The work of David Stove was recently raised on an email list as a corrective to Popper's philosophy of science. This has prompted me to revive a dormant idea, along the lines of the Bent Spoon Award handed out each year by the Australian Skeptics for the best/worst example of credulity in science reporting. The idea was to poke fun at the bent spoon trickery of Uri Geller.
This prize could be awarded annually (if nominations of sufficient quality are received) for the worst example of mangling and misrepresenting Popper's ideas, preferably in refereed literature.For people who have not noticed, the late David Stove was a Sydney-based philosopher who was such a strong devotee of inductive logic that he condemned Popper, Lakatos, Kuhn and Feyerabend as irrationalists of the darkest hue who opened the gates of the academy to the barbarians of POMO. He has a devoted follower in Sydney, Dr Jim Franklin (Mathematics, Uni of NSW) who tends the shrine that is dedicated to Stove. He also has a following in strange places, like the New Criterion group in the US.
This is my rejoinder to Stove on Popper. Jim and I cross paths quite regularly and we have agreed to disagree on these matters. He has written a really excellent history of the teaching of philosophy in Australia.
Getting back to the award, I am not in a position to provide a cash payment or even a trophy that would do justice to such an achievement so the recipient will have to be satisfied with the prestige that will come from being recorded for posterity in the prominent position in the Rathouse.
Nominations are called for the award. Of course a committee will have to be convened to ensure that my personal bias does not intrude (too much). I suppose I should call for nominations for the committee as well.


text:
October 26, 2020 October 26, 2020 ~ The Poor Banker	~ Leave a comment
THINK LIKE A MAN WOMAN
January 2020 – "You know what we have to do, right?" My colleague Jack asked me, pulling his scarf tighter around his neck as a gust of icy wind rushed past us. I knew what was coming and braced for what would probably be a wild statement. "Nah, what's that?" I asked anyway. "Grow a pair of knockers," Jack replied. Now Jack was partial to a loose statement here or there but despite his crassness, I didn't break stride as we walked back to the office in the bitterly cold, January air.
The infamous bonus and promotion week was upon us and the office gossip was rife. What would you get paid? Who was going to run your team? Would you even have a job by the end of the week? Colleagues cut anxious glances over the floor as they mulled over their futures, wondering whether enrolling their third kid in private school was a good idea. Jack was a relatively established middle manager on the floor and someone who I'd grown to like in my time at the firm. We shared a mutually beneficial and transparent relationship, but he wasn't everyone's cup of tea. Jack was old school and many of his ways were set as firmly as the chill in my bones as we took our rapidly cooling lunches back to the desk.
I rolled my eyes and responded, "C'mon Jack. You know it's not that simple. Plus, that would just look weird with all your facial hair." He flashed me a wry smirk as we stepped briskly across the pavement. "Look PB, I've been in this industry for a while and eventually you realise the difference between stuff that needs to be changed and pure politics. This agenda for women, it's all politics." His face twisted in scepticism. "Why do you say that?" I responded. "Because it's clear they're favouring Katie over me to run the team and we both know she can barely run a bath." We crossed the road towards the office and I considered Jack's tone; he was indignant, but I had to keep it real with him. "You know there's things she's exceptionally good at though Jack. You may be an excellent producer, but she can charm and work with clients in a way you can't. She builds and manages teams better than you do and, no offence, she's way easier to deal with than you are." Jack shot me a sharp look as we approached the doors to the building. "So you do think she should get the job!?" I shrugged my shoulders as I embraced the warm, sweetly scented lobby air. "Not necessarily, but it isn't as black and white as you're making it out, Jack. She's not just getting the job because she's a woman, although it probably is a factor." "And that's what I have a problem with PB! It should just be the best person outright, why do I have to be a victim to the agenda? Don't get me wrong, I'm pro the empowerment and progression of women blah blah blah, but not when they're just outright not good enough and that goes for anyone." Jack rounded off his point with the vim of a man who was convinced he was the authority on the subject.
As the lifts opened, Katie came gliding through the doors. The vim drained out of Jack and was quickly replaced by feigned delight to see the colleague he was slagging off not more than thirty seconds ago. "Hey Katie! You should've told me you were grabbing lunch; I would've joined you!" Katie responded with an equal amount of enthusiasm, keeping eye contact with Jack as she backed out the turnstiles, "Let's do it tomorrow, Jack!" Jack watched her walk out into the lobby as the lift doors closed and he growled under his breath. "One thing I will give her though, she's got an incredible set of legs…"
Today – Men versus women, coochies versus cajonas, city boys versus hot girls, the list rages on to describe what is a fever pitch in the gender debate. Now if you haven't noticed from my previous posts, I'm a young guy from the testosterone driven environment known as the Ends who now works in a richer testosterone and cocaine driven environment that is Banking. You might think this means I've become an arrogant misogynist who only identifies women by archaic and demeaning stereotypes. You'd be right to an extent; the only thing that frustrates me more than a woman with money is a woman who spends her money on a car and cuts across me without indicating only to do half the speed limit. In all seriousness though, women are doing better than ever and all power to them, so this this isn't a debate on whether they deserve more opportunities in the workplace or life in general, its self-evident they do. However, it is interesting to compare the journey of males and females and see where the current climate of gender tension stems from.
As a child growing up, classical gender roles played a huge part in shaping how I viewed men and women in society. Despite attending an all-boys secondary school, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by women as a kid. I have all sisters and my Mum was ever present. From an early age I could tell the pressure and expectations were different for me and my siblings. Whilst we were all expected to academically achieve, there was infinitely more pressure on them to help with the upkeep of the house, look presentable, be on call when there were guests and as they grew older, prepare themselves to settle down. These pressures became something they had to juggle with their career and life goals and ultimately, they had to be willing to concede certain opportunities. As women strive for greater gender equality, this presents a problem for some men. I've often argued that men are becoming increasingly confused with their roles in modern day society. The rise of the third wave of feminism and woman who can "do it all" has meant that some men aren't really sure what to do at all anymore. The typical roles and ideals that were formerly required by men: to be the leaders in society, to be breadwinners and providers for their families, to go out and be hyper successful amongst other things, are now being facilitated by women. Young men are seeing an increase of women in positions of authority and many men are disillusioned by this. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting women shouldn't get the opportunities they want in life, but it would be naïve not to acknowledge that this will have an impact on young men which needs to be addressed. Many of the ideals that men work towards are fundamentally set by women. In my generation, I knew that if I didn't have a half decent income and could not protect what was mine, I was redundant as a man. They were simple values really, but I only really cared about them because women did. However, the result of women embodying the same values will ultimately lead to a generation of young men who will feel rejected by their female counterparts unless the ideals by which we measure young men are adjusted, lest we risk a generation of men with an identity crisis.
Here's the thing that men get wrong as well though. When I started working in banking, I would often notice the resentment of men towards the powers some women held just by virtue of being a woman. It seems that sometimes women can bat their eyelids, wish things into existence and then go on a nine-month maternity leave. I was being genuine when I told Jack that Katie was way more charming than him, she seemed to get people round to her way of thinking in a way I'd never seen a man do in her position. She was eventually promoted to the job and Jack sulked for a month whilst he lambasted "quota filling promotions". To some extent he had a point. Here was a guy who'd been the top producer in his team that had been run over by a candidate who hadn't come anywhere near his numbers in her career, but she had managed to convince everyone she was the best person to build a better team and that was the crux of Jack's problem. As men (especially men from the Ends) we can be too focused on the win, and reluctant to put aside our egos to focus on doing the right thing more broadly for the team or the greater good. It's actually been a symptomatic issue of many of the biggest corporate and political failures throughout history. Many projects could have been salvaged if men had listened to people often more competent than them or taken less needless risks. However, the cost of appearing wrong or a weak leader is too distasteful for many of us to embrace. I'm not a fan of quota filling exercises but as is the case with all minority issues, if a seat can be filled with someone who owns a different set of ideas from the incumbent and can help drive new avenues of growth by focusing on other qualities aside from individual brilliance, then that's something I can live with, even if they are less gifted on the surface.
Now back to feminism versus other social agendas. I generally feel that women's rights fall under the broader spectrum of minority issues. I read 'Lean In' by Sheryl Sandberg before writing this and many of the challenges she experienced as a woman in the workplace and life were very similar to mine. Imposter syndrome, selling yourself short and generally being profiled on stereotype (my case being a racial stereotype). The logic suggests that all these social issues be approached with a similar amount of energy to rectify them. The challenge here though, is that modern feminism feels quite different to me than other social justice causes. Women's rights from the 1920's all the way through to the 70's were about fundamental human rights. Early stages of feminism were dominated by rich white women and mostly concerned the right to vote, own property and generally operate freely without the permission of a man. This morphed into a much broader movement (but still mostly excluded non-white and working-class women) ensuring increased social acceptance for women, like the rights to education, employment and independence, especially sexually. Now whilst the most recent wave of feminism has become more inclusive, the actual goal has become less clear. Most of the issues are more social and cultural than they are legal with less tangible measures of success. By what measure can you fix toxic masculinity? How do you solve the gender pay gap? These amongst other issues are complex, and often come with culturally ingrained matters so have no simple solutions. This in addition to the general anti-men rhetoric that comes from some corners of the feminist movement means that feminism in general has become the most fatigued of all social causes. Whilst there's still a lot of work to do and injustices to address, most of the general population can only assimilate 2-3 big agendas at a time. The longer drawn out and more complex the agendas become, the less interest there is to address it.
To conclude, I want to bring it back to my community. I have never seen a more toxic environment amongst young men and women than I see today. The level of competition between young people in general is pretty damaging however, and the depth to how cynical men and women have become towards each other is just sad. Being a savage is celebrated, vulnerability is shunned, and softer qualities are discarded for fear of being taken advantage of. Men and women take petty shots at each other from the barriers they've built to protect their fragile egos and overwhelmed emotions. Yet turn on social media and you'll find many people celebrating this new normal of painfully forced ideals masked as liberty.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
RTFM is the fifth album by the American alternative rock band Poster Children, released in 1997. The title comes from the term RTFM, short for "Read The Fucking Manual". It was issued as an enhanced CD.

