Those who attend the state fair are wise to be skeptical when encouraged to play a game in which "everybody wins a prize." Nonetheless, that was indeed the investing reality in a quarter in which it was all but impossible to throw a dart and hit a poor‐performing asset class. Stocks and bonds, domestic and foreign, developed and undeveloped, real estate, commodities and even shiny rocks provided attractive rates of return. Only those with substantial cash holdings had reason for regret.
The consistency of positive stock returns was just as remarkable. The S&P 500 rose during each of the three months of the quarter and achieved record high closing prices 16 times. For the entire quarter, this most commonly followed U.S. stock benchmark rose by more than 5%, pushing year‐to‐date gains beyond 7%. This was the sixth consecutive quarter of gains for the market, the longest winning streak recorded since 1998. While this makes it seem as if stocks have been a one‐way bet recently, investors may forget that as recently as January of this year the market fell nearly 4%, leading some to suggest that 2014 would be as bad as 2013 was good.
Within the U.S. stock market, smaller companies provided the lowest returns, rising just 2%. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) provided the best numbers, rising 7%. REITs are now up 17% year to date after being the worst domestic equity asset class last year. In general, a declining interest rate environment is seen as favorable for real estate investments and that has been the case so far this year.
Foreign developed stock markets earned more than 4% in the quarter, with emerging markets providing an even higher 7% return. The investor who magically knew in advance that Argentina would lose a major Supreme Court decision and thus be at risk of default and also that the situation in the Ukraine might lead to an ongoing military confrontation with Russia might have chosen to sell securities in those parts of the world. However, Argentina's stock market rose 12% in the quarter, Russia's 10%. This is yet another reminder of the difficulty of predicting stock market returns ‐ even an investor endowed with perfect foresight of these geopolitical events would have struggled to profit from this knowledge.
Following up the first quarter's strong return of 2%, bond prices rose another 2% in the second quarter, as measured by the most commonly followed bond benchmark, the Barclay's Aggregate Bond Index. The attractive return in bonds has once again confounded those who have taken higher interest rates as a given.
Finally, gold added almost 4% to first quarter gains and is up 10% for the first half of the year. Silver has enjoyed similar returns. Heavily influenced by the price of oil, a diversified basket of commodities was mostly flat for the quarter, but is still up more than 7% on a year‐to‐date basis.
In a December 2008 visit to the London School of Economics, Britain's Queen Elizabeth famously asked her hosts, "Why did nobody see the credit crunch coming?" The sad reality regarding the dismal science is that economists as a group have a surprisingly poor record predicting future economic activity. That's to some extent understandable when one considers that it is difficult even to evaluate the strength of yesterday's economy or, for that matter, today's.
For the person who works in San Francisco and lives in Novato, Lafayette or San Mateo, for example, it must seem almost impossible to believe that anyone in California is so discouraged about the economy that even looking for a job seems like a waste of time. Certainly BART trains and freeways are packed. Expensive restaurants often are too, even on Tuesday nights. Employers commonly report that they have difficulty attracting and retaining talented staff. Large parts of the Bay Area have real estate prices that are as high now as they were before the Great Recession. The top end of the market is especially vibrant, with a seemingly endless supply of urgent, price insensitive buyers who offer way above asking price even for houses in unglamorous neighborhoods. Those who live in this world might think fatigue is more of a problem than under‐employment.
But meanwhile, back in reality land, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently lowered its estimate of U.S. first quarter gross domestic product (GDP) to ‐2.9%, the largest decline in economic activity in five years. The contraction of the economy is thought to have been substantially affected by declining health care expenditures and a brutal winter that kept shoppers indoors. These factors are regarded as one‐offs and most mainstream economists remain generally optimistic about the private sector's ability to maintain currently enviable profit margins. Be that as it may, on balance the economy is not as strong as many had imagined it would be at this time. This is one of the main reasons interest rates have fallen this year despite the fact that the Federal Reserve, as telegraphed, has persistently tapered the quantity of its Treasury and mortgage‐backed securities purchases.
An 80‐mile drive in almost any direction out of the Bay Area confirms what most of us read about in newspapers. The employment market is improving but at an alarmingly slow pace for those long out of work. Those with jobs but without advanced skills enjoy little opportunity to bargain for enhanced wages. Housing remains vulnerable as well, with prices still far below those seen years ago. Continued foreclosure activity creates pockets of excess inventory, and nervous banks facing ever‐tightening capital requirements are reluctant to lend to anyone whose mortgage application doesn't check every box. Unfortunately, these sluggish conditions are more representative of the experience of most Americans in most parts of the country. The buoyant activity in San Francisco and other major cities is the exception.
In this complex and muddled environment, it is no surprise that professionals who make their living analyzing and predicting economic activity are struggling to make sense of it all. For the rest of us, the answer to the question, "Is the economy strong?" depends very much on where we live and work.
Real Gross Domestic Product (real GDP) in the U.S. decreased at an annual rate of 2.9% in the first quarter of 2014. This was down from an increase of 2.6% in the fourth quarter of 2013. The deceleration in growth reflected a downturn in exports as well as a large decrease in private inventory investment and state and local government spending.
In its meeting in June, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee agreed to continue holding the target range for the federal funds rate at 0% to 0.25%, stating that it would likely be appropriate to maintain this range for a considerable time after the asset purchase program ends. The Committee has agreed to reduce the pace of its purchase of Treasury and mortgage‐backed securities by a total of $10B per month. When the Committee decides to begin to remove policy accommodation, it will take a balanced approach consistent with its longer‐run goals of maximum employment and inflation of 2%.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 6.1% in June, down from 6.7% at the end of March. Job gains were widespread, led by continued employment growth in professional and business services and in health care. The number of long‐term unemployed has decreased by 1.2 million over the past 12 months and accounts for 32.8% of the total unemployed.
Inflation (CPI‐U) increased 0.4% in May. Over the past 12 months, the all‐items index increased 2.1%. The increase was broad‐based, including increases in medical care and apparel. The food index has advanced 2.5% over the past 12 months, its largest 12‐month increase since June 2012.
Standard & Poor's 500 Index first quarter 2014 operating earnings per share decreased 3.3% from the fourth quarter 2013 earnings. Earnings increased 6.0% from the same quarter last year. Analysts are expecting an increase in growth of approximately 7% for the second quarter 2014.
U.S. non‐farm worker productivity decreased at an annual rate of 3.2% during the first quarter of 2014. Hours worked increased by 2.2% while output decreased by 1.1%. This decrease in productivity was the largest since a decrease of 3.9% in the first quarter of 2008.
The Comex spot rate for gold increased by 2.4% in the second quarter of 2014, closing at $1,314.93 an ounce. Geopolitical tensions in Iraq and the Ukraine have boosted the metal's safe haven appeal. Gold has increased 9.4% since the beginning of the year.
U.S. crude oil prices were up 3.7% in the second quarter of 2014, closing at $105.37. Global events, including the reopening of a port in Libya, are pointing to a steady supply of oil. Recent comments from a Saudi oil official indicate that they would increase supplies if there were a disruption due to crises in Iraq or Syria. U.S. crude oil prices have increased by 6.8% year to date.


With predictable regularity, falls continue to be a leading cause of accidents and deaths on the job. Falls include those on the same level (floor, ground), as well as from one level to another (stairs, ladders, roof, etcetera). They can be caused by either or both of two reasons – an unsafe action of an individual (hurrying, overreaching, improper use of equipment, etc.) or unsafe condition of the situation (poor housekeeping, unguarded opening, surface condition, etcetera).
Good footing is the best way to avoid falls and good housekeeping is the best way to ensure good footing. Trash, wires, and slippery areas caused by water, grease, or oil can cause falls. Watch footing when working on slick flooring and poorly lit areas; where floors are uneven from room to room; and where surfaces are uneven from broken concrete, cracked asphalt or curled rugs. Always look in the direction you are walking. Avoid carrying large objects that may block your view of a safe walking path. Walk slowly on stairs and use handrails to secure your step.
Cover, guard, or mark spills, potholes, and floor openings. Protect them with warning cones, guardrails, or toeboards. Except for normal doorways, protect wall openings and stairways through which someone could fall. The protection should be sufficiently strong and secured to prevent it from being removed.
Makeshift ladders or incorrect ladder selection can cause falls. Choose the ladder that's made for the job. Be sure it's in good condition and placed securely. Face the ladder and keep both hands free while climbing.
Preventing falls is a matter of common sense. Watch where you're walking. Take careful steps when you walk and choose and use equipment properly.


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24K Gold Collagen Soft Mask revives the skin – giving it a fresh, glowing and healthy complexion. It works to eliminate spots, premature lines and wrinkles, and to protect the skin from becoming rough, so that it will be ever youthfully alive and radiant.


