I have created the Scotrail livery for the carriages used in the Glasgow-Edinburgh shuttle in the 80s. They are available on the new-liveries branch of my repository.
Incidentally, the DBSO cannot presently be used with the Mark 3 carriages in the pakset. Is there any obstacle to implementing this?
Thank you very much for this. I see no reason in principle that the mk. 2 DBSO should not be modified to be able to couple to the mk. 3A carriages.
I have just implemented that to the new-liveries branch.
You do not need to compile to have it incorporated into the "official" pakset, you simply need to send your graphics to James or make them publicly available and send us a link. It would of course be best if you set up your own Github repository from which James could simply merge the changes you make into the main repository. Would you be interested in a guide into setting up a Github repository for that purpose?
I'm going to post the graphics here to make it easier if thats ok?
A more practical compromise would be if you uploaded a zip folder with both the graphics and the amended .dat files.
So then everyone, here it is! The Connex livered class 455.
You need to add the entries for the images in the .dat file as instructed in the step-by-step guide, otherwise it won't compile. Also, the definition for the Connex South Central livery is spelled "Connex-South-Central". All livery definitions are at the bottom of the pakset simuconf.tab. Finally, we will also need separate graphics for the trailer, which are shared with the Class 317, as well as for the rear driving trailer, which you can make by rotating the front driving trailer and re-rendering.
-Press A to select the whole model. If you had something selected from before, press it twice.
-Go to Object > Transform and select "Origin to Geometry"
-Press Shift+S and select "Cursor to Selected"
-Press R and type "180" to rotate.
-Show all layers by shift-clicking them in the layer manager shown above. Then you can render.
Oh, and it would save us some time if you added the entries to the latest version of the .dat file.
Splendid, thank you very much, those are excellent. Now incorporated.
Oh, kk. Right now, I cba to bother with those type of things, I'm rn focusing on getting liveries up to date. But, I'm still going to try and do that.
Rollmaterial - splendid as ever! Now incorporated into the master branch.
If you cannot be bothered to complete the work of adding the liveries, may I ask why you expect others to be?
I am not saying that I dont want to give it a go but like I'm not very used to blender to I will kind of mess up but I'll give it a try in due course.
Don't worry about messing it up - you cannot do irreversible harm. Making mistakes is how one learns. Once you get used to the work flow, you will find that it is quite straightforward and minimises the amount of repetitive work necessary to add new graphics to the pakset.
Do keep trying: I am sure that you will find it very satisfying when you manage to make a complete set of vehicles with a new livery that will compile without any alterations.
How splendid! I fondly remember these locomotives and carriages in these liveries. I will incorporate these very shortly.
Incidentally, would you also be able to upload your modified .blend files? It will be very useful for anyone seeking further to modify any of the vehicles that you have modified with these new liveries. Indeed, one further modification that will need to be done very soon is to add first class versions of all of these carriages. If you would like to produce the graphics for these, that would save me some time, which I could then use to expedite the completion of the other elements of the passenger and mail classes feature.
Thank you again for your helpful work on this.
Splendid! I had missed that.
I have now committed some first class graphics to the passenger-and-mail-classes branch on my repository.
Splendid, thank you! I will add the .dat files later when I move onto railway vehicles - I am currently concentrating on town buildings and attractions.
May I ask if a Railfreight livery definition exists?
Yes, I did add it.
If you would like to add a livery and the definition for that livery is missing from simuconf.tab, do feel free to add it.
I have just completed the graphics for the first class and composite Mark 1 carriages. They are on my passenger-and-mail-classes branch.
Splendid, thank you! That is extremely helpful.
Edit: One query, if I may: I see that you have put the new vehicles into a dark green livery. This green livery is used with some Mk. 1 carriages, not as the Southern Region green (which was lighter), but to use the graphics for the Mk. 1 carriages as part of certain multiple units that were painted in that green colour, as many of the centre carriages of these multiple units looked nearly identical to the locomotive hauled Mk. 1 carriages. I do not think that these multiple units had things like a BCK.
Had you prepared these graphics thinking that they were intended to be Southern Region green? I had wondered whether to add the two regional colour schemes of the later British Railways liveries (the Western Region and the Southern Region), but had provisionally decided against it on the basis that it would require two new livery schemes just for those two liveries. However, if you would like to add these, do feel free to do so (so long as you add the necessary BR(S) and BR(W) livery schemes), albeit it might be quite a bit of work for a relatively limited reward, especially considering that one may then want to have some of the later pre-nationalisation carriages in the same schemes, too (such as the Bulleid express carriages, for example). Whether you think that this is worth your time I will leave to your discretion.
It is worth noting how the pantographs become hardly visible with the new transparent workflow.
Splendid, thank you for that. I wonder whether the pantographs might be more visible if in a lighter colour?
Making the pantographs lighter did indeed make them more visible. I have applied that to the other locos as well.


The client is an IT contractor living in London, who owns one rental property. He had decided to expand his portfolio and had his sights set on buying a bank with offices above which was offered for sale in a forthcoming auction. The property was located in prime high street location in a town on the south coast.
Purchases at auction have to be completed within 28 days so finding a lender that was prepared to act quickly was key. Most buyers in this situation use bridging finance because it's quick; however, it can be very expensive.
In addition to the tight timescale (which was exacerbated by the fast-approaching Christmas holidays), the client was looking to borrow a rather high loan to value of 75%. Most commercial investment property lenders only go up to 60-65% LTV.


text:
Q: How to use Green's theorem? $\def\d{\mathrm{d}}$I'm thinking about this differential equation
$$\frac{3}{2} x\,\d x + \frac{x}{y}\,\d y = 0.$$
If functions $P(x,y), Q(x,y)$ are difined as$$P = \frac{3}{2} x,\ Q = \frac{x}{y},$$ this differential equation can be rewritten as
$$P\,\d x + Q\,\d y = 0.$$
By differentiating $P$ and $Q$, one can easily get
$$\frac{\partial P}{\partial y} = 0,\ \frac{\partial Q}{\partial x} = \frac{1}{y} \Longrightarrow \frac{\partial P}{\partial y} \neq \frac{\partial Q}{\partial x}.$$
According to Green's theorem,
$$\oint _C (P\,\d x + Q\,\d y) = \iint _R \left( \frac{\partial Q}{\partial x} - \frac{\partial P}{\partial y} \right) \,\d x \d y.$$
Now $P\,\d x + Q\,\d y = 0$, so that $\oint _C (P\,\d x + Q\,\d y)$ is always zero, and thus$$\iint _R \left( \frac{\partial Q}{\partial x} - \frac{\partial P}{\partial y} \right) \,\d x \d y$$
is always zero. This results in $$\frac{\partial Q}{\partial x} = \frac{\partial P}{\partial y}.$$
Why is my way of using Green's theorem incorrect?

