text:
Are More COVID-19 Variants Coming?
By Carla Delgado
Carla Delgado
Carla M. Delgado is a health and culture writer based in the Philippines.
Jessica Olah / Verywell
This story is part of a series where we look at the ways COVID-19 has changed our lives and how it will continue to affect public health in 2022.
Viruses mutate by nature, therefore variants are always expected to develop.
New COVID-19 variants of concern may develop again as long as the virus is able to mutate, though it's difficult to predict when they will emerge.
Global vaccine inequity must be addressed to reduce COVID transmission and minimize further harm.
One year ago, as we ushered in 2021, there were three circulating COVID-19 virus variants of concern (VOC) in the U.S.—Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.
But by the second half of the year, the highly transmissible Delta variant ripped through the country, quickly becoming the predominant virus strain. Delta now accounts for more than 96% of cases across all states. With the newly identified Omicron gaining traction, we'll be ending the year with two variants that are drastically different from what we started with.
Over the course of the year, it almost felt like new alarming variants cropped up every few months. Is this what lies ahead for us in 2022 as well?
While it's difficult to pinpoint how or when experts say variants will likely continue to emerge into the new year.
Does the Omicron COVID Variant Cause Different Symptoms?
Why Do Variants Develop?
The constant emergence of new variants can be daunting to hear about. But, it's important to remember it is the nature of viruses to mutate. As a virus spreads and infects more people, it gets more opportunities to subtly change to become a "better" virus.
"Viruses can mutate in order to adapt to their surroundings to become a more fit virus," Mahdee Sobhanie, MD, infectious diseases physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Verywell. "This mutation can make the virus be more transmissible or difficult to treat. Think of a mutation as a way for the virus to better evade our immune systems, therapies, or vaccines."
Mutations can cause small differences in the virus when it comes to:
Transmissibility
The way disease presents itself
Resistance to medical treatments
Ability to evade natural or vaccine-induced immunity
Not all mutations are dangerous or necessarily a matter of concern. Some mutations have no significant effect on how the virus works, or make the virus more vulnerable and weaker instead. In these cases, they can die out or disappear entirely.
However, those with a selective advantage—such as increased transmissibility or a better ability to evade immunity—can become a potential threat.
"Viral mutations can be dangerous, especially if they do a good job at evading the defenses of our immune system or can overcome the therapies or vaccines we have," Sobhanie said.
For example, influenza viruses mutate constantly. Even if you've had the flu before or have been vaccinated, the body's immune system might not recognize and prevent sickness caused by the newer, slightly different virus. This explains why new flu vaccines are released every year—because people can become susceptible to the flu again. These vaccines are reviewed every year and updated as needed to match the influenza viruses that are currently making people sick.
"In the past, we had a couple more options to treat influenza," Sobhanie added. "However, we now have limited therapies for influenza. This is why we always encourage patients to get their flu shots."
When Should You Get Tested for the Flu?
How About COVID-19?
All viruses mutate, and the virus that causes COVID-19 is no different. It's difficult to predict when a new variant will occur, Sobhanie said. However, we can expect that variants will develop as long as the virus is able to mutate. So, expect to see a few more variants in 2022.
So many variants emerged early on this year that the World Health Organization (WHO) found it necessary to use the Greek alphabet as the new variant naming system starting in May.
With the new naming system, it became easier to set variants apart and understand how they differ from one another, especially when it comes to communicating the degree of health threat they pose to the public.
WHO Renames COVID-19 Variants Using Greek Alphabet
Although Delta and Omicron are currently the only VOCs in the U.S., there are 10 other variants being monitored (VBM).
Variants under the VBM classification are those with potential or clear impact on medical interventions or association with more severe disease, but are circulating at very low levels or are no longer detected. Should they pose a significant and imminent risk to public health in the U.S., the variant will be reassessed and its designation can change.
Overall, the COVID-19 virus has mutated a lot since it was first detected nearly two years ago in Wuhan, China, and it will continue to evolve and change itself as it replicates.
Though it's difficult to predict when new COVID-19 variants of concern may emerge in the future, it's likely to occur, so you must protect yourself by getting your COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots when eligible.
What's Next for COVID-19?
Scientists have yet to characterize and fully paint a portrait of the newly identified Omicron variant and its properties, which will give us an idea of what lies ahead on COVID-19's viral evolution.
"COVID-19 virus variants are always expected as part of the natural evolution of any virus," Arjun Venkatesh, MD, Yale Medicine Emergency Medicine physician and associate professor at Yale School of Medicine, told Verywell. "Given our experience to date, we should continue to anticipate new variants in the future, particularly until we hit a more steady-state globally in terms of vaccination and prior infections."
Largely unvaccinated populations give the virus plenty of opportunities to mutate and enhance its properties, but keep in mind that variants can also proliferate in vaccinated groups of people.
"Variants can develop in highly vaccinated populations as well as in less vaccinated populations," Venkatesh said. "The difference is how well they spread and become a 'dominant variant,' which is difficult in highly vaccinated populations that give the virus less of a chance to transmit between people and become widespread."
The future of COVID-19 is not yet clear, and we need a better understanding of how quickly the virus evolves in response to immunity. As of the moment, we don't know if it's likely to take on the path of measles, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, or other seasonal coronaviruses.
If new variants quickly develop better resistance to existing public health measures and medical interventions, the outcome can be disastrous for everyone. Experts emphasize that the only way forward is getting the pandemic under control on a global scale. No country can find its way out of the pandemic alone.
As Variants Emerge, COVID Clinical Trials Need Volunteers
What Can We Do in 2022?
Given that new, harmful variants may emerge at any time, we must ramp up global COVID-19 public health efforts and strategies.
"Variants are common and expected in the evolution of any virus, so trying to stop mutations may be a fool's errand," Venkatesh said. "Rather, widespread global vaccination would help delay the onset and transmission of a new variant just as we have observed communities in the United States with higher vaccination rates having delayed surges of the Delta variant, and often of lower magnitude of harm than in areas with less vaccination."
It's important to mitigate the short- and long-term harm of the virus, which means reducing transmission so that future variants that develop around the world are less likely to cause harm, he added. Increasing global vaccination by dealing with inequitable vaccine distribution is necessary for reducing avoidable deaths and minimizing the global threat of new variants.
According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, director-general of the WHO, the vaccine inequity crisis can be addressed by doing the following:
Countries with high volumes of vaccines should swap near-term delivery schedules with COVAX and the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT)
High-income countries that promised to share or donate their doses must fulfill their pledges immediately
Vaccine manufacturers should prioritize and fulfill contracts with COVAX and AVAT with full transparency
All countries must do away with export restrictions and trade barriers related to COVID-19 vaccine distribution and production
Many believe that the conditions caused by inequitable vaccine access have contributed to the emergence of the recently identified Omicron variant.
The WHO's goal was for countries to fully vaccinate 40% of their populations by the end of the year. However, as of December 8, more than 50 countries are reportedly unlikely to meet this target.
To Combat New COVID Variants, the U.S. Must Bolster Vaccine Efforts Worldwide
"The U.S. has made early efforts to contribute to global vaccination, but must lead in accelerating vaccination efforts globally through donations, grants, diplomatic means with strategic partners, and perhaps even military support should flexible logistics be a major hurdle," Venkatesh said.
So far, the U.S. has shared almost 370 million doses and is pledging to deliver 200 million more doses within the next 100 days. In 2022, key countries, vaccine manufacturers, and health agencies must do more to ensure that vaccines are distributed globally. As United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres previously stated, no one is safe until all of us are safe.
To do your part and build protection against the virus and its potential variants, you should get vaccinated against COVID-19 and get your booster shots when eligible.
"Everyone should get vaccinated, boosted, and wear a mask," Sobhanie said. "What we are seeing is that the vast majority of hospitalized patients are unvaccinated. Mutations are more likely to occur when COVID is allowed to replicate or make more copies of itself. One way to stop the spread and replication of COVID is to get vaccinated. The more shots in arms, the better protected we are."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SARS-CoV-2 Variant Classifications and Definitions.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID Data Tracker.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How Flu Viruses Can Change: "Drift" and "Shift".
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Selecting Viruses for the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine.
World Health Organization. WHO announces simple, easy-to-say labels for SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest and Concern.
Callaway E. Beyond Omicron: what's next for COVID's viral evolution. Nature. Published online December 7, 2021.
Ghebreyesus, TA. Five steps to solving the vaccine inequity crisis. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2021;1(10):e0000032. doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0000032
World Health Organization. WHO press conference on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) - 8 December 2021.
The White House. President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-19 this Winter.
United Nations. None of us is safe until we all are, says UN chief at EU push to end COVID-19 pandemic.
What You Need to Know About the XBB.1.5 'Kraken' Variant
How Do Viruses Mutate?
Ask a Molecular Biologist: How Do You Make Sense of Emerging COVID-19 Variants?
Omicron Variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 Are Now Dominant in U.S.
What We Know About the XBB COVID Variant
What's the Difference Between a Strain and a Variant?
What Is the Delta Variant?
What You Need to Know About the New COVID Variant BQ.1.1
A Timeline of COVID-19 Variants
Can COVID Tests Detect New Variants?
How Long Will Immunity Last With the New COVID Bivalent Booster?
Don't Use China's COVID Surge to Make Predictions for U.S., Experts Say
How Many Times Can You Get Reinfected With the Same COVID Variant?
What Is the Alpha Variant?
How Vaccine Makers Are Tackling the Omicron Variant
Ask an Expert: Do I Really Need the Bivalent Booster? And Will I Need It Again?


