text:
Anne Erickson
Paul Starr is known around Michigan as the "I'm a Beer Hound" guy. He spearheads the Michigan beer news website www.imabeerhound.com and helps put on a bevy of Michigan beer festivals and events.
Saturday brings another one of Starr's beer happenings, Lansing Beer Fest. The festival is set up on Washington Avenue between South St. and Elm St. in REO Town, and proceeds benefit the REO Town Commercial Association.
The festival will bring together 25 Michigan breweries, offering more than 100 craft beers, as well as a variety of cider, mead, spirits and wine. Breweries include Arbor Brewing Company, Midtown Brewing Company, Bell's Brewery, Dark Horse Brewing Company and many more.
"I'm looking forward to all the new IPA ("India pale ale") selections— the lighter beers that go best on a hot summer day," Starr said.
Chatting with Starr, I found out he's a big fan of rock music. It's something we have in common. We spent the first part of the interview talking about our love for bands like Five Finger Death Punch and Guns N' Roses, before going into what bands will play the Lansing Beer Fest.
This year's performers all hail from Lansing: the Jonestown Crows, Mark Warner and Donny Brown (of the Verve Pipe) and the Van Dell-Tones.
"The Jonestown Crows are the headliners, and they play a unique style of blues-infused, progressive doom-grass," Starr said. "On top of that, we have Donny Brown and the Van Dell-Tones., who will play a mix of new material by Donny Brown and even a couple Verve Pipe songs."
Starr says that while Lansing is a great beer town, he would like to see it grow.
"Lansing has always had a lot really good craft beer bars but as a craft beer scene we're still behind Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor and Detroit," he said. "In the last year, having Lansing Brewing Company, Ellison Brewery + Spirits and Old Nation Brewing Company all open is putting us on the map, but we have a long way to go to be at their level."
Contact Anne Erickson at (517) 377-1006 or aerickson@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AnneErickson.
Lansing Beer Fest, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, set up on Washington Avenue between South Street and Elm Street in REO Town, offering 25 Michigan breweries, more than 100 craft beers, also cider, mead, spirits and wine, tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the event. Designated driver tickets are $10. VIP tickets are $40 and get you in at noon. Proceeds from the event will benefit the REO Town Commercial Association.
For information, head to www.lansingbeerfest.com.


Liked the app and it worked ok until I tried to subscribe and it would never work (I have funds for it) so it doesn't make sense - autor:Fluttah - title:Can't subscribe?
You have to pay to unlock every single thing! You also pay a monthly fee! Not what I expected at all! I hate this app. I can't figure out how to stop the payments or who to contact either! - autor:CK Mom of boys - title:Don't buy this!


text:
require 'sirius_api/base_authorizer'
require 'sirius_api/scopes'
require 'sirius_api/errors'

module SiriusApi
  class PeopleAuthorizer < BaseAuthorizer

    scope Scopes::READ_PERSONAL, Scopes::READ_ROLE_BASED do
      permit :get, '/people/:username', only: ->(opts) { opts[:current_user] == opts[:target_user] }
    end

    scope Scopes::READ_ALL do
      permit :get, '/people'
      permit :get, '/people/:username'
    end

    def initialize(current_user)
      super
    end

  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Italian made sterling silver round bead chain with Anti-tarnish finish. The width easily allows for the addition of all Cotton & Co pendants.
This chain makes for modern piece by itself, and also works beautifully when layered with other chains in different lengths.


