text:
Margarete Joswig
Margarete Joswig, born in Mannheim, studied singing at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts with Gisela Pohl and Elsa Cavelti. She attended the Lieder class of Charles Spencer as well as the Opera School and concluded her studies in 1994 by gaining an Opera Diploma.
Master classes with Brigitte Fassbaender and Laura Sarti and work with Prof. Rudolf Piernay have rounded out her vocal education. The singer is currently working with Amsterdam singing teacher Margreet Honig.
Following periods as a member of the ensemble at the Saarländisches Staatstheater in Saarbrücken and the Oper Stuttgart, Margarete Joswig has worked as a freelance artist since 2003. Guest engagements have taken her to such venues as Teatro San Carlo, Naples (DIE WALKÜRE), to Rome, to the Théatre de Chatelet in Paris (DAS LIED VON DER ERDE), to the Rheingau Festival (Verdi's REQUIEM), to Kunstfest Weimar (Eisler's DEUTSCHE SINFONIE), as Drummer in Victor Ullmann's opera DER KAISER VON ATLANTIS to Teatro Massimo in Palermo.
Recent engagements include Countess (DER WILDSCHÜTZ) at the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich, First Norn (GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG) at the Odense Symfoniorkester, Waltraute (DIE WALKÜRE) to the Opéra National de Bordeaux and Hans Sommer´s songs "Sapphos Gesänge and Mignons Heimath" with the Philharmonisches Orchester Altenburg-Gera.
Her early days in the lyrical mezzo fach led to such roles as Orfeo (ORFEO ED EURIDICE), Dorabella (COSÌ FAN TUTTE), Idamante (IDOMENEO), Rosina (THE BARBER OF SEVILLE), Angelina (LA CENERENTOLA), Prince Orlofsky (DIE FLEDERMAUS), Maddalena (RIGOLETTO), Fenena (NABUCCO), Olga (EUGENE ONEGIN), Isabella (L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI), Marzelline (THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO) and Magdalene (DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG). At the Oper Stuttgart she added such roles as Octavian, Martuccia (DIE GEZEICHNETEN), Ludmilla (THE BARTERED BRIDE) and Flosshilde (DAS RHEINGOLD) and currently at the Hessisches Staatstheater in Wiesbaden she is playing the parts of Gertrud (HANSEL AND GRETEL), Fricka (DAS RHEINGOLD and DIE WALKÜRE), Waltraute and First Norn (GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG), Virgie (ANNA NICOLE) and Brangäne (TRISTAN UND ISOLDE).
The artist is also much in demand as a Lieder singer and concert soloist; her repertoire encompasses works from the Baroque to modern times. She appeared in the premiere of the opera BENEDETTO MARCELLO by Joachim Raff during the 2002 Autumn Music Festival in Bad Urach, where in the autumn of 2003 she sang the part of Sigilgaita in the premiere of Siegfried Wagner's opera RAINULF AND ADELASIA, also released on CD.
She has worked with such conductors and directors as Lothar Zagrosek, Sylvain Cambreling, Uwe Eric Laufenberg, Andrea Breth, Martin Kusej and Heinz Kresnik.
Berg WOZZECK Margret
Humperdinck HÄNSEL UND GRETEL Mutter
Mozart DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE 2. Dame, 3. Dame
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO Marcellina
Offenbach LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN La Mère d´Antonia
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS Dryade
DER ROSENKAVALIER Octavian
DIE FLEDERMAUS Prinz Orlofsky
Tschaikowski EUGEN ONEGIN Olga
Ullmann DER KAISER VON ATLANTIS Der Trommler
NABUCCO Fenena
RIGOLETTO Maddalena
Wagner DAS RHEINGOLD Fricka, Flosshilde
DIE WALKÜRE Fricka, Schwertleite, Waltraute
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG 1. Norn, Waltraute
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG Magdalena
PARSIFAL 2. Knappe, Blumenmädchen, Stimme aus der Höhe
Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden – Anna Nicole (premiere)
Agentur	23. January 2020
Philharmonisches Orchester Altenburg-Gera – Sapphos Gesänge
Agentur	4. June 2019
Opéra National de Bordeaux – The Valkyrie
Agentur	15. May 2019
Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden – Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Agentur	10. September 2018
All news by Margarete Joswig
Photographer © Lena Wunderlich


text:
Action on weak local councils should be consistent
THE past week has elevated local government to a top news story with the arrest of senior Buffalo City brass for misappropriation of funds and the dismissal of several Limpopo mayors for nonperformance. While decisive action on the abuse of power or dereliction of duty is necessary in local government to incentivise better performance and accountability some commentators have questioned its motives.
Is it the new broom implied by President Jacob Zuma in addressing corruption in local government? Or is it a token set of high-level scapegoats? Or is it political fall-out after the elections? While only time will tell it is important that the motivation behind dismissals is clearly linked to poor performance.
Last week began with the dramatic arrest of Buffalo City mayor Zukiswa Ncitha; her deputy Temba Tinta; and speaker Luleka Simon-Ndzele for alleged fraud — especially unpalatable considering it involved Nelson Mandela's memorial service. The Eastern Cape's local government and traditional affairs department and the Hawks are investigating charges of fraud corruption and money laundering relating to the costs of transporting mourners a story dug up by the Daily Dispatch.
A day later four Limpopo mayors were dismissed after an African National Congress (ANC) provincial executive committee decision to act on "the weaknesses and challenges of the different municipalities … to strengthen our performance in municipalities for better service delivery". Axed mayors include those from the Capricorn and Mopani districts and Elias Motsoaledi and Greater Tubatse local municipalities.
There is good reason for the ANC to take action in a province where backlogs remain a stubborn problem along with underdevelopment. Poor voter turnout in the province is also of concern. But clouding the removal of the officials were allegations that they were linked to Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema and former premier Cassel Mathale.
In assessing whether the municipalities are any worse off than others in the province it is instructive to consider a number of indicators — performance on the Municipal IQ compliance and governance index (CGI) which benchmarks compliance with legislative processes audit outcomes and capacity backlogs in basic municipal services and expenditure per resident.
While Mopani district and Elias Motsoaledi show poor scores on the CGI Capricorn and Greater Tubatse do not although the latter's performance on improving significant backlogs was lacklustre and Capricorn's performance on expenditure is below the district average. Taken together there appear to be bona fide reasons to be concerned about the performance of these municipalities although it will also need to be assessed why the worst performers on the CGI — Waterberg Vhembe Thulamela — were not subject to the same treatment.
It is possible that the Buffalo City investigation had to run its course before the arrests were made this month but it is curious that the allegations go back almost six months. It might be asked why the scandal was kept under wraps before the elections or did a shake-up after the elections remove indemnity for certain political factions?
It is critical that malfeasance in local government is addressed so that corruption and poor performance are seen to have consequences and it is made clear to elected leaders that they have a responsibility to perform at an acceptable level or be removed.
Indeed a key problem with local government is that corruption and poor performance are often ignored by the provincial and national government. But it is equally important that intervention in municipalities is done in a consistent and transparent way so that it cannot simply be dismissed as "political".
First such Machiavellian motivations mitigate and potentially excuse ill-doing (if this is proven) and second the incentive is distorted. If there is a perception that action is taken only when politicians fall foul of ruling interest groups and factions rather than focusing on performance their primary incentive becomes to align themselves in political agendas.
It is crucial that arrests in cases such as those in Buffalo City continue when necessary in a nonpartisan fashion and that the dismissal or redeployment of elected officials be justified by clear and comparable evidence of nonperformance.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Austerity: The Demolition of the Welfare State and the Rise of the Zombie Economy
by Kerry-Anne Mendoza - £9.99 New Internationalist Publications Ltd (2015)
Wages have been frozen, benefits have been slashed and public spending squeezed. The pain of a financial crisis caused by bankers and speculators has been borne by ordinary people all over the country � and by the poor and disabled most of all.
Yet this has not been born of necessity, argues Kerry-Anne Mendoza, also known as the blogger Scriptonite. Rather, it has been an opportunity seized upon by neoliberals to pursue their decades-long project to shrink government and put Britain�s most cherished public resources � including the NHS and state schools � into private hands.
Under cover of an economic emergency, the social democracy that we took for granted is being systematically dismantled and our basic freedoms are under threat. Published in the run-up to the general election in May 2015 to help give voice to campaigns of resistance and democratic alternatives.
(Price & availability last checked: February 2015)
Order Austerity: The Demolition of the Welfare State and the Rise of the Zombie Economy
Austerity: The Demolition of the Welfare State and the Rise of the Zombie Economy - by Kerry-Anne Mendoza
by Kerry-Anne Mendoza
Featured book: Recommended books for Yuletide 2015!,
In booklists: Politics of Modern Britain, Austerity and The Economic Crisis,
In categories: Politics & Philosophy, Ireland, Scotland & Wales, Society, Welfare, Justice & the State, Anti-Capitalism & Global Inequality,


text:
Faculty Development, Publication Subvention and Research Travel Programs
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the response to cancel all University related travel, we have to make several changes to the ECAS Faculty Development, Research Travel and Book Subvention Programs. The programs will remain active with a few caveats:
The final deadline to apply remains April 15.
Do not apply for any travel from March 19 – June 30, 2020. We cannot support travel for the reminder of this fiscal year due to the pandemic.
If you have traveled from before March 19, 2020, you may apply for funding for a supported activity.
You may apply to the Faculty Development program for supplies and materials to enhance your professional development. However, we are limited to the types of items we can order until we return to campus such as chemicals and refrigerated items.
The Book Subvention Program remains unaffected.
Please contact Stephen Ballant for questions and concerns.
Faculty Development and Publication Subvention
The Eberly College Faculty Development Program provides funding to help support activities that promote the applicant's professional growth as a scholar, teacher or provider of service. Appropriate activities include, but are not limited to, attending workshops and seminars, organizing lectures for the benefit of WVU faculty and travel to conduct research.
The Eberly College Publication Subvention Program supports book preparation and other costs of publication including open access fees, as long as these activities can be shown to promote the applicant's professional growth as a scholar, teacher or service provider.
Eligible faculty members include those in these categories: Tenure-Track (including tenured faculty members), Teaching, Clinical and Research. Faculty equivalent academic professionals (FEAPs) are eligible for the development program.
Research Travel Program
The Eberly College Research Travel Grant Program provides funding to help support research that requires access to archives, collections, environments, instruments or facilities that are not available on or near campus. The program is designed to support travel for purposes of data collection.
Full-time (1.0 FTE) permanent faculty members are eligible if their positions include research as an area of significant contribution. Normally, faculty members who must make significant contributions in research are on the tenure track (including tenured faculty members) or have a title with the prefix "Research." Faculty members in other categories are eligible only if significant contributions in research are required for promotion.
Visiting faculty members and Postdocs are not eligible for any of these programs. Chairs and directors are encouraged to use unit funds to support these colleagues.
You should submit your application to your department chair who, in turn, will decide on a departmental contribution towards your activities and forward the application to our office.
An individual may receive one award per program per fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) for activities completed before the end of the fiscal year.
Please contact Stephen Ballant or Mike Perone with any questions.
2019-20 ECAS Development and Subvention Application
2019-20 ECAS Research Travel Grant Application
Dean and Leadership
Expert Business Office
Office of Communications and Marketing
Department Chairs and Directors
First-generation Faculty
© 2021 West Virginia University. WVU is an EEO/Affirmative Action employer — Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran. Last updated on April 7, 2020.


