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Motion interpolation is a programming technique in data-driven character animation that creates transitions between example motions and extrapolates new motions.

Example motions are often created through keyframing or motion capture. However, keyframing is labor-intensive and lacks varieties of motion, and both processes result in motions that are time-consuming to alter.
Motion interpolation provides a much faster alternative to creating new motions through the same means.

Implementation
Formerly, a popular method of simulating a character's movement involved storing a variety of motions and choosing the most appropriate one during run-time.
Unfortunately, storage limitations resulted in repetitive or imperfect results.
Instead, with some additional computation, new, desired motions can be created by interpolating preexisting, similar motions.
	Using interpolation, motions can be generated in real time while preserving the realistic qualities of the example motions.

Simulated figure
The simulated figure that is manipulated to show the motion is represented as a hierarchical connection of rigid links by joints.
The root of the hierarchy has six degrees of freedom: three degrees for the figure's position and three degrees for the figure's rotation.
This representation is sufficient, because knowing only the degrees for each joint and the root, the figure can be rendered at any time.

Interpolation
Suppose that for a desired motion, "walk," there exist two example motions that convey different moods (e.g., happy and sad). A happy walking motion may be characterized by a simulated figure's posture being upright and its gait being energetic and fast-paced. A sad walking motion may be characterized by a slouched posture and a slow gait.

To interpolate these motions, they must be in canonical form. This means that their times must be made generic so that significant structural events occur simultaneously. To elaborate, the two example walking motions may vary in time, as the happy walk is described as fast-paced and the sad walk is described as slow. However, scaling their lengths of time to be equivalent is not sufficient for interpolation. This is because the slow walking motion is not simply an elongation of the happy walking motion. These motions must have their walk cycle key frames aligned, so that at a given generic time, both motions make a forward point contact.

For a neutral walking motion that is neither (or equally) happy or sad, the corresponding degrees of freedom for the existing motions are used for interpolation. As a result, a tuple of degrees of freedom is created for a simulated figure walking a neutral walking motion at a generic time.
Alternatively, if the mood of the simulated figure were to change in real time from happy to sad, the interpolation would be more influenced by the happy walking motion at the start of the transition. Towards the end of the transition, the interpolation would be more influenced by the sad walking motion until the figure simply walks the sad walking motion.

A transition between two types of motions (e.g., a walking motion and a running motion) involves the interpolation of velocities. This ensures a smooth transition. A transition between two types of motions requires either be a generic time frame where both types of motions share structural similarities, or a series of motions with transitional periods that eventually reach the desired type of motion.

Inverse kinematics
Inverse kinematics can be used with real-time motion interpolation to create interactions with a virtual environment. As aforementioned, there is a necessary process of annotating example motions with significant structural events. These annotations allow for the reparameterization of time to generic time.
However, these annotations can also be used to specify periods where inverse kinematics should be used.
For example, during a forward point contact in a walk cycle, kinematic constraints should be enabled so that the foot of the simulated figure is flush with the floor of the virtual environment.

Searching for relevant motions
For large sets of example motions, the process of finding relevant results is not trivial.
Therefore, methods have been developed to extract motions based on logical similarities and to combine these results into a continuous, branching space of motions that can be searched.

References

Animation techniques
Interpolation


Quarry Bank MillWikipedia. Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, Cheshire, England, is one of the best preserved textile mills of theOverhead shafts above the machines were attached to the water wheel by a belt.
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Brian Vu: Ari.
Work / Photography
"It's okay to be different and to stand out": photographer Brian Vu
Words by Daphne Milner, Thursday 27 June 2019
"It's okay to be different and to stand out," says photographer Brian Vu, whose dynamic and distinct portrait shots have gained him over 24k followers on Instagram. "I've spent so much of my life hiding from the world and never trusting others. I built a wall up around me, one that I've been trying to break down brick by brick. I want the work that I make to ignite the exact opposite feeling. I want others to feel like it's okay for them to be loud with their ideas and views. My art is my freedom and my livelihood."
Brian's fascination with photography began when he first borrowed his dad's digital camera as a teenager: "I suppose it was my way of relating to the world around me," he says. After taking a break from high school to pursue a BFA in Graphic Design, Brian moved to New York to better his chances of making it in the creative industry. It was only then that he started developing – what is now – his unmistakable photographic style. "What really inspires me is the QPOC (queer people of colour) community I have only recently been surrounded by since 2017. There are finally safe space parties for us that didn't exist when I first moved here. It was, of course, an immediate source of validation and inspiration for me. As a portrait photographer, it's important for me to capture these people I hold dear. We're all a bunch of outsiders that have come from different cities. It's beautiful that we've found each other." Aquaria, Alok Vaid-Menon and Ari Fitz are, alongside his immediate group of friends, just some of the inspiring people Brian has photographed over the past year.
"Whenever I begin a body of work, I imagine what it will look and feel like. I envision a colour scheme," Brian says of his photographic approach. "There's always a new skill I'm learning to incorporate into my work. Recently it's been makeup and set design. I probably shoot around three to six times a week, with subjects, makeup artists, hair stylists, and stylists all coming to my studio." Each of Brian's photographs is a glorious spectacle; his images are populated by assertive characters who gracefully pose in front of dramatic backdrops. Brian's creative vision is unapologetically unique, and his ability to extend it across disciplines – styling, set design and make-up – is a testament to his imaginative outlook. His most recent endeavours, in fact, include a makeup line entitled Brian Beauty, which he has developed alongside Nyle Fisher, as well as an upcoming solo photography exhibition set to open in New York this autumn.
Like his creative interests, Brian's relationship to photography has evolved and matured over time. "When I first began taking up photography seriously, my focus was mainly on the aesthetic of an image," he says. "How can I create an eye-catching photograph that will grab people's attention? It was likely due to my graphic design background. My work back then was very ego-driven. It was all about my struggles with my identity, my queerness, and my relationship to the world." Now, however, Brian sees the medium as a powerful vehicle through which to foster solidarity — something that feels particularly urgent in today's increasingly fragmented political climate. "I'm making work about the people I look up to. Through their vulnerabilities and their experiences, I see so much strength and integrity. If I can capture that, then I've succeeded."
Brian Vu: Yen.
Brian Vu: Raisa.
Brian Vu: Michele.
Brian Vu: Abel.
Brian Vu: Bailey.
Brian Vu: Gordo.
Brian Vu: Kai.
www.brian-vu.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


ABOVE: Porcini mushrooms are a fall specialty in the Erberia.
The Erberia sells fruit and vegetables, with wholesalers arriving early and retailers setting up their stalls by mid-morning. By noon, most of the action is over, so arrive early for shopping and discreet picture-taking.
Just beyond, in a building with arches that overlooks the Grand Canal, vendors in the Pescheria or fish market sell fish, octopus, squid, clams, and other aquatic edibles.
Tourists love the Pescheria (and the Erberia, for that matter), but before bellying up to the crushed-ice trough to take a snapshot, remember that the person you're elbowing out of the way may be a chef who's trying to buy the sardines or cuttlefish that you'll be eating for dinner.
Top photo copyright © Plus.
1st inset photo copyright © Calvio.
3rd inset photo copyright © Richard Goerg.
4th inset photo copyright © D. Huss.


These Antelope CA homeowners use their backyard and pool often. They wanted to make their backyard more attractive and improve the useful area. Their solution was to remove the existing small patio cover and install a larger one. In addition, they wanted to remove the existing concrete and replace it with a stamped concrete patio and sitting area. The project is in progress and we will add completed photos upon completion.


