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there's no place like holmes
Feb 19 2016 | Posted by Alexis Hall
Hello and welcome to the second or, if you count the introduction, third in my irregular blog series about the joys of board gaming.
My last post was, in a roundabout way, a description of why Forbidden Desert is a good substitute for the classic family board game, Monopoly. If I wanted to force a theme I might try to claim that today's post is about a replacement for the traditional family board game Cluedo. Except it's not really.
The subject of this post will be Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, and the reason I make the Cluedo comparison is that it's a game where you spend most of your time solving murders. The major difference between Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective and Cluedo is that Cluedo attempts to re-create the impression of solving a crime by building its gameplay around strict principles of logical deduction that, when you get right down to it, are all about solving the mystery of which cards are in the envelope rather than the mystery of who murdered Dr Black. Conversely, Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective builds its gameplay around the acquisition of tailor-made clues, all of which require you to use actual information to solve an actual (well, fictional, but actual fictional) mystery.
To digress for a moment, it occurs to me that, ironically, the type of reasoning in Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, a specifically Holmesian game that requires you think in a specifically Holmesian way, does not, in fact, involve any deduction at all. To be super super pedantic for a moment, the reasoning Holmes relies on is very specifically not deductive in nature. Cluedo uses genuinely deductive reasoning. If my mum has the rope and the revolver, my dad has the lead pipe, my brother has the candlestick, and I've got the dagger, then the murder weapon must be the wrench. By contrast, the reasoning that Sherlock Holmes (incorrectly) describes as deduction in the books and that you are called upon to use in the board game Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is mostly definitely inductive – that is, it is about assessing a particular outcome as being more probable than others on the basis of trends and patterns. Despite what the great man says, there are few Holmes stories or Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective cases, in which you genuinely arrive at the outcome by eliminating all other solutions as impossible.
Anyway, that's enough waffling about semantics. I'm going to spend the rest of this post talking about the many reasons this game is awesome. And a little bit at the end talking about some of its minor flaws.
Reason 1: The feelies, man, the feelies
I spoke a bit about feelies in my last post and the feelies here are of a very different kind. Basically, you get a map of London, and a bunch of newspapers, and a London directory and you actually use these things to look for clues. For example, if you learn that the victim had a meeting with Elias Wibblethorpe somewhere on Goodge Street, then you could use the directory to look for E Wibblethorpe and visit him at his house or you could use the map to look for locations on Goodge Street. Or you could read through the newspapers and see if you could find any references to an Elias Wibblethorpe and maybe you would and it would turn out that Elias Wibblethorpe recently gave a lecture at the Royal Academy and then you could go to the Royal Academy.
Essentially you feel like a fucking genius for at least the first two thirds of the game. When everything's in the sweet spot you have this situation where you and your mates are sitting around a table, and two of you are reading newspapers, and one of you is looking through the directory, and one of you is pouring over the map, and someone is saying "oh wait, we found this stuff in the victim's room which is obvious jewel-thieving gear and there's all this stuff in the paper about this sequence of jewel thieveries that stopped just before the murder happened, so we should go talk to Porky Shinwell because he's the guy who knows about the crime stuff." And sometimes you'll get, "hey, this small add in the personals section is from someone with the initials JM, I bet that's a total red herring."
Reason 2: You do the things you're supposed to be doing
Most games that revolve around solving a mystery work like Cluedo. You substitute some other arbitrary piece of information for who the murderer was and you replace all the clues with logic puzzles and memory games. At no point during a game of Cluedo is it explained how my saying "I suggest it was Reverend Green, in the library, with the revolver" and then having somebody show me, say, Reverend Green actually translates into a meaningful in-world clue. I mean, yes, you can try to justify it. Maybe when Dave, who is playing Miss Scarlet, shows me Reverend Green's card, it means she tells that she was with Reverend Green at the time of the murder, and this somehow exonerates Reverend Green but does not exonerate her … but you have to reach a bit. And, let's not go near the old "this is a game where I can be a murderer but not know it and win by catching myself" problem.
In Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, on the other hand, every crime is a distinct scenario and solving the crime means working through a specific scenario booklet in which you have actual conversations with actual suspects, go to actual places and look for actual clues, and work out who did it by using actual, contextualised information about the actual crime that actually happened. I'd say it's like a Choose Your Own Adventure book and, in a way, it is because you've got the same core structure of navigating your way through paragraphs of information. But, like Cluedo, a Choose Your Own Adventure is really replacing the mystery with an abstract, second order problem. Since any given paragraph will direct you to one or two others, you're not really trying to solve a crime, you're trying to solve a path through the book.
The only thing that comes even remotely close to this structure (and, in some ways, takes it even further) was Dennis Wheatley's abortive series of mystery stories that consisted entirely of dossiers of interview transcripts, evidence samples and crime scene photographs. I do actually own one of these, and I love it dearly, but it's not actually suitable to be "played" by more than one person at once, because it's essentially a work of crime fiction and is designed to be read through in detail, rather than interacted with.
Basically, Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective really makes you feel like you're investigating a Sherlock Holmes mystery by the simple expedient of actually having you investigate a Sherlock Holmes mystery. You do Holmesy things and go to Holmesy places where you to get Holmesy clues that you use to make Holmesy deductions (or, to be pedantic, inductions or inferences).
Reason 3: It is exactly what it needs to be
One of the other games I'm going to talk about in this series is Descent: Journeys in the Dark. This is a huge, epic, dungeon crawling adventure, the first edition of which culminated in the publication of an expansion called Road to Legend, which converted the game into a sprawling campaign in which four adventurers saved the world from the machinations of a terrifying Overlord. My partner and I played Road to Legend with some friends of ours for some time but only got a third of the way into the campaign before we all realised that if we wanted to play an on-going game in which a persistent set of characters had adventures in a fantasy world in which they fought against the agents of an evil Overlord whose job was only partially to actually kill them but mostly to make sure that everyone was having fun, exciting time round the gaming table then we might as well all just play D&D. So we did.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective strays perilously close to 'why not just play an RPG' territory. The levels of abstraction are so low that a lot of the time it feels like the stuff you're doing is the same sort of thing you would be doing in an investigation-heavy RPG, such as Call of Cthulhu. Especially since part of the fun of the game (and obviously mileage varies on this) is pretending to be the Baker Street Irregulars.
There are, I think, two reasons that I would choose to play Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective over Call of Cthulhu when I would not play Descent: Road to Legend over D&D. The first is simply that you can finish a Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective scenario in a couple of hours and, ultimately, you get to set your own pace for the game so how long it takes depends a lot on your own patience. Essentially I can find a murderer in Consulting Detective in the time it takes to do character creation in a roleplaying game. The second reason is that the sheer level of detail in Consulting Detective is actually really hard to reproduce in an RPG unless you're using an especially lavish pre-written campaign or your GM is willing to do a buttload of homework. Yes, there are moments in Consulting Detective when you'll talk to someone and they'll be evasive, and you'll think, well, why can't we ask this person about the muddy footprints. But that's more than compensated for by the feeling you get from being able to look up addresses and find clues in newspapers and interact with the game on a material level.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective scenarios only work as Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective scenarios. They wouldn't work in an RPG and they wouldn't be particularly satisfying as short stories in their own right. The game uses its medium exactly correctly and that, again, is awesome.
So those are my main reasons for thinking the game is amazing. In the spirit of fairness, I should probably also run down some of what I see as the game's flaws. And I should stress that none of these things keep me from loving the game, but that's not going to stop me going on about them at some length.
Problem 1: Scoring
If there is anything I would call out as a legitimate flaw in Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective it's the scoring the system. At the end of the game, which comes whenever you decide to go back to Holmes and give him your conclusions, you get the classic Holmes denouement in which he smugly explains everything that happened, and how all came down to the broken pin underneath the mantelpiece, which could only have been left there by a blind, Bolivian sailor, and how foolish you were for not spotting this immediately. I think I'd find this less infuriating if Holmes' condescension wasn't immediately followed up with concrete game mechanics. After the denouement, the game gives you a breakdown of the locations Holmes visited and your score is then calculated as follows: for answering a series of questions about the basic facts of the crime, you can earn up to a 100 points. This is essentially Holmes' score. You then lose 5 points for every every location you visited in excess of those that Holmes visited. By way of compensation, you can gain a small number of extra points by answering secondary questions that aren't really related to the main case.
Basically, it's impossible to beat Holmes and very difficult to come anywhere near his performance. I recently watched a review of this game at Shut Up and Sit down (my favourite board game reviewing site) and the reviewer there said his score for the first case was minus 65. This means that if you view the scoring system as in any way meaningful he would actually have been better off going to Holmes immediately and admitting he had no idea who the killer was. This would have left him with a score of zero. Heck, he could have just guessed at random and probably come out with something in the 30s. Now I admit that I'm taking a sightly facetious example here but it highlights the fundamental absurdity of the scoring system. If a game is going to use points to measure outcomes, desirable outcomes should score more points than undesirable outcomes and the problem with the scoring system in Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is that the opposite is very much true.
