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Shanghai Art
Shanghai Art Fair 2016 (20th), as Aisas celebrated art exchange with long history and high internationalization degree, will be grandly held from Nov.3-6 at Shanghai World EXPO Exhibition & Convention Center, continuing the scale as before, presenting domestic and overseas collectors a gorgeous art event in Shanghai as well.
Shanghai Art Fair, established in 1997, has been successfully held under the support of Saulterretimized art event, which not only bridged the gap between worldwide and Shanghai, public and art, but also shaped a paradigm for the domestic art fairs.
More than 20 countries and areas art galleries, organizations, agencies participated in this lively art exchange during the past dozen years. Many original artworks from the world-class masters, such as Picasso, Rembrandt, Chagall, Dali, Renoir, Monet, Zhu Dequn, Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, Zhang Daqian, made the debut in China or Asia through the great stage established by Shanghai Art Fair. Number of spectators was around 60000 persons, turnover of 2013 exceeded one hundred and forty million yuan. Meanwhile, Shanghai art Fair creates a proud history of the transaction:
SAF 2000: The most spectacular one is Rodin"s sculpture called, The Thinker, brought by Sayegh Gallery (France), which was purchased at the price of $1, 000, 000 by Pudong Lianyang Land Development Company and set in Shanghai forever. This has been the biggest overseas transaction in Shanghai Art Fair.
SAF 2002: Another sculpture, called Cesar"s Thumb, was collected at the price of 2, 600, 000 RMB by Shanghai Zendai Group.
SAF 2003: One of Zhang Daqian"s paintings was sold at 5, 500, 000 RMB, which became the highlight of the fair.
SAF 2007: Saulterres Series of Angel was collected by Jingan Sculpture Park at a high price
Peter Denger, the famous curator of Basel Art Fair which is called Olympic in art, once gave Shanghai Art Fair a high rating "It"s a great international art fair with bright future".
It is believed that Shanghai Art Fair will continue leading Asian art market under the support of art lovers and collectors.
Shanghai Art Biennale
Shanghai Art Channel "Colorful people" Ident (5) (2011)
SHANGHAI ART EXHIBITION 2006
Int movie
Melbourne Beer Festival
Melbourne Street Party
Melbourne Food and Wine Show
Wine and Food Festival Melbourne


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On The Set
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Kuffs
Kuffs is a story of humor, love, smuggling and murder. George Kuffs, an irresponsible 21-year-old, leaves his pregnant girlfriend. He goes to San Francisco to visit his brother, Brad, with the intention of borrowing some money so that he can go to Brazil to pan for gold, and escape his responsibilities. Brad is a Special Patrol Officer who "owns" a district in San Francisco. These districts are owned by private citizens who each set up a Special Patrol to stop crime in their communities. The Special Patrol is funded by donations from the residents. When George arrives in the city he takes his brother out to dinner. After they leave the restaurant Brad stops in a church before starting his shift, as is his custom. While George is waiting outside, Kane, a hired hood, goes into the church and kills Brad. George runs in and sees the killer standing over the body, but when the police arrive, there is nothing they can hold Kane on, as it is George's word against Kane's. After Brad's funeral George discovers that his brother has left him the district. Now George, in his own bungling fashion, takes over as boss of the Special Patrol and heads out to avenge Brad's killer.
Starring: Christian Slater, Tony Goldwyn, Milla Jonovich and Bruce Boxleitner
Director(s): Bruce Evans
Producer(s): DeLaurentiis Productions
Screenwriter(s): Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon
Distributor: Universal City Studios
Animal Coordinator: Unknown
Release Date: Monday, October 21, 1991
Featured Animal Action
During one scene George breaks into a Chinese laundry with a borrowed St. Bernard police dog. He opens a side window that leads to a laundry chute. The dog goes in first, sliding down the chute into a laundry bin full of clothes, which cushions his landing, and the bin rolls a short distance across the floor. The dog had been trained to slide down the chute (approximately five feet) and sit in the laundry bin, which was being held steady by the trainer off camera. When the dog is sitting in the moving laundry bin, it is being moved by the trainer from behind the bin to make it appear as if the dog's momentum caused the move. Once inside of the laundry the dog sniffs out some stolen art work. As George is looking at the paintings, four hoods enter, gag George, tie him to a chair, and place a bomb next to him. George's friend Ted, a bumbling policeman, comes looking for George. He discovers that George is inside the building when he hears the dog howling. Ted goes into the laundry and has just enough time to untie George before the bomb goes off. Ted, George and the dog jump through a plate glass window and escape just before the explosion. The plate glass window was candy glass. A stuntman jumped through the window and the dog followed after the stuntman while being called by his trainer off camera. The dog does not actually break through the candy glass.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Interest levels in soccer in the USA have taken off, especially since the FIFA World Cup of 2014 in Brazil. An astounding total of 3,429,873 people attended the 64 matches. As a result, soccer is becoming an even more profitable business and utilizing a soccer field enclosure can boost revenues considerably.
From youth soccer programs and private fitness facilities to colleges and universities, a soccer field enclosure has become a sound business investment that brings a wide range of benefits.
Here are four ways an Allsite Temporary Fabric Structure (TFS) can be a benefit, all of which not only increase enjoyment for players but also make great business sense.
#1. A soccer field enclosure means no more playing in the rain.
Nobody likes playing soccer in the rain, but this is not just about comfort and convenience for players. This is about safety. When your facility is safe, that translates into more members or more soccer clubs who may want to use your field.
Keep your players safe by having them play and practice in an indoor controlled environment. We bet the parents and fans will be grateful too.
Slipping on wet grass during a match can mean pulled muscles, stress fractures and most commonly: knee injuries like a torn meniscus. Meniscus tears can occur when soccer players twist or pivot the knee unexpectedly, tearing the cartilage in the knee. Playing on dry turf under a soccer field enclosure can help prevent this common cause of soccer injuries.
Players will still have to warm up and exercise caution, no matter what the field conditions might be.
#2. Indoor soccer fields attract students/members to your facility.
If you are a college or university competing for college athletes or even just regular students who want a great gym, an indoor soccer facility is a huge draw. Online ratings of the country's best college gyms inevitably list campus fitness facilities that feature a soccer field enclosure.
#3. An indoor facility means soccer games can happen all year 'round.
Whether you are in the sports facility business or you work for a municipality that supports the community with a strong sports program, a soccer field enclosures means games can generally happen no matter what the weather might be throwing your way.
That means youth soccer can take place any time of year, during the brutal heat of summer or the frigid cold of winter. Allsite has a complete array of custom options, including ventilation and HVAC for those hot summer days.
In addition, Allsite's tensioned fabric design means even extremely high winds won't stop your game. The superior strength of our soccer field enclosures means you can install bleachers, a scoreboard, and speaker systems and the building can handle it all.
#4. Artificial turf means fewer injuries overall.
A study comparing injures suffered on a certain type of turf compared to grass showed a clear advantage of the turf when it came to injuries.
There is a common belief, based on outdated information and first generation turf technology that playing on turf is not as safe as playing on grass. That is no longer a given, with new turf technology and more studies showing an actual decrease in all sorts of injuries when games are played on new generations of turf.
When you have an indoor soccer enclosure fitted with the new generation turf, the players in your facility may experience less incidence of injury when it is hot outside, according to the study.
If sturdy and long lasting is on the list of things you need for your soccer field enclosure, Allsite's TFS can provide just that. It is an excellent solution for semi-permanent and long-term requirements.
As the popularity of soccer continues to spread, a soccer field enclosure can provide a cost-effective solution for leagues and teams.
Are you ready to ramp up your soccer program? Give us a call and we can tell you even more ways that a soccer field enclosure is great for business.
I didn't realize that turf can result in fewer injuries than grass. It would be nice if the city I lived in had more community soccer fields. I think it's a great way to bring people together and it's good at building a community up. It is cool to see more towns and city creating more.
Cameron, feel free to reach out if you have anyone that wants to cover their field!
You can enter your information Here.


