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Film Round-Up #26
I suspect many others shared my appreciation of fighting films while growing up in the 80's, with classics like Bloodsport and Best of the Best to watch repeatedly, but I guess I kind of grew out of them. Not so long ago though, I happened upon a YouTube clip of some guy performing all sorts of crazy flippy spinny jumps and kicks on various hapless opponents. I soon identified him and the film in question and had to watch it. It turned out it was part of a series though, so I figured I might as well watch all of them and report back here with my largely inconsequential verdict!
Undisputed (2002)
The story in this original film in the series is centred around George 'Iceman' Chambers (Ving Rhames), the undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion who is sent down for rape and ends up in supermax. Of course, it turns out the prison holds its own boxing matches and has its own 'undisputed' champion in Monroe Hutchens (Wesley Snipes). Astonishingly, the betting syndicate that oversees the fights there are keen to see the two champs go head-to-head. The pompous and cocky Chambers is also eager to assert his dominance, and after a few snags (like Monroe ending up in the SHU) the fight is confirmed, with arrangements handled by ageing mob boss Ripstein (Peter Falk). There isn't really much here that's going to surprise you though. The premise is pretty good but there is basically only two proper fights in the film, and while both Rhames and Snipes look reasonably proficient in them (to my inexperienced eyes at least), that means you'll spend most of your time with the generic characters and bland script. I guess it's not too bad for what it is but don't go expecting a knockout (chortle!)... 5/10
Labels: Film / TV Round-Ups
Retro News - N64 Gets a Boost!
The Nintendo 64 isn't the most respected system in retro gaming circles - mainly, I suspect, due to its shortage of 2D titles, not to mention its reputation among the more snobby elitist gamers as little more than a kids toy (something I looked at here a few years back). I've always liked the N64 though, and I know a good few others still do too, so for the benefit of us, here's what will most likely be good news!
Check out the awesome N64-themed box...
Gamers who are either unwilling or unable to have a bulky CRT TV front and centre of their collection have long been burdened with an unsatisfactory picture quality when using their old consoles on modern TV/monitor screens, and as its critics seem overjoyed in pointing out, the N64 was often blighted by rather 'fuzzy' graphics to begin with. However, help is at hand, for N64 fans at least, thanks to Eon, a company previously responsible for a GameCube HDMI adaptor called GCHD. Now they have announced the Super 64, a similar plug-and-play adaptor for the GC's predecessor. It's due for release on July 22nd and will allow N64 owners to play their games on HDMI displays in lagless 480p - the highest quality possible using the system's native hardware, and twice its original resolution.
Labels: Game News, System - Nintendo N64
Gaming Flashbacks #3
Ask ten different retroheads what their favourite Atari arcade game is and you will be guaranteed two things. Firstly, that everyone will have an answer, but also that you'll probably get ten different answers. They had so many classics, from the early years with addictive coin-guzzlers like Breakout, Asteroids and Centipede, up to what in my opinion was their heyday in mid-to-late 80's with innovative titles such as Paperboy, Marble Madness, STUN Runner, and the marvellous Escape From the Planet of the Robot Monsters, but my vote would usually go to Gauntlet.
It was originally released way back in 1985 and, over the intervening years, I've played just about every version of it to have seen release. The first version I played, though, and still probably the one I've spent the most time with, was the stonking conversion the Speccy received. Despite being a pesky multi-load game it was indeed a fine version of what was already considered a classic. It offered simultaneous two-player action - an option that was duly pursued enthusiastically by myself and friends. As wonderful as the Spectrum was, though, it did sometimes struggle as a result of its meagre 'spectrum' of colours (chortle!), and as a result, the colours of many of the sprites and backgrounds are different to the arcade original. This kind of thing was standard with conversions on the 8-bit micros, naturally, and some enemies such as the ghosts and demons were the correct colours anyway, but one that wasn't was the 'grunts' which were originally brown, but here they were... pink!
Labels: Company - Atari, Gaming Memories, System - ZX Spectrum
TV Shows #20
Cobra Kai Season One (2018)
Developed By: Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Starring: William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni Decenzo
Certificate: 12A Running Time: 22-36 Minutes per Episode, 10 Episodes
As I'm sure you don't need me to tell you, there have been a lot of reboots and belated sequels to old classic films and TV shows in recent years. Some have worked, others have been disasters, so when Cobra Kai was announced I suspect "Here we go again!" was the reaction of most people who cared enough to have one. It is of course based on the Karate Kid film series of the 80's, primarily the original movie which arrived a mind-crushingly vast 35 years ago, and that was a bit of a worry. It is a precious film to many who grew up with it, after all. One of my friends counts it as his favourite film of all-time, for example. Even more concerningly, the new show would be centred around the two leads from the original movie - Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and William Zabka as his enemy and rival, Johnny Lawrence.
Labels: Film / TV Reviews
Sega Game Gear A-Z
It didn't take long for Sega to jump on the handheld bandwagon, and their effort was pretty much a balance between the Game Boy and Lynx. A lot of its games were Master System conversions, but it also received a decent amount of original titles, especially in its native Japan. Here I will be looking at them all:
K is for...
Kaitou Saint Tail by Sega (1996)
Like many GG games, this one is based on a manga/anime series and was only released in Japan. It's therefore not super-easy to follow but is basically a collection of mini-games (tile-matching, etc) set around an overworld town/field. Probably one for fans or collectors only. The presentation is nice though.
Labels: Game Listing, System - Sega Game Gear
Top Five Elephants
Few of the wondrous species that inhabit our increasingly-abused planet are as vital to the continued health and longevity of its ecosystem and general environment as elephants. These colossal trampers have been around since not too long after the dinos got obliterated by a giant asteroid, and they've flourished ever since. Well, until our idiotic species came to prominence and started wiping them out, anyway. Here are the five most notable types to have trumpeted their way across the land:
5... Asian Elephant
The pipsqueak of the elephant family is this smallest-but-still-large variety, averaging around 2.6m tall and weighing in at around 3-4 tonnes. It's found in Asia, believe it or not, and is easily recogniseable in pictures due to its smaller ears. It's often also known as the Indian Elephant but is actually found across much of the Sub Continent and South East Asia, even making it to islands such as Sri Lanka and Borneo. Despite having been exploited by mankind since pretty much forever,as well as being considered sacred by some countries, we are still apparently doing our best to cause its extinction, mainly through destruction of its habitat.
Labels: Other Stuff - Awesome Nature, Top Fives
Green Beret a.k.a. Rush'n Attack (1985)
By: Konami Genre: Run 'n' Gun Players: 1-2 (alternate) Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: Arcade First Day Score: 37,050 (one credit)
Also Available For: NES, Famicom Disk System, MSX, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, Commodore Plus/4, Atari 8-bit, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum (ports)
Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360 (on compilations)
Although very popular at the time, and converted to every format under the sun, I'd still only played Green Beret on my trusty Speccy prior to this review. I didn't really like it too much back then either, even though I had it on disk for my mighty +3 which meant I could have it up and running within 30 seconds or so. Despite this, for no readily apparent reason it popped into my head spontaneously the other day, so I figured I'd give it the once over here as part of my run 'n' gun feature. This may make some people's eyes widen in shock but I would say it still counts as a run 'n' gunner - you do run around platforms taking out never-ending enemies after all. There isn't much in the way gunning though, I must admit, with the nameless stock military dude under your control here (we'll call him Gavin for review purposes) apparently preferring bladed weapons. So, it's a run 'n' stabber then? That's good enough for me!
Labels: Company - Konami, Game Reviews, Games - Run 'n' Gun, System - Arcade
Film Review #108
Director: Travis Knight Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg, Jr, John Ortiz, Jason Drucker, Pamela Adlon, Dylan O'Brien, Angela Bassett, Justin Theroux
Certificate: 12A Running Time: 114 Minutes
Tagline: "Every adventure has a beginning"
Like many 80's kids, I was very excited when I heard Michael Bay was making a Transformers film back in the mid-2000's. As it turned out, also like many 80's kids, I was distinctly underwhelmed and didn't even bother watching its sequels after hearing virtually unanimous vitriol directed towards them. However, announced around the time the fifth film in the series was in the cinema was Bumblebee which was, surprisingly, being touted as a reboot. Whatever they decided to call it though, I wasn't really interested in watching it back then. After all, Transformers films suck - that was, by this point, the rule. But then, reports began to surface that it was, in fact, not crap. Could it be true? Well, Michael Bay didn't direct it so there was at least a chance. Could there really be a Transformers film that doesn't suck ass?
Labels: Film / TV Reviews, Other Stuff - Sci-Fi / Comic Books
Top Five Streets of Rage Characters
For many, the Streets of Rage name is synonymous with the very finest of scrolling fighting games, even eclipsing Final Fight, the game it was originally created to rival. One of the many great things about the series is its playable characters of whom there are six across the three official games in the series. That admittedly makes this Top Five somewhat pointless as only one of the characters will miss out, but as always it's just a bit of fun. The big question is, who's the loser?
5. Skate - Appeared in SOR2 & SOR3
This little pipsqueak debuted in the second game and is apparently kid brother to Adam from the original. Given his size and age, he would've been fast anyway, but he also has a pair of roller-blades so he is, by some margin, the fastest character in the game. The trade-off is power of course, but despite his speed making him effective nonetheless, he is still slightly unsatisfying to use. He has a nice breakdance-inspired special move though.
Labels: Company - Sega, Game Characters, Top Fives
Sega SG-1000 A-Z
Sega's first console was only released in Japan and soon faced strong competition in the form of the NES as well as several home micros. It received a reasonable number of releases though, and I will be featuring all of them in this listing. This is the first of four parts and features all games beginning with letters A through C:
Bank Panic by Sanritsu / Sega (1984) - My Card release
I remember this one better as a Master System release but the arcade original was also apparently converted to the SG too, and it works pretty well. The Wild West theme is well used, placing you in the shoes of a sheriff attempting to thwart bank robbers. Not a bad game but a little repetitive. (mini review here)
Labels: Game Listing, System - Sega SG-1000
TV Show First Look #4
The Act (2019)
As I'm sure many would agree, the films/shows based on true events are quite often among the most compelling, and the latest one to come to prominence is The Act, a Hulu original consisting of eight episodes. It concerns the case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a teenage girl raised by her mother Dee Dee to believe she was wheelchair-bound and suffering from all manner of debilitating illnesses and syndromes. As this show explores, however, she gradually discovers that her overbearing mother may not have been entirely truthful about her many conditions. This inevitably leads to considerable tension between them as well as suspicion from their few neighbours in the secluded suburb they live in.
Labels: Film / TV First Look
Computer Shmups #7
Agony (1992)
By: Art & Magic / Psygnosis Genre: Shooting Players: 1 Difficulty: Medium
Featured Version: Commodore Amiga First Day Score: 93,136
Shmups have come in all manner of shapes and sizes over the long years of their existence, which is as many years as videogames have been around themselves, in fact. Most of them put you in command of an aircraft or spaceship, some cast you as a lone wizard or warrior of some sort, taking on the evildoers on foot, but there have been very few animal-based shooters. The Amiga is home to two notable examples however, both of which were released in the same year. Almost certainly the most memorable of the two, all things considered, was Agony. Even on a system not particularly associated with arcade-style shooters, it earned attention from all quarters, at least here in the UK during what was probably the genre's heyday. Most marvelled at the impressive artwork, both promotional and in-game, but how does it stand up today?
Labels: Company - Psygnosis, Game Reviews, Games - Shmups, System - Commodore Amiga
Indie Games News/Previews #13
Panzer Paladin by Tribute Games (2020) - PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tribute Games have been one of my favourite indie developers since they first arrived about 8 years ago so I'm always looking forward to new releases by them. Their latest is the intriguingly-named Panzer Paladin which is, to quote Tribute themselves, "an engaging action-platformer with fun and intuitive swordplay". There isn't any actual gameplay footage yet but, judging by the screenshots, it looks like it could have a bit of a Castlevania feel to it. It also looks pretty awesome, with Tribute's trademark lovely pixel art visual style very evident once again, even at this early stage. The game will undoubtedly have a bit of an adventurey tang to it as well. It's at least a year away yet but it seems like Tribute could have another corker on their hands here. More to follow...
No trailer or game footage yet but keep track of developments at the official site here.
Labels: Game News, Games - Arcade Adventure, Games - Homebrew / Doujin / Indie
Hanna Season One (2019)
Developed By: David Farr Starring: Esme Creed-Miles, Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Rhianne Barreto, Justin Salinger, Benno Fürmann, Katharina Heyer, Andy Nyman, Joanna Kulig
Certificate: 15? Running Time: 47-55 Minutes per Episode, 8 Episodes
There haven't been a huge number of films in the last 10-or-so years that I've loved enough to add to my long list of all-time favourites, but one that I did enjoy immensely and have rewatched many times since is Hanna. For those who don't know it (why not?), it's a high-octane chase thriller centred around the unique and highly-skilled 15 year girl of the title. It features a superb central performance from Saoirse Ronan, strong support from the rest of the fine cast including Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett, fantastic cinematography, and a great soundtrack, all of which results in a tense and captivating thriller. Suffice to say, anyone producing a TV show based on it would have their work cut out for them. Reassuringly, the man behind it is David Farr who also co-wrote the film so there is certainly some authenticity there, but film-to-TV transitions can still be tricky so I was keen to see how he got on.
Retro Gaming Zoo #3
Humans are stupid. Animals are always better than stupid humans, everyone knows that, and it's something that's also true in the world of video games. A tremendous variety of weird and wonderful animals have starred in games over the years and here I'll be taking a closer look at some of them. Next up is:
Creature #3 - Rolo of Rolo to the Rescue
Type of Creature? Elephant Realistic Portrayal? Yes
Much of my MegaDrive years was taken up by platformers and most of my favourites featured animals of some sort. This one was a challenge, not least because of its size and lack of save or password facility, but it was enormous fun anyway. One of the many reasons for this was the amusing animals contained therein, several of which you could control. Chief among them was Rolo, a brave trumpeter seeking to escape the oppression of circus life. He faced many dangers across the many, many stages that make up the game, but he mostly approached them as only an elephant could. He's not particularly athletic but he can use his trunk to suck stuff up or squirt it out, he can squash enemies beneath his substantial grey mass, and he is highly adaptable to a variety of potentially hostile surroundings. I'm not sure his perpetually-cheerful demeanour (or fondness for hats) is especially elephant-like but I think we can overlook that since he's such a kind-hearted tramper. It's just a shame this was the only time we saw him. Time for a Steam-based reboot?
Is His Game Any Good? Yes, it's spiffing! It was exclusive to the MegaDrive so those idiotic Nintendo and Amiga owners never got to sample its delights, despite the fact it was by the guys behind the James Pond series which appeared on many formats. It made owning an MD that bit sweeter though. You might even call it a hidden gem! Impressive considering how many rivals it had. Check the full review here.
Labels: Game Characters, System - Sega MegaDrive / Genesis


