MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Valterri Bottas can't really explain how he got from playing the loyal lieutenant to Lewis Hamilton and failing to win a race last season, to upstaging his Mercedes teammate for victory in Formula One's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Albert Park was previously one of Bottas' least-preferred circuits - he started 10th last year and his previous best result was a third-place finish in 2017 - but now it's among his favorites.
"I had to beat Seb to get onto the podium, which is not easy around here," Verstappen said. "Happy to pull that move off - then challenging for second.
"It's difficult to explain, honestly, what's been going on inside my head," he said. "Definitely something changed in terms of the way I feel about things - in life in general, and in racing.


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Interview: Tim Cross, retired army officer
'I don't think that Jesus was a pacificst in the way we define that in the modern world'
As a Major General, I commanded one of the three Divisions of the UK Field Army. It was around 30,000 strong, and was a mixture of different capabilities, including Reconnaissance, Artillery, Engineers, Signals, Logistics, and Medics.
I was a bomb-disposal officer in Northern Ireland in the 1970s; worked with the UN on peacekeeping in Cyprus in 1981; and served with 1st (UK) Armoured Division in the Gulf War in 1991 in high-intensity war fighting. I did three tours in the Balkans, including Kosovo, in the mid- to late 1990s on peace-enforcement and humanitarian operations.
I served in Iraq: in Baghdad, in 2003, on what quickly became counter-insurgency operations. This is the term we use to describe a step up from peace-enforcement operations, on a spectrum from work helping non-combatants to all-out nuclear exchange. These terms are taught as doctrine in our staff colleges, because people need to know what the laws are on engagement, and what they are being sent out to do.
There seems to have been only 350 years or so in the history of the world when there hasn't been some conflict. In recent times, there have only been a very few years when a British soldier has not been killed on operations somewhere in the world. We still have people serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. There have been people serving on operations throughout my army career — 43 years, man and boy.
I was adopted by my father, who worked for Shell. We lived in various places, including Australia. I went to a grammar school in Somerset. I left at 16 to join the army, about 20 years after D-Day, because I wanted to be out and about — not stuck in an office.
Generally speaking, the British Army looks after its personnel well, but you don't join the army to become rich.
The army relates well to government, even though the vast majority of MPs have no experience of military operations. I've had to brief prime ministers who have no knowledge of our work, but I don't belittle them for that. Military dictatorships abound throughout the world, more's the pity.
I was a witness to the Chilcot enquiry and was critical that we didn't have a clear and coherent post-war plan for Iraq. Most people thought that we didn't really need a plan: once we've got rid of Saddam Hussein, a wonderful new democracy would emerge, and they never considered a Plan B or C. [Tony] Blair genuinely felt that we should stand alongside the Americans and that we couldn't stand by while thousands of people were being killed; but we didn't think through the post-war plan well. The reality is that most politicians always think that war is going to be over by Christmas, but that's never the way it pans out.
Sadly, there'll always be brutal regimes that we wouldn't want to be friends with. Our links to the United States are the key. NATO remains very important. Europe has not got much defence capability, except France. Other countries such as Australia are also important.
My first serious exposure to God was in the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem in 1981, as a result of which I became a disciple. I became a local lay minister or lay Reader in the 1990s.
I don't find it difficult to reconcile early Christian teaching that being a disciple is incompatible with serving in the army. Soldiers are more than well aware of evil and sin in a fallen world. War is always evil — but I've also watched mass graves being dug out, I've been to places where you can smell, taste evil, find out what awful atrocities have taken place. Soldiers ask themselves why people do this to each other.
When the soldiers go to John the Baptist to ask what they should do, he tells them "Be content with your pay" — not "Leave the army." Don't abuse your power over people. Jesus meets a centurion and heals his servant, and exclaims, "I've never found faith like this in Israel." Paul uses soldierly languages and talks about a soldier who saved his life in a shipwreck. Would God have used these people if there was something fundamentally wrong with being a solider? In Luke's account of the last supper, Jesus tells his disciples, "If you haven't got a sword, sell your tunic and buy one." They have two, and he allows them to carry them to the garden of Gethsemane, but Jesus doesn't allow them to use them there. That wasn't the place to use force.
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Sarah Meyrick looks at the diary entries of a D-Day chaplain
I don't think that Jesus was a pacifist in the way we define that in the modern world. Abuse of power is something that Christians should be standing up against in all its forms. In the same way that we need a police force, we need military force that can deal with the leaders who are slaughtering people in the world. Does God want a British army with no Christians in it? I think he wants Christians in all walks of life. My question, then, was how I should behave as a Christian in the army.
My proudest achievement is my marriage. We've nearly reached our 48th anniversary, and we have three grown-up children and five grandchildren. I'm also proud of commanding a brigade in Kosovo that built and ran refugee camps in Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo itself, and trying to serve God in different ways.
Courage is a muscle: if we exercise it, we become more courageous. We're all afraid of stuff. There's physical and moral courage. Physical, on a battlefield, dealing with things — that's often an immediate reaction and the result of your training. When doing bomb-disposal work I was following processes and procedures that I had been taught, and I felt in control. Of course, I was afraid occasionally, and sometimes wondered, Will I survive? Will I be brave?
Moral courage is standing up for what we believe in when most people are walking away from the problem and refusing to be involved. You can't control the circumstances, and it's often needed over a long time, when you know people are being bullied at work, or there's people fiddling the books or abusing someone. It's when I can't control something that makes me uneasy: a child's illness, even being in a traffic jam. That's more difficult than being in a fighting patrol.
I live comfortably with the responsibility of making decisions which I know will lead to military and civilian deaths, because fighting terrorism and brutal dictatorships will never be easy and casualties are the only certainty of any military operation.
I do pray, mostly for the family and friends, but also for preparing to preach, and making difficult choices.
When you're serving in the military, when people say they'll do something, they'll do it. When I retired, I found the contrast very frustrating. Half the world seems to go round complaining about the other half. There's a clear chain of command, and people are generally positive, getting on with stuff, whatever the conditions. Now, I only work with people I like, and I'm not prepared to work with people who aren't committed.
Being a Reader is the heartbeat of what I do. The golden thread that links my business and work for companies, my visiting professorships at Nottingham and Reading, and lecturing and church and charitable work is morally courageous leadership. The good Lord opened the contacts, and I preach, speak, and lecture in many places, mainly about my military roles and being a Christian in the military, about truth and courage. I advise a couple of charities and chaired the board of Theos, a Christian think tank. I love it, actually. The Lord has opened incredible doors. This year, I spoke at the carol service of the Foreign Office, in Southwark Cathedral, and in all sorts of places I'd never have dreamed of. You're not done until you're dead.
Abortion makes me angry. I was adopted as a tiny baby in 1950. Would I have been aborted today? After my third son, now 29, was conceived, 14 years after our second son, my wife was offered an abortion by a nurse, who said, "This is clearly a mistake — you'll want to get rid of this baby." When I spoke, she said, "This has nothing to do with you. Get out." My daughter had a second child, diagnosed with a harelip when in the womb, and was offered an abortion straightaway. The boy was born with special needs, but he's a wonderful child.
I'm not against all abortion, but we are aborting 200,000 babies every year in England and Wales. How can we allow this to happen?
I like the sound of the alarm clock going off. It means I'm still alive.
My children and grandchildren give me hope for the future, and my hope is in Jesus Christ, and an eternity in the Kingdom.
If I was locked in a church for a few hours, I'd like to be with Rabbi Lord Sacks. He's the best social commentator. He writes about the need for a moral component in society, and defines a community as somewhere where people know you by name and miss you when you're not there. Churches should be like that. He writes about the moral components of fighting power: friendship, honour, integrity, morality. You can give money and power away, but give away love and duty and friendship, and you end up with more. He also has an incredible understanding of the Jewish faith, which is really important for Christians.
Major General Tim Cross was talking to Terence Handley MacMath.
He will deliver a lecture, "Leadership: Making Life and Death Decisions" at 7.30 p. m. on Wednesday (18 March) at All Souls', Langham Place, London W1. Free tickets can be obtained at eventbrite.co.uk.
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These are exciting times in the Diocese of Llandaff. Our five-year vision 'Where Faith Matters' is becoming reality.
We are seeking a leader who loves the Lord and loves the people; someone with energy and drive who will encourage us to learn, love and live the word of God.
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2012 MLB Season Preview & Predictions
Will the Tigers run away with things in the American League after acquiring Prince Fielder? Or will the Angels make a trip to the World Series after adding Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson this winter?
Are the Phillies due for a major letdown? Are the Giants ready to bounce back with a healthy Buster Posey back in their lineup? Who is the team to beat in the National League this year?
Below are our predictions for the 2012 MLB Season. Don't like them? Then tell us who you're picking, tough guy. All comments are welcome and this is meant to be fun, so enjoy the read and enjoy another season of baseball bliss!
1. Braves
2. Phillies
3. Marlins
4. Nationals
5. Mets
I'm so used to sliding the Phillies into the No. 1 spot in the NL East that I nearly did it again this year. But even though Philly has the best starting rotation in the division, I like the Braves to ultimately take advantage of the Phillies' injury problems. Losing Chase Utley and Ryan Howard for the first part of the year will cause the Phillies to start out slow and they could potentially miss the playoffs altogether if Roy Halladay carries his poor spring into the regular season. Atlanta's starting rotation is solid and its bullpen is very good as well. There's a good chance that no Brave will hit over .300 this year but they have speed in Michael Bourn, power in Dan Uggla, Brian McCann and Jason Heyward, and a couple of guys that can get on base. Assuming they don't choke in pressure moments like in each of the last two seasons, I like the Braves to overtake the Phillies in this division… There's too much talent on the Marlins' roster for them not to be in the thick of things this year in the NL East. That said, what a combustible situation. Does anyone not think problems will arise with Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, Logan Morrison and Carlos Zambrano in the same clubhouse? And with Ozzie Guillen leading them, no less? Maybe Guillen is the right manager to ensure the club stays unified and I do like the additions of veterans Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell to the pitching staff. But I just can't see this team crossing the finish line before imploding first…I really liked what the Nationals did this offseason in adding Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson to their starting rotation. Assuming Stephen Strasburg rebounds from his Tommy John surgery, the Nats won't be pushovers thanks to an excellent rotation and a solid bullpen. I just don't like the offense. There's not a hitter in that lineup that's projected to hit over .300 and there's not a lot of speed past Ian Desmond at the top of the order. I wouldn't be surprised if the Nationals challenged for one of the two Wild Card spots but I think they're still another hitter away (unless Jayson Werth somehow surprises)…The Mets remain in a hell of their own making. Until they get some of their bad contracts off the books, this team will struggle to compete in a good division. Of course, if Johan Santana and Andres Torres bounce back to what they were a couple of years ago, the Mets could surprise. But that would mean David Wright, Ike Davis and Jason Bay would have to produce big seasons and I just don't see it happening. When stacked up against the rest of the division the Mets are the clear doormats.
1. Cardinals
2. Reds
3. Brewers
4. Cubs
5. Pirates
6. Astros
