text:
When the Eagle Hunts
Eagles of the Empire, Book 3
Von: Simon Scarrow
Gesprochen von: David Thorpe
Spieldauer: 12 Std. und 3 Min.
4,9 out of 5 stars 4,9 (65 Bewertungen)
If you don't know Simon Scarrow, you don't know Rome!
When the Eagle Hunts is the compelling third novel in Simon Scarrow's best-selling Eagles of the Empire series. For fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden.
Britannia, AD 44. Cato, a thoughtful junior officer in the Roman army, and his commanding centurion, Macro, are simply pawns in Rome's lust to conquer Britain. During the freezing winter, the two men and their legion fight the native savages in hand-to-hand battles that haunt Cato for days after. But in a place full of enemies, the most vicious are the Druids of the Dark Moon; brutal, merciless men who have captured the wife and children of General Plautius himself. So Macro and Cato are given a mission: to travel deep into enemy territory and recover the hostages. If they fail, the fate of the Roman army may just hang in the balance....
©2002 Simon Scarrow (P)2013 Headline Publishing Group Ltd.
Serie: Eagles of the Empire, Titel 3
Kategorien: Literatur & Belletristik
Krieg & Militär Historische Romane Antike
Hörer, die diesen Titel gekauft haben, kauften auch…
The Eagle and the Wolves
Gesprochen von: Jonathan Keeble
Ungekürztes
The Eagle and the Wolves is the gripping fourth novel in Simon Scarrow's best-selling Eagles of the Empire series. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell. It's AD 44, and Vespasian and the Second Legion are forging ahead in their campaign to seize the southwest of Britain. Macro and newly appointed centurion Cato are ordered to provide Verica, ruler of the Atrebatans, with an army.
The Eagle's Conquest
The second novel in Simon Scarrow's best-selling Roman series. When Centurion Macro arrives on British soil as one of Emperor Claudius's invasion force in 43 AD, he is facing one of the toughest campaigns of his battle-scarred career. In a series of bloody skirmishes, Macro and his young subordinate, Optio Cato, and the desperately outnumbered Roman army must find and defeat the enemy before he grows strong enough to overwhelm the legions. But the Britons are not the only foe facing Macro and Cato....
Faszination, living in the old romen time
Von J. Am hilfreichsten 24.06.2019
The Eagle's Prey
It is late summer AD 44, and the battle-weary Roman legions are in their second year of campaigning against the British tribes. The troops' commander, General Plautius, is under pressure from the emperor to crush the natives once and for all. Centurions Macro and Cato are with the crack Second Legion under the precarious leadership of Centurion Maximus, and it's their task to hold a ford across the river Tamesis when the natives are forced into a trap.
The Eagle in the Sand
Gesprochen von: Russell Boulter
Judaea in AD 46. Roman centurions Cato and Macro have been posted to Judaea for a 'hearts and minds' operation. The Empire needs to win over the locals after some of their religious figures have started revolts - and since the Romans crucified the last charismatic Judaean leader, the natives' rebellions have become bolder. Not only are these small villages causing trouble, but there are also thousands of Parthians eager to fight Rome. With the threat of suicide attacks and even all-out war, Cato and Macro have their peace-keeping work cut out....
The Eagle's Prophecy
The Adriatic Sea, AD 45. Cato and Macro, centurions of the Roman army, are horrified to learn that they face possible execution after the death of their commanding officer. Fortunately, the Emperor's secretary is willing to offer them an alternative: to join the marines and hunt down a band of brutal pirates who are decimating not only Rome's reputation, but also a critical supply chain. As they discover the true horror of battle at sea, Macro and Cato must also remember their real mission: to recover from those pirates a set of scrolls that hold secrets vital to the future of the Roman Empire. Rome will do anything to get them back....
Under the Eagle
The first novel in Simon Scarrow's bestselling Roman series. It is 42 AD, and Quintus Licinius Cato has just arrived in Germany as a new recruit to the Second Legion, the toughest in the Roman army. If adjusting to the rigours of military life isn't difficult enough for the bookish young man, he also has to contend with the disgust of his colleagues when, because of his imperial connections, he is appointed a rank above them.
Exciting Storyline
Von Michael Pilliger Am hilfreichsten 28.02.2022
Centurion, a no. 1 best-seller, is the unputdownable eighth novel in Simon Scarrow's Eagle's of the Empire series. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden. In the first century AD the Roman Empire faces a new threat from its long-standing enemy Parthia. Parthia is vying with Rome for control of Palmyra, an officially neutral kingdom. Palmyra's royal household is on the brink of open revolt, and so a task force under the command of experienced soldiers Macro and Cato is dispatched to defend its king and guard its borders.
Absolutely godly book (entire series is gas)
Von Last Gamer Am hilfreichsten 06.12.2022
The Gladiator
The Gladiator is the compelling ninth novel in Simon Scarrow's best-selling Eagles of the Empire series. A must read for fans of Bernard Cornwell. While centurions Macro and Cato are returning to Rome from a harrowing campaign against the Parthians, their transport ship is almost capsized by a tidal wave. They barely make it to the port of Matala in Crete where they are stunned to find a devastated town. An earthquake has struck the island, destroying its cities and killing thousands.
This entire series is insane
The Blood Crows
Eagles of the Empire, Book 12
From the best-selling author of Centurion, The Gladiator and Praetorian, a new military adventure for battle-hardened centurions Macro and Cato, fighting for the Empire in Britannia. For nearly ten years, the Roman Empire has fought ceaselessly to strengthen its hold over Britannia. But opposition from native tribes led by the ruthless warrior Caratacus threatens to destroy everything. Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro are summoned by Governor Ostorius to Londinium....
Finally Cato and macro get back to real soldiering! But not all is what it seems…
Gesprochen von: Gareth Armstrong
Praetorian is the gripping eleventh novel in Simon Scarrow's best-selling Eagles of the Empire series. Essential reading for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden. AD 51. Legionaries Cato and Macro have forged a bond that has survived war, rebellion and torture. Yet nothing has prepared them for a daunting mission on the deadliest battlefield of all: the bloody streets of Rome. Traitors are threatening to plunge the Empire into bloody chaos and no one can be trusted....
Sick plot twists!!
Brothers in Blood
The Roman Empire's conquest of Britannia is under threat from within. Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro must uncover a traitor to prevent unthinkable defeat. A messenger on the streets of Rome has been intercepted and tortured, revealing a plot to sabotage the Roman army's campaign against Caratacus, commander of Britannia's native tribes. A treacherous agent's mission is to open a second front of attack against them and eliminate the two Roman soldiers who could stand in the way.
SICKKKKK BOOK
The Legion
The Legion is the action-packed tenth novel in Simon Scarrow's best-selling Eagles of the Empire series. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden. Egypt, AD 49. Cato, one of the youngest Prefects of the Roman army, and Centurion Macro have a tough posting: to track down and destroy a gang of former gladiators who have turned to piracy. Driven by vengeance, these hardened brutes have been defiling temples, sinking Roman ships, and slaughtering men, women and children.
EVERYTHING IS BRILLIANT
Invictus is a gripping, authentic and exciting audiobook of the Roman army from best-selling author Simon Scarrow. Not to be missed by fans of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell. It is AD 54. The soldiers of the Roman army patrol a growing empire from the Mediterranean to the North Sea, from the Atlantic to the banks of the Nile. Rome brutally enforces its rule, and its legions are the most efficient and aggressive fighting force in the world.
Another beautiful story by Mr scarrow
Roman Britain, AD 52. The western tribes, inspired by the Druids' hatred of the Romans, prepare to make a stand. But can they match the discipline and courage of the legionaries? Wounded during a skirmish, Centurion Macro remains behind in charge of the fort as Centurion Cato leads an invasion deep into the hills. Cato's mission: to cement Rome's triumph over the natives by crushing the Druid stronghold. But with winter drawing in, the terrain is barely passable through icy rain and snowstorms.
Holy shit this book was INSANE
Day of the Caesars
AD 55. The Emperor Claudius is dead. Nero rules. His half-brother Britannicus has also laid claim to the throne. A bloody power struggle is underway. All Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro want is a simple army life, fighting with their brave and loyal men. But Cato has caught the eye of rival factions determined to get him on their side. To survive, Cato must play a cunning game and enlist the help of the one man in the empire he can trust: Macro.
The Blood of Rome
It is AD 55. As trouble brews on the eastern fringes of the Roman Empire, Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro must prepare for war.... The wily Parthian Empire has invaded Armenia, a frontier territory claimed by Rome, ousting King Rhadamistus. The king is ambitious and ruthless, but he is vital to Rome's strategic interests. General Corbulo must restore him to power while also readying the troops for war with the powerful Parthian Empire. Corbulo orders new arrivals Cato and Macro, and their elite cohort of Praetorian Guards, to carry out the task.
Traitors of Rome
Roman army heroes Cato and Macro face treachery in the ranks
Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro are based on the eastern border of the Empire, facing Rome's deadly enemy, Parthia. The signs are that Parthia is preparing for war. And the two battle-hardened veterans are ready for their greatest-ever military challenge.
Death to the Emperor
It is AD 60. The hard-won province of Britannia is a thorn in the side of the Roman Empire, its tribes swift to anger and relentless in their bloody harassment of the Roman military. Far from being a peaceful northern enclave, Britannia is a seething mass of bitter rebels and unlikely alliances against the common enemy. Corruption amongst greedy officials diverts resources from the locals who need them. For the military, it's a never-ending fight to maintain a fragile peace.
Ketten und Macht - Die Napoleon-Saga 1795 - 1803
Im Zeichen des Adlers
Schlacht und Blut - Die Napoleon-Saga 1769 - 1795
City of Last Chances
The Bedlam Stacks
Das sagen andere Hörer zu When the Eagle Hunts
5 out of 5 stars 4,9 von 5,0
Anonymer Hörer
Die Geschichte geht weiter
Die Eroberung von Britannien hat gerade erst begonnen! Cato und sein Centurio stürzen sich wieder in tausend Gefahren. Die Römer haben mittlerweile interessante Weggefährten, und stehen vor fast unlösbaren Aufgaben…..


