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remembering Richard Williams 2
the awards in the soho studio
with art babbitt and emery hawkins on RAGGEDY ANN AND ANDY
with ken harris
animating on ROGER RABBIT test
DICK'S SIX sunday brunch in hotel brittannia london
with roy naisbitt and ken harris
brainstorming on NASRUDDIN
with vincent price
in front of his house in hampstead
the soho studio staircase with awards
with ursula andress on CASINO ROYALE
with vincent price, the voice of the grand visier in NASRUDDIN
© bilderfabrik
© key profiles, key press london
© richard williams
Tags: animation history, bilderfabrik, richard williams, roger rabbit
EYVIND EARLE explained how he found the style for disney's SLEEPING BEAUTY, a combination of medieval gothic art with persian miniatures mixed with his own vision. it is very interesting to look at the different animated films of the past and analyze their style development. their designers were of course influenced by the different arts of their time, some had their own style and used it for the look of the films they worked on. but a few of these artists wanted to create a style that fit the story and the culture where it took place. naturally they used elements of existing arts from these cultures and mixed them with interesting other ingredients. it shows that most of them had a good knowledge of art in general, a lot did some extensive research.
the disney studio had for that reason a huge library that still exists, the WDI research library. I spent hours there and found copies of all existing art- and design-magazines from their first edition on from all over the world. tall shelves filled with the swiss GRAPHIS magazines, the english PUNCH, the german NOVUM, all NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC editions, the american old LIFE magazine, specialized magazines about painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, fashion. then in a different room the vast collection of reference books, thousands! there was even a 'cut-out'-archives, personal collections of artists who gave them to the library. it was like being in heaven! you could spend hours. and going through the books you could find the disney-designers names with the dates when they borrowed the books from the library. when I visited the library I was usually alone, not too many artists used the chance and the offer of all these treasures.
it is easier today to get some of that information through the internet, but – you have to know what you are looking for. to give you some ideas I chose as a start one theme – TREES – and followed their very different styling through the arts. in the compilation below I mixed very different films from different studios and from different years to show the incredible variety of styles. in the next posts I will analyze where some of these looks were borrowed from.
© disney enterprises, inc • richard williams animation • miyazaki • UPA
Tags: animation, animation history, reference, style
LA ROSA DI BAGDAD ( THE ROSE OF BAGHDAD ) is a 1949 released italian animated feature film, directed by ANTON GINO DOMENEGHINI, music by RICCARDO PICK MANGIALLI. in the sixties the film was dubbed into english and released as THE SINGING PRINCESS ( still available at amazon ). inspired by the 1001 ARABIAN NIGHTS stories there are several interesting movies, like in animation – THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED 1926 lotte reiniger, 1001 ARABIAN NIGHTS 1959 UPA, THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER 1995 richard williams and ALADDIN 1992 disney, as well as numerous live action films like THE THIEF OF BAGDAD 1924 douglas fairbanks, THE THIEF OF BAGDAD 1940 michael powell, ARABIAN NIGHTS 1942 maria montez, THE GOLDEN BLADE 1952 rock hudson, THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD 1958 ray harryhausen and LES 1001 NUITS 1990 catherine zeta-jones. below is my recreated opening pan from LA ROSA DI BAGDAD.
© fiorella domeneghini
Tags: 1001 arabian nights, animation, animation history
and the last captured moments from my documentary video during the production of BALTO in the london AMBLIMATION studio.
© AMBLIN / UNIVERSAL pictures
Tags: amblimation, animation, animation history, balto, documentary
BALTO went into full production in 1993 in STEVEN SPIELBERG'S london animation studio. and there was a change in leadership, SIMON WELLS became the sole director of the film. below is the second part of the captured moments from my video documentary during that time.
on a sunday afternoon in august 1994 I got a call from ANDREAS DEJA, if I wanted to join him for a visit to OLLIE JOHNSTON'S house and a ride on his train. you bet I wanted. I had arrived in L.A. in june and started to work in the disney-studio. andreas picked me up and we drove up in the hills to la canada / flintridge, where ollie and his wife marie lived. several other guests were invited – STEVE FIOTT, who was the editor of the STORYBOARD-magazine, LEON and JACK JANZEN, the editors of the E-TICKET-magazine and ANDY GASKILL, art director of THE LION KING, who lived not too far away. later FRANCK THOMAS, ollie's good friend and neighbour, joined us as well. ollie's miniature railway was built through his two acre backyard and around the house. it was slightly smaller than WALT DISNEY'S old CAROLWOOD PACIFIC RAILWAY. ollie and WARD KIMBALL had started walt disney's interest in miniature trains and had helped him to design and build his miniature railway. ollie had several cars behind the engine, where we could sit, he blew the whistle and was our engineer running the train. I videotaped the whole event and treasure these memories. the pictures were taken by steve fiott and can be seen in storyboard magazine vol.5/nr.5 sept./oct.1994.
from left to right – OLLIE JOHNSTON, ANDY GASKILL, STEVE FIOTT, me, ANDREAS DEJA
pictures © steve fiott
Tags: animation, animation history, animation legends
in my book – DREAM WORLDS, PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR ANIMATION – the last chapter is about the DISNEY MULTIPLANE CAMERA. I asked the disney archives ARL to help me with some official photographs and learned there were only four left. since that time three years ago I have searched everywhere on the internet, in blogs and old magazine articles for more pictures from the old days, when the disney invented camera was in use for classics like BAMBI, PETER PAN or SLEEPING BEAUTY. following are the pictures I found so far…
Tags: animation history, disney, multplane camera
a while ago I found this picture in an older publication. it was taken 1958 during the film-festival in CANNES. an amazing document, most of the european 'all time' animation legends are there. I identified some of them but a lot are still missing. maybe someone can help me to identify who is left…
Tags: animation, animation history
let's hope this time it will work much better! my name is hans bacher, I am working in the animation industry for a while now, as production designer. was involved in a lot of disney feature films in the 'golden nineties' as well as some amblimation productions. I have published 2 books, one is DREAM WORLDS – production design for animation, still available at amazon and elsewhere. for the last 6 years I live in manila, philippines, and enjoy the mixture of teaching all over asia and the traveling.
as I did in my blogs I had over the last years until I stopped them thanks to the incredible google-support, I will continue with recreated backgrounds of older animated treasures that no longer exist. together with the addition of some of my own animation artwork and some historic documentaries I hope it will be fun again.
Tags: animation, animation history, book, production design


Steve and Andrea Roberts, George Kadoke PDG Brian and Dorothy Menton , Ron and AG Margaret Walton, Elizabeth Harvey, Doug Patterson, Mike Davidson, Tony and Susan Davidson, Andrew Walton and Kat Beck, Linda Cantle, Beverly Rogers, Sue Whitley, Dan Herbert and Janet Stead, John and Pat Hulme, Girvin and Cheryl Devitt, Carol Cartier and Pete Burrell, Mike and Maryanne Kinsey, Marc Durocher and Lisa McCoy. We have a local guide and translator, Sophea, that travels with our team.
Rotary Clubs represented on the trip are: Matheson, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Haliburton, Washago & Area Centennial, Bridgenorth-Ennismore-Lakefield, Parry Sound, Barrie-Kempenfelt and South Georgian Bay.
The team arrives in Phnom Penh Cambodia on Tuesday, January 28th, 2014 and will spend 3 weeks distributing bicycles to needy students in the rural areas. Our current goal is to distribute 800 bicycles in 9 target locations – but we are happy to provide more if donations pour in.
Along with distributing bicycles, our team will be bringing over donations of schools supplies, used eyeglasses, toys and children's clothes which we will give out at the schools and orphanages that we visit. At every bicycle distribution, a Cambodian dental professional will provide a dental hygiene lesson to the children, families and teachers there – so, we are also looking for donations of toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Some of our distributions will be done with members of the local Rotary Club of Battambang. We will attend one of their meetings and enjoy a Cambodian dinner with them.
Our team will also get to visit many of Cambodia's historic sites including: the famed temples of Angkor Wat, The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the Killing Fields, the Landmine Museum, the Royal Palace and National Museum. Our team enjoys local boat trips, cyclo rides and even ride the famous 'Bamboo Train'. We see a lot of rural Cambodia that the average tourist does not see.
Our past two service trips to Cambodia saw a total of 2,328 bikes distributed to needy children enabling them to swiftly cover the miles to school. In the past 2 years, we also distributed 4 tons of rice, 1,231 family-sized mosquito nets and thousands of toothbrushes and toothpaste.
Previous GIANT Garage Sale a huge success – adds 60 Bikes to enable Cambodian Children to go to school!


In recent years, there have been annual conferences on the Right of Return that have played an essential role in consolidating and demonstrating the growing political and public consensus in support of the return of all Palestinian refugees to all the places from which they were expelled. The new Haifa conference is not an alternative to the "Right of Return conferences". It rather takes the discussion one step further by proposing a specific political framework for the implementation of the right of return and for all the countries' residents and refugees to live together.
One year ago, the Abnaa elBalad movement, a Palestinian movement active within the 1948 Palestinian territories, proposed the convening of a conference that will discuss the right of return of the Palestinian refugees and the proposal to establish a secular democratic state in the whole of Palestine.
Since then, there have been many meetings with different groups and activists to discuss the idea and recently the conference was set to convene in Haifa, on June 20-21, 2008.
Many leading activists from different Palestinian movements and political parties have already expressed their will to participate in the conference, as well as some of the main figures in the Palestinian civil society in the 48 territories and many Jewish activists from different movements that struggle against Israeli occupation and Apartheid and for the right of return.
There is a voluntary initiating committee of the conference. The committee is currently working on a detailed program for the conference, including subjects for specific workshops and assigning speakers and facilitators to each workshop. The Initiating Committee is open to new members and is inviting proposals of subjects and speakers.
The conference will not be held in the name of any specific organization, and participants attend in personal capacity (institutional references for identification only).
Preparations are underway, and there is a wide interest in the subject. We need all the help we can get to make it happen and be a big event. This conference aims to promote an open discussion on a new vision for the return of the Palestinian refugees and an inclusive, democratic solution to the 120-year-old conflict that continues to put mankind in danger of a new world war.
We also urgently need financial help, to cover the expenses of the conference.
16:00 - 17:00 Concluding general meeting - discussion of the final declaration.
1. Evaluation of different proposed solutions to the Palestinian problem and the current struggle for the right of return.
4. Religion and politics and the perspective of a secular state.
More subjects are under discussion.
Guests from outside the area are welcome to stay in the homes of local activists.
Guests from abroad who would like to combine their attendance of the conference with a guided tour of Palestine and learn about other political and social aspects of the conflict are welcome.


