text:
3 MW Solar Roof-Top Projects Commissioned In Gujarat
Tata Power Solar, India's largest specialized solar EPC player, has successfully commissioned 62 sites in Gujarat which includes a 1.2 MW plant for Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA), a 750 kW plant for Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and 1.1 MW of projects across various smaller industries.
The 1.2 MW solar power project at GEDA was executed at 34 different sites and is expected to generate 1.8 million units of energy. The 750 kW project for SMC which spreads over 14 sites was commissioned in three months with 100% compliance of local regulatory norms.
"Tata Power Solar's work with GEDA, SMC and the smaller industries is a result of our expertise in handling projects of varied scale, over a range of roofings. All these projects were challenging and we are proud to have executed them in record time", said Dr. Arul Shanmugasundram, EVP Projects & CTO, Tata Power Solar.
TATA Power Solar has also recently commissioned a cumulative 1.1 MW of solar roof-top projects for corporates, engineering companies, pharmaceutical units, commercial complexes and the food industry. All these installations have unique features like mounting of solar panels on industrial sheds, RCC roofs and slanting roofs.
Gujarat was the first state in India to have its own solar policy. The state has the highest installation of nearly 1 GW of solar power capacity and is the only power surplus state in the country. GEDA was one of the pioneer nodal agencies to implement rooftop grid connect systems in India. In 2012, SMC commenced production of solar power by installing 100 kW solar panels atop Science Center and, within a span of one year, had produced 1.35 lakh units of power.
Tata Power Solar, India's largest specialised EPC player, operates 200 MW of solar module manufacturing in Bangalore and has designed and built more than 160 MW of ground-mounted and 40 MW of rooftop projects till date.
Polycom Unveils Personal Virtual Meeting Rooms
Polycom RealPresenceOne is all set to change the dynamics of the video conferencing market in India. The new offering launched early this year and has been popular for industries like manufacturing, healthcare, education, government, financial services and various other verticals, is now available across all the cities in India. It is a comprehensive package for video and content collaboration which is now sold by subscription making it even easier for companies to adopt human collaboration.
According to a recent forecast by Gartner, the top 10 technology trends and drivers that will be strategic for Indian organizations in 2014 include 'collaboration technologies' which encompasses voice over IP, file sharing, videoconferencing, content archiving, media streaming, feedback and polling. Real-time collaboration technologies not included in the Web conferencing category include instant messaging and stand-alone audio conferencing. In India where enterprises look for a customized product or service for all their business needs, now with Polycom Real Presence One organisations can choose from the new, flexible video delivery options available, including hybrid and on-premises video, depending on the option that works best for their business models and budgets. All of the options include the same benefits now what the size of the investment making RealPresence One truly scalable.
Polycom's new RealPresence Platform options include:
• Virtualised collaboration through a subscription: Polycom RealPresence One is a new, comprehensive offering including RealPresence Platform software and services for video, voice and content collaboration, available on an annual subscription basis. This is an ideal solution for customers who want to implement voice, video and content collaboration solutions in their organisations for the first time.
• Virtual editions of individual RealPresence Platform components: Polycom RealPresence Platform, Virtual Editions: individual components of the award-winning RealPresence Platform are now available as virtualised software that runs on industry-standard servers in existing datacenters. Polycom RealPresence, Virtual Editions are ideal for organisations who want to optimise, streamline or expand their existing video networks, and will work alongside hardware appliances, for a seamless, hybrid network.
Polycom Realpresence One has been enhanced to model the way today's users are accessing critical business systems based on the following five premises:
Enjoy simplicity— A comprehensive offering includes all the software and services one needs to ensure success
Low risk—No CAPEX investment, increase video resources anytime, and renew subscription annually
Align with strategic IT policies— One can add video infrastructure to their existing virtualized datacenter
Increase agility— Easily spin-up and spin-down video capacity based on one's organization's changing needs
Reduce deployment time—Software is quick and easy to deploy, especially for trials and proof-of-concepts
Reduces total cost of ownership— Virtual appliances and applications use one's IT resources more efficiently, supporting datacenter consolidation
"This opens up new opportunities for businesses in India to adopt collaboration solutions that would truly enable their teams to benefit from face to face collaboration no matter where they are across India." said Minhaj Zia, Managing Director, India & SAARC. "These are very exciting times for Indian based businesses as they can strengthen their competitive offerings not just across India but in the global market place as well. This is an ideal solution for customers who want to implement voice, video and content collaboration solutions in their organisations for the first time."
Academy Reaches 2000 Under-Served Students In Gujarat
Avaya, a global provider of business communications and collaboration systems and services has today announced that Liberty Career Academy has selected Avaya Scopia videoconferencing capabilities to enhance its video-enabled learning platform – helping more students in remote locations benefit from access to education and delivering operational cost savings in the process.
Liberty Career Academy, one of the leading private coaching institutes in Gujarat, has deployed Avaya's comprehensive video conferencing solutions across its 12 centers and 60 classrooms. The Academy provides educational facilities to more than 2000 underserved students across remote cities throughout Gujarat. The institute successfully reduced the cost of its operations – including time, travel and administration - by implementing video conferencing solutions. The student learning and engagement experience has been transformed by the provision of remote classroom sessions which enables the Academy to deliver the same rich compelling content, and allows remote students to interact with their classroom-based peers and expert faculty.
Core to the deployment was the installation of the Avaya Scopia Elite 6110 multi-point control unit (MCU) which supports a true HD experience delivered via Avaya Scopia XT 4200 HD video-conference endpoints. This HD multi-party video collaboration solution optimizes bandwidth utilization and the Academy estimates it will deliver up to 30 percent savings in bandwidth costs annually.
Video conferencing has proved itself as an effective tool for distance learning. There are many students living in remote areas of India who are deprived of good quality education due to lack of appropriate faculty and resources. These solutions have been recognized as a powerful learning tool, empowering educational institutes to engage remote students in a video enhanced learning experience. The unique 'slider' function in the Avaya solution allows students to solidify their understanding of the content presented during the session by reviewing previously presented content, without interrupting the instructor. A fully blended learning experience allows faculty to reach both in-room and remote students simultaneously with the same content, and remote students can access the sessions from almost any smartphone, table, PC or Mac – with a simple click on a meeting invitation.
The institute has also seen significant cost savings. These have been achieved in particular through reduced classroom time and capacity, lower administrative costs, and reduced faculty travel time. The implementation through Avaya video- enabled learning solutions has freed up the resources of the institute to spend towards trained faculty and an increase in the number of MCU installations.
Ensure Safety & Security for Priceless Data
In the business world of today, data centers play a vital role, storing the data of their customers and ensuring that they are available continuously. For this reason, data centers are particularly vulnerable to service interruptions—their infrastructure needs to be protected not only against hardware failures and data line and power supply interruptions, but also against physical hazards such as sabotage and fire. Geneva-based provider Safe Host uses solutions from Siemens to protect the data of its customers.
Very few companies today are willing—and financially able—to operate and maintain their own data centers. This void is filled by service providers such as Safe Host whose data centers ensure that their customers can focus on their core business.Geneva-based data center operator Safe Host was founded in 2000, began operations in September 2002 and today is one of the leading provider of data center and workplace recovery services in Switzerland. Its portfolio includes comprehensive IT services ranging from simple dedicated servers to business continuity and managed IT services. Safe Host's 5000 square meter Tier III data center in a Geneva suburb now houses approximately 12,000 servers and storage devices (Network Attached Storage) containing the data of more than 140 customers, including international aid organizations such as UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Swiss luxury goods manufacturer Chopard and French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroën. In total, Safe Host currently stores a data volume exceeding 1 Petabyte . Safe Host has been ISO9001:2008 certified since 2003 and fulfills the guidelines of the independent Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA. "Our customers include many international organizations, global companies and financial institutions for which a loss of data would be an absolute disaster," explains Gérard Sikias, CEO of Safe Host. "As a service provider we guarantee the safety of our customers' valuable data by protecting them as best and comprehensively as possible. In addition to a site with low external risks, as is the case here outside the city center, our security concept also includes the use of best- of-breed safety and security technology from Siemens. In addition, our entire data center is designed for high redundancy according to the N+1 principle: This extends not only to IT, but also to essential systems such as uninterruptible power supply (UPS), emergency generators and the automatic extinguishing system."
State-of-the-art extinguishing solutions for data centers
Safe Host owns a six-story building, five of which are occupied almost entirely by IT equipment. The top floor is used by company management and administration. The expansion of the five-story data center was driven by demand: Step by step, one floor after the other, from the top of the building towards the bottom, was equipped with the necessary technology. For this reason, Safe Host's building now contains different generations of fire detectors, fire control panels and extinguishing control panels from Siemens—some floors still use fire detectors and control panels from the older AlgoRex line, while most are equipped with devices from the current Sinteso family.All fire safety and security devices are managed using a Siemens LMS 6 central management station. The LMS 6 collects information from more than 2,800 data points and visualizes them on 60 graphical displays of all the floors, offering varying levels of detail.
Today, Safe Host's building is divided into 350 fire detection zones. No fewer than 830 highly sensitive fire detectors from the Sinteso and AlgoRex families are in use. To ensure reliable fire detection, they are supported by approximately 30 aspirating smoke detectors which continuously analyze the room air for smoke particles. In addition, some 50 manual call points are installed at strategic locations throughout the building. All detectors are connected to a total of four AlgoRex CC11 fire control panels, supplemented by four AlgoRex floor repeater displays. In an emergency,65 alarm sounders make sure that the building is evacuated quickly.
The automatic extinguishing system meets all the requirements specific to data centers. Water or water mist cannot be used to extinguish a fire in a data center: The moisture would potentially cause more damage to the sensitive electronics of the servers and storage devices than the fire itself. For this reason, Safe Host uses a Sinorix N2 gas extinguishing system. If the fire detectors detect and confirm a fire, the system automatically triggers the extinguishing process. Valves on the gas tanks in the basement of the building are opened and nitrogen, an inert natural gas, flows through a complex piping network into the room where it is needed. There nitrogen displaces oxygen, robbing the fire of one of its essential components. All of this happens in a matter of minutes and it is an effective way to extinguish both open fires and smoldering fires. Safe Host's building is divided into 21 extinguishing sectors ; each sector is equipped with its own extinguishing system comprising gas tanks, piping network and extinguishing control panel.
Highest level of security in and around the building
For building security, Safe Host also chose a solution from Siemens. At the heart of the solution is a CC440 intrusion detection system to which 20 infrared motion detectors are connected. In addition to 50 automatic door interlocks, 180 magnetic contacts on doors and windows protect the building against intruders. In addition, surveillance cameras are installed at all major entrances to document attempted break-ins, acts of sabotage and other unusual incidents. In case of a direct attack, two panic buttons are available to manually trigger an alarm.
"Our highly secure building and our protected IT infrastructure allow us to offer our customers business continuity services on-site," says Gérard Sikias. "If a customer's IT or building is no longer usable after an extraordinary incident, their employees can temporarily move into our building. Since we have the necessary infrastructure and the customer's data are already here in the form of backups, the customer can resume their business activities within a very short period of time. In some industries, this service can ensure a company's economic survival ."
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etc in addition to golf supplies. Open to members is a fully equipped, privately managed 48 seat restaurant and lounge, as well as spacious meeting rooms.
The meeting rooms are available for rent for events of all kinds.
The restaurant serves as an informal way to meet your neighbors. With lunch, weekend brunch, and dinner hours, it's guaranteed to become a family favorite.
Dine out at a superb restaurant without ever leaving the Harbour! Imagine yourself relaxing on the Clubhouse's deck on a summer evening while dining on good food and drinking your favorite beverage. The view is spectacular, but the food is even better!


