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Shown here on top of a Nascom-3 is the first version of the Lucas disk drive system. I don't know how many were supplied in this cabinet. It was first shown at an exhibition. I'd like a better photo of this if anyone has one.
The drives were TEAC TD50-C 77 single sided "double track density" 80-track 96TPI devices, which were mechanically incompatible with the existing Henelec/Gemini G805 and the Gemini G809/G815 systems.
Lucas used their own design of controller card. It used the NAS-BUS / 80-BUS for connection.
A design that definitely was eventually sold were the much simpler metal-cased side-by-side designs, which were re-badged Cumana units.
Picture from 80bus.co.uk
Initially full height drives were used. These were single-sided 80- track units with a built-in power supply and were very heavy! (I know this as they were also supplied for some Commodore PET systems and I've had to pick one up!) They stored about 720k per drive.
Later there was a much neater version using half-height drives.
Hardware Manual
A complete Nascom-Lucas system. Picture provided by Nick. Thanks! 🙂
These used the TEAC FD55 family of drives, and were available with either 350k or 720k per drive. The stepping rate was higher than that of the full height drives, which later versions of NAS-DOS took advantage of (causing some software problems with later software running on earlier drives).
In addition to NAS-DOS, CP/M 2.2 was also available for the Lucas system.


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Shopian Civilian Killings: Probe Time Extended
Srinagar—The government on Friday extended by a week time to the magistrate to complete probe into the killing of three civilians teenagers in army firing in Shopian district of south Kashmir last month.
The government had appointed deputy commissioner Shopian as inquiry officer and asked him to complete the probe in the 20-day time period from January 27 when the army firing at Ganowpora killed three civilians. While two of them died on the spot, another youth succumbed to injuries at SKIMS Soura after few days.
"The inquiry officer (deputy commissioner Shopian) has sought one more to complete the probe which was granted to him," Divisional Commissioner Baseer Khan told news agency GNS over phone when asked about the outcome of the probe as twenty days time, expired on Friday.
On January 29, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti stood firm on the investigation into the killings of civilians in Army firing and said: "The probe ordered into the killing of civilians will be taken to its logical conclusion. Such killings only impair and slow down the political process here. An FIR was lodged against the guilty and the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Shopian, will come up with its report," Mufti told the Assembly during the budget session which came to close earlier this week.
"The Army as an institution has done a great job, but the grace of an institution only enhances once the black sheep within are identified and weeded out," she had said.
The ruling PDP's stand on the issue is contrary to that of the BJP, which criticized the police for lodging the FIR against the Army. R.S. Pathania, a BJP MLA, again demanded the withdrawal of the FIR against the Army. Even BJP's National General Secretary Ram Madhav, who was a key player in cobbling of the coalition with PDP, openly said that FIR should not have been registered against the army. The Supreme Court of India on Mondaydirected police not to take coercive measures against Major Adiya who has been named in the FIR filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in Police Station Shopian. (GNS)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Stephanie Gottlieb Names Morgan P. Richardson President and Chief Commercial Officer
Jimmy Choo Plots 20th Anniversary Strategy
The shoe firm will aggressively open stores in the U.S. and release a limited-edition collection to mark its 20th anniversary.
By Misty White Sidell Plus Icon
Misty White Sidell
Accessories Editor
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December 15, 2015, 12:01am
Jimmy Choo Memento Collection. Courtesy Photo
Jimmy Choo plans to mark its 20th anniversary with a strong focus on the U.S. The luxury goods firm will begin its birthday celebrations with a limited-edition "Memento" collection, as well as a sizable investment in U.S. brick-and-mortar openings.
"We are still a very young company, but 20 years is a moment where you are starting to be more established and looking back at what you should do," chief executive officer Pierre Denis said of the occasion.
"The U.S. market is at the heart of the 20th anniversary because it's very much a place where the brand was largely developed," he added, owing to the brand's success in U.S.-based endorsements including widespread success on the red carpet, and multiple plot features in "Sex in the City." "It's very much a U.S. year at Jimmy Choo," he said.
A key initiative for 2016 will be reinvestment in its New York retail operations. The brand will move its current Upper East Side store at 716 Madison Avenue one block south to 699 Madison Avenue, beside Hermès. The 2,200-square-foot unit will stock women's and men's styles, and will open in April.
Around the same time, a 1,300-square-foot store at 111 Greene Street in SoHo will also open.
"I think the two are going to complement each other quite nicely," Denis said. The Madison flagship, which Denis feels will serve as one of the brand's "key flagships worldwide," will appear "very institutional, very Madison, very classical in its idea of Jimmy Choo."
The SoHo store, by contrast, will be "a bit more raw," he said. "We are keeping the raw features of the store, so you will have exposed pipes, etc. So far the existing space is coming across stronger than the concept, I like that and think it will be something more modern."
Addressing both spaces, Denis said: "We have taken locations that are suitable for Jimmy Choo, down to the size we need. We are not building castles…I think luxury clients don't want to go into a huge palace anymore to shop; they want something more intimate. What counts more is the atmosphere."
Additional U.S. openings are planned in April for San Francisco, Chicago and King of Prussia, Pa.
Also to mark its 20th anniversary, Jimmy Choo will release a collection inspired by its greatest red carpet hits. Called "Memento," the collection includes 20 styles that can be purchased individually or by special order as a set packaged in a vanity shoe trunk. The price of the trunk has yet to be determined.
Creative director Sandra Choi said she sees the 20th anniversary as a time to celebrate Jimmy Choo's "positive feeling."
"It's quite a limitless brand, and quite positive and I love that it makes people feel that way."
This year she will hit the road, particularly in the U.S., as a public ambassador for that attitude.
Said Denis: "Sandra is going to take time to regularly come to the U.S. We are going to increase her public presence. It will be interesting for her to be close to the market."


The nominations for the 2018 Oscars are out, and honestly, the Academy did better than I expected.
Also, breakout directors Jordan Peele (Get Out) and Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) finally got their due. They were both nominated for the Best Director Oscar and their respective movies were also nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay—a huge honor for two debut films. Both also made history in other ways; Gerwig is just the fifth woman to be nominated for a Best Director award, and Peele is just the fifth black person to be nominated.
The Big Sick was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay; co-writer and star Kumail Nanjiani is the second person of Pakistani descent to have been nominated for the award.
Unfortunately Dee Rees was snubbed for the Best Director award (I guess they could only let one woman in this year?), but her film Mudbound did get substantial Oscars attention. Rees was nominated along with Virgil Williams for Best Adapted Screenplay—the first black woman to ever get the nod in that category. And even more amazingly, Mary J. Blige scored two nominations in one morning—for both Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song (for Mudbound's "Mighty River").
Blige is the first person in history to be nominated for an acting Oscar in a movie directed by a woman of color.
It appears as though the Academy's recent push for diversity has already started to see some shifts, however. Last year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences added 774 new members, bringing the amount of people of color in the academy from 8% to 13%. While it's not a huge change, there's hope that the Oscars are moving towards lasting representation.


This Labor Day Weekend, Galveston will play host to the 6th annual BrewMaster's Craft Beer Festival.
There will definitely be beer. Plenty of it; actually over 400 craft beers are said to be available to sample. There will also be live music, and of course -the beach.
If you've never been to the Moody Gardens area in Galveston, it's definitely worth the trip alone.
The 3-day event will be filled with a ton of fun things to attend, but it's mainly focused around two main events: BrewLicious Brews and Foods Pairing and BrewHaHa Grand Tasting. There are also other events like the BrewMasters Pub Crawl and The Texas Brewery Tasting Tours. Each event will require a ticket and the ticket prices vary from $185 for the Big Hopper Pass to $25 for the Pub Crawl and Texas Tasting tours. (More ticket options available here).
One thing to note, this is a 21 and up only event. Though more and more events are trying to accommodate parents and their children, this isn't one of them. So get a baby sitter!
Tickets for the grand tasting will get you a special sampling mug, a program and a sampling card for 24 1 oz. samples of beer. Looking at the ticket info, it doesn't look like you'll be able to purchase more of those tasting cards, so enjoy each sampling!
There are a ton of breweries headed to Galveston for this festival, but you just wanna know the Texas Breweries, right?