The fun thing about the game is that you get to explore this complex, richly detailed fictional scenario. But you only get the most out of that in terms of engagement with the content if, to the best of your ability, you go everywhere and talk to everyone. Very often the game will come to a point at which you are pretty sure you've got the nuts and bolts sorted out, but there will be other nagging questions that you're either worried about or legitimately interested in. In one scenario, we knew that somebody was being drugged with laudanum and decided to visit every chemist in London because the game would allow you to do that and it felt like the kind of thing a detective should do—not, I will admit, a Holmesian detective, but the game is very clear that you aren't Holmes, you're the people who do Holmes' gruntwork. Had we been keeping score, our score would have tanked. But we didn't want to deny ourselves the experience of trying it and seeing what happened just avoid losing a few points from a meaningless number.
On a minor and slightly more technical note, keeping track of every location you visit is not only a needless faff, it is only when you finish the first scenario and have the scoring system explained to you in detail that it becomes clear that this is necessary. The core rules do mention that you are supposed to keep track of the number of leads you follow but it's not immediately clear what that means.
Long story short: I honestly feel the game is improved if you simply ignore the scoring system. Fortunately, this is easily done.
Problem 2: Momentum
I should stress that this is very much an issue of personal preference, and partially one of self-discipline. I notice, for example that the folks at SU&SD feel the game has excellent pacing. My experience, however, has consistently been that the game is excellently paced for about the first two thirds, pretty well paced for the next sixth and then just kind of peters out into a "we're not sure who to talk to now so we should probably go back to Holmes, then" situation. In the spirit of fairness, I do actually think this is partly to do with the mindset my friends and I go into the game with. And, ironically, partially a consequence of our choosing to play without scoring. We take a very completionist approach and, as a result, we usually run down every lead and check out the mysterious JM clues in the paper because, as intimated above, we care more about Easter Eggs than points at the end. But the obvious consequence of this is that we don't stop until we've exhausted all the leads and that naturally winds up with our stopping point feeling a bit … meh.
I think part of the problem is that we consistently look for confirmation of our suspicions, which is entirely unHolmesian and perhaps strangely contrary to the spirit of the game. Holmes is a quintessentially Victorian detective who declares from his position of straight white male privilege that a certain thing is so and the world itself lacks the strength to deny him. So all the time my friends and I spend looking for actual evidence to support our beliefs might be a bit outside the scope of the game.
To put it another way, it comes down to the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning I talked about earlier. In a game of Cluedo you probably won't risk making an accusation unless you know for certain the identities of the murderer, weapon and crime scene. And because Cluedo uses deductive logic you can know these things for certain. In Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, however, you're often left with situations more like: the snake that bit the victim was from India, this suspect has recently come back from India. That is pretty much the definition of circumstantial evidence but it's often all the game gives you.
And, again to be fair, I suspect it's also all real life gives real detectives as well. I think, on some level, I find the endgame difficult because I keep expecting to have a scene where we confront a suspect, and they crack, and do evil voice, like in that Mitchell and Webb sketch. Basically, I think the way you're supposed to play the game is to go and see Holmes the moment you have some idea who might have done it, accepting you might be wrong about some stuff.
Problem Number 3: Tricky genre assumptions
One of the things that the SU&SD review of Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective called out as awesome was the way everyone gets to bring their own expertise to the table. So, as they put it, you'll have one person bringing their knowledge about psychology and one person bringing their knowledge about the size of boats, and one person speculating about how old you could be and still make it over a 10ft wall. I agree with this to an extent but, of course, it falls down slightly where I'm concerned because my area of expertise is sort of … as … well … a writer.
Again, this is probably quite a personal issue but I find it very hard to tell whether I'm supposed to be asking questions like "could a sixty year old man have made it over that wall" or "is how easy is it to get lions to do things" or whether I'm supposed to asking myself "would someone write a story in which a sixty year old man climbed over a ten foot wall" or "would you write a story in which you could get a lion to do that." This is especially problematic for me because I know the game was written in a Holmesian mode and Holmes stories quite often include elements that would be implausible in real life—although, less often than you might think and one of the things I like about early (that is to say pre-Final Problem Holmes) is its surprisingly down-to-earth attitude to crime.
I felt this issue particularly in the famously confusing and not terribly well regarded third scenario. I'm going to put this in an accordion so people who want to play this scenario don't get spoilered. There won't be very much detail about the scenario but I know people are sensitive about this kind of thing.
[accordion class='accord1′]
So, anyway, Scenario 3 is called the Mystified Murderess and sees you investigating the case of a young woman who was found standing over a man's body with a gun in her hand, firmly believing herself to have killed him. It becomes clear fairly early on that there is probably some kind of hypnosis involved at some stage and this leads to all kinds of difficult questions. Both I and my equally nerdy friends found ourselves slightly paralysed with uncertainty about whether we were supposed to be thinking about this in terms of what you could realistically hypnotise a person into doing (not really that much, actually) or what you could hypnotise a person into doing if you lived in a sort of Victorian melodrama (basically anything up to and including murder and suicide). This made it basically impossible to tell whether hypnosis was an obvious red herring or obviously the right answer because it was definitely one or the other, depending on which genre we were in. [/accordion]
Problem Number 4: You can only play it ten times
I mention this so that nobody gets a nasty surprise. Because the way the game works is that you explore these unique scenarios to find out information to solve the mystery you can no more play the same scenario twice than you can read the same mystery novel twice and still not know who the killer is. I mean, you could try aiming for a more optimal path but then you'd be like Mr Data in that one episode of Star Trek where he jumps straight to the ending because he's already the story.
Now personally I have zero problem with a game you can only play ten times. It might say unpleasant things about my lifestyle or my tendencies towards conspicuous consumption but I'm pretty sure that I do, in fact, own quite a lot of board games that I've only played once or twice. And even if there are some that I've played more often, we don't have to compare like with like here. A copy of Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective will set you back about £25 and while, yes, I've bought games for that much money that I've played dozens of times, I've also bought pizzas for that much money that I've eaten precisely once. As hours of entertainment per unit of currency go, a copy of Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is still pretty damn good value.
Certainly it's better than another game I own which you can only play once.
So that's the end of my epically long thoughts on Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective. It's basically great, it lets you really feel like you're taking part in a Sherlock Holmes story which is exactly what I want from that kind of game, and you can play it with literally any number of people. Of particular note, it works perfectly well with one and is really nice with two, if it's the sort of thing you both like doing, and this puts it in quite an exclusive category of games that work for couples.
If you made it through this with your brain in one piece congratulations. Watch this space for more of my rambling and incoherent thoughts on board games.
board games, sherlock holmes consulting detective
19 Responses to there's no place like holmes
I want this! The scoring seems a bit beside the point to me, like the experience of the game is why I'd play not to see if I *won* because if/when I solved it I'd win. I've always loved Holmes stories and the chance to play them out thrills me.
Yes, exactly, the points system is very arbitrary – it feels like they wanted to make it more game-like or something.
But it has a wonderful Holmes-y feel and I really do recommend it 🙂
Maarja says:
This game sounds great, thanks for the thorough overview!
Hahaha – yes, possibly over-thorough 🙂 I got rather carried away!
Kaetrin says:
I'm really *really* bad at mysteries. I almost never solve them. I fear I would end up with minus eleventy billion points in this game. LOL 😀
And then Holmes would be smug at you 😉
I'm not a great mystery-solver myself but I enjoy playing anyway – the experience of just thinking about it and talking about it and exploring the story makes it worth it to me. And being comfortable enough to be like "oh fuck, we have no idea what's going on with the lions, let's go back to Holmes" rather than gruellingly pressing on when everybody is bored and out of ideas.
I remember reading/ hearing about this a while ago, and being so excited.
Having been brought up on the practice of Family Board Games at Festive Times I struggled for a while in changing my perspective into seeing board games as entertainment, but I have cape and pipe at the ready for this. I have actually bought it.
It is definitely improved by the addition of a cape and a pipe.
I hope you have fun with it – it's kind of part-way between board game and story for me, which I think is a special magic sweet spot of gaming 🙂
Pam/Peejakers says:
Well, this is really interesting! But let me start by saying you are coming off even more than usually adorkable in this, for some reason<3 I particularly loved your explanation of the difference between deductive & inductive reasoning, & your analysis of the scoring drawbacks. And, well, okay, everything else 🙂
Also I really loved what you said here: 'I find it very hard to tell whether I'm supposed to be asking questions like "could a sixty year old man have made it over that wall" or "is how easy is it to get lions to do things" or whether I'm supposed to asking myself "would someone write a story in which a sixty year old man climbed over a ten foot wall" or "would you write a story in which you could get a lion to do that."'
Omg, ^^^ this! I've never played a game like this or an RPG, but this is *exactly* what I do when reading or watching murder mysteries. I solve them all the time, usually before the murderer is revealed, & I used to think, when I was younger, that I might make a pretty good detective for this reason. But then I realized, what I was actually doing was figuring out how someone would have *written* the story. It's kind of related to the "Chekhov's gun" thing.
At first I couldn't decide if I thought I'd like this game or not. I think it would be fun you're sufficiently invested in it. And I think that's something I'm not used to with games, I've always played the kind where you can take your turn & then sort of not pay any attention, talk or snack or watch TV in between plays. Probably a sign the game wasn't all that interesting 😛 So being more invested should be a *good* thing. But my first thought when you mentioned looking for clues in a newspapers or a directory was basically, Ye Gods! Like that would be just too much trouble or something.
I guess it's just so different from anything I'm used to. At the same time, it sounds like one of those things that I could become completely obsessed with if I liked it 🙂
Then I saw you said this can be played by one person, & for some reason that changes my thinking. After all, I do research-y things all the time on my own, I google everything I wonder about, in real life & in what I'm reading or watching. So how does that differ from looking through some newspapers or directories provided in a game? It really doesn't. So now I'm really thinking I'm going to order this & try it out! I'm not sure I know anyone else who would want to play, but I think I'd probably enjoy playing it solo 🙂