Local school bus operator Blenheim Bus Lines organizes a poster contest every year during School Bus Safety Week at St. Anne, Harwich-Raleigh and W.J. Baird schools in Blenheim. Participating students from all three schools were asked to create a 11 x 17 poster based on the theme "MY SCHOOL BUS THE SAFEST FORM OF STUDENT TRANSPORTATION".
All First Place Winners received an Extra Large family pizza and Chicken Wing Combo Dinner from Wayne's Pizza in Blenheim and all Second place winners won a gift card to Chatham Galaxy Cinemas.
CLASS would like to thank Blenheim Bus Lines for putting on the contest and all of the participants for their commitment to school bus safety! Check out the pictures below showing off the winning entries. Congratulations to all those who participated!


The Tigers' better awareness and skill shone through first in restricting the visitors to a sub-par 195 for nine on a slow wicket. West Indies batsman Roston Chase admitted after the match that the team -- who combined to play 171 dot balls -- failed to adjust to the wicket and realise that the pacers were more difficult to score off in these conditions.
Bangladesh's greater awareness came to the fore again when the chase was looking shaky on 89 for three and Shakib Al Hasan got quick runs to calm the nerves while Mushfiqur Rahim provided assurance with an unbeaten 70-ball 55 that, in the company of Mahmudullah Riyad, took the side home with 89 balls to spare. The win was a special one as it came on the day that skipper and player-of-the-match Mashrafe Bin Mortaza became the first Bangladeshi to play 200 ODIs.
Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das started the chase in solid fashion, putting on 37 runs in eight overs. However Tamim was out to a soft dismissal in the last ball of the eighth over when he played early to off-spinner Roston Chase and was caught at cover for 12.
Before that, Liton was lucky in the seventh over when, batting on five, he flicked Kemar Roach straight down the throat of deep square leg, but was reprieved as replays revealed a no-ball.
Imrul Kayes, coming in at number three, did not last long. Oshane Thomas's pace proved too hot and the ball burst through bat and sluggish pad to bowl the left-hander.
Liton and Mushfiqur Rahim steadied the ship from 42 for two and added 47 runs before the inevitable rush of blood, swiping across the line to an innocuous Keemo Paul delivery, saw Liton bowled for a 57-ball 41.
Shakib and Mushfiqur took care of the butterflies with a 57-run partnership that was dominated by Shakib, who hit four boundaries in a 26-ball 30. Shakib was caught behind off Rovman Powell in the 27th over and that set the stage for Soumya Sarkar to come in and dazzle with some attractive shots during a 12-ball 19. Thomas's pace was not a problem in the 29th over, during which he hit the fast man for two fours and a six. The six was extra special as he ramped a bouncer clean over third man. The entertainment was short-lived, however, as Soumya departed in the next over, edging Chase to slip.
Earlier, Mashrafe led a thoroughly professional bowling effort, especially by the pacers.
The score could have been even less for West Indies as at the end of the 40th over, which saw Marlon Samuels dismissed by Rubel Hossain, they were 129 for six. A few lusty blows from Chase (32 off 38 balls) and Paul, who took 14 runs off the penultimate over bowled by Rubel, lifted the score towards respectability. Mustafizur Rahman then pulled things back in the last over, dismissing Paul (36 off 30) and Devendra Bishoo in an over that cost just two runs. Mustafizur ended with figures of 35 for three from 10 overs.
But it started with the captain. Mashrafe's 10 overs cost just 30 runs and yielded three West Indian wickets. He brought himself on in the 15th over of the innings and bowled seven overs on the trot for just 14 runs and two wickets.
Before that, it was the left-arm spin of Shakib Al Hasan, who opened the bowling along with off-spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz, that produced the first breakthrough when Kieran Powell top-edged a slog to be caught at cover in the eighth over. Mashrafe came in and bowled a near-perfect line and length, mixing his seam-up deliveries with slower off cutters on the sluggish Mirpur wicket. With Rubel and Mashrafe keeping things tight in tandem, the pressure got to Darren Bravo, who fell in the 21st over courtesy of a superlative fielding effort from Tamim Iqbal. Bravo miscued a lofted shot off Mashrafe and Tamim sprinted 20 yards inwards from long off to take a diving catch inches off the turf.
Mashrafe then accounted for Shai Hope in the 25th over when the right-hander slashed to point, where Mehedi took a sharp catch to his right. 78 for three became 93 for four in the 29th over when the talented Shimron Hetmyer fell to Mehedi for the fifth time in as many innings on tour as he tried to cut a full ball and was bowled. Mashrafe then came back to complete his quota, and dispatched his opposite number Powell by having him caught at mid off by Liton Das.
After Samuels, who hammered a lofted straight drive that looked to be heading over the ropes before Liton caught a sharp catch less than two feet from the long on ropes, Chase and Paul got together to resuscitate an innings that seemed headed for a score below 170.
While the bowling effort was near flawless, Bangladesh were wasteful in the field, dropping four chances. Bravo was dropped off Mustafizur when on 13 by Ariful Haque -- on the field at the time in place of Shakib -- at point in the 16th over. Mushfiqur Rahim was the culprit and Bravo again the beneficiary in the 20th over when the diving keeper failed to latch on to an edge off Rubel. Rubel was the unlucky bowler again when Samuels, on seven, hit over mid off where Mahmudullah Riyad was a little slow to move and could just get fingertips on the ball before it raced away for four in the 28th over. Rubel was however the culprit four overs later when he dropped an absolute sitter off Shakib at mid on, reprieving Powell on four.


text:
/**
 * @author Nikolay A. Kuznetsov
 */
package java.util.regex;

/**
 * Represents node accepting single character.
 *
 * @author Nikolay A. Kuznetsov
 */
class CharSet extends LeafSet {

    private char ch = 0;

    public CharSet(char ch) {
        this.ch = ch;
    }

    public int charCount() {
        return 1;
    }

    public int accepts(int strIndex, CharSequence testString) {
        return (this.ch == testString.charAt(strIndex)) ? 1 : -1;
    }

    public int find(int strIndex, CharSequence testString,
            MatchResultImpl matchResult) {
        if (testString instanceof String) {
            String testStr = (String) testString;
            int strLength = matchResult.getRightBound();

            while (strIndex < strLength) {
