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Showdown In Little Tokyo
September 26, 2016 Gordon Maples	1 Comment
Today's feature is a b-grade buddy cop classic: 1991's Showdown In Little Tokyo.
The plot of Showdown in Little Tokyo is summarized on Rotten Tomatoes as follows:
Dolph Lundgren stars as police detective Chris Kenner, an American raised in Japan. He is given a new partner, Johnny Murata (Brandon Lee, making his Hollywood debut), a Japanese raised in America. The two are made for each other — Chris doesn't appreciate American culture, while Johnny doesn't much like Japanese culture. One thing they both enjoy are the martial arts, of which they are experts. The two are assigned to L.A.'s Little Tokyo, trying to nab the notorious Yoshida (Carey-Hiroyuki Tagawa), a drug manufacturer using a local brewery as his distribution center.
Showdown in Little Tokyo was directed and produced by Mark L. Lester, who was also behind movies such as Class of 1999, Class of 1984, Commando, Roller Boogie, and Firestarter.
The two writers for the film only have a handful of other credits between them, most notably a couple of episodes of Dragnet and a television adaptation of The Watsons Go To Birmingham.
The cinematographer for Showdown In Little Tokyo was Mark Irwin, who shot Scream, Scanners, Videodrome, The Fly, Class of 1999, RoboCop 2, New Nightmare, Kingpin, and Steel, among many, many other well-known features.
A total of four editors wound up putting in work on Showdown in Little Tokyo: Michael Eliot (Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence), Robert A. Ferretti (Tango & Cash, Rocky V, Die Hard 2, Gymkata), Steven Kemper (Face/Off, Timecop), and Stuart Baird (Demolition Man, Lethal Weapon).
The musical score for the movie was provided by David Michael Frank, whose other credits include Poison Ivy, Suburban Commando, Out For Justice, Hard To Kill, and Best of the Best II.
The cast for Showdown In Little Tokyo is primarily made up by Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV, The Punisher, I Come In Peace, Johnny Mnemonic), the late Brandon Lee (Laser Mission, The Crow), Tia Carrere (Wayne's World, Kull The Conqueror), and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat, Vampires, The Phantom).
Showdown In Little Tokyo suffered from a significant amount of studio interference, primarily in the form of mandated edits to the final product. Likewise, even before the movie was shot, the screenplay went through a number of different forms. The experience burned director Mark Lester out on working in the studio system, leading him to take on smaller, self-funded projects.
The public reception for Showdown In Little Tokyo was generally negative. It currently holds Rotten Tomatoes ratings of 29% from critics and 51% from audiences, alongside an IMDb user rating of 6.0. Likewise, the movie certainly didn't set the box office on fire: it brought in well under $3 million in its theatrical release, on a estimated production budget of $8 million.
I was introduced to Showdown in Little Tokyo pretty recently. For whatever reason, it has never been on my b-movie radar, and I have absolutely no idea why. As far as cheap, b-level action movies go, this is about as good as it gets. Not only does this movie showcase a classic buddy-cop formula, but the fights are entertaining, the antagonist is more than sufficiently hammy, and all of the players seem to be having a great time with the material. I'm a huge fan of this particular era of Dolph Lundgren, as he took on some damn entertaining projects, and gave performances that I think easily out-class contemporaries like Stallone or Schwarzenegger, and Showdown is no exception.
There is one aspect of Showdown In Little Tokyo that definitely makes it stand out from the field of similar action flicks: outside of perhaps Tango & Cash, it is the most homoerotic entry into the buddy cop genre.
Showdown in Little Tokyo doesn't bill itself as a gay action film. And like most action movies, that doesn't do much to disarm just how amazingly queer it is. I mean, we're talking about a movie where a muscular blonde guy spends entire scenes clad in nothing but black leather hot pants and men compliment each other on the exquisiteness of their dicks
That excerpt is no exaggeration, either. In one particularly notable moment in the film, Brandon Lee tells Dolph Lundgren that he has "the biggest dick I've ever seen on a man," and the script and performances are both laden with slightly more subtle references to the two men having a potential attraction.
Much like with Tango & Cash, it isn't totally clear if this angle was intentional on the part of the writer/director team (though the penis line seems pretty blatant). Regardless, the chemistry of the subtext adds a lot of entertainment value to what is already an amusing, saturated-with-machismo buddy-cop feature.
I can't recommend Showdown In Little Tokyo highly enough. Not only is the action good, but the performances are memorable, the plot is over-the-top, and even the costuming got a few chuckles out of me. This is the pinnacle of a specific type of b-movie film-making, and it'll take you on a time-traveling trip to a bygone era. The comedic performance of Brandon Lee brings up a lot of questions of what might have been if the fates had taken another turn, and Lundgren is still in his top form here. The homoerotic angle of the films adds a whole extra layer of entertainment value, whether it is read as intentional and subversive, or just hilariously oblivious on the part of the creative team. Either way, I think it is hard not to find something to enjoy on a re-watch of Showdown in Little Tokyo.
action moviesbad moviesbrandon leedolph lundgrenfilmmoviesshowdow in little tokyo
Today's feature is 1986's Critters, which is not at all a knock-off of the 1980s classic, Gremlins. Not at all.
The plot of Critters is summarized on IMDb as follows:
A race of small, furry aliens make lunch out of the locals in a farming town.
Critters was co-written and directed by Stephen Herek, who went on to make The Mighty Ducks, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Mr. Holland's Opus, Holy Man, 101 Dalmatians, and Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead, among others. His co-writer for the movie was Domonic Muir, who also wrote The Gingerdead Man and the first three Evil Bong movies.
The director of photography for the movie was Tim Suhrstedt, whose long list of credits includes Idiocracy, Little Miss Sunshine, Office Space, Men At Work, Teen Wolf, Mystic Pizza, and Mannequin.
Critters was edited by Larry Bock, who also cut movies like Breakin', Alligator, Joysticks, Final Justice, Bring It On, The Mighty Ducks, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and The Santa Clause over his career.
The creature effects for the movie were provided by Chiodo Brothers Productions, whose members also worked on Robot Jox, Critters 2, Demolition Man, Critters 3, Carnosaur, Critters 4, Team America: World Police, Screamers, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Ghoulies, RoboCop 2, and Theodore Rex, among many others.
The visual effects work for Critters was done by two outfits: Fantasy II Effects, which has gone on to work on Moonrise Kingdom, Vampire in Brooklyn, Hellboy, The Core, Last Action Hero, Aliens, and Tremors (and more) in the years since, and Quick Silver FX Studio, which also did Eliminators and Invasion Earth: The Aliens Are Here before apparently dropping off the radar.
The music for Critters was composed by David Newman, who went on to score numerous films, like Death To Smoochy, The Brave Little Toaster, Heathers, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Hoffa, Jingle All The Way, Galaxy Quest, Throw Momma From The Train, Matilda, The Phantom, Ice Age, and The Spirit, among many, many others.
Critters stars Billy Zane (Titanic, The Phantom, Brotherhood of Justice, Demon Knight), Dee Wallace (The Howling, Cujo, E.T.), Billy Green Bush (The Hitcher, Five Easy Pieces), Scott Grimes (E.R.), and Lin Shaye (Pledge This, Kingpin).
Financially, Critters made a decent profit, grossing just over $13 million domestically on an estimated $2 million budget.
Critters received a generally negative response from both critics and audiences. Currently, it holds Rotten Tomatoes scores of 57% from critics and 45% audiences, along with an IMDb user rating og 6.0/10.
Interestingly, one of the handful of critics to give Critters a seal of approval was Roger Ebert, who gave the movie 3 stars:
…what's interesting is the way the movie refuses to be just a thriller…What makes "Critters" more than a ripoff are its humor and its sense of style. This is a movie made by people who must have had fun making it.
Personally, I agree with Ebert on this to a point. The fact that Critters doesn't play itself as a straight monster movie does set itself out from a lot of other science fiction, but it also feels very Gremlins. The fact that the monsters here aren't as emotive or intriguing as their higher-budget cousins doesn't help, either: they are a little too similar, and Critters doesn't come close to matching the quality of the humor, gore, dread, or nostalgic awe on display in Gremlins.
I think Critters probably plays better today, with a fair amount of distance from its cohort films like Ghoulies and Gremlins, than it did on its initial release. A lot of the aspects that drew unfavorable comparisons back then feel more like homages than ripoffs when you watch it today. That said, no amount of time or distance passed is going to make this movie good. There are definitely some comedic highlights, but the uneven performances and stilted dialogue hinder the movie as a whole. I will say that this makes for a pretty even waypoint between Leprechaun and Gremlins when it comes to the scale of success of horror-comedies, so it could certainly be a lot worse. Also, the eponymous Critters themselves aren't too shabby: there are some moments of really excellent puppet work.
If you are looking for a little 1980s flashback, this is a decent movie to serve that purpose. It isn't great, or even terribly memorable, but it is entertaining enough to justify your time.
bad moviescrittersfilmhorrormoviesworst movies
Creepshow 2
Today's feature is Creepshow 2, the 1987 sequel to the hit anthology horror film, Creepshow.
The plot of Creepshow 2 is summarized on IMDb as follows:
Three more bone-chilling tales that include a vengeful wooden Native American, a monstrous blob in a lake, and a hitchhiker who wants revenge and will not die.
Creepshow 2 was directed by Michael Gornick, who served as George Romero's director of photography on Martin, Dawn of the Dead, and the original Creepshow. However, Creepshow 2 is his only feature-length directing credit.
The movie's screenplay was written by George Romero, who directed the original Creepshow (as well as influential horror films like Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead). Interestingly, he didn't have any hand in the writing of Creepshow, as Stephen King penned the screenplay. While King did lend material for Creepshow 2, he was not involved with the sequel's screenplay writing process beyond that.
The special effects and makeup effects team for the film provided early credits for Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger, who have each had distinguished careers in the decades since, working on films and television shows like Kill Bill, Inglorious Basterds, The Hateful Eight, Drag Me To Hell, Sin City, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead.
Tom Savini, who provided the effects for the original Creepshow, returned as a consultant for this sequel, and appears on screen as the host between segments.
The stars of Creepshow 2 include George Kennedy (Cool Hand Luke), Tom Savini (From Dusk Til Dawn), Stephen King (Creepshow), Daniel Beer (Point Break), and Lois Chiles (Moonraker).
Apparently, Creepshow 2 was initially intended to have 5 sequences, just like its predecessor. However, budget constraints led to two sequences being cut. One of them, "The Cat From Hell," eventually made it on screen as part of Tales From The Darkside: The Movie, which many consider to be the spiritual successor to Creepshow 2.
In 2006, a Creepshow 3 was released without any involvement from George Romero or Stephen King. The fan reaction, predictably, was overwhelmingly negative. However, its release was so limited that most fans of the franchise aren't aware of its existence.
The reception to Creepshow 2 was generally negative, and paled significantly in comparison to the original. It currently holds an IMDb user rating of 6.0/10, alongside Rotten Tomatoes scores of 39% from audiences and 33% from critics.
Creepshow 2 took in an estimated $14 million in its total lifetime theatrical release. While this was profitable given its $3.5 million budget, it was hardly a blockbuster smash.
The biggest burden that Creepshow 2 has to carry is the baggage of its namesake. Honestly, I think this is a pretty decent horror anthology movie, but it so fails to live up to the affectionate detail and loyalty of the original Creepshow, that it is actually made worse by bearing its name.
The original Creepshow is fun, funny, and did a whole lot on a very small budget, thanks to a scrappy, independent crew. Creepshow 2 was expected to match it with a fraction of its budget, a director without a track record, and without the direct help of Stephen King on the screenplay. From the onset, the die was cast for Creepshow 2 to be a disappointing sequel.
Yet, while it certainly isn't as good as Creepshow, Creepshow 2 could certainly have been a lot worse. Most of the makeup effects actually look quite good in spite of the budgetary limits, thanks in large part to folks like Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero, who were still making names for themselves as quality and innovative effects workers. The writing is probably the weakest aspect of the movie, but I suspect this is the result of the last 2 sequences being cut out of the film: they needed to make up that time somewhere, so they padded out the existing features. Unfortunately, the result is that all 3 remaining vignettes feel bloated as all hell, and the pacing of the film as a whole suffers for it.
Creepshow 2 desperately misses a bunch of the little details that really defined the original movie, too. While there is an attempt to recreate the animated transitions, the result isn't creepy as much as it is cartoony and goofy, and the style just seems a bit off. Likewise, there is a limited attempt to re-capture the creative and vivid lighting work from the first film, but it is definitely minimal. The dramatically limited death sequences from Creepshow, for instance, don't make a return.
I think the key to enjoying Creepshow 2 is to manage expectations, and ignore its title. When stacked up against Creepshow, it just can't compare. However, I think it is better than similar anthology films like Cat's Eye, and is worth checking out for horror fans, at least for the effects work. However, that does come with a massive caveat.
There is something that absolutely has to be mentioned about this movie: it features the most egregiously inappropriate and unnecessary sexual assault I have ever seen in a major motion picture. During the segment "The Raft," two characters (a woman and a man) are trapped on a raft in the middle of a lake, set a-siege by a flesh-eating blob that floats on top of the lake's water. By the time night falls, both of their respective partners have been eaten by the creature, and they decide to take shifts to keep watch. During the male's shift, he decides not to watch the monster, but to kiss and fondle his fellow trapped acquaintance in her sleep, which leads directly to her death via his negligence.
There are so many things wrong with this, that it is hard to know where to start. First off, pragmatically, it was also in his interest to keep an eye on the killer monster lurking mere feet away, rather than assault his fellow captive. Secondly, from a writing standpoint, there was no established precedence for the action: the character was never shown in a negative light, or revealed to have salacious intent towards the woman. The action is completely out of nowhere, and turns the character into something totally different than he was established as: a cautious, science-obsessed quasi-dork who plays second fiddle to an alpha jock friend. Last but not least, what the ever-loving fuck was the point of it? This kind of casual sexual assault is way too common throughout the genre, and contributes to the genre as a whole having a reputation as a tone-deaf dudes' club. Particularly without any kind of story or character justification, this was clearly just thrown in for the hell of it, and was even tossed into the movie's trailer to boot. The ultimate result of the sequence is that the monster is able to sneak up on the pair, which would happen anyway if they had just fallen asleep of exhaustion. It isn't like there wasn't an obvious alternative here.
If Creepshow 2 were absent that short sequence, I could confidently recommend it to people. As it is, however, it merits that caution.
bad moviescreepshow 2filmgeorge romerogreg nicoterohorrorhoward bergermoviesstephen kingworst movies
Lifepod
September 5, 2016 Gordon Maples	Leave a comment
Today's feature is an ambitious remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat, with a science fiction twist: 1993's Lifepod.
Lifepod was directed by the well-regarded character actor Ron Silver, who is best known for movies like Timecop and The West Wing. However, it was his only directorial feature over his career.
The screenplay adaptation for Lifepod is credited to producers Jay Roach and Pen Densham, who each have a handful of television writing credits for shows like Space Rangers and Poltergeist: The Legacy.
The cast for Lifepod includes director Ron Silver, Robert Loggia (Over The Top, Scarface), and C.C.H. Pounder (Face/Off, RoboCop 3), among others.
The score composition for the movie was done by Mark Mancina, who was in a bit of a transitional period at the time. Before Lifepod, his credits included primary low-budget fare like Space Mutiny. Following Lifepod, however, he got the chance to dictate the music on some much larger productions, such as Speed, Speed 2: Cruise Control, Bad Boys, Twister, Con Air, Tarzan, and Training Day.
Alan Baumgartner served as the film's primary editor, whose credits since include comedies like Zombieland, Meet The Fockers, and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, as well as more recently acclaimed movies like American Hustle, Trumbo, and Joy.
Lifepod was made specifically for television broadcast, and was first debuted on June 28, 1993 on Fox. It currently holds an IMDb user rating of 5.9/10, which, while far from stellar, could certainly be much worse.
The plot of Lifepod is summarized on IMDb as follows:
Lifepod chronicles the trip of eight passengers after the ship they were traveling on blew up on Christmas Eve. Immediately people start dying. The passengers begin to investigate why the ship blew up and how it relates to them.
Remaking a Hitchcock movie well is a difficult task to say the least: some could argue that even Hitchcock himself wasn't very good at it (I personally prefer the first Man Who Knew Too Much). So, when I first heard about the oddity that is Lifepod, I knew I had to check it out. Shifting the setting and genre for a remake can yield interesting results, and distance the remake enough from the original that it isn't judged as harshly as it could be. On top of that, these kinds of shifts can allow the writers and director a little more creativity with the material.
In the case of Lifepod, I think that this source material is uniquely suited to this particular re-imagining. The similarities of being lost at sea and being adrift in space are notable, and the interpersonal tensions intrinsic to the story are universal in such a way that the temporal setting doesn't impact their potency: betrayal is just as shocking and painful in the 30th century as in the 20th.
Lifepod isn't a masterpiece by any means. Not only are there some mediocre effects and performances, but the pacing isn't great, and the music doesn't do a very good job of building the necessary tension to make the story really punch. That said, there are enough compelling moments to make this movie worth watching, beyond its gimmicky value as a Hitchcock remake in space. Silver in particular gives a memorable performance, and the cast (for the most part) play pretty well off of each other. The set design is also pretty decent, though I wish the pod had more of a claustrophobic feel to it: it is hard to tell just how big it is throughout the movie. In general, however, this is definitely a stand-out as far as television movies go.
bad moviesfilmhitchcocklifeboatlifepodmoviesron silverworst movies


