Let your little one brush their teeth without worry! Jack N' Jill Banana has a 'zero' safety rating on EWG's Skin Deep database. That is the safest rating possible!
The toothpaste is rich in Xylitol with Organic Calendula to soothe gums. It has an Organic Natural Raspberry Flavor, Fluoride Free, Sugar Free, Color Free, BPA Free, SLS Free, with No Preservatives!
It's has a safety seal, easy open flip top cap, and cute, but minimal recyclable packaging. Good for you! Good for the Earth!


text:
În căutarea unor condiții de viață din ce în ce mai confortabile, omul s-a făcut vinovat, în ultimele decenii, de o exploatare excesivă și greșită a resurselor naturale. Înrăutățirea calității solului, a apei și a aerului este cauzată în principal de poluarea industrială. În afara deșeurilor industriale, obiectele și substanțele de uz larg, odată utilizate, sunt aruncate la gunoi.
Apele curgătoare devin gropi de gunoi, dioxidul de carbon și oxizii de azot sunt purtați de vânturi la sute de kilometri departare de coșurile care le emit în atmosferă și se întorc pe sol sub formă de ploi acide. Poluării industriale i se adaugă cea a marilor zone urbane, dată de încălzirea locuințelor și de folosirea pe scară largă a autovehiculelor. Problema poluării este foarte acută în țările dezvoltate, dar, paradoxal, și în țările în curs de dezvoltare care, adoptând o politică neecologică, urmăresc profitul imediat decât beneficiile pe termen lung.
De abia în ultimii ani oamenii au înțeles ca mediul este strict necesar pentru supraviețuirea speciei umane și trebuie conservat prin politici ecologice stabilite și respectate la nivel mondial.
Noul concept de dezvoltare durabilă, compatibilă cu mediul, a născut numeroase mișcări ecologiste.

Etapele

1. În centrele urbane și industriale, pulberile emise în aer însoțesc dioxizii de carbon și de sulf și reziduurile de plumb și de hidrocarburi. Este prezentă și poluarea acustică.

2. Principalele substanțe poluante, transportate de apele curgătoare în mări, sunt produsele chimice folosite în agricultură și industrie, metalele grele toxice și îngrășămintele. Acestea din urmă determină dezvoltarea exagerată a microflorei (eutrofizare), în detrimentul celorlalte microorganisme acvatice care nu vor mai avea suficient oxigen. Și poluarea termică a apei produce daune mari.

3. Pământul, încălzit de Soare, emite radiații care sunt absorbite în troposferă de dioxidul de carbon și de vaporii de apă. Aceștia rețin căldura în apropierea suprafeței terestre, provocând încălzirea treptată a atmosferei (efectul de seră), produsă de creșterea graduala a concentrației dioxidului de carbon în aer.

4. Radiațiile solare ce ajung pe Pământ sunt reflectate de atmosfera (26%) și de suprafața terestră (4%). O parte din radiația nereflectată este difuzată în toate direcțiile de către gazele atmosferice. Radiațiile solare, fie difuzate, die reflectate, sunt absorbite în atmosferă.

5. Containerele de oțel sau beton armat cu deșeuri radioactive și corozive sunt deseori aruncate în mare fără a se cunoaște dacă acestea rezistă la acțiunea mediului marin până la descompunerea conținutului lor.

6. Coșurile centralelor termoelectrice (pe cărbune sau păcură) produc, pe lângă foarte mult fum, și poluare termică prin căldura emisă în aer de către turnurile de răcire.

7. Lichidele, cum este petrolul, deversate în mare (prin accidentele petrolierelor, prin spălarea tancurilor petroliere su prin scurgerile din puțurile petrolifere submarine) ajung să fie împrăștiate în tot oceanul de către curenții marini.

8. Centralele nucleare sunt o sursă potențială de contaminare radioactivă. Apele curgătoare folosite la răcirea instalațiilor se încălzesc atât de mult încât distrug flora și fauna locală.

9. Stratul de ozon din atmosferă protejează Pământul de radiațiile ultraviolete ce provin de la Soare. în ultimii ani s-a observat că o parte din stratul de ozon a fost distrus de substanțe chimice folosite în industrie (CFC = clorfluorcarburi).

10. Exploatarea nisipului și pietrișului din albia râurilor îi modifică profilul longitudinal, accelerând eroziunea, cu consecințe grave asupra peisajului.

11. Rampă de deșeuri menajere

12. Despădurirea necontrolată produce degradarea mediului natural și reducerea înalta și chiar stratosfera.

13. Aeronavele poluează, cu gazele de combustie pe care le elimină, troposfera înaltă și chiar stratosfera.

14. Ploile se combină cu fumul emis de uzine și de centralele pe cărbune, producând acid sulfuric diluat, responsabil de acidularea apelor și de îmbolnăvirea pădurilor.

15. Îngrășămintele și pesticidele folosite în exces sunt duse de apele râurilor în mare, modificând echilibrul ecologic. O parte pătrund în pământ, contaminând apele subterane.

Poluare
Prejudicii
Gospodărirea mediului înconjurător

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The ORG Scotland conference is a great opportunity for anyone affiliated to the organics recycling sector to get together, discuss, debate and learn from speakers in a friendly atmosphere. Covering a range of relevant topics including updates from Zero Waste Scotland and SEPA to practical experiences on options for managing emissions and the latest on PAS100. We will also be holding a debate session looking at local authority organics collections.
Scottish Environment Protection Agency - Impending changes to regulations, compliance assessment and charges.
Alison McKinnie, Zero Waste Scotland - Zero Waste Scotland activities around organics recycling.
Tom Aspray, Heriot Watt University - Plastic in soils and composts and digestates.
Georgia Phetmahn, REAL – Updates on the Compost Certification Scheme and PAS100 revision.
Lesley Haynes, Don and Low and Callum King, FRM - Case study evaluating a new breathable nonwoven fabric for windrow covers at a Scottish composting site.
Speaker TBC - Bioaerosols – measuring and managing impacts in composting sites.
Simon Ford, Martin GmbH – Integrating AD into waste and composting businesses.
Big debate – Local authority organics collections and managing contamination.
The conference dinner is the evening before the conference, 14th November in the Westerwood Hotel. There will be a 3 course dinner with wine and plenty opportunity to network with other delegates. Tickets can be booked individually or whole tables. Please get in touch if you need more information.
Sponsorship and Exhibitor opportunities: Available from £320 per stand, please contact Jenny (jenny@r-e-a.net) to discuss.


IGHG1-MUM1/IRF4 fusion geneは機能性タンパク質を産生することはないが, MUM1/IRF4を過剰に発現させてin vitroで発がん活性が確認されている*1. MUM1蛋白はICSAT (Interferon Consensus Sequence binding protein for Activated T cells)、PiP (PU.1 Interaction Partner) 等とも呼ばれる.
IRF4(interferon regulatory factor4)はIRF familyに属する転写因子. 血球系細胞においては, B細胞をはじめ, T細胞, macrophage, 樹状細胞など種々の細胞において特異的な機能を果たす.
B細胞においてはプレB細胞分化と形質細胞分化において, とくに重要な役割をもつ. IRF4の結合するIRF4結合モチーフがEICE(Ets-IRF composite elements), AICE(AP-1-IRF composite elements)およびISRE(Interferon-stimulated response elements)の少なくとも3種類がしられ, IRF4はこれら各結合モチーフを介して多様な遺伝子ネットワークを起動することができる.
IGH/ IRF4およびそのvariantである軽鎖遺伝子/IRF4融合体は、GC B細胞リンパ腫のサブグループ, 濾胞性リンパ腫グレード3あるいはcentroblastic type DLBCLに関連している.
*1 Iida, S, et al R. Deregulation of MUM1/IRF4 by chromosomal translocation in multiple myeloma. Nature Genet. 17: 226-230, 1997.
*5 Sciammas R, et al. Graded expression of interferon regulatory factor-4 coordinates isotype switching with plasma cell differentiation. Immunity. 2006 Aug;25(2):225-36.
*6 Ochiai K, et al. Transcriptional regulation of germinal center B and plasma cell fates by dynamical control of IRF4.Immunity. 2013 May 23;38(5):918-29.
*7 Xu H, et al. Regulation of bifurcating B cell trajectories by mutual antagonism between transcription factors IRF4 and IRF8. Nat Immunol. 2015 Dec;16(12):1274-81.
*10 Salaverria I, et al; German High-Grade Lymphoma Study Group; Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster-NHL trial group. Translocations activating IRF4 identify a subtype of germinal center-derived B-cell lymphoma affecting predominantly children and young adults. Blood. 2011 Jul 7;118(1):139-47.
*11 Shaffer AL, et al. IRF4 addiction in multiple myeloma. Nature. 2008 Jul 10;454(7201):226-31.
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I am a Risk Control Manager for the Kalamazoo office. I manage the worker's compensations claims for our staffing division. I also work with processing payroll, flagging payroll, certified payroll, insurance certificates, workers compensations codes, invoices, and enter in payroll for the Vendor Management Systems.
I have over 17 years with the company managing the worker's compensation claims and payroll. I work with all different types of clients from adjusters, doctors, associates, account managers, managers, and volunteer centers.
When I am not at work I enjoy spending time with my boyfriend Jeremy, my daughter Alayna, and our cat Sammy. During our free time, we like to visit family, traveling to new places, sitting around bonfires, cooking, and laughing.
favorite childhood memory is making Christmas cookies with my mom, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, cousins.


