While I find crop circle history fascinating, I'm always frustrated with the believers who ask us to accept that the crop circles of the UK are a likely means of communication from non-human intelligence.
It makes no sense whatsoever that an advanced technological intelligence would choose a means of communication that was so easily turned into a three-ring circus by Human "artists"... Face it, Humans turned crop-circle creation into an art contest wherein the designs became more and more elaborate until they were positively LAUGHABLE.
We KNOW that Humans CAN do these things. We KNOW that Humans CONTINUE to do these things, and they do them for their own amusement.
I mean, an intelligent non-human species that has been OBSERVING Human civilization for tens of thousands of years would KNOW that their attempts at crop circle communication could and would be corrupted by mischievous Humans, right?
Right. They may as well be writing astrophysical equations in the sand down at the beach. It's NOT a viable means of communications.
I put it to you that if an intelligent non-human species wanted to communicate with us on a level BEYOND the ability of Humans to corrupt the message, the non-human species would do so in such an extraordinary manner that it was beyond dispute... like engraving a 3000-foot-high cliff-face at Yosemite, and doing so overnight.
There is NOTHING about the "coded messages" in wheat fields that is so extraordinary that Humans couldn't hoax them. Crop circles provide no concrete information that is BEYOND Human imagination and ability. That simple fact negates the other-worldliness of crop circles, as far as I'm concerned.
Why would a non-human intelligence use a MEDIUM of communication that Humans could so easily manipulate to our own ends?
The FACT is that Humans DO create crop circles, even the most elaborate crop circles. Humans CREATED Binary coding. Humans could just as easily create a message intended to frighten and/or mislead the remainder of Humanity.
Crop circles in Binary, therefore, are NOT a viable means of non-human communication.
By the time non-human intelligence is trying to WARN US of impending doom — using phrases such as "BEWARE" — the free will of the Human species is a moot consideration. A warning is a warning.
Why not just drop flyers over the population? A UFO flying low and dropping propaganda flyers?
There have been instances of fringe-theory mathematical formulae popping up in unlikely places.
The Davis-Greenstein papers were WAY OUT on the fringe of astrophysical theory in 1973. But were the Davis-Greenstein papers of extraterrestrial origin? Unlikely. How they happened to come fluttering down from hundreds of feet in the sky is open to conjecture. But that doesn't mean non-human intelligence was at work.
Just so, a mathematical equation appearing in a crop circle is no indication of extraterrestrial or non-human intelligence at work. We KNOW humans can and do create crop circles. We KNOW humans invented Mathematics. And there is no indication that Mathematical equations exist anywhere else in the Universe except between the ears of Human beings.
Therefore, we can safely assume that mathematical equations in a crop circle are wholly Human creations.
When the nature of the message is a WARNING, it doesn't matter who wants to know and who doesn't. When Paul Revere rode through the Massachusetts townships, shouting "The British Are Coming! Make Haste!" his message fell on the ears of both Patriots and Loyalists, okay?
When the message is a warning, there's no need to parse words — you convey a sense of urgency, and those who heed the warning will heed it.
Don't get me wrong... I know that a certain small percentage of crop circles are the real deal — they're usually simple circles, but the vegetation is energetically deformed from within the stalks, sometimes there are tektites (microscopic meteors) at the scene, and measurable electromagnetic anomalies are recorded at "real" crop circles.
The elaborate, artsy crop circles are invariably hoaxed. Sometimes publicly and proudly hoaxed.
The Doug & Dave crop circles went out the window long ago, right. Those guys I suspect were disinformation agents who attempted to sign their names to something beyond their ken.
There have been crop circles on almost every continent, and the most credible ones (as anomalies) tend to occur where people won't see them, and without the convenient irrigation trails to hide human footprints. I mean, there are crop circles that happen in marshes where Humans can't access, and more recently there have been crop circles discovered out on iced-over lakes.
I think the "real" crop circle phenomenon is a poorly understood energy vortex phenomenon, and there's the possibility that it occurs naturally. I don't think there's any intelligence behind it at all.
There will always be those, however, who try to take credit for the sunrise and who sign their names to the tides.


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Fortresses, churches and chapels, mills and wash places, or classified houses, ... a whole patrimony to discover.
Throughout your walks in Herbeumont and its surroundings, you will find various buildings, fountains, classified houses or crosses marking a souvenir. Discover the architectural and historical heritage of Herbeumont and the region.
The future Ravel on the old railway line Bertrix-Herbeumont-Muno
Herbeumont is marked by the disused railway Herbeumont-Bertrix-Muno: it was built from 1902 to 1914 in a specific way to avoid crossings, with many bridges and 3 tunnels (Orgéo, Mortehan and with its 1396m the longer one, Sainte-Cécile, which is closed for security reasons). It served the Germans during the two wars to resupply their troops to Verdun. It is for your walks, riding and cycling in the direction Herbeumont – Bertrix
Herbeumont celebrities
Herbeumont also counts a few famous names:
Serge Reding, weight lifter, silver medallist at the Mexico Olympic Games. He is buried in the cemetery of Herbeumont. A birch tree was planted in his honor near the calvary, a commemorative stele is located in the "Vivy" park.
Jean Perlot left in 1849 for California and the gold rush and returned 20 years later, his fortune made.
Marcel Leroy, a poet who evokes in his stories the Semois, his Ardennes forest ...
Georges Deleau made his career in Paris. The French government called on him for boat design. He also decorated the house of the writer Arsène Alexandre, located Ravignan place and a lounge of the basque house of Edmond Rostand.
Guy Bosquet, renowned painter, was an illustrator for the railway magazine « Le Rail ».
All cities Bouillon Conques Herbeumont Orval
Saint-Roch's chapel
Ancien viaduc sur la Semois
rue de Bravy
Pierres levées en schiste
Moulin du Nawès ou Moulin du Deleau
Ancien prieuré de Conques
rue des Conques 2
Fortified Castle of Bouillon
Esplanade Godefroid 1
Originally built in the eighth century, the castle is among the oldest in Belgium. It was certainly already complete by 988 AD. Its most famous resident was Godfrey of Bouillon, leader of the First...
The Abbey of Orval : its ruins and its museums
Route d'Orval 1
6823 Villers-devant-Orval
The Abbey of Orval is one of the most remarkable Cistercian abbeys of Belgium. Come and discover this place full of History and famous for its trappiest beer in one of the most regions of Belgium :...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


ASCC provided pre-event security assessments and protective event security personnel.
(IRVING, TX -- May 7, 2013) - Anderssen Security Consulting Corp. (ASCC), a provider of specialized investigative and protective services, reported today it was pleased the four-day 2013 LPGA event concluded without any security incidents.
ASCC had been named by Nexus Club to manage security for the LPGA's (Ladies Professional Golfers Association) North Texas Shootout golf tournament. The event was held April 25th through 28th at the Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas. The North Texas Shootout is owned by the Nexus Club of Dallas/Fort Worth.
ASCC managed all aspects of security inside the Las Colinas County Club. ASCC also provided pre-event security analysis, risk assessment and investigative services. In addition, ASCC deployed plain clothes personnel at the event. Female personnel from ASCC also provided personal assistance and security for the LPGA players. ASCC personnel worked closely with off duty Irving police officers assigned to the event.
"This event took place directly after the Boston Marathon Bombing so there was a high level of security-awareness by all involved since we had a large crowd which primarily consisted of spectators and included a number of celebrities," said Richard "Rick" Anderssen, CEO of ASCC.
Anderssen Security Consulting Corp. (ASCC) provides domestic, as well as international, civil and criminal investigative and protective services for businesses, organizations, government agencies, schools, families and individuals. ASCC also provides comprehensive security and exposure risk assessment services, and has specialized expertise in the financial services and gaming industries. ASCC is based in Dallas, Texas and was founded by Richard K. Anderssen, Sr., who has more than 30 years of experience in security, risk assessment and law enforcement. For more detailed information about the Company visit www.AnderssenSecurity.com.


Santra, Sangeeta and Paul, Aloke (2017) Role of Zr on growth kinetics and microstructural evolution of the superconductor V3Ga by the bronze technique. In: PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE LETTERS, 97 (2). pp. 58-65.
The influence of Zr on the growth of V3Ga is studied by a diffusion-couple technique mimicking the bronze method for superconductor production. Systematic quantitative evaluation on critical-current-density-dependent metallurgical parameters is addressed. A mixture of V3Ga and Zr-containing phases develops at the interdiffusion zone. Smaller grains on Zr addition cause higher growth kinetics owing to grain-boundary diffusion of Ga. The grains are oriented randomly irrespective of Zr addition. Refined microstructure, second-phase, and higher growth kinetics suggest a beneficial role of Zr for the better functioning of the superconductor.