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L'Inspection générale des affaires sociales (IGAS) (English: General Inspectorate of Social Affairs) is a French government agency which is responsible for a variety of fields, including social affairs, health, social protection ('solidarité'), employment, work, community politics, professional structures and modernisation of the state. It was founded in 1967.

IGAS employs 125 inspectors and 30 administrative staff. The inspectors lead audits and inspections, conduct evaluations, offer consulting and interim management. IGAS has jurisdiction over public institutions - government, regional and local authorities, agencies - as well as private companies, NGOs or charities if they receive public funding or sponsoring. Since 2009 the leader of the institution is Pierre Boissier.

External links

Government agencies of France
1967 establishments in France

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The memorial apartment of Marija Juric Zagorka joins this year's theme of the Night of the Museum; 'Music and musicians and their influence on society', by Marija Juric Zagorka and Zinka Vilfan Kunc. The world-renowned and renowned opera diva, soprano Zinka Kunc, was the Champion of the Croatian National Opera in Zagreb by 1928.-1936. And 1937. for the first time in the New York Metropolitan. Zagorki donated 1931 lentu. which will be exhibited to the visitors of the Memorial House by Marija Juric Zagorka.
Letting music permits the development of character, pleasure, and education, and citizenship will be able to enjoy the music program / listening to rock opera Grička Witches in the Memorial House of Marija Jurić Zagorka thanks to Croatia Records.
Zagork's political engagement by organizing the first women's demonstrations at St. Marka, Lea Jager The King describes the first episode of his Zagorka comic booklet that a visitor can see at the exhibition. In the second episode of the comic book, the author deals with her forcible marriage to a two-year-old man who represented an exceptionally good temper and points to the position of women in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and (non) the occasions they met.
DIY LED hologram with a Zagorka character, inspired by contemporary world museum practice, introduces us into a new-media expression of content interpretation at the Marija Jurić Zagorka Memorial Apartment. DIY LED hologram Zagorka is based on POV - persistance of vision, which is actually an optical illusion. Thanks to the collaboration with the Radiona.org association from the window of the specialized library of the Women's Studies Center, visitors will be welcomed by Zagorka!
13.1.2017 Schedule and Funeral Schedule.