Today, meaning of Saturn's aspects in Horoscope.
Reasons behind Special Aspects of Saturn.
Saturn's Aspects – In Astrology, Saturn has 3 aspects. Saturn aspects 3rd house from its position, 7th house from its position and 10th house from its position. So, if Saturn is at 3rd house, it will aspect 5th house (3rd house aspect), 9th house (7th house aspect) and 12th house (10th house aspect). So, this way Saturn aspects at 3 different houses from its place. As we know that normally planets aspect only 7th house from its place, so we can say that Saturn has 2 special aspects, i.e. 3rd house and 10th house aspects.
Reasons behind Special Aspects of Saturn – Now, why Saturn got these 2 additional special aspects?
3rd house – 3rd house is house of Efforts and Hard Work. As it is an Upachaya House, it improves with time which means that we need to put lots of efforts and hard work over a long time to gain out of it. This is exactly what Saturn is, i.e. Hard Work, Efforts and Perseverance. Hence, Saturn gets this 3rd house aspect.
10th house – 10th house is house of Duties and Responsibilities. In original zodiac, Capricorn falls into 10th house. Saturn rules Capricorn. Saturn, Capricorn and 10th house all indicate towards Duties, Work and Responsibilities. Hence, Saturn gets 10th house aspect.
Saturn in Aries – Debilitated Saturn. If not supported by any other yoga or planet then person will get success only after the severest of hard work. Any reluctance or running-away from hard work here can lead to humiliation.
Saturn in Leo – Saturn in Great Enemy Sign. One of the hardest placements as Saturn is not only in Fire Sign but in its greatest enemy's sign, i.e. The Sun.
Every other position will require the same hard work, effort and perseverance from person. Things can be 1% better for Saturn in Libra and Saturn in Aquarius, i.e. Exalted and Mool Trikon signs but nothing more than that.
We need to take into consideration that Saturn gains directional strength in 7th house and loses it in 1st house. So, its position in these houses changes the interpretations of its aspects.
Also, we need to take the energy of the houses which Saturn rules in a particular chart through its signs Capricorn and Aquarius.
Last but not the least; the age of maturity of Saturn is 36 years. So, if someone is older than 36, result may be more favourable as it is now a matured energy.
Retrograde or Combust Saturn – Retrograde or Combust Saturn gains its strength through years and becomes more favourable to individual from mid-30s.
3rd house aspect – As 3rd house relates to Hard Work and Effort, Saturn's 3rd house aspect from its position shows that where person needs to put efforts and hard work with perseverance to make any impact regarding the house where Saturn is placed and thus aspecting. Like, if Saturn is in 10th house of Career and Status, its 3rd aspect goes to 12th house of Foreign Lands/Companies and Spiritual Matters. It shows that person needs to put efforts & hard work with perseverance in matters of Foreign Lands/Companies or in matters of Spirituality to gain anything from 12th house or 10th house. 12th house also represents Hospitals and Jails etc. I am taking most common significations in examples. Likewise, Saturn is in 4th house of Home, Mother & Peace of Mind. It aspects 6th house of Daily Work, Diseases, Illness and Debts etc. So, person will have to be very diligent in his Work Place and work hard there to keep his peace of mind intact. Likewise, he has to put continuous efforts to keep his debts under control to enjoy the peace of his home environment. So, Saturn's 3rd aspect is about putting hard work with perseverance.
7th house aspect – Saturn's 7th house aspect is about limitations and restrictions. Wherever Saturn aspects with its 7th house aspect, it shows where results will be very limited and person would need to be very practical, matured and realistic in dealing with that house in order to gain anything. Like, if Saturn is in 1st house of Self, it aspects 7th house of Relations. It means meaningful results from relations will be very limited. Now, person needs to be very matured and realistic in his desires related with Relations, and then only he can expect some good results coming his way. 7th house also relates to Business. So, this person can't take decisions in his Business without any proper planning or out of the blues. He has to be smart enough to study everything regarding current market trends and then he can expect some profit from Business. Saturn in 3rd house will aspect at 9th house of Higher Education and Gurus. It shows that person has to be very disciplined about his higher education to gain out of it plus, in early life, he will get Gurus who are just too strict and it will be hard dealing with them to gain any knowledge. He has to show his discipline in his higher education.
10th house aspect – 10th house relates to Duties and Responsibilities of Life. Saturn's 10th house aspect shows where we need to take duties and responsibilities in our life and we can't ignore that for long time. Like, Saturn in 4th house aspects at 1st house of Self with 10th house aspect. It means person has to sooner or later take responsibility of his own health and physique. He can't neglect it for a long time. Saturn in 10th house of Career aspects at 7th house of Business or Other People with its 10th house aspect. It means that sooner or later this person's career will be about Business and Dealing/Interacting with other people.
So, this is the way aspects of Saturn can be interpreted but again, everywhere Saturn is there to make us work hard and show perseverance.
So, this is a basic idea of how Saturn's aspects will work in your chart. Hard Work, Effort and Perseverance will be the theme words with Saturn.


Indexadas en el (JCR y SJR) 2012.
I. Indexadas en el JCR. 2010.
Castellari, C. Quadrelli, A. M. Y Laich, F. 2010. Surface mycobiota on Argentinean dry fermented sausages. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 142:149-155.
I. Indexadas en el JCR. 2011.
J. Alcoba-Florez, F. Laich, E. Pérez-Roth, J. Ode-Febles y S. Méndez-Álvarez. 2011. First Reported Case of Catheter-related fungemia due to Candida mengyuniae. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 49(9): 3429-3431.
I. Indexadas en el JCR. 2008.
Laich F., Alcoba-Flórez J., Pérez Roth E., Bahaya Y., Delgado J.L. y S. Méndez-Álvarez (2008) Molecular characterization of Alternaria alternata causing ocular infection: detection of IGS-RFLP intraespecific polymorphism. Medical Mycology 12:1-5.
Barata A., González S.S., Querol A., Malfeito-Ferreira M. y V. Loureiro (2008) Sour rot damaged grapes are sources of wine spoilage yeasts. FEMS Yeast Res. 3: 1008-1017.
González S.S., Barrio E. y A. Querol (2008) Molecular characterisation of new natural hybrids between S. cerevisiae and S. kudriavzevii from brewing. App. Env. Microb. 8: 2314-2320.


ALLOW SUSPD. DRIVER TO DRIVE C.A.R.
ALLOW UNLICENSED. DRIVER TO DRIVE C.A.R.
ALTER / REMOVEVIN # C.A.R.
CROSS MEDIAN DIV HWY ACC C.A.R.
DISOBEYED WARN SIGN ACC C.A.R.
DRIVE AROUND BARRICADE AC C.A.R.
DRIVE LEFT OF CENTER ACCD C.A.R.
DRIVING ON SHOULDER ACCD C.A.R.
EXCEED SAFE SPEED ACCIDENT C.A.R.
FAIL COMPLY FLAGMAN ACC. C.A.R.
FAIL OBEY POLICE OFF SIG C.A.R.
FAIL STP/YLD SCM BUS ACC C.A.R.
FAIL STP/YLD SCHOOL BUS C.A.R.
FAIL TO DRIVE RIGHT/ACC C.A.R.
FAIL TO MAINT. CONT. ACCD C.A.R.
FAIL TO REPORT ACCIDENT C.A.R.