I shall let you know how it goes 🙂
I think H's mum ruined murder mystery shows for me when she pointed out that the murderer is always the person who has no other reason to be in the show. And it works. Ever. Single. Time. I always feel really ambivalent about narrative knowledge and the role it plays in our interactions with texts. Like, I've had a lot of arguments with people over romance because they're always like "yes, but you always know how it ends" and I'm like "that's not the point, dammit." But even when it's not a mystery or something with a twist you can usually work out a lot about text from considering the meta-text: like figuring out whether Jon Snow is actually dead or something 😛
I think there's definitely different types of games – I mean, in general I prefer to games where everyone is engaged in the, well, the game, rather than wandering off to make coffee or whatever. Not, I hope in an oppressive way, but I think the sort of game of design that means you're sitting around bored for x amount of time while everyone takes their turns is … non-ideal design, shall we say. Or more specific to family game type board games. I mean, with most non-family board games, either the turns are short enough that you don't have time to get bored, what other people are doing is as interesting to you as what you're doing, or the game is co-operative so you're all engaged anyway. I guess that probably feels a bit intense now I write it out :/
I hope it's still fun solo – I'll feel kind of bad if it isn't! Let me know? :/
I have ordered this! I was kind of waiting to see what you'd say here, in case you were like, but wait, first be sure to x-y-z or something 😉
Of course I will let you know 🙂 But, oh my gosh, don't worry silly, I think it'll be fine <3 Besides what you said here, I also I watched the video review of this on Shut Up & Sit Down (which was very entertaining) so I feel like I'm making a pretty informed decision at this point.
Also, I'm slightly chucking about people who say re: romance "you alway know how it ends" – well, yeah, but you could basically say that about life too, doesn't mean the part in between isn't fun or interesting! 😉
This sounds so great. I freaking love Sherlock Holmes. We haven't played 90% of our games more than 10 times so that issue doesn't frighten me at all. Do you think, since you are playing on teams, that a ten year old could be part of a team with an older player and have it work out well? The people in my house who are willing to play games with me are two 10 yr olds and one 13 year old. :-\ It's ok if you don't have an opinion on that subject, haha.
I adored your paragraph on deductive and inductive reasoning <3. You make me smile!
Thanks for these posts!
Thanks for reading these posts 🙂 I keep expecting the equivalent of tumbleweed to roll across the blog when I nerd out so it's lovely to hear that some people are getting something out of it.
My, err, general position on children (as someone who doesn't have any) is that you shouldn't under-estimate them. I guess the other thing is that they do grow so if you got the game and it didn't work, you could just wait a couple of years 😉 It's not super family friendly but I wouldn't say it was horribly inaccessible either. I mean, it's a lot closer to a story than a game in many respects. So essentially you're finding a location and then looking it up in the book and taking turns to read out the paragraph of text about the location – I guess I'd say it depends how much your children enjoy story-telling and reading aloud and that kind of thing.
I think if you're a story focused family it might work quite well – although being sort of familiar with the whole Holmes deal is reasonably important. I can remember reading Holmes stories when I was quite young but probably closer to 13 than 10.
Does this help at all?
Yes! Helps a lot. I might get some Sherlock Holmes audiobooks first and see if they are into it. I love SH (and love Watson, too – such great characters). I just ordered Love Letter, by the way. This blog could get expensive for me to read (although Love Letter is nicely priced – I was tempted by the Kanai Edition but it was a lot more plus I couldn't get it as fast – I have no patience at all!).
I've played one scenario, decades ago. And I remember having great collaborative fun, and then the same reaction to the scoring system (and Holmesian condescension), with a healthy dose of, "He went from this clue to that conclusion!? You're kidding."
Which is, of course, how the stories went (and the various recent incarnations), but feeling like we were supposed to somehow approach 100 was off-putting.
I felt the Holmesian condescension was, err, potent enough textually that I didn't also require a numerical score 😉 I'm sort of fine with Holmes being a dick to you in the game itself (because, as you say, it makes perfect sense that he would be), it's just when that was translated arbitrarily into not-very-considered game mechanics that I get scowl-facey.
Elisabeth Lane says:
I just caught up on all your board game posts. We have our favorites, but this one and the desert one were new to me so I sent the posts to my husband. I think he might have just ordered them while riding the train home from work. So, uh, are you going to do this all year? Because if so I'd better make some closet space.
I will probably run out of games before I run out of year … but if your husband is susceptible to my babbling (which it seems he might be) I would probably at least evaluate your closet space 😉
PS – hope you enjoy the games 🙂
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When your opponent actively blocks your shot they are usually right in front of you, you are within range and have a sense of where they are. They have also used one of their weapons (arm/hand) to block yours, sometimes they will use both weapons as in the case where your opponent shuts down the middle with both arms to block an uppercut. In this contact range there are a number predictable counters which are relatively easy to see and feel if you have enough experience. The only thing that kills predictability is speed, just watch how many times Winky Wright picked off Trinidad with the jab if you want to see an example of that.
If you want to be a good elusive boxer who can set up compound attacks and anticipate counters, you need an instinct for what to do when you miss a punch. The solution is very straightforward; As soon as you miss a punch, move your head.
If it's a jab that you miss you will slip left or right while keeping your eye on your opponent, then jab again as you close the distance. If he starts firing a full combo then its probably best to go on the defensive or keep moving your head until he's done and then come through. Most often when you miss it means your opponent has anticipated your move and is a half beat ahead of you, that's all the time he needs to hit you with a clean shot. Developing an instinct for moving your head after you miss takes time, it will become second nature through sparring and hard lessons in the gym. Every now and then you will miss not because of the skill of your opponent but simply because you miscalculated or were off balance, either way the sames rules apply.
Start to get a good feel for when you land or miss in sparring so that you don't just barge ahead with combos that leave you exposed after the first punch. You need sets of combos that can be adjusted and changed in mid flight. As well, in order for the instinct to become a technique you obviously need the right way of moving, and this comes from hours on the heavy bag of jabbing and slipping, slipping then jabbing, hooking and rolling/ducking and vice versa.
When you miss that shot your opponent is outside of your range, he could be left, right, or a bit too far in front of you. It doesn't mean that you have to abandon your plan, it means that you lost a beat, you lost a step, and moving your head while adjusting to your opponent is the best way to gain that step back and re-initiate. Just as an example, many times you will miss the first jab you throw, guys are ready for it and they either step back or lean back, and if they are good they'll throw a counter shot right away (often a left hook). In this case your staple combo will be – jab, slip, jab, jab, right.
Keep this in mind, apply it to your training, and come up with your own variations.
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Recently I've been trying out rare, herbal and legal highs as an alternative to cannabis. As a chronic user of cannabis I've been looking for new experiences to relieve the boredom.
I've recently had the chance to try Blue Lotus. I got hold of 30g of dried flowers. I had read only very sketchy reports of this, one of an MDMA like high and another of an opiate high. So I had no preconceptions about what I would feel.
This was taken after weeks of domestic stress brought on by painting and decorating of the family home. The weekend I tried the lotus was the first chance I had had to really relax for many weeks.
I had read that 3-5g dried flowers was a single dose, so I eyeballed a total of 10g into a cafetierre and poured on boiling water and allowed it to steep for 10 minutes before pouring. My partner and I shared the brew which was very bitter - but not impossible to drink with added sugar.
After 30 minutes, I felt a very slight stone. It didn't seem to increase at all as we waited so we tried smoking a joint made up with some of the Lotus. Strange taste, but not nasty. It didn't seem to have any effect. After about 45 mins, we both agreed that it would have been less trouble to take a couple of OTC codeine for the effect we were getting.
I decided to more than double the dose by making a tea out of almost all the remaining Lotus. This took the dose up to about 12-14g per person. We drank this at about t+1hr. And smoked another joint made from Lotus.
We went out to eat in a restaurant feeling giggly but placid and serene, like we'd had a large dose of codeine and some joints. The most interesting thing happened once we started drinking wine. The effect seemed to be strongly synergistic with alcohol and I can only describe the experience as 'dreamy.' Food tasted good and we felt that the setting was tranquil and romantic and entirely non-threatening, even though we were obviously very stoned in a public place.
After that, memory is hazy. Once back home, we cuddled and kissed a lot, in a romantic, non-sexual way and I guess we went to bed at some point and slept solidly for 12hrs or more. The whole of the next day (Sunday) we were *totally blissed out*. It was a fantastic feeling of serenity and tranquility. Again, memory is hazy but one thing that struck me was that I smoked only one cannabis joint. Average for a Sunday is at least three. I just didn't need it. We both felt really chilled out and dreamy.
We sat and listened to music as we often do. There was nothing particularly noticeable about the effect on sound/music and vision. Nor any tactile sensory effects but cuddling and contact was beautiful and that's how we spent most of the day. We drank another bottle of wine that evening and the effect increased very noticeably again and returned the very giggly feelings.
Fortunately both of us had holiday on Monday as we got up late again and there were still remnants of an opiate like effect, down to the level of OTC codeine now.
I would summarise this as an extremely pleasant and favourable experience. The tea is bitter, but bearable and far from nausea inducing. The high was like a medium-strong opiate drug, with some of the effects of cannabis. There was a cuddly, warm and romantic feeling that you could associate with either opiates or MDMA. It was good to do this with my partner but it might have been OK with friends too. There was a very strong synergy with a moderate amount of alcohol.
I will definitely try this again, but I will steep the Lotus in a bottle of wine over night (as is reported to be an alternative). I am sure that this would result in a much lower dose needed to get the effects. It may also change the curve of the experience.
It was a good alternative to cannabis, but I see no reason not to combine them for a deeper stone.
Drawbacks are - it took a long time to come on about 2-3 hrs and some wine before we really knew we were onto something exciting.
It has a long lasting effect which could be a drawback if you haven't planned for it.
The biggest drawback is just how little memory of the experience I accumulated. I know I had a beautiful time, but I don't remember very much of it. My memory of it has not returned over time. Just a dreamy haze. Great for escapism but no good for those seeking meaningful experiences - though by all accounts, we had a very big dose.