A: I have always maintained that the notation $\oint_C Pdx+Qdy$ for the line integral of a vector field is a really bad one, and this is a good example.
The differential equation $Pdx+Qdy=0$ is satisfied when $y$, as a function of $x$, is the right solution (namely, $y(x)=ce^{-3x/2}$).
In the line integral $\oint_C Pdx+Qdy$ there is nothing of that, so it makes no sense to say that $Pdx+Qdy=0$. You can see it by trying some parametrization. Note that we need to avoid zero, because if we allow $y$ to be zero, Green does not apply (continuity of the derivative will not be satisfied). Let's try with the circle of radius $1$ centered at $(0,2)$. So we parametrize $x(t)=\cos t$, $y(t)=2+\sin t $, $0\leq t\leq2\pi$. Then
\begin{align}
\oint_C Pdx+Qdy&=\int_0^{2\pi}\left(\frac32\,x(t)x'(t)+\frac{x(t)}{y(y)}y'(t)\right)\,dt\\ \ \\
&=\int_0^{2\pi}\left(-\frac{3\cos t\,\sin t}{2}+\frac{\cos^2t}{2+\sin t}.\right)\,dt
\end{align}
You can clearly see that, contrary to what you stated, the expression between brackets is not zero.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Loop – Täglich Montag (Originaltitel: Looped) ist eine kanadische Zeichentrickserie, die seit 2014 produziert wird.

Handlung
Die Freunde Nick und Theo geraten durch einen Unfall in eine Zeitschleife, in welcher sie stecken bleiben. Von dort an erleben sie immer wieder denselben Montag. Durch ihr Vorwissen über die eintreffenden Ereignisse entwickeln sie neue Ideen und Möglichkeiten zur Gestaltung ihres Tages und versuchen diesen zum besten ihrer Woche zu machen.

Produktion und Veröffentlichung
Die Serie wird seit 2014 in Kanada produziert. Dabei sind bisher 26 Doppelfolgen entstanden.
Die deutsche Erstausstrahlung fand am 28. Februar 2015 auf Super RTL statt. Weitere Ausstrahlungen erfolgten ebenfalls auf Toggo plus.

Episodenliste

Weblinks

Zeichentrickserie
Fernsehserie (Kanada)
Fernsehserie der 2010er Jahre

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Reviews of the desktop AMD Fusion A8-3850 have been trickling in, and they're positive for the most part. Tom's Hardware and AnandTech agree that the device is great for entry-level systems but that it doesn't compare to a full CPU/GPU combo.
I'm impressed with the technical discussion of the chip at Real World Technologies. My sole interest in the Fusion is its ability to process OpenCL kernels, so the CPU-GPU integration is a major concern for me. I'm glad that the Fusion's memory bandwidth is greater than that for a discrete GPU (8 GB/s instead of 6 GB/s), but I'd hoped for better. Intel's Sandy Bridge chips provide better integration, but from what I've seen, they don't support OpenCL yet.


Spring is officially here (in the Northern hemisphere) and that means it's time to do some spring cleaning. That's right - it's time to put on some gloves and dig through your refrigerators, freezers, and cold rooms to find those long-forgotten samples.
Thankfully there is a reward for your hard work - Freezer Challenge points! Whether you're cleaning out your cold storage units for the first time ... ever, or whether you have just cleaned them out, the Freezer Challenge gives generous points to any lab willing to re-evaluate the samples they store in their freezers and refrigerators.
As you clean out your cold storage units, let us know if you think you have the oldest sample. We won't name names (unless you want us to), but we'd love to share what really old samples the Freezer Challenge community finds in the back of the freezer or refrigerator. Email us at info@mygreenlab.org and let us know!
Why do we Defrost Freezers if Ice is Insulating?
Last week we challenged the Freezer Challenge community to explain why freezers need to be defrosted if ice is insulating. A huge thanks to all who took the time to reply. You've all received bonus points on the Challenge!
Today we're featuring two great responses. Jerry Stewart, lab manager of the Beierle lab at the University of Alabama, Birmingham wrote, "While yes, ice insulates...[t]he ice has a reverse effect in a freezer. Ice insulates around the coils, which must get colder than 0C in order to maintain a temperature below the freezing point of ice. This ice prevents [the] exchange of heat in the freezer with the coils. The compressor has to work harder ... to overcome the ice insulation around the coils... Temperature exchange in the freezer environment is achieved much more efficiently with little, to no ice buildup..."
Samantha Clements from the Smith lab at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego added, "Ice buildup on freezers can inhibit even air flow throughout the freezer, creating an environment with both hot and cold spots which can affect freezer efficiency and also sample integrity. Removing ice ensures continued air flow and even cooling throughout the freezer. "
We could not have said it better ourselves! We'd also like to recognize the University of Alabama, Birmingham and the University of California, San Diego's Green Labs Programs, as both of our featured responses came from labs that are Green Lab Certified.
Thanks again to Jerry and Samantha for sharing this information! And remember - even if you didn't receive bonus points for answering the question, you're sure to receive Freezer Challenge points for defrosting your freezers.


Youngsters at Tanners Wood JMI School now have the opportunity to learn in the great outdoors, with the addition of a brand new Wildlife Area in a disused section of the school grounds.
The Wildlife Area, which was funded by Three Rivers District Council, the Parent Teacher Association and Abbots Langley Tough Ten Committee, was officially opened by Councillors Ann Shaw and Martin Trevett on Wednesday March 12.
Children, teachers and parents have worked hard over the past three years to clear the space, research and design the area so that the pupils can learn about wildlife and natural habitats first hand. The Wildlife Area now boasts a class space, tool store, woodpiles, a scrape for finding minibeasts and native trees and plants that actively encourage wildlife. The school has chosen to give the area the motto 'peace and quiet, awe and wonder'.
"The District Council is delighted to be able to support this wonderful project, which the children, staff and parents of Tanners Wood JMI have put so much effort into. The Wildlife Area is a great resource for the children, giving them the opportunity to enjoy hands-on learning in tranquil outdoor surroundings. I hope they enjoy spending a lot of time out there during the coming warmer months."
The Wildlife Area will be used to enhance learning across all subjects on the curriculum, particularly subjects such as science and geography. Whole classes will spend some lesson time in the area and it will also be available for groups or individuals to use at break and lunch times. The Wildlife Club, made up of keen children and teachers, takes over the area after school once a week.