Why the Cardinals? Because they always find a way to compete and despite losing Albert Pujols, their roster remains balanced. Matt Holliday is the key to whether or not this team will make another World Series run but he'll have help thanks to Carlos Beltran, Lance Berkman, David Freese and Yadier Molina. This team also has a couple of complementary pieces in Jon Jay, Rafael Furcal and Allen Craig as well. The starting rotation took a hit when Chris Carpenter was shelved this spring with nerve damage in his back/shoulder. But if Adam Wainwright (who has had a tremendous spring) bounces back from Tommy John surgery, the rotation should be fine. (Kyle Lohse remains underrated, Jake Westbrook is coming off a nice spring, Jaime Garcia has very good stuff and the club is high on youngster Lance Lynn.) The question is: Can the Cards stay healthy all year? World Series teams tend to break down the year after appearing in the Fall Classic and the Cards already have a ton of injury questions heading into the year…The Reds are viewed by most pundits as the favorites to win this division and I can't argue too much with that line of thinking. Landing Mat Latos in a trade with the Padres was a massive upgrade to their starting rotation and you know Joey Votto will mash again this year. But I just think the Cardinals have more balance from top to bottom and if they stay healthy, they'll win the Central. That said, if St. Louis breaks down, then Cincinnati should run away with the division…Even though the starting rotation is very good (especially the 1-2 punch of Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke), the Brewers are poised to take a step back without Prince Fielder in the middle of their lineup. Ryan Braun will still be Ryan Braun but he doesn't have Fielder protecting him in the order and who knows how he'll handle playing on the road in the wake of his PED fiasco this past offeason. Still, Aramis Ramirez was a nice get if he can stay healthy and this lineup has plenty of pop. I just think the Brew Crew will eventually fade down the stretch…If Cubs fans can stay patient, new GM Theo Epstein will bring a winner to the Windy City (although I use the term "winner" very loosely). Until then, they'll need to enjoy watching youngster Starlin Castro play because that's about all the 2012 Chicago team will offer. It was huge of Epstein to unload Carlos Zambrano and get a promising young pitcher in Chris Volstad in return, and landing Anthony Rizzo in a deal with the Padres was solid as well. But this team is devoid of talent right now and it's going to take Epstein a few offseasons to beef up the roster…The Pirates were a feel good story before the All-Star Break last season but their youth and lack of overall talent eventually caught up to them. I love Andrew McCutchen and their lineup features some nice players in Jose Tabata, Neil Walker and Garrett Jones. But the starting pitching is weak and McCutchen can't carry the team by himself. Maybe Pittsburgh will make things interesting for its fans again this year but eventually, the Cardinals, Reds or Brewers will overtake them in the division…It's downright cruel of the Astros to ask their fans to pay for tickets, parking and concessions. The games should be free given what kind of product management will put on the field this year. There's not a 20-plus home run player in their lineup and their starting rotation is weak outside of Wandy Rodriguez. Even in a weak division Houston doesn't have enough to compete and I can't envision a scenario in which the Astros surprise. They'll be out of it by the All-Star Break.
1. Giants
2. Diamondbacks
3. Dodgers
4. Rockies
5. Padres
I don't agree with some of the decisions that Brian Sabean made this offseason (or in prior offseasons for that matter), and I remain perplexed as to why the Giants are so hesitant to start Brandon Belt when they're a club in desperate need of offense. But I like the Giants to re-claim the NL West this season. Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval have never been healthy and productive in the same season but I think that all changes this year. Melky Cabrera was a nice addition to the lineup and once he's healthy, having Freddy Sanchez back in the mix at second base will be huge as well. Of course, the Giants will win because of their pitching. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Ryan Volgelsong are fantastic and will cover up the weaknesses of the offense (and Barry Zito, who is horrifyingly bad). Assuming they don't suffer any big injuries, I like the Giants to make a run this year…That said, if the Giants slip then the Diamondbacks will be there again when they fall.Arizona was very good last season and it went out and improved its pitching staff with the additions of Trevor Cahill and Takashi Saito this offseason. The lineup also offers plenty of power thanks to Justin Upton, Paul Goldschmidt and Chris Young, so why am I not picking the D-Backs to repeat as NL West champs? Because I think they'll have more competition this season than they did last year. The Giants are healthy again, while the Rockies, Dodgers and Padres all improved in some areas. I see a slip coming for Arizona, although I do like the Snakes to claim one of the Wild Card spots…The Dodgers have been a mess off the field the past couple of years but their on-field product isn't as bad as some think. Led by ace Clayton Kershaw, the starting rotation is underrated and the lineup features star Matt Kemp. That said, the Dodgers have a tendency to underachieve and while I firmly believe that they have enough to compete, I think they'll eventually slide to the middle of the pack in the National League…Some folks are high on the Rockies' potential and I can see why looking at their lineup. Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki are studs, and the additions of Michael Cuddyer, Marco Scutaro and Ramon Hernandez will only help an offense that also features nice complementary pieces in Dexter Fowler and Todd Helton. But their pitching scares me. They don't have that bona fide ace that will go out and stop the bleeding in the middle of a losing streak and I think over time, their bats will be silenced by teams like the Giants and Diamondbacks, who do have the arms to make a postseason run…I like what the Padres are doing but they just don't have enough weapons to compete this year. Trading Mat Latos and Anthony Rizzo may help this club in the future, but for now San Diego will have to make due with what it has. And outside of Jesus Guzman and Yonder Alonso, "what it has" simply won't be good enough.
1. Rays
2. Yankees
3. Red Sox
4. Blue Jays
5. Orioles
I'm picking the Rays to win the East because they simply have the best rotation in the division. The Yankees will be in lockstep with the Rays the entire year but at the end of the day, I like James Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore and Jeff Niemann better than New York's collection of starters. And if Tampa Bay can get an MVP season out of Evan Longoria then there's no reason the Rays can't challenge for the American League Pennant…The loss of Michael Pineda will hurt the Yankees and while I liked the Hiroki Kuroda signing, let's not forget that he's used to pitching in the NL West – the most pitching-friendly division in all of baseball. Of course, thanks to the Bombers' stacked offense, they will challenge for another postseason berth this season. The core of Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson and Derek Jeter is too good for the Yankees to be left on the outside looking in when it comes to the postseason…It's hard not to like a lineup that features Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz at the top. The Red Sox will score plenty of runs, especially if Carl Crawford can ever get healthy and bounce back from his brutal 2011 campaign. (I also love the addition of Cody Ross.) But the pitching will make or break Boston this season and this staff has so many question marks right now. Who knows how Daniel Bard and Felix Doubront will perform as starters and Josh Beckett is still dealing with a thumb issue. I'm certainly not counting Boston out this year but I'm hesitant to believe in the BoSox after they burned me last season. (I predicted that they would win the World Series)…Every year the Blue Jays are an intriguing dark-horse and every year they come up just a little short. I like Toronto's chances to challenge for a Wild Card spot but this division is as nasty as it's ever been. Jose Bautista and Ricky Romero are studs but I just don't see the Jays competing with the Rays, Yanks and Sox without more impact players…Remember that hot start the Orioles got off to last season? Boy did that fade quickly. As always, I'm intrigued by guys like Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters, but the fact is that Baltimore doesn't have enough to compete. Not one of the O's starting pitchers is projected to have an ERA south of 4.0, which is a problem given how good New York and Boston's offenses will be again this season.
1. Tigers
2. Royals
3. Indians
4. White Sox
5. Twins
There's nobody in this division that will get in the Tigers' way this season. Dave Dombrowski built a championship team this offseason and now all the Tigers have to do is go out and execute. Adding Prince Fielder made everyone forget about the loss of Victor Martinez, which was absolutely crushing at the time. With Fielder protecting Miguel Cabrera in the lineup (and vice versa), both plays should have huge years at Comerica. Justin Verlander might not be able to re-produce the performance he had a year ago but he heads a solid rotation that also features potential 10-plus game winners Max Scherzer, Doug Fister and Rick Porcello…The Royals continue to be the best up-and-coming team in baseball thanks to youngsters Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Luke Hochevar, but they're just not there yet in terms of being a playoff contender. They have a couple of intriguing arms down in their farm system but their pitching hasn't caught up to the offense's potential, which will probably leave KC on the outside looking in when it comes to the postseason. The club was excited to add lefty Jonathan Sanchez to the starting rotation, but he remains one of the most erratic starters in the game…The Indians won't challenge the Tigers in this division but I really like what Cleveland is doing with its lineup. Carlos Santana is a future star, Shin-Soo Choo is a solid three-hitter, and if Asdrubal Cabrera can build off the season he had last year then the middle of the Tribe's lineup will be solid. I also love the potential of Jason Kipnis and while he may only hit .240, you know Shelley Duncan will pop 15-plus home runs. That said, the starting pitching will fail this team unless Ubaldo Jimenez can figure out where he left the stuff that made him a Cy Young contender two years ago…I put the White Sox and Twins in the same category in that they'll be better than some of the other doormats in baseball, but they won't compete this year. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau have to stay healthy and, just as importantly, rake for the Twins to be successful, while the White Sox are counting on players whose best days are behind them (i.e. Alex Rios, Adam Dunn and Jake Peavy). You could make an argument for one of these two teams being a sleeper but this is the Tigers' division to lose and the White Sox and Twins simply don't have Detroit's talent.
1. Rangers
2. Angels
3. Mariners
4. A's
No, the Rangers don't have Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson, a true ace or a prototypical leadoff hitter. But I still think they're the team to beat in this division. The Angels certainly have a better starting rotation than their AL West rivals, and Pujols remains the best pure hitter in the game. But the Rangers' have the better bullpen and fewer question marks surrounding their lineup. Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Adrian Beltre will all hit for average, while Hamilton, Beltre, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli should all finish with 20-plus home runs. Need stolen bases? Elvis Andrus will net you 40 while Kinsler should swipe another 25. The starting rotation isn't perfect and the loss of Wilson hurts, but the Rangers can mash with anyone – including the new-look Halos…The Mariners should be better than they were a year ago but that's not saying much. I like the addition of Jesus Montero to the middle of their lineup but he's not going to be the club's saving grace when it comes to offense. The M's will battle the A's for last place in the West again, but at least fans can still watch Felix Hernandez every fifth day…Outside of adding Yoenis Cespedes (which surprised nearly everyone in baseball), the A's didn't do anything to upgrade their roster this past offseason. I thought with their pitching they would surprise everyone and make the postseason last year, but their lineup is a disaster and Billy Beane traded all of their good arms this past offseason. This is just yet another small-market club that is completely devoid of talent and will sink to the bottom of the league once the season revs up.
POSTSEASON PREDICTIONS
NL WILD CARD: Diamondbacks over Phillies
AL WILD CARD: Angels over Yankees
NLDS: Diamondbacks over Cardinals; Giants over Braves
ALDS: Angels over Rays; Tigers over Rangers
NLCS: Giants over Diamondbacks
ALCS: Angels over Tigers
World Series: Angels over Giants
Yes, I do think the Rangers are still the team to beat in the AL West but I also believe that the Angels will win the postseason – where pitching is king. It's the same reason I'm taking the Giants; in a five or seven-game series, Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner and Vogelsong will be difficult to beat. (Much like Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, C.J. Wilson and Ervin Santana will be hard to take down in the American League pennant chance). As far as the other teams are concerned, I'm not completely convinced the Phillies will even make the playoffs, the Braves have a habit of choking under pressure and while I like the D-Backs, I like the Giants a little bit more. The Tigers are loaded but I think they'll shrink in the postseason after not being tested during the regular season, while the Yankees (pitching) and Rays (offense) will be undone by their weaknesses.
NL Manager of the Year: Bruce Bochy, Giants
AL Manager of the Year: Jim Leyland, Tigers
NL Rookie of the Year: Yonder Alonso, Padres
AL Rookie of the Year: Jesus Montero, Mariners
NL MVP: Joey Votto, Reds
AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
NL Cy Young: Matt Cain, Giants
AL Cy Young: Jered Weaver, Angels
Tags: 2012 MLB season preview, Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Buster Posey, C.J. Wilson, CC Sabathia, Chris Carpenter, Derek Jeter, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Josh Beckett, Josh Hamilton, Matt Cain, Matt Holliday, Miguel Cabrera, Ozzie Guillen, Prince Fielder, Roy Halladay, Ryan Braun, Tim Lincecum
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One response to "2012 MLB Season Preview & Predictions"
I live in Florida, the Rays train down the street and I see no reason for them to win the AL East. They can't score runs and winning on the road will be a issue.
Stay with the Yankee's, they are set this year, will win on the road and it starts this weekend in Tampa.
Dear Bobby, Boston scares no one, last year was only year one of the train wreck.
Giants vs Yankee's World Series.


