A cracked windshield is not only dangerous, it can also land you a ticket if it obstructs your line of vision while driving. If you own a vehicle, it is your duty to invest in preventative maintenance and also schedule repairs when necessary. While almost every vehicle owner will face the dilemma of repairing a cracked or chipped windshield within their lifetime, it can be difficult to stumble through the process of windshield repair if this is the first time you've ever needed glass repair. Read on, and learn how to repair your damaged windshield so that you can keep the cost low and make the experience as stress-free as possible.
Why pay full price for auto glass repair when you pay insurance premiums for coverage that will pay for glass breakage? Many individuals are hesitant to call their insurance agent to verify their options in fear of premium surcharges, but this is not something to worry about when the claim is centered around auto glass. If you carry comprehensive coverage, the comprehensive deductible will apply to glass claims. Luckily, if you have a low deductible, you may save hundreds of dollars on windshield replacement or moderate repairs without having to worry about your rates going up in the future.
Once you verify your coverage, the next step is to find a trusted glass company that will work directly with your insurer so that you don't have to worry about going through the process of reimbursement. The best way to do this, is to take your vehicle in to an auto repair shop and get an estimate. While your vehicle is being appraised for the cost of repairs, find out if that if that company will work with your insurance. Most auto repair shops should work with your insurance, but be warned that some do not. Also, many glass companies that partner with leading insurers will actually file your auto insurance claim for you to make the process of glass repair as easy as possible. Compare different companies to verify this is an option.
There is a major difference between a chip and an crack. Typically, a chip is smaller than the size of a quarter, and a crack is anything larger a quarter. If you have a small chip, you may be able schedule rock chip repair rather than a full-fledged replacement. Chip repair involves using a professional resin to seal the chip so that your windshield is as good as new without paying the cost for replacement. Some insurance companies may even waive your deductible if chip repair is a viable option.
Be sure to discuss whether you should repair or replace your windshield with professionals like those at www.triglassinc.com or your local repair shop before you make a decision. Once you verify your auto coverage and choose the right professional using the best repair products and materials in their window repair kit, you can erase the chips or eliminate the cracks.


