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DC-Derived IL-10 Modulates Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Production and Promotes...
Article / Chapter Tue May 9 2017 CC BY 4.0
DC-Derived IL-10 Modulates Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Production and Promotes Induction of CD4+IL-10+ Regulatory T Cells during Plasmodium yoelii Infection
Loevenich, Katharina; Ueffing, Kristina; Abel, Simone; Hose, Matthias; Matuschewski, Kai; Westendorf, Astrid M. LSF; Buer, Jan J. LSF; Hansen, Wiebke LSF
The cytokine IL-10 plays a crucial role during malaria infection by counteracting the pro-inflammatory immune response. We and others demonstrated that Plasmodium yoelii infection results in enhanced IL-10 production in CD4+ T cells accompanied by the induction of an immunosuppressive phenotype. However, it is unclear whether this is a direct effect caused by the parasite or an indirect consequence due to T cell activation by IL-10-producing antigen-presenting cells. Here, we demonstrate that CD11c+CD11b+CD8− dendritic cells (DCs) produce elevated levels of IL-10 after P. yoelii infection of BALB/c mice. DC-specific ablation of IL-10 in P. yoelii-infected IL-10flox/flox/CD11c-cre mice resulted in increased IFN-γ and TNF-α production with no effect on MHC-II, CD80, or CD86 expression in CD11c+ DCs. Accordingly, DC-specific ablation of IL-10 exacerbated systemic IFN-γ and IL-12 production without altering P. yoelii blood stage progression. Strikingly, DC-specific inactivation of IL-10 in P. yoelii-infected mice interfered with the induction of IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells while raising the frequency of IFN-γ-secreting CD4+ T cells. These results suggest that P. yoelii infection promotes IL-10 production in DCs, which in turn dampens secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and supports the induction of CD4+IL-10+ T cells.
/Loevenich_DC-Derived.pdf
Newly migrated
Faculty of Medicine, Essen University Hospital, Institute of Medical Microbiology
Frontiers in Immunology, 8:152; published: 28 February 2017
Loevenich, Katharina / Ueffing, Kristina / Abel, Simone / et al: DC-Derived IL-10 Modulates Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Production and Promotes Induction of CD4+IL-10+ Regulatory T Cells during Plasmodium yoelii Infection. 2017.
DOI (10.3389/fimmu.2017.00152)
This work may be used under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0)


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Aug. 30, 2017 11:10 am
Does Philly want to be a community of makers?
Maybe not. Georgia Guthrie, the former executive director of The Hacktory, shares her disappointments.
By Georgia Guthrie / guest
'There's no ceiling' at Linode View Open Positions
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Making things at The Hacktory.
This is a guest post by Georgia Guthrie, the former executive director of The Hacktory.
As you may have read earlier this month, I'm stepping down as executive director of The Hacktory. If you aren't familiar with The Hacktory, we are the first "makerspace" in the region. This November marks 10 years since we held our first class, "Intro to Arduino." Over the years we've made Laser Graffiti, Hacked the Gender Gap, offered an Artist Residency, and have made a wide range of technical projects, like a virtual reality headset built with a Raspberry Pi for our after-school kids.
We also helped save Philly's reputation when a helpless robot was destroyed here in our city in 2015. I'm extremely proud of these milestones and the other work we've done and the small, fiercely loyal community we've built.
Taking some time to reflect on all we've done, I wanted to share some thoughts and observations with our larger community. There are signs that this type of work isn't as valued or cared about within our city as I think it should be.
Philly needs a place like The Hacktory
Community-focused makerspaces are critical for Philly to continue to advance and flourish.
Last year professional web developers reported that fewer than 55 percent have a formal degree in their field, and 90 percent of them reported that they are self-taught in the skills they use in their professional roles. Couple that with the fact that 50 percent of STEM jobs do not require a formal four-year degree. These jobs pay higher average salaries, so attaining such a position would have a significant positive impact on the lives of many Philadelphians.
Our ecosystem isn't actually supportive of the hands-on learning, curiosity and collaboration that makerspaces thrive on.
Informal learning opportunities have been shown to be an effective pathway into STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) for groups that have been historically underrepresented in the sciences. In addition, early interest in STEM is a better indicator than formal grades of future likelihood of pursuing a STEM career. If we want to build a workforce in our city with a higher level of technical skill, one of the best ways to do that is to get young people to just be interested in STEM. One of the best ways to get them interested is to provide opportunities for young people to have fun tinkering after school and with family members. No other space in Philly provides as much opportunity for this as The Hacktory.
Furthermore, manufacturing industries are being revitalized through technology provided by makerspaces. With it, many U.S. cities are making a comeback.
The Hacktory excels in a few key areas
Last summer at the Nation of Makers meeting at the White House, I heard from dozens of other makerspace leaders that many of them struggle with drawing participants of different genders and ethnic backgrounds.
At The Hacktory, participation by women in our programs and as volunteers has been a steady average of 50 percent for years. During the past few weeks at our Summer Hardware Bootcamp (hardware as in 3D printing, wearable electronics, and internet of things) more than half the participants over the course of several weeks were women, 30 percent were people of color.
While NextFab offers access to a wider range of tools than we do, The Hacktory provides an on-ramp for those who don't need high-end tools right away, but have an idea they want to explore and build themselves. And our social rules ensure that people feel comfortable in our space.
We've become a hub for educators in the region seeking to learn more about specific hardware to incorporate into their teaching. Numerous regional schools have started makerspace-type classrooms or programs, and many of their educators have reached out to us for advice, attended classes, or become a member to network and get support.
We are also one of the most accessible makerspaces in the city. A trolley line runs right outside our door, and stops on the Market-Frankford line are a few blocks away. Our storefront is clearly marked and our door is directly on the street. We offer a free Project Night every Thursday, our memberships start at $15, we offer the lowest rates for laser-cutting in the city. No other space is as accessible in terms of transportation, parking or price. This type of accessibility is really important because of the many barriers people impose on themselves in deciding whether or not they belong in a space like ours, even before they walk through the door.
Why I'm stepping down
It's time to acknowledge that the stress, failures and exhaustion I experienced while The Hacktory was part of the Dept. of Making + Doing have had a lasting impact on me.
At the beginning, I thought that project and partnership would be a career launchpad, and I was OK volunteering my time to help plan and run programs there. Even before our opening party though, it was clear the partners had vastly different priorities and availability to contribute to the project. Before long this manifested as burnout, erosion of trust and disengagement. Funds from grants that I helped write were wrapped up in bureaucracy and turf wars that required fantastical feats of paperwork just to get a check in hand. Other people involved in the project were exploited or treated poorly. Though I think the other partners in the project have great skills and vision, and we all had the best intentions, once the partnership went south, none of us were equipped to turn it around. Despite our success in fundraising, those funds couldn't be used to cover the critical time it takes partners in a venture like that to build or repair trust and confidence in each other to make it work.
(Editor's note: Read our 2016 feature "The life and death of the Dept. of Making + Doing" to learn more.)
While many were sad to see DM+D close, I couldn't wait to be free of the bureaucracy and stress, and for The Hacktory to finally step out on its own. I thought for sure we would be able to be a fully community-supported makerspace in no time at all. I was so dedicated that I took a small inheritance that my grandmother left me and used it to live off of while I tried to make the organization into a sustainable entity. In my excitement and optimism I didn't think the stress and exhaustion I experienced working on DM+D would follow me.
Now, two years later, I know I need to take a few steps back before I can move forward at all. Though being at the helm of The Hacktory has been my dream position (except the part about not being paid), someone else needs to take over. Contemplating this move, it dawned on me that there are some other signs that our ecosystem isn't actually supportive of the hands-on learning, curiosity and collaboration that makerspaces thrive on.
Maker activities have struggled a lot in Philly
Last spring the founder of Make:Media and Maker Faire, Dale Dougherty reached out to me personally. He asked me to bring The Hacktory to Washington, D.C.'s Maker Faire to provide fun hands-on activities there, and of course our group of scrappy makers was happy to do so.
While at that Maker Faire, Dale came and found me specifically, and asked how to get Maker Faire to come to Philadelphia. He said he's reached out to people at institutions he thought would be willing partners here, but hasn't gotten anywhere. In his mind, Benjamin Franklin is a clear patron saint of making, and he pointed out that lots of smaller cities have hosted Maker Faires. I pledged to do what I can, but being a volunteer without many resources, I can't offer more toward this goal than what I'm already giving.
I also want to highlight the many maker-type spaces that have come and gone from Philly: 3rd Ward, DM+D, WorkshopPHL, the Sculpture Gym. One of these spaces was famously mismanaged, but for the others, lack of financial support from the community and other funders was instrumental in their closing.
I share all of these details because I think our community is missing a high-level conversation about what is working and what's not in spurring innovation and maker activities in our city.
I think we need to consider our failures, what has been tried over and over again, who is being served by the tech community and related organizations, what big goals we share and what is holding us back. There is a real downside to these spaces failing, which is that all the knowledge gained by the passionate people who started them are scattered to the wind. To make some real progress, we need to break this cycle and build on what these spaces and people are learning.
If you're thinking Why don't they get some grant funding or donations?, this has always been a goal of ours, but it's harder than it looks. Though we may look like a fairly large operation from the outside, for many funders, we are still too small to qualify for grants that would offer meaningful financial support (like enough to fund a full-time staff person for a year). The grants we do qualify require significant time and effort to write and report on, so we've opted to focus on building up our membership and program revenue instead.
If you want to see The Hacktory stick around for another 10 years, or even one more year, become a member, buy a T-shirt, join our board, or do all three. Our lease is up this fall and our board is considering moving yet again. In my view, if we move again, we will never regain the potential we have now.
I first got involved in The Hacktory as a volunteer, not as a cofounder as many assume. At that time I did not consider myself a "tech person," I just wanted to learn more about technology in general. The fact that I've been able to become a teacher in technical topics shows how spaces like The Hacktory can transform participants.
I think we've demonstrated that building a contingent of technically sophisticated citizens from all corners of our city (even with minimal resources) is possible. Please show me that Philly wants this kind of transformation to continue here.
Companies: Department of Making + Doing, The Hacktory
People: Georgia Guthrie
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Vikoma International Limited, has appointed a new Sales Director with a wealth of market sector experience.
Vikoma International leads the world in the design, manufacture and installation of oil spill containment and recovery equipment. The business has a global reputation for the development of innovative, high performance products to deal with the full range of oil spill scenarios.
Karen Lucas, Vikoma's General Manager and Director said "Paul is a strong addition to the management team, he is known and respected throughout the industry and I am confident of his success in achieving our plans for growth.
Vikoma is a world leader in the design and manufacture of Oil Spill Response equipment supported by a highly knowledgeable engineering design team, together with an in-house manufacturing capability and an extensive world-wide sales network.
With almost 50 years' experience Vikoma supply efficient, effective and reliable equipment to satisfy the ever increasing demand of customers around the world, keeping the company at the forefront of environmental technologies.


