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Tag: Rebirth Brass Band
July 25, 2015	Culture, Musicians Post a Comment
Black music – Part IIa
Next I'd like to discuss Black music in light of some debates around jazz and whether it should be considered Black music or not, and why. Jazz has been in the centre of my activities for the most of my musically active life, whether playing, writing, studying or listening to and I've learned to approach it from various angles.
The discussion around jazz as Black music (or not) is mostly a North American discourse and I'll focus on it here as such. The music, of course, has been played around the world since nearly a century now, and there's been much attention to jazz as global and national phenomena outside United States. As race, however, is a social construct I'll stay here within the North American context in which race, unfortunately, continues to be a heavily debated matter.
To put the debates around jazz into perspective it might be helpful to understand "jazz" as a name for a category, or several categories in fact. Depending on how one sees, or hears, jazz it can be a musical, commercial, artistic, racial, social, cultural or political category, just to name a few. As I hope to illustrate here, as a musical practice jazz, like any music, is simultaneously all of the above, even if we might attempt to isolate or highlight one aspect at a time for discussion.
As discussed in the previous part, we can try to establish criteria for jazz as a musical category by defining its constituent elements. The first jazz critics in the first half of the 20th century such as Hugues Panassié, André Hodeir and Winthrop Sargeant talked about "hot jazz" and "real jazz", referring to musical expression arising from black folk music. It was seen as an "authentic" art form in contrast with other commercialised forms of music, which others – mistakenly, according to this view – called jazz. Such views are today considered primitivistic; placing the value of the music as a socio-cultural practice in it's "authenticity" as primitive folk expression attempts to "freeze" the music, and its practitioners, into that socio-cultural – and by implication, economical and political – state.
This was rather typical thinking of the time when the "other" and its culture was measured against Western European standards. The post-World War II post-colonial thinking has shown the oppressiveness of such thinking but unfortunately some romanticised notions of e.g. jazz's spontaneity and "freedom" still echo the above-discussed primitivism.
Characteristic to the jazz historical discourse of the early 20th century (and much of the later one as well) is that it attempts to construct a musical tradition similar to that of European Classical music; a narrative of a progressive evolution of a music neatly divided into stylistic periods and highlighted with masters and major innovators. Thus we get a story of jazz from Africa to Congo Square to Chicago to New York and from e.g. Buddy Bolden to Louis Armstrong to Duke Ellington to Charlie Parker to Miles Davis with various forks to the tree of jazz history, but still maintaining a comprehensible linearity. In this narrative jazz progresses from a primitive folk music towards "higher" forms of art music. It could be said to have reached its climax when in the 1980s it was declared "rare and valuable national American treasure" by the U.S Congress and "American Classical music" by the jazz scholar and musician Billy Taylor (here's a counter argument to Taylor).
Such histories tend to aestheticise musical tradition by removing the human from the equation; music evolves as a creature of its own without human (socio-cultural) agency. History becomes a list of the above-mentioned markers and highlights which don't really help us understand the socio-cultural-economic-political conditions affecting – but not causing – these developments. I say "not causing" because although the fore-mentioned conditions may drive change in musical practices they cannot explain the particular change that occurs, i.e. (musical) change can (and mostly will) take many paths, even when the practitioners live in similar conditions.
What I find most disturbing in the narratives of jazz history and the way they construct a jazz tradition is that they are based an aesthetic criteria set by the historians and the music industry – the former being part of the latter, in a way – and not the musicians or the music-listening public. In many such narratives jazz history "ends" with John Coltrane's death in 1967 or with the fusion jazz of the 70s (see e.g. this documentary) as later music cannot be fit into their aesthetic framework.
But musicians still continue to play jazz in ways that pays homage to the tradition but refuses to be bound by it. The best examples of this I've found in New Orleans where people like Leroy Jones and brass bands such as the Rebirth Brass Band, Hot 8 and the Stooges Brass Band continue to make music deeply rooted in the city's rich musical tradition while still being relevant to contemporary audiences at home and elsewhere – and they're proud to call their music jazz.
Is jazz Black music?
In 2001 the San Francisco Jazz Organization arranged a panel discussion titled "Jazz and Race: Black, White and Beyond". The panel consisted of representatives of musicians (Steve Coleman), authors (e.g. Nat Hentoff), academics (Dr. Angela Y. Davis) and the music industry (Blue Note records president Bruce Lundvall). I'd also like to bring up here some of the thoughts on the topic by the New Orleanian trumpeter Nicholas Payton.
Jazz in these discussions is mostly discussed as an art historical category – a historically constructed music genre – and a commercial category – a "brand name" for a product to be sold by record companies and promoted by music event organisers.
I find it quite telling of the nature of the discourse that the panel discussion revolves much around jazz musicians of the past. References to jazz history are made to defend positions of jazz as Black music based on a view that the "originators" of the music were black; or a more "shaded" view in which the roles of the many white musicians are highlighted.
Dr. Angela Y. Davis also points out that in racial terms the matter is not "black and white"; e.g. many Latin American musicians have also significantly contributed to the music. In this regard one should also think back to Jelly Roll Morton's notion of a "Spanish tinge" and e.g. Dizzy Gillespie's Afro-Cuban co-operations.
On the same token – but still staying within the North American context – one might also think of the contributions of black musicians to other genres, be it western art music, various Latin American influenced styles or popular music. My point, as you might have guessed, is that these claims for "ethnic ownership" of music are hard to back up factually, partly because music as a "thing" is difficult to contain within any categorical boundaries, but also because these "facts" are formed around problematic notions such as "origin" and "authenticity". These remain, however, passionately felt ideas that cannot – and shouldn't – be neglected, nor taken for granted.
Music in commercial and social spaces
Another much debated topic among the panellists is the distribution of labour – to call up a Marxist term here – within music industry. Saxophonist Steven Coleman speaks of the common perception among black musicians, as well as his own experience, that white musicians often end up doing better than their black colleagues after an "inter-racial" collaboration. He also claims that black musicians don't receive as much attention and marketing effort from record labels as white musicians. Bruce Lundvall is quick to dismiss this claim.
The issue Coleman brings up tabs into a longer debate about Black music in the United States. For instance Charles Keil and Amiri Baraka wrote already in the 1960s of the trend of every successive Black music style being co-opted and made commercially successful by white musicians. In this discourse music has a significant counter-hegemonic force as black musicians response to this exploitation by inventing yet new styles.
My visit to New Orleans confirmed the feeling I had had regarding this kind of power-struggle in relation to black music, as music there seemed to mean so much more to people than anywhere else I had been to. As Nicholas Payton has said: "New Orleans was and still is home to some of the most talented musicians in the world. There is a strong social aesthetic in the music there. It's all about the people… It's all about life, never about music". I.e. music is being made mainly for (communally) internal reasons instead of external ones. Music can be a means to a strong communal – as well as individual – identity which helps dealing with many kinds of external pressures.
While this might at first sound a bit like the primitivism discussed above, my point is that music making is a social process; made by musicians living in communities with specific "social aesthetics". Music industry, by definition, aims at producing music that bypasses such specific social values. In the process it often flattens – or compresses, if you'd prefer a more adept term – the music to something quite generic; something it's able to sell to people who only share some general – and not necessarily musical – aesthetics.
The innovations, however, come from the musicians, not from the industry. Or as Nicholas Payton puts it: "The industry can't move the music forward, the musicians have to do that… The industry's success is based on the artists, not the other way around".
I'll leave it at this for now. Next time I'll discuss a specific moment in jazz history some view as a "game changer" while others view it as the "end" of jazz. Below a teaser as well as further discussion on the topic discussed here:
June 18, 2014	Culture, Intro Post a Comment
Music(ology)
As already mentioned, my background in music is practical as well as academic. Since both of these approaches to music are going to be apparent in my writing here, I'll try and open up my thinking a bit here so that you know where I'm coming from with my ideas about music.
Musical practice
With the practical side I basically mean making music; practising an instrument, rehearsing and performing, many hours on daily basis for several years. That kind of engagement with music results in a quite specific experience of music as the pragmatic questions are never far from one's mind, even when just listening to music.
Academic study of music, however, may in principle take up any angle to music one can possibly think of. Musicology, as the discipline is called, has various sub-disciplines studying music as e.g. physical, biological, psychological, cultural, social, historical, political, economical or legal phenomenon, just to name a few – and often various combinations of these and other approaches. To put a kind of Heideggerian phenomenological frame to it, musicology reveals, discovers and studies the multiple dimensions of music as a way of being-in-the-world, music as a human activity through which we engage with the world around us.
Music as a cultural phenomenon
My interest in music has for a while been mostly as a cultural and social phenomenon. Many of the other dimensions, however, are more often than not integrated into the previous. A good example of this is the New Orleans brass band tradition I did my last larger study on. While springing from the aspiration of social upheaval of the late 19th century Creole and black New Orleanians, the brass bands and music of these groups quickly became vehicles for political and economical advancements as well. And being an outdoor practice the musics physical, acoustic characteristics (read: loud) were very consciously used to underline and drive home the music's complex message. Although much has also changed with these practices, most of this still holds for the 21st century post-Katrina New Orleans brass band music as well.
I hope this opens up my thinking a bit and helps you follow my line of thought in the posts here. And of course any and all questions/ideas/comments are welcome. Stay tuned!
Cheers, Mikko
New Orleans humming with excitement over Serena Williams wedding
Eminem surprised us all with a performance of 'Stan' on 'SNL'
'Kaleidoscope World:' The Magalona melodrama
Slingshot Hip-hop, and the power of digital Palestine
The international journal of traditional arts


Even though the Madewell Illustrated Stateside Tote has been my trusty companion since I first set eyes on it, that certainly doesn't mean I haven't found other cloth carryalls to obsess over too. Take Alphabet Bags, for instance: Designed by a British husband and wife duo, these totes feature retro letterpress ABCs in slightly faded, very cool styles. Another favorite? The oversized market totes from Toronto-based housewares line The New Domestic, which feature great geometric and stripy prints (and enough room to fit tons of groceries). For fellow romantics, LA accessories brand ban.do's red and white Heart Tote is simple and sweet (don't miss the removable heart pin on the strap). And finally, in anticipation of all the epic tomes you may be reading this fall, Atlanta designer Pamela Fugate's "I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie" tote pretty much says it all.
1. Make sure your glass is thoroughly chilled to keep the temperature balance right.
3. Prepare your espresso with a good deal of crema (the foam that sits atop an extracted shot). It adds the extra oomph.
4. Enjoy your sugar-caffeine rush!