If you need to see a list of all the upcoming Standard First Aid with Basic Life Support CPR/AED courses we offer, just click on the button below.
This course is for health care professionals that are needing both a Standard First Aid and Basic Life Support CPR/AED certification.
Examples include health-care professionals (i.e., doctors, nurses and paramedics), respiratory and pulmonary technologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, dentists and dental hygienists, and student/educators in health-profession education programs.
Each student will be required to complete the mandatory online component prior to the course start date.
Our Instructors are front-line professionals who tailor teaching based on participants' learning styles and training needs. Dynamic teaching techniques: media presentations, skills demonstrations, practice sessions, scenarios based on real-life situations, discussions, and exercises. Hands-on training using real materials: mannequins for practising CPR, AED trainers, bandages and splinting materials, auto-injector trainers, inhalers, and additional aids. User-friendly colour manuals developed using feedback from course participants and Instructors.
Red Cross Standard First Aid with CPR level C valid for 3 years.
Red Cross Basic Life Support (formerly Health Care Provider) certification valid for 12 months.
This is the new Canadian Red Cross Program that will replace the existing Standard First Aid with Health Care Provider Program.


Doodle on the walls! Draw your own vase! After a three-year renovation, the Cooper Hewitt reopens with some fancy new tech.
After closing its doors three years ago for a massive renovation, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is finally reopening the century-old mansion that houses the design museum. In its new incarnation, the Cooper Hewitt taps into what distinguishes a design museum, which celebrates functional objects built with users in mind, from any other museum full of beautiful objects: It allows you to play with the collection, rather than just look at it.
On December 12, the Smithsonian Design Museum opens once again within the newly renovated and revamped Carnegie Mansion, home to steel baron Andrew Carnegie and his family until after his wife's death in 1949. Expect a slicker, more 21st-century museum–it dropped the stodgy hyphen from its former name, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, debuted a new open-source typeface and a Pentagram-designed graphic identity, and expanded its gallery space by 60%. The museum has also used its hiatus to rethink how visitors interact with the collection (which includes hundreds of thousands of examples of wallpaper, products, graphic design and more dating back to 1500 B.C.) in the process attempting to design one of the most cutting-edge experiences for a museum today.
It's a giant curiosity machine.
Cooper Hewitt has been working with designers like Local Projects' Jake Barton (known for his work with the 9/11 museum and memorial) and High Line and MoMA architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro to create a space that's as relevant and engaging to a world-renown professional designer as it is to a group of schoolchildren.
"Museums, I think, are becoming more and more aware of how to turn themselves into a must-see spectacle," Barton says. Especially with much of the museum collection already online, the Cooper Hewitt–and every museum that makes money off admissions–needs to get people through the door.
For the new Cooper Hewitt, the spectacle starts with a new device: a pen. Starting in early 2015, every visitor to the museum will receive an interactive digital pen with their ticket. When you touch the pen to labels on the exhibition display cases and elsewhere in the museum, a digital copy of those items is saved to an online account accessible via a URL on the back of each ticket. You can save objects on display you want to look up later to explore more in-depth, or share what you saw with your friends via email.
The pen works with the museum's new high-resolution touch-screen tables, where visitors can look at the items they've saved on their pens, draw their own designs, and generally explore the collection in a different way (using software designed by Local Projects). The seven tables scattered throughout the museum are kind of like giant tablets (a few are seven feet long and can be used by up to six people at a time), with a river of digital icons flowing consistently down the middle. These icons represent items in the collection–vases, wallpaper swatches, drawings–and they can be grabbed at random just by dragging them off onto the side of the table. More information on the item, as well as a series of related items, comes up, allowing you to delve deeper into a piece of design. "It's a giant curiosity machine," Barton says.
The best part of the interactive tables is that you can browse the collection simply by doodling a shape. Playing with a prototype of the table in Barton's office, I draw a half-hearted squiggle, and a vase that incorporates a similar shape pops up. I draw a circle, and a tapestry appears. I doodle a few curvy lines, and Peter Schlumbohm's Chemex pour-over coffee maker appears.
Every piece of design started with a human hand.
Because the collection is meant to serve as inspiration for contemporary designers, there's also a function to draw your own digital designs, and save them to your online museum account with your pen. Draw a few lines, and the software will turn it into a 3-D rendering of a table, or a lamp, or a chair, or a building, or a hat. You can add different colors and shapes, manipulating your design, adding textures like metal or ceramic attributes, seeing how your simple line drawing could be the basis for a lamp or a skyscraper.
Perhaps the most unique feature of the new Cooper Hewitt in the Immersion Room, a space where you can use the same type of interactive table that's featured throughout the rest of the museum to explore the Cooper Hewitt's historic wallpaper collection. The Cooper Hewitt houses the largest collection of wallpaper in the United States–thousands of pieces–but much of the samples take the form of small swatches, only a few feet long at most. The Immersion Room allows visitors to browse the wallpaper collection digitally, and project it onto the walls of the room, recreating the immersive physical experience intended by the wallpaper's designer. Selecting certain pieces on the touch-screen table brings up audio narration by designers like architect Clive Wilkinson and Roberston Hartnett of wallpaper studio twenty2.
The Cooper Hewitt has the largest collection of wallpaper in the United States.
Similar to the other interactive tables, the Immersion Room's table lets you draw your own designs. You can create your own wallpaper patterns to project on the wall and learn about how wallpaper is designed. (Yes, you can save your personal pattern to your pen.) Though only one wallpaper can be projected at a time, two different people can use the software at once, allowing people to use one side of the table for examining historic samples while drawing their own wallpaper on the other side, or to play off what the museum visitor alongside them is drawing.
You stand in front of a large digital screen that cycles through life-sized silhouettes of human bodies in different positions. Strike a pose in front of the motion sensors, and Gesture Match will cycle through its catalog of gestures to connect your posture to a piece of design. Raise up both arms, and a magazine cover from the collection featuring a doll in a similar position will appear. Pretend to drink something, and it will bring up a set of cups. Raise one hand up to the ceiling, and a lightbulb–the kind you might twist out of a fixture above your head–shows up. A dancing position reveals a historic drawing of a mansion room–"this bathroom is big enough for a dance party," the description reads.
The Process Lab is a section of the museum that focuses on hands-on design experiences. Visitors are invited to design their own lamps with LED bulbs and a selection of pre-cut materials, and to handle and evaluate different versions of the same product (like water bottles) to explore why so many iterations of the same object exist.
In this room, the interactive tables aren't focused on the well-designed objects in the museum's collection, but the designs we encounter every day that could be improved. "Design It Better" is a basic introduction to design thinking and the design process. It invites visitors to sketch new features for ubiquitous objects, like a backpack, a prescription pill bottle, or a newspaper, or a drinking fountain. The app asks you to consider the end user of a particular object–could a backpack be redesigned for a really organized student? Could the water fountain be redesigned to work better for someone in a wheelchair? How could a newspaper be easier to read on the train? You can explore previous visitors' ideas and vote for your favorites.
All these new technological features are designed to make the Cooper Hewitt a place where you not only learn about design, but undergo a design training of sorts. The pen, the interactive tables, and the Immersion Room are all about engaging with the collection as design inspiration, an idea that harks back to the Hewitt sisters' original intent for the library of designs they collected for what was originally dubbed the Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration.
"These weren't originally collected to be precious objects in the way that you think about the Metropolitan Museum of Art or MoMA," Barton explains. "The Hewitt sisters were these amazing both sort of philanthropists and dilettantes who went out and single-handedly collected all of these of-the-moment designs in wallpaper and textiles and in graphic design in order to teach people about design." The original collection was housed in cases where young designers could come pull out swatches of wallpaper, study them, copy them, and learn from them–it was a practical learning space for the visual arts. In the 21st century, that historic wallpaper has become a bit more precious, but new technology allows a contemporary return to that practice. You can pull up something from the wallcoverings collection and copy it, zoom in on it, examine it in detail. You can trace the shapes of historic objects to get a better sense of how designs changed over the years. In this way, the Cooper Hewitt has created a museum that can be experienced anew every time you visit, whether the exhibits have changed or not, creating experiences that are worth returning for.


