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Patrick Ogle
Paintings & Other Art
Movies I have seen recently
My Incredibly Witty Observations
American Hustle, A Period Piece, Caper Film That Mostly Works And Features Some Surprising Supporting Performances
American Hustle is a caper film, period piece and gets close to being a straight up comedy. It takes a slew of genres and tosses them into a blender. Usually when this happens you wind up with a mess. Here? They wound up with a pretty entertaining movie.
The film tries to "bring you back to a time" and it doesn't really do that flawlessly. It doesn't totally fall down on the job? But it is a little too self conscious in its "retro-ness". This is a pitfall of many films set in some time viewed as iconic. Not EVERYONE dresses in the uniform of the time (usually there are fashion carry -overs aplenty). When they make a film about the 2010s everyone will be wearing beltless baggy jeans with their underpants hanging out.
But fortunately the film isn't just about wide ties and polyester. The film is sort of a caper movie. But it doesn't lean on that too heavily and, instead, relies on characters and the actors take these and run with them. Christian Bale plays against type as the out of shape grifter with a ridiculous comb over. Amy Adams as his partner whose fake English accept is a film-long gag. Her character is playing a character. Jeremy Renner is effective as the earnest politician who bends the rules for all the right, but still illegal, reasons. Sure Bradley Cooper seems to be playing the character from Silver Linings Playbook as an FBI agent but he does it well. Don't mess with success.
But Jennifer Lawrence comes close to stealing the movie in her supporting role. It is admittedly a role almost designed to do that--the sort of spurned, definitely unbalanced wife of Bale's Irving Rosenfeld. She is both comic and a mover of the film's action. And she is Jennifer Lawrence so she also looks great.
One of the saving graces of the film is that it doesn't play it too serious. It doesn't get mired down in process of the con game or the FBI investigation. It is also never excessively violent. This light touch works. If they had gone even a hair more serious? It wouldn't work because the plot and the characters wouldn't hold the weight. This isn't a knock on the plot or the characters. It is a compliment. The writers kept it perfectly balanced. It even winds up to make points about friendship, ethics and even redemption.
There are a number of great scenes in the film that have a limited amount to do with the basic plot. One of these has Rosenfeld pointing out a Master painting in a museum to Cooper's Richie DiMaso. He tells him it is a fake and the calls into question who the real master is. It is a brief and oddly compelling. There are a few others like it in the film. These do not rocket the plot forward but the set a tone for the movie. They also eschew making Renner's Mayor Carmine Polito the typical crooked politician. He may have to work with crooks, mobsters and con men but he isn't one of them. He is a true believer. It is a different approach.
Some critics may have become a little overly breathless about American Hustle but it is well paced, written, directed and acted. The film begins with a title stating "Some of This Actually Happened" and it is incredibly loosely based on the Abscam investigation. Part of the humor here is the weirdest least likely SEEMING parts of this movie did happen. The resolution makes less than perfect sense and seems a tad unlikely? Or maybe it is just that it isn't set up through the rest of the film and professional con artists wouldn't leave their "move" to chance? But this is a minor thing. If you think of the flaws well after seeing the movie? The film did its job, hiding the fact it isn't reality from you for a little while.
Her Is As Good As You've Heard, Maybe Even Better
When you first see a preview for a film about a man who falls in love with an operating system your natural reaction might be; "blech..." But funny thing about her, it is a unique, funny, touching and even thought provoking movie. It is every bit as good as you've heard and read. It might even be better.
It is also a film best seen with very little foreknowledge. The less you know the better. It isn't that there are huge surprises? It is the subtle points and developments here that you don't want foreshadowed. Sure, you know the basic plot but the film approaches subjects related to our existence, to technology, the nature of love, forgiveness and of personal identity and individuality. It is a complicated movie even though it seems quite the simple love story at times.
Her isn't maudlin or dreary though. It does make you feel for the characters but it also has more laughs in it than most movies that are SUPPOSED to be comedies. It probably starts of lighter and gets heavier as it moves on but the load is never terrible to bare. It is so easy to imagine a movie like this going off the rails--especially when it gets into sex! It stays firmly ON the rails throughout.
Thanks be that this film was written and directed by Spike Jonze and that some hack didn't come up with a similar idea first and put J-Lo or Katherine Heigl in it. Because this is the sort of concept that Hollywood could turn into another putrid, eye rolling, barf inducing rom-com.
After seeing 12 Years A Slave it was difficult to imagine another film taking the Best Picture Oscar--even excellent films like Nebraska or Inside Llewn Davis. But this film may have a shot. It isn't because it is necessarily better than 12 Years A Slave but that it is so incredibly unique. It is a film that looks at the future of humanity (make no mistake there WILL be sentient Artificial Intelligence in the next generation).
It is the little things in this movie that elevate it from merely good--the attention to fashion changes in this slightly future-world. The fact Joaquin Phoenix uses a safety pin in his shirt to keep his OS girlfriend from not being able to see when he walks around with her as a mobile device. There is attention to detail at every point in this movie--the video games that appear in it are fantastic and hilarious (and seem very real to boot)
12 Years is about the past and it brings that world to life in startling fashion. Her is doing an entirely different sort of thing that, in its own way, is no less provocative. Human - OS relationships accepted by society? What would JESUS say?
It is still hard to see how Chiwetel Ojiofor could possibly lose to anyone in the Best Actor category. Even though Phoenix' performance in her IS worthy it is also in a more subdued, less dramatic role. He deserves a nomination nonetheless.
This is the sort of film that Jonze makes. He isn't prolific. His last full-length was Where The Wild Things Are, the peculiar adaptation of the Maurice Sendak book in 2009. Her is every bit as good (and this is a huge compliment) as his films Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. Again, it may be even better. Like those films it also bears multiple viewings.
It is to be hoped that it is less than four years before Jonze's next feature.
Philomena Takes On A Tough Issue With A Light Touch
Philomena is the true story (more or less) of a woman searching for the child taken away from her when she was an unwed teen in Ireland. The subject alone shows the Catholic Church in a rather unflattering light and there have been many other Irish movies dealing with the forced breaking up of families by the church and state--and all of these have been dire, harsh, cheerless films.
Not so Philomena. It isn't played for straight up laughs and it isn't really a comedy but the writing and the acting are far more lighthearted than the subject matter suggests. In fact, no one who has seen the previews will expect anything dire or harsh.
It is a tribute to Judy Dench that this seems like an easy role for her. She is so effortless, seems so real as the simple, pleasant, non-judgemental Irishwoman that you almost don't see it as a performance. She also gets the bulk of the laughs.
Philomena is a mostly cheerful woman who has harbored this one great secret, this one great regret. she finally tells her daughter and shows her the single photo she has of her son. The daughter then has a chance run in that sets things in motion.
That run-in is with Martin Sixsmith, the cashiered director of communications for a government department under Tony Blair. Philomena's daughter is working at a party he attends.
Sixsmith, a former journalist, is shown as a little prickly. He is rude and occasionally snaps at people. If you focus on him as the lead there seem to be some reasons to scratch your head; why does he take on the story he initially dismisses? Is one inconclusive conversation with his wife what really did it?
Sixsmith, played ably by Steve Coogan, who also wrote the screenplay, isn't a bad sort though and, to the movie's credit he doesn't "change his ways" after meeting and spending time with the cheery, forgiving Philomena.
This is a movie that seems to stick mostly to the real story. There are flashbacks to a young Philomena (played by Sophie Kennedy Clark) that are hints at what went on before--they are never overdone and they are cut together with the "present" part of the film perfectly.
Stephen Frears certainly can make a movie. You hear about actors who would be entertaining reading the phone book; Frears would make an interesting movie with a script based on the phone book. This may not be The Grifters or Prick Up Your Ears but it is a memorable film nonetheless. Its sense of humanity, its humor and how shows "issues" movies often pretend to grapple with as ultimately meaningless. The movie does not try to move outside the bounds of the real story. It does not try to be big--and that is why it works.
Great acting and a good screenplay don't hurt of course.
The Wolf Of Wall Street, Lots Of Speeches, Lots of Sex, Lots of Qualudes
The Wolf Of Wall Street sure makes bilking people out of their money look like a lot of fun--aside from having to listen to so many boring speeches about getting rich. It is as if Gordon Gecko had a child with Zig Ziglar and then the child smoked a bunch of meth. To make up for the speechifying there is a great deal of banging, cocaine done of women's naked bodies and 'lude popping going on so it all works out in the end.
Or maybe it doesn't.
It is sort of frightening to imagine the various interpretations people might take from this film. One critic I read described it as a "morality play." I am fairly certain this person does not know what a morality play is. There is no moral here (nor does there have to be) but this is just such a meandering mess about one of a million swindlers from the last big Wall Street scam you would hope for SOME sort of focus. Others seem to just think it is a rollicking good time. If it is supposed to be that? It sure is a peculiar subject matter.
What you get here are a bunch of good actors in a good looking film that is sometimes funny, sometimes outrageous and way, way, way, way way longer than is necessary. It would have been appropriate to use several more "ways" in the previous sentence. It is never boring despite its flaws and the actors all do--at LEAST--the best they can with their given roles.
Leonardo DiCaprio does his best scenery chewing and coked-up speechifying and Jonah Hill adds to the camp with his fake big teeth as DiCaprio's second banana. Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bernthal and Rob Reiner are all sort of memorable in their roles despite limited screen time. Some seem to be bending over backwards to praise Margot Robbie too. She is fine but I expect this praise has a lot to do with her nakedness in this particular film. And yes, she looks great naked.
It is odd that in a film this long some characters appear with little intro and development. Is it possible ANYTHING landed on the cutting room floor here? But then this is an odd film. It is like Goodfellas on Wall Street--but with a lot more "direct into the camera"asides.
Is Scorsese's intent here to show us how the big economic criminals never really get their just punishment? Is he trying to leave the audience with lack of satisfaction? Of frustration? Perhaps, or perhaps this is just what you do when Martin Scorsese a film you don't like? Maybe you figure the problem is with YOU, not HIM. Some people are afraid to say they don't like a Scorsese movie. If you list his ten worst movies you'll find that eight of them are still pretty damned good.
But no one is perfect and while The Wolf of Wall Street is off and on entertaining it also is long, meandering and sort of pointless. It is at least as frustrating as it is entertaning. There is also something missing here--any look at the people swindled by DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort. This is also likely purposeful but why? How do we have context--even in the humor--of what is going on here if we see only the coke snorting good times of the swindlers? And why so many pep talks and speeches to the "troops"? It really gets to be grating.
It is possible this is a movie that will age well? But I wouldn't bet on it. Oscar nominations all around! It is Scorsese but it really shouldn't win anything except the Oscar for "film that easily could have been an hour shorter."
Thank God For Movies Like Alexander Payne's Nebraska
Thank God for movies like Nebraska. There is nothing whatever wrong with blowing things up, with CGI, with duels to the death were someone always says "This ends HERE." All those things are good. But it is also nice to have a film that is about people who might easily live next door, about the actual human condition, with its humor, frailty and ultimate need for redemption.
Perhaps the most important thing to say about Nebraska is how stunningly beautiful it looks. The black and white film, from beginning to end, is a masterwork of cinematography. It doesn't matter if you are looking at landscapes and lonely roads or close ups of the often bedraggled characters. The film is just beautiful looking from start to finish.
If it doesn't win the Academy Award for cinematography they should do away with the award.
There is also, of course, more to the film than how it looks. Ostensibly it is the story of an elderly man, Woody Grant (played in an Oscar-nod worthy performance by Bruce Dern), who believes he has won a million dollars. He heads out, on foot, from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska to collect his reward. Everyone knows there isn't any reward (except perhaps Woody). But his son, David, played by Will Forte, in what has to be a break through role, decides to take him to Lincoln.
What could go wrong?
He views it as a way to get to know his dad and to get the notion off the old man's mind. In short order, however, they wind up sidetracked into Woody's hometown where discussion of his "winnings" brings out the good and bad in old friends and relations. This description gives the film short shrift because as it moves forward you learn, piece by piece, about who Woody really is. The film is about kindness and decency as much as it is about greed.
Alexander Payne delivers a wonderful film here and the casting is also flawless. Dern's taciturn Woody and Forte's well-meaning David are joined by June Squib as Woody's wife (another possible best supporting Oscar), Bob Odenkirk as Woody's other son, Ross, Stacy Keach as the ill-flavored Ed Pegram and Angela McEwan as Peg Nagy, a long lost love who, with very little screen time, makes a huge impression.
And it is nearly as beautifully written and in its intent as it is visually stunning. There are places where you laugh, where you feel a little angry and there should be, if you are human, places where you tear up. This is a small film, there are no explosions, the universe isn't going to end, there isn't a single car chase and, again, thank God for that.
Dallas Buyers Club Great Performances In A "Small Movie" About AIDS
Dallas Buyers Club isn't a grand overview of the prejudice and hysteria of the early years of the AIDS epidemic. It isn't really a story of some great triumph either. It is a small story, about one man, Ron Woodroof, trying to survive. He does it, basically on his own, in the face of massive attempts by the government agencies that should be helping him.
It is a little more complicated than that too. The complications are sort of under the surface in the film. The "bad" doctors were sort of right, AZT worked in lower doses. The protagonist, at the very least, starts out aiming to not only stay alive but turn a profit. He isn't a saint. Yet he is played by Matthew McConaughey as so likeable that it is impossible to resist him. You like him even as you realize what he is.
But the character changes as the film progresses too. The brunt of prejudice maybe he, somehow, comes to understand the other characters pain.
The one other character in the film who really matters is Jarod Leto's Rayon. He delivers a performance that should get serious consideration for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. He HAS to be nominated. He plays the role mostly in drag, partly with great humor but also with a pain that is almost palpable--that seems real.
Rayon isn't someone it would be wise to give your apartment keys to. He isn't someone you want to lend money or have talk to third graders about "just saying no" but he is a character that demonstrates how even people at the bottom of society love, are loved and are worthy of love. It is a remarkable and moving performance.
The other actors in the film do the best they can with their less flamboyant roles. Jennifer Garner is fine in the role of Dr. Eve Saks but just seems sort of dull next to McConaughey's Woodroof. If she didn't seem that way it would be a silly film and it is not. One interesting note is that the small roles where an actor is only on screen for a few minutes are all quite well done. It is tough to be memorable in a few minutes but many here do that--Denis O'Hare, Kevin Rankin and Steve Zahn specifically. Rankin must long for the day when he gets to play a character that isn't a racist redneck. But he does it so, so well!
The movie is moving and full of great performances. It also serves another purpose. Those who recall the early days of AIDS remember the hysteria well. It wasn't "just another disease." it as God's wrath and the "gay plague" come to kill us all. This movie brings you back to that time and is something of a cautionary tale.
It also, oddly, since the intent is likely the opposite, leaves you with a feeling that ultimately the system works. It just lacks compassion for individuals. That isn't the job of "the system" it is the job of actual humans.
12 Years A Slave Is Moving With Fine Acting And Writing, Everyone Should See It
12 Years A Slave is a moving story. How could the story of a free man kidnapped into slavery not be? It is also a very good movie with excellent performances in even small roles. It is, likewise, an interesting piece of direction and cinematography.
In several instances in the film there are close ups that linger to the point of almost uncomfortableness. One instance where a character is left hanging, feet barely touching the ground as the day goes on about him, is as harrowing and disturbing as any scene in any horror film.
The movie brings the horrors of slavery to life in a way that isn't often seen. The beatings, the cruelty, the horror of separating families have been explored many times. What often is lost is how the institution of slavery corrupted the slave owners-- and not just psychopaths like Edwin Epps, portrayed with a performance destined for a supporting Oscar nomination by Michael Fassbender. Benedict Cumberbatch appears as a more "benevolent" slave owner but his personal decency? In the end it counts for nothing against the putrid system he is part of and institution he supports. The film does a good job of showing the human degradation of slavery. The slaves lose their freedom and the owners their humanity.
But the shoe-in for an Oscar nomination--and it is hard to imagine a better performance--is Chiwetel Ejiofor. His portrayal of Solomon Northup is both understated (yes, my favorite word!) and emotional in turns. As his situation deteriorates, with just his bearing, Ejiofor, shows the stress on Northup but always maintains his dignity. He is a powerful presence as he has shown in smaller roles in the past (Serenity springs to mind). The actors around him show, again often without words, how their situation has worn them down.
It is all superbly done.
And while all the actors acquit themselves well, there is one other--one who might wind up ignored--who deserves Academy Award consideration. Lupita Nyong'o's portrayal of Patsey, a slave that is the object of the sadistic Epps' sexual obsession, is every bit as good as Ejiofor's. She is both favored and the subject of terrible abuse. This is also another subtle way this film shows how all encompassing was the evil of slavery; Patsey is a "favorite" of Epps but this makes her the subject of special abuse by Epps' wife. And, of course, being Epps' "favorite" includes rape and jealous rage. Her position dooms her and makes her even more miserable.
Director Steve McQueen, in his third feature film, creates something great and disturbing. If anything the story of slavery has been under-told in American cinema. We need movies like this that focus on those held in bondage and we need them to be based on fact and not wishful thinking. Basing this on Solomon Northup's account of his ordeal makes it all the more powerful. This is also so well written. There is never a moment where you feel it isn't real. It isn't just the dialog but the action and the non-verbal communication in the film.
Everyone should see this film.
Captain Phillips Is A Solid Film Eschewing Deeper Messages
There is nothing whatever wrong with Captain Phillips, the latest film starring Tom Hanks. Sounds like faint praise but there are plenty of films in the theaters that have a great deal wrong with them. Having nothing wrong puts a movie well ahead of the curve.
The acting is solid, the film never slows down or gets distracted by side plots. We all know the basics, if not the details of the story. And unless you were on the ship and wanted to be paid for your part of the story worrying about it being 100 percent accurate is silly too. What Hollywood "real life" film is 100 percent accurate?
But Captain Phillips is not the sort of film that is likely to stay with you after you see it either. As noted, the story is still fresh in the minds of many. There are few surprises here. Nor is there any attempt to get at deeper issues--Phillips family life, the conditions in Somalia that lead to such acts etc. It wise decision for the sake of this movie that these topics were only glanced on--any more would have risked dragging the movie down into the briny deep (as much as I am usually for more Catharine Keener screen-time)
We get just enough of Phillips at home to see he has a wife and kids. We get just enough of how and why the Somali pirates do what they do to make them more than just "bad guys." The audience knows they are put in the position they are, largely, by forces beyond their immediate control (ie the men who make the money on such crimes are not the ones racing through the seas on a skiff).
Of course this didn't stop one audience member, upon seeing the sentence one pirate received blurting out "I wonder how much WE are paying for that." Interesting sociological reaction and indicative of America today. Everything boils down into how much something costs. It would have been interesting to hear what this woman thinks should have been done to an apprehended and unarmed man. Some torture perhaps? And how much better are we as a people than they? Really? think about it.
Captain Phillips never gets into these issues and they have only a very peripheral place in this film. It is, however, very clear that the pirates are not operating out of ideology but for money. "No Al Queda." says the "captain" of the pirates--ably portrayed by Barkhad Abdi. Abdi mixes a sort of pathos with menace in his role. He brings a real tension, not necessarily because he is waving around a gun but because you see some sort of internal conflict in him as he makes his decisions, some sort of doubt.
The previews may make the film seem like a U.S. Navy action film. It isn't really about that, although the ending of the film certainly has that element (done quite well). Most of the movie is about the crew and Phillips avoiding being boarded and then resisting the pirates once aboard. There has been some criticism of the film making the real Phillips seem overly heroic. This is baseless, Hanks portrayal is as an everyman. He does nothing overly heroic--aside from his job.
In fact, one of the interesting parts of the movie is that there is no individualist hero. The "hero" here is procedure. Things do not go well for the crew of the Maersk Alabama in the movie but they certainly do not go as poorly as they might have. The film puts forward that the reason was that captain and crew stuck to the rule book. This is an unusual--and realistic--take on how to survive a crisis in a Hollywood film. Usually in Hollywood there has to be a hero--a highly paid bankable star with a machine gun. You need Brad Pitt to save you! In real life you need to keep your head and stick with what works (in most cases anyway).
This sense of the realistic animates this movie and while it isn't the most memorable film you will see this year? You will be entertained in the theater. Again, this puts it far ahead of the curve.
"Gravity," Alfonso Cuarón Gets Outer Space Action Right
Gravity is a tense movie. The audience is barely in its seat before the action begins and from there it barely lets up. It is, in some way, a difficult film to discuss;the character development is minimal and there are only three characters that the audience sees on screen. The plot is fairly simple; astronauts, in space, face a catastrophe and try to survive.
It sounds like it isn't much of a movie, based solely on this synopsis. But it actually is a pretty remarkable film. It looks fantastic. It might even give you a little bit of vertigo and it clearly isn't intended to be a recruiting tool for NASA. Sandra Bullock's character states, at one point, "I hate space."
The film is also, as mentioned, tense, even stressful.
One of the reason the film manages this tension is that it resists Hollywood's usually irresistible desire for a back story, for a love story or maybe a montage where Bullock tries on clothes. There are no flashbacks, no Apollo 13-like anguished family on the ground wringing their hands. The action takes place in space.
That puts the film, beyond the special effects, on the backs of Bullock and George Clooney. Clooney pays the story-telling, wisecracking commander or the mission, Matt Kowalski to Bullock's mission specialist, Ryan Stone. To say there is no back story isn't entirely accurate. We learn about these people how you would learn about someone in real life--through snippets of conversation (in this case under great stress). You do care what happens to them.
Alfonso Cuarón has made a couple of provocative films in the past (Y Tu Mamá También and Children of Men). This film is not really provocative but it is close to perfect. It never lets you rest, never makes you bored but, at the same time, it does not rely on random explosions.
The film is about the action. And it begs the question; why do so many other films fail in this regard?. In many cases it is bad editing. In others someone just decides that MORE explosions is really all you need. Here the "explosions" happen at the right times and are not overdone. You even are given a sort of countdown to when they happen in some cases. It all ticks along like clockwork and the editing is so tight that you are never given a chance to relax. The special effects are not gaudy but truly give the feel of space flight. It seems real even when some of the action maybe strays a bit from reality (it IS a movie).
This isn't to give short shrift to the acting--both Bullock and Clooney do well in their roles, as fairly minimal as they are. Imagine them as people you just meet (in space). They do exactly what they need to in the roles.
It is a peculiar film to try to describe or recommend because it is so focused on what happens rather than the story or the characters. It is also one of those rare films that viewers should consider seeing in XD 3D. A great deal will be lost in 2D viewings of the movie. It is about the visuals.
I don't think of these as "reviews." they may seem like it sometime but they are more just...impressions.
2014 Best Picture Nominee