Falmet Brut NV is a bright and lively Champagne from the Cotes des Bar. This is a Pinot dominant blend (80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay) with great floral characters on the nose. Juicy acidity and brioche notes on the palate are complemented by a fine, energetic bead.


Many people believe that electronic data storage has eliminate the need for advanced office storage and filing devices. This is a limited perspective for two reasons. First and foremost, hardcopies of data prevent permanent data loss that can result from faulty backups and computer hard drive failures. Secondly, vertical file cabinets are often more expensive than many of the high density filing systems sold by Cubiture. High density filing systems feature a number of basic designs that combine ease of access with space consolidation.
Lateral File Storage Lateral filing systems can reduce storage space by up to 200%. Easily able to hold twice as much as standard file cabinets, they are an ideal solution for a small company that has outgrow its file cabinets and is facing office storage space challenges. Many freestanding units feature anti-tip safety mechanisms for added stability.
Rotary Files Another popular filing system features a rotary mechanism that doubles storage space. By utilizing both sides of the units, you can double the capacity of lateral or vertical systems. This is a favorite office storage solution for companies who need to organize a variety of media. Tapes, notebooks, and cds can all be organized within these units. Cubiture also has compact units that will allow you to store coats, purses, office supplies, and personal cell phones.
Shelving Systems and Compact Units File cabinets are not the only mechanism for storing documents and other materials. Various types of shelving are used by a wide range of industries, including medicine and education. Media storage, laboratory supplies, industrial products, office supplies, and special gear can all be stored on various types of shelves.
Wire Shelving The most basic shelving solution for office storage needs is the wire shelf. Food service companies in particular appreciate the accessibility that a shelving unit adds to stock picking and inventory control. Educational facilities also find wire shelves very useful for storing textbooks. Hospitals use them to store medical equipment and surgical tools, and restaurant kitchens use them to store supplies and utensils.
In the office world, shelving systems often take on the physical appearance of filing systems in order to blend with their environment. The most popular type of shelving solution in offices is the mobile shelving unit.
Mobile Storage Also known as compact shelving systems, mobile storage units rank among the more popular types of high density office filing systems. They derive their name form a set of tracks that allow the files to roll along carriages. This eliminates the need for separate aisles between units because you can simply roll the units along the track to access a particular section. Mobile systems are typically highly decorative as well, so you can integrate them into your surrounding office furniture without necessarily having to place them in a separate room.
Mobile office storage systems offer the maximum possible records you can store per square foot. Some can reduce storage space requirements by as much as 300%! Mobile units can be electronically or manually controlled, depending on the model.
In addition to potentially lower costs, high density filing and office storage shelving systems give you the added value of conserving precious floor space. Many organizations who have purchased high density filing systems or shelving units from us have found that they can save trim costs on their next office lease because they require less square footage for document storage. Additional savings sometimes result from leasing smaller spaces because the cost of utilities in smaller offices tends to be lower.
Simplifying and consolidating storage efficiency results in an increase in overall productivity. This is particularly true for the legal, financial services, medical, and educational industries, but it also holds true for industrial and service-based companies who rely upon accurate documentation to track orders, service calls, and vendor transactions.
With over 25 years of experience in designing high density filing systems and office storage solutions, our space planning team can show you how to maximize both your workspace and your storage space with a free office design layout drawing. This layout drawing will show what types of storage systems will work best with your particular choice of cubicles, office furniture, seating, and millwork. Don't put up with shrinking office storage space any longer.
Call 713-412-0900 to get more from existing space at far less the cost of remodeling or office relocation.


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Australian swimming embarrassed after positive drug test
Latest Stories Sports
If only the world championships ended as well as it started for the swimmers from Down Under.
The much-vaunted Australian squad had an impressive but controversial beginning on the opening day of the swimming program — an upset win by 18-year-old Ariarne Titmus over three-time 400-meter freestyle champion American Kate Ledecky.
Then there was a high-profile shunning by Mack Horton of his 400-meter freestyle opponent Sun Yang.
Horton, angry that swimming's world governing body allowed Sun to compete at the world championships before his Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing into a clash with drug testers, refused to stand on the podium after finishing second to the Chinese star.
Horton was roundly criticized in China, but was given a standing ovation by fellow swimmers when he returned to the dining hall later that night at the athletes' village.
Sprint ahead to the final weekend at Gwangju, South Korea, where Australia was on its way to completing a meet total of five gold, nine silver and five bronze medals — second only to the United States' 27 in total, 14 gold. Suddenly, the Aussie team was tainted by a doping a doping case of its own — and, it seems, not a single person on the team knew.
People who live in glass houses … well, a lot of people in Australia could have finished the rest of that sentence.
Shayna Jack's A and B doping samples tested positive for Ligandrol, a banned substance which the 20-year-old swimmer said can be found in supplements. But it's often a drug that body builders use to increase muscle mass.
Swimming Australia was on the back foot through most of the episode.
Jack continues to deny any knowledge of how the banned substance came to be in her system. The A sample results were given to her on July 12, the B sample on July 19, only two days before the swimming events began at the world titles. Jack had already been sent home from a pre-meet training camp, with Swimming Australia saying her departure was for personal reasons.
That means her B sample was returned to her eight days before her failed test became public, news which directly contradicted statements made by Swimming Australia chief executive Leigh Russell after the doping story broke.
And on the Saturday night, shortly after it emerged that Jack had tested positive in an out-of-competition test in late June, Swimming Australia refused to let head coach Jacco Verhaeren appear before the media. That forced swimmer Cate Campbell to answer some uncomfortable questions she should never have been made to answer.
Russell faced the media Sunday and said Swimming Australia did not divulge the positive test because the B sample had not been received, and that it had an agreement with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority not to release doping positives until both samples had been received.
Former ASADA head Richard Ings disagreed. "If Swimming Australia are suggesting that their anti-doping policy forbids them from announcing the Jack provisional suspension, they are wrong," Ings said on Twitter. "The explanation that 'I have no idea where it came from and I'd never take anything intentionally' unfortunately is the excuse used in every one of these cases."
Russell said she was "distressed" to see Horton make his podium protest while being unaware of Jack's positive test.
But the bungling by Swimming Australia brought back memories of just six years ago when a damning independent report was released following the swim team's poor performance at the 2012 London Olympics, its worst since the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
The report released in 2013, and commissioned after allegations of some swimmers using a drug called Stillnox to help them sleep, highlighted a "toxic" culture including drunkenness, misusing prescription drugs, breaking curfews and bullying; and a lack of discipline, accountability, transparency and communication.
If Swimming Australia still has a few issues among those points to improve on, at least they have a year before the Tokyo Olympics to do so. Australia will go in as the United States' biggest threat in many of the individual races and relays in the Olympic pool.
"While an Australian athlete returning an adverse result is both bitterly disappointing and embarrassing to our team, our sport and our country, it does not in any way change the zero tolerance view that Swimming Australia has and our continuing fight for a clean sport," Russell said.
Only time will tell if that's the case. And if Swimming Australia is able to better handle the situation if there is a next time.
Credit : Associated Press (AP) | Photo Credit : (AP)
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Editor September 1, 2017 September 1, 2017

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Our Lady of Lourdes has several active book clubs. Books are selected by the individual groups and scheduled to be read on a monthly basis. A wide variety of books are chosen: religious, novels, fiction, historical fiction, biographies, and current best sellers. A group discussion is held on the subject book at each meeting.
We meet once a month at 7:00 on a Monday evening for approximately 2-1/2 hours. This includes prayer, discussion of the book and social time. At each meeting we determine which Monday we will meet for the next month. Generally we meet at Ray & Karen Brown's except in winter when we meet at member's homes in town. Our books are chosen by the group once a year from a list that we gather throughout the year. We read spiritual/inspirational, historic novels, fiction, and non-fiction/memoirs. We are made up of a variety of people of different ages, diverse backgrounds and a variety of interests. We are men & women, single and married.
An Afternoon Group is held on the third Monday of each month, hosted by a group member. The group meets at 1:00 p.m. during the months of September through June. Lunch prior to the meeting is scheduled in September, December, and May. Contact Kathy Draves for more information at 920-425-3660 or kathydraves@gmail.com.
An Evening Group is held on the third Monday of each month, again hosted by a group member. This group meets at 6:00 p.m. with dinner at 6:15 p.m. during the months of September through June. Contact Chris Schmidt for more information at 920-336-3992 or majik4654@gmail.com.
Some of the books selected for this year include: The Handmaid Tale, Small Great Things, The Last Painting of Sara deVos, Journeys with the Magi, The River of Doubt, Conclave, Therese of Lisieux, The Summer Before the War, and Legends and Lies-The Real West.
You are encouraged to call one of the coordinators for more information. ALL ARE WELCOME!


• Barley grass juice powder, fruit and vegetable extracts, American Ginseng, and Eleutherococcus, naturally energize your body and mind.
• Gingko biloba, magnesium, and lecithin help to promote healthy muscle and nervous system function.
• Beta-carotene, bilberry, grape seed extract, flavonoids, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E are antioxidants that help prevent oxidation due to free radical activity.
• Ginger root helps stimulate digestion and milk thistle extract promotes liver function.
• Echinacea may help support the immune system.
Suggested Use: Dissolve 3 teaspoons into an 8 oz. glass of water or your favorite juice. Recommended daily on an empty stomach.
Does Not Contain: Added sugar, salt, colorings, or fillers.


