SADW is a monthly electronic publication from Nick Steadman Features. Nick, intrepid world traveling reporter for much of the arms industry, files this 40,000 to 50,000 word report once a month to his loyal subscribers. Those lucky ones pay a mere $50 (US) £32.50 (UK) per year for the privilege of getting the hot tips and insights from one of the industry's insiders. Nick's unique perspective is globally based, as is his wit. Here is a small sampling of a few of the September 2000 SADW articles. You can contact Nick at the email above, and make arrangements with him to obtain the full service sent directly to your email address. In order to receive SADW your e-mail system must be capable of receiving attached files, and the e-mail software system or settings do not reject files as large as 400kb. Each issue is full of insight, information, and a sizable list of Internet sites worth visiting for those with an interest in Small Arms, as well as his observations on world travel.
UK MOD - NO KNOWLEDGE OF SA80 SIERRA LEONE SCREWUPS: the UK MOD says it has had no reports confirming any problems with safety catches on SA80 weapons preventing British Pathfinders' rifles being used in the 17 May firefight at Lungi airport in Sierra Leone (see previous issues). It claims SA80s were in fact used in this engagement, and fired over 200 rounds. The ministry's line is that there's nothing to suggest any 'generic problem' with this weapon's safety catch, which was modified in the early 1990s. Since then, the MOD says, no further problems have been notified. Incidentally, the MOD has also clarified details of the 'surplus' ammunition it's supplying/has supplied to local forces in Sierra Leone. The first 5m rounds of 7.62mm were for L1A1 rifles, the second batch of 5m rounds was 7.62mm linked for GPMGs. In addition there are 4,000 81mm mortar bombs. The total value is quoted as £50,000.
HOT STUFF - NEW ULTRACHILI TO BE USED IN ANTI-RIOT WEAPONS: a Daily Telegraph report said that boffins at the Indian Defence Research Laboratory in Tezpur had discovered the world's hottest chili, the naga jolokia variety of the capsicum frutescens, which comes from Assam. It reportedly has a heat factor of 855K on the Scoville scale, while the fiery red savina habanero chili only rates a puny 577K. The Research Laboratory now hopes to be able to use it to manufacture new teargases and pepper sprays. Apparently Assamese tribesmen (who must be tough little blighters) gulp the naga jolokia down with all their meals. Its aggressive effects reportedly can only be mitigated by milk or yoghurt; drinking water merely makes things worse. We learnt all about hot chilis at a very early age by chewing some we'd filched from a sack of parrot food in a pet store. Never again!
POLICE G36Ks ACCORDED VOODOO STATUS: in something of a non-story, at the end of Jul 2000 the Independent on Sunday highlighted the use by the City of London police force of the 5.56mm H&K G36K, the short version of the German G36 assault rifle, though (for UK use) in semi-auto only. The report maintained, rather fruitily, that this was one of 'a new breed of ultra-high-velocity assault rifles', which 'delivers obliteration via a bullet that leaves the muzzle at 850 metres a second (3,000 mph)', and said that this type of weapon was necessary to defeat crooks wearing body armour. Warming to its theme, the paper added that - though the City police had semi-auto versions - the manufacturer claimed that 'it is one of the easiest weapons to convert into a fully-automatic machine-gun'. And there was more. It said that 5.56mm bullets can 'ricochet in unpredictable directions' and quoted the editor of Jane's Infantry Weapons as saying: "....if you had a target without body armour, the round would go right through him". All of which is rather misleading - there's nothing special about the G36K that makes it easier than a host of other weapons to convert to selective-fire. And 5.56mm ammunition is considerably less likely to cause dangerous ricochets than 9x19mm - which is precisely why more police forces are adopting the smaller calibre.
As to whether a 5.56mm bullet from a G36K is likely to cause a 'through & through' wound, we doubt it. For starters, police shootings typically take place inside 100 metres, where even FMJ bullets in 5.56mm are likely to break into several pieces, and in the case of police we would, in any event, expect expanding ammunition to be used, making it even less likely bullets would overpenetrate. 7.62mm NATO/.308 Win, however, is another thing. We really do not need ill-informed copy like the Independent piece, which essentially plays on heightened public sensitivity in the UK about anything to do with firearms, all of which - in due course - rebounds in the form of increasingly repressive gun laws.
DENVER POLICE EVALUATING PEPPERBALL: the PepperBall anti-riot system that first came to public attention when it was used during the WTO demonstrations in Seattle is now being evaluated by police from Denver (Colorado) and a number of other cities, the Denver Rocky Mountain News reported. Denver police currently carry no non-lethal weaponry in their patrol cars. Manufacturers Jaycor Tactical Systems of San Diego say some 140 police agencies in the USA have adopted PepperBall since it was launched in Dec 99. The launcher is essentially a paintball gun. Maximum rate of fire is reportedly 12 balls a second; Reuters described the projectiles as 'hard plastic spheres' filled with pepper powder.
NEW AIRBORNE / SPECOPS MUSEUM IN NORTH CAROLINA: the News & Observer reported in mid-Aug 2000 the opening of the new $22.5 million Airborne & Special Operations Museum on Bragg Boulevard, Fayetteville (North Carolina). The 59,000 sq foot museum, partly funded by the City of Fayetteville, with $1m donated by Ross Perot, was originally an Army enterprise planned for Fort Bragg itself, but that project eventually ran out of funds. The balance of the money for the new project mostly came from Congress, the state of North Carolina and local businesses, though the museum reportedly still needs nearly $4.5m to square its books. Fayetteville is now hoping the museum, which is a former rundown area, will help revitalise the city.
Ermm, yes. And what exactly was your point, madam? War may well be hell, but for many it can indeed also be a 'great adventure'. Why else would anyone ever want to join up? In fact, it's the removal of the 'adventure factor' in military service that's undoubtedly responsible for today's serious recruitment crisis.
FOR 'DEFLAGRATOR', READ 'BIG RIFLE': according to its house magazine, the UK MOD's Defence Procurement Agency is working up to placing a new order for .50 rifles for use in the EOD role, under the bizarre project name of Long-Range Deflagrator (LRD). It wants to give EOD staff the capability to destroy unexploded ordnance, particularly 'large bombs', from a safe stand-off distance. It's also envisaged that the rifle could be remotely fired, so this will be an option. So far, seven suppliers have registered interest, and a contract is expected before the end of 2000. The planned ammunition was not described, but Raufoss .50 MP (APHEI) is already widely used in the EOD role - it usually blows explosive ordnance such as landmines to pieces without high-order detonation of the HE charge.
ROYALORDNANCE NOTTINGHAM TO CLOSE - PATTERN ROOM MUST ALSO MOVE: according to JDW & other sources, Royal Ordnance has now confirmed that its Nottingham facility is to close by the end of 2001. Though not directly stated, this will effectively mean the end of RO's small arms production capability in the UK, though the Nottingham small arms line has actually had very little to do since the SA80 order was completed some years ago, and now has only 60 staff assigned to it.
Though SA80 is currently scheduled to be upgraded, all this work is to be done at Oberndorf rather than Nottingham; the Financial Mail on Sunday quoted one British MP as having suggested this might be a ploy to boost H&K's order book and thus its likely sale price. The artillery activities at Nottingham will be relocated to the former Vickers facility at Barrow-in-Furness. H&K (UK) at Nottingham will, JDW said, be transferred elsewhere and become a 10-strong sales & distribution unit (clearly only for German H&K weapons), though since Heckler & Koch is itself up for sale, this could prove academic.
Numbers of staff at Nottingham have reportedly dropped from a privatisation total of 1,600 to only 410 today. JDW said that Nottingham's prospects had recently been dented by slack orders for its 105mm Light Guns, 120mm Armoured Mortar Systems and Combat Engineer Tractors, and Nottingham had also lost out to Vickers on the US army lightweight 155mm howitzer deal. Keen observers of the Nottingham saga will immediately be asking what will happen to the MOD Pattern Room now that site's fate is finally sealed.
The Pattern Room buildings belong to Royal Ordnance and are rented to the MOD; due to a dispute over the rental fees the relocation of the Pattern Room collection has already been under consideration for some time.
Two alternative locations are still being pondered; the Royal Armouries at Leeds and the Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham. It's also possible the weapons could be split between the two, with the historical items going to Leeds and the more modern stuff to Shrivenham. In either event, avid collectors in the US should not get too excited - this is an immensely valuable national reference collection forming part of the UK MOD's technical intelligence resources, and it's not about to be sold off.
US TIGHTENS SCRUTINY OF WEAPON & AMMUNITION IMPORTS IN LIGHT OF INTERNATIONAL RESOLUTIONS: the information below has recently been issued to all licensed firearm importers in the USA. In summary it requires in future that importers provide details of end-users, copies of suppliers' export licences and reduces the value of items importable without a licence to just $100.
It also requires certification of origin and a statement as to whether the items concerned were produced by or for the US military or under a US overseas technical assistance programme, or supplied as foreign military aid along with details of any individual involved in the transaction as a broker.
No weapons made by or for the US, or with US technical help, or provided as military assistance abroad, can now be imported; observers note that this may well cut off all supplies of old US favourites such as the M1 Garand which have, in the past, been freely imported by major dealers. What's particularly bugging American dealers is the fact that these regulations are being adopted not because of US domestic legislation but ostensibly as a result of the government's involvement in new international weapon-control and crime-reduction forums which pay no heed to key provisions such as the 2nd Amendment. On the other hand, one doesn't need the wisdom of Solomon to deduce that the Clinton regime, having failed for more than a year to railroad Congress into passing any new gun legislation, now finds it very handy to use this alternative route to further restrict the availability of firearms back home.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is committed to keeping industry members informed of regulatory and statutory developments that affect them. In furtherance of this commitment, we have prepared this open letter, which contains information about recent changes which may affect your day-to-day operations and/or long range plans. We hope you find this letter helpful in your business pursuits. Some of the changes will also be announced through other channels, such as the Federal Register and ATF's Internet site, www.atf.treas.gov.
On April 18, 1998, at the second Summit of the Americas held in Santiago, Chile, President Clinton announced that the United States would issue regulations implementing the "Model Regulations for the Control of the International Movement of Firearms, Their Parts and Components, and Ammunition" (the Model Regulations). The Model Regulations were drafted by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission ("CICAD") at the request of the Organization of American States. The purpose of the regulations is to provide standardized procedures for the international movement of firearms, their parts and components, and ammunition so as to prevent illegal trafficking in these items.
- Inclusion of final recipient information on import permit applications (ATF Forms 6).
- Presentation of an export license to U.S. Customs to effect the release of firearms, firearms parts, and ammunition. The requirement to present an export license is in addition to the ATF Forms 6 and 6A already required. If the exporting country does not issue export licenses, the importer instead must present a certification, under penalty of perjury, to that effect.
This requirement applies only to commercial (i.e., imports by licensed and/or registered importers for purposes of resale) importations of firearms, firearms parts, and ammunition.
- Reduction of the value of parts and components that may be imported without a permit from $500 to $100.
- Certification of Foreign Origin on ATF Form 6. At the request of the Department of State, ATF will add a new Item 9 to ATF Form 6, which asks the applicant to certify the origin of articles intended for importation. The change will be set forth in 27 CFR 47.42(a).
- Ordinarily, applicants will check the blocks in Item 9a if the articles sought for importation were produced for the civilian market and were not associated with the U.S. military or manufactured abroad under a technical assistance agreement or technical data packet provided under a Department of State export license.
- Applicants should check the block in Item 9b if the articles were manufactured by or for the U.S. military or if the articles were manufactured abroad under a technical assistance agreement or technical data packet provided under a Department of State export license.
- Limited importation of U.S. Government granted or sold defense articles on the United States Munitions List. By letter dated November 2, 1999, the Department of State directed ATF to deny applications, with limited exceptions, for the import of these articles.
- The limited exceptions allowed by the State Department will require importers to submit with their permit applications a copy of the State Department's re-transfer authorization issued to the party proposing to transfer such articles to the importer.
- Required reporting of firearms serial numbers on ATF Form 6A within 15 days after their release from U.S. Customs. This change puts into regulation the requirement already stated on the ATF Form 6A.
- Record Retention Periods. Federal firearms licensees are required to keep ATF Forms 6 and 6A for at least 20 years and Arms Export Control Act registrants not licensed under the Gun Control Act are required to keep these forms for 6 years.