This is one of those movies...that I heard the name of alot in the 80's, and it had the great song title to it....but I never saw it.
I wasn't sure what it was actually about.
Has anyone seen it? And did you like it.
I know it is a love story with Jeff Bridges and Rachel Ward.
I saw it when it came out. It was ok but not that special. I liked the title song by Phil Collins.
It was basically about an ex-football player turned detective who is hired to find the wife of some rich dude.
The movie was boring to me Miss Isis....but the song is awesome....I love Phil Collins....I even saw the title of the thread and started singing it....awww love it!
Muff you hit the nail on the head. I would watch the movie just to see the song. It was kind of slow moving, but you cannot help but just absolutely love the song! One of my favorite movie songs of all time!
I have accidentally landed upon this movie. I just flicked through some of it briefly and just about to sit down and watch. I remember the car racing scene from when I saw some of this as a midday movie from taking the day off school. I thought Ferris Bueller's record of 9 times absent was pretty tame. Can't wait to sit and watch this.
I like Against All Odds and own the dvd.
Not much action in it but i like the feeling it has. Pure 80s.
Love the locations, the Collins tune and the cast is excellent.
Jeff Bridges is always at his best when he plays a 'has-been' character (preferably on alcohol or drugs).
8 Million Ways To Die, The Big Lebowski, Crazy Heart.. he's the man !
I wonder if ISIS ever saw this film. If so, what did you think? I loved it and always look forward to seeing it again.
"Against All Odds" is only an OK movie, good cast, good locations, good song, good car chase, yet... It's lacking in excitment. The original called "Out of the Past" with Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer is great. Come to think of it, Jane Greer was in both films!
We don't care, we still want ze money Lebowski.
Yeah, I watched it and didn't think much of the actual movie but the locations and other stuff mentioned was good.
Robert Mitchum is an awesome actor BTW.
I have never seen the Phil Collins video and it is on the music channel on cable right now. Awesome.
I actually really liked the movie when I saw it. My brother said he didn't think it was all that great. However I love the Neo Noir style, Miami Vice esque drama suspense. James Woods is great as the bad guy as always. Jeff Bridges is good in it. The locations music and pacing are all very good in my opinion, I want to be in an adventure like that, only without all the risk of death or personal injury. But Rachel Ward stole my heart and the show, I wanted to give her a big kiss at the end. All and all I thought it was decent.
I bumped this back in 2012 for the original poster.
Watched it this week and loved it again. The things I enjoy about this movie.
The opening carribean scenes. Its set in Cozumel but dont know if it was actually there.
The tough, hard personality of Bridges character.
The decete is boiling over in this flick.
You too huh? I've always wanted to view it but had other things going on in the 80's. Last week or so it was on HBO and, naturally, I missed it.
Bridges is one of those actors who has been a constant figure since way back when up until today. I'll watch his films because he doesn't come across as a pompous clown.
"Against All Odds" is a decent '80's thriller. I had seen bits & pieces of this back in the day, but never saw the film in it's entirety until the 200X's (on DVD). Later watched it on Blu.
Good story, fantastic scenery, and great acting on the parts of all the cast members.
Against All Odds is okay, but a pale, pale comparison to the original, Out of the Past, with Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer. It's too soapy and filmed too much like a perfume commercial for me, which dilutes that it has excellent acting (James Woods is especially effective), there's an amazing car chase, and, of course, one of the greatest Phil Collins ballads on the soundtrack. It had all the elements, but Taylor Hackford, the director, just didn't have the ability to put them together in a good way.


Professional Housing Provider (PHP) certification program is sponsored by the National Real Estate Investor's Association. REIN is this area's Authorized Trainer. To become a successful real estate investor, it is essential to complete a well-rounded education. Not only will it help you avoid costly mistakes in your real estate investing career, but the regular participation in our educational offerings will expose you to many experts, helping you build your personal team of contacts necessary for your success.
The Homes Tours are a great opportunity to learn about rehabbing and renovating properties from other REIN members. Held on a Saturday, a group of about 40 gather to tour 4 to 6 houses in all stages of construction - from totally trashed to ready-to-sell. Info sheets are provided on each house, detailing the purchase price, rehab cost, contractors used and projected profit. Owners are on hand to explain their rehab project and answer any questions. Space is limited, so sign up early. Please, no children on the tours.
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, REIN is a not-for-profit 501(c)6 association open to anyone with an interest in real estate investing. We are devoted to helping our members learn, grow, and prosper as real estate investors.
With motivating speakers, educational classes, and an environment of networking and camaraderie, REIN has helped thousands of investors achieve their goals of increased net worth, retirement security and financial freedom.
Your Membership is a small investment. And you can join us right here - right now.
"REIN has been a great value to my investing. Vendor discounts alone are worth the membership fee each year. I saved $300 on paint alone using the REIN discount on one rehab project. When I sold that house, which I bought from another REIN member, I netted a $14,000 profit! " - D. M.
Established in 1980, REIN has become a powerful force in the national real estate community. With a growing membership and a combined property value into the hundreds of millions of dollars, our members have rehabilitated thousands of homes and control an estimated 5000+ rental properties in the United States. As part of National REIA, REIN Members join are a proud part of a group of 40,000+ small business owners.
Whether you're a beginner just starting to think about buying your first property or a seasoned professional investor, REIN has something for you.
Come visit us at one of our meetings. One of our friendly Greeters will be happy to answer any questions for you. Join us now.
"November 2008 marks our 2 year anniversary with REIN. We spent the first year educating ourselves with the fantastic educational opportunities REIN offers and purchased our first investment property in September 2007. Since that time we have increased our net worth substantially. We have numerous rental properties, done 3 rehab projects, have renovated at least 4 of our rentals and just sold one of our 2 lease-to-own properties, all since September 2007. We could not have accomplished these goals without the help and support of all involved in our great organization. Thank you REIN – many more years of investing to follow." J. N.
How much could you benefit from the knowledge and experience of other real estate investors?
Would a few investor buddies who have 'been there and done that' be a great sounding board for you?
Would it save you from making a costly mistake?
Your Membership in REIN gets you vital benefits to boost your investing business!
With hundreds of active members and a dedicated Leadership Team, REIN is your source for Real Estate Investing Education and Networking in Nashville and Middle Tennessee.
"Everyone knows real estate investing is the way to true, long-term wealth. REIN brought me the people I needed to get started. And REIN keeps me in touch with them on a regular basis for support, encouragement, and education on the latest tips and trends. REIN membership has been the single best investment I have ever made - unlimited returns." R. M.


text:
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

public class Test {
    interface Shift {}
    void foo(Map<String, List<Shift>> dayOfWeekAndShiftTypeToShiftListMap, String key){
        List<Shift> dayOfWeekAndShiftTypeToShiftList = dayOfWeekAndShiftTypeToShiftListMap.get(key);
        if (<caret>dayOfWeekAndShiftTypeToShiftList == null) {
            dayOfWeekAndShiftTypeToShiftList = new ArrayList<>((6) / 7);
            dayOfWeekAndShiftTypeToShiftListMap.put(key, dayOfWeekAndShiftTypeToShiftList);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Six weeks ago I broke the third metatarsal bone in my left foot (tripping on a crack in the sidewalk), leaving me in a cast for that whole time. I just took the cast off on Friday, and only today feel semi-confident walking around. As a result, my whole perspective on the city I live in changed. Getting around was at best a hassle and at worst almost impossible. Every interaction required forethought and planning - too much. Walking down the street required me to be much more alert - looking for the cracks, studying the slopes of the curbs, routing around drainage ditches, pulling aside to let people pass me. I studied the weather reports obsessively, down to the hour, trying to divine when rain would result in a wet cast or the inability to get a taxi. I clustered meetings around each other to avoid having to travel, and had to bake in a ton of extra time to get around. I couldn't carry my backpack because of the extra weight so I loaded my jacket pockets with whatever I needed, pared down to the essentials (Naproxen and an extra Ace bandage). Most importantly, I left my headphones behind and for the first time in a long time travelled around without music blasting.
In all, as I struggled to get around, I was barely focused on the destination where I was going. Instead, all the mattered was the path, the way I got there. I got intensely, obsessively and annoyingly focused on the minutiae of daily planning. When I got someplace I had the sense of satisfaction with just making it there, on time, without more injury. The journey became way more important than the end result.
The 1960s activist/improv group the Diggers used to have this thing called the Free Frame of Reference - a giant picture frame people would have to walk through to get to the servings of free food in Golden Gate Park that the group offered. The idea was that through this exercise people "were literally changing the frame of their reference, they were themselves actors in the show and by changing their minds could thereby change the world."
Today I finally got to put my headphones back on (loud) and turned off the rest of the city as I hobbled into work, and it was great. I've always believed that it doesn't matter where you start in the world, what matters is where you end up. It's just that I'm thinking now that the cracks in the sidewalk are the more vital frames of reference that guide that journey.


text:
Capital Culture Capitols
Throughout time, cities have acted as centers of commerce, culture, and creativity. Out of need, for work, for shelter, or for safety, people flock to cities and bring with them a rich diversity of thought and way-of-life. When ancient Greeks left the countryside for cities like Thebes, Athens, and Sparta, those city-states produced some of the best art, writing, and democratic thought ever recorded. Cities like Paris and London began growing in population in the early 1500s and haven't stopped since. From that growth and diversity has come some of the finest art, literature, fashion, and thought in our world.
Cities grow as their resources allow, and in many ways its people are a city's greatest resource. In cities innovation springs not only from the individual, but from the collaborative efforts encouraged by proximity in place and purpose. Though people, or their parents, may hail from opposite sides of the world, in cities they find that those differences in background serve to benefit any number of common causes found within its limits. Today, a number of United States cities are growing with greater fervor and purpose than others, providing the same platform for collaborative creativity and innovation seen through history. Here are four of America's fastest growing culture capitols:
Boise isn't exactly known for its culture or diversity. As the city continues to emerge as a burgeoning tech capital, that may change sooner than expected. Home to companies like HP, Micron, and Kickstand, Boise is rapidly growing in both economics and population. While Boise's picturesque surroundings are partly to blame for the recent increase in population, more influential is the 'tech exodus' from expensive cities like Seattle and San Francisco coupled with Boise's fertile, blossoming tech industry. Forbes listed Boise as the fastest growing city in the United States, and the city shows no sign of slowing down.
San Antonio is just plain beautiful. Its aesthetic majesty and history have long made it a tourist destination, but San Antonio has pushed beyond its traditional industry. Fueled in large part by its proximity to the Eagle Ford Shale, San Antonio is flush with oil and natural gas. More than an energy economy, the river gem is home to strong Aerotech, IT, Finance and Education industries. Paired with rich cultural diversity and blossoming culinary and craft beer scene, this strong, balanced economy is attracting newcomers in flocks. After hosting this year's NCAA Final Four, San Antonio glows brighter and continues to add residents at a feverish clip.
Raleigh sits in the heart of the research triangle, an area of the Piedmont in North Carolina defined by the presence of North Carolina State, North Carolina, and Duke University. As such, it's one of America's most technologically advanced cities. Coupled with a large IT presence (Cisco, IBM) and a strong aerotech industry, Raleigh has been a city on the rise for some time. Things were on the rise until last year's HB2 fiasco cost the state a PayPal facility, NCAA hosting privileges, a Ringo Starr concert, and an estimated $300M-$3B in business and tourism. The city has bounced back strong, playing host to NCAA Golf and Baseball end of season tournaments and watching a steady rise in tourism and outside business. With its academic and tech-savvy culture, Raleigh will continue to climb.
Last but not least, our home city of Houston was in the news, and underwater, for much of 2017. That didn't stop this bayou gem from hosting a Super Bowl, winning a World Series, and growing by about 100,000 people. Houston has long prospered as a center of industry, home to the world's largest medical center and a massive oil and gas industry. The Texas jewel also boasts booming tech entrepreneurial communities and will soon be home to the world's largest startup incubator. America is known as the great melting pot, and Houston holds the crown as the United States' most diverse city. Fusions like Viet-cajun food and music from bands like Khruangbin reflect the thriving cultural collaboration at work in the city. Its industry and diversity make Houston a hotspot for commerce and culture, and people are flocking here in droves to take part.
Cannon Ventures Launches at The Cannon Houston
Oil & Gas Startups to Watch
The Cannon Teams Up with Chevron Technology Ventures to Trigger Innovation in Houston
Shoot Receives Second Annual Insperity Scholarship
The Cannon, Thompson and Knight Announce Partnership
The Cannon, Capital Factory Announce Partnership
Tweets by thecannonhtx
Insperity Innovation Scholarship Returns!
The Cannon and LetsLaunch Live Fundraising Opportunity!
Subscribe to the Cannon
Stay up to date on events, promotions, and other updates from the startup community.
thecannonhouston2018-08-21T13:16:04+00:00