BrightSparks Singapore Scholarship & Higher Education Forum > University > Overseas > USA > Please advise! Should I take SATs right before As?
View Full Version : Please advise! Should I take SATs right before As?
Hi, I am currently a year 2 JC student waiting to take my A levels in November. I am going to take my SAT2 subject tests on 6 October, but my school's guidance counselor also recommends me to take my SAT1 paper before next year, so that I can get in on this year's US admissions.
Right now I have 2 choices for the date of my SAT1 paper, either 2 days before the first A level paper which is GP and right after the A levels which is like 1 day after my last paper! I am currently thinking of just winging it and do it before my A levels, at least I have time to study for it then!
I would like to ask for some advice regarding what I should do with regards to my SAT1 test? Thanks so much!
Ideally you should take the SAT 1 at the earliest to give yourself the best shot at US admissions. For this you should plan your studies accordingly.


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With some sort of emergence with regards to online application facility, you can store time, money and renewable energy. The great process may have now become a simple, easy-to-complete activity, which should be just a mouse check away starting from you.


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Philippines starts coronavirus vaccination program using Sinovac Biotech jabs donated by China
Saturday, March 20, 2021 by: Nolan Barton
Tags: AstraZeneca, Big Pharma, coronavirus, coronavirus vaccine, Dengvaxia, healthcare workers, Pfizer-BioNTech, Public Attorney's Office (PAO), Sanofi, Sinovac Biotech, Southeast Asian countries, Vaccination Program
(Natural News) Healthcare workers from six government hospitals in the National Capital Region (NCR) received Sinovac Biotech vaccines Monday, March 1, marking the start of the coronavirus vaccination program in the Philippines.
"You truly are the heroes during this time of the pandemic so it is just right that you be the first in line to receive the vaccines," Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque told health workers.
The Philippines received its first shipment of coronavirus vaccines Sunday, Feb. 28, with the arrival of 600,000 doses of the vaccine donated by the Chinese government and made by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company, Sinovac Biotech.
The Philippines has reported 576,381 cases of coronavirus as of writing, including infections with the more infectious British coronavirus variant, and has recorded 12,322 deaths.
It aims to inoculate 70 million of its 109 million people this year to achieve herd immunity and revive an ailing economy.
Carlito Galvez, a retired army general who heads the government's vaccine strategy, said the Philippines might not move forward unless everyone is immunized.
"It is our moral obligation," said Galvez, who received his injection live on television and said the vaccines were "doses of hope."
The country was the last to begin its immunization program among Southeast Asian countries. Its vaccination program has been delayed several times, with the latest setback a delay to the 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine that were supposed to arrive on March 1.
AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech want indemnification clauses included in sales agreements
The Philippine government has been in talks with major manufacturers of coronavirus vaccines for a combined 161 million doses but has struggled to conclude deals.
Makers of the other approved vaccines – AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech – wanted indemnification clauses included in their sales agreements with the Philippines. With an indemnification clause in the sales agreement, the companies would be free of liabilities resulting from any adverse consequences of using their vaccines. (Related: Jabbed at your own risk: Coronavirus vaccine manufacturers to be EXEMPT from liability claims in most countries.)
They were apparently afraid of suffering the same fate as the French drug company Sanofi.
Three Sanofi executives were ordered arrested by a Quezon City court after they failed to appear for an arraignment hearing on Jan. 27 in a case related to the rollout several years ago of the company's dengue drug, Dengvaxia – a vaccination campaign that allegedly resulted in the deaths of several children dating as far back as 2016.
The Paris-based Sanofi executives have been charged with "reckless imprudence resulting in homicide."
"The industry is saying: I have to be protected. I don't want to be 'Sanofied,'" said Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, a non-resident research fellow at the Ateneo School of Government and former health undersecretary.
Hartigan-Go is one of the former and current health officials facing charges in the Dengvaxia case along with the Sanofi executives.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon noted how drug companies "suddenly required" an indemnification clause following news of the arrest orders. Drilon told ABS-CBN News that Pfizer and AstraZeneca "have submitted indemnification forms to the Philippines" and are awaiting signatures.
Under the World Health Organization's Covax facility for lower-income countries, the Philippines would receive 5.5 million doses from AstraZeneca and 117,000 doses from Pfizer-BioNTech.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles related to online news service OneNews that the government had almost concluded negotiations with the two companies when they added the indemnification clause requirements. He said the government was "under the impression" that such clauses were not necessary.
The Philippines did not sign an indemnification clause with Sinovac Biotech.
Majority of Filipinos not willing to get inoculated against coronavirus
The indemnification clause requirements could further damage the public's trust in vaccines, which had already been dented by the Dengvaxia case.
That controversial case prompted hearings in both chambers of Congress from 2016 to 2018, during which Philippine health officials and drug company executives were summoned.
Sanofi's French representative in Manila was forced to apologize for any "misunderstanding" when he had said there was no reason for alarm over Dengvaxia even when Sanofi's own report stated that the drug could have adverse effects when administered to people who had never had dengue.
Families stepped forward to claim their children had died after receiving a Dengvaxia jab, a narrative pushed by the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) during the hearings. There were also reports that health officials advocated the use of Dengvaxia in exchange for commissions and kickbacks.
Memories of the Dengvaxia case still lingered among many Filipinos.
"Many kids got sick after receiving that vaccine," said 62-year-old Crisanta Alipio. She said she was afraid of the coronavirus but even more afraid of vaccination.
Government officials acknowledged the difficulties. "Messaging has to be very concrete and evidence-based to encourage people to receive the vaccines," Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said.
Dr. Charles Yu, a pulmonologist, said that the public should not fear China's coronavirus vaccines because they are based on inactivated virus particles, a method that "has a track record for safety."
One opinion poll showed less than one-third of Filipinos were willing to get inoculated against coronavirus. (Related: More than half of Americans don't want COVID-19 vaccine, survey shows.)
"Vaccination programs will go to waste if people refuse to get the shots," said former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral.
Apasrah Mapupuno, the head of the government's Lanao del Sur health team, said she had asked dozens of health workers and others if they would roll up their sleeves for a coronavirus vaccine.
Not one said "yes."
"That is the big problem," Mapupuno said. "How can the health workers convince the community to get vaccinated if they themselves are not sold on COVID-19 vaccines?"
Follow Pandemic.news for more news and information related to the coronavirus pandemic.
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COVID vaccines are 7,402% deadlier than all other vaccines combined, warns UK Medicine Regulator
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First person to receive compensation for wrongful death caused by AstraZeneca's covid vaccine speaks out
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https://www.naturalnews.com/2021-03-20-philippines-starts-vaccination-program-using-chinese-sinovac.html
Philippines starts coronavirus vaccination program using Sinovac Biotech jabs donated by China


Does a Cashback Checking account pay interest?
Your cash back reward is considered a rebate. The account does not earn interest so you do not pay taxes on your reward, nor will this generate a 1099 form at the end of the year.


Alexa is Amazon's voice-controlled personal assistant. It's super convenient and so you might want to create your own skills as well. You'll be surprised how easy this is can be with the help of Microsoft Azure Logic Apps.
Alexa, tell my children: food is ready.
Alexa, tell my children to feed the bunnies.
We'll do all of this with zero lines of code, in less than 15 minutes. Ready, set, go!
Bitbucket is a quite popular cloud-hosted source code repository. It has a free plan which includes unlimited private Git or Mercurial repositories for up to five team members and even 50 build minutes per month. Bitbucket Pipelines is its integrated Continuous Integration tool, comparable to Travis or AppVeyor: A repository can be configured to run a certain script after each commit. For example, to check if the build passes—or to build a Docker container of your ASP.NET Core 2.0 app which is automatically pushed to Azure Container Registry (ACR), from where you can deploy your container to Azure App Services or robust Kubernetes clusters. In this blog post, I will explain how to set up Bitbucket Pipelines, build your ASP.NET Core 2.0 app (checked in to a BitBucket Git repository), package it as a Docker container and push it to your Azure Container Registry.