Almost one year after the recent Rohingya crisis began, Myanmar appears to be finally responding to international appeals for action. A headline in The Daily Star announced, "Ethnic Cleansing: Myanmar Forms Probe Commission". The news item provided the names of the four individuals, two Myanmarese, one Japanese and one Filipino, who would be members of this Commission of Inquiry (CoI). The formation of this panel, delayed by several months, to check into the allegations of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingyas, comes at a critical moment for all parties concerned. Nonetheless, we cannot let down our guard or be distracted from the collective responsibility to ensure safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingyas passing time in makeshift camps in Bangladesh. Concurrently, we need to keep our expectations low, as well as understand the scope and limitation of the CoI. The world community also could help by cautioning its members to the challenges it faces even if it is able to function with full independence and support from the authorities in Myanmar.
What do we know about Myanmar's views on an independent inquiry? Previously, we witnessed a lot of resistance and hostility to any investigative mission since 2017. Only in June, Zaw Htay, Director General, Myanmar State Counsellor Office had voiced his scepticism about any international inquiry. "Myanmar isn't a member country nor signed the ICC. Member countries must sign and approve in the International Vienna Convention. If so, the agreement will take effect on member countries. Myanmar is neither a member country nor signs the agreement. Therefore, the ICC does not have the right to take actions against Myanmar. The ICC did not send such cases to other countries facing Refugee Crisis." Most recently, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, was unable to visit Myanmar during her 10-day visit to the region.
At an interview with NHK of Japan, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi had informed all that "we will only appoint people in whose integrity and whose ability we have full confidence" to the new CoI. Ironically, one member of CoI, Aung Tun Thet, an economist and former UN official, expressed his reservations about the existence of any ethnic cleansing. "Whatever has happened in Rakhine is not systematic", Thet said during an interview last April with The Daily Star. His assertion stands in stark contrast to the evidence of brutality and mass graves that researchers found.
David Mathieson, a scholar of international repute who lives in Yangon, had previously questioned the sincerity of the ruling group in Myanmar. "Naypyidaw can announce as many inquiries as it desires, but it's sincerity is still obviously in short supply." Others including International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) legal advisor Sean Bain, warned that as soon as the government officials in Naypyidaw get a hint that the CoI have discovered evidence pointing to crimes against humanity or ethnic cleansing, the inquiry will be shut down or delayed.
Another warning. The CoI does not have the teeth of UN-mandated commissions of inquiry, fact-finding missions and investigations, established by the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, its predecessor, the Commission on Human Rights, the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Nor does it have access to the expertise and support provided by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Since 1992, OHCHR has deployed or supported close to 50 commissions and missions and provided guidance and tools for logistical support. These include advising on mandate development, investigation methodology and applicable international law, setting up secretariats with specialist staff, providing administrative, logistical and security support, providing briefing and training to members and staff, undertaking reviews and lessons-learned exercises.
Despite its limitations—notably the likelihood that investigators will be barred from visiting crime scenes inside Myanmar—the commission could still play a useful legal role, according to Irene Pietropaoli, a Yangon-based human rights consultant. And finally, even if investigators are prevented from visiting areas inside Myanmar and Rakhine as in the past, they can and must collect evidence from witnesses and survivors of attacks who fled to Bangladesh.


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network Stories July 9, 2015
T-Mobile 'Mobile without Borders' adds free calls, texts, 4G LTE data for Canada and Mexico
Cam Bunton
- Jul. 9th 2015 6:11 am PT
@CamBunton
T-Mobile 4G LTE network Roaming simple choice
T-Mobile's mission to change the entire U.S. wireless industry took another step forward this morning. In an Uncarrier Amped move dubbed 'Mobile without Borders', T-Mobile announced that it will offer its American customers free telephone call roaming to and from Mexico and Canada. For the first time, it will also include free 4G LTE data. Postpaid, prepaid and business customers will be able to make use of it from Wednesday, July 15th. It's a killer move, and effectively erases the virtual borders between the U.S. and its neighboring countries.
Unlike the current Simple Global feature, when a T-Mo subscriber crosses the Mexican or Canadian borders, they won't be reduced down to EDGE speeds. They retain 4G LTE connectivity seamlessly, providing there is LTE coverage in that area. T-Mo partnered with carriers in those two countries to pull this move off. There's only one small asterisk — the feature is being offered in specific cities within Canada and Mexico — as discussed below…
network Stories May 16, 2014
Verizon will reportedly announce 'XLTE' network next week (update)
- May. 16th 2014 12:20 pm PT
Tech Industry Verizon Lte rumor data
Verizon may soon be launching an "XLTE" network that will be powered by AWS spectrum. Recently rumored and reaffirmed by wireless news leaker @evleaks, Big Red's new setup could be going live sometime this year. The carrier is expected to make an announcement next week, which will hopefully fill in some blanks about its new service.
network Stories March 24, 2014
Disney is buying YouTube network Maker Studios for as much as $950M
Jordan Kahn
- Mar. 24th 2014 2:49 pm PT
@JordanKahn
YouTube acquisition Disney network $500 million
Reuters reports that Disney is about to buy Maker Studios, one of the largest YouTube networks, for $500 million with the possibility for that amount to rise to $950 million:
Maker, founded in 2009, helps produce and distribute videos to more than 380 million subscribers worldwide across more than 55,000 channels. Its videos now collectively garner some 5.5 billion views every month, according to the source.
The company distributes content through partnerships it has with a long list of YouTube content creators such as the popular PewDiePie gaming channel and also provides a platform that gives creators access to royalty reporting, analytics, and other services to help maximize earnings.
network Stories February 26, 2014
Mountain View approves Google's plan to revamp free WiFi network in the city
- Feb. 26th 2014 1:12 pm PT
Fiber fiber Google Wifi Mountain View Starbucks
San Jose Mercury News reports Mountain View City Council last night approved a new five-year deal with Google that will see the company revamp its aging free WiFi network in the city: expand full story
network Stories December 6, 2013
T-Mobile finally takes advantage of MetroPCS merger, will use new spectrum to enhance LTE network
Mike Beasley - Dec. 6th 2013 4:45 pm PT
All Things D reports that T-Mobile is finally taking advantage of this year's MetroPCS merger. The fourth-largest mobile carrier in the U.S. plans to use the new spectrum to offer even faster speeds on its LTE network nationwide. Some markets are already seeing an increase in speed, and more will see faster service next year. The company says it hopes to cover up to 90% of its current subscriber base with improved service.
In direct contrast to this data network improvement, T-Mobile is also planning to launch new pre-paid plans with no data allowance included, according to TMo News. The carrier confirmed that the new plans will come with unlimited talk and text, but will not include any data. These new pre-paid plans will be available on December 8th, the same day AT&T is launching its new selection of plans.
network Stories November 26, 2012
Sprint opens LTE in 11 'cities'
Élyse Betters - Nov. 26th 2012 7:53 am PT
Sprint just announced the expansion of its 4G LTE data network to 11 new cities in eight states, but the term "cities" is a little stretched in this instance as each population is either near or well below the 50,000 mark.
Sprint currently sports a thin LTE spread, but it has steadily tried to thicken 4G LTE data coverage in recent months. The carrier even rolled out 4G LTE data to 100 additional U.S. cities this past fall.
According to Sprint's the press release:
We continue to make progress with the rollout of our all-new, high-speed data network. Today, Sprint is delivering 4G LTE to 11 new cities and counties. Sprint introduced its all-new 4G LTE network in July 2012 and now offers service in 43 markets[1]. The 4G LTE network build is under way in more than 115 cities within the existing Sprint nationwide 3G footprint, including Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; New Orleans; New York; Philadelphia; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C.
The full list of new areas:
Anderson, Ind.
Clarke County, Va./Jefferson County, W.Va.
Harrisburg/Carlisle/Hershey, Pa.
Hagerstown, Md./Martinsburg, W.Va.
Harrisonburg, Va.
Muncie, Ind.
Peabody, Mass.
Salina, Kan.
Shenandoah County, Va.
South Bend/Mishawaka, Ind.
Winchester, Va.
Sprint was the first national wireless carrier to introduce 4G (WiMAX) service in 2008, and it expects to light up the above areas in "the coming weeks and months." The carrier further revealed upcoming improvements for its 3G customers, including: wireless signal strength, in-building coverage, and fewer dropped/blocked calls.
Sprint previously said it planned to complete the nationwide build out of its 4G network by the end of 2013.
Get the full press release below.
This article is cross-posted on 9to5Mac.
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Life of footballers Justin and John Fashanu being adapted into ITV drama
UK NewsPublished: Dec 2, 2022 Last Updated: Dec 2, 2022
Fash will chart their lives from childhoods spent in Barnardo's care homes to becoming household names.
Justin Fashanu – Football League Commission
The life of Justin Fashanu, the first professional footballer in England to come out as gay, and his brother John, is being adapted into an ITV drama by Bafta-nominated writer Kwame Kwei-Armah.
Aged 20, Justin became one of the first footballers to command a £1 million transfer fee when he moved from Norwich City to Nottingham Forest in 1981.
In 1990, he was the first male footballer to publicly come out as gay. He took his own life in 1998 aged 37.
John Fashanu (Myung Jung Kim/PA)
The series, titled Fash, will dramatise how in 1981 his younger brother John signed to Norwich City, the same club where Justin made his name.
As Justin's "star fades" and life becomes mired by pitch-side rumour and front-page tabloid headlines, John supersedes Justin as the "famous Fashanu" and by the time of his death, the two are wholly estranged.
According to ITV, Fash will chart their lives from childhoods spent in Barnardo's care homes to the care of a white foster family to their "tragic and irreconcilable" estrangement played out in the media.
The series has been created with the help of John, serving as a consultant alongside LGBT campaigner Peter Tatchell.
John said: "I'm so pleased to be working with Kwame and Happy Prince on this project.
"Much has been said and written about the relationship Justin and I shared over the years, but drama of this type has an ability to delve right to the beating heart and truth of events in a way other media can't.
"I feel privileged to play a part in bringing it to the screen."
Playwright, director and actor Kwame Kwei-Armah (Sean Dempsey/PA)
Kwei-Armah, who is also artistic director of the Young Vic theatre, said: "I grew up watching the Fashanu brothers. I was fascinated by them. Inspired by them.
"As an adult, my heart breaks for them. 'The past is a foreign land', the saying goes, 'they do things differently there'.
"In Fash, I wanted to dive into that past, particularly one that has so many resonances with today."
Tatchell said: "This is a powerful, moving life story that needs to be told.
"I am very honoured to act as a consultant to the production team, based on my friendship with Justin Fashanu in the 1980s."
The series will be produced by Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios, and will premiere on ITV1 and also be available as a boxset on ITVX once the first episode has aired.
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Have you seen our crossbody bags yet? They're the best for summer - you can load them up with a book, your keys, your snacks, your sunglasses collection, and head to the beach.
Then, when you get home and it's covered in sand because your water bottle leaked all over it and made half the beach stick to it, you can just throw it in the washing machine.
The bags are 100% cotton, have a zipper pocket, are reversible, have a button closure, and right now, you can get 20% off when you sign up for our email list!
Click the link here, put your email in, and we'll send you a code for 20% off of your crossbody bag!
While you're on our Facebook page, take a minute to 'like' it. Then you'll be in the know about product updates, Made for Freedom news, and more.