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Press Center/2011 News Releases/Education support professionals essential for student success
Back to: Press Center / 2011 News Releases / Education support professionals essential for student success
Education support professionals essential for student success
NEA shines spotlight on vital role and contributions of ESP members
As part of the annual American Education Week observance, the National Education Association (NEA) and its 3.2 million members join schools and communities across the nation in celebrating Education Support Professionals Day on Wednesday, November 16. Among the day's events and activities are appreciation breakfasts, luncheons and other celebrations to honor the individuals who work behind the scenes to support students and help schools run smoothly.
Education support professionals (ESPs) drive school buses, clean school buildings, prepare meals and bandage scraped knees. They also serve as security guards, paraeducators, office assistants and technicians. ESPs usually are the first to arrive at school and the last to leave. Schools couldn't operate without them and students would not be as successful. Even though ESPs make up more than 40 percent of all public school employees, their role in supporting students and teachers is often overlooked.
"Education support professionals play a vital role in helping to prepare students to lead successful lives," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "ESPs touch the lives of students in very important ways. They take temperatures, prepare nutritious meals, keep classrooms clean, and they help teachers to provide students with individual attention when needed. As teachers, we recognize ESPs as valuable members of the education team. Students know them to be adults who care deeply about them."
ESPs are active in the communities where they work, with 75 percent living within the school district that employs them. On average, they have more than a decade of experience. NEA research shows that ESPs are generous with their time and resources, contributing in countless ways to help ensure student success. According to NEA research:
53 percent of ESPs provide care to students with special needs;
61 percent give money (an average of $170 per year) out of their own pockets to help students with things such as classroom supplies and field trips;
24 percent coach or support sports programs without compensation;
40 percent support activities of a parental involvement organization;
More than 78 percent of ESPs are responsible for student and staff safety;
53 percent have intervened to prevent bullying in the last two years.
Education Support Professionals Day is part of NEA's 90th annual American Education Week celebration and was first celebrated in 1987 after NEA's Representative Assembly, the Association's decision-making body of nearly 10,000 member delegates, called for creating a way to honor the contributions of all school support staff.
Visit www.nea.org/aew to learn more about American Education Week
For more information about education support professionals, visit: www.nea.org/esphome
CONTACT: Christiana Campos 202-822-7261, ccampos@nea.org


Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) (gingiva) around the teeth is a general term for gingival diseases affecting the gums. As generally used, the term gingivitis refers to gingival inflammation induced by bacterial plaque adherent to tooth surfaces.
Gingivitis is usually caused by bacterial plaque that accumulates in the spaces between the gums and the teeth and in calculus (tartar) that forms on the teeth. These accumulations may be tiny, even microscopic, but the bacteria in them produce foreign chemicals and toxins that cause inflammation of the gums around the teeth. This inflammation can, over the years, cause deep pockets between the teeth and gums and loss of bone around teeth otherwise known as periodontitis.
People with a healthy periodontium (gums, bone and ligament) or people with gingivitis only require periodontal debridement every 3-4 months. However, many dental professionals only recommend periodontal debridement (cleanings) every 3-4 months, because this has been the standard advice for decades, and because the benefits of regular periodontal debridement (cleanings) are too subtle for many patients to notice without regular education from the dental hygienist or dentist. If the inflammation in the gums becomes especially well-developed, it can invade the gums and allow tiny amounts of bacteria and bacterial toxins to enter the bloodstream. The patient may not be able to notice this, but studies suggest this can result in a generalized increase in inflammation in the body cause possible long term heart problems. Periodontitis has also been linked to diabetes, arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, pancreatic cancer and pre-term low birth weight babies.
When the teeth are not cleaned properly by regular brushing and flossing, bacterial plaque accumulates, and becomes mineralized by calcium and other minerals in the saliva transforming it into a hard material called calculus (tartar) which harbors bacteria and irritates the gingiva (gums). Also, as the bacterial plaque biofilm becomes thicker this creates an anoxygenic environment which allows more pathogenic bacteria to flourish and release toxins and cause gingival inflammation. Alternatively, excessive injury to the gums caused by very vigorous brushing may lead to recession, inflammation and infection. Pregnancy, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and the onset of puberty increase the risk of gingivitis, due to hormonal changes that may increase the susceptibility of the gums or alter the composition of the dentogingival microflora. The risk of gingivitis is increased by misaligned teeth, the rough edges of fillings, and ill-fitting or unclean dentures, bridges, and crowns. This is due to their plaque retentive properties. The drug phenytoin, birth control pills, and ingestion of heavy metals such as lead and bismuth may also cause gingivitis.
The sudden onset of gingivitis in a normal, healthy person should be considered an alert to the possibility of an underlying viral aetiology, although most systemically healthy individuals have gingivitis in some area of their mouth, usually due to inadequate brushing and flossing.
Gums that bleed easily, even with gentle brushing, and especially when flossing.
Gingivitis can be prevented through regular oral hygiene that includes daily brushing and flossing. Rigorous plaque control programmes along with periodontal scaling and curettage also have proved to be helpful.
It is recommended that a dental hygienist or dentist be seen after the signs of gingivitis appear. A dental hygienist or dentist will check for the symptoms of gingivitis, and may also examine the amount of plaque in the oral cavity. A dental hygienist or dentist should also test for periodontitis using X-rays or gingival probing as well as other methods.
A dentist or dental hygienist will perform a thorough cleaning of the teeth and gums; following this, persistent oral hygiene is necessary. The removal of plaque is usually not painful, and the inflammation of the gums should be gone between one and two weeks. A gargling of brine water also helps. Oral hygiene including proper brushing and flossing is required to prevent the recurrence of gingivitis. Anti-bacterial rinses or mouthwash, in particular chlorhexidine digluconate 0.2% solution, may reduce the swelling and local mouth gels which are usually antiseptic and anaesthetic can also help.
Periodontitis is the name of a collection of inflammatory diseases affecting the tissues that surround and support the teeth. Periodontitis involves progressive loss of the bone around teeth which may lead to loosening and eventual loss of teeth if untreated.
Periodontitis is caused by bacteria that adhere to and grow on tooth surfaces (microbial plaque or biofilms), particularly in areas under the gum line.
Dentists diagnose periodontitis by inspecting the tissues around the teeth with a probe and by radiographs to detect bone loss around the teeth. Although the different forms of periodontitis are bacterial diseases, a variety of factors affect the severity of the disease. Important "risk factors" include smoking, poorly controlled diabetes, and inherited (genetic) susceptibility.
the periodontal ligaments (PDLs), which are the connective tissue fibres that connect the cementum and the gingiva to the alveolar bone.
The primary etiology, or cause, of gingivitis is the accumulation of a bacterial matrix at the gum line, called dental plaque. In some people, gingivitis progresses to periodontitis - the gum tissues separate from the tooth and form a periodontal pocket. Subgingival bacteria (those that exist under the gum line) colonize the periodontal pockets and cause further inflammation in the gum tissues and progressive bone loss. Examples of secondary etiology would be those things that cause plaque accumulation, such as restoration overhangs and root proximity.
The excess restorative material that exceeds the natural contours of restored teeth, such as these, are termed overhangs, and serve to trap plaque, potentially leading to localized periodontitis. If left undisturbed, bacterial plaque calcifies to form calculus. Calculus above and below the gum line must be removed completely by the dental hygienist or dentist to treat gingivitis and periodontitis. Although the primary cause of both gingivitis and periodontitis is the bacterial plaque that adheres to the tooth surface, there are many other modifying factors. One of the most predominant risk factors of periodontal disease is tobacco use. Another very strong risk factor is one's genetic susceptibility. Several conditions and diseases, including Down syndrome, diabetes, and other diseases that affect one's resistance to infection also increase susceptibility to periodontitis.
Another factor that makes periodontitis a difficult disease to study is that human host response can also affect the alveolar bone resorption. Host response to the bacterial insult is mainly determined by genetics, however immune development may play some role in susceptibility.
brushing properly on a regular basis (at least twice daily), with the patient attempting to direct the toothbrush bristles underneath the gum-line, so as to help disrupt the bacterial growth and formation of subgingival plaque and calculus.
flossing daily and using interdental brushes (if there is a sufficiently large space between teeth), as well as cleaning behind the last tooth in each quarter.
using an antiseptic mouthwash. Chlorhexidine gluconate based mouthwash or hydrogen peroxide in combination with careful oral hygiene may cure gingivitis, although they cannot reverse any attachment loss due to periodontitis. (Alcohol based mouthwashes may aggravate the condition).
regular dental check-ups and professional teeth cleaning as required. Dental check-ups serve to monitor the person's oral hygiene methods and levels of attachment around teeth, identify any early signs of periodontitis, and monitor response to treatment.
Typically dental hygienists (or dentists) use special instruments to clean (debride) teeth below the gum line and disrupt any plaque growing below the gum line. This is a standard treatment to prevent any further progress of established periodontitis. Studies show that after such a professional cleaning (periodontal debridement), bacteria and plaque tend to grow back to pre-cleaning levels after about 3-4 months. Hence, in theory, cleanings every 3-4 months might be expected to also prevent the initial onset of periodontitis. The continued stabilization of a patient's periodontal state depends largely, if not primarily, on the patient's oral hygiene at home if not on the go too. Without daily oral hygiene, periodontal disease will not be overcome, especially if the patient has a history of extensive periodontal disease.
This section from a panoramic X-ray film depicts the teeth of the lower left quadrant, exhibiting generalized severe bone loss of 30-80%. The red line depicts the existing bone level, whereas the yellow line depicts where the bone was originally, prior to the patient developing periodontal disease. The pink arrow, on the right, points to a furcation involvement, or the loss of enough bone to reveal the location at which the individual roots of a molar begin to branch from the single root trunk; this is a sign of advanced periodontal disease. The blue arrow, in the middle, shows up to 80% bone loss on tooth #21, and clinically, this tooth exhibited gross mobility.
Periodontal disease generally affects mandibular incisors aggressively. Because their roots are generally situated very close to each other, with minimal interproximal bone, and because of their location in the mouth, where plaque and calculus accumulation is greatest because of the pooling of saliva, mandibular anteriors suffer excessively. The split in the red line depicts varying densities of bone that contribute to a vague region of definitive bone height. If good oral hygiene is not yet already undertaken daily by the patient, then twice daily brushing with daily flossing, mouth washing and use of an interdental brush needs to be started. Technique with these tools is very important. Aged persons may find that use of these interdental devices more necessary and easier, since the gaps between the teeth may become larger.
A dental hygienist or a periodontist can use professional scraping instruments, such as scalers and curettes to remove bacterial plaque and calculus (formerly referred to as tartar) around teeth and below the gum-line. There are devices that use a powerful ultra-sonic vibration and irrigation system to break up the bacterial plaque and calculus. Local anesthetic is commonly used to prevent discomfort in the patient during this process.
It is difficult to induce the body to repair bone that has been destroyed due to periodontitis. Much depends on exactly how much bone was lost and the architectural configuration of the remaining bone. Vertical defects are those instances of bone loss where the height of the bone remains somewhat constant except in the localized area where there is a steep, almost vertical drop. Horizontal defects are those instances of more generalized bone loss, resulting in anywhere from mild to severe loss of initial bone height. Sometimes bone grafting surgery may be tried, but this has mixed success. Bone grafts are more reliable in instances of vertical defects, where there might be a sufficient "hole" within which to place the added bone. Horizontal defects are rarely if ever able to be grafted properly, as there is nowhere to secure the bone.
Dentists sometimes attempt to treat patients with periodontitis by placing tiny wafers dispensing antibiotics underneath the gum line in affected areas. However, the general scientific consensus is that antibiotic treatment is of minimal value in treating bone loss due to periodontitis. It may help to recover about one millimeter of bone, but it is questionable if this is of significant therapeutic value.
Alternatively, regular subgingival flushing with an anti-calculus composition can dissolve subgingival calculus (tartar) thus facilitating natural healing without surgery. This process is widely used for supragingival tartar via tartar-control toothpastes. Subgingival application of an anti-calculus composition requires a subgingival syringe or an oral irrigator.
One such anti-calculus composition (Periogen) contains sodium tripolyphosphate, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, citric acid and sodium fluoride.
In the composition, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate (TKPP) is a cleaning agent designed to clear away biofilms in order to facilitate chemical access to calculus. Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) acts as the anti-calculus agent, activated by sodium fluoride (.04%), providing a chelating action on the structure of the calculus.
Sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are product activators which assist in dissolving the composition in water for periodontal delivery via a subgingival syringe or oral irrigator with a periodontal tip.
Dentists or dental hygienists "measure" periodontal disease using a device called a periodontal probe. This is a thin "measuring stick" that is gently placed into the space between the gums and the teeth, and slipped below the gum-line. If the probe can slip more than 3 millimetres length below the gum-line, the patient is said to have a "gingival pocket" around that tooth. This is somewhat of a misnomer, as any depth is in essence a pocket, which in turn is defined by its depth, i.e., a 2 mm pocket or a 6 mm pocket. However, it is generally accepted that pockets are self-cleansable (at home, by the patient, with a toothbrush) if they are 3 mm or less in depth. This is important because if there is a pocket which is deeper than 3 mm around the tooth, at-home care will not be sufficient to cleanse the pocket, and professional care should be sought. When the pocket depths reach 5, 6 and 7 mm in depth, even the hand instruments and cavitrons used by the dental professionals cannot reach deeply enough into the pocket to clean out the bacterial plaque that cause gingival inflammation. In such a situation the pocket or the gums around that tooth will always have inflammation which will likely result in bone loss around that tooth. The only way to stop the inflammation would be for the patient to undergo some form of gingival surgery to access the depths of the pockets and perhaps even change the pocket depths so that they become 3 or less mm in depth and can once again be properly cleaned by the patient at home with his or her toothbrush.
If a patient has 5 mm or deeper pockets around their teeth, then they would risk eventual tooth loss over the years. If this periodontal condition is not identified and the patient remains unaware of the progressive nature of the disease then, years later, they may be surprised that some teeth will gradually become loose and may need to be extracted, sometimes due to a severe infection or even pain.