Our New Years trip through Europe had taken some twists and turns and looked to be winding down after an incredible stay at the Park Hyatt Vienna. What a gorgeous hotel. As luck would have it, our trip continued on through London, the North of England, and Paris – what is this life?? – but Vienna was intended as our last stop before visiting some family in England. Because we'd booked so last minute, we were at the mercy of availability and the only seats that opened up from Vienna to London were in British Airways Club Europe.
Personally, I'm not a fan of using points to experience "premium" flights intra-europe as there isn't much distinction between flying in Business Class vs Economy. Yes, you get some free food and drink, lounge access, but for a couple hour flight that rewards premium passengers with a blocked middle seat, I'd rather stretch my points further and fly economy twice.
I used American Express Membership Rewards which instantly transferred to BA. While I booked for 15k, had I flown just a bit later in the month I'd have been able to book at a Saver rate of just 12,750 Avios. If you recall, Amex often offers transfer bonuses to BA and late last year they were offering a 40% bonus on transferred points – at 9k Amex points…it may be worth the extra points to fly biz over economy.
You will gain access to the Air Lounge. However, if you're a Priority Pass member…you'd have access anyways so the added value is nil for those in business who also carry a Priority Pass card.
with a blocked center seat.
It's a short flight and we had a nice, tasty snack. But…is it worth paying the premium? I could have had a decent meal at the airport – I would suggest doing this prior to security and not relying on the lounge to provide great quality or filling food. It was quite sparse.
We booked this flight 2 days before departure and cash rates to get us to London direct and at a good time were outrageous. While I wouldn't spend the extra points under ordinary circumstances, the cash rate was $1k for this flight. We'd never pay that, but it just goes to show how incredible transferrable points like Amex, Chase, Citi, and Capital One really can be when cash rates skyrocket.
We had a pleasant flight, but if you're considering this as a luxurious option…I would mull it over and as I recommend to award clients…spend fewer points, reserve a emergency exit row, and rest easy that you aren't really missing out on much by flying economy.
Review: Air France Business Class 777-300ER Paris to Washington D.C.
Good post Miles. Your post is a good example why I keep a stash of BA Avios points at all times. I always transfer over 100k points when they do the 40% bonus once per year and although people say it's never a good idea to transfer over points until you have a need for them, I find the 40% bonus to be too good of an offer to pass up.
Intra Europe at the last minute is the best use of my Avios points I've found when prices skyrocket even if there is plenty of room.


