text:
Ronin Round Table: Back Issues
May 19, 2014 /in Green Ronin News, Mutants & Masterminds News /by Steve Kenson
The Freedom City sourcebook for the second edition of Mutants & Masterminds was published in 2006. In the eight years since, Green Ronin has published numerous books and files expanding upon the world we've come to call Earth-Prime, and that process is ongoing, with the creation of Freedom's "sister city," Emerald City, on the West Coast, and the publication of the Atlas of Earth-Prime, detailing the regions and nations outside the borders of the two great super-cities. Joining these two products (since the Atlas will eventually be collected into a single book) is the forthcoming new edition of Freedom City. Together, the three will form the main source material for the Earth-Prime setting, with some additional information on space, aliens, and places beyond Earth in the Cosmic Handbook.
With all of the Freedom City "back issues," however, the question becomes, what goes where? What material previously in the Freedom City sourcebook gets included and what ends up in another sourcebook? Conversely, what material from other sourcebooks gets folded into the new Freedom City book as part of its "core"? What characters and concepts make the cut, and which have to find new homes elsewhere?
Technically, that process has already started. As readers and players of the third edition of M&M know, the Threat Report series, which focused on Emerald City, also detailed some previously published villains, shifting their focus from Freedom City to the new opportunities in Emerald City after the Silver Storm. So, rather than reproduce their third edition information again, ne'er-do-wells like Dr. Sin, Mastermind, and the Power Corps will not appear in the new edition of the Freedom City book.
Similarly, whereas the previous Freedom City book only devoted fifteen pages to the world beyond its namesake city, the Atlas of Earth-Prime series is devoting nearly twenty times that space, allowing us to shift a number of characters to those products. So, for example, the Mayombe cult shows up in the United States Atlas while Baron Samedi will appear in the Caribbean Atlas, and so forth.
Finally, the Cosmic Handbook will include a chapter detailing the universe beyond Earth-Prime, including the Solar System and the greater interstellar powers and civilizations like the Grue Unity and the Stellar Imperium, factions like the Blackguard, the Argents, and the Star Knights, and various alien species. Cosmic characters like Star-Khan and Blackstar feature prominently in the Event Horizon adventure series in the book, and so find a new home there.
What does that mean for Freedom City? More space to add in some characters from other source material, while expanding upon some existing characters, and even adding a few new ones here and there. The rosters of some teams have changed, as have some characters, and we have all of the source material of books like Freedom's Most Wanted, Worlds of Freedom, Agents of Freedom, Hero High, Book of Magic, and more to draw upon. Plan on seeing elements of the Earth-Prime setting from those and other source material in the new and updated Freedom City as well as in the ongoing Atlas that will round out Earth-Prime as a complete world for superheroic adventure. Going through the "back issues" of the setting has been both a fun trip down memory lane and an inspiration to update Freedom City as a lynchpin for the Earth-Prime setting for years to come!
Short URL: https://greenronin.com/W8tT2
Steve Kenson
Steve Kenson has been an RPG author and designer since 1995 and has worked on numerous book and games, including Mutants & Masterminds, Freedom City, and Blue Rose for Green Ronin Publishing. He has written nine RPG tie-in novels and also runs his own imprint, Ad Infinitum Adventures, which publishes material for Icons Superpowered Roleplaying. Steve maintains a website and blog at www.stevekenson.com.
//greenronin.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/RoninBanner-1.png 0 0 Steve Kenson //greenronin.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/RoninBanner-1.png Steve Kenson2014-05-19 12:36:222014-08-22 17:47:31Ronin Round Table: Back Issues
Super Deals on Superhero Games AGE Bestiary: Draugar (PDF)


text:
/*
 * SpeedtoPWM.cpp
 *
 *  Created on: 03/01/2014
 *      Author: james
 */

#include "SpeedPWMStruct.h"

SpeedPWMStruct::SpeedPWMStruct() {
}

SpeedPWMStruct::~SpeedPWMStruct() {
}

int SpeedPWMStruct::getLength(){
	return testPWMLENGTH;
}

void SpeedPWMStruct::setSpeedForPWM(float speed, int PWM){
	int k = PWM / (255 / testPWMLENGTH);
	this->PWMArray[k] = PWM;
	this->SpeedArray[k] = speed;
}

int SpeedPWMStruct::getPWMFromSpeed(float speed){
	int PWM = 0;
	int left = 0;
	int right = testPWMLENGTH;

	// BINARY Search loop
	for ( int i = 1; i < 11; i++){
		if (speed < SpeedArray[int(right/2)]){
			right = right/2;
		}
		else if(speed = SpeedArray[int(right/2)]){
			PWM = SpeedArray[int(right/2)];
			break;
		}
		else{
			left = right / 2;
		}
		if ( (right - left) == 1){
			PWM = this->interpolatePWM(left, right, speed);
			break;
		}
	}
	return PWM;
}

int SpeedPWMStruct::interpolatePWM(int left, int right, float speed){
	return int(PWMArray[left] + ((PWMArray[right]-PWMArray[left])*((speed-SpeedArray[left])/(SpeedArray[right]-SpeedArray[left])))); // based on the interpolation formula y = y0 + (y1-y0)*(x-x0)/(x1-x0)
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson dies
Nick Bromberg
Yahoo Sports December 20, 2019
Junior Johnson (center) won 50 NASCAR races and fielded cars for NASCAR champions Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip. (Photo by James Guy/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASCAR Hall of Fame member Junior Johnson died on Friday. He was 88.
Johnson is one of the most legendary figures in NASCAR history. A stalwart of NASCAR's early days, Johnson won 50 races in 313 starts from 1953-66. He was a part of the first NASCAR Hall of Fame class in 2010 and was known for learning the skills he needed to race in NASCAR by hauling moonshine.
"Junior Johnson truly was the 'Last American Hero,' " NASCAR chairman Jim France said in a statement. "From his early days running moonshine through the end of his life, Junior wholly embodied the NASCAR spirit. He was an inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer, a nod to an extraordinary career as both a driver and team owner. Between his on-track accomplishments and his introduction of Winston to the sport, few have contributed to the success of NASCAR as Junior has. The entire NASCAR family is saddened by the loss of a true giant of our sport, and we offer our deepest condolences to Junior's family and friends during this difficult time."
The Last American Hero mention by France is an ode to the iconic 1965 Tom Wolfe feature on Johnson. A movie by the same name was released in 1973 about a familiar moonshine hauler turned NASCAR racer.
Johnson never ran a full schedule in his NASCAR driving days. His best season came in 1965 when he won 13 of the 36 races he participated in with nine poles and 19 top 10s. Johnson also won the 1960 Daytona 500.
After he stopped driving Johnson continued in NASCAR as a team owner. Johnson-owned cars won 123 races in over 1,000 starts. Cale Yarborough won three-straight championships driving for Johnson in 1976-78 and Darrell Waltrip won the 1981, 1982, and 1985 titles while driving Johnson's No. 11 car.
Johnson's last two wins as an owner came in 1994 when Jimmie Spencer won the summer race at Daytona and then a few weeks later at Talladega. Spencer won that Daytona race when he made a last-lap pass on Ernie Irvan to lead the only lap he had all day when he took the checkered flag.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
St. Patrick's Day River Parade
Lena Wilson's road to 1K
TikTok lands OLLU alumna a voice-over gig
SAN ANTONIO — One Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) alumna is living her dream performing one gig after another, with her latest coming from non-other than TikTok.
After viewing a casting call on @SaturdayMorningTV, Josey Porras, gave it a shot and landed the voice of Ely on Saturday Morning TV and Red Circle Studio's cartoon, RoboZeta. Auditions took place via TikTok.
Josey Porras, OLLU alum, is the voice of Ely on Saturday Morning TV cartoon, RoboZeta.
"It was so much fun. It's very rare when you get to put your audition out there for the public's eye," Porras said. "It was scary at first, but the important thing is having fun and I sure did!"
Porras, 29, is an award winning actress, cosplayer and mental health advocate. She recently finished the pilot episode for RoboZeta and is in the works for the new ones. You can catch her on the company's live stream @SaturdayMorningTV talking about her experience. Along with voicing Ely, she spent her 2021 summer performing live at SeaWorld in San Antonio. She won an Alamo Theater Arts Council Global Award for Lead Actress in Comedy in 2019.
Upon graduating from OLLU in 2014 with a degree in mass communications, she hit the ground running.
"Right after graduating, I participated in the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World. When I got back, I began performing non-stop," Porras said. "I toured across Texas as an actor, I was a performer at SeaWorld, was in a nationally aired commercial, starred in a short film, voiced a video game and a cartoon!"
She toured Texas with Magik Theater, performing in ten shows of 'Fully Committed' where she performed as 20 different characters while simultaneously performing at the Public Theater, the Classic Theater and the Vexler Theater.
"From 2016-2020, I had the blessing of having my passion as my day job, touring Texas with some of my best friends for a Children's Theater that promotes literacy and bilingual programming," Porras said. "In the evenings, I spent my time performing in the musical theater, straight plays and improv at the local theaters."
Some of her plans for the near future include diving further into commercials, voice-overs and films.
When asked about setbacks, she keeps an open mind and has faith that what is meant to be will be.
"What I believe is that my submission for the audition, my energy, doesn't just stop and become null once the project is cast," Porras said. "Getting your audition out there means putting your energy out there, forever. And the project/opportunity that is meant for me will come to me."
Porras was born in California and raised in San Antonio, she labels herself as a Chicanx actress, and is a 3rd generation Pachuca. She commends OLLU for top-notch education and for their continued support.
Porras has entertained audiences as many different characters.
"While I was in school, I learned so much and received so much kindness from the faculty and staff," Porras said. "Now, the OLLU community is (and has always been) such a huge supporter when it comes to my goals."
She claims "the cheesy lines in movies Are. So. True! Don't be afraid to try everything. Everything will work out. Enjoy the journey and the process—practice self-Grace. No one knows what they're doing, so do what makes you happy, let go of what feels heavy and keep what feels light. And please, drink more water."
If you would like to follow her adventures, please follow her Instagram @spookypatootie, where she keeps you updated about her journey in acting, cosplay and self-love.
On August 21, 2021 By Melissa Aguirre
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A University Without Football