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Freeway Series Concludes at Dodger Stadium on Saturday - Homestand Information Against Angels
Saturday will be the first game of the year at Dodger Stadium and the last Spring Training game of 2015. It is the third and concluding game of the Freeway Series.
I hope to have similar information (or more) like this available for every homestand matchup this season. So stay tuned.
Saturday, April 4th at 6:10 PM
LHP Brian Anderson vs. LHP Hector Santiago
Tonight's game starts at 6:10 PM. Auto gates open at 3:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 4:00 PM.
Southern California native and singer Paige Williams will perform the national anthem. There are no scheduled Dodger autograph guest at the stadium for the evening, and I am uncertain if the Dodgers will continue doing it this year.
BTW, Dodger Stadium Express is now offering two express services to Dodger Stadium: the Dodger Stadium Express Union Station and the Dodger Stadium Express South Bay. Per a Dodger press release:
Dodger Stadium Express Union Station and Dodger Stadium Express South Bay services are free of charge with a Dodger game-day ticket. Both complimentary bus services offer transportation from downtown Los Angeles and the South Bay directly to Dodger Stadium starting 90 minutes before the game and 45 minutes after the game. Service will be provided every 10 minutes starting 90 minutes prior to the start of the game and runs approximately every 30 minutes throughout the game. Fans traveling from Union Station without a ticket will pay regular one-way fare of $1.75. Those traveling from the South Bay without tickets will be charged $2.50.
The Dodger Stadium Express Union Station has two stops on site—in center field, behind the pavilions, and at the Top Deck, Lot P. The Dodger Stadium Express South Bay will drop off in Lot G by the right-field pavilion. Fans can also park at Union Station for $6 and take the Dodger Stadium Express free with a game ticket. Fans can also board the Union Station bus at Broadway and Cesar Chavez, a short walk from the Chinatown Gold Line Metro stop. Complete details on the Dodger Stadium Express services, route information and helpful tips from METRO can be found by visiting www.metro.net/around/dodger-stadium-express or by calling 323.GO.METRO.
Have fun and stay safe Dodger fans.
By ernest at Friday, April 03, 2015 0 comments
Labels: Angels, homestand Info
Welcome to the Blue, Todd Leitz!
The newest personality to join the Dodger ranks is Todd Leitz. The onetime KNX 1070 NewsRadio anchor and KABC 790 reporter will now be the Dodgers 2015 Public Address Announcer.
Per a Dodger press release:
"Todd is a terrific broadcaster and a lifelong Dodger fan," said Lon Rosen, the Dodgers' Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer. "He was the perfect choice to be the next Dodger Stadium public address announcer."
"I couldn't be more thrilled and excited to be part of a world-class organization like the Los Angeles Dodgers," Leitz said. "I can't wait to start working with the crew that does such a great job making the Dodger Stadium experience second to none for the best baseball fans in the world."
You can follow Todd on twitter here: @TODD_LEITZ.
In celebration of Leitz's arrival to the club I made the above fantasy card for him. I grabbed a photo he tweeted when he was trying out for the Padres job last year and the 1964 Topps Baseball card design.
BTW, Leitz is no stranger to Dodger Stadium. He sung the National Anthem in 2013 and God Bless America a couple of years before that. Watch them below.
Labels: Card Creations, Lon Rosen, Todd Leitz, Videos
More Babe Ruth as a Dodger Memorabilia at Heritage Auctions
Oh, how I would have loved to meet Babe Ruth! What a pleasure that would be.
I can imagine it now. I'm riding the rail car in downtown Los Angeles on a lazy summer afternoon when I look down at my transit pass to see the "Sultan of Swat" gracing Dodger Blue.
I think to myself, "what is this about? Holy moly, the Bambino is coming here?"
The dreary expressionless face I typically wear on hot days like this would instantly transform into the kind of smile seen on children as they scamper about with no worries at all. Joy and pure elation would be the feeling. Man alive, what I would do to be able to experience that.
Featured above is a 1947 Los Angeles Transit Lines Weekly Pass good for August 24th through August 30th, and as you can see it advertises a once in a lifetime event. The ticket offers all who can attend a chance to "Meet the Babe at the American Legion Little World Series - Gilmore Field - Aug. 28-31." I am there. I am so there.
The ticket is paired with another Babe Ruth as a Dodger collectible that you can see below. You can also see the auction here at Heritage Auctions. It is just a preview. The actual auction begins April 24th.
The 1938 scorecard below is from a summer exhibition game between the 1938 Dodgers, with Babe Ruth as a coach, and a group of semi-professional Baseball All-Stars from Indiana. Click on any pic to embiggen. There are descriptions of the players involved.
Labels: Babe Ruth, Heritage Gallaries
Police Expand Tailgating Clampdown Around Dodger Stadium for Opening Day
Partying in the parks around Dodger Stadium for Opening Day had become an annual tradition. Unfortunately, some of the revelry has spread to the streets and neighborhoods, as well. According to the police and some of the residents, folks were found drinking in front of homes, using those homes front lawns as bathrooms and being a general nuisance around town. As a result, the LAPD is clamping down.
This past Monday I posted up some of the initial rules and regulations being implemented. Check out that post here.
Those initial restrictions have now been expanded. Per the Eastsider, not only will parking be banned on "Avenue of the Palms" and two-hour parking restrictions enforced on streets in the Echo Park neighborhood, but additional two-hour parking restrictions will be expanded to cover the Solano Canyon neighborhood, as well.
Check out the below maps. Frankly, I still believe that two-hour parking restrictions will be further expanded, so you shouldn't expect much on-street parking being available to use on Opening Day. BTW, this all starts at 7:00 AM, and these restrictions are only applicable on Opening Day.
I should also note that there is likely to be a strong police presence throughout the area; including Elysian Park. You should not be drinking alcohol anywhere. I suspect that even having it hidden within a nondescript cup will not stop you from getting a ticket.
Labels: Opening Day
Blog Kiosk: 4/3/2015 - Dodger Links - Zach Lee, Olivera and Seager
Yasiel Puig and Howie Kendrick met in a nasty collision in the fifth inning of last nights game. It was one of those bloop flys into no-man's-land. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear either guy was communicating out there. They came together in a violent crash; running into each other like a couple of Mack Trucks being tested for structural integrity. Based on the video replay it looked like Puig got the worst of it. Kendrick gave Puig an hockey-styled elbow to the throat. You can watch the replay here.
Via Earl Bloom at MLB.com:
Puig was checked by a doctor and the Dodgers said there is no injury. He is expected to be available to play Friday.
Puig waved off media requests as he left the clubhouse, saying only "I'm fine."
This is one of those events that could have scarred the entire season. Fortunately, it looks like both men will be able to walk away fine; if not a little bruised. The photo above is via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015. Go here to check out more photos from Jon from yesterday's game. Below are some links to check out:
Gene Maddaus at LA Weekly has a fix for those who don't have TWC: "Here Is a Simple Solution to the Dodgers TV Blackout."
Via Dustin Nosler at Dodgers Digest, "Zach Lee shows glimpse of the pitcher he can be."
Depending on the day, his best breaking ball is either his curveball or slider (#analysis). Scouts have graded both his best, which just shows the inconsistency. I'm of the opinion his curveball is better, but his slider has the potential to miss more bats (if he were to finish it more often). That's his biggest weakness right now. If he can figure it out (and that's a substantial "if"), he might reach his ceiling.
Via Bill Shaikin of the LA Times, "Dodgers' Hector Olivera hasn't made it to U.S. yet."
Olivera remains in the Dominican Republic, waiting for a visa. When he gets one, he will fly to Los Angeles for a physical examination, which will not be routine because of concerns over the condition of his right elbow. Under the deal, if Olivera requires elbow surgery, the Dodgers can add a seventh year to the contract for $1 million.
Via Megan Zahneis at MLB.com, "Big league camp a learning experience for Seager."
"It's been a whirlwind in my first Major League camp, but it's also been so much fun," Seager said. "You are with those guys in the locker room, [some] who I grew up idolizing, so it is a pretty amazing experience. I'm trying to soak up every little bit of it.
Check this out. Gary Joseph Cieradkowski of the Infinite Baseball Card Set has a book coming out soon. Check out details here.
Labels: Blog Kiosk, Corey Seager, Hector Olivera, Howie Kendrick, SportsNet LA, Yasiel Puig, Zach Lee
Freeway Series Concludes at Dodger Stadium on Satu...
More Babe Ruth as a Dodger Memorabilia at Heritage...
Police Expand Tailgating Clampdown Around Dodger S...
Blog Kiosk: 4/3/2015 - Dodger Links - Zach Lee, Ol...


