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Unexpectedly: ISIS leader flees to Syria where U.S. insists he will be safe
Noah RothmanPosted at 4:01 pm on August 15, 2014
No one could have seen this coming.
In early August, President Barack Obama revealed that he had approved targeted airstrikes on ISIS targets in Iraq. The strikes were aimed at both halting the Islamic State's advance on cities like Erbil and Baghdad, where American diplomatic and military assets were stationed, and to relieve the pressure on Iraqi minority groups targeted by ISIS for extermination or displacement. Some military analysts noted, however, that the president will be unable to achieve the objective of eliminating the ISIS threat, rather than simply disrupting the group's operational tempo, unless he expanded the theater of operations to include Syria.
"After all, Syria is where ISIL developed into the fearsome jihadist juggernaut it is today, seizing vast swaths of territory, piles of heavy weapons and even oil fields," former CIA counterterrorism analyst Aki Peritz wrote in Politico Magazine. "And it's where much of ISIL's thousands-strong fighting forces are still based."
But the president remained steadfast in his determination to limit American operations to Iraq. Having determined that airstrikes on ISIS positions around the western Iraq's Mount Sinjar, where the encircled Yazidi minority had been trapped for weeks, was a success, the president determined (dubiously) that the American rescue mission in Iraq had completed its objective. He revealed that, with the exception of continued strikes on ISIS positions which threaten American military and diplomatic personnel, the latest American contingency operation in Iraq had been completed.
It seems Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi has been listening to the president. A Kurdish official reportedly said on Friday that the Islamic State leader has left the Iraqi city of Mosul and has returned to Syria.
According to a report in the London-based Arabic news outlet Asharq al-Awsat, al-Baghdadi fled Iraq along with a convoy of ISIS militants.
"According to our intelligence sources, Abu-Bakr Al-Baghdadi traveled to Syria as part of a convoy of 30 Hummer vehicles after fearing being targeted by US airstrikes," [Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) spokesman Saeed Mamo] Zinni said. He added that Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been able to kill a number of ISIS senior leaders.
An informed source in Mosul, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, said that ISIS had killed all Yazidi men in the villages it had besieged around Sinjar after a deadline for them to convert to Islam expired. "[ISIS fighters also] raped the women and girls, and took the children to Mosul," he added.
The source claimed that ISIS had recruited several young men from Mosul, and that many of the new recruits were sent to fight in the arid Jazeera region in Syria.
Al-Baghdadi's flight from Iraq may seem like welcome news, but that ISIS fighters have not abandoned their assault on Iraqi targets. As Ed Morrissey flagged on Friday, the Islamic State remains as ambitious as ever.
"The United States believes that while the group remains largely focused on its brutal takeover of large areas of Iraq, there is also an 'expansion of its external terrorist ambitions,'" CNN reported.
Tags: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Iraq ISIS Syria