The band supported the album by touring with Failure.

Production
The album was mixed using a Mac Quadra 650. The band recorded the album with the same lineup that recorded Junior Citizen; it was the first time in their existence that the exact same band members had appeared on two albums in a row.

Critical reception
The New York Times wrote: "Years on the club circuit have made the band's lyrics ever more sardonic; in "Music of America" from their new album, RTFM (Reprise), Poster Children mock 'AM/FM trash, recycled every hour and converted into cash.'" The Chicago Tribune thought that "the quartet fuses swaggering power chords, home-brewed techno-delia, pop melodies and dissonant clatter into a distinctive, inviting wail."

Track listing
 "Blackdog" – 3:56
 "Ofor1" – 3:35
 "Music of America" – 2:24
 "Dreamsmall" – 3:54
 "Speed of Light" – 3:17
 "King of the Hill" – 4:42
 "21st Century" – 3:34
 "Attack!" – 2:56
 "Sleep" – 3:57
 "Pearly Gates" – 4:50
 "Afterglow" – 4:00
 "Happenseveryday" – 3:53

Personnel
Bryce Goggin – Producer, Engineer
Rick Valentin – Vocals, Guitar
Rose Marshack – Bass, vocals
Jim Valentin – Guitar
Howie Kantoff – Drums

References

Poster Children albums
1997 albums
Warner Records albums

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I have a compliance spreadsheet that feeds into a bar chart that sums the total number of observations and the number of compliant observations. I divide these to get a compliance %. On the spreadsheet, I have specified that I want to see the words "no data", rather than the error message, when the 'Observed' field equals zero. On my chart, that data point still shows as 0%. What I would like to see on the chart is "no data" if there are zero observations, and 0% only if there are observations but none are compliant.
The reason that I am asking is that I want to be able to distinguish between no data being submitted and a lack of compliance. Perhaps there is a better way to do that...so any and all suggestions are welcome!
I have attached a sample of my data.
I think you will be able to do this by enabling data labels on your chart and setting them to display a Value from cells. If you choose the same cells that contain your "No Data" text, it should appear on the chart as required.
You can see how to enable data labels in the video lesson: Essential Skills Lesson 5-18 Add data labels to a chart.
For a walkthrough of how to set data labels from a range of cells, see the video tutorial: Essential Skills Lesson 5-19 Add data labels from a range.
If you would prefer to hide the numbers for the bars that do have values, you could do this by placing the 'No Data' text in a separate column and using that for the labels.
I hope this is what you were looking for, but feel free to reply if you need any more help with this.
Perfect! I had no idea it was so simple. Thank you!


text:
Q: pairwise.t.test in R returns null values I am running a pairwise t tests in R with a bonferroni adj. I have no problem running the tests with all the different categories of my data except one. Results for the t.tests between a certain measurement and plant categories like eater or group are normal. When I run the tests to compare that measurement by specified type of plant I get this result:
Pairwise comparisons using t tests with pooled SD

data:  `plants$dC and plants$type`
   dg gr hb li sh
gr -  -  -  -  -
hb -  -  -  -  -
li -  -  -  -  -
sh -  -  -  -  -
tr -  -  -  -  -

My code is:
ttestCtype <-pairwise.t.test(plants$dC, plants$type, p.adj="bonferroni") #ttest of dC by type
ttestCtype #displays results

This is identical to code used for t-tests for plants by group that come out fine.
My data looks like
Specimen    dC  dN  prC prN name    part    eater   group   type
GMBP008 -14.12  4.19    43.09   3.93    bwomfu  grass leaves    ba  gr  gr
GMBP112 -12.23  -0.72   45.5    1.29    bwomfu  grass leaves    ba  gr  gr
GMBP102 -12.9   1.1 54.77   0.91    bwomfu  uso ba  gr  gr
GMBP106 -12.79  3.31    54.8    0.65    bwomfu  uso ba  gr  gr
GMBP081 -12.45  -2.34   43.19   1.39    nyababa pith    bo  gr  gr

I have double checked my data for NAs, nulls, etc.
Any ideas what the problem is?

A: This problem arises when there exists a group with only one item in it. For example:
pairwise.t.test(1:7, c("A", "A", "B", "B", "C", "C", "D"))

returns:
    Pairwise comparisons using t tests with pooled SD

data:  1:7 and c("A", "A", "B", "B", "C", "C", "D")

  A B C
B - - -
C - - -
D - - -

P value adjustment method: holm

The solution is to filter out any groups that occur only once before doing the t-test (such tests wouldn't be meaningful anyway). For instance, this could be done in base R or dplyr:
# Base R
plants_filtered <- plants[tapply(plants$type, plants$type, length), ]

# dplyr
plants_filtered <- plants %>%
  group_by(group) %>%
  filter(n() >= 2) %>%
  ungroup()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
World Markets Daily News – In Brief – 23/01/2023
In Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 index edged 0.1% higher on Monday, following a rally Friday for tech stocks that countered worries about the weakening U.S. economy. New Zealand's S&P/NZX-50 settled 0.24% lower as the Labor Party caucus selected Chris Hipkins to succeed Jacinda Ardern as the country's next prime minister.
Asian shares were higher on Monday in thin holiday trade, as markets in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul were closed for Lunar New Year celebrations. Chinese markets won't resume trading until Jan. 30. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index added 1.1%. The Bank of Japan released minutes from its latest meeting, revealing the high-stakes atmosphere which led to the decision to ease the monetary policy last week.
Major stock indices in Europe opened the Monday session in positive territory as investors await the preliminary report on consumer confidence in the euro area, as well as the Deutsche Bundesbank's monthly assessment of economic conditions. The DAX gained 0.29%, London's FTSE 100 added 0.14%, in Paris the CAC 40 went up 0.29%. The Euro Stoxx 50 traded 0.37% higher.
European markets closed higher Monday. The DAX closed with a 0.46% gain while the FTSE 100 increased by 0.18%. The CAC 40 was up 0.52% and the EURO STOXX 50 closed 0.80% higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.76%, the Nasdaq 100 jumped 2.01% and the S&P 500 rose by 1.18%.
Stock futures are flat as investors look ahead to a busy earnings week. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were higher by 28 points, or 0.08%. S&P 500 futures barely budged and Nasdaq 100 futures also sat near the flat line, according to CNBC.
US stocks closed higher on Monday after the National Association of Business Economics (NABE) latest survey showed the percentage of businesses that believe the country's economy will enter recession declined.
Oil prices drifted lower in early trade on Monday. Brent crude futures was down by 46 cents, or 0.5%, to $87.17 at 03:49 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 36 cents, or down 0.4%, to $81.28 a barrel, according to Reuters.
Gold prices rose on Monday. Spot gold was up 0.3% at $1,932.12 per ounce, as of 02:55 GMT. U.S. gold futures
also rose 0.3% to $1,934.70, according to Reuters.
The euro rose on Monday reaching the highest level against the dollar since April 2022 as Governors of Dutch and Austrian central banks, Klaas Knot and Robert Holzmann, both stated that the European Central Bank is planning to raise rates by 50 basis points multiple times this year.
Minutes after reaching the nine-month high of 1.09267, the euro climbed 0.42% against the greenback to go for 1.09019 at 8:38 am CET and it added 0.35% compared to the British pound to sell for 0.87898 at 8:39 am CET.
To get in touch with our editorial team, send a press release,
email us at: editorial [at] worldmarketsdaily.com
To advertise on our platforms, you can use this form,
email us at: advertise [at] worldmarketsdaily.com
or call us at: +40 314 228 321 (Monday-Friday 10:30 – 16:30)
• www.buildpress.com.ro • www.classifieds.investopress.com
• www.printwebpublications.com • www.realestatemagazine.com.ro
• www.traveltogreece.com.ro (Coming soon)


