The Star Wars universe is enormous, and there's so much more you can learn about the films, their shooting locations, and what happened there.
Being a fan is serious business, because we spend a lot of time learning more about what we love, until it becomes a part of our identity. Of course, there are some obnoxious fans out there, like the kind of person that asks you to list a director's filmography in order of importance to prove that you really admire his work (and to tell you that his most famous movie is the most overrated one). But the positive side of being an unabashed geek is the openness with which we allow ourselves to express our genuine love for something. The Star Wars franchise, for instance, has one of the biggest fandoms in the world. If you're a part of it, you know that sharing your enthusiasm for something with a lot of people is more fun than congratulating yourself for being the only person that knows an obscure experimental film from former Czechoslovakia.
Being a Star Wars fan comes with some privileges, one of them being the fact that the Star Wars universe is enormous, and you'll never run out of things to discover about the films and its universe. So maybe you're the kind of fan that obsesses over seemingly small but significant details about the plot (like the "Han shot first" controversy), or perhaps you simply enjoy the movies and move on with your life after watching them. In any case, there's so much more you can learn about the films, their shooting locations, and what happened there by visiting the mind-bending places where iconic scenes take place.
The memorable scene when Obi-Wan Kenobi says, "These are not the droids you're looking for" was filmed in Djerba. If you decide to take a trip to this Tunisian island, you'll see visit the Mos Eisley spaceport, where Han Solo meets Obi-wan and Luke for the first time in Episode IV: A New Hope. The scenes that were recorded there have an immense cultural impact, and you can visit the island to deepen your experience of the first Star Wars film.
This astounding place will make you fantasize about traveling to an otherwordly setting, worthy of a galaxy far, far away, here on Earth. A scene from Episode III: Revenge of The Sith was filmed in Guilin, where the surreal karst mountains enhance the atmosphere for the Wookiee planet, Kashyyyk.
Sadly, we cannot go to Mars yet. We can hope for radical technological advances to help us go there during our lifetime, but we have to be patient. If you don't think you'll ever be able to set foot on Mars, go to Wadi Rum, in the Jordan desert. The photographs of this place look similar to the pictures taken by Curiosity, the rover that explores and captures images of Mars since 2012. It became the location for The Force Awakens (and, predictably, the main location for The Martian).
The Force Awakens' epic final scene was filmed in the Skellig Islands. To film this part of the movie, a no-fly zone was established to keep gossipy journalists from leaking and spreading spoilers about the ending. You can go there with a friend to reenact the moment Rey meets Luke and take some amazing pictures, but it's a pretty inhospitable place, so be careful.
Star Wars' portrayal of time is probably the most interesting aspect of the films (the whole story happened in the past, you know?). So an ancient site like the Mayan temple of Tikal is a wonderful choice among the futuristic esthetic that most sci-fi films are supposed to have. The temple gives the Yavin IV Rebel Base (of the 1977 film) an anachronistic look, which successfully evades the esthetic of science fiction movies that, thanks to repetition, may look pretty old by now.
Matmata is the setting for Tatooine in Episode IV: A New Hope. On a dangerously hilarious note, Star Wars almost started an actual war during the shooting in Tunisia. The Libyan government had to ask George Lucas to remove the "massive military vehicle" (the Jawa sandcrawler) from the border because they were receiving threats of retaliation. If you plan to take a tour through Star Wars' shooting locations, try not to start any fuss while doing so.
Scenes from Rogue One were filmed in Iceland. By now we know that a lot of places on Earth look quite otherworldly, but Icelandic landscapes definitely have something that attracts the producers of sci-fi films. This Nordic island has also been the chosen location for movies like Interstellar and Prometheus. So if you're a fan of all these films, Iceland is an obvious choice for your travels as a movie buff.
Sometimes, to truly appreciate something we already love, we need to take a deep dive into it in multiple ways. You can stay home and read plenty of curious facts and anecdotes about the filming process of the Star Wars movies, or you can leave your house and do the same thing while standing right there, where the iconic scenes were filmed.


Just got my notice from cigna. It's going from 777.00 a month to 934.00 a month. So much for affordable care act!
1) Obama lied to get it passed.
2) Forcing providers to sell policies to people by definition is not insurance.
3) Making others pay for your care is welfare (yes sometimes help is needed).
4) You cannot through millions more people into a healthcare system without building the infrastructure first and think you will get the same quality of care or think the system can survive.
5) Oh and don't forget Obama lied to get it passed.
1. Premiums were going up anyway, regardless of Trump . . . but Trump will get the blame, not the original Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) which was flawed from the beginning, and is still flawed. The reason Trump was working to change Obamacare is because the premium increases are unsustainable for most people buying their own health insurance.
2. Regarding the tax penalties, this is something inherent (written into) the original Affordable Care Act. Most people cheering for Obamacare had no idea they would be penalized with a tax penalty if they didn't buy health insurance (not to be equated with health care).
Please also take note: Health "insurance" does not equal health CARE.
Things to know about Obummer care.
1. You were lied to.
2. It's Not about getting you healthcare, it's about lobbyist for insurance companies getting more money for them.
3. People like Mt Gruber thinks you are stupid.(if you don't know who Mr Gruber is, look him up.
4.You were lied to again.
5. If you buy this insurance, you will pay more when you go to the Dr, called co-pays, also you must meet your deductible.
7. Obama lied, you can't keep your dr.
8. It will save the average family 2500.00 a year, Again Obama lied.
So the Moral to the story is Obama LIED BIG TIME. But we should have known that, he is a politician and his lips were moving.
Do you get to keep your doctor?
I don't care about "5 things you should know" – here's one thing I DO know; I would never spend a DIME on anything with that worthless bum's name attached to it.
To Dennis; I used to pay $1,000 a month in my heath insurance 13 years ago, when I was blessed to become 65 and get my Medicare. So if you were paying till now $777 only was thanks to Obamacare and if just under Trump you received a $200 increase blame it to whoever is POTUS now and not to the one before and stop the brainwash to the believers that have given us all, this communist Tyrant in the WH.
Many millions including hard working Americans that struggle to pay their bills month to month on minimum salaries and no health benefits thanks to the greedy almighty rich corporations have medical until now. This very wealthy corps. that want now more tax breaks under yours and the other above, beloved POTUS while taking away benefits of many millions of those non wealthy Americans that were able to have Obamacare that works for them and afford them to go to the doctor and prevent a worst medical issue to drive them to the ER with sometimes with fatal illness. ER that anyway we all had to pay for them before Obamacare, even if many of our fellow Americans will die for lack of proper medical treatment. Back then 14 years ago in my small business an employee that contributed to our small business health insurance his 50% premium cost the best we could do, run into financial problems when he lost his other part time work and our business paid his other 50% contribution to help him with his situation while needing surgery and recovery…this is how bad was back the lack of Obamacare then …and your POTUS and you all want to go back to that now..to give away more of our hard earned taxes to wealthy..?
Thanks palmcoaster. . . right on! "Everything" that happens with our health care now is all on trump and the Republicans. . . who are doing all they can to "kill" the ACA, no matter what that does to the costs and quality of our health care!
Where is the trump/Republican plan that was "promised" to cover ALL Americans with LOWER insurance premiums and BETTER services???? They had 7 years to create a better system! Where is it????
First of all the past POTUS name given to his proposed Health Care was by you also bigot GOP Reps. Probably you would love it instead to be TRUMPCARE to memorialize the first communist traitor we have in power now?


Famous actress Juri Maki gets a warning letter from Kaitou Kid. The letter states, "I will take the famous sapphire 'Jewel of Fate'. Wanting to catch Kaitou Kid, Conan and his associates go the theater to watch over the "Jewel of Fate," but they miss Kaitou Kid.
Juri Maki invites Conan and his associates for protecting the "Jewel of Fate." They board an airplane, but on the airplane a mysterious murder case occurs. Making matters worse, the captain and co-pilot fall into unconsciousness.


SAITAMA, JP. (THECOUNT) — A 16-year-old female Korean figure skater is calling for an investigation after claiming her 22-year-old American rival, Mariah Bell, intentionally slashed her with her skate during warm-ups at a major event, TMZ is reporting Thursday morning.
Reps for Lim Eun-soo claim the 16-year-old was at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Japan on Wednesday when Bell came colliding with her from behind, leading with her skate.
Eun-soo reportedly suffered a gash on her calf which required medical attention. She was able to treat the wound and still compete … ultimately finishing in 5th place, one spot AHEAD of Bell.
Lim Eun-soo's agent told the French media they have already gone to the Korea Skating Union and asked for a formal investigation.
Eun-soo's agent also says the two skaters have been training in Los Angeles together — and they claim Bell has been "bullying" their client for months.
So far, Bell has not commented on the charges.
Geo quick facts: Saitama Prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo area. In Saitama City, the Railway Museum traces rail history from the steam engines to bullet trains. Kawagoe city is known for well-preserved Edo-era buildings. West, the 3 Kuroyama Santaki falls cascade down mountains. Chichibu city is home to the 34 Buddhist temples of the Kannon Pilgrimage. Near Kinsho Temple, the Iwadatami rock formations line the Arakawa River.