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Biigtigong Nishnaabeg (Formally Pic River First Nation) is located on the north shore of Gchi-Gami or Lake Superior. Approximately 350km northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Biigtigong is accessible off the TransCanada Highway 11/17 on Highway 627. The reserve land is 332.7 hectares in size while the traditional territory encompasses over 2 million hectares combined with Exclusive and Shared territory with neighbouring First Nations. Adjacent to Pukaskwa National Park, Biigtigong provides cultural programming for park guests and participates in co-management projects. There are approximately 500 people living on reserve land and 1200 members total.
In 2016 Gchi-Waaswaganing opened off highway 17 in partnership with the Town of Marathon. Located in the lodge of the old ski hill, "Gchi-Waa" quickly became a community gathering space for ceremonies, events, workshops, and selling the work of Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Artisans. In Anishinaabemowin Gchi-Waaswaganing means "big torch" or possibly "big light." When seeking a name,
Florinda Christianson and Liz Michano gave an offering and gift to Elder Myra Michano. Myra sat on her couch and patiently listened to the vision of what the centre would be and how it would solidify a partnership between Biigtigong and the Town of Marathon, and act as a beacon for visitors travelling through our territory. A few days later, she called Florinda and Liz, laughing because "Biigtigong was always friends with Marathon, and this partnership wasn't 'new' but simply more official."
She told a story of how the people of Biigtigong and Marathon would all meet at the harbour to fish. They would fish with stakes that had lights, the lights would attract the fish, and then they would share what was caught. "We always made sure the fish that was caught was shared with our Elders," Myra told them. The name Gchi-Waaswaganing was therefore given to honour the beautiful relationship with the Town of Marathon that still continues.
Our logo was created by local artisan Erin Shaw. The turtle represents our Creation Story. The four colours (red, white, yellow, and black) represent all nations who walk through our doors. The sun represents the new adventure and relationship between Biigtigong and the Town of Marathon. The mountains represent the landscapes made famous by the Group of Seven paintings.
Our Vision is to mobilize the work of Artisans for cultural and economic resurgence: to use Biigtigong Nishnaabeg arts, crafts and design to create products that encourage knowledge sharing between Elders and Youth, support our initiatives to get back on the Land, and safeguards our culture for the Seven Generations to come.
Our mission is to create an immersive retail store and community space that invites visitors into Biigtigong Nishnaabeg and shares our beautiful culture.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Music, Sport August 31, 2021 August 31, 2021
It's a long way to the top: your full AFL songlist
Sympathy, and maybe celebrations, for the Demons.
Music editor Eddie Russell picks one song to sum up the season for each AFL club
With full 20/20 hindsight, here are 18 songs to encapsulate your AFL club's home and away season and general culture, as it might been seen by the rest of us.
Adelaide Crows: Dumb Things by Paul Kelly
Adelaide native Paul Kelly's thumping pub rock classic will be sure to get fans crowing.
The song's title might remind some of the disastrous 2018 training camp debacle which caused the club to implode, but what better way to confront your demons than head on.
Brisbane Lions: (Baby I've Got You) On My Mind by Powderfinger
The Lions have been on everyone's minds after a few years of near misses in September, but is this year the one? Residents of Brisvegas will never turn down an excuse to hear their pride and joy, Powderfinger, arguably the city's most successful band.
Carlton Blues: Blue Monday by New Order
This '80s dance classic reminds fans of the last time the Navy Blues were winning flags. The song samples the theme from legendary Spaghetti Western film For A Few Dollars More, conducted by Ennio Morricone – a perfect homage to the club's largely Italian supporter base and salary cap issues.
Collingwood Magpies: Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones
It's also been a tough ride for Pies fans, who might want to paint it black after the tumultuous events of 2021. A series of major off-field dramas and poor form has not given fans much joy, but it is the darkest days that bring the best out of the Pies.
Essendon Bombers: Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins
The baby Bombers are back, and they are emulating the attitude and style of Maverick and Goose – bratty, cocky and flashy. The run-and-gun style is exciting, but it will take some maturing before they are on the radar for premiership contention.
Fremantle Dockers: Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix
The mystery of Freo is shrouded in the purple haze, with the Dockers living under the shadow of the dominance of their older brother, West Coast, for some time now. But with a few valiant but ultimately unsuccessful seasons, will the Dockers lift the veil?
Geelong Cats: Nine Lives by Turbowolf
This year will mark the Cats ninth finals appearance since their last premiership in 2011 – they have now lost every final possible. Is this their last shot at premiership glory before their nine lives run out? Only time will tell for football's perennial bridesmaids.
Gold Coast Suns: Sunny by Boney M
This disco track perfectly encapsulates the two things Gold Coast is known for – good weather and constant partying. However, the Suns, like disco music, seem to be a flash in the pan with not much substance that attracts plenty of young guns.
Greater Western Sydney Giants: West End Girl by Pet Shop Boys
The Giants are the competition's West End Girls described in the song – not just by namesake, but in their youthful exuberance, deep talent pool and support from their rich father (the AFL). Everyone wants what the Giants have – you only have to check the trade season to see that.
Hawthorn Hawks: Golden Brown by The Stranglers
Genius Lyrics describe this song as "unconventionally punk" – that's a label that can be attributed to the gold-and-brown dynasty built by legendary coach Alastair Clarkson. Even though Clarkson is gone, the remnants of the three-peat linger with ex-player Sam Mitchell set to take the reins.
Melbourne Demons: Sympathy for Devil by the Rolling Stones
The lack of success for the Dees over the decades has attributed some sympathetic attitudes towards them from other clubs, however they are looking menacing and fiery in season 2021. The real question is – will it be Melbourne's opponents asking for sympathy come September?
North Melbourne Kangaroos: Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky) by Bill Conti
The protagonist, a young, down-and-out upstart in an industrial part of town, starts out as a written-off loser. However, with the help of their new tough-nosed coach, the protagonist begins to take it to the big leagues – and while they don't succeed, they earn universal respect for their determination and grit. Is North Melbourne halfway through their very own Rocky Balboa story?
Port Adelaide Power: Power and the Passion by Midnight Oil
There's no lack of passion at Port, with one of the most dedicated fan bases to back up a playing team full of grit. Midnight Oil's political activism is a perfect encapsulation of Port's "stick-it-to-the-man" attitude that has seen them in many off-field disputes with the footy establishment.
Richmond Tigers: Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
Cliché: A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought. This operates on two levels – the obvious connotation with the Tigers, but also the universally acknowledged Rocky analogy to describe any conflict in the sporting arena.
St Kilda Saints: Saint Pablo by Kanye West
On the surface, there may not be a lot of similarities between Kanye West and the St Kilda Football Club. However, the rapper's outbursts share some of the Saint's hot and cold form, and the lyrical content harks back to that famous photo of Nicky Winmar.
Sydney Swans: Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2
The Swans are marching to the beat of their own drum this year with the revival of the Bloods' culture. Tough, determined and united, the young list has ruffled the feathers of some genuine contenders this year.
Western Bulldogs: Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival
It just wouldn't have been right for the Dogs to finish in the top four – it would be disrespectful to the working-class ethos of the club and surrounding suburbs for them to be fortunate sons. Expect a scrappy, blue collar from some folks: they are made to wave the flag… red, white, and blue!
West Coast Eagles: Icarus by the Big Push
The Eagles' fall from grace this year is hard to fathom – with one of the strongest and deepest lists in the league and a big home ground advantage, no one can quite pinpoint what went wrong for West Coast, but it seems their wings have melted.
Listen to the playlist here:
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text:
Lion – what he eats in the savannah
How many animals a lion kills
Which animals can kill the lion
What lions eat – why the lion kills and eats other animals
Is the lion also a man eater?
What the lions eat – how much a lion eats
Which animals the Lioness usually eats
Lions behavior when they eat.
What lions eat.
The lion is a predator; indeed, it is the most powerful predator on the savannah. When we talk about the Lion King, we mean the animal at the top of the food chain, and it has no rivals. Leo dominates the animal kingdom in the savannah and eats meat from other animals.
However, not all the food that is procured comes from the hunting that it does, often the menu is composed of carcasses of already dead animals.
A study about lions says, the lions kills 21 animals per month. The lions live in flocks, and the laws that govern the pride provide for the sharing of hunting and food. This explains how it can survive by killing only 15 animals. In fact, hunting in a pride allows you to have more chances of success, and also having food available without having killed it directly allows you to eat more efficiently. This "guarantee" of the feeding means that the individual lions, but also, the pride is strong and consequently guarantees greater possibilities for the conservation of the species.
The male lion usually leaves the burden of hunting the females of the pride. However, especially when the prey is massive, like a hippopotamus or the elephant or the buffalo, the help of the male lion becomes decisive. Its size, which can reach 250 kg combined with its strength, is of great help in tearing down the prey and bringing it to the ground. The lionesses usually adopt hunting tactics that allow fast and rapid attacks. They do not have a very large heart, and therefore their strength is limited.
It is the occasion sometimes that determines the attack, the pride moves slowly and comes across a solitary prey. At this point, after a well-prepared ambush, a lioness launches the attack while her support companions wait for prey in the vanishing points.
Other times the lionesses start hunting because they are really hungry and need protein.
Often, when the lionesses have killed the prey, the male lion arrives chasing away the females and the cubs, reserving the right, as King of the forest, to eat first.
A majestic male lion eating a wildebeest in Serengeti National Park
The lion is a carnivorous animal; indeed, it is a "forced carnivore," its digestive system is designed to digest the meat. It is devoid of the enzymes necessary to break down the vegetable fibers. This means that 70% of the feeding of lions is composed of animal meat. Sometimes he also eats vegetables, but his stomach can't digest them. That's why the lion has to kill other animals to survive.
And yes, of course, humans can be part of his diet, for sure we are succulent meat for lions. However, while during the day, the lion will tend to avoid the encounter with the man, meeting him at night, when his hunting instinct is at its maximum, it will attack him with great pleasure.
Cases of man-eating lions are cited in African history. These are isolated cases but present in many countries. The most famous is the one mentioned in the movie Man-Eaters and set in Kenya.
Some studies have confirmed that the average amount of meat consumed by an adult lion every day is between 4 and 11 kg. But in a single day when a large animal is killed, a male lion can also eat 45 kg of meat. The Lioness instead eats up to 25 kg in a single day. Lions have to eat every day and at most can only survive 14 days without eating.
Lioness and cub eating a hippopotamus in Serengeti
The lion potentially being an animal "Apex" or at the top of the food chain, can eat all the animals in the area where it lives. Consequently, there are many differences between the lions of one region and another. As an example, the lions of the Kalahari certainly do not have all the fauna of the Masai Mara or Serengeti at their disposal. We then make a list of animals that are mostly hunted by lions:
antelopes
The lions in the herd respect a hierarchy that is respected even when they eat. In the first place, there is the male lion, then they eat the lionesses, and finally, they eat the puppies and the old specimens.
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wildlife is a great adventure in the jungle. thank you for the information, help full for me, thx again.


