text:
So What's The Deal With [TITLE OF SHOW]? An Artistic Director's Perspective.
Hello. My name is JaceSon Barrus. I am one of the Co-Producers at Plaza Theatre Company and I serve as Artistic Director for our theatre group. [TITLE OF SHOW] is our 62nd production here at Plaza Theatre Company. During our run of nearly six years we've produced many classics, some newer material, had a lot of laughs and enjoyed our share of growth and success, both financially and artistically. We've watched as the Company has won Awards and surpassed 1,100 Season Ticket holders annually, all in our small town just south of Fort Worth called Cleburne.
I think it is safe to say that no production from among our first 62 has engendered as strong a response, both negative and positive, as our current production of [TITLE OF SHOW]. Additionally, I have been asked many times some form of the question, "why this show?" So that is why I am contributing to this blog today: To address the question of "why this show" and perhaps to encourage those who may be on the fence to be willing to try something a little new.
As is the case with many small community theatre groups, those of us in charge wear many hats. We answer the phones, sell the tickets, build the sets and costumes, direct and act in the shows, sweep and vacuum the floors, clean the bathrooms, and address the complaints, just to name a few. Such is the case with me as I have worked the Will Call window for this show. Last Friday evening I was working the window when a patron came to pick up her tickets. She asked me for reassurance that the show would be enjoyable as she had brought some guests, and she had never heard of [TITLE OF SHOW]. She shared with me that some friends of hers had already seen the show and that they didn't care for it. I tried to explain that while the show was a different style, that it still made for a quality experience and sent her in to the theatre. I'll admit I was a little disheartened. Once the show began, my wife Tina and I ran an errand to the grocery store to pick up a few items for concessions. As we pushed our buggy down the aisle, a woman stopped us to tell us about her experience the night before at [TITLE OF SHOW]. She said she wanted to thank us for being willing to risk trying something new and different and that she hadn't laughed so hard in years. I was amazed by how passionately she thanked us for producing this somewhat unknown musical.
I relate this story to illustrate a point – that folks are not all going to have the same taste. What one person found disappointing, another found absolutely fabulous. And that is the reason we try to offer a variety of styles with our Season of Shows – to appeal to a broad range of tastes. We have the unique privilege of offering 10 productions a year at PlazaCo. So as Artistic Director and manager of the artistic vision of the Company, it is my job to make sure we offer something special with every title we produce. I believe such is the case with [TITLE OF SHOW].
The show tells the story of four friends on a journey to creating a finished work of art. In this case, a musical. And not just any musical, one that will be different and unique from any other musical ever presented on Broadway. The story is real as it chronicles what actually happened in the process of getting to Broadway. And while some have suggested that a story about actors can only be interesting to actors I say not so. The message of struggle and perseverance eventually culminating in reaching an astonishing goal is universal and, in my view, a story worth telling.
Our last production at PlazaCo was the magnificent THE SOUND OF MUSIC. The show was very popular as we played to 99% capacity during the run of the show. We are extremely proud of that show, the cast and crew, which created such a beautiful and moving experience for our audience. And while we were thrilled at the popular response, I submit that selling tickets and making money isn't our primary motivation. What drives us, just like the people in the story of [TITLE OF SHOW], is the desire to create something unique. And with this show, the story and the high level of the quality of the direction and the performances, I know we have achieved that.
I know you may disagree with my point-of-view. But how will you know unless you give it a try? I encourage you to give [TITLE OF SHOW] a chance – you just might end up like that lady in the grocery store saying, "I haven't laughed so hard in years".
JaceSon P. Barrus
Plaza Theatre Company – Artistic Director
Casting Announcement: The official Cast List for DIRTY, ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS at Plaza Theatre Company
Plaza Theatre Company is pleased to announce the official Cast List for it's upcoming production of DIRTY, ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS. The Cast is listed below with doubles noted.
