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Kids In the Hall's Brain Candy, the DVD and the Workprint
In 2002, Paramount finally released The Kids In the Hall's sole, under-appreciated film, Brain Candy on DVD. Unfortunately, it was as barebones as you could get. None of the terrifically entertaining extras you know the Kids comedy troupe could have provided, not even any of the famous deleted scenes. And we know there were deleted scenes, because in all their interviews, the guys always talked about the far out fry chef character Dave Foley played that got cut from the film, amongst other things. Plus, die-hard fans got to see some of these scenes over the years, because there was a leaked workprint version of the film.
Brain Candy Is the Kids In the Hall's Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like that film, it's actually more consistent and "solid" than the show was. And while some characters (like the pair of cops who have odd conversations while sitting in their squad car) do recur from the series, the film almost works better if you completely discard any expectations or associations with the sketch show, and just take the film on its own terms. You're then left with a schizophrenic comedy film with an level of unbridled insanity we haven't seen since The Marx Bros' Duck Soup. It's both genuinely funny, which you can't always say about a lot of cult comedy efforts, but also delightfully cynical and dark. This film has a strong message and that's: look how terrible humanity is.
The story's about a group of scientists researching an anti-depressant that focuses patients' minds on their happiest memory. They wind up releasing the pill before its ready because the drug company they work for threatens to close their lab and fire them if they don't start generating profits right away. Everybody is lying to themselves and everyone around them about how awful they are inside as. The film shows us the lives of people in all walks of life whose lives are miserable and then damaged even further by the medication. But it's not until they start going into standing comas that anybody decides there's a problem and a cover-up is in order. Some of the biggest laughs come from suicide and the pathetic "happiest moments" we see in the supporting characters' sad lives. Scott Thompson's supporting character of a repressed family man who finally realizes he's gay thanks to the bill is about the only happy, upbeat line in the film, and even that features scenes of him alone masturbating to gay porn in an attic while his children listen, and getting arrested and dragged up his neighborhood lawn naked in handcuffs.
It's amazing the Kids had the balls to push this film all the way through to completion. And it's no wonder the studio wound up giving it the smallest possible token theatrical release (I don't think I've ever driven farther to see a studio released film on opening weekend) and then toss it out on a quick and cheap home video release. If you want a film that's going to lie to you to make you feel better about yourself, sorry, the Kids were not interested in making that movie for you. But that's what's so great about this film. A silly cable television sketch troupe wound up making actual cinematic art. And it's still funnier than almost all of their contemporaries.
So about this workprint version. Obviously, it's unreleased, but as a big fan of this film, I have laid my hands on a bootleg copy of it. The first half of it isn't very different from the finished film, coming down to things like no opening credits and slightly re-edited scenes. But once you get to the second half, they really diverge. Dave Foley has a major character (the aforementioned fry chef) that's only seen in the workprint. Of course there are lines and gags only seen in that version. But more than that, Janeane Garofolo has been completely cut out of the final version, and the ending is very different. And, on the other hand, the workprint is missing a lot of scenes and elements that are in the final version. So I've documented all of the differences between the two cuts, but I'm bolding the points where the workprint specifically has something unique that's seen not in the final film, the parts fans who've seen the movie are missing.
A shot of Foley's fry chef character, taken from the trailer.
0:01 There are no credits, and the cab driver's monologue is longer.
3:20 There are different crowd/ band shots at end of the song.
10:05 The workprint has a cruder animation when Scott swallows the pill.
12:50 The workprint is missing establishing shots of the building.
14:10 The workprint doesn't have the "everybody back in" line.
16:30 The workprint is missing the "big table" joke.
16:50 Brendan Frasier's cameo is a little longer with some extra back and forth.
18:35 There's a new joke about "what would the great scientist Sigmund say to his class every day?"
21:10 The workprint loses part of the "flipper babies" gag.
24:10 The workprint has an additional line, "isn't that what you all want?"
24:50 The workprint cuts a lot of the "ready for another drink" gag.
28:30 The workprint puts the scene of Cisco naming the drug ahead of Chris coming to work hungover, instead of the other way around.
37:20 The workprint loses a shot of Scott lying naked on the ground.
42:30 The workprint skips an establishing shot of building.
44:55 The workprint's missing the joke when the drill sergeant looks down at Scott's crotch.
46:50 The workprint cuts the last few seconds of the gay musical number.
47:55 In the workprint, we see Cancer Boy's sedated parents.
48:10 The workprint doesn't have the line about Cancer Boy's marrow being low.
50:55 The workprint has the "this is the real party" joke before the introduction; the final film has it after.
51:05 In the workprint, we see a scuba diver standing at the swimming pool.
51:30 The workprint has an extra piece where Chris tries to tell his boss he's still worried about his drug going non-prescription and getting ignored.
51:50 There's a scene of Chris's girlfriend looking lost by herself, then we cut back to the real party. Cisco and the boss conspire, and then Chris meets Janeane Garofolo on a tennis court and they have a whole scene about her sexual conquests of many scientists ("Steven Hawking was an unconscionable pig in bed." "I've heard that."). But it doesn't have the scene where the other scientists see Chris at the real party on a monitor.
52:10 Only the workprint has a whole, weird scene at a church where Dave Foley plays a former fry chef. We flash back to him going berserk at his job, "no! the fries will never be ready!" He kills his parents, cuts his own hair, and we cut back to him at the church, where he delivers a poem about the drug being no good.
52:20 But the workprint doesn't have the "3 months later" transition and the dog audition scene doesn't happen 'till later. the two versions sync up again at the next scene, where the emo musician sings his happy song.
54:40 The "Happiness Pie" video is edited very differently. it's a longer, fuller song on the workprint.
56:20 The awards ceremony is edited with some different crowd shots.
56:40 Cleptor and Chris tell two more forced jokes on the workprint.
58:10 The crazy fry chef confronts Chris as he walks through the adoring crowd and gives him a poem he's written.
58:30 The workprint moves the dog audition to here.
1:00:40 The workprint loses an extra shot of Chris looking at the mouse.
1:03:30 Mrs. Hurdicure has a new happy memory, which we see is a false memory of her son doting on her, as opposed to the real, cynical one in the final film. Only in the workprint, it makes sense why she's whispering the word "tea" to herself, though.
1:04:00 Extra scene in the workprint: Chris calls an ambulance and is surprised it's already taken Mrs. Hurdicure away before he can even hang up the phone. there's also a very dramatic choral song on the workprint.
1:05:21 There's a totally different set of shots when they decide not to go to the media. only in the workprint, we see the family waiting at the bris behind them the whole time.
1:06:08 The workprint has extra music behind the "acceptable losses" talk.
1:07:38 The workprint moves the "Funky Town" memory to after the fight.
1:09:36 The workprint has an extra coma victim's happy memory, where she gives birth.
1:10:10 In the workprint, Chris goes to his girlfriend's apartment and finds out she and her "new special friend Gunther" are on the pill, and they have an... eccentric encounter.
1:11:30 In the workprint, Chris gets kidnapped on the street and taken to the fry chef who recites crazy poems to him while he's tied to a chair. He's confused when Chris agrees with him and accepts responsibility.
From here on The workprint is completely different. instead of seeing the sailors and his girlfriend's image inside the pill making him decide to go to the media, Chris leads a team of fry chefs to rescue Mrs. Hurdicure and bring her to the Nina Bedford show.
In the final film, Chris instead holds a press conference, but gets a paltry turn-out. His boss then takes him to "the real press conference," where they have the final showdown.
But in the workprint, the fry chefs take over the television studio and the police arrive, questioning Scott's homeless security guard character. we see that more cops didn't show up because most are at a funeral for a police dog. None of this is in the movie! Chris confesses to the studio audience while the lead fry chef has made himself up like an Andrew Lloyd Webber cat and dances to "Memories" for the police. But the crowd doesn't listen and begins chanting.
NOW, in the workprint, Chris sees the two sailors. we see their memory and the girlfriend in the pill like in the final film.
But instead of throwing it down and holding the press conference, he swallows the pill and we see that his happiest memory is when he invented the pill. Then the cab driving narrator comes back and Chris, in his coma, is being rode around as a float in a parade through the city streets "like a fucking astronaut."
They then announce a coma queen, like in the final film. But it ends there, without any of the stuff with Mrs. Hurdicure and the addendum that we get in the final film.
I've seen people saying so online, but I wouldn't actually call the workprint the superior version of the film. It's missing a lot of great stuff, and a lot of the unique things it has aren't as good as what we ultimately got. I'd say this is a rough first cut, and they finally made a better version of the film. But, with that said, there's certainly a lot of material here fans would get a lot out of, so it's a real shame it's not been released in any capacity. Again, all we got is a barebones DVD from Paramount. That's now long out of print, and Warner Bros (who's been handling Paramount's back catalog for a couple years now) has since reissued it as a DVD-R as part of their Warner Archives series, but naturally it's still completely barebones. Though at least it's available again.
Here's what the workprint looks like, for the record. It's just a bootleg I copped, so there's no point delving into the (terrible) video quality. But it's interesting that it's open matte with more vertical information in every frame. In some scenes we see boom mics, though, so there's no question that it was meant to be matted wide.
The DVD is thankfully, at least, anamorphic. It's 1.78:1 and offers you the choice between a Dolby Stereo Surround track and a 5.1 mix. It also has optional English subtitles and a French dub. So it's actually not presented too poorly, although the picture is very soft and compressed by modern standards. It would benefit greatly from a new HD transfer. But the basic presentation of the film could've certainly been a lot worse.
And like I said, barebones. No extras. They actually list "Menus" as a special feature on the back of the case. They don't even include the trailer. And that's especially disappointing since the trailer actually holds a lot of extra value with footage not seen in the film. It shows some of the original ending, including Foley's fry chef, and even more intriguingly, has other unseen footage of the prostitute and her boyfriend where she gets pregnant (which kicks so hard in her belly that it knocks the boyfriend on his ass), and they then have the baby. That stuff's not in either version of the film!
And just to add to the frustration, there was already a 'making of' promo featurette made for the film, including interviews with all five Kids (Foley even jokes that they'd better not cut his fry chef character), that aired on television during the film's minuscule theatrical release. Paramount could've not produced any new extras, but at least included that. And the trailer. But nope, nothing.
This film calls out for a special edition blu-ray like few others. It's developed a cult following over the years, and it has a loyal fanbase locked in from the show. The guys have already done interviews about the film online, so we know there's a lot to talk about and they're willing to get together and do the talking. Like I said, the picture could really use the upgrade and it has a lot of production values that would look great in HD. There are some excellent features that already exist, like the promo making of, and a television special about the Kids that talks a lot about the film (actually, I think it mostly takes from the same promo featurette, but still). A commentary by these guys? It's too obvious not to do! They already did the series, so they know what to do. Oh, and maybe don't forget the trailer this time.
And as far as the workprint, I don't think a studio would have to spring for a 2-disc set or anything with both versions of the film. So much of the film is the same or even worse, that I think the best thing to do would be to just go through and snip out the best, unique moments and give us what would be a great deleted scenes package. Even if they don't have the proper footage (which would be great), I think fans would shut up and be happy with the workprint quality if that's all there was. Heck, if Paramount needs it, I'll personally burn them a copy of my bootleg DVD. I can't believe this hasn't happened already. Somebody like Shout Factory should be all up in this.
Labels: 1990, boot, comedy, DVD, DVR, M.I.A., Paramount
Brett April 16, 2019 at 2:42 AM
Wow! A very thorough explanation. Thanks so much for doing this!
do you have a mega link to the workprint
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Rohrach ist ein Gemeindeteil des Marktes Heidenheim im Landkreis Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen (Mittelfranken, Bayern).