Strong winds are a leading cause of roofing issues. Wind damage inspection starts at the ground-level. To do this, roofers need to look for wind-caused collateral damage, including damage to the home's elevation. It's basically everything visible when you stand back and inspect the side of the home. Collateral damage also includes furniture in the yard.
Empire Contractors LLC can do a thorough wind damage inspection of your roof.
Roofing materials you find on the ground most likely came from up top of the home you're inspecting.
Roofers inspect the pieces to spot deficiencies before going onto the roof. They may find shingles pulled over the head of a nail. They can also see shingles that pulled through their staples. Close scrutiny will show the wrong installation of staples. The crowns should have been parallel to the long side of the shingle. Both cases can reveal that the shingles were not well bonded.
Siding can suffer both direct and indirect damage. It's important to pay attention to the roof edges near the corners. Loose ones may be more visible from the ground than from on top of the roof. Conditions visible from ground-level can help determine from where the wind has blown. This will help locate both wind and hail damage. Turn to Empire Contractors LLC for repair and replacement of wind damaged siding.
Wind damaged gutters will show decay, rust, leaky seams and detachment to structure. Gutters bent or sagging, missing sections and debris show wind damage. Clogged gutters can freeze solid and the excessive weight can loosen gutter fasteners.
If you have roof damage caused by wind or flying debris, get it fixed immediately. The longer you wait, the more serious the damage will get. Roof replacement and repair cost a lot less without dealing with leaks and water damage. Empire Contractors LLC can deal with your wind damaged roofing, siding and gutters. You can count on us to give you the help you need. We serve homeowners in Cincinnati, OH, and other nearby areas. Call us at (513) 409-0880 for a free, in-home consultation.