Christine Colgate – Kelly Nickell, Camille Shaw
Lawrence Jameson – Aaron Siler
Freddie Benson – Clyde Berry
Muriel Eubanks – Milette Siler
Andre Thibault – Michael Durington
Jolene Oakes – Stacey Greenawalt King
Croupier / Nikos – Solomon Abah
Lenore (Woman 1) / Nun – Kimberley Mickle
Sophia (Woman 2) / Dance Corps – Suzi Hanford, Rachel Hunt
Conductor / Dance Corps – Daniel Scott Robinson
Waiter / Hotel Mng. / Desk Clerk – Jay Cornils, Jamie Long
Woman 3 – Madison Heaps
Gerard / Dance Corps – Lloyd Ekpo
Docent / Sailor – David Goza
Usherette – Tina Barrus, Monica Glenn
Bellboy / Porter / Dance Corps – Justin Diyer
Renee / Dance Corps – Sara Blair
Maid – Dora Hunt
DIRTY, ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS will play at Plaza Theatre Company from May 17th thru June 22nd. The play is being directed by Luke Hunt with musical direction by Doug Henry, choreography by Rachel Hunt, stage management by Monica Glenn and assistant stage management by Dana Siler. Tickets are available by calling the PlazaCo Box Office at 817-202-0600 or by visiting www.plaza-theatre.com
[TITLE OF SHOW] APROPOS at Plaza Theatre Company
[TITLE OF SHOW] APROPOS has entered it's second week of production at Plaza Theatre Company – and it is proving to be the unique and completely original musical that PlazaCo producers had hoped it would be when they scheduled it for the 2013 Season. For every patron who tells us they found the story "strange" or "weird", we have ten patrons saying they love that we're presenting something completely "unique", "new" and "modern". [TITLE OF SHOW] APROPOS is unlike any show yet produced at Plaza Theatre Company – and we think that's a good thing.
Of course we love the classics here at PlazaCo, and we'll continue putting our heart and soul into bringing our patronage shows of the style and quality of THE SOUND OF MUSIC – which was a huge hit here last month. But we think that there is a place on our stage for newer works, and with [TITLE OF SHOW] APROPOS we've brought something completely new and unique to our patronage. According to Jeremy Osborne of The Column by John Garcia:
"It is worth the drive to Cleburne to see [Title of Show] Apropos no matter where in the metroplex you call home. The production features fantastic performances that keep the audience engaged. Plaza Theatre Company has a reputation for putting on some of the highest quality shows in the region, and with this musical they continue building that reputation."
Below are some fabulous photos of the show taken by Stacey Greenawalt King. Enjoy the photos, then give us a call at 817-202-0600 or visit www.plaza-theatre.com to reserve.
The Column by John Garcia's Review of [TITLE OF SHOW] APROPOS – by Jeremy Osborne
We've received our first review of [TITLE OF SHOW] APROPOS today. And while the writer of the review does question Plaza's decision to produce this play, his praise of the quality of our production is immense. We are always very grateful for the critical perspective that The Column by John Garcia provides. And even though Mr. Osborne questions our decision to produce [TITLE OF SHOW] APROPOS, we are thrilled with the quality of the production as well as the outstanding performances.
We are also very honored to have this exceptional play on our stage. Though we know we are taking a risk to present something outside of the "norm" for our audience, we feel the music and the message of [TITLE OF SHOW] APROPOS is a story worth telling – and we stand by that decision. Read on for the review of [TITLE OF SHOW] APROPOS by Jeremy William Osborne of The Column by John Garcia, and then make your reservations to see the show by visiting www.plaza-theatre.com or by calling 817-202-0600.
"Plaza Theatre Company has a reputation for putting on some of the highest quality shows in the region, and with this musical they continue building that reputation." ~ Jeremy William Osborne of The Column by John Garcia
Reviewed performance on Saturday, March 16th, 2013
Reviewed by Jeremy William Osborne, Associate Theater Critic
For John Garcia's THE COLUMN
_______________________[TITLE OF SHOW] APROPOS______________________
[Title of Show] is the mostly true story of two writers in New York, attempting to create a new, original musical in three weeks. They recruit two lady friends to help bring the show together. When the show is accepted to the New York Musical Theatre Festival and later produced off-Broadway, tensions rise between the four friends as artistic choices are weighed against commercial success.
[Title of Show] Apropos at Plaza Theatre Company is excellently presented and will make new fans out of anybody who hasn't experienced the original, salty cast recording. For those who have experienced the original version, changes made in the script can prove irritating.
The "Apropos" (or clean version) has been modified from the original by the authors for general audiences. However, there are some mis-steps made in the modifications. Clean up the language, of course, that's understandable. Take out Heidi stripping down to her bra in the Festival Medley, that's acceptable. However, the choice to leave, in the reference to whores in Nine People's Favorite Things, while cutting any reference to the main characters' homosexuality is baffling and offensive.
