Samsung Configurator is a simulation tool that enables you to virtually install Samsung's LED display and precisely determine your needs and desired result in advance.
Samsung's XPB delivers flawless pictures, regardless of the lighting. With a high contrast ratio, audiences are impressed by the clarity of images projected. Designed for constant and reliable performance, this display will present content in perfect color continuously.
The XPB series is designed with a sleek style and slim depth is attributed to its front ventilation system and captive mounting points. This slim design does not distract audiences away from the content presented and complements the site where the displays installed.
Incorporating the XPB series into any business is straightforward and stressfree. With a distinctive cabinet design, the display is tailored to the user's needs with a flexible and effortless installation. In addition, users may obtain the LED Signage in as little as two weeks.
Banner CMS is a content management solution that allows users to design, schedule and deploy content, any time anywhere. With an intuitive platform, users cannot only create and share the content on the multiple displays, but they can also monitor the display's performance from a single location.
The Banner CMS allows users to share the content of various video and image formats or create their own content hassle-free with the compatible CreativeEngine℠ service. Users also have the ability to schedule, prioritize and arrange content on specific displays within a fixed time.
The dedicated Banner CMS allows businesses to oversee the performance of its entire LED display network from a single location. Users can troubleshoot, diagnose and follow the performance of the display at all times. In addition, the Banner CMS grants access to as many users as desired.
The Eden Park live experience gets even better using our customized LED solution. Check out the most advanced Samsung LED wall in NZ, ready for all the big games.


text:
The Incredible Healing Power of Reddit's 'RaisedbyNarcissists' Support Group
For some people, this community is life changing.
By Jillian Kramer
Kevin Kozicki/Getty Images
When Helen Thompson* was a young child, her stepfather forced her to sit on the sofa, her hands folded in her lap, as he berated her for hours. He yelled that she was inadequate, an embarrassment, that the children who bullied her at school were simply better than she was.
The belittling continued until Thompson hit puberty and grew breasts. Then her stepfather stopped speaking to her at all. He'd gone mostly silent, Thompson, 38, tells SELF, because he didn't want to, in his view, entice his stepdaughter into his arms. "He told my mother he knew that stepdaughters often accuse their stepfathers of sexually abusing them," she says. "He didn't want to speak to me to give me any ideas. This man had raised me from the age of 2, and I had never thought of him as anything other than my father. I was horrified."
Her mother only made things worse. "She took his side no matter what crazy accusation he laid against me," Thompson says. Thompson's mother also isolated her from people outside the family. "One summer, my mom grounded me for no reason and kept me indoors—with no phone, no TV—for three months, purely to keep me from having friends," Thompson says. "I spent many years completely alone, and I did not learn good social skills—so even as a free adult, I still spent many years completely alone."
But a few years ago, she encountered a community of people online who understood exactly what she had gone through as a child—a community of people raised by narcissistic parents.
Although people often throw around the term narcissist, there's a difference between someone exhibiting narcissistic traits and someone having narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). "Narcissism itself is a persistent focus on the self—one's own positive attributes and accomplishments, real, imagined, and often embellished," John Duffy, Psy.D., licensed clinical psychologist and author of The Available Parent, tells SELF.
It's actually not unusual for everyone to be narcissistic at times—that's just part of being human, especially when you're a child and don't realize the world doesn't revolve around you. "There are times in our development where a certain amount of narcissism is healthy and normal," Alisa Ruby Bash, Psy.D., a family and marriage therapist, tells SELF. "But as children develop into adults, normally we learn to step outside of ourselves and consider others—a narcissist does not," Bash says.
Narcissism "becomes diagnosable when it interferes with an individual's level of functioning," Duffy says. "With narcissistic personality disorder, this disruption typically takes place in interpersonal relationships, be they intimate, family, friends, or work-related."
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has a lengthy list of criteria for diagnosing someone with narcissistic personality disorder, including having an exaggerated sense of self-importance, needing constant admiration, believing you're superior to others, and having an inability or unwillingness to recognize other people's needs and feelings.
Narcissism can wreak havoc on parents' relationships with their children.
As parents, both narcissists and those with NPD "can be demanding, critical, and even cruel," Bash says, adding that these parents tend to have an inability to connect emotionally with their children or pay attention to their kids' deepest needs.
"So much of parenting is about being able to attune to children and allowing them to blossom into who they really are," Bash says, "and narcissists are incapable of that kind of connection and listening." Their parenting style often leads to strained and painful relationships with their children, who grow up to "never feel good enough," Bash says.
There's actually a term for how this plays out. "Narcissistic abuse takes place when, in the midst of a narcissistic presentation, the narcissist chronically places his or her needs and sense of self-worth well above those of others, willing to harm another in the process," Duffy says.
Thompson didn't know about any of this when she wrote a blog post about her upbringing many years ago. A commenter led her to a website dedicated to daughters with narcissistic mothers. "I followed the link and I was shocked," she recalls. As she pored over the website, which featured articles, book recommendations, and forums, she had a realization: "The descriptions there perfectly described my parents," Thompson says.
Thompson's stepfather and mother were never officially diagnosed with NPD, but psychologists say their behavior, as Thompson describes it, fits with what one would expect from narcissists. "Although it is inappropriate and unethical to diagnose any individual without a thorough personal assessment, it does appear that the parents described here suffer, at the very least, some narcissistic traits, if not NPD itself," Duffy says. Bash agrees.
Thompson started participating in the blog she'd been sent and later on Reddit forums, where a fellow user found her and asked her to join a subreddit, raisedbynarcissists. Four years ago, the group had just 50 members. Today, it often welcomes more than 200 new members in a given 24 hours, according to Thompson.
Raisedbynarcissists "was established because there was a recognized need for a space where children raised by abusive parents who got—or are getting—away with it could relate to one another and discuss [the issue]," a moderator, Ashe Williams*, 24, tells SELF.
Offering a safe space for people with narcissistic parents to relate to one another is perhaps the biggest benefit of raisedbynarcissists and other online communities like it, Duffy says. "[Children of narcissists] can benefit greatly from the support of other kids suffering similar circumstances," he tells SELF, "and forums like this can be great stress relievers."
Bash agrees. "Usually children whose parents [are narcissists or] have NPD have lots of personal issues and trauma," she says. "It can be so refreshing for anyone to express their family drama and feel a connection with others who have experienced similar things."
That's exactly what Thompson found when she joined raisedbynarcissists. "Most of us grow up thinking we are weird and wrong and that no one else is experiencing a life that has these particular struggles," she explains. But, as the popular community shows, that's not the case. There are currently around 160,000 members in the group. "To any children of abusive parents out there, you are not alone, you are not alone, you are not alone," Thompson says.
Although these communities can be incredibly helpful, psychologists are quick to note that they're not a replacement for therapy.
Both Duffy and Bash caution anyone from using an online forum as their single source of healing. As Duffy explains, "my concern with forums like this is that they are, typically, not regulated by a qualified mental health professional." Only an expert can be, well, an expert at helping someone to cope with a loved one who has a serious disorder such as NPD.
Instead, "the best method for these children to cope is through therapy with a qualified professional," Duffy says. "Through this work, they can derive tools for managing their relationship with their difficult parent."
It's easy to understand why children of narcissistic parents often benefit from therapy. According to Duffy, these children often capitulate to their parents' unforgiving and unrealistic demands, anxiously trying to finally satisfy their parents. "They often end up on therapists' couches or on medication due to the stress put on them by that parent—too much perfectionism and not nearly enough empathy."
Both Thompson and Williams have sought therapists' help throughout their lives. As it turns out, therapy and online forums like raisedbynarcissists can work together wonderfully to help someone heal. Thompson says raisedbynarcissists often reinforces the skills she learned in her therapy sessions. "It reminds me of the lessons I learned in therapy, and it helps me not go back to the mental programming my parents instilled in me," Thompson says.
Therapy was also a necessary step for 46-year-old Marla Jones*—who is not a member of the subreddit—in order to move on from the abuse she suffered from her narcissistic mother, but her journey toward healing isn't over. "Even [after becoming a] seasoned therapist, years of my own recovery, and deep inner healing, I still have some triggers about my mom and my life story," she tells SELF.
When Jones was in her twenties, she began attending classes at a local community college. But her mother soon sabotaged her efforts to earn a higher education. "Before I would leave for my classes, she would scream and yell about something she needed done for her," Jones recalls. "She hid my books so I couldn't do my homework. She told me that school was beyond my intellect." It's almost unimaginable that a parent would hold back her child in this way, but as Jones explains, "she perceived my moving forward in life as moving away from her control over me." And this is something many narcissists can't let happen.
Jones would go on to earn a master's degree, but only after she cut her mother out of her life completely. "She was not at my wedding, my college graduations, and she has never met my child," Jones says. "There is a huge family hole because of her narcissism."
There is a lasting legacy from growing up with narcissistic parents, and even adults who have long since moved out need support.
Some posters in the subreddit are teenagers just trying to make it through until they can leave home. But many others are living on their own as adults, plagued by the scars of their pasts and dealing with psychological traumas they may only now be connecting to their parents. Since these people may still be in touch with their parents/families, it's crucial that they remain anonymous. It's its own form of support and safety.
"Anonymity is super important, as many adult children of narcissists are either still in contact with their abusers or deal with abusers who are stalking them," Williams explains. "This [subreddit] feels super safe because many of us who reach out for help are dismissed or told to bear it—or worse, have our abusers told. The anonymity inspires honest interaction, aid, and kindness."
After a few years in the community—and several months as a moderator—Williams says she has made huge strides in her personal recovery and growth. "I no longer feel lost or crazy, as my family made me feel," she says. "I have found a network of people who can relate to me in ways most of my peers cannot and a safe place where I don't feel like my family will find my posts and attack me or shame me for my personal journey to health."
Thompson has also grown through the group. But even more than that, raisedbynarcissists "gives my nightmarish childhood meaning," she says. "Working here and helping other survivors gives it meaning. I can help other people who have also survived this kind of abuse—because I survived it, too. I'm not exactly thankful for everything I went through, but I can find value in it if I think about the work I am able to do in raisedbynarcissists."
*Names have been changed to protect the identities of sources.
Watch: "I Have a Pre-Existing Condition": Real People Share Their Health Conditions in Response to the AHCA
Topicsnarcissismnarcissistic personality disordermental healthmental illnessparentingmotherhoodredditTherapyabusefamily