text:
WFTDA Playoffs
The All CAN-CON WFTDA D1 Playoff Preview
Canada's five entrants in this year's Division 1 playoffs represent the majority of the record-setting eleven international participants.
On September 24th, 2010, in White Plains, New York, the whistle blew on a WFTDA Eastern Region quarterfinal playoff game between Boston and Montreal. By game-play standards, it would be a pretty normal duel: Boston, the 3rd seed, held off 6th seeded Montreal 147-85 to advance. However, this seemingly regular playoff game announced something special: competitive flat track roller derby had gone international.
Sure, the international game had been born four years earlier when flat track derby first burst forth from US borders and set up camp in Canada, England, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, but until Montreal's unprecedented run through the 2010 season, the upper echelons of the competitive game had been exclusive to the founding nation.
By 2011, London had joined Montreal in the playoffs, and the international influx was on. Only five years since Montreal's debut, there will now be a remarkable twelve international teams represented in the Division 1 playoffs (and one more in D2). Canada still leads the way with five teams (Montreal, Terminal City, Toronto, Tri-City, and Rideau Valley), but now Australia (Victoria, Sun State) and Sweden (Stockholm and Crime City) both have two leagues represented and joining them are teams from Finland (Helsinki) and Scotland (Glasgow). It is a remarkable development in what has been a remarkable evolution of the sport and of its primary governing body, the WFTDA, itself celebrating its 10th anniversary this season.
D1 TUCSON (Sept. 4-6) : Terminal City All Stars (27th overall, 7th seed) and Tri-City Thunder (40th, 10th).
Last year, Tri-City Thunder was involved in the first ever all-Canadian WFTDA playoff showdown when they squared off against Montreal in the consolation bracket at the Salt Lake City Division 1 playoff (falling 366-145); this year, the team from Kitchener-Waterloo is guaranteed to be involved in the second as they'll meet Vancouver's Terminal City All Stars in the opening round of the opening weekend of the 2015 WFTDA Division 1 playoffs in Tucson, Arizona.
Montreal and Tri-City prepare for the opening jam of last year's all-Canadian playoff showdown. (From WFTDA.TV)
This is the second-straight D1 appearance for Tri-City following an up-and-down season that saw them reach as high as 38th and fall as low as 54th before settling into the second-to-last playoff spot in the WFTDA's highest division. The inconsistent nature of the season was evident in the team's final regular season games losing to D2 Chicago Outfit before knocking off D2 Brewcity to round out a 7-3 year that featured great victories over, among others, national rival Calgary (208-196—they were ranked 46th at the time) and perennial D1ers Queen City (175-163).
After an off-season that saw the team lose some key long-time players (including virtually the whole jammer rotation), the team has rebuilt surprisingly quickly. Transfers Crazy Squirrel and Honey Badger (who has considerable D1 playoff experience after her time in Montreal) make up the core of that new offense and both have been excellent this season. Last year, playing for the New Skids on the Block, Badger managed 5.42 points per jam and a 56% lead percentage in four playoff games (including a 59 pt.–67% game against Arch Rival in the Consolation Final).
Thunder, however, will be in tough against a Terminal City team whose seemingly so-so 8-6 regular season record suddenly looks a little more impressive when its noted that some of the losses came to teams like Rose City, Bay Area, and Denver. The highlights of the season include victories over national rivals Toronto (a surprisingly one-sided 239-122 win) and Montreal (182-177, ending the Skids' 17-game Canadian winning streak).
Crazy Squirrel picks up lead jammer status in a May win against Queen City. (Photo by Joe Mac)
Although they lost some key skaters in the pack this season (Lisa Suggit and Karlene Harvey for example), the offense remains intact, led by last year's playoff revelation Maiden Sane. Sane, who came up with Regina's Pile O' Bones Derby Club and was part of the National team in 2011, transferred to the team late in 2014 and ended up leading the team in playoff scoring (340 pts. with an 8.1 PPJ) and lead percentrage (69%). Kim Janna, who missed last year's playoffs while recovering from injury, is back and will bolster the offense this year.
An expected Terminal City win will see them advance to take on mighty (but rebuilding) Bay Area in the quarterfinals while Tri-City would have a tough consolation showdown against either Charm City or Rocky Mountain.
*Head over to Tournament Central for complete information and brackets.
D1 DALLAS (Sept. 11-13): Rideau Valley Vixens (41st, 10th)
Last year, the Rideau Valley Vixens captured the hearts and minds of Canadian roller derby fans with an inspired run through the D2 playoffs, winning the first ever all-international tournament final over Bear City, before giving a powerful Detroit team all it could handle in the D2 Championship game. This year, they'll be part of an all-international showdown when they take on the surging Sun State team from Brisbane, Australia, in the 7-10 seeding game.
In 2014 the Vixens became the first non-US team to win a WFTDA playoff tournament. Click on the photo to read about it. (Photo by Joe Mac)
Not much has changed in the Vixens' roster this season with its team coming back nearly fully intact and its jammer rotation holding steady, including its enigmatic potential superstar jammer Shania Pain still studying/living/working all across the country and only getting to play and practice with the team sporadically. However, it was long-time veteran jammer Soul Rekker who led the way in the clutch last season, finishing the Division playoffs as second overall leading scorer (with 345 points over three games). Rekker (at 66%) also led her team in lead percentage, although all three primary scorers recorded at least a 51% for the tournament. Its experienced blocker core, however, leads the team; featuring returning skaters like BLackeyE, Bottema, Brennan, Murphy, Reyes, Rudolph, junior graduate Jamie's Got a Gun and double threat Sister Disaster, it's a deep, multi-faceted blocker roster capable of big things and whose performance will ultimately determine how far this team goes.
A Friday morning win would see the Vixens face off against a reloaded and refocused Texas team in the quarterfinals, while a loss would see them face the loser of the Rat City/Stockholm quarterfinal in the consolation bracket.
D1 OMAHA (Oct. 2-4): Montreal's New Skids on the Block (16th, 4th) and Toronto's CN Power (32nd, 8th)
In April of this season, Toronto, who had never defeated Montreal's New Skids on the Block, had Canada's top team on the ropes. Going blow-for-blow throughout and leading for a portion of the game, CN power couldn't hold off its long-time rivals in the end, dropping a heartbreaking 180-171 decision. You could argue that Toronto never quite recovered from that heartbreak, stumbling through the rest of the season after such a promising start (they'd handily knocked off Boston and Steel City leading up to that game), struggling to hold off D2 opponents while suffering some heavy one-sided losses to their D1 counterparts, ending up at 6-6 on the season and dropping from a season high of 24th to its current ranking (its lowest point in over two years, since June 2013).
Toronto managed some big victories early in the season, including a win over Boston at the Quad City Chaos. (Photo by Neil Gunner)
Montreal, on the other hand, has had the opposite trajectory in 2014. Starting things off slowly after significant off-season change saw some of the team's first generation of players retire, the team has gotten better as the year has gone on. Following the May loss to Terminal City, the Skids went on an incredibly dominant six-game winning streak capped off with a best-ever 197-point spanking of long-time rivals Charm City (who had upset them by a single point in last year's Division playoff quarterfinals) and an incredibly narrow 12-point loss to 10th ranked Philly to finish 9-2 on the season in sanctioned play.
Toronto did have significant roster turnover in the off-season, including the loss of their top two playoff leading scoring jammers (Motorhead Molly and Dusty) and the transfer of (arguably) its top blocker to Montreal (Dyna Hurtcha) among others. The offense was bolstered by a couple of ready-for-D1 jammers in Mad Megz and Smoka Cola (who has suffered a devastating broken leg on the eve of playoffs and will join similarly broken blocker BiggleySmallz on the sidelines) and Bellefast (who was actually called up from the B-team for last year's playoffs, picking up some critical big-game experience). Belle will be joined by returning jammer Bala Reina (who missed last year's playoffs) and a couple of B-team call-ups in multi-talented Beaver Mansbridge and breakout jammer Sleeper Hold. The defense is still led by long-time blocker (and National Team member) Nasher the Smasher, Team Mexico leader Renny Rumble with second-year CN Power blocker Ames to Kill emerging as the future (and present) core of the pack, but watch out for crafty (cut-drawing) vet Mega Bouche and hard-hitting Misery Mae as well.
Montreal defeated Windy City, its quarterfinal opponent, 303-97 at ECDX this summer. (Photo by Joe Mac)
Montreal's offense returns mostly intact with Mel E Juana and Miracle Whips back, and internally developed Falcon Punch taking Honey Badger's spot in the top three. In the pack, a long-time core remains (Jess Bandit, Cheese Grater for example) and is bolstered by the arrival of Team Canada transfers Dyna Hurtcha (Toronto) and KonichiWOW (part of this year's Windy City exodus).
Despite the high rank (16th), you could make the argument that expectations have never been lower for Montreal and yet it's entirely conceivable that they could finally advance to champs this year; however, it looks as if they will need to defeat Champs host Minnesota (at the very least) to do so (but should have no problem getting by Windy City in the quarterfinals; a team they beat by 206 points in June, to set up a semifinal showdown against Gotham).
Toronto kicks things off against familiar rivals Queen City, a team they have defeated three times in a row now dating back to October 2011. A victory will see them advance to take on Gotham in the quarterfinals, which—barring a miracle of the largest magnitude—would see them in the consolation semifinals against, most likely, No Coast or Helsinki (or Windy City, but only if that team is capable of slowing its momentous slide during the regular season) with a chance to improve its ranking to 5th
*Head over to Tournament Central for complete information and bracket.
*Won't be heading to any of the playoff tournaments? Remember to tune in to WFTDA.TV. Also, read about WFTDA's exciting new partnership with ESPN3 here.
Posted in Extreme Sports, Preview, Roller Derby, Sports, WFTDA Playoffs, Women's Sports and tagged 2015 International WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs, Big Five, cn power, Hydra, Montreal Roller Derby, new skids on the block, rideau valley roller girls, rideau valley vixens, Terminal City All Stars, Terminal City Roller Girls, Thunder, toronto roller derby, Tri-City Roller Derby, WFTDA, WFTDA Playoffs on September 2, 2015 by Derby Nerd. 1 Comment
Flat Track Comes of Age: A Reflection on the State of the Game at the End of 2014
The Agony and the Ecstasy: The moments following the final whistle of the 2014 WFTDA Championship game, with Gotham defeating Rose City 147-144. (Photo by Joe Mac)
It had been somewhat of a tumultuous few years for the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. Beginning in 2010 when the flat track game began to evolve in ways distinct from any other version of the game that preceded it, there were pushbacks toward the Association from virtually every corner; whether from the roller derby's remaining patriarch Jerry Seltzer, or its bloggers like Windy Man, or even parts of the WFTDA's membership itself, from 2010-2013 the sport of flat track roller derby came under attack in ways that would have seemed ludicrous during the all-inclusive love-in that defined the community from 2003-2009.
Personally, I truly fell in love with the game in the fall of 2009 when all the elements that people seemed to hate about the sport first surfaced. For me, the game of flat track roller derby existed only in name until that point, as the sport was basically just a mutated version of the banked track game played on a flat surface. It seems, in retrospect, that people were content with this pseudo-version of Seltzer-style roller derby, but logically, thinking that the strategies that defined the banked track would survive forever on the flat one is equivalent to thinking that ice hockey strategies could be transported to field hockey: different surfaces, different games.
In 2014, flat track roller derby truly came of age. The sometimes awkward adolescence that hobbled the game through its strategic and subsequent rules evolution of the past few years finally seemed to balance out; the game hasn't changed much over the past two seasons (though of course its gotten better through refinement), nor have the rules (again aside from clarification and "tightening") and in 2014 we finally got to see what flat track roller derby is going to look like.
If you want to see flat track roller derby at its finest, you can do no better than the first half of the Rose City vs. Atlanta game at the WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs (watch on WFTDA.TV).
Some people still hate what the game has become, and that's fine, but after an incredible 2014 playoff season and a heart warming World Cup (played under the WFTDA rule set), the attacks on the WFTDA seem shallow now; they seem to be coming from people who simply don't like the sport, yet still, inexplicably, want to be a part of it (perhaps due to reasons of self-centred sentimentality and nostalgia: "But that's not what the game looked like when I discovered it!").
Another criticism still levelled at the WFTDA is about the lack of fans, and even more ludicrously, the notion that flat track roller derby from 2003-2009 had this massive fan base that the game has now alienated by becoming too strategic, too slow (the implication being that we should make it more "showy"; that we should alter the rules in ways to attract fans, as opposed to altering rules to match the natural evolution of the game on a flat surface). The idea that flat track roller derby ever had a sustained, loyal fan base outside of its own membership is, to be blunt, simply not true. It's a fallacy built around the illusion that because places like Seattle attracted a few thousand fans for a few if its house league seasons and Toronto sold out its venue for a year following the release of Whip It, we had some massive, loyal fan base that has since been eroded.
There is absolutely no consistent sample size to base this argument on (though that hasn't stopped people), and the logical conclusion to the idea of forcing the game to change in a way to better entertain fans is RollerGames (which I am confident in saying that no one wants). The flat track game has only just "settled" in the past season or so; I believe we are probably still 5-10 years away from seeing the beginning of a devoted fan base, if at all. And really, that should never be the goal of a sport that is at an age when it's still figuring itself out.
And while on the surface, growth does seem to be somewhat slowed at the highest level (this year's WFTDA playoffs probably drew about the same amount of fans as last year's, etc.), at the base, the game is flourishing. Men's roller derby and junior roller derby both grew leaps in bounds in 2014, and the game spread to corners of the globe that would have seemed impossible a few years ago for various reasons (Hello CaiRollers!). The junior exhibition game at the World Cup, though initially seeming like an afterthought, was a sight to behold. The fact of the matter is that at the highest levels of the game, we are now tinkering. We are refining the game and making it better, more athletic. Smarter. And all the while, the base upon which this is supported is growing and strengthening.
One of my picks for game of the year was the Montreal vs. Toronto showdown at this year's Quad City Chaos. Watch the complete game here. (Produced by Layer9.ca)
And Canada remains right in the centre of it all (or perhaps more accurately just north of centre). For a long time it seemed as if Canada was constantly playing catch-up, with the game in general but with its own internally dominant league as well, Montreal Roller Derby. And this year, the rest of the country caught up in a big way. Both Toronto and Terminal City pushed the Skids to new heights of competitiveness, and in 2015 the game at the national level is expected to be played on an ever-increasing playing field. The Rideau Valley Vixens defeated Berlin's Bear City in an incredible final game of one of the most incredible tournaments that flat track roller derby has ever seen (hosted, no less, by Canada's Tri-City Roller Derby), and those thrilling D2s were followed by an equally thrilling D1 playoffs that was capped off by one of the greatest games ever (and certainly, given the stakes, since the 2010 WFTDA Championship game), when Gotham held off Rose City (147-144) to retain the Hydra.
Sure, Canada didn't surprise as it did in 2013 when Toronto and Terminal City both went on spirited and unexpected runs in their respective Division payoffs, and Montreal once again lived up to its moniker as being the Most Heartbreaking Team in playoff history with another last-gasp loss, this time to long-time rivals Charm City, but nonetheless it was a banner year for the sport in the country and saw the rise of a new, true, power from the west in the Calgary Roller Derby Association, whose record-setting march up the WFTDA standings has made them a team to watch in the coming season. Overall, with the very recent additions of St. Albert, Winnipeg and Guelph's Royal City, there are now fifteen WFTDA leagues in Canada spread across all three divisions, and three hundred member leagues overall.
Globally, the game is growing competitively, not only at the National level, as we saw with teams like Argentina and New Zealand, but at the league level as well. Berlin (D2) along with London and Melbourne's Victorian Roller Derby (D1) all announced themselves as players on the WFTDA circuit. And there are more in the wings. When you think about the struggles and in-fighting that have gone on in trying to put professional sports leagues like the NHL and the NFL into global markets, the fact that a still-amateur sport like flat track roller derby has been able to sustain a "league" with international membership is nothing short of astonishing.
In 2014, the sport of flat track roller derby came of age. The game is better than it has ever been, played by stronger and fitter athletes in more places on the planet than anyone could ever have conceived of. It's a fine time to be a fan of the sport, and I've got a feeling that it's only going to get better.
****Take a look at the gallery below to see some of my favourite photographs that appeared on this site this year. A very, very BIG thanks to photographers Neil Gunner, Greg Russell, and Joe Mac for allowing me to illustrate my ramblings with their fine work.
Posted in Extreme Sports, Profile, Recap, Roller Derby, Roller Derby World Cup, Sports, WFTDA Playoffs, Women's Sports and tagged 2014 Blood and Thunder Roller Derby World Cup, Calgary Roller Derby Association, Montreal Roller Derby, rideau valley roller girls, Roller Derby, Royal City Roller Girls, St. Albert Heavenly Rollers, toronto roller derby, Tri-City Roller Derby, WFTDA, WFTDA Playoffs, Winnipeg Roller Derby League on December 29, 2014 by Derby Nerd. 10 Comments
