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OPKO Health: A House Of Cards Tumbling In The Dark
Published on November 17, 2017 October 25, 2018
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Summary: OPKO Health, Inc. (OPK)
A slew of undisclosed or thinly disclosed executive team departures in the diagnostics division, which represents over 82.8% of revenue, could signal business decline and a compliance "house-cleaning".
The quiet departure of key employees in the company's renal division underscore issues with the rollout of Opko's FDA-approved drug, Rayaldee.
The company is employing "co-pay assist" programs in the roll-out of Rayaldee in an apparent attempt to compete with low-cost generic & over-the-counter alternatives.
Pipeline delays and disclosure oddities give us doubt about the value of remaining pipeline assets.
A low cash balance coupled with negative free cash flow and regulatory overhang could signal a near-term liquidity crunch.
Opko has dropped approximately 25% since its recent quarterly report issued last Wednesday after it missed estimates on both revenue and earnings. In addition to the continued disappointing sales in the company's FDA-approved product Rayaldee, the diagnostics division also saw a significant drop in revenue. We believe the recent quarter is merely the beginning of a series of continuing problems at the company.
BioReference: Changes at BioReference Labs
The company's diagnostics business, which primarily consists of BioReference Laboratories ("BioReference"), accounted for 82.8% of Opko's 2016 annual revenue. BioReference is described in the 10-K as "the nation's third-largest clinical laboratory with a core genetic testing business."
A slew of undisclosed or thinly disclosed executive team departures seems to indicate that BioReference is undergoing a behind-the-scenes transformation. We believe these changes will impair growth and profitability of the division and could foreshadow looming regulatory issues.
BioReference: Executives Quietly Depart in Quick Succession
On the recent conference call, EVP Steve Rubin stated "We continue to make investments in systems efficiencies, cost reductions and new leadership" and later made reference to a "change in sales leadership". When exploring this further we found the following details on old leadership that went unmentioned or thinly referenced:
Richard Faherty was until recently the Chief Information Officer of BioReference. He was removed from the BioReference executive team list on July 30th of this year, according to Aihitdata.com, although no announcement of his departure was made. On Faherty's Linkedin profile he currently lists himself as an "independent consultant".
Charles "Chuck" Todd was previously Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at BioReference and served in that role at least until July of this year according to a historical capture of the BioReference executive team website. Again, no announcement was made regarding his departure.
Amar Kamath was previously Vice President of Marketing at BioReference according to the executive team website. Kamath was removed as of July 30th, according to Aihitdata.com. No announcement of his departure was made.
Also worth noting:
Marc Grodman was the Founder of BioReference. Grodman publicly resigned from the company in March 2016, according to a press release. Despite the disclosure of Grodman's departure, no clear reason was given for the resignation and Grodman made no statement as part of the release.
We contacted investor relations seeking disclosure on these executive team departures and have not heard back as of this writing. Should we receive a reply we will update this accordingly.
BioReference: Recent Departures and a New Key Hire Could Signal a Shift Toward Compliance
We believe changes at BioReference could signal a focus on compliance. Several of the recently departed BioReference executive team members had controversial pasts:
Richard Faherty had a past criminal conviction and was disbarred as an attorney. He pleaded guilty in May 1984 to misusing up to $75,000 of clients' money, though prosecutors believe he took at least $250,000 from clients between August 1983 and January 1984. In March 1986, Faherty was placed on four years' probation and was ordered to do 1,500 hours of community service by a Superior Court Judge.
Chuck Todd's dealings at BioReference had also come under scrutiny: In 2009, BioReference filed a lawsuit against former BioReference employees Matt Carey and Sam Ruta, accusing them of misusing confidential information.
The two ex-employees then filed a detailed counterclaim stating that they and their colleagues were victims of an extortion scheme organized by senior management of Bio-Reference Laboratories. The claim stated Todd accepted $1,600,000 in proceeds from the extortion scheme as profit for Bio-Reference Labs. The claim further detailed Todd and management's complicity in wide scale improper conduct including pervasive expense fraud and abuse, misrepresentations and non disclosures to shareholders, self-dealing, and other improprieties. The claim and counterclaim were later dismissed.
Marc Grodman also had some questionable associations. His brother Joel was once alleged to have posed as a salesman for BioReference to secure a mob-controlled union contract with $400,000 of kickbacks to mob boss Peter Gotti.
Additionally, Grodman had received financing from questionable sources in the early days of BioReference, as Barron's had reported in 2011:
CEO Grodman's lab was financed in the decade after its 1986 initial public offering by such penny-stock bankers as Paul Russo, a Mafia-associated broker, and J.T. Moran, whose firm was the model for the movie Boiler Room. They and other Bio-Reference backers ended up in jail ("There Will Be Blood," May 23, 2011). Grodman and Bio-Reference were never implicated in any untoward activities, and he has said he never saw any wrongdoing.
Aside from the cascade of executive team departures, Jane Pine Wood, a veteran healthcare attorney was appointed as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer of BioReference in October 2016. Prior to Ms. Wood's arrival the role appears to have not existed, according to historical website snapshots of the executive team list.
The hiring of a Chief Legal and Compliance officer came on the heels of a June 2016 False Claims Act settlement where the company paid $9.35 million to settle charges against former Opko Health CEO Dr. Jonathan Oppenheimer, brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Tennessee.
We believe a "cleaning house" may be needed for the company given its historical association with a range of checkered individuals, but it also presents several problems:
When faced with an increased compliance burden, BioReference may simply not fare well in the highly competitive lab industry. Diagnostics revenue has already dropped on a quarter over quarter basis (from $256.7 million in June to $229.0 million in September) and is down similarly on a y/y basis. We believe the management shake-up and new compliance protocols will continue to rear their heads in the form of worsening operating metrics.
As we have seen with other diagnostics businesses, one regulatory action may be a sign that additional regulatory actions are around the corner. In the case of Quest Diagnostics for example, the company has seen numerous successive regulatory actions. (1,2,3,4,5)
Any potential regulatory action could create a substantial near-term cash liability. Opko is free cash flow negative and had only $100.4 million in cash and equivalents as of the most recent quarter. Any material regulatory settlement could put the company in a highly liquidity constrained position.
BioReference: SDNY False Claims Act Probe Represents a Looming Overhang
In addition to the behind-the-scenes turmoil, we believe company statements could foreshadow a potential settlement with the U.S. Attorney's office.
According to a 10-Q filed May 10th, the company reported:
In April 2017, the Civil Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (the "SDNY") informed BioReference Laboratories ("BioReference") that it believes that, from 2006 to the present, BioReference had, in violation of the False Claims Act, improperly billed Medicare and Tricare (both are federal government health care programs) for clinical laboratory services provided to hospital inpatient beneficiaries at certain hospitals.
Rather than offering the typical corporate-speak denying the allegations or stating that they are "without merit", BioReference simply stated that they are "reviewing" and "assessing" the allegations for merit:
BioReference is reviewing and assessing the allegations made by the SDNY, and, at this point, BioReference has not determined whether there is any merit to the SDNY's claims nor can it determine the extent of any potential liability. While management cannot predict the outcome of these matters at this time, the ultimate outcome could be material to our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Three months later, after BioReference had a chance to review and assess the allegations, the 10-Q released on August 8th contained the exact same language about reviewing the allegations for their merit and for their potential liability.
Two days after that report release, Opko CEO Frost was interviewed on CNBC's Mad Money and commented on the SDNY issue. Rather than giving the company a clean bill of health, he stated that they did an internal evaluation and audit and found no "systemic" problems. Frost acknowledged that they had "found a few errors here and there, as you would expect in a business that has so many transactions." He also stated that the SDNY was supposed call Opko back in April but never did, suggesting that perhaps the matter was put to rest.
Despite Frost's partial assurances, his statement on a lack of "systemic" problems seems to fall short of addressing the SDNY's allegations of wrongdoing stemming back from 2006. He (a) provided no further details on the internal valuation (b) failed to address whether there had been past systemic problems and (c) provided no assurance that the SDNY had actually dropped the matter.
Furthermore, given the multiple undisclosed executive team departures at BioReference that appear to have taken place mere weeks prior to Frost's assurances, the issues at BioReference seem to remain an open question.
Now, in the most recent quarterly report we see that the language on reviewing and assessing the charges again remains completely unchanged. We believe the SDNY probe merits close attention and could represent a severe overhang going forward.
We contacted investor relations seeking confirmation on whether the SDNY has dropped the False Claims act probe and seeking an update on the status of the probe. We have not heard back as of this writing. Should we receive a reply we will update this accordingly.
Rayaldee: A "Feature" Failure?
While the lab business transforms itself under an apparent executive team shake-up, the company's much touted drug offerings seems to offer little relief.
Rayaldee has been described in Opko's filings as the "feature" of their pharmaceutical segment. The drug is FDA-approved, and is indicated to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism in adults with stage 3 or 4 Chronic Kidney Disease and vitamin D insufficiency. It was approved in June 2016 and launched later that year in November.
In the OPKO earnings call transcript from November 2016, Executive Vice President Steven Rubin stated:
Rayaldee is the first product to receive FDA approval for this indication. Rayaldee fills a void in the available treatment options for approximately 9 million American adults, which represent a potential market estimate to exceed $12 billion annually.
Despite the stated size of the opportunity and its launch last year, Rayaldee has fallen far short of expectations. As of the latest quarterly report, the company stated "During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, we did not recognize any product revenues related to Rayaldee sales." In the same report OPKO stated that the advance payments received from Rayaldee customers (but not yet recognized as revenue) totaled only $6.5 million.
Despite the dismal revenue contribution, the company earlier attempted to plant seeds of optimism in Rayaldee's future by suggesting that the drug was receiving widespread adoption by insurers. In a June 1, 2017 press release the company touted that Rayaldee is accessible to 68% of insured lives.
We view the above press release as misleading. While it is true that the company has fairly broad access among commercial insurers, Rayaldee has unrestricted access to only 8% of insured Medicare lives nationwide according to FormularyLookup.com, an analytics service that provides data on insurance coverage for U.S. pharmaceuticals:
We contacted investor relations seeking comment on Rayaldee's access to Medicare insured lives and have not heard back as of this writing. Should we receive a reply we will update this accordingly.
Medicare coverage is of paramount importance because approximately 71% of Chronic Kidney Disease ("CKD") patients—the key target audience for Rayaldee—are enrolled in Medicare Part D, as of the latest report from the U.S. Renal Data System.[1] This suggests that the vast majority of CKD patients will need access through Medicare Part D plans in order to have coverage for the drug. The same report also shows that approximately 12% of CKD patients had no known insurance coverage, suggesting that insurance providers outside of Medicare Part D represent only a fraction of patients seeking CKD treatments.
The same Opko press release above proclaimed that the company had "entered into agreements with several large Medicare Part D plan sponsors, including the largest Medicare Part D plan, and additional commercial insurance plans for reimbursement of RAYALDEE." Despite these assurances however, we were only able to find sporadic coverage across Medicare Part D plan providers.
Of the seemingly sparse number of Medicare providers that do grant access to Rayaldee, the drug tends to be very expensive relative to competitors. According to FormularyLookup, Rayaldee is typically in the highest tier expense brackets across its limited plan coverage. In the overwhelming majority of cases, generics or alternatives (such as Calcitriol, Paracalcitol, Rocaltrol, or Zemplar) were designated as a preferred covered alternative to Rayaldee.
In order to compare Rayaldee's pricing with other Vitamin D analogues, we checked GoodRx.com, an aggregator of prescription drug prices across 70,000 U.S. pharmacies. As is shown below, competitor drugs cost as little as $7-$14. The next most expensive drug in the category designed for treating CKD is Hectorol at $360. Rayaldee by comparison is listed at $955, almost 3x the nearest competitor. Given that drugs in higher "tier" formulary categories often have higher co-pays, the out-of-pocket expenses for Rayaldee can be upwards of $300 per month even with insurance.
A call to Opko Connect confirmed that a 1-month supply of Rayaldee typically sells for $900 to $1,000, depending on the distributor.
Rayaldee therefore appears to (i) lack insurance coverage in Medicare Part D, its most important constituency, and (ii) be the high-cost, less-preferred drug in the category. We believe the above issues makes Rayaldee a starkly uphill sales proposition.
Rayaldee: A Quiet Departure of Rayaldee Management, and Conflicting Disclosures
There have been several high-level departures in key management and sales roles since the launch of Rayaldee:
Jim DeMarco was listed as the SVP of Opko Renal sales on the Opko Renal Management website as of approximately 2 months ago, but he appears to have quietly left the company. His LinkedIn profile shows that he is currently managing partner at the Elixir Group, a business consulting firm. DeMarco had been appointed as Senior Vice President of pharmaceutical sales as announced via press release in April 2016. Per the release, DeMarco was appointed to "support the anticipated launch of RAYALDEE." The release further elaborated on his extensive credentials and qualifications:
Jim is uniquely qualified to establish and execute our commercial plans for RAYALDEE in the US. His deep knowledge of the chronic kidney disease market will help bring RAYALDEE to Stage 3 and 4 CKD patients," said Phillip Frost, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OPKO.
Given DeMarco's loud entrance, we believe his silent departure is telling.
Douglas Laidlaw was listed as the Director of Medical Affairs on the Opko Renal "Management Team" website as of approximately 2 months ago. Mr. Laidlaw's hiring had also been announced via a glowing press release in May of 2016:
"OPKO Health, Inc. today announced the appointment of Douglass Laidlaw, PhD as Vice President of Medical Affairs to support the anticipated launch of RAYALDEE." The release added:
Doug is a key addition to the management team in OPKO's Renal Division," said Phillip Frost, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OPKO. "A well-conceived and executed medical education strategy is critical to Rayaldee's acceptance by U.S. healthcare professionals.
Despite the warm welcome, Mr. Laidlaw appears to have also left quietly. His Linkedin profile shows that he left the company in June of this year and is now actively seeking a new opportunity. Given that his "critical" role entailed educating the medical community on the importance of Rayaldee, we believe his departure underscores the difficulty Opko has had at that very task.
Rayaldee Job Posting: In need of National Sales Director to Develop Core Competencies
Opko is currently advertising a career opportunity for a national sales director for the Rayaldee product. The posting underscores deficiencies with the current roll-out that the position seeks to address, stating that the national sales director is:
Responsible for developing & implementing core competencies for the regional sales management & sales teams. Responsible for providing both strategic and tactical direction for the national sales organization while maintaining a positive and motivational work environment.
Given that the product launched over a year ago the absence of such a key role speaks volumes.
Rayaldee: Use of "Co-Pay Assist" Programs
In the most recent quarterly press release, the company stated that total prescriptions of Rayaldee in Q3 increased by 66% in Q3 compared to Q2, as reported by IMS. The pace has slowed considerably from the Q2 increase of 140% compared Q1 prescriptions. Nonetheless the data at the very least suggests that sales and growth of Rayaldee are taking place at some level.
Given the fundamentals of the drug, we sought to explore exactly how the product was being sold. We wondered; how does a product compete when it is relatively poorly differentiated and priced 60x-130x higher than comparable generics and over-the-counter-vitamins? We believe the answer is in part through co-pay assistance.
Note that in their purest form, co-pay assist programs are not illegal or untoward, as they propose to offer access to medicine for economically disadvantaged patients. Despite this, allegations of widespread abuse of co-pay assist programs has led to severe pushback from commercial insurers.
"Opko Connect" is a service that offers copay assistance and patient access for Rayaldee to patients. As is stated openly on the website, with the copay assistance program, "eligible commercially insured patients can fill their Rayaldee prescription for no more than $5 per month until the annual maximum limit is reached." In our call with Opko Connect, the representative candidly stated that "typically it's a zero dollar co-pay."
In other words, Rayaldee can compete with low-cost $7-$14 generics by making the drug cost $0 to $5 dollars for the patient. Despite the low patient pricing, the insurer must still cover the remainder of the cost of the drug, thereby deflecting the burden to commercial plan participants.
We contacted investor relations and asked the company to make the full data available on (1) the portion of Rayaldee sales that use co-pay assistance, including Opko Connect; (2) any solicitations to or donations to non-profit organizations that cover Rayaldee co-pays, which non-profit organizations have covered Rayaldee co-pays; and (3) the number and percentage of Rayaldee prescriptions that use non-profit organizations to cover co-pays. We have not heard back as of this writing. Should we receive a reply we will update this accordingly.
hGH-CTP: How Many "Outliers" Must Be Eliminated In Order to Make Phase III Trials Look Good?
Outside of Rayaldee, hGH-CTP is the other "featured" drug cited in Opko's earnings reports. The drug is aimed to combat hormone deficiency, and it showed early promise. In December 2014, OPKO announced that they had reached an agreement with Pfizer for the development and commercialization of hGH-CTP. Under the terms of the agreement, OPKO received $295 million and is eligible to receive $275 million upon the achievement of certain goals/milestones. In the same press release, Phillip Frost was quoted saying:
We believe that the global growth hormone market is currently valued at more than $3 billion, and believe that hGH-CTP has the potential to be the best in class long-acting growth hormone product.
After a long awaited Phase 3 clinical trial announcement, December 2016 results showed that hGH-CTP had failed to reach its primary endpoint. Following the outcome, in a slide in a January 2017 investor presentation the company claimed to have "found an exceptional value of trunk mass reduction in the placebo group". A subsequent slide added "The exceptional data point warrants an outlier sensitivity analysis."
In other words, a lone outlier in the placebo group skewed the results.
The "exceptional value" represented in the original presentation seems to have transformed later into "outliers". Per a presentation in September 2017 the company stated that it had "completed post hoc outlier analysis in June 2017 to assess the influence of outliers on the primary endpoint". It also stated that "analysis which excluded outliers showed statistically significant difference between hGH-CTP and placebo." Finally, the presentation stated: "Additional analysis that did not exclude outliers showed mixed results." The presentation made no mention of a lone "exceptional value."