text:
Home News & Notes On the Shelf Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye
Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye
Kilbeggan Distilling Company has announced the release of Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye: an Irish whiskey with a high quantity of rye within its mash.
Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye has a mash of malt, barley and approximately 30% rye. It was double distilled to 86 proof in Kilbeggan's copper pot stills. The flavor profile is softer than familiar American rye whiskies, the company says, while the combination of rye, malt and barley produces an oily, viscous, creamy whiskey, with rye and barley spice.
It is the first whiskey 100% distilled and matured at the Kilbeggan Distillery to be released since its restoration was completed in 2010.
This limited-edition Irish whiskey will be available in the United States in mid-November with a suggested retail price of $34.99 per 750-ml. It joins the U.S. portfolio alongside permanent expressions Kilbeggan Blended Irish Whiskey (40% ABV) and Kilbeggan Single Grain Irish Whiskey (43% ABV).


Dive deep to master communication details, overcome public speaking challenges, and exude a magnetic presence.
Go beyond theory and hone specific skills tied to real communication strategies.
Learn from faculty with real-world expertise impacting audiences in a variety of settings.
In Communications Excellence, you will become that leader. It engages you on a deeply personal leadership development journey that fosters skills you didn't know you had.
Define and refine success strategies uniquely suited to you and your business while you build the communication skills to follow through.
Identify your objectives and learn how to tailor your business communications to get exactly the results you want and need.
Acquire and practice effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Use your breath, body, and voice for to maximize impact and presence during your presentations.
Learn how to create a memorable pitch, be in the moment, and ignite your audience with a message that is authentic, clear, and powerful.
Recognize when something is not working and know instantly how to fix it by making internal and external adjustments based on high-level skills you rehearse and practice.
"Opened up new doors for me that I didn't know existed."
"There was more than just the art of the pitch that I learned. Faculty was amazing! Thank you!"
"I also enjoyed the diverse uses of the material; this course is much more than just the pitch. It touches on leadership, communication, and audience control."
Go inside the program with the faculty directors and experience the Communications Excellence program.
Learn more about the program curriculum and the Communications Excellence learning experience.
We discuss the importance of executive education with our VP of Curriculum, Richard Freishtat.


text:
<!DOCTYPE html>

    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,user-scalable=no,initial-scale=1,maximum-scale=1">

        <title>RL Helicopter Game - Documentation for the Helicopter modelling - using DQN and Q-Learning.</title>

        <meta name="description" content="Documentation for the Helicopter modelling - using DQN and Q-Learning.">

        <meta name="author" content="Dan Dixey">

    <meta property="og:url" content="None">
    <meta property="og:title" content="RL Helicopter Game">
    <meta property="og:image" content="None/./">
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="RL Helicopter Game">
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes">
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black-translucent">

    <link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="./None">
    <link rel="icon" type="image/x-icon" href="./None">

    <link rel="stylesheet" href="./assets/stylesheets/application-54f87043f3.css">

      <link rel="stylesheet" href="./assets/stylesheets/palettes-05ab2406df.css">

      <link rel="stylesheet" href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Roboto:400,700|Roboto+Mono">

    <input class="toggle" type="checkbox" id="toggle-drawer">
    <input class="toggle" type="checkbox" id="toggle-search">

        RL Helicopter Game

        <input class="query" type="text" placeholder="Search" autocapitalize="off" autocorrect="off" autocomplete="off" spellcheck>

      <button class="toggle-button icon icon-close" id="reset-search"></button>

          RL Helicopter Game

          dandxy89/rf_helicopter

               Download

               Stars
              –

      Overview

                Project Objective:

                City University

    Project

      Detailed Overview

      Implementation

      Q-Learning Models

      Release Notes

      Video Demo

      References

RL Helicopter Game

Warning

This was built with Keras 0.3.2, since the initial work was completed Keras has been updated to version 1.0.2. The plan is to update the json documents to the latest version to support the latest framework...

Project Objective:#

The purpose of this analysis is to provide the reader a concrete example of a classical Reinforcement Learning application.

The intention is to create a Reinforcement Learning algorithm to learn to play and complete the track, similar to the Helicopter Game. The domain of implementation will be the contest of a randomly generated environment according to a particular function, and the learning task will provide the Agent a set of information enabling him to survive in the current environment for a longer duration of time.

The environment will provide to the Agent the possibility to move in five possible actions (directions), and the survival function will be defined as that function allowing the Agent to avoid obstacles generated in the environment.

Proposed algorithms for this task are all online policy iterations models with e-greedy updates policies: Q-Learning, Q-Learning with Epsilon Decay, and Deep Q-Learning Networks (DQN). A comparison of different parameters will be performed and evaluated.

City University#

This project was completed as part of a University course work for which a First Class award was received.

Note

Project Structure:

rf_helicoper/

/Model : Contains all the Scripts create tracks, generate plots and Agent model types

/Results : Contains all the saved memories and plots generated

/Tests : Started working on py.tests to ensure code quality

/docs : MKDocs documentation

              Copyright (c) 2016 Dan Dixey –

            Documentation built with
            MkDocs
            using the

              Material

            theme.

            Next

                Detailed Overview


On Thursday, July 7th, the FDA issued two draft guidance documents regarding the compounding of drugs that are essentially copies of commercially available or approved drugs. In these documents, which apply to pharmacies, physicians, federal facilities, and compounding facilities, the FDA describes how the Agency would implement statutory restrictions concerning the compounding of these products. The draft guidance documents include products compounded under both sections 503A and 503B of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act.
According to the FDA, in order to qualify for exemptions under section 503A of the FD&C Act, "a drug product must be compounded by a licensed pharmacist or physician who does not compound regularly or in inordinate amounts any drug products that are essentially copies of a commercially available drug product, among other conditions." In its recent draft guidance, entitled "Compounded Drug Products That Are Essentially Copies of a Commercially Available Drug Product Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act," the Agency outlines its policies regarding this provision of section 503A.
Although they fill important, unmet needs for many patients, drugs that are compounded pose much a higher risk than those products that have gone through (and successfully completed) the FDA's approval process. Because they are not approved by the Agency, compounded drugs are not subject to FDA's premarket review for safety, effectiveness, and quality; furthermore, according to section 503A, the individuals who compound these drugs are not required to comply with FDA's typical cGMP requirements. There are many other factors that increase the risk associated with the use of compounded drug products. For additional details, view the FDA's full draft guidance.
Section 503A of the FD&C Act provides compounded drug products with a number of exemptions compared to the Agency's typical regulations and requirements, however the section explicitly restricts the compounding of drugs that are essentially copies of a commercially available drug product. This restriction is in place to ensure that pharmacists and physicians "do not compound drug products under the exemptions for patients who could use a commercially available drug product." In its draft guidance, FDA explains that this would introduce significant public health risks, as it would expose patients to products that have not been shown to be safe or effective. Also, the possibility that these products may have been manufactured in conditions that are considered to be unsatisfactory is greatly increased.
In addition to the above mentioned public health risks, section 503A restricts the compounding of these products in order to protect the integrity and effectiveness of the new drug and abbreviated new drug (NDA & ANDA) approval processes that has been out in place to protect patients from unsafe, ineffective, or poor quality drugs.
In its draft guidance, FDA notes that "sponsors may be less likely to invest in and seek approval of innovative, life-saving medications if a compounder could, after a drug is approved, compound 'substitutes' that have not had to demonstrate safety and effectiveness and are not produced in accordance with CGMP requirements or labeled with adequate directions for use." Furthermore, the Agency states that the copies restriction also protects the FDA's drug monograph process that is in place for over-the-counter (OTC) products.
When determining whether a drug product meets the conditions of section 503A. FDA will first determine whether the product is essentially a copy of a commercially available drug product. If the answer to that is yes, FDA will determine second whether the product was compounded regularly or in inordinate amounts.
The FDA considers a drug product to be "commercially available" if it is available on the market. Generally, these products are subject to the requirements of the FD&C Act with regards to approval, labeling, and cGMP requirements. The copies restriction under section 503A applies to all of these products.
What is Essentially a Copy?
For additional details on FDA's recommendations and policies, view the full draft guidance.


text:
Climate Assembly UK to publish final report on Thursday 10 September
Following months of learning, discussion and voting, the final report of Climate Assembly UK will soon be published and presented back to the six select committees that commissioned the assembly in June 2019.
The UK-wide citizens assembly on climate change will publish its report The Path to Net Zero on Thursday 10 September with a live-streamed launch event on the homepage of the website beginning at 9am.
The work of Climate Assembly UK is designed to strengthen and support the UK's parliamentary democracy by ensuring politicians and policy makers have the best possible evidence available to them about public preferences on reaching the net zero target. Parliament will use the report to support its work on scrutinising the Government's climate change policy and progress on the target.
The report will present a detailed, coherent path to net zero by 2050 covering each topic that the assembly considered:
How we travel on land;
How we travel by air;
In the home;
What we eat and how we use the land;
What we buy;
Where our electricity comes from;
Greenhouse gas removals;
Covid-19, recovery and the path to net zero.
The report will also include the Assembly members' underpinning principles for the path to net zero, and any additional recommendations they wished to make to Parliament and government.
A virtual launch event for the report will be live-streamed on the homepage at 9am on Thursday 10 September and will include a speech from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Alok Sharma MP, thoughts from some Assembly members and responses from the Chairs of the commissioning committees.