← Monotony Free Mondays Link Below – join us in writing a group story!!!
I find strength in God above.
I find strength in all living things.
I find strength in my family's love.
I find strength in an angel that sings.


This page lets you change some advanced options of Synchronize It!
Copy NTFS Permissions Copy all security related data along with files. Please note that security attributes are only supported by NTFS system.
Verify copy to these drives In addition to Compatibility mode, Synchronize It! now can verify file copy operations by comparing copied file with the original one. This would take some time, so use it only if you need it. Verifying backup copies is known to be a good practice, though.
Always exclude these files Here you can specify file mask for always ignored files. These files are skipped independently of Exclude button on Start Dialog.


text:
Home Health Outdoors 'Owl guy' Mark Glenshaw wants others to experience Forest Park's nocturnal creatures
'Owl guy' Mark Glenshaw wants others to experience Forest Park's nocturnal creatures
"I love it when people who go on prowls tell me 'Hey, Mark, I now think of Forest Park in a totally different way.'"
by Teddy Hans
Edward Crim
Mark Glenshaw has been studying owls in Forest Park for the past 14 years. It's a hobby he takes very seriously. Most days, you can find him walking through the park near dusk in layers of clothing (depending on the season), sporting a massive camera to capture the elusive creatures.
What started as just an interest has developed into an obsession for Glenshaw. He's given lectures across the country about the nocturnal creatures. In addition to public talks, he leads owl prowls through Forest Park that help to educate and allow people to see owls, an animal so elusive that many people live their whole lives without ever seeing one, for themselves.
What sparked your interest in owls? "When I first saw the owls in Forest Park, I didn't write the date down. It was late August or September of 2005, and I thought it wasn't in the cards that I'd see them again. But, the first sighting took my already high love and interest for the park, and the park's wildlife, and just poured gasoline on that fire. What I mark as my 'owl-versary' is a date I did mark down:: December 29, 2005. That's when I began to see them more consistently."
What does a typical owl prowl look like? "They are typically two hours long, and we meet about 60 to 70 minutes before sunset. This is when the owls start to wake up and become active. I do limit it to 10 people. More than 10 people is, most importantly, too much for the owls but is also usually too much for me. A lot of it is standing around and waiting, so it's important to dress properly. But, if you're well-prepared, you're going to have a really good time."
Can people of any age attend the prowls? "The age limit is no children four years or younger. Kids and prowls often work very well. You know your child, and your five-year-old might be ready to go, but your eight-year-old might not be. It all depends; I've had 50-year-olds who are more difficult than five-year-olds. I've had families who have attended the prowls many times, but I lead the owl prowl; I don't babysit."
What do kids learn on the prowls? "I teach them as I teach adults, but I adjust accordingly at the same time. For example, I loved Sesame Street growing up because it treated me like I was an adult, to be smart, engaged, and ready to learn. I pride myself on being able to adjust my prowls to the people on the prowl and that I lead owl prowls for a wide variety of people."
What are people most surprised to learn about owls? "I think that people are most often most impressed with how adaptable Great Horned Owls are, and in so many respects. Their huge geographic range allied with their ability to live in so many different habitats including city parks and residential neighborhoods while hunting and eating everything from insects and small mammals to herons, raccoons and hawks surprises many people."
What is the best mindset for people going on a prowl? "The way I look at it is, we are guests. No matter how we get to the park or what we do in the park, we all finish the same way by packing up and going home. The owls sleep here, hunt here and live here; it is their home."
What is your favorite reaction you get from people? "One of my favorite reactions is when people really gain a better understanding of what's out there. 'There' meaning their neighborhood, Forest Park or wherever. I love it when people who go on prowls tell me 'Hey, Mark, I now think of Forest Park in a totally different way.' I just want people to get thinking about what's out there and what they can see."
If you would like to go on an owl prowl, contact Glenshaw at mglenshaw@gmail.com with three or four dates that work for you. Due to the volume of requests he receives, Glenshaw might not be able to satisfy your request.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Posted on December 1, 2017, in VIDEO: The Inside Reel Interviews and tagged cable television, college television, Gustaf Skarsgard, History Channel, inside reel, Sirk TV, tim wassberg, tv colleges, Vikings. Bookmark the permalink.	Leave a comment.


text:
"""Tests for Google log text parser plugin."""

import unittest

from plaso.parsers.text_plugins import google_logging

from tests.parsers.text_plugins import test_lib

class GooglelogParserTest(test_lib.TextPluginTestCase):
  """Tests for the Google logging text parser plugin."""

  def testProcess(self):
    """Tests the Process function."""
    plugin = google_logging.GoogleLogTextPlugin()
    storage_writer = self._ParseTextFileWithPlugin(
        ['googlelog_test.INFO'], plugin)

    number_of_event_data = storage_writer.GetNumberOfAttributeContainers(
        'event_data')
    self.assertEqual(number_of_event_data, 4)

    number_of_events = storage_writer.GetNumberOfAttributeContainers('event')
    self.assertEqual(number_of_events, 4)

    number_of_warnings = storage_writer.GetNumberOfAttributeContainers(
        'extraction_warning')
    self.assertEqual(number_of_warnings, 0)

    number_of_warnings = storage_writer.GetNumberOfAttributeContainers(
        'recovery_warning')
    self.assertEqual(number_of_warnings, 0)

    # Test a single-line log entry.
    expected_event_values = {
        'data_type': 'googlelog:log',
        'file_name': 'logging_functional_test_helper.py',
        'line_number': '65',
        'message': 'This line is log level 0',
        'last_written_time': '0000-12-31T23:59:59.000002'}

    event_data = storage_writer.GetAttributeContainerByIndex('event_data', 1)
    self.CheckEventData(event_data, expected_event_values)

    # Test a multi-line log entry.
    expected_event_values = {
        'data_type': 'googlelog:log',
        'message': 'Interesting Stuff\n    that spans two lines',
        'last_written_time': '0000-12-31T23:59:59.000003'}

    event_data = storage_writer.GetAttributeContainerByIndex('event_data', 2)
    self.CheckEventData(event_data, expected_event_values)

if __name__ == '__main__':
  unittest.main()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home Movies Producers Guild Awards Best Picture Announced Tonight: With Very Few Exceptions, A...
Producers Guild Awards Best Picture Announced Tonight: With Very Few Exceptions, A Strong Predictor of the Oscar
Tonight in Los Angeles, the Producers Guild of America will announce their choice for Best Picture.
ALmost with exception, that movie has gone on to win the Academy Award. Stay here for updates around 10pm Pacific Time.
The only times the PGA and Oscars have gone different ways were in 2017, when they chose "La La Land" and "Moonlight" won; 2016 when "The Big Short" was theirs and "Spotlight" won the Oscar. They were also wrong in 2005, 2006 and 2007 when "The Aviator," "Brokeback Mountain," and "Little Miss Sunshine" were their choices, as opposed to "Million Dollar Baby," "Crash," and "The Departed."
A lot of the PGA choice goes into who the actual producers are. This year. Graham King, of "Bohemian Rhapsody," is very popular. So we'll see what happens. The winner will be a strong indicator, but nothing is 100%.
Sony Music Drops R. Kelly, Who Hasn't Had a Hit in Years: It's His Music Publisher That Makes Millions from Songs Like "I Believe I Can Fly"
PGA Awards: "Green Book" Wins Best Picture, Heads to Oscars As Favorite, Television Winners Include "Mrs. Maisel," "The Americans"


Mixology Monday XCIV is upon us and this month's theme is "That's Not a Martini!" Our host, Nihil Utopia, has hit upon something we really enjoy: messing with gin and fortified wines. We have two offerings for this round, (We had to pare it down from 6 or 8!!). First is the G-n-Tini, which, combining gin, dry vermouth and quinine syrup, might also qualify as "That's Not a Gin and Tonic!". For our second we offer The Wellington: barrel aged gin, sweet vermouth and amaro.
Treaty Oak Distilling is aging their gin in whiskey barrels to create their Waterloo Antique Gin. This is truly a unique gin. It has the sweet caramel nose that you would expect from the barrel aging but with the addition of the herbaceous input of gin. The flavors are citrus, spice and herbs with a finish of charred oak that is long and smooth. We combined this with Italian vermouth and Amaro.
National Create a Vacuum Day!


text:
Agatha Christie production arrives in time for Halloween
Langley artistic director Ellie King presents Spider's Web with the Royal Canadian Theatre Company
Brookswood resident Ellie King, artistic director of Royal Canadian Theatre Company (RCTC), is hoping audiences get caught up in her Spider's Web.
King is directing a production of the Agatha Christie classic, on stage at Anvil Centre in New Westminster Oct. 18 to 20 and the Surrey Arts Centre Oct. 25 and 26.
The murder-mystery is a break in genre, just in time for Halloween, as RCTC has put on nothing but comedies for the past four years.
"People like to laugh," King said. "The world is not so much a joyful place these days – there's a lot of doom and gloom."
That being said, King pointed out that Spider's Web has some lighter aspects to it, containing a few laugh-out-loud bits and some quirky characters.
"People often look down at Agatha Christie, but she's not as two-dimensional as some people might think," King explained. "Spider's Web is the second most popular and longest running show after Mouse Trap – we treat it with respect."
Set in the 1950s, the story follows the character of Clarissa, a lively young woman who finds a dead body in her upscale rented country house. Secret panels, a mysterious caller, and a priceless object are all ingredients in the family-friendly show with a cast of 10.
As for King's own story, she said she danced to strengthen her ankles as a child, trained in drama as a teenager, and even went on the road as a musician in England. King moved to Canada from the UK in 1982 and hasn't looked back, creating RCTC in 2007.
Read More: Family squabbles fill up the stage in production of Social Security
"We are fortunate to have a studio and rehearsal space, but we don't have a permanent theatre to perform in so we tour around," King said.
Without a sizable performance space in Langley, Langleyites will have to head to Surrey or New West to get their Agatha Christie fix.
People can find out more and purchase their tickets at www.rctheatreco.com.
King said RCTC was very fortunate to have a "very good cast" with experienced equity actors and community performers looking for a chance to get up on stage.
"I hope the audience leaves having had fun and a good time," King added. "It's a bit of an antidote to the real murders going on out there."
Norm Foster's ode to the Screwball Comedy of the 1930s and 1940s will take the stage next spring, as well as King's own original pantomime rendition of Snow White this December.
Family squabbles fill up the stage in production of Social Security
West My Friend an acoustic blend of guitar, mandolin, and accordion


Yesteday 10 nations competed in the Francis Mouvet Team Race Championship.
These teams, selected from the provisional results of the first 5 races of the world championship, enjoyed a good day in meduim wind conditions, with plenty of sun. Each team of three boats had to include one ladies team. Italy, who have won this trophy for the past 2 years were trying very hard to retain the title on their home ground. After much tight racing, the Argentinian team took the title. The prize giving for this will be held tonight at a local restaurant. The hospitality of this town has been most welcoming and the sailors are enjoying lots of good pasta meals! The International 420 World and Ladies Championships continue tomorrow when it is hoped that wind conditions will be fair to all, after a thunder storm last night. The competitors are having a lay day today.
Provisional overal results after five races in the fleet racing can be found on the event website.