Just 7km southwest of Setúbal, the craggy, scrub- and wood-covered slopes of the Serra da Arrábida rise to around 500m above a dramatic coastline dotted with cove beaches. It's stunningly beautiful, though surprisingly little known to tourists: home to wildcats, badgers, polecats, buzzards and Bonelli's eagles, the region has had protected status since 1976 and makes up the Parque Natural da Arrábida. Walking guides are available from the park's main office in Setúbal, though to get the most from the park you'll need a car – indeed, the spectacular N379-1 ranks as one of the most dramatic drives in Portugal. Note, however, that from July to August, a one-way system is in place on the narrow coastal road through the park, which operates westwards-only from 8am to 7pm (though the inland N10 and N379-1 roads operate both ways).


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There is no emergency – Pele's daughter allays fears over Brazil great's health
PA Sport Staff
30 November 2022, 11:14 am ·1-min read
Pele's daughter has moved to allay fears over her father's health after he was taken into hospital in Brazil.
The 82-year-old continues to be treated for colon cancer, undergoing surgery to remove a tumour during September 2021, and he has required regular ongoing medical treatment.
Following reports Pele, considered football's first world superstar, had been taken back into hospital with concerns for his health, his daughter Kely Nascimento posted an update on social media stating there was no "new dire prediction".
Kely Nascimento said on Instagram on Wednesday: "Lots of alarm in the media today concerning my dad's health.
"He is in the hospital regulating medication. Some of my siblings are visiting Brazil. There is no emergency or new dire prediction.
"I will be there for New Year's and promise to post some pictures. Really and truly, we appreciate the concern and love!!"
Pele had burst on to the global scene as a 17-year-old at the 1958 World Cup, helping Brazil to the first of their record five successes.
Injury affected Pele's contribution to the 1962 and 1966 finals, but he returned to lead Brazil to a third triumph, this time in Mexico in 1970 as part of what is widely regarded as the greatest international team of all time.
Officially, Pele scored 757 goals in 831 games during a glittering career from 1957 to 1977, although club Santos claim his tally was closer to 1,000.
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Pie Club Blog
Buy Painting
January 2023 Pie Club Blog
Pie Club / By Eclairs De La Lune
I look forward to citrus season every year. A time when I need something to cut through the heavy sweets and treats that filled us up for two months prior to the new year; plus, a zesty, bright burst of sunshine and warmth we often lack here during the unpredictable Midwest winter. It also takes me back to a time I thought was so magical, well before my seventh birthday, when boxes of citrus fruit made their way from Florida to my grandparents' house, wrapped in what seemed to be a tremendous amount of care. We delicately removed it from its package, then delicately from its peel, and delighted in segment after segment.
For this month's Pie Club feature, Orange Chess Pie, we use Sumo Citrus, which is a combination of Satsuma, Orange and Mandarin, created by Japanese farmers in their pursuit to create the ultimate citrus fruit, but now cultivated in the U.S., grown here only in the San Joaquin Valley of California. It's seedless, easy to peel, and verified non-GMO.
While citrus season promises to bring the best varieties of oranges, grapefruit and other citrus, Sumo Citrus is a stand-out for its decorative "top knot," large size and a sweetness that doesn't overpower the fruit's acidity—all signs of the care and craft that their farmers put into the harvest. It takes four years of constant love and care before a Sumo Citrus tree produces any fruit. Despite its rugged appearance, this delicate fruit requires far more expertise and gentle handling than any other piece of citrus.
Fresh squeezed juice works best for this recipe. If you can find blood oranges or Cara-Cara oranges, you will find your pie has a difference in color, and will vary in flavor intensity and acidity. Look for Sumo in its characteristic purple box at your local grocery store, or online.
Chess Pie is a variation on the classic Southern Pie, also known as Jefferson Davis pie. Made with buttermilk, eggs, butter and sugar, it can be described as a type of custard pie, similar to pecan pie without any nuts. This pie is fairly easy to make. The ingredients come together quickly with an electric mixer and are poured into an unbaked pie crust—one that you make yourself, or buy pre-made.
Some say the name Chess Pie came from a mispronunciation of "just pie" or "jes' pie;" others say its name derived from being served to gentlemen as they retreated to a room to play chess. The origin of the name for the chess pie recipe may be uncertain, but it was also believed that chess pies contained so much sugar they could be stored in a chest, instead of being refrigerated. While there are no claims that this is a "healthy pie," Sumo Citrus packs a big nutritional value. With 163 percent of recommended daily Vitamin C and 3g of dietary fiber, it's a convenient way to keep healthy eating resolutions on track when eaten on its own.
ORANGE CHESS PIE
9-inch pie crust, unbaked
1½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
¼ cup fresh orange juice (your preference of oranges)
3 Tablespoons orange zest (from 2 large oranges)
Preheat conventional oven to 350 degrees
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter
Add the sugar and beat until fluffy
Beat in the eggs and buttermilk
Add the flour, cornmeal, orange juice and orange zest and mix until smooth
Pour the mixture into your unbaked crust-lined 9 inch pie plate
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the center of the pie is set
Cool completely on a wire rack, and serve with whipped cream or ice cream
Copyright © 2023 Eclairs De La Lune | Powered by Eclairs De La Lune