Geographische Lage
Das Juradorf liegt in der Fränkischen Alb im Hahnenkamm in einer Talmulde der Östlichen Rohrach an der Staatsstraße 2218 zwischen Degersheim und der Fuchsmühle. Von Heidenheim ist der Gemeindeteil Rohrach 4,1 Kilometer entfernt.

Geschichte
Rohrach hatte im Mittelalter wohl einen eigenen Ortsadel, dessen Burg auf dem Schloßberg über der nahen Fuchsmühle stand. Eine frühe Erwähnung findet Rohrach in einem Bericht des Abtes Adalbert vom Kloster Heidenheim um 1154/55; das Kloster war im Besitz des Herrenhofs von Rohrach. Zustiftungen der Klostervögte, der Grafen von Truhendingen, geschahen auch aus deren Rohracher Besitz. Das Kloster kaufte, verkaufte und tauschte seinerseits Rechte und Güter in Rohrach. So gingen 1282 zwei Huben zu Rohrach an Konrad von Muhr über, und so gelangte 1298 das Kloster in den Besitz der Vogteirechte über den Meierhof. Um 1400 ist das Kloster im Besitz des großen Zehnten von Rohrach.

1533 wurde das katholische Dorf im Zuge der Umsetzung der Reformation im Markgrafentum Ansbach und der Säkularisation des Klosters Heidenheim evangelisch. Es wurde zusammen mit Degersheim 1537 bis 1570 von der Propstei Mariabrunn, danach vom evangelischen Pfarrer von Heidenheim versehen. Der Ort lag im Fränkischen Reichskreis.

Rohrach gehörte hochgerichtlich bis zur Säkularisation zum Ansbachischen Oberamt Hohentrüdingen; es hatte dorthin 1799 16 Untertanen(familien). 1806 wurde Rohrach bayerisch und gehörte zusammen mit der Fuchsmühle zum Steuerdistrikt Degersheim im Landgericht Heidenheim. aus dem 1810 die Ruralgemeinde Degersheim erwuchs. 1828 gab es in Rohrach 20 Familien 100 Einwohner.

Im Jahr 1950 hatte Rohrach 128 Einwohner. In den 1960er Jahren wurde das Dorf an die Gnotzheimer Wassergruppe angeschlossen. Die Gemeinde Degersheim wurde am 1. Juli 1972 nach Heidenheim eingemeindet und kam damit in den vergrößerten neuen Landkreis Weißenburg in Bayern, der am 1. Mai 1973 den neuen Namen Landkreis Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen erhielt. Heute beträgt die Einwohnerzahl 39.

Literatur
 1250 Jahre Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm. Heidenheim: Historischer Verein 2002.

Weblinks

 Infos über Rohrach

Einzelnachweise

Ortsteil von Heidenheim (Mittelfranken)
Ort im Landkreis Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen
Dorf

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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ZombiU – Review
By Matt Gander	Reviews 11 December, 2012
Featuring such attractions as Buckingham Palace and The London Dungeons, ZombiU represents a good way to experience London from the comfort of your own home. It's scarily authentic – the rougher areas are full of baseball cap wearing youths, the subway system is packed with brainless idiots who don't know what they're doing, and occasionally a rat or two will come scurrying out from piles of garbage. ZombiU also gives you the added advantage of being able to bash these brainless morons over the head with a cricket bat, which is something you can't do in real life. Not legally, anyway.
So, the zombie apocalypse is upon us. Thankfully there's somebody out there to give a hand to any survivors willing to listen. An ex-soldier known as 'The Prepper' has holed himself up in a secure location and has access to video cameras all over London. He believes the only way to survive is to be prepared – there is no cure or salvation. The Prepper communicates via the WiiU GamePad's speaker and will do everything he can to help.
As the story unfolds it transpires that there may be a chance to be rescued from London after all. The Prepper, however, will do his very best to persuade you this isn't the case. The voice acting for your mysterious guardian is superb – he genuinely sounds in utter dismay at how quickly London has fallen into chaos.
The Prepper also supplies you with a 'bug out bag' which turns the GamePad into an upgradable survival kit. The inventory can be viewed on here as well as maps, mission objectives and a sonar radar. The radar is a vital tool in your survival, tracking the whereabouts of any nearby zombies. Every single one is a threat taking several whacks with the cricket bat to kill for good.
It's because they're able to lead you to your demise within seconds that it's sometimes wise to try and avoid conflict by looking for alternative routes. Meet your maker and your current randomly chosen survivor will come back as a member of the undead. When cast back into the boots of another survivor you get just one chance to get your backpack back from your former self. It's an idea similar to retrieving souls on dying in Dark Souls.
There are a few other comparisons that can be made with that rather challenging RPG. The difficulty level is tough, but not impossible. Far from it in fact – every time you 'respawn' (for want of a better word) you're given a handgun with six shots to give you a fighting chance, and sometimes items reappear in the lockers and such that can be looted. The online functions are very nicely done as well. You can imagine our surprise to enter a random building only to find a list of that day's high scores scribbled on the floor in graffiti. You even come across the reanimated corpses of people on your friend list.
Atmosphere is incredibly tense throughout. There's a clever use of filters which lends the game a distinct look, and there are more than a couple of moments designed to have you leaping out of your seat. The use of sound and lighting effects is impeccable. The torch can only be used for a couple of minutes before needing a quick recharge – having the batteries die while exploring a dark area is a harrowing experience, especially if you can hear shuffling in the background.
The environments are quite small, but due to the slow pace and how every situation must be handled with care, they can take quite a while to explore fully. However we did observe that a few areas such as the sewer systems that connect key areas and a few of the safe houses are lazily recycled. Entering two different safe houses only to find the knick-knacks inside lined up on the shelves in identical places did leave us feeling a little disorientated as to where on the map we were. It's a minor quibble, but one worth mentioning.
At least ZombiU rarely feels like a slog like some survival horror games do. The use of explosives is brilliant and even helps it to feel fun in places. A few gun turrets can be found here and there to mow down the infected when they come rushing towards, and the zombies are, amusingly, easily fooled – flares can be used to distract them or lure them into armed mines. Indeed, happiness in this game is a backpack full of things that go boom. Ammo is scarce but every now and then you're treated to a new weapon with a full clip of ammo. Such a find often lured us into a false sense of confidence as not even having numerous health-packs in your possession can guarantee survival.
Later a sniper rifle is added to your inventory. Shots have to be lined up by holding up the GamePad vertically. We found this tricky at first until realising that you can aim using the analogue stick as well as by twisting the GamePad about. The buttons to zoom in and out are logically placed, both within thumb's reach.
For a launch title ZombiU is incredibly ambitious, and the developers have achieved exactly what they set out to do – create a tense yet rewarding survival horror game that makes good use of the Wii U's unique GamePad. It's fantastic to see a developer fully understanding what the Wii U is all about right from day one.
Whether ZombiU will be mentioned alongside other great launch titles such as Halo and Super Mario 64 in years to come is, however, questionable. Mistake it for a straight-laced shooter and you will die often, forcing you back to safe houses to try again and thus leading to some frustration. Treat every zombie encounter and situation with a degree of thought though, and you'll find it immensely satisfying.
Wii UZombiU

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) is a centre for advanced research and teaching on global governance and international public policy, located in Waterloo, Ontario. As one of the largest social sciences initiatives in Canada, the school is a collaborative partnership between the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and the Centre for International Governance Innovation. The BSIA is an affiliate member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs, a group of schools that educate leaders in international affairs. The BSIA is housed in the north and west wings of the CIGI Campus. Admission to BSIA is highly selective.