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Category Archives: Johnny Galecki
REVIEW: BATMAN BEYOND- SEASON 2
Will Friedle (Batman Ninja)
Kevin Conroy (Batman: TAS)
Cree Summer (Bambi II)
Frank Welker (Transformers)
Ian Buchanan (panic Room)
Ice-T (Tank Girl)
Stockard Channing (Grease)
Paul Winfield (The Terminator)
Teri Garr (After Hours)
Ryan O'Donohue (Toy Story)
Lindsay Sloane (Sabrina: TTW)
Dan Lauria (The Spirit)
Stephen Collins (Star Trek: TMP)
Wendie Malick (American Housewife)
Ethan Embry (Empire Records)
Stacy Keach (THe Bourne Legacy)
Townsend Coleman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Rider Strong (Cabin Fever)
Sam McMurray (Raising Arizona)
Olivia d'Abo (Conan The Destroyer)
Daphne Zuniga (Spaceballs)
Miguel Sandoval (Mediam)
Jon Cypher (Masters of The Universe)
Jason Marsden (Young Justice)
Henry Rollins (Feast)
Clyde Kusatsu (Midway)
Victor Rivers (Hulk)
Kate Jackson (Charlie's Angels)
Melissa Disney (Superman vs The Elite)
Seth Green (Family Guy)
Chris Mulkey (Cloverfield)
Jeff Bennett (Enchanted)
Brian George (The Big Bang Theory)
Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons)
Shiri Appleby (Roswell)
Gregg Berger (Transformers)
Tim Curry (IT)
John Ritter (Bad Santa)
Rachael Leigh Cook (Antitrust)
Adam Wylie (Child's Play 2)
Vernee Watson (The Kid)
Dorian Harewood (Terminator: TSCC)
Michael McKean (This Is Spinal Tap)
Kathleen Freeman (Innerspace)
Andy Dick (Road Trip)
Mark Rolston (Aliens)
Gary Cole (Fam)
Kerrigan Mahan (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers)
Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory)
Chris Demetral (Lois & Clark)
Patton Oswalt (Caprica)
Mitch Pileggi (Stargate: Atlantis)
Bill Fagerbakke (How I MEt Your Mother)
Curtis Armstrong (American Dad)
Bumper Robinson (Sabrina: TTW)
Eli Marienthal (American Pie)
Bill Smitrovich (Ted)
George Lazenby (Gettysburg)
Sarah Douglas (Superman I & II)
Batman Beyond—Season Two would be ambitious and further expand the adventures of Terry McGinnis, the new Dark Knight of the Gotham City's future, but it would also be quite different from the first season in several ways. For one thing, the creators had killed off Terry arch nemesis Derek Powers (a.k.a. Blight) at the end of season and despite having a cliffhanger ending, the character never returned for season two, or season three for that matter. In fact, the fundamental change between the two seasons was that the network requested more episodes be written around Terry and the kids he interacted with in his high school, instead of focusing on a corporate espionage subplot like in the previous season. The producers did not argue with this as it was more or less the direction they were interested in going too. The network also wanted the show to introduce a stronger female character that could assist Terry in his mission as Batman. That not led to the creation of new supporting character Maxine "Max" Gibson, a beautiful and intelligent girl at Terry's high school who would discover his secret in her first episode and would become one of his allies for the rest of the series. She was always intended to be her own character and not a placeholder for Robin, Batgirl, Alfred or anyone from the classic Batman supporting cast. Most of Terry's teenage peers like Dana Tan, Chelsea Cunningham, Blade Summer and Nelson Nash came back in this season and is some cases got slightly more prominent roles. But there was also at least one more friend of Terry's introduced named Howard Groote, a nerdy comic relief who design was, amusingly, inspired by producer/writer Paul Dini. As for villains this season, many characters like the Jokerz gang, Ten of the Royal Flush Gang, Spellbinder, Willie Watt, Shriek and Curare return for further episodes. But there were also several new villains introduced, though unfortunately many of them were only one-time threats and did not become members of terry's recurring rogues gallery. The three major recurring villains introduced this season were the Stalker, a cybernetically-enhanced big-game hunter who sees Batman as his ultimate prey, the insanely liberal bomber Mad Stan, and the terrorist snake cult known as Kobra). Memorable one-shot villains include gene splicer Dr. Able Cuvier, the A.I. 'ghost' of a former corporate mogul who takes control of the Batsuit, a rat boy named Patrick that kidnaps Dana, the father of one of Terry's friends who becomes a supervillain named Armory, a burly woman named Mom Mayhem and her two sons, a snobby gossip reporter using invisibility technology, and a vigilante named Payback who takes his revenge against tormentors of troubled teenagers too far. Overall, Batman Beyond—Season Two is twice and big as the first season, and just as strong.
REVIEW: THE BIG BANG THEORY – SEASON 1-8
Johnny Galecki (Hancock)
Jim Parsons (Garden State)
Kaley Cuoco (Killer Movie)
Simon Helberg (Dr. Horrible)
Kunal Nayyar (Trolls)
Sara Gilbert (Poison Ivy)
Kevin Sussman (Ugly Betty)
Melissa Rauch (I Love You, Man)
Mayim Bialik (Blossom)
RECURRING / NOTABLE GUEST STARS
Vernee Watson (Mike & Molly)
Brian Patrick Wade (Agents of Shield)
Laurie Metcalf (3rd Rock From The Sun)
Mark Harelik (Election)
Rachel Cannon (Fresh off the Boat)
Brooke D'Orsay (Two and a Half Men)
James Hong (Blade Runner)
Carol Ann Susi (Cats & Dogs)
Brian George (Ghost World)
Alice Amter (The Good Girl)
Sarayu Blue (Monday Mornings)
DJ Qualls (Road Trip)
Charlie Sheen (Hot Shots)
Octavia Spencer (Insurgent)
Riki Lindhome (The Muppets)
Sara Rue (Mom)
Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica)
John Ross Bowie (The Heat)
Christine Baranski (Into The Woods)
Summer Glau (Terminator: TSCC)
Valerie Azlynn (Julia X)
Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (The Vampire Diaries)
Will Wheaton (Powers)
Katee Sackhoff (Riddick)
Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years)
Yeardley Smith (The Simpsons)
Judy Greer (Ant-Man)
Ally Maki (Wrecked)
Brian Smith (The Flip Side)
George Takei (Heroes)
Aarti Mann (The Monogamy Experiement)
Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse)
Eric Andre (2 Broke Girls)
Jesse Heiman (Chuck)
Keith Carradine (Dexter)
Rick Fox (Holes)
Jessica Walter (Dinosaurs)
Joshua Malina (Scandal)
LeVar Burton (Star Trek: TNG)
Katie Leclerc (Switched at Birth)
Brent Spiner (Star Trek: TNG)
Courtney Ford (Revenge)
Lance Barber (Gangster Squad)
Becky O'Donohue (Fast & Furious)
Peter Onorati (Goodfellas)
Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek)
Stephen Hawkings (Futurama)
Margo Harshman (Sorotiy Row)
Ken Lerner (The Running Man)
Howie Mandel (Gremlins)
Ryan Cartwright (Bones)
Casey Sander (16 Blocks)
Meagen Fay (Barton Fink)
Regina King (Ray)
Kate Micucci (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012)
Bob Newhart (Elf)
Brian Posehn (New Girl)
James Earl Jones (Conan The Barbarian)
Carrie Fisher (Family Guy)
Tania Raymonde (Texas Chainsaw)
Laura Spencer (Bones)
Billy Bob Thornton (Bad Santa)
Stephen Root (King of the Hill)
Kevin Smith (Daredevil)
As the series opens, into this world in walks Penny (Kaley Cuoco). She's literally the beautiful girl next door since she moves into the apartment across the hall from Leonard and Sheldon. She's an aspiring actress, which naturally means she's making a living as a waitress. Most of the guys immediately develop crushes on her, but it's Leonard who is the most serious about her. And despite how little they have in common, the five main characters form a friendship. But first, Penny has to deal with Sheldon and Leonard cleaning up her place for her while she slept. Sheldon gets fired for telling his new boss exactly what he thinks of him. Leonard and Sheldon stop speaking to each other after Leonard decides to present a paper they both authored. Sheldon tries to tell a sufficiently complex lie to Penny. And Penny must take care of a sick Sheldon. If there is any standout character that makes this show hilarious, it's Sheldon. The guy may be brilliant when it comes to his job, but he is a complete idiot when it comes to interacting with anyone. His reaction to things, or lack of reaction, makes for some of the best jokes in the show.
The acting on the show is universally great. The main actors are great as breathing life into their characters and really rounding them out. Yes, even Simon Helberg is good as Howard. Special praise must go to Kunal Nayyar whose Raj is too terrified to talk to women. His facial expressions alone are priceless. But the undisputable star of the show is Jim Parsons. He makes anti-social Sheldon completely believable and funny without resorting to too many stereotypes. He was born for this role pure and simple.
Due to the writer's strike of the fall of 2007, there were only 17 episode in the first season. All of them are here on three discs in widescreen and stereo sound. They look and sound great. There is one 17 minute behind the scenes type featurette that talks about the creation of the show and the characters.
In season two, the laughs continue as the goofy cast gets into many hilarious situations, as the combined brain power of The Big Bang Theory is no match for normal life. This season continues to build upon the romance between Leonard and Penny, which has its ups and downs. Leonard also dates a couple girls and Howard has his eye on both. Sheldon's neurotic and weird portrayal of life continues to be the butt of almost every joke, as he is far from normal. Raj has his fifteen minutes of fame, which go to his head. Overall, it is a strong season.
The season premiere episode is "The Bad Fish Paradigm". Leonard and Penny have their first date. Unfortunately, it is their only date. At first, Leonard thinks the date went well. However, his odd friends convince him that things did not go as he thought. Penny confides in Sheldon. She does not feel smart enough for Leonard and fears he will get bored with her. She forces him to keep it a secret, which causes Sheldon to move out of the apartment, staying with Raj and Howard. Eventually Leonard learns about Penny's fear and only makes it worse. The episode is fun way to start the season with Sheldon's neurotic behavior stealing the spotlight. In the next episode "The Codpiece Topology", Leonard is jealous of Penny who is dating again. He considers his options, which are slim. Oddly enough, Leslie Winkle (Sara Gilbert) has her eyes on him. They had a brief romance in the past, but Leslie was only looking for short-term fun. Now, she wants to settle down and thinks Leonard might be Mr. Right. The new relationship causes complications for Sheldon and Penny. The episode is really fun. Gilbert and Galecki have great chemistry together, which is a rehash from their time together on Roseanne. Gilbert shows up in additional episodes this season and has a romance with Howard. "The Griffin Equivalency" is a fun episode where Raj gets put in the spotlight. He is listed by People magazine on their '30 Under 30 to Watch' for his contributions to science. When Raj tells his friends about it, they do not give supportive reactions. Sheldon attacks him for getting lucky. Leonard and Howard decide to take him out to dinner to celebrate his accomplishment. However, the tables turn when Raj is given special treatment by the university, which causes jealous amongst his friends. He invites them to a party and they refuse. Penny agrees to go with him and it turns out to be a little more than she bargained for… Penny meets Raj's parents and it does not go well for anyone.
In "The Barbarian Sublimation", Penny is feeling down about not accomplishing any substantial with her life and turns to Sheldon for comfort. He gets her hooked on online gaming, which is a real fun sight to see. Penny takes on an odd persona and even scares Leonard. It is a classic and geeky episode. In "The Euclid Alternative", everyone is tired of Sheldon leeching off of them for rides and force him to get his driver's license, which he is apparently incapable of. Sheldon, again, steals the spotlight with his neurotic physical comedy and turns this very common situation into a bunch of laughs.
"The Lizard-Spock Expansion" introduces a multi-episode story arc and Stephanie Barnett (Sara Rue), a new love interest for Leonard and Howard. Howard uses his access to the Mars Rover to pick up Stephanie, but when he crashes it, he calls on his friends for help. Leonard and Stephanie hit it off and start dating, behind Sheldon's back. Oddly enough, Howard thinks they're together. The Leonard-Stephanie-Howard threesome produces a lot of laughs. Stephanie also appears in "The White Asparagus Triangulation", Sheldon tries to help Leonard's relationship, but only dampens his style, and "The Vartabedian Conundrum", Leonard realizes Stephanie is living with him. As for the rest of the season, there are many more fun episodes, such as "The Cooper-Nowitzki Theorem", Sheldon gets a girlfriend (sort of) and no one understands what is happening, "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis", Penny dates Dr. David Underhill (Michael Trucco), Leonard's better looking counterpart, "The Friendship Algorithm", Sheldon befriends someone at work to everyone's amazement, "The Maternal Capacitance", Leonard's mother visits and her personality is identical to Sheldon, " The Terminator Decoupling", the guys run into Summer Glau (Firefly, Serenity, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) on a train, and "The Hofstadter Isotope", Penny goes with the guys to the comic book store and exchanges phone numbers with someone, and it eats away at Leonard. Overall, The Big Bang Theory's second season continues to be very strong. The cast has a great dynamic together. The leading males' geeky views of life provide neurotic and hilarious situations. Cuoco is a good balance to them, and also provides her own silliness. However, Parsons repeatedly steals the spotlight with physical comedy and excellent delivery of dialogue. He manages to turn many common situations, as he interacts with the other cast members, into a riot. The show's writing is also topnotch. It provides witty dialogue that leaves you laughing. The plotlines can be simplistic, but they work and never fail to draw in your attention. In the end, The Big Bang Theory is a major success with its second season.
At the end of season 2, Leonard, Sheldon, Raj and Howard were leaving for a three month expedition to the North Pole to test one of Sheldon's theories. Leonard was sad to be leaving Penny behind, though they weren't dating and surprisingly, Penny was upset to be away from Leonard too. As this season opens the group has just gotten back from the far north and when Leonard knocks on Penny's door to inform her of their return she leaps into his arms and kisses him passionately. Turns out Penny really missed Leonard, and they go into her apartment and close the door.
The Big Bang Theory continues to remain one of the funniest sitcoms on network television today. eason 3 showed us exactly why this is the case bringing us some of the funniest BBT episodes yet to date. This show is at its very best when its five main characters, rather than being shoehorned into conventional sitcom devices like hook-ups and infighting, are simply allowed to be their smart, socially awkward, idiosyncratic selves. And for the most part, they were.
One of the pleasures of this show is that you can throw together practically any two characters and have a unique, unpredictable and funny dynamic. Forget Leonard and Penny — perhaps the best odd-couple pairing we got all season was Sheldon and Penny, who despite all odds, have figured out that they enjoy each other's company. Something about his smug childishness gels perfectly with her unsinkable good humor and ability to deliver a zinging comeback. "The Adhesive Duck Deficiency" showcased Sheldon and Penny's unique chemistry to great effect on multiple levels — not only did Sheldon have to tolerate hours alone with Penny, but he was forced to adopt the role of caretaker while the other guys were off getting stoned in the desert. The episode culminated in a newfound trust between the two, who by the end of the season grew to think of each other as friends.
Speaking of Sheldon, he continues to be an amazing comic force. Jim Parsons shone this season, and the writers wisely showcased him at every possible opportunity. It's hard to imagine this actor ever playing any other role. We followed Sheldon from the North Pole to his home state of Texas (where Laurie Metcalf did a very funny turn as his uber-conservative mother), learned the back story of his friendship with Leonard, and best of all, saw him face off against his sixth most hated rival, Wil Wheaton. Wheaton's guest appearance in "The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary" was so well received that the show brought him back a second time, in "The Wheaton Recurrence." Sometimes you can tell when actors are really enjoying themselves onscreen and this always seemed to be the case when Wheaton showed up, so hopefully he'll continue to play himself on a semi-regular basis. Season 3 also introudced us in the finale to Amy Farrah Fowler, (played by Mayim Bialik) who would become a regular in season 4.
The writers introduced two female characters to the regular cast this year, although both did show up in season three. Melissa Rauch returns as Howard's girlfriend Bernadette. And Mayim Bialik, who appeared in the final few moments of season three, is back as Amy Farrah Fowler, Sheldon's not girlfriend but friend who is a girl. Since both either have doctorates or are going for doctorates, that still leaves Penny as the only non-super smart person of the cast. However, everyone has trouble relating to us mere mortals, and that's where Penny really shines. Her heart comes through in every moment she is on screen..
Over the course of the season, Sheldon breaks up with Amy Farrah Fowler over scientific differences and buys a bunch of cats to ease his loneliness. Howard's past mistake comes out when the FBI investigate him for a security clearance. The guys enter a New Year's Eve costume contest with some surprising additions to their group. Leonard's idea for a smartphone app gets out of hand when Sheldon gets involved. Raj begins to have feelings for Bernadette while Leonard starts seeing Raj's sister Priya (guest star Aartia Mann). Everyone winds up at an out of town science convention where friendships get tested. And in one of my favorites, Amy Farrah Fowler and Sheldon decide to experiment with gossip by starting rumors and seeing how long it takes the entire group to find out.
Of course, with this show, some of the sub-plots can be just as great as the main plot. I'm especially fond of one involving Howard performing a magic trick that Sheldon can't figure out. Another memorable one involves Sheldon and his new three person chess game. The new additions haven't dampened the acting at all. The original cast knows their characters and invests everything they have in bringing them to life every week. Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik slip into the cast seamlessly and feel like they've been playing these characters just as long. Jim Parsons went into this season having just won a well-deserved Emmy for Lead Actor in a Comedy, and his work is just as impressive here.
Season 5 picks up exactly where season 4 left off. Penny (Kaley Cuoco) has just spent a drunken night with Raj (Kunal Nayyar). While it wasn't quite what it appeared, they quickly go back to normal, which isn't hard when Raj will only talk to women when he's drunk.
Meanwhile, Leonard (Johnny Galecki) tries to maintain a long distance relationship before putting his relationship with Penny back in a beta test. Sheldon (Jim Parsons) is forced to take his relationship with Amy (Mayim Bialik) to the next level – and he insists they both sign a relationship agreement. Leonard finds a loophole in his relationship with Sheldon when he voids the friendship clause. And Howard (Simon Helberg) gets ready for a trip into space and his marriage to Bernadette (Melissa Rauch). That's just a few of the bigger storylines of the season. Each episode is filled with laughs. Some people complain the show isn't as funny as it used to be, but I find it hysterical just about every week. Yes, they have one or two weeks that fall flat, but they are by far the exception rather than the rule. And even then, there are some great lines and classic moments. Howard and Bernadette have the biggest story arcs of the season, and I must say I love watching the two of them interact. Usually, they are so sweet together, although when they fight it can be pretty funny as well. Howard used to annoy me like crazy, but now I actually find I like him. As far as guest stars we've got Wil Wheaton, Brent Spiner, and Dr. Stephen Hawkins appear as themselves, and Leonard Nimoy voices a Spock doll. The show pasted the 100 episode mark this season, and that means the cast is very familiar with their characters. It shows, too, in the acting. Everyone is believable and comfortable with their parts, and it's easy to just sit back and laugh as the show plays.
Season 6 starts off with 5 overarching plot episodes based around Howard's trip to space and return to Earth with a less than warm welcome. These are some very good episodes, the premiere has some nice moments during Amy and Sheldon's anniversary. Another highlight in the first 5 is when Game night turns into Men vs Women. These episodes put quite a bit of spotlight onto Howard and his accomplishment that no one else acknowledges, and I enjoyed them immensely, some character developing episodes for him. The season has some great highlight episodes. We get a very good dramatic episode (rare for TBBT) called "The Closet Reconfiguration" where Sheldon being Sheldon, he cleans out Howard's closet and comes across an unopened letter sent to Howard from his father who abandoned him. They all get to show off their acting chops in this episode (especially Helberg). We get another appearance from Wil Wheaton in "The Habitation Configuration" (Which Jim Parsons just won an Emmy for his work in) that turns into another fantastic episode when Sheldon has to choose between his friend or his girlfriend. "The Closure Alternative" involves one of Sheldon's favorite shows being cancelled, and lastly "The Proton Resurgence", which features Bob Newhart in an Emmy award winning guest appearance as Sheldon's childhood hero, Professor Proton.
As for the relationships, this season was a huge one. Leonard and Penny finally take the next step in their relationship. Sheldon and Amy continue to move forward at a Snails pace, with Sheldon finally considering more. Raj gets some much needed character development when he finally finds a girlfriend, who is essentially A reflection of himself, named Lucy. The cast is as great as ever, with their chemistry remaining tip top…Parsons again steals the show with his excellent physical comedy and strong delivery of his dialogue. Galecki plays off perfectly against Jim. Simon Helberg gets some meat to chew on this season and he kills it, especially the episode where he finds the letter from his father that was sent years earlier. The writing remains witty and top notch, that is conveyed perfectly on screen through the excellent performers. The writers need to continue with this great writing, The Big Bang Theory proves here why it's still one of the funniest shows on TV.
This season picks up exactly where the last one left off. Leonard (Johnny Galecki) is on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on a research trip. Back at home, the gang must learn to deal with his absence, especially his roommate Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and his girlfriend Penny (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting). However, when he comes back, his desire to spend some time with Penny over Sheldon shows the beginnings of the first changes in the group, a theme that actually echoed through the season.
Following up on the sixth season finale, Raj (Kunal Nayyar) is now able to talk to girls even when he's sober. What didn't change there is that he still isn't a lady's man, although it does open up a few new relationship possibilities for him. Speaking of relationships, Sheldon and Amy (Mayim Bialk) wind up taking what for them is a huge step forward in their relationship on a romantic train ride up to the Napa Valley. Penny makes a huge change to forward her career as an actress and finds herself in a less than desirable roll opposite a surprising co-star. I would argue that the only main characters not to have major changes this season are Howard (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), but since they adjusted to married life last season, maybe that's for the best. They still get some great stories, like Howard's drastic change after trying to help out his mother and how they deal with having Raj has a house guest for a week.
And the geekiness continues. Stuart (Kevin Sussman) and his comic book store regularly appear in the series. When the guys don't get into Comic Con, Sheldon decides to start his own, leading to a day with James Earl Jones. Speaking of which, the show finally celebrates Star Wars day in what is a touching and funny episode featuring the third appearance of comedy legend Bob Newhart.
Relationships are a key element of the season, which starts with the socially-awkward Sheldon stuck in an Arizona railroad station without any pants, the victim of poorly-received changes in his life. What exactly is going on between him and Amy, as well as what is happening with Penny and Leonard and their extended engagement, are the engine of this run of episodes, as Sheldon faces the need to overcome his off-putting personality, and Leonard has to overcome Penny's new-found success. After seven seasons, the show hasn't felt the need to artificially change its main characters and their lives, instead going in a more organic direction, choosing to highlight change that happens naturally in a relationship. That evolution also powers an impactful cliffhanger of a season finale.
The series did have a sudden change to cope with though, when Carol Ann Susi, the actress who gave voice to Howard's unseen harpy of a mother, died, and her passing was written into the series, creating more change for Howard and giving a bit of a goose to the other characters, who took from her death in different ways.
Season 8 once again had excellent guest stars such as Laurie Metcalf, Christine Baranski, Billy Bob Thornton, Nathan Fillion, Wil Wheaton and Stephen Hawking. The Shocking Cliffhanger leaves fans wondering where certain relationships will end up.
REVIEW: VANILLA SKY
Tom Cruise (Knight and Day)
Penelope Cruz (Grimsby)
Cameron Diaz (Bad TEacher)
Kurt Russell (Big Trouble In Little China)
Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl)
Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones)
Timothy Spall (Rock Star)
Tilda Swinton (Constantine)
Michael Shannon (Man of Steel)
Ivana Milicevic (Casino Rtoyale)
W. Earl Brown (Bates Motel)
Alicia Witt (Two Weeks Notice)
Ken Leung (Lost)
Mark Bramhall (Alias)
Brent Sexton (God Friended Me)
Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad)
Vanilla Sky didn't really have it easy in the year of its release. On top of being a Hollywood remake of the critically-acclaimed Spanish film, it also had to contend with the debut of Lynch's Mulholland Drive and the wider distribution of Nolan's Memento — both of which generated buzz by accomplishing similar things in superior ways — earlier that year. Therefore, the field was crowded in the psycho-puzzle subgenre, and the twisted story of David Aames' conflict of romantic pursuits and amnesiac murder mystery wasn't, in a literal sense, anything new. Crowe tweaks the narrative, though, by emphasizing the protagonist's legacy as the heir to a publishing empire, accentuating his recklessness with the business end of things and a general self-awareness of the tools at his disposal: charisma, wealth, and appearance. That makes it all the more intriguing to watch his casual tryst with clingy actress Julie Gianni (Cameron Diaz) evolve beyond his control, and to see it all deconstructed by a beautiful but comparatively commonplace dancer, Sofia (Penelope Cruz), who immediately steals his heart. Cruise admirably embraces the understated commentary on his persona through his character's carefree place of power and his thorny relationship with his father, with his easy charm and building anxiety driven by writer/director Crowe's good-natured style of human interaction. An immediate spark ignites between his character and Sofia within, unsurprisingly, a cluttered celebration of the greatness of David on his birthday, and it stays credible throughout the film due to how Penelope Cruz's down-to-earth wit and allure drags him out of the clouds, shaping into a poignant love story. The standout performance, however, emerges in Cameron Diaz with arguably the best turn of her career, encapsulating obsession and one-way affection in a beautiful shell that's both sympathetic and unsettling, the cloud over David's happiness. Infusing ethereal tracks by composer (and wife) Nancy Wilson and Icelandic band Sigur Ros with classic and contemporary melancholy pop songs, director Crowe again uses his musical awareness to heighten the visual and dramatic tempo in Vanilla Sky. Instead of directly enveloping scenes in the feel of a time period or the clear emotional state of a character, however, his musical selection here transports the audience through the complicated space of David Aames' mind, guiding the film in both similar and differing tonal directions to that of Amenabar's original intents. Crowe's attunement to sound mixes intriguingly with the growingly abstract nature of David's telling of the events, embracing an attitude that's somewhere between the earnest warmth of the director's previous pictures and the disappearing grip on reality within David's psychosis. Overt sentimentality does get in the way of establishing a consistent suspenseful mood, but that duality also becomes one of the film's distinguishing attributes as the tone shifts between those margins. Along the way, Cameron Crowe never lets the viewer forget that this is a narrative being spun by an imprisoned man in a latex mask, divulged to an inquisitive psychiatrist as he builds a case for David's mental state surrounding a murder accusation. Paired with the evocative perspective of Braveheart and Almost Famous cinematographer John Toll, surreal cues emerge through the film's visual language that suggest there's more to everything than what we're shown, where little details scattered about — photographs, drawings, even the mole on someone's body — begin to play with the perspectives of both David and the audience's trust level in him. It's at this point where Vanilla Sky pulls the curtain back on what it's really about, descending into the pandemonium of nightmares and unreliable narration through warped science-fiction that recalibrates just about everything that's transpired thus far. Crowe doesn't get carried away with it all, either, keeping a firm grip on what's safe to be deduced and not as the film shapeshifts into a psychological thriller. Vanilla Sky tumbles down that rabbit hole in a wild, slyly unsettling climax to the tragic mysteries of David's life, both revealing the truth of what's going on and inviting different interpretations to what it all means through layered clues, more flashes of images and whispers in the distance. It's unsurprising that heavy emotion speaks louder than thematic lucidity in Crowe's ending, the most divergent part of the film from the original; however, the bittersweet nature in how it feeds into the choice between moving on with one's life or perpetuating an illusion says enough. Despite tiptoeing around some rather dark elements, it leaves the audience with a degree of cathartic optimism hanging in the air alongside swelling atmospheric music and painterly surroundings, yet there's also the lingering sensation that everything hasn't been, and won't be, fully answered. Whether repeat viewings will bring that more into focus depends on the viewer, but thankfully experiencing the sweet and sour of David's life is compelling enough to continue doing so anyway.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Can Turkey open a fresh chapter following the death of Berkin Elvan?
Yesterday's funeral of Berkin Elvan, the 15-year-old boy who died as a result of injuries sustained at a Gezi Park demonstration in Istanbul last summer, was one of the largest funeral processions in Turkey's history.
His death, following 269 days spent fighting for his life in a coma, brought an unprecedented number of people onto Istanbul's streets to join the funeral procession – estimated at close to a million. It was a massive outpouring of anger about police violence, impunity and a government seen to protect the perpetrators and condone their violence.
All the evidence suggests that Berkin died because of injuries he sustained last 16 June, when he was hit at close range by a tear gas canister fired by police. He was close to his house and had apparently gone out to buy a loaf of bread. People in Turkey are incensed that taking to the streets as a peaceful demonstrator, or as a bystander, could – and still can – cost you your life at the hands of the police.
However, all the signals are that the government will ignore this groundswell of discontent and continue with their policy of repressing protests. Moments after Berkin Elvan was buried, police again used tear gas and water cannon against peaceful crowds near the funeral gathering on the road to Taksim. Clashes between police and demonstrators continued throughout the night, in Istanbul and in cities across Turkey.
By morning, two people had died at the scene of demonstrations. One person was shot in Istanbul, in a clash not thought to involve the police. A police officer in the eastern city of Tunceli/Dersim died following a heart attack. Initial reports suggested that large amounts of tear gas used against protesters may have prompted his heart attack. Scores of injuries were reported.
During the nine months that have passed since Berkin Elvan was hit by a tear gas canister, the Turkish authorities have done very little to end police violence or deliver justice for past abuses.
In failures typical of investigations into police violence in Turkey, the police officers responsible for firing tear gas at Berkin Elvan have not been identified. No CCTV footage of the incident has been found. A single prosecutor was tasked with investigating all the hundreds of complaints into police violence that took place last summer in Istanbul. Clearly, this is not the kind of effective investigation that millions of people around Turkey and elsewhere have been calling for.
In all of Turkey, only two prosecutions have been brought following last summer's police violence. And even those came only after tremendous efforts by the families of the victims and public pressure, including from Amnesty International.
Every day that passes without justice for Berkin Elvan and countless other victims of police violence will sow further dissent. The government should learn this lesson before it is too late.