text:
VC rebound: Don't set your watch
It's not about when the venture capital market will be strong again, says VentureOne Vice President Diana Robinson. It's about the gradual evolution of the venture business toward a less-volatile status quo.
Throughout 2000 and 2001, venture capital investment dropped steadily quarter to quarter. After each one, journalists and industry watchers asked whether we had finally reached a bottom. When, they wondered, would venture capitalists begin to accelerate the pace of investment?
Finally, as 2001 ended, venture capital investment hit a welcome plateau--one we hoped signaled the end of the declines.
But in the first quarter of 2002, investment in venture-backed companies fell sharply once again. And so the question has returned to haunt us: "Is this rock bottom?"
The answer, if it lies in the data, is equivocal.
At $5.1 billion, the amount invested in the first quarter represents a 26 percent decrease from the previous quarter and a fraction of the amount invested in venture-backed companies at the peak of the boom. And yet, several sectors--communications, electronics, and medical information services--did see minor increases in investment.
And there are glimmers of promise even in areas where investment dropped. For example, a cursory glance at the health care sector shows a 30 percent decline in investment this past quarter--not particularly heartening.
But dig a little deeper, and you'll see that health care investors have sharpened their focus on early stage companies; fully 43 percent of the health care deals done in the first quarter were seed or first rounds, setting the stage for future industry growth.
Compare that with the declining ratio of young to older companies financed in information technology and products and services. The percentage of early stage rounds in these two sectors has been decreasing steadily since early 2000--when seed and first rounds accounted for roughly 60 percent of the deals--and has now reached roughly 30 percent.
There are glimmers of promise even in areas where investment dropped.
Why? Because as venture capitalists painfully excise their portfolios and award follow-on funding only to their most promising companies, they have limited time and energy to devote to new companies.
Consequently, the steepest declines are in the categories that previously grew disproportionately large, such as products and services--the sector that once included erstwhile icons such as Pets.com and Webvan. At their peak, products and services companies raised $9.3 billion and accounted for 35 percent of investment. In contrast, during the first quarter of 2002, these companies represented only 9 percent of total investment--just $460 million.
Venture capitalists' fund-raising activity adds another layer of ambiguity to this already enigmatic picture. Commitments to venture capital funds dropped sharply in the first quarter, from $9.1 billion to $2.3 billion--marking the first time in more than a year that VC investments topped commitments by limited partners.
On the one hand, this may be viewed as cause for further pessimism and a sign of limited partner unrest. But many VCs simply have enough cash stockpiled and will now continue to work through the excess capital generated during the boom, rendering extensive fund raising unnecessary.
Neither the renewed decline in venture investment nor the sudden drop in fund-raising commitments is a harbinger of doom.
Neither the renewed decline in venture investment nor the sudden drop in fund-raising commitments is a harbinger of doom. Certainly, the industry is smaller--both in companies and in investors. But while the naysayers and hand-wringers are preoccupied with whether we've reached the bottom, many investors and entrepreneurs are simply going about the business of company building.
In some cases, that means continuing to weed through portfolios and adopt the lessons learned during the Internet boom and bust. In others, there's a chance to explore new initiatives. And whether the second quarter brings a leveling off, a decrease, or even an increase in investment, the venture business will continue its gradual evolution toward a less-volatile status quo.
Discuss: VC rebound: Don't set your watch


Hit-and-run accidents: If you are hit by a driver who flees the scene, you have the ability to seek compensation from your own insurance policy. That is why it is extremely important to make sure that you carry the proper amount of Supplementary Uninsured Motorist (SUM) insurance. DOWNLOAD this .pdf document which explains why you need proper insurance.
Trike and Can-Am accidents: Riders of Can-Ams and trikes face the same challenges as bikers do, and I am prepared to offer them the same representation.
Motorcyclists are more vulnerable to death as the result of collision than motorists who drive cars or trucks. I am prepared to provide counsel and support to grieving families who seek compensation for their tragic losses. Wrongful death compensation can cover funeral and burial expenses as well as replace the wages he or she would have earned over a lifetime. In some cases, such as those involving drunk drivers, the court may also award punitive damages. In addition to compensation, wrongful death lawsuits can send a powerful message that motorists need to exercise more caution — and respect the rights of motorcyclists on the road.
As a Long Island motorcycle injury attorney, I handle injury cases on a contingency fee basis. Schedule a free initial consultation by contacting my office at 866-639-5567.
My wife and I were referred to mike after I had fallen at work and received a few extreme injuries to my lower body which we knew was going to be life changing for us. We wanted to find the best attorney possible that would take us through this process which can be very frustrating at times. Mike was very patient with us and explained to the "T" what to expect and was always encouraging. My wife and I would highly recommend Mike to represent anyone who isn't sure or doesn't have someone who can recommend them to an honest attorney.
Michael Levine made my whole law suite process fast and effortless. He really took care of me and my case. I recommend Mr. Levine to anyone hands down.
Thank you again Mike for all your help.
Michael Levine made my whole law suite process fast and effortless. He really took care of me and my case. I recommend Mr. Levine to anyone hands down. Thank you again Mike for all your help.
Mr. Michael Levine and staff of RGLZ are truly wonderful. Great Law Firm to have represent you. The Firm has very compassionate and understanding people representing it. I was very well informed with things happening in my case. I am truly satisfied and if ever in such a position again they will be at the top of my list.


text:
Buzz.ie TV Movies (July 25th - 29th)
BY Celina Murphy
Celina Murphy has all the best films on the box this week for your viewing pleasure, from top thrillers and action movies to family friendly flicks and the best rom-coms.
The Rookie, TG4, 9.30pm
Hard-hitting crime drama about a veteran police officer (Clint Eastwood) who's forced to break in a new partner (Charlie Sheen) while trying to bust an international stolen-car ring. Also starring Tom Skerritt and Lara Flynn Boyle.
Hancock, RTE 2, 9pm
Fast-paced action flick starring Will Smith. He plays not-so-super hero John Hancock, an ill-tempered alcoholic who is the scourge of Los Angeles, regularly wreaking havoc in his bungled attempts to fight crime. When he rescues PR man Ray (Jason Bateman), the image expert decides to lend Hancock a helping hand with his public persona. Also starring Charlize Theron.
Gold, RTE 1, 9.35pm
Sweet and funny Irish drama about a teenage girl named Abbie (Maisie Williams) who struggles to connect with her birth father (David Wilmot). Meanwhile, her step-father (James Nesbitt) believes he has developed a revolutionary running technique using Abbie as his guinea pig.
The Reader, Ch 4, 1.30am
Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her portrayal of a German tram conductor named Hanna who must defend herself in a war crime trial in this tense drama. Ralph Fiennes plays a law student who had an affair with Hanna years before.
Southpaw, Sky Cinema Crime and Thriller, 9pm
Antoine Fuqua's melodramatic sports flick casts Jake Gyllenhaal as a boxer who asks veteran Tick Wills (Forest Whitaker) to help him get his career back on track after the death of his wife (Rachel McAdams). Also featuring scene-stealing young newcomer Oona Laurence.
Burnt, Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiGJlUVQDGk
Star-studded culinary drama featuring top performances from Bradley Cooper, Emma Thompson and Sienna Miller. Cooper plays a troubled but talented chef desperate to salvage his once-glittering career.
Red 2, RTE 2, 9pm
Comedy action sequel starring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Anthony Hopkins. Willis is retired C.I.A. agent Frank Moses, who reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device.
The Sentinel, BBC 1, 11.35pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnCZ8l23mM8
Thriller starring Michael Douglas as a secret service agent who must clear his name before being framed for an assassination attempt on the president of the United States (David Rasche). Also starring Kiefer Sutherland.
District 9, Ch 4, 12.10am
Produced by Peter Jackson and based on Neil Blomkamp's 2005 short film Alive In Joburg, District 9 is a stunning blend of brilliant black comedy, relentless sci-fi action and spot-on social commentary. It tells the story of a group of insect-like aliens stranded in Johannesburg, South Africa. Starring Sharlot Copley, Jason Cope, and Natalie Boltt.
Tags: Anthony Hopkins, Antoine Fuqua, Bradley Cooper, Bruce Willis, Charlie Sheen, Charlize Theron, Clint Eastwood, Forest Whitaker, Helen Mirren, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Nesbitt, Jason Bateman, John Malkovich, Kate Winslet, Kiefer Sutherland, Maisie Williams, Michael Douglas, Neil Blomkamp, Peter Jackson, Rachel McAdams, Ralph Fiennes, Will Smith
Celina Murphy
See more articles by Celina Murphy
Movies And TV 5 days ago
A Silence of the Lambs sequel is on the way
By Ciara Walsh / 5 days ago
Movies And TV 2 years ago
John Travolta film cancelled a week before release
By Seán Walsh / 2 years ago
Buzz.ie TV Movies January 16th - 22nd
By Celina Murphy / 3 years ago
Happy Days' Henry Winkler opens up on his latest role
Entertainment 3 years ago
Benedict Cumberbatch is ready to tackle new territory as Marvel's Doctor Strange
TV's remake of 1970s cult classic Westworld turns movie on its head with twist on human-robot battle


*Feeding guidelines based on Purina® Puppy Chow® Complete. Amounts may vary by brand. Amounts are recommended for an average puppy with normal activity. Remember food intake requirements vary depending on age, activity and environment, and should be adjusted accordingly.
YOU ARE FEEDING A PUPPY, BUT YOU'RE BUILDING A DOG.
What's different about puppy nutrition? Your puppy's unique nutritional requirements include Higher Protein for muscles; DHA for brain development; and the proper amount (not just more) of Calcium for strong bones and teeth.
How much should I feed my puppy? Use the Puppyhood puppy feeding chart to find out how much Purina® Puppy Chow® you should feed your puppy based on its age in months and expected weight at maturity.
How often should I feed my puppy? Your puppy is a little eating machine. You should feed a young puppy three times a day and an older puppy twice a day.
Try Purina® Puppy Chow® today! Made especially for puppies with the essential nutrients to help them grow up right.