Just a quick extra shot today; this is a new, quite simple MMORPG Tycoon starting area (it's zoned for adventurers of level 1 through 3). This particular starting area has 75 monsters in it, and therefore supports having up to 225 players in the region simultaneously. This is great for a starting area, especially in the very early game, when you might not want to spend your time managing and financing the upkeep for multiple regions.
You can also see the quick "mountains" graphics around the borders of the region, which form impassible barriers to divide regions. Adventurers cannot cross these mountains, unless you place crossings.
Note that these mountainous barriers only exist at the edge of the world (that is, at the junction between zoned regions and unzoned ones, as in this shot), and between regions of different level zones, but not between regions with matching levels. By default now, quests send players to fight monsters within the same region as the quest-giver (previously they sent players into adjacent regions).. but the player will now be able to place "epic quests", to send players from one region to another.
Even though the number of adventurers in a region has increased, sending adventurers around into new regions will be important, not just for managing server load, but also to keep the adventurers interested; they'll become bored if they end up hanging around in one region for too long. Especially if they end up having to grind combats, in order to gain enough levels to go explore a new area.
8 September, 2008 in VectorStorm.


text:
Jalognes é uma comuna francesa na região administrativa do Centro, no departamento Cher. Estende-se por uma área de 27,1 km².

Comunas de Cher (departamento)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Mol Cy. NV ist ein Fahrzeugbauunternehmen mit Sitz in Hooglede in der belgischen Provinz Westflandern. Zum Herstellungsprogramm gehören Schwerlastzugmaschinen, Wasserwerfer und andere Sonderfahrzeuge sowie Auflieger und Aufbauten für Lastkraftwagen. 1978 wurden sämtliche Baulizenzen des ehemaligen, französischen Herstellers Willème übernommen.

Mol beschäftigt knapp 300 Arbeitnehmer und hat einen Jahresumsatz von 37 Millionen Euro. Tochterfirmen sind in der Entsorgungstechnik und in der Metallverarbeitung tätig. Die gesamte Firmengruppe beschäftigt ungefähr 500 Mitarbeiter.

Einzelnachweise

Weblinks
 http://www.molcy.com/ (Firmenhomepage)

Lkw-Hersteller
Produzierendes Unternehmen (Belgien)
Hooglede


text:
Kayaking, other paddle sports gaining popularity, particularly with anglers
Scott Stormann fishes toward the shoreline while standing on his kayak at the Shawnee State Lake, about 8 miles northwest of Topeka, Kan.
Originally printed at CJOnline.com
By Josh Rouse
Only inches above the water, a brilliant yellow kayak glides effortlessly across a blue-hued, reflective surface. No noise is made other than the droplets of water falling from the oar as it emerges from the lake.
Suddenly, a pair of blue herons takes flight, gliding gently beside the vessel and its occupant, their wingtips gently kissing the ripples in the water. One of the giant birds snatches an unfortunate fish from the murky depths below with its long, narrow bill, and the birds begin to squawk voraciously as they bicker, midflight, over the tasty morsel.
Just another close call with nature for a trio of avid kayakers fishing on a cool, late-August evening in Shawnee County.
"That's the main thing," Topeka angler Scott Stormann said. "Some people get really into it and get really aggressive when fishing. Kayak fishing is a lot more relaxing and a lot smoother. It gets you closer to wildlife — you don't have any motors going and you can drift right up to deer, heron, any kind of wildlife in Kansas."
Stormann, who was fishing with fellow kayakers John Abbott and David Moon at Shawnee State Lake, about 8 miles northwest of Topeka, soon got a laugh as the herons came back and dive-bombed his companions, coming within feet of them.
"That's what we're here for," he yelled at the others. "To get close to nature."
John Abbott floats along the shoreline at Shawnee State Lake in his kayak.
Kayaking benefits
Aside from being less expensive than a bass boat, kayaks and other paddled boats have a bevy of benefits for anglers and recreational boaters.
For one, kayakers don't have to purchase boat tags or pay property taxes on their vessels the way motorboat owners do. This allows kayakers to reach the same areas as other boaters at a fraction of the cost — an important quality for a frugal angler looking to cover more water than a bank angler.
"I like to just drift along the bank and toss them into the weeds or under a tree," said Moon, who uses topwater lures and jigs to coax bass out of their favorite hiding spots along the shore.
Abbott likes kayak fishing because it allows him to reach areas that often are inaccessible by foot, such as small creeks or submerged brush piles.
"With bank fishing, you are restricted with the area you can fish, where you're more free in the kayak," Abbott said. "I can go wherever I want with more access than on land."
Abbott also noted the health benefits of using kayaks or canoes over a motorized watercraft. According to the American Council on Exercise, a 175-pound person would burn 397 calories after an hour of kayaking — the same as playing an hour of softball — with heavier people burning even more calories per hour.
"If someone did it enough, I could see a possibility to lose weight," he said. "And it's a good workout for the arms."
Read the complete story at CJOnline.com.


Need to add some bass to the audio system at your hot tub or pool, but don't have a lot of space? Aquatic AV's AQ-SPKSB-2 passive sub is a compact, waterproof subwoofer enclosure that doesn't take up much room, with stainless steel mounting hardware and an aluminum grille that won't corrode over time. Its 5-1/4" woofer handles up to 100 watts of peak power, sporting a polypropylene cone and rubber surround that'll stand up to the heat and humidity. This sub works well in a system with Aquatic AV's smaller satellite speakers. Just add some power to this little sub and let the party begin.
Overview: The Aquatic AV AQ-SPKSB-2 is a high quality waterproof subwoofer designed to withstand the harsh conditions associated with spa, hot tub, and poolside applications. This robust and durable subwoofer features a dual voice-coil 5-1/4" cone driver capable of handling up to 100 watts of power (maximum). It also features a frequency response of 55Hz-5kHz, delivering powerful, warm bass to your existing speaker setup.
Speaker: The dual 4Ω voice-coil driver features a polypropylene cone, with Santoprene surround, and an aluminum magnet, all protected by a waterproof ABS ported enclosure and aluminum grille.
Wiring: The AQ-SPKSB-2 features a built-in 5" harness with positive and negative leads for each of the two 4Ω voice-coils. The harness is terminated in a 4-pin Molex plug that's designed for use with select Aquatic AV amplifiers. If powering the sub with another brand of amplifier, the plug gets cut off and the individual wires spliced directly to the amp wiring.
Mounting: The Aquatic AV subwoofer includes 4 mounting screws with rubber bushings for mounting to a flat surface. Screw holes are kept on the inside of the chassis perimeter, allowing for a low-profile mounting form.
Dimensions: Width - 11.125" (incl. wiring harness), Height - 4.875", Depth - 8.80"
Searches related to the Aquatic AV AQ-SPKSB-2 Waterproof compact subwoofer for hot tub, spa, or pool.