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Tag: john boyega
the woman king – marketing recap
How Sony has sold a period drama about African warriors.
the woman king poster from Sony Pictures
Viola Davis stars in this week's The Woman King, in theaters this week from Sony Pictures. Davis plays General Nanisca, the leader of the Agojie, an all-female group of guardian warriors in the kingdom of Dahomey. Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch and Sheila Atim costar as the latest generation of warriors to be trained by Nanisca, with John Boyega as the nation's king. The Agojie must be trained to help fight against the latest threat to their people: The expansion of French colonizers deeper into the African continent.
If the concept of the Agojie sounds familiar, it's because the real life defenders were the inspiration for the Dora Milaje in Christopher Priest's "Black Panther" comics run, a group that of course later appeared in several installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the movie was written by Dana Stevens, who developed the story with producer Maria Bello. Let's take a look at how it's been sold.
The movie was announced in July, 2020 as Prince-Blythwood's follow-up to the massively successful The Old Guard on Netflix.
News of Davis' casting was followed in September 2021 by Boyega joining the project. Lynch was cast shortly after that, right in the middle of her getting rave reviews for her role in No Time To Die. Lawson, Tiffen and others joined shortly after that.
Davis offered the first real look at the film in February of this year when she posted a couple stills showing just how fierce she looks in costume.
I'm deeply honored and excited to bring this incredible story of these badass female warriors to life. Get ready for THE WOMAN KING, exclusively in movie theaters this Fall!! 🎬👸🏿👑 @WomanKingMovie #BlackHistoryMonth 🤎🤎🤎 pic.twitter.com/Y92vyydi7C
— Viola Davis (@violadavis) February 1, 2022
Both Prince-Blythwood and Davis made an appearance on stage at Sony's April 2022 CinemaCon presentation to promote their film. Davis was also given the event's first-ever Trailblazer Award for her body of work.
A few weeks later Empire Magazine shared a first look still from the film.
Prince-Blythewood talked about the movie when she appeared at the American Black Film Festival in June, with the director debuting the trailer there for the festival's audience before it went out to the general public.
More photos along with an interview with Davis came in Vanity Fair at the beginning of July.
Also in early July came the first trailer (10.4m YouTube views), which opens with King Ghezo warning of a new evil coming that must be fought with the Agojie. Nanisca convinces the king to fight back against the threat of the Europeans looking to expand their influence. We see the kind of training the Agojie go through and just how effective they are in combat, all of it adding up to a powerful trailer.
Banner ads on YouTube drove people to the film's official website when the trailer debuted.
the woman king YouTube ad
Later that month the announcement came that the movie's world premiere would happen at the Toronto International Film Festival. Davis was later slated for a conversation as part of the film's screening at the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival in mid-August.
The first poster came out a bit later. It shows Nansica alone with her weapon held high, standing in what seems to be a fiery conflagration blazing all around her.
Her reign begins. @ViolaDavis is #TheWomanKing, exclusively in movie theaters September 16. pic.twitter.com/HQwmYIGGbA
— The Woman King (@WomanKingMovie) July 21, 2022
Bello was interviewed about her love of the African continent and how that played into developing this story.
A short vignette has Davis and Prince-Bythewood talking about the real life warriors portrayed in the film and how they're surprised they didn't know more about this before.
Trainer Gabriela Mclain spoke in this interview about how she put each one of the primary cast through their paces in preparation for such physically-demanding roles that required they *look* the part of fearsome warriors.
That training was the subject of another short featurette.
Mbedu was interviewed about the film's incredible cast and more.
Cutdowns of the trailer started running in late August as TV spots and online promos, including pre-roll ads.
The second poster, released at the end of August, has the entire main cast of characters assembled and staring intensely at the audience amidst the same fiery background seen earlier.
An Essence cover story featured a conversation with the main cast about the story and what it was like working with everyone else. That was followed by a THR cover story with Prince-Bythewood and Davis in part covering the battles they had to take part in just to get the film made for reasons that are likely obvious.
#ESSENCE PRESENTS: 'All Hail The Woman King: A Roundtable Discussion', an exclusive Twitter premiere event on Tuesday, September 13th at 6 pm ET. Tweet live with @violadavis , @GPBmadeit , and more as we peel back the curtain on Black womanhood in film. #TheWomanKing pic.twitter.com/LG6FoPUdrM
— ESSENCE (@Essence) September 7, 2022
An interview with Lynch focused again on the rigorous training she had to take part in.
Fandango debuted an exclusive clip of Nanisca pushing the warriors she's training to be better than they ever thought they could be in order to defend their nation.
The bonding the cast underwent during filming was the subject of another short vignette.
That lead into the TIFF premiere screening, which garnered *very* positive reviews and buzz, and the Q&A with the cast and crew that went along with it.
Costume designer Gersha Phillips shared the real life inspiration that went into the costumes along with the fact they were made by actual African artisans.
Another TV spot from the last week featured football coach Jennifer King offering her thoughts on being a warrior along with clips from the film.
Boyega and Atim created Spotify playlists inspired by the film and their characters.
Davis went on to make appearances on "GMA", "The Tonight Show", "The View" along with others to promote the film and talk about how unique the story is in today's marketplace.
It's not very surprising that there's little in the way of overt reference to how the real life Agojie inspired the fictional Dora Milaje given the competing studios/companies in play. But that connection is very much there for anyone who's paying attention.
Outside of that, the major message of the campaign is not only that this is a powerful film about an incredible group of warriors but that the existence of those warriors isn't as well known in the general public as, say, the 300 Spartan warriors at the Battle of Thermopylae. If you pull on that thread more than a bit you'll likely discover reasons that include racism, the fact that Europeans are clearly not the good guys in that story and so on.
But the story is being told in a big, bold fashion now and that's what's important. And the campaign has been moving, driven by the personal investment of Prince-Bythewood, Davis and others, including Bello, who seems to have taken the smart path and sat out most of the publicity and let others, particularly women of color, take the spotlight.
Author Chris ThilkPosted on 2022-09-15 2022-09-15 Categories Marketing Recap, Movie MarketingTags Dana Stevens, gina prince Bythewood, john boyega, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, sony pictures, the woman king, Thuso Mbedu, viola davisLeave a comment on the woman king – marketing recap
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Marketing Recap
You can read my full recap of the marketing campaign for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker at The Hollywood Reporter.
As the other movies do, this one gets its own page on StarWars.com, complete with a collection of the posters, teasers, featurettes, photos and more. Blog posts that contain movie material or which highlight related announcements can be found on the page as well.
While we were still in the hype cycle for Episode XIII it was announced that Trevorrow, who'd long been attached to the project, had left. That was two Star Wars movies in row, including the Han Solo one, that had high-profile director shifts. Three if you count how Josh Trank was involved in a movie right up to the point he wasn't. That firing was apparently a long-time coming and resulted from the director's own personality issues, which caused tension with producer Kathleen Kennedy, and the fact that unlike on Jurassic World he didn't have Steven Spielberg around to protect him.
Shockwaves then emanated when it was announced The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams would return for this movie, which was also pushed back from May to December. Later on, as part of the publicity for The Last Jedi, Abrams talked about taking the opportunity to return and close out the trilogy he started.
Isaac and others from the cast talked about the movie while promoting other projects.
A wide-ranging profile of Abrams included his recounting of the unusual sequence of events leading to his rejoining the franchise and his feelings of concern, panic, stress, excitement and more around doing so.
There as a significant press push in the wake of Star Wars Celebration and the debut of the first teaser. That included Abrams revealing Lucas was involved in crafting at least part of the story and Boyega making it clear he didn't know what the title referred to either.
Abrams and members of the cast appeared on "Good Morning America" shortly after Celebration to talk about the movie and explain (or not) some of what was going on.
Meanwhile, Hamill explained why he has so much fun poking at obsessive Star Wars fans.
As has been the case with every Star Wars movie since 1999's The Phantom Menace, the publicity cycle included a Vanity Fair cover story featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes photos by Annie Leibovitz. That series of stories offered not only new looks at the cast and sets but also additional details about what the story entails and what fans can expect from the film.
Ridley was interviewed about the emotional moment that was the final day of filming.
Another interview with Abrams in the wake of D23 had the director clarifying that nothing about The Last Jedi was being discarded, nor had that movie upset any plans for the series' story. So, despite the outcry of disgruntled or disappointed viewers, that movie is still canon. He later shared his thinking on why it was important for Palpatine to return for this movie and more.
EW debuted a first official look at Zorri Bliss, the mysterious character played by Keri Russell. At around the same time Abrams was interviewed about his assurance that the movie would provide a satisfying conclusion to the nine-film epic story and more details were revealed about the watery planet seen in the trailers. Ackie was profiled in an interview about her reaction to joining the Star Wars universe.
In late November EW offered a big cover feature that included a number of other interviews, photos and other inside looks at the movie, with comments from most of the cast and crew. At the same time Rolling Stone ran its own package that included an interview with Kennedy about this movie and the future of the Star Wars franchise as well as another interview with Abrams about the story of the movie.
Late night appearances by the cast and Abrams started in late November as well, with Driver and Russell showing up on "The Late Show" as did Abrams. Ridley and Boyega showed up on "The Tonight Show" while Isaac chatted on "Late Night." Russell chatted on "The Tonight Show" as well while Tran appeared on "The Daily Show."
An extended profile of Williams had him talking about the legacy of Lando he still holds tightly to as well as his overall career and coming out of semi-retirement to revisit the character one last time.
An interview with Ridley allowed her to talk about what her plans for self-care are following her involvement in a massive multi-year commitment. Tran finally joined the press effort with an interview making it clear Rose has evolved in the time since the last story. A profile of Daniels included him promising this wasn't the last you've heard of him as C-3PO while a similar interview with McDiarmid allowed him to talk about his expectation that he was done with the character of Palpatine until he got the call.
Abrams talked about the behind the scenes drama that lead to him coming back to the franchise and lots more in this extended profile that included him throwing a little shade at Johnson's middle installment for being too "meta." One of the movie's cowriters spoke about trying to craft a worthy final chapter for the story.
The same night as the movie's premiere, the whole cast along with Abrams appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to engage in games and more. Lupita Nyong'o, who is always forgotten about when discussing the cast, talked about the movie on "The Daily Show."
Tran was interviewed about her experiences with Star Wars and more here.
The #RiseOfSkwalker marketing is all pic.twitter.com/FIwn2wYBwZ
— Thilk (@ChrisThilk) December 18, 2019
That mysterious message from the presumed-dead Palpatine that kicks off the events of the movie was revealed in Fortnite, likely because of the promotional tie-in with that game. The movie's editor explained why that message was cut from the film as well.
Abrams has praised Johnson while trying to downplay any potential bad blood because of the different directions the two directors took.
An interview with Terrio allowed him to dig an even deeper hole regarding the way the story makes Rose Tico into a non-factor.
A new featurette from IMAX has the cast and crew talking about their experiences making the movie. Another video from IMAX has them all sharing their favorite moments from throughout the Star Wars movies while a third has Issac answering fan-submitted questions.
One more TV spot touting the movie's box-office success.
Second unit director Victoria Mahoney has finally been getting some attention, in part because she's the first woman to have any directorial duties on a Star Wars feature.
Author Chris ThilkPosted on 2019-12-20 2020-01-29 Categories Marketing Recap, Movie MarketingTags daisy ridley, disney, jj abrams, john boyega, lucasfilm, oscar isaac, star wars, the rise of skywalkerLeave a comment on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Marketing Recap
Pacific Rim: Uprising – Marketing Recap
It seems like critics and audiences were genuinely surprised when 2013's Pacific Rim was as good as it wound up being. But really, what did we expect from a movie about giant machines fighting giant monsters that was directed by Guillermo del Toro? It's on us that we didn't see a movie that combined large-scale action with lots of heart and impressive character development. At a time when "visionary" is tossed around all-too-often, del Toro deserves it more than most others.
That the first movie was a financial success made it inevitable a sequel would happen. After a few false starts and commitments to other projects, del Toro bowed out of directing but stays on as a producer for this week's Pacific Rim Uprising. Set 10 years after the events of the first movie, John Boyega stars as Jake Pentecost, the son of Idris Alba's Stacker Pentecost in the original. Jake is reluctant to follow in his father's military footsteps but when a new threat arises he, along with Nate Lambert (Scott Eastwood) and a batch of new recruits to the Jaeger program have to once more fight to cancel the apocalypse.
Continue reading "Pacific Rim: Uprising – Marketing Recap"
Author Chris ThilkPosted on 2018-03-20 2018-10-01 Categories Marketing RecapTags john boyega, legendary, pacific rim uprising, universal1 Comment on Pacific Rim: Uprising – Marketing Recap
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Marketing Recap
For the third time in as many years, Disney/Lucasfilm are bringing Star Wars to theaters just in time for the holidays. After successfully reintroducing the franchise with 2015's The Force Awakens, we took a detour away from the core "Saga" that has been the focus of the movies to date in 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Now we're back to the story of the Jedi and the fight against the powers of darkness in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The story picks up right where The Force Awakens left off, as Rey (Daisy Ridley) finds the self-exiled Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who she hopes will help her learn who she is and what her destiny might be. Meanwhile, The Resistance, led by General Leia Organa (the late Carrie Fisher) continues its fight against the ascendant First Order, ruled by the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac) and Finn (John Boyega) along with Chewbacca and a bunch of porgs keep fighting the good fight while Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) continues to emote across the entire galaxy while trying not to be the Diet Coke of evil.
With so much Star Wars hype and promotion over the last three years, the franchise lately has never seemed far out of reach. To sell The Last Jedi effectively and forcefully, Disney has worked hard to make sure the campaign sells a compelling and unique product to the audience.
Continue reading "Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Marketing Recap"
Author Chris ThilkPosted on 2017-12-13 2018-09-20 Categories Marketing RecapTags adam driver, andy serkis, carrie fisher, daisy ridley, disney, john boyega, lucasfilm, mark hamill, oscar issac, rian johnson, star wars, the last jedi3 Comments on Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Marketing Recap
Detroit – Marketing Recap
Summer is usually when studios put out movies that don't challenge audiences all that intensely. People want to be entertained, not lectured to. Dunkirk challenged that a couple weeks ago and now Detroit seeks to do likewise, only more so.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the movie stars John Boyega and others in a story based on the true events that took place in the titular city 50 years ago. Specifically, it's focused on the raid by police of the Algiers Motel in Detroit and the subsequent death of three black men and the severe beatings of other men and women. That raid took place during protests and riots by black citizens in the city that emerged following an earlier confrontation and was followed by continued unrest that culminated in the National Guard and other military elements being sent in. What precisely happened in the Algiers was never made entirely clear and, just as is too common today, subsequent trials exonerated the officers involved.
The first poster employs a tactic that's being used more and more, that of shifting the perspective to show an image that is actually a landscape that's turned on its side to be in portrait format. Some of the copy is oriented for portrait but the main photo of cops holding back a group of protestors and the title are both landscape. The photo is a bit beaten up like it's been handled and stored for decades and is worn. It's pretty effective at establishing the setting and story without giving away too much. "It's time we knew" is the copy that tells us we're getting some story we likely aren't aware of.
A second poster uses the same portrait orientation for the title while placing four close-up shots of members of the main cast in quad format around the poster. Again, the appeal is made that this comes from the director of Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker and is based on a shocking and "terrifying" true story of a time in America's recent history.
The first trailer starts off with actual news footage from the 1967 violence that gripped the city. So we hear about the snipers that have everyone on edge and other actions. We meet Melvin, a security guard who's just trying to do his job and keep things peaceful before cutting to a bus load of citizens who decide to hole up at a local motel until things calm down. Things begin to escalate when someone pulls a prank involving a starter pistol that no one outside knows is fake. So the police and national guard that are in the city raid the hotel and start looking for the gun. That brings everyone together as the burnt out military just wants answers, Melvin wants everyone to survive and the violence everywhere escalates.
It's an incredibly effective and terrifying trailer that shows the historical context for the story and the very personal perspective we will be asked to follow. Boyega looks great as the cop who just wants to keep the peace and do his job. The violence keeps ramping up further and further and this looks like a gripping story.
As the second trailer opens we see Melvin is being questioned by the police about the events of the dramatic night. He recounts what he knows from his involvement as a security guard but it turns out the police have it in mind to pin at least some of the deaths at the hotel on him. It's then the trailer pans out to set the historical context of what happened in the city as a whole and in the hotel where everything went down.
I kind of dig how this one takes a more personal approach to the story. It's not just about the city, it's about *this* guy and what happened to him and what he saw. That makes sense both from the point of view of connecting the audience very personally with the story and because hey, why not put Boyega front and center for at least part of the campaign, right?
When you load the official website it's clear the site is built on Tumblr from the way content is laid out. The trailer starts playing in one of the tiles at the top of the page, with another letting you play a video that intercuts footage from the movie with an interview with a number of people who lived through the events depicted and the filmmakers.
Keep scrolling down the page and you'll encounter a number of other photos from both the film and the news of the time. You can sort which ones you'd like to see by choosing either "Film" or "1967. The "Trailer" will play the final trailer for you.
Most importantly, more of the interviews can be found in "True Stories," which gives you the same one seen at the top of the page as well as a second with more memories and insights.
The bottom of the page has links to the movie's Instagram, Twitter and Facebook profiles.
Advertising and Cross-Promotions
TV advertising kicked off with a spot that condensed the story down to show the racial climate that will be portrayed in the movie, with shots of kids acting tough and cops getting in everyone's faces as tensions begin to boil over.
The second trailer was used pretty extensively in social ads on Twitter and Facebook. Key art was used for outdoor billboards as well as banner and other online ads.
One aspect of the movie got particular attention, namely that it was a movie about black people that was written by a white guy. Screenwriter Mark Boal addressed that disconnect head-on, discussing how he discovered the story, the responsibility he felt to tell it, working with Bigelow again and lots more.
Boyega also was a focus of the press, where he talked about taking on this role, what it's been like to bounce between Star Wars and other projects and other topics like how familiar he was or wasn't with this particular part of America's history. Boyega also did the late night talk show rounds to promote the movie there.
As a well-known director it was good to see Bigelow get the spotlight as well. She and co-star Anthony Mackie did their own press appearances, was interviewed about how this movie fits into her body of work that focuses on real-life action and violence and otherwise talked about doing what she could to highlight a part of history.
This is a challenging movie to sell. It's the kind of low-profile prestige movie that doesn't usually get big release platforms these days. Indeed, I kept having to remind myself it wasn't a Netflix original film, something they picked up at a festival.
The campaign hasn't shied away from some difficult topics, though, including the attitudes and behaviors of the police and military who were in or sent to Detroit to deal with the situation. Boyega's security guard character is clearly our entry point into the story, the one we're following and who is shown to be beholden to two viewpoints, both that of law enforcement and his identity as a black man. It's through his eyes that we see what's happening and how things spiral out of control.
Not only is what's being sold an important historical lesson – especially for people like me who knew of but weren't all that familiar with what happened there – but it's so incredibly timely to the world we live in now. It seems like once a month a new instance emerges of police killing unarmed black men, women and children and eventually being set free. Riots and protests have popped up around the country in the last three years in response to this and while none have reached the fever pitch of Detroit 50 years ago, they're all reminders that we have a long way to go. The marketing of Detroit never makes that connection explicitly, but it's there in the background for anyone who's been watching the news.
Author Chris ThilkPosted on 2017-08-01 2017-08-01 Categories Marketing RecapTags annapurna pictures, john boyega, kathryn bigelow1 Comment on Detroit – Marketing Recap