P0.00 to P24,999.99 accumulated purchases (NO REWARDS).
P25,000.00 to P49,999.99 accumulated purchases within 180-day cycle.
P50,000.00 to P99,999.99 accumulated purchases within 180-day cycle.
P100,000.00 to P149,999.99 accumulated purchases within 180-day cycle.
P150,000.00 to P199,999.99 accumulated purchases within 180-day cycle.
P200,000.00 and above accumulated purchases within 180-day cycle.
Members may chose from one of the Rewards Options listed in their respective Membership Status within 90 days from end of the 180-day purchase cycle or as soon as the member reaches the desired Membership Status where the preferred Reward is listed. See table below.
Rechargeable Battery. Up to five hours playtime.
Built-in Speakerphone. With noise and echo cancellation.
Videoke, DVD and Multimedia Player in One!
Set your music free. Play your favorite tunes wirelessly from your phone or tablet, from the built-in MP3 player or via USB from your PC or Mac. Make your world come alive with full-bodied music anyhow, anywhere.
The ultra-slim and stylish IXUS 180 is easy enough to take everywhere, and features a flexible 24mm ultra-wide 10x optical zoom lens; so you can easily capture every moment, near or far. Capture, connect and share remotely with Wi-Fi and Dynamic NFC.
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Customers are required to be a member of Gurkka.com before they can purchase from the site. To become a member, you must be 18 years old and above or if creating a corporate account, the registered representative should be of legal age. Sign up via Register for Free button and provide details required from our members. Once a member, you will be entitled to Freebies, Discounts, Rewards and updates exclusive to Gurkka.com members.
Once a member qualifies to the 1st upgrade level (Bronze), the member may opt to instantly redeem the reward in that level OR hang on to the points and accumulate more purchases to qualify to higher membership level before the 180-day purchasing period runs out, in which case the member may claim a reward of higher value not later than 90 days after the end of the 180-day period. The member may choose a reward from a lower level but never from the higher level than their current status. Unclaimed rewards will be forfeited in favor of Gurkka.com. After claiming of the reward, the purchase cycle will re-start again on the next purchase after claiming. Claiming of rewards (i.e. rewards in a form of commodity such as TV, tablets, etc.) will be on a first come, first serve basis and will be available as option only until supplies last.
New set of Rewards will be announced from time to time, and it may be availed only by Gurkka.com members whose Purchase Cycle started on the day of the announcement of the new list.
Purchase of Main Products: Every P1.00 purchase is equal to 1 point.
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Rules on membership, rewards, points system, etc. may change without prior notice to members.
Except for orders paid using COD option, all 1st time purchasers will earn DOUBLE POINTS for the purchase value of up to P5,000.00 with any excess value earning just the equivalent points (not doubled). In case of combined orders of Main Products, Guest Products and Promo Bundles, the points for the Main Product purchases will be prioritized in doubling the points.
It will be the members' responsibility to visit the site and check on the status of their membership, expiration dates as well as any news on the rules of membership, rewards or points system. Unclaimed rewards will be forfeited in favor of Gurkka.com and any losses incurred by the member due to out-dated info will not be a liability of the website.
Check on your updated membership status by logging in to your Gurkka.com account. Your membership status for the most recent cycle is found on the Status Box at the upper left side. Your total points for the current purchase cycle as well as unredeemed points from previous cycle is summarized on the blue box below the Status Box. It also contains information on how many days left before your purchase cycle lapse, and how many days left to redeem said points.
To redeem your points, you just click on the Redeem Button on the My Purchases box (below My Profile) and select the reward you prefer from the list that will pop-up.
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For maternity, children and families (up to 6). Includes travel to location, 1 hour of shooting and 30-40 high resolution edited images via flash drive with full printing rights to Mpix.
For child's milestones and small families (up to 3). Includes a 1/2 hour session taken in my home studio and 15-20 high resolution edited images via flash drive with full printing rights to Mpix.
For newborns between 5-12 days old and parents (siblings are an additional $20 per child). Includes a 2-3 hour session in my home studio and 40-60 high resolution edited images via flash drive with full printing rights to Mpix.
There is a $150 non-refundable deposit ($250 for newborn and birth) to book your session. This will be used towards your total.
In order to offer you the most unique and custom experience, I offer a limited number of sessions a month.
Sessions available Monday - Friday.


If you need a dust mask that will not fog your glasses, Dust Bee Gone™ is your answer.
No fog safety glasses and hearing protection are also available.
Check out the Silky Saws if you are in the market for a great hand saw.


Freedom of speech is recognized as a human right by most developed countries, but its application remains completely theoretical. In the world we live in, it is not the best political, scientific or artistic ideas that become popular, but instead those that are most profitable. An enormous propaganda machine controls most of the information that people have access to. Public opinion and taste is being carefully shaped by the ruling elite in the attempt to create a population of obedient slaves that don't have the mental capacity to challenge their rule.
There is no freedom of speech, and without it, there is no democracy. We are all born with the indisputable power of expressing ourselves. Evolution gave us the enormous potential by allowing us to share ideas and complex or abstract concepts. This natural gift brought us all the cultural and technological development throughout history.
Today we have developed incredible means of communications that allow us to instantly share ideas with people around the globe. Information has no real limits, and if it wasn't for the serious efforts by corporations and oppressive governments to restrain it, we would live in a world where arts, technologies and science would thrive and push humanity back into balance and abundance.


April 7, Cayuga County, NY – The Finger Lakes Sweet Treat Trail 2015 Tasting Tour brochure is now available at the Cayuga County Office of Tourism. This year's tour includes twenty stops where you can experience sweet treats made with locally produced ingredients. Visit Carolyn's Creations in Cato for homemade cakes and cookies or Dorie's Bakery in Aurora for house-baked scones, muffins and breads using locally produced flour, fruit and syrups whenever possible. Giancarelli Brothers in Weedsport is a farm, farm stand, store, u-pick and winery all in one and Karen's Country Confections in Union Springs is a bakery where everything is made from scratch with locally produced honey, maple syrup and fruits. You can also visit the Farmers Markets in Auburn and Niles from June to October for locally grown fruits plus jams, jellies, baked goods, honeys and syrups. From North to South in Cayuga County it seems like all roads lead to yummy goodness!
The 2015 Finger Lakes Sweet Treat Trail Tasting Tour will kick-off on May 1st from 5 – 8 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn, Auburn as part of First Friday, a community open house coordinated by the Auburn Downtown BID. This farmer's market style event is free and family-friendly, offering samples and tastings of locally produced baked goods, jams & jellies, honey and maple syrup from most of the 20 sweet spots on the Trail. The 2015 Tasting Tour Brochure & Pass to all of the participating sites will be available for pick up so you can start planning your own personal tasting tour! Visit a minimum of eight Finger Lakes Sweet Treat Trail stops and you will receive a FREE Sweet Treat Trail tote bag and also be eligible for a chance to win one of three Sweet Treat Trail baskets.
This year's Tasting Tour will run May 1st to November 15th, covering three seasons of sweet treat goodies from tasty strawberries in June to crisp local apples through November.


Babar Afzal of J&K, was awarded the Social Entrepreneur of the Year award, 2019, by the Asian-African Chamber of Commerce & Industry (AACCI) that organized the prestigious inter-continental Leadership Forum, which consisted of a grand summit, B2B networking amongst diplomats from various countries in the two continents & industry leaders and leadership awards – conferred upon those leaders or organisations that have shown exceptional and path-breaking performance and tenacity in developing successful businesses.
Babar has been recognized for his work in promoting authentic Pashmina eco-system of J&K and the lives of the communities linked to it especially women at the grassroots and ensuring rural livelihood. Working in the areas affected by climate change, Babar has helped shepherds, nomads, weavers, craftsmen, and women of Pashmina across the villages in Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. He has been encouraging and building community leaders who are coming forward to solve the problems that they are facing as a community through small initiatives.
After working for over seven years with the marginalized communities, Babar got a closer view of rural realities and the communities woes after the devastating tragedy that killed 25,000 pashmina goats in J&K about seven years ago. That triggered him to change course and become a pashmina goat shepherd. Babar along with his team have now built a vibrant ecosystem to enable thousands of nomads, weavers, craftsmen, and women to succeed in remote and ailing markets.
Babar in his address said that this is the recognition of the skills of the community and he dedicated the award to the Shepherds, Weavers, Craftsmen, and Women of authentic Pashmina Ecosystem. He said that this recognition will go a long way in making visible the invisible revolution that rural India is creating at the grassroots. "Government and private sector should partner with the rural communities directly and look at them as job creators and not as beneficiaries. Time has come when we look at grassroots workers and craftsmen and women as the future to revitalize our rural economy." The Pashmina Goat Project (PGP) model comprises multiple ventures. A network of self-help groups; a fund for master craftsmen; a rural school of leadership for women; and a market aggregator that provides warehousing, branding, marketing, and distribution services to last-mile skilled workers.
Over the last few years, PGP has had a domino effect in climate-threatened villages across the region and thousands of craftsmen and women have come under the umbrella of this movement of Babar Afzal.
This Award brings some of the most remarkable change makers from Asia onto a common platform. These social entrepreneurs are promising change makers and self-starters, with a strong inclination towards addressing the most pertinent needs of the marginalized communities in both scalable and sustainable ways. Their endeavors encapsulate alleviating poverty, hunger, gender inequality, promoting women empowerment, education. These social entrepreneurs are the torch-bearers who have taken the onus of working towards managing micro-finance needs and daunting challenges like climate change.
The tenets of PGP are aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. The project is demonstrating unwavering commitment in finding answers to new age problems with their technology driven, scalable, sustainable and innovative solutions.
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Listing of Colleges and Universities in Georgia (US State) The Seal of the US State of Georgia. Mary Hall University Center (Hawkins Arena) at Berry College. Savannah College of Art and Design. This is Luther Rice Seminary Williams Hall. Locate the perfect Georgia College to meet your educational and career goals.
This is a listing of colleges and colleges in the state of Georgia. For such cases, only the site of the headquarters in Georgia will be indicated. The majority of Georgian governmental and non-governmental organizations are Southern Association of Colleges and Schools members. Georgia State's State-of-the-Art Studies School is the Georgia State' School of Law.
University System of Georgia (USG) is the organisational unit comprising 26 Georgia's state colleges and research institutes. Some of the state-run colleges are funded by the state legislator. Any student who attends Georgian colleges or colleges is entitled to the HOPE scholarship, provided they have the necessary qualification.
TCSG, formerly known as the Department of Technology and Adult Education (DTAE), is the agency that oversees the 22 Georgia State Universities of Technology. All of the institutions mentioned here are run by the State of Georgia, but are not managed by the University System of Georgia or the Georgia University of Technology School.
Charitable organizations are those that are run by privately owned, profit-oriented companies. Below are classified according to the first semester median SAT scores for the 2012-2013 school year. The first semester is the first semester for a candidate to enter a 4-year higher education institution or higher education institution. First-semester students make up the vast majority of students at a 4-year higher education institution or higher education institution.
f stats do not contain a student enrollment at Southern Polytechnic State University that was before the merge. Twenty-five out of four USG research schools are among the 25 best research schools in the country. 25 ] The University of Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technology are constantly at the forefront of research facilities.
Each of these colleges is known as the P. Ivies, a term reserved for the best P. U. university. Unveiled at GRA, 14 outstanding scientists are based at the University. The university is a privately funded college and is not part of Georgia's state-sponsored university system. EMBORY is home to 3 GRA VentureLab businesses and a forth in cooperation with Georgia Tech.
She is a member of 8 Centers for Research Excellence. As a rule, Emery cooperates with a USG research institution in the form of Centers of Research Excellence. The figures for Augusta Universiy do not represent the combination figures from the Augusta State Universiy fusion in 2013. Fifty-two Rhodes scholars came from a Georgia school or a school.
Most Rhodes Fellows came from the University of Georgia and Emory University. The University of Georgia and Emory University were among the top PhD students/research institutes in 2012 that produce Ph. 38 scholarship holders came from Georgia. It is an education programme for foreigners, academics, researchers, teachers, experts, academics and performers, established in 1946 by US Senator J. William Faulbright.
Truman has received 49 scholars from a Georgia university since the grant came into force in 1977. Harry S. Truman Fellowship is a competitively priced and prestige government grant that is awarded to U.S. junior high school students for their management skills and dedication to the civil sector. Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) en Georgien.
The Savannah State University, Fort Valley State University and Albany State University are three publicly funded institutions of higher education within the University system of Georgia. Augusta University's men and womens gulf crews are competing at the NCAA Division I stage.