text:
August 2, 2019: This Week in Women's Health
Written by Emma Bargetto
Women are powerful—so powerful that it can be hard to keep up with what they are doing, what their bodies are doing, and what they are doing for each other. To stay updated on all things happening in women's health, Blood + Milk rounded up everything happening this week.
Menstruation:
In the village of Jharkhand, India, girls are using murals to promote menstrual positivity. Anjani Kumari and other girls in her village painted a tree shaped like a woman's body. The mural was in response to a myth all of them had been told as children; if they touched a tree while menstruating, the tree would die. Above the tree, a moon cycle is painted to assist the young girls in tracking the days between their periods.
Responding to the unforgiving heat waves on the East Coast, Refinery 29 released an article, Why Getting Your Period Is So Much Worse During A Heatwave. They quote Dr. Tosin Sotubo saying, "While heat itself won't make your periods worse, it's how the heat affects your lifestyle and stress levels that can have an impact on symptoms associated with your period." Dr. Sotubo continues,"One major factor is stress: Our hormones regulate our period by altering the amount of estrogen and progesterone in the body." It sounds like it is time for some major self-care to keep the stress down and hormones at bay.
While Whitney Cummings newest Netflix special, Can I Touch It, may leave you laughing so hard you cry, she also addresses some more serious women's rights issues during the hour-long standup. She touches on the #MeToo movement, the fear that comes with being a woman, and workplace misconduct. She also presents a sex doll of herself to address why sex robots will never replace women—but may instead be brilliant guacamole makers.
Unbound and Dame Products, both sextech startups, stood in front of Facebook's New York headquarters on Wednesday with dozens of men and women to protest sexism in Facebook advertising approvals. The goal was to expose the inequality demonstrated in the approved and unapproved advertisements by Facebook. The two companies are responsible for the website, Approved, Not Approved, which shares images of previously run ads to demonstrate how Facebook ad policies seemingly promote male sexual health and wellness but often deem female sexual health as inappropriate.
Sex + Intimacy:
With nearly 1 billion people on Instagram, social media harassment for some is a given. Lawyer Carrie A. Goldeberg spoke on the podcast, The Cut On Tuesdays, about her expertise in defending victims of stalking, blackmail, anti-abortion harassment, revenge porn, deep fakes, and Title X violations. She shares stories of her victories and how she has found her niche in law with the growing social media population. Her work is devoted to demonstrating that harassment on the internet is still harassment, and should be treated as such. To learn more about Goldberg, preorder her book, Nobody's Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs, and Trolls.
Birth Control + Abortion:
The Obria Group in CA just used federal grants and Title X funding to promote a period tracking app which is funded by conservative religious men and discourages the use of the pill. The app is designed to assist in natural forms of family planning. The money was intended to provide access to women who need affordable or free birth control, but the FEMM app was granted $1.7M each fiscal year, with a possible renewal that would give the company a total of $5.1M.
Motherhood:
Looking for some new friends that also happen to bring strollers, breastmilk/formula, and kids on lunch dates? There's an app for that! Not only does Peanut allow moms to connect with other moms in their area to coordinate playdates and mom dates, but they make merchandise to empower both moms and their babies.
Fertility:
In an interview with The Guardian, Esther Ramos, 16, spoke about her condition as a pregnant woman at the border. She claims to have lost 20 pounds, as she was not fed on her first day there. After that, she was allowed two meals per day. Ramos describes the meals as small, old, and almost inedible.
Pregnancy Loss:
Actress Anne Hathaway posted earlier this week on her Instagram about her second pregnancy with the caption: "for everyone going through infertility and conception hell, please know it was not a straight line to either of my pregnancies. Sending you extra love." Her honest and hopeful message gained the support of thousands, leaving over 55 thousand comments of love and hope on her Instagram. Hathaway has been open about her miscarriages in the past, and used her pregnancy to provide a sign of hope.
Menopause:
Jennifer Bringle, 37, wrote for Glamour Magazine about the unexpected loneliness of premature menopause. Bringle touches on her overwhelming and unexpected diagnosis of breast cancer and the chemotherapy, mastectomies, and menopause that followed. Her story gives insight into the one percent of American women who experience premature menopause (before the age of 40) and the unsaid truth about "hot flashes and plummeting libido."
Mental Health:
On Monday, singer/songwriter, ROZES released her new song, Call Me. The song was accompanied by a music video as an ode to those who struggle with mental health. The singer has been featured in music with Logic and The Chainsmokers, but this is her first single.
Self-Taught: Chelsea VonChaz
Self-Taught: Lia Posatiere
Natural goods for powerful women
Emma Bargetto
Emma is Blood + Milk's Editorial Fellow.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
How to play Auto Chess - strategy and tips for Teamfight Tactics, Dota Underlords, and Auto Chess
By Jordan Oloman 2019-07-02T11:44:39Z Guide
You've most likely heard of it, but what the hell is it? This is a tactical overview of Auto Chess, the new genre taking the gaming world by storm
(Image credit: Valve)
If you've checked Twitch over the past month you've probably been wondering how to play Auto Chess after spying a few new games nipping at the heels of the typical roster of battle royale titles and MOBAs, namely Teamfight Tactics and Dota Underlords. Both of these games are auto battlers, a bold new genre that has become an overnight success after starting out as a mod within Dota 2 called Dota Auto Chess - which is ironic considering that Dota started out as a Warcraft 3 mod. If you're wondering what is Auto Chess then we're here to help, as in this guide we're going to provide a very basic overview of Auto Chess, show you the version differences, and steer you away from making any rookie errors.
Basic overview
(Image credit: Riot)
Across the numerous versions, gameplay in Auto Chess is fairly static. It's simple to play with a fairly approachable U.I, but the systems that define whether you fail or succeed create complexity. Weirdly enough, its nothing like chess or even Dota, so get that out of your head immediately.
You start out with a set health bar and you have one job - try to survive until you're the last one left. At the start of each round, you're given a set amount of gold and told to buy units, which can later be combined with duplicate units to upgrade them and increase their efficiency. Once you've got your lineup, the timer will tick down and you'll do battle, either with creeps to get items at the start and then eventually the other seven players in your game, who are all crafting their own teams with their respective gold to face off against you.
(Image credit: epic)
Fights take place in real time, as your chosen heroes head out to wallop the enemy team and go for glory. Crucially, you cannot control this section of the game. The only thing you can do is choose where they are positioned. Their capability in battle is then determined by the items you've accumulated and attached to each unit, and their complementary skills or alliances. You pick up items from 'loot rounds', where you face off against creeps to get powerful global or hero-bound items.
Alliances are another kettle of fish. When you pick your units they will have named or symbolic alliances that will be demonstrated to you when you hover over them. You have to match up these alliances to buff your team or even more importantly, debuff the cabal you're facing off against. Perhaps you can lower your enemies' magic resistance or undermine their armour by having a set of similar units, for example.
The trick is to find a solid composition and complement units with other units that tease out their best skills, in order to topple the rotating enemy teams that you face every round. If you lose, the damage dealt is usually dependant on the number of enemies left standing and their respective skill level. Once you lose all of your health - that's it, you're dead. You can either spectate until there's one remaining player, or queue for another match.
So the main point of the game is to stay alive. Keep in mind that you can never regain health in Auto Chess, and it can get quite punishing if you aren't able to keep pushing out a capable team each round - if you can't keep up you'll fall off hard. A string of defeats can ruin you very quickly if you're not careful, especially if your opponent has multiple two or three-star heroes and you keep wasting your money each round. Damage is calculated by the number of enemies left on the screen when you wrap up and their statistics - if you get squad wiped you're going to suffer a heavy blow.
Therefore, you want to put the right items on the right heroes to make sure you've got a strong team. You've always got to be thinking about the next composition - the best Auto Chess players are already steps ahead of their current move. Manage your limited time properly and you should be able to set up a winning lineup. Always have long-term composition goals too - whilst in the early game it can be tempting to spend, reroll and rush out two and three-star enemies, you want to think about how they're going to factor into your wider team and plan accordingly.
You want to level up too, naturally via gameplay or by spending gold in the shop phase to speed up the process. The higher your level the more units you can have on the field, and the units and items you find will be of greater quality, which is a crucial gateway to success.
Outside of that, there aren't many other goals in Auto Chess beyond outlasting the competition. Build the best team you can so you can stay on top and keep that essential winning streak, which will give you the money necessary to build an unstoppable legion.
Good general strategies
Buy duplicates of the same units until they rank up - this is the most accessible tip for Auto Chess. Pick up three of the same unit and it will upgrade, bolstering stats. You can then upgrade it again by making three two star units. Be proactive - the earlier the better in most cases, especially if you want an edge on your opponents later in the game. You can lock the lineup of units in the shop phase if you need to wait for some cash too.
Positioning is everything in Auto Chess, and so is composition. Think about how you would build a team in a regular game of Dota or League - auto chess grafts some of this into the fold with the alliance system so its useful to have a basic knowledge of which heroes work together, whether they're melee or ranged, and what their special ability is. For example, Pudge in Dota Underlords is a tanky bruiser that can hook enemies out of position from far away. Use this to your advantage to position properly and unpick enemy defences.
You also want to Study your enemies. Even though you get a minuscule amount of time to check how another battle is going, you should still keep an eye on what other players are doing. First off, this is to learn how to play properly in the early days, but then it will evolve into figuring out how to counteract their builds and prepare yourself for coming rounds.
Buy levels in the midgame - especially if you're winning - to increase your chances of finding better units and most importantly, afford you the ability to place extra units on the field. Keep in mind the level cap too, which is 10.
Pick up items that are going to help your units. Look at the coloured alliances and see where it tells you whether it's going to help the heroes on your board or not. Don't miss this advice, it's crucial! If a hero has poor DPS, give them an attack speed item, if they have rubbish armour, give them an item that mitigates that - play to your strengths.
Sometimes it can actually be quite handy to lose consecutively and come back with a bang. Don't just throw your last army +1 into the fold with reckless abandon - think carefully and save your money so you can make a big impact and turn the tide. In general, saving your money can be useful given that it often earns interest.
Where available, play the tutorial and train against A.I. Being thrown into the deep end against human opponents was really the only option during the Dota Auto Chess days, but now other companies have jumped on the trend there's a more intuitive way to get a grip on things - especially in Dota Underlords, where you can play against bots to figure it out first.
Watch the sidebar too - this is on the left in Teamfight Tactics and the right in Dota Underlords - this gives you essential information on what alliances are working with each other, what the effects would be if you added to them, and how much damage you're dealing in a given round. Use this as a visual aid to see how good or bad your composition is, and it will give you pointers on what you need to purchase next.
What not to do/rookie errors
Don't ignore your advantage! If you're a Dota or a League of Legends player, pick up the game respective to your skill and playtime. Whilst most are fairly accessible in their own right, knowing what certain heroes are like can be so helpful when you're starting out, especially if you know their style - are they burly heroes that can hold their own, or glass cannons? How do their abilities work? Make things easier for yourself by picking the game you're most comfortable with.
Hey big spender - don't reroll too much in the early game. This is an ok practice in the late game (especially when you're winning) but don't lose sight of the long game - blowing all your money trying to get that one elusive unit is not a very good use of your hard-earned cash. Put it into levelling up or purchasing heroes that help your composition and complete your vision for how your team is going to shape up over the next 30 or so rounds.
Don't bunch up your units. I know micromanagement of units is especially boring if you're used to just controlling a hero without illusions in League or Dota, but placing your pieces on the quote-unquote chessboard is so deeply important in Auto Chess that if you're not going to bother with placement you're destined to fail.
Think about the fact that some enemies can teleport, and if your weak mages are all at the back they're going to get beat up whilst the tanks are involved in the main brawl. Don't shoot yourself in the foot. Bait out bad actors with units who can pull enemies out of position, and preempt weaknesses in your formation by having a good split of tanky enemies and glass cannons.
Think about the attacks your units do - are they long range or short range? Place them accordingly on the map in regards to this and their chosen ability. Same with stats - if a hero has rubbish armour, put him behind another with better armour, or use an item to buff their Achilles heel.
Don't forget to study your alliances - know what the symbols mean so you can translate that to the in-game text and pick the right options. Auto Chess moves blisteringly fast in between rounds, so you need to not be checking the lorebook every time you're prompted to make a decision. I'm a fairly indecisive person, and that often translates to failure in Auto Chess, so pull yourself out of that mindset and move with instinct. The same can be said for the available items - know what they do so you can quickly pick them and have more time to arrange your troops. Don't throw random units together and expect a miracle, while keeping in mind that two of the same unit won't upgrade your alliance. You need another unique unit with the same alliance to improve composition.
Don't buy too many units either, especially when you don't have space on the board for them - and in turn, don't be afraid to sell units that aren't working for you. Sometimes you have to kill your darlings in Auto Chess. Don't be stubborn or sentimental about it. The pool for units is global, meaning that if one player buys too many of the one hero you need, you're going to struggle to find it. Realise this and you will view the shopping phase in a different light. Improvise, adapt, overcome!
Ultimately, give it time - the foundations of Dota Auto Chess are based on Random Number Generation or RNG. You're going to fall foul to it eventually, and when you do it hurts. It stings when you've been screwed over and it's not your fault, but once you've learned the ropes properly, you'll figure out ways to work around that cruel system and come out on top. Auto battlers are complex, but once you're on the other side and you've figured it out, they can be uniquely rewarding and consistently great fun with friends.
Differences between versions
Teamfight Tactics is Riot's League of Legends-inspired Auto Battler. It's got a quick pace and a hex grid instead of a more traditional map, with more damage dealt per round loss. There's also a cool catchup mechanic with the drafting round, where you have to snag a hero from a rotating circle, with the worst players getting first dibs. You can also look at other players' battles on one cohesive map instead of switching between players.
You also have a protagonist in Teamfight Tactics known as the 'Little Legends,' adorable chibi animals that front the damage for you. It also feels a lot more intuitive and responsive, even if it has essentially been born in the LoL client. In that sense, it doesn't have a dedicated U.I or anything - it's technically still in beta, despite being one of the more popular Auto Battle games on the market. With most of these games, there's been a considerable rush to market, so naturally they're a bit rough around the edges.
Dota Underlords is Valve's attempt to corner the market - a standalone game that recently went into open beta on Steam, iOS and Android. It's perhaps got the most cohesive identity of all the Auto Battlers so far - there's a splash screen, ranking system and whole menu interface to play with.
Underlords naturally makes use of the Dota characters you know and love from Dota Auto Chess, so making the switch isn't very difficult - it's practically the same game beyond a few bells and whistles like new alliances and crossplay. Everything is far more legible than in the precursor mod, which helps too. In the future, there's going to be a battle pass and a seasonal asset rotation to keep things fresh, as well as some kind of narrative surrounding the White Spire smuggler's paradise.
(Image credit: 烧焦的鼠标)
The team behind the original mod, Drodo, will be bringing their version of the game exclusively to the Epic Game Store later in the year, so you'll have to wait if you want the 'true' Auto Chess experience. For now, it's available on mobile devices and known as Auto Chess: Origins - it's pretty much Dota Auto Chess in all but name and assets, which have subsequently been replaced by cutesy Dota-adjacent creatures instead.
Want to know more about the game's origins? Then check out the rise of Auto Chess, a Dota 2 custom map that became one of the year's biggest games.
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I have now booked tickets for flights to and from the UK for my summer holidays at the end of August. I originally considered flying to Manchester, but I checked out flights to Heathrow and they were much cheaper – about £140 cheaper at £530. So that's what I got.
I leave Korea on Saturday 22nd August, and get to London (via Hong Kong) the next day. I leave Britain on Saturday 29th and get back to Korea (via Beijing) on Sunday.
I'm planning a triangular whistle-stop tour to visit my family and as many friends as I can. It'll be something like two days in London, two days in the northwest, two days in the southwest. If you're in one of those places I look forward to seeing you.


