text:
Monday Guild Wars 2 Update: Annoying Problems Continue
Wolff Bachner
I am starting to feel like a broken record. Instead of telling gamers about all the great things in Guild Wars 2, I have the sad duty to report daily on the problems affecting the game. We are more than a week into the official launch, and I must inform our readers that most of the issues have not been fixed.
We know that ArenaNet is trying their best, but some of the problems are starting to have a major impact on our enjoyment of the game. In particular, the fact that the Auction House is still not functioning properly is a serious issue for many players. It makes crafting a massive waste of precious time when we have to farm all our mats instead of buying them on the Auction House.
The first weeks after launch are the period when players focus primarily on leveling, and spending valuable hours gathering crafting mats can cause a player to fall behind their friends and guild-mates. It is especially upsetting for players who are in a guild because everyone wants to get to level 80 quickly in order to earn a spot in raids or to help their guild succeed in PVP.
Another major concern about the broken Auction House is the lack of availability of better gear. Players really depend on the auction house to upgrade their items as they level. Even though Guild Wars 2 is much less gear dependent than many games, without an Auction House, quite a few players are running around with armor, weapons, and accessories that are way below their character level. We can buy gear with Karma points, but we should be saving them for level 40 when we can get our first set of Tier 1 armor and weapons. To waste Karma points now to upgrade our equipment will only hurt us later.
The security issues that are plaguing the game is very troubling. Obviously, ArenaNet can not be held responsible for the malice of others, but the number of attacks being waged against Guild Wars 2 is unprecedented in the history of online gaming. There have been constant issues with email verification, password reset, and the address change feature, all of which have apparently been targets of hackers.
The hacking situation has gotten quite out of hand, and ArenaNet had to disable players ability to reset their passwords. On Sunday, there was a truly frightening attempt to breech the email accounts of players. So many email accounts were possibly compromised that ArenaNet sent out thousands of warning emails. Unfortunately, many of them went to people who don't even play Guild Wars 2.
Here is the official explanation of the incident:
"Scanning Accounts Email Spam"
"Yesterday, three malicious users each changed the account names of their own Guild Wars 2 accounts thousands of times, scanning through lists of email addresses stolen from other games and web sites, presumably to determine which email addresses were available (not already used for a Guild Wars 2 account) and which were taken. It obviously shouldn't be possible to change your own account name so frequently. We temporarily disabled account name changes and have now restored but limited them to prevent this."
"To the thousands of people who received emails stating, "the email address for your Guild Wars account has been changed," and are not even our customers, we sincerely apologize for the spam. Please be aware that your email address is on a list of account credentials that hackers have apparently stolen from other games and web sites and are systematically scanning."
"To Guild Wars 2 customers whose email addresses are being tested by hackers but not stolen, thank you for protecting your account by choosing a new, unique password for Guild Wars 2. Even though your unique password should protect you, we think you deserve to know if hackers have your email address on their list of credentials stolen from other games and web sites, so we'll send you periodic notifications when we see hackers testing your account."
The are still several other problems that are sending players up the wall with frustration. PVP tournaments continue to suffer from outages, and there have been issues receiving rewards from the tournaments. Transferring between games worlds remains problematic, and even character creation and deletion is malfunctioning. The only major issue that appears to be seeing any progress are the dungeon instances. We were able to enter the dungeons today and complete them.
To be absolutely blunt, it is now 10 days since the early access launch, and the only thing that is working dependably is questing. A large percentage of the player community decided to play Guild Wars 2 specifically for the Hot Join Games and WvW combat, and they are being asked to tolerate broken tournaments, problems with world transfers, and all the other issues that can have a major impact on PVP. How much longer they will put up with a semi functional game before they go and play something else is anyone's guess.
At this point, ArenaNet might be better off scheduling an extended maintenance and clearing out the servers for 12 hours to get things working properly. I am sure the player community would not object if it would help get a handle on the problems. As for the security issues, the best way to deal with them would be to offer players the option to purchase an authenticator. They are probably the best solution to protecting accounts against hackers.
That's about it for this update. I will be back later with more news. Check back often for regular reports on Guild Wars 2, and be sure to watch for our in-depth coverage of the launch of World Of Warcraft Mists Of Pandaria.


Yahtzee! Kentucky Football just picked up yet another big time commitment, this time from 4 Star WR Blake Bone out of Woodruff, South Carolina. Bone chose the Wildcats over Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Louisville, along with other offers such as Tennessee, Nebraska, Clemson, and Arkansas. Blake is considered the 47th best WR in the country according to Rivals.com, and he has the talent to back that up. Bone is known for his great height, standing in at 6'5, which gives him an edge on shorter defenders. With great height and length, Bone has the ability to go over the top and make huge plays. While height is the key factor to Bone's dominance, his great hands allow him to grab almost everything coming his way, catching 65 balls, along with 1150 yards and 14 touchdowns last season at Woodruff High School in South Carolina.
A lot led up Bone's decision to attend the University of Kentucky, and I was able to catch up with him about that decision. Blake told me that he was looking for a team with "potential", along with "early playing time." He also said that when looking at all of the schools, he felt that UK had "a group of great coaches around the program." Bone felt that it was a great fit due to the "opportunities" he will have there, along with the fact that he believes he has the "opportunity to shine in UK's Air Raid Offense." He told me throughout his recruitment, UK 4 Star QB commit Drew Barker recruited him the most out of all recruits in contact with him. Bone even went as far as to say that throughout the recruiting process, Drew Barker was the player he felt most comfortable with and wanted to play with in college the most. He had this to say about Barker: "He's a clown, plus he's a pretty good athlete." They have developed a great relationship with each other throughout each of their recruiting processes, which is great for their team chemistry when they suit up in Blue and White together next fall.
Bone's commitment to the Wildcats allows the UK Coaching Staff to breathe a little easier with the receiving corp, as UK's WR depth is known for being extremely weak, especially for an SEC Offense. Now that UK has Thaddeus Snodgrass, T.V. Williams, Garrett Johnson, and now Blake Bone on board for 2014, the WR spot is looking like one of the strongest positions on the roster for the future. This WR crop of 2014, along with the talented group from the 2013 Recruiting Class, should allow for the starting Quarterback at Kentucky next year to feel great about his options, as the star studded lineup could be deadly in OC Neal Brown's Air Raid Offense.
Where will the Coaching Staff go from here in terms of recruiting? This is the Wildcat's 23rd commitment for 2014, meaning spots are filling up fast. UK is looking to take 27 players in this class, due to early enrollees, so there are likely only 4 spots remaining to jump on board. Some names to look out for to fill those spots? I'll start with Dorian Baker, a 3 Star WR from Cleveland, Ohio. UK is VERY high on him, and many consider UK to be the favorite for him. Baker received major publicity after blowing away the UK Coaching Staff at a UK Football Camp, who offered him a scholarship on the spot. At 6'3, Baker, like Blake Bone, uses his height to his advantage, as he is able to go up with his great length and make big time catches with ease. With Bone and Baker on opposite sides of the field, it will be extremely difficult to stop the dynamic duo, as the length of the two combined is unbelievable. Bone's addition makes UK's WR depth extremely comfortable, but if Baker comes along also, I believe it would give UK one of the most dynamic WR corp in the SEC for the future.
According to several of the UK commitments, they are extremely confident DT Matt Elam will pledge his commitment to the Wildcats this Winter when he decides on January 4 at the U.S. Army American Bowl. His final 6 are Alabama, Kentucky, Louisville, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Tennessee. Elam is considered the 10th best player in the country according to 247 Sports, and he has the talent to back that up. At 6'6, 330 pounds, Elam has an NFL size body, which is extremey necessary to compete at a top level in the SEC. For Elam's size, his speed and footwork is beyond impressive, which partially explains his extremely high ranking. Also, Matt's ability to bullrush the offensive line to get into the backfield to make big time sacks and tackles for loss makes him nearly impossible to guard. While Elam is already dominant defensively, his potential is the main reason he is ranked #10 in the country. Several NFL scouts have already said that Elam has the ability to be one of the most dominant Defensive Tackles in the country by his senior year, and will almost certainly be on an NFL team roster after graduating college. Alabama and Kentucky seem to be the front runners in his recruitment, but as of now, look for Elam to throw on a UK hat on January 4th.
Along with Elam and Baker, the staff plans to add one more OL, and possibly one more CB, as depth is extremely thin at those two positions. Avery Gennesy, a 4 Star JUCO OL, has UK high on his list, so don't be surprised if he turns out to be one of the final pieces of UK's 2014 Recruiting Class. At the CB position, one name that comes to mind is Georgia 4 Star prospect Nick Glass. Glass is considered a Safety, but the staff is recruiting him as more of a defensive "athlete". He has the ability to play CB, Safety, and even at a Nickel Linebacker position, similar to what UK 2013 Football signee Marcus McWilson has done so far at UK. Glass is extremely quick, and has a knack for making great cuts on the ballcarrier to create huge hits, which perfectly fits the mold for the defense Mark Stoops is trying to implement at UK. UK 4 Star RB Commit Stanley "Boom" Williams is doing his best to recruit Glass to Kentucky. Kentucky is highly expected to be right there in the Glass sweepstakes when it comes time for his decision.
As you can see, Blake Bone's commitment may be just the start of a stretch of 4 and 5 star commitments to finish UK's Recruiting Class of 2014. Mark Stoops is looking to finish this class strong, and we'll be here to deliver the latest news about the finish here at Varsity Preps.


