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October 7, 2018 ~ aoster
To put public relations and marketing campaigns in a different perspective, think of what it would be like to work on a more than 10-year campaign for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. That's exactly what Lauren Lamkin will be doing as the new vice president of communications and public relations for Los Angeles 2028.
We've talked about the importance of looking beyond short-term strategy to long-term vision, such as the Rolling Stones and David Beckham campaigns we examined. But 10-year event planning campaigns that take place on a world stage? What does it take? And beyond the host city, there are campaigns taking place for each athlete, each sport, and more.
Based on what you've learned from the strategies and campaigns we've talked about so far, and this week's reading on the London 2012 campaign, what do you think it will take to build a successful campaign for the 2028 Olympics? What steps have you observed L.A. doing to date? What about Tokyo as they prepare for the 2020 Summer Games?
And, what's your favorite Olympic sport? The little girl in me still loves watching the gymnasts and ice skaters and divers, but I'm also a fan of watching some of the less attention-getting sports, like canoe slalom.
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46 thoughts on "10-Year Countdown"
Abi Ayalew says:
Part of a successful campaign, especially a long-term one, is to create and maintain buzz. I've already seen Los Angeles start creating buzz about the city in preparation for the Olympics. Last year around this time, the city launched the LA Original: Space to Create campaign to remind everyone what the city is all about. In the logo they created for LA, there's a space between the L and the A to symbolize how the city is a creative space for all. As for Tokyo, I've noticed that their Twitter page has been pretty active to create buzz about the 2020 Olympics, but I haven't seen anything else. For both Tokyo and LA, I'm interested in seeing how both cities will maintain the buzz leading up to the different Olympics.
I've always loved watching gymnasts in the Olympics. I'm always fascinated by how gymnasts do extremely difficult flips and tricks with such ease and grace.
I really like the LA Original campaign too, anchoring on Los Angeles' creative diversity to both celebrate and inspire. I'm curious to see how this one continues to build as the city strives for recognition as the "creative capital of the world."
Oralia Funez says:
I have been seeing a lot of how LA is going to handle traffic and the logo for 2028. It is interesting how much they are taking notes from the 1984 games and for 2028. I was also reading around that they are speeding up construction for Metro lines to be done by 2028. I think it has a lot of time but when looking at the grand scheme of what it takes to organize something so big it is probably a lot that has to get done. I am particularly interested with how they will approach housing for athletes and if they have to build things for the games, what will they do with these buildings after the games.
I love to watch almost any track event, swimming, and of course the gymnast, they are all just so badass and impressive to watch.
You draw attention to something key here: they have to anticipate the challenges of what hosting can do for a busy city like L.A., including traffic and the extra people it will bring to an already crowded city. I too like to watch what cities do with the facilities and housing developed for the Games. We can benefit from those improved and new facilities if they keep longterm planning in mind for how they can benefit the city after the Olympics.
Lindsey Joy Goodell says:
I love the Olympic Games, and I found this chapter to be my favorite to read thus far! I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to run the PR and communications for such a global event. I was not really aware of anything that LA had been doing thus far, but when I researched it I was amazed to find that they have already planned exactly where everything will be, and that almost all of the venues will be pre-existing, save the temporary ones. I think it will be interesting to see how the city will handle all of the extra traffic this will cause, as that is already such a large issue.
I love the logo and theme for the games, I think it is very creative and a great representation of LA. I think their website is beautiful, and even though it is further in the future I felt that they had a bigger social media presence even than the Tokyo 2020 social media pages.
My favorite events have always been gymnastics and swimming! Some less popular events that I enjoy watching include equestrian events, synchronized swimming, and track and field events.
Your mention of the logo made me think of the challenge it takes to design something that will be used longterm and capture the spirit of such an important event. Imagine what it takes to design that while looking ahead and being careful to avoid being too "trendy," so that it doesn't feel outdated when the Olympics take place!
Kara Ingersoll says:
With something as huge as the Olympic Games, it is amazing to think that the planning does not take longer than 10 years! In reference to the London games, the PR team in charge of the 2028 Olympics must plan every event with such detail that nothing can go wrong. Though slip-ups will happen, like the dislike of the 2012 logo, it is expected that the events during the games will operate smoothly.
Like a few others mentioned, LA is taking control of the traffic situation. Metro is working endlessly in order to create less traffic in preparation for the games. The new logo of LA reminds me of London's desire to create a modern city for the next generation. LA Original encompasses the next generation of the city.
Gymnastics, diving, and beach volleyball are my absolute favorite summer events!
"Though slip-ups will happen…" Exactly. No event this large is perfect, but with strategic planning, you can be ready to handle everything from the good surprises to the challenges.
I was thinking about this during the reading and reflection. It seems so intense to plan such a long campaign for an event that will be watched from around the world! I think it is important to create a story and stick with it throughout all communication for the Games in order to convey a clear message.
So far, I like the branding that has been done for LA28. I like the whole "follow the sun" idea, as it plays on the idea of Southern California as eternally sunny and also goes with their focus on innovation and "the promise of tomorrow." This message is found throughout their website and social media, and can even be seen in the colors of the LA2028 logo.
I haven't heard much about Tokyo 2020, but after looking at their website and some social media, I think that LA is actually already doing a better job at branding their Games. For LA2028, you can already see a cohesive strategy on their website, which I think Tokyo 2020 is lacking a bit.
I love the gymnastics events! They are so impressive. Sometimes I'll watch swimming, too. During the Winter Games, I usually watch the ice skating. For some reason during the last Winter Olympics, a bunch of my friends from my home church were obsessed with curling, which is hilarious to watch.
Long campaigns can feel overwhelming, so it becomes important to just pace it out!
Emily Moran says:
One of the biggest tasks has already been accomplished by the PR team for the 2028 Olympics, landing it. The amount of effort that goes into promoting your city for the Olympics is huge. So many cities are fighting for the next Olympics so you know whoever gets it has a killer PR team.
After looking at the LA2028 Instagram, I'm impressed. The fact that there is already an Instagram and they are active on it, when the olympics is 12 years away, is impressive. It really shows that they are invested and in it for the long haul. I can't imagine working on the same project for that long. But for something like the Olympics where there are so many different aspects, it can't be boring.
One thing I'm sure the PR team is ready for is crisis communication. When you're dealing with professional athletes, this can be important. Athletes are extremely dedicated and impressive, especially at this level, but hey, sometimes they like to have a little too much fun…
I am very excited to see that Softball is back in the Olympics and I will definitely be watching that along with track and maybe a couple of the smaller sports at 3am.
So true. The campaign to just secure the Olympic bid is the first, and most important, step!
Sierra Bridge says:
I absolutely love the olympics. I always look forward to them so reading about this campaign was really exciting for me! It is so crazy to imagine working on one campaign for so long, but I think the consistency throughout the process is what makes it so successful. Something that the LA2028 team is already doing that they should capitalize on is really pushing their main vision for how they want the games to impact the city and it's people. This is something that was really successful in the London 2012 campaign where their mission was to inspire the next generation. I think they also need to be very prepared for in the crisis communication department. The London 2012 team was very good at this and showed how important it is for a team to be ready for the worst.
I also read an article that talked about things the LA2028 team is already doing that I think are really setting them up for success. The article said that they are meeting with the teams from the Tokyo 2024 games and the Paris 2020 games. They are doing this to keep the olympic vision consistent with one another and really build off each olympic games. They are also investing $160 million into youth sports in the next 10 years to help benefit the community and stay true to their mission.
I am most looking forward to watching gymnastics and swimming in the next olympics! Those are for sure my favorite events to watch. I am also looking forward to all the track and field events, especially the shorter distances.
Wisdom Mira says:
Same here Sierra, Olympic season is one of my favorites! So this was such an interesting read for me. My personal favorite events are gymnastics and volleyball!
That article you mentioned about LA2028 meeting with teams from Tokyo 2024 and Paris 2020 really caught my attention! I'll have to take a look at that myself!