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Rob Roy boss won't judge his team until everyone is fit
Stewart Maxwell's Rob Roy have had a difficult start to the new season
Rob Roy boss Stewart Maxwell says it's impossible to give a fair assessment of his team until his current injury crisis eases.
Rabs travel to face champions Beith on Saturday having taken just one point from their opening three games.
But Maxwell says: "We can't be judged until we get everybody fit,
"We've had 12 fit players and had to make a formation up dictated by the personnel.
"I've had to play coach at left back and he's a right back. And he was the best player for us!
"It's frustrating, but there's nothing you can do. I can only bring in so many players because I know I've got six or seven coming back."
After a 4-0 defeat at Cambuslang in their league opener, Rob Roy lost 2-1 at home to Clydebank before claiming their first point of the campaign in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Irvine Meadow.
Maxwell said: "Against Clydebank we were better than we were against Cambuslang.
"We went 1-0 down from a mistake, they didn't have to work for the goal. "But we started the second half really well. We deserved our equaliser and were the better team.
"The same defender's then played everybody onside and they've made it 2-1, but I thought we deserved a draw.
"Against Irvine I felt we should have won the game. The first half was pretty scrappy but I felt we were the better team.
"I couldn't believe we were about to lose the game. But to be fair, and it's something they've not done since the start of the league campaign, they battled back and got a draw. It was nothing more than they deserved."
Maxwell has been able to add to his squad, bringing in the junior experience of ex-Fauldhouse keeper JC Hutchison and Arthurlie striker Michael Daly.
He has also secured the services ex-Airdrie defender Chris Lang and Livingston left-back Cameron Clark.
But the Rob Roy boss knows he is limited, both in terms of finances and squad size.
He said: "It's frustrating for me, for the players and for the supporters but there's nothing you can do. I can only bring in so many players because I know I've got six or seven coming back.
"Once we settle down defensively I think we can go and compete in that league, but we've got to get a bit more consistency in the back line and players available."


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Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth tied the knot over the weekend and now we're being blessed with many, many sweet snapshots from the day.
While Miley has uploaded a bunch of loved-up black and white shots of her with new husband Liam, we were yet to see any with her parents.
Mother Tish was seen in the background of a social media snap that first broke the news the stars may have tied the knot on the DL, but now Miley's mum has shared some fresh sweet family photos.
Showing Miley's dad, singer Billy Ray was present and ever the doting father, in one shot the 26-year-old We Can't Stop singer stands between her parents.
She's toting a large bouquet of flowers, as an even bloomier display of petals floats above them in the form of a large archway in which Miley and Liam took photos under.
In another shot Tish shared on Instagram, Miley stands alone with her father, as they both attempt to blue steel for the camera in the broody but loving shot.
It comes after the two, who first got engaged in 2012 before splitting and reconciling in 2015, only obtained a marriage licence last week, according to reports.
With just their families present, Miley, 26, and Liam, 28, reportedly got hitched at their Tennessee house, and last night uploaded loved-up images confirming the news.
Days later, TMZ has reported the two picked up their marriage license in Williamson County, Tennessee, on 18 December – five days before images started making their way online of the wedding celebrations.
According to the website, the newlyweds now have 30 days to complete the document and return it to the courthouse with the officiant's signature.
It's been a long road to marriage for the two, who dated and originally became engaged after meeting on the set of 2010's The Last Song in 2009.
A year after becoming engaged they split, before reconciling in 2015, according to reports, and we're well back out in the open by 2016. Much to our happiness (and their own, we can only gather).
The two have been one of our favourite couples all this time. Yes, even when they split, we held out hope they'd reconcile.