Joined to Uxmal by a 5m wide 18 km long pedestrian causeway with a large portal at each end, Kabah is the second largest city in thethe hilly Puuc region.
Restoration of the site began in just 2003 and is ongoing. So it is possible to see the various stages of the rebuilding process.
I am definitely coming back in 100 years to see the progress!


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2022 Toyota Fortuner GR Sport Confirmed To Arrive In PH This October 23
The 2022 Toyota Fortuner GR Sport is confirmed to arrive in the Philippines this October 23, and is expected to be priced at P2.5 million.
Toyota Motor Philippines has just confirmed on its official Facebook page that the 2022 Toyota Fortuner GR Sport is arriving this October 23.
First making its preview at the second leg of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup, the Fortuner GR Sport that will arrive in the Philippines is the same version that debuted in Thailand.
This means it will be based on the LTD with bespoke, albeit similar-looking front and rear bumpers. The LTD's gloss black exterior trims have also been ditched in favor of body-colored ones. Of course, the obligatory GR badges are also there, which are located in the grille and the tailgate. From last weekend's preview, we can also confirm a few changes for the Fortuner GR Sport. The Philippine-spec model rides on 18-inch wheels instead of 20s.
As for the interior, we expect the same upgrades found in the Thai-spec model. This means there should be an all-black motif with numerous red stitching details. The steering wheel also gets a red center line in the middle just like what you would find in high-performance vehicles. Gone are the faux matt wood trims as well, in its place instead are faux carbon fiber interior trims. Lastly, those at the front are treated to GR sport seats just like in the Hilux GR Sport and Vios GR Sport.
Since this is based on the LTD variant, the Toyota Fortuner GR Sport is powered by a 2.8-liter inline-4 turbo diesel engine that produces 204 hp and 500 Nm of torque, with power being sent through a 4WD system via a 6-speed automatic.
In Thailand, the 2022 Toyota Fortuner GR Sport gets upgraded suspension in the form of monotube shock absorbers. These shocks are designed to keep the Fortuner flat through corners and also improve its handling when going off-road. The front ventilated discs have also been upgraded, along with the addition of GR red brake calipers. Whether these upgrades will be offered in the Philippine market are still unknown at this point.
Rumors have suggested that the Toyota Fortuner GR Sport will beach the P2.5 million mark, making it the most expensive pickup-based passenger vehicle (PPV) on sale in the Philippines. Also on the rumor mill are its color choices, or lack thereof. If you want the GR Sport, your only choice will unfortunately be White Pearl.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I just found a great round up of 20 adorable Christmas treat ideas that I thought you guys would enjoy. Many of these we have featured individually before but this is nice to be able to scroll through a bunch at once. I hope these inspire you to make something fun this Holiday season!


