text:
\section{Introduction}
\input{paper_1_introduction.tex}

\section{Method}
\import{paper_2_method/}{paper_2_method.tex}

\section{Result}
\import{paper_3_result/}{paper_3_result.tex}

\section{Conclusion}
\input{conclusion.tex}

\section*{Acknowledgment}
We acknowledge the Rosen Center for Advanced Computing at Purdue University for the use of their computing resources and technical support.
The authors acknowledge the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at the University of Texas at Austin for providing high-performance computing resources.
 \bibliographystyle{apsrev4-1k}

\subsection{NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes}

Electron and hole properties are solved within the NEGF method~\cite{Datta2000}.
To limit the computational load, the devices are partitioned and Green's functions are solved recursively on the resulting slabs~\cite{Sadasivam2017}.
The retarded Green's function $G^R$ is solved by the Dyson equation\cite{Datta2000}
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{dyson_eqn}
G^{R} = [E-H-\Sigma_{S}^{R}-\Sigma_{D}^{R}-\Sigma_{BP}^{R}]^{-1}.
\end{eqnarray}
The lesser Green's function $G^<$ is given in the Keldysh equation
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{keldysh_eqn}
G^<=G^R (\Sigma^<_{S} + \Sigma^<_{D} +  \Sigma^<_{BP}   ) G^{R\dagger}.
\end{eqnarray}
All Green's functions and self-energies are matrices in the discretized positions space.
Their dependency on the in-plane momentum $k_{\parallel}$ and energy $E$ is omitted in Eqs.~(\ref{dyson_eqn}) and (\ref{keldysh_eqn}) for better readability.
The source and drain contact self-energies are given by $\Sigma^{R,<}_{S}$ and $\Sigma^{R,<}_{D}$.
Scattering of electrons and holes is included with B\"{u}ttiker probe self-energies ($\Sigma^{R,<}_{BP}$) ~\cite{Bttiker1986,Anantram2008,Sadasivam2017}.
Quantities such as the density of states, the particle density, the state occupancy and the current density can be deduced from the Green's functions as typical for the NEGF method~\cite{Datta2000,Kubis2011}.

The retarded B\"{u}ttiker probe combines all intra-band scattering processes, such as scattering on various phonons, impurities and electron-electron scattering into the empirical scattering parameter $\eta$~\cite{Geng2018}.
To resemble the Urbach tail\cite{FranzUrbach1953,Sarangapani2018} in GaN, $\eta$ is exponentially decaying into the band gap.
For electrons in the conduction band, the retarded B\"{u}ttiker probe self-energy reads
\begin{equation}
\label{self_energy_exp}
\begin{aligned}
&\Sigma_{BP,n/p}^{R}(x,x',k_{\parallel},E) = \delta(x-x') \\
\times  &\begin{cases}
    a \eta_n, & \text{if } E \geq E_c\left(x,k_{\parallel}\right)\\
    a \eta_n \cdot \exp \left(
    -\frac{E_c(x,k_{\parallel})-E}{\lambda}\right)
    , & \text{if } E_c\left(x,k_{\parallel}\right) > E \geq \frac{E_c+E_v}{2} \\
    a \eta_p \cdot \exp \left(
    \frac{E_v(x,k_{\parallel})-E}{\lambda}\right)
    , & \text{if }  \frac{E_c+E_v}{2} > E \geq E_v\left(x,k_{\parallel}\right) \\
    a \eta_p, & \text{if } E_v\left(x,k_{\parallel}\right)>E  .
\end{cases}
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
In all NEGF calculations, the mesh size a is set to $0.259$~nm.

The retarded B\"{u}ttiker probe for holes in the valence band has the same formula, but with valence band parameters.
Similar to Ref.~\onlinecite{Szabo2015}, the electron and hole mobility are deduced from the respective resistivity of n- or p-doped homogeneous material samples solved with NEGF and B\"{u}ttiker probes
\begin{eqnarray}
\label{resistivity_eqn}
\rho_{n,p} = \frac{dR^\Omega_{n,p}}{dL}  = \frac{1}{q(\tilde{\mu}_{n,p} N_{n,p})}.
\end{eqnarray}
Here, $R^\Omega$ refers to the resistance of GaN samples of length $L$, $R^\Omega(L)=V_{sd}/I(L)$.
The applied Fermi level difference of source and drain in the mobility calculation is set to $10$~meV.
$I(L)$ is the length dependent current density for electrons or holes and solved for $L=20$~nm and $L=25$~nm.
The empirical scattering parameter $\eta_{n}=0.05$~eV for electrons and $\eta_{p}=0.06$~eV holes are chosen such that the respective NEGF predicted mobility agrees with $\tilde{\mu}_e=56.88 cm^2/(Vs) $ and $\tilde{\mu}_h=10.0 cm^2/(Vs)$ (taken from Ref.~\onlinecite{Mnatsakanov}).
For completeness, Fig.\ref{eta_mobility} shows the GaN hole and electron mobility as a function of the respective $\eta$.
The band tail parameter $\lambda$ is chosen to be 55~meV for electrons according to Ref.~\onlinecite{Sarangapani2019}.
The same value is assumed for holes.

\begin{figure}[h]
 	\centering
 	\includegraphics[width=3.4in]{eta_mobility.png}
 	\caption{NEGF predicted mobility of a homogeneous semiconductor with p and n doping density of $10^{20}/cm^3$ as a function of the product of $\eta_{n,p}$ of Eq.~(\ref{self_energy_exp}) with the mesh spacing $a$. }
 	\label{eta_mobility}

 \end{figure}

The "lesser than" B\"uttiker probe self-energy $\Sigma^{<}_{BP}$ is depending on the B\"uttiker probe Fermi-levels, $\mu_{n/p}(x)$
\begin{equation}
\label{Sig_in}
\begin{aligned}
&\Sigma^<_{BP,n/p}(x,x',k_{\parallel},E) = \\
&\begin{cases}
-F\left( \mu_n(x),E \right) (\Sigma_R(x,x',k_{\parallel},E)-\Sigma_R^\dagger(x,x',k_{\parallel},E)), \\
 \text{          if }   E \geq \frac{E_c+E_v}{2} \\
-(1-F\left( \mu_p(x),E \right) (\Sigma_R(x,x',k_{\parallel},E)-\Sigma_R^\dagger(x,x',k_{\parallel},E)), \\
 \text{          if }    E < \frac{E_c+E_v}{2}.
\end{cases}
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
Here, $F$ is the equilibrium Fermi distribution function.
In this work, $\mu_{n}(x)$ and $\mu_{p}(x)$ are solved iteratively to satisfy the overall current conservation
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}
\label{Current_conservation}
&R_{n}(x) =  R_{p}(x) =R_{R/G}(x)
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$R_{n}$ and $R_{p}$ represent the net electron and hole current of the B\"uttiker probe at position $x$, respectively.
In the state-of-the-art  B\"uttiker probe models, $\mu_{n}(x)$ and $\mu_{p}(x)$ are solved separately which ensures both, electron and hole current conservation individually.
Equation~(\ref{Current_conservation}) agrees with the common B\"uttiker probe model for the case of $R_{R/G}=0$.

The retarded source and drain self-energies $\Sigma^R_{S,D}$ are solved iteratively following Ref.~\cite{Sancho2000,Sancho1985}.
To guarantee smooth electron and hole transitions at the device/source and device/drain interfaces, the retarded B\"uttiker probe self-energy of Eq.~(\ref{self_energy_exp}) is included in the source and drain self-energy calculation~\cite{Kubis2009d,Miao2016}.
The B\"uttiker probe and NEGF equations are iterated with the Poisson equation to achieve charge self-consistency.
Piezoelectric and spontaneous polarizations are included as well following Ref.~\onlinecite{Geng2018}.
\subsection{Drift diffusion models}
The purely semiclassical bulk drift-diffusion(DD) model~\cite{DeFalco2005} is applied on the homojunction pn diode with a mesh spacing of $0.1$~nm.
In case of the pn diode including a quantum well, the DD model is augmented with quantum corrections for the bound states (DD+qwell) in the well region~\cite{atlasweb}.
That heterojunction device is discretized with an adaptive real space mesh~\cite{atlasweb} with average mesh spacing of $0.16$~nm.
Depending on their energy and location, electrons and holes are separated into two groups, "bound states" and "bulk states".
For electronic energies below the barrier potentials ("bound states") at the GaN/InGaN interfaces, the Schr\"odinger equation is solved assuming the wave functions vanishing at the Schr\"odinger domain boundaries (i.e. Dirichlet boundary conditions).
The solution domain of the Schr\"odinger equation is exceeding the InGaN quantum well by 10~nm in both directions to account for the wavefunction penetration into the barriers.
Artificial bound states in GaN that would arise from the Dirichlet boundary conditions are avoided by limiting the lower bound of the GaN band edge to the barrier potential at the GaN/InGaN interfaces~\cite{atlasweb}.
For "bulk states", the DD equations are solved throughout the structure, but the InGaN band edge is shifted to the minimum of the barrier potentials at the unaltered GaN/InGaN interfaces~\cite{atlasweb,doi:10.1063/1.4808241}.
This ensures all "bulk states" do not face quantum well potential confinement.

Charge carriers of the two energy sets ("bound" and "bulk"), are coupled to each other by a capture-escape model~\cite{atlasweb}.
Capture-escape rates for electrons and holes respectively are added to the DD continuity equations to allow transitions between "bound" and "bulk" particle groups~\cite{atlasweb}.
Recombination-generation mechanisms are included in the continuity equations as well (Eqs.~(\ref{eqn:A}-\ref{eqn:C})).
Detailed balance is ensured and all Fermi levels uniquely determined by using the same rates for carrier gain/loss in the "bound" and "bulk" groups and for generation and recombination, respectively.
For charge self-consistency, the sum of the electron and hole "bound" and "bulk" density is iterated with the Poisson equation.