Andora Apartments in London is an apartment building.
Located in London within 3.4 km of Olympic Stadium, Andora Apartments offers self-catering accommodation with free WiFi, a flat-screen TV and a kitche...n. Each apartment features a living area with a sofa. The bedrooms feature a dressing table and mirrors. Victoria Park is 3.5 km from the apartment. Westfield Stratford shopping centre is a 15-minute rail journey away. The nearest airport is London City Airport, 9 km from Andora Apartments.
Please inform Andora Apartments in advance of your expected arrival time. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly with the contact details provided in your confirmation. Guests are required to show a photo identification and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply. Please note the payment must be from the original card, and the card holder must be present and have the original card on arrival. Late check-in after 20:00 is subject to a charge of GBP 30 and check-in after midnight is subject to a charge of GBP 48.


text:
Felicity Jones Wants To Play Her Amazing Spider-Man 2 Character For The MCU
By Adam Holmes
While The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was supposed to set up a larger world for Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker, the movie underperforming resulted in Sony abandoning that continuity and striking up an alliance with Marvel to feature a new Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Among the scrapped ideas as a result of this decision was that Felicity Jones' Felicia Hardy could become The Black Cat, just like in the comics. Nevertheless, Jones is still keen on reprising Felicia within the MCU, saying:
I'd love to play her again. She's a great character. There was never anything written down that that would definitely happen. It was more just…I like playing characters where there is a little bit extra to play with and it was just fun to play someone who has this other identity. I just loved the idea of that character, I just think it's really fun.
Felicia Hardy's potential turn to the Black Cat life definitely wasn't teased in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, as her role in that movie was limited to being Harry Osborn's assistant and later telling Harry that she'd overheard that the special spider venom was being kept in the Special Projects division of OsCorp. This year marks half a decade since The Amazing Spider-Man 2's release, and during that time Felicity Jones has become a more famous actress thanks to her performances in The Theory of Everything, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and On the Basis of Sex. Still, she made it clear to Yahoo Movies that if the opportunity came along, she'd appreciate getting to reprise Felicia Hardy and actually showcase the character's duality.
It's not often that an actor gets to play the same character in two different continuities of the same franchise (Judi Dench being M in the James Bond movies comes to mind), and as far as the MCU goes, I suspect that if Felicia Hardy were to be included, Felicity Jones wouldn't be called to play the role. Assuming she and Spider-Man were to have some kind of relationship, the Marvel executives would presumably want someone closer to Tom Holland's age, not to mention allowing more freedom with putting a different spin on Felicia.
However, Sony also has its own, separate live action Spider-Man universe going, albeit without the Wall-Crawler actually involved. Venom kicked off this new franchise last October, and in addition to the symbiote-powered anti-hero returning for a sequel, Morbius the Living Vampire is also slated for release. There were also plans for Black Cat and Silver Sable to appear in a movie together, but it was announced last summer that these characters would instead lead their own separate movies. If Sony wants some star power on its side, perhaps it could talk with Felicity Jones about leading the Black Cat movie. Whether that movie were to confirm that this Spider-Man universe exists in the same continuity as The Amazing Spider-Man movies or not, at least this would be a good chance for Jones to properly suit up as Black Cat and fight some bad guys.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the latest Spider-Man-centric film news. You can see Tom Holland's version of Web-Head later this year in Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Adam Holmes
Connoisseur of Marvel, DC, Star Wars, John Wick, MonsterVerse and Doctor Who lore. He's aware he looks like Harry Potter and Clark Kent.
FBI Is Crossing Over With Most Wanted And International For Three-Part Event, With Some Franchise Firsts
Rita Ora Totally Owns Fully See-Through Dress And Jessie J, Chelsea Handler And More Can't Get Enough
Andy Cohen Seemingly Called BS On Real Housewives Cancellation Rumors
Ben Affleck And JLo Dominate The Headlines, But It's Affleck's Relationship With Jennifer Garner's Beau John Miller I'm Most Interested In
Sling TV Price: packages, channels, and how to sign up for a subscription

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Hawaii 'Worst' State For Teachers - Honolulu Civil Beat
Nonprofit News Powered By Clarisse Kobashigawa Steven Levinson Janice Marsters Jennifer Taylor Carol Wilcox Readers Like You
Hawaii 'Worst' State For Teachers
WalletHub analyzed metrics ranging from "average starting salary" to "pupil-teacher ratio." Teachers union says, "It's time that the leaders of Hawaii make education a priority."
By Chad Blair / September 26, 2016
WalletHub has struck again, and Hawaii's union for teachers is calling for change.
The finance and credit website ranks Hawaii 51st in the nation when it comes to best and worst states for teachers (the analysis includes the District of Columbia).
Hawaii State Teachers Association President Corey Rosenlee responded by saying it's time for the state to make financial investment in schools a priority.
Here are some of Hawaii's "teacher-friendliness" metrics, according to a press release Monday, many of them unflattering:
51st – average starting salary for teachers (adjusted for cost of living)
51st – median annual salary for teachers (adjusted for cost of living)
39th – WalletHub "school systems" ranking
39th – teachers' income growth potential
21st – projected number of teachers per 1,000 students by year 2022
34th – 10-year change in teacher salaries
37th – pupil-teacher ratio
19th – public-school spending per student
Central Middle School in Honolulu.
"Most educators don't pursue their profession for the money," says a WalletHub press release. "Despite their critical role in shaping young minds, teachers across the U.S. are shortchanged every year. In fact, education jobs are some of the lowest-paying occupations that require a bachelor's degree, and their salaries consistently fail to keep up with inflation. Meanwhile, the law demands better student performance without providing educators much guidance or incentive to improve their own effectiveness in the classroom."
West Virginia, Arizona, Oregon and Mississippi joined Hawaii as bottom-dwellers for worst teachers.
The best states for teachers are New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, Minnesota and Wyoming.
Report 'Not A Surprise'
Donalyn Dela Cruz, director of the Communications and Community Affairs Office for the state Department of Education, said the report was "not a surprise."
"Over the years, the department worked jointly with the Hawaii State Teachers Association on compensation," she said. "Specifically, we jointly worked on a 'Study of Hawaii's Compensation System' in 2014. The DOE and HSTA jointly funded this study. The study found that teachers in Hawaii make about 4 percent less than teachers in the rest of the U.S."
Dela Cruz added, "However, the study also noted that professional salaries are lower in Hawaii than the rest of the U.S. The study also found that Hawaii teachers minimum salaries are higher than all of the average minimum salaries for comparison districts. While Hawaii has higher salaries earlier in a teacher's career it becomes less competitive and somewhat lower salaries later in the career."
The HSTA represents 13,500 public and charter school teachers.
'Teacher Shortage Crisis'
But the union's president, Rosenlee, said HSTA does not the support the conclusions of the two-year-old study cited by the DOE because "it was based on faulty data and did not compare Hawaii to school districts with similar costs of living."
As for the WalletHub report, he had this to say:
"What does it say to the children of Hawaii that our public school teachers are treated the worst in the nation?
"Chronic underfunding of public schools tells our children that we don't value education and we don't value them. It's time that the leaders of Hawaii make education a priority by investing in our schools.
"Because the state is underfunding our schools, we have a teacher shortage crisis.
"Every day, tens of thousands of students don't have a qualified teacher in their classrooms because, as this study shows, Hawaii is the worst place in the nation to teach.
"Because of this situation, in the last five years, more Hawaii teachers have been leaving the profession and fewer teachers have been entering the field.
"When you underpay our teachers and you micromanage them, this study confirms what we already know, that Hawaii is the worst place in the country to teach.
"To change that, we need to start paying and treating our teachers like the professionals they are."
The starting salary for a DOE uncertified teacher is $34,840. Certified teachers start at $45,963, while the average teacher earns about $55,000.
"Hawaii's starting teacher salaries are about $4,000 less than districts with similar costs of living, and the average teacher salaries are about $15,000 to $20,000 lower than their mainland counterparts," said Rosenlee.
Chad Blair
Chad Blair is the Politics and Opinion Editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at @chadblairCB.
Use the RSS feed to subscribe to Chad Blair's posts today


text:
Countries - Other Regions
Agrana to Expand into South Africa
Published: November 7, 2011; 10:13 · (Vindobona)
The Austrian fruit and starch company consolidates its presence in South Africa and starts production of fruit preparations in Johannesburg.
Agrana to Expand into South Africa / Picture: © Vindobona.org
Agrana started operations at its new production facility in Johannesburg at the end of October. This adds a second production site to the presence of this sugar, starch and fruit-processing Group in South Africa which now produces fruit preparations for the dairy, baking and ice cream products sector at a total of three sites on the African continent - namely Cairo, Cape Town and…
More Dividends For Agrana´s Shareholders (October 22, 2011)
Agrana: Strong Results for First Half of 2011|12 (October 13, 2011)
Agrana Raises Sugar Price Drastically (September 6, 2011)
Good Year for Cereal Farmers (August 5, 2011)
Agrana Increases Annual Guidance after Strong First Quarter (June 22, 2011)
Agrana, South Africa, Expansion, Food Industry


We started this vehicle at the beginning of the year. For many years it had lived in Ireland and was painted black a long time ago.
During the full renovation process we found the original colour, and here it is back to that original colour. 100s of hours have been invested in time and £1000s into materials.
We had considerable welding to do and this really was a labour of love for our highly experienced and talented restoration guys.
Mr Bobby Nunn and his team have worked wonders on this vehicle and Bobby has many years of experience in his field and his true expertise really shows in the finished result.
All of the team have worked very hard in what is a very short amount of time to get this to what it is today.
The vehicle itself is a Mercedes 350 SL 1973 year.
Our customer has been awaiting the vehicle since and we have been keeping him up to speed on the progress.


text:
package io.reactivex.internal.operators.flowable;

import static org.junit.Assert.*;
import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.*;
import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;

import java.util.*;
import java.util.concurrent.Callable;

import org.junit.*;
import org.mockito.InOrder;
import org.reactivestreams.*;

import io.reactivex.*;
import io.reactivex.exceptions.TestException;
import io.reactivex.functions.Function;
import io.reactivex.internal.functions.Functions;
import io.reactivex.internal.fuseable.*;
import io.reactivex.internal.subscriptions.BooleanSubscription;
import io.reactivex.plugins.RxJavaPlugins;
import io.reactivex.processors.UnicastProcessor;
import io.reactivex.subscribers.*;

public class FlowableDistinctTest {

    Subscriber<String> w;