RTG casinos online can be the best choice for those who adore slots. Perhaps, online casinos powered by RTG can boast of the largest collection of slots with progressive jackpots. As a rule, such progressive jackpots can be won at random. Just look above the reels at its ticker to enjoy how progressive jackpot increases with every second you are playing. Maybe you are the lucky one who will get the best prize that can be huge enough.
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Sometimes you need to play for a long while till incredible award waits for you. RTG casino bonus provides you with the opportunity to play with free cash without worrying about your spending. Of course, everything depends on the bonus you get, its rules to follow. You can get 100% Match Bonus or astonishing Welcome Bonus that is divided into several first deposits. Some bonuses available for various games only, so pay attention to such factor. Otherwise, you won't be able to withdraw your winnings the time you want.
Wagering requirement is the most important thing to pay attention to while choosing the most attractive and profitable RTG online casino bonus. Choose carefully to avoid problems in the future and have a good time winning your game of luck or skills.


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Dame Frances Clare Kirwan,  (born 21 August 1959) is a British mathematician, currently Savilian Professor of Geometry at the University of Oxford. Her fields of specialisation are algebraic and symplectic geometry.

Education
Kirwan was educated at Oxford High School, and studied maths as an undergraduate at Clare College in the University of Cambridge. She took a D.Phil at Oxford in 1984, with the dissertation title The Cohomology of Quotients in Symplectic and Algebraic Geometry, which was supervised by Michael Atiyah.

Research
Kirwan's research interests include moduli spaces in algebraic geometry, geometric invariant theory (GIT), and in the link between GIT and moment maps in symplectic geometry. Her work endeavours to understand the structure of geometric objects by investigation of their algebraic and topological properties. She introduced the Kirwan map.

From 1983 to 1985 she held a junior fellowship at Harvard. From 1983 to 1986 she held a Fellowship at Magdalen College, Oxford, before becoming a Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford. She is an honorary fellow of Clare College, Cambridge and also at Magdalen College.

In 1996, she was awarded the Title of Distinction of Professor of Mathematics. From 2004 to 2006 she was president of the London Mathematical Society, the second-youngest president in the society's history and only the second woman to be president. In 2005, she received a five-year EPSRC Senior Research Fellowship, to support her research on the moduli spaces of complex algebraic curves.

In 2017, she was elected Savilian Professor of Geometry, becoming the first woman to hold the post. While this entailed a move to New College, Oxford she was elected an emeritus fellow at Balliol. She was the convenor of the 2008–9 meeting of European Women in Mathematics and deputy convenor of the following meeting in 2010–11.

Prizes, awards and scholarships
 London Mathematical Society Whitehead Prize, 1989
 Fellow of the Royal Society, 2001
 President, London Mathematical Society, 2003–2005
 EPSRC Senior Research Fellowship, 2005–2010, for her work in algebraic geometry
 Fellow of the American Mathematical Society, 2012
 London Mathematical Society Senior Whitehead Prize, 2013
 DBE for services to mathematics, 2014
Maths and Computing Suffrage Science award, 2016
 Member of Academia Europaea
 Chairman of the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust
 Sylvester Medal of The Royal Society, 2021
 Honorary degree, University of York, 2020
 Honorary degree, University of St Andrews, 2022

Kirwan served on the medal-selection committee that awarded the Fields medal to Maryam Mirzakhani.

Publications

 with Jonathan Woolf:

References

External links
 Profile at the University of Oxford Mathematical Institute

1959 births
Living people
Place of birth missing (living people)
20th-century British mathematicians
21st-century British mathematicians
Algebraic geometers
British women mathematicians
Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge
Fellows of Clare College, Cambridge
Alumni of the University of Oxford
Fellows of Balliol College, Oxford
Fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford
Fellows of New College, Oxford
Female Fellows of the Royal Society
Fellows of the American Mathematical Society
Members of Academia Europaea
Harvard Fellows
People educated at Oxford High School, England
Whitehead Prize winners
British women academics
Fellows of the Royal Society
Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
20th-century women mathematicians
21st-century women mathematicians

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Here's what you can expect when you come to our 10:15am service. Some people think of church as being a dull, boring building with dull, boring people who have a bunch of confining rules. We believe the opposite. We want all visitors to feel welcome to worship with us in the presence of God.
Please don't worry about what you'll wear to church, for we truly believe people should come to God as they are. You don't need to dress up to get his approval--that comes through Jesus' sacrifice. Once you walk in the doors, you'll see that the congregation has all types of people in all kinds of dress. While a few people in the church wear ties, others like to remind them that Jesus never wore a tie. Shorts are as welcome as suits, and you'll see both.
When you walk in, find one of our greeters and introduce yourself. They're usually stationed at the doors and Welcome Desk, and they'll show you where everything is. They'll help you find the nursery and Sunday school rooms if you have kids. Our greeters can also point you to the restrooms, sanctuary and fellowship area. If you have any questions about the service itself, the greeters are able to provide helpful answers.
In our foyer you can enjoy a complimentary coffee and pastries by Panera Bread. If you stick around after the service, you'll have a chance to meet our pastor and many other people in the church. We'd also love to get to know you so you're a familiar face the next time you come.


The ELT Team has overall responsibility for ensuring this policy complies with our legal and ethical obligations, and that all those under our control comply with it.
The office manager has primary and day-to-day responsibility for implementing this policy, monitoring its use and effectiveness, dealing with any queries about it, and auditing internal control systems and procedures to ensure they are effective in countering modern slavery.
You are invited to comment on this policy and suggest ways in which it might be improved. Comments, suggestions and queries are encouraged and should be addressed to the Head of Procurement.
If you believe or suspect a breach of this policy has occurred or that it may occur you must notify your manager or report it in as soon as possible.
If you are unsure about whether a particular act, the treatment of workers more generally, or their working conditions within any tier of our supply chains constitutes any of the various forms of modern slavery, raise it with your manager or HR.
We aim to encourage openness and will support anyone who raises genuine concerns in good faith under this policy, even if they turn out to be mistaken. We are committed to ensuring no one suffers any detrimental treatment as a result of reporting in good faith their suspicion that modern slavery of whatever form is or may be taking place in any part of our own business or in any of our supply chains. Detrimental treatment includes dismissal, disciplinary action, threats or other unfavourable treatment connected with raising a concern. If you believe that you have suffered any such treatment, you should inform the Head of Procurement immediately. If the matter is not remedied, and you are an employee, you should raise it formally using our Grievance Procedure.


Exploring the Basics of Windows 8.
Browser Basics and Information Literacy.
Word Tutorial 1: Creating a Document.
Word Tutorial 2: Editing and Formatting a Document.
Word Tutorial 3: Creating Tables and a Multipage Report.
Word Tutorial 4: Enhancing Page Layout and Design.
Excel Tutorial 1: Getting Started with Excel.
Excel Tutorial 2: Formatting Workbook Text and Data.
Excel Tutorial 3: Calculating Data with Formulas and Functions.
Excel Tutorial 4: Analyzing and Charting Financial Data.
Access Tutorial 1: Creating a Database.
Access Tutorial 2: Building a Database and Defining Table Relationships.
Access Tutorial 3: Maintaining and Querying a Database.
Access Tutorial 4: Creating Forms and Reports.
PowerPoint Tutorial 1: Creating a Presentation.
PowerPoint Tutorial 2: Adding Media and Special Effects.
Integrating Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint.
Appendix A: Introduction to Cloud Computing.


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Q: Multithreading lock and notify I'm starting to read Java and I'm in multithreading topic. Also I'm a C programmer, so I've knowledge on threading for C language.
I was searching for how threads are communicating with each other on specific object.
I found this question Java: How can the wait() and notify() methods be called on Objects that are not threads? but I've conflict.
What I know that synchronized keyword applies the concept of locking mechanism. So if I synchronized of an object and then called wait on this object does it mean that the lock will be freed for another thread to access? As the example in the previous link

A: You say you're familiar with threading in C.
You can understand Java's behavior by imagining an implicit p_thread_mutex_t variable and an implicit pthread_cond_t variable associated with every Java object.
Suppose we have some object, foo.  Let's use m(foo) to denote the imagined mutex, and let's use c(foo) to denote the imagined condition variable.
A synchronized(foo) { ... } block lock is almost the same as this:
pthread_mutex_lock(m(foo));
...
pthread_mutex_unlock(m(foo));

The only difference is, Java guarantees that there is no way to get out of the synchronized block without unlocking the mutex.  Even if the ... throws an exception, the mutex still will be unlocked.
So, the answer to your question:
A call to foo.wait() basically translates to pthread_cond_wait(c(foo), m(foo));

A: When wait() is called, the lock on the synchronized object will be freed. See the below extract from Oracle documentation. The word "monitor"  means as same as "lock"
"
public final void wait()
                throws InterruptedException
Causes the current thread to wait until another thread invokes the notify() method or the notifyAll() method for this object. In other words, this method behaves exactly as if it simply performs the call wait(0).
The current thread must own this object's monitor. The thread releases ownership of this monitor and waits until another thread notifies threads waiting on this object's monitor to wake up either through a call to the notify method or the notifyAll method. The thread then waits until it can re-obtain ownership of the monitor and resumes execution.
As in the one argument version, interrupts and spurious wakeups are possible, and this method should always be used in a loop:
 synchronized (obj) {
     while (<condition does not hold>)
         obj.wait();
     ... // Perform action appropriate to condition
 }

This method should only be called by a thread that is the owner of this object's monitor. See the notify method for a description of the ways in which a thread can become the owner of a monitor.
"

A: The general rules are as follows:

*

*A thread can only call wait() or notify() when it acquired the lock synchronized

*Two threads cannot run code within synchronized block simultaneously. The other threads have to wait to acquire the lock.

*If a thread acquiring the lock called wait(), it frees the lock automatically. When it has been notify()ed, it attempts to acquire the lock again automatically.