It's amazing how the world comes together for these, not just to compete, but to work together in planning and hosting.
ashleysarahphoto says:
I think having a clear vision and strategy, one you can uphold and see to the end is important. As the London 2012 olympics had 3 strategy pinpoints, Los Angeles has a few too. The symbol of LA 2028 vision is "The Sun". One of their hopes is to "reignite America's passion for the Olympic Movement for generations to come". This goes hand in hand with their overarch dream to "reimagine a New Games for a New Era". I think having the Olympics in Los Angeles will be extremely busy, exciting, and historical. As the committee envisions a new awakening of excitement towards the olympics, how perfect to host them in one of the most popular, most traveled, and most creative city in the world. The city of dreams. Where olympic athletes will be making their own dreams come true, and where younger generations can start dreaming for their future, or establish their dream by meeting one of their favorite athletes.
I have personally not kept up with the news about the future Olympics, but I did notice on their website that their most recent article was published towards the end of August and any other news before that was publish a whole year ago. So I'm assuming their isn't much to promote yet, but I'm excited to retweet and support future blasts about LA2028. That's in 10 years; crazy! I wonder how and where the promotion and campaigns will be displayed as social media changes over time.
My favorite olympic sports are gymnastics, ice skating, swimming, snowboarding, and beach volleyball. I don't think softball is in the olympics anymore, but I love softball and used to play it and as a little girl my dream was to one day play in the olympics. I also have high hopes for Spikeball becoming an Olympics sport one day. If ping-pong is in the olympics, then so can Spikeball.
I think we should all support and help build the excitement for the Games!
Julia Kent says:
Based on the campaign for the 2012 London Olympics, I would say the most important thing is to create a solid vision and narrative for the 2028 games. London kept to their narrative over the long term, which showed how they stayed true to their goal. Everyone could identify their goals, and their theme shined through everything they did. A recent topic of the Olympics has been the cost of the games for a city/country. This is something that LA will have to deal with and show how it will be beneficial for Americans. I honestly haven't heard or seen much at all for the LA games. Therefore, this shows they need to start putting more out there in order to create buzz and create a narrative that the Americans can latch onto. My favorite Olympic sport to watch is gymnastics!!
I agree. I will be fun to watch the narrative unfold, and see if it does stay consistent throughout the Games.
Brianna De La Cruz says:
I am sitting here trying to imagine what it would be like to be part of the same PR and communications team for 10 plus years. I'm thinking about all of the mini campaigns that need to take place on the road to 2028 and how a team of like-minded people can successfully create a vision, task list, and monthly goals for more than 120 months to date. For the London 2012 team, this seemed like the air they breathed. They kept a consistent five part identity that filtered every little thing they produced and decided on. This seems to be something to mark off LA's checklist as they prepare for the 2028 Games.
Looking at la28.org's website, LA has already established a defining logo and vision for their 10 year campaign, which indicates a start to a successful pattern moving forward. Focusing on the reputation they hold as so many people chase the sun by settling in Los Angeles, they set a fantastic vision that appeals to the next generation which aligns with one of their ultimate goals. Tokyo, as they prepare for 2020, have been active on their social media showing their athletes and their beautiful city, generating constant buzz as they prepare for the next two years.
When I watch the olympics, I love watching any sport that involves running. I love seeing human stamina and endurance in that form. And of course, the gymnasts always amaze me!
It would be pretty amazing to be a part of this campaign. Think about how you would feel at the close of a successful Olympics, to look back over all the effort and see how it came together.
teatagutierrez says:
With a big event, such as the Olympics, it is expected that there needs a lot of planning and attention to details. With the Olympics being in Los Angeles in 2028, I can already see how the city is already starting to promote themselves. I went on la28.org and I can already see how LA is branding themselves as a city. The website is great so far, they provided a moveable map to see where events will be taken place during the summer games. I am interested to see how they continue to promote themselves, especially through social media. Like Emily mentioned, LA 2028 on Instagram is already active and they are really promoting their icon logo of the lady with butterfly wings. The colors of their logo are also constant on Instagram, which these colors appear to symbolize the beautiful sunsets that are displayed in SoCal.
My favorite events to watch are definitely gymnastics, diving, and beach volleyball.
I too think this will be a great one to follow on social media, and to see how the strategy unfolds as we get closer to 2028.
jordancornell says:
I think a 10 year campaign is INSANE but also, strategically very smart. Having a 10 year campaign would ensure that the whole world knows about the LA olympic games, but where would Laura Lamkin and her team even start? Presidential campaigns don't even last 10 years! I feel like by having a campaign this long, it could be difficult to plan and strategize ahead of time, considering that technology, events, and trends are changing drastically every year. I remember going over a campaign for 'Los Angeles' in class last year and how the creative minds behind it were 'rebranding' it, and giving it a memorable logo. The video is super cool, here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD8iIxfan00
Anyways, going back to the 2028 games, they already have a website and instagram page up, as well as a very active twitter page. Their website is full of color and life, and it will be interesting to watch it over time to see how it changes. LA is so full of life, so getting people excited for the olympic games 10 years in advance will benefit the city and the olympic views. It will be interesting to see how the city changes and improves for this huge event over the years. My favorite olympic sport to watch is gymnastics and ice skating!
It can seem overwhelming, but you have to think of the campaign in sections—mini-campaigns within the overarching campaign. I think that would be the best way to make it feel more manageable. And as we saw with London, if you align everything back to your themes, it can become a cohesive, successful campaign.
Natalie Burnau says:
I think that one of the greatest elements that LA has been able to play off of is Hollywood. Their "Visit California" tourism commercials feature major elements of the"Discover Los Angeles" campaign. For the upcoming olympics, it would be very strategic to play off of the iconic traits that Los Angeles embodies. Hollywood, glamor, tourism, scenery, entertainment, etc., have all been defining elements of Los Angeles to the outside world. The world is going to have a big expectation from one of the worlds top entertainment hubs. It may be difficult to meet that expectation. I firmly believe that elements of surprise will be the key to surpassing it though.
My personal favorite part of the Olympics is the Ice Skating portion in terms of the actual competitions. However, I always look forward to the opening ceremonies the most.
Yes! I like your note about "elements of surprise." I think those are essential to a large campaign like this one.
As a swimmer, I love the Olympics because it's one of the only times I get to watch "my" sport on TV. It's so crazy that there is a 10 year campaign for the Olympics because when I think of campaigns, I typically imagine they would be about a few weeks to a month long. The Olympic games are popular, so I think it will be easy to keep a buzz going, but I worry that people aren't thinking 10 years ahead to 2028 at this point.
morganolhiser says:
Nicole, I had the same thought in regard to thinking 10 years ahead. I can see how important it is for the Olympic committee and people more closely involved to start planning and organizing now, but I worry that the public will not really engage or think about it this far in advance.
As many others have said, I've noticed the website, logo and how LA is already taking steps towards controlling traffic for the 2028 games. I too think that the Olympics are popular enough to somewhat create their own buzz and get people interested without having to do much PR so far in advance.
I've always loved watching gymnastics, swimming, ice skating, and snowboarding. It was really cool to see someone from my high school compete and win 4 medals in swimming in the Rio Olympics.
The swimming competitions are among my favorite too. I try to watch as many as I can!
Mekenna Eisenga says:
I am most definitely a person who loves to start something and then check it off instantly or with a quick due date. To think of starting a campaign that would take 10 years, that would be a whirlwind in my mind. I would desperately be wanting to move onto something new or beyond curious of what the outcome would be. However, after contemplating this idea, it is what people are anticipating, and to be part of one of the most well-known viewing would be an honor.
For this to become a successful campaign one must be on guard at all times. The beginning of the campaign compared to the end of the campaign, the world changed before one's eyes. It is not the same society or values. I have seen L.A. take into consideration a range of things like traffic, people, culture, the difference in advertising, etc.
Moreover, my favorite sport to watch would surprisingly be gymnastics. I am the most non-flexible person one will ever meet. However, I am instantly intrigued by the talent a gymnast exudes.
Just think of the long lists of tasks you could check off along the way, culminating with the biggest task of all—making it to the closing ceremonies!
Kate Sanchez says:
I actually haven't seen any campaigns for the Los Angeles games yet. As for Tokyo I know they created an animated figure to represent the Tokyo Games throughout their campaign and are trying to make it a virtual reality experience.
One thing that Los Angeles needs to remember is that we are hosting for all of the United States not just California, which I know can be difficult as there is so much that California holds. There definitely needs to be effort into traffics concerns, safety, and making sure the buildings can be repurposed and reused after. Luckily the campaign is 10 years away, but they have a lot of road work they not only need to finish but to begin.