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Tim Aker is the latest victim of the internal UKIP power play: sacked as the party's policy chief this morning. Or so the spin goes. Guido understands this is less to do with the time he spent on the manifesto and more to do with the continuing debate raging for the ideological life and soul of the party. Between being an MEP and duffing up Labour in Thurrock, it was only a matter of time before Aker stepped back from his party role, but only a fool would suggest he's not still a serious player within the party.
Long-serving, more traditional, golf clubbing UKIP veterans are said to be "upset" by Carswell's maverick modernising moves, and things are so bad that they sneeringly call him "that Tory" behind his back. Rumours of a split at the top are denied by Farage's spokesman: "we all absolutely adore Douglas". But when were they last seen together?


text:
class SessionsController < ApplicationController

  def new
  end

  def create
    user = User.find_by(email: params[:session][:email].downcase)
    if user && user.authenticate(params[:session][:password])
      sign_in user
      redirect_back_or user
    else
      flash.now[:error] = 'Invalid email/password combination' # Not quite right!
      render 'new'
    end
  end

  def destroy
    sign_out
    redirect_to root_path
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The BCT plays a role to ensure compliance with private land conservation agreements.
The BCT can enter different types of private land conservation agreements with landholders:
Funded conservation agreements, partnership conservation agreements, or wildlife refuge agreements under the BCT's private land conservation programs.
Funded biodiversity stewardship agreements under the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme.
The BCT's experience is that the vast majority of landholders who participate in private land conservation wish to do the right thing and implement their agreement. Some of these landholders need practical or technical support to do this well or efficiently. The BCT has developed a comprehensive Landholder Support Program to meet this aim. The BCT's technical support activities include things like technical guidelines, landholder workshops and phone-call advice.
Where non-compliance with an agreement is suspected, the BCT will consider appropriate action on the basis of a risk assessment. This can extend to taking civil enforcement proceedings to remedy or restrain a breach of an agreement.
Beyond this, the BCT is not established as a regulator to act on alleged offences under any legislation. There are no criminal offences associated with agreement non-compliance. If an agreement holder is alleged to have committed an offence against the BC Act, such as removing a protected or threatened plant species, this would be a matter for the appropriate regulatory authority. Generally, this would be the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE).
You can find the BCT's Compliance Policy here.


text:
Timothy Radcliff
tradcliff@pjsolomon.com
Tim Radcliff is a Director in the Infrastructure, Power & Renewables team focusing on Power & Renewables. He joined the firm in 2019.
Prior to joining PJ SOLOMON, Mr. Radcliff was a Director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he advised clients in the renewables, clean technology, and utility sectors. He has executed a wide variety of successful transactions including corporate- and asset-level M&A, structured and tax equity financings, and IPOs.
Previously, Mr. Radcliff led the Clean Technology Equity Research practice at Morgan Stanley, where he was a thought leader in the emerging areas of utility-scale and distributed renewables, electric vehicles, energy storage, and smart grid technologies. He began his career as an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley covering financial institutions.
Mr. Radcliff holds a bachelor's degree in economics and psychology from Wesleyan University where he was inducted to the Omicron Delta Epsilon and Psi Chi academic honor societies.
PJ SOLOMON served as financial advisor to Energy Capital Partners on the sale of a 40% stake in Terra-Gen, including a 1.6 GW Operating Portfolio and 3+ GW Advanced Development Pipeline to First State Investments
August 2020 - $265,000,000
Served as financial advisor to US Wind on a strategic investment by Apollo in the premier US offshore wind developer
Advised Ports America Group on sale of a minority interest
Served as financial advisor to Ares in its sale of a majority interest in Hill Top Energy Center, a 620MW Combined Cycle Project in PJM
Served as financial advisor to Oaktree Capital and its partners on the sale of their interest in the West of Devers HVDC transmission line in California to Axium Infrastructure
April 2018 - $ 1,300,000,000
Advised Ports America Group on debt refinancing for $1.3 billion
August 2017 - $ 135,000,000
Served as financial advisor to Grupo Argos in its sale of a 50% stake in Compañía de Puertos Asociados S.A.
July 2017 - $230,000,000
Served as Refinancing Advisor to Skyway Concession Company on a $230 million note placement


Like some kind of day dream I'll never forget…I made the "Who would be your top speaker choices?" for PASS Summit 2013!!!!
I will submit my abstracts now. I was debating on if anyone would want to listen to me, thank you for making me feel important! Keep your fingers crossed that I get accepted to speak. I have a different dress for each day of the PASS Summit, I just have to figure out how to pack them. I hope to see you all there!
Have a magical day, I totally am!
This entry was posted in PASS Summit, Thank you and tagged 2013, PASS, speaker, Summit, Thank you.
Thank you so much Pat! I am working on my abstracts now, but can't believe it and am so thrilled that I made the list. I am taking you up on your offer; You take fantastic pics!
Good job Andrea! Of course you'll be a great presenter.
Of course you'll be a great presenter! Congrats and good luck!
Thank you so much Todd! Are you going to PASS?