                strIndex = testStr.indexOf(ch, strIndex);
                if (strIndex < 0)
                    return -1;
                if (next.matches(strIndex + 1, testString, matchResult) >= 0) {
                    return strIndex;
                }
                strIndex++;
            }

            return -1;
        }

        return super.find(strIndex, testString, matchResult);
    }

    public int findBack(int strIndex, int lastIndex, CharSequence testString,
            MatchResultImpl matchResult) {
        if (testString instanceof String) {
            String testStr = (String) testString;

            while (lastIndex >= strIndex) {
                lastIndex = testStr.lastIndexOf(ch, lastIndex);
                if (lastIndex < 0 || lastIndex < strIndex) {
                    return -1;
                }

                if (next.matches(lastIndex + 1, testString, matchResult) >= 0) {
                    return lastIndex;
                }

                lastIndex--;
            }

            return -1;
        }

        return super.findBack(strIndex, lastIndex, testString, matchResult);
    }

    protected String getName() {
        return "" + ch; //$NON-NLS-1$
    }

    protected char getChar() {
        return ch;
    }

    public boolean first(AbstractSet set) {
        if (set instanceof CharSet) {
            return ((CharSet) set).getChar() == ch;
        } else if (set instanceof RangeSet) {
            return ((RangeSet) set).accepts(0, Character.toString(ch)) > 0;
        } else if (set instanceof SupplRangeSet) {
            return ((SupplRangeSet) set).contains(ch);
        } else if (set instanceof SupplCharSet) {
            return false;
        }

        return true;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
Home › News › Dorset Moon is a hit with over 17,000 visitors
Dorset Moon is a hit with over 17,000 visitors
by Michael Ford — last modified 16 Jul, 2019 02:21 PM
The Moon has always held a special fascination, but it seems when it is hung in an Abbey it can attract thousands who want to take a look.
Photo courtesy @SherborneAbbey on Twitter
The official tally of visitor numbers to Sherborne Abbey during the three days of the 'Dorset Moon' art installation is 17,680. Very nearly 4,000 came to see Luke Jerram's famous sculpture of the Moon on Friday 5 July, over 6,000 on the Saturday, and over 7,000 on Sunday.
Commenting on the numbers, the Revd Canon Eric Woods, Rector of Sherborne said:
"Though the organisers told us to expect thousands, I don't think we quite believed them. In the end the crowds far surpassed anything we had imagined. But what particularly struck me was the effect the Moon had on most people.
"Many were awe-struck, and some simply sat and contemplated it for a long time. My hope is that, having wondered at this sculpture of part of God's creation, they will move on to consider the wonder of our Creator God."
In his sermon preached below the Moon, Eric said:
"Never did I think I would be preaching to you by the light of the silvery moon. But I promise you that I will not croon, or spoon, sing you a tune or cuddle you soon (except my lawful wedded wife, of course) – though if you are under, say, 50, you won't have the first idea that I'm quoting from a song sung in a 1953 film by Doris Day and Gordon MacRae. (I hasten to add I was only 2 at the time!).
"But here it is, the Moon, on its last day with us. 7 metres in diameter, the illuminated globe uses high-definition NASA imagery of the moon's surface. It has travelled the world and captivated thousands."
Later as the Moon left the Abbey for Weymouth, the Rector paid tribute to the organisers, Activate, and their on-site team:
"They were a brilliant group of real enthusiasts," he said, "always cheerful despite working very long hours – the Abbey was open until midnight each day. Special thanks are due to my Head Verger, Duncan Withers, who was always the last to leave and was a wonderful representative of the Abbey."
The Moon was seen for the last time in Dorset at Weymouth's Nothe Fort from 12 – 14 July.
For more information go to dorsetmoon.com.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Category: John Lennon
John / John and Yoko / John Lennon / News
159 tracks on new Plastic Ono Band set
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Beatles / Beatles Liverpool / John Lennon / Paul McCartney / Quarrymen
New Clubmoor Hall or not?
Yesterday was the anniversary of a gig by the Quarry Men (or the Quarrymen) in the Conservative Club at New Clubmoor Hall. The image above has been identified as coming from that occasion, and...
BBC / Beatles Radio / John Lennon / Paul McCartney / streaming
John Lennon at 80 – BBC radio shows
The weekend of Lennon programming at BBC Radio 2 is over, and will be available online for a month. I addition to this, Sean Lennon's conversations with his brother Julian, his godfather Elton John...
John Lennon / News
Lennon in Radio Times
The new issue of British magazine "Radio Times" celebrates the 80th anniversary of John Lennon's birth, marked by a Radio 2 documentary in which Sean Lennon interviews Paul McCartney, Elton John and his brother...
Beatles / John Lennon / News / Paul McCartney
The Beatles: Just Fun
As we wrote in our description of the upcoming BBC Lennon special hosted by Sean Lennon, Paul McCartney took up his guitar during their conversation and played a little snippet of the unreleased Lennon-McCartney...
BBC / Beatles Radio / John / John Lennon / News / Paul McCartney
Lennon to interview McCartney for BBC Radio
In a worldwide exclusive for BBC Radio 2, to mark what would have been John Lennon's 80th birthday, Sean Ono Lennon interviews Julian Lennon, Paul McCartney and Elton John in two-part documentary, "John Lennon...
documentary / John and Yoko / John Lennon / News
The above film lasts approximately 1 hour and 11 minutes, and is in 4K quality. MESSAGE FROM YOKO ONO LENNON ON INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY Dear Friends In 1969, John and I were so naïve...
John / John Lennon / Lennon Concerts / News / streaming
John Lennon 80th Birthday Concert Event Changed to Worldwide Stream
On October 9th of this year, John Lennon would have turned 80 years of age. On the exact date of this momentous occasion, Friday evening, October 9, 2020, Beatles fans and music aficionados from...
John / John Lennon / News
Bermuda voyage photos
Thanks to Sean Lennon, who curated the upcoming Lennon collection GIMME SOME TRUTH. we have been treated for the first time to photos taken during John's dramatic sea voyage to Bermuda. They appear in...
The new Lennon release
Here's the new Lennon release we heard about. Yoko Ono has stepped back from working with the John Lennon catalogue, so this compilation has been overseen by Sean Lennon. From the record company: The...


