text:
Uma perseguição de carro é a perseguição terrestre veicular de uma parte por outra, envolvendo pelo menos um automóvel ou outro veículo motorizadocomumente perseguição de suspeitos por agentes da lei. A ascensão da indústria automotiva no século 20 aumentou a propriedade de carros, levando a um número crescente de criminosos tentando fugir da polícia em seu próprio veículo ou em um carro roubado. As perseguições podem envolver outras partes (incluindo criminosos) na perseguição de um suspeito ou vítima, ou simplesmente na tentativa de fazer contato com uma pessoa em movimento por motivos não conflitantes.

As perseguições de carros são frequentemente capturadas em noticiários devido às imagens de vídeo gravadas por carros de polícia, policiais e helicópteros da mídia participando da perseguição. As perseguições de carros também são um assunto popular entre a mídia e o público devido à intensidade, ao drama e ao perigo inato de dirigir em alta velocidadee, portanto, são conteúdos comuns na ficção, particularmente nos dramas de ação.

Aplicação da lei

História

As perseguições de carro ocorrem quando um suspeito tenta usar um veículo para escapar da aplicação da lei, tentando detê-lo ou prendê-lo. A suposta ofensa cometida pode variar de contravenções, como infrações de trânsito, a crimes tão graves como assassinato. Quando os suspeitos percebem que foram localizados pelas autoridades policiais, eles tentam perder o perseguidor dirigindo para longe, geralmente em alta velocidade. Geralmente, os suspeitos que a polícia observa praticando crimes para os quais é provável que sejam condenados por longos períodos de prisão, têm mais probabilidade de iniciar perseguições de automóveis. Em 2002, mais de 700 perseguições foram registradas na cidade de Los Angeles, a cidade é conhecida por ser líder em perseguições, dentro e fora dos Estados Unidos.

Um rede televisiva de Los Angeles relatou uma aumento de audiência sempre que perseguições da polícia vão ao ar. Os policiais pediram à mídia para reduzir a cobertura das perseguições, alegando que encorajam os suspeitos a fugir e incitam os curiosos a possivelmente atrapalhar a perseguição, enquanto a mídia responde que a cobertura das perseguições fornece um serviço público e um meio de dificultar a brutalidade policial.

A polícia usa uma série de técnicas para encerrar as perseguições, desde negociar com o motorista, esperar que o combustível do veículo acabe ou torcer para que o veículo do motorista fique de alguma forma desativado até métodos mais enérgicos, como atingir o veículo com viaturas policiais, bater o veículo, realizar um PIT, atirar nos pneus ou o uso de tiras de espigão (spike strip). Quando disponível, um helicóptero pode ser empregado, em alguns casos, podendo seguir o veículo enquanto unidades terrestres podem ou não estar envolvidas. Em 2009 um sistema de rastreamento da StarChase foi usado pelo Departamento de Segurança Pública do Arizona.

Entre 2009 e 2018, 16 policiais foram mortos enquanto faziam uso de tira de espigão (spike strip ou stop sticks), um debate sobre o alto número de mortes fez diversos departamentos reduzir ou eliminar o emprego do equipamento em perseguições.

A primeira perseguição policial registrada em vídeo ocorreu em 1988 em Berea, Ohio.

Em fevereiro de 2005 manifestações foram feitas em Sydney, Austrália, depois que um motorista local bateu um veículo roubado em uma árvore, matando seus dois passageiros após uma perseguição policial em alta velocidade. A morte de uma estudante universitária após uma perseguição em Camberra gerou grandes recriminações sobre as políticas de perseguição policial. Ole Bach foi encontrado morto na Suécia em um suposto suicídio após ter sido seguido em uma perseguição de carro pela polícia secreta sueca, Bach operava fraude financeira e esquema de pirâmide.

Um programa televisivo combinou o gênero de perseguição de carro em uma série de programas de televisão com imagens reais, feitas principalmente de carros de polícia e aplicação da lei ou helicópteros de mídia de suspeitos que fugiam da polícia. Um dos programas mais antigos ainda em produção é COPS, estreado em 1989.

Uma perseguição policial notável ocorreu quando um tanque M60 Patton foi roubado por Shawn Nelson de um arsenal da Guarda Nacional do Exército dos Estados Unidos, em 17 de maio de 1995. Nelson fez um alvoroço em San Diego, Califórnia, com o enorme tanque destruindo vários veículos civis antes de ficar preso numa divisória de pista. A polícia conseguiu entrar no tanque, matando o suspeito quando ele não se rendeu.

Em junho de 2004, o soldador Marvin Heemeyer destruiu 13 edifícios com uma escavadeira modificada, incluindo a Prefeitura de Granby, Colorado, a biblioteca pública, um banco, uma usina de concreto e uma residência pública, resultando em mais de US$7 milhões em dano. Heemeyer cometeu suicídio quando o motor do equipamento falhou.

Em julho de 2007, dois helicópteros colidiram no ar em Steele Indian School Park enquanto cobriam uma perseguição policial, em Phoenix, Arizona. Quatro pessoas morreram, ninguém foi ferido em solo.

Em setembro de 2012, a Fox News transmitiu uma perseguição policial ao vivo no Arizona, que terminou com o suspeito saindo do veículo e atirando em si mesmo após uma curta perseguição. O canal estava transmitindo com um atraso de cinco segundos em vez do atraso normal de dez segundos, o que resultou no tiroteio sendo transmitido ao vivo. O âncora se desculpou pela transmissão e jurou nunca mais deixar isso acontecer.

Riscos e considerações legais

Perseguições em alta velocidade são reconhecidas como um problema de segurança no trânsito, pois veículos não envolvidos na perseguição, pedestres ou objetos podem ser atingidos pelo motorista evasivo, que na maioria das vezes viola uma série de leis de trânsito, muitas vezes repetidamente, em sua tentativa de fuga. No Reino Unido, estima-se que 40 pessoas morrem por ano em incidentes de trânsito envolvendo a polícia, a maioria como resultado de uma perseguição policial. Nos Estados Unidos, as mortes relacionadas à perseguição variam entre 300 e 400 pessoas por ano.

A Lei de Kristie foi uma proposta de lei da Califórnia que restringiria a imunidade por danos (incluindo ferimentos ou mortes) causados por perseguições em alta velocidade, onde as agências de aplicação da lei estabeleceram, mas não seguiram, políticas de perseguição.

Em 2007, a Suprema Corte dos Estados Unidos decidiu em Scott v. Harris (550 U.S. 372) que uma "tentativa do policial de encerrar uma perigosa perseguição de carros em alta velocidade que ameaça a vida de transeuntes inocentes não viola a Quarta Emenda, mesmo quando coloca o motorista em fuga em risco de ferimentos graves ou morte."

Na maioria das jurisdições de direito comum, a "regra dos bombeiros" impede que policiais feridos em tais perseguições entrem com ações civis por danos monetários contra os suspeitos em fuga, porque esses ferimentos são considerados um risco inerente ao trabalho. A indignação pública com essa imunidade resultou em exceções legais. Um exemplo é a Seção 1714.9 do Código Civil da Califórnia, de 1982, que restabelece a responsabilidade quando o suspeito sabia ou deveria saber que a polícia estava presente.

A política sobre as circunstâncias que justificam uma perseguição em alta velocidade variam de acordo com a jurisdição. Alguns defensores da segurança querem restringir as perseguições a crimes violentos. Outra opção é usar a tecnologia para encerrar ou evitar a necessidade dessas perseguições. Por exemplo, os veículos podem ser rastreados por aeronaves ou dispositivo de marcação GPS como StarChase, permitindo que agências policiais interceptem suspeitos de forma confiável usando bloqueios ou quando o veículo está parado.

Buscas interjurisdicionais e questões políticas
Um perigo particular que acompanha as perseguições policiais é o problema de múltiplas agências de aplicação da lei se envolvendo em uma perseguição que atravessa os limites municipais e jurisdicionais. Isso geralmente é complicado por incompatibilidade de comunicação de rádio e diferenças políticas nos vários departamentos envolvidos em uma busca.

A cidade de Dallas, Texas, foi a primeira grande cidade dos Estados Unidos a adotar uma "Política de Perseguição Interjurisdicional" para tratar dos problemas inerentes às perseguições de carros que envolviam mais de uma agência de aplicação da lei. Em agosto de 1984, a Divisão de Planejamento e Pesquisa do Departamento de Polícia de Dallas começou a elaborar uma política que mais de 20 agências locais de aplicação da lei poderiam concordar em obedecer quando automóveis cruzassem suas fronteiras durante perseguições. O resultado foi um modelo de política que se tornou o padrão para uso dos departamentos de polícia nos Estados Unidos.

Na Europa, como muitas fronteiras nacionais não têm mais estações de fronteira, as perseguições às vezes podem cruzar as fronteiras nacionais. Os estados geralmente têm acordos em que a polícia de um estado pode continuar a perseguição além da fronteira nacional.

No cinema e na televisão

No cinema e na televisão, o termo "perseguição de carro" refere-se a uma "cena de perseguição" envolvendo dois ou mais automóveis perseguindo um ao outro, a perseguição pode ou não envolver um carro de polícia. As perseguições de carros fazem parte de filmes de ação, e os filmes são usualmente construídos inteiramente em torno das perseguições, muitas vezes apresentando veículos exóticos de alta potência. Eles são populares porque são cenas de movimento rápido que geram muita emoção e ação, devido à velocidade dos veículos envolvidos e as colisões em potencial e os destroços resultantes dos acidentes, enquanto não são muito caros para encenar.