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Home Festivals and Events Food Epicenter News and Notes
Oroville Dam: Evacuation Order Disrupts Farming in Affected Area
By Kevin Hecteman, Christine Souza and Ching Lee | California Farm Bureau Federation
Evacuation of a large swath of land downstream from Oroville Dam during the weekend caused logistical headaches for farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses within the affected area, while Department of Water Resources crews worked to head off a feared failure of the emergency spillway at the dam.
Officials ordered evacuation of low-lying areas near the Feather River on Sunday, after water in the reservoir eroded the emergency spillway. The evacuation order was lifted Tuesday.
Butte County Supervisor Bill Connelly said DWR officials feared a collapse of the spillway, "which would send a tidal wave down the mountain, through the diversion pool, over the diversion dam and to town."
Jamie Johansson, California Farm Bureau Federation first vice president who grows olives near Oroville, said local officials acted quickly.
"You kind of see the power of the water behind the dam should there be a catastrophic failure as they were describing it (Sunday) around 5 o'clock," he said. "I can't tell you how important local officials become."
Johansson said there was enough concern among the county sheriff and supervisors that they enacted the county emergency contingency plan, which included mobile text alerts.
Colleen Cecil, executive director of the Butte County Farm Bureau, said flooding was nothing out of the ordinary so far.
"There hasn't been extreme flooding," she said. "I think it's normal flooding along the Feather River that folks are experiencing right now."
Cecil said it was too early to assess damage.
"Right now, there's standing water in orchards," she said. "Almond bloom has started. It's in the very early stages. These sunny days in between these rainstorms get bees really happy, and we're going to see almond bloom here much sooner rather than later. Hopefully, pollination won't be impacted, but that is definitely an area that we're watching."
Crops that could potentially be affected if the situation worsens include cling peaches, prunes, walnuts, almonds, olives, kiwifruit and possibly rice.
Kulwant Johl of Yuba City, who grows orchard crops and whose farm is located along Highway 70, said the affected region includes a number of processing, packing and fruit drying companies, such as Sunsweet, Pacific Coast Producers, Cal Fruit International and Sacramento Valley Packing.
"We have so many farms, agricultural facilities and equipment. We've got packing facilities and dehydrators and dryers, so if something happens, for agriculture it will be a disaster," Johl said.
Steve Freeman, vice president of field operations for Pacific Coast Producers, which handles tree fruit and processing tomatoes, said the company temporarily shut its facility in Oroville, which includes a warehouse and canning and packaging plant.
"This is a moment-by-moment situation," Freeman said. "Everybody's situation is a little bit different, but I'm telling (employees) to make sure they have food, water and clothing, because they might not be able to get into town."
Sutter County Supervisor Mat Conant, who grows walnuts in Rio Oso, said of his fellow farmers and community members, "Everybody is just concerned. We don't know what to expect; we just don't know what is going to happen," adding that local irrigation districts are monitoring levees in the area.
Asked to describe how floodwater could affect orchards, Sutter County walnut grower Davin Norene said, "A wall of significant water rushing through an orchard would cause significant erosion and maybe topple trees, and standing water for a significant period would impact of the health of the orchard, since (trees) would be more prone to root fungal diseases."
Butte County Agricultural Commissioner Louie Mendoza said his department is receiving updates from the Office of Emergency Services, adding, "As long as the water can continue to be safely released from the spillway and the Feather River can handle the water and not cause any flooding issues downstream, then hopefully we can get through this."
Butte County rancher Steve Lambert, who lives in Oroville, said most cattle in his region are in the foothills this time of year and out of danger. Lambert resides north of Thermalito Afterbay and said he has not moved any of his cattle, which are not along the river or canal.
"There's opportunity for us to get wet, but I don't think it's the wall of water that some areas are looking at," he said.
As a county supervisor, Lambert said the region's levees "are in the best shape they've ever been in," noting recent improvements made to the Feather River West Levee.
Northern California ranchers and landowners have taken to social media to offer help to anyone needing to move livestock or a place to put them.
Tara Brocker, a rice farmer and rancher in Sutter County, was one of those offering the use of her stock trailer, though she said no one has taken her up on it yet.
"I think most people have gotten their animals out," she said. "Calling around and talking to my friends, I don't have anybody that's in a bad situation that has animals that need to be moved."
Brocker lives and farms south of Nicolaus at the confluence of the Feather and Sacramento rivers, a high-risk flood area. But her house sits above the floodplain, so she didn't have to leave. She has, however, moved all of her livestock to property in Newcastle "because I didn't want to risk it."
"The agriculture community where I live is pretty on the ball about getting out and trying to be prepared, because we live in such a high-risk flood area anyway and we take it very seriously. We don't usually mess around," she said.
Yuba County rancher Henry Smith, who lives in Marysville, said he and his family are paying close attention to the news and watching the level of Oroville Dam. He said he's not concerned about his cattle, as they are in the foothills of Browns Valley.
"Most people with livestock in Yuba and Sutter counties have them on higher ground, except for a few, so that's not a problem," he said.
Meanwhile, in San Joaquin County, vineyard and orchard farmer Joe Valente was seeing a virtual rerun of last month's flooding. Valente, operations manager for Kautz Farms of Lodi, once again saw farmland in his care inundated.
"We're back at it again," he said, noting that his farm has about 800 acres of vineyards that are underwater, "anywhere from a couple of feet to 6 feet," and has almonds underwater, too.
All that water was throwing Valente and his crews seriously off schedule.
"Our pruning is getting way behind," Valente said.
University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor Paul Verdegaal said winegrapes tolerate floodwater better than nut and fruit trees do.
"Vines are pretty tolerant during dormancy of flooded conditions," said Verdegaal, who is based in San Joaquin County. "They'll easily tolerate 30 or 40 days, even maybe a little more if it's cold and/or running water."
But nut and fruit trees can begin to develop problems with root rot after a few days, even if the water keeps moving, he said.
Forecasters predicted more rain for Northern California this week.
"Right now, the seven-day total precipitation forecast for (the Oroville) area looks to be around 4 to 8 inches, and this will be late Wednesday through at least Monday," said Idamis Del Valle, a National Weather Service forecaster in Sacramento. Snow levels were predicted to start at 7,000 feet and drop to 5,000 to 6,000 feet Saturday and as low as 3,000 feet Sunday, she added.
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Фібі Кляйн Кейтс, Phoebe Cates Kline (ім'я при народженні — Фібі Белл Кейтс, 16 липня 1963, Мангеттен) — американська актриса, модель та продюсерка. Зіграла на початку кар'єри багато ролей в фільмах про тінейджерів, найбільш відома за такими фільмами як «Вередливий Фред», «Принцеса Карабу», «Гремліни».

Примітки

Акторки США
Акторки за алфавітом
Російські євреї США
Уродженці Нью-Йорка

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, kallas Kansas City Fed,  är en regional centralbank inom USA:s centralbankssystem Federal Reserve System. De har ansvaret för det tionde distriktet i centralbankssystemet, vilket innebär att de har ansvaret för hela delstaterna Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma och Wyoming samt delar av delstaterna Missouri och New Mexico. Kansas City Fed använder sig av bokstaven J och siffran 10 för att identifiera sig på de dollar-sedlar som används i distriktet. De har sitt huvudkontor i Kansas City i Missouri och leds av Esther L. George.

Historik
Federal Reserve System har sitt ursprung från den 23 december 1913 när lagen Federal Reserve Act signerades av USA:s 28:e president Woodrow Wilson (D). Den 2 april 1914 meddelade Federal Reserve System att distrikten var bestämda och vart de regionala centralbankerna skulle vara placerade. Den 18 maj grundades samtliga tolv regionala centralbanker medan den 16 november öppnades dessa officiellt.

Ledare
Källa: * = Ordförande för Federal Reserve System.

Referenser

Externa länkar
Officiell webbplats

Kansas City
Banker bildade 1914
Företag i Kansas City, Missouri
USA:s ekonomi
Finanstillsyn
Colorado
Kansas
Missouri
Nebraska
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Wyoming


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Sodwee and 19 other users think Tidelines is promising.
Tidelines' first release is a bright debut that exists in it's own universe of pastel tones, sensual r'n'b and spaced out electronic pop. The title track carefully melds a rainbow palette of soft synths alongside dark rhythms and wispy r'n'b vocals that builds into something majestic. "Receive Me" sees a twinkling melody gliding over shuffling, twitchy beats.
ohhh forgot about miss ! Like this.
Is this artist confused with itun.es/se/DY-Zib ?