Hey there fellow comic book nerds and nerdettes! Welcome to We Love Your Work, where we spotlight creators, writers, and artist we admire. We will discuss their work, careers, and share personal stories.
What is the story behind your introduction to the "arts"? Were you encouraged at a young age by family? Is there something that stands out in your mind as an early inspiration?
Raymond Leonard: I grew up surrounded by my family members…who were all artist. My aunties, uncles and grand father. but what got me into the comic art area was my uncle Erskine Leonard. As a kid I would watch him draw all these character's like hulk, spiderman, he-man the list goes on. I was hooked during that point on. My uncle was a huge inspiration I wanted to draw like him, and he was also the reason I got into comics because of the huge collection he had.
Who are your greatest influences when it comes to your artistic style?
Raymond Leonard: I didnt pay attention to the names who were drawing the comics. the name noticing happened during my grade school years when The Man of Steel 1986 comic book limited series featuring the DC Comics character Superman. Written and drawn by John Byrne and Rob Liefeld took over the New Mutants for Marvel comic in 1989, then X-Force in the 90's. I was so hooked on both artist's style which was my influence, but I molded the Liefeld art style more then John's.
Raymond Leonard: Reading motivational books on succeeding inspires me. Books like "Succeeding Against The Odds" by John H. Johnson who rose from the welfare rolls of the Depression to become the most successful Black businessman in American history; the founder of Ebony, Jet, and EM magazines; and a member of the Forbes 400.
Just like the motivational books movies/documentaries that inspire me are – any giving Sunday, Image revolution documentary, the pursuit of happiness ft will smith, jobs, the dragon, 8mile, nwa, ali,walk hard, james brown and rocky 2…so much more but dont want to go crazy LOL.
Raymond Leonard: I know the new in thing majority of artist are using like the drawing tablets like the cintiq, but me..im old school, 11×17 comic book boards, pencil and scanner and im set. Maybe down the round ill invest in getting a drawing tablet.
When you begin a piece, do you typically have an idea in mind of what you want that piece to be or does it evolve in a more fluid manner?
Raymond Leonard: When it comes to doing a page design etc I pretty much have the vision in my head. I do sketchy thumbnails what I visioned before drawing it on the comic board…its the old school way. but looking to invest in a light table to make the process go faster by tracing the rough thumbnails and blowing it up with the scanner to add the details. Its a trick I see Rob Liefeld do.
If you could see any artist, living or dead, create art based on any comic character of your choice, who would that artist be and what character would you choose?
Raymond Leonard: I would love to have seen Jack "The King"Kirby draw my creator owned character Agent Solo, the mans work was just so awesome, every page was just full of energy and his splash pages were just mad crazy amazing. I felt really really bad that there are artists who haven't been given credit for their work. People tend to gave credit to the writers instead. What would it be a great and enjoyable comic book without its artist. People should be fair in giving credit. And I'm honoring those are still not well known or popular artists like Steve Ditko, John Buscema and of course Jack "King" Kirby. There would be no comics without them. God bless their souls.
Do you have any projects that you would like tell our audience about?
Raymond Leonard: Currently i have a IP in the works called "Agent Solo" it's a 36page colored one shot book thats going to be a kickstarter set to launch in 2016 published under my own banner Diverse Comics. Jackson Brice is an ex-covert bionic super soldier that drops out of 7. radar and becomes a vigilante taking down high profile super metahuman terrorists and thugs [using] his way of justice. He has trust issues with the U.S. Government due to losing his best friend and fallen comrades [from] a mission he felt the Government knew about, which lead to him becoming a solo rogue agent.in this one shot hes on the hunt to bring down a villain named "Sledgehammer" whos responsible for wrecking corporate buildings and banks but its a reason why hes doing it .its giving the readers a "what if you were in this type of situation" message . Its co-plotted and drawn by me – written by Darrell Goza. I have some amazing artists that work in in the business doing some great pinups which will be reward prints.the funding will also go to help getting a patent to get a agent solo toyline on the market.
What has your experience been like as an independent creator working outside the support of a major publisher? What has your experience been like with Kickstarter?
If you could choose 5 people, living or dead, fictional or nonfictional, to be on your side in a bar fight, who would they be?