This unusual design from Bastian Inverun features a stunning ribbon inspired pendant made with a blend of sterling silver and rose gold. This designed makes a bold on-trend statement wherever you decide to wear it. The pendant hangs from a 17inch Snake chain.


text:
Catherine Keener Joins Cast Of 'Joker: Folie à Deux'
Jacob Campbell Posted On September 8, 2022
Warner Bros. has added another name to the ensemble cast of Joker: Folie à Deux. According to Deadline, Oscar nominee Catherine Keener has landed a major role in the film.
The film is set to see the return of Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, with Todd Phillips also returning to direct and co-write the script with Scott Silver. Joining them is Lady Gaga, who will star opposite Phoenix's Fleck. The film will reportedly feature musical elements and is believed to take place in Arkham Asylum, where the first film left off.
READ: Florence Pugh Will Reportedly Lead Cast Of 'Thunderbolts'
It is currently unknown who Keener will play in the film. She will appear alongside Brendan Gleeson, who recently joined the cast. Additionally, Zazie Beetz is also set to reprise her role from the first film.
Keener recently appeared in The Adam Project with Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, and Walker Scobell. She also appeared in the television mini-series Brand New Cherry Flavor as well as the film No Future.
Are you excited to see Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in Joker: Folie à Deux? Are you excited to see Catherine Keener join the cast? Let us know in the comments below!
'Moon Knight' Season 2 Reportedly In The Works


Eight (8) raspberry pis in standard raspberry pi cases, along with any relevant cables for power and networking.
Two (2) napkin holders of the type where napkins are stacked. Must have openings in sides, such as the steel lattice design that I used here.
A bag of cable/zip ties (I used 16 total).
Use cable/zip ties to hold up the napkin weight on one of the napkin holders so that it is approximately level with the sides of the napkin holder.
The napkin holders that I used have feet that prevent aligning directly atop each other. Rotate the second napkin holder 45 degrees relative to the first. Use cable ties to attach. Make sure you use enough cable ties sufficiently tightened to ensure that the top napkin holder won't move. Specifically, use two cable ties on each of the three corners that come into contact with the bottom napkin holder. Additionally, use one cable tie to attach the napkin weight of the bottom holder to the bottom of the top holder.
Well, do what the heading of this step says.
Use cable ties to prop up the napkin weight of the top napkin holder. I connected three cable ties in sequence to span the width of the napkin holder both below and above the napkin weight. I repeated this a couple inches away creating a shelf, which I'm using to hold a network switch.
Each napkin holder is large enough for four raspberry pis in standard cases, each rotated such that ports are accessible via two sides at the corners. If you're using wired networking, you can sit a switch on top of the shelf you created in step 4. I'm using a couple phone chargers as a power source. I currently have them simply sitting next to the rack. Route your power and network cables through the lattice sides of the napkin holders. I used 3 foot long cables, which is partially to blame for the messy wiring in the photo. One foot length cables would be better (and neater). The cable routing will also turn out better if you are more patient than I am.


text:
Q: Read multiple *.txt files into Pandas Dataframe with filename as column header I am trying to import a set of *.txt files. I need to import the files into successive columns of a Pandas DataFrame in Python.
Requirements and Background information:

*

*Each file has one column of numbers

*No headers are present in the files

*Positive and negative integers are possible

*The size of all the *.txt files is the same

*The columns of the DataFrame must have the name of file (without extension) as the header

*The number of files is not known ahead of time

Here is one sample *.txt file. All the others have the same format.
16
54
-314
1
15
4
153
86
4
64
373
3
434
31
93
53
873
43
11
533
46

Here is my attempt:
import pandas as pd
import os
import glob

# Step 1: get a list of all csv files in target directory
my_dir = "C:\\Python27\Files\\"
filelist = []
filesList = []
os.chdir( my_dir )

# Step 2: Build up list of files:
for files in glob.glob("*.txt"):
    fileName, fileExtension = os.path.splitext(files)
    filelist.append(fileName) #filename without extension
    filesList.append(files) #filename with extension

# Step 3: Build up DataFrame:
df = pd.DataFrame()
for ijk in filelist:
    frame = pd.read_csv(filesList[ijk])
    df = df.append(frame)
print df

Steps 1 and 2 work. I am having problems with step 3. I get the following error message:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python27\TextFile.py", line 26, in <module>
    frame = pd.read_csv(filesList[ijk])
TypeError: list indices must be integers, not str

Question:
Is there a better way to load these *.txt files into a Pandas dataframe? Why does read_csv not accept strings for file names?

A: You can read them into multiple dataframes and concat them together afterwards. Suppose you have two of those files, containing the data shown.
In [6]:
filelist = ['val1.txt', 'val2.txt']
print pd.concat([pd.read_csv(item, names=[item[:-4]]) for item in filelist], axis=1)
    val1  val2
0     16    16
1     54    54
2   -314  -314
3      1     1
4     15    15
5      4     4
6    153   153
7     86    86
8      4     4
9     64    64
10   373   373
11     3     3
12   434   434
13    31    31
14    93    93
15    53    53
16   873   873
17    43    43
18    11    11
19   533   533
20    46    46

A: You're very close. ijk is the filename already, you don't need to access the list:
# Step 3: Build up DataFrame:
df = pd.DataFrame()
for ijk in filelist:
    frame = pd.read_csv(ijk)
    df = df.append(frame)
print df

In the future, please provide working code exactly as is. You import from pandas import * yet then refer to pandas as pd, implying the import import pandas as pd.
You also want to be careful with variable names. files is actually a single file path, and filelist and filesList have no discernible difference from the variable name. It also seems like a bad idea to keep personal documents in your python directory.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Vice President Community position is currently open to student applications. Get involved with a dynamic and actively changing Executive portfolio, and lead the ISSS's marketing, volunteering, and student outreach aspects. Find out more about Executive positions here at http://isss.ca/whoweare/executive/.


text:
import {Component, Output, EventEmitter} from "@angular/core";
import {AddForm} from "../models/addForm";
import {DataManagerService} from "../services/data-manager.service";
import {PluginConfig} from "../services/plugin.config";
import {DynamicFlags} from "../services/dynamic-flags.service";
import {ValidateField} from "../models/validate";
@Component({
    selector: 'add-form',
    templateUrl: PluginConfig.buildTemplateUrl('/templates/add-form.component.html')
})
export class AddFormComponent{
    _show_form: boolean;
    formValid: boolean = true;

    constructor(
        private dataManager: DataManagerService,
        private config: PluginConfig,
        private dynamicFlags: DynamicFlags
    ) {
        this._show_form = true;
    }
    addForm: AddForm = {
        amount: '',
        invoice_id: '',
        payment_type_short_name: '',
        bank: '',
        transaction_date: ''
    };

    @Output() notifyTransaction: EventEmitter<boolean> = new EventEmitter<boolean>();

    onAddTransactionClick() {
        this.onValidateFields();
        // console.log('form', this.formValid);
        if(this.checkValid()) {
            this.dataManager.addTransactionRequest(this.addForm)
                .then(
                    data => {
                        this.dynamicFlags.update(data);
                        this.notifyTransaction.emit(this.dynamicFlags.payment_completed);
                        // console.log('this.dynamicFlags', this.dynamicFlags);
                        this.addForm = {
                            amount: '',
                            invoice_id: '',
                            payment_type_short_name: '',
                            bank: '',
                            transaction_date: ''
                        };
                        this._show_form = false;
                        setTimeout(function () {
                            this._show_form = true;
                        }.bind(this), 1);
                    }
                );
        }
    }

    ngAfterContentChecked() {
        this.config.callAfterInit();
        this.config.callDatePicker((date: string) => {
            this.addForm.transaction_date = date;
        });
        this.config.makeCallbackOnDemand((value: string) => {
            this.addForm.amount = value;
        })
    }

    validateFields: {[key:string] : ValidateField} = {
        amount: {
            isValid: true,
            messageText: '',
            isRequired: true
        },
        invoice_id: {
            isValid: true,
            messageText: '',
            isRequired: true,
            isSelect: true
        },
        payment_type_short_name: {
            isValid: true,
            messageText: '',
            isRequired: true,
            isSelect: true
        },
        bank: {
            isValid: true,
            messageText: '',
            isRequired: false
        },
        transaction_date: {
            isValid: true,
            messageText: '',
            isRequired: true
        }
    };

    private setAllValid() {
        for(var fieldName in this.validateFields) {
            var field:ValidateField = this.validateFields[fieldName];
            field.isValid = true;
            field.messageText = '';
        }
    }
    private checkRequired() {
        for(var fieldName in this.validateFields) {
            var field:ValidateField = this.validateFields[fieldName];
            if(field.isRequired) {
                var value = this.addForm[fieldName];
                if('' === value || value === null) {
                    field.isValid = false;
                    if(field.isSelect) {
                        field.messageText = (field.messageText ? field.messageText + '. ' : '') + 'Please make selection';
                    } else {
                        field.messageText = (field.messageText ? field.messageText + '. ' : '') + 'Please fill this field';
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
    private checkValid() {
        this.formValid = true;
        for(var i in this.validateFields) {
            if(this.validateFields[i].isValid === false) {
                this.formValid = false;
                break;
            }
        }
        return this.formValid;
    }
    onValidateFields() {
        this.setAllValid();
        this.checkRequired();
        this.checkValid();
    }
}


The big questions are... "are they okay? are they any good? are they worth the money?
It was advertised as a "professional quality 2x telephoto lens attachment"
Last edited by Ozzie_Traveller; Feb 3, 2017 at 1:00 AM.
Excellent examples Phil, you might save somebody some money.