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Jay Rayner describes the abomination that is the Scotch egg.
Late in the recording of this series I finally got to meet the lovely Gail Simmons, who had stood in for me when my visa failed to come through. Her opinion: we were having it easy on Top Chef Masters compared to Top Chef. Or, as she put it, "Boy, did we have to kiss a lot of frogs when we did our show." I got her point. Our contestants were all top-drawer chefs who knew how to do lovely things with ingredients, knives, and fire. But, you know, it still managed to throw up a few nightmares and the worst of them so far turned up here, in the first of the championship rounds. That my more vituperative comments didn't make the cut, is probably fair. I think I went a little bonkers.
We'll get there in a moment. First though, I should say that this show also included one of the greatest eating experiences so far – though you didn't get to witness a moment of our pleasure. It was decided that, for the elimination challenge, us judges should get to eat the signature dishes that our six chefs prepared for each other, to give us something to bench mark the re-engineered versions against. So two platters of each were made, both to be served family style. While the chefs ate in the kitchen we were on the dining room set, attacking them with a massive enthusiasm and gusto, which may be linked to the fact the cameras weren't on us.
I remember that lunch in great detail because we all commented on how damn fortunate we were. From Hubert's old school lobster bisque through to Michael's Quail and Rick's lamb this was the real deal. We adored Anita's scallops – ooh, those sea urchins – and revelled in Suzanne's home style chopped steaks with eggs and toast and lots of good sticky stuff. It was one of those moments that forced us to remind ourselves that we were being paid to do this. Where did it all go so right?
But there's always a downside and that, for me, came the next day when the lovely Art Smith delivered his version of Suzanne's stunning chopped steak by presenting us with – a Scotch Egg. Oh Lord. Oh help. Oh my.
Here's what you need to know about the true Scotch egg: it is a British traditional food, which has no noble antecedents. Or to put it another way, it may once have been a glorious thing, but nobody of my generation in Britain is aware of such a thing. It is a nightmarish food item, the stuff of cheap family weddings, where the irascible scary uncle gets drunk and tries to score with the bridesmaids. The buffet at that sort of wedding would always include a platter of Scotch eggs, which would leave as nasty a taste in the mouth as the party. Think dry, cold, coagulated, cheap quality sausage meat – minced pig eyelids, ground down ears and knee caps; the cheapest of the cheap – with a crust of bright orange breadcrumbs on the outside, and inside an egg boiled to such a degree that if lobbed in a crowded public space it would be regarded as a dangerous weapon. Put said item in deep fat fryer and leave to DIE. Scotch eggs are what you eat at three o'clock in the morning when you pull into a service station off the motorway and are too hungry to make a proper judgment. They are what you eat in British pubs – not the nice oldie worldy, prettified ones; the nasty, sticky floored ones, where the curtains small of nicotine and the air is heavy with the taint of regret and disappointment – when you have drunk ten pints of lager the colour and flavour of something that came out the wrong end of a cat. They are the food of desperation. At Critics' Table I asked Art Smith if he'd ever gone 10 pints in a British pub. He looked at me as if I'd asked him for the late Queen Mother's bra size, poor love.
Now it's true that a couple of places in Britain have attempted to do something fancy with the Scotch egg. At a really nice gastropub in West London called the Harwood arms, they serve one made of finest minced venison with, in the middle, a quail's egg, the yolk of which is still runny. And everything you need to know is there in the description: to banish the memory of the real thing, they had to make it without the usual ingredients.
So why did Art Smith not go home? A number of reasons. Firstly, I fully accept that my reaction to his dish was re-enforced by my personal and traumatic memories of Scotch eggs (though I would argue that as the relationship between food and memory is very tight, it's entirely valid). The point is that neither James nor Gael shared those memories — lucky, lucky people. Secondly the other things on the plate really were rather nice. Whereas poor old Suzanne's dish just failed on every level, and so she was the one who had to go.
Art Smith got to fight another week. And I got to remind myself exactly why I was being paid.