A: Take a look to the cubyhole "producer/consumer" example, it can help
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/javaexamples/thread_procon.htm

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A new dawn, a new wonder, a new adventure. Shepherd's Tree Game Lodge is a lodge concession awarded by the North West Parks & Tourism Board (custodians of the land) within the existing Pilanesberg Game Reserve. The entire lodge lies in an exclusive use zone in the south-western portion of the 55,000ha, "Big 5" and malaria free Pilanesberg Game Reserve. It offers exclusive traversing as well as access to all the Park's public roads. The lodge also lies adjacent to the Wilderness Area offering the opportunity of walking trails in this untouched environment. By acquiring a share in the lodge, shareholders will enjoy exclusivity and privacy in a truly spectacular and intimate 5 star luxury setting for a period of 40 years.


text:
Q: Best way to Word document files to image and then image to PDF conversion? I want to convert word .docx files containing images text to pure images and then converter that images to PDF files.
Best way i found is send word files to one note, then save one note file as .docx and finally converter this file in PDF.
But any other more convenient way for this?
Thanks in advance for your answers!

A: How about Windows' Snipping Tool? It can capture portions of the screen and save in many formats. Another program called Snagit does the same – but I believe it can save directly to a PDF.

A: My suggestion can handle word file with hundreds or thousands of pages.
Step 1. Print to pdf with word builtin function or 3rt party pdf printer
Step 2. Open the pdf with Pdfxchange viewer, which can export all pages in pdf as jpg, gif, tiff, etc. Use File -> Export.
Step 3. Merge all page again with Freepic2pdf, which I have make a recommendation on this link
At last, I should say I agree Hennes very much, OCR is very good at recogonizing printed charactors. So this method will cause some trouble, but it can not protect your work too much.


The Zodiac iAquaLink 2.0 Network Interface Module.
Used on newer systems from the year 2007 and newer with software revision R and newer.
Finally an iAquaLink product that works well. I had the first iteration product and every year when the pool opened had to spend extra $ for the pool service to figure out why it wasn't working. Version 2.0 works well - seems to have better internet connection, can program via iphone (as opposed to schlepping out a ladder to remove the first generation version and hooking up to a computer when it wasn't working). This one is so far quite reliable (fingers crossed for the rest of this season and future seasons).
Works great. Control pump, heater, cleaner, lights, and water features from your phone. Awesome.
This unit was a good upgrade for the older one I had that decided it didn't want to connect to wi-fi any longer. Great price and FAST shipping!!
Q: Is this the newest version??
Q: Zodiac iAquaLink 2.0 IQ20-A Network Interface Module - is this a direct replacement for IQ900?
Q: I have an RS Model 6613. Will it work with iAqualink 2.0? If not what would I need to make sure it works? Thank you.


text:
March from "The Great Escape"
Elmer Bernstein (arr. John Edmondson)
This article is a stub. If you can help add information to it,
please join the WRP and visit the FAQ (left sidebar) for information.
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: Alfred Music Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts – Out of print?
(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)
The Great Escape is a 1963 American epic war film starring Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough.
The film is based on Paul Brickhill's 1950 nonfiction book of the same name, a firsthand account of the mass escape by British Commonwealth prisoners of war from German POW camp Stalag Luft III in Sagan (now Żagań, Poland), in the province of Lower Silesia, Nazi Germany. The film was based on real events but deviated significantly from the historical record, depicting a heavily fictionalized version of the escape, including numerous compromises—such as featuring Americans among the escapees—in order to boost its commercial appeal.
The film became very popular and emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the year, winning McQueen the award for Best Actor at the Moscow International Film Festival and is now considered a classic. The Great Escape is also notable for its motorcycle chase scene and famous jump scene, which is considered one of the best stunts ever performed.
- Program Note from Wikipedia
The Great Escape (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Vinson) (1963/2014)
The Great Escape (arr. Burton) (1963/2010)
The Great Escape March (arr. Smith) (1963)
The Magnificent Seven (arr. Peeters) (1960/2001)
The Magnificent Seven (arr. Phillippe) (1960/2006)
The Magnificent Seven (arr. Smeets) (1960/1997)
March from "The Great Escape" (arr. Edmondson) (1963/)
The Great Escape (film), Wikipedia Accessed 28 May 2020
Retrieved from "https://www.windrep.org/index.php?title=March_from_%22The_Great_Escape%22&oldid=169882"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Image zooming using System.Drawing.Image I took the following code for rotating an image from this link. To use this code in my test application, first I made a win32 C++ console application. Then I put the following program into my .cpp file.
I downloaded system.drawing.dll and put this dll in the folder where my application is made.
#include "stdafx.h"
#include "stdio.h"

#using <system.drawing.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Drawing;

int main()
{
Image^ image = Image::FromFile("SampleImage.jpg");
image->RotateFlip( RotateFlipType::Rotate90FlipNone );
image->Save("SampleImage_rotated.jpg");
return 0;
}

When I am building the application (on MSVC 2010 , Windows 7, 32 bit), its working as
intended and I am getting a new 90 degree rotated image.
I liked this code very much, since it is the shortest  code I found for rotating an Image.
My questions are:
1- Can I use this same code inside an application which is written in C++ using
     winform? Or do I have to do some kind of conversion ?
2- Using the same class i.e System.Drawing.Image how do I implement zooming or scaling of the image?
Many thanks for your precious time replying to my query.


text:
Це список державних свят в Гренландії.

Державні свята

Примітки

Гренландія


text:
Drop In On Arthur Christmas This Thanksgiving
Written by: Kristen Lopez, Editor in Chief
***With the recent DVD release of Arthur Christmas (after a year!) here's my original review***
There's several Christmas films aimed at kids that never get old, the one I can think of off my top of my head is Elf. It's always nice to find something new to add to that list, and it comes in this week's film Arthur Christmas from Aardman Animation. Arthur Christmas is a witty film perfect for families and us regular movie goers, with characters that are endearing in many ways. It's possibly the cutest Christmas movie to come out in a long time that wears its heart firmly on its sleeve.
Arthur (voiced by James McAvoy) is Santa's "puzzle" of a son who just can't seem to do anything right. Despite his constant mistakes he excels at answering the millions of letters kids send to Santa every year. He makes them believe in the magic and wonder of Santa, telling them that Santa cares for each and every child. One Christmas Eve a child ends up "missed," and it's up to Arthur to get a bike all the way to England in a few hours or risk a child losing their faith in Santa.
Children's films usually fall into two categories: PIXAR and everyone else. The crew of Aardman Animation fall more towards the former as their English sensibility and wittiness always make for delightful films. Flushed Away is still one of my favorite kid's movie and a forgotten gem in animation. Anyone who can get my "Tom Jooones" reference is cool in my book! The script from Peter Baynham and Sarah Smith is fantastic and side-splitting, Smith herself even helms the film, score one for female directors! The jokes and humor hit all age brackets and are non-stop. I went with a 40-year-old and a 5-year-old who both found different jokes appealing. There's typical polar bear humor, elf throwing, and one-liners like "It once was thought impossible to teach women to read." You'll want to come back and see the film to catch lines you missed from laughing so hard. The film isn't dry or sarcastic like you'd assume from the Brits, it's smart and doesn't succumb to pratfalls or pop culture references.
I know Aardman Studios is praised for their stop-motion and claymation ala Wallace and Grommit, but they go CGI in this instance and it looks phenomenal. This is PIXAR quality here and the detail is astonishing. The hair on the reindeer is a definite highlight and all the elves are distinct in their personality and dress. It would have been easy to repeat patterns on the elves, especially in the group scenes, but the detail is different on each and everyone.
The film relies on themes of the magic of Christmas which you don't see often in Christmas films. It's usually acceptance and "giving," in the form of material possessions or a clear conscience. Here it's about identity and finding your place in the world. Every character searches for a purpose. It's blatant in Arthur's case but different for characters like Steve (voiced by Hugh Laurie), Arthur's jerk brother. Steve could have been a villain but he's trying to live up to Santa's reputation. Santa himself (voiced by Jim Broadbent) refuses to retire because he doesn't know who he'd be without Santa. Grand Santa (voiced by Bill Nighy) wants to show he's still of use, heck even Mrs. Claus (voiced by Imelda Staunton) is trying to find a place in the world. It's an interesting route to take and is far more grasping than typical Christmas movies.
The voice cast is also flawless with James McAvoy removing all that charisma from X-Men and making Arthur a loveable nerd. He's almost like an awkward child in how he loves Christmas and the magic of the holiday. McAvoy's voice has a warmth and kindness to it, not to mention he's played that loveable nerd before. Hugh Laurie takes that abrasive House persona and applies it to the micromanaging Steve, a man who yearns to be Santa but has a problem connecting to kids. The true scene stealer is Bill Nighy who plays Grand Santa as a man who probably spends too much time drunk.
The flaws are minor with a film like this. My movie companions felt it was too long (it's 97 minutes) which is easy to see as Arthur and his companions go through a few too many delays. It becomes repetitive at times to see them stop, have a problem, fix it and move on. I was able to overlook it but little ones might get antsy. We also saw this in 3D but didn't notice anything special aside from depth which is seen in every 3D film by this point. I'd say it's worth it to skip the 3D and go 2D.
Regardless, Arthur Christmas ranks up there with Elf as one of the best Christmas movies in the last ten years (I'm sure others will remind me of something I've forgotten). See it when it comes to theaters, see it at Christmas, and be sure to add it to your DVD collection!
Arthur Christmas will definitely be on my to-do list this holiday season and I will own it when it hits DVD. It's funny, heartwarming and literally fun for all ages. The voice cast is perfect and I really want to go see it again to hear all of Grand Santa's lines. Make it a must see right after the turkey!
**Arthur Christmas hits theaters November 23rd!
Final Grade:
Author: Kristen Lopez, Editor in Chief
Kristen Lopez is the editor-in-chief of CC2K and a freelance pop culture essayist. Her work has appeared on Roger Ebert, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Daily Beast. When she's not burning down Film Twitter she runs two podcasts, the female-centric film show Citizen Dame, and the classic film-themed Ticklish Business.