US-based Bentley Pharmaceuticals has said it will separate its drug delivery business from its generics arm to create two independent public companies.
The drug delivery spin-off will be named CPEX Pharmaceuticals, but is still subject to numerous conditions, including final approval by Bentley's board of directors and the filing and effectiveness of an SEC registration statement.
Bentley plans to implement the drug delivery spin-off through a taxable stock dividend of all CPEX Pharmaceuticals to Bentley shareholders.
Per the plan, Bentley will provide transitional services, including managerial, operational, and administrative support, for a period of up to 24 months until CPEX can establish its own operations independently.
CPEX will focus on drug delivery, focusing on Bentley's CPE-215 permeation enhancement technology, which enhances the absorption of drugs across a variety of biological membranes, including the skin, mouth, nose and eye. The company is developing the technology to formulate creams, ointments, gels, solutions, lotions, sprays and patches.
The technology is already used in Testim testosterone gel marketed by partner Auxilium Pharmaceuticals. It is also being used in Nasulin, an intranasal insulin product currently in phase II trials.
The division of the company will allow Bentley to focus on its generics pharmaceuticals business, which is the larger of the two segments. FY06 revenues were USD 101.1m, compared with the drug delivery arm, which reported FY06 revenues of USD 8.4m.
Bentley said in press statement that it would maintain its commercial and manufacturing presence in Europe and develop, market and license current and pipeline pharmaceuticals there.
Bentley's CEO James Murphy added: "Operating separately will allow each company to benefit from greater strategic and managerial focus. The separation will enable the two businesses to compete more effectively in their respective markets and optimise their respective business goals, research initiatives and capital requirements. We believe that our decision to separate out two businesses and to explore all available strategic alternatives with respect to the generics business may result in increased value for our shareholders."


text:
Q: Getting variable from nested function wondered whether anyone can help answer my question, I need to get the xml content from "data", as it is defined within a nested function within the yam_send function, I am trying to use return to get the variable back to the function 'GetBasicStatus' but it doesn't get all the way, can anyone shed any light on this. Sorry if this is an obvious solution, bit of a beginner I'm afraid.
function GetBasicStatus()

    {
        //do some stuff & define variable "command"
        data = yam_send(command);

        if (window.DOMParser)
        {
            parser=new DOMParser();
            xmlDoc=parser.parseFromString(data,"text/xml");
        }
        else    // Internet Explorer
        {
            xmlDoc=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM");
            xmlDoc.async=false;
            xmlDoc.loadXML(data);
        }
    }

    function yam_send(str)
    {

        var xmlhttp;

        if (window.XMLHttpRequest)

        {// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari

        xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();

        }

    else

        {
        xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
        }

    xmlhttp.onreadystatechange=function()
    {
        if (xmlhttp.readyState==4 && xmlhttp.status==200)
        {
            var data=xmlhttp.responseText;
            return data;
        }

    }
    xmlhttp.open("GET","test.php?str",true);
    xmlhttp.send();
    }

A: Function you'd provided as xmlhttp.onreadystatechange is a callback. It's executed when event is happened and can't return anything to "parent" function.
You can create some variable in a parent function and assign some value to it in callback. Or use parent funcation as a callback, like this:
var xmlResponse = null; //variable for usage outside of GetBasicStatus
function GetBasicStatus(data) {
    xmlResponse = data; //now you can use it.
    if (window.DOMParser)
    {
        parser=new DOMParser();
        xmlDoc=parser.parseFromString(data,"text/xml");
    }
    else    // Internet Explorer
    {
        xmlDoc=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM");
        xmlDoc.async=false;
        xmlDoc.loadXML(data);
    }
}

function yam_send(str)
{
    var xmlhttp;

    if (window.XMLHttpRequest)
        {// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
            xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
        }
    else
        {
            xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
        }

    xmlhttp.onreadystatechange=function()
        {
            if (xmlhttp.readyState==4 && xmlhttp.status==200)
            {
                var data=xmlhttp.responseText;
                GetBasicStatus(data);
            }
        }
    xmlhttp.open("GET","test.php?str",true);
    xmlhttp.send();
}


1. Tasty, healthy foods don't just nourish your body, they can keep your brain sharp, too. Discover four foods that boost brainpower .
2 If you're like most people, you've got the whole brush-your-teeth-daily thing down, but you're probably not as diligent when it comes to flossing. Is it really that bad for your oral health? Find out what this orthodontist has to say.
3. The rates of dangerous skin cancers like melanoma have tripled over the last 50 years. Learn about the latest treatments, prevention tips – and the one thing you must know to protect your skin.
4. You'd be amazed at what a little weekly yoga can do for your overall wellness, especially when it comes to keeping your ticker and mental health in tip top shape. Get the scoop from Mehmet Oz, MD and Mike Roizen, MD.
5. The scary truth is that many people who need to use an asthma inhaler or epinephrine pen don't know how to do so correctly. Watch this video to learn the right way to use these life-saving these devices.
Sharecare Top 5: What's That Smell?


Columnist Billy Fried has gone a bit too far with his vision for Laguna Beach transportation ("The dream of a traffic-free Laguna," Feb. 21).
Most municipalities that have some of the services he mentions are large cities with multiple — and sometimes even parallel — wide streets that can be alternately configured to accommodate everything from pedestrians, bikers and skateboarders to, possibly, small hovercraft.
Unfortunately, Laguna Beach does not have such roadways, and the two main arteries in and out of Laguna are not 100% controlled by the city. Look at a map. Our main arteries of Coast Highway and Laguna Canyon Road form a 'T' and are the city's only major access roads.
The configuration of Laguna at roughly 6 miles long and about 5 miles deep also precludes solutions that may well work in, say, San Francisco or Denver.
This means that if Fried's vision as described last week were to come to pass, there probably would be other consequences, some possibly unintended.
•The businesses that could so easily accommodate all those strolling people would probably find it hard to hire staff from outside Laguna Beach, since employees would have to park on the periphery and take the bus in.
Peripheral parking is a decent idea for visitors, but there could be other consequences for employees. For instance, Disneyland offers employees time clock leeway because of distant parking lots and the time it takes to get in costume.
Might our employers need to do the same, and could they afford the extra cost? And would potential employees want the additional hassle?
•The free trolleys in the summer are great for visitors. Sadly, those trolleys on the south route are slow to the point that it can take an hour to get from the Albertson's center to the bus station downtown. That could make a lot of people late for work.
They also are wide enough that they take up just a bit more than a lane on Coast Highway, backing up other traffic hesitant to pass them.
•None of the visitors would be able to shop for anything but the smallest and lightest items, because they would have to haul their purchases back to the peripheral parking lot — and that could affect whether or not they stay and eat in Laguna.
Imagine someone wanting a beautiful big outdoor garden pot. But how to get it home?
•Laguna Beach residents would not be able to commute under Fried's vision — an activity that generates much of our traffic — so everyone would have to be independently wealthy, retired with ample income or self-employed.
•People apparently would be prohibited from driving through town to get to a freeway and instead would be required to detour up Crown Valley to the toll road or the I-5, which adds about 10 miles one way to get back to the I-5/133 intersection.
•Parents taking kids to and from school also generate a lot of our local traffic — understandably given the location of the schools — but if they must stroll or bike or take a trolley, there could be a lot more absent kids, which would generate less money for the school district.
The obvious solution to this is home schooling — but that in turn would result in a loss of jobs associated with the schools.
•Residents who prefer walking to biking would apparently have to build their own sidewalks in large swaths of Laguna Beach.
They certainly couldn't walk in the road, even with special lanes, because the bike folks might shout them down, block the lanes or otherwise make it unpleasant to walk — just as some of them have done on trails around Laguna Beach.
•There might not even be any residents left under Fried's plan, because they would be severely challenged if they live real lives that involve spending part of their days outside the confines of the city.
If it's nearly impossible to get to or from work — or be allowed to have a (gasp) car downtown — this will not be an attractive place to live. I remember years ago how refreshed and relaxed I felt once I got to Laguna Canyon on the way home from work. Now it's a racecourse or endless traffic jam. How would fewer roads for cars help that? Should people simply stop going where the jobs are?
•Fried also jumps on the bandwagon of those who would build some sort of pedestrian plaza that would close one or more streets downtown. This is a lovely idea in towns that have numerous ways in and out. I've enjoyed many such areas in California and other locations. But Laguna Beach is not one of them. We don't have enough alternatives.
A mere fender-bender can back up traffic on Coast Highway for an hour or more. And if there was a true emergency, such as a major fire, having fewer passable streets would severely affect first responders and residents.
What do you do if there's an emergency evacuation order and no way to evacuate?
•For the residents who remain, let's hope visionaries like Fried realize that sometimes people need to do mundane things like go to the post office (we only have two), or the vet with a pet (that would be fun on a bike), or the grocery store for more than one item — life tasks that they should not be forced to walk or bike three to five miles each way to accomplish.
Some folks simply are not people of leisure. And many do not live in that central part of town, where walking to downtown means maybe a 15-minute trek.
There is nothing wrong with walking or biking, or skating or paddling. There's nothing wrong with parks and plazas and pedestrian-only areas. There's also nothing wrong with living life in a way that enables one to do errands, get to and from work and enjoy a few moments of leisure by car.
Residents should have a choice based on their own circumstances rather than a dictate from those who choose to live a different lifestyle and try to impose it on others.
SANDI CAIN is a Laguna Beach resident.


text:
Relationships among elastic-wave values (Rpp, Rps, Rss, Vp, Vs, ρ, σ, κ)
Robert R. Stewart, Qi Zhang, Felix Guthoff
The average Vp/Vs value of a set of layers is a weighted sum of the interval velocity ratios. The average value is also bounded by the maximum and minimum interval values. The average value will change according to changes in the target layer. The thicker the layer, the greater its influence on the average value.
The approximate equations for converted-wave reflectivity Rps and pure-shear reflectivity Rss can be combined to give a simple relationship between the two: Rps ~ 4sin()Rss, where is the reflection angle of the shear wave.
The normalized elastic parameters (/, /, /) are estimated from summed P-P and P-S reflection coefficients using a linear inversion method. Normalized Poisson's ratio (/) and Lam parameters (/, /) can then be computed from the estimated velocity and density changes.


text:
Q: What would be the view like from inside a black hole looking towards the event horizon? Ignoring the fact that we would be torn apart by gravitational gradient and assuming we get some time to make some observations before hitting singularity, what would we see looking towards the event horizon or in any other direction away from the singularity?