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Keeping You In The Loop
With Our Latest News And Blog Posts
We'll look to keep everyone up to date with all general goings on here at Spirare as well as offer our take on
industry related news
Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings
Published: Thursday, 27 April 2017 16:05
Written by Sinead Byrne
What is ATED?
ATED is a tax paid annually on UK residential properties that are owned by companies or other 'non-natural persons' such as collective investment schemes or partnerships where one of the partners is a company. Such entities will need to complete an ATED return if they own a property, or have shares in a property, that is; in the UK, classified as a dwelling, and was valued in excess of £500,000 at 1 April 2012 or at acquisition if later.
ATED was initially introduced in 2013, with the intention of discouraging 'enveloping' residential properties of high value within special purpose vehicles (SPVs) enabling sale of the property by means of share sales so that the purchaser did not have to pay stamp duty. At introduction, ATED only applied to properties with a value of more than £2 million, this has since been lowered twice and become more relevant to a larger amount of companies.
How much do I have to pay?
The ATED tax liability depends on which banding the property falls into. So that the charge can be correctly assessed, properties needs to be revalued every five years. As the last valuation date was 1 April 2012, the next date for revaluation is 1 April 2017, applicable to all properties subject to ATED.
Property value 1 April 2012 or acquisition
ATED Charge
Over £500,000 but less than £1m
Over £1m but less than £2m
Over £5m but less than £10m
Over £10m but less than £20m
What are the reliefs?
Various reliefs are available that can reduce or eliminate the tax charge but these are not automatically given. This should be claimed on filing of an ATED return. Reliefs are available if your property is;
+ Let to a third party on a commercial basis and isn't, at any time, occupied (or available for occupation) by anyone connected with the owner
+ Open to the public for at least 28 days a year
+ Being developed for resale by a property developer
+ Owned by a property trader as the stock of the business for the sole purpose of resale
+ Repossessed by a financial institution as a result of its business of lending money
+ Being used by a trading business to provide living accommodation to certain qualifying employees
+ A farmhouse occupied by a farm worker or a former long-serving farm worker
+ Owned by a registered provider of social housing
When do I need to submit a return?
Submissions of ATED Returns and payments are subject to very tight deadlines. For companies already in the regime, a return must be filed and payment made within 30 days of 1 April, so for those submitting a return for the 17/18 year, the deadline is 30 April 2017.
Different deadlines are applicable where a company comes within the scope of ATED for the first time within a financial year; although the filing deadline is normally within 30 days of the property coming within the charge.
Failure to notify promptly, even if no tax is payable due to a relief, will result in late filing penalties which typically amount to £1,300 per year, so it is important to be aware of the value of your property/s and whether or not you need to submit a return.
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Spirare team.
Detailed guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stld-annual-tax-on-enveloped-dwellings-ated/annual-tax-on-enveloped-dwellings-returns-guidance
National Minimum Wage Increases from April 2017
Published: Monday, 20 March 2017 19:13
Written by Gemma Kerslake
As announced in Chancellor Philip Hammond's Autumn Statement, the National Minimum Wage is set to increase from the April 2017. This also includes an increase in the National Living Wage for over 25-year olds with the view to getting this up to £9 by 2020.
The National Minimum Wage for over 25's will be increasing by 4% from £7.20 to £7.50. With the other age ranges also increasing as shown in the table below.
Whilst looking at the changes in minimum wage, and with the school holidays approaching, it may also be useful to consider the employment regulations for under 18's. Below are some of the key points to note when employing children:
During term time, children can only work a maximum of 12 hours a week. This includes:
The youngest age a child may work is 13 (with the exception of areas such as television and modelling).
A maximum of 2 hours on school days and Sundays.
A maximum of 5 hours on Saturdays for 13 to 14 year olds and 8 hours for 15 to 16 year olds.
During school holidays, 13 to 14 year olds can only work a maximum of 25 hours a week. This includes:
A maximum of 5 hours on weekdays and Saturdays.
A maximum of 2 hours on a Sunday.
For children under the age of 16, there is no entitlement to minimum wage, no NI liability, no need to pay through PAYE and you are not required to include them on payroll unless their total income exceeds the personal allowance.
For children over 16, they will be liable for NIC if the thresholds are met. If they are being paid over £112 a week you must be registered as an employer and operate PAYE and if you're a registered employer, they must be included in the payroll.
If you would like more information on the National Minimum Wage increases or on employment regulations for under 18's, please contact the team at Spirare.
U-Turn on Class 4 National Insurance Contribution Increase
Published: Friday, 17 March 2017 18:21
Written by Holly Masters
The Chancellor has announced a U-turn on the planned National Insurance Class 4 contributions increases that he originally announced in the Spring Budget on 8th March 2017.
There was a planned increase in the amount of NIC Class 4 payable (which is payable on the profits for self-employed individuals) from 9%, to 10% in April 2018 and 11% in April 2019. However, many argued, and the Chancellor has agreed, that this move was a breach of the ''spirit'' of the Conservative 2015 election manifesto.
This has been a welcome U-turn for many of the self-employed. Originally designed to close the taxation gap between the employed and the self-employed, many argued that the self-employed do not benefit from the advantages that employees do, such as paternity pay, sick pay, and holiday pay. These benefits are being reviewed this summer for the self-employed, but for the time being the U-turn represents a welcome move for sole traders and partnerships.
The Spring Budget 2017: A Summary
On 8 March 2017 the chancellor Philip Hammond announced his first (and last) Spring Budget.
Post Brexit vote, the Chancellor stated that this budget aimed to build the ''foundations of a stronger, fairer, more global Britain''. He stated that despite higher employment levels, Britain's productivity remained low. Therefore, with these opening comments, it was initially expected that the Chancellor would be incentivising businesses (and business owners) who operate in Britain, whether they trade through limited companies, partnerships or sole trader entities.
Some announcements in the budget did this, in terms of potential reliefs available on business rates, lower administrative burdens for the research and development scheme, and more incentives for childcare costs. However, these advantages were significantly outweighed by the increase in Class 4 National Insurance contributions for the self-employed (sole traders and partners of partnerships), and by the reduction of the dividend allowance to £2,000 (which has an impact on owner managed director-shareholder companies).
We have summarised the key changes as follows:
Personal Taxation
The main rate of Class 4 National Insurance contributions (which are based on profits for self-employed sole traders and partners) are to increase from 9% to 10% in April 2018 and to 11% in April 2019
Class 2 National Insurance, a separate flat rate contribution paid by self-employed individuals making a profit of more than £5,965 a year, will be abolished (as previously announced) in April 2018
No changes to National Insurance paid by the employed and employers or to income tax or VAT
Personal tax-free allowance to rise (as previously announced) to £11,500 for the 2017/18 tax year and increase to £12,500 by 2020
The higher rate threshold to be set at £45,000 for the 2017/18 tax year (as previously announced) and increase to £50,000 by 2020
Reduction in the tax-free dividend allowance from £5,000 to £2,000 (effective from April 2018)
Dividend income paid on shares held in a stocks and shares ISA will remain tax free
Measures to tackle abuse of overseas pension schemes will be introduced
Administrative requirements for the research and development scheme are to be reduced (measures to be announced)
The effect of the 2017 business rates revaluation is to be mitigated by a potential reform of the revaluation process. Thresholds will be raised on rates so that 600,000 small businesses are excluded from having to pay rates
No business (losing small business rate relief) will see their rates bill increase next year by more than £50 per month, and subsequent increases will be capped at either transitional relief cap or £50 per month (whichever is higher)
Pubs with a rateable value of less than £100,000 to get a one-year £1,000 discount in 2017 on rates they would have paid (according to the Chancellor this will affect 90% of pubs)
The Chancellor has advised that the government will find a way of taxing the digital economy
Measures to be introduced to stop businesses converting capital losses into trading losses
Introduction of UK VAT on roaming telecoms services outside the EU
Privately-owned SMEs with turnover below the VAT registration threshold will get extra year to prepare for tax digitisation and quarterly reporting
Review of taxation of North Sea oil producers
No increases in alcohol or tobacco duties on top of those previously announced
A new minimum excise duty on cigarettes based on a packet price of £7.35
Tobacco will rise by 2% above Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation, with a packet of 20 cigarettes costing 35p more
Duty on beer, cider, wine and spirits will increase in line with RPI inflation. This will equate to 2p on a pint of beer, 1p on a pint of cider, 36p on a bottle of whisky and 32p on a bottle of gin
Fuel duty frozen for a further year
Vehicle excise duty rates for hauliers and the HGV Road User Levy frozen for another year
Most sugary soft drinks to be taxed at 24p per litre as part of plans to reduce childhood obesity
Parental benefits for the self-employed to be reviewed this summer. Presently self-employed fathers cannot receive paternity pay/allowance and it is thought this may change
Next month the introduction of the Tax Free Childcare Policy will allow working families to receive up to £2000 per year in childcare costs for each child under 12 (for eligible parents only)
From September, working parents with 3 and 4 year olds will have free childcare entitlement doubled to 30 hours per week
Regarding the funding of care for the elderly, the Chancellor will set out the options for this funding in the Green Paper this year. He has confirmed that those options will not include an additional death tax (Labour had previously proposed an additional 15% death tax levy to the 40% inheritance tax rate to fund social care for the elderly)
From July 2017 financial penalties will be imposed on professionals who enable a tax avoidance arrangement that is later defeated by HMRC
£300m to support 1,000 new PhD places and fellowships in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects
Free school transport extended to all children on free school meals who attend a selective school
£320m of funding for 110 new free schools and grammar schools
Number of hours of training for technical students aged 16 to 19 increased by more than 50%, including a high-quality, three-month work placement
£100m to place more GPs in accident and emergency departments for next winter
Additional £325m to allow the first NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans to proceed
Transport spending of £90m for the North of England and £23m for the Midlands to address pinch points on roads
£690 million competition fund for English councils to tackle urban congestion
£270m for new technologies such as robots and driverless vehicles
£16m for 5G mobile technology and £200m for local broadband networks
£250m in funding for Scottish Government, £200m for Welsh Government and £120m for Northern Ireland Executive
Funding of £5m to support people returning to work after a career break
Should you have any queries on the above, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Spirare team.
The VAT Flat Rate Scheme: What's changing from 1 April 2017?
In November 2016, the Autumn Statement announced significant changes for businesses who use the flat rate scheme for VAT. These changes will be brought into effect from 1 April 2017, and will impact businesses with costs which are predominantly for services, as opposed to goods.
The flat rate scheme is a VAT scheme which essentially simplifies VAT for smaller businesses and allows for a set industry based percentage to be applied to the gross sales figure to ascertain the VAT payable. Previously, this therefore had advantages for service based businesses. However, this will change on 1 April 2017.
Any business that is defined as a 'limited cost trader' will be subject to the new 16.5% flat rate percentage with effect from 1 April 2017. Therefore, businesses can continue to use the flat rate scheme, although the business could be subject to the new rate if defined as a 'limited cost trader'.
What is a 'limited cost trader'?
A limited cost trader is defined as one whose VAT inclusive expenditure on goods is either:
Less than 2% of their VAT inclusive turnover in a prescribed accounting period
Greater than 2% of their VAT inclusive turnover but less than £1000 per annum if the prescribed accounting period is one year
Please note that the above relates to goods NOT services.
Furthermore, goods for the purposes of this measure must be used exclusively for the business, and exclude the following items:
Capital expenditure (asset additions)
Food or drink for consumption by the flat rate business or its employees
Vehicles, vehicle parts and fuel (except where the business is one that carries out transport services – for example a taxi business – and uses its own or a leased vehicle to carry out those services)
Who will this affect?
This will affect labour-intensive businesses where the amount of expenditure on goods is minimal. For example, this may effect consultants, architects, IT firms, hairdressers, estate agents, agricultural workers, recruitment agencies, builders who provide services only, and other tertiary sector businesses.
If you are a business and you would like further advice on the flat rate scheme and flat rate scheme changes, please contact a member of the Spirare Team.
The Autumn Statement: A Summary
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has delivered his first Autumn Statement. Avoiding what he referred to as ''rabbit out of hat'' announcements, there have been comparatively few surprises.
The predominant surprise being that this will be the final Autumn Statement, and it will be replaced with an annual budget, from Autumn 2017 onward, followed by a Spring fiscal statement.
The Chancellor has advised that his priority is to ensure that Britain remains the number one destination for business.
We have summarised the key announcements and confirmations from today's Autumn Statement as follows:
• Corporation tax will decrease to 17% from 2020 (the lowest rate of corporation tax in the G20)
• Business rates reduction package has been confirmed - transitional relief cap lowered, and there will be an increase of rural rate relief to 100% providing small businesses in rural areas a tax break
• Corporation tax loss relief - changes to rules with effect from April 2017
• Employers National Insurance Contributions on redundancy payments- If an employee is made redundant, the first £30,000 of termination payments will remain tax free, however from April 2018 termination payments over £30,000 which are already subject to income tax will also be subject to Employers National Insurance Contributions
• Capital allowances will be available at 100% on the installation on charging stations for electric cars
• Further investment in research and development
Individuals (including employees)
• The personal allowance will rise to £11,500 in April 2017, and to £12,500 by 2020, thereafter rises will be in line with CPI
• The point at which individuals will start paying the higher rate for tax will be increased to £50,000 by 2020, £45,000 from April 2017
• National insurance contributions for employees and employers will aligned to £157 per week from April 2017
• Class 2 NIC for the self-employed to be scrapped from April 2018, as previously announced
• Tax advantages for employees who previously benefitted from salary sacrifice services such as mobile phone salary sacrifice schemes will be removed. However, childcare, cycle to work and ultra-low emission car schemes will be unaffected, as will saving for your pension in this way
• Insurance premium tax to increase from 10 to 12% from June 2017
• National Living Wage will be raised to £7.50 from £7.20 from April 2017
• Universal Credit taper rate will be reduced from 65% to 63%
• New savings bond through NS&I with 2.2% interest rate over three years. Savers will be able to deposit up to £3,000. There will be more detail on this in the Budget next year
• Tax free childcare roll-out will begin in 2017, and will be kept under review to ensure it is "delivering the support it needs to working families". Mr Hammond has advised this would represent a saving of £2,000 per child.
• No fuel duty increase for the seventh successive year, saving motorists £130 a year
• A ''triple lock'' on the state pension will remain
• The annual allowance for those who have started to ''draw down'' their pension savings will be cut from £10,000 to £4,000
• The tax treatment of foreign pensions will align more with UK tax treatment rules (currently there are opportunities to extract money without paying UK tax)
• Tax advantages for employee shareholder schemes are to be reviewed
• The use of the flat rate scheme for businesses use is to be targeted- The government announced it will bring in "a new 16.5% rate from 1 April 2017 for businesses with limited costs, such as many labour-only businesses. This will help level the playing field, while maintaining the accounting simplification for the small businesses that use the scheme as intended."
• Letting agent's fees charged to tenants are to be banned. This will result in letting agents charging the landlords costs for services such as credit and immigration checks
• The Help to Buy ''equity loan'' and the Help to Buy ISA will remain in force
• Right-to-buy for housing association tenants
• Working families will be eligible for 30 hours a week of free childcare for all 3 and 4 year olds from September 2017
• No further welfare savings measures
Should you require any further details, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Spirare team.
The Budget 2018: ''Austerity is coming to an End''
Reminder for Second Payment On Account
National Minimum Wage Increases 1 April 2018
How to pay your Self-Assessment by 31 January 2018
Give the Gift of Tax Relief this Christmas: Trivial Benefits and Christmas Parties
The Budget 2017: A Summary
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Our sages talk about the peace-offerings. "Rabbi Yehudah said: Whoever brings , peace-offerings, brings , peace, into the world. Another explanation: It harbours 'peace' for all parties; the blood and inwards parts - for the altar, the breast and shoulder - for the priests, the skin and meat - for the owners" ( Sifra 156). There is an inherent word-play involved here, for the word does not only mean 'peace' but also 'wholeness' or 'completeness', so that the picture of the peace-offering is that it is a means of bringing wholeness or completeness as a part of thanksgiving.
Rashi gives a set of examples of when a peace-offering should be brought - particularly thank-offerings: "over a miracle that was done for him, for example seafarers, and those who travel deserts, those who were confined in prison, and a sick person who was healed, for they must give thanks." These may have been life-threatening events, or at least significantly traumatic seasons in the lives of people. So, Rashi says, they are to bring a peace-offering to thank G-d for preserving them. But there is more to it that that. It is not just that they bring the offering to thank G-d, but that in the process they are giving closure to the trauma; by making the offering they receive peace - this is a completion ritual that marks the end of the episode, even if the point of stress has already passed, so that the mind can mark that chapter as closed and move on. Peace, equilibrium, has been restored. The offering not only thanks G-d and makes a public statement attributing preservation to G-d, but also as an anchor to declare the end of the storm and set everyone back on an even keel.
Rav Sha'ul writes, "For it was the Father's good pleasure ... to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:19-20, NASB). Here we see Yeshua not only being our sin offering but our peace offering; not only taking away our sin, but bringing closure to our past life containing that sin, sealing it off as a closed chapter in our lives and setting us off on a level playing field. "But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of Messiah's blood. For He Himself is our shalom, our peace" (Ephesians 2:13-14, CJB). Not only did He, once for all, at a point in history, be our peace offering reconciling us to G-d, but He continues to be our peace offering now. Yeshua is our peace offering every day, bringing closure to the mistakes and sin that - being human - we make each day. Every day he brings us peace and wholeness, setting us back on the level before Father G-d. This is why He said to the talmidim, "What I am leaving you with is shalom - I am giving My shalom ... Don't let yourselves be upset or frightened" (John 14:27, CJB).
Application: Are you at peace, or are you always on edge, always looking over your shoulder as if someone or something is pursuing you? If so, then you need to know G-d's peace for, as the Rabbis say, "All offerings will be abolished, except the thanksgiving offering" (Vayikra Rabbah 9,2).


