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Angels in America Begins Previews in Repertory
By Joanne Von Furstenburg | Posted on February 24, 2018 12:09 PM
The revival of Angels in America has begun previews on Broadway starring Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane in a transfer from a highly successful production at London's National Theatre.
Tony Kushner Plays Given New Life in Angels In America Revival
On February 23, 2018, Angels in America begins previews at the Neil Simon Theatre, in repertory alternating the two parts of this early 1990s epic: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, both subtitled A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Set in the 1980s during the AIDS crisis, Angels in America burst onto the New York theatre scene in 1993, with both plays individually winning back-to-back Tony Awards for Best Play, and with Millennium Approaches also winning the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This groundbreaking work by Tony Kushner, whose other credits include writing the book and lyrics for the 2004 musical Caroline, or Change, earning Tony Award nominations for both book and score, as well as the screenplay for the 2012 film Lincoln, earning him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also co-wrote the 2005 film Munich, also earning a nomination for the same award. Beyond this accolades, he has written countless works for the theatre, the most recent being The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures. In 2013, he received the National Medal of Arts Honor from Barack Obama. From Kushner's mind sprang forth this complex dual play, which offers great vehicles for many performers.
Nathan Lane and Andrew Garfield Star in Marianne Elliott Production
This production is directed by Marianne Elliot, a British director whose remarkable track record on Broadway includes War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, both transfers from London's National Theatre, both of which won the Tony Award for Best Play, and both of which were rare straight plays to go on national tours in the U.S. She now returns to Broadway for the third and fourth times simultaneously with these two productions of Angels in America. Like her previous endeavors, this show is a transfer from the National Theatre, where it was the fastest selling show in National Theatre history. While many audience members in London were seeing the show for the first time, it will be familiar to lovers of theatre in the U.S. This makes it somewhat of a commercial risk, given the epic length and highly competitive season, as well as the fact that it is a revival. Fortunately, the show is equipped with an excellent and well-known cast, all but one of whom transfer intact from the London production to New York. Though this is the British production cast, the two leads are well-known American actors. Nathan Lane, whose numerous Broadway credits include The Producers, The Front Page, and It's Only a Play, returns to Broadway to play Roy Cohn in Angels in America, a closeted gay lawyer who is based on a real man, and whose values are startlingly relevant in the Trump era. In addition, the role of Prior Walter is played by Andrew Garfield, well-known to audiences as the titular superhero in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), as well as from the films The Social Network, Boy A, Never Let Me Go, Hacksaw Ridge, and Silence, as well as his Broadway debut as Biff in the 2012 revival of Death of a Salesman, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. In the story, Walter is the protagonist, a gay man with AIDS who experiences heavenly visions. Additional roles include Susan Brown as Hannah Pitt, Denise Gough as Harper Pitt, Amanda Lawrence as The Angel, James McArdle as Louis Ironson, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Belize, and several others, all of whom are making their Broadway debuts. The one role that needed to be replaced due to a scheduling conflict on the part of the British actor is Joe Pitt, which is now played by Lee Pace (The Normal Heart). The schedule is that some days have performances of both parts of the play, and some days just have one, allowing audiences to choose whether to watch the entire epic at once, at different times, or just partly. The shows are scheduled to open on March 25, 2018.


These are not actors rattling off a script. Sloan's team is totally into the paranormal. Both believers and skeptics have a great time, and many skeptics leave as believers.
Forget the same old stories. Sloan's Ghost Hunt has exclusive stops like the oldest haunted crime scene and a spirit portal with shadow people, plus exclusive access inside the former masonic lodge. The Infamous Hauntings Ghost Tour is the only tour that includes the murdered Klansman, Hemingway's home and a ghost horse, plus exclusive access inside the hidden brothel room at a haunted saloon.
What do a Conch, an historian, a pirate musician, a psychic & an author have in common? They are all part of the intriguing and entertaining team at Sloan's Haunted Key West. David, Michael, Ray, Hayley & Kevin each put a different twist on their tours. To know them is to love them.
Size matters. Other companies take 30, 40 or even 50 people on a tour. Sloan's Haunted Key West limits each group to about 20 guests.
$25 doesn't get you much in Key West these days, but it does get you an incredible Ghost Tour or Ghost Hunt backed by a hassle free satisfaction guarantee. Don't pay more for less.
Sloan's team thrives on research and local history. The Infamous Hauntings Ghost Tour is packed with details of the island's dark haunted history. The Ghost Hunt leans more toward the paranormal, but includes enough history to keep non-believers intrigued.
Sloan launched the first ghost tours in Key West in 1996. Since then, Sloan's Haunted Key West has become the name TV producers, Girl Scout groups, travel writers, paranormal investigators and the Tourist Development Council trust. Sloan literally wrote the book on ghosts, with the bestselling Ghosts of Key West, Haunted Key West and biography of Robert the Doll.
Sloan's Haunted Key West excels at customer service. Michael is never more than a phone call away, and with just 5 people on the team you never have to worry about overlooked e-mails or lost reservations. Someone is always available to help, and their satisfaction guarantee truly is hassle-free.
Sloan's Haunted Key West is locally owned and community driven. Each year they donate to dozens of local events, charities and organizations. Sloan's team also serves on local boards & committees. Key West is their home.
Sloan started Haunted Key West before most people knew what ghost tours were. The other companies opened when they saw dollar signs. If you are looking for paranormal passion, Sloan's team can't be beat.
The Infamous Haunting Ghost Tour & Key West Ghost Hunt are offered every night. Online booking is easy: www.hauntedkeywest.com.
Nobody knows ghosts like Haunted Key West.


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Biden urges America to end its 'uncivil war' as he officially becomes America's 46th president
Joe Biden has pledged to write "the next great chapter in the American story" as he called for unity during his first address as American president.
Rebuilding trust with the American people 'a central focus' of the Biden presidency
Press Secretary Jen Psaki has vowed to bring "truth and transparency" back to the briefing room, adding "rebuilding trust with the American people" would be a central focus of the Biden Administration.
Joe Biden needs to 'govern for America's battlers'
EXCLUSIVE: Joe Biden is the empathetic and caring president that middle America is craving right now, according to former ambassador to the US, Joe Hockey.
Washington DC 'is a ghost town' as Biden is sworn in as president
Sky News Washington correspondent Annelise Nielsen says a huge police presence and stringent COVID-19 restrictions has rendered Capitol Hill a ghost town as a small crowd gathers to watch as Joe Biden is officially sworn in as president.
WATCH: Joe Biden officially sworn in as America's 46th president
Joe Biden has taken the oath, officially becoming America's 46th president and the oldest person to hold the office.
Biden's inaugural speech was 'a return to normal'
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Biden's job is to 'shut up' the Democrats 'baying for Trump's blood'
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President Joe Biden has signed 17 executive orders reversing several of Donald Trump's policies over a range of topics including COVID-19 relief, climate change and immigration.
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Kamala Harris sworn in as America's first female vice president
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'Ratcheting down the rhetoric' key to the success of the Biden presidency
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Joe Biden is 'extraordinarily' the right person to lead America
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UK health secretary in self-isolation amid COVID-19 concerns
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There have been 25,000 National Guard troops deployed to Washington, tasked to keep the peace in the lead-up to Joe Biden's inauguration.
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Sky News Washington Correspondent Annelise Nielsen says "you can bet" Donald Trump has his eye on running for presidency again in 2024.
Conservatives begin to turn on Mitch McConnell
High profile conservatives, including Fox host Sean Hannity, have lambasted senior Republican Mitch McConnell, after the Senate Majority leader publicly criticised Donald Trump over his role in the riot on Capitol Hill.
Biden commemorates the nation's COVID-19 deaths
President-elect Joe Biden commemorated those who have passed due to the coronavirus and spoke of the importance of remembering what has been lost in order to heal.
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The hit comedy film becomes a fresh, fun and upbeat musical that explodes on stage.
It's a vivacious heady mix of pink, pop music and prancing about. What I liked was the consistantly good music score throughout. Everyone was good, from the lead to minor characters.
That's right, it's Japanese and Disco. Just as the British bands like the Beatles and Rolling Stones took rhythm and blues from American and turned it into hit songs, this artist takes Disco/Funk, adds modern audio production and really pumps up the bass.
When wealthy landowner Gregory Lancaster's body goes missing on the night of his death, a sinister web of secrets and lies is exposed in the village of Little Malton. DCI Barnaby, DS Nelson and new Forensic Pathologist Kam Karimore are drawn into a macabre world of body-snatching as they seek to identify the villain.
First appearance of Dr. Kam Karimore.
Missing bodies and murder. This suffers from the inactivity of the main police protagonists. Most of the story happens not because of Barnaby and Nelson's sleuthing, but through the interactions of the characters.
After a terrorist attack on a reservation in Oregon leaves thousands dead, Jack Sigler, call sign King and his Chess Team — Queen, Rook, Bishop and Knight — must protect the only survivor, thirteen year-old Fiona Lane. When a death in the family pulls King away, and the rest of the team is sent on a mission, Fort Bragg is attacked by a strange and overwhelming force. When the dust settles, Fiona is gone.
But the attack is part of a larger offensive. Around the world the last speakers of ancient languages are being systematically exterminated. As they fight to find the mastermind behind the killings, and Fiona, the team is hunted by strange creatures that defy explanation — living statues, genetically modified monsters and walking megaliths — sent by an enemy from their past. If not stopped, he will be able to remake himself, and the world.
Calling on help from old friends and ancient heroes, the team fights their most desperate battle yet, not just to save the world as we know it, but to rescue a little girl who wants nothing more than to call King Dad.
Where the previous book was a simple single narrative, this takes the other extreme with the Chess Team spread out over the world. Multiple story threads threaten to make things confusing, but ultimately they all come together for a big brawl of a showdown.
This is one of the bands I found during a search for post-rock bands.
The music ranges from ambient to rock. Overall, it has a more classical/symphonic feel than other similar artists. All 8 albums are available at a cheap cost.
Just a few found at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.
Trollslayer is the first part of the death saga of Gotrek Gurnisson, as retold by his traveling companion Felix Jaeger. Set in the darkly gothic world of Warhammer, Trollslayer is an episodic novel featuring some of the most extraordinary adventures of this deadly pair of heroes. Monsters, daemons, sorcerers, mutants, orcs, beastmen and worse are to be found as Gotrek strives to achieve a noble death in battle. Felix, of course, only has to survive to tell the tale.
This turned out to be a series of short stories about a human and dwarf. OK, but I think this type of fantasy works best in longer forms.
A number one bestseller in Britain, Stephen Fry's astonishingly frank, funny, wise memoir is the book that his fans everywhere have been waiting for. Since his television debut in the Blackadder series, the American profile of this multi-talented writer, actor and comedian has grown steadily, especially in the wake of his title role in the film Wilde, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination, and his supporting role in A Civil Action.
Entertaining biography of Stephen Fry's early years.
Second biography. Very long and verbose, it only covers 10 years of his life. Could have used an editor with a sharp knife.
Seeking rich, powerful allies to bring into the Rebel Alliance and a new home planet for the refugees of her native Alderaan, Princess Leia considers a proposal that could tip the balance of power against the evil Empire. The Hapes Consortium of 63 worlds is ruled by the Queen Mother, who wants Leia to marry her son, the dashing and wealthy Prince Isolder. Han Solo has always dreamed of marrying Leia himself, and now he makes a desperate last gamble to win her back. Soon he, Isolder, Luke Skywalker and Artoo will be at the center of an adventure leading to an awesome treasure, a group of Force-trained "witches," and a showdown with an invincible foe.
Average book that explains the Leia & Han Solo relationship. Not all that great on the personalities of all the characters, but an interesting read for Star Wars fans.


