During the month of August, Public Citizen and our partners are celebrating the tenth anniversary of passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), a law that has made products, especially children's toys, safer.
When Congress passed the original Consumer Product Safety Act in 1972, it not only created the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission), but gave it the Commission the authority to impose monetary penalties against product manufacturers for placing unsafe products into the marketplace. Civil penalties serve as an important tool to discourage companies from cutting corners when manufacturing products that could result in injury or death, and they also create an incentive to ensure that manufacturers quickly report product defects.
The CPSIA amended the Consumer Product Safety Act in several important ways, including by increasing the cap on penalties from $8,000 to $100,000 per violation, and from $1.825 million to $15 million for a series of related violations.
Over the last ten years, the CPSC has used its broadened authority wisely and has increased the amount that it imposes on companies. Earlier this year, for example, the CPSC imposed a record fine against Polaris, a recreational off-road vehicle (ROV) manufacturer for multiple product safety violations including, among other things, failing to notify the CPSC about defects in some of their ROVs. By the time Polaris notified the Commission, the company had received 150 complaints about ROVs catching fire, including a fire that resulted in the death of a 15 year old passenger. The fine against Polaris was the largest ever civil penalty imposed by the CPSC.
Despite the anomaly of the Polaris fine, which was imposed by the CPSC in the second quarter of 2018, the overall dip in enforcement actions is likely due to new leadership at the agency. CPSC Acting Chair Ann Marie Buerkle has consistently voted against imposing civil penalties on companies. In fact, our report noted that during her tenure (both as acting chair and a commissioner), Buerkle voted against imposing penalties "in 16 out of 21 instances for companies that failed to report problems with their products." Buerkle's seeming aversion to using civil penalties is one of the reasons why Public Citizen spoke out in October 2017 in opposition to her nomination to be the permanent head of the CPSC.
Congress empowered the CPSC with the responsibility of imposing penalties on companies when they place dangerous products into the marketplace and fail to report or otherwise open consumers up to injury or death. Civil penalties are a tool that should be used robustly, both to protect consumers against harm and to carry out Congress's intent when it increased the CPSC's civil penalty authority a decade ago. We hope that the agency reverses the current trend under Buerkle and instead goes back toward imposing meaningful civil penalties on corporate wrongdoers in furtherance of its important mission to ensure that only safe products make into the marketplace.
This month, Apple became the first publicly-traded American company to reach $1 trillion in market value. It is now one of the most powerful companies in the world both in revenue and in the share of the market that it holds. In 2017, Apple took home 79% of the global profit share for smartphones. What does this milestone mean for American consumers?
Megacompany monopolization is not unique to Apple, or even the tech industry. Five banks control half of all assets in the American financial system. Thirty publicly traded companies collect half of the profits produced by all publicly traded companies in the market. According to Business Insider, the difference between how much it costs American companies to make products and how much they make selling products—a mechanism that experts use to measure how much power companies have in the marketplace—is at the highest level since 1950.
When companies consolidate, it makes it harder for plucky startups to gain a foothold as a competitor. As a result, consumers have fewer options, which can drive prices up and innovation down.
Apple has spent decades fostering a consumer-invested ecosystem where users become so familiar and comfortable with its products that it's difficult to switch another company. This ecosystem is so strong that other companies struggle to create similar systems, effectively allowing Apple to monopolize the market. However, Apple is not the only tech titan set to monopolize the market. Only about 1% of smartphone consumers use an operating system that is not made by Apple or Google.
In industries where corporate consolidation is rampant, such as the tech field, workers' share of the overall pie is shrinking because these merged companies are focused on efficiency and need fewer workers to perform the necessary jobs, which means fewer people employed in quality, high paying jobs. This leads to an overall decline of the share of the nation's wealth that goes to workers. In addition, while Apple's valuation soared to new heights this week, it is aggressively outsourcing its workforce out of the country, taking advantage of poorly-paid workers in other countries and robbing Americans of good jobs.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis long ago warned against the "curse of bigness" in corporate power. During the Progressive Era of the 1910s and 1920s, American trustbusters sought to rein-in excessive corporate power by enacting bold laws such as the Clayton and Sherman Act, and the Federal Trade Commission Act, which created the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to protect competition. However federal antitrust enforcement, the Department of Justice and the FTC, have not used their enforcement powers robustly to curb excessive concentration. Market commentators may argue that stopping companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon from driving out their competitors from the marketplace is impossible. But they are wrong. Congress can fix our antitrust laws to stop companies from growing so big that they stamp out all competition, and Public Citizen will continue to advocate for strong antitrust laws and enforcement that protects consumers against corporate monopolies.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has the authority to file complaints against individuals when the law is being violated and when it believes doing so would be in the public interest. This month, the FTC flexed that power by bringing strong enforcement actions against several auto dealerships that allegedly ripped off consumers.
In court filings, the FTC alleged that Tate Auto, a collection of auto dealerships—Tate's Auto Center of Winslow, Tate's Automotive, Tate Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, and Tate's Auto Center of Gallup—engaged in illegal business practices since 2014. Tate apparently doctored financial information after consumers signed documents by inflating income information consumers provided during the sales process in order to be more likely to be accepted for third-party financing companies. In one example cited in the complaint, a consumer reported his monthly income as $1,000, but the application stated income to be $4,896. As a result, consumers were approved for financing based on false information—that they had adequate income to pay back the loans—but then ended up defaulting on their loans at higher rates than qualified buyers. Many of the impacted consumers came from a nearby Navajo reservation, from which Tate's would solicit customers.
In addition to falsifying consumer finance information, the complaint alleged that Tate engaged in deceptive advertisement offers by, for example, failing to disclose thousands of dollars in upfront fees for purchasing or leasing vehicles and did not disclose the conditions needed to meet discount offers on certain vehicles.
In these overly partisan times, it was striking that all five FTC commissioners voted unanimously to bring this action against Tate's. Also, it was an historic action since, as the Commission noted, this is the first action that it has taken alleging income falsification by auto dealers. Notably, the FTC worked closely with the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission to investigate the claim.
This investigation proved that the FTC can be a strong bipartisan enforcer against unfair and deceptive practices, and we hope that the agency will continue to take bold enforcement action like this on behalf of consumers.


