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Microsoft Earnings Beats Expectations as Office, Server Gains Offset a Weak PC Market
The company also quietly laid off around 1,000 employees this week, while search business finally reached profitability.
By Ina Fried@inafried Oct 22, 2015, 2:18pm EDT
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Asa Mathat
Microsoft on Thursday reported fiscal first quarter adjusted quarterly sales and earnings ahead of what most analysts expected, despite a continuation of the sluggish market for new computers.
Excluding certain items, the company posted a net income of $5.4 billion, or 67 cents per share, on revenue of $21.4 billion. On that basis, the company had been expected to report per-share earnings of around 59 cents and revenue of around $21 billion, according to various consensus estimates.
Those figures don't reflect the impact of some deferred income and revenue related to Windows 10. This is also the first quarter under a new reporting structure that breaks the company into three main units: Personal Computing (Windows), Productivity and Business Processes (Office) and Intelligent Cloud (Windows Server).
As for Office, the company said it added more than three million consumer subscriptions, with 18.2 million consumers now subscribed to Office 365.
On the business side, Microsoft said Office commercial products and cloud services revenue grew 5 percent on a constant currency basis, with Office 365 revenue up nearly 70 percent. Server products and cloud services were up 13 percent, again adjusting for currency fluctuations.
"We're seeing great traction with businesses who want to bring Microsoft's cloud, mobile device management technology and data analytics together to improve security and productivity resulting in almost 70 percent year-over-year growth in our commercial cloud run rate," operating chief Kevin Turner said in a statement.
Things were less rosy on the Windows side of things, where the company's "More Personal Computing" segment saw revenue drop 17 percent, to $9.4 billion, amid weak PC and phone sales. Phone revenue dropped 54 percent as the company continued to scale back that part of the business. The company has exited a number of regions and segments of the market in an effort to contain costs.
Microsoft said its Windows revenue from computer makers dropped 6 percent, but outpaced the overall PC market as computer makers built higher-end machines for Windows 10.
Search revenue, excluding traffic acquisition costs, was up 29 percent on a constant currency basis, Microsoft said. Windows 10 is helping the search business as well, Microsoft said, with 20 percent of September search revenue from Windows 10 devices.
The number of monthly active Xbox Live subscribers grew 28 percent, to 29 million.
In July, Microsoft's last report, the company topped estimates but took a huge writedown related to its Nokia acquisition.
Microsoft shares traded higher after the earnings were released, changing hands recently at $50.65, up $2.62, or more than 5 percent.
Update, 2:25 p.m. PT: Getting set for the conference call at 2:30 p.m. PT; New York Times reports that Microsoft quietly laid off approximately 1,000 employees on Wednesday. Microsoft declined to confirm the number, but did say it made layoffs across the company.
"The job reductions were spread across more than one business area and country and reflect adaptations to business needs," a company spokesman said in a statement.
2:35 p.m. PT: CEO Satya Nadella said on the conference call said the company is "well on its way" toward its goal of a billion Windows 10 users within three years' time..
He added that company is also on pace to reach another goal: $20 billion in business revenue from cloud services by fiscal 2018, with current sales from that unit at an annualized rate of $8.2 billion, up 70 percent from a year ago.
There are really only two serious players in that area, Nadella said, clarifying that he was referring to Amazon and Microsoft. "We push each other and we each have a unique approach," Nadella said.
Nadella said Microsoft, after opening data center in India, now has operations in 20 regions, more than any of its rivals and said global footprint is essential.
2:45 p.m. PT: Turning to the PC side, Nadella touted Windows 10 and the impact it has had on other parts of the business, noting that Windows 10 has driven Bing's U.S. search market share above 20 percent. He also said Microsoft is seeing good pre-orders for the company's new Surface, Surface Book and other new hardware, though he did not give specifics.
2:50 p.m. PT: Turning to the numbers, CFO Amy Hood noted that search revenue topped $1 billion last quarter and the business finally reached profitability.
3:00 p.m. PT: For the coming quarter, Hood said Microsoft expects revenue of around $6.6 billion or $6.7 billion for its productivity business, $6.2 billion to $6.3 billion in business cloud unit and $12 billion, to $12.4 billion from its personal computing unit.
Bing should continue its strong growth and remain profitable for the rest of the fiscal year, Hood said.
3:03 p.m. PT: On to Q and A.
3:17 p.m. PT: Asked about Michael Dell's recent comments that enterprises are taking a bigger interest in Windows 10 than in other recent releases.
"That is absolutely the case," Nadella said. While most early adoption has been from consumers, Nadella noted there are already 8 million business PCs running the new software. Nadella said that the company expects business adoption of Windows 10 to begin in earnest starting early in calendar 2016.


I make no apology that I have little love for classical music and that probably makes me a charlatan - a badge I can't say I wear with pride but I've been called a lot worse in my time. There are certain pieces of classical music I like (mainly modern composers like Gorecki and Arvo Pärt) but on the whole, classical makes me tune out. I'm a rock guy and I think that's ok.
Katie, I might see you in class or if it's anything like my real university experience, I'll probably sleep in til noon, miss my classes and then end up eating cornflakes while watching Oprah or afternoon kid's programs on the telly.
sounds interesting! I might give it a listen. I guess it's about rounding out what you hear when you hear this sound sculpture called music.
Me, I like the supreme order and coherent counterpoint of baroque music. There's nothing like listening to Bach after a steady course of Glass - they're like interlocking opposites - Bach makes everything human and friendly again. Everything makes harmonic sense in Baroque - and the basslines are sometimes just awesome, as components of the whole.


Did you know that WestGate Church partners with and financially supports 38 missionaries around the globe, as well as dozens of additional projects? And every year, WestGate has something called Go Trips where members of WestGate get a chance to visit and serve alongside some of our missionaries to get a first-hand glimpse of the amazing work that God is doing (through them and their organizations) around the world?
This year, Go Trips include a chance to visit orphanages in Mexico, new church plants in Cuba, and schools for street children in New Delhi, India, and well-building projects from Living Water International in Guatemala and El Salvador.


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McArthur es una villa ubicada en el condado de Vinton en el estado estadounidense de Ohio. En el Censo de 2010 tenía una población de 1701 habitantes y una densidad poblacional de 492,32 personas por km².

Geografía
McArthur se encuentra ubicada en las coordenadas . Según la Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos, McArthur tiene una superficie total de 3.46 km², de la cual 3.44 km² corresponden a tierra firme y (0.45%) 0.02 km² es agua.

Demografía
Según el censo de 2010, había 1701 personas residiendo en McArthur. La densidad de población era de 492,32 hab./km². De los 1701 habitantes, McArthur estaba compuesto por el 98.06% blancos, el 0.06% eran afroamericanos, el 0.76% eran amerindios, el 0% eran asiáticos, el 0% eran isleños del Pacífico, el 0.29% eran de otras razas y el 0.82% pertenecían a dos o más razas. Del total de la población el 0.76% eran hispanos o latinos de cualquier raza.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Villas de Ohio
Localidades del condado de Vinton

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Celebrating Easter in Hyrule and Eden (UT)
We are now counting down the days the end of the most wonderful season of the liturgical calendar year. Now, I know, you all think Advent is the most wonderful season of the liturgical calendar year. But we all love Advent for all the wrong reasons. Advent is meant to be somber. We force it to be festive, prolonging the 12 days of Christmas into 30+.
But the fifty days of Easter is and always was meant to be all festivity. This is why as I have fasted the 40 days of Lent I have come to realize the Lenten cycle isn't over until you have feasted the 50 days of Easter.
And I have certainly been feasting over the last 48 days! It has been Easter in my life this past month and a half. I have tried to enjoy and celebrate the Resurrection, Restoration and Redemption every moment.
The first way I have done this is by playing Zelda. Many of you know that I fast video games during Lent so on day 2 of the Easter season I began my feasting by dusting off my old copy of "Twilight Princess" and putting it in my aging Wii so that I could waste time riding across Hyrule, collecting gadgets and solving puzzles.
It goes without saying to you who have played them that the Zelda games are unlike any other video games. The aesthetic and gameplay are incredible. Even the darkest of Zelda games are still pretty lighthearted and cartoonish. The graphics are incredibly beautiful, as is the music.
Despite her awkward appearance the true "Twilight Princess" has one of the best stories in all Zelda.
But more than all that, the characters are diverse. They come in all shapes and sizes and styles of clothing. Most of them are downright weird. This is probably because of Zelda's Japanese origins but I love the characters nonetheless. They resemble some of the weird people I know, many of whom have attended churches I pastor. If you add to all that the over arching theme of driving darkness away with light, you might realize that Zelda is certainly a wonderful and beautiful gift.
This Easter season I taught my youth group that the secret to finding joy is Philippians 4:8 which teaches us to think and dwell upon whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely excellent and praiseworthy. The Zelda games have so much of those wonderful attributes. Enjoying these artistic pieces is one great way to celebrate the light of the world and the light that is in the world.
I also spent this Easter season training for a marathon in and around Eden, UT. The road to Eden goes through, "Mountain Green" whi ch is aptly named because green abounds on those mountains, especially this time of year. To accent the green, the mountains were still snow capped. The lake was smooth as ice, partly because some of it was still ice. I spent hours running up there marveling at the beauty of it all and celebrating Easter by praying, reciting Scripture and smiling at the various wildlife. The marathon was a couple weeks ago and we began running right as the sun was rising to illuminate a gorgeous, green day.
I can't help but draw parallels between the fabricated world of Hyrule and the actual creation of our God. Eden, UT resembles Hyrule in its beauty. Actually, Hyrule resembles Eden but it doesn't match it. Real life is somehow always better than fabrication.
It also reminds me that, like Hyrule, darkness still threatens this world. It makes itself known every time I catch myself striding over a dead deer on the highway. Those carcasses remind me our world is indeed still broken. Death is still the enemy and he has not yet been vanquished. As the hymn, "My Hope is Built" reminds us, "Darkness does sometimes veil [God's] lovely face."
But so too, the light shines out all the clearer during Easter season. After all, Jesus didn't just save me. He saved and is saving all creation. Creation was and still is groaning under the oppression of futility. Unfortunately the ground is still cursed because of Adam. But Paul teaches in Romans 8 that all creation too "shall be liberated from its bondage to decay." (Rom. 8:21)
And now as this wonderful Easter season winds down and we march into common time or Kingdomtide, the season for work, we are reminded that God has done God's part against the darkness and the death. Now we too must work out our own salvation (see Phil. 2:12-13).
Come oh Jesus, we long for, we work for, you.
Date June 1, 2017
Tags church calendar, easter season, eden, fasting, feasting, God, hyrule, legend of zelda, lent season, liturgical year, ogden marathon, twilight princess, utah