As we are hunkered down for Winter Storm Beth#WSBeth, keep in mind that the expected snow accumulation & drifts can block exhaust vents/pipes on your house, causing carbon monoxide to build-up. This can have dangerous and perhaps deadly consequences for you & your family. When you dig out, please remember to clear away snow from all exhaust pipes, vents, and meter(s) and clear a path to your meter(s) so emergency personnel can get to them if needed. Most of all, stay safe and limit your exposure to the extreme cold.


Yet another fantastic week! We took our first math opportunity, with many successful scores! In math, we also did stations and used tablets to further our learning. Guided reading and reading groups are still going strong. Our Eastern Woodland Indians Unit is complete, and we will take our Opportunity next week. Practice those Oh Yeah Words and review your study guide! The field trip form is due on Friday, October 10th. If you have misplaced it, feel free to print one off from the Forms link on this website!


Delhi-based battery manufacturer Anshul Gupta, Director, Okaya Power says he is committed to launching products for the mass market. He feels that the ability to manufacture at full capacity, availability of low-interest loans and restrictions on cheap imports will provide a boost to the storage segment in India.
Sanjeev K Ahuja, Head, Marketing, Su-Kam Power Systems emphasises the need for a strong storage industry to sustain the rapid growth in the country's renewable energy space.
The Government of India has ambitious plans of increasing the percentage of RE in the energy mix of the country. India's target is to achieve 175 GW generation capacity by 2022.
'There exists a huge potential for employment as India braces to meet its 100 GW solar target by 2022,' says Kunal Chandra, Managing Director, Prinso in an interview with SOLAR TODAY.
Growth in storage solutions like batteries will facilitate 50 per cent of the global electricity supply from wind and solar by 2050,' predicts Shantanu Jaiswal, Head of India Research, Bloomberg NEF and one of the authors of New Energy Outlook (NEO) 2018 report.
From a perennially energy-deficient state with a peak shortage of 14 per cent in 2010 to a peak shortage of less than one per cent in 2018, India has moved miles from the days of energy blackouts and frequent power cuts.


The Wine Advocate - The 2012 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru La Croix Rameau comes from a tiny 0.21-hectare parcel of vines tucked into a plot between Romanee-Saint Vivant and the outbuildings of the village (there are just three exploitants.) It has a rounded, pastille-like purity on the nose: strawberry and just a hint of mulberry at the moment, developing nicely in the glass though. The palate is harmonious on the entry with light tannins, clean fresh and quite linear red cherry and raspberry fruit that segues into an edgy, citric finish that is very appealing. This is a lovely, unpretentious premier cru.
Burghound - There is a crushed leaf character to the subtly spicy red currant and raspberry aromas. The appealingly detailed middle weight flavors exude a touch of minerality before culminating in a moderately long finish that is shaped by notably fine-grained tannins. At present there is only average depth but if it can add more during its in-bottle evolution my score could be conservative as there appears to be good underlying material.


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Acupuncture and integrative medicine for your best health, strength, and well-being.
ACUPUNCTURE & MORE
Jessica L. Molleur is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and massage therapist in Massachusetts and California. She currently maintains a private acupuncture practice in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, which was awarded Best Acupuncture Center by Boston Magazine. Areas of specialty include women's health, pregnancy, infertility, pediatrics, and sports medicine. Jessica also serves as a health care consultant for integrative medical institutes, infertility centers, and green spas.
Prior to her consulting work, Jessica founded an integrative health center in Boston. The eco-friendly center was one of the first twenty-five companies certified as a Sustainable Business Leader in Boston. The center was the recipient of several awards, including Mayor Menino's Green Business Award, a multiple recipient of Boston Business Journal's Best Workplace, Boston Magazine's Best of Boston Award for Massage Therapy as well as Best Acupuncturists in Boston, Best Eco-Friendly Massage, Eco-Beauty Bar, Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, Pilates, and Workout.
Vitamin D & Fertility
From the desk of Jessica L. Molleur, Lic.Ac., DNBAO...
Many patients ask me about vitamin supplementation and potential benefits for overall health and fertility. Given that we are in the middle of a New England winter, Vitamin D supplementation has been a subject of daily conversation. Frequently asked questions include: Should I get my levels tested? What is considered a normal value? How much should I supplement and for how long? Is Vitamin D important for fertility? I thought it would be helpful to discuss in today's blog, the importance of Vitamin D and how it relates to general health and fertility to answer some of those FAQs.
Over the last decade, researchers and medical practitioners have become aware that Vitamin D deficiency has become prevalent across all racial groups in the United Sates. According to research, the rates of Vitamin D deficiency nearly doubled from 1994 to 2004. Additionally, almost 40% of women in their reproductive years were found to have Vitamin D deficiencies.
Most of us are aware of Vitamin D's important role in the body to help keep bones healthy and strong via calcium absorption. Many experts in this field would say that a more accurate statement would be that appropriate ratios of Vitamin D, Vitamin A and Vitamin K2 are important for developing strong bone structure. The interplay of these three fat-soluble vitamins is a subject too lengthy for this blog but we'll cover it another day!
Vitamin D is actually not a vitamin-it's a hormone with the ability to affect many different types of cells and organs in the body by turning genes "on and off". We now know through recent research that Vitamin D plays an important role in preventing disease such as diabetes, autoimmune disorders, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other diseases related to the immune system. Low Vitamin D levels have also been associated with a 30 to 50 percent increased risk of colon, prostate, and breast cancer. We also now know through research that Vitamin D even plays an important role in weight management.
In reproductive research, Vitamin D has been shown (via mice studies) to be connected to uterine underdevelopment and the inability to form normal, mature eggs. Additionally, Vitamin D deficiency was found to be related to fetal underdevelopment when pregnancy was achieved. All of the above reproductive disorders normalized (in mice) with Vitamin D supplementation.
In women, the Vitamin D receptor is present in many female organs, including the ovary, uterus, and placenta. The active form of vitamin D (calcitriol) has many roles during female reproduction. Bound to its receptor, calcitriol is able to control genes involved in embryo implantation. Once a woman becomes pregnant, the uterus and placenta continue to make calcitriol, which helps fight infections. Poor vitamin D status has been associated with preganancy risks including gestational hypertension and diabetes.
Two recent studies found that women undergoing IVF were significantly more likely to achieve pregnancy than those who were deficient in Vitamin D. In one of these studies, performed at an IVF center, there was a four-fold increase in pregnancy rates. Another study showed that women receiving donor eggs were also more likely to achieve pregnancy suggesting that Vitamin D's most important role may be in the uterus.
These initial studies in regards to Vitamin D are encouraging both for those trying to conceive naturally, improving their overall health, as well as those looking to achieve pregnancy through IVF. Next time you visit your PCP, OBGYN, or endocrinologist, ask to have your Vitamin D levels evaluated. Although levels of 32 ng/mL are considered to be normal, levels in the range of 50-80ng/mL are those found in research to be optimal for immune system function and protective for the diseases mentioned above including breast, prostate, and colon cancer.
How much should you supplement? Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin so you should supplement for a period of 6-12 weeks and have your levels retested to adjust supplementation accordingly. Typically, 2000 IUs daily are recommended to increase blood serum levels. However, many practitioners recommend higher dosages up to 10,000 IUs daily depending on your level of deficiency. In other words, you should discuss the supplementation level with your practitioner and then retest to see the impact on your levels. In the meantime, try to get some sun exposure for a natural Vitamin D boost as the temperatures warm up in New England! Below are the resources for human studies and current Vitamin D research.
Have more questions about Vitamin D or acupuncture? Schedule a complimentary consult to learn more about how Vitamin D or acupuncture can benefit your health this year. Email jlmolleur@ombecenter.com for more details.
Vigano P, Lattuada D, Mangioni S, Ermellino L, Vignali M, Caporizzo E, Panina-Bordignon P, Besozzi M, DiBlasio AM. Cycling and early pregnant endometrium as a site of regulated expression of the vitamin D system. J Mol Endocrinol, 2006;36(3):415-24.
Bodnar LM, Catov JM, Simhan HN, Holick MF, Powers RW, Roberts JM. Maternal vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of preeclampsia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2007;92(9):3517-22.
Ozkan S, Jindal S, Greenseid K, Shu J, Zeitlian G, Hickmon C, Pal L. Replete vitamin D stores predict reproductive success following in vitro fertilization. Fertility and Sterility, 2010;94(4):1314-9.
Rudick B, Ingles SA, Stanczyk F, Chung K, Paulson R, Bendikson K. Characterizing the role of vitamin D levels on IVF outcomes: stimulation, embryo, or endometrium? O-245, Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2010.
Rudick B, Ingles SA, Stanczyk F, Chung K, Paulson R, Bendikson K. The role of vitamin D levels on IVF outcomes in donor-recipient cycles. O-9, Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society, 2011.
Jessica L. Molleur, Lic.Ac., DNBAO
Jessica L. Molleur is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and massage therapist in Massachusetts and California. She first became interested in acupuncture as a soccer player searching for an alternative to knee surgery and discovered the many benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology from the University of California at Davis and a Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, CA. Jessica is a National Diplomate of Acupuncture, Oriental Medicine and Chinese Herbology through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). She is also a Diplomate of Acupuncture Orthopedics, a specialty certification held by fewer than 500 acupuncturists in the United States.
Jessica currently maintains a private acupuncture practice in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, which was awarded Best Acupuncture Center by Boston Magazine. Areas of specialty include women's health, pregnancy, infertility, pediatrics, and sports medicine. If you are interested in learning about the benefits of acupuncture for fertility and IVF, please visit the acupuncture + fertility page. New patients can book online to schedule any acupuncture service including a complimentary consult. Jessica also serves as a health care consultant for a number of integrative medical institutes. Her clients include IVF and infertility centers, functional medicine offices, orthopedic facilities, concierge practices, and green spas. Please contact OMBE for more information about these services.
Prior to her consulting work, Jessica founded an integrative health center in Boston. The eco-friendly center was one of the first twenty-five companies certified as a Sustainable Business Leader in Boston. During its ten-year tenure, the center provided services including acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, naturopathy, nutritional counseling, personal training, Pilates, and yoga. Studio offerings included mom and baby programming, Mongan Method Hypnobirthing, natural childbirth education and the Holistic Moms Network. The center was the recipient of several awards, including Mayor Menino's Green Business Award, a multiple recipient of Boston Business Journal's Best Workplace, Boston Magazine's Best of Boston Award for Massage Therapy as well as Best Eco-Friendly Massage, Eco-Beauty Bar, Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, Pilates, and Workout.
InfertilityJessica Molleur March 18, 2018 OMBE Integrative Health Centerinfertility, nutrition, vitamin DComment
Top 10 Things To Before Running the Boston Marathon
Sports MedicineJessica Molleur March 25, 2018 OMBE Integrative Health Centeracupuncture, sports medicine, Boston Marathon
Cervical Fluid & Fertility: Part II
InfertilityJessica Molleur March 11, 2018 OMBE Integrative Health Centerinfertility, acupuncture, cervical fluid
BOSTON LOCATION
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Do we know anything about any upcoming changes?
Just wondering if we know anything about any upcoming changes. For that matter, this probably isn't the best place to be asking or checking, but I don't know what that place is. I appreciate it if anyone could point me in the right direction. I'm mainly interested in killer changes as well as balance changes overall. I've heard some people talking about generators taking longer to do and a new killer being on the horizon, but I have no idea how substantiated any of that is.
This sounds like a general discussion.... but no... bhvr has been very very quiet.... no they've been mute pretty much... the ptb is like either this Thursday or next week sometime and not a peep... I'm stoked!