We believe the shape-shifting outlier analysis does not bode well for the future of the drug. As the company awaits for the results of future studies (we estimate in late 2018), the earlier phase 3 failure suggests that a much-needed source of cash in the form of potential regulatory milestones may be in complete jeopardy.
We contacted investor relations seeking disclosure on how many outliers the company has found in its June 2017 post hoc outlier analysis of the hGH-CTP drug. We have not heard back as of this writing. Should we receive a reply we will update this accordingly.
4Kscore: Lowering Price Point and "Limited Revenue" Signal a Flop
On the diagnostic side of the business, Opko's key product is the 4Kscore, a test designed to identify patients at a risk for high-grade prostate cancer.
For some context, in November 2013, OPKO announced a clinical validation study for a blood test called the 4Kscore test, which measures the serum levels of four different prostate-derived kallikrein proteins: total PSA, free PSA, intact PSA and hK2. The first 3 proteins are common markers used in prostate testing but the company's 'secret sauce' was use of the hK2 protein, which had been shown in several studies to improve identification of risks of prostate cancer. By April 2014, OPKO announced the launch of the 4Kscore test in the United States.
The test is not FDA approved and has not undergone FDA scrutiny. Instead it is considered a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT). The test had an initial price point of $1900 per test, which compares poorly to common alternatives such as the Prostate Cancer Prevention Risk Calculator (which is free) and the Prostate Health Index, or PHI (which costs $80). A slew of competition already exists beyond these two common alternative tests. As industry authors have noted, a "bevy" of biomarker alternatives seek to improve on the standard PSA test.
Worth noting is that unlike the 4Kscore, the PHI is FDA approved. From an efficacy standpoint it compares similarly in identifying the risk of high-grade prostate cancer along with the 4KScore. The rigors of the FDA process have enabled PHI to receive more widespread reimbursement through insurers. By comparison, the 4Kscore has had difficulty receiving reimbursement.
This reimbursement difficulty can be discerned by the shifting disclosures in Opko's investor materials. A September 2015 company presentation had a slide detailing "Near Term Catalysts", including the slide: "Coverage decisions on reimbursement for 4Kscore test" which was assigned a date of 2015/2016. A later January 2017 presentation again dedicated a slide to reimbursement and acknowledged that Palmetto GBA and CGS Medicare Administrators had issued a "negative coverage determination" and that Opko was "addressing concerns". A September 2017 company presentation simply dropped the reimbursement slide entirely.
In May 2017, 4Kscore announced that the cost for the test had been reduced from $1900 to $595, reflecting both a lack of demand and the difficulties with reimbursement. Despite the drop in price, the test is still 7x more expensive than comparable alternatives such as the PHI.
Opko's recent quarterly report stated "We do not anticipate that we will generate substantial revenue from the sale of proprietary pharmaceutical products or certain of our diagnostic products for some time and we have generated only limited revenue from our…sale of the 4Kscore test."
4Kscore and BioReference
We believe the failure of the 4Kscore roll-out is also a reflection of the failure of the BioReference acquisition. Management repeatedly cited that one of the key reasons behind the BioReference acquisition was the synergy it would provide with the 4Kscore test. In September 2015, Dr. Frost went on CNBC's Mad Money and promoted the BioReference acquisition by stating that it provides "access to a salesforce and infrastructure that will help make our 4Kscore test one of the most important tests in the history of the diagnostics business."
The company similarly touted its BioReference acquisition on its Q2 2015 conference call by stating the importance of the synergy for marketing its 4Kscore test:
…nowhere is the synergy of this merger more demonstrable than in marketing the capabilities of our 4Kscore test to identify and differentiate patients in a noninvasive manner to those that may progress to aggressive prostate cancer.
The BioReference acquisition took place at a time in the industry when pricing pressures were not at the forefront of investor's minds. At the time the BioReference acquisition was completed, Valeant was peaking at about $220/share and was the darling of the pharmaceutical world. The practice in the industry at the time among some companies was to use related party pharmacies or affiliates as a channel to stuff consumers with high-priced drugs.
Given the more competitive pricing landscape of the industry today we believe the 4Kscore test is likely to require significant additional price cuts if it is to be in any way competitive with alternatives.
Remaining Pipeline Contributions Expected to be "Incremental"
In JP Morgan's recent downgrade report on September 14th, 2017, the report succinctly noted that potential pipeline contributions over the next 6-18 months are "incremental" and unlikely to meaningfully move the valuation needle.
While our analysis agrees that potential near & mid-term contributions are incremental, we have also identified a pattern of pipeline delays. A comparison of Opko's investor presentations given in September 2017 and January 2017 along with the latest earnings release also shows some oddities.
The Curious Disappearance of Alpharen (Fermagate)
The Alpharen Phase 3 trial was slated for "1H 2018" according to the September 2017 investor presentation, but it has suddenly disappeared from the latest earnings release altogether.
By way of background, Alpharen was acquired by Opko along with another drug candidate and announced via press release on January 8, 2013 under the headline "Opko Health to Acquire Two Phase 3 Products". By year-end, the 2013 10-K stated "We are working with U.S. and European regulatory authorities to finalize the remaining phase 3 clinical program for AlpharenTM (Fermagate Tablets)." The suggestion seemed to be that despite Alpharen's phase 3 trials that had already taken place, further clinical study was needed.
Later in the 2015 10-K the company apparently dropped their European pursuits, stating:
We are currently preparing a single remaining Phase 3 clinical trial in the U.S., but are first studying novel characteristics of Alpharen which may offer additional competitive advantages.
Later the January 2017 presentation slated the Alpharen Phase 3 trial for "2H 2017", but as noted above it was subsequently pushed back again in September to "1H 2018" and now has apparently disappeared entirely as of the earnings release.
We contacted investor relations seeking more information on the status of the Alpharen phase 3 trial and have not heard back as of this writing. Should we receive a reply we will update this accordingly. Given that a previous presentation has shown Alpharen to have a $1.2 billion market size we believe it is a very significant item to go missing.
Oxyntomodulin
The planned Oxyntomodulin Phase 2 trial has been recently delayed as well. The January '17 presentation slated the trial for "2H 2017" whereas the September 2017 presentation slates the trial for "1H 2018".
Claros Device Filing: Delayed for 5 Years, then Announced the Day Before Earnings
On Tuesday November 7th—the day before earnings—Opko announced that they had submitted a Premarket Approval Application for the Total PSA test with the Claros 1 immunoassay analyzer. The press release seemed to suggest that approval of the device is a foregone conclusion. Per the release:
With more than 25 million PSA tests performed in the U.S. annually, the Claros 1 Total PSA test represents a $625 million market opportunity. Once approved, we plan to leverage BioReference Laboratory's sizeable distribution and marketing capabilities to make this rapid, in-office test available for the benefit of physicians and patients.
Despite management's confidence in the devices approval, we are cautious, namely given that the filing was delayed for about 5 years.
By way of background, Opko acquired Claros Diagnostics in October 2011 for $49 million. Claros makes a device that aims to take a finger stick of blood and get a result in 10 minutes via a portable, easy-to-use technology that can sit in a physician's office. The approach and objective of Claros is similar to that of Theranos, and several years ago Opko's head of diagnostics even stated that Theranos was their main rival in the space.
The company has repeatedly promoted the potential of the Claros device, and in the most recent quarterly report mentioned the device along with the 4Kscore as a key area of potential synergy with the BioReference sales and marketing team.
Opko's starting point for gaining acceptance of the Claros device is to gain approval for Prostate-Specific-Antigen tests (PSA tests) which assess the risk of prostate cancer. Over time, the goal is to add tests to the device to make it a more robust "point of care" diagnostic offering including testosterone and vitamin D testing.
The company's first major step to market Claros was the PMA filing (a device filing) with the FDA. The filing had been delayed for 5 years prior to its recent submission:
In December 2011, the company issued a press release announcing the commencement of a U.S. clinical trial for the PSA test for their point-of-care diagnostic test (i.e. Claros). The announcement stated that "Opko intends to submit its application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval of the assay in 2012."
In January 2013, Phil Frost was interviewed on CNBC's Mad Money where he predicted that the product would come to market at the end of the year.
A September 2013 company presentation had a slide on the Claros offering that described under a "Projected Launch" heading: "US FDA expected 2014".
The company stated on an August 2015 conference call that they intend to file with the FDA for the PSA test in 1H 2016 and to also file for the testosterone test in 1H 2016.
In a September 2015 presentation the company downgraded that expectation, stating instead that it anticipated a PMA filing would be submitted to the FDA in 2016 (but not necessarily 1H 2016).
On March 1, 2017 the company issued a press release that stated "PMA filing anticipated in 1H 2017". Given that the press release was in March, the implication was that the filing would potentially be made imminently.
Then, 7 months later in September the company stated that they will file sometime in Q4.
By November 7th 2017 the company announced that they had (finally) submitted the filing.
We believe the long delay with the FDA filing could indicate a lack of confidence in the device. Given that the PMA process takes approximately 6 months we should expect an outcome either way around Q2 of next year.
We contacted investor relations seeking comment on why the Claros filing was delayed for approximately 5 years and have not heard back as of this writing. Should we receive a reply we will update this accordingly.
Frosts Insider Purchases are a Hollow Signal
Many Opko investors seem to be fixated on the insider purchases of Phil Frost, Chairman and CEO of the company.
Frost has been consistently buying shares of Opko in the open market for over 10 years. While these purchases provide a stunning visual for those looking at an Opko chart peppered with insider purchase markers, we view them as virtually meaningless to shareholders who are not named Phil Frost.
Frost's purchases have been a poor prognosticator of stock performance; they were made at prices as high as $16.74 and at many points along the way down. Similarly, they represent a fraction of Frost's wealth. A Forbes article from January suggested Frost's net worth is over $4 billion. By that measure, last year's $25.8 million in purchases represents less than 0.64% of his total worth.
We estimate that Frost's ownership in Opko represents at least 25%-35% of his net worth. At this point is seems that he is tethered to the company regardless of outcome, and at 80 years of age he is unlikely to embark on a new third act. We believe that with very few positive signs to point to at the company, Frost is simply attempting to protect the stock via token insider purchases in the hopes of buying more time.
Accelerating Cash Burn Highlights Near-Term Liquidity Needs
Despite Frost's efforts, Opko appears to be running out of time. The company has generated a negative operating cash flow of $94.1 million in the first 9 months of the year, and has spent over $32.0 million in capital expenditures. As of the most recent quarter-end the company has only $100.4 million in cash and equivalents.
Additionally, Opko has relied more heavily on its revolving lines of credit. As of the most recent quarter-end the company had drawn $105.9 million across its credit lines, compared to $80.7 million in the previous quarter and $47.3 million at year-end December 2016.
We believe the company will need more debt or to further dilute equity holders in the near to mid-term. Operating businesses have been burning cash at an increasing rate, and Opko's cash demands have historically been buoyed by up-front cash payments that are no longer available:
A deal with Pfizer on Opko's hGH drug supported Opko with a $295 million in up-front payment. That payment occurred during the March 2015 quarter, but the failure of the drug in Phase III trials could imperil any subsequent or near-term milestone opportunities.
A 2016 agreement from 2016 with VFMCRP included $50m in up-front payments to develop and market Rayaldee in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Australia, South Korea, and certain other international markets. The agreement includes $232 million upon the achievement of certain regulatory and sales-based milestones. With the future of Rayaldee in question (pending meaningful sales traction) these milestones may also be in jeopardy.
We believe the company's cash situation could be tightly constrained over the next 6 months under a base-case scenario. When factoring in unknowns surrounding regulatory overhang, there is a substantial risk that an adverse announcement could be crippling.
[1] Required citation from USRDS: United States Renal Data System. 2016 USRDS annual data report: Epidemiology of kidney disease in the United States. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 2016. The data reported here have been supplied by the United States Renal Data System (USRDS). The interpretation and reporting of these data are the responsibility of the author(s) and in no way should be seen as an official policy or interpretation of the U.S. government.
Disclosure: I am/we are short OPK.
I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
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Lions, tigers and ebola–oh my!
Unless you've been living under a rock (which is admittedly difficult), you might be aware of the Ebola virus. And that it has entered the USA–one patient, not exactly an epidemic. And, according to public health officials, about 10 people are at risk from the disease from contact with this "patient zero" in the USA. Despite these minuscule, small, tiny numbers, you'd think America is facing a disaster of epic proportions.
Not so fast. I'm not saying we should ignore this disease, or minimize it's danger, but seriously, in the grand scheme of the world, is this something to actually worry about? I have completely ignored the disease, other than mocking homeopaths for attempting to cure the disease, because there are so many infectious diseases that are actually more scary than Ebola.
Let's get some facts then.
What is Ebola?
Ebola, which is sometimes called Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a fairly rare, but deadly, disease caused by the Ebolavirus, a genus within the family Filoviridae. Ebolavirus can infect both human and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). There are five Ebolavirus species, four of which can infect humans. All have the same signs and symptoms in humans, and must be treated in the same way.
Ebola is not easily transmitted, and it cannot be spread through air, water, and food (with the except of contaminated meat). Insects do not transmit the virus, only mammals can be infected and spread the Ebolavirus.
The only way that the Ebolavirus is transmitted from human to human is:
blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola.
objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus
Though this may sound like a clear and present danger. But in the world of reality, it generally means that unless you're in close contact with a victim of Ebola, it's not going to be easily transmitted from person to person. This isn't like the flu or other vaccine prevented diseases, which can be spread by casual contact, or by someone sneezing in an enclosed space. I'd be much more concerned that the person coughing on the bus is going to transmit the flu or whooping cough to me than Ebola.
In an area with modern medicine, which includes much of the developed world, treatment of the disease is surprisingly simple. Early intervention with oxygen and fluid replacement, along with treatment of secondary infections, is extremely effective. As infectious diseases go, Ebola may actually be one of the least dangerous if it is treated quickly. What is scary, however, is that if left untreated the prognosis is poor.
How dangerous is Ebola compared to other diseases?
There have been around 14,000 case of Ebola this year in West Africa, which seems to be ground zero for the disease. The death rate for the disease, in West Africa, is around 40-60%, but the rate is lower as more medical resources have been sent to Africa. Let's put this into further context–the total population of West Africa is around 245 million, which means the absolute risk right now would be estimated to be 6 out of 100,000. That number simply does not scare me.
Why? Because there are many more frightening diseases (both infectious and non-infectious) in the USA. Today. Right now.
Flu. During the 2013-2014 flu season, the risk of hospitalization for the flu, across all age groups, was 35.6 per 100,000 population. In other words, in the USA, nearly 6 times more people were hospitalized for the flu than contracted Ebola in West Africa. Though the death rate from the flu is relatively low, it is not inconsequential. For the last 10 years, between 35 and 350 US children have died per year from the flu. Similar statistics for flu hospitalization risks and deaths are found across the world. If we're going to have a panic over a disease, the flu is far more dangerous to Americans (and Europeans and Canadians and Australians and Japanese and everyone else) than Ebola is (or probably ever be)–moreover, we have a real vaccine that really works to prevent the flu, which people still refuse to get.
Cardiovascular disease. 600,000 Americans die of heart disease, every single year, a rate that is similar to other developed countries across the world. In the USA, the press are writing breathless stories about how dangerous Ebola is, yet we ignore a disease that kills more people than we'd find in a medium sized city. Every year. And heart disease is preventable, through medication, diet, exercise, surgery, and other interventions. Where's the outrage? Where's the headlines?
Guns. A very specific American problem, I admit. But recently, 31,000 Americans died from gunshots, whether accidental or intentional. That's far more frightening than Ebola. Sadly, there are frequent headlines about the dangers of guns, yet nothing ever gets done.
Drunk drivers. There were over 10,000 drunk driving deaths in the USA in 2012. So far, 0 people have died in the USA from Ebola. But 10,000 Americans were killed by drunk drivers. Where are those headlines?
I could go on and on and on. Yet, politicians and the popular press is screaming and yelling about Ebola. They want to ban travelers coming to the USA from West Africa. Some want to expel people from these countries (but with Congress' xenophobia, that's to be expected). However, we actually ignore the things that actually can kill us. We can prevent flu epidemics that are seriously more scary. We could do much better with heart disease with better screening and management. We can control guns. We can force drunk drivers off the road.
But none of those make the headlines like Ebola. Because many people can only focus on 140 characters on their Twitter feed, and EBOLA COMES TO THE USA makes people read than FLU HAS 6X MORE HOSPITALIZATIONS THAN EBOLA. Partially, it's because if you asked the average person across the world, they think that flu is nothing more than an inconvenience. But, Ebola kills. Millions of people.
I find the Ebola outbreak to be somewhat scientifically interesting, but personally, not that important. I'm more worried about the type 2 diabetes epidemic across the world. Or vaccine deniers who put innocent people at risk. Or irresponsible gun owners (and I do realize that most gun owners are responsible) who allow children to access guns. Or the high rate of smoking in some countries that contributes to higher rates of heart disease. Or anything else. Ebola probably ranks #47 on my list of 100 things to worry about. Slightly above being hit by a random meteor. And far below heart disease.
Epperson S, Blanton L, Kniss K, Mustaquim D, Steffens C, Wallis T, Dhara R, Leon M, Perez A, Chaves SS, Elal AA, Gubareva L, Xu X, Villanueva J, Bresee J, Cox N, Finelli L, Brammer L; Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC. Influenza activity – United States, 2013-14 season and composition of the 2014-15 influenza vaccines. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014 Jun 6;63(22):483-90. PubMed PMID: 24898165.
CategoriesInfectious disease, News Tagscardiovascular disease, CDC, drunk driving, Ebola, Ebolavirus, flu, guns, West Africa, WHO
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Next PostNext Poll: what's scarier than Ebola