text:
Monday 29 Dey 1399 | 2021 18 January
Code: 54929 2020/12/14 09:34:28 A
home | News | Visual
Hossein Hashempoor: I wish Iranian art was banned/ Iranian Art behind the wall of FATF and sanctions
TEHRAN. (Iranart) –Iranian art behind the wall of sanctions. I wish Iranian art was banned very clearly and directly. Because perhaps it would push the last three governments to wake up and taking steps to improve arts in this country; Driven from here, left from there has become the story of Iranian art that you get depressed in any part of it, theater, music, books or cinema…
These days, there are a lot of news about the extraordinary sales of Iranian art in Christie's, Sotheby's, and Bonham's auction houses; however, this news does not indicate that none of these works will be transferred from Iran to Dubai or Europe. 100% of the works presented in these auctions will be provided from outside Iran.
Yes, despite the fact that none of the sanctions mentions Iranian art and the so-called art is not subject to sanctions, but the auctions because of the risks of exchanging money with Iranians, They have completely restricted the receipt of works from Iran and only accept works from owners who live abroad.
The fact that the work is not owned in Iran is so crucial for auctions that they ask providers of Iranian works to prove through a postal address or even a water and electricity bill that they reside in a country other than Iran and have a valid foreign bank account number.
Some authors say that this is a process that began in President Obama's period, June 2010, and even in the first three years of JCPA (before the US withdrawal) due to disruptions in the Swift banking system, it could not open. They remind that with the seriousness of the sanctions in those years, receiving some demands of artists and owners of works was delayed for several months, and therefore, the owners of works and artists left international market place forever. Naturally, in the last three years, with the intensification of President Trump's sanctions, no trace of Iran has ever been able to be offered at international auctions, and what is being offered in Europe and Dubai these years is from outside Iran, especially the owners of Iranian works in Canada, The United States, and two cities; Paris and London. But until 2010, international auctions paid money directly to the accounts of art owners in Tehran and other Iranian cities.
But a number of art dealers say: The situation of art trade in the last three years is like a dead-end that has closed all the doors of the deal; They point out that even the Obama-era sanctions, which were accompanied by a global consensus, did not create conditions like today, and that art could still be traded cleverly, and if the owner had a credible account in the West, he could. Make a deal, which in recent years is quite impossible.
The closure of international exchanges in the domestic art market of Iran, in addition to completely stopping the foreign exchange process, made the volume of art transactions that have been reaching the levels of a booming market in the last decade became smaller than ever.
Many galleries were born with the same international financial incentives and brought with them emerging buyers, whose numbers are dwindling today;
In fact, the bigger damage is the phenomenon of the impact of sanctions on Iranian art, which directly affected the artists' table, this shows the decrease in the motivation of investors in works of art; The majority of collectors and buyers of works of art entered the art trade with the desire to buy in Rials and sell in dollars, and in the meantime, in addition to investing on famous names, they had an eye on younger generation. However, by stopping the submission of works to foreign auctions, this process does not have the dynamism of the past. Following this downward trend, the corona umbrella on earth and sky stagnated the new art market of Iran in the international arena.
That is why I wish Iranian art was banned very clearly and directly. Because perhaps it would push the last three governments to wake up and taking steps to improve arts in this country; Driven from here, left from there has become the story of Iranian art that you get depressed in any part of it, theater, music, books or cinema…
Add to this such a complex situation that if President Joe Biden decides to return to JCPA with the lifting of all sanctions, the art market may see positive momentum in terms of the psychological atmosphere, but the FATF's terrible shadow which the auctions of the art declared clearly that they are very sensitive to FATF and will not allow those owners living in Iran return to international art markets with such issue...
For the third time in a series of articles I write to mourn the difficult situation of Iranian art today: "The grievances are not limited to sanctions and the coronary conditions today, because the government is helpless to meet the basic needs of Iranians." The main grievance is related to the days when the price of oil was in the triple digits or the price of the dollar was not yet in the five digits, and the melted water could be returned to the atmosphere of art, and some believe that this was deliberately stopped; A clear example is the miserable budget of the government and parliament for art, which is six-tenths of one percent of the total budget in the country. This means that the share of art is not even one percent of the total budget of the country, and this six-tenths of a percent is shared by the people of culture and art with many other institutions and individuals, and incidentally, these days there is a heated debate in the art community.
Hossein Hashempoor
Why do Aghdashloo's fans consider the NYT report unfair?/ Farnaz Fassihi and her ten incredible points
Hossein Hashempoor: Why does no official apologize? /Artists and journalists became drivers of internet taxis
Trump-Biden dipole and the Iranian art market from the perspective of Hossein Hashempoor/ Tehran auction, Baran auction over complex roads
Hossein Hashempoor: Plainclothes agents and a master of Iranian singing/ The Strange Case of Mohammad-Reza Shajarian
Hossein Hashempoor: The smell of improving is miles away from us / How did we all lose?
Tehran Intl. Short Film Festival to open on Wednesday
Denny Dimin Gallery Displays Iranian artist works
LIT Lighting Design Awards announces the 2020 Winners and Special Prizes
Persian writer Jalal Al-e Ahmad's stories published in Bangladesh
28 plays to compete at 39th Fajr Intl. Theater Festival
"Dream about Sohrab", "The Dogs Didn't Sleep Last Night" picked for Goa filmfest
Aydin Aghdashloo's extraordinary record in Tehran auction 13th/ Tehran auction 88 billion
Further step to register Dalahoo in western Iran as world town of tanbur
Iranian Cinema Festival of Chantilly postponed to November 2021
Iranian movies line up for Sofia MENAR Film Festival
2016 Iran Art News Agency IRan Art
AASAAM News CMS.


text:
Directed ortho metalation (DoM) is an adaptation of electrophilic aromatic substitution in which electrophiles attach themselves exclusively to the ortho- position of a direct metalation group or DMG through the intermediary of an aryllithium compound. The DMG interacts with lithium through a hetero atom. Examples of DMG's are the methoxy group, a tertiary amine group and an amide group.The compound can be produced by directed lithiation of anisole.

The general principle is outlined in scheme 1. An aromatic ring system with a DMG group 1 interacts with an alkyllithium such as n-butyllithium in its specific aggregation state (hence (R-Li)n) to intermediate 2 since the hetero atom on the DMG is a Lewis base and lithium the Lewis acid. The very basic alkyllithium then deprotonates the ring in the nearest ortho- position forming the aryllithium 3 all the while maintaining the acid-base interaction. An electrophile reacts in the next phase in an electrophilic aromatic substitution with a strong preference for the lithium ipso position replacing the lithium atom.

Ordinary electrophilic substitutions with an activating group show preference for both the ortho and para position, this reaction demonstrates increased regioselectivity because the ortho position alone is targeted.

This reaction type was reported independently by Henry Gilman and Georg Wittig around 1940.

Examples
DOM has traditionally been applied to tertiary anilines and benzyl amines.

The method has also been applied to the synthesis of enantiopure benzyl amines in scheme 3, which involves ortho-lithiation of tert-butyl phenyl sulfoxide. On approach to the lithium intermediate, the bulky tosyl group on the imine electrophile is responsible for the asymmetric induction taking place.

In another application DOM is applied in placing a bulky tert-butyl group in an ortho position (scheme 4). The lithiation is a nucleophilic aromatic substitution and the subsequent reaction to the sulfoxide an electrophilic aromatic substitution. In the final step tert-butyllithium acts as a nucleophile in another nucleophilic aromatic substitution through an anionic intermediate.

DoM has also been applied combined with a Suzuki reaction in a one-pot synthesis:

Thiophenol derivatives
DOM has also been used with thiophenols  to prepare compounds that are useful as hindered ligands.

Related reaction
Directed metallation is not limited to lithium intermediates or even to an ortho preference. In one study  it is found that the reaction product of N,N-dimethylaniline with a complex of TMEDA, sodium salt of TMP and di-tert-butylzinc is a meta zincated complex as a stable crystalline compound. This complex reacts with electrophilic iodine to N,N-dimethyl-3-iodoaniline:

References

Substitution reactions


text:
Delphine Bertille Atangana est une athlète camerounaise, spécialiste des épreuves de sprint, née le  à Yaoundé.

Biographie
En 2003, elle établit le record national du 4 × 400 m, avec Carole Kaboud, Hortense Béwouda et Mireille Nguimgo, en finale des championnats du monde, où elles terminent  (3 min 27 s 08).

Quelques semaines plus tard, elle participe aux premiers Jeux afro-asiatiques, organisés en Inde. Elle y remporte le 200 m (23 s 37) et décroche la médaille de bronze sur le 100 m (11 s 49).

En 2004, elle obtient une médaille de bronze aux championnats d'Afrique sur 4 × 400 avec Carole Kaboud, Hortense Béwouda et Muriel Ahanda (3 min 30 s 77).

Elle participe aux Jeux du Commonwealth en 2006, à Melbourne. Elle décroche la médaille de bronze sur 100 m (11 s 39) mais ne termine que  du 200 m (23 s 45, ce qui est alors son record personnel) et le relais 4 × 100 m est disqualifié.

En 2008, elle décroche sa première médaille individuelle aux championnats d'Afrique, en terminant  du 100 m (11 s 46).