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By Compiled from wire service reportsRobert Kilborn and Stephanie Cook
Israel was bracing for trouble on all fronts today as Palestinians planned rallies to mark the 53rd anniversary of Nakba, the founding of the Jewish state. This year's observance falls amid months of violence in which more than 500 people - most of them Palestinians - have died. Five of those occurred Monday when Israeli troops said they returned gunfire on a Palestinian police post in the West Bank - the worst single casualty count since mid-February.
While the army held its fire, Red Cross workers entered villages in Macedonia to try to evacuate civilians trapped in fighting with ethnic-Albanian insurgents. The operation followed parliament's OK late Sunday of a national unity government consisting of all four main political parties - two of them Albanian. The new coalition aims to provide stability while ways are sought to satisfy Albanian demands for more rights.
A nationwide TV appearance was scheduled by Italian billionaire politician Silvio Berlusconi amid indications that his conservative coalition would win majorities in both houses of parliament as a result of Sunday's election. If confirmed, the outcome almost certainly would return Berlusconi to the post of prime minister, which he held briefly in 1994. But Berlusconi's ally, the Northern League, attracted only about 4 percent of the vote, early returns showed.
The wife of ousted President Joseph Estrada appeared on her way to victory in congressional elections in the Philippines that were seen as a test of the his successor's legitimacy. Luisa Estrada is seeking a Senate seat as her husband awaits trial on a charge of plundering public funds. If she and other Estrada allies win their races, analysts said that will complicate new President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's already-difficult task of governing.
The Basque separatist movement blamed for years of political violence in Spain was punished by voters in regional elections that gave a resounding victory to moderate nationalists. The party widely seen as the political wing of ETA guerrillas, Euskal Herritarrok, was stripped of half the 14 seats it won in the Basque parliament in 1998, when a unilateral truce was in place. Analysts did not expect the election to change ETA's pattern of bombings and assassinations that have killed 800 people since 1968.
By Sept. 20, the raising of the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk from the floor of the Barents Sea should be complete, the Kremlin said. The sub sank last August, killing all 118 crewmen. The remains of only 12 were recovered before conditions were deemed too dangerous to continue salvage operations. The raising, promised by President Putin, is expected to cost up to $80 million.
The tough restrictions on the movement of people and livestock were removed in the county in Britain where the first cases of foot-and-mouth disease were detected Feb. 20. The decision affects Essex, northeast of London, although the looser restrictions imposed nationwide remain in place. Reports said the number of new cases across Britain has dropped to fewer than 10 a day.
(c) Copyright 2001. The Christian Science Monitor
Italians choose judge as president in third vote
Could Silvio Berlusconi rise again to scramble Italian politics?
Silvio Berlusconi eclipsed as Italy's PM survives key vote


As the demand for new housing increases, we face the challenge of meeting this demand whilst creating sustainable developments that help to mitigate the effects of climate change.
BSP's diverse portfolio of residential expertise covers a complete range of schemes, from traditional family housing projects for major volume house builders, and multi-storey student accommodation projects in city centre locations, through to affordable housing, included are schemes to meet sustainable designs as well as passivhaus standards. Many properties use MMC techniques.
The scope of our service provision for residential projects ranges from pre-planning advice and feasibility, to full scheme design and delivery. BSP Consulting take the lead in delivering environmentally sustainable residential developments and our teams understanding of such issues as traffic and transportation, flood risk and SUD's drainage, highway design, geotechnical investigations and topography help to deliver residential solutions delivering sustainable developments that meet clients' individual plans that achieve approval, and projects that come to life.


Interested in this profile? Register now and contact SUN7337506 at no cost.
I'm a student I'm doing B.Tech in computer science engineering second year and doing node js for future job.
My father is a government employee and my mother is a housewife and I have one brother.
My preferred life partner is sweet simple and caring and respect for elders .


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The International Institute for Languages and Cultures, Fès, Morocco (INLAC) is a private institute for teaching and learning Arabic, located in the old city (medina) of Fez. It offers undergraduate and graduate credit programs.

INLAC activities focus on Arabic, Islam, gender, history, and cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. It is an interdisciplinary institute accredited by the Moroccan Ministry of Education.

INLAC has developed partnership and exchange programs with Moroccan, European, and US colleges and universities, namely Minnesota University  Northeastern, Whittier College, Lewis and Clark, New Haven University, Maryland University, University of Utah.

INLAC adopts an integrative strategy whereby courses, seminars, volunteer work, and university auditioning are combined. It organizes workshops, luncheon seminars, and other forums to highlight new perspectives on the Middle East and North Africa. The events showcase research carried out by both established and younger scholars and foster discussion of current events and policy issues relating to the region. Students are expected to participate actively in the learning experience.

The city of Fez
 The city of Fez is a historical city, which is home to ancient Islamic monuments, bazaars, gates, gardens, fountains, restaurants, and festivals, all of which inviting inter-cultural and educational exchanges. Fez is a spiritual city, with many ethnicities, religious sites, and Sufi orders.

INLAC co-founders
INLAC was founded in 2011 by Moroccan academics and university professors, Fatima Sadiqi  and Moha Ennaji. They both completed their undergraduate studies in Morocco before accomplishing their Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Great Britain. While teaching at the university of Fez and travelling the world, they realized the urgency of intercultural dialogue and the importance of educating the young generation and of research in the MENA region.  They are aware of the need for communication between civilizations and societies, especially the youth of the Islamic World and the United States. INLAC was founded as a structured forum for such a communication through both academic and cultural channels.

Courses
 INLAC hosts study abroad programs (year-long, semester and short-term programs) which include content courses and language courses, namely Arabic, French and Berber. The main components of the programs are: intensive Arabic classes, content courses on Islam, Gender, and Middle Eastern and North African culture, and area studies.  INLAC facilitates homestays with Moroccan families to provide students with the opportunity to experience family life in Morocco.

Admissions
INLAC admits students throughout the year. it does not provide financial aid at this time but encourages prospective students to apply for federal and state grants and loans at their university.

Cultural Activities
Cultural activities such as NGO visits and internships, excursions and recreation are part of cross-cultural education. Students are required to do volunteer work with local NGOs and the community at large that focus on local issues, such as youth, sports, development, and women concerns. Allowing students to associate themselves with charities and non-profit causes facilitates their professional routes.

References

Arabic language
Fez, Morocco


According to several news reports, late last week Hines Nurseries, Irvine, Calif., was contemplating filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The company informed government officials in Oregon that it may have to lay off nearly 100 employees at its Forest Grove, Ore., facility if it could not extend its line of credit and obtain additional financing.
The company sent a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) to state officials about the potential jobs elimination if the company could not secure new financing. The layoffs could take effect later this month or by the end of the year.
Hines Horticulture filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in August 2008. In December of that year, a federal bankruptcy judge awarded the assets of Hines Horticulture to asset management firm Black Diamond Capital Management, LLC.
In January 2009, the company successfully emerged from bankruptcy when Hines Nurseries LLC purchased certain assets of the former Hines entities. Earlier this year, the company announced the addition of a new management team.
As of Oct. 8, the situation at Hines was still developing, stay tuned to GPN for further developments as they occur.


Mermaids may be mythical, but good beer doesnt have to be. Only display your favorite beer caps in this beautiful mermaid bottle cap holder. Crafted from all natural 1/4" Birch plywood, these beer cap maps were designed and crafted in our very own American facility. A gorgeous touch to any home bar, lake house, or man cave each beer cap map comes pre-drilled with mounting holes so display can be done swimmingly. With the option to add a dark walnut stain, this beer art can easily fit into any existing decor and makes a fun gift for any beer lover. Mermaid beer cap map measures 14.6 x 23 inches and holds 41 bottle caps.