    // nulls lead to exceptions
    final Function<String, String> TO_UPPER_WITH_EXCEPTION = new Function<String, String>() {
        @Override
        public String apply(String s) {
            if (s.equals("x")) {
                return "XX";
            }
            return s.toUpperCase();
        }
    };

    @Before
    public void before() {
        w = TestHelper.mockSubscriber();
    }

    @Test
    public void testDistinctOfNone() {
        Flowable<String> src = Flowable.empty();
        src.distinct().subscribe(w);

        verify(w, never()).onNext(anyString());
        verify(w, never()).onError(any(Throwable.class));
        verify(w, times(1)).onComplete();
    }

    @Test
    public void testDistinctOfNoneWithKeySelector() {
        Flowable<String> src = Flowable.empty();
        src.distinct(TO_UPPER_WITH_EXCEPTION).subscribe(w);

        verify(w, never()).onNext(anyString());
        verify(w, never()).onError(any(Throwable.class));
        verify(w, times(1)).onComplete();
    }

    @Test
    public void testDistinctOfNormalSource() {
        Flowable<String> src = Flowable.just("a", "b", "c", "c", "c", "b", "b", "a", "e");
        src.distinct().subscribe(w);

        InOrder inOrder = inOrder(w);
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("a");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("b");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("c");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("e");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onComplete();
        inOrder.verify(w, never()).onNext(anyString());
        verify(w, never()).onError(any(Throwable.class));
    }

    @Test
    public void testDistinctOfNormalSourceWithKeySelector() {
        Flowable<String> src = Flowable.just("a", "B", "c", "C", "c", "B", "b", "a", "E");
        src.distinct(TO_UPPER_WITH_EXCEPTION).subscribe(w);

        InOrder inOrder = inOrder(w);
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("a");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("B");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("c");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("E");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onComplete();
        inOrder.verify(w, never()).onNext(anyString());
        verify(w, never()).onError(any(Throwable.class));
    }

    @Test
    @Ignore("Null values no longer allowed")
    public void testDistinctOfSourceWithNulls() {
        Flowable<String> src = Flowable.just(null, "a", "a", null, null, "b", null);
        src.distinct().subscribe(w);

        InOrder inOrder = inOrder(w);
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext(null);
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("a");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("b");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onComplete();
        inOrder.verify(w, never()).onNext(anyString());
        verify(w, never()).onError(any(Throwable.class));
    }

    @Test
    @Ignore("Null values no longer allowed")
    public void testDistinctOfSourceWithExceptionsFromKeySelector() {
        Flowable<String> src = Flowable.just("a", "b", null, "c");
        src.distinct(TO_UPPER_WITH_EXCEPTION).subscribe(w);

        InOrder inOrder = inOrder(w);
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("a");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onNext("b");
        inOrder.verify(w, times(1)).onError(any(NullPointerException.class));
        inOrder.verify(w, never()).onNext(anyString());
        inOrder.verify(w, never()).onComplete();
    }

    @Test
    public void error() {
        Flowable.error(new TestException())
        .distinct()
        .test()
        .assertFailure(TestException.class);
    }

    @Test
    public void fusedSync() {
        TestSubscriber<Integer> to = SubscriberFusion.newTest(QueueDisposable.ANY);

        Flowable.just(1, 1, 2, 1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 4)
        .distinct()
        .subscribe(to);

        SubscriberFusion.assertFusion(to, QueueDisposable.SYNC)
        .assertResult(1, 2, 3, 4, 5);
    }

    @Test
    public void fusedAsync() {
        TestSubscriber<Integer> to = SubscriberFusion.newTest(QueueDisposable.ANY);

        UnicastProcessor<Integer> us = UnicastProcessor.create();

        us
        .distinct()
        .subscribe(to);

        TestHelper.emit(us, 1, 1, 2, 1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 4);

        SubscriberFusion.assertFusion(to, QueueDisposable.ASYNC)
        .assertResult(1, 2, 3, 4, 5);
    }

    @Test
    public void fusedClear() {
        Flowable.just(1, 1, 2, 1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 4)
        .distinct()
        .subscribe(new FlowableSubscriber<Integer>() {
            @Override
            public void onSubscribe(Subscription d) {
                QueueSubscription<?> qd = (QueueSubscription<?>)d;

                assertFalse(qd.isEmpty());

                qd.clear();

                assertTrue(qd.isEmpty());
            }

            @Override
            public void onNext(Integer value) {
            }

            @Override
            public void onError(Throwable e) {
            }

            @Override
            public void onComplete() {
            }
        });
    }

    @Test
    public void collectionSupplierThrows() {
        Flowable.just(1)
        .distinct(Functions.identity(), new Callable<Collection<Object>>() {
            @Override
            public Collection<Object> call() throws Exception {
                throw new TestException();
            }
        })
        .test()
        .assertFailure(TestException.class);
    }

    @Test
    public void collectionSupplierIsNull() {
        Flowable.just(1)
        .distinct(Functions.identity(), new Callable<Collection<Object>>() {
            @Override
            public Collection<Object> call() throws Exception {
                return null;
            }
        })
        .test()
        .assertFailure(NullPointerException.class)
        .assertErrorMessage("The collectionSupplier returned a null collection. Null values are generally not allowed in 2.x operators and sources.");
    }

    @Test
    public void badSource() {
        List<Throwable> errors = TestHelper.trackPluginErrors();
        try {
            new Flowable<Integer>() {
                @Override
                protected void subscribeActual(Subscriber<? super Integer> observer) {
                    observer.onSubscribe(new BooleanSubscription());

                    observer.onNext(1);
                    observer.onComplete();
                    observer.onNext(2);
                    observer.onError(new TestException());
                    observer.onComplete();
                }
            }
            .distinct()
            .test()
            .assertResult(1);

            TestHelper.assertUndeliverable(errors, 0, TestException.class);
        } finally {
            RxJavaPlugins.reset();
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Diplomatic Corps and Missions
1. The Diplomatic Corps of the Imperial Chivalric Order of Rurikovich and The Imperial Order of St. John Knights of Malta is a branch of the Orders which deals with carrying out, but not limited to, diplomatic missions by HI&RH the Superior Grand Master or the Council of the Imperial House of Rurikovich - the Imperial Chivalric Order of Rurikovich and The Imperial Order of St. John Knights of Malta.
2. This branch of the Order was created particularly so that missions will be more official and clearer not only inside the Order but also to the public. The Diplomatic Corps branch is under the supervision of the Office of External Affairs.
3. Diplomatic Corps Delegation-In countries where priories are not present and where priories nearby cannot carry out a certain mission Order, HI&RH the superior Grand Master or Family Council may send out a delegation to officially represent the Order of the Imperial House of Rurikovich-Imperial Chivalric Order of Rurikovich and The Imperial Order of St. John Knights of Malta to carry out the task.
4. The members of the delegation must be members of the Order, regardless of rank, or Allied Parties with a decree of approval from HI&RH the Superior Grand Master or the International Council of the Imperial Order of St. John Knights of Malta.
5. The delegation may contain any number of individuals so long as it will not be a burden to the Order or will not jeopardize the success of the mission.
Delegation Officers
1. Consul General
The head of the delegation shall have full control of all the activities of the delegation.
2. Vice Consul
The Deputies when the Consul is absence.
3. Secretary
Officer who does general clerical and administrative work such as: word- processing, filing, arranging appointments for the delegation.
4. Delegation Members
When a new member has been recruited, but has not yet been invested,
especially in missions to establish priories, he/she can be a member
of the delegation.
1. A consulate is an official meeting place or a headquarters of the delegation.
The delegation may hold all its activities connected to the Order within the consulate.
2. This format should be followed when naming a consulate: Consulate of the Imperial House of Rurikovich and Imperial Chivalric Order of Rurikovich o The Imperial Order of St. John Knights of Malta (Full name of the country).
3. When the mission is successful; the consulate may remain as it is or dissolved depending upon the decision of the authority that created the mission.
The Mission Order
1. When sending a mission, a mission Order must be submitted to the members of the delegation and if possible, to the appropriate authorities in the area of operation.
2. The mission Order must include the starting members of the delegation and the delegation's head. It must request the delegates to be treated according to the Vienna Conventions of 1961 and 1963.
Authorized Missions to be Carried Out
Mission to Establish Priories
1. In missions where the objective is to establish active priories, the Consul may recruit new members and can act as "Acting Country Grand Master".
2. The Consul may accept new recruits into the Order but only as Squires. All Squires will automatically become Knights and Dames once the Consulate has been raised to the level of Grand Priory.
3. The Consul will be Country Grand Master, but the newly elected or appointed priory officers will replace the rest of the temporary officers.
4. The Country Grand Master will stay as Superior Country Grand Master until appointed higher rank in the Order, like member in the international Council.
Goodwill Missions
1. Missions where the Order has sent a delegation to perform a mission to carry out projects subscribing to the Order's principles are classified as Goodwill Missions.
22G.
Miscellaneous Missions
Delegations officially sent to represent the Order in conferences or the like or do work for the Order in some ways are classified as Miscellaneous Missions.


When approached by Castlehouse Construction to build a quirky, custom-made website with a twist, we were excited to get creating! The twist? The site HAD to be Art Deco-inspired. The outcome? A beautifully unique, interactive website with bespoke Art Deco illustration.
As tempting as it can be to start building, it was imperative to carefully research suitable styles and it wasn't long before we had a solid basis to work from. As always, we worked closely with Castlehouse Construction to ensure that their vision was truly realised. After concentrating on creating unique illustrations from scratch, our team of creative designers set to work transforming the graphics into workable, interactive website commands with the Art Deco twist truly portrayed.
In addition, we were also tasked with creating business cards and brand stationery for the linked brand, Washburn Developments. Although a separate entity, the decadent Art Deco colour scheme was to be utilised once more – the result was smartly branded stationery with a hint of gold, making for beautifully minimal results with a modern feel. The high-quality end products really make the bold statement the design brief asked for.
We like to think of the final result not only as a user-friendly website, but also as a dynamic piece of art! So, whether you're looking for a custom-built website with your own twist or just a clean, straightforward WordPress-driven website, our team are on-hand to advise and support you. If you're also looking for some matching business cards, we can help with that too!