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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home Music, Reviews Justin Reviews: Chinese Democracy
Justin Reviews: Chinese Democracy
By justin Posted in Music Reviews
Posted on November 28, 2008 December 9, 2008
I suddenly understand Wayne Campbell at the feet of Alice Cooper explaining his unworthiness: 13, 15, 17 years in the making (seriously, who can keep track at this point?), the now mythical release of Guns 'n' Roses' Chinese Democracy has finally been revealed and I can't imagine a three paragraph review is going to do it justice. The first album of original work from the band since 1991's Use Your Illusion II, Chinese Democracy's release had become a thing of legend. Riddled with personnel changes, fired managers, tours cut short, a random appearance from Dr. Pepper trying to ride the wave of "This thing will never come out" and a production cost that would make any independent film maker salivate ("How many million?! I suddenly feel like my movie needs a lot of CG…"), Chinese Democracy had officially become a joke in the music circle with most assuming it would never actually see the light of day. But on November 23rd, they were proved wrong.
Long gone are the greasy, dirty rock/blues riffs from Appetite for Destruction. A large part of that is obviously attributed to Axl Rose being the only remaining member of GnR. With Slash and company gone, Rose amassed an eclectic group of musicians ranging from Josh Freese and Brain on the drums to Robin Finck and Buckethead on guitars. So with hype and anticipation built to a frothy frenzy, how does Chinese Democracy actually live up to expectations? Surprisingly well. Drop the notion that this will be the album to end all albums (Chinese Democracy could possibly have more overhyped expectations than Barack Obama) and you quickly realize that this album is a labor of love that is pretty successful. The one-line soundbyte review? Chinese Democracy is the Use Your Illusion albums if they were made in 2008: now with more computers! GnR has evolved, stepped outside of the notions of what that band was and has put forth a solid collection of 14 tracks, most of whom succeed on some level. The stellar tracks are stellar. "There Was a Time", "Sorry", "Chinese Democracy" and "Madagascar" all prompt an excited finger towards the "back" button on your CD player/iPod/iTunes/whatever-you-use-that-still-has-a-back-button. "Street of Dreams" showcases Rose's Elton John influence (an influence clearly heard on the Illusion discs) and "This I Love" is actually a beautiful song. Picture "Sweet Child O' Mine" with lyrical heart.
Shy of a couple of "eh" tunes ("Catcher in the Rye" and "Shackler's Revenge" both feel undercooked), Chinese Democracy is well worth the wait. It's not unreasonable to hope or expect a band to evolve from album to album and with 17 years under the belt, the minds of those waiting for Chinese Democracy's release was laden with those expectations. And I'm glad to say that with the same ears you'd listen to any new album, Axl Rose has shown that what he has provided wasn't just some prat being a wanker. Hard work went into Chinese Democracy and it shows. The songs are dense, complex and soulful. You sometimes get the sense that Rose was constantly reworking the tunes to be sure that they got the praise he thought they deserved (those "leaks" sure paid off). But in the end, his efforts paid off. Chinese Democracy is well worth the wait.
TAGS: Axl Chinese Democracy Guns Review Rose Roses


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Photo illustration by John Lyman
Maxwell Webb
Treading the Tightrope: Israel's Balancing Act Between Great Powers
As tensions heat up between Russia and the United States over the fate of Ukraine, the collateral forces exerted by these two great powers have been felt across the Middle East. In particular, Israel, America's best friend in the region, finds the creeping pressure of great power competition right on its doorstep. Straddling the worlds of national security and economic issues, Russia, China, and the U.S. each have much to gain from being an active and engaged player in the region. Though Israel is often seen as a protector of U.S. interests in the region, it is still an independent regional power feeling the push and pull of competing external actors.
Navigating thorny issues from trade and technology relations with China to coordination with Russia on regional security issues, particularly on Iranian proxies in Syria, has already caused tension between the Jewish State and its American protector. Now, given the rise of tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine, Israel may find itself caught in the crossfire between two global giants once again. During these tense times, Israel must exert caution as it balances its commitment to the United States while it expands its relationship with the Russians.
Israel has to be judicious in how it approaches the often-contentious relationship between the U.S. and Russia. Israel and Russia re-established relations in 1991, with Israel absorbing a massive influx of Soviet Jews. The Israeli-Russian relationship faces many challenges, namely Russia's close relationships with some of Israel's most dangerous enemies including Assad's Syria and Iran. Nevertheless, Russia has a large swath of influence and power in the region.
Ukrainian soldier on the frontline.
Given its position between Israel and its foes, Russia has been able to serve as a power broker among the likes of Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah in Syria. According to Ksenia Svetlova of Mitvim, Israel has an "almost total dependence on cooperation with the Russians on our northern border." Russia is also a member of the P5+1, crucial to Israel's concerns over Iran's nuclear program; is a major exporter of energy to the region; and serves as a significant hub for travel, business, and familial relationships for many of the more than one million Israelis of Russian heritage. Given this geopolitical context, Israeli cooperation with Russia is critical.
To date, Israel has tread delicately between Russia and the United States. Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Vladimir Putin were known to have had a very cordial relationship. This relationship has continued under Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Bennett himself met with Putin last October, even extending his stay through Shabbat. Israel's reliance on Russia for security in Syria has, at times, put it at odds with the United States. Israel has conceded to Russian pressure in the past. In 2008 and 2014, Russia was able to pressure Israel into halting arms deals with both Georgia and Ukraine respectively, both moves on the eve of the Russian invasion into these territories. Also in 2014, upon the Russian annexation of Crimea, Israel publicly claimed to be neutral in the conflict, even going so far as to abstain from voting to censure Russia and expressing support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine. This public disagreement with the U.S., particularly in a forum where the U.S. consistently stands by Israel, came as a surprise to those in the Obama administration and was met with ire.
Despite these developments, the U.S. and Israel have maintained a clear and open dialogue regarding Russian relations, even as tensions between the two great powers have been rising over conflicting interests in Ukraine in recent weeks. Whether in the context of Iran nuclear talks, security along the Syrian border, or the situation in Ukraine, Russia is a frequent topic of conversation between Biden administration officials and the Israeli government. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefed Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on developments in Ukraine. In a report produced by Foreign Policy on January 13, policy experts in Washington, including Dan Arbell of the Center for Israel Studies at American University and John Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, assured the public that Washington and Jerusalem deeply understand each other's needs and concerns with regards to Russia.
However, very recent developments between Israel and Russia raise potential red flags in Israel's delicate game of power politics. Just recently it was reported that Russia held a joint jet patrol with Syria along its borders, including the Golan Heights. This appears to be a shift in Russian policy, much to the surprise of the Israelis. However, it was further reported that Israel had agreed to limit its air campaign in Syria as a result of Russia's move, even after discussions between Israeli and Russian military officials wind to a close. These decisions run contrary to the general consensus between Israel and Russia around Israel's "freedom to act" in Syria and could complicate its ability to conduct further strikes against hostile targets in the region.
(Russian Ministry of Defense)
Given that this move occurred as tensions around Russia's potential invasion of Ukraine reach a new high, many speculate that Israel may find itself on the fringe of a larger regional conflict. With its coordination with Russia on security needs in Syria, Israel's appeasement of the Russian policy reversal makes sense. Yet could this military pivot leave Israel vulnerable to greater national security threats? A Russia at war in Ukraine will certainly have its focus away from the Middle East, opening up holes for Israel's enemies to take advantage of the situation without Moscow standing in the way. This decision puts Israel in the midst of a multi-directional pull. If Israel stands against the Russians, does it jeopardize its strategic security relationship? If it continues to agree, does it expose itself to greater threats? Considering Russia's significant role in the Syrian-Iranian security sphere, it does in fact have leverage over Israel.
Though not a central player in the Russia-Ukraine-NATO conflict, Israel will no doubt feel the collateral effects of the increase in tensions among these powers beyond immediate security concerns. The most recent change in policy regarding Israel's freedom to act could be seen as a move to pressure the Israelis into taking a softer stance on any action in Ukraine, similar to the way Israel handled the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Analysts at BICOM (British Israel Communication and Research Centre) have also recently expressed concerns that this move could be sending a warning to the U.S. with regard to Ukraine or an effort to use Israel to persuade the U.S. not to interfere in the conflict.
By succumbing to Russian pressure, Israel could find itself on the wrong side of conflict with its American ally. It's a known fact that both Biden and Bennett seek to avoid the conflict and tension that was felt between Bennett's predecessor and the previous Obama administration. Both sides have been transparent, conducting frequent meetings and closely cooperating with one another on countless fronts. Even when there are differences of opinion, each country maintains a positive perception of the other. Nevertheless, cracks lie in this relationship. Increased tension over settlement construction, the stalled reopening of the U.S. Consulate to the Palestinians, and an uptick in Chinese-Israel relations, including Chinese construction of consequential pieces of infrastructure and heavy investment in Israel's high tech and agricultural sectors, have put a strain on the cooperation between these two allies. However, given Russia's leverage in the region, Israel may not have much of a choice.
After Israel's stance of neutrality on Crimea in 2014, an unnamed Israeli official stated that "there is an assumption in Jerusalem that it is easier to ask the Americans to swallow the frog than to risk upsetting the Russians. Out of fear, we made our lives harder." 8 years later, this sentiment still rings true, with Israel caught between strategic interests. In an unstable region marred by the ebb and flow of great powers on the brink of collision, Israel finds itself in a more delicate position than it has been in a long time. Perhaps its tightrope act of the past several decades is truly beginning to fray. No matter the outcome, these policy shifts amid heated tensions should serve as a warning to those in Israel's security and foreign policy sectors—the great power game is a dangerous one, and your bets must be hedged carefully.