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Cast : Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes	Screenplay : Michael Crichton, Anne-Marie Martin	Release : May 9, 1996	Director : Jan de Bont	Genre : Action, Adventure, Drama	Stream Now	Carrie's Rating :
Posted by Tim Brayton Posted on Nov - 17 - 2014 16.5 Comments
Hollywood Century, 1996: In which little things like story and character aren_†_t nothing next to some really, really cool CGI
1996 - The year that effects extravaganzas went supernova; the year that Hollywood finally figured out how to sell a movie on literally nothing else but the promise of spectacular explosions and other shiny nonsense, depicted with a level of technological prowess that had never before been seen. At least Star Wars had characters and a story and sentiments that people gravitated towards; such trivial niceties were at this point no longer required even as a fig leaf. In our tour of the 100-year history of the Hollywood motion picture, we have finally arrived at the present.
There was only ever one decision facing me when I arrived at '96: of that summer's enorma-hits, do I go with Independence Day or Twister? Favoring the former was its greater cultural impact and its key role in the forming of the Last Great Movie Star, Will Smith; favoring the latter was its greater reliance on CGI rather than practical effects, presaging the future far more clearly. The tiebreaker was that, ever since I first saw it as a teenager squarely in its target demo, I have found ID4 to be inexcusably awful bullshit, whereas I have developed some small level of deeply misguided nostalgia towards Twister these last five or six years, owing in no small part to it being a relic from the good ol' days when summer tentpoles thought that it was perfectly okay to have a running time under two hours. Which was the other tiebreaker.
So first things first, I have been cured of my nostalgia. While Twister holds up rather nicely against the noisy, busy, idiotically-scripted movies of today for all sorts of reasons - it's shorter, it uses visual effects when it must, not when it can, it has recognisable adult characters with adult problems, the supporting cast includes not just young Philip Seymour Hoffman, but also young Jeremy Davies - that does not excuse it from being a noisy, busy, idiotically-scripted movie in its own right. Worse still is how painfully derivative it is, and in what a weird way. This drama about storm chasers on the cusp of divorce tearing ass across Oklahoma in hopes of launching their new experimental tornado research probe is, of all seeming impossibilities, a knock-off of Jurassic Park, a film whose structure it copies in fairly explicit ways. This might well be because the novelist behind Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton, is on hand for scripting and producing duties (in the former capacity, he was joined by his then-wife, Anne-Marie Martin; Joss Whedon and Steve Zaillian were among the known script doctors, but you can't tell), though given that Jurassic Park the movie does not, for the most part, resemble Jurassic Park the book in the ways that Twister is cribbing from, that can hardly be the reason.
Anyway, a tornado movie taking stealing ideas from a dinosaur movie, down to the sound design (the film's tornadoes roar and snarl just like the jungle cats that were one element of their creation, and it's actually pretty effective) and Mark Mancina's score, soaked in John Williams-esque cues that can be practically mapped one-by-one onto the JP score. This is honestly rather impressive. I don't know if I'd be able to do it on purpose if you held a gun to my head.
But Twister also has plenty of opportunity to also copy the whole grand history of natural disaster movies. You did notice that I mentioned a couple on the cusp of divorce? They're Drs. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) and Bill Harding (Bill Paxton), formerly a pair of the best damn tornado scientists in the business, until the split in their marriage sent Bill off to the Respectable World, where he managed to snag a job as a television weatherman, due to start in the very near future, and find the love of a smart, attractive professional woman, Dr. Melissa Reeves (Jami Gertz). He's finally been obliged to track Jo down on the very eve of his wedding to Melissa, to get the divorce papers signed that she's been sitting on for ages; it's unfortunately also the eve of a major storm system the likes of which haven't been seen in generations, and Jo and her team of colorful eccentrics are too busy prepping their new probe, based on Bill's designs - DOROTHY, which I'd call irritating movie-cute nonsense, but it's based on the NOAA's actual probe called TOTO - for her to waste time dissolving a marriage that died years ago. Luckily for Bill, Melissa is remarkably understanding in addition to being smart, attractive, and professional, and she's just as interested in following the storm chasers on their merry quest as he is.
So we've got the traditional "danger and disaster help to heal a broken marriage" trope - spoiler alert, I guess, but I can't imagine the viewer who actually expects Melissa to last all the way through the movie (on top of all her other lovely characteristics, she has the gracefulness to quietly slink away rather than raise any kind of interpersonal tension; thus endeth Dr. Melissa Reeves, one of the most obnoxiously prim and pure and idealised and wholly impersonal Modern Women ever perpetrated by clueless male filmmakers) - anybody want to bet there's a "personal trauma leads to an Ahab-like fixation" story to go along with it? Heck, we get the nugget of that one even before the broken marriage, in a prologue set in 1969, where we see little Jo's father sucked out of a storm cellar by a massive hell-tornado, in what is surely one of the most unintentionally hilarious Dead Parent scenes in the entire history of cinema.
As it putters along, Twister's story evolves without any fussy nuance or surprise or imagination to get in the way of the reason we're actually here: watching box office titans Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton rekindle their romance. Or, y'know, the storm thing. And we at last arrive at the most important element in the Twister stew, the one that separates it from all its obvious forebears: director Jan de Bont, formerly a cinematographer of some really great action films and thrillers over the years - he worked several times with Paul Verhoeven, in the Netherlands and United States both, and did a marvelous job shooting Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October for John McTiernan - and whose sole directorial credit at that time was 1994's Speed. Which is, surely, the best of the five films he ended up making in a roughly curtailed career, but it still showcases all of his worst weaknesses as a filmmaker: a tendency to double-down on rampaging sound effects, to cut with jagged severity between shots that weren't really built to be crosscut that way, and to encourage his actors into bright, emotive, one-note performances, when he bothers to care about the humans in his movies at all. All of these tendencies are even more strongly present in Twister (just as they would continue on, becoming stronger still in e.g. The Haunting remake of 1999 - the worst, but also the de Bontiest of Jan de Bont's films), which helps to explain how one cast could contain two actors of such enormously divergent talent as Hoffman and Paxton both giving basically the same kind of performance.
The filmmaking of Twister was apparently just as chaotic and stormy as the content: de Bont was by most accounts an enormous dick to the cast and crew, leading to the entire camera team walking out (Jack N. Green, Clint Eastwood's guy at that time, stepped in as D.P., and the very Unforgiven/Bridges of Madison County feel of misty landscape painting is much the film's single most effective element), and this can absolutely be felt in the shrill acting, with only Hunt emerging as a terribly fleshed-out, authentic-seeming person (undoubtedly helped by a script that doesn't bother giving anyone else clear motivations), and the choppy staging. But this much has to be said: the director knew what he wanted, and where it absolutely counts, Twister is aces. Simply put, the whole thing is a pretext for hyper-dramatic storm sequences, cunningly spaced in the film so that they're always just far apart that we're starting to get itchy for the next one, and with a nice little gesture in the script that each one is a step bigger on the tornado Fujita Scale (which ranges from F0 to F5 - "the finger of God" says one character direly regarding the latter extreme, in a perfect moment of disaster movie corniness), so we always have the promise of stronger, noisier winds and inkier skies and higher stakes. And de Bont's bullying perfectionism, while it does absolutely nothing for the limp character scenes, absolutely results in some great weather action. The digitally-replaced dark grey skies are beautiful and terrifying, the CGI tornadoes hold up, for the most part, without a single hitch almost two decades on; but then, it is not a new observation that the carefully-chosen CGI of the '90s generally looks better than the "fuck it, lather the whole thing in digital gimcracks" of the '00s, or even all but the very, very best of the '10s. Not all the effects are great: that infamous flying cow looks pretty damn crappy nowadays, compounding what was already a terrible gag. But for the most part, the stuff Twister promised and delivered in '96 still delivers: enormous, roaring superstorms whose visual impact is awesome in the most exacting sense of that word.
To get to that awe, sure, you have to slog through some tired writing, staticky performances, and arrhythmic filmmaking, but what do you want: great spectacle or decent filmmaking? You may, perhaps, want both, and point to dozens of classic popcorn movies to make your case why you should have it, but we are in Contemporary Filmmaking now, and such concerns do not bother us.
Elsewhere in American cinema in 1996
-Brothers Joel & Ethan Coen make their (relative) mainstream breakthrough with Fargo
-Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in Eraser, his one huge hit film that people always forget about
-Baz Luhrmann's William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet ignites a trend in modern-dress literary adaptations
Elsewhere in world cinema in 1996
-Mike Leigh's ensemble dramas of everyday Britons suffering reach their popular zenith in Secrets & Lies
-Olivier Assayas makes the cutting, inventive satire of the French film industry and international movie culture, Irma Vep
-Zhou Xiaowen's historical epic The Emperor's Shadow is the most expensive film made to that point in China
Categories: action, disaster movies, hollywood century, love stories, popcorn movies, summer movies, thrillers
Gloria (2013)
Interior. Leather Bar. (2013)


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Q: How to filter by service groups in the monit web frontend? Monit has a feature called "service groups" (https://mmonit.com/monit/documentation/monit.html#SERVICE-GROUPS). It allows you to filter by groups using the CLI. But is it possible to use this filter on the web frontend?