The nice thing about a longer campaign is there isn't just one goal. There is one overarching goal, but there are so many events and things leading up to the one main event that if you fail in one area you can make it up later on and learn from those mistakes.
My favorite events to watch are ice skating and gymnastics, but I also enjoy swimming and track and field and I watch water polo to support my friend who is on the Olympic team as a goalie.
I agree. The campaign can have an L.A. feel, but should still anchor on Team U.S.A. We'll have to wait and see how this plays out!
Morgan Lawrence says:
Like many others have discussed and thought of, I feel like I haven't seen a ton of info or promotions being done for the LA games, but what I do hear is complaints about traffic, logistics, etc. I feel like now will be the time for the campaign to mend those broken ideals about the games and build a better image for people to remember when they do think of the games. Since there is a good amount of time to build a better reputation, I think they need to utilize that to their advantage. California is a great place and I would hate for us to be known or thought of for just traffic and frustration.. we have so much more to offer!
As for events I like to watch, I think I'm the typical gymnastics type of gal. I went to a training facility when I was in CO one time and we watched the trampoline people practicing and that was interesting as well. I also think the archery events are fun too!
Yes, I think we all hope this doesn't become the Olympics dominated by traffic complaints!
Jessica Almutairi says:
In order for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angles to be a success they are going to need to building more interest than they have done so far. Another part is making sure that local businesses are educated on ways to be prepared for the large crowds that will be arriving to their doors. It is a great opportunity for local business. Also, the current campaign to attract tourism in California should think of ways to incorporate the games into their projects. Attracting international visitors is one of the current strategies targeted at getting California out of dept. Perhaps they can start events and attractions surrounded around the games now to attract tourist to California, making it a destination for travelers.
So far I have not seem any campaigns, ads, or any other form of hype related to the 2028 games. With all the entertainment talent that we have located right here, it is a shock that nothing even remotely worth attention has happened around of the 2028 games. As a Los Angeles, California native I am disappointed with the team responsible.
My favorite sports to watch during the games are tumbling, ribbon dancing, competitive dancing, as well as ice skating. I get hooked and that becomes that plans for the rest of the day. That's all I'm doing for the hours until the winners are announced.
Yes, I agree with your comment about what a significant thing this is for local businesses. They will need to plan ahead early for their own campaigns to take advantage of the opportunity to be seen by people from around the world.
Alexandra Townsend says:
The Olympics seem to always bring people together and boost morale. I personally find myself getting excited over watching sports I typically would not gravitate towards. I have always been fascinated by gymnasts simply because it takes an incredible amount of strength to complete their skills.
To have a campaign for ten years is crazy to me but completely necessary for something like the Olympics. I cannot even imagine what the PR team's schedule looks like attempting to plan an event that will take place ten years from now.
One detail that I have noticed taking place in LA simply from spending an extended amount of time in the city is the constant road improvements. I'm not sure if these improvements are in preparation for the Olympic games, but they will surely enhance the look of the city when the games arrive.
While we need road improvements in general, I do think many efforts are also being made in anticipation of the Games. And yet so much can change in 10 years. It will be an ongoing process, I'm sure.
Paige Kauffman says:
I cannot comprehend the amount strategic planning it would take to plan an event over the course of 10 years. It's so neat that we're getting to watch our city as they undergo the same preparation process! One concern I have about the LA 2028 Olympics is infrastructure. On la28.org, they feature a promotional video highlighting various freeways which "ensure quick travel times from village to venues." It would be awesome if LA continued to add freeways and free up traffic, although I'm not sure what that would take financially or logistically.
I do think it's going to be wonderful to host the Games here. Involving local businesses, schools, and communities will be essential, as we saw with London's Games in 2012. Personally, I feel as though those from LA love their city, so I think many residents will take pride in welcoming masses of new visitors.
I've never liked sports, and the Olympics gets even me excited! My favorite is ice skating and gymnastics.
The cost is going to be a big concern for a lot of people. It will be interesting to watch how they handle the communication around this issue.
Kaitlyn Chapman says:
I personally have not seen any work for the LA olympic games aside from the many (and seemingly endless) construction projects in and around the city. I think they have to successfully prepare for the overwhelming amount of people who will come to the city, many even for the first time. They need to showcase the city at its very best state, so I think they are smart in starting basic projects well in advance. I will not be living in southern California by the time these olympics roll around, but it will be interesting to view it from a far on social media and television. LA is a very diverse city, with art being a huge draw so I think that the campaign should have aspects that reflect this in order to represent the city well.
Yes, I agree with your note about the arts being a big part of L.A. and I too hope this plays into the campaign.
Not going to lie, when I read this post I was like, "Wait… the 2028 Olympics are in LA?". So based off of that, I am able to say that I personally have not heard anything in regards to this subject or have seen a campaign for it at all. I feel like in order for them to have a successful campaign, they are going to have to be wise on their timing of releasing information and making sure that there is a buzz on this subject for a long time. Working on spreading the word and making sure that this is something that people are thinking about in the back of their mind when they think about LA is going to be of importance.
The sports that I watch are gymnastics, swim, and figure skating. 🙂
Hahahaha! I don't think you're alone in not being aware that they are in fact coming to L.A. It goes back to something we talk about frequently in PR—you can't assume people know! And yes, timing is everything when it comes to strategic communication.
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Upset by the energy crisis in Tajikistan, international organizations operating under the UN aegis intend to appeal to donor-states to help them thwart a humanitarian catastrophe in this Central Asian country.
UN World Food Program Director Zlatan Milisic claims that Tajikistan is in grips of a grave food crisis as well. WFP specialists believe that at least 500,000 citizens of Tajikistan cannot afford minimum daily rations (2,100 kilocalories) these days.
Energy crisis that exposed problems of Tajikistan in all their ugliness is meanwhile worsening. Water in the Nurek Reservoir (of the namesake hydroelectric power plant that accounts for a larger part of all electric power production in the country) is down to a critical level. Estimates vary, but sources claim that it goes 0.3-1 meter down every twenty-four hours. Unless something is done about it, specialists say that the hydroelectric power plant will have to be shut down, and soon.
The republican Energy Ministry complains in the meantime that no electricity is coming from Uzbekistan. Referring to domestic shortage, the neighbor country suspended electric power export to Tajikistan on February 4. Turkmenistan tried to come to Tajikistan's help at first and doubled export of electric power to 7 million kWh. On February 10, however, Turkmenistan itself was hit by an unprecedented cold front and brought export down to 3.5 million kWh again.
Electric power consumption is limited all over Tajikistan. Not even Dushanbe, the capital, was spared the discomfort this time (other regions of Tajikistan have been living without electric power for months). Asia-Plus news agency reports that the mayor of Dushanbe demanded that the municipal services and republican structures made electric power available to the population in accordance with the schedule set by prime minister (5 to 10 a.m. and 5 to 10 p.m.).
What Tajik enterprises still function are running in the red because of the energy crisis. Most of them shut down, their personnel told to stay indoors. The population is therefore left without the principal source of income. Damage to the national economy is estimated at over $250 million.
Local media outlets are affected by the same lack of electricity and so are publishers - not to mention the electronic media.
Frozen water-pipes leave the population with no other option but drink water from rivers. Women and children in settlements ferry water in every conceivable container from bottles to buckets to gasoline canisters. Every man for himself.
The family of Birob Olimova from the settlement of Duoba numbers 16 people. They all live in one common household. The Olimovs call it a day when the electric power generator burns all gasoline. Turning in is all that is left them.
Olimova has four adult sons. One of them works at the local cement factory, another is in Russia, and the remaining two are unemployed. The son working at the factory is paid 400 somoni (about $130) a month, which is essentially all of the family budget. This winter, the money is barely enough to buy fuel.
The Olimovs use coal to heat the household and a sackful costs 15 somoni (enough got a couple of days only). The generator cost 250 somoni. The Olimovs spend 7 somoni a day on gasoline for it.
That leaves the family without anything to buy food with. The Olimovs forgot the taste of meat long ago. They mostly subsist on bread and rice, sometimes on home-made jam or something like that.
Temperatures rose some in early February but remained below zero all the same. Children are kept indoors. One Jabir, teacher from the settlement of Varzob, claims that more than every second student misses classes.