Rideau Valley Makes WFTDA History at Thrilling D2 Tournament in Kitchener-Waterloo
The Vixens defeat Berlin in an all-international final to become the first non-US-based team to win a WFTDA playoff tournament.
Canada's Rideau Valley Vixens are the first non-US team to win a WFTDA playoff tournament. (Photo from Vixens' Facebook page)
Since the team made its debut on a snowy February 27th, 2010, at the ToRD Hangar in Toronto, the Rideau Valley Vixens have been one of this country's most enigmatic teams. Consistently fielding some of Canada's finest skaters (including two members of Team Canada and a big chunk of Ontario's provincial team), the team has not always lived up to the sometimes-lofty expectations thrust upon it. Until, that is, this past weekend, where they far surpassed those expectations, outlasting Berlin's Bear City in an absolutely thrilling championship game to become the first team outside of the United States to win a WFTDA playoff tournament, earning them a spot in the Division 2 championship game in Nashville in November where they will square off against mighty Detroit.
Graduating to full WFTDA membership in June 2012, the Rideau Valley Vixens struggled to find consistency early in their WFTDA careers, hovering around the high D2 rankings and never quite able to string together more than three wins in a row, all the while capable of pulling off shocking victories (such as a 2013 victory over Toronto's CN Power) as often as they were able to slump to disappointing losses.
After narrowly missing out of the D2 playoffs in 2013, things did finally begin to change for the better for the team this season. Kicking off 2014 on a six-game winning streak (that included an impressive non-sanctioned win over Misfit Militia), the team found itself surging up the WFTDA rankings, finally slipping comfortably into a playoff spot in May, as the sole Canadian team in the D2 playoffs (four others qualified for D1).
The Kitchener-Waterloo D2 tournament actually contained a series of historic moments: the first tournament hosted outside of the US (and Tri-City Roller Derby knocked it out of the park—universally praised for the organization); the first to feature a team from continental Europe (Bear City's Berlin Bombshells); the first to feature nation's capitals square off (it happened twice, first when Berlin knocked out DC in the quarterfinals); and, eventually, the first to feature a fully international final.
Gold Coast (and Team USA) skater Baller Shot Caller (jamming) led her team all the way to the 3rd place game where they fell to a scrappy Killamazoo led by Javelin (#33 left) and Neva Soba. (Photo by Joe Mac)
While the big-picture view of this tournament will focus on the history, at track level, the quality of the play stole the show; parity was the dominant story of the tournament, and it made for some phenomenal games. Of the 17 games, 9 finished with a differential of less than 20 points, and the event was bookended by the tightest results, with the opening and closing games of the tournament being settled by 3 points. Only one game—Rideau Valley's 239-130 win over Boulder Country—featured a point differential of more than 100. Overall, the average point differential was 41.4. This, along with the first D2 Duluth's 73 point average differential, provides the best indicator that the WFTDA's new playoff system is producing the desired results
While this was the dominant tale, A sub narrative may have been the story of the upsets. The top two seeds (DC and Queen City) ended up playing for 5th, and while two of the top four finishers were expected (3rd seed Vixens and 4th seed Killamazoo finishing 1st and 3rd respectively), the other spots were filled by the 9th seed (Berlin) and the 7th seed (Gold Coast), both of whom had to endure (and survive) the Friday morning play-in games. Nonetheless, it was clear that despite the necessity for some slight internal adjustments, these 10 teams deserved to be here.
The final was an extraordinary display of what modern women's flat track roller derby has to offer: furious play, as slow and gritty as it was fast and loose (the slower play an advantage to Rideau Valley), phenomenal clutch performances, and two teams that left it all on the track.
The Vixens led over the opening 5 jams before a 9-0 Bear City jam gave Berlin the lead 30-22. They would hold the lead until the 43rd jam of the game and would trade back one more time before Rideau would retake the lead two jams later and hold on until the end, holding off a 20-18 Berlin run in a frantic final jam that went the full 2 minutes. When the final whistle blew, the Vixens had managed a 243-240 victory.
Two critical moments defined the second half. The first consisted of both teams trading errors: A rare moment of confusion late in the second half (jam 42 of 47) on the Rideau Valley bench saw the Vixens not field a jammer. It looked to be the defining moment of the tournament, until, that is, the Berlin jammer (Master Blaster) attempted a risky apex jump that landed her in the penalty box, thus ending the jam. Critical errors traded so cancelling each other out.
Berlin's Master Blaster was simply phenomenal, leading the tournament in scoring and track time for a jammer. She was the worthy winner of the MVP award. (Photo by Joe Mac)
The second key moment came in the final jam. With the Vixens up by 5, they needed only to keep pace with Berlin. A key knock-out/drag back by Jane Rudolph on lead jammer Master Blaster late put the jammer a half lap back of her counterpart Soul Rekker, the Vixens' jammer; this proved critical when Rekker picked up a last-second penalty and Master Blaster was just too far behind to catch up and score a full pass.
The play was indicative of the kind of performances that Rideau Valley got on the weekend from their core vets. In the final, with key blockers Hannah Murphy and Margaret Choke having fouled out by the midway point of the second (they'd been leading their team in track time to that point), it was incumbent upon others to step up, and step up they did. Rudolph was extraordinary in the championship game, and given the stage, veteran blocker Sister Disaster played the game of her career, key in moments of jammer relief (including two key star passes) and overcoming any physical disadvantage with heart and pure determination (she would lead the tournament in blocker plus/minus). Brennan was another critical force and first-year transfer BlackeyE has blossomed in Rideau Valley (her third league).
Berlin, playing short all weekend, used their blockers on a much more even rotation, with the extraordinarily feisty Catherine Beat-Her Bonez leading the way, but Bee Fattal (who lead her team with a blocker +122), Paulina Pocket, Emmazon and Heavy Rotation were all key.
But if you want to look at the key difference between the two finalists, it comes down to the jammer rotation. The Vixens dominated Berlin's Donner Doro and Kozmic Bruise, limiting them to 34 and 36 points and 18% and 20% lead percentages respectively; however, eventual tournament MVP Master Blaster was another story entirely, and as she did all weekend, played over half of her team's jams with the star (including 5 of the last 6 jams). She finished with 164 of her team's points in the game and held a remarkable 72% lead percentage.
The Vixens had a slightly more balanced approach. Two first-year jammers (at the WFTDA level) Austin Tatious and Shania Pain (a transfer from the Yukon) played well above their experience level. Austin finished the game with 39 points and a 64% lead percentage, while Shania finished with 77 and 44% (and ended the tournament as the 5th leading scorer). But the story of the game (and the weekend) was the play of veteran Soul Rekker; in the final, she finished with 127 points and a 50% lead percentage and was critical in the last jam, going lap for lap with Master Blaster. Furthermore, she led the tournament in lead percentage (66%) and points per jam (6.5) among jammers with at least 30 jams.
Overall, both D2 tournaments have set a standard for the upcoming D1 teams to compete against. This tournament was run phenomenally in a beautiful venue with decent crowds that filled out nicely for the key Saturday night/Sunday evening games: the emotion in the building during the final was unbelievable. If these past two weekends are any indicator of what is to come in the 2014 WFTDA Division 1 playoffs, we should all expect nothing less than the best.
***All games were broadcast live on WFTDA.TV and will all eventually be available for free in the WFTDA.TV archives. Do yourself a favour and (re)watch them!
***Read blow-by-blow game recaps at Derby News Network and WFTDA.com.
FINAL STANDINGS
1st Place – Rideau Valley Roller Girls (3 seed)
2nd Place – Bear City Roller Derby (9 seed)
3rd Place – Killamazoo Derby Darlins (4 seed)
4th Place – Gold Coast Derby Grrls (7 seed)
5th Place – Queen City Roller Girls (2 seed)
6th Place – DC Rollergirls (1 seed)
7th Place – Chicago Outfit Roller Derby (5 seed)
8th Place – Demolition City Roller Derby (8 seed)
9th Place – Boulder County Bombers (6 seed)
10th Place – Grand Raggidy Roller Girls (10 seed)
Tournament Stats Leaders (minimum 30 jams unless indicated–Stats by Rinxter)
SCORING* LEAD PERCENTAGE** TOTAL JAMS
Master Blaster (BCRD) 506 Soul Rekker (RVRG) 66% Master Blaster (BCRD) 90
Soul Rekker (RVRG) 345 Jessie Girl (KDD) 64% Lola Blow (CORD) 65
Lola Blow (CORD) 330 Master Blaster (BCRD) 62% Bitchin N Rollin (GCRG) 54
LiBRAWLian (QCRG) 282 LiBRAWLian (QCRG) 62% Matza Ball Breaker (CORD) 54
Shania Pain (RVRG) 235 Dubois/Doobie Trap (KDD) 62% Soul Rekker (RVRG) 53
*Gold Coast's Bitchin N Rollin was the only other jammer to score over 200 points (225)
**Demolition City's Stepheree finished with a 73% lead percentage over 26 jams.
TOTAL JAMS PLUS/MINUS
Bangs McCoy (DCRD) 119 Sister Disaster (RVRG) +151
Baller Shot Caller (GCRG) 109 Brennan (RVRG) +146
Heavy Rotation (BCRD) 106 Margaret Choke (RVRG) +134
Paulina Pocket (BCRD) 103 Murphy (RVRG) +123
Catherine Beat-Her Bonez (BCRD) 101 Bee Fattal /Karo'Bolage (BCRD) +122
Posted in Extreme Sports, Recap, Roller Derby, Sports, WFTDA Playoffs, Women's Sports and tagged Bear City Roller Derby, Berlin Bombshells, Boulder County Bombers, Chicago Outfit Roller Derby, DC Rollergirls, Demolition City Roller Derby, Gold Coast Roller Grrls, Grad Raggidy Roller Girls, Killamazoo Derby Darlins, Lake Effect Furies, Queen City Roller Girls, rideau valley roller girls, rideau valley vixens, Tri-City Roller Derby, WFTDA, WFTDA D2, WFTDA Playoffs, WFTDA.TV on August 27, 2014 by Derby Nerd. Leave a comment
Toronto Levels Up at final WFTDA Divisional
Bay Area, Atlanta and Rat City round out the participants in Milwaukee.
Toronto Roller Derby's CN Power continued the compelling international story at the 2013 WFTDA playoffs tangling with Melbourne, Australia's, Victorian Roller Derby in the fifth place game at the final divisional tournament. Although CN Power ran out of steam in the second half of the game, the narrative for the weekend had already been set. It began with a major upset over Sacred City on Friday, followed by a stunning game against perennial powerhouse Atlanta before another tough upset over Boston assured Toronto of a surprising top six finish.
It was yet another remarkable finish for one of the three Canadian teams in WFTDA's Division 1, and arguably, the best performance by a Canadian team at this year's Big Five. Montreal finished 4th in their division, but did so mostly based on a fairly clear path to the final four on account of their 2nd seed in the tournament. Word on the track is that Montreal was probably closer to the 6th or even 7th best team in their division (with Rose City, at least, and even Arch Rival performing better than they did). Terminal City's performance was also one for the ages: stunning upsets over Tampa and New Hampshire guaranteeing a three-spot jump on their ranking. But Toronto went one further with the win over Boston, and their performance in a loss against Atlanta was arguably the best game played by a Canadian team during this year's playoffs.
Read Lex Talionis's Sacred vs. Toronto game recap for Derby News Network (featuring photos by Donalee Eiri).
It has been a remarkable turn around for Toronto this season, but one that has been coming for some time, and one that shouldn't be too much of a surprise for the astute followers of the Canadian game. Over the past three years Toronto Roller Derby has worked hard to develop its base, and is now a league brimming with talent at every level. The farm team D-VAS has consistently finished in the final four of every Fresh and Furious tournament they have played in. Similarly, since a 2-3-4 finish at the 2011 Beast of the East, ToRD house league teams have been consistently near the top of that tournament as well, with at least one team in the top three in the last three years. Finally, ToRD's travel B Team, the Bay Street Bruisers, have been turning heads as well, especially since a 2012 RDAC Eastern Championship tournament victory. They have gone 8-1 in 2013 against consistently solid competition on both sides of the border, are clearly the top B Team in the country, and have even earned a spot in the discussion of the top teams in the country.
So with such a strong and well-developed base propping it up, this CN Power turn around has been in the works.
Read Beck Wise's Atlanta vs. Toronto game recap for DNN (featuring photos by Donalee Eiri).
After a somewhat inconsistent start to the year (for a example, a phenomenal performance in a loss to mighty Ohio was followed by a stunning upset loss to Rideau Valley at this year's Quad City Chaos), CN Power slowly began to turn it around and build toward this weekend's peak performance. Arguably, it all started with a thrilling showdown against rivals the New Skids on the Block in Montreal in April. A game that saw them compete for about 40 minutes, before the big-game experience of Montreal kicked in and the Skids pulled away late. That was followed by a tight game against another much higher ranked opponent in Cincinnati, and finally the playoff-clinching 2-point victory against Bleeding Heartland.
As a team, Toronto has flown under the radar for the past few seasons, lacking the visibility that Montreal and Vancouver have enjoyed, but after this weekend, it has to be believed that this will no longer be the case. Toronto's depth pushed it to success this weekend, but there were outstanding individual performances as well. At the top of the heap were Nasher the Smasher and Dyna Hurtcha. Long one of Toronto's top blockers, Nasher finally had a stage upon which to display her talents and she did not disappoint. A tireless workhorse all weekend, she averaged 31 jams per game (easily a team high) and despite all the track time (most coming in two losses) still finished with a +/- of +29. Prototypical Toronto triple threat Dyna Hurthca was also a phenom this weekend. A relentless blocker, she also showed her value to the team by jamming in certain situations, including in a tough second half against Victorian (in which she jammed 4 times, picked up two leads and averaged 2.3 points per jam).
Read Beck Wise's Boston vs. Toronto game recap on DNN (featuring photos by Donalee Eiri).
Just below these stellar performances were those of Renny Rumble, BruiseBerry Pie and Jubilee. Bruisey was the go-to pivot for star passes in tough situations on the weekend and averaged 21 jams per game delivering some timely hits. Renny Rumble showed some extraordinary agility on defense and her eye for the track was obvious on the weekend. One of the keys to Toronto's performance was its offense, and Jubilee, playing, arguably, the best derby of her career, was key on offense, reading situations well, and providing timely help when needed. Of course, the key to the success was in Toronto's bench depth and ability to run out solid line after line (especially in the Atlanta game), a testament to the performances of all the blockers, led by Mega Bouche, Panty Hoser and double threat Candy Crossbones, who all put in significant track time on the weekend.
Speaking of depth, Toronto ran a fairly consistent four-jammer rotation all weekend, adjusting and filling in based on situation and opponent, and it was clearly led by a resurgent Bambi. A long-time ToRD veteran and still the houseleague's all-time leading scorer, the home team success did not follow her to the travel team level early in her CN Power career. Last year, Bambi was beginning to look like a viable threat before a broken hand sustained in a game against Ohio held her back. There were no such setbacks in 2013, and she has steadily improved her game all season peaking, as the team did, at just the right time. She was easily the team's most consistent jammer, putting up 258 points for the tournament (a 5.5 points per jam rate) with never more than 75 or less than 42 points in a game, and finished with a 50% lead percentage overall. Her footwork was phenomenal, and she used her size well, getting through the narrowest of gaps but also playing close to opposing blockers, avoiding hits and staying away from danger (important when you are virtually always the smallest skater on the track).
Read Beck Wise's Victorian vs. Toronto game recap for DNN (featuring photos by Donalee Eiri).
She did get help from the rest of the rotation at timely moments as well. Bala Reina had a hot and cold tournament: absolutely dominant against Sacred City (79 points, 6.2 points per jam, and a 62% lead percentage) and Boston (82, 6.8, 42%), she was completely neutralized against Atlanta, but bounced back against Victorian. Co-captain Dusty had her strongest game against Boston, where her jukey, scrappy style worked well (she has a knack for keeping her game in the middle of the track, avoiding the outside/inside lane drag backs that Boston was so proficient at). She led the team with a 56% lead percentage in that game and also managed 50 points (5.6 PPJ).
Despite running out of gas at the end against Melbourne (they led for much of the first half and went into the break tied at 75, but looked simply exhausted for much of the second half), it was nothing less than a phenomenal weekend for Toronto Roller Derby. Two major upsets and a team-defining performance against one of the sport's best teams in Atlanta, topped off by a marquee international showdown with Australia's top team, has put ToRD clearly into the roller derby spotlight, a spotlight that has often skipped over the city and its league. And, it should be noted, they did it while facing adversity as well, losing three skaters to injury in the week leading up to their departure for Divisionals (veteran blocker Rebel Rock-It, second-year jammer Kookie Doe, and long-time, on-track leader Tara Part).
During the last Team Canada tryouts, many felt that Toronto skaters were overlooked (I imagined an audible gasp could be heard from the east-coast derby community when Nasher the Smasher wasn't even shortlisted); with another World Cup on the horizon and national team tryouts coming up, you get a feeling that won't be happening again. It's been a long road, but Toronto has finally arrived at the highest level of flat track roller derby.
Posted in Extreme Sports, Recap, Roller Derby, Roller Derby World Cup, Sports, WFTDA Playoffs, Women's Sports and tagged Atlanta Rollergirls, Bostom Derby Dames, boston massacre, cn power, Dirty South Derby, Montreal Roller Derby, new skids on the block, Sacred City Derby Girls, Terminal City All Stars, Terminal City Roller Girls, toronto roller derby, Victorian Roller Derby, WFTDA Playoffs on September 30, 2013 by Derby Nerd. 4 Comments
Terminal City Climbs Three Spots in Second WFTDA Divisional Playoff
