text:
Hitler Discovers Cloud Computing Has Its Flaws
This has got to be one of the most abstruse Downfall tributes yet dubbed!!
Posted by pangloss at 12:31 am 3 comments: Links to this post
Labels: downfall, silly, videos
Annoyed now: Google & Italy
Lots of the blogosphere exploded in indignation yesterday at the revelation that an Italian court had found Google execs, including privacy chief Fleisher, criminally liable for publishing an amateur vid on You Tube which invaded the privacy of the special needs child depicted being bullied therein. Charges of criminal libel were however dismissed. Lawyers amongst us wondered if someone had forgotten to tell Italy about the safe harbours for hosting intermediaries of the E-Commerce Directive , arts 12-15 which apply throughout Europe. Richard Thomas, the UK's former Information Commissioner, despaired that this verdict was giving privacy a bad name. Americans, used to the total (and one might say, over-wide) immunity given online intermediaries in relation to publication torts by the Communications Decency Act were even more flabbergasted. Google, understandably slightly over egging it a tad, called it a serious threat to the very freedom of the Internet, well, at least in Italy. Peter Fleischer, awarded a six month suspended sentence, sounded about as genuinely outraged as a top corporate exec can sound on his blog, and threatened appeals, hellfire and a boycott of pasta.
Pangloss was surprised but also a little smug, as she'd covered this story as far back as May last year and in detail here. While we're waiting for an opinion to come from the Italian court (apparently required within 90 days, and is there an Italian translator out there please?) it is maybe worth refreshing the reader's memory for the only four ways I saw this case could go against Google, assuming Google did plead the ECD (bit of a no brainer that).
1. Italy may not have at all, or properly implemented the ECD. In which case Google has a claim for damages against Italy and the case may eventually to end up in the ECJ to hilarious embarrassment.
2. Italy may not think the ECD applied to Google/You Tube as a host, because of doubts about the "independence" of YT as an intermediary from its users . This argument has prevailed in some high profile French cases, but has largely been rubbished in most the rest of the EU. In particular the "YouTube complicit with users" argument may have some legs when we are talking about YT making money from ads next to popular copyright videos eg MTV clips, and thus, conceivably, being seen to profit from copyright infringement (cf current Viacom US litigation); but has absolutely none in the case of a video of this kind. Basically, YT provided a platform and got nothing out the deal except trouble.
3. Italy may not think the ECD applied to Google/You Tube as a host, because the ECD may only apply to commercial operators. This is almost entirely exploded as a theory, and will be when the Google Adwords case gets its full judgment from the ECJ next month. The Advocate-General's preliminary Opinion, as I noted in November, already plainly agrees that a search engine like Google which makes money indirectly from adverts while free to users can fall within the ECD. The UK courts have also so agreed.
4. The ECD safe harbour for hosts says basically that they are immune from liability for what they publish until they receive "notice" of illegal content. It does not say either that they have to pre-vet videos, nor that they have to read all the comments below a video. Pangloss suspects this, if anything, is the legal ambiguity in the case. Google says they took down as soon as the police gave them notice; Gooogle's opponents say "but the video was up for two months and people complained in comments". Should those "comments" have been regarded as notice then? In which case, did Google have a duty to pro-actively read them?
This is the bit that gets me annoyed. Google's success, as the Guardian's Charles Arthur explained cogently the other day, is built on automating everything. This doesn't mean that Google should be free of all responsibility for what goes on on its watch, but it does mean that exercising that responsibility should be practicable, or we lose Google and all its free chocolate factory offerings. Reviewing every comment under the millions of videos on YouTube - and in a multiplicity of languages - and in real or near real time - is impossible. It is a human task. It is not automatable. You can design algorithms to compare copyright works to "watermark" versions of the same - an approach Google is working on to cut down on YT piracy - but you cannot design a computer programme which can work out what videos - or text or images - are libellous or privacy-invasive. You just can't; well maybe not until artificial intelligence has finally gone Singularity, and possibly not even then - human judges find it hard enough a task.
The ECD was actively designed to set up that kind of practical responsibility for hosts. Receive notice of illegality; take down, or else become liable for it. It raises other issues about kneejerk censorship (we'll come back to that), but it is at least a good start. So when a freak case like this undermines the notice and take down system, it really is time to get our facts straight.
One way out here is to provide an easy way for the worried to flag a video as "inappropriate". That definitely would be notice, to which a takedown response could be automated. Malcolm Coles accuses Google's systems for alert of not working here, so I went and had a look. YT puts a "Flag" button below every video, fairly obviously, but it seems you can only use it if logged in. This means setting up a YT account; a process convoluted enough to put off a casual viewer, especially a one time viewer alerted by some one saying "look have you seen this, isn't it terrible?" This might explain why people left comments rather than gave "notice" on the YT site in the Italian case.
In which case, should Google be liable for failure to design robust systems of notice?? If so we're setting a very, very high bar for ECD immunity. Every host - which includes nearly every ISP and business in Europe with a website - would have to design obvious and accessible notice and take down buttons for the public, or fear legal liability. I can tell you from informal survey research I did myself a while back that most sites have far, far less information (if any) on how to give notice than YT. And in the UK, there is nothing in our law that requires this degree of specificity.
But there is another , more profound reason why automating takedown is not only impossible but undesirable. Google's complaints policy on privacy (for the UK) says:
"We don't act on all privacy complaints. The complaints we do act on usually involve videos, comments, or other text that contain your image or private information (such as social security number, government I.D., or credit card information). These days there's a good likelihood that you might get caught on camera if you're in a public place - whether it be a security camera or a tourist who inadvertently captures your image in their video. If you're complaining about a video that shows you in passing while you're in a public place, chances are we won't take action on your complaint unless you're clearly identified or identifiable in the video."
As a semi expert in the field, that reads to me like a true outline of the law. It may not be true of Italy. However it shows the dangers of accepting any claim of privacy invasion lightly, from anyone, without checking. Human checking that is - possiby even a human lawyer, if that isn't a contradiction in terms. Do we want to live in a world where anyone can censor any online content simply by claiming some kind of abuse of rights - privacy, libel, copyright - and demanding automatic take down? It would be an easier world for Google, to be sure - and an appealing world for those who want, understandably, videos of their children being abused or bullied online removed as as fast as possible - but bad news overall for the public interest in free speech and the public domain.
So how do we square this circle? If Google - and its competitors - can't primarily automate what they do, they cease to be able to function. Yet notice and take down is a process which if automated is inherently either impossible or undesirable. Is there a solution? I'm only a lawyer, not a computer scientist. I'm not sure. But if the Google Italy fracas is to do any good, it should inspire a debate , between science, business, law and the public about what that solution might be.
EDIT: ta to Charles Arthur at the Guardian for the nice link.
Posted by pangloss at 2:11 pm 6 comments: Links to this post
Labels: ecd, google, italy
Filtering round up: French filtering, Ireland backs off, UK sidesteps?
Bit of a round up here on some interesting stories of last few weeks on aspects of filtering that I've been accumulating.
Increasingly, stories as to filtering out illegal content such as child porn; blocking infringing downloads of copyright material by deep packet inspection and disconnection; and filtering to fight the "war on terror" are converging. For all of these, the same issues come up again and again: privacy; proof, transparency and other aspects of due process; and scope creep. These 3 stories illustrate this well. For my own recent take on the issue of Net filtering, as I said before, see my Internet pornograohy chapter on SSRN, which suggests the need for a Free Speech Impact Assessment before non transparent stateNet filtering schemes are introduced, for whatever purpose.
Filtering of illegal content in France
Thanks to @clarinette on Twitter (whose real name I am not absolutely sure of!!) for pointing me to another important European move towards non transparent Internet filtering - this time in France. From La Quadrature de Net:
Paris, February 11th, 2010 - During the debate over the French security bill (LOPPSI), the government opposed all the amendments seeking to minimize the risks attached to filtering Internet sites. The refusal to make this measure experimental and temporary shows that the executive could not care less about its effectivity to tackle online child pornography or about its disastrous consequences. This measure will allow the French government to take control of the Internet, as the door is now open to the extension of Net filtering.
The refusal to enact Net filtering as an experimental measure is a proof of the ill-intended objective of the government. Making Net filtering a temporary measure would have shown that it is uneffective to fight child pornography.
As the recent move1 of the German government shows, only measures tackling the problem at its roots (by deleting the incriminated content from the servers; by attacking financial flows) and the reinforcement of the means of police investigators can combat child pornography.
Moreover, whereas the effectivity of the Net filtering provision cannot be proven, the French government refuses to take into account the fact that over-blocking - i.e the "collateral censorship" of perfectly lawful websites - is inevitable2. Net filtering can now be extended to other areas, as President Sarkozy promised to the pro-HADOPI ("Three-Strikes" law) industries3."
LQN are never exactly ones to mince their words:-) so the strong nature of this statement should perhas be taken with some care - but Pangloss intends to go investigate this story further.
Ireland, Eirecom, disconnection and DP
Meanwhile in a surprising twist, Eirecom have apparently pulled out of the negotiated settlement they reached in January 2009 to disconnect subscribers "repeatedly" using P2P for (alleged) illicit downloading. This was the result of the Irish court case brought against them by various parts of the music industry for hosting illegal downloads, and appeared to open up a route to "voluntary" notice and disconnection schemes on the part of the ISP industry; a worrying trend both for advocates of free speech, privacy, due process, ISP immunity and net neutrality.
Now however according to the Times:
As part of the agreement, Irma said it would use piracy-tracking software to trace IP addresses, which can identify the location of an internet user, and pass this information to Eircom. The company would then use the details to identify its customer, and take action.
But the office of the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has indicated that using customers' IP addresses to cut off their internet connection as a punishment for illegal downloading does not constitute "fair use" of personal information. Irma and Eircom have asked the High Court to rule on whether these data-protection concerns mean the 2009 settlement cannot be enforced.
This is very, very interesting. A court case on this might settle a number of outstanding DP legal issues: whether IP addresses are "always" personal data (on which see also a recent EU study demonstarting the disharmny across Europe on this) and if not, when; what the scope of the exemmptions for preventing and investigating crime are; and what"fair" means in the whole context of the DP principles, purpose limitation and notice for processing.
Not only that but as the Times indicate, the human rights issues which have been repeatedly aired in debate around "three strikes" generally, would also come into play as well, as the straight DP law. Is use of a customer's personal data to cut them off from the Internet a proportionate response to a minor civil infringement? Does it breach a fundamantal right of freedom of expression or association? Does it breach due process? This could be the DP case of the decade. Pangloss is geekily excited. If anyone out there is involved in this case, do let me know.
UK cops don't terrorise the IWF?
Finally , as widely reported, the UK Home Office has introduced a website hotline for the public to report suspected terrorist or hate speech sites. Reports are then vetted by ACPO, the Association of Chief Police Officers, who it appears can then take action, not only by investigating in normal way, but also by asking the relevant host site to take down. The official press release notes : "If a website meets the threshold for illegal content, officers can exercise powers under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2006 to take it down." Indeed on serving such a notice, the host only has 2 days to take down or loss immunity under the UK ECD Regs.