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Women in Aquaculture: Kate Dempsey
Regulations Politics Sustainability Environment Husbandry
More from this series: Women in aquaculture
by Megan Howell
23 July 2021, at 8:00am
Kate Dempsey began her career as a law graduate but quickly found her calling in Ireland's aquaculture sector as founder of the Irish Mussel Seed Company, the Wicklow Seaweed Company and the CEO of Aqualicense.
Kate Dempsey, founder and CEO of Aqualicense
Can you briefly describe your aquaculture career?
My aquaculture career started with an aquaculture licence application for an offshore mussel farm on the east coast of Ireland over 10 years ago.
While in the process of licensing I realised how difficult it can be to create a new startup in this regulated industry and ever since I have been working to increase my knowledge and experience in this space. I set about learning the industry, through aquaculture courses and a higher diploma in aquabusiness. My first aquaculture licence took nearly 10 years to grant and so I had lots of time to work on other things.
In 2018 I began working on another company called Aqualicense, which began trading in December 2019) and is a marine consultancy firm, created to service the aquaculture industry through licence applications and associated environmental works.
Aqualicense remains committed to the aquaculture industry but also works on offshore renewable energy projects. In Ireland, much of the marine sector is based in the west, but I live on the east coast. Creating and a job for myself in a sector that I love close to home has been an amazing journey.
What drew you to the aquaculture sector?
The fishing industry is how my father provided for his family and my grandparents before him. Through this, I have experienced the importance and value of how fishing brings a community together.
One year I was home from college and there were mussel boats in the Arklow harbour (my local harbour). They were complaining about the lack of wild mussel seed. Although I had studied law, I knew I did not want to be stuck behind a desk all of the time. I was looking for an opportunity to create something for myself.
I was also watching new environmental directives being issued from Europe and realised that the practice of wild mussel fishing was likely to be restricted further. I then researched mussel production and the various farming methods. The innovation blew me away and that was it I was hooked.
The Blessing of the Boats in Arklow: Kate grew up in a traditional fishing community - both her father and grandfather were fishermen
What species have you been working with?
Mussels and seaweed, and then as a consultant on salmon farming, shellfish and everything in between.
What does a typical day in your current role consist of?
A typical day for me begins with a catch-up with my team. Then there are usually various client or online meetings after which I get stuck in with the work for that day. I am dealing with contracts, large purchases, client relations and innovation, which I love.
What's your favourite part of working in aquaculture?
I have many. Firstly, you never know what you will be working on next. In aquaculture you get a real sense that you are working in a space that is growing across production, sustainability, innovation, technology, etc.
I love aquaculture because I truly believe that when you look at the macro level, the world population is expanding and the food network and systems need to match this in a way that compliments our environment. There is no better way to do that than through aquaculture, so you get that feelgood factor.
With aquaculture being a relatively new industry, we can stand back and learn from agriculture and be mindful to develop sustainably rather than focusing on sheer production expansion void of environmental constraints.
What work-related achievement are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my work as a representative for aquaculture and fisheries. I hope that this will encourage more new entrants into the industry. I feel like my career is just starting, but when I look back I have achieved quite a lot and I am proud of that. I am laser-focused on the goals I have set for myself and my businesses and I am excited for what lies ahead.
What challenges have you encountered working in the sector?
When I started in the industry, I was a young girl of 23. Overcoming peoples' pre-conceived notions of me as a potential aquaculture operator and businesswoman was a challenge. Once the industry got to know me and valued my input it resulted in some excellent mentors and support, but it took a while to establish myself.
The biggest challenge by far has been explaining what aquaculture is and the opportunity within it. I feel like educating investors while you are a startup is extremely difficult - particularly in the primary production financial sector. The experience of financial institutions with aquaculture farmers established years ago has not always been positive. These days technology has made it possible to remove a huge amount of risk and this is not always considered by financing bodies.
Have you encountered (or heard of) any gender-related challenges in the sector?
Of course, you hear it all of the time and yes, I have experienced it. I represent aquaculture on the Private Mechanism to the UN which discusses issues encountered globally in food networks and is focused this year on gender issues.
I have heard directly from women farmers who have no access to finance, land and business opportunity, other than through their husbands, which is extremely disheartening. But this is the world we live in and it is only by talking about what is happening that change can happen. Women are half of the global workforce. Can you imagine what we can achieve if women across the globe can participate in food production without restriction?
Are there any individuals or organisations in aquaculture that you've found particularly inspirational?
My father and family who inspired me to want to work in the marine space and supported me to have the confidence to establish my own business as they had.
What advice would you give to women who are considering joining the aquaculture sector?
Reach out to other women in the sector. It may not see like it but there are a lot of us here and eager to help other women entrepreneurs!
What's the most surprising experience you've had in aquaculture?
Truthfully, it always surprises me how often I have to explain what aquaculture is! It is the fastest growing food industry in the world but people in general just do not understand what it is, or have never heard of it.
Kate Dempsey at the Wicklow Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, 2018
If you could solve one issue in aquaculture, what would it be?
I would want aquaculture companies to benefit financially from the ecosystem services they provide like carbon sequestration and nutrient uptake.
What would you like to be doing in 10 years' time?
Taking over the world! Honestly, solving global problems through aquaculture.
Which species that you've worked with do you think is the most promising for aquaculture?
All species are promising commercially, but seaweed and shellfish farming are really interesting because of the carbon sequestration potential. I find it fascinating that there is a form of food and protein production that requires little to no input from farmers but provides amazing services to the environment at the same time.
What's happening at the BIM-organised webinar on 27 July?
I'm looking forward to speaking at the Emerging technologies in Irish aquaculture webinar. Having recently started my own company, it's interesting to share experiences with others in the same sector, and compare notes on the challenges and opportunities of being an aquaculture startup in Ireland. It's a fantastic time to be involved in an industry that's so receptive to new ideas and we'll be discussing some of the key innovations and opportunities that are emerging.
You can register for the webinar, which takes place on 27 July at 1pm GMT+1, here.
Megan Howell
Assistant editor at The Fish Site
Megan Howell first started writing about aquaculture in 2019 as part of the editorial team at 5m Publishing and The Fish Site. She has a MSc in applied research methods from Trinity College Dublin. She currently lives and works in Ireland.
More in this series: Women in aquaculture
Women in aquaculture: Angela Odero
Angela Odero, CEO and co-founder of Rio Fish Limited, is on a mission to end the sex-for-fish trade in Kenya, (whereby women traders are sexually exploited by predatory fishermen) - through market linkages so that women …
Women in aquaculture: Retno Nuraini
Indonesia-based aquaculture specialist Retno Nuraini's continual work on sustainable production has led her to join Deliberate Capital, an investment company which is providing financial and technical expertise to smallh…
Women in Aquaculture – Aine O'Donnell and Aine-Lisa Shannon
Aine O'Donnell and Aine-Lisa Shannon are bringing aquaculture to Ireland's primary schools as part of the Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) Aquaculture Remote Classroom (ARC), a mobile classroom that showcases aquaculture's role…
Women in Aquaculture: Heather Sadusky
Heather Sadusky has been on a mission to give consumers access to sustainable seafood and has worked across the US, Hong Kong and the Caribbean to achieve her goals. She's now leading the Sustainable Fisheries Partnershi…
Women in aquaculture: Yasmin Abdullah
Yasmin Abdullah is a researcher at the Fish Farming and Technology Institute at Suez Canal University and also works in one of Egypt's largest national aquaculture projects.
More articles on molluscs
Welsh university receives funding to restore oyster populations
Bangor University and the Zoological Society of London have been awarded nearly £250,000 to oversee a project that will …
Canada greenlights $40 million in aid for hard-hit shellfish sector
Atlantic Canada's bivalve sector is receiving new investment to aid recovery from Hurricane Fiona and safeguard key jobs…
Swinomish clam garden bolsters littleneck clam populations
The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is using funding from NOAA to build the first modern clam garden in the US, revivi…
More articles on aquatic plants
Stepping up technology in the Indonesian seaweed sector
Pak Asdar Marsuki is working closely with seaweed farmers in South Sulawesi, where MARI Oceans – a community development…
Researchers swap single-use plastic with seaweed-based film
The EU-funded SeaFilm food packaging project has developed an algae-based and biodegradable edible film that can be used…
A ground-breaking insight into global seaweed production
Hatch Innovation Services has unveiled a new knowledge platform for the global seaweed industry today.
Fish waste-to-protein startup secures £1.47 million
Danish biotech startup Hyperthermics, which turns waste from RAS facilities into biogas and protein, has secured a fresh injection of capital.