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Uber Investors Agree to Sell Stake in SoftBank Deal
by MeDaryl • Cars • Tags: Corporate Governance, Dara Khosrowshahi, markets, Rajeev Misra, SOFTBANK GROUP CORP, SPRINT CORP, technology, TENCENT HOLDINGS LTD, Travis Cordell Kalanick, UBER TECHNOLOGIES INC, Valuation, Venture Capital
Uber Technologies Inc. shareholders agreed to sell a sizable stake in the ride-hailing leader to an investor group led by SoftBank Group Corp., allowing the Japanese conglomerate to amass a piece of the company at a steep discount to the last valuation.
The transaction implies a $48 billion value for Uber, according to a person familiar with the deal. The investor group, which includes SoftBank, Dragoneer Investment Group, TPG, Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Sequoia Capital, also will put $1.25 billion directly into the San Francisco-based business, at a higher valuation of $69 billion.
"We look forward to working with the purchasers to close the overall transaction, which we expect to support our technology investments, fuel our growth, and strengthen our corporate governance," an Uber spokesman said Thursday in an emailed statement.
Existing backers with more than 20 percent of Uber shares tendered their stakes, and about $9 billion is being invested in the overall deal. The SoftBank-led group will end up owning roughly 17.5 percent of the startup, with SoftBank at 15 percent holding the largest stake.
"We are appreciative of the support from Uber's shareholders in the successful tender offer and look forward to closing the overall investment in January," said Rajeev Misra, head of SoftBank's $93 billion tech investment fund. "We have tremendous confidence in Uber's leadership."
The deal will make SoftBank one of Uber's largest shareholders and comes with two board seats. Misra and Sprint Corp. Chief Executive Officer Marcelo Claure have long been viewed as likely candidates to fill those positions. (SoftBank owns most of Sprint). The transaction will also put in motion a slate of governance reforms at Uber that were dependent on the deal going through, which will expand the board to 17 and revoke outsize voting power given to early backers. Benchmark, Uber's largest venture capital backer, will also drop a legal case it's pursuing in arbitration against former co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick.
Dara Khosrowshahi has been a champion of SoftBank's proposal since taking over as chief executive officer in September. In addition to the governance reforms, he's looking to appease early employees and investors who don't want to hold onto their shares until 2019, when Uber is expected to conduct an initial public offering. It would also give the business some additional capital to beat back rivals, which have gained steam after a succession of setbacks for Uber. Didi Chuxing, the main ride-hailing option in China, recently said it raised another round of financing from SoftBank, this time topping $4 billion.
This year, Uber faced a politically motivated boycott, employee claims of sexism, a high-profile lawsuit over trade-secrets theft, a video published by Bloomberg showing Kalanick berating an Uber driver and questions about his business tactics. The unwanted attention has brought intense government scrutiny. The U.S. Justice Department was exploring at least five criminal probes in recent months, and London moved to ban the service.
Khosrowshahi is looking to quickly move past a disastrous 2017. He replaced the company's legal chief, ousted the head of security who oversaw some of the most controversial projects and hired the former CEO of Orbitz to run operations. However, more ghosts of Uber's past continue to emerge. In November, Bloomberg reported on a hack from a year earlier that exposed data on 57 million people and that Uber paid a ransom to keep the breach quiet.
For more on Uber, check out the podcast:
For SoftBank, the deal will make founder Masayoshi Son an influential investor across the ride-hailing sector. He will hold stakes in five of the world's biggest startups, including the market leaders in China, India, Southeast Asia, Brazil and the U.S. SoftBank earlier this month took part in Didi Chuxing's fundraising, adding to an earlier $5.5 billion investment in the company.
SoftBank-backed startups compete with each other in several key markets. Son may use his influence to encourage mergers among the competitors in certain countries.
Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-28/uber-investors-are-said-to-agree-to-sell-stake-in-softbank-deal
This New Jersey town is closing its roadsand blaming navigation apps
by MeDaryl • Cars • Tags: apps
Homeowners aren't happy when your navigation app steers you away from traffic and onto their street—and now they're fighting back. Leonia, New Jersey is closing more than 60 streets to everyone but residents and workers during morning and afternoon peak hours because apps like Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps are causing "crisis proportion" congestion in small neighborhood roads, according to a New York Times report.
Starting in mid-January, the police force in the New Jersey town will close a large section of roads to outsiders looking to find a faster route away from traffic-filled highways. To enforce the new rule, residents of the town will be issued yellow tags to hang from their rearview mirrors. Those who use the streets without the pass will be subject to $200 fines.
"Without question, the game changer has been the navigation apps," said Tom Rowe, Leonia's police chief. "In the morning, if I sign onto my Waze account, I find there are 250,000 'Wazers' in the area. When the primary roads become congested, it directs vehicles into Leonia and pushes them onto secondary and tertiary roads. We have had days when people can't get out of their driveways."
The major navigation apps have been notified of the changes. Waze, perhaps the biggest culprit for sending its users through neighborhoods and small town centers, acknowledged the rules and said it would comply with whatever changes are made.
"If a road is legally reclassified into a private road," a spokesperson at the Google-owned company told the NY Times, "our map editors will make that change. It is our goal to work holistically with our community of drivers, map editors, and city contacts to improve the driving experience for all."
The company defended its practice by explaining how it works with municipalities to help them determine if new infrastructure is effective. For example, if a town wants to put a roundabout in the middle of their town, Waze will send them traffic data so they can better determine what effect it will have.
Robots are the next step in using technology to explore sexuality.
Leonia, with a population of just 9,000, is in a particularly dire situation as it sits next to one of the nation's most congested highways. But it's not the only one. Other towns have placed speed bumps and signs to deter app users from flooding their streets. Those measures aren't always effective, so towns from Massachusetts to California are now ramping up their efforts and turning to local regulation.
There are still questions as to whether the rules will hold up if the city is taken to court. The state of New Jersey ultimately owns the roads and can decide to open them back up to commuters. There are concerns that the restrictions could do more harm than good. If a driver or passenger needs urgent care, they could potentially lose precious time getting to a hospital if they are pulled over for not having a yellow tag.
Read more: https://www.dailydot.com/debug/waze-shut-down-roads/
Family of UK diplomat murdered in Beirut launch charity fund
by MeDaryl • Cars • Tags: Lebanon, Middle East and North Africa, UK news, World news
Foundation established to continue Rebecca Dykess work supporting refugees, with focus on preventing violence against women
The family of a British embassy worker murdered in Beirut have launched a charity foundation to support her humanitarian causes.
Rebecca Dykes, 30, was working in Lebanon as a programme and policy manager for the Department for International Development before her body was found dumped by a motorway in the east of the countrys capital on 16 December.
Her family and friends have established the charitable fund to continue her work supporting refugees, with a particular focus on empowering and preventing violence against women.
In a statement, the Dykes family said: In the time since Beckys death we have been overwhelmed by the messages of support we have received from those who encountered her during her life.
Becky dedicated her career to humanitarian causes, and worked tirelessly to make the world a kinder, fairer, safer and more stable place. We want to ensure that this work continues in her name.
The JustGiving page hopes to raise 100,000 in memory of Dykes.
The page said: Rebecca was compassionate, caring and committed to humanitarian causes. She worked tirelessly to make the world a kinder, fairer, safer and more stable place.
As well as being a dedicated humanitarian worker, Rebecca was a colleague, a friend, a daughter, a sister and aunt. Your donations will help us build the better world that Rebecca believed in.
It is believed Dykes had been at a colleagues leaving party in the Gemmayzeh district of Beirut on the night before she was found dead.
An Uber driver arrested over the killing has admitted attempting to rape Dykes before strangling her with a rope, according to local media reports. Lebanese police traced the suspect after his car was picked up on traffic management CCTV cameras.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/dec/25/rebecca-dykes-uk-diplomat-charity-fund-beirut
Adam Driver had no problem with shirtless Kylo Ren scene, obviously
by MeDaryl • Cars • Tags: adam-driver, entertainment, kylo-ren, star-wars, star-wars-the-last-jedi
Image: lucasfilm
Slight spoiler alert for Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Adam Driver agrees with you that he's looking good in The Last Jedi – at least, according to Rian Johnson.
People caught up with the Star Wars: The Last Jedi director to ask how the much-buzzed-about beefcake moment came about.
"Adam looks so damn good because he'd been training hardcore for the past six months for those fight scenes," Johnson told the magazine. "I'm like, 'Eh. He looks so good. We should put him up there.'"
SEE ALSO: Star Wars crew insists there was an ACTUAL REASON Kylo Ren was shirtless for a hot sec in 'Last Jedi'
Rian: I like the way you think.
Johnson apparently went on to explain that Driver had no problem with the shirtless scene (Duh. He was nearly nude pretty regularly on Girls for six seasons; this is nothing.)
"He's great," Johnson told People. "He knew he looked good."
Damnnn.
Johnson and the production team had previously elaborated that Kylo Ren needed to be shirtless for that scene so that it could establish for viewers exactly how much Rey could see via their connection.
"Over the course of those sequences, you come to understand all the rules of" the Force connection, editor Bob Ducsay told Huffington Post. "Ultimately, it's just good storytelling if the audience is learning things the same time the characters they're following are, instead of ahead or behind."
See? Legitimate story reasons. Everything checks out.
WATCH: This is how the cast of 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' trained for their roles
Read more: http://mashable.com/2017/12/24/adam-driver-shirtless-kylo-ren/
Government Stops Flat Earth Truther From Setting Off Homemade Rocket
Despite all the evidence in the world proving otherwise, some people refuse to abandon their stubborn beliefs that Earth is actually flat — and this guy really takes the cake.
Mike Hughes is so convinced that people are wrong about the planet's round shape that he decided to prove his point in a seriously dangerous experiment. The 61-year-old limo driver had initially planned to launch himself into space in a homemade scrap-metal rocket on November 25 in Amboy, California. Unfortunately for him, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) put a stop to that pretty quickly.
Hughes has spend $20,000 building his own steam-powered rocket with spare parts he had in his garage, even buying a motor home on Craigslist to use as a ramp.
YouTube / InformOverload
He's been planning the launch for the last year, claiming to have already obtained the BLM's approval — which, apparently, was news to the federal agency.
In fact, the agency says they had no idea about Hughes' plan until they came across news articles detailing the launch, which was set to be a 500-mile-long flight through the Mojave Desert. They told him he did not have their permission to do so on public land and, unsurprisingly, the FAA didn't approve, either.
Despite the setback, Hughes still plans on launching his rocket and claims to have secured private land to do so.
(via The Washington Post)
In the meantime, you can keep up-to-date with what he's doing by checking out his aptly-named YouTube channel, Mad Mike Hughes. Or, you know, you could just weep for humanity. Whatever works.
Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/flat-earther-rocket-block/
Hamilton sorry for nephew dress remark
Image copyright PA
Lewis Hamilton has apologised for making "inappropriate" comments in a video in which he appeared to mock his nephew's princess dress.
In an Instagram video, which has since been deleted, the Formula 1 driver says "boys don't wear princess dresses".
He was criticised on social media for the clip, which was apparently filmed on Christmas Day.
The 32-year-old tweeted his "deepest apologies", saying he loved that his nephew "feels free to express himself".
The video, posted on his Instagram story, shows Hamilton speaking to the camera before turning it on his young relative.
"I'm so sad right now. Look at my nephew," he says.
The camera then shows the boy wearing a pink and purple dress, while holding a toy magic wand.
'Really not acceptable'
Hamilton asks him: "Why are you wearing a princess dress? Is this what you got for Christmas?"
The young boy starts laughing as the British racing driver continues: "Why did you ask for a princess dress for Christmas? Boys don't wear princess dresses."
In response to the video, founder of anti-bullying charity Ditch the Label Liam Hackett tweeted: "Disappointing to see somebody with such a huge platform use it to publicly shame and attempt to undermine a small child."
Meanwhile, Imraan Sathar of discrimination support charity Stay Brave UK, called for the driver to be stripped of his MBE.
Hamilton later apologised for his behaviour and said it was "really not acceptable" to marginalise or stereotype anyone.
Skip Twitter post by @LewisHamilton
Yesterday I was playing around with my nephew and realised that my words were inappropriate so I removed the post. I meant no harm and did not mean to offend anyone at all. I love that my nephew feels free to express himself as we all should.
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) December 26, 2017
End of Twitter post by @LewisHamilton
Skip Twitter post 2 by @LewisHamilton
My deepest apologies for my behaviour as I realise it is really not acceptable for anyone, no matter where you are from, to marginalise or stereotype anyone.
End of Twitter post 2 by @LewisHamilton
I have always been in support of anyone living their life exactly how they wish and I hope I can be forgiven for this lapse in judgement.
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-42486085
This company will self-destruct after its ICO
by MeDaryl • Cars • Tags: blockchains, cryptocurrencies, ethereum, initial coin offering, money, The DAO, token