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Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland acquires Akron organization
Lydia Coutré
Nonprofit organization Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland (JFSA Cleveland) last month acquired Jewish Family Service of Akron (JFS), a move approved by both organizations' boards, as well as the Jewish Community Board of Akron (JCBA), according to a news release.
"This is an important strategic move for both JFS and the JCBA," said JCBA board president David Minc in a prepared statement. "Most importantly, this is an opportunity to improve the range of services to our clients and to reach more of our key constituents. At the same time, it will put the JFS on a better and more sustainable financial model."
The acquisition aims to expand the current service opportunities that the Akron nonprofit offers through the addition of high level clinical oversight, electronic health record keeping, Medicare/Medicaid documentation and billing, service to Summit County Holocaust survivors as defined by new Claims Conference guidelines for eligibility, as well as access to other support and service for families, according to the release.
JFS board president Dianne Newman said in a prepared statement that the situation is a "win-win" for JFS of Akron. The organization will remain in its Akron office, Newman noted.
"We are delighted to be able to enhance the excellent work provided through JFS of Akron and look forward to leveraging JFSA Cleveland's expertise in several areas," said JFSA Cleveland president and CEO Susan Bichsel in a prepared statement.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Origine
Come riportato dalla Continuatio Chronici Guillelmi de Nangiaco, Margherita era la figlia secondogenita del re di Francia e Re di Navarra, Filippo V il Lungo, e della Signora di Salins, contessa di Borgogna, Contessa di Chalon e Contessa d'Artois, Giovanna II, che, come ricordato dalla madre nel proprio testamento del 1328, Giovanna II era la figlia femmina primogenita del Signore di Salins, Conte di Chalon e Conte di Borgogna, Ottone IV e dalla futura contessa regnante d'Artois, Matilde di Artois, che secondo le Gesta Philippi Tertii Francorum Regis, era la figlia primogenita del conte d'Artois, Roberto II il Nobile (1250-1302) e della signora di Conches Amici di Courtenay figlia di Pietro di Courtenay (1218 - † 1250), signore di Conches e di Mehun, e di Petronilla di Joigny, come ci conferma la Histoire généalogique de la Maison royale de Courtenay.Filippo V il Lungo era il figlio maschio secondogenito del re di Francia, Filippo IV il Bello, e della regina regnante di Navarra, contessa di Champagne e Brie, Giovanna I, come ci viene confermato dal Continuatio Chronici Guillelmi de Nangiaco.

Biografia
All'inizio del 1314, il re di Francia, Filippo IV il Bello, fece arrestare le sue tre nuore: sua madre, Margherita di Borgogna, figlia del Duca di Borgogna e re titolare di Tessalonica, Roberto II e della moglie, Agnese di Francia, moglie del figlio primogenito, Luigi X l'Attaccabrighe e sua zia, la sorella di sua madre, Bianca, moglie del terzogenito Carlo il Bello), con l'accusa di adulterio, come riportato dalla Continuatio Chronici Guillelmi de Nangiaco.La consorte dell'erede al trono di Francia, Margherita era sospettata di aver commesso l'adulterio con il cavaliere normanno Philippe d'Aunay, mentre il fratello, Gauthier, aveva commesso adultero con sua zia, Bianca, e per questo, entrambe erano state ripudiate, mentre sua madre, Giovanna fu assolta dall'accusa di adulterio, ma condannata, per complicità con la sorella e la cognata.Dopo che i loro amanti, Philippe e Gauthier, sotto tortura, ebbero confessato anche Bianca e Margherita ammisero l'adulterio e, dalla corte giudicante, che le riteneva colpevoli di flagrante adulterio, furono condannata ad essere rinchiusa in fortezza. Sua madre, Giovanna, condannata per complicità, venne relegata nel castello di Dourdan, e, nel 1315, mentre era ancora rinchiusa nel castello di Dourdan, suo zio, il fratello di sua madre, Roberto, conte di Borgogna e di Chalon, morì a Parigi, e sua madre, Giovanna, gli succedette, divenendo la contessa di Borgogna, Giovanna II, ma la contea venne amministrata da Matilde di Artois (madre di Giovanna II) e da Filippo il Lungo (marito di Giovanna II), fratello di Luigi X, detto l'Attaccabrighe, re di Francia dal 1314.

Il 5 giugno 1316, alla morte dello zio, il re di Francia Luigi X, detto l'Attaccabrighe, suo padre, Filippo il Lungo, conte di Poitiers, fu nominato reggente in attesa, per la fine dell'autunno, della nascita dell'erede al trono (al momento della morte di Luigi X l'Attaccabrighe, la sua seconda moglie, Clemenza d'Ungheria, era in attesa del suo primogenito). A novembre nacque un maschio, Giovanni detto il Postumo, re di Francia, e suo padre, Filippo il Lungo, fu confermato reggente. Ma il neonato visse solo cinque giorni. Dopo la morte del bambino, suo padre fu proclamato re Filippo V, sostituendo nel diritto al trono Giovanna, la figlia primogenita di suo fratello Luigi X e di Margherita di Borgogna, la sorella del duca di Borgogna, Oddone o Eudes IV.In difesa dei diritti di sua nipote Giovanna si schierò lo zio, il duca di Borgogna, Oddone o Eudes IV, che alla fine dovette cedere, garantendo in compenso però alla nipote una rendita di 15.000 livres tiurnois, il matrimonio con il cugino del re, il conte d'Évreux, Filippo e la promessa delle contee di Champagne e di Brie, se Filippo V fosse morto senza discendenti maschi e, ad Oddone, il fidanzamento con sua sorella, la primogenita, Giovanna di Francia o di Borgogna; il contratto di matrimonio venne siglato a Nogent-sur-Seine, il 29 settembre 1316. Dopo che suo padre era divenuto re, sua madre, Giovanna II di Borgogna riottenne la libertà e, il 9 gennaio del 1317, fu incoronata regina di Francia, assiema al marito, il re di Francia, Filippo V il Lungo; all'incoronazione assistettero solo sua madre, Mahaut, e lo zio di Filippo, Carlo di Valois. Nel mese di febbraio, poi, una commissione di prelati, cittadini autorevoli, feudatari e dottori dell'università enunciarono il principio che una donna non può accedere al trono di Francia.

Nel 1320 sposò l'erede delle contee delle Fiandre, di Nevers, e di Rethel, Luigi I di Crécy (1304-1346), figlio del conte di Nevers, Luigi I (figlio del conte delle Fiandre, Roberto di Dampierre) (come ci conferma il Iohannis de Thilrode Chronicon) e della contessa di Rethel, Giovanna; il matrimonio era stato concordato tra suo padre, Filippo V il Lungo ed il nonno di Luigi, Roberto di Dampierre, dopo che gli aveva reso omaggio, nel maggio di quello stesso anno, mettendo fine ai loro contrasti; il contratto fu stipulato a giugno ed il matrimonio fu celebrato nel mese di luglio.

Nel 1322, alla morte di suo padre, sua sorella, la primogenita, Giovanna fu esclusa dalla successione al trono di Francia, come sei anni prima era stata esclusa sua cugina Giovanna, per il principio che una donna non può accedere al trono di Francia. Cosicché a suo padre succedette lo zio, Carlo IV Martello il Bello.Nello stesso anno, nell'arco di due mesi morirono in successione, prima il suocero, il conte di Nevers, anche lui di nome Luigi e poi il nonno paterno del marito, il conte delle Fiandre, Roberto di Dampierre, per cui il marito ereditò le contee di Nevers e delle Fiandre; il marito allora si riavvicinò al nuovo re di Francia Carlo IV il Bello e dovette far fronte a delle ribellioni dei Fiamminghi.

Nel 1325, morì la suocera di Margherita, Giovanna di Rethel, per cui il marito divenne anche conte di Rethel.

Nel 1328, alla morte di Carlo il Bello, re di Francia e di Navarra, senza eredi maschi, in attesa che Giovanna d'Évreux la regina vedova portasse a termine la gravidanza, fu nominato reggente, un cognato, il marito di Giovanna di Borgogna, una sorella di Oddone IV, Filippo di Valois, capetingio di linea maschile, figlio di Carlo di Valois, fratello del re di Francia, Filippo IV il Bello, e dopo la nascita di un'altra femmina, Filippo di Valois, fu eletto re di Francia con il nome di Filippo VI, divenendo il primo re della casa Valois.

Nel 1329, alla morte della nonna, Mahaut, come espressamente indicato nel suo testamento, redatto nel 1328, sua madre, Giovanna II divenne Contessa d'Artois, dove si recò e dove morì, a Roye, il 21 gennaio del 1330, all'età di 39 anni. Fu tumulata nella Chiesa dei Cordiglieri, a Parigi.Sua sorella, Giovanna succedette alla madre come Giovanna III, sia contessa di Borgogna che Contessa d'Artois, come indicato nel testamento della nonna.