Encenar sequências de perseguição, requer geralmente várias tomadas e destruição de vários veículos (intencionalmente ou por acidente), dando um incentivo para os cineastas encontrarem maneiras de reduzir custos. Portanto, é comum usar veículos mais antigos que estão 1–2 gerações atrás dos modelos atuais no mercado, uma vez que podem ser aquisições de segunda mão a baixo custo devido à depreciação. Existem algumas exceções, se um veículo de alto perfil (talvez, mas não necessariamente um veículo "halo") for usado e/ou se o fabricante do veículo pagar pela colocação do produto em uma produção. Exemplos incluem as franquias James Bond e Transporter que usam veículos atuais e até mesmo veículos-conceito.

Embora as perseguições nos filmes tenham sido encenadas já no próprio veículo motorizado - um dos primeiros exemplos sendo "Runaway Match" de 1903 - o consenso entre historiadores e críticos de cinema é que o primeiro filme moderno com perseguição de carro foi Bullitt de 1968. A cena de perseguição revolucionária de 10 minutos em Bullitt colocou câmeras de forma que o público se sentisse dentro dos veículos. Mesmo durante as cenas mais calamitosas, a estrelaSteve McQueenpodia ser visto claramente ao volante do veículo. Anteriormente, as cenas de perseguição de carros eram frequentemente encenadas usando usando projeção.

A Conexão Francesa aumentou ainda mais o realismo. Enquanto as perseguições anteriores obviamente foram filmadas em estradas fechadas, rodovias isoladas ou manhãs de domingo (incluindo Bullitt), o filme colocou a perseguição em meio ao tráfego e pedestres da caótica Nova York.

Com o passar do tempo, também aumentaram as expectativas de perseguição em filmes. Desde Bullitt, as perseguições apresentadas em filmes tornaram-se mais avançadas e indiscutivelmente mais divertidas. Os acidentes de carro também têm assumido um papel cada vez mais importante, com a destruição de qualquer veículo muitas vezes sendo um deleite para o espectador. Um dos primeiros exemplos de um acidente encenado, mas surpreendente em uma perseguição pode ser encontrado no filme McQ de 1974, que apresentou uma capotagem incrível, o primeiro capotamento de verdade, em uma praia.

Eventualmente, isso resultou em filmes que não são muito mais do que uma série de perseguições de carro interligadas, como o filme Gone in 60 Seconds, de 1974, que culminou em uma cena de perseguição de 40 minutos com vários acidentes (alguns deles reais) e um salto no ar de  de altura e  de comprimento sobre carros acidentados que bloqueiam uma estrada.Provavelmente, a perseguição de carro mais comum é aquela em que um carro está sendo perseguido pela polícia. Uma das variações mais famosas é de The French Connection e envolve um carro perseguindo um trem elevado. Perseguições envolvendo ônibus, caminhões, veículos de neve, trens, tanques e praticamente todos os outros tipos de veículos, com ou sem rodas, surgiram em algum momento.

Filmes como The Blues Brothers, The Keystone Kops, WC Fields, The Three Stooges, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Shaggy Dog, The Gumball Rally, Sem Depósito, Sem Retorno, Freaky Friday, The Gnome Mobile, Esse Pato Vale Ouro, O que se passa, doutor?, Short Time e muitos outros têm perseguições que são usadas para comédia.

Provavelmente, o tipo mais complexo de perseguição envolve ir contra o tráfego moderadamente congestionado das rodovias em alta velocidade, mais notavelmente em To Live and Die em LA e Ronin.

Vários filmes que apresentam perseguições complexas em grande escala envolvendo muitos veículos na perseguição incluem Os Irmãos dos Blues, O Transporter, Caçadores da Arca Perdida, O Guerreiro da Estrada e a franquia Velozes e Furiosos. Outro método de melhorar uma cena de perseguição é fazer um personagem se mover de um veículo para outro e lutar dentro ou em cima de um veículo, cena empregada de forma eficaz em Matrix Reloaded.

Vários programas de televisão foram desenvolvidos em torno da popularidade de perseguições, como CHiPs, The Dukes of Hazzard, Knight Rider, Airwolf e, mais recentemente, Chase.

Em tempos mais modernos, o uso de imagens geradas por computador está se tornando cada vez mais popular e, embora caro, elimina qualquer nível de perigo. Embora às vezes impressionante, costuma-se argumentar que elimina o realismo da cena de perseguição, o que pode, por sua vez, danificar o fator de emoção estabelecido. Exemplos recentes dessas imagens geradas por computador podem ser encontrados nos filmes de Michael Bay, Bad Boys II e The Island. Driven foi particularmente criticada por suas sequências de perseguição em CGI. Essas críticas afetaram as recentes produções de Hollywood, por exemplo, filmes como Ronin, A Supremacia Bourne, O Reino, O Cavaleiro das Trevas e Need For Speed tiveram perseguições reais com uso mínimo de CGI.

No filme de comédia de ação Hot Fuzz, a cena em que o sargento Angel persegue o carro em alta velocidade foi declarada a mais curta perseguição de carro da história do cinema. A brevidade da cena, como reconhecida nas entrevistas, era ela mesma a piada.

Em videogames
Muitos videogames, muitas vezes dentro do mundo aberto e gêneros de corrida, tendem a conter, se não se concentrar em perseguições de algum tipo, geralmente envolvendo a polícia. Muitas dessas perseguições costumam ser fortemente estilizadas, com a polícia frequentemente atacando ou até atirando em veículos suspeitos.Exemplos notáveis de tais jogos incluem:

 Bally Midway's Spy Hunter (1983), apresentando um veículo armado no estilo James Bond e APB (1987), do Atari, onde o jogador controlava um carro da polícia.
 Chase HQ (1988) e suas sequências fazem com que o jogador assuma o papel de um policial que, junto com seu parceiro, devem parar criminosos em perseguições em alta velocidade.
 A saga Need for Speed é notável por sua representação de perseguições policiais, geralmente envolvendo carros de alto desempenho dirigidos por criminosos e policiais.
 A franquia Grand Theft Auto (GTA) é especialmente famosa por sua representação de perseguições em missões e em mundo aberto, com perseguições imprudentes por criminosos e policiais sendo possíveis em quase todos os jogos da série.
 L.A. Noire (2011) apresenta perseguições policiais em vários de seus casos e missões, embora ao contrário de Grand Theft Auto, o jogador assume o papel de policial.

Veja também

 Roubo de carros
 Roubo de veículo motorizado
 Corrida de rua (racha)

Ligações externas

 Estatísticas e fatos
 Relatório de perseguição policial IACP

Criminalidade
Terminologias de filmes e vídeos


text:
import pick from 'lodash/pick';
import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import ReactTestUtils from 'react-addons-test-utils';

import Position from '../src/Position';

import { render } from './helpers';

describe('Position', function () {
  // Swallow extra props.
  const Span = () => ;

  it('Should output a child', function () {
    let instance = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
      <Position>
        Text
      </Position>
    );
    assert.equal(ReactDOM.findDOMNode(instance).nodeName, 'SPAN');
  });

  it('Should warn about several children', function () {
    expect(() => {
      ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
        <Position>
          Text
          Another Text
        </Position>
      );
    }).to.throw(/React.Children.only expected to receive a single React element child./);
  });

  describe('position recalculation', function () {
    beforeEach(function () {
      sinon.spy(Position.prototype, 'componentWillReceiveProps');
      sinon.spy(Position.prototype, 'updatePosition');
    });

    afterEach(function () {
      Position.prototype.componentWillReceiveProps.restore();
      Position.prototype.updatePosition.restore();
    });

    it('Should only recalculate when target changes', function () {
      class TargetChanger extends React.Component {
        constructor(props) {
          super(props);

          this.state = {
            target: 'foo',
            fakeProp: 0
          };
        }

        render() {
          return (

              <Position
                target={() => this.refs[this.state.target]}
                fakeProp={this.state.fakeProp}
              >

              </Position>

          );
        }
      }

      const instance = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<TargetChanger />);

      // Position calculates initial position.
      expect(Position.prototype.componentWillReceiveProps)
        .to.have.not.been.called;
      expect(Position.prototype.updatePosition)
        .to.have.been.calledOnce;

      instance.setState({target: 'bar'});

      // Position receives new props and recalculates position.
      expect(Position.prototype.componentWillReceiveProps)
        .to.have.been.calledOnce;
      expect(Position.prototype.updatePosition)
        .to.have.been.calledTwice;

      instance.setState({fakeProp: 1});

      // Position receives new props but should not recalculate position.
      expect(Position.prototype.componentWillReceiveProps)
        .to.have.been.calledTwice;
      expect(Position.prototype.updatePosition)
        .to.have.been.calledTwice;
    });

    it('Should recalculate position if shouldUpdatePosition prop is true', function () {
      class Target extends React.Component {
        constructor(props) {
          super(props);

          this.state = {
            target: 'bar',
            fakeProp: 0
          };
        }

        render() {
          return (

              <Position
                target={() => this.refs[this.state.target]}
                shouldUpdatePosition
                fakeProp={this.state.fakeProp}
              >

              </Position>

          );
        }
      }

      const instance = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<Target />);

      // Position calculates initial position.
      expect(Position.prototype.componentWillReceiveProps)
        .to.have.not.been.called;
      expect(Position.prototype.updatePosition)
        .to.have.been.calledOnce;

      instance.setState({fakeProp: 1});

      // Position receives new props and position should be recalculated
      expect(Position.prototype.componentWillReceiveProps)
        .to.have.been.calledOnce;
      expect(Position.prototype.updatePosition)
        .to.have.been.calledTwice;
    });
  });

  describe('position calculation', function () {
    let mountPoint;

    beforeEach(function () {
      mountPoint = document.createElement('div');
      document.body.appendChild(mountPoint);
    });

    afterEach(function () {
      ReactDOM.unmountComponentAtNode(mountPoint);
      document.body.removeChild(mountPoint);
    });

    function checkPosition(placement, targetPosition, expected) {
      class FakeOverlay extends React.Component {
        render() {
          return (