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Marty Friedman Announces Release Date, Specs For New Live Recording; Debuts Clip From Recording
Posted on August 23, 2018 by philspicks
Courtesy: Prosthetic Records
Famed virtuoso guitarist Marty Friedman has a new live recording on the way, and in anticipation of its release, a clip has been released from the recording.
Friedman's new live recording One Mad M.F. Live!! is scheduled to be released October 19 via Prosthetic Records. Originally recorded April 14, 2018 on the last date of Friedman's "Wall Of Sound Tour," the recording will be available on CD, digital and special deluxe 2LP gatefold set with glow-in-the-dark wax as one pressing. Other vinyl pressings will be in black sparkle and clear splatter.
In anticipation of the recording's release, a from the performance of Friedman performing his song 'Whiteworm' has been released at GuitarWorld.com. The song is streaming online at Friedman's official bandcamp site. Pre-orders for the recording are open now at Friedman's official store.
Friedman shared his thoughts on his new recording in a recent interview, noting that it gives audiences a lot to anticipate.
"This live album is a tip of the hat to the live albums that blew my mind when I was a kid," Friedman said. "The musical content itself is modern and atomic-powered, but the presentation is decidedly old-school. The pacing of the show, the audience participation stuff, the special live arrangements of the songs, these are the things that got me all jacked up as a kid. I like to give the audience the feeling that they are really getting something unique, something that only happens at THEIR show, not just a recital of the songs exactly as they know them. There are lots of happy accidents, once in a lifetime ad libs, things that could have only happened because we were high on that particular audience's energy."
Friedman added he felt that the performance presented in this recording achieved the goal for which he aimed in the first place.
"I like to lose myself in giving energy to the audience," Friedman said. "I want everyone to go home feeling like they were injected with a shot of positive vibes. I think we captured that on the record."
In celebration of his new live recording's release, Friedman will hold a special performance October 21 at the famed Viper Room in Los Angeles, California. It will be his only live U.S. performance of the year. Tickets for the show are available here.
The full track listing for One Bad M.F. Live!! is noted below.
Complete track listing for ONE BAD M.F. Live!!:
1. Street Demon
3. Amagi Goe
4. Inferno
5. Self Pollution
6. Devil Take Tomorrow
7. Mutation Medley (featuring Asche zu Asche, My Oh My, Forbidden City, Tornado of Souls)
8. Ripped
9. Whiteworm
10. Undertow
11. Dragon Mistress
12. Kaeritakunatta Yo
BONUS TRACKS, DIGITAL ONLY:
Hyper Doom
Stigmata Addiction
One Bad M.F. Live!! follows the release of Wall of Sound (2017). The album debuted at #12 on Billboard's Heatseekers Chart. Friedman said the album is one of the best that he has ever created.
"I've had albums that have charted higher, sold more and got more attention over my career, but Wall of Sound is the album I've been striving to make ever since I picked up a guitar," Friedman said. "I have an almost unhealthy amount of pride toward that album. The thrill I get from playing the Wall of Sound stuff live is something that I wanted documented, and that's what One Bad M.F. Live!! is."
More information on One Bad M.F. Live!! is available online now along with all of Marty Friedman's latest news and more at:
Website: http://www.marrtyfriedman.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/martyfriedman.official
Twitter: http://twitter.com/marty_friedman
This entry was posted in Celebrities, Concerts, Internet, Music and tagged Billboard, celebrities, entertainment, facebook, internet, Marty Friedman, music, Phils Picks, Prosthetci Records, Twitter, Viper Room, Wordpress by philspicks. Bookmark the permalink.