As TJ McIntyre also notes, this is a rather significant development, not just in itself but for sidestepping use of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). There have been persistent rumours since and before then-Home Sec Jacqui Smith's famous speech in Jan 2008, that theUK government was attempting to pressurise the IWF into adding reports of hate speech/terror to its block- or black-list; and that the IWF was as strongly resisting this, hate speech being a somewhat more ambiguous and controversial matter than adjudicating on child sexual imagery.
It seems then that the IWF has held fast and the Home Office have backed off and created their own scheme, which embraces only take down in the UK, not access blocking to sites abroad (?). Whether this is ideal remains to be seen. The IWF, at least until recently had the services of esteemed law prof Ian Walden as well as a lot of accumulated experience, and may have been a better informal legal tribunal, than a bunch of chief constables, to decide on the illegality of sites under terror legislation. Who knows. On the other hand , adding alleged terror URLs to an invisible, encrypted, non public blocklist defeats every concept of transparency and public debate regarding restrictions on freedom of political speech, and Pangloss is glad to see it avoided.
Pangloss's view remains that such difficult non-objective issues are best decided by the body long set up to deal with questions of hazy legal interpretation: namely, the courts. The definition of "terrorist" material for the urposes of s 3 of the 2006 Act is as follows (s 3(7)):
"(a) something that is likely to be understood, by any one or more of the persons to whom it has or may become available, as a direct or indirect encouragement or other inducement to the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism or Convention offences; or
(b) information which—
(i) is likely to be useful to any one or more of those persons in the commission or preparation of such acts; and
(ii) is in a form or context in which it is likely to be understood by any one or more of those persons as being wholly or mainly for the purpose of being so useful."
Well I hope that clears everything up :-) Still confused? Try s 3(8)).
"(8) The reference in subsection (7) to something that is likely to be understood as an indirect encouragement to the commission or preparation of acts of terrorism or Convention offences includes anything which is likely to be understood as—
(a) the glorification of the commission or preparation (whether in the past, in the future or generally) of such acts or such offences; and
(b) a suggestion that what is being glorified is being glorified as conduct that should be emulated in existing circumstances."
Er give me that last line again?
As with previous contested IWF rulings, the same questions come up again: what is the appeal from a take down notice under s 3 to the regular courts? What notice if any is given to the site owner and the public of therfact of and reasons for take down? What safeguards are there for freedom of speech? None of these are mentioned in ss 1-4 of the 2006 Act. Nor does there seem to be a general provision in the Act for Part 1 or the whole of the 2006 Act for appeals or review. Since the police are a public body however, one imagines that judicial review might be competent. EDIT However I am helpfully informed that ACPO is a company limited by giuarantee and regards itself as not a public body at least for the purpose of FOI requests. Clarity on this would be very desirable. And as noted above record keeping of take down for terror reasons seems to be poor due to voluntary compliance by ISPs.
Finally why introduce these powers if they are to be circumvented anyway? The Register reported on 12 November 2009 that so far no notices had been issued under s 3 anyway, because the UK ISPs involved had agreed to take down voluntarily, and no record has been kept of how many sites this involved. Furthermore if a site is taken down in the UK it won't be hard to resurrect it in a foreign country, where most extremist sites will be based anyway: El Reg reports that one site the police allegedly have their eye on, al-Fateh, a Hamas anti-Jewish kids site, is in fact hosted in Russia. One imagines this will continue to increase pressure on the IWF to expand the block list despite the latest moves.
Labels: dp, eirecom, filtering, france, hate speech, IWF, take down, terrorism, three strikes, uk
HL Committee on the Digital Economy Bill
Yes, that again:-)
As Twitter and ORG resders may know, I'm meaning to write some kind of interim summary of what the Committee stage in the House of Lords has "fixed" in the Digital Economy Bill with respect to the file-sharing and copyright provisions (A: not a lot) and what still needs urgently brought up at Report Stage and if necessary all the way to and through the Commons (A: an awful lot). This despite the best efforts of some exceptionally knowledgeable and persistent Lords, including though not limited to Lord Lucas, L. Howard of Rising, Lord Clement-Jones and the Earl of Errol.
However it seems my job has possibly been done for me - by the Lords' own Human Rights Joint Committee. Their executive summary makes very, very interesting reading and is worth quoting in full:
The Digital Economy Bill has been introduced to update the regulation of the communications sector. Due to time-constraints we focus on a single issue in the Bill: illegal file-sharing.
Copyright infringement reports
The Bill establishes a mechanism whereby holders of copyright will be able to issue a 'copyright infringement report' to an ISP where it appears that the ISP's service has been used by an account holder to infringe copyright. ISPs will be required to notify account holders when a copyright infringement report is received in connection with their account. The ISPs will also be required to maintain a list of account holders who have been the subject of such reports.
We consider that it is unlikely that these proposals alone will lead to a significant risk of a breach of individual internet users' right to respect for privacy, their right to freedom of expression or their right to respect for their property rights (Articles 8, 10, Article 1, Protocol 1 ECHR). However, we call on the Government to provide a further explanation of why they consider their proposals are proportionate.
Technical measures
The Bill provides for the Secretary of State to have the power to require ISPs to take "technical measures" in respect of account holders who have been the subject of copyright infringement reports. The scope of the measures will be defined in secondary legislation and could be wide-ranging.
We do not believe that such a skeletal approach to powers which engage human rights is appropriate. There is potential for these powers to be applied in a disproportionate manner which could lead to a breach of internet users' rights to respect for correspondence and freedom of expression. We set out a list of points that the Government should clarify in order to reduce the risk that these proposals could operate in a manner which may be incompatible with the Convention.
Right to a fair hearing
The Bill provides for provisions for appeals in codes. There is little detail about the right to appeal in the case of copyright infringement reports or decisions about the inclusion of certain individuals' information on copyright infringement lists. We consider that statutory provision for a right to appeal to an independent body against inclusion on any infringement list would be a human rights enhancing measure.
Without a clear picture of the criteria for the imposition of technical measures it is difficult to reach a final conclusion on the fairness of the process for the imposition of technical measures. This is a further argument against the skeletal nature of the technical measures clauses. We ask for further information about the quality of evidence to be provided and the standard of proof to be applied to be provided on the face of the Bill.
Reserve powers
Clause 17 of the Bill provides the Secretary of State with the power to amend the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 by secondary legislation. The broad nature of this power has been the subject of much criticism. In correspondence with us, the Secretary of State explained that the Government intended to introduce amendments to limit the power in Clause 17 and to introduce a 'super-affirmative' procedure. The Government amendments would limit the circumstances in which the Government could use their powers to amend the Act by secondary legislation and would provide a system for enhanced parliamentary scrutiny.
Despite the proposed amendments we are concerned that Clause 17 remains overly broad and that parliamentary scrutiny may remain inadequate. We call for a series of clarifications to address these concerns."
Delightful to see such plain and clear and unadulterated good sense. I particularly applaud the second section: "We do not believe that such a skeletal approach to powers which engage human rights is appropriate." Put that on your tee shirt and smoke it.
In the meantime, all kinds of odd and eddying currents are flowing around the whole filesharing mess, here and abroad. In Blighty, we're seeing more and more sectors of industry, like the hoteliers, coming to the realisation of how bad the DEB will be for them as providers of public wi fi to the public; in Europe, the Belgian SABANE case, which imposed an impossible to fulfil filtering obligation on a Belgian ISP in the interests of rightsholders, is going on appeal to the European Court of Justice, with strong backing in evidence from trusted computer industry experts ; and the first Ozzie case on intermediaries and file sharing since KaZaa has been heard, and as with Oink in the UK ,the music industry have done themselves no favours by bringing it (though this case, being civil, includes no room for accusations of perverse juries).
More on all of these to come, I suspect, but on the last, I direct you meanwhile to my colleague Technollama's very helpful comments on the Australian case. From Pangloss, it is bonne nuit.
Posted by pangloss at 2:08 am 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: DEB, ecj, filehsaring, oz, SABANE
Google and China: the fallout continues
Since I wrote my last post suggesting (rather speculatively) that Google's apparent willingness to pull out of China might be linked to US state fears of (and pressure concerning?) cyber espionage against data held by Google about US citizens instead of/as well as Chinese dissidents, the world has become very interested in the succeeding revelation by Google that they are now working with the NSA to improve their cyber defenses.
This raises all kinds of further questions: doesn't Google have as much expertise in computer security itself as the Spooks? Or as someone put it even more conspiratorially on Twitter: hadn't we always assumed Google was working with the spooks? In which case what drove a public admission of it now?
All fun stuff and clearly far beyond the ken of a mere academic lawyer. But t0day's Grauniad has an interesting quote:
"Google is unlikely to be turning to the NSA for technical advice. Why then is it calling in the spooks? One reason could be that the world's dominant internet company is now in the crossfire of early skirmishes of the next cold war.
This thought was reinforced by Financial Times columnist Gideon Rachman. He'd been to the International Institute for Strategic Studies for a briefing on its annual survey, Military Balance. "The thing I found most interesting," he said, "was the confirmation that cyber-security is the hot issue … John Chipman, the head of the IISS, says the institute is about to launch a study of cyber-security which raises all sorts of issues. What if a country's infrastructure could be destroyed as effectively by a cyber-attack as by an invasion of tanks? How do you defend against that? How do you identify the culprits? What does international law have to say – might we have to revise our definitions of what constitutes an act of war?"
"Chipman argues, plausibly, that we are now at an equivalent period to the early 1950s. Just as strategists had to devise whole new doctrines to cope with the nuclear age, so they will have to come up with new ideas to cope with the information age."
I've noted before that I find it difficult to see how current international law can define cyber attacks and especially cyber espionage as armed attacks justifying, eg, the doctrine of self defense. But I've also now been to several events where military lawyers seemed to be if not saying then at least moving toeards exactly that. It is clear we are entering the era of what is sometimes called "justificatory discourse" regarding cyber war, or PR in less elevated circles. (The irony of the fact this is playing out as the Iraq inquiry goes on is not lost on Pangloss. Nor that MI5 appears to be trying to get in on the action by revealing what bad stuff Chinese cyber spies have been doing inthe UK too.) The same thing, is, of course, happening in China too: one report from there notes that the average Chinese citizen is mostly apathetic to the loss of Google but Chinese news coverage has " focused not on Google but on what is perceived as US "information imperialism." "
And meanwhile, the ever excellent Ray Corrigan points out (I think - lots of interesting stuff packed in here) that cyberwar may be becoming the latest bogeyman, following hard on pedophiles and alQuaeda to justify incursions into our civil liberties. And that we are hardly ones to condemn China's Great Firewall, when we do an awful lot of net censorship ourselves. (See further, dare I say, my own chapter here, which is the basis of the paper on cyber filtering and free speech I'm giving in a few days.)
OT: Looking at B2fxx reminds me I have been derelict of duty not to mention my collague Chris Marsden's much awaited book on 'Net neutrality: towards a co-regulatory solution' is not only just published by Bloomsbury but also available for free download under a creative commons licence at http://www.bloomsburyacademic.com/pdf%20files/NetNeutrality.pdf . Lordy lordy such wondrous times we live in!!
Posted by pangloss at 12:45 am No comments: Links to this post
Labels: china, cyberwar, google, net neutrality
Filtering round up: French filtering, Ireland back...