\subsection{GaN pn junction }
Figure~\ref{pn_charge}(a) shows the position resolved band edge of the GaN pn diode solved in DD and NEGF.
Both results agree quantitatively.
The charge distributions of the two methods are depicted in Fig.~\ref{pn_charge}(b).
The majority carrier in each region shows agreement between the two models while the minority charge from NEGF is around $10^3$ and $10^5$ times higher in the depletion region for electrons and hole, respectively.
The minority carriers enter the oppositely doped area due to tunneling - as illustrated by the contour plot of the energy resolved carrier density of NEGF in Fig.~\ref{pn_charge}(a).
Note, the tunneling is longer ranged for conduction band states with their lighter effective mass than for the states in the valence band.
DD-based models do not capture this tunneling effect and the state-of-the-art quantum corrections do not apply to "bulk states".
The energy resolved density also illustrates Urbach tails with the additional density at energies below (above) the conduction (valence) band edge.
It is worth to mention, decreasing $\lambda$ to $5$~meV in Eq.~(\ref{self_energy_exp}) reduced the Urbach tail and decreases the OFF-current by 10\% while the ON-current changes only marginally.

 \begin{figure}[h]
 	\centering
 	 \includegraphics[width=3.4in]{pn_charge.png}

 	\caption{The GaN pn diode described in the main text with a voltage of $V_{sd}=3.0V$ applied. (a) Conduction and valence band profiles solved in DD (lines) and NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes (symbols) along with contour plots of the energy resolved carrier densities at vanishing in-plane momentum. (b) Position resolved electron and hole  densities solved in DD (lines) and NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes (symbols).}
 	\label{pn_charge}
 \end{figure}

Differences in the density entail deviations of the recombination current density of the two models (see Eqs.~(\ref{eqn:A})-(\ref{eqn:C})).
This is illustrated in Fig.~\ref{pn_recomb} (a) which shows the various contributions to the position resolved recombination rate of DD and NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes for the situation in Fig.~\ref{pn_charge}(b).
For higher applied bias, the effective barrier between n- and p-doped region reduces.
Minority carrier tunneling becomes less relevant compared to the thermionic emission current \cite{Latreche2019}.
In consequence, the densities of DD and NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes at a higher voltages agree better and so do the recombination rate contributions in Fig.~\ref{pn_recomb}(b).

  \begin{figure}[h]
 	\centering
 	\includegraphics[width=3.4in]{pn_recomb.png}
 	\caption{ Spatially resolved recombination rates ($R_{SRH}(x)$, $R_{radiative}(x)$ and $ R_{Auger}(x)$) for the pn diode of Fig.~\ref{pn_charge} solved in NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes (symbols) and DD (lines) for applied voltages of V$_{sd}$=3.0~V (a) and 3.6~V (b). }

 	\label{pn_recomb}
 \end{figure}

The comparison of the total current density (Eq.~(\ref{Itotal})) predicted with DD and NEGF with B\"uttiker probes follows the same trend as can be seen in Fig.\ref{pn_IV}.
Low voltages show pronounced deviations, whereas voltages above about $3.2$~V yield quantitive agreement in the total current density.
The recombination current density deviates until about $3.5$~V, but its relative contribution is insignificant for voltages above $3.2$~V.
Note that the slope of the IV-curve below $V_{sd}=$3.4V differs significantly between the two models due to the different treatment of tunneling.

   \begin{figure}[h]
 	\centering
 	\includegraphics[width=3.4in]{pn_IV.png}
 	\caption{Current-voltage characteristics of the pn diode of Fig.~\ref{pn_charge} predicted by NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes (symbols) and DD (lines). The total current density (gray) contains the contributions from the recombination current density (black).}
     \label{pn_IV}

 \end{figure}

 \subsection{InGaN quantum well embedded in GaN pn junction}
When an In$_{0.13}$Ga$_{0.87}$N layer is added to the center of the GaN pn junction, a quantum well in the conduction and valence band forms (see Fig.~\ref{qw_band_charge}(a)).
Unaltered DD density results follow the band profiles\cite{DeFalco2005}.
Consequently, the unaltered DD calculations yield maxima in the carrier density close to the In$_{0.13}$Ga$_{0.87}$N/GaN interfaces (see Fig.~\ref{qw_band_charge}(b)).
In contrast, quantum corrected calculations cover quantum confinement effects with wavefunction maxima of "bound states" closer to the quantum well center (see dashed lines for conduction $\Psi_{n,qwell}$ and valence $\Psi_{p,qwell}$ band "bound states" in Fig.~\ref{qw_band_charge}(a)).

Calculations of NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes do not distinguish between confined and continuum states but allow for smooth transitions between them.
This is illustrated with the contour plot of the energy and position resolved density of states (DOS) in Fig.~\ref{qw_band_charge}(a).

Confined carriers in the quantum well extend into the continuum of states.
Continuum states are also modified by the interference effects at the quantum well boundaries.
Higher order quantum well states with energies well beyond the barrier heights are still visible in the DOS continuum (yellow lines in Fig.~\ref{qw_band_charge}(a)).
These effects are missed in the quantum corrected DD model (DD+qwell) that separates "bound" and "continuum" spectra.
In detail, the conduction and valence band ground state energies predicted in NEGF are approximately $0.13$~eV higher than in DD+qwell.
In consequence, the local density of the three models differ (see Fig.~\ref{qw_band_charge}(b)).

   \begin{figure}[h]
 	\centering
 	\includegraphics[width=3.4in]{qw_band_charge.png}
 	\caption{The GaN pn diode with an InGaN quantum well described in the main text for an applied voltage of $V_{sd}=2.6V$. (a) Conduction and valence band profiles solved in DD+qwell (lines) and NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes (symbols) along with a contour plot of the energy resolved density of states at vanishing in-plane momentum. The dashed lines show the squared absolute value of the "bound" quantum well wave functions in the DD+qwell model. For reasons discussed in the main text, the ground state energies of DD+qwell and NEGF differ, and NEGF covers quasi-bound states in addition (indicated with yellow lines and labeled with numbers).
 	 (b) Position resolved electron and hole  densities solved in DD+qwell (lines) and NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes (symbols).
 	}

 	\label{qw_band_charge}

 \end{figure}

For an applied voltage of V$_{sd}$=4.0V the quantum well ground states of conduction and valence bands are well confined (see Fig.~\ref{qw_occu}).
In this case, a distinction of "bound" and "continuum" states as done in DD+qwell is obvious.
However, the energy resolved density in Fig.~\ref{qw_occu} for energies above the barrier potential (i.e. "continuum" states) still shows significant interference due to the potential change at the quantum well.
The interference pattern of the electron (hole) density are best visible in the n-doped (p-doped) region.
These quantum effects add resistance to the B\"{u}ttiker probe scattering.
Since the B\"{u}ttiker probe scattering strength was tuned to match the mobility assumed in the DD calculations, the total current density of the device in Fig.~\ref{qw_occu}  is predicted lower in NEGF than DD.
This is illustrated in Fig.~\ref{qw_IV} which shows the total ON current is about two times smaller in NEGF than DD.
Since the density of the confined state in the quantum well of NEGF calculations is smaller than in DD (see Fig.~\ref{qw_band_charge}b), the recombination current density of NEGF is smaller than in DD, too (see black lines and symbols Fig.~\ref{qw_IV}).

   \begin{figure}[h]
 	\centering
 	\includegraphics[width=3.4in]{qw_occu.png}
 	\caption{The GaN pn diode with an InGaN quantum well of Fig.~\ref{qw_band_charge} with a voltage of $V_{sd} = 4.0V$ applied. Conduction and valence band profiles solved in DD+qwell (lines) and NEGF with B\"uttiker probes (symbols) are shown along with a contour plot of the energy resolved density of states at vanishing in-plane momentum solved in NEGF with B\"uttiker probes.

 	}

 	\label{qw_occu}
 \end{figure}

   \begin{figure}[h]
 	\centering
 	\includegraphics[width=3.4in]{qw_IV.png}
 	\caption{Current-voltage characteristics of the GaN pn diode with a InGaN quantum well of Fig.~\ref{qw_band_charge} predicted by NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes (symbols) and DD+qwell (lines). The total current density (gray) contains the contributions from the recombination current density (black). The inset illustrates a difference of approximately 2x in the ON-current predicted with NEGF and DD.}
 	\label{qw_IV}

 \end{figure}

\subsection{Illuminated InGaN quantum well embedded in GaN pn junction}
When various carrier generation rates due to solar light absorption are included in the calculations of the InGaN quantum well system of Figs.~(\ref{qw_band_charge})-(\ref{qw_IV}), the predicted current density is linearly shifted to negative values (see Fig.~\ref{qw_solar}) as common for solar cell operations~\cite{Tobnaghi2013}.
The open circuit voltage for DD calculations at $350$~K temperature is smaller than in the NEGF case.
This is a result of the different quantum well densities and recombination rates discussed already in Figs.~\ref{qw_band_charge}(b) and \ref{qw_IV}.
With a lower temperature of $100$~K, the ground state energy of the quantum well turns out to be larger than the confinement potential and the DD model does not find any "bound states".
Then, the quantum well density of DD calculations is lower than in NEGF, and same holds for the recombination current density.
Therefore, at $100$~K, a higher open circuit voltage is observed in DD than in NEGF.