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Frankenstein Meets Thomas Edison
Jesse Walker | 12.28.2007 1:42 PM
Friday fun link: the long-lost first film of Frankenstein, produced by Thomas Edison's studio in 1910. An interesting document in its own right, it is also an example of the ways censorship does not merely suppress art, but influences the shape of the art that does appear. Rich Drees writes:
As the popularity of motion pictures grew, so did the attention they received from moral crusaders and reform groups, who decried the new medium as being dangerous and encouraging of immorality. Some called for strict laws governing film content and some communities banned theatres all together. Knowing that these groups could pose a serious threat to his bottom line, Edison ordered that not only the production quality of his films be improved, but also their moral tone. The Trust even set up the first Board of Censors, consisting of film executives and religious and education leaders.
Frankenstein was the perfect choice to kick off production under this new moral banner. It's a story that deals with the extremes of the human condition, life and death, and the dangers of tampering in God's realm. Plus, Edison made sure that publicity stressed that some of the more sensational elements of the Mary Shelly's novel had been toned down….One of those changes made to the narrative concerns the creation of Frankenstein's monster. While Shelly's novel did not go into specifics about the monster's creation, the creation scene in the film certainly owes more to alchemy than science. The film certainly didn't stress the danger of unchecked scientific experimentation, not when the boss has transformed the world with his own scientific marvels. Instead, the monster is cast more as a reflection of Frankenstein's baser instincts and dark reflection of a mind that presumed to meddle in God's domain.
The film itself is a mixed bag, and parts (particularly the beginning) are poorly preserved. But there are moments of real power, notably the creation of the monster and the creature's final exit. You can see the first half of it here:
Part two is here:
Bonus link: If you like "primitive" cinema, be sure to watch the greatest film of the early silent era, Georges Melies' Le Voyage Dans La Lune (1902). My appreciation of Melies is here.
NEXT: Bhutto Interview from Jaiza


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Credit: Johanna Montoya on Unsplash
Climate Change / Clean Energy
Why carbon taxes may need to be far higher than we'd planned
A new model suggests the price should start high and then fall over time, in a total reversal of conventional wisdom.
by James Temple
Economists largely agree that one of the most effective ways of tackling climate change is taxing carbon pollution. Few things beat higher prices in reliably pushing companies and consumers to shift to more environmentally friendly practices and products.
But a new economic analysis flips some of the traditional thinking about a carbon tax, concluding that the price should fall rather than rise in the decades ahead. It should also start far higher than many previous studies and policy proposals suggested.
Notably, a plan put forth by former US secretaries of state James Baker and George Shultz in 2017 proposed a carbon fee that would start at $40 a ton and increase every year at 5% above inflation, in line with conventional views rooted in some of the earliest and most influential climate-economy models.
But the new model, published September 1 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concludes it would be much more effective to start with a price well above $100. That tax would tick up a bit further in the first decade or so, before slowly sliding downward for the next few centuries.
In basic terms, the so-called EZ-Climate model attempts to merge the tools of financial economics into climate economics, which ends up placing a higher estimated cost on uncertainty—and higher value on averting risks.
So the model finds a few things likely happen over time.
The higher the price is at the start, the more rapidly nations and businesses will develop and deploy cleaner ways of doing things, says Gernot Wagner, an author of the paper and associate professor at New York University's Department of Environmental Studies.
That also means the price on carbon can start to decline sooner, as more and more of the economy shifts to systems and sources that no longer pump out emissions. But in addition, the world will simply learn more about the exact impacts of climate change, and what it takes to address them.
"Uncertainty resolves itself over time," Wagner said in an email, so we no longer have to pay a higher price for it.
He cowrote the paper and created the new model with Columbia University economist Kent Daniel and Robert Litterman, formerly head of the quantitative investment strategies group at banking giant Goldman Sachs.
Another notable finding from the model is that the cost of putting off a carbon price rises at a staggering rate the longer we delay. If we wait a year to implement an effective carbon tax, the estimated cost of additional climate-change impacts will reach approximately $1 trillion. If we wait five years, that swells to $24 trillion. A 10-year delay could cost the world $100 trillion.
Wagner stresses that the most effective starting price for a carbon tax is impossible to know. But some scenarios in the model show it could be higher than $200, depending on certain assumptions.
Of course, as with much of climate policy, there's a clear mismatch between the ideal solution in theory and the one that can actually be signed into law. Carbon taxes have proved very difficult to pass, and the higher the starting price, the harder it likely becomes.
James Temple


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Penetrância é um indicador quantitativo da manifestação de um fenótipo da expressão de um alelo (variante genética). Pode ser definida como a razão entre o número de indivíduos que expressam um traço fenotípico relacionado ao gene e o número de indivíduos que carregam o alelo que define esse fenótipo  (portador obrigatório), ou seja, é uma proporção entre indivíduos que possuem um alelo de um gene e manifestam as características associadas a ele (fenótipo) e todos os indivíduos que possuem aquele alelo (genótipo), manifestantes ou não do fenótipo.

Assim, se houver um alelo (uma variante de um dado gene X, compondo um genótipo G) relacionada a um dado fenótipo F e queremos avaliar a penetrância da variante, usamos a seguinte fórmula:

Sendo:

P: Penetrância;

NF: Número de pessoas que expressam fenótipo F;

NG: Número de pessoas com o genótipo G associado ao fenótipo F;

Supondo que temos uma população com 100 indivíduos portando a variante do gene de interesse, e dentre eles, 80 indivíduos manifestem o fenótipo esperado de acordo com o este alelo, através dos cálculos:

P= NF/NG    P= 80/100 P=80%

Chegamos à conclusão que essa variante do gene possui a penetrância igual a 80%, ou seja, 80% dos portadores de G manifestam o fenótipo F.

Em suma, da perspectiva da genética a penetrância é basicamente a probabilidade de um ou mais alelos apresentarem expressão ou manifestação fenotípica.

Penetrância completa e incompleta
Existem dois graus de penetrância: a penetrância completa e a penetrância incompleta. A penetrância completa é caracterizada quando todas as pessoas com um dado alelo (100% dos portadores da alteração) manifestam o fenótipo esperado, sendo no caso de alelos dominantes necessária apenas a presença de um alelo (heterozigoto) e nas doenças recessivas necessário que o alelo se apresenta em dose dupla (homozigoto), ou que dois alelos, um em cada cromossomo, presentes na mesma pessoa provoquem efeito equivalente a dose dupla (heterozigose composta).Uma doença que apresenta esse padrão de penetrância dita completa é a neurofibromatose, uma doença autossômica dominante. Quando um dos alelos mutados está presente, a doença vai se manifestar obrigatoriamente em algum momento da vida.

A penetrância incompleta é caracterizada pela situação na qual nem todas as pessoas portadoras de um dado alelo manifestam o fenótipo esperado, ou seja, quando menos de 100% dos portadores apresentam o fenótipo. Ela é justamente representada pela proporção de indivíduos que apresentam esse fenótipo. Um exemplo de doença que apresenta esse padrão de penetrância incompleta é o retinoblastoma, uma doença autossômica dominante, com cerca de 80% de penetrância. Cerca de 80% dos indivíduos que herdam um alelo que aumenta a susceptibilidade a esse tipo de tumor de fato o manifestam em algum momento da vida. Outrossim, os espasmos torticolares tetânicos, doença que afeta perus, tem penetrância incompleta de 86%, sendo uma doença  caracterizada por retração transitória da cabeça em direção posterior, impedindo que o animal se hidrate, resultando na morte da maior parte dos animais (Savage et al., 1993). Ademais, a penetrância incompleta provavelmente é resultado de uma combinação de outros fatores genéticos com fatores ambientais.

Penetrância X Expressividade
Diferentemente da penetrância que decorre da avaliação da presença de caracteres discretos, ou seja, o haver  ou não haver a manifestação de um fenótipo, fator importante para o diagnóstico de uma doença, a expressividade mede o grau de gravidade da manifestação do fenótipo de indivíduos com o mesmo genótipo, fator importante para análise da gravidade da doença. Quando observamos indivíduos com o mesmo genótipo e com o mesmo fenótipo, porém com intensidades e/ou idade de início diferentes na manifestação desse fenótipo, estamos observando o resultado da variação da expressividade.

Para exemplificar os conceitos e suas confluências, apenas de maneira ilustrativa, podemos utilizar como modelo um feijão hipotético, o qual possui variações fenotípicas de padrão de coloração do seu tegumento condicionadas por um único gene, cuja manifestação pode variar desde um feijão sem manchas, alguns em condição intermediária com algumas manchas, até uma condição totalmente pigmentada. Primeiramente, suponha que todos os indivíduos demonstrados apresentam o mesmo alelo, o qual é responsável pela produção do padrão de pigmentação, e o que pode suprimir ou modificar o padrão de pigmentação são os efeitos do restante do genoma e do ambiente. Dessa forma, com objetivos didáticos, podemos hipotetizar quatro cenários distintos para o gene que condiciona os diferentes padrões de pigmentações do feijão:

 Penetrância completa: todos os indivíduos portadores da mutação têm fenótipo, o qual se manifesta de maneira igual.
 Penetrância incompleta: existem  apenas duas variações, os indivíduos que têm a mutação e não são portadores da mutação, portanto não possui nenhuma mancha e os todos que têm a mutação a manifestam da mesma maneira.
 Penetrância completa  e expressividade variável: todos portadores têm algum grau de manifestação fenotípica, mas a maioria não se manifesta da mesma maneira.
 Penetrância incompleta e expressividade variável: existem todas as variações, desde indivíduos que não possuem o fenótipo, até indivíduos que possuem o fenótipo em diferentes graus de expressividade.

Fonte: Ruan Carlos Salvador, adaptado de Griffiths et al. (2000); Naslavsky, M. ( 2020).