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Home Lead Story Facebook Tigh...
Facebook Tightens Political Advertising to Prevent Foreign Interference ahead of EU Election
However, some EU politicians criticized the social media giant, saying the measures will make pan-European online campaigning harder
NewsGram Desk
FILE - An illustration shows a 3-D-printed Facebook logo placed on broken glass above a printed EU flag. VOA
Facebook said Friday it is further tightening requirements for European Union political advertising, in its latest efforts to prevent foreign interference and increase transparency ahead of the bloc's parliamentary elections.
However, some EU politicians criticized the social media giant, saying the measures will make pan-European online campaigning harder.
Under the new rules, people, parties and other groups buying political ads will have to confirm to Facebook that they are located in the same EU country as the Facebook users they are targeting.
That's on top of a previously announced requirement for ad buyers to confirm their identities. It means advertisements aimed at voters across the EU's 28 countries will have to register a person in each of those nations.
Under the new rules, people, parties and other groups buying political ads will have to confirm to Facebook that they are located in the same EU country as the Facebook users they are targeting. Pixabay
"It's a disgrace that Facebook doesn't see Europe as an entity and appears not to care about the consequences of undermining European democracy," Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the parliament's liberal ALDE group, said on Twitter. "Limiting political campaigns to one country is totally the opposite of what we want."
The response underscores the balancing act for Silicon Valley tech companies as they face pressure from EU authorities to do more to prevent their platforms being used by outside groups, including Russia, to meddle in the May elections. Hundreds of millions of people are set to vote for more than 700 EU parliamentary lawmakers.
Facebook, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, said it will start blocking ads that don't comply in mid-April.
The company will ask ad buyers to submit documents and use technical checks to verify their identity and location.
Facebook statement
"We recognize that some people can try and work around any system but we are confident this will be a real barrier for anyone thinking of using our ads to interfere in an election from outside of a country," Richard Allen, Facebook's vice president of global policy solutions, said in a blog post.
Facebook, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, said it will start blocking ads that don't comply in mid-April. VOA
Facebook said earlier this year that EU political ads will carry "paid for by" disclaimers. Clicking the label will reveal more detailed information such as how much money was spent on the ad, how many people saw it, and their age, gender and location.
ALSO READ: Facebook Introduces New Tools to Protect EU Polls
The ad transparency rules have already been rolled out in the U.S., Britain, Brazil, India, Ukraine and Israel. Facebook will expand them globally by the end of June.
Twitter and Google have introduced similar political ad requirements.
Facebook is also making improvements to a database that stores ads for seven years, including widening access so that election regulators and watchdog groups can analyze political or issue ads. (VOA)
facebook election policy
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Off-Facebook Activity


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Оберстдорф () — торгова громада на півдні Німеччини у баварському районі Верхній Альгой, лижний курорт в Баварських Альпах.

З містечка відкривається вид на гори Небельгорн та Фельгорн. До вершини Небельгорну веде підйомник.  Місцевою віхою служить вершина церковного шпилю. Оберстдорф є найвищою торговою громадою в Німеччині.

Спорт
Трамплін Гайні Клопфера, до якого веде унікальний діагональний елеватор, перший із трамплінів, на яких щороку проводиться Турне чотирьох трамплінів.

На околиці міста збудований сучасний центр фігурного катання з трьома ковзанками, частково відкритими для публіки. У центрі проводиться щорічний турнір на приз Небельгорну. Станом на грудень 2010  у центрі 12 разів проходив чемпіонат Німеччини з фігурного катання, і тричі - юнацький чемпіонат світу.

Відомі люди
 Тут в 1945 р. похований Павло Петрович Скоропадський — український громадський, політичний діяч, військовик, гетьман Української Держави. Могила знаходиться на кладовищі Friedhof. Могила знаходиться біля огорожі цвинтаря ближче до вулиці Am Bannholz, на ній встановлено сірий кам'яний хрест. У основи хреста дві чорні дошки з іменами Павла та Олександри Скоропадських, а також Петра та Марії Скоропадських.