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I'm FINALLY here to update my blog about my previous photoshoot with Joanne and Nicole (our awesome photographer)!!!!
The shoot took place last December in a forlorn and destructed mansion situated in the Bangsar district. Nicole suggested this place because she has done a lot of shoots there, and she personally find the place enigmatically attractive. I invited Joanne to join me for the shoot, so that we can together brainstorm for ideas on how to pose, etc.
The mansion is really huge. I'm not sure why it's been abandoned for so long but I think it must have looked really majestic a very long time ago.
Anyway, this was my first time meeting Nicole! We knew each other from Instagram - when she left a comment on my picture, asking me whether I'm interested for a photoshoot. Excited, I hopped over to her profile and browsed her portfolio, and I was like omg the photos are amazing! So, I gave her my number and we planned for our shoot in Whatsapp.
Nicole is sweet, outgoing, passionate and easy to get along with, so our shoot has been nothing but fascinating and fun. She really does have great talent in photography, and by far she's the photographer I enjoy working with the most. Not forgetting to mention, she knows our angles the best, so it really became a challenge to feel any disappointment with the outcome! Before the photoshoot, I was feeling pretty nervous and insecure, worried that I would look chubby in photos because I'm certainly not a person with perfect facial features. BUT I'm so glad that Nicole quickly mastered a perfect "angle" for me hahaha!
We really sacrificed a lot for this shoot. Even blood sacrifices.
Okay lah it was because we were heavily attacked by mosquitoes, and we also had to bear with the heat because the atmosphere around the mansion was stale - there was barely ventilation at all, and there isn't electricity. Even the washroom was destructed, so I can't pee omg! Can you imagine me shooting all the way with a bladder full of urine lolol!!!
But well, it was all worth it. Looking at the outcome of the photos makes me feel really happy and the most satisfied. Totally worth my blood and sweat haha!
P.S. How would you name my hairstyle by the way? Some call it Alien buns while some call it Chun-Li inspired buns hahaha!
Chun Li's sound more cute!


