text:
Converting coal plants to biomass could fuel climate crisis, scientists warn
Plans to shift Europe's coal plants, including the giant Drax complex in North Yorkshire, to burn wood pellets instead could accelerate rather than combat climate crisis and lay waste to forests equal to half the size of Germany's Black Forest per year, according to campaigners, the Guardian reports.
Climate thinktank Sandbag said the heavily subsidised plans to cut carbon emissions will result in a "staggering" amount of tree cutting, potentially destroying forests faster than they can regrow.
Sandbag found that Europe's 10 largest biomass conversion projects will alone require 36m tonnes of wood pellets every year, equal to the entire current global wood pellet production. This would require forests covering 2,700 sq km to be cut down every year, the equivalent of half the Black Forest in Germany.
The majority of wood pellets to be used at Drax, and much of the plants in the rest of Europe are imported from the US and Canada, "meaning that there's a huge added environmental cost in transporting the wood from the other side of the Atlantic," said the report's author, Charles Moore.
The planned biomass conversions – with Finland, Germany and Netherlands leading the way – would emit 67m tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere which would be unlikely to be reabsorbed by growing trees over the timescales relevant to meeting the Paris agreement, warned Sandbag.
In return, the forest-hungry power plants would produce less than 2% of the EU's electricity needs, the same generation capacity built in Europe every year by wind and solar farm developers.
"It's impossible to believe coal companies when they argue that the switch burning forests could be good for the climate," Moore said.
EU regulators consider biomass as a carbon neutral renewable alternative, saying that the growth of new trees can absorb as much carbon as wood pellets release when they are burned to generate electricity.
Drax has used this logic to underpin its plan to become the world's first "carbon negative" company within 10 years by burning biomass in conjunction with technology which can carbon capture from its power plant flues.
Drax robustly defends the sustainability record of its biomass supply chain. Its wood pellets, shipped from the US, are made mostly from sawmill residue and forest overgrowth, which is carefully cleared to improve the quality of forests. Drax has pledged never to source biomass from farming practices that lead to deforestation.
But Alex Mason, from WWF's EU office, said burning forests is "literally the opposite of what we should be doing" to help tackle the climate crisis.
"As 800 scientists pointed out last year, converting coal plants to biomass will increase emissions for decades, if not centuries. This new report is yet more evidence that the EU must use the new EU Green Deal to fix EU bioenergy rules before this ticking time-bomb of a policy does any more damage," he said.
Prof Michael Norton, a director at the European Academies Science Advisory Council, said large-scale forest removal to meet the demand for biomass would be "horrifying from a climate perspective" and already risks overshooting the Paris agreement targets.
He said European countries are moving ahead with plans for giant biomass plants despite reports showing "the counter-productive nature of biomass" and the urgent need to stop deforestation.


text:
AEW Rampage Disaster For December 2 Episode
2 months ago by Laura Cude
Things aren't looking good for AEW Rampage.
The December 2 episode drew the lowest score in the key 18-49 demographic in the show's history.
Per Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, the edition drew 361,000 viewers and scored a 18-49 demo rating of 0.08.
Dave Meltzer addressed the 'scary low' ratings during the latest Wrestling Observer Radio.
"Rampage was the lowest in its history. 0.08 – 101,000 viewers in 18-49 which is a terribly low number.
"Rampage had never gotten below 0.10. This number is so low it boggles… it was scary low."
If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.
Meltzer compared Rampage's performance to the Wednesday Dynamite numbers.
He mentioned the word that no showrunner wants to hear: cancellation.
Meltzer noted:
"The Wednesday Dynamite number is still really good for the station, it's bigger than Big Bang Theory does. So it's good. It's not as good as it's been, but it's not like these numbers are gonna get you canceled. They're not at all.
"Now the Rampage number, I don't know about talking about cancellation, but that number's not… for a first run program and everything like that on that station (TNT), on a Friday, it's not a good number.
"Usually what they've done in the last couple of months, even though the numbers are not big, they are acceptable in that time slot. And bigger than that timeslot was doing before.
"But now we're not in that situation at all, so Tony (Khan) has got to spruce up that show, that's all there is to it."
Something about AEW's Rampage doesn't seem to be clicking with audiences.
The last episode saw Orange Cassidy defend the AEW All-Atlantic Championship against QT Marshall in a Lumberjack match in the main event.
In a rare occurrence for main events, Cassidy vs Marshall actually gained viewers and was the most-watched part of the show.
Jeff Jarrett also had his second match for AEW, teaming with Jay Lethal to defeat Private Party.
Other matches on the show were Darby Allin vs Cole Karter in the opener, and Athena vs Dani Mo. The Acclaimed and FTR also appeared and set up a match for this week's Dynamite.
Keep track of all ratings for AEW Rampage for 2022 right here.
Major Announcement On WWE Women's Elimination Chamber Match
5 mins ago by Amanda Savage
bianca belair

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
CFP: Special Issue of Gender Studies devoted to Girls' Studies
Gallery April 8, 2015 ACYIG Web Manager
Call for Papers: Girls' Studies
A special issue of Gender Issues is now open for submission of articles by those conducting original applied research to the field of girls' studies. We seek articles that unravel the constructions of girlhood and invite a critical discussion of issues including but not limited to: health, social justice, and well being; sites of social, political, and community action; trans and gender non-conforming girls; educating girls; sexuality and representations of girls; girls around the globe. Authors should including abstracts and brief bios. We would also welcome short book reviews that cover the field of girls' studies. A general description of what the journal seeks to publish follows:
Gender Issues is multidisciplinary and cross-national in scope focusing on gender and gender equity. The journal publishes basic and applied research examining gender relationships as well as the impact of economic, legal, political, and social forces on those relationships across four domains:
Understanding gender socialization, personality, and behavior in a gendered context.
Exploring the wide range of relationships within the gender spectrum, such as acquaintances, friendships, romantic, and professional relationships.
Assessing the impact of economic, legal, political, and social changes on gender identity, expression, and gender relations.
Interpreting the impact of economic, legal, political, and social changes on the aspirations, status and roles of people internationally.
Date for Submissions: October 1, 2015
Inquires and submissions: https://www.editorialmanager.com/geis/default.aspx
Authors should submit through the Editorial Manager system and note that this article should be saved for the "Girls Studies special issue".
Gender Studies is published in print and online by Springer Publishing Company. From 1932-1980, Gender Studieswas published under the title Feminist Issues. Please visit http://link.springer.com/journal/12147 for further details. Special Attention should be paid to the "For Authors and Editors" section, which includes information about preparing the manuscript for submission. Past articles are also available to read online.
Guest Editor: Elaine J. O'Quinn is a Professor of English and affiliate faculty in Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC where she helped develop a minor in Girls' Studies. Her interests include girls and literacy, and her most recent publication on this topic is Girl's Literacy Experiences In and Out of School: Learning and Composing Gendered Identities (Routledge 2013).
Previous PostMapping the Landscapes of Childhood II ConferenceNext PostCFP: Child/hood and Trauma – Edited volume
Announcements are provided for informational purposes for the benefit of ACYIG members and colleagues. ACYIG cannot guarantee the information provided via other organizations and individuals, and does not necessarily endorse any claims expressed here or in links provided.


text:
Q: How to alternate an img.src when drawing it to canvas without affecting drawn objects? The JavaScript file is borrowed from this CodePen many thanks Jason (jsndks).
My draw function which has been edited hence the commented out section:
proto.draw = function() {
    var img = new Image();

    if (!this.context) {
        return;
    }

    this.context.clearRect(0, 0, this.canvasWidth, this.canvasHeight);
    //this.context.strokeStyle = PARTICLE_COLOR;

    for(var i= 0; i < PARTICLE_QUANT; i++) {
        //img.src = 'http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/nTX/b6R/nTXb6RqTB.png';

        if (i%2 == 0){
            img.src = 'http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/nTX/b6R/nTXb6RqTB.png';
        }else {
            img.src = 'http://www.clker.com/cliparts/q/j/I/0/8/d/green-circle-icon-hi.png';
        }

        var particle = this.particles[i];
        //this.context.save();
        //this.context.beginPath();
        ////this.context.arc(particle.x, particle.y, ARC_RADIUS, 0, Math.PI * 2);
        //this.context.stroke();
        //this.context.restore();
        this.context.drawImage(img, particle.x , particle.y, 20 ,20);
    }

};

Any help would be appreciated. My goal is a canvas partial animation with naughts and crosses floating in the scene.
Many thanks

A: Just got help from another source, all i had to do was move the "var img = new Image();" inside the for loop.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I started probably 2-3 days ago and already have a few people on and a lot of posts. I edited the default theme which looks very nice in my opinion and the forum is just doing great.
What happened to the 593 forums of yours that preceded this?
I thought this would happen again..... I don't like them no more. I have read the installing Wiki and all that stuff.
So, you don't like PokeSunrise anymore so you created PokeWhite?
I dont like the theme.
Get a new one, stop switching forums, and good luck.
Theme looks okay, logo needs more work.
@weBex: I still like PokeSunrise, I just made PokeWhite to see how it would go and it is already doing great. And I can have more than 1 forum you know.
@Alex H.: Well I'm sorry you don't like the theme, and I am not switching forums. You should ask before you post it.
@Richard: Thank you, and I made the logo. I was trying to make it look really modern. Though that's just your opinion.
(02-23-2011, 12:03 AM)Electric Pokémon Master Wrote: [ -> ] @weBex: I still like PokeSunrise, I just made PokeWhite to see how it would go and it is already doing great. And I can have more than 1 forum you know.
Well duh to owning multiple forums, but generally people own multiple forums of different topics.
Your PokeWhite is thriving just like any "new" forum, I can start 100 forums over and over asking the same 20-ish people to post as much as they can and it'll look just as great as yours is doing right now.
Now you have to post the same content in two places, wouldn't it be easier to just focus on 1?
It would be easier to focus on 1, but I can focus on 2. It's not that hard. I just came here to ask for feedback people.
Our members have made a total of 1,693 posts in 82 threads.