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Senator Rick Scott Week in Review September 15, 2019
September 15, 2019 /0 Comments/in Senator Rick Scott /by Frank Schwerin
Just like he did as Governor, Senator Scott is working to make sure every student in the nation – no matter how they grow up – has access to a quality education at a price they can afford. This week, during a speech on the future of higher education, Senator Scott announced five proposals to lower the cost of higher education for our students:
If a student defaults on their federal loan, the institution where they took classes should be responsible for a portion of that default.
Apply the same rules to not-for-profit institutions as we do to for-profit institutions, so all institutions would be held to the same standards when it comes to preparing students for jobs, and ultimately be held accountable for their performance.
If a college or university raises tuition or fees, they will be automatically cut off from ALL federal funding, including federally-guaranteed loan programs.
Allow Pell Grants to be eligible for use at technical colleges. Current law arbitrarily limits Pell Grants. If a student has a Pell Grant, they should get to use it to get the job they want.
Remove onerous Obama-era regulations that hinder private lenders from giving loans.
Senator Scott also introduced the Hurricane Dorian Charitable Giving Act this week, which will change the U.S. tax code to incentivize charitable giving to organizations supporting Hurricane Dorian relief and recovery. He also co-sponsored the Florida Shores Protection Act to help protect Florida's coasts from off-shore drilling.
See more of what Senator Scott has been up to this week below.
Sen. Rick Scott: Florida's Higher Education System Continues to be Best in the Nation
Senator Rick Scott released the following statement commending Florida's public universities after the release of the 2020 Best Colleges rankings by U.S. News & World Report. Out of the Top Public Schools, the University of Florida is ranked #7, Florida State University is #18 and the University of South Florida is #44.
Senator Rick Scott said, "For three years in a row, U.S. News & World Report has rated Florida's higher education system as the best in the nation, and I want to thank our universities and our students for continuing this success. Florida has experienced a 9.5 percent increase in its college graduation rate over the last five years, and our public universities, especially University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of South Florida, continue to score impressive ratings every year. We worked hard in Florida to provide our students with a world-class education that leads to a good-paying job at a price they can afford, and today's rankings show Florida continues to be a leader in higher education. I look forward to working in the Senate to share Florida's success with the nation and to make education more affordable for all families." Read more HERE.
Sen. Rick Scott: Current Visa Situation in the Bahamas Must be Clarified
Following confusion in the Bahamas regarding current visa rules, Senator Rick Scott released the following statement.
Senator Rick Scott said, "It's important Customs and Border Protection and the Bahamian government work together to clarify the current rules regarding visas in the Bahamas. As hundreds of thousands of Bahamians seek refuge or start to rebuild after Hurricane Dorian, we cannot have the kind of confusion that occurred in Freeport. Senator Rubio and I continue to urge President Trump to waive some visa requirements for those in the Bahamas that have family in the United States. But until that happens, there needs to be clarity on the current rules."
"I also encourage Customs and Border Protection to work with the Bahamian government to set up a temporary site at their ports of entry. Professionals should be on site to help the many Bahamians trying to leave destruction." Read more HERE.
Sen. Rick Scott Statement on CBP Commissioner Morgan Announcement Regarding Bahamian Refugees
Senator Rick Scott released the below statement following Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan's announcement that Bahamian refugees fleeing the devastation of Hurricane Dorian can temporarily stay in the United States.
Senator Rick Scott said, "I'm glad Commissioner Morgan has agreed to allow Bahamians fleeing the destruction on the islands to temporarily come to the United States. We should all be there to support our friends from the Bahamas. I would urge everyone at the state and local level of government to join us in supporting those fleeing the Bahamas. If the American Red Cross asks any county in Florida for temporary assistance housing refugees, I hope they will accommodate. We all have a responsibility to help our neighbors…" Read more HERE.
Sen. Rick Scott Applauds DHS for Bahamian Visa Clarification
Senator Rick Scott released the below statement after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released clarification regarding visa requirements for Bahamian citizens traveling to the United States. This announcement follows Senator Scott's call for Customs and Border Protection and the Bahamian government to work together to clarify the current rules regarding visas in the Bahamas.
Senator Rick Scott said, "I applaud DHS for responding to our request and clarifying visa requirements for Bahamians fleeing the destruction on the islands to temporarily come to the United States. We should all be supporting our friends from the Bahamas, and we want to make sure there is no confusion. I look forwarding to further discussions about my proposals to help the people of the Bahamas." Read more HERE.
Congressman Spano Joins Senator Scott to End Surprise Medical Billing
Congressman Ross Spano announced his sponsorship of the House companion bill to Senator Scott's Protecting Patients from Surprise Medical Bills Act.
Senator Rick Scott said, "One way we can lower the cost of healthcare for American families is to force hospitals to be more transparent in their medical billing. There is no reason patients should be surprised by unconscionable charges for simple procedures and every patient should know what the price will be up front. I fought for and signed similar legislation as Governor of Florida, and this common sense idea will help all American families." Read more from Congressman Spano's office HERE.
Sen. Rick Scott: Time for Administration to Sanction Turkey for Dealings with Russia
As the Administration considers imposing sanctions related to Turkey's purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense missile system, Senator Rick Scott released the following statement.
Senator Rick Scott said, "I've been greatly concerned about Turkey siding with Russia over NATO, culminating in their purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense missile system. As I have previously stated, it is time for the Administration to declare this sale a significant transaction under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), and fully implement the sanctions required under CAATSA. NATO exists to safeguard freedom and democracy – in particular because of the threats from Russia – and Turkey's actions actively undermine these goals." Read more HERE.
Sen. Rick Scott: Update on Bahamas Recovery Efforts
Senator Scott is committed to doing everything he can on the federal level to help families in the Bahamas recover and rebuild, and has released four proposals to help families on the islands. On Tuesday, Senator Scott spoke to UN Secretary General António Guterres to get an update about the UN's relief efforts in the Bahamas following his letter urging their support. Last week, Senator Scott also joined Senator Rubio in urging President Donald Trump to waive or suspend certain visa requirements for Bahamian citizens with relatives residing in the United States. Read more updates on efforts to help families and businesses in the Bahamas impacted by Hurricane Dorian HERE.
Sen. Rick Scott: Under No Circumstance Should Nicolas Maduro be Issued a Visa to Come to the U.S.
Senator Rick Scott issued the following statement on the current situation in Venezuela and requested information from the Department of Defense about the flow of oil between Venezuela and Cuba.
Senator Rick Scott said, "Nicolas Maduro is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela. He is a thug and a dictator who is perpetrating a genocide on his people. Under no circumstance should he be issued a visa to enter the United States. The United Nations General Assembly should not be an excuse to allow Nicolas Maduro to cover up his crimes and promote his propaganda. We should also be very careful about what Cuban officials we allow to enter the United States."
"I'm also very concerned with the continued flow of oil between Venezuela and Cuba. I've requested information from the State Department and the Defense Department about how much oil continues to flow between the two countries and what schemes are being used to circumvent U.S. and international sanctions." Read more HERE.
Senador Rick Scott: Bajo ninguna circunstancia se le debe emitir una visa a Nicolás Maduro para venir a los EE. UU.
El senador Rick Scott hizo la siguiente declaración sobre la actual situación en Venezuela y le solicitó información al Departamento de Defensa sobre el flujo de petróleo entre Venezuela y Cuba.
El senador Rick Scott dijo: "Nicolás Maduro no es el líder legítimo de Venezuela. Es un matón y un dictador que está perpetrando un genocidio contra su pueblo. Bajo ninguna circunstancia se le debe emitir una visa para entrar a los Estados Unidos. La Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas no debería ser excusa para permitir que Nicolás Maduro encubra sus crímenes y promueva su propaganda. También debemos tener mucho cuidado con los funcionarios cubanos que permitimos que entren a los Estados Unidos.
"También estoy muy preocupado por el flujo continuo de petróleo entre Venezuela y Cuba. He solicitado información al Departamento de Estado y al Departamento de Defensa sobre la cantidad de petróleo que continúa fluyendo entre los dos países y qué esquemas están utilizando para evadir las sanciones estadounidenses e internacionales". Lea más AQUÍ.
Sen. Rick Scott Sends Letter to FAA Administrator Following Security Concern at MIA
Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson following the arrest of an airline employee accused of attempting to sabotage a flight departing from Miami International Airport to the Bahamas. In the letter, Senator Scott requests that the FAA provide information on the certification and oversight of commercial airline mechanics. Read more, including the full letter, HERE.
Senators Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham and Johnny Isakson Introduce the Hurricane Dorian Charitable Giving Act
Senators Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham and Johnny Isakson introduced the Hurricane Dorian Charitable Giving Act, which will change the U.S. tax code to incentivize charitable giving to organizations supporting Hurricane Dorian relief and recovery. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart will be introducing the bill in the House.
Senator Rick Scott said, "What happened to the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian is absolutely devastating. Our friends in the Bahamas have a long road to recovery, and I am working to make sure they have the support they need. Additionally, many of our friends in the Carolinas are also working on rebuilding their homes and businesses. One thing we can do to help today is get rid of any restriction on the amount an individual or business can give towards recovery efforts. I'm proud to work with Senators Rubio, Graham, and Isakson, and Congressman Diaz-Balart, on this common-sense proposal." Read more HERE.
Sen. Rick Scott Applauds Committee Passage of $200 Million for Florida Everglades Restoration
Senator Rick Scott applauded the Senate Appropriations Committee's passage of the Energy and Water spending bill, which includes $200 million in construction funding for the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration (SFER). In May, Senator Scott joined Senator Marco Rubio and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a letter urging President Trump to include this vital funding in his budget requests to Congress.
Senator Rick Scott said, "I was the first Governor to put state funding towards fixing the federal dike at Lake Okeechobee and I've consistently fought for federal funding for projects to help restore and protect Florida's Everglades, including this $200 million SFER project. I'd like to thank Senator Marco Rubio and his colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee for their commitment to protecting Florida's natural treasures for generations to come. I hope the full Senate will join in support of this vital project to protect the Everglades and pass this funding quickly." Read more HERE.
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This Week in the Office of Senator Marco Rubio – September 15, 2019 Congressman Francis Rooney Officially Becomes Member of the Environment Sub...


I actually completed this kit last year (2017), apart from some non Cold War figures and a Spitfire Mk1 this was the only kit completed in 2017.
The reason I chose the Red Pelican's, is that I wanted this to be my first airbrushed kit. Therefore I wanted to keep the painting quite simple, in this case just red. Also, I have kept away from any pre-shading and weathering just so I could concentrate on getting the airbrushing right.
The kit went together relatively well, just some issues with the fit of the cockpit tub, which required some trimming. Also the seam line on the nose took some work to hide (not sure I did completely).
Once built and ready to paint, I primed it with Vallejo Grey Surface Primer. The next step once I was happy that I'd got all the seam lines sorted etc., was to spray the red colour. For this I used Hataka paints, the 'Modern Royal Air Force Paint Set Vol.3'. (Red set for airbrush).
Both the Vallejo primer and the Hataka red went on well, any imperfections in the finish is totally down to my lack of experience. I hope to see my spraying skills improve over time.
Considering this one is my first airbrushed kit, I'm quite happy with the result. OK it's not perfect, but I'm still in the learning stage, especially getting the paint to the correct consistency and the right pressure on the airbrush.
The anti dazzle area was hand painted, would prefer it to be better, but this is a learning curve.
Anyway, here is the finished model. I do have some more Jet Provosts in the stash, so expect to see some more in the future.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I've got a couple of Gnats on the work bench, so hope to have one of those featured soon.
Happy to take constructive crits.
This is my first post in what I hope will be a record of my journey of getting back in to model making.
When I was younger I used to build quite a few model kits, aircraft, AFV's and figures. Then life happened and I stopped making model kits. Over the years I would look at models in shops and even got one or two, but never really made a effort to re-start the hobby.
Well last year I did start again, and boy have things changed! Thought my old "skill" would suffice, yeah….no! So it is basically re-learning new skills, which is a bit frustrating at times, but great fun.
As this is an Cold War themed website, I will only chat about my Cold War builds, this may also include vehicles and figures, but the majority will be aircraft.
At the moment, I'm building 1/72 and 1/144 scale aircraft, but I'm considering trying some 1/48 scale kits, once funds allow.
Talking of funds, I'm a member of the Amazon Associates scheme, so I will be linking useful items to the Amazon site, if you buy after clicking on the link, I get a small commission from Amazon.
Oh, must also mention, that not only am I trying to improve my building skills, I decided I'd also start using an airbrush!
Well I hope you join me on this journey, I'm always happy to receive constructive criticism.
If you are on Scalemates.com and want to connect, my nick name is JOTCW.
Airfix 1:72 Red Arrows Gnat and Red Pelicans Jet Provost.