In a report published this week, the UN's Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee said it was disappointed in "the marked shortcomings" in a progress report submitted by the UK government.
The UK government was asked to submit a detailed progress report in 2017, after the committee said that policies introduced by the government meant that the UK was moving further away from the convention's goals.
Among its recommendations, the committee said in 2017 that the UK had to ensure that independent legal review procedures should not be "prohibitively expensive" and that the government should consider the establishment of assistance mechanisms to reduce financial barriers to access to justice.
However, in response to the government's progress report, which was published on 1 October 2018, the compliance committee said the UK had entirely failed to report on these points.
In addition, it stated: "The first progress report provides very little new information, and consists overwhelmingly of information already provided, often word for word, to the committee in the last intersessional period".
The UK government is required to submit further reports in October 2019 and 2020, although there is no mechanism to compel the UK to comply with the Aarhus Convention.
The 'Aarhus Convention' grants the public rights and imposes on Parties and public authorities obligations regarding access to environmental information and public participation in decision-making and access to justice (the '3 pillars') with respect to environmental matters. The Convention entered into force on 30 October 2001.


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Q: Pipe `%>%` the results of a regression `lm`and return one of the attributes I know can it's possible to return the p-value of a regression lm by doing this:
# regression model
  fit <- lm(y ~ x)

# two alternative ways to return the p-value
  glance(fit)$p.value
  summary(fit)$coefficients[,4][2]

However, I need to pipe the result for the purposes of what I want to do. This is what I've tried without success:
lm(y ~ x) %>% glance(.)$p.value

lm(y ~ x) %>% summary(.)$coefficients[,4][2]

reproducible example
library(magrittr)
library(broom)

x <- c(4.17,5.58,5.18,6.11,4.50,4.61,5.17,4.53,5.33,5.14)
y <- c(4.81,4.17,4.41,3.59,5.87,3.83,6.03,4.89,4.32,4.69)

A: It is recommended here that you avoid using the $ operator to extract coefficients. To be more explicit in what you're looking for, and more robust to library changes, try this instead:
coef(summary(fit))["x","Pr(>|t|)"]

But that makes your piping tough. You could try this, if it works for your purposes:
getp <- function(coefs) { return (coefs["x","Pr(>|t|)"]) }
lm(y ~ x) %>% summary %>% coef %>% getp

That works for me, and you could even add arguments for which column you'd like to extract in your one-line function.

A: Try this:
library(magrittr)

{ y ~ x } %>% lm %>% summary %>% coef %>% .["x", "Pr(>|t|)"]
## [1] 0.18351

or
{ y ~ x } %>% lm %>% summary %>% coef %>% `[`("x", "Pr(>|t|)")
## [1] 0.18351

or use 2 and 4 in place of "x" and "Pr(>|t|)" in either of the above.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


October | 2011 | Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Washington, D.C.
Veterans & Activists Found Guilty!
After a four day trial which concluded yesterday, eighteen peace activists, including seven veterans, were convicted and sentenced to fines by D.C. Superior Court Judge Canan. We were being tried for our nonviolent action on the White House sidewalk/plaza on March 19, 2011, which marked the beginning on the ninth year of the US invasion of Iraq. The protest, during which 113 people were arrested, called for an end to all US Wars and the release of imprisoned military whistle-blower Private Bradley Manning.
criminality of a government and military responsible for murdering people.
guilty and fined. Hence another deeply held conviction!
It was an honor to be tried with these activists and veterans, some of whom were on trial for the first time. I will always cherish this experience.
And finally, please see the excerpt of the moving closing statement by Elliott Adams, president of Veterans for Peace.
Thank you so much for your prayers and heartfelt support for all of us who were on trial. I am deeply grateful. We continue to keep our eyes on the prize and hold on!!!
On August 9, the anniversary of the U.S. nuclear bombing of Nagasaki, and the martyrdom of Sr. Edith Stein and Franz Jagerstatter, Catholic Workers' Amber and Kevin Mason and Bill Frankel-Streit, peace activist Rosemary Thompson from Baltimore, and Sr. Margaret McKenna from the New Jerusalem community in Philadelphia, were arrested at the Pentagon as they stood outside the designated "protest area" near the visitor's entrance holding photos of the A-bomb victims and a banner that said: "No More Hiroshima's and Nagasaki's." They appeared in in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, VA on Friday, Oct. 21. Charges against Amber and Kevin Mason, from the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, were dropped. (In recent years U.S. prosecutors in these cases have a policy whereby they do not prosecute first time arrestees at the Pentagon). Bill, Rosemary and Sr. Margaret entered compelled to act and risk arrest. U.S. Magistrate Jones then gave each person a $250 fine.
When: Sunday, October 16, 2011, from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Where: West Potomac Park (Meet in designated area and look for the King banner.
(call Art @ 202-360-6416 for witness location).
On October 16 the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial will be dedicated. In addition to all the great civil rights leaders who will speak, President Obama will also speak at the "ceremonial dedication." We want to honor Dr. King's legacy by making sure that his commitment to nonviolence and abolishing war is clear and visible during the dedication. In a prayerful spirit, we will display banners and signs representing Dr. King's and our commitment for a nonviolent world.
I know people have different commitments this Sunday morning and this is a short notice invite. However if you are able to come, even for a short time, that would be great. If you can come, please contact Art @ 202-360-6416, artlaffin@hotmail.com. Please spread the word!
Show your support for Art Laffin & fellow activists in court!
This is an update and reminder to let you know that 19 people, including a WWII vet, several Vietnam combat veterans, and Dorothy Day CWr Art Laffin, will be tried on Tuesday October 25th before Judge Russell Canan, in D.C. Superior Court, Rm. 219. If you are local, please stop by–your support is very important and necessary. We continue to keep our eyes on the prize! And hold on!
The March 19th action raised issues of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the cost of the wars to American society, and the continued detention of whistleblower Bradley Manning. One hundred thirteen persons were arrested on the White House sidewalk by US Park Police, and 19 of those will proceed to a trial. The co-defendants will participate in a bench trial before Judge Russell F. Canan, Jr., Associate Judge of the DC Superior Court. The charges include: Failure to Obey a Lawful Order, and blocking/incommoding a sidewalk. They will argue that they were properly petitioning their government under the First Amendment to change its policies of war and aggression, and related defenses. They will present their defense pro se, assisted by attorney-advisors Ann Wilcox, Deborah Anderson and Mark Goldstone.
The co-defendants will hold a rally and press conference at 8:15 a.m. in front of DC Superior Court, 500 Indiana Ave., NW, and then proceed to Courtroom 313 for the trial which is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. The trial is expected to last all day Tuesday and probably extend into Wednesday.