Anyone interested in presentation design will have heard about or bought Nancy Duarte's latest book: Resonate . I managed to read it over the weekend, here are my impressions.
While her previous book slide:ology was mostly about slide design, Resonate is about stories, stories that get your audience to change their perspective, and take action, do something, change something. It is actually the right order of learning how to become a good presentation designer: first acquire the skills to visualize a single concept in a chart, then focus on weaving those charts together to build a powerful story.
This is what I see happening around me. The current Slideshare presentation of the year competition shows that thousands of people have acquired the skill to make "stunning visuals" using images. But most story lines are still relatively simple: sequences of chars showing how big something is, or sequences of images that show emotions/feelings that we all recognize. Great movie directors or authors posses the art to take you along a more complex path that will change you and the perspectives you have of the world. This is what Resonate is trying to get to.
Humility. The presentation is not about you, but about the audience, and audiences do not connect with arrogant speakers. Nancy is giving the example herself throughout the book, it is written in a very personal, understated style, admitting some personal mistakes, all of this given her impressive background in presentation design.
Contrast keeps the audience interested: constantly move between the "what is now" to the "what could be". Change pace, change the type of slides, change, change, change to prevent boredom.
Micro-segment the audience. Really understand who's in it. (I liked the observation that analytical audiences are suspicious).
Slide design you can learn/teach with a bunch of practical tricks to fix the basic mistakes. Story weaving is something different. Books such as Resonate remind us how important it is, and give use some idea where to get started, but story telling is impossible to "automate" using a prescribed process. It is an art.
All links to Amazon on this post are affiliate links.


text:
WO/2014/191570A1	 STEERING UNIT
The invention relates to a steering unit, in particular for commercial vehicles, comprising an arm and a support element. The support element has a support region and a support-side engagement region and is designed as a single piece, an...
WO/2014/185255A1	 TORSION BEAM-TYPE SUSPENSION
A torsion beam-type suspension, wherein the angle α of a nodal line of an arm reference plane and an nodal line of an arm attachment plane is 15° or less in a cross section of an intermediate position of a linking part of a pair of ...
WO/2014/182879A1	 DEVICE FOR OPERATING A SERVICE BRAKE AND LOCKING A SWINGING AXLE OF A MOBILE EXCAVATOR
The present disclosure is directed to providing mobile excavators with a firm footing when working on rough terrain. The disclosed device (70) for locking a swinging axle of a mobile excavator and for operating a service brake (66) of th...
WO/2014/138559A3	 UTILITY VEHICLE
A vehicle is described herein having a rear drive mounted to a sub-frame where the sub-frame is movable relative to the frame, and where a suspension is movable relative to the sub-frame. Thus the vertical travel of the wheels is a combi...
[Problem] To provide a torsion beam-type suspension in which a torsion beam and trailing arms formed of a light alloy are coupled using a highly reliable coupling structure. [Solution] Provided is a torsion beam-type suspension (1) havin...
WO/2014/147827A1	 TORSION BEAM SUSPENSION DEVICE
A torsion beam suspension device according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with: trailing arms which rotatably support left and right wheels, respectively; and a torsion beam, to the opposite ends of which the trail...
WO/2014/147728A1	 LINK MEMBER
[Problem] Provided is a link member in which a winding collar is used as a collar member, the link member being configured so that, even if a load acts on the link member, both abutted end surfaces of the winding collar do not open. [Sol...
WO/2014/151833A1	 VEHICLE SUSPENSION
A suspension assembly having a frame hanger, a first control arm mounted between the frame hanger and an axle attachment member, a second control arm mounted to the frame hanger and to the axle attachment member, wherein the second arm e...
WO/2014/142656A1	 WHEEL AXLE SUSPENSION WITH V-SHAPED STRAPS.
A wheel axle suspension of a vehicle comprises an axle body and a flexible trailing arm extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and crossing the axle body substantially perpendicular. The trailing arm has a front spring port...
WO/2014/136261A1	 TORSION BEAM TYPE SUSPENSION
[Problem] To provide a torsion beam type suspension which enables the adjustment of the strength and rigidity of a trailing arm without greatly increasing the weight thereof. [Solution] The present invention is a torsion beam type suspen...
WO/2014/131399A1	 CHASSIS FOR A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE, AXLE BODY AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN AXLE BODY
The invention relates to a chassis for a commercial vehicle and to an axle body (2) for such a chassis. The axle body (2) can be connected in a fixing portion to an axle guide (51, 52), one end of which is pivotally mounted on the vehicl...
WO/2014/118915A1	 TORSION BEAM, TORSION BEAM ASSEMBLY, TORSION BEAM-TYPE SUSPENSION DEVICE
Disclosed is a torsion beam used in a suspension device for an automobile, the suspension device being provided with a pair of arm members which extend in the front-rear direction of the automobile, the arm members being connected in a p...
WO/2014/111199A1	 RIGID AXLE AS NON-DRIVEN REAR AXLE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE
The invention relates to a rigid axle as a non-driven rear axle of a motor vehicle, comprising an axle body which is guided relative to the vehicle body exclusively by four connecting rods that are rubber-mounted at least on the vehicle-...
This vehicle suspension is provided with a pair of left and right suspension arms (10, 11), and cross members (14). The suspension arms (10, 11) extend in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle body (2). Rear end sections of the suspens...
WO/2014/081412A1	 WORK VEHICLE AXLE
A work vehicle includes an axle having a sealable hollow body extending between opposed steering swivel housing pivots, the axle configured to receive ballast material therein.
WO/2014/077327A1	 SUSPENSION DEVICE AND COILED COMPRESSION SPRING FOR SUSPENSION DEVICE
A knee action type suspension device (11) is provided with an arm member (20), a coiled compression spring (21), and a shock absorber (24). The arm member (20) is supported by a pivot (31) so as to be capable of pivoting in the vertical ...
WO/2014/071668A1	 INTELLIGENT BALANCE SUSPENSION SYSTEM
An intelligent balance suspension system comprises an intermediate axle, a rear axle, a plate spring, a balance shaft casing, a bearing support, an air bag, and a haunched beam. Two ends of the plate spring are connected to the intermedi...
WO/2012/071337A3	 SIDE-BEAM LIFT ASSEMBLY FOR HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLES
A lift assembly for a suspension assembly of an axle/suspension system is located generally adjacent to and beside the suspension assembly. The lift assembly includes an air chamber, a support member assembly, a pivot arm assembly and a ...
WO/2014/042030A1	 SUSPENSION STRUCTURE FOR IN-WHEEL MOTOR DRIVE DEVICE
This suspension structure is provided with a pair of trailing arms (12), a beam member (13) which is mounted across the pair of trailing arms, brackets (21) which are joined to rear end regions of the trailing arms, and in-wheel motor dr...
WO/2014/040836A1	 SUSPENSION SYSTEM
This disclosure is directed towards a suspension system which is suitable for an articulated vehicle. A suspension system comprises a chassis, first and second axles each having first and second ends, two first actuators and two second a...
This suspension structure is provided with: a pair of trailing arms (12) having pivots (14) at the front ends thereof, the pivots (14) being adapted for mounting to the vehicle body side; a beam member (13) mounted across the pair of tra...
WO/2014/040884A1	 AXLE LINK COUPLING UNIT
The present invention relates to a axle link coupling unit (2) for use in utility vehicles, comprising a base section (22) and an attachment section (24a, 24c), wherein said base section is hollow at least in regions and transitions into...
WO/2014/040887A1	 LINK ARM ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A LINK ARM ASSEMBLY
The present invention relates to a link arm assembly and a method for producing same, comprising the steps: providing a coupling unit (2) in a first state and having a base section (22) and a supporting section (24); providing a first su...
WO/2014/033933A1	 VEHICLE ARM COMPONENT AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR
[Problem] To provide a vehicle arm component which is easy to manufacture and cost-effective because of no abrupt cross-section change. [Solution] A vehicle arm component is formed by pressing a workpiece (W) that is a flat plate extendi...
WO/2014/025616A1	 MOTOR VEHICLE AXLE SUSPENSION WITH LONGITUDINAL LEAF SPRING
An axle mounting assembly for coupling a vehicle axle to an energy storing suspension component. The assembly includes a mounting pad, and a longitudinally extending energy storing suspension component such as a leaf spring is vertically...
WO/2014/025552A1	 LEAF SPRING SUSPENSION SYSTEM
Suspension systems, leaf springs and methods of providing a leaf spring in a suspension system are disclosed. The suspension systems, leaf springs and methods of providing a leaf spring in a suspension system allow use of a lighter weigh...
WO/2014/009320A1	 WHEEL SUSPENSION CONNECTING ROD AND AXLE ASSEMBLY FOR A NON-DRIVEN AXLE OF A VEHICLE, PARTICULARLY OF A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
The present invention relates to a wheel suspension connecting rod for an axle assembly (A) which is provided for a non-driven axle of a vehicle, the wheel suspension connecting rod (1) comprising a shock absorber bearing (2) which is pr...
WO/2014/005787A1	 MOTOR VEHICLE HAVING A VEHICLE FRAME AND ARTICULATION ARRANGEMENT
A motor vehicle, particularly a commercial vehicle (NKW), having a vehicle frame (2) and at least one vehicle axle (5) which is supported with respect to the vehicle frame (2) via one or more connecting rods (6;7), wherein the connecting...
[Problem] To provide a torsion beam type suspension in which the roll rigidity of the suspension can be adjusted without greatly adding to the weight. [Solution] The present invention provides a torsion beam type suspension (100) in whic...
WO/2013/164139A1	 AXLE ATTACHMENT
The invention relates to an axle attachment, in particular for commercial vehicles, said axle attachment comprising a guide element (2) and a clamping element (4). The guide element has a guide-side attachment region (22) which is curved...
WO/2013/052407A3	 LIFT AXLE SUSPENSION SYSTEM INCORPORATING COIL SPRINGS
A lift axle suspension system is provided with a frame bracket member connectable to a vehicle frame, an upper control arm, and a lower control arm. Each control arm has a first end and a second end, with the first end of each control ar...
WO/2013/163331A1	 STEERABLE WHEELBARROW
A steerable wheelbarrow is described which includes two handles coupled to a tray and two legs coupled to the handles. A mount is also coupled to the handles. A pivot is coupled to the mount at an angle between vertical and horizontal. A...
WO/2013/135954A1	 SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENT FOR WHEELS OF A VEHICLE
The object of the invention is a suspension arrangement for wheels of a vehicle, which arrangement comprises an axle system provided with suspension arms (2), which system comprises a coupling part (3) for connecting the axle system to t...
WO/2013/099687A1	 CAST-IN STRUCTURE OF VEHICLE COMPONENT, AND CAST-IN MOLD
The purpose of the present invention is to reliably prevent burr protrusions by appropriately taking the necessary gap in order to set a cast-in member in a cast-in mold and completely closing the gap when the cast-in mold is clamped, an...
WO/2013/093624A1	 AXLE SUSPENSION
Axle suspension for a vehicle (10) with a vehicle body (12), said axle suspension comprising an axle body (16), at least one longitudinal control arm (24), which supports the axle body (16) in a longitudinal direction relative to the veh...
WO/2013/095206A1	 FRONT LEAF SPRING
The invention relates to a vehicle suspension comprising a pair of leaf springs (61) arranged to extend longitudinally on opposed sides of a vehicle frame. Each leaf spring (61) has a first end pivotally connected to the vehicle with a f...
WO/2013/095207A1	 VEHICLE AXLE HOUSING AND A VEHICLE COMPRISING SUCH AN AXLE HOUSING
An axle housing (1) for an axle assembly for a vehicle, comprising a central section (2) and two hollow axle beams (3, 4), where each axle beam (3; 4) comprises a mid section (5; 6) and an outer section (7; 8), where the mid section (5; ...
WO/2013/079756A1	 QUICK-CONNECTION LIFTER DEVICE
The invention relates to a lifter device (1) with quick connection to a suspension bracket (100) of a vehicle, which includes a lifter bracket (2), the bottom end of which (2b) can be connected to an air spring (4), characterised in that...
WO/2013/072152A1	 RIGID AXLE WITH AIR SUSPENSION
The invention relates to a rigid axle with direct air suspension, e.g. for a commercial vehicle. The rigid axle comprises an axle body (1), trailing arms (3), air springs (5) and vibration dampers (6). The rigid axle is characterised in ...
WO/2013/072141A1	 AXLE UNIT FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
The invention relates to an axle unit for commercial vehicles comprising a linkage element (4), a first axle element (2) and a second axle element (8), wherein the first axle element (2) substantially extends along a tube axis (R) and ca...
WO/2013/072192A1	 CHASSIS SYSTEM FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Relates to a chassis system for commercial vehicles, comprising an axle stub element (8) and a linkage element (4), wherein the linkage element has a recess (42) and the axle stub element has a first mounting section (82), wherein the fi...
WO/2013/013912A3	 FOUR-POINT LINK
The invention relates to a four-point link for the suspension of a rigid axle in particular of a utility vehicle. The four-point link has four bearing sockets (3), wherein two bearing sockets (3) can be articulated on the vehicle axle an...
WO/2013/038580A1	 HOLLOW MEMBER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING HOLLOW MEMBER
A hollow member formed in a tube-like shape and subjected to a torsional force acting about the center axis of the hollow member is characterized in that a part of the peripheral wall of the hollow member is heated to increase the hardne...
WO/2012/059902A8	 DEVICES TO LET A TILTING VEHICLE LEAN WHEN DRIVING AND TO KEEP IT STANDING WHEN STOPPED
Tilting devices suitable to vehicles that are free to tilt and free to be steered, apt to let them lean when driving and to keep them standing when stopped only by means of their brakes (or the like) (61, 62), characterized in that, due ...
WO/2013/018585A1	 STRUCTURE FOR SUSPENSION
Provided is a structure for a suspension provided with a pair of suspension arms (16). The suspension arms (16) extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body (11). Each of the suspension arms (16) has a connection section (20) w...
WO/2013/018801A1	 TORSION BEAM SUSPENSION
Torsion beam suspension is provided with: a pair of left-right trailing arms which are supported at one end by a vehicle body in such a way as to be able to swing, and rotatably support a wheel at the other end; and a torsion beam which ...
WO/2013/013918A1	 TWIST BEAM AXLE
The invention relates to a twist beam axle for a wheel suspension of a motor vehicle. The twist beam axle comprises two trailing arms (2, 3) and a torsional profile (1) with end portions which are of non-circular cross section and which ...
WO/2013/005846A1	 STRUCTURE OF VEHICLE COMPONENT
[Problem] To provide the structure of a vehicle component which achieves weight reduction, has high bonding strength and high rigidity against torsional force, tensile force, bending force, or compressive force from all directions, and h...
WO/2012/135200A3	 TRAILING ARM SUSPENSION BEAM ASSEMBLY
A suspension assembly includes an axle member, a first trailing beam assembly and a second trailing beam assembly. The first trailing beam assembly and the second trailing beam assembly each include a first end operably coupled to a vehi...