On June 23, OSHA's Silica Rule becomes fully enforceable. By this date, wellsite employers will need to have implemented a total dust control solution to combat the hazards associated with respirable crystalline silica exposure.
OSHA's standard cuts the acceptable exposure limit roughly in half to 50 μg/m3 and encourages a 75-percent reduction for optimal levels, according to AIRIS Vice President and Controller, Katie Sallee.


text:
package org.jsonschema2pojo.integration.json;

import static java.util.Arrays.*;
import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.*;
import static org.jsonschema2pojo.integration.util.CodeGenerationHelper.*;
import static org.junit.Assert.*;

import java.lang.reflect.Array;
import java.lang.reflect.ParameterizedType;
import java.lang.reflect.Type;
import java.math.BigDecimal;
import java.math.BigInteger;
import java.util.List;

import org.jsonschema2pojo.integration.util.Jsonschema2PojoRule;
import org.junit.Rule;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.rules.ExpectedException;

import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.exc.InvalidFormatException;

public class JsonTypesIT {

    @Rule
    public Jsonschema2PojoRule schemaRule = new Jsonschema2PojoRule();

    @Rule
    public ExpectedException thrown = ExpectedException.none();

    private static final ObjectMapper OBJECT_MAPPER = new ObjectMapper();

    @Test
    public void simpleTypesInExampleAreMappedToCorrectJavaTypes() throws Exception {

        ClassLoader resultsClassLoader = schemaRule.generateAndCompile("/json/simpleTypes.json", "com.example",
                config("sourceType", "json"));

        Class<?> generatedType = resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.SimpleTypes");

        Object deserialisedValue = OBJECT_MAPPER.readValue(this.getClass().getResourceAsStream("/json/simpleTypes.json"), generatedType);

        assertThat((String) generatedType.getMethod("getA").invoke(deserialisedValue), is("abc"));
        assertThat((Integer) generatedType.getMethod("getB").invoke(deserialisedValue), is(123));
        assertThat((Double) generatedType.getMethod("getC").invoke(deserialisedValue), is(12999999999999999999999.99d));
        assertThat((Boolean) generatedType.getMethod("getD").invoke(deserialisedValue), is(true));
        assertThat(generatedType.getMethod("getE").invoke(deserialisedValue), is(nullValue()));

    }

    @Test
    public void integerIsMappedToBigInteger() throws Exception {

        ClassLoader resultsClassLoader = schemaRule.generateAndCompile("/json/simpleTypes.json", "com.example", config("sourceType", "json", "useBigIntegers", true));

        Class<?> generatedType = resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.SimpleTypes");

        Object deserialisedValue = OBJECT_MAPPER.readValue(this.getClass().getResourceAsStream("/json/simpleTypes.json"), generatedType);

        assertThat((BigInteger) generatedType.getMethod("getB").invoke(deserialisedValue), is(new BigInteger("123")));
    }

    @Test
    public void numberIsMappedToBigDecimal() throws Exception {

        ClassLoader resultsClassLoader = schemaRule.generateAndCompile("/json/simpleTypes.json", "com.example", config("sourceType", "json", "useBigDecimals", true));

        Class<?> generatedType = resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.SimpleTypes");

        Object deserialisedValue = OBJECT_MAPPER.readValue(this.getClass().getResourceAsStream("/json/simpleTypes.json"), generatedType);

        assertThat((BigDecimal) generatedType.getMethod("getC").invoke(deserialisedValue), is(new BigDecimal("12999999999999999999999.99")));
    }

    @Test(expected = ClassNotFoundException.class)
    public void simpleTypeAtRootProducesNoJavaTypes() throws ClassNotFoundException {

        ClassLoader resultsClassLoader = schemaRule.generateAndCompile("/json/simpleTypeAsRoot.json", "com.example",
                config("sourceType", "json"));

        resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.SimpleTypeAsRoot");

    }

    @Test
    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    public void complexTypesProduceObjects() throws Exception {

        ClassLoader resultsClassLoader = schemaRule.generateAndCompile("/json/complexObject.json", "com.example",
                config("sourceType", "json"));

        Class<?> complexObjectClass = resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.ComplexObject");
        Object complexObject = OBJECT_MAPPER.readValue(this.getClass().getResourceAsStream("/json/complexObject.json"), complexObjectClass);

        Object a = complexObjectClass.getMethod("getA").invoke(complexObject);
        Object aa = a.getClass().getMethod("getAa").invoke(a);
        assertThat(aa.getClass().getMethod("getAaa").invoke(aa).toString(), is("aaaa"));

        Object b = complexObjectClass.getMethod("getB").invoke(complexObject);
        assertThat(b.getClass().getMethod("getAa").invoke(b), is(notNullValue()));

        Object _1 = complexObjectClass.getMethod("get1").invoke(complexObject);
        Object _2 = _1.getClass().getMethod("get2").invoke(_1);
        assertThat(_2, is(notNullValue()));
        Object _3 = _1.getClass().getMethod("get3").invoke(_1);
        assertThat((List<Integer>) _3, is(equalTo(asList(1, 2, 3))));

    }

    @Test
    @SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
    public void arrayTypePropertiesProduceLists() throws Exception {

        ClassLoader resultsClassLoader = schemaRule.generateAndCompile("/json/array.json", "com.example",
                config("sourceType", "json"));

        Class<?> arrayType = resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.Array");
        Class<?> itemType = resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.A");

        Object deserialisedValue = OBJECT_MAPPER.readValue(this.getClass().getResourceAsStream("/json/array.json"), arrayType);

        List<?> valueA = (List) arrayType.getMethod("getA").invoke(deserialisedValue);
        assertThat(((ParameterizedType) arrayType.getMethod("getA").getGenericReturnType()).getActualTypeArguments()[0], is(equalTo((Type) itemType)));
        assertThat((Integer) itemType.getMethod("get0").invoke(valueA.get(0)), is(0));
        assertThat((Integer) itemType.getMethod("get1").invoke(valueA.get(1)), is(1));
        assertThat((Integer) itemType.getMethod("get2").invoke(valueA.get(2)), is(2));

        Object valueB = arrayType.getMethod("getB").invoke(deserialisedValue);
        assertThat(valueB, is(instanceOf(List.class)));
        assertThat(((ParameterizedType) arrayType.getMethod("getB").getGenericReturnType()).getActualTypeArguments()[0], is(equalTo((Type) Integer.class)));

    }

    @Test
    public void arrayItemsAreRecursivelyMerged() throws Exception {

        ClassLoader resultsClassLoader = schemaRule.generateAndCompile("/json/complexPropertiesInArrayItem.json", "com.example", config("sourceType", "json"));
        Class<?> genType = resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.ComplexPropertiesInArrayItem");
        Class<?> listItemType = resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.List");
        Class<?> objItemType = resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.Obj");

        Object[] items = (Object[]) OBJECT_MAPPER.readValue(this.getClass().getResourceAsStream("/json/complexPropertiesInArrayItem.json"), Array.newInstance(genType, 0).getClass());
        {
            Object item = items[0];

            List<?> itemList = (List<?>) genType.getMethod("getList").invoke(item);
            assertThat((Integer) listItemType.getMethod("getA").invoke(itemList.get(0)), is(1));
            assertThat((String) listItemType.getMethod("getC").invoke(itemList.get(0)), is("hey"));
            assertNull(listItemType.getMethod("getB").invoke(itemList.get(0)));

            Object itemObj = genType.getMethod("getObj").invoke(item);
            assertThat((String) objItemType.getMethod("getName").invoke(itemObj), is("k"));
            assertNull(objItemType.getMethod("getIndex").invoke(itemObj));
        }
        {
            Object item = items[1];

            List<?> itemList = (List<?>) genType.getMethod("getList").invoke(item);
            assertThat((Integer) listItemType.getMethod("getB").invoke(itemList.get(0)), is(177));
            assertThat((String) listItemType.getMethod("getC").invoke(itemList.get(0)), is("hey again"));
            assertNull(listItemType.getMethod("getA").invoke(itemList.get(0)));

            Object itemObj = genType.getMethod("getObj").invoke(item);
            assertThat((Integer) objItemType.getMethod("getIndex").invoke(itemObj), is(8));
            assertNull(objItemType.getMethod("getName").invoke(itemObj));
        }
    }

    @Test
    public void arrayItemsAreNotRecursivelyMerged() throws Exception {

        ClassLoader resultsClassLoader = schemaRule.generateAndCompile("/json/simplePropertiesInArrayItem.json", "com.example", config("sourceType", "json"));
        Class<?> genType = resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.SimplePropertiesInArrayItem");

        // Different array items use different types for the same property;
        // we don't support union types, so we have to pick one
        assertEquals(Integer.class, genType.getMethod("getScalar").getReturnType());

        thrown.expect(InvalidFormatException.class);
        thrown.expectMessage("Can not construct instance of java.lang.Integer from String value (\"what\")");
        OBJECT_MAPPER.readValue(this.getClass().getResourceAsStream("/json/simplePropertiesInArrayItem.json"), Array.newInstance(genType, 0).getClass());
    }

    @Test(expected = ClassNotFoundException.class)
    public void arrayAtRootProducesNoJavaTypes() throws Exception {