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Understanding Tech PR: An interview with Debby Penton
In today's day and age, getting publicity for technology business, events, products, and services is not that easy. Even if one manages to create a buzz, it's difficult to sustain it over a long period. While you may be passionate about technology and talk about it at length, how should you package it for media is something you may not always know. To help you understand the nuances of tech PR better, here's an interview with Debby Penton, MD of tech PR consultancy, Wildfire.
Debby has worked in tech PR and marketing for 20 years; devising and implementing campaigns for global leaders, start-ups and everything in between. Debby is the Chair of the PRCA technology group, and a regular judge on industry awards such as PRWeek, PRCA, and Holmes Report SABRE awards.
The secrets of successful tech PR: An interview with Debby Penton
Tell us about Wildfire. What makes it special in the field of tech PR?
Wildfire is 100 percent focused on tech PR and always has been. The diversity of technology clients that we cover and depth of our understanding and experience really sets us apart from the competition. You are equally likely to find someone at Wildfire as passionate about semiconductors, electrophoretic displays or cyber security as about customer experience platforms and the latest headphones. However, we don't just talk tech. We know how to create stories that go way beyond features and functionality and the tech-savvy buyer to engage both consumer and C-level audiences, and everything in between. And those stories form the core of media and integrated marketing campaigns to drive measurable business impact for clients.
Wildfire is 100 percent focused on tech PR and always has been. The diversity of technology clients that we cover and depth of our understanding and experience really sets us apart from the competition. You are equally likely to find someone at Wildfire as passionate about semiconductors, electrophoretic displays or cyber security as you are about customer experience platforms and the latest headphones. However, we don't just talk tech. We know how to create stories that go way beyond features and functionality and the tech-savvy buyer to engage both consumer and C-level audiences, and everything in between. And those stories form the core of media and integrated marketing campaigns to drive measurable business impact for clients.
How is tech PR different from PR for other industries?
Tech PR is a very dynamic industry. We must keep pace with the rapid changes in the technology environment, often promoting a picture of the future rather than what's available today. That means you have to think quickly and know how to tell stories that make your clients stand out in very competitive markets. Clients can change quickly too depending on the funding they receive and a lot of M&A activity, so you can never rest on your laurels in terms of generating results for clients, or focusing on new business.
How essential is content marketing and social media marketing for PR today?
While media relations is still a key focus for most PR agencies, we believe an integrated approach to communications is essential. Wildfire's campaigns have a strong story and content marketing at their core, which is supercharged with earned media coverage and amplified through paid, owned and social channels for maximum reach and impact.
How should tech start-ups approach PR for themselves?
Tech start-ups should approach PR as they would any other business-relationship building. Research the publications and journalists that will have the most influence with their target audience, whether they are investors or customers, take the time to understand what they're interested in, and offer them an exclusive story about your product or service that will genuinely interest their readers. Remember that they are getting pitched to by hundreds of people every day, so your email, tweet or phone call really needs to stand out.
What role does SEO play in PR?
SEO is critical to building online visibility and reputation for brands. Google has made PR one of the most influential ways to improve your organic rankings through securing good backlinks from relevant and authoritative online publishers. On that basis, PR and SEO work hand in hand.
What is the key to successful and sustainable influencer marketing?
It's important to have a clear strategy and process, and to stick it – success won't happen overnight, and people want to see evidence of commitment to relationship building, authenticity, and reciprocity in those relationships.


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Amar Bondhu Rashed 2011 with English Subtitles
Amar Bondhu Rashed 2011 with English Subtitles quantity
Amar Bondhu Rashed 2011
1h 36min | War | 1 April 2011 (Bangladesh)
Amar Bondhu Rashed, a fictional story based on the Liberation War of Bangladesh and written by the popular children's literature Dr Mohammad Jafar Iqbal
"Amar Bondhu Rashed" by Morshedul Islam is an adaptation of a novel of Muhammad Zafar Iqbal under the same title. The crafty tale of the Liberation War of Bangladesh as portrayed in the novel rests in the core of this cinematic endeavour by the director as well. Though cinematically amateurish, this film provides an apt knitting of the main story with the cinematic technique of adaptation.
It is a tale of friendship between Ibu and Rashed (Chowdhury Zawata Afnan). Rashed, a boy of enigmatic and pulsing presence, happens to emerge all on a sudden like a blow. He ripples the lives of his peers with a mysterious Dad, supposedly his only companion. His friendship with Ibu stems and develops on the basis of a strong sense of patriotism. In the backdrop of 1971's War of Liberation, the story unfolds itself and gradually merges with the private history of Ibu and Rashed.
The film has a good casting. But the character of Rashed is not very well executed. Rashed seems to be too polished to be Rashed himself. Other characters are more or less perfect fit for the demand of the plot. The film may not be entitled to be a film of technical excellence but it has minimum number of flaws. Sometimes the characters are amputated out of the frame. Sometimes the camera moves very little that dampens the sentimental avenues of the plot. The editing is compromised for the sake of the novel at times. Transitions are not smooth but it has to be acknowledged that comprising everything while adapting a two dimensional written discourse into a film is simply absurd a demand. The sound of the film is okay.
The theme of the film is very interesting and ambivalent. For those of us who have read the novel previously, the film refreshes perspectives and thus facilitates newer thematic interpretations. The portrayal of Rashed is enigmatic. He roams around the plot without any definitive clue of his identity. Rashed can be a boy who died during the Liberation War of Bangladesh. He can be a boy who acknowledges the depth of friendship. He can represent the then collective political consciousness of our country. Rashed can be a boy that represents an Icarus-like spirit of transcending boundaries. He can be a metonymy of our 1971 War that means the country along with its people has dashed ahead but not the zeal of the war that is still blindfolded in its adolescence. Interpretations are open and they can go on as perspectives vary.
In a nutshell, this film is worth recommending. Many of us nurture a wrong conception regarding adaptation that a film must follow the exact course of the source which is nothing but weird. This film has been a very good amalgamation of the two adaptation techniques; namely analogy and transposition. It might have the minimum camera movement, but the feel that it provides is nearly priceless. If you haven't seen Rashed yet, well… you haven't seen Rashed yet!!!
Director: Morshedul Islam
Writers: Muhammad Zafar Iqbal (novel), Morshedul Islam (screenplay)
Stars: Chowdhury Zawata Afnan, Rayan Ibtesham Chowdhury, Refayat Zinnat
Country: Bangladesh
Language: Bengali
Release Date: 1 April 2011 (Bangladesh)
Also Known As: My Friend Rashed
Filming Locations: Mymensingh, Bangladesh
Amar Bondhu Rashed (2011)
96 min|War|01 Apr 2011
Amar Bondhu Rashed, a fictional story based on the Liberation War of Bangladesh and written by the popular children's literature Dr Mohammad Jafar Iqbal
Creator: Muhammad Zafar Iqbal (novel), Morshedul Islam (screenplay), Barkat Ullah Maruf (screenplay)
Actors: Chowdhury Zawata Afnan, Rayan Ibtesham Chowdhury, Refayat Zinnat, Faiyaz Bin Zia
1 review for Amar Bondhu Rashed 2011 with English Subtitles
megan bouvior – October 1, 2019
A very interesting movie with a coming of age storyline
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Precast Show and World of Concrete: Productive industry exercises resume
May 11, 2021 May 11, 2021 Don Marsh
The fluidity of public health and travel advisories from the White House to state houses to city halls forced Precast Show and World of Concrete organizers to promote their postponed events with pending labels. Backed with Operation Warp Speed vaccine development dividends, sound minded authorities have enabled the National Precast Concrete Association and Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute to stage the Precast Show, May 18-20 in New Orleans, and Informa Markets to stick with its June 8-10 target for World of Concrete in Las Vegas.
Near press time, pre-registration for New Orleans activities was running at 75 percent the level that staff saw for the same timeframe prior to the 2020 Precast Show in Fort Worth, Texas. While they encourage in-person participation, NPCA and PCI have set a hybrid format where virtual presentations accompany in-person committee meetings and other Precast Show or PCI Convention functions. Members and allies who are not traveling to New Orleans will be able to interface with Precast Show exhibitors by way of the Zoom-powered Pathable app.
New Orleans' Morial Convention Center will house a welcome reunion for NPCA and PCI members who paths last crossed in February 2020. Last year's Precast Show timed with rumblings of public health and sanitation concerns at the dawn of the pandemic; no attendee could have imagined the scale of panic and paranoia that ensued less than two weeks after NPCA and PCI capped their largest annual gatherings.
The Precast Show will fittingly lead into the larger powwow less than three weeks later. World of Concrete 2021 will bookend the 2020 ConExpo-Con/Agg—both events among the Las Vegas Convention Center's top traditions. ConExpo-Con/Agg was easily the largest major business gathering to abut Covid-19 hysteria, punctuated with the declaration of a national emergency on day four of the show, compelling early exhibit shut down.
Informa Markets notes that World of Concrete will be Las Vegas' and the United States' first large-scale trade show in 15 months. In contrast to ConExpo-Con/Agg, next month's Las Vegas Convention Center gathering will see many face masks. Those circulating indoor spaces will be required to abide Informa AllSecure—a set of rigorous hygiene and safety measures prioritizing attendee health, face masks and temperature checks.
"We are confident in our ability to execute a safe event with strong outcomes," said World of Concrete Group Director Jackie James upon Informa Markets' confirmation of the in-person June 2021 program. "The Nevada Department of Business and Industry has taken a cautious approach to re-opening, and we are honored to be one of the first large-scale events to set the industry standard for safe and successful economic recovery."
Officials behind World of Concrete and the Precast Show have understandably refrained from defining success by any attendance watermarks. It will be hard to view either gathering as a disappointment if Las Vegas and New Orleans crowds hit perhaps 40-60 percent of traffic under normal public health conditions and January-February schedules. We look forward to catching up with friends and associates this month and next. Even with face masks, elbow bumps and other barriers to traditional exchanges, navigating the Precast Show and World of Concrete in person will be more rewarding than months of virtual productions.
EditorialPrecast Show, World of Concrete
Martin Ozinga III, 1950-2021
Cemex, BP to explore low carbon power and transportation, energy efficiency