Sensory integration begins in intrauterine life, and develops due to interaction with the environment, through adaptive responses. The nervous system (NS) is the organ responsible for integrating the various sensations received.
The process by which the central nervous system (CNS) locates, classifies and organizes sensory impulses, and transforms sensations into perception so that man can interact with the medium is called sensory integration.
Sensory integration offers opportunities for the subject to organize his behavior, providing the conditions to explore his needs and for the SN to organize the stimuli; thereby producing appropriate adaptive responses required by the environment. When this happens properly, the process called Integration or Sensory Processing occurs. When the CNS has difficulty processing and organizing the information received, and does not prepare an adequate response to the stimulus, it means that there is a deficit in sensory processing.
Children with cerebral palsy and other neuromotor deficiencies often have sensory processing dysfunctions, which sometimes impose greater limitations than neuromotor disorder. In these cases, the use of sensory integration techniques interferes positively in the level of alertness, postural control, postural tone, interpretation and regulation of motor actor rhythm velocity, motor sequence initiation, motor planning abilities and functional performance.
The process of intervention to the subjects that present deficits in sensorial processing, aims to provide sensory input, processing / integration and sensorial output. Through the organization of the information received and the favoring of adaptive responses, it favors the reduction of the sensorial dysfunctions presented.
The professionals involved will be able to intervene in order to favor reception, processing and adaptive response to the environment, through the integration of sensorial information that will be provided in front of the stimuli offered in a sensory integration room.
Finally, the target audience will benefit from the implementation of this service, due to the sensory integration being important in the performance of the presented deficits, thus minimizing the detected dysfunctions; intervening in order to favor the reception, processing and emission of adaptive responses to the environment, through the integration of sensory information that was provided during the intervention.
The project consists of the acquisition of specific equipment for the psychomotor development of students at APAE in Pirapozinho / SP-Brazil, serving 100 people with different types of disabilities.
Sensory integration is a care methodology developed by an Occupational Therapist for professionals in the area, but currently, it has opened this therapeutic intervention to other rehabilitation professionals, such as physiotherapists and speech therapists.
Sensory Integration is the process by which the brain organizes the information, so as to give an adequate adaptive response, thus organizing the sensations of the body and the environment in order to be able to use it efficiently in the environment.
The method aims at the quantity and quality of stimuli provided to the subject, in order to seek a modulated balance, thus giving an answer that is in accordance with their abilities and with the environment, improving the performance of a child in his / her learning process . From this, it defines sensory integration as the innate ability to organize, interpret sensations and respond appropriately to the environment, in order to assist the human being in the functional use, in the activities and occupations performed in the day to day.
 Students: Children, adolescents and adults, aged Zero to 55 years old, who present motor and sensory deficits, motor incoordination, delays in gross and fine motor skills, balance deficits, apraxia and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
 The Student Family: With the accelerated development, families will benefit from the results of the project, where they will have at home a more independent person with more perspective of a "normal" life in their studies, physical activities, professional life, etc.
 The Community: As a result of the students' individual results and gains to their families, the community in general benefits from this project, with families that are healthier from a physical point of view, such as an emotional one. It also benefits from having fewer and fewer people whose disabilities are a limitation to life in society, constituting new families, working in the labor market, serving in social contributions.
The APAE of Pirapozinho has been seeking to innovate its methodology, offering new treatment techniques through sensorial integration, as a coadjuvant in the prevention and treatment program of children with neuroimaging development, neurological and sensory deficits.
Through the anamnesis and initial evaluation by the qualified professional, the therapeutic planning is elaborated. The aim of the approach is to promote the integration of sensations, especially the tactile, vestibular and proprioceptive system. Being worked developed through playful activities and with the active participation of the user; thus increasing the processing ability of the information and responses appropriate to the stimuli.
The therapy takes place in an organized, motivating, joyful environment, rich in materials and suspended equipment and soil, promoting a sensorial offer adequate to the possibilities and needs of the user.
The frequency and duration of the sessions will be determined according to the evaluation, treatment plan, to meet the individual needs of each user. The sensory organization facilitates the development of the corporal scheme, maturation of reflexes, postural safety, bilateral awareness and motor planning.
The items below will be evaluated and calculated monthly in partnership with the beneficiary entity.
o Project management: contact with sponsor, service provider, District 4510, beneficiary entity, deadlines, quality of services and materials and budget.
"Disability is in the Eyes of the One Who Sees"