Texas, Philly and Angel City are heading to Milwaukee.
The second Canadian and third international team in WFTDA playoff history, acquitted itself well this weekend in Richmond, Virginia, at the second Divisional tournament in the WFTDA 2013 Big Five season. Scoring an upset in their Friday night opener to book a bout against the historic Texas Rollergirls in the quarter finals (one of their stated goals of the weekend), Vancouver's Terminal City All Stars went 1 – 1 in the consolation round to jump three spots, finishing 7th in the Division.
Read the blow-by-blow recap of Terminal City vs. Tampa by Ogden Smash on Derby News Network. (Featuring the photography of Jennifer M. Ramos)
Terminal City laid its cards on the table on the opening jam of their first game, using their vaunted star-pass strategy to ensure no more than a four-point pick up for Tampa, who took the first lead of the game. Unfazed, Terminal City quickly jumped back in front, gaining a lead that they would not relent, yet they would never really be able to put away a scrappy Tampa team either as they would be virtually tied in second half scoring, with Terminal City holding on for the 180-154 upset. Vancouver stuck with a strict lineup all weekend, using a four-jammer rotation of Kim Janna, Evada Peron, Bobbi Barbarich and luludemon. The consistency and variety of their jammers allowed them to provide a varied offense that kept defenses guessing.
While they were clearly overmatched against Texas, they nonetheless put in an outstanding effort and found significant success offensively, able to score 125 points against the perennial powerhouses and founders of the modern, flat track version of the sport. While Terminal City's lines were fairly consistent on the weekend (and the bench kept fairly short), pack penalties—particularly against Texas—kept things varied. Pivots Buffy Sainte Fury, Scarlett Bloodbath and Kim Mackenzie were excellent all weekend: always hyper aware of what was shaping up and quick to grab the star when necessary. They also got very consistent pack work from Lisa Suggitt, Jocelyn Ingram, Flower Plow'her and Megan Griffith.
Read the blow-by-blow recap of Terminal City vs. Jacksonville by Justice Feelgood Marshall for Derby News Network.
The first consolation round showdown with Jacksonville was a fast-paced and fairly even bout that Jacksonville took control of early. Despite playing their cleanest game of the weekend, Terminal City could not catch Jacksonville after they took an early lead. Trading jams back and forth throughout and staying relatively clean, the teams put on a show that concluded as one of the best games of the weekend, with Jacksonville winning narrowly 162-127.
And finally, after a slow start against New Hampshire in the 7th place game, Terminal City turned it around to dominate. The jammers had a rough go at it in the early going, facing tough New Hampshire defensive walls. Both luludemon and Kim Janna had tough times penetrating, while Evada was able to juke around the strong formations. Eventually, Terminal City was able to capitalize on New Hampshire mistakes and began to draw penalties (and were dominant on power jams). Fantastically played back-to-back power jams late in the 1st period (the second of which featured luludemon scoring 29 points while Suggitt, Plow'her, Scarlett Bloodbath and Ash Richardson decimated the New Hampshire pack by dominating pack definition and sending all four opposing blockers to the box), put the game away (they'd run away with a 250-154 win).
Read the blow-by-blow recap of Terminal City vs. New Hampshire by Danger (ismymiddlename) on Derby News Network. (Featuring photography by Tom Klubens)
While their consistent pack work was huge in their success, the varied offense was key to their game. Each of the four primary jammers had moments to excel, and each had moments when her particular skill set shone. For example, luludemon, who struggled against Texas and even Tampa, was dominant against New Hampshire (76 points) and Jacksonville (58). While Evada Peron found her jukey style better suited against the impenetrable TXRG defense (she led with 41 points) and Tampa (where she dominated with 83 points, a +76 jammer plus/minus, and a 90% lead percentage). The powerful Barbarich and athletic Janna, despite never leading the team in scoring, may have provided the most consistent performances of the weekend, with both managing above 30% lead percentages against Texas, and Janna scoring 50 points on a 60% lead percentage in the opener against Tampa, and Barbarich providing an outstanding well-rounded performance against New Hampshire in the placement clincher (72 points on 80% lead percentage).
It was an impressive WFTDA playoff debut for Terminal City, a performance that will propel them even higher up the rankings than they have already climbed this season (these games count toward next season's rankings, and because they are playoff games, have a greater weight). If they hadn't already made a names for themselves, Vancouver's Terminal City All Stars certainly have now.
**Catch all the games archived at WFTDA.TV.
**Read full game recaps on the Derby News Network.
Posted in Extreme Sports, Recap, Roller Derby, Sports, WFTDA Playoffs, Women's Sports and tagged Jacksonville Rollergirls, New Hampshire Roller Derby, Tampa Roller Derby, Terminal City All Stars, Terminal City Roller Girls, Texacutioners, Texas Rollergirls, WFTDA, WFTDA Playoffs, WFTDA.TV on September 16, 2013 by Derby Nerd. 1 Comment
2013 WFTDA Playoff Preview: Can Con Edition!
The 2013 WFTDA playoffs will feature five international teams, including three from Canada.
On September 24, 2010, in White Plains, New York, Montreal Roller Derby's New Skids on the Block would make history, becoming the first non-American team to play in the WFTDA playoffs, setting off the international era of flat track roller derby. That year Montreal entered the Eastern Regionals ranked 6th, setting up an opening quarterfinal showdown against their long-time (but friendly) rivals, the Boston Massacre. The Skids would lose the game and finish 7th in the Regional tournament. The event, boutcast on Derby News Network and watched widely in Canada, inspired a growth of competitive derby in this country and abroad that continues to this day.
Four years later and Montreal has qualified for its fourth consecutive WFTDA playoff. But this year they are not alone, joined by Vancouver's Terminal City All Stars and Toronto's CN Power as Canadian representatives. And the influence of that game stretches even further beyond the borders of the great white north, with the Canuck contingent representing just the tip of the international iceberg. London Rollergirls London Brawling are back for their third stint in the playoffs, and this year sees Australia's first team, Melbourne's Victorian Roller Derby All Stars, joining the fray.
Fittingly, Montreal will lead the way this Big Five season, being the first Canadian team in action this coming weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The new divisional system means that old regional rivalries have been thrown out the window, leaving teams squaring off based on a purely competitive basis. Montreal roared up the rankings in 2013 to end the regular season at a historic high 8th in the WFTDA, giving them a second seed in their divisional playoff. The favourable seeding allows them a bye straight into the quarterfinals, where they will await the winners of a Wasatch (Salt Lake City) vs. Grand Raggidy (Grand Rapids) qualifying round showdown (Friday, September 6 at 6:00 PM eastern).
2013 will be Montreal's fourth straight trip to the WFTDA playoffs.
Montreal head coach Ewan Wotarmy was on that historic New Skids team. Since retired from on-track play, she has taken over coaching this season, a season that has seen Montreal reach new highs in terms of rankings. While the high seeding surpassed their goals, it wasn't necessarily a surprise.
"We had set a very achievable goal of making 12th place earlier in the season," Ewan explains, "but I had been giving the team point differential goals for our games based on us being an 8th place team." As usual, the team came on strong early, kicking things off with impressive victories over Tri-City, Maine, Chicago Outfit, and Boston before a narrow loss to powerhouse Windy City.
The early-season form got Ewan thinking: "I had a feeling, based on some of those early games, that we could make second seed." Following the rankings and keeping up on the new system became key in planning: "The new ranking system makes it a bit easier to understand where you stand in relation to other teams…Athletes are inherently goal driven – having a clear, specific goal (like getting 87% of the total points scored) rather than more vague goals ('doing better than team X, who played this team in April') is huge in helping the team focus."
From the very beginning, Montreal has been known for its endurance and fitness, but this year, after three season of coming up just short in the playoffs, the team has taken things to a new level. "The team has been very focused this year, and working hard," Ewan says. "They are fitter than ever and incredibly focused on making Championships." On the track, she says that one of the biggest positive changes for the team has been with discipline and taking fewer penalties: "All of our players have really made strides in this area. Having more players on the track is a huge advantage for any team."
For Terminal City and Toronto, the situation is much different. After a few years of steady, under-the-radar growth—including making big impressions in 2012— both Toronto and Terminal City put in late-season runs to just sneak into the Division 1 playoffs for the first time. Ranked 10th in each of their divisionals, the teams will have to play a qualifying round game to kick off the tournament. Terminal City opens against Tampa Roller Derby (Friday, September 13th at 12:00 PM eastern) while Toronto will open things up against Sacred City (Sacramento) (Friday, September 27th, 10:00 PM pacific).
This will be Terminal City's debut in the WFTDA playoffs.
Despite the tough draw, each team was more than happy for the opportunity.
"We were ecstatic," says Terminal City's Coach Mack the Mouth of his team's reaction to making the playoffs. "Everyone keeps a close eye on Derbytron, DNN, and Flat Track Stats to try to figure out where we are going to land (in WFTDA). We were very confident that would make top 40, but actually seeing it was a whole other level of excitement."
Vancouver's top team kicked off 2013 with two ultra-tight games against Jet City (Everett Washington) (a one-point win) and Santa Cruz (a two-point loss) before reeling off three straight wins over Sac City, Treasure Valley and Silicon Valley. But Mack sees their progress this season as more than just a single-season story. "We had such a strong year last year, climbing the west rankings from 53rd to 12th," he explains of their astonishing leap in 2012. "Our work habits, discipline and fitness commitments paid off, so it wasn't difficult to cultivate that energy around the team for this year. We knew we could build off of that momentum and move to the next level."
Toronto also had a strong start to the season, with one-sided wins against Killamazoo and Fort Wayne, before encouraging losses to high-ranked Naptown and Ohio. CN Power Co-Captain Dusty says the team was "elated" at the news of their spot in the playoffs. Bench Coach Reverend Ramirez says that the team simply "got things right" in 2013. "We said 'let's go for broke' (this season) and play teams like Windy City and Naptown—all the high level teams we could."
CN Power just slipped into their first Division 1 playoffs.
CN Power Bench Manager Sonic Doom points out that while learning from those tough experiences was important, the confidence gained was just as valuable: "What we needed to do was learn that we are capable of competing against those high level teams. While we still haven't earned that major result, we've had moments where we've competed." Specifically, he points to the second half of the game against Naptwon where the Indianapolis powerhouse only outscored Toronto by 12 points as a particular turning point.
None of the teams has really changed too much in terms of their training heading into the playoffs, as they all point out that it was increased training over the course of the year that allowed them to achieve their goals. Instead, each team has been refining their games and fitness levels.
"We are really drilling the areas that have been challenges for us this season," Ewan says of Montreal's practices. "All of the players are watching a lot of derby and visualizing their individual roll in our collective success this fall."
Mack says that the focus of their practices has changed, "I do run more scrimmage/game type scenarios as opposed to drills. Creating as many game type situations has always been the direction I like to take."
Similarly, Toronto's amount and intensity of practices has been at an all-time high for all of 2013 so not much has changed in that regard. One major addition has been adding an off-skates practice at a gym where the players can focus on fitness as a team. But again, the management team cites the increased level of their opposition as the best preparation. "We took some lessons from the Skids, who got their asses kicked by a lot of high-level teams (early in their WFTDA careers)," says Ramirez: "You're not going to go very far if you just keep beating low-level teams."
Dusty adds that one of the most important changes for Toronto was trust. "I think this year the team has finally become a team who has learned to trust eachother, and trust our coaches and captains and the decisions we have to make for the team."
Montreal cam up just short against Windy City in March, their first loss of the 2013 season. (Photo by Neil Gunner)
Also, the teams are focusing inwards on sharpening their own games, without worrying too much about their opponents. "That being said, odds would be better for us if we were to play Grand Raggidy, given that they are currently lower ranked and have not played any top 25 teams this year," Ewan says, pointing out that Wasatch has been playing tougher teams later in their schedule. "Either way, the Skids are going into the game with the intent of controlling it from the first jam until the last."
"By chance, I got to watch Tampa play at ECDX versus Boston and Windy City, then again at Rollercon versus Sin City," Mack says of Terminal City's first round opponents. "They match up well with us; fit, smart, high track awareness team. We are excited to play them."
CN Power has watched some video of Sacred City says Dusty and Ramirez. "They are a great defensive team," Dusty points out. "They have big, but agile girls, which is a huge strength to have in derby. We have been working a lot on our offense for that game specifically."
Just as Montreal's appearance in the playoffs in 2010 had such a profound effect on the sport in this country, having three teams play in the Division 1 playoffs (not to mention Tri-City's success in their D-2 tournament) will have an extraordinary impact as well; one that will be felt from coast to coast.
"It's going to bring the national game to new levels," says Ewan Wotarmy who also happens to be Team Canada's head coach. "It's great that the are teams in very different locations across the country, so the learning can easily be shared in scrimmage and in more formal bouts across Canada…As the sport continues to get more competitive, we will likely be better able to attract experienced athletes to the sport. Given the number of young Canadian women who, like myself, grew up on skates…we could have an international advantage in that, but we have to show these athletes that they have a competitive future in this sport."
Terminal City went 2-1 at the 2013 Wild West Showdown in March. (Photo by Bob Ayers)
Mack the Mouth is also part of Team Canada's coaching staff and also sees how this success could impact our national team directly: "It will make the Team Canada try-outs explode with skaters. It will help push more Canadian teams to apply for their WFTDA apprenticeship. And lets not forget Tri-City and Rideau Valley; I expect both of those teams to be pushing for Division 1 spots in 2014."
Toronto's Sonic Doom agrees that Canada's impact on WFTDA is just beginning. "I expect the number of Canadian teams in the playoffs to triple next year," he explains. While agreeing with Mack's selections, he adds Hammer City to the list as a Division 2 team.
One of the biggest changes this season is that Canadian teams have somewhat lost that element of surprise. Montreal, in particular, is no longer seen as an underdog with many expecting them to advance to Championships this season. "I feel that we are still punching above our weight (literally and figuratively)," Ewan points out. "We certainly have an advantage going into the tournament, given that we are seeded second, but all the teams at these tournaments are really fantastic! This has been a year of many upsets in the WFTDA." And they do have a tough bracket, joined by WFTDA stalwarts Denver and Rose City, but also Arch Rival, Ohio and their playoff rivals London.
Toronto narrowly lost to Ohio at the 2013 Quad City Chaos. (Photo by Neil Gunner)
Sonic Doom points out that while Toronto is new to the playoffs, they do have significant tournament experience, "We're not unfamiliar with tournament play. We've done well at Brewhaha and ECDX and we host the Quad City Chaos every year (since 2010)."
What it all boils down to for these teams is hard work: It took hard work to get to this point and it's going to take hard work to advance.
"We are seeing this as an opportunity, and opportunities don't make themselves," explains Ewan Wotarmy. "We have to rise to the occasion and shine that weekend. That's not going to just happen on its own – but it will happen when we stay focused, play clean and work hard. I have faith in my team to do just that."
Dusty is also brimming with an excited confidence at Toronto's chances. "I know we just squeaked in there in the last quarter, and we all know we are coming in at the bottom, but we have something to prove, and we have nothing to lose, and those kinds of teams can be the most dangerous."
*For a game-by-game preview, check out Derby News Network.
PLAYOFF PRIMER:
Montreal Roller Derby: The New Skids on the Block
Season Record: 10-4
WFTDA Ranking: 8th (2nd in their Divisional tournament)
First Game: VS. TBD (Wasatch or Grand Raggidy): Friday, September 6 at 6:00 PM eastern
Usual Suspects: Blockers: Jess Bandit, Smack Daddy, Bone Machine, Lil Mama. Jammers: Iron Wench, Georgia W. Tush.
Skaters to Watch: Blocker: Surgical Strike. Jammer: Greta Bobo
HELP THEM TRAVEL TO THE PLAYOFFS!
Terminal City Roller Girls: Terminal City All Stars
Season Record: 5-4 (in WFTDA play, 8-4 overall)
WFTDA Ranking: 38th (10th in their Divisional)
First Game: VS. Tampa Roller Derby: Friday, September 13th at 12:00 PM eastern
Usual Suspects: Blockers: Kim Mackenzie (AKA: 8Mean Wheeler), Lisa Suggit (Rollergirl). Jammers: luludemon, Bobbi Barbarich (Beretta Lynch), Kim Janna.
Skaters to Watch: Blockers: Flow'erPlower, Scarlett Bloodbath, Jocelyn Ingram. Jammer: Evada Peron.
Toronto Roller Derby: CN Power
First Game: VS. Sacred City: Friday, September 27th, 10:00 AM pacific
Usual Suspects: Blockers: Nasher the Smasher, Dyna Hurtcha, Tara Part. Jammers: Dusty, Bambi.
Skaters to watch: Blockers: Bruiseberry Pie, Betty Bomber. Jammers: Kookie Doe, Bala Reina.
Posted in Extreme Sports, Interview, Preview, Profile, Roller Derby, Sports, WFTDA Playoffs, Women's Sports and tagged cn power, Montreal Roller Derby, new skids on the block, Terminal City All Stars, Terminal City Roller Girls, toronto roller derby, WFTDA, WFTDA Playoffs, WFTDA.TV on September 5, 2013 by Derby Nerd. 1 Comment

