm favourites. That's difficult to do when every single track is outstanding and tells their own unique story. Below are just a few examples of what Self Aware contains.
To mark the release of the upcoming debut, they released the single New Republic. Upon first hearing this, the bold guitar work and prevailing vocals draw you in right away. When you scratch the surface of the song, there is a poignant message to be heard. New Republic tells an urgent, current and sadly unbearable truth about the world live in now. Lyrics such as "duty bound by ignorance" and "hope is lost while missiles fly" stick out when listening to this track.
Drive will be that perfect song for every road trip. As well as the title being more than appropriate for the occasion, it sounds upbeat and chilled at the same time. Chilled from the melodies on the guitars and upbeat from the chorus that everyone in the car will sing along to.
Only Way Out is mainly acoustic with some mind-blowing electric guitar solos. An arena or festival ground with lights amongst the audience comes to mind when listening to this song. The song is empowering and encourages you to find the inner strength to leave something that is toxic to you. The lyric "You're the only way out" will resonate with listeners whether they are going through a situation itself or know someone that is.
The other ballad is the closing track Homegrown. This song stops you in their tracks and allows you to take a step back to reflect. There is array of elements that work well together from the dominant guitar work to the prevailing vocal work. It has the ability to close the album on a ground-breaking note and leave you wanting more. The perfect closer.
To achieve a signature sound from the first album is a huge achievement and EMPYRE have managed to do just that. They are the band that everyone needs to hear right now and the upcoming debut is solid proof of this. This record is not suitable for background noise, it requires your undivided attention.
Words: Lotty Whittingham
Self Aware is due for release 5th July 2019.
Find EMPYRE on Facebook, Twitter and their official website.
Tagged Debut Album, Duff Press, EMPYRE, rock, Self Aware
Published by musicallotty
Journalist for Ever Metal and Warrior Women. This is my own blog to express myself. I specialise in writing about music and spread awareness for mental health particularly autism.	View all posts by musicallotty
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Man finds snake under his car bonnet in Grangetown, Cardiff
RSPCA officials said it was one of the most unusual call outs they had received in a while
Katie-Ann Gupwell
The snake was found on Friday
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This was the unbelievable sight one man said he found when he lifted up the bonnet of his car.
The 33-year-old taxi driver was about to change a part on the vehicle when found a brightly coloured orange snake.
Initially, he thought was a toy - until he poked it with a stick and then found out that it was very real.
The man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "There was nothing sticking out - it was curled up. It was probably about two foot long.
"I basically opened the inside of the bonnet and I thought someone had played a prank.
"I poked it with a stick.....and then I was very shocked."
After the snake was found in the vehicle on Stockland Street, Grangetown , Cardiff , the man contacted the RSPCA.
The appalling neglect more than 40 horses suffered
RSPCA inspector Christine McNeil said: "This was certainly one of the more unusual calls I've dealt with recently, with a bright orange snake found in the bonnet of a taxi
"The member of the public in Grangetown opened his car bonnet to see the snake - which must have come as quite a shock.
"Snakes do have complex needs, and can be good escape artists - and it seems likely this snake has escaped from a property in the local area.
"We were pleased to be able to respond to this call so quickly and rescue this snake, who is now safely in our care."
Anyone with information about where the snake came from is urged to call the RSPCA's inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
Accountant hits woman in the face with keys, kicks her to the stomach and then warns 'I'll cut you' during attack outside Asda supermarket
UK NewsGrandmother, 88, becomes first person in UK to detect signals in eye using bionic chipThe implant works by surgically inserting a 2mm wide microchip under the centre of a retina
UK NewsThe fleet will replace the Apache AH Mark 1, which will go out of service in 2024