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We aim to provide our service users with a secure and relaxed environment in which their wellbeing and comfort are of prime importance. We achieve this through activities designed to encourage mental alertness, self-esteem and social interaction with others, and with recognition of the following core values of care which are fundamental to the philosophy of our home.
Our carers are fully trained and will strive to preserve and maintain the dignity, individuality and privacy of all service users within a warm and caring atmosphere and in doing so will be sensitive to the Services Users' ever-changing needs. Such needs may be medical/therapeutic (for physical and mental welfare), cultural, psychological, spiritual, emotional and social.
We'd love to hear your feedback, as we are committed to maintaining and improving our service to you.
...taking care of not just my mum but all the residents. I know them all well like one big family and you all enable that atmosphere to develop through your love and dedication. I don't feel it's a care home but more like home, not just for my mum, but also for me when ever I come there. Most importantly I always know when I leave mum each time that she is safe and thoroughly cared for. You are all an inspiration.
...my father has received at Oak Cottage. The team go all out to make sure their cherished residents are provided with care and affection.
...When I visit she is bright and cheerful and seems content. She is very well cared for and, at 93 years of age, remains in good health. I believe the staff at Oak Cottage treat my mother and the other residents with great kindness and consideration.
...and we are enormously grateful to all the staff for the care and devotion shown to her.