Council Officer Stan Keable (Labour Party Marxists) Suspended Amid Allegations that he said 'Zionists' 'Collaborated' with the Nazis.
Alleged to have said Zionists "collaborated" with the Nazis.
Stan, an indefatigable supporter of the Weekly Worker, is well known on the left.
He comes from an old Communist family.
I knew his brother Ken, as an adolescent, in the Woodcraft Folk.
That he should be threatened with the loss of his job for views on 'Zionism' that owe a lot to Moshé Machover – ones I heartily disagree with – is outrageous.
This Blog backs protests against this move.
London council officer suspended after claiming Zionists 'collaborated' with Nazis.
A London council worker has been suspended after being caught claiming Zionists "collaborated" with the Nazis.
The Left-wing activist made the comments, shared in a clip on Twitter, at a demonstration outside Parliament led by the Board of Deputies of British Jews protesting against anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. He was in a counter demo which said Jeremy Corbyn has been unfairly smeared as an anti-Semite.
A council spokesperson said he had been suspended while an investigation was carried out and that it "does not tolerate anti-Semitism". His job includes inspecting private landlord properties. He does not work with social housing tenants.
Mr Keable also works for union Unison, which said it is investigating and "takes allegations of anti-Semitism seriously". Labour expelled Mr Keable last autumn for his role as the secretary of Labour Party Marxists.
When contacted by the Standard, Mr Keable said: "I am sorry for any offence I may have caused. But the Nazi regime and the Zionist Federation of Germany collaborated, through the Haavara agreement, in the emigration of some 60,000 Jews to Palestine between 1933 and 1939." He said he did not insinuate that Jews collaborated with the Nazis.
In Defence of Stan Keable.
On March 27, the day after he attended the counter demonstration in Parliament Square, organised by Jewish Voice for Labour, Labour Party Marxists secretary Stan Keable was suspended from work by Hammersmith and Fulham council. The suspension letter states that there are "serious allegation(s) which, if substantiated, could constitute gross misconduct under the council's disciplinary procedure" and which "could result in your dismissal from the council's service".
Stan has not yet been informed of the exact nature of the alleged "inappropriate comments". However, it seems very likely that they relate to a short video clip tweeted by BBC Newsnight editor David Grossman. It seems that Grossman – without asking for permission – filmed Stan on his mobile phone while he was talking to a supporter of the anti-Corbyn demonstration.
Outraged Progress leader Richard Angell has called for Stan to be expelled from the Labour Party, only to be rather disappointed when somebody pointed out that he had, in fact, already been booted out under Labour's witch-hunting rule 2.1.4.B. This automatically bars from membership anybody "who joins and/or supports a political organisation other than an official Labour group or unit of the party" and has led to the expulsion of dozens, if not hundreds, of Marxists and socialists, including supporters (or alleged supporters) of the Alliance for Workers' Liberty and Socialist Appeal, as well as Labour Party Marxists.
Somebody then alerted local Tory MP Greg Hands, who sprang into Twitter action, demanding that Hammersmith and Fulham "investigate and urge action. Enough is enough." And they quickly did his bidding. Less than 18 hours after the demo, Stan was suspended by the council (which is run by Labour, incidentally).
Stan replies: "No, I'm not saying that. Of course the holocaust was anti-Semitic. The problem I've got is that the Zionist movement at the time collaborated with them …" He then gets shouted down, while trying to elaborate that "the Zionist movement from the beginning" accepted the idea that Jews did not belong in Europe.
There are a number of points to make about this conversation and the reaction to it.
First of all, Stan's comments were clearly part of a longer discussion and are taken out of context. Had he been properly interviewed or written an article, he could have explained more fully what he was trying to say. Of course, anti-Semitism by itself did not cause the holocaust. It existed long before the Nazis, eg, as promoted by the medieval Catholic church. The Nazi, at first, used anti-Semitism as a propaganda tool to link communists and social democrats together with finance capital. Both the labour movement and banking were supposedly dominated by Jews. There was an element of truth here – there were many Jewish communists and social democrats and more than a few Jewish capitalists. But, according to the Nazis, they were united in a world-wide conspiracy to rule the world. A form of social madness that led the Nazis first to ban the Communist Party (February 1933), then the trade unions (May 1933), then the social democrats (July 1933), then, in September 1935, this same ideology saw them introduce the Nuremburg race laws and, on November 9-10 1938, a full scale assault on Jewish owned businesses.
It was, however, Stan's comment that "the Zionist movement at the time collaborated with [the Nazis]" which has really got the right incensed. It was for this he has been labelled a "holocaust denier" online. You could criticise the slight factual inaccuracy contained within the words "at the time", which implies that Stan meant during the time of the holocaust. But his attempts to clarify that he was talking about the Ha'avara agreement of 1933 between the Zionist movement and the Nazis (which broke the non-Zionist Jewish-led call for an economic boycott of the Nazi regime) was simply shouted down. This notorious agreement, however, is a historical fact.
Most seriously though is the culture of fear around the question of anti-Semitism displayed by this episode. Stan's suspension letter states that, "suspension is a neutral act and does not in itself constitute disciplinary action or imply guilt". But even the briefest look at the clip should show the leaders of Hammersmith and Fulham council that there is nothing contained within those 105 seconds that could "bring the council into disrepute" or constitute "potentially a breach of the Equality Act 2010".
The right has been incredibly successful in creating a moral panic. By manipulating, by misrepresenting, by imputing, by lying the left can be charged with peddling a line which is supposedly anti-Semitic. Presumptions of innocence go out of the window in such a toxic atmosphere. Stan will now have to prove that he is not an anti-Semite or a holocaust-denier – not just to his employer, but also the thousands of people who have seen the reports and comments about the short clip (which has also been published by the Daily Mail – again without anybody approaching Stan, despite the fact he was clearly identified online).
Marxists believe in open, free and robust debate. We believe such debate is absolutely crucial if we ever want to see a working class confident enough in defending and arguing its ideas to become the ruling class in society.
Some say it would have been better to shut up when there might be a camera pointing at you. Of course, we have been advised to keep quiet about plenty of other things too: our open criticism of Jeremy Corbyn right from the day he won the leadership contest; our transparent reporting of meetings of the left; our analysis of disagreements between politicians in the Labour Party. You name it, we've been publishing openly about it.
This is also reflected in the behaviour of our comrades at events: we do not shy away from debates, discussions. Even if that leaves us open to misinterpretation, wilfully or otherwise. That comes with the territory and there is only one way to avoid it: saying nothing at all. Something we are most certainly not going to do.
This article was updated on April 2 to more accurately reflect the recording of the discussion at issue.