text:
Spector's a Dem
Not quite sure how I feel about that, since a primary loss by Spector to Toomey would have made Penn. a relatively ironclad progressive pickup. But, on the other hand, He's really at the mercy of the Dems now; there's just no way he can return to the Republicans, so he's a Dem until he's out of politics.
Arjun Jaikumar at DK suggests that Snowe is next up. Perhaps. I'm more concerned about the Coleman/Franken thing. Now that the only thing between the Dems and sixty Senate seats is the resolution of that court case, Coleman will be under tremendous pressure to draw it out however he can. Above and beyond that, though, Franken is a progressive Dem. Progressives badly need that, because the Blue Dogs are going to try to assert dominance over the party's agenda now that they are the "swing vote".
They shouldn't get too comfortable. Progressive challengers are already being readied. But until then, progressives will need high-profile voices like Franken to ensure that the "centrists" don't take the helm.
Yes, it's disturbing. Very much so.
Leaving that aside, it has to be TRULY terrifying for the Republicans. Not because their aging, beef-and-cigar addled immune systems are prone to cytokine storms, but because they not only blocked the appointment of Sibelius at HHS, they blocked $900 million in pandemic preparation. Even if Swine Flu turns out to be containable and contained (and we all hope it will), the ads the dems will cut slamming the Republicans for their obstructionism will make the Republicans feel none-too-pleasant either.
In the meantime, though, stay calm, stay safe, stay healthy and, yeah, probably stay indoors.
Old Market, New Market
I was struck by the juxtaposition of these two stories:
"Apple Helps Lift US Stock Futures"—which discusses how Apple's extraordinarily strong second-quarter earnings have helped boost the whole market;
and "GM Shutdown Could Begin Next Month"—which is about how GM demand is so slack that, in this economy, they can't keep their plants open.
Now, let's be honest: Apple's being driven by iTunes and the media players, not the laptops and desktops. (Particularly not the desktops.) What's driving this industry halo is online content, whether purchased, free, or "other". So what this combination is suggesting is that the "future economy" that everybody's talking about may be driven by a movement away from physical to digital transport.
We're used to getting work done over Stevens' famous series of tubes, and personal communication is just taken as a given, but now entertainment and amusement are moving online as well. We aren't buying CDs, we aren't renting movies, and the games and toys our children play with are not only increasingly digital instead of physical but delivered online as well.
No wonder we aren't as interested in driving.
One would think this is just another reiteration of Faith Popcorn's whole "cocooning" thing, then. Nothing new there. Except that Apple, again, is being driven by [i]portability[/i], rather than home delivery. People do use iTunes and iPods and the rest at home, but they're driven by the need and desire to "take it on the road." Except that they aren't buying cars. So I suppose they're "taking it on the bus" or "taking it on the train" or "taking it to their friend Jill's house". But even that doesn't quite explain the contradiction here, and I don't think "work everywhere" does either, since iPods aren't really that useful for that. It's a weird contradiction: a sort of mobile, digital cocooning.
Within that contradiction lies a great fortune. Somewhere.
Has Somebody Finally Knocked Sense Into His Head?
From the Star, here's The Count:
He said he opposes use of any information suspected of coming from torture.
"No agency of the federal government should have any truck, trade, traffic, engagement with any form of torture. The critical point for Canada is that we must never use information derived from sources where we believe torture has been applied and the critical point, and we've fallen foul of this once before in the Maher Arar issue, we must never send any person, let alone a Canadian national, to a country, in this case it was Syria, where we have reason to believe torture will be applied."
"It's a question of our position as a defender of human rights. But it's also a question of simple prudence: what is extracted by torture is never reliable.
As far as I can tell, this is the first time Ignatieff has made that all-important point that I bolded. Up until now he's always defended "coercive interrogation" as sometimes necessary, even if it makes him feel all squirmy about its anti-democratic nature. He's written page after page after chapter after chapter defending the practice against its critics. He says it's odious, yes, but he has always left the door wide open to the argument that "it may be odious, but we need to do it to Preserve Our Freedoms." Often quite deliberately so.
So it is with no amount of surprise that I read this. To say "it's wrong, and it doesn't work" is more categorical than I had ever expected, considering how wedded to the practice he's seemed to be. Maybe he's finally got some good advice from somebody who knows what they're talking about. And, yes, maybe he's just splitting hairs about the difference between "coercive interrogation" and torture again. But I'll grant credit where credit is due.
Now if he can just write about the 2002 Iraq buildup without spending more time attacking those who were right about the war, he might be able establish some daylight between himself and Harper on foreign affairs. He might even attract those Canadians who like Obama's progressiveness, and are faced with the choice between the NDP and his own merry band of apparatchiks.
Edit: Yes, I'm aware of the strong numbers Ignatieff is currently enjoying. He can pretend to be all things to all people, without even having to formulate a policy let alone take a stand. This was the gift Bob Rae granted him: being able to take the Liberal helm without having to clarify what he'd do with it, and which people he'd alienate along the way. It won't last. His enemies won't let it.
CNN Surprisingly Critical
I don't think the teabaggers are really worth my time, or anybody else's. They're transparent astroturfing by Dick Armey, nothing more.
But I have to admit that I was very impressed when I saw CNN's Susan Roesgen absolutely carve them up over their excesses. An incoherent idiot repeating slogans about how Obama's a "fascist"—without being able to explain why—was probably the highlight, but she dished it out to all involved. It was a very brave act: you can see how they're attempting to vocally and physically intimidate her, but she wouldn't let herself be intimidated. All she had was contempt. And rightly so.
Here's the embed from media matters.
As others have pointed out, it's incredible that the right has been able to get away with such clear and unmistakable attempts to call Obama a Nazi, whereas the faintest intimation of the same from the left a few years ago was met with media outrage. Digby believes that it's because the right works the media better, and I think there's something to that. I think there's something to that.
But I also believe it's a dog-bites-man scenario. Everybody has become so used to the right projecting its own fascist tendencies—and lets not mince words, the rhetoric of the right these days is fascist as hell—that they don't really pay much attention to it anymore. Sure, they could get mad, but they won't apologize, won't stop doing it, and have a series of pat answers if confronted with it. Even if it's as weak as Glenn Beck's "I'm just an entertainer" line, they know it'll be repeated often enough and strenuously enough that it'll simply become boring. They're not in the business of informing or confronting, they're in the business of keeping people from being bored. So they move on to whatever else is interesting, and leave Glenn and his ilk to their tirades.
The problem is that the Obama presidency is less than four months old, and they're already at this stage. What the hell is America going to look like by this time next year?
Did Roberts Gates Really Just Kill the F-22?
Well, I was expecting Naval/Air Force assets to be reduced in the wake of Gates' announcement that he wants to focus on asymmetrical threads. But I wasn't expecting him to kill the F-22. It takes an Act of God to stop something like that at this stage.
It ain't the only thing getting cut; he's getting rid of the C-17 and a lot of the crazy future weapons stuff as well.
And apparently there's a good reason he's not terribly happy with things as they stand: he's "alienated" from military procurement.
In calling yesterday for "a dramatic change in the way we acquire military equipment," Gates showed his slow but palpable alienation from the so-called iron triangle of defense contractors, lawmakers and military service executives that has long promoted building the best weapons systems, no matter what the price. In the future, he said, weapons should be engineered to counter "the actual and prospective capabilities of known future adversaries," not what a potential adversary might create with "unlimited time and resources."
Gates has signaled his frustrations with the broken and "rigid" purchasing system for months, and in a January article in Foreign Affairs magazine, he noted that the pursuit of perfect solutions combined with a lack of flexibility and innovation had made it "necessary to bypass existing institutions and procedures to get the capabilities needed to protect U.S. troops and fight ongoing wars."
But Gates sees this year as a rare opportunity to pursue politically controversial ideas, one of his top aides said, largely because of two factors. First, President Obama's repeated claim that procurement reforms can increase efficiency and save expenses across the government will provide "top cover" for Gates in his head-butting with a group of service chiefs that proposed last year to alleviate their woes by adding tens of billions of dollars to the budget instead of making hard choices or undertaking major reforms.
Second, Gates feels the nation's woeful economic status will give him added leverage in beating back attempts on Capitol Hill to continue financing weapons that troops don't need or want. "It is important to remember that every defense dollar spent to overinsure against a remote or diminishing risk, or in effect to run up the score" is a dollar that might otherwise be spent on troops or winning the wars we are in, Gates said yesterday.
Translation: stop worrying about China, it's the security of failing or rogue states that is the issue here.
I can't say I didn't see this coming, and having a Defense Secretary take on the crazy American procurement machine is a welcome change. But the pushback is going to be tremendous, and probably all on the Dems. Being a Dem in a defense-industry town ain't gonna be easy.
Edit: He's also shifting away from contractors.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' Pentagon budget includes a shift to pull contracted work in house, especially in the area of weapons acquisitions.
Contracted defense work has grown to 39 percent of the Pentagon's workforce, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. Gates, however, said he is aiming to reduce that to 26 percent, approximately where it was before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
To cover work now under contract, the Pentagon would hire up to 39,000 full-time civil servants in the next five years, beginning with a hiring of 13,000 this year.
To companies that lean on the Pentagon for much of their work include CACI and SAIC, which do many administrative tasks, the move is earth-shattering, defense consultant Loren Thomson told the Post.
"The reduction of nearly one-third of the contractor workforce at the Pentagon is going to be a mortal blow to companies that have built their businesses through outsourcing," Thomson said.
Tragedy in Dubai
I'd heard stories about the dark side of Dubai; about how underneath all that desert glitter, there was a lot of ugliness, especially amongst the workers who were building the city.
But I wasn't expecting this. From the Independent:
Sahinal Monir, a slim 24-year-old from the deltas of Bangladesh. "To get you here, they tell you Dubai is heaven. Then you get here and realise it is hell," he says. Four years ago, an employment agent arrived in Sahinal's village in Southern Bangladesh. He told the men of the village that there was a place where they could earn 40,000 takka a month (£400) just for working nine-to-five on construction projects. It was a place where they would be given great accommodation, great food, and treated well. All they had to do was pay an up-front fee of 220,000 takka (£2,300) for the work visa – a fee they'd pay off in the first six months, easy. So Sahinal sold his family land, and took out a loan from the local lender, to head to this paradise.
As soon as he arrived at Dubai airport, his passport was taken from him by his construction company. He has not seen it since. He was told brusquely that from now on he would be working 14-hour days in the desert heat – where western tourists are advised not to stay outside for even five minutes in summer, when it hits 55 degrees – for 500 dirhams a month (£90), less than a quarter of the wage he was promised. If you don't like it, the company told him, go home. "But how can I go home? You have my passport, and I have no money for the ticket," he said. "Well, then you'd better get to work," they replied.
Sahinal was in a panic. His family back home – his son, daughter, wife and parents – were waiting for money, excited that their boy had finally made it. But he was going to have to work for more than two years just to pay for the cost of getting here – and all to earn less than he did in Bangladesh.
He shows me his room. It is a tiny, poky, concrete cell with triple-decker bunk-beds, where he lives with 11 other men. All his belongings are piled onto his bunk: three shirts, a spare pair of trousers, and a cellphone. The room stinks, because the lavatories in the corner of the camp – holes in the ground – are backed up with excrement and clouds of black flies. There is no air conditioning or fans, so the heat is "unbearable. You cannot sleep. All you do is sweat and scratch all night." At the height of summer, people sleep on the floor, on the roof, anywhere where they can pray for a moment of breeze.
The water delivered to the camp in huge white containers isn't properly desalinated: it tastes of salt. "It makes us sick, but we have nothing else to drink," he says.
The work is "the worst in the world," he says. "You have to carry 50kg bricks and blocks of cement in the worst heat imaginable ... This heat – it is like nothing else. You sweat so much you can't pee, not for days or weeks. It's like all the liquid comes out through your skin and you stink. You become dizzy and sick but you aren't allowed to stop, except for an hour in the afternoon. You know if you drop anything or slip, you could die. If you take time off sick, your wages are docked, and you are trapped here even longer."
This is pretty much exactly what is done to illegal immigrants that are forced into prostitution or slave labor: you promise them the moon, then take away their passports and pay them a pittance for horrific work. That a state could have this be the default mode of employment is staggering. It makes nauseating to think about all those puff-pieces about Dubai we've seen over the years.
And now that things have fallen apart?
Since the recession hit, they say, the electricity has been cut off in dozens of the camps, and the men have not been paid for months. Their companies have disappeared with their passports and their pay. "We have been robbed of everything. Even if somehow we get back to Bangladesh, the loan sharks will demand we repay our loans immediately, and when we can't, we'll be sent to prison."
This is all supposed to be illegal. Employers are meant to pay on time, never take your passport, give you breaks in the heat – but I met nobody who said it happens. Not one. These men are conned into coming and trapped into staying, with the complicity of the Dubai authorities.
Sahinal could well die out here. A British man who used to work on construction projects told me: "There's a huge number of suicides in the camps and on the construction sites, but they're not reported. They're described as 'accidents'." Even then, their families aren't free: they simply inherit the debts. A Human Rights Watch study found there is a "cover-up of the true extent" of deaths from heat exhaustion, overwork and suicide, but the Indian consulate registered 971 deaths of their nationals in 2005 alone. After this figure was leaked, the consulates were told to stop counting.
At night, in the dusk, I sit in the camp with Sohinal and his friends as they scrape together what they have left to buy a cheap bottle of spirits. They down it in one ferocious gulp. "It helps you to feel numb", Sohinal says through a stinging throat. In the distance, the glistening Dubai skyline he built stands, oblivious.
Yeah. Nauseating.
The expats who were having the "good life" aren't necessarily doing better, though. A lot of those people were much like their American counterparts: heavily indebted. But in Dubai, a bad debt will get you sent to prison, as at least one couple in the story found out when their finances went south. He ended up in jail; she ended up on the streets, telling her story to the Independent in exchange for a decent meal.
But As one emiriti points out, there aren't really that many alternatives to the modernization. "Do you know what will happen if this model fails? Dubai will go down the Iranian path, the Islamist path." He rants about how lazy the workers are, how hypocritical westerners are, about the horror of inconvenient strikes and the "lazy, overweight babies" that Emiritis have become. Yet he is right. Without economic modernization, religious extremism may well grow in its place. Maybe not this kind of modernization, but I'm uncomfortably reminded of the pasts of places like Hong Kong, Singapore and, yes, London and New York.
(I won't even get into the American South.)
There are some positive signs, as the article points out. Some people are speaking out, even if they get harassed by the government and even the secret police. People like Mohammed al-Mansoori are saying that there's room for improvement, and that it's the lack of democracy that is fueling religious extremism, not the lack of wealth.
But then again, maybe democracy isn't the only problem. Remember how employers take people's passports?
one theme unites every expat I speak to: their joy at having staff to do the work that would clog their lives up Back Home. Everyone, it seems, has a maid. The maids used to be predominantly Filipino, but with the recession, Filipinos have been judged to be too expensive, so a nice Ethiopian servant girl is the latest fashionable accessory.
It is an open secret that once you hire a maid, you have absolute power over her. You take her passport – everyone does; you decide when to pay her, and when – if ever – she can take a break; and you decide who she talks to. She speaks no Arabic. She cannot escape.
In a Burger King, a Filipino girl tells me it is "terrifying" for her to wander the malls in Dubai because Filipino maids or nannies always sneak away from the family they are with and beg her for help. "They say – 'Please, I am being held prisoner, they don't let me call home, they make me work every waking hour seven days a week.' At first I would say – my God, I will tell the consulate, where are you staying? But they never know their address, and the consulate isn't interested. I avoid them now. I keep thinking about a woman who told me she hadn't eaten any fruit in four years. They think I have power because I can walk around on my own, but I'm powerless."
The only hostel for women in Dubai – a filthy private villa on the brink of being repossessed – is filled with escaped maids. Mela Matari, a 25-year-old Ethiopian woman with a drooping smile, tells me what happened to her – and thousands like her. She was promised a paradise in the sands by an agency, so she left her four year-old daughter at home and headed here to earn money for a better future. "But they paid me half what they promised. I was put with an Australian family – four children – and Madam made me work from 6am to 1am every day, with no day off. I was exhausted and pleaded for a break, but they just shouted: 'You came here to work, not sleep!' Then one day I just couldn't go on, and Madam beat me. She beat me with her fists and kicked me. My ear still hurts. They wouldn't give me my wages: they said they'd pay me at the end of the two years. What could I do? I didn't know anybody here. I was terrified."
One day, after yet another beating, Mela ran out onto the streets, and asked – in broken English – how to find the Ethiopian consulate. After walking for two days, she found it, but they told her she had to get her passport back from Madam. "Well, how could I?" she asks. She has been in this hostel for six months. She has spoken to her daughter twice. "I lost my country, I lost my daughter, I lost everything," she says.
As she says this, I remember a stray sentence I heard back at Double Decker. I asked a British woman called Hermione Frayling what the best thing about Dubai was. "Oh, the servant class!" she trilled. "You do nothing. They'll do anything!"
"We has met the enemy, and it is us".
I just wonder what the American expats think of all this. Is there any sense of the irony? Any desire to change history repeating itself? Does the word "massuh" ever ring in their ears? Or do they just delight in having their little servants, too?
But then again, maybe I don't want to know. I'll probably sleep better.
Burying Psychology
This article in Time about how important behavioral economics is to the Obama administration vis a vis neoclassical economics is good, but it somewhat misses the point.
Behavioral economics is, in a very real way, not economics. It's a synthetic discipline that draws on sociology and psychology to answer the questions that neoclassical economics seems to have so much trouble with. That's fine and great- definitely an improvement.
But why spend all your time talking about the "economics" part of it, instead of the return of these previously-scoffed-at disciplines to policymaking? It's their return that's relevant, not the fact that economics has been modified by them.
And why use the term "behaviorists"? It really isn't a good idea: behaviorism is a branch of psychology with a very specific viewpoint on the human mind. It's just going to cause confusion in readers who have heard of 70's behaviorism, and especially those who know that it's not even necessarily the dominant viewpoint these days.
(I believe cognitive psychology is the leader in the 21st century.)
Now don't get me wrong. The points made about default choices, about how people tend to choose easy/popular options over the most "rational" ones, and about how neoclassical economics predicts behavior about as well as astrology are all good. Nudge is a solid book, and I have a lot of respect for Sunstein et al.
But it's not economics that's the story here. it's everything else.
Meanwhile, in the Senate...
The Republicans are apparently going to hold Obama's DoJ appointees hostage unless he agrees not to investigate the Republicans' torture "issues".
The hits, they just keep on coming.
So Why Hasn't Iggy Spoken Up About Abousfian Abdelrazik
He's the human rights guy, right? And leader of the Liberal party, which prides itself on its positions on human rights, isn't he?
So why the hell hasn't he gone to bad for A Canadian citizen who has been exiled to Sudan, tortured, and refused re-entry by the Conservative government?
Yes, the Conservatives should be criticized for this. They are. What's surprising is that Iggy appears to have no interest in the issue, instead farming it out to Irwin Cotler.
And why aren't his party's bloggers calling him out on it? Kossacks would (and do) tear strips off Obama whenever he even feints towards pulling this sort of thing. I wouldn't expect anything from Whatzisname, he's never seen a civil right that didn't irritate him, but I'd hope for a bit more from the rest of 'em.
Every time I look at that party, it just gets a little sadder.
So Why Hasn't Iggy Spoken Up About Abousfian Abdel...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Place the broken chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, set the bowl over a pan of steaming water and melt gently, stirring frequently. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat thoroughly until mousse-like in texture.
Whisk in the chocolate mixture.
Sift the flour and baking powder directly onto the mixture and fold in. Stir in the chopped chocolate.
Spoon into a prepared tin, spread evenly and level the surface. Scatter the fresh raspberries over the top.
Bake at 180ºC/350ºF for about 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out almost clean.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin before cutting and removing. Store in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.