A: The answer to this question is covered in the book "Exploring black holes: Introduction to General Relativity" by Taylor & Wheeler (2000), within the framework of classical General Relativity.
If we are talking about a supermassive black hole, such that a free-falling observer can survive tidal forces as they approach the event horizon and the singularity, then the following scenario is presented. A star that is exactly radially outwards along the trajectory of the infalling observer will remain in that apparent position. The light from such a star is gravitationally blueshifted, but is also redshifted due to the rapid inward motion of the observer. The latter wins.
For star at an angle to a radial trajectory there is a strong aberration of their positions. As the observer proceeds (inevitably) towards the singularity, the angle they perceive these stars to be at with respect to their radial trajectory increases towards 90 degrees. In front of them, is a black circle, with a bright ring of bent (gravitationally blueshifted) starlight around it. This black circle grows towards filling half the sky. Behind them, the perceived stars "fan out" towards a 90 degree angle so that they are ultimately seen as a "ring around the sky". The final view would be that the sky is black with a brilliant ring of high energy radiation (caused by gravitational blueshift) dividing it into two halves.
You never see the singularity because all the light is headed towards it. You never (consciously) reach the singularity because you would be torn apart by tidal forces about 0.1 seconds before you get there, independently of the mass of the black hole.
Some interesting attempts at visualising this a scenario can be seen at the webpages of Andrew Hamilton, though these are not for a radially infalling observer.

A: There are actually some nifty simulations that show what you would see:
http://jila.colorado.edu/~ajsh/insidebh/intro.html
(Had to post as 'answer' because I don't have enough reputation to comment)

A: To answer this question we have to raytrace the lightrays hitting the observer, for rotating black holes the coordinates of choice are Doran raindrop coordinates which make it possible to calculate the view from both outside as well as inside. The first image shows the outside perspective of an observer at a latitude of θ=45° free falling with the negative escape velocity (relative to a local ZAMO) v=-c√(1-1/gtt) into a rotating Kerr Newman black hole with an equatorial accretion disk whose inner radius is at the ISCO at r=1.6367 and the outer radius at r=7 (full panorama 360°×180° in equirectangular projection):

The second image shows the view when the observer is crossing the outer horizon:

In the third image we see the perspective from inside the black hole:

For different angles see here. Color code for the frequency shift:

When you fall into a nonrotating black hole, the shadow of course stays spherical, for a raytraced simulation of a free fall into a Schwarzschild black hole see the first animation in this link; when you are falling with the negative escape velocity, right before you hit the singularity, exactly half of your viewing field (180°×180°) is black.
For a stationary observer this already happens when he is hovering at the photon sphere, with the difference that the light he receives from behind would be blueshifted, while for a free falling one it would be redshifted.
When you cross the horizon with the negative escape velocity, the light that hits you from behind is shifted to half its original frequency which means the visible light would shift to infrared while ultraviolet would shift to the visible spectrum, while the light hitting you perpendicular to the direction of motion would not be shifted because the gravitational and kinematic time dilation would cancel out.

A: The light you will see inside the black hole it will be the light before you hit the event horizon.
Does someone falling into a black hole see the end of the universe?
front view(full black) side view(half black) back view(small circle)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pAnRKD4raY at 5:17

A: From any direction away from the singularity that you look, you would see a circle of light that contains light that had approached the event horizon from all directions such that the incident light could have orbited the black hole at least once.


text:
Q: I am using ASP.NET MVC4 and i want to submit my two forms with single submit button, also i want to fetch data using form collection I am trying to build a Search filter and in this I have two forms. One is for basic search filter and another form is for more searches. In this I want that when the user clicks to more filters and click to see results both the forms will be submitted.
This is simple form having one input.
@using(Html.Beginform())
{
    <input type="text" name="input1" />
}

This is second form having another input and submit button.
@using(Html.Beginform())
{
    <input type="text" name="input2" />
    <input type="submit" value="submit" />
}

I want that when the user clicks the submit button both the forms will be submitted and values of form will be fetched in controller using formCollection class.
Is this possible?

A: The two submits would be processed as two separate POST commands, meaning that each submit would be handled by a separate thread in .NET, and they would be processed by two separate ActionMethod invocations.
Even if that would be the same ActionMethod, it will be invoked twice, and each one would not know about the other invocation or about its data.
The only way to achieve this is either by putting all data into one FORM (you could use e.g. an <input type="hidden"> for that, with a value that you set using Javascript), or by doing at least one of the POSTs as an AJAX Post and then processing the results from the AJAX Post in a way that will achieve your end goal (about which you have not given us much information).

A: You cannot achieve this over this way however you could do this by JQuery ajax,
 <script>
 $(document).ready(function()
 {
     var Input1=$("#Input1").val();
     var Input2=$("#Input2").val();

    $('#btnsubmit').click(function () {

    $.ajax({
        url: "ControllerName/Actionname",
        type: "POST",
        data: { InputValue1: Input1,InputValue2:Input2},
        cache: false,
        async: true,
        success: function (data) {
        alert(data);
    }
   });
 });`

</script>

Then you can the values from controller action method.


text:
Undefeated is een Amerikaanse documentaire, geregisseerd door Daniel Lindsay en T.J. Martin. De film werd uitgebracht op 13 maart 2011, tijdens het South by Southwest.

De film volgt het American footballteam Manassas Tijgers uit Memphis, een zwaar ondergefinancierde en kansarme club, die dankzij coach Bill Courtney op zoek gaat naar financiële steun.

Op 26 februari 2012 won de film een Academy Award voor Beste Documentaire tijdens de 84ste Oscaruitreiking.

