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Two more writers who lived in Headingley
Thanks, June, for the information that Arnold Kettle and William Fryer Harvey were once residents of Headingley.
Arnold Kettle (1916 - 86) was a respected Marxist literary critic who was a lecturer in English Literature at the University of Leeds from 1948-1967. After leaving Leeds he became Professor of Literature at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and then the first Professor of Literature at the Open University.
He produced some influential literary criticism, including The Nineteenth Century Novel, and An Introduction to the English Novel, and was an important contributor to the journal Marxism Today. He was also editor of Shakespeare in a Changing World.
The Kettles lived on Moor road, Headingley. Their son, Martin, amongst other things an outstanding Guardian journalist and commentator, was born in Leeds in 1949 and attended Leeds Modern School.
Above - Arnold Kettle
William Fryer Harvey (1885-1937) was born into an affluent Quaker family. His cheerful upbringing at Spring Bank, Headingley, was described in the memoir We Were Seven.
He was a successful writer of tales in the mystery and horror genres. One of his best known stories, The Beast with Five Fingers, was made into a movie in 1946, starring Peter Lorre, and regenerating interest in his work. So what did he look like? If you know of a photo, please send it to us.
In the meantime, here is a poster for the film:
Posted by Richard Wilcocks at Saturday, February 27, 2010 No comments:
Chris Mould is wicked!
It doesn't matter that much if you come with or without children - Chris Mould is pure magic. Wickedly Weird as well.
He is at Headingley Library on the last day of the LitFest - 27 March at 1.30pm - and you don't have to pay a penny. He is not just going to talk, but draw as well.
Chris Mould was born in Bradford and has lived and worked there all his life. He began drawing at a very early age and hasn't stopped since. He trained in Art colleges and Polytechnic for six years altogether starting in Dewsbury College and moving to Leeds, during which time he gained a joint honours degree in Graphic Design and Illustration. Since then he has been working as a freelance illustrator. More recently his work has been used in television and in feature film development.
Chris has illustrated several books for Oxford University Press. His latest illustrations are for the Measle series, where Chris really manages to bring the characters to life.
You can find out what you are letting yourself in for by visiting the website. Click HERE to go to it.
Posted by Richard Wilcocks at Monday, February 22, 2010 No comments:
Tolkien on Mastermind
Thanks for the new email, Karen. I missed that episode of Mastermind on the BBC as well, but now I have found it, and there's plenty on Tolkien. How many people know that he caught Trench Fever in 1916 during the Great War and had to be sent back to England? Saved his life? Without Trench Fever, no Lord of the Rings? What if? The Mastermind episode is HERE. The Tolkien questions are about five minutes in.
Posted by Richard Wilcocks at Wednesday, February 17, 2010 No comments:
Tolkien in Headingley
Contrary to what people keep telling me, and in response to a few email queries, one-time Headingley resident J. R. R. Tolkien did not write The Hobbit in Leeds. Thanks to Karen for your research on Lord of the Rings, as well, while we are on the subject - you had something to do with the filming in New Zealand, so you should know. And incidentally it's good news that The Chocolate Fish is open again in Wellington!
Tolkien was Reader and then Professor of English Language at the University of Leeds from 1920 to 1925. Just before he left to become Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, he brought out an edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The second edition of this (with his colleague E.V.Gordon) followed in 1930 and remained influential throughout the twentieth century.
And I have no idea whether or not Tolkien supped pints in Whitelocks. I like to think that he did.
Posted by Richard Wilcocks at Tuesday, February 16, 2010 1 comment:
Whatever happened to Phyllis Bentley?
Phyllis Bentley was not from Headingley but from Halifax, where she spent almost her entire life. Her family was closely involved with a textile industry which has now largely disappeared. When she is remembered at all, it is as the writer of regional novels, and her West Riding was considered, in its day, to be a kind of equivalent of Thomas Hardy's Wessex. She was highly praised by the likes of Arnold Bennett, Hugh Walpole and that other great literary figure from Yorkshire, J. B. Priestley.
Her novel Inheritance is set in the times of the Luddites, with a mill owner's son in love with a mill girl, and is a little reminiscent of Charlotte Brontë's Shirley. It sold very well in the Thirties, and was translated into a number of languages. Bentley was fascinated by the Brontës, and her book on them is something of a classic, still selling steadily and used as a reference. So why has she faded into obscurity, unlike Hardy?
This will be one of the questions addressed in Headingley Library on Tuesday 23 March at 7pm by Dave Russell. The ticket is three pounds – with two pounds for concessions. There are refreshments too.
Click top right for the programme
Posted by Richard Wilcocks at Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1 comment:
Want a programme leaflet?
If you would like to take a few of our just-published programme leaflets, or if you want a digital (pdf) version to pass on to friends on your email network, contact us at the email address on the right of your screen.
Posted by Richard Wilcocks at Tuesday, February 09, 2010 No comments:
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Linda's launch
After studying modern languages at university, Linda Marshall took up her old hobby of penning verse (serious and funny) and joined the Aireings co-operative of women writers and poets. She also made a few contacts at Leeds Writers' Circle and poetry became a way of life. Involved in the production of two poetry magazines, she particularly enjoyed the editing side of things. It is always exciting to find work of merit by new poets.
In the mid '90s she became a member of Pennine Poets, who used to meet at Mabel Ferrett's house in Heckmondwike. Linda's work has been included and commented on in the Pennine Poet 40th Anniversary Anthologies.
Recently Linda has taken part in many open mike sessions. Writing for performance, she finds, is an enjoyable challenge, but some of her poems are meant for the page.
She likes to experiment with style and at times she uses rhyme to get her point across. "The writing process can be full of surprises and the possible outcomes are infinite. One bizarre thought can be transformed into a whole new way of looking at things."
Linda is currently associated with Lucht Focail, a group of Irish writers and poets, and she has run a few creative writing workshops.
Her launch as part of Headingley LitFest will be at the Flux Gallery, Midland Road on Saturday 20 March at 7.30pm
Posted by Richard Wilcocks at Sunday, February 07, 2010 No comments:


When the metrics is the number of likes and followers, it is a race without a finish line.
Buy it, do not compromise your social status. Consumerism tricks people into buying unnecessary and expensive products.
Manipulating the human psychology to drive certain buying behaviors is the marketing strategy of most companies.


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Q: Python: How to consolidate all calender items into a single csv file? Could anybody suggest a method to 'extract' all outlook calender items into a csv file per each work week (e.g. 10 weeks back)?
Say point of reference is current week.
As an example output:
Week 10
Meeting 1
Meeting 2
Meeting 3

Week 9
Meeting A
Meeting B
Meeting C

and so on till current week, i.e. Week 1.
I have little/zero experience 'communicating' between python-outlook.
Appreciate your education..
Thanks.

A: take a look at http://www.five-ten-sg.com/libpst/ they also have python bindings so you can use the library directly from within python.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Среды Иванова, также Ивановские среды — литературно-философские собрания, проходившие в Петербурге в 1900-е годы по средам на «башне» — в круглой угловой выступающей комнате на верхнем (шестом) этаже в квартире поэта-символиста Вячеслава Иванова и его жены, писательницы Лидии Зиновьевой-Аннибал по адресу Таврическая улица, дом 25 (сейчас — 35).

Первая встреча на «башне» произошла 7 сентября 1905 года, через два месяца после переезда Иванова с семьёй в Петербург. На одной из первых встреч (14 сентября) у Иванова присутствовали К. Д. Бальмонт, О. И. Дымов, Ф. К. Сологуб, Г. И. Чулков. В дальнейшем собрания стали многолюдными (так, 18 января 1906 года на «башне» количество присутствовавших было «41 + 1 кума»). Со временем, когда на «среды» стали приходить «около-художники», «около-музыканты» и «около-литераторы», встречи совсем потеряли интимный характер, став «слишком многолюдными».

Собрания проходили по определённой программе. Начинались они после одиннадцати вечера и заканчивались, «когда толстое солнце палило над крышами». В декабре 1905 года на собраниях была назначена должность председателя (им почти всегда был Н. А. Бердяев), который управлял ходом диспутов. Предметом обсуждения на «средах» были такие темы как «искусство и социализм», «религия и мистика», «актёр будущего», «мистический анархизм» и так далее. После дискуссий наступало время для чтения стихов.

В декабре 1906 года заболела жена Иванова, и встречи были прекращены до весны, когда состоялось всего несколько «сред». В октябре 1907 года Зиновьева-Аннибал умерла, после чего собрания возобновились лишь осенью на следующий год. Состав и характер обновлённых «сред» изменились, на встречах стали присутствовать будущие «цеховики». Осенью 1909 года функции «сред» перешли к собраниям Общества ревнителей художественного слова.

«Ивановские среды» имели важное значение для развития культуры Серебряного века. Попадание на «башню Иванова» считалось получением «диплома на принадлежность к верхушкам интеллигенции». На квартире собиралась петербургская элита (литераторы, художники-«мирискусники», музыкальные и театральные деятели, философы и другие), устраивались диспуты, читались доклады, разбирались произведения литературы. По воспоминаниям С. К. Маковского, «Почти вся наша молодая тогда поэзия, если не "вышла" из Ивановской "башни", то прошла через неё».

Примечания

Литература

 Башня Вяч. Иванова и культура серебряного века. Спб., 2006. Эл. ресурс: http://www.v-ivanov.it/wp-content/uploads/bashnya_vyacheslava_ivanova_2006.pdf

История Санкт-Петербурга
Культура Российской империи
Литература Российской империи
Литературные группы России
Литературные кружки
Вячеслав Иванов

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


During NC Beer Month, Foothills Brewing, OrthoCarolina and Junction 311 Endurance Sports have combined efforts to produce the regions BEST endurance event celebration -- created for and with the running community and the Winston-Salem community at large. A portion of the proceeds benefit Yadkin Riverkeeper and clean water (which means, better tasting beer!).
Join us as we close down Fourth Street, the center of the city of Winston Salem, to run and enjoy great craft beer from Foothills and 13 other event partner NC craft breweries! We'll also have live music, kids engagement and much more!
You'll be selling beer tickets and YRK merchandise and educating people about clean water and YRK's activities.