text:
The Sunday Times and Department of Justice and Equality
The Senior Investigator varied the decision of the Department and directed the release of the names (but not the home addresses) of those judges on whose behalf representations had been made prior to their appointment. The Senior Investigator found that, while the disclosure of the identities of the judges in question involved the release of personal information and would be exempt under section 28 of the FOI Act, the public interest served by the disclosure of this information outweighs the public interest in upholding the right to privacy of the judges concerned; on this basis he found that the section 28 exemption does not apply.
Case Summary
Whether the Department is justified in its decision to refuse access to representations received by the Minister for Justice and Equality (the Minister) in relation to judicial appointments during the period 1997 to 17 July 2010 on the basis that the records are exempt from release under section 28 of the FOI Act.
Date of Decision: 09.08.2011
Review Application to Information Commissioner - Case Number 100263 Freedom of Information Acts 1997 & 2003 (the FOI Act)
On 17 July 2010 the applicant wrote to the Department seeking access to:
"All representations received by the minister in relation to judicial appointments. According to an answer to a PQ (30481/09) given by the minister last year, there have been 42 representations received by the Department between 1997 and 2009. I would like all copies of all representations made to date - July 2010."
On 3 August 2010 the Department informed the applicant that it was extending the statutory four week timescale, within which a decision must be given, by an additional five weeks; this was on the basis that it had to undertake consultations with third parties under section 29 of the FOI Act. In the event, section 29 was not engaged and the Department did not undertake consultations with the third parties. Nevertheless, its decision did not issue until 7 October 2010 which was seven weeks outside the statutory timescale and two weeks more than the extended timescale which it had allowed itself.
In its decision of 7 October 2010, the Department granted the request in part. The Department provided the applicant with a list of the public representatives who had made representations to the Minister for the period 21 April 1998 to July 2010. The list was broken down by reference to appointments to the District Court, the Circuit Court and the High Court and gave no more than the name of the representative making the representations. In the case of the Supreme Court, the list showed that no representations had been made during the period in question. The Department refused access to the records themselves, that is, to the actual letters to the Minister from the public representatives concerned. This refusal was justified by reference to section 28(1) of the FOI Act. The Department's decision made no reference to the public interest test provided for at section 28(5) of the FOI Act which, in certain circumstances, allows for the section 28 exemption to be set aside.
On 13 October 2010 the applicant sought an internal review of this decision. In his internal review application, the applicant drew the attention of the Department to the relevance in this case of the public interest test and argued that the records should be released in the public interest. In its internal review decision of 16 November 2010, the Department released edited copies of the records at issue. In the copies released, the Department redacted any material identifying the persons on whose behalf the representations were being made as well as any other personal information (such as addresses) relating to these persons. The Department justified this decision by reference to section 28(1) of the FOI Act. Again, the internal review decision made no reference to the relevance of the public interest test at section 28(5) of the FOI Act; this was despite the fact that the applicant had argued specifically that the records should be released in the public interest.
On 13 November 2010 the applicant wrote to this Office seeking a review of the Department's decision. The applicant argued that the records should be released in the public interest. In a subsequent letter to this Office, the applicant observed that "the public interest argument is especially strong in cases where the lawyers who lobbied TDs were appointed to the judiciary."
Subsequently, following contacts with this Office, the applicant agreed to confine his FOI request to representations concerning people who were subsequently appointed to the judiciary. According to the Department, six representations were received on behalf of people who were subsequently appointed to the judiciary during the relevant period. Of these six judges, one had died prior to the making of the applicant's request.
Conducted in accordance with section 34(2) of the FOI Act by Fintan Butler, Senior Investigator, who is authorised by the Information Commissioner to conduct this review.
Conduct of this Review
Contrary to its initial statement to the applicant that it would have to consult with third parties under section 29 of the FOI Act, the Department did not seek the views of those on whose behalf representations had been made. In the course of this review, the Department agreed to establish the views of the judges concerned and to pass on these views to this Office. On 23 March 2011 the Department wrote to this Office to say that it had consulted with each of the judges and that it was passing on their "observations" on the matter. These observations were presented as a collective response on behalf of the judges. The only FOI Act exemption referred to in these observations was section 28(1) which protects personal information. The observations include references to matters such as judicial independence, security considerations and the possibility of misrepresentation in a context where judges are "precluded from engaging in any public discourse to explain his or her position in the matter". The observations refer also to the right to privacy and to the extent to which this right is protected in the Constitution and in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Subsequently, the investigator dealing with the case in this Office wrote to the five judges concerned to outline her preliminary view - which was that the identities of the judges should be disclosed in the public interest - and to invite any further submission any individual judge wished to make. In the event, one of the judges made a written submission and three of them set out their positions by telephone. The written submission was identical to that already made on the judges' behalf by the Department with the addition of some specific comments regarding security issues personal to that judge. The telephone submissions were to the effect that the judges concerned were opposed to the release of the records for the reasons already set out in the Department's letter of 23 March 2011.
In the case of the deceased judge, on 9 June 2011 this Office informed the deceased judge's spouse of the FOI request and of the investigator's preliminary view that the identity of the deceased judge - as a person in respect of whom representations had been made to the Minister - should be disclosed. The spouse in question was invited to make any submission he or she wished in response to the preliminary views of the investigator. While this approach may not have been strictly necessary - as the personal information in question is that of the deceased judge rather than of the spouse - it seemed appropriate to allow the spouse the opportunity to make a submission. In response to this approach, the spouse made telephone contact with this Office on two occasions and sent a written submission by email on 22 July 2011. The spouse opposed release of the identity of the deceased judge on several separate grounds which may be summarised as follows:
that it is unfair to identify a judge who is now deceased and not in a position to "verify or defend [himself/herself] in what might flow from this";
because "all Judicial appointments since the foundation of the state are Political appointments" it would be fairer if the FOI request "would encompass all the appointments of Judges to all the courts";
the identity of the FOI requester is relevant in that the information in this case is "being sought by The Sunday Times, a Murdoch organisation, currently in the dock for its ethical (sic) gathering and dissemination of information";
the spouse has not "had sufficient time to seek legal advise (sic)";
the deceased judge had, prior to appointment, applied previously to the Judicial Appointments Board and had been recommended for appointment by that Board.
In concluding this review, I have taken full account of all the various submissions received as well as of the provisions of the FOI Act. It is not necessary for the purposes of this decision to deal with each individual issue raised by each of those making submissions. However, on the question of the spouse of the deceased judge claiming not to have had sufficient time to seek legal advice, it is relevant to point out: (1) that a period of two months has elapsed between this Office's notification of the review to the spouse and the issuing of this decision; (2) that the original deadline for receipt of a submission (30 June 2011) was extended; and (3) that the spouse did make a submission as well as having had a detailed telephone discussion with the Senior Investigator on 14 July 2011.
The issue in this review is whether the Department is justified in refusing access to the withheld portions of the requested records on the basis of section 28(1) of the FOI Act. While the request was for records from 1997 onwards, the Department has dealt only with records created since the commencement of the FOI Act on 21 April 1998. The Department is correct in this and there is no necessity to consider this issue further.
The Department's position is that the records, to the extent that they have not been released, are exempt from release by virtue of section 28(1) of the FOI Act which protects personal information. The Department has not claimed that any other exemption applies. Neither has the Department made any submission in relation to the application of the public interest test provided for at section 28(5) and which must be considered in every case in which the section 28(1) exemption is claimed to apply.
In the case of the various submissions made by the judges concerned, section 28(1) is the only exemption addressed specifically. As mentioned above, these submissions refer to considerations such as security, judicial independence and the Constitutional right to privacy but it appears that these considerations are being raised in the context of the public interest test rather than as issues engaging some other exemption other than section 28(1). For the avoidance of doubt, and on the basis that this is a de novo review, I can say that I have considered the possible application of other FOI Act exemptions and concluded that no other exemption applies.
Section 28(1) provides that:
"Subject to the provisions of this section, a head shall refuse to grant a request under section 7 if, in the opinion of the head, access to the record concerned would involve the disclosure of personal information ...".
The records in this case contain the names and in certain cases the home addresses of persons on whose behalf representations were made to the Minister by political representatives.