Thank you to all who participated in the 3rd LifeCourse Immunisation Focus Group. The multi-stakeholders meeting discussed policy changes across Europe, reviewed surveillance data and has suggested strategies to overcome vaccine hesitancy that will be implemented by EIP and others in 2019/20.
8 Master Classes have been organised in Prague covering topics in: (1) Dermatology, (2) Rheumatology, (3) Gastroenterology, (4) Neurology, (5) Endocrinology, (6) Infectious Diseases (7) Nutrition, (8) Respiratory. The 2018 masterclasses certainly delivered this with record attendance and outstanding feedback. Rooms were full in many cases and, based on their success in 2018, there will be 12 Masterclasses included in the 2019 programme.


No one ever teaches you how to tell a story.
Worse, this realization doesn't occur until you sit down and try to create one. Whether it's filmmaking, photography, or the written word, storytelling is an art you simply have to teach yourself. And it can be brutal.
It's possible to gain immense insight into the process by consuming books, blogs, podcasts, films and even music. You can deconstruct the themes and characters within any of these formats, and you'll likely find some sort of logical narrative structure emerging. But when you're faced with the characters of your own choosing — whether real or fictional — all of that knowledge and theory seem to evaporate, and you're left feeling like a fish out of water. Actually doing it, unsurprisingly, is a lot harder than learning how to do it.
So when I set out to create 142 Miles From Monday, a short film, I made storytelling my number one goal. I wanted to practice everything I've learned about revealing story — through visuals and the characters within them. I wanted to make mistakes of all shapes and sizes, because I know that when I feel like I'm screwing up, it means I'm learning an important lesson.
The real irony with all of this, of course, is that you never really know if your story is any good until it's done. Until you've spent countless hours working and reworking every element, to the point where you lose perspective and become your own worst editor.
That's the point I'm at now. And, although no one ever teaches you this either, I think that's the point where you hit the "publish" button and walk away.
So with that, here's the film.
After transcribing the interviews with Dan, Heath, and Haris, I printed them out, cut out individual thoughts/ideas/soundbites, then moved around the pieces on my living room table until the narrative revealed itself.
I've never taken a literally physical approach for a digital project before, but doing so helped me see things in a way that editing software could not. It was cumbersome, and wasn't my first choice for getting the job done, but I think in this particular case it helped me to see and understand all the raw material I had at my disposal.
One of the cool techy things used to shoot this film was the Spot Tracker. It's a little GPS device that the bikers carried, and allowed me to track them on my phone in real-time. Without it, finding and intercepting them throughout their daily rides would have been nearly impossible.
And, finally, what would a journey to Moab be without a stop at Arches National Park on the way home for some eye candy?
A community dedicated to those who are passionate about film. A collection of handpicked publications about movies, the film industry and fan art.


text:
CJ Verburg's Books & Bio
Charisse Howard's Books & Bio
Audio Romances
Another Number for the Road
> Another Number for the Road
Keep in mind, I taped these songs a long time ago on a hand-held recorder. If we're lucky, new and better recordings are in the works. Come back and check. — Cory
Do What You Do
Terry hit the cymbals.
This tune wasn't as hard-driving as the first one. Guitar and piano. . . synthesizer . . . I could see Roach was playing, too, but it took my ear a few seconds to pick out his bass line. That's the odd thing about live music—traveling through all those wires and boxes, what you hear doesn't match what you see.
A voice, male. Not Dan, not Niko, not Roach. Terry?
https://boom-books.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Do-What-You-Do-export-MP3.mp3
I Hope You Get Home All Right
"Yeah!" Dan's voice answered my knock.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed with an acoustic guitar, leaning forward to look at a notebook on the floor. Terry sat cross-legged on the floor on the other side of the notebook. Niko knelt beside him with a blues harp.
"Da-da-da home all right," sang Terry. He glanced up briefly as I came in. "Or should I stay on the same note? What are you doing there?"
https://boom-books.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/I-Hope-You-export-MP3.mp3
Dynamite Wheels
Dan's guitar neck went up, Terry's sticks came down.
Dam-dam! A double chord and a wild guitar tailspin.
Something clicked in my head: Mickey Ascher, blond hair shimmering, hands cupped around his mic.
Dam-dam! Recognition and applause rippled across the field. The hit single from Rind or Reason: "Dynamite Wheels."
https://boom-books.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Dynamite-Wheels-export-MP3.mp3
"Roach." Dan turned. "Do you remember 'Film Noir'?"
"That old acoustic thing of yours?" He considered. "I can fake it."
"Vocals, acoustic guitar, and bass," Dan said to Neil. "How's that?"
Dan slipped his Stratocaster off over his head; leaned it against a monitor, picked up the wooden Gibson beside it. "This song's for a friend out there who's been asking for it," he squinted into the lights, "though she doesn't know it."
https://boom-books.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Film-Noir-export-MP3.mp3
Updates on Our Authors
In a Nutshell: CJ Verburg Reviews Preet Bharara's "Doing Justice" & Janet Dawson's "Till the Old Men Die"
A Study in Scarlet by A.C. Doyle; Clara & Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland: Reviews by CJ Verburg
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves – Mystery Review by CJ Verburg
Recursion by Blake Crouch: Review by CJ Verburg
Book News from Carol (CJ) Verburg
Book News from Charisse Howard
News from San Francisco
Writing & Writers
All About Our Books
AUDIO ROMANCE – Charisse's Regency Rakes & Rebels
Lady Annabelle's Abduction
Lady Caroline, the Corsair's Captive
secret dracula page
Useful Urns
verburg-slide show