Erudite makes it possible to use Amazon's Cloud Reader on various mobile platforms which aren't officially supported by Amazon. You can either read books online, or download them for reading offline. Your progress in a book is then also kept synchronised between your phone and other Kindle devices.
Until recently Erudite only supported MeeGo Harmattan and Mer based phones (such as the Nokia N9), but now it's also available for Symbian Belle phones as well. I'll try and put together a build for Symbian Anna phones in the near future.
There's a fairly comprehensive review of Erudite for Symbian over on All About Symbian: Erudite review.
In the next release for both Symbian and MeeGo I'll be focusing on orientation switching support, so users can optionally view their books in landscape mode, as well as investigating some apparent issues with very large books.


I'm lucky enough to get to use my talents in giving back to the community, helping animals, which is something I find very fulfilling. Below are a few of my ongoing projects and favorite regional animal related non-profits. Please contact me for more information about these efforts, or to request donations of photography or services for your rescue or shelter.
I have fallen in love with photographing wild horses, and with the wild horse preservation movement. There is something incredibly thrilling, and humbling, about seeing and photographing wild horses in their own habitat. I give recurring donations to American Wild Horse Preservation, and will donate a minimum of 10% of sales of any prints of my wild horse photography to them as well. Here are two recent photos of wild mustangs in the Onaqui HMA in Utah.
I have volunteered my photography skills with a variety of community organizations over the years, for example Horses for Healing, a wonderful equine therapy organization in Auburn, CA. I take event photos, marketing & website photos, and help document the work these organizations do.
I also contribute to, and occasionally foster for, one of my favorite dog rescues, NORSLED, an all-volunteer organization specializing in rescuing northern breed dogs such as huskies, malamutes, etc. I adopted my own dog Luna as a puppy by their sister organization.
I consult with and contribute on an ad hoc basis to shelters and rescues needing assistance with force-free behavior modification, program design, or staff/volunteer training.
I am a proud member of the Pet Professional Guild Association for Force Free Pet Professionals and adhere to their guiding principles.


text:
\section*{Background}

  The SAM (Sequence Alignment/Matching) and BAM (Binary Alignment/Matching) file formats
  have become the standard formats for storing sequence data which was obtained
  through high throughput sequencing and alignment of the resulting data to a reference genome.
  Both formats were introduced as part of the SAMtools package
  (cf.~\cite{Li15082009}). SAM is a human readable text format whereas BAM
  is a more compact and compressed binary format. The current specifation of the formats is
  availble at \cite{samfilespec}. These files can be used for many
  applications including the detection of variants between the contained
  data and a reference, sequencing quality control and long term storage.
  Many programs have been created for the alignment of sequencing reads to
  reference sequences including SSAHA \cite{ssaha}, BWA
  \cite{bwa,bwasw}, Bowtie \cite{bowtie,bowtie2}, SOAP \cite{soap,soap2}
  and SMALT \cite{smalt} and most of the recently published aligners are
  either capable of generating SAM or BAM output or come with a script for
  converting their output to SAM or BAM. Most sequence data produced at the
  time being is sequenced as paired end reads. Short linear DNA templates
  are sequenced from both ends. This produces a pair of reads for each
  template. Both ends of the pair are assigned the same read name in the resulting data
  files thus providing the information that both ends are most likely within a certain
  expected distance in the underlying genome. This information aids in
  correctly aligning the resulting short sequences to a reference or
  assembling the fragments to a new draft reference. In the data obtained
  from a sequencer the pairs are usually collated in some form, either the
  two ends of a pair directly follow each other in a file or appear in an
  equivalent position in two separate files such that each of the two holds
  only the information for one of the two ends. The order of reads aligned
  to a reference which is most suitable for calling variants between the
  reads and the reference or within the reads is however the one resulting
  from sorting the data by coordinate (id of the reference sequence plus position on the
  sequence where the fragment was mapped). Thus many SAM and BAM files
  are processed in this order. There are however some applications which
  require the complete information from each pair. This includes the
  conversion of BAM files to a FastQ format suitable for realignment or a
  de novo assembly for an alternative detection of variants (see e.g.~\cite{pmid22569178})
  as well as the marking of duplicate reads. It is thus useful to have
  a quick, easy to use and reliant way of collating reads from a SAM/BAM file
  by their name without needing to resort to a full resorting of the file by
  read names. For the application of duplicate marking it is in addition
  desirable to keep the order after collation as close to the coordinate
  sorted order as possible, as clusters of reads pairs mapped to the same
  coordinates need to be detected. In this paper we present
  \texttt{biobambam}, a C++ API for efficient read name collation in BAM file
  and two tools \texttt{bamtofastq} and \texttt{bammarkduplicates} based on
  this API. These tools are more efficient in terms of runtime and memory
  usage then previous tools solving equivalent tasks like the SamToFastq and MarkDuplicates
  modules in Picard (see \cite{picard}).
  \pb

\section*{Implementation}

  The biobambam package is split into two parts. The front-end tools
  \texttt{bamtofastq} and \texttt{bammarkduplicates} show-casing some
  applications of fast collation of alignments by name can be  found in the biobambam
  source package (cf.~\cite{biobambam}). The implementation of the
  collation code and the BAM file input and output routines are part of the
  larger \texttt{libmaus} project (see \cite{libmaus}), which also contains some
  supporting data structures.\pb

  There are various code bases and APIs available for
  SAM and BAM file input and output, including SAMtools (C), SeqAn (C++, cf.~\cite{seqan})
  and Bio-samtools (Ruby, cf.~\cite{22640879}).
  We use our own implementation for reading BAM files, which can be found in the libmaus
  project (C++, \cite{libmaus}). The libmaus project also contains various
  supporting data structures which we use, including the biobambam API in its
  namespace \texttt{libmaus::bambam}. The front-end programs can be found in
  the biobambam project. The tools can easily be extended to handle the newer
  CRAM format (cf.~\cite{HsiYangFritz01052011}) via the \texttt{io\_lib} part
  of the Staden package (cf.~\cite{iolib,staden}) which contains the Gap5
  software (see \cite{gap5}).
  So far this extension has been implemented for the \texttt{bamtofastq}
  program, which is capable of transforming CRAM files to FastQ.\pb

  In the following we will first describe the algorithms and data structures
  used to for collating alignments by their name. Subsequently we will
  present the API making the functionality available to other users.

  \subsection*{Algorithms and Data Structures for Collation by Read Name}

  Although the BAM file format can store alignments in any order, most BAM
  files will either have the alignments collated by the corresponding read
  names or will contain the alignments sorted by their coordinates on the
  reference the reads were aligned to.

  The first case will commonly appear as the output of alignment programs
  or if raw FastQ files coming from a sequencer are converted to the BAM format
  without aligning the contained reads to any reference.

  In this setting the output of the alignments in an order collated by read name
  to another format offering the same or less information is very simple.

  In the second case a straight-forward but often inefficient way is to
  first sort the input BAM file by query name using tools like SAMtools or
  Picard and then resort to a conversion as employed in the first case, as a BAM
  file sorted by query name will have the alignments collated by read name.

  For a BAM file sorted by alignment coordinates collating the alignments
  by read name can often be done more efficiently by observing that while the
  alignments paired by read name will commonly not be consecutive in the file,
  they are in most cases close together.