Галерея

Примітки

Посилання

 Офіційний сайт

Громади Баварії

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Tag Multiverse Con
Fiction Fragments: L. Marie Wood
August 21, 2020 August 21, 2020 Michelle R. Lane 1 Comment
Last week, I chatted with P. D. Cacek about what it means to be a NECON legend, and she gave some sound advice on writing a sequel. If you missed it, check it out.
This week, Girl Meets Monster welcomes award-winning horror writer L. Marie Wood. I've had very limited face-to-face interaction with her. I'm hoping to change that fact in the coming year, because I have so many more questions for her that go beyond the scope of Fiction Fragments.
L. Marie Wood is an award-winning author and screenwriter. She is the recipient of the Golden Stake Award and the Harold L. Brown Award for her fiction and screenplays. Her short story, "The Ever After" is part of the Bram Stoker Award Finalist anthology Sycorax's Daughters. Wood was recognized in The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, Vol. 15 and as one of the 100+ Black Women in Horror Fiction.
Her first two novels, Crescendo and The Promise Keeper are available as audiobooks, which is fun! The Promise Keeper's re-release is also scheduled for 2020. She's a member and mentor of the HWA, an officer in Diverse Writers and Artists of Speculative Fiction, and the programming director for the horror track at MultiverseCon.
Website: www.lmariewood.com
Twitter: @LMarieWood1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LMarieWood/
Three Questions
GMM: Welcome to Girl Meets Monster! Your involvement in the horror community goes way beyond writing fiction, and I wanted to highlight some of your different roles that support the work of other writers and help to educate people about the horror genre. Can you tell me about your roles within DWASF and MultiverseCon? How has the pandemic made your roles more difficult? What experiences have helped you in your role as an HWA writing mentor? What other ways are you supporting the work of horror writers?
LMW: I'm so excited to be a part of Girl Meets Monster! Thank you so much for letting me talk about some of things I am most passionate about. I am the Director of Curricula and Outreach at Diverse Writers and Artists of Speculative Fiction (DWASF), which allows me to pair my love of teaching with the genre I hold dear. I created the soon-to-be-launched horror fiction curriculum at DWASF and continue to find new and interesting ways to bring industry knowledge to diverse communities. Alongside horror, we will have science fiction and fantasy modules available in the future and we look forward to diving into the intricacies of world building and character development from unique genre perspectives. At MultiverseCon, I serve as the Director of Horror Track programming. This allows me to create panels that speak to real considerations in the genre – topics like writing strong female characters, accessibility, and LGBTQ+ representation in horror fiction hold court alongside how to build a better monster and horror antagonists in folklore. The conversations that come are invigorating, to say the least.
The pandemic has presented challenges, for sure. Not being able to gather in person has been difficult to navigate and will continue to impact things like conventions and signings. But we are all adjusting. MultiverseCon will be virtual this year and while that will be different than our inaugural event, different is kind of what we do. I look forward to the ways that MultiverseCon shows what it's made of as we navigate this pivot.
Being an HWA mentor was a natural next step for me. I am an English Professor and, at one point in my career, I created a taught an introduction to horror writing course. We explored the classic antagonists, the role that tone plays in the genre, the nuances of the many sub-genres. It was wonderful – I was absolutely in my element. At the same time, I write a lot. Stories, novels, novelettes, novellas, flash fiction, micro fiction. I did a stint as a freelance journalist. Did a little ghost writing. I used to write poetry and I still write screenplays. I've been writing psychological horror since I was a kid and doing so professionally for the better part of 20 years. I live and breathe this thing – I've learned a lot along the way and I still learn something new about what I do every day. So, when the opportunity to help an author get their footing presented itself, I jumped in with both feet and have not looked back.
What other ways am I supporting the work of horror writers? In short, I read. And then I talk with people about what I've read and encourage them to try it out too. As an author, I understand that to be the ultimate goal – to have someone read my work and enjoy it, be touched by it. So, I too am dedicated to that cause so that other authors – their dreams – can be realized. Sometimes I step outside my genre, serving as a sensitivity reader or as a line and/or developmental editor. Occasionally I host workshops for young writers. For all writers who are serious about their craft, I am a tireless cheerleader, a high-fiver, and a virtual hugger.
GMM: Tell me about winning the Golden Stake Award. What story won? Can you give a synopsis of the story? What do you think set your story apart from the other nominees? How cool was it winning an award for vampire fiction while attending The International Vampire Film and Arts Festival in London? Have you written other vampire fiction?
LMW: Winning the Golden Stake Award was nothing short of amazing. My novel, The Promise Keeper, won the award in 2019 – the 100th anniversary of Polidori's "The Vampyre"… the vampire tale that is credited with starting it all. It is the first vampire tale to be written in English; it was a product of the night of storytelling he shared with Mary Shelley and her husband, poet Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron where Mary Shelley famously wrote Frankenstein as he wrote this groundbreaking work – so this anniversary was an important moment in the genre. I remember thinking that I was just excited to be a part of it – me, with my unconventional vampire story about a young African girl who is swept into the world of the undead before she even understood who she was or the woman she could become – a female vampire who travels continents over centuries of time to outrun her destiny… to keep her promise. Over the course of the festival I met people who were familiar with vampire lore that I had never heard of before and exchanged ideas with people I am happy to call friends now. When my name was called, I almost missed it. I could not believe they were talking about me. The moment was so surreal. Here's the back-cover copy for The Promise Keeper:
A young girl, on the cusp of maturity, in what is now known as Benin, West Africa, is seduced by a beautiful stranger, a man the likes of which she has never seen before. Their encounter changes her forever. She runs, her travels taking her to Europe and the Caribbean over centuries to escape him. She finally settles in New York City, convinced that she has eluded him, until she falls in love.
When I did a reading the day before the awards ceremony, several people in the audience commented on the detail and description that I use in my writing and how it transplanted them from the space we shared together to the apartment where blood stained the bed. Perhaps the judges agreed – I don't know… all I know is that the trophy is literally a golden stake replete with a blood-stained tip. So incredibly awesome.
Yes, I have written more vampire fiction. Apparently, this is the antagonist I go for when I want to write something outside of my sub-genre (who knew?). My short story, "The Dance", about a chance encounter with a vampire at the club, will be part of Slay: Stories of the Vampire Noire from Mocha Memoirs Press later in 2020. I wrote a story years ago about a vampire who had to choose between love and need called "Baie Rouge". And the second book in my series, The Realm, may or may not have a vampire lurking in the shadows. The first book in the series comes out this year from Cedar Grove Publishing (exciting!), so part two is a little way off…. I guess that means I may need to write another vampire short story in the meantime.
GMM: How do you find balance with all of your roles as a writer, mentor, con organizer, and all of your other responsibilities? Do you have any advice for other writers, especially women of color, who are trying to write and publish, while attending school, and/or working a full-time job, and/or caring for a family? Do you find yourself saying yes to every project that comes your way, or have you learned to say no? Asking for a friend.
LMW: To be honest, I don't think about it. Let me say it differently. We all know people who drive miles and miles to get gas because it is cheaper across state lines – either we know that person or we are that person. As ridiculous as it might seem to that person and many others, I don't think about the price of gas or go hunting for cheaper. I need gas to drive. I need to drive to get where I want to go. So, I just buy it. Along those same lines, I need to write. I don't plot out time to do it, devise a schedule, set a word count, etc. I just do it or something related to it, like research or character development, because I have to. Just like I need to breathe to live.
Writers write.
When I had such debilitating writer's block that I couldn't string together a full sentence if it was even remotely frightening, I wrote gardening articles and community feel-goods until the block lifted (and boy did it take a loonnggg time – several years). Because I had to write something. Recognizing my drive helps me understand other people's needs. Someone needs a second eye on a piece they are excited about; panels need to be pinned down; edits are needed to help move someone's story forward – it sounds like a lot but all of these tasks are in the same family and they are associated with the thing that I greatly respect in others and recognize in myself as well – the burn. It's what makes us do what we do – it's what makes us push. I'll never get in the way of that.
1 a.m. is a great time to be productive.
My advice to writers who are trying to get it all done is to do exactly that. On the surface that doesn't sound helpful but let me explain. I did that very thing – I was working full time, writing, going to school, and had familial responsibilities all at the same time. And the burn that I mentioned before – the desire to be present in my home life, to earn well, to ace the class, to finish the story… to scratch the itch – I let it propel me every day. Sure, I got tired sometimes. Sure, it was hard. But there's nothing like coming out on the other side accomplished. There's nothing like showing the children in your life that they can succeed with hard work and dedication – that pushing themselves is absolutely worth it. They see. They understand. And they admire. So, keep at it. Try and fail – it will make you stronger. Try and succeed, then assess what worked so that you can keep that strategy in your toolkit. Share both the triumphs and failures with those closest to you not only to unburden (which is important), but also so they can see you picking yourself up and trying again. Maybe it will inspire them to help you dust off and go again. Maybe, just maybe, it will encourage them to go after something they want too. I do not say yes to everything because spreading yourself too thin is real. I would rather do well with a few things than have a finger in a lot of things that I ruin because I am not giving them the attention they deserve. This can be difficult because sometimes you end up turning something away that sounds interesting. But stress never helps anyone, so sometimes 'no' is the answer. At 1 a.m. I am pretty productive. Not so at 4 a.m.
Fragment from The Realm
It didn't happen the way they said it would.
No angels came to greet him; no bright light funneled a path through the darkness. No relatives called to him from the beyond.
He didn't feel warmth, acceptance, or love – he felt emptiness.
He saw nothing in the moments before death. Just an impenetrable darkness that crowded his vision like oil spreading in water, encroaching on the faces of his son and daughter-in-law, blackening them: obliterating them. He could hear them after his eyes dimmed, standing open and blind like black holes. His tear ducts dried up as his son cried over him.
The sound of Doug's grief, the guttural moans roiling and meshing with his pleas—his barters with God to save his father—was more than Patrick could take. Trying but failing to lift his hand from his side and stroke his son's head, Patrick silently prayed that his hearing would dissipate as quickly as his sight had.
Patrick could only imagine what Doug and Chris were seeing as his body broke down in front of him. Images of eyes ruined by broken capillaries filled with blood, his slacked mouth allowing a discolored tongue to peek through tortured his mind. He struggled for every breath now, death's grip holding fast and firm. The thought of the kids seeing him fight for air, his face a twisted mass of pain and effort, upset him more than he thought it would. Death was not pretty.
Doug moaned and Chris cried while Patrick's eyes grew drier and his skin grew paler. He thought it would never end, the display, the sick, cruel game death was playing. That he should witness it, that he should have to hear the calmness his son usually displayed crumble and fall away, was torture if ever there was a definition of the word. The devil, then. It was his work after all, he supposed. He was on his way to Hell and this was but a taste of what was to come.
And then there was silence.
Utter silence.
The sound of his son's anguish was gone, mercifully. The hum of the respirator, the clicking of the rosary beads the man in the next bed held, the squeak of rubber soles on the sanitized tile floor as the nurses and doctors hurried to his side – all sound had disappeared. He wondered what would be next to go. His memory? He quizzed himself just to see if it was already gone. What's my name? Patrick Richardson. How old am I? 59. Was is more like it, he corrected himself. After all, he was dead. Dead. Gone. Finished.
Patrick stood in the pitch-black silence confused and unbelievably sad. He was dead. He would never see the baby that Chris was carrying, his first grandchild. He wouldn't ever watch another boxing match with his son and friends over beer and pizza. He wouldn't get the chance to watch the waves break on the shore from a beach chair in the Caribbean. He wouldn't do anything anymore—not eat, drink, or fuck—ever again. Because he was dead.
And death was dark. Impenetrably so.
How did this happen? he asked aloud using a mouth he could no longer feel. He thought back to that morning, when he was taking out the garbage. He could remember walking to the back of his house and getting the garbage can. The damned cat had gotten into it again; the little stray he left food and water for had knocked the top of the can off, torn through the garbage bag, and gotten to the trash inside. The little monster made a hell of mess too, strewing soggy newspaper, chicken bones, and juice cartons all over the brick patio. Patrick remembered cursing out loud and casting his eyes around the backyard, looking for the cat. He remembered turning back to the bowl he'd left out the night before and finding it full of food. 'That's what you were supposed to eat, damn it!' he'd said as he bent down to clean up the mess.
On his way back into the house to get another garbage bag, a piece of the dream he had the night before came back to him. It hung in front of his eyes like a transparency over real life, framing everything with the hazy film of familiarity, all soft edges and anticipation.
Déjà vu.
As usual after those dreams, the dark ones that made him wonder if he was there, really there, walking, talking, living within them, he wondered if he was the character whose face the audience never sees.
The memory was faint, as it always was the morning after, but he knew what happened next. This time the scene was identical to his dream. There was usually something askew, some crucial piece off center, but this time nothing was out of place. He knew he would turn away from the door instead of going inside to get the garbage bag. He knew he would squint from the sun when he did, and that he would place his hands above his eyes, shading them like a visor. He knew it just as well as he knew his name, for as easily as that knowledge came, it dragged heavy fear and worry in its wake.
He obliged. It wasn't like he had a choice.
Do you have a fiction fragment? How about your friends? Would you like to recommend someone to me aside from yourself? Drop me a line at chellane@gmail.com. See you next week!
Guidelines: Submit 500-1000 words of fiction, up to 5 poems, a short bio, and a recent author photo to the e-mail above.
July 26, 2019 Michelle R. Lane 1 Comment
The past seven days have been amazing. Last weekend I attended an event, Necon 39, that quite literally changed my life. Not only did I get to meet and spend time with some of the kindest, most interesting, and hilarious people you could hope to meet, but I made my debut as a published writer. As some of you know, I have published short stories in anthologies, but this was the first time I got to sign copies of my novel, Invisible Chains.
Photo credit: Michael Burke
Thanks to some very thoughtful reviews from readers who received advanced copies of the book, including A. E. Siraki, Ben Walker, and Mad Wilson, people actually came to the event with the intent of buying my book. Some people enjoyed reading the book so much, they promoted it every chance they got. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and awed by the level of support and kind words from people who had been strangers prior to the event.
Photo credit: John McIlveen
If you have the opportunity to attend Necon, do so. It is a welcoming environment where you can connect with other writers, have informal conversations with publishers, editors, artists, and avid readers.
Photo credit: Lynne Hansen
And, I was welcomed into two new families: the Necon family, and the Haverhill House family.
Photo credit: Tony Tremblay
Although last weekend was technically a working weekend for me, it felt more like vacation and even though I was exhausted when I got home, I still felt recharged and ready to tackle whatever is coming next. I can't wait to go back next year.
Invisible Chains was officially released on Monday, July 22 from Haverhill Housing Publishing. And, as friends received their shipping confirmations from Amazon, they contacted to let me know how excited they were to read the book. Folks who pre-ordered the hardcover and Kindle editions started receiving their copies this week and have shared pictures of the book, which is a truly humbling experience.
Earlier this week, I was interviewed for the Lawyers, Guns & Money podcast, where I got to talk about my book and one of my favorite subjects: vampires. I was also interviewed by fellow writer, Loren Rhoads for her blog, and wrote about My Favorite Things over at Speculative Chic. It shouldn't come as any surprise that one of my favorite things is vampires. I talked and wrote about them a lot this week. Which, I have to say, is a dream come true.
So, what's next? Aside from a few upcoming book reviews and guest blog posts, my first local book event is scheduled for Saturday, August 10 at 3 p.m., Why Do We Love Vampires and Narcissists. I'll be reading passages from Invisible Chains and signing books, and local experts will share their knowledge about herbs, stones, symbolism, and narcissistic personalities. I'm really looking forward to this event and hope that some of you can attend.
I will be attending the The 5th Annual Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival on Saturday, October 12, and the following weekend, I'll be in Atlanta for Multiverse 2019 – SciFi & Fantasy Convention, where I will again be talking about vampires.
Later this year, I'll have short stories in two upcoming anthologies, The Monstrous Feminine (Scary Dairy Press) and The Dystopian States of America (Haverhill House Publishing).
As I add events to my calendar, I will share that information here, so check back if you're interested in attending one of those events. Thank you to everyone who has given their support, encouragement, and helped promote Invisible Chains. It has been a labor of love, and I couldn't have done it without your kindness and friendship.