text:
Home Sport Pochettino's managerial debut at PSG ends in draw
Pochettino's managerial debut at PSG ends in draw
Paul C. Kalu
Mauricio Pochettino who has been appointed the head coach of Paris Saint German, after the sacking of Thomas Tuchel by December, had not managed his first game until Wednesday, 6th January, 2020.
The much anticipated game which was against Saint Etienne ended in a draw, with many attention paid to the former PSG player's team selection after he had mentioned that everyone would be selected on merit.
Though Pochettino's starting lineup could not be judged properly given the fact that the squad is affected by injuries, with about nine players injured, including star player, Neymar who is set to return on 10th of January.
Neymar and Pochettino
The French capital club lined up in their usual 4-3-3 formation as opposed to the 4-2-3-1 which Mauricio Pochettino often patronised back at English Premier League side, Tottenham.
Kylian Mbappe who usually lined up in the centre forward position was made to play in the left wing in the absence of Neymar, while Di Maria retained his position in the right wing forward position.
The midfield was occupied by Ander Herrera, Marco Verratti and Idrissa Gueye. While the Marquinhos was paired by T. Kehrer at the heart of the defence, with Dagba and Baker playing the wing side of the defence.
Moise Kean scores first goal for PSG under Pochettino
In a clash that was tipped in favour of Paris Saint German, the first goal was scored by Saint Etienne in the 19th minute by Hamouma. A goal which would be responded by Moise Kean three minutes later.
READ ALSO Tottenham march onto the EFL Semis with comfortable win over Stoke
At that point, one would think that the goals in the match would come more especially from Pochettino's men who remain in second position, but PSG would fail to follow up on Kean's equalizer with the French capital side having only one shot on target in the second half.
Awesome saves from Keylor Navas was all that prevented Saint Etienne from taking all three points at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
PSG now move up to second position, three points behind league leaders Lyon. Though, they might slip to third, if Marseille who are five points behind them and in fifth position, with two games in hand, emerge victorious in those fixtures.
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When did humans first start cultivating chocolate? It's not just a sweet conundrum: the question has long interested both biologists and anthropologists who wonder how and why cacao became so important to ancient Mesoamerican civilisations such as the Maya and Aztecs, both of whom cherished chocolate so much they used it in religious rites and as currency.
In their hunt for the origins of domesticated cacao, researchers analysed the genomes of 200 cacao plants, then sussed out how each subspecies was related. As they worked, they looked for a telltale sign of domestication: genetic differentiation.
In this case, says Cornejo, early cacao cultivators seem to have bred Criollo from an ancient relative called Curaray. As they bred the plants generation after generation, its flavour shifted and its theobromine content—the compound that gives chocolate its bitterness and stimulant qualities—increased. Its susceptibility to disease rose as well, leading to its ever-increasing rarity.