Ademais, a expressividade assim como a penetrância pode ser influenciada pelo ambiente e pela influência de outros genes, os quais carregam variantes que podem em combinação, influenciar a manifestação de fenótipos tão variados. Mas quais fatores causariam penetrância incompleta? O motivo para alguém apresentar o genótipo e não expressar o fenótipo correspondente ou ainda apresentar o genótipo e expressar fenótipos com intensidades variadas, é bastante difícil de se identificar.

O nosso genoma é constituído por uma enorme quantidade de genes, esses que podem interagir entre si, como observamos em relações de epistasia por exemplo, podendo vir desse modo a influenciar em sua manifestação e consequentemente afetando a manifestação do fenótipo. Sabemos, por exemplo, que o componente genético que participa de fenótipos multifatoriais e prevalentes (como, por exemplo, doença de Alzheimer, hipertensão, diabetes tipo 2 e doença arterial coronariana) é poligênico, ou seja, o efeito genético está distribuído em diversos genes, que carregam alelos de efeitos muito baixos. Estudos de associação de amplitude genômica (GWAS - Genome-wide association studies) são conduzidos para detectar este efeito, que é medido na forma de razão de chances (Odds Ratio), no caso de fenótipos discretos (ter ou não ter) ou um valor beta, que é a inclinação da curva numa regressão linear de fenótipos quantitativos. Estes tamanhos de efeito podem ser considerados conceitualmente equivalentes à penetrância.

O ambiente é outro fator que também influencia na expressão fenotípica de um alelo, uma exemplificação prática disso são o caso de hormônios com a produção desencadeada por fatores externos, que podem vir a modular a expressão de alguns genes.

Assim, Griffiths (2000, p. 211) conclui:

" A influência do ambiente. Indivíduos com o mesmo genótipo podem demonstrar uma diversidade de fenótipos, dependendo do ambiente. A variação dos fenótipos em relação aos indivíduos mutantes e do tipo selvagem pode se sobrepor: o fenótipo de um indivíduo mutante que cresceu em um conjunto de circunstâncias pode corresponder ao fenótipo de um indivíduo do tipo selvagem que cresceu em um conjunto de circunstâncias diferente, Se essa correspondência ocorrer, o mutante não pode ser distinguido do tipo selvagem."

Penetrância, expressividade e aconselhamento genético
O aconselhamento genético é caracterizado como um processo no qual são dadas informações sobre hereditariedade. Nesse processo podem ser feitos testes genéticos escolhidos com base em determinados critérios que dependem de aspectos ligados ao paciente ou sua história familiar, cada um com suas potencialidades e limitações, e os resultados são traduzidos de uma forma a auxiliar o paciente na compreensão do resultado e os riscos de ocorrência ou recorrência familial de anomalias genéticas (Bertollo et al., 2013). Entretanto, em alguns casos a determinação do risco de recorrência de uma doença não é tão simples, podendo ser dificultada pela penetrância incompleta, expressividade variável e a idade tardia da manifestação.

Assim, a penetrância e a expressividade são fenômenos que dificultam constantemente as previsões oriundas de estimativas de risco para efeitos de aconselhamento genético. No material genético de uma pessoa, por exemplo, podemos encontrar variados alelos associados a doenças, porém não raras vezes estão associados a uma penetrância baixa, ou seja, com baixíssimas chances de manifestação, fato esse que traz questionamentos acerca da crescente popularização de testes genéticos, visto que a maioria desses testes apenas disponibilizam as possíveis doenças que o indivíduo possa desenvolver, omitindo os dados de penetrância, com sua posterior interpretação e explicação. Como mencionado acima, alelos de baixa penetrância que contribuem com o fenótipo apenas quando em combinação, no caso de herança multifatorial,  apresentam riscos relativos baixos, sem portanto validade clínica e de difícil interpretação.

Um outro aspecto que dificulta bastante no aconselhamento genético são pessoas que apresentam alelos de baixa penetrância ou expressividade, com fenótipo correspondente tão brando que pode passar despercebido ao exame clínico, gerando ocasionalmente um erro de diagnóstico, ou seja, a sutileza de um fenótipo mutante pode ser de difícil mensuração em uma situação de laboratório, e assim pode tornar mais complexa  a interpretação de um heredograma.

Implicações evolutivas da penetrância e expressividade
É interessante refletir, sobre um ponto de vista evolutivo, que muitos genes com alelos prejudiciais nas populações se mantém em seu pool gênico justamente por possuírem penetrância incompleta, isso ocorre, pois dentro de uma população existem muitos indivíduos que possuem o genótipo da mutação, apesar de não manifestarem seu fenótipo esperado, transmitindo dessa forma esses genes para as próximas gerações. Outro aspecto que influencia diretamente na evolução dos genes é a expressividade, a expressividade tardia de genes letais, por exemplo, permite que esses genes sejam transmitidos para outras gerações, uma vez que o indivíduo já tenha passado pelo seu ciclo reprodutivo quando manifesta a doença, assim permitindo sua manutenção no pool gênico da população. Além da expressividade relacionada ao tempo, a intensidade da expressividade também afeta a transmissibilidade dos genes, pois indivíduos que possuem baixa expressividade são mais propícios a viverem mais e assim têm maiores probabilidades de transmitir seus genes adiante.  Vale ressaltar, também, que o fenômeno de penetrância incompleta é bem mais comum de se observar do que o da penetrância completa.

 Associação Mineira de Apoio às Pessoas com Neurofibromatoses (AMANF). Como transmitimos a NF1 e a NF2 de pais para filhos? 14 de jul. de 2015. Disponível em: https://amanf.org.br/tag/penetrancia/. Acesso em: 27 de nov. de 2021.
 Beiguelman, B. A interpretação genética da variabilidade humana. Ribeirão Preto: ed. SBG, 2008. p. 152. Disponível em: https://docplayer.com.br/57270273-I-autor-ii-titulo.html. Acesso: 27 de out. 2013.
 Cooper, D.N., Krawczak, M., Polychronakos, C. et al. Where genotype is not predictive of phenotype: towards an understanding of the molecular basis of reduced penetrance in human inherited disease. Hum Genet 132, 1077–1130 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-013-1331-2. Definition penetrance. Nature, 2014. Disponível em: https://www.nature.com/scitable/definition/penetrance-69/ . Acesso em: 22 de nov. de 2021.
 Griffiths, Anthony J. F. et al. Introdução à genética. 11. ed. ed., reimp.. Rio de Janeiro: Guanabara Koogan, 2016 / 2017. 2017 v, xviii, 760 . p
 Savage, T.F.; Harper, J.A.; Engel, H.N. Jr.;Inheritance of tetanic torticollar spasms in turkeys  (1993) Poult Sci 72:1212-1217.
 Wilcox, D. E., Single-Gene Inheritance, Editor(s): Sydney Brenner, Jefferey H. Miller, Encyclopedia of Genetics, Academic Press, 2001, Disponível em: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0122270800011988. BERTOLLO, Eny Maria Goloni et al. O processo de Aconselhamento Genético. Arq Cienc Saude, v. 20, n. 1, p. 30-6, 2013.

Genética

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Saban Plays "Buddy Games" with Josh Duhamel
By Kip Mooney • On July 27, 2020 August 16, 2020 • In News	News Comments Off on Saban Plays "Buddy Games" with Josh Duhamel
Nobody is ready to party right now, given the state of, well, everything. But we can at least live vicariously through others partying. To that end, Saban Films has added to their impressive slate with Josh Duhamel's directorial debut Buddy Games. The actor (Love, Simon) also stars as a man reuniting his old pals to play some crazy games and hopefully grow closer in the process.
The cast includes Olivia Munn, Dax Shepard, Kevin Dillon, James Roday Rodriguez, Nick Swardson, and Dan Bakkedahl.
The comedy, described as "laugh-out-loud" by Saban Films' Bill Bromiley, doesn't have a trailer or release date yet. But the film joins their ever-growing roster of comedies, including the Alicia Silverstone wedding movie Sister of the Groom and Jamie Babbit's The Stand-In, with Drew Barrymore in a dual role.
"You Should Have Left" Comes Home to Haunt
"The Trial of the Chicago 7" Gets Netflix Premiere Date
About Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler's remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson's films and avoid Sandler's like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I'll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I'd much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I'm also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage's work. In the past, I've written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I'd love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that's a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I'm excited to share my love of film with you.