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Twenty lessons from 2020 – Part Four: Society
Following the first three parts of my 20 Lessons from 2020 – on marketing, business and the economy – part four is a slightly longer read, and looks at lessons 15 through 20, what we can learn from society. The next and final part will summarise what we can all learn from 2020 and where we might go from here.
15. Zoom kept us together
I couldn't write a Top 20 without reference to Zoom. It's been so prevalent, I could've included it in any of my Twenty Lessons chapters. Like many of the new phrases we learnt last year, 'shall we Zoom?' was adopted by all generations at lightning speed. The company quickly addressed early security issues to become the number one video conferencing platform and has been an amazing enabler – hosting everything from business meetings to family parties to yoga classes and every other conceivable get-together.
With many people new to video calling, we've all seen a lot of foreheads and chins and even – on one occasion – an elbow (no idea how he managed that). There are lots of "How To" guides out there, so it's worth checking out the tips on lighting and camera angles next time you're getting ready to be interviewed by Sky News or join an informal networking meeting. Just one final plea from me – please don't bring your breakfast or lunch along – this is a horrible hangover from real-life meetings IMHO and, honestly, no one wants to see you eating in close up.
16. Black Lives Matter
On a more serious note, if there was ever something that shouldn't need saying, it's this. BLM was clearly one of the zeitgeist movements of the year and can probably claim a lot of the credit for kicking Trump out of the White House. Like the #MeToo movement, it will hopefully be a catalyst for real change in society and industry, where positions of power are still disproportionately held by middle-aged white men. In marketing, we're definitely seeing more on-screen representation, and it was reassuring to see the sadly predictable racist backlash against Sainsbury's met with such unity by the other supermarkets. But that's not enough. Brands must take positive action to ensure BAME voices are heard at the boardroom table, not just seen in the advertising (Nike et al, please take note).
17. Rainbow Washing
I've written before about how brands love to jump on a band wagon (or brand wagon, as I call it) and it's usually easily ignored if it's not your cup of tea. But a worrying number of brands are supporting the transgender movement without really understanding what's behind it, or the impact it has on the lives of women and girls. For most women, this cultural appropriation of womanhood is as offensive, but far more dangerous, than black face.
This movement has nothing to do with LGB rights or genuine transexuals, alongside whom women have shared spaces for decades. It is driven by a misogynistic minority which silences, threatens and tries to destroy the career of any woman who dares to dissent, usually by stating basic biological fact (most notably, JK Rowling and Maya Forstater). The tweet shown is one of the more 'polite' examples.
Unable to ever explain what rights they don't have, they are instead fixated on removing the rights, freedoms and safeties of women and girls. They advocate for the medical sterilisation of young children and support 'Self ID', which allows male rapists into women's prisons and domestic abuse shelters and mean male crime statistics can be reported as female. Lurking at its fringes are paedophiles and extreme sexual fetishists (with quite some evidence that they, and Big Pharma, are the driving force behind the movement).
Women are not 'TERFs' or 'transphobes' for expecting the retained protection of the 2010 Equality Act. It cannot be acceptable for less than 0.5% of the population to demand the removal of the rights of 51% based on the denial of biological reality.
Recent court cases and political judgements suggest the tide may be turning, so let's hope 2021 sees this debate become more reasoned and a solution found. A 'third space' compromise must be explored.
Meanwhile, brands must do more to stand up for women. Please take a proper look into this world before you spray your logo pink and blue. Or think that making your women's toilets and changing rooms unisex is 'inclusive' (always the women's, never the men's). Or give money to dangerous organisations like Mermaids or Stonewall (the latter now so toxic, the original founders have left). Or consider calling women "menstruators", "lactating individuals" or "people with vaginas" in your communications. (These terms are all real examples, often used by organisations established to support women's causes. Yet we're asked to believe 'transwomen are women' so why is this dehumanising language even necessary?).
At the very least, talk to your female customers to understand their views and do some research into who's behind these organisations. Because – should you need reminding – women account for over 80% of purchasing decisions. They are not a group you want boycotting your brand.
18. Valuing our key workers
Back to a nicer topic. During the first lockdown, we happily lined up outside our houses to 'Clap for Carers'*. Most Brits have always felt incredibly fortunate that we have this amazing asset – staffed by incredible, dedicated people – at our disposal. But it also became abundantly clear that there are a whole lot of essential frontline workers that we used to take for granted – from bus drivers, to bin men, to posties, to supermarket staff – that we simply cannot exist without. For brands looking for a community-based social purpose, there's one right here. A band wagon that's actually worth jumping on. (*Apparently it's just been resurrected, now called 'Clap for Heroes' to include all these critical key workers).
19. Protecting the elderly, the vulnerable & our veterans
When Covid started sweeping through care homes and the staff were forced to lock the residents away for their own protection, we all got a bit of a wake-up call. Captain Sir Tom Moore's incredible fund-raising walk shone a new light on the need to protect both our elderly and our veterans. Last year, I was fortunate to work on a couple of projects for The Royal Hospital Chelsea (home of the famous Chelsea Pensioners) and The Big Issue – two organisations representing the polar opposites of privilege – helping them think about how they might find new sources of income. For the charities operating in these areas, the silver lining of Covid is an opportunity to reach new supporters who are keen to help – maybe more aware than ever that charity begins at home, and our elderly and vulnerable are too easily forgotten.
20. Communities rekindled
So, finally, here we are at number 20. And I've probably saved the best 'til last. The pandemic has done wonders for local communities. We've seen the really good side of Social Media – especially the local Facebook groups which have brought people together who want to help. People volunteering to look out for lonely or vulnerable neighbours, do their shopping, share their food, or walk their dogs. We've met new neighbours as we've stood outside clapping. We've rediscovered our local shops when lockdown made a trip to the big supermarket feel as big and scary an ordeal as climbing Everest. We've been inspired by pubs and restaurants donating surplus food (including entire Christmas dinners) to people in their communities. Some of us even developed a new appreciation for our own countryside when our foreign holidays got cancelled.
One of the biggest hopes for 2021 must be that this community spirit continues. If we're going to be working at home for the foreseeable future, our small towns and villages need more amenities. If our dormitory towns, villages and suburbs are no longer dormitory, we'll need places to go for lunch and meet friends and colleagues for coffee that are not our own kitchens. We'll need places to buy birthday cards and toiletries, places to get our shoes repaired and our clothes dry cleaned. Small business has an opportunity to thrive and big business has an opportunity to introduce *truly* local, ultra small scale formats.
So what did we learn? Appreciating the value of our own communities got lost as our lives to got fuller and busier. An empty diary and an enforced stop have given us the opportunity to look up and smell the roses, to be kinder and to get to know our neighbours and colleagues as people. Humans are social animals – we need connections – yet one of the early ironies of the internet was it became easier to have a conversation with someone 5000 miles away than with the person next door. Social Media has fuelled so many divisions, but it can also be a force for good. If anything, Covid-19 has shown us that we're all in the same boat and as no-one knows how long this is going to last, it's high time we all got along better. We can but hope.
By Sam Bridger|2021-02-22T13:43:48+00:00January 12th, 2021|Interim Management, Business Strategy & Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, Brands & Branding, Feminism, Sexism, Gender Equality, Charities, Management, Marketing Strategy, Customer Service & Experience|Comments Off on Twenty lessons from 2020 – Part Four: Society


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Album of the Day: Ahmed Ag Kaedy, "Akaline Kidal" By Richard Gehr · March 08, 2019
Amanar De Kidal
Akaline Kidal Amanar De Kidal .
In 2018, Tuareg guitarist Ahmed Ag Kaedy recorded this devastating solo acoustic album on an eight-track cassette recorder in Portland, Oregon, with the help of Sahel Sounds owner-producer Christopher Kirkley. Akaline Kidal ("My Land, Kidal") is Kaedy's poetically couched lament for Kidal, his northern Mali hometown which was overrun by an alliance of Tuareg rebels and Islam extremists in 2012. In the aftermath, Kaedy, his bandmates in Amanar, and most of their friends and families abandoned Kidal.
On Akaline Kidal, Kaedy ponders the seeming impossibility of returning home. (He sings in the Tuareg language; English translations are provided with the LP and cassette versions.) "I see Kidal there before me and it's become like the ruins of a civilization," he sings on the title track, his voice sounding parched, weary, and unfiltered. "A land of the United Nations, the French military, and a terrible drought." Kaedy updates the politics of the Tuareg music pioneered by Tinariwen in deceptively laid-back tunes like "Azaman" ("Era"), which compares Mali's northerners to "small animals, separated from their mothers."
Kaedy leavens the mood with a single love song, "Asin Oral" ("Two Months"), but even that nostalgic reverie echoes an overall melancholia that's relieved only by the final, stoic stanza of "Adounia" ("Life"): "The wise say that this life is like the mousse that forms on a glass of tea / Never mind how large, in a short time it's like it never existed at all." Kaedy, who exiled himself to Bamako, Mali's capital, grieves like a man without a country, a nomad in no man's land.
World African
Read more in World →


Karen Roller, PhD, MFT, is a somatic psychotherapist oriented from the attachment and trauma resolution* perspective. She served the foster care and migrant community of Santa Cruz County for 15 years; prior to that, she worked in juvenile detention diversion programs addressing disproportionate minority confinement; autism recovery; and taught bilingual special education. She had a private practice for three years, and has since taken a position as Clinical Coordinator at Family Connections in Redwood City.
Dr. Karen Roller received her B.A.s from Saint Mary's College of California, her M.A. from John. F. Kennedy University, and her Ph.D. from the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute; her dissertation was on the neurophysiological effects of a somatic intervention. Prior to joining Palo Alto University, she taught at Bethany University for two years.
As a Clinical Traumatologist and Compassion Fatigue Therapist, she has published on trauma training in counselor education programs to increase trauma-sensitive treatment for underserved populations, and reduce risk of Compassion Fatigue in counselors. In collaboration with Global Trauma Research, she is performing trauma training and outcome research in Haiti. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, and a Diplomate in the National Center for Crisis Management.