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2017-18 Player Preview: Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman
By Andrew Kahn
Abdur-Rahkman is a consistent producer. Can he take his game to a higher level in his final season?
Previously: Moritz Wagner, Zavier Simpson
In a game last December against Maryland Eastern Shore, Duncan Robinson accidentally started instead of Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman. It was a clerical error; an assistant coach had mistakenly written Robinson's No. 22 instead of Abdur-Rahkman's 12 in the book. It was harmless and humorous, but also symbolic of Abdur-Rahkman's place in the Michigan program: an important contributor who is sometimes forgotten.
That game was the only one last season that Abdur-Rahkman didn't start. He's started 75 games in his career. If he stays healthy and Michigan can make another postseason run, the senior could sneak into the top 10 in Michigan's history in that category.
You don't get there without producing. As a freshman, Abdur-Rahkman was used more heavily than John Beilein would have liked. Injuries to Caris LeVert and Derrick Walton turned Abdur-Rahkman from a rarely-used reserve to a starter for the final seven weeks. The shooting guard proved to be a good defender and capable driver.
He elevated his game as a sophomore for an NCAA Tournament team, improving his shooting percentage inside and outside the arc. He did so again last year, shooting 53 percent on two-point shots and 38 percent (42-of-111) from three. Synergy Sports data shows he was an effective one-on-one scorer and reliable catch-and-shoot guy.
Abdur-Rahkman struggled with his outside shot to start the season but heated up early in Big Ten play. During a 16-game stretch, he shot 23-for-43 (53 percent) from deep. It coincided with a talk from his coaches urging him to give just a little more effort. The Feb. 22 game at Rutgers stands out for how hard he ran the floor. He's a good screener, which often frees him up for open shots in Michigan's offense.
Beilein has always wanted more from Abdur-Rahkman as a distributor. He tallied 10 assists in the aforementioned Maryland Eastern Shore game, but it proved to be a major aberration (He had just 60 in Michigan's other 37 games combined). The ability to drive to the hoop and look for something other than your own shot is a rare trait. If the 6'4" Abdur-Rahkman can improve a bit in that area, it would help the Wolverines.
In the past, he hasn't had another player nipping at his heels for playing time. "We want guys to play with idea that someone might catch them," Beilein said last December. "You've got to play for your job every day. That hasn't necessarily been a motivator for him because he looks behind him and there's nobody there."
Whether that has affected his development will never be known. And while there are perhaps more candidates than a year ago, it remains to be seen how much he'll be challenged by teammates. Abdur-Rahkman, 23, doesn't show much emotion on the court and that adds to his tendency to go unnoticed. But if the box score shows him with double-digit points, plus a few rebounds, assists, and steals—as it often does—there's nothing wrong with blending in.
Quotable: "I think he brings a maturity right now. He has watched the other guys—Derrick Walton would be a great example—finish their career going this way (upward) because of the work they did not in the season. I think that he has put in one of his better if not best offseasons. … He's all in…to have a great, great senior year."—John Beilein (10/4/17)
Best-case scenario: Abdur-Rahkman starts every game even though there are others capable of taking his spot. He asserts himself offensively, both as a penetrator and spot-up shooter, and is a lock-down defender on the perimeter.
Bottom line: He is not going to lead the team in scoring or any other major category, but he is very consistent. Most any coach in the country would sleep well at night knowing he has a player like Abdur-Rahkman returning for his senior year. The only question is whether he's poised to be a role player once again in 2017-18 or is ready for a breakout senior year.
Related Items:2017-18 Player Preview, Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman
How Michigan built an elite defense: Part IV — Personnel upgrades
10 minutes of glory, 30 minutes of agony
Five Key Plays: Michigan 69, Loyola 57