text:
For media inquiries please reach out topress@activecampaign.com
Pinterest and Google Executive Joins ActiveCampaign as First Chief Customer Officer
Industry veteran Dutta Satadip joins the leadership team to scale award-winning customer initiatives, underscoring ActiveCampaign's commitment to customer success
December 2, 2020 October 24, 2021
Chicago – December 2, 2020 – ActiveCampaign, the leader in customer experience automation (CXA), hired global head of customer success and operations at Pinterest, and previous Google leader, Dutta Satadip, as the organization's first Chief Customer Officer (CCO). This is a new role for the company, demonstrating its continued commitment to customers during a period of rapid growth.
In this role, Satadip will be responsible for ensuring customer success for all 120,000 ActiveCampaign customers. Specifically, he will focus on improving customer satisfaction, increasing engagement and strengthening support, areas where ActiveCampaign already excels as evidenced by its consistently higher than average scores on G2. Earlier this month, the company announced enhancements to its industry-leading Customer Success Commitment, and Satadip's addition speaks to ActiveCampaign's further investment in customers.
ActiveCampaign has also added nine additional executives to the leadership team in the last year, including talent from Box, Zendesk, Akamai as well as promoting from within the company. Satadip's addition to the team demonstrates that the company is scaling its leadership to support the continued rapid growth it is experiencing. Earlier this quarter, ActiveCampaign reached a milestone of $100 million in ARR, 120,000 customers globally and announced plans to exceed 1,000 employees by the end of 2021.
"Dutta has spent his career focused on improving the customer experience, a passion we share," said Jason VandeBoom, founder and CEO of ActiveCampaign. "With his addition to our team, I am confident we will further enhance our customer engagement and support initiatives. I'm incredibly excited to welcome him to the team."
Satadip joins ActiveCampaign from Pinterest where he spent three years leading their global customer success and operations team. He was responsible for driving customer satisfaction and retention, as well as building systems and processes to support growth. Prior to that, he spent six years at Google, leading customer success, sales support, and global product strategy. He also served in management roles at Confirmit and Hewlett-Packard, rounding out his technology product expertise.
"The fact that ActiveCampaign is a hyper growth company highlights the financial benefits of making and keeping our valued customers happy," said Satadip. "I'm especially excited about the opportunities to drive customer success on a global scale."
For more information, learn about ActiveCampaign's leadership team.
ActiveCampaign's category-defining Customer Experience Automation Platform helps over 120,000 businesses in 170 countries meaningfully engage with their customers. The platform gives businesses of all sizes access to hundreds of pre-built automations that combine email marketing, marketing automation, CRM, and machine learning for powerful segmentation and personalization across social, email, messaging, chat, and text. Over 70% of ActiveCampaign's customers use its 300+ integrations including Shopify, Square, Facebook, Eventbrite, and Salesforce. ActiveCampaign scores higher in customer satisfaction than any other solution in both Marketing Automation and CRM All-In-One on G2.com. Pricing starts at just $9/month. Start a free trial at ActiveCampaign.com.


Just started playing gigs? Here are a few tips that could help you to up your stage game, helping you to win over the audience and build new fans wherever you play.
A good setlist will keep your audience engaged throughout. Aim to start and end on your most energetic and fun songs – you want to begin and end on a high note (not literally – you can begin and end on any note you want). If your music is fairly complex or physically demanding, you may want to get most of your challenging songs out the way at the beginning when you're feeling freshest. Above all, make sure that you have enough material to last the entire set. In fact, you should plan an extra song just in case you get cheered back on for an encore.
Practice is essential for minimising embarrassing mistakes such as forgetting lyrics or slipping up on a note. Ideally, you want to be able to perform your songs in your sleep. If you're part of a band, make sure that you're practicing together so that you're all rhythmically tight. Practicing won't just make you play more fluently, it will also make you more confident as you won't be afraid of making mistakes and will be able to focus on other things such as your stage presence or engaging with the audience. Make sure to practice in the venue on the day before the gig too – this will get you used to the setting and could allow you to decide where to position yourself on the stage.
Good sound quality is as essential as good playing. The venue and the sound staff may play a large part in this – it's best always doing a sound check to ensure that everything is right in the mix. If you're playing an unconventional venue or don't trust the sound system there, you may want to invest in some PA speakers. Your musical equipment can also have a big impact on the sound quality. Don't settle for a cheap practice amp if you've got a friend who can lend you theirs. You may even want to invest in better quality instruments if you feel that these are dampening your sound.
Stage presence is all about how you command the stage. All in all, you want the audience to feel that you're having fun – staring awkwardly at your shoes and not moving isn't going to encourage much crowd interaction. Unless you're playing a series of slow ballads, you should try to move and engage with the rhythm. This may be something you want to practice in a mirror or in front of friends and family if you feel you're too stiff. You may even want to watch other bands perform to borrow tricks. If you're the frontman, you may have to work on talking to the crowd and finding ways to fill the gaps between songs – there should never be silence. If you get nervous and have a tendency to babble nonsense between songs, consider planning out what to say between songs even if it's just introducing the name of the next track. As you get comfortable on stage with experience, you'll be able to improvise more and match your stage presence to the audience.
Picking an awesome outfit can improve the way the audience react to your music. You want to come across cool and distinctive – unless your schtick is to be deliberately uncool. If you're playing as part of a band you may want to establish a theme to reinforce a sense of harmony. It's important that clothing is practical as well as stylish. Loose clothing could get in the way when playing instruments, whilst overly tight clothing might not be ideal if you plan on moving around a lot on stage. You should also consider the temperature – dressing light is usually advisable as you're likely to work up a sweat during your set if not from activity most certainly from nerves.


ISMART Tragen Travel Adaptor is one of the Smartest & Safest Travel adaptor for all to use. With its poly carbonate material housing , it is water & shock resistance. Its 4 USB Outputs Ports powered with SMART USB Charging of 5 Ampere is ready to take on your device. Tragen comes with 2 Safety Fuses which allows you to replace the other when one is down. It is so user friendly as Tragen is engineered using a Push And Slide mechanism so you to use.
Tragen has 2 safety fuses that protects your electrical appliances with 8 Ampere current surge protection. When 1 safety fuse has blow , you can use the alternative fuse by the side and replace it whenever you need.
Tragen deploys 4 USB ports which can take up a maximum of 2.5 Amp of 1 USB Port. The USBs ports are using a Smart USB Chip which supply's higher current to whichever device requires more power and current. With its Maximum 5 Ampere, it can evenly distribute the current evenly and smartly base on the device which you plug into the travel adaptor.
With its Double Safety fuse, Easy Push Sliding Out Spring mechanism . 4 USB Ports of 5 Amp Smart USB and its highly Durable Poly Carbonate Material , it can definitely be anyone best friend when travelling and commuting. Its Compact designed allows the user to bring it anyone and comfortably without breaking or disintegrating any parts as Tragen is 1 entire piece design by itself.
Tragen uses high grade poly carbonate material which ensures it will not change its coating & finishing overtime . It will always be smooth and sleek with no complains of stickiness. Its Polycarbonate material is water resistance as it will not allow water to penetrate into its devices. With its strong frame and durable attributes, it can withstands knocks and drops when the users misplace or slips it out of its hands.


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Ash vs. Evil Dead: Season Three Gets Premiere Date!
So, Ash has a daughter! Imagine that!
Season three of Ash vs. Evil Dead finds Ash celebrated as a hero in his hometown – but when Kelly sees a televised massacre with Ruby's fingerprints all over it, it's apparent that evil isn't done with Ash, Kelly and Pablo!
Ash vs. Evil Dead returns to Starz on Sunday, February 25, 2018 (9/8C).
STARZ SERVES UP ANOTHER ASH-KICKING DOSE OF "ASH VS EVIL DEAD," SEASON THREE TO PREMIERE FEBRUARY 25
Starz Releases Official Season Three Teaser Key Art
Beverly Hills, Calif. – October 4, 2017 – Grab your chainsaws and watch out for Deadites because the grooviest show on TV returns in all its Ash-kicking splendor with more grisly battles, ghoulish banter and more blood-drenched fun than ever. The highly anticipated 10-episode third season of STARZ Original horror-comedy series "Ash vs Evil Dead" will premiere on Sunday, February 25, 2018 at 9PM ET/PT.
The wickedly gore-filled series stars Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, the chainsaw-wielding anti-hero tasked with saving the world from evil; Lucy Lawless as Ruby, the unpredictable foe and occasional ally who has strong ties to the origin of the "Necronomicon;" Ray Santiago plays Pablo Simon Bolivar, Ash's loyal sidekick and eternal optimist; and Dana DeLorenzo returns as Kelly Maxwell, orphaned in Season One and ready to kick some evil ass. The upcoming season also finds Ash discovering his long lost daughter, Brandy Barr, played by newcomer Arielle Carver-O'Neill ("House Husbands," "Suburbs," "Conspiracy 365").
The third season finds Ash's status in Elk Grove, Michigan has changed from murderous urban legend to humanity-saving hometown hero. When Kelly witnesses a televised massacre with Ruby's fingerprints all over it, she returns with a new friend to warn Ash and Pablo that evil isn't done with them yet. Blood is thicker than water in the battle of good vs Evil Dead!
The Evil Dead original filmmakers Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell serve as executive producers on Season Three along with Ivan Raimi and Rick Jacobson. Mark Verheiden serves as Showrunner with Producer Moira Grant.
New and long-time Evil Dead fans can catch up on Seasons One and Two of the STARZ Original series "Ash vs Evil Dead" on the STARZ app.
For more information on "Ash vs Evil Dead" and access to press materials and show assets, please visit the new STARZ Media Room, compatible with iPad devices: https://mediaroom.starz.com/
And visit the official Ash Facebook Page and follow @AshvsEvilDead on Twitter and Instagram. Join the conversation with #AshvsEvilDead and #STARZ.
Website: https://www.starz.com/series/ashvsevildead/episodes
Updated: October 5, 2017 — 2:18 pm
Tags: Ash vs. Evil Dead, Bruce Campbell, Lucy Lawless, Mark Verheiden, Starz, Television


With every dawn, the chance to seize upon fresh opportunities. Two gold lotus flowers, symbol of new beginnings and infinite possibilities, mingle with delicate beads of pink chalcedony, which instills in its wearer childlike wonder and openness to first-time experiences. You have the power to begin anew.