Use our new laundry lockers and save time! Avoid the hassle of making that extra stop on the way home after a long day.
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When considering dental implants or extraction of unwanted teeth, the GENDEX GXCB-500 is our most valuable technological tool. Blending innovation with patient comfort, the GENDEX GXCB-500 produces immediate three-dimensional images of patients' critical anatomy, typically in less than one minute. The GENDEX GXCB-500 provides complete views of all oral and maxillofacial structures and allows our dentists to make an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.
With the GENDEX GXCB-500 our dentists are able to evaluate and analyze critical anatomy for implants, within minutes right in our office. We are then able to optimize implant treatment and placement and selection of the most suitable implant type, size, location, and angulations prior to surgery.
The GENDEX GXCB-500 provides precise, cross-sectional slices of any desired location in the maxilla or mandible with exact anatomical information, including dimensions and locations. 3-D images assist in determining if bone grafting or sinus lift is warranted in areas of insufficient bone for the implant procedure.
The GENDEX GXCB-500 is also a valuable diagnostic tooth when evaluating the position, location, and angulations of third molars (wisdom teeth). The highly accurate three-dimensional images give our dentist, Dr. Beougher, important information prior to the safe removal of unwanted teeth.
TMJ Analysis The GENDEX GXCB-500's ability to provide three-dimensional images of the condyles and surrounding structures allows for complete analysis and diagnosis of bone morphology, joint space, and function – all critical to TMJ dysfunction treatment and care.
The GENDEX GXCB-500 is an invaluable diagnostic tool for Dr. Beougher when treating TMJ disorders. High-speed scans capture TMJ open jaw views quickly and accurately. If you have any questions about the GENDEX GXCB-500, please contact our office for additional information.