History
The BSIA partnership was announced in 2007 when Blackberry co-CEO and CIGI Founder Jim Balsillie donated $50 million to the initiative. Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo would also make investments toward the school totaling $50 million ($25 million from each) over the next decade. From 2007 to 2011, classes at the BSIA took place at Laurier University and University of Waterloo.

In 2009, plans were announced to house the BSIA within a "CIGI Campus" that would be built alongside the think tank's headquarters in Waterloo. The resulting $68 million complex received federal and provincial funding totaling $50 million through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program and Ontario's 2009 Budget. The City of Waterloo donated the land for the campus through a 99-year lease. Construction began in 2009 and lasted for approximately two years. In October 2011, the BSIA held its first classes in the CIGI Campus.

Rankings and reputation

Canadian international relations scholars have ranked the Balsillie School the 4th best school in Canada for students seeking a career in public policy, as well as the 4th best school in Canada for students seeking an academic career studying international relations. CIGI was also ranked 1st as the most prominent think tank in Canada. Scholars who were polled noted both that the Balsillie School has gained prominence rapidly since its founding in 2007, and has attained a reputation for being well-funded.

Academics
The BSIA, with its degree-granting partners Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo, offers four degrees programs:

PhD in Global Governance
Graduate students in the program examine the actors, institutions, ideas, rules, and processes that contribute to the management of global society. In addition to international organizations and inter-state relations, the study of global governance examines the various non-state actors as well as the realities of contemporary life that contribute to the establishment and functioning of global rules, norms and institutions. The Global Governance PhD program interrogates the concepts, tools, and assumptions that have served scholars in the past and assesses new approaches for addressing contemporary and future challenges. Students are also offered opportunities to gain relevant international work experience, whether as a visiting scholar at a top-ranked university, a fellow at a leading think tank, or an intern with an internationally recognized non-governmental organization or in the UN system. Specializations include:

 Conflict and Security
 Global Political Economy
 Global Social Governance
 Global Environment
 Global Justice and Human Rights
 Multilateral Institutions and Diplomacy

MBA and MIPP Double Degree
Designed to be completed in two years, this program is for individuals aiming to bridge the divide between public and private sectors. This intensive program begins with the "Foundation in Global Public Policy" course. Thereafter, students will join the regular stream full-time MBA students for the program's Integrated Core courses Laurier University. Students will then split the remainder of their time and courses at both the BSIA and the Laurier, with a paid four-month workplace experience in their second year.

Master of International Public Policy (MIPP)
Designed to be completed in 12 months, students complete three terms of course work, each of which builds a specific skill set. The first term emphasizes core skills in public sector economics, policy analysis, statistics, and  international relations. These core skills are then applied during the following two terms to a selected field of concentration in international public policy.

MA in Global Governance (MAGG)
Designed to be completed in sixteen months, the program typically consists of two terms of course work; a third term in which students complete a Major Research Paper (MRP) on a specific research topic of their choosing relating to the study of global governance; followed by a fourth term as an intern working on a relevant global governance issue at a research institute, NGO, government organization, or within the private sector. Students can also take advantage of a number of exchange opportunities. MAGG students can also completed a double degree with the University of Warwick (an additional 8 months) or a pathways program with the American University. Only around 15-18 students are admitted to this program each year.

Graduate Fellowship
Select incoming students enrolled in either the Master of International Public Policy (MIPP) or the Master's of Arts in Global Governance (MAGG) programs may receive a Graduate Fellowship. During the program, fellows are normally asked to conduct research for a BSIA project and co-author a policy brief, which they will present to senior policy makers at an end-of-year symposium. Briefs that are deemed to be of high quality are normally published. The fellowship program runs in partnership with Global Affairs Canada.

Partnerships
The BSIA Master of Arts in Global Governance has partnerships with the School of International Service at American University and the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick. Students can also spend a term abroad on exchange, either with the International Conflict Administration and Management program at the University of Konstanz in Germany or the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland in Australia.

Other partnerships include organizations such as the United Nations Association in Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Canadian Red Cross, Civicus, Bonn International Center for Conversion, The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Research
The Balsillie School of International Affairs runs their Global Governance Fellowship in partnership with Global Affairs Canada where students, working with BSIA faculty, contribute to research activities identified by Global Affairs Canada. Students develop policy briefs, which are presented to the Foreign Policy Research and Foresight Division at Global Affairs Canada.

Associated Research Centres
Academic Council on the United Nations System
Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute (CPI)
 The International Migration Research Centre (IMRC)
 The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS)
 Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security, and Society
 The Water Institute
 WISE Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy

Research clusters
The BSIA's research clusters connects faculty, fellows and graduate students to conduct and support research initiatives in areas of global governance and international policy. The concept of a research 'cluster' represents the manner in which these research groups work across different domains – spanning social, life, physical, material and natural science – and collaborate in order to support specific research problems and future policy challenges. The Clusters also host events and guest presenters, and provide support to policymakers.

 Conflict and Security: This cluster comprises researchers across a range of disciplines including political science, history, geography, sociology, education, economics, and with growing links to the STEM fields.
 Environment and Resources: This cluster engages global governance challenges associated with large-scale environmental and resource degradation.
 Global Health: This cluster comprises scholars and practitioners from multiple academic disciplines and backgrounds to tackle critical health related challenges by way of research, practice, and policy making.
 Global Political Economy: This cluster comprises researchers from disciplines such as economics, political science, and international studies to study the international, comparative and domestic political economy.
 Migration, Mobilities, and Social Politics: This cluster comprises researchers from disciplines such as communication studies, geography, political science, and sociology to examine the challenges related to the governance of migration.
 Multilateral Institutions: This cluster comprises researchers from disciplines such as economics, political science, geography, environmental studies, and communication studies among others.
 STEM for Global Resilience: This cluster is critical to informing public debate and shaping the policy discourses addressing the links between technology, innovation, social and economic policy.

Faculty and personnel
The inaugural director of the BSIA was Ramesh Thakur, a former CIGI fellow and vice-rector at the United Nations University. In 2010, he was succeeded by David A. Welch, then CIGI chair of global security and professor of political science at the University of Waterloo, who served until 2013, followed by John Ravenhill until 2019. The current director is Ann Fitz-Gerald.

There are over 100 affiliated faculty members teaching in the BSIA's three academic programs. Notable faculty and fellows include:
 James G. Blight
 Jennifer Clapp
 Andrew F. Cooper
 Jonathan Crush
 Simon Dalby
 Shohini Ghose
 Paul Heinbecker
 Jorge Heine
 Eric Helleiner
 Janet M. Lang
 Randolph Mank
 Alison Mountz
 Bruce Muirhead
 James W. St.G. Walker
 Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger
 David A. Welch
 Alan Whiteside

References

External links

 CIGI's Official Website

Schools of international relations
International relations education
Educational institutions established in 2007
Buildings and structures in Waterloo, Ontario
Universities and colleges in Ontario
2007 establishments in Ontario


It is possible to have a decent simple static site in this price range. By a static site this means changing the content is not easy and you would either need to pay for changes or learn some basic technical skills.
You would also be expected to provide your own images and text content.
We use Hugo as our static site generator.
Static sites ave relatively low running costs as they don't need powerful hosts to run fast.
A budget site at this level comes with no digital marketing and is most suitable as a placeholder site that you are referring to e.g. on leaflets. Don't expect it to rank in Google.


When remeasuring the kilometers of runs of a certain ski area usually gaps reveal themselves compared to the assumed values. On Shuttleberg, the ski area between the villages of Flachauwinkl and Kleinarl in Salzburger Land, it once was the other way around. The measurement in the course of certifying the lengths for Ski amadé region showed a significant increase in kilometers of runs for the Shuttleberg. Since a new, easy descent to Kleinarl will be opened for the season 2016/17 that alone measures several kilometers, it was decided to certify the 40 km of runs that will be available in 2016/17. A significant plus compared to the 2015/16 season's 28 kilometers. All the more meaningful it appeared those responsible at Shuttleberg to confirm this increase of 12 kilometers externally.


