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Feds: Mortgage lender deceived veterans, paid kickbacks
Ask a Vet: Weigh decision to have dewclaws surgically removed
FBI, Annapolis police execute warrant on Monroe Street house
Letters: School board president Julie Hummer must go; Anne Arundel should keep 287(g) and more from readers
On the Level: Grease buildup is likely cause of dishwasher problem
For some, wearing masks during high school sports is a contentious issue. Others say it's common sense.
Magothy River Middle School student dies, letter sent home to families
10 years after Crofton snakehead discovery, concerns linger
By By PAMELA WOOD and Staff Writer
The pond in Crofton where snakehead fish were found 10 years ago is now known as Walking Fish Pond. (By Joshua McKerrow - The Capital, Capital Gazette)
Ten years ago, quiet Crofton was thrust into the national spotlight by a fish.
But not just any fish.
The Frankenfish.
It can walk on land! It can breathe air! It will eat everything in sight!
The prospect of a predatory and toothy invader captivated reporters and gawkers for months in the summer and fall of 2002, making the peaceful west county suburb the center of a frenzied story.
The tale of the walking fish garnered attention from as far away as Europe and China. Even Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" got into the act, with Stephen Colbert taking aim at the snakeheads.
"For some reason, it just captured people's imagination. I think the name, 'snakehead' - it's exciting. It's like a snake," said Don Cosden, a fisheries biologist with the state Department of Natural Resources both then and now. "That got people's imagination."
A decade later, where the uproar began, there are no reminders of the Summer of the Snakehead.
The privately owned pond where the fish were found sits behind a commercial complex on Route 3.
These days, leaves are dropping off the trees into the calm waters.
There are no more wanted posters for the snakeheads, no one selling T-shirts, no signs of all the drama.
And while the snakeheads were eventually eradicated from the pond - the whole pond was poisoned by the state - they remain an ecological threat to the Chesapeake Bay system.
Snakeheads have colonized creeks up and down the Potomac River, and now they're spreading into the main portion of the bay and finding more creeks to occupy.
"I hate to be a pessimist, but we're probably going to see them eventually in most of the tributaries to the bay," Cosden said.
An unusual fish
In the summer of 2002, the Department of Natural Resources got a report of an unusual fish caught in a stormwater pond behind the Route 3 Centre. After receiving photos, DNR biologists quickly figured out it might be some sort of snakehead fish.
"The first challenge for us was what it is that we had ... not a lot of people were expert in the different snakehead species," said Eric Schwaab, who was DNR's director of fisheries at the time. He now runs fisheries programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as an assistant director.
It took an expert in Florida to identify the fish found in Crofton. The verdict: It was a northern snakehead.
Native to Asia, the northern snakehead (Channa argus) can grow up to 40 inches long and has a long dorsal fin running along the top. It has a small head but a big mouth full of big teeth.
And unlike other species of snakeheads, northern snakeheads are hardy enough to survive Maryland's winters - a big cause of concern for biologists.
Many of the snakehead's unique attributes were exaggerated during the Snakehead Summer. But there's some truth at the root of the tales of air-breathing, land-walking fish.
Yes, the snakehead can briefly survive out of water by breathing air. Yes, it can survive in shallow or muddy stretches of water. And yes, it is a voracious predator, eating up plenty of smaller fish.
But, contrary to breathless media reports that summer, the snakehead can't walk long distances or live out of water for long periods.
"They wanted to attribute to it these characteristics that went beyond the average invasive species," Schwaab said. "That was sort of more mythology than reality. But it was there nonetheless."
The story was too good to pass up for many journalists and talking heads, and it mushroomed from a local story to a national and international one. At one point, the state held near-daily news conferences on the banks of the pond.
The publicity possibly hit its peak on July 17, when "The Daily Show" ran its piece on snakeheads.
That's when Colbert - in the days before "The Colbert Report" - donned an outdoorsy vest and stood in front of a photo of a grassy area. He made the case for his plan to eradicate snakeheads with a series of increasingly ridiculous critters: piranhas, scorpions, spotted and great-horned owls, African condors.
And if that didn't work? Napalm.
"It's a circle of life, Jon. It's a beautiful thing to behold," Colbert deadpanned to Stewart.
Said Schwaab: "The BBC was nice. But 'The Daily Show' was the pinnacle."
'A media circus'
The whole affair meant plenty of headaches for the owner of the snakehead pond, as well as for the owner of two adjacent ponds.
Their previously anonymous lakelets were suddenly on TV and in the newspapers all the time.
"It was overwhelming. It was a media circus," said Daniel MacQuilliam of the MacQuilliam Organization, the property development and management company that owns the main pond.
MacQuilliam was on vacation in Ocean City when his summer took a dramatic turn.
"I was on the beach and someone was reading the paper on the beach who knew me and showed me," he said.
MacQuilliam cut his vacation short. Eventually, he agreed to let the DNR poison the pond to kill off all fish and critters in it.
The state's concern was that during heavy rains or flooding, the pond could spill over into the Patuxent River, about a football field away, providing a path for snakeheads to spread.
MacQuilliam said he didn't have a choice, even though he had liability concerns about the poisoning.
Crofton businessman Bill Berkshire, who owns two nearby ponds, also agreed to the let the state poison them. Berkshire was initially reluctant. But he came on board and his daughters even sold snakehead T-shirts.
Berkshire was traveling last week and declined to comment.
Eventually the snakehead hubbub died down and people stopped going to the pond, to MacQuilliam's relief.
Later, the pond got an official name, suggested by MacQuilliam's son Wes and sanctioned by the government: Walking Fish Pond.
Natural Resources Police eventually tracked down the likely source of the Crofton snakeheads, a man who admitted to dumping live snakeheads into the pond.
He was not prosecuted. It's now a crime to have live northern snakeheads or to transport them across state lines.
In 2004, the snakehead attention shifted to the Potomac River, where a snakehead popped up next, likely due to an unrelated accidental or deliberate introduction.
Since then, they've colonized just about every freshwater creek along the Potomac. Now snakeheads have been spotted in the Patuxent. Snakeheads also have been found in the Nanticoke and Wicomico rivers on the Eastern Shore, the Rhode River in south county and Lake Elkhorn in Columbia.
While it is illegal to have a live snakehead, the DNR encourages to anglers to catch - and kill - as many snakeheads as their hearts desire. The state has lobbied chefs to put snakehead on their menus, and there are regular snakehead fishing tournaments on the Potomac.
The goal is to at least suppress the snakehead population. It would be impossible to eradicate them now that they are in open-water areas such as the Potomac and the Patuxent, officials said.
Hard to control
Steve Minkkinen has been studying what to do to control snakeheads. Minkkinen works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Chesapeake office in Annapolis, but was with the DNR during the Crofton snakehead episode.
In 2002, his team was responsible for donning protective suits and spraying rotenone on the pond to kill all the aquatic life.
"It's been following me around," he joked.
Minkkinen is working on an update to a national management plan for northern snakeheads. He said eradicating them completely is not in the cards.
"It's unfortunate, too, because with aquatic animals, once they get introduced, it's impossible to control them," he said. "You can't stick your head in the water and see where they are."
Instead, it's important to focus on educating people that it's not a good idea to dump snakeheads - or any other fish - into waterways. That's key with snakeheads, since it appears likely that they've popped up because of multiple human introductions.
Top of food chain
Scientists hope genetic testing of captured snakeheads will reveal whether fish found in different areas are closely related or not. That will give evidence of how many different introductions there may have been.
Scientists also are still trying to figure out just how badly snakeheads are affecting other fish species. Snakeheads are at the top of the food chain and are likely out-competing other fish.
"The book's still out on the impact of this species. We don't know," said Cosden of the DNR. "Certainly in places where it's become abundant, something's had to make room for it. Right now, we can't say what those somethings are."
The Colbert Report


Parker is gazing at the main gyrocompass. He was a survivor of USS Lexington (CV-2), sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea.
Note engine order telegraph shows standard speed ahead. The equipment below the telegraph with the three black knobs was used to send changes of the RPM shaft speed to the controllers in the motor rooms. The man is Chester I. Isaacson, QM 1/c.
Note that the photo negative was printed reversed (see clipboard on the right side of photo).
Photo taken during shakedown cruise off San Diego, CA, early 1944.
The door at left is the entrance to the sound hut (sonar shack). Seated in the chair is LCDR John Burnham, the Skipper, and to the right is Lt(jg). Hugh L. Hubbard.
Chief Treiber made Ensign while aboard and was transferred. He became a LTCDR. He was an exceptional man, a great guy and just about any other superlatives you could add.
This panel has shaft revolution indicators for BOTH shafts. The port indicator is barely visible to the left of Lawler's shoulder. Looks like about 390 revs on the starboard shaft. Standard speed ahead shows on the annunciator above Lawler's head. Standard speed ahead shows on the annunciator above Wofford's head. The men would know what was going on with the port shaft, but could only control starboard shaft. Shaft speed could be increased/decreased by one RPM. I believe these small incremental changes were made by moving the small control wheel on a level with Lawler's phone mouthpiece. Clockwise, ahead; counterclockwise, astern. Large RPM changes were made with the large control wheel, 2/3 ahead to standard ahead, for example. This controlled the speed of the main engines via Selsyn motors on the engine governors. This, of course, increased/decreased main generator speed and, thereby, output. The small changes in shaft RPM were sent to the throttle man via the apparatus just above Wofford's right shoulder. The desired RPM would be transmitted from the bridge and would be shown as single digits in each of the three top small rectangles above the black circular knobs. 3 9 0, for example. The throttleman would then rotate the black knobs, matching these digits in the bottom rectangles. The equipment to the right of Wofford, with the two 'D' handles on the face, is a piece of communications gear. The speaker is visible between the two handles, as are several switches in a row at the bottom. The microphone was on the face also and you just pressed down on a toggle to speak and released to listen. The toggles on the bottom selected the various stations with whom you wished to speak. That black slotted object above the communicator looks like a siren/horn. That would get your attention, wouldn't it?! Come to think of it, there were similar sirens in B-1 and B-3. I cannot remember their purpose. Must have been important.
Note lube oil drums tied to lifelines.
Information and photos courtesy of George D. McCarthy, MoMM2c, USS Hilbert DE 742.
Information and pictures contained on this website are Copyrighted by the individual authors, USSHilbert.Org, and the crewmembers of the USS Hilbert. All Rights Reserved.