Nel 1346, nel corso della guerra dei cent'anni, sia il marito che il figlio, anche lui di nome Luigi, presero parte alla battaglia di Crécy, dove, il marito perse la vita ed il figlio rimase gravemente ferito. Per cui Margherita rimase vedova e il figlio ereditò le contee paterne, per il governo delle quali, per alcuni anni, ebbe il sostegno della madre.

Sua sorella, Giovanna III morì nel (1347), e fu tumulata nell'Abbazia di Fontenay. Alla sua morte nei titoli di conte di Borgogna e di Artois, gli succedette, sotto la tutela di suo marito, Oddone IV, il nipote, di circa un anno, Filippo di Rouvres, il figlio di suo figlio, Filippo di Borgogna, morto l'anno precedente.

Nel 1361, alla morte del pronipote, nipote di sua sorella, Giovanna III, Filippo di Rouvres (Filippo di Rouvres era anche nipote acquisito di Margherita, in quanto, nel 1357, aveva sposato la giovane (sette anni) nipote di Margherita, anche lei di nome Margherita, detta di Mâle, dal nome del castello di famiglia, per cui Margherita di Mâle era stata contessa consorte di Borgogna e di Artois, per quattro anni), per il fatto di essere la parente più prossima, ereditò i titoli, divenendo contessa di Borgogna e Artois; titoli che, alla sua morte, nel 1382, passarono al figlio, Luigi detto di Mâle, dal nome del castello in cui era nato.Margherita di Francia, in quanto figlia di re, fu inumata nella Basilica di Saint-Denis.

Discendenza
Margherita e Luigi I di Fiandra ebbero un unico figlio:
 Luigi (1330-1384), conte di Fiandra, di Nevers e di Rethel e poi conte di Borgogna e di Artois

Ascendenza

Note

Bibliografia

Fonti primarie
  Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores, tomus XXV.
  Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France. Tome 20.
  Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France. Tome 21.
  Diplomatum Belgicorum nova collectio, sive supplementum ad opera diplomatica Auberti Miræi (Brussels), Tome IV.
  Histoire généalogique de la Maison royale de Courtenay.

Letteratura storiografica
 Hilda Johnstone, "Francia: gli ultimi Capetingi", cap. XV, vol. VI (Declino dell'impero e del papato e sviluppo degli stati nazionali) della Storia del Mondo Medievale, 1980, pp. 569–607.
  Chronique parisienne anonyme du XIVe siècle.
  Histoire des ducs de Bourgogne de la race capétienne, tome VI.
  Histoire généalogique des ducs de Bourgogne de la maison de France.

Voci correlate
 Elenco di conti di Franca Contea
 Conti di Fiandra
 Storia della Francia
 Elenco di monarchi francesi
 Imperatori del Sacro Romano Impero
 capetingi
 Guerra dei cent'anni

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Conti di Borgogna
Capetingi
Persone della guerra dei cent'anni
Margherita 01
Conti d'Artois

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The UK is underprepared for the potential health and economic benefits it could accrue from taking a leading role internationally in developing the field of regenerative medicine, a House of Lords Committee warns.
The government must translate its "warm words" on this issue into action to ensure that the UK does not miss out, says the Lords Science and Technology Committee, in a new report, which also describes the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)'s current evaluation process for such treatments as "inappropriate."
The NHS makes the UK a potentially attractive place for international investment in regenerative medicine, but problems in our regulatory arrangements and a lack of coordinated leadership on the issue is holding back the chance to deliver improvements to the quality of people's lives and generate significant economic benefits for the UK, says the report, which calls for changes to ensure investor confidence and clear the route "from bench to bedside" for regenerative therapies.
Research shows that there is likely to be a £44-£54 billion NHS funding gap by 2022, and that management of chronic disease accounts for around 75% of all UK heath costs, the Committee points out. Yet regenerative medicine has the potential to provide innovative treatments for a wide range of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and investment in such treatments could be a major benefit to the UK public purse as well as providing health benefits, it adds.
- NICE must review its evaluation processes to ensure that regenerative treatments - which can have high start-up cost but could represent big savings for the NHS in the long run - do not lose out on funding. The current NICE model is "inappropriate," says the Committee.
NICE needs to review its evaluation processes "to ensure the long-term benefits of investment in regenerative medicine, including potentially reduced NHS costs further down the line, are given appropriate weight in an area where the start-up costs can be significant," commented Committee Chair Lord Krebs.
"Other countries are taking decisive action to streamline processes and support this field - the UK could and should be a world leader in regenerative medicine. We need leadership and investment now to ensure that this opportunity is not missed," he added.
The Lords' recommendations have been warmly welcomed by the BioIndustry Association (BIA), which said that, "if robustly backed by government, will make the UK a world leader in cell therapy clinical translation and commercialisation."


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Posted by John Underwood On October 29, 2013 3 Comments
Thor is back, and the God of Thunder's got a new gang. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three are still about, but (courtesy of the increasingly confused Marvel Cinematic Universe) Thor's now attended by some new celestial hangers-on. Say hello to the Muse of Stilted Dialogue, the Sibyl of Utterly Predictable Action Sequences and the Demon of Irrelevant Villains, coming together to make a film so grotesquely misshapen that it'll actually make you look forward to all the plagiarised bits. Sort of. Imagine that Anakin, Arwen and Hellboy had a dirty weekend away in Brighton and then Arwen smoked a lot of Longbottom Leaf to help with her 'mysterious stomach cramps', and nine months later you've got Thor: The Dark World – the deformed child of multiple fantasy fathers, all of whom were using CGI to make it look like they were wearing condoms. And had bigger cocks.
A year after the events of Marvel Avengers Assemble (which was set a year after Thor, continuity fans), the Prince of Asgard (Chris Hemsworth) has finally finished bringing peace to the Nine Realms – by which he, and his increasingly doddery father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), mean 'just keep killing until they kneel'. Meanwhile, Thor's forgotten bit of skirt Jane (Natalie Portman) is continuing to waltz about with clearly made-up scientific equipment, looking for a way to contact her divine boyf and/or make her name as a Mystictripeologist, now her mentor Erik (Stellan Skarsgård) is in a mental hospital. Yep. In other news, surely Odin wouldn't have bothered to do a whole voiceover bit about those bastard Dark Elves who want to destroy the universe if they weren't going to be back soon? Wait for it… wait for it…
…and here come the Elves. After millennia in stasis waiting to recover their ultimate weapon, the Aether (it's like an evil lava lamp without the lamp bit), Malekith the Accursed and his remaining soldiers are roused when Natalie Portman accidentally absorbs the bloody thing. Conveniently, they wake up in a sort of cross between a B-Wing and Nero's ship from Star Trek, which can also turn invisible and fly through wormholes and, ooh, all sorts of good stuff. Meanwhile, Jane is swiftly turning into Jean Grey/The Phoenix, but with none of the sass and a fondness for falling asleep all the time, and Thor's worried about her but also about Asgard getting battered by cast-off Warhammer characters, and I haven't even MENTIONED Loki. And then it just goes on and on like that for two hours, and then you can go home.
Don't get me wrong; I liked Thor, both the character and the film. Director Ken Branagh was the perfect choice for a story that needed to bridge the gap between superheroic action and Shakespearean drama, and the combination of epic themes, fish-out-of-water comedy and Anthony Hopkins roaring in an eyepatch was undeniably satisfying. Would that Thor: The Dark World had a tenth of its predecessor's verve or originality. Modelling Asgard on the unmistakable visual styles of Naboo and Rivendell, whilst borrowing the Dark Elves' aesthetic from Hellboy 2, the Trade Federation and (as mentioned above) the Star Trek reboot's Romulan renegades, this is a film that would be tediously familiar even if the sound was turned off. And oh, that's the dream.
All your ears can offer you is an increasingly overwhelming sense of confusion, as you remember that Joss Whedon polished this bloody script and it's still as subtle and finely wrought as a great big tree blowing through your windscreen at eighty miles an hour. "Anyone else?", asks Thor after vanquishing the hulking hero of some army or other in the first act, as if we're supposed to have just forgotten Brad Pitt in Troy (to be fair, it might be best to forget it). Oscar-winner Natalie Portman dithers and quivers and whinges throughout, AGAIN, and the legendary Anthony Hopkins is reduced to weird puns about butter. Loki remains the only draw for fans of half-decent dialogue, and even then it's hard to ignore that a badly-written line is still bad no matter how much greasily villainous topspin you put on it.
Thor continues to split his time between being half-heartedly emotional and battering people with Mjolnir, which now chases him through the Nine Realms like some sort of limbless version of the Luggage from Terry Pratchett's Discworld, and his Asgardian sidekicks continue to be ruthlessly sidelined despite the early promise of a Sif-shaped love interest (please, PLEASE, anyone but Jane Foster). Meanwhile, Christopher Eccleston is unrecognisable under a reported six hours' worth of make up, and whether he's grating in English or in some bullshit Elvish, he's entirely unremarkable – the producers should have saved their money and hired a sharp-cheekboned twat fresh out of RADA. It ought to be literally – literally – impossible to make a boring film about someone trying to destroy the universe, but the identikit misdemeanours of Malekith and his blank-eyed drones start to grate before the end of the pre-title sequence and go downhill from there.
Still, surely the plot, script and characterisation aren't everything? Much of last night's post-screening dissection of the film centred on its humour, and it's certainly a topic worth discussing. Marvel has been nervous of going too funny ever since the practically slapstick Iron Man 2, but there are a few bolder flashes of humour in Thor: The Dark World. Most of them, inevitably, centre around the deadpan Loki, who feels very much like the real villain despite the fact that a) there's an actual villain, b) Loki's not so bad this time and c) he spends two thirds of the film in a cage. It's something, and both Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are so confident and comfortable in their characters that Thor and Loki's interactions feel more rewarding than in previous films, but if I want to watch mismatched brothers bonding I'll see if Twins is on Netflix.
Apart from Thor and Loki, the performances are forgettable – the irrepressible Kat Dennings continues to be good value, but Hopkins mumbles, Skarsgård burbles and Chris O'Dowd is as utterly, utterly useless as only he knows how to be. Why is Chris O'Dowd in this film, Marvel? Did someone tell you that Graham Linehan has his finger on the pulse? He doesn't; it's on the block button, because he's an idiot and so is Chris O'Dowd and so is Alan Taylor, the TV director who was inexplicably torn from obscurity to helm this rubbish. Not even a promising Guardians of the Galaxy mid-credits stinger can mitigate his apparent efforts to make Thor: The Dark World the most unbalanced, inconsistent, unoriginal, hackneyed, overproduced, underwritten, gaudy, lazy, DULL Marvel film I can remember. You have to see it, obviously, or The Avengers: Age of Ultron won't make sense, but I'd think of it more as a necessary evil than a treat. Want a poster quote, guys? "Thor: The Dark World – less a trip to the zoo, more a smear test." You're welcome.
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John Underwood
Tags :Alan TaylorChris HemsworthChristopher EcclestonFeaturedKat DenningsMarvelNatalie PortmanStellan SkarsgårdThor: The Dark WorldTom Hiddleston
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There are 3 Comments.
dgreene2331hotmailcouk20
11:27 pm 1 November 2013
Need to see this! Next weekend!
Miclaus Ramona Maria
9:21 am 24 January 2014
it's SF
1:58 pm 24 January 2014
Thor is back.
Leave a Reply to Miclaus Ramona Maria Cancel reply