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/ Travel Ideas/ Destinations/ South America/ Brazil/ Sao Paulo
Welcome to Email Flights travel finder, which helps you find cheap low cost bargain flights, holidays and hotels in Sao Paulo. São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and Americas, and the world's eighth largest city by population. Discover Sao Paulo restaurants serving every food imaginable to diners from around the world, don't miss out on the world class museums
Guarulhos Sao Paulo
US$616 per person
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This project will optimise and validate an innovative and sensitive point-of-care (POC) test, which will rapidly and accurately diagnose active syphilis and allow for immediate treatment at the point of care.
Congenital syphilis affects more newborns than any other infection (including HIV or tetanus) with many infants dying within the first year of life. Every year maternal syphilis infection contributes to over 650,000 perinatal deaths, and an estimated quarter of all stillbirths.
In 2008, an estimated 1.4 million pregnant women were infected with syphilis, with adverse pregnancy outcomes including stillbirth, neonatal death, premature birth, low birth weight babies, and neonatal syphilis infection occurring in over 50 percent of untreated pregnancies.
Treatment of syphilis is simple and inexpensive, but diagnosis of active syphilis is challenging, requiring venous blood collection, laboratory equipment and trained staff, which hampers implementation and thus delivery of these potentially life-saving treatments.
Rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests can increase uptake by facilitating same-day treatment of pregnant women to treat maternal disease and prevent stillbirth and congenital syphilis. However, existing point-of-care tests cannot differentiate between active syphilis and past or treated syphilis, limiting their impact particularly in high-prevalence settings.
This project will optimise and validate an innovative, specific and sensitive point-of-care (POC) test, which, for the first time, will rapidly and accurately diagnose active syphilis and allow for immediate treatment at the point of care. This diagnostic test will result in significant improvements in the health of women and children through prevention of stillbirths and severe neonatal morbidity and mortality associated with congenital syphilis.
A test that could rapidly and accurately diagnose active syphilis at the point-of-care would lead to timely diagnosis and immediate treatment of pregnant women, thereby substantially impacting on maternal health, stillbirths and neonatal morbidity and mortality.
This new POC test will be simple to use, will be instrument free and will only need a finger-prick sample of blood. It will produce accurate results within 30 minutes. It will be a disposable, low-cost lateral flow test with proven manufacturing processes and being similar to other point-of-care tests already familiar to health care workers, requiring minimal training and readily applicable to primary health care facilities.
We aim to develop the first POC test to allow specific diagnosis of active syphilis infection at the point-of-care, which will minimise loss to follow-up and maximise effective treatment.
This project involves developing a new optimised POC test that detects a novel biomarker present during active syphilis infection and IgG (present for life after syphilis infection) separately in a single device, and will therefore be able to differentiate active from past or treated infections.
The test will be developed at the Burnet laboratories by harmonising the proprietary methods incorporated in the current Omega VISITECT® syphilis total antibody test and an assay for the novel biomarker, and incorporating them in a single test device.
The new test will be optimised and validated in the laboratory against standard syphilis serology – RPR and TPHA – as well as a commercial laboratory assay (ELISA). The specificity and sensitivity will be assessed using a panel of approximately 60 plasma samples representing active syphilis (n=20), past syphilis (n=20) and healthy controls (n=20) obtained from the National Serology Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia. Following the laboratory-based test optimisation, initial performance will be evaluated in a "blinded" study using an independent panel of stored plasma samples (n=450, NCSTDs, China; n=300, OPHID, Zimbabwe).
The new syphilis test will be compared with standard syphilis serology, an ELISA and three of the currently available syphilis POC tests. Positive and negative predictive values will be calculated for populations with different prevalence levels, demonstrating the potential of this new POC test to prevent congenital syphilis.
The primary outcome of this study is the successful development of a point-of-care syphilis test with comparable sensitivity and specificity to available rapid syphilis diagnostic tests, and the ability to accurately distinguish between active and past treated infections. This test could result in immediate access to diagnosis and significantly increased syphilis treatment uptake, thereby improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes and reducing stillbirths.


I promise I won't do many of these posts, but today is an exception. I'm not usually one for breaking down my day. I'm not exactly very good at it but I need to get this out there so here goes!
So yesterday was a gong show. It was a comedy of errors and catastrophes all jumbled up into one insane compilation of hours.
To get the full effect of that day, we need to go back.
My job at this time of the year is utter and perfect chaos. My office is a melting pot of shenanigans and craziness, and while I am the Chandler Bing of my friends (take this to mean they know I work in an office but have NO idea what exactly I do), most of them know that I turn into a hermit from 8-5 until after Christmas is over. Don't worry, my sunny disposition remains intact and my sarcasm flows with a smile, but I'm usually so stressed out by stuff that happens at work that my home life becomes me drinking my house madly and cleaning wine.
Anywho, this week has been no exception to the Christmas rule. It involved a mass error that resulted in my paycheque being SERIOUSLY screwed up and me having to run to the bank to fix it before my mortgage went through.
If you aren't from Winnipeg, then you won't quite understand how crappy the roads were yesterday morning. Now, we got a lot- A. LOT.- of snow. My street ends in a field that has no protection to keep more snow from blowing in. This means that if it's windy, my street is going to become a tundra maze of half-baked ruts, squealing tires, and people standing in snow banks looking dejectedly at their submersed vehicles.
Thursday morning, the love of my life and holder of the Greatest Husbandplfug Ever trophy got up extra early so that he could shovel out our patio, parking pad, front walkway, around my car, and scrape off my windshield (LOVE YOU). He did all this so that I could stay all shnuggled up in bed a little bit longer and I love him for it soooo sosososososososo much. Seriously.
However, even after all of that, I STILL managed to get stuck five times just trying to get down my road and around the back lane. For those of you keeping track, I drive a Civic named Alfred. He's pretty much the bomb and I adore him, but powerful in the winter he is not. My car is also standard, a fact of which I am very proud and which comes in extremely handy in the winter. I can rock myself out of just about any snowy situation.
So, I left work early to get to my bank before it closed (curse you bank hours!!) and when I walked in I saw one of my neighbours. We chatted about how absolutely disgusting our street was and how hard it was to get out of it that morning. We laughed to keep from crying over the fact that we would have to brave it to get home. It was a real bonding moment. She also got stuck and we were discussing effective techniques to get unstuck. Concerned and lovely as always, she made sure I knew how to get myself out of trouble and I assured her I was an old pro at it by now.
Then Life decided to be like, "Oh... A 'pro' are we? LEMON!!"
Life threw a lemon directly at my face.
I had juuuust left the bank, I'm talking not even a minute here, got in my car, backed out of my spot, and narrowly missed a pole. I went, "Whew! That was close! I forgot that marker for the end of the boulevard was right there! Better go around it!"
Yeah... that marker was for the MIDDLE of the boulevard which was covered in snow. Not the end. I ended up with my front tires on one side and my rear tires on the other. Oooooof course.
Now I couldn't just go back into the bank and be like, "Yeah... I'm stuck." My pride and general shame would not allow for that. So I did the next best thing.
"Hey Brian. Yeah... It's Alexandra. I'm stuck."
In a crisis, always call your step-dad. I'm pretty sure mine knows what to expect when I call now. He didn't even ask how I got stuck, he just laughed and asked where I was. This man knows me well. Needless to say, without hesitation, he and my younger brother, Mike, piled into the car to come and help their inept Alexandra. At this point I called my husband who was at a course and told him what happened. He also didn't ask how I got stuck. Just laughed and said he could come and help my Papa and brother get me out as soon as he got back into that end of town.
People, for my pride's sake, please start asking how I got stuck instead of just accepting that it's me and that I probably did something really stupid. Give me that chance to say I got stuck avoiding a toddler chasing a frightened kitten or I bravely used my car to protect other cars from the villainous boulevard. Anything.
Anyways, I waited in my car with my head against the wheel screaming wordlessly to myself about my own stupidity. I got a few strange looks from passing cars, but that's okay.
My step dad and brother finally showed up and as they got out of the car I could see the smiles from where I was. It was the look of exasperation only people who have lived with me can master. So I got behind the wheel after we decided pushing me backwards would be the best bet and made ready to get the hell off that boulevard. Just as they were about to give it the old college try, we were completely surrounded by enormous trucks! Four trucks just apparated out of nowhere. It was amazing!
One of them parked right behind me and the guy got out to come and help. Big burly guys descended from their storm-smoosher trucks and in a matter of seconds they were out front of Alfred the Civic with my step dad and brother. The guy who had parked behind me came up to my window and said, "Honey, I think it's going to be best if we just lift your car off the boulevard."
Okay there, Bruce Banner, lift away!
He rejoined his band of heroes and they gave me the okay to hit the gas as they lifted- LIFTED- my whole front end off of the boulevard. In my excitement to finally be free from the tyrannical hold of the concrete prison, I forgot one teeny-tiny-but-ever-so-crucial-teensy-weensy detail.
Remember how I said the guy who helped me parked right behind my car?
Yeah... I was in reverse.
I was happy! Carefree! Ecstatic to be off of the curb- when all I hear is, "HONEY!! STOP! STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHP!!"
I slammed on the brakes when I saw the horrified expressions of the men on the other side of my windshield.
Folks, I missed the guys truck by maaaaaaaybe an inch. My step dad said it was less than that.
How much of a derp do you have to be to almost take off the grill of the car of the guy who just helped you get unstuck? The answer is me. You have to be me to be that much of a derp.
In my fluster and embarrassment all I could do was shout incoherent apologies and thanks from my window as the guy drove away.
So those guys that helped me and particularly the guy whose truck I almost broke are the reason for this post. I want to put it out on the internet that four random strangers stopped what they were doing to help an idiot derp who almost wrecked their shiny truck get off of a boulevard. People like them are what the world needs more of. And people like my step dad and brother who dropped what they were doing to come and help me. And my husband who, when I got home after telling him I'd been helped, still had on his winter coat in expectation of a phone call saying I had gotten myself stuck again and wanted to be ready to come and help me.
Thank you, kind random strangers. If somehow this gets back to you, if by some miracle you see this, I just want you to know that I owe you some Tim's and an actual thank you. Not some gibberish that was shouted from my half-open window in a moment of sheer panic.
Thank you thank you thank you. I can only hope that if ever you are in need, someone as fantastic as all of you is there to help get you home.
I'm actually laughing pretty hard at this. OOOOOOO Alex. love you.


...a co-creative field where rich and diverse artistic expressions of the emerging story of women unfold. During the course of our first year, we have focused on the myriad of ways in which women experience the act of Birthing. We are proud and excited to offer the works of so many talented artists. Please explore our book on birthing; our artists' corner; our podcast series about women giving birth or expression to their art, music, dance, or cause. Then join in our online conversation. We'd love to hear from you!