Top artist Suzy Ultman has at last created a brand new website to showcase her fabulous talent. For the first time Suzy gives an overview of many of her client projects and it also includes a portfolio of cute repeat patterns. You can check it out for yourself online here.


Can Aaptiv's Big-Name Funding Make It the 'Netflix of Fitness'?
The post Work Out With Aaptiv: The Postpartum Exercise App appeared first on GearJunkie.
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BSF Constable (Tradesmen) result 2017 declared. BSF result 2017 for Constable (Tradesmen) post has been released. Aspirants who appeared for the Constable (Tradesmen) post exam which was conducted by Border Security Force can check the result by using the given information. Visit the official website bsf.nic.in to get the result for BSF Constable (Tradesmen) exam 2017.
Candidates who are waiting for the Border Security Force result 2017 can get the same on this page. We have updated the latest BSF 2017 result for Constable (Tradesmen) posts.
How to download BSF result 2017 for Constable (Tradesmen) Post Information?
First of all, open website browser and open official website for BSF bsf.nic.in.
Select the link for the post of Constable (Tradesmen).


Frances Campani and Michael Schwarting established Campani and Schwarting Architects in 2000. The firm brings together Frances Campani's twenty years of work as a practicing architect on Long Island and Michael Schwarting's thirty two years of practice in New York City. Together, they have experience with many types and scales of work. They have each completed numerous projects involving new construction, additions and renovations. The firm can also provide urban design services. Much of the work has been published internationally and has been presented in lectures and exhibitions. The work has been cited both for its aesthetic distinction and for its innovative use of materials.
The firm is concerned with aesthetic design quality as well as the efficient use of space achieved through careful plan organization. The concern includes the social implications of design, with the intention to create appropriate and consequential structures. Client input is considered vital throughout the design process.
RESIDENTIAL DESIGN The design of the dwelling is of great interest to the Partners and from their previous experience have designed over 70 houses, apartments and lofts, including new construction, additions renovations and restorations. They have also been involved in multiple dwelling and public housing projects. The firm is capable of doing programming, site planning, planning studies as well as design from preliminary design through construction observation. Projects include houses in Florida and Long Island, as well public housing in Utica, NY and apartment buildings and renovations in NYC.
COMMERCIAL AND OFFICE DESIGN The Partners have designed over 30 projects including restaurants, showrooms, professional offices, university and medical facilities. Projects include over a dozen showrooms and the Italian Trade Center headquarters in New York City. The work has been noted for the efficient organization of space and movement and for the handling of light, color and materials.
PUBLIC PROJECTS The Partners are interested in the design of public institutions and public work with government agencies and have completed more than 40 projects. The work includes a subway station, medical clinics, new and renovated fire stations. It also includes the Clock Museum and a renovation and addition to the Library in Port Jefferson and the Heritage Park and Community Center in Mt. Sinai.
URBAN DESIGN The Partners are capable of providing urban design services. Previous work includes NYC street improvement projects, Bogardus Park in Tribeca, and a neighborhood plan for revitalization of the John Street area of Utica, NY. A campus plan and promenade design for F.I.T. received a Progressive Architecture Citation in 1985. The firm has designed a 17 acre park with a community center for the Mount Sinai Heritage Trust and the Town of Brookhaven.


Can't get enough of Riverdale's musical episode, which was truly a night to remember?
Though the episode, which aired April 18, was jam-packed with tunes from Carrie: The Musical, there was a scene that was cut for time — a duet between love interests Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) and Toni (Vanessa Morgan). Toni comforts Cheryl after her mother forbids her from continuing to portray Carrie in the school musical. She reminds Cheryl that she's not done playing Carrie (may we all have a girlfriend who encourages us to go full telepathic rage on the abusive people in our life).
The essence of this scene remained in last week's episode, sending Cheryl on an epic Carrie-esque showdown with her mother, but the musical number ended up on the cutting room floor — until now. In the exclusive clip above, the pair duet on a reprise of "You Shine," a song sung by Archie and Betty's characters within the musical and shared between Betty and Veronica as they mended the rift in their friendship offstage.
So crank up the volume, Choni lovers, and remember everything is going to be fine because you shine.
Watch the clip above for more. Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW.


text:
require 'spec_helper'

describe Ptilinopus do
  context "set api key" do
    before do
      @api_key = "test_key"
    end

    after do
      Ptilinopus::API.api_key = nil
    end

    it "in constructor" do
      @ptilinopus = Ptilinopus::API.new(@api_key)
      expect(@ptilinopus.api_key).to eq(@api_key)
    end

    it "set api" do
      Ptilinopus::API.api_key = @api_key
      @ptilinopus = Ptilinopus::API.new
      expect(@ptilinopus.api_key).to eq(@api_key)
    end
  end

  context "call" do
    before do
      @ptilinopus = Ptilinopus::API.new("test_api")
      @method = "api_method"
    end

    it "get method" do
      register_method(:get, @method)
      expect(@ptilinopus.call(:get, @method)).to eq({}.to_s)
    end

    it "post method" do
      register_method(:post, @method)
      expect(@ptilinopus.call(:post, @method)).to eq({}.to_s)
    end

    context "raise error" do
      it "if api key is no specified" do
        @ptilinopus.api_key = nil
        expect {@ptilinopus.call(:get, @method)}.to raise_error(StandardError)
      end

      it "if server return HTTP400" do
        register_method(:get, @method, {}, ["400", "Bad Request"])
        expect {@ptilinopus.call(:get, @method)}.to raise_error(Ptilinopus::MailerliteInvalidMethodError)
      end

      it "if server return HTTP401" do
        register_method(:get, @method, {}, ["401", "Unauthorized"])
        expect {@ptilinopus.call(:get, @method)}.to raise_error(Ptilinopus::MailerliteInvalidApiKeyError)
      end

      it "if server return HTTP404" do
        register_method(:get, @method, {}, ["404", "Not found"])
        expect {@ptilinopus.call(:get, @method)}.to raise_error(Ptilinopus::MailerliteBadRequestItemError)
      end
    end
  end

  private

  def register_method(type, method, body = {}, status = ["200", "OK"])
    FakeWeb.register_uri(type, URI.join(Ptilinopus::API.base_uri, Ptilinopus::API::API_PATH, method), body: body.to_json, status: status)
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


CFRI hosted an online Town Hall Discussion on the film "Five Feet Apart," during which participants from around the U.S. joined in via Zoom. The discussion was broken into five topics. The full recording is available on our YouTube CF Community Voices playlist, but in this fifth episode, we discuss our favorite scenes from the film and why they resonated.
Sponsored by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences and Chiesi USA.
CFRI hosted an online Town Hall Discussion on the film "Five Feet Apart," during which participants from around the U.S. joined in via Zoom. The discussion was broken into five topics. The full recording is available on our YouTube CF Community Voices playlist, but in this fourth episode, as "CF insiders" we explore what drove us a bit crazy in terms of medical inaccuracies in the film.
CFRI hosted an online Town Hall Discussion on the film "Five Feet Apart," during which participants from around the U.S. joined in via Zoom. The discussion was broken into five topics. The full recording is available on our YouTube CF Community Voices playlist, but in this third episode, we explore what type of message the "stealing a foot from CF" sends to the CF community.
CFRI hosted an online Town Hall Discussion on the film "Five Feet Apart," during which participants from around the U.S. joined in via Zoom. The discussion was broken into five topics. The full recording is available on our CF Community Voices playlist, but in this second episode, we explore the portrayal of the those with CF in the film.
CFRI hosted an online Town Hall Discussion on the film "Five Feet Apart," during which participants from around the U.S. joined in via Zoom. The discussion was broken into five topics. The full recording is available on our CF Community Voices playlist, but in this first episode, we explore the impact of the film upon the general public and the CF community.


