text:
Total joint Perioperative Surgical Home: an observational financial review
Darren R Raphael1,
Maxime Cannesson1,
Ran Schwarzkopf2,
Leslie M Garson1,
Shermeen B Vakharia1,
Ranjan Gupta2 &
Zeev N Kain1
Perioperative Medicine volume 3, Article number: 6 (2014) Cite this article
The numbers of people requiring total arthroplasty is expected to increase substantially over the next two decades. However, increasing costs and new payment models in the USA have created a sustainability gap. Ad hoc interventions have reported marginal cost reduction, but it has become clear that sustainability lies only in complete restructuring of care delivery. The Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model, a patient-centered and physician-led multidisciplinary system of coordinated care, was implemented at UC Irvine Health in 2012 for patients undergoing primary elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA). This observational study examines the costs associated with this initiative.
The direct cost of materials and services (excluding professional fees and implants) for a random index sample following the Total Joint-PSH pathway was used to calculate per diem cost. Cost of orthopedic implants was calculated based on audit-verified direct cost data. Operating room and post-anesthesia care unit time-based costs were calculated for each case and analyzed for variation. Benchmark cost data were obtained from literature search. Data are presented as mean ± SD (coefficient of variation) where possible.
Total per diem cost was $10,042 ± 1,305 (13%) for TKA and $9,952 ± 1,294 (13%) for THA. Literature-reported benchmark per diem cost was $17,588 for TKA and $16,267 for THA. Implant cost was $7,482 ± 4,050 (54%) for TKA and $9869 ± 1,549 (16%) for THA. Total hospital cost was $17,894 ± 4,270 (24%) for TKA and $20,281 ± 2,057 (10%) for THA. In-room to incision time cost was $1,263 ± 100 (8%) for TKA and $1,341 ± 145 (11%) for THA. Surgery time cost was $1,558 ± 290 (19%) for TKA and $1,930 ± 374 (19%) for THA. Post-anesthesia care unit time cost was $507 ± 187 (36%) for TKA and $557 ± 302 (54%) for THA.
Direct hospital costs were driven substantially below USA benchmark levels using the Total Joint-PSH pathway. The incremental benefit of each step in the coordinated care pathway is manifested as a lower average length of stay. We identified excessive variation in the cost of implants and post-anesthesia care.
Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) show high cost–utility, cost-effectiveness, and cost–benefit over other interventions [1–3]. However, the cost of care delivery in the USA has increased to the point that total arthroplasty (TA) is now the largest expenditure per procedure in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-provided interventions [4]. Coupled with declining reimbursement, hospitals have struggled to maintain profitability for these procedures. The passage of the Affordable Care Act and implementation of performance-based bundled payments threatens to exacerbate this sustainability gap if significant cost-control measures are not implemented. Furthermore, as the 'baby boomer' generation ages and obesity continues to rise in the general population, the demand for primary TKA and THA in the USA is expected to increase substantially over the next two decades [5, 6].
It is well established that costs for TA during the initial hospital stay are mostly driven by three major factors: implant cost, hospital length of stay (LOS), and operating room (OR) cost [4, 7–9]. Implant cost has increased sharply over the past two decades, with many new and more complex options brought to market. Implant cost minimization strategies may be found in the literature, including implant standardization, group purchasing, gain sharing, price ceilings, and the creation of a national joint database to track outcomes and inform purchasing decisions. LOS reduction efforts have examined modern surgical techniques and multimodal pain management, and described post-operative clinical pathways that employ early mobilization and rehabilitation as well as reduction of post-operative complications. OR cost reduction has focused mainly on surgical techniques and operational efficiency. These ad hoc interventions have been shown to reduce costs marginally in USA hospitals, but none has addressed the broader issue of a fragmented and inefficient perioperative system. The transition to performance-based bundled payments in the USA has illustrated the need for the adoption of perioperative practice models similar to those that have been in place in Europe for over a decade with proven financial benefits.
We submit that sustainable cost reduction lies only in a complete restructuring of how TA care is delivered. The Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) is a recently proposed perioperative practice model in the USA. The goal of the PSH is to improve clinical outcomes while providing better perioperative service to patients at lower cost [10, 11]. This model has been described as a 'patient-centered and physician-led multidisciplinary and team-based system of coordinated care that guides the patient throughout the entire surgical experience.' The first PSH program was implemented at UC Irvine Health in 2012 for all elective TKA and THA [12, 13]. The intent of the program is to support the orthopedic surgeon, ensure adherence to mutually agreed-upon protocols, and manage medical issues that arise during the episode of care. The surgeon's role as ultimate decision-maker is maintained. A major aim of the Total Joint-PSH protocol is to reduce variation in care delivery, which will in turn reduce cost and improve outcomes [4, 12–15]. This observational study examines the cost and cost variation associated with the Total Joint-PSH, and compares to reported benchmarks.
We performed an observational cost analysis for patients undergoing primary unilateral elective THA or TKA under the Total Joint-PSH model at UC Irvine Health between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013. Institutional review board approval was obtained with the purpose of analyzing and reporting our results, and patient consent was waived (IRB HS#2012-9273). The implementation of the Total Joint-PSH program at our institution has been described in detail elsewhere [12, 13].
Implementing the Total Joint-PSH program
The Total Joint-PSH program was created prior to reestablishment of an arthroplasty center at UC Irvine Health in 2012. The lack of an existing program allowed all stakeholders (including orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, acute pain physicians, nurses, rehabilitation specialists, and hospital administrators) to have a voice in its design and implementation. All team members were trained in Lean Six Sigma (LSS), and agreed to adhere to the concepts of standardization and reduced variability. The goal of this process was to integrate four distinct perioperative phases: pre-operative, intra-operative, post-operative and post-discharge. A value stream map (flow diagram documenting in high detail every step of the process) was created for each perioperative phase. The pre-operative process incorporates expectation management, early discharge planning, protocol-driven health risk assessment, and medical optimization. Standardized anesthetic, nursing, and surgical care protocols, as well as Goal Directed Fluid Therapy (GDFT) underpin the intra-operative component. Post-operative management provides for multimodal analgesia, a targeted recovery plan, early ambulation, nutrition management, and prompt rescue from complications. Post-discharge care begins in the hospital with coordinated transition to an appropriate rehabilitation setting. Once the perioperative pathways were fully vetted, the Total Joint-PSH program was officially launched on October 1, 2012.
Per diem cost analysis
The direct cost of materials and services (excluding professional fees and implants) provided during each hospital day of care were obtained from the UC Irvine Health financial decision support office. Data were provided for a randomly chosen index sample (n = 29 or 14%) of patients who had undergone unilateral primary arthroplasty following the Total Joint-PSH pathway. Data from this sample were used to determine average per diem cost for each day of admission. Components of per diem cost are presented in Table 1. Per diem cost for post-operative day (POD) 0 included costs incurred during pre-operative health risk assessment and optimization in the operating room (OR) and in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). The cost of pre-operative orthopedic clinic professional visits was not included. Costs incurred during POD 1 to 3 included room and board as well as all activities related to recovery and discharge planning. The previously reported average LOS for the Total Joint-PSH was 2.7 ± 0.64 days for TKA and 2.6 ± 0.67 for THA [12], thus a conservative value of 3 days LOS was used to calculate total per diem cost.
Table 1 Components of per diem cost
Specialized orthopedic materials and implant cost analysis
All specialized orthopedic materials and implants used in the OR were recorded by nursing staff intra-operatively, and verified by the revenue audit department. Data from all patients (n = 206) undergoing elective primary unilateral TKA and THA were used to examine the cost of orthopedic materials and implants. The average cost of orthopedic materials and implants was calculated using the acquisition cost.
Total cost analysis
Total cost for primary TKA and THA performed as part of the Total Joint-PSH program was calculated as the sum of the total per diem cost, orthopedic materials cost, and implant cost. Total cost for was calculated for all cases.
Determination of OR and PACU cost per minute
The cost of OR time was calculated in the following manner. Aggregate direct cost data for the index patient sample was obtained from the decision support office. OR-related costs (excluding implants) were identified. Materials typically used during the first 30 minutes of OR time were also identified. Two average total costs were calculated, one for the first 30 minutes and one for costs incurred thereafter. Total OR time was obtained by database query of the intra-operative electronic medical record (EMR) (Surgical Information Systems, LLC, Alpharetta, GA, USA). Using these data, a cost per minute was calculated for the first 30 minutes and for subsequent OR time. An analogous process was performed to obtain cost per minute values for PACU time.
OR and PACU time variation and cost analysis
Total OR and PACU times were determined by database query of the intra-operative and post-operative EMR for all patients undergoing elective unilateral primary TKA and THA. In-room to incision time and surgical time were also obtained. Using the calculated cost per minute values, a time-based cost was determined for the components of each case.
Variation in cost was assessed using coefficient of variation (defined as SD/mean). Data are presented as mean ± SD (coefficient of variation). All statistics were performed using SPSS software version 11.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
In total, 206 (n = 129 for TKA and n = 77 for THA) sequential patients undergoing unilateral primary TA were enrolled in the Total Joint-PSH protocol. Demographics are presented in Table 2.
Table 2 Demographics of the included patients a
A summary of costs (per diem cost, orthopedic materials and implants cost, and total calculated cost) is presented in Table 3. Individual cost of implants for all cases is presented in Figure 1.
Table 3 Summary of costs a
Implants cost. (A) total knee arthroplasty; (B) total hip arthroplasty.
Time-based cost analysis
A summary of OR time costs is presented in Table 4. Individual case costs (in-room to incision time cost, surgery time cost, PACU time cost, and total OR and PACU time cost) for TKA and THA are presented in Figure 2 and Figure 3, respectively.
Table 4 Summary of OR time costs a
Surgical time cost for total knee arthroplasty. (A) In-room to incision time cost; (B) surgery time cost; (C) post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) time cost; and (D) total operating room (OR) and PACU time cost.
Surgical time cost for total hip arthroplasty. (A) In-room to incision time cost; (B) surgery time cost; (C) post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) time cost; (D) total operating room (OR) and PACU time cost.
Our analysis shows a low total cost for unilateral primary TKA and THA in the setting of the first Total Joint-PSH. Prior to implementation of the Total Joint-PSH program, our institution had no active arthroplasty program. This study is observational in nature, and no comparison with prior costs was made. We sought instead to benchmark our cost data against figures reported in the literature. A recent retrospective study of primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA) found an average hospital cost (episode cost excluding implants) of $17,588 for TKA and $16,267 for THA. Hospital episode cost for the Total Joint-PSH patient at our institution ($10,042 ± 1305 for TKA and $9,952 ± 1294 for THA) was found to be significantly below this benchmark (Table 5). The reduced LOS in our institution (4 versus 3 days) is a major factor in this comparative cost reduction. We contend that the incremental benefit of each step in the Total Joint-PSH coordinated care pathway is manifested as a low average LOS (rapid recovery). Cost savings attributed to reduced LOS must be considered in the context of equivalent outcomes, as complications can contribute substantially to the overall cost of arthroplasty. We have previously reported low complication and re-admission rates for patients in the Total Joint-PSH compared with published data [12], but the contribution of complications to overall cost of care was not considered in this analysis.
Table 5 Benchmark cost comparison: average hospital cost excluding implants a
The second largest cost driver was identified as cost of implants $7,482 ± 4,050 (TKA) and $9,869 ± 1,549 (THA). Implant cost was recently examined in the literature, and found to range from $1,797 to $12,093 (TKA) and $2,392 to $12,361 (THA) [9]. Implant cost at our institution was within this benchmark range. However, the cost of implants was the largest source of cost variation in the Total Joint-PSH, at 54% (TKA) and 16% (THA). Variation in implant cost is appropriate as a reflection of patient demographics and underlying conditions, particularly in the setting of a tertiary care academic center. However, a component of this variation can be attributed to other factors. UC Irvine Health is currently engaged in an initiative to reduce implant cost variability and overall implant cost.
Operating room and PACU cost was determined using a time-based cost analysis. It has been argued that reduction in OR time does not result in cost savings unless enough time is saved to add an additional case during regular operating hours. This reasoning presumes all OR costs are fixed; however, a number of OR resources (such as staffing) are variable direct costs that can be reallocated if OR time is reduced. Determination of the time-based cost can help to identify areas for OR cost savings and illustrate the importance of operational efficiency. We examined variation in terms of cost rather than time because our model assigns a higher cost to the initial 30 minutes of OR and PACU times. In our analysis, variation in OR time cost for the Total Joint-PSH was found to be low. Cost associated with in-room to incision time varied by 8% (TKA) and 11% (THA). We attribute this low variation to a well-defined, time-limited decision tree for conversion of difficult neuraxial to general anesthesia. Cost associated with surgery time varied by 19% (TKA and THA). Relatively low variation in these parameters enables predictable optimization of OR scheduling. Excessive variation of 36% (TKA) and 54% (THA) was found in the PACU time cost analysis. The data showed several outliers, which upon initial investigation were attributable to limited availability of beds in the orthopedic ward at the desired time of PACU discharge. This finding has alerted the Total Joint-PSH team to the need for further study and an LSS analysis of this process step.
Minimizing direct hospital costs without improvement in care or outcomes may simply shift cost to the post-discharge arena. The cost of orthopedic rehabilitation hospital care, home-based care, emergency room visits, complications, and readmissions must be closely tracked. A recent study of TJA costs found that post-discharge payments accounted for an average of 36% of total episode of care payments [16]. The current observational cost analysis of the Total Joint-PSH cohort did not consider post-discharge care, and some component of cost shifting may exist. We recognize this as a challenging and pressing area of future study.
The PSH is a care delivery model that has been endorsed by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), with the goal of improving clinical outcomes while providing better perioperative service at lower cost. Future studies will be geared toward comparing the PSH with other models of care.
We found that direct hospital costs can be driven substantially below benchmark levels using the Total Joint-PSH pathway, and suggest that implementation of a PSH model of care could help institutions to better control process costs and identify unwarranted costs. In the case of the Total Joint-PSH, we have identified an opportunity to decrease variation in the cost of implants and the cost of PACU time.
CMS:
Centers for Medicaid and Medicare
EMR:
GDFT:
Goal directed fluid therapy
LOS:
LSS:
Post-anesthesia care unit
Post-operative day
PSH:
Perioperative Surgical Home
TA:
Total arthroplasty
THA:
Total hip arthroplasty
TJA:
total joint arthroplasty
TKA:
Total knee arthroplasty.
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Bozic KJ, Saleh KJ, Rosenberg AG, Rubash HE: Economic evaluation in total hip arthroplasty: analysis and review of the literature. J Arthroplasty. 2004, 19: 180-189.
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Lovald ST, Ong KL, Malkani AL, Lau EC, Schmier JK, Kurtz SM, Manley MT: Complications, mortality, and costs for outpatient and short-stay total knee arthroplasty patients in comparison to standard-stay patients. J Arthroplasty. 2014, 29: 510-515.
Healy WL, Iorio R, Richards JA, Lucchesi C: Opportunities for control of hospital costs for total joint arthroplasty after initial cost containment. J Arthroplasty. 1998, 13: 504-507.
Healy WL, Ayers ME, Iorio R, Patch DA, Appleby D, Pfeifer BA: Impact of a clinical pathway and implant standardization on total hip arthroplasty: a clinical and economic study of short-term patient outcome. J Arthroplasty. 1998, 13: 266-276.
Robinson JC, Pozen A, Tseng S, Bozic KJ: Variability in costs associated with total hip and knee replacement implants. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012, 94: 1693-1698.
Schweitzer M, Fahy B, Leib M, Rosenquist R, Merrick S: The Perioperative Surgical Home Model. Am Soc Anesthesiol News Lett. 2013, 77 (6): 58-59.
Oravetz P, Kelchlin A: Driving value through clinical practice variation reduction. Presented at 2013 Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference. 2013, New Orleans, [http://www.iienet2.org/uploadedFiles/SHSNew/Feature%201%20Paper%20Ochsner%20Joint%20Improvement.pdf] []
Garson L, Schwartzkopf R, Vakharia S, Alexander B, Stead S, Cannesson M, Kain ZN: Implementation of a total joint replacement-focused perioperative surgical home: a management case report. Anesth Analg. 2014, 118 (5): 1081-1089.
Kain ZN, Vakharia S, Garson L, Engwall S, Schwarzkopf R, Gupta R, Cannesson M: The Perioperative Surgical Home as a future perioperative practice model. Anesth Analg. 2014, 118 (5): 1126-1130.
Vetter TR, Boudreaux AM, Jones KA, Hunter JM, Pittet JF: The Perioperative Surgical Home: how anesthesiology can achieve and leverage the triple aim in healthcare. Anesth Analg. 2014, 118 (5): 1131-1136.
Vetter TR, Goeddel LA, Boudreaux AM, Hunt TR, Jones KA, Pittet JF: The Perioperative Surgical Home: how can it make the case so everyone wins?. BMC Anesthesiol. 2013, 13: 615-
Kozma CM, Slaton T, Paris A, Edgell ET: Cost and utilization of healthcare services for hip and knee replacement. J Med Econ. 2013, 16 (7): 888-896.
We thank Morris Frieling for providing cost data and Kwang Pak for assistance with data analysis.
Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, University of California, 333 The City Boulevard West, Suite 2150, Orange, Irvine, California, 92868, USA
Darren R Raphael, Maxime Cannesson, Leslie M Garson, Shermeen B Vakharia & Zeev N Kain
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California, 101 The City Drive South Pavilion III, Building 29A Orange, Irvine, California, 92868, USA
Ran Schwarzkopf & Ranjan Gupta
Darren R Raphael
Maxime Cannesson
Ran Schwarzkopf
Leslie M Garson
Shermeen B Vakharia
Ranjan Gupta
Zeev N Kain
Correspondence to Darren R Raphael.
RS performs consulting work for Smith & Nephew, owns stock in Gauss Surgical and Pristine and does research for Pricria; LMG owns stock warrants in Pristine; and SBV has received a fellowship grant from The Center for Healthcare Quality and Innovation for Urology Surgical Home. The other authors have no competing interests to declare.
DR participated in study design, was responsible for data acquisition, performed statistical analysis and figure design, and authored the manuscript; MC participated in study design, performed statistical analysis and figure design, and co-authored the manuscript; RS participated in study design, contributed to data analysis, and co-authored the manuscript; LG participated in study design, contributed to data acquisition, and co-authored the manuscript;. SV participated in study design and co-authored the manuscript; MC participated in study design and co-authored the manuscript; and ZK participated in study design, contributed to data analysis and co-authored the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
Raphael, D.R., Cannesson, M., Schwarzkopf, R. et al. Total joint Perioperative Surgical Home: an observational financial review. Perioper Med 3, 6 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/2047-0525-3-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/2047-0525-3-6
Perioperative practice model
Perioperative care pathway
Cost variation