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TikTok Leads Social App Downloads Again in August
Published Sept. 9, 2020
Andrew Hutchinson Content and Social Media Manager
Despite ongoing questions about its future, amid negotiations over its sale to a US company to adhere with a US Government order, TikTok was once again the most downloaded non-gaming app in August 2020, according to new data from Sensor Tower, with the short-form video app continuing to gain momentum in more regions.
As reported by Sensor Tower:
"TikTok was the most downloaded non-gaming app worldwide for August 2020 with more than 63.3 million installs, which represented a 1.6% increase from August 2019. The countries with the most installs of the app during this period were Indonesia at 11% of its total downloads and Brazil at 9%."
Which is interesting, because up till now, India, the US and Turkey have been TikTok's biggest markets. The numbers here show that the app is still catching on in more regions, which is keeping it atop the download charts despite the ban in India and the noted uncertainty in the US.
Where, exactly, TikTok stands in the US, and even globally, is uncertain at this stage. Early last week, reports indicated that TikTok owner ByteDance had decided on a winning bid for the app, and that an announcement was imminent. But complications arising from the Chinese Government's newly imposed rules on the export of technological advancements, including digital algorithms, have now stalled the process.
New reports have suggested that ByteDance is now negotiating directly with the US Government over what, exactly, needs to be sold off in order to meet The White House's requirements for a split from China, in the hopes that they can arrange a deal that works for both the Chinese and US regulators. At the same time, ByteDance is negotiating with Chinese officials over a possible path towards a sale.
One way or another, we'll find out soon - the official Executive Order from the White House gives ByteDance till September 20th to sell off the app, or face restrictions in the US.
But negotiations aside, the numbers from Sensor Tower underline the potential of the app. Even with the various questions, and the loss of the Indian market, TikTok is still seeing massive download numbers.
Right now, TikTok is reportedly serving some 689 million monthly active users. Given the ongoing interest, it could easily become the next billion-user platform, if it can avoid a US ban, and ideally, re-enter the Indian market.
In other trends, as you can see, Zoom remains popular, sitting at second on the downloads list, with Facebook dominating the rest of the social space. Which is why Facebook's so keen to push Instagram Reels - right now, TikTok presents the only significant challenge to Facebook's dominance of the social media space, going on these figures and app download trends over time.
Which is also likely why Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sought to highlight concerns about the app's ties to the Chinese Government in a private meeting with US President Donald Trump in October last year. The US Government announced a national security investigation into TikTok in November - which could be a coincidence, but then again...
As TikTok continues to see massive popularity, you can expect Facebook to keep looking to put the squeeze on wherever possible.
Filed Under: Digital Strategy
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The Complete Elon Musk–Twitter Saga
For months, we've been tracking Elon Musk's $44 billion deal with Twitter. Now that the deal is done, we watch as the Musk-Twitter era begins.
By Andrew Hutchinson and Emma Wiltshire • Nov. 2, 2022
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text:
mod testsuite;
pub use testsuite::*;

use futures::executor::block_on;
use kvproto::kvrpcpb::*;
use pd_client::PdClient;

#[test]
fn test_resolved_ts_basic() {
    let mut suite = TestSuite::new(1);
    let region = suite.cluster.get_region(&[]);
    let (k, v) = (b"k1", b"v");
    suite.cluster.must_put(k, v);
    suite.cluster.must_put_cf("write", k, v);
    suite.cluster.must_put_cf("lock", k, v);
    // Prewrite
    let start_ts = block_on(suite.cluster.pd_client.get_tso()).unwrap();
    let mut mutation = Mutation::default();
    mutation.set_op(Op::Put);
    mutation.key = k.to_vec();
    mutation.value = v.to_vec();
    suite.must_kv_prewrite(region.id, vec![mutation], k.to_vec(), start_ts);
    suite.must_get_rts(region.id, start_ts);

    // Split region
    suite.cluster.must_split(&region, k);
    let r1 = suite.cluster.get_region(&[]);
    let r2 = suite.cluster.get_region(k);
    let current_ts = block_on(suite.cluster.pd_client.get_tso()).unwrap();
    // Resolved ts of region1 should be advanced
    suite.must_get_rts_ge(r1.id, current_ts);
    // Resolved ts of region2 should be equal to start ts
    suite.must_get_rts(r2.id, start_ts);

    // Merge region2 to region1
    suite.cluster.must_try_merge(r2.id, r1.id);
    // Resolved ts of region1 should be equal to start ts
    suite.must_get_rts(r1.id, start_ts);

    // Commit
    let commit_ts = block_on(suite.cluster.pd_client.get_tso()).unwrap();
    suite.must_kv_commit(r1.id, vec![k.to_vec()], start_ts, commit_ts);
    // Resolved ts of region1 should be advanced
    let current_ts = block_on(suite.cluster.pd_client.get_tso()).unwrap();
    suite.must_get_rts_ge(r1.id, current_ts);