text:
Reference Index
(on VCOINS)
Home | Links | About | Contact
As long as ancient coins have been collected numismatists have debated whether ancient coins were struck hot or cold. On seeing blacksmiths hammer glowing red iron into useful objects, many assume gold, silver or copper behave the same way so such coins would also have been struck while heated. That assumption is incorrect and I have written this website to explain why. I will keep this as simple as the subject allows, while providing links to more detailed discussions for those who wish to read further.
A few terms that need defining:
1) Unit cell - The single building block atoms form as molten metal solidifies.
2) Crystal - A continuous unit of two or more unit cells joining by sharing atoms.
3) Grain - A larger volume of metal formed when two or more crystals grow together by physically interlocking, but not jointed by atomic bonding. When you see a larger piece of metal it will be composed of many grains, sometimes large enough to see with the naked eye. In most numismatic literature when they refer to visible crystals they are actually referring to visible grains.
4) Alloy - a mix of two or more metals, either at the atomic unit cell level, or the grain level.
5) Malleability - a measure of how easily metals deformation under compression, sometimes referred to the softness of the metal. Higher malleability means more easily deformed so softer.
Unit Cell Structures
Image from Subtech.com, under creative commons
Body Centered Cubic (BCC) metals have unit cells of nine atoms. One atom in the center bonded to eight atoms forming a cube around it. Two BCC unit cells join to form a crystal by sharing the four atoms of a cube face with that face bonded to the center atoms of both cells. In larger structures each unit cell shares all six faces with adjoining cells and will be bonded to its own center atom and all six center atoms of the cells around it. This is a strong structure of low malleability.
Face Centered Cubic (FCC) metals form unit cells of fourteen atoms, eight at the corners of a cube with the other six on the cube faces, like numbers on a dice. Two FCC unit cells join by sharing the five atoms of a cube face, repeating on all six faces in larger crystals. With no atoms in the center of each cube, the faces are only weakly bonded with high malleability as the cell faces can slip and join other cells when under compression. The malleability of on FCC metal is same at all temperatures below melting point so an FCC medal does not soften when heated.
Further reading on BCC and FCC crystal structures
Further reading as to why FCC metals are more malleable than BCC metals
Below 910 C iron is a BCC metal of low malleability but when heated to between 910 C and 1394 C the atoms shift to an FCC structure of higher malleability. This allows blacksmiths to hammer red hot iron into shapes which once cooled are again hard as the iron reverts back to a BCC structure. This property is known as allotropy.
Further reading on iron conversion from BCC to FCC at high temperatures
Gold, silver and copper are FCC metals and like all FCC metals the malleability is the same at all temperatures below the melting point. This means heating does not increase malleability (softness) at higher temperatures in the way iron does.
The FCC properties described above are how pure gold, silver and copper behave. Ancient refining was imperfect with an upper limit usually around 98.5% pure for gold and silver. The remaining 1.5% is a mix of various impurities each of too low percentage to have significant effect on the FCC structure and properties. Many ancient coins were struck on this "pure" metal but others were intentionally alloyed, usually silver with copper, gold with silver and/or copper, and copper with tin and sometimes zinc.
Copper is soluble in silver up to about 7%, meaning copper atoms can displace up to 7% of the silver atoms in a silver unit cell. Silver is also soluble in copper at about 7% in the same way. Silver mixed with more than 7% copper will first dissolve 7% copper into the silver unit cells which form crystals and grains of silver. Excess copper forms copper unit cells dissolving 7% silver which form crystals and grains of copper. If there is more copper than silver only the percentage of silver and copper grains varies. The grain types disperse fairly evenly through the alloy. The exact malleability varies with the exact alloy but once formed all silver copper alloys are still FCC metals.
Most ancient gold coins were relatively pure gold but some are alloyed with copper, silver or a mix of the two. Most alloys of gold with silver and/or copper are fully soluble in each other and all such alloys are FCC metals.
Further reading about gold alloys
The malleability of copper alloyed with tin can vary considerably depending on the percentage of tin, how quickly the alloy was cooled, and if it was reheated after cooling. A discussion of copper-tin alloy malleability is complex but for the purpose of this discussion it is only important to understand all alloys of copper and tin, even if lead are zinc are added, will be FCC metals.
Further reading about copper alloys, although mostly focusing on modern alloys rather than ancient.
As Gold, silver and copper alloys are all FCC metals; their malleability is not affected by temperature.
Work hardening/Annealing
As metals deform under compression dislocations can occur in the crystal structures resulting in work hardening where malleability is reduced and the metal becomes more fragile. Annealing is a process where the metal is heated for a few minutes to a temperature at which the atoms can realign to their original unit cells, eliminating dislocations thus returning to original malleability. Annealed FCC metals can then be cooled to room temperature with no decrease in malleability and there will be increase at higher temperatures.
Cast gold, silver or copper (and their alloy) coin blanks are naturally annealed and can be struck as is. Blanks hammering flat will be work hardened and must be annealed before they can then be struck at room temperature.
Further reading about work hardening
Further reading about annealing
Experiments In Cold Striking.
Many people have experimented with hot and cold hammer striking of high relief coins. Most fail to produce satisfactory quality coins either hot or cold, but a few have demonstrated high relief tetradrachm sized silver coins can be successfully struck at room temperature.
This video is titled "Badger Mint Hot Striking" but he took the blank flan from a bucket of flans with his unprotected fingers, which he could not have done is the flan was hot. I suspect "Hot Striking" they mean the flans had been heated to anneal them, not that the flans were struck while hot.
This video leaves no doubt that the blanks are sitting in a pile and fully cool prior to striking.
Gold, silver, copper and their alloys are FCC metals which once annealed are in their most malleable state at all temperatures. Striking while heated would not improve the ease of striking or the quality of the finished coins. Ancient people would not have understood the atomic structures involved but had been working with these metals for more than 1000 years by the time the first coins were struck in the mid-7th century BC. They would have understood how these metals behave and that striking on heated blanks would provide no advantage over striking at room temperature.


I read this statement on the side of a 12-pack of Diet Coke: �Refreshing, uplifting and hydrating.� It�s true. Research shows that all beverages contribute to proper hydration.
However, I�m the head of the health and safety team on a night shift and I know that water is the No. 1 beverage for hydrating oneself. I train employees on the value of drinking plenty of water for their muscles and joints to stay in good working order.
The body would survive without Coke, but it wouldn�t survive long without water. I can�t understand the marketing strategy by Coke, except to sell more soft drinks to the unaware population. I�m writing in hope of educating people who may not know any better and would think that a caffeinated beverage could hydrate them.
I don�t think that suing the company would accomplish anything; they probably already figured a way around any legal implications. But I�d like to see them remove that statement from all of their packaging. If nothing else, maybe enough people will read this and realize that the statement on the Diet Coke package is misleading.


Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, was the hub of the civilized world for centuries, and the city's treasures remain a powerful draw. On this day, we toured four of the major sites within the historic area with a private guide thanks to Turkey Tourism and Barefoot Plus Travel. Mehmet arrived at 9 and presented an informative orientation. We soon realized he has an incredible wealth of knowledge and felt lucky to be in his presence.
Mehmet led the way as we climbed the hill to the Hippodrome of Constantine, the former chariot-racing grounds of the Romans and gathering place of the Ottomans. We stopped at the 400-ton Egyptian obelisk, originally carved with hieroglyphics around 1500 BC. We, and I suspect anyone without a guide, would miss reading the stone carvings below the monolith. They tell the story of how the massive column was raised into place using human power and ingenuity. Mehmet claimed it took 32 days.
The base of the obelisk tells the story of how it was raised.
Before entering the glorious Blue Mosque, officially named the Sultanahmet Mosque, we removed our shoes and covered our heads with scarves. The courtyard and fountains are reminiscent of the seductive Alhambra in Spain. We kept encountering dome after dome overhead as we passed from the courtyard into the sacred place.
The mosque was constructed between 1606-1616 and the intricate curvilinear detail on the ceiling is like a fine embroidered silk. Multiple small domes and the main dome fill the vast interior held aloft by the hugest columns I've ever seen. A roped off section in the interior is still used by Muslims who come to pray. The plan was to build a mosque larger than neighboring Hagia Sophia, but Sultan Ahmet changed his mind and decided to scale down the size. However, visually the architecture and design of the exterior are much grander than its historic neighbor.
We left the Blue Mosque through a doorway that opens toward a wide plaza filling the space between these UNESCO World Heritage sites. The pedestrian-only park is filled with vibrant flowering gardens, fountains and walkways. Tulips are definitely in bloom.
Looking back at the Blue Mosque.
Hagia Sofia was originally built and used as an Orthodox Church for about 1,000 years. In 1453, it was converted to a mosque. Ataturk, Turkey's first president, proclaimed it a museum in 1935. Therefore, visitors do not need to cover their heads, but must pass through a typical TSA-like screening.
The center dome is the fourth largest in the world (following the Vatican, St. Paul's in London, and Florence's Duomo.) It is, of course, the oldest, completed in 532 AD. The dome's diameter measures 107 feet and appears to hang in midair without support. There wasn't another monument of this size constructed for another 1,000 years, an awe-inspiring reminder of the knowledge acquired by the Byzantines. Our guide showed us how one side is now off-center, but you would never know just looking at it. Despite the earthquakes that hit Istanbul from time to time, Hagia Sofia remains intact although it has undergone many restorations. Today, scaffolding covers one side of the interior.
Looking at the dome in Hagia Sofia.
We climbed to the second-floor galleries via a series of inclined rocky ramps. Here you can view the intricate golden mosaics from the church's earliest period, those that were previously covered by plaster when the structure was converted into a mosque. However, the figure of the Madonna and child, just below the central dome always remained visible – only the eyes were concealed.
Ancient mosaics in Hagia Sofia.
Judy and I still had the Topkapi Palace to see, former home of the sultans. ( I suggest a visitor tour just these two shines and the Hippodrome in one day, leaving a full day for Topkapi.) We really didn't have enough time to bask in their glory and appreciate their incredible history and significance.
Topkapi was the official residence of the Sultans, a huge estate sitting on the top of a hill covering 72 acres. About 5,000 people lived there: 3,000 as workers and 2,000 as part of the royal household. You'll find a number of buildings, not just one immense palace, scattered over the grounds. The Treasury rooms hold priceless jewels and decorative arts including the Topkapi Dagger and a fabulous Spoonmaker's Diamond, an 86-carat gem. The kitchens include a rich collection of Chinese porcelain.
Gorgeous blooms on the Topkapi grounds.
The gardens are gorgeous and alone are worth the price of admission. Most tourists see only about one-tenth of the estate and a rainstorm cut off portions of our tour. We did not visit the famous harems or sultans rooms, but would tour these at Dolmabahçe Palace, the last home of the sultans on another day. To fully cover Topkapi, allow at least a day.
Turkish rugs are considered the finest and we stopped into Agora, a carpet merchant near the Grand Bazaar, and met Erdine Omac, the General Manager. We watched and learned as he explained how the double knot process is used to create rugs made from silk or wool. The best rug markers are artists with highly developed skills that can only work about 2-3 hours per day, taking breaks to give their eyes and hands a rest.
Erdine presented a history of rug development by having his assistants' present rugs from various locations showing how they evolved into more complex designs. The introduction of mercerized cotton on the loom increased the number of threads and made more intricate designs possible. While the purchase of a large rug was out of our budget, we agreed that they are worthwhile investments that can be used and enjoyed. Judy surprised me by choosing to buy a small runner for her apartment.
Shopping in the Grand Bazaar.
Final stop was at a craftsman's gallery in the Grand Bazaar. Nick Merdenyan hand paints designs and verses on dried Dieffenbachia leaves giving them new life. His artistic leaves are framed between glass and are often commissioned or given as gifts. Nick is a master calligrapher as well as a painter who studied Judaism, Christianity and Islam. His works incorporate a broad range of inspirational and religious themes. Interestingly enough, Nick gets his leaves from Florida, where he makes an annual visit.
The day ended in a deluge of rain, and we arrived back to our room soaking wet, tired, but very thrilled with what we had seen and done on this day.
What beautiful photos of Istanbul! They bring back great memories of my trip there last fall. I've never heard of paintings on Dieffenbachia leaves but they are quite beautiful and I'll look for them ( and Nick) next time.
What a treasure trove of art and architecture in one day! Beautiful!
Too much for one day, but it was planned for me.
Thanks. Nick's work was incredible.