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Discrimination Against Muslims 2016: Obama Urged To End Surveillance Program Before Trump's Inauguration
By Janice Williams @manhattanjan
A flock of birds flies over the White House in Washington, D.C., Dec.11, 2016. Photo: REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Thousands of Muslim Americans and their advocates were protesting the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NEERs) during a march to the White House on Monday, according to reports. Protesters and activists from various organizations were expected to call on President Barak Obama to end for good the surveillance program that has singled out Arabs and Muslims following the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The protest is being considered a last-ditch effort to convince Obama to end the surveillance program before President-Elect Donald Trump officially takes off in January.
NEERs, a program inducted by the Bush administration back in 2002 that tracked men and boys entering and exiting the U.S. from countries like Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen, was suspended by Obama in 2011. However, Muslim Americans and activist groups have expressed fear that NEERs will be restored under Trump's administration. The president-elect has already made threats regarding "extreme vetting" of newcomers from various countries known for terrorist activity.
Although Trump has back-pedaled on claims that he will ban all Muslims from entering the country, a statement he made during his presidential campaign, a Trump advisor and one of NEERs founders claimed Trump will "update and reintroduce" NEERs following his induction into office.
Before NEERs was suspended, the system forced more than 80,000 men and boys from predominately Arabic and Muslim-influenced countries to register. It was also responsible for the deportation of nearly 14,000 people. However, the system, which has been called discriminatory by congress officials and activists alike, failed to actually convict any terrorists, which the Department of Homeland Security said was the reason why the program was suspended along with other redundancies and inefficiencies.
"NEERs was a completely failed counterterrorism tool," Joanne Lin, who provides legislative counsel for ACLU, one of the many groups participating in the march, told the Guardian. "It was in effect for nearly a decade, but NSEERS didn't yield a single terrorism conviction. Instead it alienated Muslim and Arab American communities around the country who saw their husbands, uncles, brothers appear for registration, for no reason than their nationality."
The march started at 1:15 p.m. EST at the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. and was expected to end at Lafayette Park, right outside of the White House.
Muslim Women Offered Free Self-Defense Classes
Muslim NYPD Officers Request Meeting With Trump


Brae Burn Country Club of Purchase, NY hired Sarah Merians to photograph the country club grounds for new and fresh images to be posted on the club's website. The club wanted to capture and highlight its offerings including the tennis courts, golf course, pool, gym, club lounge, food and drink and the picturesque views.
For more information on website development photo shoots, visit http://www.sarahmerians.com/corporate/website-development/ or call our studio.
Dr. Mark Schwartz hired Sarah Merians' studio a second time around for a marketing photo shoot. The plastic & reconstructive surgery doctor is based out of Manhattan and Sarah Merians visited his office to photograph the interior of the office, consultation and operating rooms, as well as Dr. Schwartz and some of his staff. Dr. Schwartz will be using these images on his website.
Nearly 2,000 graduates, parents, significant others and siblings gathered to celebrate the Allen School graduating class of 2016. Our photographer, Liel, was on hand yet again to capture all the excitement from the graduates' arrivals to speeches and the diploma ceremony.
The Allen School of Health Sciences offers training in nursing and medical assistance. Our studio has been photographing their graduation ceremony for the past 6 years.
The Brookings Institution hosted a speaker event in honor of their centennial, acknowledging and recognizing 100 years of public policy research. The event celebrated long time supporters, presenting them with a gift that made for a great photo opp. Approximately 80 people attended the event, held at The Harvard Club.
23 supporters and guests had the chance to have breakfast and engage in conversation with President Carter last month at the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel on 8th Avenue. Each family had the opportunity to pose with President Carter for a photo during the breakfast as well. The opportunity was coordinated through The Carter Center, a nonprofit organization founded by President Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. For a 92 year old man President Jimmy Carter looks amazing! It is so nice to see him still so active and doing such good for our world.
In addition to Mitzvahs and Weddings, we do product photography! Sarah is a daughter of a dentist so this photo shoot of Sonic toothbrushes for Frangella Dental was right up her alley! If you have a product you are in need of photographing for your company website, give us a call to learn more about our services.
WIZO welcomed 400 attendees at their annual Children for Our Children Fashion Show at Guastavino's. Proceeds from the event will support the programs WIZO runs in Israel for underprivileged women and youth including day care centers, foster homes, and empowerment and support groups.
A raffle and auction were held in addition to the annual fashion show where NYC kids walk the runway in the coolest clothes, all for a good cause!
Image is Everything: Schedule your Head shot Photo Session Today!
Spring has sprung! New energy? New image. Let us help to capture your best look at a head shot photo session with Sarah Merians at our Manhattan studio.
It's an annual tradition that Sarah heads to Robbinsville, NJ for the Jewish Community Youth Foundation (JCYF) Philanthropy Fair and check presentation. This year was the 13th year of the fair and the foundation celebrated Mitzvah-style with a DJ, a cake and a photo booth! JCYF is a youth philanthropy program for teens in grades 8-12 with a goal for participants to learn, experience, and act upon Jewish values. Check out some of the great photos from this year's fair below.
The Pavilion at Queens is not just a rehabilitation center, but the center also offers long term nursing care. The main mission of the Pavilion at Queens' rehabilitation work is to help residents relearn the skills they need to live a healthy, active and independent life as they reenter society. The Pavilion at Queens is a pioneer in this client-centered strengths-based rehabilitation concept. The center hired Sarah Merians Photography & Video Company for new photography for a brochure and website content. For more information on the Pavilion at Queens, visit http://www.pavilionrehab.com/.
East End Hospice committee members and supporters gathered at the 17th annual Valentine Salon on behalf of Camp Good Grief earlier this month. The luncheon, held again at 583 Park, honored Alexandra Lebenthal of Lebenthal Holdings.
The Valentine Salon emcee this year was Janice Lieberman from NBC's Today. Camp Good Grief is a bereavement camp for children experiencing the loss of a loved one.
If you look closely you can see Sarah Merians herself in the committee photograph as she has been closely involved with the organization for the past 5 years!
Take a look at some photos from the event below.
We are so psyched that our 30th year in business anniversary party was a huge success! Industry professionals gathered to celebrate Sarah's milestone here at our studio and share in the evening's festivities.
Not only was the acoustic guitar provided by E Three NYC a hit, but the food by Thomas Preti Caterers was presented beautifully and tasted even better. Our guests arrived to a beautiful floral arrangement by By Yena Designs. A special thanks to the three of you for adding to the success of our evening.


text:
Q: getline going over specified amount I have this code....
    file_parser::file_parser(string file){
        txtfile.open(file.c_str(), ios::in);
        if (!txtfile.good()){
            string error=err(0," "+file+" not found. Exit code ",1);
            throw file_parse_exception(error);
        }
        while (!txtfile.eof()){
            char str[200];
            txtfile.getline(str, 200);
            string str2=str;
            vfile.push_back(str2);
        }
        txtfile.close();
    }

and the problem is that if I have a line in the input file greater than 200 characters it hangs then crashes. I checked out the value of str at crash and it is preceded by a null char then it tries to push back a null(non-initialized) string onto the vector which causes the hang/crash. does anyone know a way to get around this? I thought by using getline it would truncate the char array at 199(+null) characters but apparently this isn't happening. I'm stumped. The thing is that I want each pushback to have a max of 200 characters. I really don't want the WHOLE line which is what 'string str' would do. and if a line is over 200 characters it should read the first 200 and then move on to the next line.

A: Replace your input loop with this:
    std::string str;
    while (std::getline(txtfile, str)){
        vfile.push_back(str);
    }

Using ios::eof() as a loop condition almost always creates a buggy program, as it did here. In this case, using eof() has two problems. First, eof() is only set after the read fails, not before, but you are checking it before the read. Second, eof() doesn't check the range of other errors. When an input line has more than 200 characters, istream::getline sets failbit, but not eofbit.