  If we denote the average coverage of a coordinate on the reference by $d$
  (i.e.~each coordinate is covered by $d$ reads/alignments on average), the
  average absolute template length of a pair with both ends mapped to the
  same sequence by $t$ (e.g.~the absolute value of the distance between
  the mapping positions of the $5'$ ends for Illumina paired-end reads)
  and the read length by $l$, then we would expect the distance between
  two such ends in the BAM file to be $\frac{d}{l} ( t - l )$ on average.

  The mean number of read ends starting at each position on the
  forward strand is $\frac{d}{l}$ and the distance between the two starting
  points on the forward strand is $t-l$.

  Mapping the data from the whole human genome sequencing study ERP001231
  (cf.~\cite{ERP001231}) to the human genome (GRCh37, see \cite{GRCh37})
  using the SMALT aligner (see \cite{smalt}) for instance, we observe an average
  sequencing depth of $d=45$ with an average template length of $t=324$ at
  a mean read length of $l=101$ ($100$ base pairs were sequenced at one end of
  the templates and $102$ from the other end).

  According to our formula this implies an average number of about $99$
  alignments between the two alignments of one pair in a BAM file containing the
  aligned reads. The actual median we observe in the file is $107$.
  Due to some improperly mapped pairs in the file the weighted average value we
  see is not a meaningful number.

  Thus for the average case it would be sufficient to use any type of data
  structure which allows fast insertion, deletion and lookup of alignments
  by read name for a small set of alignments.\pb

  One such data structure would be a hash table with collision resolution by
  separate chaining.

  In practice however we see cases where some read ends stay in this hash table
  for an extended time when we process a BAM file sorted by coordinates from
  start to end.

  This may happen for reads where the two ends map to different chromosomes (split reads).

  There are also often regions in a genome where the sequencing depth is
  much higher than on average, which can lead to a drastic increase in the
  amount of memory required to store the hash table at certain points.

  Instead of using a hash table with collision resolution we use a hash table
  $H$ of fixed size $h$ without collision resolution.

  If there is a collision because two alignments with different names are assigned
  the same hash value, then the alignment previously in the hash table is removed
  from the table and inserted into a list $L$ of fixed size $l$ of alignments to
  be handled later.

  Each time the list $L$ runs out of space we sort the alignments in $L$ by
  read name.

  This sorting may yield some new pairs, which we extract before storing the
  unpaired alignments still in $L$ in a temporary file and emptying the list $L$.

  As soon as all alignments have been read from the source BAM file we move all the alignments
  remaining in $H$ over to the list $L$ and in the end flush the list $L$ by
  sorting the remaining elements by name, extracting the resulting pairs and
  writing the remaining unpaired alignments to another temporary file.

  As all the temporary files are sorted by name, we can
  easily merge the files together to obtain a stream of alignments that is
  sorted by read name. In this stream it is again simple to detect and
  output pairs. A diagram of this data flow can be seen in Figure
  1.
  Using this kind of setup we are able to quickly process most of the reads
  which have both ends close together in the BAM file while avoiding the use
  of excessive amounts of main memory to handle those pairs which are not
  close together.\pb

  \ifarxiv
  \begin{figure}
  \begin{center}
  \resizebox{.5\textwidth}{!}{\includegraphics{figure1}}

  \caption{
  Data Flow during Collation - The collation process uses several layers of data structures
  for handling alignments. This includes the hash table $H$ (see Figure
  $2$), the overflow list $L$ (see Figure $3$), a set of temporary files
  $T_i$ and a merged list $M$ produced from the $T_i$.
  }
  \label{figure1}
  \end{center}
  \end{figure}
  \fi

  To avoid the overhead resulting from the allocation of a small block of
  memory for each single alignment, we implement the hash table $H$ and the
  list $L$ in the following way. The hash table $H$ is implemented as a
  fixed size character array $R$ which we use as a ring buffer, an array $P$ of
  integers and a B-tree $B$. $P$ is the actual hash table storing pointers into $R$,
  $R$ is used to store alignments as uncompressed BAM entries
  and $B$ contains the starting positions of all alignments currently stored in $R$.
  A pointer $r$ which is initially set to $0$ marks the current position in $R$. When
  a name $q$ is to be searched in $H$, then we first compute the hash value $h$ of
  the name and check whether position $P[h]$ in $R$ designates the start of
  an alignment and the stored alignment has the name $q$. An alignment with
  hash value $h$ can be erased from $H$ by first removing $P[h]$ from $B$ and then setting $P[h]$
  to a special value marking a free position in $P$. To insert a new
  alignment with hash value $h$ into $H$ we first need to make sure there is sufficient space.
  If $P[h]$ is used, then the currently stored alignment for $h$ needs to be
  moved to $L$ and erased from $H$. Then we possibly need to remove more
  alignments from $H$ until the difference between the current insert
  pointer $r$ and the next higher value in $B$ (considered in a circular way
  as $R$ is a ring buffer) contains sufficient space to store the new
  alignment. As soon as sufficient space is available, we can copy the
  alignment data to position $r$ in $R$, insert $r$ into $B$, store $P[h]=r$
  and advance $r$ by the length of the alignment data we have just stored.
  Figure $2$ visualises the components of the hash table $H$. We store the
  list $L$ as a byte array. The alignment data is filled in at the front end
  of the array. The pointers to the alignment starting positions in the byte
  array are filled in from the back of the array. The list runs full if we
  are no longer able to add the next alignment in the same way as the ones
  already stored. Figure $3$ shows a list $L$ containing $5$ alignments
  $A_0,A_1,\ldots,A_4$. A full list can be sorted by keeping the alignment
  data in place and reordering the pointers at the end of the byte array.
  Storing $H$ and $L$ in this way requires a very small amount of memory allocation
  and freeing operations for handling large sets of alignments.

  \ifarxiv
  \begin{figure}
  \begin{center}
  \resizebox{.5\textwidth}{!}{\includegraphics{figure2}}

  \caption{
  Collation Hash Table $H$ - The hash table $H$ used for collation is composed of three components. The
  ring buffer $R$ stores alignment data. In the picture it contains three
  alignments $A_i, A_j$ and $A_k$. The insert pointer $r$ is situated just
  after the alignment $A_j$. The hash table $P$ stores pointers into $R$,
  where the position of the respective pointers is given by a hash value
  computed from the name of the stored alignment. The B-tree $B$ stores the
  starting positions of alignments in $R$ in sorted order.
  }
  \label{figure2}
  \end{center}
  \end{figure}
  \fi

  \ifarxiv
  \begin{figure}
  \begin{center}
  \resizebox{.5\textwidth}{!}{\includegraphics{figure3}}

  \caption{
  Overflow List $L$ - The overflow list $L$ is implemented as a byte array. Alignments are
  inserted from the start of the array. In the picture $A_0, A_1, \ldots
  A_4$ are contained. Pointers to the respective starting positions are
  inserted from the end of the byte array.
  }
  \label{figure3}
  \end{center}
  \end{figure}
  \fi

  \section*{Results and Discussion}

  \subsection*{Using \texttt{libmaus}/\texttt{biobambam}: a short introduction}

  In the following we will describe how to obtain, compile and use the
  \texttt{libmaus}-API for collating reads extracted from BAM files by name
  and how to use the tools \texttt{bamtofastq} and
  \texttt{bammarkduplicates}.

  \subsection*{Installation}

  The installation of \texttt{libmaus} and \texttt{biobambam} is as fairly
  straight-forward process on a recent Linux system.
  Both are based on the standard GNU
  autoconf/automake based build system. The latest source tarballs are
  available at \texttt{https://github.com/gt1/libmaus/tags} and
  \texttt{https://github.com/gt1/biobambam/tags} respectively. After unpacking
  the tarballs the packages can be compiled using
  \begin{alltt}
  autoreconf -i -f
  ./configure --prefix=\(\texttt{\$}\){HOME}/libmaus && make install
  \end{alltt}
  for libmaus and subsequently
  \begin{alltt}
  autoreconf -i -f
  ./configure --with-libmaus=\(\texttt{\$}\){HOME}/libmaus --prefix=\(\texttt{\$}\){HOME}/biobambam && make install
  \end{alltt}
  for the biobambam front-end tools. Using these commands the tools
  \texttt{bamtofastq} and \texttt{bammarkduplicates} will be installed in
  the directory \texttt{\${HOME}/biobambam/bin}.\pb

  The installation on recent versions of Ubuntu Linux (11.10 and newer) is
  particularly easy, as both packages can be installed from LaunchPad as binaries:

  \begin{alltt}
  sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gt1/staden-io-lib-current
  sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gt1/libmaus
  sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gt1/biobambam
  sudo apt-get install libmaus-dev biobambam
  \end{alltt}

  This will place the new tools in the \texttt{/usr/bin} directory. The
  LaunchPad version comes with support for converting CRAM files to FastQ
  via the Staden package's \texttt{io\_lib}.\pb

  \texttt{libmaus} can be compiled on MacOS X in way very similar to the one shown for
  Linux. On non recent versions of the MacOS X development environment this will require
  the \texttt{boost} libaries (see \cite{boost}).
  \pb

  \subsection*{Compiling programs using \texttt{libmaus}}

  The compiler and linker flags necessary for using \texttt{libmaus} can be
  obtained using the \texttt{pkg-config} tool. If \texttt{libmaus} is not
  installed in a system directory via LaunchPad, then \texttt{pkg-config}
  needs to be informed of it's location via the \texttt{PKG\_CONFIG\_PATH}
  environment variable. An example for the \texttt{bash} shell is

  \begin{alltt}
  export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=\(\texttt{\$}\){HOME}/libmaus/lib/pkgconfig:\(\texttt{\$}\)PKG_CONFIG_PATH
  \end{alltt}

  The compilation flags can then be obtained using
  \begin{alltt}
  pkg-config --cflags --libs libmaus
  \end{alltt}
  A sample program can thus be compiled using
  \begin{alltt}
  c++ source.cpp -o binary `pkg-config --cflags --libs libmaus`
  \end{alltt}

  \subsection*{Including read name collating BAM input in libmaus in source code}

  For including the name collating BAM input functionality of libmaus
  in other C++ source code, the respective definitions need to be made
  available using

  \begin{verbatim}
#include <libmaus/bambam/CircularHashCollatingBamDecoder.hpp>
#include <libmaus/util/TempFileRemovalContainer.hpp>
using namespace libmaus::bambam;
using namespace libmaus::util;
using namespace std;
typedef BamCircularHashCollatingBamDecoder collator_type;
typedef collator_type::alignment_ptr_type alignment_ptr_type;
  \end{verbatim}