Eden Shochat Contributor
Eden Schochat is a partner at the Israeli venture capital firm, Aleph.
Investors and entrepreneurs are moving into a world where token networks influence the way new businesses are established and run. This is a sea change, a complete rethinking of the startup model for network businesses, and if businesses aren't ready, they will be left behind.
Network businesses — especially the ones that are harder to grow and monetize and have historically used advertising — uniquely benefit from being implemented as token networks rather than companies servicing customers. "Token Networks" change the way we think about startups from a company where customers pay for a service to a token-accessible network where you plan, engineer and maintain an economy. Value created in a token-based economy can be more efficiently shared between the different token holders: founders, builders, customers, service-providers and investors.
And yet, recent weeks show strong headwinds for ICOs.
Two opposing fears are holding back the move to token-networks: a fear of the absence of governance on one side and a fear of regulation on the other.
There is, however, a solution to both of these contradictory concerns when it comes to company creation in the token era.
Burn it all down. Create a self-destructing company which would start off as a traditional company with equity investment but at some point discard its "corporate shell" and switch to a decentralized network governance structure.
Part of the problem is that the rulebook governing token-network formation and fund-raising is still being invented & written. In 2017 we saw projects raise what's comparable to hundreds of millions of dollars via Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), using little more than a picture of a few smiling founders and an impenetrable white paper.
The key driver for the fundraising success of many of the ICOs is the availability of "free money" thanks to crypto-angels born through one of the fastest waves of wealth creations in modern history. If you tracked bitcoin, ethereum and other crypto-currencies any time in the past decade you saw over $500 billion created in less than 10 years, $450 billion of which appeared in the past year alone (As of December, 22, 2017).
Tracking bitcoin's remarkable rise
The sheer amount of money flowing into the market allowed early ICOs to have no governance structure whatsoever. Like in any nascent field, there are scams and scammers. Penny-stock IPOs have gone through a similar process before, instigating heavy regulatory counter-action in the 1930s which birted the requirement for companies to have tens of millions in revenue in order to go public. History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes. ICOs are going through a similar process today.
Moreover, the SEC, as a primary regulator of securities, has provided an investigative report about one of the first ICOs: the DAO. The focus of the investigative report was the principal/agent problem: having governance by a small group of managers with divergent interests is the primary reason that the SEC needs to be involved. This is driving a fear of regulatory intervention, and as expected, the SEC has cracked down on multiple ICOs recently.
Because regulators are now involved, legal firms have been giving quotes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for representing companies that intend to ICO. At the same time, the risk appetite by funders previously happy to fund teams & ideas has waned and now they prefer to fund more mature projects; ones that already have built out the token network. In short, it's getting harder to get on the ICO gravy train.
A situation where an ICO is the first money into the company is (likely to be) a thing of the (recent) past. This isn't necessarily a bad thing: history shows that idea-stage startups which get over-funded rarely succeed. A new technology stack isn't likely to change that.
The value of the token shouldn't actually be about how much money you can raise early, it should be about the value flow and creation that you get once there's a live network. The pre-product token sales actually introduce an existential risk for many of these companies. In cases where the price skyrockets pre-product, the level of value you need to deliver before launch goes up as well. As a founder, you actually don't want that.
There are a few takeaways here: Token-networks have distinct advantages for venture creation; going public via ICO has both business model and a funding advantage but it's become expensive to do and conflicts with the way the regulators want to protect the public.
It's important to note the positive aspect of the SEC DAO investigative report: in a fully distributed token-network where token-holders could organize and self-govern in how their funds get used, there shouldn't be a principal/agent problem and hence no need for a centralized authority (SEC) involvement. Alas, a fully distributed governance system directly conflicts with a key challenge of the early buildout phase of a product, where a company actually benefits from centralized rather than distributed management. Linux has Linus, Facebook has Mark, Ethereum has Vitalik, Bitcoin had Satoshi. One could ask whether Uber could have been as successful as it became had Travis not led it.
Interestingly, DARPA, the force behind of the Internet, self-driving cars and many of the other technological innovations of today, has a model we can learn from.
DARPA wanted to avoid "kingdom builders" that try to cling to their seat after solving the challenge they were brought on to tackle. DARPA forces a scope and sets a time-capped duration for program managers who lead the different projects.
Program managers know that whatever they do, irrespective of how successful it is, they won't get to keep their project. Their expiration date is printed prominently on their ID badges, a constant reminder to them and their colleagues that time to accomplish important work is limited. As far as they are concerned, the project "dissolves." Open Source projects almost unequivocally had a stage where there were a specific initiator and contributor, and "tipped" at one point to becoming community managed.
What if companies were created with a clear charter of building a specific network, with a given timeframe, after which there is an orderly transfer of power?
This is the idea behind the self-destructing company.
Ultimately, this would effectively split the life of a company to reflect three phases: First, we begin with Network Build-out, where a company serves as a "network instigator." It can be led by a strong founder and raise funding from any accredited source — venture capital or crypto-wealthy individuals — in any format: equity, convertible notes like SAFE, or a promise of future tokens like SAFT. Next we enter Token/Equity Co-existence.
It begins with initial trials of the token economy. During this time the founders build the network with tokens being air-dropped for free or against a deposit (creating vested value for the "depositors" but without regulatory burden as they aren't actually purchasing tokens) to the actual early customers of the product. This allows the company not to suffer through the regulatory overhead, making its first baby steps as a self-governing entity that gets to decide on its future. Finally, a company goes Token-only at a predetermined point-in-time or milestone when there is a shift of power with the centralized company being "time-bombed" or dissolved away via an ICO. Interestingly, what this means is that ICOs could represent an alternative to later-stage funding, instead of IPOs.
Having the final token-only phase avoids putting the venture management in conflict as to what do they maximize: is it shareholder value or token value? Having a hybrid model during the coexistence phase means you have hybrid, sometimes conflicting, interests.
Mechanics for the disintegration of a company could take a few forms. One possibility is that at the point of the ICO, there is a shares-to-token-swap: equity holders could receive tokens as a dividend in consideration for their shares. A potentially more tax-efficient alternative would allow equity holders to be offered to buy tokens at a variable discount rate that depends on their respective ownership of equity on the cap table. Understanding and planning for this event is important to do before creating the token smart contract, as a shares-to-token-swap could require these additional tokens to be reserved ahead.
This alternative venture-building format offers a few advantages over the traditional company structure that hasn't changed much since it was developed hundreds of years ago:
Initial funding for the projects isn't dependent on offering tokens to the public and thus doesn't require significant regulatory oversight.
It removes the conflict between maximizing share-holder & token-holder value by having only one asset type for the management to maximize the value of at any given point in time.
The founder-led company backed by VC equity will enable companies grow to network maturity, allowing the network to ICO when it's in a situation that it can comply with SEC regulation and self-governance.
In the winner-takes-all world of networks, as it shifts to a token-only structure, the time-bombed company provides a financial incentive to the token holders to create a network effect and grow the network through word of mouth & virality.
The Self-Destructing Company structure is a win-win for future network business models and a fascinating way to bolt new turbo-charged token engines on to old mechanisms of company creation.
Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/26/this-company-will-self-destruct-after-its-ico/
5 Action Stars Who Had Real Life Moments Of Badassery
by MeDaryl • Cars • Tags: article
Let's face it, you don't really expect that any of your favorite action heroes are going to live up to their on-screen reputations in reality. They might drop-kick cruise missiles onscreen, but you at least half-suspect that any one of these millionaire actors would thoroughly ruin their designer jeans if they were held up at a 7-11. That may be true most of the time, but there are a few cases in which actors have apparently forgotten that there weren't any movie cameras rolling. Like when …
Ryan Gosling Apparently Goes Around New York Saving Random Pedestrians
It's almost impossible to believe that Ryan Gosling isn't the sweetest action star in the world. If anyone ever leaked a video of him so much as making fun of a woman's haircut in line at a Starbucks, it's likely that the entire internet would have an aneurysm. Don't worry, we're not going to dispel that idea today. In fact, when Gosling gets the chance to play the hero in reality, he does it exactly as charmingly as you expect he would. Break the law in front of Gosling, and the whole imbroglio will end with a hug and an affirmation that you're beautiful just the way you are.
In 2011, two men were fighting in the middle of a busy New York crosswalk, because New York, when Gosling got between them and firmly put a stop to it. A video of the incident soon went viral. He's the one in the striped shirt who seems to simply appear out of the void like someone said his name three times.
via DapperLife/YouTube
5 'Edgy' Ads That Sold Nothing But Failure And Madness
But Gosling didn't merely stop the fight and skateboard away into the sunset. He took the opponents aside and asked them what was wrong. It turned out that one of the men was a street artist, and the other one came by every day to look at his paintings, until he finally tried to steal one. Gosling told MTV that he felt really bad for the thief, rationalizing that the guy must have been a huge fan of the artwork and unable to afford it, and it must have really sucked that his favorite artist and a random Hollywood A-lister wound up beating him up in the street. According to witnesses, the conflict was defused when Gosling handed the artist a crisp $20 note, effectively buying the painting for the thief. Some say that guy still wakes up every morning with his bed sheets mysteriously smelling like rose petals and French cologne.
But that wasn't the only time Gosling demonstrated real-life heroism. The very next year, British journalist Laurie Penny was in New York when she stepped into the street in the path of an oncoming taxi. Once again, Ryan Gosling leaped out of whatever pocket dimension he apparently lives in and pulled her out of the way.
Laurie Penny/Twitter
Laurie Penny/TwitterHe was able to save her life, but not her fashion sense.
According to Penny, he disappointingly didn't warn her by shouting "Hey, girl!" Still, it's good to know that the Ninja Turtles might not be real, but someone out there has New Yorkers' backs.
Tom Hardy Chased Down A Moped Thief In London
In early 2017, a couple of guys in London thought it would be fun to steal a moped and take it for a high-speed spin. The criminal enterprise came to a literal halt, however, when the thieves ran a red light and crashed into a Mercedes. They then took off on foot, probably figuring that they'd gotten off scot-free … until the driver looked back and realized he was being chased by freaking Mad Max. And not the old racist one, either.
According to eyewitnesses, Tom Hardy "looked furious" and "in superhero mode" as he chased the thief through the streets, "vaulting over walls and running through gardens." Eventually, Hardy caught up with the bad guy, tackled him, and performed a citizen's arrest, exclaiming, "I caught the [insert extremely British expletive here]!"
The SunIn England, if you don't say those exact words, the arrest is void.
News of the incident went viral after the story was broken by The Sun, but enthusiasm was soon dampened by the fact that British police took all credit for the arrest. Since Hardy's people declined to comment, people started to assume it was all a lie, because, well, The Sun. If you're looking for legitimate current events, you're better off reading The Weekly World News or the latest issue of Uncanny X-Men.
But then, shortly afterward, the police backtracked and admitted that "a member of the public" had detained the perp. That's not a confirmation that it was Tom Hardy, but witnesses (and a cop who spoke to the BBC) swear that it was him.
BBCWe choose to believe.
Sean Bean Got Stabbed Outside A Bar, Patched Himself Up, Went Right Back To Drinking
Sean Bean is unique among action stars for the fact that the action rarely works out well for him in the end. By which we mean that he dies — a lot.
It's a meme at this point. But it turns out that when Bean answers the call to action off-camera, he tends to fare better than his many ill-fated characters and handles it like a boss.
In 2012, Bean was smoking outside of a London bar when some guy walked past and made impolite comments about the actor's smoking companion, fashion model April Summers. Bean caught up with the rude passerby and let him know that what he did wasn't cool. Reportedly, the guy went away, but returned once he'd thought of a comeback … which was, unfortunately, "punching actor Sean Bean and stabbing him in the arm with broken glass."
So did Bean lie down and die in a pool of his own blood, like you'd expect from one of his movie characters? Nah. He returned to the bar and requested two equally important items: 1) a first aid kit, which he used to patch himself up, and 2) another drink.
According to staff members, this kind of thing isn't too unusual for Bean, who is a regular at the bar. Staff offered to call him an ambulance, but, you know, that would have only ruined the rest of his night. If you think about it, that would be like letting the bad guy win.