text:
THE SWORD AND THE DRAGON (aka ILYA MUROMETS) (1956) (shown September, 1993)
Since our July show of THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE (aka SAMPO) had been so well received, I thought it would be fun to revisit the magical films of Aleksandr Ptushko and show his magnum opus, ILYA MUROMETS. Like SAMPO before it, this film was heavily truncated and changed from it's original form (again by B-movie maven Roger Corman) to become the version most American audiences are familiar with, THE SWORD AND THE DRAGON. With a garish poster design reminiscent of bug-eyed monster artist supreme Reynold Brown, and a blitzkrieg advertising campaign, every red-blooded kid wanted to see this film ... and when they did, were AMAZED at what they saw! I'll be going back and forth on names between the two versions, but will be discussing the American version for this review.
The hero of the story is Ilya Muromets (Boris Andreyev), a great bear of a man who spends his days brooding and watching the world pass him by. Crippled since childhood, he can only watch helplessly when the savage Tugars and their leader, the Tsar Kalin (Shukur Burkhanov) raid their small Russian village and kidnap Ilya's wife, Vassilisa (Ninel Myshkova) (aka Vilya in the re-dubbed American version).
While this is happening, a band of traveling pilgrims meet one of their demi-gods, a giant knight named Svyatogor (renamed Invincor in the American version) and his equally giant horse, who have come to the end of their travels after many battles defending Mother Russia. The knight puts down his magic sword, charging the travelers to give it to another of strong heart who can take up the fight ... then he and his steed proceed to turn to stone and become part of the mountain chain (as seen below).
The thirsty travelers arrive at Ilya's village and ask for water (thanks to some poor editing in this part, no one seems TOO broken up that they were just raided by bloodthirsty Tugars!) - Ilya invites them in, apologizing that he can not serve them himself due to his useless legs. They see in him the hero that he could be and invite him to drink deep from a flask of magic dew grass (?) ... which promptly restores his mobility. They them give him the magic sword to go forth and smite Tugar ass with, which he proceeds to do with his mother and father's blessing.
On the way, he first encounters a wind demon (known as Nightingale the Robber in the original version) and defeats him with a well-thrown gourd to the head; never one to throw away a perfectly good goblin, Ilya ropes him up and carries him off to the Prince in Kiev, where he offers his services against the Tugars. While at the Prince's court, another noble brags that HE confronted the Wind Demon; Ilya promptly denounces him and calls him a liar. When the Prince asks what proof does he have, his response? "Because I have him outside!"
The entire palace unloads to see this marvel, with the Prince demanding a demonstration of the creature's power. Ilya warns him to use only half-power in summoning the Wind; but even at that, the entire court and anything (and everyone) not nailed down goes flying (in a neat piece of special effects of the time; namely running the film backwards!) - before more havoc ensues, Ilya places his hand over the Demon's mouth to stop him.
Kalin's representative arrives at the court and demands tribute; Ilya 'tributes' him in half with his sword and sends his soldiers fleeing back to the Tugars telling them there's plenty more where that came from! Unknown to Ilya, however, is Kalin's secret weapon: after Kalin had kidnapped Vassilisa, she gave birth to Ilya's son - a boy who Kalin raises as a Tugar, renaming him 'Little Falcon' and training him for the express purpose of killing his father and conquering his people. A montage shows the boy growing up and learning all the martial and fighting skills he will need for the job, until the day arrives for the showdown.
Ilya has come upon hard times himself: from being the hero of the people, he is now a prisoner of the Prince, who has taken the false word of traitors in the realm that Ilya is plotting to take over the kingdom. They would have the Prince believe that Ilya's growing popularity is just his way of planning a coup - nothing could be further from the truth and Ilya warns the Prince that one day he will come to him in his prison cell and beg for his help. Everyone, from the Princess on down, warns the Prince he is making a terrible mistake, but he refuses to listen to them and lets Ilya stay in prison for many years, telling his jailers to feed him well. Instead they steal the food and send a secret message (a bundle including the key to the prison) to the Tugars that the time to attack has arrived.
Kalin and his troops lay siege to Kiev and orders the Prince to send them ten wagons of tribute within three days time or prepare to die. Not a one of the Prince's nobles will go out to face the Tugars, and the Prince, finally seeing the error of his ways, goes to beg Ilya for help. When the noble who was in charge of overseeing his time in prison says he believes Ilya has died, they rush to the cell ... to find him alive and well, thanks to a magic tablecloth that Vassilisa had woven for him, which when spread upon a flat surface brings forth a feast. Ilya proves that his jailer was the traitor all along (and he is led off to be boiled in oil), and the Prince begs for forgiveness and for Ilya to save them all. Ilya agrees to do so; not for the Prince's sake, but for the sake of the land.
He directs the bravest soldiers to accompany him and bring the ten carts, loaded with rags and papers to make them look full, and to drop a pittance of coins and jewels along the way from Kiev to Kalin's court. When Kalin demands the tribute be piled up before him, Ilya pretends amazement and tells him in the rush to meet the deadline, the bags must have ripped and all the tribute spilled out along the way. He then asks Kalin if he would like him and his men to go back and pick them all up, or if he should send his OWN trustworthy troops back. Kalin wants to take no chances and orders his men to backtrack to Kiev and bring back all the treasure (which was Ilya's plan all along, knowing they will steal and hide as much of it as they can). When they return saying they could only find a few coins and jewels, Ilya denounces them, saying they are liars and thieves and, grabbing one man, turns him upside down and shakes him, making all the hoarded treasure come out. Kalin is so mad he threatens to kill them all if they don't bring EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF TREASURE THEY HAVE before him immediately; so they have to forfeit all their personal loot from previous sackings just to stay alive.
Ilya returns to Kiev, but he has only delayed the battle. Kalin's greed knows no bounds - he still wants the treasure in the town and orders an attack. Ilya and his soldiers meet them on the plains before the city in battle (including the infamous three-on-one-spear impaling scene - heady stuff for a little kid in the '60s!), with Ilya having a showdown with Little Falcon. Ilya gets the best of Little Falcon (it IS his movie, after all), but before dispatching him sees the ring he is wearing - the same ring he had told Vassilisa to give his son to remember him by. When the truth comes out, Little Falcon changes sides and vows to fight beside his true father, but first must go back to the Tugar stronghold and free his imprisoned mother.
We FINALLY get to the payoff of the film; so far it's been a LOT of swords and NO sign of a dragon! Kalin sees his battle is going south (by building a MOUNTAIN of men that he rides his horse atop to spy on the enemy) and tells his lackeys to release the dragon (named Zmey Gorynych in the original and Zuma the Fire Dragon in the American version) from its cave - Zuma proceeds to toast everything and everyone in sight (in some impressive special effects for the time) until a well-placed spear from a giant crossbow brings him to earth (shades of 7th Voyage of Sinbad)!
Father and son fight side by side in the climactic battle, with Little Falcon on the beast's back, plunging a spear into it, and Ilya in front, lopping off each of the three heads with a single stroke of Invincor's magic sword. Three heads ... three strokes! There's a bit of unintentional humor here as Ilya is bellowing for his men to throw buckets of water on him as he battles Zuma (to keep from being roasted alive by the dragon's flames): to say they do their job enthusiastically is an understatement! They finish that off by mopping up Kalin's troops and they proceed to Kalin himself. He begs for his life and Ilya orders him thrown into a burlap sack and taken to the Prince, for him to decide the Tugar leader's fate.
For his service to his people and his country, the Prince offers Ilya a place at court, promising he will always live at the castle and be given every honor. Ilya, now the happy family man again, reunited with his wife and son, solemnly refuses the offer, saying that his destiny lies outside of the castle walls and that his days of serving Mother Russia are far from over. He insteads begs the Prince the boon of letting Little Falcon serve in his place, a wish the Prince gladly bestows. As he says, if he can not have Ilya Muromets at his side, then he will happily have his son instead. The film ends on an odd note: you would think that after so many years apart from the love of his life, Ilya would like some time to settle down, but no: the final shot is him hitting the road on his horse, riding into a blood-red sunset ... with a crow on a branch balefully watching him pass by.
Aside from the Roger Corman release in the '60s, most people today are aware of this film as one that was lampooned on Mystery Science Theater 3000. Like most of their shows, it is fun to watch their riff on the film, although someone forgot to tell them the film takes place in Russia ...they go on and on cracking all sorts of FINNISH jokes about the movie, even though it has NOTHING to do with Finland! For once, the joke is on them.
In addition to the huge publicity budget the film had, it also has a rare collectible: it was one of the few Russian transplant films to have it's own tie-in comic: part of the Dell Movie Comic series, THE SWORD AND THE DRAGON tells the story of the (American version of the) film faithfully; no better or worse drawn than any other like comic of it's time, it is a nice memento of the film if you can find it. These comics were originally sold in the lobby of the movie theatres showing the films, and to a kid like me back in that time period, they were the neatest thing on Earth; you could go and see the film and have this to take home with you to relive the scenes over and over again - they were the DVDs of their day.
Amazingly enough (speaking of DVDs), this film is available in two formats: in it's uncut full version with English subtitles (in a gorgeous widescreen transfer, as you can see from the screen shots above) and the Americanized Roger Corman 1960's release - the MST3K version has not received an official DVD release yet, but it is just a matter of time.
So the choice is yours: the serious, lyrical fantasy or the stilted, dubbed Americanization ... to be fair, unlike a number of these Corman remixes, this one does keep a good portion of the main plot and the dubbing tries to keep (more or less) to the original story. if you're in the right mood to see how old-school epics were done in other countires, THE SWORD AND THE DRAGON is worth a look.
Next Time: The film that started it all! The very first film I ever saw as a child ... and the one that is responsible for Conjure Cinema and everything that came after ... wait and see!
Posted by Conjure Cinema Curator at 1:18 PM
Labels: THE SWORD AND THE DRAGON
BLACK SUNDAY (1960) (shown November, 1993)
THE GOLDEN ARROW (1962) (shown October, 1993)
THE SWORD AND THE DRAGON (aka ILYA MUROMETS) (1956...