  The first two lines include header files from \texttt{libmaus}. The next five
  lines simplify notation in the following. The collating input class can
  then be instantiated using
  \begin{verbatim}
collator_type C(cin,"tmpfile");
  \end{verbatim}
to read from the standard input channel \texttt{cin}. The second argument
specifies the name of the file used to write alignments out to disk when the
list $L$ described above overflows. The temporary file can be removed after
all alignments have been extracted from the input stream. For the sake of
convenience this can also be done automatically using
  \begin{verbatim}
TempFileRemovalContainer::addTempFile("tmpfile");
\end{verbatim}
After the instantiation of the collator object pairs can be extracted using
  \begin{verbatim}
pair<alignment_ptr_type,alignment_ptr_type> P;
while ( C.tryPair(P) )
 if ( P.first && P.second )
 {
  /* process pair */
  cout << "Found pair with name " << P.first->getName() << endl;
 }
\end{verbatim}
The function \texttt{tryPair} of the collator class tries to extract
pairs from the input BAM file. It returns \texttt{true} if any
data could be extracted. The pair \texttt{P} will contain two pointers to
alignments if this extraction was succesful. In case there are single or
orphan reads in the input one of the two pointers may be a null pointer (an
orphan read is a read end such that the other end is missing from the file).
A list with accessor functions for alignments with their respective return
types is shown in Table 1. Header information like the length and name of
reference sequences can be obtained by calling methods of the header object
in the collation class.
\begin{verbatim}
BamHeader const & header = C.getHeader();
\end{verbatim}
Some methods and return types of the \texttt{BamHeader} class can be found
in Table 2.

\ifarxiv
\begin{table}
\begin{center}
      \begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|}
        \hline \multicolumn{3}{|c|}{Alignment accessor functions}\\ \hline
        \em{Name of function} & \em{Return type} & \em{Description} \\ \hline
        getName() & string & alignment name \\ \hline
        getLReadName() & integer & length of read name \\ \hline
        getRefID() & integer & id of reference sequence this end was mapped to \\ \hline
        getPos() & integer & position on reference sequence this end was mapped to \\ \hline
        getNextRefID() & integer & id of reference sequence other end was mapped to \\ \hline
        getNextPos() & integer & position on reference sequence other end was mapped to \\ \hline
        getFlags() & integer & alignment flags \\ \hline
	isPaired() & bool & true if read was paired in sequencing \\ \hline
	isProper() & bool & true if template is mapped as a proper pair \\ \hline
	isMapped() & bool & true if this end is mapped \\ \hline
	isMateMapped() & bool & true if other end is mapped \\ \hline
	isReverse() & bool & true if this end is mapped to the reverse strand \\ \hline
	isMateReverse() & bool & true if other end is mapped to the reverse strand \\ \hline
	isRead1() & bool & true if this end is the first read of the pair \\ \hline
	isRead2() & bool & true if this end is the second read of the pair \\ \hline
	isSecondary() & bool & true if this alignment is not the primary one \\ \hline
	isQCFail() & bool & true if alignment has failed quality control \\ \hline
	isDup() & bool & true if alignment is duplicate of another \\ \hline
        getLseq() & integer & length of query sequence \\ \hline
	getRead() & string & query sequence \\ \hline
	getReadRC() & string & reverse complement of query sequence \\ \hline
	getQual() & string & quality string \\ \hline
	getQualRC() & string & reverse quality string \\ \hline
        getMapQ() & integer & mapping quality for this end \\ \hline
        getNCigar() & integer & number of cigar operations \\ \hline
        getCigarFieldOpAsChar(i) & character & i'th cigar operator as character \\ \hline
        getCigarFieldLength(i) & integer & i'th cigar operation length \\ \hline
        getTlen() & integer & infered template length \\ \hline
        getAuxAsString("tagname") & string & content of auxiliary field with id tagname \\ \hline
        formatFastQ() & string & alignment converted to a FastQ entry \\ \hline
      \end{tabular}
    \caption{Accessor methods of the alignment class in \texttt{libmaus}}
    \label{table1}
\end{center}
\end{table}

\begin{table}
\begin{center}
      \begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|}
        \hline \multicolumn{3}{|c|}{BAM header accessor functions}\\ \hline
        \em{Name of function} & \em{Return type} & \em{Description} \\ \hline
        getRefIDName(i) & string & name of i'th reference sequence \\ \hline
        getRefIDLength(i) & integer & length of i'th reference sequence \\ \hline
        getNumRef() & integer & number of reference sequences \\ \hline
        getVersion() & string & BAM format version number \\ \hline
        getSortOrder() & string & sort order of the BAM file \\ \hline
      \end{tabular}

  \caption{Accessor methods of the BAM header class in \texttt{libmaus}}
\end{center}
\end{table}
\fi

  \subsection*{A sample program for converting BAM to FastQ}

The following code is a complete program for converting an input BAM file to
FastQ while keeping only complete pairs.
\begin{verbatim}
#include <libmaus/bambam/CircularHashCollatingBamDecoder.hpp>
#include <libmaus/util/TempFileRemovalContainer.hpp>

using namespace libmaus::bambam;
using namespace libmaus::util;
using namespace std;

int main()
{
 typedef BamCircularHashCollatingBamDecoder collator_type;
 typedef collator_type::alignment_ptr_type alignment_ptr_type;

 /* remove temporary file at program exit */
 string const tmpfilename = "tmpfile";
 TempFileRemovalContainer::addTempFile(tmpfilename);

 /* set up collator object */
 collator_type C(cin,tmpfilename);
 pair<alignment_ptr_type,alignment_ptr_type> P;

 /* read alignments */
 while ( C.tryPair(P) )
  /* if we have a pair, then print both ends as FastQ */
  if ( P.first && P.second )
  {
   cout << P.first->formatFastq();
   cout << P.second->formatFastq();
  }
}
\end{verbatim}
Note that the source code of the \texttt{bamtofastq} program in \texttt{biobambam} is
somewhat more complicated because it offers more options (different
input formats like SAM and CRAM, handling of single and orphan reads, etc.)
and introduces a few small syntatic nuances (for instance a reusable buffer
for the conversion of alignments to FastQ) to increase performance further.
The interested reader is refered to the respective source code (cf.~\cite{biobambam}).

  \subsubsection*{Performance Comparison of \texttt{bamtofastq} and Picard}

  All benchmarks for this papers were run on a PC using an
  Intel Core i$7$-$2700$K processor running at a frequency of $3.5$ GHz and equipped with $16$GB of memory.
  While this is a quad core CPU, the benchmarks were run using only $1$ thread per job.
  Temporary files were stored on a fast solid state type drive (SSD).
  The machine was running version $13.04$ (Raring Ringtail) of Ubuntu Linux.
  libmaus and biobambam were compiled using the version of the C++ compiler
  delivered with the operating system (GCC version $4.7.3$).
  We compare against version $1.91$ of the Picard suite. We have downloaded
  the binary distribution of Picard from SourceForge and run the programs
  using Oracle's Java (Java SE 7u21).

  For evaluating the performance of our approach for converting BAM to FastQ in
  comparison with Picard we have used the following data sets, each stored
  in a single BAM file:
  \begin{enumerate}
  \item
	The low depth human data set HG00096 (see \cite{HG96}) from the 1000 genomes project
	(cf.~\cite{pmid20981092}) with a depth median value of $4$. We have used the BAM file as provided by the
	project, the size of the file is $15$GB.
	The median of the distance between the two ends of a template in the file is $5$
	(due to some outliers the weighted average is $96220$).
	Both programs were able to handle the data set with a heap size of about $256$MB.

	The runtime was
		$305$s ($5$m$5$s) for \texttt{bamtofastq}
	and
		$1182$s ($19$m$42$s) for Picard's SamToFastq component,
	i.e.~\texttt{bamtofastq}
	was faster by a factor of $3.87$.
        None of the two programs gained significantly by using more main memory.

  \item
	The high depth human data set ERP001231 (see \cite{ERP001231}) with a median depth value of 45.

	This data was downloaded as FastQ and mapped to the human reference
        \cite{GRCh37} using the SMALT aligner \cite{smalt}.
        The resulting BAM file was sorted by coordinate using SAMtools.

	The median of the distance between the two ends of a template in the file is $107$
	but due to some very pronounced peeks and outliers in the distribution the weighted average is $1.4\cdot 10^7$.

	The size of the resulting sorted BAM file is $95$GB.

	\texttt{bamtofastq} was able to handle the file in $2661$s ($44$m$21$s) seconds using its default memory setting of
	$256$MB of heap space. Using more main memory resulted in only
	slightly better perfomance, the runtime dropped to $42$m$28$s for $816$MB of heap
	space and did not decrease further for $1451$MB.

	Picard ran out of memory on the file when provided with $5$GB and less of main memory.
	It took $30270$s ($8$h$24$m) given $6$GB of main memory.
	By increasing the amount of memory to $10$GB the runtime was reduced to $9870$s ($2$h$44$m).
	Due to the modest drop in run time from $9$GB ($2$h$47$m) to $10$GB we did
	not measure the run time for more than $10$GB.

	These numbers give \texttt{bamtofastq} a runtime which is between $3.78$ and
	$11.88$ times faster than Picard's MarkDuplicates.

	The high runtime of Picard using $6$GB of main memory suggests that
	that the employed memory management gets very inefficient when the
	program uses most of the provided memory. For $5$GB it fails after a
	run time of more than 7 hours.

  \item
	The high depth E.~coli data set from the study SRP017681 (see \cite{SRP017681}) with a median depth value of $879$.
	This data was also downloaded as FastQ and mapped to the respective reference genome (see \cite{K12}) using SMALT.
        The resulting BAM file was sorted by coordinate using SAMtools. The sorted BAM file has a size of $44$GB.
	The median of the distance between the two ends of a template in the file is $158240$, the weighted average is $1.7\cdot 10^7$.

	\texttt{bamtofastq} is able to handle this file in $2689$s ($44$m$49$s) using $256$MB of main memory.

        In this memory setting a large amount of reads need to be handled by
	resorting to temporary files on secondary storage because of the high depth of the input data.

	Due to this effect the runtime decreases to $1720$s ($28$m$40$s) when we let the program use $1.45$G
	of memory by increasing the size of the hash table $H$.