text:
PRO/AH/EDR> E. coli EHEC - Canada (02): (BC) O103, hospitalized patients, minced celery, 2021
E. COLI EHEC - CANADA (02): (BRITISH COLUMBIA) O103, HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS, MINCED CELERY, 2021
A ProMED-mail post http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Mon 31 Jan 2022
Source: Canada Communicable Disease Report (CDDR) [edited]
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/canada-communicable-disease-report-ccdr/monthly-issue/2022-48/issue-1-january-2022/outbreak-escherichia-coli-0103-hospitalized-people-british-columbia.html
Smith C, Griffiths A, Allison S, Hoyano D and Hoang L: _Escherichia coli_ O103 outbreak associated with minced celery among hospitalized individuals in Victoria, British Columbia, 2021 CCDR 2022; 48-1: 46-50, doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a07
Foodborne illness caused by _Escherichia coli_ (_E. coli_) often occurs through the consumption of contaminated food items such as fresh produce, meat and cheese products, and may result in symptoms including watery diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (1,2). Pathogenic Shiga toxin-producing _E. coli_ (STEC or enterohemorrhagic _E. coli_ EHEC)) are among the top 10 most common causes of foodborne illness in Canada (3). Although _E. coli_ O157 remains the more common EHEC, incidence rates of non-O157 EHEC infections, including _E. coli_ O103, have increased over time. The main factor contributing to this increase is an advancement in diagnostic testing (4).
_E. coli_ O103 outbreaks have previously been linked to clover sprouts, bison meat, ground beef, cured mutton sausages, raw cow milk and fermented sausages (5-8). Although celery has been reported as a vehicle for _Listeria monocytogenes_, norovirus and _E. coli_ O157:H7 (9-11), there have been no outbreaks of non-O157 _E. coli_ associated with celery reported in the literature to date.
In April 2021 a Shiga toxin-producing _E. coli_ O103 outbreak was identified among inpatients and outpatients at 2 hospitals in Victoria, British Columbia (BC), after an unusual increase in E. coli activity triggered an investigation by local public health officials. The objective of this article is to describe the first outbreak of non-O157 E. coli associated with celery in Canada and to identify issues of food safety for high-risk products prepared for vulnerable populations, in order to reduce the likelihood of these outbreaks in the future.
An unusual increase in _E. coli_ O103 cases was detected in April 2021 in the Victoria area, which triggered an investigation to identify the source of the illness. The outbreak investigation took place between [16 Apr 2021], and [10 May 2021]. A confirmed case was defined as a resident of or visitor to the Island Health region with laboratory confirmation of _E. coli_ O103 and symptom onset or collection date on or after [15 Mar 2021]. Cases were interviewed by a single interviewer with BC's routine _E. coli_ questionnaire. The interviews collected information on travel, animal exposures and select high-risk foods associated with previous _E. coli_ outbreaks, including beef, leafy greens and unpasteurized dairy. Exposure information was collected for the 10-day period prior to the episode date (earliest of symptom onset or specimen collection date), reflecting the incubation period of _E. coli_. For those admitted to hospital during their incubation period, hospital menus were also reviewed for the 10-day period prior to their episode date.
Local investigators inspected the kitchen of Hospital A, where the majority of cases were inpatients or outpatients. The inspectors examined cooler temperatures and logs, dishwasher temperatures, sanitizing processes, dating of product and food handling practices for any deficiencies or potential for cross contamination. Inspectors also inquired about ill food handlers. Records were reviewed to determine the suppliers of various products. Local and federal investigators inspected the processing facility of the suspect source of the outbreak--Processor A. Inspectors collected supply records and investigated processes to determine potential sources of contamination and potential deficiencies in food safety. The outbreak was declared over when the maximum incubation period (10 days) plus 90th percentile reporting delay had passed since the most recent episode date of a confirmed case.
A total of 6 confirmed cases were identified throughout the course of the investigation. Episode dates ranged from [20 Mar 2021] to [9 Apr 2021] (Figure 1 - for figures, see original URL - Mod.LL). The majority of cases were female (n=4/6; 67%) and the median age was 61 years (age range 24-87 years). One death was reported (n=1/6; 17%), although _E. coli_ infection was not the cause of death. All cases had been admitted to, or visited, 2 Victoria-area hospitals during their exposure period. Of the 6 confirmed cases, 4 were admitted to Hospital A, 1 was admitted to Hospital B, and 1 case was not admitted to hospital, but visited the emergency room of Hospital A during the exposure period (Figure 2). For those cases with onset dates available, the median reporting delay was 19 days (range 18-23 days).
All confirmed cases from both Hospital A and Hospital B were considered highly related to each other by wgMLST within 0 to 4 allele differences (Figure 3), and distinct from historic cases of _E. coli_ O103. There were no related cases identified within the same timeframe of this outbreak nationally, or within the USA.
A total of 3 cases were interviewed, while the remaining 3 could not be interviewed as they were either deceased (n=1) or medically impaired (n=2). From the interview data, the only exposures reported by at least 2 of 3 confirmed cases were ground beef (n=2/3), cheese (n=3/3), cold cuts (n=2/3), lettuce (n=2/3) and tuna sandwiches (n=3/3). No commonalities in restaurants or grocery stores were identified. The case that visited the emergency room of Hospital A reported eating only a tuna sandwich during their visit, given to them by a healthcare worker. The tuna sandwich was prepared by Hospital A food services and came from the same source as the inpatient food.
Hospital menus were reviewed for the 5 cases that were admitted to hospital. All 5 cases had exposure to prepared sandwiches during their hospital stay including tuna (n=4/5), egg (n=2/5), chicken salad (n=4/5), turkey (n=1/5) and roast beef (n=4/5) sandwiches. The only common ingredient across all sandwiches was minced celery, and minced celery within sandwiches was the only exposure reported by n=6/6 cases. Inspection of the kitchen of Hospital A, where the majority of cases were exposed to minced celery as either inpatients or outpatients, revealed no food safety or cross-contamination concerns. There were no reported illnesses among food handling staff. The inspection did reveal concerns regarding temperature abuse, with sandwiches often left out of the fridge for extended periods on trays or in patient rooms before being consumed.
Trace back investigation revealed that the minced celery used in sandwiches at both Hospital A and Hospital B was purchased from the same batch from the same local supplier--Processor A, and sourced from the Guadalupe region of California. Trace forward investigation revealed that this minced celery product was exclusively supplied to Hospital A and Hospital B, and no other facilities, distributors or stores. Chopped celery from the same batch of product was supplied to a large distribution network exclusive of Hospital A and Hospital B. Inspection of Processor A revealed 2 concerns. First, pathogen testing was infrequent, with the previous _E. coli_ test occurring in [January 2020]; over a year prior to the present outbreak. Second, while the chlorination step met required standards, it occurred before mincing.
The hypothesized source of this outbreak was minced celery from Processor A. The root cause is hypothesized to be _E. coli_ that persisted after chlorination and was subsequently mixed throughout the product during the mincing process. Temperature abuse at Hospital A and Hospital B may have further contributed to propagation of _E. coli_ in this product. The outbreak was declared over on [10 May 2021].
As there was no product left when the investigation had reached its conclusion, no product action was taken. Local and federal food safety authorities performed a 2nd, joint inspection of Processor A to make recommendations for more frequent testing for _E. coli_ and to conduct a review of the chlorination process. Follow-up was also conducted at Hospital A and Hospital B to propose methods to reduce the likelihood of temperature abuse by using time stamps to record when sandwiches are removed from the fridge.
An outbreak investigation of 6 cases of _E. coli_ O103 was conducted in April 2021. The outbreak was associated with consumption of minced celery from a local processor and sourced from California. While this is not the first _E. coli_ outbreak reported in celery (11), this is the first to be caused by _E. coli_ O103 and the first to exclusively impact a vulnerable, hospitalized population. This investigation resulted in several recommendations to improve food safety of this food item within the Island Health region.
Evidence from the epidemiological and food safety investigations support minced celery as the source of this outbreak. All 6 confirmed cases were exposed to the suspect source, and no other product was reported across all 6 confirmed cases, despite detailed menus for all inpatients. The outlier case, an outpatient who ate a tuna and celery sandwich only during their emergency room visit to Hospital A, added further support to celery as the suspect source. This investigation also revealed strong trace back evidence--the minced celery served in Hospital A and Hospital B was provided by the same supplier; the investigation also revealed strong trace forward evidence--the supplier provided the minced celery product only to the 2 hospitals, and nowhere else. Because the contaminated product was no longer available by the time of the investigation, and due to the cleaning procedures at Processor A, neither product samples nor environmental samples were available for testing. Despite the lack of laboratory evidence, the authors believe the strong epidemiological, trace back and trace forward evidence is sufficient to implicate minced celery in this outbreak.
The outbreak highlights the risk of raw vegetables provided to vulnerable populations and draws particular attention to the risk of mincing during processing. While previous work has documented the potential food safety hazards of fresh-cut produce (13), this outbreak serves to document the potential risks posed by mincing, which provides the opportunity for small amounts of bacteria remaining on the surface of a product, even after chlorination, to be spread throughout an entire batch. Attribution of the mincing step as problematic in this outbreak scenario is further supported as trace forward investigation revealed that more coarsely chopped celery from the same batch was supplied to a wide distribution network, exclusive of Hospital A and Hospital B, with no cases of the outbreak strain of _E. coli_ O103 associated with this product.
Despite providing food to a population of approximately 800 inpatients each day, identification of only 6 cases across Hospital A and Hospital B could potentially be explained by a low level of contamination, which may have caused illness only amongst those whose sandwiches were subjected to temperature abuse. Temperature abuse is a known vehicle for pathogen propagation (14-16), and was reported by the hospitals during the investigation follow-up. It is hypothesized that any contamination present after the mincing step in Processor A was further propagated by these reports of temperature abuse, resulting in the illnesses reported. A recommendation was made at the 2 implicated hospitals to add a time stamp to all sandwiches to mark the time the product was taken out of the fridge, to reduce the risk of temperature abuse moving forward.
There are several limitations to consider in the interpretation of these outbreak data. First, exposure data for celery was not available for the healthy population controls to directly compare with outbreak cases. However, given that 100% of confirmed cases had exposure to the suspect source, and this was the only common exposure across all 6 cases, the authors feel confident in the epidemiological evidence for this product. Second, the reporting delay for this outbreak was long, which in turn delayed the outbreak identification and investigation. Reporting delays are influenced by a multitude of factors, but comorbidities among the inpatient and outpatient cases in this outbreak may have delayed consideration of an enteric illness diagnosis and thus the requisition of a stool sample for testing. Third, several cases were missing onset dates as they could not be interviewed. For these individuals, their onset date likely predated their specimen collection date, which would also impact their exposure period. This was taken into account when interpreting the exposure data and analyzing hospital menus. Fourth, there were no food samples available to test for presence of _E. coli_ O103; therefore, there was no laboratory data to definitively confirm the source of this outbreak. However, despite the lack of laboratory confirmation, the authors believe the epidemiological evidence, the trace back data and the trace forward data provided strong support of the suspect source. Lastly, it could not be determined where or how _E. coli_ was introduced, as a further follow-up at the grower in the USA was outside the investigative jurisdiction of this outbreak.
Raw vegetables, such as celery, are a known source of _E. coli_ contamination and present a risk to vulnerable populations. Mincing during the processing of raw vegetables, and temperature abuse prior to consumption, may provide additional layers of risk. This outbreak resulted in several recommendations to reduce the risk of minced celery served in hospitals, including more frequent testing at the processor, a review of the chlorination and mincing process and a review of hospital food services practices to mitigate temperature abuse.
1. Yang SC, Lin CH, Aljuffali IA, Fang JY. Current pathogenic _Escherichia coli_ foodborne outbreak cases and therapy development. Arch Microbiol 2017;199(6):811-25.
2. Croxen MA, Law RJ, Scholz R, Keeney KM, Wlodarska M, Finlay BB. Recent advances in understanding enteric pathogenic _Escherichia coli_. Clin Microbiol Rev 2013;26(4):822-80.
3. Thomas MK, Murray R, Flockhart L, et al. Estimates of the burden of foodborne illness in Canada for 30 specified pathogens and unspecified agents, circa 2006. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2013;10(7):639-48.
4. Tseng M, Sha Q, Rudrik JT, Collins J, Henderson T, Funk JA, Manning SD. Increasing incidence of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing _Escherichia coli_ (STEC) in Michigan and association with clinical illness. Epidemiol Infect 2016;144(7):1394-405.
5. CDC; List of Selected Multistate Foodborne Outbreak Investigations. Atlanta (GA); CDC; 2021 (accessed 2021-06-21). https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/outbreaks/multistate-outbreaks/outbreaks-list.html
6. Schimmer B, Nygard K, Eriksen HM, et al. Outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome in Norway caused by stx2-positive _Escherichia coli_ O103:H25 traced to cured mutton sausages. BMC Infect Dis 2008;8:41.
7. Mylius M, Dreesman J, Pulz M, et al. Shiga toxin-producing _Escherichia coli_ O103:H2 outbreak in Germany after school trip to Austria due to raw cow milk, 2017 - The important role of international collaboration for outbreak investigations. Int J Med Microbiol 2018;308(5):539-44.
8. Sekse C, O'Sullivan K, Granum PE, Rorvik LM, Wasteson Y, Jorgensen HJ. An outbreak of _Escherichia coli_ O103:H25 - bacteriological investigations and genotyping of isolates from food. Int J Food Microbiol 2009;133(3):259-64.
9. Gaul LK, Farag NH, Shim T, Kingsley MA, Silk BJ, Hyytia-Trees E. Hospital-acquired listeriosis outbreak caused by contaminated diced celery--Texas, 2010. Clin Infect Dis 2013;56(1):20-6.
10. Erickson MC. Microbial Risks Associated with cabbage, carrots, celery, onions, and deli salads made with these produce items. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2010;9(6):602-19.
11. CDC. Multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing _Escherichia coli_ O157:H7 infections linked to Costco rotisserie chicken salad (Final Update). https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2015/o157h7-11-15/index.html
12. BC Ministry of Health Services Guidelines and Protocols Advisory Committee. Infectious Diarrhea - Guideline for Ordering Stool Specimens. BC MOH; Mar 16, 2009.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-resources/bc-guidelines/infectious-diarrhea
13. Francis GA, Gallone A, Nychas GJ, et al. Factors affecting quality and safety of fresh-cut produce. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2012; 52(7):595-610.
14. Lund BM. Microbiological food safety for vulnerable people. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2015;12(8):10117-32.
15. Wachtel MR and Charkowski AO. Cross-contamination of lettuce with _Escherichia coli_ O157:H7. J Food Prot 2002;65(3):465-70.
16. Duffy G, Cummins E, Nally P, O' Brien S and Butler F. A review of quantitative microbial risk assessment in the management of _Escherichia coli_ O157:H7 on beef. Meat Sci 2006;74(1):76-88.
Communicated by:
[This posting reports a well-done epidemiological study showing minced celery being the reservoir for a non-O157 EHEC cluster occurring in a more vulnerable (hospitalized) population. - Mod.LL
ProMED map:
British Columbia Province, Canada: https://promedmail.org/promed-post?place=8701205,264]
Vocabolario EU-RL-VTEC