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Spine-Tingling, Epic Noir Surrealism from Monika Roscher's Big Band
The new Monika Roscher Big Band album, Failure in Wonderland is a wildly fearless, uncategorizable thrill ride. What is this? Noir cabaret? Psychedelic rock? Big band swing? Horror movie music? All of the above and more. As she tells it, guitarist/singer/composer Roscher spent a year in Illinois as a German exchange student. While her peers were watching tv, she was practicing, soaking up musical scores and learning Frank Zappa licks. Her young band has been together a bit over a year and already has this monstrous masterpiece to show for it. It's sort of like the missing link between Mucca Pazza and Sexmob (who have a phenomenal new album of Nino Rota film pieces due out soon).Like the latter group's leader Steve Bernstein, Roscher likes long, crescendoing vamps and seems to be noir to the core. If you like the idea of a Jeff Lynne-esque vocoder trip-hop intro into a creepy noir cabaret piano loop that builds to a stomping, surreal menace with marching Zappaesque guitar line as the brass pulses behind it, that's just the first half of the first track. From there, the circus rock menace rises with Josef Ressle's biting piano and squalling, smoky bari sax from Heiko Geiring – and it only gets better from there.
Deadpan, fractured English lyrics move in over another trip-hop intro on the second track, Future3, followed by pillowy reeds, Roscher shredding the scenery with some wild tremolo-picking punctuated by big incisions from the band as the arrangement grows more stately. The catchy yet utterly dissociative Irrlicht works big Gil Evans-ish swells into a carnivalesque pulse, up to a scorching crescendo that hands off to Matthias Lindrmayr's rapidfire muted trumpet and then a slowly spinning, pitchblende vortical sway.
Wuste works a creepy minor-key come-hither Blonde Redhead-ish intro and then takes on a brooding, low-key gypsy rock feel that grows more and more macabre, spiced by Roscher's surealistic, processed vocals, Ressle's sepulcural wee-hours piano and Jan Kiesewetter's lonesome soprano sax. Die Parade is a twisted funeral march, as plaintive as it is blackly amusing. As with the rest of the tracks here, the voicings are imaginative and often pack a wallop, here with Andreas Unterreiner's trumpet nonchalantly pairing off with Peter Palmer's even more morose trombone. The way the procession disintegrates is too clever and amusing to give away here; the trick ending is typical of the sheer unpredictability and gleeful menace of Roscher's compositional style.
Human Machines establishes a torchy Lynchian atmosphere, a sardonic commentary on the human tendency toward conformity, fueled by Roscher's noir tremolo lines and torchy vocals – she's the rare bandleader who's also a first-class singer – and Ressle's incisive piano. Unlike the other tracks here, this one ends optimistically: humans win! By contrast, Schnee Aus Venedig is a defiantly macabre, tiptoeing sideshow theme that eventually follows a breathless trajectory up to a wry Beatles allusion. It foreshadows the Montenegrin cabaret gloom of When I Fall in Love, Kiesewetter's Jon Irabagon-esque japes, Geiring's baritone squall and Roscher's wah-infused, funky menace taking it in a vintage P-Funk direction. The album ends, appropriately enough, with Nacht, rising from skeletal tango to a noir flamenco overture, reaching peak altitude on Roscher's rippling, weirdly processed arpeggios.
Fans of dark ornate acts as diverse as Botanica, Gil Evans, and Sexmob will eat this up. Best jazz album of the year? Maybe. Best rock record of the year? Probably. Whatever you want to call it, it's a lot of fun. And in case you're wondering what the title refers to, here's Roscher: "The blemished beauty of Alice…the tension between harmony and disharmony that I can only vaguely approach with my lyrics. To me words cannot nail it the way music does." It's out now from Enja Records.
April 15, 2013 Posted by delarue | jazz, Music, music, concert, review, Reviews, rock music	| album review, Andreas Unterreiner, art-rock, big band jazz, blonde redhead, funk, funk music, heiko geiring, Jan Kiesewetter, jazz, josef ressle piano, Matthias Lindrmayr, monika roscher, monika roscher big band, monika roscher big band review, monika roscher review, mucca pazza, Music, music review, noir music, noir rock, orchestrated rock, prog rock, progressive rock, sexmob, steven bernstein trumpet | Leave a comment
Christopher O'Riley and Matt Haimovitz Connect the Unexpected
If you listen to NPR or watch PBS, this is old news, so here's to all of you who've made the switch from the small screen to an even smaller one and might not have noticed that pianist Christopher O'Riley and adventurous cello virtuoso Matt Haimovitz have a new album out. It's titled Shuffle. Play. Listen., and they'll be touring it next year, with a stop at Manhattan's Highline Ballroom on Jan 22. Pianist O'Riley, host of the NPR/PBS program From the Top, is no stranger to making neoromantic instrumental albums out of rock and pop songs: this double cd makes three in a row. It's a lively and often exquisitely good duo performance, simply the best thing O'Riley's ever put his hands on.
To succeed with a music show, you ought to know something about connections, which is what the first cd is all about. Who knew how much Bernard Herrmann's classic soundtrack to the equally classic Hitchcock film Vertigo had in common with works by Stravinsky, Janacek or Martinu? This guy, obviously. To make those commonalities crystal-clear, imaginatively potent new arrangements of parts of the Herrmann score are interwoven between the other pieces, a concept that might seem preposterous but works brilliantly. Haimovitz gets most if not all of the juiciest parts, perhaps logically since Herrmann's score was heavy on the strings, and also because O'Riley has the good sense to stay within himself. His playing is distinguished by smartly thought-out dynamics, pacing and elegantly terse embellishments rather than pyrotechnics.
The first cd opens on a deliciously macabre note with Prelude from the Vertigo Suite, done here as a creepy waltz with artful, unexpected cello/piano overlays. The duo follow that with Leos Janacek's Fairy Tale, which follows a similar trajectory: after the minimalistic first movement (with some striking, Kayhan Kalhor-style echo effects from Haimovitz), it grows more wary and winds up with an understated menace. The nightmare scene from Vertigo follows, impressively understated with its agitated cello flurries. Martinu's Variations on a Slavic Folk Song makes an unexpected but rock-solid segue, growing from stark to forceful, with a suspenseful edge very similar to Herrmann's.
They segue back to the Vertigo Suite for the hypnotic Carlotta's Portrait, then take a detour for a new arrangement of Stravinsky's Suite Italienne, its highlights being the sad waltz that precedes the dynamically-charged, surprisingly quiet Aria and then the Tarantella, which pushes the limits of how far and how fast O'Riley can go. The Scotty Tracks Madeline scene from the film gorgeously juxtaposes longing with blitheness and a rapt upper-register duo between Haimovitz – who can get tones out of his cello that no one else can – and O'Riley. From there, a spirited take on Piazzolla's Grand Tango – with each instrumentalist assigned to cover a little of the ground that Piazzolla's bandoneon did on the original – is spot-on. The disc concludes with the thinly disguised, mournful minuet that serves as the film's love theme.
The second cd reverts to the random vibe of O'Riley's two other classical-rock piano albums, with generally good results. There's a marvelously successful instrumental version of Radiohead's Pyramid Song, right down to the cello winkingly spinning off a fade or a psychedelic riff straight off the record as O'Reilly rubatos the piano with just the right touch of suspenseful anticipation. And that band's Weird Fishes/Arpeggi gets a graceful, circular indie classical treatment, focusing on its subtle counterpoint, as does the almost unrecognizable version of A Perfect Circle's Three Libras. A couple of Cocteau Twins tunes reach for a slightly less hypnotic atmosphere than the originals, while two Blonde Redhead tunes – Misery Is a Butterfly and Melody – run richly memorable hooks over and over for an approach that builds toward grand guignol. There are also two John McLaughlin compositions here – Dance of Maya, whose austere acidicism doesn't stop it from matching up well with Herrmann as it morphs into a bitterly bluesy minor-key romp, and A Lotus in the Back Seat, done as Ravel might have orchestrated it.
Another Cocteau Twins track, the lightweight Heaven or Las Vegas, isn't as well-suited to this kind of serioso treatment as the other tracks are, and the derivative faux-baroquisms of the first movement of the Stravinsky make for two minutes of what-are-we-doing-here. And as far as the two Arcade Fire covers here are concerned, the two players take an energetic stab at elevating them to Herrmann-ish grandeur, but ultimately, garbage in, garbage out: Arcade Fire is a boring band. But those are only small complaints about an otherwise mammothly successful effort. O'Riley also has a very cool, gospel-flavored free download available, Time of My Time inspired by Kris Saknussemm's recent novel Reverend America.
December 15, 2011 Posted by delarue | classical music, Music, music, concert, review, Reviews, rock music	| a perfect circle, album review, alfred hitchcock, alfred hitchcock soundtrack, arcade fire, art-rock, bernard herrmann, blonde redhead, chamber pop, chamber rock, christopher o'riley, christopher o'riley matt haimovitz, christopher o'riley matt haimovitz shuffle play listen, christopher o'riley matt haimovitz shuffle play listen review, christopher o'riley review, classical covers of rock songs, classical music, classical versions of rock songs, cocteau twins, from the top npr, from the top pbs, indie classical, janacek, kayhan kalhor, martinu, matt haimovitz, matt haimovitz review, Music, music review, orchestrated rock, orchestrated rock songs, radiohead, radiohead cover, stravinsky, symphonic rock | 2 Comments
Cult with No Name: For Those Who Don't Fit In
This one makes a good segue with today's album by David J. London duo Cult with No Name's fourth album, Adrenalin, came out on Halloween on Trakwerx. With its deadpan, brooding vocals and goth-tinged keyboard melodies, it's the best one yet from the self-styled "post punk electronica balladeers." Once the Williamsburg crowd hears the 80s new wave pop of Breathing – an blippy, ambient track that wouldn't have been out of place in the Stranglers post-1985 catalog – every "celebrity dj" will want to remix it into unrecognizability. The rest of the album is a lot more substantial (legendary Clash associate and punk/reggae dj Don Letts is a fan). It opens with a long, pensive solo piano intro punctuated by the occasional echoey synth splash, similar to the Walkabouts' recent work. The sardonic title track sets lo-fi 80s synth-goth to a trip-hop drum loop like early Dead Can Dance: "I'm not addicted to love, I'm addicted to pain…"
Macabre piano rivulets and vocals build to a majestic orchestral sweep on the next track, reminding of Blonde Redhead at their most goth, followed by the icy, accusatory piano ballad The Way You're Looking at Me. The felicitously titled Youlogy blends watery acoustic guitar and eerily airy synth washes – it could be a more overtly goth Bobby Vacant, a vivid portrayal of the struggle to express grief with any degree of eloquence. It's quite a contrast with the irresisibly funny, blippy goth spoof The All Dead Burlesque Show: "So teasing, but don't tell me it's art…don't think it's all about good taste, and I don't care about your eight-inch waist."
The rest of the album eclectically mines various 80s dark rock veins: the understated, noir cabaret bounce of Gone; the lush, echoey guitar ballad 7 and its mirror image, -7, a sad, cinematic piano soundscape, and the clip-clop downtempo pop of Make a List. The album ends with a wallop with Generation That's, a majestic, bitterly poetic slap at the expectation that one should fit into one generation or another, the implication here being that for those of us who will never fit in, it's a long, lonely road. Like every Trakwerx album, this one is elegantly packaged, in this case in a lustrous, metallic blue-grey cardboard sleeve that blends austere Factory Records minimalism with playful, retro 60-style, Doorsy embellishments.
December 28, 2010 Posted by delarue | Music, music, concert, review, Reviews, rock music	| 80s music, 80s rock, blonde redhead, Bobby Vacant, cult with no name, cult with no name adrenalin, cult with no name adrenalin review, david j, dead can dance, eighties music, eighties rock, goth music, goth rock, gothic music, gothic rock, new wave, new wave music, post-punk, postpunk, stranglers band, synth music, synth pop, walkabouts band | Leave a comment
CD Review: Carol Lipnik – Cloud Girl
Every now and then something comes over the transom here that slipped under the radar when it first came out – or in the case of this album, predated this blog. This is one of the best of those – the cd cover image of the rails of the Cyclone rollercoaster with its "REMAIN SEATED" sign overhead is apt. Celebrated for her alternately soaring and piercing four-octave range, Carol Lipnik is also a uniquely gifted songwriter with a frequently sinister, otherwise amusingly carnivalesque edge. Lately she's been pursuing what appears to be developing into an extraordinary collaboration with singer John Kelly (John Kelly and Carol Lipnik on the same stage – just think about the possibilities that conjures for a minute). For the uninitiated, this is Lipnik's most recent album and comprises much of what she plays live. It's a good an introduction to this indelibly New York, Coney Island born-and-bred artist.
The cd opens with Tom Ward's noir cabaret waltz Freak House Blues, a playfully lurid tale bouncing along with horror-movie organ from keyboardist Dred Scott – a first-rate jazz composer in his own right – and violin by Jacob Lawson. The second cut, Lipnik's own Falling/Floating mines the same kind of creepy noir pop vein that DollHouse or occasionally Blonde Redhead would pursue back about ten years ago.
Last Dance ( a co-write with Jane LeCroy) flirts with madness: "I can't forget the last dance, because I'm dancing it still." By contrast, another Lipnik original, Traveling is a lushly beautiful and sensually atmospheric. Then it's back to the macabre with another waltz, Where Are You Going, examining the relationship between conformity and cannibalism as Lawson's staccato violin screeches along on the beat. Atmospheric and echoey, the menace of Crushed is understated and effectively so: "Do you want me to stand on my knees for you?" Lipnik asks – but it's obvious that she's not offering. "I'll be back, but I'll be changed," she warns on the soaring, crescendoing Mermaid Blues. Morir Sonando (a Spanish pun – it's an orange milkshake) is a big bolero, pretty boisterous for a tribute to the delights of dreaming and sleep. The cd winds up with the haunting, hypnotic, somewhat Radiohead-inflected title track. For those who can't get enough after all this, Lipnik's just back from Yaddo and working on a new one. Carol Lipnik plays the Howl Festival, 8 PM on Sept 15 at the 45 Bleecker St. Theatre in the West Village.
August 21, 2009 Posted by delarue | Music, music, concert, review, Reviews	| acoustic music, blonde redhead, cabaret music, carol lipnik, chanteuse, dollhouse bands, horror rock, jacob lawson violin, john kelly singer, Music, new york bands, noir cabaret, noir music, pop music, radiohead, rock music, singer-songwriter, songwriter, soul music, spookarama | 1 Comment