Of course, it's kind of understandable once you take a look at the numbers: the show landed a series high with a whopping 6.6 million viewers, making it HBO's biggest single telecast since the 2007 series finale of flagship show The Sopranos and marked a 53 percent increase over last season's premiere (and a 23 percent increase over the finale). It was a big night generally for the network—Mike Judge's acidic tech-geek comedy Silcon Valley logged 2 million views during its first airing, rising to 2.5 million including replays. Alas, Hughie Stone Fish was not alone.
The Internet, of course, is the first place anyone with an opinion goes to express his or her displeasure, but this is the third time the app has crashed under viewer strain in less than a year—most recently during the True Detective finale, and before that during the finale of last season's Game of Thrones.
Service was eventually restored, but it's hard to imagine that this won't give HBO another reason to consider offering its streaming app a la carte. Cable subscriptions definitely aren't going up, and consumers are pretty enthusiastic about the product, whether or not they actually qualify as consumers in the traditional sense of someone who pays for something.


Get a quote on trip cancellation insurance in Blainville today!
Whether you're traveling internationally or within Canada, you'll need trip cancellation insurance in Blainville that provides peace of mind so you can enjoy your time away. Your trip cancellation insurance coverage can be customized to your individual needs. At The Co-operators, we know that you want more from your trip cancellation insurance than just bargain pricing. You want trip cancellation insurance in Blainville that suits your lifestyle, provides reliable coverage and top-notch customer care and, on top of that, you still want it all to be competitively priced. That's why The Co-operators has local experts all across Blainville to provide you with expertly personalized solutions and the kind of customer service you deserve. Talk to an Insurance Advisor or get your quote today.
Contact The Co-operators about our trip cancellation insurance in Blainville and customized coverage today—because we know that one size-fits-all insurance coverage is rarely appropriate for anyone's needs.
As a responsible corporate citizen, we believe in balancing our economic, environmental and social priorities. In fact, The Co-operators was recently recognized in Hewitt Associate's Green 30 guide, which identified Canada's 30 most environmentally-conscious employers. Talk to The Co-operators today about trip cancellation insurance in Blainville AND about what we're doing to help the environment.
Get extended Trip Cancellation Insurance in Blainville now!
Blainville has a public trip cancellation policy system that provides a minimum level of mandatory coverage to vehicle owners when they purchase license plates.


Bubbletoonz search | tags: brexit | Free cartoon strip editor | Add your own images and speech bubbles.
David Cameron's re-negotiations are "falling apart"
Captain (Mainwaring) Cameron receives news that because of Brexit, the Jungle has invaded Dover.
David Cameron states that if we leave the EU, the Jungle camp will move Dover - Liar, liar, pants on fire!


Vincent Van Gogh's most acclaimed artwork, the Starry Night, depicts the view of night sky from his room where he was hospitalized in Saint-Remy-de-Provence for his mental illness. Printed on premium quality art paper using imported long lasting ink. Each print is laminated with special textured canvas laminate to ensure maximum durability and stress-free maintenance. This black frame comes without glass and is easy to hang anywhere in your home. Every frame is packed in a carton box with additional protective packing to ensure safe and expedited delivery.
I bought this print for my office. I loved it so much that I bought another one for my living room. I love the blue colors and the peacefulness. Thanks for the opportunity to buy this masterpiece!
Great painting, but not as great as a canvas print finish though. For the money paid, its well worth.


Leo Gallery Shanghai is honoured to present the comprehensive solo exhibition of Huang Yan this September - "The Shan-shui Worldview", in line with the other solo exhibition of Huang Yan's photography "Tattoo Utopia" in Leo Gallery Hong Kong. It is Leo Gallery's third cooperation with artist Huang Yan, offering a retrospective view of the artistic context and diverse perspectives of Huang Yan's creative career.
Beginning in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and flourishing in the Song (960-1279 AD) and Yuan (1271-1368 AD) Dynasties, from its very beginning, Chinese literati paintings have been bringing forward new and unconstrained waves of thoughts that have profound influences on the history of Chinese painting. Chinese artists of the current generation often come up with questions such as, how to deal with the intertwined relationship between Chinese and Western cultures, while finding oneself in an era of rapid social, art and information development? How to transform the tradition to the contemporary, and how to respond to the current society?...These are the fundamental issues that artists need to handle.
Huang Yan was born in 1966, in a Chinese city of rich Shan-shui landscape - Jilin. Rooted in traditional Chinese literati paintings, he puts writing brushes, ink sticks, paper and ink-stones, the carriers of traditional Chinese painting, into a contemporary transformation. With the appropriations of multi-media such as classic Shan-shui patterns on human bodies, photographs and canvases Shan-shui landscapes are shown. In addition literati figures, flower & bird paintings are his treatment of human civilizations in the East and the West and a model of reshaping the spiritual homeland of mankind in the 21st century. Not only by continuing traditional Chinese painting spirit, but also exploring the evolution of Chinese literati painting styles, his artistic approach is based on his strong recognition of his own cultural identity. In this way, Huang Yan's works redefine traditional literati art in a contemporary context.
It can be said that Huang Yan's nostalgia is a kind of sentiment related to Chinese spirit, life and origins of art. However, the artist has already transcended any regional restrictions, and has awakened a cultural nostalgia that is shared in a globalized world. As in Huang Yan's statement, the Shan-shui spirit and literati art originated from China have been in causal relationships with various schools of art in the West, and thus have become a universal worldview of art.
This cultural nostalgia carries not only a yearning for the world long past, but also a desire for the spiritual homeland, as well as the future world. A process of continuous pursuit and remodelling is the everlasting spiritual and cultural journey itself, which points to the ultimate destination of mankind.