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Tag Archives: racks
Lil Wayne Parties With Birdman At His 2018 Rolling Loud After-Party [Pictures & Videos]
May 13, 2018 in Cash Money Records, Latest News, Pictures, Young Money Ent
Lil Wayne hosted an official 2018 Rolling Loud music festival after-party at LIV nightclub in Miami, Florida on Friday (May 11th).
While at the Miami Beach club, Tunechi chilled with Birdman, Mack Maine, Euro, Gudda Gudda, Stephanie Acevedo, and more.
You can view more photos of Weezy at LIV and see footage of him jamming out to "All The Way Up", "Suck It Or Not", "Hot Nigga", "Racks", "Codeine Dreaming", "Bill Gates", "I'm On One", and more songs below!
Video: Lil Wayne Spits Freestyle, Raps Along To "I'mma Boss", "Niggas In Paris" & More
January 3, 2012 in Latest News
In the video above, you can watch some footage of Lil Wayne spitting a freestyle (that will most probably appear on one of his upcoming projects) while celebrating the New Year at Club Dream in Miami. One line that got everyone talking was when Weezy said: "I am God"… I wonder if Wayne has been listening to Lil B a lot ❓ Anyways, Tune also raps along to his version of "Rollin'", Meek Mill's "I'mma Boss", Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Niggas In Paris", his version of "Racks", and his version of "Grove St. Party".
Shouts to UPL and you can view some photos from the party here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


You will find mainly 2 types of engine vehicle protection. The first is obligation/act just arrangement such type of protection covers the possibility of all outsiders who're injured through the engine vehicle. This incorporates all outsider clients thumped round the vehicle in addition occupants of economic vehicles. In addition, the 2nd kind of engine vehicle protection is exhaustive/bundle approach, which provides coverage for the above mentioned in addition to tenants of non-public vehicles and also the safeguarded vehicle itself.
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The aim of such protection plans would be to assist the casualties and also the authorized agents from the expired casualties to secure generous remuneration. The pay could be become just when the engine vehicle which was incorporated within the problem is guaranteed. Around the off chance the vehicles aren't safeguarded, then recuperation from the pay is really a particular probability. Hence, vehicle protection benefits both mischance casualties and additionally the automobile proprietors because they are able to escape of having to pay any remuneration from their pocket.
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Business auto protection may cover auto obligation, scope for that representative which was driving the automobile, doctor's visit expenses when somebody was injured among the mischance and various harms around the vehicle. You have to select the correct type of protection arrangement for the type of business that you simply run. Getting auto protection is very simple.
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Bear in mind to choose a company vehicle insurance company which has a decent prestige because you works together every occasionally and not simply if you have claims. Look into the rundown of various organizations the organization gives protection to check on whether or not they are seem.
Find the cheapest Mercedes-Benz personal Car Lease deal in the UK, with hundreds of Mercedes-Benz Car Leasing deals, from Main Franchised Mercedes-Benz Dealers, no one tries harder to save you money on your next Mercedes-Benz personal Contract Hire deal. If you are interested in Used Car Purchase or Car Parts, Auto Village is the best online Car Advertising Portal in the UK for you.


Can I transfer my AT&T iPhone to the Verizon Network?
Nope. Unfortunately, some information found on Verizon's website has potentially confused some unhappy AT&T iPhone owners into thinking they can jump ship with their current iPhone and not have to buy a new iPhone for the Verizon network.
This isn't the case, you cannot use an AT&T compatible iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network. Your current iPhone 4 in use on the AT&T network uses GSM / HSDPA technology and is not compatible with the Verizon Wireless network. The Verizon Wireless network compatible iPhone 4 is a 3G CDMA version of the iPhone 4.
Will my existing AT&T case / bumper fit the Verizon iPhone 4?
Can I jailbreak the Verizon iPhone 4?
Can I exchange my new Verizon cell phone for an iPhone?
Can I buy the Verizon iPhone 4 without a contract?
This is Verizon's loss if the are not making same net work, i know lots of people want change the the company but they cant.
You can if you unlock your phone. Google how to unlock phone, wipe your att iphone, unlock it, give it to your friend on verizon good to go.
No, That is not the case. It will still be a gsm phone. Unlocked, it will still only work with companies who use gsm networks. Cdma and Gsm are different technologies.
I just stumbled upon this discussion. I know it's been a while, but I just thought I'd share a site that provides codes to unlock phones that I found recently since there seems to still be a lot of people looking for them. I used a site couple of days ago and it worked a wonder! Phone owners might be interested in checking it out, but since there are codes available for other phones as well, so would other phone owners. The site is http://unlockyoursim.com. It provides the instructions and code for your phone after selecting the carrier and model. It will also ask you to fill out a short survey, but I didn't mind as something good actually came out of it. So I'd recommend. I hope it works for you as it did for me!
Yes, you can switch over an LTE iPhone from any network. More than likely if you are switching to a new carrier and want to keep your iPhone, they will unlock it for you to activate on their network. I just switched my 5s from Verizon to ATT with no problems. They just switched out the sim card.
Is it possible to switch an iPhone 5s from ATT to Verizon?
How did you do this? I'm transferring my verizon number onto an AT&T iPhone 4s but would like to keep using Verizon.
Being a CDMA network, Verizon reserves the rights to allow whichever devices they want to use their service. Verizon chooses to only allow Verizon branded devices on its network. The issue does NOT have to do with hardware or device capability, but rather Verizon wanting you to buy a device from them!
you idiot. it has everything to do with hardware lol. if a phone is GSM it can't connect to verizon. the modem in the phone has to be able to support those bands. do your research before you go trolling around giving people false answers. people like you are why other people do everything wrong.
Actually he is right you idiot, i took a brand new att 5s, walked into verizon and got a free sim card, and it worked just fine. It just depends what douche you get on the phone that says you cant. Just go do it, also did it with a 5c.
Verizon Iphone 5/5s/6 can use on ATT and Tmobile networks. However, ATT iphones has to be unlocked by ATT to work on Tmobile, but it will not work on Verizon.
You idiot, this was already addressed. You can move an att iphone 4s and up on Verizon. Pay attention.
No, you cant. I tried with an unlocked att iphone 5 yesterday. Only 5s and up u can switch to verizon from att.
Iphone 5 or newer can be used on all networks. iphone 4s or earlier are fixed to only work on att or on verizon, but not both. Even when unlocked. AT&T iPhone 4s has the CDMA portion of the phone disabled and unusable. Verizon iphone 4s uses CDMA.
This is the only correct answer in all these comments. Yes, some people can switch. No, not everyone can. IT DEPENDS ON WHICH PHONE YOU HAVE.
I have an AT&T IPhone 4s and it won't let switch to the prepaid verizon plan. But my boy friend has a verizon iPhone 4s. If I activate his iPhone with prepaid verizon then take his SIM card out and put it in my iPhone will it let me have verizon?
t are NOT compatible with Verizon. So, maybe the confusion is due to that. Next time I will buy an iPhone at the iPhone store. And will be asking those kind of questions before I buy.
This is ridiculous. Why are we not told that the phone we BUY is not transferable? I bought it outright from ATT and I will have to buy a new one from Verizon? NO THANKS! I'll keep my ATT service.