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home All NightHawk Font
NightHawk Font
A Font That Pays Tribute to American Diners of the 20th Century
Diners… They're as American as jazz and baseball.
Inspired by streamlined trains, diners first appeared in the northeast United States. They were pre-fabricated and ready to go out of the box.
Slap one down on an empty lot, flip the open sign, and you're pretty much in business.
Diners are beautiful in a distinctively American way. But that's not what really interests me. What I find most fascinating is the role they play in America.
Inspired by American diner culture of the 20th century
Created to tell uniquely American stories in your design and branding work
Language support for US and Western Europe
No brainer price (approximately the price of a slice of pie and cup of coffee)
NightHawk and Over Easy is a single font. The two names reflect the different moods of a diner in the morning and late at night.
Number of fonts: 1
File Type: OTF versions of all fonts
License Type: Standard version
Foundry: Designers from Across America
The Two Weird Things That Make American Diners Special
For one, patrons come from a wide spectrum of socioeconomic backgrounds. Any given morning you could find a slice of America in the booths. From car mechanics to lawyers to house painters to doctors. All eating the same short order fare together.
But that's not all. Because diners are part of a rare club. Real diners were open 24/7 - a club reserved for a select group of establishments including nightclubs, bars, and hospitals.
As a result, you got the morning rush of commuters picking up an affordable breakfast and in the wee small hours of the morning, you had bar patrons stumbling in for a greasy meal to absorb the alcohol before work the next day.
In fact, it could be argued that if you knew nothing about America a diner is the fastest and most immersive way to understand the country.
This Font is a Tribute to American Diners
So it's with that spirit we bring you a brand new font. We call it Nighthawk.
Nighthawk (a name that pays tribute to Edward Hopper's classic painting Nighthawks) reflects the late night, melancholy, feel of lonely bar patrons making their way home.
This font is our tribute to an American institution. And like the diners themselves the font has passed through the hands of designers from all across America. Each one helping to tell the font's story.
The Font Made by Designers from Across America
From original designer Scott Fuller, in Atlanta, Georgia. To myself, in Vancouver, Washington. To Dathan Boardman, in Oh Claire, Wisconsin. To Suzanne Sarver, in Mobile, Alabama.
This is a simple font like the simple fare served at American diners. But it's got soul and it stands out.
Plus, you can pick it up for about the price of a slice of apple pie a la mode and a hot cup of coffee.
Grab it now and take a little piece of diner culture with you.


text:
Avatar Vs Titanic
GunGrave TZA
Hey guys, in your opinion what film is better and why? I just randomly thought it'd be a good comparison since they're both from the same director and share the same criticism and arguments in support of them (the actual experiance of watching it vs the actual content of the movie).
For me it's Titanic. Yes it's cheesy as hell, but at least it's not a rehash of another movie.
51 Voters
I like chicken. D:
In a horror story, the victim keeps asking "Why?", but there cannot be any explanation.The unanswered mystery is the one that stays with us the longest, and it's what we'll remember in the end.
TannosukeGR
Re: Avatar Vs Titanic
Well, I have seen both movies, so here's my best criticism.
Avatar - This is about a sci-fi fantasy adventure movie, which tells about the war between the Navis and the Humans. I haven't seen a fantasy movie in ages, so that's why I'm so thrilled to see it. The good part of it is the 3D ones.
Titanic - It's a classic and romantic psychological thriller and represents the fate and story of the famous British ship, named Titanic. Everybody knows about it. There are also 2 other movies of it. The one is called Brettanicus, and the one is the remake of Titanic with another story and character. The best choice is the one with Sarah Dawson in it as the sole survivor of Titanic, along with some unfortunate passengers.
This is up to you to decide it. I'd go for Avatar, because I have already seen and read the story about Titanic. They even made a documentary about Titanic in its sinking state.
The game can take you in a journey of fantasy, cause your mind is the creator of fantasy !
Maddieman
Originally posted by TannosukeGR View Post
3D version of Titanic is coming in 2012:
http://www.slashfilm.com/james-camer...-terminator-2/
Maddie, nice choice.
Can you honestly PLEASE explain to me what is so great about it? I watched Alien then Aliens, and while it's a very good action film it's just NOTHING like Alien. Why is it a classic?
Lil Kis
Titanic is so much better than Avatar! I was let down by Avatar. I thought it was boring. Titanic is one of my favorite movies of all time!
yogibbear
Both suck (heavily). If someone makes me watch either i will glass them in the face and not regret it despite glassing being a disgusting and ilmoral thing to do.
So, chicken. Though i'm not a huge fan of chicken...
*Folds arms... grumbles under breath that poll sucks...*
Sarah Breaker > Barry Wheeler. Yep, I went there!
Originally posted by yogibbear View Post
Are you a fan of "Chicken Run"?
SUDDENJONATAN
LOL...AVATAR sucked imo
District 9 was so good it made my cry
I'm back.
Mmmmm......chicken......
Morry
Originally posted by GunGrave TZA View Post
As an action movie, I rate it as one of the best action movies of the past 2 decades.
As a sci-fi thriller, it still provides ample amounts of mystique and psychological terror, just not as subtle as the first movie.
Remedy's currently known projects:
Quantum Break - 2016
Hmm, okay, Aliens...
First off, it's not meant to be anything like Alien. Setting Aliens up like a war movie (and people claim there are criticisms on the vietnam war - I'm not so sure about that myself), I think was a very conscious choice by Cameron -- if was just another ship, with another crew, and another Alien picking them off one by one, that would be stale.
Among other things, the first film is brilliant because it's shot and acted like a documentary and everything looks and feels real. Half the time you can't even hear what they're saying very clearly because the dialogue is natural conversation (improvised?), and when the alien first appears, it's genuinely shocking. You don't even know until the very end who the main protagonist is (Sigourney Weaver was an unknown actress when the first film was shot). This is a brilliant device on the part of the film's creators and Ridley Scott, but it can't be repeated.
However, what makes the Alien movies great, imo, isn't the action or the setting. If you look at Aliens in particular, there really isn't that much on-screen action until the very end. What makes them stand up above similar movies, are the characterisations -- who these people are, and how they deal with a situation that's both unreal and horrifying -- particularly Ripley. And the second film is all about developing Ripley's character, something James Cameron is really good at (think Sarah Conner in Terminator 2) - and it's a much more complex movie for it.
Now, it's worth remembering that what's horrifying about the Alien (as a species) is that they don't merely kill people - they capture, rape, and impregnate them. The birth process is shockingly fatal, but it's the rape part that's unsettling - the thought of an embryo involuntarily being implanted and then growing inside of you. Can you think of anything more terrible than a creature that rapes other species to survive? (besides humans who farm species...). Anyway, as the sole survivor of the Nostromo, Ripley comes into the second film traumatised from the ordeal and distraught that no one believes her story. This has the effect of hardening her character.
But the core theme in this film is the relationship between mother and daughter -- in her mind, Ripley has lost her daughter to the alien, and we also learn that Newt loses her family to the alien as well. Through this they develop a bond throughout the film, and it's this motherhood dynamic that makes Aliens interesting. There's point towards the end, when Ripley could just escape. Instead, she chooses to go back, on her own, to save Newt in a scene that echoes the end of the first film. You could dismiss this as an obvious device to add more suspense to the film, but let me just stress this point again -- in the first film, she's just trying to save her own skin (and, er, Mr. Jones the cat); in the second film, she's trying to save someone she cares about - her symbolic daughter. Psychologically, this is far more significant than the usual "macho guy saves love interest from bad guy" story that we see in 99% of action flicks. And it's important to Ripley's character arc: -
The big reveal is when we learn that there really is an Alien 'Queen'. In other words, that the thing that has been tormenting Ripley, the thing that destroyed her life, is a mother - just like her. The highlight of the movie for me is the moment when Ripley, with Newt clinging on to her, stumbles on the Queen's hive with her eggs. There standoff that ensues for a few moments where it looks like there's understanding/stalemate between the too -- until one of the eggs opens, and with a glance (which should have won her the oscar), Ripley fries all of them.
That for me is why it's an exceptional movie, and arguably better than the first film. But of course, on top of all that, you've also got a great action flick with a brilliant cast, memorable dialogue (including more than a few classic lines), and decent, convincing visual effects. You could write more about the film, but for me, these are the main points that make it stand out.
Last edited by Maddieman; 12-19-2010, 02:36 PM.
AnttiApina
Avatar was horrible, an example of where the cinema has gone today.
Pointless action, below average plot and 3D.
KATAKOMB - Upcoming horror game by me
Originally posted by Morry View Post
Pah, subtle. It took them a whole movie to kill one alien in the original movie, they killed around 300 within the entirety of Aliens.
Aliens, Alien, Alien 4 and even Alien 3 have all been great. I love them all.