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Posted inCoronavirus, Covid-19, Prince George's County, William J. Ford
Prince George's County Executive Alsobrooks Gets Coronavirus Vaccine
by William J. Ford December 22, 2020 December 21, 2021
Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks promised that once a coronavirus vaccine became available, she would get it to help fight against the pandemic.
Her turn came Tuesday as she calmly sat in a chair at the Cheverly Health Center.
From the time she walked inside a small room to chat with registered nurse Ingra Lewis to receiving a Moderna vaccine in her right arm, the process took only several minutes.
"There are so many people in our community who are really apprehensive about the vaccine. I want people to feel comfortable that if I would do it, I wouldn't ask anybody to do something that I wouldn't do," Alsobrooks said a few minutes after receiving the shot in her right arm. "It was quick and painless. This is a good step for all of us to finally tor to get this behind our view."
The Food and Drug Administration authorized distribution of the Moderna vaccine Friday, which boasts a slightly more than 94% efficacy rate against the novel coronavirus. The other company, Pfizer, was approved last week to distribute its vaccine with a similar efficacy rate.
Dr. Ernest Carter, chief health officer for Prince George's County, receives a dose of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine administered by Sherry Amankwa, a nurse at Cheverly Health Center. (William J. Ford/The Washington Informer)
Individuals who receive the two-dose Pfizer vaccine should get the second round three weeks after the first. The second dose of the Moderna vaccine should be taken four weeks later.
The main difference between the vaccines is the storage temperatures. The Moderna vaccine can remain in temperatures about minus-20 degrees Celsius, versus Pfizer at minus-75 degrees.
Prince George's officials have encouraged residents to take the vaccine when it becomes ready, especially with the majority-Black jurisdictions recording the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Maryland. The county currently has 51,136 cases and slightly more than 1,000 related deaths.
On Tuesday, Maryland's health department reported 2,324 confirmed cases to increase the statewide total to 255,397. More than 5,300 people died from the virus, included 51 deaths Tuesday.
Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday more than 100,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine were being distributed throughout the state. About 2,300 doses will be provided for clinical health care workers at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda.
Some health care workers and staff and residents at nursing homes already received the Pfizer vaccine last week.
In total, the governor's office said the state's allotment will total 191,075. There will be enough doses to vaccinate about 90% of the state's health care front line workers by the end of the week.
In Prince George's County, another health care official received a shot in the arm: Dr. Ernest Carter, the county's chief health officer.
Carter, 66, said the vaccine generates a protein that helps fight off the virus and "that's why I'm very comfortable with it."
"This is the first step in getting the entire county vaccinated," he said with a smile behind his mask. "The shot's not hard. It's very easy."
Maryland Establishes Coronavirus Vaccine Equity Plan
In "Community"
More Prince George's Residents to Receive Vaccine; Indoor Dining to Resume Friday
In "Prince George's County"
Prince George's Plans to Lift COVID Restrictions Monday
In "Coronavirus"
Tagged: Angela Alsobrooks, coronavirus, COVID-19, Dr. Ernest Carter, food and drug administration, Moderna, novel coronavirus, Pfizer, Prince George's County, vaccinations, vaccines, William J. Ford
Coverage for the Washington Informer includes Prince George's County government, school system and some state of Maryland government. Received an award in 2019 from the D.C. Chapter of the Society of...	More by William J. Ford


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Destiny Mobile is the highlight of our patrol software suite. Destiny Mobile offers your company a means of reporting, tracking, and communication. Utilizing Destiny Mobile, your employees can create reports, receive dispatches, scan Guardtour codes, and more. As an Admin you are able to verify your employee is where they need to be via real time tracking.
Destiny Patrol software is a suite of apps designed to create a successful organized business. Our Patrol software includes apps available on Windows and both major mobile platforms (Android and iOS). In addition to our suite of apps we offer online terminals for access to reports anywhere with an internet connection.
With the use of GPS satellites and an array of sensors, Destiny is able to maximize work flow and manage your fleet. With the use of specific sensors Destiny can determine the consumption of gasoline, if a driver is speeding, when a door has been opened, etc. These are only a few features that we utilize to optimize your company's future.
Destiny Software now offers our clients an easy alternative to employee time management. Utilizing your company's user base, you can easily create schedules for each of your employees for every account you have, calculate how many hours they worked within a set period, and employees are able to view all set shifts within our employee portal.
We here at Destiny understand that our product may not offer everything you could want and to remedy this we are open to suggestions! If you can offer an idea that we deem would be beneficial to all of our clients we will incorporate it as soon as we can with no extra cost to you or we offer custom solutions tailored to your specific needs.
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With use of our web terminals our subscribers have access to every report created by their employees along with separate terminals for their clients to view reports. Every Web Terminal generated can be custom created to limit view of certain features.
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This was written by Tim. Posted on Thursday, September 3, 2009, at 2:30 am. Filed under Tweet Digests. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed.	Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.


Tenant demand remained solid this quarter with nearly 1.2 million square feet of leases signed, with a majority of those leases being signed in the Desoto County submarket. Development remains healthy with over 3.1 million square feet delivered this quarter, and another 3.1 million is currently under construction slated to deliver by the end of 2018. Eighty-one percent of the under-construction product is either build-to-suit or speculative with 100 percent preleasing, so the remaining deliveries will not have a substantial impact on vacancy for the market.


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Stanford loses expected starting PG for season
Caleb Bailey | Nov 5, 2015 10:00 am | Apr 27, 2018 7:57 am
Robert Cartwright was expected to be the starting point guard for the Stanford Cardinal after Chasson Randle left to play overseas earlier this year. The team is now going to have to find another player to fill in that position.
According to College Basketball Talk, Cartwright will miss the entire 2015-16 season after suffering a compound fracture in his right arm. Cartwright is the fourth Cardinal player to go down with an injury ahead of the season.
The Cardinal are looking to build off their 2015 NIT championship, but losing four players, especially one as important as Cartwright, will certainly damage their campaign. Senior Christian Sanders and sophomore Darren Pickens are the two available perimeter players to fill in for the early stages of the season as the team deals with these injuries.
The Cardinal open their season on November 13 when they host Green Bay.
*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
BasketballInjury news,PAC 12,Stanford Cardinal
Caleb BaileyCAMPUSSPORTS Writer
Caleb is a young veteran of the sports journalism world that has a passion for college football, mostly the SEC, but namely the LSU Tigers. He also has an affinity for the Georgia Southern Eagles, because who doesn't love Erk Russell and national championships, right? He has experience working in print and online media as well as broadcasting, working with his high school alma mater football team and the Savannah Bananas.


how big is the star teeth in Vietnam. Long teeth Cause: diabetes The saliva of people with diabetes has a very high sugar content, is not conducive to bacterial growth, and high levels of calcium in saliva are also easy to form stones, which all increase the risk of disease. around the teeth and tooth decay. Teeth that grow out in fact are the result of gingivitis. The teeth are not clean Cause: heart trouble Investigation shows, plaque in the teeth will lead to gingivitis, making the body's immune response, indicating that the white blood cells increased. One of the main causes of heart disease is increased white blood cell counts. So if your heart is not good enough, it is best to form a habit of rinsing your teeth, cleaning your teeth after every meal. After brushing, oral, promptly push the bacteria and pigment sticking out of the teeth. Consult the professional dentists, annual dental check, tooth extraction, "full bleaching" for teeth.


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La bencilpenicilina, comúnmente conocida como ácido benzilpenicilínico y administrada como penicilina G benzatina, es un antibiótico betalactámico, de la familia de las penicilinas, considerado el referente del grupo.

Farmacocinética

Vías de administración (formas de uso)
Por lo general se administra por vía parenteral (intramuscular).

Absorción
Se inactiva por los jugos gástricos, lo que hace inefectivo su uso oral, Por lo que se recomienda administrar intramuscular.

Distribución
La distribución es más elevada en pulmón, riñón, músculo, hueso y placenta. En presencia de inflamación, los niveles de penicilina G en abscesos pericárdicos, pleurales, peritoneales o sinoviales son suficientes para inhibir las bacterias susceptibles. La difusión a ojo, cerebro, próstata o líquido cefalorraquídeo es baja.

Metabolismo y metabolitos
Hepático.

Excreción
Fundamentalmente renal, por excreción tubular inhibida por el probenecid. Una pequeña parte por metabolismo hepático o bilis.