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Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – Mars
January 21, 2019 brian
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – MARS (ZOE2) is not a new game. It originally came out on Playstation 2 almost 16 years ago. But in the year 2018, Konami saw fit to brush it up again and release it on PC, and that was a great idea. ZOE2 hasn't lost a single bit of luster.
You are Dingo Egret and you're on the Jovian moon of Callisto, mining something in a rickety old mech. After some slow walking and clumsy movement, you stumble upon a hidden mech called Jehuty. From there, the rest of the story is anime nonsense, but you can ignore it. The game itself is super fun.
That introduction in the mining mech serves to demonstrate the contrast between the mechs of this game and the Orbital Frames, particularly Jehuty. Those few minutes in the mining mech are painful. It's slow, unresponsive, and clumsy. Jehuty is like a surgical knife with jet engine. It moves like liquid and it's armed with a half dozen types of attacks before you even get to the subweapons.
ZOE2 is the anime mech game you dream of. Instead of plodding and counting ammo, you soar through the air, slice up enemies with your sword, light up the air with homing lasers, and augment your attacks with a dozen different subweapons, from a gatling gun to giant laser that takes 10 seconds to charge. The missions span from arena fights against handfuls of enemies, to traditional boss battles, to battlefields full of enemies and allies.
It's not perfect though. By the time you've acquired all of the subweapons, which don't really build upon each other in power but give you different options, you're near the end of the game. It's short, almost to the point of being too short. I had so much fun with it that they could've doubled the length and I still wouldn't have gotten tired of it. Unfortunately, it does pad the time a bit with the last two boss fights, which are significantly more difficult than any boss leading up to them. Out of the six hours I logged in the game, I must've spent two of those hours on those last two bosses alone. I died over and over and over again. And they weren't fun either.
In 2019, I can still recommend a game that was released in 2003. It's not the looker that it once was, but it's still sharp and the gameplay itself absolutely holds up. I would've preferred if the last two boss fights were more fun, but the rest is so great that I don't mind. At 16 years, it might be time to call Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner a classic.
Reference: Konami Digital Entertainment. Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – MARS (Konami Digital Entertainment, 2018)
Source: Purchased from Humble Store
actionAnimeKonamimechaPCreviewsteamZone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner - MARS
The Hex
The Hex is made by the same developer as Pony Island. In that game, nothing is what it seems, it's super clever, and there are secrets everywhere. The Hex is a bit more ambitious and it still keeps those same qualities.
There's going to be a murder in the Six Pints Inn. There are six potential murderers at the inn, and they're all displaced video game characters. Throughout the game, you control each character to explore their backstory, their interactions with other characters, and resolve the mystery.
The hook to The Hex is that each of these characters are from different video games, and visiting their past means playing those games. The games themselves simple but enjoyable for as long as they stick around. The controls are simple (just WASD, mouse, and left mouse button) so they're pretty accessible. The best part about the game is the writing. All of these games and characters are interwoven and seeing how they all unravel is a real treat.
However, this intricate weaving combined with the plethora of secrets means you could miss or gloss over some of the little details that result in a somewhat unsatisfying ending. When I got to the end of The Hex, I knew and understood the main plot, but there were a small number of side stories that I was left feeling unresolved on because I hadn't plundered the full depths of the secrets. Even with a guide, some of these secrets are pretty intricate. Absolutely not a deal breaker, but it may leave you wishing it were a little more transparent. Pony Island kind of suffered from the same issue.
The end result is a fascinating game that is intricate yet accessible, with some side plots that may vex you unless you follow some achievement guide. The Hex certainly has a target audience that grew up around 16 bit consoles and 90's PC gaming, but it's fun and weird enough to appeal to many more people.
Reference: Daniel Mullins Games. The Hex (Daniel Mullins Games, 2018)
Source: Purchased from Steam
adventureDaniel Mullins Gamesgame within a a gamereviewThe Hex
January 3, 2019 brian
Everyone slept on Timespinner. I know I did. I saw a Giant Bomb quicklook for it once, and then got a reminder of it during their game of the year articles, and that was it. This is the kind of game that Steam and other storefronts are doing a disservice to. It definitely would've landed on my best games list, and I barely heard about it.
In Timespinner, you play as Lunais, a time messenger. Lunais' people have built a time machine, a timespinner, and they have to routinely send time messengers back in time to prevent the timespinner from falling into enemy hands. But after Lunais jumps into the past, the timespinner breaks and she has to sort out a conflict between two worlds.
I'm not going to dance around it. Timespinner is heavily influenced by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It's a 2D action platformer with character upgrades, multiple weapon types, usable and wearable items, experience and leveling, familiars, and a huge variety of enemies. In many ways, it improves upon Symphony of the Night. There aren't as many weapons, but they level with use and that means there are fewer/no junk weapons. They nearly all have unique functions so it's a matter of your taste or enemy weaknesses to choose what weapons you like. There are no subweapons, but you can equip two weapons per set, and switch rapidly between three sets. You also get powerful spells that use a mana-ish bar that are trivial to use. Instead of Symphony's fighting game inputs for spells, you just hold down a button.
The levels are good looking and the music is the best imitation of the excellent Symphony soundtrack I've heard. I got a bit overleveled by the end, which took away a lot of the challenge, but I was ready for it by that point. I had upgrades that made movement fast and easy, so when I wanted to blast through an area just to get to the other end, it was as simple as it should be considering I'd manually traversed the area before.
Timespinner is an excellent game that I should've been playing since release. But Steam is a hellhole and it's just flooded with trash. A game like Timespinner not only has to compete against this endless chute of garbage, but also the super high budget, AAA game releases. Steam has all kinds of algorithms to show you things it thinks you will like, but it never put Timespinner on my front page. I'm looking at games cycling through it right now and half of it is stuff I have zero interest in. I get that no recommendation engine is going to be perfect, and Symphony is a console game, but it hasn't learned that I love Metroidvania style games so it's not showing me those. It's showing me NBA 2K19 because Humble Bundle gave me that game once. It's showing me stuff I own on other platforms. GOG is a more curated storefront, but it's also not putting Timespinner in front of me. I had to search this game out.
Here's my attempt to correct these wrongs. I'm singing Timespinner's praises. If you enjoy Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, or Super Metroid, or any modern Metroidvania, you should play Timespinner. After bashing my head against Hollow Knight for so long, I think Timespinner deserves as much praise as that game got. Timespinner is a better game. It improves on Symphony in many ways, and it has an actual story worth investing time into. It shouldn't have been so hard for me to find and it deserves more attention.
Reference: Lunar Ray Games. Timespinner (Chucklefish, 2018)
Source: Purchased from GOG
ChucklefishLunar Ray GamesMetroidvaniareviewTimespinner
2018 is over and mostly successful, goals-wise. It's time to write up some goals for 2019.
I realized recently that I was in better shape and probably happier when I ran more. I've been avoiding running since I trained for and ran a marathon in 2016, which I blame for my 2016 kidney stone. While I have no intentions of ever running another marathon, in 2019, I will run more. In 2016, I ran 367 miles (counted on my Garmin). I'm not training for another marathon, but I need to log more miles than I did last year (~100).
Goal: Run 200 miles
Being a Person
I'm still looking to improve myself in non-video game things, and I've been watching too much Great British Bake Off. In 2019, I'm going to do better at making food.
Goal: Make a food item (not frozen or pre-made) at least once a month. (need to somehow document each thing)
Shhhh
Some goals I can't talk about in public. It'll either screw something up or cause drama or otherwise impact my ability to achieve the goal. This is one of them. I guess if I succeed, I can reveal it at the end of 2019, and if I fail, I won't.
Secret Goal
2018 Goals Review
2018 is over, so maybe I should go back and look at those goals I wrote at the beginning of the year and see how they went! Introspection!
Writing/Production
Goal: One video per month
Hmm nope. But I did stream a lot of games, much more than 12. Most of that was my ongoing Stardew Valley playthrough, which is still in progress. Partial success.
Goal: One non-review per month
Not even close. Excluding video game reviews, WWE PPV reviews, and posts about streaming, I wrote four non-reviews. That's too far from 12 to call even a partial success. Failed.
Goal: Keep my body weight under 200 lbs.
I've hovered around 190lbs all year, so that's an unqualified success. Success.
Goal: Increase max 5 rep weights
Completely abandoned after I hurt my back. I'm not even going to go back and check. I had some success here, but I'm not counting it. Failed.
Goal: Maintain the ability to run a 33:00 5K
I didn't test this as often as I would have liked throughout the year, but I kept up this pace for every race and only dipped below on purpose (like doing a negative splits run). I ran 5+ miles today at a sub 10:30 pace. Success.
Goal: Play each of these games once
I played half of those games. Partial success.
Goal: Go to a con
I went to two cons. Success.
I'm genuinely a little surprised at how well I've done. I've been avoiding looking at my goals since March-ish because I thought I had blown all of them and I was wrong. I only completely failed one, and abandoned a second. The rest were either complete or partial success, and I'm quite pleased by that. In 2019, I will set fewer goals, but no less ambitious.
Cute. Quirky. Colorful. Friendly. Light puzzle solving. Consuming small things to make a bigger thing. This describes Katamari Damacy, but it also describes Donut County. But also Donut County is a story about gentrification.
In Donut County, you make holes. And then you move the hole around to collect things. The more things that fall into your hole, the larger your hole gets. The goal of each level is to put everything into your hole. Also, you play as a raccoon (named BK) and you're putting all these things into holes because you think they're trash and you love trash.
While the gameplay is rather simple, the writing is rather good. It's one of those stories that starts near the end as all of your neighbors and friends are mad at you for dropping all of their stuff into your hole. They're mad but really kind of chill about it, and BK is kind of a dick about it but not really. He really wants a quadcopter and he has to drop all this stuff down the hole to get it, even if it means wrecking things. By the end, there is character growth.
It is a short game, but I would say that's not a bad thing. Like many other shorter, more readily accessible games, it's less of being too short and more of not overstaying its welcome. It's over before the cuteness of it becomes annoying. Donut County is one of those games you can give to just about anyone and they will have a good time. It's not a huge mind-blowing experience, but it's fun and has a point.
Reference: Ben Esposito. Donut County (Annapurna Interactive, 2018)
Annapurna InteractiveBen EspositoDonut CountyPuzzle-ishQuirky
I was skeptical of DUSK. I'd seen it being played by others when it was in early access and I wasn't particularly drawn in by it. It emulates older games, but I thought the enemies looked goofy in a way that would take me out of the game. As it got near non-early access release, it'd acquired some buzz behind it. Since I loved the games it purports to be inspired by (Blood, Quake, Redneck Rampage, Heretic, etc.), I gave it a shot. That was a good decision. DUSK was my favorite game to come out in 2018.
DUSK has a story in the same way all of those games had stories. It's loosely told, doesn't really mean anything, and it's totally optional. This is a classic first-person shooter. Collect weaponry, find colored key cards, kill enemies. It's got episodes that each have a theme, going from rusty farms to industrial plants to hell.
I am a product of the generation that made those classic FPS games and DUSK really takes me back to those days. It feels like a sequel to Quake. From the movement to the survivability to the weapons and the hordes of enemies, DUSK perfectly emulates those games. It just feels right. There's no modern "niceties" to it. Health doesn't regenerate. There's no recharging shield. You can carry as many weapons as you can find. No objective marker. No one yelling at you to shoot the something or other. It really is "find the key, kill the enemies".
Beyond the sometimes goofy-looking (but always lethal) enemies and some levels that weren't quite as easy to navigate as others, I don't have much to complain about. It's a fast moving, fast action, classic FPS. The music rips, the levels are really atmospheric, the action is excellent. If this came out 20 years ago (okay, maybe 22 or 23 years ago), it'd be hailed today as a classic. Who knows what the future holds, so today DUSK is the best example of neo-retro done right.
Reference: David Szymanski. DUSK (New Blood Interactive, 2018)
Source: Purchased from Steam.
DUSKFPSNew Blood Interactivereview