In a brief moment of candor - complete with some spontaneous swearing - that set the Internet ablaze, Obama said the belief that women can "have it all" is "a lie," and voiced an unexpectedly frank rebuke of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's strategy of "leaning in."
"It's not always enough to lean in because that s— doesn't work all the time," she reportedly said.
Obama's blunt assessment came as she was discussing how women can achieve the balance in life that allows for a successful career and marriage, New York magazine reported.
Then, in what may be an unprecedented slip-up, Obama said the line that threw the audience and Internet into a frenzy.
Upon hearing her utter a profanity, the packed 19,000-seat arena lost it, erupting in cheers and laughter. Many on social media praised Obama for being "real" about the struggles working women face.
"Tattoo it on my body!" one Twitter user wrote about Obama's words.
The uncharacteristic remark even appeared to catch Obama off-guard.
After reassuring the crowd she was "back now," Obama offered a censored version of her earlier statement, swapping the swear word out for "stuff," Vanity Fair reported.
While Obama's accidental use of an expletive swiftly became all anyone could talk about, several people pointed out that her candid criticism of "leaning in" had much greater significance.
"Thank you [Michelle Obama] for being so real about the pressures we face as working mothers and reminding us all that just being ourselves is more than good enough!" one person wrote on Twitter.
"Leaning in" was first popularized in 2013 by Sandberg, the now-embattled Facebook executive, in her book titled, "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead." Sandberg, described in a Washington Post review of the book as "a self-avowed feminist who wants to transform the role of women in the workplace," encouraged women to assert themselves at work and in their communities to avoid ending up in subordinate positions. The concept is linked to the ambitious idea that women, as long as they try, can be successful both at home and at work.
Since its debut, the "lean in" philosophy has been met with mixed success. Sandberg's book sold more than 4 million copies worldwide and occupied a spot on the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year. It spawned a nonprofit bearing the same name founded by Sandberg and hundreds of "Lean In" circles, groups of women who meet regularly to discuss Sandberg's advice. The circles have been touted as "one of the few places in the world where women can be overtly, unapologetically ambitious," according to the New York Times.
However, many argue that "leaning in" can place too much pressure on women to take action instead of pushing for workplaces to change.
In a 2017 interview with USA Today, four years after "Lean In" first published, Sandberg said that even though women were galvanized, she was not seeing a change in business and politics.
"In terms of women in leadership roles, we are not better off," she said, noting that women occupied less than 6 percent of Fortune 500 CEO jobs and their global equivalents, and the number of countries run by women had decreased.
Support for "leaning in" has been further hampered by the #MeToo movement, wrote Sarah Seltzer in a December 2017 piece for the Nation.
"It's become glaringly clear in these past weeks that, far from merely balancing work, life, and gendered expectations, women working in industries from glamorous-seeming Hollywood to crowded restaurant kitchens have been navigating a brutal minefield of harassment, abuse, and inappropriate behavior — not to mention plain old sexism and bullying — in order simply to keep their jobs, never mind advance in their careers," she wrote.
More recently, "leaning in" and Sandberg's leadership were placed under additional scrutiny after controversy erupted around Facebook and Russian interference in the 2016 election.
"Sandberg's failure at Facebook exposes an emptiness at the heart of the argument that made her famous," wrote Post columnist Molly Roberts, following a November New York Times report that Sandberg and other Facebook executives had tried to cover up Russians using the site to promote propaganda.
On social media, Obama's words were met with widespread approval.
"This is perfect," tweeted writer and activist Amy Siskind.
"As a wife, mother, entrepreneur and philanthropic leader … I felt EVERY word of that sentence," another Twitter user wrote.


If you're looking for a luxury car that scores highly for comfort, performance and style with the classic British automobile look, then the Bentley Azure is for you. Like many modern Bentleys, this car was designed to blend traditional design elements with cutting-edge technology and unchained luxury. Also, if you're looking for all the comforts of a luxury car but at a lower price, you can pick up a used Bentley Azure for a great price at RAC Cars.
The styling of the Azure is in line with the Arnage, at least when you consider the car's front end. At the back, things are quite different, while the interior is decked out with seats and design details that are contemporary without feeling garish. Its creators want to make sure that it looks just as good with its roof up as it does with its roof down, and they certainly achieved this goal. Fans of chrome detailing will appreciate the liberal use of it on the Bentley Azure's interior and exterior, while this is offset thanks to the use of oak veneers and a steering wheel with attractive wooden elements.
450bhp is developed by the V8 engine that throbs under the sleek bonnet of the Bentley Azure. While you might assume that such a long, heavy car might wallow, the double wishbone suspension helps to keep it taught and sporty, putting its power down effectively when required. The Azure is a great long-distance cruiser and you will feel like you have nearly unlimited power at your disposal when you are behind the wheel, although it will also guzzle petrol if you push it too hard.
Got a specific Bentley Azure model in mind?


"Subject: Strong denial to the statement print in Oct 2018 TVJ, under article" Pricing Out Competition", Against White Mart Group.
It is with deep regret and a feeling of immense hurt, that we are write this mail to you. The issue of TV Veopar Journal of October 2018 has an article 'Pricing Out Competition' and in this article on the LED business in India you have made some completely ill-founded, highly irresponsible and malicious comments implying that we, at White Mart, are selling rebranded LEDs through our larger network of outlets across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
We have been a law-abiding organisation having an impeccable track record in dealing with our principals – be it with large MNCs such as LG, Samsung, Sony, Haier, Panasonic or with large Indian companies such as Havells, Godrej etc. All our principals cherish their relationship with us and consider us as their prestigious trade partners.
Editor's Note. TV Veopar is finding out more regarding this, and shall get back to its readers shortly. As the readers are aware, we are the voice of the industry and trade for the last 32 years. We pride ourselves on accurate and bold reporting. We would go all the way to ensure our news has credibility and does not malign any business house or hurt their reputation in any way.