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Sectionsfor Urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence care at Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic has doctors with extra training in bladder and urinary function. They specialize in diagnosing and treating urinary incontinence and have experience treating people who have had previous, unsuccessful treatment.
Each year, Mayo Clinic specialists treat nearly 10,000 people with urinary incontinence.
Mayo Clinic researchers are working to improve diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence. Specific efforts include comparing the effectiveness of various types of slings and sling surgeries, as well as new surgical methods, and the effectiveness of artificial urinary sphincters.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked No. 1 for urology in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Ariz., and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., are ranked among the Best Hospitals in the nation for urology by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic also ranks among the Best Children's Hospitals for urology.
Off to New Adventures After Bidding Incontinence Goodbye
For years, Catherine Hebert always carried a pair of underwear in her purse. She often needed them. Affected by stress incontinence, she leaked with even slight exertion. Now, after undergoing an outpatient procedure to treat the incontinence with urinary mesh, Catherine stays dry, and her extra undergarments stay at home. This summer, Catherine Hebert is [...]
Skill and understanding. Almost 10,000 people with urinary incontinence trust their care to Mayo Clinic health care professionals every year.
Efficiency. Mayo Clinic doctors work together in an integrated practice. It's not uncommon to have an evaluation one day and corrective surgery the next, if appropriate.
Specialized care for women. Urogynecologists at the Female Urology and Incontinence Clinic at the Mayo Clinic campus in Minnesota have special training in female bladder and urinary function, women's vaginal prolapse, and urinary incontinence surgery.
Adult bed-wetting: A concern?
Bladder control problems in women: Seek treatment
Bladder control problems: Medications
Bladder control: Lifestyle strategies
Types of pessaries
Urinary incontinence surgery in women
Book: Mayo Clinic on Managing Incontinence
Book: Mayo Clinic The Menopause Solution