text:
/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 |    I N C L U D E   F I L E S
\*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
#include "common.h"
#include "timer_5410x.h"
#include "i2c_driver.h"

/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 |    E X T E R N A L   V A R I A B L E S   &   F U N C T I O N S
\*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 |    P U B L I C   V A R I A B L E S   D E F I N I T I O N S
\*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
const uint32_t ExtClockIn = 0;
const GpioInfo_t DiagLEDs[NUM_LEDS] = {PINS_LEDS};

/* Timestamp extension (upper 32bit of 64bit value) for RTC Counter */
uint32_t RTCTimeExtend = 0;

/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 |    P R I V A T E   C O N S T A N T S   &   M A C R O S
\*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 |    P R I V A T E   T Y P E   D E F I N I T I O N S
\*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 |    S T A T I C   V A R I A B L E S   D E F I N I T I O N S
\*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
/* Pin muxing table, only items that need changing from their default pin
   state are in this table. Not every pin is mapped. */
//TODO Pin init should be moved to respective modules handling the pin function
STATIC const PINMUX_GRP_T pinmuxing[] = {

    /* I2C1 standard/fast (bridge) */
    {0, 27, (IOCON_FUNC1 | IOCON_MODE_INACT | IOCON_DIGITAL_EN | IOCON_STDI2C_EN)},    /* BRIDGE_SCL (SCL) */
    {0, 28, (IOCON_FUNC1 | IOCON_MODE_INACT | IOCON_DIGITAL_EN | IOCON_STDI2C_EN)},    /* BRIDGE_SDA (SDA) */

    /* Sensor related */
    {0, 4,  (IOCON_FUNC0 | IOCON_MODE_PULLDOWN | IOCON_DIGITAL_EN)}, /* GYR_INT1 (GPIO input) */
    {0, 18, (IOCON_FUNC0 | IOCON_MODE_INACT | IOCON_DIGITAL_EN)},    /* CT32B0_MAT0-ACCL_INT1 */
    {0, 22, (IOCON_FUNC0 | IOCON_MODE_PULLDOWN | IOCON_DIGITAL_EN)}, /* MAG_DRDY_INT (GPIO input) */

};

/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 |    F O R W A R D   F U N C T I O N   D E C L A R A T I O N S
\*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 |    P R I V A T E     F U N C T I O N S
\*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      GPIO_AINConfig
 *          Configures all IOs as AIN to reduce the power consumption.
 *
 * @param   none
 *
 * @return  none
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
static void GPIO_AINConfig(void)
{
}

/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 |    P U B L I C     F U N C T I O N S
\*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      SystemInit
 *          Set up and initialize hardware prior to call to main
 *
 * @param   none
 *
 * @return  none
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
void SystemInit(void)
{
#if defined(__CODE_RED)
    extern void(*const g_pfnVectors[]) (void);
    SCB->VTOR = (uint32_t) &g_pfnVectors;
#else
    extern void *__Vectors;
    SCB->VTOR = (uint32_t) &__Vectors;
#endif