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Annual Legacies Medical Mission in Action
Annual Legacies: Annie Bell
Kathryn Lewis
Annie Bell was the central subject for one of the most popular photos used by the U.S. Sanitary Commission (USSC). The photo, along with others, was sold by the USSC to raise funds to support wounded and sick soldiers in the United States Army.
Bell was born April 9, 1839, in Blair County, Pennsylvania to Martin and Eliza Bell. Little is known about her youth until she went to the Female Seminary of the University of Lewisburg, now Bucknell University, and graduated in 1858.
After the Civil War broke out, she tended to wounded soldiers at the Battle of Antietam and served as a volunteer nurse at Harpers Ferry. In 1863, she began working as a paid nurse and later became chief matron, at the 12th Corps Hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg. Late that year, after Major General William S. Rosecran and his army suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga, the 12th Corps was sent to Tennessee to serve as reinforcements during the subsequent Chattanooga Campaign. Annie followed, working in U.S. Hospitals #1 and #8 in Tennessee where she attended to soldiers who had fought in the Battle of Chickamauga, the Battle of Missionary Ridge, and others. She served as chief matron until she was discharged in May 1865. She went home to Blair County after the war, and married Dr. George Stubbs shortly after on September 14, 1865. They met while working together in Tennessee.
The photo of Annie Bell, dating from 1864, was sold as a carte de visite by the U.S. Sanitary Commission (USSC). The USSC was established by the U.S. Congress on June 18, 1861, after being started by a group of prominent New York women to raise private funds for sick and wounded soldiers of the United States Army. While in Tennessee, Bell was approached by USSC representatives to pose for the photo. A letter from Annie to her mother, Eliza, dated February 15, 1864, recounts, "Two weeks ago, some of the Sanitary Commission people came to see me and asked that I would allow an artist to take a hospital scene, that they wanted such a one to sell at the fair at Cleavland [sic]." The Northern Ohio Sanitary Fair opened in Cleveland on February 22 and raised $78,000.
As our society now looks to medical staff working tirelessly in hospitals around the world, so too did soldiers and their families during the American Civil War. The need of having someone to help us when we are sick or injured is something that resonates throughout time. And today, thanks to the digital age, we know the names of the frontline medical staff (and all essential workers) that have helped our families and friends, just as they are able to communicate their stories and hardships to us. They are already becoming part of our nation's–and the world's–history.
Today, we ask you to help ACWM to remember their legacies by donating to the Annual Legacy Campaign. Your funding is imperative to helping the museum preserve one of the largest collections of Civil War artifacts in the world and the stories that go along with them, as well as provide unparalleled educational resources for teachers, their students, and for you.
History is Present Mission in Action
May 1, 2020 Chris Graham
Not Alone in History: How are You Mourning?
I held dad's hand when he died. Mom gave him a long final embrace, and a kiss. These rituals comforted us, the …


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The Freudian Couch
The Books that defined my 2012 (Part 1 of 2)
The end of the year is always a good time to keep your blog going. You can always look back with fondness at moments that looked, and probably are, insignificant when they happened. Newspapers, websites, and uninteresting blogs use the immense marketing potential when a year ends, and review the mundane aspects of the year. I would like to claim, as I often tend to do, falsely, to be someone who does not jump a band-wagon. But when it comes to choosing between reason and keeping your blog alive, the latter usually triumphs. Last year, I wrote a similar post about the Tamil movies I liked the most. Regular readers of my blog (a species that is endangered, and soon to be extinct) have anxiously and eagerly emailed me asking for a similar post this year. I will diligently try to watch many movies I missed during the course of the year next week and attempt to write a similar post, but there are no guarantees.
Until then, I would try to list out and briefly review the books I read this year. As my regular readers (refer above) would know what I mean by "brief", I will not restrict this list to a single blog-post and extend it into a two part series. So, here goes
1) Freedom at Midnight (By Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre)
As described in a previous blog post, I have always had an aversion to Hindi. Since I had to learn most of my social sciences in Hindi, the aversion translated to History and Geography too. I also read non-fiction very rarely. My reluctance to read a historical non-fiction was thus understandable. Having no other book to read, I attempted to read Freedom at Midnight for the third time this February, and am glad that I did. Freedom at Midnight describes the Indian struggle for independence starting roughly a year before, and ending roughly a year after the day of independence itself. The thoroughly researched book is filled with numerous sub-stories. Despite being a historical novel, the narrative style is so good that the book, for most parts, is a page turner. On the flip side, the authors idolise Lord Mountbatten and Mahatma Gandhi. One also doubts the accuracy of sensibilities captured by people who played no part in, and were in no way affected by, the freedom struggle itself. But the writing style makes it thoroughly readable, and it inspires us to try and learn more about our own history.
Verdict : I would thoroughly recommend this book to most people. Go read!!
2) The Final Reckoning (by Sam Bourne)
Glancing at the name of this book in my "Books Read" list, I had to wait for a full minute before I could remember what it was about. I am not sure if that reflects on the book itself, or my (well-established) poor memory. The novel is based on the second World War and a few hidden revelations of the holocaust. The writing is fantastic at times, but ordinary at others. It is a good read, if you are not put off by this inconsistency in writing style. Here is a link to the Goodreads review I wrote for this book.
Verdict : Just a regular international conspiracy story. If you are looking for a fast-paced, relatively lighter read, this one is for you.
3) The Namesake (by Jhumpa Lahiri)
The title character in The Namesake is Gogol Ganguli. Born in the United States to a traditional Indian family settled there, and named after his father's favorite author (Nikolai Gogol), Gogol hates his Indian ancestry and his name. The novel depicts the identity crisis of Indians settled abroad, trying to adapt to a new culture while keeping their own culture alive. The story begins with the Bengali parents, Ashok and Ashima. The characters of both the parents are wonderfully etched out, and their experiences are delightfully described. Ashok is well-educated and well-read, and adapts quickly to the foreign place. Ashima is more conservative, and takes a lot of time to cope up with being separated from her family and friends. But when the need arises, she shows her independence and self-sufficience. It is in the characterization of Gogol himself that I personally felt let down. The plot falters while dealing with Gogol, and I didn't have much admiration left for him after completing the novel.
Verdict : A could-have-been brilliant novel ends up being ordinary. Read it to draw your own opinions though, and let me know if you feel differently.
4) Last Man on Tower (by Arvind Adiga)
Let me declare at the outset that I haven't read this author's more famous "The White Tiger". I was lucky to get my hands on The Last Man on Tower, and was bowled over by Arvind Adiga's narrative prowess. The Last Man on Tower is set in Bombay, and is centered around a long-standing apartment complex named Visharam Society. Real estate developer Dharmen Shah provides the apartment owners with a very generous offer to relocate their houses, so that Visharam Society can be razed to make way for a high rise luxury building. The money convinces everyone to agree to the offer, except a retired school teacher fondly known as "Masterji". Can Masterji, waging a lonely battle, stand up against the powerful Dharmen Shah?
The Last Man in Tower is a classic tale of good vs evil, the power of money to corrupt vs the virtue of sticking to one's principles, with subtle but important twists. Dharmen Shah, a rags-to-riches man, will stop at nothing to fulfill his life long ambition. But Shah prefers to cunningly bring out the evil in other people than soil his hands. Masterji, on the other hand, is not a perfect embodiment of good. He is stubborn, proud and has numerous faults of his own, making him doubt his virtues. Caught in crossfire between these two men are a motley of interesting and wonderfully developed characters. The novel takes the form of a social commentary rather than passing moral judgements. With a detached air, Arvind Adiga just describes the society as it is, without taking sides. I am yet to read another book by Adiga, but I am already his fan.
Verdict : A must read.
5) Of Human Bondage (by Somerset Maugham)
Each of us is a philosopher, and we all come up with a brand of philosophy that fits in closest with our own lives. Of Human Bondage, a novel very close to my heart, is about the quest of a Dickensian boy - Phillip Carrey - to frame his own philosophical world view. Born with a mild disability and orphaned early, Phillip grows up with his religious and narrow-minded uncle, and his unremarkable aunt. As he grows into a young adult, he initially aims to be an artist. A little stint at Paris tells him that he is just a mediocre painter, and his chances of becoming a successful artist are dim. He bravely relies on reason over passion, and shifts his profession mid-way. Meanwhile, he gets fiercely attracted to Mildred, a woman who ignores him, insults him, and uses him. Despite all this, he overrules his reason and pursues his passion for Mildred.
Maugham ends the almost autobiographical story with Phillip realizing the pointlessness of the whole World. Life, he realizes is largely filled with pain, but one must enjoy the occasional flashes of happiness. Fittingly the novel has a "he lived unremarkably ever after" ending instead of a "he lived happily ever after" ending. The books touches upon quite a lot of questions I have wondered about, like the purposelessness of life, the pointlessness of love, the uselessness of reasoning against love, pursuit of passion and so on. There are also quite a few incidents in the book that I was able to relate to, like the protagonist's loss in faith, and the overpowering loneliness he faces at times.
Verdict : A personal favorite. This one is a classic that you need not agree with, but you definitely need to read.
6) Rahul Dravid : Timeless Steel (Collection)
Strictly a collector's edition for Rahul David's fans. This book is a collection of articles (mostly available online) written about Rahul Dravid.
Verdict : Only for Dravid fans
7) Pet Sematary (by Stephen King)
I have grown up hearing a lot about Stephen King's horror novels. I tried reading one of his novels five years back, but was unable to finish it. As a result, I had no expectation towards my second attempt at being acquainted with his writing. Frankly, Pet Sematary spooked me (as it is intended to). Louis Creed, a physician, moves to a new house in a small town along with his wife, daughter and son. Settling down for an idyllic life, they find some chilling secrets held in the woods behind their house.
Stephen King writes with a calculated detachment. The description of events become silly at times, but this silliness adds to the impact. Once the plot is set into motion, there is no respite from the tragedy the Creed family experience. Just like Lois Creed gets repeatedly attracted to the mystery in the woods despite his better judgement, I was unable to stop reading this book. By taking a seemingly silly storyline and making a full-blown horror tale, King shows us why he is considered as a master of this genre.
Verdict : If you are a fan of horror genre, don't miss this.
8) The Negotiator (Frederick Forsyth)
A standard Forsyth fare of international intrigue. Forsyth doesn't loose his trademark detailing prowess. Marketed as Forsyth's most unforgettable hero, Quinn - the negotiator, is introduced pretty late into the story, and the plot is gripping for a while. But halfway through, the story looses its tension. Reading his description of how USA and UK respond to a crisis, I wonder if such detailed crisis emergency response plans are made in India. But apart from the detailing, the book is relatively uninteresting. I can't remeber any other Forsyth book where a single central character is given so much importance, and probably this deviation from his usual style turned me off.
Verdict : Not upto Forsyth's usual class
Labels: Books, Review, year-in-review
My 2022 in books
We are already into the new year, but I did not want to give up on what has now become my little routine - a summary of all the books I rea...
Review of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis
It is hard to classify Marjane Satrapi 's Persepolis . The medium is Bande_dessinée – a French precursor of what English readers would come...
Review of Sujatha Gidla's Ants Among Elephants : An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India
Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India by Sujatha Gidla My rating: 4 of 5 stars "Your life is...
I have a link to my blog in my resume, which also smugly mentions "writing" as one of my hobbies. A recruiter took the effort to v...
Topics I write about
Anarchy Anna Hazare Anti-Corruption Blogging Books Capitalism Career Chronicles Of Narayana Cricket Current Affairs Disclaimer Escapism Faking News Flowcharts George Carlin Guest posts Interned Addiction Justice Knowledge Kollywood Kuruksastra Liberalism Lokpal mini-rants Moral stories Movies My 10 Nostalgia Opinion Personal Philosophy Poetry Politics Rahul Dravid Review Road Safety sarcasm Sastra Script Short Films Short Story Story Success Success Series Suffering The Intruder Travel Truth Video Games Weekly Compilation of interesting reads year-in-review
My latest reading activities from Goodreads
The Freudian Couch by Adarsh V is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at www.thefreudiancouch.com.