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Home / Car News / Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian SVP II launched in UK
Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian SVP II launched in UK
Mitsubishi tries to offer its UK clients some off-road and styling alternatives to its current range. The latest experiment is the current Mitsubishi L200, who receives the new special edition Barbarian SVP II – the second vehicle to be produced by its SVP (Special Vehicle Projects) division.
Only 250 will be produced with half available in pearlescent Diamond Black and the other half in metallic Atlantic Grey. Details on either are picked out in orange to provide a striking contrast.
On top of the generous standard specification of the Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian Double Cab, the new special edition adds a host of eye-catching extras. On the outside, the pickup features 17-inch bespoke black and orange alloy wheels with BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres, covered by aggressive wheel arch extensions, together with a new SVP grille and roof rails, both of which are also finished in black and orange.
The fog lamp rings, front and rear light bezels, door handle recess covers, puddle lamps and tailgate handle surround are all picked out in orange. SVP tailgate badging, a colour-coded bumper and shark fin-inspired black side steps complete the distinctive look, while for added convenience there are the additions of load bed illumination and a spring-assisted tailgate with soft-opening damper.
The special colour scheme is carried over into the interior, the Barbarian-inspired 'six-pack' leather seats with suede-like 'Alston' inserts having orange accented panelling, stitching and piping. Each SVP II's individual limited edition number, plus the SVP logo, is stitched into the headrests and there's also a unique 'SVP' embossed mat set with orange piping. The distinctive theme continues with orange illuminated door entry guards and front and rear foot-well mood lighting.
Standard equipment of the Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian SVP II includes the Mitsubishi Smartphone Link Display Audio (SDA) system, which allows users to connect to apps or other features of their Apple or Android smartphone through the touchscreen or via voice control*; rain and dusk sensors, keyless operation, Bluetooth, Bi-Xenon headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights, cruise control and reversing camera.
Power is provided by an all-aluminium 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine, while the rotary-dial controlled Super Select 4WD system, which allows drivers to seamlessly switch between two- and four-wheel drive at speeds of up to 62 mph on all surfaces, can be combined with a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddle shifter.
The Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian SVP II is available to order now, with the first deliveries commencing in May, and is priced from £29,830 for both grey and black versions.
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You are at:Home»Steve Dale Column»Judges Like Spunk; Terriers Are Favorites for Westminster
Judges Like Spunk; Terriers Are Favorites for Westminster
By Steve Dale on February 11, 2006 Steve Dale Column
Playing the nation's oldest and most prestigious dog show by the numbers, odds are a terrier will win the 130th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, February 13 and 14 at Madison Square Garden.
In fact, in the 98 years of competition, a member of the terrier group has taken the Best in Show (BIS) big bone 43 times.
A moderately popular breed, the wire fox terrier has won Westminster BIS 13 times over the years, far more than any other breed ever. The wire fox terrier is the 76th most popular breed in the country, according to the American Kennel Club 2005 registration numbers. The two most popular breeds, the Labrador and golden retrievers, are among the many breeds that have never fetched top honors at the Garden.
"Those retrievers just aren't very flashy," says David Frei, who will be providing TV commentary for the 17th consecutive year. "However, terriers have more attitude; it's their world and we're living in it."
They have spunk. And perhaps spunk and flash matters. Judges aren't supposed to be paying attention to personality or flashiness; after all a dog show is supposed to be a beauty contest. "That's not completely true," counters Frei. "Breed standards do include some description for temperament. Last year, Carlee (a German short-haired pointer) blew the crowd away with her stack (the way she stood, and posed for the judge and the capacity crowd at the Garden). The crowd did go crazy. But the judge wouldn't have expected a Pekingese to stack like a pointer."
For many years, Frei's broadcast partner was Joe Garagiola, followed by Mark McEwan (former weathercaster for "CBS This Morning" and "Early Show") and then Lester Holt (from NBC and MSNBC) "Nothing against looking at those guys, but this year sure looks better," says Frei.
His new broadcast partner on the USA Network will be former Miss America Dr. Debbye Turner, a contributor to "The Early Show" on CBS. "Well, I'm not a dog show person, per se," she says. "But then I do have some knowledge (being a veterinarian), and I plan to mine what I know. I mean, for example, I know what the judge is looking at looking into the dog's mouth."
In fact, if there's a close up shot, Turner might even comment on the tartar on the dog's teeth. Well, perhaps not.
As far as anyone can recall, she's the first veterinarian to broadcast a major dog show. "I'm thrilled," she says. "And I'm coming into it all at an interesting time. These televised dog shows are so incredibly popular."
Last year's broadcast produced an increase of five per cent in viewership over the previous year making Westminster arguably the biggest and most popular of the pack of televised dog shows. Frei's theory is that people love seeing dogs they don't typically encounter on the street or at the local dog park (examples include the Otterhound and the giant schnauzer). There's also what he calls the alma mater factor. "There you are sitting with your own dog as you watch, and rooting for your own breed."
Also dog show competitions aren't decided until the very last second. Turner says it's exciting and suspenseful. She's right, of course. Every dog show is like a photo finish in horse racing.
During the day at Westminster, judges follow the written breed standard to choose one dog to represent each breed. (While not televised, the breed judging can be viewed via streaming video at www.westminsterkennelclub.org.)
All dog breeds fall into one of seven groups. In the evening, when the show is on live TV, the groups are judged; four groups on Monday night and three on Tuesday (as well as Best in Show on Tuesday).
Still, the dogs aren't judged against one another, per se. For example, both the German shepherd dog and the Australian shepherd are among the breeds in the Herding Group. The Herding Group judge will simply compare each individual dog in the group – including the top German shepherd dog and top Australian shepherd – with the written breed standards. The dog that most closely resembles the standard will win.
The other six groups are: Hound, Non Sporting, Toy, Sporting, Terrier and Working.
Seven dogs take part in Best in Show, one representative is chosen from each Group. Amidst the decibel shattering cheering from the sold out New York City crowd at Madison Square Garden, a seasoned judge will deliberately approach all seven finalists, take a deep breath, and point to one winner.
"There's nothing like it," says Frei, who once bred Afghan hounds. "There's no question, Westminster is the Super Bowl and World Series rolled into one; 96 of the top-100 dogs in the country will be there."
Frei's Top-four picks to win the show are:
Ch. (Champion) Oldiron Margaret River, an Airedale terrier, the number one terrier in the country.
Ch. Rocky Top's Sundance Kid, a colored bull terrier.
Ch. Heather's Knock on Wood, a bloodhound (He recently won the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.)
Ch. Yakee If Only, a Pekingese, the number one dog n America last year.
Joining Frye and Turner on the broadcast will be Jill Rappaport, entertainment reporter from "The Today Show" on NBC. The USA Network airs Westminster February 13 and 14, 8 p.m. /9 p.m. Central.
Here's more of Westminster by the numbers:
Oldest dog to win Best in Show: 8-year old Papillon, 1999
Youngest dog to win BIS: 9-month old collie, 1929
Individual dog to win BIS at Westminster most often: Three time winner (1907, 1908 and 1909), Ch. Warren Remedy, a smooth fox terrier.
Best in Show by sex:
Male: won 64 times
Female: won 34 times
2006 Best In Show Judge: James G. Reynolds of Ottawa, Canada.


I call it the gift. The gift is my unadulterated skill to fall asleep anywhere, anytime…within minutes. I embrace my talent without any shame. I could be on a plane and before the pilot can announce, "Prepare for take off, " I am already sound asleep, mouth wide open like a big mouth bass, letting the drool dribble down my chin like a hook is stuck in the back of my throat. This was my gift… until unexpected about a year and half ago, the Grinch appeared and robbed me. And just like a wide-eyed Who from Whoville, I was left with an empty stocking hanging on the fireplace mantel with only the Grinch's stench left behind. No, I take that back, he filled my stocking with an expected present… insomnia.
Insomnia was a cruel and unexpected horrible plight. No one could explain why this occurred but boy did everyone try. My parents blamed the cause on my first born leaving for Purdue. My friends blamed it on stress of being a single mom for twelve years.( seriously if I can handle getting divorced & having my ex become a paraplegic, I can handle anything!) My doctor blamed it on hormones,the dreaded menopause. My church friends thought maybe I wasn't praying to God enough, that I lost my faith. Everyone gave me " wonderful" advice on how to fall asleep: read a book, take a bath, exercise more, take melatonin, sleepy tea but to no avail, I was doomed. For several months, I would have two sleepless nights followed by an hour or so of relief… Finally after several MRIs, blood tests, c-scans, a doctor discovered the culprit, LYME DISEASE!
Lyme disease was my misery. It is a silent disease because it mirrors ALS, Parkinson, MS but it is difficult to correctly diagnose so many who fall victim to this disease are left untreated. I am one of the lucky ones. I know my battle. I will conquer it because just like everything else in my life I don't just survive, I thrive but the question I had was could I endure this disease living in the wind-whipping brutality of Chicago? Hesitantly, I decided to JUMP and purchase a one-way to LAX but before heading to land of sun-filled skies and sandy beaches, I consulted my pastor and asked the simple question, " How do I know this is the right move?' His answer was simple , " God will use you where you are." Months later he was proved right.
As I was walking down the cement stairs of the YMCA in Thousand Oaks, CA after a refreshing swim, when I yawned as loud as a lion's roar. An older lady, wrapped in a pink fuzzy robe turned back and exclaimed, " Boy I wish I could yawn like that. I haven't slept in years." Looking at her swollen, baggy grey eyes, I felt immediate sympathy for the stranger as I replied, " Oh I am so sorry. That's brutal. I had insomnia, too. Can I give you a hug?" The stranger replied, " I am all wet from swimming.". With a soft smile I replied as I leaned into her, " I don't mind." As I released her I asked, " Can I pray for you?" Without hesitation she added, "Yes." I looked at her wavy wet hair trying to take in her beauty of this fragile being and said, " Great. I'll pray for you tonight. What's your name?" She said, "Martha. I don't want to wait. Can you pray for me now?" " Here?" I questioned. She reached for my hand and squeezed it, " Yes, here." Without delay I gently closed both my hands around hers and out loud called upon Jesus, " Dear Jesus please give Martha some relief. Allow her body to sleep. She desperately needs it. In Jesus' name Amen." We hugged once more and dragged our tired, chlorine-soaked bodies through the star -filled night to find our cars and our way home.
As I put on my swimming cap, it hit me, my pastor was right when he said, " God will use you, where you are." God turned my misery to a ministry. " And we know God works all things for the good of those who love him." Roman 8:28 I surrendered that all I had to do was have a leap of faith and trust God. With that I leaned forward, took a dive in the pool and unmistakably the water was warm … just like my heart.
So touching. God bless your caring heart.
Thanks victor . It is humbling that God trusts me to be his hands & feet . Blessings to you .
Excellent writing. I chuckled at the imagery of the drooling bass. haha. Thanks for sharing this. It is a great example of how God uses all things for our good.
Thanks for the sincere compliment.Your writing is a beautiful gem too.


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Estates & Wills & Trusts
The consequences of dying without a will
By Kirsten McMahon, Associate Editor
With surveys showing more than half of Canadians don't have a will, Barrie-area litigator Steve Rastin tells AdvocateDaily.com he suspects a fair amount people aren't aware of some of the negative consequences if they die intestate.
"I don't think people are avoiding getting a will made because of the cost," says Rastin, managing partner with Rastin & Associates. "I think it's a matter of some people assuming there are systems in place to distribute their assets and that their loved ones will automatically be taken care of."
While the Succession Law Reform Act (SLRA) sets out a distribution scheme when someone dies without a valid will, Rastin says you may not be happy with how the government will divide your estate.
"Your legal spouse is given the first $200,000, and the remaining balance is divided between your spouse and children," he says. "If there are no spouse and children, then it goes to the parents, siblings and nieces and nephews, etc."
Rastin says one of the biggest areas of contention involves common-law spouses versus married spouses. While a common-law spouse may be equal in some areas of law, that does not extend to estates law.
"There's a perception that whether you're legally married or common-law, it's the same thing — it's really not," he says.
For example, if you have a common-law partner and die without a will, the spouse would only be considered a dependant and would have to apply for support at the discretion of the court, Rastin says.
If you have minor children, a will goes a long way in determining who will be their primary caregiver(s).
"The custody appointment in your will only lasts for 90 days after it takes effect but, in my experience, the court will put a lot of weight in that. Of course, if you don't put one in, you're not going to have a say as to who raises your kids," he says.
"Judges are complete strangers to you and your family. A relative who looks great on paper might not be the kind of person you want raising your children.
"You can't expect a judge to know all of the family issues and dynamics," Rastin adds.
If you want to give some of your money to a favourite charity when you die, you can only do that through a will, he says.
"As well, if you want to control how personal items are distributed as opposed to sold — maybe there's a painting or something else that's very important or sentimental to a certain person — you would put that in your will," Rastin says. "Generally speaking, without a will the appointed estate trustee will sell all of the assets and distribute the funds."
As well, without a will, you won't have a say in your funeral planning.
While the cost of estate planning may be a hindrance for some, Rastin says reciprocal wills and powers of attorney can cost about $800 to $1,000.
"You get two huge advantages — you get to distribute your money the way you want to. And two, if you're dealing with a reputable lawyer, your will is much more likely to survive a challenge."
To Read More Steve Rastin Posts Click Here
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Diane is the BEST !
Has the pool been repaired and re-opened?
The pool was opened when we were there but we didn't use it.
Is it closer to the bypass road or to the beach road? Just trying to get a feel on the location in relation to the two roads.
It's on the main highway.
How many bedrooms does one suite include? do they have kitchens?
Do you have to pay extra for a mini-fridge? At what time does the pool open each day?
Sorry, we are not pet friendly. Try the Ramada Plaza.
"2nd floor facing the ocean"
"the King room near the lobby was very convienient"
"No real views on offer here."
"Second floor quieter. Ice machine and lobby noise in room 149."