text:
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;

public class SpawnTracker : MonoBehaviour
{
    private static SpawnTracker _singleton;

    public List<ObjectSpawner> Objects = new List<ObjectSpawner>();

    private CameraController _cameraControl;

	// Use this for initialization
	void Start ()
    {
        _singleton = this;
        _cameraControl = FindObjectOfType<CameraController>();
	}

	// Update is called once per frame
	void Update ()
    {

	}

    // An ObjectSpawner reports here and gets added to the list.
    public static void ReportSpawner(ObjectSpawner reportee)
    {
        _singleton.Objects.Add(reportee);
    }

    public static void TriggerReset()
    {
        _singleton._cameraControl.TriggerDeath();

        foreach (var spawner in _singleton.Objects)
        {
            spawner.FlagForRespawnOnDeath();
        }
    }
}


There has been a lot of speculation lately about a large influx of foreign investors, notably Chinese nationals buying up real estate in Canada's hottest housing markets, such as Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Much of the conversation has pointed fingers at this phenomenon for being a major factor in worsening the skyrocketing housing prices these cities. So we wanted to know, why would Chinese investors be interested in buying so much real estate in Canada? We did some digging and discovered the five most likely reasons for Chinese buyers investing in Canadian properties.
Investing in Canadian real estate is typically much safer than investing in real estate or the stock market in China, which is known to be quite unstable and prone to sharp declines. Keeping capital stored away in Canadian real estate insures that money is invested in a predictable asset, while not being subject to the strict capital controls which exist in China. The Chinese government has been tightening their grip lately on capital leaving the country. However, many of those regulations can be avoided by savvy investors.
Along with this instability, is the fact that in China, you never really own the property that you buy. In fact, it often looks more like a lease. The land is technically owned by the state. This means that the government can take control over the property when it pleases. In Canada, obviously this is not the case. So you can see why investing in something that you own outright is the more attractive option.
Education for their children is a huge factor for Chinese nationals investing abroad. In fact, for buyers in Quebec, it was the biggest factor. In buying Canadian real estate, parents not only have somewhere for their son or daughter to live while attending one of Canada's top notch universities, but they also have an additional source of income for when their child is finished their studies. According to statistics by Juwai, 85 per cent of wealthy Chinese plan to educate their children overseas. Canada clearly is a huge recipient of this sentiment as Chinese students account for the highest percentage of foreign students in Canada at 32.5 per cent.
The low Canadian dollar has made it even more attractive to start making purchases in Canada over the past year or so (namely on real estate) while Canada is still "on sale". Those who invested while the dollar was low and real estate prices had yet to fully skyrocket, are set to make a pretty penny when the loonie levels out. This has no doubt only magnified the finding from a 2014 Grosvenor Resilient Cities research report showing Canada's two hottest markets, Vancouver and Toronto, as the top ranked cities for long term property investment.
Canada seems to be the perfect place for foreign investment in real estate. The government has very few ways of tracking property acquisitions by foreigners and due to to self-regulation, many industry professionals have few reasons to record them as well. This makes it very hard for the government to control (or even know how bad the problem is), so foreign investors are free to flood the market. This contrasts dramatically with other countries such as Australia, Switzerland, the UK, Mexico and Hong Kong, where measures to various degrees have been taken to limit the amount of foreign investment in their real estate. These measures include higher tax rates, increased fees, and even strict quotas and outright barring of real estate acquisitions by non citizens.
Canada is a Great Country!
On top of all these reasons for Chinese acquisition of Canadian real estate, is the fact that Canada is a great country! Why wouldn't someone want to invest or even move here?
For those looking to move to Canada or have their children move to Canada there are several key factors at play outside of those outlined above. These include Canada's already large Chinese population and that Chinese citizens have easy access to long term visas in Canada. This coupled with the fact that Canada is a leader is most quality of living statistics; sporting an extremely low crime rate, good education system, political stability, and high average incomes.
After a deeper dive into the rational for Chinese investment in Canadian real estate, it is a no-brainer that some markets are being flooded with foreign money. Foreign investment should be welcome in Canada, don't get me wrong. The problem is that there are very few means of controlling the stream and direction of this investment, leading to problems for average Canadian residents looking to buy property, as the evidence is pointing to foreign (mostly Chinese) investment hiking the cost of real estate significantly. The question is: what are we, as Canadians, going to do about it?
Chris is an editor and writer for Welcome Mat. He is based out of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Want to Sell Your House? Don't Make This Mistake!


Deferments are temporary postponement of payments that are allowed on federal student loans. While in deferment, any subsidized loans you have will not accrue interest, but any unsubsidized loans will continue to accrue interest. You may pay this interest during the deferment, but are not required to. Any accrued, unpaid interest that exists when the deferment ends will be added to your principal balance in the form of capitalization.
Deferment eligibility are based on the borrower not the loan. Once you use your allotted deferment time, you cannot receive anymore, even if you didn't use it on all loans. Generally, consolidation does not reset the deferment clock.
Most deferments require that the borrower submit a completed application. You can obtain this application from your loan holder or here.
Defaulted loans are not eligible for deferments. If the loan is more than 270 days past due, you may only receive a deferment if you qualified for it prior to the 270 day mark and the loan holder receives your completed application prior to the loan transferring to the collection agency or guarantor.
This chart lists deferments for borrowers with loans made on or after July 1, 1993. If you have older loans, you may be eligible for additional deferments that will be added at a later date. In the meantime, If you do have older loans, email us and we can walk you through what may be available to you.
For Stafford, SLS, Perkins and Graduate PLUS loans, the borrower must be in school at least half time as defined by the school.
For Parent PLUS loans made after July1, 2008, either the parent borrower or the student for whom the loan was taken must be at least half time as defined by the school. Parent Plus loans made before that date are only eligible for this deferment if the parent borrower themselves are in school at least half time.
Unemployment Deferment All Loans The borrower of the loan must be working less than 30 hours per week and actively seeking full time work For borrowers whose 1st loan was taken prior to July 1, 1993, 24 months. For those whose first loan was taken on or after July 1, 1993, 36 months per borrower.
The borrowers full time income must not exceed the greater of minimum wage or 150% of the poverty line for the borrowers family size.
n 12 month increments, for a total of 36 months per borrower Complete this form and submit it to all federal loan holders.
You may also submit the form to just one loan holder and once processed, notify the others.
Must be engaged in full time study in an academic or professional subject that they have been recommend by an institution of higher education.
The program must also meet further criteria that our outlined fully on the form. In short the fellowship must require written reports and other documented progress.
Rehabilitation Deferment All loans For Stafford, SLS, Perkins and Graduate PLUS loans, the borrower must be in the rehabilitation program that requires a substantial commitment such that it would be difficult for them to work full time. In this case full time is defined as working 30 hours per week or more.
For Parent PLUS loans made after July 1, 2008, either the parent borrower or the student for whom the loan was taken must be in the rehabilitation program that requires a substantial commitment such that it would be difficult for them to work full time.
Parent Plus loans made before that date are only eligible for this deferment if the parent borrower themselves are in the rehabilitation program.
The rehabilitation program must be licensed, approved, or certified by a state responsible for vocational rehabilitation, drug or alcohol abuse treatment, or mental health services. The program can also be one recognized by Veterans Affairs.
Unlimited as long as the borrower is enrolled and participating in the program Complete this form.
Active Duty Military All loans For all loans, including Parent Plus loans, the actual borrower must be the qualifying active duty member.
You may receive this deferment while you qualify and for six months after your qualification period.
Enrolled at least half time in school within six months of being activated.
No more than 13 months, including any post deferment period you received after your active duty military deferment Complete this form.