          );
        }
      }

      class FakeContainer extends React.Component {
        render() {
          return (

              <Position
                target={() => this.refs.target}
                container={this}
                containerPadding={50}
                placement={placement}
              >
                <FakeOverlay ref="overlay" />
              </Position>
              <Position
                target={() => this.refs.target}
                container={() => this}
                containerPadding={50}
                placement={placement}
              >
                <FakeOverlay ref="overlay_for_callback_container" />
              </Position>

          );
        }
      }

      const expectedPosition = {
        positionLeft: expected[0],
        positionTop: expected[1],
        arrowOffsetLeft: expected[2],
        arrowOffsetTop: expected[3]
      };

      it('Should calculate the correct position', function() {
        const instance = render(<FakeContainer />, mountPoint);

        ['overlay', 'overlay_for_callback_container'].forEach(function(overlayRefName) {
          const calculatedPosition = pick(
            instance.refs[overlayRefName].props, Object.keys(expectedPosition)
          );
          expect(calculatedPosition).to.eql(expectedPosition);

        });
      });
    }

    [
      {
        placement: 'left',
        noOffset: [50, 200, undefined, '50%'],
        offsetBefore: [-200, 50, undefined, '0%'],
        offsetAfter: [300, 350, undefined, '100%']
      },
      {
        placement: 'top',
        noOffset: [200, 50, '50%', undefined],
        offsetBefore: [50, -200, '0%', undefined],
        offsetAfter: [350, 300, '100%', undefined]
      },
      {
        placement: 'bottom',
        noOffset: [200, 350, '50%', undefined],
        offsetBefore: [50, 100, '0%', undefined],
        offsetAfter: [350, 600, '100%', undefined]
      },
      {
        placement: 'right',
        noOffset: [350, 200, undefined, '50%'],
        offsetBefore: [100, 50, undefined, '0%'],
        offsetAfter: [600, 350, undefined, '100%']
      }
    ].forEach(function(testCase) {
      const placement = testCase.placement;

      describe(`placement = ${placement}`, function() {
        describe('no viewport offset', function() {
          checkPosition(
            placement, {left: 250, top: 250}, testCase.noOffset
          );
        });

        describe('viewport offset before', function() {
          checkPosition(
            placement, {left: 0, top: 0}, testCase.offsetBefore
          );
        });

        describe('viewport offset after', function() {
          checkPosition(
            placement, {left: 500, top: 500}, testCase.offsetAfter
          );
        });
      });
    });

    describe('calculate using container callback function', function () {

    });
  });

  it('should not forward own props to child', function () {
    let spiedProps;
    const Child = (props) => {
      spiedProps = props;
      return
;
    };

    ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
      <Position target={() => null} childProp="foo">
        <Child />
      </Position>
    );

    expect(spiedProps.target).to.not.exist;
    expect(spiedProps.childProp).to.equal('foo');
  });

  // ToDo: add remaining tests
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
NGC 511 ist eine Elliptische Galaxie vom Hubble-Typ E0 im Sternbild Fische auf der Ekliptik. Sie ist schätzungsweise 504 Millionen Lichtjahre von der Milchstraße entfernt und hat einen Durchmesser von etwa 160.000 Lichtjahren.

Im selben Himmelsareal befindet sich u. a. die Galaxie IC 112.

Das Objekt wurde am 26. Oktober 1876 vom französischen Astronomen Édouard Jean-Marie Stephan entdeckt.

Weblinks

 SIMBAD Astronomical Database

Einzelnachweise

Elliptische Galaxie

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Homebreast cancerPlavix (clopidogrel) vs. Xarelto (rivaroxaban): Blood Thinner Side Effects
Plavix (clopidogrel) vs. Xarelto (rivaroxaban): Blood Thinner Side Effects
Clopidogrel vs. Xarelto: What's the difference?
Clopidogrel and Xarelto (rivaroxaban) are blood thinners used for preventing strokes, heart attacks, and death in individuals who have had a previous stroke, unstable angina, heart attack, or have peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Xarelto is also used to treat and reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) and reduce the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs of patients who have just had hip or knee replacement surgery.
A brand name for clopidogrel is Plavix.
Side effects of clopidogrel and Xarelto that are similar include itching and increased bleeding.
Side effects of clopidogrel that are different from Xarelto include diarrhea, rash, abdominal pain, headache, chest pain, muscle aches, dizziness, allergic reactions, pancreatitis, and liver failure.
Side effects of Xarelto that are different from clopidogrel include back pain and elevated levels of liver enzymes.
What is Clopidogrel? What is Xarelto?
Clopidogrel is an anti-platelet drug used for preventing strokes, heart attacks, and death in high-risk individuals who have had a heart attack, unstable angina, previous stroke, or have peripheral arterial disease (PAD). It prevents blood clots by binding to the P2Y12 receptor on platelets, preventing adenosine diphosphate (ADP) from activating platelets. Clopidogrel is a P2Y12 inhibitor, a drug class that also includes ticagrelor (Brilinta) and prasugrel (Effient). Clopidogrel is similar to ticlopidine (Ticlid) in chemical structure and in the way it works.
Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is an anticoagulant (blood thinner) used to prevent and treat blood clots. Blood clots formed in the heart are dangerous since they can travel to the brain and cause a stroke. Blood clots formed in the legs or lungs can also be life threatening if not treated. Xarelto is a selective inhibitor of factor Xa, an enzyme necessary to form blood clots. It reduces the ability of blood to clot. Xarelto is used to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation not due to a heart valve problem, to treat and reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT, blood clots in the veins of the legs) and pulmonary embolism (PE, blood clots in the lungs) and reduce the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs of patients who have just had hip or knee replacement surgery. In combination with aspirin, Xarelto is used to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) or peripheral artery disease (PAD).
What are the side effects of clopidogrel and Xarelto?
The tolerability of clopidogrel is similar to that of aspirin. The more common side effects of clopidogrel are:
rash,
itching,
headache,
chest pain,
muscle aches,
severe bleeding,
allergic reactions,
pancreatitis, and
liver failure.
Ticlopidine (Ticlid) is an antiplatelet medication quite similar to clopidogrel. It has been associated with a severe reduction in white blood cell count in between 0.8% and 1% of persons. The risk of this dangerous side effect with clopidogrel is about 0.04%, much less than with ticlopidine but twice that of aspirin.
Clopidogrel rarely causes a condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) in one out of every 250,000 people. TTP is a serious condition in which blood clots form throughout the body. Blood platelets, which participate in clotting, are consumed, and the result can be bleeding because enough platelets are no longer left to allow blood to clot normally. For comparison, the related drug, ticlodipine (Ticlid), causes TTP 17-50 times more frequently than clopidogrel.
The most common side effect of Xarelto is bleeding. The risk of bleeding is higher when Xarelto is taken with medicines such as aspirin or aspirin-containing products, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), heparin, clopidogrel (Plavix), and other medicines used to prevent or treat blood clots.
Some rare but serious cases of bleeding and paralysis have been reported with the use of Xarelto in patients undergoing spinal or epidural procedures. Risk is highest in patients who have problems with their spine, use indwelling epidural catheters, have had spinal surgery, or use other medicines that prevent clotting or make them more likely to bleed.
Other common side effects of Xarelto include:
Elevated levels of liver enzymes
Serious side effects of Xarelto include:
Severe bleeding
Decreased platelets
What is the dosage for clopidogrel vs. Xarelto?
Clopidogrel bisulfate usually is taken once daily. It can be taken with or without food. Clopidogrel is activated by enzymes in the liver to its active form. Individuals who have reduced activity of liver enzymes that activate clopidogrel due to liver disease may not adequately respond to clopidogrel. Alternative treatments should be used for these patients. The recommended dose for treating unstable angina or heart attack is 300 mg initially followed by 75 mg daily in combination with 75-325 mg of aspirin. Peripheral arterial disease or recent stroke is treated with 75 mg daily.
To reduce the risk of stroke in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, patients with creatinine clearance (a measure of kidney function) >50 ml/min should be given 20 mg once a day with the evening meal. (Xarelto is better absorbed if it is given with food.) Patients with creatinine clearance between 15 to 50 ml/min should be given 15 mg once a day with the evening meal.
To treat blood DVT or pulmonary embolism, 15 mg is administered by mouth twice daily with food for the first 21 days, followed by 20 mg once daily with food for 6 months.
To reduce the risk of recurrence of DVT or pulmonary embolism, 20 mg should be administered by mouth once daily with food.
To prevent DVT following hip replacement surgery, 10 mg is administered by mouth once daily for 35 days.
To prevent DVT following knee replacement surgery, 10 mg is administered by mouth once daily for 12 days.
When switching from warfarin (Coumadin) to rivaroxaban, warfarin should be stopped and then rivaroxaban started as soon as the international normalized ratio (a measure of the effects of warfarin) is < 3.0.
When switching from blood thinning medicines other than warfarin to rivaroxaban, rivaroxaban should be started up to 2 hours before or at the time of the next scheduled evening dose.
Use of rivaroxaban is not recommended in patients with moderate (Child-Pugh B) and severe (Child-Pugh C) liver disease or another type of liver disease associated with blood disorders.
To avoid serious side effects rivaroxaban should not be used in patients with significantly reduced kidney function defined as creatinine clearance <30 ml/min.
Patients who are having difficulty swallowing whole tablets can crush the 10 mg, 15 mg, and 20 mg tablets and mix with applesauce immediately before use.
• Note: While the 15 and 20 mg tablets should be taken with food, the 10 mg tablets can be taken with or without food.
Sickle cell disease is named after a farming tool.
What drugs interact with clopidogrel and Xarelto?
The combination of clopidogrel with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), nabumetone (Relafen), fenoprofen (Nalfon), flurbiprofen (Ansaid), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis; Oruvail), oxaprozin (Daypro), piroxicam (Feldene), sulindac (Clinoril), tolmetin (Tolectin), and mefenamic acid (Ponstel) may increase the risk of stomach and intestinal bleeding.
Combining clopidogrel with warfarin (Coumadin) or other drugs that cause bleeding increases the risk of bleeding.
Clopidogrel is converted to its active form by enzymes in the liver. Drugs that reduce the activity of these enzymes, for example, omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid) or esomeprazole (Nexium) may reduce the activity of clopidogrel and should not be used with clopidogrel. Other drugs that also may react with clopidogrel in a similar fashion include fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), cimetidine (Tagamet), fluconazole (Diflucan), ketoconazole (Nizoral, Extina, Xolegel, Kuric), voriconazole (Vfend), ethaverine (Ethatab, Ethavex), felbamate (Felbatol), and fluvoxamine (Luvox).
The CYP3A4 liver enzymes and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) drug transporter systems are primarily responsible for metabolizing and removing Xarelto from the body. Taking Xarelto with medicines that alter the activity of both the CYP3A4 enzymes and P-gp drug transporters may affect blood levels of Xarelto. Xarelto should not be taken with:
ketoconazole (Nizoral),
ritonavir (Norvir),
clarithromycin (Biaxin),
erythromycin (Ery-Tabs),
fluconazole (Diflucan),
carbamazepine (Tegretol),
phenytoin (Dilantin),
rifampin (Rimactane), or,
St. John's Wort.
Xarelto should not be used with other blood thinners due to the increased risk of bleeding.
Are clopidogrel and Xarelto safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding?
There are no adequate studies of clopidogrel in pregnant women.
Studies in rats have shown that clopidogrel appears in breast milk; however, it is not known whether it also appears in human breast milk. Because of a potential for side effects in the nursing infant, the physician must weigh the potential benefits and possible risks before prescribing clopidogrel to nursing mothers.
Due to the lack of conclusive safety data, Xarelto should be used in pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. Xarelto is classified as FDA pregnancy risk category C (animal studies show harm but there are no adequate studies in humans).
It is not known if Xarelto is excreted in breast milk. Because many drugs enter human milk and have the potential of causing harm to the nursing baby, Xarelto should be used cautiously in nursing mothers.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Different groups of people admire and have admired different exemplars and traits.
An online experiment (N = 240) was conducted to test a 2 (exemplar typicality: atypical exemplar vs.
Upon mastery of an appropriate safety response in the presence of the two handgun training exemplars, training began using fire-starting agent training exemplar one (i.
Exemplar projects capture examples of best practice methods used to reduce carbon emissions, deliver long term community benefits and manage our resources and waste better.
The Exemplar Programme takes a holistic view of Welsh construction, because when done right, best practice has a positive impact on every aspect of the industry, from community benefits to energy performance and reducing carbon impacts and CO2 emissions.
Eight of the 10 children responded incorrectly to all trials of the ABC, Category, and Exemplar probes.
With its proprietary technologies in animal genetics, Exemplar has developed a broad pipeline of transgenic swine models for research and development of heart disease, cancer, cystic fibrosis, cardiac arrhythmia, neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders.
By building custom designed models of genetic human disease through the use of its gene modification technology and model production system, Exemplar is closing the gap between genetically engineered rodent models and humans overcoming a long-standing challenge for the medical research industry, Intrexon said.
things that are green"); by using items that are at least moderately associated to the category we ensure exemplar competition.
The Cadet Exemplar Program is a way for each Air Force Academy class to honor and identify with "a past military giant,'' according to information provided by the academy.
This sample response may not match exactly what another teacher would write as an exemplar for his or her students.