   \begin{figure}[h]
 	\centering
 	\includegraphics[width=3.4in]{qw_solar_IV.png}
 	\caption{Current-voltage characteristics of the GaN pn diode with a InGaN quantum well of Fig.~\ref{qw_band_charge} predicted by NEGF with B\"{u}ttiker probes (symbols) and DD+qwell (lines) with a finite electron-hole generation rate of S$=6.4\times 10^{22} cm^{-3}s^{-1}$ in the quantum well. The different quantum mechanical treatment of the bound and quasi-bound states of the two methods leads to  differences in the open-circuit voltage at 350~K and 100~K as detailed in the main text.}
 	\label{qw_solar}

 	%
 \end{figure}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


There are a number of programs available for funding school investments in education technology, modernizing classrooms, getting Internet in classrooms and generally investing in creating 21st century schools. But the process can be complicated, confusing and frustrating. However, done well, zero interest loans can be accessed and significant savings can be realized. Today's guest explains to school business officials how to make navigating the funding Labyrinth easy.


text:
3 action movies starring Mark Dacascos to watch at home
In praise of the great Mark Dacascos, and three of his movies you can watch at home
By Toussaint Egan and Pete Volk Jun 21, 2022, 5:40pm EDT
Share All sharing options for: 3 action movies starring Mark Dacascos to watch at home
Image: Simitar Entertainment
Your time is precious, and your options are endless. The good news: We watch it all so you don't have to. Polygon's What to Watch highlights the best, the funniest, the scariest, and the most exciting in movies, TV, and everything in between. Stop scrolling, start watching!
Many people know Mark Dacascos as The Chairman in Food Network's Iron Chef America. But Dacascos is also one of the best screen fighters we've ever been blessed to see gracing our screens, delivering some quintessential action performances in the '90s and beyond that remain remarkable to this day.
Dacascos' unique combination of charm and skill coupled with his laid-back attitude made him stand out from other martial arts stars of his era, like the much more intense Steven Seagal or Jean-Claude Van Damme. While he never got the shot at major stardom that those other two did, he's seeing a wonderful little career resurgence recently, playing the lead villain in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, voicing a main part in the solid Batman animated movie Batman: Soul of the Dragon, and reportedly joining the cast of Cinemax's excellent martial arts television show Warrior for its third season.
Dacascos was also one of the best interviews on Scott Adkins' excellent Art of Action interview series, diving into his life and career. It's well worth your time.
While some of his best movies (including the capoeira drama Only the Strong and the live-action adaptation of Crying Freeman) are not currently available to watch at home, these three are, and they all rule while also providing terrific displays of Dacascos' talents.
This is my personal favorite of Dacascos' movies, and it made our list of our favorite martial arts films you can watch at home. In Drive, Dacascos plays a superhuman escaping a group of deadly assassins. His laidback charm, good looks, and terrific martial arts skills suit the role of a bionic man. Along the way, he teams up with a down-on-his luck songwriter (Kadeem Hardison) and a motelier (a very charming Brittany Murphy, in an early role). —Pete Volk
Drive is available to stream for free with ads on Vudu, Tubi, and Pluto TV. It is also available for digital rental or purchase via Amazon.
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Image: Universal Pictures
Dacascos stars opposite Samuel Le Bihan in Christophe Gans' 2001 martial arts-action-horror period film Brotherhood of the Wolf as Mani, the formidable and ever-loyal Iroquois companion to Sir Grégoire de Fronsac, a knight and royal naturalist of King Louis XV. When the province of Gévaudan is besieged by a mysterious rash of murders perpetrated by some unknown creature, Fronsac and Mani are dispatched to investigate. What they find is a conspiracy that threatens not only the local townspeople, but a plot that could topple the French monarchy if not stopped.
Dacascos' Mani is a noble warrior of few words and swift actions, the kind of guy who's not afraid to go toe-to-toe (and blow-for-blow) against a gang of devious combatants or a horrifying armor-plated monster. Seriously, this guy could've given the Predator a run for his money. If you love swashbuckling sword duels, martial arts fight scenes, tricorne hats, and Monica Bellucci ('nuff said), Brotherhood of the Wolf is a must-see installment in the canon of Dacascos' best performances. —Toussaint Egan
Brotherhood of the Wolf is available to stream on Shudder, AMC+ through Prime Video, or with a library card on Kanopy. It is also available for digital rental or purchase via Amazon, Google Play, and Vudu.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Image: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Dacascos wasn't initially slated to be the lead villain in this movie. Per his interview with Adkins (linked above), he was working with famed Shakespeare teacher Patsy Rodenburg when director Chad Stahelski asked if he would be willing to do a cameo in the new John Wick movie, with maybe a line of dialogue and a short fight. Dacascos agreed, and when the actor originally slated to play the villain dropped out of the part, suddenly our guy was in line for a much meatier role.
The Wick series redefined modern action in many ways, and the third installment is the most martial arts-heavy of the bunch. It's a shift for the series that suits Dacascos well — he plays Zero, an assassin hunting Wick, and has a showstopper of an ending fight scene on a floor filled with glass panes. That scene took three to four weeks to shoot, Dacascos estimated, and he said he nearly walked into one of those glass panes about a "half a dozen times." —PV
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is available for free with ads on Tubi and Pluto TV, or to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu.
Next Up In What to Watch

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Have a Merry Mummy Christmas!
This December has seen the release of two movies that evoke the imagery and symbolism of ancient Egypt: the Biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings and the found footage horror film The Pyramid. Such releases are a very rare occurrence for U.S. movie theaters during this time of year, but it puts horror fans like me in a mummy state of mind—and just in time for the holiday season! In honor of this embalmed state of yuletide bliss, here's a look back at some memorable mummy merchandise that have been released over the years, merchandise that may still be available so that you can put some cursed undead mirth under your Christmas tree for your special someone. Read on ....
Loving the Alien Ornament from Hallmark
I'm sure that most Alien franchise fans have this item by now, but I'll say it anyway: the Alien ornament from Hallmark is fantastic!
Dozens upon dozens of Alien statues, model kits, busts and action figures have been released during the last few years, but this is the first collectible that has been made for your Christmas tree. The ornament's design is based on H.R. Giger's original "Big Chap" costume from Alien and the amount of detail on the ornament is extremely impressive for its scale--it even includes the semi-transparent dome that masks the creature's skull-like face. Furthermore, the creature is sculpted in a hunched position, making it look somewhat like a gargoyle perched on the edge of a cathedral.
For as impressive as the ornament is, the Alien uber-fan side of me would have preferred to have the creature depicted in a slightly different way. In the director's cut of Alien, there's a brief glimpse of the Xenomorph hanging motionlessly …
Future Familiar: The New Trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Unless you decided to take a vacation under a rock over the weekend, you'll have heard by now that the first trailer for the next Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens (a.k.a. Star Wars: Episode Seven) has arrived at both movie theaters and on the Internet. It's been met with great fanfare--within hours of its debut, the 'net was swamped with new updates, analyses, and complaints about this 88 second bit of film. There's even a stop-motion remake of this trailer that's been made purely with Lego toys. How fanboy-ish can you get?
The new trailer is a teaser in the most literal sense. It doesn't give any hints about the film's plot; instead, it gives us fleeting glimpses of what this era of the Star Wars universe looks like. What I think most critics, commenters and curmudgeons have missed it how the trailer emphasizes familiar aspects of Star Wars, details that fans will instantly recognize such as vehicles (X-Wings, TIE Fighters and the Millennium Falcon), tech…
Future Familiar: The New Trailer for Star Wars: Th...


Early spring was dominated by high temperatures with a return to more usual levels later in the month. Good rains fell over much of the coastal and subcoastal temperate regions while the pastoral zones remained very dry.
While not all worms 'disappear' when temperatures drop, neither do all worms disappear when conditions become dry. The difference between worms is how they wait out the dry times. For instance, Haemonchus (barber's pole worm) eggs and larvae are not at all dry-tolerant, so the adults find a quiet spot inside the sheep. When areas of green pick around leaky watering points encourage sheep activity, these adults respond by producing spectacular numbers of eggs resulting in hotspots of infection in an otherwise dry landscape. In contrast, the scour worms such as Trichostrongylus spp (scour worms) and Teladorsagia (small brown stomach worm) find the drier conditions not quite so taxing and the relatively few eggs produced wait stoically on pasture for rain before continuing on.
In the State Outlooks this month, conversation is all about the weaners, fresh low worm-risk paddocks and efficient drenches.
Recently there have been a small number of confirmed reports of reduced efficacy, including resistance, involving new sheep drenches in Australia. What should sheep producers do? >> Read more.
Barber's pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) occurs in all sheep production areas of Australia, even in arid areas. With the introduction of the Barbervax® vaccine it is timely to clarify the areas of Australia in which it is recommended for use and how to manage barber's pole worm where it is sporadic. >> Read more.
Lamb's tails; how long is long enough?
Docking the tail to the correct length at lamb marking time is crucial in minimising stain around the breech and reducing flystrike risk throughout the sheep's life. >> Read more.
If you sometimes struggle with the jargon on lice product labels, you're not the only one. See our product label terminology page to make sense of those terms. >> Read more.
This 3-question quick quiz tests your knowledge of sheep parasites and their control.
Click the question to open the page then go to the poll at the top right hand corner of each web site.
WormBoss: Did you prepare a low worm-risk paddock during the last 12 months?
FlyBoss: Do you apply a flystrike preventative treatment each year? If so, what deterines the time it is appplied?
LiceBoss: Between your most recent main shearing and the main shearing before that, did you apply a lice treatment, and if so, how long after shearing?
Time to watch the weather and your sheep as temperatures start to warm. Any meaningful falls of rain will kick-start worm activity. Plans should already be in place to develop 'clean' weaning paddocks and to identify effective weaning drenches. Liver fluke infections may still pose a threat to sheep and cattle.
In the south west, the weather has been mild with just enough rain to keep grass growing. But soil moisture is still low. Many properties have high worm egg counts.
In western Queensland the drought continues. Sheep crowding around watering points where moisture leaks onto the ground are at risk of barber's pole infestations, which further exacerbate a low plane of nutrition. Plans to develop low worm weaning paddocks should be well advanced.
With the weather starting to warm, pasture growth will be at its maximum and both sheep worms and blowflies will be active. Weaning drenches and checking for drench resistance are discussed.
Drought continues in Tasmania, but that won't stop parasites, especially in poorly nourished lambs. Paul Nilon busts some myths and gives some important tips for feeding, marking and weaning.
Despite the El Nino threat, rain continues to come in dribs and drabs. While there has been an exceptional early break in the upper north, the season has remained tough in parts of the mid and upper south east. Lice and flystrike are becoming more apparent with increasing wool length and the onset of spring temperatures.