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FG Reassures Nigerians on Power, Agric, Job Creation, Infrastructure
Posted on January 21, 2014 Author Ndubuisi Francis	Comment(0)
The federal government Monday reassured Nigerians that the improved power situation across the country could only get better in 2014 as it moves to finalise repair works on the vandalised major gas pipelines, which had affected electricity supply to many consumers. It also promised to complete the Benin-Ore, Abuja-Lokoja roads in April as well as pursue an aggressive agricultural revolution, mass job creation, housing and other infrastructural development. These assurances came to the fore at the public presentation of the 2014 Budget in Abuja yesterday, where the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo and his Works counterpart, Mike Onolememen, took turns to give specifics efforts being made to address the challenges associated with electricity supply and roads. Nebo, who said efforts by past administrations to privatise the power sector could not be followed through, added that since the advent of the Jonathan administration, the privatisation of the generation and distribution components had been effectively consummated, leaving only the transmission arm in the hands of the government. Nebo, who attributed this to courage and boldness, said Nigerians across the country had already attested to improved power supply situation. The minister said the situation had improved such that some parts of the country currently enjoy 18 hours of power. He said the vandalised major gas pipelines culminated in shutdowns, which seriously affected the Egbin and EAS plants in Lagos. The minister said with repair works of the pipelines at advanced stage of completion as well as other efforts, Nigerians would in no distant time forget the nightmare associated with power supply. Nebo, who decried the nefarious activities of pipelines vandals, described them as worse than armed robbers, observing that the situation was more critical in Lagos State. On transmission, the minister said a transmission capacity of about 150 per cent was required to transmit what is generated, adding that a $4 billion funding was being put together by export-import banks from Europe and elsewhere to upgrade the transmission infrastructure in the country. On his part, Onolememen said the vast road rehabilitation efforts of the federal government was paying off as attested to by road users, including some lawmakers in the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), who travelled by road during the recent Yuletide. He promised that the Abuja-Lokoja and Benin-Ore roads would be completed by April while the Kano-Maiduguri, Lagos-Ibadan roads as well as the Second Niger Bridge, among others would be priority projects this year. Onolememen applauded the support of the Finance Ministry in the release of funds to enable his ministry achieve its mandate on roads. The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who aggregated the sector-by-sector strides of the federal in 2013, said the 2014 budget was anchored on inclusive growth and job creation, and would aggressively drive growth in all sectors of the economy. Okonjo-Iweala said contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the current administration had created over 1.6 million jobs with major impact in agriculture, road construction, aviation, and rail, among others. The minister said about N600 billion of the N1.1 trillion capital budget was utilised to execute projects across the country, assuring that 2014 would witness an even greater impact of the government. She, however, lamented the structure of government with the attendant huge recurrent expenditure, saying she had on assumption of office tried to bring this down in 2012 and 2013. She expressed regret that it had again risen to 74 per cent due to avoidable awards, military pension and arrears, among others. She said one of the ways of reducing the recurrent bill was through the implementation of the Oronsaye Report, which recommended the rationalisation of agencies with duplicative functions. But she said the snag was that such agencies were underpinned by legal framework, which required a repeal by the National Assembly. The minister appealed to the lawmakers to collaborate with the executive arm of government to actualise this. She stated the government had introduced reforms in its financial management system to check leakages via the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Management System (IPPIS) and the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS), and Treasury Single Account. On the unremitted $10.8 billion fund, the minister said efforts were still on to ensure that anything that was not spent accordingly is returned government's coffers. Also giving breakdown of the 2014 Budget, Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Bright Okogu, decried the incessant demand of labour unions for increased pay, which had shot the federal government wage bills from N857 billion in 2009 to N1.72 trillion in 2013 Okogu said a situation where about one million federal government workers accounted for 37 per cent of the budget was not good for national development. He appealed to workers to consider other sectors of the economy.
Codewit Correspondent
NIGERIA: Labour faults divestments by IOCs
Posted on April 9, 2013 Author KUNLE KALEJAYE
Oil workers have criticized the recent spate of divestments in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry by International Oil Companies, IOCs, claiming that due process was not followed. The workers argued that the pull out by some multinationals placed Nigerian workers at risks of losing their jobs, which will in turn; increase the level of unemployment in […]
MCB Equity Fund invests in Partnering Technologies
Posted on December 21, 2015 Author African Press Organization
PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, December 10, 2015/ — MCB Group (http://www.MCB.mu) has invested, via MCB Equity Fund, in Partnering Technologies, a French high-tech printing and robotics business run by Ramesh Caussy, the Mauritian inventor of Diya One, the air purifying robot that has made a real impression at the COP 21 in Paris. Sales of Diya […]
Akwa Ibom Food Festival Debuts
Posted on November 16, 2013 Author Agency Reporter
Akwa Ibom is fast becoming the state of choice when it comes to high-powered events in the last months of the year. Asides its highly-anticipated Christmas Carol, now a yearly ritual, it is set to host the 1st Akwa Ibom Food Festival, a high selling tourism event poised to ignite high tourism activities within and […]
Jonathan Approves N14bn for Dry Season Farming
2.3GHz Broadband Spectrum Winner to Pay Additional N374m

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a term is regarded as pejorative in some social or ethnic groups but not in others, or may be originally pejorative but later adopt a non-pejorative sense (or vice versa) in some or all contexts.

Etymology
The word pejorative is derived from a Late Latin past participle stem of , meaning "to make worse", from  "worse".

Pejoration and melioration

In historical linguistics, the process of an inoffensive word becoming pejorative is a form of semantic drift known as pejoration. An example of pejoration is the shift in meaning of the word silly from meaning that a person was happy and fortunate to meaning that they are foolish and unsophisticated. The process of pejoration can repeat itself around a single concept, leaping from word to word in a phenomenon known as the euphemism treadmill, for example as in the successive pejoration of the terms bog-house, privy-house, latrine, water closet, toilet, bathroom and restroom (US English).

When a term begins as pejorative and eventually is adopted in a non-pejorative sense, this is called melioration or amelioration. One example is the shift in meaning of the word nice from meaning a person was foolish to meaning that a person is pleasant. When performed deliberately, it is described as reclamation or reappropriation. An example of a word that has been reclaimed by portions of the community that it targets is queer, which began being re-appropriated as a positive descriptor in the early 1990s by activist groups. However, due to its history and – in some regions – continued use as a pejorative, there remain LGBT individuals who are uncomfortable with having this term applied to them. The "-a" use of the n-word by black americans is often viewed as another act of reclamation, though much like queer in the LGBT movement, there exist a vocal subsect of black people that object to the use of the n-word under any circumstances.

See also

 Approbative
 Defamation
 Dysphemism
 Fighting words
 Graphic pejoratives in written Chinese
 Insult
 Judgmental language
 List of ethnic slurs
 List of religious slurs
 Profanity

References

Further reading

External links

Bullying
Connotation
Criticism
Prejudice and discrimination

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: VS Code intelephense shows incorrect error: Undefined method 'save' I'm using the intelephense v1.8.2 extension in VS Code and I'm working on a laravel project. As I get the user using Auth::user(); and call $user->save(); the intelephonse keep showing incorrect error Undefined method 'save'.
Is there a way to fix this issue?

A: You can use @var to ignore this:
/** @var \App\Models\User $user **/
$user = Auth::user();
$user->name = 'alice';
$user->save();


Coast Arborist recognizes trees as a valuable and integral part of the urban coastal life style, and as such, trees need to be properly assessed and cared for so that they remain safe and fulfill their aesthetic and functional roles.
Coast Arborist is dedicated to assessing, reporting on and caring for trees on the North Shore and its unique suburban greenbelts. We offer professional arborist and tree services. With Over 20 years of practical experience in urban tree care, we not only know what should be done - we've done it. Extensive residential, municipal, golf course, and development projects provide us with a solid foundation and background to help make your tree care project a success.


This research examines the problem of motivation as an important variable in language learning including ESP (English for specific purposes). Despite the fact that there are different approaches to cultivating motivation the author suggests considering the potential of massive open online courses (MOOCs) that may help language learners of non-linguistic specialities. This paper describes the results of the integration of MOOCs into the ESP course curriculum at the faculty of Business Informatics of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow. The integration of the MOOС component in the ESP course demonstrated that the educational outcome, in this case, might be higher than in a traditional course due to such factors as the content of instruction being tailored to the learning needs of IT students, regular and inspiring feedback to the students from the MOOC instructors, the use of interactive teaching materials and a personalized approach to learning. Research findings illustrate that imbedding MOOCs in the university ESP course could become the basis for the integrated study of special subjects and the English language in the international learning community, under the condition that on-campus courses have been re-designed to incorporate MOOC-like component.
Bray, B., & McClaskey, K. (2015). Make learning personal. The What, Who, Wow, Where and Why. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Crookes, G., & Schmidt, R. W. (1991). Motivation: Reopening the research agenda. Language learning, 41(4), 469-512.
Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Teaching and researching motivation. Harlow, UK: Pearson.
Dörnyei, Z., & Ushioda, E. (2011). Teaching and researching motivation (2nd ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson.
Dörnyei, Z. (2012). Motivation in language learning. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
Dudley-Evans, T., & St John, M. J. (1998). Developments in English for Specific Purposes. A multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
Dudley-Evans, T. (2001). English for specific purposes, in R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages (pp. 131-136). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Flowerdew, J., & Peacock, M. (2001). Research perspectives on English for academic purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gardner, R. C., & Lambert, W. E. (1972). Attitudes and motivation in second-language learning. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
Gardner, R. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitude and motivation. London: Edward Arnold.
Godwin-Jones, R. (2011). Mobile apps for language learning. Language Learning & Technology, 15(2), 2–11.
Gruzdev, I., Makarov, K., Semenova, T., & Terentev, E. (2015). Who takes HSE Courses on Coursera? The Differences between economics, humanities and math-intensive courses. Higher Education in Russia and Beyond. Physics and Lyrics: Disciplinary Divide in Post-Soviet Academia, 3(5), 22–24.
Hutchison, T., & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes: A learning centered approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Jordan, R.R. (1997). English for Academic Purposes. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press.
Kennedy, C., & Bolitho, R. (1984). English for specific purposes. Macmillan Pub Ltd.
Khan, B.H. (1997). Web-based instruction: What is it and why is it? In B.H. Khan (Ed.), Web-based instruction. Englewood Cliffs: Educational Technology Publications.
Dörnyei, Z., & Kormos, J. (2000). The role of individual and social variables in oral task performance. Language teaching research, 4(3), 275-300.
Kuzminov, Y., & Carnoy, M. (2015). Online learning: How it affects the University structure and economics. Voprosy Obrazovaniya, 3, 8–43.
Manning, C., Morrison, B. R., & McIlroy, T. (2014). MOOCs in language education and professional teacher development: Possibilities and potential. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 5(3), 294–308.
McCormack, C., & Jones, D. (1997). Building a web-based education system. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
MacIntyre, P.D. (2007). Willingness to communicate in the second language: Understanding the decision to speak as a volitional process. The Modern Language Journal, 91(4), 564–576.
Rybushkina, S. V., & Chuchalin, A. I. (2015). Integrated approach to teaching ESP based on MOOCs. 43rd Annual SEFI Conference June 29 - July 2, 2015 Orléans, France.
Sierocka, H. (2008).The Role of the ESP Teacher. Business English, 2(56), 33–37.
Stognieva, O. N. (2016). Efficiency of individualised resources in the Russian EFL classroom. Journal of Language and Education, 2(4), 6374.
Strevens, P. (1988). ESP after twenty years: A re-appraisal. In M. Tickoo, M (Ed.), ESP: State of the art (pp. 1-13). Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Centre.
Tucker, L. (2016). 7 reasons to take a MOOC. Retrieved March 25, 2018, from http://www.topuniversities.com/blog/7-reasonstake-mooc.