text:
/*
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */
package com.bericotech.dropwizard.nagios;

/**
 * The level of the check
 *
 * @author Raj Patel - https://code.google.com/p/jsendnsca/
 * @author Richard Clayton (Berico Technologies)
 */
public enum Level {

    /**
     * OK
     */
    OK,
    /**
     * Warning
     */
    WARNING,
    /**
     * Critical
     */
    CRITICAL,
    /**
     * Unknown
     */
    UNKNOWN;

    /**
     * Get the {@link Level} equivalent of the string level provided ignoring
     * case and leading or trailing whitespace
     *
     * @param level
     *            the string level
     * @return the level
     */
    public static Level tolevel(String level) {
        try {
            return Level.valueOf(level.toUpperCase().trim());
        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
            throw new IllegalArgumentException(String.format("[%s] is not valid level", level));
        }
    }

    /**
     * Get the {@link Level} equivalent of the int levelValue provided
     *
     * @param levelValue
     *            the integer level value
     * @return the level
     */
    public static Level toLevel(int levelValue) {
        for (Level level : Level.values()) {
            if (level.ordinal() == levelValue) {
                return level;
            }
        }
        throw new IllegalArgumentException(String.format("LevelValue [%s] is not a valid level", levelValue));
    }

    /**
     * Evaluate the current criteria for it's level.
     *
     * This is a really simple helper function for a common evaluation task used with PerfDatum.
     *
     * @param currentValue Current Value
     * @param warningCriteria Warning Criteria
     * @param criticalCriteria Critical Criteria
     * @return Level
     */
    public static Level evaluate(Number currentValue, Number warningCriteria, Number criticalCriteria){

        if (currentValue.doubleValue() > criticalCriteria.doubleValue()){

            return Level.CRITICAL;
        }
        else if (currentValue.doubleValue() > warningCriteria.doubleValue()){

            return Level.WARNING;
        }

        return Level.OK;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
"Lowbrow Life" 6 Artist exhibition
Where: Copro Gallery
Bergamot Station Arts Complex
2525 Michigan Ave , Unit T5, Santa Monica , CA 90404
E-Mail: CoproGallery@Live.com
Web: www.CoproGallery.com
What: "Lowbrow Life" Tin , Keith Weesner, Leslie Ditto, Bob Doucette, P-JAY Fidler, Chrystal Chan
Opening Reception: Saturday February 19, 2011- 8:00 - 11:30 p.m.
Dates: Exhibit runs; February 19 - March 12, 2011
Contact: Gary Pressman, Gallery Director Copro Gallery
Web Previews: Tin preview , Keith Weesner preview , Leslie Ditto Preview , Bob Doucette preview
Chrystal Chan preview , P-JAY Fidler preview
Lowbrow Life presents 6 Modern Low Brow style painters rendering their best work.
TIN - Tin's earliest influences in childhood were comic books and fantasy cartoons like "Star blazers". Says Tin "I sketched from time to time and did ok in high school art class then I decided to became a fisherman. The dangerous kind like out of the movie "Perfect Storm". I almost died three times and should have lost my drawing hand at least a dozen times. After my last close call with death I decided to become an artist. I didn't look at art as a career though until I was 22".
Tin began doing commercial work and soon burnt out on it. "I was just going through the motions and creating things that didn't challenge me anymore. One day I was finishing a pin-up girl and I remember saying out loud to myself "If I only had a heart" which reminded me of the Tin Man in "Wizard of Oz". That moment I decided to do more interesting works and call myself Tin.
His main influences are Steam punk, a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne.
KEITH WEESNER - Keith Weesner is a painter and illustrator whose work reflects his
obsession with car culture, vampy women, cinematic settings and brooding characters. Keith studied automotive design at Art Center in Pasadena, but was pretty much born drawing. He is inspired by
golden age illustrators like N.C. Wyeth and Andrew Loomis, and 20th century painters like Sargent and Hopper. His brush inking style sprang from Rex Burnett, Wally Wood, Ed Newton and Robert Williams' Inking styles. His ink designs for hot rod T shirts have become iconic in the hot rod
Keith worked in animation doing background designs for 13 years mostly at Warner Brothers on Bruce Timm's Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond and Justice League shows. He was also instrumental in the Batman Mask of the Phantasm and Return of the Joker features, as well as the Power Puff Girls feature for Cartoon Network, and Gary Baseman's Teacher's Pet at Disney. The last four years he has been dedicated to at least two solo gallery shows a year at Copro Gallery and Outre gallery in Australia.
LESLIE DITTO - As far back as she can remember, Leslie has always been drawn to self expression through visual arts. "As a young girl, growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, I was not exposed to any classical surreal artist until I attended Overton High School for the performing and Visual Arts. Before that I was raised around an "old school" Harley Davidson shop that my father and his brother owned.I spent many summers helping my father there at the shop and watching him build Harley motorcycles from the ground up and then painted the gas tanks ( and anything else he could find on the motorcycle) with fantasy images that were inspired by such artist as Franzetta and Boris Valleo. I then became fascinated with the beautiful, powerful and sexy women that these artist created."
I was accepted into Otis Parsons in Los Angeles. After only two month of training my father had become terminally ill and I was forced to return home to Memphis. I was never able to return to school but could not deny the artist in me the opportunity for expression just because I had never been formally trained.
Over the years I researched techniques of the "Old Masters" such as Leonardo DA Vinci, Rubens, Raphael, and Rembrandt .I fell in love with the technique of glazing transparent oil color over a neutral colored under painting. With strong influences from fantasy artist, surreal artist, and the "Old Masters", I create disturbingly beautiful oil paintings that interpret to the viewer my deep emotions that are conceived from my views of current social, political, and religious dynamics. My ideas come to me in an organic fashion. Starting with a seed of a simple idea and growing into many complex symbols and images. My main goal is to capture my audience and bring them to my emotional state in the hopes that my test for an echo will be a success.
BOB DOUCETTE - CLICK FOR BIO
P-JAY FIDLER - P-Jay Fidlers art is a non linear narrative unfolding onto canvas. The viewer is as important to the story as the painting itself. Because his audience brings with them a major part of the story, the results are often surreal, ambiguous, and yet very much familiar. His work reflects a mixture of adolescent archetypes with dark psychological aspects of the human condition. These images,
juxtaposed against a silent landscapes, combine to create a piece of art work that is truly awe inspiring and thought provoking, while leaving the audience with more insight and questions about
the work as well as themselves.
Studying illustration at Art Center College of Design, Fidler learned to tell stories effectively through imagery. Raised in a small farm community in central California, he was very influenced by his
childhood surroundings. With animal imagery, landscapes, religious iconography, combined with his love of Flemish paintings, vintage children's books and contemporary graphic design, he creates a non-linear storyline of Life, Love, Sex and Death that is disturbing yet beautiful.
Fidler lives and works in Los Angeles and his work can be seen in galleries and national publications
CHRYSTAL CHAN - Chrystal Y Chan was born in November 1984 and raised in the Bay Area, California. Being fascinated by the spiritual world since the age of seventeen, most of her works present subjects in metaphorical situations that are derived from visions, supernatural experiences, and beings. Other works are reflective of feelings and situations placed in the everyday life. Each piece states facts of the physical or the supernatural.
Bergamot Arts Complex, 2525 Michigan Ave T5, Santa Monica, CA 90404 - 310-829-2156
All images and artwork Copyright 2015 CoproGallery
Please e-mail any problems with this site to CoproGallery@live.com