Inspired by traditional pocket watches, the Endeavour Small Seconds features an off-centre subsidiary seconds display, lending it a delicately elegant design. It also accommodates a myriad of ingenious features including a pallet fork and escapement wheel made from hardened solid gold, with functionally- optimised low friction surfaces.
This Endeavour Small Seconds is encased in rose gold, has a beautiful silver-plated dial with a sunburst pattern, a brown alligator strap and a matching rose gold pin buckle.
The incorporation of a Hacking Seconds into our watches is an ingenious feature, which enables the watch to be set precisely to the second. The seconds hand remains stationary when the crown is pulled out to adjust the time – and it starts moving again the instant the crown is pushed in, to coincide with a time signal.
The Endeavour Small Seconds includes the interchangeable Moser escapement module. One of our cleverest features, it was developed to simplify the adjustment, cleaning and servicing of the watch. It enables the watchmaker to remove the existing escapement module, clean and oil the rest of the movement before installing a new pre-adjusted module.


Through my discussions with artists, researchers and museum staff, some key themes have emerged. There are inherent challenges associated with choice when we are asked to make value judgments on human life from a predominantly clinical perspective. Also it seems that the current understanding of genetics is from a scientific standpoint and this has managed to create distance between the human and emotional. This has to some degree "switched off" the public to the issue, not seeing any urgent need for discussion, as generally genetics is not seen as having personal relevance for individuals other than an acknowledgement that our genes to some degree inform our identity.
In an interview with Damian Hebron, Director of London Arts in Health Forum he explored the strategic need for disabled artists to fully engage with this field.
My concern with trying to present a balanced view on the pros and cons of genetic screening has been somewhat shaken in the last few days in reading the final findings of Dr Felicity Boardman's research survey of individuals and families with SMA. Although the qualitative data would suggest that those surveyed agreed that people with SMA (particularly type 2) could have fulfilling lives, when asked if they would support screening the majority (around 70%) still said yes. My worry is that my voice is now a quiet one. So rather than presenting all viewpoints, my work needs to reflect my particular perspective in order not to be drowned out. We are heading down a dangerous road where providing people with the option of screening may appear on first glance as a good thing – knowledge is power and why should we deny people choice? But what are we going to do with this knowledge and how will we justify our position if we want to continue with a pregnancy if a disabled child is deemed to be an economic drain on society? This may well be a Pandora's box, that once opened we wish it had remained closed.
Interest in DNA - is it a gender thing?
As I draw to the end of my research and development project I've been exploring in more detail the demographic of the audience at the Science Museum to help inform an audience engagement strategy.
Two things struck me in particular.
Firstly from an evaluation study, one of the reasons the temporary exhibition case that focussed on issues about HIV was popular, was because it told the human story and there was a narrative that came from real life experiences. It put humanity into the science.
Visitors expressed a desire to have a more emotional response to some of the scientific topics and hearing real life experiences helped to do this.
Secondly, visitors were asked to identify the top three topics they had learned about during their visit to the Who Am I gallery. Number 1 was genetics and number 3 DNA.
Maybe that's partly what you would expect, however, what was particularly interesting was that men were far more interested in DNA than women. The detail around DNA and Chromosomes was seen as more "scientific" and complex than some of the other topics. People, particularly families and women, could relate more to the idea of inheritance rather than the "faceless" notion of genetics.
This helped make sense of some of the questions I've had around why there has not been the wider public debate that I was expecting. I had put it down to fear of being judged on an issue that is by its nature, emotive and complex.
However maybe there is a further explanation. That people feel removed from the subject as its too scientific. Therefore my desire to put the human and the experiential right back into the heart of this issue seems to be exactly what's required.
I hope as well that once women realise the subject of genetics and DNA is inextricably linked to our reproductive choices and decision making processes they will see this as relevant to them. In fact we need to ensure that information about genetic choices are not only presented to us by predominantly male "experts" from the medical profession, but claim back the issue as an emotional and human one.
I also had my concerns that in the relatively playful setting of the Who Am I gallery, the difficult and somewhat upsetting issue of genetic screening might be out of place. But reflecting on the evaluations I think audiences are actually wanting more emotion and don't want their science sugar coated. One particular visitor experience resonated with me.
She was a student and had opened up to her teacher about her concerns relating to her sister who had recently had an abortion. An exhibit had allowed her to speak about this and express her thoughts.
Maybe this is part of the value of a space that allows for reflection on these things in a setting that isn't judgemental or intimidating.
Also I believe part of the reason for art, is to disturb and probe. One of the other findings in the survey was that visitors liked the art in the gallery. But they were quite disturbed by the Anthony Gormley bronze baby abandoned on the floor. Therefore it seems art is doing just what science museum visitors want. Putting more emotion and humanity into the subject.
Christmas, amongst other things, is the season of games. Reminiscing about a childhood favourite I started to contemplate The Game of Life. This board game simulates a person's travels through his or her life, from college to retirement, with jobs, marriage, and possible children along the way. I loved the plastic landscape with bridges, churches, country houses and the possibility of retiring to the millionaire's mansion. I also particularly enjoyed setting off as a small peg in my car and collecting other pegs (in the form of a husband and children) along the way. However, it puzzled me as to why the very mundane nature of this game held such an appeal for me. But it appears that the Game of Life does not only appeal to me.
I was surprised to discover the game was originally created in 1860 by Milton Bradley as The Checkered Game of Life and that it sold 45,000 copies by the end of its first year. In 1960, the 100th anniversary of The Checkered Game of Life, the first modern version of The Game of Life was introduced.
It is still going strong today so why are we so intrigued by the fundamental principals of the Game of Life? Perhaps it is because at the beginning of our journey we never really know what lies ahead of us and this game is a form of escapism where anything is possible. Consequently I was interested to discover that an updated version of the game was released in 2005 and the new version reduced the element of chance. Surely that is the whole point and joy of the game? However this made me wonder whether this actually says something quite profound about our modern aversion to chance and instead our race towards being given more and more information in order to make our own decisions.
I had always intended to create some kind of interactive element to the piece of work at the Science Museum and had been contemplating a digital game. Revisiting this classic board game has given me a new area of enquiry to explore. It also seems to symbolise the heart of the more modern day dilemma of genetic screening. The problem of choice and information as opposed to having to face whatever the game of life throws at you.
So my thoughts have turned towards creating a game of chance or choice. If you spin the wheel what will unfold before you or if you take an information card how will you make the choice and progress through the game?
Now that I am following along this pathway the imagery and visual language is also falling into place. A comic strip set of questions and alternatives, following two couples on their journey as potential parents. A 1950's couple setting out on their own game of life based on chance, spinning the Game of Life wheel, or a future couple presented with knowledge and decision cards. Which game path would you set out on?
Since my last blog, I have been thinking about the importance of depicting multiple viewpoints relating to genetic screening in the final piece of work. In particular, the choice of materials will be integral to the way the concept is explored. I have been considering a range of options but I am most drawn to the idea of printing on glass, to create multiple layers where sometimes text is visible and sometimes the negative spaces become equally important. The text will be based on some of the statements that have emerged from the research Dr Felicity Boardman has been undertaking into opinions on prenatal screening. I particularly wanted to use layers of glass so the viewer could move around the work reading it from different sides. At moments only one side of the debate would be visible, then others would emerge.
However on my visit to the Science Museum, when I started to investigate the technicalities of hanging the work, it transpired that the exhibition case I would be using had a fixed back panel so could only be viewed from one side. This has of course meant a re-think on my part. It doesn't preclude the idea of printing multi-layered glass panels representing multiple voices and there may be ways it can be lit which highlights one viewpoint then another, but it will still be viewed from the front. From one side.
This got me thinking more about the audience. This was my second visit to the Who Am I gallery and again it was very busy, predominantly with young adults and some families. It made me wonder whether this might be the first time they will be asked to consider what they feel about genetic screening. It therefore seemed more important than ever to really interrogate how art, rather than just the science behind the issue, can open up space for a more multifaceted debate.
I believe that if you approach a difficult topic such as genetic screening in a way that is creative, you allow people to feel less restricted and concerned about saying "the wrong thing". I also think it is part of the role of the artist to encourage people to explore different perspectives and perhaps shed a new light on something.
The previous week I had been at an event hosted by Heritage Lottery Fund and over lunch, was talking to Gus Garside about Carousel's project Curing Perfect. http://curingperfect.com/ is an online graphic novel where players are asked to negotiate what a perfect world might look like. This project is led by learning disabled artists and filmmakers and came out of discussions they were having in response to latest genetic advancements for "curing" Down Syndrome. They are partnering with Birmingham University and this project is a fantastically creative approach to the subject and has public engagement at it's heart.
A core part of my practice wishes to engage the wider public with the issue of genetic screening, but I feel there is still some reticence and this may be a bigger challenge than I had originally anticipated. Even on this blog there has not been as much public discussion as I'd hoped. On my personal Facebook page I am getting more comments and this made me wonder whether my friends felt "safer" and more able to comment on my own private space rather than on such a public blog. If so, is there still anxiety about expressing views on this emotive subject in such a public way?
Any thoughts on how to engage more widely with the public would be really helpful during this stage of development and all opinions are welcome, this is not just a one sided debate.
Loss. Loss of function, loss of independence, loss of control and perhaps loss of life is often associated with disability. Over the last week or so this was brought sharply into focus in relation to the proposed Assisted Dying Bill.
I have the genetic muscle wasting condition, Spinal Muscular Atrophy that would put me into the bracket of perhaps not having more than six months to live. Indeed my parents were told that, at age two, my life expectancy was limited. I have always been rather rebellious so I'm delighted that I am now planning my 40th Birthday next month and proving there is no certainty in life.
However the issues are complex and I was starkly reminded of this when discussing the rights and wrongs of the right to die with a good friend who had nursed her mother through a very painful death. She could only see the benefit of providing families with some way of helping to end the pain of their loved ones. We reached stalemate. I am afraid that my rights to life would ultimately be eroded and lost, and my friend terrified she may lose another loved one in that way again.
Choice is usually seen as positive, as a gain. However does in fact giving us more choice create a whole other set of dilemma's that ultimately means we have much to lose? My arts practice centres on the intricacies of our genetic inheritance and the ever-increasing advances in genetic knowledge, which offer us more choice and more options.
This research and development project is also an opportunity for me to collaborate with the researcher Dr Felicity Boardman from the University of Warwick. She is currently undertaking the research project "Imagining Futures", which explores the social and ethical implications associated with the expansion of genetic screening, focusing on the genetic condition Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).
Developments in genetic medicine over the past 50 years have had a great impact on the number and nature of decisions to be made by prospective parents. Felicity is looking at the relationship between experiential knowledge of disability and pre-natal screening decisions.
We started to discuss the sorts of responses she has had to her survey asking those with experiential knowledge of the genetic condition SMA whether they would support pre-natal screening for the condition on a much wider scale. I had made an assumption that the response would be predominantly positive. This assumption was based on the knowledge that many of the parents who had babies with Type 1 SMA had been supporting the case for screening.
Their experience is very different to mine. They have the pain associated with the loss of a baby, who often dies before they get to a year old. Many of these parents do not believe it is right to allow a child to enter this world for such a short amount of time, particularly when their short life is spent predominantly in and out of hospital. Of course there is also the argument that all life is precious. But to complicate matters further, SMA types (I have Type 2) cannot be predetermined by the test. Part of the argument will be that in order to stop the pain of loss for those who have the experience of Type 1, that it is justified to lose people like me. I'd just be collateral damage.
As our discussions progressed it became clear that the survey was actually confirming the nature of the complexities of the argument and there were no clear winners in this debate.
Obviously I have my own perspective and experience. I believe I have gained so much directly as a result of my lived experience of disability and I am much the richer for it. I have had to think creatively, solve problems, be tenacious, be a good communicator, and develop empathy for others knowing life is seldom as it seems.
Of course there are days when I wish my life would be easier, when I could pop to the loo like everyone else without careful planning etc. However, if I had the choice of gaining physical function but at the expense of potentially losing the essence of my identity I would reject that choice.
My dilemma is that I wish my creative practice to explore the whole gamut of perspectives within this complex debate, not only my own viewpoint. I do not wish to make work that has to potential to lose the diversity of perspectives so my next choice will be how do I create a visual language that can give space to describe the losses and the gains.
As I enter the Who Am I? gallery in the Science Museum I am struck by the scale and futuristic quality of the space. Space age style pods investigate human character traits and row upon row of large glass cases filled with a multiplicity of objects all explore our understanding of identity. The curator Suzy Antoniw explains to me that this gallery is one of the most popular areas of the Museum and is particularly popular with teenagers. Perhaps this is because this gallery is very interactive; or perhaps it is because it seeks to explain the very essence of what makes us who we are.
We are fascinated in finding out more about how our bodies work and in particular how our biology informs our identity. But there is something more profound that intrigues us, more than merely explaining the Science. Perhaps this is why we invented philosophy and art, to compliment the scientific discourse. It is this collaborative probing into questions about our identity that interests me as an artist.
Suzy talks with me about their artist commissions in the gallery, one of which is an Antony Gormley bronze baby, lying helpless on the floor as if escaped from the confines of one of the glass shrines. She also discusses their commitment to sharing different perspectives of how we understand identity and is particularly interested in my ideas about creating a dialogue about genetic screening.
Suzy explains that they have one particular case that they use for temporary exhibitions and it is this space that I could potentially use to show a new piece of work. Currently they are displaying a 3D print of King Richard III skeleton and an explanation of how they have uncovered his genetic heritage. It seemed somewhat poignant to me, as I looked at what could clearly be seen as the curvature of his spine, that I was looking at a disabled man.
It seems more and more likely that some disabled people will also become relics like the skeleton lying in the case.
As I move from case to case reading about how memory, genetics, language and gender are all profound in shaping our identity, I begin to question what the fundamental components are that make us human.
These underlying questions resonated for me later that week when watching the film Ex Machina, where a young programmer is selected to participate in a breakthrough experiment in Artificial Intelligence, by evaluating the human qualities of a female A.I. In the end we are left to contemplate that without empathy, love, forgiveness and compassion then can we really be human.
In fact it seems a current trend that we are preoccupied with the quest to discover the difference between man and machine. The latest Channel 4 series Humans is an exploration of this. But there is also a more sinister commentary about the very infrastructure of our daily lives and the value we place on human beings. In this series "synths" provide roles that are currently filled by people; nannies, carers etc. So is this where we are heading? Towards a future which is in danger of de-valuing the essence of what it in fact means to be human; care, love, compassion, empathy.
Perhaps there is only a tenuous connection between advances in AI and genetic screening, which was the starting point of this reflection. However I believe if we are pursuing an excavation into what makes us who we are then these things are intrinsically linked. If we continue our journey towards eradicating difference and imperfections in the bid to homogenise then we are potentially on the cusp of destroying the human spirit.
So at this juncture, when I am re-establishing my practice, I thought it pertinent to take a moment to reflect on my interest in genetics and some of the projects that have occurred over the last few years. One thing in particular I wanted to re-visit was a proposed project called Resonant Frequency, in which DAO was a key partner.
This was a project which was developed during 2008 in partnership with ITHACA and Science Oxford and although was unsuccessful in achieving funding, it inspired debate and created a dialogue between Deaf and disabled artists and Scientists. The central question at that time was how could we foster trust and understanding that goes beyond the stereotypes that abound on both sides of the fence?
So have things changed and have we made great scientific and artistic leaps in the field of collaboration? The short answer I feel is probably no. I still passionately believe the artist has a fundamental role in illuminating understanding about issues relating to medical ethics and science. Although collaborations between artists, scientists and ethicists are reasonably common, I feel the disabled artist has a particularly profound role to play.
I believe this because disabled people are rarely engaged in discussion relating to medical ethics. Or if we are, we seem to occupy the space that is our medical condition. So how can the disabled artist bring into the spotlight the value of experiential knowledge in relation to medical ethics? And perhaps crucially, how do we go back to that central question of fostering trust and understanding between disabled artists and scientists. Perhaps by using creative practice as a methodology for developing a shared dialogue that can be used to probe, question, cross-pollinate and inspire. At the heart of developing that language I believe must be quality practice.
I am not implying that only the disabled artist has value in contributing to the arts and science arena. There are other artists who are creating interesting and inspiring work, in particular I was impressed by a recent commission at Chatsworth House by Jacob van der Beugel. An entire ceramic room is being created using textured, handmade ceramic panels.
Using samples from the Duke and Duchess, their son Lord Burlington and his wife Lady Burlington, the panels are embedded with a depiction of the Devonshire family's DNA. This is an interesting and creative take on the traditional portrait.
The quality of this installation is exquisite and it fulfils my interest in valuing the role of craft, decoration and architecture to explore issues of hereditary and identity. This work is also said to "play with ideas around ancestry and inheritance as past and future members of the family are linked to the wider pool of humanity".
However, would there be an additional dimension to this work, the process, or the final product, if the artist had a different understanding of genetics? And that understanding in fact threatens the future of others with a similar genetic predisposition?
One of the reasons I feel there has not been dramatic progress in bringing together disabled artists and scientists could in fact be related to the lack of a platform to fully examine quality. Is there an unsaid prejudice amongst commissioners that disabled artists working in this field cannot stand up to robust scrutiny and consequently there is a fear on both fronts to fully commit to risk taking and innovative commissions with genuine collaboration as an integral part of the process?
So we are back at this central question again. How do we create a space where we can trust in a frank and robust dialogue, not only around challenging issues such as genetic screening but also relating to assessing the quality of the artistic practice?
Through the process of writing this blog I am hoping to create a space where all opinions can be shared.
With that in mind I would like to pose two questions: Do you feel the disabled artist does offer a unique insight into creating work that explores the field of medical ethics? Do we need to be braver about how we critique our work, and be prepared to seek out new collaborations that challenge our thinking to ensure we are always raising our game?
At a time when the ethics of genetic screening is at the forefront of public consciousness I feel compelled to explore the role in which I, as a disabled artist, could engage with and inform this discussion from an alternative perspective.
I believe the arts are fundamental in elucidating our understanding of identity, health and potential treatments. My practice explores how the tiny intricacies of biological life have vast social implications relating to medical ethics.
I have just received a small research and development grant from Arts Council to explore how socially engaged arts practice can create opportunities for public debate about genetic screening. This R&D period will allow me to interrogate some of the key themes in my work.
My practice is concerned with the fabric of life, the DNA of our personal and cultural experiences, exposing the fragility of biological structures and unveiling the hidden. I mix the ancient craft of tapestry weaving with contemporary materials and processes, to create intricate structures, which are photographed and projected on a much larger scale; the miniature in opposition to the vast; the historic set against the future.
These delicate and flawed structures provide a metaphor for the genetic fabric of our being. The gaps and holes within the weave are exposed and magnified and the negative spaces become the visual focus. The spaces between encourage questions about what is missing or eradicated. The transient nature of projection also emphasises a sense of loss. Alongside these transitory pieces, I capture these projected images by printing them onto canvas, making permanent what otherwise would not exist. Painted marks are added to the surface, building up further layers of handmade marks in opposition to the digital.
Central to this research and development period is a collaborative process, between artist, scientist, digital developer and Museum. This process will enable cross-pollination between artistic and scientific understanding and will push the boundaries of my practice.
I will be working with a range of partners including Dr Felicity Boardman, from the University of Warwick to explore the role of 'experiential knowledge' of disability in prenatal testing decisions. I will also be working with web developer, Peter Pavement, to design a platform for public interaction with the work via online or mobile phone applications.
I would like to explore the potential for Alternative Reality Games (ARGs) as well as developing a series of images exploring ideas of non-existence using projections which appear and disappear. I have begun conversations with the Science Museum and hope to further explore with them over the coming months the potential for working with their Who Am I? gallery.
At the heart of this project is engaging the wider public and artists with the gritty issues relating to genetic screening. As part of this process I will be writing a series of blogs for DAO where I hope to enable a critical discussion about the role of the artist in the field of medical ethics, in particular the important role disabled artists may play in this field.


text:
Q: Strlen() Vs Strcmp for checking empty char array variable #include <iostream>
#include <cstring>

int main()
{
    char c1[5];
    char c2[5];

    if ( strlen(c1) == 0)
    {
        std::cout<<" c1 empty";
    }

    if (strcmp(c2, "") == 0)
    {
        std::cout<<" c2 empty";
    }

    return 0;
}

if ( strlen(c1) == 0) ==> equivalent assembly code ==>
lea     rax, [rbp-5]
movzx   eax, BYTE PTR [rax]
test    al, al
jne     .L2

if (strcmp(c2, "") == 0) ==> equivalent assembly code ==>
movzx   eax, BYTE PTR [rbp-10]
movzx   eax, al
test    eax, eax
jne     .L3

Not able to differentiate assembly code, they almost generate same code in assembly. Which is efficient way of checking array as empty?
Any help or more information will be appreciated.