Maternity hospitals are in trouble. Nurses fill plastic bottles with hot water and out them by infants for warmth.
Pregnant women refuse to make the trip to the nearest maternity hospital where the temperature is not much better than outdoors and deliver right at home. Doctors are disturbed by this tendency. "That's risky," a nurse said.
Sabir Kurbanov of UNICEF confirmed in an interview with the BBC that some infants did die of exposure caused by lack of electric power but official authorities never confirmed it. "We are getting reports from various regions of Tajikistan these days that the death rate among newborns is up," Kurbanov said.
Milisic warns that the crisis will have long-term consequences for Tajikistan. "Cattle is butchered because the population needs to eat. What will happen to these people tomorrow? Cattle is often their primary source of income and nourishment," he said.
In other words, the mechanisms of fighting impoverishment designed by the population itself are being actively dismantled these days. The crisis will extend into string unless urgent measures are taken.
Citizens of other Central Asian countries (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan) encounter similar problems. On the other hand, humanitarian catastrophes in these countries are not feared, obviating the need to airlift relief aid there.
It is still snowing in Afghanistan. Temperatures in central and western provinces plummeted (to minus 35 degrees Celsius in some areas).


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Q: (Java) How to write to RTF file with colored text I already know how to write to an rtf file in Java, but is there a way to do it with colored texts? I want to do it in a way that would let me alternate the color between words.

A: You might want to check this link to the documentation about color in RTF. You need to declare a color table and then select the color of your choosing for foreground/background.
Hope this helps

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This has got to be one of the best pedigrees you can find if you like the Finley River Strain of Hounds plus some of the other hounds that helped make the breed the most popular breed. He is owned by Eric Dodson. Eric can be contacted at (417) 825-2503 or his email is ecddson@hotmail.com .
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December 18, 2012 - PLCopen publishes safety spec for presses. The document contains a general overview of the implementation of safety around presses, coupled to twelve function blocks. Due to the wide application area of presses, the function blocks include the use of electrical motors and valves control for hydraulics.
This specification is an addition to the existing safety standard as provided by PLCopen. The specification for presses, being part 4 in the set, is now on the PLCopen website as version 0.99 - Release for Comments, to generate feedback from the potential users March 29, 2013.
With the usage of presses on the factory floor, the safety of the operating personnel is very important. For this reason PLCopen together with its members worked on a safety specification specific for the application of presses. In this way the implementation of the safety functionality is harmonized across the different implementations, easing the work the machine builder has to do, while reducing the certification and training efforts.


many characters male and female, the narrator was able to alter her voice suffiently to tell them a part.
Very hard to follow with multiple storylines, plots and characters. Reading the previous book first helped. Just too much crammed into one book which seems unnecessary in a series. The narration really suffered but I can't blame the narrator, too many people to have district voices for each. Straight narration parts were great. Many good parts so not a total waste.
Independent women bonding to solve mysteries each with a scarred past finding strength in each other. I look forward to more in the series.
"Harry" Haristeen and her friends and animal companions pursue the threads of a mystery dating back to Virginia's post-Revolutionary past, introduced in A Hiss Before Dying, while their 18th century predecessors continue to struggle with the challenges of the fledgling country.
There was to much going back in time for an unconnected storyline. I found my mind wondering through this sections. Too little about Harry, her pets, friends and husband. Seemed like a short story with unrelated filler. As a long-term reader of this series by Rita Mae Brown I felt cheated.
it took way too long to build the background and get into the story. I was very close to giving up waiting for the action to start. I also found many of the parts not plausible . The author did tie up all loose ends which I appreciated.
This emotional debut by Randy Susan Meyers tells of two sisters torn apart by domestic tragedy. When her mother throws her father out, young Lulu is told never to let him in again. But Lulu disobeys, and the consequences are heartbreaking. Lulu's mother ends up killed, and Lulu and her sister Merry are orphaned. Now, as the sisters grow into adulthood, they find the ghosts of their past are difficult to outrun.
I felt like I needed a psych degree to understand what was going on. The main characters seemed to have no good times in their lives.
I felt misled from the summary, I would have not of purchased it if I had known the political background of the book. I don't like politics and had no interest in Italian politics plus was lost with the description of the times, characters and places. At first the narrator had a soothing voice but after a while it seemed a monotonous one. The book went on and on and I could not wait for its conclusion.


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Baksipur - Nadia
Baksipur Population - Nadia, West Bengal
Baksipur is a medium size village located in Tehatta - I Block of Nadia district, West Bengal with total 387 families residing. The Baksipur village has population of 1556 of which 799 are males while 757 are females as per Population Census 2011.
In Baksipur village population of children with age 0-6 is 139 which makes up 8.93 % of total population of village. Average Sex Ratio of Baksipur village is 947 which is lower than West Bengal state average of 950. Child Sex Ratio for the Baksipur as per census is 1242, higher than West Bengal average of 956.
Baksipur village has lower literacy rate compared to West Bengal. In 2011, literacy rate of Baksipur village was 75.37 % compared to 76.26 % of West Bengal. In Baksipur Male literacy stands at 78.15 % while female literacy rate was 72.35 %.
As per constitution of India and Panchyati Raaj Act, Baksipur village is administrated by Sarpanch (Head of Village) who is elected representative of village. Our website, don't have information about schools and hospital in Baksipur village.
Baksipur Data
Child (0-6) 139 62 77
Schedule Tribe 1 0 1
Schedule Caste (SC) constitutes 13.75 % while Schedule Tribe (ST) were 0.06 % of total population in Baksipur village.
In Baksipur village out of total population, 493 were engaged in work activities. 92.29 % of workers describe their work as Main Work (Employment or Earning more than 6 Months) while 7.71 % were involved in Marginal activity providing livelihood for less than 6 months. Of 493 workers engaged in Main Work, 181 were cultivators (owner or co-owner) while 220 were Agricultural labourer.


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Home > Features > Reviews > Dao Writers on Literature > The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen by Lindsay Ashford
Published in October 2011, 'The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen' is a historical mystery, researched and written while the author Lindsay Ashford was living in the former home of Jane Austen's brother. Dr Emmeline Burdett critiques the suppositions proposed in the novel from the perspective of the lives of women in Georgian England.
Cover of 'The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen' by Lindsay Ashford
*Spoiler alert: This review reveals details of the novel's plot*
Lindsay Ashford's 2011 novel The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen concerns the events surrounding the death of the English novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817) and to the prevailing theories that Austen met her premature end due to cancer, lupus, Addison's Disease or bovine tuberculosis, the novel advances the darker possibility of arsenic poisoning.
Here, however, I want to focus on Ashford's decision to implicate Jane Austen's sister-in-law Mary (second wife of the novelist's brother James) in the supposed crime. Whilst researching her book, Ashford came across a description given by Jane Austen of herself not long before her death, in which she described her face as having been 'black and white and every wrong colour'. Ashford, a seasoned crime novelist, realised that this remark could refer to the 'raindrop' pigmentation which is often symptomatic of arsenic poisoning, and which results in patches of the poisonee's skin going black or brown, whilst other patches go white. In support of her thesis, she pointed out that, in the early nineteenth century, poisoning by arsenic was a common method of murder, particularly because, prior to the development of the Marsh test in 1836, it was not possible to test for its presence in human remains.
In addition, it transpired that, in the late 1940s, Henry G. Burke of Baltimore, the husband of an American philanthropist, had a lock of Jane Austen's hair tested for the presence of arsenic. The test was positive. Nevertheless, Ashford's contentions have not proved universally popular with Austen scholars, with the President of the Jane Austen Society noting that it was no surprise that the lock of hair in question contained high levels of arsenic, because, at the time, the drug was commonly prescribed for the treatment of various medical conditions, including rheumatism, which Jane Austen herself had. This reaction, however, is commensurate with other attempts by Austen scholars to sanitise problematic details of the lives of Jane Austen and her family.