A: The Webfrontend does not handle groups, but is available via the CLI with "monit -g NAME COMMAND" for some commands.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


We all miss the old taste of our full-button phones that prevailed in the market before the era of smartphones checked in. It is a rare thing to find anyone in possession of the good old phones unless they are using it for convenience. The manufacturers, however, keep producing new models each new day to serve the interests of the consumers who know the worth of having a super mini phone as back up on their side.
L8STAR BM30 phone rolled out recently and is among the best button phones currently available in the mobile market. It takes the form of the old Nokia phones but slightly smaller.
The new supermini phone measures 6.45×2.45×1.25cm in dimensions, a size that is one-seventh of a regular smartphone. It is a small and beautiful design that will surely look good on you. Despite the tiny L8STAR BM30 still incorporates multiple features whose performance will tremendously exceed your expectations.
Another key point aside from portability is that the L8STAR BM30 phone has a detachable ear strap. The hook is light, soft on the skin and does not fall off easily even under random movements. The level of convenience with the phone is unmatched as calling and receiving calls is easy, and the fact that it lets your hands free.
The 0.66 inch OLED display screen in BM30 is the same size as most of the popular smartwatches around. It is particularly small mainly because the operation of the phone is through the numeric keypad keys. There is a number of functional keys consolidated in the device. These include the call/Bluetooth key, the control pad, and two other operative keys.
As much as the L8STAR BM30 mobile phone is not a smartphone, it comes with a handful of fun features that enhance communications. It comes with Bluetooth v3.0 technology which allows one to connect the mini mobile phone to their smartphones. When paired the device act as some sort of a remote control used to dial & receive calls, send & receive messages, adjust music playback and volume.
The internal storage space is limited obviously but that is compensated by the phone's ability to support 2G/3G/4G nano sim cards. In addition, space is expandable via a micro-SD card up to 32GB. That's enough playlist store to turn the mini gadget a wizard MP3 music player.
The magic voice call is another highlight feature that boosts the performance of the mini phone gadget. This adds more fun to phone conversations to make it more interesting. When strapped in the ear the device filters the noise from outside distractions to enable clear calls and music.
L8STAR BM30 mini phone is powered by MediaTek's MTK6261D processor which is considered as one of the powerful chipsets used in small range handsets. The phone features a 220mAh durable battery that has a fairly long standby time. The device is also reported to emit low radiations, 1⁄7 of what a regular smartphone emits, which has been one of the leading causes of Cancer.
The L8STAR BM10 is a beautiful cool product that comes along with more efficiency to life. It especially works for people who go out on the field for long hours on end because of the long standby time of the battery. If your smartphone got lost and maybe you still need to save for a new phone, then this pretty cool device can act as a reachability medium in the meantime.


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Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights
Creating Human Rights
How Noncitizens Made Sex Persecution Matter to the World
Lisa S. Alfredson
University of Pennsylvania Press Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights
328 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in, 3 illus.
Selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title
Creating Human Rights offers the first systematic study of a pioneering women's refugee movement and its challenge, as an international trigger case, to more conventional paths toward human rights policy development. Lisa S. Alfredson argues that such cases, which unfold in the context of a specific country and have profound impacts on international human rights efforts, have been neglected in research and pose a challenge to recent theorizing on human rights change.
In the early 1990s, Canada witnessed the emergence of the world's first comprehensive refugee policy for women who were seeking protection from female-specific forms of violence—rape, domestic abuse, public stoning of adulterers, genital mutilation—while challenging a gender-biased system. Close examination of this novel movement, Alfredson contends, provides crucial insights into why and how states may articulate new human rights that set international precedents.
Analyzing original empirical data and sociopolitical historical trends, the book documents the decisive global impacts of the movement while shedding light on the paradox of noncitizen politics and asylum seekers' little recognized political strength. Contrary to expectation, findings suggest transnational networks and pressures are not required for some forms of change. Rather, international trigger cases illuminate a range of other key actors and advocacy strategies leading, subsequently, to a more comprehensive understanding of human rights acceptance.
In the case of the women's refugee movement, the convergence of human rights and noncitizen politics points toward a new dimension for human rights scholarship that, in the current age of globalization, is becoming critically important.
List of Figures and Tables
1. Introduction: The Sex Persecution Campaigns
2. Human Rights, Social Movement, and Asylum Seeking
3. Global Challenges and Opportunities for Sex-Based Asylum Seeking
4. Moving In: Asylum Seekers' National Rights, Resources, and Opportunities
5. "Use My Name": Noncitizen Identity, Decisions, and Mobilization
6. Universalizing National Rights: Political Confrontation and Cultural Framing
7. Making Sex Persecution Matter
Appendix: Comprehensive and Novel Aspects of Gender Related Claims
Lisa S. Alfredson teaches at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh.
"The least likely case study is a noble tradition in comparative politics, while the study of norm change is a cuttingedge concern in international relations. Lisa S. Alfredson's well-crafted account of the introduction of gender-based asylum in Canada combines the best of these worlds, along with interesting observations on immigration policy, social movements, and the gendered nature of human rights." —Perspectives on Politics
"Alfredson explores a remarkable case study that illustrates an underestimated route for the genesis of human rights vital to women." —Choice


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Being an Entrepreneur is definitely not as easy-peasy as many expect it to be, there are principles to learn about entrepreneurship to give you that dominative edge over others as you try to find your path in this field and there is no better way to be exposed to a bulk of such information than to read books on the subject in question.
For that reason, I have compiled a list of best business books that I feel are highly recommended and effective to make you that entrepreneur with a difference.
Rich Dad Poor Dad is always best business books of all time, I am pretty sure some of you reading this saw this coming; there is no way we'll be discussing top entrepreneurship books without giving this book a mention. I remember reading this book as a kid without totally grasping the knowledge shared until I grew up to start my own business before I was able to apply the knowledge.
You are most likely going to have a change of mindset about success and how to achieve it after reading this book. It basically educates us on how to make money work for you and what mindset you need to have to be successful. If you are yet to read this masterpiece, I am here wondering why that's the case.
Like the first book mentioned above, this is another best business book I was privileged to read in my adolescence and I am forever grateful for that experience because it shaped me to the person I have become.
While some may say that the book doesn't say anything different from what we all could have figured out commonsensically, it employs this call-to-action approach to buttress how little things like, listening, using a person's first name and being genuinely interested in people could go a long way in building relationships with people – which is very important in the world of business. It comes as no surprise that the iconic Warren Buffet recommends this book. Trust me, it should be worth your while.
For those that aren't familiar with this best business books , Greg Gianforte is the founder of RightNow Technologies, a software company which was worth 1.4 billion dollars by the time it was sold to Oracle in 2011.
You'll agree with me that someone that was able to grow his business to worth that much has a lot to teach others when it comes to entrepreneurship. This book sheds more light on what bootstrapping entails and how to apply that mindset to your business.
This is another brilliant best business books that will make you reason differently. It teaches a unique attribute which is: Time management and uses himself as a case study to explain how focusing on the important things and outsourcing has propelled him to the level he is today. This is one great book every entrepreneur should read.
Have you been lackadaisical towards going out there to sell your products? This book will definitely motivate you to go out there and do the needful because nothing gets done by being wishful without putting in the work.
It educates us on the benefits of challenging yourself, setting goals every step of the way and trying new things. You will definitely have a mindset shift after reading this book…Yes, it's that powerful.
Talk about a classic that its teachings still hold relevance in our present day, then this book is one you should mention. This is one best business book many prominent entrepreneurs could attest to as valuable. It takes you on a ride on how important a positive mindset is, the benefits of learning from others and ultimately how to become a successful entrepreneur.
Gosh! This is one of favorite entrepreneurship best business books of all time. I can confidently tell you that what I first learned about business was first revealed to me in this book – I'm forever grateful to my father for having this book in his library.
It explains the secrets of amassing wealth, sustaining wealth and amassing more wealth. If you're an Entrepreneur and you're yet to read this book, you leave me wondering why.
I can remember vividly how I got to know about this book, it was on a radio show on business where the guest recommended this best business book as one book that is a must read for every entrepreneur; the conviction in his voice made me go ahead to buy and read; and I must say I became a believer and I seize every opportunity to tell anyone that pays me attention about the wonder that this book is.
It is very practical in every sense. It basically talks about how you can use the six principles: Influence, Reciprocity, Consistency, Likeability, Social Proof, Authority and Scarcity to build a business. It comes as no surprise that it is translated into 20+ languages and sold millions of copies. I can't overemphasize why you should read this book.
With a title like that, I am pretty sure you'll be moved to pick up such book if you sight it. The thing I love about this book is how realistic the author was in passing his message, nothing ideal, nothing conventional. It prepares you for the bumpy ride that owning a business is and stresses on the essence of learning from the mishaps of other entrepreneurs. In a bid not to sound too patronizing, why not read this book and get convinced.
$100 Startup – By Charles Lebeau.
It is a breath of fresh air to read from an author that trumps the popular notion that to establish a business you will need a ton of money. The writer shows us that every multimillion-dollar business once had a humble beginning and motivates you that you can develop that business with the little you can afford. There is a wealth of knowledge to learn from this best business books – I dare say knowledge worth over a $100.
I hope you had a fun ride with me. Read the above books and thank me later for the recommendations.
If you want to know how to do sales&marketing on facebook, please visit.