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Creating a 21st Century NATO Deterrent Approach: The Role of Nuclear Weapons
Posted on February 28, 2019 | by Robbin Laird
By Robbin Laird
The build up of the Russian missile arsenal, short, medium and long range, with clear violations of INF limitations are designed less to create a so-called anti-access and area denial capability than an arsenal designed to make the recovery of classic conventional deterrence seem beyond reach in Europe.
With the US decision to withdraw from the INF treaty, with the Russian buildup and diversification of its nuclear arsenal, with the Russian inclusion of nuclear threats in their European leveraging approach — clearly, nuclear deterrence is back on the agenda for NATO and the United States.
The anti-access and area denial bit is really about defending the Kola Peninsula, the largest concentration of military force in the world as well as the always-vulnerable "European" Russian area.
But with the gaping holes in European defense capabilities and the with the United States working to repair the focus on the land wars, there clearly is a major gap in a credible continental deterrent force.
In this sense the ability to combine hybrid warfare means, significant offensive strike missiles, and an ability to blend in low-yield nuclear weapons in the mix are designed to give the Russians flexibility in coercing European states.
With such an approach, how can European states, European NATO and the United States enhance a credible warfighting approach, which can deter the Russians?
Unfortunately, the current state of much thinking in Europe is that the challenge is to keep legacy arms control in place and to have a slow roll approach to conventional deterrence.
Such an environment is an ideal one for the Russian approach to using military power for political gain.
But what might a credible US and European offensive-defensive capability which could leverage nuclear weapons in a crisis look like?
Recently, I discussed this difficult question with my colleague Paul Bracken, the author of the Second Nuclear Age, a man whom I met many years ago when he was working for Herman Kahn and I was working for Zbig Brzezinski.
We have both spent many years working on the US-Soviet nuclear relationship, but the recasting of the nuclear deterrent challenge with Putin's Russia in the context of significant political and military changes in both Europe and the United States requires its own analysis.
Bracken started by highlighting what he sees as two baseline realities facing analysis of nuclear deterrence in Europe today.
"There is widespread belief that nuclear weapons will never be used and should be factored out of any European defense discussion. Nuclear incredulity is a key barrier to doing any analysis at all.
"The assumption is that there's never going to be a Nuclear War or even a crisis. Such a thought is pushed off into a world of theoretically possible but largely unimaginable contingencies. It is so remote that politicians don't have to think about them."
"Secondly, analysts are chasing new technologies which they believe will reshape warfighting and are the real subjects to analyze. New artificial intelligence or drone technologies are the focus of attention, rather than the integration of nuclear weapons into the Russian warfighting and political influence arsenal."
"There is very little discussion of how nuclear weapons fit into the evolving warfighting approaches and here, one can miss the key threat: the Russians having a hodgepodge of capabilities ranging from the hybrid, to the traditional conventional, to a new kind of offensive-defensive approach and the blending of nuclear warheads throughout much of the conventional force."
We then discussed the return of the nuclear challenge to Europe and what from the US and European side might be the focus of attention.
Four different postures came out of the discussion for dealing with Russia's new challenge to NATO:
The US leverages the current and future bomber force with longer range strike weapons, with a conventional emphasis but some nuclear elements deployed;
A modernized NATO short range tactical nuclear weapon force;
A mixed US-NATO maritime long range strike force with conventional emphasis and some low yield nuclear weapons;
Rely on the US nuclear triad for deterrence in Europe, and to avoid political controversies over nuclear weapons.
The first alternative posture would be that the US could leverage the current bomber force and perhaps ramp up the new bomber and build out the longer range strike weapons on them, some nuclear but most with conventional warheads. This force could then operate from outside of Europe but affect the battlespace within Europe.
The new bomber given the systems onboard the aircraft and its capacity to be highly integrated with the F-35 provides a wide range of contingencies in which the bomber strike force could be used to strike at key Russian choke points or axis of attack on key allies, notably the new European ones.
This would be especially important if Germany does not accelerate its ability to provide for credible conventional defense in depth.
The second would be to reorganize, restructure and build a new capability for shorter-range battlefield nuclear weapons. This would be a limited arsenal and designed largely to be able to underscore to the Russians that lowering the nuclear threshold which is their current approach makes no sense, because we have a range of options to deny them any combat or political value from a limited nuclear strike in Europe.
The key change agent here is the nuclear equipped F-35, which can operate with its nuclear weapon inside of the airplane and with decent range to strike inside Russia to affect military capabilities of the Russian forces themselves.
Legacy aircraft are much less useful because of their vulnerability in contested airspace whereby the Russians are combining defensive and offensive means for a nuclear tipped tactical aircraft to get through.
This option becomes real again with the F-35 and with the various F-35 users in Europe who could continue in the current nuclear sharing arrangements.
The third is to rebuild the maritime strike force to have lower yield nuclear weapons, again useful in limited contingencies to deny the plausibility for the Russians pursuing a low yield nuclear strike designed to have political effect.
The fourth option is simply to rely on the strategic triad and to do flexible targeting to achieve the deterrent effect; the difficulty with this option is that the use of the strategic triad is part of a much larger piece of deterrence, mutually assured destruction, and may be the equivalent of using a hammer to open an egg.
With the patchwork quilt which NATO Europe is becoming and with the cross-cutting support the authoritarian powers are providing to one another, and with US uncertainties, it is not difficult to envisage a wide variety of crisis scenarios which would rapidly involve the question of how, when and for what purpose the Russians would threaten or use limited nuclear attacks.
Bracken underscored: "If a major country like Germany believed that they have only two choices, nuclear war or capitulation, that is not a choice that is really beneficial for the US or the rest of Europe.
"In Germany, the diplomatic and military issues are so out of sync that we could get into all sorts of crazy scenarios in a crisis which no one has really thought about.
"We need to start doing so."
In short, for the Russians, limited nuclear use can be considered a key part of any crisis management strategy in Europe and is part of a leveraging strategy to further goals of accelerating the disaggregation of Europe.
In looking at a variety of crisis management strategies for the US and its allies, there is a clear need to avoid the fallacy of nuclear denial and to focus clearly on the role of nuclear deterrence from the NATO side with regard to the return of direct defense in Europe.
Editor's Note: What the Nuclear Posture Review aid about Theater Nuclear Deterrence.
The Russian Challenge
Russia is not the Soviet Union and the Cold War is long over. However, despite our best efforts to sustain a positive relationship, Russia now perceives the United States and NATO as its principal opponent and impediment to realizing its destabilizing geopolitical goals in Eurasia. ,,,,
Moscow threatens and exercises limited nuclear first use, suggesting a mistaken expectation that coercive nuclear threats or limited first use could paralyze the United States and NATO and thereby end a conflict on terms favorable to Russia. Some in the United States refer to this as Russia's "escalate to de-escalate" doctrine. "De-escalation" in this sense follows from Moscow's mistaken assumption of Western capitulation on terms favorable to Moscow. ..
Russia must instead understand that nuclear first-use, however limited, will fail to achieve its objectives, fundamentally alter the nature of a conflict, and trigger incalculable and intolerable costs for Moscow.
Our strategy will ensure Russia understands that any use of nuclear weapons, however limited, is unacceptable.
The U.S. deterrent tailored to Russia, therefore, will be capable of holding at risk, under all conditions, what Russia's leadership most values. It will pose insurmountable difficulties to any Russian strategy of aggression against the United States, its allies, or partners and ensure the credible prospect of unacceptably dire costs to the Russian leadership if it were to choose aggression. …
Since 2010 we have seen the return of Great Power competition. To varying degrees, Russia and China have made clear they seek to substantially revise the post-Cold War international order and norms of behavior.
Russia has demonstrated its willingness to use force to alter the map of Europe and impose its will on its neighbors, backed by implicit and explicit nuclear first-use threats. Russia is in violation of its international legal and political commitments that directly affect the security of others, including the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the 2002 Open Skies Treaty, and the 1991 Presidential Nuclear Initiatives. Its occupation of Crimea and direct support for Russia-led forces in Eastern Ukraine violate its commitment to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine that they made in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. …
Russia considers the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to be the principal threats to its contemporary geopolitical ambitions. Russian strategy and doctrine emphasize the potential coercive and military uses of nuclear weapons. It mistakenly assesses that the threat of nuclear escalation or actual first use of nuclear weapons would serve to "de-escalate" a conflict on terms favorable to Russia.
These mistaken perceptions increase the prospect for dangerous miscalculation and escalation.