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Tag Archives: Dog Soldiers
RetView #22 – The Descent (2005)
Title: The Descent
Director: Neil Marshall
Length: 100 mins
Starring: Shauna MacDonald, Alex Reid, Natalie Mendoza, Saskia Mulder
Following the runaway success of Dog Soldiers, British director Neil Marshall was inundated with offers to make films in a similar vein. Anxious not to be typecast, he was initially reluctant but finally agreed to make The Descent because the two projects were, "Very different." He did, however, insist on making drastic changes to the script to make them even more different. The film was originally to feature a mixed cast, but realizing how common that is, Marshall opted on an all-female cast instead. The decision proved to be a masterstroke, winning the film plaudits and instantly setting it apart from many of its contemporaries. Discussing the film after its release, Marshall says, "We wanted to show all these terrible things in the cave: dark, drowning, claustrophobia. Then, when it couldn't get any worse, make it worse."
In a bid to overcome a recent tragedy in which her husband and young daughter are killed, Sarah (MacDonald) meets a group of friends. They decide to go caving together in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. Not my idea of a fun time, but ya know. No sooner are they underground, then a cave-in traps them there. Then it transpires that the cave system is unmapped, and that one of their number, Juno (Mendoza) had led them there deliberately so they could become the first people to explore it. This means rescue is impossible, and they are going to have to find their own way out. Whilst seeking a way out they make several discoveries that would indicate that all might not be as it seems, among them cave paintings, a mass of animal bones, and some old climbing equipment. So far, so weird. Things then take a turn for the gross when one of the girls takes a tumble and breaks her leg. I don't know why open compound fractures (where the bone sticks out of the shattered limb) are so common in movies, but they are and the rest of us have to stomach them. While the rest of the girls are debating how to get themselves out of this mess, Sarah spies a pale, humanoid creature drinking from a subterranean pond. This, my friends, is our first glimpse of a 'Crawler.' Hideously deformed, carnivorous, cave-dwelling creatures who were once people, we are led to believe, but have been underground for so long they have mutated and evolved differently to the rest of us. Blind, they have enhanced senses of hearing and smell to compensate. They're sprightly little fuckers, too. A bit like a cross between the inbreds in the Wrong Turn series and mini-golems. They aren't very friendly, either, and soon attack our little group of transgressors. Suffice to say, it doesn't go well for the girls. Juno accidentally stabs Beth (Reid) in the neck and leaves her to die, before later running into Sarah and lying about the whole thing. It is also revealed that Juno had an affair with Sarah's husband before his death. After a confrontation, Sarah leaves her nemesis at the mercy of the Crawlers and makes good her escape, finding a way out of the cave and back to civilization. Except, in a brilliant twist ending, her 'escape' as actually a hallucination, and when she wakes up she's in just as much trouble as her friends. More, in fact.
Whilst it is set in North America, The Descent was actually made in the UK. The exterior shots were filmed in Scotland, and the interior at Pinewood Studios, as it was deemed too expensive, problematic and risky to film in a real cave system. I don't know what this says about different audiences, but it is interesting to note here that the US version ends with Sarah's escape, leaving out the part where she wakes up still strapped in the caves. It was suggested in Entertainment Weekly magazine that this was done because after such an emotionally draining cinematic experience, American audiences wouldn't appreciate the 'uber hopeless' finale. Evidently, however, British audiences prefer their endings to be uber hopeless. The more hopeless and depressing the better. Something else about this film that fucks with your head a little is the depiction of the Crawlers, who count females and vulnerable-yet-still-nasty children amongst their number which obviously means they've been multiplying down there. The Descent was followed in 2009 by a sequel, again staring Shauna MacDonald. However, despite having a much bigger budget, this was a comparative failure and struggled to break even.
Trivia Corner
The film's marketing campaign in the UK was disrupted by the London bombings of July 2005. Advertisements on the city's public transport system had included posters carrying the quote, "Outright terror… bold and brilliant," and depicting a terrified woman screaming in a tunnel. The posters were recalled, and the campaign reworked to exclude the word "terror" from advertised reviews of the movie. The distributor's marketing chief, Anna Butler, said of the new approach, "We changed tack to concentrate on the women involved all standing together and fighting back. That seemed to chime with the prevailing mood of defiance that set in the weekend after the bombs."
1 Comment | tags: C.M. Saunders, classic, Dog Soldiers, film, horror, movie, Neil Marshall, RetView, The Descent | posted in Films, horror, Retro Reviews (RetViews)
Everyone does lists of their Top 10 Horror films. I wanted to do something special for you instead. How about a Top 10 BRITISH Horror Film List? Not special enough? Well, taking it to the next level, you know how us Brits are renowned for our unique, irreverent, occasionally wacky yet sophisticated sense of humour? No? Well, we are. Sometimes it can be as subtle as an autumn breeze. Other times it can be fast, bloody, and brutal. Like a good bout of period sex. So… how about a Top 10 British COMEDY Horror Film List? Yeah, let's do that.
10: I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (1990)
Once upon a time, in a faraway land called 1980s Britain, there was a very popular comedy drama TV series. Boon was its name, and it was about a courier service-cum-private detective agency. It was so popular that at its peak a shrewd production company hired its two main stars, Michael Elphick and Neil Morrissey, to appear in a riotous low-budget horror romp in an attempt to capitalize on its burgeoning success. They only partially failed. In the beginning there are satanic rituals and rival biker gangs, climaxing in a motorcycle getting possessed and then purchased by an unsuspecting Noddy (Morrissey) who, coincidentally or otherwise, is a courier by trade. And then, people start having terrible 'accidents' and it appears the motorcycle is to blame. This is like Boon with the gloves off and the volume turned up, with blood, gore, dismemberments, swearing, lewd behaviour and even a talking turd. I shit you not.
9: Inbred (2011)
This late-night Horror Channel stalwart sees a group of thuggish inner-city young offenders taken to an isolated Yorkshire town to do some community service. During a run-in with a group of local louts, one of their carers, Jim, falls and cuts open an artery in his leg. In a panic, the young offenders take him to a nearby pub to get help. Unfortunately, the locals (aka, 'inbreds') don't like strangers in them parts. Not at all. They quickly decapitate poor Jim with a meat cleaver and lock the young offenders in the cellar, until they are taken out one by one to provide the village entertainment. Daft, disturbing and deeply offensive, the most puzzling thing about Inbred is just how far the makers managed to stretch a measly £109,000 budget, which is about half the cost of the average house in the UK.
8: Doghouse (2009)
It's got Danny Dyer in it, and it's about a boy's night out gone terribly wrong. Therefore, you just know it's going to be crude, filthy and unashamedly misogynistic. What did you expect? At its core, it's a parody of lad culture riffing on men's supposed inherent fear of women. Luckily, it's funny enough to compensate for all the Cosmopolitan schtick. Dyer, helped out by Noel Clarke, Stephen Graham and a few other less famous faces, head to a fabled town where women allegedly outnumber men 4-1. When they get there, they realize this is by no means a good thing as every female in sight has fallen victim to a biological toxin that turns them all into frenzied, blood-thirsty zombie types. It's a battle of the sexes for sure.
7: Carry on Screaming (1966)
Apparently, very few people outside Britain have heard of the legendary Carry On films. Quite frankly, this appalls me. The films (all 30-plus of them, including such gems as Carry On Teacher, Carry On Behind and Carry On Doctor) are a British institution. Where else are you going to get fart jokes and edgy one-liners about hard-on's and knockers on terrestrial telly at Sunday tea times? This particular outing is a parody of the Hammer Horror films, which were peaking in popularity at the time, and tells the story of a series of mysterious disappearances in the English countryside, which ultimately leads police to a mad doctor in a castle and a monster called Oddbod. Admittedly, the plot is a bit thin in this one, but the gags are timeless.
6: Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)
Before James Corden became a late-night TV host (or got his driving license) he starred in films like this. The critics hated it, with some bloke from the Times calling it an, "Instantly forgettable lad mag farce." But that isn't really saying too much. This was an era when it was fashionable to lamblast lad mags at every opportunity and besides, the Times don't like any films. Even today it's rare to see a film get more than two stars out of five, unless it's an artsy fartsy French drama you need multiple degrees to understand. Personally, as far as low-brow humour goes, I thought this unofficial companion to Doghouse was a riot. When Jimmy (Mathew Horne) is dumped and Fletch (Corden), is sacked from his job as a clown for punching a kid, the duo decide to escape for the weekend to an idyllic village in Norfolk. A village which, unbeknownst to them, has been cursed, leading to a sizeable percentage of lesbian vampires. And you thought Eastern European immigrants were the problem.
5: Grabbers (2012)
This is one of the more slick, big-budget entries on this list. Most of the time you just wouldn't think it, which I guess is the point, as self-defeating as that is. Grabbers is essentially an alien invasion creature feature, the comedy aspect fuelled primarily by the fact that alcohol is found to be toxic to the invaders, which encourages the inhabitants of a small Irish village to lock themselves in the pub and get rat-arsed as a defence mechanism. Think of this one as Father Ted crossed with the Blob and garnished with a liberal sprinkling of Cloverfield. It's not a feckin' lobster!
4: Severance (2006)
Severance mixes humour, bravado, and some of the most brutal body horror this side of the Saw franchise to great effect, making it one of the stand-out Brit Horror films of the past two decades. The plot revolves around a group of office staff who are sent to Hungary on a team building exercise. As you would find in any office, the cast is made up of an eclectic and varied group of characters, all living up to certain long-held stereotypes. Danny Dyer pops up again, playing everyman caner Steve, who sees the getaway as the perfect opportunity to get off his tits. He's munching magic mushrooms and puffing on a spliff in the toilet before the coach even stops ("Have I pissed meself?"). All in all, Severance comes off like a mash-up between Hostel and The Office. Brill.
3: Dog Soldiers (2002)
There haven't been many British horror films over the past decade or two more worthy of praise than Dog Soldiers. From the opening scenes, when a couple camping in the Scottish Highlands are ripped apart by a ferocious beast, you're left in little doubt that this is a werewolf flick. If you like your horror bloody, funny, and gore-tastic, you can do a lot worse than this. You're probably never going to see another northern bloke holding a flare aloft and singing, "Come and 'ave a go if you think you're 'ard enough!" to a group of rampaging lycanthropes ever again. That man, incidentally, was played by an actor called Chris Robson, and he's a French teacher in the north of England now. One of the few genuine, undisputed cult classics. Miss it at your peril.
2: An American werewolf in London (1981)
Some films you see during your impressionable formative years make an impression on you. Others scar you for life. For me, An American werewolf in London belongs firmly in the latter category. The subway chase scene gave me nightmares and years later when I first moved to London I remember going out of my way to incorporate Tottenham Court Road station (where the scene was filmed) in my daily commute. It never failed to give me chills, largely because the only thing about the station that has changed in the past 35 years are the fucking posters on the walls. The story goes that when director John Landis first started touting it, he had trouble securing finances with most would-be investors claiming the script was too frightening to be a comedy and too funny to be frightening. Eventually, PolyGram Pictures put up the $10 million, and were glad they did when it went on to become a box office smash and win an Academy Award for its special effects (Rick Baker went on to win six more from eleven nominations. A record). The story? It's about an American werewolf in London, innit?
1: Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Could any other film really take top spot in this list? Not on your nelly. This, the first instalment of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's so-called Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (the others films being Hot Fuzz and The World's End) is a bona-fide modern classic. Whilst dealing with feuding housemates, a demanding girlfriend and a shitty job, Shaun (Pegg) wakes up one morning with a hangover to find he's in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. We've all been there. Naturally, the only place to go to wait for the world to restore order is the local pub. Brilliant performances by the cream of noughties British comedic talent and commendable special effects, topped off by a hilariously witty script. The perfect introduction to a positively booming sub-genre.
Honourable Mention:
Cockneys Vs Zombies (2012), the Cottage (2008), Sightseers (2012), Stitches (2012), Boy Eats Girl (2005), Horror Hospital (1973), Nina Forever (2015) Stag Night of the Dead (2010), The World's End (2013), Ibiza Undead (2016)
While you're here, why not check out the Japanese Horror Movie Marathon?
This post first appeared on the Deviant Dolls website
My latest release, Human Waste: A Short Splatterpunk Story, is out now on Deviant Doll Publications.
6 Comments | tags: An American Werewolf in London, blogging, comedy, Danny Dyer, Dog Soldiers, film, Grabbers, horror, James corden, life, movie, review, Severance, Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg, top ten British comedy horror films, top ten horror comedy films, wordpress | posted in comedy, Films, horror, Life, Retro Reviews (RetViews), Reviews
RetView #6 – Dog Soldiers
Title: Dog Soldiers
Starring: Sean Pertwee, Emma Cleasby, Kevin McKidd, Liam Cunningham
"It puts things into perspective when you have to scoop your mate up with a shovel and put him in a bag."
So says Sgt Wells (Pertwee). There haven't been many British horror films over the past decade or three more worthy of praise than Dog Soldiers. From the opening scenes, when a couple camping in the Scottish Highlands are ripped apart by a ferocious beast, you're left in little doubt that this is a werewolf flick. The signs are definitely there, not least the inclusion of a solid silver knife, which the couple don't use to defend themselves. Doh. Cut to a few weeks later, and a group black-clad SAS fellas on a training exercise. Whilst sitting around a fire telling war stories and complaining about missing the football, a mashed-up animal carcass somehow gets chucked at them. I think it's a deer, but it's pretty hard to tell. While investigating this strange occurrence, they stumble across their SAS adversaries. Except they're all dead, the only survivor being a severely traumatised Captain Ryan (Cunningham) who is full of gory tales of his company being attacked and torn apart. Luckily, they left their guns and ammo, which our boys gleefully commandeer as they were only given blanks. I sense a plot hole here. I mean, if it really was a training exercise, how come one side was given live rounds? Anyway, moving on, it soon becomes apparent that what they are up against isn't human. At least, not all the time.
Soon after they come under attack and Sgt Wells almost gets ripped in half. ("My guts are coming out!"). He doesn't die, though. In fact, being mortally wounded just seems to piss him off. He keeps soldiering on and swearing at everyone. A passing zoologist called Megan (Emma Cleasby) saves the day when she drives up in a Land Rover and offers them a lift. Yes, please! She takes them to an isolated farmhouse, where they hope to regroup and radio for help. Obviously, things don't quite work out that way, and a bloody battle to the death between soldiers and werewolves ensues. Can they survive until dawn? Will it make any difference if they do? Why is the SAS bloke acting so sketchy? And perhaps most importantly, who won the footy match they were all so concerned about?
The answer to that last question is England, as the match they are referring to is believed to be the World Cup qualifier on September 1st 2001 in Munich when they thrashed Germany 5-1. The best scene is when Sam the sheepdog keeps trying to eat Sgt Wells' guts as they spill out of his body, one of the other guys sees it, and throws up on Captain Ryan's head. Soon after, they perform some much-needed first aid on him with the help of a bottle of whisky and some superglue.
"How're you feeling, Sarge?"
"Absolutely fucking top bollocks!"
Despite his woes, Sgt Wells makes a splendid recovery and outlives most of the others. Must have been the whisky. Or the fact that he's slowly turning. The cast is like a who's who of English acting talent as we see a pre-Grey's Anatomy Kevin McKidd teamed up with a pre-Game of Thrones Liam Cunningham and a post-ID Sean Pertwee whose character is named Sgt Harry G Wells, a clear nod to the sci-fi writer HG Wells. Throughout the film there are also references to Zulu, the Matrix, An American Werewolf in London, and Evil Dead among others, making it an anorak's dream. Even 90's lad show They Think It's All Over gets a tongue-in-cheek mention. The director, Neil Marshall, went on to be involved with The Descent franchise, Doomsday, Centurion, as well as episodes of Westworld, Hannibal and Game of Thrones. If you like your horror bloody, funny, and gore-tastic, you can do a lot worse than Dog Soldiers. You're probably never going to see another northern bloke holding a flare aloft and singing, "Come and 'ave a go if you think you're 'ard enough!" to a group of rampaging lycanthropes ever again. That man, incidentally, was played by Chris Robson, and he's a French teacher in the north of England now. Famed for it's (very) black comedy elements, upon its release, Dog Soldiers achieved cult status in the UK, but I have no idea how it was received in the rest of the world. A much-anticipated sequel Dog Soldiers 2: Fresh Meat was supposed to have been released in 2014 but wasn't forthcoming. More's the pity. The world needs more movies like this.
GO HERE for more RetView entries.
Although set in the Scottish Highlands, apart from a few aerial shots the movie was filmed almost entirely in Luxembourg.
5 Comments | tags: British, comedy, Dog Soldiers, film, horror, Kevin McKidd, lycanthrope, movie, RetView, Scotland, Sean Pertwee, werewolf, werewolf film, werewolves | posted in comedy, Films, horror, Retro Reviews (RetViews), War