EDIT: With the added requirement of limiting the input lines to 200 characters, this should work:

// untested
std::string str;
while(std::getline(txtfile, str)) {
    if(str.size() > 200)
        str.erase(200, std::string::npos);
    vfile.push_back(str);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
SHACKLETON'S BOAT JOURNEY
By F.A. Worsley
On 1 August 1914, on the eve of World War I, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his hand-picked crew embarked in HMS Endurance from London's West India Dock, for an expedition to the Antarctic. It was to turn into one of the most breathtaking survival stories of all time.
Even as they coasted down the channel, Shackleton wired back to London to offer his ship to the war effort. The reply came from the First Lord of the Admiralty, one Winston Churchill: "Proceed." And proceed they did. When the Endurance was trapped and finally crushed to splinters by pack ice in late 1915, they drifted on an ice floe for five months, before getting to open sea and launching three tiny boats as far as the inhospitable, storm-lashed Elephant Island. They drank seal oil and ate baby albatross (delicious, apparently). From there Shackleton himself and seven others – the author among them – went on, in a 22-foot open boat, for an unbelievable 800 miles, through the Antarctic seas in winter, to South Georgia and rescue.
Worsley's account, first published in 1940, is gripping and moving.
SHACKLETON'S BOAT JOURNEY quantity
Become a member by purchasing MAWSON BRONZE EXPLORER, MAWSON SILVER EXPLORER or MAWSON GOLD EXPLORER and receive a 10 – 15% discount on this item (depending on membership level).
MAWSON AND THE ICE MEN OF THE HEROIC AGE
TRIAL BY ICE: ANTARCTIC JOURNALS OF JOHN KING DAVIS
ABANDONED AT FOSSIL BLUFF
WENDY SHARPE'S ANTARCTICA


Private prison companies simply cannot prove that they are better than the public prison sector. This research was conducted to help determine why government agencies should take in consideration the advantages and disadvantages of contracting private companies to manage and/or provide facilities to incarcerate inmates. The research identifies that the private sector's promises of better recidivism rates, lower cost of operations, and staff's training, pay, and benefits equal to the public prison system are not significant enough to weigh in favor of contracting with the private companies. Statistical date, studies, peer reviewed sources, and journals regarding correctional centers being operated by either the public or private sector were reviewed and compared. The findings indicate inconclusive evidence regarding claims of private prisons being significantly more efficient and effective than local, state, and federally operated correctional centers.
Roller, James Michael, "Privatizing prisons: Assessing the claims" (2016). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 15801.


text:
\section{Introduction}

Star formation in our Galaxy takes place mainly in the dense regions of the spiral arms. These regions host massive molecular clouds and also the majority of the single and binary neutron stars ($\sim 10^9$) and black holes ($\sim 10^8$) in the Milky Way. The dense molecular clouds lead to strong star formation activity, which also results in the formation of binary systems, and subsequently to X-ray binary systems. These objects show X-ray flares and outbursts because of accretion processes onto the compact object. At the same time, the gas and dust of the spiral arms absorb most of the emission in the optical to soft X-ray regime below 10 keV. In addition, dense absorbing atmospheres around the object make the detection of these sources even more difficult. The hard X-ray and soft gamma-ray mission {\it INTEGRAL} \cite{INTEGRAL} operates at energies above 20 keV. With the large field of view of the main instruments, the imager IBIS (Ubertini et al.~2003; $19^\circ \times 19^\circ$, partially coded FOV) and the spectrograph SPI (Vedrenne et al.~2003; $35^\circ \times 35^\circ$, PCFOV), and its observing program focussed on the Galactic plane and center, {\it INTEGRAL} is a powerful tool to discover highly absorbed sources ($N_{\rm H} > 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$) in the Galactic plane. So far a handful of those enigmatic objects has been found since the launch of {\it INTEGRAL} in October 2002\footnote{for a list of all sources found by {\it INTEGRAL} see http://isdc.unige.ch/$\sim$rodrigue/html/igrsources.html}. Six of those sources have been published so far: IGR~J16318--4848 \cite{IGRJ16318} with an absorption of $N_{\rm H} \simeq 19 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$ \cite{Matt}, IGR~J19140+0951 ($N_{\rm H} = 0.3 - 1.0 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$; Rodriguez et al. 2005), IGR~J16320--4751 ($N_{\rm H} \simeq 2 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$; Rodriguez et al.~2003), IGR~J16393--4643 ($N_{\rm H} \simeq 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$, Combi et al.~2004), IGR~J16358--4726 ($N_{\rm H} \simeq 4 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$, Patel et al.~2004), and IGR~J16479--4514 ($N_{\rm H} > 5 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$, Walter et al.~2004). While the nature of the latter source is still unknown, the other sources appear to be HMXBs, probably hosting a neutron star as the compact object. Most, if not all,  of these sources show variable absorption.
In this paper we report the discovery and analysis of another highly absorbed source, IGR~J16283--4838 \cite{INTEGRALatel1}. This work makes the first use of the combined data of {\it INTEGRAL}, {\it Swift}, {\it RXTE}, and {\it Spitzer}.

\section{Observations of IGR J16283--4838}

All observations discussed in this Section are summarized in Table~\ref{observations}.

\subsection{Discovery by {\it INTEGRAL}}

IGR~J16283--4838 was discovered \cite{INTEGRALatel1} during the observation of the Norma arm region by the imager IBIS/ISGRI \cite{ISGRI} on-board {\it INTEGRAL}. The observation
lasted from April 7, 2005, 13:57 U.T. until April 9, 4:44 U.T. with an effective ISGRI exposure time of 126 ksec. The source position is $R.A. = 16^{\rm h}28.3'$, $DEC = -48^{\circ}38'$ (J2000.0) with 3 arcmin uncertainty. The source showed a flux of $f_X = (4.8 \pm 0.8) \times 10^{-11} \rm \, erg \, cm^{-2} \, s^{-1}$ in the 20 - 60 keV band. No emission was detectable above 60 keV. From the analysis of another ISGRI observation with similar exposure time we estimate the $3\sigma$ upper limit in the $60 - 200 \rm \, keV$ band $f_X < 1.2 \times 10^{-10} \rm \, erg \, cm^{-2} \, s^{-1}$.
The analysis of the data prior to the discovery
lasting from April 4, 01:55 U.T. until April 6, 11:24 U.T., with an exposure time of 192 ksec resulted in a $3 \sigma$ upper limit of $f_{20 - 60 \rm \, keV} = 1.7 \times 10^{-11} \rm \, erg \, cm^{-2} \, s^{-1}$.
The source showed significant brightening during an {\it INTEGRAL} observation
starting on April 10, 1:26 U.T. Even though IGR~J16283--4838 was in the partially coded field of view of IBIS, the analysis gave a $11.6 \sigma$ detection within 96 ksec with a flux of $f_{20 - 60 \rm \, keV} = (11.3 \pm 1.0) \times 10^{-11} \rm \, erg \, cm^{-2} \, s^{-1}$ \cite{INTEGRALatel2}.
The low flux level of the source did not allow the extraction of a spectrum from the ISGRI data and no simultaneous soft-X and optical observations are available as IGR~J16283--4838 was always outside the field of view of {\it INTEGRAL}'s X-ray monitor JEM-X and of the optical monitor OMC.
No further {\it INTEGRAL} observations of the source were obtained.

\subsection{X-ray follow-up observations}

After the discovery of IGR~J16283--4838 a {\it Swift} follow-up observation was requested in order to obtain an X-ray spectrum and an optical measurement.
The {\it Swift} mission \cite{SWIFT} is a multiwavelength observatory for gamma-ray-burst astronomy. The payload combines a gamma-ray instrument (Burst Alert Telescope, 15 - 150 keV; Barthelmy et al.~2005), an X-ray telescope (XRT; Burrows et al.~2005), and a UV-optical telescope (UVOT; Roming et al.~2005). The XRT is a focussing X-ray telescope with a $110 \rm \, cm^2$ effective area, 23 arcmin FOV, 18 arcsec resolution, and 0.2-10 keV energy range. The UVOT design is based on the Optical Monitor (OM) on-board ESA's XMM-Newton mission, with a field of view of $17 \times 17 \rm \, arcmin$ and an angular resolution of 2 arcsec.

Two {\it Swift} observations took place 3 and 5 days after the last {\it INTEGRAL} observation. The first one started on April 13, 14:02 U.T. with an exposure time of 2.5 ksec, which resulted in an effective {\it Swift}/XRT exposure of 550 sec.
A preliminary analysis of the XRT data refined the position of IGR~J16283--4838 to $R.A. = 16^{\rm h}28' 10.7''$, $DEC = -48^{\circ} 38' 55''$ (J2000.0) with an estimated uncertainty of 5 arcsec radius \cite{SWIFTatel}.
A second observation was performed on April 15, 00:16 U.T. with 2600 sec effective XRT exposure time.