text:
V: Speech and NLP Applications in Cognition
Speech Recognition Fundamentals and Features
VARIATIONS OF AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION SYSTEMS
GURPREET KAUR1', MOHIT SRIVASTAVA2, and AMOD KUMAR3
University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Punjab University, Chandigarh 160025, India
2Chandigarh Engineering College, Landran, Mohali 140307, India
3National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research, Chandigarh 160026, India
'Corresponding author. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Speech communication is an essential part of humans. It is natural in humans but artificial in machines. Speech waveform defines the message communicated along with various parameters regarding the speaker. It may be about his/ her age group, gender, and emotions. Speech processing has different areas according to its applications, such as in communication, reproduction of speech signal, and its tr ansmission and recognition of speaker or speech. The speech recognition system means letting a machine to understand voice, hi this chapter, the speech recognition fundamentals, features, and difficulties faced are explored.
Speech is the method to communicate and to tell emotions. It is veiy easy for human beings but quite difficult with machines. Due to the large dependency of humans on machines, recognition of speech signals by machine is growing area since the last 65 years [12]. To make a good recognition system in any language, any background noise with the large dataset is today's need.
Researchers have developed systems that are available in the market, but the performance of those systems still requires improvement [16,26,35].
Speech processing is a vast area in terms of its purpose and applications. There may be different purposes of speech processing such as:
Understanding of speech signal as a means of communication.
• Reproduction and transmission.
• Automatic recognition of speech signal.
• Characteristics of the speaker.
• Language identification.
Based on the purpose, speech processing has three significant areas:
• Analysis/synthesis
• Recognition
• Coding
Analysis/synthesis of the speech waveform involves characterization of the spectral information of speech signal for transmission and storage. Recognition field is categorized into speech recognition (SR), speaker recognition (SPR), and language recognition (LR). There may be a recognition system, in which the only message is recognized, known as SR, where the only speaker is recognized, known as SPR, and at last, only language is recognized, known as LR. These systems can be developed according to the need of society. Next area is coding of the speech signals. This is an application of data compression of audio signals. The classification of speech processing can be shown in Figure 13.1.
SR, SPR, and integrated speaker and speech recognition (ISSR) systems are explained in the following section.
13.1.1 SPEECH RECOGNITION
SR is the field where words are identified from the spoken entity, that is, what a person is saying? SR systems may be categorized into three types depending upon the speech mode, speaker mode, and vocabulary mode. Types of speech mode can be isolated SR, connected SR, and continuous SR. In isolated SR, the speaker has to take a break between the words. In connected SR, continues speaking is there without taking any pause. Continuous SR is like a person talks. Speaker can speak into the system without prior training, known as speaker-independent systems, and when the speaker take prior training before speaking into the system, it is known as speaker-dependent systems. Types of dataset can be small, medium, and large. The small dataset can be less than a hundred words. The medium dataset can be 1000 of words, and large dataset can be more than 5000 words. The basic building block for the SR system can be shown in Figure 13.2.
FIGURE 13.1 Classification of speech processing.
Feature extraction is the process for selecting those feature vectors, which are helpful for SR and discarding all speaker-related information. The acoustic model for SR models the context variations, whereas the language model models linguistic information. The performance of SR systems depends upon the feature extraction and classification methods [5].
13.1.2 SPEAKER RECOGNITION
SPR is the field where the speaker is recognized without consideration of words, that is, who is speaking? Speech signal consists of not only a linguistic message but also speaker-related information in terms of speaking style, emotions, accent, etc. SPR field is also categorized into speaker verification (SV) and speaker identification (SI). SV means to confirm the person who she/he claims to be. SI is to give the identity to a person among all registered persons.
Furthermore, SPR can be text-dependent (TD) and text-independent (TID). TD systems are less flexible but more accurate because the system is trained with the specific dataset, but TID systems are more elastic with complexity because any new word can be spoken into the system. The SPR task is highly dependent upon the cooperation of the user. If SR is used as biometric, then, of course, the user would cooperate, but for forensic applications, the user may or may not be cooperative. Therefore, the vital block of this system lies with the feature extraction stage. The basic building blocks of the SV system are shown in Figure 13.3 [59].
FIGURE 13.3 Block diagram of the ЭЛ' system.
In the SV system, feature extraction is used to select the speaker-related feature vectors. Speaker models are generated on the basis of training data.
In the testing phase, the claimed user model is matched with the existing models, and according to some threshold criterion, the user model is accepted or rejected. The applications for the SV system include the transaction in banks, access to some restricted area, attendance recording systems, etc. There is little difference between SI systems and SV systems. In SI systems, there may be more than two speaker models. Out of registered speakers, identity is assigned to the claimed speaker. The block diagram for the SI system is shown in Figure 13.4 [16].
FIGURE 13.4 Block diagram of the SI system.
The SI system is based upon one-to-many comparisons. In this system, the voice pattern of the unknown speaker is compared with all stored speaker models. The best match is reported, and the speaker ID is assigned. The SV and SI systems perform well when they are TD systems. This means that the speaker has to speak all those words/sentences that are known to the system. This type of systems, however, has fewer applications as compared to TID SV/SI systems. TD SV systems are used in home banking services where a specific user is to speak PIN or password. However, because of the security issues, these types of systems are less popular. TID SV systems are used in forensic applications, and they are quite popular.
13.1.3 INTEGRATED SPEAKER AND SPEECH RECOGNITION
SPR and SR are different fields according to the claims. However, some applications require combined SPR and SR systems.
Feature extraction techniques used in SPR and SR are conventional. The combined area of SPR and SR encompasses speaker-dependent SR. The block diagram for ISSR is shown in Figure 13.5. In ISSR, all basic blocks are similar except the feature extraction techniques [48, 49]. Now, the feature vectors should represent both speaker and speech characteristics. This type of system is used in command- and control-related applications, where specific user can only control the devices.
FIGURE 13.5 Block diagram of SPR and SR systems.
Kinds of speech mode can be isolated SR (IWSR), connected SR (CWR), and continuous SR (CSR). In IWSR, the speaker has to take a break between the words. In CWR, continuous speaking is there without taking any break.
CSR is like a person talks. In IWSR, the speech is treated as a single phrase, and without any prior knowledge about phonetic, it is recognized. In this, speech is categorized into two parts: starting point and ending point. The isolated word recognition system is implemented using IWSR. Gupta and Sivakumar [15] applied an order for 10 digits of Hindi language. Speech waveform is divided into divisions using a Hamming window. An online recognition system is developed by Venkataramani [55] using 10 digits on a field-programmable gate array programmable chip. The speech signals that are acquired by microphones are converted into phrases using the hidden Markov model (HMM) model. Many authors have done the research using the electromyogram (EMG) signals also. They have shown the dependency of the speech signal with the EMG signal [37].
In CWR, the words are divided by pause. The speech signal strings size may be little, average, or significant. Myers and Rabiner [41] implemented a CWR system using a dynamic warping method. The matching is done between the stored database and the uttered words. Syama and Maiy [52] applied a Malayalam LR system using the same method that is used by Myers and Rabiner. In CSR type of operation, it is same like a human speech [14]. Thangarajan et al. [53] implemented a system for the Tamil language. However, it was quite challenging to build the system because of the variations in vowels and consonants. However, the recognition rate can be increased using extensive training. Many authors have implemented the systems on different languages like Abushariah et al. [2] developed a CSR system using the Sphinx and НТК tools. The five stages of the HMM were also deployed, which had three emitting steps corresponding to the triphone acoustic model. The statistical model was comprised of bigram, unigram, and trigram. The simulation was done based on the various amalgamations of speakers and sentences.
Along with this, it included a manual validation and classification process for validating the right pronunciation of the words. This manual validation was done by a human. After getting the results, it was concluded that the system had the best suitability when the speakers were different, but the sentences were similar, and it failed when different speakers and different sentences were considered.
HOW USEFUL ARE LINGUISTIC THEORIES FOR NLP APPLICATIONS?
APPLICATIONS?_ Syntactic and semantic theories otter formal representations of linguistic structure and interpretation, respectively. They aim to express central properties of form and meaning that humans make use of in interpreting the sentences of their languages. If these theories are formally explicit,...
(Deep Learning and Linguistic Representation)
Other NLP Applications in Data Analytics
■ Text summarization. It is the automatic process of shortening one or multiple documents into a summary that preserves the key information of the original text that is intended to be kept. It's a task that falls under the scope of "natural language generation (NLG)." There are two types...
(Data Analytics and AI)
Aging, Hearing Loss, and Speech Recognition: Stop Shouting, I Can't Understand You
Sandra Gordon-Salant Sandra Gordon-Salant My interest in age-related hearing loss began in 1984, as my father (age 75) exhibited significant noise-induced hearing loss but refused to wear a hearing aid. How frustrating for an audiologist to be unable to convince a parent to use amplification...
(Perspectives on Auditory Research)
Speech Recognition Performance for Real-World Degraded Signals
Although a great deal is now known about speech recognition in noisy environments by older listeners with hearing loss (e.g., Humes & Dubno, 2010), very little is known about the difficulties these listeners encounter in perceiving speech altered by other forms of degradation encountered every day....
Automatic speech recognition in the assessment of child speech
Loridana Buttigieg, Helen Grech, Simon G. Fabri, James Attard, and Philip Farrugia Introduction Speech sound disorders (SSD) is an umbrella term referring to any difficulty or combination of difficulties with perception, motor production or phonological representation of speech sounds and speech segments...
(Manual of Clinical Phonetics)
CMU Speech Recognition System
Figure 10.13 shows the use of Agora in designing of CMU speech recognition system, ANGEL. This system uses a high number of computations as compared to a single processor, it is programmed in two languages, C and common Lisp code, and it also makes use of different styles of computations. It is an evolutionary...
(Distributed Artificial Intelligence:A Modern Approach)
Home Computer Science


Including major scholarship support for postgraduate musicians, Junior Guildhall and Centre for Young Musicians, as well as support for undergraduate musicians and Production Arts.
We catch up with Lighting Designer and Guildhall alumnus Rory Beaton (Technical Theatre 2016) to find out what he's been up to since graduating and the importance of support for the arts.
Graduation 2018 saw over 250 graduands presented with their degrees and prizes alongside distinguished honorands and guests.
A major new experience will bring to life the history of animals in the city, told from the unique perspective of the animals themselves.
Now in its 12th year, the Evening Standard's Progress 1000 lists the capital's most influential people from politics, business, media, technology and the arts.
Guildhall School artists return to Waddesdon Manor to create installations projecting onto the façade of the 19th-century Stables.
Mozart's tuneful comic opera 'Così fan tutte' is Guildhall's autumn term opera, opening on Monday 5 November.
Professor of Composition Matthew Kaner answers our questions about 'Hansel and Gretel', the reimagining of the famous tale which has its London premiere on Friday 12 October at Milton Court.


Most Excellent Shore Diving Reviews of Stephen Armstrong!
I dove this site in mid February and was overall pleased. The water conditions were good with almost unlimited visibility. Water temp was constant 72* so bring you 3mm wet suit for this dive (full suit will be more comfortable because water can get chilly after being in for about 30min). Max depth was 25ft. There isn't really too much fish life but there are some small crevices to look at. There is NO cave or cavern here so it is a Novice dive. I myself am a novice diver with just over 20 dives under my belt 1 year of experience and found this site to be a little bit boring after a while. Not a bad place to tone up skills after not diving for a while or to try out some new equipment I'm sure. If you live near this spring then go for it but I would not go out of my way to go here.


Biome Technologies plc is a United Kingdom-based company engaged in the development of its business in bioplastics. The Company's operations are focused in two areas: Bioplastics and Radio Frequency (RF). The Company operates through three segments: Bioplastics, RF Technologies and Central costs. The Bioplastics division consists of Biome Bioplastics Limited and Aquasol Limited. The Bioplastics division supplies a range of bioplastic resins that replace existing oil based materials in a range of applications, such as flexible films, molded products, extruded sheets and food wraps. The RF Technologies division consists of Stanelco RF Technologies. RF Technologies division involves the design and manufacture of electrical/electronic systems based on advanced radio frequency technology. The Central costs division consists of senior management, corporate and administration functions, as well as facilities costs.
Further viewing explaining the plastic predicament: What's wrong with plastic?