Git: How to copy a range of commits from one branch to another?
Sometimes it is useful to copy a series of commit to another branch. This post describes how to do this using git rebase. Two example illustrate different scenarios which should help to understand the command arguments in generell.
Example 1: The commit P, Q, R which are contained in branch feature should be copied to branch master. The commits should be appended to commit M.
The first command git rebase --onto M O R copies the commits P, Q, R to the branch master. They won't be visible if you check the visual graph in gitk. This is because there is no branch reference that points to one of the three commits. To update the branch master run the second command git rebase HEAD master which moves up the HEAD to commit R.


text:
The stunning Red Room is in the final throes of a $1 million restoration.
Photo: Danlly Domingo
A Hidden Art Deco Lobby on Wall Street Undergoes a $1 Million Restoration
An exclusive peek at the elaborate mosaic-clad Red Room, designed by Hildreth Meière
Photography by Danlly Domingo
When it was unveiled in 1931, the elaborate mosaic-clad lobby of Irving Trust Co. at 1 Wall Street, an Art Deco skyscraper designed by architect Ralph Walker, was one of Manhattan's most unusual interior gems. The Red Room, created by artisan Hildreth Meière, was sheathed in a dazzling pattern of orange and oxblood glass tiles, and laced with a web of gold and bronze lines. Closed to the public since 2001, the 9,000-square-foot mosaic installation is in the final stage of a 16-month, $1 million restoration, spearheaded by developer Harry Macklowe, who bought the building three years ago. (His firm, Macklowe Properties, is busy converting the rest of the 1.1-million-square-foot edifice into residences and retail.) When the vaulted space is once again revealed, the glowing results are sure to enchant a new generation of New Yorkers.
The northwest corner of the room held a time capsule that was removed by BNY Mellon after they sold the building to Macklowe. The gash, still visible, will soon be repaired as part of the project. Photo: Danlly Domingo
New flooring will be installed in the coming weeks. Photo: Danlly Domingo
The developers plan to lease the space for retail or use it as a sales gallery. Photo: Danlly Domingo
A detail of the tiles, which range from oxblood to orange. Photo: Danlly Domingo
Cover: The stunning Red Room is in the final throes of a $1 million restoration.


Google Search turns 20 this year. And while Google was just a search engine in 1998, these days it's also the home to YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, the Chrome web browser (and operating system) and Android, among other things.
But the company still has a search engine that you may use from time to time… and today Google is announcing some major changes to Search. It's not just a white screen with a text box and a cute logo anymore.
OK, it hasn't been just that in a long time. But it looks like you can expect a lot more multimedia and interactive content in your search results in the future.
First up, the Google Feed is getting a redesign and a new name. When you use Google on a mobile device, you'll see a series of cards below the search box or when you swipe left on the home screen (if your launcher supports the feature). That used to be called Feed. Now it's called Discover.
Google is adding topic headers above cards to give you a better idea of why they're showing up. in the discover section. You can tap one of those headers to see more items related to the topic. And if you want to keep seeing similar content, you can tap the Follow button to customize your experience.
You can also let Google know if you want to see more or less of a certain topic.
The Discover section will also start showing "evergreen" content which may not be new, but which Google thinks you may be interested in, and which you may not have previously seen.
Discover is also bringing multi-lingual support, starting with English and Spanish. If you tend to read the news in Spanish, but everything else in English, Google will take note and deliver appropriate suggestions.
Finally, Google is moving Discover beyond the Google app: soon you'll see it when you visit Google.com in a web browser on your phone.
Google is also introducing some new features to help you keep track of things you've already searched for.
For example, there's a new activity card that will show related sites you've already visited when you enter when you enter a relevant search term. So if you searched for something last week, found a really useful website, but forgot to bookmark it, Google can make it a little easier to find without the need to start scanning through your search history or browser history manually.
You can also add content from an activity card to a Collection, basically creating a scrapbook of relevant content. Google will also recommend related content.
Google is making several changes to Google Images searches. The search engine will prioritize images from pages with better content — so if you click through to the page, the image you searched for will be easy to find and it may be surrounded by relevant information. If you searched for cookie recipes and found a picture of fresh baked cookies, you'd probably expect a recipe if you clicked through to the website, for example.
The search results page will also provide more information about the website including captions with the title of the page to help you know more before you click.
Google Lens is also coming to the mobile version of Google Images. Previously the feature was available in Google Photos and the camera app on some smartphones, letting Google analyze a picture to identify landmarks, animals, and other objects and provide information from search results.
Now Google Lens will let you analyze pictures found through Google Images and see other related images with link to websites with more information (or purchase links).
Google rolled out its answer to Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook stories earlier this year. It leverages Google's AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) technology and it's, unsurprisingly, called AMP Stories. Now Google is starting to use AI to create AMP stories automatically, and it will offer them up for some searches.
I'm not sure how useful this format will be for users, but it certainly seems like a way for Google to help keep you on their site. But it doesn't look too hard to avoid: don't click on a story and it won't open in full screen mode.
Google is also adding featured videos to search results, allowing you to watch some videos without leaving the Google search experience.
Good luck Brad with organic traffic. Good luck for all of us. Kind of a bit harder to get to that #2, #3, etc search result with clutter and redirections above.
The first thing I do when faced with the roll-out of a new feature: what it is and what does it do?
The second: how do I disable it?
Glad I use startpage and duckduckgo for search and Firefox as a browser.