It overstepped its authority, and nobody wants you to know it!
But the truth is out. Our politicians like the status quo, given to them by the Supreme Court. But a small group of citizens uncovered Constitutional language that promises to blow this court apart.
In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned , the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.
It limits congressional election control to congress -- and not the co-equal Supreme Court -- and today's congress has the power to ignore or reverse Citizen's United and even the 1976 Buckley v. Veleo decision as it relates to congress taking cash bribes. That is, IF it wants to!!!
(b) they like the faulty Supreme Court decisions because they like the campaign cash rolling in and they like blaming the Supreme Court for making it so easy!
Getting our congress to fix a system they like broken will not be a piece of cake, but it can be done. And it must be done. Frankly, if cash bribes were not changing hands most of us would not care what laws were passed or what party was in office.
Article III, Sec 2 states that Congress has the power to make exceptions to the court's appellate jurisdiction, other than in a few areas that are not relevant. They CAN do it if they WANT to do it!
The D's are as guilty as the R's, and to get cooperation from either party will not be easy. The only way is for the more pragmatic 20% in the center to come together on this single issue, just as they did to get prohibition repealed decades ago.
So what's your issue? The economy? Energy policy? Climate change? Schools? Employment? Exorbitant CEO salaries? Something else?
It doesn't matter. As long as that issue keeps you busy and off the real problem, the politicians and their Fat Cat funders are very satisfied. The issue they care about is the political contributions that keep them in office, and they could care less about your concerns.
It's time for Congress and our President to step up and put the Supreme Court back on equal footing with the rest of our branches of government. They need to pass a law ending Judicial Review -- take that power away from the Supreme Court -- and restore the vision that our founding fathers had of America -- a nation where 5 unelected guys in black robes couldn't make or kill the laws of the land.
The essence is that congress CAN take the unprecedented and self-claimed power from the Supreme Court. The questions are, why don't they, and why didn't they before now? The answer is because the Supreme Court is protecting the moneyed political system that keeps these politicians in power, and they like it a lot!!!
But get this: a fix is possible before the 2012 elections, and those politicians not willing must be ousted from office.
It's of course going to take effort" the pragmatic middle 20% must drop all other issues and come together on this single issue. Tabling the other issues should be easy, since with our corrupt political system they aren't going to get fixed anyway.
Medicare-for-all *IS* a jobs bill!
Only a 100% political turnover will prevent US and state bankruptcy!
I've never understood redistricting, until today.


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EXCLUSIVE: Crooked Tree-loggers clear forest in Rukungiri amid COVID-19 Lockdown
April 15, 2020 Moses Agaba | REDPEPPER Correspondent
Some of the trees cut awaiting to be ferried. (PHOTO: MOses Agaba)
Rukungiri – As the rest of the globe is engulfed on the Coronavirus pandemic exploits, a section of shrewd people are busy crafting unstoppable means to enrich themselves.
In Rukungiri District, a yet to be identified group have pitched camp in Imaramagambo Forest are indiscriminately cutting the trees for timber, firewood, hand walking sticks and charcoal.
Imaramagambo Forest stretches its boundaries to Mitooma and Rubirizi District at the periphery of the Queen Elizabeth National Park Conservation Area in Western Uganda.
Our credible sources indicate that the forest plunder is reminiscent of forest plunder in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the war where satchels of natural forests were decimated.
Our credible source further intimated to this that the plunder started immediately after President Yoweri Museveni declared an entire country shut down over the Coronavirus pandemic.
A conducive environment took shape after authorities diverted to enforcing the presidential guidelines and Ministry of Health guidelines, allowing the plunders to exploit the forest where they could not be noticed.
Firewood and fencing poles are products from the forest. Rukungiri District Forest Officer Arthur Twinomujuni told our investigative reporter that the forest in question was under the National Forest Authority (NFA), and therefore the District has no authority over it and cannot explain what is going on there.
Twinomujuni, however, said that it was a bad practice to indiscriminately cut trees in the forest because it has got rare tree species which were a natural habitat which cannot be replanted.
According to Twinomujuni, South Imaramagambo Forest covers 15000 hectares and is managed by National Forest Authority (NFA) together with Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) since it is located within the Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENPCA).
Twinomujuni, however, said that for many years, Rukungiri District Forest Department has been putting serious measures aimed at protecting degradation of forests especially in Bwambara Sub-county and all neighbouring sub-counties and a forest guard was stationed there to work with other stakeholders who include Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and National Forest Authority (NFA).
A section of Imaramagambo Forest that has been cleared by unscrupulous plunderers. (PHOTO: Moses Agaba)
"We are committed to protecting the forest and we shall not sit and watch when the forest is being depleted," Twinomujuni said.
Mr. Baluku Benson, UWA Officer in Charge of Bwentare Post (where the Forest is located) said that they have always arrested and handed over to Police in Rukungiri whoever is found carrying out illegal activities in the Park.
"It is on record that we normally arrest the culprits and hand them over to Police and this can be verified at the Central Police Station," Baluku said.
Baluku, however, blamed the local leaders especially the LC1s for failing to work with them by hiding by concealing the illegal activities of the plunderers.
However, further investigations by this website indicate that Baluku was referring to the small-time encroachers into the forest reserve some who go there for herbal medicine and walking sticks leaving out big time timber dealers.
It's suspected that the big time timber dealers are well protected and are untouchables.
Baluku confirmed that a recent joint operation carried out by the UPDF and Police revealed that fresh trees were being cut but could not identify the culprits in the act.
When contacted, Rukungiri District Chairman Andrewson Charles Kateebire said that he had received a report about illegal plunder and had tasked the District Forest officer to furnish him with a report as soon as possible.
Rukungiri Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Dan Kaguta was not available for comment as he was reported to be busy with Coronavirus pandemic surveillance.
It is now feared that by the time the country wakes up from the Coronavirus pandemic shut down on May 5 as directed by President Museveni, the forest will be no more and it will be difficult to trace who plundered it.
Moses Agaba | REDPEPPER Correspondent
Tags: COVID-19, deforestation, logging, Rukungiri, tree cutting, uganda
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It comes out every couple of months and it's short, with links to more information about tips, case studies, thought-provoking statistics, trends and more relating to environment and sustainability as well as environmental training.
You can see some of the content of recent issues here.
And please be assured that I will only use your email address for these e-newsletters and will never pass it on to any third party.


text:
import Product from '@vue-storefront/core/modules/catalog/types/Product';

/**
 * set parent sku, this is needed, because in configuration process we will override sku by configurable_children.sku
 */
export default function setParentSku (product: Product) {
  if (!product.parentSku) {
    product.parentSku = product.sku
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home New Delhi Six states in the country hit by bird flu, 16 birds killed...
Six states in the country hit by bird flu, 16 birds killed accidentally in Delhi
Deepshikha Gautam
(Deepshikha Gautam, Intern Journalist) New Delhi: The central government said on Friday that so far bird flu has been confirmed in Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat. The government has directed these six states to control the disease as per the action plan. The accidental death of 16 birds has also been reported at DDA Park in Hastasal Village, Delhi and samples have been sent to the laboratory for examination. The infection has been confirmed in six states (Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat) so far. It is learned that the bird-killing campaign in both the affected districts of Kerala is over. The infection-free process continues.
States still untouched by avian influenza (AI) have also been requested to be vigilant about the accidental death of birds and to inform them immediately so that necessary steps can be taken in the shortest possible time. Central teams have been formed to visit the affected states of Kerala, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh which will monitor the situation and carry out necessary epidemiological investigations. The government said that ICAR-Nishad confirmed avian influenza infection at two poultry firms in Panchkula, Haryana after testing the samples. Bird flu has been confirmed in migratory birds in the Junagadh district of Gujarat as well as among crows in Sawai Madhopur, Pali, Jaisalmer, and Mohar districts of Rajasthan.
Therefore, the Department of Livestock and Dairy has suggested to the affected states to control the disease as per the action plan. The statement said, "Accidental deaths of 16 birds have also been reported in DDA Park of Hastasal Village, Delhi. The Livestock Department of Delhi, taking precautionary measures, has given the samples the ICAR-Nishad distinction and is awaiting the test report.
The government said that awareness of the disease is very important among poultry farmers and common people (consumers of eggs and chicken). The statement said the communication of the secretary of the Department of Livestock and Dairy related to instilling confidence in the consumption of chicken and eggs has been sent to the Ministry of Health. The statement said that the Ministry of Health has been requested to issue adequate consultations in this regard so as to rein in the rumors and instill confidence among the people about the consumption of eggs and chicken. In addition, states have been requested to raise awareness about poultry or poultry products that are safe to boil or cook. The Central Government has assured to provide assistance in this matter.
I'm Deepshikha Gautam from Kanpur. Currently I'm working as an intern journalist. Hope to give my best for our team and country.
Previous articleWith the elimination of terrorism from Kashmir, the future of the children here is also improving
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I'm Deepshikha Gautam from Kanpur. Currently I'm working as an intern journalist. Hope to give my best for our team and country.
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When the curtain rises on the Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) production of "Oliver!" there will be seven University of Houston students also performing. They aren't actors. They are students of the UH American Sign Language Interpreting (ASLI) program ready to tell the story of Oliver Twist to deaf and hard of hearing audience members.
The students will interpret for the April 14 performance, which begins at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, visit www.tuts.com/promo and use promo code OLVRASL.
The students, all seniors, will work in teams and in 30-minute shifts. Similar to the actors on the stage, the UH interpreters will memorize the lines and attend rehearsals with the cast. Just like the actors, the interpreters will analyze the script, be familiar with character motivations and the meanings behind phrases, words and dialogues. Hill said in addition to knowing the correct signs, interpreters must also be animated to give life and meaning to the story.
The TUTS performance will serve as the students' capstone course, an internship requirement for all ASLI program students. Hill is hopeful students will have the opportunity each spring with TUTS.
She estimates in Texas there are nearly 275,000 individuals who have a hearing loss and of that figure about three percent who are profoundly deaf. There are fewer than 1,500 certified sign language interpreters in the state. The UH ASLI program is the only one in Texas offering a four-year degree in the discipline and one of only 45 in the nation. The goal of the program is to prepare undergraduates with the skills and knowledge needed to gain entry-level certification as a professional interpreter.
"Our students are the next generation of certified interpreters who have excelled in a very intensive program. The demand for their services will be great, but they will have had real world experiences to support their skills," she said.
For more information on the UH American Sign Language Interpreters Program, visit www.uh.edu/class/comd/asli.