Two prominent examples of this are, firstly, Jane Austen's aunt Mrs Leigh-Perrot, and secondly, the existence of Jane Austen's brother George, who, having various( unspecified) impairments, was sent to live apart from the rest of his family, and subsequently omitted from wills, and also from the Austen family tree. In 1800, Mrs Leigh-Perrot appeared at Taunton Assizes on charges of grand larceny (stealing lace to the value of twenty shillings). Austen family members and scholars have portrayed Mrs Leigh-Perrot as the innocent victim of unscrupulous shopkeepers who attempted to blackmail her, but it now seems more likely that this was a smokescreen, and that Mrs Leigh-Perrot was actually guilty.
There is, however, an added layer of difficulty with the 'Mary Austen poisoned Jane Austen' story, and it is a difficulty which has hitherto gone largely unnoticed by reviewers of The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen. Namely, Mary Austen had had smallpox in childhood, and this had the not uncommon result of leaving her disfigured with a scarred, 'pockmarked' face. The protagonist of Ashford's novel is Anne Sharp, real-life governess to Jane Austen's favourite niece Fanny. Sharp draws explicit links between Mary Austen's disfigurement, and the development of her character, telling the reader:
'I could just imagine the ten-year-old Mary, lying in her sick bed as snatches of the doctor's conversation with her mother reached her from beyond the bedroom door; … I wondered if rather than leaving her bereft, his pronouncement had forged an iron determination to prove him wrong….' (p.271)
In the novel, the conversation overheard by Mary is that between Mary's doctor and her own mother, during the course of which the doctor tells Mary's mother that the smallpox blisters on Mary's face will inevitably leave her so disfigured as to be 'unmarriageable'. We do not know if this reported incident occurred in real life, although it might conceivably have done. It is easy to understand that this experience would be likely to have had a devastating effect upon Mary's self-esteem. In addition, the eighteenth century was not a period during which women had many opportunities, and marriage was often one of the only ways they could be in a position to leave the family home to embark upon a new life. Inter-related social stigma directed at 'old maids' may well have meant that, as she grew to adulthood, Mary was even more acutely aware of the precariousness of her situation.
The problem is that in The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen, Lindsay Ashford makes no real effort to understand what life may have been like for Mary Austen as a disfigured woman in Georgian England, but merely pathologises her, making the overheard conversation the only motivation for any of Mary's actions in later life. This is strangely unaffected by the fact that Mary became the second wife of Jane Austen's brother James, and that she bore him two children. Clearly, Mary Austen was not 'unmarriageable' at all.
Once Ashford's protagonist has hit upon the idea that Jane Austen was poisoned, it does not take her long to decide that Mary was the culprit. Rather predictably, the conversation that Mary overheard as a child has, in Anne Sharp's view, given Mary the requisite personality traits to enable her to commit what would have been 'murder by degrees', involving the administration, over some months, of small quantities of arsenic to a victim who became progressively sicker:
'Such crimes would require ruthless determination and a complete lack of conscience. I recalled the image I had formed of the little girl, lying in bed with smallpox, overhearing the doctor say her prospects of marriage were ruined. Yes, I thought, determination she has in plenty. Her conscience or lack of it was something only she could answer for'. (p.299)
This approach turns Mary Austen into an 'all-or-nothing' character, in the way of asking the reader to accept that she experienced no significant life events, and had no significant thoughts, in between overhearing the pronouncement that she was 'unmarriageable', and making her decision to poison Jane Austen.
As The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen is primarily a 'whodunnit', encouraging the reader to think deeply about the circumstances of the alleged perpetrator would probably be contrary to the novel's purpose. Nevertheless, Ashford's portrayal of Mary Austen is a highly stereotypical one. It is not stereotypical in the sense of trying to argue that, for example, Mary was so embittered by her disfigurement that she decided to take a peculiar 'revenge' upon someone who was not disfigured, but it encourages the reader to look at Mary as a person who had no positive personality traits and only one significant life experience.
Friendly URL: http://www.disabilityartsonline.org.uk/lindsay-ashford-the-mysterious-death-of-jane-austen


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Baupost Q1 Letter: Discipline And Focus Is Key For Value Investing Today
Rupert Hargreaves2018-03-21T12:29:31+00:00
As market valuations have reached all-time highs over the past 12 months, value investors have been faced with a difficult environment. High valuations coupled with disruption means that it's now harder than ever before for value investors to find diamonds among the rough.
Warren Buffett has reacted by allowing Berkshire Hathaway cash reserves to build to unprecedented levels, and other value-focused managers have followed suit. Investors who would have traditionally placed themselves into the value bucket have also been expanding outside of the traditional value hemisphere. Indeed, according to dataroma.com, which tracks the portfolios of 64 . . .
Rupert Hargreaves
Sign up now and get our in-depth FREE e-books on famous investors like Klarman, Dalio, Schloss, Munger Rupert is a committed value investor and regularly writes and invests following the principles set out by Benjamin Graham. He is the editor and co-owner of Hidden Value Stocks, a quarterly investment newsletter aimed at institutional investors. Rupert owns shares in Berkshire Hathaway. Rupert holds qualifications from the Chartered Institute For Securities & Investment and the CFA Society of the UK. Rupert covers everything value investing for ValueWalk
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My Health Record's invisible marketing strategy
With bad press swirling around it, it's essential My Health Record gets a solid marketing strategy in place, writes Engaging.io's Fraser Gordon.
August 31, 2018 9:32
by FRASER GORDON
The nature of humans means we are often dubious about things we don't understand. We're always looking for the catch and waiting to be disappointed. The job of marketers (good ones at least) is to recognise this and make marketing not only engaging, but informative and relevant.
So why exactly does there seem to be so much controversy surrounding the Australian government's My Health Record program? Is it simply a case of poor marketing, or is there a deeper issue?
My Health Record isn't something new. Originally called the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR), the system has been around since 2012 and already six million are enrolled in it, many of whom are unaware how they were enrolled into it.
Although it's not new, much of the available media would indicate a large percentage of people are unfamiliar with the system and its uses. Humans being humans, there's always a fear of the unknown, but how grounded are these fears? Blockchain suffered similar scepticism until it was better understood, and now it's hailed as a revolutionary technology.
The analogy with blockchain isn't by chance. My Health record isn't built on blockchain (yet), but it employs some of the same principles with the provision of access keys via PKI (Public Key Infrastructure). This system not only regulates access, but like blockchain, ensures the content hasn't been altered and keeps a full record of every key that accessed a record, what they accessed and what they did with the information.
There're also trials using blockchain which have had some good successes. In particular the recent government trial using blockchain to allow researchers to access medical information contained within platforms such as My Health Record.
So if the new system is more secure than ever before, and provides every patient with instant access to their health record whenever they need it, you'd think we'd be happy. You'd be wrong.
Almost 90% of Australians believe the information they share with their doctor should be confidential. One of the selling points of My Health Record is that clinical researchers will have access to more data than ever before, which should help expedite research and development in many historically challenging areas. However, it then came to light that the police would also have access, as well as a host of unsubstantiated rumours that insurers and various other private business might be able to gain access.
As well as a fear of the unknown, there's also a fear of the known. In particular, fear of the repercussions of a data breach.
Approximately 33% of all data breaches this year related to health information. This stat sounds terrifying, and it's easy to see how negative publicity could easily spin on such things. It's only when you investigate further that the details become less scary. Over 50% of those data breaches were caused by human error and 44% through cyber attacks. Given those stats, the technology being employed for the My Health Record system actually makes everyones details far safer. Which is a good thing.
The entire My Health Record system is also permissioned. Every one of us can opt out completely, and even if we don't, we can decide what information is and isn't allowed to be stored, and of that information, what can and can't be accessed. Yes, it's an effort we didn't used to have to make, but we still have the power to control our privacy if we want to.
What may appear worrying, is the number of medical professionals who are opting out. Anecdotal data from 'Business for Doctors' claims that reportedly the ratio of doctors 'opting out' vs 'remaining in' is as high as 10:1, whilst online polls on the popular 'GPs Down Under' Facebook group are consistently showing opt-out rates of between two thirds and three quarters of GP respondents. It's easy to see how this could make the general public nervous.
There have also been criticisms of the UX of the system, calling it clunky and slow. It's not that the criticisms are wrong, but UX is hard at the best of times. I'm not defending anyone, but this is one of the biggest digital projects ever undertaken in Australia. It's also the first version, and should improve over time. Designing with the user in mind is crucial, but usually you can narrow down user groups to a number of fixed personas. When your user group is every person in Australia, that's a hard ask by anyone's standards.