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Home » Columns » The Eternal Optimist » The Eternal Optimist Presents: Survivor Series – The Struggle To Book Lesnar/Styles & Rousey/Lynch
The Eternal Optimist Presents: Survivor Series – The Struggle To Book Lesnar/Styles & Rousey/Lynch
November 13, 2018 David Fenichel 16 comments
Hi kids.
Survivor Series is less than a week away and absolutely no one is talking about it. I normally wouldn't advocate for an "off-season", but it seems that oversaturation and fatigue may be at play here. With Crown Jewel and Evolution being monster events at a more quiet time of year, it looks like wrestling fans are using Survivor Series as a reset before gearing up for WrestleMania season.
I want to focus today's column on the two matches that have most peaked my interest – Brock Lesnar v A.J. Styles & Becky Lynch v Ronda Rousey. Before I do, some quick thoughts on the rest of the card:
I'm interested in seeing what Seth Rollins can pull out of Shinsuke Nakamura at this point. Nakamura's matches have largely tanked, even against the likes of A.J. Styles. If Rollins can get something stellar out of him, it will further cement his argument for being the best worker in the WWE. As for the outcome – anything works. Nak could use a clean win to give the U.S. belt the legitimacy it has lacked as of late. Rollins can use a win to further his current momentum. A dusty finish with Nak winning due to interference from Dean Ambrose is definitely on the table. All of those options are acceptable to me – I'll go with a clean Seth win and shenanigans from Ambrose post-match, not affecting the outcome.
None of the Survivor Series elimination matches are particularly compelling this year. The tag team match looks like an excuse to showcase the Usos and The New Day. Both Nia Jax and Braun Strowman HAVE to win in order to further their respective storylines with Ronda Rousey and Brock Lesnar/Baron Corbin. There isn't a lot of drama to be had with any of these.
While heel v heel matches generally don't do it for me, I'm expecting AoP v The Bar to be quite good. AoP have shown in NXT that they can have great matches with the right dance partners. The Bar always bring it and I think Cesaro in particular can excel against wrestlers of their size. The outcome isn't really in doubt. AoP is likely to win as they are brand new champs and need to be booked strongly.
I'm completely invested in Buddy Murphy defending his cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali. Ali has been the most consistent performer on that show and I feel like Survivor Series is finally his time. I only wish that this match were taking place in front of a red-hot NXT audience instead of a main roster audience that is likely to be apathetic towards the performers.
Despite what I'd consider a ho-hum undercard, I am finding the top of the Survivor Series card to be fascinating. Unfortunately, the WWE has booked themselves into a corner with both Brock Lesnar v A.J. Styles and Ronda Rousey v Becky Lynch. With that in mind:
Brock Lesnar v A.J. Styles – Can Either Man Afford To Lose?
Brock Lesnar v A.J. Styles was one of my favorite matches of 2017 and EASILY the most compelling Brock Lesnar match in recent memory. I left that match wanting to see it again but never thought we'd get it. Needless to say, I'm head over heels to see this match happening at this year's version of the event.
Unfortunately, the timing of the rematch seems to have put the WWE in a situation where neither man should lose. A.J. Styles can't lose to Lesnar two years in a row. If he does, the WWE Title's prestige drops tremendously. The WWE title has largely been treated like a mid-card championship for the duration of A.J.'s current run. If the WWE doesn't put A.J. over Lesnar, you can pretty much flush any hopes of rehabilitation for the title down the toilet for the foreseeable future.
On the other hand, Brock Lesnar can't lose either. It's clear that the WWE put the Universal Title back on him because they simply don't have any faith in anyone on the Raw brand to carry the strap in Roman Reigns' absence. Brock Lesnar is unique in that wins and losses absolutely matter. His entire brand and mystique is based on being invincible. The WWE needs to keep him strong in the hopes that the wrestler who finally beats him for the Universal Title becomes a star in the process. Thus, at least in the eyes of the WWE, Brock Lesnar losing isn't an option.
So where does that leave us? I suspect that Styles once again gets the short end of the stick. While myself and many other fans feel the need to re-establish credibility in the WWE Title, the company just might not care. With Becky Lynch emerging as the can't miss superstar that she has become, the brass might consider the WWE Title the second most important belt on the brand. Accordingly, they might rather keep Lesnar strong without regard to the downstream effects on Styles and the WWE Championship.
Brock Lesnar v Roman Reigns has taught me that the WWE gives zero f*cks when it comes to having a wrestler get their "win" back. As much as I hate to say it, I think it's a rinse and repeat result from Survivor Series 2017. Brock Lesnar takes it home.
Ronda Rousey v Becky Lynch – Can the WWE salvage Ronda Rousey?
Ronda Rousey v Becky Lynch has equally problematic booking issues as Lesnar v Styles but for a completely different reason.
The issue with Rousey v Becky doesn't revolve around who should win. The answer is obvious. Ronda Rousey can't lose and Becky Lynch has reached a status where she's completely bulletproof to wins and losses. In fact, I'd argue that she's become such an underground cult-like antihero that a loss here would only further her support much in the same way that Daniel Bryan's lack of inclusion in the 2014 Royal Rumble did for him.
Becky Lynch will be just fine regardless of the outcome on Sunday. All of the issues surrounding this match stem from the impact that is already has had on Ronda Rousey and the continuing impact that this storyline will have going forward.
The WWE has correctly understood that Rousey needs to be the featured act on the biggest of stages for obvious reasons. She's a global superstar and will bring attention to those events that wouldn't be there otherwise. While I think that Rousey could handle a heel turn quite well, she's not as good of a brand ambassador as a heel as she is as a face.
Because of this, WWE has been VERY careful to protect Ronda with her booking. She's faced Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax, The Riot Squad and The Bella Twins. These were all safe bookings, the type that would allow her to continue to be cheered despite the WWE audience's penchant to rebel against a mainstream star of her stature on the fast track to WWE success.
The WWE took that theory and lit it on fire by pairing her off with Becky Lynch. Becky Lynch is radioactive to any female superstar that is expected to be cheered. If you're a face and your name gets called to be opposite Becky Lynch, your days of fan support are OVER. It's not Ronda's fault. Although some of the content of her promos has been questionable at best, she's performed them admirably. She's just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The WWE needs to figure out how to get past the Becky match without a full-time and permanent revolt against Rousey. The options are limited. Rousey losing isn't an option. A clean Rousey victory really doesn't work here either.
On a recent episode of "The Ross Report", Jim Ross suggested that a happy medium would be to follow in the footsteps of Bret Hart v Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 and have Becky Lynch pass out while in Ronda's arm bar. This sounds like a solid idea on paper, but there's an issue with that logic. Bret Hart turned heel as a result of that storyline, and the WWE is not interested in turning Ronda in any way shape or form.
I've been grinding the gears inside of my peasant brain to come up with something that works. The only reasonable outcome to save fan support for Ronda Rousey is a non-finish. Heel wrestlers from both Raw and Smackdown can come out and attack both superstars, leading to a no contest. Becky and Ronda can fight them off and be left battered and bruised in the middle of the ring. A simple head nod signifying that "game recognizes game" can occur, and Rousey and Lynch can both go on their separate ways.
The WWE needed a main event to Survivor Series and they couldn't avoid this match unless they took the belt off either Rousey or Lynch, something that wasn't in anyone's best interest. The WWE has already painted themselves into a corner – they need to figure out a way for Rousey to escape unscathed. This should do the trick.
That's a wrap kids. Agree or disagree with my thoughts on Survivor Series? SOUND OFF BELOW!
I can best be reached on Twitter @The_Eternal_Optimist. Thank you for reading.
Post-RAW Photo of the SmackDown Women, Ric Flair on SmackDown?, Bobby Roode and Chad Gable
News for Tonight's WWE SmackDown, MMC and 205 Live – Final Shows Before Survivor Series