text:
Born in Logan Utah in 1940, Kip Thorne received his B.S. degree from Caltech in 1962 and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1965. After two years of postdoctoral study, Thorne returned to Caltech as an Associate professor in 1967, was promoted to Professor of Theoretical Physics in 1970, became The William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor in 1981, and The Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics in 1991. In June 2009, Thorne retired from his Feynman Professorship (becoming the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus) in order to ramp up a new career in writing, collaborations at the interface between science and the arts (including the movie Interstellar), and continued scientific research.
Thorne's research has focused on gravitational physics and astrophysics, with emphasis on relativistic stars, black holes and gravitational waves.
From the late 1960s through the early 1980s, Thorne and his research group developed insights into the theory of gravitational waves and gravitational radiation reaction, and developed techniques for computing the generation of gravitational waves. In the early 1970s, he and his students began formulating a vision for gravitational wave astronomy: the frequency bands in which waves might be detected, the sources in those bands, and the information that could be extracted from their waves. From the mid 1970s through the 1980s, he worked closely with Vladimir Braginsky (Moscow), Ronald Drever (Glasgow/Caltech) and Rainer Weiss (MIT) on developing technical ideas and plans for gravitational wave detection. In 1984, with Weiss and Drever, he founded the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory Project (LIGO). He tried to lead LIGO, together with Weiss and Drever, in its earliest years (1984-87), then eagerly turned leadership over to a succession of outstanding directors: Robbie Vogt, then Barry Barish, Jay Marx, and David Reitze.
From the 1980s onward, Thorne and his research group provided theoretical support for LIGO, including identifying gravitational wave sources that LIGO should target, laying foundations for data analysis techniques by which the waves are sought and information is extracted from the waves, designing the baffles to control scattered light in the LIGO beam tubes, developing insights into other noise sources and their control, and — in collaboration with Braginsky's Moscow research group — inventing and analyzing quantum-nondemolition designs for advanced gravitational-wave detectors.
In the early 2000s, Thorne left day-to-day involvement in LIGO, so as to initiate, with Lee Lindblom, a Caltech effort to simulate on supercomuters collisions of black holes — as an expansion of Saul Teukolsky's mature similar effort at Cornell. The primary goal of this Cornell/Caltech SXS (Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes) Project was to learn about "storms" in the fabric of spacetime produced by black-hole collisions, and the gravitational waves produced by those storms, as input for LIGO's gravitational wave searches and data analysis. In 2015, when gravitational waves from colliding black holes were discovered, it was a joint culmination of LIGO's experimental work, and the SXS, and other, computer simulations of the collisions.
With Carlton M. Caves, Thorne invented the back-action-evasion approach to quantum nondemolition measurements of the quadrature amplitudes of harmonic oscillators — a technique now implemented in gravitational wave detection, in quantum optics, and in nanotechnology. With Clifford Will and others of his students, he laid foundations for the theoretical interpretation of experimental tests of relativistic theories of gravity — foundations on which Will and others then built.
With Anna Zytkow, Thorne predicted the existence of red supergiant stars with neutron-star cores ("Thorne-Zytkow Objects"). With Igor Novikov and Don Page, he developed the general relativistic theory of thin accretion disks around black holes, and using this theory he deduced that with a doubling of its mass by such accretion a black hole will be spun up to 0.998 of the maximum spin allowed by general relativity, but never any farther; this is probably the maximum black-hole spin allowed in Nature.
With James Hartle, Thorne derived from general relativity the laws of motion and precession of black holes and other relativistic bodies, including the influence of the coupling of their multipole moments to the spacetime curvature of nearby objects. In 1972 he formulated the hoop conjecture (that any object of mass M, around which a hoop of circumference 8π GM/c2 can be spun, must be a black hole)--- a conjecture for which there is now extensive theoretical and computer-simulation evidence but still no firm proof. With students and colleagues he developed the membrane paradigm for black holes and used it to clarify the "Blandford-Znajek" mechanism by which black holes may power some quasars and active galactic nuclei. With Wojciech Zurek he showed that the entropy of a black hole of known mass, angular momentum, and electric charge is the logarithm of the number of ways that the hole could have been made.
With Sung-Won Kim, Thorne identified a universal physical mechanism (the explosive growth of vacuum polarization of quantum fields), that may always prevent spacetime from developing closed timelike curves (i.e., prevent "backward time travel"). With Mike Morris and Ulvi Yurtsever he showed that traversable Lorentzian wormholes can exist in the structure of spacetime only if they are threaded by quantum fields in quantum states that violate the averaged null energy condition (i.e. have negative renormalized energy spread over a sufficiently large region). This triggered research to explore the ability of quantum fields to possess such extended negative energy.
EDUCATION AND WRITING
Thorne has been mentor for 52 PhD physicists, many of whom have gone on to become world leaders in their chosen fields of research. With John A. Wheeler and Charles W. Misner, Thorne coauthored in 1973 the textbook Gravitation, from which most of the present generation of scientists have learned general relativity. He is also a co-author of Gravitation Theory and Gravitational Collapse (1965) and Black Holes: The Membrane Paradigm (1986), and the sole author of Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy (1994).
NEW CAREER
In research: Since his 2009 retirement from Caltech's Feynman Professorship, Thorne, with ten young physicist colleagues, has invented tools for visualizing spacetime curvature. These include frame-drag vortex lines, which are gravitational analogs of magnetic field lines and control the twisting of space, and tidal tendex lines, which are gravitational analogs of electric field lines and control the stretching and squeezing of space. Combining these tools with the SXS team's numerical simulations, Thorne and colleagues are currently exploring the nonlinear dynamics of curved spacetime, triggered when spinning black holes collide.
In technical writing and education: With Roger Blandford, Thorne has completed and published Modern Classical Physics (2017), an ambitious book aimed at broadening physics graduate education.
At the interface between science and the arts: With Lynda Obst, Thorne has conceived and initiated a Hollywood movie with science embedded deep into its fabric — a movie that became Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. As Interstellar's executive producer and science advisor, Thorne worked closely with Nolan, Obst and others to ensure that the movie would inspire its audience about science. To educate some of those so inspired, he wrote a book The Science of Interstellar (2014). Thorne has also collaborated with the academy award winning composer Hans Zimmer and visual effects guru Paul Franklin on multimedia concerts about the Warped Side of the Universe (objects and phenomena made from warped space and time). He currently is working on another movie whose details are shrouded in secrecy, and on a book of paintings (by Lia Halloran) and poetic prose (by Thorne) about the Warped Side of the Universe.
For his contributions to LIGO's discovery of gravitational waves, Thorne (along with Rainer Weiss, and Ronald Drever and/or Barry Barish) has been awarded the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2016), the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics (2016), the Gruber Cosmology Prize (2016), the Shaw Prize in Astronomy (2016), the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in the Physical Sciences (2016), the Harvey Prize for Breakthroughs in Science and Technology (2016), the Fudan-Zongzhi Science Award (2017), the Princess of Asturias Award for Technical & Scientific Research (2017), the Giuseppe and Vanna Cocconi Prize for an Outstanding Contribution to Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (2017), and the Nobel Prize in Physics (2017).
For his contributions to science more broadly, Thorne by himself has been awarded the Lilienfeld Prize of the American Physical Society (1996), the Karl Schwarzschild Medal of the German Astronomical Society (1996), The Robinson Prize in Cosmology from the University of Newcastle (2002), California Scientist of the Year (2004), The Common Wealth Award in Science (2005), the Albert Einstein Medal from the Albert Einstein Society in Berne Switzerland (2009), the UNESCO Niels Bohr Gold Medal from UNESCO (2010), the Tomalla Prize for Extraordinary Contributions to General Relativity and Gravity (2016), the Georges Lemaître International Prize (2016), the Genius Award from the Liberty Science Center, Newark (2016), the Oskar Klein Medal from Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (2016), and the James Joyce Award for Human Endeavor from the Literary and Historical Society of The College Debating Union, University College, Dublin (2016).
For his teaching and mentoring, Thorne has been given the 24th Annual Award for Excellence and Teaching from the Associated Students (undergraduates) of Caltech (1999-2000), the Mentoring Award from the Graduate Student Council of Caltech (2004), and the J.D. Jackson Award for Excellence in Graduate Education from the American Association of Physics Teachers (2012).
For his writing, Thorne has been awarded the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award in Physics and Astronomy (twice: 1969 and 1994), the Priroda [Russian] Readers Choice Science Writing Award (1989 and 1990), the Phi Beta Kappa Science Writing Award (1994), and the Lewis Thomas Prize Honoring the Scientist as Poet, from the Rockefeller University (2018).
For his contributions to film, in particular to the movie Interstellar, Thorne has been awarded the Kip Thorne Gravity Award (named after him) for the Best Depiction of a Scientific Principle in a Feature film, from the RAW Science Film Festival (2014); and the Space Pioneer Award for Mass Media, from the National Space Society (2015).
Thorne was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1972, the National Academy of Sciences in 1973, the American Philosophical Society in 1999, and (as foreign members) the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1999 and the Norwegian Academy of Sciences in 2016. He has been awarded honorary doctorates by Illinois College (1979), Moscow State University – USSR (1981), Utah State University (2000), the University of Glasgow (2001), Claremont Graduate University (2002), the University of Chicago (2008), the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (2017), and the ETH Zurich (2017); and an Honorary Professorship from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2017).
Thorne has been a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, a Danforth Foundation Fellow, a Fulbright Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow; and he has served on the International Committee on General Relativity and Gravitation, the Committee on US-USSR Cooperation in Physics, and the National Academy of Science's Space Science Board, which advised NASA and Congress on space science policy. In 1996–97 he organized and chaired the search for a new president of Caltech, culminating in the selection, by the Caltech Board of Trustees, of the Nobelist-biologist David Baltimore.
For a short biographical sketch, please click here
Questions or comments? Please contact joann[at]caltech.edu
Last modified on 11/13/18


text:
{-# OPTIONS_GHC -fno-implicit-prelude #-}

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- |
-- Module      :  System.IO.Error
-- Copyright   :  (c) The University of Glasgow 2001
-- License     :  BSD-style (see the file libraries/base/LICENSE)
--
-- Maintainer  :  libraries@haskell.org
-- Stability   :  provisional
-- Portability :  portable
--
-- Standard IO Errors.
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

module System.IO.Error (

    -- * I\/O errors
    IOError,			-- = IOException

    userError,		       	-- :: String  -> IOError

#ifndef __NHC__
    mkIOError,			-- :: IOErrorType -> String -> Maybe Handle
				--    -> Maybe FilePath -> IOError

    annotateIOError,		-- :: IOError -> String -> Maybe Handle
				--    -> Maybe FilePath -> IOError
#endif

    -- ** Classifying I\/O errors
    isAlreadyExistsError,	-- :: IOError -> Bool
    isDoesNotExistError,
    isAlreadyInUseError,
    isFullError,
    isEOFError,
    isIllegalOperation,
    isPermissionError,
    isUserError,

    -- ** Attributes of I\/O errors
#ifndef __NHC__
    ioeGetErrorType,		-- :: IOError -> IOErrorType
#endif
    ioeGetErrorString,		-- :: IOError -> String
    ioeGetHandle,		-- :: IOError -> Maybe Handle
    ioeGetFileName,		-- :: IOError -> Maybe FilePath

#ifndef __NHC__
    ioeSetErrorType,		-- :: IOError -> IOErrorType -> IOError
    ioeSetErrorString,		-- :: IOError -> String -> IOError
    ioeSetHandle,		-- :: IOError -> Handle -> IOError
    ioeSetFileName,		-- :: IOError -> FilePath -> IOError
#endif

    -- * Types of I\/O error
    IOErrorType,		-- abstract

    alreadyExistsErrorType,	-- :: IOErrorType
    doesNotExistErrorType,
    alreadyInUseErrorType,
    fullErrorType,
    eofErrorType,
    illegalOperationErrorType,
    permissionErrorType,
    userErrorType,

    -- ** 'IOErrorType' predicates
    isAlreadyExistsErrorType,	-- :: IOErrorType -> Bool
    isDoesNotExistErrorType,
    isAlreadyInUseErrorType,
    isFullErrorType,
    isEOFErrorType,
    isIllegalOperationErrorType,
    isPermissionErrorType,
    isUserErrorType,

    -- * Throwing and catching I\/O errors

    ioError,		       	-- :: IOError -> IO a

    catch,			-- :: IO a -> (IOError -> IO a) -> IO a
    try,			-- :: IO a -> IO (Either IOError a)

#ifndef __NHC__
    modifyIOError,		-- :: (IOError -> IOError) -> IO a -> IO a
#endif
  ) where

import Data.Either
import Data.Maybe

#ifdef __GLASGOW_HASKELL__
import GHC.Base
import GHC.IOBase
import GHC.Exception
import Text.Show
#endif

#ifdef __HUGS__
import Hugs.Prelude(Handle, IOException(..), IOErrorType(..))
#endif

#ifdef __NHC__
import IO
  ( IOError ()
  , try
  , ioError
  , userError
  , isAlreadyExistsError	-- :: IOError -> Bool
  , isDoesNotExistError
  , isAlreadyInUseError
  , isFullError
  , isEOFError
  , isIllegalOperation
  , isPermissionError
  , isUserError
  , ioeGetErrorString           -- :: IOError -> String
  , ioeGetHandle                -- :: IOError -> Maybe Handle
  , ioeGetFileName              -- :: IOError -> Maybe FilePath
  )
--import Data.Maybe (fromJust)
--import Control.Monad (MonadPlus(mplus))
#endif

-- | The construct 'try' @comp@ exposes IO errors which occur within a
-- computation, and which are not fully handled.
--
-- Non-I\/O exceptions are not caught by this variant; to catch all
-- exceptions, use 'Control.Exception.try' from "Control.Exception".