Farmacodinámica

Mecanismo de acción
La bencilpenicilina presenta un mecanismo de acción bactericida en fase de división, por inhibición de la síntesis de los mucopéptidos de la membrana de la bacteria. Las bencilpenicilinas inhiben el paso final de la unión de peptidogligano mediante su unión a transpeptidasas, proteínas fijadoras de penicilinas, que se encuentran en la superficie interior de la cubierta celular bacteriana, inactivándolas. Otros mecanismos implicados: lisis bacteriana a causa de la inactivación de inhibidores endógenos de autolisinas bacterianas.

Es sensible a la betalactamasa producida por algunas cepas bacterianas.

Efectos
In vitro, inhibe el crecimiento de Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Bacillus anthracis, Clostridia, Actinomyces species, Spirillum minus, Streptobacillus moniliformis, Listeria monocytogenes y Leptospira. El  Treponema pallidum es especialmente sensible a este antibiótico.

Interacciones

Uso clínico
Las ventajas de la penicilina G son su bajo costo, administración fácil, excelente penetración a los tejidos e índice terapéutico favorable. En contraste, las desventajas son su degradación por el ácido gástrico, su destrucción por las betalactamasas bacterianas, y su asociación con el desarrollo de reacción adversa en cerca del 10% de los pacientes. Es también utilizado en veterinaria.

Indicaciones
Procesos infecciosos producidos por gérmenes sensibles a la penicilina, tales como:
 Infecciones del aparato respiratorio.
 Infecciones del aparato urinario.
 Infecciones otorrinolaringológicas y odontológicas.
 Infecciones ginecológicas.
 Infecciones digestivas.
 Infecciones dermatológicas y venéreas.
 Infecciones vasculares centrales y periféricas.
 Profilaxis infecciosa, en relación con intervenciones quirúrgicas.
Las indicaciones específicas de la penicilina G incluyen:
 Celulitis.
 Endocarditis bacteriana.
 Gonorrea, sífilis.
 Meningitis.
 Neumonía por aspiración y neumonía adquirida en la comunidad.
 Absceso pulmonar.
 Sepsis en niños.
 Botulismo, gangrena gaseosa y tétanos, como coadyuvante al tratamiento.

Efectos adversos
Para la valoración de las reacciones adversas (RAM) se tendrán en cuenta los criterios de la CIOSM.

Contraindicaciones
 Antecedentes de sensibilización alérgica a la penicilina.
 Embarazo: Categoría B.
 Precaución en madres lactantes.

Presentaciones
Viales para uso intramuscular o intravenoso.
Entre los excipientes y conservantes habituales nos podemos encontrar:
 Monohidrato de dextrosa,
 Citrato sódico,
 Ácido hidroclorídrico,
 Hidróxido sódico, y
 Agua destilada.

Véase también
 Penicilinas.
 Betalactámicos.
 Antibiótico betalactámico.

Referencias

Código ATC J
Penicilinas
Medicamento esencial de la Organización Mundial de la Salud
Ciencia de 1942


Add tags for "Out of the ashes : the impact of American Jews on post-holocaust European Jewry". Be the first.
schema:about <http://experiment.worldcat.org/entity/work/data/196266539#Event/geschichte_1945_1947> ; # Geschichte 1945-1947.
schema:about <http://experiment.worldcat.org/entity/work/data/196266539#Place/usa> ; # USA.
schema:about <http://experiment.worldcat.org/entity/work/data/196266539#Place/europa> ; # Europa.
schema:about <http://experiment.worldcat.org/entity/work/data/196266539#Organization/american_jewish_joint_distribution_committee> ; # American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
schema:about <http://experiment.worldcat.org/entity/work/data/196266539#Place/juden> ; # Juden.
schema:about <http://experiment.worldcat.org/entity/work/data/196266539#Event/geschichte_1945_1949> ; # Geschichte 1945-1949.
<http://experiment.worldcat.org/entity/work/data/196266539#Organization/american_jewish_joint_distribution_committee> # American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.


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How I Overcame Bullying: A 13-Year-Old Actress' Inspiring Story
"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." - Walt Disney
This is the first video in a series highlighting resilient and inspiring people who have successfully overcome difficult obstacles in their lives. Today, we highlight the strength and confidence of Rachel Arianna, a 13-year-old from Trumbull, CT. Rachel has seen both success and bullying due to that success in her life. Rachel is an actress who has been in many commercials, Saturday Night Live and the movie "Lies I Told My Little Sister." She was bullied through social media and in school.
She believes that to stop bullying, both in and out of school, students need to talk to each other about it — and use the arts to kick start that conversation. Rachel started the program Words Can Soar in January of 2015 and created a large, anti-bullying mural in front of her school along with eight of her friends and Hillcrest Middle School.
"You can do a lot of different things as long as we are united in stepping up to bullying together," she added. "Nobody should feel like the victim of bullying and nobody should feel the need to do the bullying, and the best way to talk having peers talk to peers about it so we can all begin to understand each other better." It's hard to believe Rachel is only 13. She is such an incredible young lady. She can and WILL make a difference in this world! See more about what she is doing by checking out her website and Facebook page.
This video was produced by Tracy Chevrier and shot/edited by John Houghton. Want to see more HooplaHa Originals? Check out the HooplaHa YouTube page…and don't forget to smile!


There are a lot of bloggers out there in Colorado. You'll be in good company.
Glad to here you're settling in. Saw you at the Apple store the other week, but you had already left by the time I finished with my purchase, so I didn't get a chance to say hello.


What is the process for getting a prenup?
In order to create an enforceable and valid prenup, there are several legal formalities.
The final form of the agreement must be in the hands of each party at least 7 days prior to signing the document.
The cost of a prenup can range between $2000 - $6000 per person. The cost depends on the sophistication of the agreement, the organization of the parties, and the collaborative nature of the opposing attorney.
How long before our wedding date should I hire an attorney for a prenup?
Ideally you should hire your California prenup attorney at the same time you pick your wedding venue. But In reality, you should reach out to attorneys at least one month in advance of your wedding date.
· You can opt out of the default rules and prevent your spouse from getting credit for the time, skill, and effort that you put into managing your money during the marriage. A prenup can ensure that any increase in value of a business acquired before marriage stays with that person. For example, let's say you have a business worth $100,000 but after you get married you work on the business and it turns out that five years into marriage, your busines is worth $600,000. A prenup can ensure that the increase in value stays with you. Without a prenup, you may have to share some of increase in value with your spouse depending on.
· You won't be stuck with your fiancés debt. A prenup can protect your assets from creditors - which is something the default rules do not protect for. If your fiancé has significant credit card debt, a prenup can ensure that creditors stay away from your property.
· You won't have to worry about creating a partnership interest for your spouse in your business. The default in California law is that your spouse accrues an interest in your business over the course of marriage. A prenup can prevent your prospective spouse from becoming an unwanted business partner at divorce.
· You can ensure that choices like relocation, raising a family, and supporting your spouse during grad school are recognized and compensated appropriately in the event of divorce.
Do I need my own attorney if my fiancés attorney prepared the agreement?
Yes. Prenuptial agreements require that both parties are fully informed about California law and that they disclose finances. Having attorneys on both sides of the agreement prevents future questions about fairness.
Why are Prenuptial Agreements expensive?
I always remind clients that prenups--while not cheap--are an investment. They're an investment in your financial future. This isn't a place you really want to cut corners.
A bad prenup--meaning one that either isn't legally enforceable, misses an important contingency, or that does something other than what you expect it to--isn't worth anything.
A document preparation service or a lawyer that offers a cookie-cutter "quickie" $500 prenup might turn out to work for you, but then again, it might not, and this is something you'll only find out years down the road, where it could well end up costing you far more than if you'd done it correctly.
Every client has a different set of circumstances, goals, and intents, so each client needs a separate prenup, which isn't really something a lawyer can do in three hours or for $500.
Do we need to have our prenup notarized?
I suggest that my clients notarize their prenups to enforce the formality of the agreement. However, there is no specific legal requirement that a premarital agreement be notarized or recorded to be effective.
What is California law on prenups?
2. Right to buy, sell, transfer, encumber, use and manage.
3. Distribution of property on death.
4. Death benefits in life insurance policies.
7. Any other matter so long as it is not in violation of public policy.
What is the seven-day calendar rule?
Family Code 1615 states that an agreement is not enforceable if the party against whom enforcement is sought had less than seven calendar days between the time that the party was first presented with the agreement and advised to seek independent counsel, and the time the agreement was signed.
That sounds confusing, right? The Courts have also found this issue to be less than clear. In 2011, an Appellate Court case in California held that the seven-day waiting period may not apply if the parties are represented at the outset of premarital agreement negotiations. Marriage of Cadwell-Faso & Faso. Even so, if possible, most California family law attorneys require a seven-day waiting period for signing, to make sure that all statutory requirements are met.