If your night club or other event lighting setup is in need of a new lazer, FullColorLasers.com is the place to go! FullColorLasers.com offers a variety of new lazer setups to buy or rent. Just about any kind of event can benefit greatly from a new lazer—a new lazer will add a dynamic element to the existing light setup and is guaranteed to get the crowd going. To achieve a professional look and feel with a high production value and high level of energy, a new lazer is a must.
The custom, new lazer projectors from FullColorLasers.com can reproduce millions of colors, making them a powerful entertainment lighting solution. If you need a new lazer for a small nightclub or concert hall, or even if you need a new lazer for a very large event, FullColorLasers.com has a new lazer setup that will work for you. For events both big and small, a new lazer setup from FullColorLasers.com will add that extra needed touch.
Renting or even purchasing a new lazer setup might seem somewhat daunting, but FullColorLasers.com will make things easy for you by providing help at each step, from consultation on what kind of new lazer is the right fit for you, all the way to installation and operation at the event itself. A new lazer setup from FullColorLasers.com is the easy, affordable way to take your event to the next level.
Laserworks – Adding a laser light show to make your event a higher caliber.


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text:
package org.apache.kylin.metrics.lib.impl;

import java.util.Properties;

import org.apache.kylin.metrics.lib.ActiveReservoir;
import org.apache.kylin.metrics.lib.ActiveReservoirReporter;

/**
 * Builder of ActiveReservoirReporter
 */
public abstract class ReporterBuilder {
    protected final ActiveReservoir registry;
    protected final Properties props;
    public static final String LISTENER_FILTER_CLASS = "listener.filter.class";
    public static final String CALLBACK_URL = "callback.url";
    public static final String LISTENER_FILTER_DEFAULT_CLASS = "org.apache.kylin.metrics.lib.impl.callback.CallbackActiveReservoirFilter";

    protected ReporterBuilder(ActiveReservoir activeReservoir) {
        this.registry = activeReservoir;
        this.props = new Properties();
    }

    public ReporterBuilder setConfig(Properties props) {
        if (props != null) {
            this.props.putAll(props);
        }
        return this;
    }

    /**
     * Builds a {@link ActiveReservoirReporter} with the given properties.
     *
     * @return a {@link ActiveReservoirReporter}
     */
    public abstract ActiveReservoirReporter build() throws Exception;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
<!DOCTYPE html>

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    <title>Blog</title>

                    BLOG

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        </form>

&copy blog page - 2017


Nelly has been arrested on felony drug charges after police stopped the bus in which he was travelling in Tennessee.
The 40-year-old Grammy Award-winning rapper, real name Cornell Haynes, was pulled over on April 11 because the bus was allegedly not displaying legally-required stickers.
The bus was then searched after a state trooper smelled marijuana, authorities in Tennessee said.
Officers are alleged to have found drugs and handguns on board.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said Nelly was taken to Putnam County Jail after the bus, which had six people on board, was stopped on Interstate 40.
Nelly was charged with felony possession of drugs, simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia and was later released on bail.
One other man travelling on the coach was arrested and charged, authorities said.
A statement said two state troopers searched the bus and found "five colored crystal-type rocks that tested positive for methamphetamine, as well as a small amount of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia" as well as the guns.
According to CNN, Nelly's lawyer Scott Rosenblum said "there had been 15-20 people that had access to the bus prior to the stop".
Scott Rosenblum said he was "extremely confident that when the facts come out, Nelly will not be associated with the contraband that was allegedly discovered".
Nelly, whose hits include Hot in Herre, Dilemma and Ride Wit Me, is currently starring in his own reality TV show, Nellyville.
The reality show centers around Nelly's home and family life with his two children and his sister's two children, who he adopted after his sibling died from leukaemia.


text:
Q: view helper in zend framework 2 the thing is these this lines:
$loginUrl = $this->view->url(array('controller'=>'auth', 'action'=>'index'));
$registerUrl = $this->view->url(array('controller'=>'register', 'action'=>'index'));

based on rob allens' Zend_Auth login/logout tutorial (win7/apache),
are placed in a view helper, and this one:
echo $this->url(array('controller'=>'index','action'=>'add'));
is placed in the index view script.
The generated links Do work fine in LOCAL, but in REMOTE only the 3rd line works.
ANY IDEAS? Where should i look for this? wich way to follow?
I was tempt to think in the remote server conf but the 3rd line works fine, so..
thanks!

A: Try this helper instead of view Zend_Controller_Action_Helper_Url:
//simple($action, $controller = null, $module = null, array $params = null)
//so your lines will look like:
$loginUrl = $this->_helper->url->simple('index','auth');
$registerUrl = $this->_helper->url->simple('index','register');
P.S. your lines work properly on Win7 and Ubuntu servers check registry of the lines

A: I found out that was the server. (.htacces and mod_rewrite) was not included in the package.
I think the third line was working because it was in the index controller, but when calling the others, then happened the object not found.
To work out this, i found an example using zend debug (was in german) so i inferred it (and then wrote to the hosting service), but still not quite sure how to check (phpinfo?) if a host have this features available or not in your package.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
1:00 UPDATE Extremely Dangerous Michael has Made Landfall
Posted on October 10, 2018 October 10, 2018 by Rich Thomas
NHC at 1PM: says Michael has reached 155 mph on the winds. NHc says Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, at 12:45PM CDT (roughly) The minimum pressure is 919 mbs. The only category 4 on record. Very close to Cat 5 status. Moving NNE at 14.
UPDATE: UPDATE: Michael's winds have increased to 150 mph now, just below Cat 5 status. Pressure has dropped 5 more millibars to 923 mbs. Incredible. Now 50 miles SSW of Panama City, moving NNE at 15. #Alwx #flwx
NHC 10:00AM update has Micheal located 60 miles south of Panama city, moving NNE at 15. So the much anticipated turn to the north-northeast has begun and later the storm will turn northeast. Maximum winds are at 145 mph, category 4, with another pressure drop to 928 millibars. The storm is expected onshore within a few hours, and will begin diminishing in intensity after landfall. But hurricane conditions will spread into SE Alabama and SW Georgia later this evening and tonight.
Baring any further intensification Michael will cross the coastline as a strong Cat 4 hurricane, making it the strongest landfalling hurricane in the Florida panhandle in history. The effects of the wind and storm surge could be catastrophic.
Storm surge will be historic and catastrophic. Many seaside communities will be underwater. Historic unprecedented.
Affects from Michael across south and southeast Alabama will be significant. A tropical storm warning covers several counties as far north as Butler, Crenshaw, Bullock, Pike and Russell. A HURRICANE WARNING remains in effect for Henry, Dale, Houston and Geneva counties. Power outages will be widespread and potentially long lasting. Here's all the warnings for Michael over a multistate area.
Wind speeds will vary dramatically from 20-30 mph in the Montgomery area to Hurricane force in southeast Alabama.
Extremely Dangerous Cat 4 Michael Hours from Landfall – SPECIAL WEDNESDAY Video
4:00PM UPDATE – Michael Well Inland – Still Category 3