#ifndef __NHC__
try            :: IO a -> IO (Either IOError a)
try f          =  catch (do r <- f
                            return (Right r))
                        (return . Left)
#endif

#if defined(__GLASGOW_HASKELL__) || defined(__HUGS__)
-- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Constructing an IOError

-- | Construct an 'IOError' of the given type where the second argument
-- describes the error location and the third and fourth argument
-- contain the file handle and file path of the file involved in the
-- error if applicable.
mkIOError :: IOErrorType -> String -> Maybe Handle -> Maybe FilePath -> IOError
mkIOError t location maybe_hdl maybe_filename =
               IOError{ ioe_type = t,
			ioe_location = location,
	   		ioe_description = "",
			ioe_handle = maybe_hdl,
			ioe_filename = maybe_filename
 			}
#ifdef __NHC__
mkIOError EOF       location maybe_hdl maybe_filename =
    EOFError location (fromJust maybe_hdl)
mkIOError UserError location maybe_hdl maybe_filename =
    UserError location ""
mkIOError t         location maybe_hdl maybe_filename =
    NHC.FFI.mkIOError location maybe_filename maybe_handle (ioeTypeToInt t)
  where
    ioeTypeToInt AlreadyExists     = fromEnum EEXIST
    ioeTypeToInt NoSuchThing       = fromEnum ENOENT
    ioeTypeToInt ResourceBusy      = fromEnum EBUSY
    ioeTypeToInt ResourceExhausted = fromEnum ENOSPC
    ioeTypeToInt IllegalOperation  = fromEnum EPERM
    ioeTypeToInt PermissionDenied  = fromEnum EACCES
#endif
#endif /* __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ || __HUGS__ */

#ifndef __NHC__
-- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- IOErrorType

-- | An error indicating that an 'IO' operation failed because
-- one of its arguments already exists.
isAlreadyExistsError :: IOError -> Bool
isAlreadyExistsError = isAlreadyExistsErrorType    . ioeGetErrorType

-- | An error indicating that an 'IO' operation failed because
-- one of its arguments does not exist.
isDoesNotExistError :: IOError -> Bool
isDoesNotExistError  = isDoesNotExistErrorType     . ioeGetErrorType

-- | An error indicating that an 'IO' operation failed because
-- one of its arguments is a single-use resource, which is already
-- being used (for example, opening the same file twice for writing
-- might give this error).
isAlreadyInUseError :: IOError -> Bool
isAlreadyInUseError  = isAlreadyInUseErrorType     . ioeGetErrorType

-- | An error indicating that an 'IO' operation failed because
-- the device is full.
isFullError         :: IOError -> Bool
isFullError          = isFullErrorType             . ioeGetErrorType

-- | An error indicating that an 'IO' operation failed because
-- the end of file has been reached.
isEOFError          :: IOError -> Bool
isEOFError           = isEOFErrorType              . ioeGetErrorType

-- | An error indicating that an 'IO' operation failed because
-- the operation was not possible.
-- Any computation which returns an 'IO' result may fail with
-- 'isIllegalOperation'.  In some cases, an implementation will not be
-- able to distinguish between the possible error causes.  In this case
-- it should fail with 'isIllegalOperation'.
isIllegalOperation  :: IOError -> Bool
isIllegalOperation   = isIllegalOperationErrorType . ioeGetErrorType

-- | An error indicating that an 'IO' operation failed because
-- the user does not have sufficient operating system privilege
-- to perform that operation.
isPermissionError   :: IOError -> Bool
isPermissionError    = isPermissionErrorType       . ioeGetErrorType

-- | A programmer-defined error value constructed using 'userError'.
isUserError         :: IOError -> Bool
isUserError          = isUserErrorType             . ioeGetErrorType
#endif /* __NHC__ */

-- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- IOErrorTypes

#ifdef __NHC__
data IOErrorType = AlreadyExists | NoSuchThing | ResourceBusy
		 | ResourceExhausted | EOF | IllegalOperation
		 | PermissionDenied | UserError
#endif

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because one of its arguments
-- already exists.
alreadyExistsErrorType   :: IOErrorType
alreadyExistsErrorType    = AlreadyExists

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because one of its arguments
-- does not exist.
doesNotExistErrorType    :: IOErrorType
doesNotExistErrorType     = NoSuchThing

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because one of its arguments
-- is a single-use resource, which is already being used.
alreadyInUseErrorType    :: IOErrorType
alreadyInUseErrorType     = ResourceBusy

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because the device is full.
fullErrorType            :: IOErrorType
fullErrorType             = ResourceExhausted

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because the end of file has
-- been reached.
eofErrorType             :: IOErrorType
eofErrorType              = EOF

-- | I\/O error where the operation is not possible.
illegalOperationErrorType :: IOErrorType
illegalOperationErrorType = IllegalOperation

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because the user does not
-- have sufficient operating system privilege to perform that operation.
permissionErrorType      :: IOErrorType
permissionErrorType       = PermissionDenied

-- | I\/O error that is programmer-defined.
userErrorType		 :: IOErrorType
userErrorType		  = UserError

-- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- IOErrorType predicates

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because one of its arguments
-- already exists.
isAlreadyExistsErrorType :: IOErrorType -> Bool
isAlreadyExistsErrorType AlreadyExists = True
isAlreadyExistsErrorType _ = False

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because one of its arguments
-- does not exist.
isDoesNotExistErrorType :: IOErrorType -> Bool
isDoesNotExistErrorType NoSuchThing = True
isDoesNotExistErrorType _ = False

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because one of its arguments
-- is a single-use resource, which is already being used.
isAlreadyInUseErrorType :: IOErrorType -> Bool
isAlreadyInUseErrorType ResourceBusy = True
isAlreadyInUseErrorType _ = False

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because the device is full.
isFullErrorType :: IOErrorType -> Bool
isFullErrorType ResourceExhausted = True
isFullErrorType _ = False

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because the end of file has
-- been reached.
isEOFErrorType :: IOErrorType -> Bool
isEOFErrorType EOF = True
isEOFErrorType _ = False

-- | I\/O error where the operation is not possible.
isIllegalOperationErrorType :: IOErrorType -> Bool
isIllegalOperationErrorType IllegalOperation = True
isIllegalOperationErrorType _ = False

-- | I\/O error where the operation failed because the user does not
-- have sufficient operating system privilege to perform that operation.
isPermissionErrorType :: IOErrorType -> Bool
isPermissionErrorType PermissionDenied = True
isPermissionErrorType _ = False

-- | I\/O error that is programmer-defined.
isUserErrorType :: IOErrorType -> Bool
isUserErrorType UserError = True
isUserErrorType _ = False

-- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Miscellaneous

#if defined(__GLASGOW_HASKELL__) || defined(__HUGS__)
ioeGetErrorType	      :: IOError -> IOErrorType
ioeGetErrorString     :: IOError -> String
ioeGetHandle          :: IOError -> Maybe Handle
ioeGetFileName        :: IOError -> Maybe FilePath

ioeGetErrorType ioe = ioe_type ioe

ioeGetErrorString ioe
   | isUserErrorType (ioe_type ioe) = ioe_description ioe
   | otherwise                      = show (ioe_type ioe)

ioeGetHandle ioe = ioe_handle ioe

ioeGetFileName ioe = ioe_filename ioe

ioeSetErrorType		:: IOError -> IOErrorType -> IOError
ioeSetErrorString	:: IOError -> String      -> IOError
ioeSetHandle		:: IOError -> Handle      -> IOError
ioeSetFileName		:: IOError -> FilePath    -> IOError

ioeSetErrorType   ioe errtype  = ioe{ ioe_type = errtype }
ioeSetErrorString ioe str      = ioe{ ioe_description = str }
ioeSetHandle      ioe hdl      = ioe{ ioe_handle = Just hdl }
ioeSetFileName    ioe filename = ioe{ ioe_filename = Just filename }

-- | Catch any 'IOError' that occurs in the computation and throw a
-- modified version.
modifyIOError :: (IOError -> IOError) -> IO a -> IO a
modifyIOError f io = catch io (\e -> ioError (f e))

-- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- annotating an IOError

-- | Adds a location description and maybe a file path and file handle
-- to an 'IOError'.  If any of the file handle or file path is not given
-- the corresponding value in the 'IOError' remains unaltered.
annotateIOError :: IOError
              -> String
              -> Maybe Handle
              -> Maybe FilePath
              -> IOError
annotateIOError (IOError ohdl errTy _ str opath) loc hdl path =
  IOError (hdl `mplus` ohdl) errTy loc str (path `mplus` opath)
  where
    Nothing `mplus` ys = ys
    xs      `mplus` _  = xs
#endif /* __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ || __HUGS__ */

#if 0 /*__NHC__*/
annotateIOError (IOError msg file hdl code) msg' file' hdl' =
    IOError (msg++'\n':msg') (file`mplus`file') (hdl`mplus`hdl') code
annotateIOError (EOFError msg hdl) msg' file' hdl' =
    EOFError (msg++'\n':msg') (hdl`mplus`hdl')
annotateIOError (UserError loc msg) msg' file' hdl' =
    UserError loc (msg++'\n':msg')
annotateIOError (PatternError loc) msg' file' hdl' =
    PatternError (loc++'\n':msg')
#endif


text:
Spec Ops: Rangers Lead the Way
Released 1998 by Zombie Software on Pc - More... - Franchise Spec Ops
One of the first soldier sims. It had a aiming system that auto aimed at the enemy 2 miles away while the ones closer blasted you to bit
Released 2012 by YAGER Development GmbH on Pc - More... - Franchise Spec Ops
Third-person shooter set in Dubai. Destructive sandstorms have ruined the city and the player takes the role of a small delta team that go in to find out what did go wrong with the evacuation of the city. Some of the environments is nice but everything else is below average. The story is formed by running from one badly designed game section to the next and getting a forklift of cut scenes in the face in between. It's not well done and one can see the plot points two levels before it happens. I really feel like the developers gave up on making the gameplay solid and added a thin layer of story instead. Then they throw down the art card and game critics then soiled themselves in a quest to use long words to describe how deep the game is.
It's not, it should been left under the sand to die in 2010.