Gingerbread is a tricky recipe, you should know that Lebkuchen is a special ingredient you should come up. Your bread wouldn't be complete without this ingredient that's why you have to invest on this ingredient! Some people say that it's hard to find in the market. Well, it's worth finding since it's really special so you need to make an effort to search for it. Thank toy for sharing this wonderful recipe to us!


Villa Hilla is a spacious 80m2 house, situated near Ounasvaara Chalets main building in Rovaniemi. The cottage provides facilities for up to ten persons. The spacious living room has a fireplace, creating a cozy feeling and a private sauna relaxes your body with tender heat.
- Rooms for up to eight persons can be found upstairs. There's also a possibility to fit more than eight guests.
• Trips on winter sleigh "Potkukelkka"
BOOKING CALENDAR IS NOT UPDATED. PLEASE ASK AVAILABILITY AND AN OFFER SEPARATELY.
Bed linen, towels and final cleaning are included into the rent. Arrival time from 12:00 to 00:00 (by appointment), the check-out: till 12:00. Pets are allowed. Plants are forbidden.


"George Osborne's focus on infrastructure is welcome, we know that UK businesses see poor transport and infrastructure connections as a constraint on growth, and that nearly a third of UK businesses would like to see better transport links.
"However we continue to call on the government to prioritise funding for bus services which can quickly and cheaply reach areas that rail and other infrastructure links cannot.
"More people commute to work by bus than all other public transport combined; and bus commuters already generate over £64 billion of economic output.
"This output could increase if we improve connectivity for UK businesses and allow them to draw on a wider pool of employees through cheap and reliable bus routes and connections.
Click here to read the full Autumn Statement made by Chancellor, George Osborne.


Special Thanks to Leslie Lindsay, R.N. B.S.N. for her guest post on Futureslps.com regarding Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). Follow her Tweets on Twitter and Like her Facebook Page.
You won't soon forget her. The red hair and blue eyes the size of saucers will linger in your memory. So, too will the fact that she is as fire-y and energetic as that copper hair that cascades down her back, framing her freckled face with possibility.
And when you hear her speak, you may have an inkling that she once suffered from moderate to severe childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), or you may be none the wiser. Although Kate is a bright, creative, and eager soon-to-be 2nd grader, she has overcome a road block most of us never have to deal with: a struggle to communicate expressively.
And why do I share this?
Since you are about to embark into an exciting profession of working with children and their families, I'd like you to have an inside view of what it's like to raise a child with CAS.
· We are hurting. We feel a sense of loss in our child's lack of verbal communication. We are grieving. We didn't want this to happen. Heck, most of us don't even know what CAS is!
· We are frustrated. We don't know what we are doing wrong (some of us blame ourselves on our child's inability to speak). It's hard to live a life where we only hear our child(ren) point and grunt to get their needs met.
· We feel all alone. It's not every day you run into someone else who is also struggling with CAS. It often feels like it is "us" against "the world." If you know of anyone else who is open to connecting for play dates or support groups, hook us up!
· We have a lot of other concerns. It may be that we have to take off work early—or stop working altogether to make sure our child gets to speech therapy. Money may be tight. Our insurance may be giving us a hard time. The demands of raising a family, running a household, and dealing with apraxia may have taken a toll on our relationships.
· We have a full, busy life. Apraxia and speech therapy is a part of our life, but we are many things to many people. Please respect our time.
· We worry. Will this ever get better? Will my child be able to talk—when? What do I need to do?
· We want to help. Let us into your speech-pathology world. You don't have to give away all of the secrets to the trade, but let us be your partner.
· Give us homework, tips, ideas, and more information on childhood apraxia. Some folks may request this, others might not know what they need or want. Feel us out. If you come across something in your professional life you think will help, but all means, pass it on.
·Treat us with respect and compassion. We know a lot about our children and we want to help them.
· But don't tip-toe around our feelings. Go ahead, lay it on me. Tell me that CAS is serious and complex and can take years to remediate. Tell me, too that you will do all you can to help my child learn to speak verbally and that we are in this together. I need that right now.
· Ask us about our home life. We may have some inside tips to help you with our child in therapy. For example, she really does get scared of bubbles; please do not blow them with her. She can't go anywhere without her favorite stuffed puppy. Let her bring him to therapy and perhaps incorporate him into your activities.
You see, as a former R.N. who worked with children day and night in an inpatient child psychiatry program at the Mayo Clinic, I know that children and their families matter. We are not simply a diagnosis who needs treatment. We are real people, with real feelings and real lives.
It is because of my daughter Kate that I wrote the first book designed for parents on this complex neurologically-based motor speech disorder. SPEAKING OF APRAXIA: A PARENT'S GUIDE TO CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH (Woodbine House, 2012) is as much as labor of love as it is a resource to help others along their apraxia journey.
The book is comprised of over 300 pages of tips, ideas, research, and more on various topics related—not just to CAS—but other speech disorders from suspecting a problem to getting treatment (what that treatment consists of), school challenges, what you can do at home, family coping, child coping, networking, advocating, and co-morbid conditions. Sprinkled throughout are quotes from parents speaking out about apraxia—what helped, what mattered, and what challenged them.
" I was so excited to open up my Advance for SLPs magazine today and see your book advertised! Your 'baby' is out there. I wish you lots and lots of success with it!" --R.W.
An SLP in Missouri shares this: "I already have a couple of families in mind that I am excited to tell about Speaking of Apraxia. What a great resource!"
"I could feel your blood, sweat and tears as I flipped through the pages (wiping my eyes).Outstanding! I just shook my head in amazement...I am in awe and I am still kind of speechless...really! This book will be just one of your legacies...well done!!"
And remember, our kids need your special touch. For without the "magic" of dedicated SLPs, our children with apraxia wouldn't be able to make the gains they do. Thank you.
Bio: Leslie Lindsay is former child/adolescent psych R.N. at the Mayo Clinic-Rochester. She is the mother of two school-aged daughters and a basset hound, named Sally. Lindsay and her family reside in the Chicago suburbs where she writes full-time. She is the author of "Speaking of Apraxia: A Parents' Guide to Childhood Apraxia of Speech" (Woodbine House, March 2012). Read more on her blog, "Practical Parenting…with a Twist" where she writes about apraxia, parenting, education, and more 5 days a week, www.leslie4kids.wordpress.com.
"Moving Therapy to the Gym: The Benefits of Gymnastics for Children with Autism"
Starting Every Friday Futureslps will be posting Social Media Related Information. Get Involved Connect, Network and Join the Community!
@Special Needs, Special Children :Really neat Non Profit Organization "Introducing all children into the activity of biking, and the sport of BMX".
@Sensory Street, Inc. :Provides a great resource for individuals " whose lives are touched by Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)"
@Autism is A Trip : "Family's journey with 3 small boys - the oldest of whom has high functioning autism." Provides support for parents, inspiration, real life experiences from a family's perspective.
@BeccasCrazyBoys "Full time Mom and wife, part time blogger and speech therapist, lover of pedicures, comfy clothes, and sweet tea. Yup, that's me in a nutshell." : View her fun blog http://ourcrazyboys.com/about/ and get to know her crazy boys.
@futureSLP_Joy "Soon to be SLP and a proud mommy": Welcome her as she enters her last year semester, a step closer to becoming a SLP.
@all4mychild "2 speech pathologists and 1 occupational therapist who are passionate about a multidisciplinary approach to helping children. In development of a Social app!" View their blog http://all4mychild.com/ which provides informative information related to different topics.
@SantePediatrics "One of the largest independent pediatric therapy providers in Texas, where our compassionate therapists offer physical, occupational and speech therapy." They have a blog http://blog.santepediatrics.com/ that features different articles from an array of topics.
@SpchBuddies "We're going for it. At Articulate Technologies, we're taking on the challenge of improving global standards for speech and communication." They have a great online resource center, http://www.speechbuddy.com/speech-solutions-center that provides information pertaining to challenges in speech and communication.