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Rowbottom lapping up SUNS culture
CHARLIE Rowbottom's decision to nominate Queensland as her preferred state ahead of the 2021 NAB AFLW Draft might have raised a few eyebrows.
By Michael Whiting on
The 18-year-old was tipped to be taken with the No.1 pick, and hailing from Victoria, the expectation was she would stay in her home state.
However, the imposing midfielder had different ideas.
Armed with the first overall selection, Gold Coast made a pitch to Rowbottom to head north – one that hit home.
"Gold Coast approached me and said where I'd sit in the team, gave me this opportunity and I thought 'why wouldn't I grab on to it and live in such an amazing place with a building culture?' Rowbottom told womens.afl.
"I'm a year out of school and have spent the last two years in Melbourne pretty much in iso thanks to COVID.
"I spent Year 12 in my bedroom, so was super keen to get out and have a bit of an adventure and the Suns offered me that opportunity.
"I didn't know anyone. I knew Annise Bradfield from the (AFLW) Academy a couple of years ago, but besides that I didn't know anyone, so it was a big leap of faith.
"I guess you could say that [it was] relatively adventurous."
Rowbottom isn't totally foreign to the area with family on the Gold Coast, and she enjoys the beach lifestyle.
The sister of Sydney midfielder James, she had a delayed start to training with her new teammates due to border restrictions.
She finally moved to the northern New South Wales town of Pottsville about a month ago, where she could complete the 60-minute drive to Carrara for training as part of the Queensland-NSW 'border bubble'.
Rowbottom moved across the border to the Gold Coast on December 13.
"It's been a massive mission," she said.
"The process was a bit rocky at the start, but it's been alright because the club took care of me immensely, set me up with a trainer in Melbourne with one of the other girls (Vivien Saad) stuck in Melbourne as well, so it wasn't that bad."
Rowbottom has made an instant impact at her new club, impressing with her physicality and desperation at training.
"She's been really impressive and added a fair bit of life to the group," coach Cameron Joyce said.
"She's a super competitor and done really well in our scrimmage and practice matches amongst ourselves. We're really excited to see her play."
Up Next SUNS to host Cats in AAMI Community Series fixture
SUNS to host Cats in AAMI Community Series fixture
Gold Coast fans will have the chance to see their SUNS in action in the lead-up to the 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership Season following the confirmation of the 2022 AAMI Community Series fixtures.


It is no secret that South Africans don't save enough due to the rising cost of living and continual increases in the costs of basic requirements. But saving is a habit that, once learned, is easily sustained and can bring major benefits.
Draft a budget. Before you can save, you have to know how much you spend.
Identify where you can cut back. A budget usually shows how much money is spent on things that aren't necessary, helping you save hundreds each month.
Look at your short- and long-term objectives. Having a concrete goal to work towards makes saving easier.
Plan your spending, so that if you receive a 13th cheque, it's used to boost your savings rather than paying debt. To achieve this, put aside money every month for holidays and normal expenses.
Once debt is reduced and more is avoided, you should start seeing a positive cash flow and so you can then start thinking about where to put your savings. Banks provide a number of options for a wide range of requirements. Some accounts give you immediate access to your savings, while others limit access to your funds to help build discipline. One of the most recent offerings is a tax-free savings account, which allows you to accumulate up to R30 000 a year, without being taxed on it.
As with all things financial, an advisor can help you develop plans matched to your life stages. For example, in your 20s, consider building a savings base by looking at short- and long-term objectives; your 30s and 40s should focus on retirement, children's education and ensuring you have a good investment and life insurance plan; in your 50s, estate planning and reviewing requirements for retirement should take precedence.
The earlier you start with a savings plan, the better the benefits, and with July being National Savings Month, there is no better time to get going!