The issues currently appear to center around the data the system will host and the legislation around how the data and the system itself may be used. From a doctor's perspective, if patients can permission parts of their records, they don't end up with a complete picture. Also, if data isn't in a uniformed format, that can make trying to extrapolate meaningful results from it incredibly complex.
The marketing of My Health Record could have arguably been better. I've had nothing through the post, nothing in the mail and seen nothing in the media, social or otherwise. Some of my colleagues have seen Facebook posts, but that's about the extent of it. The only details I've discovered has been through research and news articles. Nothing from those responsible for the system explaining what I should do or why I'm getting it. It almost feels like the marketing campaign revolves around trying to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible.
Fraser Gordon is general manager at Engaging.io.
topics Engaging.io, Fraser Gordon, My Health Record
Comments: 5 Add Comment
Andrew 1 Sep 18
The My Health Record is based on the invalid assumption that most clinical presentations can be coded in to a simple and straightforwards system.
In fact the same fallacy underpins the assumptions behind protocol driven medicine.
That's one problem, then the second problem is that regardless of diagnostic category a good deal of rubbish is included in many patients histories, especially for psychiatric admissions ( where the patient is not in control).
My personal experience has been that I have found GPs unresponsive to my needs and also unresponsive to my requests that my history be updated with uncontroversial material like specific, verifiable items of past history. (ie previous operations). I guess that they couldn't find paid time to complete the history but it was still annoying having to revise my history when referred to a specialist.
Why would anyone want flawed material included in a master file.
You're joking, right? 1 Sep 18
There's some serious misdirection here:
The PKI involved in MHR is nothing at all like Blockchain. The only thing the systems share in common is that they both use (different sorts of) cryptographic keys.
But the real weakness with My Health Record isn't that there's insecurity between computers accessing the system and the system itself (which is all that either PKI or Blockchain could assure against), but that the computers themselves are poorly guarded. While there's a log of which computer accessed the system, there are no controls over who, in the clinic, had access. Since logins are shared across clinical teams and within clinics – and there are absolutely no plans to change this – all the crypto in the world isn't going to help you understand whether it was a doctor, a nurse, the receptionist or the cleaner who looked at your record. It might even be another patient who happens to get access through an unlocked terminal.
And you'll never know, because there are no individual logins within clinical teams.
"It's also the first version, and should improve over time."
Yeah, nah. Clinical systems don't change that way – the cost of retraining people is prohibitive. I suggest you consult people who work in hospitals before you make claims like that.
I'm really not sure what your goal was in writing this. Was it because you didn't know enough about MHR that you assumed the objections were unwarranted or overstated?
Alex Concannon 3 Sep 18
MHR is a good idea that's incredibly difficult to execute. Most of the criticism I've seen comes from stakeholders who see operational issues getting data into the system, particularly duplication of workloads and a lack of trust that the government can really handle a product like this.
Unless you like seeing ads that spin how good the government is at large scale technology projects, I'm glad they are not spending millions on advertising and (maybe) investing that back into the service itself.
Bob Walker 4 Sep 18
Hi, I am a GP working in both a suburban practice but also in a Y11-Y12 College. We help a lot of young people in the 15-19 year age range and they come to see us seeking non judgemental advice and support but requesting confidentiality. Over the last 10 years we have had thousands of consultations, significantly reducing the pregnancy rate and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Not one of the young people that have engaged with our doctors in that time have suicided. Although all services are bulk billed, the Clinics run at a loss but we continue with a grant from the College's limited resources and the generosity of the doctors involved.
My Health Record (MHR) will now make this work very difficult and downright dangerous in some cases. We will have to stop bulk billing some items, avoid path testing and attempt to provide medicines from funds raised by charity. This will make our work impossible and so we now face closing our Clinic on 15 November. This closure will a very backward step for young people seeking safe and secure health advice.
Unbeknown to most people, MHR will carry information about the whereabouts, dates of birth, Medicare Item numbers, uploaded diagnoses, prescriptions and path testing for all children under 14yrs of age. For those between 14 and 18yrs of age, the Medicare items and generated prescription will not flow to MHR but path test results (such as STD and blood test) and prescriptions dispensed will be visible unless the patients, doctors and pharmacists take extra care and request that this data is not uploaded. There is a great risk of human error in all of this.
About 15% of students attending our clinic have a MHR and most of them do not know that they have one as their MHR was been set up by a parent at some time in the past. After November 15 all the students will have a MHR and when we break this news to them and mention the risks, they are visibly upset and become very worried. We all assume that they are all tech savvy and can get 'control' of their record but many do not know where to start and most have difficulty getting access.
As doctors we all have had many cases where young people would have been seriously injured, become distressed and made homeless if their medical records became visible to others. For some young people with problem parents and strict family backgrounds there is a real risk of self harm, possibly even suicide.This is a really serious situation and these possibilities have not been anticipated by the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), their advisers and 'experts'.
As doctors we all have patients who could benefit from a carefully curated, up to date and relevant MHR, especially older people and those with complex illnesses, allergies and medications. However, as GPs we just do not have the time to do all this extra work and our patients will not be too keen on paying us to maintain an accurate MHR for them.
Many doctors are opting out – both for themselves and their family members and that sends a message….
For young people, apart from a few exceptions, MHR could be a disaster and place many of them at risk. Clearly 'Opt In' is better that the current 'Opt Out' Plan and only then with the full and informed consent of the young person.
I am saddened by the ill informed support for MHR that is coming from the Governments, academics, the AMA and the Royal Australian College of GPs – they really need to consult with the doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers and counsellors that currently work with young Australians.
MHR needs to be stopped in its tracks. We need to go back to the drawing board and work towards a fair and just system as a decent MHR could have some benefits. The tragedy is that some $2B has been spent so far – money that could be better spent in other areas.
If anyone reading my concerns can pass them on to relevant decision makers or media people, I will be grateful. My approaches to the Liberal government and the AMA have not met with any success to date.
Bob Walker, Principal, The Lindisfarne Clinic, Tasmania
Louis 15 Nov 18
If the system is so 'wonderful' and safe – them make it compulsory (mandatory) that ALL levels of POLITICIANS (Local, State & Federal Government) and government workers to have a Health Record so that the ordinary citizen can see that the leadership is setting the example FIRST.
Then allow the citizen to OPT IN if they can see the benefits of the system ? i.e SHOW me you are doing it first before asking me to believe and trust that the system will work !!!
Ask your sitting Local, State and Federal member if they have a My Health Record account already?


Te Moana-o-Raukawa was the original name for the strip of water that separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Just fourteen miles wide at its narrowest, fierce currents roar through it, creating one of the most dangerous sea-passages in the world. It's now more commonly known as the Cook Strait. (And doesn't it sound very similar to the eight-mile-wide Petlandsfjörð, which separates Orkney from Caithness, and has some of the fiercest, most-dangerous tidal races in the world? Which is now better known as the Pentland Firth...) When Duncan was at the bottom of the North Island in 2017, looking south, Raukawa was as grey and cold as the Firth on any damp February day...with the additional dismality of black sand on the beach.
As always in these tastings, everyone seemed to have a different favourite. Some preferred the exuberant, full-on fruitiness of Crowded House from Marlborough and the Waipara Springs from North Canterbury; others preferred the more restrained, Sancerre-like style of Jealous Sisters from Wairarapa, and Trinity Hill from Hawkes Bay.
Now, here's the question. The two South Island wines had much in common stylistically (and were, by the way, close to the stereotypical and widely-popular Kiwi Sauv Blanc style that everyone loves.) And the two North Island wines had much more in common with each other than they did with the two southerners. But is this North South divide explained purely by geography, or are choices made in the vineyard and the winery just as - or more - important?


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TOBIAS MENZIES ONLINE
Welcome to TOBIAS MENZIES ONLINE @ tobiasmenzies.org a website dedicated to the talented British actor Tobias Menzies. Perhaps best known for his roles as Edmure Tully in GAME OF THRONES and as Marcus Junius Brutus in HBO's ROME, Tobias came to the fore in a very notable way with his stunning portrayal of the dual characters of Frank Randall and his forefather the notorious Captain Jonathan Wolverton "Black Jack" Randall in the STARZ series OUTLANDER. Currently being seen as Prince Philip in THE CROWN, Tobias is making his mark on the world. Tobias' films include UNDERWORLD: BLOOD WARS, CASINO ROYALE, UNA, FORGET ME NOT, ATONEMENT, and FINDING NEVERLAND. Feel free to browse the site and to make this your premiere source for news on Tobias' career. This site as a strict NO CANDIDS policy.