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US discussing giving Russia missile defense data
By DESMOND BUTLER, Associated Press
The head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency says that the Obama administration has discussed declassifying key data on U.S. missile defense in order to provide it to Russia.
The administration has been exploring how to ease Russian concerns that the U.S. missile defense shield is aimed at countering Russia's nuclear arsenal.
Arms control advocates have suggested that revealing missile interceptor capabilities could provide a breakthrough on an issue that Russia says stands in the way of nuclear arms reductions. But doing so would provoke charges by Republicans that the administration is compromising national security to appease Moscow.
Under questioning at a hearing on Wednesday, Missile Defense Agency director Vice Adm. James Syring said that he has discussed declassifying data, including the speed of interceptors, with senior Defense Department officials.
Missile defense has long been a contentious issue between the United States and Russia. The U.S. has said that its capabilities are aimed at countering threats from Iran and North Korea. It says that its interceptors would not pose a threat to Russia's huge nuclear arsenal.
Obama has twice altered U.S. missile defense plans in Europe that Russia had stridently opposed. He has said the decisions were about better addressing threats. But Republicans have charged that they were aimed at soothing Russian objections.
Follow Desmond Butler on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/desmondbutler


A sublime Celebration Assembly was had today, made all the more special by the attendance of the Year One parents – and what a turn out from them I'd like to add! I'm sure they'll have been glad that they came along this Friday morning as we had a multitude of stars, with awards for countless displays of good work and extra-curricular excellence.
First up, our special guest Annette, an Oxfam representative, presented our Oxfam writing competition winners with their certificates. Well done to all those who entered!
Then it was back over to Mrs. Hawes to present our usual Stars of the Week. Reception had been showing their Literacy prowess with some independent writing and phonics; Year One had been displaying some brilliant work across the board including some impressive writing about autumn and Year Two had done some hilarious letters linked to their 'When the Colours Decided to Quit' book. In KS2, there were excellent clay tiles from the whole of Year 6, impressive Maths from Y5 and some teamwork in Maths from Year Four, whilst Year Three had been honing their debating skills.
We finished with a running medal, a tennis trophy and even a 'Best Halloween Costume' Trophy, just to top of the assembly.
Very well done to everyone who got an award or certificate this week, keep up the good work and don't forget this term's key value: trust.


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EMAIL: info@aqe.eu
RAY ELGY
Ray started his career as an undergraduate apprentice with British Airways, gaining aircraft maintenance engineer licenses for airframe and engines, and an Honours degree in Air Transport Engineering. Ray also obtained a Private Pilot's Licence at this time. After spending some time in British Airways' Technical Services working on the B747 and Concorde fleets, he moved to British Caledonian Airways as a Senior Development Engineer.
In 1989, Ray joined the UK Civil Aviation Authority's Safety Regulation Group as a Design Surveyor where, amongst a number of significant certification projects, he was the Project Certification Manager for the Rolls-Royce Trent 700 and 800 engines. He was appointed as Head of the Propulsion Department in 2001 and moved on to become Head of the Aerodrome Standards Department in 2005. During his time in this role, he was appointed Chairman of the European Group of Aerodrome Safety Regulators (GASR). In 2009, he was appointed as Head of Licensing & Training Standards Division where he was responsible for a number of departments overseeing personnel licensing, aerodrome safety, medical standards for pilots and air traffic controllers, and training and examination standards for pilots and engineers. Ray left the CAA in 2014 and now provides consultancy and training services to the aviation industry and regulators. He is a co-founder of TEASAS and of the TEASAS Aviation Training Academy (TATA).
Ray has worked extensively in the International and European aviation regulatory regime in various roles, working regularly with the UK's Department for Transport and the European Aviation Safety Agency providing specialist advice on matters of regulation development and aviation policy.
He is a Chartered Aeronautical Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and has written leading articles for major aviation magazines.
Copyright of Aerospace Qualified Entity.


text:
Leukemia Renewal and Propagation Blocked by Inhibition of Surface Molecule
By The ASCO Post
Posted: 7/30/2015 12:03:06 PM
Last Updated: 7/30/2015 12:03:06 PM
Tspan3, a cell surface molecule, is controlled by Msi, a critical stem cell signal hijacked in several blood cancers.
Researchers found that Tspan3 deletion impaired leukemia stem cell self-renewal and disease propagation and markedly improved survival in animal models of AML. In patient samples, Tspan3 inhibition blocked growth of AML, suggesting Tspan3 is also important in human disease.
Tspan3 is generating translational interest as a target for antibody-mediated therapy.
A new study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, reveals a protein's critical—and previously unknown—role in the development and progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The finding offers a novel target for better treating AML, and possibly other cancers, by cutting off the ability of tumors to access nearby cellular players that feed its growth. The study was published by Kwon et al in Cell Stem Cell.
"The work really focuses on trying to understand the dependence of cancer cells on the microenvironment that surrounds them," said Tannishtha Reya, PhD, Professor in the Department of Pharmacology. The microenvironment refers to the normal cells, molecules, and blood vessels around the cancer that may support and fuel its expansion.
The latest findings build on earlier work by Dr. Reya and colleagues, which identified Musashi (Msi) as a critical stem cell signal that is hijacked in several blood cancers. "We had this idea that analysis of the molecular programs controlled by Msi may identify new genes important for these leukemias," she said.
The researchers conducted a genome-wide expression analysis of Msi-deficient cancer stem cells from two kinds of aggressive leukemia, blast crisis chronic myelogenous leukemia (bcCML) and AML. "We identified genes commonly regulated by Msi in both leukemias," said Dr. Reya, also a member of the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine and Moores Cancer Center.
Tspan3
Unexpectedly, the analysis identified tetraspin3 (Tspan3) as one of the core genes controlled by Msi in leukemia. The protein is part of a large family of membrane proteins active in diverse cellular processes, including cell adhesion, proliferation, hematopoietic stem cell function, and blood formation. "We are particularly excited about this work because, to our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a requirement for Tspan3 in any primary cancer," said Dr. Reya.
In the study, the researchers showed that Tspan3, a cell surface molecule, serves as a key link for cancer cells to interact with supportive parts of the microenvironment that help them replicate and flourish. "We found that blocking this molecule leads to a very profound inhibition of leukemia growth," said Dr. Reya.
The researchers demonstrated their results in both AML mouse models and patient cancer samples.
Dr. Reya said these findings are particularly important because AML is a cancer that often doesn't respond to current therapies. In addition, Tspan3 is a surface molecule, making it of greater translational interest as a target for antibody-mediated therapy. "There's been great progress in pediatric leukemia research and treatment over the last few years," said Dr. Reya. "But unfortunately, children with AML are often poor responders to current treatments. Identifying new approaches to target this disease remains critically important."
To explore the connection further, the researchers took a "leap of faith" and generated the scientific community's first Tspan3 "knockout" mouse, bred to be deficient in Tspan3. In testing, the researchers found that Tspan3 deletion impaired leukemia stem cell self-renewal and disease propagation, and markedly improved survival in animal models of AML. In patient samples, Tspan3 inhibition blocked growth of AML, suggesting Tspan3 is also important in human disease.
The research was funded by a Lymphoma and Leukemia Society Scholar Award, the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center NCI Core Grant, and the National Institutes of Health.
The content in this post has not been reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) and does not necessarily reflect the ideas and opinions of ASCO®.


text:
Trey Songz's "What's Best for You" Enters Top 10
August 2nd, 2014 by K104
Jimmy Fontaine/Atlantic Records
Trey Songz has scored another top 10 hit with his new single, "What's Best for You," lifted from his latest album, Trigga.
The ballad has climbed from #11 to #10 on Billboard's Adult R&B chart this week. According to the publication, the song is his second top 10 on the chart following 2011's "Can't Be Friends."
"What's Best for You" follows the success of Songz's R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart-topping single "Na Na," which recently went gold after selling 500,000 copies.
best enters songzs trey whats you
K. Michelle Turns Up the Sexuality in "Ain't You" Video Read More
Robin Thicke Talks New Single, Discovering What's Important on Good Morning America Read More
Rihanna's BBHMM Enters Top 20 on Billboard Hot 100 Read More
Kelly Rowland Says Baby Titan Showed Her What's Really Important Read More


text:
Robert Butler (né le ) est un homme politique du Parti conservateur britannique qui est député pour Aylesbury depuis 2019.