Drinking ban covers every district of Rome except Ottavia where mayor lives.
Rome mayor Virginia Raggi has introduced an order banning the sale and consumption of alcohol in public places at night in an attempt to curb anti-social behaviour in the capital.
The order, in effect from 7 July until 31 October, bans the consumption of alcohol on Rome's streets and squares, from midnight to 07.00. Drinking from glass bottles on the street or on public transport is banned from 22.00 until 07.00. Off-licences, supermarkets and vending machines are prohibited from selling take-away alcohol during that time. In addition, pubs are forbidden from serving alcohol indoors after 02.00.
The measures, issued frequently under previous mayors Gianni Alemanno and Ignazio Marino, have been extended by Raggi, covering 14 of the city's 15 municipi, or town halls. The only municipio exempt from the order is Ottavia, the suburb in which the mayor resides.
The ban mainly affects areas of Rome most associated with night-life such as Monti, Celio, Esquilino, Trastevere, Testaccio, Pigneto, Ostiense, Bologna, Prati, S Lorenzo, Ponte Milvio, EUR and Ostia.
Traders caught in breach of the order face penalties of €280 while consumers can be fined €150.
The city has issued notices outlining details of the alcohol ban, in Italian, English, French, Spanish and German, for traders to display. For full details see city website.


Luke Perry has died after suffering a massive stroke. He was 52.
A representative for Perry confirmed to INSIDER the actor was surrounded by family.
Perry starred on the CW's "Riverdale" and was known for his iconic role on "Beverly Hills 90210."
In a statement to INSIDER from Warner Bros. Television and The CW Network, executive producers Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Jon Goldwater said, "Luke was incredibly generous, and he infused the set with love and kindness."
Production on "Riverdale" has shut down for the day.
"Riverdale" actor Luke Perry has died at age 52.
Perry died Monday morning in Burbank, California, after suffering a massive stroke. TMZ first reported the news.
Perry was admitted to St. Joseph's Hospital last Wednesday morning, according to TMZ. People reported Perry had suffered a stroke. A representative for Perry told INSIDER the actor was "under observation" at the hospital.
The 52-year-old actor played Fred Andrews, a construction worker and father to main character Archie, on The CW's "Riverdale" since 2017.
Perry played Archie Andrews' father on the CW drama for three seasons.
"We are deeply saddened to learn today about the passing of Luke Perry," "Riverdale" executive producers Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Jon Goldwater said to INSIDER in a statement from Warner Bros. Television and The CW.
A beloved member of the "Riverdale," Warner Bros. and CW family, Luke was everything you would hope he would be: an incredibly caring, consummate professional with a giant heart, and a true friend to all. A father figure and mentor to the show's young cast, Luke was incredibly generous, and he infused the set with love and kindness. Our thoughts are with Luke's family during this most difficult time.
An individual with knowledge of the situation told INSIDER production on "Riverdale" has shut down for the day.
Perry was widely known for his role as Dylan McKay on '90s series "Beverly Hills 90210." Fox recently announced a reboot to "90210" with the original cast. Perry was not signed on for the reboot, according to TMZ.
Perry as bad-boy heartthrob Dylan on "90210."
Perry knew the "90210" role was one that would be with him all of his life.
"I'm going to be linked with him until I die, but that's actually just fine. I created Dylan McKay. He's mine," Perry told an Aftonbladet newspaper in 2008. In 2015, Perry told The Hollywood Reporter "90210" executive producer Aaron Spelling wanted to make Perry a regular on the show after he appeared as a guest star.
Perry told TV Guide in 2008 he wasn't interested in doing any reboot of the series without the show's original creator.
"I couldn't do it without Aaron [Spelling]," said Perry.
Perry also appeared on "Oz," "Jeremiah," and "Body of Proof" before his "Riverdale" role. He will appear posthumously in this summer's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
Perry is survived by his children, Jack and Sophie, from a first marriage to Minnie Sharp; mother, Ann Bennett; stepfather Steve Bennett; brother Tom Perry; and sister Amy Coder.