Home / QuiBidder of the Week – Robert H.
Do you want your Facebook post featured on our blog as the next QuiBidder of the Week? Simply post photos/videos of you with your wins on our Facebook page. If your posts are chosen, you'll be named QoW and will receive 90 free bids!
"These are so cool!! I won TWO LED Galaxy Frisbees that light up different colors!! I won one for .06 cents, 3 v bids and the other I won for .10 cents 5 real bids! Savings of 99% and 79%. One is pictured and the other the kids wouldn't stop playing with long enough for a picture. :o) Also, our dog LOVES it also. She loves playing catch with Frisbees and balls and loves lazer lights (I won 2 of those on here too) so this is like a dream for her! Thanks & God bless Q and all the Q bidders!!" – Robert H.
"I won these before and gave them out as gifts and people LOVED 'em so I had to win more! I won these 6 Light Up Shot Glasses for only 5 real bids and .10 cents! That's a savings of 79%!! Thanks Q" – Robert H.
"I won this COOL light up pillow for only .13 cents and 4 real bids for a savings of 88%!! As you can see my Son loves it and now his sister wants one too! Now it's time for me to win her one… Wish me luck! Thanks Q!" – Robert H.
"I won this nice twin size sheet set for my daughter and she loves them!! They are black and ivory and are beautiful! I won them only .03 cents!! 2 real bids for a 96% savings, but I'd say it's over a 99% savings myself!
Thanks QuiBids!!" – Robert H.


Myra Presents To You Elegant And Quality Footwear For Women Just Like An Art. Made From Out Of Best Quality Material Which Is Durable And Comfortable To Wear, These stylish boots are the perfect inspiration for a fashionable look. The comfortable sole makes sure that your feet stay comfortable throughout the day and you enjoy optimal Grip.


Nearly all the macromolecular three-dimensional structures deposited in Protein Data Bank were determined by either crystallographic (X-ray) or Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopic methods. A non-redundant data set containing 109 NMR - X-ray structure pairs of nearly identical proteins was derived from the Protein Data Bank. A series of comparisons were performed by focusing the attention towards both global features and local details. It was observed that: (1) the RMDS values between NMR and crystal structures range from about 1.5 Å to about 2.5 Å; (2) the correlation between conformational deviations and residue type reveals that hydrophobic amino acids are more similar in crystal and NMR structures than hydrophilic amino acids; (3) the correlation between solvent accessibility of the residues and their conformational variability in solid state and in solution is relatively modest (correlation coefficient = 0.462); (4) beta strands on average match better between NMR and crystal structures than helices and loops; (5) conformational differences between loops are independent of crystal packing interactions in the solid state; (6) very seldom, side chains buried in the protein interior are observed to adopt different orientations in the solid state and in solution.
The article is published online in The Open Biochemistry Journal and is free to access.


Le Bird Bar is where comfort and class meet.
Located in the trendy Griffintown district, Le Bird Bar calls itself "Montreal's Premiere Fried Chicken & Champagne Restaurant". Well that's two of our favourite things, so of course we had to check it out!
Let's start with the decor. Everything about it is just… cool. From the plush, gold trimmed bar stools, to the cascading orb light fixtures, the 70's inspired style has a bit of a Moroccan flair and a totally chill vibe made even better by the live DJ pumping out really cool tracks from different cultures and decades. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the uber-cool Henden bar opens beneath the restaurant so you can make a full night of it.you do help create a strong, vibrant yoga community!
Not the kind of place you expect to find fried chicken that rivals classic fried chicken restaurants down south.
Lower fat fried chicken? Seriously?
So with that, let's move onto the food. This is fried chicken like none other in Montreal. Using local, vegetable grain fed chicken raised free range on a family farm, the kitchen uses a unique "ecochef system" that results in 40-60% less grease in their fried chicken.
Hear us out, because it really is amazing. Crispy, tender, piping hot and just plain delicious, you can get it with a choice of sauces including chimichurri, maple-sriracha, truffled white gravy, bourbon, spicy mayo and many more.
Oh, but your friend is a vegetarian?
You can't take them to a fried chicken place? Oh yes, you can! Because chicken is not the only item on the menu. They have a lot more that's both meat eater (baked bone marrow, anyone?) and vegetarian friendly, including truffled mac n cheese, mozzarella infused Panko crusted green tomatoes, spicy warm corn salad, vegan popcorn chicken and more!
So yes, you can absolutely bring your vegetarian friend or significant other here, and there's much more than just a salad for them to choose from. Including some truly mouthwatering desserts!
They also do a weekend brunch with a really unique and diverse menu including shakshuka, brisket benedict, waffle grilled cheese, avocado toast, breakfast burritos, banana waffles, fried chicken (of course) and more.
Ok, back to the "chicken & champagne" thing… really? Yes!
The restaurant bar offers a selection of champagnes and sparkling wines, which somehow pair amazingly well with fried chicken and mac n cheese. It really takes classic comfort food to a whole new level. You would never think of fried chicken as a romantic evening out, but pair it with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot or Belaire Brut and suddenly it's looking like Valentine's Day all year round!
Since they offer both proper champagne and sparkling wine, the options fit just about every budget (we don't know whose budget includes the $1,095 bottle of Armand de Brignac, but we would probably say yes to a night out with them) and they also have nice red and white wine lists as well as a few signature cocktails.
It's a great spot for girls night out, 5 a 7, birthdays or a romantic evening for two. Le Bird Bar is definitely not to be missed. We highly recommend making reservations as this place is truly a hot spot.
Follow Bird bar on Facebook.
Follow Bird bar on Twitter.
Want to Eat Like a Local? Here Are 5 Restaurants to Try! Massar Egbari is Live in Montreal!