Paulie Walnuts Was Shot By Mobsters, Then Proceeded To Chase Them Off
Of all the actors in The Sopranos, Tony "Paulie Walnuts" Sirico probably had the most impressive resume. He played mobsters in Goodfellas, The Godfather Part II, and real life, which is kind of ironic, when you consider he's probably the most pathetic and ineffectual character on the show. His name is "Walnuts," after all, which is about as threatening a Mafia nickname as "Sparkles" or "Butterchurn."
Sirico racked up an impressive 28 arrests before he got into acting, mostly for sticking up nightclubs (although he insists that he "never hurt nobody, just took the receipts and left"). Unlike his character, whose wardrobe seemed to be made up of old tank tops and tracksuits, Sirico liked to dress in stylish white suits. Unfortunately, that also made him a pretty easy target.
Tony SiricoHe looked more like a TV mobster in real life than on TV.
One evening in the '70s, Sirico was getting acquainted with a lady friend outside of a local church when some rivals spotted him and shouted his name. Sirico says he was "in no position to do anything, because I have my tongue deep down in her soul," so the other guys seized their chance and shot him in the leg. Sirico saw red … on his precious suit. Angrier about the ruined pants than the ruined limb, Sirico started running toward their car. The shooters sped away, but as soon as Sirico turned around, they shot him again in the back. But it's OK — according to Sirico, in the neighborhood he grew up in, "you either had to have a tattoo or a bullet hole. I had both."
During his final prison stint at Sing Sing for one of his numerous armed robberies, Sirico watched a play performed by ex-cons and thought "I can do that." After he was released, a friend (Richard Castellano, who played Pete Clemenza in The Godfather and was himself a Gambino family associate) helped Sirico get his first acting gigs. And he hasn't stuck up a nightclub since — at least, not any that he's owning up to.
TV's Punisher Impersonated A Cop To Catch A Purse Thief
Jon Bernthal is a TV actor best known as the Punisher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead, and playing shady, violent law enforcers in general.
Jon BernthalBadass roles which he somehow got despite at one point using this for his headshot.
But in 2011, at least according to Bernthal himself, real life merged with Hollywood when he had an opportunity to punish an actual supervillain. OK, so "The Nefarious Purse-Snatcher Man" isn't exactly Marvel material, but still, it's a cool story.
In a 2012 interview on The Late Show, Bernthal recounted how he was driving home from the Walking Dead set in LA when he heard a woman on the side of the road scream, "Stop him, he stole my purse!" Bernthal, who is often cast as a police officer (due to his "broken-in mangled face"), claims that he forgot this was real life when he heard this incredibly cliche line and started pursuing the perp, especially driven by the fact that he saw the guy knock over a man dressed as Santa, because reality itself goes straight to video sometimes.
According to Bernthal, he chased the guy down like one of his TV roles until he was able to pull his car in front of the thief, flipping him over the hood. He got out and shouted, "Police! Freeze!" — but it was only at that moment that he suddenly remembered this was reality, he was unarmed, criminals are dangerous, and, unlike the Punisher, he was mortally susceptible to stabbing and/or gunshot. But shit, he was in the situation now, so he'd better improvise.
The criminal, perhaps remembering Bernthal's face from Night At The Museum 2, demanded that the actor prove he was a cop. Bernthal figured "Well, I play one on TV" probably wouldn't fly, so instead he opened his car door and dragged out his dog, telling the thief that his "police dog" would attack if the guy tried to get away. Of course, we're talking about an ordinary dog here — according to Bernthal, it could at worst "lick the guy to death."
This ridiculous ruse worked just long enough for the legitimate police to arrive, at which point Bernthal started to think that he'd probably committed more crimes here than the purse thief did (cops don't look too kindly on the whole "impersonating an officer" thing). So he tried to slink away, but the victim suddenly appeared and fingered him as the real hero, due in no small part to Bernthal's apparent inability to distinguish between movies and reality.
S. Peter Davis is the creator of the Three Minute Philosophy YouTube series, and is the author of the book Occam's Nightmare.
Turn into a secret bystander savior yourself with *drumroll* a can of mace!
Read more: http://www.cracked.com/article_25191_5-action-stars-who-had-real-life-moments-badassery.html
British Royal Apologizes After Wearing Offensive Jewelry In Front Of Meghan Markle
A British Royal apologized Friday for wearing a racially insensitive accessory during a Christmas lunch hosted by Buckingham Palace earlier this week.
Princess Michael of Kent, 72, attended the gathering wearing a brooch featuring a miniature bust of an African woman embellished with gold and colorful jewels.
What made the fashion choice especially awkward was that Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's fiancée who is half black and half white, was a guest at the holiday lunch.
The event marked the first time Markle, who will become Princess Henry of Wales when she and Prince Harry wed in May, had met many of the Royal Family's extended family, according to People magazine.
In a statement to People and the Daily Mail, a spokeswoman for Princess Michael said that the brooch was a gift she had worn "many times before."
"Princess Michael is very sorry and distressed that it has caused offense," the statement read.
Mark Cuthbert via Getty Images
A close-up view of the brooch.
The imagery worn by Princess Michael is a European art style known as blackamoor that dates back to the 16h century. It depicts the bodies and faces of dark-skinned people from North Africa and the Middle East, according to New York University.
The style of art is now considered dated, offensive and a fetishization of black people, which often romanticizes slavery.
Dolce & Gabbana faced fierce criticism after it debuted a 2013 spring collection featuring blackamoor earrings and prints.
"Blackamoor imagery in general reflects trends in decorative arts that recall the history of slaves in Europe and the disturbing manner in which the European luxury culture objectified black bodies as mere ornament," wrote news site The Root of the luxury brand's controversial collection in 2012.
Although Princess Michael's statement suggests that she did not intend to offend anyone with her brooch, the Christmas lunch isn't the first time she has been accused of being racially insensitive.
In 2004, while out dining in New York City, she reportedly yelled "go back to the colonies" to a table of black diners, The New York Times reported at the time.
Markle has not publicly responded to the controversy surrounding Princess Michael's brooch, but she has been vocal in the past about the racism she and her family have faced.
Markle described a number of awkward and hurtful experiences she's had in a 2016 column for Elle magazine, including the time when her mom was called "the 'N' word:"
I was home in LA on a college break when my mom was called the 'N' word. We were leaving a concert and she wasn't pulling out of a parking space quickly enough for another driver. My skin rushed with heat as I looked to my mom. Her eyes welling with hateful tears, I could only breathe out a whisper of words, so hushed they were barely audible: 'It's OK, Mommy.' I was trying to temper the rage-filled air permeating our small silver Volvo.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/princess-michael-kent-brooch-controversy_us_5a3d752ae4b06d1621b44b05
8 Americans among 12 killed in Mexico tour bus crash
American tourists among the dead in Mexico bus crash
Authorities investigating why the bus carrying Royal Caribbean cruise passengers flipped over; Phil Keating reports from Miami.
Eight Americans were among the 12 people killed when a bus carrying Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers looking forward to a day at the Mayan ruins on Tuesday flipped over in southeastern Mexico, officials said.
Two Swedes, one Canadian, and one Mexican also died in Tuesday's bus crash, Mexican officials confirmed on Wednesday. The U.S. State Department initially said "multiple U.S. citizens" were among the 12 people killed in the bus crash. Those included a Florida grandmother and her 11-year-old grandson, according to the Sun Sentinel.
"We express our heartfelt condolences to all those affected by this tragedy. We are in contact with local authorities, and will continue to monitor the situation. We have staff on the scene and at local hospitals to assist victims and loved ones," the State Department said in a statement.
Passengers on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship were among the people killed and injured in bus crash in Mexico.
The bus carrying 31 people — 27 of them passengers of Royal Caribbean's Celebrity Equinox and Serenade of the Seas — were heading to Chacchoben, about 110 miles south of Tulum, from the port at Mahahual just after 9 a.m. when it crashed on a narrow, two-land road with no shoulder or guardrail. The convoy of buses left the port and were on the road for nearly an hour.
Quintana Roo state prosecutor's office confirmed 11 tourists, including a child, and a Mexican tour guide were dead. Officials have not released their nationalities. Benhamin Shababo, 18, told the Sun Sentinel that his grandmother, Fanya Shamis, was killed. His added that his cousin may also have died.
"We don't have really concrete information," Shababo said. "We're all scared. It's just really scary to process this in my head that possibly something really bad happened to them."
Seven Americans and two Swedes were among the 18 injured, said Vicente Martin, spokesman for the Quintana Roo state Civil Defense agency. Seven injured tourists returned to their boat Tuesday night while 13 remained hospitalized.
"The news from Costa Maya about a bus accident involving #CelebrityEquinox & #SerenadeoftheSeas guests is heartbreaking. Our hearts go out to all those involved. We are doing all we can to care for our guests, including assisting with medical care and transportation," the cruise line said in a tweet.
The news from Costa Maya about a bus accident involving #CelebrityEquinox & #SerenadeoftheSeas guests is heartbreaking. Our hearts go out to all those involved. We are doing all we can to care for our guests, including assisting with medical care and transportation.
— RCLcorp (@RCLcorp) December 19, 2017
Chris Brawley, a passenger on the Serenade of Seas, was on a bus headed to the same Mayan ruins when they came on the scene minutes after the crash.
"The bus clearly lost control somehow as there were swerve marks all over the road surface," Brawley said, adding that the driving conditions were dry and it was clear skies that morning.
Brawley, of Haslet, Texas, said his ship departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday for a seven-day cruise. They were in Roatan, Honduras, on Monday and were scheduled to be in Cozumel on Wednesday.
The bus carrying cruise ship passengers to the Mayan ruins at Chacchoben in eastern Mexico flipped over on a highway early Tuesday. (Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Video from the scene showed the bus on its side in the vegetation. Some passengers were lying on the pavement while others were walking around. One body lay on the roadside covered by a white sheet or other object, as the crash scene was cordoned off with yellow police tape.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said it was aware of reports of Americans injured in the crash. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash. U.S. Consulate in Merida was ready to provide assistance.
Costa Maya Mahahual, the bus company involved, said in a statement that in addition to the tourists, a guide and driver were aboard the bus.
Katherine Lam is a breaking and trending news digital producer for Fox News. Follow her on Twitter at @bykatherinelam
Trending in World
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/12/20/8-americans-among-12-killed-in-mexico-tour-bus-crash.html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I received a pack of these sharp looking notebooks to review and went into the evaluation with low expectations. After all, we seem to be buried in pocket notebooks these days and it's getting difficult to separate the chaff from the wheat, so to speak.
By the time you finish reading this review, however, I'm betting you may be adding this one to your list.
There are two stories here with this little pocket guy, one being the story behind the story, and the other being the choices Story Supply Co. (SSC) made in spec'ing the notebooks.
The story behind the story is the mission they've adopted to drive and help build stronger communities through stories. How? By partnering with organizations that help kids in under-served communities find their voice through the wonders of story capture, telling and sharing. SSC donates a supply kit to one of these kids with every SSC product sold. Noble stuff indeed, and so valuable to a kid's future it's hard to describe in the short space I have here. Plus, you're itching to know how they WRITE, right?
The second story is the effort and intention SSC put into choosing materials. I have to believe it wasn't random, but with a quality goal in mind. The covers are thick and substantial and seem like they'll hold up well in many a back pocket. But the shining star is the paper inside: Cougar Natural Smooth 70# with a light graph grid. With the thick cover and the 48-page interior, these 3.5″ x 5.5″ notebooks are thicker than the typical pocket notebook, but it's worth the weight, especially if you're a fountain pen user. I found in the FP tests that, in my opinion, it's among the best writing paper out there in the pocket notebook niche that I've tested! FP users eyebrows perk up when they see 70# and memories of Field Notes Shelterwood or America the Beautiful, but I think this paper FP-writes a bit better than those two. Bleed and show through is very, very light. And graphite users will also benefit from the 70# paper as it makes for smooth writing although not much tooth if that's your thing.
These notebook packs are coming via a new Kickstarter which just launched, but they'll be available after the Kickstarter at SSC's site. I'd recommend you support their Kickstarter effort, as I probably will, and help make these available to us all and support the story effort SSC is championing to help under-served kids find their voice and strengthen their characters and confidence through story. Magic stuff for sure, but in this case, it can happen.
Thanks for the great giveaway – Just backed the KS!
Thanks for the review. First I've heard of the SSC pocket notebooks.
This looks really cool, and this is a great cause for stationary! Thanks Gary!
Such a good review! I've backed the kickstarter, but would love to get my hands on the notebook sooner!
Thanks for the review and the chance to win one!
I may hit this Kickstarter. Cool idea. Thanks for the review Gary.
I've backed, but would be glad to get a preview with a giveaway win!!
I love the idea of getting kids to write. Thanks for the chance to win!
Great to get such detailed info. I also appreciate knowing about the campaign to encourage children's creativity.