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Category: Digital Media
Rebecca Reeds' Buddy is available now.
Last week, Howl & Roar Records released Rebecca Reeds' debut comedy album Buddy. The Toronto-based comedian has performed at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Ottawa Fringe Festival, and JFL42. You may also know Reeds from her podcast, The Villain Was Right, which she co-hosts with Craig Fay. Buddy was recorded live at Bad Dog Theatre.
Yes, Reeds is fully aware of her accent. Where's it from? Nowhere special. Just a "lack of education." I want to say something about her "hillbilly" accent. In 2019, I listened to a lot of Stuart McLean in the car. The Vinyl Cafe makes the drive from Fredericton to Truro feel like almost nothing. Back to my point. A light bulb went off in my head about ten minutes into Buddy. "Rebecca Reeds sounds a lot like Stuart McLean!" Hearing Reeds talk about fishing with her dad brought me back to The Vinyl Cafe. Only, I don't think Canada's Storyteller ever compared fishing with guys striking out at a bar ("Lesbians all night!").
Reeds is a hell of a storyteller. The comedian spills her secrets on being poor, working at Zellers, and finding hamburgers inside her pocket. As the youngest of four children, I share the same gripe with Reeds when it comes to hand-me-downs. Why do they always come in trash bags? "Here you go, you human landfill!"
It's the first day of 2020. Maybe you're hungover. Maybe you're eating cold pizza for breakfast. I don't know. However the new year looks right now, why not start it off with a laugh? Rebecca Reeds' Buddy is dynamite.
Rebecca Reeds' Buddy is available now on digital platforms.
Follow Rebecca Reeds: Twitter / Instagram
Howl & Roar Records: Website
Notes From the 2019 Silver Wave Film Festival
The 19th Silver Wave Film Festival wrapped this weekend. I was lucky enough to catch the festival's third showcase of New Brunswick short films on Saturday night. The Fredericton Playhouse was nearly at capacity for the event. Friends, family, and supporters of local film talent were in attendance.
Before the evening began, the filmmakers, varied in directorial experience and years involved in the industry, introduced themselves to the audience and gave thanks to the people who made their films possible.
Director/Writer: Annick Blizzard
Producer: Annick Blizzard, Jon Blizzard
Cast: Annick Blizzard, Ryan Griffith, Elizabeth Goodyear
In this short film from Annick Blizzard, Blizzard plays Liv, a woman who returns to the town where she grew up. Her visit home surprises people from her past. Not in a good way. The hotel clerk (Elizabeth Goodyear) is reluctant to let Liv book a room. Liv hands the clerk a big wad of cash to help change her mind. Her childhood friend Jake (Ryan Griiffith) wants nothing to do with Liv. 15 years later, the accidental death of Liv's brother by her hand still haunts Jake. There's nothing left to say, Jake tells Liv.
Before she tries speaking to Jake again, Liv travels to her childhood home. Memories from the past rush back to her. Liv is standing in a field with a rifle in her hands. A young man runs up to her. She turns around quickly with the rifle aimed high.
Liv finds Jake drinking alone in a bar. She tells him about a pair of keys she found in a pencil case. The keys, she says to Jake, unlock a secret container that they buried when they were kids. Liv wants Jake to dig it up with her. Jake relents and joins Liv to the location of the box.
Blizzard brings a muted intensity to the role of Liv. She is a woman with a plan. In her performance, Blizzard makes clear that Liv is not someone to be underestimated. Griffith goes all-out as Jake. He's angry and unwilling to bury the past. Griffith's Jake leaves nothing on the table with Liv, which might be a mistake. He is worn down by Liv's persistence and emotional manipulation. Blizzard and Griffith make for a dynamic pairing.
Like the ending of Inception, When We Were Young leaves viewers wanting just a few seconds more to find out what happens next. Is Liv sincere in her intentions to reconnect, or is there something sinister afoot?
Unofficial Selection
Director/Writer: Gordon Mihan
Producer: Lance Kenneth Blakney, Arianna Martinez
Cast: Jean-Michel Cliche, Catherine Belzile, Tania Breen, Sharisse LeBrun, Ryan Barton, Cassidy Ingersoll, Anthony Bryan, Jon Blizzard
After narrowly violating his probation, a con-artist named Trevor (Jean-Michel Cliche) turns away from crime and organizes a film festival. Well, not without some help from his sister Sophie (Catherine Belzile).
A con-artist herself, Sophie brings Trevor into her low-level film festival scam (accept entry fees but reject all the films) to keep him busy. What begins as just another job turns into something more. Trevor enthusiastically accepts all the film entries. In the meantime, Sophie is planning a bank heist.
Unofficial Selection weaves in and out of the three short films that Trevor accepted to his film festival. The first short film is about a dystopian society where the government has banned recreational swimming due to a water shortage. A former swim champion (Anthony Bryan) breaks into a pool for one more swim. The second film begins with guests at a wedding reception, recording video messages for the bride and groom. Everything goes wrong when the apocalypse rolls in and wreaks havoc on the party. And finally, the third film sees a young man (Ryan Barton) interviewing for a new job. He may seem confident on the outside, but there's a lot happening on the inside. When the interviewers ask about his biggest weakness, the man lets it all out.
Unofficial Selection celebrates the transformative power of film. Trevor is plucked from his bubble and brought into something larger than himself. In viewing these films, the con-artist finds not only purpose, but also empathy. Trevor evolves from trying to con a pizza delivery guy to placing himself into someone else's shoes to making something real happen.
In its story of a con-artist buying into fiction, Unofficial Selection identifies the sleight-of-hand inherent in storytelling: a story is never just a story.
Director/Writer: Mélanie Léger, Émilie Peltier
Cast: Mélanie Léger, Marcel Romain Theriault, Katherine Kilfoil, Ariel Villalon
In 54 North. Moncton filmmaker Mélanie Léger plays a homeless woman named Sam. One day, Sam finds a key on the ground. The key sparks something in Sam's memory. She digs through her belongings to find a photograph of a young boy. Sam finds herself at the door of a familiar house in a nearby residential area.
The residents of the house are an older couple (Marcel Romain Theriault, Katherine Kilfoil) preparing for someone's birthday. Sam begins quietly living in their space.
Before leaving for a birthday party, the wife tells her husband she doesn't feel okay leaving the house, not after recent break-ins in the neighborhood. Her husband assures her that everything will be fine and that he'll call the security company to fix their alarm system. Once the couple leaves, Sam comes out of hiding and begins searching the house for a cell phone. Coming out of the shower, she hears someone breaking into the house downstairs.
After subduing the burglar, Sam sits in the family room to make a call on the burglar's cellphone. It is here that the film shatters everything we think we know about Sam. Sam looks on the walls of the room and sees herself in family photos.The boy from earlier in the film is her son. His grandparents are the older couple who own the house. Sam is a university graduate. When her son picks up the phone, Sam is overwhelmed by emotion. She cannot speak a word. All she can do is cry as she listens to her son's voice again. At last, Sam reconnects with the life she once knew.
In its final moments, the film lifts Sam from a solitary outsider to an individual with history, relationships, and feelings. 54 North pushes back against the dehumanizing ideas that persist in discussions about homelessness. It reminds us that homelessness does not discriminate. Homelessness can happen to anybody, and it is not typically a choice.
Léger delivers an inspired performance as Sam, a character with no dialogue. She brings a wonderful physical fluency to the role. I was in awe of the film's ability to deliver social commentary with minimal dialogue.
54 North is a powerful film. A must-see.
The 19th Silver Wave Film Festival ran November 7 – 10 in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Complete list of films screened at New Brunswick Shorts III:
End of Leash
Life's a Bitch
Together We Move
Velle to Want
"I have an unwavering belief in what I'm doing": Interview with Comedian Tranna Wintour
Tranna Wintour is a Montreal-based comedian, singer, and writer. Photo credit: Jess Cohen.
"I wish October could last all year," Tranna Wintour says from her almost vacant apartment in Montreal. Wintour and I are speaking on the phone just a few days before her big move. After nine years of living in the same apartment, Wintour is moving into a new place. "This is the month where I can wear whatever I want without wearing a giant winter jacket."
Raised in the suburbs of Montreal, Wintour is a transgender comedian, singer, and writer. She is one half of the CBC podcast Chosen Family. On the podcast, Wintour and co-host Thomas LeBlanc discuss sexuality, pop culture, and community with guests. Guests have included comedian Margaret Cho, actor and director Amy Jo Johnson, and pop duo Tegan and Sara.
Wintour is back home from Toronto where she recorded a live episode of Chosen Family. The live recording was part of JFL42, where Wintour also participated in a panel discussion about podcasts ("The World of Podcasting"). I ask Wintour how she feels about the recognition she has garnered from listeners and the industry.
"It's super lovely, " Wintour says. "But it's just. We work so hard on the podcast. We take it so seriously. Of course, it's always nice to have your work be recognized. It's not an expectation. For all of us, you can't go into things with the hope of recognition or validation. That's just a recipe for disaster. If you buy into the good, you have to buy into the bad. At the end of the day, it's more important to stay focused on the work."
The work can be all-consuming. That is, she explains, the risk of doing something you love.
"You pour so much into it," says Wintour. "I feel like I'm basically working 24 hours a day. Even when I'm not specifically working on something, it's always on my mind — this constant, endless to-do list. It's been six years of this to-do list."
Wintour is not shy talking about her relationship with doubt.
Doubt plants itself in Wintour's mind when career accomplishments fail to produce the expected results. The results, she says, are often internal. "Okay, if I reach a point where I am able to achieve this and this and this, I will feel secure and be able to relax a little bit." Those feelings of security and stability do not always follow, and that is when doubt begins to set in.
"Fundamentally, I have an unwavering belief in what I'm doing and that it will work itself out," Wintour says. "If I didn't, I don't think I would be able to continue."
Our conversation turns back to the podcast.
Wintour tells me that the podcast's listenership has yet to reach its target. "It's not disappointing, but we are already doing everything that we can." Wintour is trying not to think too much about the metrics. In her personal experience, focusing on the end result removes joy from the creative process.
"I've noticed that I'm happy in the moment that I'm creating," says Wintour. "I'm super happy when we are doing a great interview. I'm super happy when I'm on stage. I have found for myself that the joy is so short-lived because as soon as those moments of creation are over, I'm back into the mindset of the results."
Moving away from that mindset is easier said than done.
"Under capitalism, we have all been trained to focus on the end result," Wintour says. "We tie up the value and the worth of ourselves and the work in the result which is so toxic. It is so hard to deprogram that way of thinking. That's what I'm really working on."
Growing up, Wintour's mother always had music playing in their home. "My mom is a music lover, but she's not a die hard fan of any specific artist." As a result, Wintour had no concept of "The Artist." That all changed when she discovered Alanis Morrisette's 1995 album Jagged Little Pill. It was the first time Wintour felt a connection to a single artist.
"That was transformational for me on so many levels," says Wintour. "I was only eight or nine years old. It was the first example of what it would look like to live your life as an artist. In that connection to Alanis, I knew that one way or another, that was going to be me. That was what I had to do."
Next year, Wintour will release her debut album Safe From Your Affection. The album, produced in partnership with Mark Andrew Hamilton, will be available on vinyl and digital platforms. Recording an album was something Wintour dreamed about for years.
"Somewhere along the way, I gave up on that dream." Wintour says. "It was a dream that was always there, but then it became a dream that I thought a lot less about. I can't believe it actually happened."
It is a Thursday morning. October has just begun. Change is on its way, and Tranna Wintour is in its path, standing tall.
Tranna Wintour: Official Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bandcamp /
Chosen Family: CBC Podcasts / Spotify
Tune In: Thomas LeBlanc & Tranna Wintour's Chosen Family
Thomas Leblanc & Tranna Wintour, hosts of CBC Podcasts' Chosen Family. Photo by Jimmi Francoeur. Courtesy of CBC.
Finding a good podcast is hard. See, I feel like podcasts require a lot more investment than other digital media. I listen to podcasts while I'm doing mundane tasks. When I listen to a podcast, I am inviting the host(s) into my life. If I watch a YouTube video, I'm designating a specific block of time for the content creator. The experience of watching a YouTube video is a lot more compartmentalized than turning on a podcast while I'm cooking supper. That's why I like podcasts that make me feel like I'm part of the conversation. A good podcast should create a sense of some communal experience.
Lately, I have been listening to Thomas LeBlanc & Tranna Wintour's podcast Chosen Family.
Montreal comedians Thomas Leblanc & Tranna Wintour shine a light on the intersection of art, identity, and sexuality. Join CHOSEN FAMILY every second week for deep and spontaneous conversations featuring renowned artists and up-and-coming creators. CHOSEN FAMILY was named one of the best Canadian podcasts of 2018 by Apple Podcasts. (CBC)
Chosen Family started back in 2017, with its first season produced by Montreal's Phi Centre. The second season of Chosen Family, now produced by CBC Podcasts, premiered on June 19. The podcast is currently on a break with a return date of September 18.
LeBlanc and Wintour interview a variety of guests on the podcast, several of whom are artists of different disciplines based in Montreal (Chosen Family is a bilingual podcast). Guests have included stand-up comic Margaret Cho, stylist Karla Welch, and writer Lauren Morelli. There are great conversations about issues relating to the LGBTQ community (media representation is a recurring topic on the podcast).
What I enjoy most about Chosen Family are the frank discussions between LeBlanc and Wintour. LeBlanc and Wintour do not shy away from talking about their insecurities, their successes and failures, and their relationships with others. In some way, these earnest, incredibly raw discussions feel comforting. Their vulnerability creates a space, if temporary, that motivates self-reflection.
And of course, it is a podcast full of laughs and good times!
I am nearly all done listening to older episodes of Chosen Family, so I am eagerly awaiting the podcast's return next week. Join the positive energy of LeBlanc & Wintour's Chosen Family, an excellent podcast that I cannot recommend enough.
Listen to Chosen Family: CBC / Spotify / Apple Podcasts
Follow Thomas LeBlanc on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow Tranna Wintour on Twitter and Instagram.
It's for You! Jackie Pirico Delights in Dream Phone
Jackie Pirico's debut comedy album Dream Phone released on September 4th, 2019.
The first time I saw Toronto-based comedian Jackie Pirico perform was last year on CBC Comedy's YouTube channel. The video ('Junk Food for your cat') introduced me to Pirico's wonderfully off-beat comedic energy. Later in the year, Pirico popped up in a GameTime video about Pokemon ('There's Too Many Pokemon!'). Pirico's bewildered delivery about the fact that there's over 800 Pokemon (Only 100 animals in the real world!) makes the video an entertaining watch.
Last week, Pirico announced on Twitter the release of her debut comedy album, Dream Phone. I was travelling that Friday to Saint John, so I added Dream Phone to my Spotify playlist. I had only ever seen Pirico's comedy in small portions, so I was interested to hear her perform for longer than 10 minutes. Friday afternoon, I was on the road, and Pirico joined me for the ride.
After I arrived in Saint John, I tweeted out how much I enjoyed Dream Phone. The sparky comedian takes her audience (the album was recorded live) for a wild ride. Below, you'll find my original tweet about Dream Phone. Start your weekend with a laugh, listen to Dream Phone.
"Real-life cartoon Jackie Pirico delights in debut comedy album Dream Phone. Enjoy listening to Jackie talk about boys named Chris, evil koopa receptionists, and life with an errand mate (a baby). Hilarious. Unpredictable. Smart. A must-listen!"
Follow Jackie Pirico on Twitter and Instagram.
Dream Phone is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify.
Youth Document Their Lives in CBC's Red Button
Taryn Byers filmed her daily life for four weeks. (Red Button/CBC Gem).
The youth-driven documentary series Red Button is back for a second season. All six episodes are streaming now on CBC Gem.
In its first season, Red Button gave homeless youth in Toronto the opportunity to share their experiences on camera. The series rejected the traditional documentary format in favour of a more intimate and personal approach to storytelling — the documentary subjects became the filmmakers. The youth used smartphones and other film equipment to document their lives and authentically capture their unique perspectives. When filming wrapped, the filmmakers sent their footage to producers and editors.
Executive Producer Rob Cohen says "the culture of self-documentation on social media" inspired Red Button's innovative concept.
"It's fascinating to see the shift in the last 10 years of people telling their own stories freely online," Cohen said. "I think our films are really wonderful because they take us inside worlds that we think we have heard about, but I don't think we have seen with the same kind of clarity or honesty before."
The focus of season two is youth living with health conditions.
Born with Treachers Collins Syndrome, Taryn Byers lives with hearing impairment and a facial difference. The 17-year-old competitive dancer jumped at the opportunity to participate in Red Button because it was a chance to "get [her] voice out there."
"Yeah, I have a facial difference, but no, I don't struggle in school," Byers said. "It's just the way I look. It doesn't affect me mentally."
Since each subject decided the story they wanted to tell, the first-time filmmakers decided the duration of their shooting schedule. Byers documented her life for four weeks. Years of public speaking and developing her presentation skills helped Byers feel comfortable in front of the camera.
As part of her story, Byers filmed herself walking the runway at Light Up the Night, a charity fashion event in support of AboutFace. The fashion show featured models with facial differences.
Byers says Red Button strengthened her commitment to advocacy.
"We don't have the same facial differences, but we go through the same struggles," Byers said. "I'm trying to speak on their behalf too and not just mine."
In the fall, Byers will be studying Environmental Science/Studies at Trent University.
"I find what they have done is extraordinary," Cohen said. "It takes courage and perseverance to be part of the filmmaking process. Every filmmaker knows that. If you are a new filmmaker, it's even more challenging. They came through. I'm happy for them."
Would Cohen have participated in Red Button as a teenager?
"I don't think I would have done this project actually, because 17-year-old Rob was in the closet," Cohen said. "If someone had asked what is your story, and why are you different? That would have obviously been it. Thinking of the cultural landscape at the time, it didn't seem as possible to tell that story in that climate. I look at Tosconni's episode and how honest and brave he is to share his experience about being a trans youth and the challenges that he's facing. It's amazing to me. No, I don't think I would have had the bravery to do it at that time."
Cohen hopes Red Button will challenge misconceptions and prejudices "that we sometimes have against people who are different."
Founded in 1985, AboutFace promotes and enhances mental and emotional well-being of individuals with facial differences and their families through peer and social support, information, educational and experiential programs, and public awareness.
AboutFace is the only charity in Canada offering support to individuals of every age, with any type facial difference.
Mind Fudge: Interview With Series Co-Creator Justine Nelson
Mind Fudge is back and bigger than ever — literally!
Before landing on CBC Gem last Friday, Mind Fudge premiered on Instagram back in 2017. Series creators Justine Nelson and Jon Simo quickly found an audience for their short-form comedy series about a 20-something and the way she sees the world through her overactive, very cinematic imagination. The series' first season ran for ten episodes, each episode running only one-minute in length.
Mind Fudge's second season is streaming now on CBC Gem.
In addition to being one of the series' co-creators, Nelson is also the lead actor, playing the character of Justine.
Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, the 27-year-old actress studied Acting for Film and Television at Niagara College. Mind Fudge is the first series Nelson has created.
Joyful Magpies spoke with Nelson to learn more about Mind Fudge.
Let's go back to the first season on Instagram. I think this is the first time I have seen short form comedy done in this way before. Where did the idea to create these minute-long episodes come from?
It all started when Jon and I became friends a little over three years ago. When we met, we really clicked. We had very similar tastes in art. We wanted to work together. He was a cinematographer. I was an actor. We wanted to create a short film. We decided that It was quite the ambitious short that we were trying to make. In the meantime, Jon came up with this idea of: why don't we make something really, really small just to get something out there and test the waters? We couldn't really get our feet with the grander concept we were trying to get off the ground. He said: why don't we use the platforms we have and make something short-form for Instagram?
We came up with this idea of someone's imagination because then it was limitless. We wouldn't have any rules to play by. We could just create anything. We did three of them. They were the coffee one, the firework one, and the heart rip one. We didn't know what we had. We hadn't even called it Mind Fudge yet. (Mind Fudge was the only name that stuck.) We just had these three little shorts. We were having so much fun making these bite-sized stories but with high production value. It was quite the challenge.
At the time, no one was really making high production value content for Instagram. I mean people are doing it now, but we hit a pocket where it just hadn't really been done mainstream yet. Because we were so excited by the response, we decided to keep doing it. We made another and another and another. We kind of set up ourselves for a lot of hard work, because we wanted to put one out every week. We would write one, shoot one, edit one, and put it out every single week until we had ten episodes. It kept growing and growing.
Because it was so shareable and bite-sized and people could digest it so quick, it was being watched. It really catered to people's attention spans. We hit a convenient pocket of people's interest. It took on a life of its own.
That's something I was going to ask you about. I think it's really cool how you integrated the series right into the platform, instead of telling people "Hey, we made a thing. Click this YouTube link to watch it." That must have really helped you grow your viewership.
That's exactly right. I think that's why it did so well. We made it specifically for Instagram. We shot it with the size of framing in mind so that it would fit on a phone screen. We knew we had a minute maximum to tell our story. We didn't want to put it into two videos. We wanted it to be you scroll and don't realize that you just watched the whole thing. It's so easy, you scroll and don't have to click another link. We were really experimenting and learned how beneficial it is if it's right there. You don't have to go somewhere else.
It's wild how people won't click another link. They will sometimes. But if it's right there on Instagram, it's the most digestible way to get content out there. I think that's why it did so well.
You mentioned how the concept is this person's imagination, giving you endless possibilities, but you were also working within a strict time limitation. Did the time limitation cause you frustration, or was it in some ways freeing for you?
It was definitely frustrating.
I think at first, it felt freeing because it meant we didn't have to make something very long. We were like this will be super quick, and it won't be that hard. Little did we know. Each and every week, we wanted to do something greater and greater, and then it got harder and harder to make it a minute. By the end, we had a whole entire life flashing before my character's eyes. We shot in over five locations. We had three days of filming for something that was going to be crammed down into a minute.
It really helped us as storytellers. What is important? What is the message we are trying to get across? What do we need to tell the story? It became very challenging, but it was a great learning process to really get down to what is the story and what is necessary. It was really hard to shave things down, but when we got down to it, it was so strong because we didn't have any frivolous stuff in there.
What was the transition like from creating those one-minute shorts to these longer episodes in season two? Were you worried at all that some of the elements of Mind Fudge wouldn't translate over to a longer format?
No, we were actually excited that we didn't have to limit ourselves to the one-minute format anymore. By the end, it was getting really tricky. We knew we had to let the hyperreals breathe, and it would easily take up more time. We got to explore the story more outside of the hyperreals. Who are these other characters in Justine's life? Who is Justine outside of her hyperreal? We were excited to start exploring the best friend character and any love interests. Then, really dive into the hyperreals. We knew had a lot more ideas and content. It was quite the seamless transition to stretch it out.
One of the things I really like about Mind Fudge is how the series pays tribute to a lot of different films and filmmakers. In season two, we see references to 500 Days of Summer, Cast Away, and Kill Bill. How did Mind Fudge become this loving tribute to film?
I think it all started because Jon and I are huge films buffs ourselves. I really liked the concept of "if my life were a movie." It's a line that we all tell ourselves.
We wanted to pick different genres to explore. We didn't want to limit ourselves to just doing comedy or just doing drama. We wanted to do it all. With this plane of imagination, we got to because it's Justine's movie moments in her mind.
Look for @mccullochk as Lady Neo in the upcoming Matrix reboot 💩 💩 💩 #mindfudgeseries #torontofilm #cdnfiln #webseries #lgbtseries #lgbtvideo #justinenelson
A post shared by Mind Fudge (@mindfudgeseries) on Jan 17, 2019 at 1:16pm PST
Despite all the wackiness, Mind Fudge doesn't stray too far from its emotional core. Things get pretty real. Was it hard finding a balance between comedy and drama?
I don't know if it was hard, but it was definitely a challenge we were happy to take on. We really wanted to tread that line. We also have another co-writer on it. Her name is Robby Hoffman. She's talented and wonderful. She helped us weave in the storylines within the hyperreal and to stay focused on that as well. It was a joy to find those moments within the hyperreal where they would click and realize they go together. In the shorter episodes, the hyperreals serve a comedic purpose. In the longer episodes, we wanted them to be really smart and thought out and not just there for the sake of it. It was an exciting challenge to find a balance between them.
Mind Fudge really moves. It's a very physical series. Season two features a boxing match and back in season one there's a training montage. Do you have a background in fight choreography?
I don't, but physical fitness is something I have always enjoyed. It's a huge aspect of my life.
It was definitely a fast-paced set. I had very little time to learn the choreography. My co-star Katelyn McCulloch has a lot of training in movement and stunts. I was very lucky that I had her opposite me. She really helped guide me. Our stunt choreographer [Anita Nittoly] was so great. They came very prepared with the choreography to teach me. Thankfully they had time beforehand to work on it whereas I was on set with other episodes. It went really smoothly.
The queer representation in Mind Fudge is really cool.
For us, it was just a no-brainer. We decided that the character was a queer character. It wasn't even really a conversation. It started from the beginning when we made the heart rip episode. We just made it with another woman. What I appreciate about Jon and I was it was never a big conversation about if we should make the character gay. Is this going to be a very gay show? It's an element of it, but it's not her hardship. We didn't want to focus on the struggles of being gay. We wanted to present a sometimes light-hearted show where the girl happens to be gay. All the things she struggles is everything else. We wanted to make sure we did it accurately. I like to think that we did a good job of not making it the main focus but also not doing it a disservice either.
Looking at the series as a whole, I am wondering how much of the character Justine you are. How much of your personal life is in the series?
Originally we named the character Justine because the Instagram page was under my name. There were logistics that made us keep it that way. A lot of it started off based on things we knew about me. I can't cook. I'm scared of camping. Scary movies genuinely keep me up for days. Little things like that we took and amplified. It's my life, but a more exaggerated version. We are not identical. There are definitely things the character does that I like to think I wouldn't do. We draw upon aspects from my life, Jon's life, and friends of ours. I would be lying if I said there were no commonalities between Justine in real life and Justine in Mind Fudge.
I think more Mind Fudge is the plan. We are looking to take it and grow it out. We want to continue making more.
Where to Watch Mind Fudge
Season One | Instagram
Season Two | CBC Gem