A: C++ has something called the as-if rule. Your code has to behave as if strlen was called and the result compared to 0. But that does not mean it has to do exactly that.
A common optimization is to inline the call to strlen, since it's simple. This is legal, because your C++ can't notice the inlining. Your code behaves as if strlen was called.
Another common optimization is to eliminate parts of the code that do not matter. E.g. here it doesn't matter whether strlen would return 1, 2 or any other non-zero value.

A: strlen()
strlen() fucntion return number of characters in that string . Starts counting from first character till null character \0 encountered .
strcmp()
strcmp() function can return 3 different integer variables  --->
a.) Return 0 if both string are identical.
b.) Return integer value greater than 0 if ASCII value of the first not matching character of left
string is greater than that of corresponding character of right string .
c.) Return integer value less than 0 if ASCII value of first not matching character of left string is
less than ASCII value of corresponding character of right string.
Check out this code to see difference --->
#include<iostream>
#include<cstring>
int main()
{
char c1[5],c2[5];
std::cin>>c1>>c2;
std::cout<<"Length of first string ="<<strlen(c1)<<"\n";
std::cout<<"Value returned by strcmp() ="<<strcmp(c1,c2);
return 0;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
<?php

namespace SatisAdmin\Form\DataTransformer;

use Symfony\Component\Form\DataTransformerInterface;

/**
 * @author Yohan Giarelli <yohan@frequence-web.fr>
 */
class ArrayToJsonDataTransformer implements DataTransformerInterface
{
    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    public function transform($value)
    {
        if (null === $value) {
            return '';
        }
        $encoded = json_encode($value);

        return substr($encoded, 1, strlen($encoded) - 2);
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    public function reverseTransform($value)
    {
        if ('' === $value) {
            return null;
        }

        return json_decode('{'.$value.'}', true);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Dr. Hoffmann is a senior and founding partner of the firm and has a large experience working in the IP field since 1993. He passed the German and European patent attorney exams in 1996 and 1997, respectively. Dr. Hoffmann has been working on cases in basically all fields of electronics, software, medical and mechanical engineering and signal processing. He is closely following all relevant case law and makes sure our clients get well informed about any important decision and law changes. Dr. Hoffmann and his team handle many opposition and nullity proceedings as well as patent, trademark and design infringement cases. His knowledge from such important cases helps him delivering high quality prosecution work.
His broad technological background is based on a degree as engineer (German Dipl.-Ing.) from the Technical University of Darmstadt (1987) as well as on a Ph. D. (German Dr.-Ing.) also from the Technical University of Darmstadt (1993).
Dr. Hoffmann has been admitted to the European Patent Office and the German Patent and Trademark Office, the German Federal Patent Court and the German Supreme Court in nullity proceedings. He is also a registered European Trademark and Design Attorney. Being very active in trademark law, Dr. Hoffmann has gained wide experience in advocacy before the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) and WIPO. He is a member of GRUR, FICPI, AIPPI, ECTA, INTA and VPP. Moreover, Dr. Hoffmann is an internal auditor of the German Patent Attorney's Bar Association.


Lot Line Adjustment between two legal lots of record of approximately 4.6 acres (portion of APN 103-061-015-000 - northerly Parcel [Certificate of Compliance Document No. 2004079692]) and 4.3 acres (portion of Assessor's Parcel Number 103-061-015-000 - southerly parcel [Certificate of Compliance Document No. 2004079684]), resulting in two newly configured lots of 4.6 acres (westerly parcel to be identified as Parcel A) and 4.3 acres (easterly parcel to be identified as Parcel B), respectively.


Not everyone is successful when hunting for a new table top. It is important to understand your requirements when it comes to a table top. You cannot compromise on high quality construction and options when it comes to the finish of the table, and you also want it to look good and appear professional when you use it at your workplace. If that's exactly what you are looking for, this rectangular beveled edge top from OfficeSource is exactly what you need. In addition to its classy and traditional look, this beveled edge top is also popular for its bright and exciting color range. These five finish choices make this table top more suitable for various applications at the office, as well as at home. This table top, coupled with a strong base, can also be used in classrooms and board rooms. Give your workplace a professional touch by adding these table tops to your office.
Featuring rich high density laminates with the added feature of full 3 mil PVC DuraEdge detailing on all exposed edges.
Available with premium acrylic divider panels.
Coordinating pedestals and wall mounted storage options available.


We are a small department of 3 tenured faculty and 2 full-time instructors. We service engineering, pre-professional, and a large school of education. But we need more physics teachers locally and regionally. Currently I am increasing outreach to local physics teachers to be a resource for them. We have instituted a Transition-to-Teaching program for folks with 4 year degrees in Physics or Engineering that want to become teachers. It is a condensed path towards teacher certification. It has produced a few local physics teachers, but not enough. I plan to increase my efforts on this front with the support of our School of Science and the resources of PTEC.