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Alrosa Optimistic About Mir Restoration and Additional Reserves
Rough & Polished reports, based on a local TV interview with CEO Sergei Ivanov, that the company is optimistic about restoration of the Mir diamond mine, and is in the final stage of a feasibility study which will determine the course of action, to be decided by a review committee in H1 of 2022.
Russia and Belgium Sign MoU on Digital Exchange of KP Certificates
On the sidelines of the KP Plenary session, Russia and Belgium signed a memorandum of understanding on the electronic exchange of the Kimberley Process (KP) Certificates. The MOU was signed by Marc Michielsen, Belgian Ambassador in Moscow and Vladimir Bulavin, Head of the Federal Customs Service of Russia. In addition, the signing was attended by Alexey V. Moiseev, Russian Vice Minister of Finance, and the Federal Public Service Economy of Belgium, represented by Belgian Ambassador Michielsen.
Alrosa Updates Clients On Traceability Solution & Sustainability
Alrosa, the world's largest producer of diamonds, has informed its long-term clients on its sustainability as well as its traceability program, a nano, non-invasive 3D laser marking applied to the atomic structure of diamonds that can be scanned in under a minute using Alrosa's in-house developed scanning technology.
Origin Tracking
Mining Operations Resume in ALROSA's Zarnitsa Mine
Operations have resumed at Alrosa's Zarnitsa open-pit mine, which the Russian miner had suspended since May 2020 amid the challenging market environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2021, when the demand for rough diamonds had stabilized, ALROSA decided to recommence mining at the deposit from 1 July.
ALROSA Introduces Diamond Tracing Technology
ALROSA introduced its revolutionary diamond-tracing technology using non-invasive laser markings. Unlike traditional laser engraving, these inscriptions could not be destroyed or polished off. The markings are made inside the crystal lattice, across the atomic structure of the entire diamond, making it invisible without a scanner. These diamonds can, and have, been certified by the GIA. The purpose of these markings would be to distinguish ALROSA diamonds from others, including lab-grown.
ALROSA Launches Next Phase of Digital Transformation
ALROSA has launched the new phase of its digital and operational transformation intended to improve the efficiency of its production assets. The project sets out to combine the management teams of the Mirny and Nyurba Divisions. This move would enable the Company to manage its assets more efficiently and free up part of the management team by combining the engineering and supporting functions. The core production personnel will remain unaffected.
Antwerp's Grib Diamonds Adopts Sarine Diamond Traceability Program
Grib Diamonds, the Belgian rough diamond company owned by AGD Diamonds, is joining the Sarine Diamond JourneyTM traceability program. The company, which has mining operations in Russia, can now offer customers stones with "birth-registrations" authenticating their origin. By augmenting their data to include the registration of origin and other information derived at the source, Grib will enable their midstream manufacturing customers to provide their downstream retail clients with fully documented traceable diamonds from the mine and throughout the polishing process.
ALROSA Donates 'Sputnik V' Vaccines to Angola
Russian mining giant ALROSA, together with the Embassy of Russia in Angola, has donated 25,000 doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to the Angolan government. The miner provided financing and delivery of vaccines from Russia to Luanda, where the Minister of Health, Dr. Silvia Lutucuta, received the cargo. The second shipment of 25,000 doses should arrive in Luanda within a month.
ALROSA to Invest Millions in the Social and Economic Development of Yakutia
ALROSA, the world's largest producer of rough diamonds in carats, announced it would invest nearly US$60 million (at least RUB 4.2 billion) in the next five years for the social and economic development of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and local communities in the regions. The miner is committed to a socially responsible way of doing business, ensuring social and economic stability in Yakutia, one of the most remote regions in the Northeast of Russia with a harsh climate and sophisticated logistics.
ALROSA Digital Tender Brings in US$8.8m for Rough Diamonds
In April, ALROSA, the Russian diamond mining giant, completed an online auction for special-sized rough where nearly 95% of the lots sold. The auction, which took place without physical viewings, used digital twin technology so clients could analyze goods remotely and trace polished diamonds back to their mine.
The miner sold 142 lots, weighing approximately 2,040 carats, for US$8.8 million. The auction had 238 registered clients, of which 27 placed winning bids and were from Belgium, Israel, India, UAE, Russia, and the USA.
Stable Demand for ALROSA High-Quality Rough
Russian miner ALROSA held auctions for special-sized rough diamonds, those exceeding 10.8 carats, at its main trading offices in April to meet their clients' demands. In total the miner sold 608 diamonds with a total weight exceeding 9,120 carats. Overall revenue amounted to US$42.3million, Of which US$10.3 million In Antwerp.
They were able to host viewings in Antwerp, Dubai, Moscow, and Ramat Gan, with buyers coming from those hubs as well as India and China.
Grib Auction Garners US$40M in Antwerp
In their latest auction in Antwerp, Grib Diamonds sold over 580,000ct of rough diamonds for approximately US$40m. According to Grib demand continued to be strong for larger better quality rough, especially for 5-10ct, 2-4ct, 4-6GR, and even goods down to +11 showed robust prices. Results for smaller goods were weaker and saw decreases except for the -7+5.
Overall their production prices saw a low single-digit increase.
The next regular sale will be of new Angolan production containing rough from +10.8CT down to -7+5 with viewing starting in Antwerp from the 21st May.
Diamond Producers Sell Off Pandemic Stock Build-up
During the height of the pandemic, diamond producers faced stockpile build-ups when the world came to a standstill, stoking fears that gems amassed by miners could hurt the sector for years to come. In the ensuing months' excessive demand from manufacturers, traders, and jewelers have all but wiped out the stash. All this as demand for luxury sales, including diamond jewelry, jumped as consumers were unable to travel. Remarkably producers such as De Beers and Alrosa have since raised their prices for rough.
Alrosa's 100.9 Carat Spectacle Heading to Christie's
In Christie's upcoming Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva, "The Alrosa Spectacle Diamond" weighing an astonishing 100.94 carats, will be up for sale, the auction house announced on Instagram.
ALROSA Sales Exceed $1.1B in Q1
Russian miner Alrosa records a strong performance, with total sales of rough and polished diamonds in March amounting to US$357 million, including proceeds from rough diamond sales of US$345 million and polished diamond sales of US$12 million.
AGD Diamonds (GRIB) Recovers 72.94ct Rough
AGD Diamonds, the Russian miner that sells its goods via Antwerp-based GRIB Diamonds, announces the recovery of a large, 72.94ct rough diamond from its Grib diamond field, continuing the trend of 2020, a year in which 7 50ct+ stones were brought to surface. On a more global level, in recent years more and more large rough diamonds are found, thanks to technological developments in mining processes.
Grib Sells 620k+ Russian and Angolan goods for US$50m+ in Antwerp
Grib Diamonds sold over 620K carats of Grib and Angolan production on Thursday 18th March in Antwerp Belgium via its online Ascending Clock Auction. Total revenues were over $50M.
Prices in Specials and +4Gr goods showed continued strength, whilst goods were predictably weaker in the smaller and cheaper areas, Grib commented. The next sale for Grib will start on April 14th
GRIB Sells $35m - 450k ct Russian and Angolan Rough in Antwerp
In its last auction of the year, Antwerp-based GRIB sold 100% of 450Kct, of Arkhangelsk, Russian and Angolan goods for a total of US$35m. GRIB commented "prices were exceedingly strong with 2CT goods showing increases in the high single digits and smaller goods increasing in the low single digits. Overall prices increased around 5%."
Alrosa Unearths Russia's Largest (236ct) Colored Rough Ever
Alrosa today announced that the company has mined the largest Russian, natural colored rough diamond to date, a 236ct stone of intense yellow-brown color, from its Ebelyakh mine in Yakutia, Russia. The stone is sent Alrosa's research center where it will be studied to decide whether the company will sell it as a rough or cut it in-house. It is not the first time natural colored diamonds are discovered at the alluvial diamond deposit, located on the Anabar River of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia).
Grib Diamonds Sells $20M in Rough Despite Challenging Market
Grib Diamonds, the Antwerp-based marketing arm of Russian miner AGD Diamonds, on June 16 sold over $20 million of rough diamonds from its fully-owned Grib Diamond Mine in Russia. Despite the troubled times the rough diamond market is going through, Grib was able to sell more than 90% of the goods on offer and approximately 350k carats.
Kimberley Process To Hold Intersessional Online
Given the spread of coronavirus (COVID-2019), the Russian Federation has decided not to hold the Intersessional meeting in a face-to-face format, the Kimberley Process (KP) Chair announced on the organization's website. "Instead, we propose to organize it in virtual format on 8-9 June, 2020."
A letter from the KP Chair, Alexey Moiseev, to the KP Participants and Observers reads as follows:
Russian KP Chair Moiseev Will Seek Conflict Diamond Reform
Alexey Moiseev, Russia's Deputy Minister of Finance and Kimberley Process (KP) Chair, last week held a briefing to highlight the priorities of the Russian chairmanship in the Kimberley Process (KP) in 2020, according to a release from the Ministry of Finance. Moiseev noted that one of the key priorities of the Russian chairmanship was to update the definition of conflict diamonds and stemming their flow to the market.
Russian KP Chair Wants To Expedite Diamond Exports from CAR
Russia's Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev, the 2020 Kimberley Process (KP) Chair, has stated that Russia will work to lift restrictions on the export of diamonds from the Central African Republic (CAR), according to Reuters. A total ban on diamond exports from CAR was imposed in 2013 but partially lifted in 2016, allowing CAR to resume sales of diamonds from five 'green zones' where the government could certify the stones were conflict-free. The partial lifting of the ban, however, has not significantly increased CAR's legal trade in rough diamonds.
Alrosa's Rough Diamond Sales Continue To Rise, Earn $390M in Jan.
Russian diamond mining giant Alrosa last month had its largest sale of rough diamonds in well over a year, earning $390.2 million at its January sale and adding another $14.8 million in polished goods for a total of $405 million. The last time the miner sold more rough goods in a single month was back in April of 2018.
Indian Manufacturer M.Suresh Opens Facility in Vladivostok
One of the larger Indian diamond manufacturers, importer/exporter and De Beers Sightholder M. Suresh has opened a diamond cutting and polishing center equipped with high-end technology in the Free Port of Vladivostok, says the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East. Russian miner Alrosa will supply them with rough diamonds for polishing.
Alrosa Raises 2019 Diamond Output 5% to 38.5Mcts Despite Q4 Slowdown
Russian diamond miner Alrosa, the largest rough producer in the world, raised its output 5% to 38.5 million carats from 36.7 million carats in 2018 despite lower market demand which pushed their total diamond sales down 12% to 33.4 million carats. The combination of more production and softer sales increased their rough inventories by 5.6 million carats (+33%) to 22.6 million carats. The Russian giant's 2019 rough sales fell 26% to $3.27 billion as the average realised prices for gem-quality rough fell 19% to $133 per carat from $164 per caat last year.
Alrosa Ends Year on 191-Carat High
Russian diamond miner Alrosa unearthed a 191-carat diamond on Christmas day at the Botuobinskaya kimberlite pipe in Yakutia. According to estimations made by Alrosa's experts on site, the rough diamond is of high quality. They estimate the age of the stone at about 2 billion years. Further mineralogical analysis will reveal more precise numbers. "Surely, such findings are very remarkable," said Evgeny Agureev, Deputy CEO of Alrosa. The rough diamond will be sent to the United Selling Organization for a detailed evaluation.
Grib Diamonds Nets $30M from Rough Tender in Antwerp, Including Angolan Stones
Grib Diamonds today (11 December) sold more than $30M and 370K carats though its online Spot Auction in Antwerp. The diamonds included, for the first time, goods purchased from Angola as well as its usual Russian production from its wholly owned mine in Arkhangelsk, Russia.
Alrosa Increases Rough Diamond Sales in November
Russian diamond mining giant Alrosa reported a rise in rough-diamond sales for the second straight month, selling $282.1 million in November, which is a 6% increase over November 2018 ($266.6 million) and an 11% increase over last month ($253.9 million). The miner's polished-diamond sales fell to $5.8 million from $10.4 million last month and $7.4 million in November 2019. Total sales of $287.8 million worth of rough and polished diamonds represent a 5% increase year-over-year.
Alrosa's Rough Sales Steady in Oct. at $254M, Profit Down 38% on Year
While Russian diamond mining giant Alrosa's October rough diamond sales remained steady at $253.9 million and even outpaced by $20 million their sales in the same month last year, Q3 (July-Sept.) saw a significant downturn as the market remained difficult and sales volumes declined. Meanwhile, the miner got a bit of sparkle from their polished diamond sales during the month, earning $10.4 million, good for their best polished results of the year by over $2 million. The miner says supply and demand have shown signs of regaining their balance.
Alrosa Recovers 232-ct Diamond in Russia, its Largest in Three Years
Russia's Alrosa, the leading diamond producer in the world by volume, has recovered its largest gem-quality rough stone in three years: 232.4 carats. The massive diamond was was unearthed at Udacnhaya kimberlite pipe on October 19.
As Diamond Sales and Prices Fall, Alrosa Sees Signs of Recovery, Increases Production
Russian diamond mining giant Alrosa increased its Q3 diamond production by 15% year-over-year while the volume and value of carats sold declined, leading to the miner holding 40% more diamonds in stock than at this time last year. However, they write, globally, the second half of Q3 2019 saw an upward trend in rough diamond sales and a turning point in destocking in the midstream, creating a basis for the market recovery in the future.
World Diamond Council Issues Statement on Rough Diamond Exports from Central African Republic
With their Annual General Meeting kicking off tomorrow in Antwerp, the World Diamond Council (WDC) today issued a statement concerning rough diamond exports from the Central African Republic (CAR). The WDC is an industry organization representing the full range of diamond-related organizations, including miners, manufacturers, retailers and trade organizations.
Alrosa Board Green-Lights Acquisition of Kristall
As has been anticipated for some time now, the Supervisory Board of Russian diamond miner Alrosa has green-lighted the acquisiion of a 100% stake of Production Corporation 'Kristall' from the Russian Federation. The move brings the leading polished-diamond manufacturer in Russia and Europe under the Alrosa Group umbrella. The value of the 100% equity interest in Kristall was determined on the basis of an independent appraiser's report at RUB 1,886 million, approximately US$29 million.
Alrosa's Rough Sales Still Sluggish in August at $180M
Russian diamond miner Alrosa sold $180.2 million in rough diamonds during the month of August, representing one if its lowest sales months in years as continuing headwinds - macroeconomic as well as industry-specific - conspired with a traditionally slow summer month to keep the market soft.
Alrosa Reassesses 2019 Sales Expectations After Dismal Q2
Impacted by the persistent slump in the global rough diamond market, which has yet to show any signs of abating, Russian diamond giant Alrosa has reported a sharp decline in Q2 and first half 2019 profits and revenues, adjusting its anticipated sales for the year 2019 downward by 13-16% to 32-33 million carats from their anticipated 38 million carats, the miner announced on Monday.
AGD Diamonds Names Three Huge Rocks from Grib Mine
AGD Diamonds recovered three large diamonds weighing more than 100 carats between May and July 2019 at the Grib diamond mine in the Arkhangelsk Province of Russia and has now given them names. The largest of them, a unique diamond weighing 222.09 carats - touted by the company as the largest ever discovered in Europe - was named "Vladimir Grib" in honor of the former AGD chief geologist, an outstanding exploration pioneer. The stone was recovered on May 4, 2019 and is likely to be sold in Antwerp.
Alrosa's H1 Diamond Production Grows While Sales Slump
Russian diamond-mining giant Alrosa increased its rough-diamond output in Q2 and H1 2019, but the miner's sales have fallen to a low not seen since Alrosa started publishing monthly results in 2016 as rough and polished diamond market saw weak activity and very poor demand. Alrosa pointed to changing retail practices such as consolidation and increasing online sales as reasons for a reduction in polished diamond stocks across the retail sector. As businesses embrace more efficient stock management practices, cutters and polishers reduce the volumes of their rough diamond purchases.