text:
NIF Lasers Continue to Fire at a Record Rate
When the first half of Fiscal Year 2015 ended on March 31, NIF was on track to meet its "stretch goal" of 300 target shots for the year, compared to 191 target shots in FY 2014. The record pace reflects a nearly 50 percent reduction in the average time between NIF shots in the past six months, resulting in an average of 7.9 target shots per five-day week in the second quarter of FY 2015.
NIF's stepped-up shot rate, which included 30-shot months in January, February, and March, is made possible by a variety of efficiency and scheduling improvements recommended by a "120-day Study" tasked by the U. S. Congress with finding ways to enhance NIF's shot availability over three years at a constant annual funding level.
"These shots translate into more opportunities to support the missions on NIF," said NIF & Photon Science Principal Associate Director (PAD) Jeff Wisoff. "The incredible increase in the productivity of NIF is a testament to all the hard work by the NIF team to adopt the recommendations of the 120-day Study.
"By increasing the shot rate and investing in a new set of transformative diagnostics being planned through the National Diagnostics Working Group," Wisoff said, "we and our partners are committed to providing the Stockpile Stewardship Program the best tools in the world to continue U.S. leadership in HED (high energy density) science. Congratulations to all and keep up the great work."
As part of the drive for greater efficiency, the NIF Team has developed a hybrid diagnostic load package (DLP) assembly that can be used in two popular NIF diagnostics—the Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector (VISAR) and the Neutron Imaging System (NIS). (Above) Mechanical technician Alex Lumbard performs the alignment verification of the VISAR-NIS DLP with the NIS package in the Operations Support Building's diagnostics factory. At bottom left on the table is the recently removed VISAR package. (Below) The V-NIS development team (from left): Lumbard, system manager Ken Skulina, optics engineer Don Jedlovec, alignment/mechanical engineer Kim Christianson, and electrical engineer Ken Piston. The "fast-swap" conversion will take about one to two hours, versus the two shifts required to swap the current individual DLP platforms, for a saving of about three hours each time the team transitions between the two diagnostic configurations. Credit: James Pryatel
The 120-day Study was completed last April by a team of more than 80 NIF collaborators and sponsors led by NIF&PS Principal Deputy PAD Jeff Atherton and NIF Facility Manager Doug Larson. Larson said more than half of the study's organizational, engineering, scheduling, and experimental configuration recommendations have been implemented. Among the recent improvements:
Spending more time shooting by scheduling maintenance on weekends and reducing maintenance time.
Shortening the shot cycle through such steps as taking a risk-based approach to reducing redundant or obsolete quality control steps; allowing laser qualification shots in parallel with target alignment, saving up to one hour per shot cycle; streamlining the target fabrication process and documentation to eliminate low-value activities; updating and streamlining "traffic rules" for moving target positioners; cross-training Control Room operators to enable greater coverage and reduce delays; and implementing a Target Alignment Assistant Tool to streamline target alignment.
Scheduling the facility more efficiently by allowing flexible shot start times (as early as possible); making greater use of "mini-campaigns"—sets of experiments designed to be fired in a similar configuration to minimize facility changes while optimizing data return; and scheduling experiments based on time allocations instead of shot allocations in order to encourage researchers to design campaigns that can be executed most efficiently.
NIF also is developing improved metrics "to identify barriers and opportunities to reduce the shot-cycle duration," Larson said.
In keeping with the 120-day Study, NIF has set an even more aggressive goal of 400 shots in FY 2016. Achieving that goal while maintaining or increasing the number of cryogenic layered target experiments will require developing and implementing a third target inserter along with the current target positioner (Tarpos) and cryogenic Tarpos, Larson said. A third inserter would allow the Cryo Tarpos to remain dedicated to growing cryogenically cooled target layers, while a new multifunction inserter would support either warm, gas-filled targets or target diagnostics.
Larson said the 400-shot goal also will require a continued focus on completing shot-rate improvement projects and "fully implementing a shot planning process that allows experimental programs to maximize the data return from their time allocation."
For more information, see "An Increased Shot Rate at the National Ignition Facility," Science & Technology Review, March 2015.


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As per the title, my quest, as set by my good lady wife, is to produce a boat without spending ANY money.
So, she says to me, .......... surely, with all those spare parts in your workshop, you must be able to make a boat of some sort without going to the shops..
Break point there while I have a lie down and think it all out.
I have now been through my spares boxes and cobbled together all the bits I think I might need for a scale 1:32 TUG.
First find was a tug hull in the loft. Not sure where all this stuff comes from but it's been stored, Just in case I might need it.
This now sets the scale and shape of all things to follow it's fitting.
The build started with making a frame to sit the boat on. By using plywood and glue and a bit of piano felt we came up with a stand.
Turned up the other way, it could double as a piano stool for a tiny person.
Here is is all painted and tried out for size on the empty hull.
The base unit for the motor was constructed and a 7 A/hr battery box was fitted behind the motor frame. We also took into consideration the curved base of the hull and made a matching curve on the base unit to allow for a secure and sturdy fixing to the hull with apoxy when the time comes.
I forgot to mention the side band supports all around the inside edge of the tug. These were made from strips of 4mm plywood and epoxied in with two and three layers to make up the width and ease of bending.
Then it was onto the decks. These were first made in cardboard to get the shape and then transferred to plywood for cutting.
First, the rear section was fitted and matching holes inserted to allow access for motor fitting and wiring to take place. Edges were then glued on to hold the cabin in place.
The same thing was made with the bow section and a step fitted for two different heights.
Hello Captain. Thank you for your interest.
Cabin coming right up Sir. I do have an awful lot of off-cuts of all materials so it was 'on to the cabin'.
I decided weight might be important so I've opted for plastic sheet. It's easier to cut and bend about, and is my favourite anyway.
I know this blog appears to be fast but in reality, I have been working on it for some time now and had not thought of a build blog until 'Er indoors' said it might be a good idea.
Here is my version of the cabin in 2mm plastic.
Here's a view of it on the deck.
I've found an old drain pipe with a lovely ridged top which I thought 'might come in handy one day'.
After several cuts, by gradually shortening it, I've come up with a funnel.
Well there we are at the moment.
We are back in the workshop and getting ready for an Epoxy moment.
Now THAT is what I call a challenge! And well done for rising to the occasion, Ken!
A fascinating build log...keep it coming!
So we can all keep some now!!
We should get this topic pinned, so when our better halves start asking us to part with our goodies we have saved up, we can show them this.
"I stick my neck out for nobody"
Very cool I'll be watching.
"If she can stand it, I can too, play it"
Evening all. Very kind comments. Thank you very much.
I think I've done it for myself now. Today I took her shopping (nothing frivolous...only food) but on our return I was able to to continue with " Project Tug Christine".
If it is Derek, he's earning double points!
Having been through something similar it is futile, time consuming, pointless etc the list goes on, to reason with such logic.
The correct response being, "Yes dear."
Gunna build those other boats one day.
I had a quieter day today. Now able to get on with boat with regular cups of tea turning up now and again..
i have marked out and drilled and sanded the portholes and square windows to the wheelhouse.


Learn more about how EMA interacts with academia.
EMA's new booklet describes the journey of a medicine for human use authorised via EMA, from initial research to discussions on patient access to medicines across the EU. This includes how EMA supports medicine development by providing scientific advice and how it assesses a medicine's benefits and risks once it receives an application for marketing authorisation.
EMA intends to actively engage in the advancing of regulatory science over the next five to ten years, covering both human and veterinary medicines. It has published a draft 'Regulatory Science to 2025' strategy in December 2018 for public consultation and invites stakeholders to send comments by 30 June 2019.
European Reference Networks (ERNs) are virtual networks involving healthcare providers across Europe. They aim to facilitate discussion on complex or rare diseases and conditions that require highly specialised treatment and concentrated knowledge and resources. Information videos and flyers are available for patients and healthcare professionals on the European Commission's website.
The cross-committee task force on patient registries published a discussion paper on methodological and operational considerations in the use of patient disease registries for regulatory purposes. Interested parties can send their comments and suggestions or an annotated version of the document by 30 June 2019.
EMA has published a dedicated webpage with information that may be helpful for researchers applying for funding under the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme in the area of health.
EMA's infosheet highlights the regulatory tools EMA offers to support the development of new and innovative medicines – from the early phases in the laboratory all the way to the patient.