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Safari Blog
Tag Archives: conservation
African Wildlife Poaching: The Forgotten Ones
January 16, 2018 isabeau	Leave a comment
Game reserves, national parks and protected areas play a critical role in the protection and conservation of vulnerable species, especially those that are in high demand amongst illegal poaching rings. In 2017, official statistics released in July by the Department of Environmental Affairs showed a decrease in the number of rhinos poached compared to the same time in 2016- a positive sign.
However, with the focus being primarily on rhino poaching in the last few years, there are a number of other animal populations that are being targeted without restraint. Animals such as lions, elephants and pangolins are also under threat from poachers. These creatures generally don't get the media attention that they deserve.
Elephant poaching has occurred for centuries. However, rates have dramatically increased in recent years, with most elephant tusks ending up in Asia and the Middle East on the black market. With this rise in demand for elephant tusks, various national parks and private reserves have taken up commendably strong initiatives to help protect these gentle giants and bring a halt to the illegal ivory trade. Sadly, many parks and reserves do not have the funding needed to support a cohesive anti-poaching effort, and these incredible creatures are getting slaughtered every day.
Even the King of the Jungle is not safe…
Despite an increase in awareness and conservation efforts, lion populations are still dropping. Without urgent intervention, the lion could be extinct by 2050. There do exist, however, shining beacons of hope in organisations such as the World Wildlife Fund and African Parks. These organisations not only do fantastic work in creating awareness and raising funds to conserve lions, but they are also actively involved in the management of areas where lions are found. A great example of this can be seen in Zambia's Liuwa Plains National Park, where lions have been successfully reintroduced and the population is re-establishing itself. Then there is the much-anticipated arrival of lions in Malawi's Liwonde National Park, where the big cats were wiped out by man 20 years ago.
The fascinating pangolin is another wild creature that is currently at risk. One of Africa's most elusive nocturnal creatures, the pangolin is currently the most trafficked animal specie in the world. This is due to the demand for its unusual scales (modified hairs), which are ground up and consumed as a medicine. Several organisations are doing wonderful work in the effort to ensure the survival of the pangolin. These include PangolinConservation.org and Now-or-Never-Africa. Game reserves are also doing their part for the pangolin. Tswalu Game Reserve in the Kalahari provides a safe environment for these rare creatures, and is one of the best places in Africa to see the pangolin in its natural habitat.
Although the situation may seem dire for many of Africa's magnificent creatures, there are many people, organisations and parks in Africa that are doing great things to ensure that the continent's incredible wildlife species survive for future generations to see and enjoy. You can do your bit by creating awareness, supporting conservation initiatives, contributing to fund-raising efforts, or simply just by visiting one of these parks on a safari holiday. As long as parks and reserves generate revenue from people wanting to see the wildlife, there will be an incentive to preserve them!
conservationelephantsendangered speciespangolinspoachingrhinosSafari Index
Kaingo: Where Time Stands Still
In Search of Africa's Ultimate Safari Destinations
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Home of the Majestic Mountain Gorilla
Jake on The Great Wildebeest Migration
Trisha on The Great Wildebeest Migration
The Safari Index is an online index of safari destinations in Southern and Eastern Africa, showcasing hundreds of game lodges, camps, game reserves and national parks in Africa.


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Q: How to translate numbers in django translation? My head could not click how to translate numbers in django translation. It is not possible to translate by string id. I could print 2020 like:
{% translate '2' %}{% translate '0' %}{% translate '2' %}{% translate '0' %}

Obvioulsy, It is not the way. So, I am missing something. I would want something like:
{% translate "2020"|number %} # May be ?? It should be that easy right?

It should be that, translation from 0 to 9.

A: Django doesn't have this functionality (yet), but you can achieve the same by creating a custom template tag. You can read the whole documentation of creating the tag here, Custom template tags and filters.
By this way, you can translate Arabic Numerals (or anything) to any form, all you need is a mapper dict and a function that converts things by using the mapper dict.
We need to have a dict that has the source numerals as keys and target numeral as values. In this case, I assume you need to translate from Arabic numerals  to nepali numerals
So, I have created a simple mapper using dict and converted the receiving value to something else using the translate_nepal_numeral(...) function.
from django import template
from django.template.defaultfilters import stringfilter

NUMBER_MAP = {
    "0": "०",
    "1": "१",
    "2": "२",
    # and so on

}

register = template.Library()

@register.filter()
@stringfilter
def translate_nepal_numeral(value):
    try:
        return "".join([NUMBER_MAP[char] for char in value])
    except KeyError:
        return value
Then in your template,
{% load custom_numerals %}

{{ "2010"|translate_nepal_numeral }}
Examples
In [3]: translate_nepal_numeral("2020")
Out[3]: '२०२०'

In [4]: translate_nepal_numeral("2120")
Out[4]: '२१२०'

In [5]: translate_nepal_numeral("2120a")
Out[5]: '2120a'

Notes

*

*If you are passing a non-numeral, this function will return the input

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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(thing) by Mercuryblues Sat Jan 11 2003 at 21:17:48
Phonetics refers to the study of all sounds possible within human language that can be a part of a language (burps, coughs, and teeth grinding do not count, since no one uses them in language). A single unit of phonetics is called a phone, indicated by brackets.
In linguistics, there is a sharp distinction between phonetics and phonology. Phonology studies how units of sound fit into a particular language as units that carry meaning. A single unit of phonology is called a phoneme, indicated by slashes.
To illustrate the difference, take a look at the English sound 'p.' There are at least three sounds/phones that we perceive as the sound 'p.' There is the aspirated form, which occurs in 'pot,' the unaspirated form, which occurs in 'spot,' and the unreleased form, which occurs in 'top.'
Since all three of these sounds represent the same phoneme in English, they are called allophones, and as far as understanding is concerned, they are all one in the same in English. In other languages, they could be as distinct as 'p' and 't' is in English.
A language's phonology is constructed by taking all the sounds that occur in the language and deciding which ones are allophones by looking at the sounds in minimal pairs and in similar phonetic situations.
A complete phonology of English would only include /p/ as a voiceless bilabial stop, even though there are more than three p's in English. It also would not include the glottal stop, since although it occurs constantly, we do not recognize it as a sound that carries any meaning.
(thing) by vongrim Thu Nov 26 2020 at 16:34:21
Phonetics was taught to me as a sub-topic of orals, which is a topic in English in secondary school. It is probably studied more intensively in university by English majors. It is supposed to teach correct pronunciation of words, and so ideally anyone who knows it ought to speak proper English. I suppose that means speaking like an English person.
There is a culture among African American teens of denigrating academic excellence. We do not have that culture here, although smart kids or nerds might be mocked or bullied. What we do have is a culture of mocking poor attempts at feigning an accent. The local term for speaking like an American or English person is phone (fəˈne - phonetics without the last syllable - tics, pronounced fuhneh). Whether speaking proper phonetics or not, speaking with an English or American accent is often seen as a mark of wealth or sophistication. People who were born in US or UK or who lived there long enough to speak like that naturally are either admired or envied or just treated normally. But those who just visit for a week or a month and upon returning try to speak that way generally cannot carry it off effectively and their original accent often forces its way into their speech, giving it a rather disjointed quality; if it was a marionette, it would be one operated by an amateur, moving jerkily. Their efforts to maintain the accent, to force the tongue away from its natural inclination are all too unattractively visible. The most pathetic ones are those who have never been outside the country but try to feign the accent.
I understand the motivation for wanting to sound like that. For the young, the often glamorous presentation of life in those countries is something to aspire to. Even if the presentation is not glamorous or the pretender is not young, the power and influence of the Anglosphere may lead to hope that association with them, no matter how tenuous, could be beneficial. Humans often imitate the rich and powerful, perhaps in a bid to live their life vicariously by copying some of what they do. This imitation is something I have seen repeatedly, Arabs, Malays, Chinese and Indians all consciously or not strive to claim an association with Western speech mannerisms.
When I was about 9, I started trying to speak that way, saying things like "I wanna" and "I gotta". A teacher harshly put me down and I was really embarrassed. From that time, I never attempted to sound like anything other than what I am. I speak good English and even though I have an accent, I speak clearly enough that I am never misunderstood. Any time I am with other nationalities, who often speak Americanese, I am commended for the clarity of my speech. Many have even said they found it attractive. And I am conceited enough to believe so, since even CNN published a ranking that had the Nigerian accent listed as one of the sexiest. However, given that Nigerian is not a language, and our different local languages give us different accents, I wonder how they arrived at their ranking.
Predictions of China's global economic dominance do not foretell English being replaced by Mandarin or (any other Chinese dialect) as the language of the world. If English, in whatever form, retains its primacy, will people start aping Chinese accented English in order to appear cool?
Iron Noder 2020, 26/30
(definition) by Webster 1913 Wed Dec 22 1999 at 1:58:20
Pho*net"ics (?), n.
The doctrine or science of sounds; especially those of the human voice; phonology.
The art of representing vocal sounds by signs and written characters.
© Webster 1913.
International Phonetic Alphabet How to pronounce Ls Phonetic Alphabet Phonology
Points of articulation glottal stop Computational linguistics Swedish pronunciation
labiovelar breathy voice Phonics Linguistics
How to swear in Swedish The Sound of English Sequential constraints in phonology zero-form morpheme
Estonian pronunciation phonological ambiguity Language skills and deaf children Neogrammarian
X-SAMPA closed captioning Best Practices in Literacy Instruction egressive
The Atrocities of Vlad III of Wallachia
How Prom nearly killed me
Ants on a log
Editor Log: March 2002
occidentalism