Click (or scroll) to navigate to Opportunities for Undergraduates, Graduate School, Other Opportunities. Availabilities were last updated 21/04/2019.
I am very keen to provide undergraduate students opportunities to be exposed to research first hand. Undergraduate students work in the lab as Co-op students, project students (as part of their program) and summer students. These positions generally involve work on an existing line of inquiry, such as discovering new phages, where established protocols are in place. Despite these constraints, the students have room to take initiative in emphasizing aspects of the project that interest them more.
Volunteers: I do not take on volunteers.
Co-op students: I can currently only consider co-op students that are able to bring in some external funding support I can complement (e.g. SWILP, NSERC: USRA).
Project/Thesis Students: The lab is currently at capacity until Spring 2020.
Summer Students: I can only consider summer students for 2020 that are able to bring in some external funding support I can match (e.g. Farncombe Studentship, NSERC: USRA, BHSc Research Scholarships). These applications are commonly handled in Jan-Feb of 2020.
The earliest opportunity for me to take an un-funded graduate student would be May 2020.
Graduate school is a great opportunity to perform research and experience firsthand every step of the scientific process. In addition to this familiarity with science, you build core skills that are among a scientist's most transferrable: the ability to rapidly become knowledgeable in a new field, communicate that knowledge, and adapt to changes in that field. Graduate students are the core of the lab. They are expected to take ownership of their projects, work (largely) independently, think critically, actively seek out opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills, and be engaged in the projects of their colleagues as well as the academic community of their discipline.
Potential graduate students are encouraged to reach out to me, but must keep in mind that in order to be accepted they must meet all the requirements of the program they are applying to. I can currently take on students through the programs of Medical Sciences or Biochemistry, although some interdisciplinary research programs may also accomodate your application. As a general rule, graduate programs at McMaster absolutely require a BSc, with a B+ average in your last full-year's worth of relevant courses (e.g. science/research). Some exceptions may apply for applicants with 5+ years of relevant work experience.
MSc: A 2-yr program with a light courseload (~2 courses over two years) and heavy emphasis on research. An MSc student is guaranteed an annual stipend of ~$24,000, but is responsible for their own tuition & fees (~$8000). Due to the extremely high costs of tuition for international students ($17,096) relative to funding for MSc students, I cannot in good conscience consider applicants who are not Canadian or Permanent Residents unless they bring with them sufficient additional funding (>$3000/y) to ensure a reasonable standard of living.
PhD: A 4-yr program with a light-to-non-existent courseload (0-2 courses over 4 years) and heavy emphasis on research. Typically requires an MSc, although exceptional students with lab research experience may apply directly to a PhD program in Biochemistry from their BSc. A PhD student is guaranteed an annual stipend of ~$25,500 , but is responsible for their own tuition & fees (~$8000). Note that PhD students on a visa at McMaster now pay domestic tuition fees (Source).
Visiting Student/Researcher/Sabbatical/Phage Workshop: If you already have a position but would like to come work in the lab, as part of a short training session to work on phages or a longer-term stay, feel free to get in touch with me.
- Postdoctoral: I now feel the lab has the infrastructure and expertise in place to support a Postdoc. I am willing to consider applications on a case-by-case basis. That said, my expectation of a postdoc that they have some projects/interests of their own they also want to explore while working with me - a postdoc position is typically a stepping stone towards a more independent research carreer. I want to ensure I give a postdoc the opportunities to build up their CV, take the lead (and do a lot of intellectual heavy lifting), and spread their wings while spending some of my grant money on their pet projects, insofar as they fit within the broader scope of the lab. Please consider, before you apply, what do you think you could bring as a project in the lab that my lab/McMaster would be ideally suited to support?
- Technician: I am not currently considering a staff position at this time.
Primary School: I've previously been involved with programs aimed at fostering participation in science, such as the Sanofi-aventis BioTalent challenge, and offered educational sessions for high school students on bacteria or phages. If you're a primary school student or educator and want to get in touch, by all means - reach out to me!