A porch addition is one way of creating a small outdoor living space that projects a more intimate setting. It isn't as wide or spacious as a patio, but it can still serve as a cozy venue for porch parties among neighbors or hang out place for family members.
Open porches provide extra floor spaces and give the house an open look. A porch with balustrades or railings is ideal as play area for children and pets. Materials for railings can be aluminum, wrought iron, wood, stone or concrete, or glass panels with steel brackets,.
For additional protection, you can opt for a screened porch. This keeps out unwanted insects like mosquitoes. It's the ideal choice particularly if your home is located close to the woods.
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Patio Creations will install your porch so that seamlessly blends with the design of the main house. Porch materials include PVC and other synthetics, IPE wood or iron wood—a more environment-friendly material, or modified wood.
For more information about our Woodlands screened porches, call or drop by our office. You may browse through the porch gallery first on this website to check out our various porch designs. Or feel free to discuss you own designs with us so we can help turn it into a reality. Our consultations are risk-free, no-obligation meetings. We're glad to be of service.


"Gin, Champagne, and crisp white wines are the triumvirate of great oyster pairings." So says Derek Brown of DC's The Passenger and the more recent Mockingbird Hill. Hot off of a mission to spread the good wood about sherry at the latter, Brown has now turned his sights on oysters. Adding another stone to his ever-expanding empire two doors down from Mockingbird Hill is the newly minted Eat the Rich.
Named after the titular Motörhead song, Eat the Rich focuses on oysters and pitchers of cocktails. We took the opportunity to chat with Brown about his recommendations for drinks to pair with a platter of bivalves.
"Gin and vermouth go perfectly with oysters," says Brown. "Oysters and dry martinis have been a perfect pairing forever because the crisp and herbaceous gin matches the richness of the oysters." The pitcher-sized martini at Eat the Rich is made with Green Hat gin, Dolin Blanc vermouth, and orange bitters. Brown says it's a "crisp, fresh herbaceous, almost steely, drink." Brown describes the contrast between martinis and oysters, which are "rich, little wet pillows of minerals and seawater," as "exhilarating." He continues: "The gin and vermouth carry the salty water and add a clean, citrusy, juniper burst at the end."
Brown's recommendations don't stop at gin, though. Another of the pitchers on the menu is the Hollowed Apple ($42)—Brown's nod to the classic bacon wrapped oyster hors d'oeuvre, Angels on Horseback. It's made with Fidencio mezcal, apple shrub, lime, and spicy bitters—smoky mezcal here stands in for bacon in the oyster pairing.
Brown is also quick to recommend sherry as an oyster pairing. "If the Martini has contrasting flavors, Sherry—especially Manzanilla Sherry—is comparable to the briny liquor of oysters," he says. "Manzanilla is dry, saline, and born near the ocean, coming from the beach town of Sanlucar de Barrameda in Southern Spain. The sea air greatly affects the taste of Manzanilla Sherry. It's very near a perfect pairing. I saw Spanish chefs in Andalucia actually poach oysters in the seawater from Sanlucar and then pair it with a Manzanilla sherry. It blew my mind."
Keeping with a seaside theme, Brown also recommends pairing oysters with Scotch made near the sea. "Coastal Scotches like Talisker or Old Putney have a great deal of maritime influence," says Brown, "but they're also higher in alcohol and richer, so there's a moment when the caramel, vanilla sweetness coat the oysters and intensifies all the flavors, including sweetness and salinity. My suggestion: eat the oyster and then pour a little Scotch in the shell and drink it like a luge."
What doesn't pair well with oysters? Brown warns that some wines won't work: "Reds that are very tannic and tea-like or whites that are oaky and buttery can mask the flavor of the oysters," he says. Brown says that bourbon is not an ideal pairing, but there are ways around that. At Eat the Rich, lots of lemon is mixed with bourbon, ginger soda, and sarsaparilla bitters in the 'Buck Hunter.' Brown says: "We add the citrus and the acid to make the oyster pop."


hi guys! im nick! Nice to meat ya all! i found this site troug youtube!
i hope ill have a fun time here!
Re: hi guys, im nick!
thanks all! can someone please explain how i use bbcode?
Banned for trolling hope we never see you again!
Haha you got banned on the first day you blow purple nut sacks!


The Ice Cream Vendor's Song by Laura McHale Holland is a thoroughly original collection of flash fiction that reminds me a bit of eating potato chips. You can devour each storyquickly, but it's hard to stop reading once you begin. The collection is also like fine wine because the stories can be savored for their lyrical language and multiple layers of meaning. Unlike food and drink, though, these stories can be consumed again and again, and you don't have to worry about weight gain or hangovers.
In case you're new to flash fiction, the term describes very short stories that seem almost as quick as a flash of lightning. And just like lightning, Laura McHale Holland's stories are powerful. They are also, in turn, laugh-out-loud funny, disturbing, vexing, inspiring and everything in between. Expect depth, challenges, and an eerie enchantment.
Ideally, flash fiction omits unessential elements, yet presents a complete experience for the reader. And on this level, the author of this collection succeeds very well. Her stories pull us into worlds that can appear much like the everyday world, but something akin to magical realism reigns, so characters and events are rarely what they initially appear to be.
Some of the stories, "Still There", for example, have endings that are so unexpected you might have to catch your breath when you read the last line. Some stories, such as "Rolling Toward Her Feet" and "Drifting," both of which have to do with romantic relationships, have much in common with prose poems, so if you like a touch of musicality and rhythm in your prose, you're likely to especially enjoy these. The stories are all rich in detail, and some characterizations are so strong, the protagonists practically seem to jump off the page. I was particularly drawn to the central characters in "I'll Have to Tell Him" and "When She Wakes Up." Both are females with strange tales to tell.
In this slim volume, McHale Holland conveys wisdom, depression, humor, romance, despair, elation, and a host of other emotions. As a whole, the collection is compelling, thought provoking, unsettling and definitely worth a read. I'd like to see this author try her hand at a full-length novel, but then, keeping things short and far from sweet might be her cup of tea.