Russia has sought to enable the implementation of its strategy and doctrine through a comprehensive modernization of its nuclear arsenal. Russia's strategic nuclear modernization has increased, and will continue to increase its warhead delivery capacity, and provides Russia with the ability to rapidly expand its deployed warhead numbers.
In addition to modernizing "legacy" Soviet nuclear systems, Russia is developing and deploying new nuclear warheads and launchers. These efforts include multiple upgrades for every leg of the Russian nuclear triad of strategic bombers, sea-based missiles, and land-based missiles. Russia is also developing at least two new intercontinental range systems, a hypersonic glide vehicle, and a new intercontinental, nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered, undersea autonomous torpedo.
The Current US Non-Strategic Nuclear Force Posture
The current non-strategic nuclear force consists exclusively of a relatively small number of B61 gravity bombs carried by F-15E and allied dual capable aircraft (DCA). The United States is incorporating nuclear capability onto the forward-deployable, nuclear-capable F-35 as a replacement for the current aging DCA.
In conjunction with the ongoing life extension program for the B61 bomb, it will be a key contributor to continued regional deterrence stability and the assurance of allies. ….
Expanding flexible U.S. nuclear options now, to include low-yield options, is important for the preservation of credible deterrence against regional aggression. It will raise the nuclear threshold and help ensure that potential adversaries perceive no possible advantage in limited nuclear escalation, making nuclear employment less likely.
Consequently, the United States will maintain, and enhance as necessary, the capability to forward deploy nuclear bombers and DCA around the world. We are committed to upgrading DCA with the nuclear-capable F-35 aircraft.
We will work with NATO to best ensure—and improve where needed—the readiness, survivability, and operational effectiveness of DCA based in Europe.
Additionally, in the near-term, the United States will modify a small number of existing SLBM warheads to provide a low-yield option, and in the longer term, pursue a modern nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM). Unlike DCA, a low-yield SLBM warhead and SLCM will not require or rely on host nation support to provide deterrent effect. They will provide additional diversity in platforms, range, and survivability, and a valuable hedge against future nuclear "break out" scenarios.
DoD and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) will develop for deployment a low-yield SLBM warhead to ensure a prompt response option that is able to penetrate adversary defenses. This is a comparatively low-cost and near term modification to an existing capability that will help counter any mistaken perception of an exploitable "gap" in U.S. regional deterrence capabilities.
In addition to this near-term step, for the longer term the United States will pursue a nuclear-armed SLCM, leveraging existing technologies to help ensure its cost effectiveness. SLCM will provide a needed non-strategic regional presence, an assured response capability. It also will provide an arms control compliant response to Russia's non-compliance with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, its non-strategic nuclear arsenal, and its other destabilizing behaviors.
Tailored Deterrence Strategy
There is no "one size fits all" for deterrence. The requirements for effective deterrence vary given the need to address the unique perceptions, goals, interests, strengths, strategies, and vulnerabilities of different potential adversaries. The deterrence strategy effective against one potential adversary may not deter another. Consequently, the United States will apply a tailored approach to effectively deter across a spectrum of adversaries, threats, and contexts.
Tailored deterrence strategies are designed to communicate the costs of aggression to potential adversaries, taking into consideration how they uniquely calculate costs and risks. This calls for a diverse range and mix of U.S. deterrence options, now and into the future, to ensure strategic stability.
Tailored deterrence also calls for on-going analyses to adapt our strategies to different potential adversaries and contingencies. These analyses address how potential adversaries define unacceptable damage, and how the United States can credibly communicate to them the risks and costs that would accompany their aggression. Adjusting our deterrence strategies accordingly is what it means to tailor deterrence. ….
Shaping A Way Ahead for NATO
At both the 2014 Wales and 2016 Warsaw summits, NATO recognized that Russia's activities and policies have reduced stability and security, increased unpredictability, and introduced new dangers into the security environment.
Importantly, NATO is addressing the changed security environment to make clear that any employment of nuclear weapons against NATO, however limited, would not only fundamentally alter the nature of a conflict, but would result in unacceptable costs to an adversary that would far outweigh the benefit it could hope to achieve.
The Alliance has already initiated measures to ensure that NATO's overall deterrence and defense posture, including its nuclear forces, remain capable of addressing any potential adversary's doctrine and capabilities.
In support of these efforts, the United States will consult and work cooperatively with NATO allies to:
› Enhance the readiness and survivability of NATO DCA, improve capabilities required to increase their operational effectiveness, and account for adversary nuclear and non-nuclear capabilities;
› Promote the broadest possible participation of Allies in their agreed burden sharing arrangements regarding the DCA mission, nuclear mission support, and nuclear infrastructure;
› Replace aging aircraft and weapons systems with modernized or life-extended equivalents as they age out;
› Enhance the realism of training and exercise programs to ensure the Alliance can effectively integrate nuclear and non-nuclear operations, if deterrence fails; and
› Ensure the NATO NC3 system is modernized to enable appropriate consultations and effective nuclear operations, improve its survivability, resilience, and flexibility in the most stressful threat environments.
The United States will make available its strategic nuclear forces, and commit nuclear weapons forward-deployed to Europe, to the defense of NATO. These forces provide an essential political and military link between Europe and North America and are the supreme guarantee of Alliance security. Combined with the independent strategic nuclear forces of the United Kingdom and France, as well as Allied burden sharing arrangements, NATO's overall nuclear deterrence forces are essential to the Alliance's deterrence and defense posture now and in the future. …
During the Cold War, the United States possessed large numbers and a wide range of non-strategic nuclear weapons, also known as theater or tactical nuclear weapons.
However, we have since retired and dismantled almost all of those weapons….
The United States is also incorporating nuclear capability onto the F-35, to be used by the United States and NATO allies, as a replacement for the current aging DCA. Improved DCA readiness and the arrival of the F-35, a "fifth generation aircraft," in conjunction with the ongoing B61-12 gravity bomb LEP, will preserve the DCA contribution to regional deterrence stability and assurance. In parallel with its warhead LEP, the B61-12 will be equipped with a guidance tail kit to sustain the military capability of existing B61 variants.
As is the case with the sustainment and replacement programs necessary to maintain the triad, the programs supporting the DCA mission must be completed on time. ….
To address these types of challenges and preserve deterrence stability, the United States will enhance the flexibility and range of its tailored deterrence options. U.S. strategy does not require non-strategic nuclear capabilities that quantitatively match or mimic Russia's more expansive arsenal. Rather, the United States will maintain a spectrum of capabilities sized and postured to meet U.S. needs, and particularly to ensure that no adversary under any circumstances can perceive an advantage through limited nuclear escalation or other strategic attack.
For decades, the United States has deployed low-yield nuclear options to strengthen deterrence and assurance. Expanding flexible U.S. nuclear options now, to include low-yield options, is important for the preservation of credible deterrence against regional aggression. To be clear, this is not intended to enable, nor does it enable, "nuclear war-fighting." Nor will it lower the nuclear threshold.
Rather, expanding U.S. tailored response options will raise the nuclear threshold and help ensure that potential adversaries perceive no possible advantage in limited nuclear escalation, making nuclear weapons employment less likely.
Consequently, the United States will maintain, and enhance as necessary, the capability to forward deploy nuclear bombers and DCA around the world. We are committed to upgrading DCA with the nuclear-capable F-35 aircraft. We will work with NATO to best ensure—and improve where needed—the readiness, survivability, and operational effectiveness of DCA based in Europe.
See also the following piece on the F-35 and the nuclear mission:
The F-35 in the Second Nuclear Age
The featured photo was taken from an AFP story published on October 8, 2016 which discussed Russian weapons being deployed in Kalingrad.
Russia is again deploying nuclear-capable Iskander missiles into its Kaliningrad outpost that borders two NATO members, Lithuania said today, warning the move was aimed at pressuring the West into making concessions over Syria and Ukraine.
Poland also reacted angrily to Moscow's move while Lithuania added that it could breach the key nuclear weapons treaty.
"Russia is holding military exercises in Kaliningrad, and its scenario includes deployment of Iskander missile systems and the possible use of them. We are aware of it," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told AFP.
He said modified Iskander missiles had a range of up to 700 km which means they could reach the German capital Berlin from the Russian exclave, which is sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.
Linkevicius said that this time he thought Moscow was using the move to "seek concessions from the West".
Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz today called Russia's "activities very alarming".
Lithuania meanwhile said the Iskander deployment could breach the international nuclear arms treaty.
"Such actions are possible violations of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Russia's defence ministry today confirmed deployment of the Iskander hardware but dismissed Western concerns, saying that "contingents of missile troops have been moved many times and will continue to be moved to Kaliningrad region as part of a Russian armed forces training plan."
2018-NUCLEAR-POSTURE-REVIEW-FINAL-REPORT (2)
Posted in Strategy, What's New