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Automating incident response communication frees up time that is often spent on locating incident response teams, leaving more time to focus on resolving the situation. It also avoids human error and ensures full compliance with incident response processes.
In case of an incident, the system can be used to call in different competencies to form a response team. The response team can be static or dynamic, so staffing managers can call in a consistent response team, or call in different people but always with the same combination of competencies.
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Airports are in constant flux, and with so much going on, many disruptions can happen before departure. Many things need to fall into place for airplanes to take off on time, and the work done on the ground at the airport is as important as the work done on the planes. Ground handling needs to take care of everything from passenger check-in, to baggage handling, to boarding and refuelling before a plane can take off.
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First of all, you need to take a soft, dry cloth, wipe up any spots on the doors and vacuum the hinges. Clean the doors with warm, soapy water starting from the bottom. Rinse with clear, cool water and the sponge but this time you need to start from the top of the door. The fingerprints and all stains what are hard to remove, you can treat with the raw potato.
Squeaking door hinges may be noisy for several reasons but the best way to fix it is to make a solution of the kitchen oil and the graphite form the pencil. Lift the door about one inch and grease the hinges.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 at 2:10 pm	and is filed under Living Room. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


What do you need to get growing? Really all it takes is a container, some soil and a light! But there is so much more out there that makes the job of starting seeds much easier. Soon you will know everything you should buy and which products not to bother with.
You can start seeds in almost any kind of container that will hold 1 to 2 inches of starting medium without becoming waterlogged. After seedlings form more roots and develop leaves, though, they grow best in larger individual containers that provide more space for root growth and have holes for drainage.
Flats are large, rectangular containers that hold many seedlings. Many gardeners start their seeds in them, then transplant the seedlings to individual containers after the first true leaves unfold. If you raise lots of seedlings, it's useful to have interchangeable standard-size flats and inserts. You can buy flats at a garden center, or make your own by constructing a rectangular wooden frame, 3 to 4 inches deep. Nail slats across the bottom, leaving a ¼ inch between them for drainage.
Although individual containers dry out faster than flats, they are better for starting seeds because you don't have to repot as often, so the seedlings' tender roots are less likely to be damaged by constant handling. Some containers, such as peat pots go right into the garden with the plant during transplanting so the plants' roots are never disturbed.
Or you could splurge: Spend a couple of bucks on containers that are designed for starting seeds. Most garden centers and many home and hardware stores carry cell packs, plastic trays that have individual 2 inch-deep pockets with drainage holes. (Leftover "six-pack" containers from the garden center will work fine, remember to wash them thoroughly before using.) These special-purpose packs range from 6 cells to 40 or more, and many include a clear plastic dome that helps maintain humidity until the seeds have sprouted.
Peat pots, made entirely of peat moss, are popular because you can plant them "pot" and all—you don't have to worry about extracting the seedlings from the containers before you set them in the garden. Also, the peat absorbs excess moisture naturally, so seedlings are less susceptible to damping-off, a fungal disease that often occurs when soil is too soggy. But because peat pots do dry out faster than plastic containers, you'll need to check their moisture level daily. Also, peat is not a sustainable resource, so the better option is Coconut coir.
No matter what kind of container you start your seeds in, you'll also need a tray to put beneath the containers. This allows you to water your seedlings by filling the tray rather than dumping water on them from the top. A plastic lid or wrap for covering the containers after you seed them will help keep the seed-starting mix moist and encourage germination. Also be sure to have some simple markers or labels on hand so that you can note the variety and sowing date.
Seeds contain enough nutrients to nourish themselves, so a seed-starting mix doesn't have to contain nutrients. But it should provide plenty of air spaces, hold moisture well, and be free of weed seeds and toxic substances. Peat moss, compost, perlite, and milled sphagnum moss—either alone or in combination—are all good materials for starting seeds. Don't use plain garden soil, though; it hardens into a dense mass that seedling roots can't penetrate. When your seedlings have their first set of true leaves (see below), you'll need to transplant them to a potting mix.
To keep the dust down, lightly moisten the ingredients before blending them thoroughly in a dishpan or wheelbarrow. Some flower seedlings – pansies, snapdragons, and marigolds tend to be more sensitive to too much moisture. For those, you can make a special mix, using less compost and replacing coir with peat moss. Sphagnum peat moss and perlite tend to lighten the mix and allow it to drain more quickly. Compost, vermiculite, and coir increase moisture retention. Compost can be made from shredded leaves and other garden debris—but avoid any organic material that might introduce weed seeds to the compost. Having compost in the mix means that seedlings rarely need to be fertilized until they are moved outdoors to the garden; the compost provides a constant mild feeding. Compost also counters the natural acidity of peat moss. In mixes that don't include compost, add 1/4 teaspoon of lime for every gallon of mix.
Seedlings need more intense light than full-grown plants. If they don't get 14 to 16 hours of strong light a day, most become spindly and weak. Although many gardeners start their seeds on windowsills, the light from a window during the short days of winter often isn't enough to grow strong, sturdy seedlings.
Growing seedlings need lots of bright light. Keep the lights on for at least 14 hours a day, and suspend the lights close to seedling leaves.
Because tubes produce less light at the ends, choose the longest tubes you have room for and rotate seedlings at the ends into the middle every few days.
Keep the tubes clean. Dust can decrease the amount of light available.
To increase light from a fluorescent fixture, position a mirror or aluminum foil alongside it to reflect light back onto seedlings.
When you're ready to transfer seedlings to larger pots, you can use potting soil.
Most seedlings will do better if you grow them beneath fluorescent lights. You can buy expensive grow lights, but the 4-foot-long shop lights sold at hardware stores work just as well and cost much less. Start with new tubes—fluorescent tubes become dimmer over time. Don't bother with incandescent bulbs. Their light does not stimulate growth well. Suspend your light fixture from the ceiling over a table or bench. To protect the table or bench from water, cover it with a plastic sheet.
Most seeds—including tomatoes and peppers—germinate much faster in warm soil (about 70° to 75°F). To provide those toasty temps, heating mats come in handy. You just plug them in and set your containers on top of them. Keep in mind that most sprouted seedlings grow better in slightly cooler temps (upper 50s to lower 60s), so remove the heating mat after the seeds have sprouted.
Timer – Is effective to help control the amount of light needed for seeds to germinate.
Shelving – Helps to contain your seed starting area. Shop storage shelves are always great for this, they can be dismantled and stored after your seed starting is completed.
Watering – Seedlings need just the right amount of water, too much and they will get stressed out, too little and you will lose them or they will never really grow!
Fertilizing – Seedlings growing in a soil-free or lean potting mix will need small doses of plant food, starting at the time the first true leaves have developed. For the first 3 weeks, water them once a week with a half-strength solution of fish or seaweed fertilizer, compost tea, or one of the liquid organic fertilizers specially formulated for seedlings. After that, feed the seedlings with a normal-strength solution every 10 to 14 days. If you're growing your seedlings in a potting mix that contains compost or other nutrients, you may not need to feed them as often.
Covering – A little piece of plastic wrap will help those seedlings to germinate. Be sure to take it off a couple of days after they sprout!
Damping Off – A good seed starting mix strikes a balance between moisture retention and drainage, both of which are necessary for seedlings. "Regulating the moisture is key," Johnson says. "It's easy for the soil to stay too wet, and that can lead to damping-off." Damping-off is a fungal disease that causes newly germinated seedlings to topple over and die.
Why is Hardening Off so important? – When your seedlings are almost fully grown you need to give them a few days outside so that they can adjust to their new environment before you put them in the garden. Put out to soon, the plants can burn or wither from the amount of sun.