Many people believe they understand the world and the events taking place within it, often justifying their understandings by calling it "common sense". We look at things from a sociological perspective then this perspective encourages us to ask whether commonly held beliefs are actually true and, to the extent they are not, why they are so widely held? For example: gender differences; ethnic differences; racial differences and social class differences. Where do these differences come from? Sociology is an attempt to understand the social world by situating social events in their corresponding environment (i.e., social structure, history) and trying to understand social phenomena by collecting and analyzing empirical data. For example, Peter Berger, a well-known sociologist, argued, that what distinguishes sociology from common sense is that sociologists: "[try] to see what is there. [They] may have hopes or fears concerning what [they] may find. But [they] will try to see, regardless of [their] hopes or fears. It is thus an act of pure perception..."
Thus, to obtain knowledge of the society, sociologists must methodically & systematically study their world and look into the minor/major details.
2) The sociological perspective empowers us to participate actively in our society.
Social theories are helpful as we explore issues and controversies in sports and assess research and ideas about sports in society. We do not have to be theorists to use theory as we organize our thoughts and become more informed citizens in our social worlds.


This is my 3rd time flying Etihad A380 First Class which I regard it as one of the very Best First Class product and a very different one to the conventional forward facing seating.
Before American Airlines AAdvantage Miles devaluation happened on 22nd March, I redeemed this flight in First Class for only 40,000 AAdvantage Miles, which cost just 700 dollars more or less!
This report intend to be a photo report. You can view more details on my previous flights in First Class "Apartment".
The journey started with Etihad Chauffeur drive pick up from my home and drop off at Abu Dhabi Premium check-in area at T3.
The check-in area has a face lift.
Waiting area inside the check-in area.
The A380 is docked at gate 33, today's EY019 flight to London is operated by the latest A380, A6-APG!
You can see the Premium Lounge details in this post.
I went for my favourite place before flight : Style and Shave area, only to be greeted by my favourite Barber Hasan.
The Hair and Shave salon menu.
Hair cut and shave is complimentary to First Class ticket holder.
As of 1 May 2016, you can only choose to have 1 complimentary treatment either in the Shave lounge or Spa.
Previously you can have both free.
Business Class passengers are no longer entitled to free Spa treatment.
Boarding was called at 7:30am for 8am departure.
We're extremely lucky to fly the latest A380 of Etihad's fleet of 7.
A6-APG was in service only a week ago before our flight!
Welcome drink : Mimosa, with the usual towel and arabic date service.
I was warmly welcome by the F&B manager Greg, a French national. He offered to take some photo for me including a selfie with the first class stewardess Magdalena from Poland.
Marhaba! Sorry but I can't handle the arabic coffee and date!
Since I am travelling with a friend, the middle barrier has been lowered.
Pushing back with the Swanky Abu Dhabi ATC tower.
Taxiing to Runway 13R for immediate departure.
After takeoff drink and snack.
A selfie following my wife's selfie on her flight to Sydney.
Etihad A380 have the entire upper deck for Premium cabin. Therefore it has a curtain and chain off to the lower deck Economy passengers.
Since May 1st, the first class menu has some changes. Some items have been removed such as Rib eye steak and catch of the day while some popular items such as Biryani continue to stay.
My friend and I decided to dine together in his apartment, 4K.
While he chose corn flakes as starter, I went for the scallops.
Next we both have our eggs cooked to order. He has fried egg sunny side up and I have scrambled egg with hollandaise sauce.
Chef Sisi from Bali, Indonesia personally deliver her dessert creation.
The dessert name, "Texture" is inspired by the famous El Bulli restaurant from Spain.
It is probably the nicest plate up dessert I've ever have. Etihad keeps improving on mastering the dessert!
All in all, it was a good breakfast. Eggs on airplane are always tricky to cook.
After the breakfast, we retreat to the onboard lounge to further continue our conversation.
I have a glass of Moroccan mint tea.
F&B manager Gregory looking after us and continue to top up our drinks.
A 'crewfie' together with our First Class chef, stewardess and manager; Sisi, Magda and Greg.
Our beds are beautifully laid-out for some serious photography!
It's time for a nap in my personal onboard apartment!
Listening to my favourite tunes, watching the in-flight map moving in bed at 37,000 feet is a treat!
After about 3 hours of relaxation, I woke up and getting hungry again. It's time for lunch. We're over Central Europe already with 1.5 hours to go before landing.
This time I have the Carrot and Coriander Soup, which the chef pour in front of you!
A beautiful plated up Beef Fillet with vegetables.
The meal was excellent in both presentation and taste. It rivals restaurant quality.
Before landing, a bathroom visit is needed.
The crew informed me the shower is not working, unfortunately.
I received following gift from the crew, gold edge Etihad Playing card, shower amenity kit and a pen.
Approaching London under glorious weather, we're approaching from the East on Rwy 09R with about 20 minutes holding in the air.
At 13:15 we landed smoothly on Rwy 09R with a very short taxi to our gate in Terminal 4. London Heathrow ATC expedited our landing on the usual departure runway, follow by another A380 from Qatar Airways.
A last look of the Apartment before deplane.
Our plane A6-APG with beautiful weather in London.
That was my 3rd time flying the Etihad A380 Apartment and my excitement and enjoyment remain as high as the first time. It is such an amazing and innovative First Class which set it apart from the competitors. The crew are very approachable and delivered an awesome in-flight experience. The food presentation is gorgeous, rival of restaurant quality. The comfort and privacy level is done just right; even with the door closed, I have plenty of space to move around. It is really hard to flaw anything!
Thank you Etihad for providing me another stellar in-flight experience!


Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a remarkably heterogeneous disorder with various clinical presentations. Despite different sets of diagnostic criteria, not all patients with treatable CIDP are identified. Several challenges remain during treatment, such as which treatment should be started first, when are patients adequately treated and when can treatment be stopped. In other words, there is a unmet need to improve diagnostic criteria and find clinical or biological variables that can predict treatment response, disease activity and long-term outcome. To address these questions, it is required to conduct a long-term prospective study with a large group of CIDP patients collecting highly standardized data and biomaterials. In recent years, several national registries and biobanks have been developed. However, even in large countries, these registries will not be able to include sufficient patients to address the most important challenges described above. Recently a multidisciplinary group of 24 people from 13 countries attended the European Neuromuscular Center (ENMC) workshop. Eight currently ongoing international CIDP registries that included a total of over 1300 patients were compared to assess infrastructure and collected clinical data, diagnostic data and biomaterials. During this workshop a consensus was reached on several important issues to make comparison between these registries possible. A central database (INCbase) will be used to upload data from current registries and databases while these registries continue to exist. Next steps are to harmonize the current registry protocols and to set up INCbase. This global database is expected to be operational in 2018 and will collect data from thousands of CIDP patients to enable solving some of the important challenges in diagnosing and treatment of CIDP.


The Morris Township Police Department is currently investigating a burglary and theft to a residence off of James Street near the Morristown border. The burglary occurred after midnight on Sept. 1 while the homeowners were sleeping.
Stolen from the residence was cash, a laptop, and a motor vehicle. The suspect left behind a note indicating the crime had occurred due to personal duress.


Rangers left-hander Martin Perez did not win on the road last season. Now he will make his first road start of 2016 against a pitcher who is among the toughest in baseball when pitching in his home park.
Perez will be going up against Angels right-hander Jered Weaver when the two teams close out their four-game series at Angel Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Weaver, beginning his 11th year with the Angels, will be making his first start of the season after dealing with some neck tightness in Spring Training.
Weaver has made 140 career starts in Anaheim with a record of 73-30. The .709 winning is the highest among active pitchers with at least 75 career starts at home. His 2.67 ERA at home is the second-lowest behind Clayton Kershaw, who has a 2.07 ERA at Dodger Stadium.
The 2.67 ERA is also the fourth-lowest ERA at home by an American League pitcher in the last 70 years for pitchers with at least 75 starts behind Vida Blue (2.54), Whitey Ford (2.57) and Jim Palmer (2.59).
Perez made eight starts on the road last year and was 0-5 with a 4.81 ERA. He was the only Major League pitcher to start at least eight games on the road last season and not get a win.
He is 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA in two career starts in Anaheim and 1-1 with a 2.28 ERA in four career starts and one relief appearance against the Angels overall.
"It's OK, I want to pitch whether it's at home or on the road," Perez said. "You have to be prepared for everything."
Weaver threw his fastball mostly 79-81 mph this spring, after averaging 84.9 mph last year and trailing only Mark Buehrle for the slowest among non-knuckleball pitchers with at least 150 innings.
"You have to have confidence," Weaver said. "You don't go out there with 80 miles an hour and not have confidence. I still have to go out there and be the competitor and not let my emotions get the best of me. I still have to go out there and know that even though I don't have my good stuff that those guys are still on their toes because I still know how to pitch regardless of what I'm throwing up there."
• Weaver will be making his 38th career start against the Rangers, which will tie him with Frank Tanana for sixth all-time. Felix Hernandez is the leader with 48.
• Adrian Beltre's 84 at-bats against Weaver are tied with Kevin Millwood for the most in his career against one pitcher. He is hitting just .226 with one home run against Weaver.
• Bryan Holaday will catch for the Rangers, with Robinson Chirinos on the DL after suffering a broken right forearm on Saturday.