We're all familiar with Apple Maps right? Yeah we know Google Maps have always been one tough competitor every now and then. But let's take a look at the bright side, Apple Maps have massively evolved and substantially improved over time. It does have a bunch of useful features which can make navigation lot easier—there's a reason why it is Apple's default navigation app for their devices.
So let's explore a few of Apple Maps tips and tricks to make our lives easier!
Not many of us are aware about this but Apple Maps Nearby feature allows you to search places with just one tap. To proceed enable the Location services, tap on the search bar. You will see a fly up of spots close to you in a few classifications including Popular, Restaurants, Groceries, Fast Food etc. You can likewise add Nearby to your devices by swiping right, head on to edit, and tap on the green plus sign to add an item onto the list.
Got a few friends visiting you this weekend? Well, you can use Apple Maps Pins for starters. You can likewise use pins to mark a destination you need directions for. To drop a pin on Apple Map, tap and hold, and select "Drop a Pin". When you make another stick, you can add to Favorites, add to an Existing Contact, or simply Create New Contact. Cool isn't it?
Prefer buses over trains? The choice is yours! If you visit Settings > Maps, you can pick whether you need directions for driving, strolling or for public transit. You can likewise use this to keep away from tolls or highways, pick whether you incline towards taking a bus ride instead of ferry and more.
There are iOS applications that work along with Apple Maps. Say for instance you are using the OpenTable reservation application. Now go to Settings > Maps, and enable OpenTable under Extensions. Presently when you scan for a restaurant or eatery joint, you will see an option for reservations in the Apple Maps app right there.
Did you know Apple Maps allow you to view review info for any particular place? To look for any business, swipe up on the search bar and you will see all the respective information, photographs, surveys, contact points of interest, and more. For a few areas, it even gives you the choice to add pictures.
To explore real time traffic scenarios around you, tap on i, and after that ensure the Traffic flip is on. If there's an activity close-by, you'll see orange and red lines. Orange lines indicates moderate movement, while red lines show stop-and-go traffic.
You can also request Siri take you to the closest supermarket, nearest burger joint, or take you home. Press and hold the Home button on your iPhone, or say Hey Siri if you have Hey Siri activated, hold up until the point that you hear two speedy beeps, and after that tell Siri where you need to go, and rest will be taken care of easily.
If you don't want Apple Maps monitor your locations, it can be easily attained. Go to Settings, select Privacy, and then Location Services. To view your travel history select System Services then tap on Frequent Locations. You can clear your area history by tapping on "Clear History" at the bottom.
So here were a few Apple Maps tips to navigate in style!
5 Best Outdoor Speakers to Get You Grooving!


Instead, you may download a template out of a third-party site, only make sure it's in a Word format. Now you've got a template, both filled and clean, it is going to give you with a notion concerning how you are able to go about creating your own. If you're a small company owner and on the watch for a revenue report template, then the odds are great that you will see a template which fits to your own requirements.


Recently I have been in love with bar carts of all varieties; metal, glass, wood all kinds. Bar carts can be a great addition to any large or small space. Just imagine, in a large game room, a trendy cart on wheels helps to keep the party moving! In a small space, a bar cart helps to create a festive cocktail area without taking up too much space.
A couple months ago I found this bar cart on one of my furniture hunting trips. I instantly envisioned the changes I wanted to make but with juggling my other projects, I wasn't able to refurbish it until this May. It was in need of some serious TLC! Below are the before and after pictures of the beautiful cart.
I wanted the cart to have a vintage look and was inspired to write common bar terms on the top tier. Each word was hand stenciled and took a lot longer than I thought it would!
Here are some other great carts featured on Houzz.com. I especially love the gold bamboo cart by Bagues.
Here is another by William Sonoma Home.
For those of you who are thinking, "I don't drink alcohol or need a bar cart". Let me tell you these carts can also be used a serving station, mobile desk or mobile end table. So next time you see a bart cart pick it up, take it home and tell me what you have done with it.


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How Far Will Protection From Discrimination Slip?
By Steve Mencher , April 29, 2013 06:13 PM
A case argued this month before the U.S. Supreme Court could make it more difficult to win discrimination suits, four years after another decision greatly weakened the 1967 Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).
The current case is about national origin, not age, but groups, including AARP, have filed "friend of the court" briefs because they see important civil rights issues in play.
(Update: Read our post on the Court's decision, June 24, 2013)
In University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) v. Nassar, Dr. Naiel Nassar lost his job at a health clinic where the supervising doctor openly made discriminatory remarks and questioned his work because she believed Middle Easterners are "lazy."
The crux of the case is a technicality, but an important one. As UTSW argues, Nassar lost his job after he complained about discrimination, not because of the discrimination itself. That's considered "retaliation." UTSW claims that the 1968 Civil Rights Act gives less protection to an employee who is a victim of retaliation than it does to one who has been directly discriminated against.
A decision is expected in June.
So where does age discrimination fit in?
The way AARP and others see it, if this large part of discrimination law can be reinterpreted, then it's one more step toward making it difficult to win such cases. They look back at the 2009 Supreme Court decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services. It set standards for age discrimination that don't follow most settled civil right law, putting a heavier burden on the plaintiff to prove discrimination.
AARP doesn't want protection against other forms of discrimination weakened like age discrimination. The emphasis has been on pushing Congress to fix language in the ADEA to once again elevate age discrimination to the level of race and gender.
"We have seen in [other] cases this Supreme Court decision, Gross, cited over and over and over and over again on every issue you can imagine," says Dan Korhman, senior attorney for AARP Foundation.
According to Kohrman, this is what he hears from judges: "'As the Gross decision said, age discrimination is entitled to less protection.'"
In the arena of age discrimination, those are fighting words.
Speaking of "fighting words," listen as Associate Justice Elena Kagan grills Daryl Joseffer, attorney for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, about whether any other civil rights laws treat "retaliation" and "substantive discrimination" differently. You can follow along in the transcript here. The only bit of jargon you might want to know is the difference between "but for" and "mixed motive" discrimination. It's pretty straightforward - I'd either treat you differently "but for" the fact that you're in a protected class - or that fact is one of a number of reasons I'm discriminating against you, hence "mixed motives."
Facebook - A Gathering Place for Granny Bashers?
Help for 50-Somethings Short on Retirement Funds
civil rights Supreme Court gender discrimination Washington Watch age discrimination Gross v. FBL Financial Services race discrimination


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Nature & Nurture
Where Does Gender Come From?
Anne Fausto-Sterling, Brown University December 18, 2014 November 29, 2018
Baby showers are often color-coded events. If the new arrival is a boy, then the purchase of a blue onesie featuring a truck is in order. For a girl, perhaps a pretty pink, flowered, lacy blanket.
Many people assume that this blue and pink color code represents not only a set of cultural norms, but also the innate preferences of the child.(a) By the time a female becomes a toddler, the fact that she prefers pink dresses and toys seems like nature just taking its course. But is biology really the reason many modern girls like pink and modern boys like blue, even before they can speak the words for these colors?
A closer look at human development suggests that the truth is more complex. Rather than defaulting to explanations rooted in biology and genetics, sex-related preferences should be an invitation to ask broader questions about gender norms and cultural expectations.1 For example: What is the source of the pleasure that girls and boys get from certain colors? Is it the pleasure for things that are familiar to them? Or perhaps it is the positive feedback children receive for liking "gender appropriate" colors?(b)
Preferences for certain colors, toys (trucks or dolls), or types of play (physically active versus social) are sometimes assumed to be inherent because they typically appear when a child is as young as three or four years of age. Psychologists and biologists often point to hormones, genes, and other biological factors as the underlying causes.
JeongMee Yoon's Pink & Blue Project documents gender differences in the colors, toys, and objects that surround children from an early age.
But these arguments do little to explain the mechanisms or processes by which preferences emerge and solidify. To more thoroughly understand the root of sex-related differences, we need to rigorously examine how potentially relevant biological and environmental factors influence development (and influence one another) over time. For example, I have been studying the development of sex-related differences through extensive video recording and analysis of infant and caretaker behavior under naturalistic conditions in the home.2
My research shows that, even at a young age, "nature" and "nurture" already interact.3 The first three years of a child's life mark a period of extraordinary brain development and synapse growth. Like a sponge, the child absorbs everything around it, etching a record of its sensory experiences in its developing neurons. Social and cultural cues children experience during this period can influence their physiological development, establishing bodily patterns that set the stage for later phases of development.
One of my studies focuses on the belief that boy infants are more physically active than girl infants.4 While the babies in the study show no sex-related differences in their own spontaneous activity, we discovered through detailed observation that the mothers interact with the boys in a more physically active way. They move boy infants, help them sit up, and touch them more often than they do girls.
The impact of the mothers' behavior may go much deeper than just setting cultural expectations – it could actually have biological consequences. While more testing is needed to understand these biological effects, it is possible that the sensory, motor, and neuromuscular systems of boys develop differently than those of girls, at least partly in response to different patterns of maternal handling.
If biological development is influenced by a child's environment in this way, "nature" and "nurture" are no longer distinct. They are a developmental unit, two sides of the same coin. Rather than talking about nature versus nurture, we should ask: How is nature being affected by certain kinds of nurturing events?(c) And instead of viewing gender as something inherent and fixed, we should understand it as a developmental process involving the ongoing interaction of genes, hormones, social cues, cultural norms, and other factors.5
Moving beyond the nature versus nurture dichotomy allows us to have a more nuanced, accurate understanding of gender. For those who want to move beyond the pink and blue split, perhaps a first step is to purchase something green for the next baby shower.
The Real Reason Women Entrepreneurs Have a Harder Time Raising Money
Why Women Entrepreneurs Underestimate Themselves – And What We Can Do About It
A Biologist Moves Past The Nature Vs. Nurture Debate
For a thorough exploration of questions about the role of cultural, environmental, and social factors in the development of sex-related differences, see Anne Fausto-Sterling (2012) Sex/Gender: Biology in a Social World, New York: Routledge.
For examples of studies using this methodology, see: Richard Evan Ahl, Anne Fausto-Sterling, Cynthia García-Coll, Ronald Seifer (2013) "Gender and discipline in 5–12-month-old infants: A longitudinal study," Infant Behavior and Development, 36(2): 199-209; and Jihyun Sung, Anne Fausto-Sterling, Cynthia García-Coll, and Ronald Seifer (2013). The Dynamics of Age and Sex in the Development of Mother–Infant Vocal Communication Between 3 and 11 Months.Infancy 18(6): 1135-1158.
Anne Fausto-Sterling, Cynthia García-Coll, and Meaghan Lamarre (2012) "Sexing the baby: Part 1  What do we really know about sex differentiation during the first three years of life?" Social Science and Medicine, 74(11): 1684-1692.
This work is currently in draft manuscript form. Readers can contact Anne Fausto-Sterling for further information.
Anne Fausto-Sterling, Cynthia García-Coll, and Meaghan Lamarre (2012) "Sexing the baby: Part 2  Applying dynamic systems theory to the emergences of sex-related differences in infants and toddlers," Social Science and Medicine,74(11): 1693-1702.
(a) Photographer JeongMee Yoon's Pink & Blue Project documents the prevalence of gendered color preferences in consumer products. Yoon photographs young girls and boys surrounded by their collections of pink or blue toys, books, clothes, and objects.
(b) While dominant cultural norms often encourage girls to embrace pink, princesses, and other "feminine" stereotypes, many parents attempt to guide their children along a more gender-neutral path. Nonetheless, some feminist mothers, like writer Peggy Orenstein, have lamented their inability to steer their daughters away from the overwhelming tide of pink, princess culture.
(c) The theoretical framework known assoft assembly views traits such as gender as the result of multiple, ongoing, interacting processes. While gender often appears stable over time, it is maintained by a series of underlying processes and can change if these processes are destabilized
Anne Fausto-Sterling
Nancy Duke Lewis Professor Emerita of Biology & Gender Studies, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology & Biochemistry
Dr. Fausto-Sterling is currently focused on applying dynamic systems theory to the study of gender differentiation in early childhood. Her ambition is to restructure dichotomous conversations — inside the academy, in public discourse, and ultimately in the framing of social policy — in order to enable an understanding of the inseparability of "nature" and "nurture".