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Is your coworker relationship getting stale as a leftover bread? Do you have lunch with your teammates at the same restaurant day after day? Does the conversation always drift back to the time when you spilled ketchup on your shirt and it's not even funny anymore?
Book for Zumba classes. What better way to have fun and go crazy than to take Zumba classes together? Physical activities are wicked stress busters, and seeing your often uptight and distressed office mates dance their worries away is a fun experience itself. Several gyms in Malaysia offer Zumba classes for any group size, so it's not that hard to look for venues for this fun activity.
Take creative workshops together. In this age of empowered artists and creatives, you can never run out of recreational workshops. You can take classes in calligraphy, cooking, and even coffee making! The list goes on. Learning something fun and useful is a great way to get to know your coworkers.
Go on field trips. Going to museums, antique shops, historical sites, gardens, and other interesting places is an exciting way to take your minds off work and enjoy life a little more. To add a little more fun, you can have potluck lunch or even dinner. This can save you money and learn a little more about your coworkers' taste on food. That's hitting two birds with one stone.
Carpool. If you live close with one or more of your coworkers, carpooling is a great and pocket-friendly way to bond. You can take turns on who to drive and who will bring coffee. It will also expose you to your coworkers' music taste. We all know how a playlist reveals a person's personality, right?
Organize a charitable event. Lastly, you can find a common advocacy that you all care about and organize a fun run, concert, walkathon, or other fundraising activities. Doing good things together will surely increase the sense of camaraderie with one another, and working on a common goal outside work can even enhance your working dynamics.
Get creative in thinking of ways to develop a deeper bond with your coworkers. After all, it's not such a bad idea to be BFFs with people with whom you spend more than a third of your day. Do these five activities and get closer with your coworkers in no time.


By Keith Cowing on January 24, 2018 11:49 PM.
- Supporting public-private partnerships that enable transportation services and landers to the moon by the early 2020s (See Science Passback for more details and ..."
"Keith's 11 Dec update: I did not hear back from NASA so I sent a second request. Stephanie Schierholz at NASA HQ PAO just sent this reply to my second request: "NASA is keeping Congress apprised as to the progress of the ISS Transition Report and plans to provide this report to the Committee as soon as possible. Please reach out to the Committee about obtaining a copy of the report once it is submitted."
Keith's note: It will be interesting to see what happens when Congress gets wind of OMB's ISS plans since NASA never delivered the ISS Transition plan required by law - the plan that explains how NASA intends to end its use of ISS.
Right now without a Senate-confirmed @NASA Administrator OMB is 100% in the driver's seat when it comes to formulating the FY19 #NASA budget. NASA's advocacy for what direction things should go is limited. ISS has fewer defenders these days.
Based on recent reports @ISS_CASIS has not made the fullest use of the ISS and is not the entity that @NASA should look to to manage a transition to more commercial focus for ISS - if that is what the WH wants to do.
Big question is whether OMB wants @NASA to build Deep Space Gateway as a gov't thing or to spur commercial cis-lunar options instead. This White House has an interest about favoring commercial options in space. Watch to see if there is a coupling between commercial LEO and BEO.
It has been an open secret for years that the money to simultaneously run ISS, go to Mars and/or Moon, build/fly SLS, build Deep Space Gateway and do space/planetary science etc. is not in @NASA's budgetary future. Something has to go. Looks like ISS drew the short straw.
This page contains a single entry by Keith Cowing published on January 24, 2018 11:49 PM.
NASA FY 2019 Budget Hints: SLS Alternatives Sought was the previous entry in this blog.
Sierra Nevada to Develop Ground Prototype Deep Space Main Habitat is the next entry in this blog.


Being a kid can have its share of ups and downs. Many early misalignments originate from the birth process itself. Twisting and pulling as well as C-sections can put unnecessary stress and strain on their delicate necks and spines. As they grow and develop they also misalign when they try to sit up, crawl, stand, and walk. The average child falls over 1,000 times in the process of learning to walk. That's enough to put the average adult in the hospital. Yet they are resilient and pliable so their misalignments go without much pain until they become adults.
Regular chiropractic adjustments can help keep children healthy.
During infancy and childhood many kids experience symptoms that can be caused by misalignments of the spinal bones. Dr. Hersch and Dr. Bogart are certified to deliver the best possible care to infants and children.
Here is a video demonstrating an adjustment for a child with cranial & spinal issues.
What does an adjustment for infants & children feel like?
For infants it feels like a massage, and very gentle pressure, about the same as you might use to test the ripeness of a tomato. We also use the activator or arthrostim devices, which gently tap bones back into their proper position. That simply feels like a gentle vibration.
As kids get older, the type and methods for adjusting may change depending on their needs. All the techniques we use are gentle, and feel great. If there is one that a patient prefers we will try to use that to get optimal results.
Our Parkland chiropractors love kids! We want to help them be more healthy – not less sick. Call our Parkland chiropractic office so we can schedule a consultation for your whole family today!


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In this article, I would like to help you to chose mosaic tiles for your home.
Mosaics tiles consist of several different pieces of different materials, joint together and they have different sizes, thickness and colours.
To begin to chose mosaic tiles, you have to decide which size and colour you prefer. This depends on the way you are going to use your mosaic tiles. If you want to cover the complete wall, then you will have to look at the matching with the rest of the bathroom furnishing, while if you only want to create borders between the tiles, you will have to make sure that it is matching the tiles. In order to create borders, you will have to cut the sheets according to the size of the borders you want to obtain.
The thickness of the mosaic tiles is very important because has to be the same or slightly less than the one of the wall tiles. If you install a mosaic tile that is thicker than your wall tile, the mosaic will come up higher than the ceramic tiles.
coloured ones, and the final effect is completely different. I'll explain the coloured grouting in a future article. Let's begin today to look at white grouts, that are the most popular ones.
Once you have an idea of the colour and of the size of the tesserae, you can chose your mosaic tiles, that could be Glass, Marble, Shell, Chrome Glass and Mixed Mosaics, where several different materials are used together. Obviously each different material, gives a different effect, glossy, satin, structured, polished.
At this point you have restricted your selection and you can order some free cut pieces , to make sure that the colour that you see on the computer, is actually the one that you are looking for. We grant up to three Free Cut Pieces , that we send to you by courier FOC.
You can order now your mosaic tiles from us.
I hope this short article has been helpful for you. Please , do not hesitate to contact me, if you need more information.


Decided to write smth about this car! It's a decent car, 5.7l engine, the same as in a LX570, but more power!
In the city, of course, it's a bit hard with its size, but a highway is what this car can do good, probably because of its long base. The car has exceeded all my expectations. I needed a week to adapt to its size.There were difficulties in the beginning with parking, but after the installation of a rear view camera the problem was solved. This is one of the few cars where you can still comfortably sit three behind. The car is a monster: a 5.7 V8 accelerates those 5700 lbs to 60 in about 6.5 seconds. In general, I love it! Who needs a luxury, reliable, easy in maintenance Pick-Up - TOYOTA TUNDRA is what you need!


Two brothers, one a bachelor, the other married, owned a farm whose fertile soil yielded an abundance of grain. Half the grain went to one brother and half to the other.
With that he would get out of bed, steal over to his brother's place and pour a sack full of grain into his brother's granary.
The bachelor too began to get these nightly attacks. Every once in a while he would wake from his sleep and say to himself: "This simply isn't fair. My brother has a wife and five kids and he gets half the produce of the land. Now I have no one except myself to support. So is it just that my poor brother, whose need is obviously greater than mine, should receive exactly as much as I do?" Then he would get out of bed and pour a sack full of grain into his brother's granary.
One day they got out of bed at the same time and ran into each other, each with a sack of grain on his back!
Many years later, after their death, the story leaked out. So when the townsfolk wanted to build a temple they chose the spot at which the two brothers met for they could not think of any place in the town that was holier than that one.
The important religious distinction is not between those who worship and those who do not worship but between those who love and those who don't.
As usual, this story again comes from – 'The prayer of the Frog' by Father Anthony de Mello, S.J. The book has small stories and worth reading one at a time, sleep over the story and think what we can improve in our life?
A man took his new hunting dog out on a trial hunt. He shot a duck that fell into the lake. The dog walked over the water, picked the duck up and brought it to his master.
The man was flabbergasted! He shot another duck. Once again, while he rubbed his eyes in disbelief, the dog walked over the water and retrieved the duck.
It isn't as if life is not full of miracles. It's more than that: it is miraculous, and anyone who stops taking it for granted will see it at once.
At times I think the life itself is a miracle, we take it for granted. Naxals are killing, Terrorist are killing, in fact people are dying on pilgrimages to add to the trouble people are leaving ethics and morals to earn few bucks here and there (eventually we would leave everything here). I wonder if they would realize some time – life is a miracle live it, don't kill anyone and be peaceful with what you have.
Assume (as few may not believe in rebirth) that someone died as a Jew and born again as a Muslim. The soul has only did one thing – changed sides from one HATE group to the other. Remember Jews and Muslims have conflict in Palestine, I am not an expert on international politics so please do not take these statements as expert opinions – concentrate on the moral.
Please understand – I do not intended to hurt any particular religion or ideology, it was just a story which I read and liked the message – We have enough religion to hate but not enough to love.
Just to make my point, here is some related story. This is a story I read today (on my old blog account), liked it so here is the story as a blog. The story is from a book titled "The Prayer of the Frog" volume I, By Father Anthony de Mello publisher Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, Post Box 70, Anand-388 001. India.
We really have so many Beliefs to hate or create identity but rear for love – 'unconditional love', or sometime Humanity. We have a lot of things (and religions) – shouldn't we have little Humanity in us!
A hunter sent his dog after something that moved behind the trees. It chased out a fox and corralled it into a position where the hunter could shoot it.
Most people, alas, have enough religion to hate but not enough to love.
I used to blog in 2006 also. This blog is from that blog post. Though I did not continue blogging there (at that time the interface was not that evolved for me).