The art deco facade of the building which houses the famous Cambridge Union debating society is to be removed in a £10m refit.
The society moved on to the site behind the Round Church in 1866.
The facade was added in the 1930s. A survey in 2011 found major structural problems across much of the site.
Union president Will Smart said the work would offer "a new lease of life", but the renowned debating room would be unaffected by the renovations.
Planning permission was granted in January by Cambridge City Council, but work had to be scaled back after the Union was unable to meet the original £7.2m share of the cost.
It will pay £5m towards the upgrade with Trinity College, one of the university's wealthiest colleges, paying the rest.
Accommodation for 45 students will be created in a "joint development programme".
Extra "performance space" will be created for the Cambridge Footlights comedy group, whose past members include Peter Cook, various members of Monty Python and The Goodies, through to Fry and Laurie, Armstrong and Miller, and Richard Ayoade.
Mr Smart said: "The 1930s façade is an ugly, ill-conceived addition... it will be replaced by restoring the original brickwork, so the Union's appearance from Round Church Street will be much more sympathetic to Alfred Waterhouse's design.
"This redevelopment will lend a new lease of life to the building and make it fit for the 21st Century, whilst restoring original features that have since been lost."
Councillor Kevin Blencowe, of the city council's planning committee, said the work would give "much-needed vitality to a particularly bland corridor of the city centre".
The work is expected to be completed by late 2020.


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Home » Commentaries » An Astounding Comeback
An Astounding Comeback
Aug 30, 2019 by Lew Rockwell
By Paul Gottfried –
A recently posted commentary of mine on the deceased far Left historian Howard Zinn (1923-2010) refers to a critical study by Hamilton Institute research scholar Mary Grabar. In her exhaustively documented monograph Debunking Howard Zinn, Dr. Grabar demonstrates the gross misrepresentations of the American past, starting with Columbus's voyages down to the Vietnam War, which abound in Zinn's People's History of the United States (1980). Especially in the introductory chapter, Grabar's work dwells on the enormous celebrity that has accrued to Zinn and his work. It has been featured in movies like Good Will Hunting, been fervently endorsed by Democratic politicians, and has sold over two million copies since the book went on the market almost forty years ago..
Although professional historians, including some with impeccable leftist credentials, like Michael Kammen and Eric Foner, have scoffed at Zinn's claims to scholarship, his People's History has obtained the status of a sacred text among progressive intellectuals. The drooling endorsement that this shoddy work received in the Chronicles of Higher Education in 2003 was almost impossible for this reader to get through without feeling slightly nauseated. In my earlier remarks, I may have missed the extent to which Zinn's anti-American screed continues to generate fans among American educational, journalistic and entertainment elites. Mary is clearly right on this point; and I may not have been sufficiently aware of Zinn's enduring popularity among our chattering classes.
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But I am a bit puzzled as to why Zinn enjoys this degree of popularity given what seems to me the almost passé quality of his leftism. Zinn was an angry revolutionary hoping to incite American blacks and Native American activists into overthrowing what remained of the capitalist system and replacing it with his own brand of socialism. There is little evidence that Zinn moved from this frozen Marxist posture into support for feminism and LGBT causes. Perhaps if he lived a bit longer, he would have followed his look-alike Bernie Sanders (who is also a native New Yorker and veteran Marxist of Eastern European Jewish descent) into espousing what has now become the fashionable form of the Left, one that blends elements of Marxist socialism with intersectional themes.
Mary's work on Zinn causes me to reflect further on something that I have been thinking about for decades: Why does today's Left, which focuses on gender and lifestyle victims, continue to glorify an older Marxist Left, which didn't really care about today's victim groups, except to whatever extent it could use some of them to make an economic revolution. Obama worshipfully paid court to the Castro family although the Cuban Communist regime threw homosexuals into concentration camps. Mark Bray in his Antifa Handbook celebrates Communists of the 1930s, although it's highly unlikely that those whom he worships would have had anything but contempt for his pro-gay, pro-feminist, open-borders politics. Although the Left that now exists is rather different from the older Communist Left, it continues to pay tribute to the older Left, as can be seen from the hefty sales of Zinn's book among today's leftists.
This attempt to provide an appearance of continuity on the Left paid handsome dividends in Zinn's case, because it permitted an old-fashioned Communist (or Communist fellow-traveler) to move easily from one phase of the American Left's evolution to another more up-to-date one. Zinn went from being a run-of-the-mill Communist apologist to a new Left icon in the 1960s and even after his death to someone whom the present intersectional Left is trying to hold onto. In this attempt to show itself to be part of an unbroken tradition, the present Left has distinguished itself from the present conservative movement, which happily throws old heroes under the bus, whether Robert E. Lee, H.L. Mencken, Murray Rothbard, Southern Agrarians, or any other past figure who fails to serve present agendas. The Left by contrast practices filial-pietism to a fault.
Mary Grabar's book also caused me to reflect on why in my earlier comments I was not as critical of Zinn as I should have been. It was not that I felt that Mary had been excessively unkind to Zinn's unrelievedly venomous portrait of the American past. Rather I believe that the alternative to this portrait should not be the neocon or 1950s progressive view of American history that Zinn's "conservative" critics at the Wall Street Journal and Prager University are now pushing. That view of American history as the story of social and moral Progress, the end point of which is reached in the New Deal, Great Society, and Civil Rights Revolution (or wherever else the celebrant decides should be the endpoint) is simplistic and one-sided. It also ignores the grave social and political problems that we face at the present time and which are rooted in our past. It is not only the Left but also the real Right that demands its own critical reevaluation of our history.
In a WSJ interview with historian Wilfred McClay, dealing with "reclaiming American history from Howard Zinn," there is a panegyric to the present American moment. McClay, who has just published his own anti-Zinn American history textbook, wants young Americans to "enjoy being Americans." The only drawback to our late modern culture according to McClay is that we've already addressed "the great moral issue of our times," which was black civil rights, and so our youth can no longer find a worthy cause for their energies.
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In contrast to this celebration of today's America as the high point of human history, we might look at the critical reflections of a now deceased member of the Old Right, Robert Nisbet. In The Present Age: Progress and Anarchy, which was published in 1988, Nisbet deplored the by then dangerously expanded reach of the federal government, its accelerating crusades against "discrimination," and the size of the military-industrial complex. Nisbet also called attention to the disintegration of the family under the impact of the feminist revolution and the cultural radicalization of youth. While Zinn's view of the American past is hopelessly flawed and profoundly malicious, part of his attraction (even for the Right) may be his recognition that there was something seriously wrong with how our country was developing. Too bad that he told this story so poorly!
These reflections are certainly not intended to lessen the merit of Mary Grabar's "debunking" of Howard Zinn, who was a plagiarist (particularly in his narrative about Columbus and the Amerindians) besides being an apologist for Communist killers. In page after page of her critical study, Mary demonstrates the historical lies that Zinn got away with both during his lifetime and then posthumously. Although I might have left the impression in an earlier commentary that Zinn was a consistent opponent of war, he was not that in fact. He never criticized Communist mass murder and twisted himself into a pretzel in order explain away the genocidal behavior of Amerindians (before Columbus ever arrived). Mary Grabar quotes Zinn's complimentary reference to Stalin, who supposedly led an "astounding comeback" after World War Two. While Zinn had nothing but contempt for American capitalist production, he spared no superlatives in describing Russia's brutal totalitarian society while inventing or exaggerating its accomplishments. Debunking Howard Zinn reminds us of the falsehoods and double standards that the pro-Communist Left inflicted on us for decades. One may hope that Dr. Grabar will continue her debunking of leftist historians. If she plans to do that, then I shall gladly supply her with deserving names.
Source: An Astounding Comeback – LewRockwell


Still image from Agi B. Holocaust testimony, March 14, 1984.
SynopsisAgatha B. was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1932. She describes her family as very close and happy. Her father had a hosiery business. She attended an English elementary school for four years and attended extra religious classes. She recalls the German occupation in March of 1944. Her father was taken to a deportation camp. She moved with her mother and sister into a building designated for Jews with another family. Her mother was later taken to a deportation camp. Agatha recalls living with her sister, aunt, and neighbours in the apartment building. She describes refusing to convert to Catholicism or leaving their home out of fear her parents would be unable to find her again. She describes a mass killing, which included her aunt. Her parents escaped forced labour camps and returned to Budapest in September 1944. The family went into hiding. She discusses changes in her parents. Agatha's family received Swedish visas [schutzpasses] and moved into a safe house. She recalls assistance from a German official, which saved her family from deportation. She describes liberation by Soviet troops. In 1946, she fled to Austria with her mother and sister. She discusses her father's experience doing business in Hungary. She recalls her marriage in 1956 and leaving Hungary again to move to Canada. She discusses her continuing fears and sharing her story with her children.


The Timberwolves are off of a home win versus Brooklyn but have lost 6 of their last 7 road games. Also, Minnesota has a big road game at Toronto on deck for tomorrow night. In other words, facing a bad Atlanta team tonight is unlikely to bring out the best in the T-wolves. This is especially true considering they won both meetings last season by double digits.
The Hawks come into this game having lost 3 straight but, prior to that, Atlanta was on a 5-2 ATS run. Also, the Hawks are 9-4 ATS this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Also, Atlanta is 14-5 ATS against non-conference opponents and that includes 5-1 ATS versus Northwest Division opponents.
The Timberwolves are 6-13 ATS against non-conference opponents and that includes 1-6 ATS versus Southeast Division opponents.
Minnesota gets caught looking ahead to the Raptors while the Hawks (losers of 3 straight) prove to be the hungrier team.


While the lentils are cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet until it is hot enough to sizzle a piece of onion. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the red peppers, salt and black pepper. Keep warm over low heat.
Add the cooked lentils, 2 tablespoons of the dill and 1 tablespoon of the mint and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the vinegar and stir to combine.
Spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle with the feta. Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons dill and the remaining 1 tablespoon mint.