For our analysis of the {\it Swift} data we used the calibration files which have been released on April 5, 2005 and the software provided by the Swift Science Center. These tools are included in the release of HEAsoft 6.0 as of April 12, 2005.
Applying a centroid algorithm to the data of April 15 gives a refined position for the source of $R.A. = 16^{\rm h}28' 10.56''$, $DEC = -48^{\circ} 38' 56.4''$ with an uncertainty of 6 arcsec radius, consistent with both the preliminary analysis and the {\it INTEGRAL} measurement.
The spectrum extracted from the XRT data of April 15 is shown in Figure~\ref{fig:XRTspectrum}. The spectral fitting was done using version 11.3.2 of XSPEC \cite{XSPEC}.
Both XRT spectra are well represented by an absorbed power law with the same photon index ($\Gamma = 1.12 \pm 0.35$), but different absorption column density. The observation of April 13 shows a less absorbed ($N_{\rm H} = 0.6 {+0.4 \atop -0.2} \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$) spectrum with a lower flux ($f_{\rm 2-10 \, keV} = (3.9 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{-11} \rm \, erg \, cm^{-2} \, s^{-1}$) than the April 15 one.
The latter data show $N_{\rm H} = 1.7 {+0.5 \atop -0.4} \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$ and a flux in the 2 -- 10 keV band of $f_{\rm 2-10 \, keV} = (2.7 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{-11} \rm \, erg \, cm^{-2} \, s^{-1}$.
The data are equally well fit by an absorbed black body with $N_{\rm H} = 0.3/1.4 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$ (April 13/15) with a temperature of $kT = 2.0 \pm 0.3 \rm \, keV$.
Adding a Gaussian line to the fit does not improve the results significantly. The $3 \sigma$ upper limit for the Fe K$\alpha$ line at 6.4 keV is $3 \times 10^{-4} \rm \, ph \, cm^{-2} \, s^{-1}$ with an equivalent width of $EW < 600 \rm \, eV$.
Because of the short exposure time the source was not detected by the BAT instrument.

IGR J16283--4838 was then also observed twice by {\it RXTE} using the Proportional Counter Array (PCA). The first observation starting on April 14, at 0:46 U.T. lasted 3.6 ksec, the second on April 15, at 16:07 U.T. lasted 2.9 ksec \cite{RXTEatel}. During both observations the PCA pointing was offset by 45 arcmin to avoid the nearby bright low mass X-ray binary 4U~1624--490.
The {\it RXTE}/PCA has a large field of view ($2^\circ$ FWZM). For targets
near the Galactic plane, a significant amount of Galactic diffuse
emission enters the PCA aperture, which is considered background.
This background was modeled by taking a nearby observation of the
Galactic plane (observation 91409-01-02-00, $l=341.4^\circ$,
$b=0.6^\circ$). This observation is at a similar latitude as
IGR~J16283--4838, so the diffuse emission should have nearly the same
spectrum. The background observation was modeled as thermal
bremsstrahlung with a temperature of $kT = 7.4$ keV, plus line
emission at $\sim 6.5$ keV with an equivalent width of 600 eV. The
shape of the background template was fixed and added to the spectral
model of the two PCA observations of IGR~J16283-4838; only the total normalization of the template was allowed to vary. The fluxes are collimator corrected after background subtraction. The best fit models for the source are shown in Table~\ref{observations}.

No pulsations are detectable in the PCA data.

\subsection{Infrared and optical data}

Within the 6 arcsec error radius around the refined position determined from the {\it Swift}/XRT data the infrared source 2MASS J16281083--4838560 is located at 2.7 arcsec distance (Rodriguez \& Paizis 2005). This source has K, J, and H band magnitudes of $K = (13.95 \pm 0.06) \rm \, mag$, $H > 15.8 \rm \, mag$, and $J > 16.8 \rm \, mag$ ($95 \%$ lower limits).

The Galactic Legacy Infrared Midplane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE\footnote{publicly available at
http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/data/SPITZER/GLIMPSE/}; Benjamin et al.~2003) data show the source SSTGLMC G335.3268+00.1016 at 2.9 arcsec distance to the XRT position, consistent with the 2MASS detection. GLIMPSE is a 4-band near- to mid-infrared survey by {\it Spitzer} \cite{Spitzer} of the inner two-thirds of the Galactic disk with a spatial resolution of $\sim 2''$. The Infrared Array Camera \cite{IRAC} imaged 220 square degrees at wavelengths centered on 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 $\mu m$ in the Galactic longitude range $10^\circ$ to $65^\circ$ on both sides of the Galactic center and in Galactic latitude $\pm 1^\circ$. The {\it Spitzer}/GLIMPSE data show a clear detection
in all four energy bands (Tab.~\ref{observations}).
Another observation in the K-band was performed with the 6.5m Magellan-Baade telescope on April 21, 2005. This observation indicates that the source seen in the 2MASS is a blend of point sources, with the brightest showing $K = 14.1\rm \, mag$ \cite{newIR}. Therefore the identification with the {\it Spitzer} source is tentative. In case the infrared source is not the counterpart to the hard X-ray source, the data presented here would be upper limits for the near and mid-infrared emission.

Within the error radius of IGR~J16283--4838 no optical counterpart is detectable on the POSS-II plates of the Digitised Sky Survey.
During the observations by {\it Swift} on April 13 and on April 15 the UVOT took an image in the V-band. No source is detected within the error radius down to a magnitude of $V > 20 \rm \, mag$.
The image extracted from the {\it Swift}/UVOT data on April 15 is shown in Figure~\ref{fig:XRTimage}. The contours indicate the XRT count map and the cross
gives the position of the mid-infrared counterpart.

\section{Spectral Energy Distribution}

The spectral energy distribution (SED) of IGR~J16283--4838 is shown in Figure~\ref{fig:SED}. In the chosen diagram a single power law with photon index $\Gamma = 2$ would appear as an even, horizontal line.
No error bars have been included for the {\it Swift}/XRT data and only the XRT data of April 15 are shown for better visibility.
From the comparison of the XRT data points with the measurements by {\it RXTE}/PCA it is apparent that both were taken during a similar high state of the source, while the two {\it INTEGRAL}/ISGRI measurements describe a lower flux state. Unfortunately the $60 - 200 \rm \, keV$ upper limit does not constrain the SED significantly.

Note that we display in the SED the absorbed X-ray fluxes as they are measured at the observer, as most of the absorption appears to be intrinsic to the source.
The situation is different in the optical where the flux is absorbed already significantly by material in the line of sight. The hydrogen column density in the direction of the source is $N_{\rm H} = 2.2 \times 10^{22} \rm \, cm^{-2}$. This leads to an extinction of $A_V = N_{\rm H} / 1.79 \times 10^{21} \rm \, cm^{-2} = 12.3 \rm \, mag$ \cite{extinction}. Therefore the unabsorbed optical limit is $V > 7.7 \rm \, mag$ and outside the displayed range of Figure~\ref{fig:SED}. The absorption has a lower effect on the near-infrared fluxes. With $A_K = 0.112 \, A_V$, $A_H = 0.176 \, A_V$, and $A_J = 0.276 \, A_V$ (Schlegel, Finkbeiner, \& Davis 1998) the unabsorbed flux values are $K = 12.7  \rm \, mag$, $H >  13.6 \rm \, mag$, and $J > 13.4 \rm \, mag$. The extinction in the mid-infrared range is negligible.

\section{Discussion}

The new hard X-ray source IGR~J16283--4838 exhibits several characteristic features.
IGR J16283--4838 is located at Galactic longitude $l = 335.3^\circ$ and latitude $+6.1$ arcmin in the Norma arm region.
It shows a strong flare within a time scale of days.
The absorption is of the order of $N_{\rm H} = 0.4 - 1.7 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$ with variations by a factor of 4 within one day and a flat X-ray spectrum ($\Gamma \simeq 1$) during all observations.
The bimodal spectral energy distribution has one peak probably in the near-infrared and the other in the hard X-rays.
The equivalent width of the iron K$\alpha$ line is $EW < 600 \rm \, eV$ ($f_{\rm K \alpha} < 3 \times 10^{-4} \rm \, ph \, cm^{-2} \, s^{-1}$)
and no optical counterpart is detectable ($V > 20 \, \rm mag$), probably because of absorption in the line of sight.

Combining this information enables us to put constraints on the nature of the source.
The position within the Galactic plane at only $+6.1$ arcmin makes a Galactic origin of the source likely, even though some AGN have been seen through the plane by {\it INTEGRAL}, like the Seyfert 1 galaxy GRS 1734-292 \citep{GRS1734a,GRS1734b}. Strong variability as observed in IGR~J16283--4838 has been seen in the X-ray spectra of Seyfert galaxies (e.g. Dewangan et al. 2002), but the X-ray spectrum is too flat ($\Gamma \simeq 1$) for a Seyfert galaxy.
This would still leave the possibility of a blazar as counterpart.
But the absorption by the Galaxy in the direction of the source ($N_{\rm H} = 2.2 \times 10^{22} \rm \, cm^{-2}$) is not high enough to explain the intrinsic absorption of $1.7 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$, and thus intrinsic strong absorption in the blazar would be required to explain the {\it Swift}/XRT spectrum, but this has not been seen so far in blazar spectra.

If we consider IGR~J16283--4838 to be a Galactic source, mainly two types of bright and variable hard X-ray emitters are likely to be a counterpart: Low Mass and High Mass X-ray Binaries, LMXBs and HMXBs, respectively.
The hard X-ray spectrum with strong absorption indicates the presence of a HMXB in which no pulsation have been detected so far \cite{RXTEatel}. Also the bright infrared emission, if connected to the X-ray source, would indicate a massive star as the companion of the compact object.