Autoradiography is the use of X-ray (or occasionally photographic) film to detect radioactive materials. It produces a permanent record of the positions and relative intensities of radiolabeled bands in a gel or blot. Typically, biomolecules are labeled with 32P or 35S, and detected by overnight film exposure. The table below gives the amounts of commonly used isotopes which can be detected by overnight autoradiography.
Beta particles emitted by radionuclides penetrate film emulsions to a depth proportional to their energy. As these particles pass through the film, they activate the silver halide crystals in the emulsion. Activated crystals are detected by reduction to black silver grains in the development step. The activated silver halide crystals are not stable, although they can be stabilized by further exposure to b-particles, or to light. On average, a crystal will require 5 "hits" from either radioactive emissions or light to be stably activated, and thus detected. In order to compensate for this instability, autoradiography is often carried out at -70°C, which stabilizes the activated crystals, enhancing sensitivity. Additional sensitivity is gained by "preflashing" the film before use. The film is exposed to a microsecond burst of light which is calibrated to bring the crystals in the film to a partially stabilized, activated state. Preflashed film requires only one "hit" per grain deposited. This not only increases sensitivity but also ensures that the film signal will be linear with the amount of radioactivity, even at very low signal levels.
Typical autoradiographic technique involves enclosing the gel or blot with X-ray film for at least 24 hours within an X-ray cassette. Development of the film reveals the gel or blot image. Note the use of radioactive or phosphorescent dots to record the orientation of the film.
Sensitivity of autoradiography can be greatly enhanced through the use of fluorography, which converts radioactive emissions into light. Light penetrates film more efficiently than beta particles and is therefore more readily detected. Various phosphor compounds, such as National Diagnostics' Autofluor are available which can be dried into a gel, and which absorb the energy from beta particles and re-emit it as light.
For high energy ß- particles, though, such as those from 32P, the problem is not insufficient penetration but over-penetration, in which the emitted particles pass entirely through the film without activating the emulsion. To recover the energy of these "lost" particles, phosphorescent intensifying screens are used, which emit light on irradiation. Phosphorescent intensifying screens require low temperatures (-70°C) for optimum performance.
Because water quenches beta particle emissions, optimum sensitivity is obtained using dried blots and gels. However, because drying blots permanently fixes the probe onto the membrane, if blots are to be stripped and re-probed, DO NOT DRY. Wrap in plastic wrap to prevent water and radioactivity from contacting the film. Note that 35S and 14C emit beta particles at low energy, and the majority of such particles are unable to penetrate a layer of plastic wrap. For 35S or 14C detection place the dry gel or blot directly on the film or use fluorographic enhancement. Use high quality X-ray film: Kodak XAR or equivalent.
Wrap wet samples in plastic wrap.
Tape the sample to the inside face of an X-ray cassette, with enhancement screens for 32P if desired. It is essential to fasten the sample so that it does not move, because it must later be aligned with the exposed film.
Along one side, fasten a phosphorescent ruler or other orientation aid (radioactive dots). If a marker other than a ruler is used, be sure to include enough markers to unambiguously align the developed film to the sample.
In the dark or under safelight place one piece of X-ray film over the sample. For 35S or 14C, room temperature exposure is sufficient. For 32P, intensifying screens require a temperature of -70° C for exposure.
Expose film. Use the tables above as a guide for length of exposure. A good rule of thumb is that bands must be detectable on a Geiger counter for overnight exposure to be sufficient.
To avoid condensation on the film allow the cassette to return to room temperature before opening. Develop the film according to manufacturer's instructions.


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The growing population of older adults and increasing rates of dementia highlight the critical need for measures that may attenuate the risk of dementia in…
Binge drinking has increased among older men, but not older women, according to new research from Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Researchers analyzed data…
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The pandemic has likely affected individuals vulnerable for developing eating disorders, as there has been an increased trend of inpatient hospitalizations. These findings were published…
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Although physicians in the United States were as likely to vote in the 2018 midterm election and more likely to vote in the 2020 presidential…
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HealthDay News — Two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine are highly effective against COVID-19-related hospitalization and critical disease in adolescents aged 12 to 18 years,…
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Marijuana use among pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV has increased, according to research published in JAMA Network Open. Investigators reviewed data from the…
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Esketamine was found to have efficacy as an antidepressant and to improve sleep quality among patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), according to results of a…


I had this feature on another system and it was so convenient! Please set this up!
Yes this would be nice if when on the patient family file next to the mobile number there was a little square with a (T) in it that we could just press and text messaging just pops up.


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Dr William Hunter
Hunter House
The Hunterian at Kelvin Hall
The Hunterian is the legacy of Dr William Hunter (1718 - 1783), a pioneering obstetrician and teacher with a passion for collecting.
Born locally, and a student at the University of Glasgow, Hunter found fame and fortune in London as physician to Queen Charlotte and as a teacher of anatomy. He lavished his wealth on building up the vast private collection which he bequeathed to the University in 1783, along with money to create a suitable museum.
The Hunterian opened its doors in 1807, making it Scotland's oldest museum and giving it a unique place within Scotland's cultural heritage.
The Hunterian has undergone many changes over the years. The first Hunterian Museum, built with William Hunter's bequest and filled with his collections, opened in 1807. It was located in the University of Glasgow's first site, in the East End near Glasgow Cathedral. The classical style building, designed by William Stark, was open to the public from 12.00pm until 2.00pm every day except Sunday.
When the University moved west to its present location in 1870, the Hunterian collections were relocated to the Gilbert Scott building, where the Museum remains today. To begin with, the whole collection was displayed together, but gradually sizeable sections were removed to other parts of the University.
The zoology collections are now housed within the Graham Kerr building, the art collections in the purpose built Hunterian Art Gallery, and the books and manuscripts in Glasgow University Library. Hunter's anatomical collections are housed in the Thomson Building, and his pathological preparations at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
At over 200 years old, the Hunterian today is home to one of the finest university collections in the world and one of Scotland's most important cultural assets.
Find out more about the founder of The Hunterian
William Hunter's family home


Genuine Russian Federation Navy hat badge. Presently worn by midshipmen and warrant officers on berets, service caps, and ushanka hats; and by admirals and counter admirals on field caps. Imported from Moscow. Ships within 7 business days.


Rain photography is a dangerous obsession and those who catch the bug find it hard to let go. This is a double edged sword and you tread carefully between ruining your camera and capturing stunning photos. With some simple tips and care you can capture photos which most of your friends would only ogle in photography magazines. More often than not, capturing photos in the rains is about getting the basics right and Mother Nature does the magic for you. Follow these tips and you will be on your way to some amazing pictures in the rain.
The drops of rain can be fun to capture. The shutter speed can determine the texture of water droplets in the picture. If you choose a higher a shutter speed of about 1/1000s, you can freeze the moment. Everything would seem to be in a state of trance, perfectly still. This brings a lot of drama to the image. Alternatively, you can opt for a slower shutter speed of about 1/125s. It creates a blurred picture of the rain and is effective in showing dynamism. In extremely overcast conditions, it is recommended that you use a high ISO setting too.
Your lens is everything, while capturing an image. Use a long focal length lens in the rains, as this reduces the chances of rain splashes. Aim long and against an apt background. Contrasts will help you highlight the raindrops and keep your camera well covered and dry.
While you would be shooting on fairly fast shutter speeds, it is advisable to use a tripod. Besides the stability, it can give you additional options to shield the camera from the rain. You could also, try using a cable release and hold an umbrella over the camera to ensure safety of the equipment.
The light during the rains can become difficult to shoot; in such cases you can set some exposure compensation and make sure that the image is bright and clear. This is a good option when you have used ISO and don't want to make your pictures grainy.
While you get adventurous with photography, don't forget to protect your camera. Your first line of defence would be to use a good lens hood. While lens hoods can increase contrasts, they can keep the rain drops from landing onto your lens. You can make a custom plastic cover for your camera or just buy one from the market for the rainy days. If the rains are heavy, you could seriously consider holding an umbrella over your camera for more protection.
Follow these tips and make some refreshing rainy day photos!