text:
Tag: SOCIAL HISTORY
MINI020 WOMEN GETTING DRESSED 1840s style
2022-07-14 age-of-victoria EPISODES 00:47:55 0 Comments
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/MINI020_FINISHED_WOMEN_GETTING_DRESSED_1840s_style.mp3
This much requested episode deals with the important but fun topic of women's clothes and fashions in the 1840s. If you want to understand how a Victorian woman dressed and why, this is the episode for you.
The importance of dressing well.
We don't do business casual.
Victoria, a Goth.
Starting the day, the chemise
Bloomers, and worries about the French.
Stockings, colours and fun.
The corset – Patriarchy not included.
The corset – exploding the myths
The corset – tight lacing, narrow waists, health hazards and missing ribs.
Corsets – a big hit with the men.
Dresses, daywear and sewing.
Don't forget your hat, I mean bonnet.
Some shoes, and dressing for the weather.
Riding outfits.
Evening dresses, and gowns fit for an Empress.
What you wear is not a political statement yet.
5TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL – SAY CHEESE
2022-05-10 age-of-victoria EPISODES, SCIENCE EPISODES, SOCIAL HISTORY EPISODES 00:42:33 0 Comments
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/5TH_ANNIVERSARY_SPECIAL_SAY_CHEESE.mp3
This anniversary is a memorable event and naturally deserves to be photographed by the paparazzi. But what was the story of the invention of the photograph, and how did it become a Victorian icon? A story filled with invention, persistence, a lot of daring do, and possibly holding back some manly tears. Not to mention artistic nudes, pioneering thinking from governments, lots of chemicals and real dedication.
Some all time great photographs.
The veil of history.
Early steps towards photography.
No invention is a vacuum.
The Daguerreotype and patents
Henry Fox Talbot & the Calotype.
The Collodion process
Photography spreads out around the world.
What was photography for?
Photography in India.
The unflappable Samuel Bourne.
Yes, but it it art?
The female nude.
It's not just naked women; other uses for photographs.
The artist creates the truth by destroying it; making fake photos for art.
What is art, truth and how did all this matter?
A plea for support
Thank you's.
EP044 SEX RELIGION AND WEDDING NIGHT BLUES – VICTORIA SEX PT2
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/EP044_SEX_RELIGION_AND_WEDDING_NIGHT_BLUES.mp3
Our dive under the covers continues. How did sex and religion come together in the Victorian era? How was the bible such an influence on men & women's sexuality? Should a religious Victorian be having sex? Some evolutionary pitfalls, social problems and a couple of wedding nights to talk about.
The duties of Eve.
A morally ambiguous bible.
Seems risky.
Those teenager cave people.
Wars, unrest and shipping em off to the Empire.
Art and desexualisation.
Is she really a seamstress?
Queen Victoria enjoys herself…….
Ruskin and Effie do not.
On that bombshell, it's good night from me.
If you want to get in touch, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com. The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.
EP033 (PT2) WHO OWNS THE LAND?
2020-11-01 age-of-victoria AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND, EMPIRE, EPISODES 00:49:22 1 Comment
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/EP033_pt2_WHO_OWNS_THE_LAND.mp3
The journey into Empire continues as we look more closely at the Australia's, and the difficult issues of landownership, native rights, and how land can tie to identity. I also cover the culture clash between the Europeans and the Indigenous Peoples. This is part 2, which covers more of the background of Empire in the Australia's, the First & Second Fleets, the impact of liberalism and the difference in world views between the Europeans and the Indigenous Peoples, the lure of food, the battle for land, the place of science and the timeline leading to the early Victorian Era in the Australia's. If you haven't listened to pt1 yet, I suggest you do that before listening to this.
Thanks for your listening. I hope you enjoy. If you want to get in touch, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com. The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don't forget to leave a review on iTunes, it takes less time than making a coffee. If you want to support the show on patreon, just click here, or you can go to Patreon and search for age of victoria podcast or my name.
EP032 PHILOSOPHY OF EMPIRE – THE VALUE OF LIFE?
2020-09-04 age-of-victoria AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND, EMPIRE, EPISODES, SOCIAL HISTORY EPISODES 01:01:34 1 Comment
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/EP032_PHILOSOPHY_OF_EMPIRE-THE_VALUE_OF_LIFE_.mp3
To understand the past, sometimes we need to examine our values and subject them to philosophical analysis. The British Empire was a complex, varied entity that stretched across the world and changed over the centuries. How do we understand the mindset of those people in the C19th who created it, or lived in it? This episode is designed to get you thinking and analysing big questions and unpleasant moral problems. Ultimately the answers will be down to your judgements. Be warned some material is upsetting and contains references to genocide, racism, slavery, the holocaust, abortion and critiques of religion. I hope you find it stimulating.
Thank you's to Patrons, and some listener reviews.
The complexity of Empire, and the settler empire.
How common were empires?
Are people innately warlike and violent?
Is life important; the need for philosophy.
Is life important; what would God do, and does that make it ok?
Is life important; building a moral framework for atheists.
The worst pub bore ever – drunken philosophy.
The economic value of life.
If your people are starving, is it immoral not to invade another country?
The right to liberty and freedom to do what you want except when you can't.
Heuristics, mental shortcuts, and cognitive biases; how bad decision making affects empires.
The power and danger of othering.
Look him in the eyes as he dies.
Gengis Khan, and how to turn genocides into hero worship.
The dangers of anarchy, law and order.
Some impacts of Empires; feeding the hungry, and killing other people.
Final thoughts.
EP031 VICTORIA & ALBERT – A ROMANTIC PRINCE & A WEDDING
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/EP031_VIC_ALBERT_THE_PROPOSAL_FINAL_.mp3
How does the Queen of Kingdom and ruler of the Empire choose a husband? This is not a choice to get wrong, so Victoria was under pressure. Was Albert the Romantic Prince and perfect companion of her dreams? Learn about the Prince, his childhood, his music, & his journey from shy intellectual to confident suitor to the Queen.
This show covers
Prince Alberts childhood & family scandals.
The close relationship between Germany & Britain.
The German Romantic movement.
Did they really fall in love?
Albert had groove.
A royal proposal & Lord M's advice for marriage.
What, a German? Tory opposition and financial constraints.
Preparing for the wedding.
The Bride Wore White.
A very, very successful wedding night.
EP030 QUEEN VICTORIA'S NO GOOD, VERY BAD YEAR
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/EP030_QUEEN_VICTORIA_S_NO_GOOD_VERY_BAD_YEAR.mp3
How was Victoria coping with being Queen? She was intelligent, stubborn, cultured, but sometimes misguided and blinkered. Worse, the nation itself seemed fractured, bitter, and in danger of collapse. Her first two years as monarch showed the need for her to have a partner. Someone who could share the load, act as a lightning rod and shield on shoulder, and make the transition from partisan Queen to Monarch for the whole nation. There were some dangerous rocks in the waters and Victoria would have to learn to tread carefully as she made her steps on the journey to being the monarch that united the nation.
Reviews and thank you's
Lord Melbourne – brief biography
Introduce Sir Robert Peel
Situation of UK/Empire in 1830's.
Chartism.
Lady Flora Hastings
Affair of the Bedchamber
Victoria's mental/physical state.
How Prince Albert helped.
You can listen on iTunes, Apple Podcasts and subscribe for free to get all the latest episodes, or even leave me a review. The show is also on Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean. Don't forget to tell your friends.
Support the show on Patreon, and get exclusive patrons only episodes plus other goodies.
3RD ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL VICTORIA & ALBERT – A ROYAL, AND A ROMANTIC
2020-06-01 age-of-victoria EPISODES, QUEEN VICTORIA EPISODES, SPECIAL EPISODES 00:43:11 0 Comments
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/3RD_ANNIVERSARY_SPECIAL_VICTORIA_ALBERT-A_ROYAL_AND_A_ROMANTIC.mp3
EP030 3rd Anniversary Special: Victoria & Albert -a Royal and a Romantic.
The podcast is 3 years old, so time for Victoria and Albert to become a couple. One of histories famous romances and two names that almost define the age. Yet it was a strange road that brought them together. In this show we look at Queen Victoria's tricky love life, the problems of being a royal celebrity, meet some of Prince Alberts competition, and learn how they finally came to meet. But was it love at first sight?
Gallery of Romanticism Key Works
Reviews and thank you's for 3 years
The importance of the German Romantic movement.
The problems of a royal marriage.
A woman? As Queen? What would the Bible say?
Immaturity and dynastic tangles.
Stalking Victoria.
Enter Prince Albert, stage right.
Duke Alex, boxes of bling, and heartbreak.
You can listen on Apple Podcasts and subscribe for free to get all the latest episodes, or even leave me a review. The show is also on Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean – basically all your favourite podcatching platforms. Don't forget to tell your friends.
EP029 THE COURT OF KING CHOLERA – THE GREAT VICTORIAN PLAGUE
2020-05-08 age-of-victoria EPISODES, MEDICINE & DISEASE EPISODES 1:41:57 0 Comments
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/EP029_The_Court_of_King_Cholera.mp3
EP029 "The Court of King Cholera – the great Victorian plague" explores one of the most famous pandemics in history. There was horror, death, and a little hope. Many bad decisions, anger and mistrust, but also groundbreaking science. When disease strikes it is easy to think humanity is levelled and we all stand together – does history prove this is true?
The initial panic of cholera?
Mt Tambora and the first pandemic
Poverty and failure.
Official corruption, murderous doctors and anti science mobs.
The dawn of the Victorian era in the time of Cholera.
What is the cause? Is it something in the air?
The lowest point – horror show at the orphanage.
The Doctors Strike Back.
Onwards and upwards, or a warning from history?
You can listen on iTunes and subscribe for free to get all the latest episodes, or even leave me a review. The show is also on Spotify, Stitcher, Podbean. Don't forget to tell your friends. The sources for this episode are here
Support the show on Podcast Patreon, and get exclusive patrons only episodes plus other goodies.
BONUS CHAT WITH THE SIECLE PODCAST – BRITAIN AND FRANCE AFTER WATERLOO
2020-01-21 age-of-victoria EPISODES, SPECIAL EPISODES 00:38:22 0 Comments
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/BONUS_INTERVIEW_SIECLE_PODCAST_JAN_2020_FINAL.mp3
Bonus episode of The Age of Victoria & The Siècle! Learn about the differences between how France and Britain experienced the years after Waterloo in a conversation between your host Chris Fernandez-Packham and David Montgomery, host of the Siecle Podcast.
We chat about the state of Britain and France after the battle of Waterloo, to around 1830. I really enjoyed this opportunity chat to a fellow history fan. British and French history is deeply entwined and getting perspectives of each was fascinating. If you haven't listened to the Siecle, please do because it is covering the same period as the Age of Victoria, but for the French. It will increase your understanding of the C19th immensely and is also extremely enjoyable.
Support the show on Patreon, and get an exclusive patrons only episode plus other goodies.
SOURCES FOR QUEEN VICTORIA'S CORONATION.
2020-01-07 age-of-victoria SOURCES 0 Comments
SOURCES ON QUEEN VICTORIA'S CORONATION
Details on Queen Victoria's coronation are available, but the event is often skimmed over in popular histories on the topic. I touched on her coronation in episode 24, and used the following sources to provide a favour of the day. Tracking down the musical and Order of Service was tricky, but luckily some dedicated Circular in 1902 had gone to a lot of trouble to do a detailed reconstruction, and I'm really glad about that. I will add to this list when I do a future deep dive into the coronation.
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/11/18/queen-victoria/
https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/material-relating-to-the-coronation-of-queen-victoria
http://www.queen-victorias-scrapbook.org/contents/2-4.html
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40002938?
"Music at the Last Coronation." The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, vol. 43, no. 707, 1902, pp. 18–21
Coronation Order of Service: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/media/5487/queen-victoria-coronation-music.pdf
Fredeman, William E. "Introduction: 'England Our Home, Victoria Our Queen.'" Victorian Poetry, vol. 25, no. 3/4, 1987, pp. 1–
Durbach, Nadja. "Roast Beef, the New Poor Law, and the British Nation, 1834–63." Journal of British Studies, vol. 52, no. 4, 2013, pp. 963–989.
In addition to those, I consulted the usual general sources on Victoria that are listed in the sources for episodes on Victoria's early life.
EP025 The industrial revolution & shattering the energy ceiling.
2019-12-01 age-of-victoria EPISODES, INDUSTRY & TRANSPORT, SCIENCE EPISODES, SOCIAL HISTORY EPISODES 01:10:43 0 Comments
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/EP025_INDUSTRIAL_REVOLUTION.mp3
Forged in fire, the new era is born. The British unlock a new energy source and create the industrial revolution. Humanity around the world is transformed; no longer limited by our own muscles or the plodding of animals or the slow harnessing of wind and wave. Instead the British unleashed a revolution that allowed humanity to surpass all of its previous limit. Without this moment, nothing in the modern world would have been possible.
An outline of key concepts of energy sources and management.
The application of energy to useful tasks.
The early pioneers.
The great ripples of change.
Triumph of industry
Poverty in the midst of plenty.
Angry authors & a cultural shift.
EP023 Politics; the Whigs & the Reform Act 1832
2019-10-01 age-of-victoria EPISODES, POLITICS EPISODES 00:31:52 0 Comments
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/EP023_POLITCS_pt3-The_Whigs-ReformActFINISHED.mp3
Are you eager for reform? What to change the establish? Shake up the old order? Surely the time has come to join the Whig party then? This show covers the Whigs in the 1820's & 1830's and the land mark Great Reform Act 1832. British politics was changing rapidly and Victoria was at the cusp of the Throne. The struggles of the Whigs would help determine the political establishment for years into Victoria's reign.
This episode covers
The difficulties of adopting a unbiased view of past politics
The Whigs world view
Why reform & being progressive isn't always a good thing.
The Scottish counterpoint
The philosophy of reform & the great debate
Wiliam IV's role.
Impact on Slavery
Victoria benefits
Support the show, and get an exclusive episode on Patreon at [https://www.patreon.com/user?u=19744898]
MINISODE 015 TITLES & TIARA'S
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/MINI015_TITLES_TIARAS.mp3
Are you confused about your Lords & Dukes? Want to know why the Baron is always popping up? Wondering just what is the Duchy of Lancaster and why its so important? Want to know your Earls from your Marchioness's? Worried about who gets to get to lead the dinner party when an Earl & a Prince pop over?
This minisode covers
The orders & rankings of the nobility & peerage
The role of the Queen
The Prince Consort
Details of the peerage
The baronets & knights
How to get into the peerage
Some notable cock ups
Historical exceptions designed to drive your host round the twist.
[also while I have used a lot of sources for this show, I highly recommend Elegant Etiquette in the Nineteenth Century by Mallory James; she's written a fabulous & highly entertaining book]
Debretts Guide to the Peerage
Burkes Peerage
Steinbech, S "Understanding the Victorians"
McCahill, Michael W. "Peerage Creations and the Changing Character of the British Nobility, 1750-1830." The English Historical Review, vol. 96, no. 379, 1981, pp. 259–284.
Hanham, H. J. "The Sale of Honours in Late Victorian England." Victorian Studies, vol. 3, no. 3, 1960, pp. 277–289.
James, Mallory. "Elegant Etiquette in the C19th"
SOURCES: PETERLOO MASSACRE
There are a lot of sources for this episode. I used a lot of general background material on the period, and on the British Military that I'd used for the Napoleonic Episodes and Mt Tambora
Specific sources for the Peterloo episode were
"Hand Weavers Lament" (Traditional/Popular song)
Artists Print "The Manchester Reform Meeting Dispersed by Civilian and Military Power." from August 1819
HONE, WILLIAM "The Political House that Jack Built"
Simon Schama's History of England vol2
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jan/04/peterloo-massacre-bloody-clash-that-changed-britain
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/29/peterloo-britain-kings-queens-mike-leigh-massacre
E.P. Thompson The making of the working class
MESSINGER, G: "Manchester in the Victorian Age – The Half Known City"
Riding, J; "Peterloo, the story of the massacre"
Walker, A. Stanley. "Peterloo, Shelley and Reform." PMLA, vol. 40, no. 1, 1925, pp. 128–164.
POOLE, ROBERT. "'By the Law or the Sword': Peterloo Revisited." History, vol. 91, no. 2 (302), 2006, pp. 254–276
POOLE, ROBERT; "The Manchester Observer: biography of a radical
newspaper" http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/28037/1/28037.pdf
https://revjosephharrison.wordpress.com/the-peterloo-era-1819/ (A good article with plenty of primary source letters quoted).
http://britishcavalryregiments.com/35-15H/15H.html
https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/15th-kings-hussars
https://london-medals.co.uk/the-exceptional-and-important-peninsular-war-southern-france-1814-orthes-and-toulouse-well-documented-waterloo-1815-and-possible-peterloo-massacre-officer-s-pair-awarded-to-lieutenant-later-colonel-henry-lane-15th-king-s-regiment-of-hussars-later-1st
Report of the Metropolitan and Central Committee, appointed for the relief of the Manchester sufferers; with an appendix, containing the names of the sufferers, and the nature and extent of their injuries. (https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/lists-of-the-killed-and-wounded-from-the-peterloo-massacre)
http://historyofpublicspace.uk/peterloo/
http://www.peterloomassacre.org/names.html This is the spreadsheet with the complete list of the victims, occupations, age/sex, and cause of death. It is a fantastic source.
EP020 PT2 WHY EDUCATE A QUEEN & WHAT SHE LEARNT
2019-05-01 age-of-victoria EPISODES, QUEEN VICTORIA EPISODES 00:51:42 1 Comment
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/EP020_PT2_WHY_EDUCATE_A_QUEEN_.mp3
In Ep20 pt 2 we continue our journey through Queen Victoria's childhood education. Pt2 explores the specifics of education, what she learnt, and crucially, how her education would fit her into the increasingly strict and complex Victorian class system. It wasn't easy being "the girl who will be Queen." It also covers her relationship with her ally and mentor Uncle Leopold, King of Belgium.
If you have any questions/feedback, you can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com
MINI009 "A Victorian Scandal?"
https://media.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/content.blubrry.com/ageofvictoriapodcast/AOV_MINI009_A_VICTORIAN_SCANDEL_.mp3
Join me and decide who, if anyone was the truly scandalous one. The aristocrat? The banker? The Sporting Superstar?
This is a minisode that is a stand alone episode on a scandal involving Beatrice Sumner and Charles Hoare in the very late Victorian period, plus why framing a narrative is dangerous when studying history. What would you do to protect your daughter? What would you do to be with the man you loved?
Available on iTunes at
Or on Google Podcasts if you have a Android phone at
https://www.google.com/podcasts…
If you click this on an Android phone, it'll open The Age of Victoria. Automatically, in Google Podcasts – which EVERY Android user has already installed.
Don't forget to email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com
Or message me on twitter.