Have you ever fancied owning a house in Japan? This could be your chance to get one for free.
The Japanese government has launched a new program to cut down the amount of abandoned houses across the country, by putting them on sale for next to nothing – or actually nothing, in some cases.
A 2013 government report suggests that around eight million homes lie empty all over Japan, some just on the outskirts of major cities.
There are numerous reasons for this: Japan has an aging population, meaning there aren't enough young people to purchase houses when their previous owners move to retirement homes or pass away. Those same young people are also less likely to have a family that would require a bigger house.
To make matters worse, superstition often surrounds old homes in Japan. Any property associated with an unnatural death, such as suicide or murder, are considered to bring bad luck. There are also numerous houses that have been left empty after being damaged by natural disasters.
The Japan Rail Pass is an economical way to explore this fascinating country by rail at a relaxed pace. The pass is valid on the whole Japan Rail Network, including the legendary high speed Shinkansen bullet trains.
The Japanese government hopes that offering the homes at heavily discounted prices or for free will encourage people to move from the often cramped living conditions in major cities. In some cases, funds will be available to renovate the properties.
Fancy shopping for a home in Japan? You can browse what's on offer today.


35th Anniversary - Live in Poland je šesti album v živo ameriške rock skupine Toto, ki je izšel leta 2014 pri založbi Eagle Records ob 35. obletnici nastanka skupine Toto. Album je bil posnet na koncertu skupine Toto, 25. junija 2013 v dvorani Atlas Arena, v Lodžu, na Poljskem. Poleg dvojne CD-plošče je izšla tudi DVD-plošča.
"St. George and the Dragon"
"I Won't Hold Your Back"
↑ Podbrežnik, Peter (15. maj 2014). "Toto: 35th Anniversary Tour - Live In Poland". Rockline.si. Pridobljeno dne 13. december 2015.
↑ "Toto: Live in Poland". AllMusic. Pridobljeno dne 18. september 2015.
"Hold the Line" · "I'll Supply the Love" · "Georgy Porgy" · "99" · "Goodbye Elenore" · "Rosanna" · "Make Believe" · "Africa" · "I Won't Hold You Back" · "Waiting For Your Love" · "Stranger in Town" · "Angel Don't Cry" · "Holyanna" · "Till the End" · "Without Your Love" · "I'll Be Over You" · "Stop Loving You" · "Pamela" · "Mushanga" · "Stay Away" · "Straight for the Heart" · "Out of Love" · "Only You" · "Don't Chain My Heart" · "2 Hearts" · "I Will Remember" · "The Turning Point" · "Mad About You" · "Melanie" · "Bottom of Your Soul" · "Orphan" · "Holy War" · "Burn"
Čas zadnje spremembe strani: 00:36, 2. oktober 2016.


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Boston-Bound Plane Forced To Land In Syracuse After Pilot Dies Mid-Flight
Modified Oct 5, 2015
An American Airlines plane headed from Phoenix to Boston made an emergency landing in Syracuse this morning after the pilot died mid-flight.
According to a spokeswoman, Flight 550 left Phoenix at 11:55 p.m. but was diverted before it reached its destination, touching down around 7 a.m. EDT. The first officer safely landed the Airbus A320 with 147 passengers and five crew members onboard.
"We are incredibly saddened by this event, and we are focused on caring for our pilot's family and colleagues," the airline statement said. It's unclear when the pilot died, nor what caused his death.
According to the NY Post, the first officer calmly called the airport tower and said, "American 550. Medical emergency. Captain is incapacitated" before requesting to land.
Passengers only discovered the pilot was dead after they had already boarded another flight to Boston.


We were pushed for time on this visit because we were working Thursday, so it was straight from the train on to the tube and straight to The O2. We had a meal at the Nandos in The O2 then went straight to our seats. Alicia Keys' voice was amazing. However it was a lot more of a relaxed performance and feeling within the whole arena, compared to the other shows I have seen. After the event we travelled back to Kings Cross then walked to the hotel (Holiday Inn Kings Cross)… we did get a little lost but still it was a short walk. I think this shows how quick and easy you can get down to London and visit The O2 even with a short about of leisure time. I'm going to Bruno mars in October and also Disney on Ice at the end of the year!
Alicia Keys – A last minute opportunity to go came up. I have always thought that Alicia Keys had a great voice so decided to put my name forward and was lucky enough to get it.
Alicia Keys' voice did not disappoint and it definitely lived up to my expectations. The production was minimal which got lost in the scale of the arena.
I have been before and am always impressed with the choice of restaurants and bars, although the closer to the time of the event you arrive the more of a fast food outlet feel they have.
We ate in Nando's which was nothing to write home about!
We stayed at The Holiday Inn Kings Cross. I would usually try to pick somewhere on the Jubilee line but this was last minute. As usual the Tube was fine – we only had to change once. We decided to walk between the station hotel which was only 10 minutes.
Have any other O2 events caught your eye this year?
I think Fleetwood Mac would be a great event to attend!


For outstanding professionalism and leadership in directed energy weapon system development.
As Project Manager, High Energy Laser Project, Captain Skolnick has integrated many individual elements of research and development into a comprehensive system, recently demonstrated by successful operation of the Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser (MIRACL). His efforts have brought the Navy to a preeminent position among the services in high energy laser technology application through one of the most significant advances in this field developed to date.
Captain Skolnick's dedication and his technical and managerial abilities in leading this project have brought great credit to himself and to the Naval Engineering Community.