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Harris County (TX)
Investigators said [David] Conley [48] admitted to breaking into the home through an open window after the woman he formerly lived with, Valerie Jackson, 40, changed the locks on the doors.
Conley told investigators that he restrained eight people inside with metal handcuffs, including Jackson and shot them in the back of the head.
The identities of the victims were released in a press conference Sunday afternoon. They include, Valerie Jackson, her husband Dwayne Jackson, 50, Dwayne Jackson, Jr., 10, Nathaniel Jackson, 13, Honesty Jackson, 11, Caleb Jackson, 9, Trinity Jackson, 7, and Jonah Jackson, 6.
HCSO Spokesman Thomas Gilliland said when deputies arrived, no one responded at the front door. They then received more information that indicated a man in the home was wanted on a warrant.
The sergeant on the scene called for a High Risk Operations Unit, similar to SWAT, to help make entry and investigate. While the call was being placed, deputies surrounded the home, and they spotted the body of a juvenile through a window.
At that point, the sergeant and three deputies forced their way in, and Conley began shooting, the sheriff's office says. Deputies pulled back and waited for the HROU and a negotiator to arrive.
Authorities established contact with the Conley, and after more than an hour he came outside and surrendered without further incident.
The bodies of eight people were found in the home, Gilliland said.
Suspect charged with capital murder of 6 kids, 2 adults. KHOU.com, 8/9/2015.
Posted in Men Gone Bad, Texas | Tagged child murder, domestic violence, gun violence, Harris County (TX), murder | Leave a comment
After Beltway 8 Police Chase, Man Shot Dead Live on TV
Published April 15, 2015 | By Rusty
The pursuit began at about 10:40am Wednesday when the driver of a blue Chrysler 300 fled during a traffic stop. Authorities say police tried to pull over the driver for "suspicious activity," including unsafe lane changes.
After several minutes of a high speed pursuit, during which the driver eluded police by going around patrol cars and even driving into the grass, the chase came to a crashing halt. The suspect slammed into a small white car at the intersection of Wallisville and Castlegory, then spun into another vehicle.
That's when the suspect, identified as Frank Ernest Shepherd, III, got out of the car, but as he reached back inside the vehicle, officers opened fire, fatally striking him. Police say 10 to 12 shots were fired.
The end of the pursuit unfolded quickly, with only a matter of seconds elapsing between the time the suspect struck the white car and the time officers opened fire. HPD spokesperson John Cannon says two of the officers involved in the chase have been on the force for six years. He identified them as R Gonzales and L Engle. He didn't elaborate on the nature of their involvement. It's not yet known if they were wearing body cameras. [emphasis added]
SUSPECT FATALLY SHOT BY OFFICERS AT END OF POLICE CHASE. ABC13.com, 4/15/2015.
Posted in Houston, Men Gone Bad, Officials Gone Bad, Police Officers Gone Bad, Texas | Tagged gun violence, Harris County (TX), man gunned down after police chase, murder, suicide by cop? | Leave a comment
Woman Confesses Killing Husband to Relative Then Commits Suicide
Published January 2, 2014 | By Rusty
According to homicide investigators, a woman fatally shot her husband in an apartment on W. Tidwell Road near Highway 290. She then drove to a family member's in Harris County where she confessed to the crime and shot herself. The woman was sent to the hospital where she later died.
… With the help of the Houston Fire Department, officials gained entry to the home and found the 43-year-old husband dead inside, police said.
Woman confesses to killing husband before killing self at relative's Harris County home. KHOU.com, 1/1/2014.
Posted in Texas, Wives Gone Bad, Women Gone Bad | Tagged domestic violence, gun violence, Harris County (TX), murder-suicide | Leave a comment
"It's kind of weird that you shoot a woman": Man Plants Knife on Woman He Shoots Dead in His Home
Published July 27, 2013 | By Rusty
According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, this all started at 1 a.m. as an argument between Ivey and his roommate at the residence. Donna Schumaker was helping the roommate pick up some personal items.
"A girl picked her up and took her down there to help someone move, and it all broke out," Billy Schumaker [the victim's brother] said.
Detectives said Ivey originally claimed Donna Shumaker, who was his roommate's friend, attacked him with a knife.
"My sister did carry a knife, it must be a leather strap," Billy Schumaker said. "She works hard, she's a working woman. She works on boats and stuff like that."
However, after several hours of interrogation, detectives said that Ivey admitted that he shot the victim and threw the knife next to her to make it look like self-defense.
"It's kind of weird that you shoot a woman," Billy Schumaker said. During the argument, Ivey pointed a shotgun at the victim and shot her once, detectives said.
Deputies say man admits to planting knife on victim in fatal shooting. KHOU.com, 7/27/2013.
Posted in Men Gone Bad, Texas | Tagged domestic violence, gun violence, Harris County (TX), murder | Leave a comment
Road Rage Driver's SON Shoots Man Dead in Street
According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, at about 10:25 p.m. patrol units from the Precinct 4 Constable's Office responded to a shooting in progress in the 23700 block of Greenland Oak Court.
It was reported that two men, one driving a small car and another riding a motorcycle, were involved in an incident of road rage and had got into a physical altercation, deputies said.
Braughton, the son of the man driving the small vehicle, exited his residence with a handgun, investigators said. The motorcycle rider began backing away with his hands in the air when Braughton fired his handgun, striking the victim once on the torso.
EMS was called to the scene and pronounced the victim dead.
HCSO homicide investigators said that the victim and Braughton are neighbors.
HCSO: Son charged with neighbor's murder after altercation with father. KHOU.com, 5/25/2013.
Posted in Men Gone Bad, Texas | Tagged gun violence, Harris County (TX), public fighting | Leave a comment


It's Not About Religion. It's About A Relationship. Really?
Read moreIt's Not About Religion. It's About A Relationship. Really?
Read moreAre My Motives Clean?
Really, What Do We Have To Be So Stinkin' Proud Of?
Read moreReally, What Do We Have To Be So Stinkin' Proud Of?


How Do I Deactivate a User In My Clio Account?
How do I disable / remove / deactivate a user / firm member / staff member?
Monthly subscriptions: After disabling a user, you will no longer be charged for this user starting your next billing cycle.


15 March 2019 - Confidence in the market remains solid among both residential and commercial property owners – despite the threat of a capital gains tax.
26 February 2019 - The Tax Working Group's recommended tweaks to KiwiSaver are proof that any capital gains tax shouldn't touch shares, retirement policy researchers say.
26 November 2018 - If a capital gains tax is put in place by the Labour-led government, it will be repealed by a National government, National Party leader Simon Bridges says.
19 November 2018 - There appears to be deep divisions among members of the Tax Working Group, and its final report is likely to include dissenting decisions from members.
5 November 2018 - The Tax Working Group's interim report means the possibility of a capital gains tax is the talk of the town, so NZ Property Investor finds out what it means for investors.
5 November 2018 - Government should level the tax playing field for all savings and savings-related investment vehicles, not allow the PIE regime to provide unnecessary incentives for high-earners, two researchers say.
25 October 2018 - It looks like New Zealand's property market may have reached a floor, and the worst could be over for property market activity, argues CoreLogic's head of research Nick Goodall.


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Home News Reports Musharraf admits to ISI cultivating terrorists, insists that it is the right strategy for...
Updated: 19 February, 2018
Musharraf admits to ISI cultivating terrorists, insists that it is the right strategy for Pakistan
In an interview with the Guardian, former Dictator of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, has admitted that the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) helped cultivate the Taliban to counter then Afghanistan President, Hamid Karzai's government, for harbouring officials thought to favour India.
"Obviously we were looking for some groups to counter this Indian action against Pakistan," Musharraf said. "That is where the intelligence work comes in. Intelligence being in contact with Taliban groups. Definitely, they were in contact, and they should be."
Musharraf also said that his government had tried to undermine the Hamid Karzai government in Afghanistan as the latter had helped "India stab Pakistan in the back." The former dictator, Musharraf, said "In President Karzai's times, yes, indeed, he was damaging Pakistan and therefore we were working against his interest. Obviously, we had to protect our own interest." However, he has urged the Pakistan Government to mend ties with now Afghan President Ashrad Ghani Ahmedzai who he believes is the last hope for peace in the region.
Pakistan has been wary of the growing ties between India and Afghanistan which would shift the balance of power further towards India. Last year, India had sent its first wheat shipment to Afghanistan through the Chabahar port. The Chabahar port would allow India to bypass Pakistan for its trade with Afghanistan and enable Delhi greater access to Central Asia. Pakistanis see the Chabahar port as detrimental to their interests with some even calling it a security threat.
Musharraf also displayed his hate towards India although he claimed otherwise. He was also contemptuous of the favourable opinion towards India in western countries.
"India is the greatest democracy, promoter of human rights and democratic culture'? All bullshit," he said. "There is no human rights. The religion itself is anti-human rights. In the rural areas, if even the shadow of an untouchable goes on a pandit, that man can be killed."
Musharraf is convinced that India is trying to break up Pakistan again, reflective of the fact that the Pakistani establishment still has not recovered from the defeat inflicted on them by India in 1971. He accused Indian intelligence agencies of fomenting separatism in Pakistani soil. But after admitting that the ISI "should be" in touch with terrorists, he insists that peace should prevail. "The RAW of India, the ISI of Pakistan has always been fighting against each other since our independence. That is how it continued, it continues now also. It must stop, but it can only stop when leadership on both sides show the will to resolve disputes and stop confrontation in favour of compromise and accommodation."
"Peace talks" coming from the man accused of murdering his own country's former Prime Ministers and the man who 'mulled deploying nukes' after the Indian Parliament was attacked in 2001 by the very people he espouses, of course, is amusing.
musharraf
pervez musharraf


The 2003 Yuletide hit Bad Santa remains one of those holiday movies, like It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story, that's impossible not to watch over and over (and over) again. Bad Santa 2 is basically like a copy that's been produced on a faulty Xerox machine: Some parts have been duplicated perfectly, while other bits are blurry or missing completely. So while the foul language, misanthropic attitude, and cynical performances still come into focus in this belated sequel, even squinting might not pick up much in the way of clever plotting, genuine wit, and a sneaky subversive streak running throughout.
Yet the attention to cheerful vulgarity defines both movies, meaning that plenty of laughs can be found in this flagrantly foulmouthed follow-up. Granted, audiences may not respect themselves in the morning — heck, they may not even respect themselves during the movie (at my screening, many people lambasted the film on the way out, but, boy, were they sure howling during it!) — but those looking for seasonal fare that's decidedly more naughty than nice will be properly rewarded.
As before, the key ingredient is the give-and-take between Billy Bob Thornton and Tony Cox as those holiday hoodlums Willie and Marcus — both actors pick up where they left off, as their antagonistic characters this time become involved in a heist brought together by Willie's equally disreputable mom (Kathy Bates). Pudgy Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly) returns to again scamper after Willie, and he's as dim-witted as ever. Thurman is rather awkwardly shoehorned into the proceedings, sandwiched between the copious cussing and the copious copulation. Nevertheless, his presence is welcome, if only to see how he looks 13 years removed from the original film — and to see if he still puts his faith in Mary and Jesus and that talking walnut.


Yep, new member here. Dave from Canada. Just getting back into PC gaming so I'm hoping to be able to get assistance and provide assistance on this forum.
Hello & Welcome to CF , Nice rig you have there..
Hello Dave and Welcome to CF. Glad you could join us here.