For the purposes of the FOI Act, personal information is information about an identifiable individual that (a) would, in the ordinary course of events, be known only to the individual or his/her family or friends or, (b) is held by a public body on the understanding that it would be treated by it as confidential. The FOI Act details twelve specific categories of information which is personal without prejudice to the generality of the forgoing definition, including "... (iii) information relating to the employment or employment history of the individual, . . . . . (x) the name of the individual where it appears with other personal information relating to the individual or where the disclosure of the name would, or would be likely to, establish that any personal information held by the public body concerned relates to the individual, . . [and] (xii) the views or opinion of another person about the individual".
I am satisfied that the withheld information constitutes personal information as defined at section 2 of the FOI Act and that, subject to the provisions of section 28, it is exempt from release under the FOI Act. In the present context, the only provision within section 28 which needs to be considered is that contained at section 28(5) which provides:
"(5) Where, as respects a request under section 7 the grant of which would, but for this subsection, fall to be refused under subsection (1), in the opinion of the head concerned, on balance
(a) the public interest that the request should be granted outweighs the public interest that the right to privacy of the individual to whom the information relates should be upheld, or
(b) the grant of the request would benefit the individual aforesaid, the head may, subject to section 29, grant the request."
There is nothing to suggest that release of the records would benefit the individuals whose personal information is included in the records. Thus, section 28(5)(b) does not apply. However, it is necessary to consider whether the request falls to be granted under section 28(5)(a).
To apply section 28(5)(a) it is necessary to identify the public interest served by the release of the particular records and weigh that public interest against the public interest in upholding the right to privacy of the persons whose personal information is sought by the requester. Unlike public interest tests provided for elsewhere in the FOI Act - for example, at section 26(3) and at section 27(3) - section 28(5)(a) does not involve a balancing exercise between the public interest served by release of the particular records and the public interest served by the refusal of those records. Several of the issues raised by the judges appear to constitute public interest arguments in favour of refusal of the records; to the extent that this is the case, and that they do not bear directly on the public interest in upholding the right to privacy, these issues are not relevant to the exercise required under section 28(5)(a).
There is a well-established and long recognised public interest in ensuring transparency in all aspects of government business; this includes matters of public spending, of appointments to public offices and declarations of interest by those in public life whether as elected representatives or as public officials. This is reflected in the Ethics Acts 1995 - 2001, the Electoral Act 1997 (as amended) and in Part 15 of the Local Government Act 2001. It is reflected also in the FOI Act itself which, subject to certain restrictions, provides for a general regime of access to the records of public bodies. Transparency is also a key principle underlying much of the regulatory framework of the European Union.
Applying this general public interest in transparency to the records at issue here, it is clear that the public interest is served where the process of judicial appointments is made as transparent as possible. It is not just the fact that judges are paid from public funds but more important perhaps is the fact that they are entrusted, on behalf of the people, with independent and far-reaching powers. Furthermore, there is the reality that the process of judicial appointments lacks innate transparency and that, outside of the limited scope of FOI, there is very little by way of effective transparency mechanisms. Against this background, therefore, there is a particular public interest in knowing whether serving judges have had their candidacies supported by public representatives and, if so, by which public representatives (and from which political party, if any). This public interest carries even greater weight in circumstances in which the Government, in advising the President in relation to the appointment of persons to judicial office, is not confined in its advice to the particular names recommended as suitable by the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board. Neither is the Government confined, in its advice to the President, to naming only persons who have applied to the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board whether or not such persons have been recommended by the Board.
In the written submission from the judges, provided by the Department, the following is said:
"Under the provisions of the Court and Court Officers Act 1995, the Government, when advising the President in relation to the appointment of a person to judicial office, must first consider persons who have been recommended by the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board (JAAB), which consists of the Chief Justice, the President of the High Court, the President of the Circuit Court, the President of the District Court, the Attorney General, a practising barrister nominated by the Law Society and not more than three persons nominated by the Minister. The Board cannot submit nor recommend the name of a person unless that person meets the eligibility requirements set out by law in relation to the post in question. Thus, no judge was appointed on foot of a representation made on his or her behalf but was appointed because he or she was recommended by the JAAB."
This observation is correct in the case of judicial appointments based on the recommendations of the JAAB; but, where an appointment is made of a person not on the list of recommended names provided by the JAAB, this observation is not necessarily correct. It appears to be the case that the Government, having first considered the names recommended by the JAAB, may then proceed to advise the President to appoint a person outside of the JAAB recommended names; where this occurs, the person so appointed need not necessarily be a person who " meets the eligibility requirements set out by law in relation to the post in question".
In any event, there is a public interest in knowing, in the case of a choice made by the Government from within the list of names recommended by the JAAB, whether the person or persons chosen have had representations made on their behalf to the Minister.
The question then is whether the public interest in transparency, which would be served by the release of the records at issue, outweighs the public interest in upholding the right to privacy of the judges concerned. It is clear that the FOI Act envisages that, in certain circumstances, the right to privacy will be set aside in the wider public interest. This is the case notwithstanding the right to privacy in Irish law (and which has a Constitutional basis) and the right of each person under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to "respect for his private and family life". In both cases, the right to privacy is a qualified right. In the case of Irish domestic law, the High Court has declared that "[privacy] is not an unqualified right. Its exercise may be restricted by the constitutional rights of others, by the requirements of the common good and is subject to the requirements of public order and morality" (Hamilton P. in Kennedy v Ireland [1987] IR 587). In the case of article 8 of the ECHR, dealing with the right to respect for one's "private and family life", this right is qualified to the extent that any interference with this right must be "in accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of other".
Having considered the matter carefully, I am satisfied that the public interest served by transparency, arising from the identification of those judges who have had political representations made on their behalf, outweighs the public interest served in upholding these judges' right to privacy. I am satisfied that any loss of privacy or of respect for private and family life this occasions is proportionate, in accordance with the law and serves the common good. The requirement for transparency in this context applies only to the identification of the judges concerned and does not apply to other personal information (the home addresses) contained in some of the records. I find accordingly.
Personal Information of Deceased Judge
While there appears to be some uncertainty as to whether, in Irish law generally, there is a right to privacy in the case of deceased persons, it is nevertheless clear that the section 28(1) exemption applies to the personal information of deceased persons. Accordingly, the personal information of the deceased judge in this case is, in principle, exempt from release under the FOI Act. However, it is necessary to consider in this instance also whether the public interest served by the release of the deceased judge's personal information outweighs the public interest in upholding that judge's right to privacy.
The submission from the spouse of the deceased judge suggests that any intrusion on the right to privacy of a deceased person is in a different category to an intrusion on the right to privacy of a living person. The spouse argues that it is relevant to bear in mind that the deceased judge is not in a position to "verify or defend [himself/herself] in what might flow from this". This suggests a view that having had representations made in advance of a judicial appointment carries some negative connotations. At the same time, the spouse observes that "all Judicial appointments since the foundation of the state are Political appointments" which suggests that the making of political representations is the norm.
The spouse also suggests that the identity of the requester in this case, a journalist with The Sunday Times, "a Murdoch organisation", is relevant and should (because of the unethical behaviour of another Murdoch newspaper) weigh against the grant of the request. It is long established that the identity of an FOI requester, and the motivation of a requester, are generally of no consequence in FOI decision making.
Having considered the matter carefully, and for the same reasons as set out above, I am satisfied that the identity of the deceased judge (but not the home address) should be released in the public interest. I find that the public interest served by transparency outweighs the public interest served in upholding the right to privacy of the deceased judge.
Having carried out a review under section 34(2) of the FOI Act, I hereby vary the decision of the Department in this case. I direct, in the case of the records relating to the six judges concerned, that their names (but not their home addresses) should be released wherever mentioned in the records in question.
A party to a review, or any other person affected by a decision of the Information Commissioner following a review, may appeal to the High Court on a point of law arising from the decision. Any such appeal must be initiated not later than eight weeks from the date on which notice of the decision was given to the person bringing the appeal.
Fintan Butler