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[![Codacy Badge](https://api.codacy.com/project/badge/Grade/135b2a4c035849e28ed5404c313a9e37)](https://app.codacy.com/app/david_16/roman.cr?utm_source=github.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=JadeKharats/roman.cr&utm_campaign=Badge_Grade_Dashboard)
[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/JadeKharats/roman.cr.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/JadeKharats/roman.cr)

Lib to convert a Hindu-Arabic number to Roman number.

I use this lib to learn how to test.

## Installation

Add this to your application's `shard.yml`:

```yaml
dependencies:
  roman:
    github: JadeKharats/roman
```

## Usage

```crystal
require "roman"
```

```crystal
converter = Roman::Convert.new
converter.arabean(1)
=> "I"
```

## Contributing

1. Fork it https://github.com/JadeKharats/roman/fork
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b my-new-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -am 'Add some feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin my-new-feature)
5. Create a new Pull Request

## Contributors

-  [[JadeKharats]](https://github.com/JadeKharats) Jade D. Kharats - creator, maintainer


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(800) 666-6233info@miramw.org
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Detroit grocers seek fresh image
Industry cites dozens of stores, millions invested
Holly Fournier
Arkan Sawa places cucumbers in the vegetable bin at the Farmer John grocery store in Detroit, Saturday June 28, 2014. Detroit often is dismissed as a "food desert," lacking accessible, affordable and quality fresh food. The city's grocers — and many residents — beg to differ.
Detroit often is dismissed as a "food desert," lacking accessible, affordable and quality fresh food.
The city's grocers — and many residents — beg to differ.
"When Farmer Jack closed (in 2007), everyone said there was nowhere to shop anymore (in Detroit) and that just wasn't true," said Auday Arabo, president and CEO of Midwest Independent Retailers Association, which represents more than 4,000 stores in Michigan, Ohio and surrounding states.
There are around 75 full-service grocery stores in Detroit, at least 65 of which are independently owned, according to Arabo. A full-service store, he added, maintains at least 10,000 square feet of selling space with fresh meat, produce and dairy, as well as a deli counter, frozen and dry goods.
Detroit also is host to chain retailers Aldi, Meijer, Save-A-Lot, Kmart and Whole Foods.
"I like to call it 'the food desert myth,' "said Arabo.
Bob Rossbach, spokesman for the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., said many grocers are combating that myth through investment. The DEGC, a private, nonprofit organization, provides some staff and assistance to efforts by city groups, such as the Downtown Development Authority.
"In the last three years … there has been somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 million invested in (independent) stores," Rossbach said.
Banner Supermarket on Schaefer is undergoing about $6 million renovations to be completed next year. The University Foods store near Wayne State is planning to spend nearly $500,000 to add new equipment, resurface the parking lot and to rearrange and expand the aisles. Construction there is slated to be finished by the end of the year.
The DEGC helps publicize such efforts through its Green Grocer Project, a program created in 2011 to guide local grocers to money available for investment. The program is funded at more than $3 million by various public and private sources.
Mimi Pledl, program manager for the Green Grocer Project, said the efforts are having some effect.
"I definitely hear the term 'food desert' much less lately," Pledl said. "I think the (store) improvements and awareness have definitely made a difference."
Residents also are noticing. Annette Madison said she has seen the changes in her Midtown neighborhood, where University Foods is doing renovations and Whole Foods opened last year.
"It's come a long way," she said. "You have to take the time to come (into these stores) and walk around."
The Whole Foods store represents a different type of Detroit investment: chain grocery stores. Meijer opened in the city last year, and a second Meijer "supercenter" is slated to open next year at the site of former Redford High School.
The chain stores are a mixed-blessing to many of the city's independent store owners. Smaller stores can compete with pricing on fresh produce and meats, but bigger stores offer lower prices on dry and canned goods.