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Our Work > Community Singalongs
Our dementia-friendly singalongs are carefully crafted to connect people with memories and emotions.
We start by selecting positive, uplifting, and familiar songs. Then we create recordings, usually featuring piano and a strong melody line. Most of our songs are recorded in lower keys than originals, making them easier for older ears to hear and older voices to sing. Then we add an engaging singalong leader, easy-to-read lyrics, and strong visual clues.
We have presented more than 500 in-person singalong shows at assisted living and memory care facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Now, thanks to a grant from the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA), we are extending our programming to include community singalong events. We launched monthly events on September 21, 2022, which was World Alzheimer's Day.
Time: Doors open at 9:30 a.m., with singalong from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Location: Vine Arts & Events Center, 225 West Worth St., Grapevine, TX 76051
About the Event: Bring your loved one and enjoy a singalong show with Eric Kolb, our Director of Songs. Eric will be sharing familiar and uplifting music from 10-11 a.m.
Please contact us if you have any specific questions about this event.
Future Grapevine Community Singalong Events
Thursday, November 9, 2023 – Veterans Day Show
Thursday, December 14, 2023 – Christmas Show
Our singalongs feature an engaging singer plus video display of easy-to-read lyrics.
Schedule a live Singalong Show in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Video display of easy-to-read lyrics
Engaging performer, singing popular songs from the 1950s, 1960s, and the Great American Songbook
Popular in Senior Living communities
Perfect for multi-generation family parties
Dementia-friendly singalongs
Contact Eric Kolb at eric@songsandsmiles.com for custom quotes or more information.


Responding to complaints, Apple has posted a statement on its website confirming a number of iPhone 7 models feature a defective component on the main logic board. Affected devices will show a "No service" message even when cellular reception is available.
Affected units were made over a lengthy six-month period spanning production across China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao and the U.S. They can be identified with production numbers printed on the back of the phone, and eligible models are the A1660, A1780 and A1779.
To be eligible Apple requires you to have applied for the free repair within two years of the phone's purchase date.
So yes, an "iPhones fail at being phones" narrative is the last thing Apple needs. Then again, with no less than three flagship iPhone X models coming in 2018, the company must get these nagging problems addressed before the big arrival.


text:
Q: IllegalArgumentException while running contract unit test in Kotlin (Corda) When I try to run my Junit tests (Wrote in Kotlin) I get the following exception :
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Attempted to find dependent attachment for class javax/xml/bind/DatatypeConverter, but could not find a suitable candidate.

I tried to comment/decomment some lines in following code, it seems that the exception occurs when I call command()
class IRIssueTests {
class DummyCommand : TypeOnlyCommandData()

private val ledgerServices = MockServices(listOf("com.my.package.name"))

private val ALICE = TestIdentity(CordaX500Name(organisation = "Alice", locality = "TestLand", country = "US"))

@Test
fun mustIncludeIssueCommand() {
    val ir = IRState(
        UniqueIdentifier(),
        mutableListOf(ALICE.party)
    )

    ledgerServices.ledger {
        transaction {
            output(IRContract.ID, ir)
            command(listOf(ALICE.publicKey), DummyCommand())
            fails()
        }
        transaction {
            output(IRContract.ID, ir)
            command(listOf(ALICE.publicKey), IRContract.Commands.Issue())
            verifies()
        }
    }
}

}
I would like to understand why I'm getting this exception and how to resolve it to make my test passing

A: Kotlin tests must be run with JDK8.
Change configuration of JDK8 in your project before running tests.
This will avoid this exception


Guest Post – Here is a little advice from Irish American Dad on renting a car in Ireland.
A valid American state license is all that is required for driving in Ireland. No international driving license is needed. If you're under 25 your insurance rate will be much higher so inquire ahead. Also, if you're over 75 do check ahead of time as there may be a maximum age limit. Everyone who wants to drive the car needs to show their license and be named on the rental agreement.
To rent a car in Ireland your best bet is to get it at Dublin, Shannon or Belfast airport. Off airport car rentals are possible, but not as common in Ireland as the USA. Booking through the internet is usually cheaper because they waive certain airport fees. If you show up at the rental car agency counter without reservation then don't be afraid to shop around from counter to counter for the best deal. However, make sure to compare apples to apples. Some quotes include Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) insurance and some don't. Check with your credit card company. They may have free coverage. Do not automatically assume your credit card provides coverage in Ireland. Many cards cover international car rental, but some such as American Express exclude Ireland and Australia. If this is an option for you, then don't forget to pay with the correct credit card. Usually the rental agency will offer you a zero deductible buy down for an extra daily fee. This may be a good thing for peace of mind. However, getting too much extra insurance can be a waste of money for you and a cash cow for the rental agency.
It is always cheaper to rent and return the car at the same place. Returning to a different location will incur a drop-off fee. Picking up in Dublin and returning in Belfast is possible, but pretty expensive, as you are crossing between two different countries. Most rental car companies have some sort of break-down and recovery plan. Inquire about the details before you leave the counter. Also pick up your free maps.
Cars are generally smaller in Ireland. Even the terminology is different. What they call a mid-size in Ireland, would be called a compact car in the USA. If you want any trunk space for luggage or back seat leg room always go a size larger. Always look at the pictures and description of the cars on the webpage and decide if it's going to be adequate. Also, a large percentage of cars in Ireland do not come with built in air conditioning. You probably won't need it anyway even in the summer. Cruise control is another thing you may not have or actually need.
Having a GPS (Sat Nav) with an Irish database is a valuable thing. Car rental agencies can charge up to €15 a day extra for one. Consider buying one with a European database before you leave the USA, especially if you're going to need it for a long trip. I have a simple inexpensive Garmin 270 with both European and North American databases. There has been a lot of new road construction in Ireland in the past few years so have your database as up to date as possible.
Most cars in Ireland are equipped with manual transmissions or stick shift as they call it stateside. Car rental agencies will have limited cars with automatic transmissions available. In my experience they usually charge much more to rent these. If you do not state that you want an automatic, by default you will be given a manual. Reserving an automatic car might be worth the extra money as it is one less thing to think about. After picking up a rental car at Dublin airport I often find myself walking up and getting in the left side door only to find there's no steering wheel there. Trying to hide my embarrassment, I look around and give my best "I meant to do that" look to whoever is watching me.
Stepping into the Irish rental car for the first time is a very alien experience. The gear stick is now near your left hand, and your rearview mirror is now on the left side. The only thing that's the same are the floor pedals, with the clutch being on the normal left foot, brake in the middle and accelerator on the right. It takes a bit of practice and muscle memory to get proficient at changing gears, but you'll get the hang of it faster than you think. Your relative position on the road is different when sitting on the right side of the car. You'll need to position yourself to the right of your lane to keep your car centered within the lane. Before you drive your car, sit in the right seat and visualize yourself driving on the left side. Remember the driver always sits near the center of the road.
Getting out of the airport can be a challenge so have a plan, a good navigator and a lot of patience. For more tips on driving in Ireland, please see my other related posts below. Happy driving!


A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser to-day than he was yesterday.
Absent or dead, still let a friend be dear.
And see through all things with his half-shut eyes.
He who tells a lie, is not sensible how great a task he undertakes; for he must be forced to invent twenty more to maintain that one.
I never knew any man in my life who could not bear another's misfortunes perfectly like a Christian.
Our passions are like convulsion-fits, which, though they make us stronger for the time, leave us the weaker ever after.
Party is the madness of many, for the gain of a few.
The greatest advantage I know of being thought a wit by the world is that it gives one the greater freedom of playing the fool.
The Scripture in time of disputes is like an open town in time of war, which serves indifferently the occasions of both parties.
Therefore they who say our thoughts are not our own because they resemble the Ancients, may as well say our faces are not our own, because they are like our Fathers: And indeed it is very unreasonable, that people should expect us to be Scholars, and yet be angry to find us so.
To be angry, is to revenge the fault of others upon ourselves.
O grant an honest fame, or grant me none!
Virtues and vices are of a strange nature, for the more we have, the fewer we think we have.
When men grow virtuous in their old age, they only make a sacrifice to God of the devil's leavings.
And make two lovers happy.


So your ex-spouse may have set you back financially and left you emotionally drained from the divorce. But, when the recovery is all said and done, there are many reasons to celebrate Single Parenthood.
Valentine's Day can be a real drag for some of us "single" people. Every year, when Valentine's Day comes around, some of us fantasize about being showered with gifts, receiving a bouquet of red roses, being whisked away for a weekend getaway or being surprised by that special someone in our life. But for us single folks, Valentine's Day has become somewhat of a disappointment and only reinforces the fact that we have no one.
Some of us want what we don't have and some of us have what we don't want. We all have issues to complain about and we all have things we wished were different from what they really are. But, we all have things for which we can be grateful. Thanksgiving Day is the perfect time to reflect, appreciate and give thanks for our many blessings – disguised or not.