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Homepolitical
Twenty five jogging tracks constructed last year - Prasanna
Urban Development and Housing Minister Prasanna Ranathunga said that the Government took measures to build 25 jogging tracks last year to promote physical fitness and good health among people across the country.
In 2021, the UDA identified suitable locations for the construction of 30 jogging tracks, and work on 25 of them was started.
The UDA completed the construction of all those tracks by December 25 last year spending Rs.1,263 million for this purpose.
The jogging tracks have been constructed in Kesbewa, Balangoda, Ampara, Rambukkana, Trincomalee, Balapitiya, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Matale, Lunawa, Ingiriya, Batticaloa, Kamburugamuwa, Nuwara Eliya, Yakkala, Jaffna, and Peduru Thuduwa.
The jogging track built near the Yakkala Wickramarachchi University is named 'Vikum Uyana'. The amount spent for this project is Rs.65 million.
A car park that can accommodate about 30 vehicles has also been built in the area. The UDA built this project following the flood mitigation strategies.
Minister Ranatunga said that there is a proposal to establish an Ayurvedic Zone in this area. He further said that several discussions have been held with the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine regarding this matter.
Meanwhile, the Minister has instructed the UDA to complete the construction work of the jogging track at Ragama, Peralanda without delay.
The construction work of the First and Second Phases of the Peralanda jogging track has already been completed at a cost of Rs.208 million. In the Third Phase, a children's park, a restaurant, and an outdoor fitness centre will be constructed in the area.
Minister Ranatunga has instructed the officials to take steps to commission ongoing projects as soon as possible as such projects were started with the aim of producing healthy citizens for society.
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Tags: political


This article is inspired by a recent #WeddingMarket Twitter chat I was fortunate enough to be a part of, that featured Say Yes to the Dress star Randy Fenoli. Searching for your perfect wedding gown is one of the most exciting parts of planning your wedding. You've seen so many pictures of beautiful brides and now it's your turn to find the "one" and truly become a princess for the day! But finding a dress can be overwhelming. Many brides visit multiple bridal shops, sift through tons of wedding gowns, and try on more than a dozen before they narrow it down to the final one. Seeing so much white can even cloud your vision of what kind of dress you came in looking for in the first place. You don't want the stress of finding the right dress to bog you down, because trying on dresses is fun! So here are some tips, to help make your wedding gown shopping less stressful and more enjoyable.
For starters, know where you want to go. Select several bridal salons and schedule visiting them on a given date. Make sure to get an appointment, so the bridal sales staff there can set aside time for you. Without an appointment, you might be on your own, and with so much to look through, you'll lose valuable time and may not get to see what might actually be a great fit for you. Next, know what you want to wear. If there is a dress style you love and have always dreamed of wearing, gather images to take with you on your shopping trip. Show the sales staff what you're looking for, including cut, fabric, and design, so they can help you focus on finding a gown you would like. Know how much you can afford to spend on your dress too. Sticking to your price range will narrow down what you need to try on and will reduce your financial stress.
It's also important that you are comfortable in your own skin or you won't be happy with whatever you purchase. Learn to love yourself, your shape, your size, or start making some changes now to help you feel better about yourself. All brides are beautiful. Look around and notice real women of all shapes and sizes who have been brides. This can help you put your feelings into perspective and know that you too will look gorgeous on your wedding day. Beginning a daily, "I am a beautiful bride" affirmation will also help remind you of this if you start to doubt yourself or your looks. Finally, as Mr. Randy Feloni says "buy a dress that makes you feel the most beautiful. You'll wear it more confidently." Definitely take those words with you when dress shopping!
Our guest blogger today is Jay Congdon, President of Fourth Estate Audio, a professional Chicago DJ and Chicago Wedding DJ company since 1965.
There are several ways you can personalize your wedding reception entertainment to your individual tastes, and provide some memorable moments for your guests. Here are just a few for your consideration.
Choreograph Your First Dance If you have the time and the inclination, you may wish to take ballroom dancing lessons together, and dazzle your guests with a rehearsed performance. Be sure the bridal gown is cut to accommodate such a dance. Start your lessons about 3 months before your wedding. Keep the song to 3 minutes or less if you can. Be sure your DJ has the right version of the song; and tell him in advance how you'll alert him that it's time to start the song. His cue can be something as simple as a nod of your head.
Dollar Dance The bride and groom begin a slow dance together, then the guests are invited to cut in and dance briefly with either the bride or groom, for a dollar (though a smart DJ will remind the guests that there's nothing wrong with 10's or 20's). Sometimes it takes two or three songs for everyone to get a chance to dance with the bride or groom. People can either pin their money to the bride's gown if someone provides straight pins, or the Best Man and Maid of Honor can collect the money. It's a nice way to give the newlyweds a little slush fund as they head off for their honeymoon.
Anniversary Dance All married couples are invited to join the bride and groom on the dance floor. A slow song starts. After a few seconds, the DJ asks all couples who've been married less than 5 years to leave the dance floor. A few seconds later, all couples married 10 years or less must leave. Eventually, the couple married the longest remains alone on the dance floor, and a big cheer goes up as the DJ tells the newlyweds, "Here are your role models."
"Soul Train" Two parallel lines of dancers form at opposite sides of the dance floor, and couples take turns dancing down the middle, just as they did on "Soul Train." It's a great way to get everyone involved in the dancing.
The bride and groom lead the way, and the line forms behind them, with each person putting his/her hands on the waist of the person in front of him/her. Popular songs for a Conga line include "Hot Hot Hot," "Party Train," "C'mon & Ride It," and of course, "Conga." Always a nice photo op.
People love dances that they know. And there are plenty of line dances that we've all seen a million times -- "Electric Slide," "Cha Cha Slide," "Macarena," "YMCA," "Chicken Dance," "Cupid Shuffle," "Gangnam Style" and so forth. Even if you absolutely hate every one of them, please don't spoil it for your guests. Even if they don't normally like to dance, they'll be on the dance floor for the line dances, and their inhibitions and spirits will be lifted. Remember, your reception is a party you throw for your friends. Let them have a good time, too. You can always tell your DJ not to play any line dances unless someone requests them. But putting them off-limits denies your guests some wonderful bonding moments.
I've decided that as brides, you need a bill of rights so you can feel good about yourself and plan your wedding successfully. To do both, you have to be confident within and with your decisions. Sometimes it also means protecting yourself from outside pressures or inner anxiety. Having a guideline to refer back to can help you set good boundaries. Here are some important ones I came up with, but please feel free to add your own too. Let me know what you else should be on this list and I'll revise it with the additions and hopefully get it printed up as a keepsake and reminder for brides! But for now, go ahead and print this one off and keep it somewhere you can read daily.
I have the right to say "no" if I'm feeling overwhelmed.
I have the right to terminate a working relationship if it's not a good fit.
Monday Musings:How does politics fit into your relationship? Are you conservative, moderate, or liberal? Do you and your partner share the same political views? Does it matter to you? Some individuals have strong political beliefs, while others aren't as passionate. How you feel about these things can determine how you vote, what causes you might contribute to, and even where you decide to live or what people you associate with. Understand each of your views and know how it fits in your relationship. You may decide when and where having political conversations are acceptable, for instance. Maybe you prefer not to talk politics during social gatherings or with friends who have different viewpoints, because sometimes what begins as an innocent conversation can turn into a heated argument. Regardless of your ideas or affiliation, discussing your political views ahead of time will help you understand how big a role it will play in your new life together and what other decisions it might affect.
Personal reflection, concentrated breathing, finding inner awareness and peace of mind. However you define it, meditation is a practice that allows you to quiet your mind and learn to be still amid the bustling world around you. The neat thing about it, is that it's free and open to anybody willing to try. All it takes is time and practice, and the payoff is hugely rewarding.
Meditation and guided imagery, which essentially is going on a meditative journey while visualizing various images, is known to have many positive effects. Practicing meditation and guided imagery can help you reduce anxiety and stress, improve your mood, inspire and motivate you, lower your blood pressure, reduce headaches, improve work performance, and enhance your creativity. These are just a handful of researched benefits. There are numerous other physical, emotional, and spiritual advantages to meditation.
Meditation involves finding a quite space free of distractions where you can concentrate on your breathing and letting go of all your thoughts. It may include focusing on the different muscle groups in your body and teaching you how to relax them so your body feels completely relaxed. It can include instructions to visualize yourself at a certain place or to feel a positive emotion, all with the intention of helping you feel calmer and more at ease. Once the meditation is over, you tend to feel lighter physically and emotionally. But don't be too upset, if it doesn't do much for you the first time around. Like any activity, it takes practice and with time, will surely inspire you.
You can practice meditation anytime, although many people find it helpful to set aside time first thing in the morning or before going to sleep at night. Having quiet time before bed is particularly useful in helping you wind down from the days activities. It's also likely to help you sleep better. With all these benefits, why not get started today?!
Monday Musings:Are you and your fiance planning on asking friends to take on professional roles at your wedding? Trying to cut wedding costs seems to be at the top of most engaged couples priorities. One way many couples do this, is by enlisting help from friends and family. And while that could be a good way to reduce your overall expenses, you need to look at the advantages and disadvantages of having those closest to you getting involved in the details. If your best friend happens to be a photographer and offers to shoot your wedding day photos for free, that's great! Or is it? Sure, she is a professional, but keep in mind she is also your friend. Since you have a relationship outside of business, things can become a bit more complicated if you're unhappy with her work or style. And since there is no contract or payment, you don't have any guarantees of when you might get you photos back or what exactly is included. You can also run the risk of feeling you "owe her one" afterwards. Remember too, that she is your best friend. Putting her to work, means she can't enjoy the fun during your wedding day festivities. Still, sometimes it can be a good idea, especially if you're short on funds or your friend wants to do something as a gift for you. You can always have her shoot the family and couple photos and have someone else photograph the festivities, so she can enjoy them with you. The key point is to put extra thought into wedding day decisions and never jump into things too quickly, especially when they sound so good.
As with many endeavors, you will find that there are people within your circle who will be supportive of your wedding day dreams and others who are less than enthusiastic with your vision. Your job is to keep those who are supportive closer to you than those who are not, during this happy time in your life. Having people who are not supportive around you can make you feel more stressed out, unhappy, or otherwise drained of positive energy.
How do you know who is on Team Bride and who isn't? Most of the time it's quite easy. It's the people who respond, "why would you want to have your wedding there" or "we wouldn't do it like that," when you tell them your wedding day ideas. It may even be a look or a sense of doubt that they give you. It could be the same individuals who have said or done similar things in the past too.
Unfortunately, sometimes it are those individuals closest to you who can't seem to see things your way. This can make your life even more challenging. By all means, don't shut important people out of your life as you plan your wedding, but do know where to draw the line when it comes to your happiness. If they aren't directly involved in your wedding (i.e., in the wedding party, paying for parts of it, etc.), then share your details sparingly. And if they are involved, share the information they need to know. If Aunt Jane wants to know why you do not want to talk more about your wedding details, try giving her the honest truth. Tell her that you tried to open up to her about your wedding day vision, but that you didn't feel very supported. Since this is an exciting time in your life, you've decided only to share wedding news with those who can understand and appreciate your decisions. It may sound a bit harsh, but sometimes people need to know how you feel or may simply be unaware of their statements or behavior. This may not work in all cases and also depends on your relationship with the other person. So you have to judge wisely who has to be told what when.
Monday Musings: How do you and your partner feel about public displays of affection? Hand holding, hugs, kisses, and other physical contact. These are all ways you share your emotional and physical connection with your fiance. How comfortable are you with being physical in front of people you know or don't know? Have you shared with each other what works and what you prefer to keep behind closed doors? Some couples are fine with public displays of affection, while others aren't. Knowing what you are okay with and where will help you both express yourselves better in a manner that's good for each of you.
You're engaged and everything appears swell, but suddenly you and your fiance are not getting along as before. It's a feeling no bride likes to have and an experience no bride wants to go through. Unfortunately, it does happen on occasion. If your engagement has become less than simpatico, sit down with one another and have a talk. What's going on with each of you? Is the busyness of wedding planning getting you? Do you spend less time with each other as a couple? Are these feelings new or did you have some issues before your engagement? Answering some of these questions can help you see where problems may stem from. Once you have an idea of what the real issues are, see if you can work on it now. If life has become too hectic with all the wedding planning, make sure you schedule date nights for the two of you outside of wedding planning. If wedding costs are creating tension, find ways to lower your budget, for the sake of your relationship.
If the problem lies outside of wedding planning, for example, it's communication issues, seek outside help. Professional help can save your relationship if you're both willing to work on it together. Remember that relationships are a two way street. That means both of you must be willing to get help to potentially resolve whatever is interfering with your happiness. Having that first conversation early on is the best way to get a clearer picture and to move forward from there.