FEIQUE (Spanish Chemical Industry Business Federation) presented the safety awards which recognize good accident rate results obtained in the chemical sector.
This is the second edition of these FEIQUE Safety Awards, which this time have honored a total of 20 production sites belonging to 18 companies.
This is a recognition of the efforts made by companies in 2011 which got the best results in prevention of occupational accidents in 2011.
Vopak Terquimsa is one of the companies awarded the FEIQUE Safety Award in 2011. These awards are given to workplaces of more than 50 employees which last year had zero accidents with and without leave.
Ignacio Casajús, Managing Director received the award on 31 May at the headquarters Gómez-Acebo & Pombo in Madrid.
Copyright © Terminales Químicos S.A.


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ADA launches public awareness campaign discouraging DIY dentistry
Association runs full-page Wall Street Journal ad
The Association will run a full-page ad in the Aug. 3 Wall Street Journal encouraging readers to visit an ADA dentist and avoid do-it-yourself, or DIY, dentistry.
The ad is the beginning of an ADA-led public awareness campaign on the potential concerns to patients when using do-it-yourself treatments. These include teeth straightening kits, veneers, bruxing devices and other solutions typically executed under the care of a dentist or specialist.
"We know it's harder than ever to know who to trust," the ad says. "The ADA believes that ongoing supervision by a dentist is critical for any dental care you receive. Dental diagnoses and treatments are not do-it-yourself projects."
The campaign stems from a policy passed by the 2017 ADA House of Delegates that "strongly discourages" the practice of do-it-yourself orthodontics because of the potential risks to patients.
"Public health and safety is our number one concern, and that's why we are taking steps to educate the public about DIY dentistry," said Dr. Joseph P. Crowley, ADA president. "Dentists play a role, too, and should talk with their patients about DIY treatments."
According to the Association, DIY dental treatments can affect the gums, bone, ligaments that support the teeth, or the teeth themselves. Depending on the oral health issue being addressed and the nature of the treatment, there may be risks for long-term issues including jaw problems, abnormal bite, tooth decay and loss, as well as gum disease. If teeth are improperly aligned, gum tissue may be impinged or stripped.
Dr. Crowley, who practiced general dentistry for over 40 years, said he has seen his fair share of do-it-yourself treatment that went wrong. From people moving teeth with rubber bands on their own that resulted in loss of teeth to people bleaching with over-the-counter products in an extreme way that caused irreversible damage to the teeth.
"Despite the apparent cost savings as advertised by these products, they can often cost more in the long run to correct," Dr. Crowley said.
According to a 2017 survey by the American Association of Orthodontics, about 13 percent of its member orthodontists are seeing patients who have tried do-it-yourself teeth straightening, with some of those attempts causing irreparable damage. AAO attributes the DIY trend primarily to social media, citing YouTube tutorial videos on how to straighten one's own teeth. The AAO found that 70 percent of DIY patients seen by its members who took part in the study were between the ages of 10 and 34.
The ADA encourages patients to always ask an ADA dentist for his or her opinion before using unconventional dental products. In the Wall Street Journal ad, the ADA encourages readers to look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance, which the Association has awarded to more than 200 products.
"When you see it, you'll know that our independent dental experts have found the product to be safe and effective," the ad says. "We're here for you. We're here to keep you smiling."
For dentists interested in sharing do-it-yourself dentistry stories, contact adanews@ada.org.