En 2010, elle devient vice-championne d'Afrique du 4 × 100 m, avec Fanny Ekanga, Charlotte Mebenga et Carole Kaboud (44 s 90).

En 2012, ses championnats d'Afrique sont un échec avec des éliminations en demi-finale du 100 m (11 s 93) et du 200 m (24 s 53) et en finale du 4 × 100 m.

Palmarès

Records
Elle détient le record du Cameroun du 4 × 400 m établi avec Carole Kaboud Mebam, Hortense Béwouda et Mireille Nguimgo en finale des championnats du monde 2003.

Notes et références

Lien externe

Sprinteuse camerounaise
Coureuse de 100 mètres
Coureuse de 200 mètres
Naissance en août 1984
Naissance à Yaoundé
Athlète (femme) aux Jeux olympiques d'été de 2004
Athlète (femme) aux Jeux olympiques d'été de 2012
Relayeuse (athlétisme)


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
GM's Pearce Pans Management, Criticizes Market-Share Efforts
By Joseph B. White and Gregory L. WhiteStaff Reporters of The Wall Street Journal
Dec. 9, 1999 8:24 am ET
DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. Vice Chairman Harry Pearce said the No. 1 auto maker's management has "absolutely not delivered" on commitments to raise market share.
Mr. Pearce's blunt comments about GM's declining market share came less than a week after the company reported flat November sales and a U.S. share of just 27.1%, the lowest level since the 1920s for a period not affected by a strike. Earlier this year, GM President G. Richard Wagoner and other senior GM North America executives told analysts the company had a "stretch goal" of boosting market share to 32% in 1999 from 29.2% in 1998.


(A Top Pick June 26/13. Up 68.68%.) Trading relatively cheap compared to its US peers, and extremely cheap on the Canadian side. Had an extremely robust Canadian business. Significant value was created by selling their Canadian division. Exited when it hit his $30 target.
(A Top Pick March 22/13. Up 40.95%.) They are being acquired. Ahead of this acquisition, they are going to spin out the Black Hawk, which they own a majority of. Sold about a 3rd of her holdings and is going to wait to find out more about the Black Hawk situation.
Trading at 30 times estimated earnings. Talk of private equity getting involved. Sector is not one of the leading ones. Defensive ones have done better over the last few weeks. This not the best place to be focused. Estimates in general have been coming down for the stock. He would take the money and move on.
If you own, he would be tempted to take trim a little. Did well with the sale of their Canadian operations. Valuations have moved somewhat higher. There is more competition in this space.
Not a bad company. Had a nice run. Stock is no longer cheap. It will be a market performer.
Supermarket industry in North America is tending to do a little bit better. This has not been one of the best run companies but has benefited recently by the sale of their Canadian division to Empire (EMP.A-T). He would use any strength in the stock to get out.
This has been an interesting story. Has been a little bit of a real estate play. Not his favourite name in the space.
Just sold their Canadian business to Empire Co (Sobeys). This is the last, big, attractive consolidation play in the grocery space in Canada. Stock went from $23-$29 where he sold his holdings. Stock has now dropped back to $23 and he feels the market is missing the picture here. They are going to get $4 billion net after taxes and will spend $2 billion to pay back debt and another $2 billion to buy back stock. Yield of 3.4%. Has a target of $27-$30.
Has been under pressure. Had boring earnings and some operational issues and they were buying back stock and putting the debt on the balance sheet. Had a tremendous 4th quarter. Big turnaround. Took their financial card public, which will help clean up their balance sheet. Expects that in a year or 2 they will be buying back stock again. Dividend yield of 2.72%.
In a difficult space. Reality of the grocery business in North America is that there is more square footage growth than there is population growth, from the likes of Walmart (WMT-N), discounts and even Dollar stores. Very levered company with over $5 billion of debt and no top line growth presently. Earnings are not growing. About 4.5% dividend.
This is a food industry that has very, very small margins so it is tough to make money.
CEO is retiring in May. Doesn't following this closely. This is a very mature sector. People hold this for a defensive name. It is a competitive industry. She had L-T a year ago and then got out of it. Would not go into this sector.
Problem with US food retailers. Margin Squeeze. Has been a major value destruction in this stock so stay away from it.
Groceries is a tough, low margin business and has gotten tougher because of Wal-Mart. Has taken on $2 billion of debt to buy back a 3rd of their shares. Paying a dividend of 4.5%. Not crazy about a company in the low margin business that is having trouble delivering same-store sales growth, levering up the balance sheet. They are losing ground.
Grocery business is an area that does well in recessions and bear markets. People have to eat and start eating at home more. Prefers Kroger (KR-N), which is a much better operation. Also thinks the worst is over for Loblaws (L-T).


text:
Search Results: 'TH-Series'
1,635 results for "TH-Series"
8th Fleet Journal Vol. 1 of 8 By Alan McGowan
Based upon the the novel 'Panjian Galactic History' this series of books follows the every day adventures of super soldier Alan Dok McGowan as he reveals some facts that didn't make it into the news.... More > The book has been faithfully translated from Panjian into English by a team of expert translators and editors. we hope you enjoy this dark and eye opening look at the inner workings of the Panjian Alliance.< Less
25th WEGEMT School on Small Craft Technology By WEGEMT - Publisher
This publication represents a series of lecturers' papers, which were presented at a five-day course entitled Small Craft Technology presented at the National Technical University of Athens. Greece... More > on Monday 6 to Saturday 11 October 1997. The course was organised by the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and was in part supported by the European Commission through the Training and Mobility of Researchers (TMR) Programme under a WEGEMT Project entitled TASMAR.< Less
The 84th Infantry Division In the Battle of the Ardennes By Theodore Draper
Merriam Press World War 2 History Series. The 84th Infantry Division was one of the units that helped reduce the "Bulge" in January 1945 and this is the story of their participation.... More > Contents: Foreword; Historical Notes; At All Cost; May 1940-December 1944; From Germany to the Ardennes; The Wide, Open Spaces; How to Look for Trouble; The Battle of Verdenne; Post-mortem I; The Battle of the Bulge; The Big Picture; The First Day; Hole in the Crust; Life in the Ardennes; The Turning Point; The Capture of La Roche; From Les Tailles to Dinez; One for the Books; End of the Bulge; Beho to Gouvy to Ourthe; The Last Mile; Post-mortem II. 8 photos.< Less
6th IC4N Book of Abstracts By Efstathios I. Meletis
IC4N is a highly interdisciplinary conference focusing on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology addressing global problems in energy, environment and human health. As in previous editions of... More > this highly popular conference series, the overarching goal is to combine a high quality of scientific dialogue with a relaxing environment. This is a unique opportunity for both senior and junior researchers to meet, interact, and stimulate collaborations on a global scale. A number of Plenary, Keynote and invited lectures are planned by renowned scientists from all over the world, making IC4N an international nano forum of the highest quality.< Less
Lasting Visions: With the 7th Marines in Vietnam, 1970 By Frederick Fenwick
Merriam Press Vietnam War Series. A coming of age story of a farm boy who grew up in the heartland of Kentucky, who enlisted in the Marines in 1969 and experienced Marine boot camp at Parris Island... More > where domineering drill instructors took away the youth in the author and instilled the discipline, training, and motivation necessary to survive in combat. Arriving in Vietnam in March 1970 he was assigned to 3rd Platoon, Mike Co., 3rd Bn., 7th Marines. His story tells of the bravery, camaraderie, and esprit de corps of this Marine infantry squad. Fred's true accounts take the reader into the jungles, rice paddies, villages, and mountains of Vietnam. Lasting Visions takes you to ground zero of the Vietnam War. 33 photos, map.< Less
Lasting Visions: With the 7th Marines in Vietnam 1970 By Frederick Fenwick
Merriam Press Vietnam War Series. A coming of age story of a farm boy who grew up in the heartland of Kentucky, who enlisted in the Marines in 1969 and experienced Marine boot camp at Parris Island... More > where domineering drill instructors took away the youth in the author and instilled the discipline, training, and motivation necessary to survive in combat. Arriving in Vietnam in March 1970 he was assigned to 3rd Platoon, Mike Co., 3rd Bn., 7th Marines. His story tells of the bravery, camaraderie, and esprit de corps of this Marine infantry squad. Fred's true accounts take the reader into the jungles, rice paddies, villages, and mountains of Vietnam. Lasting Visions takes you to ground zero of the Vietnam War. Photos, map.< Less
Paperback: List Price: $28.95 $17.37 | You Save: 40%
An Informal History of the 697th Field Artillery Battalion By Major Hermon E. Smith
Paperback: List Price: $8.95 $6.27 | You Save: 30%
Merriam Press World War 2 History Series. The 697th Field Artillery Battalion not only has a history stemming from the oldest battery in the U.S. Army, but it also has the distinction of being the... More > first 240mm howitzer battalion formed for World War II. To carry on this proud history the 697th Field Artillery was the first 240mm howitzer outfit to enter combat in World War II, when it was committed under the aegis of the Fifth Army at Cassino, Italy, on 30 January 1944. From that time until 8 May 1945 when "Peace through Victory" was secured, the battalion remained in combat to become the last 240mm howitzer battalion to continue actively in battle in the European Theater. Contents: Historical Background; Italy; France and Germany; Peace; Appendices: Campaigns, Battalion Soft Ball Team, List of Awards, Commendations, Roster of Officers, Headquarters Battery, Medical Detachment, A Battery, B Battery, C Battery, Service Battery. 34 photos and illustrations, 2 maps.< Less
total of 164 pages


Negative research assessment leads to controversial conclusions.
Following a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine that found high consumption of supplemental calcium was associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease deaths among men (but not women), an additional study published in the British Medical Journal suggested that high calcium intake in women was associated with higher risk of death from all causes—especially cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Cara Welch, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, with the Natural Products Association (NPA), Washington, D.C., said the association believes "dietary supplementation is both safe and effective for anyone who isn't getting enough calcium and vitamin D from their diet. These nutrients have been shown to support bone health and it's important that consumers get the recommended levels of both. If diet alone isn't enough, then dietary supplements can help with getting these vital nutrients." She went on to say the USPSTF's conclusions conflict with the Institute of Medicine's recommendation, which took into account nearly 1,000 published studies that confirm the role of calcium and vitamin D supplements in promoting bone health.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Washington, D.C., said task force recommendation represents a "limited review of the literature" and could result in "widespread confusion for consumers who already are not getting enough calcium, and who further could benefit from the growing body of research that demonstrates multiple reasons to take vitamin D." The USPSTF recommendations should be further reviewed and discussed within the scientific and medical communities before consumers jump to change their supplementation habits, CRN added.