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HomeU.S. AgricultureOklahomaOklahoma Local
Suan Grant's friends often said she should bottle her hot pepper jelly and sell it.
Grant took that suggestion to heart after her husband passed away following an eight-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. Her determination, plus the invaluable help from Oklahoma agencies, made her dream a reality.
Today, the owner of Suan's Foods credits statewide resources for molding her business. She says that the Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center at Oklahoma State University provided the education that solidified her business foundation, and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Made in Oklahoma Coalition gave her the means to market to the public.
In fact, these organizations funded a booth for her and other food makers at the Dallas Gourmet Market, a national food show in Texas. Grant's jelly won the Gold Award for Best in Class, which introduced her products to small businesses across the country.
"It was like a springboard for my business," a grateful Grant says.
More like a catapult. Today, her Jamaican-inspired Scotch bonnet pepper jelly is sold at more than 170 stores in 17 states. The business opportunity enriched her life and widened her horizons. She gives credit to her home state.
"I know that I'm fortunate to be in Oklahoma," Grant says. "I don't think we realize the resources we have here. The Food & Agricultural Products Center and Made in Oklahoma Coalition are two of the most outstanding programs in the United States, and we should be very proud of what they do and how they promote the state."
See Also: Oklahoma Tomato Industry is Vine-Ripe
The center at OSU provides resources to businesses resources to businesses and entrepreneurs as it strives to keep jobs and revenue in Oklahoma.
Benefits of the Coalition
The Made in Oklahoma Coalition partners with the ODAFF to promote awareness and consumer loyalty for Oklahoma food, says David Brooks, spokesperson for the coalition. The collective marketing project started in 2000, when six food manufacturers worked together to increase sales. Today, 42 dedicated food companies, about 100 restaurants and more than 100 retailers take part.
Company membership is exclusive to Oklahoma food makers who market their products to retail grocers and food service establishments. With minimum annual dues, the members receive public relations and marketing services to help them grow their businesses. They range from ice cream companies to natural beef products to sauces and salsa of all types.
Restaurants that feature Made in Oklahoma Coalition products on their menus can be considered a Made in Oklahoma Restaurant. Likewise, retailers that sell these products can become Made in Oklahoma Retailers.
The coalition website features links to all the Oklahoma businesses, restaurants and retailers that participate in the program, as well as recipes that utilize these products.
An iPhone application makes the connection even easier. Oklahoma-made products are organized by category and full searchable, and you can find local restaurants near your, wherever you may be in the state. Search "Made in Oklahoma" in the Apple Store to download the app.
Supporting Local
Studies show 87 percent of Oklahomans would support local products if they knew about them, Brooks says. At the start of the marketing campaign, only 3 percent of respondents could name multiple Oklahoma food companies. By the 10th year, nearly 30 percent named multiple companies.
See Also: Oklahoma National Stock Yards Drives the Cattle Market
"Our mission is to remind Oklahomans what companies are Oklahoma companies, and it apparently is working," Brooks says.
Today, those food companies employ about 25,000 people and generate $3.5 billion in annual sales, he says. About 15 percent of their business is in the state and 85 percent exported, credited in part to out-of-state marketing campaigns.
A solid relationship with customers and meetings among members give the program its successful foundation, Brooks says. Company representatives continue to meet face-to-face on a monthly basis.
Even Grant joins in.
"Where a lot of small companies go wrong is they don't join the coalition," she says.
Grant credits 95 percent of her business sales to accommodations of the Made in Oklahoma Coalition and the Food & Agricultural Products Center.
"I could not ask for better support," she says. "Just the richness of knowledge and mentoring, I could not have done what I have done without the two of them."
Oklahoma Agriculture 2018
More in Oklahoma Local
Give Local Products from Oklahoma this Holiday Season
Locally-made products make great gifts.
Meet Bullet the Horse: Oklahoma State University's Beloved Mascot
How Field's Pies Became a Pecan Pie Powerhouse
Get to Know an Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
www.oda.state.ok.us