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It is quite annoying to download the whole 1Gb archive of SRTM30 DEMs when you need only couple of dozens of them. In case of Leningrad region for example I had to download 4 archives and face necessity of finding needed DEMs amongst several thousands(!!!) of files and deletion the rest... Too tedious and too long task to do it manually. Lets optimise it!
We will use QGIS and Linux (I prefer openSUSE) console (and a text editor of your choice). The algorithm is applicable to other similar issues too.
Firstly we will get the list of names of files that we need to save (for our actual project). Collect all DEMs from archives in a single folder. And use Image Boundary plugin (or Raster tile index from "Raster" menu) to create a polygon shp-file with borders of all the DEMs from the folder and corresponding file name and path.
Now you can either to "save selection as" CSV from the layer menu or "copy selected rows to clipboard" from attribute table and paste it to the empty text-file. In LibreOffice Calc (or use other text editor for this) delete all columns exept that which contains file names and add to the list name of the text-file itself (lets name it FILELIST). NOTE: this file should contain ONLY NAMES without paths. Place this file to the directory with DEMs.
Where FILELIST is our text-file containing names of files that we need to KEEP. This command will delete all files from the folder except files which names are listed in FILELIST.


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Personal Effects & Uncle Update (Or Lack Thereof)
Friday, December 17th, 2010 by Rachel
Nobody ever can explain to you what it's like to lose a loved one. It's unimaginable how something unexpected can ripple throughout your life. I'm not as much of a reader as I used to be, so I haven't sought out books on grief, but I've watched my share of movies and TV. Hell, I've watched eleven seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit this semester. I thought that Pfeiffer's character, Linda, in the movie Personal Effects really got it right when she said, "I've never even been to court before all this happened. It's like a foreign country in there, the words they use and how things happen, it's just… It's like I got on a wrong plane and got off at some fucked up country I'm not supposed to be in."
This movie hit closer to home than anything else I've come across. When I saw the movie poster on Netflix, I remembered the plot vaguely and thought "Oh yea, this seemed like a more serious I Could Never Be Your Woman." This takes the concept of an unconventional relationship (not quite Harold & Maude) and puts it in the midst of tragedy. Michelle Pfeiffer and Ashton Kutcher play characters who meet in a "murder grief counseling" group. Not only do they eventually develop a romantic relationship, but Kutcher's character works to help her deaf, bitter son deal with his father's death. Even in darkness, there is some comic relief provided by Kutcher's character who has taken the job of a chicken outside a restaurant. Pfeiffer identifies him as the sad chicken, which becomes a metaphor for his whole existence.
I would recommend this movie to anyone, whether you've experienced a recent loss or not. I thought the film was surprisingly well made, considering I haven't really heard anything about it. I had no complaints about anyones' performance. Pfeiffer's always wonderful. I thought that this was Kutcher's best role since The Butterfly Effect. Kathy Bates succeeds in a small part as Kutcher's mother, focused on helping organized a charity rummage sale.
What really rang true to me in this film were moments like when the grief counselor says something about family of the deceased finding a crutch in the legal system, but the legal system can rarely ever succeed in providing the answers or solutions. For us, we have NO answers. I've been really depressed for the last few weeks. My emails to the media have fallen on deaf ears/eyes probably because the law enforcement is providing them with information that contradicts what the district attorney says.
It has been a year and one month since my uncle, Thomas A. Rice Jr., was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. His cause of death is listed as unknown on his death certificate. Nobody cares what happened to him. A complete investigation was never conducted by either local law enforcement or the ABI, which was brought in to investigate but subsequently denied being brought in. Sheriff Grover Smith of Atmore, AL hasn't responded to my mom's emails in nine months. Our world is corrupt and cruel.
But you know what? This movie made me feel a little bit better about it all. And I think that's pretty awesome. Watch it.
death, movie review, thomas a rice jr, Uncle TJ | 1 Comment | Read more
"I made the duck blue because I'd never seen a blue duck before and I wanted to see one." — Billy Madison