    suite.stop();
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
December 13, 2017 by Tasker Agencyin News 0 Comment(s)
Engel Völkers Dallas Gifts Alzheimer's Association $83,000 From Sale of Dallas Showhouse
North Central Texas Chapter benefits from charitable donation
DALLAS – Dec. 13, 2017 – Engel & Völkers and the Alzheimer's Association have announced the sale of the 2017 Dallas Decorators Showhouse and confirmed that $83,000 was raised to benefit the Alzheimer's Association in its fight against the disease. Sponsors and participants included Traditional Home magazine, Marina Bay Development Corp., Donna Moss, Engel & Völkers Real Estate, Tasker Agency, 24 interior designers, and more than 30 notable brand sponsors.
The nearly 8,000 square foot home in Southlake, Texas was completed earlier this year by local Texas real estate developer, Paul Moss, president of Marina Bay Development Corp. The Showhouse, presented by Traditional Home magazine and HGTV show host, Donna Moss, was decorated by a group of local and national interior designers secured by the editors of the magazine. The home was opened to the public for tours this past fall, with proceeds from ticket sales directly benefitting the Alzheimer's Association. When the viewing was concluded, the house was sold by Engel & Völkers. Roxann Taylor owner and broker of Engel Völkers Dallas along with her entire team, marketed the home from May 2017 and hosted buyers in the home for showings until September 2017. Upon the sale of the Showhouse, Taylor and her entire Engel Völkers team generously donated $83,000 of their commission from the sale of the property.
"This gift from Roxann Taylor is an exceedingly generous level of financial support for the mission of the Alzheimer's Association," said Theresa Hocker, executive director for the Alzheimer's Association – North Central Texas Chapter. "We are grateful that Roxann understands the importance of the work we do in fighting this disease, both on the research front, and in terms of the local services we provide those who are dealing with Alzheimer's disease every day."
"Having passion in life to make a difference in the lives of others was the foremost thought when my Southlake shop embraced the Showhouse Project in support of financial aid to the Alzheimer's Association," said Roxann Taylor. "Each one of my real estate advisors, along with our entire firm with shops in 35 countries around the world, have one common goal and that is to passionately deliver excellence in everything we do and the involvement in the Showhouse over this last year allowed us the opportunity to do just that. We are exceedingly proud to have contributed our time and expertise and financial support to make that difference in the lives of others."
Traditional Home Publisher Beth McDonough agrees with Taylor's sentiment. "Our National Showhouse Tour has been raising money for national and local charities for over 20 years. We are honored to have been part of such an incredible project and to have helped the North Central Texas and Houston Southeast Texas chapters of the Alzheimer's Association during such a critical time of need."
"Alzheimer's disease has touched so many people around the country. My passion for change started as my grandfather, a retired Army Attaché, suffered with the disease for more than a decade. Watching how it affects the entire family prompted my initiative for change. I knew I needed to lend my company's talents to further awareness and important initiatives," said Christi Tasker, president of the Tasker Agency, the production company responsible for assembling the various teams involved in the project along with coordinating marketing and promotion. "Roxann and I immediately connected with a shared passion for finding a cause for the debilitating disease of Alzheimer's. I knew she was the one to sell the house and she was more than generous with her offer to give up her complete commission to the cause. She has been a long time advocate of the Alzheimer's Association supporting their annual fundraising events. We are grateful to have Paul and Donna Moss as key partners in this project, along with Traditional Home's editors, designers, and all of the sponsors who gave their time, energy, talents and resources. We're grateful to everyone who attended the Showhouse experience. Without them, the project would not have been a success."
Both Engel Völkers and Tasker Agency, a division of digital creative agency PuTTin' OuT, teams globally, are continuing to raise awareness for the Alzheimer's Association's research efforts through the #CrissCrossChallenge hosted on Facebook via the new Facebook donation button which distributes monies directly to Alz.org To participate or learn more view: https://www.facebook.com/donate/10208843310910481/
ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION – alz.org
Headquartered in Chicago, the Alzheimer's Association has chapters nationwide. The Alzheimer's Association – North Central Texas Chapter is one of 81 local chapters of the Alzheimer's Association. The chapter covers a 40-county service area and Fort Worth serves as headquarters for the chapter, which has regional offices in Abilene, Waco and Wichita Falls. The chapter is a nonprofit, donor-supported organization. The programs and services are made possible through contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. To learn more about the association — including how to get involved — visit alz.org.
ENGEL & VÖLKERS – dallas.evusa.com
Since its beginning in 1977 as a specialty boutique providing exclusive, high-end real estate services in Hamburg, Germany, Engel & Völkers has become one of the world's leading companies specializing in the sale and lease of premium residential and commercial property, yachts and private aviation. Engel & Völkers currently operates a global network of over 8,900 real estate advisors in more than 750 brokerages spanning 33 countries across five continents, offering both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of luxury services. It established its North America corporate headquarters in 2007 and opened its first brokerage in the same year. Committed to exceptional service, Engel & Völkers supports its advisors with an array of premium quality business services; marketing programs and tools; multiple platforms for mobile, social and web; as well as access to its global network of real estate professionals, property listings, and market data. Engel & Völkers is an active supporter of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated. The Dallas/Fort Worth Engel Volkers agency is owned and brokered by Roxann Taylor.
About Traditional Home Magazine
As the largest upscale shelter magazine in America, Traditional Home celebrates the union of timeless design with modern living, inspiring almost 5 million design lovers to reinterpret classic elegance in a thoroughly personal way. From home and garden to food, entertaining, and travel, the magazine is a tribute to quality, craftsmanship, authenticity, and family—a trusted resource that respects the past, lives in the present, and embraces products designed for the future. For more information, please visit www.traditionalhome.com.
TASKER AGENCY – www.TaskerAgency.com
Tasker Agency is a multi-faceted branding, marketing, public relations, film, and experiential event production firm focusing on client brand awareness. Working in concert with our sister company, PuTTin' OuT, a highly successful digital creative agency and social media marketing firm started in the MySpace era, Tasker Agency utilizes the whole spectrum of traditional and digital marketing activities to build or revitalize some of the most notable brands worldwide by producing engaging strategies and alignments to reach consumers in the luxury market.
PRESS CONTACT: INFO@TASKERAGENCY.COM — 702-703-9047
November 10, 2017 by Tasker Agencyin News 0 Comment(s)
Venezuelan Entrepreneur + Bathing Suit Designer Opens Wynwood Miami Store
Silvana Isaac, founder of Antigua Collection, formerly an e-commerce only store listens to consumer demand and opens first U.S. store in Miami's Art District
In July, bathing suit designer Silvana Isaacs opened a pop-up store in the heart of the Wynwood Arts District in Miami to explore opening a permanent Antigua Collection brand store for her thriving e-commerce business. The pop-up store is so successful that Isaacs has acquired a permanent location on the corner of Northwest 2nd Avenue & 25th Street across from Joey's and next door to Plant the Future.
Consumers can explore the entire 250-piece bathing suit collection plus a myriad of other fashion accessories and design talents from around the world. In addition to its designer swimsuits, Antigua Collection offers two main services: 1. Silvana designs custom swimsuits or can adjust current patterns for a customer's body type. 2. Customers can pop in for a spray tan. Silvana has even made matching bathing suits for her and her daughter.
"My first collection was made without a name or even labels," said Isaacs. "During the first two years, I learned about shapes, forms, fabrics, and most importantly I learned that I was a fashion designer!!! It is hard to imagine that in less than five years I am now opening my first retail store in the USA! It is the one achievement that is almost as exciting as my first Loew's hotel wholesale order and being included in the Loew's Miami Hotel!"
Isaacs works at the pop-up store almost every day and brings her three-month-old daughter Emma to work with. Her husband, Billy, manages all of the financial parts of the business. Her mother-in-law Rosita, a true talent herself, consults and guides Silvana to help her with major differentiating changes for the Antigua Collection such as buying better quality fabrics and in larger quantities to make the production process more efficient yet maintain the handmade integrity of the bathing suits. As evidenced by growing sales figures, her loyal customers appreciate the quality and are willing to pay slightly more for it.
When not working at the store, Silvana is constantly thinking about new designs and watching trends. Her iPad and sketchbook are always within reach.
Experience the Antigua Collection in person at Isaac's Wynwood pop-up shop located at 126 NW 25th Street, Miami, FL 33127. Visit and shop the Antigua Collection online: www.AntiguaCollection.com
ABOUT ANTIGUA COLLECTION – www.AntiguaCollection.com
Today the Antigua Collection exceeds 250 pieces with prices ranging from $75 to $150 for handmade bathing suits sold both online and in fine retail stores. In December 2016, Loews Hotel on Miami Beach was the first American retail store to carry the Antigua Collection.
ABOUT SILVANA ISAAC
After studying to be an interior designer in London and Milan, Isaacs moved back to her home country of Venezuela. Three years later, she began designing and sewing her own bathings suits. By 2013, she had launched her first 20-piece collection. In the midst of establishing her reputation as a skilled and creative designer, Silvana married and became pregnant with her first daughter. She also leased space and prepared to open her first store in the heart of Valencia, Venezuela. With political tensions escalating and economic conditions declining, Silvana and her family decided it was best not to pursue the retail venture in Venezuela at that time Ultimately, she and her family moved to the United States where she has established herself as a talented designer and successful businesswoman.
June 8, 2017 by Tasker Agencyin News 0 Comment(s)
Traditional Home Presents The First-Ever Dallas Decorators Showhouse
NEW YORK, N.Y. (June 7, 2017) – Meredith Corporation's (NYSE: MDP; meredith.com) Traditional Home, the leading upscale shelter magazine reaching 4.8 million readers, is partnering with HGTV star Donna Moss this fall to open the doors of its first-ever Dallas Decorators Showhouse to benefit the Alzheimer's Association. Open to the public from September 23 through October 22, 2017, the Showhouse was constructed from the ground up by Paul Moss of Marina Bay Development. The Dallas Decorators Showhouse will bring together some of the biggest names in the interior design industry to realize their interpretations of classic Texas style.
The 7,938 sq. ft. home, located just outside of Dallas in the premier Southlake community at 1235 Westwyck Ct., fuses the best of intriguing architecture and big, beautiful design expected in Texas estates. Ticketed tours will be open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 am. – 5:00 p.m. from September 24, through October 22, 2017. A generous portion of the proceeds will go to the Alzheimer's Association of North Central Texas to help find a cure and offer support for suffering patients and their families who are coping with the debilitations of Alzheimer's Disease.
"Dallas is really emerging as an incredibly interesting and diverse design destination," says Traditional Home Editor in Chief Jill Waage. "We are thrilled to work alongside Donna Moss and the talented designers on this highly-anticipated event. The Dallas Decorators Showhouse explores the unique beauty and charm of luxury living in Southlake, Texas."
The 2017 Dallas Decorators Showhouse designers and architects include:
Pulp Design Studios
Tompkins Lloyd Interiors
Troy Rhone
Sherry Hayslip
Donna Moss
Dann Foley
Julie Dodson
Lonni Paul
Elle Cole
George Cameron Nash
Dale Granmason
Tiffany McKinzie
Shay Geyer
Brighton Keller
Krissa Rossbund
Scott Meacham Wood
Nancy Price
Michelle Workman
Sara Pickard
Traci Zeller
Denise McGaha
Ruthie Staalsen
Meg Caswell
The Dallas Decorators Showhouse officially opens with a Press Preview Party at the Showhouse on Friday, September 22, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, and an Opening Night Gala on Saturday, September 23, from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. The Showhouse will be open for public viewing Sunday, September 24th through Sunday, October 22nd, 2017. The hours of operation are TuesdaySaturday from 11am-5pm and on Sundays from 11am-5pm. On Mondays, the Showhouse will be closed to visitors. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at www.dallasshowhouse.com. Tickets to the VIP Designer Gala, showhouse tickets as well as private events that benefit Alzheimer's Association are also available at www.dallasshowhouse.com.
Sponsors of the 2017 Dallas Decorators Showhouse include:
Advanced Window Systems
Behr Paint & Stain
Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights
Boral Roofing
California Closets
Circa Lighting
Crossville Tile
Ferguson Bath, Kitchen, & Lighting Gallery
Grand Home Designs, Inc.
Made Goods
Metrie Trim
Nix Window & Door
PuTTin' OuT (Socially Accepted.)
Tasker Agency
That's Haute
Wayne Dalton
Woodard Furniture
Wynwood Mood Swings
ABOUT TRADITIONAL HOME
ABOUT DONNA MOSS
Donna Moss, known as the "Queen of Bling brings her glamorous and lush style into every space she decorates. A former finalist on HGTV's Design Star, she hosts the HGTV series Donna Decorates Dallas, where she shows the big (and small) details that make up a fabulous Texas home. Donna designs homes as well as sponsors a number of local and national charity events with her daughters Tiffany Moss Jenkins and Ashley Moss Black at their store, That's Haute, a fashion, design, and home décor boutique. Donna is also a retired American Airlines flight attendant and U.S. Army attendee. She enjoys serving on the board of The Arts Council as well as the home industry organization called Accessories Resource Team (ARTs). With numerous awards to her credit and her work featured in People and Instyle magazines, Donna Moss proves that you can "bling it all" — making decor bold, gold and glam!
ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION
Headquartered in Chicago, the Alzheimer's Association has chapters nationwide. The Alzheimer's Association – North Central Texas Chapter is one of over 70 chapters of the Alzheimer's Association. The chapter covers a 40-county service area and Fort Worth serves as headquarters for the chapter, which has regional offices in Abilene, Waco and Wichita Falls. The chapter is a nonprofit, donor-supported organization. The programs and services are made possible through contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. To learn more about the association — including how to get involved — visit Alzheimer's Association.
Liz Malone, 212-551-7172, Liz.Malone@meredith.com
Christi Tasker, 702-703-9047, Christi@TaskerAgency.com
August 8, 2016 by Tasker Agencyin News 0 Comment(s)
Wynwood Lab In Miami To Host Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series 2016 Event In October
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and Rush Philanthropic-sponsored event showcasing work of emerging artists is perfect fit for trendy art gallery and event venue in Wynwood Arts District Miami,
Wynwood Lab Takes Immediate Action To Protect Visitors From Zika-Carrying Mosquitoes
Miami art and event venue in Wynwood Arts District implements aggressive measures in response to CDC travel warning
May 10, 2016 by Tasker Agencyin News 0 Comment(s)
Former Homeless Award-Winning Cuban Artist Manuel García Exhibits First Solo Show In The Americas
The Positively Negative collection uses smartphone technology creating two pieces of art in one
GALARDONADO ARTISTA SIN HOGAR, MANUEL GARCIA, EXHIBE SU PRIMER SOLO SHOW EN LAS AMERICAS
Su colección "Positivamente Negativo" utiliza la tecnología de un teléfono inteligente para crear dos piezas en una.
April 5, 2016 by Tasker Agencyin News 0 Comment(s)
Eco-Friendly Fine Furniture Maker The Bramble Company Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Producer of sustainably sourced Indonesian mahogany home décor and UL approved lighting reaches quarter-century mark during High Point Market in North Carolina
Sexiest Artist Alive Javier Gomez Signs Second Licensed Photography Deal With Luxury Brand BVLGARI
Company's new property exclusive lookbook features acclaimed work from Rome
Javier Gomez, El Artista Mas Sexy del Mundo, Renueva Segundo Contrato Fotográfico con BVLGARI
El nuevo look book de la compañía presenta fotografía del aclamado fotógrafo
Engel Völkers Dallas Gifts Alzheimer's Association $83,000 From Sale of Dallas ShowhouseDecember 13, 2017
Venezuelan Entrepreneur + Bathing Suit Designer Opens Wynwood Miami StoreNovember 10, 2017
Traditional Home Presents The First-Ever Dallas Decorators ShowhouseJune 8, 2017
Wynwood Lab In Miami To Host Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series 2016 Event In OctoberAugust 8, 2016