The implication is that whores are apropos but homosexuality is not. That decision, plus the irony of even putting on a show where the main theme is to not compromise integrity, highlighted in "Die Vampire, Die!" and "Nine People's Favorite Things", that is compromised for the sake of selling tickets to delicate audiences, is aggravating.
It is understandable a theatre in a small rural town in Texas would choose to play it safe and do a show that is more accessible to the local population. However, [Title of Show] is not a show that should be used in this way. If Plaza Theatre Company feels their audience could not accept the full version of [Title of Show], they should have chosen another show for their season rather than present the watered down version of an otherwise great musical.
Play choice and writing aside, [Title of Show] is excellent in every way and what we've come to expect from Plaza Theatre Company. The performance area is near vacant, as the script calls for only four chairs and a few props to be used in the most technically simple musical ever written. I wonder if giving G. Aaron Siler a set design credit in the script is meant to be an industry joke.
The direction is wonderful & uses every part of the space effectively. Even the most abstract scenes are choreographed simply but potently.
"Monkeys and Playbills" is the stand-out scene of the show, with Heidi and Susan taking on ethereal qualities, influencing Jeff and Hunter's creative process.
The use of lighting, a multimedia video presentation, and modern dance elements come together to create a memorable scene.
As in most productions with sparse scenic elements, the lighting for [Title of Show] takes on an even greater role. With well-defined play areas, allowing different scenes to happen simultaneously as in "What Kind of Girl is She?", and exceptional color choices highlighting the moods and themes of the scenes demonstrated in "The Tony Award Song" and "Dream Sequence", the lighting is the true technical star of the show.
The actors each perform their roles masterfully, pulling the audience in to their characters' world and not letting go until the finale.
They inhabited the roles so well it was easy to think they were actually playing themselves.
David Cook and Jonathan Metting as Jeff and Hunter, the writers, are completely natural in their interactions with each other. Their jokes and arguments are as realistic as would be expected from the original cast members. Their hope is palpable in "Part of it All" and frustration is crystal clear in "Awkward Photo Shoot".
Daron Cockerell and Milette Siler play Heidi and Susan, Jeff and Hunter's friends brought on to round out the script.
Siler, as Susan, voices concerns of not being able to measure up to the musical talent of the rest of the cast, punctuated when she demonstrates her inability to find a note in a harmony during "Filling Out the Form". However, she is given great opportunities to shine with "Die Vampire, Die!", and a featured section of "September Song". These opportunities are not wasted and Siler displays greater confidence in her performance than does her character.
Cockerell comes into the part of Heidi confident and capable. Her grand finale of "I am Playing Me" is stunning. She nearly brings the house down, both musically and comically, stopping the show in her duet with Siler in "Secondary Characters". "A Way Back to Then" is touching and heartfelt. It seems there is nothing this woman can't do on stage.
Diane Stewart is in a quiet corner of the stage, alone for most of the show. Her main purpose is to provide the musical accompaniment on the piano but every once in a while her character, Mary, is given a line to participate in the scene. As the musical director, Stewart has ensured all the actors sound incredible and she is flawless on the piano.
Meet the Cast of PlazaCo's [TITLE OF SHOW]
We're simply thrilled with the fabulous cast we've assembled for our upcoming production of [title of show]. Every one of these performers has played multiple leads not only here at PlazaCo, but throughout the Metroplex. The level of talent is spectacular and the show is fabulous because of it. Read on to meet our amazing cast for [title of show] –
JONATHAN METTING (HUNTER) Previously seen at Plaza as Dickens/Fred in A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Younger Brother in RAGTIME, Robert Martin in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, Bobby in CRAZY for YOU, Rev. Oglethorpe in SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN, Joseph in JOSEPH…DREAMCOAT, Cornelius in HELLO DOLLY, Tommy in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, and Ozzy in THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL. Past favorite roles include: Huck in BIG RIVER, Freddy in MY FAIR LADY, Charlie in GOOD MAN…CHARLIE BROWN, Dickon in SECRET GARDEN, Barnaby in HELLO DOLLY, Barrett in TITANIC, Man 1 in SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, Younger Brother in RAGTIME, Gary/Roger in NOISES OFF, Happy in DEATH OF A SALESMAN, Laurie in LITTLE WOMEN, John the Baptist/Judas in GODSPELL, Armand in THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, and Bob Cratchit in A CHRISTMAS CAROL. "Thanks Mom, Dad, "A" and little "P" (yes, i just thanked my dog) for putting up with my sometimes crazy schedule."