Pleasure or ache in a single dimension of our lives inevitably affects other dimensions. Wholesome for Life® is Aramark's comprehensive and integrated strategy to well being and wellness, that features healthy food, vitamin training and wellness packages that work together to help wholesome existence. Wholesome for Life® 20 By 20 is a premier initiative of Aramark's Wholesome for Life® dedication and the American Coronary heart Affiliation. Physical inactivity and lack of train contribute to weight gain.
A registered dietitian, yoga instructor, and self-proclaimed avocado lover, Alex Caspero leads by example on her weblog She's a firm believer in the notion that growing nutritious eating habits is best maintained by introducing wholesome, scrumptious meals creatively. That is precisely what she's doing. Come for the drool-worthy photographs, stay for the unbelievable vegetarian recipes Go to the blog.
Because of this it is important to see a GP recurrently and have periodic checks of weight, waist measurement and blood assessments for cholesterol, blood sugar, and liver perform among others. The doctor can also advise on a healthy life-style, including an improved food regimen, getting common train, quitting smoking, and sleeping properly, for instance.
Step 3: A wholesome mind is part of a wholesome body. Shopping for junk food, smoking and consuming alcohol is pricey. Consuming good, healthful foods (starting with tasty greens and fruit) and slicing down on alcohol and smoking could make an actual difference in spending, which implies extra money for the stuff you really get pleasure from (see 'Rewarding Your self'). However the latest results urged that vital well being benefits might be garnered in an already healthy body – a person who is not underweight or overweight. That is, somebody whose BMI lies between 18.5 and 25.
Sleep is just as essential to your children's growth and nicely-being as diet and physical activity. The amount and high quality of sleep now we have can affect our safety, how alert we are, as well as our recollections, moods, habits, and studying abilities. Establishing good sleep practices whereas your youngsters are young will not solely profit you, however it'll help them for many years to come.


text:
You are here: Home / Blogs / 6 Advantages of Setting Up a Singapore Private Limited Company
6 Advantages of Setting Up a Singapore Private Limited Company
The Private limited company is the most popular entity type in Singapore, and it is registered under the Singapore Companies Act. A limited company's liabilities are limited by the amount of share capital and the liabilities of the owners are limited to the share capital subscribed by them. A limited company can either be private or public company. The shares of a Private Limited Company are not available to the public, and the company has less than 50 shareholders. Unlike a Private Limited company, the shares of a public company can be offered to the public to raise capital, and there are at least 50 shareholders in a public company. Most of the limited companies incorporated in Singapore are Private Limited Companies because the legal structure offers several significant benefits over others such as a limited partnership or sole proprietorship. Let us explore the advantages of setting up a private limited company in Singapore.
Advantages of Running Your Business as a Limited Company
1. Establishing your Limited Company's Distinct Legal Identity:
A limited company has its own legal identity, which is separate from that of its owners/shareholders. This distinct identity empowers it to acquire assets, enter into contracts, avail debts and be sued or sued in its own name. By virtue of its distinct identity, the company is perpetual as an entity until the shareholders themselves formally dissolve it or it gets liquidated by the orders of the court or the Registrar of Companies. The death or disability of the owner/owners does not impact its existence or impair the contracts that it has entered into. More importantly, the identity thus created is protected and the use of the same/similar identity or name by any other business is legally prohibited.
Related Article: What to remember before entering a Business Partnership
2. Reduce your Limited Company's financial exposure:
The liability of the owners/shareholders is limited to the share capital subscribed by them, that is, the paid, unpaid and partly paid shares held by them. Hence, they will not be personally liable for the debts and liabilities of the company. Thus the personal assets of the owners/shareholders are kept separate and protected. Knowing that their personal assets are not at risk, gives the owners a sense of security and allows the owners to take a calculated risk. The limitation of liability is also helpful in attracting investors who will be more forthcoming when they know that they will not be held personally liable. Unlike a limited company, the owners of a partnership or sole proprietorship are personally liable, and their liability is unlimited.
However, it must be noted that in the case of a limited company, if a shareholder is also a director, then the liability may extend to them personally if the director's actions or inactions have caused the liability or loss.
3. Credible Image:
Besides the perpetuity implied by the legal structure, a commitment to long-term business as well as governance and responsible business management is demonstrated by a limited company. This contributes to the credibility of the company among the suppliers, customers and even among its employees and potential employees. It also improves its access to credit and opens up new opportunities.
While small businesses and ad hoc traders opt for sole proprietorship and partnership structure that convey an attempt at sustenance, they are generally perceived as lacking vision and long-term commitment, hence lack credibility.
4. Ease of Raising Capital for a Limited Company:
Limited companies have the option of raising additional capital by issuing new shares and attracting new investors whereas the owners of sole proprietorship and partnership firms must rely on their personal assets for raising capital and often pay a higher cost in the case of debt capital.
The structure of a limited company allows the owner/owners to transfer some of his or her equity in a company in exchange for investment or issue new shares. Though the existing shareholders may fear dilution of rights, it is always possible to protect their interest by including pre-emption rights and by creating share classes that effectively control the rights to vote, as well as the rights to receive dividend and capital if the company is wound up.
Related Article: Singapore start-up grants and schemes
5. Tax Exemptions for a Limited Company:
The corporate tax rate is very competitive in Singapore. With tax exemptions available for newly setup company and partial tax exemption for all companies, which effectively results in only 9% tax on the chargeable income of up to S$300,000, it is prudent to set up a limited company. The chargeable incomes of a sole proprietorship and partnerships firms will be treated as personal incomes of the owner/partners that could potentially result in high tax expenditure for the firms.
Additionally, as Singapore follows a single-tier taxation regime, incomes once taxed at the corporate level will not be taxed again in the hands of the shareholders. Hence, the dividends received by the shareholders of a limited company will not be charged again, resulting in tax-free income for the shareholders.
Related Article: Calculate your Singapore corporate taxes
6. Ease of Transfer of Ownership:
Ownership of a company may be transferred, either wholly or partially, by simply selling off all or part of its total shares, or through the issue of new shares to additional investors. This is helpful when there is a dispute among the owners/shareholders; if one or few of the shareholders choose to exit the business due to irreconcilable differences, they can do so by simply selling their shares to existing or new shareholders. Thus no complex documentation is needed, and it also does not disrupt the course of the business. This ease of transferability of shares is also helpful in attracting investors, thus aiding access to capital.
To learn more, please visit our Tips for People Transitioning into Entrepreneurship from the Corporate World »
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I am a birder and naturalist who enjoys studying the natural world through art. I use a variety of traditional and digital media to explore my primary subject, birds, as well as insects and pet portraiture.
My clients include the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the Center for Conservation Biology, Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory, Audubon Minneapolis, and the American Birding Association.
Email me if you would like to commission a custom piece or are interested in using any of my work.
I am recent graduate from the College of William and Mary, where I studied biology and environmental science. My undergraduate research investigated the predation risk of bright coloration in the red-backed fairywren (Malurus melanocephalus), an Australian songbird.
We might assume that bright plumage carries a risk of easier detection and predation. However, empirical evidence for this is lacking. I investigated predator attack rates on 3D-printed red-backed fairywren models and tested the response of bright and dull birds to predator playback. I presented this research at the 2018 American Ornithological Society conference.
© COPYRIGHT MEGAN MASSA 2018. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


text:
New Partnership Reimagines Documentary Storytelling on the Web
By Jonathan Archer
ITVS has partnered with Mozilla, the Tribeca Film Institute, BAVC, and the Center for Social Media to create the Living Docs Project — a new film community inspired by our original collaboration with Mozilla last October.
Launching Monday, the Living Docs Project brings together documentary filmmakers, developers, funders, and the audience to make the case for a new kind of storytelling on the web. The web has given documentary filmmakers a powerful mechanism to distribute their films, but we have only scratched the surface of how it can change storytelling. The Living Docs Project sees the web as a canvas on which new types of documentaries can be told.
Last year's ITVS/Mozilla Hackathon brought together a stellar group of creatives, including award-winning filmmakers like Steve James, Renee Tajima-Pena, and Bonni Cohen, and a crack squad of Popcorn.js coders. The teams created great projects over two days. We were even able to provide follow-on funding to The Interrupters team who, along with some co-funding from our friends at Tribeca Film Institute, already developed their prototype into the Digital Shrines feature on their interactive website.
The Living Docs Project website is an extension of the goals we had for the hackathon: building community and capacity, expanding the funding available for innovative storytelling, and breaking down the traditional barriers between filmmakers and developers. The more we collaborate and share, the stronger we all become. As storytelling enters the 21st Century, we are inspired by Mozilla's open-source ethos of collaboration, constant learning, and iteration. These new ways of working require new skills, new teams, and new aesthetics.
The Living Docs Project is going to help support this new form of storytelling by hosting Hack Days; highlighting projects that we love and support; documenting best practices and sharing lessons learned; sharing code; and providing funding for the creation of web-native documentaries. Bookmark the Living Docs Project website, and stay tuned to BTB for updates.
ITVS Names Antonia Carew-Watts Vice President of Business Affairs
ITVS is pleased to welcome Antonia Carew-Watts as our new Vice President of Business Affairs. In her new role, she will lead a team focusing on strategic deals and relationships with the San Francisco nonprofit's partners and oversee business and legal affairs across ITVS units, brands, multiplatform assets and events. In addition, Carew-Watts will…
Seeking Justice: Belly of the Beast's Impactful Engagement Strategy
Belly of the Beast, which premiered on Independent Lens in November 2020, exposes illegal sterilizations and reproductive injustices in California prisons. The film follows Kelli Dillon, who was involuntarily sterilized at the age of 24 while incarcerated, as she teams up with human rights lawyer Cynthia Chandler to fight for reproductive…
Remembering Michael Shiro
Remembering the life and impact of longtime ITVS Controller Michael Shiro, who died age 59 on October 22, 2021.