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Ugwuanyi receives Enugu/US-born international basketball star
Governor Ugwuanyi Ifeanyi of Enugu State, on Friday, received the US-born international basketball forward and Captain of the Nigeria Women's National Team, Adaora Elonu, who hails from Okpatu in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, at the Government House, Enugu. Elonu who also plays basketball in Spain and the US...... more
Nigeria name Ndidi, Osimhen, 26 others in 28-man AFCON final list
Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen has named his 28-final list of the Super Eagles of Nigeria for the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6, 2022. Former Nigeria captain Eguavoen, who coached the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the finals in Egypt...... more
Former Super Falcons' goalkeeper, Ayegba, turns bus driver in UK
A former goalkeeper of the Nigerian women's national football team, Rachael Aladi Ayegba, has turned into a bus driver in the United Kingdom. Ayegba played in the 2007 Women's World Cup, the 2006 and 2008 African Women's Championships and had an 11-year stint as a pro in Finland, winning the league...... more
Ballon d'Or 2021: Messi wins record-extending seventh award
Paris Saint-Germain superstar, Lionel Messi, has won this year's Ballon d'Or award. Messi won the prize ahead of Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski, who finished in second place. The 34-year-old, who left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, has 24 goals in 28 league games this calendar year and led Argentina...... more
Manchester United appoint Ralf Rangnick interim manager
Manchester United have appointed Ralf Rangnick as interim manager, a statement on the club's official website said on Monday. Rangnick will hold the position until the end of the season, subject to work visa requirements. United also announced that Rangnick will continue in a consultancy role for a further two years...... more
Manchester United sack manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer
Manchester United have announced that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has left his role as manager. This was disclosed in a statement on the club's website on Sunday following a 4-1 loss to Watford in the English Premier League on Saturday. "Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is...... more
Tottenham sack Nuno Espirito Santo, set to appoint Conte
Nuno Espirito Santo has been sacked by Tottenham after only four months in charge, with Antonio Conte set to be drafted in as his replacement. Nuno was appointed permanent successor to Jose Mourinho in June, with Spurs handing him an initial two-year contract. That agreement has been terminated early in the...... more
Barcelona sack coach Ronald Koeman
Barcelona have parted ways with coach Ronald Koeman after a series of losses that includes a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday. Club President, Joan Laporta, informed him of the decision after the defeat against Rayo Vallecano that left the club languishing in 9th position on the league table. A...... more
I got into trouble, left Nigeria for supporting #EndSARS campaign – Davido
'Fem' crooner Davido has disclosed how he got into trouble and left the country for supporting the #EndSARS campaign. The DMW boss disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking of how 'Fem' became an anthem for the #EndSARS protest during a chat on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. He stated he...... more
Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua, becomes heavyweight champion
Anthony Joshua's reign as world heavyweight champion ended in London on Saturday after he was defeated by Oleksandr Usyk. Oleksandr Usyk is crowned as the new unified world heavyweight champion after a unanimous decision win over Anthony Joshua with scores of 117-112, 116-112, 115-113. Usyk has become the third boxer after...... more
FIFA President visits Buhari, presents Jersey No. 10 to him
FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Thursday, paid a visit to the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, at the State House in Abuja. Infantino has been in Nigeria since Wednesday, September 15 and watched the Super Falcons of Nigeria beat Mali 2-0 in the opening game of the Aisha Buhari Cup. In the photos released from the...... more
Fr Mbaka vows to follow Messi to PSG, give reasons
The Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka, has vowed to support Paris Saint-Germain, PSG, after the signing of Lionel Messi. Mbaka explained that goodness will follow Messi to PSG because he is a gift to football and this generation. Addressing his members on Saturday, the...... more
Olympics: Ten Nigerian athletes banned from Tokyo
Ten Nigerian athletes have been declared ineligible to participate at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), reducing the country's hope of clinching more medals at the event. The athletes were said to have failed to meet the minimum testing requirements under Rule 15 of...... more
Olympics: Nigerian official hospitalised in Tokyo after positive COVID-19 test
A Nigerian Olympic official has been hospitalised after testing positive for COVID-19 on arrival in Japan, The PUNCH reports. The official, in his 60s, tested positive on Thursday evening at the airport with mild symptoms and pre-existing conditions, a local television station TV Asahi stated, without giving further details. He is the first...... more
Nigerian footballer Kelvin Odenigbo drowns in Belarus lake
Nigerian footballer, and FC Vitebsk player Kelvin Odenigbo was found dead in lake Beloye, Belarus, following a drowning incident on Saturday night. FC Vitebsk published a statement on its official Instagram handle on Sunday, along with a black-and-white image of the deceased 20-year-old.m player. According to the club, employees of the...... more
UCL final: Chelsea beat Man City to win Champions League
Photo: Chelsea's Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta (R) celebrates with the trophy after winning the UEFA Champions League final football match at the Dragao stadium in Porto on May 29, 2021. (Photo by PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU / POOL / AFP) Chelsea have defeated Manchester City 1-0 to win the Champions League in Porto...... more
Liverpool and Chelsea secure Champions League qualification, Leicester miss out
Liverpool and Chelsea secured a place in next season's Champions League at the expense of Leicester City, on a dramatic final day of the Premier League season. Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 2-0 to finish third, while Chelsea — who play in next week's Champions League final — came fourth despite a...... more
I was written off but never gave up – Iheanacho
Leicester City's in-form striker, Kelechi Iheanacho, says he never lost faith in himself while going through a rough patch in his career, adding that he was confident that he would return to form. Iheanacho had his worst ever scoring run of his professional career in 2019, failing to score in over...... more
Delta emerge winners of National Sports Festival
Team Delta has won the 20th edition of the National Sports Festival held in Edo State between April 2 to 14. Team Edo, the host, came second with 129 gold, 104 silver, and 108 bronze while Team Bayelsa finished a third with 56 gold, 55 silver, and 58 bronze. Team Delta...... more
South Africa's Motsepe elected CAF president
Sole candidate South African Patrice Motsepe was confirmed as Confederation of African Football (CAF) president in Rabat Friday, and pleaded for unity as he seeks to fix the troubled organisation."Africa needs collective wisdom, but also the exceptional talent and wisdom of every (national football association) president and every member nation," he...... more
Thomas Tuchel appointed Chelsea coach
Thomas Tuchel was appointed Chelsea manager on an 18-month contract on Tuesday, tasked with hauling the underperforming Blues back into the Champions League next season. The 47-year-old German replaces the sacked Frank Lampard to become the 13th Chelsea boss since Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003. AFP ...... more
Enugu State celebrates Christian Chukwu at 70
The Enugu State government has congratulated the iconic former Nigerian international football player and national coach, who is an illustrious son of the state, Chairman Christian Chukwu, on his attainment of 70 years. In a statement, the Enugu State Commissioner for Information, Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh, said that the government and the...... more
American footballer Jordan shoots self dead
American football player, Ty Jordan has died after he accidentally shot himself in the hip at his home in Denton, Texas The Christmas Day incident happened months after the 19-year-old University of Utah student lost his mother to cancer. Jordan died at a hospital in Dallas where he was rushed to...... more
Maradona autopsy shows no drink, illegal drugs
Diego Maradona's autopsy has revealed that the Argentina legend had no signs of alcohol or narcotics consumption at the time of his death. The 1986 World Cup winner died of a heart attack on 25 November at the age of 60. The autopsy said Maradona had problems with his kidneys, heart...... more
Joshua knocks out Pulev to retain world heavyweight titles
British-Nigerian boxer, Anthony Joshua, knocked out Bulgarian boxer, Kubrat Pulev, in the ninth round of their world title bout at the SSE Arena, Wembley, to retain his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. The fight is Joshua's first since reclaiming his belts from Andy Ruiz in December 2019 in...... more
Football legend, Diego Maradona dies at 60
Football legend Diego Maradona has died at the age of 60. The former Argentina attacking midfielder and manager had successful surgery on a brain blood clot earlier in November. It was then announced he was to be treated for alcohol dependency. One of the greatest players of all time,...... more
Liverpool star Salah tests positive again for coronavirus
Liverpool and Egypt star, Mohamed Salah tested positive for the coronavirus, for the second time on Friday, the Egyptian Football Association (FA) said. Salah was in Cairo for the African Nations Cup qualifier match against Togo. The Egyptian FA further disclosed more bad news, announcing that three other players from the...... more
Maradona to undergo brain surgery
Diego Maradona will undergo surgery for a subdural hematoma within hours, a source with knowledge of the situation and local media said on Tuesday. The former Argentina football star had been hospitalised since Monday night for anaemia and dehydration, though his condition had been improving, his personal doctor said earlier in...... more
Omeruo, Simon, 11 others hit Eagles' camp
Experienced defender Kenneth Omeruo and striker Moses Simon led 11 other stars to the Super Eagles' Hotel die Zeit an der Glan in Austria Monday ahead of the international friendly matches against African champions Algeria and Africa's number two –ranked team, Tunisia. Omeruo and Simon were joined by Samuel Kalu, Chidera...... more
Osimhen must keep working harder –Gattuso
Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso has told Victor Osimhen in clear terms that his goals for the Partenopei in pre-season counts for 'nothing'as he looks set to lead the team's attack ahead of the new season. The Nigeria international bagged his second hat-trick for Napoli in their 4-0 win over Italian third...... more
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


YLS Happy Hour "Annual School Supply Drive"
Please join the Young Lawyers Section for the Annual School Supply Drive Happy Hour.
This event is part of the Young Lawyers Section School Supply Drive.
You do not have to be a "young" attorney to attend this Happy Hour.
1 Free drink ticket per person and free appetizers!
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Pine Grove Elementary School.