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Astute Palate
Petty Bunco
LP $22.00
FLAC $8.99
Twelve inches of evidence of a whirlwind Philadelphia weekend. ASTUTE PALAGE wrote and recorded the record and played a gig and consumed a dozen burritos and a pile of beer and shipped a fella back to Omaha. The audacious ad-hoc 4-piece ragged combo put in the sleepless 48 hours and this is what we get: 2 raw sides of electric rock action with all the humbucked girth, single-coil screech & low down thud a Tascam 388 can handle. Today's necessary palate cleanser. Recorded & mixed by EMILY ROBB, mastered by MIKEY YOUNG. "When discussing supergroups, I am sure we can all agree there are some that have exceeded all artistic expectations (Methods Of Mayhem, McBusted) and others that have been crushing disappointments (Winery Dogs, La Coka Nostra). Astute Palate fall squarely between the two (I respect you far too much to engage in hyperbole) but the results of this unique collaboration feel like a fully realized thing as just as much as any of the projects they've spearheaded previously (Writhing Squares, Storks, Watery Love, David Nance's Rock'n'Roll Circus). If you're anticipating some kind of hastily conceived, vague "jam" exercise in directionless fuckery, well, I take it back. You will be disappointed, bitterly. But if your attention span can handle genuine songcraft, incendiary guitar work and a band that sounds improbably fused together, Astute Plane's debut will rank very high on your list of 2021's best releases (and I'm not saying that simply because I anticipate the closing of all pressing plants, if not the end of all commercial activity by March 1 of next year). Predictions aside, I could not be a bigger fan of the 4 players involved and I am happy to say they have not let me down and that, without question, is the most important take-away from this exercise. The Nebraska and Pennsylvania state lines are roughly 900 miles apart, but with this album, Astute Palate have obliterated the notion of physical distance. I feel like I'm in the room with them when they're making this. And as much as I wish the ventilation was better and there was somewhere for me to plug my phone in, there's nowhere else on earth I'd rather be (within reason, I would like to go home eventually)."—Gerard Cosloy, noted big city roller & shipping dept manager at 12XU Records.
#1 Dip in the Tussle
#2 No Queen
#3 A Little Proof
#4 Stall Out
#5 Bring It On Home
#6 Loose Wings
#7 Treadin' Schuykill
Single MP3s for this release are $1.29.


I was appalled at the way the Cubans treat their animals. Beautiful birds kept in tiny cages, half-starved cats and dogs – and those poor horses! Dreadful. I used to interpret (French and Spanish) for Veterinaires Sans Frontieres in Morocco … but what I saw in Cuba was worse.


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Advaxis Appoints Tom Ridge, America's First Secretary of Homeland Security and 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania, to Board of Directors
Princeton, NJ - Advaxis, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies, announced the appointment of The Honorable Tom Ridge, the first Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania, to the Company's Board of Directors. "We are very excited to have Governor Ridge join Advaxis's Board of Directors," said Daniel J. O'Connor, president and Chief Executive Officer of Advaxis.
NJ's Life Sciences Industry Makes its Mark at 2015 BIO International
Trenton, NJ - According to New Jersey Business magazine, "New Jersey pulled out all the stops in attracting the international biotech community at the recent 2015 BIO International Convention in Philadelphia. The event drew 15,858 industry leaders from 69 countries and 47 states, and the New Jersey delegation spent the three-day event in June discussing the many benefits of growing and attracting a business to the Garden State for this global audience."
NJ Lab Equipment Testing Company Welcomes GE Product Line
Bound Brook, NJ - A New Jersey company that specializes in monitoring and maintaining the accuracy of laboratory equipment has expanded its role even further by adding a well known innovator, General Electric, as a provider among its array of high-tech equipment and services. Baseline Service, LLC, headquartered in Bound Brook, NJ, recently announced that it is a distributor for GE's Measurement & Control Division.
Catalent Biologics announces new advisory board
Somerset, NJ - According to Emily Bader of NJBiz, "Catalent announced it has formed an advisory board to structure the development of its biologics business. The Somerset-based provider of advanced technologies said in a news release that the founding members of its advisory board are Carolyn Bertozzi, Barry Buckland, Michael Buckley, Daniel R. Marshak and Edward R. Robinson.
Merck buys Israeli biopharma firm for $95M
Kenilworth, NJ - According to Eric Strauss of NJBiz, "Merck is acquiring an Israeli biopharmaceutical company for $95 million in cash, the drugmaker announced Tuesday. The Kenilworth-based company's deal for cCAM Biotherapeutics, which is focused on cancer immunotherapies, could potentially include up to $510 million in milestone payments, it said."
Internet of Medical Things Addresses CyberSecurity Issues Facing Pharmas and Device Developers
Tinton Falls, NJ - At the Internet of Medical Things speakers from Johnson & Johnson, the FDA, Sage Bionetworks, and WAM Consulting Group presented their perspectives on issues key to developing safeguards for drug development data, patient records, and medical devices. Dr. Suzanne Schwartz, the FDA's Director for Emergency Preparedness, addressed the agency's approach to building internal communications and public private partnerships to enhance cybersecurity throughout the healthcare system. While it's not always easy to find a "front door" for collaborating with the FDA, she mentioned National Healthcare & Public Health Critical Infrastructure Protection (http://www.nhisac.org/).
NJ Resources Support Serial Entrepreneur David Fischell's Mission to Create Life-Saving Medical Devices
Trenton, NJ - The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) continues its series highlighting how entrepreneurs and investors are helping to build New Jersey's technology ecosystem. Serial entrepreneur Dr. David Fischell, of Fair Haven, has founded and led more than a dozen medical device companies to success in the last 20 years. To Fischell, developing medical devices is a family affair. David, along with his father Dr. Robert Fischell, a physicist, and his brother Dr. Tim Fischell, a cardiologist, started New Providence-based Svelte Medical Systems in 2007.
Educated Workforce Helps Attract Scientist-Turned-Entrepreneur in NJ
Trenton, NJ - The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) continues its series highlighting how entrepreneurs and investors are helping to build New Jersey's technology ecosystem: In 1999, scientist-turned-entrepreneur Navneet Puri earned his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Rutgers University and went on to found InnoPharma, Inc. in Piscataway just a few years later. The research and development pharmaceutical company, focused on developing complex generic and innovative specialty products in injectable and ophthalmic dosage forms, was ultimately acquired by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer last year. Under Puri's leadership, InnoPharma had more than 30 products in various stages of development, including 10 generic products that had received Food and Drug Administration approval.
Celgene to Acquire Receptos
Summit, NJ – According to New Jersey Business Magazine, "Celgene Corporation and San Diego-based Receptos, Inc. sign a definitive agreement in which Celgene has agreed to acquire Receptos. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Celgene will pay $232.00 per share in cash, or a total of approximately $7.2 billion, net of cash acquired."
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Announces FDA Approval of Dysport
Basking Ridge, NJ – According to New Jersey Business Magazine, Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., an affiliate of Ipsen, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Dysport® (abobotulinumtoxinA) for the treatment of upper limb spasticity (ULS) in adult patients to decrease the severity of increased muscle tone in elbow flexors, wrist flexors and finger flexors. Clinical improvement may be expected one week after administration of Dysport®."
Novartis gets early approval for heart failure drug, a potential blockbuster
Trenton, NJ - According to Tom Bergeron of NJBiz, "Novartis officials were hoping the FDA would give approval for what they hope will be a blockbuster drug for heart failure by the end of the summer. On Tuesday, they got even better news. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved Entresto (formerly called LCZ696) six weeks ahead of the priority review action date."
Biopharma company adds execs in advance of product license request
Ramsey, NJ - According to Eric Strauss of NJBiz, "Ramsey-based biopharmaceutical company ADMA Biologics Inc. has added a senior vice president and two other executives to its commercialization team as it prepares to seek a license for its top immune deficiency disease product."
NJEDA Accepting Applications for Executives-in-Residence Program
Trenton, NJ - According to NJ Business magazine, "On June 30, the NJ Economic Development Authority (EDA) announced it is accepting applications for a second group of Executives-in-Residence at the Commercialization Center for Innovative Technologies (CCIT). The program, a joint effort organized by the EDA and BioNJ, links emerging biotechnology companies with experienced mentors to help take their businesses to the next level. Applications are open to New Jersey executives with experience in business development, health economics, regulation and other areas. More information can be found here.
Celgene Announces Agreement to Purchase NJ Research and Office Facility
Summit, NJ - Celgene Corporation announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase the Merck & Co., Inc. research and office facility located at 556 Morris Avenue in Summit, New Jersey. Pending the completion of due diligence, closing is planned for September. Financial terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.
Lt. Governor Welcomes Life Science Companies to Business Roundtable
Newark, NJ - Highlighting New Jersey's leadership as a home for innovation and the "Medicine Chest of the World," Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno addressed the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's (NJPAC) Business Partners "Life Sciences as an Engine of Innovation" Roundtable, presented in association with the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ).


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text:
Errol Morris
Errol Morris is a writer and filmmaker. His books Believing is Seeing and Wilderness of Error have both appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list and his film The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons From the Life of Robert S. McNamara won an Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2004. Morris's latest film is The Unknown Known. He lives with his wife and French bulldog in Cambridge, MA. Follow Errol Morris on Twitter.
@errolmorris
@AirMailWeekly I hope people read the article. But this tweet mischaracterizes it. I'm convinced Malcolm believed i… https://t.co/llg7mBmxH6
Errol Morris (The Unknown Known) Talks with James Marsh (The Theory of Everything) for The Talkhouse Film Podcast
By Errol Morris | November 7, 2014
The two Oscar-winning directors discuss Stephen Hawking, Frederick Wiseman, serial killers, early photography, attacking Donald Rumsfeld and more.