Want To See Steve Martin & Martin Short Free?
Two of the funniest comedians of our time are coming to the Treasure Valley, and LITE-FM has your tickets to see them free. It's Steve Martin and Martin Short, October 21st.
The two are friends and an incredible comedy duo, and you could be there to see them at the Morrison Center in the next couple weeks. If you would like to win your way in free, just enter to win below.
It's another perk of being a LITE VIP. If you want to buy tickets to ensure you're going to be there, you can do that HERE.


text:
Weird Disney
Scrapped
Factoids
Quick hits.
You Can't Buy Chewing Gum at Any of Disney's Parks
You won't find it for sale, because it gets in the way of Disney's remarkable clean-up operations.
Space Mountain's Launch Was Attended by Real Astronauts
Among the guests at the 1975 unveiling of Walt Disney World's Space Mountain were a host of astronauts, including one who had walked on the moon.
Disney World Has Hidden Hundreds of Lightning Rods in its Florida Parks
Central Florida has more lightning than any other part of the United States. And Disney is on it.
Disney's Cast Members Always Point with Two Fingers
In some cultures, it is considered extremely rude to point with your index finger. So Disney's employees don't do it.
The Carousel of Progress Is America's Longest-Running Stage Show
In its 57 years, the attraction has operated in New York, California, and Florida, and is still spinning its way into the history books.
Walt Disney World Has the Planet's Ultimate Lost and Found
1.6 million pairs of sunglasses. Hats, cell phones, and autograph books. A prosthetic leg, a wig, and a glass eye. What a collection.
Walt Disney World Is the Largest Single-Site Employer in the World
As of 2021, a staggering 75,000 people work for Disney in central Florida.
© 2023 WeirdDisney.com. All rights reserved.


text:
One is the Road by Mark Loewenstern
SHORT PLAY
Our protagonist drives home from vacation with his wife. He relates to us the 7 things he is thinking and doing moment-to-moment over the course of a crucial five minutes in his life.
(2014 Nominee for Best Short Script -- New York Innovative Theatre Awards)
One is the Road
Steven G. Martin:
" I love the form Mark Loewenstern's short drama takes: A very analytical, self-aware character monologue that incorporates and plays with rhythm and pattern, and speeds and slows time. There are strong emotions in "One is the Road," but it feels they're examined from a distance rather than fully experienced. I'd love to see this on stage or hear it through the radio. "
Doug DeVita:
" An excellent example of a stream of consciousness monologue that is cogent, forceful, beautifully written, and unforgettable. What an opportunity for an actor to use these words to take us along with them on this realistic, engaging, and ultimately heartbreaking road trip. "
Elana Gartner:
" Poetic and rhythmic, "One is the Road" builds in its tension. Highly relatable for audience members stuck in a car with someone whom they love but who is just having an annoying moment and for those audience members who are hard on themselves. "
View all 23 recommendations
Writer's Block Radio Hour - Longform 3 - Scotland, UK (radio program)
Short + Sweet Theatre Festival, Sydney, Australia
Mind The Gap Theatre Company, Housebound Series, NYC (YouTube)
Lucky Penny Productions, Napa, California
Midwest Dramatists Conference, Olanthe, Kansas
Hen & Chickens Theater Bar, London, UK
Workshop Theater Company, NYC
Vital Theater Company, NYC
Nominated for Best Short Script
New York Innovative Theatre Awards
drama, radio drama
Subject Matter Keywords:
idealized love, Relationships, zoom,
two to nine minutes, ten minutes
Published Script
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Ten-Minute-Plays-Acting-Institute/dp/1575259338/ref=...
Sydney Arts Guide
Entertaining with unique storytelling.


text:
Sherborne Qatar 'is more than half full'
Sherborne Qatar, the new international school due to open at its west Nasiriyah location on September 27, is "well over half full" as testing of prospective students continues daily, according to Elaine Stallard, joint project director. The school is targeting an initial intake of 340 co-ed students from Reception through to Year 6 and will phase in classes catering for older students over the next few years that will offer IGCSEs, A Levels and the International Baccalaureate. All pupils will be taught the English National Curriculum. "We have about a dozen different nationalities already and the response from Qataris has been good," Stallard said yesterday. "We will continue to be available for testing of outstanding students until we open and we will have a waiting list like other international schools in Doha." English will be the primary language with Arabic compulsory and a decision has been made to teach French in all years as well, she added. Richard Hodder-Williams, chairman of Sherborne governors at the prestigious public school in Dorset, England, told Gulf Times: "Recruitment of staff has been absolutely amazing. We advertised in March and had 400 applications for 22 posts. All have experience of the English system and some have experience teaching overseas and especially in the Middle East." Sherborne School originated in 705 and in 1550 it was given its Coat of Arms under a royal charter granted by Edward VI. Sherborne Qatar is an initiative of Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Abdullah al-Thani. http://gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=299956&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16
Qatar's agricultural products hit high sales in June
Qatar Sports Club signs a two-year deal with Spanish coach Carlos Alos
Qatar partakes in UNCITRAL 52nd Session in Vienna
Qatar's summer centres all set for kids this season
Startup of the week: The Real Estate CRM, Qatar's latest cloud-based property management in the sky
Jordan has new envoy to Qatar, two years after it severed ties -- GCC Crisis Updates Week 111
Fitness sessions on Corniche gaining popularity...
HEC Paris International EMBA Info Session in Qatar...
Crave Brazilian Churrasco in Qatar? Check out Rodi...


Contemporary design adds flair to any environment. Padded seat and back for comfort. Steel frame provides extreme strength. Recommended Applications: Guest, Reception, Waiting Room & Lounge; Seat/Back Color: Black.
Overall Width Maximum: 21 1/4"
Overall Height Maximum: 32 3/4"
Back Height Maximum: 14 3/4"


The research team: Juli Feigon, Yaqiang Wang, Jiansen Jiang, Lukas Sušac and Z. Hong Zhou (left to right) in front of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA. Photo courtesy of UCLA Newsroom.
Efforts to combat the symptoms of aging and diseases such as cancer have been underway for almost a century. However, researchers have been unable to target the sources of these complex human health issues on a deep, molecular level. Dr. Juli Feigon, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA and Dr. Hong Zhou, Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Director of the California NanoSystems Institute and a Committee Member at the Institute for Digital Research and Education (IDRE) at UCLA, collaborated to find the missing piece to this puzzle. Detailed in their report in the journal Cell titled "Structure of Telomerase with Telomeric DNA", they constructed three-dimensional maps of Tetrahymena telomerase, an RNA-protein complex that maintains the ends of chromosomes. Recent advancements in technology have allowed the researchers to determine the structure of this enzyme, which is a critical determinant of aging, cancer cell multiplication, and stem cell renewal. For the first time, the scientists were able to view telomerase in near-atomic resolution, this is the highest level of detail that researchers have been able to study the enzyme at, and have even captured telomerase in the process of making DNA. Read more about the results.
Telomerase's catalytic core. Photo courtesy of Juli Feigon, et al./UCLA/Cell.
Using a technique called cryoEM (cryo electron microscopy) the scientists are able to collect the data needed to create a three-dimensional (3D) map of telomerase and other molecular complexes not visible by conventional methods. In order to achieve this, "processing the large amount of data needed for atomic resolution reconstructions requires either accessing to very expensive computer clusters or waiting for weeks of continuous computation in a personal computer (PC)".2 To help minimize wait time and resources, scientists calculated portions of the research using graphics processing units (GPUs) on PCs. The use of GPUs generated the same data and accuracy needed to create 3D models. GPUs provide a less expensive alternative and reduced time from weeks–months to only hours–days for high resolution 3D reconstructions of large complexes. Read more about atomic resolution cryoEM reconstruction.
Authors included in "Structure of Telomerase with Telomeric DNA" are Dr. Juli Feigon, senior author and lead contact, Dr. Z. Hong Zhou senior author, Dr. Jiansen Jiang co-lead author, Dr. Yaqiang Wang co-lead author, Dr. Lukas Sušac co-lead author, Dr. Ritwika Basu, and Dr. Henry Chan. Read more about the research in the UCLA Newsroom article.
Jiang J, Wang Y, Sušac L, Chan H, Basu R, Zhou ZH, Feigon J. Structure of Telomerase with Telomeric DNA. Cell. 2018 May 17;173(5):1179-1190.e13. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.04.038. PubMed PMID: 29775593; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5995583.