#if defined(CORE_M4)
#if defined(__FPU_PRESENT) && __FPU_PRESENT == 1
    fpuInit();
#endif
#endif

#if !defined(__MULTICORE_M0SLAVE) && !defined(__MULTICORE_M4SLAVE)
    /* Chip specific SystemInit */
    /* Enable IOCON clock */
    Chip_Clock_EnablePeriphClock(SYSCON_CLOCK_IOCON);

    /* Setup internal RC clocking to given System freq */
    Chip_SetupIrcClocking(SYSTEM_CLOCK_FREQ);

    /* Select the CLKOUT clocking source */
    //Chip_Clock_SetCLKOUTSource(SYSCON_CLKOUTSRC_MAINCLK, 1);
#endif
}

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      LED_Init
 *          Configures the diagnostic LEDs in the system
 *
 * @param   none
 *
 * @return  none
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
void LED_Init( void )
{
    uint8_t index;

    for (index = 0; index < NUM_LEDS; index++)
    {
        /* Setup Pins in the mux */
        Chip_IOCON_PinMuxSet(LPC_IOCON, DiagLEDs[index].PinDef.port, DiagLEDs[index].PinDef.pin,
            DiagLEDs[index].PinDef.modefunc);

        Chip_GPIO_SetPinDIROutput(LPC_GPIO_PORT, DiagLEDs[index].PinDef.port, DiagLEDs[index].PinDef.pin);

        LED_Off(index);
    }
}

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      SystemGPIOConfig
 *          Configures the various GPIO ports on the chip according to the usage by various
 *          peripherals.
 *
 * @param   none
 *
 * @return  none
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
void SystemGPIOConfig( void )
{
    /* Set all GPIOs to analog input mode to begin with */
    GPIO_AINConfig();

    /* Enable the peripheral clock in the PMC */
    Chip_GPIO_Init(LPC_GPIO_PORT);

    /* TODO: Catch ALL for uninitialized pins... should be moved to respective modules */
    Chip_IOCON_SetPinMuxing(LPC_IOCON, pinmuxing, sizeof(pinmuxing) / sizeof(PINMUX_GRP_T));

    /* Setup DMA Common here since its not specific to any peripheral */
    Chip_DMA_Init(LPC_DMA);
    //Chip_SYSCON_PeriphReset(RESET_DMA);
    Chip_DMA_Enable(LPC_DMA);
    Chip_DMA_SetSRAMBase(LPC_DMA, DMA_ADDR(Chip_DMA_Table));
}

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      SystemInterruptConfig
 *          Configures the nested vectored interrupt controller.
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
void SystemInterruptConfig( void )
{
    NVIC_SetPriorityGrouping( SYSTEM_INTERRUPT_PRIORITY_GRP );

    /* Enable Pin interrupt sources */
    Chip_PININT_Init(NULL); /* Note: input arg is ignored! */
}

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      RTC_Configuration
 *          Configures the RTC to use a capture input as its clock source. This allows getting more
 *          accurate 32KHz clock as RTC reference instead of internal RC oscillator. NOTE that you
 *          need to connect Pin 11 & 17 of J2 on the NXP board/Sensor board to route the 32KHz output
 *          (CLOCKOUT) to RTC timer input (CAP1)
 *
 * @param   none
 *
 * @return  none
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
void RTC_Configuration( void )
{
    Chip_TIMER_Init(RTC_COUNTER);

    /* Turn on the RTC 32K Oscillator */
    Chip_SYSCON_PowerUp(SYSCON_PDRUNCFG_PD_32K_OSC);
    Chip_Clock_EnableRTCOsc();

    //Enable 32KHz RTC clock output on CLKOUT pin
    Chip_IOCON_PinMuxSet( LPC_IOCON, CLOCK_OUT_PIN );
    Chip_Clock_SetCLKOUTSource( SYSCON_CLKOUTSRC_RTC, CLOCK_OUT_DIVIDER );

    /* Setup timer to use CAP1 input as clock source. This input is connected to CLKOUT which outputs 32KHz RTC clock */
    Chip_IOCON_PinMuxSet( LPC_IOCON, RTC_COUNTER_INPUT_CLK_PIN ); //Pin configured to be Capture input for RTC timer
    Chip_TIMER_PrescaleSet( RTC_COUNTER, 0 ); //Native 32KHz rate without dividing
    Chip_TIMER_TIMER_SetCountClockSrc( RTC_COUNTER, TIMER_CAPSRC_RISING_CAPN, RTC_COUNTER_CAPTURE_NUM );

    /* Reset Timer */
    Chip_TIMER_Reset(RTC_COUNTER);
    RTC_COUNTER->TC = 1; //Start at 1 since we are setting overflow match to 0

    /* Set match register to match on 0 for overflow detection */
    Chip_TIMER_SetMatch( RTC_COUNTER, RTC_COUNTER_MATCH_IDX, 0UL );
    /* Enable match interrupt */
    Chip_TIMER_MatchEnableInt( RTC_COUNTER, RTC_COUNTER_MATCH_IDX );

    /* Setup preemption and sub-priority for the timer-counter */
    NVIC_SetPriority(RTC_COUNTER_IRQCh, RTC_COUNTER_INT_PRIORITY);

    /* Enable the interrupt channel */
    NVIC_EnableIRQ( RTC_COUNTER_IRQCh );

    /* Start timer */
    Chip_TIMER_Enable(RTC_COUNTER);
}

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      RTC_GetCounter
 *          Returns the counter value of the timer register
 *
 * @param   none
 *
 * @return  32-bit counter value
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
uint32_t RTC_GetCounter( void )
{
    return RTC_COUNTER->TC;
}

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      RTC_GetCounter64
 *          Returns the 64-bit extended counter value of the timer register
 *
 * @param   none
 *
 * @return  64-bit counter value
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
uint64_t RTC_GetCounter64( void )
{
    uint64_t counter;

    NVIC_DisableIRQ( RTC_COUNTER_IRQCh );
    counter = ((uint64_t)RTCTimeExtend << 32) | RTC_COUNTER->TC;
    NVIC_EnableIRQ( RTC_COUNTER_IRQCh );

    return counter;
}

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      RTC_SetTimeNs64
 *          Set the RTC counter as per the given time in ns
 *
 * @param   nsTime - Time in nano seconds
 *
 * @return  none
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
void RTC_SetTimeNs64( uint64_t nsTime )
{
    uint64_t counter;

    /* Calculate count value corresponding to given ns time */
    NVIC_DisableIRQ( RTC_COUNTER_IRQCh );
    counter = (nsTime + (RTC_TICK_NS_INT/2)) / (RTC_TICK_NS_INT); //Round up

    Chip_TIMER_Disable( RTC_COUNTER ); //Stop the timer

    RTC_COUNTER->TC = (uint32_t)(counter & 0xFFFFFFFF);
    RTCTimeExtend = (uint32_t)(counter >> 32);
    Chip_TIMER_ClearMatch( RTC_COUNTER, RTC_COUNTER_MATCH_IDX ); //In case the counter value caused a match

    Chip_TIMER_Enable( RTC_COUNTER ); //Start timer at the new count

    NVIC_EnableIRQ( RTC_COUNTER_IRQCh );
}

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      DebugUARTConfig
 *          Configures the selected USART for UART operation with the given baud rate parameters.
 *          Note that flow control is not supported due to I/O limitations.
 *
 * @param   baud    Baud rate value
 * @param   dataLen Word length of the serial data
 * @param   stopBits Number of stop bits
 * @param   parity  Parity - Odd/Even/None
 *
 * @return  none
 *
 * @see     none
 ***************************************************************************************************/
void DebugUARTConfig( uint32_t baud, uint32_t dataLen, uint32_t stopBits, uint32_t parity )
{
    // init UARTx pins and config
    Chip_IOCON_PinMuxSet(LPC_IOCON, DBG_UART_RX_PIN_DEF); // U0_RXD
    Chip_IOCON_PinMuxSet(LPC_IOCON, DBG_UART_TX_PIN_DEF); // U0_TXD

    Chip_UART_Init(DBG_IF_UART);
    Chip_UART_ConfigData(DBG_IF_UART, UART_CFG_ENABLE | dataLen |
                         parity | stopBits);
    Chip_UART_SetBaud(DBG_IF_UART, baud);

#ifdef UART_DMA_ENABLE
    /* DMA Interrupt configuration section ------------------------------------------------- */

    /* Initialize DMA for UART - Note: common stuff for DMA done in SystemGPIOConfig */
    Chip_DMA_SetupChannelConfig(LPC_DMA, DBG_UART_TX_DMA_Channel, DMA_CFG_PERIPHREQEN | DMA_CFG_TRIGBURST_SNGL |
                                DMA_CFG_CHPRIORITY(DBG_UART_DMA_PRIORITY));

    /* Setup DMA interrupt */
    NVIC_DisableIRQ (DMA_INT_IRQChannel);
    /* Setup preemption and sub-priority for DMA */
    NVIC_SetPriority(DMA_INT_IRQChannel, DMA_INT_PREEMPT_PRIO);

    // Enable interrupt for DMA
    NVIC_EnableIRQ(DMA_INT_IRQChannel);
#endif

    /* Enable receiver & transmitter */
    Chip_UART_Enable(DBG_IF_UART);

    /* Set interrupt priority */
    NVIC_DisableIRQ(DBG_UART_IRQChannel);
    NVIC_ClearPendingIRQ(DBG_UART_IRQChannel);

    /* Setup preemption and sub-priority for UART */
    NVIC_SetPriority(DBG_UART_IRQChannel, DBG_UART_INT_PRIORITY);

    /* Enable receive interrupt, TX interrupt in enabled in write */
    Chip_UART_IntEnable(DBG_IF_UART, UART_INTEN_RXRDY); //NOTE: Receive disabled for visualization tool

    /* Enable the interrupt channel */
    NVIC_EnableIRQ( DBG_UART_IRQChannel );
}

#ifdef UART_DMA_ENABLE
/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      UartDMAConfiguration
 *          Configures the DMA for use with the selected UART
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
void UartDMAConfiguration( PortInfo *pPort, uint8_t *pTxBuffer, uint16_t txBufferSize )
{
    DMA_CHDESC_T dmaDesc;
    pTxBuffer += txBufferSize - 1;
    /* DMA descriptor for M2P operation - note that addresses must
       be the END address for src and destination, not the starting address.
       DMA operations moves from end to start. */
    dmaDesc.source  = DMA_ADDR(pTxBuffer);
    dmaDesc.dest    = DMA_ADDR(&DBG_IF_UART->TXDAT);
    dmaDesc.next    = DMA_ADDR(0); //No chaining
    dmaDesc.xfercfg = (DMA_XFERCFG_CFGVALID | DMA_XFERCFG_SETINTA | DMA_XFERCFG_SWTRIG |
        DMA_XFERCFG_WIDTH_8 | DMA_XFERCFG_SRCINC_1 | DMA_XFERCFG_DSTINC_0 |
        DMA_XFERCFG_XFERCOUNT(txBufferSize));