Wednesday, 9 March: London stocks were mixed, as investors sought cover from risk assets ahead of the ECB meeting tomorrow. A deposit rate cut is widely expected, along with an increase in size and duration of its asset purchase programme.
FTSE 250 Cairn Energy (+12.9%) was the big winner today as it announced results from its second well appraisal offshore in Senegal. The Group commented it was "delighted" with the test results. The first test produced a maximum flow rate of 5,400 barrels of oil per day and a main flow rate of 4,000 barrels of oil per day, both of which over 24 hours from a 15.0 metre zone.
The biggest loser in London today was Restaurant Group (-22.3%) as the announcement of a softer 2016 outlook gripped investors. Like-for-like sales look set to remain depressed, with revenue growth driven solely by new store openings. Rounding up 2015, trading was impacted by flooding in related areas, and lower retail footfall after citing the first half of 2015 as being strong, and denoting the second half of trading as being more variable.
The ONS recorded 0.3% UK production growth on the month in January, 0.2% higher than a year earlier. This data came in weaker than a consensus read of 0.5% on the month. Digging deeper into the data, factory output rose 0.7% on the month thanks to bumper production at small firms specialising in jewellery, musical instruments and medical devices. However, this slight uplift was negated by a 6.3% slump in oil and gas production, which weighed on overall industrial performance. The numbers provide further signs that the UK economy slowed in the first quarter as a slowdown in emerging markets and patchy growth in the developed world weighed on global manufacturing.
At the close European indices were up with the FTSE 100 +0.34%, with the CAC 40 +0.49%, and the DAX 30 +0.31%.
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text:
Search Titles Subjects Organizations
Country Report South Africa - ICRC Worldwide Consultation on the Rules of War (International Committee of the Red Cross , 1999, 70 p.)
(introduction...)
About the People on War Project
Country context
Country methodology
The conflict over apartheid
Experiencing the conflict: horror and disruption
Limiting the scope of the conflict
Civilians and prisoners at risk
Breakdown of limits
Geneva Conventions and the rules of armed conflict
International and non-governmental institutions
Annex 1: General methodology
Annex 2: Questionnaire *
The struggle to create an apartheid order in South Africa and the struggle to topple it is one of this century's defining dramas. During the five decades from the advent of the National Party government in 1948 to the election of Nelson Mandela as President in 1994, a white-dominated regime developed a coercive system to sustain a racially segregated society, while the predominant number of blacks, 10 along with some whites, struggled to create a unitary society.
10 For the purposes of this report, the term "blacks" encompasses, as it commonly does in South Africa, three groups - blacks, coloureds (mixed race) and Asians - all of whom were subject to varying degrees of racial discrimination under apartheid. When wishing to refer to the black sub-group alone, the report uses the term "black South Africans". There are 30.7 million black South Africans (76 per cent of the total population); 3.4 million coloured (8 per cent); 1 million Asians (3 per cent) and 5.2 million white South Africans (13 per cent) - Thompson, Leonard, A History of South Africa, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 1995, p. 278.
The human toll was high, especially for blacks. In the imposition of apartheid rule, and in the protests and riots that eventually helped end it, thousands of activists and civilians were killed; tens of thousands were arrested, jailed and - in many cases - tortured; millions of individuals or families were forcibly displaced. Blacks were relocated to distant impoverished communities as a matter of policy.
After the suppression of black protest movements, some black organizations turned to more militant means, including bombings and other armed attacks, which resulted in the death or injury of hundreds of supporters of the white regime, including some civilians. Later, thousands of blacks died in the political violence among black South Africans that erupted as the white regime weakened and withdrew from black urban townships, and as it often incited violence between black factions that were vying for power.
South Africa's conflict bore a number of unique characteristics. First, it was fundamentally political in nature, and revolved around the struggle to eliminate a political system founded on racial segregation. Second, it was a highly asymmetrical conflict, in which the white regime held the preponderance of economic and military power. Third, it was a conflict that affected only portions of the population despite the universal stakes involved: it directly involved only a sliver of the white population, and these were almost entirely men; and while the struggle violently engulfed specific black urban communities, a majority of blacks did not live where the conflict occurred, and did not experience any of its immediate consequences.
The ICRC consultation shows that a majority of both blacks and whites in South Africa believe that there should be limits on the conduct of war and armed conflicts and that these should include protection of civilians, and especially women and children, from harm. Yet it is also evident that the conflict in their country often rode roughshod over those very limits.
The consultation highlights four key reasons for the breakdown of these limits, with differing factors among whites and blacks.
Among whites, those who served in the security forces describe soldiers who lost control when confronted with protests or riots. Over a third of whites, 35 per cent, say that combatants "lose all sense during war". In one focus group, former members of the South African Defense Force (SADF) described how, when confronted with riots, the security forces would narrow their focus to their own survival, explode with anger and open fire on crowds. Some of these former soldiers attribute the worst excesses to the overly aggressive and ultimately dangerous reactions of young and poorly trained members of the force.
White respondents in this consultation also maintain that the security forces were acting under orders to restore order as part of a larger plan. About a third of whites, 34 per cent, cite this as a reason why soldiers and fighters sometimes endanger civilians. Members of the SADF described many of their actions as "doing their duty" to "go in and clean up". Throughout the survey, focus groups and in-depth interviews, white males, who far more than white women manned the apparatus of apartheid, expressed a particularly expansive view of how conflict can be waged.
The stated reasons for the breakdown of limits were somewhat different among blacks. Blacks report a sense of frustration, hopelessness and rage created by the apartheid order, and a sense of exhaustion regarding constrained resistance. Black participants in the focus groups and in-depth interviews described how the early commitment of the ANC to non-violence gave way to a determination to strike back against apartheid, and how the MK's ("Spear of the Nation") disciplined military code at times gave way to more indiscriminate attacks.
The political violence among blacks that surfaced in the late 1980s and early 1990s was characterized by intense fear and desire for revenge, fuelled by atrocities and brutal fighting at close quarters. About one-third of blacks, when asked why combatants sometimes attack civilians, say it is because combatants are "determined to win at any cost" or because they "hate the other side so much". Both of these impulses helped throw fuel on the flames of conflict in the urban townships as the white government withdrew its authority, and as black factions - often aided and manipulated by white security forces - vied for power.
The main findings of this consultation in South Africa are summarized in the points below:
The conflict over the racial state. The fundamental point about the conflict in South Africa is that it was political in nature and revolved around the struggle to eliminate a political system founded on racial segregation.
· Participants in the South African consultation describe the primary cause of the conflict as blacks struggling to gain fundamental political rights against an apartheid regime that was built, enriched and sustained on forcible racial discrimination.
· Participants describe the conflict in terms of a struggle for "domination" rather than a struggle for racial "equality".
The conflict over apartheid. The conflict in South Africa had three dimensions: contained violence with few partisans; the struggle between a black majority and white minority government over race-based political objectives characterized by a deep asymmetry of power; and political violence among black South Africans.
· Only 7 per cent of whites lived in the area where the armed conflict over apartheid occurred, and only 11 per cent in the areas where the political violence was mainly among black South Africans. In contrast, nearly three-quarters of the black population living in urban centres say the conflict over apartheid took place in the area where they were living.
· Both black and white participants in the consultation describe the conflict as a struggle for "domination". Participants in the focus groups mentioned efforts to preserve control of the country's vast resources, as well as an unequal access to firepower during the violence.
· Only 34 per cent of blacks and 37 per cent of whites say they supported a side in the fight against apartheid. On both sides, more men than women took a side in the fight: 43 per cent of white men compared with 31 per cent of white women, and 42 per cent of black men compared with 27 per cent of black women.
· A large number of participants in focus groups said that the political violence which took place among black South Africans was more horrible than the struggle for domination against the whites. They said that political violence included shooting of women and children, rapes, burning or bulldozing buildings with civilians inside, and "necklacing" - placing a tyre filled with gasoline (petrol) around an opponent's neck and setting it on fire.
Experiencing the conflict: horror and disruption. The reactions to the conflict among blacks are ones of horror and hatefulness, while whites tend to focus on the sense of disruption.
· Nearly half of black participants (44 per cent) say the conflict was "horrible", and more than one-third (36 per cent) say it was "hateful". White men also describe the conflict as "horrible" (32 per cent), but nearly the same number (31 per cent) simply say it was "disruptive". Twenty-five per cent describe the conflict as "hateful".
· Blacks, who had the most contact with the conflict, and white women, who had the least, are more likely to describe the conflict as "horrible" (36 per cent) or "hateful" (28 per cent).
Limiting the scope of the conflict: protecting civilians. Both blacks and whites believe that civilians, particularly women and children, should be protected during conflict, but the different ways in which blacks and whites experienced the conflict fundamentally shape their views about how violence should be limited.
· Only 3 per cent of both white and black participants say it is acceptable to attack both combatants and civilians in order to weaken the enemy. Nearly two-thirds from each side - 62 per cent among blacks and 66 per cent among whites - believe the protection must be absolute and that combatants should "attack only combatants and leave civilians alone". Fewer than one-third (31 per cent of blacks and 28 per cent of whites) say that when attacking the enemy, combatants should avoid civilians "as much as possible".
· A majority of white participants say they could turn to the ICRC/Red Cross for protection during armed conflict, and another 11 per cent feel they can turn to the military. For blacks, the greatest share, 27 per cent, say they don't know. Only 17 per cent of blacks say they could turn to the ICRC/Red Cross.
· Sixty-three per cent of blacks and 81 per cent of whites who believe there are certain things that combatants should not do when fighting their enemy say it is because these actions are "wrong", rather than "they just cause too many problems".
· Of those who responded that certain actions are "wrong", both whites and blacks cite "human rights" as the main basis for these limits (59 per cent and 48 per cent, respectively). Blacks are much more likely than whites to cite the law as the reason for limits on combatants: 51 per cent, compared with only 19 per cent of whites. Whites, by contrast, are more likely to cite their "personal code": (50 per cent), compared with only 23 per cent of blacks.
· Less than 15 per cent of whites say that weapons other than landmines and nuclear and biological weapons should be banned, including the ones that were most used in their country's conflicts, such as bombs (6 per cent), guns (3 per cent) and grenades (3 per cent). More than one in six whites, 17 per cent, say there are no weapons that should be banned. Thirty-eight per cent of blacks say that guns, including machine guns, should be banned; this is six times the level among whites. Another 22 per cent of blacks say that bombs should not be allowed.
Civilians and prisoners at risk. Participants on both sides of the conflict find it acceptable to target civilians who are actively assisting combatants, civilians who get in the way of the fight, and captive combatants who are wounded or have surrendered.
· Twenty-five per cent of whites say it is acceptable to attack civilians if they are giving food and shelter to enemy combatants, compared with 12 per cent of blacks. Whites are also twice as likely to say it is acceptable to attack civilians if they are transporting ammunition for enemy fighters - 40 per cent, compared with 19 per cent of blacks.
· One-third of whites, 33 per cent, say that it is "part of armed conflict", and not "wrong", to attack combatants in populated areas, even knowing that many civilians (or "women and children") would be killed. This is more than twice the 14 per cent among blacks who express this view.
· Both black and white participants say that captives can be subjected to torture (30 per cent of whites and 32 per cent of blacks).
· Fifty-six per cent of blacks say that they would not help or save a wounded or surrendering soldier or fighter, compared with 48 per cent of whites. Only 33 per cent of blacks and 40 per cent of whites say that they would help or save such a fighter or soldier.
· Fifteen per cent of blacks and 14 per cent of whites approve of the idea of killing prisoners if the other side were doing so, and 14 per cent of blacks and 10 per cent of whites say that captive combatants sometimes deserve to die.
Breakdown of limits. Both blacks and whites acknowledge in general terms the importance of limits in conflicts and situations of violence, yet both blacks and whites crossed those limits, although in different ways and to differing degrees.
· One-third (33 per cent) of blacks say that soldiers or fighters attack civilians because they are "determined to win at any cost", and the same number say it is because they "hate the other side so much".
· Thirty-five per cent of whites say that soldiers or fighters harm civilians during conflict because they "lose all sense during war"; 16 per cent of whites volunteer this as a reason in an open-ended question.
· Thirty-four per cent of whites cite "carrying out orders" or "doing their job" as one of the two top reasons why fighters, including soldiers and security forces, sometimes attack civilians.
Geneva Conventions and the rules of armed conflict. There is a relatively low awareness of the rules that govern armed conflict among both whites and blacks in South Africa, but particularly among blacks.
· Only 8 per cent of blacks are aware of the Geneva Conventions and fewer than half of those who have heard of them (41 per cent) have an accurate understanding of what they are about. Two-thirds of blacks (66 per cent) believe that there are no laws against depriving civilians of food, medicine or water or do not know if such laws exist. Sixty-two per cent say that there are no laws, or they are not sure if there are, to prevent attacks on populated areas.
· Whites are highly aware of the Geneva Conventions (72 per cent) and more than one-third of those aware of them have an accurate understanding of what the Conventions are about. Fifty-nine per cent of whites, however, believe that the Geneva Conventions make no real difference.
· Blacks who say they are aware of the Geneva Conventions are more likely than those who are unaware to save a wounded or surrendering enemy combatant (48 per cent compared with 33 per cent). They are also more likely to believe captured combatants must be allowed to contact relatives (70 per cent compared with 54 per cent) or be visited by a representative of an independent organization (76 per cent compared with 51 per cent).
· Seventy-two per cent of whites say that there are rules during armed conflict so important that the person who breaks them should be punished. The number of blacks who believe that wrongdoers should be punished, however, is less than half the level among whites (32 per cent).
· Among participants who believe that people who break the rules of conflict should be punished, whites are more likely than blacks to base the rules on international law (67 per cent compared with 37 per cent), while blacks are more likely to look to South Africa's laws (34 per cent compared with 8 per cent).
· Whites more than blacks look to an international criminal court as the proper venue for judgment and punishment (65 per cent compared with 27 per cent), while blacks are more likely to turn to the South African government to mete out punishment (38 per cent compared with 8 per cent of whites).
International and non-governmental institutions. When thinking about the role played by different organizations in the protection of civilians, whites are much more familiar with the ICRC/Red Cross, while blacks rely more on the country's churches and religious organizations.
· While blacks see government leaders (27 per cent) and religious leaders (26 per cent) as having played an important role in helping civilians during the conflict, whites see the ICRC/Red Cross as the key organization.
Looking forward. Though the violent conflict in South Africa has ended, the society remains marked by racial divisions.
· Whites are more likely than blacks to see the current violence in the country as different from apartheid (90 per cent compared with 60 per cent).
· Forty-six per cent of blacks (compared with 8 per cent of whites) believe that peace will last, while 59 per cent of whites (compared with 17 per cent of blacks) believe that there will be more armed conflict in the future.