DAVID COOK (JEFF) is excited to be returning to the Plaza stage for the 5th time. Plaza patrons may have seen him take his shirt off in AIDA, as Radames, or perhaps they saw him when he took his shirt off in MAN WITH THE POINTED TOES, as Tom. He has also taken to the Plaza stage in more shirted roles, such as Percy in THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL. When not performing at Plaza, he has taken the stage in several other theaters in the DFW area. Most recently he was seen (fully dressed) in Lyric Stage's 1776 as Judge James Wilson. When not on the stage, he is almost always wearing a shirt as he practices law in an effort to support his beautiful wife Shoshana and his adorable kid, Cosette. Much love to this incredible cast he gets to play with almost daily, and to Aaron for allowing him to perform this awesome role. If you've read this far, you are probably wondering if this will be a "shirt on" role, or a "shirt off" role – sorry, you'll just have to watch to find out.
MILETTE SILER (SUSAN) Is it curtain time yet? Milette is super pumped to be here. No, seriously. She was most recently seen as Miss Skillon in SEE HOW THEY RUN and as The Chaperone in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. Other favorite roles include Frieda in Onstage in Bedford's SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, and Pamela in MAN…TOES and the Baker's Wife in INTO THE WOODS, both here at Plaza. Milette is also a founding Producer here at Plaza, along with her husband Aaron and partners Jaceson and Tina Barrus. When she isn't working at Plaza, she is also a full time student studying Nutrition Science. Currently at Hill College, she plans to transfer to TCU in the fall to pursue her degree. Milette's most important and rewarding project is the honor of being mom to Dana, Ryan, and Mitch, who constantly roll their eyes at their mom's antics even though they secretly love it. Woohoo! Let's do this!
CAITLAIN LEBLO (HEIDI) Caitlan Leblo is excited to return to the Plaza stage after a year of moving around and getting married! Some of her favorite shows at Plaza include, JOSEPH…DREAMCOAT, CRAZY FOR YOU, and THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. Most recently, she enjoyed playing Marmee in LITTLE WOMEN at Granbury Theatre Co. She was a member of Kids Who Care for 5 years and performed with them at Disney World and off – Broadway. Caitlan graduated from TCU with a Bachelor's degree in education. She sang with the TCU Concert Chorale and performed with them at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She would like to thank her husband, and family, for all their love and support over the years.
DARON COCKERELL (HEIDI) Daron is thrilled that her 24th Plaza show is one she loves so much! Most recently she performed as Jo in LITTLE WOMEN (Granbury Theatre Company) and will soon be playing Eileen in TOO MANY GIRLS (Lyric Stage). Some favorite roles at Plaza include Mother in RAGTIME, Janet in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, Cinderella in INTO THE WOODS, Annie Oakley in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (Best Actress Column Award), Natalie in ALL SHOOK UP, Eliza in MY FAIR LADY, Martha in SECRET GARDEN and Gertrude in SEUSSICAL. A graduate of Texas Christian University, she uses her Ad/Pr degree during the day before heading to the theatre. She hopes you enjoy this show as much as she does, and that you find your own "way back to then". 🙂
DIANE STEWART (MARY, MUSIC DIRECTOR) Diane is thrilled to be working on [TITLE OF SHOW]. She has enjoyed working with this very talented cast and the outstanding director, Aaron Siler. Diane has been the musical director/pianist for NUNSENSE, YOUR'E A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN and NUNSENSE II, all performed at Greater Cleburne Carnegie Player's Theater. She is also a piano teacher, several of her students have been cast members in many of Plaza and Carnegie show.
Now it's time to make plans to see this amazing cast in action. The show plays Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 and Saturday afternoons at 3pm from March 15th thru April 13th. To make reservations either call the Plaza Box Office at 817-202-0600 or visit www.plaza-theatre.com
Audition Notice: DIRTY, ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS at Plaza Theatre Company
Plaza Theatre Company is pleased to announce open auditions for its upcoming production of DIRTY, ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS. The audition is being held on Monday March 18th and Tuesday March 19th. Auditioners need only make an appointment for one of the available days. Audition appointments are available by calling the Plaza Box Office at 817-202-0600 or by visiting here: Plaza Audition Appointments
The audition will be held at Plaza Academy which is located at 221 Mill Street in Cleburne about 1 block from Plaza Theatre Company. The show will be directed by Luke Hunt with musical direction by Doug Henry and choreography by Rachel Hunt.