I met Ralph many years ago as a patient in my office...I knew immediately he was special! I was saddened on Saturday morning when I realized he had passed the day before!
When I met Ralph he told me about his wife...the love of his life...who passed a few years before. She had finished her arduous battle with breast cancer. When I was diagnosed he reached out to me through his daughter. When we began having fundraisers, he was there! He said something to me that night at the Fireside Gril that will stay with me forever. I had been thanking him for coming and he took my hands in his, looked me in the eyes and said, "where else would I be, you were always there for me!" That was Ralph Farrella...one of the kindest men I have ever known! And Now Heaven has a special angel! He was a caring, loving, vibrant man, father, grandfather & friend! I will miss him always!
My heart goes out to all of his family...but I know he is with his wife again...shining down on the family they made together... a family as beautiful as the man who raised them!
I felt I needed to pay homage to this special man...tomorrow I promise to share the pics and info from our last fundraiser and info on our next fundraisers!
As always, consider helping us help others battling this unfair disease...the only way we can....day by day!
As many of you know, we have once again been invited to the 3rd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Photo Shoot in Connecticut. Last year we had a great turn out of many of my family and friends from High School.
Today I decided to share the event on our Shelton High School Class of "75" page as well as I Grew Up In Shelton Ct page.
I was immediately contacted by post, message and emails. Some from my old friends, some were friends of my late brother...some I only knew of from school.
The messages were clearly supportive...that support touched my heart!
The "Valley", as my hometown area is known as, has always had a small town feel. I made many friends through out my years there...many I had not seen in way over 35 years. When a few of us touched base on FaceBook and decided to have a small gathering I was amazed at the people who came out to see me!! It touched my heart and reconnected me with some VERY special friends from my VERY early years! About a year later I was diagnosed with cancer, went through treatment, lost my hair, was very sick...and kind of stayed away! Then my brother died. So many of those same people came from all over to pay their respects or leave a message and send a donation in his honor. Again, I was touched.
I continued to stay in touch with a select few people as I recovered and eventually we decided we should get together...I was worried...I was different...my hair was just growing back and it was silver now!! Not exactly how I want old friends to see me! When I mentioned my concern the out pouring from my friends was thoughtful and loving. I remember Joe telling me he had been going bald for years..."what's the big deal!!"
I am grateful everyday for that connection because it is that connection that brought Sharon and Richie back into my life. Back at a time that Richie needed support and guidance...and Sharon needed a friend to confide in! I was blessed to be there for them the way others had been there for me.
Last year when we were invited to the Photo Shoot Event I reached out to some of my friends and mentioned it. Needless to say MANY of them came out...family and friends!! The organization was pleased! Sharon and Richie were among those that came...in his pink shirt to honor me...It is a day that will forever remain in my heart.
Later that evening many of us joined together...some of us knowing that Rich would soon be finishing his battle. It made him feel good...the way old friends can do! We spent that evening remembering the old days and praying for MORE days!
So, now we have been invited again...and we are happy to do so...but we are smaller by one...Rich did finish his battle and it will hurt a little when we come together and he isn't physically with us ( I know he will be there in spirit)! But when I posted the invite on the pages the people from my hometown made me proud of where and with whom I came from!
Donna, Darlyne, Ann, Frankie, Sharon, Eileen, Linda...so many!! It warms my heart to know I come from a place where people still care about others...even if they don't see them everyday or maybe haven't seen them in over 38 years!! Many of you have decided to come to the photo shoot, some will meet up the night before, some live far away and have made donations to our foundation!! But all of you have WARMED my HEART!! Thank you...it is with people like you that this dream I have of easing the burden for families battling this unfair disease can become a reality!! Thank you for being a part of my dream...and helping us help others the only way we can....day by day.
So with September well underway and the first day of school behind us, our next event is on the front burner!!
Angels Among Us is coming up fast! September 27th. The final details should all be in place on Wednesday after our final meeting with the hotel.
We are very excited to have an opportunity to see so many of our great supporters and meet so many new ones! We have people coming in from Connecticut (my family), Pennsylvania and even Texas!! It's wonderful that our cause can reach so many near and far! It also shows that cancer touches so many families everywhere!
We hope to have an opportunity to touch the hearts of people and get them to donate time, money or what ever works for them. To show them the "faces of cancer"...the effects it has on an entire family. The concept of "paying it forward"!
We are in the planning stages of our final event of 2013...Cookies, Milk & Stories with Santa! Not a big money maker but a give back to a community that is very supportive of our mission! Maybe some one reading this would like to help or has some ideas...? Please let us know!
We are also projecting on events for 2014/2015. We will keep you up to date and I can tell you we will need PEOPLE!! So keep your eyes open & prepare yourself to find what works for you...in what way can you help change the lives of people battling for the life of their family member. We all have something we can contribute. It doesn't have to be money, it can be time, a ride, a meal, help with paperwork or just a hand to hold with a comforting word. Some times it takes so little to mean so much!
So, get prepared...We are coming for you!! Wouldn't it make your day to assist a family battling this unfair disease...help us help them... the only way we can...day by day!
I have started and stopped so many blogs in the past month...just couldn't seem to handle the anniversary of Aunt Jackie's battle ending, Sharon losing her son, the changes in my health...just couldn't seem to complete a thought on paper/computer of sadness.
But, Here, as I lie awake, on the eve of our youngest child entering High School...all I can think is...Nancy and I have made another Milestone!! How Lucky are we!!
I try my best to live each day as if it could be my last...I believe we all should...Life is too short for anything else! I am enjoying watching my youngest grow into a wonderful young man. To see my other 3 become adults happy in their lives...chasing their OWN dreams...not always perfect...but continually moving forward. Hopefully carrying some of the life lessons we tried to impart to them!
We enjoy sharing our lives and looking to create memories for all of our children, grandchildren, family and friends!
I guess that is the answer I have for friends and family when they ask if I am crazy for all the entertaining and other crazy things I do. I just know that the only things we leave behind are MEMORIES!!
I know the memories I carry with me of my brother, Aunt Jackie, Lou, Richie and so many other family and friends that have finished their life on this plane, are what carry me through it all! It is my goal to do the same. To leave that lasting memory for my children, my grandchildren, my family & friends. And if in living my life this way, I impart some life lesson for their future, then all the better!!
So when you have the occasion to be with us at our home for a party...remember...or a holiday...or just a dinner...REMEMBER!! They do tend to be memorable...!!
Yesterday we set out to have our "End Of Summer, Welcome to High School" family party. The day was beautiful. Great friends, great food, great kids!! Pretty memorable if you ask me!! But we ended the evening with Christian smashing his face causing a near fractured nose and split open mouth, inside and out!! PRETTY memorable!! Could have done without it...BUT...oh well...we were just sorry the party ended so abruptly! The memories we hope to have imparted was the closeness that was shared, how relaxed and welcomed we all felt together. The memory of watching that many young people sing, play, share and care about one another. We are a group of Blessed parents...we have that in common!
Today we shared the day with our two little granddaughters...we made memories...we made necklaces, sailed the tree house ship, ate brownies and just loved each other. They are only 3 yrs old and 8 months. How many memories can I make in what ever lifetime I have?? AS MANY AS POSSIBLE!!!
So to all of you who share my life in some way....big or small...remember for me it's all about memories....Leaving so much more then a carbon foot print... memories on the souls of those we touch!
So, now you understand...most will still say I am a little crazy...but crazy serious about living my life as if I am dying.
I hope everyone gets the chance to live like they are dying!!
On that note...I am heading to sleep...to prepare for memory making...to see our youngest of 4 heading off for his first day of High School!!
Tomorrow I hope to blog about all our up coming events and the ways you can help us help a family battling this unfair disease the only way we can....Day By Day!
Each day I try to remember how blessed I have been in my life...some days this can be difficult...and THEN...some thing happens that reminds me!!
In my blogs I have frequently mentioned my dear friend Rich, who we lost a few months back, and his sister Sharon...my High School friends...Sharon has experienced a terrible void with Rich gone...enough for anyone to have to live through...and just when you think it can't get any worse...my dear sweet friend has now lost her son, Dan, to a terrible accident! Just a young man at the cusp of his life...and a mother & father's hearts are broken! A family, not yet healed from the loss of one family member, now has to learn how to move forward after another tragic loss!
The important thing to take away from all of this AGAIN....Life is short...we never know what lays around that next corner. Mending fences, random acts of kindness, paying it forward, being present in the moment, giving forgiveness, embracing the positive life has to offer...realizing anything can be worked out as long as you are still here.
So, yes once again, I can say I am blessed...with a great family, great "new" friends, great "long ago" friends and the lessons life is teaching me each and everyday...take chances, share your happiness, forgive freely, LOVE with all your heart!! and always...LIVE LIKE YOU ARE DYING because tomorrow is not guaranteed!!!
Keep my friends Sharon & Dave and their family in your thoughts and prayers...they can use them...and Sharon, I hope you find some comfort knowing Danny is safe tonight in the fold of his Uncle's love!! I Love you my dear sweet friend!!
You must know that this didn't keep me down!!!
We had a meeting last night with 2 lovely ladies...Gloria Cirulli and Marcy Gitterman!! They are well seasoned event planned with a great deal of fundraising experience! We are excited to say they will be pairing up with us to plan next year's BIG event...Our First Annual Golf Outing & Gala! We are looking at fall 2014 so the planning is just beginning....but get your golf clubs ready and find all the golfers you know!! This will be the event of the season!!!
In the meantime...we are preparing for our Angels Among Us event...scheduled for September 27th 2013. We will be at the Hotel Somerset-Bridgewater. Doors opening 6:15, dinner 7:00, show starts at 8-11. We will have some surprises so be prepared!! Some lovely baskets and maybe even a 50/50!?!? If you haven't reserved your seat yet...you still have a chance...we have 4 or 5 seats left...but I am not sure how long they will last!
The next thing we want to get underway is Pajama Day across all of our elementary schools. We are hoping to get an audience with the necessary people later in September. It's a great way for the kids to get involved and learn about paying it forward...it is also a good time for students who may be dealing with an illness at home to find they have someone to turn to.
Our final event for 2013 will hopefully be our Stories with Santa!!
We will be putting the ideas on the table at our next meeting (probably the 2nd week of Sept).
Day By Day Hope Foundation has been contacted again this year and asked to help support another foundation in it's attempt to raise money for a breast cancer center in Connecticut...my home state! Third Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Photo Shoot!! We had a great time last year and I have invited EVERYONE I know in Ct to join me and this wonderful group to raise some money! Check it out on FB and if you have questions, let me know!
SO This is what's going on!! Keeping busy, staying focused, enjoying the weather...not letting cancer get me down! Hoping we can bring some relief to other families facing this battle everyday! If you want to be a part of our mission, please let us know...together we can ease the burden cancer places on a family, the only way we can...day by day!!
Guess it's Been TOO Quiet!!
So as we more through summer and are at the height of planning for our September event...I get thrown another curve ball!!