It was a cool, brisk afternoon. The sun casually peaked between thin, overcast clouds. It was a chilly, yet rare nice day for the middle of November. I had spent thirty minutes sitting in my work van, trying to find the motivation to visit my next customer. It was an "I really don't want to be here" kind of day. I did not want to be at work, to be a part of existence. As I texted my wife, I attempted to not let on how truly bad of a day it was. The "fake it, 'til you make it" philosophy I had spent the vast majority of my life perfecting had finally expired.
Until recently, I never let on what was roiling inside me, the black ichor of thoughts and emotions forced into the deep recesses of my mind and spirit. Every day was a struggle, to wake up, to get out of bed, to go to work, to care about myself, to care about anything, to feel, to be alive. Yet, I stayed upright and breathing. I had a sense of responsibility to my family, my friends, and my co-workers. This tenant of love and duty for others was greater than it was for myself. People relied on me. I could not fail them. I was the rock that people could cling to when life would smash down upon them, tossing them about in the life chaotic sea. I was here for others, not myself. My pain, my suffering paled to that of those around me, it was mine alone.
In the fall of 2000, I began treatment for depression. I played the game, followed the routine, knowing what to say to be "properly" treated, but leaving out the important details that would get me the treatment I needed but feared would put me into an inpatient mental health facility. To me, being an inpatient at a treatment facility was death. If I walked through the doors, I feared I would never walk out. I lived in a constant state of dread. Medication took the edge off, but those edges were frayed and frail. I had managed to tie some lose strands together to keep from completely unraveling. How long were those frayed edges going to hold, until I snapped, pushed everyone away, descended into a state of darkness, falling into the Well of Oblivion?
Every day, several times a day, I thought about death. Instead of taking my own life directly, I prayed to be a fatality in a car crash, for a piece of steel on the flat bed in front of me to slide off and impale me, get caught in an explosion at one of the factories I travelled to. I wished the Universe would finally put an end to it, to no longer hurt and disappoint those I loved. If something tragic were to occur to me, my family would be better off. I did not like myself, detested myself, undeserving of the life I had and love that surrounded me.
While the emotions were a maelstrom of darkness, there were moments of light that broke through the suffocating clouds. The light revealed the truth; I was not healthy, those feelings were irrational and unjustified. I knew and understood that I had value in the Universe but I did not feel it. My mind and spirit had been in a constant state of war, where battles ebbed and flowed between rational truth and emotional reality. Every few months my rational side would gain a short-lived victory. For a few days, I would be on the verge of feeling "normal," in a heightened state of creative and physical energy, a blinding light after being in the darkness for so long. Weeks and months would pass by as I slowly slipped back into a pit of despair, guilt, loathing, unworthiness, anxiety, isolation and loneliness.
My swinging highs and lows, a lifetime of poor coping skills, and learned negative behavior, made for a volatile stew. I was angry, frustrated, depressed, lonely, and inadequate. In the days and weeks leading up to sitting in my work van, I had become completely frustrated with the healthcare system. I knew my medications were not working. I had not been completely honest in all my years of treatment, not with the doctors, not with myself. I never let on that the frayed edges were slowly giving way. My anger was deepening, my depression taking greater hold. My frustration was causing me anxiety to the point of paralysis. I began to detach and isolate myself.
A few months before I had reached this breaking point, my psychiatrist left the provider network. Several months passed before a replacement staff was hired. For weeks, I struggled and fought with my mental care providers, as I tried to get in to talk to someone, anyone, about my treatment. Then, they were waiting on my insurance company to approve the newly hired replacement as an in-network provider. I was not able to see another provider in the network. They laid the blame on my insurance company. They recommended that I see my primary care physician instead of one of their behavioral and mental health specialists. Fifteen years in the same provider network, at the same facility, there was nothing they could do until the insurance company authorized the new provider. I was in mental healthcare limbo.
My next option was to pursue treatment through my health insurance company's facility and physician search feature, a clunky search that provided little to nothing for mental and behavioral health. At this point, my wife had to do a lot of the investigative work as my anxiety had put me into a near frothing rage. Other local health care networks required a series of steps that would likely take weeks, if not months, to see someone about my concerns. I had neither the time nor the patience to resolve my near crisis state. I felt as though the only way I could get any help was if I ended up in the emergency room or jail. Neither of which I could afford. I had to continue to work. I had to be an ideal employee. My coworkers were relying on me. I had to provide for my wife and son. I had to be the perfect husband, the perfect father.
For years, I had been using those excuses so as not pursue the help I needed. I had been looking into intense outpatient programs, but those were several weeklong programs, several hours each day. There were partial outpatient programs that met for a few hours a few days of the week but I could not take off work for several weeks. How could I possibly adjust my schedule to make it work? My coworkers would have to take on the extra responsibilities left in my absence.
As I sat in my work van on that cool, brisk November afternoon, I texted my wife about my "rough day," trying not to let on the planning of my death. She said we would talk that evening. I did not tell her that I was thinking of ways to funnel the exhaust fumes into the van's cabin. I would go find a secluded location at a nearby park and slowly put myself to sleep, slowly fade into the ether. Then, I questioned the idea of work being a part of my plan, so I relocated the execution of my plan to my mid-size SUV. There were a few parks on my way and nearby home. One of them would be an ideal location until I pictured the police coming to our door and telling my wife what they discovered. Again, the plan changed. Instead, I would enter into a haze of liquor, cocktails, and pills – a bottle of rum and case of coke to wash down a selection of painkillers, muscle relaxers, sleeping pills, and anxiety meds. A grand vision of a painless death that would allow me to rest in my own bed where my wife would find me in a state of gentle repose, knowing it in fact would be a scene of abject horror. There was no need for a note. Recently, I had not hidden my pain and my suffering as well as I had liked. The final action was the only message needed.
When I got home that evening I was absent, my mind elsewhere, preparing for what was to happen that night. Once our son was in his bed for the night, my wife followed through on her promise, we talked. I slowly let my wife into my mind and its state. She knew the point I had reached. She knew how I operated, how I planned, and needed to have all the information available to me before making any decision. She presented the inpatient care options that were available in the area, the very programs I had looked into. Hearing her words, I knew I had to go that night but I was "the strong one" that everyone could rely on. I could not fail to uphold that fantasy. She was hoping that I would finally get the help I needed on my own terms, though she was fully prepared to call the police if I chose otherwise. Those were the only options.
Then, I told her about my plan, feeding her more excuses to postpone what I needed to do. I had to take care of a few things at work first. A close cousin who lived states away was finally in town for a visit. I could not miss our son's second birthday that Saturday. I knew though that work would take care of itself and my cousin would visit me no matter where I was. Then my wife said to me, "He's only two. He won't remember why you weren't there for his second birthday, but he will wonder why you're not there for the rest of them." The decision was instant. I needed to go in that night.
My worst fear was about to come true. The nightmare scenario I had created of an inpatient mental health facility was a large reason why I never completely told my doctors the truth. I had visions of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and American Horror Story: Asylum; a place of communal living that allowed for no privacy, a place that would put me into a near medicinal comatose, a place that would keep me for weeks, months, maybe even years, a place that would kill me if I entered. I knew the fallacy of my fear. I realized I could die on the outside, finally succumbing to the darkness, or I could risk the unknown and fight to find the Seedling of Hope and the Grove of Light.
On the evening of Wednesday, November 11, 2015, my wife drove me to a nearby hospital with an inpatient behavioral health unit. At 1:38am on Thursday, November 12th I signed the "Consent for Inpatient Admission." There was no turning back.
What I feared most was the complete opposite. Once I became a patient, I heard from friends and family that I was in a great facility. Even my companions that were frequent visitors said it was the best place they have ever been. The staff was genuinely kind and caring. All the patients had their own room with bathroom and shower. There was a washer and dryer to keep your clothes clean and fresh. They provided the three essential meals that were of great variety and quality. In addition, there was a nightly snack time. There was an abundance of leisurely activities to occupy your time and reduce anxiety. Several group meetings each day provided us with a voice and tools in which to help us heal and progress through our various illnesses. I quickly befriended a number of my fellow residents, which kept me from my usual isolation and loneliness. It was not an easy stay. It was fraught with pain, anxiety, restlessness, guilt, and shame. However, that is where I needed to be. It was time that I finally took care of myself instead of those around me. I needed to finally believe and act on what I already knew for years.
During my inpatient stay, I realized the deafening silence that surrounds mental and behavioral health, the struggle our society has kept hidden for generations. Because of the stigmas and self-induced fears of inadequacy, shame, guilt, unworthiness, and much more, our society only talks about mental disease in hushed tones. I will no longer be silent. My past, present, and future travels through the labyrinth of pain and darkness will bring hope to those who suffer with mental illness. I will be a vocal advocate for those who cannot find the words, for those who feel isolated and alone, for those who unfortunately do not have the support system to speak up and seek help.
A lifetime of treatment and recovery lays before me. Though there will be rough days and downward phases, using my strengthened and newfound skills, I will fight, continue to move forward, to live. With hope and purpose, I will become the voice to help break the stigmas of these invisible illnesses so that our communities can begin to provide help and hope to family, friends, and strangers alike, to transcend cultural and religious barriers. I am determined to tear down the walls of silence, to shatter the mirrors that we place in front of ourselves and others point at us. None of us is ever truly alone. The road to healing is not as far away as it may seem. We are in the chaos Life and the Universe together. In healing ourselves and helping others, we can plant and lay root Seedlings of Hope within our Groves of Light.