text:
Special symposium with the staff
of The Last Guardian Part 4
Fumito Ueda×Masanobu Tanaka
(Interviewer) Masami Tanji
PS4®Pro ENHANCED
For HD TV Enhanced games, players can benefit from
increased image clarity, faster frame rates, or more.
Disk version $19.99
Downloading version $19.99
ESRB Ratings
See downloading version on PlayStation™Store
Publisher : SIEA
Developer:Sony Interactive Entertainment World Wide Studios JAPAN Studio
This is a continuation of the special symposium on The Last Guardian, to commemorate its grand prize win in the entertainment section of the 21st Japan Media Arts Festival. We will continue to answer a variety of questions and inquiries. For this fourth part, we will start with some questions about the animation!
Just like last time, this conversation also contains spoilers.
So read at your own risk or come back after you've finished the game!
(Bold text: Masami Tanji)
Fumito Ueda
Game designer, game director. Best-known works include Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian.
Masanobu Tanaka
Lead animator of The Last Guardian. Also worked on Shadow of the Colossus as an animator.
Interviewer: Masami Tanji
Narrative designer on The Last Guardian. Also active as a Vocaloid producer under the name Captain Mirai.
About genDESIGN
This studio was formed by bringing together lead staff involved in the development of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, beginning with Fumito Ueda. Under his guidance, it was responsible for the entire creative aspect of The Last Guardian.
All of the creative direction, including game design, animation, level design, modeling, etc., was completed by a small number of elite staff.
『Projection Trico』
『Is Trico male or female...?』
『Ukaiya and Tricouno』
『The subtle parts are actually harder than the flashy parts』
『Speed is directly connected to completeness』
The subtle parts are actually harder than the flashy parts
―I'd like to move on and talk about the animation since there were many questions about that as well. To summarize, the main question was: "How did you create so much amazing animation?" Many people think you used motion capture.
Tanaka I should mention straight away that we did not use motion capture in The Last Guardian. It was all done by hard-working animators using keyframe animation. I mean, Trico's motion combined the movements of various animals, with the type of movement depending on the action. So motion capture would have been difficult I think. (laughs)
―It's true, there aren't any animals like Trico in the real world, so it must have been difficult to create the movements by hand without any kind of image in mind as a starting point.
Ueda The limits of the design were determined by game design and hardware, but I think most of the staff suggested imagining cat-like movements. Cats are loved throughout the world, and even if they don't always listen to what you say, you probably always end up forgiving them. (laughs) And they like high places more than dogs, so they're the best reference to use for animals that move around in high-up places.
Tanaka I've never had a pet cat, so I just watched a lot of videos.
But if you use a cat's movements without changing them, there's no sense of scale. I was in charge of animation for the Colossi in Shadow of the Colossus, and the Colossi were characters that were stiff, dull and did not show emotion, so it was a completely different thing from animating Trico.
―Although they have their large size in common, a stiff Colossus and a flexible animal... are complete opposites, in a way.
Tanaka That's why we looked at tigers to help give a sense of scale. We compared cats and tigers, while imagining an even more large-scale creature. Of course, we also included movements from many other animals.
―So you incorporated the movements of various animals in order to give a sense of life.
After finishing everything, is there any animation you are particularly attached to?
Ueda I liked the movement in one of the earliest trailers, for example, when Trico is perched on top of a narrow column and nods its head toward the boy like it wants something. I don't know what that kind of behavior means in an animal, but it strangely reminded me of something my dog would do once in a while. So that's why I had Tanaka-kun use it as material to create that animation.
Tanaka Yes. That was at the very beginning, when we were still exploring Trico's movement. I went ahead and interpreted that motion - the movement after it snorts at the boy - as showing that Trico wants to be loved but the boy doesn't understand. But honestly, I didn't know how to show that, so I mimicked a gesture that Ueda-san made with his hands. (laughs)
-Ah yes, that early Trico scene made a big impression. The game's cover has that image on it too.
Tanaka Also, speaking of animation that I'm attached to, I like the sequence on the collapsing bridge when Trico misses to catch the boy but then gets him with its tail and they manage to run through the bridge. Anyway, there's so much action packed in there that you might end up getting a tendinitis from gripping the mouse. (laughs)
In that scene, we animated Trico checking several times to make sure the boy was still on its tail. I was happy that many people noticed that.
If you look carefully, Trico checks on the boy who jumped on its tail
Ueda And this is a bit different from attachment, but there's the animation where Trico sticks its head in too far, gets stuck and can't move on. When I first thought of it, I thought it would work well but in the middle of such a long project, I stopped thinking much about it. I only found out recently that there was a big reaction to that movement on SNS. That surprised me a little because we completely stopped feeling the novelty of that part.
Trico getting his head stuck in a narrow place and being unable to move was very lovable
―I came in for the second half of the project, but the first time I saw that movement, it made me chuckle. It was a little silly but cute. Actually the players also liked it. Earlier, Tanaka-san was saying that the animation for Trico was basically done by hand, but there were some parts that couldn't be handled that way, right?
Tanaka To speak in terms of animation technology, we challenged ourselves with procedural animation this time. Procedural animation is the process of producing motions in real-time via calculations.
Actually, in Shadow of the Colossus, we tried this with some characters, but now with The Last Guardian, improvements in the calculation ability of the hardware has made more sophisticated expressions possible.
I think it was a lot of tough work for the staff because they had to have knowledge of both programming and animation.
―So it means producing animation in real-time, but is there a place which would be easy to understand the concept of procedural animation?
Tanaka For example, if Trico is climbing a slope, its feet are at different levels, but we might only really have animation data ready for flat terrain. Trico will automatically judge the terrain itself and decide where to place its feet and adjust its body position.
Then there's also Trico's head motion. Looking over its shoulder naturally, catching a barrel thrown at it... those kinds of actions are also characteristic of procedural animation.
*You can see some of The Last Guardian technical documents, including procedural animation here.
Ueda But actually, some of the ready-made motions that could be played back without much trouble had a bigger impact on players than some of the parts that we worked hard to implement with procedural animation. I mean, it was surprising, or rather gave me mixed feelings... For example, the motion of swimming. That part was different from the ones that were difficult as far as "control". Instead, it was one of the simpler parts to implement. The motion created beforehand just had to be played back at the position the animator chose.
Tanaka That's right. With procedural animation it's quite difficult to produce a natural gaze or powerful pose.
―It's true, when creating movements, the subtle parts are actually harder than the flashy parts. But it's hard to get that across, isn't it?
Ueda Still, with procedural animation, since the naturalness of a casual movement or the sturdiness of a motion have a firm foundation, those special movements at important points are probably more successful.
Tanaka Also, the gathering of huge animals walking naturally in a narrow space makes the environment a special place and not "just" an environment.
Ueda Yes, huge animals in a wide-open space don't convey much of a huge feeling.
―A part I liked was when the boy gets close to a wall and put his hand on it. That kind of procedural animation is casual, but I think it's extremely effective.
It's certainly not flashy, but it supports the realism.
Ueda In the end, the game world is a papier-mâché world made of polygons, and the extent to which it is felt to be real can only be produced by the reaction to characters and objects. It's pantomime theory. Though of course, sound effects are important too.
An example of procedural animation, when the boy moves close to a wall and gently puts his hand on it
「Until quite late in the second half of production, you could only grab while pressing the R1 button, like in Shadow of the Colossus.」
―I'm sure there were also cases where you wanted to put something in but couldn't because of technological or time issues, or there were changes; could we hear something about that?
Ueda Maybe the physical animation of the armor for enemy characters. By taking the procedural animation we talked about earlier a step further, we tried to make it automatically consider the coefficient of friction with the ground. Of course, it was just an imperfect version. On top of that, with the contact between Trico and the boy, we referenced their centers of gravity and made them have motion transitions that would let them dynamically move their feet so as not to fall down. Those kinds of things gave us quite a challenge at times, especially in the PS3 era. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like we could guarantee the stability of the product on schedule, so that was one component we sadly had to lose.
―There was also the idea of pushing away soldiers and making them trip on obstacles.
As far as changes in methods, the way to give instructions to Trico, for example, went back and forth during the time I was there. I remember that at first, pressing a button would change it to first-person view, and then you could choose to give instructions.
Tanaka That's right, in the game design, the most impressive change was the method of giving instructions. I feel like once the design of that part was set to how it is now, it determined the direction of the game. Talking about game design, I have the impression that the game was really made without many changes to the initial concept except for that part.
Ueda And grabbing via the R1 button. Until quite late in the second half of production, you could only grab while pressing the R1 button, like in Shadow of the Colossus. Particularly after the development environment changed to the PS4, the control behavior of the boy on Trico was unstable, and at one point, some genDESIGN staff thought that doing it that way might make it difficult to get the control ability for the product up to the ideal level. So there was that as well, and in order to stabilize the controls, we decided to make the change. Since in The Last Guardian there was no strength meter for the boy, unlike Shadow of the Colossus, and the players rarely chose not to grab, there was the aspect of interface optimization.
―That was really a last-minute change, wasn't it? We were used to grabbing with the R1 button, so at first it was confusing.
Ueda You can really see how last-minute of a choice it was because at E3, six months before release, we had a limited playable version of the game for the media people to try out, and at that time we were still using the R1 grab method.
Tanaka We were debating about it really up to the last minute. Since Shadow of the Colossus used the R1 button for grabbing, changing it might upset some users, but the controls were easier overall as a result.
Ueda Right, and we also wanted people who hadn't played ICO or Shadow of the Colossus to be able to play this easily.
Even in the trailers, you would be shaken off if you didn't use the R1 button to hang on
―That's true, people who haven't played ICO or Shadow of the Colossus should be able to get the hang of these controls easily with the way it is now. ...When we dig around on this topic, a lot comes up, doesn't it? (laughs)
Ueda Also, as far as other components we weren't able to put in, this is a detail of the video production, but we actually wanted to do a time-lapse after the ending. We planned to show a movie of Trico returning to the village, and after spitting out both the boy and the mirror, the forgotten mirror is slowly covered in earth, then slowly revealed again, in a time-lapse of several decades passing, transitioning into the credits... but we couldn't put it in because of the schedule.
―And if that was done using real time rendering, it sounds like it would have been quite costly as well... There were other things that got cut too, weren't there? For example, the treasure component, I really liked that one...
Ueda We planned to implement the treasure component up until the last minute too, but sadly we cut it in order to polish other areas instead.
―We planned to implement the treasure component up until the last minute too, but sadly we cut it in order to polish other areas instead.
Ueda Right, having Trico swallow various things and spit out bonus items also foreshadowed Trico's ability to swallow and spit out the boy and the mirror.
...Another component we really wanted to put in was the concept of implementing updates to Trico's AI through the network.
―What kind of idea was that? I don't remember.
Ueda For example, after the game's release, we would aggregate the play logs of all the players, and if there were stages with low clear rates, we would make Trico give more hints, or hold the boy in its mouth and guide him until he finds the right answer; by updating the AI according to actual play statistics, we would be able to adjust the balance in a natural way. And we would also be able to adjust Trico's personality to match the user's play style and so on; there are various other things we wanted to do.
Because Trico's AI plays such a central role in the game's concept, there would have been a lot of possibilities if we could have updated the AI, so it was really unfortunate that we couldn't implement that.
One idea that we didn't use in the end was feeding Trico jars that were buried in the ground, and having it spit out treasure items.
―I see, so that means Trico would be able to grow and change according to the overall behavior of users. It fits the game concept, and I can't help thinking about how it would be if it had been implemented... While there are unfortunately some components that we were unable to implement and had to cut, there are others on the other hand that we were just able to put in.
Ueda Yes, like those cases when we could anticipate the effectiveness being greater than the implementation cost.
―For example, the system where the boy meditates and remembers hints. I liked that a lot; sitting down makes you feel strangely like you are a resident of that world, but that process was put in at the last minute. The idea came up at a meeting toward the end, and the next day...
Tanaka Ueda-san had already created the sitting and meditating animation. (laughs) Since it was already done, there was nothing we could do but put it in. (laughs)
―Ueda-san actually spent several hours making it and then just smiled and said, "Oh, I made this."
Ueda Is that what I said? (laughs) Well, hints to help with game progress are given by the reminiscing voiceover, but I realized that players who missed those needed a way to view a past log of hints...
―It probably wouldn't have been very difficult to implement a menu or something on the pause screen where you could see a hint log for example.
Ueda My idea came from thinking about whether there was a more natural way to convey it to the player. And I was thinking that I wanted to put in a pose or motion that would be interesting when the player takes a snapshot of the game screen. Some characters have a special idling motion like dozing off that they do when the player isn't using any controls, but I thought it would be new and fun to be able to do that through the player's random control.
―It's beautiful when you can sit and meditate and look out over the scenery... The game lets you enjoy that kind of sightseeing as well. There are many stages where you can almost feel the wind too.
If you give the L-stick a long push in, the boy sits where he is to meditate, and can remember the previous hint from the voiceover
「I suggested and had them implement a realistic wind algorithm, so that it would feel more natural.」
―This is somewhat related to the previous topic, but it must have been pretty difficult to create background environments so that it would be beautiful no matter where you look. Can you say anything about how difficult or troublesome that was?
Tanaka We were very particular about representing the wind. It's common to just give the wind a simple noise and be done with it, but I suggested and had them implement a realistic wind algorithm, so that it would feel more natural.
―You took it that far? That feels like a job for a programmer to me...
Tanaka When you ask a programmer to design the algorithm itself, there are repeated confirmations and adjustments until you reach a satisfactory end result. That takes time and can get you distracted from what you originally wanted to do, so sometimes I design the algorithm myself here when I can, and ask them to implement it using the calculations.
We try to convey non ambiguous ideas and make sure that the final implementation is as close as possible to the design of algorithm.
Ueda That's right. If the design and implementation are too far away from each others, we end up having the same issue as "concept art is great but the actual game doesn't look anything like it." At genDESIGN, we try to avoid this issue and get the final result as close as possible to the original idea, from concept art to character design, regardless of the algorithm design.
―You research this, and consequently you design algorithm, right? (laughs)
―I see. When you can do the algorithm design yourself, you can be very flexible. What kind of suggestions were there specifically?
Tanaka Even though we worked on the movement of objects, it didn't convey the feeling of wind very well, so we separated the wind side and the affected object side (feathers, plants, etc.) and approached it from both angles.
For example, you may have seen how the wind passes like a wave over a rural landscape, so in order to reproduce that, we expressed the wind using a method as though there were pseudo-waves going through empty space.
As far as the affected objects, doing it in a simple way means they just fall over and lie flat, so I made it so that the effect can be adjusted according to the wind direction and angles of the object, and some things can be greatly affected by the strength of the wind while others deflect it.
―That is quite complex... or should I say, particular. So the way it worked was that you gave them that kind of algorithm and had them implement it.
Tanaka I'm sure it was difficult to implement, but I was able to gather ideas from others at genDESIGN before giving it to them, so that was better than going back and forth again and again.
―This is a world where nature that lets you feel the wind and decaying manmade structures coexist. It must have been a huge workload; how did you approach the project?
Ueda We quickly adopted an approach of using parts and layout for the background. Although that workflow is quite normal nowadays.
―So, does that mean there is one rock and one slab of wood, and these small parts are combined to create large-scale sceneries?
Ueda Right. Thanks to this workflow, we could create a realistic background density, and quickly handle changes to level design.
Tanaka genDESIGN designed the important parts, and we had JAPAN Studio expand on them and do the layout. We also outsourced some of the parts design to x10studio. We're thankful for that.
We also did the art direction, including writing, at genDESIGN and I think that heightened the quality and gave the whole thing a sense of unity.
One of the art documents created at genDESIGN
―I see. So by using this block-building method for the environment creation, you could condense the density and work time.
Tanaka Also, if you simply make a layout, it will look neat and orderly no matter what you do. So Ueda-san suggested processing it to make it all distorted in order to represent decline over time, and we had JAPAN Studio implement that. It was already implemented during the PS3 era but it was arranged too neatly, so we intentionally distorted it. They were able to get it done in the end by working consistently on all the fine adjustments.
Ueda It's not simply distorting it; for example, if we take a path, there aren't really any changes to the edges of the path, but the middle would be slightly worn down by the feet of people coming and going. Those kinds of manual adjustments are relatively simple to do using tools. So are ceilings, walls and pillars. These algorithms are not that complicated, so if possible, we wanted to have them be calculated automatically.
―It's really convenient if you can do that much automatically. It's interesting to be able to control how deteriorated a building looks using a slider.
I knew that the game background was created using that kind of approach, but many of the cutscenes were made as unique, weren't they?
Ueda Well, there weren't that many unique parts. As for cutscenes, we actually fully created the scenery around Trico's nest that you can see from the clifftop extending to the horizon. But in the last cutscene where Trico takes off, there was an error with the fog settings so you couldn't see anything... It was a shame to waste the work, so I want to post a picture of it.
Panorama of Ukaiya. If you look closely, you can see that there is a river surrounding it.
We'll end the fourth session here.
Next time will be the end at last. We'll look back on the discussion and talk about The Last Guardian in general. Please wait a bit longer for the next update!
2018-07-30-MON