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I'm having sex fantasies about my crush
Mrais Trix
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Okay there's a girl I really REALLY like. Like I've written at least an album's worth of songs about her and I can't stop thinking about her. Well, recently I've started to think about having sex with her. The thing is I've had sex fantasies before but those were with celebrities, and the thought of wanting to have sex with someone I know freaks me out because I'm only 14. Is this normal/okay to think about having sex with my crush when I'm 14 years old? I know it's normal for people older than me but like I feel weird because I'm so young and like, what if I have Too Much Lust or something?
Mo Ranyart replies:
The good news is: you aren't suffering from Too Much Lust, although that might be a fun name for your album when it's complete. Jokes aside, it's not wrong or unusual to have sexual feelings about someone you're crushing on, whether that person is a celebrity you've never met or a friend you see every day. It's also ok, though, if you feel weird about it; sexual feelings can be weird or scary sometimes, especially when they're new to us.
You aren't too young to think about being sexual with someone else. Not everyone experiences sexual feelings at the same age, but at 14 plenty of people are experiencing some level of sexual curiosity or desire, whether it takes the form of a general interest in sex or sexual feelings for specific people. Even if it wasn't normal, and most 14-year-olds didn't have sexual thoughts or feelings, it would still be just fine for you to have them, just like it would be fine for you to have no interest in sex at all. People's sexualities develop and manifest in many ways, each on their own timeline; there's no one "right" time or way for it to happen.
Sexual fantasy can be a great way to explore and think about how you might want to be sexual in the future: what kinds of people you find sexually appealing, what sort of sexual activities or dynamics sound fun to you, how you might want to feel during sex. Keep in mind that these feelings don't necessarily mean you're ready to have sex with someone else yet, or that you have to be sexual right now just because you're having them. You might compare it to daydreaming about skydiving, or swimming with sharks; it's totally possible to enjoy thinking about those things and imagine how exciting they could be without feeling like you're ready to go out and do them. It's not odd to have general sexual desire, or fantasize about sex with someone, without feeling ready to actually put those fantasies into practice, so if you feel overwhelmed or scared of any of these feelings, just keep in mind that you don't have to choose to do anything about them right now.
It's a pretty big shift to move from a solo sexual life to a partnered one; suddenly it's not just your own pleasure and desires you need to keep in mind. Sexual fantasy is one way that people can explore the idea of being sexual, not only in specific ways or with specific people, but also the logistics of engaging sexually with another person at all. Having sexual thoughts about your friend and exploring your feelings about her through masturbation and sexual fantasy aren't a problem; in fact, they can be a helpful tool as you start to think about how you might want to shape a future sexual relationship.
However, sometimes fantasy can impact our thinking in small ways we don't expect, if we aren't looking out for them. Intense sexual feelings for someone you know can set up an unevenly-balanced dynamic if you aren't careful. Spending a lot of time having sexual or romantic fantasies about someone else can make it feel like there's more of a connection between you than what actually exists; it's a one-sided bond that the other person doesn't know about and hasn't participated in. This isn't necessarily a problem, but it's good to be aware of how the strength of your crush and your sexual feelings might impact how you see your existing relationship with someone.
If you ever shared your feelings with this person you really like, you'd be coming at that conversation with a lot of emotions stored up, ones she might not share even if she's also interested in you. If she said no, having all those sexual feelings and fantasies in your mind might make that no harder to hear, or harder to accept; if she said yes, it might make you inclined to push for a deeper emotional or sexual element to a relationship before she's ready, because you've explored those feelings and have felt ready for a while. It's important to make sure the intensity of your feelings isn't impacting how you treat her in person, but just being a little extra thoughtful in your interactions with her is likely to take care of that.
Hopefully all this makes you feel a little less worried about having these sexual thoughts. Whether you ever choose to talk to this person about your feelings or not, you aren't doing anything wrong by having them. Sexual fantasies can feel scary or strange when we're first having them, but hopefully they're something you'll feel more comfortable with given some time and experience with them. No matter what, I hope you can take comfort in the knowledge that you aren't doing anything wrong or inappropriate by having these feelings.
originally written 08.30.2018 • &nbspupdated 09.04.2019 •
I Feel Guilty for Wanting Sex
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An MRI is a type of medical imaging technology that uses magnetic fields. A person is placed in a strong magnetic field to make certain atoms in the body produce signals which are detected by special radio equipment and then used to create a diagnostic image.
A full range of MRI procedures are offered, including: multiplanar imaging of the head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, spine and joints. Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) is provided for evaluation of the abdominal, chest, neck, extremity and intracranial vessels.
Mammography is a type of imaging that uses a low-dose x-ray system for examination of the breasts. Mammography is offered to all patients for screening and diagnostic purposes at two locations: Beth Israel Deaconess - Plymouth's main campus on Plymouth Road and at 45 Resnick Road in North Plymouth.
A computed tomography scan is an imaging method that uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the body. A full range of Computerized Tomography (CT) procedures are offered at Beth Israel Deaconess - Plymouth. Two helical scanners produce cross sectional images of any anatomical area of interest. This technology also provides extremely rapid scanning. Intravenous CT contrast is administered as needed. A separate workstation provides 3D and CT Angiography capability.
PET imaging adds a new dimension and sensitivity to the evaluation of cancer patients. While CT scans show structural details of the body in cross-sections, PET images can detect the difference between diseased and healthy tissues, based on the particles they emit. This allows physicians to more sensitively localize a tumor and be able to asses a tumor's response to therapy. A full range of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging procedures is offered through a mobile unit.
Ultrasound examinations utilize high frequency sound waves to create cross sectional images of soft tissue organs. There is no radiation involved with this test. Sonographers (specially trained technologists) produce images in the abdomen and pelvis as well as the breast, thyroid, testicles, the pregnant uterus and the veins in the extremities.
All exams require warm gel to be applied to the area of evaluation. A small instrument is placed on the skin to generate images. Some gynecologic ultrasounds require an internal scan as well. The exam is painless.
Biopsy is the surgical removal of a small sample of tissue for purposes of diagnosis. When a physical exam, imaging, endoscopy, or laboratory test reveals an abnormality, a biopsy may be the only sure way to know whether the problem is, in fact, cancer.
A diagnostic process that analyzes tissue to determine a disease state. In a biopsy, a doctor removes a sample of tissue from the abnormal area. (Doctors may also remove the whole tumor.) A specialist trained to examine such tissues is called a pathologist. A pathologist examines the tissue under a microscope. If cancer is present, the pathologist can usually tell what kind of cancer it is and may be able to judge whether the cells are likely to grow slowly or quickly.
A Tufts Medical Center geneticist is available at Beth Israel Deaconess - Plymouth to provide information about appropriate screening tests and strategies to reduce cancer risk.