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Home/Health/Restaurants Taking Service Charge Ignoring Court Guidelines: Centre To Delhi HC
Restaurants Taking Service Charge Ignoring Court Guidelines: Centre To Delhi HC
TimesWorld WebMasterSeptember 1, 2022
Are you still paying the service charge on your food bills at the restaurants? If yes, then you surely need to give this article a look. In a recent update on the ongoing 'service charge' row, the Centre and the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) informed the Delhi High Court that hotels and restaurants are still collecting service charges, even after receiving the guidelines on banning the levy. The Centre further stated that the customers are unwillingly paying the extra charge, even if they are dissatisfied with the service.
"It was noticed that restaurants and hotels were openly flouting the guidelines and collecting service charges from consumers involuntarily, even when they were dissatisfied with the services," the application read. It further stated that after the July guidelines were issued, 1105 more complaints were registered by consumers on the National Consumer Helpline about the unfair levy of service charges by hotels and restaurants.
Also Read: Service Charge At Restaurants: All You Need To Know About The Ongoing Debate
During the hearing on this matter, Delhi High Court further issued guidelines for the ban, making it easy for both the customers and restaurant owners to follow. A few of the conditions set by the Delhi High Court are as followed:
The restaurants have to prominently display the service charge components in the price of the food.
Restaurants will not charge service charges on takeaway/delivery of food.
The counsel had also said that various complaints were received that restaurants were restraining consumers who were not paying the service charge. "It is a matter of choice. Don't enter the restaurant if you don't want to pay," the High Court states.
Earlier, the guidelines were challenged by the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI). "These petitions have been fixed for November 25, 2022," a PTI report reads.
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The Skeptical Doctor
Dedicated to the work of Theodore Dalrymple
An Interesting Life
An Online Reader
Why Theodore Dalrymple is For All Time
Admirable Evasions: How Psychology Undermines Morality
Coups and Cocaine: Two Journeys in South America
Farewell Fear
Filosofa's Republic
Fool or Physician: The Memoirs of a Skeptical Doctor
If Symptoms Persist
In Praise of Prejudice: The Necessity of Preconceived Ideas
Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass
Litter: How Other People's Rubbish Shapes Our Life
Mass Listeria & An Intelligent Person's Guide to Medicine
Monrovia, Mon Amour: A Visit to Liberia
Mr Clarke's Modest Proposal: Supportive Evidence from Yeovil
Not With a Bang But a Whimper: The Politics and Culture of Decline
Our Culture, What's Left of It: The Mandarins and the Masses
Profeten en Charlatans: Hoe Schrijvers Ons de Wereld Laten Zien
Romancing Opiates & Junk Medicine
So Little Done: The Testament of a Serial Killer
Spoilt Rotten: The Toxic Cult of Sentimentality
Sweet Waist of America: Journeys Around Guatemala
The New Vichy Syndrome: Why European Intellectuals Surrender to Barbarism
The Pleasure of Thinking: A Journey through the Sideways Leaps of Ideas
The Policeman & the Brothel
The Wilder Shores of Marx: Journeys in a Vanishing World
Zanzibar to Timbuktu
Once More With Feelings
By Steve on May 25, 2017 | Filed in Essays | No comments yet
Dalrymple's reflections on his own emotions, in this piece at Taki's Magazine, serve as a good summary of the social justice warrior phenomenon:
The desire not to have one's feelings hurt has been erected into a right, a right increasingly enforceable at law. Of course, not everyone's feelings are treated with the solicitude that we show to a nice fluffy colorful species of animal that is, regrettably, on the verge of extinction. But there is no doubt that treating people's feelings with this solicitude tends not only to preserve them but to cause them to flourish and multiply. The more you are preserved from hurt feelings, the more of them you have.
But as I have already observed, hurt feelings are not as unpleasurable as the psychologically naive might suppose. All is not pain that shouts its name… The inflammation of feeling, in fact, is sometimes an end in itself, indulged in for the sheer pleasure of it, which is not, of course, to say that no outrage is ever genuine.
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David Seri on An Interesting Life
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William Vaughan on Individual Responsibility and Social Justice — Café Filosófico Interview
Michael Neal on Swimming Always Against the Tide
Raven on Is Physical Therapy Overrated?
Bekah on Britain's Vanishing Culture & Character
What do we care about a fucking piano? | Fans of Theodore Dalrymple on Monrovia, Mon Amour: A Visit to Liberia
JKE on Britain's Vanishing Culture & Character
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IRAN – Street protests only a symptom of wider problems in the Islamic Republic
More than 20 people have been killed as security forces have moved to crush street protests in Iran which erupted last Thursday (28 December). The demonstrations, which have led to the arrest of around 450 people in Tehran alone, are the largest in the country since 2009.
The unrest is thought to have been triggered by a rise in the prices of staple foods, but inflation is just one of the problems in the Islamic Republic.
The current protests are the largest since 2009, when thousands of "Green Movement" supporters thronged the streets in opposition to the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Social problems include rising inflation, a lack of job opportunities for graduates, debilitating medical bills (which lead to healthy family members selling organs to pay for treatment for others who are sick) and the clumsy response of the government to recent earthquakes.
In the domestic political sphere, corruption is rife among the unelected religious hierarchy led by the Ayatollahs, who control the powerful military force of the Republican Guard – thought to be responsible for a vast illegal smuggling network costing the state billions of dollars in lost tax revenue. Corruption cases against former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his inner circle are ongoing.
Internationally, efforts to bolster Iran's regional position have brought the country into open conflict with Sunni Arab states, while the change in rhetoric from President Trump in relation to the nuclear "deal" has left Iran with few allies other than Russia.
A partner told Barnabas Fund: "Currently Christians are not venturing out to the streets, this is not their fight! The majority of prayers are united on Lord, let Your Kingdom come and Let Your Will be Done."
Please join with our persecuted brothers and sisters – who are part of one of the fastest growing churches in the world, but who face the daily threat of imprisonment and potential torture for their faith – in praying for their nation.
From Barnabas Fund partners
Daughter of imprisoned Iranian pastor speaks out ahead of appeal: "It's not a sin nor a crime or against national security to gather at a home and pray"
Twelve Iranian Christian converts sentenced to one year in prison for "inclination to the land of Christianity"
© Barnabas Aid 2023 All rights reserved. Barnabas Fund & Barnabas Aid are registered trade marks.
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In September 2018, Linaro launched the Machine Intelligence Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to reduce fragmentation, and minimize duplication of efforts while enabling SoC and NN vendors to differentiate with their key competitive advantage. This will all be achieved through open-source collaboration with Linaro and other ecosystem partners. In support of the initiative, Arm has donated Arm NN, Arm's neural network machine learning (ML) software.
In this video, Jem Davies (VP, Fellow and GM, Machine Learning Group at Arm), Rob Elliot (Director of Applied Machine Learning, Arm), Mark Charlebois (Director of Engineering, QCT, Qualcomm) and Andrea Gallo (VP Segment Groups and Strategic Initiatives, Linaro) talk about the Linaro Machine Intelligence Initiative, Arm NN and the need for open-source collaboration and open governance.