Last week we announced that Techworld was going to be investigating Tech City's expanding co-working scene through a new series called Tech City Spaces. Today we're happy to bring you the first review.
Central Working likes to think of itself as more of a business member's club than a co-working space.
Its swanky pads in Shoreditch and Bloomsbury are designed for a variety of members, including start-ups that need a permanent home and senior level directors at multinational firms who may only need to work from London just a few days a year.
Central Working also owns the bustling basement of Google Campus, which is free for anyone to use once they have signed up online and received their membership card.
But today I'm in the Shoreditch space, which is arguably at the epicentre of Tech City.
If you looked up at the stereotypical multi-storey office building (actually next door to Google Campus) from the outside you wouldn't think much of the exterior, but as soon as you enter the doorway on the first floor the quality of the venue hits home and you quickly realise that you've just stepped into somewhere "cool".
Co-founder James Layfield told Techworld that £500,000 was spent kitting out the Shoreditch venue with bespoke furniture and pieces of art to create a space that was somewhere between a posh airport lounge and a Starbucks. Layfield's business partner, Steve Pette, is in fact the former head of innovation for Virgin Airlines.
The place oozes style and is a pleasure to work from once you block out the occasional high noise levels with a decent set of headphones and adjust to the lack of airflow on a hot summer's day. Indeed, Central Working has attracted some big names, with cloud communications firm and Google-collaborators Twilio setting up their European HQ in Shoreditch and Angry Birds creator Rovio setting up their UK operation in Bloomsbury.
Layfield was keen to stress that "serendipity" occurs naturally at Central Working, pointing out that members are only too keen to aid neighbours on everything from coding to marketing.
To encourage collaboration Central Working has set up a Facebook group for members to liaise on and introduced a slightly more traditional corkboard that was covered with bits of paper from members seeking help, when I visited.
The levels of service at Central Working are high and this is probably down to the fact that the two community assistants at each venue – tasked with introducing members to each other – come directly from the hospitality industry.
Central Working has 700 members on its books but it's pushing to get a thousand signed up by the end of the year. Layfield said that 300 to 400 of those members very rarely come in, suggesting that roughly half are on the £99 per month club membership, as opposed to the £349 per month unlimited membership or the £449 resident membership.
When the company opened its first space in Bloomsbury in May 2011, the club membership was only £35, some £64 less than today's rate. Layfield said the price hike reflects the level of demand for spaces of this nature in London and the fact that Central Working now has more spaces to offer.
First impressions: trendy, colourful, organised, efficient, hot.
Club membership is £99 per person month and gives member's access to all clubs for up to four days each month.
Unlimited membership is £349 per person per month (£299 when three or more sign up) and gives members' unlimited access to all clubs.
Resident membership is £449 per person per month (£399 when three or more sign up) and gives companies with less than 10 full time team members a permanent desk at their chosen hub.
What made you choose Central Working?
Alex: I became a member of Google Campus when it first opened and became very familiar with the basement cafe, which is run by Central Working. I really got on with Steve and James who run the space and therefore was excited to move into their dedicated workspace. They are always keen to make connections and take an interest in FolioShack.
James: Braintree chose Central Working because they provide one of the best environments for a start-up in London. What they have created is similar to an incubator model where all the start-ups work in one area, share ideas, expertise and knowledge all with the common goal of growing. The creativity that goes on in the Central Working offices is immense!
Alex: A challenge all workspaces face is to facilitate communication between members, and I think it could be interesting to experiment with new ways of doing so.
James: As Central Working grows I think that more meeting rooms would be useful. Also, with it being so popular there are times where you find yourself working on sofas and bean bags - in time and given the amount of space available it would be an idea to replace some of these with standard desks.
How long do you plan to stay in total?
Alex: We do not have plans to leave at the moment and would just need to consider it out of necessity when the team grows.
James: Central Working take care of you in the office and are always on hand to make sure you have everything you need so I can see us being there a long time, we will probably stay there until we, as a company, outgrow them and need our own Braintree office!
Alex: Although expensive, Central Working has a great vibe to it, and as FolioShack clients usually come from the enterprise, having a space that makes an impact is important. The cost would become prohibitive as a team grows, which is common to most workspaces.
James: I think the pricing is fair, I looked at a number of shared office spaces before choosing Central Working as our base at Braintree and they are competitive. If you think about it in terms of an amount of money for a desk you are looking at it in the wrong way, at Central Working you are paying for the desk but also the support you get form them, their network which is huge and also the environment where there are loads of young businesses or start-ups all sharing ideas and helping each other out!


Abbie Sara is a Adult Model from United Kingdom. She was born in Manchester. She is listed on FreeOnes since 2016 and is currently ranked 18125th place. She currently has 5 gallery links in her own FreeOnes section.


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Union Activist Targeted by UIC Administration
Read more articles in SEIU
An unfair labor practices charge against the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) has been filed with the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board. UIC is alleged to have targeted a member of SEIU Local 73 for possible elimination, in retaliation for his union activity.
John Loya is the Vice Chancellor for Human Resources at UIC. Joe Iosbaker is a secretary in the College of Medicine there and the chief steward for the workers in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). In early May, 35 workers were notified that their jobs were being eliminated. 60 more were being affected by the 'bumping' process in the civil service system and those with the least seniority in their job titles were being laid off. Local 73 is charging that Loya manipulated the process to make certain that Iosbaker suffered the loss of his position.
The Labor Board is charged with investigating the case. The charges reflect that union activism is 'protected activity,' according to the collective bargaining agreement between Local 73 and UIC. Earlier this year, Local 73 filed another unfair labor practices charge against UIC, for denying workers in the Patient Access department the right to wear t-shirts with a union message.
Iosbaker believes he was targeted because this year he has participated in numerous demonstrations at the university to protest anticipated layoffs. Iosbaker and other union activists at UIC have also joined the coalition UIC-Against Budget Cuts to oppose layoffs of members of other unions, cuts to services for the working-class communities that surround UIC and to oppose fee and tuition increases for students. There have been repeated protests, controversy and media coverage since the administration at UIC set out in the fall to balance their budget crisis on the backs of the workers, students and the poor.


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9 Reactions to Trump's Call to Bar Muslims From the US
CP Current Page: Politics | Tuesday, December 08, 2015
By Ray Nothstine, Christian Post Reporter | Tuesday, December 08, 2015
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Sarasota, Florida November 28, 2015. | (Photo: REUTERS/Scott Audette)
Many prominent Christian and political figures are denouncing Donald Trump for his call Monday to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the United States. Trump made the remarks on the deck of the USS Yorktown in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
A statement released by the Trump campaign reads: "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."
The statement continues: "Most recently, a poll from the Center for Security Policy released data showing '25 percent of those polled agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad,' and 51 percent of those polled, 'agreed that Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to Shariah."
The GOP frontrunner read part of his statement and expanded on it during his South Carolina stump speech Monday.
Below are nine responses to Trump's call to ban Muslims from the U.S.
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters at a Pearl Harbor Day rally aboard the USS Yorktown memorial in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, December 7, 2015. | (Photo: Reuters/Randall Hill)
1. Rev. Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, former secretary-general for the World Evangelical Alliance from 2005 to 2014, and chairman of Christian Media Corp International.
"While we recognize the need for each country to protect its people from threat it is unfortunate that Donald Trump's comments feed a narrative that can further fuel radical movements around the world," Tunnicliffe declared.
"Trump's comments stem from a position of fear and can be used to mobilize even more people to join groups like ISIS. The vast majority of Christians in the world believe that no one should be discriminated against based on religious belief.
"To exhibit such xenophobic nationalistic attitudes directly contravenes the biblical concepts of loving our neighbor," said Tunnicliffe. Muslim people around the world need to know that Trump's views do not represent the vast majority of Christians. We believe in building bridges and not putting up walls. This is the way of Jesus. And we as His follower can be united in hearts to reflect His love to the world."
2. Reince Priebus, chairman of the National Republican Committee.
"I don't agree. We need to aggressively take on radical Islamic terrorism, but not at the expense of our American values."
3. Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
"It is not in spite of our Gospel conviction, but precisely because of it, that we should stand for religious liberty for everyone, wrote Moore in an op-ed published in The Christian Post on Tuesday.
"A government that issues ID badges for Muslims simply because they are Muslims can, in the fullness of time, demand the same for Christians because we are Christians," he added.
4. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
"This is not conservatism," said Ryan during a Tuesday press conference. "What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for and, more importantly, it's not what this country stands for."
"Some of our best and biggest allies in this struggle and fight against radical Islamic terror are Muslims, the vast, vast, vast majority of whom are people who believe in pluralism, freedom, democracy, individual rights," he added.
5. GOP frontrunner Donald Trump chimed in on his own remarks.
"They've been condemning practically everything I say and then they come to my side," he said of the GOP field. "They were condemning the wall, they were condemning illegal immigration, they were condemning all of the things I've been espousing. And now most of them are on my side."
6. Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom and frequent critic of Islam.
"I hope @realDonaldTrump will be the next U.S. President. Good for America, good for Europe. We need brave leaders," tweeted the Dutch politician.
7. Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state and Democrat frontrunner for president.
"Trump's hateful comments aren't just an affront to our values — they're a threat to our national security," said Clinton Tuesday on Twitter.
"Declaring war on Islam or demonizing Muslim Americans is not only counter to our values — it plays right into the hands of terrorists," Clinton declared on Monday.
8. Pastor Mark Burns, founder and president of the Now Network.
"I want to protect my church in Easley, South Carolina. I want to protect my wife. Every father watching wants to make sure their families are protected and that is all Mr. Trump is doing," declared Burns.
"And remember again, as I am stating, it is just a temporary solution," he added in a Monday interview with CNN.
9. Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and presidential candidate.
"Donald Trump is unhinged. His "policy" proposals are not serious," declared Bush on Twitter.
Hillary Clinton: Why You Shouldn't Say 'Radical Islam'
President Barack Obama, Apologist for Islam
Evangelicals Must Support Religious Freedom for Muslims and Denounce Trump
Trump 'Unhinged,' 'Unconstitutional' For Wanting to Ban All Muslims at Border, Critics Say
Evangelicals Help Cruz Surge Ahead of Trump in Iowa Poll
Here Is Trump's Detailed Master Plan to Keep Muslims Out of the Country