The home of roulette, France is one of the greatest casino destinations in the world. The guys and girls at Lucky Nugget Casino have therefore stepped up to discover the best French casinos – for anyone looking to visit, or who just wants to learn more about the country which brought us classic games.
There's 186 legal gambling facilities in France, spread across 175 cities. Very few areas have more than one casino: even Paris, the capital city, only has one casino alongside its five other gambling venues. Casinos in France also tend to be small and intimate, like their British counterparts: they'll take up the floor of a hotel rather than an entire city block. If you're looking for a more personal touch to your gaming, Paris has got you covered.
The Palais de la Méditerranée is not a big casino by any means: there are 17 table games, with eight roulette wheels, and only a few slot machines. The draw of the casino comes from its grandeur and majesty: it's located in one of Nice's premier landmarks, a stunning nine-story luxury hotel on the Nice waterfront.
Built in 1929, the hotel has undergone a few changes since its inception, but it still remains a paradigm of class. Everything about it exudes a sense of glamour. Get a fancy cocktail at the bar and feel like you're back in the 1930s. Try and visit while the casino is hosting a 1930s gala: it'll show you just how grand and magnificent the casino was back then, as well as showcasing its present-day beauty.
Divonnes-les-Bains is close to the French border with Switzerland, so many high-rollers from Geneva come over to experience the delights of this casino. It's the largest casino in France in terms of games on offer: there's a poker room, 13 table games, and 355 video gaming machines (including 244 slots).
The casino is open until 3am, while patrons can enter from noon during the week and 11am at the weekend. There's plenty of room to wander around and take in the sights. And, like many of the other best French casinos, appearance is key: the grand hotel is a 4* paradise, and two restaurants offer a variety of cuisine for the discerning palate.
As the only casino in the Île-de-France region, all the gamers visiting Paris make a stop at this luxurious establishment. So it's no wonder that it's a large casino, designed to cater to all of Paris's tourists and businessmen who want to play games of chance. It's also home to the only slot machines for miles around!
Step up to one of the 280 gaming machines to play slots or video poker, or play at one of the 38 table games. There's all the casino classics like Roulette and Blackjack, but you could also try something different – chemin de fer is the original French version of Baccarat, and still the most popular version in the country. Try it out, and see if you can beat the banker.
No list of best French casinos would be complete without mentioning Casino le Lyon Vert. It's truly a luxurious gaming destination, boasting 334 slot machines, 15 table games and regular bingo draws to entertain the country's third biggest city. And the casino is open until 4am to accommodate all the city's night owls.
There's a 9,688 square foot spa at the venue, too – which is larger than many of France's casinos. Step away from the game floor to visit the fantastic restaurants and soak up the atmosphere. However, if Lyon's a bit of a trek for you, the casino also has an online option: you can feel like you're actually there, while staying in the comfort of your own home. So long as your French is good enough, that is!
Yes, we know – Monaco is a separate country, but it occupies a strange kind of limbo: it's so famous that we must mention it, but we can't dedicate a whole blog to just one casino. As a compromise, we've included it with French casinos — after all, citizens of Monaco are banned from entering the games rooms, so it's a favourite of wealthy French tourists looking to splash some cash.
The casino opened in 1863 and is famous for many reasons – its style, its elegance, its history, and for hosting the national Opera. It's been the inspiration for many James Bond locations, and served as a filming location for Ocean's Twelve. There's 108,000 square feet of gaming spaces, around 300 slot machines, and endless table games. You can even play them on the Terrace, for gambling with a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea. Now that's something worth making a trip for!
No matter where you're looking to go in France, there will be a casino that suits your needs. But if you're looking for the crème de la crème, then these are the five best casinos in France (and Monaco). Bonne chance!


The European Commission has today adopted two communications – an Action Plan to address infringements of intellectual property rights in the EU and a Strategy for the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) in third countries.
The EU Action Plan sets out a number of actions to focus the EU's IPR enforcement policy on commercial scale infringements (the so-called 'follow the money' approach). The Strategy setting out an international approach examines recent changes and presents ways to improve the Commission's current means of action to promote enhanced IPR standards in third countries and to stem the trade in IPR infringing goods.
"The adoption of this Action Plan shows how we want to re-orientate our policy towards better compliance with intellectual property rights by the private sector", said EU Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier. "Rather than penalising the individual for infringing intellectual property rights, often unknowingly, the actions set out here pave the way towards a 'follow the money' approach, with the aim of depriving commercial-scale infringers of their revenue flows."
"Our businesses, creators and inventors should be duly rewarded for their creative and innovating efforts", said EU Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht. "For that, and to maintain the incentives that drive innovation and creativity, we must keep working on improving standards with our international partners. We will remain open to adapting our approach according to their levels of development, but underline the positive impacts that intellectual property can have on growth, jobs and consumers."
"Effective IPR enforcement must be underpinned by close cooperation amongst enforcement authorities, and between those authorities and business stakeholders. This is essential both within the EU and with our international partners," said Algirdas Šemeta, EU Commissioner for Customs. "Fostering this multi-stakeholder approach is challenging, but it is the only way to ensure proper protection of our intellectual property in the EU and in international trade."
Today's globalised economy relies increasingly on knowledge-based industries, which resisted the crisis well and are growing strongly. The number of new European patent registrations, registered Community Trade Marks and Community Designs more than doubled between 2003 and 2012. But the high numbers of infringements of intellectual property rights (IPR) can harm this positive trend. In 2012 alone, EU border control agencies registered 90,000 cases of goods suspected of infringing intellectual property rights (compared to fewer than 27,000 in 2005). The OECD estimates that the annual loss from IPR infringements to the world economy is around €200 billion.
providing a comprehensive training programme for Member State authorities with a view to achieving faster preventive actions against commercial scale IP-infringing activities across the EU and identification of barriers to cross-border cooperation.
providing and promoting awareness of appropriate IP-related technical assistance programmes to third countries (e.g. training, capacity building, how to leverage IP assets).
The actions set out in these Communications will be launched and carried out in 2014 and 2015. The Commission will monitor the delivery of these initiatives, and invites the European Parliament, the Council, Member States, the European Economic and Social Committee and stakeholders (including the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) through the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights) to actively contribute to the work ahead. The Commission will consider at a later stage whether further, potentially legislative, measures are necessary.