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Submitted by William Haller on 25 May 2014 - 2:01pm
To the military men who have fought
My sincere appreciation goes out to all troops, foreign and domestic, who have fought on the side of right over all time. I know that Memorial Day is a U.S. holiday, but few wars have been fought by just our own forces. Most who we called allies in the past are still countries we count on in times of trouble in the world. So my thank you goes out to each and every one of you, and each of your descendants.
I must admit that I have the deepest appreciation for those who were drafted into service or who otherwise had no choice in the matter. Their sacrifices are no more nor less than those who have volunteered for service, but at least those who volunteered knew what they were getting into and chose that as a career.
To the others on the battle front
But this Memorial Day, I would also like to remember another group of warriors who are on the battle front. Each person in the world, regardless of nationality, regardless of race, regardless of sex, regardless of economic station is on the battle front. The war that is being fought is the same battle that has been fought since Satan rose up against God in those days before Adam was around - namely the battle between good and evil.
Whether you like it or not, you are in that battle. You alone control which side you fight on. Rest assured, you are in a fight, and it is a fight that will determine your eternal destination - your eternal life.
Many have gone before in this battle. The battle was joined with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It continued for generation after generation - from Cain and Abel, to the people of Noah's day, to the Israelis, and on into the modern church age. It is still continuing today. Virtually all of the original disciples of Jesus gave their lives for Christianity that it could spread and prosper. You see, just like the war dead we honor on the battlefields of today, the battlefields of Christianity are also littered with martyred saints. They have added up at various rates, but rest assured they are still being accumulated.
You see, the world today hates Christianity and what it stands for just as much as in the past. The false religions of today and those filled with hate who are simply wrapping their own deeds in the name of some false religion, are still jailing Christians for no cause than being Christian. Christians are still losing their businesses, their homes, their neighborhoods, and being forced to flee countries, just because of their faith. If they stay, they will be persecuted and killed.
So today, I'd like every Christian to remember not just the mighty military warriors - and those who were simply called and served without heroism. Then I'd like them to remember the Christians of the past that have meant a lot to them - perhaps parents or grandparents, or some great pastor or televangelist that meant something to you. I'd like you to remember all the scribes and monks who faithfully copied the Bibles and recopied the Bibles down through time so we'd have the copies we use today. I'd like you to remember those disciples and other Christians who have given their life so you can hear the Word of Truth and be saved. And finally, most importantly, I'd like you to remember your Savior, Jesus Christ, and all of His sufferings and eventual death. Remember He is what it is all about. He paid the ultimate price so that you could be free! If you haven't accepted Him as Savior, now is the time. Don't let His sacrifice be in vain.
To the next generation of warriors
For all of the new high school and college graduates, know this--- You are now one step closer to the responsibilities of being an adult in this fine world. For some, this will mean service for your country in military or government. For some it will mean work in the private sector. A small number will go on to be mothers and fathers alone - either through initial affluence or the help of a working husband or wife.
But remember as you are making your choice, that you are still warriors in an ongoing battle that needs your help. It is said that Christianity is only one generation from dying out. That is a very true statement. Each of you need to make the decision to step into the calling that God has for your lives.
For each Christian, that includes at a minimum financial support of His work and attending a church (Heb. 10:22-25). But there is more that is required. For some, you are called to be missionaries of the gospel. Some are called to be pastors and teachers. Some are called to lead or help with worship. Some are called to be helpers and minister to others in need in your church or in your community. All are called to witness to the world.
Diligently inquire of God as to what His will is for your life and what position you should step into. Not everyone is called to be a general. Most are called to be foot soldiers of the cross. But if everyone tries to let someone else do the work, then all of the sacrifices of those who have gone before you in this battle between good and evil will have been in vain as far as your and your succeeding generations are concerned.
It is time to step up. Rest assured that He will go with you. Step up.
When the battle is over
There is one other thing that we must remember as soldiers in this battle against evil. As we put on the armor of God to do battle (Eph. 6:10-18), remember that our fight is against principalities and powers in high places. The battle may involve people, just like us, but the real battle is against the forces of evil. Every person who has not yet decided to fight on the side of right is just someone who has been deceived by the enemy.
When Jesus Christ was due to be sacrificed on Earth for the sins of all, He broke bread with His disciples and then went to the garden to pray for strength. When His enemies came, He repaired the act of defiance of Peter and healed the ear of the high priest's servant Malchaus who was among those who came to arrest Him (John 18:1-10; Luke 22:50-53). He didn't lash out against those who scourged Him and eventually crucified Him. He forgave and accepted the will of the Father to be the sacrifice that was needed to bridge the gap between a sinful mankind and a holy God. The legions of angels who were ready to come to His rescue were not needed (Matthew 26:51-56). His love for humanity carried Him through.
When all is said and done, it is the duty of Christianity to forgive and forget the battles we have fought and to love our enemies as ourselves. The entire Sermon on the Mount should be read by all Christians at least once a year if not more often. At its start, it says we will be cursed and hated and that we are blessed and should rejoice when we are because that is the same way the prophets of the Lord were treated. We should bless and pray for those who smite and despitefully use us because the battle is the Lord's against the powers of darkness. It is not a battle against the deceived individual who is temporarily fighting on the wrong side (Mt. 5:43-48; Luke 6:20-36).
It is this way of fighting - by showing love to our enemies - that sets apart Christianity from the other religions of the world. I will freely admit that it is very hard to do, but we must allow the great Judge of the world to carry out any vengeance that needs to be carried out because He is the only fair arbiter who knows all that is in mankind's heart. We do not.
As we remember all of our fallen this day - whether those who have died in actual military battles or those who have died in the great spiritual battle that we all fight, also remember what came after in all those battles.
By and large, America has tried to make the world a better place and to keep it a better place. When the battles have been finished, we have buried our dead, cared for our wounded, and gone home asking little or nothing in return. We have forgiven debts. We have helped to rebuild the damage and to help those who were temporarily blinded by the forces of evil in the great battle that is being waged between God and Satan whenever we were allowed. We have sought nothing in return.
We have gone in, knowing in advance that when we left the same hatreds and animosities that Satan is able to stir up would rise again - sometimes wrapped in the name of one of Satan's false religions and sometimes not - and plunge the place we have freed back into chaos for that is his mark. Eventually, Jesus Christ will return and vanquish the forces of evil for a millennium. But even after 1,000 years of peace, Satan will still be able to foment a rebellion at the end by playing on the sin nature of people who resent the restriction of those days and who want to do their own thing. That very final battle will put an end to that for ever.
The battle is still between God and Satan. You are called to fight on the side of right, but you are called to fight in a uniquely Christian way, and when the fight is done, you are called to love, forgive, and forget. You are called to heal the bitter strife and to remember the bad no more. It may take a special anointing of the Holy Spirit for you to be able to do that if much has been lost or taken in your personal battle against the forces of darkness. But if Christ was able to forgive and love through His death for us, we can do no less.
We have much to remember on this Memorial Day, and I hope we will take time to do so.
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All pages Copyright © 1998-2020 William H. Haller unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. The picture of the Pacific Ocean, taken from the Oregon coast is Copyright © 2014 William H. Haller, All Rights Reserved


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Smash 4 Match Analysis, Sets 1 & 2
12:11 PM on 03.13.2016 (server time) 0
Since I play a whole bunch of Smash 4 online throughout the week, I figured I'd put some of that toward a productive purpose. In the following videos, you'll see some random 1v1 match-ups in For Glory that I played. They're a best of three. I set my name tag as "2 out of 3" in an effort to let my opponent know I won't be sticking around long and to hopefully get them to pick their strongest fighter. I've picked my two strongest fighters as well, Bowser and Dr. Mario. Win or lose, I committed to uploading the first two sets I played and then attempting to briefly outline what happened, what went right and what went wrong. Interested? Then take a look!
Let's address a couple things off the bat: I play with the game music off. Listening to the same music for too long annoys me in general, but I also do this to help focus. Smash has a lot of audio cues you can use to help time your own moves and avoid an opponent's moves. Also, looking back on most of my videos, I become keenly aware that I jump way too much, especially upon approach. It's better than rolling too much, but not much better.
Anyway, I'm very comfortable with Dr. Mario, I think I have the most mobility with him and familiarity with his options in most situations. Smash fans will immediately tell I'm not a pro, but I do try to improve (that's the point of this article!). A reliance on Down-B is key for a lot of my set-ups and for positioning, as is Pill sniping recovering opponents, although I tend to flub my attempts at Caping their recovery moves correctly.
I don't do so good a job at landing my Forward-Air, I don't pressure often enough with Pills in the neutral game (although I tend to fight too close-up for that to work well), I flub an Up-B reversal at 2:45, and at 2:02 I flub a Down-B input that came out as a Side-B (that gets me a lot).
The opponent wasn't too strong in this video, so I began trying for less conventional kill moves toward the end. He ups his game in match 2, however.
Now we get into the core of some of my problems. I tend to struggle a lot with Captain Falcon in For Glory. In my defense, Falcon does have an advantage on stages without platforms (i.e., all of For Glory) since his high mobility means he can just wreck people who are coming back down to the stage as their options are severely limited. Falcon also excels at punishing air dodges and spot dodges by feigning an approach then using his speed to come in for a for a crazy dash grab or an attack while you're vulnerable.
I've counter acted a lot of that by relying more on moving away rather than dodging (or rolling), but that means I need to know how and where to move. It puts a lot more pressure on you to deal with Falcon than it does for Falcon to deal with you, but them's the brakes! Falcon gives a lot of people trouble outside of the professional realm, and I'm no exception.
I miss all of my recovery Capes (despite having some HUGE opportunities), and I get up from ledge RIGHT into his F-Smash twice! But I like to think I made up for that by staring down a Falcon Punch by knowing how to stand inches away from it safely (at 1:05) . Falcon whiff!
Well, after scoring a solid win with Falcon, my opponent chooses the much less scary Falco. I mean, Falco can be good but you've got to be pretty good to make him work. This match was a bit odd, however. I don't think he really know how to pressure correctly with Falco and then he spent a good deal of the match just rolling around and air dodging. I just began hard-reading at some point. But hey, we take those.
Next up is an interesting match up, especially in For Glory where Little Mac can potentially do some real harm against people at my skill level if they know what they're doing (again, no platforms helps his high mobility). But then again, I'm playing Bowser this time. Little Mac famously has a ton of super armor frames on, like, half of his moveset (check out the insanity at 1:10!) which makes him tricky to punish if you're not very familiar with how to do it. But Bowser has passive super armor that keeps him from flinching to very weak attacks (like Little Mac's jab combo), which I use to some good effect by Down-B-ing out of his attack (at 1:07).
Like with Dr. Mario's Down-B, I like Bowser's Up-B for punishing landings, spot dodges, to gain positioning and just generally wrack up damage. Despite my opponent not being super great, I manage to eat a Neutral-B KO punch. Unfortunately for him, I'm a pretty patient player that won't typically fall for Counter spamming.
Bowser Bomb claims another shield at 0:37 and the rest is fairly standard bait-and-grab stuff, which Bowser excels at. Also, don't underestimate the range of Bowser's Forward-Air. That stuff will put a lot of people to bed early if they don't know any better.
Sadly, not as good an opponent as the first one, but that's For Glory Little Macs for ya!
Dr Mel
About Dr Melone of us since 10:58 PM on 01.31.2012
Hello, curious browser. I've been a reader of Dtoid for several years now and continue to enjoy the unique sense of community around these parts. I think I'll stick around, if ya don't mind.
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FRANKSTON will have Australia's first "Health Futures Hub" with the federal government announcing that next week's Budget will provide $32 million towards a $55 million project dedicated to researching better health care services for aged care, mental health and addiction.
The government contribution was announced on Sunday 24 March at Frankston Hospital by federal Health Minister Greg Hunt and Chris Crewther, the federal MP for Frankston-based Dunkley electorate. Peninsula Health and Monash University will contribute the additional $23 million to the project. Mr Hunt announced the government would also contribute $10 million towards a children's (paediatric) emergency centre at Frankston Hospital.
A government statement said the funding was "part of the Liberal National government's $496 million investment to make … Victoria a global leading centre for health, medical research and innovative cancer treatments". Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the investment would be "life-changing for so many of our sickest Australians, including many children battling cancer". "Today's Health and Medical Research Plan cements Melbourne's place as a global leader in health and medical research, creating jobs while importantly providing support for Australians patients," he said.
Mr Hunt said the funding was "in addition to the $24.6 million partnership between Monash University, Peninsula Health and the Alfred Hospital so that Australians with cancer and rare diseases have access to clinical trials no matter where they live, including near Rosebud Hospital on the Mornington Peninsula".
Committee for Greater Frankston chair Fred Harrison welcomed the health hub and paediatric emergency centre announcement. "The hub will be a key part of Frankston's vibrant healthcare, medical research and education precinct, where the next generation of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals can be trained," he said. Mr Harrison thanked Mr Hunt and Mr Crewther for delivering the funding for the projects "and the professional jobs they will bring, which are so badly needed in our region".
Committee chief executive Ginevra Hosking said the hub would see Frankston become a world-leading centre of excellence in the management of ageing and chronic disease. "Australia needs to develop the capacity to quickly implement the latest treatment innovations for chronic conditions, which cannot always be provided by traditional hospital systems. Improving health outcomes for people with complex and challenging conditions can best be done by testing new evidence-based models of care." Ms Hosking said health and education precincts generate job growth 2.5 times the national average.
In January, the federal Opposition's health spokeswoman Catherine King and Labor's candidate for the federal seat of Dunkley, Peta Murphy, pledged that a elected federal Labor government would contribute $21 million towards this Frankston Health Futures Hub project.
Late last year, before the Victorian state election, the Victorian Labor government said that if re-elected it would redevelop Frankston Hospital at a cost of $562 million. Part of this pledge was purportedly to reconfigure or expand Frankston Hospital's emergency department to provide for a dedicated children's emergency section as well as specialist staff.