text:
Home › Submission › R.V. Branham, 11/11/2013
R.V. Branham, 11/11/2013
Posted on November 10, 2013 by workzine	Posted in — 1 Comment ↓
Current Occupation: editor, publisher, translator
Former Occupation: Treasury Dept. terrorist, social worker, stock photo researcher, tech typist, & co-host of a floating æther-den
Contact Information: R.V. Branham has worked as a short order cook, firewood bundler, security guard, tech writer, aerospace clerk, book-seller, photo researcher, newspaper editor, paste-up ninja, Treasury Department terrorist, assistant X-ray tech, rape crisis counselor, social worker, translator, and interpreter. [Optional: As a '70s survivor, he co-hosted a floating æther den (as if there were any other kind back in the day). ] He is author/compiler of Curse+Berate in 69+ Languages (a 90 language dictionary and phrase book of insult, invective, obscenity, blasphemy, and other political speech, now in its 2nd. printing, from Soft Skull Press). His fiction has been anthologized in Dinosaurs 2, Full Spectrum 3, Ghosts 2, Hybrid Beasts (a Red Lemonade e-book anthol.), and Midnight Graffiti; and in magazines including Back Brain Recluse (UK), Ellery Queen's Mystery Mag., Midnight Graffiti, Isaac Asimov's SF Mag., Tema (a bilingual Croatian mag.), 2 gyrls quarterly, & online in In Other Words Mérida, Red Lemonade, & Unlikely Stories, with further stories forthcoming in Fall 2013 in The Writing Disorder, and W*O*R*K. His essays and interviews have been in the Australian artist book anthols. Mother Sun and Drawn To Words, as well as in Gobshite Quarterly, Paperback Jukebox, Portland Metrozine, and Red Lemonade (online). Two of his plays, Bad Teeth and Matt & Geof Go Flying had staged reading productions in Los Angeles, CA., and in Portland, OR. He is publishing editor of Gobshite Quarterly, a multilingual en-face magazine (now in broadsheet format), and as publisher of GobQ/Reprobate Books has published El Gato Eficaz/Deathcats (an en-face Spanish/English edition of Luisa Valenzuela's classic magico-realist novel), as well as Douglas Spangle's A Bright Concrete Day: Poems, 1978—2013, with bilingual chapbook & e-book editions of El Gato Eficaz/Deathcats , & collections of Russian and Croatian writing forthcoming in 2014 & beyond.
The Guns Of …
juuichi: Kyle was southbound on I-5, headed for Salem, headed for another interview with another branch of the State of Oregon Department of Corrections.
He glimpsed the Koin Center redbrick tower, capped with a grotty verdigris pyramid, from southbound I-5.
A trick of winter light made the Koin look like a yellowbrick tower, a sister city to Oz's Emerald City…and the rainbow coming from Swan Island was a perfectly cruel joke. juu: "Good afternoon, Social Security Administration."
Hold music at the other end. God. Classic Rock.
Stuck in the Middle With You… The teleservice rep waits twenty seconds, then disconnects. Takes the next call.
"Afternoon, Social Security Administration." ku: Only an hour before Kyle had been dreaming of the Wicked Witch of The Willamette and how she'd fired his ass when his halfsister Sam kicked at the door (to a room so recently the office of her air bus-crash-killed Leslie and now Kyle's guestroom) and reminded Kyle of his Salem job interview and threatened to toss his useless shite out on-to the street unless he arose and shone and got his tush in gear and Kyle yelled that she ought to be emailing suckup requests to publicists and threats to writers for her Journal Of the Plague Years deadline.
Ten miles north of Salem a freezing rain hurtled concentrated balls of styrofoamlike ice against his windshield.
He sipped tepid coffee and watched the road for patches of ice, black, white, or other.
The defrost strips in the hatchback glass behind him were losing the battle to condensation and cold.
Kyle turned the heater off…it made him drowsy.
The defrost, however, kept the front windshield clear.
One mysterious black big rig in front of him with strange plates bore casks marked "radioactive," now what the hell was that about, wasn't it illegal to carry nuclear waste on interstate highways?
Kyle wondered if the "radioactive" casks were from Hanford or Trojan as he got into the left lane and passed the big rig.
Traffic alternated light and heavy, with clusters of tripleload eighteenwheel-eighteenbaldtire rigs and customkitsch-mural vans and bigwheel trucks and recreational vehicles loaded with smaller vehicles, followed by halfmile blur after blur of 90 mph big nothing.
Ten years spent driving in Ellay, another in New York, and a month in Tokyo's kana-neon metatraffic, made this stretch of interstate a cakewalk, though he would gladly do without the icing. hachi: "Social Security Administration. Thelma Louise speaking. Thank you for holding," a teleservice rep says to a client, though her name is not really Thelma Louise.
Her name is Gloria Reid and she asked for Travis Bickle as a pseudonym but had to settle for Thelma Louise.
Gloria is furious because the others have not returned from their breaks and she cannot yet take hers. She has to go get Easter lilies for when she stops by Kaiser Sunnyside to see her dad, not that her dad will wake up from his coma long enough to notice. She looks at the greeting card just got for her dad.
The bastard.
"How can I be of assistance?" shichi: "Oh, and don't wear levis or jeans, not even black levis or dress jeans," was the last thing he'd been told by the Department of Corrections secretary who responded to his snailmailed-in resumé to set up an interview. — "Why?" — "In case the guards have to shoot."
Kyle had on a cassette boot of a Sinéad O'Connor concert:
"What else should I be," he repeated.
The left lane ahead was declared null and void as orangered cones converged.
"…All apologies."
A drugtest-yellow car with Washington plates just ahead and to the right of Kyle briefly swerved into his lane and he braked, no choice, Kyle had to brake, he braked on a patch of black ice, thwomp, glided into the cones, thwomp and thwompthwompthwomp, large orangered cones raining on his windshield and a cone cracked the windshield spider weblike and Kyle braked again to avoid hitting a State of Oregon truck stalled before him and he saw the shivering and frightened inmate-workers who had picked shrubbery and pruned litter and who now sat in the back sharing a bag of hickorysmoke metastasnacks, Kyle saw them as his head met the windshield visor.
He saw the hills and trees, too, all floating-worldlike, as cloud banks scudded into hills. Saw the crumpled bloodsoaked tissues. And the clouds, no not scudding, more rubbing against hillside trees to scratch their H2O hiho 25 watt silverlined acidrained backs.
Kyle was not certain which upset him more, the bloody napkins or sky and earth exchanging places. He made his way into the prison parklot some twenty minutes later, after using every napkin in the glove compartment, in the back seat, in the passenger footwell, in discarded fastfood and musicstore bags, to clean his blood from the windshield and visor and dashboard and from his forehead. — "Could you come into the office," his seventh supervisor in nine months had asked him that final day of his ninth month and the first week after returning from the government shutdown furlough and he unthinkingly said, "sure," and went to see his seventh supervisor (called by all and one "The Winged Monkey") and when Kyle found another supervisor (a.k.a. "The Scarecrow") was also in the office Kyle realized that the idiot bastard seventh sonofawingedmonkey bitch of a seventh idiot bastard sonofawingedmonkey bitch had sandbagged him and The Winged Monkey gave Kyle a letter to read and said, "I'm sure you know what this is about," and Kyle said, "No, I don't, because when you came on board you told me people weren't happy with my performance but that you would make your mind up and let me know if you saw any problems, that you'd give me warning, and every week I asked you if you saw any problems or areas for improvement and you told me every thing was fine," and The Winged Monkey then said, "Well, this is never easy," and Kyle replied, "I wouldn't know whether it's easy to put a knife in someone's back," and The Scarecrow protested and Kyle added, "and If I weren't the gentleman I am I'd call you the lying sack of shit you most certainly must be," and when The Scarecrow said that was uncalled-for Kyle asked why the asslicking union steward who helped fuck him under was absent, wasn't a steward supposed to be present, and The Winged Monkey said, when Kyle calmed down enough to talk about it, then, he'd be glad to help in any way he could and Kyle said, "So sorry…get me another spouse," and by the time he was asking them about the bogus sexual harassment charge that kept finding its way into and out of his personnel file the rentanasshole guards were taking away his federal employee ID badge and escorting him from a federally-leased facility and he had come back a week later to retrieve his personal shit, already tossed into an empty photocopy box, and was threatened by an eagerbeaver rentanasshole guard when he protested that his enamel Starbucks cup and his potted cactus and a framed photograph by now-semifamous badboy photographer Beausoleil (bought eons ago at Butters Gallery and now worth some bucks) were missing.
But that eagerbeaver rentanasshole had given every one grief and shit.
Kyle watched inmates play basketball in the one spot of sunlight available in the entire state, play behind a high razorwired fence as he made his way to the main building which looked so much like his old high school as to creep him out bigtime…down to the moss making its way up the north side of the building. One cocky inmate danced the funky chicken and Kyle felt a burst of envy and loathing. Kyle hated dancing and could at best approximate a grand mal seizure when in the thick of rock club mosh pit or school gym floor. Release, yes, but not grace or beauty.
"You're like Lester Bangs," Gloria had told him once. — "How?" — "Bangs said writing about music was like dancing about architecture, but you do dance about architecture." — Dancing made Kyle think of school, specifically high school, and high school made him think of dancing and this prison made him think of both.
The only reprieve Kyle ever found from the Bataan Death March called high school was in tennis. Tennis had been his high school sport and he had aced Singles, was an Ace, he reveled in the selfishness and found a palpable and animal grace only when playing, he danced then, a thousand dances, but the fuckwad coach had wanted Kyle to get with the program, wanted him for Doubles and Kyle hated Doubles, fuck the program, Kyle hated any team effort and finally just quit and broke the fuckwad coach's nose when the fuckwad coach refused to take No for an answer. And, yes, there had been a fumbling grace in his bloodied wrestling with the fuckwad coach who refused to take No for an answer, a sort of first-dance-at-the-prom quality to the scene, not that Kyle ever went to the prom.
A Robert Mapplethorpe flowers wallcalendar behind the bulletproof-windowed guard desk was good for a hoot but the building itself made him want to run for his car and drive away, drive away and keep driving until his gastank tanked. The lesions on the neck of the railthin modelprisoner who administered Kyle's typing test after he was let through electronically-controlled slamming barred door after electronically-controlled slamming barred door with deafening buzzes and clicks did nothing to assuage this unease.
— "One twenty words per minute with corrections." — Kyle felt his forehead seep again as if he were becoming a miracle, a bleeding church madonna. "Bad day," said Kyle to the modelprisoner, trying a winsome smile on for size. — "Would you like me to get paper towels," the modelprisoner enquired, unsmiling. Those lesions, whether or not K-S scars, looked like states that Kyle drew to win free drinks in bar bets. — "No. Thanks. Where's your 'loo?" Kentucky. — "What?" — Maine. "Sorry. Restroom." Michigan. — "Right." — Upper and lower peninsulas. A pause. "I'm sorry. Where's the restroom." Florida. — "Bog's down the hall twenty feet, turn right." Alaska. As he went to the restroom he could hear the modelprisoner say, "Asshole."— Kyle could hear a guy in the corner stall impersonating a scat singer while having a trombone solo of a dump.
Kyle pressed and pressed the dispenser lever and unbleached paper tumbled down until he found what he reasoned to be an uncontaminated layer. roku: "How can I be of assistance?"
"I just don't know who to talk to…I talk to IRS and they say to talk to you people and I talk to you people and you people tell me to talk to the IRS."
"Well, what's the situation?"
Gloria is so bored she looks at the latest issue of Journal Of the Plague Years, so bored she reads a review of a Hong Kong rollerdisco lesbian vampire kungfu movie she'll never see, a review written by her bastard brother Geof, who cannot even be bothered to drop by the Kaiser Sunnyside vegetable garden to visit their bastard dad (or even go halves on lilies). Gloria always feels like an idiot when she reads her brother's reviews and feels some how cheated, conned and manipulated, shat up on. She has this image to say thought of Geof dividing all and sundry toys or candy or booty when they were children.
— "Two for me, one for you, three for me, one for you, four for me."
Gloria was annoyed with the intensity that Kyle loved reading her brother's reviews, no, that's not right, with the intensity that he loved hating them ("heavyfisted and hamhanded") and the way that Kyle went out of his way see the movie so he could write a letter to Geof's editor to slamdunk Geof's pretentious review. When Gloria brought up the fact that Kyle's sister is her brother Geof's editor he agreed, yes, well, Sam would not print one of my letters, she'd consider it nepotism to do so.
And those slacker shits still haven't come back from their java breaks. She's not even sure whether those shitheels are even telling her the truth about her brother Geof actually dropping by to visit her yesterday, wanting to take her to lunch (and that is so out of character for him that he probably did do so, some how intuiting that she would be out of the office that day, that is so so so like Geof) but she would not put it past those shitforbrains to make up Geof's visit, either, they know that she and her brother are not particularly close.
"The situation is that some one down in Florida or Alabama or Mississippi or Arizona, I don't know where, they move around a lot, some Mexican, probably, is using my social security card and I keep having problems with my taxes." go: Shutupshutupshutup, Kyle thought as he sat in an office filled with tschotschkes and plastercasted praying hands and Sears Special portraits of grandchildren, sat and faced his interviewers, a man with a face like the potato famine and a wretched toupee and a woman of the bluerinse tribe whose aging earlobes drooped under the weight of her mothership earrings.
They expressed concern over the bruise on his forehead and offered to send him to the nurse but he declined and the interview began.
Answers thirty seconds max, listen and pause, then back to thirty seconds max. He silently practiced his Japanese, bringing the kana images into his head, counting backwards from ten: juu, ku, hachi, shichi, roku, go.
—"About this last job, you were only there nine months." —
Shi, san, ichi. Listen, pause:
— "Yes, well, I had been working there nearly three months and was encouraged to apply for a promotion and, well, my supervisor left the agency and I had another supervisor and then another supervisor and then another supervisor and after three more supervisors it was determined that the position wasn't a good fit, but I think of it as a valuable learning experience." —
Thirty seconds max, without getting too personal and naming names like The Winged Monkey, The Wicked Witch Of The Willamette, The Pod Lady, or The Scarecrow.
— "You've got quite a varied background," said the man. — "Yes," the woman said, "a very interesting background." — "Very interesting," the man agreed.
Very interesting, according to Kyle's exwife, meant terminally excruciatingly boring. Interesting only rated elaborately boring.