text:
Saging na Sabah ( Sabah Banana )
March 10, 2013 at 11:14 am	(2000s Philippines, Current Events)
While I am inclined to agree with the moderate views of a Malaysian professor at the NUS National University of Singapore whose article was posted by my dear friend, top historian Ambeth Ocampo in his Facebook page, there are many side stories to this issue which are very interesting…
Actually, I was with a group of very well-informed, hotshot lawyers and this is what they had to say…
"After Ferdinand Marcos' botched plan to retake Sabah in 196_, the Malaysians retaliated by training the Muslim Filipinos as the MNLF, the Moro National Liberation Front. That way, the Filipinos would be busy with their own Islamic insurgency rather than think of retaking Sabah from Malaysia. Think of what immense trouble that was to all of us Filipinos! But talk of things going full circle: the reason why the Kiram Royal Army knew where to position themselves well in Sabah during the attacks was that they were trained there… and how!"
"It was the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration and the Malaysians who decided to 'recognize' Jamalul Kiram as the 'rightful' Sultan of Sulu instead of the most eligible contender in the Kiram clan, who is a medical doctor. That was because Jamalul Kiram struck them as the most cooperative and the least likely to make trouble; he is not as outspoken as the other contenders. Never in their wildest dreams did they think he could pull off an audacious act like that! On the other hand, that medical doctor, who was the most eligibile contender as Sultan of Sulu, wants the outright secession of Sulu from the Philippines."
More later…
KunSABAHgay…


An old favourite of the MHA, though we haven't attended for a few years. This year we will be attending on the Sunday only. If you are able to bring along tables and/or a pop-up gazebo, please let the secretary or events officer know. The show usually starts at 10am so you will need to arrive early to set up prior to doors opening. End time is around 4pm. Timings to be confirmed.
Location, Beale Park, nr Pangbourne, Reading.


text:
Microdessus atomarius är en skalbaggsart som först beskrevs av Sharp 1882.  Microdessus atomarius ingår i släktet Microdessus och familjen dykare. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Dykare
atomarius

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Stepto.com
The personal website for Stephen Toulouse
by Stepto
I come not to bury Pink Floyd, but to praise them
2009 was a pretty sobering year for me in terms of great idols and icons of my life greeting that great gettin' up morning. While my Grandfather-in-law Johnny Davis was alive (and I never thought of him as anything less than my Grandfather) my maternal grandmother had a sort of an appreciation day for him. Her reasoning, she told all of us (who were more than slightly uncomfortable) was that people often wait until someone is no longer around to really detail their appreciation for them. My grandfather, like all of my grandparents, was an incredible person. So we warmed up to the event and ended up, I hope, making him feel fantastic about how much he was loved and how much of an impact he had on all our lives.
I always liked that day.
About a year ago I had the idea that there should be something like that for Geeks to remember and document things that meant a lot to them, long before they are actually gone forever. I was reminded of it tonight when, on a whim, I popped in the Pink Floyd concert DVD for their Pulse tour in the 90's. It was the only time I ever saw Pink Floyd live, and….well, do I have to make the wormhole sound for you?
It's April 28th, 1994. I've been working at Microsoft in a temp position for a whole eight days. It's been a weird two weeks. I'm still not 100% I can actually do the job. I'm about half way through my training but it's a lot of information, and a lot of pressure since the job is a temp job. My stepfather Ted and my brother Scott and I snagged tickets to the Pink Floyd concert, and I just barely made it in time for the beginning of the show. I'm stressed, excited, freaked out. I'm going to see Pink Floyd. LIVE. The show hasn't begun but it's clear our seats are nosebleed ones on the high left hand side of the stage. I could care less. There was little to no way this wasn't going to be a capstone to meld my nervousness and uncertainty into focus itself. I was working at Microsoft, and seeing Pink Floyd live. Nerd excitement trumped everything else.
I'm at a sleepover at the age of 11. Being raised Southern Baptist, my exposure to Rock was limited to being told earnestly by my father that I was forever going to hell for having made my first cassette purchase Queen's "The Game". Pretty sure he was a fool, yet still in that 11 year old mode of thinking maybe he might be right, I quivered with a sense of the forbidden when the birthday boy pulled out a white brick covered vinyl album. This might be Rock, I thought. This might…might…be AWESOME.
"I want to listen to my *favorite* song" he said triumphantly, as he put needle to sweet blasphemous and iniquitous dark molded disc. "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" reached its loving embrace around us and a half a dozen fifth graders bawdily shouted "No Dukes of Hazzard, in the Classroom, TEACHERS, LEAVE THOSE KIDS ALONE"
Who would write such a thing? I mean the Dukes of Hazzard* was awesome already but to punch teachers right where they lived by telling them flat out to leave us alone? This was the GREATEST SONG EVER. Adults obviously wrote this, no child could get away with such a revolutionary statement. But who were these adults? Clearly they were worthy of support and loyalty. I studied the cover where Ralph Steadman's work etched itself into my brain. Pink. Floyd. I had to keep this a secret from my parents. I had to.
I am jack's seething mid teen angst. My family has moved for a year to Little Rock, Arkansas. My high school friend trajectory, such that is was, had been interrupted. My deep need to fit in led to essentially a year long resentment campaign against everyone. I locked myself into my Emerson Sony Walkman knock off. I was mostly a mid 80's new wave kid. But just before we moved back to my home town of Dallas I got a chance to have a summer internship through my high school at John Brown University in northern Arkansas for three weeks.
There, I meet a guy named Russell. Russell not only is wickedly funny and has my independent hacker streak, he reintroduces me to Pink Floyd. He has a portable CD player. This alone makes him the Greatest Living Human in the dark ages of 1988. But more importantly, he has the new album A Momentary Lapse of Reason. And thus do I spend three weeks with Russell making trouble in a strictly uptight and religious environment making ball sack jokes, but delving deeply in the music. He had brought along tapes, and suddenly we were immersed in not just the entirety of The Wall, but Animals and Dark Side of the Moon. I feel like an entire musical world has been opened to me. I'd forgotten the initial Pink Floyd experience I'd had as a child and had become way too much of an 80's music snob. If it wasn't new wave, it was lame. Worse, since my initial exposure, grownups around me had dissed Pink Floyd as slacker lamer drug music, adding to my disdain.
Russell eases me into the subversion and perfection of Pink Floyd. He points out the blues aspects of "Money" and the incredible sax line in "Us and Them". He shows how cool the acoustic backdrop was to "Wish you were Here" and how the entirety of "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" can more or less be considered an entire orchestral piece.
I would never again talk to Russell after we left that summer camp and went our separate ways. But I am deeply grateful.
It's 1989 and I have my own car, a gift from my father. I now have my own portable CD player and in it resides, almost permanently, Pink Floyd's live CD "The Delicate Sound of Thunder". I'm sweating in the Tyler, Texas heat and waiting to pick up my father from his workplace. I'm up for a rare visit and have entered that worst of teen years, right or wrong, the seething anger against all the screw ups your parents did.
My father split the family when I was 12 for his hot blonde secretary, wife two of what would become three. Being the oldest at the time, and just enough for me to understand what was going on, it was easy for me to divine sleazy behavior from the excuses he gave. It didn't help that in my life he's the only person I know who has spent the most time in jail.
He hadn't though given up his strictly Southern Baptist conservative viewpoint, despite his behavioral hypocrisy. Me? I'd like to say I was mature and played it cool. But I was a late teen prick.
The lot outside the Palm Harbor Mobile Home lot where he worked was hot and dusty. I was up to visit my dad with my brothers for the weekend, the very last vestiges of "visitation rights". The car, which had previously belonged to his now third wife was, as I mentioned, a gift to me from the both of them and was my first car. I actually liked it quite a bit, but having it move from him to me I felt a particular possessiveness about it. Like my own life and who I had become, I felt like everything about the car itself was mine now, not anyone else's. But to the memory at hand:
My father exits the work trailer and heads over to my car for the ride back home. I crank the car up and the portable CD player via cassette adapter starts up through the stereo to play "learning to fly"
He enters the car and folds himself into the passenger's seat.
"Hey buddy," he goes. "Let's head home."
"Sure," I say. But my father pauses, looking at the tape rig to the CD player and cocking his head to listen to the music for a second.
"What's this? You got a CD player?"
"Yeah saved up for it from my job" I say as I put the stick in reverse and roll over the gravel and dust lot before shoving it into first to hit into the main road.
"What's this song?" he asks, as he reaches down to pick up the CD player from its floorboard spot. He pauses a moment as he reads the case next to the player…
"Pink Floyd? This is drug music? When did you start listening to drug music?"
"I dunno dad, guess about the time you left"
I didn't need to say that. He didn't need to hear it. But it feels good to say it, in my late teen prick mode. He stays silent for a moment while I drive.
"It's drug music. You're better than that."
I leave that one go.
After a few more moments he says "I don't have to listen to this."
He's not wrong, he doesn't have to. He gave me the car as a gift. I keep the music playing. It isn't fair to him, but I do it. After a moment we're closer to the house and he says again,
"This is drug music"
It's unfair, but nothing he could have said would bring me closer to Pink Floyd's music than that. It's just the way it is.
It is the last time my father and I are in a car together, some 20 years ago.
It's Fall, 1990. I've never actually seen the film I have listened to for so long. I'm at college, and we have a weekly film viewing run by two people I would learn a lot from in my short time in college, Jason and Rick. I was familiar with Ralph Steadman's art from the CD and Album artwork, but to see the animation and to experience the narrative of the album is a revelation. Over the next two days I consume a shitload of booze and watch the film two more times. I'm blown away. And by far my favorite tune is "Comfortably Numb". I spend many bohemian hours playing it while thoughtfully smoking and pretending I'm all artistic and stuff. No really, the cigarettes were clove cigarettes.
During alcohol fueled late night debates on the greatest albums ever made I am exposed to "The Final Cut" which has become very near my favorite Pink Floyd album because I think it's Roger Waters' most powerful work, as it is also his last with the band.
It's 2004. Our first puppy, Hennessy, has died of cancer in May. Around August Rochelle and I decide we want a new puppy. We research rescues only to find out Golden Retriever rescue in the Pacific Northwest had a 8 month wait. We visit an amazing breeder in British Columbia who has exactly the line we want. The breeder finds our perfect puppy, now aged five as of this writing. We name her Adia after the Sarah McLachlan song of the same name. But the breeder requires a deeper name to distinguish her in the line for the American Kennel Club. The breeder chooses mostly names that are based on songs. Adia's father was named Seger. His breeder name was "Against the Wind" for the Bob Seger song. Rochelle and I think long and hard about having Adia's breeder name be a Sarah McLachlan song. I finally have the idea based on a nickname I had for her mentally, "Crazy Diamond".
Rochelle is impatient. She likes Pink Floyd just fine but doesn't want to have to listen to an entire song to name our new puppy. I pop in the CD. She's in love.
Thus, Adia is Fyreglo Golden Retriever's "Shine on you Crazy Diamond"
It's April 28th, 1994.
I'm irritated. Pink Floyd has put on an incredible show. But they just left the stage for the first encore and there has been no "Comfortably Numb". I'm more than a little on a contact high and the crowd is going insane. Suddenly they take the stage again and the opening of my song is playing. Thus far the entire show has been a spectacle. During The Wall and Animals songs flaming pig heads emerge from the stage. Fireworks and lasers and a circular screen highlight the best parts of Pulse and A Momentary Lapse of Reason. I am just happy they were playing "Comfortably Numb"
There is a disco ball the size of a space station emerging from the center of Texas Stadium during the guitar solo of Comfortably Numb. At the apex of the solo, lights from the floor and lasers from the stage hit the disco ball, illuminating a crowd 60,000 strong in a starfield of light. Then the disco ball begins to spin… An entire universe of light spins and rotates around the crowd during one of my favorite moments in music from a band I love deeply. I'm momentarily lost in more than a little bit of wonder and nostagia and my own sense of a history developed both in the past and in the moment.
It's tonight and I'm watching the disco ball spin over the crowd on the DVD recorded for that concert series. I'm thinking a lot about the impact this band and its music has had on my in my life. I'm realizing I've missed a few band members' passage from the planet. But I'm also thinking about that day with my grandmother's idea to note the influence and impact of people before they go and I'm writing this as a result.
So thanks to all the members of Pink Floyd, past and modern. Thanks so very much.
*yes I know it's "Dark Sarcasm". We were 11. Bo and Luke jumped river beds in a supped up car. Shut up.
I am firing a concentrated burst of cute at your brainpan
Ahead Cute Factor 1: Engage!
Listen to my comedy album!
Read my book!
Or listen to my book!
Tweets by @Stepto