Biographie
Butler est né à Aylesbury, dans le Buckinghamshire. Il passe ses premières années à Bedgrove, jusqu'à ce que sa famille déménage à Bicester. Il fréquente l'Université de Sheffield, où il étudie le français et l'économie.

Il commence sa vie professionnelle commee présentateur de télévision à la BBC et plus tard à Channel 5, où il présente les informations du midi de cette chaîne depuis son lancement en 1997 jusqu'à la fin de 2004. En 2005, il fonde un cabinet de conseil en communication et lobbying, qui travaille avec de grandes et petites entreprises du monde entier, comme la société privée de soins de santé Bupa.

En 2010, il rejoint le cabinet de lobbying Pagefield à son lancement, en tant qu'associé et il est toujours répertorié comme associé spécialiste dans leur équipe de conseil senior au moment des élections de 2019.

Avant son élection au Parlement, Butler est également directeur du Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). En 2019, Butler est désigné pour succéder à Sir David Lidington comme député d'Aylesbury, un siège sûr pour le Parti conservateur depuis 1885.

Références

Liens externes

Étudiant de l'université de Sheffield
Animateur britannique de télévision
Député du 58e Parlement du Royaume-Uni
Député du Parti conservateur (Royaume-Uni)
Naissance en juin 1967

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Ralph Allen's 18th century home with idyllic views to the city of Bath made a superb venue for this year's AROPS conference, hosted by Prior Park Alumni and with the kind permission of the college's Headmaster, James Murphy O'Connor who welcomed representatives with a history of the buildings and the school.
AROPS' new Chairman, Peter Jakobek, opened the conference and introduced the new format of a single keynote presentation followed by two breakout sessions to give everyone an opportunity to meet more people and hear more ideas on different topics.
This relationship was endorsed by George Bunting, Chairman of the Wellensian Association, who, together with Mark, had drawn up a 'memorandum of understanding' so they, and others, would know how the relationship would work. This is available as part of Mark's Powerpoint presentation below.
The breakout sessions were very popular, especially Group A on Data Protection, led by Louise Bennett of IDPE and David Varney of Burges Salmon Lawyers. Their Powerpoint presentations are available below. These covered the current understanding on how the new General Data Protection Regulation (GPDR) might affect organisations holding databases.
Group B, led by Anne Bradley, archivist at Bristol Grammar School, looked at how the digital age is impacting on archives and the items stored in them. In Group C, AROPS committee members Jill Dixon (CLOGA) and Tracey Ahmet (Rugby) chaired discussions on work experience, networking and mentoring, while in Group D Peter Jakobek and participants looked at the ways alumni societies can take advantage of the various social media now available. Finally in Group E AROPS committee member QD Seymour-Smith followed up on a questionnaire he had sent to delegates on suggestions for successful alumni events.
Archiving and data protection were popular topics in the Question Time session at the end of the day and the conference closed with a presentation to Bill Gillen who retired as AROPS Chairman at the AGM, though he will continue as President with a remit to help expand membership and work towards the fiftieth anniversary of AROPS in 2021.
The conference dinner was held in the John Wood Chapel (now used for music recitals and meetings) after a drinks reception on the magnificent portico of the Prior Park Mansion, overlooking the valley. Terry Ilott, President of Prior Park Alumni, was the guest speaker, addressing the complexities of re-engaging alumni.


text:
mkdir bin 2> /dev/null
javac -d ./bin $(find . -name '*.java')
java -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -classpath ./bin com.fabio.memory.frame.MemoryFrame


text:
Q: Why is [el] showing undefined? I am trying to do scraping using puppeteer.
app.get("/info", async (req, res) => {

    const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
    const page = await browser.newPage();
    await page.goto('https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQonuvvoXko&t=2s')

    // console.log(el)

    const [el] = await page.$x('//*[@id="description"]/yt-formatted-string')
    const text = await el.getProperty('textContent')
    const description = text.toString();

    // var descArr = description.split('/PC([^;]+)\n/')
    // const descText = /News([^;]+)\n/.exec(description)[1];
    browser.close()
    console.log(description);
    res.send(description)

    // console.log(text.toString())
})

I am getting the following error:
TypeError: Cannot read property 'getProperty' of undefined
Edit:
I have checked if my page and DOM is loaded successfully with these...
page.on('load', () => console.log('page loaded', page.url()))
page.on('domcontentloaded' , () => console.log('dom loaded'))

A: Try to replace
const [el] = await page.$x('//*[@id="description"]/yt-formatted-string');

with
const el = await page.waitForXPath('//*[@id="description"]/yt-formatted-string');

Also, it seems the
const description = text.toString();

should be:
const description = await text.jsonValue();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


As a result, palm oil is a big threat to great ape forests – and a major contributor to global warming. Another great ape, orangutans, are at grave risk of extinction, with palm oil and illegal activity having driven loss of 80% of their habitat over the past 20 years.
Some efforts are underway to produce more sustainable palm oil, but progress is slow and big companies vary in their commitments to sourcing sustainable palm in the future.
- the extent to which the manufacturer has committed to more sustainable palm oil in the future.
The app is essential in avoiding products with palm oil. This is because identifying palm oil by reading package ingredients is nearly impossible because of the 30+ alternative names by which it can be listed.
Greenpeace offers a downloadable Score Card, comparing major manufacturers like PepsiCo, Nestle, and others as to how committed they are to sourcing sustainable palm oil or reducing its use. The Score Card provides ready information on how they stack up.


Giglioli's Whale (Amphiptera pacifica) is a purported species of whale observed by Enrico Hillyer Giglioli. On September 4, 1867 on board a ship called the Magenta about 1200 miles off the coast of Chile, the zoologist spotted a species of whale which he could not recognize. It was very close to the ship and was observed for a quarter of an hour, allowing Giglioli to make very detailed observations. The whale looked overall similar to a rorqual, 60 feet (18 m) long with an elongated body, but the most notable difference was the presence of two large dorsal fins about 6.5 feet (2 m) apart. No known whales have twin dorsal fins.
Although it has not been proven to exist, it was given a "classification" by Giglioli. However, scientists would most likely classify the whale under Balaenopteridae, large baleen whales. The whale may have been a genetic mutation, similar to humans born with Polydactyly. Another cryptid with two dorsal fins is the fabled Rhinoceros dolphin.


How do I get rid of stink bugs and prevent them from coming back?
They are a force of nature that will not ever totally go away. All you can do is get rid of the ones you see.
Any suggestions on what to use to do that?
Hello Robyn: Give this a shot: In the spirit of being planet-friendly, there are some things to try before resorting to any chemicals. In a spray bottle, combine 32 ounces of hot water and three-quarters of a cup of Dawn dish washing liquid and spray the exterior of your home, concentrating on those cracks, windows and doors. For an extra kick, you can use the anti-bacterial variety, but understand that it contains additional chemicals.


text:
package org.free.jake2.util;

/**
 * Vec3Cache contains float[3] for temporary usage. The usage can reduce the
 * garbage at runtime.
 *
 * @author cwei
 */
public final class Vec3Cache {

  private static final float[][] cache = new float[64][3];
  private static int index = 0;
  private static int max = 0;

  public static float[] get() {
    //max = Math.max(index, max);
    return cache[index++];
  }

  public static void release() {
    index--;
  }

  public static void release(int count) {
    index -= count;
  }

  private Vec3Cache() {
  }
}


Mafia 3 will cast you as Lincoln Clay, a gangster in 1968 New Orleans seeking revenge for a mob attack on his family. Clay is a Vietnam veteran with a violent streak, and you can exercise that freely in an open world city ruled by opposing gangs.
As with previous Mafia games, the city serves as a backdrop to a tight linear story that sees Clay attacking gangster hideouts to work his way up to the big boss. As you take over new properties, you can hand them off to your gangland pals, including Vito from Mafia 2 Our friends at GamesRadar have seen it, and praise its ambiance and use of late '60s pop culture—expect classics from Hendrix and The Rolling Stones as you cruise around New Orleans' bustling streets.
It's remarkably violent, too. Clay can smash opponents with third-person takedowns and clear rooms with a huge revolver. Enemy gang members can be captured, interrogated and then killed or spared depending on your mood. Your decisions will supposedly be reflected by the changing city as the story progresses.
We'll know more as 2K drip-drop information over the course of Gamescom. For now here are a few screenshots showing off the city. What an exciting time and place to set a game.