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Preview — Atari Inc. by Curt Vendel
Atari Inc.: Business is Fun
Curt Vendel,
Marty Goldberg
Atari Inc. - Business is Fun, the book that goes behind the company that was synonymous with the popularization of 'video games.'
Nearly 8 years in the making, Atari Inc. - Business is Fun is comprised of thousands of researched documents, hundreds of interviews, and access to materials never before available.
An amazing 800 pages (including nearly 300 pages of rare, never b Atari Inc. - Business is Fun, the book that goes behind the company that was synonymous with the popularization of 'video games.'
An amazing 800 pages (including nearly 300 pages of rare, never before seen photos, memos and court documents), this book details Atari's genesis from an idea between an engineer and a visionary in 1969 to a nearly $2 billion dollar juggernaut, and ending with a $538 million death spiral during 1984. A testament to the people that worked at this beloved company, the book is full of their personal stories and insights. Learn about topics like:
* All the behind the scenes stories surrounding the creation of the company's now iconic games and products.
* The amazing story of Atari's very own "Xerox PARC" research facility up in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains
* The full recounting of Steve Jobs's time at Atari, with comments from the people he worked with on projects and the detailed story of the creation of Atari Breakout, including input by Steve Wozniak on his development of the prototype, and how it couldn't be used and another Atari engineer would have to make the final production Breakout arcade game instead.
* The creation of "Rick Rats Big Cheese Restaurants" which later became "Chuck E. Cheese's"
* How Atari Inc. faltered and took down an entire industry with it before being put on the chopping block.
If you've ever wanted to learn about the truth behind the creation of this iconic company told directly by the people who made FUN for a living, then this is the book for you! ...more
Kindle Store $11.99
Published November 25th 2012 by Syzygy Press
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Jun 22, 2013 Chad rated it it was ok
Sure, it's self published. But it's also the most poorly written and edited book I've ever read. It was a struggle to finish to book as I reached the end. Every two or three pages had some kind of error or mistake. If that doesn't keep pulling you out of the book, the inconsistent tense (they tried to keep it all in present tense, but fail) and the lack of focus will.
The lack of similar comments from readers and reviewers is shocking. It's like they really didn't read the book or can't see the e Sure, it's self published. But it's also the most poorly written and edited book I've ever read. It was a struggle to finish to book as I reached the end. Every two or three pages had some kind of error or mistake. If that doesn't keep pulling you out of the book, the inconsistent tense (they tried to keep it all in present tense, but fail) and the lack of focus will.
The lack of similar comments from readers and reviewers is shocking. It's like they really didn't read the book or can't see the errors. Both of those possibilities are scary to me.
Tons of unique research, interviews, and primary documents. Bad writing. Bad storytelling. Bad editing.
It's a shame...but a must have for a diehard.
Here's hoping a second edition will improve it! ...more
Aug 27, 2013 Themistocles rated it did not like it
Shelves: computers, history
What a bad, bad book.
To begin with, it didn't catch my eye; cheaply bound, like you could do at any photo copying shop. Well, it's self-published so something like that is to be expected, but for the price it's not good.
Opening it I saw something expected, but not justified; like other self-published books on the retro-computing scene, it's "typeset" in Word. Or something. And it shows. Ugh.
So that's just appearances, one could get over them, but...
The writers absolutely Can. Not. Write. The te What a bad, bad book.
The writers absolutely Can. Not. Write. The text is of a level at par with that of a high school student. A not very good student. To begin with, the text is full of typos. I don't mean a typo here and there, but rather a couple on every single page. Typos, misspellings and grammar mistakes are so often to be found I got bored of cringing. There are sentences that don't even make any sense at all, like the writer started revising it and didn't read it through; or maybe the phone rung and he picked up again without re-reading. What's more, tenses are changed all the time from past to present and future, many a time even within the same sentence.
The whole chapter on Cyan is a mess; just random notes thrown together, 55 pages of them, without the least effort of putting them into something coherent (to be fair, the authors claim this is a 'feature' :D )
So, the book is ugly and the writing is excruciatingly bad and hasn't been edited or proofed even once before going to print. Contrast it with Mechner's The Making of Prince of Persia that I read just after this, written by a 20yo Mechner in the form of a diary and you'll see some sharp contrast... Still, is it worth reading?
Well... let me put it this way: if you don't know anything about Atari, then probably yes. If you've been following the retro scene and have been reading stuff here and there, like I have (and I'm not even a fan of the early Atari), then there's little new to learn. Most of it of little interest - they moved from this building to that one, or personal side stories that are not relevant or specific to Atari and happen everywhere. The authors don't go very deep, and that's probably because they don't know how companies work (a budget meeting "a typical meeting to wrap the year up"? Yeah, only if it wasn't the single most important meeting of the year for a company! Or, "OMG! a rubber mallet in the production line!" - quite a useful and frequently used tool, actually), so they don't know what and how to probe. The fact that they keep making fun of Marketing (with no coverage of its people and results) shows a blind-sighted partiality that verges on stupidity. 25-odd pages on Chuck-E-Cheese? Ehhh....
In short, they totally fail to give a complete image of Atari, even though they plow through 800 pages of text and photos. Timelines are vague, stories not interesting (well, except for the people involved, probably, but even in that regard I've read much better ones) and technical descriptions (even in the chapters with the *sneer* technical warning) are extremely basic. The authors do make an effort to drum up interest in silly ways ("ohhh look now, we're going to tell you something that no one knew before, and it's really funny, lolz"), but always for mundane bits. Their self-important tone ("we know where those cartridges are buried, but we're not going to tell you") is cringe-worthy at best.
Lots of photos. The vast majority of them falls into two categories: stuff you can find online and photos of faces, faces, faces and more faces or buildings. Nice page-fillers! The rest are at times very interesting and never seen before indeed, but are too few and far between. Pagination is also awful, with captions on the wrong page, printed twice or omitted altogether.
It's such a shame that it ends before the company releases the ST series (of which I'm a fan). I'll think twice before buying the two other volumes announced... ...more
May 12, 2013 jersey9000 rated it it was amazing
I grew up with Atari. One of my earliest memories is playing the original Pong, and when we were kids I also remember all the other kids around coming over to play our 2600. To this day in my storage unit I have a 2600, 5200, 7800, Lynx, and Jaguar (with Jag CD!) with hundreds of games for them. Needless to say, I am an Atari type of dude, so this book was a wonderful treat for me.
It takes you from the earliest beginnings of Atari, back when it was three dudes and called Syzygy, and ends with th I grew up with Atari. One of my earliest memories is playing the original Pong, and when we were kids I also remember all the other kids around coming over to play our 2600. To this day in my storage unit I have a 2600, 5200, 7800, Lynx, and Jaguar (with Jag CD!) with hundreds of games for them. Needless to say, I am an Atari type of dude, so this book was a wonderful treat for me.
It takes you from the earliest beginnings of Atari, back when it was three dudes and called Syzygy, and ends with the sale of Atari to the Tramiel family. From start to finish it was w wild ride, for sure. While many of these stories were vaguely familiar to me, there were many, many details I had never heard before. I loved hearing the stories about all the experimentation that was going on. The birth and death of Kermit the robot was great- I had never heard about that before. The thought process behind all the design decisions for the home systems and arcade cabinets was something that I was really interested in. All of these is backed up by a copious amount of pictures, technical documents,internal memos, and wonderful, in depth quotes from most of the players at the time. Hearing from Ted Dabney for the first time was great.
This is a huge book. A book this size, with such a focus on technical issues, would risk losing the audience under a mountain of details, but the crisp writing and great pacing (they frequently jump a bit back and forth in time, with interviews strung throughout) ensures that you never, as a reader, get a chance to feel bored or confused by the tech talk. At around 700 pages (reading it on my kindle, so not exactly sure of the size), with tons of great stories and interviews, by the time I was done I felt like I had lived through the rise and fall of Atari myself. This book is a must have for anyone who is a fan of (or curious about) the roots of video gaming. These are the guys who essentially created an industry, and changed the world. I am glad this story has finally been told in such an objective, thorough way.
When the book ends there is definitely a "wait, then what happened?" feeling, but I have been told that will be part of the next book in the series. I can't wait to read it :) ...more
Nov 28, 2013 Karl rated it did not like it
I can't in good conscience write a glowing review of this book. In the past decade the computer book field seems to be flooded with these slapadash affairs that are banged together in ten minutes and rushed to press for cash. This book is much along these lines. It is horribly edited. It is doubtful these guys even proofread their writing once. A quick scan would have come up with hundreds of mispellings poorly constructed sentences and bad word usage errors. The book has lots of pictures mostly I can't in good conscience write a glowing review of this book. In the past decade the computer book field seems to be flooded with these slapadash affairs that are banged together in ten minutes and rushed to press for cash. This book is much along these lines. It is horribly edited. It is doubtful these guys even proofread their writing once. A quick scan would have come up with hundreds of mispellings poorly constructed sentences and bad word usage errors. The book has lots of pictures mostly black and white. While the pictures are interesting at times they seem mostly to exist as filler. While the book is over 800 pages long well over 200 is probably pictures. It lacks an index and is probably because these guys don't know how to create one. I have written and read my share of dissertations I know how to pad a document for heft and know what a padded document looks like. This has all the feel of a C level effort at best. If I were editing this I would have thrown it back at them and demanded a rewrite. They needed to clean up what they had, pare down the superfluous material and apply a bit of effort towards more detail. The fact that they are coming out with a second edition of this clearly indicates that the book is flawed. It should never have been printed it is a substandard first draft as it stands. I do hope the second edition is better than the first. In the parlance of computerese this is very beta-ish. ...more
Jul 04, 2015 Irish Rat rated it it was ok
Shelves: owned, atari, video-games, video-game-history, video-game-culture
I made it halfway through this book, which is impressive considering the 3rd grade level grammar going on here. Tenses change partway through sentences almost every other sentence, and whole sentences are ambiguous in meaning because basic grammar hasn't been applied. I wish I could read the rest of it, since there's so much interesting technical information, but alas. I made it halfway through this book, which is impressive considering the 3rd grade level grammar going on here. Tenses change partway through sentences almost every other sentence, and whole sentences are ambiguous in meaning because basic grammar hasn't been applied. I wish I could read the rest of it, since there's so much interesting technical information, but alas. ...more
Jul 05, 2014 Graham Lee rated it it was ok
Shelves: history, software-people
The authors have evidently done a lot of research, but the book is really poorly edited. In addition to typos and other errors there are rapid changes of tense and style, as well as shifts from one time to another that make it hard to follow.
Jul 14, 2014 Matt rated it did not like it
Lots of good information covered with spelling errors and punctuation errors.
Oct 23, 2017 Trevor rated it liked it
Given this more stars than many other people who have reviewed it.
Whilst the content of the book was interesting and largely accurate, there are spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes and just downright stupid mistakes (like duplicate sentences) on EVERY SINGLE PAGE.
How a book can go out in this day and age in such condition baffles the mind, it must have been proof read by either Stevie Wonder or Maddie McCann because this book would not have got past anyone who had read it!
A computer spell check Given this more stars than many other people who have reviewed it.
A computer spell check would have thrown up 80%+ of the errors, so I can only deduce this book was written in Notepad.
An interesting read which loses all credibility when authors who were supposed to have been part of one of the biggest computer firms of all time can't even write a page of text without errors.
There are supposed to be 2 more volumes, don't think I'll bother! ...more
Sep 07, 2020 Eric Bauman rated it liked it
Shelves: read-in-2020
Had some interesting stories, but seriously needed a proofreader.
Mar 18, 2014 Roger Asbury rated it liked it
Shelves: computing-history
I am a child of the 70s and 80s. Like many from that time, I spent uncountable hours in front of an Atari 2600, playing the popular games of the time. From Pac-Man and Pitfall, to Combat and oh so many others, I was an addict to them all.
I picked this book up hoping to learn about the company behind my entertainment. On that score, I wasn't really disappointed. The book is packed with history and the stories behind the interesting, if not deeply flawed, personalities that made up the Atari compa I am a child of the 70s and 80s. Like many from that time, I spent uncountable hours in front of an Atari 2600, playing the popular games of the time. From Pac-Man and Pitfall, to Combat and oh so many others, I was an addict to them all.
I picked this book up hoping to learn about the company behind my entertainment. On that score, I wasn't really disappointed. The book is packed with history and the stories behind the interesting, if not deeply flawed, personalities that made up the Atari company.
What I had a hard time getting past was the absolutely abysmal lack of editing. This is an excellent book held back by lack of proof reading, repetitious content and poor grammar. Part of me wants to believe some of the egregious and repetitious errors - such as the abundance of sentences starting with lower case letters - are the results of poor conversion to ebook software. But even so, why publish it in that state?
Would I recommend this book? Only to die-hard Atari fans who might see the errors as quirky, or ironic, reflections on the brand. ...more
Apr 04, 2015 Felipe rated it really liked it
I worked for Y! in the late ninties and first few years of the 2000ś i personally enjoyed these book becouse the atmosphere that ran throught atari is the same we breathed in y! at that time.
It helped me understand the basics of silicon valley culture and why some modern companies are still ruled by these beginnings.
May 15, 2016 Shirley rated it liked it
Shelves: history-american, computing-history, design, technology-history, united-states
Summarizes the conditions under which Atari games were first developed - and launched an industry. Not as tightly edited as some books out there (was self-published), but has historical details not available elsewhere. If you want to understand the roots of today's game industry, is an essential read. Summarizes the conditions under which Atari games were first developed - and launched an industry. Not as tightly edited as some books out there (was self-published), but has historical details not available elsewhere. If you want to understand the roots of today's game industry, is an essential read. ...more
May 16, 2016 Andrew Wheeler rated it liked it
This is probably the most poorly-edited book I've ever read, but it was still hugely entertaining. There's tons of great history, particularly during the first half of the book. This is probably the most poorly-edited book I've ever read, but it was still hugely entertaining. There's tons of great history, particularly during the first half of the book. ...more
May 09, 2015 Scott rated it liked it
A good history of Atari with some interesting historical information that assists to understand the events that brought us Atari.
Mar 24, 2015 Ryan rated it really liked it
Enjoyed learning the history of the first video game company.
David Hermann rated it liked it
Jay Sanderson rated it liked it
Rich Hronik rated it really liked it
James rated it it was amazing
Cuewarrior rated it really liked it
Hms.Hood rated it really liked it
Ed Dexter rated it it was amazing
Ariella rated it liked it
Piotr rated it did not like it
Ute rated it really liked it
Gregory Gay rated it liked it
Tom Getty rated it it was amazing
Gunnar Kanold rated it really liked it
Kerry Cardina rated it it was amazing
Jeffrey Graebner rated it liked it
Games > Video Games
Sports and Games > Games
Science > Technology
Computer Science > Computers
About Curt Vendel
Curt Vendel
Books by Curt Vendel
36 of the Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers of 2021
Twists, turns, red herrings, the usual suspects: These books have it all...and more. If you love mysteries and thrillers, get ready for dozens...
Trivia About Atari Inc.: Busin...