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Home > Knowledge Center > Process Validation of Laser Welded Parts in Biomedical Apps
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Process Validation of Laser Welded Parts in Biomedical Apps
By John McCauley Midwest Regional Sales Engineer, the Ophir Photonics Group
American author, engineer, entrepreneur, and consultant in performance improvement H. James Harrington has been credited as saying, "Measurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to improvement. If you can't measure something, you can't understand it. If you can't understand it, you can't control it. If you can't control it, you can't improve it."
Even though Harrington was speaking specifically of improving of the quality in a person's work performance, the same is true for maintaining a quality laser process.
Measurement of a laser usually consists of quantitative measurement by use of a power or energy measurement system, or qualitative measurement by the use of a beam profiling system. Beam profiling can be described as using a device, such as a camera, scanning slit, or other device to image a laser beam or a sample of the beam, interfacing that imaging device with a PC, and analyzing that image using beam analysis software. The data obtained from a beam profile can be used in several different ways.
Some of the questions we sales engineers frequently get when demonstrating beam profiling solutions to potential customers are: "What does beam profiling do for me?" or "How can I use the data that I get from a beam profile?" Sometimes it's difficult to communicate the answers to these questions without a solid example. I recently had the opportunity to meet with a customer to discuss these benefits as they applied to their laser processes.
The Evolution of a Laser Process Validation Program
The particular company that I had the pleasure of working with on this project supplies, among other services, laser welded parts to the biomedical industry. They have lately been experiencing increased growth in their manufacturing processes related to medical device manufacturing, and are making real strides towards remaining a high-quality supplier of laser-welded parts to larger medical device manufacturers across the country. Establishing a solid reputation in the industrial community as a vendor that supplies the highest quality parts to some of the larger companies has been one of the keys to their successes.
One of the processes that I got involved with a couple of years back was a laser welding process joining two dissimilar metals on an implantable device. For this joining process, they utilize a lamppumped Nd:YAG laser with free-space optics operating in a repetitive pulse mode. The laser is integrated into a small glove box workstation used for manual welding.
Already having an established set of laser parameters for this process, we decided it would be best to have them at least monitor their energy per pulse readings using a pyroelectric energy sensor and a wireless PC interface that fit nicely into their glove box workstation. However, at the time, there was no real laser quality assurance program in place – they admitted that the energy per pulse readings were measured and recorded, but not much else was done with those readings as far as correlating them with the laser process or the maintenance of the laser. The readings were simply used to get a feel for how the laser was performing day-to-day and not much else.
The Lasers Are Equal... But Are The Welds?
Since that first laser quality maintenance discussion, this company's reputation and commitment to quality allowed them to establish new relationships with additional medical device manufacturers. This success resulted in their recently opening up an additional facility in a nearby town which has an established medical device manufacturing community. It also purchased an additional, identical laser system as the quantities of parts being processed increased.
Same laser, same workstation, same manufacturer, applying the same process parameters – what could go wrong?
Well, as they quickly found out, the laser parameters being used on "Laser #1" that were producing acceptable parts were producing failed welds on "Laser #2". They found that welds were cracking (luckily during a quality inspection and not during the use of the part), indicating that too much heat was being put into the weld. How could this make sense with identical laser parameters being applied to identical laser systems?
Using Beam Profiling to Characterize Products
That was when they called me to see if we could diagnose the problem using beam measurement. Having discussed the problem, I suggested using a beam profiling system and a thermopile laser power sensor to characterize the beam and to more thoroughly validate their laser processes. Here's what we found during the testing of their laser systems using these laser characterization products.
First, a little bit about the measurement equipment we worked with. In this case, the hardware of the beam profiling system consists of a Spiricon SP620U high-resolution USB camera and an LBS-300-NIR beam attenuation device optimized for Near-IR lasers. The camera, used to image the focused spot of the laser, is interfaced with a computer running Spiricon's BeamGage beam analysis software, which is the first "from the ground up" beam analysis software in 13 years.
The LBS-300-NIR fits to the c-mount on the camera's input and consists of a pair of 1% reflective optics and slots to hold one or two neutral density absorption filters. Due to the relatively short working distance of the laser's delivery head, we also employed a negative lens on the input of the LBS-300-NIR to increase our path length. Power measurements were taken with an FL300A-LP fancooled thermopile sensor and a Quasar Bluetooth PC interface.
With these particular pulsed Nd:YAG welding laser systems, the user can change four different laser settings to get different results:
Laser Peak Power (laser energy with respect to the duration of the laser pulse)
Pulse Width (or Pulse Duration)
Pulse Repetition Rate (frequency of the pulses)
Spot Size
It is also worthy to note that the lamp time between Laser #1 and Laser #2 were about the same (around 500 hours) at the time of these tests.
Simple Experiments Provide Quick Solutions
First, we decided that the best approach was to establish a baseline from Laser #1, the laser that we knew was producing good parts. So we set the laser to the process parameters, took a power measurement, and took a beam profile. Since we suspected that Laser #2 was resulting in a more intense beam at the same process parameters, we intentionally set the attenuation relatively high for the profile on Laser #1 so that we could "compare apples to apples." The combination of absorption filters that we used had a neutral density value of 3.3.
Figure 3 shows the 2D and 3D beam profiles with some of the calculated results. The output average power of Laser #1 at the workpiece with the process parameters was measured at 20.1W. Spot size was close to what was programmed at 383μm. The Power Density Result (or Peak Power as it is seen on Figure 3) resulted in 25.6 kW/cm2.
Second, we took a beam profile of Laser #2 at the same process parameters, keeping all of the software and optics settings of the beam profiling system the same. Figure 4 shows the 2D and 3D beam profiles with some of the calculated results.
The output average power of Laser #2 at the workpiece with the same process parameters was measured at 27.1W (a 35% increase from the Laser #1 measurement). The spot size was measured at 410 μm. The Power Density Result (or Peak Power as it is seen on Figure 4) resulted in 29.6 kW/cm2 (a 15.6% increase from the Laser #1 measurement).
Both visually, and mathematically, it's easy to see that there are differences between the two beam profiles and laser power measurements from the two identical laser systems set at the same laser settings.
At this point, we wanted to see what kinds of changes we could make in the settings on the laser to attempt to get a beam profile that was closer to the one of the laser that was producing good parts. In the span of about 10 minutes we were able to determine that decreasing the Peak Power setting by 0.2 kW and decreasing the pulse width by 1ms, we were able to create an image that was closer to that of Laser #1's beam profile. The results of changing these settings are shown in Figure 5.
Again, visually and mathematically, the results of those two minor changes in the process parameters can be seen. Laser power decreased and was measured at 20.2W. Spot size was measured at 404μm. Peak power also decreased and measured at 25.0 kW/cm2.
Using these modified process parameters that have brought the beam profile closer to that of the laser that is producing acceptable parts, the customer is now in the process of doing some tests on their parts to see if these new settings bring the desired results.
A couple of other issues to note within these three figures. Laser #1's profile in Figure 3, the Ellipticity (or the "roundness" of the beam) value is measured at 99.5%—what is commonly known in the industry as "a pretty round beam", one which is usually desired during laser welding processes such as this. The profiles of Laser #2 resulted in a focused spot with Ellipticity values of 91.5% and 87% as seen in Figures 4 and 5, respectively. Usually such a low Ellipticity value can be caused by a number of things, but we suspected that some adjustment on the resonator's rear mirror could be made to bring this beam profile "back into round."
In addition to the discrepancies in Ellipticity, the beam profiling also showed that there was a slight shift of the location of the peak intensity, which may affect the laser welding process. Laser #1 shows a peak intensity that is fairly close to center. However Laser #2 shows a peak intensity that is "south to southeast" from center as indicated by BeamGage's crosshair location which is tracking peak intensity. Again, we also suspected that adjustments on the rear mirror might bring this peak intensity closer to the center once again.
Use the Right Tools to Understand the Laws of Physics
If a picture is worth a thousand words, these three pictures should be proof enough that no two laser systems are created equal. And just to be clear, the laser manufacturer should not at all be considered at fault for providing a defective product. In cases like this, the end laser user simply falls victim to the laws of physics. But because of those undeniable laws, those who are responsible for ensuring quality in their laser processes, and those responsible for protecting the integrity and reputation of their companies, should be enabling themselves with the right tools and knowing for sure that their laser processes are consistent from batch to batch, from day to day, and even from one laser system to the next. The only way to know this for sure is through a comprehensive laser characterization program.