Old Saybrook, the oldest of the shoreline's many towns, was originally home to the peaceful Algonquin Nehantic Indians — until were conquered by the Pequots, "a warlike tribe from the north" in 1590. From that point on the history becomes quite complex, involving an early 17th century Dutch settlement at Saybrook Point, which lasted only a few months; conveyance of the land in 1631 through a deed known as the "Warwick Patent," with many as 15 British patentees who, in 1635 named John Winthrop, Jr, the first Governor of the Connecticut Territory.
Upon learning that the Dutch had not given up on thoughts of establishing a colony on Saybrook Point, Winthrop swiftly engaged Lieutenant Lion Gardiner to build a fort equipped with two canons there — and to lay out a small town. And upon arriving to see the progress of that effort, he named the new settlement Saye-Brooke, after English aristocrats. Eventually Saye-Brook became Saybrook, the first of the Saybrook Colony settlements, which included Chester, Deep River, Essex, Lyme, Old Lyme and Westbrook, now all separate towns.
Since then, Saybrook has evolved into the Lower Connecticut Valley's center for commercial, retail, and small manufacturing and one of The Shoreline's most popular places to live and vacation. Visitors often wonder how this charming little town has managed to remain a charming little town — free of the industry, wharves, and warehouses common to similar ports — given its spectacular location at the mouth of the largest river ecosystem in New England and a 16-mile coastline on the Sound. But the answer is surprisingly simple. Indeed, it's no deeper (if you will) than the wide sandbar that has impeded navigation inland from Colonial days to the present.
Route 154 along Main Street is home to the town's most intriguing independent stores and restaurants, so a great way to start the day is with a great breakfast at Mirsina's. Then it's on to do some shopping, starting at Saybrook Country Barn, with its wonderful selection of home furnishings and women's wear. This route also offers such notable eateries as Liv's Oyster Bar, the Penny Lane Pub & Restaurant, as well as the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, located in the elegant old Town Hall and usually referred to simply as "The Kate," which make this part of town its own night out.
In late July, thousands converge on the town green for the Old Saybrook Arts & Crafts Festival, with some of those visitors and vendors spending the night at the Deacon Timothy Pratt B&B, a restored 1746 Colonial on the National Register conveniently across the way.
Beyond the center of town are scenic side roads, such as North Cove Road, leading not only to some of the prettiest homes on The Shoreline but to breathtaking views of the marshes and the sea. And down at the end of College Street are the parks at Saybrook Point and the sumptuous food, luxury lodgings, and spa at the Saybrook Point Inn.
Those traveling by land might enjoy a tour of the Fenwick, a tiny borough just across the causeway over South Cove, where Old Saybrook's most famous resident, the late actress Katharine Hepburn, spent a great deal of time — her family's sprawling "cottage" a perfect refuge from the world. A few of the several lanes in the borough are marked as private drives, but anyone can sign up for a tee time at the Old Saybrook Fenwick Golf Club, a 9-hole par-34 course.
Continuing westward on the Maple Avenue section of Route 154 leads through the Fenwood neighborhood, past Knollwood Beach, and on to an outstanding panorama of sea and sky. Beyond that, Great Hammock Road threads its way through the golden marshes and tidal estuaries that have put Old Saybrook on the Nature Conservancy's list of Last Great Places on Earth.
Up in the northern reaches of town, Route 154 and Essex Road stretch past the Otter Cove neighborhood north of Ferry Point and the Baldwin Bridge, leading on to Old Lyme. The roads here reveal more of Old Saybrook's lovely homes, along with exceptional views of the river at one of its broadest points. And north of Route 1 on Ingham Hill Road is Great Cedars Conservation Area, with marked trails open to the public. This peaceful site is contiguous to a pristine woodland tract that is among the very few intact coastal forests in New England.


Designed with a high rise, relaxed wide leg and contoured waistband, Dickies Girl Juniors' Plus Size Roll Hem Crop Work Pants are built to keep you comfortable the entire day. A blended cotton design keeps them durable enough for projects. These working pants also features a rolled cuff and crop that keeps it interesting. Four pockets make them functional, while they are washed for softness and avoid shrinking.


What Lhorkan said tbh. AC all the way.
well obvisously since this is an AC forum. I'm actually not sure since i think GTA will have more longlivity than assassins. assassins might rack up like 80 hours of play, while GTA would have like 150. though AC's gonna be so much beta, and its a new idea aswell.
Yea GTA IV will be longer probably but AC for sure!
http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/agreepost.gif GTA has had many incarnations. How many times have you been able to play an assassin who may or may not be able to travel through time.
What kind of person would not pick a newborn franchise?
BTW take the caps out of the title.
i am getting a PS3 over the summer but im not even opening the box until i get ASSASSINS CREED. i want it to be the first game to be played. AC all the way.
AC cuz its gonna be a better game.
P.S. - Oh, and Atheist, I'm not quite sure but I think it's been confirmed he's not a time traveller. I'm glad he's not.
Assassin's Creed. I've never really been that into the GTA universe.
GTA4 with no contest. If R* could do what they did with the GTA series on the last-gen consoles I cant imagine what they could on this gen.
Im still getting both, though.
Well AC, on account of how this forum is dedicated to the game.
I'd pick Assassin's Creed over GTA IV anytime.
Not much of a contest, AC no doubt! I've tried to get into the GTA-universe, but I fail every time...it just doesn't do it for me. I'm pretty sure AC will though.
GTA IV is basically GTA III with better graphics. Assassins creed as stated earlier is a brand new franchise. GTA's game play has always been to shallow. You cant even go into any house like oblivion. Assassins Creed has very interactive gameplay.
Just saw the new one and it looks like the same old Grand Theft Auto game play and storyline. I'm sure it'll be fun, but I'd rather get a whole new experience rather than know everything that's going to happen next.
Here's a link for the new GTA IV Trailer 2 Looking for that Someone Special.
So would I, Adnocana. So would I. I'd want to play a game with a different theme never used then the same old ones I currently have.


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Q: Event Delegation (checking whether e.target exists—why?) I came across this fragment of code:
if(e.target && e.target.nodeName == "LI") { // do stuff }

in this context
document.getElementById("parent-list").addEventListener("click", function(e) {
    if(e.target && e.target.nodeName == "LI") {
        console.log("List item ", e.target.id.replace("post-", ""), " was clicked!");
    }
});

I understand the second check, i.e., whether the nodeName is "LI", but I don't understand the reason for the first check. Why check if e.target is truthy/exists. Wouldn't it be guaranteed to exist if the code reached that point? In order for the click listener to trigger, a click would have to occur, which means that e.target would have to exist. What am I missing? What's the point of this check?

A: As the target property of the Event interface is a reference to the object onto which the event was dispatched the first check is not necessarily required.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Schwab IMPACT
Photo by Samuel Steinberger
Jonathan Beatty, SVP of Advisor Services for Charles Schwab.
News>Industry
Schwab IMPACT: As Trade Goes, So Does The Economy
Schwab strategists outlined their views on the economy—and the firm's thinking on advisors' needs.
Samuel Steinberger | Nov 05, 2019
Just weeks after unveiling $0 trades and plans to support the buying and selling of fractional shares of stocks, Charles Schwab kicked off its 29th IMPACT conference in San Diego, Calif. on Monday.
Nearly 5,000 attendees poured into southern California for the multi-day conference, which began with a keynote trio covering a diverse range of topics, from classic footage of a printer/fax machine being smashed to smithereens to the significance of the yield curve inversion to a note of caution from Liz Ann Sonders, the firm's chief investment strategist.
Technology and growth were front and center for the first leg of the conference. After playing a scene from the movie Office Space, where office workers destroy a printer/fax machine with baseball bats and fists, Jonathan Beatty, SVP of Advisor Services for Schwab, told attendees the 48-year-old financial services firm was committed to building "a modern service model" for advisors.
To do so, Schwab is segmenting advisors into three groups: startup advisory firms, mid-size firms and larger, and enterprises. Schwab's service model "will adapt to all advisors' needs, regardless of their size, their mission or the journey that they're on," Beatty said. "Emerging firms, they tell us they want to work in our proprietary tools. The mid-size and larger firms, they love the third-party ecosystem, and they want us to integrate with those partners. And then there's a growing number of you, the enterprises, who are developing your own ecosystem and you want to have direct access to our APIs."
Beatty also emphasized marketing support offered by Schwab. Called "Amplifying Your Value," the marketing program has both digital and traditional components and was created in response to advisor demand, he said. "It's about helping you design ways to enhance your marketing."
While the technology and marketing supporting advisors is scheduled to improve, the investment outlook for next year and the decade ahead "are going to catch a lot of investors by surprise," according to Jeffrey Kleintop, chief global investment strategist at Schwab.
To start off, too many investors are focused on central bank rates, Kleintop said. That's a problem, because the economy is at a point where the timing of a trade deal between the U.S. and China is actually what will have a bigger impact on the likelihood of a recession. "The race is on," he said. Any pullback in the job market before a trade deal is reached and the economy could be in trouble, he said.
"The risk is high," he added. "It makes 2020 a really hard thing to predict."
Jeffrey Kleintop, Chief Global Investment Strategist at Charles Schwab
While trade may be uncertain, Kleintop presented a series of charts showing that the yield curve inversion could be an opportunity to reassess the client's investment allocations. "The message is a longer-term one," he said. "When we get a yield curve inversion, while everyone obsesses about the short term, it says something really important about the long term.
"Wherever expectations are the highest, they tend to come down the most," he explained. That means that while growth stocks have outperformed since the last yield curve inversion, with the current inversion, Kleintop thinks it's time for value stocks to—finally—start to shine. "This is really important," he said. "It will remind your customers why you diversify."
Trade was also cited by Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Schwab, as "one of the biggest uncertainties" for investors today. She took a dive into the leading indicators to sound a note of caution on the spillover effect trade problems could produce for investors.
Liz Ann Sonders, Chief Investment Strategist at Charles Schwab
While recommending investors stick to their "normal long-term strategic allocation" for U.S. equities, Sonders noted that Schwab was "on watch" for an earnings recession triggering an economic recession. "We are in the midst of [a] third slowdown," she said. "I think we're at an important threshold."
Both Kleintop and Sonders agreed that central bankers ultimately wouldn't save investors from the most immediate economic danger: a trade war leading to a recession. "The Fed has done a great job of boosting asset prices. I don't think it's the elixir for what ails us," Sonders said. "It doesn't sign a trade deal. It doesn't alleviate that uncertainty."
TAGS: Equities Fixed Income