A planned reunion of the Sons of Anarchy cast turned into an unmitigated disaster over the weekend, as Space City Comic Con in Houston, Texas became the site of an ugly standoff between the actors scheduled to attend a panel and whoever was supposed to pay them for showing up.
According to Bleeding Cool, SoA star Charlie Hunnam arrived at the cast's Houston hotel and was told that he would have to pay in cash, since the promoter's credit card was not being accepted. When Hunnam and his fellow cast mates attempted to cash the checks given by the promoter as payment, they realized the checks were written from a closed account and were worthless.
Hunnam and other Sons of Anarchy regulars confronted the promoter, who proceeded to call the cops and claim he was being held hostage. The promoter reportedly attempted to pay the cast with pre-sale ticket money, and instead of going onstage in good faith, the SoA team refused to take part in the event.
A panel eventually went down, with a much smaller group of participants. There are conflicting reports as to whether Space City Comic Con is offering a refund to attendees.


In their first few months, your baby will experience a lot of changes in their mental development. It's during this time that they will learn the basics of sight, smell, touch, language, emotion and communication. As parents, we want to see our children thrive, and there are several ways in which we can encourage our newborns to develop.
One of the best ways to bond and encourage emotional development is to talk and engage with your baby. From the moment they're born, be sure to hold them close, talk to them and give them as much human contact as possible. It may feel silly engaging them in full conversation, but they will and love listening to the sound of your voice.
After a few days, they will begin to slowly recognise the different tones of your voice and they will learn to interact with you in their own way. Eventually, their eyes will be able to track your movements and body language.
These early days are key for your baby's language development, as the sounds that they hear will provide the foundations for the basic and distinct sounds of their native tongue.
Let them experience different things.
Surround your baby with lots of interesting toys and textures. Hang a vibrant mobile above their crib or changing table, or even create your own floor gym. Let them reach out for the colourful designs and objects and touch different textures and surfaces. You could also safely take their hand and rub it gently on soft, smooth, rough, cold and warm objects.
Meanwhile, mirrors are an incredible way to enhance their cognitive development. Seeing their own reflection will get them to recognise human faces, as well as interact with themselves. Place an unbreakable mirror next to their cot, or prop one up alongside them as you change them. Additionally, our baby car mirrors double up as peace of mind for parents and a stimulating toy for babies.
To find out more about our mirrors, visit our Baby Car Mirrors product page. Alternatively, check out our blog post all about the benefits of owning a baby car mirror.
As well as talking to your baby, it's also important to introduce them to music. Sing to them when you're with them so that they can explore the sense of sound. After a few days, your baby will be able to respond to high-pitched and loud sounds. Toys that make a pleasant noise when they're touched can be great for introducing your newborn to new sounds.
Research shows that newborn babies thrive when they're around caring humans. So, make sure that they have as much human contact as possible in their first few months. Enjoy yourself too whilst bonding with your baby, these early months are very special and should be cherished.
Do you have any tips to share on encouraging a baby's development? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter and we'll add them to this article.


text:
Photo: Ross Obley
⚾: '11' Reaches 2,000 Wins
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – No. 6 Florida State (13-1, 2-1 ACC) split a Saturday doubleheader with Virginia Tech (9-5, 1-2) and head coach Mike Martin won his 2,000th career game on the field at Dick Howser Stadium that bears his name. After getting shut out 6-0 in the opener, FSU won 5-2 in the nightcap for the historic win and a series victory against the Hokies.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
VT 1 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 6 7 0
FSU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
FSU 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 X 5 8 0
G1 Box
It's no coincidence that MM are the roman numerals for 2,000.
For the first time in the history of NCAA athletics, a head coach has reached 2,000 career wins.
Congratulations to our beloved head coach, Mike Martin. pic.twitter.com/c4BYcdUOaA
— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball) March 9, 2019
In front of a crowd of 5,506 that was anxious to witness the milestone victory, Drew Mendoza broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI single in the seventh inning and J.C. Flowers sealed the win with an eighth inning home run and his second save of the year.
Game 2 – FSU 5, Va. Tech 2
Martin, the winningest coach in NCAA baseball history, earned his 2,000th career win as Florida State took the rubber match of the three-game set with a 5-2 victory on Saturday night thanks to timely hitting and another strong bullpen showing.
Jonah Scolaro was the first out of the pen and pitched a season high 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball in which he only allowed one baserunner. Chase Haney (2-0) earned the win with his perfect seventh inning, and Flowers picked up his second save of the season in a two-inning performance. Flowers, FSU's starting centerfielder, also put the final notch on the scoreboard with a solo home run in the eighth inning, his second of the year.
After FSU was one-hit in Saturday's opener, Cooper Swanson changed the tone of the day with a solo shot to deep right center in the first inning. The home run was his fifth home run of the season, tying the team-high. Drew Mendoza then got on base and was eventually brought around to score on a Flowers single up the middle, putting the score at 2-0 in favor of the Noles.
Shane Drohan notched his first six outs via strikeout, but was erratic and lasted just 2.1 innings, allowing a pair of runs on two hits and three walks. Drohan's exit led the way for the bullpen, which allowed just two hits over 6.2 innings.
FSU added two more runs in the seventh as Nander De Sedas led off with a double, his second of the week, and was eventually brought around to score on a Mendoza single to right field that broke the tie. Elijah Cabell notched the other RBI of the inning with a deep sacrifice fly to center field that plated Tim Becker.
Game 1 – Va. Tech 6, FSU 0
Virginia Tech beat the Seminoles, 6-0, behind a dominant performance from starting pitcher Chris Gerard (1-0). Gerard held FSU to just one hit and walked three batters in seven innings, striking out 10 hitters. Florida State's only hit of the game was a Drew Mendoza single in the seventh inning.
FSU starter CJ Van Eyk (3-1) lost his first career game, allowing four runs, four hits, walking six and striking out four in five innings. Van Eyk was 7-0 as a freshman in 2018.
Gerard retired 13 straight hitters between the second and sixth innings. FSU opened the seventh with a Cooper Swanson walk and Mendoza's single, but both runners were stranded in scoring position.
The loss was FSU's first of the season after opening the year 12-0.
Saturday's win was No. 2,000 for head coach Mike Martin. Martin became the winningest coach in college baseball history last season and is the first coach in any collegiate sport to notch 2,000 wins.
Cooper Swanson hit his fifth home run of the season, tying Drew Mendoza and Elijah Cabell for the team lead.
Elijah Cabell was hit by a pitch for the seventh time this season.
Starting pitcher Shane Drohan's first six outs were via strikeout. His six K's were one shy of his career high (7 vs. Maine).
Reliever Jonah Scolaro went a season-high 3.2 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out one on 44 pitches.
C. Flowers earned his second save of 2019 and first of more than one inning. Chase Haney improved to 2-0 on the season and 11-2 for his career.
Florida State faces rival Florida for the first of three games in 2019 Tuesday in Gainesville. The 6:30 p.m. game will air live nationwide on SEC Network.
The game will be FSU's first road game of the season after having a pair of rainouts at Jacksonville and USF last month. Head coach Mike Martin announced following Saturday's game that sophomore Conor Grady would get the start for FSU.
⚾: Martin Eyes 2,000 as Noles Host Hokies
Freshmen, Bullpen Lead Noles Past Ospreys


The ash wand cleaves to its one true master and ought not to be passed on or gifted from the original owner, because it will lose power and skill. This tendency is extreme if the core is of unicorn. Old superstitions regarding wands rarely bear close examination, but I find that the old rhyme regarding rowan, chestnut, ash and hazel wands (rowan gossips, chestnut drones, ash is stubborn, hazel moans) contains a small nugget of truth. Those witches and wizards best suited to ash wands are not, in my experience, lightly swayed from their beliefs or purposes. However, the brash or over-confident witch or wizard, who often insists on trying wands of this prestigious wood, will be disappointed by its effects. The ideal owner may be stubborn, and will certainly be courageous, but never crass or arrogant.
Wand-quality aspen wood is white and fine-grained, and highly prized by all wand-makers for its stylish resemblance to ivory and its usually outstanding charmwork. The proper owner of the aspen wand is often an accomplished duellist, or destined to be so, for the aspen wand is one of those particularly suited to martial magic. An infamous and secretive eighteenth-century duelling club, which called itself The Silver Spears, was reputed to admit only those who owned aspen wands. In my experience, aspen wand owners are generally strong-minded and determined, more likely than most to be attracted by quests and new orders; this is a wand for revolutionaries.
The true match for a beech wand will be, if young, wise beyond his or her years, and if full-grown, rich in understanding and experience. Beech wands perform very weakly for the narrow-minded and intolerant.