"Their buying powers are a lot greater than ours, so they get better prices," said Nadia Atisha, manager of Old Redford Food Center near Grand River and McNichols on the city's west side. Her 16,000-square-foot store is roughly two blocks from the site planned for Detroit's second Meijer, which will clock in at 190,000 square feet.
Atisha said she hopes good customer service will keep loyal customers shopping at her store, which has been in the neighborhood for more than 27 years.
"We're a family-operated store," she said. "We know your name. We get to know our customers and our customers get to know us."
Despite the upgrades and the new stores, some observers say issues remain for residents trying to access fresh food. They question residents' ready access to the stores and their ability to find affordable products.
"The 'food desert' term isn't really helpful because it doesn't explain the issue," said Alex Hill, a community health worker with Wayne State University "You can put (in) a chain grocery store but you still have the issue of food access."
In a city of under 700,000 people spread over almost 140 square miles, some less populated neighborhoods remain underserved, Arabo added.
"I look at the supermarket issue as very similar to what the mayor is talking about with trash and other city infrastructure," he said. "You have neighborhoods that have one or two people living there."
People living in sparsely populated neighborhoods often do not have a store nearby, which can make accessing fresh food a challenge. More than 20 percent of city residents lack access to a vehicle, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
"The biggest problem is lack of public transportation that's dependable," said Arabo. "Detroit is just such a big city."
Many residents opt to carpool.
"I have transportation, but a lot of people don't," said Betty Norris, 61, who lives near Belle Isle but often shops at Imperial Supermarket on 8 Mile. "If I'm going shopping, I call my neighbor and we go together."
In some stores, self-run jitney services also fill in gaps left by unreliable city buses.
"They take people home for a fee after they shop," said Atisha, the manager at Old Redford Food Center. "We make a copy of the driver's license and car insurance, but they are self-employed."
Atisha said customers can arrange directly with the individual for rides to the store.
Economic struggles also present obstacles to many city residents' access to fresh food, Hill said.
"It's not necessarily that they don't want fresh food," he said. "It's just largely outside of their means."
Approximately 38 percent of city residents were living below the poverty level from 2008 to 2012, more than double the national estimate of 15 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Many local grocers have responded to their customers' need for fresh foods at lower prices.
Four Detroit grocery stores this year are using Double Up Food Bucks, a program created in Detroit in 2009 and now featured at farmers markets throughout Michigan and Ohio. Customers who buy $10 of produce with bridge cards receive $10 toward the purchase of Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables. The stores involved are Parkway Foods, Imperial Supermarket, Prince Valley and Mazen Foods.
"A lot of stores are trying to push healthy eating," Arabo said.
Despite issues faced by Detroit's grocery industry, those involved say continued investments and awareness hint at an eventual end to Detroit's "food desert" narrative.
"People also said downtown was a ghost town, the Cass Corridor would always be blight and Livernois would never be a retail strip again," Rossbach said. "These negative myths about Detroit are just dropping by the wayside."
hfournier@detroitnews.com
From The Detroit News
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In honor of Veteran's Day, Benchmark Beverage Company highlights the American Spirit
This is my industry and MIRA serves this industry. I like being part of a successful organization and being involved in change and influencing new laws."
"Without MIRA, who will fight for the retailer in Michigan and Ohio? MIRA is the voice for all retailers, and more numbers means a stronger voice. If more of us support MIRA and keep it successful, we will be able to fight more effectively.
John Denha8 Mile Foodland, Southfield MI
MIRA has been a wonderful resource for Hiller's by ensuring we stay current with industry relevant legislation."
"MIRA has also connected us with other wholesalers outside of our normal channels, helping us to streamline services and goods we offer to consumers.
Justin HillerHiller's Markets, MI