Organized by AGHAEZ, BookClub Afghanistan and Philia, the impACT Kabul start-up conference took place in Afghanistan's capital.
Successful Afghan entrepreneurs, including returnees from all over the world, presented their start-up businesses to roughly 250 participants and explained what it takes to succeed in Afghanistan.
The event was supported by the Afghan-German Cooperation's program for sustainable economic development and employment promotion in Afghanistan (SEDEP).
The conference aimed at providing information on how to grow a business successfully. According to the event's organizers, the three key ingredients of success are networking, resources and knowledge. Successful businesses are a key condition for more jobs and increased economic growth.
At the event, many start-up entrepreneurs shared their experiences.
Yousuf Dawran, the founder of various companies in India and Afghanistan such as Pace Group, stated: "If there is one magic philosophy in entrepreneurship, it is: never give up!". "The thing that makes you move forward in this society, more than anything else, is knowledge", the businesswomen Manizha Wafeq added.
The event offered the participants the chance to create networks, find potential investors and ask for advice regarding their own businesses.
In addition, a photo exhibition visualized entrepreneurial stories emphasising how start-ups can work in Afghanistan and highlighting successful entrepreneurship.
On behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been implementing the Sustainable Economic Development and Employment Promotion (SEDEP) program since 2014. It has conducted trainings, infrastructure development initiatives and other activities that strengthen businesses and create jobs in Afghanistan.
It further promotes dialogues between public and private sector actors where they can address concerns and draft policy recommendations to improve economic opportunities.