Big Bad Boss wants me to take over the pension newsletter.
He has the audacity to tell me it will be good experience. Personally, I don't look for good experience in the office, because I don't like to be disappointed. I am certainly not going to look for it in the context of pensions. Silly man.
Still, I can see why he might want a fresh pair of eyes on the newsletter. Smarmy Consulting has been preparing one for us for many years, and it has, frankly, fallen asleep on the job. You only have to pick up a copy and you will start rubbing your eyes and looking around for somewhere to snuggle down. Dull, that's what it is. Extremely dull.
For a start, it shows the old company logo. Whoops, I must have forgotten to send the new one. No, come to think of it, Smarmy had the new logo on a pitch it made for some other work, but its pension people work in a fusty little side wing all on their own, and I don't expect they get out much.
Apart from the logo, there are some dreadful out-dated graphics. Where did they get those? And as for the cheesy employee photos, I can tell you one thing: they are not photos of our real employees; they are all smiling, for a start, and they are attractive.
One thing I don't see are any photos of the trustees. Surely, members would like to know who is taking care of their retirement? I fire off a quick email asking the trustees to send me a photo.
Big Bad Boss has asked me to make sure the defined benefit plan looks positive. Well, I don't see how I can do that when the deficit is a number that frightens me, even though I am used to working with big sums. Worse, it is pretty much what it has been for the last few years, despite massive payments from the employer. I really don't see how I can make such dire news into a pretty picture. That gives me an idea. I'll put the numbers inside a nice graphic of a safe and perhaps no one will notice.
Investment returns have been lousy, and the chart shows a long lists of negatives. Even though we paid Smarmy a small fortune for advice, we were in property when we should have been in corporate bonds, and in corporate bonds when we should have been in property. The only positive return in the whole slide is the hedge fund. Not that I can say much about that. I have seen the hedging strategy, and it is impossible to explain to anyone without an actuarial qualification.
We have also appointed a liability-driven investment manager, and those guys don't come cheap. I have a description from Smarmy of what he will be doing, but I barely understand it myself. How on earth do I explain that one to a layman? I have to dumb it down to the point of saying he will manage the scheme's liability-driven investment portfolio. Well that's clear, then.
We have a section on the funding plan. Smarmy suggests that, despite the fact that we have not made any of the investment returns it led us to believe we would, we can still pay off the deficit in five years' time as planned. I can write that down, but I still don't get it. How can we be on track if nothing has happened as well as we planned?
Smarmy says that recent results, post-valuation, are much better. Having worked with it for the last few valuations, I know it always says that. You need a lot of smoke and mirrors to survive as an actuary.
Still, I will present a nice graph showing the funding level growing steadily over the next five years until we are 100% funded. I will show it, but I still don't believe it. I am not convinced I will live to see the plan fully funded, and I am not that old.
I think we should, once again, warn members about the pension liberation scams kicking around. The thought of transferring someone's pension pot to a dodgy scheme is enough to keep the trustees awake at night. We can write about the procedure changes we have made to help prevent this happening. It also gives me the opportunity to add a funky burglar graphic to the newsletter.
Finally, we end the newsletter with a section on company news. This is meant to reassure members that the company is solvent and full of cash, so it can carry on making eye-watering contributions to fund the deficit, seemingly indefinitely.
Big Bad Boss provides a summary from the Higher Beings' report, but I have to edit it carefully. There is far too much talk about restructuring and reorganisation. I leave in a few bits about refurbishing offices and buying a business in Poland. That is about the sum of the good news on offer. I feel like a spin doctor, creating political lies for the people. It's a dirty job.
Finally, the photos have come in from the other trustees. One of the employee-nominated members, bless him, has sent a photo from the last century. He even had hair back then.
Most of the trustee photos look like mug shots from Crimewatch, and I wonder if it is such a good idea after all. Perhaps I can get our marketing folk to touch up the photos a bit. They could also help me choose new fonts and a livelier colour theme. Who says pension work is not creative?
Next time…Candid researches insurance pools.
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text: Q: How can i mock a LUIS api call in unit testing of Bot framework . If i calling it through Root Dialog How can i mock a LUIS api call in unit testing of Bot framework . If i calling it through  Root Dialog. From unit testing we are directly calling RootDialog. Please help me to mock the LUIS api call in BOT code.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Mr Hero Franchises
The Taste You Crave
Training / Support
Veteran Incentives
QUICK REFERENCE INFORMATION FOR FRANCHISEES
Do I need to have experience in the food service industry to be considered as a potential franchisee in the Mr. Hero system?
Although helpful it is not a requirement. The want, desire, willingness to learn, aspiration to succeed, and entrepreneurial spirit along with a positive attitude are just some of the qualities we look for in a potential franchisee.
How many years do I get in the franchise agreement?
The franchise agreement is for 10 years.
How much square footage will I need for my Mr. Hero restaurant?
1,500 to 1,800 square feet is the average for a typical restaurant. 200 square feet is the minimum for a co-branded unit depending upon shared cooler, freezer and storage space.
Will Restaurant Developers Corp. help with site selection?
Yes! We will review a potential site with you. But in newer developing markets it is preferred that the franchisee has a knowledgeable understanding of his territory with locations or areas in mind. If needed, we can direct you to other resources for additional options; including, having consultations with a commercial broker of your choice.
How long does the process take to open a Mr. Hero restaurant?
Once the franchise agreement is signed, a site has been selected, and you have signed the lease (if applicable), the average time frame is between 3 to 6 months, however this may vary depending upon several factors.
Your Name (required) Your Email (required) Telephone *
The information presented on this site does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy a franchise or business opportunity in any state or country where, nor is such an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy directed to any person to whom, it would be illegal to do so. Presently, R.D.C. is registered (and filed) to offer and sell "Mr. Hero" franchises in Ohio. R.D.C. will consider registering or filing in other states given the right franchise or business opportunity. No "Mr. Hero" franchise may be sold to persons outside of Ohio unless and until an offer and sale of "Mr. Hero" franchise has been registered and/or filed and declared effective in a state outside of Ohio and the "Mr. Hero" Franchise Disclosure Document permitted to be used in such state has been delivered to the purchaser prior to the sale and in compliance with such state's franchise law.
Copyright © 2019, Restaurant Developers Corp. All rights reserved.