This design offers a choice of three colors: lavender, gold, and light teal. Featuring delicate script and a border of white baby's breath, this invitation has a simple elegance that is perfect for any 40th birthday party. Card measures 3.5x7.


Among parents, you often hear these four words: "Kids are germ factories."
But a new study out of Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health found that while you might think bringing more day care facilities to your block might make you and your neighbors sick more often, that doesn't appear to be the case.
Neal D. Goldstein, PhD, assistant research professor, led a team that looked into the density of day cares in Philadelphia and compared them to areas where cases of whooping cough (pertussis) occurred in the city.
"Hypothetically, more day care use could translate to more children, parents and caretakers getting sick because of everyone being in contact with each other. But we wanted to ask the question, 'Do these people carry germs back into the local community, making other kids sick?'" Goldstein explained. "The answer to that appears to be, 'No.' The presence of day cares in an area does not necessarily mean there is community risk of pertussis among kids."
However, numbers gathered for the study -- which Goldstein and co-authors Loni Philips Tabb, PhD, and Seth Welles, PhD, of Drexel, and E. Claire Newbern, formerly with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, published in Public Health -- shows that vaccination is still the most important factor when fending off whooping cough.
In a large control group of Philadelphia children who were included in the study because they did not contract pertussis, 81 percent were current on their immunization against the illness. Among the group studied because they had contracted pertussis, just 64 percent were immunized.
"The most important factor we observed that was correlated with greater pertussis risk was lack of vaccination," Goldstein said. "We know that vaccination is important, but this analysis suggests that it's even more important than where you live.
The researchers looked at reported cases of pertussis in Philadelphia among children up to age six from 2001 through 2013 -- which amounted to 410 -- and mapped them against registered day care sites -- roughly 2,000 in the city. To measure density, the team broke out the city's neighborhoods and assessed how many day care sites there were per square mile. They then overlaid these data with the number of pertussis cases also occurring in each neighborhood.
Data in the study did not show any correlation between higher densities of day care facilities and elevated prevalence of pertussis.
Goldstein said the lack of correlation between day cares and pertussis could come down to Pennsylvania's strict vaccination requirements for children in day care.
"This vaccination requirement should provide a base level of protection among children -- and adults -- provided that people have received the vaccine," he said. "Granted, these vaccination requirements can be exempted out of for medical and nonmedical reasons, but, hopefully, there are sufficient numbers of vaccinated children -- and workers -- to cancel out any affects of those who aren't vaccinated."
Varying levels of pertussis were found, regardless, in the city's different neighborhoods. While the city-wide average was six cases per neighborhood during the study time period, the South Broad-Girard Estates neighborhood showed 24 cases, with two nearby neighborhoods also having more than 10 cases. In the meantime, Center City, Fairmount-Spring Garden and Sharswood-Stanton at the center of Philadelphia and Overbrook Park-Wynnefield Heighs in the west each just had three cases.
Some additional reasons for the lack of correlation between day cares and pertussis could include unregistered day cares that the study didn't take into account, as well as the fact that people might not use day care in their immediate neighborhood. For instance, parents might use a day care closer to their job.
Future work might look into both of those potential confounders.
"I would love to capture unregistered day cares in our data and have knowledge of where people take their children to day care," Goldstein said. "To do this, we would need to design a prospective study, enroll parents and children, and then follow them for several years for the outcomes to occur."
With such a prospective study being both time and resource-consuming, there is a lot of value in looking more deeply into the current study.
"With this type of pressing public health work, we don't always have the luxury of waiting for a prospective study, which is why it's important to take a look at what data we have available today and analyze and report on what we see," Goldstein concluded.


It's not an Unfortunate Accident !
The Symbol of US Security, U2 reconnaissance plane crashed down on the same place where JAL123 crashed.
Broken pieces of RC-130, RC-135, F-117, CH-46 and black jet fighter probably belonging to US military forces were also found there.
Many passengers alive were eye-witnessed 9 hours after the crash. Where had they gone ?
Was it a war? Occurred only 80km (50ml) away from Tokyo, the capital of Japan.
I guess any readers who'd read all the slides uploaded so far can't believe the story told in them. You may think this slideshow tells of another military conflict, not of JAL123 crash. All of those broken pieces, photos and testimonies shown here, however, are as sure as concerning the JAL123 crash case. We can no longer tell about the crash without involvement of JSDF (Japan Self-Defence Force) and US military forces, such as US Marine Corps.
For the first step to reconsidering the case, I hope readers be free from the preoccupation - "JAL123 crash case is an UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT". You'll come across much evidences that prove other missiles and military planes also crashed down onto the same area exactly where JAL123 crashed down.
A new slide added on Jan 6, 2013. Totally 32 slides uploaded.


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Hands on Learning at Trades Boot Camp
posted by Gary Johnson
A dozen students from the Mankato area got the chance to sample nine different building trades at the first South Central Construction Trades Boot Camp held at Mankato West High School. Over the course of two business weeks (Aug. 3-7 and Aug. 10-14), they experienced an interactive project each day, learning about that particular trade by actually doing it. Over the course of the day, the students had time to talk with the visiting union instructor, about techniques as well as the training requirements for each trade and their career opportunities.
According to Caleb Watson, the head tech instructor at Mankato West, more than 20 students signed up for the camp when it was first announced in the spring. Then the realities of the COVID 19 pandemic hit. "This year was weird with the COVID situation. We tried to do it in the first couple weeks of June, then we wound up pushing it [the dates] back and we weren't sure if we could do it at all. But we wound up getting it together," Watson explained. "With social distancing requirements, we could have 18 students. We got 12. I think that's pretty good for the first year given all the uncertainties."
Noted Watson, "What I liked about doing this in the summertime is the kids were able to be here the entire day [from 9-3 p.m.]."
The camp finished with a panel discussion featuring all the participating trades on the last day, Friday., Aug. 14, followed by a mini graduation ceremony where the participants received a certificate and a voucher for a free pair of boots.
"These are very needed programs to highlight what we do," said Brian Farmer from the Cement Masons Local 633. The cement masons participated along with the carpenters, millwrights, painters and glaziers, electricians, operators, cement masons, bricklayers and laborers. "The engagement and attentiveness from these young people was excellent. They were really into it and asked a lot of good questions."
Lindsey Lawton, a recent graduate from Mankato East High School who's headed to South Central College to pursue a welding degree, said, "It's been fantastic. There's a lot of good instructors here. I like asking a lot of questions, and all my questions have been answered thoroughly for the most part."
Kaden Johnson and Blake Attenburg, both juniors at nearby Madelia High School (25 miles away), found out about the camp from a high school guidance counselor. Both are undecided about what trade they want to pursue, but found the experience worthwhile. "It's a lot more hands-on than it would be in school, I think," explained Altenburg.
There was no cost to the students to attend. The camp was financed by an APEX (apprenticeship expansion) grant from the Minnesota Department of Labor. Various trades pitched in to provide lunches and a fund for the free boots."The kids who participated worked hard at the projects. We didn't have any issues with them at all," said Stacy Karels, business representative for Laborers Local 563. "We are planning to do it again next year."
We promote fair competition in the public construction industry for the protection of quality contractors and their employees.
info@fcfmn.org
Revised January 16, 2018


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Station News & Events
Islamabad Has a Pollen Count that is Off the Charts on the World for 5-1-14
WMOT
Published May 1, 2014 at 3:39 PM CDT
PRI's The World - with Host Marco Werman
Ah-choo!
Sorry, it's that time of year, with allergies and all. Still, wait until you hear how bad it is in Islamabad. More on that in a minute.
Twenty-five years ago, students began protesting against the Chinese government in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. John Pomfret, a reporter for the AP at the time, was there. Today, he'll tell us why his reporting led to him being expelled from China. The World's Matthew Bell has been talking to Chinese students here in the US, and his story reveals how Tiananmen is still a touchy subject.
We'll also explore the local Boston connections to the unfolding story of the arrest of Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. He's being questioned about an IRA murder back in 1972. Host Marco Werman finds out more from The Boston Globe's Kevin Cullen, who has followed Adams' career for many years.
Plus, what's up with French economist Thomas Piketty? Seems like both the right and left in America can't stop talking about him, and his latest book. But how do the French feel about him? We'll dig in on that.
OK, back to those allergies. We noticed earlier this week that Pakistani author Bina Shah was using Twitter to launch a broadside...against pollen. It turns out, Islamabad's got a pollen count that is off the charts. Want to know why? Check out The World.