It began 2 weekends ago...Len, Deana & Christian set off to Ohio to the NFL Hall Of Fame and the opening game! I stayed behind and nursed a broken tooth. I had the opportunity to get together with Lori Perrin as she headed from Mass. on her way home to South Carolina. As always it was wonderful to see her and meet her grandson and a friend that was traveling with her. Very soon after I noticed a swelling in my left hand...the side my cancer was on, that I had 18 lymph nodes removed from. Hmmmm...we will watch and see. It became more and more painful and the swelling worsened.
However, I had a GREAT weekend with my oldest, dearest, bestest friend in the WHOLE world! Enie and I had not had a sleep over in quite a while and it was just like old times!! We cooked, we ate, we talked, enjoyed the weather...couldn't have asked for a better weekend...life is good when you are with the people that are most important in your life! Enie has been my friend since I was 4 and she was 6...God Mother to my children. There is NOTHING I wouldn't do for her!! We spent Friday to Monday together...and I did realize my hand was swelling more...but I set out to clean up and get back to work on Monday afternoon.
By Monday late afternoon it was pretty clear I needed to call the doctor...already knowing what they would say! No using the arm, keeping it elevated all day and night. No change, it needs to be seen. Well, Tuesday was a busy day for both of us in the office so I didn't call them back. Today it was still as bad so I called and they wanted to see me and agreed to get me in between our patients...Conclusion...inconclusive of course!! Had blood drawn from my port and had it flush while I was at it! Didn't have time for the Doppler so it is scheduled for tomorrow morning. So they think it maybe another blood clot. Not exactly what I was looking forward to! The thought of going back into the hospital or having daily injections again is not a pleasant one!
So, I guess it has been too quiet...things have been going smoothly...summer has been uneventful! Maybe it's the universe's way of keeping me on my toes!!
We have SO much going on right now that it is ALL I really want to focus on...We had planned to take a couple of short trips to Mass to see the NBA Hall of Fame and maybe Boston then a stop in Ct to see some family and perhaps Mystic Seaport. The following week we hoped head the other direction to Pa.
We also have so much going on with the foundation...We are hoping to get a meeting on the calendar for the second week of September to tie up all the loose ends for the Angels Among Us Event! We were invited to attend the Breast Cancer Awareness Photo Shoot in Ct. again and I am planning to be there October 7th, Several of my friends from HS and my family hope to join me. It is a great opportunity for Day By Day to get it's info out there and at the same time help another organization doing great work for breast cancer patients.
So, while some of the curves get old and tiring...I know I have SO much support and people pulling for me...it keeps me moving forward even on those day when I feel like I don't really want to! Like today sitting in that familiar chemo chair today, having that familiar cath inserted into my port, smelling the familiar antiseptics...I realize it is ALL VERY familiar...but you never really get "use" to it all...it makes me as stressed, nervous, anxious, fearful...as always! But I will still consider myself blessed as I consider others still in treatment or undergoing surgeries. Nancy, Aunt Barbara...my heroes...they keep moving forward. My inspiration!
Okay...enough venting...I will have my tests tomorrow and let you all know how they come out...I WILL NOT complain tomorrow...just positive thoughts on life, family, this foundation....We have people to help...money to raise....changes to make!!
Thank you for all your support and prayers... Thank you Darlyn for all your support and kind words! Thank you to my family for waiting on me and putting up with my cranky self...this too shall pass!!
To all of you...consider this...there are others out there dealing with this same type of thing (and much worse) on a daily basis...wouldn't you like to help ease the burden cancer places on a family...the only way we can...day by day!
Blessed with the Laughter of KIDS!!!
Len and I have raised 3 children to adulthood and are working on the last! Through the years we have always opened our home to all of their friends. We have many memories of all the kids that have come through our lives. Several of them have grown, married and have children of their own and still come back regularly! We feel blessed! Even the few that took the wrong path still know they can keep in touch with us. So why would I want it any differently!
Now that Christian is a teenager and is finding his "place" in the social scene we have opened our home to all of his friends on a pretty regular basis. We have the pool, the yard, the separate space for them to hang around...it just seems natural.
This weekend was no different...they couldn't decide on Saturday or Sunday so I told them they could have both days...and they did!!
Saturday was a great day to swim...they were outside all day...I made a dozen grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch...because some how I make "THE BEST" grilled cheese!! We did BBQ for dinner...they had a great day. As parents arrived to retrieve their children they looked at us and said..."and you want them tomorrow too!!!" I think they think I may be just a BIT crazy!!
They were spending Sunday here...now I needed to decide what we would eat...Being Italian, Sunday dinner is a sit down with the family kind of meal...so I decided Baked Ziti was the easiest to do with a crowd. I checked with the "group" to make sure everyone would eat that...got approval and set out to making dinner. The one request I had received on Saturday for Sunday was for "Slutty" Brownies!! So I baked them & some "Carmelitas for dessert.
We decided to treat this like a family dinner...we set the dinning room table for 9 (only 6 kids today) and we all sat together for a GREAT family style dinner. They talked, they shared stories, they laughed and they felt COMFORTABLE with us...so important! They had dessert and laughed some more...and we got to know a couple of them that we didn't know that well.
When we finished and Len and I were cleaning up...I looked at him and said...I do this because I can...He didn't quite understand at first...for a period of time I couldn't do any of this!! I couldn't cook, bake, clean, entertain...make a place for my son and his friends...Cancer had taken all of that away from me...I do this because I CAN!!! It means so much to me!
When I think back to the Baked Ziti Murder Mystery Dinners Rob had with his drama club from high school and the cuts and bruises Len and I fixed for Joey and his "skater" friends, or the picnics and parties we would have, the "sweet sixteen" party for Deana, the New Years Eve Murder Mystery Party or the many summer birthday parties in our yard....They all knew they had a place to go and they still come to see us. We see their kids.. we treat them and their families...we are FAMILY!!
I want Christian to have the same type of experience...I just feel blessed to have this time NOW. I won't waste it!
So, to all the parents of the kids that are often here....while I MAY be crazy...I really do enjoy having your kids here...we are building healthy, safe memories that they can take with them through their lives. Memories are important to me...they are what you leave behind! And at the same time it is a support system for them...for each other...I know how important that can be for a teenager...when some thing traumatic hits their lives...for me it is important that Christian learn and understand what true friendship is and means...being a friend is how you make a friend. It's important to me that he have that support system in place if the need arises again.
So, Thank you for sharing your children with us...we do feel Blessed to have them.
My next goal is to recruit them for our foundation...told the girls they have to sell our foundation bracelets!! Making it personal makes "paying it forward" have a little more meaning! We can always use young ideas to assist families battling this unfair disease...new & different ideas! Looking forward to enlisting them on our quest to ease the burden cancer places on a family...the only way we can....Day By Day!!
The word every cancer patient waits to hear...STABLE!! It doesn't often get better than that!! For the first time in a VERY long time all my results said...STABLE!! I get a 6 month reprieve from testing unless something changes!! YAY!! That means we can push it till after the holidays!! I will still keep maintenance appointments regularly with Bruno Fang and every 6 weeks I still need to have my port flushed...but otherwise...if nothing changes...I get 6 months OFF!!!
Some how knowing that I won't be poked and prodded as much for a while makes it easier to deal with the discomforts that are seemingly a part of a regular day. Some days I think I have grown accustomed to the pain...then I get a new symptom! Ever changing...always an adventure.
SO what does 6 months mean to me?? The last 6 months meant I was able to see my son in multiple productions...All Shook Up, Little Mermaid, Music Competitions, multiple concerts, Middle School Graduation, where he played guitar in a Vocal Ensemble performance and the past 2 weeks in Bye Bye Birdie and tonight in Suessical! These are all blessings...that I am here, that I am well enough, that I can share his life and excitement! The next 6 months...it means we get more holiday opportunities with family...to build on our traditions that will stay with my children forever. I get to be here to support Christian as he begins his first year in High School. To guide him, to teach him...well, maybe not Math...but how to treat a girl, how to be respectful, how to be strong, to stand up for yourself, to dream big, how to be positive, how to have "safe" fun and to never be pressured! It is so important to share these things with my children...especially Christian being the youngest. But there are still so many things I have to share with my adult children...things I need to be here to experience. I still have to see my son, Rob find and marry the man of his dreams...he still needs a mother's guidance and emotional support...Then there is Deana...I need to be here to see her graduate school....again! To see the accomplishments and guide her with her new career. I need to see her find the man of HER dreams, marry and give me some grandchildren!! I want to be here for my son Joe when he realizes my words come from experience when I say...You have to make time...you will never find it!! I need to be here to see my grandbabies want to be with their Mema! I need to be here to do a parents job...to teach their children at all stages of their lives!
So, I NEED a LOT of SIX MONTHS!!! I need so many of them that they will become years...years that I can have with my family...my husband...the husband that took me so long to find and has made me the happiest I have ever been in my life...we are a complete family! We all fit together to make one big circle...unbroken. I need to be here so the circle remains unbroken!
Well, I guess I have to take the time as it comes to me...making the best of every moment. Making sure to not let the moments go by without recognizing them. Teaching my children by example...by living each day to the fullest, by sharing the best parts of me with those around me, by loving freely, forgiving quickly and always being free enough to DANCE, to enjoy the salt air on your face and sing in the sunshine!! Living like each day could be your last!!
I will feel thankful for the 6 months, I will pray for the 6 months after that...and after that...and so on. But I vow to not take it for granted and will continue to enjoy my life, make new friends, open my home to those around me, share what this foundation is for...and assist those families battling this unfair disease...the only way we can...day by day!
Tomorrow is an easy day...CT Scan of my chest and mammography...not too bad!
The staff at University Radiology is wonderful. They do their best to treat patients with respect and understanding. Tough thing to do when they are smashing what you have left of a breast between two pieces of plastic! And my test results are usually on my fax machine by the time I get back to the office...I can't really complain...well, I CAN...and I DO!!
One of the problems I have had with testing is the OVER reading...everyone is afraid to be the one to MISS something so they over read the films...and then we start the roller coaster of doctor after doctor reading them!
So these are some of the reasons I hate testing days...But the biggest one...what if they find something else!! What would I do? What decisions would I make this time? How do you tell your children...."here we go again"??
This is how we explain to people that cancer effects the whole family...no one walks away unscathed.
I see it in my 14 year old son as he sits near me and places his arm around me protectively...always gentle...always with some level of concern that he may hurt me...I like to think some of the daily fears have somewhat subsided...the fear every time he went to school that he would come home and I would be gone...again...for a stay in the hospital or that I was unable to get out of bed for weeks...but they are not too far in the back of his brain...they are not so long ago that they don't peek into his thoughts now and then! These are the difficult things for a mother...or a father. The fact that YOUR illness can cause your own child such pain!
Well, testing days come early in the morning...well early for me...10:00!! I will cross my fingers and say an extra prayer for myself...and an extra one for Nancy!
Thursday I will be back on track working this foundation!! We have SO many big things ahead of us!! The plans for our next fundraiser "Angels Among Us" are well underway!! Consider joining us, lending a hand, sharing your abilities to assist in easing the burden cancer places on a family...the only way we can...day by day!
I am Cheryl Confalone, wife, mother, holistic practitioner and CANCER PATIENT!