	Picard fails with an out of memory type error when given $8$GB of main memory.
	Using $9$GB of memory it processes the file in $4$h$7$m. Increasing the
	main memory given to $10$G and $11$G decreases the run time to $2$h$25$m and $2$h$6$m respecively.
	Thus \texttt{bamtofastq} is depending on the memory settings between $2.8$ and $8.6$ times faster
	than Picard while using significantly less memory.

  \end{enumerate}

 Picard uses Java's \texttt{HashMap} class and keeps each end in this
 hash table until the other end of the read is found in the file. This
 explains its high memory requirements. The performance is also low due to
 frequent object allocation and implicit deallocation (garbage collection)
 processes, in particular when the memory used is close to the memory given.
 \texttt{bamtofastq} can handle all the given files easily with its default
 small memory foot print. In particular it does not require the user to
 adjust the input parameters to process any of the files.

 \subsubsection*{Marking Duplicate Alignments}

 Large sets of sequenced reads often contain reads or read pairs which are
 not unique, i.e.~such reads and read pairs which map to the same
 coordinates on a given reference genome. This may happen for several
 reasons including artefacts of library preparation (e.g.~duplication by
 PCR), sequencing artefacts (e.g. optical duplicates) or just by chance as
 the selection of sequenced molecules is usually a random process.

 For some data sets to number of duplicate reads can be very high.
 In the E.~coli data set SRP017681 mentioned above (see \cite{SRP017681}) for instance
 more than 90\% of the reads are duplicates. The presence of duplicates can
 significantly influence downstream analysis. Thus the detection and marking
 of duplicates is an important step in the analysis of sequenced data.

 The Picard tool suite contains a program for marking duplicates in BAM
 files. We will not describe the algorithmic procedure employed in detail
 here but only provide a rough description of how it works.

 First the program constructs a list $L_P$ of aligned pairs and a list of
 aligned single ended reads and orphans $L_S$. Both lists are sorted by
 coordinates, where the sorting of the list $L_P$ is lexicographic in the
 coordinates of the two ends (i.e.~the pairs are first sorted by the
 leftmost mapping end and then those which have the same leftmost mapping
 position are sorted by the mapping coordinate of the other end).

 In this sorted order it is very simple to partition the lists $L_P$ and
 $L_S$ into subsets of read pairs and single reads respectively which map to
 the same coordinates. In each such subset a single element with the highest score
 computed from the base qualities of the reads is selected as representant
 and the other elements are considered and marked as duplicates. In addition
 the current code also considers single ended reads and orphans as duplicates
 if they map to the same coordinate as one end of a mapped pair.

 The read name collation approach we present in this paper can be used as a
 building block for the construction of the list $L_P$. Based on this we
 have implemented our own version of a duplication marking tool
 \texttt{bammarkduplicates}, which in its first release mimics the behaviour
 of Picard's MarkDuplicates tools. In addition to the read name collation
 machinery it uses a structure very similar to the list $L$ above (see also
 Figure $3$) for sorting fragments of the lists $L_P$ and $L_S$ before those
 fragments are written to secondary memory. This gives
 \texttt{bammarkduplicates} a very stable and predictable memory usage
 profile. This is different from Picard's MarkDuplicates tool, which uses a
 large amount of main memory for some data sets featuring high coverage in
 some regions or as a whole and thus is harder to handle in automated
 sequencing pipelines, as it sometimes requires manual intervention due to
 out of memory type errors.\pb

 We have evaluated the performance of \texttt{bammarkduplicates} in
 comparison to Picard's MarkDuplicates for the same BAM files as we have
 used above for the BAM to FastQ evaluation.

 \begin{enumerate}
  \item As can be expected the low depth data set HG00096 can efficiently be
    handled by both programs using $256$MB of heap space. None of the two
    programs benefit from being allowed to use more memory.
    \texttt{bammarkduplicates} handles the file in $36$m$49$s and
    MarkDuplicate in $42$m$42$s. Thus on this data set
    \texttt{bammarkduplicates} is faster by a factor of $1.16$.
  \item
	\texttt{bammarkduplicates} processes the file
	obtained by mapping the reads from ERP001231 as described above in
	$5$h$28$m using $281$MB of main memory. It does not benefit from
	using more memory.

	Picard is not able to
	handle the file using $512$MB of RAM. With $768$MB it runs for
	$5$h$37$m. The run time for $2$GB and $3$GB is about the same at
	$5$h$30$m, thus we assume that further increasing the amount of
	given RAM will not result in better performance. The run time on
	this data set is thus about the same for both programs, while
	\texttt{bammarkduplicates} uses less memory.
  \item
	The BAM file obtained by mapping the reads from the study SRP017681
	as stated above is handled by \texttt{bammarkduplicates} in time
	$2$h$45$m using $416$MB of main memory. The run time gradually
	decreases to $2$h$20$m when the main memory provided is increased to
	$2.56$GB. Picard's MarkDuplicates tool is not capable of handling
	the file given $3$GB of memory, it aborts with an out of memory
	type error. Given $4$GB it processes the file
	in time $2$h$29$m. Further increasing the main memory threshold to
	$10$GB decreases its run time to $2$h$23$m. Thus the run time of the
	two tools again is similar with a tendency of \texttt{bamtofastq}
	being slightly faster for an equivalent amount of given main memory.
	\texttt{bammarkduplicates} is capable of handling the file using
	significantly less memory than Picard.
 \end{enumerate}

\section*{Conclusions}
 In this paper we have presented efficient algorithms and data structures
 for name collated BAM file input. We have provided an implementation of
 these in libmaus, an open source programming library for C++. As part of
 the biobambam package we have developed two tools \texttt{bamtofastq}
 and \texttt{bammarkduplicates} based on the API. These are often faster than
 their counter parts in Picard and use significantly less main memory.

\section*{Competing interests}
  The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

\section*{Authors contributions}
  GT wrote the code, ran the tests and benchmarks and wrote the paper.
  SL contributed to the testing and provided patches for making
  the bammarkduplicates tool more compatible with Picard's MarkDuplicates module.

\section*{Acknowledgements}
  \ifthenelse{\boolean{publ}}{\small}{}
  GT and SL are supported by the Wellcome Trust.

\section*{Availability and requirements}
  \ifthenelse{\boolean{publ}}{\small}{}

  \textbf{Project name:} biobambam/libmaus\\
  \textbf{Operating systems:} Linux and MacOS X\\
  \textbf{Programming language:} C++\\
  \textbf{Other requirements:} none\\
  \textbf{License:} GPL3\\
  \textbf{Any restrictions to use by non-academics:} none\\

{\ifthenelse{\boolean{publ}}{\footnotesize}{\small}
 \bibliographystyle{bmc_article}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Tag: vin de pays
In which our intrepid hero subjects himself to the horror (the horror!) of three revolting sold-by-the-plastic-cup specimens from Marks & Spencer: Le Froglet Rose, Chardonnay and Shiraz. A truly gruelling experience.
So, today we're looking at wines sold by the glass (plastic): three (only moderately depressing-looking) specimens from Marks & Spencer going under the brand name Le Froglet.
Now, you know me for an honest commentator, I hope. So I must confess upfront that my expectations were very, very low. That said, I don't want to be snobbish about this. There's nothing remotely wrong with the idea of buying wine this way.
The question is — never mind the idea — what's the reality like?
In answer, dear reader, I give you —
Le Froglet Chardonnay, Vin de Pays d'Oc 2009
So. You've got over the novelty of opening a wine as though it were a yoghurt. What now? Stick your big old snout in there, that's what.
Except that, being full to the thick plastic brim, there's no room for your big old snout.
So pour it into a proper glass, why don't you, and try again?
Your labours will be rewarded with a truly awful gutwipe of a smell. Like the breath of a depressed office worker who ate a stale bacon & egg sandwich for his lunch.
It is truly, offensively grim.
At this point, you're understandably wary. But you chuck it down the hatch in any case, reasoning 'Since when has my sense of smell ever been a reliable indication of putrescence?'
…and — first gob-impression? IT ACTUALLY TASTES OF NOTHING.
Unfortunately, you will be looking back on that first impression of nothingness as a kind of golden age of Le Froglet Chardonnay. It was at its peak then. 'The tragedy of Le Froglet,' you will muse, 'is that it never recaptured that tantalising early promise of nondescript mediocrity.'
Because, after a second or so of wondering whether you accidentally just bought a plastic glassful of foul-smelling water — the stale sandwich you smelt earlier hits you smack in the gob. And fucking horrendous it is, too. Cardboardy flaps of egg-marinated bacon in that suddenly-not-so-tasty-tasty malted bread.
Now (you might note) the smell's mellowed a bit. Now it's like the remnants of a KFC bucket left out overnight in the corridor of a student hall of residence.
If you can manage to get this wine into your mouth without inhaling, it's just about bearable while you hold it there. But sometime — sometime, my friend — you're going to have to swallow. Then there's the aftertaste. The preserved egg sarnie.
I am not exaggerating when I say that this is truly horrific stuff. There will be a patch of dead grass in my garden tomorrow morning where I chucked the rest of this devilpiss.
Onward, then, to —
Le Froglet Rose, Vin de Pays d'Oc 2009
Imagine a nightmare scenario in which you are given a plastic teaspoon and ordered to eat an entire washing-up basin full of Tesco Value strawberry jam.
The smell of Le Froglet's Rose is strikingly, strikingly similar to the smell of the strawberry-scented vomit that you will copiously spew in the aftermath of the above scenario.
Sickly sweet, but with a rancid acidic tang.
At least with the white (incredulous, I find myself harking back) there was some lingering presence of the chardonnay grape, even if in brutally abused form. Here, there is nothing but sickly, rotten, jammy fruit.
Once it's actually in your mouth? Well, it's not actually as full-on sweet as I'd expected. But horrible nevertheless. A bit bitter (not in an appetising way, but in the same way as accidentally sucking your finger after touching some chemicals), with overtones of loo cleaner. Not nice loo cleaner, either. The kind of stuff they use in prisons.
When the sweetness comes (which it does, like a warm, candyfloss blanket, once you've swallowed) it is almost a blessing.
I'm not entirely sure whether this is worse or better than the white. It's less in-your-face-evil, but more slyly insidious. The white was like Krang in Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles; the rose is more like Nick Griffin.
I'll leave you to judge which you'd rather spend an evening with.
… and skip on, meanwhile, to —
Le Froglet Shiraz, Vin de Pays d'Oc 2009
… Which is dark. Dark as the soul of Le Froglet.
Snout-wise, it's the least offensive of the three by some margin. That's not to say it smells promising. No indeed not. But it's not actively repellent. There's sweet red fruit (worryingly sweet) and, yeah, vanilla. And cheap wood. It's like walking into a discount furniture warehouse.
And in the gob, it's also by far the least horrible. There's still that ol' bacon & egg sandwich whiff to the whole affair (which is clearly something to do with either the glue they use to stick on the lid or else some kind of preservative), but at least there's a modicum of normality to the thing. I mean, it tastes like cheap plonk, sure. But at least it tastes like recognisable cheap plonk, not some outlandish liquid beamed to Earth by aliens as part of a sick reality TV escapade to amuse the folks back home at Alpha Centuri.
It's very very sweet, yet also laced with a last-minute tannic mouth-shrinker. In no way does this qualify as a recommendation, but it has the dubious honour of being crowned 'winner' of this evening's taste-off. A contest, I might add, that set me back a total of £7.95 (£2.65 each) — a sum I parted with heavily against my better judgement, and largely in order to provide entertainment to you. Yes, you.
So the least you can do is leave me a comment or something.
Now. Christ alive. Get me some malt whisky.
Rating ☆ (0 stars) for all of them. The 'winner' included.
ABV 12% (rose), 12.5% (red), 13% (white)
Price £2.65 a pop from Marks & Spencer
Author Old ParnPosted on April 20, 2011 January 27, 2019 Categories Wine Reviews & TastingsTags ☆, Chardonnay, for laying down and avoiding, france, fruit, half bottle, Marks and Spencer wine reviews, red, rose, small measures, syrah, vin de pays, vin de pays d'oc, white18 Comments on Le Froglet Wine in a Glass — Review
Domaine de Gournier, Vin de Pays des Cévennes Rouge, 2009
…doesn't strip to its underwear while you're still pouring the drinks
Okay. Let's rattle through this one quickly, shall we? I mean, we're all busy people.
So. Domaine de Gournier, Cévennes. It's red. Dark red. Heavyish.
Both to the nose and in the mouth, it's far from being an exhibitionist. You need to work at it a bit. The one flavour that presents itself unashamedly is plum. Caramelised plum, what's more — which is a pretty nice kind of plum if you ask me.
(Marks & Spencer does a plum danish pastry. This is like those plums.)
Aromatically, we have yeasty, herby things (rosemary? Thyme?) going on. Squint your nose a bit and you might, like me, be put in mind of rain-laden pine-trees.
Taste-wise, alongside the M&S plum, there's a peppery spiciness. Soil. Leather. Coffee. It's the kind of wine, in other words, that'd wear tweed and wellies.
It's also a smidgin on the harsh side (I do mean a smidgin): that little tight rasp at the back of the throat. But what did you expect?
If you're looking for a rough-and-ready, vaguely Bordeaux-style weekday wine that doesn't strip to its underwear while you're still pouring the drinks, this will do a fine job. And it won't decimate your bank balance.
Unless your bank balance is £57.50.
Drink it with food, I think. Being a robust kind of character, it could stand up to most things you'd throw at it.
Thoroughly respectable without being exceptional — though at this price, that in itself is not to be disparaged.
Rating ***
Price £5.75 from The Wine Society
Author Old ParnPosted on November 12, 2010 January 16, 2020 Categories Wine Reviews & TastingsTags Cevennes, drink with food, earthy, france, full, good value, honest, red, spice, tannin, vin de pays, wine society reviewsLeave a comment on Domaine de Gournier, Vin de Pays des Cévennes Rouge, 2009