The 'Come Away With Me' singer will perform intimate headline dates in New Zealand. These will be the beguiling pianist and vocalist's first performances in 14 years in New Zealand! Tickets to all dates go on sale on Thursday 29 November via frontiertouring.com/norahjones.


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Home / Biosimilars / News / Celltrion starts phase III biosimilar trastuzumab trial
Celltrion starts phase III biosimilar trastuzumab trial Posted 11/04/2014
South Korean biotechnology company Celltrion is starting a phase III clinical trial for its biosimilar trastuzumab candidate (CT-P6) in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) early breast cancer, according to the European Union's Clinical Trials Register.
CT-P6 is intended to be a biosimilar of Roche's breast cancer blockbuster Herceptin (trastuzumab). Herceptin is a HER2+ breast cancer therapy designed to treat aggressive HER positive metastatic and adjuvant breast cancer.
The Celltrion study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of the company's biosimilar trastuzumab (CT-P6) versus Roche's Herceptin both given in combination with docetaxel followed by FEC (5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide) in patients with HER2+ operable early breast cancer.
The trial is a multicentre, double-blind, randomized, active controlled, parallel-group study. The main objective of the study is to demonstrate the equivalent efficacy of CT-P6 and Herceptin (trastuzumab) in patients with HER2+ operable early breast cancer determined by pathological complete response (pCR). The primary efficacy endpoint is defined as the absence of invasive tumour cells in the breast and axillary lymph nodes. The trial will include 532 female patients, aged 18 years and above, with 160 being recruited from 90 sites within the European Economic Area (EEA).
This is a major international trial for Celltrion. The trial is expected to last three years and will include 25 countries across the globe, including Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Chile, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Korea, Latvia, Mexico, The Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Ukraine and the US.
Roche's worldwide sales of Herceptin in 2013 were CHF 6.1 billion (US$6.8 billion) making it a lucrative target for biosimilars manufacturers. Celltrion received approval for its biosimilar monoclonal antibody (mAb) Herzuma (trastuzumab) with the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), formerly the Korea Food and Drug Administration, in January 2014 [1].
Trastuzumab will be Celltrion's second monoclonal antibody biosimilar. The company gained European approval for the world's first monoclonal antibody biosimilar Remsima/Inflectra (infliximab) as part of its collaboration with US-based generics major Hospira [2]. Celltrion has also gained approval for Remsima in South Korea [3] and Colombia [4], and has also applied for approval in Japan [5].
In anticipation of gaining US approval for its biosimilar of infliximab, Celltrion has also filed a lawsuit in March 2014 in the US District Court of Massachusetts seeking to invalidate certain patents covering Janssen Biotech's Remicade (infliximab).
Celltrion stops phase III trial of biosimilar rituximab
Phase I/IIb trial of CT-P6 shows comparability to trastuzumab
1. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Biosimilar trastuzumab approved in Korea trastuzumab [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2014 Apr 11]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/Biosimilar-trastuzumab-approved-in-Korea
2. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. EC approves first monoclonal antibody biosimilar [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2014 Apr 11]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/EC-approves-first-monoclonal-antibody-biosimilar
3. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Biosimilar monoclonal antibody approved in Korea [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2014 Apr 11]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/Biosimilar-monoclonal-antibody-approved-in-Korea
4. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Remsima approved in Colombia [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2014 Apr 11]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/Remsima-approved-in-Colombia
5. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Celltrion applies for biosimilar infliximab approval in Japan [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2014 Apr 11]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/Celltrion-applies-for-biosimilar-infliximab-approval-in-Japan
Source: EU Clinical Trials Register
Biosimilars applications under review by E...
EC approval for pegfilgrastim biosimilar N...
EMA and FDA accept application for ranibiz...
Biosimilars in Australia – a-flagging and sustainability
Biosimilars and availability of reference products
Influence of local policy measures and practices on biosimilar/originator market dynamics in Germany


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Маргиналии в ръкописите или книгите са ръкописни бележки върху белите полета отстрани на текста. Те имат летописен характер или служат за поясняване или коментиране на части от текста или абзаца. Сходни с маргиналиите са приписките, които са бележки, оставени от преписвачи или читатели. В този смисъл синоним на приписка е думата глоса в едно от няколкото ѝ значения.

За разлика от маргиналиите и приписките, които са неформални по своя характер, формалният начин за добавяне на бележки към документ се нарича анотация.

В старинните ръкописи маргиналиите и приписките имат важно текстологично значение като свидетелства на епохата и за самото съчинение. Някои от тях са свързани с историята на създаването на ръкописа, включително цена за набавяне на материала, възнаграждението за труда, продажна цена, дарителство. Други отразяват събития от обществения и личният живот на автора на приписката, датировки на събития, сведения за природни стихии и небесни явления, за урожая и цените на селскостопански продукти и други.

Източници

Писменост

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Chandrababu, Jagan to work together?
There's been an age-old belief that there are no permanent enemies or friends in politics, and it's only the permanent interests that exist. Proving it a fact time and again, political leaders often switch the parties and form alliances with once their rivals. The best example is the alliance between Congress and TDP.
AP CM Chandrababu Naidu who is known for his shrewd political tactics has bagged immense support from Congress for his protest in Delhi against Modi for denying special status to AP.
The AP CM who grabbed the national media attention was questioned on the inclusion of Jagan in their committee, Chandrababu Naidu hasn't ruled out the chances. He said that YSRCP has national interests and it wins one or two seats, Jagan will be always welcomed and nothing wrong in it.


Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump's former campaign adviser, approved campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page's trip to Russia during the campaign on the condition that he wasn't officially going on behalf of the Trump campaign. Page's trip is now the subject of an FBI investigation looking into the Russian involvement in the 2016 Presidential campaign.
Donald Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway tweeted a picture of her with CNN analyst Corey Lewandowski, with the hashtag underneath reading, '#teamwork'. Lewandowski was Donald Trump's former campaign manager. This happened after months of viewership outrage circulated online over CNN's hiring of a Donald Trump 'surrogate' to be one of their election coverage's political analysts.


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« I REMEMBER CHRISTINE | Main | WHAT WAY MY JOURNEY LIES »
Novels are often dated by the attitudes they have toward the events they depict. The Mark, for example, views anti-social behavior as the result of environmental factors. In the story a weak father and a controlling mother produce the protagonist's aberrant tendencies. Today his behavior would be explained by genetic misalignments or chemical imbalances. Drugs, not therapy, would be the appropriate treatment.
The Mark by Charles E. Israel. Simon and Schuster (1958), 306 pp.
Erstwhile management whiz Jim Fuller, just released from San Quentin, takes an administrative job in Los Angeles. Aided by his psychiatrist, Jim seems to be making a successful adjustment to his new environment. He gets on well with his supervisor, makes friends with his landlord and landlady, and becomes romantically involved with his boss's secretary. Then Jim learns she has a ten-year-old daughter. Despite assurances that he is well, he fears that the impulses that led to his imprisonment may return to cause havoc once again.
At first it seems that this book will be no more than a fictionalized case study. The protagonist has a deep psychological disorder; psychiatry has the techniques to help him overcome it. But the author is not satisfied with so perfunctory a story. He gets the reader into Jim's mind, where fear and shame dwell inharmoniously with hope and joy. And he asks how distant the events of Jim's past must be before they no longer concern acquaintances and society as a whole. The novel generates quite a bit of tension even as the reader feels confident that Jim will not commit another horrific crime. The final chapter has an added-at-the-publisher's- request feel to it. Even with this ending, however, the book raises challenging issues that are no more resolved today than they were fifty years ago.
October 23, 2006 in Reviews | Permalink