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The Adolescent High Conceptualist:
Shameless? Part 5
by Colin Smith | in Articles | Tue, 2 April 2013
Continued from last week.
It would take Millar almost a decade to develop a style that was as controlled and effective as his ideas were consistently intriguing. The first substantial evidence of this would appear in his run on DC's Superman Adventures, which began in 1998, and for which he'd be nominated for an Eisner Award as Best Writer in 2000. (*1) Set in the continuity of Superman The Animated Series, it saw Millar producing a fine and often touching sequence of predominantly done-in-one issues. (*2) There could be no more appropriate title for Millar's graduation from gifted and yet scattershot apprentice to highly competent and commercially successful journeyman. For the teenage Millar's love for the figure of Superman had been evident in several of his letters to FA. In expressing his regard for the character, the Millar of both 1986 and 1988 had also displayed the first signs of his admirable way with high concepts. Even if his writerly skills would take a considerable number of years yet to mature, his talent for succinctly and perceptively deconstructing the superhero was already evident.
Objecting to John Byrne's 1986 reboot of Superman, Millar insisted that the new take reflected the dominant politics of the age too closely. The Eighties had been, he wrote, a period in which he'd noted "greed escalate in direct proportion to the drop in compassion and love". (*3) In creating a version of Superman who was far more concerned with his personal affairs than before, Byrne had, argued Millar, diminished the "altruism" which the character had traditionally represented. (*4) Such might seem to be nothing but an expression of the very kind of fannish conservatism which Millar has always been quick to condemn. (*5) Yet his critique was based not just in sentiment, but in an insightful view of how to ensure that the character stayed distinct and vital. As he went on to contend;
"… maybe altruism is a concept that would make superhero comics tedious in the broad term, but when confined to Superman, it seems so congruent with the rest of his character; it doesn't look silly. Byrne has tried to humanise Superman by giving him sexual feeling, jealousies and other unlikeable traits. Sure, this makes Supes seem more human but we mustn't forget that human isn't something he's supposed to be. We've got countless already human characters … so there's no need to change Superman. Byrne forgets this is what made Superman so special – because he was different." (*6)
In essence, Millar was arguing that Byrne's sin was less the perceived yuppification of Kal-El and more the destruction of the unselfishness which could make Superman stand out by comparison with his fellows. As such, "the once highly interesting character of a lost alien trying to be loved on a world he couldn't quite fit into" had been reduced to "just another superhero". (*7) DC and its hired gun of an artist/writer had considered Superman's traditional values to be a drawback in a more rapacious era. But Millar grasped that commenting on the age didn't necessarily require embodying its values. To him, what made Superman both ethically vital and commercially promising could be summed up in his ability to "stand there with an eagle on his forearm, cape fluttering in the wind before a golden sky" while still getting "away with it". (*8) It was an understanding that Millar would put to work not just in Superman Adventures, but in Superior, his heartfelt Christian polemic, which reflected the Golden Age decencies of both the Man Of Steel and his newsstand rival Captain Marvel too.
A more radical example of Millar's gift for commercial-savvy deconstruction can be found in his suggestion for reworking the perpetually under-achieving property of Supergirl. (*9) To Millar, the weakness of the character was that she duplicated far too much of the Superman mythos without adding anything that was entertainingly unique of her own. (*10) Rejecting the all-American hero-worship of her older cousin, which had seen Supergirl cast as a perennial stand-in and cheering section, Millar suggested that she be presented as a more "normal" individual;
"…. think about it. You are one of the two most powerful people in the galaxy … but you still don't get recognition, you're #2, at least, because you're a woman and the world is only interested in Superman … How would you feel? Bitter? Sad? Frustrated? … Now, I would be too filled up with bitterness to idolise Superman the way she does … I think it would be far more interesting if she …. really lashed out at Superman, trued to outdo him constantly, beat him to the scene of the crime, may move to Metropolis and operate by stealing his turf, maybe even turn against the people who rejected her …". (*11)
It might be thought that Millar's take on what it is to be a typical human being was somewhat jaundiced. But speculation about why he might imagine so fiercely resenting another's pre-eminence belongs in a different type of book. What's important here is that his take on Supergirl is far more energetic and compelling than anything that DC has launched into the market since the original version of the character was killed off in 1986. (*12) What's more, it's further evidence that Millar's objection to Byrne's Superman wasn't grounded in a reactionary approach to the superbook. Indeed, his new raison d'etre for Supergirl would mark her out as anything but a bland marketing knock-off of a fixed-in-stone icon. As such, Millar showed that his talent for a hypeable, headline-grabbing reinvention was in place before he'd sold his first script. For what could be more guaranteed to attract the publicity-raising ire of old-school readers than such a transgressive version of a well-loved, if commercially-underappreciated, figure?
All deconstructions are inevitably subjective affairs, of course; there's no way to evaluate their capacity for success in the marketplace short of releasing them into it. But these early examples of Millar's gift for high concept were at the very least concise, energetic, ingenious and snarefull. They neither over-complicated how a character's appeal might be reframed or retreated back into pipe-before-the-fire nostalgia. They also presented a set-up which was open to a considerable number of different approaches, and which, accordingly, wouldn't necessarily run out of steam once it become familiar to a readership . As easy as it is to sniff at such adolescent thought experiments, the superbook industry has consistently found it immensely difficult to generate their like. By contrast, Millar's own superhero titles have proven themselves to be remarkably successful. There are those who'd prefer to define his Millarworld properties as little but a cynic's pandering to an uncritical audience. But if that's so, then why have so few others managed to even begin to match his success with them?
Next: one last look at Millar's pre-history in fandom, with a look at his even-then marked capacity for inciting controversy, presenting mixed messages, and adopting a laddish take on Stan Lee's Soapbox persona.
*1:- It will show how highly regarded the series was in its time that Millar's fellow nominees were Ed Brubaker, Warren Ellis, Alan Moore and Greg Rucka. Sadly never collected together in any substantial and collected form, Millar's stories for the series surely deserve an appropriate edition?
*2 Superman: The Animated Series premiered in 1996 and ran for 3 series and 51 episodes. Its last new episode appeared in 2000, and the comic series followed it into extinction in 2002. A shame, given that it was nearly always superior to any of the mainstream Superman titles of the time.
*3 pg 42, No-Man's Land, FA#102, May 1988
*4 ibid
*5 pg 50, NML, FA#94, January 1986
*8 idid
*9 pg 48, NML, FA 96, May 1986
*10 pg 50, NML, FA#94, January 1986
*11 pg 48, NML, FA 96, May 1986
*12 In Crisis on Infinite Earths #7, 1986, by Marv Wolfman, George Perez et al
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Colin Smith is currently Q Magazine's comics columnist and blogs at Too Busy Thinking About My Comics and on Tumbler.
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AudioCodes 445HD is a professional IP phone that has been certified for Skype for Business. 445HD features support for 6 lines and has 6 user-customizable multifunction keys and 4 soft keys. The second display with 12 quick action keys provides extra customizing options that are contextually updated.
445HD gives you high-definition audio quality from the handset, the full-duplex speakerphone, and using a headset via the USB or RJ9 ports. With the robust security features, Gigabit Ethernet and PoE support, and centralized management options that are demanded by business today, 445HD is a mid-range VoIP phone for offices, cubicles, and enterprise workers.


C.F. Martin & Co. is just full of surprises these days. This sweet little OM is a case in point. From sustainable woods to alternative materials to clever electronic wizardry, Martin is combining tradition with high-tech functionality in some very appealing ways.
The three-piece back has wings of ovangkol, which is a species of Guibourtia that comes from tropical West Africa, with an Indian rosewood wedge. The sides are also ovangkol. The top is solid Sitka spruce with a bold herringbone rosette—and I am a sucker for herringbone. The specs online say the neck is "select hardwood" and this looks like a nice piece of mahogany, which is a solid choice.
The fretboard and bridge, however, are not at all traditional, and not even wood. They're something called Richlite, which is a "paper-based fiber composite used for a variety of architectural, food service, recreational and industrial applications," including musical instruments, according to the company. I have to confess, I'm a bit of an ebony snob when it comes to fingerboards and bridges, but this stuff really took me by surprise. It feels amazingly like ebony, and I would be willing to bet it's more stable and durable (whether or not ebony adds to the tone of a guitar is not a debate I'm willing to go into here). This Richlite stuff, which contains phenolic resin, feels great and the guitar plays like buttah, so I like it. We have a 1-3/4" nut and a 2-1/4" saddle, which is ideal for fingerstyle playing, and even though the fretboard has inlays, the Richlite was more consistent-feeling with the shell than ebony, and they didn't bug the crap out of me like inlays sometimes do.
The bindings and endpiece are a material called Boltaron, which is a laminated plastic used in everything from aircraft components to credit cards. The nut and saddle are Corian, another new-fangled material that's proven to be tone-worthy in both acoustic and electric guitars. Now, contrast all this high-tech, alternative material with the classic, quintessential Martin look; this guitar looks like something my grandfather would have played on his front porch in southern Iowa. The shape has a vintage vibe about it, and the simple b/w/b perfling and herringbone rosette make it look completely charming. The mortise-and-tenon neck joint is another nod to tradition, and feels as rock-solid as it gets. The glossy top and satin back and sides are pleasing as well, and the satin neck is fast and completely comfortable.
The pickup and onboard digital preamp are from Roland, and I have to say, they're seriously cool. The pre is called the COSM, for Composite Object Sound Modeling. We've seen quite a bit of this technology in the acoustic guitar world recently, and while some of it is very intriguing, I'm not sure there's not a fair way to go before they really get what they're after. The Roland preamp has a lot of truly useful features, but is so intuitive that I was able to figure out most of it before finding the manual (although I'm not a novice when it comes to acoustic technologies).


The Institute of Educational Computer Science is a multidisciplinary space with focus on research, development and innovation in the use and evaluation of digital technology and consulting in education public policies. It is characterized by adding value to research and innovation through a cycle of innovation, testing, application and transfer to the system.
For more than 20 years, the institute played a key role in the design and implementation of ICT policy in education in Chile and other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Its activities include projects and services for different government agencies, such as CONICYT (Fondef, Fondecyt), the Education Quality Agency and the Ministry of Education, as well as international organizations, such as UNESCO. Through the Chilean Center of Improvement, Experimentation and Pedagogical Research (CPEIP), the Institute of Educational Computer Science trains about 3 thousand teachers from different regions of Chile.
It also develops educational software, computer systems and other services, in order to support teaching and learning processes by acting directly in educational establishments in the south of Chile. Its scholars actively participate in postgraduate teaching and regularly publish in indexed journals.


The Marketing and Public Information Department is your primary source for news and information about Arapahoe Community College. Staff members work closely with faculty, staff, news media and students to share the events and achievements that define the campus community as a valuable resource in Colorado.
Issuing press releases and media advisories.
Arranging and facilitating media coverage of Arapahoe Community College.
Promoting ACC experts to the media and the community.
Producing printed and electronic materials.
We strive to respond to inquiries from the media as soon as possible. If you have a question regarding Arapahoe Community College, please contact Jeff Duggan, Communications Coordinator, at 303.797.5709 or jeff.duggan@arapahoe.edu.