text:
for service in *.service
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    fleetctl stop $service
    fleetctl destroy $service
done


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Myanmar Military Burns More Than 30 People Alive on Christmas Eve
Milton Quintanilla | Contributor for ChristianHeadlines.com | Tuesday, December 28, 2021
#Mayanmar
More than 30 people, including elders, women and children, were burned alive in a village in Kayah state by the Myanmar military on Christmas Eve.
According to The Christian Post, multiple human rights groups have confirmed that at least 35 people died in the attacks.
"Today, the 25th of December, Christmas Day, is an important day of celebration and peace for the world. However, today the genocidal junta made their choice to say clearly that peace is the furthest thing from their mind," tweeted Dr. Sasa, the Union Minister of International Cooperation, Spokesperson of the National Unity Government of Myanmar and Myanmar Special Envoy to the United Nations.
"These acts clearly constitute the worst crimes against humanity, and we expect that all peoples and governments the world over should condemn these acts," he said in a statement. "With the condemnation, however, should come a commitment that these criminals be brought to justice and held fully accountable for their actions."
Condemnation of the brutal attack and murder of 35 Karenni by the military junta in Myanmar
Today the 25th of December, Christmas Day, is an important day of celebration and peace for the world. However, today the genocidal junta made their choice to say clearly that peace is... pic.twitter.com/RwQgpsrwWm
— Dr. Sasa (@DrSasa22222) December 25, 2021
As reported by Reuters, the victim's bodies were found by the Karenni Human Rights Group (KHRG) on Saturday. The Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF), one of the largest of multiple civilian militias opposing the Myanmar military, confirmed that the victims were civilians.
"We were so shocked at seeing that all the dead bodies were different sizes, including children, women and old people," a KNDF member told Reuters.
International aid group Save the Children announced that they were suspending operations in the region where the junta assault occurred after two of its staffers were missing on Friday, NPR reports.
Myanmar's military, also known as Tatmadaw, acknowledged that its troops killed an unspecified number of "terrorists with weapons" in the village. They added that the people were in seven vehicles and did not stop for the military.
Friday's incidents come in the wake of multiple attacks by the Myanmar military after they carried out a military coup on February 1 of this year. Many civilians, including Christians, have been displaced from their villages, becoming zones of escalating conflict.
In a statement by the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide, the KHRG reported that at least 651 houses, six churches, and at least one clinic in Kayah state were destroyed between May 21 and December 20.
According to Open Doors USA, Myanmar is ranked number 18 on its list of countries where it is most difficult for Christians to live due to Buddhist nationalism.
Photo courtesy: ©Unsplash/Andy Watkins
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer. He is also the co-hosts of the For Your Soul podcast, which seeks to equip the church with biblical truth and sound doctrine. Visit his blog Blessed Are The Forgiven.