By Jim Hamilton, J.D., LL.M.
Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate to modify Section 716 of the Dodd-Frank Act, the bank swaps push-out provision. In the House, the Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act was introduced by Reps. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill) and Jim Himes (D-Conn), members of the Financial Services Committee, and Reps. Richard Hudson (R-NC) and Sean Patrick Mahoney (D-NY), who serve on the House Agriculture Committee. The legislation would amend Section 716 to ensure that federally insured financial institutions can continue to conduct risk-mitigation efforts for clients like farmers and manufacturers that use swaps to insure against price fluctuations. The bill modifies Section 716 to allow commodity and equity derivatives in banks with federal deposit insurance. Senate Banking Committee members Senators Kay Hagen (D-NC) and Patrick Toomey (R-Pa), along with Agriculture Committee members Senators Mike Johanns (R-Neb) and Mark Warner (D-Va), have introduced companion legislation.
This legislation mirrors the final version of H.R. 1838 that the Financial Services Committee unanimously reported out to the House in the 112th Congress. An amendment to H.R. 1838 offered by Rep. Himes, and unanimously approved by the Committee, carved out risky instruments, such as structured swaps and asset-backed securities, and is included in the Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act of 2013. These are swaps that are the most risky and should be pushed out of banks.
Currently, under Section 716, federally insured banks would not be permitted to conduct certain swaps trading, including trading of commodity, equity, and credit derivatives, thus compelling the banks to push out that activity into separately capitalized non-bank affiliates. By prohibiting this activity in federally insured institutions, regulators would lose some oversight. This legislation will ensure that these swaps take place within institutions that are more closely monitored by federal regulators.
Under Section 716, insured depository institutions must push out all swaps and security-based swaps activities except for specifically enumerated activities, such as hedging and other similar risk mitigating activities directly related to the insured depository institution's activities. Section 716 prohibits federal assistance, including federal deposit insurance and access to the Fed discount window to swap entities in connection with their trading in swaps or securities-based swaps. This section would effectively require most derivatives activities to be conducted outside of banks and bank holding companies.
When Congress was crafting the Dodd-Frank Act, financial regulators raised concerns about the risk involved with this provision. For example, then–FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair said that if all derivatives market making activities were moved outside of bank holding companies, most of the activity would no doubt continue, but in less-regulated and more highly leveraged venues.
The legislation is designed to ensure that derivatives trading units can be overseen by financial regulators and increase the capital available to finance job creation and economic activity.
The securities industry supports the legislation as a bipartisan, bi-cameral recognition that Section 716 was an ill-conceived provision, one that elicited strong reservations from multiple federal prudential regulators when originally adopted and still today. According to SIFMA, the legislation will forestall a misguided action that would force swaps to migrate to other entities that are not subject to prudential regulation, and could likely increase systemic risk instead of reducing it.
The author of Section 716, former Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark), refuted the suggestion that this provision will push derivatives trading off into the dark without oversight. Title VII of Dodd-Frank makes it abundantly clear that all swaps activity will be vigorously regulated by the SEC and CFTC. Just because these swaps desks will no longer be overseen by the FDIC does not mean that they will not be subject to strong regulation by the SEC and CFTC, said the senator. Similarly, Sen. Lincoln refuted the suggestion that Section 716 will prevent banks from using swaps to hedge their risks. Banks that have been acting as banks will be able to continue doing business as they always have under the reform legislation, she assured, with banks using swaps still being allowed to hedge their interest rate risk on their loan portfolio (Cong. Rec., May 5, 2010, p. S3140).


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Boats Behaving Badly: Buzzing US Warships in the Persian Gulf
Richard B Gasparre takes a look at the serious threat caused to large warships by smaller fast craft.
In the first weekend of 2008, five Iranian patrol boats approached three US Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz. According to official US reports immediately following the incident, the speedboats buzzed around the US warships for half an hour at ranges as close as 200m, dropped floating objects into the water in the ships' path, and radioed suicide-attack threats over open channels.
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Although the warships – the Ticonderoga Class cruiser USS Port Royal, the Burke Class destroyer USS Hopper, and the Perry Class frigate USS Ingraham – did not open fire on the Iranian vessels, a gunner on one ship trained a portable machine gun on a speedboat that was especially close.
Reports from non-US sources subsequently indicated that the incident was not as provocative as the Pentagon originally presented it. Nevertheless, the threat posed by small fast craft to larger warships is serious, particularly in the environment where such encounters are most likely to occur.
SNEAK PREVIEW: THE 'MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE 2002' WARGAME
In August 2002, US military planners simulated an attack that echoed the January incident. In the simulation, the hostile red team launched scores of speedboats in rapid charges at blue team carrier and amphibious task forces in the Strait of Hormuz, which is not only narrow and congested but also features the nautical equivalent of a mountain road switchback.
The speedboats not only fired off rockets and machine guns, but also carried high-explosive payloads and rammed blue vessels in a manner similar to the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. Even though it fought back with naval artillery and missile fire, the blue team lost 16 major warships by the end of the simulated attack.
Although the war game also included missile attacks on the blue fleet from landward launchers and aircraft, the speedboat fleet alone proved to be a trickier adversary than US naval officers expected. According to Lt General Paul Van Riper, the nominal red team commander, speedboat flotillas can execute swarming tactics that appear to be the optimal method by which hordes of small units can defeat larger but fewer units – regardless of whether the units are ants attacking snakes,
wolves attacking bison, or Iranian Revolutionary Guardsmen attacking the US Navy.
In a New York Times interview, Gen. Van Riper recalled that "the sheer numbers involved overloaded the [blue team's] ability, both mentally and electronically, to handle the attack," adding that "the whole [attack] was over in five, maybe ten minutes."
The simulation naturally produced two questions: the participating officers asked how the outcome happened, and the Pentagon as a whole asked if this could really happen.
SMOKE ON THE WATER: INSURGENCY GETS WET
Probably the best way to understand the speedboat threat, whether from Iran or any other nation, is to frame it as the maritime equivalent of the quasi-urban insurgency in Iraq. The whole basis of insurgent or guerrilla warfare is to attack the larger adversary only at their points of weakness, and ideally to create a situation where many individual weaknesses reinforce each other.
The current naval environment highlights two problems in particular, the first of which is cost asymmetry. First, the US Navy has shrunk to 280 ships (its smallest roster since the 1930s) while the cost of the average surface combatant has climbed to stratospheric levels.
Roughly averaging various unit costs under various accounting methods, for example, the USS Hopper cost some $500m to build and outfit. Considering that 40ft cigarette racing boats can be purchased for roughly half a million dollars, the implied cost ratio of 1,000:1 means that Iran could deploy five times as many vessels as General Van Riper did in the wargame and still have enough spare change for a boatload of cruise missiles.
By starting their tactical offense from close range (i.e. under a kilometre), speedboats turn the target engagement calculus in their favour by removing the ships' big-ticket weapons from considerations.
"The whole basis of insurgent or guerrilla warfare is to attack the larger adversary only at their points of weakness."
Even in moderately choppy waters, modified cigarette-style hulls can still manage 30kt (40mph, or 60km/h), which means that a single boat needs only a minute to close on a warship from a kilometre away, and only 12 seconds from 200m away.
Now, cruisers and destroyers such as the Port Royal and Hopper carry eight terminal-range weapons systems: two Phalanx 20mm cannon primarily used for anti-missile defence, two Bushmaster 20mm cannon, and four portable / mountable .50-calibre machine guns.
Assuming that all these stations could lay down accurate fire – and marines handling heavy MGs on rolling decks do not always attain sniper-level marksmanship – a ten-second engagement cycle would enable a single ship to stop 48 onrushing speedboats in a minute, theoretically.
But what happens if a clever adversary takes a hint from a basketball or football coach and 'floods a zone' (overloads a specific quadrant) with a preponderance of boats? Herein lies the weakness of point-blank ship defences: they have the same conceptual weakness as terrestrial fixed defences such as the Maginot line.
Therefore, even the foregoing simplistic analysis demonstrates that 'boats behaving badly' could present a real threat.
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Spiders! They're creatures you're almost certain to see in the Peruvian Amazon, whether you like it or not.
Spiders have been around for hundreds of millions of years and have adapted to almost every corner of the earth. As predators, they have developed a very unique strategy of producing webs made of silk to catch prey and one particular group, called the orb-weavers, create spiral round-shaped webs to ensnare their flying victims.
The Deinopoidea (the cribellate orb weavers) and the Araneoidea (the viscid silk orb weavers) are two groups of spiders that make geometrically similar orb webs and for a long time scientists thought that orb weavers were one distinct lineage. However, a recent study out of Harvard proves that this is false: the orb weavers are in fact nonmonophyletic, meaning they do not share a single origin.
They used next-generation sequencing, a technology which allows scientists to rapidly sequence the genetic material of an organism.
For each spider specimen, the messenger RNA (mRNA) was extracted, complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries were constructed, and samples were run using an Illumina platform, thus sequencing and generating a huge amount of genetic data.
The data was then used to construct a phylogenetic tree, which represents the evolutionary relationships among spiders.
After all the hard work, the researchers produced the most comprehensive analysis to date for investigating spider evolution.
How could you not love that spidey-face?
The controversy over a single or a convergent origin of the orb web goes back to at least the 1880s. Research, primarily based on behavioral and morphological data, have supported a single origin of the orb web, but this new study clearly shows that Deinopoidea is not closely related to Araneoidea.
Thus, orb webs appear to have evolved convergently in Araneoidea and Deinopoidea. Either that, or the orb web is an ancestral phenomenon and has been lost in all lineages except Araneoidea and Deinopidea. This is very cool research, and only time will tell what new insights scientists come to gain on arachnid evolution.