« Do you have vision?
Successful companies possess visionaries: Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Phil Knight and the list is endless. They continually surround themselves with other visionaries as well as people that specialize in areas that they [CEO] acknowledge they are deficient. None of us know it all and can do it all, but vision starts from within. I use the terms, "limitations and capabilities" over and over and that is for a reason. As a company owner you have to fully come to grips with your own. Once you are at peace with that put your pride in check and fill that void with someone that can fill it.
The progression from specialist to launching a protection company seems to be a trend for many in this industry. Coming up with a catchy company name and saying you are a company is so far from reality that you are fooling yourself. You then get an EIN number and register yourself with the IRS and your company is up and running. Slow down tough guy. Being recognized by the IRS as an LLC or corporation may have put you in more of an issue than you thought. Why? No vision. Did you consider the agency licenses you need to operate legally in your state? Before you get them, did you consider that expensive and CORRECT insurance that they will require upon submitting the application? While I am here let me say this, there are less than a hand full of insurance companies in the country that insure Executive Protection, yet there are hundreds of brokers who you will go through. Many if not most of the brokers are not savvy on what EP is and will insure you with uniform security insurance. Guess what? You've wasted thousands of dollars on the wrong insurance and you are NOT covered.
Do you have the capitol to operate until a client pays you? In many instances a "Retainer" can dismiss you from engaging a contract. Retainers are like triggers-you have to know when to pull it. Be careful with that because it is not uncommon for them to deny it especially if they have never used you before. I had my company licensed, insured, registered and ready to go for over a year before my first company detail. Back then and even today I never sent out flyers, or listed in business registries because I personally felt that it diminished the professional edge that EP should maintain, but that is my own perspective. I set boundaries on what I was willing to engage in and stuck with that model. I felt that chasing a dream and chasing the dollar lead to two different outcomes. However, if a potential client called and I would decline performing the specific service I would refer them to someone that I knew would do it and do it well. Even if I did not engage in providing the service, the client still knew I helped their cause. My response was never "No" but rather "Not me".
Established and middle of the road companies that have hit a stalemate are there for 2 reasons: 1- Lack of change and 2-lack of evolution. The industry has changed. New companies are popping up like weeds and the competition for work is ruthless at the lower levels. Pricing below industry standards has become a virus in this deadliest catch scenario nowadays. You have to have vision to extricate yourself from these bottom feeders. I can easily look at your company, where you operate and the issues you are experiencing and tell you how to pull yourself from the muck and mire. You just need to have vision to ask.
Boss you are reading my mind on this. All things equal proper insurance and ongoing capital I think are the biggest "oops" business owner's run into. Payroll doesn't stop, even if the client takes six months to pay. A very wise business man once told me it always takes twice as long and costs twice as much…iv found this to be true.
No my friend. Great minds think alike.