The ROS Connector Plugin is enabling a bi-directional communication between the SOFA framework and the open-source robotics middleware ROS (Robot Operating System). It allows the usage of SOFA-based simulations in combination with ROS-enabled software frameworks.
The plugin runs in a dedicated background thread to avoid problems related to the asynchronous nature of ROS' communication pattern. The implementation of the plugin is done in C++, with its only dependency besides ROS being the Boost library suite. It illustrates well the potential of the use of SOFA for robotics applications.


text:
Exterior Wall Materials Used In Building Construction
New Specifications
By Juan Rodriguez
Exterior walls can be finished with a wide array of materials and techniques. Exterior wall finishes can produce significant savings for the contractor and building occupant alike, and many options are available to protect from fire, extreme heat and cold. Browse through all of these options featuring advantages, tips, benefits and cost-saving solutions for materials used in building construction.
Walls on Wildfire Zones
USDAGOV/Flickr
When an exterior wall ignites, the fire can spread to the roof, windows, doors, and other building components resulting in substantial damage or total loss of the structure. The resistance of exterior walls to burning and decay is directly related to the material used and the amount of fire ignition components in the surrounding areas.
Gypsum Area Separation Walls
Gypsum separation walls provide a 2-hour fire protection and serve well as noise reduction between neighboring units in multi-unit buildings. These walls can be used on constructions up to four stories in height and are compatible with standard floor to ceiling heights.
Insulated Vinyl Siding
J. Rodriguez
Insulated vinyl siding offers a good, low-cost alternative to consider when planning your next construction project.
Tilt-Up Walls
Tilt-up.com
Tilt-Up wall construction is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States.The methodology enables walls to be constructed elsewhere and transported to any project site, or to be built onsite, reducing labor conflicts and logistics. The process is aimed at reducing construction costs, speed the project and reduce labor congestion on site.
OVE Framing
Builders and contractors are starting to use this technique, which might require special training so can result in a decrease in framing speed until they become familiar with the system. The main idea behind Optimum Value Engineering is to maximize material usage while still meeting stringent code regulations and structural requirements.
ICF Walls
Insulated concrete forms. Vermont Insulated Concrete Forms
Insulated Concrete forms are a new method being used by contractors to qualify for energy credit and other types of ratings. Many home builders are using the most obvious and currently most popular alternative: Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs).
House Wrap Installation Tips
Samdogs/Flickr
House wrap is defined as all synthetic materials replacing sheathing paper. House wraps are a lightweight material wider than asphalt designs, allowing a faster installation procedure by builders and contractors.
Common Cladding Alternatives
MarkHogan/Flickr
Cladding has become one of the most popular alternatives for renovating the exterior of existing buildings. This solution provides a new look and new life to an old and weathered building, and can effectively generate savings in electricity when thermal and insulation issues are addressed. Cladding benefits are greatest when dealing with high story buildings, or buildings confined in a small site, where the demolishing process is deemed too difficult or infeasible.
Brick is one of the most widely used materials in the construction and housing industry. Working with bricks can be a little tricky and confusing. Some contractors have paid the price for failing to execute a few simple steps, with costly reparations after the job has been completed.
NDSU Energy
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are used in floors, walls, and roofs providing an extremely durable, sustainable and energy-efficient high-performance material. Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are typically made by a plastic foam rigid insulation between two structural skin surfaces such as oriented strand boards (OSB).
Supreme Steel Framing
Steel framing. FSNorthern region/Flickr
Supreme Steel Framing System is a relatively new framing material that presents several benefits when installing drywall. Supreme Steel Framing System testing assures its compliance with 2006 IBC code.
Cinder Block Walls
Photo Courtesy Oregon DOT
Cinder block walls and concrete masonry block walls must be built carefully, following simple but necessary processes.
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Helpful Tips On How to Properly Insulate a Home
The Benefits of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) in Construction
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