I've received the laptop somewhere around 1990 (or 1991), and it wasn't literally my laptop, since I was kinda too young to own or need one (I had my Atari 800 XL then, what more could I possibly want?). So, it was my fathers, but I had unlimited access to it, so I could play games like North & South (the link leads to the Amiga version of the game, the PC version had worse graphics, especially on a CGA mono display ;p), or code in my favorite GW-BASIC'u (yees, it was Microsoft GW-BASIC).
As you can see, it's a collection of interesting things. Let's start with the CPU. It was an Intel 80C88 which is a younger brother of 8088, and the older brother of 80188, 80186 or 80286. So it was a "normal" x86, it just didn't know that yet (x88 ;p). And I guess the instruction set wasn't so extended.
The HDD was not present (there was a version of this laptop marked B320 which had an HDD), instead, there were two FDD 3.5' DD (DD meaning Double Density - 720KB on a disk; the reader might be more familiar with the HD (High Density) 3.5' disk which were 1.44MB, or even with the ED (Extended Density) 3.5' disk which were 2.88MB).
As for the OS, you had a partial Dr-DOS or MS-DOS (I think it was something around 3.2 and 4.0 versions). "Partial" meaning you had 3-4 files: command.com (the command line interpreter), io.sys (the kernel) and config.sys and/or autoexec.bat (the start scripts). Of course you had no need for stuff like himem.sys (Upper Memory Area driver) or EMM386.exe (XMS/EMS driver) for obvious reasons - the laptop had only 640KB RAM.
As for ports, just the standard: LPT, COM and some RGB Our that looks a little similar to D-SUB, it just had two, not three, pin rows (like COM aka RS232).
You know what's great about this 20-year old laptop? It still works! With the same speed as in the old days (well, I should use the word 'slowness' instead of 'speed', but I think it's just me, not the laptop).
Heh, a long time ago I had this laptop, too!
is there anyway you can help me to get this machine some floppy's?
on that time i was working in a computer shop, and we've the last model of bondwell b200.
Noone was able to sell it!!
One day i've received the congratulations of my boss when he know i've been able to sell it!!
funny to see somebody else is remembering this device. These days I wanted to sell mine at ebay but I have no idea someone will buy?


I'm buying a house, getting married, and teaching one new class and one wholly-redesigned class. Is that a good enough excuse for not blogging?
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Criquebeuf-en-Caux (, literally Criquebeuf in Caux) is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France.

Geography
The commune is centered on a farming village situated in the Pays de Caux, some  northeast of Le Havre, at the junction of the D211 and D940 roads. The commune's cliffs face the English Channel.

Heraldry

Population

Places of interest
 The remains of the motte of a feudal castle.
 The church of St.Martin, dating from the sixteenth century.

See also
Communes of the Seine-Maritime department

References

Communes of Seine-Maritime


▪ By focusing on the financial burden on states, and the requirement that the executive branch give prior notification to the legislative branch before undertaking such actions on immigration, the courts skirted the main objection of conservatives: the claim that Obama exceeded his authority under the Constitution. That's probably because the White House is on firm legal footing on that question. It seems like just yesterday that House Speaker John Boehner and other Republicans in Congress – when hammered by Hispanics for record numbers of deportations – ran for cover by pointing out that the president is in charge of removing people. How right they were. So now these same Republicans want to argue that a president can't use his discretion to stop deporting people? The GOP can't pass the buck, and then yank it back when it's convenient.
▪ This whole rhetorical shoving match over DAPA, like the one that preceded it over a program that granted two years' worth of deferred action to young people, has been a terrible distraction from the real issues in the immigration debate. They include Obama's broken promises, his record number of deportations and his half-truths. Add to that the GOP's cynical use of demagoguery, its failure to propose immigration reform solutions, and its cowardly refusal to confront racists and other extremists within its ranks.
That's quite a maneuver. Obama proposes something that is too big not to fail, and Republicans predictably make a fuss. In the ensuing chaos, both parties are off the hook and this issue gets kicked down the road. All at the expense of the American people who – despite the huffing and puffing – still have a broken immigration system and, as we have long suspected and has now been confirmed, a political system that isn't exactly humming along either.


Creme brûlées are a dessert that never goes out of style. The silky custard is rich and satisfying, but it is that crackly, caramelized top that keeps people ordering it again and again. Creme brûlées aren't the only dessert where you can brûlée the top and that same caramel layer can instantly elevate other desserts as well. This Brûléed Pumpkin Pie is the perfect example, since you get a classic pumpkin pie with a little something special by adding that top layer.
I bake, cool and refrigerate my pie before adding the topping. Be generous with the sugar before attempting to caramelize it. It may seem like a lot of sugar, but that all translates into a great caramel crust. The pie is substantial and needs a generous topping to go with it! The easiest way to brûlée the top of this pie is with a kitchen torch because it gives you a lot of control over how caramelized your pie gets. If you don't have a kitchen torch (and they're fun to play with!), then you can put your pie under the broiler for a few minutes. Cover the edges of the pie with a small piece of aluminum foil to prevent the crust from burning and then watch the topping as it cooks, since it will go quickly once it starts to brown.
Once you have brûléed your pie, it should be served right away. This way you'll get crisp, dark caramel and rich, creamy pumpkin in every bite. The topping will soften and melt if you store the pie in the refrigerator overnight after brûléeing it. This will leave you with a dark caramel sauce on top of the pie, which won't have the texture of the original topping, but will be delicious.
Freshly ground cinnamon is a great way to make the cinnamon flavor in your pie pop, but the same can be said for all of your spices. You want to make sure that they are as fresh as possible – even if you are using store bought pumpkin pie spice – so that your finished pie is flavorful and spicy.
In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt until smooth. Whisk in milk. Pour mixture through a fine strainer and into the prepared pie shell.
This looks amazing! I need to invest in a blowtorch.