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MakerSpace: DIY Games
August 29, 2018 by Karen Jensen, TLT Leave a Comment
We host a monthly teen videogaming program at The Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County and we recently bought a Nintendo Switch to add to our array of video gaming equipment. I'll talk more about the Switch soon, but as a new system it isn't cheap and the games that you can buy for it aren't cheap either. But we now have 3 video game systems and even with this number of systems and controllers, some teens still find themselves waiting for their turn to play and as you can imagine, waiting is boring. The fundamental drawback to teen videogaming in the library is the cost of the equipment and the wait in between times you get to play.
Our teens have asked for board games to play while waiting, but a large number of the games they have requested are expensive and they often don't accommodate a lot of players, which would mean we would be spending a couple hundred dollars on board games. I know that lots of public libraries have board games and use them in their programming, but this hasn't been something that our administration has wanted to invest in because of the cost and issues of lost pieces, etc. Plus, we are currently investing a lot of money into our Teen MakerSpace. But we have an excellent Teen MakerSpace so I thought, let's address this teen request and get teens involved in making. My grand idea: we could combine the two and help teens create their own games to play. Thus, we started working with teens on DIY Games. Here are five ways that you can encourage teens to create and make their own games.
1. Coding
LEGO Computer Coding STEM Activities for Kids
Code Your Own Games!: 20 Games to Create with Scratch
Whether you are using a PC, a laptop or a tablet, a lot of coding apps use the idea of game creation as a learning basis. Scratch is a free program from MIT that encourages game coding. And as you can imagine, there are lots of coding and gaming books out there to help teens to get started and thinking about game creation. This is, of course, the most difficult and challenging level of gaming. It's not just thinking about the game design and play, but you have to learn the fundamentals of coding to get your game created. You can also use popular games like Crossy Road, Roblox and Minecraft that your teens are already playing to learn more about coding and game creation.
2. Bloxels
Bloxels – Build Your Own Video Games
Bloxels is a kit you can purchase that is designed specifically to be used with a tablet to create your own video games. You use little blocks to create characters and layouts on a grid base and then upload them to create a gameboard. It's similar to the idea of making a stop motion animation video by capturing a lot of pictures.
3. Build Your Own Pinball Machine
There are a lot of ways that you can build your own pinball machine. I have a kit at home that we purchased for our girls and we have had a lot of fun with it. We also worked some on building a pinball machine from scratch using random materials. It was a teen who initially came to us and wanted to build a pinball machine and got us onto the idea, but that teen eventually lost interest in the project because building one from scratch is a longer, time consuming process.
How to Build an Arduino Pinball Machine: 15 Steps (with Pictures)
MAKERBALL – The DIY Pinball Machine Kit by MAKE & PLAY
Raspberry Pi-Powered Pinball Machine | Make: – Make Magazine
PinBox 3000: Unbox Your Imagination! | DIY Cardboard Pinball Machine
How to make a Pinball Machine with Cardboard at Home – YouTube
4. Dry Erase Game Board and Cards
You can buy a dry erase game board and playing cards off of Amazon and let teens create their own board games. We used Sculpey clay to make dice and you could use the same medium to make playing pieces if you found that you needed them. Dry erase is a great medium because if you find something isn't working out, you can just erase it and start over again.
You can build a variety of games using Legos. Chess and checkerboards are the easiest and most popular. Also, Lego minifigs make excellent game pieces if you are making your own games. Trying to build your own Lego mazes is also a fun challenge.
Make Your Own LEGO© Board Game – What Do We Do All Day
10 Fun Lego Game Ideas Lego Fans of All Ages Will Love
Easy DIY Checkers Homemade LEGO Checker Board Game
If you look online, there are no shortage of ways that you can get teens thinking about creating their own games and they can be high or low tech, or some combination of the two. For example, have an empty Altoid tin laying around, you can modify it to make a travel game. You can turn popular board games into live action versions like Candy Land, Hungry Hungry Hippo or Monopoly. TLTs own Heather Booth taught me how to host a live Angry Birds game, which I have done multiple times to great success. Mental Floss has an article which shares 26 life size versions of popular board games. If you have technology on hand, like LittleBits, Arduino or Raspberry Pi, you can have teens use those tools to make their own games. And if you and your teens needing even more guidance, you can purchase one of many kits easily online.
CARNIVAL GAMES littleBits Design Challenge
Years ago as I majored in Youth Ministry, I had to take an entire class on games. That's right, I took an entire class devoted to learning about, playing and designing games as part of my youth ministry major. If you have ever been to a Christian youth group in the 90s, you would know that there was a lot of emphasis put on games and ice breakers as part of the youth group experience. If you were born after the nineties, congratulations you're not as old as I am. Group games are a huge area of focus in youth ministry, or at least it was in the 90s. Christian publishers publish entire books on great games for tweens and teens, and these were in fact some of my text books. For the record, these books are also good for game ideas in general, they don't all have a distinctly Christian focus, they're often just games for the sake of playing games. One of our assignments for this class was to create our own game from scratch. For the sake of this assigment, our game had to have an underlying purpose – what message were we trying to teach with the game? – but the actual assignment was to create a game. At the time, I thought it was an absurd assignment because they had made me purchase books and books of games and icebreakers. Why did I need to create my own games when there are books of them available? Little did I know at the time, but a lot of my professional career would be about trying to design or adapt games to make engaging teen programs. I do it for the library and not a church, but it turns out I would use that class a lot in life. And now not only am I designing them, but I'm giving teens the tools and resources and am asking them to make their own.
DIY games are a fun and entertaining ways to get teens making and in the end, they have a game designed by them to play with their friends. All in all, it doesn't suck.
Filed Under: Makerspace Tagged With: Board Games, Coding, DIY Games, Pinball Machines, Technology
Book Review: The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
April 6, 2017 by Amanda MacGregor 1 Comment
Publisher's description
A trio of friends from New York City find themselves trapped inside a mechanical board game that they must dismantle in order to save themselves and generations of other children in this action-packed debut that's a steampunk Jumanji with a Middle Eastern flair.
When twelve-year-old Farah and her two best friends get sucked into a mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand—a puzzle game akin to a large Rubik's cube—they know it's up to them to defeat the game's diabolical architect in order to save themselves and those who are trapped inside, including her baby brother Ahmed. But first they have to figure out how.
Under the tutelage of a lizard guide named Henrietta Peel and an aeronaut Vijay, Farah and her friends battle camel spiders, red scorpions, grease monkeys, and sand cats as they prepare to face off with the maniacal Lord Amari, the man behind the machine. Can they defeat Amari at his own game…or will they, like the children who came before them, become cogs in the machine?
Bangladeshi Farah Mirza plays lots of board games with her family, which is good, because she's about to play the game of her life. On her twelfth birthday, The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand, a mysterious board game, appears. It's wrapped up like a gift, which she thinks is from her aunt, but she quickly learns that that the game seems to have a mind of its own and has somehow found its way to her. Farah figures she'll play the game quickly with Essie and Alex, her best friends, then return to her birthday party (though she's in no real hurry—the party is mostly populated with people from her new school, where she feels out of place as the only girl in a hijab). But before she knows it, her little brother, 7-year-old Ahmad, disappears into the game. Farah and her friends will need to win the game to destroy it and rescue Ahmad. If they lose a challenge, they'll have to stay in Paheli, the game's city, forever. They're warned that there are time limits, to watch out for surprises, and also cautioned that the game cheats. The three kids must work together, plan, play games within the game, and outsmart others. Just when it seems like they are making progress, obstacles crop up, making it feel like they may never get out of the game and back to their real lives.
This middle grade fantasy will appeal easily to younger readers. It's fast-paced, the stakes are high, and the innovative world-building within the game will keep readers guessing what may happen next. A solid debut and a very welcome addition to the growing field of books starring Muslim main characters.
Publisher: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Adventures, Bangladeshi, Board Games, Families, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Muslims
#RethinkAmerican: Part three in the Great Stories Club series, by Lisa Krok