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Mr. Bennett is 8 months old! How is that possible?! He is the sweetest and most easy going baby(unless his sister takes his toys away!) He doesn't have any teeth, but is wanting real food! He is over baby food! He looooves peas and banana! He is also a fan of cinnamon rolls and waffles!! He wants to crawl sooo bad! He is so close! He has pulled up on a few things! He loves to read, dance, and take a bath!!
Sandals: Madden Girl, similar here!


Signs of Your Identity, the winner of the 2016 FotoEvidence Book Award and Magnum Foundation's 2016 Inge Morath Award, is a 120-page photo book that features composite portraits and interview excerpts from 25 First Nations residential school survivors. This work explores the schools' legacy of coercive assimilation, physical and sexual assault, and intergenerational trauma as a tool of cultural genocide.
The reporting was supported by two grants from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. The book was published in October 2016 and is now sold out.


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Home » Movies » The 19 Best And Worst 'Star Wars' Spaceship Scenes, Ranked
The 19 Best And Worst 'Star Wars' Spaceship Scenes, Ranked
Nick Steinberg (@Nick_Steinberg)
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:Battle_of_Yavin.png Source: Star Wars Wiki
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When it comes to action scenes, the Star Wars franchise is known primarily for repeating two specific types: lightsaber battles and spaceship combat. We've already ranked the series' numerous lightsaber battles from worst to best, but what about when it comes to the actual "Star Wars" in Star Wars? Everyone loves a good X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter battle, but there are definitely some scenes that hold up better than others. With that in mind, we've ranked every significant ship scene across all 8 Star Wars films to figure out which are the best and which are the worst. For sanity's sake, we're just counting scenes that feature some sort of significant moment featuring ships, so you won't find any establishing shots or anything like that on this list.
19. Escape From Naboo – The Phantom Menace
Coming in at the bottom of the list is this relatively brief scene from A Phantom Menace, in which Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Queen Amidala, and the rest of their companions make a rather lackluster escape from the Trade Federation's Naboo orbital blockade. For a scene that ostensibly depicts a daring escape, surprisingly little actually happens. The scene primarily consists of the Naboo Royal Starship being heavily damaged by enemy fire, prompting the dispatch of several droids to fix the shield generator. The twist is that one of the droids is none other than R2-D2, who not only fixes the generator but is the only droid not to be destroyed in the effort. After that, it's smooth sailing as the Royal Starship makes an effortless escape.
Much like the majority of The Phantom Menace, there's little in the way of riveting action to be found here but as an introduction to everyone's favorite little Astromech droid, it gets the job done. Really, it's the scene that follows, in which R2 is personally thanked by the queen for his heroism and bravery that makes the whole thing worthwhile, as it establishes that R2 has been a boss right from moment one.
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18. Rebel Attack on Imperial Research Facility – Rogue One
This rather brief, one-sided aerial assault from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story sees a squadron of Rebel fighters and bombers attacking the Imperial research facility on the planet Eadu — the same research facility that Jyn Erso and her team happen to be infiltrating at the same time. As a whole, the scene's significance lies more in what happens on the ground than in the air, as Jyn is reunited briefly with her father Galen before he succumbs to injuries sustained in the Rebel attack, but does a good job of showing just how lethal starships in the Star Wars universe can be when carrying out a coordinated attack against ground forces. The Imperial forces don't stand a chance and are quickly destroyed, representing a small victory for the Rebel Alliance, with the unfortunate drawback of taking the life of Jyn's father while also setting the stage for the more intensive guerrilla tactics employed by the Rebels during the Battle of Scariff later in the film.
17. The Battle of Naboo – The Phantom Menace
The second major starship scene in The Phantom Menace is significantly longer and more substantial than the one that precedes it and yet, the Battle of Naboo is still probably the worst ship-to-ship combat sequence in the Star Wars film franchise. The main reason for this is that the whole sequence is from Anakin's point of view, no doubt in an effort to establish the character as a talented pilot even from an early age, while also giving him something to do during the film's third act. Unfortunately, watching an 8-year-old kid stumble through a spaceship battle that ends with him getting super lucky and taking out the Trade Federation's droid control ship isn't half as thrilling as George Lucas must have imagined it to be.
It also doesn't help that the three other conflicts that are happening at the same time down on Naboo's surface are all more interesting (yes, including Jar Jar and the Gungans' bumbling battle against the droid army). Still, the Battle of Naboo scores points for being the first Star Wars starship battle to feature CGI, which admittedly enhances the spectacle of it all. Plus, the yellow Naboo N-1 Starfighters are pretty cool looking, even if they don't hold a candle to an X-Wing or TIE Fighter.
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16. That's No Moon Scene – A New Hope
Not every starship scene has to feature a battle to be considered entertaining, as evidenced by the classic moment in A New Hope when Luke, Han, and the rest of the passengers on board the Millenium Falcon first encounter the Death Star. The way the Empire's massive superweapon is slowly teased out is an inspired bit of filmmaking, as we see the Falcon exit lightspeed near Alderaan … only to discover that there is no Alderaan. Han suggests that they came out of hyperspace too early and have entered some sort of asteroid field, but we know the terrible truth: that those "asteroids" are actually the remains of Alderaan and its millions of inhabitants.
The Falcon then discovers a lone TIE Fighter, prompting Han to give chase and Obi-Wan Kenobi to make the ominous observation that it's a short range fighter and couldn't reach deep space on its own. The crew then sees what appears to be a moon in the distance, leading to one of the film's most iconic lines: "That's no moon. It's a space station." As the Falcon is helplessly pulled in by the Death Star's tractor beam, the disparity in size between the two vessels becomes increasingly apparent, until the Falcon becomes but a speck next to the moon-sized space station. Much like the film's opening Star Destroyer reveal, this scene further illustrates the overwhelming power of the Empire and just how outmatched the Rebel Alliance is, making their eventual victory at the Battle of Yavin in the film's final act that much more impressive and exciting.
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15. Battle of Starkiller Base – The Force Awakens
The Force Awakens gets knocked around quite a bit for being a little too similar to A New Hope in terms of plot and structure, but nowhere are these similarities more evident than in the Resistance's attack on Starkiller Base in the final act. It's bad enough that the First Order's superweapon is just a more powerful version of the Death Star, but the battle itself feels like it's going over retrodden ground. The Resistance fleet, led by Poe Dameron, essentially have to do the same thing Luke Skywalker did during the Battle of Yavin: hit the target's weak point while evading an overwhelming force of enemy ships.
From a visual standpoint, the attack on Starkiller Base is objectively more impressive but that comes with the territory of having nearly four decades' worth of visual effects advancements (and a lot more money) at your disposal. Even the solution to destroying Starkiller Base is less creative than the Death Star run; whereas Luke had to fire a well-placed shot down an exhaust shaft in order to trigger a chain reaction, Poe and his team just shoot one spot a bunch of times until they start doing damage. Still, this scene has its moments; the need to finish the job before the nearby star can be fully absorbed not only gives the whole thing a cool lighting design, but is also an inspired twist on the familiar race against the clock trope. Plus, it's just nice to see Poe getting to contribute in some way after being sidelined for the entire second act.
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14. Cloud City Escape – The Empire Strikes Back
While this scene has the unenviable position of immediately following Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader's first lightsaber duel, which ends with one of the greatest twists in cinematic history in Vader's "I am your father" reveal, the Cloud City escape sequence is still a classic in its own right. The best moment arguably comes right at the beginning, when Luke telepathically reaches out to Leia, implying that she has a connection to the Force as well. After picking up an injured Luke, the real challenge begins as the Millenium Falcon makes it way back to Bespin's orbit, only to discover Vader's Star Destroyer lying in wait.
Like many scenes from the original trilogy that are set in space — no doubt to help reduce visual effects costs — the majority of this sequence's action takes place in ship interiors, with Lando and Chewie desperately trying to get the Millenium Falcon's hyperdrive to work. Meanwhile, Luke and Vader converse in a mental battle of wills, which only ratchets up the tension even more, as you know that if the hyperdrive fails, Luke will fall into Vader's hands. Of course, everything works out and the Falcon makes the jump to lightspeed just before it can be pulled in by the Star Destroyer's tractor beam and we're left with the shot of Vader standing on the ship's bridge, his son now firmly out of his reach.
The escape from Cloud City may pale in comparison to A New Hope's iconic Death Star run, but it gets the job done and represents a small victory for our heroes after being death blow after blow by the Empire over the course of the rest of the film.
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13. Battle of Geonosis – Attack of the Clones
Not so much a ship battle as it is an all-out war between the Clone and Separatist armies, the Battle of Geonosis still qualifies as a memorable starship moment in the Star Wars films simply because of all the cool ships we get to see take part in the action. Attack of the Clones is right up there with The Phantom Menace for the title of "worst Star Wars movie" but one area where it improves upon Episode I is in the action department. After nearly two hours of poorly-acted romances and saddling Obi-Wan Kenobi with the galaxy's most tedious mystery, Attack of the Clones finally kicks things into high gear in the final act for a truly epic battle sequence.
Beginning as a desperate fight for survival as the Jedi are ambushed in an arena showdown soon escalates into a seemingly planet-wide battle between the Clone and Droid armies, complete with all sorts of ground and air units, including the memorable Clone troop transport ships. The battle itself becomes a secondary concern soon enough, as the focus shifts to Anakin and Obi-Wan's confrontation with Count Dooku but while it lasts, the Battle of Geonosis makes a lasting impression (though it would have been nice to see some of the battle taken to space).
12. Obi-Wan Kenobi Vs. Jango Fett Dogfight – Attack of the Clones
Attack of the Clones is pretty light on actual space scenes overall, but it makes up for this deficiency a bit by featuring the only true one-on-one dogfight across all the Star Wars movies. Tracking the bounty hunter Jango Fett and his son Boba to Geonosis, Obi-Wan engages in an intense cat and mouse chase with the infamous Slave I in a nearby asteroid belt. Both pilots display some skillful flying, with Obi-Wan deftly maneuvering through the packed asteroid field; a situation that becomes even more nerve-wracking once Jango starts dropping seismic charges.
Obi-Wan eventually gains the upper hand by attaching his Jedi Starfighter to an asteroid in order to avoid detection; the same trick that Boba Fett would use years later to track down the Millenium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back. Easily the most visually-impressive ship combat scene in the franchise at the time of the film's release, this battle loses some points for lack of originality.
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11. Death Star Escape – A New Hope
If you're anything like me, it's easy to forget that the Millenium Falcon doesn't immediately jump to lightspeed after Luke, Leia, Han, and the rest of the crew make their escape from the first Death Star. No, as Han tells Luke, they're "not out of the woods yet" and have to deal with several attacking TIE Fighters before they can return to the Rebel base on Yavin IV. This leads to Luke and Han saddling up in the Falcon's gun turret seats for some good ol' fashioned target practice, resulting in the first true ship-to-ship battle in Star Wars history. And considering how outdated the effects are by modern standards, it all still looks pretty convincing!
The sequence is helped along by John William's rousing score and the banter traded by Han and Luke ("Good job kid! Now don't get cocky.") as they shoot down the enemy ships. Overall, it's a highly entertaining scene that offered viewers their first taste of space combat in the Star Wars universe and offered a tease of what to expect from the more epic scale Death Star battle to come later in the movie.