Bay City's Central High School was locked down for a brief time Wednesday morning after officials responded to a suicidal and armed person at a nearby home.
The Bay City Police report the person, in a home on Columbus Avenue, was taken into custody without problems just before 11 a.m.
Police, Bay County Sheriff's deputies and Michigan State Police troopers had locked down the school, evacuated neighbors and barricaded a few streets during the incident, then decided to evacuate the high school students by busing them to a safe location.
The You Drink, You Drive, You Lose campaign is back for this weekend's St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
The state's Office of Highway and Safety Planning is administering federal traffic safety money to law enforcement officials throughout the state for overtime patrols this weekend.
During St. Patrick's Day in 2005, 58 percent of the fatal crashes involved alcohol. Six alcohol-related crashes resulted in seven deaths. On average, 36 percent of traffic deaths in Michigan involve drugs or alcohol.
Three men were arrested Tuesday afternoon at the scene of a breaking and entering of an Isabella County home.
The victim told Isabella County Sheriff's deputies that he had written some bad checks to one of the men who entered his home, and had received several phone calls stating the group intended to come to the home "to collect."
One of the men entered through a garage door and tried to gain entry to the house by breaking a door handle off by using a tee-ball bat. The other two men were sitting in a vehicle parked in the driveway, waiting for the first man.
When deputies arrived, the man who tried to enter the home was walking back to the vehicle where the other two were waiting. They were detained while the homeowner was interviewed, then were arrested.
Deputies were assisted by a Saginaw Chippewa Tribal police officer and the Department of Natural Resources.


A car accident or major traffic violation can leave you rattled, but even scarier can be the effect on your car insurance rates. Here are seven words that are sure to send you screaming.
If you think the embarrassment of causing a traffic accident can ruin your day, just wait until you see what happens to your premiums.
An at-fault accident can lead to a surcharge, which is a premium increase tacked on to your policy for a specific period of time.
Ask to see company surcharge schedules or insurance point plans when you shop for insurance. Amy Bach, executive director of the United Policyholders consumer group, warns that the language of such documents can be confusing. When in doubt, be sure to ask questions.
If you get a traffic ticket, you may be able to avoid a surcharge by appealing it, says Nina E. Kallen, an attorney who handles insurance issues in Roslindale, Maine. And if that doesn't work, you might try begging for mercy.
"You can always try whining," advises Erwin Adler, a Los Angeles attorney who handles insurance cases. "If you are a longtime policyholder, the underwriting manager may step in and do something" just to keep your business.
Here are details on how much rates go up after an accident.
If your state department of motor vehicles decides that you are a high-risk driver, you may be required to have an SR-22 form, also called a certificate of financial responsibility, if you want to keep driving. You may be required to file an SR-22 if you cause an accident while driving without insurance or are convicted of a traffic-related offense such as a DUI. The form proves that you have the minimum required liability insurance.
Car insurance companies generally file the document with the state for customers who are required to prove they have insurance. Having an SR-22 certificate is a little bit like wearing a scarlet letter, however. No one is eager to do business with you.
Insurers will charge more to customers who need SR-22 forms due to the increased risk of claims, says Jim Whittle, assistant general counsel and chief claims counsel of the American Insurance Association.
The time your SR-22 will remain in place varies among states, but it's usually three to five years. The only path to lower car insurance premiums is "time and driving well," says Peter Moraga, spokesperson for the Insurance Information Network of California.
If your insurance policy is canceled, it's like "a double-whammy" says Adler. Not only have you lost your policy, you will no doubt have to pay a higher rate in order to get another carrier to sell you a policy. Policy cancellations are red flags that signal high risk.
"If a person is canceled, they have to disclose it on the [policy] application," Adler says. When the underwriter sees it, "They will assume you were canceled for a good reason."
Reasons for cancellation include habitually failing to pay your premium on time, misrepresenting facts on your application, or having yourself or a member of your household lose driving privileges because of an expired, revoked or suspended license.
To avoid cancellation, ask if your insurer will maintain your coverage at a higher rate, Adler advises. That may seem unfair, but it's better than having the policy canceled and trying to find a new insurer, he says.
Missing one payment won't automatically result in cancellation, says Moraga. "Sometimes people will forget to pay the bill, get a notice and immediately be reinstated. And in most cases, you won't pay more."
Here are details on the difference between cancellation and nonrenewal of car insurance.
If your driving record leaves a lot to be desired, you may be forced to purchase auto insurance from a "nonstandard" carrier.
"You can get insurance, but you are going to have to pay through the nose," warns Kevin Foley, a New Jersey-based independent insurance agent.
Adler says the nonstandard auto insurance market is not a place that you want to be. "Most people are not going to have to go to the nonstandard market, but those who do are going to pay a high price. They are in a bad pool. This is not a good situation."
Only time and consistent good driving can improve your status, but you should switch to a standard policy as soon as possible, says Bach. "You are going to have to be proactive and continue to shop around every time your policy comes up for renewal" until you find a better deal, she says.
Prepare to exercise patience. Even if you maintain a spotless record, you normally will be on the nonstandard market for three years, says Moraga. "There is no shortcut."
"Teen" may be the scariest car insurance word of all. Your chip off the old block is going to put a big dent in your bank account as soon as he or she gets a driver's license and goes on your auto policy.
Your child doesn't have to be a bad driver to cost you big bucks. Teens in general are an enormous risk for insurers. They lack experience, drive too fast, and frequently exercise bad judgment. In 2010 the fatal crash rate for teen drivers in the U.S. was nearly three times higher than for drivers age 20 and older.
Bach says you can minimize your financial hit by asking your insurer about teen discounts, such as reduced rates for good students. Older cars usually are cheaper to insure than newer models, she adds. She advises you to get a policy that allows you to designate your teen as the driver of your least expensive car.
Moraga says the best thing your teen can do to save you money is maintain "a very clean driving record." Rates won't start to improve until they reach age 25.
"Parents who add teens to their policies will see a rise from 50% to 100%," says Moraga. "If a teen gets a ticket or gets into an accident, the cost impact will be higher than if somebody else [in the family] did it."
Check out these top reader questions about teen drivers.
If you get into a traffic accident that requires emergency response to come to the scene, you could get a bill for their services, even if the accident wasn't your fault. A rising number of municipalities around the country are charging emergency response fees. Adler says it's "going on all over."
Municipalities have been sold on this concept as a way to raise funds, says Moraga. "You could be driving through a community, get into an accident and then get a bill for $2,000."
There are no standard guidelines for emergency response fees, he adds. "Some [communities] will only charge outsiders -- people who don't reside in the area. Others will charge everyone. Still others will charge you only if you are at fault."
If you receive an emergency response bill, submit it to your insurer, advises Foley. If the insurer says you're on the hook, ask to "see where in the policy it says, 'We don't pay for that,'" he recommends.
Some states allow auto insurance companies to include "step-down" provisions that reduce your liability limits to state minimums if someone who's not listed on your policy crashes your car. State minimums often are less than adequate. It's one of the many ways you might have less car insurance than you think.
Bach says step-down provisions are a business decision made by some insurance companies, even though it makes their policies less appealing to consumers. They're looking to control their costs, she says, even if some buyers go elsewhere.
Many people are not aware of what they risk by allowing someone who is not on their policy to climb behind the wheel, says Moraga. The first time many people find out they have a step-down provision is after someone borrows their car and causes an accident, he adds. "They will get a rude awakening."
Whittle says it's up to consumers to be wise shoppers and understand what they are buying in an auto policy, so ask your agent if your policy includes a step-down provision.


If there's one predator in the ocean who can give the Great White Shark a run for its money, it's the Orca, or Killer Whale. In fact, in the cases where these two top predators have tangled, it's usually the Orca that comes out on top. These black and white cetaceans – actually the world's largest species of dolphin – eat a variety of different creatures including whales, dolphins, sea lions, and even leopard seals, which are themselves one of the most efficient predators of the Antarctic.
Characteristics: This set of 9 sea life toys includes two Killer Whales and many animals that they prey upon, some of whom are predators themselves! In addition to the Killer Whales, this set includes a Beluga Whale, a Narwhal, a Dolphin, a Humpback Whale, a Gray Whale, a Leopard Seal, and a Sea Lion.
The first Killer Whale figure is a female, and measures about 6 ½ inches long and 3 inches tall, with black coloration above and white below, with its characteristic white "eye patch" and gray saddle behind its dorsal fin.
The second Killer Whale figure features similar coloration. It's 7 inches long and features a higher, more narrow dorsal fin marking it as a male.
The Sea Lion is just over 3 inches long and just over 2 inches tall, and is brown with lighter brown on its head and darker brown on its flippers and tail.
The Dolphin figure is 5 inches long and features blue gray above and a cream colored underside below.
The Beluga Whale figure is mostly white, save for the pinkish interior of its mouth and its black eyes. It measures 8 inches long and 3 inches tall.
The Narwhal is slate gray above and white below with dark markings on its sides. It measures 10 ¾ inches long (including its horn).
The Gray Whale is 12 ½ inches long and 3 inches tall, with a gray overall body color and light gray splotches scattered over its body.
The Humpback Whale is 14 inches long and 4 inches tall, and is dark gray with white splotches on its fins and underside.
When one thinks of oceanic predators, sharks are usually the first thing to spring into their mind. But the apex predator of the ocean, the animal which fears nothing else in the sea, is actually a member of the dolphin family. The orca, or killer whale, has no natural predators, and eats everything from large whales to sea lions, seals and dolphins. They can grow up to 30 feet long and participate in coordinated hunts to subdue their prey. These intelligent hunters are distributed nearly all over the world, and different populations are known to prefer different food.