Quite honestly, MIRA does such a fine job meeting our needs. What I love the most is that when we have a question, they are always ready to answer it or get back to us very quickly.
Jeff AnusbigianWestborn Market
Because MIRA is flourishing while other associations are floundering, I would like to see us broaden the membership base to include other areas such as restaurants and bars."
"It's vital to have a strong member base capable of presenting a stronger voice to legislators. Government has failed us during these difficult economic times, and we must do more to promote ourselves and our industry so that we have more control more than our own destiny.
Richard FiatoNorth Pointe Insurance Company, Southfield MI
We always call MIRA with whatever problems we may have and they always solve it. They work very hard. They always call me and let me know what's going on and what changes are coming, so it's very helpful.
Shirad ThakarPro Sam Unlimited, Lodi OH
MIRA helps me. I was initially attracted by the Chase Paymentech program, but truly appreciate the association's expertise and information. I've found so much info in the Bottom Line publication that is useful, or helpful, and that has taught us something to pay attention to." "The magazine has been fabulous; it's totally saved me a few times.
Elizabeth KaczanWaters Edge Market, Kewadin MI
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Comment: Ed's Festive Rant for 2020
Edmond Hood	 Dec 30, 2020
As the year 2020 comes to an end, Ed Hood sums up his thought on this strangest, saddest and very different year. Ed has picked just a few subjects which have caught his eye and needed the Hood comment.
Multiple British Champion Shaun Wallace Gets PEZ'd!
Edmond Hood	 Jun 14, 2020
Chris Boardman and Graeme Obree may have grabbed the headlines in the pursuit world during the 90s, but Shaun Wallace was at the cutting edge from the early 80s and through the 90s, taking medals at National, Commonwealth and World level. Ed Hood caught up with Shaun to hear his story.
Ed on the Boards: Three Nights in Copenhagen
Edmond Hood	 Feb 12, 2020
Copenhagen '6 Days': Ed Hood couldn't miss the last '6 Day' of the 2019/20 season in Copenhagen. A full six days was not possible in the Danish capital, but three is better than none and the winners were dominant. The City of the little mermaid is one of Ed's favourites, as he always says "wonderful, wonderful..."
Track Star Moreno De Pauw Retires
Interview: As the 2019/20 '6 Day' season winds down, one of the top men has announced his retirement from the boards... and he's only 28 years old. Moreno De Pauw - 6 Day, Worlds, European and National title winner, the list goes on. Ed Hood caught up with Moreno after his final '6 Day' in Berlin.
Marvin Smart Talks Velodromes
Edmond Hood	 Jan 24, 2020
Interview: Ed Hood has interviewed riders, managers, masseurs, mechanics and even podium girls, but here's a new one... The guy who paints the advertising on the velodromes! It's not all signage, Marvin Smart also knows cycling inside and out and has some great stories from the past.
1980 London 'Skol 6' Photo Gallery by Bill Kund
'Skol 6' Photo Gallery: We all know of Ed Hood's love of the '6 Day,' and everything else cycling, so you can imagine his excitement when he happened across a collection of photos from the 1980 London Skol 6 by Bill Kund. Bill has kindly given us permission to reproduce some of his brilliant track shots along with how it all came about.
Ed on the Boards: Bremen '6 Days' – The Big Finalé!
Bremen '6 Days': The final three days of any '6 Day' should be the most exciting and the 2020 Bremen event was not a disappointment. Ed Hood was track side (the inside) for the climax as he worked away helping out the riders before the '6 Day' circus rolled up the big top to move on to Berlin for the final event of the winter season.
Ed on the Boards: Bremen '6 Days' – Three Nights In!
Bremen '6 Days': Ed Hood has moved on from the final night in Rotterdam to work the full 6 days in the German City of Bremen. Loud music, bright lights and fast racing on the new boards of Bremen, Ed was there for all the razzamatazz and 'Party Time', but there are riders to look after and that camper to sleep in. The fun of the track centre.
Ed's New Year Rant – Cycling's Biggest Questions Answered
Ed's Rant: 2020 and a new season is about to start, but there are a few unanswered question rattling around we need to address before we go any further. They maybe 'What Ifs' and 'Should Haves' but still important nonetheless. From Lance Armstrong to retro equipment, Ed hood brings the curtain down on those burning puzzles of the past... maybe.
Allez Alé! PRS Logo DWR Long Sleeve Jersey, Graphics PRR…
Vini Zabù KTM's Daniel Pearson Gets PEZ'd!