10. Poe and Finn's TIE Fighter Escape – The Force Awakens
The first of many ship combat sequences in The Force Awakens, Poe Dameron and FN-2187, a.k.a. Finn's escape from the First Order command ship orbiting Jakku may be brief but hits all the necessary beats to inject some much-needed action into the film's somewhat meandering first act. That being said, the action itself really isn't all that memorable; Finn and Poe destroy a gun emplacement or two and are shot down shortly after. The reason this sequence works like gangbusters is due to the natural chemistry between actors John Boyega and Oscar Isaac, and the fact that it's probably the most intimate look fans have had at a TIE Fighter in the franchise's history.
Really, Poe speaks for Star Wars fans everywhere when he exclaims excitedly that he's always wanted to fly one and even though they could be blown up at any minute, it's clear that the pair are having a blast. There's a good reason why there's a whole subsection of Star Wars fans who ship Poe and Finn as a couple and it has a lot to do with this scene. The only downside is that it ends in apparent tragedy, with Finn stranded on Jakku and Poe seemingly dying in the crash but fortunately, it doesn't take too long for the pair to be reunited.
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9. Opening Shot – A New Hope
Compared to many of the scenes included on this list, nothing much really happens in the opening shot of A New Hope but it's that simplicity and reserved approach that makes it such an impressive bit of filmmaking. The shot of the Tantive IV being pursued by a massive Star Destroyer is one of the most iconic in cinema. It all starts with the way the shot is framed, as we see the Tantive IV pull into the frame first. On its own, Princess Leia's ship looks to be of an impressive size but that notion is soon abandoned once the Star Destroyer begins slowly moving in, taking up more and more of the frame until it takes up every inch and seems to be of a neverending length.
Without a single line of dialogue, this scene conveys so much about the the conflict between the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire, as we literally see that it's a David vs. Goliath type of matchup. Once the Star Destroyer starts firing on the Tantive IV, Star Wars as we've come to know it truly comes into focus and even though many scenes would top it in terms of scope and scale, this is the one that many fans point to as the scene that got them hooked on Star Wars in the first place.
8. Battle of Takadona – The Force Awakens
This scene earns a spot higher up on this list primarily on the strength of one shot in particular. The First Order's attack on Maz Kanata's castle looks pretty grim prior to the timely arrival of the Resistance; Han, Chewie, and Finn have all been captured by stormtroopers and Rey is being hunted through the woods by a determined Kylo Ren. In other words, all hope seems to be lost until we see a massive cloud forming on the horizon, which turns out to be a formation of X-Wing fighters readying their attack. As disappointing as it is that The Force Awakens largely eschews traditional space battles, seeing X-Wings flying over Takadona's lake, mist rising as they make their approach is an absolutely gorgeous sight to behold, made all the better by the dogfighting that follows.
We get to see Poe Dameron demonstrate why he's General Leia's most trusted Resistance pilot, as he pulls off aerial maneuvers so impressive that Finn has little choice but to cheer him on from the ground below. The only real knock I can give this scene is that it feels undercooked, like the writers knew they needed a second act action set piece but didn't quite know how to resolve it properly. The Resistance clearly rout the attacking First Order squadron, yet Kylo Ren is able to casually escape on his ship with no problems whatsoever. Still, as a proof of concept, the Battle of Takadona gets the job done and proves that watching X-Wings and TIE Fighters battle it out in aerial combat is just as thrilling now as it was four decades ago.
(Also, sorry about the video below. Couldn't find a good clip of this scene that would allow for embedding.)
Disney+ Releases "The Best Star Wars Reference in The Simpsons" Video Montage
7. The Battle of Hoth – The Empire Strikes Back
The Battle of Hoth is one of, if not the greatest action setpiece in Star Wars (not counting lightsaber battles of course). So why is it only ranked 7th on this list? Well, as thrilling as the Empire's assault on Echo Base is, it doesn't actually feature much in the way of ship combat. The only ships we see are the Rebels' T-47 airspeeders, aka snowspeeders, which only just qualify as ships because they can fly around and shoot things, as they are not spacefaring vessels. The real star of the show here are the AT-AT walkers, which somehow are terrifyingly imposing in spite of their laughably poor design. In a neat twist though, the snowspeeders and AT-ATs are actually perfectly balanced, as even though the speeders' blasters bounce off the walkers' hulls like pebbles, Luke Skywalker himself makes the brilliant discovery that wrapping their legs with the ship's tow cables is the best way to take them down.
Outside of the Death Star run, it's hard to think of a more iconic combat sequence in Star Wars than that first sight of a snowspeeder circling an AT-AT's legs and taking the lumbering monstrosity down. In terms of ship combat, it's true that the Battle of Hoth doesn't quite measure up to the very best space battles Star Wars has to offer, but its winning mix of epic ground assaults and Snowspeeder vs. AT-AT action have helped solidify it as one of the beloved battle scenes in Star Wars history.
The "Star Wars Holiday Special" Should Only Be Watched As Punishment, Says Mark Hamill
6. Escape From Jakku – The Force Awakens
Arguably the best action setpiece in The Force Awakens, Rey and Finn's escape from Jakku aboard the Millenium Falcon is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride from start to finish. Though Rey transitions from struggling to get the "garbage" Falcon off the ground to pulling off deft maneuvers that would make the galaxy's best pilots lose their lunch a bit too quickly for some peoples' tastes, it's a small suspension of disbelief price to pay when the results are this good. There are some seriously awesome shots in this sequence, as the camera flips around and keeps a tight focus on the Falcon as it evades a pair of attacking TIE Fighters.
With Finn struggling to get a grip on the ship's weapons system, Rey has to get creative with her evasive maneuvers, which leads to her steering the ship through a derelict Star Destroyer at one point. The chase itself is thrilling but the best moment comes at the end, when Rey flips the ship over in order to give Finn a clear shot at the remaining TIE Fighter in a brilliant display of teamwork. Fun, fast, and frenetic, the Escape From Jakku is definitely one of the best ship sequences in all of Star Wars.
5. Battle Over Coruscant – Revenge of the Sith
Revenge of the Sith improves upon Episodes I and II in a number of ways, including its opening scene. Whereas both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones start off slowly and take a considerable amount of time to get going, Episode III starts off in media res, thrusting viewers right into the middle of a giant space battle between the Republic and Separatist forces. The cool thing about this scene is that the battle itself is really the backdrop for the main plot thread, as Anakin and Obi-Wan are in the midst of a mission to rescue Supreme Chancellor Palpatine from the clutches of General Grievous and Count Dooku.
Of course, it would be pretty boring, not to mention unbelievable if the two Jedi made it to their destination without some interference from the battle raging around them, so thankfully we get to see the duo engage in a variety of thrilling skirmishes with enemy ships and some annoying Buzz Droids. We also get the chance to see Anakin's superior piloting skills firsthand and hear Hayden Christensen utter the phrase "This is where the fun begins," one of the most cringe-inducing moments in the entire prequel trilogy.
Yeah, this scene is great.
Lucasfilm Releases The Season 7 Trailer For "The Clone Wars"
4. Asteroid Field Evasion – The Empire Strikes Back
As good as Luke's Jedi training with Yoda is, the scenes with Han, Leia, Threepio, and Chewbacca aboard the Millenium Falcon are arguably some of the best moments in not just The Empire Strikes Back, but the Star Wars franchise as a whole. While Luke somehow makes his way to Dagobah without any interference from the Empire, the Falcon crew are pursued by no less than three Star Destroyers, forcing Han to make the desperate decision of flying into an asteroid field in hopes of ditching the Empire.
Han gets to display some hotshot piloting skills — while also finding time to lay the charm on Leia and hurl insults at Threepio — while John Williams' incredible score plays underneath the action. It's a brilliant bit of action filmmaking on the parts of director Irvin Kershner and cinematographer Peter Suschizky, and arguably the best non-combat flying sequence in the series. That is, unless you count TIE fighters careening into asteroids as combat. I like to call that "death by galactic misadventure."
3. The Battle of Endor – Return of the Jedi
With Admiral Ackbar's utterance of the immortal phrase, "it's a trap," the Battle of Endor truly begins; an inverse of the Rebel Alliance's attack on the first Death Star as this time, the Empire is expecting them. This sequence is a true classic, showing just how far the technical wizards at Lucasfilm had come since the release of A New Hope in crafting a showstopping space combat scene. With Y-Wings bombing capital ships and Star Destroyers crashing into each other, the Battle of Endor is much more ambitious and visually impressive than anything in A New Hope and from a thematic perspective, it's all a bit hard to watch as the Rebels truly look like they're going to lose right from the start.
Fortunately, Lando's "ol' buddy, ol' pal," Han manages to take out the Death Star's shield generator from the forest moon below, prompting Lando to lead one last attack run on the space station that takes them all the way into its core. This scene still impresses to this day, so I can only imagine how stunning it must have been to witness in theaters back in 1983. That being said, for as good as the Battle of Endor is, it doesn't quite top the list of Star Wars' greatest starship scenes.
Things We Actually Enjoyed About The Star Wars Prequels
2. Battle of Scarif – Rogue One
Looking back on it now, Rogue One is a surprisingly tedious watch for most of its runtime, as the film simply drags for the first 90 minutes or so. However, once Jyn Erso and her team arrive at the Imperial facility on Scarif to steal the Death Star plans, the film doesn't let off the gas until the closing credits, delivering scene after scene of thrilling action in a galaxy far, far away. While the Rebels deal with Stormtroopers and AT-AT walkers on the planet's surface, an even more epic battle takes place in the skies above as the Rebel Alliance engages with the Galactic Empire in all-out, ship-to-ship warfare. The sequence plays out like a modern version of a space battle from the original trilogy, with hundreds of X-Wings and TIE fighters filling the screen.
That being said, the Battle of Scarif also scores points for delivering some inspired bits of space combat, most notably the ingenious maneuver pulled off by a corvette cruiser that steers a crippled Star Destroyer into other ships of its kind, creating a domino effect that leads to the planet's shield gate being disabled. For Star Wars fans who grew up watching the original trilogy, it's hard not to be mesmerized by this scene, as its so heavily reminiscent of the starship scenes that captured our imaginations as kids. Speaking of which …
1. The Battle of Yavin – A New Hope
Yes, I know I may be contradicting my last point a bit by ranking the Battle of Yavin in the top spot on this list. After all, the Battle of Scarif is objectively better from a technical standpoint, as it simply wasn't feasible to fill the screen with hundreds of ships of various sizes back in 1977 before CGI was even a thing. Still, nothing in Rogue One can ever hope to measure up to one of the most iconic scenes in Star Wars history, as the assault on the original Death Star is what truly catapulted Episode IV: A New Hope from a scrappy indie sci-fi flick to an epic space opera and franchise starter.
It's true that the Death Star run doesn't quite pack the same punch it once did, but even with its outdated visuals and effects, it's still an absolute barnburner. Nevermind that it's the first time we get to see the iconic X-Wing in action, this scene also marks Luke Skywalker's transition from daydreaming farmboy to galactic hero. Guided by the spirit of his deceased mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke makes his way to the end of the Death Star's trench while his allies are taken out one by one and just before Darth Vader — yes, this battle is so important that Vader hops into a TIE Fighter of his own to handle things personally — can fire the kill shot, Han Solo's timely arrival gives Luke the all clear so he can "blow this thing and go home."
And with that, blockbuster filmmaking was changed forever.
Disagree with our rankings? Let us know in the comments what your personal favorite Star Wars spaceship scenes are!
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10 Totally Unappreciated 'Star Wars' Droids
The Sith Explained
8 Times 'The Last Jedi' Nods to the Classic 'Star Wars' Trilogy
10 Surprising 'Rogue One' Connections to the 'Star Wars' Universe
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8 Reasons Why 'Rogue One' Is The 'Star Wars' Prequel Fans Deserve
SOLO's Surprising 'Phantom Menace' Connection May Be Setting Up That 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Movie