I love this show. It has some of the realest, most human characters. The hurdles that they have to navigate are very thoughtfully handled, and they never feel like they are used just as a way to drive the narrative forward, and none of the characters are thrown away like that either … there are no ciphers. It might be the best written thing produced by Amazon, and there are some great shows there. I would love for the writers of this show to turn their gaze on something purely political and take the same care with that, because they are that good at handling the complexities of a situation that in clumsier hands might come across leaden or didactic. The acting really is stellar, and the actors really inhabit the skins of the characters, and it is so engrossing that I don't find myself speculating too much, and just rolling along experiencing what happens with the characters.


426) Peace on the North Fork of the Flambeau River! Just off Hwy. 70 on Pixley Wilderness West Road, 5.5 miles W of Fifield is a nicely wooded 1.8+/- acre building site. The view across this famous river is spectacular. This piece of the Northwoods will provide ample enjoyment watching wildlife and the changing seasons. Don't drop the ball on this one, as it is well worth the stop to see.


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Tag Archives: sex in fiction
by elissa field | August 1, 2013 · 2:43 pm
Novel Revision: Can Literary Fiction be Hot?
Expressive eyes of Gerard Butler. (celebs101.com)
So what am I working on next, in this series on mid-process novel revisions? Okay, confession. Maybe, while working on novel revision this week, I caught myself admiring Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. And maybe I rewatched Sense and Sensibilities, catching my breath for the 99th time over Colonel Brandon's silent anguish of love. Maybe that had me thinking about hot main characters and romantic plots.
But then, just maybe, as I reread parts of my novel which has matured into its thematically-layered 4th or 5th draft, I stumbled upon a love scene between my main characters and cringed.
For a complete list of articles from this Novel Revision series, look below. But today it's time to take on love scenes.
Love Draws Us In
If you'd asked me what this novel was about during first drafts, I would have called it a love story. It opens with the prattling of a toddler conceived in a love affair between the main characters. I feel a loyalty to that love spark, even as growth in the story has come to focus more on the layers of conflict and the larger theme of civilians avoiding violence during war.
That early feeling of falling in love with this broken main character is a central integrity to the story that doesn't leave me. Key transitions in plot hinge on the moment they met, the moment they were drawn to each other, the moment they first, well, you know, and whether they are in love, and how that changes their original response to conflict. The love tension between my MCs is the fun part of the story, and a powerful inspiration that keeps me going from draft to draft.
Tough, my current revision process tells me.
How many first dates, even well described, would make it through the rounds of novel revisions? As I re-read these original scenes and decide how to edit love into the final drafts, I'm left wondering what role sex plays in literary fiction.
Purpose of the Sex Scene Fits the Purpose of the Genre
Sex plays different roles in different genres, of course, and thinking about the purpose of a genre helps to establish a guideline for the purpose sex scenes would serve in a book.
If I were writing romance fiction, the purpose of my sex scenes would be to evoke a romantic experience for the reader. For a mystery or thriller, sexual tension might accelerate the tension of a crime or create the more mysterious, romantic motivation for a detective or spy. For young adult lit, sexual activity is handled carefully to depict first experiences crossing the threshold from childhood to adulthood, and is therefore likely to focus on hesitation or anticipation, and small details a young person would remember of a first kiss or holding hands.
In each case, defining the work's purpose is a good starting point in knowing what love scene details will advance a story without being off kilter or over the top.
What is the Role of Sex in Literary Fiction?
Literary fiction is less easily defined than some other genres, so I was left wondering at the role of sex in my WIP. In many cases, literary fiction is a hybrid with other genres, containing elements of romance, mystery, historical, coming of age, or science fiction. In Writing the Breakout Novel, Donald Maass addresses the effective crossover between literary and commercial fiction.
What is generally the case in all literary fiction and its hybrid/crossover varieties is that heat and passion can't be the only purpose of love or sex in a story. Dang. I can't just say my MC is a hottie and they are so in l-o-o-o-ve. The passion has to fuel or depict a larger purpose in developing character and advancing the conflict.
Of course, there are numerous literary best sellers where sex is not present. In his essay, Sex in Literature, Adrian Slatcher references Julian Barnes in saying "'the author feels a commercial obligation' to write about sex. But there have been several literary bestsellers to involve almost no sex at all." In Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin, there is the non-sexual tension of his main character not sleeping with the prostitutes he befriends. In Alice McDermott's Charming Billy, love is brotherly and era-appropriate dating scenes involve sitting on a blanket at the beach or arriving at a nanny's house to pick her up for a date.
But sexual passion is fuel in much of literary fiction. Looking back on stories that continue to resonate as classics, it's often a romance at the heart of the story that we remember. The fact that the romance between my main characters is important to my own interest in my WIP tells me that I need to give careful consideration while revising, for this to remain a strength in the final story.
Sex Reveals Character and Conflict
Literary fiction tends to be centered on character transformation, and sex can be a powerful symbol of where a character is in conflict. Sex is symbolic of inner conflicts of being trapped, captured, free, released, linked or united, and often serves as transformation in the plotline of internal conflict resolution. This can appear as outright sexual activity and its outcomes (think Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter), desire that fuels action without explicit sexual activity (Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence) or the state of desire restrained from action (Kazuo Ishiguro's Remains of the Day).
Romantic desire can appear to stand alone as a character's inner conflict, but is generally symbolic of something more. Even in novels like Pride and Prejudice, where the character's internal conflict is resolved through acknowledging mutual love and marrying, that desire for love is integral to a larger theme of defending personal identity within the external conflict of England's old property laws. Sex is an inherent theme of Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient, but serves to create tension and release of tension and violation within a greater theme of war.
As much as love or sex can be used to signal transitions in inner conflict, it is also used in opposition. Sex is the external act of internal emotion, and tension arises if the external act (or lack of action) is in conflict with what the reader knows about inner emotion. Intense emotions are created when a reader knows the character's desire but the character does not act on it, as in Kasuo Ishiguro's Remains of the Day, which exudes a sensual tension partly because the butler never breaks his reserve.
Similarly, sexual behavior or loving actions can create a dramatic contrast to depict a character's inner torment. In Kevin Powers' The Yellow Birds, the scene when soldiers walk to a brothel while on leave is the antithesis of sexy, establishing through contrast how nightmarish their battle world has been and how dislodged the men are from emotion. The presence of sex without love or compassion is often symbolic of inner dysfunction, as Hemingway often used to signal the disembodiment of humanity after the shock of war. Reams of literary fiction include sex as sickness or sex in its dysfunctional state, such as The Kite Runner, The God of Small Things and The Color Purple.
Not Choreography
One of the simplest rules I've heard in knowing how to write sex in fiction is that effective sex scenes do not involve choreography. If you could replicate the movements and positions based on what is written, then it's too much.
Like any other sensory details in successful fiction, sexual details have to serve the story, not just paint a picture. In that sense, I have been really resistant to say my main character is beautiful or describe the dramatic eyes I imagine for her love interest (yeah, that picture up top comes close). My story is not advanced by the characters being attractive. Beauty is only meaningful when it reveals what the character perceives as beautiful, or beauty in relief against themes of pain or darkness. Hot details need to be something more than just what we, as writers, find hot in a mate. As with any character traits, they should reveal the character's fear or hope or history or greater desire and what keeps them from finding happiness. For my female character to notice scars on my male character's knuckles is more meaningful (and less ridiculous) than to say he has nice hands.
Often, the novel's sexual tension is best achieved in description of a nonsexual event. In Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife, the hottest sensuality comes not from deflowering of the mute wife, but in the nights she sneaks to feed the wild tiger meat from her husband's stores.
But let's say we do want to communicate that the scene was hot. The details to establish hotness still need to fit the novel's theme, advance its conflict, and fit the voice. Only rare novels would benefit from Victoria's Secret outfits and naming of body parts and positions. Words that are hot in imagination or real life — like lips and fingertips and more — often turn ridiculous in writing (and euphemisms can be even more ridiculous).
Successful sex scenes often evoke sensuality with words unrelated to the body or actual sex. Even in overtly sexual novels, like The English Patient, sexual details are often odd, like sexualizing the divot at the base of the woman's throat. Hardy described blooming mushrooms in the woods rather than describe Tess's virginal skin in Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Gabriel Garcia Marquez has his characters wait a lifetime to reach fulfillment in Love in the Time of Cholera, and description of that scene involves reference to constipation.
Revising with a Mind to What Makes Sex Scenes Work in Literary Fiction
It seems the key is to understand the purpose or message of your own novel, and know your story's internal conflicts, to understand which kind of sex (or lack of) scene can work within your story. Sex is one of the choices my characters make in carving out their odd path toward resolving their inner conflicts, and their scenes together reveal love and hope and passion and parental intentions, but also dysfunction and imbalance and fear. Revising feels like coming at the scenes from an angle rather than head-on, working to deepen character and conflict, understanding how each detail reveals the progression in character transformation and not just heat.
Have you been conflicted in writing or revising love in a story? What challenges or obstacles do you find? Or, what tactics have you found that help you stay productive?
If you want to read more on the subject, I admired this great post by English writer Isabel Costello: Sex Scenes in Fiction.
Motivation to Write: Keep Writing While on Vacation
My Summer Reading List 2013
Writing Character: Say the Things We Never Say
Or, here is the current series on Novel Revision Strategies:
Novel Revision: 5 Issues Addressed in Edits
Novel Revision: Work is Messy, Book May Bite
Novel Revision: Revising a Flat Character
Novel Revision Strategies: "Hit List" of 6 Things to Edit Now
Filed under Novel Writing, Relentless Wake, Revision, Writing Character
Tagged as #amediting, #amrevising, amwriting, character, character motivation, editing, fiction, internal and external conflict, novel, novel revision, Novel Writing, revising, sex in fiction, sex in literary fiction, write, writetip, writing, writing love scenes