text:
Wrestler Cage
Published October 12, 2007 in Casting Update
By Ryan Parsons | Image property of WireImage, Hollywood Reporter.
I'm just not into wrestling. It only comes in two forms: very fake or very Greco -- both of which just don't do it for me. Nicolas Cage, however, is hoping to take a shot at the sport with a new indie drama from screenwriter Robert Siegel.
Nicolas Cage for The Wrestler
The Wrestler, now in development at Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures, centers on Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a 1980s-era star pro wrestler who has become a burnt-out shell of his former self. After he has a heart attack during a small-time match, a doctor tells him he could die if he fights again.
In an effort to build a new life, Robinson takes a job at a deli, moves in with an aging stripper and tries to build a relationship with her son. But the prospect of a rematch with his old nemesis the Ayatollah proves too tempting to resist, even if it means risking his life.
Though the premise sounds more twisted than interesting, expect some attention to garner for The Wrestler if Aronofsky does decide to direct.
Sources: Image property of WireImage, Hollywood Reporter.
Home > Movies > Wrestler Cage


text:
| 绻�浣� | 绠�浣� |
路Press Release for June 18, 2019 Media Briefing by the Shanghai Municipal People��s Government
路Press Release for June 10 Shanghai Municipal Government Press Conference
路Press Release for May 21, 2019 Media Briefing by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government
路Press Release for May 9, 2019 Media Briefing by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government
路Press Release for April 28, 2019 Media Briefing by the Shanghai Municipal People��s Government
路Press Release for April 23, 2019 Media Briefing by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government
路Press Release for April 3, 2019 Media Briefing by the Shanghai Municipal People��s Government
路Press Release for March 21, 2019 Media Briefing by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government
Press Release for June 18, 2019 Media Briefing by the Shanghai Municipal People��s Government
Shanghai Municipal People's Government Information Office held a press conference on June 18. Shanghai Vice Mayor Wu Qing introduced the preparation work for the World's Artificial Intelligence Conference. Zhu Xiumei, deputy director of the Science and Technology Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Zhang Xu, deputy director of the Strategic Planning Department of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Wu Jincheng, director of the Shanghai Municipal Shanghai Economic and Information Commission, and Guan Xiaojun, deputy governor of the Pudong New Area, attended the conference and answered questions from reporters.
Authorized by the State Council, and co-hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Shanghai Municipal People's Government, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2019 will be held between August 29 and August 31. It will be staged at both sides of the Huangpu River with the Shanghai Expo Center serving as the major conference hall, and the Riverside (Binjiang) of Xuhui will be the supplementary meeting venue for the conference.
Since last year, artificial intelligence has become part of Shanghai's priority development strategy, and industrial development has entered the "fast lane". Shanghai has taken the first step to become one of the leading areas for the development of artificial intelligence in China. Following the request of Shanghai Party Secretary Li Qiang to make the city a forerunner in the development of artificial intelligence, Shanghai now has acquired advantages in four major areas.
Firstly, Shanghai has established advantages for enterprise clusters to emerge, and it has formed an industrial structure to allow companies of different sizes and formats to create synergies among each other. According to statistics from relevant authorities, Shanghai has more than 1,000 artificial intelligence enterprises, topping the national ranking list. Secondly, the layout for scientific and technological development has been accelerated. A number of fundamental research and development platforms such as the Microsoft-INESA (Group) Co Innovation Platform and Shanghai Brain Science and Brain-like Intelligence Research Center have been launched. A number of innovation research centers and artificial intelligence laboratories have been unveiled and companies such as Amazon, Baidu, Alibaba Tencent and iFLyteck have launched their facilities in Shanghai. The local unicorn company Yitu Technology released the first cloud-based artificial intelligence chip. Thirdly, the city has cultivated unique competitiveness in the application of artificial intelligence in relevant industries and situations. In December last year, Shanghai was the first in the country to release an implementation plan for the building of AI application scenarios. It will release 10 major application scenarios and 60 innovative products to enterprises and organizations around the world, and seek to set up a benchmark for the early adoption of artificial intelligence new technologies and new products. Fourthly, the city is empowering the development of the whole industry ecosystem. In May this year, government bodies and industry commissions along with the Shanghai Municipal Government initiated the construction of the Shanghai (Pudong New Area) Artificial Intelligence Innovation Application Pilot Zone and the Shanghai National New Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation Development Pilot Zone to create a number of demonstration projects to promote the deep integration of artificial intelligence and the real economy. The demonstration zone is also expected to drive the development of artificial intelligence across the country.
At present, internationally recognized next-generation technologies represented by artificial intelligence will become key production factors. These technologies will promote the transformation of production methods worldwide and bring profound changes to global production, investment and trade patterns. After the era of Internet, the era of artificial intelligence has arrived. At the same time, with the rise of 5G network and Internet of Things, connection has become the key of the development of AI today. Shanghai chooses to connect with the world, as the city makes professional judgment and takes the lead in the industry. It is Shanghai's determination, responsibility and mission to further open up to the world and share the opportunities of artificial intelligence. Therefore, the 2019 World Artificial Intelligence Conference will bring together the wisdom of the world with the theme of "Artificial Intelligence Drives High Quality Development", providing a wonderful experience to the guests and audiences.
This year's conference will continue to be a platform of "sophistication, globalization, specialization, and marketization", while giving more play to "intelligence." The conference will set top international industry events as the benchmark and further enhance the level of internationalization and specialization. The conference will actively explore intelligent organization and market operation in order to build the world's top artificial intelligence cooperation and exchange platform. This conference will be more than just a conference, forum or exhibition. It's also a top international platform for AI cooperation and exchanges. It will feature four major subjects: high-level forums, themed activities, application demonstration, and intelligent experience.
First, high-level forums are more focused. To earnestly implement the spirit of the important speech of Party General Secretary Xi Jinping, the forums focus on high-quality development, high-quality life and high-level governance. The organizer will set up two summit forums on industrial development and technological innovation, and 10 industry theme forums. The opening ceremony and summit forums will invite government officials, representatives of international organizations, top scientists and entrepreneurs to exchange strategic and innovative ideas. Industry forum topics will include: machine learning and intelligent algorithms, chips and intelligent hardware, autonomous driving, AI+5G, intelligent robots, AI+education, AI+ medical, AI+ industry, and AI investment and financing forum, rule of law and security. These forums will discuss key technologies, industry-oriented development, in-depth industry application and focus on innovation and future governance. These forums with different themes are more focused and the topic setting is more comprehensive.
Second, the application demonstration is more exciting. Based on the experience of creating seven AI+planets last year, this year's conference will highlight the "AI+" features, with the principle of being exquisite, fine and wonderful, and arrange 15,000 square meters of exhibition space to create an innovative application exhibition area. The industrial ecological exhibition area consists of leading enterprises in the AI industry and chips, algorithms and computing enterprises which display key products, technologies and industrial ecosystems to explore industry solutions. The AI urban application zone covers six application scenarios of "AI+" education, medical care, urban management, industry, finance and business. The autonomous driving exhibition area displays driverless vehicles, sensors and system platforms above the Level 4 autonomous driving, and provides interactive experiences. The innovative frontier exhibition area exhibits the latest high-tech products in the world, including intelligent robots and domestic and foreign innovation laboratory achievements. At the same time, Xuhui District will take the advantage of riverside resources to launch the AI humanities and arts experience zone.
Third, themed activities are more colorful. A series of special events deigned for the makers, developers and the public, are set to stimulate innovation. The AI Developer Day on August 31 will host a technical carnival, a grand meeting for AI masters; a number of conferences will be held for the release of cutting-edge technologies, new AI products, industry development reports, white papers, SAIL award, Shanghai's latest policies, etc. ( Release subjects include the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Shanghai Municipal Government, global university alliances, professional institutions, and AI innovative enterprises); a strategic advisory meeting will be held to bring together the top experts in the industry to discuss the development trend of the industry and provide suggestions for the development of artificial intelligence in Shanghai; an invitation will be extended to solicit intelligent application solutions from around the world; and roadshows and "Shanghai AI Experience Tour" will be arranged to facilitate investment in proper projects.
Fourth, smart experience is more accessible. On the basis of last year's pilot work, the conference this year will enhance the intelligence level, build the smart Expo district, improve the intelligent facilities of the main venue and surrounding areas, and provide "AI+" service experience for the guests and citizens. On the one hand, it will promote intelligent application demonstration in the surrounding areas of the main venue. On the other hand, it will create a "1+N" intelligent conference plan to enrich the guests' participation experience.
The conference website (www.worldaic.com.cn) and WeChat public account (World Artificial Intelligence Conference) organized by the executive unit of the conference, Donghao Lansheng (Group) Co., Ltd., have been launched. We will continue to invite important guests at home and abroad and carry out various plans. It is expected that registration channels for journalist and visitors will be opened in mid-late July.
Intelligence connects the world, and you and me. The CPC Shanghai Committee and the Municipal Government attach great importance to the success of the 2019 World Artificial Intelligence Conference. At the end of August, the banks of the Huangpu River will be full of splendor and vitality.
��Go Back��
Government Agencies Development Research Center of Shanghai Municipal People's Government Legislative Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal People's Government Shanghai Municipal Housing Administration Shanghai Municipal Administration of Planning, Land and Resources Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization Shanghai Municipal Education Commission Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission Shanghai Municipal Commission of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Supervision Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Justice Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security Shanghai Municipal Commission of City Development and Transport Shanghai Municipal Agriculture Commission Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film and Television Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau Shanghai (Municipal) Water Authority Shanghai Municipal Population and Family Planning Commission Shanghai Municipal Audit Bureau Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal People's Government Shanghai Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commissio Shanghai Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau Shanghai Municipal Administration of Industry and Commerce Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Technical Supervision of Quality Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration Shanghai (Municipal) Press and Publication Administration Shanghai (Municipal) Administration of Sports Shanghai Municipal Administration of Intellectual Property Shanghai Municipal Transport and Port Authority Shanghai Municipal Civil Defense Office Cooperation and Exchange Office of Shanghai Municipal People's Government Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal People's Government Shanghai Municipal Office of Financial Services Shanghai Municipal Administration of Work Safety Development Research Center of Shanghai Municipal People's Government Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Grain Shanghai Municipal Prison Administration Shanghai Municipal Administration of Landscaping and City Appearance Shanghai Municipal Port Office Shanghai Municipal Administration of Social Organizations Shanghai Lingang New City Supervision and Administration Commission Shanghai Cultural Market Administrative Law Enforcement Team Yongshan Free Trade Port Area Petitions Office of Shanghai Municipality Other Links Information Office of the People��s Republic of China Shanghai Municipal Government Eastday.com Xinmin Evening News Shanghai Online Jiefang Daily Shanghai Daily Wenhui-Xinmin United Press Group Shanghai Media Group China Business News Expo 2010 Shanghai China Shanghai Moral Education Office
Copyright 2018 Shanghai China All Right Reserved.
娌�ICP澶�
Address: 100 Dagu Road, Shanghai, China Post Code: 200003 Telephone: 23111111


text:
Viral crosswind landing of Etihad Airbus A380 at Heathrow criticised by the airline's training department
NewsBy AIRLIVE February 20, 2020 Leave a comment
During storm Dennis, the United Kingdom was buffeted by heavy rain and winds of up to 50mph, the second-weekend storm in a row. There was significant travel disruption and hundreds of flights had to be cancelled at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) so that aircraft could be given more time and space to land. Crosswind landings…
INCIDENT GoAir Airbus A320neo doused at Ahmedabad Airport after rejected takeoff
EmergencyBy AIRLIVE February 20, 2020 Leave a comment
A GoAir Airbus A320neo rejected take-off at Ahmedabad Airport, India following an engine issue. The Airbus A320neo (reg. VT- WGY) rejected take off at Ahmedabad Airport due to right engine vibration and stall after a suspected bird ingestion. The aircraft was operating flight 802 to Bangalore. After being doused, the plane was taken to isolation…
ALERT Boeing discovered foreign-object debris in fuel tanks of several 737MAX planes
Boeing has told employees that it discovered foreign-object debris in fuel tanks of "several" 737 Max planes the manufacturer has in storage, CNBC learned Tuesday. Foreign object debris "is absolutely unacceptable," Boeing Commercial Airplanes executive Mark Jenks, a vice president and general manager of the 737 program and Renton production facility, according to the company's…
INCIDENT An Air Canada A319 wheel fell off during takeoff from LaGuardia Airport
 An Air Canada plane bound for Toronto was forced to declare a mid-air emergency after one of its wheels fell off during take-off. Air Canada flight 715 from LaGuardia Airport landed safely after 4 p.m. in Toronto. A spokesperson for Air Canada said the Airbus A319 lost one of it's six tires while departing…
Two Royal Air Maroc flight attendants suspended after erotic photos went viral
The photo of Valerie Kybad, a porn actress, in underwears on a RAM flight has created a wave of controversy in Morocco. Morocco's state-owned carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has issued a statement to apologize to its customers after an indecent photo taken on one of the airline's flights circulated on social media. The photo,…
Most impressive landing during #StormDennis : Etihad A380 at Heathrow (video)
INCIDENT A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 emergency slide was accidentally deployed at Manchester Airport
Emergency slide was accidentally deployed on Virgin Atlantic 747 at Manchester Airport. As Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 (G-VAST) was about to be catered for flight #VS75 to Orlando, an emergency slide was activated, possibly after the door wasn't properly disarmed. The flight #VS75 finally departed to Orlando with a delay of more than 6 hours.
BREAKING Technical issues affecting departure boards and check-in systems are causing disruption at London Heathrow
Thousands of passengers are facing cancellations and delays on Sunday after a systems failure affecting all terminals at London Heathrow airport. Departing passengers on social media reported "pandemonium" with information screens unavailable, while arriving travellers were stuck on planes or waiting in the terminal for baggage. Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe. The failure…
ALERT An Air India A321 suffered a tail strike due to an early rotation after a Jeep entered the runway
A person and a jeep on the runway reportedly forced an Air India aircraft on taking off roll at Pune to do "early rotation". This early rotation led he Airbus A321 to have a tail strike, with its undercarriage getting damaged, but the plane took off safely. The incident happened on Saturday morning when the…
BREAKING Pegasus Boeing 737-800 evacuated after landing at Dusseldorf Airport
Passengers were evacuated via emergency slides after landing at Dusseldorf Airport. Passengers of Pegasus flight #PC1003 from Istanbul were evacuated after the Boeing 737-800 landed at Dusseldorf. After the landing of the Boeing 737-800 (reg. TC-CPU registered), fire and smoke were noticed coming from the landing gear. As smoke was noticed by ATC controllers, emerging…
ALERT The U.S. to increase tariffs on imported Airbus aircraft to 15%
The U.S. government on Friday said it would increase tariffs on aircraft imported from the European Union to 15% from 10%, ratcheting up pressure on Brussels in a nearly 16-year transatlantic dispute over aircraft subsidies. European planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA) said the U.S. move would hit U.S. airlines already facing a shortage of aircraft and complicate…
Airbus A330-800 receives EASA and FAA type certification
The A330-800 has received joint Type Certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The aircraft's certification flight-test campaign was successfully performed by aircraft MSN1888, which completed the programme in 370 flight test hours and 132 flights since its first flight in November 2018. The A330-800, part of a…
2345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455565758596061626364656667686970717273747576777879808182838485868788
949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300301302303304305306307308309310311312313314315316317318319320321322323324325326327328329330331332333334335336337338339340341342343344345346347348349350351352353354355356357358359360361362363364365366367368369370371372373374375376377378379380381382383384385386387388389390391392393394395396397398399400401402403404405406407408409410411412413414415416417418419420421422423424425426427428429430431432433434435436437438439440441442443444445446447448449450451452453454455456457458459460461462463464465466467468469470471472473474475476477478