Comcast Corp. is serious about disrupting Walt Disney Co.'s plan to acquire much of Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox.
On Wednesday, after weeks of speculation, the Philadelphia cable giant confirmed that it is in the advanced stages of preparing an all-cash offer intended to trump Disney's $52.4-billion stock bid. Comcast said its potential offer would be "superior" to Disney's proposal.
The stakes are enormous: The power play could determine which media company — Disney or Comcast — will wind up being the dominant entertainment company in Hollywood and beyond.
"While no final decision has been made, at this point the work to finance the all-cash offer and make the key regulatory filings is well advanced," Comcast said in a statement.
Comcast already controls internet and cable systems and NBCUniversal, which owns the NBC network, cable TV channels including USA, Bravo, E! and the Golf Channel, the Universal Pictures film unit and Universal Studios theme parks. The company wants to get even bigger to compete against tech giants Netflix, Facebook, Google and Amazon that have invaded the entertainment space.
Comcast stock fell nearly 2% to $31.88. Disney shares slipped 1.2% to $102.89. Fox, meanwhile, saw its shares rise 1.6% to $38.77.
Analysts speculated that the price for the Fox assets — which include the prolific 20th Century Fox film and television studios, 22 regional sports networks, FX and National Geographic channels — just increased by at least $10 billion.
That is because Comcast's bid is expected to top $60 billion, an amount that probably will force Disney to up its ante — a prospect that Fox investors probably would welcome.
Disney and Fox declined to comment.
A renewed Comcast bid would be a direct challenge to Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger, whose effort to buy much of Fox has been viewed as a bold move to cement his legacy and secure Disney's future.
"Disney CEO Bob Iger has never backed away from making the right long-term strategic moves for his company because of price," Nathanson said.
Disney wants the Fox assets — including Fox's stake in the Hulu streaming service — to bolster its TV and movie holdings and its direct-to-consumer streaming services. Disney launched an ESPN-branded service this spring and has been busy developing a second service — with Disney movies and television shows — that should launch sometime next year.
Even before Disney announced in December its bombshell bid to acquire 21st Century Fox's movie and TV production assets, Comcast had been lurking in the background as a rival.
In early November, Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts approached Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch to discuss such a union — but Murdoch was cool to Roberts' overture. The rub for Murdoch came down to the amount of the break-up fees that Comcast had offered and the company's struggles to get big deals approved by government regulators.
Comcast abandoned a bid for fellow cable and Internet provider Time Warner Cable in 2015 after the U.S. Justice Department said it would try to block that merger.
Some observers also believe that the Justice Department regrets consenting to Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011, and that the department might clamp down should Comcast try to get even bigger.
Fox executives rejected Comcast's bid, which was 16% higher than Disney's, because they believed that the chances of regulatory approval were better for Disney. In addition, the Disney deal would turn Fox shareholders, including Murdoch and his family, into Disney shareholders. The Murdoch family would become one of Disney's largest individual shareholders, with about 5% of the company's stock.
Both combinations probably would trigger considerable regulatory scrutiny. Disney and Fox, combined, would control about 40% of the domestic box office because Disney has churned out so many blockbusters in recent years.
In addition, Disney already bills itself as the "worldwide leader in sports" because of its majority stake in the sports juggernaut ESPN. Adding Fox's 22 regional sports networks, including Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket in the Los Angeles region, could trigger antitrust concerns.
A Comcast-Fox deal also would be problematic, according to analysts, because Comcast is the nation's largest high-speed internet provider. Streaming services, such as Netflix, probably would protest any move by Comcast to get bigger.
Comcast is not expected to make a move for Fox until mid-June, at the earliest, according to two knowledgeable people who were not authorized to comment publicly.
Disney clinched the Fox deal soon after the government in November brought a lawsuit to block AT&T Inc.'s $85-billion acquisition of Time Warner Inc., which includes HBO, CNN and the Warner Bros. movie and television studio.
Analysts believe that the Department of Justice failed to make a convincing case against the AT&T-Time Warner merger during a two-month trial that played out in Washington this spring. The judge is expected to rule on that merger by June 12.
Should AT&T be permitted to buy Time Warner, Comcast probably would consider that a green light to make a second run at Fox.
Comcast is offering cash, in part because it does not want to further dilute the stakes of its shareholders, including Roberts and his family. Comcast's stock has plummeted more than 20% since earlier this year when speculation intensified that Comcast would aggressively bid for the Fox assets.
Comcast initially offered Fox a stock deal but changed course after Comcast's shares plunged. Comcast concluded that a more predictable path was an all-cash deal. Its cable TV and high-speed internet businesses generate significant cash, which would give lenders some comfort that the company could handle more debt.
However, a Comcast all-cash deal would bring considerable tax considerations for individual shareholders, such as the Murdochs.
Last month, Comcast began its chess moves by making a $31-billion offer for European television provider Sky, which Disney also wants. Fox currently owns 39% of Sky, but it has struggled to win the British government's approval to buy the remaining shares. Sky has lucrative sports rights, including the Premier League of soccer, so the service would give either Comcast or Disney international exposure and even more sports to broadcast.
4:05 p.m.: This article was updated with analyst commentary and more background information and context.
9 a.m.: This article was updated with additional background information and context.
This article was originally published at 6:55 a.m.