text:
English Open 2019 – Draw and Format
September 30, 2019 September 30, 2019 Monique Professional snooker tournament	Professional snooker
Worldsnooker has today published the draw and format for the English Open 2019
Monday 30 Sep 2019 05:08PM
Judd Trump faces a tough draw against former World Champion Peter Ebdon in the first round of the 19.com English Open in Crawley.
Click here for the draw
Click here for the format
The draw and format for the world ranking event has been announced, with crowd favourites Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan both in action on the opening day at K2 Crawley on Monday October 14th.
World Champion Trump will take on Ebdon at 1pm on that day, with O'Sullivan to play Jamie O'Neill at 7pm.
Defending champion Stuart Bingham has been drawn against Poland's Kacper Filipiak, with that match to be played on the Monday afternoon.
Sussex's Mark Davis, who reached the final last year, faces former World Champion Graeme Dott on the evening of Tuesday October 15.
Other matches to look out for in the first round include:
Snooker legend Jimmy White against China's Bai Langning – Tuesday October 15 evening session
Kyren Wilson against former English Open champion Liang Wenbo – Tuesday October 15 afternoon session
China Championship winner Shaun Murphy against Chang Bingyu – Monday October 14 evening session
Neil Robertson against Kishan Hirani – Tuesday October 15 evening session
Mark Williams takes on Jamie Clarke – Tuesday October 15 afternoon session
Mark Selby faces Barry Pinches – Monday October 14 afternoon session
Up-and-coming talents Jack Lisowski and Jackson Page go head to head – Tuesday October 15 afternoon session
In all there will be 128 players in the field, each needing to win seven matches to capture the Steve Davis Trophy and a top prize of £70,000.
The tournament runs from October 14 to 20. It's the first Home Nations event of the season, followed by tournaments in Belfast, Glasgow and Cardiff, with a £1 million bonus available for any player who can win all four. All events are televised by Eurosport and Quest.
Tickets are ON SALE NOW and there are still seats available, but now that the match schedule has been released they will sell fast so fans must book quickly.
Special offers include all-day tickets for students for £8 and an event pass for every session of the tournament for just £160.
For details CLICK HERE or call 0871 620 7052.
There are a few matches in the first round that Worldsnooker isn't "bigging" but that are more interesting than most of those listed above:
Anthony MgGill v Chris Wakelin … both have gone deep in the last event, the China Championship
Scott Donaldson v Zhao Xintong, both young but a right clash of styles
David Gilbert v the always hard to scrap off the table, methodical, Stuart Carrington
Kurt Maflin v Noppon Saengkham, both extremely capable on their day
Stephen Maguire v Thepchaiya Un-nooh, could be explosive
Luo Honghao v Sam Craigie, both young but very different styles
China Championship 2019 – Shaun Murphy is your champion!
Congratulations Shaun Murphy!
Having finished runner-up of both the 2019 International Championship and the 2019 Shanghai Masters, Shaun Murphy came out the winner of a quality and dramatic final at the 2019 China Championship. He beat Mark Williams by 10-9, having been 9-5 up before his opponent went on to win four frames on the trot to force a decider! Scary!
shared by Worldsnooker on twitter
It is Shaun's first ranking title since the 2017 Gibraltar Open. Between then and today he had lost in no less than six ranking finals.
Here is Worldsnooker's report on the first session
Sunday 29 Sep 2019 10:30AM
Shaun Murphy has emerged with a slender 5-4 advantage after a superb afternoon session at the Evergrande China Championship final against Mark Williams in Guangzhou.
The 2005 World Champion is competing in his third consecutive final, but is still searching for a first title of the season after previous losses to Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan at the International Championship and Shanghai Masters respectively.
44-year-old Williams is aiming to become the oldest winner of a ranking event since Doug Mountjoy won the 1989 Classic at the age of 46.
The pair will return to play the best of 19 frame match to a conclusion at 12:30 UK time, with the winner picking up £150,000.
Murphy claimed the opening two frames today, stealing the second on the final black to secure an early 2-0 cushion. However, three-time World Champion Williams forced himself back to parity with breaks of 73 and 70 to make it 2-2 at the mid-session.
They traded frames when they returned, before a sublime break of 143 saw Williams take to the front at 4-3. Murphy was undeterred and compiled runs of 64 and 133 to claim the last two frames and secure his 5-4 lead.
And on the second session:
Sunday 29 Sep 2019 04:43PM
Shaun Murphy won his first ranking title for 30 months by beating Mark Williams 10-9 in the final of the Evergrande China Championship in Guangzhou.
In a dramatic finish, Williams came from 9-5 down to 9-9, but Murphy kept his composure and took the deciding frame with a break of 69 to secure the £150,000 top prize.
It's a relief for England's 37-year-old Murphy to get his hands on a trophy as he had lost six ranking finals in a row since winning the Gibraltar Open in March 2017.
Murphy endured a poor 2018/19 season, which he described as the worst of his career, but has regained form in emphatic style this term. He was runner-up at the International Championship and Shanghai Masters, and has now gone one further to land the eighth ranking title of his career.
The spin-offs include a place in November's ManBetX Champion of Champions, almost certain qualification for all three lucrative Coral Series events later in the season, and a leap of six places to eighth in the world rankings.
Williams, age 44, had hoped to become the oldest winner of a ranking event since fellow Welshman Doug Mountjoy landed the 1989 Classic at the age of 46. He was aiming for his 23rd career ranking title and first since the 2018 Yushan World Open when he came from 9-5 down to beat David Gilbert 10-9.
This time, he couldn't quite complete the fight back, and goes home with £75,000, remaining third in the world.
Murphy led this battle of two former World Champions 5-4 after the first session. Williams nicked the opening frame of the evening session on the final black, before Murphy surged ahead with breaks of 75, 76, 103 and 79 to lead 9-5.
A run of 73 saw Williams spark his recovery and he got the better of two fragmented frames to close to 9-8, before compiling a superb 132 to force the decider.
A rasping long red set Murphy up for his 69 to take control of the frame. Williams replied with 30 and needed a snooker on the last red, but his hopes ended when Murphy fired the red into a baulk corner to clinch the title.
"I was getting very uncomfortable as he came back to 9-9, admitted Murphy. "It was horrible – I felt sick, I couldn't breathe or see straight. Winning isn't easy.
"I played a shot to nothing on the first red in the last frame, it worked out perfectly and the 69 I made was one of the best breaks of my life bearing in mind what had gone on before. To stand up there under the pressure and take my chance – I'm very proud. It has to go down as one of my best performances.
"If you wrote a list of the ten players you don't want to make a run at you, he is one of them. He's one of the best players we've ever seen. I had him in a lot of trouble all the way through and still I just scraped through in the end. When he was coming back at me, all the bad memories of the last 18 months came flooding back."
Here is Shaun's reaction after the match…
This is the "victorious red …
Ronnie was in Doncaster yesterday
September 29, 2019 September 29, 2019 Monique Interview	Interview
And it was another great night…
On twitter today
The latter from MJK Events…
with some images
An interview with Laila Rouass
September 29, 2019 October 6, 2019 Monique Interview	Interview
Laila Rouass was interviewed by Lebby Eyres
Ronnie O'Sullivan beating his demons thanks to Holby City star fiancée Laila Rouass
Rocket Ronnie O'Sullivan is beating his demons on and off the snooker table thanks to his secret weapon – fiancée Laila Rouass.
The five-time world champ is widely regarded as an all-time great of the sport but has been plagued by nerves.
But now the former badboy of snooker just needs to see his girlfriend rooting for him in the audience and his anxiety disappears.
And the ex Holby City and Footballer's Wives star has also given him a big break from his erratic private life, characterised by weekly booze and drugs benders.
The proof of the duo's success came earlier this month when Ronnie, 43, won the Shanghai Masters for the third year on the trot.
Ronnie even tried a romantic gesture when Laila touched down in the Chinese city but, unlike his game, this did not go to plan.
Modest Laila, 48, is not taking all the credit for changing Ronnie from a party animal who loved wild nights out to a more settled man who likes quiet evenings in with a glass of wine.
The couple, who had just been through break ups, met when Laila went to view his house. She did not know who he was.
But after being shy on their first date things moved quickly and they moved in together three months later. They have been engaged since 2012.
Laila said: "When I met him he was changing already. I've maybe centred him more.
"I'm a grounded person and Ronnie is so emotional, he wears his heart on his sleeve. I calmed him down in that way."
Ronnie, nicknamed The Rocket, used to enjoy nights out with Oasis star Liam Gallagher and once spent a month in rehab to battle his drink and drug addiction.
He rarely drinks now – preferring to spend his time at the gym or cooking at home.
Laila said: "His partying days were over when we got together. He doesn't drink at all really, he might have a glass of red wine once every couple of weeks but nothing regular.
Although Laila had mixed feelings about Ronnie's Shanghai surprise when he presented her with a bunch of flowers at the airport.
Mum-of-one Laila laughed: "I wanted to kill him. I'd just come off a 12-hour flight, I looked like absolute s***, and there's a bloody phone in my face and flowers shoved in my hand and I just thought WTF is going on?
"His friend was filming it. I don't even want to look at it online, I was so embarrassed. I think it was more his friend's idea than Ronnie's. He's really considerate – but I wouldn't call him romantic."
Ronnie explained about the very public display of affection: "I'm not the most romantic person in the world but I do my best. It's one of my weak areas. I'm working on it though."
Ronnie's fast attacking style and incredible talent has turned him into a superstar and means he is away for about four months of the year. The rest of the time he likes being home with Laila.
"I've calmed him down in terms of anxiousness. It was nice to be with him in China I think he appreciated it."
They have no plans to marry in the near future although Laila thinks they "will at some point".
Laila, who has a north African background and six siblings, said her mum would invite everyone. She said: "I'd have to really gear myself up for a wedding. At the moment we've put it on the back burner and we're enjoying our time so there's no rush.
"It becomes a bit more important as you get older for legal reasons but for now we're OK." Dad-of-three Ronnie said: "If something's not broke, why fix it? If it's working why change a winning formula?"
One thing they have ruled out is a snooker -themed wedding. "That'd be tacky, I'd walk out," laughed Laila.
While Ronnie travels the world Laila is working hard on a business venture.
Inspired by her glam role as Amber Gates in hit ITV series Footballers' Wives, Laila has started a competition-based website where customers have the chance to win designer bags and shoes.
She said: "I love bags and shoes and that grew from doing shows like Footballers' Wives where I was surrounded by them.
"I just really resent having to pay £2,000 or £1,500 for a handbag, or £600 for a pair of Louboutins. In this day and age, who has got that kind of money? The site is called bagmyshoes.com and it's almost like a raffle.
"Tickets are £5.50 for brand new bag or £3.50 for the shoes, and there's a skill-based question you have to answer.