Shredded chicken, lettuce, tomato and cheese.
Shredded beef, sauteed peppers and onions with cheese.
Ground beef, avocado and cheese.
Traditional Venezuelan savory, creamy filling of chicken breast mixed with cilantro and avocado.
Black beans, sweet plantains and cheese.
Pork, oregano, sauteed peppers and onions with cheese.
Scrambled egg, tomato, onion, peppers and cheese.
Steak, lettuce, tomato and cheese.
Shredded beef, black beans, sweet plantains and cheese.
Shrimp, sauteed peppers and onions with cheese.
Fried green plantain sandwich with choice of meat and lettuce, tomato, ham, sour cream and cheese.
Sweet corn pancake with cheese.
Venezuelan style vegetable beef and chicken soup.
Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, avocado & cheese.
Bread served with beans, tomato, lettuce, avocado, queso fresco, sour cream and your favorite meat choice.
Soft tortilla served with rice, beans, tomato, onion, cilantro, mozzarella, sour cream and your favorite meat choice.
Soft tortilla served with rice, and pico de gallo and your favorite meat choice.
Crunchy tortilla served with beans, tomato, lettuce, onion, cilantro, mozzarella, sour cream and your favorite meat choice.


text:
Michael Haugen
Follow: @HaugenATX
Criminal Justice News
Scenes of Halloween in Chesapeake, Va.
Bail reform is a good thing but California went too far
Sunshine and Seashells, Mollusks and Mens Rea
In rural areas, jail populations are skyrocketing — including pretrial detainees
Director of Right on Crime Discusses Civil Forfeiture, Madoff Scheme on Fox Business
BJ Nikkel
Right on Crime Signatory B.J. Nikkel: "Colorado Making Progress on Parole Reform"
Michael Haugen | April 6, 2016
In a new column in the Denver Post, Right on Crime signatory and former Colorado House Majority Whip B.J. Nikkel—with Rep. Pete Lee, D-District 18—make the case that, despite "widely publicized episodes" involving the state's parolees, the state is nonetheless moving in the right direction bolstering its weakly performing parole system.
Citing the state's stubbornly high rate of parole revocations that for years contributed to further incidence of crime, increasing prison populations, and a "corresponding jump in taxpayer costs," Nikkel and Lee explain that needed change came by way of strong bipartisan legislation in the Colorado Legislature:
"The first phase of reform came with 2014's House Bill 1355, which passed with strong bipartisan support in the Senate (32-3) and House (47-15)…the legislation fortified the parole system through staff increases, enhanced training, equipment upgrades and support for community-based services and treatment programs proven to help parolees succeed upon release.
In 2015, a second reform bill…passed both chambers unanimously….Specifically, the bill was anchored in studies showing that swift, certain and proportional sanctions, combined with treatment addressing drug and alcohol dependency and other criminal risk factors, are most effective in reducing parolee failures — and thereby enhancing public safety and cutting taxpayer costs. That formula has been most powerfully demonstrated in Hawaii, where a gold-standard evaluation of the H.O.P.E program found significant declines in recidivism by using short commitments to jail rather than revocation to prison as the response to probationers' technical violations."
While still a bit early to draw more firm, long-term conclusions from these reforms, Nikkel and Lee say the preliminary results are encouraging, as revocations for technical violations dropped 11 percent, and readmission to prison for new felony convictions dropped 5 percent in the last fiscal year, and have continued to drop during this fiscal year.
Nikkel and Lee conclude with a bottom line: Isolated incidents may "grab headlines," but Colorado was in "dire need" of parole reform, state leaders did the "right thing for public safety" by adopting it, and that the state has less crime and incarceration now to show for it. We anticipate further successful reforms in Colorado to grow out of this effort, as legislators continue to identify opportunities to improve the outcomes in other areas of the state's justice system.
Photo credit: CBS Denver
MICHAEL HAUGEN is a policy analyst at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and its Right on Crime initiative.
His work for the Foundation has focused primarily on criminal justice reform topics, particularly civil forfeiture, prison reform and justice reinvestment, mens rea reform, occupational licensing, and various law enforcement and privacy issues. He's also written about federal corporate subsidies, school choice, and gun rights.
Haugen is a graduate of Eastern Washington University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with Pre-Medicine Option, and a minor in Chemistry. He also holds an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies from North Idaho College. At EWU, he participated in academic research in a molecular microbiology laboratory for two years, investigating genetic virulence factors and pathophysiology in microbes.
His writing has appeared in National Review, The Hill, Townhall, Washington Examiner, Dallas Morning News, El Paso Times, Trib Talk, RedState, Ricochet, and Breitbart Texas.


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New Bedford Drug Trafficker Sentenced to State Prison
A 48-year-old New Bedford narcotics trafficker was sentenced to serve up to five and a half years in state prison last week in Fall River Superior Court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.
Michael Oliver pleaded guilty to a multi-count indictment, charging him with trafficking in heroin, trafficking in cocaine and possession of a class B drug with intent to distribute—subsequent offense.
On September 17, 2015, detectives with the New Bedford Police Department executed two search warrants on residences connected to the defendant's ongoing narcotics trafficking enterprise. In one of the residences, police found seven grams of cocaine and $17,000 in cash in a hidden safe. In the second residence, police found more than 400 grams of heroin and 50 grams of cocaine in a lockbox.
The defendant had previously served committed time for assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, distribution of a class A drug and assault and battery of a police officer.
The four and a half year to five and a half year state prison sentence was handed down by Judge Renee Dupuis, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michael Sheehan.
"This is another defendant with a long history of criminal behavior who does not belong out on the street," District Attorney Quinn said.
New Bedford Man Indicted in Connection to August Fatal Shooting/Armed Robbery AttemptNew Bedford Repeated Illegal Gun User Sentenced to State Prison


text:
const fs = require('fs-extra');
const path = require('path');
const semver = require('semver');
const merge = require('lodash/merge');

const defaultValues = require('../../defaults/koot-config');
const {
    keyKootBaseVersion,
    // typesSPA
} = require('../../defaults/before-build');

/**
 * 为空项添加默认值
 * @async
 * @param {String} projectDir
 * @param {Object} config
 * @returns {Object}
 */
module.exports = async (projectDir, config) => {
    const filePackageJson = path.resolve(projectDir, 'package.json');
    const kootBaseVersion = await (async () => {
        if (!fs.existsSync(filePackageJson)) return;
        const { koot = {} } = await fs.readJson(filePackageJson);
        return koot.baseVersion || undefined;
    })();

    Object.keys(defaultValues).forEach((key) => {
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                kootBaseVersion &&
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                config[key] = defaultValues[key];
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        } else if (
            typeof config[key] === typeof defaultValues[key] &&
            typeof config[key] === 'object' &&
            !(config[key] instanceof RegExp) &&
            !(defaultValues[key] instanceof RegExp) &&
            !Array.isArray(config[key]) &&
            !Array.isArray(defaultValues[key])
        ) {
            config[key] = merge({}, config[key], defaultValues[key]);
        }
    });

    if (!config[keyKootBaseVersion]) {
        config[keyKootBaseVersion] =
            kootBaseVersion ||
            semver.valid(semver.coerce(process.env.KOOT_VERSION));
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    if (!config.name) {
        if (fs.existsSync(filePackageJson)) {
            config.name = require(filePackageJson).name;
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    }

    if (!config.webpackConfig) {
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            if (process.env.WEBPACK_BUILD_ENV === 'dev') return {};
            return {
                entry: {
                    commons: [
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                        'react-redux',
                        'react-router',
                        'react-router-redux',
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                optimization: {
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                                minChunks: 2,
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    if (
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        // process.env.WEBPACK_BUILD_TYPE === 'spa' ||
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    ) {
        config.bundleVersionsKeep = false;
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};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
	GtkWidget *window;

	gtk_init(&argc, &argv);

	window = gtk_window_new(GTK_WINDOW_TOPLEVEL);
	gtk_window_set_title(GTK_WINDOW(window),"Stop Motion Movie Maker");
	gtk_widget_show(window);

	gtk_main();
	return 0;
}


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text:
Rhopalizus is a genus of round-necked longhorn beetles of the subfamily Cerambycinae.

Species
 Rhopalizus chlorolineatus Quedenfeldt, 1882
 Rhopalizus dorsalis Hintz, 1919
 Rhopalizus euporidus Jordan, 1894
 Rhopalizus femoralis Hintz, 1919
 Rhopalizus laetus Lameere, 1893
 Rhopalizus laevicollis Hintz, 1916
 Rhopalizus nitens (Fabricius, 1781)
 Rhopalizus schweinfurthi Schmidt, 1922

References
 Biolib

Callichromatini

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
ARubiksBlock_Standart::ARubiksBlock_Standart(const class FObjectInitializer& OI)
	: Super(OI)
{
	static ConstructorHelpers::FObjectFinder<UStaticMesh> meshObjFinder(TEXT("StaticMesh'/Game/Cube/Block/Block_BlackPlasic.Block_BlackPlasic'"));

	UStaticMeshComponent* smComponent = OI.CreateDefaultSubobject < UStaticMeshComponent >(this, MakeUniqueObjectName(this, AActor::StaticClass(), "Block"));
	smComponent->SetStaticMesh(meshObjFinder.Object);
	smComponent->SetupAttachment(RootComponent);
	smComponent->SetRelativeLocationAndRotation(FVector(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f), FRotator(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f));
}


text:
Austroagrion – rodzaj ważek z rodziny łątkowatych (Coenagrionidae).