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Under the Skin: Scarlett Johansson as Mystery, Alluring Woman
The visionary director Jonathan Glazer likes to take his time. By Hollywood (and U.K) standards, he is slow. After making a splashy debut in 2000 with "Sexy Beast," which offered a vastly different role for Ben Kingsley, it took four years for Glazer's second film, "Birth," starring Nicole Kidman.
Now, nine years later, he has made another striking and original feature, "Under the Skin," based on Michel Faber's famous 2000 novel, "The Crimson Petal and the White." The strange, twisted, dark source material, adapted to the screen by Glazer and Wlater Campbell, is most suitable for the director's offbeat and idiosyncratic sensibility.
Like other independently-minded director, Glazer's work depends on the festival and art house circuits. Under the Skin played at both the Telluride and Toronto Film Fests.
Scarlett Johansson, who may be one of the busiest actress in Hollywood right now, plays a mysterious, voluptuous woman—sort of "the women who fell down to earth," in this existential tale about sexual politics and other philosophical matters. "Under the Skin" is visually arresting and intellectually demanding, film, raising some provocative questions without the burden or responsibility to resolve them.
Critics who have only praised the film's visual properties, which are admittedly impressive, are missing the point of a film that's richly dense in text and subtext, and replete with ambiguous meanings. In other words, "Under the Skin" is not just a bizarre or a curio item—it's much more ambitious than that.
The film is quiet yet dark, sinister, and challenging from the first scene, nocturnal scene, in which a motorcycle is seen speeding and a body being picked up. In an all-white room, a nude woman then undresses that body and puts on her clothes.
As soon as she lands, she asks for directions. She drives a white van, she cruises around Glasgow, Scotland, stopping to speak to various men. Some of the men who follow her suddenly find themselves before sinking and disappearing.
On the beach, the woman observes a man trying to swim into rough waters, while his baby waits for him. The alien woman then clobbers another man who's tried to save the swimmer as the baby cries. Is she utterly lacking empathy? No sense of decency and humanity?
The next man she woman picks up transforms himself, which is followed by an encounter with yet another guy, who looks like the Elephant Man. As the tale unfolds, the woman becomes more passive and more vulnerable, but the writers only describe these processes of transformation (perhaps even radical transfiguration), without explaining their reasoning.
In general, "Under the Skin" is not a conventional feature, relying on exposition, psychology, or motivation, but there is enough in it to stimulate the mind and provoke some strong feelings, largely due to Glazer's astute mise-en-scene and striking imagery.
Made to look as plain and ordinary, as she ever has been onscreen, Scarlett Johansson offers a multi-nuanced performance in a tough and demanding roles that often depends on subtle gestures and moves rather than words and dialogue.
Production: Nick Wechsler Productions, JW Films
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Screenwriters: Walter Campbell, Jonathan Glazer, based on the novel by Michel Faber
Producers: James Wilson, Nick Wechsler
Executive producers: Tessa Ross, Reno Antoniades, Walter Campbell, Claudia Bluemhuber, Ian Hutchinson, Florian Dargel
Director of photography: Daniel Landin
Production designer: Chris Oddy
Costume designer: Steven Noble
Editor: Paul Watts
Music: Mica Levi
Filed Under: FEATURED REVIEW, REVIEWS


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Chris Writes About the End of the World
My name's Chris, and for a long time I used this blog to write about the end of the world. You can still read about the end of the world here.
#14 Everything You Wanted To Know About Zombies (But Were Afraid To Ask Daniel Defoe): Everything New is Old Again
Welcome to our most belated, longest titled blog entry yet. Now it takes a great man to admit when he's been wrong. From the very beginning of the blog, I have emphasised that the zombie apocalypse genre is one that is, for want of a better pun, cannibalistic. I have argued that everything in the genre today can be traced back to Night of the Living Dead, which itself is traced back to I Am Legend.
So it is with all due humility that I say- it turns out I was more right than even I suspected.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Zombies (But Were Afraid To Ask Daniel Defoe) was a lovely event held in London last week, hosted by the Birkbeck Literature Club where various academics and zombie geeks met up to listen to a series of talks and readings about the zombie apocalypse genre- and how it related to 18th century literature- specifically, the historical recordings of the events surrounding the spread of the plague in that period.
From the very start the venue for the event gave off mixed signals. On the one hand, the walls were littered with red crosses and pleas for God's mercy- on the other hand, there was free wine and nibbles. I poured myself a glass and found myself a seat.
The opening talk came from a man named Peter Jones, who told us about the "Anointers" from Alessandrro Manzoni's Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed).
Not this Peter Jones. He knows nothing about 18th century literature or the zombie apocalypse
Faced with the horrific death and destruction, medieval peasants (Here we are defining the word "Peasant" to mean- "Anyone who doesn't own a TV") reacted the way they always have in the face of horrific circumstances- a great big group prayer meeting. Modern scientists have responded to the idea of fighting a contagious disease by getting everyone in your community together in a poorly ventilated building, or having them march through the streets from one end of the city to the other en masse as "Oh for the love of God no! What are you doing! And Jesus Ever-Loving Christ do none of you wash your hands?" but community leaders at the time hung up a big "Mission Accomplished" banner and told everyone to go back to their daily business.
Known today as the Mayor Larry Vaughn Technique
Those of you who have just finished googling that pop culture reference (Come on! There was picture of a fin on the poster behind them! Surely that was a give away?) will probably be able to guess what happened next. If you guessed lots and lots more people dying, you can have a gold star.
As this highly crumpled hand-out I still have left over from the event says (In an extract from The Betrothed):
"The men who had fought so long and so resolutely against the view that a seed of a disease had from the beginning been near at hand, or in their very midst, which could multiply and spread by natural means to cause a disaster – those men were no longer able to deny that the disease was in fact spreading through the city. But they could not admit that it was due to natural causes without also admitting that they had completely misled the public and done great harm thereby. That disposed them to find some other reason, and to accept any explanation of the sort that might offer itself."
This sounds not just like Mayor Larry Vaughn (For Christ's sake people, he was the mayor in Jaws! The one who kept insisting that there was no shark because it would damage tourism? Jaws is only one of the most successful films ever made! For once, watch something that came out before Kung Fu Panda!) but also rings a bell pretty close to the news reports we hear at the beginning of every zombie movie. It's taken as read that when the zombie apocalypse starts, our government will leap right into action to fuck it up. And while we'd like to believe that we're better than medieval peasants (those of us with televisions anyway) deep down we kind of know we aren't.
So, if prayer meetings don't work, what do medieval peasants do next?
If you answered "Horror" have a gold star
Yes, it turns out, face with unimaginable tragedy and worrying uncertainty, people's first reaction was to find people who "didn't fit in" and weren't from round these parts" and then torture them. Fortunately people are much more civilised now.
Specifically, in this book the plague was blamed on "Anointers"- suspicious, shady types who would sneak around, "anointing" people with plague. Now apparently there don't exist that many visual representations of these Anointers, and other academics (for the purposes this article: Wussydemics) would have been stopped by that. Peter Jones however showed he was a good ten times more awesome than his Dragon's Den counterpart by giving his talk dressed like this:
Peter Jones dressed as an Anointer. Photos courtesy of Hannah Eiseman-Renyard, the Jimmy Olsen to my Lois Lane.
Peter Jones's talk was followed by a break, where we all got more wine and sat down to be suddenly interrupted by a man bursting in and angrily reading from 'God's Terrible Voice in the City' by Thomas Vincent, who stayed in London and was giving sermons during the plague. It was while he described the gruesome, terrifying sights of the plague to us in an underground room a little way out from King's Cross, that I decided that I wouldn't be going to any more apocalyptic pandemic based events in London. Thinking about this stuff is the best fun in a small, out of the way city that even the Romans had trouble clinging onto- thinking about it near the centre of a huge mass of humanity that has historically dealt with plagues by burning itself down is a little more disquieting.
I've no idea what I did to him but I am so very, very sorry!
The final talk of the evening, before the Q&A and the retreat to the pub, was Amy Cutler, who delivered a great paper on how Daniel Defoe's Journal of the Plague Year is echoed by modern zombie movies.
Amy Cutler immediately admitted that her readings of the texts she was talking about were Marxist, which wasn't a huge surprise. We've already mentioned Romero's parodies of consumerism and capitalism in Dawn and Land of the Dead, as well as his take on I Am Legend as a story about revolution.
Although you could read it as the ultimate example of letting the free market decide...
She started out by drawing on some the more obvious parallels between zombies and plague victims- mainly that people walked around looking really gross, in the process infecting other people who then went on to look really gross. She pointed us to a quote from Defoe's Journal that went "many People had the plague in their very blood, and preying upon their spirits, and were in themselves but walking putrified carcasses, whose breath was infectious, and their sweat poison". She goes on to describe how: "The behaviour of the sick and infected also poses a form of geographical insurrection, for 'they were with great difficulty kept from running out into the Fields and Towns, and tearing all in pieces wherever they came'"
Amy moved on from here to talk about more structural similarities however, such as "the ways in which the city space is performed and changed bodily by the actions of groups of people, of the bodies of the sick and the healthy."
This is a key part of the zombie apocalypse genre- in the least few weeks I've furnished you with plenty of examples of pubs, shops and radio stations being reinterpreted as fortresses and streets and office blocks becoming battlefields. I think this is not only a key trope in the genre, but also part of its appeal. Unlike the Western, Space Opera or Historical Romance, you can easily re-imagine your own street as it is hit by the zombie apocalypse, a sort of instant Augmented Reality game.
Amy also talks about the mechanics of groups of survivors. She talks about plague survivors in Defoe's book who "develop their own social, economic, and moral laws: they pool their money on the condition that any further money any one of them gains will be added to the public stock. In Epping Forest they build their own shelter, kill their own food, and almost totally avoid interaction with anyone outside their group." She compares this to zombie movies where "The zombie film heralds the return of the ultimate democratised travel. There are typical scenes such as a hijacking on the road and the fall into what is basically land piracy. And there are no more zones of exclusion or privilege as each is broken into."
I'm not sure how much I agreed with Amy's idea that there is anything Marxist about your typical zombie movie survivors. If anything films like I Am Legend, Dawn of the Dead and Land of the Dead show the survivors as practicing the ultimate in Laissez-Faire capitalism, hording as much as they possibly can behind barricaded windows and locked doors, struggling to keep out or kill the baying hordes outside.
She did go on to point out some interesting trends that immediately seemed obvious after she said them, but hadn't occurred to me before. Such as the prevalence and importance of petrol stations in pretty much any zombie movie you care to mention- which is odd considering that these same films are often built around static siege narratives.
So what do these talks teach us about the zombie apocalypse? Well, they teach us we keep retelling the same old stories, and that horrible things that happened centuries ago still haunt our nightmares today. They tell us about how we view cities- places of safety and civilisation that could be transformed into a jungle at a moment's notice. But I think most of all these talks show that there is no threat so great, no common cause so important, no unifying action so crucial to our survival, that we will not act like a complete shower of dicks to one another.
Our zombie experts: Jennifer Cooke, Amy Cutler and Peter Jones, destroying your hope in humanity
I emailed Amy before writing this blog, asking for a copy of her talk and also inviting her to adjudicate the drinking game rules for this week's blog (since some people still seem to think I'm being overly lenient). Her rulings were as follows:
Do the characters spend most of the story under siege in some manner of building? (One shot) NO
Are the people coming to rescue you incompetent (One shot) or more dangerous than the zombies? (One shot) YES
Does nobody ever actually use the word zombie? (Two shots) YES
Is mankind the real monster? (One shot) YES
Has anybody said "They're coming to get you Barbra!" (Two shots) NO (didn't actually mention that film or play a clip from it!)
Are the zombies walking dead (One Shot) YES who move slowly (One shot) NO (seemed to deal more with running zombies) and can only be killed by destroying the brain? (Head shot) NO
Kiddy zombies? (Two shots) YES
Do the dead rise regardless of whether they were "infected"? (Two shots) NO it's all about infection.
Posted by Chrisfarnell at 08:15
Labels: 28 Days Later, academia, George Romero, horror, I Am Legend, plague, Plants Vs Zombies, Post-Apocalypse, The Infected, Thieving Bastards, Zombie Apocalypse
Chrisfarnell
Chris lives in Norwich, where he likes to make things up. You can buy books he's written here
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The small Advent gift - time for yourself! Stroll relaxed through the Rüdesheim Christmas Market and treat yourself with the first Christmas presents. Taste Pre-Christmas sweets and mulled wine of the Rüdesheim wine growers.
Discover one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Germany in the historic old town of Rüdesheim and our romantic garden. Immerse yourself in the magical atmosphere and stroll through the festively decorated Christmas Market with 1000 lights and more than 100 booths.
We treat you with traditional Christmas goose, fresh waffles and Christmas cake. Victor and his band entertain in the evening with Christmas carols to evergreens.
Welcome between Rhine and vine. Take a time-out of daily routine. Discover butterflies in your tummy and relax walking through the Rüdesheim vineyards or hiking on the Rheinsteig trail through the UNESCO World Heritage Middle Rhine Valley.
Nature is reborn, almond trees blossom, spring is here to stay. The excursion boats ply the waves, the cable car hovers over the vineyards. Time for outdoor pleasures. The vineyards await your visit in the spring sunshine. Our chef treats you with Easter delicacies: fresh trout, tender filet of lamb and rabbit.