« What Is Creatine Monohydrate?
Each individual's body comes equipped with an internal clock that controls their natural sleep cycle, and hours of being awake. This particular clock also regulates the amount of melatonin the body produces.
Melatonin is a hormone made by a small gland found in the brain. This is known as the pineal gland, and is about the size of a pea. This hormone normally increases during the evening hours, then drops to a lower level by morning.
Many people suffer from a decrease in melatonin, making them more susceptible to conditions such as insomnia. This condition makes sleeping a very difficult challenge. Other causes of an abnormal sleep schedule can be blamed on working the night shift, or even depression and anxiety. Age can also be a factor, because the older a person becomes, the lower the melatonin levels are. These are just some examples of when a melatonin supplement may be recommended.
Melatonin can be beneficial because it assists individuals with returning to, and maintaining a normal sleep pattern. Melatonin has also been thought to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, and reduce the number of awakenings during sleep. This particular supplement is considered safe in most cases, because it is a hormone that the body already produces, rather than consuming another type of synthetic drug.
The dosage for melatonin will vary, depending on each individual's specific case, and the reason for its use. Most people find that taking 1 to 3 mg is successful, where others may need a higher dose to achieve the full benefit. The correct dosage and time of day it is taken is also important to its effectiveness.
Melatonin is the only available hormone without a prescription. However, a consultation with a health care professional is the best place to begin when considering any new medication or supplement. A professional will advise of the proper dosage, frequency, and help determine if melatonin is the most beneficial choice.