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'Game of Thrones,' 'Veep' make final grabs for Emmy glory
Jul. 11, 2019 3:30 p.m.
LOS ANGELES — When a long-running, much-admired television series ends, Emmy voters can bring the show and its stars back for a final bow — or give them the bum's rush.
Game of Thrones, Veep and The Big Bang Theory, three major series that wrapped last season, will find out with Tuesday's nominations if they get another shot at Emmy gold or have been overshadowed by shiny new rivals such as Pose and Fleabag.
HBO's gore-and-dragons fantasy saga and its Washington satire Veep look well-positioned to garner top series and cast nominations, even though some fans and critics dinged (OK, savaged) Game of Thrones for an uneven season.
The 71st Emmy Awards show airs Sept. 22 on Fox.
It promises to be "the last hurrah of the Emmy giants," Tom O'Neil, author of The Emmys and editor of the Gold Derby awards handicapping website, said of the premium cable series. "In all likelihood, they'll get their farewell hug, because we know that the Emmys are a lot like TV reruns: they repeat," he said.
Also worth noting: how TV academy voters follow up on last year's banner number of nominations for people of colour that notably yielded few awards, and none for drama and comedy series acting awards.
In Tuesday's horse race, HBO is looking to rebound as the most-nominated outlet, bragging rights it lost after a 17-year record was snapped last year by relative upstart Netflix (with 112 bids to HBO's 108). The streaming service that's making a multibillion-dollar investment in programming has something to prove as well. So far it has fallen short of competitors Hulu and Amazon's top series trophies for, respectively, The Handmaid's Tale and The Amazing Mrs. Maisel.
Game of Thrones and Veep are fierce competitors, with each winning the last three times they were in contention. Game of Thrones is poised to reap nods for stars including Peter Dinklage, the only cast member to win an Emmy (make that three), and Emilia Clarke. After several supporting actress nods for her portrayal of ill-fated Daenerys Targaryen, Clarke is seeking best-actress honours.
There is competition afoot for Game of Thornes in the drama series category from Pose, set in 1980s New York and the ball culture world, and Killing Eve with Sandra Oh. Last year, Oh became the first person of Asian ancestry to snare an Emmy nod for best drama series actress.
The comedy races look especially tight.
Veep sat out 2018 because of a production delay while star Julia Louis-Dreyfus was treated for breast cancer. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel took streaming's first best comedy trophy and its star, Rachel Brosnahan, won best comedy acting honours.
Brosnahan and Louis-Dreyfus are likely contenders this year. The latter has collected six trophies for her Veep role as ex-President Selina Meyer and, with her Emmys for Seinfeld and New Adventures of Old Christine, is tied with Cloris Leachman at eight for the most-winning performer ever.
Those seeking to invade her turf include Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Fleabag and Natasha Lyonne for Russian Doll, while Veep itself could be challenged by their shows and Golden Globe-winning Barry, starring Bill Hader.
CBS' The Big Bang Theory, which ended its 12-season run in May, has gradually receded from Emmy attention, last earning a best comedy series bid in 2014. That was also the last year that star and Emmy favourite Jim Parsons captured a trophy for best comedy actor, his fourth for the show.
There's a "decent chance" that Parsons could be nominated once more, O'Neil said.
If The Big Bang Theory doesn't make the comedy series cut, ABC's 'black-ish" could again be the sole network entry in a field of buzzier cable and streaming nominees. Among dramas, This Is Us could be the lone broadcast entry, as it was last year.
Some major past winners aren't in contention this year because of eligibility window requirements, among them Atlanta, Big Little Lies, The Crown, Westworld and The Handmaid's Tale (although it was able to submit in a handful of down-ticket categories).
Besides bestowing fond farewells, voters could advance – or retreat – in recognizing the industry's increasing diversity. Last year, more than a third of the 101 acting nominations went to ethnic minorities, according to an analysis by The Associated Press, up from a quarter of the field in 2017.
But whites alone won 2018's top drama and comedy series acting awards, with only miniseries cast members Regina King (Seven Seconds) and The Assassination of Gianni Versace star Darren Criss, who is of Filipino descent, capturing lead actor trophies. African Americans swept the four series guest actor and actress categories, but an acclaimed season of Donald Glover's Atlanta was shut out of major wins.
There are plenty of prospects to be found again. On the comedy side, that includes Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross for Black-ish; Issa Rae for Insecure; Don Cheadle and Regina Hall for Black Monday; Constance Wu and Randall Park for "Fresh Off the Boat"; and Ramy Youssef for Ramy.
The potential drama nominees of colour, besides Oh, include Billy Porter and Mj Rodriguez for Pose; Jharrel Jerome for When They See Us; previous winners Viola Davis for How to Get Away with Murder (ending after next season) and Sterling K. Brown for This Is Us; Mahershala Ali for True Detective; and Stephan James for Homecoming.
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[ARCHIVED] Idaho Falls Named Best Performing City in America by Milken Institute
(The information below is a press release sent out by the Milken Institute on February 17, 2021)
Provo-Orem, Utah Tops Milken Institute's 2021 Ranking of Best-Performing Cities
California's San Francisco and San Jose – in the top five last year – dropped to Tier 2 due to high housing costs and short-term job loss; Idaho Falls, Idaho, is No. 1 among small US cities.
Los Angeles – Feb. 17, 2021 – Provo-Orem, Utah has demonstrated the best economic performance among large cities according to the 2021 Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Index. Idaho Falls, Idaho moves up six spots to top the list among small cities. The Index, published annually since 1999, offers a first look at how the pandemic has impacted regional economies across the country.
Provo-Orem, which ranked second in 2020, has been a recipient of the tech sector's out-migration from the more expensive coastal cities of California. A relatively new innovation center with significantly lower costs than Silicon Valley or Silicon Beach, Provo-Orem has attracted tech giants including Qualtrics, Vivint, and SmartCitizen, among others.
"We're incredibly heartened by the resilience and economic strength we're seeing in many Utah cities and towns as the Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Index shows," said Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah. "We're optimistic that this trend will continue and expand to all areas of our state."
New this year, the Milken Institute added housing affordability and broadband access as rankings variables in an effort to more effectively reflect the inclusiveness of local economies.
"The pandemic has had an outsized impact on cities where the economic effects of the current recession are exacerbated by high housing costs," said Kevin Klowden, executive director of the Milken Institute Center for Regional Economics and California Center. "By measuring for factors such as jobs, wages, and high-tech growth, the Best-Performing Cities Index offers analysis of how metro areas have fared based on the resilience of their local economy. And by incorporating data designed to gauge inclusivity, it provides important insights into how cities will be prepared to meet challenges and opportunities for future growth post-pandemic."
Also new this year, cities have been grouped into five tiers, offering policymakers, business leaders, and residents the ability to more easily compare their economic performance to their peers.
Key findings from the 2021 Best-Performing Cities Index include:
Provo-Orem, Utah, moved up one spot to No. 1 among large cities. The area had high one- and five-year job growth and benefited from a number of high-tech industries. Palm Bay-Melbourne- Titusville, Florida; Austin-Round Rock, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina round out the top five, respectively.
California's usual standouts, including San Jose and San Francisco, fell out of the top five to place at No. 24 and No. 22, respectively. In last year's rankings, San Francisco topped the list for best- performing large cities, and San Jose tied at No. 5, but high housing costs and a decline in short- term job growth led to their rankings drop this year. The movement is a sign of the pandemic's impact on so-called "superstar cities."
Idaho Falls, Idaho moved up six spots to rank No. 1 among small cities. The area's high-tech industry presence – which includes employers like the Idaho National Laboratory and Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC – drove job growth and contributed to its strong performance. Following are Logan, Utah-Idaho at No. 2; The Villages, Florida at No. 3; and St. George, Utah at No. 4. Daphne- Fairhope-Foley, Alabama moved up nine rankings to round out the top 5. Overall, these cities benefit from high levels of job and wage growth.
Large cities in the Intermountain West and South are outperforming many areas on the coasts, mainly due to their higher levels of short-term job growth and more affordable housing. For instance, Salt Lake City moves up 21 spots to come in at No. 4, and Huntsville, Alabama has one of the largest jumps up the rankings. The area moves up 39 spots to round out the top 10 among large cities.
"Being included in the Milken Institute's Index among small cities comes as a high honor because these rankings are based on meaningful data," said Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper. "Idaho Falls has been focused on connectivity and housing—two of the Milken Institute's new categories for consideration. The pandemic caused everyone to realize how important connectivity is for the future. People need not be tethered to desirable jobs in large cities as they once were; instead, they're relocating to places like Idaho Falls that give them a better quality of life and a lower cost of living."
Misael Galdamez, senior policy analyst in the Milken Institute Center for Regional Economics added: "As we discovered through our rankings, cities perform best when they pursue innovative strategies that allow high-tech industries to grow while still providing affordable costs of living. This alignment provides a foundation for metro areas to become more resilient to economic shocks."
How We Evaluate Cities:
The Index measures economic vitality in 200 large metropolitan areas and 201 small metropolitan areas using job creation, wage growth, and innovation industry metrics. The 2021 version of the Index emphasizes jobs, wages, and high-tech growth, housing affordability, and household broadband access.
"Best-Performing Cities 2021: Foundations for Growth and Recovery" is co-authored by Misael Galdamez, Charlotte Kesteven, and Aaron Melaas. To view the full report and search the 400 metro areas evaluated, visit https://milkeninstitute.org/reports/best-performing-cities-2021, and follow coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn using #BestPerformingCities.
2021 Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Index
LARGE US CITIES – TIER I SMALL US CITIES – TIER I
Provo-Orem, Utah 1. Idaho Falls, Idaho
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida 2. Logan, Utah-Idaho
Austin-Round Rock, Texas 3. The Villages, Florida
Salt Lake City, Utah 4. St. George, Utah
Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina 5. Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, Alabama
Boise, Idaho 6. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona 7. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tennessee 8. Sebastian-Vero Beach, Florida
Ogden-Clearfield, Utah 9. Gainesville, Georgia
Huntsville, Alabama 10. Charlottesville, Virginia
Denver, Aurora-Lakewood, Colorado 11. Punta Gorda, Florida
Fort Collins, Colorado 12. Bellingham, Washington
Seattle, Bellevue-Kent, Washington 13. Bend, Oregon
Media Contact: Enxhi Myslymi, [email protected], + 1 (203) 721-4840.
About the Milken Institute Center for Regional Economics and California Center
The Milken Institute Center for Regional Economics produces research, programs, and events designed to inform and activate innovative economic and policy solutions to drive job creation and industry expansion. For more information, visit https://milkeninstitute.org/centers/center-for-regional-economics.
About the Milken Institute
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that helps people build meaningful lives in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities. For more information, visit https://milkeninstitute.org/.