text:
Illuminations is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Josh Groban, produced by Rick Rubin. Similar to his previous albums, Illuminations contains songs sung in a variety of languages, including his first take on a Portuguese song, "Você Existe Em Mim", which Groban co-wrote with Lester Mendez and Carlinhos Brown. The album was released on November 15, 2010.

Album information
The official title and cover art for Illuminations was revealed in September 2010. In addition to the regular release, a special fan edition of the album is available for purchase on Groban's website that contains the original CD, a "making-of" DVD, a 48-page color photo book filled with lyrics and pictures, and two bonus tracks (to be delivered digitally).

The first single from the album, "Hidden Away", was released on September 13, and was also available to download for free on Groban's website and Facebook from September 8–13.

Leading up to the album's release, iTunes released songs periodically from the album to download, which began on October 12 with the release of the album's Portuguese song "Você Existe Em Mim". A third song, "Higher Window", was released on October 25. A fourth and final song, "L'Ora Dell'Addio", was released on November 9.

Beginning May 12, 2011, Groban embarked on a worldwide tour entitled the Straight to You Tour to promote the album.

Reception

Critical reception

Illuminations received mostly positive reviews from music critics.

Commercial reception
The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, selling 190,000 copies in its first week and was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipping over a million copies. The album has since sold over 800,000 copies in the US. In Canada, the album debuted at No. 4 on the Canadian Albums Chart and was certified platinum for shipping over 80,000 copies.

Track listing
The following is the track listing for the regular album:

Orchestra and Choir arranged and conducted by David Campbell

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

2010 albums
Josh Groban albums
Albums produced by Rick Rubin
143 Records albums
Reprise Records albums
Albums recorded at Shangri-La (recording studio)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: In NextJS, how to build when referencing external npm package that contains SVGs? My nextjs project (let's call it TheHost) references another npm package (let's call it ThePackage).
SVGs load fine when defined within TheHost, but importing ThePackage fails because next tries to interpret the svg as javascript... so I get the following error when doing a next build:
SyntaxError: Unexpected token '<'

To re-iterate, SVGs work fine when referencing an svg defined in TheHost itself. The problem seems to be importing npm packages that contain SVGs.
It doesn't matter if I import a component from ThePackage that uses an SVG or not, just the fact that somewhere in the npm package it contains an "import xxx from '../path/to/svg' is enough to break next build.
For what it's worth, the ThePackage's transpiled javascript reads the svg as follows:
var _mysvg = require("../path/to/the-svg.svg");

Lots of details:
The next build stack trace is:
> Using external babel configuration
> Location: "/Users/w/dev/TheHost/.babelrc"
Creating an optimized production build

Compiled successfully.

> Build error occurred
/Users/w/dev/TheHost/node_modules/ThePackage/build/assets/card_background.svg:1
<svg viewBox="0 0 860 382" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
^

SyntaxError: Unexpected token '<'
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:895:18)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:995:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:815:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:727:14)
    at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:852:19)
    at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:74:18)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/w/dev/TheHost/node_modules/TheProject/build/card/style.js:14:47)
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:959:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:995:10)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:815:32) {
  type: 'SyntaxError'
}
Automatically optimizing pages .%

The .babelrc file:
{
  "presets": [
    "next/babel"
  ],
  "plugins": [
    "babel-plugin-styled-components",
    "inline-react-svg"
  ]
}

The next.config.js file:
const withSourceMaps = require("@zeit/next-source-maps");
const withImages = require("next-images");

module.exports = withImages(
  withSourceMaps({
    env: { *** redacted *** },
    publicRuntimeConfig: { *** redacted *** },
    webpack: (config, options) => {
      if (!options.isServer) {
        config.resolve.alias["@sentry/node"] = "@sentry/browser";
      }
      config.module.rules.push({
        test: /\.svg$/,
        use: ["@svgr/webpack"]
      });
      return config;
    }
  })
);

The nextjs svgr package versions are as follows:
"next": "^9.2.1",
"next-images": "^1.3.0",
"@svgr/webpack": "^5.1.0",
"babel-eslint": "^10.0.3",
"babel-plugin-inline-react-svg": "^1.1.1",

ThePackage is built with the following output configuration (webpack):
  entry: './src/index.js',
  output: {
    path: buildFolder,
    filename: 'ThePackage.js',
    library: 'ThePackage',
    libraryTarget: 'umd', /* Note: umd */
    umdNamedDefine: true
  },

A: NextJS ignores node_modules by default so you'd need to specifically allow your config to be able to transpile your package. Fortunately, someone has already created a NextJS plugin to allow this: https://github.com/martpie/next-transpile-modules
I'd also suggest using Next Compose Plugins to neaten up the config. In the end, your next.config.js will look something like this:
const withSourceMaps = require("@zeit/next-source-maps");
const withImages = require("next-images");
const withPlugins = require('next-compose-plugins');
const withTM = require('next-transpile-modules')(['ThePackage']);

module.exports = withPlugins([
    withTM,
    [
        withImages,
        {
            exclude: /\.svg$/
        }
    ],
    withSourceMaps
],
{
    env: { *** redacted *** },
    publicRuntimeConfig: { *** redacted *** },
    webpack: (config, options) => {
      if (!options.isServer) {
        config.resolve.alias["@sentry/node"] = "@sentry/browser";
      }
      config.module.rules.push({
        test: /\.svg$/,
        use: ["@svgr/webpack"]
      });
      return config;
    }
});

I've also excluded SVGs from being processed by withImages.