    /* Setup transfer descriptor and validate it */
    Chip_DMA_SetupTranChannel(LPC_DMA, pPort->DMAChannel, &dmaDesc);

    /* Note: DMA is triggered in EnableUartDMAChannel() call */
    Chip_DMA_SetupChannelTransfer(LPC_DMA, pPort->DMAChannel, dmaDesc.xfercfg);
    Chip_DMA_SetValidChannel(LPC_DMA, pPort->DMAChannel);
}
#endif

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      Board_SensorIfInit
 *          Configures the peripherals and IOs for the given Sensor
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
void Board_SensorIfInit( InputSensor_t ifID )
{

    /* Initialize common interfaces */
    /* Initialize the I2C Driver interface */
    ASF_assert( true == I2C_HardwareSetup( I2C_SENSOR_BUS ) );

    /* Initialize IOs - interrupts, wakeup, etc. */
    switch (ifID)
    {
    case ACCEL_INPUT_SENSOR:
        /* ACCEL INT1 irq setup */
        NVIC_DisableIRQ(ACCEL_PINT_IRQn);
        NVIC_SetPriority(ACCEL_PINT_IRQn, ACCEL_INT_IRQ_PRIORITY);

        Chip_GPIO_SetPinDIR(LPC_GPIO_PORT, ACCEL_INT_PORT, ACCEL_INT_PIN, false);

        Chip_INMUX_PinIntSel(ACCEL_PINT_SEL, ACCEL_INT_PORT, ACCEL_INT_PIN);
        Chip_PININT_SetPinModeEdge(LPC_PININT, ACCEL_PINT_CH); /* edge sensitive */
        Chip_PININT_EnableIntHigh(LPC_PININT, ACCEL_PINT_CH);  /* Rising edge interrupt */

        //pinDef.pin = ENCODE_PORT_PIN(ACCEL_INT2_PORT, ACCEL_INT2_PIN);
        //gpio_dir(&pinDef, PIN_INPUT);

        //Chip_SYSCON_EnableWakeup(ACCEL_WAKE); /* enable to wake from sleep */

        //gpio_irq_disable(&gpioIrq);
        break;

    case MAG_INPUT_SENSOR:
        NVIC_DisableIRQ(MAG_PINT_IRQn);
        NVIC_SetPriority(MAG_PINT_IRQn, MAG_INT_IRQ_PRIORITY);

        /* MAG INT2 irq setup */
        Chip_GPIO_SetPinDIR(LPC_GPIO_PORT, MAG_INT_PORT, MAG_INT_PIN, false);

        Chip_INMUX_PinIntSel(MAG_PINT_SEL, MAG_INT_PORT, MAG_INT_PIN);
        Chip_PININT_SetPinModeEdge(LPC_PININT, MAG_PINT_CH); /* edge sensitive */
        Chip_PININT_EnableIntHigh(LPC_PININT, MAG_PINT_CH);  /* Rising edge interrupt */

        //Chip_SYSCON_EnableWakeup(MAG_WAKE); /* enable to wake from sleep */
        //Chip_SYSCON_EnableWakeup(SYSCON_STARTER_WWDT);  /* enable to wake from sleep */

        //pinDef.pin = ENCODE_PORT_PIN(MAG_INT3_PORT, MAG_INT3_PIN);
        //gpio_dir(&pinDef,PIN_INPUT);
        break;

    case GYRO_INPUT_SENSOR:
        NVIC_DisableIRQ(GYRO_PINT_IRQn);
        NVIC_SetPriority(GYRO_PINT_IRQn, GYRO_INT_IRQ_PRIORITY);

        /* Gyro interrupt setup */
        Chip_GPIO_SetPinDIR(LPC_GPIO_PORT, GYRO_INT_PORT, GYRO_INT_PIN, false);

        Chip_INMUX_PinIntSel(GYRO_PINT_SEL, GYRO_INT_PORT, GYRO_INT_PIN);
        Chip_PININT_SetPinModeEdge(LPC_PININT, GYRO_PINT_CH); /* edge sensitive */
        Chip_PININT_EnableIntHigh(LPC_PININT, GYRO_PINT_CH);  /* Rising edge interrupt */

        //Chip_SYSCON_EnableWakeup(GYRO_WAKE);
        break;

    case PRESSURE_INPUT_SENSOR:
        /* Pressure sensor is not interrupt based - nothing to do here */
        break;

    default:
        /* do nothing, just return */
        D0_printf("WARNING! No HW initialization defined for sensor: %d\r\n", ifID);
        break;

    }

}

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      Board_SensorIfDeinit
 *          Releases the peripherals and IOs for the given Sensor
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
void Board_SensorIfDeinit( InputSensor_t ifID )
{
    //TODO
    /* This is not a plug & play system so this is likely not needed in typical systems */
}

/****************************************************************************************************
 * @fn      Chip_FIFOSPI_Configure
 *          Helper function (missing in NXPs sources) to configure FIFO for SPI use
 *
 ***************************************************************************************************/
void Chip_FIFOSPI_Configure(LPC_FIFO_T *pFIFO, int spiIndex, LPC_FIFO_CFG_T *pSPICfg)
{
    pFIFO->spi[spiIndex].CFG =
        (pSPICfg->noTimeoutContWrite << 4) |
        (pSPICfg->noTimeoutContEmpty << 5) |
        (pSPICfg->timeoutBase << 8) |
        (pSPICfg->timeoutValue << 12) |
        (pSPICfg->rxThreshold << 16) |
        (pSPICfg->txThreshold << 24);
}

/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*\
 |    E N D   O F   F I L E
\*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


We in modern society suffer from different kinds of aches and pains because we have forgotten how to use our body, but all these sufferings can be healed by restoring our primal posture when we bend, walk and sit. Speaker Esther Gokhale also demonstrates some practical ways to sit so we can live a pain-free life.
Hook it on the rack/hook it one wall.
Since he was a small child, Michael has been reading for an hour before going to bed and he _____________________.
He carries this habit/practice into adulthood.
We, in modern society, have really forgotten how to use our bodies, and we suffer a lot of aches and pains and dysfunction because of that. But the good news is that we can heal most of the neck pain and Plantar Fasciitis and the repetitive stress injuries in the back pain that we suffer. And we can do it simply by restoring our primal posture and truly natural ways of bending, walking, lifting, sitting.
Here you see two Portuguese horsemen and they are both relaxed but they're sitting very differently. This guy slumped, head forward, shoulders forward and this guy's pretty upright. Now, what would most parents tell their children who are sitting like this: sit up straight and he could do it but it would take tension in his low back and he probably last[s] a short while and then he get[s] tired, maybe sore, and he go[es] back to slumping. So most of us go back and forth between being upright and tense which we think is a good posture but it isn't and then being relaxed and slumped which we all know is bad posture. What we really want is to be upright and relaxed. And what it takes is a well-positioned pelvis. That's… this is like your foundation and the easy way to see the difference in their pelvic positions is to imagine that they have tails. Where would you say this guy's tail is? Under him, you sitting on it. And that guy's tail? Out behind him. And for our species, the natural way to have your tail is out behind you, antiverted, behind behind. And if you have that, then your blocks, your vertebrate get to stack easily, and the muscles get to relax and when you breathe now, your whole back and move and that stimulate circulation. It's like a little massage going on all day. And you can heal yourself that way. If you sit on your tail, you've got two bad options. This is one, relaxed and slumped, and here is the other, upright and tense. So, if tucking your pelvis is so problematic, how come so many of us do it? The answer begins early in life in the way we are carried, you see the tucked pelvis, and the way we are parked in poorly designed baby furniture. It's a sad thing, I know. And then this is the age at return neuropathways are getting set as what constitutes sitting. So we carry those habits into adulthood where we continue to sit this way. And then doesn't help that most of our furniture as poorly designed including the ergonomic furniture and that we are instructed by our fitness experts and so on to tuck up pelvis to protect our spines and so on, very unfortunate guidelines. So how are we going to return to our truly primal posture? Behind behind, bones well stacked, the same posture we established we would too end up what our ancestors had. I call it a J-spine where you see the behinds are behind and the upper lumber areas pretty erect and elongated. And it's the same posture that you find in non-industrial population the world over. These are the ubon tribesmen from Boni in Indonesia. You can see they have admirable (well) butts and even groove in the spine and you can see the shoulders prominent, really beautiful.
So, let's begin this journey back to our primal posture. And I'm going to teach you an exercise I call stretch sitting. And you are going to sit with your bottom well back in your chair, and then hinge away from the back rest. Place your fist on the lower border of your rib cage, and then gently push back so as to elongate your low back. And now, grab some place of your chair, maybe your armrest, or any other parts of the chair, and gently push the top of you away from the bottom of you like this. And now hit yourself to the backrest. Okay, now, ideally the chair would have some gripping things mid back to hold you like you see here, or you would have an implement like our stretch-sit cushion or folded towel, something with friction, to meet your mid back and actually hold you up. Since you don't have any implement, you might try bunching up your fabric in the back of you, and creating a kind of ledge, and then hooking yourself there and totally relaxing. And what you have just done is the first baby step towards elongating your spine, restoring your primal posture and having a pain-free functional life that is our natural heritage. Don't settle for anything last.