As empresas devem estar abertas a reinvenções radicais para encontrar novas, significativas e sustentáveis fontes de renovação.
When Madonna burst onto the scene in the early 1980s, there was little reason to suspect that she'd have more than her allotted 15 minutes of fame. But in the three decades since her debut album, she has managed to remain a media icon.
Madonna may seem like an unlikely touchstone for modern businesses, but her ability to adapt to new trends and set some others offers a lesson for companies struggling with their own digital revolutions. That's because the digital age rewards change and punishes stasis. Companies must be open to radical reinvention to find new, significant, and sustainable sources of revenue. Incremental adjustments or building something new outside of the core business can provide real benefits and, in many cases, are a crucial first step for a digital transformation. But if these initiatives don't lead to more profound changes to the core business and avoid the real work of rearchitecting how the business makes money, the benefits can be fleeting and too insignificant to avert a steady march to oblivion.
Simply taking an existing product line and putting it on an e-commerce site or digitizing a customer experience is not a digital reinvention. Reinvention is a rethinking of the business itself. Companies need to ask fundamental questions, such as, "Are we a manufacturer, or are we a company that enables customers to perform tasks with our equipment wherever and whenever they need to?" If it's the latter, then logistics and service operations may suddenly become more important than the factory line. Netflix's evolution from a company that rented DVDs to a company that streams entertainment for a monthly subscription to one that now creates its own content is a well-known example of continuous reinvention.
Reinvention, as the term implies, requires a significant commitment. From our Digital Quotient® research, we know that digital success requires not only that investment be aligned closely with strategy but also that it be at sufficient scale. And digital leaders have a high threshold for risk and are willing to make bold decisions.1 1. "Raising your Digital Quotient," McKinsey Quarterly, June 2015. But companies don't have to wait far in the future to realize those benefits. We've found that 60 to 80 percent of total improvement targets can be achieved within about three years while also laying the foundation for future growth.
For all the fundamental change that digital reinvention demands, it's worth emphasizing that it doesn't call for a "throw it all out" approach. An engine-parts company, for example, will still likely make engine parts after a digital reinvention, but may do so in a way that's much more agile and analytically driven, or the company may open up new lines of business by leveraging existing assets. Apple, with its move from computer manufacturer to music and lifestyle brand through its iPhone and iTunes ecosystem, reinvented itself—even as it continued to build computers. John Deere created a whole series of online services for farmers even as it continued to sell tractors and farm equipment.
There are many elements to a transformation, from end-to-end journey redesign and embedding analytics into processes to open tech platforms. They require a myriad of capabilities, from artificial intelligence and agile operations to data lakes, cloud-based infrastructure, and new talent. Many of these elements have been written about extensively, and each can absorb a significant amount of executive time. What's often missing, however, is a comprehensive view of how an organization sets the right ambition, how to architect the right elements for the transformation, then how to systematically and holistically undertake the change journey.
"Think of your core muscles as the sturdy central link in a chain connecting your upper and lower body."2 2. "The real-world benefits of strengthening your core," Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, January 2012. That was the guidance from Harvard Medical School on how to stay in shape. The authors defined the core as the central set of muscles that helps a body maintain its power, balance, and overall health.
That's the essence of what we mean when we talk about changing the core of the business—the set of capabilities that allows the entire business to run effectively. A company's core is the value proposition of its business grounded in strategy as enabled by its people, processes, and technology. These elements are so intrinsic that any transformation that doesn't address them will ultimately underwhelm and fizzle because the legacy organization will inevitably exert a gravitational pull back to established practices.
Value proposition: Any digital reinvention must address the value the company provides to customers (whether existing or new) through its products and/or services. Inevitably this is based on a clear strategy that articulates where value is being created, shifted, or destroyed. Crucial to getting this right is identifying and evaluating existing assets that are most important and understanding what customers actually want or need. This can be surprisingly difficult to do in practice. The value that Amazon originally provided, for example, wasn't selling books online but rather providing convenience and unheard-of selection. Understanding the real source of its value allowed Amazon to expand exponentially beyond books.
Enabling that talent to thrive requires a digital culture, i.e., one that is customer centric and project based, with a bias for speed and continuous learning. In fact, cultural and organizational issues can lead to the squandering of up to 85 percent of the value at stake.3 3. 2016 Digital McKinsey Survey. Making sure the new culture sticks requires rebuilding programs that reward and encourage new behaviors, such as performance management, promotion criteria, and incentive systems.
Processes: Rewiring the mechanisms for making decisions and getting things done is what enables the digital machine to run. Digitizing or automating supply chains and information-intensive processes as well as building new capabilities like robotic process automation or advanced analytics, for example, can rapidly increase the business's clock speed and cut costs by up to 90 percent.4 4. Shahar Markovitch and Paul Willmott, "Accelerating the digitization of business processes," March 2014.
Technology: While digital reinvention is more than just a technology overhaul, technology is crucial to it. Leaders need to ensure that each IT investment responds to clear and robust business needs, and does not devolve into "tech for tech's sake." They also need to identify how best to work within an ecosystem of partners and vendors, and assess which legacy systems to keep, which to mothball, and—critically—determine how to help legacy technology work in a digital world.
Because of the complexity involved, most reinventions fall short of their original goals. In our experience, extracting the full value from digital requires a carefully coordinated approach across four "Ds": Discover what your digital ambition is (based on where the value is); Design programs that target profitable customer experience journeys; Deliver the change through an ecosystem of partners; and De-risk the process by thoughtfully sequencing steps (exhibit).
While this approach may seem self-evident, we find that most companies fall short in the execution. There are myriad reasons for this, but the most common are that the business either underinvests in the capabilities needed or doesn't drive the transformation program sufficiently across all four of the "Ds." A company may invest tens of millions of dollars to "Discover" great insights, for example, but if its "Deliver" strategy is inadequate, those insights are for naught.
At the same time, companies need to engage in a sober analysis of their own digital capabilities and resources. Capabilities that build foundations for other key processes and activities (e.g., modular IT and agile technology platforms) are particularly important. And while leadership matters, our DQ™ research has shown that midlevel talent is the most critical element for a company's digital success.
With this understanding in hand, companies then determine what their strategic ambition is, whether retooling the existing business or something more radical, such as plunging into a new market or innovating a business model. They develop a detailed road map for addressing capability gaps, and recruiting, developing, incentivizing, and retaining the necessary talent. The goal is to develop a tight business case for change based on facts.
Actually acting on a digital ambition can be daunting. We have found that the most successful companies start by focusing on the most important customer journeys, then work back from there to design and build out breakthrough customer experiences. Using design thinking and skills, these companies define each journey, looking especially for the pain points and potential missed connections. The change team can then map out, screen by screen, models for a new interface. In this phase, the company must avoid getting caught in endless rounds of planning but instead rapidly build prototypes, translating concepts into minimum viable products to test and iterate in the market before scaling.
This phase also includes building out rapid delivery approaches and an IT infrastructure that blends the legacy systems with microservices and modular plug-and-play elements). While agile IT has become standard, more digital businesses are embracing DevOps (integrated development and operations teams) and continuous delivery so that software can be developed, tested, and deployed quickly to consumers and end users.
On the organization side, the fluid nature of cross-functional collaboration, rapid decision making, and iterative development means that the business should focus on the enablers for this kind of teamwork. These include effective metrics and scorecards to evaluate digital performance and incentive structures to drive the right behaviors, mind-sets and outcomes. The CDO at one multinational pharma company addressed this issue by establishing a "digital council," which was tasked specifically with breaking down organizational silos to enable transformational change across all business lines. The initiative was credited with significantly contributing to a 12 percent increase in sales.
Getting the speed and scale necessary for a reinvention increasingly requires an ecosystem of external teams, partners, suppliers, and customers. In practice, this means working with a mix of platform players, delivery specialists, and niche players. These are the relationships that companies can call on to provide specific skills and capabilities quickly.
This reality has made ecosystem management an important competency, especially understanding how to find and plug into the right mix of complementary capabilities. One national bookseller, for example, built out a digital offer by partnering with a telecom company for its technology and with a range of retailers to build up a marketplace. This approach allowed it to rapidly hit the marketplace and increase revenue 78 percent in a year.
As companies push to scale their digital reinvention throughout the organization, the crucial role of seasoned change managers comes into focus. These leaders not only play "air traffic controller" to the many moving parts, but also have the business credibility and skill to solve real business problems. They must maintain an accelerated pace of change and drive accountability across the business. The change leaders will look across the entire enterprise, examining organizational structure, data governance, talent recruitment, performance management, and IT systems for areas of opportunity, making decisions that balance efficiency and speed with outcome.
The "agility coach" is an example of this type of role. This person has strong communications and influencing skills, can create and roll out plans to support agile processes across the business, and can put in place KPIs and metrics to track progress.
One of the most common reasons digital transformations fail is that the organization develops "change exhaustion" and funds start to dry up. To mitigate this risk, it's important to focus on quick wins that not only build momentum but also generate cost savings that can be reinvested in the next round of transformations. One global e-tailer, for example, focused on quick wins (such as increasing conversion rates) and was able to deliver $350 million in new revenue in just five months, which funded further changes and provided tangible results to further excite the business about the journey. This sequencing approach applies to tech as well. Many companies choose to invest first in "horizontal" components, such as business-process management (BPM) layers or central administration platforms that can be shared across many initiatives, while balancing them with more "visible" elements to provide the proof of concept.
Technology risks, especially cybersecurity, will also require increased attention as companies digitize more operations and processes. Organizations can mitigate these risks by automating tests on software, establishing systems in which failures can be rolled back in minutes, and establishing build environments in which fixes can be made without putting significant parts of the business at risk. Senior leaders in particular need to focus on the structural and organizational issues—from building cybersecurity into all business functions to changing user behavior—that hamper the ability to manage cyber risk.
One risk senior leaders often overlook is losing ownership over sources of value. These might include the company's data, customer relationships, or other assets. Having a clear understanding of where the value is coming from allows businesses to navigate ecosystem relationships profitably. In evaluating which partners to work with, the bookseller mentioned above, for example, declined to work with a storefront partner because it feared losing its most valuable asset: its direct relationship with its customers.
Peter Dahlström is a senior partner in McKinsey's London office, where Liz Ericson is also a partner; Somesh Khanna is a senior partner in the New York office; and Jürgen Meffert is a senior partner in the the Düsseldorf office.