text:
Perimeter Public Lectures
Gabriela González, Louisiana State University
Mercredi oct 23, 2019
Gabriela Gonzalez
(MP4 Medium Res, MP3, PDF)
Albert Einstein predicted a century ago the existence of gravitational waves – ripples in the fabric of spacetime moving at the speed of light. It was believed that these ripples were so faint that no experiment would ever be precise enough to detect them. But in September 2015, LIGO did exactly that. The teams working with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors in Louisiana and Washington measured a loud gravitational wave signal as it traveled through the Earth after a billion-year journey from the violent merger of two black holes.
Collection/Series:
Scientific Areas:
Sir Martin Rees, UK Astronomer Royal
Advances in biotech, cyber-technology, robotics, and space exploration could, if applied wisely, allow a bright future – even for 10 billion people – by the end of this century.
But there are dystopian risks we ignore at our peril.
Anne Andrews and Paul Weiss, University of California, Los Angeles
Mercredi mai 01, 2019
To make progress on serious problems in biology and medicine takes a combination of skills, tools, and approaches, often requiring collaboration across seemingly disparate fields. The trick to making breakthroughs often lies in learning to communicate across disciplines to identify existing technologies – and, crucially, the new tools that need to be invented.
Lee Smolin, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Mercredi avr 17, 2019
Quantum physics is the golden child of modern science. It is the basis of our understanding of atoms, radiation, and so much else - from elementary particles and basic forces to the behaviour of materials. But for a century it has also been the problem child of science: it has been plagued by intense disagreements among its inventors, strange paradoxes, and implications that seem like the stuff of fantasy.
Cather Simpson: University of Auckland
Mercredi mar 06, 2019
The 21st century may come to be known as the Age of Photonics, as we exploit our ability to make and manipulate light as an amazing carrier of energy and information. From quantum computing and entanglement to eye surgery and solar energy, humans are already reaping the benefits of our own endeavours to understand and control light.
Clifford Johnson: University of Southern California
Mercredi fév 06, 2019
Clifford Johnson
Clifford V. Johnson is a theoretical physicist passionate about sharing science with the public. He resolved to write a book explaining physics to a lay audience, but he felt that words on a printed page did not fully convey the dynamic, collaborative nature of fundamental research.
Phiala Shanahan: MIT
Mercredi nov 07, 2018
Phiala Shanahan
More than 99% of the visible matter in the universe is built from protons and neutrons and the nuclei that they form. This rich structure emerges dynamically from the complex interactions of quarks and gluons, the most elementary particles that have been discovered. Understanding how nuclear physics arises from the underlying quark and gluon dynamics is a computational challenge that pushes the capabilities of the world's largest supercomputers.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell: University of Oxford
Jeudi oct 25, 2018
Jocelyn Bell Burnell, winner of the 2018 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, is an accomplished scientist and champion for women in physics. As a graduate student in 1967, she co-discovered pulsars, a breakthrough widely considered one of the most important scientific advances of the 20th century. When the discovery of pulsars was recognized with the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics, the award went to her graduate advisor.
Avery Broderick: Perimeter Institute and University of Waterloo
Avery Broderick
Dr. Avery Broderick will provide a highly accessible and interesting lecture on the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and international efforts to interpret horizon-resolving images of numerous supermassive black holes. Black holes are among the most powerful and mysterious phenomena in the universe. Almost every galaxy has at its core a supermassive black hole, millions or even billions of times more massive than our sun. Despite composing a small fraction of the galactic mass budgets, they set the stage for astrophysical dramas that dictate the fates of their hosts.
Cosmology,
Strong Gravity
Roger Melko: Perimeter Institute and University of Waterloo
Roger Melko
Can computers think? They can certainly calculate - with staggering speed and ever-increasing power - and they have driven scientific and technological advances that would have been impossible without them. Even so, we would like to believe that, for some puzzles, there's no substitute for old-fashioned human intuition. But this view may be changing.
LECTURES ON-DEMAND
Speaker: Gabriela Gonzalez
| Pour en savoir plus |


text:
A Beloved American Playwright's Dark Secret Is Uncovered in Fall
Huntington Theatre presents the world premiere of a play about the private life of Arthur Miller and his neglected son.
Iris Fanger
Josh Stamberg and Joanne Kelly in a scene from Fall, directed by Peter DuBois, at the Huntington Theatre Company.
(© T. Charles Erickson)
Arthur Miller was a son, a husband, and a father, relationships which he drew upon for his most celebrated plays, Death of a Salesman and All My Sons. He was also a moralist about the choices that men make and how these decisions affect the remainder of their lives. Miller was courageous in his 1956 refusal to "name names" before the House Un-American Activities Committee, outspoken in his opposition to the Vietnam War, and brave in taking up the rescue of international journalists when he was president of PEN, the writers organization.
However, Miller's private life was in conflict with his public persona. Playwright and journalist Bernard Weinraub's moving play, Fall, now premiering at the Huntington Theatre, explores Miller and the toll his inner demons must have taken.
Miller kept a secret: the birth of his fourth child, a son, Daniel, born with Down syndrome. He and his third wife, Inge Morath, placed Daniel in an institution, a common practice for families in 1966 when he was born. While Inge visited Daniel often, Miller never saw him until he was grown.
Weinraub has imagined the effect that keeping Daniel out of sight had on Miller's career as a dramatist and on his marriage. The drama is structured as a chronology of short scenes, beginning with Inge's pregnancy and continuing for nearly 39 years until just before her death in 2002. Although Miller had three other children, Daniel was never mentioned in Miller's 1987 memoir, Timebends, or in most obituaries for him. Nor was Daniel invited to either of his parents' funerals or to the large memorial service dedicated to Miller.
As Weinraub writes it, the marriage between Miller (portrayed by Josh Stamberg as a man in denial and emotionally frozen except when with Inge) and Inge (a glowing Joanne Kelly) is a loving one, except for arguments about Daniel. In the beginning, Dr. Paula Wise, the family doctor and confidant (an empathetic Joanna Glushak), advises the couple to institutionalize Daniel. When medical research changes as the years go by, Dr. Wise suggests bringing Daniel home or putting him into a community-based facility, which Miller strenuously refuses, contradicting Inge's wishes. The producer, Robert Whitehead (John Hickok), a close friend of the family, tries to make peace in the family.
One more character onstage in Fall is Daniel himself, performed with dignity and grace by Nolan James Tierce, an actor with Down syndrome. Tierce appears three times in the play to explain Daniel's side of the story. He is only shown once interacting with his father, after a public speech delivered by Miller. By then a teenager, Daniel introduces himself to the startled Miller, who recovers and gives his son a hug. Although Marilyn Monroe, Miller's second wife, has passed away before the play begins, the many mentions about her suggest she is a continuing presence for the couple.
Weinraub is fortunate to have such a passionately involved ensemble of actors who also age believably over the play's two hours and 10 minutes. Director Peter DuBois smartly pushes the fragmented scenes quickly on- and offstage on Brandon McNeal's scenic design, which changes from New York to Connecticut by means of rolling set pieces. Projections designed by Zachary Borovay display news clips to establish the political tone of the era. Ilona Somogyi provides timeless, casual chic costumes.
Throughout the play, Inge questions Miller about the themes of the dramas he has written. Miller replies, "In my plays I try to define the price you pay for the choices you make in life" — perhaps a response shaped by the guilt and shame Miller feels about Daniel. The epilogue, delivered by the actors as themselves, reveals the unexpected coda. Six weeks before his death, Miller changed his will, leaving a full share of his millions to Daniel, equal to the bequests for his other three children.
Peter DuBois
Bernard Weinraub
Huntington Theatre
Josh Stamberg
Joanne Kelly