Take your cellphone snapshots up a notch with these savvy tricks.
Learn how to check your white balance. (What?) White balance is the process your camera uses to judge what color light emits in different environments. What does this mean to you? It can help you reproduce colors as accurately as possible. If you notice a warm yellowy orange cast from indoor bulbs or/ a bluer tint from daylight outside, your white balance might need to be adjusted. Check for your phone's manual light settings, like "Sunny," "Fluorescent" or "Cloudy," and match them to your environment. If your phone doesn't let you adjust white balance manually, take photos slowly so your phone can adjust to new light sources. You can always download a camera app that lets you customize your settings.
Don't be shy. You're much better off stepping closer to your subject. If you can't, you can always crop the picture later.
Avoid the washout. Want to avoid making your photos subjects look washed out and ghostly? Soften the LED flash by simply covering it with a piece of tissue.
Use your flash. The secret to great sunny day portraits? Using your flash. On a sunny day, it's easy for cheeks and bright areas to lose definition. Turn your flash on and stand within a few feet from your subject to add detail by filling in shadows.
Get creative. Rethink your next photo for surprising results. If you're shooting children, crouch to their level. If your brother just finished a marathon, shoot him from below to make him look larger than life. If you shoot mostly horizontals, try a vertical for fun.
Take more flattering photos. Never photograph a person from below—this will make them look larger. For fun, shoot them from above, perhaps with you standing and them sitting or even with you standing on a chair for a more dramatic effect.
It's fun to use your phone's built-in effects, but also limiting. That black and white photo from your vacation looks cool now, but one day you might want a color version. Keep open to possibilities to make the most of every feature available to you.
Be careful. You may not realize it, but you might be sharing more than your photos when you take photos on your phone. Some phones can embed GPS and geolocation data in the photo's information file. Some software programs can read that information and use it to plot those images onto maps. This might be great for archiving vacation photos, but less ideal if you've shared a photo en route to a surprise holiday visit. Check your camera's settings and make sure that you're comfortable with the information you're sharing.
Prevent blur. Blurred photos can be disappointing and frustrating. They're especially likely in low-light, where the camera will use a slower shutter speed. To stay steady, lean your camera phone against something steadier than your hands: a chair, a wall, or a tree. Look for camera apps that offer anti-shake features that can keep your image still.


Holi is a spring hindu festival celebrated in India in which everyone throws brightly coloured powder and liquid paint on each other to celebrate. It's also known as the "festival of colours". We were lucky enough to celebrate Holi in Mathura, which is the birth-place of Lord Krishna. According to the legend, Lord Krishna was concerned about Radha being of a lighter complexion to him, so his mother advised him to go to her and apply colours. As Lord Krishna and his friends went to Radha's village to apply colour to Radha and to the other women there, the Gopis used to beat them with sticks in a playful manner. The tradition continues until this day and is celebrated as the Lathmar Holi, in which women come through the streets with sticks and chase after the men and playfully beat them.