Kyle had blown the interview any way when he assumed that the man was the woman's supervisor. — "How do you feel about the prisoners," said the man. — "About working with them," added the woman. — "Well, if they're paying their debt to society and if they do good work, well, I wouldn't have any problems." —
The two interviewers nodded, said "Good" in unison. — "And how," the woman asked, "do you feel about working with people from different backgrounds." — "Different backgrounds," repeated the man. — "Do you mean ethnic backgrounds," asked Kyle. — "Yes." — "Well, I'm half Hispanic on my mother's side, and I've lived in Los Angeles and New York and spent time in Japan during The…" (He caught himself just in time and did not say The Dirty Little.) "Any way, I like to think I am pretty tolerant." — "And religion?"— Kyle looked at them, saw their persistent eyes. "Well, again, I've lived and worked in several places, different countries, different cultures, and I'd have to agree with Martin Luther's comment that he'd rather hire a capable Islamic Turkman than an incompetent Christian. I don't care what you believe, I care about what you do."
There was a pause.
— "Interesting," said the woman. — "I don't remember Martin Luther King saying any thing like that," said the man, "I am a great admirer of Dr. King." — "…I meant Martin Luther Luther." — "Oh," said the man, "that Martin Luther."
The woman chortled.
They asked him about HIV and the public's attitudes and took notes as he spoke of the tragedy and spoke of an exseminarian junkie pal who sucked needles and shared dirty dicks and contracted AIDS in 1989 and been on protease cocktails since 1994, only to contract the emergent elohim strain and fall into a decline and die last year (and it astonished Kyle that only Gloria and a post-grad biochemistry professor had ever called him on inventing terminal diseases). Kyle chose to delete the sordid bits about shared needles and dicks and projectile diarrhœa, instead turning the dead exseminarian and rat's-assignation shit-heel bastard pal into a noble posterchild for a tragic epidemic.
"We'll let you know." They rose from their seats.
"Next week." He shook their hands. The woman's grip was confident and the man's was clammy and tentative.
The man showed Kyle out, back down the ammonia-soaked hall. The gleaming lino caught the wan winter light from barred windows and bounced it all over white walls.
Kyle told the man some thing he had told no one else about, never ever before, told the man about his diabetic grandfather and about how when he was a freshman in high school he took his grandfather's syringes and cleaned them with bleach and gave them to junkie friends so they wouldn't get hepatitis, or some thing worse. And then Kyle began to talk about his mother's suicide, when he was five years old, maybe four. The man looked at Kyle, smiled a provisional smile.
"Interesting." shi: "I keep getting problems with my taxes."
"You'll have to talk to the IRS. We can't do any thing."
If Gloria does not get coffee soon she will fall into deep sleep. Kyle was always good for that, always good for a cup of Starbucks java du jour, all you had to do was ring him and he'd punch idle and then run to the elevator and shoot down for a cup of double joe.
The quid for this pro quo was that you had to pay for Kyle's cup of joe. Kyle never took longer than five, seven minutes, max…unless he argued with that asshole security guard who told every one that the World Trade Center was payback for Waco. And Kyle then asked what The Dirty Little was payback for. For some one who claimed to loathe dancing Kyle certainly did mix it up with people. Always finding some fibula of contention. She laughs when ever she remembers what Kyle finally told the rentanasshole: "May your genepool evaporate."
She misses Kyle.
He was very considerate in his own contrarian and weirdo way. One day Kyle saw a photo of her son on her desk and didn't press when Gloria said he was going through a phase and living with his grandma, and never asked embarrassing questions about paternity…an issue of rococco complexities, involving butcher and baker and turkey baster.
Kyle just asked when his birthday was and when that day came showed up to the office with a giftwrapped deeveedee of Rebel Without A Cause…one of Nicholas Ray's finest films.
Their one "date" had been a disaster, sort of, they went to Satyricon and the band was so god fucking damn good that the usuallytoohip crowd was actually dancing and Gloria wanted to dance but Kyle did not and finally just split, she joined the dancing and turned around to see him gonegone.
It was cool, sort of, to run into him at Cinema 21 when she went to see City of Lost Children, and a bit strange because neither of them wanted to ruin the moment by talking about the whirling weirdnesses of shit around his departure from Social Security.
She felt she should tell Kyle how the Wicked Witch of the Willamette and The Pod Lady visited her a few times to get her to rat on Kyle and only stopped when she filed a grievance with her uncle at the regional office in Seattle. She remembers Kyle's cackle as the Cinema 21 ran a trailer for a revival of Taxi Driver, but also remembers that the whole sardinepacked theatre freaked, too.
"Then let me speak to your supervisor. I just told you that IRS says to call you people and then you people tell me to call up the IRS, so I want to speak to your supervisor."
"Please hold while I connect you." Then: "I'm sorry, my supervisor isn't available."
"I can wait." san: The phone was in voicemail mode by the time Kyle unlocked his halfsister's front door and deactivated the alarm system and caught the mendelbrat Siamese cat before he bolted out.
Kyle retrieved and heard three messages.
The first was from the Oregon Department of Corrections and asked when he would like to schedule a second interview. Wellwellwell, they got through to the one supervisor who apologized to him for every thing, who had even offered to be a reference (the supervisor was called "The Cowardly Lion") and who wrote him a letter of recommendation on Official Use Only stationary.
The second voicemail was from Janet Planet… Shit on a shingle, Janet Planet was the department secretary who had warned Kyle about the sexual harassment scam, told him that the coworker every one called the Pod Lady and supervisor who did this number on him had also done this to a blind black man and a gay Nicaraguan paraplegic before him, that not only did they get the charges to stick, but that no one even noticed that the same Pod Lady person made the same charge over and over again to the same supervisor (who was called "The Wicked Witch Of The Willamette") and Janet had told Kyle the basic script, that the claims rep open files would be moved into the Pod Lady's office by The Wicked Witch Of The Willamette and the employee who had to get into the Pod Lady's office to look up claims rep open files would be berated by the Pod Lady and immediately receive a verbal and then a written warning from The Wicked Witch Of The Willamette, charging them with sexual harassment, all of this within an hour, and that a union steward who was paralyzed on his left side was kept out of the loop…and since he was retiring any month now for the last two or three years he was relieved to be relieved, and Kyle knew that much and felt a bit guilty about not telling Janet that the other union steward had interrogated him instead of listening to his grievance and asked if he'd ever been arrested for sexual assault or other sex crimes and twisted the fact of Kyle's having been a sexual assault hotline volunteer from 1991 to 1995, told Kyle that that was just part of his degree work and when Kyle said he only got two semesters credit out of his five years of volunteer work she asked him if he got off on hearing assault victims accounts, if he went home and used their pleas for help and stories as masturbation fodder.
Kyle had told her that his specific task was to counsel the families, not the victims, that fathers and husbands and brothers and sons needed counseling, too, and that those were the people he'd been trained to help, and no he had never found their anguish particularly sexy.
Janet Planet told Kyle she just now took a call from Oregon Department of Corrections regarding references and that The Wicked Witch Of The Willamette intercepted The Cowardly Lion's message and closed the door to her office.
The next message was from Oregon Department of Corrections, saying that the position was canceled due to budget cuts. Budget cuts, sure. When Kyle asked about such prospects in the interview, the woman of the blue rinse tribe laughed and told him that no matter who was in office that they were scheduled for twelve new state prisons in the next decade.
—"The last growth industry," the man had said. —"The final frontier," the woman amended, before asking him if he'd be interested in working on the decommissioned coast guard boats they hoped to have in the Willamette River by late Spring.
Kyle went into his halfsister's attic, found a convincingly Uzilike water pistol that Sam had used at a few Halloween parties last year. Kyle loaded the water pistol with balsamic vinegar and put it in his knapsack.
He remembered he still had leftover tokens and decided to take the Try-Met downtown.
Stuck to the back of his license was a post-it bearing all the door security codes the office had been through in the nine months he'd been there.
Kyle once overheard a guard tell another they only used ten variations.
He had nine codes, so just maybe, just maybe he would visit the old office. ni: "I can wait."
"…Well, my supervisor is out of the office and I wasn't able to ring another supervisor, so if you like I can write up your problem and forward it to National."
Gloria looks up, sensing something, and careful not to tangle her receiver cord, gets out of her chair. The office is unusually quiet.
— "Why didn't you just offer to do that before?" — "The problem is that there are only a hundred people who handle this sort of thing nation wide and the wait can be very, very long." — "How long?" — "Nine to eighteen months or more." — "Well, I've been waiting for more than five years for some one to straighten out this mess, so if it takes another year or two I'm not surprised." — "Let me logon to my computer and get your name and address and social and other information."
Maggie, Gloria Reid's coworker from the next gray cubicle and partner in fucking off, taps her on the shoulder:
"C'mon, Gloria." — "Please hold."
Then to Maggie, "Just what is your problemita?" — "Haven't you heard, Gloria? It's on the radio, it's on the voicemail…" — "…What's on the voicemail and radio?"—"The police are evacuating the building, Janet Planet went to evacuate the seventh floor and we're the only two left here. Janet sent me to get you." —"…Why?" — "…Kyle's why. He's got an Uzi and 's attacked pedestrians, knocked a woman down and kicked her head in before running into our park entrance and beating the shit and shinola out of a guard." — "You're kidding me. Aren't you?"
Gloria removes her headset, tosses it on-to her desk, by Kyle's cactus that she rescued from the Pod Lady's trash can and placed below an In Memorium trading card from her abuela's requiem.
The way her father was going she'd soon be adding a card for him.
…Collect the Whole Set, as Kyle put it when they discussed deaths in families.
— "Kyle's a wimp, he's too much of a pussy."—"I know you like Kyle, Gloria, but take a look out the window and check out the roof of the bank and the parklot, look at the SWAT team. I read about what you're going through, they call it the Stockholm Syndrome!" — "Stockholm Syndrome? …What's that, fucking your brains out and then committing suicide?" — "…No, Gloria Smartypants, it's where captives become sympathetic to the captors agenda. Like Patty Hearst. I read it in Psychology Today." — "…If Kyle's got an Uzi why hasn't he shot any one?" — "Stockholm Syndrome." — "…You believe every thing you read in a glossy pop-psych rag?" — "…Better than that trendy degenerate Rocket To Uranus trash. Let's get the caboose to vamoose. I swear, just because you like the boy." — "Like the boy?"
Gloria laughs.
"I forgot." Maggie smirks. "…You don't bat for the home team." — "…Who I sleep or do not sleep with is not a matter of team sports, Maggie." — "Stockholm Syndrome."
Gloria looks out the window, sees closeshorn heads on the roof of the parklot off Second, heads with dark duckbill caps and darker glasses and rifles ready to take aim and fire. She also sees two hawks hacksaw across the cobalt sky on crinkly thermals. Also sees a boat on the Willamette, sees its watery wake downriver from the bridge supports. Then she turns to find rifle shadows on the roof of the Marriott off Front Street and of the First Interstate building off Third.
—"But the Pod Lady took a floater today and the Wicked Witch Of The Willamette is on a halfday schedule, she's long gone."—"Then go find Kyle and tell him, Gloria, tell him they're not here. C'mon! They're sending the police up for a floorbyfloor. We are s'posed to be out of here."
Gloria remembers: "I still have the oldfartster on hold." — "Fuck-get his raggedy senile ass," Maggie says. "That asshole doesn't have a pissed-off former coworker with a gun coming by to visit. Kyle's s'posed to be in a stair well or holed up an office on the fourth or fifth, according to the radio. Janet said we're s'posed to go to the freight elevator. Chopchoppity, Gloria." — "I'll bet his Uzi's a plastic replica toy." — "Stockholm Syndrome."
She spies the SWAT team heads atop the smartpark converge, duckbill caps moving closer together, as SWAT teams rifles fixate on their floor at the very least, if not on Gloria and Maggie.
Some one can be heard in the hallway, running. Door beeping as code combinations are entered and rejected and rejected and entered and entered and rejected. — "C'mon, girl," Maggie shouts as she runs into an office, "Let's lock ourselves in here…" —
Maggie holds the door open.
"…Hurry…" ichi: The door will beep as it accepts the security code and Kyle will rush into the room, clutching his leaky Uzi water pistol and shouting for the Wicked Witch Of The Willamette.
Behind Kyle will be the eagerbeaver rentanasshole cop who always gives every one shitgrief and who particularly dislikes Kyle, with his own eagerbeaver personal-issue non-watergun and also shouting, yelling, screaming at Kyle, screaming, "Freeze, mother fucker!"
Kyle will lose his traction, slip, on a everrepaired everloosened lip of carpet. — "Jesus, Kyle, duck!"
A blast behind Kyle, percussive, firecrackerlike more a cherrybomb more bulletlike, will make him think of hunting for pheasant out of season with one of his whackedout California cousins, now long dead, hunting for pheasant of all things.
And Kyle will hear Gloria shout and, too late, fall as she throws herself at him, maybe not too late, maybe too early, in the elastic schemata of seconds per seconds of bodies and rest and motion because she will take a bullet and Kyle will take a bullet and a hole and Kyle will then hear Gloria's shocked voice, hear her give a copcop his surname, "No, not like the sax player, like the Clash song, Guns Of…," and her, "Yes," as the cop completes the song title, gets it right—tell him what he's won, and then hear Gloria dryheave a bit as she tells a paramedic that Oregon's the Easter lily capitol of the World, her sonofabitch bastard dad used to say that, and tells of her experiences with morphine and percocet during various surgeries and how the slowup speed-down motion of a discharged bullet leads it to rest in the torn flesh of her Newtonian body. Like dancing on the mosh pit, riding on the clubland sea of roiling heads and shoulders. Dancing about architecture. Kyle will hear every thing and feel nothing as he is rolled down the hall to the elevator, not to Starbucks, no quid for that pro quo, no king's double americano joe ever to put those fragged nerves together again.
for k. a.
‹ Steve Theme, 11/4/2013
Marc Swan, 11/18/2013 ›
One comment on "R.V. Branham, 11/11/2013"
Yeah! The bitey-bite workplace, all fuckyouunder politics & poison. Great piece! Send in more!
four + 6 =