"We are very excited to welcome Joey Nebeker to the C of I campus and the Yotes basketball family," Garson said. "He will be an incredible addition to our program and the student body as a whole."
Nebeker was the 2011-12 Gatorade Player of the Year for Idaho. He was a four-year starter at Melba and led the program to three consecutive state tournaments. "We are excited to have one of the best local talents in recent years coming to the College of Idaho," Garson said. "Joey is an outstanding ball player that will make us better and is an even better person. Being able to sign a player the quality of Joey Nebeker speaks volumes to where the Coyote men's basketball program has grown in the past season-plus."
Nebeker planned to return to the Boise State team — and hoped to see an expanded role with the departures of Jeff Elorriaga and Thomas Bropleh. But his year-to-year scholarship was not renewed.
"It definitely caught me off guard. I got pulled out of lifting weights and was told I wouldn't be part of the team. It's very difficult to handle," Nebeker told the Statesman on April 23. "I thought I'd be here for five years. I feel a little cheated."
Nebeker said he "didn't have much of an opportunity to show my abilities."
"There's not a doubt in my mind I wanted to be back," Nebeker told the Statesman. "I was told I'd get an opportunity to prove myself next season, but I won't be getting it."


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text:
De Avalon Jazz Band is een jazzband uit New York rondom zangeres Tatiana Eva-Marie..

Biografie
De internationale band werd opgericht in 2012 door Zwitserse zangeres Tatiana Eva-Marie en de Franse violist Adrien Chevalier in Brooklyn in New York. De "Avalon Jazz Band" is genoemd naar het fictieve eiland Avalon uit de Arthurlegende. De band treedt vooral op in New York en Parijs, en ook op wereldtournees met artiesten zoals Norah Jones, Harry Connick jr. en Stéphane Wrembel.

Stijl en invloeden
De band speelt zowel eigen composities als covers. Het repertoire is geïnspireerd op het klassieke Franse chanson en Jazzstandardss (Great American Songbook) uit de Jazz Age, New Orleans Jazz, hot jazz, franse-swing en gipsyjazz uit de jaren '30 en '40. De band speelt covers van o.a. Django Reinhardt en Stéphane Grappelli (oprichters van Hot Club de France), Charles Trenet en Johnny Hess, Yves Montand, Henri Salvador, Ray Ventura, Jean Sablon, Juliette Gréco, Lucienne Delyle, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Fats Waller en Cole Porter.

Bandleden en gastmuzikanten
De Avalon Jazz Band bestond oorspronkelijk uit de Zwitserse zangeres Tatiana Eva-Marie, Franse violist Adrien Chevalier, Bosnische gitarist Koran Agan en Braziliaanse bassist Eduardo Belo.

De band wordt voor live optredens, opnames voor social media en albums naar behoefte uitgebreid en aangevuld. Door de jaren heen wijzigde de 'vaste' samenstelling van de band ook regelmatig. Onder andere gitaristen Olli Soikkeli, Sara L'Abriola, Duved Dunayevski en Michael Valeanu, bassisten Brandi Disterheft, Elias Bailey, Leigh Barker en Julian Smith, violist Daniel Garlitsky, accordeonisten Dallas Vietty, Kate Dunphy en Roberto Gervasi, glockenspieler Jake Chapman, percussionist Stéphane Séva en blazers waaronder saxofonist Patrick Bartley jr., saxofonist/klarinettist Danny Lipsitz, klarinettist Oran Etkin en rietblazer Adrian Cunningham waren als gastmuzikant of 'vast' bandlid actief.

In 2021 bestaat de band uit zangeres Tatiana Eva-Marie, gitarist Vinny Raniolo uit Hempstead (NY), bassist Wallace Stelzer uit Houston TX en violist Gabe Terracciano uit Portland ME.

Discografie
Albums
 My Gypsy Jazz Chrismas (2012)
 I Wish You Love (2016)
 Je Suis Swing (2016)
 Paris (2019)
 Wintertime Dreams: A Parisian Christmas (2019)
 We'll Meet Again (2021)

Populaire YouTube Videos
De Avolon Jazz Band publiceert sinds 2011 regelmatig nieuwe muziek op social media.

Zie ook
 Jazz
 Jazzstandard
 Great American Songbook

Externe links
 Website Avalon Jazz band
 Avalon Jazz Band op Twitter
 Avalon Jazz Band op Facebook
 Avalon Jazz Band op youtube.com

Bronnen, referenties en voetnoten

Amerikaanse jazzband


text:
Charity jobs at risk - Media Release
Posted by Andrew Leigh 56sc on April 08, 2020
CHARITY JOBS AT RISK
The future of hundreds of charity workers remain in limbo as they continue urging the Morrison Government to further revise the JobKeeper program.
In spite of initial changes to the program's requirements, major charities - including Oxfam, Anglicare, UnitingCare, Fred Hollows Foundation, the Samaritans, St Vincent de Paul, Wesley Mission Queensland and many of our major medical research institutes - say they cannot meet the test of a 15 per cent drop in revenue required for charities to qualify.
According to a survey this week by the Australian Council of Social Service, many charities are expecting to have to shed jobs as a result of the drop in donations. They estimate that 37 per cent of anticipated job losses will still occur in organisations whose overall revenue loss is likely to be less than 15 per cent.
These charities operate essential services, including food pantries, disability services and early childhood centres. In the Prime Minister's own electorate of Cook, Uniting Early Learning has three services that will be ineligible for JobKeeper payments.
Labor will today call for a further revision of the JobKeeper program to allow greater access to payments for charities, who are already under pressure from to decreases in donations and volunteers.
Australians needs charities now more than ever, as unemployment rises and people increasingly rely on their services.
While Labor welcomes the latest federal support for the sector, more is needed from the Morrison Government to ensure that charities and not-for-profits can continue to carry out their necessary work.
Authorised by Paul Erickson, ALP, Canberra.
writing what's new


text:
Feds taking no chances
https://www.marketplace.org/2007/01/22/feds-taking-no-chances/
TEXT OF INTERVIEW
SCOTT JAGOW: Last fall, this country essentially banned Internet gambling. Congress made it illegal to do business with online gaming companies based overseas, but the FBI must believe Americans are still playing. The Feds are asking British investment banks to turn over records on these gambling websites. The FBI wants the goods on the people who run them. Justin Urquart-Stewart is a fund manager with Seven Investments in London. Justin, what do investment bankers over there think about this?
JUSTIN URQUART-STEWART: This has certainly raised quite a few eyebrows on this side of the Atlantic. Not just because of this particular inquiry but actually because it fits in with a sort of pattern that's been developing over the past few years. Then this action seems to be taking it a stage further whereby you've got U.S. domestic courts demanding of U.K. authorities that overseas information — records, telephone calls — be handed over. And this is seen as a further extension of American, I suppose, interference.
JAGOW: Well Justin, what's the connection between investment banks and Internet gambling companies in the first place?
URQUART-STEWART: Well this all developed over the past few years in the growth of entertainment, if you call online gaming entertaining, but it is seen as being a huge growth area. Domestically all countries have controls over gambling. But when it comes to online gambling, this was a new area, seen to be relatively low-cost, relatively low capitalization and the opportunity for huge profits. So these investment banks saw this as a key area to grow into and you saw a proliferation like morning mushrooms of these companies over the past five or six years.
JAGOW: Do you feel like there's a different attitude about Internet gaming there in Britain versus here in the States?
URQUART-STEWART: Yes, Internet gaming in the U.K. isn't necessarily wildly approved of but it's not seen as being necessarily something particularly abhorrent or evil. Equally of course in the United States domestic gambling is seen to be much more popular than it is actually in the United Kingdom where we don't have the super casinos and Las Vegases of this world over here.
JAGOW: OK Justin, thanks a lot.
Now that states can legalize sports betting, venture capital wants in
Fed slashes rates to near zero, eases bank lending rules
Mobile phones could make sports betting more accessible — and addictive
A match made at Bear Stearns
British pound hits 31-year low overnight
What can the Federal Reserve do to help the economy?


Gucci Bamboo emanates the Gucci woman's diverse sides: her femininity, confidence, savvy and strength. The fragrance represents her essence. Gucci Bamboo Body Lotion captures a fragrance that is so true to her spirit, it's tailor-made precisely for the Gucci woman.