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The MSM/Detroit Symphony Conductors' Project with
The public is welcome to attend orchestra rehearsals, a panel discussion and a final concert in the Conductors' Project, during a special week-long residency at MSM in New York City by Detroit Symphony Orchestra Music Director Leonard Slatkin from Oct 23-27.
ABOUT THE CONDUCTORS' PROJECT: UNIQUE TO MSM
Two recent MSM conducting graduates — Malcolm J. Merriweather (DMA '15) and Yoon Sang Timothy Cho (DMA '20) — are the selected Conducting Fellows for the second annual Conductors' Project. During the week of Oct 23-27, they'll work closely under the direction of Maestro Slatkin with the MSM Symphony Orchestra.
The week of orchestra rehearsals, a public talk, and book-signing by Leonard Slatkin, culminates in a final concert on Friday, Oct 27 at the magnificent Riverside Church, with music by Wagner, Barber and Elgar.
Rehearsals are free and open to the public. Tickets for the final concert are available at Riverside Church (details for rehearsals and performance below).
The Conducting Fellows will travel to Detroit in early 2017 to spend a week Maestro Slatkin and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, as the second and concluding part of the Conductors' Project.
On Wednesday, Oct 25 from 5:00-6:30 PM in Miller Theatre at MSM at 120 Claremont Avenue, Maestro Slatkin will take part in a spirited conversational exchange with MSM President James Gandre on the topic "Creating a Symphonic Life." The discussion, free and open to the public, is hosted by MSM's Center for Music Entrepreneurship; please arrive early to ensure seating.
Following the event, Maestro Slatkin will sign copies of his latest critically-acclaimed book, "Leading Tones" (Amadeus Press), in which he examines the many facets of the contemporary music industry through the lens of his illustrious and varied career.
Leading Tones
Reflections on Music, Musicians, and the Music Industry
2017 • Amadeus Press
THE CONCERT:
MSM Symphony Orchestra performs works by Wagner, Barber, and Elgar working under Leonard Slatkin, (Hon. DMA '13, Board of Trustees), Conductor
Conducting Fellows:
Malcolm J. Merriweather (DMA '15)
Yoon Sang Timothy Cho (DMA '20)
WHEN: October 27, 2017 at 7:30 PM
WHERE: The Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive
TICKETS: $15, Free with presentation of valid MSM I.D.
THE REHEARSALS (Free of Charge):
OCT 23 & 25 at 9:30 AM: Ades Performance Space, MSM, 120 Claremont Avenue New York (122nd St and Broadway)
OCT 24 & 26 at 7:00 PM Ades Performance Space, MSM,
OCT 27: The Riverside Church, 4 PM
Questions? Communications@msmnyc.edu
Maestro Leonard Slatkin with Olga Kern, who sits on Manhattan School of Music's Board of Directors, posing backstage following the inaugural concert of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in October, 2017
Admission Blog
Centennial Celebrations
Collaborative Piano
Contemporary Performance Program
Faculty Focus
MSM Artist Scholars
MSM Fall
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https://www.msmnyc.edu/news/oct-23-27-join-us-for-the-2nd-annual-manhattan-school-of-music-detroit-symphony-orchestra-conductors-project-with-conductor-leonard-slatkin/


I am a true believer that content coaching is a necessity in the improvement and sustainability of math instruction, however we all know that finding time to even use the restroom during the course of the school day is close to impossible! So how do we find time for these important conversations to happen and more importantly, we need to be fortunate enough to have a position in our school that does just that, coach.
Last week, my class was working on finding fraction/percent equivalents using a 10 x 10 grid. They did great with the fourths and eighths, but then we hit 1/3! As I walked around and talked to the students, I saw a range of strategies: shading one out of every 3 squares, shading one out of every 3 rows, then squares, and some just knew that three 33's was as close as they could get with whole numbers and had just shaded 33. No matter which strategy they chose, the "leftover box" was leaving many perplexed.
After quite a bit of struggling with what to do with this leftover box and some happy to just settle at 1/3 = 33%, Nancy (our math specialist, former 3rd grade teacher, and partner in crime with all things math) came into the room. She helped me by chatting with a group about their thoughts on what do with this 100th box. Class, unfortunately, had to wrap up to go to lunch, and I wasn't comfortable that some students had had sufficient time to think about it, so I left the class with that leftover box as food for thought that night.
Over lunch, Nancy and I were talking about what she had heard from the students and she made the statement, "It is amazing how they don't make connections to all of the sharing brownie work we did in 3rd grade when trying to count off by 3's in the grid.." For those who use Investigations, you will know the exact lessons to which she is referencing, for those who don't you can probably infer the context 🙂 We discussed the difference of the contexts for students, the array work they do in 4th grade and then tried to figure how to make that connection for my afternoon class. Tall job for the 15 minutes left of lunch, AKA speed eating.
I typically start my class with some type of number talk, so we sketched out a number talk that focused on the brownie problems of years past. Lunch ended and when the class came in the classroom, they headed to the carpet for a number talk.
How can four people share one brownie?
How can four people share 6 brownies?
How can four people share a pan of 21 brownies?
They did an amazing job and were very confident in their strategies and I definitely put them into a "fraction state of mind." We then went into finding our percentages and even the strategies for finding the percents equivalent to fourths and eighths seemed smoother and then when we hit 1/3 and that leftover box was much less mysterious. There were still a few who struggled but I definitely could see more perseverance and entry points at problem solving. They seemed to make a connection to the brownie problems at the beginning of the lesson.
This entire rambling of my thoughts really boils down to one thought….Improving instruction is about finding time to have those meaningful math conversations. Had I not had that conversation with Nancy and changed my number talk for the second group, the lesson was going to have the same fate as the first. That conversation helped me make math connections that I could then make my students. Would I have loved to have more time to think out this lesson and retry it the next day, of course, but did Nancy and I improve it…absolutely!
This entry was posted in Math, Professional Development, Uncategorized and tagged 5th Grade, Coaching, Math on October 8, 2013 by mathmindsblog.
Powerful!! What a difference a conversation with someone else can make.
It is amazing how a brief conversation can help suggest a next step or make connections for teachers! We know how important communication is for our students, but rarely make the time as professionals. Thank you for sharing your reflection!


Contractor numbers in the UK have grown to 1.88m, representing an increase of 35.1% since 2008. This is according to research by Kingston University commissioned by the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed (IPSE) that also highlights the increase is structural and was not driven by the recession.
"As the economy recovers it is encouraging to see more and more people turning the freelancing and contracting as a choice," highlights ContractorCalculator CEO Dave Chaplin.
IPSE's head of research, education and training, Suneeta Johal, agrees with Chaplin, adding: "This research adds to the mounting evidence of a structural, rather than cyclical, change to the labour market.
The detailed data highlights some interesting demographic shifts in the contracting sector and wider labour force. Johal explains: "The figures are hugely impressive; an 8.7% rise in the total number of independent professionals on the year and a huge 35.1% increase since 2008 has resulted in 1.88m now working in the UK.
Proportionally, when contractor growth is analysed by gender, more females than males are choosing to take the leap into freelancing. In 2014 the number of females had increased to 746,430, 39.6% of the total.
Since 2008, there has also been a 26% rise in young people (16-29 years of age) choosing independent work, alongside a 47% increase of independent professionals over the age of 60.
The number of limited companies without employees, one measure of number of personal service companies (PSCs) used by researchers, has grown by 20.3% between 2008 and 2015. Just between 2013 and 2014, the number of limited companies without employees grew by 7.5% to 620,055.
However, Chaplin warns that this figure may not be wholly accurate: "Of the roughly 600,000 limited companies without employees, many won't be knowledge-based service providers such as contractors.
Average earnings do not appear to have changed significantly between 2008 and 2015. All UK limited companies without employees had sales of £97,897 in 2008, rising to an average of £100,886.
Where are the most contractors located?
Nearly half of the UK's contractors and freelancers are based in London and the South East of England. Inner and outer London alone account for 21.6% of the 1.88m total, and the rest of the South East accounts for a further 22.3%.
"The presence of contractor-heavy sectors such as finance and banking, alongside the creative and media industries both in London and in regional hubs such as Brighton will skew the figures," says Chaplin.
The West and East Midlands is the next most popular region, potentially driven by a combination of high population centres and centres of industry that include construction, the automotive sector and their respective supply chains.
Contract market in Scotland softens further: should contractors look south for work?


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Q: Confounding NUMA configuration in SQL Server for 24 vcore system in Azure I need some help understanding how SQL Server takes a 24 core VM and displays it as 11 NUMA nodes under properties.
At startup, this is the key message about hardware SQL Server found:
SQL Server detected 1 sockets with 7 cores per socket and 14 logical processors per socket, 24 total logical processors; using 24 logical processors based on SQL Server licensing. This is an informational message; no user action is required.

I do not understand how it detects 1 socket with 14 total vCores and then says it has 24 total logical processors.  Can someone help me understand that?
The VM is in Azure and is an E96-24as_v4 which is based on AMD EPYC 7452.  That CPU appears to have 32 cores for each socket of whatever Azure has it running on.
The E96-24 means it is a 96 core VM suppressed down to 24 by Azure to give a better core to memory ratio.
SQL Server shows 11 NUMA nodes with the first 2 nodes (NODE 0 and NODE 1) with 3 vCores and the remaining nodes with 2 vCores each.
The workload on this server is OLAP/DSS.
Soft NUMA is off.
As requested in comments here is the output from os_nodes and os_memory_nodes:

osn.node_id
osn.online_scheduler_count
osn.cpu_count
osn.memory_node_id
osmn.target_kb
osn.processor_group

0
3
3
0
60023896
0

1
3
3
1
60023896
0

2
2
2
2
60023896
0

3
2
2
3
60023896
0

4
2
2
4
60023896
0

5
2
2
5
60023896
0

6
2
2
6
60023896
0

7
2
2
7
60023896
0

8
2
2
8
60023896
0

9
2
2
9
60023896
0

10
2
2
10
60023896
0

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