Oh how we all amateurs envy the professional portrait photographers. Lugging expensive DSLR bodies and telephoto lenses they compress the foreground and the background into oblivion on the pretext of creating 'stunning' portrait photos. Oh how we love to prove that we amateurs are not to be taken lightly either and that we are just as capable.
Professional quality portrait photography is certainly not beyond us. All it needs is a steadfast dedication to the job, a continuous gung-ho attitude and a little bit of imagination. You will also need a few professional tools to help you along the way. These tips will, however, certainly help in your endeavor.
Remember, results will only come when you are at it on a continuous basis. The greatest enemy of a photographer is stagnation and lack of inspiration. Before you know your equipment are listed on a second-hand garage sale. So keep shooting and keep looking for inspiration.
For shooting portraits you would require a camera, a good portrait lens (we shall discuss about that in the next paragraph in further detail) and preferably a tripod. A tripod is not a mandatory tool as in most of the cases you will be shooting hand-held with a stabilized lens. It is mandatory only when you are shooting portraits in low light and don't want a blurry result as a result. Having said that a tripod is required if you are going to shoot portraits in a low light situation.
We shall be discussing about low light portrait photography as well later in this article.
Optional tools include a set of reflectors ideally golden (for warm tones) and white / silver. These reflectors will be used to throw back some light on to the subject's face to ensure that it is uniformly light, shadows are removed and any blemishes are suppressed. The color of the reflector to be used depends on the mood that the photographer wishes to capture.
Diffusers are also a great tool to use in portrait photography. Your camera flash, whether built-in or a Speedlight are basically examples of hard light. They tend to throw an amount of light that is often more than what the scene requires. It also happens that the metering option that you choose and the inherent way that metering system works, tends to get meter the scene incorrectly. A diffuser in such situation can cut the excess amount of light ensuring that the scene is not unnecessarily washed out. We shall speak of a relevant topic – flash compensation in the section on lighting below.
You would also need two strobes (ideally) or at least one to start with. One of the strobes will be used as your main light for indoor portrait photography. The other strobe will work as your fill light and is to be used in a ratio of 1:2 brightness with the main light. More on this on the lighting section.
Perspective is an important consideration when it comes to portrait photography, because if you use a lens that has a short focal length you tend to unusually exaggerate certain facial features. A longer lens on the other hand has an inverse effect.
The ideal choice is something in between. If you are using a full-frame digital SLR then a 24-70mm lens is a good choice. The tele end of the lens is a great focal length for shooting portraits, especially if you are outdoors. The 85mm and the 135mm primes are also used widely for shooting portraits.
Prime medium tele lenses are mostly preferred by professional photographers because they have fewer moving parts inside allowing manufacturers to concentrate on the optical quality of the lens rather than the mumbo-jumbo of optical zoom.
Prime lenses also have wide maximum apertures and they can be very handy when you want to capture a soft background / foreground blur. At wider apertures only a small area of the frame is in sharp focus. The remaining area of the frame is soft. This is also known as Bokeh.
Why is this so sought after by outdoor portrait photographers? This is because it helps the photographer to isolate the subject from a background that is less than flattering. In a low light situation a wide aperture will allow the photographer to capture a lot of light thereby eliminating the need for a tripod when shooting portraits.
When choosing a portrait lens ensure that it has some form of optical stabilization as well. Optical stabilization will allow you to hand hold the camera and shoot in conditions where you would normally require a tripod.
Optionally look for lenses that have been treated with additional layers to correct both LoCA (Longitudinal Chromatic Aberration) and LCA (Latitudinal Chromatic Aberration). This ensure that your lens is devoid of aberrations and the pictures are sharper.
To summarize a lens that has optical image stabilization, a prim focal length of around 70-135mm focal length and has a fast maximum aperture (around f/2 is the best portrait lens.
First tip of portrait photography is to study your subject. Which part of subject's face is the most photogenic? Is it his eyes? Or may be his nose or even the lips? Take into account the color of the dress he is wearing as it can have a bearing on the exposure compensation later on.
A full front on picture may not always be desirable. It may not bring out the best features of the person. Is there are a window in the room. Is it large? Does it have direct or indirect sunlight? Ask the subject to stand near it and use it as a large soft light.
Do you have access to a strobe light? Place that at an angle of 45 degrees and directly overhead. You could have a beautiful loop lighting arrangement for a portrait. Place the light a bit farther and at right angle to the camera and there you have a Rembrandt lighting arrangement for a more intense looking portrait.
In any great portrait the eyes are the main area of focus. Take two portrait pictures, one which focuses on the eyes of the subject and the one that randomly selects any point. Now hang them side by side and ask someone to pick the one he likes. 9 out of 10 times it would be the one that has the eyes in focus.
Why this happened? This is because most of the times when look at a portrait picture we tend to look at the person's eyes. If they are not tag sharp the portrait immediately feels 'lifeless'. When selecting the focus points, select the one that is closest to the eye that is nearer to the camera.
At this point, we reached the end of the first part of this article. Keep tuned for the next part talking about more tips that can help you to take portrait photos like a pro.