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Home/Consumer Protection, Oldies but Goodies, Public Health/Racial Politics Flavor Debate Over Banning Menthol Cigarettes
Racial Politics Flavor Debate Over Banning Menthol Cigarettes
By Myron Levin on November 17, 2015
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Kool, introduced in the 1930s by Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co., was one of the early menthol brands, and until the 1950s the most popular. This 1937 ad was one of many that promoted Kool as soothing to the throat. (Cigarette ads courtesy of the Stanford University collection)
Lorillard Tobacco donated nearly four times as much to Republican candidates as to Democrats in the 2014 congressional elections. No surprise there — most businesses count on Republicans to hold the line on regulations and taxes.
But Lorillard made a striking exception for one set of Democrats: African Americans. It gave campaign cash to half of all black members of Congress, as opposed to just one in 38 non-black Democrats, according to an analysis by FairWarning of records from the Center for Responsive Politics. To put it another way, black lawmakers, all but one of whom are Democrats, were 19 times as likely as their Democratic peers to get a donation.
It's not hard to see why. The election campaign overlapped a debate crucial to Lorillard: Whether to add menthol, the minty, throat-numbing additive, to a list of flavorings banned from use in cigarettes in 2009 on public health grounds. Lorillard's Newport cigarettes have been the top-selling menthol brand, accounting for billions of dollars in annual sales. And who most favors menthols? Black smokers, by a wide margin.
For decades, the tobacco industry has maintained what amounts to an informal mutual aid pact with some black organizations. Over the years, cigarette makers have donated generously to members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and to its affiliate, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation; to major groups like the National Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the United Negro College Fund; and to a host of smaller African American organizations. In return, some of the groups have helped the industry fight anti-smoking measures. Other times, critics say, they have simply turned a blind eye to the harmful impact of tobacco on the black community.
This story also published by:
News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.)
FloridaBulldog.org
Industrial Safety & Hygiene News
InDepthNH
Investigative Reporting Workshop
Menthol cigarettes, once a niche product, now account for about 30 percent of U.S. cigarette sales. But a study cited by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that menthols were the choice of 88 percent of black smokers and 57 percent of smokers under 18.
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the landmark 2009 law that authorized the FDA to regulate tobacco products, included a ban on candy, fruit and spice flavorings because of their appeal to young smokers. But in negotiations that led to adoption of the law, menthol was given a pass. In July 2013, after complaints from public health groups, the FDA put out a call for public comments on whether menthol, too, should be restricted or banned.
Menthols account for about 30 percent of U.S. cigarette sales, but are preferred by more than 80 percent of black smokers. Newport is the most popular menthol, and second best-selling brand in the U.S. behind Marlboro.
Not a peep
Several other countries have banned menthol or imposed deadlines for eliminating it. But not a peep has been heard from the FDA since it asked the public to weigh in more than two years ago. This past June, in a display of confidence, Reynolds American Inc., which includes R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., completed a merger with Lorillard, paying more than $27 billion for a company that depended on menthols for about 85 percent of sales.
The menthol limbo fits a pattern, according to public health advocates, who say the FDA has been all but paralyzed by excessive caution and, when it has tried to act, by successful legal challenges from the industry. In November 2011, the agency was blocked in court when it tried to require graphic warning labels on cigarette packs like those in at least 75 countries. And it has yet to complete the rulemaking process that would extend its oversight to cigars and e-cigarettes, which are increasingly popular among teens.
The failure to act is "inexcusable." said Joelle Lester, a staff attorney with the Public Health Law Center in St. Paul, Minn. "Prohibiting menthol in tobacco products should be a very high priority." Agency officials declined to be interviewed. A spokesman said in an email that the FDA "is continuing to consider regulatory options related to menthol.''
Banning menthol would be politically difficult under any circumstances, but observers say it will be impossible without strong support from African American leadership groups. And despite support for a ban from some black public health advocates, African American politicians and organizations have been largely silent.
Joelle Lester, staff attorney at the Public Health Law Center, St. Paul, Minn.
Some of the smaller groups that have received tobacco money over the years–the National Black Police Association, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, or NOBLE, the National Black Chamber of Commerce and the Congress of Racial Equality — have opposed a ban, claiming it would trigger illicit trade in menthol cigarettes. This, they say, would result in lost tax revenues, rising law enforcement costs and widespread arrests in the black community.
The NBPA launched a write-in campaign that brought more than 36,000 comments opposing a ban, according to an FDA document. That group did not respond to interview requests. But John Dixon, a past president of NOBLE and the police chief in Petersburg, Va., said he thought banning menthol would harm "the minority community, because the majority of menthol smokers are minorities." He added that "prohibitions cause a whole other host of problems," including an added "burden on law enforcement." NOBLE lists RAI Services Co., part of Reynolds American, as a current donor. But Dixon said this "would not have any influence, one way or another,'' on the group's positions.
A complicated relationship
The relationship between tobacco companies and black groups "is complicated,'' said Delmonte Jefferson, executive director of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network, a CDC-funded nonprofit.
Delmonte Jefferson, executive director of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network
In recent years, minority groups have attracted a wider range of corporate sponsors, making tobacco funding less important. But "there was a long time that it was only the tobacco industry that would support" some of them, Jefferson said. "To do an abrupt turn against the same companies—that's kind of hard for them to do."
While smoking rates for black and white adults are comparable, blacks suffer higher death rates from tobacco-related ailments, including some types of cancer and cardiovascular disease. According to the CDC, about 47,000 African Americans die annually from smoking-related illnesses, making tobacco use the largest preventable cause of death for black Americans.
Menthols do not appear to be any more toxic than other brands. "A menthol cigarette is just another cigarette and should be regulated no differently," said David Howard, a spokesman for Reynolds American, in an email to FairWarning. But health authorities view menthols as a starter product, saying that menthol's anesthetizing effect helps beginners tolerate the harshness of tobacco smoke, making them more likely to become addicted to nicotine.
"Menthol has no redeeming value other than to make the poison go down more easily,'' said a report in the American Journal of Public Health.
New York Yankees star Elston Howard touted Kool's throat-soothing "extra coolness'' in this 1962 ad.
Some research also suggests that menthol smokers are more nicotine dependent and have more trouble quitting. For these reasons, said a 2013 FDA report, it is "likely that menthol cigarettes pose a public health risk above that seen with non-menthol cigarettes." The industry disputes this. According to Reynolds' spokesman Howard, "The best available scientific evidence demonstrates that menthol cigarettes do not cause people to start smoking earlier, smoke more cigarettes … or make smokers more addicted than non-menthol cigarette smokers."
"African Americanization" of menthols
In any case, the industry has worked hard to befriend the black community. Early on, cigarette makers touted menthols as good for smokers with a cough or cold, and "African Americans became attached to the notion" that menthols were safer, according to public health activist and researcher Phillip S. Gardiner. The companies reinforced the popularity of Kool and other brands by sponsoring cultural events and pouring marketing dollars into black media and neighborhoods–all part of what Gardiner called the "African Americanization of menthol cigarette use.''
The industry's hiring practices were also progressive for their time, winning gratitude in the black community. In the 1950s the White Sentinel, a white supremacist publication, urged a boycott of Philip Morris for having "the worst race-mixing record of any large company in the nation." It "was first in the tobacco industry to hire Negroes instead of Whites for executive and sales positions,'' the White Sentinel lamented, and "the first cigarette company to advertise in the Negro press.''
Phillip S. Gardiner, program officer with the University of California's Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program
Led by Philip Morris, the top U.S. cigarette maker and part of Altria Group, tobacco companies also became charitable pillars of African American cultural, educational and political organizations. In 1987, for instance, the company donated $2.4 million to more than 180 black, Latino and women's organizations and local chapters.
Relentless discrimination
That same year, the National Black Monitor, a now-defunct magazine, published an article ghost written by an official from R.J. Reynolds, which had funded journalism scholarships for African American students and in 1985 was named advertiser of the year by a black newspaper publishers group. The article compared the treatment of tobacco companies to that of oppressed blacks.
While racial minorities no longer face "the systematized injustice they once did,'' the article said, "relentless discrimination still rages unabashedly on a cross-country scope against another group of targets — the tobacco industry and 50 million private citizens who smoke.''
At the annual convention of the NAACP in 2009, two members of the group's Berkeley, Calif., branch tried to convince the organization to adopt an aggressive anti-tobacco stand. The two — Valerie Yerger, then an assistant professor of health policy at the University of California, San Francisco, and Carol McGruder, co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council — tried to introduce a resolution that called on NAACP leadership to make tobacco control "a national priority'' and push for a menthol ban.
Valerie Yerger, associate professor of health policy in the School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco
The resolution had not been vetted in advance of the convention, as was customary, and as Yerger and McGruder recalled, their request to introduce it on an emergency basis was not well-received. The late Julian Bond, then NAACP chairman, "was not going to have any conversation with us about this," Yerger remembered. "He was in our face yelling at us, OK? I was determined not to cry, but this was, like, a hero that I grew up with,'' she said. "As a young black kid, you grow up knowing who the hell Julian Bond is…'' McGruder didn't recall Bond getting angry, but said "he wasn't happy about it [the resolution] and he wasn't going to entertain it."
Amid declines in smoking and consolidation in the industry, the flow of tobacco money to minority organizations seems to have ebbed in recent years. But the industry "still has a pretty heavy influence financially," said Jefferson of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network.
Last year, Altria donated $1 million to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. During the 2013-14 election cycle, tobacco companies donated $115,650 to black lawmakers and their affiliated PACs, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Lorillard was the most generous, distributing $56,500 to 23 black members (there are 46 total) and related PACs. The Black Caucus chair, North Carolina Rep. G.K. Butterfield, got $5,000 from Lorillard. Rep. Sanford Bishop of Georgia got $10,000. South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn received $2,000 from Lorillard, and his BRIDGE PAC took in $5,000 from Lorillard and $10,000 from Altria.
Executive ties
Carol McGruder, co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council.
Shuanise Washington is president and CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, which sponsors leadership training, awards scholarships and hosts an annual legislative conference attended by thousands. Washington, who declined to comment for this story, is also a past vice president for Altria, which gave the CBCF between $100,000 and $249,000 in both 2013 and 2014, according to the foundation's website. Altria spokesman David B. Sutton said the gifts mainly support the foundation's fellowship and internship programs, reflecting the company's "long history of focusing on diversity and inclusion."
In addition, the foundation listed RAI Services, part of Reynolds American, as contributing between $5,000 and $15,000, and cited Altria as a corporate partner at its most recent legislative conference in September. "How can you talk about health equity," asked anti-tobacco activist Jefferson, "when you are sponsored by a killer of public health?"
Among Lorillard's campaign donations was $1,000 to Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois, who heads a panel called the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. At the caucus foundation's legislative conference, she issued a 144-page report, "Health Disparities in America,'' on health problems afflicting minority citizens. It included entire sections on childhood obesity, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, lupus, sleep disorders, oral health and gun violence. Tobacco was barely mentioned. Kelly did not respond to interview requests.
No. 1 flavor product
The 2009 legislation that gave the FDA power to regulate tobacco products grew from a deal between tobacco control groups, anti-smoking members of Congress and Altria. But the menthol exception did not sit well with some black public health advocates.
Kool ad from 2006. By then Kool was an R.J. Reynolds brand through a merger with Brown & Williamson Tobacco.
"How do you justify removing all of the flavorings which were minuscule in use … but leave the No. 1 flavor product…? It makes no sense at all," said William S. Robinson, the former head of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network, which withdrew its support for the bill in protest.
Seven former secretaries of Health and Human Services, including Dr. Louis W. Sullivan and Joseph Califano, weighed in with an open letter to Congress. "Menthol should be banned so that it no longer serves as a product the tobacco companies can use to lure African American children," it read. "We do everything we can to protect our children in America, especially our white children. It's time to do the same for all children.''
Lorillard, which soon after agreed to donate $1 million to the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in its hometown of Greensboro, N.C., put a different spin on the social justice issue.
Self-appointed activists
"Some self-appointed activists have proposed a legislative ban on menthol cigarettes in a misguided effort to force people to quit smoking by limiting their choices," the company said in ads in the black press. "The history of African Americans in this country has been one of fighting against paternalistic limitations and for freedoms.''
Ultimately, Congress kicked the menthol can down the road. An amendment to the tobacco control act called for the formation of an expert panel, the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, to study and report to the FDA on the public health impact of menthol, "including use among children, African Americans, Hispanics, and other racial/ethnic minorities."
2009 ad for Newport, the flagship brand of Lorillard Tobacco, which in June merged with Reynolds American.
The panel issued its report in 2011, concluding that "removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States.'' The FDA, however, waited two more years before requesting public comments. Then in July 2014, the agency suffered a legal setback . A federal judge ruled that the agency could not base any decisions on the advisory panel's findings. The ruling came in a lawsuit by Reynolds and Lorillard claiming that the FDA had violated ethics laws by appointing experts to the panel who had conflicts of interest for having previously taken anti-tobacco stands. The decision is under appeal.
The ruling didn't bar the FDA from acting, because its own staff had prepared a separate report that reached essentially the same conclusions. But for reasons agency officials won't discuss, nothing has happened since.
Some activists have given up on the feds and moved on to local campaigns. In December 2013, for instance, the Chicago city council passed an ordinance barring the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes, within 500 feet of schools. In Berkeley, Calif., a ban on the sale of menthol and other flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, within 600 feet of schools will take effect in 2017. Similar legislation has been proposed in Baltimore.
"I'm not expecting anything" from the FDA, said McGruder, one of the activists rebuffed by the NAACP. "I don't think that they have … the guts.''
Douglas Weber of the Center for Responsive Politics contributed to this story.
Myron Levin2021-01-20T18:07:49-08:00Categories: Consumer Protection, Oldies but Goodies, Public Health|Tags: Cigarette Smuggling, Product Hazards and Recalls, Smoking and Tobacco Industry|8 Comments
S. Ari Bendavid August 16, 2016 at 4:34 pm
The US Govt. Needs to get out of the business of interfering with citizens private lives. If I want to smoke a menthol cigarette I will smoke one. No need for the overbearing government in Washington to tell us all what is good for us. I have spent a lifetime ignoring their intrusion. The only laws I abide by are not doing harm to others, stealing, and other such things. I have smoked menthols among other things besides tobacco. And I don't give a damn.
Uncle Gary December 21, 2015 at 6:18 pm
Perfect example. There was a report that air pollution was responsible for 200,000 American deaths.
Were some percentage of those deaths also reported as deaths from smoking cigarettes? Is it possible to attribute a cause of death to one factor?
Another problem is criminalizing cigarette smoking. I have received three tickets for smoking a cigarette in public from the Santa Monica Cops. (BTW, I'm a 63 year old white guy).
None of the tickets were received in an area posted non-smoking. One was when I was standing 10 feet down wind from a bus stop. The cop said it didn't have to be posted.
I have $3,700 in fines overdue, because the fine is $250, but you can't plead not guilty unless you post a $1,250 bond. I do not understand why this is permitted in America.
Anti-smoking laws are prone to inexcusable and abusive enforcement at all levels.
Uncle Gary December 19, 2015 at 5:33 am
On a more technical note, I've always questioned how deaths from non-tobacco caused lung cancer is accounted for.
Data always appears to be presented as all lung cancer deaths are from smoking tobacco. There must be implied technical adjustments made, but they are not presented with the data crunch.
How many non-tobacco lung cancer deaths occur every year in the U.S.? Are the rates higher in the black population than other ethnic groups?
A couple of impoverished communities in L.A. (Compton and Industry) have recently been in the news because of their high levels of industrial toxins. Does the high rate of toxins in the environment of poor communities enhance the effects of cigarette smoking on lung cancer in those communities?
I'm not suggesting there is not a causal connection between lung cancer and cigarettes, simply wondering if the numbers are exaggerated because multiple causative agents of lung cancer cannot be accurately accounted for.
Oh yeah. I've smoked two packs a day for decades, so I may be biased. I am also seriously annoyed that prospective HUD regulations on smoking will effectively exclude me from public housing. These types of regulations are frequently tyranically enforced by public housing nannies.
A whole lotta brothers on The Row aren't all that worried about future possibilities that are gonna kill us in ten or fifteen years.
I'm just sayin:
http://verysmartbrothas.com/the-rapidly-decreasing-value-of-hope-in-the-criminal-justice-system/
Uncle Gary December 17, 2015 at 10:37 pm
Yeah right. Menthol cigarettes are a way bigger problem than mass incarceration or homicide by cop. What we need is another legal excuse to stigmatize and criminalize black Americans. After all, prohibition has been an extremely beneficial policy for alcohol and drugs. Right?
Bill Godshall November 19, 2015 at 11:16 am
There is no evidence that banning the sale of menthol cigarettes would benefit public health.
But a menthol cigarette ban would:
– create a huge black market for untaxed and unregulated menthol cigarettes,
– reduce cigarette tax revenue, and funds for SCHIP and smoking cessation programs,
– demonize and stigmatize black menthol smokers as criminals.
From 2004-2009, CTFK, ACS, AHA, ALA lobbied Congress to enact the Philip Morris sponsored TCA by deceitfully claiming it was necessary to protect children from candy flavored cigarettes (which accounted for 99.9% of all nicotine vapor products currently on the market.
Jeanne Weigum November 18, 2015 at 10:01 am
Menthol lures youth, all youth but particularly LGBT and African American youth, to tobacco. It is unacceptable. There is substantial evidence that menthol makes tobacco use easier to start and harder to stop, thus contributing to health disparities.
The Chicago ordinance that imposes restrictions on menthol sales near schools is proving difficult, perhaps impossible, to enforce so other alternatives should be considered. Minneapolis' ordinance limiting the sale of flavored tobacco products (excluding menthol) to adult only establishments goes into effect in January, 2016 and Saint Paul is considering a similar ordinance. Both cities will look at placing the same sales restrictions on menthol flavored products in the near future. In Saint Paul the number of stores allowed to sell these 'adult only' products will be 16 adult only stores, down from the 262 that now sell them. This seems like a legally defensible way to regulate Menthol sales and is worth consideration in other communities.
Jeanne Weigum is a tobacco control advocate living in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Christine Schutzman November 18, 2015 at 6:47 am
Wonderful article! I will definitely be sharing this. Would you please provide the names of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus that accepted money, or a link to where to find that information easily? It would be greatly appresciated!!
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Camp des Iles is situated in the Laurentian region on Ile aux chats near Lachute. The camp exists for the purpose of teaching the Bible, Christian values and encouraging growth physically and intellectually. We are a non-profit camp open to all campers regardless of their religious affiliation.
Camp des Iles presently offers six weeks of summer programming: three weeks in French, and three weeks in English, as well as retreats, training camp,and various day or weekend activities. We are available for rental by groups when our own programming is not in progress.
Camp des Iles has dorm-style accomodations, with beds for 96 on two floors. Each floor has two large bathrooms with showers, sinks and toilets. The dorm basement is equipped with ping-pong, pool, bumper pool and other tables. Our main building has kitchen, dining room and a meeting room. We have a large in-ground pool, campfire area, basketball, volleyball and soccer areas, and canoeing in the river.