text:
local cluster_utils = require "kong.tools.cluster"
local BaseService = require "kong.cli.services.base_service"
local dao_loader = require "kong.tools.dao_loader"
local stringy = require "stringy"
local logger = require "kong.cli.utils.logger"
local cjson = require "cjson"
local IO = require "kong.tools.io"

local Serf = BaseService:extend()

local SERVICE_NAME = "serf"
local START_TIMEOUT = 10
local EVENT_NAME = "kong"

function Serf:new(configuration)
  local nginx_working_dir = configuration.nginx_working_dir

  self._configuration = configuration
  local path_prefix = nginx_working_dir
                        ..(stringy.endswith(nginx_working_dir, "/") and "" or "/")
  self._script_path = path_prefix.."serf_event.sh"
  self._log_path = path_prefix.."serf.log"
  self._dao_factory = dao_loader.load(self._configuration)
  Serf.super.new(self, SERVICE_NAME, nginx_working_dir)
end

function Serf:_get_cmd()
  local cmd, err = Serf.super._get_cmd(self, {}, function(path)
    local res, code = IO.os_execute(path.." version")
    if code == 0 then
      return res:match("^Serf v0.7.0")
    end

    return false
  end)

  return cmd, err
end

function Serf:prepare()
  -- Create working directory if missing
  local ok, err = Serf.super.prepare(self, self._configuration.nginx_working_dir)
  if not ok then
    return nil, err
  end

  -- Create serf event handler
  local luajit_path = BaseService.find_cmd("luajit")
  if not luajit_path then
    return nil, "Can't find luajit"
  end

  local script = [[
#!/bin/sh
PAYLOAD=`cat` # Read from stdin

if [ "$SERF_EVENT" != "user" ]; then
  PAYLOAD="{\"type\":\"${SERF_EVENT}\",\"entity\": \"${PAYLOAD}\"}"
fi

echo $PAYLOAD > /tmp/payload

COMMAND='require("kong.tools.http_client").post("http://]]..self._configuration.admin_api_listen..[[/cluster/events/", ]].."[=['${PAYLOAD}']=]"..[[, {["content-type"] = "application/json"})'

echo $COMMAND | ]]..luajit_path..[[
]]
  local _, err = IO.write_to_file(self._script_path, script)
  if err then
    return false, err
  end

  -- Adding executable permissions
  local res, code = IO.os_execute("chmod +x "..self._script_path)
  if code ~= 0 then
    return false, res
  end

  -- Create the unique identifier if it doesn't exist
  local _, err = cluster_utils.create_node_identifier(self._configuration)
  if err then
    return false, err
  end

  return true
end

function Serf:_join_node(address)
  local _, err = self:invoke_signal("join", {address})
  if err then
    return false
  end
  return true
end

function Serf:_members()
  local res, err = self:invoke_signal("members", {["-format"] = "json"})
  if err then
    return nil, err
  end

  return cjson.decode(res).members
end

function Serf:_autojoin(current_node_name)
  if self._configuration.cluster["auto-join"] then
    logger:info("Trying to auto-join Kong nodes, please wait..")

    -- Delete current node just in case it was there (due to an inconsistency caused by a crash)
    local _, err = self._dao_factory.nodes:delete({
      name = current_node_name
    })
    if err then
      return false, tostring(err)
    end

    local nodes, err = self._dao_factory.nodes:find_all()
    if err then
      return false, tostring(err)
    else
      if #nodes == 0 then
        logger:info("No other Kong nodes were found in the cluster")
      else
        -- Sort by newest to oldest (although by TTL would be a better sort)
        table.sort(nodes, function(a, b)
          return a.created_at > b.created_at
        end)

        local joined
        for _, v in ipairs(nodes) do
          if self:_join_node(v.cluster_listening_address) then
            logger:info("Successfully auto-joined "..v.cluster_listening_address)
            joined = true
            break
          else
            logger:warn("Cannot join "..v.cluster_listening_address..". If the node does not exist anymore it will be automatically purged.")
          end
        end
        if not joined then
          logger:warn("Could not join the existing cluster")
        end
      end
    end
  end
  return true
end

function Serf:_add_node()
  local members, err = self:_members()
  if err then
    return false, err
  end

  local name = cluster_utils.get_node_identifier(self._configuration)
  local addr
  for _, member in ipairs(members) do
    if member.name == name then
      addr = member.addr
      break
    end
  end

  if not addr then
     return false, "Can't find current member address"
  end

  local _, err = self._dao_factory.nodes:insert({
    name = name,
    cluster_listening_address = stringy.strip(addr)
  }, {ttl = self._configuration.cluster.ttl_on_failure})
  if err then
    return false, err
  end

  return true
end

function Serf:start()
  if self:is_running() then
    return nil, SERVICE_NAME.." is already running"
  end

  local cmd, err = self:_get_cmd()
  if err then
    return nil, err
  end

  local node_name = cluster_utils.get_node_identifier(self._configuration)

  -- Prepare arguments
  local cmd_args = {
    ["-bind"] = self._configuration.cluster_listen,
    ["-rpc-addr"] = self._configuration.cluster_listen_rpc,
    ["-advertise"] = self._configuration.cluster.advertise,
    ["-encrypt"] = self._configuration.cluster.encrypt,
    ["-log-level"] = "err",
    ["-profile"] = self._configuration.cluster.profile,
    ["-node"] = node_name,
    ["-event-handler"] = "member-join,member-leave,member-failed,member-update,member-reap,user:"..EVENT_NAME.."="..self._script_path
  }

  setmetatable(cmd_args, require "kong.tools.printable")
  local str_cmd_args = tostring(cmd_args)
  local res, code = IO.os_execute("nohup "..cmd.." agent "..str_cmd_args.." > "..self._log_path.." 2>&1 & echo $! > "..self._pid_file_path)
  if code == 0 then

    -- Wait for process to start, with a timeout
    local start = os.time()
    while not (IO.file_exists(self._log_path) and string.match(IO.read_file(self._log_path), "running") or (os.time() > start + START_TIMEOUT)) do
      -- Wait
    end

    if self:is_running() then
      logger:info(string.format([[serf ..............%s]], str_cmd_args))

      -- Auto-Join nodes
      local ok, err = self:_autojoin(node_name)
      if not ok then
        return nil, err
      end

      -- Adding node to nodes table
      return self:_add_node()
    else
      -- Get last error message
      local parts = stringy.split(IO.read_file(self._log_path), "\n")
      return nil, "Could not start serf: "..string.gsub(parts[#parts - 1], "==> ", "")
    end
  else
    return nil, res
  end
end

function Serf:invoke_signal(signal, args, no_rpc, skip_running_check)
  if not skip_running_check and not self:is_running() then
    return nil, SERVICE_NAME.." is not running"
  end

  local cmd, err = self:_get_cmd()
  if err then
    return nil, err
  end

  if not args then args = {} end
  setmetatable(args, require "kong.tools.printable")
  local res, code = IO.os_execute(cmd.." "..signal.." "..(no_rpc and "" or "-rpc-addr="..self._configuration.cluster_listen_rpc).." "..tostring(args), true)
  if code == 0 then
    return res
  else
    return false, res
  end
end

function Serf:event(t_payload)
  local args = {
    ["-coalesce"] = false,
    ["-rpc-addr"] = self._configuration.cluster_listen_rpc
  }
  setmetatable(args, require "kong.tools.printable")

  local encoded_payload = cjson.encode(t_payload)
  if string.len(encoded_payload) > 512 then
    -- Serf can't send a payload greater than 512 bytes
    return false, "Encoded payload is "..string.len(encoded_payload).." and it exceeds the limit of 512 bytes!"
  end

  return self:invoke_signal("event "..tostring(args).." kong", {"'"..encoded_payload.."'", "&"}, true)
end

function Serf:stop()
  logger:info("Leaving cluster..")
  local _, err = self:invoke_signal("leave")
  if err then
    return false, err
  else
    -- Remove the node from the datastore.
    -- This is useful when this is the only node running in the cluster.
    self._dao_factory.nodes:delete({
      name = cluster_utils.get_node_identifier(self._configuration)
    })