        ClassLoader resultsClassLoader = schemaRule.generateAndCompile("/json/arrayAsRoot.json", "com.example",
                config("sourceType", "json"));

        resultsClassLoader.loadClass("com.example.ArrayAsRoot");

    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I would have thought the images should still be on the server, if not easily accessible.
If you liked my help, click on "Thanks" to show your appreciation.
than you have to keep providing support for it Are u not bussy enough?
sorry, that I revive this old tread again. I'm looking for the xbian image that appeared before May 2015. This ran until yesterday without problems on a Pi1. Unfortunately I deleted that.
Who has a link to download, or who can give me that?
I don't believe that you're getting that stone old version from anywhere. Older images are kept for about 50 days and then deleted automatically.
Current time: 20th Apr, 2019, 10:42 AM Powered By MyBB, © 2002-2019 MyBB Group.


text:
Tanishq, Executive Director
CareerFear was founded in 2015 by Tanishq Kumar, an animated teen who now heads the organization as our Executive Director.
Edward, Director of Operations
Edward Garemo, an ambitious and academic 17-year-old manages day-to-day operations at our branches around the world.
Damla, Regional Head (USA)
As Director of Interviews, Damla runs operations across the US and ensures curates creation of online interview content.
Christian, Director of Media
Christian Luu serves as the team-techie with his extensive knowledge in digital arts and multimedia.
Radeeyah, Regional Head (UAE)
Radeeyah joined the CareerFear team as Blog Manager, but her stunning writing led her to lead our branch in the UAE.
Syed, Regional Head (UK)
Syed Adil is a meticulous and laid-back 18-year old that co-ordinates, oversees and attends CareerFear events and workshops in the UK.
Alex, Director of Design
Alex is a caring and creative teen who currently lives in Abu Dhabi, and leads creation of all graphics, logos and designs used.
Chris, Regional Head (China)
Chris Ye is an driven 17-year-old who serves as the Regional Head of our China branch, which he believes is ripe with educational inequality.
Cary, Director, Videography
Cary Wang is currently finishing his junior year at the Lawrenceville School. He leads the interview film team that work out of in NJ.


text:
Bill To Protect Dogs Used in Research Passes, But Sponsor Says It Was 'Neutered' by Foes
Del. Kramer poised to push additional protections for companion animals in next year's session
At first glance, Del. Ben Kramer's multiyear effort to protect companion animals was successful on two fronts during the just-finished 2018 session of the Maryland General Assembly.
Legislation offered by Kramer to end the sale of dogs in retail pet stores—where critics say many of the animals are products of so-called "puppy mills"—sailed through the House and Senate. It is awaiting Gov. Larry Hogan's signature, as is another Kramer proposal—which he had been pushing for four years—to mandate efforts by research institutions and private laboratories to adopt out dogs and cats that had been used in testing.
But Kramer was not happy with the final form in which the latter legislation—popularly dubbed the "Beagle Bill"—emerged. And he is poised to push additional restrictions in the 2019 legislative session if, as widely expected, he is elected to an open state Senate seat in November.
"[When] it came out of the Senate, the amendments completely neutered the bill," charged Kramer, a Derwood Democrat who has served in the House of Delegates since 2007. "Once those amendments passed, we were left with a bill with a beautiful title—and nothing more." He pointed the blame at one of the state's most prominent research institutions: Johns Hopkins University.
Formally entitled the "Humane Adoption of Companion Animals Used In Research Act," Kramer's original bill (and companion legislation sponsored in the Senate by Frederick County Republican Michael Hough) would have required annual reporting by individual laboratories of the number of dogs and cats used, and how many of them had been adopted out. It also would have required these facilities to work with outside animal rescue organizations to maximize adoption of companion animals after they were no longer needed as test subjects.
Hopkins, which had opposed Kramer's bill in previous years, swung behind it during this session after the legislation emerged from a Senate committee stripped of the reporting requirements. Another amendment pushed by Hopkins allows research institutions and laboratories to run their own private adoption programs, although the bill retains a provision that dogs and cats be offered to outside rescue groups if they are suitable for adoption and cannot be placed through such private programs.
Kramer said he offered a compromise to lobbyists for Hopkins, under which the university would only need to report how many companion animals it had adopted out in a given year, rather than the total number used for testing. "And they refused to even give that consideration," he complained. "So Hopkins and all the private research facilities in the state will now be able to say, 'Oh yeah, we're adopting in-house, have a happy day.' And there will be nothing [to enable] us to have any knowledge whatsoever if they are doing anything at all. And that was their game."
Officials of Johns Hopkins Medicine, which has jurisdiction over the university's research facilities, did not respond to a request for comment from Bethesda Beat. In recent comments to the Baltimore Sun, a spokeswoman said the university has "well-established processes in place to ensure the safe re-homing of our animals," contending that such efforts had been "incredibly successful" and resulted in hundreds of dogs being adopted.
She said 49 dogs were used in research at Hopkins last year—up from 31 in 2016, but down from nearly 500 in 2005, due to in part to a shift to increasing utilization of animals such as mice and rabbits for research.
According to the latest available U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics—covering the 2016 fiscal year—nearly 61,000 dogs and 19,000 cats were used in research nationwide, with just under 650 dogs and 65 cats used in Maryland facilities. Prior to the action by this year's legislative session, six other states had previously enacted similar laws.
"What we see across the country is that animals that could potentially be adoptable are getting euthanized," said Matt Rossell, campaign and policy director for the Beagle Freedom Project, a California-based group that says it has rescued more than 1,000 companion animals from research facilities.
The "Beagle Bill" got is name because, according to Rossell, "about 96 percent" of the dogs used in research labs are beagles.
"They're the fifth most popular family pet [among dog breeds]—they're very docile, forgiving, loving animals," said Rossell. "For the same reasons—unfortunately for them—they're the No. 1 research canine. They also fit well in a cage."
While Kramer complained about his bill lacking teeth after the reporting requirements were stripped from it, Rossell said laws in other states—while also lacking provisions for reporting by labs—have had an impact.
"We have spoken with shelters and rescue groups who, as a result of this law, have been able to rescue dogs and cats from rescue labs in those states," said Rossell, while acknowledging: "Reporting language would clearly be a big improvement. A lot of this is publicly funded research, and the public paying for it really does have a right to know … how many animals you have adopted out—and to whom."
While there has been "a movement away from using dogs and cats" in research in recent years, Rossell said, "Unfortunately, we have some evidence that animal research is increasing at a time when the technologies are constantly evolving—and the use of animals as a model for human disease is becoming more and more antiquated."
Kramer is contemplating a legislative effort next year to ban research using companion animals in Maryland.
"By virtue of their refusal to even have a conversation about this [year's] bill, I guarantee you it's not going to be in the rear view mirror," Kramer said, alluding to Hopkins. "And now maybe … we'll start to have some conversations about the fact that they're still experimenting on companion animals. If you start doing the research, you'll find that there's very, very little that has ever come from experimentation on companion animals.
"If we can't get any reporting on what they're doing, then maybe we just need to prohibit the practice."
Kramer, himself owner of a number of dogs from rescue groups in recent years—most recently a Doberman pinscher adopted just before this year's session—first got into the issue of companion animals used for research about four years ago. He had spotted a Washington Post story about seven beagles rescued from a Virginia laboratory being released for the first time outdoors in a park in Montgomery County.
"The article was just heart-wrenching," he said. "I had assumed, and I think a lot of people do, that dogs were no longer used for research. I was surprised to find that they still experiment on companion animals."
Kramer said that when he first introduced the legislation, "a number of different organizations discovered me—and were thrilled that I put this bill in. With each passing year, there are more groups and more folks who have joined in." This year's amended bill cleared both houses without a dissenting vote.
At the same time, Kramer also began taking aim at retail pet stores that he said "still have the barbaric business model of selling puppies and kittens that are coming from the grotesque puppy mills."
In discussions with representatives of these stores, "I was trying to get them to provide us reporting as to 'Which puppy mills and what … kind of violations have they had?'," Kramer recalled. "The pet stores kept agreeing 'OK, we'll accept this and we'll accept that.' We got bills passed—and then they were totally ignoring it. They were flouting the law."
It resulted in Kramer's bill this year—passed 129-8 in the House of Delegates and unanimously in the state Senate—to bar the sale of puppies and kittens in retail stores. Maryland joins California, which enacted similar legislation several months ago, as the two states prohibiting this practice. "Passage of this bill, which I did not expect at the start of session, is huge for animal welfare organizations," Kramer said.
In Maryland, the "No More Puppy- And Kitten-Mills Act of 2018" would bar the sale of companion animals in retail stores as of the end of 2020; the bill passed out of the House with an end of 2019 deadline, which was extended a year in the Senate. The affected stores "would have to adopt the business model that all of the major pet retail stores have, and that is that they make their money off supplies—the food and the goods—and the grooming," Kramer noted.
As is the case now, when animal rescue organizations periodically showcase dogs and cats available for adoption at some of the major chain stores selling pet supplies, smaller stores affected by Kramer's bill would also be allowed to work with rescue groups on an occasional basis. But they are barred from profiting from such adoptions.
Kramer's next target: sales of companion animals via the Internet. He plans to meet with the state attorney general's office in advance of next year's session to identify a way to craft legislation barring such sales.
"The ban on retail sales will take a big chunk out of puppy mill sales—particularly impulse buying—but the Internet is increasingly becoming a means for the puppy mills to sell," he said.
Original Article: Bethesda Magazine


Celebrate the arrival of your precious bundle of joy in style with Large Welcome Baby Plates. Featuring a pink and white striped design adorned with gold polka dots and floral edges, these pretty plates boast "Welcome baby" in shiny gold foil lettering. Serve party guests snacks and sweet treats on these beautiful plates.
Note: Plates are not microwave safe.