text:
» Into the Dark: The Hidden World of Film Noir, 1941-1950 (Turner Classic Movies) (Hardcover)
Into the Dark: The Hidden World of Film Noir, 1941-1950 (Turner Classic Movies) (Hardcover)
By Mark A. Vieira, Turner Classic Movies
(Cinema/Film)
Simply put: This book is packed with absolutely gorgeous black & white stills from the Noir-era of crime films in the 40's/50's. My favorite book in the store. —Josef
You know film noir when you see it: the shadowed setting; the cynical detective; the femme fatale; and the twist of fate. Into the Dark captures this alluring genre with a cavalcade of compelling photographs and a guide to 82 of its best films.
Into the Dark is the first book to tell the story of film noir in its own voice. Author Mark A. Vieira quotes the artists who made these movies and the journalists and critics who wrote about them, taking readers on a year-by-year tour of the exciting nights when movies like Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, and Sunset Boulevard were sprung on an unsuspecting public. For the first time, we hear the voices of film noir artists speak from the sets and offices of the studios, explaining the dark genre, even before it had a name. Those voices tell how the genre was born and how it thrived in an industry devoted to sweetness and light.
Into the Dark is a ticket to a smoky, glamorous world. You enter a story conference with Raymond Chandler, visit the set of Laura, and watch Detour with a Midwest audience. This volume recreates the environment that spawned film noir. It also displays the wit and warmth of the genre's artists. Hedda Hopper reports on Citizen Kane, calling Orson Welles "Little Orson Annie." Lauren Bacall says she enjoys playing a bad girl in To Have and Have Not. Bosley Crowther calls Joan Crawford in Possessed a "ghost wailing for a demon lover beneath a waning moon." An Indiana exhibitor rates the classic Murder, My Sweet a "passable program picture." Illustrated by hundreds of rare still photographs, Into the Dark conveys the mystery, glamour, and irony that make film noir surpassingly popular.
About TCM:
Turner Classic Movies is the definitive resource for the greatest movies of all time. It engages, entertains, and enlightens to show how the entire spectrum of classic movies, movie history, and movie-making touches us all and influences how we think and live today.
Mark A. Vieira is a photographer and author who specializes in Hollywood history. He has lectured at USC, UCLA, Lincoln Center, Universal Studios, and the Hollywood Heritage Museum. Vieira has appeared in documentaries such as TCM's Moguls and Movie Stars and Complicated Women. He is also the author of George Hurrell's Hollywood, Cecil B. DeMille, and Into the Dark, among other film-related titles. Vieira resides in Los Angeles.
Turner Classic Movies is the definitive resource for the greatest movies of all time. We entertain and enlighten to show how the entire spectrum of classic movies, movie history, and movie-making touches us all and influences how we think and live today.
"Bursting with glossy stills and archival material, film historian and photographer Mark A. Vieira's Into The Dark: The Hidden World of Film Noir, 1941-1950 offers an unprecedented portal into Hollywood's golden era of cynicism. A systematic study of noir, this gorgeous coffee table tome fills a significant gap in scholarship on the genre."
--MovieMaker
Publisher: Running Press Adult
Series: Turner Classic Movies
Performing Arts / Film / Guides & Reviews
Photography / Subjects & Themes / Celebrity
Art / Film & Video


What is a raceme and why should you want to start one?
Orchid lovers know that a raceme is an elongated cluster of flowers along the main stem in which the flowers at the base open first.
The Wolfe Pack has adopted this term for a local offshoot of the Pack. By creating a raceme, members who live around the country can hold local book discussions and events.
We would like to help any Wolfe Pack member who wishes to start a raceme. We will help you make initial contact with other Pack members in your vicinity. We will send mailings to members in your area, post a notice on the web page, write and print notices for distribution to local libraries and bookstores, and use our experience to help get your raceme started.
The Pack member who becomes coordinator of the raceme will be responsible for arranging a location and coordinating with Wolfe Pack members responsible for newsletter announcements (snail mail and e-mailings) and updates to the Nero Wolfe web site, Facebook page and other social media.
The discussions may be open to members, guests and prospective members. The coordinator must be a member as this event carries the "seal of approval" of the Wolfe Pack.
Five book discussions per year is a good target, but this is adjustable according to the local group's preference. In New York City we hold meetings every other month beginning in September, early-December (as part of the Black Orchid Weekend), January, March and May. We take a summer break(due to low attendance. Most restaurants are slow on Mondays, so it's the day we've chosen (third Monday of the month, except when holidays or other circumstances intervene). It is very desirable to have a set day, date and month so members can plan ahead and develop the habit of attending. This also helps in setting a regular slot at a restaurant.
Books may be discussed chronologically -- as published or as written — starting with Fer de Lance (1934) through A Family Affair (1975). A book containing two or three novellas is usually covered at one book discussion. Sometimes a special "media event" might be scheduled as part of a book discussion, for example, if the story is one that has been adapted by the A&E TV Series. Sometimes, as with the case of the Zeck trilogy, books may be discussed out of sequence.
Over the years, book discussions have ranged over trivia (in the early books, Archie always gets a parking spot right in front of the house; the cheap price of a taxi ride) and serious matters (Mr. Wolfe's view of women, lawyers, police, politics).
What did the moderator like about the book?
Rex Stout's use of language?
What wasn't so likeable about the book?
Attendees and moderators should review and try to follow the suggestions on the book discussion guidelines page.


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Steve Bannon | REUTERS
Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon praises Abe's nationalist agenda
by Tomohiro Osaki
Online: Dec 17, 2017
Visiting ex-White House chief strategist Steve Bannon on Sunday lauded Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his Trump-like effort to infuse Japan with a spirit of nationalism while unleashing a volley of scathing criticism against what he called the "mainstream media," likening them to "running dogs" with a globalist agenda.
Bannon, who was in Tokyo over the weekend to attend a gathering of conservatives, said Japan was on the right track under Abe, whom he called a "Trump before Trump."
"He talked about a nation's pride, a nation's destiny, a nation taking control of its future," Bannon said when talking about Abe in his speech at the Japanese Conservative Political Action Conference 2017, co-hosted by the Japanese Conservative Union and the American Conservative Union.
As such, Bannon, who is now head of the right-wing news website Breitbart News, credited Abe for trying to "re-instill the spirit of nationalism" and for not shying away from discussing "vital" issues including Japan's "rearmament."
"Japan has every opportunity to seize its destiny, to re-establish its national identity (and) in true partnership with the United States, reverse what the elites have allowed to happen," he said. He added it is not a "full-blown conclusion" yet that Japan has to keep languishing under the shadow of a rising China.
Bannon's attack on those who he referred to as "elites" and a "nullification project" that he claims is being led by the mainstream media, both overseas and in Japan, was another recurring theme in the blistering speech he delivered Sunday.
"The mainstream media, liberal media, remember, they are the running dogs of the globalist. They are a propaganda machine," Bannon said, quoting a source in Japan as telling him that the Japanese news coverage of U.S. politics makes it sound as if Trump will be impeached "tomorrow morning."
"The 'hobbits,' 'deplorables,' and the forgotten men and women that put him in office in November 2016 will never allow" him to be ousted, Bannon said, as core Trump supporters are often called by their political opponents.
"They will only be there for him to make sure he wins a glorious re-election," he said, eliciting a burst of applause.
Noting conservatives are hungry for the truth, Bannon also expressed a willingness for Breitbart News to make forays into Asia, signaling the possibility offices headquartered in Tokyo or Seoul might be created.
"As long as we provide a platform to get alternatives to what the mainstream is saying, we're gonna be fine," he said.
On trade, Bannon backed Trump's controversial decision to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, even though withdrawing from the multinational deal amounted to the U.S. essentially spoiling what would have been a perfect "China-containing project," as freelance journalist Taro Kimura put it during his joint appearance with Bannon.
In response, Bannon called the TPP an "ill-defined, generalized" agreement that the U.S. cannot get into anymore, and clarified Trump's "America First" slogan as meaning an "America in partnership."
"If the Japanese intelligentsia is sitting around and waiting for us to re-hit the bid on TPP, it's not going to happen."
Referring to joint military exercise between the U.S. Navy and the Self-Defense Forces, Bannon said "there is not a finer group of people" than the SDF.
"If we come together as friends and partners, (sunlight) opens up ahead of us," he said, referring to U.S. allies in Asia, including Japan, South Korea, India and Singapore.
Shinzo Abe, media, U.S., defense, Security, TPP, Steve Bannon


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Shitfucker – Sex with Dead Body Review
By Mark Z. on April 30, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Punk, Thrash Metal, 34 comments
"With the members also playing in Nuke, Acid Witch, and Perversion, it seems Shitfucker is intended as their outlet to revel in nastiness while writing snotty little songs that don't quite fit with their other bands." The dead never say no.
Bloodlust – At the Devil's Left Hand Review
By Mark Z. on August 22, 2017 in 2017, Australian Metal, Black Metal, Caverna Abismal Records, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Thrash Metal, 34 comments
"In the entire English language, no three words get me more excited than "Australian blackened thrash" (maybe "double bacon cheeseburger," but that's a different article). Deströyer 666, Gospel of the Horns, Nocturnal Graves — all great stuff, and Bloodlust is just as savage. This Perth-based trio formed in 2011 and consist of current and former members of Impiety, The Furor, and Mhorgl, among others. Somehow debut Cultus Diaboli slipped by me in 2015, but no matter — sophomore full-length At the Devil's Left Hand is here, and it provides all the Satan, hellfire riffs, and Satan that your pathetic little ears can handle. Did I mention Satan?" Satan.


the home automation you expect , now for your landscape lighting system.
Streamline all your home safety systems by controlling your lighting design right from a smartphone. When a family member suddenly needs the back walkway or when you're making the quick transition from afternoon to evening hosting, switch on the safety of illumination with swiftness and ease.
An automated home lighting design means never having to travel across your home to switch on lights. At any moment of the day or evening, switch on specific areas without even looking out onto the property. The precision of this technology provides invaluable peace of mind.
Transition a barbecue into the evening hours with little effort. Switch on uplighting throughout your landscape, pool lighting for safety or porch lighting for late-night meals. The specificity of automated controls allows you to continue hosting while showcasing your well-lit space.
Above all, automated lighting systems remove confusion or unnecessary effort when turning lights on or off. Smart technology removes the question of whether a light was left on or when it needs to switch on in a hurry. Our lighting designs aim to simplify each client's lifestyle.
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This property includes over 130 acres of rolling land ideally suited for either a large facility, a smaller facility with plans for future expansion, or multiple parcels for a number of small businesses. The property is within 1/4-mile of municipal water and sewage. Access to natural gas within 1/3-mile of the property. This prime setting has easy access to NYS Route 12.


Welcome to the fastest and easiest Windows MD5 software project. No matter the size of your important files, FastSum Windows MD5 utility produces short and strong fingerprints for each of your files that can be easily verified and shared.
FastSum MD5 utility for Windows lets you create fingerprints of your data in three ways. You can choose between the easiest step-by-step wizards, regular application interface or a command line utility, and also you can run it from the Windows Explorer context menu. This makes FastSum stand out against all the other Windows MD5 software.
Well optimized as it is FastSum CPU load is visibly lower then in other Windows MD5 utilities. It is a great choice for processing a huge number of files, entire drives or mass storage systems.
Be sure your files are safe and sound, instantly find the changes, and track errors using time-proven cryptographic MD5 message-digest algorithm witch is the result of longstanding work of Ronald Rivest - one of the most world famous cryptographers.
The shell integration lets you to start FastSum from the Windows Explorer context menu. You can quickly check the integrity of several folders or entire drives with the help of easy step-by-step Wizards, as well as visually compare latest fingerprint with actual, copy it to clipboard and post it on your web site.
When you are installing the full software package, you can also set up the global shortcut keys to run FastSum checker faster.