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RVA Mag
Richmond, VA Culture & Politics Since 2005
GAYRVA
Putt-Putting Through Virginia
Oliver Mendoza | August 8, 2019
Topics: alex cram, chesterfield, events, glen allen, glowgolf, golf, golf tournament, hotel greene, michael babcock, mini golf, Newport News, richmond, richmond tournament, the mini golf guys, tony nala, Tournament, Virginia Beach, virginia events, WIlliamsburg
After traveling to 50 states, The Mini Golf Guys are bringing their mini-golf tournament to Richmond.
For several days, co-founder Michael Babcock and his two longtime high school friends, Alex Cram and Tony Haakenson, will be playing mini-golf matches in and around Richmond, at courses like Hotel Greene and Glowgolf in Glen Allen. The three have several other stops booked in Chesterfield, Williamsburg, and Newport News, before they finish their trip in Virginia Beach on August 11.
The story of The Mini Golf Guys began simply, when they first stumbled upon an abandoned course one day in 2009.
"We found an abandoned mini-golf course and played mini-golf… and from there, we played three or four more times that trip," Babcock said. "We were really good friends in high school, and we learned the importance of making sure you spend time with your friends."
Photo via The Mini Golf Guys
According to Babcock, the three friends all live in different states now, which makes it more difficult to stick with the yearly tradition that's been going more than 11 years.
"We've got to make sure once a year, we make a weekend to hang out," Babcock said.
Babcock says that the research into courses in different states is extensive, involving cross-references across the internet and various platforms of social media. The guys pick their paths in ways that allow them to fit in the most courses.
"We decided to stay by the coast, where we have a lot more options," Babcock said. "Hotel Greene is definitely one of the most exciting, and there's also a course in Virginia Beach that's open 24/7."
During this trip, the Mini Golf Guys are raising money for the Children's Home Society of Virginia, a Richmond-based non-profit whose mission is to find permanent adoptive homes for children of all ages throughout the Commonwealth.
"We've never done a fundraiser before," Babcock said. "If we're going to be out there putting our names and faces in front of all these people, we might as well try to do something good with that as well."
Photo via @theminigolfguys on Instagram
According to Babcock, even just starting the dialogue and helping people learn about these organizations can be just as good as donations.
"They're not just learning about us, but [getting] a chance to learn more about their own community," Babcock said.
Babcock explains that The Mini Golf Guys aren't just about the competitive side of mini-golf: they're all about friendship, getting out of the house, and being a part of something other than a TV screen.
"We're trying to motivate people to get out and do something, and we're celebrating friends," Babcock said.
The Mini Golf Guys will be in Richmond starting August 7, and will be ending their trip in Virginia Beach on August 11. In that time, they'll hit around two dozen courses in five days, including 11 in the Richmond metro area. For The Mini Golf Guys' full tour schedule and information on the fundraiser for Children's Home Society, you can check out their website here.
Get your tiny clubs out, get your friends, and let's get golfing.
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LA County reports nearly 7,000 COVID cases over…
LA County reports nearly 7,000 COVID cases over holiday weekend
The county Department of Public Health logged 3,257 infections on Saturday, 1,932 Sunday, 1,137 Monday and 668 Tuesday. The new cases gave the county an official total from throughout the pandemic of 3,622,250.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Nurse Eliane McGhee prepares COVID-19 booster shot during the Los Angeles Comic Con at the Los Angeles Convention Center Friday, Dec 2, 2022. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health partnered with Los Angeles Comic Con to provide ticketed guests and staff with free vaccinations of both the updated COVID-19 booster and influenza vaccine. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
By City News Service | news@socalnews.com |
PUBLISHED: December 27, 2022 at 4:02 p.m. | UPDATED: December 27, 2022 at 10:51 p.m.
Los Angeles County reported nearly 7,000 new COVID-19 infections over the holiday weekend and Monday, along with 39 more virus-related deaths.
Daily official case numbers are believed to be an undercount of actual infections, since many people rely on at-home tests without reporting the results, and many others don't test at all.
The 39 new deaths reported from the four-day period lifted the county's cumulative death toll to 34,599.
The seven-day average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 14.5% as of Tuesday, up from 11.3% a week ago.
Updated virus-related hospitalization figures were not immediately available. As of Saturday, there were 1,220 COVID-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals, with 153 of them being treated in intensive care units.
Health officials have estimated that roughly 40% of patients with the virus were admitted for actual COVID-related ailments, while others were hospitalized for other reasons, with many only learning they were infected upon admission.
Although case numbers have been falling in recent weeks, county health officials warned last week that "death rates … continue to climb in Los Angeles County, especially among older people."
County officials noted that the 39 new deaths reported Tuesday are likely an undercount due to lags in reporting from the holiday weekend.
"Public Health officials are concerned that traveling and gathering during the holidays will result in increased transmission and severe illness which would place greater stress on the county's hospitals and health care system," health officials said in a statement Friday.
County officials urged residents to exercise caution during the holiday season and "layer" protections to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
"To help protect older people and people who are immuno-compromised or have underlying health conditions in your family, at your jobs, and in the community, Los Angeles County residents should continue to mask when indoors and follow other health measures," according to the health department.
Last Thursday, County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said the county over the past week averaged about 2,600 new COVID infections per day, a roughly 12% decline from 3,000 per day the previous week. Despite the decline, she stressed that "transmission does remain elevated" in the county, noting again that the official case numbers are an undercount.
The county last week moved from the "high" COVID activity category to the "medium" category, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The move did not have any impact on public health restrictions, although it decreased the likelihood of the county re-imposing an indoor mask-wearing mandate, which Ferrer previously said could be done if case rates and hospitalization numbers continued to increase.
Ferrer warned Thursday, however, that given continued high transmission, "if the case rate increases even a little bit, we would again be moved into 'high."'
"It is possible L.A. County will continue to move back and forth between 'medium' and 'high' for the next few weeks," she said.
Mask wearing continues to be "strongly recommended" by the county at indoor public settings. But Ferrer said that even absent a mandate, residents should start wearing them, given the elevated rate of transmission.
Masks are still required indoors at health-care and congregate-care facilities, for anyone exposed to the virus in the past 10 days, and at businesses where they are required by the owner.
City News Service is a regional wire service covering Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties. Its reporting and editing staff cover public safety, courts, local government and general assignment stories. Contact the City News Service newsroom at 310-481-0404 or news@socalnews.com.
news@socalnews.com