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Our Phelps Waxed Canvas Leather Camera Bag is made with beautiful soft leather strap and waxed canvas that is lovely packaged and protected with its own cotton dust cover, making it the perfect gift for your loved ones or a treat for yourself. Details · Made of genuine cow leather straps and water-resistant pre washed waxed canvas treated with high temperature under natural conditions that gives the bag a timeless and classic feel · Able to fit a 13 inch Macbook Retina/Air, the new 12 inch Macbook, any laptop up to 13 inch · Zipped wall pocket for storing of accessories and earphones · Open side pockets for smartphone and wallet · Spacious main compartment that fits one camera and two to three lenses using the removable padded camera sleeves; also fits documents, notebook, magazines, iPads, tablets Dimensions · Approximately 33cm/13″ (Length) x 14.5cm/5.7″ (Thickness) x 20cm/7.8″ (Height) World Wide Delivery We ship anywhere you are. Select your country during checkout.
Our Leof Waxed Canvas Leather Camera Bag is made with beautiful soft leather strap and waxed canvas that is lovely packaged and protected with its own cotton dust cover, making it the perfect gift for your loved ones or a treat for yourself. Details · Made of genuine cow leather straps and water-resistant pre washed waxed canvas treated with high temperature under natural conditions that gives the bag a timeless and classic feel · Able to fit a 13 inch Macbook Retina/Air, the new 12 inch Macbook, any laptop up to 13 inch · Zipped wall pocket for storing of accessories and earphones · Open side pockets for smartphone and wallet · Spacious main compartment that fits one camera and two to three lenses using the removable padded camera sleeves; also fits documents, notebook, magazines, iPads, tablets Dimensions · Approximately 37cm/14.5" (Length) x 13cm/5.1" (Thickness) x 27cm/10.6" (Height) World Wide Delivery We ship anywhere you are. Select your country during checkout.
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Molecular determinants of bacterial antimicrobial efflux by the major facilitator superfamily members CraA and TetA from Acinetobacter baumannii
Wuen Ee Foong
Acinetobacter baumannii is a worldwide opportunistic pathogen responsible for nosocomial infections. One of the main factors contributing to multidrug resistance in A. baumannii is the upregulation of various chromosomally encoded or acquired efflux pumps, which expel toxic compounds out of the cells with high efficiency. The resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type efflux pump gene deletion strains ∆adeAB, ∆adeFG or ∆adeIJ and the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) chloramphenicol efflux pump gene deletion strain ∆craA of A. baumannii ATCC 19606 were created and a differential gene expression study was conducted via RT-qPCR. The expression of efflux pump genes adeB, adeG, adeJ, craA, and the outer membrane protein ompA were examined in the absence and presence of chloramphenicol. No significant up- or downregulation of these genes for any of these deletion strains in comparision to the wild-type strain in absence of the drug chloramphenicol. In contrast, craA was significantly up-regulated in A. baumannii exposed to chloramphenicol, emphasizing the importance of CraA in chloramphenicol resistance. CraA is widely present in clinical isolates of A. baumannii. It is homologous to the well-studied multiple-drug efflux transporter MdfA from Escherichia coli (61% similarity), but surprisingly reported to be acting as a specific chloramphenicol transporter of A. baumannii (Roca et al., 2009). The drug susceptibility assay done with A. baumannii ATCC 19606 ΔcraA showed that CraA could confer resistance towards phenicols (chloramphenicol, thiamphenicol, and florfenicol), which was in line with the previous report. CraA was heterologously overproduced in E. coli BW25113 ∆emrE∆mdfA and its substrate specificity was determined by drug susceptibility assays and whole cell fluorescent dye uptake experiments. We observed that the substrate specificity of craA overexpressed in E. coli was more diverse and resembling that of the E. coli MdfA homolog. Apart from resistance towards phenicols (chloramphenicol, thiamphenicol, and florfenicol), CraA also confer resistance towards monovalent cationic drugs (benzalkonium, TPP+, and ethidium), long dicationic drugs (dequalinium and chlorhexidine), fluoroquinolones (norfloxacin and ciprofoxacin) and anticancer drugs (mitomycin C). We showed that CraA is a drug/H+ antiporter by ACMA quenching in inverted CraA or CraA variant containing membrane vesicles. To address the molecular determinants for multidrug binding and transport, 45 mostly single Ala-substitution variants of CraA were created. These include substitution variants for membrane-embedded proton-titratable residues (E38, D46, and E338) and residues predicted to be important for binding and transport of drug, as inferred from docking experiments on basis of a MdfA-derived CraA model. The combined results indicated a high degree of functional similarities between MdfA and CraA. The conserved titratable residues E26 and D34 (E38 and D46 in CraA) are important for transport in both these homologs. The CraA variant E38A is inactive against all tested drugs, but D46A is only inactive for some drugs, suggesting that only E38 is involved in H+-transport. Another focus of this thesis is the three tetracycline transporters of A. baumannii strain AYE, TetA, TetG and TetA(A). Susceptibility assays involving tetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline and the last-resort antibiotic tigecycline were conducted on E. coli BW25113 ∆emrE∆mdfA overexpressing these transporters. TetA(A) was excluded from further study due to toxicity of the cells caused by protein overexpression. Both TetA and TetG confer resistance against tetracycline, minocycline and doxycycline. Although tigecycline was reported not to be recognized by tetracycline efflux pumps, we surprisingly found that TetA is able to transport tigecycline. The role of TetA in tigecycline efflux in A. baumannii was confirmed by conducting tigecycline susceptibility assays on A. baumannii. We speculate that TetA embedded in the inner membrane acts in cooperation with RND-type tripartite systems that span the inner and outer membrane to extrude tigecycline from the periplasm across the outer membrane. A. baumannii ATCC 19606 ∆adeAB were indeed sensitive to tigecycline in comparison to wild-type strain. Deletion of adeIJ also leads to sensitivity to tigecycline, but less so compared to the DadeAB phenotype, while A. baumannii ATCC 19606 ∆adeFG did not show any difference compared to wild-type strain in tigecycline susceptibility. Differential gene expression analysis of the RND efflux pumps (adeB, adeG and adeJ) and tetA of A. baumannii strain AYE showed that the expression of tetA expression is significantly upregulated when tigecycline is present in the growth medium. We conclude that craA encodes a broad-spectrum efflux pump rather than a specific chloramphenicol transporter. In A. baumannii, the synergistic effects with the outer membrane and/or the presence of other transporters could result in the discrepancy observed. Thus, the possibility of CraA in conferring multidrug resistance should not be overlooked, especially when it is up-regulated under antibiotic stress conditions.
thesis_Foong2021.pdf
https://doi.org/10.21248/gups.61805
Beate AverhoffORCiD, Klaas Martinus PosORCiD
Klaas Martinus Pos
Biochemie, Chemie und Pharmazie