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Lifestyle » Local Notables
Local Notables: George Mansfield and Tom Schmitz
by Gregory Schoenfeld
Last Updated: 01/02/2023 1:22 pm
Rob Penner
George Mansfield and Tom Schmitz
"George has more friends than anyone in this town," testifies Beacon resident and local music driving force, Stephen Clair, about George Mansfield. To walk with Mansfield in the neighborhood around Dogwood, the new Beacon east-end pub and music venue that Mansfield and partner Tom Schmitz have created, one gets the sense that Clair is not exaggerating. No one, whether on foot or at the wheel, passes without extending a wave, a word, and smile.
To say that George Mansfield is just another Beacon transplant is a lot like...well, a lot like oversimplifying the unique explosion of culture taking hold in Beacon with a moniker like "Brooklyn North,"—a notion that lightly bristles Dogwood's owners. Both are former Williamsburg, Brooklyn pioneers—now charting new territory on the banks of the Fishkill Creek, and fiercely committed to furthering the unique character of their adopted community. Mansfield can be said to be somewhat "old-guard" in the Beacon landscape: he and his wife came from Brooklyn 14 years ago, after hearing that the Dia Art Foundation would be creating the seminal Dia:Beacon. "There really wasn't much happening yet, but there was a lot of possibility," Mansfield recalls. "I went to talk to these people, and they said, 'Oh, an artist from Brooklyn? That's exactly who were trying to get up here.' It's only grown exponentially from there." Mansfield's easy, accepting approach to community quickly made him an integral part of it, both among longtime residents and the influx of new arrivals. In time, Mansfield felt he could help successfully bridge that gap, and decided to shape both the physical and relational landscape of his newfound home via public office—first joining the city Planning Board, and then as a Beacon City Councilman.
Schmitz, who had discussed creating Dogwood with Mansfield for years, brings a wealth of applicable experience: artist, music aficionado, and founder of Earwax Records and Spike Hill music club in Williamsburg. "I came up here for similar reasons as I went to Brooklyn in the first place," says Schmitz, explaining the deep community connection he brings with him. "I'm not saying let's bring Brooklyn here, but let's bring the spirit of Brooklyn here." Schmitz has certainly put his dedication where his mouth is, arriving only a year ago and immediately joining Mansfield in building Dogwood with their own hands.
Music plays an essential role in the makeup of Dogwood, as does a unique approach to making a true neighborhood bar—it helps that the building the Dogwood owners chose has housed a pub since 1939, and that welcoming, "Cheers"-like energy is already very much in evidence after only six months in operation. Both men also point to the significance of a new brand of Beaconite: twenty-somethings, graduates from local schools like Vassar and SUNY New Paltz who have begun to find an alternative in Beacon—Dogwood is meant to be something of community center for them, too. "It's a scene," explains Mansfield, "and without a place like this there's no focus, no core for them to meet." Rubbing elbows with established artists and old-timers alike just seems the natural thing to do, and a new/old brand of hipness is reborn.
Both partners have spent much of their lives creating art, but now their primary focus is creating the possibility of what Dogwood can be. Mansfield invokes the sentiments of artist and social philosopher Joseph Beuys, whose provocative work is part of Dia's collection. "It's like the theory of Social Sculpture, where everyone is an artist, and everything you do is art," Mansfield explains. "There is absolutely a creative element in being actively involved in community. This is my art, now," he adds with a laugh, gesturing around the empty but soon-to-be bustling barroom. The sense is, perhaps, there is a bit of a masterpiece in the works.
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The previous episode of Nancy Drew was full of established Hollywood stars making guest appearances, but this morning's story was full of up-and-comers. Cast as four motorcycle-riding carnival workers who have a job on the side heisting appliances from fancy houses, there are two of the stars of Jason of Star Command, which would begin production a little more than a year later: Craig Littler and Susan O'Hanlon. Perhaps better known are the other two members of the gang: Jamie Lee Curtis and Robert Englund. Beverly Garland also has a major role in this story, but she was no up-and-comer; she probably had more than two hundred credits by the time she'd made this.
Also appearing, the Universal backlot. Well, it gets used in most of these episodes, but I don't remember ever seeing it from this angle before. The carnival sets up on the other side of the studio pond, so the cameras are facing the "quaint coastal western" buildings and the riverboat, leading any viewer paying attention to ask the not unreasonable question where on Earth, other than a studio backlot, this carnival could possibly be. The actual story was just a bit of harmless fluff, but our son really enjoyed all the motorcycle stuff, including a big chase at the end that saw one or two of the "try your luck" stands destroyed by runaway bikes.
Speaking of Nancy Drew, we genuinely had no idea until yesterday that a new Nancy Drew film was released literally a month ago. I found the DVD at Target yesterday. Has anybody heard of this film? The 2007 movie with Emma Roberts has been on the "maybe" list to watch with our son for a while. Should we look at this one as well?
Not a lot happens in these two chapters, but in chapter seven, we learn that Dragos has a remote planetoid staffed by a guy who claims to be Captain Kidd along with a bunch of hologram people and sound effects of dinosaurs. Is this chapter a polite tip of the hat to Sid and Marty Krofft's Land of the Lost, which went down in cancellation the year before? The planetoid is called "Limbo of the Lost," the holograms are of cavemen, cowboys, and pirates, suggesting they've all been caught in time warps, and the dinosaur sound effects clearly include the exact screeches of pterodactyls that the Kroffts had used.
Another little bit caught my attention. As Jason attacks the Death Sta– I mean, Dragonship in chapter eight, we see that the big craft's "arms," which end in big radar dishes, are not fixed in place and can slowly move. I'm very impressed by the miniature work in this series, and that little affectation was not necessary for the model. But it sure looks neat!
Apart from Jason talking to Kidd in an "Arrr, matey" pirate voice, our son was most impressed by the space ships firing lasers at each other. He was very excited and enjoyed this tremendously. But his biggest grin came in the preview for the next installment, because it's revealed that the robot Peepo from Space Academy is coming to visit.


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Bind, 1995
Single-channel video/sound installation
Combination 13-inch color video monitor/VHS videocassette recorder, steel cable, book (Jacques Ellul, The Humiliation of the Word. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1985), and one VHS tape (black-and-white; sound)
Edition of five and one artist's proof
Bind consists of a combined TV/VCR unit bound to an open book by steel cable. The book's pages are pressed against the monitor's screen, covering all but the very edge, where light is seen flickering to the rhythm of words spoken from the book. All silences between sentences, words and syllables have been truncated, creating a continuous "automated" reading by the monitor's "scan." The book, entitled Humiliation of the Word, by Jacques Ellul, discusses the effects of technology, images and television on the discourse of the mind, particularly the relationship between thought and speech.
Gary Hill: Selected Works and catalogue raisonné. Wolfsburg: Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, 2002, GHCR 89, p. 187.
An example of this work was first exhibited by the Donald Young Gallery at Art Chicago 1995, Chicago, Illinois, May 11 – 16, 1995.
Solo exhibition. Galleria Lia Rumma, Naples, Italy, March 7 – June 31, 1996.
"From Ex-Libris To Home Page," Paço das Artes, São Paulo, Brazil, August 6 – September 9, 1996.
"Hill(scape)," Extra Microwave Media Art Festival (organized by Videotage), Hong Kong Cultural Centre Foyer Exhibition Area, Hong Kong, January 14 – 31, 2001.
Donald Young Gallery at The Armory Show, New York, New York, February 22 – 26, 2001.
"Gary Hill: Selected Works 1973 – 2003," Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan, May 2 – August 24, 2003.
"Behind Closed Doors," Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, New York, May 29 – July 11, 2004.
"Her(his)tory," Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens, Greece, June 4 – September 29, 2007.
"Die Lucky Bush," The Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (MuHKA), Antwerp, Belgium, May 22 – August 17, 2008.
"Bookish," Corbett VS Dempsey, Chicago, IL, July 25 - August 23, 2014.
Van Assche, Christine. "Six Questions to Gary Hill." Parachute 84 (October, November, December 1996), p. 42.
Dantas, Marcello. Gary Hill: O lugar do outro/where the other takes place. Rio de Janeiro: Magnetoscópio, 1997, p. 12.
Hill (scape): Gary Hill's video screening, performance and installation exhibition. Program notes. Hong Kong: Videotage, 2001, pp. 1, 2, 9.
Gary Hill: Selected Works and catalogue raisonné. Wolfsburg: Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, 2002, pp. 187.
Unfolding Vision: Gary Hill, Selected Works 1976 – 2003. Taipei: Museum of Contemporary Art, 2003, pp. 17 – 18, 52 – 53.
Guerin, Frances. "All the Way Captivating." ArtSlant, Paris (November 3, 2008) [http://www.artslant.com/par/articles/show/2735].
Texts read by the artist are excerpts from Jacques Ellul, The Humiliation of the Word. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1985.