We started off with a trip to the main campus of DTU about 10 km outside of Copenhagen. We had a presentation from a student that is finishing his Master's Degree in nanotechnology engineering. He showed us how an engineering idea can become a business plan, and different ways to start your own company along with his experience. It was a very interesting presentation. If I had to redo college all over again, I would consider doing the entire program at the Danish Technical University near Copenhagen. The campus is very modern and beautiful despite it's age.
Since today is the day after their holiday, everyone has taken the day off for shopping, and the weather was perfect for it. The streets were crowded almost as much as the MN State Fair. Copenhagen is the cycling capital of the world, and it shows. We looked through the very large Royal Copenhagen store. We then stopped at the Copenhagen Amber House and Museum. I then hunted down a hold-in-the-wall glass blowing shop that I had passed by the previous day.
Today is beautiful! We had bitter cold winds yesterday with rain and hail off and on all day. Today It is sunny and warm with a slight breeze down the canals.
We started off with a trip to the main campus of DTU about 10 km outside of Copenhagen. We had a presentation from a student that is finishing his Master's Degree in nanotechnology engineering. He discovered a way to apply reactive gas etching to silicon solar cells to make them absorb more sunlight across the entire light, IR, and UV spectrum. He has competed in numerous technology and business competitions to win money to fund his research and to start up his company. He showed us how an engineering idea can become a business plan, and different ways to start your own company along with his experience. It was a very interesting presentation.
We then gave our presentations that we planned prior to the trip regarding Denmark's history, culture, and notable figures. We had a lunch break and met two student representatives from Riga. They told us about their experience at DTU and Riga and gave us some advice for places to go. If I had to redo college all over again, I would consider doing the entire program at the Danish Technical University near Copenhagen. The campus is very modern and beautiful despite it's age.
." Every street and building is just a beautiful as the next.
Since today is the day after their holiday, everyone has taken the day off for shopping, and the weather was perfect for it. The streets were crowded almost as much as the MN State Fair. Copenhagen is the cycling capital of the world, and it shows. Bicycles are everywhere, and almost every street has a bicycle lane, and every corner has at least one bicycle rack. There are even public bikes that you can just grab and use as long as they aren't locked. Although, despite the heavy bicycle use, not a single person wears a helmet.
Jeremey and I wandered all over town looking at the shops that were closed the last two days. We enjoyed the smell of roasted almonds and the dozens of outdoor patio restaraunts. We looked through the very large Royal Copenhagen store. We then stopped at the Copenhagen Amber House and Museum. Amber is Denmark's only mineral and was previously used as a form of currency. They also import green amber from the carribbean and Venezeula. I then hunted down a hold-in-the-wall glass blowing shop that I had passed by the previous day.
I'm taking a break to rest my feet before getting dinner and finishing my shopping. Tomorrow we are taking a day-trip to Malmo, Sweden across the sound for our free day.


I tried this bread for the first time just 1 week ago and since then I've already baked 3 loaves because it's so good that I just can't get enough. It's my favourite recipe of this fall so far. The recipe has obvious US origin and the key ingredient is canned pumpkin pyre which can't be found here in Bratislava as it's simply not produced. I replaced pyre with mashed roasted pumpkin and it worked perfectly. I also found that crunchy peanut butter works better than creamy one as parts of peanuts in baked bread give extra "wow" factor.
Mix all dry ingredients together in a big bowl, then add oil, butter, beaten eggs, water, mashed pumpkin and stir the dough.
Put the dough into a greased baking form (I have a special narrow and high form for bread loaves ) and bake for 1 hour in a oven preheated to 185C. Don't forget that we have soda and baking powder in the dough, so fill the form for 3/4.
Please notice, that if you bake this bread in a different form, time of baking can be different, the most important is not to over dry this bread as it should be very moist. Because it's so moist, this bread tastes nice for a few days, if it is not eaten immediately.
1. Vo veľkej miske zmiešame všetky suché ingrediencie, pridáme olej, maslo, vajcia, vodu, tekvicové pyré a zamiešame cesto.
2. Cesto prelejeme do vymastenej formy (cesto musí naplniť formu na 3/4) a pečieme hodinu v rúre predhriatej na 185C. Aby chlebík zhora neprihorel, môžeme dať do rúry misku s vodou.
Ak používate inú formu na pečenie, čas prípravy sa môže líšiť. Je dôležité, aby tento koláčik nebol úplne vysušený. Vovnútri musí byť pekne vlhký a trochu sa rozpadávať.


text:
Buster Bunny c107
Bottom mat color may vary.
Deluxe Framed
Item #GALLc107
Original Production Cels
Shop in CDN Dollars
UnframedFramedDeluxe Frame
Learn about our framing.
Conservation Glass + $30
This is an original hand painted production cel with matching production drawing. Note: the drawing is attached to the cel. Featured here is Buster Bunny. Unknown episode. Comes with a gallery certificate of authenticity.
Image Size: 10.5" x 12.5"
Framed Size: 18" x 20"
buster bunny
Shipping to the Continental United States or Canada	 $45 $25
Shipping to the United Kingdom, France, or Germany	 $165 $75
Shipping to Australia or New Zealand $165 $75
For any other shipping locations, please contact us for a custom quote.
Production cels are the one-of-a-kind original cels that were used in the creation of an animated film or television show. Each has been hand-painted by studio artists on a piece of celluloid acetate, and has been photographed over a background painting to create a frame of the finished production.
Production cels are highly sought after by collectors, with very rare pieces from the early days of animation fetching prices in the tens, and even the hundreds of thousands of dollars. See Why So Few Vintage Pieces Have Survived for more information on the rarity of early production cels.
Production cels from the 1980's and 90's are available at considerably lower expense, but The Move To Computerized Animation has severely curtailed the supply of new artwork in the market, and has put upward pressure on prices of what is still available.
Production cels from the same film, or even the same scene, can have significantly different values depending on their desirability to collectors.
More from Warner Bros.
Left At Albuquerque
Yosemite Sam with sword
Robin 1
Love is in the Hare -canvas


10.1 - Feature not merged?
Topic: 10.1 - Feature not merged?
It may be that "FIX: (z9999) Correctly loading the XML games again" is not implemented in version 10.1?
The change does not seem "merged" from the standard version.
Re: 10.1 - Feature not merged?
No, I didn't merge it, as it contains the new feature from Standard to enable "way tolls", which will need further consideration and possibly amendment before it is merged. Instead, I copied the change (just one line of code) manually.