IPEC was chosen among the commercial kitchen tools companies to provide the food appliances for the fast food restaurant in Zalka Lebanon: Mr Snack.
The restaurant cooking tools were placed to serve a menu consisting Lebanese sandwiches like Tawouk, Kafta, Kebab, shawarma and international sandwiches like hot dogs, burgers, fahitas and philadelphias.
On the list of commercial cooking appliances are a barbecue, an exhaust hood, a snack grill and fryer, a sandwich fridge and supermarket refrigeration equipment for food conservation.
This entry was posted in Homepage, Latest Projects and tagged commercial kitchen, cooking appliances, cooking tools, food equipment by Admin. Bookmark the permalink.


All Service Plumbing Can Help You With All Of Your Plumbing Needs Are you a homeowner or business owner with property in Southern California? Are you having problems with your plumbing system? If so, we can help. Whether you are experiencing leaks, blockages, or other problems, All Service Plumbing provides professional plumbing services for both residential and commercial properties. We are so confident in the quality of our work that we provide a guarantee. We also offer extremely competitive pricing and have a strong history of positive reviews on Angie's List. Below are some of the many services that we offer: Cleaning Drains: Preventative treatments like drain cleaning can go a long way toward preventing costly and disruptive plumbing problems. By having the drains in your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room regularly cleaned, clogs are less likely to form. Not only can this ensure that water always drains properly but it can also keep problems like unpleasant smells from cropping up. Hydro Jetting: in the past, plumbers relied on cable snakes to clean out pipes. Unfortunately, that technology is now outdated. Rather than relying on a plumber who uses a cable snake, give us a call. We use a special process known as Hydro jetting to clean pipes. This process uses water pressure to blast away grease and eliminate tree roots, helping to ensure that your pipes are totally clean. Around-The-Clock Emergency Plumbing Services: Plumbing problems never seem to happen during normal business hours. Instead, problems like broken pipes, sewer clogs, and leaky toilets always tend to happen at the worst possible time. In some cases, you may be able to keep the problem from getting worse by turning off the water supply and cleaning up the mess until you can get a plumber to come out and fix the problem. 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The bill, often referred to as the Bump Stock Bill, would also give control of gun laws to local jurisdictions, and would make it illegal to possess a gun while legally intoxicated.
Many gun supporters – who made up much of the room in Carson City and Las Vegas, and all of the testifiers from Elko – expressed support for the alcohol provision, while vehemently opposing the other two provisions.
Jauregui gave an emotional presentation of the bill, reading a letter she had written to her family a week after the Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting. Jauregui said she was standing on the grassy area near the stage when the shots rang out, that she panicked and froze and that her husband kept pulling her to run.
"Whenever the shots would start again, I would freeze, I couldn't move… I was hysterical," Jauregui read to somber – and some teary eyed – members of the committees.
Jauregui, who represents District 41 near the site of the shooting, said she feels guilt that she survived when others were hit, that her husband had to focus on her and couldn't help save other people.
"I'm pretty sure that night has changed me forever. But no matter how hard it is to share my story, I will do it as many times as it takes to help prevent any person or family from having to share my experience," Jauregui said.
Much of the questioning came from Republican legislators who are concerned that the bill is vague, and could unintentionally ban gun modifications that would not turn the firearm into an automatic weapon.
She also said that she would be willing to work with lawmakers to change the language of the legislation so that common sense modifications would not be unintentionally illegal.
One solution was given by Chelsea Parsons, vice president of gun violence prevention at the Center for American Progress, who joined Jauregui to present the bill. Parsons first noted that AB291 "is drafted slightly more broadly than federal regulation.
But later Parsons noted that the new federal regulations on bump stocks, which the Trump Administration put in place in December, specifically defined outlawed devices as ones that allow "a semi-automatic firearm to shoot more than one shot from a single pull of the trigger by harnessing the recoil energy… so that the trigger resets and continues firing without any other physical manipulation of the trigger by the shooter." This language is currently not in Jauregui's bill.
Beyond banning automatic devices, AB291 would also allow local governments to enact their own gun laws, something that more than one person in opposition to the bill said would turn them into criminals just for going from one county to another.
Justin Jones, speaking on behalf of himself and not as a Clark County Commissioner, noted that issues that Las Vegas faces are different from Elko or Gardnerville. After the Route 91 shooting, Jones testified, "local governments looked to give assurances to the tourists so vital to our economy that Las Vegas and Clark County were doing everything in our power to keep our tourist corridor safe," but were hamstrung by legislation enacted in 2015 that took gun legislation out of the hands of local governments.