Kalimetrix SARL was founded in 2003 in Toulouse (France), by a group of Software Engineering expert consultants.
Theses consultants have participated to the development of the Logiscope products more than 20 years ago. Since 2003, Kalimetrix provided Telelogic, then IBM with the maintenance of Logiscope.
In 2012, Kalimetrix has acquired Logiscope source code from IBM and released its own version, as IBM Rational announced the end of the marketing of IBM Rational Logiscope 6.6 in September 2012.
A Scop (Société COoperative de Production) is a cooperative enterprise where the employees hold the majority of the company's share capital. Employees elect the management team, participate fully in decision-making, manage the company, and share its profits, in accordance with the democratic economic principles of cooperatives.


tysontan added a comment to T10763: Krita User Manual Proofreading as a side-product of EN to CN translation.
OK I have formatted and numbered the monstrosity. I hope it can at least give some directions for you guys to look at!
tysontan updated the task description for T10763: Krita User Manual Proofreading as a side-product of EN to CN translation.
I'm at the end of the proofreading of my own Chinese translation now. Once I finished that, I will sort this one out. Although if you look closely, every string already has their file location and line number noted.
tysontan renamed T10763: Krita User Manual Proofreading as a side-product of EN to CN translation from Tyson's suggestions to Krita User Manual Proofreading as a side-product of EN to CN translation.
tysontan added a comment to M143: Text Object global changing.
tysontan added a comment to M131: Discuss Toolbox customization .
I think we should group these checkboxes by their functions, you know, just like what we are doing in the Toolbox right now.
tysontan added a comment to M125: Krita.org download page alternate version.
I really like your vision here. This will be a huge step forward and very modern.
tysontan added a comment to M124: Krita.org website download page redesign.
Hi Scott, I prefer your vision. It has a more modern looking layout and very functional. Mine was merely an idea of incremental work over the current layout. Shall we move the discussion to M125?
tysontan updated image descriptions of M124: Krita.org website download page redesign.
tysontan created M124: Krita.org website download page redesign.


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Russians seeking protection from the evil alien lord Xenu will have to look elsewhere after a Moscow court ordered the Church of Scientology's city branch shut down because it is "not a religion."
The Nov. 23 decision will require Scientology leaders to sell off assets in Moscow, including property, and shut down operations in the city.
Scientology is a belief system founded by American science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in 1954. Scientologists believe humans are plagued by the souls of Thetans, who were victims of the intergalactic evil Lord Xenu. The souls of the Thetans, Scientology teaches, attach themselves to humans, and are the ultimate cause of human misery and suffering.
Despite widespread condemnation as quackery, the Church of Scientology has thrived across the world with the support of powerful members, including Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise and John Travolta. Scientology spread to Russia in 1994, and in 2011 the organization built a lavish headquarters in Moscow, about a mile from the Kremlin and Red Square.
The Moscow Scientology Center features a vast three-story atrium, a chapel and a public information center with a library of films on Scientology, according to the church. The court ruling only impacts Moscow, and is not a nationwide ban on Scientology in Russia, The Associated Press reported. In 2011, a Russian district court banned several books written by Hubbard.
A Scientology spokesman told AP the church planned to appeal the Moscow court's ruling. Scientology lawyers said the organization "violated no bans" in Moscow. The main Scientology website included no mention of the Moscow ruling on Nov. 23.
Russia has about 100,000 practitioners of Scientology, according to RT. In the ruling, the Moscow court said Scientology isn't compatible with Russian laws on freedom of religion. The court pointed to the name Scientology itself, which is registered as a trademark, as proof that the organization is commercial and should not be considered a religious nonprofit, Russia's Sputnik News reported.
The Moscow City Court's decision to effectively shut down Scientology in the city was the result of a legal battle that's spanned the better part of two decades: After Russia ordered religious organizations in the country to reapply for protected status under a new law in 1996, Russian courts rejected almost a dozen applications from the Moscow branch of Scientology, according to RT.
With the latest ruling, Russian authorities have instructed Scientology leaders to set up a commission to liquidate the church's Moscow assets, The Independent reported. The court gave Scientology leaders six months to set up the commission.


VDV is a leading software solution for data management and visualization in Geotechnical and Structural projects. It supports all data sources such as data loggers, manually collected- and dynamic data.
VDV have been outstanding when responding to support issues. We have always received a response within 24 hours, and their staff are knowledgeable and able to provide clear direction on resolving support items.
The River Supply Conduit project is a new 78-inch diameter welded steel water main that is a major part of the water delivery system to the City of Los Angeles. The purpose of the project is to replace a significant portion of the near 100 year old system.
"Near real time" rainfall monitoring is a requirement for major highway upgrades in Australia. Rainfall results are used to trigger sampling of water quality parameters and to regulate work practices, minimising adverse environmental impacts during construction.
A 6m long SAA was installed in 1" I.D. PVC tube, 20 segments 30 cm long each. Deformations are measured automatically with Campbell Scientific CR800 datalogger, data are collected by a server via GPRSmodem and are displayed in the Internet in Vista Data Vision.
In early 2008, Geokon,Inc.'s Canadian division, GKM Consultants, was awarded a major contract to provide the instrumentation system for the Tsankov Kamak Dam in Bulgaria.


I love how his little paw slowly slides down. The other puppy doesn't even flinch.
This is so sweet. Its cute to see how puppies cuddle together when they are so little. Thanks for sharing something like this. I needed the smile. I lost my dear lady friend that i shared some of the great cookies you posted on thanksgiving day. She looked forward to what I would bring next. She was 92 yrs young.
This is so precious. I want all of them. Puppies are just so loving. Dottie, I am so sorry to see this sad news about your friend. Especially hard when it is on a holiday. My thoughts are with you..