text:
Q: Conformal invariance of the massless scalar field action The massless scalar field action on Minkowski background is given by
\begin{equation}
S[\phi]=\int_{\mathbb{R}^D}d^Dx~\eta^{\mu\nu}\partial_\mu\phi\partial_\nu\phi.
\end{equation}
This action is often referred as one of the easiest CFT one can have so I would like to show that is it conformally invariant. If we only consider dilatations $x'^\mu\mapsto x^\mu+\epsilon x^\mu$ for example, the scalar field transforms as
\begin{equation}
\delta\phi(x)=\epsilon x^\mu\partial_\mu\phi(x).
\end{equation}
I can't manage to show that the action only changes up to a boundary term. How would one show that ?
[EDIT]
I already saw a lot of proofs of this (e.g. here) but they always transform the metric or the partial derivatives. This is equivalent of considering the trivial action of a diffeomoprhism that acts on each object in the integral and therefore trivially leaves it invariant. Am I wrong ?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


"Are they green shoots of recovery or just weeds?" the headlines ask.
With all these plant references, it makes you wonder if a stint of gardening leave for everyone is probably just the answer. It certainly seems to be the solution for the major legal firms in Australia. So far this year, seven out of the top ten Australian firms by revenue announced formal redundancy programs. And graduate recruitment is being slashed.
This is in response to their client's insisting on reduced fees, a decline in demand for legal services and more price competition.
But when the recovery inevitably arrives, there is a real risk that these firms will be caught short. Not only will there be a shortage of graduates with one or two years experience, but how many of those experienced lawyers who accept the redundancy packages will set up practices of their own - maintaining fee pressures for many more years to come? Perhaps law firms of the future will be smaller, leaner and more affordable? Hmmm.
As I recently told participants at a business advisory seminar: If a business does not have the quality leadership and advisers it needs, it will struggle. And if it is locked into fixed, expensive cost structures and rigid, inflexible processes that can't adapt to these rapidly changing market dynamics it will be difficult to avoid those icebergs that are "dead ahead".
This is the time for companies to seriously evaluate their future strategies. Deferring those important decisions, and simply hoping that the recession will not affect the business too much in the long term, will not put you ahead of the competition.
"While the Global Financial Crisis will do its worst, my business will do its best"!
An example of companies making cuts that have come back to haunt them is in the financial services sector.
ABC News reported last week that a survey by the recruitment firm Robert Half found that some companies moved too quickly last year in sacking staff and are now having to pay top dollar to secure the right talent. "Firms that let go of their staff because of uncertainty in the economy have found that they haven't been able to re-fill these positions with skilled staff when their needs have arisen" Robert Half's Australian director was quoted as saying.
Of the 404 finance and human resources managers polled, 60 per cent believe there is a shortage of high-qualified finance and accounting professionals available in Australia.
Despite the financial downturn, companies are still required to meet their financial reporting, taxation and accounting obligations. In fact, in difficult economic times it is probably more important than ever for them to receive accurate and timely financial information about their business, their cashflows and their performance against forecast.
It is therefore no surprise that those firms that cutback on their finance staff a year ago are now re-evaluating the wisdom of their decision.
But should these companies be paying significantly more for these people? They shouldn't have to.
At Part Time Professionals we represent over 250 qualified and experienced accountants who work for companies on a contractor basis. By representing individual self-employed accountants, the cost is often significantly lower than any other recruitment solution. And as our CFO Network™ members are contractors, you don't have to worry about those expensive employment overheads.
If you need an experienced accountant to help you through this challenging business environment, please give a call on 1300 79 1946. Like many businesses throughout Australia, you will be very glad you did!
After recently presenting at the National Institute of Accountants Tasmanian Congress, Part Time Professionals are delighted to welcome our first Tasmanian members of the CFO Network™ .
We are now represented in every state in Australia!
So, if you or your business connections want to be introduced to a CFO Network™• Member - we can help you whatever state your business is in!
Just give us a call - no obligation - on 1300 79 1946 - and Jennifer and Yvette will be delighted to assist you.
During these tough times many organisations are focusing on trying to fix the problems of the past in order to survive the present. And so they are cutting overheads, improving working capital management, focusing on profitable customers, etc.
Instead of only focusing on the past, however, organisations must also give some thought to the future. It is unlikely that demand after this recession will come from the exact same customers for the exact same services. Organisations need to consider the future and whether their existing commercial offering will be relevant to the resurgence in demand when it arises.
An example of how things are changing is in the Telecommunications and IT industry.
Australia is about to undertake the largest infrastructure project in its history by rolling out the National Broadband Network. This industry initiative is being funded by the Federal government. It is an industry with a record of rapid transition with many players leaving the market and new partnerships being formed. Service providers in this industry will have to completely rethink what they sell, to whom they market, and the best business model to maximise returns and minimise risk.
Charles, a new member of our CFO Network™, has been helping organisations in the IT and Telecommunications industry understand what this future means for them. He is a consultant with a strong commercial focus. Not only has he helped organisations make decisions about their future growth strategies but his professional accounting qualifications ensure that these decisions are grounded in a sound financial framework.
These skills are transferable across any industries that are experiencing change - and what industries are not?
If you would like to contact Charles for some ideas on mapping out your business future, just give us a call at Part Time Professionals on 1300 79 1946 and we can arrange an obligation-free meeting.
Of course, it could only happen in Spain!
The UK-based Financial Times reports that BBVA, Spain's second biggest bank, has posed an unusual question to its staff as part of its latest cost-cutting drive. Could you take a five year holiday at 30 per cent pay and with health care benefits on top...and a guaranteed job when you return?
This offer was posed to its 29,954 Spanish employees. Perhaps anticipating a 100% acceptance rate, the bank added the condition that it reserved the right to refuse those who apply.
Perhaps this may be one of the most creative solutions to the financial crisis. I wonder if their Chief Financial Officer and the accounting team accepted the offer? Ole!
BUT, not to be beaten, workers at the design and marketing company, onebestway in Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK introduced a "naked Friday" and stripped bare in an attempt to boost team spirit after a round of redundancies and a visit by a business psychologist.
Now there's a solution to the Global Financial Crisis we had definitely never thought of!