"It's taken me nearly a year to put it together – I want it to be a success. I really believe in it, I've invested my own money and I'm doing it alone."
But fans of the actress, who played surgical registrar Sahira Shah for a year in Holby City, may see her on TV again.
She left Holby because she was missing out on daughter Inez's schooling.
But the 12-year-old is now at boarding school and Laila would consider doing a soap or a series again.
In the past Ronnie, who became a grandad in October 2018 after eldest daughter Taylor-Ann had her first child, has been prescribed antidepressants for depression and anxiety.
Before the 2001 Snooker World Championships in Sheffield, which he won, a radio interview with him had to be cut short following a series of panic attacks.
But Laila believes he's got to grips with his demons. She said: "Ronnie is very open and that's a blessing.
"Occasionally he retreats into himself and you have to give him that time and he'll find his way back. He recognises that feeling now. He's got a lot of support.
"When you've got anxiety and depression you feel isolated as it is. It's hard watching someone you love go through that. He's spoken to some of the best people in the world about it so I think he's got a good grip of it."
The pair will be tuning in to Strictly Come Dancing , to see how Anton Du Beke, Laila's pro partner from 2009, gets on.
She said: "I'm rooting for Anton with Emma Barton. He was my dance partner and poor guy, he hasn't had much luck. Coming fourth with me that year was the closest he's come to the final since we danced together."
But the Strictly curse means Ronnie, awarded an OBE in 2016, will not follow in her footsteps.
She said: "In my year there was a couple and you thought, 'we know something's going on' but when you're with someone for six or seven days a week and you're that close to them, it's not surprising.
"I would not be happy if Ronnie said he was going to do Strictly!"…
Here is the offending video…
China Championship 2019 – Day 6 – SF
So, we will have Mark Williams v Shaun Murphy in tomorrow's final.
In the first semi final today Mark Williams beat Hossein Vafaei by 6-5 in an excellent match. Hossein came back fro 5-2 down to force a decider and deserves a lot of credit. Both players players some fantastic shots.
As Mark Williams mentioned in his post-match interview, although he won quite a few matches, he hasn't played really well for a very long time, even in this tournament. Today he was markedly better though.
Quite remarkably, Hossein Vafaei had not lost a match this season before today. In both previous ranking tournament this season, the Riga Masters and the International Championship he had been forced to withdraw because of visa issues. He is provisionally ranked n°31, his better ranking to date and a 10 place improvement from his current n° 41. However, every season he's missing several tournaments because of visa issues and he should be higher really.
Here is the report by Worldsnooker:
Saturday 28 Sep 2019 01:32PM
Mark Williams held off a Hossein Vafaei fightback to clinch his place in the final of the Evergrande China Championship with a 6-5 win.
Tomorrow will be the 35th time Williams has graced a ranking event final. He will be up against either Shaun Murphy or Mark Selby over 19 frames, with the winner picking up £150,000.
22-time ranking event winner Williams hasn't appeared in a final since the Yushan World Open at the start of last season. On that occasion he mounted a remarkable comeback to beat David Gilbert 10-9 from 9-5 down.
Vafaei will have to wait in his quest to reach a maiden ranking event final. The Iranian number one has now lost all three of his semi-final appearances, having also bowed out in the last four at the 2017 China Open and the 2019 Welsh Open.
It had looked as if Williams was in for a comfortable afternoon today when he took the opening three frames to lead 3-0.
The Welshman then appeared to be in position to go four up at the mid-session. Vafaei was trailing in the frame and came to the table with the white stuck perilously underneath the jaws of the left hand baulk pocket. However, he deposited a sensational long red to set up a clearance of 42 which made it 3-1.
They then traded frames, with Vafaei composing a superb break of 134 to stay in touch at 4-2 down.
Williams made it 5-2, before three frames on the bounce from Vafaei forced a decider. Three-time World Champion Williams showed his metal by potting an incredible cut back red to the top right to set up a break of 91 which wrapped up victory.
"He was looking stronger towards the end. I pulled out a fantastic red. I thought I had to go for it," said 44-year-old Williams. "I could have played that shot another 20 times and not got it. I am glad to get over the line.
"Apart from four frames on the bounce against David Gilbert I have been playing my C game. I have just been sticking in there. I haven't had a century break since I have been here. I'll have to play better to win the final. Even if I lose the final who cares, I am amazed I am still here."
Here is a mini collection of great shots this match produced:
The second semi final saw Shaun Murphy beat Mark Selby by 6-3. Neither player played particularly well. Shaun struggled with the pace of the table from start to finish, regularlrly over-screwing shots. Mark Selby made two centuries … and countless unexpected, uncharacteristic mistakes, even in the safety department. Despite this it was quite entertaining in it own way.
It's Shaun third final in a row this season, a complete contrast with the last season disastrous run.
Here is Worldsnooker report:
Shaun Murphy won a gruelling clash with Mark Selby 6-3 to book his place in the final of the Evergrande China Championship.
The Magician has enjoyed a supreme start to his 2019/20 campaign and is now into his third consecutive final. 2005 World Champion Murphy was runner-up in the previous two events, to Judd Trump at the International Championship and Ronnie O'Sullivan at the Shanghai Masters.
He will be hoping to go one step further tomorrow when he takes on 22-time ranking event winner Mark Williams for the title and the £150,000 top prize.
Defending champion Selby will leave Guangzhou disappointed at missing out on his first title since victory here last year. However, he will pocket £32,000 for his second semi-final appearance of the season, following a run to the last four at the International Championship.
Murphy carried over his red-hot form to the opening exchanges today as he surged to a 3-0 advantage, making a break of 96 along the way.
However, Selby forced himself into contention with back-to-back century runs of 101 and 100 to trail by just one at 3-2.
Murphy moved 4-2 ahead before nerves began to kick in for both players in a tense seventh frame. Eventually, after 53 minutes of play, Selby managed to clinch it and close within one at 4-3.
Triple Crown winner Murphy wasn't to be denied and claimed the eighth frame, before a break of 88 sealed his spot in the final.
Murphy said: "I am delighted to be in another final. As you get older you get a bit of perspective. Things have come fairly easy to me during my career. I won the Triple Crown and other tournaments. Off the back of the worst season of my life last year I value things a lot more now.
"I'm really looking forward to the final. Any time you play those greats like Williams, O'Sullivan and Higgins it is a special moment. For it to be in a final it is doubly special.
"It would mean everything to win tomorrow. It is what all the hours of practice are for. It is to take those trophies home to your family."
And Shaun's postmatch interview
Ronnie was in Gateshead yesterday
September 28, 2019 Monique Interview	Interview
And by all accounts it was again a fantastic night.
Here are some rections on twitter…
More of the same tonight in Doncaster…
China Championship 2019 – Day 5 – QFs
September 27, 2019 Monique Professional snooker tournament	Professional snooker
Here is the report by Worldsnooker on what happened today
Friday 27 Sep 2019 05:57PM
Iran's Hossein Vafaei recorded a 5-3 defeat of Joe Perry to progress to the semi-finals of the Evergrande China Championship in Guangzhou.
World number 41 Vafaei was the first ever professional player from Iran and has been a trailblazer for the sport in his country. He was joined on tour by compatriot Soheil Vahedi in 2017.
Vafaei's two other trips to the last four of a ranking event came at the 2017 China Open and earlier this year at the 2019 Welsh Open. He lost to Mark Williams and Neil Robertson respectively.
Tomorrow's semi-final will be a repeat of that China Open clash, with Vafaei crossing cues with Williams once again. The Iranian will be hoping to go one step further on this occasion.
Vafaei kicked off this afternoon's match in impressive fashion with a century run of 104. He then doubled his advantage, before Perry notched up his first frame of the match. However, a break of 71 saw Vafaei head into the mid-session interval with a 3-1 lead.
Perry forced his way back into contention with a stunning 134 break upon their return. They then traded frames, leaving Vafaei one up with two to play at 4-3.
Perry had chances to force the decider, but it was Vafaei who wrapped up victory with a break of 66 to reach his third ranking semi-final.
Vafaei said: "I have learned a lot about quarter-finals and semi-finals. I know what I have to do. In all of my matches, I know what I have to do. I have to find my form and find my rhythm.
"Snooker is getting bigger everyday in Iran. Every month or three months new snooker clubs are opening. With good facilities, snooker is getting very big in Iran. So many people like to watch and play. We have a lot of players, referees and coaches. If I can get good results it will get even bigger than it is now."
Three-time World Champion Williams secured his progression with a 5-1 demolition of world number 12 David Gilbert.
The Welshman lost the opening frame, but from there produced imperious snooker. Williams composed breaks of 63, 93, 56 and 71 on his way to five frames on the bounce and an emphatic victory.
Defending champion Mark Selby won an epic encounter with Barry Hawkins 5-4 to secure his place in the last four.
With the scores locked at 3-3 they played out a marathon 51-minute seventh frame. After an extended period of safety play on the colours, Hawkins finally got in with a chance to clear. He spurned a pink to the middle. Eventually Selby punished him by depositing a pressure black to move 4-3 up.
Three-time World Champion Selby had then looked set to wrap up the match before breaking down on 46 in the following frame. Hawkins stepped up and fired in a superb break of 73 to steal.
However, Selby wasn't to be denied and produced a ice cool contribution of 98 in the decider to seal victory and set up a semi-final showdown with an in-form Shaun Murphy.
Selby said: "It was always going to be a tough game. We have become really close friends. It was a tough match, but I think that was down to us playing some really good safety and not giving each other a chance.
"Shaun had a season to forget last year. He has shown his class this year. You can't ask much more than getting to two finals and here he is in another semi-final. It is going to be a tough game."
2005 Crucible king Murphy secured his progression with a 5-2 defeat of Norway's Kurt Maflin.
I can't really comment about the matches, having seen very little of today's action.
The semi finals line-up is quite remarkable though. We have there three former World Champions in Williams, Selby and Murphy who have all in common the fact that although they are all in the top 16, they came here on the back of a rather lean spell and none of them has yet secured his place in the Champion of Champions. Hossein Vafaei, of course, hasn't either. This means that whoever lifts the trophy on Sunday, it will be a new name in the 2019 CofC draw. It also means that Jimmy White has still to wait and hope for a repeat winner in one of the two other remaining events: the World Open 2019 and the English Open 2019.


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Walks and Tours will go ahead in most weathers, so please come prepared!
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Start chanting Narasimha Gayatri on one Thursday. To get good benefits chant the gayatri for at least 108 times. If you can pray the mantra in front of Lord Narasimha picture or in your nearest Lord Narsimha Temple, it will yield more benefits.