Those auditioning are asked to come prepared to sing 32 bars of music in the style of the show that will best display their vocal ability. An accompanist will be provided. Additionally, those auditioning will be asked to read cold from the script during the initial audition. The directors will spend around 5 to 10 minutes with each individual performer at this initial audition.
A call back audition will be held on Saturday March 23rd at 9am. Those who the Directors wish to see further will be invited to the call back audition which may last up to 4 hours time. PLEASE REFER TO THE PLAZA AUDITION GUIDELINES AS WELL AS THE PLAZA AUDITION CREDO WHEN PREPARING YOUR AUDITION. The guidelines and Credo can be found at plaza-theatre.com/auditions
The production will play on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings and Saturday afternoons opening on May 17th and playing through June 22nd. Rehearsals will commence on March 25th and will usually take place Monday thru Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings till opening. No Sunday rehearsals or performances.
Two con men work the French Riviera – one seduces rich ladies, the other swindles women with made-up stories. When they attempt to work together they discover the town isn't big enough for the both of them. They agree the first to extract $50,000 from a young female heiress wins and the other must leave town. An outlandish battle of cons ensues.
Plaza Theatre Company is a 158 seat theatre-in-the-round located at 111 S. Main in Cleburne, TX. The Company produces 10 shows a year usually in the style of family-friendly comedies and musicals. PlazaCo opened in November of 2006 and is currently producing it's 59th show. The Company has been the proud recipient of over 46 Column Awards including winning "Best Musical" in 2009, 2010 and 2012 in addition to recently being named "Best Theatre Group" by the WFAA A-List for 2011. Further information about PlazaCo is available by visiting http://www.plaza-theatre.com
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
Lawrence Jameson – Male (age 40 -50) – G2 – Bb4 (Tenor): An older and experienced yet sophisticated con artist. Can be quick-witted and still debonair. Distinguished and cultured. Must be strong actor/ singer with very good smooth dance abilities. Must be able to affect various European dialects in dialogue and songs.
Freddie Benson – Male (age 25 – 35) – A2 – B4 (Tenor): A young and inexperienced con man. Quick on his feet but not very bright. Can be crass and inappropriate with little style or grace. Very strong character actor with the ability to play multiple caricatures in a broad style. Physically active with high energy and perfect sense of comic timing.
Christine Colgate – Female (age 25 – 35) – A3 – f#5 (Mezzo – Soprano): Younger American Heiress vacationing on the French Riviera. Beautiful with a sweet innocence in style and appearance that underlies all she does and is. Somewhat klutzy and Brooklyn Accent as well as standard American.
Andre Thibault – Male (age 35 – 50) -F2 – F4 (Bari-tenor): Distinguished with a strong sense of business and experience. Dry and sardonic but very smart, knows the ropes and how to bend the rules to his advantage. French accent.
Muriel Eubanks – Female (age 40 – 50) – E3 – C5 (Alto): Wealthy socialite. Definite distinguished wealthy "old money "air. Glamorous in style and manner with a dry wit. Love interest of Andre.
Jolene Oakes – Female (age 30 – 40) – A3 – D5 (Alto): Stereotypical American oil heiress from Oklahoma. "New money" with a loud brash personality. Strong and unapologetic. Thick OK accent. Ability to do rope tricks a plus.
Lenore – Female (age 17-30): A wealthy socialite, and one of Lawrence's victims.
Sophia – Female (age 17-30): A wealthy socialite, and one of Lawrence's victims.
Renee – Female (age 20-40): A wealthy socialite, and one of Lawrence's victims (French accent).
Gerard – Male (age 20-40): Renee's jealous husband.
Ensemble – Male and Female (ages 25 – 50) – Varies: Strong Singer / Dancers to play multiple roles including Lenore, Sophia, Renee, Hotel Manager, Nikos, Conductor, Usherette. Croupier, other wealthy socialites, etc. Strong acting abilities in character choices and ability create unique styles in all character parts.