text:
Published on Quality Digest (https://www.qualitydigest.com)
Home > Printer-friendly
Increasing Revenue and Reducing Risk in the Industrial Sector
Ryan E. Day
Although more than 140 years old, Colonna's Shipyard Inc. has not stood still with respect to modernization. Colonna's has made the capital investments necessary to improve efficiency and productivity—and those investments are paying off.
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During the late 1990s, Steel America (SA), a division of Colonna's, branched off to meet market demands for industrial plant expansions and other onshore fabrication projects.
According to Chris Hartwig, SA operations manager, "Steel America has three basic components: fabrication, in-shop machining, and onsite machining. We fulfill lots of custom, high-tolerance jobs. Some projects are so large that the finished product must be sent by barge to the customer. The machining side services multiple, long-term government contracts for heavy marine-shaft work. We also service industrial markets dealing with super-sized shafts such as those used in hydroelectric dams."
Improvement challenges
Like its parent company, SA is known for continuous improvement, which means a commitment to regularly improve its workflow, throughput, and profitability. In the complex world of marine repair and fabrication, measurement and modeling capabilities can mean the difference between sinking, swimming, and succeeding. As SA developed further capabilities and certifications to meet the market demand in sectors such as marine infrastructure, power generation, industrial plants, oil and gas components, and civil structures, the management team realized that it needed to upgrade the company's manual, time-consuming, and error-prone measurement processes.
3D measurement solutions
To maximize the capability of its state-of-the-art fabrication and machining facility, SA incorporated the Vantage Laser Tracker from FARO Technologies, the world's most trusted source for 3D measurement and imaging solutions.
With 160 m (525 ft) of spherical working volume, the FARO Vantage has reinvented high-accuracy, large-volume measurement. The Vantage provides tremendous value in a complete laser tracking solution that offers extreme portability, supreme accuracy, and shop-floor durability.
"Originally, we looked at the tracker as a time-saving investment," says Hartwig. "We always say, 'If it takes a lot of people, it takes a lot of time.'"
Not to mention that as more people are involved, more risk is introduced.
"We use the tracker extensively in machining," Hartwig continues. "A lot of tolerances these days have gotten really tough. Those shafts have to be plus-or-minus two to three thousandths of an inch runout and diameter."
SA's machine shop boasts lathes, boring mills, shapers, and planers capable of handling shafts up to 95 ft long with a 144 in. swing, and weighing up to 200 tons.
"With the accuracy of the Vantage tracker, we can do all the inspections and map projects completely and store the data in a file," says Hartwig. "When we do design builds, we almost always have to provide digital files."
SA enhances the capabilities of the Vantage by pairing it with software such as AutoCad (from Autodesk in San Rafael, California) or SolidWorks (from Dassault Systemes of Waltham, Massachusetts).
Even though some of SA's customers require third-party verification, they use the Vantage tracker for in-house verification before inviting a third party. "If a part fails a third-party inspection and they have to return to recheck... well, they're not cheap," quips Hartwig.
The nature of SA's clients means that much of their work involves extremely large and unwieldy projects. Some are more than 1,000 tons and require modular construction. Fitting multiton components together is a dicey business, and trial-and-error is not an optimal choice.
"We need to know how well these modules are going to fit together before we start moving them around," says Hartwig. "We might discover we need to trim one or leave a gap in another, and that could end up with 30 guys standing around while we work it out. With the Vantage tracker, we can measure the modules at their connection planes and see exactly what's up before we start trying to join them together."
The onsite portion of SA's work happens outside of its own facility—in other words, on the site of a customer. This presents the extra challenges of an uncontrolled work environment.
"When we're at a customer's location, there are no established reference points for measurements, so the FARO Vantage Laser Tracker is a tremendous benefit to our onsite machining program, especially when we're working with big flanges for stuff like radar and sonar domes," explains Hartwig. "When an item is put on a lathe at the shop, the lathe already has a two to three thousandths basis, but when we go onto a boat we have nothing. Onsite we're still facing the item, checking for flatness, and checking hole and line-bore diameters, but out there the Vantage tracker levels itself out and even gives us a nice report when we're done that we can email to our customer."
Unintended (but profitable) results
Any debate over the issue of a "skills gap" has been settled—it's real—and SA is keenly aware of its effect on its ability to find metrology talent. The quality assurance (QA) and metrology technician bench is not so deep these days. That means good talent is hard to find, but for SA relief comes from a surprising situation.
"We're finding that our market [manufacturing] is not attracting the younger generation like it used to," states Hartwig. "People go to college looking for business or finance careers. Apparently they're not attracted to being down in the shipyard beating on steel. We're seeing, however, that the younger generation is suited to more advanced technology. They are very computer-based, they understand 3D CAD, so it's more attractive for them. Hand them a micrometer or dial indicator, and they don't get it; however, put them behind a tracker with onboard programming, and you almost don't have to tell them anything!"
As SA faces a shortage of QA personnel, FARO's Laser Tracker technology helps mitigate this predicament by shortening inspection times and attracting new talent.
Fostering investment buy-in
Getting management buy-in for any investment is always a challenge; Colonna's had to navigate the time-honored funding dance at many points in its history. Fortunately, SA has partners already experienced with tracker technology that helped reassure management that this investment was going to be well worth it.
"We deal with several companies we consider as 'mentor customers,' which had used FARO's laser trackers and were ahead of us in that technology," says Hartwig. "We asked them about realistic benefits and the true return on investment, and it became evident that this was the next generation of equipment. We were able to produce an ROI for management and show them some actual numbers on how much we spent internally on having inspection services done—it was astronomical. A two-year ROI analysis showed that the investment in tracker technology vs. cost of outsourcing was pennies on the dollar.
"The other day we had a boat in dry dock with hull damage right above the keel box," Hartwig recalls. "There was a very large piece of steel plate that had to be cut out and replaced, but the geometry and compound curvature was giving our guys fits. They sacrificed plenty of steel and spent almost a week trying to make it happen the old-school way before they called me. As it turned out, using the Vantage Tracker's magnetic base, we had just enough room to put the base and head of the tracker in the keel box to map the damaged hull. They made the cut, used the tracker to measure the cut, and then imported that data into SolidWorks. That made it possible to take the measurements from a three-dimensional view and flatten it. We then cut a piece of steel and bent it according to the CAD file. When we put it up into the hull, it fit perfectly. And that was all done within one day."
"The supervisor involved in that project approached me afterward and thanked me for helping transition them into newer and better technology," says Hartwig. "We just put another four guys through training on it."
The bottom line is that if a technology doesn't help a company make more money, it doesn't make sense. For Colonna's Shipyard and SA, the FARO Vantage Laser Tracker plainly increases throughput. At the end of the day that means more revenue and more profit.
"This is an interesting company," says Hartwig. "We've participated in a leadership development program over the last two years. One of the things coming out of that is our leaders have empowered some of the younger people, such as myself, to make decisions like investing in newer technology, and it's starting to pay off. The Vantage tracker has truly been a huge improvement for Colonna's and Steel America. It's improved our revenue stream and also our general capability to market to new customers. In all honesty, it's had a much bigger impact than we ever imagined."
Ryan E. Day is Quality Digest's project manager and senior editor for solution-based reporting, which brings together those seeking business improvement solutions and solution providers. Day has spent the last decade researching and interviewing top business leaders and continuous improvement experts at companies like Sakor, Ford, Merchandize Liquidators, Olympus, 3D Systems, Hexagon, Intertek, InfinityQS, Johnson Controls, FARO, and Eckel Industries. Most of his reporting is done with the help of his 20 lb tabby cat at his side.
Source URL (retrieved on 01/31/2023): https://www.qualitydigest.com/inside/innovation-article/increasing-revenue-and-reducing-risk-industrial-sector-112816.html
[1] http://www.colonnaship.com/
[2] http://steelamerica.net/
[3] http://steelamerica.net/capabilities/fabrication-capabilities/
[4] http://steelamerica.net/capabilities/machining-capabilities/
[5] http://steelamerica.net/capabilities/on-site-machining-capabilities/
[6] /ad/redirect/29415


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Bush Beats
Splash Spots
Johanna Tachas
Discover our waterway warriors
Lyndsey Vivian
The heathland sanctuaries of Bayside
Wendy Cook
Kennett River wanderings
Ella Loeffler
Winter whale-watching along the Victorian coast
Priya Mohandoss
Plastic pollution: a peril to our shores
Emma Walsh
Suburban Serpents: Be Aware, Not Alarmed
Melbourne is home to an array of fascinating animals. From the sulfur-crested cockatoo that chews on your windowsills to the common brushtail possum that lives above your bedroom, none of them are as unwelcome and misunderstood as the wild, venomous snake.
The thing that makes these snakes so formidable is not their fangs, but their venom glands. These modified salivary glands produce venom: a toxic secretion that is intended to immobilize, partially digest, or kill the snake's prey. When biting into its subject, a venomous snake will squeeze its venom glands. In the case of snakes with grooved fangs, the venom will run down the grooves and into the subject's flesh. In Victoria, our venomous snakes fall into the family Elapidae, which means that they have grooved, fixed fangs at the front of their upper jaw, with the venom gland sitting just behind them, below the eye. Their venom is mainly neurotoxic, which means that it primarily affects nerve function. So if you get the shakes around these serpents, just imagine how their prey feels!
However, Victoria is also home to a few species of non-venomous snakes. These snakes, such as pythons, lack venom glands and fangs, and so kill their prey by other means. In regards to pythons, these snakes will bite onto their subject and wrap around them in order to constrict them. Two species of pythons (Pythonidae) are found in Victoria: the Murray-Darling carpet python (Morelia spilota metcalfei) and the diamond python (Morelia spilota spilota). Unfortunately (or luckily, depending on who you talk to) these beautiful pythons are not found around our city, and are only found in much wilder areas. Blind snakes of the family Thyphlopidae are also found in Victoria, but these are mostly subterranean and are rarely encountered.
The distinct pattern of the diamond python is what gives it its name. Image: Peter Robertson
In regards to Melbourne's locals, several different species of elapid snakes (that's right, the venomous, potentially deadly kind) call Greater Melbourne home. The three most commonly encountered snakes in Melbourne are the eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis), the lowland copperhead (Austrelaps superbus) and the tiger snake (Notechis scutatus).
Eastern brown snakes grow to around 1.5 metres long, and are responsible for more deaths than any other snake in Australia. Commonly found in the northern and western suburbs of Greater Melbourne, this species is true to its name and is known to range from a light faun to near black in colour. This elapid prefers open woodlands, scrublands and grasslands, and feeds mainly on small vertebrates and their eggs. Additionally, this species is also the neighbourhood pest control: their diet consists mostly of invasive mice and rats. The eastern brown often reacts defensively and will strike readily if threatened.
Lowland copperheads are usually found in the northern and eastern suburbs of Greater Melbourne, and can grow to approximately 1.45 metres in length. They are blackish to grey-brown in colour, with their name referring to the orange-brown colouring in some individuals. Lowland copperheads usually inhabit grassland, heathland, woodlands and open scrubland, but are often found close to a water source, feeding on ectothermic animals such as reptiles and amphibians. You can think of this species as the hermit that lives around the corner and likes to keep to themselves. Secretive and reluctant to strike, this species will hiss loudly and flatten its body to intimidate its threat, and will even thrash about. Further provocation will cause the snake to bite.
Although most likely a juvenile lowland copperhead, this photo shows the difficulty in identifying some species of snake based on their often subtle markings. Image: Emma Walsh
The tiger snake is most commonly encountered in the western suburbs of Greater Melbourne and gets its name from the yellow and black bands across the body of some individuals, although the most common form is dark- to blackish-brown with off-white to yellowish bands. The average length of this species is 1.2 metres, but individuals can range in length from one to two metres. Tiger snakes are garbage guts, and feed on a wide variety of vertebrates including fish, frogs and tadpoles, lizards, birds, and mammals, and will even feed on carrion. This elapid is generally quite shy, but is capable of exhibiting an impressive threat display. It hisses aggressively at its threat whilst inflating and deflating its body, and if provoked further it will strike.
Snakes are crucial to the ecosystems found around Melbourne and act as mid-level predators. They control prey numbers, including invasive species such as invasive mice and rats, but they also provide a food source to higher-level predators such as birds of prey. Although these snakes are formidable and potentially dangerous, it is important to remember that they will only strike a human in defence. They do not see us as a food source, but rather as a huge animal that could potentially harm or prey on them. They are trying to defend themselves against us, just as we are trying to defend ourselves against them!
From left to right, the eastern brown snake, the lowland copperhead and the tiger snake. Images: Peter Robertson
There are many ways to minimise the chance of having an encounter with one of these fascinating and largely misunderstood creatures. When working or bushwalking outdoors in the warmer months, wear long pants, thick socks and sturdy shoes to protect your legs and feet. When lifting any object that a snake could shelter under, such as a log or a sheet of metal, make sure you lift the object in a way that provides an easy, unhindered escape by lifting the edge furthest away from you. If you are exploring the great outdoors, always take a first aid kit with pressure bandages, and stick to the paths – it is much easier to see a snake on a dirt track than it is amongst thick vegetation.
If you do encounter a snake, do not attempt to move or kill the snake. Most snake bites occur because someone has unsuccessfully tried to interact with the snake and has frightened it. It is important that if you do encounter a snake that you understand its behaviour. Tongue flicking, hissing, a raised head or a neck bent back in an s-shape are all signs that the snake feels threatened, and that it is best to leave it alone. Of course, if a snake bite does occur, call 000 immediately and apply pressure to the bite site.
Snakes have a reputation for being aggressive and ruthless, but in reality the slithering serpents feel threatened by us and are ready to defend themselves the only way they know how. By respecting them and giving them their space, we can share our habitat and maybe lose some invasive rodents in the meantime!
Banner image courtesy of Stephen Zozaya
Tagged: snakes, safety, wildlife, natural history


"As with all of God's Word, we cannot truly begin to understand love until we begin to apply it to our lives. Paul's primary purpose here is not simply to instruct the Corinthians but to change their living habits" John MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 1 Corinthians, p.337.
Nothing works as it's supposed to without love. It's at the heart of everything we do in every role we play: parent, child, employer, employee, coach, teammate, and neighbor. In fact, the Apostle Paul says love is supremely more important than any gift, talent, or knowledge we may possess (1 Corinthians 13.1-3).
Today, spend some time in self-reflection on how well you're living a life characterized by love. Do this by rereading 1 Corinthians 13.4-7 and substituting your name in place of "love" or "it." Use this as a time of confession and repentance.