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Author P. L. Luisi
https://cepa.info/author/luisi-p-l
Pier Luigi Luisi became Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Material Sciences at the ETH Zurich in 1971. In 2003, he went back to Italy as Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Rome 3. His research focuses on synthetic biology, in particular micelles and liposomes, and their importance for the origin of life. At the ETH, he created (1985) the Cortona-week, an interdisciplinary residential week mostly for graduate students and young managers.
Homepage: http://www.plluisi.org/luisi.html
Publications Found: 21 · Show All Abstracts
Bachmann P. A., Walde P., Luisi P. L. & Lang J. (1990) Self-replicating reverse micelles and chemical autopoiesis. Journal of the American Chemical Society 112(22): 8200–8201.
Excerpt: In conclusion, this work confidently demonstrates that the reverse micellar system presented here is endowed with the property of self-replication. Since the reaction is localized within the boundary of the structure itself, and since the reaction leads to the production of the components of the boundary which in terms define the identity of the structure, this work also provides the first chemical example of autopoietic organization. The fidelity of self-replication is not perfect, as the dimensions of the micelles become smaller from generation to generation; however, this "single-phase autopoietic cycle" can in principle be amended by a continuous supply of water. More generally, micellar systems appear as suitable model systems for autopoiesis; and we are presently pursuing this work with a CTAB-based micellar aqueous system and with a lecithin-based liposomal system.
Bitbol M. & Luisi P. L. (2004) Autopoiesis with or without cognition: Defining life at its edge. Journal of the Social Society Interface 1: 99–107. https://cepa.info/2262
Bitbol M. & Luisi P. L. (2004) Autopoiesis with or without cognition: Defining life at its edge. Journal of the Social Society Interface 1: 99–107. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/2262
This paper examines two questions related to autopoiesis as a theory for minimal life: (i) the relation between autopoiesis and cognition; and (ii) the question as to whether autopoiesis is the necessary and sufficient condition for life. First, we consider the concept of cognition in the spirit of Maturana and Varela: in contradistinction to the representationalistic point of view, cognition is construed as interaction between and mutual definition of a living unit and its environment. The most direct form of cognition for a cell is thus metabolism itself, which necessarily implies exchange with the environment and therefore a simultaneous coming to being for the organism and for the environment. A second level of cognition is recognized in the adaptation of the living unit to new foreign molecules, by way of a change in its metabolic pattern. We draw here an analogy with the ideas developed by Piaget, who recognizes in cognition the two distinct steps of assimilation and accommodation. While assimilation is the equivalent of uptake and exchange of usual metabolites, accommodation corresponds to biological adaptation, which in turn is the basis for evolution. By comparing a micro-organism with a vesicle that uptakes a precursor for its own self-reproduction, we arrive at the conclusion that (a) the very lowest level of cognition is the condition for life, and (b) the lowest level of cognition does not reduce to the lowest level of autopoiesis. As a consequence, autopoiesis alone is only a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for life. The broader consequences of this analysis of cognition for minimal living systems are considered.
Damiano L. & Luisi P. L. (2010) Towards an autopoietic redefinition of life. Origin of Life and Evolution of Biospheres 40(2): 145–149. https://cepa.info/2689
Damiano L. & Luisi P. L. (2010) Towards an autopoietic redefinition of life. Origin of Life and Evolution of Biospheres 40(2): 145–149. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/2689
In this paper we develop the autopoietic approach to the definition of the living developed by Maturana and Varela in the Seventies. Starting from very simple observations concerning the phenomenology of life, we propose a reformulation of the autopoietic original definition of life which integrates some of the contemporary criticism to it. Our definitional proposal, aiming to stimulate the further development of the autopoietic approach, expresses what remains implicit in the definition of the living originally given by Maturana and Varela: life, as self-production, is a process of cognitive coupling with the environment.
Key words: autonomy, autopoiesis, cognition, life, structural coupling
Lucantoni M. & Luisi P. L. (2012) On the universality of the living: A few epistemological notes. Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres 42(5): 385–387. https://cepa.info/8132
Lucantoni M. & Luisi P. L. (2012) On the universality of the living: A few epistemological notes. Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres 42(5): 385–387. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/8132
Excerpt: One can make the point that all living must be autopoietic. Autopoiesis is the necessary condition for any organism in order to be defined as living – there is no exception to this statement and therefore we consider autopoiesis as transcendental – autopoiesis then as the logic of organization of a living organism, or better yet, its Transcendental Phenomenology. Within the field, there is a discussion on whether autopoiesis is the necessary and sufficient condition, or whether it is only a necessary one. There is also a discussion of the relation between autopoiesis and cognition, whereby cognition has to do with the "cognitive" interaction with the environment, and is a further qualification of the notion of living. But here, in the context of this meeting, it is enough to make the point that autopoiesis is the necessary condition shared by any living entity – regardless of whether we are considering microorganisms, plants, fish, mammals… And therefore is universal.
Key words: autopoiesis, cognition, maturana and varela, trascendental, kant, minimal life.
Luisi P. L. (1993) Defining the transition to life: Self-replicating bounded structures and chemical autopoiesis. In: Stein W. & Varela F. J. (eds.) Thinking about biology: An introduction to theoretical biology. Addison-Wesley, Reading MA: 17–39. https://cepa.info/7809
Luisi P. L. (1993) Defining the transition to life: Self-replicating bounded structures and chemical autopoiesis. In: Stein W. & Varela F. J. (eds.) Thinking about biology: An introduction to theoretical biology. Addison-Wesley, Reading MA: 17–39. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/7809
Excerpt: The autopoietic approach has the advantage of offering a simple and operative definition of the minimal living being – although, as pointed out, each definition automatically means a self-imposed restriction. Within the limits of this restriction, the notion of autopoiesis suggests that life must be based on autopoietic units, and, conversely, any structure which is autopoietic must correspond to the minimal form of life. Accordingly, the self-replicating bounded structures illustrated in this article should be considered as minimal synthetic life. Such a statement may possess an unappealing flavor, but I believe one should not be afraid of it. This feeling of unappealingness probably arises for psychological reasons, but it should not cloud the scientific issue. The scientific issue is whether or not a certain set of self-imposed definitions and criteria are implemented by a given experimental system. Even if we give a positive answer to these criteria, certainly nothing is taken away from the mystery of life at large.
Luisi P. L. (1994) The chemical implementation of autopoiesis. In: Fleischaker G. R., Colonna S. & Luigi P. L. (eds.) Self-production of supramolecular structures: From synthetic structures to models of minimal living systems. Kluwer, Dordrecht: 179–197. https://cepa.info/5892
Luisi P. L. (1994) The chemical implementation of autopoiesis. In: Fleischaker G. R., Colonna S. & Luigi P. L. (eds.) Self-production of supramolecular structures: From synthetic structures to models of minimal living systems. Kluwer, Dordrecht: 179–197. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/5892
Abstract: The notion of autopoiesis, as originally formulated in the seventies by Maturana and Varela, is first reviewed and it is pointed out how this view offers a definition of minimal life which differs in some respect from the more conventional view, which is based on the template recognition mechanism of nucleic acids. The main criterium for autopoiesis is self-maintenance of the autopoietic unity from within its own. Here it is shown, however, that self-reproduction, when it is originated from reactions taking place within the boundary of the autopoietic unity, can also be seen as a criterium for autopoiesis. Examples of self-reproducing micelles are then reviewed and it is discussed to what extent they can be considered as autopoietic unities. One experiment is discussed in some more detail, as it bears a relation with the origin of life: this is the case of caprylate micelles in water which are spontaneously build from the hydrolysis of water-insoluble ethylcaprylate (EC) – once the first micelles are formed, there is a fast autocatalytic hydrolysis of further EC which produces more micelles in a superexponentially accelerated process. The plan for future experiments in the area, e.g. core-and-shell-replication, is there also outlined. It is finally argued that the progress of this work on autopoietic structures, more than on micelles, must be based on vesicles and liposomes, and preliminary work on this field is discussed.
Luisi P. L. (2002) Emergence in chemistry: Chemistry as the embodiment of emergence. Foundations of Chemistry 4(3): 183–200.