text:
How to Defeat Donald Trump and the 3 Bs
For months now people on both sides of the political spectrum have been handwringing about how to beat Donald, or whether he might beat himself. The Republicans will be the first to fall by virtue of the fact that they meet Donald head-on in primary season but make no mistake – the Democrats will have to face him soon enough.
To just about everyone in the media, the circus turned serious contender has been nothing short of a jaw gaping mystery. You mean a total outsider with a loud mouth and ridiculous policy positions hasn't been laughed out of the race? What about Michelle Bachmann, Todd Akin and Sarah Palin? That's what's supposed to happen to these kinds of people!
But lo, Trump has managed to elude the grip of death that has doomed so many before him leaving the media in their collective confusion to wonder about their own relevancy in this new, bizarre world. How does this end? And if I can't predict the future with any reasonable degree of accuracy on this roller coaster, what good am I to anyone as a pundit?
But there is a simple answer, and that answer is to ignore the 3 Bs (bullying, bloviating and bombast) and forcefully return the conversation to one focused exclusively on policy. Donald can be beaten on policy, but if he's allowed to run his entire campaign using the 3 Bs, he'll control the news and the election.
Imagine for a moment a match-up in a general election between President Obama and Donald Trump. How would President Obama handle Trump and his 3 Bs? Obama wouldn't get caught up in Donald's web of nonsense. He would stick to the policy discussion, ignore personal attacks, and beat Trump by discussing his positions. The problem we've had this election cycle is that Trump has figured out that if he talks about waterboarding, carpet bombing, Losers and Megyn Kelly, he doesn't have to talk about healthcare, minimum wage, gay marriage, or how he's really going to handle Putin in the Ukraine, or North Korea, or Iran. Pulling back the curtain is the way to expose Trump to the middle of the road voters who decide every election.
At the end of the day, Trump is a showman who has relied on smoke and mirrors to drown out his competition. But his co-campaigners have also allowed Trump to control the dialog, flailing away with various tactics in their attempts to dodge the steam roller. Cruz tried by killing Trump with kindness – at least at first. But you can't win playing a willing second fiddle. Bush tried feebly to stand up to the campus bully with predicable results. He was verbally wedgied out of the race. Rubio is finally putting up a stronger fight, but even if it wasn't too little too late, it wouldn't work anyway. You can't out-3B Donald Trump. You simply need to change the rules back to the default. Get campaigns talking about campaign issues, and not Donald's latest foray into his beloved mine field of taboos.
But Trump has used the Bs to great advantage and obscured from the public his lack of policy sophistication as his Achilles heel.
Recently Donald mentioned that he's a fan of Planned Parenthood. This is policy kryptonite that not even Donald can overcome with some of his prospective supporters. If Hillary can find enough policy positions that are untenable to his RINO hating base, he'll prove himself the closet liberal they are all afraid of, and he'll lose vital support. Policy, and nothing else will sleigh this dragon, but we need to steer the conversation back from the brink of darkness. If Donald continues to be allowed to control the news cycle with the 3 Bs, he'll control the election.