The US market fell during the month, with the so-called 'FAANG' stocks leading the way. Netflix shares fell by almost 20% on a second quarter of disappointing subscriber growth.
Rumours of an imminent deal announcement caused volatility in Sterling at various times during the month, though no details have been published. The Irish border appears, from comments, to be the sole issue that is now holding up an agreement.
The proposed Italian budget deficit of 2.4% of GDP was rejected by the European Commission, leading to an increasingly heated debate between Italy's new government and the EU.
The outlook from the Bank of Japan, released on 31 October, remains relatively optimistic. The BoJ sees Japan continuing to grow, amid a virtuous cycle of income and spending growth in both the household and corporate sectors. Inflation expectations were reduced slightly.
The election of Jair Bolsonaro to the presidency of Brazil saw Brazilian stocks rise 10.2% in October (as measured by the BOVESPA in local currency terms). He is perceived to be more market friendly than Fernando Haddad, of the opposition Worker's Party.
During the month, the best performing major markets were the UK and USA, both of which fell by 4.8% in Sterling terms according to the FTSE Country Indices. Asian markets saw large falls, with Hong Kong being the worst of these, losing 9.7%. Japan was helped by a stronger Yen and fell by only 6.7% in Sterling terms. Emerging markets continued to be weighed down by a strengthening Dollar and among these, Mexico was the largest faller, recording a loss of 15.6%. The exception was Brazil, which rose by 19.8% as the markets warmed to the new President.
European markets in October extended losses from the previous month, with no market achieving a gain. The core markets, Germany, France and Italy all fell heavily as Angela Merkel resigned as leader of the CDU but remained as Chancellor, and Italy had its budget rejected by the EU. Peripheral markets, on the whole, fared better. The worst return came from Belgium, which lost 9.5% and the Nordics also had a weak month after holding up well previously. Year-to-date Finland has lost only 2.2%, with Sweden flat and Norway up by more than 11%.
News flow from the Brexit negotiations, as we approach the November deadline for a deal, caused Sterling to have a volatile month, with the Pound ending mostly down against other major currencies, with the exception of the Euro, which also had a poor month. Mrs Merkel's political difficulties and the Italian budget led to a lack of support for the currency. Continued strong economic data, and hopes for an agreement with China over tariffs, as well as a flight to safety, saw the Dollar continue to strengthen ahead of the mid-term elections.
Strong economic data saw US bond yields move higher again in October, despite President Trump expressing concern over the Fed's tightening policy. In the UK, with little prospect of a rate rise in the next six months, and weakening data, buyers emerged for UK debt, leading to a good month for bonds and a decrease in the yield. Peripheral European bonds continued to weaken as the Italian budget weighed on sentiment and investors switched into ECB and core EU bonds.
October is often perceived as a potentially challenging month for stock markets; we had the Wall Street Crash of Oct 1929, the Oct 87 crash, the Great Financial Crisis is generally regarded to have started in Oct 2008 and now we have 'Red October', when the S&P500 fell -6.9%, the FTSE All-share fell -5.4%, Europe -5.9% and the Nikkei also dropped -9.1%, though it had been the strongest market the previous month. The S&P gave up all its gains year to date, whilst the FTSE All-Share closed the month -7% lower than at the start of the year.
Dissecting a broad market sell off– and identifying and grading the various catalysts – is tricky given the complexity of modern markets, but there seem some obvious starting points.
The initial trigger does seem fairly clear. US Treasuries had been selling off all summer, but some very strong economic data and bullish comments from the US Federal Reserve Chairman in early October fanned fears of a faster pace of interest rate hikes and sent US 10-year yields up sharply to an eight year high of 3.26%.
The ferocity of the move in the US Bond market was probably made worse by events in the money market. The persistently strong US Dollar has made hedging costs for overseas buyers of US Bonds too expensive and once this cost is taken into account, the real yield on US bonds for foreign buyers is less attractive. With the rising US budget deficit (post the Trump tax cuts) leading to increased issuance and foreign buyers stepping away, we had a situation where there were more sellers than buyers and as a result US Yields were moving higher. Unlike previous equity corrections, US Bond Yields rose during the month. US bonds remain highly volatile and may no longer be the default 'safe haven' that many investors have assumed in recent years. The equity market's prior assumption that the Fed will ride to the rescue when equities sell off, seems to no longer apply.
This bond sell-off then bled into Equity markets, especially the high-flying technology stocks that had powered much of the rally. Other factors were also involved, such as the sense that the tech rally was overdone, trade tensions, rising short term interest rates making cash a viable asset again, worries over the Fed's balance sheet shrinkage and concerns that it was as good as it gets for US corporate earnings. Many US tech stocks were priced for earnings 'beats' and 'upgrades', but some were offering 'in-line' and no change to estimates.
A gradual decline in US stocks suddenly turned into an unnerving late afternoon slide on Oct 10th – the day after US Treasury yields peaked – when the S&P fell -3.3%. Computer-powered, algorithmic investment strategies reacted to this surge in volatility, which added to the selling pressure. The growth in passive investing in recent years along with regulatory changes has resulted in a thinning out of equity liquidity in markets, which in turn adds to the influence of these high-speed algorithmic traders.
An additional factor has been the poor performance of traditional long/short hedge funds, which increasingly had crowded into tech stocks and collectively got their fingers burnt as the month progressed and delivered one of the worst monthly performances for their investors since the 2008 Financial Crisis. Selling pressure from the Hedge Funds added to the downward pressure on markets.
Towards the end of the month, some of these selling pressures eased. US economic data continued to be strong and corporate earnings offered reassurance – the bargain hunters were able to come in and markets staged a modest late month rally.
There were obviously other localised factors at play – Brexit in the UK, the Italian budget standoff in Europe - but the events in the US were replicated across all major markets.
Looking back over October, US Economic data remained very robust, but European macro numbers are going in the opposite direction. The US trade dispute with China shows no signs of resolution and there remains little signs of progress on Brexit. Merkel's decision to step down as President of her party may yet result in a German Federal election next year. The US Dollar continued to strengthen, which remains a headwind for emerging markets and for non-Dollar denominated global investors.
Within the market correction, we have seen weakness in smaller companies and an end to the onward and upward march of growth stocks and the so-called US 'FANGS'. The volatility that we saw earlier in the year has returned and investors are now more conscious of the downside in both equity and bond markets.