Externe link

Film uit 2011
Amerikaanse film

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Tag: 1930s
Later films featuring significant portions set in the 1930s (Wikipedia entry)
Criterion Sunday 476: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
I guess that at a certain level this is one of those stories of a lifetime lived over much of the 20th century meaning it gets to reflect on these different eras of American life as it goes on, but it never dwells on them like in, say, Forrest Gump. This is a film that lives in period details and its fanciful imagination, and undoubtedly David Fincher (a legendarily exacting director) brings something rigorous to the way its filmed, such that I can't entirely take against it (a bit like Todd Haynes changing gears with Wonderstruck a few years back). But it's very strange and not entirely successful in its whimsy and wonderment. Brad Pitt does his beautiful moping thing (eventually; it's a long wait until we see him as the Redford-like Hollywood golden boy we know he will eventually turn into), and the fine Black actors feel somewhat relegated in a by-the-numbers southern plot, which is a shame as Taraji P. Henson and Mahershala Ali are, as we all know, capable of so much more. It's a long work (especially for a film based on a short story) and the reverse-ageing Pitt's love story with the normally-ageing Cate Blanchett makes for some discomfort, but there are also some genuinely emotional moments that mean this film isn't entirely wasted. Also, it looks great of course. It's just… odd.
Director David Fincher; Writers Eric Roth and Robin Swicord (based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald); Cinematographer Claudio Miranda; Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Maheshala Ali, Tilda Swinton; Length 165 minutes.
Seen at home (Blu-ray), Wellington, Saturday 6 November 2021.
Categories Classification: 12(A), Country: USA, Criterion Sunday, Rating: GOOD•Tags 1001 films, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 2008, brad pitt, cate blanchett, character study, claudio miranda, criterion collection, david fincher, fantasy film, film reviews, films seen at home, julia ormond, mahershala ali, period film, romance, taraji p. henson, usa, written by a woman
Criterion Sunday 473: にっぽん昆虫記 Nippon Konchuki (The Insect Woman, 1963)
Published on 24 October 2021 7 October 2021 by Ewan MLeave a comment
I do feel like there was a lot going on in this film that I wasn't taking in. Partly that's just the way it tells its story, in little chunks dispersed through time, constantly shifting forward a year or so, constantly moving location, never really settling, like its central character. She is buffeted and moved around as much as Japan is over the course of the time period (from her birth in 1918 to roughly the film's present), as Japan moves into and out of war, its economy changes, there are changes to social structures, but still this woman (and by extension women generally within society) seemed to receive fairly short shrift. I suppose another key factor is that she's born poor and must seize whatever opportunity she can, whether prostitution or other unfulfilling labour. It's far from a rosy picture, but it's a Japanese one, a story of adversity and struggle for little reward.
Director Shohei Imamura 今村昌平; Writers Keiji Hasebe 長谷部慶次 and Imamura; Cinematographer Shinsaku Himeda 姫田真佐久; Starring Sachiko Hidari 左幸子, Jitsuko Yoshimura 吉村実子; Length 123 minutes.
Seen at a friend's home (DVD), Wellington, Friday 24 September 2021.
Categories Classification: 15, Country: Japan, Criterion Sunday, Rating: GOOD, Theme: Films about History•Tags 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1963, black-and-white, character study, criterion collection, drama, film reviews, films seen at home, japan, jitsuko yoshimura, period film, sachiko hidari, sex work, shinsaku himeda, shohei imamura
Criterion Sunday 466: 愛のコリーダ Ai no Korida (aka L'Empire des sens) (In the Realm of the Senses, 1976)
Published on 3 October 2021 3 October 2021 by Ewan MLeave a comment
Truly, the 'is it art or is it pornography' debate is the most boring and irrelevant lines of discussion regarding this film. It certainly does intend to push boundaries, but it's a film about primarily a sexual relationship, about two people who are inescapably, tragically drawn to one another and so they do spend a lot of their time at it. The filmmaking never feels exploitative though or even prurient, but its clear that as the story goes on and as (in the background) Japan becomes more militarised and drawn towards war, things take on a frantic and slightly dangerous note in their sex. The whole thing is gorgeously staged and filmed, and the leads are compelling to watch, even if they're just mooching about at home, doing little more than drinking and fvcking, but it's doomy and evocative, a fascinating way into a peculiar time period where everything looks set to break apart.
Director/Writer Nagisa Oshima 大島渚; Cinematographer Hideo Ito 伊東英男; Starring Eiko Matsuda 松田暎子, Tatsuya Fuji 藤竜也; Length 102 minutes.
Seen at home (Blu-ray), Wellington, Sunday 3 October 2021 (and earlier on VHS at home, Wellington, March 2001).
Categories Classification: 18, Country: France, Country: Japan, Criterion Sunday, Rating: EXCELLENT•Tags 1001 films, 1930s, 1976, based on real events, criterion collection, drama, eiko matsuda, film reviews, films seen at home, france, hideo ito, japan, murder, nagisa oshima, period film, relationship drama, rosenbaum 1000, sex work, tatsuya fuji
Criterion Sunday 442: 二十四の瞳 Niju-shi no Hitomi (Twenty-Four Eyes, 1954)
Published on 11 July 2021 15 May 2021 by Ewan MLeave a comment
It's over two-and-a-half hours long, and it feels like a great Japanese epic of wartime defeat, humbling itself on the world stage, but yet it humanises the conflict effectively by focusing on a strongly anti-war teacher and her 12 young students, who grow up from little rascals in 1928 to fighting in the war by the end of the film. We never see any war action, but it's all filtered through the teacher (Miss "Pebble" is her nickname for much of the film, played by Mikio Naruse's favourite Hideko Takamine), with a strong heft of sentimentality in the musical cues — not one of those twenty-four eyes is dry at any point in the film, it sometimes seems. Still, it's a lovely film, with wide vistas of the island they all live on, contrasted with close-ups of the children's faces for maximum pathos. Despite it all being thickly laid on, it never feels overly manipulative: this is a story about loss and sadness, but also of people whose lives continue regardless, and about the value of life itself.
Director/Writer Keisuke Kinoshita 木下惠介; Cinematographer Hiroshi Kusuda 楠田浩之; Starring Hideko Takamine 高峰秀子, Chishu Ryu 笠智衆; Length 156 minutes.
Seen at Courthouse Cinema, London, Sunday 22 April 2018.
Categories Classification: U, Country: Japan, Criterion Sunday, Rating: EXCELLENT•Tags 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1954, black-and-white, childhood, chishu ryu, criterion collection, drama, film reviews, films seen at the cinema, hideko takamine, hiroshi kusuda, japan, keisuke kinoshita, period drama, war film, world war ii
Criterion Sunday 410: Under the Volcano (1984)
Published on 28 March 2021 26 March 2021 by Ewan MLeave a comment
Alcoholics, it turns out, are rather boring and interminable people when put on film. This one does a good job of capturing the spiral in which Albert Finney's character Geoffrey is trapped, a consul working in a small town in Mexico just before WW2, whose wife Yvonne has apparently left him and who is not making much effort to hold himself together. He has turned, fairly heavily, to drinking, as one imagines a lot of British colonial figures have done in the past, but that really does seem to be all that defines him, as he stumbles from one bar and one encounter with some local colour to another. Yvonne (Jacqueline Bisset) returns one morning after the Day of the Dead festivities, and his younger brother too (Anthony Andrews), and together they hash out their various fallings-out, as things get ever more bleak for Geoffrey. There's a lot of imagery of death — as you might imagine given the setting and festivities — which feels fairly ominous alongside the titular volcano, and it all amounts to a sort of allegory about the British abroad, which is persuasive in its way, though hardly the most fun to watch. It's just a cavalcade of self-pity and immiseration enlivened by the setting and the fine acting.
Director John Huston; Writer Guy Gallo (based on the novel by Malcolm Lowry); Cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa; Starring Albert Finney, Jacqueline Bisset, Anthony Andrews; Length 112 minutes.
Seen at home (DVD), Wellington, Friday 26 March 2021.
Categories Classification: 15, Country: USA, Criterion Sunday, Rating: GOOD•Tags 1930s, 1984, albert finney, alcoholism, anthony andrews, criterion collection, drama, film reviews, films seen at home, gabriel figueroa, jacqueline bisset, john huston, mexico, period drama, relationship drama, usa
Two 2018 Films by Sergei Loznitsa: Victory Day and The Trial
Published on 8 June 2020 9 June 2020 by Ewan MLeave a comment
For my history themed week, I'm focusing on a couple more films which are somewhat tangential to history, both made by a Ukrainian filmmaker. The Trial takes footage from the 1930s and uses it to make a point about the way that events are manipulated by the (state-controlled) media, whereas Victory Day is about the way that history informs the present, specifically World War II, taking a celebration of Soviet victory over Germany, but as it unfolds at a monument in Berlin itself. These are slow, self-effacing documentaries that nonetheless reveal something fairly interesting about the ways we relate to history, and the way it can be used.
Continue reading "Two 2018 Films by Sergei Loznitsa: Victory Day and The Trial" →
Categories Country: Germany, Country: Russia, Rating: GOOD, Theme: Films about History, Theme: Soviet and Pre/Post-Soviet Cinema•Tags 1930s, 2018, archival footage, berlin, courtroom drama, diego garcia, documentary, film reviews, films seen at the cinema, germany, jesse mazuch, lithuania, netherlands, russia, sergei loznitsa, world war ii
Published on 14 February 2020 9 June 2020 by Ewan MLeave a comment
Today the fearsome British costume drama industry unleashes yet another adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma upon us all. Last week my Polish themed week led up to the release of Agnieszka Holland's latest film, but it can probably be considered as much a British film as a Polish one, especially as it deals with a British subject. It has the big old handsome period details you expect from such films, but it tells a slightly different story once it gets to the USSR, and perhaps that sets it apart from the usual run of such things, but I think there's a lot to like.
This film sets itself against the backdrop of the "Holodomor" in the Ukraine — a famine during the 1930s largely engineered by the Soviet leadership, which killed millions of peasants — but really it's about the way that these kinds of stories are treated by the media, about how the media is in the pocket of business and government interests. And so our crusading Welshman Gareth Jones (played by James Norton, the same actor who most recently was seen as Mr Brooke in Little Women) campaigns to bring to light this atrocity at a time when Western powers were more interested in alliances with the USSR and so not well-disposed to such revelations (and the media, as ever, reliable lapdogs to the powerful). The acting is all pretty solid (even Vanessa Kirby in a rather token role as the only apparently non-historical figure), and it's directed capably by Agnieszka Holland albeit with some little expressionist touches. However, there's plenty about this movie which rather too on the nose, seeming to ask us "do you see??" as it's waving its arms to make clear what its teachable moments are. For example, and perhaps most clunkily, there's the framing device of George Orwell writing Animal Farm, which we gather might have been a rather anodyne book about animals being mean to one another until our titular hero impresses upon Orwell exactly what the Soviets are really doing, at which point his faith in the Revolution starts to waver. Sadly, then, the film never quite lifts the way it needs to, but it's worth watching all the same.
Director Agnieszka Holland; Writer Andrea Chalupa; Cinematographer Tomasz Naumiuk; Starring James Norton, Peter Sarsgaard, Vanessa Kirby; Length 119 minutes (originally 141 minutes).
Seen at Curzon Victoria, London, Friday 7 February 2020.
Categories Classification: 15, Country: Poland, Country: UK, Rating: GOOD, Theme: Directed by Women (British Films), Theme: Films about History•Tags 1930s, agnieszka holland, biopic, directed by a woman, drama, film reviews, films seen at the cinema, historical drama, james norton, peter sarsgaard, poland, russia, snow, soviet union, tomasz naumiuk, uk, ukraine, ussr, vanessa kirby, world war ii, written by a woman
None Shall Escape (1944)
Published on 10 January 2020 9 June 2020 by Ewan MLeave a comment
Looking back at war films I've seen in the last few years (a genre I'm not a huge acolyte of), I find most of the ones I've seen cover World War II, during which conflict cinema became a powerful propaganda tool (perhaps not for the first time, but certainly more widely than ever before). This 1944 film takes the war film genre and spins it as a speculative fiction, addressing in real time the war crimes of the Nazis and how they will come to pay for them (as, indeed, they did).
A rather extraordinary speculative fiction, made in 1943 (or at least that's the production date on the film; it was released the following year) but set in a future where the allies have won the war and put Nazi war criminals on trial. It focuses on one character, Wilhelm Grimm (Alexander Knox), and charts his descent from schoolteacher in Poland to, well, Nazi war criminal. The trial is the framing device introducing figures from his life like the priest who tells of how in 1919 he was going to marry Marja (Marsha Hunt), a Polish woman who taught alongside him, except that World War I had changed him, and now he felt as if the Germans could yet conquer the world. Then his brother Karl takes the stand and narrates how Wilhelm returned to stay with him in Munich in 1923, but was attracted by the rising star of one A. Hitler, whose ideology continued to warp his mind in successive flashbacks to 1929 and 1933, at which point Wilhelm has his brother sent to a concentration camp (which he has somehow survived to be giving testimony), at which point we move to some pretty full-on wartime scenes of Nazi atrocities (not least the burning of books, the murder of all the Jews along with the town's rabbi, who recites the kaddish as he dies, and then the forced prostitution of the women). The final speech of the judge is directly into camera and explicitly addressed to the UN, so this is essentially a propaganda film, but it's one that's fairly prescient about the way that things would be for a long time to come — and which sadly makes it still fairly contemporary now. Nazis are bad.
Director Andre DeToth; Writers Lester Cole, Alfred Neumann and Joseph Than; Cinematographer Lee Garmes; Starring Marsha Hunt, Alexander Knox, Henry Travers; Length 85 minutes.
Seen at Cinema Lumière (Sala Scorsese), Bologna, Wednesday 27 June 2018.
Categories Country: USA, Film Festival Screenings, Rating: GOOD, Theme: Films about History•Tags 1920s, 1930s, 1944, alexander knox, andre detoth, black-and-white, courtroom drama, drama, film reviews, films seen at the cinema, future, henry travers, il cinema ritrovato, lee garmes, marsha hunt, period drama, war film, world war ii
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017)
Published on 20 November 2019 9 June 2020 by Ewan MLeave a comment
One of the more overlooked biopics of recent years was about the creator of the Wonder Woman character, which was released to capitalise on the DC Comics tie-in movie, but explored very different territory. It's a lovely evocation of an era, and of unconventional sexuality which comes under misguided public scrutiny.
I love a good love story, and this one may namecheck its Harvard professor (played by Luke Evans) in the title, the creator of the Wonder Woman character, but it's really about the two women in his life, Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall) and Olive (Bella Heathcote). As a piece of filmmaking, it's every bit as burnished and handsomely mounted as any other period biopic (Hidden Figures say), but where it excels (like that film) is the quality of the performances, particularly that of Rebecca Hall, who is fantastic as Elizabeth, moving convincingly through a range of emotional responses over the course of her character's life, as I did while watching her and this film. Solid, humanist stuff capturing something about the power dynamics in relationships — however unconventional this one may have been.
Director/Writer Angela Robinson; Cinematographer Bryce Fortner; Starring Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote; Length 115 minutes.
Seen at Odeon Leicester Square Studios, London, Sunday 12 November 2017.
Categories Classification: 15, Country: USA, Rating: GOOD, Theme: Directed by African-American Women, Theme: Directed by Women (American Films), Theme: Films about History•Tags 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 2017, angela robinson, based on real events, bella heathcote, biopic, bryce fortner, directed by a woman, drama, film reviews, films seen at the cinema, historical drama, lgbt film, luke evans, rebecca hall, romance, written by a woman
Criterion Sunday 269: けんかえれじい Kenka Ereji (Fighting Elegy, 1966)
Published on 10 November 2019 27 October 2019 by Ewan MLeave a comment
Certainly a striking film from Seijun Suzuki, though he's not exactly a director known for being boring. It's set in the 1930s, as Japan teeters on the brink of militaristic nationalism, and the hero Kazoku (Hideki Takahashi) seems to be a prime candidate for making that particular journey. He's raised Catholic and in love with a girl at his boarding house, but repressed sexuality and masculine bravado means he gets into lots of fights with his peers at school. Being Suzuki, these are all choreographed with an almost comic glee, though they do go on rather a bit as the film progresses. It feels both comically satirical about Japan's recent past, but also imbued with the confusion of youth. It's rather a marvel.
Director Seijun Suzuki 鈴木清順; Writer Kaneto Shindo 新藤兼人 (based on the novel by Takashi Suzuki 鈴木隆); Cinematographer Kenji Hagiwara 萩原憲治; Starring Hideki Takahashi 高橋英樹; Length 86 minutes.
Seen at Close-Up Film Centre, London, Saturday 21 September 2019.
Categories Classification: 15, Country: Japan, Criterion Sunday, Rating: GOOD•Tags 1930s, 1966, black-and-white, coming of age, criterion collection, drama, film reviews, films seen at the cinema, japan, period film, seijun suzuki