It's October on the Gulf Coast—fall has arrived. Unfortunately, no one bothered to tell Mother Nature. The heat and humidity of summer continues. Oh well, one out of two is not bad. The University was closed last Monday in the aftermath of Nate. Not bad as hurricanes go. Some minor flooding and power outages but all in all relatively harmless. Only seven more weeks of hurricane season to go.
We are in the middle of our 50th Anniversary celebration. We've hosted alumni events in Mobile, Birmingham, and Orange Beach; upcoming events in Pensacola, Biloxi, and Chicago. The 50th Anniversary Gala invitations are out and our 50 Impact individuals have been notified. We are looking forward to the evening of October 28. Pictures and more to follow next month.
Last week alumnus William "Dean" Lee shared his experiences as our Executive Leadership Speaker. A recently retired Vice Admiral, his last command was as Commander, Atlantic Area for the U.S. Coast Guard. His area of responsibility covered all operations between the Rocky Mountains and the Arabian Gulf. An OUTSTANDING address; we will post a link to his talk in the near future. Check it out.
Next week we have our annual recognition of National Business Women's Week. A number of professional women from across industries will be in classes to share their perspectives. Some of the presenters will mark their fourth year in a row for participating.
We also kick off our first Digital Marketing Program Boot Camp on October 20. The camp will cover topics including digital presence, social media, and online advertising and will be highlighted by Francie Strong of Evernote and Rachel Smith of Google. Registration for the event ends soon. Visit our website to learn more.
Also, the deadline for our Causeway Pitch is fast approaching. Our version of an elevator pitch, it has two rounds. In the preliminary round, teams prepare posters summarizing their ideas. A number of community judges narrow the field. The second round pitches take place on a Gulf Coast Duck. A unique experience—selling a business to a group of judges while afloat.


This is the Fall 2015 issue of Tikkun Magazine. The price includes shipping (you will not see a choice of shipping options when you check out if this is the only product you buy).
International Shipping: If you are outside of the United States, please use the pull-down menu and select International Shipping. It costs $6 more to ship the magazine internationally (we'll use First Class mail).
To access the tools we need to transform our society, we must overcome anti-intellectualism on the left. Let's reforge the link between head and heart.
Secular society is narcissistically stuck in the now. As progressives, we must focus instead on how we'll be viewed by future generations.
To overthrow the alienation and false needs of capitalism, we must imagine a culture of love, fearlessness, and honor for the sacred—then start building it.
The meaning of the virgin birth got lost in translation: it wasn't meant to vilify female sexuality but to echo a prophetic challenge to oppression.
SPECIAL SECTION: WHAT'S NEXT FOR ISRAEL/PALESTINE?
Visit our online exclusives page to read the powerful web exclusives associated with this forum, including contributions from Tirzah Firestone, Alon Ben-Meir, and Carol Ascher.


By signing this petition, you show you are interested in the Danellandia Peace Initiative.
Your support stimulates us to carry on and work for peace and justice. New ideas come in regularly and we are grateful so many people support and inspire us.
The Global Peace Charter is the basis for our campaign to promote human values. Please go to www.globalpeacecharter.com for the full text of the charter.
If you want, also send this letter to the United Nations.


text:
Profound Earns European Approval for Prostate Device
Profound Medical's TULSA-PRO™, a real-time, MRI-guided, minimally invasive focused ultrasound device, was granted CE approval on April 11 for the commercial sale in Europe and in other CE Mark jurisdictions.
The approval was based on a 30-patient phase I study conducted in the US, Canada, and Europe that demonstrated that TULSA-PRO precisely ablates prostate tissue, with low toxicity and a well-tolerated safety profile. The company will start with launching commercial and clinical activity in Germany, and expand into countries that have modest levels of reimbursement, such as France, Spain, and the UK; and then seek distribution partners for other CE compatible countries.
"This is the first of several regulatory approvals we expect in the next few years," says CEO Steve Plymale. "I give a lot of credit to our team, who in just eight years since our company was founded, engineered the technology to address the unmet needs of localized prostate cancer treatment. We are excited to provide clinicians and their patients with an option that has the potential for fast recovery and reduced adverse side effects generally associated with the current standard of care for prostate therapy."
The company plans to hit the ground running with a Center of Excellence program to connect with early adopters. The centers will enable new and prospective customers to get an in-depth understanding of TULSA, and offer an accredited CME Training program and workshops.
A New Approach to Destroying Prostate Tissue
Profound's technology combines real-time MR imaging with transurethral therapeutic ultrasound and closed-loop thermal feedback control. It provides a highly precise treatment tailored to patient-specific anatomy and pathology. A transurethral ultrasound applicator is inserted and ablates the prostate from inside-out, which, according to the company, could be safer and more effective than a transrectal approach. "What makes us unique is that we have an inside-out approach – we start inside the prostate and heat toward the capsule," says Plymale. "We don't need to go near the rectal wall or other structures that are very sensitive and could be damaged by the ablation."
Guided by real-time MR imaging with temperature feedback, the treatment is conducted with millimeter accuracy, less risk, and a lower morbidity profile than traditional approaches like surgery or radiation. Plymale says that their system is flexible to meet the needs of patients and physicians – "TULSA-PRO will be useful for either focal therapy or whole gland ablation."
Pivotal Clinical Trial
Ultimately, the company will seek regulatory approval in the US. They will soon begin a pivotal clinical trial of safety and efficacy at more than 10 sites in the US, Canada, and Europe. The prospective, multi-center, single-arm study of 110 patients with low and/or intermediate risk prostate cancer is designed to generate robust data that will give confidence to the clinical community. Without a comparator arm, they expect to be able to enroll a younger population of patients based on their broad inclusion criteria. They plan to follow participants for five years and will create a patient registry to aggregate and analyze the data.
"We want to ultimately be a cancer treatment, so we are very focused on the long-term goal of demonstrating cancer-free survival," says Plymale. "This 110-patient study will initially give us the platform to be approved as an ablation tool. Following this, we will continue to track the patients and collect the data necessary to be a cancer treatment."
The company is also optimistic about reimbursement. "We can heat a very large prostate in under an hour using real-time imaging. We think that payment for this should be equivalent to what is done in the operating room, so we will advocate for reimbursement compatible with other whole gland therapies."
Collaborating with MR Imaging Leaders
Profound's technology was designed to be compatible with leading MRI systems. They have forged collaborations with both Philips and Siemens Healthcare to integrate TULSA-PRO with their imaging platforms.
"These companies are active in diagnosis, navigation, and biopsies--and now they will have access to a groundbreaking therapy," says Plymale. "We have a unique opportunity to collaborate with strategic partners that have a similar interest in furthering image-guided therapy to round out their offerings. There are about 13,000 MRIs in the US, and we believe that each should have a TULSA-PRO attached to it."
Rapid Progress
Profound Medical is a rapidly rising star in the field. The company was founded in 2008 at Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto by professors Michael Bronskill, PhD, and Rajiv Chopra, PhD. Plymale joined in 2009 as an independent director, advising the company based on his two decades in medical device senior management; he became CEO four years ago.
The company initially embarked on a costly and complex PMA regulatory pathway for entering the US market. The FDA's outlook on the risk profile of ultrasound-based therapy changed with Sonacare's de novo application followed by EDAP-TMS' 510K approval for prostate ablation late last year. Profound has since been able to refine their clinical and regulatory strategy to take advantage of the new climate.
Although Plymale explains that it has been difficult to work with the materials required for developing MR-compatible focused ultrasound technology, he says that the engineering challenges pale when compared to the business headwinds. "The biggest challenge has not been engineering-related, but involves financing and growth," he explains. "In 2010, we had six people, and now we are a team of 45 and we need to be ready to scale up the operation and take it to the next level. That is where we need to be really nimble and adept."
While he sees potential for treating other diseases in the future, the company for now remains committed to providing a superior solution to men with prostate cancer. "We are developing a new option that will potentially provide men with equal or better outcomes than the standard of care in terms of side effects and quality of life. This is the sweet spot of medical innovation," Plymale states.
Posted April 2016


Used Toyota 86. used toyota 86 2013 86 for sale windhoek toyota 86 sales toyota 86 price n 289 900 used. used toyota 86 2 0 high auto for sale in gauteng 1713796 surf4cars. used toyota 86 2012 for sale stock tradecarview 21658286. used toyota 86 for sale cargurus. used toyota 86 gt limited 2013 86 gt limited for sale vacoas toyota 86 gt limited sales. used toyota 86 2017 for sale in montreal quebec auto123. used toyota 86 gt 2013 86 gt for sale muntinlupa city toyota 86 gt sales toyota 86 gt. used toyota 86 2012 for sale stock tradecarview 21670802. used toyota 86 2016 for sale stock tradecarview 21658494. used toyota 86 2016 for sale stock tradecarview 21670581. [Apriliasxv.com].
Used Toyota 86 Vehicles are one of the types of move men and women uncover to help are the preferred currently the days. There are actually those who are enclosed in vehicles along with love these folks and its features and can talk forevery discussing them in a stretch. While using progress of today's technology, many additional features get appear now any daily all modern-day cars thoroughly furnished with those options emerged approaching in the markets. With all the extravagant price can come the particular wonderful capabilities, each one currently being considered one of your kind.
Being a dwelling, a car is some of those purchases in which you will earn within your lifetime. Hence it's very important which you do your behalf in bargaining the car loan package you are having to get the purchasing price tag the small sum of possible, much like a person's comfort level. Have a seat while using sales team plus keep your disorders in addition to status while in front of them, let them know exactly how much you can find the money for and just how considerably a person are able to shell out, in addition to correctly consider the opportunity following that on. Possibly be absolutely very clear from the start around capital similar issues.
Just one benefit regarding online is actually that you might end up receiving the vehicle you have been seeking during a significant lower fee in comparison with what you would receive in the showrooms. This world wide web furthermore will give you the chance of averting the actual troublesome income those that you'll have to option with. And so if you see with this position them is completely the win-win problem for you to coping here, consider enjoy the best utilization of the online to serve the actual requirements that require this kind of focus like this Used Toyota 86?