Aspiring authors will have the rare chance to pitch their works to some of crime fiction's most influential names in publishing.
'Dragons' Pen' is the culmination of a day-long creative writing workshop as part of Europe's biggest celebration of crime fiction, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2013.
The workshop offers the opportunity to pitch concepts to two powerhouse literary agents, Jane Gregory of Gregory and Company and Gordon Wise of Curtis Brown, commissioning editor from Little Brown Jade Chandler, and esteemed publisher Maria Rejt of Pan Macmillan.
Crime is the most lucrative genre. Blockbuster writer Lee Child sells a book a second and the genre dominates our TV and movie screens.
Many of the most successful writers at work today in the genre will feature at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival this July as up to 90 authors gather from around the world including Kate Atkinson, Susan Hill, Ruth Rendell, Ann Cleeves, Lee Child and Ian Rankin.
Creative Thursday precedes the prestigious Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award hosted by broadcaster Mark Lawson and the official opening party for Europe's biggest celebration of crime fiction.
Attendees will be welcomed by the 2013 programming chair, Val McDermid, before undergoing an intensive exercise-based workshop with Henry Sutton, crime novelist and Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.
A session will also be co-led by Bafta nominated screenwriter MR Hall and former lawyer William Ryan, with an interactive session also on real life crime scenarios from the Forensic Science Society.
Four a.m on a wet stretch of the A1 and a driver skids out of control. Quick on the scene, Senior Investigating Officer Kate Daniels and partner DS Hank Gormley are presented with a horrifying image of carnage and mayhem that quickly becomes one of the worst road traffic accidents in Northumberland's history. But as the casualties mount up, they soon realise that not all deaths were as a result of the accident . . . On the other side of town a house goes up in flames, turning its two inhabitants into charred corpses. Seemingly unconnected with the traffic accident, Kate sets about investigating both incidences separately. But it soon becomes apparent that all is not what it seems, and Kate and her colleagues are one always step behind a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to get what they want.
Following hot on the heels of her first two great DCI Kate Daniels novels 'The Murder Wall' and 'Settled Blood', Mari Hannah is back with the third book in the series and back with a bang!
The opening scenes of carnage at a pile up on the A1 are ones which will stay with me for some time to come and show that Hannah has all the necessary skills to keep coming at us with great crime stories, even when it comes to leaving a good few pages before bringing her 'tec to the scene.
Sure, it can be said that having a blurb that indicates that the two incidents, the afore mentioned accident and a house fire, are 'seemingly unconnected' will leave very few readers wondering if the cases are going to somehow come together before long, but there are plenty of twists and turns along the way to trip even the most constant crime fiction readers. The surprises are skilfully handled and plentiful and provide a very rewarding read from an author not afraid to take risks – risks which, to her credit, are clearly paying off in a big way.
And, with the great news this week that the author has secured a deal for the next two books in the series, with the next book 'Monument to Murder' to be published in April 2014 in hardcover.
Exciting times indeed, both for Mari Hannah and for crime fiction fans everywhere.
Waste no time – discover and follow DCI Kate Daniels now with Deadly Deceit.
Miriam Black knows when you will die. Still in her early twenties, she's foreseen hundreds of car crashes, heart attacks, strokes, suicides, and slow deaths by cancer. But when Miriam hitches a ride with truck driver Louis Darling and shakes his hand, she sees that in thirty days Louis will be gruesomely murdered while he calls her name. Miriam has given up trying to save people; that only makes their deaths happen. But Louis will die because he met her, and she will be the next victim. No matter what she does she can't save Louis. But if she wants to stay alive, she'll have to try.
For some time now I've been following Chuck Wendig, reading his entertaining and informative writing blogs at his website terrible minds.com, listening to him on writing interview blogs at Angry Robot and The Creative Penn, and downloading his writing guide books for my kindle.
I was more than a little apprehensive about biting the bullet and checking out his fiction, but the buzz surrounding Blackbirds was too strong to resist and disappointed I most certainly was NOT.
Miriam Black is a masterful character – gifted/cursed with the power we'd all struggle to decide if it was a good or bad thing – she can tell how people will die, but cannot do anything to prevent the events from occurring.
From it's great premise and stunning cover (zoom in to see the details within Miriam's hair) you could be mistaken in thinking this is Young Adult fiction, but be warned – Blackbirds is tough, brutal, sweary and bloody – oh, and it's excellent in all those ways too !
Now to grab a copy of the sequel 'Mockingbird' ahead of the next book to also feature Miriam 'Cormorant'.
I don't know where Mr Wendig finds the time and energy to be in so many places at once and so good in all of them, but I'm damn glad he does.
Just today I received an email to advise me that very soon I'll be able to go and collect my choice of book to give this coming World Book Night – Little Face by Sophie Hannah.
And then, with a resounding second excitable 'ping' the following press release arrived – it's all shaping up to be another great night of celebration of the written word and the chance to once again share the joy of reading.
On 23rd April 2013 something magical will take place across the country, as the 'World Book Night Experience' plays out. Complete strangers will become friends, colleagues will pause and reflect, libraries and bookshops will go the extra mile to 'stay up late', and authors of all genres will share their writings and love of the written word with audiences of all ages.
Now in its third year, World Book Night is a celebration of generosity, passion, participation and inclusion, known as the 'World Book Night Experience'. On 23rd April – UNESCO's International Day of the Book – many experiences will unfold simultaneously across the UK, the USA and Ireland. With major UK events in Liverpool, London, Edinburgh and beyond, a host of world-renowned writers have given their time – and their books – to inspire regular readers to harness their role as World Book Night 'Givers' and help spread a love of reading.
World Book Night's flagship event will this year be held in Liverpool, where bestselling authors Frank Cottrell Boyce, Jasper Fforde, Philippa Gregory, Jackie Kay, Patrick Ness and Jeanette Winterson take part in a series of free, themed literary sessions at St George's Hall and the brand new Liverpool Central Library, in association with Liverpool City Council and the BBC. The event features an impromptu Speakers' Corner, a Book Exchange, Poetry Waiters, a Literary-themed Café and much more.
The second major event will be held at London's Southbank Centre where World Book Night host Hardeep Singh Kohli will present a glorious night of readings designed to enlighten and entertain, by authors, poets and performers including Sebastian Barry, Tracy Chevalier, Charles Dance, Sarah Dunant, Victoria Hislop, Andrew Motion, Jojo Moyes, Alice Oswald, Elif Shafak, Lemn Sissay, Rupert Thomson and Rose Tremain.
And at Edinburgh Central Library, guests will be treated to thrilling thoughts on writing with No.1 Ladies Detective Agency author Alexander McCall Smith, and a reading by BAFTA-nominated novelist and playwright Lesley Glaister, in conversation with Peggy Hughes (City of Literature).
World Book Night partner, The Reading Agency, is delighted with the huge efforts libraries have made to be involved again this year, with many authors supporting libraries in hundreds of locations around the country.
Independent charity The Reading Agency has coordinated the input of 2176 libraries across the UK, and supported the creation of a fantastic range of events, including supermarket visits by Amanda Smyth and Mez Parker with Coventry Mobile Library; Jessica Fox supporting Dumfries and Galloway's Libraries Hit the High Street event; and Miranda Dickinson in Dudley.
Other major library events include Sophie Hannah in Cambridge; Melvin Burgess in Bristol as part of the city's Britain Writing: Bristol Writing programme; Blake Morrison at a newly refurbished Lewisham Library; an evening of exclusive talks, book giveaways and live music for BookAid featuring Beverley Naidoo, James Mayhew, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst and comedian Natalie Haynes at Canada Water Library Southwark; an Evening of Crime with S J Bolton in Peterborough; Ann Cleeves' Murder Mystery Evening in Maidstone; Treasure Island themed fun in Gloucestershire; a World Book Night '20 books' inspired pop-up film festival in Tameside; and in the Outer Hebrides books will be transported by Mail Bus, Aeroplane and Ferry to the furthest reaches of the islands, thanks to the dedicated efforts of staff at Lionacleit Library.
Giver applications for World Book Night 2013 hit an all-time high: 23,655 people volunteered to be part of the Experience on April 23rd and from the 20,000 people confirmed as Givers, 54% chose to be involved for the first time. 58% of Givers have chosen to collect their books from a local library.
Also a first this year, World Book Night introduced an application strand for charitable giving enabling more than 2,500 organisations to get books to the hardest to reach sections of society, including 90% of the prison network. 100,000 of the 500,000 books allocated have been ring-fenced for charitable and institutional giving and will be distributed in a host of venues including hospitals, shelters, care homes, community centres and prisons.
This year's titles are more varied than ever. Prize winners, bestsellers, classic tales, contemporary crime, quick reads and even a graphic novel – there is something for everyone, no matter what their interest or reading ability.
Exhibit A, the new crime fiction imprint of award-winning publisher Angry Robot, is delighted to announce that, in a deal brokered by The Gotham Group and ICM Partners, major Hollywood studio Relativity Media has acquired the film rights to Richard Parker's psychological thriller Scare Me and has signed Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller to adapt the novel for screen.
Miller's debut screenplay Stoker, starring Nicole Kidman and directed by Chan-wook Park, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was subsequently released to wide critical acclaim.
Scare Me tells the story of a wealthy businessman who receives a phone call in the middle of the night asking him, 'When did you last google yourself?' He discovers a website with photos of the inside of his own home, along with six other houses he's never seen before, inside one of which a gruesome murder has already taken place.
Exhibit A acquired dramatic rights to Scare Me as part of a two book deal with Richard Parker last year. Scare Me will be published in the UK and US in paperback and eBook this May.
Exhibit A, the new crime fiction imprint of award-winning publisher Angry Robot, has signed award-winning Italian author Matteo Strukul for two novels.
Exhibit A's Commissioning Editor, Emlyn Rees, bought World English rights in The Ballad of Mila and Black Queen: The Justice of Mila from Allan Guthrie at Jenny Brown Associates.
The Ballad of Mila tells the story of female Italian Bounty Hunter, Mila Zago, a.k.a. Red Dread. Abandoned by her mother and violated by a gang of criminals just after they slaughtered her father, Mila is a cold-blooded killer, a deadly assassin. Brought up by her grandfather on the Sette Comuni plateau under a rigid martial code, she returns home to seek her revenge, conspiring to create a spectacular showdown reminiscent of A Fistful of Dollars.
Exhibit A will publish The Ballad of Mila in June 2014 simultaneously in the UK and US in paperback and eBook.
The author, Matteo Strukul, is also a well-known graphic novel writer. Together with international artist Alessandro Vitti (MARVEL and DC), he created Red Dread, a comic book series with Mila Zago as protagonist, which was awarded the Premio Leone di Narnia as "Best Italian comic book series of the year". Matteo is also the artistic director of the Sugarpulp Festival and line editor of Revolver, a crime fiction imprint of Edizioni BD.
For more information on Matteo Strukul, visit http://www.matteostrukul.com, follow him on Twitter @MatteoStrukul, or see his Facebook page.
Alison Hennessey, Senior Crime Editor at Harvill Secker, has bought the next two books in Arne Dahl's award winning crime series, adaptations of which the BBC will be broadcasting in the same Saturday night slot that turned The Killing, Borgen and The Bridge into household names. Hennessey bought UK & Commonwealth (ex. Canada) rights from Tor Jonasson at the Salomonsson Agency.
To the Top of the Mountain, the book that won Arne the prestigious German Crime Prize, sees Detective Paul Hjelm and his team coming back together after the traumatic events at the end of Bad Blood to investigate a series of crimes – a man killed in a random attack in a restaurant, another blown up in high security prison, rumours of a forthcoming terrorist attack. In Europa Blues, winner of the Best International Thriller at the Dutch Book Awards, the team try and establish links between the execution of a man at Stockholm zoo, the abduction of 8 Eastern European women from a refugee centre and the horrifying murder of a professor at the Jewish cemetery in a case that will extend across Europe and back through time.
Arne Dahl is an award-winning Swedish crime novelist and literary critic whose books have been translated into over twenty languages. He will be attending Cuirt, Bloody Scotland and Edinburgh International Book festivals this year. The first book in the series, The Blinded Man, was published straight into Vintage paperback in July 2012 with Bad Blood coming from Harvill Secker this July.