Having separate outdoor living spaces allows you to create mini-landscape designs (each somewhat different from the rest) for each of them. Not that you shouldn't still strive for unity across your Bedford PA landscape design, as a whole. But the more successful you are in physically separating one outdoor living space from another, the more flexibility you have to diversify without creating a hodgepodge.


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FourSevens X3R Flashlight: 2000 Lumens Of Power
Wes Siler
May 18, 2015, 1:00pm
The MMU-X3R is FourSevens' brightest handheld flashlight yet. At 2,000 lumens, it's brighter than my car's high beams and is small enough to fit into the palm of my hand. But, is it the right light for you?
Gizmodo loves technology. Our product reviews are presented thanks to Dick Smith.
AU Editor's Note: The FourSevens X3R isn't sold at retail in Australia, but costs $US120 through FourSevens' website. Shipping is variable for a courier but flat-rate US parcel shipping will cost you $US7.
Batte Type: RC26650
LED: Cree XM-L2 x 3
Brightness (max): 2000 lumens
Brightness: (min): 110 lumens
Runtime; 15hrs (min), 2.5hrs (max)/li>
Three Cree XML-2s — some of the most powerful LEDs on the market — packed into a single light and driven as hard as current technology is capable of, while retaining total reliability. Power comes from a new, proprietary 26650 stacked button-cell battery pack that was purpose-designed by FourSevens just for this light. At 4,000mAh, this battery holds around three times the electricity a smart phone can; it's powerful.
Charging is handled via an onboard micro-USB port, eliminating the need to carry or rely on an external charger. You just plug it into any USB outlet or use the included power brick to plug it into the wall. And, by connecting it via USB to a computer, you can alter the tail-mounted click-switch's user interface.
Doing that, you can select between five modes of operation and gain access to four special modes: strobe, SOS, beacon (high) and beacon (low). You can tailor the modes you want access to or even just set it to only work in a single one. I prefer the stock setting, which allows you to click the light on and off rapidly, cycling through low, medium, high and strobe. A memory function remembers which mode you used last and turns the light back on in that mode if you turn it off.
The 110 lumen low provides 11 hours of continuous operation on a full charge; medium's 900 lumens will run for 5 hours and the light will run in high at 2,000 lumens for 60 seconds, before thermal regulation begins backing that down to 1,000 over the next 60 seconds, which will then run for 2.5 hours. That thermal regulation allows you to click the light off and on, back to 2,000 lumens, once the light has cooled down enough. It never gets hot to the touch thanks to that regulation and the built-in heat sink that is the light's head, but it definitely gets warm.
A note on claimed brightness: As the maker of what are probably the highest quality production flashlights in the world, FourSevens doesn't feel the need to oversell its products. Its lights routinely exceed claimed numbers in independent, third party testing; numbers that beat lights from less reputable companies who quote figure that are…ambitious.
The MMU-X3R's reflector is smooth, which is typical of a light specializing in throw. But, its angles appear to be tailored to flood. Combined with the massive output, that creates a hybrid light that's capable of illuminating a wide area out to long distance.
FourSevens' David Chow describes the X3R as a "duty light." It's specifically designed for police officers, soldiers and security guards who are looking for a portable light that's as bright as possible. The light is designed to be carried in a holster, either on a belt or load-bearing vest; while it fits in your hand, the large-diameter head simply isn't pocket-friendly.
Pretty much everyone else will be better served by a 2xAAA, single LED light like the $US50 FourSevens Preon P2. Such a design is not only vastly more pocketable, but also produces a more useful range of light for everyday tasks; even the X3R's 110 lumen low is way too bright for most daily needs.
The night before hunting turkeys, Corey and I found ourselves needing to test-fire our shotguns to work towards an ideal shot pattern with new, untested ammo. We taped paper targets to cardboard boxes, set them at 35 yards and I moved my Subaru Outback around to illuminate them. The result? Not nearly enough light from the car's HID high beams and a messy pattern full of shadows to boot.
No bother, the X3R was sitting in the glovebox, charging from one of the car's USB ports. I just grabbed it, set it to high and pointed it at the boxes. Voila: the targets were not only bathed in light, but that light was completely even and artifact-free, making for easy night time shooting.
I bought my first super-powerful light six or seven years ago. It was a first-generation FourSevens Maelstrom that put out a then unbelievable 450 lumens, which only ran for about 45 minutes on high. That light was also incredibly impractical; its throw-focussed reflector shot light out in a totally straight, narrow pattern, like a long cylinder only as big around as the flashlight's head. Sure, I could spotlight stuff 250 yards away, but it was totally worthless for lighting up a dark path at my feet or working on something with my hands. Not only is this new X3R cheaper, brighter and longer lasting, but its hybrid throw/flood reflector is much more practical.
While shining the light at a nearby white wall or ceiling will produce a notable three-ring pattern from its three LEDs, this effect disappears when you use it in the real world. Light is even, floods across a wide area, yet still lights stuff up several hundred yards away. Its total range is dependent on conditions — light pollution, how clear of smoke or fog the air is — but is capable of reaching essentially anything you'd expect to be within useful visual range during the day.
2.5 hours of continuous operation on high may not sound huge, but this isn't a light you leave on for several hours while you fix a broken down car or something. It's a specific tool for a specific job — blowing shit up with light — and as such you use it sparingly. And in that use 2.5 hours is much, much, much more than you'll ever need. In the two months I've been playing with it, I've only charged it once.
The onboard charger and micro-USB plug make charging the X3R a breeze. I keep mine in my car, which has two USB ports. The included battery will last over 1,000 empty-to-full charges, but costs only $US20 to replace.
The quality with which the X3R is made exceeds my expectations, even for a FourSevens product. The square threads are perfectly matched, leading to buttery screwing and the type-III aircraft grade aluminium construction just feels incredibly solid. Substantial rubber O-rings give it IPX-8 level waterproofness; it's not a dive light, but it will survive years of abuse in the worst weather earth can throw at it.
The X3R necessitates the carry of another, more practical light for daily illumination tasks. I keep a 138 lumen Maraca AAA on my keychain and carry a FourSevens Atom LR2 headlamp outdoors. The headlamp's 5 lumen low is my most-used source of light; that's just the right amount of illuminating a trail or working on something close-by without blinding yourself.
While the crenelated bezel focuses points of impact and the amply knurled and textured body provides ample grip; the X3R is bordering on too small to be much use as an impact weapon. Sorry cops, but you'll be better off with your old 4xD-cell MagLite for beating up civilians.
Looking at the light on high will temporarily blind you and even catching a glimpse of it will leave red spots in your vision for an hour or more. That further limits its practicality day-to-day and made shooting photos of it for this review a bitch. I'm seeing spots as a write.
Should I Buy It?
FourSevens X3R
Price: $US120
Incredibly powerful.
Good hybrid flood/throw light.
MicroUSB charging.
Don't Like
Large, bulky.
You'll need a smaller, secondary flashlight.
Dangerously bright.
Are you a police officer or soldier or everyday carry junkie looking for the brightest handheld light possible? If yes, then absolutely, the FourSevens X3R will exceed your expectations for quality and longevity and exceed your need for brightness, runtime and ease of charging.
Are you a normal person who just wants a bright flashlight? Shop for a quality 2xAAA or 2xAA LED flashlight instead; our LED flashlight buyer's guide will show you how. That format is simply much more portable and produces a much more useful range of light.


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The president says the Navy's USS Boxer took defensive action after the aircraft closed within 1,000 yards of the ship and ignored multiple calls to stand down.
Germany introducing mandatory measles vaccination for kids
Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet approved the plan Wednesday, noting the number of measles infections has risen significantly in recent years.
North Korea suggests it might lift weapons test moratorium
The Foreign Ministry's statement Tuesday appears aimed at applying more pressure on the U.S. as the two countries attempt to resume nuclear diplomacy.
Police stop 4 kids who drove SUV 600 miles down Australia coast
Police were not sure which child or children drove or why they left Rockhampton in Queensland state on Saturday.
India aborts moon mission launch, citing technical glitch
The Chandrayaan-2 mission was called off when a "technical snag" was observed in the 640-ton, 14-story rocket launcher, Indian Space Research Organization says.
Magnitude 7.3 quake damages homes in eastern Indonesia
Indonesia's national disaster agency said the land-based earthquake didn't have any potential to cause a tsunami.
New Zealand gun owners turn over their weapons for money
Police paid more than $280,000 to 169 gun owners in the first of over 250 planned buyback events after a gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in March.
US men fail to follow women, lose Gold Cup final to Mexico
The United States men's national team failed to follow-up their female counterparts' World Cup win with a 1-0 loss to rival Mexico in the Gold Cup.
US wins 4th World Cup title, 2nd in a row, beats Dutch 2-0
In the most recent meeting between the two teams, the U.S. won 3-1 at home in 2016.
Iran steps further from nuke deal, adding pressure on Europe
But the future of the accord that President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S. from a year ago remains in question.
Brazilian bossa nova pioneer Joao Gilberto dies at 88
The singer, guitarist and songwriter is considered one of the fathers of the genre that gained global popularity in the 1960s.
All-Afghan peace summit agreed upon, but on Taliban terms
On Monday, Trump told Fox News Channel's Tucker Carlson Tonight that nearly half of all American troops have already been pulled out of Afghanistan.
Taliban bombing in Afghan capital kills 6, wounds scores
The bomb set off in Kabul also wounded 105 people, including at least 26 children.
Riot police clear away protesters from Hong Kong legislature
The protesters are opposed to a government attempt to change extradition laws to allow suspects to be sent to China to face trial.
Freak summer hailstorm blankets Mexican city in ice
While homes and vehicles were damaged, the governor of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro, said no injuries or deaths have been reported.
Hong Kong marks handover to China with ceremony and protests
Protesters faced police, and made an apparent bid to block access to a ceremony marking the former British colony's return to China.


text: Q: Different approach for checking if vectors are linearly (in)dependent The usual method I see for checking if vectors are LD is to set them as column vectors and perform RREF.  However, why can't one just set them as row vectors and perform RREF?  If there are no rows of all 0s, then they are LI, otherwise they are LD.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


My First Time At Knotts!
Agreeing with Dutchman...Ghostrider was once *easily* in my top-5, and stayed there for a long time. The last couple times I visited the park, one lap was plenty, if not too much. Absolutely horrible.
If you need corrective lenses, wear contacts - the park HATES glasses.


text:
This installs the following items from source:
* Gawk 4.1.1
* Texinfo 5.2
* Quagga 0.99.24.1

## Running the playbook
1. Edit the `hosts` file to contain a list of hosts which you would like to run this playbook on. __Note:__ only one host per line!
2. Ensure your public SSH key is on each host, we will be assuming you are using SSH keys, not passwords! To add your SSH key to a fresh CentOS 7 installation, execute the following command, replacing the `username` and `ipaddress` with the ones of the host.
```shell
cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | ssh username@ipaddress 'mkdir -p ~/.ssh/; touch ~/.ssh/authorized_keys; cat >> .ssh/authorized_keys'
```
2. Run the playbook:
```shell
ansible-playbook -i hosts quagga.yml -t gawk,texinfo,quagga,configure
```

## Those versions are outdated!

At the time of creating this playbook, all the above versions are the most recent versions available. It is possible though that they will be outdated in the future and you may want these updated. This is simple thanks to the variables used in this project.