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I have a feeling tonight's game is going to be something of an emotional affair because we all know just how bleak the prognosis now is for our club.
After further damaging financial revelations at the weekend, the news in today's Sentinel that the board is inquorate once again, and therefore the club is incapable of functioning as a proper business, is yet another nail in Vale's coffin.
To be fair, I would argue we haven't functioned as a proper business for some time because we owe money to every man and his dog and Port Vale appears to be a completely rudderless ship.
That said, however, I'm pleased Peter Miller has finally resigned. The problem is he's done it about three months too late, by my reckoning.
He should have gone the day The Sentinel exposed him for lying to the supporters over the nil-paid shares.
Instead he went on BBC Radio Stoke after the Blue Sky deal was shown up to be a fantasy and dug an even deeper hole for himself.
e) To cap it all, he remortgaged Vale Park – thus breaking the terms of the loan agreement with the city council.
I'm not sure whether even Mike Lloyd realised at that point just how far up the creek without a paddle Peter Miller was taking us.
My only hope now is that Peter Miller is hounded to the ends of the earth for that £250,000 and made to pay for the unholy mess he created during his reign of terror at Port Vale.
Meanwhile, Messrs Lloyd and Deakin – finally realising the game is up – have held talks with the Supporters' Club's solicitor.
Again, this dialogue comes about three months too late in my book. During that time they have treated fans and shareholders with utter contempt.
The smart money is on us not even making it to an AGM/EGM. It won't be held in the Robbie Williams suite, that's for sure.
If the worst should happen in the coming days and our club goes into administration, then let's be clear about who is to blame.
Peter Miller is responsible for many of the problems and his list of known misdemeanours is listed above.
Perry Deakin, a man who changed the story about his nil-paid shares more times than I care to remember, is the CEO of Port Vale and, as such, has to take responsibility for the financial catastrophe enveloping the club.
He and his fellow board members – Mike Lloyd and Glenn Oliver – failed to bring in any investment of any note during the last six months while they were busy alienating the fanbase and blaming supporters for all the club's ills.
Well, it seems like you may be about to reap what you have sown, gentlemen. What a pity none of you have ever even had the good grace to admit your mistakes or say sorry.
Sadly, Port Vale and its supporters may soon pay the penalty for your arrogance and incompetence.
I really hope we beat Crewe tonight to give us all something to smile about. Something to lift the gloom.
Micky Adams and the lads certainly deserve great credit for recent results which have been achieved against a very difficult backdrop.
Whatever happens in the coming days, fans can rest assured that the Supporters' Club will do right by them and the Vale and fight tooth and nail for its future.
One thing's for sure. Very soon, once again, Port Vale is going to need all the friends it can get.
Things can only get better. But they might get worse before that happens.
Isn't it possible to bring criminal proceedings against Miller, Deaking, Oliver and Lloyd?
in the late 1980s. Surely their time has come.
Again, Martin, you print facts. This present Board would not know how to spell the word. I think it would be spelt 'Fiction'.
Obviously Martin, you are privy to more information than that you can divulge. It sounds like its over for them but now what will be the outcome for PVFC? I hope it isn't RIP.
You make one very interesting new point Martin and that is that Oliver and Lloyd have never had the good grace to say three simple words: 'We are sorry'. The truth is that, like a drowning man, they clung to any piece of driftwood that floated by. In this case it was Miller and Deakin – two of the rottenest pieces of flotsum ever – and Lloyd and Oliver gobbled it up hook, line and sinker, like a pair of starved Carp.
The only rays of hope are that they are talking to the SC's solicitor and now they can't use Miller's nil-paid shares. Can they? Surely not?
Keep the pressure on them, mate.
With all the revelations that have come out, they all should have resigned before Christmas. However, like Lemmings they have clung to the edge of the precipice – hoping for some lifeline that was never going to appear. They have been incompetent on a massive scale and they have brought our club to its knees.
And not forgetting a certain Mr William Bratt who employed Miller and Deakin!
Well done, Martin. I just hope the stay-away supporters come tonight. The weather is good and the time is right for all VALE supporters to get down the VALE tonight. It will show Micky Adams, the team, and OUR CLUB what can be achieved when we all stick together.
This whole sorry tale makes me feel sick to the core. What both the previous and current board have done is torn our club to bits. God, how I hope they pay for it – for the rest of their lives if necessary. Attending Vale park has become a chore. How I hope for better times – but all I can see is yet more disaster looming and the onset of administration.
Between the Supporters' Club, all fans and potential awaiting investors, I pray that there is a future, dare I say: "FOR US ALL".
WE'RE VALE 'TIL WE DIE.
If there's any justice MOLD and certain previous board members will be doing some jail time. Would be nice to see Jabba Miller dragged, or rolled on to a plane by U.S. Marshals. Whatever is in the books will come out shortly, I expect. This whole sorry saga is going to feature in courses on Business Studies as a classic case of how not to do it.
Don't let Miller run! They all have to be made accountable. Justice must be served!


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text:
Q: Change file name of image path in Javascript For example if I have the following paths:

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I would like to change them to:

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Is there a short way to do this?