Thread: Warden: blue line solo?
Blue Line is fine for solo play, some areas may require it at times if you are going to do them on level.
Gambits are interesting while you level. For some reason, wardens get some of the good 4 and 5 panel gambits at level 17, before they get the masteries at level 20. It makes learning rotations a little weird if its your first time leveling a warden, that is if things don't die after the first few gambits.
I suggest playing through the early zones and focus on learning what the gambits do before going for any rotations. There are a good number of gambits that you will use, so it is important to know what each one does.
Yellow is also viable for solo-play. I love my yellow warden. The difference between the two, I think, is that blue focuses on defense while yellow focuses on ranged-fighting and debuffs that keep the enemies from closing the distance.
That's if I understand blue right (I haven't played blue). So it comes down to your play style. Blue = lessen damage taken, Yellow = delay/prevent enemies from attacking you.
A Blue specced Warden using DPS gear is a very survivable and good damage dealing setup.
But you can also use Red line if you want things to go a little bit faster. Either way while levelling you would really want to focus on using DPS gear, and that means physical mastery/agility. Although since 22.2 AoE (the 323 line of gambits) are scaling based on Tactical mastery, I think splitting between both phys and tact mastery would be a waste since you will normally only be fighting 1 or 2 enemies at a time anyway.
I wouldn't worry too much about mitigations while levelling, just use Perservere (2-1) until you unlock Safeguard and Restoration at lvl 24 (2-1-2 and 2-1-2-1-2).
I only have anormal keyboard and mouse and it works fine, but a gaming mouse with multiple buttons (like having 1-9 on the thumb area) is almost perfectly suited for Warden who uses 12 gambit builders (3 normal and 9 masteries unlocked at lvl 21).
I also have a super-cheap keyboard and mouse, and do not suffer at all. Skill slots are pretty easy to set up in a way that enables quick and easy gambit building.
Warden is so much fun. By far my favorite class. I really hope you enjoy!
In my opinion, when leveling up solo, it doesn't much matter which specification you use. You need dps stats on your gear. I am not particularly good playing a warden, though.
IMHO, Red (melee) or yellow (ranged) are easiest/fastest to solo level up based on which is to your taste. Blue is for tougher multi-mob fights.
Later on having to hit 4-6 buttons in the right sequence (lag is a killer here) to do basically one barrage or raging blade or piercing cry gets old. Doing lots of completely useless gambits to get the trait points is a treatise in frustration. I used dummies eventually.
I have 2 level 115 wardens on separate servers and until recently I loved them. Consistent lag and the rebalancing has retired them for now. Just not as fun.
Yah they really need to fix the 1s lag after certain gambits (Maddening Strike and Desolation are two of them). It's hard enough when the server is sputtering to get a rhythm going but then you add in those extra delays and wrong gambits just kill the flow of the class.


Sharing our thought is very important part of our life. Thought may be useful or completely useless. It may have of some value to others or may be absolutely of no use. But, we feel good when we share and somebody listens to it quietly without objecting. If somebody supports that thought and adds something to it you feel so good.
I never fail to share my thought irrespective of whether others are interested of listening or not. I may cut it short if, I see dull eyes looking at me but do never abort it. Then one day I got sometime to write the thought and post it. Every hour I opened it to see whether anybody has put any comment on it or not, but none. It disappointed me but as usual kept on writing one after the other. Then one fine day saw a link called 'Site Stat' and clicked on it there it showed the number of people visited the site. 'WOW!!!" I shouted. There were 290 views. I wanted it to get 300 views and make it a round figure. I kept visiting my blog and then that link several times to make it 300 but I saw it was not increasing at all. I was disappointed as well as confused. Then noticed a small note at the bottom of the page 'Just a note: we don't count your own visits to your site.'. I laughed and said 'Okay!!!'. Then what is the next option? Started pinging all my friends (even them, whom I have not talked with for years) and asked "Did you read my blog?". They did not give a very positive response, neither they showed any excitement of the fact that I AM WRITING BLOGS, so was bit disappointed once again. Then as usual went to my thought mode. Then questioned myself "Why should anybody read my blog? Why am I writing blogs? What am I achieving by writing"?".
The reason I am writing blogs is because I love to share my thoughts. I want my thoughts to get some shape than remain abstract. This is better than speaking because others might not be interested at all when I am telling something, but had to listen me because they do not want to be rude. But I am torturing them by giving useless GYAN which they do not need or is absolutely nonsense. So keeping my nonsense to myself is better than throwing on others. The advantage with blogs is that others can just ignore it but I am satisfied because I shared my thought. So no public torture. If by any chance, anybody, likes it then, they will comment on it and add some thought to it which will inspire me. That is the reason, I am writing blogs. So, I convinced myself not to worry much about number of views. This satisfied me to some extent.
The most difficult part for a novice like me in this field is lack of vocabulary. You have thoughts but you do not know how to express it. Then second problem is command over the language and third most disadvantageous point is poor grammar sense. Now these can be improved by reading more, listening more than just spitting in public. But I will improve that one day. My day has not come yet, waiting for that day.