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Learning to get into animation, whether it is drawn or computer, is much easier than most people expect. For anybody that is artistic and enjoys watching animated films this can be a terrific hobby! I highly recommend it!
Use the white subtabs above to navigate the other Animation resources. We have a Animation forum where you can get your questions & doubts answered, a page with Animation how-to videos, a page with the best handpicked links to websites, and a page with the best Animation books and products.
Animation is basically taking a static image, photo or drawing and making it move. It is the art of creating the illusion of movement, i.e. making that static image run, walk, jump, talk, etc.
As a child, I used to draw a series of images, or stick men, on the right hand corners of a book – a flick book - each one being slightly different to the one before. When completed and you flicked through the book quickly, it created the illusion that the stick man was running. Animation is principally the same thing.
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images in order to create an illusion of movement. It is an optical illusion of motion and has over the years developed tremendously. The effects that animators can now achieve with the use of computers is quite astounding and very skilful. Animation can be seen in a wide range
Different Techniques of Animation
The principal animation techniques are:
-Traditional animation, also known as Cel or hand-drawn animation.
-Full animation, including Limited animation, Rotoscoping and Live Action animation.
-Stop Motion, including Puppet, Clay, Cutout, Silhouette, Model, Graphic and Object animation, Puppetoon, Go Motion and Pixilation.
-2D animation, including Analog, Flash and Powerpoint.
-3D animation, including Photo Realisticm and Cel-Shaded animation, and Motion Capture.
-Drawn on Film, Paint on Glass, Sand and Pinscreen animation, and Flip Book.
-Character and Special Effects animation.
-Multi-sketching.
-Animatronics.
Traditional animation or cel animation or hand-drawn animation is the process of piecing together individual frames which are drawn on paper. Each drawing is slightly different than the previous one (made by way of tracing part of the drawing). This form of animation is not only the oldest, but also the most popular, although a large propotion of the 'hand drawing' aspects are now completed on a computer. Productions using traditional animation techniques usually follow a process:
1.	Storyboard – a sort of script including images, given to the animators who plan and compose the plot and imagery. A storyboard may be re-done several times before it is finally approved.
2.	Voice recording – an initial soundtrack, or 'scratch track' is recorded and the animators synchronise their work to the soundtrack. The soundtrack includes the basic sound effects, dialogue, vocal songs and preliminary musical score. The final touches are usually added in post-production.
3.	Animatic – or story reel which is made after the soundtrack has been done, but before the animation starts. It consists of pictures from the synchronised storyboard, which can be amended, and allows for timings to be worked out. Editing at this stage prevents the possibility of animating parts of the film that would later be cut out of the film. Advertising agencies use Animatic to test their commercials prior to full production. Video storyboards have moving pieces, and Photomatics are another option but cost more.
4.	Design and timing – designers prepare 'model sheets' that show how characters and props will look from different angles, from the animatic and storyboard. The background stylists work on the settings and locations, art directors and colour stylists work on the colour schemes. The timing director works with the animatic to work out poses, drawings, lip movements, etc will be needed and creates an 'exposure sheet', which is a table that breaks down all the elements frame-by-frame. If there is a lot of music, the timing director may also create a bar sheet.
5.	Layout – once the designs have been completed and approved, camera angles and paths, lighting and shading, and background layouts are drawn for each character. These, along with the storyboard and audio, are spliced together to create the final animatic.
6.	Animation – once the animatic has been approved, the animation starts.
The lead animator draws the key parts of a scene, a frame at a time, using the character layouts, and these drawings have to be synchronised with the soundtrack to avoid any difference between sound and visual. The lead animator will also produce a 'pencil test' of the scene, i.e a preliminary version of the final scene, which are then linked with the soundtrack to make sure it all works together. It is then passed to the assistant animators who add all the details and any minor missing frames. Most of the time, animators will have to re-do scenes several times before the director is happy with them.
Once the animation has been approved by the director, it moves over to the 'clean-up' department who take the drawings, trace them (including all the details of all the animators), add any missing details or frames (known as 'tweening'), and then these are pencil-tested and 'sweatboxed' (or reviewed) until approved. At each stage of pencil animation, when it has been approved, it is spliced into a Leica reel.
Pencil tests and layouts are predominantly done using video cameras and computers nowadays. There are four main elements: Digital Pencil Test, Digital Layout, Digital Storyboard and Backgrounds. Because of the widespread use of computers, the traditional forms of animation are being used less and less, and although you need skill to create computer generated images, the art of traditional animation is dying.
However, because of computers and animation software, the scope of animation has become much more widespread. It has reduced the time it takes to produce an animated film, programme or cartoon and has greatly enhanced the special effects that films can now create.
Full animation
Full animation is the process of producing high-quality traditionally animated films, which regularly use detailed drawings and realistic movement.
Disney hired animator-director, Mike Jittlov, to experiment with stop motion using Mickey Mouse toys. To commemorate Mickey Mouse's 50th anniversary in1978, they produced a short sequence as part of a TV programme called Mouse Mania using stop motion. Mike Jittlov went on to produce some very good multi-technique stop motion work for Disney, and also produced a number of short animated films. A well-known British animation team – John Hardwick and Bob Bura – were the principal animators in many TV shows and the Trumptonshire trilogy.
Eliot Noyes Jr., an independent clay animator in the 60s and 70s, was Oscar-nominated for his 'free form' clay animated film Clay or the Origin of Species, as well as for He Man and She Ra in 1972. He also used stop motion in his film Sandman to animate the laying of sand onto glass.
Go motion is a type of model animation which uses techniques to create motion blur between frames of film, (not shown in traditional stop-motion). The technique was invented by Industrial Light & Magic for the movie The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
A computer is programmed to move parts of a model during each frame and, combined with hand manipulation, produces a realistic motion effect. A manual version of Go motion was pioneered in the silent film era by Wladyslaw Starewicz, and was used in his film The Tale of the Fox.
Since the introduction of computer generated imagery (CGI), stop motion has become almost obsolete, but not quite due to the fact that it is a less costly option, and that it has a 'unique' look on film. There are still some directors, such as Tim Burton, that believe that CGI cannot produce the real textures and feel created by stop motion techniques.
Most recently, there has been a surge on the internet (YouTube, Google Video) of clay animation. Although simple in design, i.e. 'free form', they are very effective and portrayed predominantly in either as a comical character or in crime/violence scenes. But clay animation and stop motion has also been used in online music videos, such as Oren Lavie's Her Morning Elegance.
Stop motion has been used in computer games, creating characters and animals using clay and latex rubber over wire frames. These were then shot one frame at a time and incorporated into the game via digital photography.
Stop motion is also used in astronomy to observe diurnal motion. For example, the photographing of the solar analemma takes over a year, and the camera needs to remain motionless for that time but take pictures at the same time every few days.
Since computer generated imagery was developed in the 1990s, making animation more realistic, controlled and faster, it has also brought about an added dimension, that of 3D, or 3-dimensional, and not just in the film industry. 3D animation is also extensively used in the gaming industry, such as video games, computer games and hand control games, as well as for simulators, particularly flight simulators, so that in training what the pilot sees outside the cockpit is as realistic as it can possibly be.
3D combines models and programmed, or 'key-framed' movements. The models are made geometrical lines, edges and faces – similar to that of clay modelling – using the computer softwares extensive range of sculpting tools. The model, or virtual marionette, is allocated handles or and controllers which are then manipulated to create the illusion of movement, i.e. walking. This process is known as 'rigging' and some 3D models can contain thousands of different control points, i.e. Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia had approximately 1,851 controllers.
Drawn On Film
Over the years, so many different variations of animation techniques have been pioneered by independent animators, film studios and artists. The technique of Drawn-On-Film animation is creating the images directly onto film stock, while Paint-On-Glass animation is manipulates slow drying oil paints on sheets of glass. Using traditional 2D, Erasure animation is where an image is photographed over a period of time as the artists manipulates the image.
Pinscreen animation is a screen of movable pins, either in or out, by pressing an object onto the screen. The pins cast shadows as the screen is lit from either left or right, and creates the sort of textural effects that you wouldn't be able to achieve with cel animation. Sand animation is where you have a backlit or front lit piece of glass for each frame, on which sand is moved around, to create a contrast of light effect.
The technique was originally developed by Alexandre Alexeieff and his wife, Claire Parker. Their first pinscreen had 240,000 pins which were pressed one at a time, thereby creating a frame at a time, each one slightly different to the one before. As each frame was created, it was photographed and the photos were then put together to create an image without any gaps. This technique is time consuming, expensive and can be difficult to do, hence its unpopularity.
However, in more recent times, computer programs have been developed so that you can create the frames digitally. The images can also be stored, retrieved and altered without having to re-create that particular frame.
As well as animating objects, characters and backgrounds, there are other elements to creating an effect on film or in theatre, i.e. changing the visual appearance. These are known as Special Effects. Before the wide use of computers, special effects were produced by hand using a range of techniques. Animators used drybrush, airbrush, charcoal, grease pencil and backlit animation, but these special effects could also be produced during filming by the camerman using different exposures, filters, gels and diffusers. The use of computers today gives animators and directors far more scope in the quality and type of special effects that can be created, as well as accelerating the gaming industry.
Animatronics is the use of electronics and robotics in mechanized puppets to simulate life.
12 Principles of Animation
During the 1930s, animators at Walt Disney Studios (including Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas) developed a set of principles for producing animated objects, characters, backgrounds, etc. Based on their experiences and accumulated knowledge, these became known as the 12 Principles of Animation which have since been adopted and used as a general guideline since then. Despite the rise of computer generated imagery, the principles laid down in respect of traditional animation are still relevant today.
The 12 principles are:
1. Squash and stretch.
2. Anticipation.
3. Staging.
4. Straight ahead and pose-to-pose animation.
5. Follow through and overlapping action.
6. Slow-out and slow-in.
7. Arcs.
8. Secondary action.
9. Timing.
10. Exaggeration.
11. Solid drawing.
12. Appeal.
Squash and Stretch
Squash and Stretch is probably the most important principle and is to give the character an illusion of weight and volume as it moves. It is also used to create facial expressions as well as animating dialogue. Depending on how extreme the effect you want to create, using squash and stretch the character can take on an almost comical appearance. This technique is used in all types of character animation, from a person walking or running, to a ball bouncing or being thrown.
Anticipation is a technique used to create the scene for the audience, capture their attention, before a character performs an action, i.e. before it jumps or runs or an expression changes. Usually a backward motion happens, and then the action occurs. This is probably more effective to see in comical characters.
So that the audience can clearly see the pose, action or communication of a character on screen, i.e. attitude, mood, emotion, the director will use long and close-up shots or camera angles to show this and direct the audience to that particular action. This is known as Staging. However, the director must make sure that the background effects or animation do not overshadow the action of the character.
Straight Ahead and pose to pose animation
Straight Ahead animation is worked on from the start, from the first drawings and through to the final approved version, but using this technique can mean that you may lose the visual proportions, volume or size. Fast actions scenes are usually completed using straight ahead animation. Pose-to-Pose is much more planned and drawings are done at certain points during the scene. It is much easier to control proportions as well as the action. A lot of scenes will use both of these techniques, and are usually completed by the lead animator.
Follow through and overlapping action
When see on a computer screen or on drawings completed by hand, as the main part of a character stops, the other details of the character then catch up, such as the hair, clothing, tail or ears, and this is known as Follow Through. However, when the character goes in a different direction but his clothes or hair continue in the other direction, this is known as Overlapping Action. If you then decide that the clothes or hair will follow the character in the new direction a couple of frames later, this is known as 'Drag'. To use these techniques, timing is everything.
Slow out and slow in
The fewer the drawings, the faster the action; the greater the drawings, the slower the action. So you could have more drawings at the start and end of a pose, with only a couple in the middle, which softens the action and creating a more life-like image. This is known as Slow-In and Slow-Out. To show surprise or shock (a 'gag' action), some the slow-in or slow-out actions will be taken out.
The majority of actions follow a circular path, or an Arc, particularly human and animal figures. The Arc gives the action more fluency, flow and are more natural visually.
Secondary Action
To be able to add another dimension to characters or to back-up a main action, i.e. making a walk aggressive, or to add dialogue, or to swing the arms to and fro, is known as Secondary Action. These actions are supporting or emphasise the main action so must not distract the audience from the main action.
As mentioned above, Timing is essential and is only truly learnt with experience and experiment. Varying the timing throughout the production adds texture and keeps the audience interested, but is also important in creating a character's mood or reaction or emotion.
To avoid stiff or mechanical looking action, and particularly in making facial expressions appear as natural as possible, Exaggeration is used, but avoid too much as you don't want the character to look cartoonish, except in cartoons! Exaggeration is an effect useful for animation, as perfect imitation of reality can look static and dull in cartoons.
Solid Drawing
Solid Drawing is utilising the basic principles of drawing weight, volume, solidity and the illusion of 3D. Drawing is classical, using pencil sketches, which are then transformed into colour and movement. Illusion is three- and four-dimensional – movement in space is three-dimensional, movement in time is four-dimensional.
Animated characters need to be appealing, from cute and cuddly, cruel and villainous, to comical and heroic, something that will capture the audience's attention and particularly with the lead character or characters. It is developing the character and the storyline together, creating continuity, reality, believable and likeable.
There are a multitude of different software applications that can be used to create animated characters or objects, from most well-known (as well as lesser known) manufacturers and suppliers, and all can be purchased via any reputable computer supplier, via the internet and direct from software suppliers. It is not always easy to know which package to go for, particularly if you are new to the art of animation. Prices differ, as to the tools available, features, extras and how user-friendly the package is. Because of this, it is worth 'trying before buying'. Search the internet for animation software packages that you can download and try for free. Some applications are entirely free, but they usually have less tools, extras, etc. Some are shareware, but again can have limited functions, and some offer a trial period, i.e. for 30 days, and then give you the option to buy at the end of the time period. A software application that is suitable for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux is Pencil. The package allows you to create traditionally hand-drawn images using bitmap and vector graphics, it is free and is open source – well worth looking at.
Adobe have recently released their latest Flash, the CS5, while Poser Pro 2010 3D is a good alternative for less than $500. Toon Boom Studio 5 and Studio 6 are great for creating digital cartoon images. PM Animation is a shareware package that has plenty of functionality and applications, and FotoMorph Image Animation Software is free. WidgetCast 2.0 from Reallusion is expensive but is the 'all singing, all dancing' animation software package. To create good facial animated characters, Crazy Talk 6.0 Pro is a good buy for approximately $149.99, and they also do a Standard version for approximately $49.99.
Before buying, think carefully about exactly what you want to animate, and then study the different types of software to make sure the one you decide on is right for the purpose you want it for. Software packages vary greatly in price, dependent on both ability and quality. If you can, seek professional advice and listen to recommendations.
Other Places to Learn
The majority of schools, colleges and universities provide a range of courses regarding animation, be it computer generated, Cel animation, rotoscoping, stop motion, animated drawings or any other technique you wish to learn. There are also specialist courses that you can do if you want to specialise in a particular area, i.e. video game design. You don't have to be a young to learn animation, you can start at any age and enjoy discovering the challenges and rewards of animation. The cost of courses, which vary in length from months to 3 years, will depend on what sort of level you wish to attain, and where you study.