text:
Arizona State Men Topple Texas in Tempe, Texas Women Win
Texas and Arizona State split at ASU's home pool Friday afternoon. Archive photo via "Rafael/Domeyko Photography"
SwimSwam's Top 100 For 2023: Men's #40-31
Back with Bob Bowman, Chase Kalisz is coming off his fastest 400 IM showing in five years and will be tough to keep off the medal stand in Fukuoka.
Proud, Romanchuk Secure Victories On Night One Of 2023 Euro Meet
Great Britain's Ben Proud kicked off his 2023 in style with a 50m fly victory on night one of the 2023 Luxembourg Euro Meet.
UCLA Picks Up Commitment From Winter Junior Nationals Qualifier Grace Dougherty (2024)
Freestyler and backstroker Grace Dougherty will be joining the Bruins in the fall of 2024, potentially competing in the Big 10 instead of the Pac 12.
Philadelphia Will Hire Lifeguards Who Can't Swim, Offering Free Lessons Before Summer
In anticipation of the 2023 summer swim season, the City of Philadelphia is prepared to hire lifeguards that cannot pass the lifeguard swim test (yet).
Ryan Hoffer, a 7-time NCAA event champion at Cal, has moved on to a career in medical sales after retiring from swimming following the 2021 ISL season.
Georgia Hosts Emory In Senior Day Meet
Prior to the meet, 20 members of the Georgia senior class will be honored for their contributions to the program.
SwimSwam's Way-Too-Early 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Picks
All seven writers making predictions picked Katie Ledecky to sweep the 200, 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle events at the 2024 U.S. Olympic team trials.
Olympic Bronze Medalist Tina Punzel Retires from Diving
Two-time Olympian Tina Punzel (right) won gold in both the women's and mixed 3-meter synchronized events at the 2022 European Championships.
by Robert Gibbs 90
January 26th, 2018 Big 12, College, News, Pac-12, Previews & Recaps
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TEXAS VS. ARIZONA STATE
Hosted by Arizona State
Friday, January 26th
Dual Meet Format
Men: Arizona State 162, Texas 138
Women: Texas 177, Arizona State 122
Any Texas men's fans hoping that the Longhorns would show some speed to match the swift times we saw from Division I swimmers last week were disappointed, as the Sun Devils bowled over the Longhorns Friday afternoon in Tempe. Sure, duel meets may not mean a lot, but a 162-138 victory over Texas, even a Texas team that hasn't sparkled in dual meets this season, is a big indication of just how far Arizona State has come in less than three years under renowned coach Bob Bowman.
Proud of our guys! #trusttheprocess #sent @asuswimdive @ Mona Plummer Aquatic Center https://t.co/ahCAB15Ys4
— Bob Bowman (@coach_bowman) January 27, 2018
The Sun Devils warmed up their home pool by beating the Longhorns by the better part of a second in the 200 medley relay, 1:27.61 to 1:28.30. ASU's strength came on the front half and Joseph Schooling and Brett Ringgold couldn't overcome the lead that Zachary Poti and Christian Lorenz had built. (Note: ASU's back/breast splits appear to be off in the official results, perhaps reversed).
That opening relay began a streak of five consecutive wins for ASU, with the Texas swimmers not even really battling for the wins in any of them. Benjamin Olszewski got things rolling individually in the 1000 free, cruising to a 9:10.81 that put him almost seven seconds ahead of runner up Chris Yeager of Texas.
Grant House outdueled teammate Cameron Craig in the 200 free, 1:35.88 to 1:36.19, while Texas's Townley Haas, the two-time defending NCAA champion in this event, touched 3rd in 1:38.32. Zachary Poti kept things rolling in the 100 back (47.83), while Christian Lorenz led an ASU sweep of the top three spots in the 100 breast with a 54.70.
Texas finally got its first win of the afternoon thanks to Schooling, who won the 200 fly with a 26.69 split in the final 50, en route to a 1:44.48 overall time. Teammate Brett Ringgold made it two in a row with a 20.11 in the 50 free to end the first half.
However, Ringgold couldn't complete the sprint free sweep, as Craig took the 100 free, 42.97 to Ringgold's 44.59. Poti and Lorenz swept their respective strokes, with Poti winning the 200 back in 1:43.70, over a second ahead of Longhorn Ryan Harty, and Lorenz lead a Sun Devil sweep of the 200 breast as he touched in 1:58.74.
The Longhorns responded with three wins of their own. Haas took the 500 free in 4:25.42, then Schooling completed the fly sweep with a 47.37 in the 100 fly. Harty wrapped up in the individual events with a 1:47.66 in the 200 IM.
The two teams ended the afternoon with a 200 free relay instead of the more traditional 400 free relay, and Arizona State put a cherry on top of its sundae by pulling out the win here as well, 1:18.87 to the Longhorns' 1:19.64.
One notable absence from the Longhorns was junior John Shebat, the fastest-returning swimmer in the 100 and 200 backstrokes from last year's NCAA championships.
It was a quite a different story on the women's side, as the Longhorns won all except two swimming events. Texas bookended the meet with victories in the 200 medley relay (1:40.30) and the 200 free relay (1:31.43), although the latter was exhibitioned.
Claire Adams, Rebecca Millard, Evie Pfeiffer led the way for the Longhorns, each picking up two individual victories. Adams took the 100 back (53.22) and 100 free (49.58), while Pfeifer won the 500 free (4:51.21), then impressively came back just a few minutes later to win the 200 IM (1:59.93). Millard won the 200 free (1:47.70) and 50 free (22.83).
Other Longhorn individual winners included Joanna Evans in the 1000 free (9:53.29), Lauren Case in the 200 fly (1:59.42), Quinn Carrozza in the 200 back (1:56.26), and Remedy Rule in the 100 fly (54.32).
Arizona State's two wins were both in the breaststrokes. Silja Kansakoski took the 100 breast in 1:02.32, and Marlies Ross won the 200 breast with a 2:14.94.
Arizona State Release
TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 10 Sun Devil men started the meet on a high note and despite the No. 2 Longhorns coming within striking distance near the end, earned the upset victory vs. 13-time and reigning national champion Texas, 162-138. The No. 4 Longhorn women won, 177-122.
"Quite frankly, facing Texas, I was worried about how they'd step up but they stepped up and did a fantastic job of racing and that's what we had talked about," said head swimming coach Bob Bowman. "We were very fortunate to get by them because they're an amazing team, but I'm very proud of our guys because they stepped up."
The Sun Devil men's "A" team (Zach Poti, Christian Lorenz, Andrew Porter, Cameron Craig) grabbed the first win in the 200 medley relay and took a commanding early lead by virtue of winning the next four individual events.
All-told the ASU men won 7 of 12 individual events, with Christian Lorenz (100 breast, 200 breast) and Zach Poti(100 back, 200 back) winning two apiece. Ben Olszewski (1000 free), Grant House (200 free), and Cameron Craig(100 free) also picked up victories on the men's side. Craig's 100 free time was the team's fastest of the season.
The men's race came down to the final event – the 200 free relay – as the Sun Devils were ahead by just 15 points going into the event. The "A" squad – Craig, Porter, Evan Carlson, and Patrick Park – stepped up once again to grab a crucial 11 points to secure victory while the "B" squad also picked up two points. Craig's startoff leg and Park's anchor leg were good for top-five ASU times in the 50 free this season.
"I think we gained some confidence last week at Cal and Stanford," said Bowman. "I thought we raced really well against those teams and I felt like if we just stayed positive and just keep moving forward, we'd be in a good place."
The breaststroke continued a strong event for the Sun Devil women, with ASU winning both events (Silja Kansakoski in the 100, Marlies Ross in the 200). Frida Kaellgren also posted a victory in women's diving in the 1-meter springboard, the team's highest score in the event of the season, finishing second in the 3-meter.
Reigning Pac-12 women's diver of the week Ashley McCool finished second (1-meter) and third (3-meter), respectively, while Youssef Selim also finished second (1-meter) and third (3-meter) in his events.
Looking ahead, Bowman concluded, "I'm very much looking forward to the Pac-12 Championships coming up in about three weeks. I think we're going to see some really good swimming and we're going to have some really good performances at NCAA's."
Next weekend, Arizona State closes the regular season playing host to their cross-state rival, No. 18/20 Arizona, on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 1 pm MT. The Territorial Cup point will be not be decided in the meet as that point is decided at Pac-12 Swimming & Diving Championships in February and March.
Texas Men's Release
TEMPE, Ariz. – No. 2 Texas collected seven individual wins, including two apiece from senior swimmer Joseph Schooling and freshman diver Jordan Windle, but No. 10 Arizona State prevailed by a 168-132 count Friday evening at ASU's Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.
Schooling collected the Longhorns' first win of the day with his mark of 1 minute, 44.48 seconds in the 200-yard butterfly. His classmate Ringgold led a one-two Texas finish atop the 50 freestyle at 20.11. Junior Tate Jackson followed closely behind at 20.36.
Haas led a one-two Longhorns finish in the 500 freestyle. Haas, the 2016 NCAA champion in the event as a true freshman, took the win at 4:25.42. Freshman Sam Pomajevich followed in second at 4:27.19.
Schooling notched his second victory of the afternoon with his 47.37 in the 100 butterfly. The Singaporean is a two-time NCAA champion and reigning Olympic champion in the event.
Freshman Jordan Windle led a dominant performance from the Texas divers with his sweep of the one-meter and three-meter events. The two-time World Championships qualifier won the three-meter event with 424.80 points while sophomore teammate Grayson Campbell took second at 378.90. Windle edged Arizona State's Youssef Selim for the victory on one-meter with 373.65 points.
Redshirt sophomore Ryan Harty trailed through the opening 50 yards of the 200 IM but took over on backstroke and breaststroke on his way to victory at 1:47.66.
Texas closes its weekend road swing at Arizona on Saturday (noon CT).
Texas Women's Release
TEMPE, Ariz. – No. 4 Texas (7-0) won 13 of 16 events and overpowered host Arizona State, 177-122 Friday evening at ASU's Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.
Texas opened the meet with a win in the 200-yard medley relay, where sophomore Claire Adams, juniors Olivia Anderson and Remedy Rule and senior Rebecca Millard were victorious in 1 minute, 40.30 seconds.
Junior Joanna Evans led from start to finish in the 1,000 freestyle and took the win at 9:53.29. Millard gave Texas its third straight victory with her 1:47.70 in the 200 freestyle before Adams claimed the 100 backstroke in 53.22, good for an NCAA "B" cut.
Sophomore Lauren Case topped the final standings in the 200 butterfly at 1:59.42, and Adams posted her second individual win in as many swims with her 49.58 in the 100 freestyle. Junior Quinn Carrozzawon the 200 backstroke with room to spare at 1:56.26, and freshman Evie Pfeifer put one in the win column with her 4:51.21 in the 500 freestyle.
Sophomore Alison Gibson claimed the three-meter diving event with 353.85 points. Redshirt junior Murphy Bromberg led the Longhorns on one-meter with her third-place total of 312.98 points.
Rule tacked on another with for the Longhorns in the 100 butterfly, where Texas claimed the top three spots. Rule was victorious at 54.32 while freshman Emily Reese and Case tied for second at 54.66.
Pfeifer picked up her second win of the meet with her 1:59.93 in the 200 IM. Texas elected to exhibition the final event given that the team win was well in hand. Nonetheless, the Longhorns were victorious at 1:31.43.
Texas heads to Tucson to meet Arizona on Saturday at noon CT.
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Evie Pfeifer
Joseph Schooling
Townley Haas
Curious? Which is more telling….ASU losing to Harvard or beating Texas?
Remember ASU won both boards and Harvard got 1-2 in the 500 and both got DQd?
WOW, Texas is losing all of their dual meets, at this point probably won't even be top 10 at NCAAs !!!!!
Reply to samuel huntington
I think they can at least get 7th or 8th
Bupwa
Reply to Taa
What are you people asking about? Texas will finish in the top 5
Reply to Bupwa
I was joking. They will probably win
SpicySirachaEH
So much hate in the comments section. I love it.
PsychoDad
Again, Eddie knows Texas may lose this year, so he is killing them, hoping they will hit the best taper and win it all when it matters. Eddie admits, when comes to taper, it is all a big guess, but every year he misses taper for few swimmers. If he is killing them that bad like never before, then even Eddie is in a new territory and he better hit this taper really well, or Texas loses.
Only schooling is more stable in his events (100 and 200 fly) in dual meets. No matter how tired he is, he is able to win though time is not very impressive. Hope he continues his winning streak.
A$AP POCKY
Dean Farris over everyone in 1 parsec
Swim Fan
Race is a race people! It's either you win or you lose. I don't think Haas pretended to lose; he lost the race in the 200 Free against 2 strong ASU contenders. Quit making excuses!!! Texas lost to an upcoming young team. ASU Sun Devils are certainly rising and are becoming contenders at NCAA's.
College swimming is about recruiting top swimmers in the nation or even worldwide, and that's what CAL did this past year and it's hard to compete against that! At ASU, it is greatly about developing these young talented recruits not only to be top swimmers but as national contenders! It is a process and the team is getting there. Way to Go Devils…??☀?
Justin Wright
Reply to Swim Fan
Sure, a win is a win. ASU is a great team with great swimmers. They smoke my team all the time lmao I'm just throwing out the fact that some teams don't need to use duel meets as a chance for good press which in the end is the only benefit of swimming well in them. Remember to @ me in your post after NC's and we will see if it's just as optimistic still.
Reply to Justin Wright
Justin Wright, if you are who you say you are…don't slack in your 200 Fly today! Be great in both 100-200 and do the schooling today in Tucson! ?
I tried ? After actually seeing the team I'm conviced they are for some reason actually not trying very hard in these meets. I mean shoot WE almost got em. As to the purpose of it, I couldn't tell ya.
Schooling beat Wright lol
Reply to ems
Yeah, I was there :'(
SwimSwimSwim, it must hurt to lose! This is what I love about swimming. Times don't pretend nor lie! A race is a race. The clock doesn't discriminate nor lie.
House's 1:35.88 beat Haas' 1:38.32. So, who was pretending to race…the winner House or the loser Haas?
Swimswimswim
Reply to Swimswimswim
Not yesterday! So at 1:38, Haas was a slacker and decided to lose in the 200 Free. Is that the most valid excuse here?
Must be nice to have the ability to turn that racing cap switch on or off, and when it is off, still be like… "man, great race at 1:38!"
Hold on, "Haas was a slacker and decided to lose in the 200 free." I'm pretty sure a multiple time NCAA champion, Olympic and World medalist, and NCAA/American record holder doesn't just decide he wants to lose his signature event. Sure his time was slow, and perhaps he didn't swim to the best of his ability for these circumstances, but considering how the rest of the team swam I don't think he had a 1:35 in him.
Saying he's a slacker and chose to takes away from his work ethic (which Eddie has complimented before) and takes away from House's win. We don't know his condition right now. Maybe he's got a slight cold, maybe Texas has been hitting… Read more »
swimmer1
Reply to Person
Townley is amazing. The texas boys will not disappoint in March.
It's weird a "swim fan" doesn't understand the sport of swimming. One or two races in a season are the only races that matter. Duel meets are basically a glorified practice.
Townley a loser? Because he lost a dual meet race? How many NCAA titles/American records/Olympic gold medals do you or House have?
Reply to Nah
Nah, no one is calling Haas a loser. Haas LOST the race yesterday against House and Craig. Did you see the race and the results?
And yes, the meet announcer yesterday made sure that everyone knew that Olympic Gold Medalist & NCAA Champion Haas was in the pool racing but eventfully, he lost the race behind House and Craig. House had the winning time of 1:35 and Haas lost the race and finished 3rd. If you don't already know, House is a Freshman and hasn't had a shot at NCAA's yet. Don't be too anxious Nah…he will be a champ one of these years!
Nah, no one is calling Haas a loser. Haas LOST the race yesterday against House and Craig. It is what it is! Did you see the race and the results? I don't know how and why Haas' loss needs to be sugarcoated?!
And yes, the meet announcer yesterday made sure that everyone knew that Olympic Gold Medalist & NCAA Champion Haas was in the pool racing! But eventfully, he lost the race behind House and Craig. Again, it is what it is!!! House had the winning time of 1:35 and Haas lost the race and finished 3rd. If you don't already know, House is only a Freshman and hasn't had a shot at NCAA's; this year is his first! Don't… Read more »
Dudeman
Literally no one is arguing that Haas didn't lose the race, we can all see that, no need to be spastic about it
Townley has been hanging around Clark Smith too much.
Bay City Tex
Reply to Swimmer
You mean the Clark Smith who dominated the distance events and set records in the N.C.'s
last year?
I think it's hilarious when people get excited about "beating" a living legend who isn't in their top racing form! Ha! In reality, unless it's a taper meet. You have nothing to be excited about. I'm not saying House isn't fast…. but you haven't REALLY beat Townley unless you've beaten him Tapered.
About Robert Gibbs
More from Robert Gibbs
Unsuited NC State Men Nearly Get Under 1:24 in Medley Relay During Day 2 Dominance
Mason Mathias Breaks Zane Grothe's Auburn Record; Bama Women Secure Win On Final Relay
NC State Men Rock 1:16.31 200 Free Relay On First Day Of Showdown Against UVA and UNC
Ramadan's 45.5 Fly and 42.6 Free Leadoff Help Propel Virginia Tech Men Past Virginia
Kelly Pash Wins Four Individual Events to Lead Texas Women Over Alabama and Ohio State