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Why did the prophets so frequently call Israel to "circumcize their hearts" to the Lord?
Sometimes we think that circumcision was really only something that the Jews practiced, but if you go into the British Museum, you'll see that circumcision was a very common practice throughout the ancient Near East. It was a practice that was mainly associated with dealing with fertility issues, making it possible to have more children by removing the barrier between husband and wife, removing the foreskin. But the Lord calls his people to circumcise their hearts because this is the symbol of his covenant with them, the covenant he gave to Abraham to circumcise himself and to circumcise his sons and every male servant in his household as a sign of his loyalty to the great king, the Lord. And God's people, though, like all of us, would grow insensitive to the Lord, would create barriers in their relationship with the Lord, and so the Lord reminds them to remove those barriers, to re-sensitize their hearts in order to have fruitful lives under his reign. And so, in Deuteronomy 10, we see God in the giving of the law as they go into the land say, "circumcise your hearts." And then in Deuteronomy 30, at the end of this covenant ceremony, we see the Lord remind them again to live lives where they're constantly removing the barriers between them and the Lord and wanting to be fruitful in their life in the land. But it's interesting, Deuteronomy 30 sort of foreshadows something that's going to come, and that is that God's people will fall away from the Lord, and they'll have to be removed from the land. And yet the Lord says, "I will circumcise your hearts." There's this shift in Deuteronomy 30 from their responsibility to do that in their daily lives and yet that the Lord will do that for them as well. And we see that even in the new covenant that God will put his Spirit in our hearts, give us a new heart, a sensitive heart of flesh, and remove the heart of stone. So, the language of circumcision is a very strong reminder of the covenant sign and also of the situation we face as human beings that we need to constantly tend to our hearts before God, removing those obstacles, so that we can live fruitful lives as God's people.
Answer by Dr. Gregory R. Perry
Dr. Gregory R. Perry is President of Thirdmill Seminary and Vice President for Strategic Projects at Third Millennium Ministries. He served as Associate Professor of New Testament and the Director of City Ministry Initiative at Covenant Theological Seminary 2003-2017.