text:
> Nicholas Graham, knight (d.1306)
You can cite this record using this snippet: PoMS, no. 11967 (https://www.poms.ac.uk/record/person/11967/; accessed 18 January 2021)
Nicholas Graham, knight (d.1306)
married to Mary, daughter of Malise (II), earl of Strathearn
Nicholas Graham (1)
PoNE
http://www.pone.ac.uk/record/person/10889/
» Gephi Visualisation
Grantor Beneficiary relationships
Total number of associated factoids: 55
Transaction factoids (18) Relationship factoids (19) Title factoids (13) Possession factoids (4) Witnesses factoids (1)
Listing items 1 to 18, page 1 of 1
unavailable Gift (?) of land in Eskdale (DMF) Grantor 2/77/8 (CDS, ii, no. 1981)
unavailable Restoration of lands to Nicholas Graham Beneficiary 3/254/10 (CDS, iv, no. 1804)
unavailable Cyrograph concerning sasine of land in Hassington (BWK) Party 1 3/254/9 (Melr. Lib., ii, App., no. 20)
unavailable Gift of land in Eskdale (DMF) Grantor 1/53/8 (RRS, v, no. 385)
circa 1279 X 19 Mar. 1286 Confirmation of land in Hassington (BWK) Grantor Andrew Fraser, knight; Hugh of Pearsby, sheriff of Roxburgh; Robert of Roberton; Simon Fraser (III) (d.1291×92); Thomas Randolph (d.c.1296); Walter Corbet (late 13C); William Soulis, knight, justiciar of Lothian (d.1292/3) 3/254/8 (Melr. Lib., ii, App., no. 18)
1279 X circa 1303 Statement concerning sasine of land in Hassington (BWK) Addressor 3/254/9 (Melr. Lib., ii, App., no. 20)
Tuesday 14 Mar. 1290 Confirmation of the Treaty of Salisbury Grantor 1/50/32 (Stevenson, Docs., i, no. 92)
Friday 17 Mar. 1290 Request that King Edward certify to the Guardians that a papal dispensation has been granted for marriage between Prince Edward and Lady Margaret Addressor 1/50/33 (Foedera, i, II, 730)
23 Feb. 1296 Confirmation of treaty between Scotland and France Sealer 1/51/24 (APS, i, 451-3)
27 Apr. 1296 ERA undefined (transaction) 5/1/0 (Stevenson, Docs., ii, no. 358; CDS, ii, no. 736)
28 Aug. 1296 Performance of fealty and homage to Edward I, king of England Addressor 6/2/244 (IP, 162-3)
28 Aug. 1296 Performance of fealty and homage to Edward I, king of England Performer (submission, fealty, homage, oath) 6/2/244 (IP, 162-3)
28 Aug. 1296 Performance of fealty and homage to Edward I, king of England Sealer 6/2/244 (IP, 162-3)
1300 X 1307 Petition for maintenance of right and franchises of church in Eskdale named person (transaction) 2/77/8 (CDS, ii, no. 1981)
10 May 1303 ERA undefined (transaction) 5/1/0 (CDS, ii, no. 1359)
circa 1304 Petition of Nicholas Graham for Hassington Petitioner 3/254/10 (CDS, iv, no. 1804)
13 Mar. 1304 X 23 Mar. 1304 ERA undefined (transaction) 5/1/0 (CDS, ii, no. 1481a)
23 Mar. 1304 ERA undefined (transaction) 5/1/0 (CDS, v, no. 355)
circa 1279 X 19 Mar. 1286 First-born (primogenitus) of Henry Graham (father of Nicholas Graham) (Familial relationship) subject (relationship) 3/254/8 (Melr. Lib., ii, App., no. 18)
circa 1279 X 19 Mar. 1286 Lord (dominus) of Nicholas Graham (Tenurial & lordship relationship) object (relationship) 3/254/8 (Melr. Lib., ii, App., no. 18)
circa 1279 X 19 Mar. 1286 Bride/betrothed (f.) (sponsa) of Nicholas Graham (Familial relationship) object (relationship) 3/254/8 (Melr. Lib., ii, App., no. 18)
Tuesday 14 Mar. 1290 Lord (dominus) of various men of Scotland (Tenurial & lordship relationship) object (relationship) 1/50/32 (Stevenson, Docs., i, no. 92)
Tuesday 14 Mar. 1290 Lady (domina) of various men of the realm (Tenurial & lordship relationship) object (relationship) 1/50/32 (Stevenson, Docs., i, no. 92)
Friday 17 Mar. 1290 Lady (domina) of various named men of Scotland (Tenurial & lordship relationship) object (relationship) 1/50/33 (Foedera, i, II, 730)
28 Aug. 1296 Liege Man (homo ligius) of Edward I, king of England (d.1307) (Tenurial & lordship relationship) subject (relationship) 6/2/244 (IP, 162-3)
28 Aug. 1296 Lord (dominus) of Nicholas Graham (d.1306) (Tenurial & lordship relationship) object (relationship) 6/2/244 (IP, 162-3)
28 Aug. 1296 Sworn man (Ragman Roll) of Edward I, king of England (d.1307) (Fealty (Ragman Roll)) subject (relationship) 6/2/244 (IP, 162-3)
20 Oct. 1299 X 1311 Son of Nicholas Graham (Familial relationship) object (relationship) 3/254/12 (Melr. Lib., no. 383)
20 Oct. 1299 X 1311 Heir of Nicholas Graham (Familial relationship) object (relationship) 3/254/12 (Melr. Lib., no. 383)
1300 X 1307 Son of Nicholas Graham (Familial relationship) object (relationship) 2/77/8 (CDS, ii, no. 1981)
8 May 1309 Son of Nicholas Graham (Familial relationship) object (relationship) 3/254/13 (Melr. Lib., no. 378)
8 May 1309 Heir of Nicholas Graham (Familial relationship) object (relationship) 3/254/13 (Melr. Lib., no. 378)
25 Dec. 1316 Son of Nicholas Graham (d. 1306) [Familial relationship] object (relationship) 1/53/119 (RRS, v, no. 110)
25 Dec. 1316 Heir of Nicholas Graham [Tenurial & lordship relationship] subject (relationship) 1/53/119 (RRS, v, no. 110)
25 Mar. 1321 X 24 Mar. 1322 Bride/betrothed (f.) (sponsa) of Nicholas Graham, knight [Familial relationship] object (relationship) 1/53/523 (RMS, i, App. 1, no. 51)
circa 1279 X 19 Mar. 1286 knight 3/254/8 (Melr. Lib., ii, App., no. 18)
Tuesday 14 Mar. 1290 baron 1/50/32 (Stevenson, Docs., i, no. 92)
Friday 17 Mar. 1290 baron 1/50/33 (Foedera, i, II, 730)
23 Feb. 1296 baron 1/51/24 (APS, i, 451-3)
28 Aug. 1296 Dominus (Seigneur - Lord - Sir) 6/2/244 (IP, 162-3)
20 Oct. 1299 X 1311 Dominus (Lord/Sir) 3/254/11 (Melr. Lib., no. 377)
1300 X 1307 Dominus (Seigneur - Lord - Sir) 2/77/8 (CDS, ii, no. 1981)
circa 1304 Dominus (Seigneur - Lord - Sir) 3/254/10 (CDS, iv, no. 1804)
Aug. 1308 X 16 Jul. 1309 Dominus (Lord/Sir) 1/53/8 (RRS, v, no. 385)
8 May 1309 Dominus (Lord/Sir) 3/254/13 (Melr. Lib., no. 378)
25 Dec. 1316 knight 1/53/119 (RRS, v, no. 110)
25 Mar. 1321 X 24 Mar. 1322 knight 1/53/523 (RMS, i, App. 1, no. 51)
circa 1279 X 19 Mar. 1286 mill in Hassington (BWK) Holder (possession) 3/254/8 (Melr. Lib., ii, App., no. 18)
circa 1279 X 19 Mar. 1286 land in Dalkeith (MLO) Holder (possession) 3/254/8 (Melr. Lib., ii, App., no. 18)
1279 X circa 1303 land in Hassington (BWK) Holder (possession) 3/254/9 (Melr. Lib., ii, App., no. 20)
circa 1304 villa of Hassington Holder (possession) 3/254/10 (CDS, iv, no. 1804)
undated Gift of land or pasture of 'Superior' Dryfe (DMF) 3/254/7 (Mort. Reg., ii, no. 3)


text:
Tim McManus est un des personnages centraux de la série télévisée Oz, incarné par Terry Kinney.

Personnage principal de la série, il est le responsable d'Em city, qui est au cœur de la série.

Biographie

Personnalité
Visionnaire et humaniste, il est à l'origine de la fondation d'Emerald City (Em city) au sein du pénitencier d'Oswald, d'où la série tire son nom (Oz contraction de Oswald). Cette section vit en autogestion et les détenus s'acquittent de toutes les tâches : de la distribution du courrier à la cuisine en passant par l'atelier de confection. Cette ambiance est censée aider les détenus à se réinsérer.

En réalité, et c'est là toute la problématique de la série, cette expérience se révèle utopique dans la pratique. En effet les morts ne tardent pas à pleuvoir et Mac Manus se retrouve souvent en conflit avec James Devlin, le gouverneur de l'état, conservateur, qui voit cette entreprise d'un mauvais œil.