The main aim of the paper is to reinforce the notion that emergence is a basic characteristic of the molecular sciences in general and chemistry in particular. Although this point is well accepted, even in the primary reference on emergence, the keyword emergence is rarely utilized by chemists and molecular biologists and chemistry textbooks for undergraduates. The possible reasons for this situation are discussed. The paper first re-introduces the concept of emergence based on very simple geometrical forms; and considers some simple chemical examples among low and high molecular weight compounds. On the basis of these chemical examples, a few interesting philosophical issues inherent to the field of emergence are discussed – again making the point that such examples, given their clarity and simplicity, permit one to better understand the complex philosophical issues. Thus, the question of predictability is discussed, namely whether and to what extent can emergent properties be predicted on the basis of the component's properties; or the question of the explicability (a top down process). The relation between reductionism and emergentism is also discussed as well as the notion of downward causality and double causality (macrodeterminism); namely the question whether and to what extent the emergent properties of the higher hierarchic level affect the properties of the lower level components. Finally, the question is analyzed, whether life can be considered as an emergent property. More generally, the final point is made, that the re-introduction of the notion of emergence in chemistry, and in particular in the teaching, may bring about a deeper understanding of the meaning of chemical complexity and may bring chemistry closer to the humanistic areas of philosophy and epistemology.
Luisi P. L. (2003) Autopoiesis: A review and a reappraisal. Naturwissenschaften 90(2): 49–59. https://cepa.info/2465
Luisi P. L. (2003) Autopoiesis: A review and a reappraisal. Naturwissenschaften 90(2): 49–59. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/2465
The concept of autopoiesis was proposed 40 years ago as a definition of a living being, with the aim of providing a unifying concept for biology. The concept has also been extended to the theory of knowledge and to different areas of the social and behavioral sciences. Given some ambiguities of the original definitions of autopoiesis, the concept has been criticized and has been interpreted in diverse and even contradictory ways, which has prevented its integration into the biological sciences where it originated. Here I present a critical review and conceptual analysis of the definition of autopoiesis, and propose a new definition that is more precise, clear, and concise than the original ones. I argue that the difficulty in understanding the term lies in its refined conceptual subtlety and not, as has been claimed by some authors, because it is a vacuous, trivial or very complex concept. I also relate the concept of autopoiesis to the concepts of closed systems, boundaries, homeostasis, self-reproduction, causal circularity, organization and multicellularity. I show that under my proposed definition the concept of a molecular autopoietic system is a good demarcation criterion of a living being, allowing its general integration into the biological sciences and enhancing its interdisciplinary use.
Key words: Autopoiesis, Definition of life, Individual identity, Physical proximity, Self-reproduction, Circular causality
Luisi P. L. (2011) My encounters with Francisco Varela. Systems Research and Behavioral Science 28: 689–695. https://cepa.info/3933
Luisi P. L. (2011) My encounters with Francisco Varela. Systems Research and Behavioral Science 28: 689–695. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/3933
I review here my personal and scientific interactions with Francisco Varela, starting from our meeting in 1983 in Alpbach, Austria, a momentous meeting, which was also the place where the Mind and Life Institute and independently the Cortona week were conceived. Later on, the scientific cooperation focussed on autopoiesis and permitted to arrive at the experimental autopoiesis on the basis of the self-reproduction of micelles and vesicles. I then briefly describe how Francisco, based on the complementary notion of cognition, was able to draw the bridge between biology and cognitive sciences. The main keywords here are enaction and embodied mind. From here, and towards the end of his life, Francisco focussed mostly on neurobiology, where he introduced the notion of neurophenomenology centred on first-person reports. However, his seminal work on autopoiesis was instrumental to conceive the new field of research on the minimal cells, which is briefly described. I conclude with an overview of the meaning of the work of Francisco for life sciences at large.
Key words: Mind and Life Institute, autopoiesis, enaction, embodied mind, neurophenomenology, life sciences
Luisi P. L. (2012) Comments on Prebiotic Ecology, Supramolecular Selection and Autopoiesis. Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres 42(5): 451–452. https://cepa.info/6254
Luisi P. L. (2012) Comments on Prebiotic Ecology, Supramolecular Selection and Autopoiesis. Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres 42(5): 451–452. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/6254
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Despite conversations with my team and multiple attempts in the simulator back at the factory, I still barely know this Malaysian circuit so I'm a bit hesitant to go out today. But go out I must and being Practice, now is as good a time as any to learn the circuit and get as many laps as possible under my belt before the race on Sunday. With the clock about to start, I think I'll go out as soon as possible.
Well, that wasn't so bad. The track was pretty damn easy to learn -- a pleasant surprise -- and despite a few moments, I'm happy overall with that session. As I expected it wasn't too long until my first small moment, occurring in my first run as I went wide and spun as I accelerated out of the final, extremely tight turn on my second proper lap. It wasn't anything drastic though and I was able to press on with no harm done. Some of the apexes of these corners are hard to spot, despite not necessarily being blind or sneaking up on you. They're just awkwardly cambered, or happen in quick succession after an initial corner. It's not a problem and my confidence to push them over the weekend will grow, but it's an interesting point nonetheless.
My second attempt at the Malaysian circuit was better, my times improving a little but still nowhere near those of my rivals. I also had another small spin, this time during turn 1 and once again due to accelerating slightly too early. Alguersuari, who wasn't far behind me, collected me gently as he mustn't have seen me spin. Nothing significant, the spin was simple (and perhaps unnecessary) and the contact was minor. I'll get the hang of this track yet.
Pit lane was my enemy on my third run, receiving a warning for illegal blocking as I exited to begin the run and then coming back to return to the pits I spun on the bumpy entrance, clearly entering a little too fast. The spin was once again minor whilst the warning… well, I thought it was a bit unfair. The pit lane exit is short and feeds you into the first corner almost instantly; of course I'm going to get in the way if I'm coming out and someone is about to enter the corner, as we both need to make it and therefore I can't just drive straight on and off into the grass, just to ensure I'm out of the way. I accepted the warning as I'm still new and I just wanted to get on with my session. The rest of the run was good, the track finally making its mark on my physical and mental memory.
The fourth run also included a silly spin, again in turn 1 on my third proper lap. It was nothing to worry about but summarized the lap overall which was scruffy and definitely could have been better. I also started to push a little more as I felt more confident and with basic track knowledge out of the way, I could start pushing the limits and find the ideal points to brake, turn and accelerate.
My fifth run was busy, exiting into a gaggle of cars which meant that it took a while to get focused as I struggled to find some space on the circuit. Thankfully there were no spins or any other issues to worry about and I was able to get some good, clean and fast laps in. I also noticed it was getting significantly overcast.
I decided to go with the Option tires for my sixth run, thinking it was time to start going for even faster lap times. I regretted this decision almost instantly however as it began to drizzle as soon as I left the pits. Interestingly though, my tires didn't seem to mind and the grip levels remained consistent despite the rain. Because of this, I pressed on anyway and, perhaps ironically, started to set my fastest times yet. Hey, whatever works, right? Staying on the racing line -- which was still quite dry -- meant that there were no problems with the weather, but it did affect the ability to use the Option tires to their full potential so while I set my fastest times yet, they weren't the best that were possible.
Unfortunately I got blocked a couple of times on two of my flying laps, so I chose to come in early and change to intermediate tires for my seventh run due to the rain getting progressively harder. I didn't mind though, treating it as an opportunity to finally see how the inters handled generally as well as some nice, decent practice in the wet. It was surprising just how quickly the rain got heavier, though, and, perhaps more importantly, how little visibility there truly was; so much so that I decided to go with the full wet tires for the rest of the session.
It's remarkable really, both the Prime and Option tires give insane amounts of grip during dry conditions, allowing a lot of corners to pass by extremely quickly, but I think I'm more impressed with how the wets perform. That first lap on full wets was incredibly enlightening, the grip they offer in a track that was more like a river than an F1 circuit seeming impossible at first but rather satisfying as it went on. Obviously, my braking points and approaches to each corner changed in the conditions, effectively resetting everything I had learned just a few minutes earlier. Interestingly enough, everyone else seemed to stay in the pits when the rain was at its heaviest, so I took the opportunity and empty track to get some more practice in under wet conditions. It was a bit strange that my fellow rookies -- my teammate Lucas included -- didn't elect to do the same. When you include the two previous races as well this session was my best yet, having only a few slight mistakes that were, I feel, rectified rather quickly and giving me my first taste of unpredictable conditions. I had fun learning the track and how to drive an F1 car in the wet, got my bearings around the Sepang circuit a lot faster than I expected to and most importantly, kept consistent throughout, gradually improving my times -- until the rain came at least. I reached 13th for the session, which isn't bad for my first ever visit here, and despite some minor and perhaps expected spins, the session was a success. Turns 1 and 10 need some more work, though.
A surprisingly dry start meant that it was back to using the Primes for my first run, the washed out racing line taking a few laps to start returning, leaving grip levels inconsistent and slightly uncomfortable. It also took a while for me to readjust to the dry conditions mentally, my braking points and turn in points having to be rediscovered. That was a little surprising, but nothing I haven't dealt with before.