text:
Mirage (2004 film)
Title: Mirage (2004 film)
Subject: Coming-of-age films, Mirage (disambiguation), Macedonian films, List of European films, 2004 films
US movie poster of Mirage
Svetozar Ristovski
Harold Lee Tichenor
Grace Lea Troje
Mustafa Nadarević
Vlado Jovanovski
Nikola Đuričko
Dejan Aćimović
Marko Kovačević
Klaus Hundsbichler
Vladimir Samoilovski
Atanas Georgiev
Crescent Releasing
Picture This! (US)
11 September 2004 (2004-09-11) (Toronto International Film Festival)
11 March 2005 (2005-03-11) (Macedonia)
Mirage (Macedonian: Илузија; transliterated Iluzija) is a 2004 Macedonian drama film starring Vlado Jovanovski, Mustafa Nadarević, Nikola Đuričko, and Dejan Aćimović, with Marko Kovačević debuting in its lead role. It was directed by Svetozar Ristovski, who co-wrote the film with Grace Lea Troje. Taking place in the city of Veles, the film is a coming-of-age story about a talented but abused schoolboy who is betrayed by illusory hopes of a better future and transformed by harsh circumstances into a criminal. It offers a grim depiction of post-independence Macedonia, portraying it as a site of violence and corruption.
Mirage was Ristovski's feature debut as a director. Following its release in Canada and the United States, it was well-received by most critics, who have generally praised the film for its uncompromising realism and lead actor's performance. It won Best Feature Film during the 2005 Anchorage International Film Festival and was nominated for the Tokyo Grand Prix during the 2004 Tokyo International Film Festival.
Synopsis 1
Major themes 3
Box office 6.1
Critical reception 6.2
Awards 6.3
Reviews 8.1
Interviews 8.2
The film takes place in Veles during the Republic of Macedonia's post-independence years. It tells the story of 13-year-old Marko Trifunovski (Marko Kovacevic), a talented but abused Macedonian schoolboy whose harsh circumstances gradually transform him into a criminal. Two mentors offer Marko hopes of a better future, but they eventually fail him, leading to his catastrophic change. The illusory nature of these hopes is foreshadowed by the film's epigraph, an aphorism from Friedrich Nietzsche's Human, All Too Human: "Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man."[1]
The film opens with Marko's difficult circumstances. Living in a run-down house beside a railway track, he suffers neglect from his family. They consist of his father Lazo (Vlado Jovanovski), a drunkard addicted to bingo and involved in a workers' strike; his cowed, unsupportive mother Angja (Elena Mosevska); and his promiscuous, abusive sister Fanny (Slavica Manaskova). At school, Marko suffers torment from bullies led by Levi (Martin Jovchevski), son of the Albanian police chief Blashko (Dejan Acimovic). To escape his troubles, Marko often takes refuge in a local train graveyard, playing chess to pass time.
A sensitive boy, Marko has a talent for composing poetry; a character half-jokingly refers to him as "Kočo Racin II". A Bosnian teacher of Macedonian (Mustafa Nadarevic) becomes Marko's mentor. He encourages Marko to take part in a French-sponsored poetry contest whose winners will represent Macedonia in Paris, as well as to recite his entry during their school's upcoming Independence Day celebrations. He fills Marko with hopes of escaping his hometown through literary achievement to Paris, the "city of art".
However, Marko's efforts gain only indifference from his family and mockery from school bullies. Although a kind man, his teacher offers little help. He flees when he witnesses Levi's gang beating up Marko outside his own apartment, and his attempts to banish Levi from his classes fail because of Blashko's intervention. Furthermore, Fanny begins an affair with a black Kosovo Force soldier, providing Marko's racist bullies with more fuel.
Meanwhile, a scarred soldier (Nikola Djuricko) has taken up residence in the train graveyard. He plays chess with Marko, replacing a missing pawn with a bullet. Coincidentally, his name turns out to be Paris, the city of Marko's hopes. Paris becomes Marko's new mentor, teaching the boy to fend for himself: "Eat or be eaten." He promises to take Marko away from his hometown in the future. Under Paris' influence, Marko begins to drink, smoke, and steal. They commit several burglaries to fund their future journey, including one of a local Orthodox church.
Marko is eventually caught peddling stolen perfumes. Taken into police custody, he is blackmailed by Blashko into becoming Levi's tutor. Levi in turn blackmails Marko into joining his gang for a school break-in, threatening him with his father's gun. Meanwhile, Marko's teacher subjects his poetry to severe criticism, devastating the boy. At his wits' end, Marko begs Paris to teach him how to shoot a gun. Dismissive at first, Paris finally agrees.
At night, Levi's gang and Marko break into school. They vandalize its main office, setting student records on fire and locking Marko inside the burning room. Scarred in the face by a broken bottle and recognized by the night watchman, Marko escapes and seeks refuge in the train graveyard. There, he discovers that Paris has abandoned him, leaving behind his pawn bullet.
Summoned by the principal to account for the vandalism, Marko refuses to denounce Levi's gang. He is condemned as a delinquent and expelled from school. Marko's teacher offers him no help, instead reporting him for alcohol and tobacco abuse. He replaces Marko with classmate Jasmina (Marija Sikalovska) for their Independence Day poetry recital, ghostwriting a patriotic poem for her.
Confronting Levi's gang, Marko takes away Levi's gun by force and loads it with Paris' bullet. Armed, he confronts his teacher during their school's Independence Day celebrations and denounces him for betraying his hopes. "There is no escape from the sewer," he concludes, shooting his teacher point-blank. As the boy staggers away, the film lingers on a close-up of his teacher's corpse, closing to the strains of Erik Satie's Gnossienne No. 3.[2]
In order given by the film's credits: Svetozar Ristovski conceived of Marko's personality as a combination of outward fragility and inner toughness, choosing Kovacevic for his ability to project these dual qualities.[3]
Jordanco Cevrevski as Neighbor. He appears in the film's opening, quarreling with Lazo for disturbing the neighbourhood with his drunken antics.
Elena Mosevska as Angja. Marko's mother.
Slavica Manaskova as Fanny. Marko's sister.
Mustafa Nadarevic as Bosnian Teacher.
Martin Jovchevski as Levi. Blashko's son.
Nikola Hejko as Chernobyl. He appears as one of Lazo's cronies. Hejko was also casting director for the film.
Marija Sikalovska as Jasmina.
Dejan Acimovic as Blashko. Levi's father.
Petar Mircevski as Policeman. He appears as one of Blashko's assistants.
Andrijana Ristovska as Bingo Announcer. She appears in Lazo's bingo scenes. When a man takes over her task in one of these scenes, the bingo parlour responds with derision to her replacement.
Nikola Djuricko as Paris. Ristovski intended the film to be ambiguous about Paris' existence, depicting him as a fictitious creation of Marko's escapist daydreams, but refusing to deny his existence by separating Marko's dreams and reality.[4] Djuricko prepared for his role as Paris by weight-training for a month and learning Macedonian.[5]
Salaetin Bilal as Jeweller. He appears as a buyer for Marko's stolen jewellery.
Tome Angelovski, Grace Lea Troje, Dejan Boskov as KFOR Soldiers. They appear as customers in a cafe where Marko is peddling stolen perfumes. Troje was also co-writer with Ristovski for the film, while Angelovski and Boskov were location managers.
Alexandar Georgiev as Night Watchman.
Bajrush Mjaku as Principal.
Svetozar Ristovski intended the film to be a coming-of-age story about a boy's transition from childhood to adolescence in contemporary Macedonia.[6] As part of this coming-of-age process, the protagonist Marko spends much of the film searching for paternal figures such as Paris and his teacher to compensate for his father's inadequacies and become alternative role models for him.[7] The mysterious Paris, in particular, functions as a wish-fulfilment "mirage" for Marko.[4]
Paris' bullet doubles as a white pawn in Marko's chess set.
Ristovski also intended the film to portray social conditions in post-independence Macedonia, depicting it as a society plagued by anomie, violence and corruption.[8] He saw these conditions as part of a larger regional unease whose history included civil conflict in former Yugoslav territories.[9] Critics have similarly interpreted the film as an allegory of these social and regional concerns.[10] In this context, Marko's transition from victimhood to criminality embodies the cycle of violence endemic in such conditions,[11][12] while his failed hopes serve as a cautionary warning against the dangers of empty idealism in such situations.[13] One critic saw Paris' bullet in Marko's chess set (see figure on the right) as a metaphor for the threat of violence ever-present in their world.[14]
Paris and Marko share a moment in the train graveyard.
The film contains much train imagery, depicting the city of Veles as a railway setting. According to Ristovski, this railway motif was incorporated into the film for visual and dramatic reasons.[15] In the latter case, it embodies a predicament in which the railway stands for Macedonia's geographical status as an important regional crossroads,[16] but in which opportunities offered by this status are simultaneously hindered by extensive travel restrictions during Macedonia's post-independence years.[17] Ristovski saw Marko's story as a dramatization of that predicament: "[Many people] see these trains that are going up and down, but they can't get on any of those trains. They can't really get out of their place, their country, their town."[18] One critic saw Marko's train graveyard (see figure on the left) as a metaphor for the hopelessness of his particular story: "there are tracks everywhere but no hope of transport."[19]
A still from the film's final shot - a close-up of Marko's dead teacher.
Mirage was Svetozar Ristovski's first attempt at directing a feature film; his prior work included the short film Hunter (2000) and the documentary Joy of Life (2001).[20][21] According to a 2006 WKCR interview, his idea for the project came in the form of visual imagery for the film's final shot (see figure on the right), which served as a focal point towards which he worked out the rest of the film's events.[22]
Ristovski collaborated with Grace Lea Troje on the script. He credited his Canadian-born colleague with providing the film an "international" perspective and giving its story a more "universal" dimension,[23] thus steering it away from parochialism.[5] According to Variety, Andrei Tarkovsky's Ivan's Childhood (1962) was an important influence on the co-writers.[14]
The casting director for the film was Nikola Hejko,[24] who was chosen primarily for his prior work with juvenile actors in movies such as Kolya (1996) and The Great Water (2004).[5] Hejko's tasks for the project included finding actors for the film's juvenile roles with the help of his assistant Maja Mladenovska.[5] According to Ristovski, this involved searching various Macedonian schools for potential actors,[25] as well as months of test shooting and selection narrowing.[26] The film's adult roles were largely filled by actors from Macedonia and other Balkan countries.[5]
In various interviews, Ristovski cited several difficulties in producing the film. According to a 2005 interview, the project met with disapproval from the Macedonian government during pre-production.[27] Ristovski credited his cast and crew for their dedication towards the project despite this difficulty, likening their participation to "comradery in a battle".[27] In his WKCR interview, Ristovski also cited lack of technical resources such as film equipment and film laboratory services, which had to be sourced overseas.[28]
Veles, the film's setting.
Ristovski's production company, Small Moves, partnered with the Vienna-based Synchro Film to produce the film.[29] The project had a budget of about 600,000 euros,[30] to which the Macedonian Ministry of Culture contributed 500,000[29] and Synchro Film about 10%.[31] During production, the film's working title was Godini na nadez, The film's post-production took place in Austria.[32]
The film was shot on location in Veles during May and June 2003.[31][32] Veles had been Ristovski's birthplace and childhood home,[33] and his familiarity with the place served as an advantage for finding filming locations.[34] He also had prior working experience with the film's cinematographer, Vladimir Samoilovski.[35] According to his WKCR interview, he and Samoilovski aimed for a visual style that combined both "aesthetic beauty" and documentary-style "grittiness" in the film's depiction of Veles.[36]
The film is distributed by Crescent Releasing, with Picture This! Entertainment handling theatrical and video releases in the United States. Its world premiere took place in Canada on 11 September 2004 during the 29th Toronto International Film Festival.[32] In the United States, it premiered on 13 March 2005 during the 12th South by Southwest Film Festival.[37] The film saw its first US theatrical release in New York City during March 2006, followed by a DVD release in July.
Mirage is distributed by EastWest Filmdistribution located in Vienna (Austria). The film's European premiere took place on 21 November 2004 during the 45th Thessaloniki International Film Festival.[38] In Macedonia, it premiered on 11 March 2005 during the 8th Skopje Film Festival,[39][40] with a theatrical release following in April.[41]
In the United States, the film opened in a single theatre on March 17, 2006 and grossed $1,511 during its one week of screening.[42] Overall, the film has grossed $2,241 in the United States.[42]
The film was well-received by most film critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it earned an aggregate review score of 82%, deeming it "Fresh" based on 11 reviews.[43] In Metacritic, the film earned a generally favourable metascore of 61% based on 8 reviews.[44]
In general, critics have praised the film for its uncompromising realism. After its Toronto premiere, Variety lauded the film as "a modest triumph of fearless acting and pointed social commentary".[14] Its release in the United States drew similar praise. "Ristovski needs us to feel his nation's torment, and he succeeds,"[45] wrote the New York Daily News. The Hollywood Reporter found the film's treatment of Marko's story "unremittingly grim and powerful",[12] while TV Guide praised it for being "tense [and] gripping" as well as "starkly beautiful".[13] The New York Times faulted the film's story for being somewhat "underdeveloped", but concluded with guarded praise for its "unnerving window on a Balkan country".[46] The Village Voice characterized the film's portrayal of youthful misery as a "wicked evocation of hopelessness".[19]
However, the film also received a few negative reviews. The New York Post summed up the film as "drab, despairing and pointless",[47] while Slant Magazine found its treatment of Marko's story "shrill" and "unreal", likening the film to "drag[ging] the corpse of Billy Elliott [sic] through sewer water".[48] Following its European premiere, the Macedonian daily Utrinski Vesnik praised the film for its realism and imagery, but concluded by criticizing its emphasis on misery for being one-sided.[38]
Critics have singled out Marko Kovacevic in his lead role for praise. His performance was lauded as "remarkable" by Variety[14] and "superb" by The Hollywood Reporter,[12] while The Village Voice commended him for "channel[ing] gentle and ferocious with equal ease"[19] in his depiction of the protagonist.
Winner/Nominee
2004 Tokyo International Film Festival Tokyo Grand Prix Svetozar Ristovski Nominated
2005 Anchorage International Film Festival[49] Best Feature Svetozar Ristovski Won
2005 Zlín International Film Festival for Children and Youth[50] Best European Debut Film Svetozar Ristovski Won
2006 Avanca Film Festival[51] Feature Film (Special Mention) Svetozar Ristovski Won
Best Actor (Special Mention) Marko Kovacevic Won
Cinematography Vladimir Samoilovski Won
^ A different translation of this Nietzsche quote is available at Wikiquote as Aphorism 71. URL retrieved May 2008.
^ Peter L'Official identifies the Satie music in review.Village Voicehis For corroboration, midi files of the Satie music are available at Kunst der Fuge. URLs retrieved May 2008.
^ Hanrahan interview, 4:15-5:22.
^ a b Hanrahan interview, 16:10-16:55.
^ a b c d e
^ Hanrahan interview, 8:45-11:43.
^ For example, the Cockrell, Fox, Genzlinger, Scheck and Weitzman reviews listed in References.
^ a b c
^ a b c d
^ Hanrahan interview, 17:38-19:59.
^ On 14 April 2003, Utrinski Vesnik reported 550,000 euros as the film's budget. ( to start on May 6."Years of Hope"Before Start of Filming of First Feature Film in 2003 - . URL retrieved June 2008.) On 6 May 2003, Dnevnik reported 600,000 euros as the film's budget. ( by director Svetozar Ristovski Under Way"Years of Hope"Film - Shooting of . URL retrieved June 2008.) On 13 July 2004, Vest also reported 600,000 euros as the film's budget. ("Macedonia with Three Candidates for Mostra– Film of Svetozar Ristevski Applies for Venice". URL retrieved June 2008.) In all three cases, the budget is reported as approximate (Utrinski Vesnik) or equivalent (Dnevnik, Vest) to 600,000 euros; this figure has therefore been cited in the article.
^ a b Macedonian version.
^ Hanrahan interview, 14:40-15:00. IMDB lists (2001)Radost na zhivotot as a Ristovski-Samoilovski collaboration. URL retrieved May 2008.
^ The Friday mentioned in the article is 8 April 2005. Times and venues for the theatrical screenings are available at http://www.culture.in.mk for the periods of 11 April 2005 - 17 April 2005, 18 April 2005 - 24 April 2005 and 22 April 2005 - 24 April 2005.
^ Smith, Kyle (17 Mar 2006). "The pain in Spain creates familiar tears". New York Post: New York Pulse, p. 58.
^ More information at
Smith, Kyle (17 Mar 2006). "The pain in Spain creates familiar tears". New York Post: New York Pulse, p. 58.
Mirage at Rotten Tomatoes
Mirage at the Internet Movie Database
Mirage at AllMovie
Mirage at Metacritic
Mirage at Box Office Mojo
Articles containing Macedonian-language text
2000s drama films
Macedonian films
Macedonian-language films
Macedonian language
Republic of Macedonia, Bulgarian language, Serbia, Albania, Russian language
Veles (city)
Republic of Macedonia, Skopje, Serbia, Ohrid, World War II
Israel, France, Japan, China, United States
Coming of age, Rite of passage, Buzkashi Boys, Circumstance (2011 film), El Cielo Rojo
Earth, Latin, Moon, Star, French language
Cinema of the Republic of Macedonia, List of films of the Republic of Macedonia, Bal-Can-Can, Balkan Is Not Dead, Before the Rain (1994 film)
List of European films
Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Portugal, United Kingdom