Należą do niego następujące gatunki:
 Austroagrion cyane
 Austroagrion exclamationis
 Austroagrion kiautai
 Austroagrion pindrina
 Austroagrion watsoni

Przypisy

Austroagrion


text:
Patriots, Tom Brady Not Close On Extension
July 22nd, 2019 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson
Tom Brady has never played into a contract year, but coming into his 20th NFL training camp, the Patriots legend remains attached to his through-2019 deal. That may be the case for a bit.
The Patriots and their soon-to-be 42-year-old quarterback do not appear to be on the verge of an extension, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (video link). Brady's cap number sits at $27MM — the league's fourth-highest 2019 figure.
This news probably shouldn't be too alarming, as it is not like the six-time Super Bowl champion is a realistic 2020 free agent. Brady and the Patriots have made a habit of late-summer re-ups. Two of Brady's five previous extensions have been agreed to after training camp began, with 2010's four-year, $72MM deal coming on the eve of that Patriots season opener. Brady's first extension — a four-year, $28MM pact — was agreed to in late August of 2002.
Robert Kraft said earlier this year he would like another Brady extension to come to pass, and given the Patriots' lack of a true successor on the roster, they certainly appear to be planning for at least a 21st Brady season. Brady has long said he would like to play into his mid-40s.
The incentive package the Patriots and Brady agreed to in 2018 does not affect the timing of another extension. Since that agreement did not change Brady's cap number, the sides do not have to wait a year to finalize a new deal.
The Patriots have built their 2019 roster with Brady's $27MM included; the team has just more than $6MM in cap space. A Brady deal would stand to increase the latter figure and potentially help the defending champs add pieces to their roster before the season begins. Rob Gronkowski unretirement rumors have started to gain steam; a Brady extension would help clear a path toward that reality.
12 comments on "Patriots, Tom Brady Not Close On Extension"
madmanTX • 6 months ago
Father of the year. Oh, wait, I meant "call CPS".
MileHighFan • 6 months ago
Brady has likely been getting his money from Kraft under the table anyway. Don't think so? You know how many other quarterbacks have ever cut their team a salary deal in order to leave some money on the table to sign other players? Zero. Bubkes. Nada. Zippo. Thus you shouldn't believe it ever happened here either.
burtgummer • 6 months ago
Blah blah blah just more jealous trash
bosox2004 • 6 months ago
Whiny Broncos fan!!!
eaterofbirds • 6 months ago
I've actually said this in the past in discussion about why he takes less. I get it…you cant win without some level of distribution plan to keep the payroll managed.
I really think Kraft was so enamored with this kid, there was a handshake deal midcareer that ensured he'd be taken care of for his 'service' and to helping Kraft reap the benefits in his own investment in the team. Mine just comes from a less salty side of the discussion, but I really believe there just has to be a way he circumvented the cap to keep everything working. Why wouldn't he? Could be just a trust fund that's just been gaining interest for 20 years. It just sits there for when he retires in some sort of transfer status, like a retirement account. I just can't see Brady being this determined to play every year being as undervalued by the team salary wise as he has been, without some level of compensation down the road.
RedSox Fan • 6 months ago
Broncos are a wear, jealous team, lucky to win 5 games, quit trying to be the Patriots.
sportsfan101 • 6 months ago
salty fans whose teams have inferior quarterbacks and haven't won't 6 super bowl rings, such a shame to hate a player like Brady bc he's the best and wins. I'm a Red Sox fan, yet Derek jeter is one of my all time favorite players bc I'm a fan of the sport and realize true greatness instead of being a sour fan like every non patriot fan out there. How Simply pathetic you all are!
Itrainsontuesday • 6 months ago
Brady is a great QB, possibly the best of all time, but the multiple accounts of the Patriots being caught cheating does sour some people on his accomplishments.
thatsright • 6 months ago
Brady salary all these years. Ridiculously low.
Result: more money to be spent on support: Incredibly wise.
Lesson to all.
crosseyedlemon • 6 months ago
Tom Brady won't be a free agent? Sounds like one of those amazing revelations that Mike Florio usually provides.
DarkSide830 • 6 months ago
who cares. he'll be back in New England or retired regardless. becoming a free agent is irrelevant here.
driftcat28 • 6 months ago
Greatest ever


text:
Saudi Arabia Ready to Send Troops to Syria if Proposed - Foreign Minister
© AP Photo / SPA
During its latest summit, the League of Arab States has called for an international investigation into the alleged chemical weapons' use in Syria and slammed what it described as Iran's meddling in the affairs of other countries.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Monday that Riyadh is willing to send troops to Syria as part of a wider international coalition if it receives a proposal to do so, as cited by Saudi State TV.
"We've been discussing sending forces from the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition to Syria," the minister said at the joint press conference with UN Secretary-General António Guterres after a meeting in Riyadh.
This comes as on Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US administration was considering replacing US troops in Syria with the forces of the Arab countries to stabilize the situation in country's northeast after the defeat of Daesh. US National Security Adviser John Bolton reportedly contacted Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel to discuss the matter.
However, Yahya Kadwani, deputy chairman of Egypt's parliamentary committee has told Sputnik Cairo would deploy its troops to Syria only after UN Security Council approval, but the matter has not been discussed by lawmakers.
© AP Photo / Hassan Ammar
Arab Journalist on Syria Strike: 'This Was an Attack of Three Mafia Gangs'
Meanwhile, experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) fact-finding mission were deployed to Syria to investigate the allegations of a chemical attack last week. OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu said that the mission had not reached Douma yet, as Syrian and Russian officials informed it that there were still pending security issues.
Western countries have accused Syrian government forces of an attack with the use of chemical weapons in Douma on April 7. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that rumors of gas poisoning in Douma were spread to justify foreign interference. The General Staff of Russia's Armed Forces said it warned about a planned provocation in Syria as early as March 13.
READ MORE: Western Actions in Syria 'Manifestation of Typical Hegemony' — Chinese Analysts
After that, the United States, the United Kingdom and France launched strikes against a number of targets in Syria early on Saturday.
Damascus has consistently reported it had destroyed its chemical weapons with the OPCW confirming this in 2016.
Lavrov on S-300 Supply: After West's Attack, We Mull All Options to Defend Syria
Ex-US Envoy Explains Goals of Trump's Strike on Syria
'Completely Bogus': Syria Strike Indefensible Under US, International Law
New Syria's Future Party Not a Kurdish Front, Not Created by US - SFP Head
armed forces, Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia


We have seen different versions of our website in the past many years and as has always been our endeavour, we have been trying to keep ourselves abreast with the changes happening around, in terms of technology and the looks of our website. We hope the information provided here would be beneficial to everyone.
We are focussed on continuing to strengthen our brand - in providing diagnostic solutions to the patients and medical practitioners of the economically-backward Northeast. We are open to all kinds of suggestions and feedback on our services.
We are using the most advanced state-of-the-art-equipments for diagnostic purpose in our centre.


text:
Q: How do I add and remove an event listener using a function with event argument and parameters? For example, I have below function to execute when mouseup event occurs.
const listener = (element: HTMLElement, e: MouseEvent): void => {
    if (e.target instanceof Element && element && !element.contains(e.target)) {
        element.style.backgroundColor = 'red';
    }
}

Then I am trying to figure out how to add extra paramter element to listener and remove it when it is not required anymore.
function addEventListener (element: HTMLElement) => {
    window.document.addEventListener('mouseup', (e) => listener(element, e));
}

function removeEventListener (element: HTMLElement) => {
    window.document.removeEventListener('mouseup', ?? );
}

How can I solve this problem?
I tried using bind like below, but MouseEvent cannot bind before addEventListener.
let callback;

function addEventListener (element: HTMLElement) => {
    // how can I bind `MouseEvent`?
    callback = listener.bind(this, element, ??);
    window.document.addEventListener('mouseup', callback);
}

function removeEventListener (element: HTMLElement) => {
    window.document.removeEventListener('mouseup', callback);
}

Should I use closure here like below?
function createListener(element: HTMLElement) {
    return (e: MouseEvent) => {
        listener(element, e);
    }
}

let callback;

function addEventListener (element: HTMLElement) {
    callback = createListener(account);
    window.document.addEventListener('mouseup', callback);
}

function removeEventListener (element: HTMLElement) => {
    window.document.removeEventListener('mouseup', callback);
}