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South Korean military fires 'warning shots' at unidentified object believed to be North Korean drone
by Alex Hollings May 24, 2017
The South Korean military fired warning shots at an unidentified aircraft believed to be a drone seen flying over the demilitarized zone separating them from the aggressive North Korean regime to their north.
Although the South Korean military was not able to identify the aircraft, more than 90 rounds were fired at it from an undisclosed weapon or weapons before the aircraft disappeared from radar screens and they lost visual contact with it. This event occurred as tensions between North and South Korea are at near-historic highs in the face of repeated ballistic missile launches, nuclear weapons testing, and aggressive threats being levied by the North toward South Korea and its most powerful ally, the United States. North Korea has conducted successful ballistic missile tests as recently as this past Sunday.
While South Korean officials were unable to confirm what exactly the aircraft was, there is historic precedent indicating that the aircraft was likely a drone. Early last year, another unidentified aircraft believed to be a drone approached the border dividing the two nations from the North. The South Korean military issued a number of warning broadcasts before ultimately choosing to fire warning shots from a machine gun at the craft, which promptly turned about and returned to North Korean airspace.
"It's very likely these were trying to figure out troop disposition," said retired Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer at the time. "The second thing they were trying to do was probably provocation."
Although North Korea has a history of exaggerated claims regarding their military capabilities, experts suspect Kim Jong Un's regime may possess as many as 1,300 fighter jets and an as-yet unknown number of drone aircraft ranging in capabilities from domestically produced and potentially weapons capable platforms to commercially available drones intended for civilian use.
Two drones that were suspected of being launched by the North Korean government were discovered after crashing in separate regions of South Korean in 2014. One drone was discovered on Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, an area that is considered strategically important for the South's military. Earlier in the same year, another drone was found in the city of Paju, which sits only a few miles south of the demilitarized zone. According to reports at the time, the drone found in Paju contained images of the "Blue House," which is the South Korean equivalent of America's White House, where its president resides. Language written on the drones suggested they originated in North Korea, though the Kim regime never officially acknowledged the loss of their drones.
Although the drones found in 2014 were classified as small and "elementary level" in their design, it seems likely that their capabilities would have improved since then. North Korea does not possess the same satellite intelligence gathering capabilities employed by more technologically developed nations. As a result, North Korea's military has likely worked to improve the intelligence gathering capabilities allotted by their use of drone aircraft.
Even when these simplistic drones were discovered in 2014, concerns about North Korea weaponizing drones were prominent. Since then, ISIS has successfully been able to do so in Iraq and Syria, using a combination of home-developed drone aircraft and commercially purchased ones to deliver explosives to the coalition forces engaged in fighting the terrorist organization in each nation, serving as flying IEDs of sorts. North Korea almost certainly has the capability to match such a rudimentary style of attack, but it seems unlikely they would do so. Instead of using drone aircraft to fly in small explosives, it would be more likely that these aircraft could be used to deliver chemical or biological agents that would both have a higher kill and casualty rate as well as having a significantly larger effect on the morale of South Korean troops.
Of course, any such an attack would be a part of a larger war effort, one that would likely include nuclear missile launches and a full-scale invasion of the South, which despite their rhetoric, is incredibly unlikely amid the current political grandstanding being made by North Korea and friendly nations like China and Russia.
Image courtesy of Reuters
About Alex Hollings View All Posts
Another North Korean soldier defects across DMZ, South Korea fires warning shots at pursuing troops
South Korean Military confirms drone found was from North Korea
Asia SITREP: N. Korea Drone Entered S. Korea's No Fly Zone
Why doesn't America want a no-fly zone at the North Korean border?
The Tactics That Make North Korean Artillery So Annoying
One year after shooting a defecting soldier, North Korea offers little resistance to a new defector


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Clasificarea Internațională Standard a Educației (ISCED) este structura de clasificare pentru organizarea de informații cu privire la educația și formarea profesională întreținută de către Organizația Națiunilor Unite pentru Educație, Știință și Cultură (UNESCO). Ea face parte din familia internațională a clasificărilor economice și sociale ale Organizației Națiunilor Unite.

ISCED a fost conceput la începutul anilor 1970 pentru a servi "drept un instrument adecvat pentru asamblarea, compilarea și prezentarea statisticilor de învățământ, atât în cadrul fiecărei țări și la nivel internațional". A fost aprobat de către Conferința Internațională asupra Educației (Geneva, 1975) și a fost ulterior aprobat de către Conferința generală UNESCO.

Clasificarea actuală, cunoscut sub numele de ISCED-1997, a fost aprobată de Conferința Generală a UNESCO la sesiunea a 29-a din noiembrie 1997 ca parte a eforturilor de a crește compatibilitatea internațională a statisticilor în educație. Acesta acoperă în principal două eco-clasificări variabile: nivelurile și domeniile educației.Institutul de Statistică al UNESCO a propus o revizuire a ISCED (ISCED-2011), care a fost aprobată de către Conferința generală UNESCO în noiembrie 2011 și care va înlocui ISCED-1997, în colecțiile de date internaționale în următorii ani.

Materiale similare de la Centrul European pentru Dezvoltarea Formării Profesionale  vor furniza informații suplimentare și orientare pentru clasificarea statistică pe sub-domenii ale educației ca un companion la ISCED.

Educație


A verandah is a great way to transform an existing outdoor space into one that encourages both family and friend to gather and enjoy the outdoors with one another. Our Stratco verandahs Melbourne wide give residents peace of mind, knowing the integrity and quality of make will enjoy for many years to come. Verandahs are also available with flat, gabled or round roofs in multiple colour options to suit your home. But once your verandah has been built, how can you make sure it is a space that family members will use and come to love? Learn how to make your outdoor space a sanctuary, offering both looks and function.
With a large, protected outdoor space, you now have endless options as to what the space should be used for. Is it another place the family can sit and dine together? Is it a place that will hold your entertainments nights moving forward? Is it a place the kids can go to play? With the intended purpose in mind, this will ensure you can fill the space accordingly to ensure it carries out its intended function. For dining and entertaining, a dining set with a welcoming table and comfortable chairs is essential, while storage options are most likely to be required for kids, to keep their belongings organised and tidy.
Creating a space outdoors comes with a few considerations which should be recognised in order to ensure your space is comfortable to enjoy year round, from morning to evening. Extreme temperatures, both cold and hot, can take away from family members who use verandahs Melbourne wide. Combat this with a statement ceiling fan or wall heating, to ensure your space will continue to be used, regardless of the weather. Harsh sunlight can also be an issue at certain times in the day, in regard to both brightness and temperature. Shades can easily be integrated into your verandah which can block harsh sunlight while keeping your outdoor area cool. Shades can also be used to protect your outdoor area from rain and hail, too.
Regardless of how your outdoor space is intended to be used, you should still style this space to make it attractive to those who use it. Outdoor furniture and decor are great ways to bring the space to life and are far more weather resistant than regular household items. Adding items such as lighting and outdoor rugs can really give your space a homely feel, while large outdoor sofas or benches are great to encourage multiple people to come together.
If you are after Stratco verandahs Melbourne locals trust, contact Outdoor Impressions today or submit your details here for a complimentary measure and quote.