#### Updating Dependencies

Here we will show you how to update a dependency or quagga. We will use gawk as an example. The only difference between these is the package name, version, and location of the tarball.

Dependenant source code will be in:
* Quagga: `./roles/quagga/files/quagga-0.99.24.1.tar.gz`
* Gawk: `./roles/dependencies/files/gawk-4.1.1.tar.gz`
* Texinfo: `./roles/dependencies/files/texinfo-5.2.tar.gz`

__Gawk Example:__
1. Clone the project
2. Open `./vars/default.yml`
3. Change the value of `gawk_version` to the new version in the `package-version` (example: `gawk-4.1.1`) format.
4. Replace `./roles/dependencies/files/gawk-4.1.1.tar.gz` with a `.tar.gz` of the version you would like to use in `./roles/dependencies/files/package-version.tar.gz` format.
5. Run the playbook

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The rappers met with police commanders in the wake of the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
The hoverboard is dead. Is this the next electric-powered device in your future? Our exclusive with the celebrity behind it.
LA rapper announces partnership with cannabis company.


Here is a list of events where I gave tutorials or conducted workshops. For an overview of upcoming events see UPCOMING .
Wie hat Java 8 die Java-Welt verändert?
Angelika Langer 60 min N.N.
Was wird Java 9 bringen?
Wann sind parallele Streams schneller als sequentielle Streams?
Wie unterscheiden sich die Stream-Operationen reduce() und collect()?
What is the difference between the stream operations reduce() and collect()?
When is a parallel stream operation faster than a sequential one?
Wann sind parallele Stream-Operationen performanter als sequentielle?
Wie Sprache, JDK und JVM die Parallelverarbeitung unterstützen.
June 27-30, 2005 The audio track and the transcript of the session are available in the JavaOne archive.
Implementing Design Patterns Using C++ Templates 3 hrs Oct 17.
conference, but did not find the time to give a presentation myself.


text:
Scores for 'Knives Out', 'The Irishman' & 'The Two Popes' Ruled Ineligible for Academy Awards Consideration
Posted: December 9, 2019 by filmmusicreporter in Film Music News
Tags: Academy Awards
Variety is reporting that several original scores submitted for Academy Awards consideration have been disqualified. Among the titles ruled ineligible are Knives Out (by Nathan Johnson), which was disqualified due to an "administrative mixup", as well as The Irishman (by Robbie Robertson) and The Two Popes (by Bryce Dessner), both of which were expected to be ineligible because of the limited amount of original score and predominating use of pre-existing songs in the films. As anticipated, A Hidden Life (by James Newton Howard) will also not be eligible. Also confirmed to not have been submitted is the score for Ad Astra (by Max Richter with additional music by Lorne Balfe). Among the contenders for Best Original Song, Regina Spektor's song One Little Soldier from Bombshell was also ruled ineligible because of an "administrative mixup".
Dumpling Warrior says:
What does it mean, administrative mixup? Not giving the right personnel to be credited? And what's wrong with the producers of Ad Astra??? What a shame not to submit such a great score.


text:
Emanuele Stablum, né le  à Terzolas en Italie, mort le , est un religieux catholique et médecin italien membre des Fils de l'Immaculée Conception.

Il est reconnu Juste parmi les nations pour son sauvetage de nombreux Juifs pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, et reconnu vénérable par le pape François.

Biographie

Emanuele Stablum naît le  à Terzolas dans la province de Trente, en Italie.

Ressentant la vocation religieuse, il entre à quinze ans dans la congrégation des Fils de l'Immaculée Conception. Il débute son noviciat en , puis prononce ses vœux religieux provisoires deux ans après, le . Il désire devenir prêtre et commence des études théologiques, mais le supérieur général l'oriente plutôt vers des études de médecine, la congrégation projetant l'ouverture d'un nouvel hôpital à Rome.

Devenu médecin, diplômé en 1930, il rejoint l'Institut de Dermopathie de l'Immaculée Conception (IDI) à Rome, et le dirige pendant quinze ans. Il participe aussi à la vie de son ordre religieux, dont il devient assistant général en 1935. Il accomplit sa mission de médecin avec charité.

Pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, quand l'armée nazie envahit l'Italie en 1943, il ouvre en 1943-1944 les portes de son hôpital aux réfugiés devant échapper aux nazis. Il accueille, cache et protège une centaine de poursuivis, dont 51 ou 52 Juifs. Il camoufle les réfugiés en malades de la peau, en les maculant de crèmes de couleurs différentes.

Après la guerre, il continue à diriger l'hôpital, et devient en plus en 1947 le vicaire général de la Congrégation. Il meurt trois ans plus tard, le , à 55 ans.

Reconnu Juste

Une plaque commémorative est apposée sur les murs de la chapelle de l'Institut Dermatologique de l'Immaculée, le 8 décembre 1992, rappelant le sauvetage par Emanuele Stablum de Juifs des familles Amati, Bonetti, Calò, Caviglia, Castelnuovo, Della Seta, Di Cave, Di Nepi, Di Veroli, Gattegna, Levi, Limentani, Pontecorvo, Ravà, Sarfati, Schreider, Segrè, Treiner et Zarfati.

Pour son action de sauvetage de Juifs pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Emanuele Stablum est reconnu Juste parmi les nations par l'État d'Israël et le Yad Vashem le .

Procédure en béatification

La cause pour la béatification d'Emanuele Stablum est ouverte dans le diocèse de Rome, où elle se conclut en juin 2005.

Emanuele Stablum est ensuite proclamé vénérable par le pape François qui autorise le  la Congrégation pour les causes des saints à publier le décret reconnaissant l'héroïcité de ses vertus.

Autres hommages

 Une rue, la via Emanuele Stablum, porte son nom à Terzolas.
 Une école et un collège portent son nom à Kinshasa, en RD Congo.

Bibliographie
  Agostino Maltarello, Emanuele Stablum, Orizzonte medico, 1977.
  Giovanni Cazzaniga, Fratel Emanuele Stablum, LDC-Velar, 2008 .
  Ruggero Valentini, Le alte vie di Emanuele Stablum, Editrice Vita trentina, 2020, 144 pages .

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Articles connexes
 Juste parmi les nations
 Liste des vénérables reconnus par François
 Liste des saints du XXe siècle

Liens externes

Juste parmi les nations italien
Vénérable catholique italien
Médecin italien du XXe siècle
Religieux catholique italien
Shoah en Italie
Histoire des Juifs en Italie
Naissance en juin 1895
Naissance dans la province de Trente
Décès en mars 1950
Décès à Rome
Décès à 54 ans


Welcome to the Prospective Tax, Accounting & Financial Planning secure encrypted file upload and transfer form.
1. Select Elaine Sutter as the recipient.
3. Use the file transfer box to browse and attach files. You can drag and drop files in to the box or browse and select them from your local computer.
4. Hit the green upload button. Selecting the Upload button automatically initiates the file upload.
5. Your files are uploading and, once transferred, will display green "uploaded" text next to them. Your files have now been transferred.
6. You are all done.


All pictures copyrigh of their relevant owners and used with their kind permission.
Thanks to Sharon for this fabulous picture and others in the gallery dont they look grand!!
And just look at those pristine Wagons !!! even the dog is laying in a stately pose !
Picture below ,We think it is Mitcham common and we beleive the guy sitting on the steps maybe a Henry Williams not sure would be great if you could put it up to see if anyone else knows thanks Annette.


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