Discussion in 'Pickups & Electronics [BG]' started by AndersK2, Nov 1, 2001.
Has anybody compared DiMarzio UltraJazz and Fender Original '62s or Custom Shop '60s?
I have read the Bass Player Magazine shootout and searched the web, so I would like your opinon.
I have the UltraJazz pups on my MIM Jazz and am playing with the thought of a change.
I'm not a big fan of the CS 60's--they seem to lack clarity. On the other hand, I was really surprised with the Ultra Jazz pickups that came stock on my Modulus Genesis VJ. I didn't think I would like them, but they seem to be pretty good approximations of a vintage Jazz without the hum. I think to come even closer, you might want to try a set of Fralins.
Is there something specific you're trying to accomplish with the switch?
Well. better sound.. ha, ha.
I have just changed my strings to new and found that this gave me back, much of the things I missed I the sound. The metalic, hard character disappeard and the deep soft bottom came back. The strings were worn out!
So I am rather content with my sound at the moment, but still curious if I could get an even better sound, aren´t we all?
I want a real deep, soft, thumpy bottom with even mids and highs with some bite when I want it.
I use D'Addario XL170s, because I like the lack of metalic sound in them.
So it would be nice to hear if someone have compared these pups.
Of course it's just my opinion, but I think that the UltraJazz do a better job of what you described than the CS 60's. I guess I just wasn't very impressed by those particular Fender pickups. On the other hand, when you mentioned your tonal "goal," I immediately thought Fralin.
Yeah, maybe I will stick to them for so long.
By the way Funkycarnivore, have you tried the Fralins?
Heh heh...I'm a big fan! My main recording bass was an American Standard Jazz with Fralins and it was incredible. I traded it away to get an Ashdown amp, which was a good move, but I still miss that bass. IMO, they are the best of the best. Lindy Fralin really knows what he's doing as far as the vintage thing.
FunkyC, I saw at your site the Ashdown gear.
Do you think the Boxter would match a Mesa Diesel 1x15 ? The Mesa has a sensitivity of 103 dB.
What I want to add is more volume, punch and clarity. And a small cab that is easier to carry than the Mesa. My amp is an ABM 300.
The Boxter is an incredible cab; very efficient and loud and deep. I don't think they're making it anymore--at least not for the U.S.--so that could be a problem.


Make a cute little yarn critter with this simple yarn octopus craft. Once you get the hang of it, you can make a whole family of octopi. Once you get the hang of it, you can make a whole family of octopi.... This was the octopus costume I helped create for my friend last halloween. It came out really well...after this he put some fabric under the tentacles so that it resembled water...but I never got a photo of that.
Now this part is a little tricky. Take the shape you just cut out and fold the 4 squares in. put a little bit of glue on the outsides of the squares, and push the shape into the head of the octopus and let it dry.
Octopus Crafts Octopus Painting Paper Fish Easy Crafts To Make Paper Mache Crafts Paper Mache Sculpture Arts And Crafts Projects Creative Crafts Craft Tutorials Forwards This Halloween I decided that an octopus craft was in order—a creepy paper mache octopus, to be exact.


text:
Q: Modify dictionary [String: [String]] How can I insert and delete values in a dictionary like this?
var example: [String: [String]]

In commit editingStyle I necessity remove value:
    if editingStyle == .delete {

       if indexPath.row >= 1 {

        let key = tableViewData[indexPath.section].dog
        let value = tableViewData[indexPath.section].name[indexPath.row - 1]

        let sections = IndexSet.init(integer: indexPath.section)
        tableView.reloadSections(sections, with: .none)

        DataManager.shared.example.removeValue(forKey: key[value])

        }

  }

Thanks!

A: If I understand you correctly you want to add and remove from the array that belongs to a given key in the dictionary
To add:
example[key]?.append(value)

Remove:
if let index = example[key]?.firstIndex(of: value) {
    example[key]?.remove(at: index)
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Nayanika Mathur, in her book 'Paper Tiger: Law, Bureaucracy and the Developmental State in Himalayan India', details the troubles that a tiger causes in a small village in Northern India. She argues that the progressive developmental laws and policies that were put in place by the Indian state to safe-guard the villagers in situations like these, were in fact never implemented because of the complicated and ineffective bureaucracy. The excessive emphasis on 'paper'(documents) instead of the 'real' scenario, she notes through an extensive ethnography, becomes the reason for this inefficiency. This emphasis gets in the way of ever actualizing the goals of well-intentioned laws and policies.
Today similarly, a lot of emphasis is placed on technology, increasingly on AI. Most offices rely on biometric devices to log the entry and exit of their employees. Universities record students' attendance using biometric technology too. The presence of an individual is no longer proof of their presence. Many universities even have algorithms for the student selection process. Traffic systems have also 'evolved' to include CCTV cameras. In the past year, there has also been some discussion over the introduction of drones to track the implementation of lockdown protocols. Machines such as these do more than just the work of an attendance recording register, or that of a camera. They are fed with data that they store and utilize to analyze people and places through the lens.
For instance, the college attendance biometric devices not only record the students' time of arrival and exist, but also their fingerprints, eye prints, and even facial identity. This data is connected to the name, gender, age, grades, and every other piece of information about the student that the college holds. This includes sensitive information such as the student's medical history, their parents' income levels etc. Similarly, the CCTV cameras on the road, are programmed sometimes to recognize individual's faces to track people who flout norms. In this situation however, there is a lot more at stake. The city and the state hold all the records of the entire population. The systems are fed with this data, and are then trusted to make accurate matches of data with people. This strikes an overwhelming similarity with what Mathur notes about the increasing emphasis on 'paper' rather than the real. In this case, it is the algorithm that is trusted over people. However, this does not always work in a fair and indiscriminatory manner. The installation of such devices is supposedly well-intentioned, however, just like the policies and laws that Mathur talks about, they seldom translate.
Michel Foucault, a French sociologist, formulated the concept of 'Governmentality' to define the rational form of governance that is the modern nation state. In his conceptualization, he posits that the modern nation state designs systems to 'define' populations in such a way that makes it easier to govern a diverse people. Defining a population often means creating categories based on the visible and knowable factors of persons, for the purposes of easy governance. This system is not always very effective because it seeks to define people through an 'outside-in' approach. This is because the origin of this approach goes back to the colonial era. For example, in colonial India, the vast diversities of the Indian population — the varied castes and communities (differing across regions), were reduced into four simple overarching categories (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras) for the sake of easy control. These categories unfortunately exist till date, and have formed the basis of many contemporary laws and policies too. The state's lack of understanding of the diversity of the Indian population reduces people's identities into neat categories that nullify their varied cultures. They are broad generalizations, and are often insensitive or simply inaccurate.
The algorithms of surveillance that are fed with data like this, thus follow the same pattern of inaccuracy and insensitivity. Just like the police, and other officials in power, who use a method of 'profiling' based on population categories such as race or sexuality to detect criminals, the AI based facial recognition technology recognizes faced based on similar generalizations and categories, resulting in inaccurate conclusions. For example, a campus study in UCLA by a prominent tech company's facial recognition software returned at least 58 false positives linking students to criminal records. The results also showed that "the vast majority of incorrect matches were of people of color." When such AI based facial recognition technology for surveillance are deployed over people in public, the issue of consent is vastly overlooked.
Foucault, in his conceptualization of Governmentality, also highlights that in a rational form of government such as the modern nation state, whereby people are defined as populations, the citizens actively consent to being governed. This consent to be governed, in the modern nation state that is intertwined with technology, translates into widespread surveillance. The point of contention is now that the consent of the individual to be surveilled is taken as a given since it is meant to be in the interest of the population to be safeguarded against any threats.
For instance, in England, an AI based facial recognition technology was used by the police to detect criminals. This method most often involved a major invasion of people's privacies and personal space based on the wrongful conclusions that the algorithm drew. This issue of consent was highlighted, with particular examples, in the Netflix documentary 'Coded Bias'. The documentary records an instance, whereby an English man refuses to reveal his face to the facial recognition algorithm. This refusal resulted in a conflict with the law enforcement. He was accused of 'obstructing' the safety enforcement by the law. The man was finally forced to cooperate with the surveillance. His individual will to refuse to be subjected to the lens of an untrustworthy AI technology that is prone to biased errors, was overlooked by the state sanctioned law enforcement officers. If AI is so prone to errors, why does the state and the law place so much faith in it?
The military and defense industries define AI as 'autonomous systems' that they can rely on for various purposes. Oliver Thorn (now Abigail), an academic-turned-youtuber, argues in her 2018 lecture to the students of The Hague University, about the ethics of use of AI in warfare, that the use of such a definition of AI is very misleading in terms of what the technology can really. That AI is not autonomous by any stretch. Janelle Shane, in her Ted talk about the dangers of AI, very specifically mentions that "the problem with AI is not that it has its own goal, but that it does exactly what we tell it to do." Clearly, she too agrees that AI is not autonomous. However, people continue to place so much faith in the technology because it is sanctioned by powerful national and international bodies. The modern nation state's power hinges on the population's faith in the autonomy and credibility of AI, very much like the collective faith citizens hold in their government identity card, or any other piece of paper that the government signs off on. The credibility of AI, and other state sponsored algorithms play an important role in governance i.e., surveillance. This form of surveillance is not simply meant for detecting criminals accurately, but is more importantly meant to be internalized by the people. A collective fear of being detected by unquestionable state sanctioned algorithms further re-instills the state's legitimacy and power over its populations.
When AI and algorithms are created by powerful people for their own ends and goals, such a perception of AI's autonomy is very problematic. Virginia Eubanks, a scholar who studies the entanglements between AI and inequality, highlights that "the most punitive, most invasive, most surveillance-focused tools that we have, go to the poor and working-class communities first". Cathy O'Neil, a mathematician and the author of the book 'Weapons of Math Destruction', echoes Eubanks' point. She notes that "the people who own the code (or AI, or algorithm) then deploy it on
other people. There is no symmetry of power here". It seems as though the combination of AI and power, results in a world that the powerful want. This creates an illusion of autonomy of AI technology, when in fact it is the power that the technology is backed by, making the technology a weapon in the hands of the powerful — a weapon of mass destruction indeed.
Increasingly, the use of AI in the world's major militaries has cast it in a new light in terms of what it means to the nation state. It takes on a nationalistic and patriotic value, whereby questioning the legitimacy of the state sponsored AI, is akin to doubting the nations credibility. In countries that host nationalistic politics, the risk of creating dangerous AI is higher because of a lack of dissent and critique. The danger here does not lie in the capacity of the weapon to think autonomously. The danger lies in the intention of the military body that writes the code for the weapon to act on. The coder then cannot go back on it based on human, ethical considerations. The AI will act on it, and this has damaging implications while talking about mass destruction weapons. This is precisely what Janelle Shane refers to as the single biggest 'danger' of AI, in her Ted talk.
It is clear that AI-based technology and algorithms are flawed, and that they make discriminatory conclusions, based on generalized data. It is important to note thus that AI technology and algorithms are not autonomous, and that such modes of intrusive surveillance need not always be consented to. The conclusions drawn by AI must be questioned, their codes rewritten, and the owners of the algorithm held responsible for weaponizing technology against the vulnerable. The modern nation state is built on the consensus of people to be governed by elected people, and not by Artificial Intelligence.
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