text:
Tag Archives: novel
She waits in the freezing snow at the bottom of a huge mountain, an icy mountain lying between one country and another. It's the end of the day, light is failing. Perhaps he has ditched her, or had an accident, or fallen into a crevasse. Doubt. Waiting. "The answer is not coming." So writes Rachel Kushner at the end of The Flame Throwers. Though these are not quite the last words of the novel.
Two things are going on, as I see it. There's a familiar quotidian experience: hanging about waiting for someone who doesn't show. You're in that place or moment when anxiety and boredom collide, anticipation runs headlong into despair. And there's a larger metaphysical or perhaps structural thing going on: how to be in that experience, how to move through this waiting, or to let the waiting materialize as a non-conclusive ending.
The answer to the question of whether he is coming or not is simple, it becomes clear as night falls: He is not coming. But there is another question not answered, though what exactly this question is you can't say and actually it doesn't matter what the question itself is. It is not a man who will not come, it is an answer. For Kushner, I believe, it's enmeshed in how to bring the novel to an end. In an interview she writes, "I was determined not to have the narrator ride off into the horizon in a blaze of triumph at the end. The plotline where the main character overcomes a weakness and acts with new empowerment is a form of narrative compression I usually find cheap and don't much relate to."
This is a novel that is dense and intriguing in its cutting between times and places, places in the US and Italy, in the 1970s and around the First World War. The threads of connection that link people to political and art movements are rendered through scenarios in which characters experience speed and slowness, talking, listening, waiting. Guns and motor bikes, riding fast and waiting about slowly not doing much. Techniques and technologies. Kushner, within the fabric of the daily, writes about a variety of technologies, mobilizing characters and ideas that attempt, variously, to forge a way out of the routine of the everyday. Her novel, too, shapes up—disintegrates, realigns—through a virtuoso enactment of technique. She herself is a flame thrower, filling the sky with colors and patterns, materializing through technique a range of possibilities, some lethal. Reading, immersed in the rhythms and the cutting between locales, alerted through technique rather than through authorial direction, to the present, you don't expect a conclusion, particularly one that embodies a triumph over adversity. It isn't simply that we are left with a question at the end, some plot thread that is left loose, given to us as a throw away scrap from the table of literary delights. No, it's that the whole practice or technique of the novel works against triumphalism with all its moral underpinnings.
Because I'm pretty well right now I'm greedy to grab every moment to write or read scraps from lots of different books and so I've read this novel slowly, in some senses against the grain. Lindsey says, "For me it was cold and fast—a reading experience that I imagine is akin to riding one of those motorcycles she rides around Manhattan." In the last third I speed up, glad to immerse myself in the novel during a Cancer Survivors Week, thus saving myself from getting hot under the collar about all the triumphalist rhetoric in the air. Saving myself, perhaps, from insinuations of guilt solicited by sentiment-drenched exhortations to give money to defeat cancer. I want to live longer, I want them (that great big them in the sky) to find a better form of treatment than the ghastly chemos people with tumors have to endure (and indeed there are people with blood cancers who endure these too). And being implicated, a receiver or beneficiary of the bounty, I know I should give more than I do so that people not as lucky as me in terms of time and place can get a better deal. But it makes me mad that so much of cancer, medicine in general, actually everything in general in this country, is so dependent on charity, on private institutions, on individual gifts. Matters of public concern rendered as a balancing act between the fortunate and the unfortunate, where individuals can be empowered by charitable acts, acts of giving.
The objective correlative of this is the celebration of survivors, the hullaballoo about the battle won by strong individuals. Empowerment through adversity. We are the strong ones, the ones who fought back and won, we are special, not like all those losers who succumbed and dropped dead without a proper struggle.
Of course it isn't just around cancer that the ubiquitous grizzliness of positive thinking occurs. Jeffrey comes home from the gym the other day and tells me about an interview he saw on CNN while treading the mill. One of the young survivors of the ghastly Santa Barbara campus murders came forward voluntarily to offer witness. He said something like, "It wasn't an entirely negative experience… some of us survived."
Still, we need fiction sometimes. The fiction of survival is a charged fiction and through the charging, the living through, acquires a material reality. The reality that we are fighting, that we will overcome. When Isabel wrote to me, long ago it now seems, when I had surgery for lung cancer a year after the leukemia diagnosis, "vencerás," (you will overcome) it was inspiring, it gave me courage, I started to believe that I would survive. She gave me a gift.
So what to do, what is the answer? Me fuming silently on my soapbox with a hand hovering reluctantly over a shallow pocket chockablock with scrunched up tissues and lists of things to do and a little cash isn't going to change the circuit of charitable and uncharitable capital.
Posted in Diary of a Detour	| Tagged cancer, daily, fiction, gift, leukemia, medicine, novel, quotidian, Rachel Kushner, The Flame Throwers	| Leave a comment |
Life after Life is Kate Atkinson's new novel – it's long and gratifying. I have read a lot the last three weeks, mostly though not exclusively novels, the reading matter overseen and sat upon by Elvis. Reading is one of the things you can do while keeping your head very still so the world doesn't spin, and if it's engrossing you can be transported. You might think that the "second" life in the title is a replacement of the word and concept of "death." Not really. On the most simple level the novel plays with the idea of the novel. The novel as a progression of seemingly inevitable events, of teleology, of the crocheting of character and description into the momentum of plot. But life too, as we live it day by day, entails plotting, dramatization and anticipation. Atkinson asks "what if"? What if, for instance, the baby had lived instead of dying, what if –that old chestnut—Hitler had been assassinated, what if the dog had a different name, what if the girl had kicked back? A writer can mess with events and this is what she does, giving us multiple versions or possibilities, or more accurately – unfoldings. But philosophically, she also spins a meditation – upon the eternal return. The idea that what exists after life is not death but more life, or more prosaically we could say people go on living, and the dead re-emerge in various incarnations according to different beliefs and modes of representation, and through the intricacies of memory. As always she is preoccupied with the concepts of déjà vu and amor fati, of history and the future, of memory and delusion. A minor but key character whose presence is woven through the book is a Buddhistic (come Nietzschean) psychoanalyst. In one of her incarnations, as a ten year old girl, Ursula is sent to see him.
He had trained in Vienna ("Where else?) but trod, he said, his own path. He was no one's disciple, he said, although he had studied "at the feet of all the teachers. One must nose forward," he said. "Nudge one's way through the chaos of our thoughts. Unite the divided self." Ursula had no idea what he was talking about.
Atkinson also plays with the idea of the novel as a bourgeois form. Life After Life begins with a long idyllic evocation of upper middle class English life. She has said that it was Forster always at her back, but to me the angel at her back is Virginia Woolf, particularly Mrs Dalloway. As the story begins again and again on that snowy night in 1910 so the Merchant and Ivory scenario disintegrates and nostalgia is untethered, teased out, floats like seaweed in a bloody sea. Not just the Virginia Woolf of the novels but also the essayist and the woman who kept a diary full of quotidian details. While it is surely a false dichotomy to pose quotidian detail against the sweep of history, the trick is surely to understand and craft scale, through writing to mobilize that precarious, never stable, relation between scale and perspective. What the most intriguing novels and biographies do is illuminate not just details within the large sweep of history, but the sweep of history in the details. The new biography of Marx by Jonathan Sperber does this. I dipped in and out of it while out-of-it. Jeffrey read it voraciously from cover to cover (when it could be pried away from Elvis) and would relay the revelations, day by day, in between making endless supplies of chicken soup, a ministering Scheherazade.
I always find myself (again, time after time, life after life) a better Buddhist when things are going well. "Better" of course is the wrong word, no I mean more inclined to be philosophically calm and accepting of fate, unperturbed by death. The last few days, before this awful smothering black blanket of nausea lifted I felt very despairing, as though I would never get better, even for a while. "This is it!" kind of a feeling. There is a simple line in Life After Life: "How sorry she felt for herself, as if she were someone else." Somehow, as almost everyone must know, illness induces this as you see time falling through all the cracks in your life, never to be retrieved. Today, though, I feel grandiously like a besieged city that has been liberated. I woke up this morning feeling transformed, the nausea almost gone, euphoric. I hadn't quite finished the Kate Atkinson and so got up, fed the cats (without experiencing that usual vomit-inducing odor as the tin of grain-free chicken-and-herring delight is prized open), let the chickens out in the dawn light, made a pot of tea and went back to bed and finished the novel – it felt so luxurious, reading not to allay sickness, but for pure pleasure. And of course I should know from the novel that after a besieged city is liberated (London and Berlin during the Second World War bombing) there isn't immediate relief, what follows may be starvation, suicide, old age, mundanity. And yet …… and yet I loved the novel, it filled me with a peculiar happiness like Mrs Dalloway with her flowers. Atkinson has said you cannot write about happiness, that's not what life is. It's true the novel is not about finding happiness, I wept in parts and had to gloss over others that were too grim, and yet happiness is no less complex an emotion than say, despair, or misery, it's just as implicated in the devious trajectories of desire. I'm glad I finished the novel on a high so I don't always have it snuggled into bed, in a semi-illicit association with sickness.
Today I feel quite different, not sorry for my self at all, actually rather overwhelmed by the wonderful world I awoke into, but more convinced than ever that the self, though experienced materially, bodily, is a fiction. And what is it that constitutes feeling OK?
Being drug free is undoubtedly a big part of it. It surely must have been the combination of antibiotics with the chemo that made for such awfulness. Because of the initial searing gut pain and fever I diagnosed myself with a flare up of diverticulitis and my primary care Doctor agreed, urged antibiotics and since the fever and pain were subsiding, succumbed to my resistance to yet another Cat scan with contrast (time after time, too much radiation). I thought the antibiotics were working, but not really, the pain came and went. And the worst thing was the unrelenting nausea, dizziness, sensation of fainting even when lying still in bed. Kipps, my oncologist is inclined to think that this was clearly because of the piling up of chemicals ("we don't know how the body will protest") but also that the pain might not in fact have been provoked by an infection (and if this were the case, tho who's to know, no need for antibiotics), but caused by tumor lysis. This refers to metabolic complications that can occur during cancer treatment, particularly in leukemia and lymphoma. Though the treatment is meant to reduce, say, the size and frequency of lymph nodes in fact it can do the opposite for a while. The lymph nodes in my gut area are increased in size and frequency and he guesses that this has put pressure on the colon. This makes sense but nevertheless I have a gut feeling (so apt a truism) that the chemicals are also ravaging my gut and so am drinking aloe vera juice an hour before eating, and also L-glutamin powder – both of which restore the mucous membrane of the colon stripped away by antibiotics as we know, but also by the other drugs. Acupuncture provided miraculous relief, but only for a short time (though it was amazing to see how color returned to my face during those sessions). However, my skin is so thin now. Thicker emotionally perhaps but in the end there is just that thin penumbra between you and the world.
Now I'm into the fourth round. Kipps decided not to up the dose because of the complications, though he is reluctant, and feels that it is only with an increased dose that some of the symptoms will abate and improvement register (white and red blood counts are miraculously in the normal zone, but others wonky). Still, it is underway and am feeling almost fine. Phew! With trepidation I have another immunoglobulin infusion this week, since an adverse reaction during the last one…
There are other things besides acupuncture that provided relief and forgetfulness. I thought I could drive myself to acupuncture one time but when I got out of bed realized that this wasn't going to work. I called Tershia and she came and fetched me in her 1969 Porsche (a 912, 500,000 + miles, named "Lawrence" after T.E., as its first paint color was "Sand."). Tershia turned it green. Just looking at it is a joy. It registers beauty—in its design, but also in that color, that delicious green that seems otherwise to have disappeared from the world, a green of mahjong pieces, of bathroom tiles and my grandmother's kitchen. Nothing grandmotherly about that ride to the acupuncturist, however. Tershia drives her racing car as though it were a racing car. You might think that this would exacerbate nausea, but it was rather like entering into a dream. I loved being inside that greenness, whizzing through the city.
And then there was the poppy. Steve Ilott gave me, months ago, some white poppies he had started. We planted them out and waited and waited as they grew in a spindly fashion. Then one day as I lay languishing, feeling sorry for myself, Peggy—who was working in the garden, fighting the weeds which have gone beserk since people on the street started planting "low maintenance native" grasses—took a picture of the blooming poppy on her i-phone and sent it to me in the house. It was a totally unexpected apparition: a glorious white pom pom. I had been assuming that an old fashioned and elegant poppy would eventually bloom. Instead: the sheer exuberance and excess of that "Swansdown" startled me into delight. On the morning when I awoke feeling OK I opened the front door in the early morning and there were four white pompoms, gleaming in amongst the irises and salvia, roses and fennel, brash colors muted momentarily in the dawn, ceding glory to Swansdown.
Posted in Diary of a Detour	| Tagged acupuncture, antibiotics, Buddhism, cat scan, chemo, Elvis, kate atkinson, kipps, Life After Life, Marx, nausea, novel, poppy, Sperber, swansdown, tumor lysis, Virginia Woolf	| Leave a comment |


Based on the above "Pic of the Week", I could forgive you for wondering if WSOTP is considering a switch in subject matter to blogging about military techniques, paintball or homeless veterans living in the forest. Rest assured, it's not. In fact, this week's selection is very much a soccer picture, even if it doesn't look like.
Pictured above is Luca De Pra, youth team goalkeeper coach for Italian Serie A side Genoa, but some things seem a little off. For example, full camo isn't exactly the training garb you find on your average coach. Furthermore, you might expect that a Genoa coach should be at this own club's training ground, not in the woods outside of rivals Sampdoria's. And yet that's exactly what some fans and staff at Sampdoria thought too, when they found the Genoa man spying on Sampdoria training ahead of the club's upcoming Derby della Lanterna match. The lengths some football clubs will take to get a leg up on their competition appear to know no limits… though let's just be glad he wasn't actually a sniper sent to pick off i Blucerchiati players.