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Russell Westbrook trade rumors: Deal with Pacers dead due to Lakers' refusal to include two first-round picks
The Los Angeles Lakers have engaged the Indiana Pacers on trade talks involving a swap of Russell Westbrook for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, but those discussions are now dead because the Lakers refused to include a second first-round pick, according to The Athletic.
While the Lakers would be willing to send out one of their available first-round picks, specifically the 2027 selection, the Pacers believe they should get two of them — one for the trouble of taking on Westbrook's contract and another in exchange for Turner and Hield.
The Lakers' reluctance to send out future draft assets is nothing new. At last season's deadline they reportedly turned down a chance to swap Westbrook for John Wall because they didn't want to attach a pick to the deal. This, however, is the most specifics we've gotten regarding a potential Westbrook deal this summer.
Earlier this month, Westbrook, as expected, opted into the final year of his contract worth $47.1 million. While the front office and coaching staff has been honest with Westbrook about needing him to adjust his role, they have been supportive in public.
"We love everyone on our roster," new coach Darvin Ham said during one of the Lakers' Summer League games. "And until you're not on our roster, you're ours, and we're going to try to get better with our group. That's just the bottom line of it."
During an appearance on All The Smoke podcast earlier this month, Ham was more direct: "I'm thrilled to coach Russ. They try to dump on Russ, I'm like that was one of the things that got me excited about this job. He and I have had a great rapport since I've taken over the job, man."
Behind the scenes, however, it's clear the Lakers are working to trade him. In addition to this most recent Pacers rumor, there has been plenty of discussion about a potential deal involving the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving (though it's hard to see why the Nets would agree to that). There was also this bit of intel from Dave McMenamin on the latest Lowe Post podcast with Zach Lowe: "Small sample size last year with Russ, but it's pretty darn clear that LeBron's seen enough and he has no interest in going into another year with Russ as his teammate."
It's no surprise the Lakers are trying to move Westbrook. Acquiring him never made sense in the first place and went even worse than expected in his first season with the club. While Westbrook certainly wasn't the Lakers' only issue, he was a terrible fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, plus he played a major role in the team finishing 21st in defense. Despite the best efforts of the organization, Westbrook seems unwilling to change his style, and it's hard to imagine any of last season's problems would suddenly disappear this season.
Other teams are well aware of Westbrook's flaws and massive contract, though, which makes actually trading him difficult. For now, it's perfectly reasonable that the Lakers want to hold off on moving both of their first-round picks, which represent their best trade assets, in a non-Irving deal. Even if there are risks with acquiring the former All-Star, and the chance of pulling off a deal are slim, his upside is so great that it makes sense to wait until his situation is resolved one way or another.
At some point, though, the Lakers may have to accept that a Turner and Hield package is the best they can do for Westbrook. And while attaching multiple first-round picks would be a steep price to pay, they may have to bite the bullet in order to maximize the final few seasons of James' career.
Phoenix installs "cool pavements" to combat extreme heat
Tainy and Rauw Alejandro Share Video for New Song "Sci-Fi": Watch
2023 WWE WrestleMania 39 card, date, rumors, matches, predictions, location, match card, start time


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CommonLounge
AboutPricing
NaN.
Detecting Mutations with Read Mapping and Suffix Trees[ Edit ]
From Learn Bioinformatics course
What are Reads? What is Read Mapping?
Reads, in a sequencing experiment, are small overlapping sections of genome that are "read" and revealed by the sequencing machine. These are short "ATGC" strings that have unique locations on the genome. Read mapping involves finding the locations of these reads on the genome. In case of human genome, this involves finding the location of millions of short ATGC substrings (reads) on a 3-billion character long string (human genome). Therefore, this is essentially a multiple pattern matching problem, where we compare the reads to all the sub-strings in the genome to the find the location of the reads.
Read mapping for detecting Disease Causing Mutations
Read mapping helps in finding the genomic differences between different individuals of the same species. For example, 99% of human genome is identical for all humans and the remaining 1% is responsible for all the diversity among humans on planet Earth. Read mapping allows us to explore this diversity by comparing the genome sequences of different individuals. One of the most important uses for read mapping is locating the differences or mutations in the genomes that could be attributed to certain diseases. Considering the genome sequence of a healthy human as the reference, the reads from a diseased individual can be mapped to the reference and differences in characters between the reference DNA string and the mapped read sub-strings can be attributed to the disease and are called as disease causing mutations.
Read Mapping problem: Computational definition
Computationally, the problem of read mapping is a multiple pattern matching problem where several short patterns (the reads) need to be matched to a very long pattern (the genome) to find the exact locations of reads in the genome. A brute-force approach would simply attempt to match every read to the large genome by sliding down the read one position at time to find the position in the reference genome that matches the read. But looking at the scale of problem, this approach is bound to run into memory and time-complexity issues. We will look at some sophisticated algorithms and data structures used for reading mapping.
Suffix Tree approach
The suffix tree data structure, as the name suggest, stores all the suffixes that occur in the reference genome in tree format. We will take a closer look at the construction of suffix tree using a following hypothetical string "panamabananas" as a simple example of reference genome. We will add a special character "$" at the end of the string to signify the end of the string "panamabananas$"
All the suffixes from the given string can be easily found by starting from any position in the string and running till the end. For example, the largest suffix starting from the first position is "panamabananas$" which is the string itself. The next suffix for the string is "anamabananas$" starting from the second position and running till the end. Similarly, the remaining suffixes "namabananas$", "amabananas$" … and so on, can be easily found by moving the starting positions until the last character is reached (excluding the $)
Trie data structure: A pre-cursor to Suffix Tree
All the suffixes can be represented in Trie data structure as show below
Trie data structure for all the suffixes of "panamabananas$"
The trie data structure consists of nodes and directed edges and where each node represents a character from the string. Each path in the trie, from the root node to the leaf node denoted by the $ character, represents a suffix in the original string. The number at the end of each path gives the position at which the suffix occurs in the original string. The suffixes that have unique prefixes have paths directly starting from the root whereas suffixes which share prefixes share paths from the root and branch-out from each other later.
Suffix Trees
This trie structure is converted to a suffix tree data structure to reduce the number of edges, which in-turn leads to reduction in the memory requirements. To reduce the number of edges, all the non-branching paths are combined into one single node as follows:
Suffix Tree for all the suffixes of "panamabananas$"
Mapping Reads using a Suffix Tree
The suffix tree can be easily used to map small reads (substrings) to the reference string without using the brute-force approach. (these reads only need to be substrings of the reference string, they need not be suffixes).
Let us see this with an example. Suppose we have a short read "ana" which we want to map to the reference string. We start at the root of the suffix tree, and we go down the path matching the strings we have. The path that "ana" takes us through the tree is marked in read. If we look at all the positions under the node representing "ana", we see the nodes are labelled with positions 1, 7 and 9. Therefore, the short read "ana" occurs at positions 1, 7 and 9 in the reference string.
In this way, large number of reads can be mapped to reference genome by first converting the reference genome (large string of characters ATGC) into a suffix tree data structure and then finding the positions of short reads, obtained from sequencing experiments, in the reference genome using the suffix tree. This way, finding each short read takes a small amount of computation (proportional to the length of the short read), as compared to the brute-force approach (which required time proportional to the length of the entire genome).
Inexact Matching
The primary objective of mapping reads is to find differences between the reference genome and the reads obtained from the sequencing experiment. Therefore, rather than looking for exact matches between the reads and reference we need to look for approximate matches. One of popular methods for inexact matching is seeding. Consider the following read (pattern) matching to the genome with one mismatch:
We can divide the pattern and the matching portion of genome into 2 parts such that one of the parts (or sub-string) match exactly.
Similarly, if we would like to perform read matching with reference genome with allowance for 'd' mismatches then we can divide the read into 'd+1' equal parts. At least one of these parts must match exactly for the total number of mismatches to be less than or equal to d. (If none of the parts match exactly, then there are at-least d+1 mismatches, one for each part).
These parts are called seeds. Each seed exact match gives us a possible candidate for read match with less than or equal to d mismatches. Hence, we first find all exact matches for all seeds, which gives us a list of candidate positions. Then, we check whether each candidate position actually matches our short read with less than or equal to d mismatches. If it doesn't, we simply discard the candidate and move on. The process is guaranteed to find all existing matches with less than or equal to d mismatches.
MPscan
Category: Biology
Mark completed
Clustering Gene Expression Data
Protein structure prediction using homology modeling
Akshay YadavMasters in Bioinformatics and 6 years of work experience in Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
Keshav DhandhaniaBSc, MSc 2014 @ MIT (AI, Deep Learning). Former Competitive Programmer.
Part of course:
Learn Bioinformatics
Detecting Mutations with Read Mapping and Suffix Trees
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We provide comprehensive business solutions that are customized to your business. These solutions are focused on improving productivity and customer service. Especially, to fill gaps created by large commercially available software.
We bring extensive domain expertise in several verticals: Financial Services, Benefits Administration, Supply Chain and Healthcare. Our teams have vast experience in technology and understand your domain and business constraints. We can define a scalable, high-performance architecture and develop the right solution for you along with managing the end-to-end process to deliver business solutions on-time, on-quality and on-budget.


text:
__author__ = 'ferrard'

for i in range(6):
    print("fdsfds")

print(i)
exit()

from datetime import datetime
import time

print("Current time: " + str(datetime.now()))
print("Current hour: " + str(datetime.now()))
print("Current minute: " + str(datetime.now().minute))
print("Current second: " + str(datetime.now().second))

while datetime.now().second != 59:
    print("Current second: " + str(datetime.now().second))
    time.sleep(0.5)
print("New minute is coming!")