This Edwardian style stove is made with metal and a wooden custom surround, faux tile splash and a brass rack from which to hang your pots! All drawers/doors are working.
We believe the stove was made by Hearth and Home, UK and the surround was custom built, artisan unknown.


It's a question that's stumped readers of Suzanne Collins' third and final Hunger Games book, Mockingjay: Why did Katniss kill Coin and not shoot President Snow?
In my last article on Hypable, I talked about why Prim NEEDED to die to complete some of the overall themes of the story. I mentioned that a lot of people who don't like Mockingjay don't understand that point.
Yet another problem people have with the Mockingjay is that there is all this build up toward killing Snow and having Katniss do it, and we never get that payoff. Katniss kills Coin instead. It's obvious why she needed to kill Coin on a plot level, but it was important it happened on a thematic level, too.
The Hunger Games has never been a good guy vs. bad guy story — just look at the first installment. Katniss isn't pitted against other villains. She's pitted against other youth who are also victims of their society. Katniss' real enemy is the wicked appetites of human nature. The Hunger Games has always been a story about the good of human nature and even more so, the wickedness of it. It's about the human condition.
And just as Katniss becomes the face of the rebellion, Snow becomes the face of the wickedness in Panem. Snow embodies everything in the books that's evil, especially as the series continues. I find it interesting how much he gets made into the villain, when in reality, he's just one person, a face. After all, he wasn't the one who started The Hunger Games. He wasn't the one who established the Panem government. He's evil, yes, but more than that, he represents evil.
As the series goes on, we become focused on Snow. But remember who the real enemy is. It's not Snow himself; it's the evil, bloodthirsty side of the human condition.
By Katniss killing Coin instead of shooting Snow, it shows again that Katiniss' enemy isn't with a person, it's with the natural man. That's why it was so important to show that Coin was as bad as Snow — because the enemy isn't a person, it's a nature.
Of course, Snow isn't the only one who believes in having The Hunger Games. If he was really the only person, then Panem wouldn't be set up the way it is. The Hunger Games wouldn't have been able to exist because there wouldn't have been an audience, a whole organization, for it. The truth is, all humans have a dark appetite of the flesh (but it's our choices that develop or hinder that appetite). As it was from book one, Katniss' battle is against that part of the human condition, which Coin isn't immune to.
By Katniss killing Coin, she's symbolically killing that human condition, perhaps much more so than if she had just killed Snow. But the problem is, like Katniss and many others, we had become focused on Snow. Many of the characters seemed to think he was the be-all end-all of wickedness, but Collins shows that it's bigger than him. It's human nature.
While Katniss killing the human condition comes with a high cost (her sister), we still see that although Prim, who represented everything that was good in the human condition, died, goodness and innocence and purity is able to be reborn (figuratively and literally).
I especially like in the movie version (it's slightly different in the book version), how one of the first scenes is of Katniss discussing she'll never have kids, implying it's because of the evil society she lives in, and the last scene shows her with children, who are innocent, pure, and everything good. It testifies of a better world, one where she doesn't have to worry about them starving or dying. One where the good nature of humankind is stronger.


The holidays are more pleasurable with everyone relaxing and having fun. So why not bring all the family to one destination? Renting a mountain cabin in the North Georgia Mountains for the holidays is a wonderfully magical way to bring the family together without over-burdening tasks, chores, and responsibilities. The Villas at Coosawattee (The Villas) in the Coosawattee River Resort is a perfect location for these holiday celebrations.
Located within The Coosawattee River Resort, The Villas at Coosawattee River Resort is the premier destination for North Georgia cabins, mountain villa accommodations, and vacation rentals in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Georgia mountain resort is located in Gilmer County just over 75 miles north of Atlanta in the Blue Ridge Mountains and at the foothills of the legendary Appalachian Mountain Range.
The Villas have full kitchens, which are optimal if several people are cooking for the holidays. The kitchen has plenty of room for multiple cooks especially when baking cookies with the little ones. Is a hot tub essential? The Villas has hot tub units available'"wonderful way to ring in the New Year! And in regard to keeping the kids entertained, the Recreation Center has a game room, complete with arcade games and more. The Recreation Center also features WiFi and large screen television for guest entertainment pleasure.
The Villas' Recreation Center, six river parks, and Coosawattee Library give The Villas' guest plenty of amenities to enjoy and explore. The Recreation Center features an indoor heated pool, full fitness facility, miniature golf, tennis courts, and more. The six river parks have varying features such as fishing, play-grounds, and fire rings perfect for s'mores! Don't forget your graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows. If you need a book to read while relaxing, the Coosawattee Library may have just what you are looking for.
Does your party have special needs? If you want to bring your dog, various units are pet-friendly. Please inquire about conditions. Additionally, dogs have the run of their very own dog park located next to the Teen Center. Keep in mind that some of the units are two stories so if a family member cannot climb stairs, request a single level unit. All parking is just outside the respective unit.
The Villas features all of the necessary bedding, dishes, and kitchen equipment, but you may want to bring a roasting pan for the turkey and baking sheets for that special holiday baked treats. Take a day to cut your own Christmas tree at one of the many Christmas tree farms in the North Georgia Mountains, such as Lowery's Tree Farm, Whisenant Mountain Farm, and Jones Tree Farm but make sure to bring ornaments, stockings, and decorations. Consider making some pine cone and greenery decorations collected from a wintry walk. And with New Years Eve, picking up some party hats, blowers, and sparklers will help to ring in the New Year.
Make your holidays not only fun and magical ... make them also relaxing. Have family and friends meet at a destination, a mountain resort, and let those good times roll. A good old fashion holiday is right there, over the river and through the woods!


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by AVForums Apr 1, 2006
Godzilla Movie (1998)
The quintessential Hollywood Blockbuster is a curious and divisive beast, generally sneered at by the intellectual cinnephile, whilst being lapped up in their thousands by the popcorn guzzling general public. Like it or loathe it, there's no question that American cinema has more or less been governed solely by the economics of the blockbuster since those days in the mid seventies when Roy Schieder blew up a giant rubber shark off the American coastline. This last twenty years or so has seen an infusion of larger stars, larger budgets, and larger explosions in a valiant effort from the studios to dazzle audiences and get backsides planted firmly on the seats of cinemas worldwide. Although many look upon the right-wing Reaganite culture of eighties American cinema as being an affront to the standards of quality and intelligence forged during the postclassical period, there's no argument that as far as blockbusters go, the decade ruled the roost. If the high concept movie was the work of the Devil, it's certain that he held the best tunes back some twenty years ago, with stonewall classics such as Back to the Future, Aliens and Raiders of the Lost Arc proving that although the new format could be big and stupid, it could also be damn good fun. Of course nothing lasts forever, and all cycles run their course. Unless you're the blockbuster that is. You see, Hollywood is only as good as its last hit, and the business has proven time and again that it's not really that good at adapting. The marketing strategy in film (as it is for TV and for music) is to flog that mule until it's crippled and blind, panting at the roadside. With so much money riding on each film, the industry is terrified of what's around the corner should that bubble burst. Heaven forbid they are plunged into a scenario as they were in the late sixties, where they had no inclination of what the audience wanted from films anymore. Should such a crisis arise once again, they may be forced to hand control back once more to the directors, and then where would their marketing strategies and merchandise tie-ins fit within the new economy? So what do they do? They stick to what they know, and churn out more and more extortionately budgeted tat, each time crossing their fingers that this latest clunker won't be the one that sinks the ship for good. This quandary has seen the summer event picture limp on, ever more redundant and bereft of inspiration, a good decade past its pasture. By the onset of the nineties virtually every good idea had been mined and used, and by the mid-nineties even Arnie, the totem of right wing big-budget cinema, was struggling to land a decent movie. Now today we have the situation where virtually everything released is a remake or a sequel, and more often than not is also watered down shtick with the sole cynical purpose of fitting as many obnoxious kids into the multiplex as humanly possible. Simultaneous releases worldwide are the now the order of the day, to prevent vicious word of mouth and to recoup as much on lame duck productions as possible in the opening week, before people see sense and stay away. The blockbuster is dead, and has been for some time. Why this outburst? Well, it's there purely to help provide background on a simple, yet pertinent point. The blockbuster movie, God rest its soul, served a purpose. Not since the heyday of the studio system had such manpower and ambition been shoehorned into projects with the express mandate of making something spectacular. On its day the blockbuster movie could create something no other can replicate, with the budgets and technology to make dreams come alive and be realised. When coupled with a great script, there is the potential to make some truly great cinema. On the other hand however, the event movie for event movie's sake represents the very antithesis of this. Millions upon millions poured into projects with no real purpose other than to make one or two decent set pieces utilising the latest technology, then building a cack-handed film around them. If you aren't very careful you could end up with an overpriced disaster on your hands. If you're really unlucky, you could end up with something akin to Roland Emmerich's Godzilla, a film so terrible in almost every way that you would have to hold a gun to my head to ever make me sit through it again. Surely if anything was enough to signal the death knell for the blockbuster format, it was this, a turkey of monumental proportions that would dwarf the mighty 'zilla himself. Come to think of it, Godzilla versus a giant turkey would probably have been superior to this trash. The synopsis for the film (I hesitate to call it a plot) is basically some cock and bull constructed in ten minutes on the back of a beermat for the sole purpose of working out how the filmmakers can squeeze in as much CGI related madness as possible. Basically the gist is that French atomic bomb testing in the South Pacific has somehow managed to mutate DNA and create a great big lizard, namely Godzilla. Scientist Niko Tatoplous (the bemused Matthew Broderick) is called in by the military due to his experience of studying earthworms in the Ukraine (yep....), and before anyone knows it, Godzilla has arrived in Manhattan and proceeds to create a bit of a mess of the place. Hot on his tail is a French secret service division, headed by Philippe Roaché (Jean Reno) who have the preposterous mission to try and keep it all hush hush. Throw in a weak romantic subplot involving Niko's ex, and aspiring reporter Audrey Timmonds (Maria Pitillo), and that's pretty much your lot. Now I'm sure there will be people out there in internet land that will be keen to lambaste me over my views here, to accuse me of being all poncey and superior, that it's 'just good fun' or 'was never intended to be an Oscar winner'. This is all fair enough, but the fact is I actually wanted to enjoy this film. I was never under the impression that Godzilla was going to bowl me over with powerhouse acting, well thought out character development, or shocking scenes of intensity. All I wanted from the movie was a couple of hours of throwaway brainless entertainment. The sad truth is that the film can't even manage that. It's bloated, dull, and unfeasibly stupid. This is essentially a piece of trashy hokum about a giant lizard banging about in the city, yet its paper thin plot is stretched to nearly two and a half painful laborious hours. Who needs that? Not me that's for sure. The actual build-up to the main course of the movie isn't actually that bad. The arrival of Godzilla in the city is pretty well done and entertaining, in a special effects bonanza kind of way. After that though, it's all rapidly downhill, and we are only half an hour into the thing. Basically once you've seen one episode of a gigantic reptile bashing about you've seen them all. Thus follows Godzilla being chased a bit, doing a bit of chasing himself and generally being a bit of a nuisance. Following this poor mans King Kong, we have a bit of a rehash of Jurassic Park, where Broderick and company get chased for an age by a host of baby Godzilla's which mimics much of the velociraptor action of Speilberg's earlier adventure. With these films it's always a case of wading through the ill-thought out nonsense to get to the set pieces, but here they prove just as boring as the rest of the film. Such is the nature of CGI that effects-heavy marathons like this will unavoidably show their age after a given time, and Godzilla is no exception, with the big fella looking decidedly ropey when viewed some eight years on. It doesn't help that he's paraded around left right and centre and some scenes do have you nostalgically hankering for a man in a rubber suit piledriving a giant moth. This effects-driven bonanza ensures that the human content plays second fiddle to the smug displaying of the marvels of computer technology. This is a shame, as the film has assembled a more than capable cast, and it's a depressing sight to see stalwarts such as Broderick and Reno slumming it in this mess. At least Harry Shearer provides a humorous supporting role as an unscrupulous TV anchorman, even if he is just playing a real-life Principal Skinner. In fact one of the sole reasons for enduring the movie is to see how many Simpson's characters pop up, with Hank Azaria and Nancy Cartwright joining Shearer in attendance. What we have here is a big, dumb mess of a movie. Incoherent, dull, and repetitive, this was bad back in the late 90's and it's even worse now as not even the effects hold up any more. The fact that this disgusted Godzilla diehards, and was met by indifference by the public at large should tell you all you need to know, and thank the Lord the mooted sequels never reared their ugly heads. Ever the public servant, I watch this nonsense so you don't have to.