text:
Mutual Societies
About POLYAS
POLYAS Company
Digital Democracy
Research at POLYAS
Contact POLYAS
Election Glossary
We provide explanations and background information on elections, voting rights and digital democracy
BSI - Federal Ministry for Security in Information Technology
The German Federal Ministry for Security in Information Technology (BSI) is the top authority for questions on IT security. It started operating in 1991 and is located in Bonn.
The BSI's Legal framework comprises of the law for the construction of the Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology, out of which the Law for Enforcing Security in Information Technology was developed in 2009. This law is still valid within the BSI today.
Tasks of the BSI Federal Ministry for Security in Information Technology:
The BSI is organised in 5 subdivisions: Division B (advice and coordination), Division C (cyber security), Division KT (crypto-technology), Division S (secure identities, certification and standardisation) und Division Z (central tasks).
Under § 3 of BSI law, the tasks of BSI are defined as:
defence against security hazards in information technology in Germany
collation and analysis of security risks
study of security risks and development of safety measures
development of criteria and procedures for the checking and assessment of security in information technologies
checking, assessment and distribution of security certificates, as well as confirming the comfortability of IT systems
checking, assessment and approval of IT systems, which work with and transfer secret official information
establishment of cryptographic and security management systems
supporting, preparing and running technical checks
developing technical security requirements for the national information technology
provision of IT security products for national positions
supporting the police force, prosecuting authorities, protection of constitution agencies and intelligence services
advice and warning in security technology questions
setup of appropriate communication structures for early detection of, reaction to and overcoming crises.
The BSI Federal Ministry for Security in Information Technology as certifying authority
Under § 9 (1) of BSI law, the Federal Ministry for Security in Information Technology is defined as the national certifying authority for IT security in federal administrations. The details of the functions of the certifying authority are laid out in the "Procedures, handing out security certificates and the federal recognition of security in information technology (BSI certification and recognition regulations act" (BSIZertV).
See also: IT Security , Common Criteria
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text:
German cookies help Maine family maintain a 100-year-old tradition
It wouldn't be Christmas for this family without Braune Kuchen, which means 'brown cake.'
By Meredith GoadPortland Press Herald
A German ancestor brought the recipe for Braune Kuchen ("brown cake") – framed above beside some old family photographs – to the United States in the early 20th century. Staff photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette
SOUTH PORTLAND — Alec Wall sits at his daughter's dining room table with his grandchildren, Zack and Helen. All three are chopping almonds for Christmas cookies. Chopping, chopping, chopping. They'll be chopping until they've gone through three pounds of almonds and innumerable tongue-in-cheek complaints about how long it's taking to chop them.
Helen Hamilton, 14, Alec Wall's granddaughter, combines ingredients for Braune Kuchen ("brown cake") with a mixing stick that has been used for years by the family, whose cookie-making parties are a longstanding tradition.
"You're asking a lot of a senior citizen," joked Wall, who lives in Saco. "This is for kids."
In between bouts of chopping, Wall takes a healthy bite of a brown cookie with colorful sprinkles on top, baked from Braune Kuchen dough he froze last year. Braune Kuchen is a German cookie that the Wall family has been coming together to bake since the early 20th century. It looks similar to gingerbread. The family gathers on Thanksgiving weekend to make the dough, which then has to sit in a cool place and season for at least three weeks before it is rolled out and baked.
As Wall consumes cookie after cookie, the women of the family warn a visitor not to judge their cherished tradition by these year-old treats.
"I think they're better when they're not so old," said Barbara Coyne, Wall's ex-wife, who still attends the family cookie-making party each year.
"This is not representative of how the cookies taste," agreed Wall's and Coyne's daughter, Deborah Hamilton. "I cook them by the end of the year, then I'm done. I do not keep them. I give them to friends. I eat them."
The family recipe for Braune Kuchen was brought to the United States from Hamburg, Germany, by Alec and Nancy Wall's paternal grandmother, Vivian Crasemann (nicknamed "FiFi" by grandson Alec), in the early 20th century – the family isn't sure exactly when she immigrated with her parents and sister.
Crasemann and her family settled in Milwaukee, but over the subsequent decades the family has lived in several parts of the country, including on a Pennsylvania farm, in Darien, Connecticut, and in Snyder, New York, a small community outside Buffalo. For 30 years, the family had a camp on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, and some Thanksgivings they held the cookie dough parties there. Then the parties came to Mansfield, Massachusetts, where Nancy Wall lives, and Yarmouth, Maine, where her brother Alec raised his family. Now, the tradition has come to South Portland.
Nancy Wall, left, and Themia Raymond, right, mix ingredients for German cookies called Braune Kuchen on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Helen Hamilton, center, supervises.
NO BRAUNE BETWEEN
The Braune Kuchen is like a thread that's held the family together through all the years and all the different places they've lived. The cookies are thick like gingerbread, and fragrant with spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves.
"It's got a gingerbread consistency, but it doesn't have that gingerbread taste," Nancy Wall said. "Cardamom is one of the big ingredients. It's hard to describe the taste."
"People either love them or they hate them," Hamilton said.
"That's right," Alec Wall said. "There's no in between on Braune Kuchen."
Hamilton, 14, takes a turn with a mixing stick with the dates it's been used to make Braune Kuchen etched on the handle.
The family only stopped making the cookies once, during World War II, when butter was rationed and spices were more scarce because they came from parts of the world controlled by the Japanese or were low priority for shipping.
They started up again in 1946, when Alec Wall was 7 years old and they were living in Pennsylvania. Talking about it immediately brings up memories for the grownup Wall chopping almonds in his daughter's house.
"Aunt Betty would come from Duluth, Minnesota, by train, and she would be there over Christmas," Wall recalled. "She would tell us stories about the West."
Aunt Betty also helped make the Braune Kuchen. The ingredients are measured into an old crock and mixed together with a handmade wooden paddle. The mixing process looks a bit like churning butter. The two paddles used this year were made by Alec Wall and Nancy's husband, David.
Inscribed on one of the new paddles are the years of each cookie party, dating back to 1991. The original crock and paddle were burned in a house fire when the family lived in Yarmouth.
In recent years, the parties have been held at Nancy Wall's home. (An uncle on the West Coast holds cookie parties for that branch of the family.) This is the second year it has been at Deb Hamilton's South Portland home; nine people participated this year. Now Hamilton's daughter, 14-year-old Helen, is talking about carrying on the tradition in her own home one day.
Making the dough churns up more memories. Alec Wall remembers a big, black Newfoundland-mastiff the family had when he was young, "and the dog would always come over and look at (the dough in the crock). 'Oh, we've got some dog slobber. Now we're ready to finish up.' "
Alec Wall samples a cookie made from a bit of last year's dough that was frozen. The dough made Nov. 24 is supposed to sit for at least three weeks before it's baked. Nancy Wall, for one, thinks it's worth the wait: "The smell when they're baking, that's Christmas and family and Braune Kuchen."
The jokes also fly about what's allowed and what's not allowed when making Braune Kuchen.
Using a mixer? "That would be illegal," Alec Wall says.
Baking the cookies the same day you mix the dough? Also illegal.
"The thing I like about this is everything's electronic, and everything's fast, fast, fast, and here we are using a paddle and a stone crock," Hamilton said.
Alec Wall laughs when he catches his granddaughter texting while simultaneously stirring the dough with her paddle.
"That's different," he said. "That didn't happen 20 years ago. We have to have a break for iPhone time."
DIVIDING THE DOUGH
The recipe has been doubled so there will be plenty of dough to split up among family members. (A cereal bowl full of dough will make about 50 cookies.) Helen stirs a batch in a crock, while Themia Raymond – Alec Wall's significant other, who is participating for the fifth year – mixes another batch in a stainless steel container the size of a lobster pot. The family takes turns with the paddle so no one gets too tired. After the butter and sugar gets blended, Deb Hamilton and Nancy Wall start tossing in the rest of the ingredients, first some of the dry ones, then some of the wet ones. Hamilton dumps in the chopped citron, and some of it spills on the floor. Her rescue dog, Jilly, gobbles it up.
"Get the doggie drool in them!" Alec Wall calls out with a laugh, adding it would "make it authentic."
Nancy Wall pours in the sliced lemon that has been soaking in rosewater since the night before. "The whole house smells so good" when it's mixed together, Wall said. "It smells like lemon and roses."
Next she pours in flour, and a handful of ground spices. The scent of cinnamon and cloves fills the room.
"This is usually how it is," Hamilton said. "Nancy is the manager. She goes around supervising."
Wall and Hamilton chop almonds for Braune Kuchen.
While the dough comes together, Hamilton pulls out the cookie cutters she's used since she was a kid; she thinks they may have been her grandmother's. She has a heart, a Christmas tree, a Santa, a star, and Santa's boot. She and others warn that Braune Kuchen requires big cutters that don't have intricate designs. Complicated designs won't show up on the cookie, and could make them break.
Nancy Wall checks to be sure no flour lingers on the bottom of the crock. When the dough is ready, Hamilton said, it's covered with wax paper or foil and then a cloth such as a dishtowel, "and then you put an X on the calendar every day, until it's Braune Kuchen baking day."
This year, that day will be Dec. 15.
Recipe: Braune Kuchen
The family insists the dough needs to sit for at least three weeks for it to taste the way it should. The wait makes the flavors meld in just the right way, they say. Hamilton stores her crock in her basement, near the bulkhead where it's cool but it won't freeze. She watches the weather and checks on it occasionally. "I baby-sit my dough," she said.
The last task of the day is to divide up the dough among everyone at the party. "Themia wants two cookies," Alec Wall said. "I need about 45."
"The smell when they're baking," Nancy Wall said, "that's Christmas and family and Braune Kuchen."
Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at:
Twitter: MeredithGoad
Window signs at closed Three Dollar Deweys indicate popular pub may see new life
Maine breweries join Sierra Nevada in wildfire relief
Christmas, south portland maine, yarmouth maine


text:
Book Sales & Book Donations
Click on this image to open our December Newsletter
Happy New Year to the many Friends of Oakton Library! The year 2023 begins full of promise. Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17 at 7pm at the Oakton Library, and all members are welcome. Much of the meeting will be devoted to a review of the proposed budget for the forthcoming year, but it is also appropriate at this time to look back with satisfaction not only at fiscal year 2022 but also at the many contributions the Friends have made to FCPL and the Oakton Branch over the past fifteen years.
In 2022, the Oakton Friends donated $27,500 to FCPL Collections, thanks to the combined funds of generous donors, membership dues, and the proceeds from Book Sales, Lobby Sales and online sales. We donated an additional $2500 to the Library Foundation, also earmarked for Collections. Separate from our support for FCPL, the Friends provided the Oakton Branch $19,655 in furnishings and equipment, library materials including magazine and newspaper subscriptions, Habitat, as well as special events and programs such as the 15th Anniversary Celebration and the Holiday Open House.
To date, extending back in time to the years of planning and organizing even before the opening of the Oakton Branch 15 years ago, the Friends of Oakton Library have donated $283,607 to FCPL, including community programs such as the Summer Reading Adventure, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten and Fall for the Book. At the Oakton Branch, an additional $137,759 funded furnishings, materials and equipment, and outstanding library programs for our patrons.
All of this is possible only through the generosity of our members and volunteers. Let's continue the good work in 2023.
Corinne Savage and Linda Byrne
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Note to our Members: If you do not receive our newsletter by email, please check your Spam or Promotions folder. And be sure to add both of our email addresses to your online address book:
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Friends' Officers
Co-Presidents:
Corinne Savage & Linda Byrne
First Vice President: Willow Martin
Secretary: Frances Ellis
Treasurer: Fred Pitman
Library location, address and phone
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Contact the Friends of Oakton Library
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