A: The same way you remove an event listener normally, but store a Map (dictionary) that maps an HTMLElement to a function:
const callbacks = new Map<HTMLElement, (e: MouseEvent) => void>();

function addEventListener (element: HTMLElement) => {
    const callback = (e) => listener(element, e);
    callbacks.set(element, callback);
    window.document.addEventListener('mouseup', callback);
}

function removeEventListener (element: HTMLElement) => {
    const callback = callbacks.get(element);
    if(callback)
    {
        window.document.removeEventListener('mouseup', callback);
        delete callback;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Tag Archives: DMV
(ARCH)ON The Road Again
WARNING, Long involved DMV bureaucratic rant.
Proceed at your own boredom.
After almost 30 years, my ARCHON vanity plates, first acquired here, are back on the road. The wife and I bought our last car. It's actually a rice-burning, Kia Sorento SUV, which sits high enough that the semi-disabled wife and daughter don't have to fight to get down into, and up out of. Properly maintained, it should last 10/15 years, perhaps longer than us. In any case, the next one's up to son Shimoniac to buy.
This is the first NEW car we've owned in almost 50 years of marriage. We purchased two that were less than a year old, taking advantage of the 30% depreciation in value, but were still new enough to be reliable.
For years, we've had the wife's 3 TEASE plates on our cars, because they were registered in her name, and we'd been told by the DMV that that was necessary. It was all a Lie.
I've used the term, 'DMV' mostly for my American readers. Here in Ontario, we have the oxymoronically named "Service Ontario." That's where you have to go, for aggravation, incompetence, poverty, hunting and fishing licenses, drivers' licenses, licence plates, birth certificates, and certified ID cards for people like the daughter, LadyRyl, who can't drive.
After the heart-stopping negotiation of financing this beast, yea, verily, unto the second and third generations, the first problem came when we had the salesman (try to) put my old plates on my new car.
I gave him my old plates, along with the plate ownership form, and the transfer form. The last sticker was applied in 1987. When we went back the next day to pick the car up, he handed me back my plates (but not the two forms), and said that the licence bureau wouldn't let him use my plates because they were registered in the wrong name. We had to take generic plates, and arrange to apply the ARCHON plates ourselves.
A couple of weeks later, we were ready to try. The first thing that the user-(un)friendly Service Ontario did, was ensure that the relatively handy, downtown branch, only 4.2 Km away, DIDN'T PROVIDE AUTO-LICENCE SERVICE. Instead, we got to drive 9.7 Km to a branch on the other side of town. We chose a quiet Wednesday afternoon, when the lineup was only 45 minutes long.
The first time we went, we exchanged the generic plates for the old ARCHON plates. Having a brand-new car, the wife wondered, for a niggling fee of $93.20, if I'd like a brand-new set of plates. It seems a good idea, except….new plates are no longer paint, baked onto steel. They are now printed plastic, laminated on, and there have been many cases of them delaminating, costing drivers $55 to replace faulty Chinese manufacturing. We'll see how these ones last.
Six weeks later, my new set arrived by mail, and off we set once more, to surrender the old set, and validate the new ones. The clerk picked up each set, and found she had to struggle with the old ones. They weighed twice what the new ones do. She'd never seen a set that old. She wondered why we'd gone from generic to vanity, and then to a new set.
The female branch manager was sitting at the next service wicket, and overheard our conversation. Every time I described what happened, or what I was told, she shook her head. I explained how I was not allowed to put my plates on a car registered to the wife. 'No, you can do that.' (With the proper, paid-for form)
I bitched that I wasn't allowed to transfer the ownership of the plates to the wife, without surrendering them to the Provincial Government. 'No, you don't have to surrender them. You can transfer them to your wife.' (With the proper, paid-for form) My clerk looked up, surprised. "They're registered in your wife's name now." Wait, what??! After telling me that they couldn't do it, they changed the plate registration – but didn't tell me they had?? And we paid to buy the wife her own set, and mine languished for decades??! So that explains the dealer's problem. I can't put her plates on my car. 'No, no, I told you that they should have done that. (With the proper, paid-for forms)
So we transferred plate ownership back to me – for $20. Then the clerk wanted to know where the plate ownership and vehicle transfer forms were. "I gave them to the dealer, and I never got them back. I assume that the clerk at the office that they use, kept them." Manager is shaking her head again. 'They should have been returned. We'll have to generate new ones.'
The clerk then charged me $20 to use information that's already on their computer, to print out an ownership form, and another $20 for the same computer information to print a transfer form, for their own paper files. The plate licence expires on my birthday, late in September. Should we renew for just one year – or two?? The manager piped up, 'The yearly fee is increasing from $100/year, to $120/year, starting September 1. Why don't you pre-pay for three years and save?'
I begin to understand why Canada has such restrictions on gun ownership. Do any of you have bureaucratic duel stories (shorter than this) that you want to share?? 😯
Tagged Archon, birthday, bureaucracy, Canada, cars, disabled, DMV, drivers licence, humor, identification, licence plates, Ontario, trivia, vanity


To our guests who have travelled to Kokopo from both the Pacific region and beyond, I warmly welcome you all to our shores on behalf of the people and Government of PNG. I know you have travelled far and I hope your arrival has been met with the warm hospitality and friendly smiles typical of the South Pacific and PNG. Tourism, as you may have observed, is an important component of our economy and I urge you to also take the time to explore a little more of this beautiful country to see what it has to offer.
A special welcome to our colleagues from the Central Bank of Seychelles who are here with us for the first time to participate and learn from the experience that we share as small island states. We hope that you would take away key lessons and insights that may assist you in developing smart and innovative financial inclusion policy to address the challenges you face back at your home country – and we also look forward to learning from you the experiences you can share with us Pacific Islands brothers and sisters.
It is a real pleasure for me to be part of the EGFIP meeting and a great honour to deliver the welcome address on behalf of the EGFIP Chair, Deputy Governor Gane Simbe from the Central Bank of Solomon Islands and the EGFIP Co-Chair, Deputy Governor Peter Tari from the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu.
As you are all aware the EGFIP is the implementing arm of PIRI and your role in ensuring that we work towards developing smart and innovative policy knowledge to address the challenges and constraints that we as small islands face in promoting financial inclusion, is paramount. Our leaders look to us for technical advice and direction, therefore your role in contributing knowledge and experience is critical and important.
This meeting marks another milestone for the Pacific region on its journey towards building a financially inclusive society. It reinforces our common vision as members of PIRI that inclusion is not simply some far off objective we seek to attain—it is also the means through which we attain this objective.
The agenda of financial inclusion continues to grow in importance within our region and needs to be given greater support. It rightly focuses on making financial services—such as savings or deposit services, payment and transfer services, credit and insurance—affordable and accessible to the unbanked and low-income population in a manner that empowers them to participate in economic activity so growth can be more inclusive and sustainable. In fact, financial inclusion has an important social dimension too, in that it ultimately leads to reducing income inequality within our region.
This EGFIP meeting will once again provide a learning opportunity to share our respective experiences in our work in building a more inclusive regional community as indeed we share a similar vision where financial services are accessible by all Pacific Islanders. This vision includes a regional community where every one of our brothers and sisters share an equal opportunity.
Looking around this room this morning, I see people with the passion, vision and skills to make that transformation in our Pacific region. So, I urge you all the EGFIP members from PIRI to seize the opportunity that is presented to you today to continue to contribute to building a better Pacific community for all of us.


text:
Brightcove and LG Electronics Partner to Expand Online Video Distribution to the Living Room
Partnership gives more than 2,700 Brightcove customers around the world an unprecedented opportunity to deliver high quality programming to millions of LG Internet-connected televisions
SEOUL and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., February 23, 2011—Brightcove and LG Electronics (LG) today announced a partnership to expand online video distribution to LG NetCast™-based Smart TVs. The partnership enables more than 2,700 Brightcove customers around the world to extend the reach of their online video initiatives to the living room and provides consumers with new levels of choice and control through access to a range of highly popular video content.
"The partnership between LG and Brightcove opens up a new, global distribution channel to the living room for professional media," said Eric Elia, Brightcove's vice president of TV solutions. "Brightcove customers of all sizes can take advantage of this growing opportunity and expand the reach of some of the world's most highly sought after online video content to millions of LG devices."
"This partnership brings together two market-leading innovators and is the next natural step in providing consumers with instant access to the online content they crave," said Young-jae Seo, vice president of LG Electronics LCD TV Smart TV Team. "We expect to expand our online video distribution capabilities and offer more compelling options to consumers worldwide with Brightcove's unmatched scale and impressive global customer base. The partnership will definitely make LG Smart TVs the go-to devices for video programming."
The LG Smart TV platform provides media companies and brand marketers with an unprecedented opportunity to deliver programming to the living room with control over user experience, programming and important business operations, such as advertising and analytics. Through this partnership, Brightcove and LG will make it easy for Brightcove customers to publish and distribute their video content to the LG Smart TV platform while also giving non-traditional television programmers an easy route to the living room television.
Later this year, Brightcove will introduce a series of tools and support resources to help organizations take advantage of the LG Smart TV platform, including a functionally complete reference application to give customers an advanced starting point for creating immersive LG Smart TV video viewing experiences.
About Brightcove
Brightcove is a cloud-based online video platform. Media companies, businesses and organizations worldwide use Brightcove to publish and distribute video on the Web. Founded in 2004, Brightcove has offices across North America, Europe and Asia and customers in 50 countries. For more information, visit http://www.brightcove.com.
About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 80,000 people working in 115 operations including 84 subsidiaries around the world. 2010 global sales of 55.8 trillion Korean Won (48.2 billion US Dollars), LG comprises four business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, and Air Conditioning and Energy Solution. LG is one of the world's leading producers of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner of Formula 1™ and a Technology Partner of Formula 1™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. For more information, please visit www.lgusa.com.
For Brightcove:
Erika Shaffer
SutherlandGold Group
erika@sutherlandgold.com
Sheena Riviera
sheena.riviera@axicom.com
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