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
* Planetarium-Tellurium! "Made by Richard Mille over a 7-year period, it has a perpetual calendar that shows not only the Earth's position, but also that of Venus, Mercury, Sun and Moon. It even shows the rotation of the earth on its axis, the phases of the moon, and the Zodiac signs."
* A lightbulb (well,three) in a pear tree! "Each pear contains ten ultrabright white LEDs, an autonomous charging circuit, and rare-earth magnets that allow it to be "picked" from the tree and remain fully illuminated for over an hour."
* Create a shirt with your Twitter info!
* 10 Things You Might've Been Better Off Not Knowing About Your Body.
* Fun videoclips.
* Discworld wedding cake!
* Periodic Table coasters!
The quantum mechanics of smell. In the case of olfaction, however, there is a problem. A finite number of olfactory receptors recognize a seemingly infinite number of odorant molecules. So, although the shape and size of odorants is known to be important, olfactory receptors must also be detecting some other property of the odorants.
In the mid-1990s, Luca Turin, a biophysicist who was then at University College London, proposed a novel mechanism for olfactory receptor transduction. Few people, if any, know more about how the nose knows the difference between one odorant and another than Turin. He is, to borrow the title of a recent book about him, "the emperor of scent". It is because of his expertise in olfaction that the French perfume houses consulted Turin about their new fragrances. At UCL, Turin's office doubled up as a makeshift laboratory. He spent much of his time in the long, narrow room, its walls lined from floor to ceiling with bottles of perfume, tirelessly investigating the relationship between the structures of thousands of aromatic compounds and their odours. His theory was published in the journal Chemical Senses:
...olfactory receptors respond not to the shape of the molecules but to their vibrations. [The theory provides] a detailed and plausible mechanism for biological transduction of molecular vibrations: inelastic electron tunnelling.
In a non-biological system, inelastic electron tunneling is "a non-optical form of vibrational spectroscopy [which] relies on the interaction between electrons tunneling across a narrow gap between metallic electrodes and a molecule in the gap". In a biological system, such as the olfactory system, this would involve the tunneling of an electron between a suitable donor molecule and specific, electrically-charged amino acid residues within the olfactory receptor...
Daily Scent-Stuff
Click & Ships are starting to go out for the Halloweenies, and I don't have one yet. *pout*
But today, Blooddrops/Droplettes. (Does anyone have a corset from Blooddrops? Any feedback?)
Purr: Purr is that timeless and opulent quality of cats. Sandalwood, cognac, black currant and fig.
In bottle: Sweet figgy/curranty goodness.
On me: Now the sandalwood and cognac come out. Wow, this is a good combo. Deep fruity scent with the cognac, grounded in sandalwood. Very rich, very lush.
This is an LE that's part of a benefit to raise money to spay and neuter a crapload of barn kitties. It comes with a catnip pillow that my boys were *all* over. There are two other scents, and I wish I had the money to get all three!
Bardot: A deep, vigorous and mature fragrance. Cassia, bitter dark cacao, riz de Basmati, honey, patchouli and pink peppercorn.
In bottle: Cacao and patchouli.
On me: The honey rises up, and the pepper tickles the nose. Another lushly-layered blend!
Friday Memeage!
Wearing: Nightshirt.
Reading: The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume One, edited by Jonathan Strahan.
Writing: Still need time to finish the Cape Cod piece. Maybe that'll come today.
Today: Errands around town, possible date with marmota tonight.
Tomorrow: End-of-Summer Party!
Sunday: South End Open Market, if Saturday doesn't wipe me out too much.
You?", "url": "https://shadesong.livejournal.com/3374543.html", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://l-stat.livejournal.net/img/sign.png" }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Magical Truthsaying Bastard Shadesong", "image": "https://l-userpic.livejournal.com/35389334/505856" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Journal shadesong", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://shadesong.livejournal.com", "contentUrl": "https://l-userpic.livejournal.com/52600336/505856" } } }
Happy birthday to jdotmi and pharminatrix!
Happy early birthday to blergeatkitty, ceolyn, and gothwalk, who all advance a year over the weekend!
Same as yesterday.
Take a minute to do this, please!
Ground zero in the fight for women's access to reproductive health care just landed in Aurora, Illinois, a fast-growing city outside Chicago, where Planned Parenthood just built our newest health center. The usual suspects in the anti-choice fringe have showed up in droves - more people are protesting this clinic than we've seen in a very long time. We need your help! Complete the information at right to tie a ribbon in your name outside the clinic. You'll be sending a powerful message to the protesters that Planned Parenthood has support from across the country. And, you'll let the women seeking care there know that they are welcome and supported, too.