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Rounding the building, a clear way led to the first of the Dragons.
"Get a picture," Karen said, hushed with awe.
"I already am." Miyuki held the camera in front of her.
Ahead, the pyramid's crown towered twenty meters above the waves. Eighteen terraced steps climbed from the sea, each a meter tall, leading to the flat plateau on top. Morning sunlight blazed on the partially tumbled summit temple, a small structure composed of flat slabs.
As they neared, a flock of white cranes took flight at their noisy approach. Turtles, basking on the steps, plopped into the surf. Karen circled the pyramid. On the far side, the second Dragon appeared. It was a twin of the first, except its flat-topped summit was empty of any sign of a temple.
"Let's take a closer look." Karen aimed their boat toward the first pyramid, bringing the craft up to the lowest step. A short basalt pillar at the northeast corner was a good place to tie a rope and secure their boat.
"Hold the wheel," Karen said as she throttled down. The waves bobbled the craft. Grabbing the aft mooring line, she crossed to the rail and used it to boost herself over the open water. Landing on the step of the pyramid, she slipped on algae and damp weed.
"Careful!" Miyuki yelled as Karen cartwheeled her arms.
Recovering her balance, she swiped a few strands of hair away from her eyes and gave Miyuki an embarrassed grin. "Safe and sound."
With more care, Karen crossed to the meter-tall pillar, rope in hand. As she knelt she realized that the pillar was actually a sculpted figure of a robed man, its details eroded away by sand and sea, the nose gone, the eyes no more than shadowed depressions.
Karen hauled on the mooring rope until the boat's hull bumped the lower step, then she secured the line to the statue's base, cinching the hitch knot tight.
"Could you help me with my bag?" Miyuki asked, holding out her satchel filled with the photography gear. Karen relieved her of the bag so the petite professor could clamber over the rail.
Miyuki scrunched up her face as her heel squashed something bulbous and slimy. "You're buying me new shoes when we're through here."
"New Ferragamos, I promise," Karen quipped. "Direct from Italy."
Miyuki bit back a smile, still refusing to admit she was enjoying the adventure. "Well, then that's okay I guess."
"C'mon. I want to check out the ruined temple on the top."
Miyuki craned her neck. "That's a long climb."
"We'll take it slow." Karen pulled up onto the first step, then reached back to help Miyuki, who waved away her hand and clambered up on her own. But once up, she fingered a long strand of seaweed from her knee and tossed it aside in disgust, glowering at Karen.
"Okay, so we'll visit Nordstrom, too, when we get back. We'll buy you a new pantsuit."
This earned a true smile from Miyuki. "New shoes, new suit. Let's keep going. Before we're done here, you'll be financing my whole new spring wardrobe."
Karen patted her friend's arm and led the way up the steps, but she soon outpaced her companion. Halfway up, she stopped to give Miyuki time to close the distance, and meanwhile stared out at the spread of the drowned city. By now the sun had fully risen, a bright globe in the east. The columns and buildings cast long shadows across the blue water. From that height, she could see it had to be at least two kilometers until the ruins faded away. The surprising size of the city suggested it may have housed a population in the tens of thousands. So where did they all go?
Karen moved aside as Miyuki made her way up. "It's not much further," she assured her.
Miyuki, breathing hard, just flapped a hand. "I'm fine. Let's keep moving."
"We'd better rest," Karen said, though in truth she wanted to rush forward. "We should pace ourselves."
Miyuki sank down, ignoring the algae under her. "If you insist."
Karen dug out a water bottle and passed it over. Miyuki flipped the cap and drank greedily, but her eyes remained locked on the view. "It's so extensive. I would never have imagined it."
Settling next to her, Karen took a swig from the water bottle, too. "How could all this have been hidden for so long?"
"The water here is…or was very deep, the currents tricky. Only experienced divers could explore out here. But now! Once word gets out about this place, it'll be swamped."
"And trampled," Karen added. "Now's the best time to study the city."
Miyuki scooted up. "If you're ready to go on, so am I."
"We could rest a little longer. These ruins have waited centuries to be explored. A few more minutes won't make any difference."
Miyuki settled back.
Karen did, too. She stared out over the amazing view. "I appreciate your help, Miyuki. I couldn't ask for a better friend."
"Me, too," Miyuki said softly.
The two women had met at a Ryukyu University social function. Both were single, about the same age, and working in a male-dominated environment. They had begun socializing—trips to a local karaoke bar, late dinners while grading midterms, matinee movies on Saturdays—and had become close companions.
Miyuki said, "Did I tell you I heard from Hiroshi yesterday?"
"No! You didn't!" Karen sat straighter. Hiroshi Takata, a fellow university professor, had been engaged to Miyuki, but her success in her field had raised some professional jealousy and driven a wedge into their relationship. Two years ago he had abruptly broken off the engagement and transferred to Kobe. "The bastard! What did he want?"
Miyuki rolled her eyes. "He wanted me to know he was okay after the quakes. He didn't even bother to ask how I was doing."
"Do you think he wants to reconcile?"
"In his dreams," Miyuki snorted.
Karen laughed. "We do seem to attract the most obnoxious men."
"Spineless, more like."
Karen nodded knowingly. In Canada she had run through her own long series of bad relationships, from cold to abusive. And she was in no hurry to continue the pattern. It was one of the reasons she accepted the four-year position here on Okinawa. New city, new future.
"So what do you make of all this?" Miyuki asked, changing the subject. "Could this be a part of your great-grandfather's lost Atlantis?"
"You mean the lost continent of Mu?" she said slowly. "I doubt it. Hundreds of other megalithic ruins dot the Pacific: the statues of Easter Island, the canal city of Nan Madol, the Latte stones of Guam, the Burden of Tonga. All of them predate the oral histories of these islands. No one has been able to connect them together." She warmed with the mystery.
"And you hope to do that?"
"Who knows what answers may be found here?"
Miyuki gave her a crooked grin and pushed up. "There is only one way to find out."
Karen shoved to her feet, matching her friend's grin. "I should say so."
The pair continued their climb, staying together, each helping the other up the high steps. In twenty minutes, with the sun climbing higher, they reached the summit. Karen scrambled up first, breathing heavily.
The plateau was a single monstrous slab. A long crack traversed the surface, but the split was clearly due to more recent damage, most likely from the seismic activity. Karen guessed that when the pyramid was built, the slab must have been lifted intact atop this structure. She slowly turned. Ten meters on each side, she estimated. The meter-thick slab had to weigh hundreds of tons. How did these ancient builders get it up here?
Miyuki clambered up behind her, then turned in a slow circle, appreciating the view, her eyes shining. "Simply amazing."
Karen nodded, too awestruck to speak yet. She crossed to the tumbled temple in the center of the roof. It had once been constructed of slabs and basalt logs. She could imagine how it must have looked. A squat, low building surmounted by a slab roof. She edged around it, viewing it from all angles.
Miyuki dogged her steps, video camera in hand.
Karen examined the temple. It was unadorned. Or perhaps any decorative carving had been worn away long ago. She straightened. "I'm going in."
"What?" Miyuki lowered her camera. "What are you talking about?"
Karen pointed to a pair of wall slabs that had fallen and were tilting against each other. A narrow crawl space lay between them, descending at a slant.
"Are you crazy? You don't know how stable those stones are!"
Karen chipped some coral that had taken root between the two slabs. Like living cement. "For coral to grow here, it means they haven't moved in ages. Besides, I'm just going to take a quick peek. If there's any carving or petroglyphs, they'll be inside. Sheltered from erosion." She slipped out of her embroidered jacket and dropped to her knees. "It's gonna be a tight squeeze."
She yanked off her belt so the buckle wouldn't snag, then shrugged out of her shoulder harness, lowering her holstered pistol to the stones.
"Is that penlight still in your bag?" she asked.
Miyuki shuffled through her pack and pulled out a tiny fluorescent purple flashlight. Karen took it, twisted it on, then put the handle in her mouth as she lay flat on her belly.
"Are you sure you should do this?"
As answer, Karen snuggled into the hole head first, penlight pointed forward. Worming her way inside, she used her fingers to find imperfections in the rock to help pull her forward, but mostly it was her toes that edged her inch by inch into the crawlway. She ignored the thick slabs hanging over her. She had done some caving in her past, but nothing this tight. She kept her breathing calm, told herself to just keep moving, don't stop.
"There go your feet!" Miyuki called to her.
Her friend's voice was muffled. Karen's body fit snugly within the tunnel. She found it harder to breathe with the walls compressing her chest. An edge of panic set in, but she bit it back. She took quicker, shallower breaths. She would not suffocate.
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Foxwoods' loss is local rival casinos' gain
It's not quite that big lottery win that sets you up for life, but SugarHouse and the two suburban Philadelphia casinos easily hit the jackpot last week when the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board revoked Foxwoods' license.
by By Suzette Parmley, Inquirer Staff Writer
Parx in Bensalem and Harrah's Chester Casino already have loyal patrons, so it's three-month-old SugarHouse that stands to gain the most.
The gaming board's 6-1 vote Dec. 16 stripping Foxwoods of its highly coveted license to build a gambling hall in Philadelphia - after four years of delays and missed deadlines - eliminated SugarHouse's biggest potential rival. The two waterfront casinos would have been less than five miles apart.
"I think definitely SugarHouse and Harrah's Chester, and Parx to a lesser extent," stand to benefit, said gaming analyst John Kempf, of RBC Capital Markets Corp., of New York. "Also, it's a positive for Atlantic City, but not as great as the other [Philadelphia area] casinos.
"We think this is positive for SugarHouse in the near term, although it is still uncertain what the board will decide to do with the license," Kempf added.
Gaming board spokesman Doug Harbach said Monday that the board "will soon issue a written order" and that Philadelphia Entertainment & Development Partners L.P., the Foxwoods investor group, "will have the option to file an appeal to the Pennsylvania courts within 30 days of that order." How long the appeal process might take was uncertain, he said.
SugarHouse general manager Wendy Hamilton said the board's decision would not change her casino's emphasis, while she gave a nod to the fact that it meant no immediate new competition on the city's waterfront.
"At SugarHouse," she said, "our focus continues to be providing a great player experience and establishing strong community partnerships."
Among regulars at SugarHouse, reaction to news of having one less casino in Philly, at least soon, was mixed.
"I could care less," Maryann Bangert, 50, a waitress who lives in Olney, said as she worked a penny slots machine Tuesday.
"I've been coming here since it opened," said Bangert, noting that she's at SugarHouse about three times a month. "This is smaller. You can't get lost in the crowd here, and it's not so congested. And it's closer for me to get here than Parx."
But Ali Khan, 63, of East Falls, said taking Foxwoods out of the mix reduced choice for the consumer.
"We need another casino," said Khan, the owner of a private-investigative company, who goes to SugarHouse about five times a week to play blackjack. "I was very disappointed. Every business needs competition."
Case in point, Khan said, is that SugarHouse's minimum limit on table games, including blackjack, is $25. (The casino confirms it.)
There are no $10 and $20 tables, as there are at Parx, "because they have no competition" on the waterfront, Khan said. "If they had competition, they would have to lower the limit."
But Paul Boni, a lawyer who has represented anti-casino groups including Casino Free Philadelphia, said competition was not the real problem ahead for SugarHouse.
"It's that people increasingly realize they can spend their money productively elsewhere or even, perish the thought, save it," Boni said. "The convenience casino is an inherently predatory business model, and it's not sustainable in the long run."
Darlene Monzo, vice president of marketing for Parx, the state's top-grossing casino, said the license revocation was unfortunate for Foxwoods.
"New casinos help the market, and I think new customers get to experience new product," she said.
Having said that, Monzo added, "it's only going to help us in that there's not another casino in the marketplace."
Emerging as winner and loser in the Foxwoods decision is Caesars Entertainment Inc.
The company, suffering revenue declines at all four of its Atlantic City casinos, tried to minimize its losses there by proposing to become a last-minute partner in Foxwoods and potentially steering those customers to its Shore properties. (It also owns Harrah's Chester Casino & Racetrack in Delaware County.)
Still, the gaming board's step also means one less rival for Caesars Entertainment to worry about.
The company declined to comment on the Foxwoods outcome, but Kevin DeSanctis, chief executive officer of the half-built Revel Casino on the Boardwalk, knows investors are keeping a close eye on Atlantic City's shrinking gaming revenue and increasing competition.
Foxwoods' lost license will not have a significant effect on Atlantic City, DeSanctis said: "Ultimately, it will get built somewhere else in Pennsylvania."
In fact, State Sen. John N. Wozniak (D., Cambria) announced Wednesday that he planned to introduce legislation that, if passed, would allow open competition across the state for two long-dormant gaming licenses: Foxwoods' and the one reserved for the Valley View Downs project in Lawrence County.
Additional competition for Atlantic City is inevitable, DeSanctis said.
"I think Atlantic City . . . realizes what it has to do is broaden its appeal, reduce its dependence on that particular segment, and create a much more sustainable business model."
By Suzette Parmley, Inquirer Staff Writer