text:
using std::cout;
using std::endl;
using std::make_shared;
using std::shared_ptr;
using std::stack;

// @include
void PrintLinkedListInReverse(shared_ptr<ListNode<int>> head) {
  stack<int> nodes;
  while (head) {
    nodes.push(head->data);
    head = head->next;
  }
  while (!nodes.empty()) {
    cout << nodes.top() << endl;
    nodes.pop();
  }
}
// @exclude

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
  PrintLinkedListInReverse(make_shared<ListNode<int>>(ListNode<int>{
      1, make_shared<ListNode<int>>(ListNode<int>{
             2, make_shared<ListNode<int>>(ListNode<int>{3, nullptr})})}));
  return 0;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A Health Savings Account (HSA) from First Bank of Berne allows you to make tax-deductible contributions and your eligible distributions are tax-free. You can withdraw funds easily from your HSA for qualified medical expenses, using your debit card or a check. The money in your HSA can be carried over year-to-year, and you can use it for your own or other family members' medical expenses, even if they are not covered under your insurance plan.
ARE YOU QUALIFIED FOR A HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT?
WHEN AND WHAT TYPES OF CONTRIBUTIONS CAN YOU MAKE?
If you have a HSA account in a different bank, you can also make a rollover contribution once per year into your First Bank of Berne HSA account.