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Blu-ray Review: Midsommar
By eelyajekiM | @ | October 8th, 2019 at 10:00 am
Blu-ray | DVD | Digital
Director: Ari Aster
Writer: Ari Aster
Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Archie Madekwe, Ellora Torchia, Will Poulter
Distributor: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
If there was a movie that could epitomize living through a great tragedy while being in a toxic relationship, it would have to be Ari Aster's ambitious film Midsommar. An unconventional horror to say the least, the film is a slow burn that scares you at just the right moments, and then hits you even harder when you least expect it. Though that slow burn pacing may backfire, there is more than enough from Aster's deft hand direction and star Florence Pugh's performance to grab the audience's attention and never let go. My full Blu-ray review of Midsommar here below.
Topics: Blu-ray Review, Movies, Reviews
Tags: Archie Madekwe, Ari Aster, Ellora Torchia, Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Lionsgate, Midsommar, Vilhelm Blomgren, Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper
Movie Review: Midsommar
By eelyajekiM | @ | July 3rd, 2019 at 10:00 am
Distributor: A24
Rated R | Minutes: 147
Hereditary writer and director Ari Aster's Midsommar reminds us that, even though his films are redefining the genre, they aren't for everybody. For his sophomore effort, he creates a world that on the surface looks bright and colorful, but deep down, hides something that is bizarre, strange, and visceral.
It is certainly a stark contrast to what he offered in his directorial debut in terms of vision and tone, but one that can be imbalanced because of its use of black comedy and an uneven narrative. Still, it is one trip that isn't conventional and scares audiences to their core with the use of shocking imagery and terrific pacing. Check out my review below.
Tags: A24, Archie Madekwe, Ari Aster, Ellora Torchia, Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Midsommar, Vilhelm Blomgren, Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper
'Midsommar' Trailer: 'Hereditary' Director Takes You To Must-See Festival
By eelyajekiM | @ | May 14th, 2019 at 2:00 pm
A24 has released a new trailer for Midsommar, Ari Aster's latest directorial effort and follow-up to the bone-chilling Hereditary.
The film, which stars Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor, centers on a group of friends who venture out to a remote part of Sweden to attend a once in a lifetime festival. Though things may look all sunshine and rainbows, underneath it lies something truly sinister. Check out the latest trailer below.
'Midsommar': Trailer For Latest From 'Hereditary' Director Ari Aster Released
By The Movie God | @ | March 5th, 2019 at 10:10 pm
A24 has released a teaser trailer for Midsommar, the latest from Hereditary writer and director Ari Aster which is described as a "Scandinavian folk horror."
The movie stars Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor, with William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgran, Archie Madekwe, Ellora Torchia, and Will Poulter joining them on the cast.
Click on over to the other side to check out the teaser trailer for Midsommar, along with a recently released poster.
Tags: A24, Archie Madekwe, Ari Aster, Ellora Torchia, Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Midsommar, Vilhelm Blomgran, Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper
Blu-ray Review: Hereditary
By Dr. Zaius | @ | September 4th, 2018 at 11:00 am
4K | Blu-ray | DVD
Written & Directed by Ari Aster
Starring Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff
Lions Gate Home Entertainment
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Hereditary is written and directed by first-time feature-length filmmaker Ari Aster and is currently ranked as my second best film of 2018 and far and away my favorite horror film of the year, and maybe of the past decade. Since seeing it on opening night back in June, I've been haunted by it, waking up in the middle of the night and checking the corners of my ceiling. The movie was critically lauded, currently sitting at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, but has divided film audiences. Produced by indie darlings, A24, the same company that gave us The Witch, It Comes At Night, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Hereditary is a complex horror film that deserves full attention and the utmost respect. One of the most talked about and debated films of 2018 is available in stores now as special Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital combo pack.
Tags: Alex Wolff, Ari Aster, Gabriel Byrne, Hereditary, Milly Shapiro, Toni Collette
'Hereditary' Trailer: A24's Newest Horror Guarantees Things You Can't Unsee
By eelyajekiM | @ | April 17th, 2018 at 6:00 pm
A24 has released a second official trailer for Ari Aster's horror film Hereditary.
The film stars Toni Collette as a mother who discovers that her family heritage holds sinister dark secrets. And all of that is about to unravel when her mother, the matriarch of the family, passes away. Check out the new trailer below.
Tags: A24, Alex Wolff, Ann Dowd, Ari Aster, Gabriel Byrne, Hereditary, Milly Shapiro, Toni Collette
Watch: Unsettling Trailer For Upcoming Horror 'Hereditary'
By The Movie God | @ | January 31st, 2018 at 10:00 am
A24 has released an official trailer for Hereditary, an upcoming horror starring Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Alex Wolff, Ann Dowd, and Gabriel Byrne. It's directed by Ari Aster, who is making his feature debut.
The movie follows a family uncovering secrets about their ancestry, which grow more and more terrifying as they dig deeper. And if the trailer is any indication, we are in for one unsettling and nerve-rattling ride. You can read an official description for Hereditary and check out the trailer and a poster below.
Tags: Alex Wolff, Ann Dowd, Ari Aster, Gabriel Byrne, Hereditary, Milly Shapiro, Toni Collette


Before you continue the lesson read the following passage and try to see how the verbs are formed and used.
James is a taxi driver. He drives a taxi. But on Sundays he doesn't drive his taxi. He stays at home.
The verb be, drive, stay are in the simple present.
I, you, we, they play.
Remember the verbs in the third person singular (he,she and it) always take an "s". For example, "he plays, she sings,it works..."
Nancy and James speak good German.
Nancy works in a restaurant downtown.
The children play in the garden every weekend.
Do I, you, we, they play?
Do you speak good German?
Does Nancy work in a restaurant downtown?
I, you, we,they do not play.
No, I don't speak German.
to give your opinion - I like ice cream. I don't like spicy food.
to talk about schedules - The library opens at eight. It doesn't open at 7.
to talk about daily habits (routine actions)- Sara eats a cheese for breakfast every day. She doesn't eat cereal.
to give facts - The earth circles the sun. The moon doesn't circle the sun.
I visit my parents every summer holiday. But my wife visits her parents every weekend.
My brother meets his girlfriend everyday.
She drives to work every morning.
I have two sisters and two brothers. But she has one sister and two brothers.
1.In the interrogative forms, we use "do" or "does".
"Do you like the house?"
"Does she go to school?"
2; Verbs never take an "s" in the the negative and interrogative forms.
She doesn't like ice cream.
He doesn't listen to jazz music.
Exercises on the simple present.


text:
Wireless Power Resources
Technical Workshops, Developer Tools, Workshops, and Certification Programs
AirFuel Alliance® is the global hub for thought-leaders committed to defining the future of the wireless power industry. Browse our resources below to learn more about how AirFuel's webinars, events, and technical trainings can give you the support you need to bring your product to market.
Want to know more about how wireless power works? Read our introduction to wireless power to learn more about this rapidly-evolving technology.
Upcoming Wireless Power Events
六月 28 - Mobile World Congress
MWC Shanghai is Asia's most influential event for the connectivity industry. It's where world-leading companies and trailblazers share the latest thought leadership about the progression and future of connectivity. And it's the best place for networking opportunities...
五月 12 - International Conference on Electronics Technology (ICET)
It is our pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all delegates to participate in the 2023 6th International Conference on Electronics Technology (ICET) which is yearly held at Chengdu, China. It is sponsored by Sichuan Institute of Electronics, technically co-sponsored...
五月 9 - PCIM Europe 2023
At the international event for power electronics and its applications, representatives from industry and science meet, trends and developments are presented to the public for the first time, and the entire value chain is represented – from components to intelligent...
AirFuel Alliance® provides the technical requirements, specifications, certification guidelines, and developer support you'll need to build safe, interoperable wireless charging into your products.
VIEW TOOLS
Our AirFuel Certified Engineer Program is a virtual training program that provides a technical deep dive into building with AirFuel Resonant and a working reference design to integrate into prototypes.
Safety and Regulatory Requirements
Expertise and advice on how to make compliance planning a core part of your development process, so you can get the regulatory authorizations you need to take your products to market.
Get the specifications
What's the difference between Resonant, RF and Inductive technology?
Both Inductive and Resonant technologies use coils of wire to transfer power while RF uses radio frequency. There are also differences in the transmission frequencies and communication protocols, which translate into variations in spatial freedom to support multiple use cases. For example, Resonant coils are tuned for better efficiency and enable spatial freedom while Inductive requires the device to be attached to the charge.
Resonant charging utilizes uniquely designed coils to allow movement over longer distances while charging. With resonant charging, any enabled surface can power a device, up to 50mm height and from a wide surface area.
Resonant-based chargers inject an oscillating current into a highly resonant coil to create an electromagnetic field. A second coil with the same resonant frequency receives power from the electromagnetic field and converts it back into an electrical current that can be used to power and charge devices.
This lets you transfer power over longer distances and does not require exact orientation. Learn more about AirFuel Resonant technology.
RF charging uses a radio frequency transmitter and a receiver embedded within the device (not a coil) to pick up RF energy and convert it to power. RF provides low power at distances ranging from a few centimeters to a meter, delivering true spatial freedom. This means it works well with wearables, medical devices or other devices that need the broadest spatial freedom. Learn more about AirFuel RF technology.
Inductive charging uses closely coupled coils to deliver transfer of a magnetic field over a short distance (up to 20mm). It works well for devices that can be placed directly on top of the charging source (i.e., with no spatial freedom) such as a smartphones on top of a charging pad.
What does AirFuel Alliance do?
We provide technical requirements, specifications and guidelines that members can use to ensure wireless charging products (based on the same technology) interoperate with one another and that wireless power technology is high quality, safe and reliable. The Alliance and its members also work to promote wireless charging and raise worldwide awareness of its many benefits for consumer and commercial use. We continually listen to the needs of the market and actively support a range of wireless power technologies that will deliver the best experience and realize our vision of a world without wires.
We've been hearing about wireless charging for several years – why is it taking so long?
As with any new or disruptive technology, it takes years to develop a vibrant market. Wireless charging is at an exciting inflection point as we move from early stage, proprietary solutions to standards-based solutions. We have more and more standards-based devices and infrastructure coming to market which helps drive the growth of the market.
Who can join AirFuel Alliance?
Any company interested in wireless charging and committed to working on interoperability and open standards is encouraged to join. We work with you to find the right membership level, and to join you will be asked to fill out an application and financial agreement. Learn about AirFuel Alliance membership here.
Do you have additional questions? Get in touch with us.
Recapping Wireless Power at CES 2023
一月 24, 2023 | Blog
As usual, this year's CES show featured notable wireless power-enabled products and announcements. In this recap, AirFuel Alliance...
一月 3, 2023 | Featured, Press Releases
Wireless Power and Wireless Communication
十二月 5, 2022 | Podcast
On the last episode of this season, we welcome Daniela Raddino, Senior Engineer at Rohde & Schwarz. A researcher and author with...
AirFuel Alliance is always available to discuss our technology, organization, and the wireless power market.
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Register below to receive access to the AirFuel RF specifications
By submitting this form you agree to the Limited Use Specification License Agreement of use for these technical specifications.
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香港中文 English 한국어