'Outlander' Bid Farewell To Star Tobias Menzies Last Night – For Forever?
25 September, 2017	| Written by Meghan O'Keefe
Tobias Menzies has now officially bid adieu to the world of Outlander. The British actor delivered a masterful double act on the series for over two seasons, playing Claire's 20th century nice guy husband, Frank Randall, and Frank's absolutely abhorrent ancestor, Captain Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall. Black Jack's storyline came to an end in the opening scenes of the Season 3 premiere. We last saw his corpse crushing a wounded Jamie in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden. Last night, it was Frank's turn to shuffle off the proverbial mortal coil. After watching how his unhappy marriage to Claire spiraled into a disaster — with him asking not only for a divorce, but threatening to take Brianna to England with him — Frank died in a car accident.
Just like that, one of Outlander's top three stars is gone.
Decider sat down with stars Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies in a roundtable interview with other outlets during Summer 2017 TCA. When we asked Balfe how the energy of the show would change now that one of the three stars was gone, she became pensive. "I mean, he's definitely missed," she said. "It is kind of strange because it definitely has always been the counterbalance to Claire and Jamie in both ways; for Claire more Frank and for Jamie more Black Jack. I think the danger with a fantasy love story is that if they're just always in love and everything than how do you keep it interesting? How do you lend it some complexity? You know, we'll see…I guess is probably the best answer."
Balfe added, "But on a personal level, we've definitely missed him being around. I was saying the other day that when I started this show I was so new to it all and Tobias was always a great sounding board and I definitely looked up to him. You know, it's been sad not having you around."
"It's been an amazing few years, yeah," said Menzies.
As emotional as the final scene between Frank and Claire is, filming it was full of levity.
"Well first of all," Balfe said, "our very first take I looked down and realized that sound had stuck a microphone to Tobias' bare chest. That was not very emotional. I was like, Um, does the dead guy need a microphone?"
Menzies joked, "Those sound guys, they would mic anything. Even the dead guy."
Balfe laughed and continued: "You know, that whole relationship was so rich and it was such a complicated story from the very beginning. It was really heartbreaking and tragic the demise of Claire and Frank's marriage. But that scene, I think for Claire it was a tough one because, you know, at that point they were so emotionally far apart from each other and the intimacy had been gone for so many years. But it's like you don't realize how much you love somebody until they've been taken away from you. So I think for Claire, they've been so used to living in this side by side world but taking each other for granted in a way that at that moment she realized that there's always been this huge love for you and it's an apology. I mean, in many ways she's sort of making an apology for the —"
"What she didn't say before," Menzies finished.
We asked the stars if they had a favorite scene together from the last three seasons of Outlander. After a pause, Menzies went to one of Claire and Black Jack's first juicy encounters.
"Ep. 6. The chamber piece," he said, referring to the prolonged interrogation in Season 1, Episode 6, "The Garrison Commander."
"Yeah, I think I'd have to agree with that. Yeah, the Brockton scene," Balfe said. "That was really…I mean, it was such interesting writing. It was a long take. They allowed it to play out like a piece of theater."
Menzies added: "I think it was a tiny bit watershed for the show. That we had gotten that confident, storytelling-wise. It definitely was a sort of change of pace for the show. Because, you know, we were finding our feet. And it was good, but that finally felt like, 'Oh, wow, we can go through some really interesting places and the writers are going to let us do that' or that they're going to write stuff for us that's going to be this kind of confident."
"And I think it's the first time you really get a glimpse of how twisted Black Jack is," said Balfe. "That it's not just a physical perversion. There's that real mental distaste."
"And in the middle you flashback to the flogging, which obviously. Really graphic. Again, I think that was a real show of strength from the show," said Menzies.
While showrunner Ronald D. Moore suggested that there could be opportunities to bring Menzies back at the TCA panel, the actor himself didn't seem to think it was a possibility.
"No. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if in some point in the future they call me whether I take their call it really depends," he laughed.
Balfe quipped, "I think you've already changed your number by now."
If you're feeling emotional about Menzies' departure, just know that's he's not. "It's not emotional. I don't know. That's not my experience of character," he told the roundtable back in late July. "It's sort of odder than that. They're all just like bits of you so it's not like you…they don't go anywhere. I mean, will I miss playing them? Yes. It's been a great and amazing ride. I will also miss all of the great friends I made on it. But, you know, it's been fun to go on and do other things. I've been doing this for three and a half years now. Almost four. But yes, I definitely miss it. It's been a really great adventure."
Menzies' next project is The Terror, a miniseries for AMC. Besides that, he didn't have anything on the docket. "Now I am unemployed. So if you could write that down," he said with a chuckle.
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"The Crown" 2019
Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh
This drama follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century.
Frank Randall / Captain "Black" Jack Randall
An English combat nurse from 1945 is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743.
"The Terror" 2018
Captain James Fitzjames
A retelling of the historic Franklin Expedition to try to discover the Northwest Passage in the Arctic with the ships The Erebus and The Terror.
"Game of Thrones" 2013
An epic series based on the books by George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series.
"Outlander" Family
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Tobias Menzies & Kit Harington :: A Not-So-Humble Tobias Menzies
Added July 1, 2020
"Rome" – Official Trailer
Added March 31, 2020
"Outlander" – Go Inside 1X06 The Garrison Commander
Added February 29, 2020
Tobias Menzies Says Goodbye to Frank & Jack Randall on "Outlander"
"Casino Royale" Opening Credits "You Know My Name" by Chris Cornell
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The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has elected Renate Weller, Professor of Comparative Imaging and Biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College, London, as Junior Vice President of the Association. Three new BEVA Council members have also been elected. The new appointments were announced at the BEVA's Annual General Meeting, held at BEVA Congress earlier this month.
Renate graduated from the University of Munich and went on to spend a year in the US before returning to Germany to work in equine practice. She moved to the UK to become a senior clinical research scholar in large animal diagnostic imaging at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). She then joined the Institute of Veterinary Anatomy in Munich, where she completed her Dr.Vet.Med thesis. Following two years in California she returned to the RVC to do a PhD. Since 2005 Renate has been employed at the RVC, dividing her time between clincial work in large animal diagnostic imaging and research in imaging, locomotor biomechanics and veterinary education.
Neil Townsend RCVS Specialist in Equine Surgery European Specialist in Equine Dentistry at Three Counties Equine Hospital, Gloucestershire, Meredith Smith, Consultant Senior Clinician in Equine Diagnostic Imaging at the Animal Health Trust, Suffolk and Kate Maxwell, Director of Severn Edge Veterinary Group, Shropshire have been elected as new members of BEVA Council. Existing member Huw Griffith, Stud Vet at Liphook Equine Hospital, Hampshire, has been elected for a second term. Professor Weller will take the reins of President in 2018 - 19, following Jonathan Pycock's term in 2017 -18 and Vicki Nicholls' Presidency in 2016 - 17.
Nomination for election to BEVA council is open to all Ordinary and Concessionary members of the Association. Proposers for the nominee must be members of BEVA.


Play Hero Realms as a mystical Wizard. With your feline familiar by your side, summon forth scorching flames from your enchanted staff, and lay waste to your enemies!
Included are 15 cards: a Wizard character card, the Channel and Fireball ability cards, two unique scorecards, and a new 10-card personal deck (Cat Familiar, Fire Staff, Spell Components, 2 Ignite, and 5 Gold).
This is not a standalone game. A copy of Hero Realms is required to play.


While looking for updates on the Kate Hopkins child custody trial in Tennessee, I ran across an interesting website by a father in Georgia. He's living near the area of Tennessee in which the Kate Hopkins trial is being held, as he mentions in this post.
Was I FRAMED by the family court system here in Union County, Georgia? Oh Yes I was Folks!
I have been the target of a 'mock trial', allegedly found – capriciously – guilty, and convicted for being a loving Father and a concerned Parent.