text:
Summer Pix
Hennessy NIW
Dublin Theatre Festival
Vote 100
IT Irish Theatre Awards
'Irlande 66/69': photographs of Ireland taken in the 1960s
This new book by photographers Nutan and Yellow documents life almost 50 years ago
Sat, Aug 6, 2016, 03:45
Rosita Boland
Playing Cards in front of Custom House, 1969. Photograph: Nutan
Bringing a Honda 50 down the stairs in the new flats, Dublin, 1969. Photograph: Nutan
Kids spinning the wheel at the Galway races, 1969. Photograph: Nutan
Men relaxing in a Dublin pub, 1969. Photograph: Nutan
Driving cattle down the North Circular Road, Dublin. Photograph: Nutan
Moving hay down the North Circular Road, Dublin, 1969. Photograph: Nutan
Previous Images
It's a hot Sunday in June, and the photographer known as Nutan is doodling unselfconsciously on a piece of paper as we talk in the heat of his wild Burren garden, not far from the village of Kinvara.
What Nutan is doodling is first a fish, and then, a fishing rod with a reel. He doesn't even realise he's doing it, but it couldn't be more appropriate, because fishing is the element of his life that he describes at one point to me as "the spinal column of my life". The fishing rod could well be his spinal column, so integral is fishing to the choices he has made in his life.
Nutan was christened Jacques Piraprez, and was born in Belgium in 1948. As a child, his father took him fishing. "We fished for roach and bream, and I quickly moved on to game fishing; trout and salmon," he says.
The career he chose, photography, requires many of the same skills required of a fisherman. Both need patience, experience, knowing where the right place is to wait, the ability to slowly and carefully reel in the fish and also to know when to let go and leave the fish uncaught, the subject uncaptured.
While still a photography student, he came to Ireland in 1969. He liked it so much he came back again after he had graduated. He taught photography and commuted for a time from Cootehall in Co Roscommon. Sitting in his garden, he recalls a man in the area who used to go out farming wearing a nun's habit. A nun's habit? Where did this man get the habit?
"He was living at home with his mother, who was being cared for by the country nurse, who was a nun. She gave it to him," Nutan says. "He used to wear it when he was out in the fields."
He photographed the man, but has never published the images. "I didn't want people to make fun of him," he explains.
In the mid 1970s, Nutan went to see a tarot card reader who worked in a room above the Golden Dawn, a vegetarian café in Dublin he frequented. "After a few minutes, I was on the floor of her room crying," he says. The woman lent him a book called The Silent Explosion, by a mystic called Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, which had just been published.
"Everything I wanted to know in my life was in that book."
Within three weeks, he had left everything behind, and gone to India. He went to Puna, to live in the ashram run by Bhagwan Shree and he remained there for eight years. He received the name he is now known by, Anand Nutan, while he was there. "It means blissfully new. It means that I am not meant to look to the past."
After eight years, he returned to Ireland. "I wanted to experience real life again. It is very easy to feel blissful when you are surrounded by thousands of other people on the same level as you."
Since then, he has become an Irish citizen and has continued to teach photography and work for international photo agencies. His work has appeared in several books, and now his 14th book has just been published. Irlande 66/69 is a joint publication with an old Belgian friend of his, Yellow.
Yellow's given name is Guy Jungblut, but as Nutan explains, he's known as Yellow, after an art gallery he once ran. Yellow also came to Dublin as a photography student in the 1960s.
The black-and-white photographs that Yellow and Nutan took in 1966 and 1969 that now appear in Irlande 66/69 respectively have never been published before.
They record an Ireland, particularly the city of Dublin, that has since been covered over by many more layers. As writer Brian Leyden observes in his introduction,
"It is hard to appreciate the silence that fell over Dublin on long hot summer Sundays in the 60s. The population at rest after Sunday Mass and the midday Sunday dinner. No shopping. Everything closed. No cattle herded to the boat. No traffic congestion. Just the sun-struck glass of closed shop windows. The pub doors bolted. The Holy Hour in force across Ireland."
They two young Belgian students wandered around a city in the 1960s that was new to them both and took their cameras out when they saw something that interested them. They didn't realise they were documenting a city that would be virtually unrecognisable in half a century.
Dublin's streets are almost empty of traffic, with more bicycles in evidence than cars. Men wear trilbys in bars. A woman holds a clay pipe between her teeth. Cows are herded down streets. Horses and carts act as lorries, hauling loads. A woman walks up the steps towards what looks like a derelict building; it's one of the tenements that were still in existence then. People look poor. It's a compelling insight into a world that has vanished.
Having been a student of photography when he took many of these pictures, what advice would Nutan now offer to contemporary students?
"Bend your knees," he says. What does that mean? "It means, learn where to position yourself in the scene instead of recalling it just as it is. Make the picture yours."
Irlande 66/69 by Nutan and Yellow is on sale in Charlie Byrne's Bookshop in Galway for €20
Bhagwan Shree
Brian Leyden
Charlie Byrne
Dawn Golden
Guy Jungblut
Jacques Piraprez
Nutan Anand
Cootehall
Dublin(IE)
76 Days: Heart-stopping study of the Covid-19 outbreak
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Glastonbury Festival 2021 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
Music for the times we are in
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Choose from an extensive range of photographs taken by Irish Times photographers


Last day in May, no way!
Here's another look back to when Miraflores was a colonial gem. While many of the classic homes still remain, more and more Miraflores has become the land of soaring apartment complexes.


text:
Q: UIImageView Not Show Image to its Original Image that can available on Server UIImageView not show/display Original Image as that of available on server.
for more ref check it
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this values I get into CGImage but this CGImage I conver it to UIImage but still it can not display

A: Can you just do something like this:
        using (var url = NSUrl.FromString ("http://yoururl.com/yourpic.jpg"))
        {
            using (var data = NSData.FromUrl (url))
            {
                imageView.Image = UIImage.LoadFromData (data);
            }
        }

It sounds like you just need to download an image and set it to a UIImageView, right?
It seems like you are writing a lot of code for something pretty simple.
NOTE: use a try-catch for networking errors.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Timeouts – 'Gorilla Cage'
The Timeouts are a young, up and coming alternative rock band, from the East-Midlands. From catchy vocal melodies, to beautiful guitar parts, heavy drums and powerful bass lines, The Timeouts are definitely ones to keep your eyes on.
If you are looking for a new band to discover who's music instantly stands out and will have you hooked within seconds than look no further! The Timeouts have everything I look for in find a new band to listen to, catchy riffs, hard hitting sounds and gripping lyrics.
It's not often I find a band who's music I instantly connect with but that was certainly the case when I pressed play on 'Gorilla Cage', the lyrics were stuck in my head for the rest of the day and I found myself listening to the track on repeat for most of the day, I'm sure my son really appreciated that.
This single has such a catchy and unique sound you can't help but fall in love with, it's full of raw energy and a ridiculous amount of talent and I just loved everything about it which is why it's made it to my playlist.
Don't just take my word for it! stick this incredible single on and witness for yourself how brilliant it is!


Principal Program Manager Lead for Surface Hub, Paul Barr, walks us through the top defense in depth strategies behind the design of Microsoft's Surface Hub. As a communal device, the engineering team had the challenge of maintaining Surface Hub's user friendly, ready to use multi-media experience without compromising on security. Paul takes on possible attack vectors to illustrate Surface Hub's defense in depth strategies at the level of physical hardware, OS, app and users of the device.


Welcome to our new restaurant Tłusta Gęś - check our menu & and visit us.
Geese use only green paddocks , meadows and pastures. Their meat is considered a unique product and appreciate its taste and health qualities . Goose provides omega 6 and is a rich source of vitamins , proteins and minerals .
Tłusta Gęś restaurant offers a friendly interior , the highest standard of service and professional services, which creates ideal conditions for business meetings.


When I was 6 months old I was diagnosed with preleukemia. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had access to extraordinary doctors and healthcare at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that enabled me to have the chemotherapy, total body irradiation, and a bone marrow transplant from my sister who, thankfully was a perfect match.
While my treatments were lifesaving, they did leave me with some challenges that are with me today and that I will continue to struggle with for the rest of my life. Over the last 20 years I have had 4 corrective surgeries for growth rate discrepancies in my knees, a cervical spine neurofibroma resected three times and two brain meningiomas resected.
These surgeries when isolated present their own set of unique challenges. When combined it can be a little overwhelming not only for me but also for family and friends.
Before 2016 I was functioning fairly well. One of my favorite things to do was to cycle for a local charity event called the "24 Hours of Booty". I had gotten to be one of their top fundraisers and had reached my goal of riding 75 miles in a 24 hour period. I had also started working on a new goal of running a 5K and I almost got there. In December of 2015 I found out that my cervical neurofibrome would need to be resected yet again and a few months later started having seizures due to a new meningioma on my brain. I would end up having both tumors resected and having a cervical spinal fusion that would ultimately knock me off my bike.
Now that I am on a certain path to recovery with the help of my wonderful therapists at Carolinas Healthcare System, I am ready to get back to achieving my goal of running a 5K. I miss being able to do event driven fundraising for organizations I believe in. My ultimate goal outside of just running the distance is to give back to the organizations that help people like me achieve their goals of getting and staying healthy.