My second and third runs were practically perfect with some really great, clean and consistent laps. No mistakes, fast speeds and times, and gradual improvement over Practice 1. It began to rain as soon as I noticed how dark the track was getting, however, remaining light at first but gradually increasing as the third run went on. Still no proper runs on the Options, then.
Opting with the inters for my fourth run, I took the opportunity for even more practice in the rain but unfortunately lost control coming out of turn 2 due to hitting the slippery exit curb. I also nearly lost it again in the same place on the subsequent lap but managed to save it. Finding myself behind one of my rivals, I purposefully followed them closely behind to get acquainted with just how poor visibility is whilst pursuing another car.
The rain almost as heavy as this morning, I went with the wet tires for my fifth run, which was yet another good and consistent one. It's amazing how concentration steps up another level in wet conditions, the intensity of driving in them even more incredible than my surprise in Bahrain. It wasn't exhausting though, proving that I'm finally getting accustomed to what it is like to race in Formula 1.
Continuing with wets, my sixth run was spoiled by some mishaps including a couple of half-spins. I was able to recover from both easily, and clearly they were as a result of the conditions, so I decided to drive a bit more cautiously afterwards.
My seventh run featured a small spin but was otherwise yet more good practice, the rain seemingly decreasing but remaining steady.
For the final run I went back to the inters, the rain only drizzling but the track still significantly wet. I once again took the opportunity to get some wet practice in, and couldn't help but chuckle as I followed a funny battle for track position with Jenson Button, Robert Kubica and Jarno Trulli -- it's not a race guys! (Yet…) I managed to finish 12th, one position higher than Practice 1, with a lap time of 1:38.455 which was set while the track was still dry. Overall I did 23 laps, and it was a great session with very few mistakes, more practice in the rain and more confidence with the Sepang circuit generally. Bodes well for tomorrow's session and then, of course, Qualifying.
Another great session, perhaps my best Practice to date! With no rain in sight the track seemed to be at its fastest, my first run yielding a time that was on par with the best seen in Practice 2 (a 1m, 38). Also in this run I passed Webber who had spun at turn 10 and was facing the wrong way on my in-lap.
On run 2 I noticed Webber had recovered to set the fastest time for the session, so the spin clearly didn't affect his progress too much. My first flying lap for the run was aborted due to Bruno Senna spinning at turn 2, whilst my second flying lap was also aborted due to my own spin in turn 10, thanks once again to being a little too eager with the throttle.
The third run was great with no problems whatsoever, despite almost spinning again coming back into the pits on those bumps. Choosing to go with the Options, my fourth run saw me break into the 1m 37s bracket for the first time, setting a time of 1:37.340. I couldn't help but be glad to finally have a decent run on the Options. The first flying lap was unfortunately impeded by traffic, holding me up enough for me to abort the lap.
The fifth run, again on the Options, consisted of three consecutive clean and consistent laps, practically a perfect run though unfortunately my time was not improved. The tires worn by the sixth run, it didn't yield any results so I came in early to grab a new set.
My seventh run was fantastic as I was able to put together a brilliant lap on the new tires, reaching a 1:36.986, easily my fastest time of the weekend yet. This secured 7th position for P3, a result I'm immensely satisfied with, even if it took 16 laps to achieve it.
With expectations of 20th or higher, my team gave me a rather lenient goal to aspire to for this qualifying session despite the higher places I reached in the various Practice sessions. Confident in my ability to achieve that, I set my own personal goal of 15th, a place I reached easily as… wait for it… I MADE IT INTO Q3! Yes, I made the final qualifying session but I'll explain that in a second, first my run in Q1.
Going with the Options, I went wide at turn 4 on my first flying lap and again on the second, this time at turn 11. My second run, on the same tires, took a total of 4 flying laps to improve my time, setting a 1:37.747 in the process. A time that's slower than my best on this track but good enough to reach Q2.
Sticking with the Options (I used them the entire session), I had an okay initial run putting down a reasonable time but nowhere near my best once again. The second run was much better, improving my time to a 1:37.312 which again doesn't match my best ever but gave me 10th position, obviously being decent enough to allow me to progress into the final qualifying session.
Surprised I had reached such heights -- who would have thought a Virgin would be in the top ten so early in the season, if at all? -- and with worn tires, I decided to not aim for anything and just be content with anywhere in the top ten, even if that happened to be 10th. Easing the pressure by exceeding both mine and my team's goals, I went into the session noticing instantly how overcast it had become. Rain didn't eventuate however and neither did a decent time, my second run being hampered by some unfortunate mistakes. I spun out of turn 1 on my out lap due to the cold, worn tires, then went wide at the same turn on my first flying lap, destroying my chance at a better lap due to the session expiring. I ended up 10th but definitely believe that at least 9th was possible if I didn't stuff up, as I was pipped on that last lap by Petrov. My time was a 1:38.401, perhaps slower than previous ones over the weekend due to the worn tires but still, I think I surprised everyone including myself by reaching Q3, so quite frankly I don't care. What a fantastic qualifying session! A great contrast to the events in the last round too; I guess I love this Malaysian circuit! Vettel acquired pole, maintaining Red Bull's insane consistency and dominance so far this season.
A tawdry start with far too much wheelspin sent me backwards pretty quick, reaching about 18th place (not actually sure). It didn't matter however as I managed to make it back to 16th relatively quickly, only to spin at turn 4 on the second lap after going far too wide due to missing my braking point while I watched the cars ahead. I really need to work on those starts. Anyway, I recovered right behind my teammate Lucas and got past him on lap 4 after a good little battle, only to throw it away by once again going too wide at turn 9, putting me by myself in the race. Disappointed I pressed on trying to find a rhythm and trying to hit every apex, which I achieved by about lap 11. On lap 13 I was lapped (already) by Webber -- who had the lead -- and not long afterwards his teammate Sebastian Vettel. Because Lucas had pitted I was ahead of him, whilst Trulli -- who also pitted -- came out a few seconds ahead of me. I managed to catch and pass him on the back straight on lap 17 heading into the final turn but stuffed it and had a half spin due to my tires which were worn from the qualifying session yesterday (as I reached Q3 I had to start on the same tires). Probably not surprising as I was already uncomfortable with them. Thinking I had once again fallen behind (but still, surprisingly -- at the time -- ahead of Lucas), I was surprised when my team told me I was ahead of Trulli on lap 19. He must have pitted again or something because I certainly didn't pass him on the track, unless he had gone off and I just didn't notice. I entered the pits for some shiny, new, Prime tires on lap 20, feeling very pleased with the idea of disposing of the horribly worn Options. It was hard to get a rhythm after the pit stop though as I kept having to move aside for the frontrunners who were lapping me. On lap 27 it began to drizzle, getting progressively heavier rather quickly. On lap 29 Lucas retired, whilst on lap 32 I passed Vettel who had spun not too long after lapping me once more, clearly due to the wet conditions which were getting quite serious. On lap 34 I pitted for wets, seemingly making the right decision as putting the wets on allowed me to un-lap myself against some of the others who chose inters instead, which felt remarkably satisfying. A few people ahead also pitted twice (once for inters and then again for wets), increasing my position by three to 20th. On lap 41 I almost spun twice due to the intense conditions, the rain really drenching the circuit and leaving it absolutely saturated. On lap 42 as I exited turn 2 I nearly spun again as the exit curb was extremely slippery and induced an incredible amount of wheelspin. I managed to save it but that sent me for a detour into the grass, so it took a while to recover. Later during the same lap, while waiting to be overlapped once again I accelerated too early, spinning again. Because Kubica crashed into me I got penalized, the officials thinking I caused the accident. I thought this was a bit unfair but I chose to do my drive through penalty instantly to get it out of the way. The drive through allowed me to contemplate the wet conditions briefly, the rain seemingly suiting me -- something interesting to note. On lap 44 I was informed that I was in position 19th which was a surprise, must have been a retirement or something. On the same lap I passed Buemi who was facing the wrong way in turn 1, then reached 18th near the end of the lap due to Kubica's retirement -- probably due to our earlier collision. On lap 48 I caught the first turn's curb and had a half-spin, Senna hitting me despite me being off the racing line, only minor damage though. Lap 52 saw me reach 17th, where I was also destined to finish, 1 spot ahead of my team's expectations. Despite some mistakes and the black flag, I'm pretty happy overall with the race though do wonder what could have been had things gone a little differently. Webber won with Alonso and Hamilton in second and third respectively, whilst my team Virgin overtook Lotus for 11th in the constructors' championship. I still need to work on my starts and consistency but overall the race was much better than my first two, the rain being a welcome addition to the weekend overall thanks to the chance to practice, as well as the conditions seemingly suiting my driving style. Perhaps ironic given the silly spins I sometimes have, but I won't object nor complain if it means I continue to improve or have better weekends. The race wasn't perfect but I'll take the result, ecstatic with reaching Q3 and content with the idea of the weekend outclassing Bahrain and Australia. It leaves me feeling confident as we head into the next fly-away round, this time in Shanghai, China. Bring it on.