Woman´s sporting right put Saudi Arabia and Iran on the defense - Institut für Fankultur e.V.
The struggle for women's rights to engage in sports and attend sporting events has commanded increased attention with the hunger strike of a British-Iranian national incarcerated in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, the expected arrival in Saudi Arabia of Australian women fans for the Asian Champions League final, and the rare appearance of Saudi women in an all-male stadium in Abu Dhabi.
The issue of women's rights also rose on the international sporting agenda with the withdrawal of the Qatari women's basketball team from the recent Asian Games after they were banned from wearing a headdress. The incident underlined the fact that women's rights also includes the right to compete with headwear that meets safety and security standards and is culturally acceptable.
In response to the withdrawal, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) said it would next year ease the ban. Soccer paved the way for accommodating religiously observant women athletes with FIFA's acceptance two years ago of the principle that women were allowed to wear approved headgear.
The increased attention on women's sporting rights has put Saudi Arabia and Iran, the two Middle Eastern nations that ban women from entry into stadia during competitions, on the defensive and raises questions about the international sporting community's forcefulness in opposing restrictions that violate fundamental rights. International Olympics Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said after last month meeting Saudi Arabia's newly appointed Olympic chief Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz that women's rights was being discussed.
Human Rights Watch last week called on the kingdom to make clear what steps it was taking to ensure that women are included in international competitions and able to participate in sports generally. Saudi Arabia failed to field women athletes at the recent Asian Games after it was forced by the IOC to allow all of two expatriate women to compete in the 2012 London Olympics.
The degree to which Saudi Arabia feels pressured by increasingly unsustainable restrictions on women's sports was evident in Saudi responses to criticism. Rather than point to the kingdom's long-standing denial of women's rights rooted in culture and justified by a puritan interpretation of Islam, Mohammed al-Mishal, the secretary-general of Saudi Arabia's Olympic Committee, said that Saudi Arabia did not have women athletes who would have qualified for the 2014 Asian Games.
Mr. Al-Mishal however indicated that despite Saudi Arabia's promise to field women athletes at the 2016 Olympics in Rio Janeiro they would be limited to sports endorsed by a literal interpretation of the Qur'an. The Saudi official said the kingdom was training women to compete in equestrian, fencing, shooting, and archery Olympic contest which are "accepted culturally and religiously in Saudi Arabia".
Human Rights Watch Middle East and North Africa director Sarah Leah Whitson dismissed Mr. Al-Mishal's defence as excuses. "Two years after the London Olympics, the time for excuses is over – Saudi Arabia needs to end its discrimination against women and ensure women's right to participate in sport on an equal basis with men… Limiting women's participation to specific sports is yet another example of Saudi Arabia's refusal to allow women to compete on an equal basis with men," Ms. Whitson said.
Despite the restrictions, Saudi Arabia has taken small steps towards expanding women's ability to engage in sports. The country's Shura Council, a consultative assembly, has urged the education ministry to study the possibility of introducing physical education for girls in public schools. The move could lead to a lifting of the ban on female sports in public schools.
Moreover. authorities last year began licensing private sports clubs for women. Saudi Arabia has further struggled for years with proposals to build separate women's sections in stadia – a move that has been staunchly resisted by the country's conservatives. Manal Al-Dabbagh nevertheless became in August the first Saudi woman photographer to be allowed to photograph a soccer match in a stadium.
Writing on CNN's website, Lina K. Almaeena, a prominent Saudi promoter of women's sports, noted that Saudi officials have promised enhanced opportunities for women for years. Ms. Almaeena said those promises remained unfulfilled because of "logistical challenges" such as a lack of profession female professionals and adequate space that would ensure that women are shielded from the view of men. As a result, the government has yet to include physical education in the curricula of girls' schools and enable women to use neighbourhood facilities and train for international competitions.
With the exception of the Equestrian Federation, women are not members of the boards of Saudi sporting associations. The absence of women board members in the case of the Saudi soccer association violates a decision of the West Asian Football Federation that obliges its members to put women's soccer rights on par with those of men and include women on their boards.
The controversy and domestic battles that women's sports evokes was recently evident on social media in response to a YouTube video viewed by nearly half a million people. The video showed a rare female Saudi soccer fan clad in traditional all enveloping dress cheering her club, Al Hilal, against the United Arab Emirates' Al Ain in an Asian Champions League match. The UAE contrary to the kingdom does not bar women from stadia. The woman is seen shouting in frustration at a bad tackle on the pitch. As she shakes her fist in anger, her sleeve rolls up and exposes her lower arm.
A Saudi psychiatrist warned in July that women's passion for soccer constituted a need to release pent-up energy and imitate others that endangered a woman's role in a conservative Muslim society.
The issue of women's stadium attendance will present itself again when Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers meet Al Hilal in the Asian Champions League finals in Riyadh on November 1. Australian media have expressed concern whether female and Jewish supporters would be granted visas for the match. Saudi Arabia has long lifted its restrictions on allowing Jews into the kingdom and has in the recent past facilitated attendance of sporting events by Brazilian and New Zealand women fans when their teams were visiting the country.
The granting of entry to stadia to foreign women supporting a visiting team has sparked heated debate in Saudi Arabia. Controversy erupted in February when a group of female American Congressional staffers were allowed to attend a match in a Riyadh stadium from which Saudi women were barred.
Saudi Arabia's failure to forcefully act on repeated promises and follow-up on its concession to pressure to field women athletes at the London Olympics like the imprisonment of 25-year old British-Iranian dual national Ghoncheh Ghavami suggests that achieving women's sporting rights is a lengthy battle. International pressure will likely have to involve more than efforts at quiet behind-the-scenes persuasion.
Ms. Ghavami was charged with spreading propaganda against the Iranian government after she attempted in June with more than a dozen other women to enter a stadium where the Iranian national men's volleyball team was playing Italy. To be fair, Iran in contrast to Saudi Arabia encourages women's sports even if it bars women from stadia.
Writing in The Guardian, journalist and author Azadeh Moaveni argued in the case of Ms. Ghavami that international pressure on Iran to adhere to human rights standards would be more effective and "seem less a political tool to batter Iran when it is expedient than a permanent concern" if the Islamic republic's critics "strive for is consistency, including human rights concerns as part of the ongoing political approach to Iran so that it becomes a fixed expectation in Tehran as well." That is true not only for Iran but also the struggle for women's sporting and human rights in Saudi Arabia as well as elsewhere in the world.


I recommend definitely checking the videos for Service Manager because they are led by one of my SC gurus Travis Wright.
I've managed to watch online the presentations of Travis Wright and Pete Zerger and these are sessions that I would recommend for watching whatever your level of expertise is.
You can also download all presentations from here.
I trial version of the product can be downloaded from here.
Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals – Learn how Windows Server 2012, Hyper-V, and System Center 2012 SP1 can help you build, deploy, and manage private cloud architecture. NOTE: This course becomes available on Jan 15.
System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 Updates – Learn about the enhancements to each of the System Center 2012 SP1 components, which includes added support for Windows Server 2012, SQL Server 2012 and tighter integration with Windows Azure. NOTE: This course becomes available on Jan 16.
COMING SOON: System Center 2012 SP1 Capabilities – Learn about the configuration and management of the infrastructure, services and applications available from System Center 2012 SP1. NOTE: This course becomes available on Jan 31.


text:
DoCoMo eyes Vietnamese, Indian and Chinese markets
Masao Nakamura, the president of Japan's leading mobile operator by subscribers, NTT DoCoMo, is interested in making a significant investment in the booming telecoms market of Vietnam, China or India to offset stagnation in the saturated domestic wireless market. The company's overseas expansion plan marks a reverse of a long-held policy not to invest in international ventures after its ill-fated investment push six years ago cost it a reported USD9 billion. 'Vietnam, India and China are rapidly growing markets and, if we are going to make an investment, it will be sizeable,' said Mr Nakamura in an interview with the UK newspaper The Financial Times. 'Our focus is Asia. Overseas revenues will drive our growth in the future,' he said. DoCoMo sees great potential in Vietnam but concedes it will be unlikely to acquire anything more than a minority shareholding in the first instance. In China, Mr Nakamura is mindful of the government's unwillingness to award 3G licences to 'foreign makers' but says it would still make sense to take a small stake in a Chinese mobile company. 'There will be a lot of demand for financial assistance to help with the cost of obtaining a 3G licence,' he added.
DoCoMo invested heavily in the likes of AT&T Wireless, KPN Mobile and Hutchison 3G UK Holdings before the technology bubble burst in 2000, but the subsequent collapse forced the Japanese operator to sell its stakes for a hefty loss in 2001. Although DoCoMo commands a domestic mobile market share of around 54%, recent growth has slowed due to fresh competition and the introduction of mobile number portability.
Japan, NTT DOCOMO, Corporate/Financial


'Cone Beam CT of the Head and Neck' presents normal anatomy of the head using photographs of cadavers and CBCT images in sagittal, axial and coronal planes with the anatomic structures and landmarks clearly labelled. Important structures and regions are presented in detailed view. The photographs of human tissue (based on slicing of cadaveric heads) combined with CBCT images have not been used previously for an atlas of anatomy. Scanned objects with the possibility of 3D reconstruction present better understanding of the anatomy.


Coastal.com is the premiere online supplier of contact lenses. Offering the best selection of discount glasses and contacts including the most popular brands of contacts lenses such as Acuvue, Bausch & Lomb, Biomedics, Freshlook, Focus, Soflens contacts and many more. We have the best prices on contact lenses and eyeglasses.


text:
Samsung galaxy line is going to overthrow all their competitors soon and will surely make a Samsung empire due to its intensifying achievements throughout the world. After the magnificent success of Samsung galaxy s4, a new classy flagship device is on its way to make an impact on people around the globe. This device is Samsung Galaxy S5, which is expected to release in 2014. It is far to see the full beauty of this Smartphone but the trailer or preview can be seen now.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S5: A SPANKING NEW TRENDY SMARTPHONE TO BE IN THE RACE
Noticeable Features of Galaxy S5
Enhanced Smart Metal Chassis
Samsung fans and users will quit using their plastic body Smartphone when this device will be appear in its fine metal case or body. All Samsung predecessors were enclosed in plastic assembly, this innovation would bring a remarkable change in its quality and style.
Advance Performance
Performance of a phone is always précised by implanting CPU with RAM. Samsung galaxy S5 is intended to have 64-bit Exynos 6 processor inside it. This will possess elevated swiftness and power. This will also support the applications of 64-bit and run it with full rapidity.
It was described by tech blog G for Games that, * "According to the latest bits of information coming from Samsung's homeland, the company is pretty much done with developing its in-house 64-bit CPU. From our understanding, Samsung went past the more difficult parts of creating the CPU, and the chip is almost ready for its release."
Samsung galaxy S5 will feature RAM of 3GB. This would ultimately be an ultra-thin RAM ever mounted in Samsung series. It will provide scope for bigger battery and it will help user to keep their beloved Samsung with them for long.
Advanced Pixels Camera
Samsung is always been admired for stepping up in its camera facilities with its new generations. There is always a noticeable treatment to cameras of Samsung smartphones. Samsung S5 will substitute 13 megapixel cameras of Samsung s4 by 16 megapixel real mounted camera. It will utilize ISOCELL technology which will allow crystal clear image to be captured and videos to be recorded. It will provide stunning opportunity for camera-friendly people to get in more photos.
Improved Display Screen
Samsung will put off old LCD display and will introduce flexible AMOLED display with pixel of 560 pixels per inch. This will prove to be better achievement for company. It will be having better resolution even much better than all its predecessors.
Expectations from Samsung Galaxy S5
Tired from the bugs and freezing issues of android version 4.3 which was updated in previous Samsung phones, people are expecting the chance for up-gradation with android 4.4. KitKat for its smoothness and to attract customers.
It is predicted that TouchWiz User Interface will start in this device, if it comes true there will be great profit to the company because of soft and silky response and multitasking abilities.
Samsung might pack fingerprint scanner in its flagship device to beat the rival Apple. The fingerprint scanner will be smart way out for Smartphone related to security and verification.
For price, it is predicted to be expensive because of new metal chassis and usage of premium materials.
To have the interesting Samsung galaxy S5 to set on the hands, users have to wait for the next year and it will unquestionably astonish people and accomplish their demands. Its new feature can also win the race of Smartphone.
* Related
Top 5 Laptops (November 2013)
Why We Need SuperFast Internet (Gigabit Connection)


You can pretty much use the spice paste as is without adding anything else. Depending on what you are cooking, you can add the appropriate ingredient(s) to it. For example, if you were planning on making Sambal Udang or Prawn Sambal, you would need to …... Penang is another popular curry made using ground roasted peanuts in the paste. It adds richness and of course, a nutty note. Massaman is a southern Thai curry dish, getting inspiration from its neighbouring border country Malaysia with Muslim influences.
Making your ground spice masalas such as tandoori masala and Kashmiri masala into a paste is an excellent way of preserving them. Masala pastes retain their flavour much longer.