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Dinner Update
Posted on March 16, 2020 by Adam Mitcheson
Due to the ongoing situation regarding Coronavirus, the annual SAOBA Dinner will be postponed until further notice. We had a provisional date of 2nd May which is now unfortunately simply not feasible. We will look to confirm a date for later in the year, or even early 2021 depending on the outcomes of the ongoing situation.
RIP Derrick Murphy
Posted on October 29, 2019 by Adam Mitcheson
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of former head of History, and head of 6th Form; Derrick Murphy at the age of 68 following a short illness.
Derrick was a remarkable individual. We recently featured his latest accomplishment, with the publication of his 65th book and reaching the half million mark in global sales with his first book published 20 years ago!
He not only served the college, but also advised the governments of Singapore, South Africa and Hong Kong. He lead Norfolk County Council from 2010-2013. He was chief examiner for history for both AQA and OCR Examination Boards and was also a manager for senior rugby union teams.
Derrick and his beloved wife Janet retired to Herefordshire, where he developed a passion for alpacas.
One tribute from a former Ambrosian described him as "Incredibly knowledgable, with a razor sharp wit, and someone whom commanded great respect."
It is clear to see that he was well loved as a teacher, friend and mentor, to those that had the pleasure of knowing him. If you would like to share any stories, or anecdotes, please leave a comment or email committee@saoba.org
Derrick's funeral will take place at Belmont Abbey in Hereford at 2pm on 15th November.
Should anyone want to make a contribution in Derrick's memory, his wife Janet has suggested the following charities:
The Nook | East Anglia's Children's Hospices
St Michael's Hospice Hereford – Caring to make a difference
https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/
2nd Annual SAOBA Cycle
Posted on September 9, 2019 by Adam Mitcheson
The 2nd SAOBA cycle ride took place on 1st September 2019. Starting from Redesmere, the small but determined group of Old Boys did 41 miles up into the Pennines, climbing up to the Cat and Fiddle and down again. The route included Wild Boar Clough, Pymm's Chair, the Goyt Valley and of course two food stops. In total, they reached about 4000 feet of ascent.
Mike O'Kell, last year's SAOBA Cycle Champion was determined to retain his title this year, but narrowly missed out to Ian Taylor with a total cycled mileage of 75 miles on the day beating Mikes total of 71 miles. Ian Taylor was also first up Pymms chair, so he is awarded our first ever "King of the Mountains" too.
A presentation will be made at this year's dinner!
If you are a keen or even not so keen cyclist and would like to join the group, then please get in touch.
Secretary of State Returns to St. Ambrose
In April, we welcomed former Old Boy and Secretary of State for Education, the Rt. Hon. Damian Hinds MP back to St. Ambrose.
Committee members greeted Damian Hinds to St. Ambrose.
Principal Dermot Rainey, SAOBA Vice-Chairman Paul Howarth, Damien Shiells, SAOBA Chairman Adam Mitcheson, Damian Hinds MP, SAOBA President John Kennedy
He was taken on a tour of the facilities by students before taking part in an engaging discussion with teacher Dave Lindsay and the Politics Society.
Damian was also presented with an Peter Saville, Old Boys Tie by our Chairman, Adam Mitcheson
A pupil at the Catholic grammar school between 1980 and 1987, Damian spent 18 years working in the pubs, brewing and hotel industries before entering politics when he was elected Member of Parliament for East Hampshire in 2010.
He was promoted to Minister of Employment at the Department of Work and Pensions in 2016 and was moved to his current position last year before leaving the position after Boris Johnson became Prime Minister.
Former History teacher makes history!
Posted on February 6, 2019 by Adam Mitcheson
Former Head of History at St. Ambrose College, Derrick Murphy has hit a landmark with the publication of his 65th book and reaching the half million mark in global sales with his first book published 20 years ago!
Derrick has also served as editor and a regular contributor to the ' Modern History Review' magazine and other magazines such as 'History'. In all he had over 40 articles published.
The latest book is entitled 'The Changing Nature of Warfare'.
Derrick said, "I have written on a wide variety of topics from late Medieval Spain to 21st Century Britain. I have also had the pleasure of commissioning and editing work by a wide variety of historians. I wrote and edited a history of Britain from 1914 to 2000 which involved some of the top historians working in their fields at the University of London, including those who had the privilege to study the recently opened files in the old Soviet Union, now Russia, on their aspect of the Cold War.
My favourite area for writing history is on American Civil Rights. I was brought up in the 1960s and was a great admirer of Dr Martin Luther King and the struggle for Black Civil Rights. Through the good offices of my publishers my books have been sold worldwide.
I have been told they sell well in places like New Zealand. A person who attended a conference at which I spoke once said I was 'big in Sunderland.'"
When Derrick ran the History Department at the College, we were awarded the Royal Historical Society prize for the best A level results in UK twice and runner up once, which is still a unique achievement for any school/college.
On behalf of us all, congratulations Derrick!
RIP David Wilkinson
RIP Frank Coan and Paul Thompson
An eventful but successful return to the SAOBA Cycle Ride!
RIP Mark Ormiston
3rd Annual SAOBA Cycle Ride