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What Happened to Kenichi Ebina – What He's Doing Now In 2023
Kenichi Ebina is best known for winning the eighth season of the NBC reality competition, America's Got Talent. The first Japanese winner in the show's history, he is noted for his unique, self-taught solo act which incorporates multiple elements of storytelling, dancing, and acting. Born in Japan, he founded a Japanese dance group called BiTriP in 2001, with whom he participated and later won the championship of Apollo Amateur Night. Several years later in 2006 and 2007, he returned to the competition as a solo dancer in which he once again emerged as the grand champion both times. To this day, Ebina remains to be the only winner who has won the show two times. Continuing to perform over the next few years, he eventually auditioned for the eighth season of the popular NBC talent show, America's Got Talent in 2013. Having successfully wowed the judges with his Matrix-style performance, he was soon sent right through to the live rounds held at New York City's Radio City Music Hall.
Putting himself out there on stage, Ebina continued to amaze judges and audience members over the next few weeks. Before long, he was competing against other competitors during the show's live finale. Following a stunning mime performance, the dancer was announced as the season winner on September 18, 2013- making him the second foreign act to have ever won the talent competition. As the champion of the eighth season of America's Got Talent, Ebina was given the top prize of $1,000,000. A year after his win, he was also invited to perform during the Quarterfinals of the show's ninth season. While he was competing in the NBC reality series, he also appeared in a handful of TV specials such as Crossroad (2013), Home & Family (2013), and the Japanese documentary, Jonetsu Tairiku (2014). Known around the world for his unique performances, Ebina has also appeared on television in China, South Korea, Brazil, and the UK, among many other countries.
Since the beginning of his career as a performing artist, Ebina has taken to the stage at sundry events; for instance, he has performed at a Cirque du Soleil Special Show, an NBA Basketball Halftime Show Tour, as well as a private party held for various big-name celebrities such as Simon Cowell and Madonna. A one-of-a-kind dancer, the Japanese-native has amassed a number of awards under his belt and has choreographed and directed numerous projects for a number of theater and dance companies throughout the years. As a dance instructor, he has also taught in well over thirty different countries around the world.
So what has the former winner of America's Got Talent been up to these days? What has been keeping him busy as of late? Can we expect to see him once again on screen in the near future? What happened to Kenichi Ebina? Where is he now in 2018?
Kenichi Ebina's Early Life and Career Beginnings
Kenichi Ebina in Showtime at the Apollo
Kenichi Ebina on America's Got Talent
Kenichi Ebina After His Win on America's Got Talent
What's Kenichi Ebina Doing Now In 2023 – Recent Updates
Born on May 25, 1974, Kenichi Ebina was raised in Japan, where he spent most of his early life. At the age of twenty, he made the trek over to Connecticut to study abroad at the University of Bridgeport, where he later earned an Associates of Arts in General Studies in 1998. From there, Ebina eventually attained a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from the same institute in 2000. Although dance was never something that he had explored as a child, he developed a keen interest in the art while attending university. A self-taught dancer, he started out with Freestyle Hip Hop before later branching his style to Contemporary dance, Jazz, Mime, and Lockin'. Eventually wanting to create his own dance group, he formed BiTriP with a team of Japanese dancers.
After performing together for several months, they auditioned for Apollo Amateur Night where they later emerged as the grand champions- making them the first Japanese performers to have ever achieved the title. In addition to his achievements on stage, he was also invited to speak at the annual TED Talks in 2007- a conference attended by thousands of big-name celebrities; at the event, he was also joined by former US Presidents, Nobel Prize Winners and a number of other prominent figures. Aside from being a dancer and speaker, Ebina is also an instructor and choreographer, with dozens of credits to his name all over the world.
Prior to achieving fame in America's Got Talent, Ebina had participated in the Amateur Night Competition several times- an event made popular the Manhattan's famous Apollo Theater. The highlight of Showtime at the Apollo, a syndicated music TV show, it saw a number of contestants from comedians to singers during its run. Upon taking to the stage, competitors perform their routine after which they are judged by the audience; while talented individuals receive vigorous applause, the opposite were often harshly booed. Originally premiered on September 12, 1987, Showtime at the Apollo was a long-running series, having been on air for over two decades.
As mentioned previously, Ebina and his Japanese dance crew BiTriP took home the winner's title at Apollo Amateur Night in 2001. But that's not all that he's accomplished on the show. As a solo performer, he also successfully won the competition two consecutive times in 2006 and 2007. To date, he remains to be the only competitor who has won the grand championship title two times.
The brainchild of Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Ken Warwick, and Simon Cowell, America's Got Talent features a number of performers from dancers to magicians, all of whom compete for a chance to win the big prize of $1,000,000. From season three onward, the winner also received an opportunity to headline a show on the famed Las Vegas Strip. Although the show consists of a judging panel who are responsible for choosing talents, it's unique in that audience members also have a say in the results via a public vote. A popular format, it has been used successfully in a number of similar shows both in the UK and the US.
A competitor on the show's eighth season, Ebina faced off against a number of fellow contenders such as Jimmy Rose, Cami Bradley, Taylor Williamson, and the operatic trio, Forte. The season's judge panel consisted of Howie Mandel, Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, and Mel B- the last of whom replaced Sharon Osbourne following her departure.
Like the seasons before it, a number of auditions were held at various cities across the country including New York, New Orleans, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Antonio; Ebina ultimately tried out in Chicago, having performed a Matrix-inspired "dance-ish" routine on stage that immediately wowed the judges, he eventually left the stage having received an unanimous "yes" from all of the four judges present. Unlike the majority of the other competitors, Ebina was then automatically advanced to the live rounds held at New York City's Radio City Music Hall; he did not have to participate in the second round of competition coined as "Las Vegas Week".
For the Quarterfinals which kicked off on July 23, 2013, Ebina performed an impressive mime, which saw him swimming, conquering a robot, fighting monsters, and stumbling upon a fire breather. Also wow-worthy was the fact that he utilized a video screen behind him, to feature the characters that were all acted out by himself. During the round, he went up against several competitors including the Chinese-American dance troup, Mitsi Dancing School, the brother-sister music duo Brandon & Savannah, singer Deanna DellaCioppa, and impressionist Jim Meskimen, among numerous others. At the end, he alongside opera singer Jonathan Allen and show choir American Military Spouses Choir made it to the next round.
During week two of the Semifinals that took place between September 3-4, 2013, Ebina once again performed a mime. Utilizing a projection, he fought a battle against himself, a performance that quickly garnered votes from audience members; before he knew it, he had been voted into the Top 12. Aside from him, the acrobatic group Chicago Boyz, singer Branden James, Comedic hand-balancing duo KriStef Brothers and country singer Jimmy Rose also advanced forward in the competition.
The next round that took place on September 10, 2013 saw two guests- Olate Dogs and Terry Fator. Going up against eleven other competitors, Ebina performed tenth which saw him putting together an interpretative dance routine about death, love, and the afterlife. After everyone's respective performances during the Top 12, only six contestants remained including Taylor Williamson, Collins Key, Cami Bradley, and Jimmy Rose.
For the long awaited finale, each of the six competitors performed two acts; the first was an updated version of a previous performance while the second featured entirely new material. For his new routine, Ebina performed a matrix-inspired martial arts dance; he then went on to dance and interact with himself as eight different characters on a projected video screen behind him. He was later joined by guest performers Heather Headley and the classical crossover vocal group, Il Divo. Following the two dance routines on September 17, 2013, it was announced that the Japanese mime was the winner of the eighth season of America's Got Talent. Not only was he the first winner of Japanese origin, but was also the first dance act to win the whole reality competition. As winner of the show, he was given a cash prize of $1,000,000.
A year after his win, the Japanese performer was invited to the Quarterfinals of the show's subsequent ninth season, where he gave a performance similar to that of his audition dance routine. According to the dancer himself, the routine was also a demonstration of an app that he was working on at the time- called "Dance-ish Me", which was later released in 2014.
That same year, he also released his first book- albeit in Japanese entitled 見せ方ひとつで世界でも勝てる. Making his first appearance on television since his win, he later also appeared in the Japanese TV documentary show, Jonetsu Tairiku.
Kenichi returned to television in the first season of America's Got Talent: The Champions in 2019. A spin-off of the original, it involved a variety of participants taken from the Got Talent franchise, including finalists, winners, and other notable entries. Despite putting on a great performance, however, he didn't receive enough votes to go to the finals. He ultimately finished in fourth place.
Since then, he hasn't been back on the show. Rather, he's been performing across Japan. According to his official website, he will be performing in the Saga and Mie prefectures later this fall. He also performs many corporate events, however, they're not listed on the site.
Personalized videos from the performing artist is available through Cameo
For those who'd like to book an event, you can do so via his website here. Kenichi is also on Cameo for those who are looking for a customized video (starting at $90).
You can also find the performing artist on Instagram at @kenichi_ebina_ebiken and on Twitter at @kenichiebina).
kenichiebina
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