text:
"""
Simulate a PEtab problem and compare results to reference values
"""

import argparse
import importlib
import logging
import os
import sys

import petab
import yaml
from amici.logging import get_logger
from amici.petab_objective import (simulate_petab, rdatas_to_measurement_df,
                                   LLH, RDATAS)
from petab.visualize import plot_petab_problem

logger = get_logger(f"amici.{__name__}", logging.WARNING)

def parse_cli_args():
    """Parse command line arguments

    Returns:
        Parsed CLI arguments from ``argparse``.
    """

    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
        description='Simulate PEtab-format model using AMICI.')

    # General options:
    parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose', dest='verbose', action='store_true',
                        help='More verbose output')
    parser.add_argument('-c', '--check', dest='check', action='store_true',
                        help='Compare to reference value')
    parser.add_argument('-p', '--plot', dest='plot', action='store_true',
                        help='Plot measurement and simulation results')

    # PEtab problem
    parser.add_argument('-y', '--yaml', dest='yaml_file_name',
                        required=True,
                        help='PEtab YAML problem filename')

    # Corresponding AMICI model
    parser.add_argument('-m', '--model-name', dest='model_name',
                        help='Name of the AMICI module of the model to '
                             'simulate.', required=True)
    parser.add_argument('-d', '--model-dir', dest='model_directory',
                        help='Directory containing the AMICI module of the '
                             'model to simulate. Required if model is not '
                             'in python path.')

    parser.add_argument('-o', '--simulation-file', dest='simulation_file',
                        help='File to write simulation result to, in PEtab'
                        'measurement table format.')

    args = parser.parse_args()

    return args

def main():
    """Simulate the model specified on the command line"""

    args = parse_cli_args()

    if args.verbose:
        logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)

    logger.info(f"Simulating '{args.model_name}' "
                f"({args.model_directory}) using PEtab data from "
                f"{args.yaml_file_name}")

    # load PEtab files
    problem = petab.Problem.from_yaml(args.yaml_file_name)
    petab.flatten_timepoint_specific_output_overrides(problem)

    # load model
    if args.model_directory:
        sys.path.insert(0, args.model_directory)
    model_module = importlib.import_module(args.model_name)
    amici_model = model_module.getModel()
    amici_solver = amici_model.getSolver()

    if args.model_name == "Isensee_JCB2018":
        amici_solver.setAbsoluteTolerance(1e-12)
        amici_solver.setRelativeTolerance(1e-12)

    res = simulate_petab(
        petab_problem=problem, amici_model=amici_model,
        solver=amici_solver, log_level=logging.DEBUG)
    rdatas = res[RDATAS]
    llh = res[LLH]

    # create simulation PEtab table
    sim_df = rdatas_to_measurement_df(rdatas=rdatas, model=amici_model,
                                      measurement_df=problem.measurement_df)
    sim_df.rename(columns={petab.MEASUREMENT: petab.SIMULATION}, inplace=True)

    if args.simulation_file:
        sim_df.to_csv(index=False, sep="\t")

    if args.plot:
        try:
            # visualize fit
            axs = plot_petab_problem(petab_problem=problem, sim_data=sim_df)

            # save figure
            for plot_id, ax in axs.items():
                fig_path = os.path.join(args.model_directory,
                                        args.model_name + "_" + plot_id
                                        + "_vis.png")
                logger.info(f"Saving figure to {fig_path}")
                ax.get_figure().savefig(fig_path, dpi=150)

        except NotImplementedError:
            pass

    if args.check:
        references_yaml = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
                                       "benchmark_models.yaml")
        with open(references_yaml) as f:
            refs = yaml.full_load(f)

        try:
            ref_llh = refs[args.model_name]["llh"]
            logger.info(f"Reference llh: {ref_llh}")