Welcome to theWire.io! Play with 8 people in a battle of claiming territory. Every player has a unique color, your goal is to claim shapes through obtaining crystals. You can safely move through your own color, but be careful for others. You can only claim and move through other colors when you are in 'claim mode'. Good luck and have fun.


text:
Q: Autodesk FORGE | Digital twin enter image description here
enter image description here
Hi everyone, I am learning FORGE and trying to remake the Digital Twin (the link below).
https://github.com/Autodesk-Forge/forge-digital-twin
Even I enter the required environments of FORGE ID, SECRET, URN. But I could not run the code. It returned with this notification.
Could you please help me to solve these problems?
Thank you,
Luan

A: The issue in your case could be the urn you're using.
The model urn has to be base64 encoded. You can try encoding your urn and running the application again.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
"Between a rock and a hard place: Trump's half-realist, half-mercantilist foreign policy in the Middle East"
American foreign policy under President Trump in the Middle East and North Africa has been a policy rollercoaster, sometimes in line of continuity with policies adopted by the previous administration, sometimes with violent breaks from the past, sometimes apparently brought about by material interest calculations, other times supposedly driven by personal politics and symbolic gestures. All this has happened without a clearcut grand strategy, but rather though ad hoc decisions and policy U-turns, and, in bureaucratic politics' terms, with different parts of the administration contradicting one another. It represents a unique combination of mercantilism, realism, personalized politics which, most remarkably, is likely to be shaped by structural and contextual factors more than strategic and political intentions.
Titolo: "Between a rock and a hard place: Trump's half-realist, half-mercantilist foreign policy in the Middle East"
Hanau Santini, Ruth Maria
INTER-DISCIPLINARY POLITICAL STUDIES
Abstract: American foreign policy under President Trump in the Middle East and North Africa has been a policy rollercoaster, sometimes in line of continuity with policies adopted by the previous administration, sometimes with violent breaks from the past, sometimes apparently brought about by material interest calculations, other times supposedly driven by personal politics and symbolic gestures. All this has happened without a clearcut grand strategy, but rather though ad hoc decisions and policy U-turns, and, in bureaucratic politics' terms, with different parts of the administration contradicting one another. It represents a unique combination of mercantilism, realism, personalized politics which, most remarkably, is likely to be shaped by structural and contextual factors more than strategic and political intentions.
Idps_HanauSantini_2018.pdf Documento in Post-print PUBBLICO - Pubblico senza Copyright Open Access Visualizza/Apri


Shattering the shibboleth that the Swiss are quiet, unassuming rule followers, are pianist Guerino Mazzola and percussionist Heinz Geisser – as they have in tandem during the past two decades, Their two extended improvisations on Live at Le Classique bristle with energetic ferocity with much more flow than ebb. Mazzola, who is also an academic at the University of Minnesota, and Geisser, who in the past has been part of aggregations with the likes of William Parker, appear to create these motifs with complete absorption. Spiritual relatives of Cecil Taylor or Borah Bergman on the keyboard as well as Han Bennink or Andrew Cyrille on drums respectively, the only puzzle about this enterprising performance from the two is why it took so many years from when it was recorded in a Japanese club in 2004 to release it on CD.
Crucially these sinewy tone examinations aren't just activity and commotion for their own sakes. Each narrative has a singular shape that follows improvisation concepts: so that if the sequences inflate to unstoppable tension with scarce relief than that's how the strategy has evolved. Throughout the polished keyboard narrative Mazzola's polished dynamics are seemingly inexhaustible. Extending the themes further and further out without shattering them often at marathon runner's speed, tremolo motions encompass earth-shaking Free Jazz expansions as well as swells and sways that also keep the tracks' elaborations sweeping forward. On the opposite side, except for a brief exploration of unaccompanied rolls, pops and patterning near the completion of the almost 40-minute "Jumbo's Flight", Gessier's role is that of commentary and rhythmic thrust. And it calls forth a response of intensely torqued glissandi from the pianist.
With both players' motions almost physically visual in their multiphonic vigor propelling multiple note layers every which way, it's easy to almost miss the cerebral underpinning of the creativity. Yet from Mazzola's descriptive lower-pitched strategy in the introductions, through kinetic textural unspooling of patterns from both and the concluding solid blocks of diminishing chords and rebounds, it appears as if this live date couldn't be improved in any way. Geisser's and Mazzola's Swiss bromide negation in the musical sense leads to a notable disc.


text:
Giants offensive linemen know they need to improve 'everything' before game against Lions
By John Healy
The Giants offensive line can't block the criticism, either.
The Giants' offensive line can't block the criticism, either.
After Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Cowboys, it appears as if the Giants' biggest weakness from last season is still the main concern after Week 1, and that is not lost on some members of the offensive line.
"I mean it is in our face," left guard Justin Pugh said on Wednesday. "Every time I turn around, somebody is asking us what is wrong with the O-line."
"It's New York," right tackle Bobby Hart added. "There's going to be a lot of criticism if things don't go right. It's the lay of the land."
Even when asked about any positives, Giants left tackle Ereck Flowers did not see a point in talking about it.
"Does it matter?" he asked. "We didn't get what we wanted, go out there and do what we want."
Flowers has received the brunt of the criticism of the offensive line.
The Giants' first-round draft pick in 2015 has failed to live up to expectations and things did not appear all that much better Sunday night in Dallas.
Down 16-0 in the third quarter, the Giants had a 2nd-and-4 from the Dallas 4-yard line and were poised for a touchdown, but Cowboys defensive end Charles Tapper blew right by left tackle Flowers for a nine-yard sack.
Ereck Flowers has received the brunt of the criticism of the offensive line. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Giants settled for a field goal—their only points of the game.
"Everything needs to be improved," Flowers said. "Try and fix the negatives."
One of those negatives for Flowers appears to be his footwork.
During the broadcast, NBC color commentator Cris Collinsworth pointed out that Flowers appears to be cheating on pass protection by starting with his left foot back really far, but it's costing him in run blocking.
"One of the things that it does is it locks him up when he wants to make a play in the running game," Collinsworth said. "When he has to move to his right, he just can't move that right foot first."
"For Ereck Flowers, he has to survive the passing game and worry about the run game secondarily. Because he has to protect Eli."
The Giants never established a running game, rushing just 12 times for 35 yards, but that could also be attributed to playing from behind the entire game.
Flowers was not the only culprit.
"Every time I turn around, somebody is asking us what is wrong with the O-line," left guard Justin Pugh said. (Howard Simmons/New York Daily News)
Hart and John Jerry continued to struggle with blocking stunts—a problem evident in preseason—as Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence pushed right through Jerry on the third play of the game for a sack and forced the Giants to punt.
Hart also injured his right ankle early in the game and had it heavily taped in the locker room on Wednesday but believes he will be ready for Monday night's game against the Lions.
When asked if his injury affected the way he played, he replied, "It's my ankle, bro. You try blocking on it."
"You're trying to stop people from pushing you and you plant on your ankle but it is what it is," he added. "Part of the game. You deal with it."
As the Giants try to shift their attention to Monday night, Flowers said there is a sense of urgency among the O-line after watching the film from Sunday's loss.
"There's more urgency to go out there and do what we got to do," he said.
Whether or not the Giants can do that, Flowers remained confident:
"I know we can."
Latest Giants


text:
Q: How can I crop image with the Croppie plugins to a size proportional to the indicated one? I'm working on a symfony project where I have to show news with some image. The image will be displayed in 3 parts with different measures, one in the news with normal size (600x400px), another in the news list with a small size (130x130px) and another in the notation list of the rectangular form (700x200px).
The images fit the different sizes, but the problem is that the rectangular image to have low height and much width only appears a part of the original image and cuts the rest. So the user uses the plugins to search the image of the right size and adjust the part that is visible, scrolling the image and zooming of the plugins.
So everything is perfect, the problem I have is that I want to crop the large image to the size described (600x400px), but to show me the plugin a smaller proportional image when it comes to trimming.
That is, I have the following code to use the plugin:
JAVASCRIPT
$uploadCrop = $('#upload-demo1').croppie({
  enableExif: true,
  viewport: {
      width: 600,
      height: 400,
      type: 'square'
  },
  boundary: {
      width: 700,
      height: 500
  }
 });

 $('#upload').on('change', function () {
   var reader = new FileReader();
    reader.onload = function (e) {
     $uploadCrop.croppie('bind', {
       url: e.target.result
     }).then(function(){
     });
    }
   reader.readAsDataURL(this.files[0]);
 });

 $('.upload-result').on('click', function (ev) {
   $uploadCrop.croppie('result', {
     type: 'canvas',
     size: 'viewport',
     format:'jpeg'
  }).then(function (resp) {
    $.ajax({
     url: Routing.generate('image_create'),
     type: "POST",
     data: {"image":resp},
     success: function (data) {
       html = '<img src="' + resp + '" />';
       $("#upload-demo-i").html(html);
     }
   });
 });
});

PHP
public function imagen_createAction()
 {
    $data = $_POST['image'];
    list($type, $data) = explode(';', $data);
    list(, $data)      = explode(',', $data);
    $data = base64_decode($data);
    $time=time();
    $imageName = $time.'-p.jpeg';
    $photoDir = $this->container->getParameter('kernel.root_dir').'/../web/uploads/news/';

    file_put_contents($photoDir.$imageName, $data);

    return new JsonResponse(array(
        'message' => 'Success!',
        'success' => true), 200);
}

Where you can see a limit of 700x500 and the frame for the image of 600x400, and saving it creates the cropped image of that size. But I do not have enough space to show that size when editing (700x500), so I would like to know if the container can be displayed with a proportional measure, so that when generating the cut image is saved as I want to 600x400.
I'm new to this, so I appreciate your help.

A: Finally, I resolved this problem by changing:

size: 'viewport',

to

size: { width: 700, height: 200 },