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
SME finance >
State aid according to the Government Decision no. 8072014 for creating a state aid scheme that has the objective of stimulating investments greatly influencing the economy
The objective of the state aid scheme is the regional development by achieving initial investments in high technology assets, for making products with great added value, regardless of the size of beneficiaries. The total value of an investment project must be at least 44 million Lei. That value was determined by considering an equivalent value of approximately 10 million Eur (calculated at an exchange rate of 4.4 Lei / Eur).
The investment projects whose total value is below the threshold of 44 million Lei are not eligible for state aid funding within this scheme.
The total value of the investment is the value of the eligible expenses and the value of all eligible tangible and intangible assets, VAT excluded, corresponding to the initial investment.
Budget of the funding program:
The maximum budget of the scheme is 2,700 million Lei, which is the equivalent of approximately 600 million Eur; it may be increased.
The annual maximum budget of the scheme is 450 million Lei, which is the equivalent of 100 million Eur, as the annual budget laws will set out.
Eligible beneficiaries:
The companies that may request state aid according to this scheme are the newly-incorporated or already operational companies, be they small and medium size or large, which are legal persons and were incorporated according to the Law of companies no. 31/ 1990, republished, with the subsequent modifications and completions.
Validity term of the funding program:
The funding consents may be issued according to the scheme until December 31, 2020, while observing the legislation in the state aids domain.
The state aid is paid during 2015 - 2023, according to the funding consents issued, within the limits of the annual budget allotted to the scheme.
Eligible activity domains:
The investments made in all activity areas, except for those mentioned in article 15 of the Government Decision no. 807/ 2014 and in the "List of activity areas for which no state aids are granted" provisioned in Annex 1 to the Applicant's Guidebook, are eligible, according to the legal provisions in force.
Eligible expenses:
Eligible expenses are deemed the costs without VAT corresponding to making and purchasing, as applicable, the tangible and intangible assets, as well as those connected to renting the building, with the aim to achieve the initial investment.
The tangible assets are deemed those connected to the initial investment, represented by
a) any kind of buildings and the expenses made at the time of erecting the buildings;
b) new technical installations, machines and equipment, included in those categories according to the Government Decision no. 2.139/ 2004 for approving the Catalog on including in categories and regular operation terms of assets, with the subsequent modifications, having a minimum in value of the assets set out according to the legal provisions in force.
The intangible assets are deemed the next: assets that may be assets subject to depreciation, connected to the initial investment, which have no physical or financial materialization, such as patents, licenses, know-how or other intellectual property rights.
For further information on the funding program, please go to:
http://www.mfinante.ro/hg807.html?pagina=domenii
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text:
> Market Sectors
> Defence
> Witham Specialist Vehicles Ltd
Witham Specialist Vehicles Ltd
Travel north along the A1 in Cambridge and Lincolnshire, and you cannot avoid seeing a plethora of RAF airbases. But just south of Grantham at Colsterworth is an equally impressive display of Army hardware at the appropriately named Witham Specialist Vehicles Ltd depot. The title gives the visitor no idea of the treasure trove of military hardware hidden away down Honeypot Lane, for the depot is the sole dispersal point for ex-Army vehicles.
The depot is home to row upon row of Land Rover 90s, 4x4 DAF and Bedford trucks for sale, together with tanks, Saxon armoured personnel carriers, brand new Land Rovers, Scammell bowsers, Jones cranes, Dennis coaches, Massey Ferguson tractors and Fox CVRW vehicles along with a huge array of surplus militaries. The vehicles arrive at Colsterworth at a rate of around 1,000 units per year and in every conceivable condition, and it falls to workshop manager Steve Deans to're-life', dismantle or recycle every one of them. Each vehicle is evaluated, and has faults, problems and repairs noted. "There is a big market for military vehicles, they are tough, simple to maintain and built to last. For instance the 4x4 trucks all end up in Africa where they will almost certainly last for another 30 years.
The plant, ends up in Eastern Europe, the Romanians can't get enough cranes for some reason, while the armoured personnel carriers already have a buyer," Deans says. "However, they all have to be in good working order, and trying to find components for a vehicle that is 30 years old can be somewhat challenging." And this is where Pirtek Peterborough comes in. "Many of the vehicles for repair have oddball fittings, goodness knows what we will find on some of the more specialised vehicles. But it's got to the point where I phone Pirtek and say 'I want one of these, can you source it' and they do. They have not let us down yet. They have found unique parts for 70s Land Rovers, made rams for Moffat forklifts, they have sourced parts for Royal Navy milk floats, found all sorts of parts for the Leyland DAF trucks, supplied power steering hoses for Aveling Barford graders, hydraulics for JCB wheel loaders, to name but a few of their successes. Their knowledge of the hydraulic market is superb and their ability to source parts is nothing short of miraculous."
> Back to Defence