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Google ad revenue Stories June 6, 2013
Removal of ad-free built-in YouTube app from iOS pays off big-time for Google
- Jun. 6th 2013 5:46 am PT
iOS Devices Google ad revenue Mobile video viewing YouTube ad revenue YouTube mobile viewing
The removal of the ad-free built-in YouTube app from iOS seems to have paid-off for Google, with the ad-enabled replacement version contributing to a tripling of the video-sharing site's mobile ad revenue in the last six months.
YouTube owner Google reports (via Bloomberg) that more than half of all U.S. smartphone owners have used the YouTube app, and that a quarter of traffic comes from phones and tablets. Figures released earlier this year by Ooyala showed that iOS users account for two-thirds of mobile video viewing, and Google previously revealed that the same proportion of its mobile searches came from Apple's iPhone and iPad users. iOS users are more engaged than Android users and Google clearly knows this …


Players: 80. Matches: 129. Club: Southern Table Tennis. Province: SA. Country: Australia (AUS). Director: James, Brian. Sport: Table Tennis. Event ID: 18167. Submitted/revised: 2018-03-15 3:42 am EDT. Last processed: 2019-04-18 5:53 pm EDT.


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La ligne de Lens à Don - Sainghin est une ligne de chemin de fer du réseau ferré national français. Longue de  elle est constituée d'une double voie à écartement normal et électrifiées. Située sur les départements du Nord et du Pas-de-Calais, elle relie les gares de Lens et de Don - Sainghin.

Histoire

Section de Bauvin - Provin à Don
La section de Bauvin - Provin à Don est à l'origine une portion de la « ligne de Don à Hénin-Liétard ». La partie de cette ligne située dans le département du Nord est concédée, au titre de l'intérêt local, par la convention du  à la « Compagnie du chemin de fer de Lille à Valenciennes et ses Extension »,  qui devient également concessionnaire de la partie située dans département du Pas-de-Calais le .

La motivation de la compagnie pour cette concession est de « mettre en valeur les sites miniers de Courrières et de Carvin » en créant un raccordement entre la ligne de Lens à Ostricourt, qui passe par la gare d'Hénin-Liétard, et la ligne de Lille à Béthune, qui dessert la gare de Don. La ligne de Don à Hénin-Liétard est déclarée d'utilité publique le  par deux décrets, l'un pour la partie dans le département du Nord et l'autre pour celle située dans le Pas-de-Calais. La compagnie passe un traité, le  avec la Compagnie des chemins de fer du Nord (Nord), pour lui confier l'exploitation de cette ligne.

La mise en service de la ligne, et donc de la section de Bauvin - Provin à Don - Sainghin, est effectuée par la compagnie du Nord le .

Section de Lens à Bauvin - Provin

Le , la Compagnie du chemin de fer de Lille à Valenciennes et ses Extensions signe un acte d'abandon à l'État de son réseau.

 La ligne est déclarée d'utilité publique par une loi le .

La loi du  (dite plan Freycinet) portant classement de 181 lignes de chemin de fer dans le réseau des chemins de fer d'intérêt général retient en n1, une ligne « d'Armentières à Lens, par Don ».

Ouverte en 1879 de Bauvin - Provin à Don - Sainghin par la Compagnie du chemin de fer de Lille à Valenciennes et ses Extensions, puis en 1882 jusqu'à Lens par la Compagnie des chemins de fer du Nord, la ligne de Bauvin - Provin à Don - Sainghin est reprise définitivement par la Compagnie des chemins de fer du Nord selon les termes d'une convention signée entre le ministre des Travaux publics et la compagnie le . Cette même convention prévoit la cession par l'État de la ligne de « Lens à Armentières », dont la ligne de Lens à Don constitue une partie. Cette convention est approuvée par une loi le  suivant qui reclasse la section de Bauvin - Provin à Don - Sainghin dans le réseau d'intérêt général.

Au début du , sept trains par jour relient Lens à Don - Sainghin, plus sept autres via la ligne d'Hénin-Beaumont à Bauvin - Provin ; ils sont tractés par des machines de plusieurs séries du dépôt de Lens, comme les 230, 220T, 222T, 032T, 040, 140 et 150, ainsi parfois que des 220 « Outrance » sur les trains omnibus. En 1936, un train relie Lens à Don - Sainghin et trois relient Lens à Armentières. Pour quelques trains de marchandises lourds, une locomotive doit être engagée en pousse attelée de Pont-à-Vendin à Lens afin de gravir la rampe de 7‰, lorsque la rame atteint  avec les 140 4.000, futures 140 A dites « les bœufs ».

Après guerre, des locomotives 150 P et 141 R sont engagées afin de tracter les trains de charbon au plus fort tonnage. La ligne voyant circuler de nombreux trains lourds de marchandises, elle est électrifiée en courant - monophasé ; le premier tronçon est mis sous tension le  de Lens à Pont-à-Vendin, le second le  jusqu'à Don - Sainghin. La traction est alors confiée aux locomotives électriques BB 12000, BB 16500 et surtout aux CC 14000 du dépôt de Lens. Le service des voyageurs est suspendu le .

Caractéristiques

Tracé
La ligne possède un profil en dos d'âne avec rampes contraires de 7‰. Elle quitte l'agglomération de Lens par Sallaumines où elle croise la voie des fosses 5 et 12 du groupe de Courrières. Elle atteint la gare de Pont-à-Vendin où un faisceau de formation réceptionne les envois de charbon de plusieurs puits des groupes de Lens, de Courrières et de Meurchin. Puis, après la gare de Bauvin - Provin, elle franchit une seconde fois la Haute-Deûle avant de rejoindre la ligne de Fives à Abbeville en gare de Don - Sainghin.

Numérotation
Elle constitue la ligne  dans la « numérotation officielle » des lignes du réseau ferré national.

Vitesses limites
Vitesses limites de la ligne en 2012 pour tous les types de trains (les trains de marchandises peuvent posséder des limites plus faibles) :

Exploitation
Après le rétablissement du service des voyageurs, la ligne est aujourd'hui utilisée par les TER Hauts-de-France. Elle constitue un maillon des liaisons entre Lille-Flandres et Lens par Don-Sainghin. Il existe deux types de liaisons reliant les deux villes, semi directes numérotées K51, ou bien omnibus numérotées C51 sur le plan commercial. Toutefois, certains trains peuvent être déviés par cette ligne en cas de perturbations sur la ligne de Paris-Nord à Lille.

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Bibliographie
 .
 .

Articles connexes
 Liste des lignes de chemin de fer de France
 Schéma de la ligne de Lens à Don - Sainghin


Taken as a whole, the agency reports outline hundreds of instances of data breaches involving sensitive personal information since January 1, 2003. The reports show a wide range of incidents, involving employee carelessness, contractor misconduct, and third-party thefts. However, in many cases, the agency does not know what information was lost or how many individuals potentially could be affected. Few of these incidents have been reported publicly, and it is unclear in many cases whether affected individuals have been notified or whether remedial action has been taken.
While several data breach notification laws have stalled in the House and Senate, the new report underscores just how much Congress needs to update and strengthen protections for personal data in the hands of third parties -- especially, it seems, the government itself.


Safer Internet Day is taking place on February 5th this year, and the details are all on their website. I thought that I'd take a look at a few children's search engines as a result, just to see if there are that are worth using. I did a few searches designed to trip them up, and came up with some startling conclusions - mainly that most of them either return no results or incorrect ones - one or two disasterously so. I really wasn't taken with any of them to be honest - my conclusion is that I think the best way to search the internet with a child is to do it with them, assess the value of their search and the sites that they find, and reassure them if they find material that's not very nice. I particularly think that it's worth getting librarians, and in particular school librarians involved if you possibly can.
Didnt know there was thing such as 'Childrens search engine'. I think some of these are again linked with Google. For example searchypants.. I just searched for games.. and it showed results pulled out from Google. Not sure how they differ other than providing safe search results.


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Home MMA News Conor McGregor Dana White clears the air: I didn't strip Conor McGregor of title
Dana White clears the air: I didn't strip Conor McGregor of title
Earlier this month, in a shocking move, it was revealed that Conor McGregor had relinquished the featherweight championship just weeks after winning the lightweight championship at UFC 205, where he became the first simultaneous two-division UFC champion.
The move came after it was revealed that Daniel Cormier had been forced out of his main event scrap with Anthony Johnson due to a groin tear. As a result, the UFC promoted the co-main event scrap between Max Holloway & former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis to the main event, and made the bout an interim featherweight title fight, with interim featherweight champion Jose Aldo subsequently being promoted to the undisputed featherweight champion.
While there has been quite a bit of speculation as to whether or not the UFC stripped McGregor of the belt, rather than him voluntarily relinquishing the title, UFC President Dana White cleared the air on UFC Unfiltered this week, saying:
"Everybody always thinks there's some type of animosity between me and Conor and there's always something bad brewing,"
"Listen, I don't know how much more I can say it publicly how much I respect the guy, how different and special he is and everything else."
"And then all this stuff going on with that title that I 'stripped him of the title.' I didn't strip him of anything, do you know what I mean?
"I said every day leading up to that fight he had to give up one of those belts. What do you think that I just went 'eeney meeney miny mo, I pick the 145lb belt.' No, he gave up the 145lb title. It doesn't take away from (his achievement)."
It was also revealed this week that McGregor would be out an estimated 10 months due to the upcoming birth of his child. When he returns, there are certainly no shortage of potential lightweight contenders, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Tony Ferguson, and Nate Diaz, who all have been looking to fight McGregor for the lightweight belt.


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Q: R xgboost importance plot with many features I am trying out the Kaggle housing prices challenge : https://www.kaggle.com/c/house-prices-advanced-regression-techniques
Here is the script I wrote
train    <- read.csv("train.csv")
train$Id <- NULL
previous_na_action = options('na.action')
options(na.action = 'na.pass')
sparse_matrix <- sparse.model.matrix(SalePrice~.-1,data = train)
options(na.action = previous_na_action)
model <- xgboost(data = sparse_matrix, label = train$SalePrice, missing = NA, max.depth = 6, eta = 0.3, nthread = 4, nrounds = 16, verbose = 2, objective = "reg:linear")
importance <- xgb.importance(feature_names = sparse_matrix@Dimnames[[2]], model = model)
print(xgb.plot.importance(importance_matrix = importance))

The data has over 70 features, I used xgboost with max.depth = 6 and nrounds = 16.
The importance plot i am getting is very messed up, how do i get to view only the top 5 features or something.