Hi I'm new to the whole forum thing, was wondering if anyone has every put a hitch on the back of one airstream to tow another?
I remember reading here about someone who towed a boat behind their Airstream. They wrecked the truck, the AS and the boat. Seems like a really bad idea to me.
Very few States allow Three-somes. Plus your rear end would need major up-grades.
Don't know the stats but in some states tandem trailers are allowed. The regs as to brakes, lengths, trailer types, etc vary. I used to pull a small boat before I knew better. No damage done, lucky. The monocoque construction of an Airstream is not designed for towing. I guess it would be possible with appropriate frame modifications. Now I put my boat on top of my truck and my bikes inside.
Hi Big John welcome to the forums from a fellow Ontarian. As others have said A/S are noy built to do such a thing. Additionally Ontario law does allowing training provided that the first trailer is not a ball hitch trailer. So we can tow a fifth wheel or goose neck trailer and then a ball hitch trailer.
A couple of months ago while driving my new to me Bambi II home from Florida I saw a commercial Airstream rig. TV was a Ford HD duelly. Looked to be about a 30 footer towing a 16 footer.They were all painted to look like custom NASCAR BBG grills. The smaller Airstream appeared to be an actual grill/smoker kitchen conversion. Very professional looking set up. Full body graphics on all three.
And I read something in the highway traffic act that talked about length, weight and keeping it under control, didn't see anything about hitch type, where was that?
One more thought, if I had the rear of my belly pan off and was replacing the rear bedroom floor would I be able to maybe graft two heavier rails into the frame for a hitch, suitable for towing maybe a small open trailer?
The frame supports the floor and is a place to mount the axles. In order to modify the frame sufficiently to pull a trailer, you will have to remove the frame completely and build a new one.
I read this the other day in a link provided here on the forums. The link was to a trailering website that listed the regs for each province.
I found this link and at the bottom of the paragraph is states that you must be a commercial vehicle in order to legally tow more than one trailer in Ontario.
John It requires a commercial (yellow) sticker on the windshield. An annual safety inspection is required and a hefty $160 fee to the Ontario government.
You then are required to stop at all weigh scales, carry a log book and of course fill it out and you are subject to all the same rules for all commercial vehicles. The biggest limitation to it is the fact that you can only be "on duty" for thirteen hours of any 24 hr period. On duty includes any meal breaks and stops for fuel etc.When you go off duty it must be for a minimum 8 hr period.
You are also subject to the much heavier fines for safety and all other violations levied against commercial vehicles. The green and white MTO trucks and cars can pull you over anytime for spot inspections and log book checks.
Tell you what: When we get double-towers in the park, it's a real devil to get them backed into a site.


This is a combination of a couple of trails in the area. It is outstanding with spectacular views on a clear day right across to Kinder and the Peak District and Manchester and the Cheshire Plain on the returning part of this trail. This trail has climbs which are do-able and some technical descents to test you. If you live in Stockport or the surrounding area then you haven't got much of a drive to get to this brilliant route.
Park the car just outside of Marple above Roman Lakes.
5. Turn left here and onto the cobbled road and head towards the tunnel with Strines Station on the right.
8. Immediately opposite the bench turn left and climb on this trail for just over 0.5 miles to the junction. The golf club is on the right. Go straight across at this junction and down the steep metalled road. At the junction go straight across again and down the hill which bears right at the bottom to join the main road. Turn right.
10. At the main Hayfield car park cross the A624 into Hayfield. Turn left immediately.
and then sharp right onto a narrow road called Kinder lane. Proceed up the hill for about 0.2 miles and there is a left turn onto the Snake Path. This trail is between some stone cottages.
11. Ride up the Snake Path. This is a steep ascent and leads through three gates and onto open moorland.
12. Head out on the trail towards the white shooting cabin but turn left before it and over the footbridge.
13. Drop down on the path and through heather moorland. this is a great downhill which eventually leads to the main road the A624. Turn right here and up to the top a distance of just over 0.5 miles.
14. At the top turn left onto a minor road, Monk's Road for 0.7 miles. Turn left and follow the metalled road round to the left and you will see a stone wall in front of you on the corner. Go through the gap here and ride the trail to the far edge of the field. Climb the wall and turn left onto the double track. Follow this down past the farm (Matleymoor Farm) and to a left turn. Do not turn left but turn immediately right through the gate into the field.
15. Keep the wall on your right and follow it as it dips and then rises up and to the ribht. You should be able to clean this hill with effort!
16. At the top follow it down and the up again. Follow the double track between two walls. There is a right turn (the Eliminator) leading to Rowarth. Do not take. Keep going for about 440 yd and turn right, through a gate, onto a downhill singletrack section. This is fun.
17. Go through the gate at the bottom with a house on the left. Go down the hill and keep on the road for 0.8 miles past Lydiate Farm to an unusual junction at the top. Turn right and immediately left onto a potted double track for 0.5 miles.
18. Turn right at the stables and past the house for 0.3 miles. Take the left turn up.
19. Watch for a break in the stone wall on the left and cycle up to the huge Marple Cross for views across Manchester. If you are feeling brave drop down from the cross to the road junction and turn left. Follow this down for 200yds. Watch for the narrow single track on the right and take it. This becomes rocky and fun! Keep right and drop down on a loose surface between the houses.
20. Turn right here and through the golf course. Turn left and drop down. Notice the camp site on the right. The road runs out and becomes a great rocky track. Drop down this and past the farm at the bottom. Keep right and follow the lane round and back up to the car!
This is a year round trail as can be seen from the photos. It has to be said that it is much more fun when it is dry but that is so rare in this neck of the woods!


Above is a carved High Density Urethane (HDU) sign for the "Salon Botanique Eco-Chic". The red background of this sign has been sandblasted to achieve a wood grain texture. The sign features a 2.5-D carving of a Plumeria flower. The text and double border are raised and carved in 2.5-D (flat relief). The sign, including text and borders, are painted with long-lasting automotive-grade enamels. The entire sign is clear-coated twice with highest quality clear-coat, making the sign suitable for either indoor or outdoor use. The sign can be mounted on a wall or hung from an overhead beam or wrought iron scroll bracket.


text:
La Feria Taurina de Albacete, también conocida como Feria de la Virgen de Los Llanos, es el conjunto de festejos taurinos que se celebran en la plaza de toros de Albacete (España) durante diez días consecutivos, del 8 al 17 de septiembre, en honor a la Virgen de Los Llanos, patrona de la capital, dentro de los actos que componen la Feria de Albacete, declarada de Interés Turístico Internacional. Es una de las ferias taurinas más importantes de España, en donde se dan cita las principales figuras internacionales del toreo.

Historia

El origen de la actual Feria Taurina de Albacete se remonta a 1564, cuando el acta del cabildo de la ciudad, fechado el 29 de mayo, acordó la celebración de fiestas de toros en la plaza del Altozano, centro de la ciudad de la época, el 24 de junio con motivo de la celebración de San Juan, patrón de la capital. Desde entonces, la fiesta de los toros fue pasando por las tres plazas que ha tenido la ciudad a lo largo de su historia, incluida la actual, y se fue ampliando el número de días que componen la feria desde los tres y cuatro de los años 1930 hasta los diez días actuales.

Debido a la pandemia de COVID-19 en 2020 la feria taurina fue cancelada. En 2021 se volvió a celebrar con una duración de ocho días convirtiéndose en una de las ferias taurinas más extensas de la temporada.

Festejos taurinos
La Feria Taurina de Albacete incluye, además de las habituales corridas, rejones y novilladas con picadores, que se celebran durante diez días consecutivos, del 8 al 17 de septiembre. En ella se dan cita las principales figuras del toreo mundial, con presencia también de los más destacados toreros castellano-manchegos.

El escenario

La plaza de toros de Albacete es uno de los cosos taurinos más importantes de España. Se construyó entre 1916 y 1917, siendo inaugurada el 9 de septiembre de 1917. Cuenta con capacidad para 12000 espectadores y tiene influencia mudéjar. La plaza de toros de Albacete constituye el antecedente de la plaza Monumental de Las Ventas de Madrid a la que sirvió como modelo, siendo construidas por el mismo arquitecto, el albaceteño Julio Carrilero.

Pregón
Cada año el Ayuntamiento de Albacete escoge a una personalidad ilustre del mundo del toreo para ser el pregonero de la Feria Taurina de Albacete, acto con el que se inicia la celebración.

Cartel
El cartel de la Feria Taurina de Albacete da a conocer los toreros y las ganaderías que participarán en ella. Además, la representa y promociona. Se presenta en el Museo Municipal de Albacete durante el mes de julio. En el diseño de su imagen participan importantes artistas pictóricos como fue en 2014 Manolo Valdés o el colombiano Fernando Botero en 2016.

Premios
Los trofeos oficiales de la Feria Taurina de Albacete son entregados al finalizar la misma por diversas instituciones públicas y privadas y premian al toro más bravo de la feria, al molino de la bravura, al novillo más bravo, a la mejor faena, a la mejor estocada o al triunfador de la feria.

Los Premios Samueles nacieron en 2006 con el objetivo de ensalzar la figura de la importante Feria Taurina de Albacete. Fueron instituidos por el Grupo de Comunicación La Cerca, siendo su presidente de honor el conocido ganadero de Albacete Samuel Flores. Los Samueles premian en cada una de sus ediciones a la faena más completa, al toro más bravo, a la mejor suerte de varas y a la mejor faena realizada por un subalterno.

Reconocimientos
En 2014 la Feria Taurina de Albacete obtuvo el galardón de los Premios Taurinos de Castilla-La Mancha en la categoría de la Defensa y Promoción de la Fiesta, entregado por la presidenta de Castilla-La Mancha, María Dolores de Cospedal.

Recibió el premio a la mejor feria taurina de España de la temporada 2016 en los premios del Foro de la Juventud Taurina de 2017.

Véase también
 Corrida de Asprona
 Las Vaquillas (Albacete)
 Feria de Albacete
 Plaza de toros de Albacete
 Escuela Taurina de Albacete
 Cultura de Albacete
 Feria (Albacete)
 Albacete
Anexo:Ferias taurinas

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Plaza de toros de Albacete
Ferias taurinas
Feria de Albacete
Cultura de Albacete
Historia de la provincia de Albacete

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