My Boss Micromanages EVERYTHING I Do. Help!
Plus other types of horrible bosses and how to deal.
In an ideal world, we would all have bosses we love—those who groom us for success, make us feel appreciated, and motivate us to be better. Unfortunately, the world is not perfect, and some bosses just make your life a living hell. Here, we show you ways on how you can deal with difficult types of bosses.
There is a fine line between being meticulous and being a micromanager. This is the boss who pays attention to every single detail and while that's great, it can get really annoying sometimes. Hence, you probably feel like you have to constantly seek his approval for EVERYTHING.
What to do: Always be one step ahead. Pay close attention to how he thinks and to what he constantly demands from you.
This type of boss is what nightmares are made of. Oh, so there's a really strong bagyo and baha and there is no way you can leave for work? Yep, you still have to!
What to do: Your boss just needs assurance that you're not just making excuses to avoid work. Always bring your A-game when accomplishing tasks: submit on time or ahead and finish everything that you need to do.
This type of boss is the one who flares out in every way possible. You'd rather not open his e-mail, because it's probably filled with so much hate and anger. A one-on-one meeting becomes a company affair because everyone in the office can hear your boss' voice as he points out how incompetent you are.
What to do: Always remember to compose yourself before you answer back. And when you're asked to explain yourself, don't be too defensive. Most of the time, these bosses aren't even aware that they're being offensive, so tell them that you would rather speak to him in the privacy of a meeting room.