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A dare devil from the beginning Steve May spent his formative years in Hastings doodling, causing mayhem and injuring himself in interesting ways. From the sunny south coast Steve was drawn to the more temperate climbs of Nottingham where he studied fine art and filmmaking.
After a brief career break in an unsuccessful pop band Steve embarked on an MA in animation at the Royal College of Art, bringing him to the vibrant streets of London where he has worked and resided ever since.
[show more . . .]
Steve has honed his trademark scratchy, spontaneous illustration style to perfection and his complimentary illustration and animation skills have catapulted him in a number of interesting directions, including his role as the Reading Agency's 2012 Summer Reading Challenge official artist, with his work reaching children of all ages through libraries.
May's previous career as a successful animation director meant he was a natural fit to take on the role of lead creative on the fun filled Superheroes exhibition for Discover, which beautifully showcased his skills in character design and creative interactive animation.
His early anarchist tendencies made Steve the perfect match for Puffin's best-selling Dennis the Menace fiction series and with his surreal sense of humour he was a natural pairing for Harry Hill's Matt Mills series published by Faber and Faber.
Steve has been happily immersed in a world of burps, beards and bogeys as part of his collaboration with Gareth P Jones on the Pet Defenders series published by Stripes, a generously illustrated fast paced, action packed series proving to be a perennial favourite with newly confident readers.
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Chris O'Keefe: Did Baird pull the pin too soon?
By Chris OKeefe • Federal Political Reporter
12:46pm Jan 19, 2017
Chris O'Keefe with his take on Mike Baird's sudden resigation from politics.
While it might come as a shock to the public, Mike Baird bowing out certainly won't come as a shock to cabinet colleagues or even his Liberal party room.
A ten-year stint in the public eye has evidently taken its toll on the New South Wales Premier – a man who repeatedly told the public he was here to make a difference.
He told us he wasn't here for a long time, but rather, said he would step down when he felt he had done all he could.
But has he?
Mr Baird held a media conference after announcing his resignation, supported by his family. (9NEWS)
What started his downward spiral was no doubt the greyhound racing ban, and the subsequent backflip.
The ructions his ban caused in regional New South Wales, and indeed with the National Party, pushed him into a corner. He was forced to choose a political answer, or side with his convictions.
This is not forgetting that Mike Baird was the everyman. He wore his heart on his sleeve. He was the anti-politician and appeared just like everybody else, no doubt catapulting him to be one of the most popular premiers the state has ever seen in his 2015 election win.
But when he backflipped on an already controversial decision, any skerrick of a man of conviction was lost. He reconverged as just like every other politician in New South Wales – do things to get things done.
There's no conspiracy behind why Mike Baird has decided to resign. The return of his sister's rare stomach cancer, coupled with his mother's muscular dystrophy and his father's responsibility as a full-time carer to her revealed today that the outgoing premier was a man carrying a substantial weight on his shoulders.
And he has every right to feel the pressure. His children didn't sign up to be in politics and didn't deserve the pressure and vitriol they received. It also wouldn't be easy to deal with the incongruence between spending time with one's family and dealing with the state's affairs.
But pulling the pin with half-finished projects – WestConnex, the Northwest Rail Link and the Southwest Rail Link as well as the Lightrail project is an interesting move.
Mike Baird never wanted to be a career politician, and this time, he's stuck to his word.
Chris O'Keefe is Nine's NSW State Politics Reporter.
Property News: How to turn your apartment balcony into an outdoor oasis - domain.com.au


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Scandit's webinar series provides expertise across industries to assist you in the business decision-making process.
In this webinar featuring Scandit CEO Samuel Mueller and Forrester VP George Lawrie, you'll learn why savvy retailers are using mobile computer vision to digitize the in-store shopping experience and reduce costs by speeding up store operations workflows. Learn how to do it simply and affordably for your enterprise.
Retail, manufacturing and logistics operations have relied on barcodes to conduct business for more than 50 years. While barcodes have changed very little in that time, the technology used to capture them has dramatically transformed over the years—enabling today's enterprises to adopt smarter mobile solutions.


This sheet written in English and Spanish compares pictures of everyday items to their equivalent in ounces and cups. Four dice equals 1 oz., a deck of cards equals 3 oz., a golf ball equals 1/4 cup, a computer mouse equals 1/2 cup and a baseball equals 1 cup.
Description This sheet written in English and Spanish compares pictures of everyday items to their equivalent in ounces and cups. Four dice equals 1 oz., a deck of cards equals 3 oz., a golf ball equals 1/4 cup, a computer mouse equals 1/2 cup and a baseball equals 1 cup.


Product prices and availability are accurate as of 2019-02-03 13:16:20 UTC and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on http://www.amazon.com/ at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The Jamie Oliver Tart Pan is perfect for baking pies, quiches and tarts. The 10 Inch diameter pan is made of heavy-gauge 0.8mm carbon steel construction. Bottom separates for easy release and even heat distribution. Durable nonstick Quantum II coating on interior and Xylan coating on exterior keeps food from sticking. This new range of baking tins is a home baker's dream. Each piece has been smartly designed to help turn out showstopper cakes and melt-in-mouth dishes time after time. Designed to withstand temperatures of up to 475 degrees F, the Jamie Oliver bakeware range won't warp. The heavy-duty carbon steel and non-stick coating means it's made to last, so we've popped a 25 year guarantee on it to prove it.


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Sara Kumar selected as local candidate for Parliament
Our candidate for the 2019 general election is Sara Kumar. Sara writes:
It's a real honour to have been selected as the Conservative candidate for West Ham. I've lived in London all my life and I really love the diverse population, local communities and the opportunities this area has had to give. In 2016 I graduated in Politics and Sociology at the University of Brighton. I'm an events manager at the Centre for Social Justice. I also run my own business online which sells vegan protein supplements. In my teenage years I modelled for clothing and jewellery brands in the UK. I have had the privilege of travelling across the UK to assist the filming of the most outstanding charities that tackle poverty. These have charities are awarded with a £10,000 grant at the CSJ Awards, which I organise.
Growing up in London has taught me that we need to protect vulnerable people, prepare young people for the future and make our streets safer. Through the work I've done alongside the Metropolitan Police, I believe we need to prioritise the tackle on violent crime. I am prepared to work with the Mayor of London to improve this very important issue. I've been involved in charities that have helped young children, abandoned animals and the homeless. I first got involved with the Conservative Party eight years ago and have stood in two local elections, as well as campaigned in many general elections and by-elections. Brexit has gone on for too long and no matter how we voted we need to focus on the real problems in the country. I believe we must press on with making our streets safer, improving our transport links, investing more in the NHS and protecting the environment. Many are affected by these issues and your MP can make such a difference. Therefore, I am looking forward to serving the residents of West Ham and representing you in Parliament.
Thank you for voting Conservative
Thank you to everyone who voted Conservative, both in the West Ham constituency and across the country as a whole.