            if abs(ref_llh - llh) < 1e-3:
                logger.info(f"Computed llh {llh} matches reference "
                            f"{ref_llh}. Absolute difference is "
                            f"{ref_llh - llh}.")
            else:
                logger.error(f"Computed llh {llh} does not match reference "
                             f"{ref_llh}. Absolute difference is "
                             f"{ref_llh - llh}."
                             f" Relative difference is {llh / ref_llh}")
                sys.exit(1)
        except KeyError:
            logger.error("No reference likelihood found for "
                         f"{args.model_name} in {references_yaml}")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Who is Eric?
Eric's Writing
1632 series reading order
Chronological Bibliography
Hugo Controversy
Salvos Against Big Brother
The Editor's Page
1632 Snippets
Drake Snippets
Freer Snippets
Gannon Snippets
Kratman Snippets
Lackey Snippets
Ringo Snippets
Spoor Snippets
Weber Snippets
THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN CONNECTION — snippet 9
by Eric Flint | Oct 29, 2007 | 1632Snippet, Snippets | 2 comments
THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN CONNECTION – snippet 9:
Denise was looking a little cross-eyed by now. For that matter, Noelle thought she might be herself.
The fingers started closing back down, one at a time, gracefully despite their heft. "So Lorraine talked to Lauren and she talked to Graham and Graham put in a word with Joe Stull, and I guess Joe must have been having one of his rare off days because he agreed to hire the clown. And that's how it happened."
Throughout, he hadn't varied in the slightest the metronome regularity of his chair-rocking. Now, he looked back to Noelle. "So, like I said, forget Simmons." He gestured with his thumb to the tattoo on his shoulder. "If Mickey had a tattoo, it'd read Born to be a Small-Tim Loser. No, the people you want to start looking at are the Barclays."
Noelle frowned. "Pete Barclay? The guy who works for Dave Marcantonio?"
"Yup. Him and his wife Marina. She works there too, y'know." He finally ceased the chair-rocking and stood up. Then, picked up a big black flashlight perched on a shelf, one of those long, heavy Maglites favored by cops because they could double as a club in a pinch. Buster was holding it the way cops did, too, with the lamp cupped in his hand and the shaft perched on his shoulder, ready to swing forward if need be. So far as Noelle knew, Buster Beasley hadn't been in a brawl in years. But he'd been notorious for brawling in his younger years—if not for starting fights, certainly for ending them—and he clearly still had the ingrained habits.
The big ex-biker headed for the door, not bothering to put on a coat to fend off the autumn chill outside. "Come on. Let me show you something."
A minute later, they were staring into one of Buster's storage sheds. It was one of the big ones down by the end.
"There is nothing in it," said Eddie, puzzled.
"Not today, sure enough. But if you'd looked into it three mornings ago, you would have found it packed full. The Barclays showed up right when I opened, along with Allan and Neil O'Connor—I think most of the stuff belonged to them, actually, even though the Barclays are the ones who paid the rent—and cleaned it all out. They had three wagons for the purposes. Well-built wagons, driven by some down-timers I don't know. The guy who seemed to be in charge was a real dandy, dressed to the hilt. Fancy plumed hat, the whole works."
Noelle hissed. "The O'Connors? But…"
There seemed to be a thin smile on Buster's face. Between the beard and the darkness, though, it was hard to tell.
"But they have a successful business here? I wouldn't be too sure of that, the way they go through money like it was water. I can tell you this much, for sure. Since the Barclays rented this shed six months ago, they've been steadily filling it up with mechanical equipment—smallish stuff, of course, no big machines—tools, blueprints, diagrams, you name it. I'm pretty sure some of it was swiped from Marcantonio's machine shop, although I couldn't swear to it."
"Oh, wow," said Denise. "Dad, the fuckers are defecting."
"That's my guess. Got no idea where to, though."
Noelle's lips were tight. "You know, Buster, you could have maybe said something about this earlier."
He swiveled to face her. Whatever smile might have been on his face was gone now. "Said something to who? The so-called 'authorities'? Meaning no offense, Ms. Murphy—"
"It's Stull, now. I changed it."
"Good for you," said Denise. "I kinda like your mother, but her ex-husband—the guy who was supposed to be your dad and wasn't—is a complete shithead."
Clearly enough, whatever parental instruction Buster had felt it necessary to give his daughter had never included "proper language for a young lady." Noelle couldn't really fault Buster for that, though. He made a lot better father in everything essential than Francis Murphy had, she didn't doubt that in the least.
"Yeah, good for you," echoed Buster. "Your real dad Dennis is an okay guy, in my book. But like I was saying, Ms. Stull, I mind my own business. I'm as likely to go to the cops as I am to eat tofu for breakfast. I got along with Dan Frost well enough, once him and me straightened out a few issues. But I've generally got as much use for cops as I do for cockroaches. Especially since, in this case, I can't see where they were doing anything illegal anyway except for maybe some petty theft from Dave's machine shop."
He gave his daughter a stern look. "How is it 'defecting' when we're not at war with anybody any longer? People got a right to live wherever they want, you know—and take their property with them. You really oughta watch your language, young lady."
Noelle barked a laugh. For his part, Eddie gave Buster a wary look.
"We're not actually policemen," he said. "No powers of arrest. We're just investigators."
Buster shrugged. "Like the guy said in that Muppet movie. Authorities is authorities."
"He didn't say that," Denise protested. "He said—"
"Do you want to help them?" demanded her father, gesturing with a thumb at Noelle and Eddie.
"Yeah, sure. I don't care what you say, Dad. Those fuckers are defecting. Buncha traitors."
"Then quit arguing with me about movie dialogue and get a move on." He turned back to Noelle and Eddie, smiling again. "If you want to catch them, you'd better plan on starting at dawn. They'll have three days' head start on you, wherever they're going."
"You have no idea?"
"Not a clue. Like I said—"
"You mind your own business. I heard you." Noelle tried not to sound too snappish and testy. Despite his appearance, Buster was generally an easy-going sort of fellow. Still. Aggravating a large ex-biker on his own property in the middle of the night when he was carrying an eighteen-inch flashlight in his hand did not strike Noelle as falling into the category of "good idea."
Eddie was scratching his head. "We'll need to alert the police, first. Then, we'll have to figure out which way they went."
Denise grinned. "I'll find that out for you. Me and my bike. I'll get started as soon as it's light enough to see anything."
"Ain't she a pip?" said her father, admiringly.
JohnF	on October 29, 2007 at 7:48 AM
"If Mickey had a tattoo, it'd read Born to be a Small-Tim Loser.
Small-Tim -> Small-Time
Erik	on October 29, 2007 at 9:46 AM
Actually I like "Small-Tim". Makes it even more of a "loser" effect.
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text:
import frappe
import unittest
from frappe.utils import set_request
from frappe.website.serve import get_response

test_dependencies = ['Blog Post']
class TestWebsiteRouteMeta(unittest.TestCase):
	def test_meta_tag_generation(self):
		blogs = frappe.get_all('Blog Post', fields=['name', 'route'],
			filters={'published': 1, 'route': ('!=', '')}, limit=1)

		blog = blogs[0]

		# create meta tags for this route
		doc = frappe.new_doc('Website Route Meta')
		doc.append('meta_tags', {
			'key': 'type',
			'value': 'blog_post'
		})
		doc.append('meta_tags', {
			'key': 'og:title',
			'value': 'My Blog'
		})
		doc.name = blog.route
		doc.insert()

		# set request on this route
		set_request(path=blog.route)
		response = get_response()

		self.assertTrue(response.status_code, 200)

		html = response.get_data().decode()

		self.assertTrue('''<meta name="type" content="blog_post">''' in html)
		self.assertTrue('''<meta property="og:title" content="My Blog">''' in html)

	def tearDown(self):
		frappe.db.rollback()


text:
Home > Our Impact > Our Bodies, Our Blog > Women with Breast Implants Should Not Need to Wait for Safety Information They Urgently Need
Women with Breast Implants Should Not Need to Wait for Safety Information They Urgently Need
Silicone breast implant
By Guest Contributor | July 1, 2020
by Rose Weitz and Diana Zuckerman
Although breast implants have been sold since the 1960s, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved the use of silicone gel breast implants in 2006. By then, many women with implants had already reported a range of problems, which result in many women seeking additional surgery within just a few years of implantation.
And the problems have become more serious. Last year, for example, Allergan did a worldwide recall of their textured Biocell breast implants and expanders because of evidence that these implants caused an increased risk of a type of lymphoma called ALCL.
The FDA has the authority both to require solid evidence of safety before putting any implant on the market and to require companies to collect health data from implant patients for years afterward. Without these data, it is impossible for women or their doctors to know what are the possible consequences of different implants, what symptoms to look for, and which implants should be surgically removed – assuming an individual knows the make and model of their implant and can afford up to several thousand dollars to remove it.
Collecting data is a small thing to ask of manufacturers who have been profiting from breast implants for many years. Yet even this has proven too much for these companies, or for the FDA to enforce. For example, in May 2019 the FDA sent letters to two manufacturers, Mentor Worldwide and Sientra, warning that the manufacturers had failed to collect the required data for implants that were already on the market and would need to improve their data gathering or face potential criminal or civil penalties. The FDA also sent warning letters in May 2020 to Allergan and Ideal. The FDA criticized Allergan for their failure to recruit and follow-up with as many patients as had been promised. The agency warned Ideal that the companies' efforts to rectify previous problems were inadequate, including failing to accurately report consumer complaints, failing to keep adulterants out of its silicone, and failing to notify the FDA about malfunctions of its implants that could result in death or serious injury. Meanwhile, all these implants are still on the market.
Last October, in response to the pleas and demands of thousands of breast implant patients, the FDA proposed that a black box warning be affixed to all implant packages to inform women and their doctors about the most serious risks of breast implants. In addition, the FDA proposed that all patients be required to sign an easy-to-understand checklist of possible risks before implant surgery is scheduled.
These proposals were much weaker than what patients and their advocates had demanded. In response to the FDA's request for public comments, a Working Group of patients, public health advocates, and plastic surgeons submitted a critique — along with a petition signed by over 70,000 people – urging the FDA to be more explicit about the proposed warnings. Public comments were due in December 2019, but as of June 2020 the agency has still not revised its proposal.
Buyer beware, indeed.
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