Hi, I'm Daniela (dan-YEL-luh), founder of Explora Creative. I'm a passionate graphic designer, an optimistic illustrator, and a web design groupie.
Explora is a boutique studio and mission-driven business, based in sunny and outdoorsy Boulder, Colorado – specialized in visual design: branding, interactive design (UX/UI), and illustration.
I thrive by helping up-and-coming businesses on their journey through success, creating the right branding and online presence so they can reach their ideal customers and grow. At the same time, I want to use my business as a force for good, by giving back one project at a time.
I believe good work is based on mutual respect, collaboration, and partnership, so I like to work with people that are excited and passionate about their business, and who want honest and real connections with their customers.
An open door policy means you can come in or contact me at anytime time during or after the project is done. I'm not the type of designer that will disappear once the check is cashed. I like to see your growth and stay involved – I'm your partner for the long run.
you said giving back, how's that?
I'm neither a doctor nor a millionaire, so I can't make humongous changes in the world, but I can give a little. So, every time I get a new project, 2% of that project's cost goes towards a cause I believe in. You as my client, have the chance to choose which cause to help.
A non-profit organization in Arequipa, Peru (my hometown). Founded by my grandfather 40 years ago, it has helped over 4,000 children with down syndrome and other disabilities, mostly from low-income families, with education, physical therapy, nutrition, family guidance, and even job placement. Unamonos works only by donations and promotes social inclusion throughout their programs.
For 50 years, Conservation Colorado has been at the front lines of every fight working to protect the air, land, water, and people across of Colorado. I'm addicted to the outdoors, so I strongly believe in protecting the environment for the next generation, in respecting nature, and in having open public spaces for everybody.
I want to help my community as much as I can, so I have created a small fund to cover the costs of design services for selected non-profits or struggling female entrepreneurs, who otherwise would not been able to afford it. One organization will be selected per year.
why on earth would I do this!?
Because, like most people, I also want a brighter future, where my businesses grows in a conscious way, hand in hand with the community.
Because design is my gift and I choose to use it for good, by being an agent for change.
Because I believe the creative industry has the power to create a big positive impact in the world.
Because I hope this will inspire others to do the same – actions speaks more than words.
This is where my physical office is. An awesome co-working space and a strong community that hosts a fantastic group of creatives. They are also my partners for many projects.
I've been a member since 2004 and part of the board for 2 years as a branding chair, helping this passionate non-profit organization and talented creatives lift the design community up.
15 years in this industry has taught me that each project is a challenge and a blessing. With each project I learn something new and with each client, I gain a friend.
If you're interested on a design consult to help you figure out how to start or manage your brand or interactive projects, don't hesitate on getting in touch*.
*Consults have an hourly cost of $50/hour, which is different than my regular hourly rate. For more details about costs, request a quote here.
Break the myths, lose fears, and learn to use design to your advantage, so your business can thrive!
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text:
Posted inEditorial, Stories
Little Known Laureate
by Jaya Padmanabhan November 2, 2014 April 7, 2022
After the announcement of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize jointly awarded to Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi, there was a sense of overwhelming validation at the first name and of overpowering curiosity at the second name. Yousafzai's remarkable grit has been justifiably well chronicled: a young girl speaking out for girls' education despite the fear of brutal reprisal. When it comes to Satyarthi, as Sandip Roy, First Post senior editor and our own columnist, so acerbically put it, "most of India went 'Kailash who?' before they were proud of him."
If you do a quick search for both names on Google, this is what you'll find (as of Oct 22): 18,400,000 results for Malala Yousafzai and 8,510,000 for Satyarthi. And of the 28 pages of "relevant" results about Satyarthi, most articles have been written in the recent past, post award.
These results and reactions are telling and not because we didn't know Satyarthi before and we're obsessively following him now.
The Nobel Peace Award is one of the most controversial awards and too often the leitmotif seems to be currency, clout and connections. The list encompasses do-gooders, activists, politicians and campaigners already famous for their humanitarian and political stances.
In the past, the prize has been given to heads of state like Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Anwar El Sadat and Barack Obama; to statesmen like Cordell Hull and Henry Kissinger; and well-known, well-deserving non-violent activists like Tenzin Gyatso, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Martin Luther King Jr, yet eliding Gandhi.
So who is Kailash Satyarthi? Here's the little we know. At the age of 26, he gave up his teaching career and started Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Mission) to fight against child labour. For 34 years he has waged a crusade for children's rights. Thirty-four years!
It is people like Kailash Satyarthi, however, those silent strivers who are empowered by their own passion and persist in the face of staggering odds that too often remain a forgotten footnote in the human struggle for justice and fairness.
Yes, Satyarthi shares the prize with Yousafzai, the youngest ever awardee, and that too is transformational: two courageous advocates from neighboring wrangling countries, a woman and a man, both with an overriding need to safeguard children, the future of our world.
This time I believe that the Nobel committe got it right.
Jaya Padmanabhan
Jaya Padmanabhan is editor emeritus, contributing writer, and board member of India Currents. She is a veteran journalist, essayist, and fiction writer with over 250 published articles and short stories.... More by Jaya Padmanabhan


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Our political leaders are no different from us except for the size of their egos and the cost of their dreams. Trudeau had his "Just Society", Lyndon Johnson's "war on poverty", Mike Harris his "Common sense revolution" and I'm sure that you could mention many others over the years. And you know who gets the bill. It is sometimes difficult to determine whether their vision is really intended to succeed or if it is just a political tool to divert attention from other problems that beset a government. Is it just smoke and mirrors?
The Liberal government of Shawn Graham has begun a task force on self-sufficiency, which seems to be a grand and noble enterprise. After all, who wouldn't want to stand up on our own two feet and not receive handouts from Ontario and Alberta. The expected subsidy in 2006/07 is $1.45 billion or roughly $1900 per person in New Brunswick. This is about 22% of the NB's annual operating budget.
To date the task force has issued three reports and received submissions from a number of individuals and groups. The pre-packaged reports seem to have it all figured out with some of the interesting items being suggested: raising the population of the province by 100,000 people, higher paying jobs, investing an extra $1 billion in infrastructure (mostly roads) and helping targeted businesses, and many other industry friendly items. What is of some concern is the lack of documentation supporting the recommendations and the lack of economists involved in the review process. After all, it is suggested that we spend $1 billion and I haven't seen a business case in sight. Can we expect that this approach will have a realistic chance of success?
First we could take a look at some of the principal recommendations and pass them through a logic test. The report states that we need to grow our population by 100,000 people. At first glance, this would seem to make sense – more workers to cover the fixed costs of government. However, Nova Scotia has 185,000 more and Manitoba has 428,000 more people than New Brunswick and each of those provinces receives $1450 per person equalization. In fact, Quebec at 10 times the population of NB receives $725 dollars per capita annually. So it would seem that a small increase in population is not the determining factor. The report states that wages have to go up to attract people back to New Brunswick. Typically, jobs in this region have been rare and out migration has been a matter of necessity. Of the hundreds of thousands of former easterners that have gone west over the years, a large number would love to move back but no opportunities presently exist. When the jobs become available here, they will come.
The report indicates that we must spend hundreds of millions of dollars on highways. Unless I am mistaken, we have been spending, on average, $300 million dollars per year on capital highway improvements since the McKenna years. Where is the dramatic economic improvement from that investment? Are we to increase those expenditures? What is the benefit of going from a two-lane highway to a four-lane highway? Traffic is still limited to 100 km/h and we don't have the traffic volumes of larger provinces.
Call me simple, but I see a road as an expense – having an incredibly high cost to build, snow clearing expense each year and repaving every ten years. The only tangible payback is the gas tax and that remains fairly constant no matter how many new roads we build.
What will be the economic impact of spending $1 billion dollars as proposed? (allocation of $500 million on new roads and $500 million on aid to new and expanding enterprises). Government investments in business startups and expansions can lever private investment greater than the original capital investment of $500 million perhaps to a tune of five times or $2.5 billion. Road construction is a one-time expenditure that doesn't leverage private investment. The total impact, ignoring other economic multipliers is approximately $3 billion.
To remove the necessity for equalization, government revenue has to rise higher than the amount of equalization. However, to increase government revenue to remove the $1.45 billion annual equalization subsidy at an income tax rate of 20% would require an increase in personal income of $7.25 billion dollars. This is the equivalent of 100,000 new jobs at $75,000 annually. The New Brunswick employment levels for the past five years show a small increase of 1670 people. The Alberta statistics show an increase of 225,000 jobs over the same period.
The annual capital investment in Alberta rose from $29 billion to $58 billion. In the same period New Brunswick rose from $2.5 to $3.6 billion. Given that the population of Alberta is four times higher than NB, one can see the incredible difference in investment, above that which population would normally create. 55% of the $58 billion is in the mining, oil and gas sector and that creates large numbers of jobs and draws employees from elsewhere in Canada. Looking at the investment and the jobs created, it looks like approximately $1Million per job. The proposed Irving refinery is costed at $5 billion and will produce 1000 full time jobs. That is $5 million per job created.
So if we invest the equivalent of $3 billion (with private investment added in), then the jobs created would be 3000 or perhaps 5000 if we are optimistic. This is a long way from the 100,000 that would be necessary to achieve the self-sufficiency that the task force has suggested is possible.
There are some good ideas in the reports of the task force, especially those items related to the availability of credit for expansion and new business. However, the implementation of the consultation process has been flawed, hurried and basically just going through the motions. The choices made by this government preclude other paths that would actually work and lead to true self-sufficiency. My suggestions for success will follow in a future column.


text:
Type of activity: Football league played on a street pitch.
Target group: Girls and boys aged 10-14.
Topic addressed: Gender equality, social inclusion and cultural understanding.
Values created: Integration, solidarity and empowerment.
Project impact: The initiative offers a low-threshold access to football for the girls. Participants only have to bring indoor shoes and a letter of consent from parents to join, for which getting involved is easy.
In the Neukölln district of Berlin recreational centres join forces to create a league composed of 6 tournaments occurring annually. Each recreational centre organises a tournament and at the end of the season the results are added up to determine the overall winner.
The tournament has a low-threshold of requirements (compared to joining an official club) because the girls only need the permission of their parents to participate. This allows many girls to be involved without a great level of commitment.
The league also adopts a unique scoring system that incorporates fair play. Teams are awarded points based on their behaviour on the pitch. For example, 0 points for unfair behaviour, 1 point for having predominantly fair play behaviour and 2 points for having very fair play behaviour. This system is used in case of a tie in the tournament once the final points are added up, the winner is chosen according to the fair play points earned by each team.
Provide playing opportunities to girls
Provide low-threshold access to football
Introduce girls to sport association
The fundamental elements of the initiative are mainly a regular attendance of trainings and the emphasis on the fair play philosophy. Therefore the decision about who is allowed to play in the tournament is made based on the commitment and fairness they display in training during the course of the year.
About Champions Neukölln League
Champions Neukolln is an amateur league for boys and girls that aims to promote the inclusion and participation of girls in football. http://www.berlinerratschlagfuerdemokratie.de/projekte/champions-neukoelln-interkulturelle-strassenfussballliga/


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