A: I've found out an answer for my question but don't understand how it works
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Saying Uncle
As a James Bond fan, I've always preferred my spy thrillers to be both humorous and thrilling. Having spent the war in Naval Intelligence, Ian Fleming understood that actual spy craft is a 90/10 mix of tedium and excitement and that for entertainment's purposes, it's best to boil the story down to the funny and somewhat plausible anecdotes rather than to belabor the months of intricate work and plans that got you there.
Cold War era television was fertile ground for this kind of show and I loved them all. Danger Man, The Avengers, The Prisoner, The Saint and, of course, The Man From UNCLE. In Napoleon Solo, the US finally had a spy as suave as James Bond and, as a bonus, who wouldn't want a cold blooded Soviet assassin as a sidekick? Plus, we got to see the major cold war powers working together against groups we both felt were even more dangerous than each other.
Having established my Fangoria cred for The Man from UNCLE, let's change channels to Guy Ritchie. I'm a fan. I loved both versions of Snatch. I also loved RocknRolla and his takes on Sherlock Holmes. I've even found it in my heart to forgive him for Swept Away. And I'm a former film student who was in love with Lina Wertmuller. I blame that misstep on Madonna. I've never cared for her. She turned music videos into Cats.
He has a visually arresting cinematic style. In a way, it's kind of cubist. He's fascinated by the interior workings of things that happen too fast to see with the naked eye. He knows how to fill a frame without making it too artsy-sparse or cramming it to the edges — something that only Wes Anderson can really get away with. Best of all, he tells a fast story. You do not have time to go out for a ciggie once GR takes the reins.
He knows color, composition and dramatic punctuation. AND he has a good sense of humor. All these things are on tap in Man From UNCLE, a movie that has a 76 percent fan rating on RT and a 7.4 on IMDB. Why do I have such a chip on my shoulder for a movie that made over a hundred million dollars in theaters? Because those are pity tickets.
The Man From UNCLE should have made five times that much. A hundred million bucks only accounts for people who loved the old show, Guy Ritchie fans, Henry Caville fans, people who are still rooting for Armie Hammer to hit a home run, and people who couldn't get a ticket for some other show that was sold out.
It's a funny movie. It's a classic buddy cop story. It's a sexy crime thriller. it's a perfect date movie. It's got something for everyone. The trailer was enticing and clever and the film paid off on the trailer. So why did no one come to see it?
Man, if I knew that, I'd be the king of Hollywood. I predict it will do very well on DVD/Demand/Streaming. Quality has a way of seeking its own level.
Do yourself a favor, go watch it.
Category: Genrific Tags: Movies, Reviews
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Expert Pitch
Momentum 3: Senior Author & Leading LVAD Expert Available to Discuss Two-Year Outcomes of Heartmate 3
11-Mar-2018 10:45 AM EDT, by New York-Presbyterian Hospital contact patient services
Dr. Yoshifumi Naka, a leading left ventricular assist device (LVAD) expert is available to discuss the two-year outcomes of the HeartMate 3, a newer generation LVAD. The data will be published in New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American College of Cardiology conference (ACC) on Sunday, March 11, at 10:45 a.m.
Dr. Naka is a senior author on the paper and the director of the Cardiac Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support Programs at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Dr. Naka is available via phone and email to discuss:
Key takeaways from the long-term data of HeartMate 3
How this device compares to HearMate 2
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The future of this device and LVADs as a potential destination therapy
LVADs are mechanical pumps that are implanted inside a person's chest to help a weakened heart pump blood. The HeartMate 3 LVAD received FDA approval as a "bridge to transplant," to help stabilize a patient prior to receiving a heart transplant, and "bridge to myocardial recovery," to help prevent future cardiac events, in August 2017
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center is one of the leading LVAD centers in the world and continues to be one of the largest enrolling sites for the MOMENTUM 3 trial (Multi-center Study of MagLev Technology in Patients Undergoing MCS Therapy with HeartMate 3), in which data has shown newer LVADs, like HeartMate 3, provide better outcomes for patients with advanced heart failure at six months. More on this data is available here.
To arrange an interview with Dr. Naka, please call 646-951-2898 or email lab9125@nyp.org.


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Author Q&A: Humphry Knipe
Humphry Knipe isn't just a writer — he's truly a member of the entertainment industry.
He has written several novels, including the award-winning The Nero Prediction, a re-evaluation of the infamous Roman emperor; Napoleon's Rosebud, an imagining of his ancestress's actual relationship with the French emperor; and Electric Blue, a thriller about a ... porn star?
That's where other aspects of Knipe's career come into play.
He wrote and directed several adult films that were produced by his wife, photographer Suze Randall, famous for her work for Playboy.
In fact, Knipe even wrote a book about his and Suze's experiences at the Playboy Mansion.
That book is now out of print, but fortunately, those interested in a behind-the-scenes look can at least check out Electric Blue, which was inspired by real people and events.
Here's what Knipe had to say about his career and journey.
SADYE: What led you to try writing fiction, after your varied early career?
HUMPHRY: I caught the writing bug in high school and was never able to shake it off.
When I was nineteen and a sophomore at Rhodes University, I won first prize in a national short story competition.
The fact that the judges complained the entries that year were of a disappointingly low quality did very little to curb my enthusiasm!
SADYE: You co-authored a book about the pecking order in human society (and the animal world) and then wrote novels about emperors — is there a particular interest you have in power structures?
HUMPHRY: I'm fascinated by greatness. Isn't everyone?
SADYE: In your blurb for Napoleon's Rosebud, you say that your grandfather often spoke about your family's acquaintance with the emperor. What did he have to say?
HUMPHRY: Grandfather was the eldest of thirteen from a dirt-poor Saint Helena family. His anecdote about sardines bears this out.
As a boy in Saint Helena, he was in love with sardines, but his father was too poor to afford them.
So the first paycheck he got in South Africa, he bought six cans of sardines, determined to eat them all at one sitting.
He loved the first can, relished the second, but when he'd finished the third and fourth, his enthusiasm began to wane.
He forced down the last one, got violently ill, and never ate another sardine in his life.
I was twelve when he died and hardly knew anything about Napoleon.
All I remember is that Grandfather said he hated being gawked at and stayed indoors most of the time, peeking through the blinds every now and then.
He did, however, entertain members of the Knipe family from time to time.
SADYE: Also in the blurb, you say that your grandfather's last words were, "Remember that we have been touched by greatness." How did you realize that he was referring to an affair between your great-great-grandaunt and Napoleon?
HUMPHRY: It's all in Glennis Snell's monumental The Knipe Family of Saint Helena Island.
SADYE: The adult film industry is obviously not without some controversy. What do you wish its critics knew or would understand about it?
HUMPHRY: They should read my latest novel, Electric Blue, which describes it with all the rainbows and all the bruises.
Learn more about Humphry Knipe on his website, where his books can also be purchased.
Know an author you'd like to see featured? Email us with a recommendation!
Categories: Author Interview
Tagged As: Author interview, Historical fiction
Email-FC85AB3D8A34CF82D27568BF5E357E17C1614BAB grip-e-hp


Preadolescents who reported high levels of conduct problems were nearly four times as likely to have experienced an episode of depression in early adulthood than were children who reported low rates of conduct problems, according to a new University of Washington study.
The research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry looked at possible links between early childhood behavior problems and depression, violence and social phobia at age 21.
The study collected data on children when they were 10 or 11 years old and again a decade later. It found that 20 percent of them had suffered from depression in the previous year as young adults and 21 percent had committed two or more violent acts. Seventeen percent experienced social phobia, an anxiety disorder marked by an unreasonable fear of social situations involving strangers, of being judged in such settings and avoiding those kinds of situations. In some cases, the young people in the study met the criteria for two or all three of these disorders.
The study also showed that early conduct problems were a strong predictor of later violence. Children who reported report high levels of such problems at ages 10 or 11 were three and a half times more likely to have engaged in violent behavior at 21 than those who reported low levels of conduct problems.
"The finding that children who have conduct problems are more likely to show later violent behavior isn't surprising, but the discovery that they are more likely to experience depression is," said J. David Hawkins, one of the study's authors, director the UW's Social Development Research Group and a professor of social work.
The study used data from the on-going Seattle Social Development Project of more than 800 Seattle school children who are now adults. Half the subjects are male and half are female. Forty-seven percent identified themselves as white, 23 percent as black, 21 percent as Asian Americans, 6 percent as American Indian and 3 percent as being from another ethnic or racial group.
When the children were in the fifth grade, their emotional and behavioral problems were assessed by their parents and teachers, and the children themselves. Eleven years later, when they averaged slightly more than 21 years of age, they were surveyed about depression, social phobia and violent behavior.
• Women were significantly more likely to report depression, while men reported more violent behavior at age 21. There was no gender difference in reporting social phobia.
• Blacks from low-income backgrounds were more likely than whites to report violent behavior.
• Asian Americans from low-income backgrounds were significantly more likely to meet the criteria for social phobia at 21.
• Self-reported shyness at 10 or 11 was associated with increased chances of social phobia at 21. It also reduced the odds of engaging in later violence.
• While data from parents, teachers and the children about conduct problem forecast later violence, the most consistent predictor of all the age 21 disorders studied was the self-reported data from children on conduct problems at 10.
The predictive power of children's own reports about their behavior at age 10 emphasizes the need for adults to listen to children more closely, according to Hawkins.
The research was funded by the National Institute on Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Co-authors of the paper include the UW's Social Development Research Group members Alex Mason, a research analyst; Richard Kosterman, a research scientist; and Todd Herrenkohl, who is also an assistant professor of social work. Other co-authors are Liliana Lengua, associate psychology professor, and Elizabeth McCauley, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.


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