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Q: How do I tell a python script to execute a particular python version in python script My Jenkins is using python 2.7 to execute python scripts. But I want to execute the script using python 3.7. So far I have done something like this.
test.py
#!/home/sam/python/python3/bin/python3.8
import sys

print(sys.version)

I am executing this script with python test.py. In output I am getting python version 2.6.
Can anyone suggest how can I run the python script with python 3.7 path.

A: If you want to select versions per command, you can use command line options like these:
py -2 my_file.py
py -3 my_file.py
py -2.7 my_file.py
py -3.4 my_file.py

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Emptying out sports notebook in advance of fall sports season
Mike Richard
As the waning days of summer wind down to crisp nights of autumn, this would be a good time to empty out the sports notebook with some random thoughts on the local scene. Over the past couple of weeks the sporting scene has lost some notables who had interesting ties with the Greater Gardner area: Paul Harney � The well-known golfer who died on August 24 was a full-time PGA player as well as the club pro at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton for many years. On September 16, 1967, the day that the back nine at the Gardner Municipal Golf Course opened, Harney was a guest of the golf commission and the headliner of the day. After the inaugural ceremonies at the 14th tee, Harney stole the show with his play as well as his accuracy with a driver. �The gallery of nearly 200 watched in amazement as (Harney) rifled shot after shot off the tree bordering Route 140,� The Gardner News reported. �One of his 325-yard blasts will be perpetually remembered with a plaque at the site of his hit.� Playing a four-hole match with golf commissioner Herm Wojdylak, Harney dazzled on the 595-yard 14th hole where he was on the green in two shots. �Ramming a three-wood to the green after a terrific tee shot, his two putts gave him a birdie four for the hole,� the News reported. Mike Flanagan � The Cy Young winning pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, who took his own life on August 25 at the age of 59, had quite a career as a pitcher with the UMass baseball team in the early 1970s. In 1973, he helped lead the 21-9-1 Redmen to a berth in the District 1 playoffs at Fenway Park as the ace of the pitching staff. Also a member of that same UMass pitching rotation was the late Bob �Farmer� Langlois, a former Gardner High ace and member of the Wildcat Athletic Hall of Fame. Langlois and Flanagan were also with UMass in 1972 when the team posted a 16-5 record. With a 12-1 overall record on the mound, Flanagan boasted the best winning percentage (.933) in UMass baseball history. In addition, his 1.19 earned run average is the best-ever at the school. Flanagan�s ERA bettered the previous mark of 1.92 held by Gardner�s Phil Tarpey Jr., who was the ace of the Redman staff from 1953-55. Don �Mingo� Marino � Was a coaching legend at Southbridge High School, amassing a record of 155-64-8 in a career lasting 25 years. However, the Hall of Fame coach was best known locally for comments made prior to the 1978 Division 2 Super Bowl game between his Pioneers and Oakmont Regional. The brash Marino was quoted in this paper as saying that he expected his team to control the Oakmont offense. �If we can score two touchdowns, we�re going to win the football game,� he said, feeling that his Southern Worcester County foes had his team well prepared for the Wachusett League champion Spartans. �If Southbridge were to lose, it would be because of a blocked punt, an interception or something like that,� he added. Apparently Marino was a better prognosticator than he was a defensive specialist. With the game tied 6-6 at the half, Oakmont scored a pair of touchdowns on special teams � just like Marino predicted. In the third quarter Spartan Steve Linhart recovered a blocked punt in the end zone, while in the fourth Mark Robichaud returned an interception 76 yards for an 18-6 Oakmont victory. At the conclusion of the game, Spartans coach Dave LaRoche greeted Marino at midfield with the words, �Welcome to the North County and welcome to the Wachusett League.� The words would echo true a year later as Marino�s Pioneers met the Lunenburg Blue Knights of coach Walter Dubzinski Jr. and fell to another Wachusett League team 15-14. This time, a Southbridge field goal attempt fell short as Lunenburg erased a 14-0 halftime deficit with 15 unanswered points. This time Marino decided to forego his pregame predictions and trash talk. Griffin cut by Bengals... Unfortunately, it appears that former Oakmont running back John Griffin�s hopes of making an NFL team have been derailed for the time being. The Cincinnati Bengals released Griffin on Saturday as all NFL teams got down to the mandatory 53-man roster. In three pre-season games with Cincinnati, Griffin rushed 16 times for 42 yards. His most action was in the Bengals� final game against Indianapolis, a 17-13 loss, where he carried 10 times for 29 yards. Sports Flashback 65 Years Ago (Sept. 14, 1946): Coach Walt Dubzinski�s debut is a success as the Wildcats defeat Clinton, 24-7. Art Hurd and Bernie LaFortune each catch touchdown passes, while Bob Belliveau and Harlan Parish also add TDs for the winners. 40 Years Ago (Sept. 9, 1971): Family Rx completed its three-game series of House of Sports, winning the 1971 City League softball title with a 4-3 victory. Bill Rushia pitched the win on the mound while George Graves belted a two-run homer and Jim Dufort had a pair of doubles. Bruce Taylor knocked in the winning run with a two-run double in the sixth... (Sept. 14, 1971): For the first time in 18 seasons, the Gardner High football team drops the single wing offensive formation for the winged-T. The Wildcats respond with a 22-0 victory over Athol as Mike Lorion scores a touchdown and passes to Don Pelletier for another, while Mike Fournier also scores. 35 Years Ago (Sept. 18, 1976): The Oakmont Spartans dedicate Arthur I. Hurd Memorial Field in memory of their late coach, at halftime of a 16-6 victory over St. Joseph�s of Pittsfield. 30 Years Ago (Sept. 19, 1981): Russ Favreau returns the opening kickoff 77 yards, while Dan Davis and Brian Chipman also score touchdowns in Narragansett�s 20-0 win over Monty Tech. 25 Years Ago (Sept. 13, 1986): Murdock dedicated the Warren J. Bentley Memorial Field at halftime of a 27-0 victory over Monty Tech. 10 Years Ago (Sept. 6, 2001): Narragansett�s Kara Walker scored six goals to lead the Lady Warrior field hockey team to an 8-0 win over Monty Tech. (Send comments or suggestions regarding �The Sporting Goods� to Mike Richard at Rich0725@aol.com. or in writing c/o The Gardner News, 309 Central St. Gardner, MA 01440)


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Win £750!
1 This Competition is open to permanent residents in Scotland aged 18 years and over, excluding persons connected with this promotion and employees and those related to employees of Energy Saving Trust ('the Promoter') and Home Energy Scotland contractors.
2 The competition closes at 11:59pm on Sunday 26 March 2023.
3 The ten prizes involved are split between five geographical areas in Scotland and will be awarded to two residents in each area, one for first prize and one for second prize.
Highlands and Islands - first prize £750, second prize £500
South East - first prize £750, second prize £500
Strathclyde and Central - first prize £750, second prize £500
North East - first prize £750, second prize £500
South West - first prize £750, second prize £500
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