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
// Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
// or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
// distributed with this work for additional information
// regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
// to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
// "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
// with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
//
//   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
//
// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
// software distributed under the License is distributed on an
// "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
// KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
// specific language governing permissions and limitations
// under the License.

package org.apache.kudu.client;

import org.junit.Test;

/**
 * Integration test on fault tolerant scanner that inserts enough data
 * to trigger flushes and getting multiple data blocks.
 */
public class ITFaultTolerantScanner extends ITScannerMultiTablet {
  /**
   * Verifies for fault tolerant scanner, it can proceed
   * properly even if disconnects client connection.
   */
  @Test(timeout = 100000)
  public void testFaultTolerantDisconnect() throws KuduException {
    clientFaultInjection(true);
  }

  /**
   * Tests fault tolerant scanner by restarting the tablet server in the middle
   * of tablet scanning and verifies the scan results are as expected.
   */
  @Test(timeout = 100000)
  public void testFaultTolerantScannerRestart() throws Exception {
    serverFaultInjection(true, true, false);
  }

  /**
   * Tests fault tolerant scanner by killing the tablet server in the middle
   * of tablet scanning and verifies the scan results are as expected.
   */
  @Test(timeout = 100000)
  public void testFaultTolerantScannerKill() throws Exception {
    serverFaultInjection(false, true, false);
  }

  /**
   * Tests fault tolerant scanner by killing the tablet server while scanning
   * (after finish scan of first tablet) and verifies the scan results are as expected.
   */
  @Test(timeout = 100000)
  public void testFaultTolerantScannerKillFinishFirstTablet() throws Exception {
    serverFaultInjection(false, true, true);
  }

  /**
   * Tests fault tolerant scanner by restarting the tablet server while scanning
   * (after finish scan of first tablet) and verifies the scan results are as expected.
   */
  @Test(timeout = 100000)
  public void testFaultTolerantScannerRestartFinishFirstTablet() throws Exception {
    serverFaultInjection(true, true, true);
  }
}


text:
County Judge Lina Hidalgo
Harris County Judge
Help Annie's List Elect Candidates like Lina
Follow Lina
Lina Hidalgo was raised in an immigrant family. She knows first-hand the sacrifices hard working Texans make every day to pave a better life for their families. Lina was born in Colombia, when the drug war still raged and everyone knew someone who had been kidnapped. Her parents had two goals: to make sure she had a good education and to get the family to a safer place. Lina grew up in Peru and Mexico, where her parents were offered job opportunities, before emigrating to America in 2005. Lina is a proud product of Texas public schools and, as her parents dreamed, was the first in her family to attend college in the U.S. She graduated from Stanford University with a degree in political science the same year she became a U.S. citizen. Since arriving in Texas, Lina has been committed to giving back.
Lina has dedicated hundreds of hours to our County's most vulnerable communities—from her time at the Texas Civil Rights Project to serving as a Spanish-English medical interpreter at the Texas Medical Center and supporting immigrants in search of lost loved ones. Over the past few years and while pursuing a joint degree in law and public policy at NYU and Harvard, Lina conducted research on criminal justice policies and coordinated with advocacy groups and governments to push for criminal justice reform. Before that, Lina worked throughout Southeast Asia to promote transparency and accountability by supporting journalists, bloggers and artists. She helped create and fund a program to bring Stanford students to public policy positions and has served the immigrant and incarcerated communities at any opportunity and in various states. Biography courtesy of www.linahidalgo.com.


text:
Home Politics Congress New York Democrats want Chelsea Clinton to run for open congressional seat
New York Democrats want Chelsea Clinton to run for open congressional seat
Will Bishop
The retirement of Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), which was announced this week, is leading some New York Democrats to suggest that the perfect replacement would be Chelsea Clinton, according to both the New York Daily News and New York Post:
Top officials in the Westchester County Democratic Party were pitching Chelsea Clinton Wednesday on launching a 2020 bid for Nita Lowey's seat in light of the longtime congresswoman's retirement announcement, according to a party source familiar with the matter.
"If you're a Clinton and you need a hook, this is a good one," the source told the Daily News, noting that Lowey's 17th congressional district includes Chappaqua, the ritzy Westchester suburb where Chelsea Clinton's prominent parents live.
If Clinton does seek to be the Democratic nominee, she'll likely face plenty of others who have their eye on Lowey's seat:
Other potential candidates include David Buchwald, a state assemblyman, David Carlucci, a state senator and original member of the Independent Democratic Conference, and White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach, sources say.
Westchester County Democratic Committee Chairman Reginald LaFayette said he didn't think that a Clinton candidacy would necessarily dissuade others from seeking the nomination:
"I don't think no one would clear the field. When you have a vacancy, there's always a long line."
Another source doubted that Clinton would toss her at into the ring and try to replace Lowey:
"There is no doubt Chelsea Clinton has the genes to be a formidable candidate in a New York race, but it just doesn't appear she'll be stumping with her own version of a pantsuit anytime soon. She'll likely sit this one out."
Mondaire Jones, a progressive lawyer and activist who served in the Justice Department during the Obama administration, has already said he will be running for the open seat. He praised Rep. Lowey for her service to the district:
"I want to thank Congresswoman Lowey for her years of extraordinary, inspiring service to the district. I'm looking forward to making my case to every voter in Westchester and Rockland Counties on my plan to bring bold, progressive leadership to Washington."
If elected, Jones would be the first openly gay African-American member of Congress.
Featured Image Via Screenshot
Nita Lowey
Previous articleRising public support for impeaching Trump rattles congressional Republicans
Next articleMorning Joe reveals the reason Trump's 'evil deeds' are finally coming to light
Will Bishop has worked as a journalist for over two decades.
Former GOP congressman destroys Trump for claiming there's a 'war on Thanksgiving'


text:
Business Telegraph > cryptocurrency > Ebang targets Q1 2021 for digital currency exchange launch – CoinGeek
Ebang targets Q1 2021 for digital currency exchange launch – CoinGeek
Ebang International Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: EBON), a leading manufacturer of servers used for mining digital currencies, recently announced the upcoming launch of its new cryptocurrency exchange is set to take place during the first quarter of 2021.
The Nasdaq-listed company has completed internal testing of its digital currency exchange and will soon begin public testing leading up to an official launch. In a statement, Ebang Chairman and CEO Dong Hu said:
"The completion of the internal testing of our cryptocurrency exchange is another step forward in expanding our blockchain financial services business. Meanwhile, we will also explore other business opportunities in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry, such as establishing mining farms and cryptocurrency mining to optimize the structure of our offerings in the blockchain industry value chain."
The exchange was first alluded to last summer by Ebang CFO Chen Lei during an interview with Bloomberg BNN. Since then, Ebang has released few additional details about the upcoming launch outside of stating the exchange will be a regulatory-compliant digital currency exchange that would operate outside of mainland China.
If Ebang is wise, it will ignore the BTC propagandist and prioritizes listing Bitcoin SV (BSV), the only digital currencies that fulfill Satoshi's vision of Bitcoin and blockchain protocol that scales to handle a high volume of transactions. Bitcoin has defied other exchange operators who colluded to kill it, becoming one of the largest assets by market cap in 2020.
The new exchange establishes an additional revenue stream for Ebang by tapping transaction fees as a consistent income source. Last quarter, the Chinese firm established both an Australian and Canadian subsidiary to prepare for the launch of its "Digital Asset Financial Service Platform."
Read More Telegram's Fight Against SEC Will Help Push Cryptocurrency Legislation, Says Trade Group - CoinDesk
At that time, Hu commented, "We are pleased to announce that the Company has established its presence in Australia in furtherance of our strategies to launch a comprehensive blockchain-enabled financial business and capture the growth opportunity along the value chain of the blockchain industry."
The investment community has met the announcement with enthusiasm. After they revealed the news, shares of the company increased, climbing to as high as $7.88 a share during the past few days before settling down to $7.14 at the time of this writing, up 19%. This jump boosted Ebang's market cap to north of $935.59 million.
See also: CoinGeek Live panel, Digital Currency & Global Compliance: Tools & Tips for Exchanges, Wallets & Other Service Providers
New to Bitcoin? Check out CoinGeek's Bitcoin for Beginners section, the ultimate resource guide to learn more about Bitcoin—as originally envisioned by Satoshi Nakamoto—and blockchain.
Balkans feel abandoned as vaccinations kick off in Europe – The Associated Press
Mind Cure Announces Build-Out of Digital Therapeutics, iSTRYM: A Technology Platform for Mental Wellness Optimization & Psychedelic Research – PRNewswire