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Northern governors agree to ditch Ruga in favour of National Livestock Transformation Plan
September 13th, 2019 News, Nigerian, Politics comments
GOVERNORS of Nigeria's 19 northern states have agreed to ditch the federal government's controversial Ruga cattle colony programme and opt instead for the less volatile National Livestock Transformation Plan.
Earlier this year, the presidency had proposed Ruga under which state governments would be forced to give up land to allow for the establishment for cattle colonies. However, this plan was bitterly opposed as not only will it contravene the Land Use Act, which vests control of land with governors but there were also fears that it would allow armed Fulani herdsmen into the countryside.
Of late, heavily-armed Fulani herdsmen have carried out murderous attacks across Nigeria, killing thousands as they ransack villages with AK 47 assault rifles. With a majority of state governors saying they will oppose Ruga, the Northern Nigerian Governors' Forum (NNGF) met over the matter yesterday and opted instead for the less controversial National Livestock Transformation Plan.
Following their meeting in Kaduna, the NNGF not only adopted the plan but also urged other governors in other parts of the country to follow suit. NNGF chairman, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, said the National Livestock Transformation Plan would ensure peace and stability in the region as well as resettle dislocated populations in the key conflict zones to enable them to become part of the agricultural modernisation process.
He added: "In the same vein, it will provide a mechanism for peaceful dialogue and reconciliation in the affected communities towards a harmonious mutually beneficial future. The forum therefore adopted the National Livestock Transformation Plan which lays out a clear path for modernising pastoral activities.
"The Northern states governors 'forum convened an emergency meeting to discuss some topical issues of common interest, particularly development of the agricultural sector being the economic livewire of the region. The forum was well- informed about the National Livestock Transformation Plan and its disparities with the Ruga.
According to Governor Lalong, the plan will further encourage other states not included as pilot states to endeavour to join the programme. On insecurity, he expressed the forum's unwavering determination to rescue the region and reposition it to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people, especially in the areas of security economic and social development
Governor Lalong added that it is expected that the plan would ensure resettling and addressing the dislocated populations in the key conflict zones to enable them to become part of the agricultural modernisation process. On the almajiri, he said, the forum was briefed on the phenomenon in northern Nigeria, which is not only endemic but also pandemic.
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Biological Effects of Heat Induced Oxidative Stress in Germ Cells
Cellular responses against heat depend on the temperature as well as the duration and frequency of heat stress. In humans, continuous monitoring of scrotal temperature shows that scrotal temperature changes every minute, which makes evaluation of the effect of heat in human testis difficult [23, 24]. This notion is important for understanding of the pathophysiology of disorders of spermatogenesis induced by heat stress (e.g., varicocele, cryptorchidism, and environmental exposure). Testes of patients with varicocele are presumably exposed to heat stress all day or, at least,
Fig. 8.1 Behavioral patterns of testicular cells, mainly germ cells, exposed to heat-induced oxidative stress. Dashed line indicates a possible pathway. These phenomena usually occur concurrently but not alone
several hours, but intermittently. A number of animal models designed to study the effect of heat stress on the testis have been developed, and most studies include transient exposure of the testes to elevated temperatures (typically 43°C) or placing of the testes and epididymis within the body cavity (surgical inducing cryptorchidism) for long-term exposure of the testes to the core body temperature (37°C). Both methods have been reported to cause a variety of disturbances in testicular functions, including decreased testis weight, increased apoptosis, germ cell loss, and altered fertilization capability of sperm. These models are very useful for studying germ cell death and related molecular events, but it is necessary to pay attention when adopting the phenomena obtained from animal studies to human pathophysiology.
Generally, cells with high mitotic activity (e.g., cancer cells, germ cells) are more susceptible to heat stress than are somatic cells. Major cellular responses against heat-induced oxidative stress are listed in Fig. 8.1. Direct evidence suggesting that heat stress increases the concentration of intracellular ROS in cells [25, 26] and that ROS play a role in heat-induced cell death [27, 28] is limited, but many studies have shown that ROS in heat-induced germ cell injury cause apoptosis. The association of cell survival rate and temperature sensitivity is known as an Arrhenius plot [29], and there is a "breaking point" around 42.5°C where the cell survival rate rapidly falls (Fig. 8.2). In the case of hyperthermia in cancer, most of the cell death at temperatures below 43°C occurs by apoptosis, whereas necrosis is evident above 43°C [30]. In vivo, these biological effects vary by cell type. For example, spermatocytes, especially pachytene spermatocytes, and early spermatids readily undergo apopto-sis instead of showing thermotolerance. On the other hand, spermatogonia often undergo cell cycle arrest, and Sertoli and Leydig cells often express antioxidants and show thermotolerance. The nature of heat exposure is critical because 43°C for 15 min induces specific damage limited to spermatocytes and early spermatids, whereas 45°C for 15 min results in generalized, nonspecific damage to many different germ cell types. The mechanism of cell death after mild heat stress appears to be
Fig. 8.2 Relationships among temperature, extent of oxidative stress, and cell death. Ranges of apoptosis, autophagy, and necrosis indicated in the black square are based on published literature about nongerm cells. Of note, a prolonged duration of heat stress, even at 43°C, causes necrosis rather than apoptosis
Fig. 8.2 Relationships among temperature, extent of oxidative stress, and cell death. Ranges of apoptosis, autophagy, and necrosis indicated in the black square are based on published literature about nongerm cells. Of note, a prolonged duration of heat stress, even at 43°C, causes necrosis rather than apoptosis active (apoptosis), not passive (necrosis) cell death [31-33] . On the other hand, temperatures above 45°C or burns cause necrosis (Fig. 8.2), but it is likely that apoptosis and necrosis will concurrently occur at varying levels. From a clinical point of view, the mode of heat stress in vivo is quite different from experimental conditions. Most of the experimental conditions are specific for investigation of the effect of heat stress on each cell, including spermatogonia and mature sperm. In contrast, the deterioration of spermatogenesis in patients with cryptorchidism or varicocele is characterized by spermatogenic arrest at different levels, indicating that cell cycle arrest will mainly exist. Topics regarding germ cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest are described in an independent section in this chapter.
Autophagic cell death is a completely different form of cell death compared to apoptosis and necrosis. Autophagy is a process that degrades long-lived proteins and cytoplasmic components within vesicles, which then deliver the contents to the lysosome/vacuole for degradation. The involvement of autophagy in health and disease is being increasingly reported. In the field of reproductive biology, autophagy is induced mainly in granulosa cells during folliculogenesis and shows good correlation with apoptosis [34] . Light chain 3 (LC3) serves as a marker for autophagy. Upon activation of autophagy, the 18-kDa cytosolic LC3 (LC3B-I)
Fig. 8.3 The expression of LC3-II proteins in 8-week-old Wistar rat testis exposed to heat stress (43°C, 15 min). Representative immunoblots from total testicular lysates are shown. LC3-I (18 kDa) is converted to LC3-II (16 kDa) during autophagy induction. The apparent intensity of the LC3-II band indicates that the testis undergoes apparent basal autophagy under normal conditions. Maximum induction of autophagy is observed 1 h after heat stress. All animal experiments followed a protocol approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Experiments from the Yamaguchi University School of Medicine and were performed according to the Guidelines for Animal Experiments of the Committee
Fig. 8.3 The expression of LC3-II proteins in 8-week-old Wistar rat testis exposed to heat stress (43°C, 15 min). Representative immunoblots from total testicular lysates are shown. LC3-I (18 kDa) is converted to LC3-II (16 kDa) during autophagy induction. The apparent intensity of the LC3-II band indicates that the testis undergoes apparent basal autophagy under normal conditions. Maximum induction of autophagy is observed 1 h after heat stress. All animal experiments followed a protocol approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Experiments from the Yamaguchi University School of Medicine and were performed according to the Guidelines for Animal Experiments of the Committee undergoes proteolytic cleavage followed by lipid modification and is converted to the 16-kDa membrane-bound form (LC3B-II), which is specifically localized to the autophagosomal membranes. The conversion from LC3B-I to LC3B-II is used as a sensitive marker for autophagy in cells. The temperature spectrum for autophagy shown in Fig. 8.2 is based on the results of studies in nongerm cells. Figure 8.3 illustrates the presence of heat-induced autophagy in rat testis (unpublished data). Testes of 8-week-old Wistar rats were immersed in water at 43°C for 15 min under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia. The cleavage of LC3B-I to 16-kDa fragments was examined. Whole testicular lysate was electrophoresed and immu-noblotted with anti-LC3 antibodies. There is basal autophagy in the normal testis and increased expression of 16-kDa LC3 fragments, indicating that heat stress induces autophagy in the testis, but localization of autophagy has not been identified. Autophagic cell death is reported to play an important role in the preimplanta-tion embryo [35] . The involvement of autophagy has not been defined in further detail, but is considered to play important roles in normal spermatogenesis and heat-induced conditions.
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San Francisco, CA – The Cypress String Quartet (Cecily Ward, violin; Tom Stone, violin; Ethan Filner, viola; and Jennifer Kloetzel, cello) presents its 11th Annual Call & Response concert on Friday, February 26 at Herbst Theatre (401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco). The concert includes the world premiere of a string quartet based on Ann Patchett's novel Bel Canto, commissioned by the Cypress Quartet from Boston-based composer Elena Ruehr, as well as Mozart's String Quartet in D Major, K.575 and Schubert's String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, "Death and the Maiden." A pre-concert talk with Ms. Ruehr will begin at 7:15pm. Additional performances and discussions with the Cypress and Ms. Ruehr, free and open to the public, take place beginning on January 26.
The Call & Response program was born out of the Cypress's commitment to present music as a dynamic and ongoing process of inspiration. Each year, the ensemble selects two works from the standard string quartet repertoire (the call) and commissions a third work (the response) based on inspiration derived from the two older works, exploring how contemporary music is a natural evolution of older works. For Call & Response 2010, instead of drawing inspiration solely from music, the Cypress examines how literature has influenced and inspired music through Elena Ruehr's new work based on the novel Bel Canto.
For the 2010 Call & Response concert, Ms. Ruehr's Bel Canto will be paired with older masterpieces also inspired by literature: Mozart's String Quartet in D Major K. 575 which drew inspiration from Goethe's poem "The Violet," and Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" string quartet, which was inspired by a poem by German poet, Matthias Claudius.
Over just a decade, the Cypress String Quartet has commissioned and premiered more than 30 new works, four of which are now included on Chamber Music America's list of 101 Great American Ensemble Works.


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package com.amazonaws.services.kinesisfirehose.model;

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@Generated("com.amazonaws:aws-java-sdk-code-generator")
public class LimitExceededException extends com.amazonaws.services.kinesisfirehose.model.AmazonKinesisFirehoseException {
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


2011 was a banner year for me, but the coming year promises to be a busy one as well. January brings an appearance with award-winning poet John Lane at Poetry Hickory on Jan. 10 at Taste Full Beans coffee house. This monthly gathering in Hickory is arranged by Scott Owens who welcomes prose writers as well. I am honored to be in the lineup again.
Other readings include Claremont Branch Library on Jan. 24, the Catawba Valley Community College Library on Jan. 26 and the Sherrills Ford Branch Library Feb. 21. I'm taking Dining with Robert Redford on the road in late March. On the 23rd, I realize my long-held dream of presenting at the Virginia Festival for the Book. Later on the tour I'll speak at the Appalachian Studies Conference at Indiana University and give a reading at a private gathering in Delaware. Other venues in this spring include stops in Charlotte, Flat Rock and Hendersonville.
Literary events are alive and well. I thank all who make them possible.