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In BBC America Series, 'Copper,' It is the Wild, Wild East
Cast member of "Copper" at the premiere party at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. From left, Tessa Thompson, Dylan Taylor, Kyle Schmid, Tom Weston-Jones, Franka Potente, Ato Essandoh, Tanya Fischer, Kevin Ryan and Anastasia Griffith. Photo by Andy Kropa/Getty Images.
IT is 1864 New York City. Tensions are still raw from the deadly and divisive Draft Riots of 1863.
The scene is the notorious crime, disease- and vice-ridden Lower East City enclave, Five Points. The worst neighborhood in New York of today ain't got nothin' on Five Points.
These are the means streets that Irish immigrant, Det. Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones), works in "Copper," the first original series from BBC America. It premieres tonight at 10 (EDT), with numerous repeats, after a swanky premiere screening party on Wednesday night at New York City's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Was the Lower East Side Tenement Museum not available?
In tonight's episode Det. Corcoran is investigating the murder of a neighborhood girl. He is aided in his investigations during the course of the 10-part series by two seemingly unlikely allies: Dr. Matthew Freeman (Ato Essandoh, who discusses his role in the video below) and Mr. Robert Morehouse (Kyle Schmid).
The doctor is a free Negro, hence his surname; the mister is from a wealthy white family. Det. Corcoran is neither. This is before the Irish were white. The three fought in the Civil War and are inextricably tied despite the disapproval of many in their respective communities.
The British know how to do up a period piece, for "Copper" appears to be authentic on every level, right down to the nuances of language. Credit for some of this no doubt goes to two of the show's Yank producers – Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana. TF is also a co-creator and acts as the host of "Copper."
Anyone who liked "Gangs of New York" will cotton to "Copper." It is well-done all around and will assist viewer understanding of New York City history, as well as the back story of the racial/ethnic tensions that still plague the city today.
Visit http://www.bbcamerica.com/copper/ to learn more about "Copper."
Posted by VW at 5:09 PM
Labels: Ato Essandoh , Barry Levinson , Copper , Draft Riots of 1863 , Kyle Schmid , Lower East Side Tenement Museum , Museum of Modern Art , Tom Fontana , Tom Weston-Jones