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Germany warns Balkans migrants of deportation
Migrants from the Balkans have very little chance of winning asylum in Germany and will be billed for the cost of being deported, says new government video
By Justin Huggler in Berlin 07 August 2015 • 18:33 pm
Migrants travel on a train through Macedonia Credit: Photo: Reuters
Germany is to show television advertisements in the Balkans warning asylum-seekers they face paying the cost of their own deportation home.
The four-minute advert, released on Friday, shows asylum-seekers in the rain being herded onto a bus with their belongings and driven to the airport.
"Quite a few people have believed the false promises of scam artists that it's easy to stay in Germany and other EU countries as an asylum-seeker and make a lot of money," says a voice-over.
"Do not ruin yourself and your family financially by being trafficked to Germany. Help develop your homeland economically: use your knowledge and skills there."
• Meet the German actor who plans to build his own 'model refugee shelter'
The adverts are targeted specifically at the Balkans and will be shown in Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro.
They will be accompanied by newspaper advertisements with the slogan "No economic asylum in Germany".
Germany takes in by far the most migrants in the EU, and has a relatively liberal asylum system.
But the authorities say it is being overburdened by false refugees from the Balkans who have little to no chance of being granted asylum as the country struggles to cope with a huge influx of genuine refugees from Syria.
In the first five months of 2015, 26,250 refugees from Syria applied for asylum in Germany, according to government figures.
Some 29,747 migrants from Kosovo applied, alongside 16,250 from Albania and 13,502 from Serbia.
Even though the overwhelming majority of those will be turned away, the German authorities still have to house and provide for them while their applications are processed.
"The vast majority of these people are not in need of international protection," Vincent Cochetel, the UN refugee agency's Europe director, said in Geneva. They are "clogging the system", he said.
"We need to take really fast-track decisions for those people who are not in need of protection and have them returned quickly."
Man offers Newport council £50m to help him find his Bitcoin bounty in a landfill
By Telegraph Reporters 15 Jan 2021, 2:30pm
The men in power have zero comprehension of the pressure working mothers are facing
By 15 Jan 2021, 2:30pm
By Giovanni Torre 15 Jan 2021, 2:28pm


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INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED SANCTUARY FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS TO THE GOLD COAST IN NOVEMBER
Oct 14, 2019 | Artists, News, Tours | 0 comments
Proudly supported by Screen Queensland, the Sanctuary International Film Festival will return to The Village Theatre, Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast for the fifth consecutive year on 21 – 24 November 2019.
Set against the stunning backdrop of Sanctuary Cove, the outdoor & indoor event premiers some of the best short films, documentaries and feature films from around the world. Film industry workshops, panels, industry networking and special events such as a charity golf tournament and exclusive VIP opening and closing parties will also form part of the 2019 program.
The free outdoor activities include; the short film festival, roving entertainment, a unique kids film festival, live music and more, which create an engaging, fun and interactive atmosphere for budding filmmakers, film buffs and families.
Boasting a record 200+ entries this year, more screenings and a broader more engaging program than ever before.
Celebrating all aspects of filmmaking and supporting local and international feature and short films from various genres. The Sanctuary Film Festival was created to amplify the voices of the independent filmmakers.
"With entries now from all over the world, this years festival has grown to an all time high and what better place to host it than the premier Sanctuary Cove precinct, neighbour to some of the biggest film productions in the world." Said event founder Mike Goldman.
Showcasing this year, Whaling is a feature film about a dysfunctional brother and sister who are forced to come to terms with each other and themselves over their recently deceased mother's final wish.
The film stars Tammin Sursok and Tom Felton who recently won best actor at the Boston International Film Festival. Tom is best known for his roles in Harry Potter, The Flash and Planet Of The Apes.
Queensland film Emma by Kevin Spink features local actress Sharni Tones.
"The film explores the day in the life of a woman and looks at the current issues that one may face. Although it is a very serious subject matter, I hope it entertains, evokes response and creates discussion." Said Spink.
VIP guests confirmed to attend include actors Tammin Sursok (Pretty Little Liars), Wayne Blair (Top End Wedding/The Sapphires), Dan Ewing (Occupation) and festival creator Mike Goldman.
The Sanctuary Cove Film Festival is held from the 21st to the 24th of November, and is proudly sponsored by Screen Queensland and the Queensland Government.
For all ticketing and event information – www.sanctuaryfilmfestival.com
FINE WINE & ICONIC MUSICIANS – CHANT DU VIN IS AN INTIMATE EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER
ANTHEMS RETURNS IN 2020 WITH ICONIC AUSSIE BAND, ICEHOUSE
ROBERT DELONG ADDS EAST-COAST SHOWS TO LONG AWAITED RETURN TO AUSTRALIAN SHORES
GOOD THINGS ARE HERE!
2017 Australian Tour Adelaide Announcement Anthony Mundine Australian Tour Billy Ray Cyrus Brisbane Buddy Guy Concert Crossroads in the Vines Ellis Hall Hunter Valley Jeff Horn KOFM Lifehouse Live Live Australian Tour Media Release Melbourne News Perth Reunion World Tour Roche Estate Sydney The Basement The Calling The Tea Party Touring Triple M Unbreakable Touring
Unbreakable Touring © 2018


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text:
Morning Links: Sharp Instrument Edition
March 29, 2017 9:00am
The Thomas Gainsborough in question: Mr. and Mrs. William Hallett (The Morning Walk), 1785.
COURTESY NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON
Tehran's Ag Galerie said that it will be unable to participate in the AIPAD fair in New York because of President's Trump travel ban. [The New York Times]
A Gainsborough at the National Gallery in London that had been attacked by a visitor with a "sharp instrument" is now back on view. [The New York Times]
Christo's Floating Piers was the most-visited artwork of 2016, The Art Newspaper reports in its annual roundup of attendance figures. [The Art Newspaper]
Louis Menand considers the great "Inventing Downtown" exhibition, which is on view at New York University's Grey Art Gallery for only a few more days. Do not miss it! [The New Yorker]
The Schutz Debate Continues
Christopher Benson asks what Emmett Till's mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, would have made of Dana Schutz's painting of her murdered son. [The New York Times]
Poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths addresses the work in two poems. [Buzzfeed]
"What you're trying to create is a certain kind of an indispensable presence." Kerry James Marshall, whose retrospective is now on view at MOCA Los Angeles, discusses his paintings. [NPR]
Duro Olowu interviews Henry Taylor, who proposes, "I think there's only one purpose in life—one righteous purpose in life—the only thing that needs to be eliminated is the evil in it, people that are evil." [Interview]
Agustín Arteaga, the new director of the Dallas Museum of Art, talks about what he's up to. [Dallas Observer]
And here's an interview with Devin Kenny. [Rhizome]
Repair work is underway at the Albany Museum of Art in Georgia, which was damaged by storms in January. Officials expect the museum to reopen in ten months. [WFXL]
Michael Govan has been tapped to join the Smithsonian's board of regents. [Washington Post]
Andrea Gyorody has been hired as assistant curator of modern and contemporary art at the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin. [Artforum]
Jeffrey Andersen, who has been with the Florence Griswold Museum in Connecticut for 40 years, is stepping down as director. [The Day]
Uh oh. Adrien Brody appears to be hard at work on his paintings. [Artsy]
Michael Bierut on designing the logo for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. [Design Observer]
There is a new documentary out about filmmaker and artist David Lynch. [Vogue]
A new play about John Cage has been assembled entirely from his quotations. [The New York Times]
Douglas Crimp on Trisha Brown, in 2011. [Artforum]


The American Health Care Act--that's what it's called. The House released its plan to replace Obamacare, and, now that we have something in hand, let's look at potential winners and losers in the new landscape.
The reaction on Twitter (sample listed on screen right) ranged from balanced to angry.
Click the link beneath for the original article and analysis from CNN.
Titled the American Health Care Act, the legislation calls for providing refundable tax credits based on a person's age and income. It keeps the Obamacare protections for those with pre-existing conditions, but it allows insurers to levy a 30% surcharge for a year on the premiums of those who let their coverage lapse. It lifts the taxes that Obamacare had imposed on the wealthy, insurers and prescription drug manufacturers. And it loosens or removes several of the health reform law's strict insurance reforms so that carriers can offer a wider -- and some say skimpier -- suite of policies.


New Project Incoming & We Need Your Help!
A Final Thank You & Au Revoir!
Not much text this time - just some more images of the final sample products!
REC P-51 Production Development Update!
Review from the most popular watch blog in the world + new crown design!
This weeks #1 question + we won an award - all because of you!
100% FUNDED - and the ball starts rolling!
HUGS & HIGH-FIVES ALL AROUND!
The best week ever - staff pick!
We can't believe that we are only a week in and almost there! Also, almost seven days after we launched the campaign, we are now a Kickstarter staff pick!
WOW, you truly are the best supporters in the World!
We almost can't believe it!!! We owe everything to YOU!