Notes et références

Personnage d'Oz (série télévisée)
Démocrate de fiction


Passageways is a community outreach project of the 2016 AIA Tennessee State Convention held August 24-26 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is a public architecture exhibit focusing on the urban fabric that exists in the space between our city's buildings. These forgotten and often times overlooked voids exist throughout our city. The intent of the exhibit is to exemplify the potential of these spaces and the benefits they have in creating a healthy urban environment throughout Chattanooga. All five winning installations can be found on the 700 blocks of Broad, Market and Cherry Streets in Downtown Chattanooga.
Sign-up to get the latest Passageways information.


text:
Feel-good stories of 2018: Gridiron proposal, musical aspirations, 'flag guy,' and more
Read (or re-read) uplifting and fun stories from this past year about the people and places doing good in our community.
Feel-good stories of 2018: Gridiron proposal, musical aspirations, 'flag guy,' and more Read (or re-read) uplifting and fun stories from this past year about the people and places doing good in our community. Check out this story on eveningsun.com: https://www.eveningsun.com/story/news/2018/12/10/hanover-pa-evening-sun-10-feel-good-stories-2018/2193347002/
Sophie Kaplan, Hanover Evening Sun Published 6:54 a.m. ET Dec. 10, 2018 | Updated 12:24 p.m. ET Dec. 13, 2018
Mike Grey walking down York Street with his American flag flying proud on Aug. 15.(Photo: Sophie Kaplan, The Evening Sun)Buy Photo
Not quite in the holiday spirit yet? Here are 10 feel-good stories from 2018 guaranteed to make you smile.
A man showing support for his country. A woman giving out free hugs. An award-winning high school musical program. A church older than the country.
Check out these 10 stories from The Evening Sun:
Gridiron proposal for Littlestown football player
After a big win for Littlestown football, senior Malachi Fodor proposed to his now-fiance, Miriam Worley.
Worley collected roses from a line of football players, and at the end of the line was Fodor on one knee.
"I've been very sure that she's the one," Fodor said. "I knew God picked this one out for me."
Photos: Littlestown blanks Fairfield in regular-season finale
Littlestown's Malachi Fodor (70) proposes to his girlfriend, Miriam Worley, after winning a game against Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Malachi Fodor (70) receives a ring before proposing to his girlfriend, Miriam Worley, after winning a game against Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Miriam Worley receives roses from Littlestown players before being proposed to by her boyfriend, Littlestown's Malachi Fodor (70), after winning a game against Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
The Littlestown Bolts celebrate after Littlestown's Malachi Fodor (70) proposed to his girlfriend, Miriam Worley, after winning a game against Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Malachi Fodor (70) puts a ring on the finger of his girlfriend, Miriam Worley, after proposing to her following a game against Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Malachi Fodor (70) poses for a photo with his girlfriend, Miriam Worley, after Fodor proposed to her following his win against Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
The Littlestown Bolts pose for a photo with Littlestown's Malachi Fodor (70) and girlfriend, Miriam Worley, after Fodor proposed to Worley following a game against Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Jesse Hawk (36) outruns Fairfield's Elijah Jarosz (29) during the second half of a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. The Littlestown Bolts defeated the Fairfield Knights 47-0. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Fairfield's Joey Quealy (11) runs the ball out of bonds during the second half of a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. The Littlestown Bolts defeated the Fairfield Knights 47-0. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Fairfield's Jake Myers (27) looks for a pass during the second half of a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. The Littlestown Bolts defeated the Fairfield Knights 47-0. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Jesse Hawk (36) is brought down by Fairfield's Koty Monogan (65) during the second half of a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. The Littlestown Bolts defeated the Fairfield Knights 47-0. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Fairfield fans watch on under umbrellas during the second half of a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. The Littlestown Bolts defeated the Fairfield Knights 47-0. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Corbin Brown (5) puts on a raincoat after winning a game against Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. The Littlestown Bolts defeated the Fairfield Knights 47-0. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
The Littlestown Bolts celebrate after winning a game against Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, at Littlestown's Memorial Stadium. The Littlestown Bolts defeated the Fairfield Knights 47-0. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Brady McClintock (81) runs the ball down the field during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown High School seniors stand before a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
The colors are presented as the national anthem plays during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Heath Reynolds (7) shakes hands with a fairfield player before a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Heath Reynolds (7) scores a touchdown during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Fairfield's Garrett Stadler (24) runs the ball against the Littlestown defense during a game, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Austin Brown (25) is taken down by the Fairfield defense during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
The Littlestown band performs during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Fairfield's Joey Quealy (11) makes it past Littlestown's Corbin Brown (5) during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Fairfield's Elijah Jarosz (29) intercepts the ball during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Heath Reynolds (7) is taken down by the Fairfield defense during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Corbin Brown (5) runs the ball down the field during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Corbin Brown (5) scores a touchdown during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown fans reach for a shirt thrown by cheerleaders during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Zackary Lanning (11) celebrates with Littlestown's Brady McClintock (81) after Lanning scored a touchdown during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
A Littlestown player covers up from cold rain during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
A Littlestown cheerleader cheers during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Jakob Lane (8) prepares for a pass during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Littlestown's Heath Reynolds (7) and Fairfield's Nic Wheeler (31) battle for a pass during a game between Littlestown and Fairfield, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, in Littlestown. Harrison Jones, For The Evening Sun
Santa gets a new home in Hanover
Nobody wants to live in a falling apart, 80-year-old cabin, not even Santa. The Fraternal Order of the Eagles donated $40,000 to the Borough of Hanover to build a new Santa cabin for the 2018 holiday season.
Santa waves to the crowd after arriving at his brand new cabin in the Hanover Square on Friday, November, 23, 2018. (Photo: Dan Rainville, The Evening Sun)
There are a lot of a familiar touches to the new cabin: the mailbox was reused, the "Santa's Headquarters" sign is hanging proudly on the new cabin, and the hinges and door knocker both are from the old cabin.
The Hanover community came together to make sure that this cabin would be just as special as the one it replaced, and hopefully it will last for many years to come.
Hanover Helps: Join the Facebook community
Free Hugs of Hanover
Overwhelmed with the struggles of the world like homelessness, domestic violence, mental illness and loss, Jennifer Geiman wanted to find a way to give back to people afflicted by these struggles.
Jennifer Geiman, of Manheim Township, is seen offering free hugs at Second Saturday mini golf. (Photo: Sophie Kaplan)
She learned about the magic of hugging and realized that this was something she could do.
Hugging can boost the immune system, help manage stress, trigger the release of oxytocin and more.
Geiman gives out free hugs every Friday in the square in downtown Hanover.
Hanover Helps: Read more stories about doing good in the community
Hanover High School fosters musical aspirations
The Hanover High School theater is not only an inclusive program for kids across the student body to participate in but it is also an award winning program inspiring students to pursue further studies in the arts.
Students who never imagined being involved in the theater program at school are now considering careers in music.
"You get goosebumps," Isaac Silver, a graduate of the program, said of performing. "It's like you're in a hyperfocused state. To me, I don't feel home anywhere else more than I do on a stage."
Hanover High School senior Michael Posner discussed becoming a part of the school musicals and winning at the Encore showcase in April. The Evening Sun
New Oxford man becomes BladeSports world champion
Dwayne Unger became a world champion in cutting at the world's largest knife show in Atlanta.
The competition consisted of about 15 obstacles including cutting through thick ropes, a hockey puck and a dozen water bottles at once.
Dwayne Unger, of New Oxford, competes in the BladeSports world championship at the annual BLADE Show in Atlanta on June 2, 2018. Submitted
Hanover thrift shop celebrates 25 years
Volunteers call the St. Vincent de Paul Parish, "the friendliest thrift shop in town."
The shop that just celebrated its 25th year is a labyrinth of a variety of donations from clothing, to household appliances and books.
"They're like friends to me," said Caroline Murren, a coordinator and long-time volunteer, of the people who come into the thrift shop. "Some come and give us a hug. We have one lady who comes in and gives us a basket of goodies and thanking us for donating here, for donating our time here. We have all kinds of people. It's very interesting. It's almost like sitting on a park bench at the beach watching people walk by."
St. Vincent's Thrift Shop in Hanover has served customers in need for 25 years. Dustin Levy, The Evening Sun
Meet the man walking around Hanover with the American flag
Michael Urey walks miles daily with a flag in hand to show his support for people who support the country.
"I'm 66 years old, and I am living a good life because of those people," Urey said. "The police men that make it safe so that I can lay my head down at night."
Hanover business honors military couples with 50 free wedding dresses
Simone's Unlimited is giving away dresses to 50 military couples getting married.
"We both feel that America has always been great, and it is because of a lot of great people in the community giving back," owner Simone Hostetter said. "Especially to people who have done so much for the country."
Courtney McDannell is the first military bride to pick out a dress at Simone's Unlimited. They plan to donate dresses to 50 military couples. Sophie Kaplan, The Evening Sun
Cops and Rock campaign
West Manheim Township Police Department started a kindness campaign called Cops and Rocks after they were "rocked" in April.
Friends, family and coworkers helped the department by painting rocks that were hidden throughout West Manheim Township.
Photos: West Manheim Township police Cops and Rocks kindness campaign
West Manheim Township Police Department hide rocks with inspirational messages and images to spread kindness. #WMTPDrocks Courtesy of West Manheim Township Police Department
A Kindness Rock thanking the police department was gifted to West Manheim Township Police by Cody, Sean and Cathy. Courtesy of West Manheim Township Police Department
West Manheim Township Police Department was "rocked" on July 4. Courtesy of West Manheim Township Police Department
West Manheim Township Police Department hide rocks with inspirational messages and images to spread kindness. #WMTPDrocks Courtesy ofWest Manheim Township Police Department
Sgt. Toby Wildasin found a rock left at the department on April 13. Courtesy of West Manheim Township Police Department
The history of St. Matthew Lutheran Church
This year, St. Matthew Lutheran Church celebrated its 275th anniversary.
The congregation currently hosts one of the largest pipe organs in the world, and it originally got its start in a log cabin.
"It's a large church, and a lot of people say you get lost in a large church but believe it or not, I can tell you if someone has missed two Sundays," said Vicki Wildasin, a life member of the church and co-chair of the 275th anniversary committee. "It's a big church with a small church feeling."
St. Matthew Lutheran church in Hanover houses one of the largest pipe organs in the world, with over 14,470 pipes. Hanover Evening Sun
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