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Ms. Marvel: Vols. 5 and 6
Description: She's your new favorite. She's everyone's new favorite. And now she's joining the big leagues. Look out world, Kamala Khan is officially an Avenger! But will being one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes be everything she imagined? Or is life as a celebrity harder than she thought? But while saving the world is important, Jersey City still needs its protector too. A development company that co-opted Ms. Marvel's face for its project might well have more in mind for gentrification than just real estate. Can Kamala take down the evil suits destroying her home without ruining her personal life? Speaking of which, who exactly is that with Bruno? Get back on board and cling on, Kamala Korps, the ride is about to get wilder than ever!
Review: Volume 5 is possibly my second favorite Ms. Marvel comic after its debut volume. This fantastic volume incorporates everything that I love about this series, mainly a good balance between Kamala's civilian life and that of her being a superhero. In this volume Kamala's stress level is at an all time high. She is struggling to balance friendships, family, and superhero-ing, especially now since she is an official Avenger. Let's just say that it is not going well. I liked how this volume showed how Kamala despite her superpowers, ethnicity, and religious affiliation is like the ordinary person. We can easily empathize with her when her best intentions fall flat and nothing seems to be going right. Thankfully, this volume is not all about Kamala's angst but there is other light moments developing in this volume such as Aamir's wedding and Bruno starting a relationship which are both equally adorable. Like the other volumes of this graphic novel series, there are guest appearances that are fun to read. The writing remains strong though the illustrations are inconsistent as the illustrator tends to change.
Words of Caution: There is some strong violence and minor language. Suitable for middle grade readers and up.
Description: While CIVIL WAR II brews, the next generation of Avengers has bigger things to worry about - like a tri-state academic competition! As rival schools clash, Ms. Marvel's teammates Spider-Man and Nova are now her enemies! But when Kamala gets called to the real battle's front line, she faces a fight she can't embiggen her way out of. She's about to learn a valuable lesson: Never meet your idols! As war intensifies, tragedy strikes too close to home - and Ms. Marvel must choose between her heroes and her family. When friends become foes, Ms. Marvel struggles to put her life and Jersey City back together. Kamala will be forced to grow up fast and find her true place in the world. But will she be an international sensation...or a menace?
Review: I didn't care for the Marvel Civil War tie-in in this volume except meeting the awesome Miles Morales aka Spiderman, but I did love the overall theme of various types of action-mainly taking a totalitarian/aggressive approach of nipping things at the bud when you can only anticipate things happening and give up free will/choice or take another completely different route? Wilson plays this scenario out as Captain Marvel and her agents have created a device that can anticipate crime before it is happening ala Minority Report. Things don't turn out right and leaves Kamala shaken to her core. Her symbol of standing up for good is changed in her community and her beliefs of being a superhero are challenged. I loved how Wilson incorporated Kamala's family flashbacks to the India-Pakistan partition, a bloody time period and the biggest human migration noted in history, showing how Kamala's mother's actions and emotions at that tumultuous time mirror Kamala in present day. The motif of going back to your roots in order to gain perspective also works well in this volume as Kamala goes to Karachi, Pakistan, to visit family and put Ms. Marvel aside only to learn why she needs to be Ms. Marvel.
If you like these books try: The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Ryan North, Thor: The Goddess of Thunder by Jason Aaron, The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks
Labels: 2016 Diverse Reads Challenge, 2017 Reading Challenge, 4 stars, Diversity, Family, Friendship, Graphic Novel, Humor, Ms. Marvel series, Religion, Romance, YA |
I have heard of this comic but haven't read it. I don't read comics too much, but I know people who have and I will definitely pass these reviews to them. I may also see if my library has them and try it out. :)
This sounds like a fun series for students with lots of light moments.
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The Crown's Game
Manga Series Review: Strobe Edge
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History Is All You Left Me
My Sister Rosa
Lumberjanes Vol. 4 + Lumberjanes Vol. 5


It is very often possible to hear a lot of disputes about how external and internal backlinks affect the ranking of the websites in search engines. Can a backlink from a "bad" website help your resource? What about the backlinks closed from indexation? Since search engines refine their algorithms, the variable's impact on the ranking, such as backlinks environment, the quantity and quality of the backlinks, has been changed overtime. We decided to figure out how the Google policy changed over time.
If you leave an endless number of comments with a link to your website wherever you can, it may be harmful to you, because your actions will eventually be regarded as spam. Does this mean that you must close all external references to protect yourself? Of course not.
You do not want to do this because some backlinks deserve to be clicked. Moreover, the policy of the website, closed from the links, may cause other webmasters to close all links to your website, which will certainly harm you.
Nicole Kohler, the content-strategist in Webpagefx, for example, argues that you should motivate the user to navigate through your link, even if it is closed from indexation. This means that you need to try different headlines, tweets, or state explicitly that if the user clicks on the link, he will find something very interesting. The specialists from Buffer noticed that the link in one of their tweets earned 100% more transitions after they had completely rewritten the message.
In March 2009, Matt Cutts first published in his blog the following phrase from the Google Guide for webmaster: "Make sure the number of links on the page is less than 100".
The restriction was lifted in November 2013, but as usual, with some reservations. Matt explained that the Internet is evolving, the pages are being updated, the content they contain becomes diverse and number of links grows respectively. Because of these legitimate changes, Google revised the restriction conditions. Matt warns site owners that you still need to keep a reasonable number of links and make sure that all of them are relevant and interesting to your audience. He also noted that if there were 100 links on your site, all of them should be detailed and lead to reliable and verified sources. It is worth to remember that outgoing links passes page weight. Thus, the more links, the less weight carried by each of them individually. Lots of people asked: What number of external links can be on my website? Matt claims it doesn't matter if there's a good content and the user is pleased to visit and work with your site.
Google sorts the sites in the search results according to their content. If the site has not been referred to, it still can be ranked. The most important thing is the relevance of content. Each post on your site should be useful and interesting for the user, therefore, after investing the efforts to write it, take your time to check it. Reffer to trusted sources. Show that your content is trustworthy, and you'll be referred next time.
Link building is complicated. Cubo makes it easier.
HTTPS vs HTTP. Is There Any Difference For SEO?


So as the current year's Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles approaches this week, it's an ideal opportunity to get up to speed. Here's an introduction on Super Bowl squares, how they work and which squares are well on the way to pay off.
The amusement begins with a 10-by-10 lattice, or 100 individual boxes — each of which is appointed an all inclusive sticker price, as $1 per square. Prior to the Super Bowl commences, members buy individual boxes — for the most part the same number of as they wish — until the point that each of them 100 are represented. The numbers 0-9 are then alloted to the sections and lines (for the most part aimlessly), giving two numbers to every individual cell.


How does a body put on bulk weight?
What prevents a body from growing fat?
There are numerous precautions that will help your body stay safe and healthy. Firstly follow a fat free diet plan so that you consume home made healthy food. Avoid fizzy drinks and concentrate on fresh fruits they will help make your immune system strong and prevent constipation. Make sure you take your meals 3 times a day (breakfast + lunch + dinner) making sure all are taken in sufficient portions and no over eating. Keep your meals backed with a little workout even if it is a simple walk outside for 10 - 15 mins, this will keep your body energetic, active and help you digest your food nicely.
How does green coffee bean extract help?
Green coffee bean extract contains chlorogenic acid which is found essential for burning off unwanted body fats naturally. Green coffee bean extract helps you digest well and keeps a control on your weight so that your body doesn't put up on any extra weight or size. Ecoslim is a dietary supplement that contains green coffee bean extract and is the best way to lose weight naturally without any side effect as it is a herbal solution for your weight and size problems.
Simply take 1 capsule of ecoslim with a glass of water in the morning prior 30 minutes of breakfast and repeat this for throughout the month to obtain desired outcomes.


Christophe wanted to know more about Lynn's family.
Niels is in really good health.
Mat won the karaoke contest.
I made fun of Kinch's accent.
This is Izchak's address book.
Ernie and Ernst were standing close to each other.
They were waiting for Joanne.
I told Roberto I couldn't do that.
Ram tried to call for help.
Eddy and Harris voted for John.
Terrance says that she can't fall asleep without her favorite stuffed animal.
Woody didn't eat breakfast this morning.
Be careful not to do anything to upset Kimmo.
Cecilia was paid to lose.
Sanjib always smiles at me.
Thanks for not telling Luke what happened.
Angela doesn't think he'll lose.
Takayuki is still waiting for Hume.
Teresa didn't want to swim.
Moe wished he hadn't spent so much money.
Bobbie and Serdar make a very nice couple.
Jem stepped back from the telescope.
Liza and his friends play poker almost every Friday night.
Pitawas is not a very good liar.
Boyce isn't a bad coach.


If you run a tourist business and you want to attract more clients you have to impress them with visual content. And a website is a modern multitool in visual presentations. And in order to provide you with a good tourist website, our developers created a Go Agency Landing Page HTML Template. It has a bright and attractive design with many effects and elements you can use to decorate your website. With a website, you can reach a wide audience of potential clients. It also allows you to present your services in the most preferable way. And the most important thing is that you can edit the website as you wish. You can create blog posts or use social options and testimonials to get more feedback. Go Agency will be your powerful online tool. Download it now and boost your business with new opportunities.