    -- Finally stop Serf
    Serf.super.stop(self, true)
  end
end

return Serf

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsThe Memo: Mueller's depictions will fuel Trump angst Collins: Mueller report includes 'an unflattering portrayal' of Trump Trump frustrated with aides who talked to Mueller MORE recently visited El Salvador and congratulated our government on the arrest and prosecution of hundreds of MS-13 gang members. MS-13 originated in the United States, but the gang also has strong ties to El Salvador and other countries. As the foreign minister of El Salvador, I participated in the meetings with Sessions and also recently met with Vice President Mike Pence Michael (Mike) Richard PencePence: Mueller report confirms 'no collusion, no obstruction' Melania Trump, Karen Pence say they're ready to serve four more years in White House The Turkish rupture could cause a fissure in NATO MORE at the Conference for Prosperity and Security in Central America, in Miami.
I am hopeful this is the beginning of even closer cooperation between our countries, not just in combatting the deadly threat of MS-13, but on a wide range of immigration and security issues that matter to the United States.
El Salvador is ready to do more to support these shared objectives. This includes continuing to arrest and prosecute MS-13 gang members in El Salvador, creating specialized units and jails for holding MS-13 gang members who are criminal deportees, addressing the cause of emigration from El Salvador by improving economic prospects, and cooperating to prevent the transport of illegal drugs across our borders.
In return, we hope the U.S. will recognize how far we have come since the end of El Salvador's civil war 25 years ago. We have established a multiparty democracy, improved government efficiency, supported privatization initiatives and implemented a U.S. backed security plan. We were the first country to join the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which has removed trade barriers and boosted trade with the United States. Notably, the U.S. has a trade surplus with El Salvador of $466 million, supplying us with nearly 40 percent of our imports.
The U.S.-El Salvador relationship is mutually beneficial. Pence reaffirmed the solid ties that unite our two nations when I met with him in June. He emphasized his appreciation for El Salvador's commitment to the Alliance for Prosperity, which supports new programs to prevent money laundering, strengthens policing, reforms the judiciary and encourages foreign investment in partnership with the other two members of the Northern Triangle, Guatemala and Honduras. This alliance is imbued with the foresight that the security of the U.S. is intertwined with that of Central America. In the vice president's words, we must work together to create "conditions for shared security and economic growth across the hemisphere."
To that end, we are ready to do more to help address U.S. concerns about irregular immigration. This includes our willingness to take further action to prevent migration and to accept migrants who are in the U.S. irregularly when they are deported. We recognize the U.S. interest in preventing irregular migration. In furtherance of that goal, we believe that it would be a mistake for the U.S. to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans. I am referring to the program that enables approximately 190,000 Salvadoran migrants — many of whom fled El Salvador after devastating earthquakes — to remain in the U.S. legally.
TPS has a number of benefits for both of our countries. First, the program allows a small portion of Salvadorans to stay in the U.S. legally, as long as they continue to comply with U.S. laws. Second, it ensures that these persons who remain are documented and respectful of U.S. law. Third, El Salvadoran legal immigrants, including those who are in TPS, are part of the backbone of American commerce, including in the service, agriculture, and construction sectors. Fourth, ending TPS will be catastrophic for El Salvador's economy because it will add more deportees to the ranks of the unemployed and eliminate the remittances, which support many families in El Salvador. Receiving deportees that our developing economy cannot sustain could destabilize the Northern Triangle and our economy. This could in turn lead lesser-skilled Salvadorans to migrate illegally to the U.S. to escape worsening conditions and more limited opportunities in El Salvador.
We ask the U.S. to work with us toward a solution that is a win-win for both countries by permitting our TPS participants to remain, as they have always been, a hard-working community and one that is respectful of the laws and values of the United States.
We have already made great strides to address irregular migration by investing an additional $3 billion, along with our Northern Triangle neighbors, in security, education, improvement of the business climate and the strengthening of our institutions. We have also increased our coordination and cooperation with the U.S. Southern Command, and with various law enforcement and intelligence agencies, to address other regional threats to security.
My government is committed to these beneficial partnerships with the U.S. in furtherance of our shared security, immigration and economic objectives.


text:
Afghanistan calls back ambassador, senior diplomats from Pakistan after envoy's daughter's abduction
Dawn.com | Naveed SiddiquiPublished July 18, 2021
An Afghan delegation will visit Pakistan soon to assess and follow up on the case, the Afghan foreign ministry said. — File
Afghanistan on Sunday called back its ambassador and senior diplomats from Pakistan after the brief "kidnapping" of the Afghan envoy's daughter in Islamabad.
"Following the abduction of the Afghan ambassador's daughter in Pakistan, the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan called back Afghanistan's ambassador and senior diplomats from Pakistan until all security threats are addressed including the arrest and trial of the perpetrators of abduction," the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said an Afghan delegation will visit Pakistan soon to assess and follow up on the case and "all related issues", adding that "subsequent actions will follow based on the findings".
Ambassador Najibullah Alikhil's daughter, Silsila, was abducted from Islamabad's commercial hub by unidentified persons on Friday who also subjected her to torture.
She was returning home in the afternoon in a taxi after visiting a bakery in Islamabad's Blue Area when the driver picked up another man, who verbally abused and assaulted her. She was later dropped in an unconscious condition by the taxi driver on a roadside.
Her medical report confirmed that she had been physically assaulted.
Afghanistan's First Vice President Amrullah Saleh in a tweet said President Ashraf Ghani had issued instructions to recall the diplomats.
"The abduction of Afghan ambassador's daughter & her subsequent torture has wounded the psyche of our nation. Our national psyche has been tortured," he said.
The Foreign Office in a statement termed the Afghan government's decision to recall its ambassador and diplomats as "unfortunate and regrettable".  It said the reported abduction and assault of the envoy's daughter was being investigated and followed up "at the highest level" on the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
"The security of the ambassador, his family and personnel of the Embassy and Consulates of Afghanistan in Pakistan has been further beefed up," it added.
The FO said the foreign secretary had met the Afghan ambassador today, highlighted all the steps taken by the government regarding the matter, and re-assured him of full cooperation.
"We hope that the Government of Afghanistan would reconsider its decision," it stated.
After the incident came to light, Prime Minister Imran had directed Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid to utilise all resources to apprehend the culprits involved in the kidnapping.
Earlier on Sunday, the interior minister told a press conference that the taxi drivers who drove the Afghan ambassador's daughter before her abduction had been interrogated and a first information report had been registered.
"I want to inform the international media that the police is investigating the report of the Afghan ambassador's daughter issue ... and we have registered a case on her request under [Sections] 34 (common intent), 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the PPC (Pakistan Penal Code)," Rashid said.
He said the interviews of the trio of taxi drivers whose cars Silsila had sat in had been recorded. Rashid revealed that the first driver had driven the envoy's daughter to Khadda Market, a second had then driven her to Rawalpindi, and a third had driven her from Daman-i-Koh.
The minister said footage of her trip from Rawalpindi to Daman-i-Koh was missing and the matter was under investigation. He said the "riddle" would be solved by the evening and all aspects of the case would be unearthed.
Pak Afghan Ties
Afghan envoy's daughter not abducted, it is an 'international racket' led by RAW: Sheikh Rashid
Arrest kidnappers of Afghan envoy's daughter in 48 hours, orders PM
'Disappointed': PM Imran tells Ashraf Ghani unfair to blame Pakistan for Afghanistan situation
Mehak Gulab
Apt.
ILYAS KHAN
planted drama, but present days of Kabul Municipality are numbered
Unsafe place
Ilyas
Look who is calling back it's ambassadors?
Best news ever they shouldn't be allowed to come back
Doctor Muneeb
Take you 3 million afghans with you
No need to return as new sheriff is in town.
Skeptic 2
Afghanistan is aware of the tactics of Pakistani establishment.
It appears that they were looking for an excuse to pull the ambassador out. I now firmly believe that the abduction story was a hoax.
M Shoaib Adil
Please ask them to also call back their general public.
I honestly didn't know Afghanistan has ambassador in Pakistan.
Tumgan Dulogho
Don't think anything else needs to be said when the Interior Minister says .."..the police is investigating the report of the Afghan ambassador's daughter issue ... "! Shows the sincerity or the lack of it! Shameful!
Akil Akhtar
Never trust the Afghans...I know many of them here in Australia and yet to find one who you can trust and believe....
US and West are watching....
G H A L I B J E E E
Please don't allow them to come back. And ask them to take their refuges back also.
Vijay B.
Wasn't this not an expected outcome? Have the two culprits in the last taxi ride arrested yet?
Saif Zulfiqar
Alongwith diplomats, Afghanistan should call back all the Afghans from Pakistan.
@Tumgan Dulogho, This is the first abduction in the history of abductions, where the abductors handed over the phone to the abducted when they let her go.
The so called "Diplomats" should also take with the millions of refugees which they brought in the last 2 decades....
Jul 19, 2021 01:37pm
Obviously, no sense of diplomacy in the poorly trained ambassador of the poorest senseless nation of the world.
Please ask them to Call back their Refugees also immediately
Anti-Corruption_Pakistani
I am not surprised, as Afghanistan's ambassador left the country because of his fake kidnap drama have been exposed and he couldn't face further embarrassment. A shameful preplanned act by a worried government.
Hamza Khan
@Vijay B., you guys have enough toilets for the masses yet?
Not a very intelligent action on the part of the Afghan intelligence and its sponsors