text:
Q: A real-life example of using curry function? I was struggled to find a real-life example of using curry function and get the benefit of using curry.
When I google curry function I often see the example like
let add = x => y => x + y;
let add10 = add(10);
console.log(add10(20));

I have to say I really don't see the value of using curry in this example.
After reading through the answers in this SO https://stackoverflow.com/questions/113780/javascript-curry-what-are-the-practical-applications I still don't see the benefit of using it.
For example, the highest score answer give an example of converter, but that example can be rewrote without curry as another answer shows.
I also read through the answers What is the advantage of currying? (although the discussion are not confined to javascript) I still get the feeling that the curry version can be rewrote without curry(in js).
So can someone show me the "real" advantage/benefit of using curry in javascript?
--- update 2021.10.22 ---
I want to provide an answer to my own question because now I have a better understanding of curry. But the question was closed so I provide this update as my answer.
Only after I study Ramda, which uses curry function as the basic building block, do me finally appreciate the usefulness of curry.
Reading the articles on the ramda website like Why Curry Helps, Favoring Curry, Why Ramda? showing how to put "function first,data last", we then can chain a group of functions together and get the final version of a function that work on data directly.
So to answer my own question "A real-life example of using curry", the example of the promise chain in to process data in "Favoring Curry" is a very good one (although with async/await it may not to seem too appealing)
To Robert Harvey, can you please not to delete my update this time or let me know how can I answer it ?

A: Currying in your example doesn't really make sense, I agree. To see the functionality of currying, you need to combine it with higher order functions: functions that takes another functions as parameter.
The most typical example of this is map, filter, and reduce, though another common situation is callbacks. When you partially apply a function, you can pass the partially applied function to these higher order functions. Currying makes sense when most of the time you'd want to use a function is for a partial application so that it can be passed to another higher order function.
A more illustrative example might look like so:
let array1 = [1, 4, 9, 16];
let add = x => y => x + y;
array2 = array1.map(foo ? add(10) : add(20));

Currying is never necessary, yes, as you can always create an anonymous/arrow function from a regular function when you need them, but in some situations it can be very convenient to have curried function compared to regular (and in other situations, it's just making things annoying and slow).

A: I've hardly ever used Currying myself, but here's a recent example where it proved useful.  I was coding for the game Battlesnake, but this would apply to many games.  They provide you with various arrays, giving the location of your snake, enemy snakes, and food.  Let's say you are considering a move to a certain {x,y} point, and you want check if it contains another snake, food, or even yourself.  The first pass would be to write code like this  (I'll use a mix of function and new fangled arrows)
// utility function
function samePoint(p1, p2) {
  return (p1.x === p2.x) && (p1.y === p2.y);
}

and somewhere in the code go
let possibleMove = {x,y}; // where you are thinking of moving
...
if (foodArray.some((p) => samePoint(p, possibleMove )) {
  // this move looks tasty, give it a bonus value...
}

Not bad, but, since you will doing this many many places in your code, a bit tedious and clunky.  And, from my experience, easy to mess up the two arguments.
 :-(  The underlying problem is that some() (or find()) accept a function taking only a single argument, and you really need two arguments, the two points.  So, you think of currying!  Here many would use arrows, I find nested functions clearer:
function samePointAs(p1) {
  return function(p2) {
    return samePoint(p1, p2);
  }
}

Then, your "is that food" test becomes
let possibleMove = {x,y}; // where you are thinking of moving
...
if (foodArray.some(samePointAs(possibleMove )) {
  // this move looks tasty, give it a bonus value...
}

Is this going to make you an Internet millionaire?  Probably not.  But it does simplify, and, in this case, clarify your code.


Manly will be fighting for its place in the top four against the Eels at Brookvale Oval on Monday night, with three teams just a point behind the Sea Eagles on the NRL ladder at the start of the round. Geoff Toovey's side has won just one of its past six fixtures but couldn't ask for a better chance to get back to winning ways, with Parramatta languishing at the foot of the table having failed to win a match since round nine.
Kieran Foran returns for the Sea Eagles being a late withdrawal prior to his sides 18-12 defeat to the Roosters last Monday night with food poisoning, meaning that backrower-come-five-eight Tom Symonds is back on the bench. Justin Horo will take his place after it was found that he has no case to answer following his high tackle on Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, while James Hasson and Brenton Lawrence have been cleared to play by the club's doctors despite being involved in nasty head clashes last week.
The Eels have named superstar Jarryd Hayne at fullback, with the New South Wales Origin star set to play his first match since picking up a hamstring strain against the Roosters in round 13. He is the only new face in the squad that went down to the Rabbitohs 30-10 a fortnight ago, with young gun Jake Mullaney named as 18th man as cover for Hayne.
Jorge Taufua started the season with seven tries in his first five matches but has found things a bit tougher in recent times, with just two four pointers from his past ten outings. With the Sea Eagles likely to rack up a big score here, Taufua should get plenty of opportunities to add to his tally.
Ken Sio has been on fire for the Eels of late, bagging five tries in his past four matches. He has been the first tryscorer for his team in each of those matches and his playmakers are sure to try and give him plenty of ball when, or maybe if, Parramatta get a tryscoring opportunity.


text:
Home » Engaged Family Gaming Holiday Gift Guide 2021 – Nintendo
Engaged Family Gaming Holiday Gift Guide 2021 – Nintendo
by Stephen Duetzmann October 23, 2021
by Stephen Duetzmann October 23, 2021 1 comment
Nintendo specializes in family-friendly games and 2021 is no exception. They released a LOT of great games this year AND a new edition of the Nintendo Switch. Below is a list of some of the best!
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond + Shining Pearl
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl launched for the Nintendo DS back in 2006. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl bring the originals into the modern era including new features and quality of life improvements while maintaining the same story, Pokemon, and overworld map as the original. These games feature a familiar chibi art style while exploring and switch to battle animations akin to Pokemon Sword and Shield. These are must-haves for the Pokemon fans in your home.
The 2020 release of this exceptional WiiU title is a fantastic addition to your Switch library. This title includes the original Super Mario 3D World and adds in a whole new adventure with the Bowser's Fury add-on. The addition of Bowser's Fury, an open-world type Mario Game, is something that people of all ages can enjoy. If you have a little one, you can even have them play along with Mario as Bowser Jr. If you know someone that loves Mario games, this would be a great addition to any library.
Mario Party Super Stars
Mario Party Super Stars is the 12th home console installment in the Mario Party that has entertained fans for more than two decades. This version contains 100 mini-games that pull from the previous versions of the game and also includes 5 boards from the N64 versions of Mario Party. If you know someone who enjoys party games this is going to be the one on their list.
Bravely Default II
This turn-based JRPG is the third installment in the Bravely series from Square Enix. Unlike the previous two installments, this is a completely new storyline with new characters and a new world. It features several new classes, including a "cat-o-mancer", and also has a feature that encourages you to take a break from the game in order for your minions to bring back rewards while you get up and move around. This would be a great addition to someone's JRPG library.
Miitopia is an RPG where you build a team using Miis (Remember those things we used to make on the Wii and 3DS?). The story is simple and the mechanics are accessible. This is a great introduction to the genre for younger gamers and an opportunity to tell some really funny stories. (Bonus points if you ad Shaq to your team!)
New Pokemon Snap
Released in April 2021 New Pokemon Snap is an on-rails photography game that is the sequel to the 1999 N64 game. Travel the Lental region and take photos of your favorite Pokemon and add them to your Photodex. Any Pokemon fans will enjoy this installment and it is a must-have in any collection.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass is getting a little more expensive this year. So the Nintendo fan in your life will appreciate getting this service as a gift. Don't fret though. This isn't just a subscription to play games online. It will give them access to some of the best games Nintendo has ever made!
EFG Essentials
If you are looking for more recommendations than what we list here, then check out our Switch essentials list.
NintendoNintendo SwitchHoliday Gift guide 2021
Engaged Family Gaming Holiday Gift Guide 2021- Board Games
Engaged Family Gaming Holiday Gift Guide – Premium Subscription Services
The Differences Between the Three Nintendo Switch Models...
Engaged Family Gaming Essential Games for the Meta...
5 Meta Quest Games for Teens Recommend by...
Is Virtual Reality Dangerous for Children?
Episode 269 - Video Game Holiday Guide - The Family Gamers Podcast November 22, 2021 - 12:18 pm
[…] For more information, read the EFG holiday guide for Nintendo Switch games. […]


Abraço Carioca-Favela Hostel provides an authentic local experience in Rio de Janeiro, compared to other favelas from Rio, Chapeu Mangueira is the smallest favela in the south zone of the city (most touristic neighbourhood) and has been pacified since 2008 by the government. So for the last 5 years it's been a really calm and peaceful place even safer than some of Rio's most touristic areas. Unlike other parts of the city, you'll feel a real sense of community in the favelas, where everyone looks out for their neighbours.