I have done nothing wrong, I tell you all here and now. Notably 'folks' not a thing was said badly about me at the trial. The opposing attorney even suggested 50/50 custody in their closing arguments.
At 'the mock sentencing' farce, I was stripped of my rights to be a Father and Parent by the human rights violator Judge. Who then falsely sentenced me to only be a visitor not the father, with limited visitation rights only of: (4 days a month and even though I live only 3 miles from my daughter). I was also fined $10,400.00 dollars a year at the sentencing hearing, 66% of my income. The federal government also makes me pay taxes on that $10,400.00 dollars each year, which brings the fine up to almost 70% of my income, (for one child).
The mother is allowed to constantly make up her own rules and violates court orders on a daily basis, with no accountability at all and with the support of the court. I am forced to walk on pins and needles as added punishment for being a visitor and I am under constant threat of incarceration.
It isn't easy being framed for being a Father. Besides losing my rights to being a father / parent, I have also been robbed of my integrity and dignity. My daughter has been cheated out of a vital human right of having a steady Father.
The mother will not allow me one minute more with my daughter, not even for good behavior, for no reason what so ever, (although Narcissistic Tendencies, Manipulative Characteristics, Vindictiveness, Anger, Jealousy, Hate, etc., may play a major factor in her reasoning). I can only speculate, because she has yet to explain to me why her agenda is to punish me and alienate my daughter from me.
There is no logical reason why she could not allow me at least one evening between my every other weekend visits too at least have dinner with my daughter. It's pretty obvious to everyone that she does not support my daughter's relationship with me. The thought escapes her that she is truly hurting our daughter more than me, or maybe she just truly doesn't care either way as long as she feels she is causing me pain.
So I created F.R.A.M.E.D, (Fathers Rights And Men Ending Discrimination) in hopes of bringing more attention to others about the damage being done to children from "traditional biased rulings" and for profit, (federal incentives). The system is flawed and needs to be repaired immediately! The true criminals need to be held accountable. Children need both parents; 50/50 custody IS in the best interest of our children in most cases.
Automatically giving the mother custody and stripping the father of all his rights to be a father, a parent, for no reason other than biased rulings and for profit, is plain and simply, child abuse and a hate crime. It is also a crime against humanity and a violation of our constitutional rights to parent. It is also against our God given rights to parent and raise our children.
Kidnapping and criminal rulings are ruining the fabric of society and destroying families and our children's future. We must stand together as one and speak as one voice and demand change before it's too late!
Framed: To manufacture false evidence against (an innocent person), so as to make the person appear guilty of a crime. The act of framing a person is often referred to as a frame-up.
I'm adding his site's RSS feed to our blog list, a feature you may have noticed in the lower right of our web page. It's full of interesting posts for those enduring the gross injustice typical of Western-style family law courts. In particular, there is a lot of content regarding court and government abuses, false allegations in divorce, and legal reforms. Click here to visit the website.


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GSI Technology (NASDAQ:GSIT) Now Covered by StockNews.com
Posted by MarketBeat News on Jan 24th, 2023
Equities research analysts at StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of GSI Technology (NASDAQ:GSIT – Get Rating) in a note issued to investors on Tuesday. The brokerage set a "hold" rating on the semiconductor company's stock.
GSI Technology Stock Down 6.1 %
NASDAQ:GSIT opened at $2.10 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $1.97 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $2.67. The company has a market cap of $51.44 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.17 and a beta of 0.84. GSI Technology has a 52 week low of $1.57 and a 52 week high of $4.64.
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GSI Technology (NASDAQ:GSIT – Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 27th. The semiconductor company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. GSI Technology had a negative return on equity of 25.69% and a negative net margin of 46.55%. The firm had revenue of $8.95 million for the quarter.
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Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp raised its stake in GSI Technology by 7.9% during the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 45,982 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $176,000 after purchasing an additional 3,383 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of GSI Technology in the 1st quarter valued at $67,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in GSI Technology by 167.5% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 8,623 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 5,400 shares during the period. Finally, Cowen Prime Advisors LLC increased its stake in GSI Technology by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Cowen Prime Advisors LLC now owns 187,593 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $647,000 after buying an additional 2,855 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 21.86% of the company's stock.
GSI Technology Company Profile
GSI Technology, Inc engages in the design, development and marketing of memory products primarily for the networking, and telecommunications markets. Its product includes Static Random Access Memory, or SRAM, which incorporated in networking and telecommunications equipment, such as routers, switches, wide area network infrastructure equipment, wireless base stations and network access equipment.
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Rediff.com » News » For settling Kashmir, Musharraf was the best option
For settling Kashmir, Musharraf was the best option
By Sheela Bhatt
Last updated on: April 02, 2010 20:54 IST
It was a rare event for the Pakistani experts and strategists dealing with India when former chief of Research and Analysis Wing A S Dulat went to Lahore in the last week of January. He was there to attend a closed-door seminar to discuss range of issues concerning India and Pakistan.
RAW is as ugly a word in Pakistan as ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) is in India. So, it was a pleasant surprise that for the first time ever in history of intelligence agencies of both countries a high-ranking Indian sleuth -- that too an expert on Kashmir-- could visit Pakistan.
Talking to rediff.com about his low-profile visit, Dulat said, "It was kind of Pakistanis to give me visa. It was a good experience. In the conference, it didn't bother people that I belonged to RAW. I spoke on how to take the dialogue forward."
What was on your mind when you landed in Lahore? Was it different from what you had all these years when you were dealing with Pakistan sitting in New Delhi?
Dulat said, "Yes, it's quite different. Warmth and hospitality and what all can happen in Pakistan are quite different from India. Even before we passed through immigration, our organisers came to greet us. These kinds of things are impossible in India. In any case, we were not VIPs or anybody. There were lot of partying and receptions. A lot of things that I saw were very good. We may not approve some of the things like military being in control, but people were very hospitable. Like, I cannot do certain things in India that Pakistanis can do for us."
Did you have to face some awkward questions? He said, "I wasn't asked anything awkward. Actually one of my requests was to meet ex-ISI chiefs. Later on, I got message from former ISI chief General Assad Durani that he missed meeting me."
So what is the situation? "I could see that the mood in Pakistan is changing. In one-on-one meetings, they are very warm, but since last September, I think their stand is hardening. They are not as keen to improve the relations with us as they were earlier. I think they felt that India is dragging the issues of Mumbai attack. They felt terrible when Mumbai was attacked but, now, they think how long can you drag it? Why India is not talking to Pakistan, they were asking."
Dulat added, "My observations are also based on my earlier interactions with Pakistanis in Track-II meetings. Let me put it like this that our goodwill in Pakistan has been considerably weakened or eroded. After the flare-up in Afghanistan, things have changed."
Asked about how the issue of Kashmir is being viewed in Pakistan, Dulat said, "Since the last two years I have been saying that post-Musharraff Pakistan is not keen on talking Kashmir nor are they keen on settling the isue. So, that window of opportunity to settle the issue of Kashmir that we had in 2006-07 has gone. Now, Pakistanis say that we don't know what Musharraf was up to. He was on a solo flight. Pakistanis disown all that Musharraf told India. As I have said many times, I have never seen any Pakistan head of state be as reasonable as Musharraf was on Kashmir. I have not seen anyone like him. We may not see a similar Pakistan leader for a long time to come."
So how do you sum up the trip? Dulat said, "The reality is that in Pakistan you can have whatever democracy you have, but for a long time to come the military will keep calling the shots. That fact hits you as you arrive in Pakistan. That fact is very clear. Also, my own judgment is that President Zaradari will survive his term because he suits everybody."
Sheela Bhatt in New Delhi
Related News: Dulat, Pakistan, India, Inter Services Intelligence, Musharraf
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Maynard Art Show: With this amazing photo, the astronauts captured the grand drama of Italy at night! The boot shape is well defined by the lights along the coast. The two brightest areas on the west (left) coast are Naples (closer) and Rome. To the left of the toe is the island of Sicily. If you look carefully along its southern coast, just above the lights of Catania, you'll see a roughly circular dark region, with a glowing red in the center. That's lava from Mt. Etna, an active volcano! It takes a very steady hand to get night lights, with 1/3 second exposure. This is the best of a series they took that night, though it still does have some motion blur. On the horizon you can see just a hint of approaching sunrise.


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