Sorry Minneapolis, but your Mall of America's status of "America's Largest Shopping mall" may be in jeopardy. UPI reported that plans are in the works to bring "American Dream Miami," billed as America's largest mall, to Florida. It shouldn't come as much of surprise, since the company that owns Mall of America is the one planning to take their talents to South Beach. Triple Five is also the same company that is slated to open "American Dream Meadowlands" (we see a naming trend in the works here) in northern N.J. in the third quarter of 2016. The South Florida Business Journal reported that the 200-acre project, which is in the early planning stages (at least six to eight years away from completion), could include an indoor ski slope.
We've lots of advice about how to use technology and social media to target shoppers, but that doesn't mean you should ignore different trends and preferences when it comes to gender. A study done recently by The Future of Commerce called "The Myth of the Mansumer," there are many similarities and differences when it comes to approaching shopping and what men and women like or dislike about it. For example, as reported by SmallBizTrends.com, while both men and women say in-store service has improved over the last three years, both also agree that they would rather do self-checkout (55%). Both agree that there are security risks to be concerned about when it comes to online shopping (20%) but differ when it comes to buying products online but returning them in-store. According to the study, two-thirds of women care about that versus half of all men. "If you do offer online sales, make sure your salespeople know how to handle in-store returns without slowing customers down," the report advises.
DMM will be at RECon 2015, the ICSC's convention that brings together retail real estate professionals from around the world. The show gets underway May 17th and runs through the 20th at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Come visit us at our booth (#N1329) and learn more about our DMM Mapping tool, get a personal demonstration, find out what's in store for ShoppingCenters.com down the line, or just come by and say hi.


text:
Interstate Airlines was een Nederlandse wetleasemaatschappij van 2005 tot en met 2010. De onderneming werd in 2005 opgericht door Roberto Stinga (ex-Air Exel en V Bird) en Nico Hemmer (ex-Farnair en MagicBlue) en begon met opereren in juli 2005.

Toen Stinga en Hemmer een consultantopdracht hadden bij een Duits luchtvaartbedrijf, kregen ze de mogelijkheid een in prima staat verkerende moderne ATR 42-500 over te nemen. Omdat geen van beiden het starten van een lijndienstcarrier zag zitten, besloten ze gezamenlijk een ACMI-onderneming te beginnen: Interstate Airlines. De op Maastricht Aachen Airport gevestigde maatschappij werd volledig gefinancierd "uit eigen middelen met ons eigen spaargeld", verklaarde Roberto Stinga dinsdag 4 oktober 2005.