A: Check out the top_n argument to xgb.plot.importance. It does exactly what you want.
# Plot only top 5 most important variables.
print(xgb.plot.importance(importance_matrix = importance, top_n = 5))

Edit: only on development version of xgboost. Alternative method is to do this:
print(xgb.plot.importance(importance_matrix = importance[1:5]))

A: xgbImp1 <- xgb.importance(model = model)

This will identify the important features of your model.
xgbImp1 <- xgbImp1 %>% mutate(rank = dense_rank(desc(Gain)))

This will provide a rank to each of the feature so we can change it to top 5,10,15 and 20.
ggplot(data=xgbImp1[which(xgbImp1$rank <= 20),], aes(x = reorder(Feature, -Gain), y = Gain)) +
  geom_bar(stat="identity") +
  theme(axis.text.x = element_text(angle = 90, hjust = 1)) +
  labs(title = "XG Boosted Feature Importance (Top 20)", x = "Features", y = "Information Gain")

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


At the moment, I'm seriously rocking word counts in the Aurora Universe. Haven't actually worked on much else, to be quite honest. I spent some serious time (two weeks, almost) on Accidental Ambassador (which, I think may need a new name) and a couple of days on the story of a Captain in Madeline Walsh's era. I'm not entirely sure if the Captain actually predates Madeline Walsh or if she joins the fleet shortly after the beginning of the Madeline Walsh story. I'm still putting that plot together to figure out what's what about it.
Additionally, I spent about a week back in Edwina O'Mally's era, working on some of the Station 321 stories that shortly predate her arrival to the station.
This NaNoWriMo was a productive one, and I look forward to hopefully keeping up the speed of work that I've been putting in. (between 2k and 4k words a day) With any luck, I'll be able to pick up enough speed that perhaps next year's NaNoWriMo will include a personal goal of 100k, versus the usual 50K.
This December, I'll be talking about how the plan for a year of writing went for me this year, and how I intend to make it better in 2016. And I'll try to discuss indie author self promotion as well.


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We are located in the picturesque town of Andover, MA and proudly serving Essex County and surrounding areas. Ours is a family owned business, with tricks of the trade being passed down from generation to generation. Our company has been adjusting cooling systems and replacing boilers since 1968. We have earned our rightful place as one of the best HVAC companies in the county. We've made it our business to vet the best technicians in the industry. All of our technicians have their Massachusetts Refrigeration Technician License and a 608 certificate. This means that you can trust us to work within compliance of Massachusetts law and Andover building codes.
If you are fortunate enough to have central heat and air, our team is equipped to shore up your ducts to make sure your system is running as efficiently as possible. We are abreast of the latest technologies and would be happy to install a stream-lined ductless air conditioning wall unit for you. One of the functions of a superior heating and cooling system is to ensure even temperatures throughout the environment. We are able to install a control unit that allows you to set your den at 70 degrees, the bedrooms at 72 degrees and your entertainment room at 68 degrees to allot for usage and exterior temperature exposure.
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Fortunately, our summer temps typically only reach the low 80's. But it might as well be 100 degrees outside the way Bay Staters react. Having a good cooling system doesn't mean setting your thermostat to 60 degrees and letting it run all day and night because your utility bills would be astronomical. An efficient HVAC system allows you to set your thermostat to varying levels of 60 degrees throughout your home without making major adjustments or breaking the bank.
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Without a doubt, your company's productivity is at stake. Low productivity means less efficiency which translates to decreased revenue and profit margins. If you don't generate a profit, you don't have a business, you have a hobby. But because efficiency is important to you and you care about your employees, we know that you will invest appropriately in a superior HVAC system. Superior systems are quiet, last longer and save you money in the long run.
The purpose of your boiler is to generate and transfer heat. If your hot water heater is not operating efficiently, those languorous showers you are accustomed to taking are seriously compromised. Your heater should not clank, bang or hiss. If it does, it's time for a replacement. Andover HVAC, Heating and Cooling would be happy to schedule a free consultation and diagnose any problems you may be experiencing with your HVAC system.
Your favorite local HVAC contractors are located in historic Andover, MA. It would be our pleasure to service all of your heating and cooling needs. If you've just acquired a new home or business and are unsure of your HVAC's efficiency, we'd be happy to schedule a complimentary evaluation. We are are bound to find something that the inspector missed. If your system is in tip-top condition, we have the know-how to teach you how to maintain even temperatures.


Today we finally officially released the beta of ASP.NET MVC (go download it already!).
True, the release has actually been available online since yesterday as it was announced in a Keynote at VSLive by Scott Hanselman, but that was intended to be a special treat for attendees in what ended up being the worst kept secret in .NET-dom.
As usual, to get all the details, check out the latest epic installment on ScottGu's blog. Scott Hanselman also has a great blog post with good coverage as well.
One very exciting element to this release is that we've included JQuery (as I mentioned before) and are indeed the first Microsoft product to include it. One of the first Microsoft products (AFAIK) to bundle a third-party open source component.
The following list (each a link to the GU's blog) show's what's new in the Beta.
What's new in ASP.NET MVC Beta?
I hope you enjoy this release and the plan from here on out is primarily to focus on stabilization. This means fixing bugs, making design change requests which we feel hit meet a high bar, and getting the product ready for RTM. However, as Scott mentioned, there are a few new features we're planning, especially with Visual Studio tooling.
Congrats to you and the team on getting the beta out!
When do you guys expect RTM? This year? Q1 next year? If it's this year, I can use it for a project. If it's next, no dice.
Congrats.. Nice to see these kind of community involvement in MS products.
Congratulations, I'm curios about it.
Congrats for the release. Great Work!
What are the changes I need to do in my existing app(which is in ASP.NET MVC preview-5) to switch it to ASP.NET MVC beta.
Congrats. Good work. Keep it on.
Ditto awesome! Congrats, and thanks for the work thus far, it's looking great.
@Sadanand: The release notes are quite descriptive, have everything you need to upgrade. They're on the download page.
congratulations to the team for making this very exciting and promissing direction of asp.net possible. I'm sure asp.net mvc will make asp.net as a whole a even more powerfull and reliable product on the market.
i would like to say thanx to all,those who putted their efforts with MVC.
Nice one! The list of enhancements looks great.
I especially like the "Add View" menu in VS. That's far nicer than getting people to edit the code-behind file for strongly-typed views.
Looking forward to the RTM! Are you going to give us any hints about the other tooling enhancements you're considering?
Thanks for including the futures assembly.
Good job on the release, I noticed you guys did a great job of adding new features without necessarily destroying the 'old' way of doing - ie. I like the 2 methods of using the Form helper.
I prefer wrapping it with using, but to see both options is nice.
Any chance of including a CheckBoxList in the futures?
thanks, I got that document!
@Bill Brown We are working very hard to try and get it out as soon as possible. We feel pretty confident that we will have an API complete release candidate done this year. We're hoping to have a final RTM release this year as well - but if not it would be the very early next year.
Taking off the %22 and leaving the %20 works just fine, but for whatever reason the %22 (I have not tested all other encoded vals) causes the error above. Is this an issue with the beta? I have searched the forums and issue tracker to no avail.
> a third-party open source component.
Well, the early versions of Windows NT included TCP/IP sockets based on BSD sockets as well as some binaries like FTP and NSLOOKUP based on the BSD versions.


Seth Maness came into the game in a tight spot and got some big outs for St. Louis Cardinals.
Maness got three straight outs after coming in with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to help the Cardinals hold off the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 on Thursday night.
Steve Cishek started the inning and walked the bases loaded before being replaced by Maness, who struck out David Peralta and Welington Castillo and got Jake Lamb to roll out to first to end what could have been a big inning for Arizona.
"You try not to think too much," Maness said. "You know the bases are loaded but it's just one pitch at a time, trying to execute that pitch and on to the next pitch."
Cishek said he felt fine, but the ball was taking off out of his hand. He then got to sit and watch Maness work.
"It was amazing. It was a huge relief. That's what we do, pick each other up." Cishek said. "He was incredible."
Brandon Moss hit his first home run with St. Louis after being acquired in a trade with Cleveland almost a month ago and Tony Cruz hit his first home run of the season, leading the Cardinals to the win and a four-game series sweep.
It was the Cardinals' fifth straight win overall and they finished 7-0 against the Diamondbacks this season.
Carlos Martinez (13-6) earned the win with six innings of four-hit ball, allowing three runs and striking out six with two walks. Trevor Rosenthal got the last three outs for his 41st save as the Cardinals improved to a season-high 37 games above .500 (82-45).
Moss's tiebreaking two-run shot in the fifth inning put the Cardinals ahead 5-3. He'd hit 15 home runs with Cleveland.
"It felt good just to contribute," Moss said. "Offensively it's been a grind, but the guys have been playing great. That's the silver lining in that."
Arizona's Rubby De La Rosa (11-6) gave up all five runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out four and waked four in his first loss since July 12.
De La Rosa threw eight balls on the first nine pitches of the game, and Kolten Wong followed with an RBI double to put the Cardinals ahead 1-0.
Cruz's homer and Matt Carpenter's RBI double in the second stretched St. Louis' lead to 3-0.
The Diamondbacks tied it in the bottom of the third on Lamb's RBI single and Ender Inciarte's two-out, two-run single off Wong's glove.
Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale lamented the lost opportunity to score in the eighth.
"Another situation where the anxiety just gets to you," Hale said. "Guys see it right in front of them, they have a chance to be a hero and want it to bad. That is something with experience we should get better at."