text:
Were they utterly destroyed?
Surah al-Furqan 25:35-38 (Shakir's translation):
And certainly We gave Musa the Book and We appointed with him his brother Haroun an aider.
Then We said: Go you both to the people who rejected Our communications; so We destroyed them with utter destruction.
And the people of Nuh, when they rejected the apostles, We drowned them, and made them a sign for men, and We have prepared a painful punishment for the unjust;
And Ad and Samood and the dwellers of the Rass and many generations between them.
Pickthall
Yusufali
Sher Ali
Rashad Khalifa
Each (of them) We warned by examples, and each (of them) We brought to utter ruin. To each one We set forth Parables and examples; and each one We broke to utter annihilation (for their sins). And to every one We gave examples and every one did We destroy with utter destruction. And to each one WE set forth examples; and each one WE utterly destroyed. To each of these groups, we delivered sufficient examples, before we annihilated them.
It is generally agreed between Muslims and Christians that the people of Noah were completely destroyed by a flood. We know very little about Ad and Samood (Thammud) or "the dwellers of the Rass" but I will not contest that they completely disappeared, since we don't know today of any who are their descendents. Often it is not even clear who they even were.
However, both Muslims and Christians agree that Moses and Aaron were sent to Israel and to the Egyptians with their message.
The Qur'an summarizes the section 25:35-39 in ayah 39 with the statement that all those mentioned were completely destroyed.
But neither Israel nor the people of Egypt were completely destroyed. It seems the writer of the Qur'an got carried a way with his doomsday warnings and made this point by far too strong when we look at history and to the people of Israel and the Egyptians. They have continued to exist from the time of Moses to this day. The Egyptians were not utterly destroyed. They lost one or more army units which were chasing after the Israelites under the command of Pharaoh, and which were drowned by a miracle from God as reported in both the Bible and the Qur'an. But most of the Egyptian people were not touched, nor even most of the leaders of Egypt, since it is unlikely that they all went with the army that went after the Israelites.
This is a plain historical error. Should we think it was God who overlooked the continued existence of the Egyptians when formulating those verses? Hardly! Even Muhammad should not have overlooked it, but he got to carried away in his attempt to scare the Meccans into accepting his message (see the punchline of this section in Surah 25:41-42).
Contradictions in the Qur'an


How sad I am, I could not come. I was all ready, my sandwiches cut too, and then the rain came and lasted so long, so I could not start. It has been a miserable day, so dull and showery, I've been wondering if it was fine at Aldershot. You must try and get leave for the 14th.
Have been seeing all the Russians (men only) leaving the country this evening at Euston, there were myriads of them, and a great deal of unrest you may be sure. They were hissed and booed awful, of course there were the hooligans about and when Maude and I left Euston the hooligans shouted out that we were Russians been to see the menfolk off and they prepared to round on us, there were about 40 of them. I've never been so frightened so I shouted out We are English, then they cheered and let us go on triumphantly, what experiences we do have in war time, it is surprising.
Well the hour is approaching bed time, bye the way, we had a bit of a warning this afternoon and had to let our kiddies out of Sunday School about 3.30, another piece of excitement. The all clear signal was given though shortly after. Well write to be quick and tell me a lot.


text:
Even $50 billion won't bring back all of Louisiana's lost wetlands
In Causes, Human Interest, Important Articles, Legal, Main, Ocean Life, Politics, Restoration
There's good news and bad news when it comes to the effort to restore the massive amount of coastal wetlands — some 1,800 square miles, or one-and-a-half times the size of Rhode Island — that Louisiana has lost over the last 85 years, roughly around the same time period that Big Oil has been doing its business in the state. Aside from the loss of so much biodiversity in a state that once valued its rich marine wildlife, Louisiana's wetlands devastation has also badly weakened the state's natural protection against tropical storms, as well as against rising oceans.
That's why wetlands restoration has finally become a priority for state officials. One side effect of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe has been that Louisiana is receiving a massive payment — at least $6.8 billion — in settlements and fines from BP that can be applied to environmental projects, including restoration. In addition, with the election of a Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, in 2015, the state now has a governor who supports a plan to sue dozens of oil and gas companies to pay for wetlands damage caused by energy exploration — an effort that could also reap billions of dollars. With help from these monies and federal aid, Louisiana is hopeful that it can spend as much as $50 billion in the upcoming years, in order to bring back hundreds of square miles of these critical marshlands.
So what's the bad news? It seems that even the massive sum of $50 billion won't be enough — not enough to bring back all of the wetlands that have been destroyed in the fossil fuel era, and not enough when one considers the additional pressure of rising oceans from climate change. That was spelled out by a top state official who recently updated lawmakers on Louisiana's coastal master plan:
BATON ROUGE — Bren Haase, chief of planning and research, painted a bleak future for Louisiana's coast during the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority board meeting Wednesday should no counter-actions be taken by the legislative and executive branches. He presented a draft of the 2017 coastal master plan that calls for $50 billion worth of projects aimed at flood risk reduction and minimizing land loss.
The draft underscored Louisiana's erosion loses from 1932 to 2010: 1,800 square miles of land. "As much as we would like to have the coast that we had in 1932, there's no question we can't get there," Haase said. "We're never going to be able to restore it to that level."
The draft includes scenarios for flood damage and land loss based on high, medium and low estimates using different levels for environmental drivers. For example, the medium scenario is based on less than historic precipitation, a sea level rise of slightly more than 2 feet and a 12.5 percent increase in average storm intensity, among other factors.
Haase said the low scenario for sea level rise, almost 1 1/2 feet, is similar to the high estimate in the 2012 master plan. Under the 2017 medium scenario, the state could lose 2,254 square miles of land over the next 50 years without action.
The draft shows that with restoration projects outlined in the master plan, 802 square miles of land would be built or maintained under the medium scenario. Haase said the plan was developed using a $50 billion ceiling. He said $150 billion is preferred but is likely unrealistic in the state's precarious fiscal situation.
One thing is very clear from Haase's presentation: Taking no action at all — which would leave a healthy chunk of southern Louisiana under water — is not an option. That said, it's hard to know whether Louisiana will have either the fiscal wherewithal or the legislative gumption to see this plan through. There's no doubt that help on the national level, as well as globally, to fight global warming will be critical. We may never get back to where we were a century ago. But we must hold on to what we have left.
Read more about Louisiana's plan for saving its wetlands from NOLA.com: http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2017/01/louisiana_will_never_be_able_t.html
Learn more about the need for worldwide action on fossil fuels in my new book, Crude Justice: How I Fought Big Oil and Won, and What You Should Know About the New Environmental Attack on America: http://shop.benbellabooks.com/crude-justice
© Stuart H. Smith, LLC 2017 – All Rights Reserved
BP Lawsuit BP Oil Spill Deepwater Horizon Gov. John Bel Edwards Louisiana wetlands wetlands restoration
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