Qns-1: What are the key features of Spring Web services?
Qns-2: What are the modules consisted by Spring Web Services?
Qns-3: Which contract does Spring-WS uses?
Ans: There are two web service development styles: a- Contract First and b- Contract Last. In case of contact first, start with WSDL contract and use Java to implement that contract. In case of contract last, start with Java code and let the web services to contract WSDL. Spring-WS supports contract first approach.
Qns-4: What are the advantages of Contract-first over Contract-last?
Ans: a. Contract first remains constant as long as possible that is necessary for a contract.
b. Contract first approach is better for performance because contract last user java code to generate XML and that can result in slow response.
c. XML contract is re usable.


First a little bit about us: created in 2011, Silkke strives to create animated 3D avatars of unsurpassed quality that are usable in various applications, virtual universes and compatible internet websites. Our mission is to create a human element in digital platforms, integrating with various brands to bring them closer to their customers by offering them a unique, personalized experience.
Creating an avatar requires several tasks, from the initial scan of the person to the 3D life-like clone. There are four separate steps involved in the scanning process, and even though that doesn't seem like much, this places major strain on the total capacity of one booth performing scans. Each booth can scan up to one person each minute! Now multiply this by the number of booths around the world.
As this process occurs, scalability is more than necessary, as we don't know how many avatars we will have to process. So we use RabbitMQ to create queues that assign work to every process that renders part of an avatar. Doing so permits us to scale the processing power as the queue fills up.
This presents another challenge: how best to organize the content that's in the queue?
As it fills up, we can't know the order of a set of instructions in the queue. And what if we need to modify an instruction on the go—we can't edit something without removing all the initial elements and then requeuing them, thus changing the global order and potentially risking a slow down of production.
First, we needed a system that could process a lot—and fast!— so we used RabbitMQ. But we also needed a simple system that supports designing and querying on the software side (query all then parse and show), as well as that ability to natively propose FIFO. Rather than develop a new queuing solution from scratch, one that can address all of our needs, why not take the practical approach and integrate an existing technology that works well with RabbitMQ? , That's why we chose Redis!
As one message goes into RabbitMQ, the same is put in a Redis Set FIFO style. As the workers process the queue, they also remove/put the messages in Redis, keeping our Set in sync with the RabbitMQ.
Next we developed a web interface to control and show what is in Redis. It also controls the state of the queue as a Redis value with expiration that tells the worker whether or not it should consume the queue (we can stop the consumption of a queue temporarily without stopping the workers).
For record purposes, a global event can have up to 10-20 messages per second (for 1 booth), and we have booths all over the world – but thanks to Redis Enterprise Cloud's awesomeness, it can be scaled!
Unlike some applications that just display the avatar of a person, Silkke faced the challenge of exhibiting dynamic character movement. For example, avatars needed to wander and interact by chatting and sending messages. Though there were already some solutions for multiplayer support on the market, none were able to fit our needs—especially on the server side. The main problem we faced was how to synchronize the display of one avatar in the game with others.
Like chat room for text, we needed a solution to register which avatar is currently present. As for the previous problem, we could have three avatars to several thousands at the same time, but only with random connection spikes.
Luckily Redis came to save the day again! We can create rooms where we store the ID of avatars for each person that connects to the app. The architecture is simple: a set for each person. But by benchmarking it, we thought of a new way to implement Redis. How about using it for the chat system, using the pub sub system and a socket system? Then things got pretty good. We could handle 5,000 people in one room. And rather than only using it for text messages, it doubles as a relay for commands.
Say you want your avatar to go take a drink at the bar. From your phone you click "grab a drink," and that's it. But under the hood, Redis demonstrates its power. In under one second, it checks your Auth key, checks if your avatar is in the scene and connected, sends the instruction to go to the bar, checks whether the instruction started correctly and notifies you. All with pub-sub, expiration and hash-maps. Then we can scale it to every avatar you see in the picture. Redis is once again the perfect fit for our needs.
Several more projects are in the think tank for now, and Redis is vital when solving problems of speed, reliability and scalability.