For a HMXB it is likely that IGR~J16283--4838 is located close to a star forming region in a Galactic spiral arm. Along the line of sight towards the source several arms are located \cite{arms}: the Sagittarius-Carina arm (0.7 kpc), the Scutum-Crux arm (3.2 kpc), the Norma-Cygnus arm (4.8 kpc), a star-forming region (7 kpc), and the Perseus arm (10.8 kpc).
The luminosity of the object during the flare can be estimated by taking the brightest stage during the {\it RXTE} observation and assuming a distance to the object between 1 and 10 kpc. The unabsorbed flux is in this case only 20\% larger than the absorbed one, because the significant part of the luminosity is emitted in the hard X-rays. The bolometric luminosity is then in the range $\log L_{\rm burst} = 34.0 - 36.5$ (where $L$ is in units of $\rm \, erg \, s^{-1}$). The quiescent luminosity of the system is at least a factor of $\sim 20$ lower with $\log L_{\rm q} < 33 - 35.2$.
This range of values is consistent with measurements from known Be/X-ray binaries with a neutron star as the compact object \cite{BeX}.
 In any case the luminosity is far below the Eddington luminosity of a neutron star of $1.4 M_\odot$ ($L = 1.8 \times 10^{38} \rm \, erg \, s^{-1}$).

The properties of IGR~J16283--4838 are similar to those of a number of highly absorbed sources ($N_{\rm H} = 1 - 20 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$) found in the Galactic plane, especially in the Norma arm region \cite{IGRs}. The HMXB IGR~J19140+0951 shows also strong variable absorption \cite{IGRJ19140}, indicating intrinsic absorption in the source. The observed properties of IGR~J16283--4838 are consistent with those of IGR~J19140+0951 in the bright state, where the iron line flux decreased to $4 \times 10^{-4} \rm \, ph \, cm^{-2} \, s^{-1}$, which is at the upper limit for the {\it Swift}/XRT measurement in our case.
The (non-)variability of the absorption in IGR~J16318--4848 is still under discussion, as Walter et al. (2003) claim constant absorption, whereas Revnivtsev (2003) discovered variable absorption which could be connected with the orbital phase of the binary system.
Only one of the newly detected highly absorbed sources has been claimed so far not to be a HMXB. Patel et al.~(2004) observed IGR~J16358--4726 with {\it Chandra}. From the X-ray data they favour the source to be a millisecond pulsar LMXB even though the HMXB interpretation cannot be ruled out completely, though it would require some unknown kind of spin-down torque to prevent the neutron star from spinning up in this particular case.

X-ray binaries with strong intrinsic absorption have been known already before {\it INTEGRAL}, for example in 4U 1700-377, GX 301-2, Vela X-1, and CI Cam. Except for the latter one, where the nature of the source is unclear to date, these sources are also HMXBs, likely to host a neutron star as the compact object. Vela X-1 shows variable absorption from a negligible value up to $7 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$ \cite{VelaX-1}. GX 301-2 shows strong absorption variation (up to $12 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$; White \& Swank~1984), and so does CI Cam ($(0.02 - 5) \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$; Boirin et al.~2002). In 4U 1700-377 the absorption is linked to the state of the HMBX system and varies by a factor of 2 between 0.9 and $2.0 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$ \cite{4U1700}. It appears that variable absorption is a common feature in highly absorbed HMXBs.
This could mean that the absorbing material is linked to the existence of a high mass donor in the binary system. In this case a strong and dense stellar wind ($10^{-7}$ to $10^{-5} \, M_\odot \rm \, yr^{-1}$) from the early-type stellar companion will probably cause the absorption in the system.
The fact that all the absorbed sources so far have shown to be HMXBs \citep{kuulkers,IGRs} containing neutron stars does not rule out significant contribution of HMXBs with a black hole as the compact object. But these systems are expected to be less numerous than the neutron star HMXBs by a factor of 10 to 100, making the detection of a black hole binary within a sample of only about 10 detected highly absorbed HMXBs unlikely.
These absorbed binary systems might provide a significant contribution to the Galactic hard X-ray background at energies above 10 keV \citep{XRB2,XRB}.

\section{Conclusions}

The newly discovered hard X-ray source \linebreak \mbox{IGR~J16283--4838}, located in the Norma arm region, is likely to be a HMXB containing a neutron star as the compact object. It is located in the Galactic Plane in the direction of star forming regions in the spiral arms and shows a large flare, which makes an extragalactic origin unlikely. The spectrum is hard ($\Gamma \sim 1$) and strongly absorbed during the flare, which indicates a HMXB rather than a LMXB.  The luminosity is comparably low ($L < 10^{37} \rm \, erg \, s^{-1}$) which is typical for a neutron star HMXB.
The strong and variable absorption ($N_{\rm H} = 0.4 - 1.7 \times 10^{23} \rm \, cm^{-2}$) indicates that IGR~J16283--4838 belongs to the class of highly absorbed HMXBs discovered by {\it INTEGRAL} along the Galactic plane.
Bright and absorbed sources like IGR~J16283--4838 could contribute significantly to the Galactic hard X-ray background in the 10--200 keV band.

It has to be pointed out that the discovery and classification of IGR~J16283--4838 would not be possible without combining the observations of the recent observatories in space, like {\it INTEGRAL}, {\it Swift}, {\it RXTE}, and {\it Spitzer}. Combined efforts from these missions should lead to deeper insights into the nature of the hard X-ray source population in our Galaxy in the near future.

\begin{acknowledgements}
We like to thank John Greaves for pointing out the GLIMPSE data.
This work is based in part on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under NASA contract 1407. This research has made use
of the SIMBAD Astronomical Database which is operated by the Centre de Donn\'ees astronomiques de Strasbourg. This work was supported in part by NASA
contract NAS5-00136.
\end{acknowledgements}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Political Uncertainty Undermines Business Confidence
Posted by Andre Mayer on Dec 3, 2013 9:08:00 AM
Political uncertainty continues to whipsaw the economic recovery.
Massachusetts employers increasingly confident about the prospects of their own companies remain skittish about the future in the face of serial government shutdowns, default scares and a seemingly intractable partisan fiscal standoff.
The freshest evidence comes this morning from the November Associated Industries of Massachusetts Business Confidence Index, which rose 3.5 points in November to 50.2, extending the up-and-down pattern that has prevailed for some time. The Index is up 3.4 from last November, when it was driven down by concerns about the fiscal cliff, and up 3.5 from October, when the federal government shut down.
"When left alone, the economy is making progress – but with recurrent uncertainties on the political side, it isn't able to build much momentum," said Raymond G. Torto, Chairman at CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc., the chair of AIM's Board of Economic Advisors (BEA).
"Coming back from the psychological and economic impact of the federal shutdown, employers still see an upside," said Michael A. Tyler, Chief Investment Officer, Eastern Bank Wealth Management, a BEA member. "They do not expect politics to bring growth to a halt. Also, whether or not current Federal Reserve policy is actually good for the economy today, employers do perceive it as a net positive."
The U.S. Index of business conditions prevailing nationally gained five points in November to 42.8, while the Massachusetts Index of conditions within the Commonwealth rose 2.5 to 47.0.
"These indicators must be read as containing a large component of political commentary," Tyler noted. "The political goings-on in Washington undermine the confidence of many businesspeople; not one survey respondent rated national conditions 'very good'. Some state issues may also be lessening confidence at that level. At the same time other indicators, notably those related to respondents' own operations, paint a sunnier picture of the business climate."
AIM's Business Confidence Index has been issued monthly since July 1991 under the oversight of the Board of Economic Advisors. Presented on a scale on which 50 is neutral, its historical high was 68.5, attained in 1997 and 1998; its all-time low was 33.3 in February 2009.
Confidence readings have moved in a see-saw pattern since April, alternating modest increases and decreases never far from the neutral 50 level. The gyrations have taken place against the backdrop of a surge in unemployment in Massachusetts from 6.4 to 7.2 percent.
All of the sub-indices based on selected questions or respondent characteristics rose in November along with the main Index, and all were up from November 2012 (a weak month). The Current Index, tracking employers' assessment of existing business conditions, added 3.1 points to 49.3, and the Future Index, measuring expectations for the next six months, gained 3.0 to 50.8.
The Company Index, which measures survey respondents' overall confidence in the situations of their own operations, added 3.8 points in November to 55.5. The Employment Index rose 2.6 to 51.1, and theSales Index gained 2.2 to 55.2.
"The numbers have bounced back to about where they were in September, which is good news," said BEA member Sara L. Johnson, Senior Research Director of Global Economics at IHS Global Insight, "but job creation, which has been a stumbling block for economic progress, remains a concern."
Analysts say uncertainty has seeped into state issues as well.
"The up-and-down pattern of the Business Confidence Index is part of what has been an up-and-down year for Massachusetts employers and for the state's economy," said Richard C. Lord, AIM's President and CEO, a BEA member.
"Despite headwinds from federal tax increases and sequestration, economic growth started strong, but then weakened in the second quarter, picked up again in the third, and was probably impaired in this quarter by the shutdown. We've had some ups and downs on Beacon Hill as well, for example over the short-lived tax on software services."
Topics: AIM Business Confidence Index, Economy, Unemployment


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You should look at times as a manager of a healthcare facility. Organize for some semi-professional sessions with your employees as this will create good platforms for understanding each persons characters. It will be beneficial if the employees will understand each other deeply such as by knowing the thinking of their co-workers as this will help them relate well with each other. The end result is that the workers in your healthcare facility will understand their co-partners well such that they will communicate in the best way possible.
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