Interstate Airlines begon met één ATR 42-500 en zette het toestel in voor het Spaanse Regional Wings. Regional Wings was dus de eerste klant van Interstate Airlines.

In oktober 2005 wilde Interstate Airlines uitbreiden met twee Airbus A300's en één Boeing 747-200. Interstate Airlines heeft onderhandeld over de lease van twee Airbus A300B4's en een Boeing 747-200, die vanaf november of december 2005 operationeel zouden moeten zijn. Van wie de toestellen zouden moeten worden geleased was onduidelijk, alhoewel Roberto Stinga naar de Verenigde Staten zou reizen om te onderhandelen over de Boeing 747. Op de vraag waarom juist deze vliegtuigtypen worden gezocht, meldde Stinga dat er bij niet nader genoemde klanten behoefte was aan deze toestellen.

Daarnaast zou mogelijk een tweede ATR 42-500 aan de vloot worden toegevoegd. Deze ATR zou ook worden gevlogen voor Regional Wings.

Sinds juli 2005 beschikte Interstate Airlines over een AOC, een door de Nederlandse luchtvaartautoriteiten verleende vlieglicentie.

Om de toestellen te vliegen is was Interstate op zoek naar 22 piloten. Ook was er behoefte aan overig operationeel personeel.

In oktober 2005 waren er bij de onderneming achttien medewerkers in dienst.

De maatschappij had in november 2007 inmiddels 25 werknemers en verder verwachtte Interstate Airlines de levering van de eerste Lockheed 1011-500 TriStar aan de Nederlandse ACMI-maatschappij Interstate Airlines. Deze levering werd uitgesteld naar de eerste helft van februari 2008. Het toestel onderging bij onderhoudsbedrijf JorAMCo in Amman een grote onderhoudsbeurt nadat de TriStar jarenlang bewegingsloos in de Verenigde Staten in de woestijn heeft gestaan.

Interstate wilde de TriStar in opdracht van andere carriers gaan inzetten op speciale vluchten, bijvoorbeeld om pelgrims naar Mekka te vervoeren of tijdens de drukke periode rond het Chinese Nieuwjaar. Uiteindelijk hoopte Interstate met drie of vier TriStars te gaan vliegen.

In januari 2008 zag Interstate Airlines echter toch af van het in gebruik nemen van een Lockheed TriStar. De onderneming wilde het verkeersvliegtuig de vloot opnemen om vluchten mee uit te voeren in opdracht van derden maar de levering was al vertraagd doordat de onderhoudswerkzaamheden aan het toestel meer tijd in beslag namen dan gepland.

De TriStar die Interstate op het oog had was afkomstig van Delta Air Lines en verliet in 1980 de productiehal. In vergelijking met de destijdse generatie verkeersvliegtuigen, was de TriStar met haar drie technologisch verouderde motoren een behoorlijke brandstofslurper.

Voormalige Nederlandse luchtvaartmaatschappij

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Arnon Milchan est un producteur, espion et marchand d'armes israélo-américain,  né le , en Palestine.

Biographie
Arnon Milchan est né à Rehovot, en Israël. À la mort de son père, âgé de , il hérite de la société fondée par celui-ci et spécialisée dans la production d'engrais et de fertilisants. Il est diplômé de la London School of Economics.

Milchan a été marié une première fois au mannequin français Brigitte Jeanmaire. Après son divorce, il épouse en secondes noces la joueuse de tennis sud-africaine Amanda Coetzer.

Le Premier ministre Benyamin Netanyahou est mis en cause par la justice en 2020 pour avoir reçu pour 700 000 shekels de cigares, champagne et bijoux de la part de personnalités richissimes, dont Arnon Milchan, en échange de faveurs financières ou personnelles.

Carrière cinématographique
Milchan s'est lancé dans l'industrie cinématographique en 1977, après sa rencontre avec le producteur Elliot Kastner. Il a fondé la société de production New Regency Productions.  Il compte plus de  à son actif en tant que producteur, dont de nombreux succès comme Il était une fois en Amérique, Brazil, JFK, Pretty Woman, Tueurs nés, Fight Club, L.A. Confidential, Twelve Years a Slave, Bohemian Rhapsody.

Agent secret
Il aurait été agent secret pour le compte d'Israël. Selon la biographie non officielle publiée sur lui par les journalistes Meir Doron et  Joseph Gelman, il aurait été recruté par le Lakam afin d'obtenir un support technologique et du matériel dans le cadre du programme israélien de recherches nucléaires.

Filmographie
 1977 : Black Joy
 1978 : La Grande Menace (The Medusa Touch)
 1979 : Dizengoff 99
 1983 : La Valse des pantins (The King of Comedy)
 1984 : Il était une fois en Amérique (Once Upon a Time in America)
 1985 : Brazil
 1985 : Legend
 1986 : Stripper
 1987 : Man on Fire
 1989 : Big Man on Campus
 1989 : Mais qui est Harry Crumb ? (Who's Harry Crumb?)
 1989 : La Guerre des Roses (The War of the Roses)
 1990 : Pretty Woman
 1990 : Contre-enquête (Q & A)
 1991 : La Liste noire (Guilty by Suspicion)
 1991 : Dans la peau d'une blonde (Switch)
 1991 : JFK
 1992 : Les Aventures d'un homme invisible (Memoirs of an Invisible Man)
 1992 : Les Mambo kings (The Mambo Kings)
 1992 : La Puissance de l'ange (The Power of One)
 1992 : Piège en haute mer (Under Siege)
 1992 : That Night
 1993 : Entre ciel et terre (Heaven & Earth)
 1993 : Sommersby
 1993 : Chute libre (Falling Down)
 1993 : Made in America
 1993 : Mon ami Willy (Free Willy)
 1993 : Piège en eaux troubles (Striking Distance)
 1993 : The Nutcracker
 1993 : Six degrés de séparation (Six Degrees of Separation)
 1994 : Free Willy (série TV)
 1994 : Le Client (The Client)
 1994 : Tueurs nés (Natural Born Killers)
 1994 : Le Père adoptif (Second Best)
 1994 : The New Age
 1994 : Cobb
 1995 : Avec ou sans hommes (Boys on the Side)
 1995 : Piège à grande vitesse (Under Siege 2: Dark Territory)
 1995 : Sauvez Willy 2 (Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home)
 1995 : Empire Records
 1995 : Copycat
 1995 : Heat
 1996 : The Sunchaser
 1996 : Otages en balade (Carpool)
 1996 : Le Droit de tuer ? (A Time to Kill)
 1996 : Tin Cup
 1996 : Bogus
 1996 : Leçons de séduction (The Mirror Has Two Faces)
 1997 : Meurtre à la Maison-Blanche (Murder at 1600)
 1997 : L.A. Confidential
 1997 : Sauvez Willy 3 (Free Willy 3: The Rescue)
 1997 : L'Associé du diable (The Devil's Advocate)
 1997 :
 1997 : L'Homme qui en savait trop... peu (The Man Who Knew Too Little)
 1998 : La Courtisane (Dangerous Beauty)
 1998 : La Cité des anges (City of Angels)
 1998 : Goodbye Lover
 1998 : Négociateur (The Negotiator)
 1999 : Simplement irrésistible (Simply Irresistible)
 1999 : Le Songe d'une nuit d'été (A Midsummer Night's Dream)
 1999 : Haute-voltige (Entrapment)
 1999 : Liaison mortelle (The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer) (TV)
 1999 : Fight Club
 2000 : Noriega : L'Élu de Dieu (Noriega: God's Favorite) (TV)
 2000 : Il suffit d'une nuit (Up at the Villa)
 2000 : Big Mama (Big Momma's House)
 2000 : Tigerland
 2001 : Va te faire voir Freddy! (Freddy Got Fingered)
 2001 : The Lone Gunmen
 2001 : Une virée en enfer (Joy Ride)
 2001 : Pas un mot... (Don't Say a Word)
 2001 : Le Chevalier Black (Black Knight)
 2001 : Super papa (Joe Somebody)
 2002 : Crimes et pouvoir (High Crimes)
 2002 : 7 jours et une vie (Life or Something Like It)
 2002 : Infidèle (Unfaithful)
 2003 : Daredevil
 2003 : Bye Bye Love (Down with Love)
 2003 : Le Maître du jeu (Runaway Jury)
 2004 : Girl Next Door (The Girl Next Door)
 2004 : Man on Fire
 2004 : Des étoiles plein les yeux (First Daughter)
 2005 : Elektra
 2005 : Mr. et Mrs. Smith (Mr. & Mrs. Smith)
 2005 : Les Mots retrouvés (Bee Season)
 2005 : Stay
 2006 : Big Mamma 2 (Big Momma's House 2)
 2006 : Sexy Movie (Date Movie)
 2006 : The Sentinel
 2006 : Lucky Girl (Just My Luck)
 2006 : Ma Super Ex (My Super Ex-Girlfriend)
 2006 : La Fontaine (The Fountain)
 2007 : Big Movie (Epic Movie)
 2008 : Marley & Moi de David Frankel (producteur exécutif)
 2010 : Night and Day (Knight and Day) (producteur exécutif)
 2011 : Bienvenue à Monte-Carlo (Monte Carlo) de Thomas Bezucha
 2014 : Noah de Darren Aronofsky
 2015 : True Story de Rupert Goold
 2015 : The Revenant d'Alejandro González Iñárritu
 2016 : Assassin's Creed de Justin Kurzel
 2018 : Bohemian Rhapsody de Dexter Fletcher
 2021 : Eaux profondes (Deep Water) d'Adrian Lyne
 2022 : Amsterdam de David O. Russell
 2022 : Barbare (Barbarian) de Zach Cregger

Prix et distinctions
 2011 : Prix Raimondo Rezzonico au festival du film de Locarno

Notes et références

Voir aussi

Bibliographie
 Allison Kaplan Sommer, « Hollywood marchand d'armes pour l'Etat hébreu. La télévision israélienne a révélé les liens entre l'univers clinquant du cinéma américain et les ventes d'armes à Israël, y compris dans la nucléaire », Courrier international , Courrier international S.A., Paris , , , , (article original paru dans Haaretz, Tel-Aviv, le ).

Liens externes

  Arnon Milchan sur l'Internet Movie Database

Producteur américain
Naissance en décembre 1944
Naissance en Palestine
Naissance à Rehovot
Étudiant de la London School of Economics
Milliardaire israélien