Roel's World Blog » Pitch Inflation - The Analogue Loudness War?
PITCH INFLATION … THE ANALOGUE LOUDNESS WAR?
If you know a little about "pitch inflation" and about the "loudness war", then you might see similarities in the effect they have on music.
The "pitch inflation" (the rise of the pitch levels used in music) is said to have started by instrumentalists competing with each other, each attempting to produce a brighter, more "brilliant" sound, and/or appear to sound 'louder' than that of their "rivals".
The "Loudness War" is said to have started when music producers and sound engineers wanted to make their music sound more powerful then that of their competitors when played on the radio and in clubs and bars.
In both cases attempts were/are made to 'outshout', to 'stand out' sonically in comparison with the other musicians and/or music productions. In the case of 'Pitch Inflation' this is done at the source (instrument), in the case of the "Loudness War" this is done during "post production". Both with the 'Pitch Inflation' and Equalizing (Loudness War signal processing technique) and the 'Pitch Inflation' the pitch of the sound and the timbre of the instruments could change. A Pitch change by inflation is wanted, unlike with Equalizing where in general not the pitch but a change timbre is the goal. The usage of a compressor does not change the pitch, but could have a slight effect on the timbre of the to compress sound(s).
Due to the various similarities between 'Pitch Inflation' and the 'Loudness War', you could say that the Pitch Inflation is like an Analogue Pre-Production Loudness Tool.
"Pitch inflation" is the rise of the pitch levels used in music. In string instruments, when tuned up, they actually sound objectively brighter because the higher string tension results in larger amplitudes for the harmonics. But also with other acoustic instruments a change of pitch might effect the "timbre" of the instrument. The change of pitch causes a shift in tone frequency relatively to the formant range(s) – a range or a set of harmonics frequencies with an absolute or relative maximum in the sound spectrum – characteristic for the instrument's design and build. This consequently may effect the resonance and sympathetic resonance of the instrument. A change of pitch generates a shift in the loudness of the exact frequencies generated.
The Concert pitch or pitch reference has varied throughout music history, from A4=400Hz (according to various sources even lower) and A4=457Hz.
Read more information about Harmonics, Overtones, Formants, Timbre and Sympathetic Resonance.
The loudness war refers to the trend of increasing audio levels in recorded music. Increasing loudness (the characteristic of a sound that is primarily a psycho-physiological correlate of amplitude) is generally seen as used as early as the 1940s, with respect to mastering practices for 7″ singles.
Once the maximum amplitude of a sound medium is reached, loudness can be increased more with signal processing techniques such as dynamic range compression and equalization. In 1915 George Ashley Campbell, working at AT&T, persuaded electrical reactance to be repurposed as audio resonance, inventing the essential building block of EQ: the L-C circuit (inductor and capacitor). Variable equalization in audio reproduction was first used by John Volkman working at RCA in the 1920s. The world's first dynamic compressor was the Telefunken U3, designed in the early 1930s. Engineers can apply an increasingly high ratio of compression to a recording until it more frequently peaks at the maximum amplitude. The recorded material thus sounds overall "louder".
Home » Blog » Tuning Frequency » Blog » Pitch Inflation – The Analogue Loudness War?


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Part of HuffPost Entertainment. ©2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved.
Culture & Artsbaltimore museum of artpaul ruckerrewind art exhibition
Artist Paul Rucker Is Taking Back The Racist Symbols Of America's Past
"This show is about American history repeating itself over and over again."
Katherine Brooks
Deputy Enterprise Editor, Culture, HuffPost
Oct 2, 2015, 08:39 AM EDT | Updated Aug 15, 2017
Birth of a Nation Project: a recast of KKK robes in Kente, camouflage, white satin, and other fabrics. For the year 2015, Rucker is creating at least one new Ku Klux Klan robe a week.
Ra Rah
Step inside the Baltimore Museum of Art this fall and you could find yourself face to face with a crowd of seven-foot mannequins dressed head to toe in Ku Klux Klan robes.
Of course, they are not your average white hoods. The robes are made from patterns like Kente cloth and camouflage fabric, turning the ghost-like memory of a KKK uniform into a chilling, anachronistic image. Unlike the black-and-white photos of Grand Wizards buried in American history books, these vibrant costumes force the horror of racism in the United States into the present moment. Standing before the imposing statues, you can't ignore they're there.
The carefully crafted robes are one piece of a larger installation currently on view, courtesy of conceptual artist Paul Rucker. The multimedia show is titled "Rewind," an apt name for an installation "about American history repeating itself over and over again." From Kente cloth Klan robes to reimagined postcards of lynchings to celestial maps that document the proliferation of the American prison industrial complex, Rucker's show is a jarring look back on the bits of U.S. history that predate acts of contemporary brutality ― for example, the death of Baltimore resident Freddie Gray.
"Rewind" is "my life's work," Baltimore-based Rucker told The Huffington Post in a phone interview. He says he's been documenting police violence and incarceration since April 29, 1992, the day the police officers on trial for the beating of Rodney King were acquitted. That day was also Rucker's 24th birthday.
Rucker's first major piece, "Proliferation," was completed during a residency at the Blue Mountain Center in New York in 2009. He had come across a series of maps that helped illuminate an overwhelming statistic ― that the incarcerated population in the U.S. consists of a staggering 2.3 million people. Rucker transformed this information into a 10-minute video that shows the physical proliferation of prisons across our country. "It's been viewed 10,000 times," he said, "which is not as much as a cat playing piano, but I'm happy people are seeing it."
While much of Rucker's work revolves around the current American prison system, and how it's morphed into a profitable and powerful economy of its own, he's very much invested in the artifacts of the past. He's managed to collect a Confederate $100 bill featuring images of slaves, a copy of a book entitled White Supremacy and Negro Subordination and a copy of the 1860 census. A newspaper that accompanies the "Rewind" exhibition is filled with anecdotes from the 19th century, when slavery reigned as another viable economic system.
For Rucker, the ultimate goal of "Rewind" is to "create a starting point for an informed discussion," one that connects our past to our present. Specifically, one that connects the current reality of incarceration with the former practice of slavery. One piece in particular, "When Black Lives Mattered," consists of a branding iron once used on runaway slaves. "Black lives mattered back then because cotton sales equalled $200 million in 1860 alone. That would be around $5 billion today," Rucker said.
"Storm in a Time of Shelter," 2015: "For this piece, I re-imagined Ku Klux Klan robes from my memories of rallies growing up in the South. The centerpiece is a charred cross inscribed with hymns that were common in my childhood. Some of these were sung by the KKK, such as 'The Old Rugged Cross.' A well-known photo easily found online shows a toddler dressed in a Klan robe, face-to-face with a black state trooper. It made me ponder the learned aspects of fear, faith, hatred, and love."
"I have these whistle boxes," he continued, referencing yet another component of his work that brings then and now together. "They're made from custom speakers. And these boxes whistle every 67 minutes." The sound is meant to mimic the whistle 14-year-old Emmett Till reportedly directed at a white woman named Carolyn Bryant in 1955. Till was eventually murdered by relatives of Bryant, who beat and tortured him before depositing his body in a river. The 67 minutes is meant to represent the time it took the jury to acquit Till's killers.
"These are the things that our parents don't tell us about," Rucker adds. "A lot of history is not taught in school, because there is shame on all sides. We're not taught to think as much as we're taught to be 'good citizens.' We're not taught to ask questions or challenge, because challenging preconceived ideas is hard, especially if it challenges why we have what we have."
We can't talk about solutions before we talk about the past. We have to ask: How did we get here?
"When Black Lives Mattered," 2015: An 18th Century branding iron used on runaway slaves.100% cotton pillow with down fill.
Part of the reason Rucker was intent on including KKK robes in his show is because, in his opinion, there is a lack of Klan artifacts in major institutions, save for places like the Smithsonian. His robes not only stand to remind us of a significant aspect of the American story, but they also serve to reappropriate symbols of historic racism. "If I cannot claim the words and symbols of those who killed and oppressed and make them my own," Rucker explained, "then I will turn them into an object of curiosity at least."
In the past, it's been difficult for the artist to secure funding for his work on issues surrounding incarceration. Rucker is quick to thank the curators and staff at the Baltimore Museum for supporting his provocative work, also noting the importance of the Baker Foundation. Rucker received the Baker Artist Award earlier this year, an accolade that comes with a $25,000 bonus that has helped bring "Rewind" to life.
"I think in order for museums to remain relevant and have a broader reach, it's important that they reflect what's going on in the community," Rucker concluded, noting that a Confederate monument still stands across the street from the museum.
"You know, the Freddie Gray trial is happening here, and there's huge disparity in Baltimore as far as opportunity and selective enforcement of the law. And we're asking, how can we move forward as a community? For any institution, especially a cultural institution, to remain relevant, they need to able to speak to all of the community. And the Baltimore Museum does a great job."
"Rewind" is on view at the Baltimore Museum of Art until Nov. 15, 2015 as part of the Baker Artist Awards 2014 & 2015 exhibition. Full credits for the various animators and craftsmen who helped bring the multimedia installation together are available here.
View more images from the exhibition below.
baltimore museum of artpaul ruckerrewind art exhibition
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text:
UK and U.S. Privacy Shield Guidance on Brexit
William RM Long and Jasmine Agyekum
European Union, GDPR, International, Privacy Shield
In light of the UK's possible departure from the European Union (EU), currently scheduled for October 31, 2019 ("Exit Day"), the UK Government has passed the Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) (No.2) Regulations 2019 ("Regulations") which enter into force immediately before Exit Day.
Second Annual Review of Privacy Shield Continues to Call for Improvements; White House Nominates Privacy Shield Ombudsperson
William RM Long and Francesca Blythe
Enforcement, GDPR, International, Policy, Privacy Shield
In December 2018, the European Commission published its report on the second annual review of the EU-US Privacy Shield (the "Report"). The Report concluded that the Privacy Shield "continues to ensure an adequate level of protection" for personal data transferred from the EU to the US. However, the Commission did identify a number of recommendations from the first annual review which still required implementation including the appointment by the US of a permanent ombudsperson to oversee complaints. To date, the U.S. has only appointed an interim ombudsperson (Manisha Singh). In the first annual review, the Commission did not set a deadline for the appointment. However, the latest review required an appointee to be identified by 28 February 2019 failing which the Commission will "consider taking appropriate measures."
Transfers of Personal Data from the EU to the U.S. in the Event of a Brexit 'No-Deal'
Alan Charles Raul, William RM Long, Geraldine Scali and Jasmine Agyekum
Enforcement, European Union, International, Legislation, Policy, Privacy Shield
The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield ("Privacy Shield") enables the free-flow of personal data from the European Economic Area ("EEA") to the U.S. Under the Privacy Shield, U.S. participant organisations commit to adhering to Privacy Shield principles, which include accountability for the onward transfer of personal data after receiving such data from EEA organisations, data integrity obligations and purpose limitations with respect to the personal data transferred. Privacy Shield participant organisations are also required to develop and maintain a Privacy Shield-compliant privacy policy which informs individuals of the organisation's practices and procedures when handling personal data and explains the independent recourse mechanisms in place for individuals to address complaints with respect to the processing of their personal data. (more…)
European Lawmakers Call on the EU to Suspend the EU-U.S. 'Data Transfer' Privacy Shield
Cameron F. Kerry, William RM Long, Colleen Theresa Brown, Eleanor Dodding and Jasmine Agyekum
European Union, GDPR, General, International, Legislation, Policy, Privacy Shield
On 11 June 2018, members of a Committee within the European parliament ("MEPs") narrowly voted in favour of suspending the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield ("Privacy Shield"), an agreement that facilitates the transfer of personal data of EU data subjects to the U.S., unless the U.S. government fully complies with the Privacy Shield data protection requirements by 1 September 2018. Although the resolution is only a draft and has no legal effect, it reflects continued European concerns surrounding Privacy Shield. (more…)
Singapore Joins APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules System and Privacy Recognition for Processors Program
John M. Casanova, Cameron F. Kerry, Nicholas Seng and Yuet Ming Tham
APEC, Asia, Enforcement, European Union, International, Policy, Privacy Shield
On March 6, 2018, Singapore announced that it has joined the APEC Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) system as well as the APEC Privacy Recognition for Processors (PRP) program. Singapore is the sixth member of the CBPR system, which includes Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico and the United States, and is the second member of the PRP program after the US. (more…)
Movement on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)
Christopher Fonzone, Kate Heinzelman, Cameron F. Kerry and Alan Charles Raul
Cybersecurity, European Union, Information Security, International, Legislation, National Security, Policy, Privacy Shield
Following months of intense debate, an attempted filibuster, and close votes in both the House and Senate, Congress last week finally extended Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).