text:
Home » Retail » Plant-based meat is conquering fast food. Here's where you can get meat substitutes like the Beyond Burger and the Impossible Taco.
Plant-based meat is conquering fast food. Here's where you can get meat substitutes like the Beyond Burger and the Impossible Taco.
Plant-based meat alternativesare making inroads into the fast-food and casual-dining market.
Impossible Foods announced it hadraised $300 million in its latest funding round on Monday. Last week,Beyond Meat went public and saw its stockjump 163% on its first day of trading.
Here are 10 major chains where you can buy plant-based meat versions of your fast-food favorites.
After two years of testing the waters, fast-food companies are finally ready to dive headfirst into the plant-based meat market, with popular chains likeBurger King andWhite Castle leading the charge.
Boosted by Burger King's commitment to its product, Impossible Foods announced it had raised$300 million in its latest funding round on Monday. This comes hot on the heels of competitorBeyond Meat's explosive IPO. Both companies have faced product shortages as consumer demand continues to rise and plant-based meat enters the mainstream.
Here are some of the biggest fast-food and casual-dining chains that now offer plant-based meat options:
What: Impossible Slider
Where: Participating White Castle locations nationwide
In April 2018, White Castle became one of the first fast-food chains to offer a plant-based meat burger. The company is still experimenting with new flavor combinations featuring a patty made by Impossible Foods, such as the BBQ Impossible Slider it unveiled in April 2019.
What: Impossible Whopper
Where: 58 locations in and near St. Louis, Missouri (soon to be nationwide)
This April, Burger King began testing its new Impossible Whopper at 58 locations in St. Louis, to resounding success. The companyplans to release the plant-based burger nationwide by the end of the year.
What: Big Vegan TS
Where: Germany
McDonald's Big Vegan TS meatless burger, manufactured by Nestlé,is now available at the chain's German locations, CNN reported. It has no official plans to expand to the US market.
A&W Canada
What: Beyond Burger
Where: All A&W locations across Canada
A&W, the second-biggest burger chain in Canada after McDonald's,announced in June 2018 that it would offer Beyond Meat's plant-based patty at all of its restaurants starting on July 9 of that year. In March 2019, A&Wadded a Beyond Meat Sausage & Egger to its menu, a sign that the company is continuing to expand its plant-based meat offerings.
Hard Rock Cafe
What: Impossible Burger
Where: 40 locations in the United States
Hard Rock Cafe has been serving Impossible Burgersat all of its company-owned US locations since December.
Where: Select locations
The Cheesecake Factory has offered its rendition of the Impossible Burger at select locationssince July 2018.
What: Impossible Tacos and Bowls
Where: All 730Qdoba locations
Impossible Foods' tacos and bowls will be availableat all 730 Qdoba locations throughout the US by the end of May, Vox reported.
Where: AnyRed Robin location in the US
Red Robinadded the Impossible Burger to the menu at all of its more than 570 locations on April Fools' Day this year. But the chain's relationship with the meatless burger is no joke — you can put the Impossible Burger patty on any Red Robin gourmet burger in lieu of a standard beef patty.
Where: 469 participating locations
After a test at select locations in October 2017, TGI Fridays added Beyond Meat's Beyond Burger to its menuat 469 locations in January 2018. The Beyond Burger patty can be substituted for a beef patty in any of the chain's burgers.
Carl's Jr.
What: Beyond Famous Star
Where: Participating locations
The Beyond Famous Star cemented its place onCarl's Jr's menu after a successful trial run in January, according to Food & Wine. You can also substitute the Beyond burger patty for any chicken or beef burger menu item.
SEE ALSO:Impossible Foods raises $300 million as the meat-substitute company struggles to meet skyrocketing demand
DON'T MISS:Evidence is mounting that fast-food chains from Chick-fil-A to McDonald's will be forced to add vegan menu items — or face the consequences
SEE ALSO:We tried burgers from 2 companies that want to replace meat with veggie patties that 'bleed' — and the winner is clear
We put In-N-Out and Five Guys to the test in a battle of the burger chains — and the winner surprised us
These were the biggest menu flops in fast food
The most surprising things about America, according to a Silicon Valley engineer who moved from India 7 years ago
McDonald's confirms it's bringing international hits to the US — here's what's on the menu


When it comes to creating and starting your own business, it can seem like a thousand mile journey to get from where you are to where you want to be! And even the thought of taking that first step is scary, frightening and maybe even gut wrenching. Because… Where do you even begin?!?!
To say the least, starting your own business can be the bravest thing you do in your life. If anything, it can sure feel like it.
At this point, your business may be just an idea you've played with in your head or it may be something you've talked about with your friends and family. Maybe you've even gone so far as to start learning the in's and out's of how to start your own business.
There are many great people out there wanting to give you practical advice on how to start your business with setting up finances and legally structuring your company. By the end of your journey with them, you would have created a sound business to begin making money, right? Practically speaking, you could be ready… BUT… there's a problem with just sticking to this advice. Your journey is still not over.
The next big question is how are you going to build the brand of your company and how are you going to get the message out there that you are THE business to buy products and services from?
How are you going to get customers? What is the look, feel and face of your company going to be? If you're going to have a website (which every company should), how are you going to create your online presence? How does your business translate to the web? How do you even build a website or create a professional logo that can be used across multiple social media platforms???
At Brand Mentors, we know the overwhelm that can come with creating the brand of your company. Our passion is to help business owners like you on this journey.
We've had many years of helping countless small business owners effectively brand their businesses, and through that process we've seen the need for and developed a branding system that can be applied to any business in any industry.
This blog is created to be your branding system.
Our goal with this system is to use simple language with easy-to-follow directions to guide YOU (Business Owners/Managers) through the often complicated branding world, essentially eliminating the need for hiring an expensive advertising agency. This system has been created with the busy business owner in mind.
The average business owner can achieve completion of branding their company in as quick as eight hours once they have read through the steps in this blog series. You can break up these 8 hours into one-two hours per day for one week. That's all that's needed to complete this system and get your business properly branded!
We have used this system to not only build the brand of many companies across the U.S. and in different countries, but it was even used to build ours! We practice what we preach and we want to help take the overwhelm out of the process and show you what to do, who to use and how to do it!
I hope by this point you are feeling less stressed and getting excited about building the brand of YOUR company!
Ready to begin? Let's do this!


We're Stovepipe, a web development company in Richmond, Virginia. We design, develop, and support websites for businesses, agencies, and nonprofits. Our specialty is custom WordPress development, but we've got the talent and experience to engineer and build entire platforms.
Your site's design can make the difference between a new customer and a lost sale.
Development, done well, is a mix of wisdom from years of experience and knowledge of current technology trends. This keeps our approach modern, yet stable, so your new website can stand the test of time.
Our quality hosting and ongoing support keeps your website alive and well.
In 2008, Kamen Gordon started River City Tech Support to provide web development, hosting, and maintenance services. As our client base grew to span nonprofits, marketing agencies, and small and large businesses, it was clear our old name was no longer apt. In 2015, it was time to find a name that reflected the current scope of the firm. Now, as Stovepipe, we tackle websites of all sizes, as a partner to agencies, nonprofits, online stores, and more.
© 2019 Stovepipe. All rights reserved.


text:
Star Wars The Black Series Fifth Brother (Inquisitor) 6-Inch Action Figure
Decrease quantity for Star Wars The Black Series Fifth Brother (Inquisitor) 6-Inch Action Figure
Increase quantity for Star Wars The Black Series Fifth Brother (Inquisitor) 6-Inch Action Figure
Kids and collectors can imagine the biggest battles and missions in the Star Wars saga with figures from Star Wars The Black Series! With exquisite features and deco, this series embodies the quality and realism that Star Wars fans love. Star Wars The Black Series includes figures, vehicles and roleplay items from the 40-plus-year legacy of the Star Wars Galaxy, including comics, movies and animated series. (Additional products each sold separately. Subject to availability.)
The 6-inch-scale Black Series figure is detailed to look like the Fifth Brother (Inquisitor) character from Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi with premium detail and multiple points of articulation.
FIFTH BROTHER (INQUISITOR): Obi-Wan Kenobi is set years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Kenobi faced the corruption of his friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned Sith Lord Darth Vader
STAR WARS: OBI-WAN KENOBI: Fans and collectors can imagine scenes from the Star Wars Galaxy with this premium Fifth Brother (Inquisitor) toy, inspired by the Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi series


AKRON, Ohio -- It has never been easy for Jim Furyk at Firestone, so it makes perfect sense that winning the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and his first World Golf Championship title figures to be difficult again.
A tough-luck loser on a couple of occasions here over the years, Furyk, 45, saw his 4-shot advantage eaten up Saturday during the third round, not so much because he did anything wrong, but because Justin Rose did plenty right.
The Englishman who couldn't buy a birdie on Friday made seven of them during the third round to vault into a share of the lead through 54 holes, shooting 63 to tie Furyk.
Rose, the eighth-ranked player in the world who won earlier this year at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, has given himself a number of chances to win of late. He will have another shot on Sunday with the year's final major, the PGA Championship, looming next week.
Rose, who won the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion -- 10 years after Furyk won the U.S Open at Olympia Fields -- has certainly been around the lead a good bit recently.
Since sharing second at the Masters, Rose has four top-10 finishes around the world, including a tie for sixth at The Open where he entered the final round tied with eventual winner Zach Johnson and playoff participant Marc Leishman. Last week Rose finished T-4 at the Quicken Loans National.
Rose didn't make a bogey Saturday -- the only player through three rounds to have a clean card -- a day after not making a birdie in shooting a 1-over 71.
"I guess that shows it just evens out,'' Rose said. "If you can kind of stay the course and stay patient, kind of believe that you're going to get your turn eventually. Yesterday, 71, I actually played really well. Not much different to today, especially off the tee. It just didn't happen really yesterday.
If things really do turn, then Furyk is due -- here and in general.
This is the 10th time since 2011 that Furyk has had at least a share of the 54-hole lead, and he failed to convert any of the previous nine into victories. His win earlier this year at the RBC Heritage came from behind, and it followed a frustrating stretch of nearly five years without a win.
Furyk, who has 17 career PGA Tour victories, but has never won a WGC, has a strong record at this tournament with nine top-10 finishes. Included was a playoff loss to Tiger Woods in 2001 in which they went seven extra holes. He also tied for second in 2012 after leading most of the way, only to make a double-bogey on the 18th hole to lose by one to Keegan Bradley.
Although Furyk shot under par in Round 3, his 69 on Saturday matched the highest score of any player in the top 10 and gave others a chance on Sunday.
Irishman Shane Lowry is just 2 shots back after a 67 and Steven Bowditch (63), Ian Poulter (65), Henrik Stenson (68) and Bubba Watson (69) are just 4 strokes back.