Heritage counter made of rustic pine wood. Can be used e.g. as a cash desk, for wrapping gifts and flowers and taking customer orders. The counter has 5 drawers, a cupboard and fixed shelves.
Ther counter comes complete with a removable smooth, wipe-clean zinc worktop.
The counter is supplied ready-assembled for immediate use.


MOSCOW, Feb. 5 (Xinhua/Sun) -- The city of Sochi is completely ready for the Olympic Games, despite the fact that not everything is perfect, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.
"Everything is absolutely ready, Olympic life has already begun there in full swing," Peskov told the Moscow FM radio station.
He called the volume of the work done during the Games preparations "Stunning and unimaginable."
The Kremlin spokesman said that the government and private investors have been interested in the Olympic infrastructure to pay off after the Games.
Noting that people should vacate in Sochi, not in France, Peskov said that the city's infrastructures will be constantly improving to catch up with the world standards, so Sochi would host G8 summit, Formula One races and other world-class political and sports events.
Meanwhile, Peskov admitted that some problems have remained in the city. He mentioned, in particular, a big number of strayed dogs in the streets and mediocre quality of service in some hotels.
Still, everything will be improved in a few days, he promised.
Peskov turned down a suggestion to transform Sochi into a gambling zone after the Games. The idea proposed by the head of Sberbank, German Gref, did not fit the resort's image, he said.
The 22nd Winter Olympics will be held on Feb.7-23.