text:
package cn.soon.internal.loader;

import android.content.Context;
import android.database.Cursor;
import android.database.MatrixCursor;
import android.database.MergeCursor;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.provider.MediaStore;
import android.support.v4.content.CursorLoader;

import cn.soon.internal.entity.Album;
import cn.soon.internal.entity.SelectionSpec;

/**
 * Load all albums (grouped by bucket_id) into a single cursor.
 */
public class AlbumLoader extends CursorLoader {
    public static final String COLUMN_COUNT = "count";
    private static final Uri QUERY_URI = MediaStore.Files.getContentUri("external");
    private static final String[] COLUMNS = {
            MediaStore.Files.FileColumns._ID,
            "bucket_id",
            "bucket_display_name",
            MediaStore.MediaColumns.DATA,
            COLUMN_COUNT};
    private static final String[] PROJECTION = {
            MediaStore.Files.FileColumns._ID,
            "bucket_id",
            "bucket_display_name",
            MediaStore.MediaColumns.DATA,
            "COUNT(*) AS " + COLUMN_COUNT};

    // === params for showSingleMediaType: false ===
    private static final String SELECTION =
            "(" + MediaStore.Files.FileColumns.MEDIA_TYPE + "=?"
                    + " OR "
                    + MediaStore.Files.FileColumns.MEDIA_TYPE + "=?)"
                    + " AND " + MediaStore.MediaColumns.SIZE + ">0"
                    + ") GROUP BY (bucket_id";
    private static final String[] SELECTION_ARGS = {
            String.valueOf(MediaStore.Files.FileColumns.MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE),
            String.valueOf(MediaStore.Files.FileColumns.MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO),
    };
    // =============================================

    // === params for showSingleMediaType: true ===
    private static final String SELECTION_FOR_SINGLE_MEDIA_TYPE =
            MediaStore.Files.FileColumns.MEDIA_TYPE + "=?"
                    + " AND " + MediaStore.MediaColumns.SIZE + ">0"
                    + ") GROUP BY (bucket_id";

    private static String[] getSelectionArgsForSingleMediaType(int mediaType) {
        return new String[]{String.valueOf(mediaType)};
    }
    // =============================================

    private static final String BUCKET_ORDER_BY = "datetaken DESC";

    private AlbumLoader(Context context, String selection, String[] selectionArgs) {
        super(context, QUERY_URI, PROJECTION, selection, selectionArgs, BUCKET_ORDER_BY);
    }

    public static CursorLoader newInstance(Context context) {
        String selection;
        String[] selectionArgs;
        if (SelectionSpec.getInstance().onlyShowImages()) {
            selection = SELECTION_FOR_SINGLE_MEDIA_TYPE;
            selectionArgs = getSelectionArgsForSingleMediaType(MediaStore.Files.FileColumns.MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE);
        } else if (SelectionSpec.getInstance().onlyShowVideos()) {
            selection = SELECTION_FOR_SINGLE_MEDIA_TYPE;
            selectionArgs = getSelectionArgsForSingleMediaType(MediaStore.Files.FileColumns.MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO);
        } else {
            selection = SELECTION;
            selectionArgs = SELECTION_ARGS;
        }
        return new AlbumLoader(context, selection, selectionArgs);
    }

    @Override
    public Cursor loadInBackground() {
        Cursor albums = super.loadInBackground();
        MatrixCursor allAlbum = new MatrixCursor(COLUMNS);
        int totalCount = 0;
        String allAlbumCoverPath = "";
        if (albums != null) {
            while (albums.moveToNext()) {
                totalCount += albums.getInt(albums.getColumnIndex(COLUMN_COUNT));
            }
            if (albums.moveToFirst()) {
                allAlbumCoverPath = albums.getString(albums.getColumnIndex(MediaStore.MediaColumns.DATA));
            }
        }
        allAlbum.addRow(new String[]{Album.ALBUM_ID_ALL, Album.ALBUM_ID_ALL, Album.ALBUM_NAME_ALL, allAlbumCoverPath,
                String.valueOf(totalCount)});

        return new MergeCursor(new Cursor[]{allAlbum, albums});
    }

    @Override
    public void onContentChanged() {
        // FIXME a dirty way to fix loading multiple times
    }
}


text:
Administration of public sector student loans
5.—(1) For paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 to the 1990 Order there shall be substituted—
"Public sector student loans: administration
3.—(1) Arrangements made with any person under Article 3(1) may in particular provide for—
(a)the making of public sector student loans by that person;
(b)the terms to be contained in the agreements for such loans, so far as not provided for by or under paragraph 1;
(c)the making of payments by the Department to that person for the purpose of enabling him to make such loans or otherwise in connection with such loans;
(d)the making of repayments by that person to the Department; and
(e)the provision by that person to the Department of reports with respect to the working of the arrangements.
(2) Any such arrangements may also provide for the appointment of an independent person approved by the Department with the function of investigating and reporting on disputes between persons borrowing or intending to borrow by way of public sector student loans and the person with whom the arrangements are made.".
(2) In paragraph 3A of Schedule 2 to the 1990 Order (circulars to minors), for the words in sub-paragraph (a) from "such person" to "paragraph 3(1)" there shall be substituted "person with whom arrangements have been made under Article 3(1)".
(3) In paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the 1990 Order (restriction on disclosure of information), for sub-paragraph (1) there shall be substituted—
"(1) No person with whom arrangements have been made under Article 3(1) shall provide or make available to anyone else (whether for consideration or not) any information held in connection with public sector student loans if the information is to be used for soliciting custom for goods or services.".
(4) Where any arrangements made with an existing lender under Article 3(1) of the 1990 Order were in force immediately before the coming into operation of this Article, then until such time as they are replaced by arrangements made in accordance with paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 to the 1990 Order as amended by paragraph (1) above—
(a)the arrangements shall continue to have effect as if made in accordance with paragraph 3 of that Schedule as so amended;
(b)existing paragraph 3(2) and (6) shall continue to have effect in relation to the existing lender and any public sector student loans made by him; and
(c)in relation to any time when Article 4 is not in operation, existing paragraph 3(4) shall also continue to have effect.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (4)—
(a)"existing lender" means a person or body falling within existing paragraph 3(1);
(b)any reference to an "existing" provision is a reference to that provision of Schedule 2 to the 1990 Order as in operation immediately before the coming into operation of this Article.