Installer: Empire Floor Coverings, Inc.
McElhinney Middle School was named after Dorothy McElhinney who married Dr. Philip McElhinney at the age of 22, she drove her herd of horses out west to the 400-acre Pinto Ranch in 1928 and has been mentioned in the biographical directory, Who's Who in the Old West. The McElhinney family members retained a portion of the ranch and still reside near the school which is the Murrieta Valley Unified School District's forth middle school. This massive $48,000,000 structure with a total foot print of 156,000 square feet, is now home to 745 students which receives ongoing transfers of 200 students yearly from Monte Vista Elementary and Lisa J. Mails Elementary School.
Synthetics International is proud to have contributed it's Synthetic30 moisture treatment and a decorative coating system to 22,200 square feet of floor space. The final floor offers the district's long term moisture resistance, ultra-low maintence and a decorative feel not to be missed by students. A solid floor, without the concerns of concrete moisture!


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Home News BSO launches Mumbai Connect, enables India's high growth HFT community
BSO launches Mumbai Connect, enables India's high growth HFT community
News September 8, 2016 —by Valentina Kirilova 0
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Ethernet network, cloud and hosting provider BSO has announced the launch of Mumbai Connect, an ultra low latency service that offers ultra-fast, flexible connectivity in/out of India to major global markets.
Mumbai Connect addresses the growing demand from high frequency traders (HFTs) in India where high-frequency and algorithmic transactions have grown from single digits to about 40% of total volumes over the past five years, according to Aite Group, a Boston-based consulting firm.
Mumbai Connect enables clients in India's top financial data centre, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), with ultra low latency routes through major financial hubs that include:
BKC, Mumbai <> Equinix LD4, London – 109 ms RTD
BKC, Mumbai <> DGCX, Dubai – 28.4 ms RTD
BKC, Mumbai <> Aurora DC3 (access CME), Chicago – 176.95 ms RTD
BKC, Mumbai <> SGX, Singapore – 54.6 ms RTD
Beyond the company's presence in BKC, BSO's network also connects the Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) and the Bombay Metal Exchange (BME) in Mumbai. Over 20 Indian Brokerages and Proprietary Trading firms have migrated to BSO's network services in the last 24 months.
Mumbai Connect is part of BSO's ongoing effort to further expand the company's services into emerging markets across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Michael Ourabah, BSO
Michael Ourabah, CEO at BSO, said:
India has the highest proportion of high-frequency and algorithmic transactions in the developing world, and BSO is filling the need for a network provider with the local knowledge and superior infrastructure to help companies maximize their trading opportunities. At BSO we recognize that each emerging market that we serve has unique needs and we have responded by developing a multi-faceted team that can ease the IT challenges and pain points in the diverse Mumbai market. This approach is one of the many ways we are redefining connectivity in the telecoms industry."
Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC)
Bombay Metal Exchange (BME)
HFTs
Indian Brokerage
Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX)
Mumbai Connect
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Since our official launch in November of 2014, CBE Press LLC (CBE) has endeavored to provide utilitarian information that helps transition the relatively new and young Cannabis Industry from a unregulated, illicit black market to a professionally run and regulated industry that has the best interests of the consuming public in mind.
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All CBE content meets the rigorous requirements of the American Society of Magazine Editors and its guidelines to assure that our 40,000 plus and counting e-newsletter and daily www.cannabisbusinessexecutive.com site readers clearly know what content is originally produced by CBE and its contributors of industry experts or articles aggregated from reputable media companies versus information like press releases or other information sourced from the sponsorship or advertising efforts of ancillary businesses.
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In surveying department chairs and coordinators, as well as casual discussions with many faculty, frustrations with our current web design and system run deep. Key problems mentioned include lack of design flexibility, difficulty in updating, poor navigation and organization, inability to easily embed images and media, and the static nature of information and site design. There was widespread enthusiasm for the makeover and willingness to participate in the process. Given that every academic department has different needs and specific uses, it is difficult to assess the relative importance of various features, but this document attempts to synthesize key needs and requirements as expressed across the curriculum.
Many departments indicate that they currently underuse their websites, with minimal information that is rarely updated. There was consensus that this makeover process could help show people some new ways to use the web effectively. During sessions where other websites were demoed, there were frequent "a-has" upon seeing capabilities that other schools are using, so we feel there will be enthusiasm for innovation. Some specific innovations that seemed particularly popular include dynamically generating course listings (a "modular catalog"), faculty pages feeding & linking to schedules and courses, feeds of sponsored & relevant events, and integrated links to Banner information.
We discussed the option of choosing among a group of templates, customized for both visual variety and optimized for different needs (such as more graphics/media, more text-based, etc.) – most coordinators and faculty seem to embrace this option. Coordinators wanted more flexibility with fonts and sizing of text. There was a clear desire for more graphic and media capabilities, especially within the Arts.
Some faculty embraced the idea of student and/or alumni work being profiled and displayed on the site, especially in the Arts. Potential links with the library's thesis archive is an option worth considering.
Some departments currently publish newsletters, and many would consider publishing them to the web instead of, or in addition to, paper and mailing. Ongoing updated departmental blogs were of interest to a few departments as well.
Faculty pages were noted for being rarely updated, dry, and lacking variability or personality. Faculty were interested in being able to edit their own profile, recognizing that some faculty would be less likely to do so (although no less likely than emailing the updates to coordinators, which could still be an option). Arts faculty specifically want the ability to host images and media of their creative work.
An idea discussed with coordinators was to have a central database for faculty publications/achievements – either faculty or coordinators would enter the information about a new publication (including link to online version or Midd subscription through JSTOR, etc.), which would then feed to the faculty's homepage, their department(s) page, a college-wide faculty achievement page (which would be useful for library acquisitions as well as PR), and into the annual report for faculty given to the Provost. Coordinators thought this would be a better option than updating individual faculty pages, and expected between 1/3 and 1/2 faculty would enter their own info, growing over time with increased technological fluency.
The idea of automatically feeding a faculty's scheduled teaching with links to courses to their profile page (as on Amherst) was quite popular. It's uncertain how many faculty would maintain separate pages through Segue or the community.middlebury.edu server if the core website were more flexible – one option would be to embed separately designed pages into the core departmental site.
The current CMS restricts editing to coordinators, although some faculty have edited on the platform. A number of chairs expressed interest in editing their pages, having other faculty edit, or having student workers edit. Coordinators generally want to be involved in the editing process, both to oversee consistency and maintain their web skills, but recognize that the current workflow leads to infrequent updates and little input from faculty.
An easy-to-use editing and authoring system, especially for incorporating media and images, was seen as essential, with the ability to increase participation of faculty in the editing process. One issue expressed by some faculty was that the new system not be tied to a specific browser or platform (e.g. must be usable on Mac/PC and Firefox/IE).
Coordinators were concerned that expanded content on the department site would lead to increased workload. Sharing editing responsibilities would help. Additionally, the ability of sites to be dynamically assembled, rather than static updates, would be useful – for instance, feeding events, faculty publications, career links, library research tools, and alumni news from other offices and systems would make the site update regularly without requiring manual changes.
In imagining the workflow model that would work best for academic departments, coordinators endorsed a system where many users could be given editing ability for the department page (including faculty and student workers), but that all edits must be approved by the coordinator before publishing (via a notification system). This should increase updates from faculty on the content they know best, and allow delegation and distribution of work more effectively, without sacrificing consistency and appropriate form & use of media. Some thought it would be helpful to be able to turn the approval requirement on and off, allowing the possibility of all authorized editors to publish directly.
The idea of a student/alumni section of the site that could be updated (with approval) by students and alumni themselves was mentioned as a way to encourage participation. Another option is a simple webform for alums to send in info to feed into the site, perhaps at the college-wide level with tags to majors and field of employment.
Many coordinators were enthusiastic about being able to easily customize their own user profiles to make their web use more efficient – after a clear explanation, all coordinators present at the meeting said they'd definitely use this feature.
One consistent theme with coordinators and faculty was that as much Banner information as possible should be accessible from the website directly without using BannerWeb. Course rosters (linked from course pages, as on Amherst), student schedules, faculty schedules, lists of majors, and the like should be accessed via links rather than BannerWeb login.
More sophisticated use of feeds and targeted info via the web was endorsed, especially as an alternative to email-driven communication.
One idea would be to have lists of new library acquisitions in a certain discipline feed into the departmental site.
Better management of events and calendar info was mentioned, both in terms of flexible feeds by tag, department, location, medium (lecture, performance, film), and the ability to click "Add to my Calendar" to export to Outlook or other systems.
Some language departments mentioned the need for varying language character sets (such as Cyrillic and Greek).
Some arts departments want the ability for students to create their own portfolios of their work, as Teacher Ed currently does. This would ideally be embedded directly into the core department site, not externally hosted on Segue.
A few faculty expressed interest in having the ability for social networking, and a couple said they have used Facebook pages to coordinate with current majors and alums.
A few mentioned the use of wikis, but only for specific purposes (for instance, a wiki for documentation of FMMC equipment).
Some suggested a "majors-only" area, although there was not a clear sense of what information and material should have restricted access.
One coordinator suggested that departments could have a list of current majors on the site, potentially with links to student pages/profiles.
One coordinator suggested the possibility of online sign-up for scheduling of meetings and appointments. Another suggested the use of an online order form for equipment requests (currently used on CHEM site), which might also be expanded to request access to facilities (like MUSIC practice rooms), reserve specialized equipment (like FMMC cameras).
A few faculty expressed interest in having the departmental website offer the possibility for discussion and community involvement, not just a one-way flow of information. Options include blog-like updates with comments, an open "wall" to make announcements/promotions, and a department wiki open to Midd users as a workspace for engaging with the department.