Today's Poll: Tell Us The Musicals You'd Like To See PlazaCo Produce
That's right! Today we are asking for your input. We will be announcing our 2014 Season at our annual "Thank You Party" on April 9th. As you might guess, putting together a season of shows is always quite a challenge. This year, we are looking at a fabulous list of Musicals to produce in 2014, but we'd love to hear from you. Realizing what our mission is and the style of musical we like to produce at PlazaCo, please vote for the shows below you'd like to see us produce at PTC. (Pick up to three)
Please note that this list isn't a complete look at every title we are considering for 2014. Thank you for your input.


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Westbourne Lodge
Image dated 1857
Photo taken in a westerly direction · Royal Oak · W2 ·
Westbourne Lodge appeared in one of the earliest photographs in London.
This photo from 6 August 1857 shows guests at the wedding of the Reverend Frederick Manners Stopford to Florence Augusta Saunders, daughter of Charles Saunders, first general secretary of the Great Western Railway. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was amongst the guests. The house was built before the railway was built but, at the time of the weeding, ran just beside the Lodge. During the wedding, both Brunel and Saunders were able to experience trains running beside the wedding party along the railway which they had built.
This photo from 6 August 1857 shows guests at the wedding of the Reverend Frederick Manners Stopford to Florence Augusta Saunders, daughter of Charles Saunders, first general secretary of the Great Western Railway. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was amongst the guests.
The house was built before the railway was built but, at the time of the weeding, ran just beside the Lodge.
During the wedding, both Brunel and Saunders were able to experience trains running beside the wedding party along the railway which they had built.
Comparing the 1857 photo with the 1900 map, you can clearly see the conservatory featured on the map.
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence
User unknown/public domain
Royal Oak is a station on the Hammersmith and City Line, between Westbourne Park and Paddington stations, and is the least used station on the Hammersmith and City line.
The station opened 30 October 1871 although the Metropolitan Railway extension to Hammersmith had opened in 1864.
It is close to the elevated Westway section of the A40 road. The station is named after a nearby public house, The Royal Oak (later The Railway Tap and now The Porchester). It is one of a number of Underground stations named after a local pub.
Royal Oak Portal is the Western tunnel entrance for the Crossrail scheme to link East and West London by main-line railway. The station itself is not part of the Crossrail scheme.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Find mean of an array with both numbers and strings with Matlab I have a cell array (arr_new) that includes both numbers and strings and I want to find the mean value of each column (and ignoring the strings because those are points that I want to ignore in my calculation) using Matlab. The array is a 200x200 cell array and it is a combination of numbers and strings.
I tried to use this:
for k = 1:cols
    Y(k) = mean(arr_new(k,:));
end

But of course, it did not work because of the strings.
Any help would be appreciated.

A: If you have any of MATLAB R2015a (or later) or Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox, convert the strings/chars to NaN and then it is possible to find the mean ignoring those values after converting the cell to a matrix.
k = cellfun(@isnumeric, arr_new);      %finding the indices of the numeric values
arr_new(~k)={NaN};                     %replacing the rest of the indices with NaN
%finding mean ignoring NaNs (which were chars/strings before)
Y = mean(cell2mat(arr_new),'omitnan'); %for MATLAB R2015a or later
% Use the following instead if you have R2014b or earlier with Stats and ML Toolbox:
% Y = nanmean(cell2mat(arr_new));

A: nCols = size(arr_new,2);
Y = nan(1, nCols); % pre-allocate
for k = 1:nCols
    isNum = cellfun(@isnumeric, arr_new(:,k)); % find number in the column
    Y(k) = mean(cell2mat(arr_new(isNum,k))); % convert to mat for mean
end

There are two tricks here. One is the use of cellfun, and the other is cell2mat.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Two days of intensive discussions at the 1st IORA Strategic Planning Workshop came to a successful close today.
The Workshop resulted in the development of tangible inputs by Member States and Dialogue Partners in steering the future direction of the Association. As the first Workshop focusing on deepening the Indian Ocean Rim Association's (IORA's) strategic and economic partnerships internationally and regionally, it drew attention to various aspects of IORA's Priority and Focus Areas.
The two-day Workshop was organised by the current IORA Chair, South Africa, in collaboration with the IORA Secretariat at Flic en Flac, Mauritius. The Workshop was a conscious move forward by the Association into possible new areas of engagement, keeping in mind ongoing trends on the global stage.
H.E. Ambassador Dr. Anil Sooklal, Deputy Director-General: Asia and Middle East from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, as the representative of the IORA Chair, highlighted during his inaugural remarks ''We are also encouraged by the new interest globally in IORA; where we have welcomed Maldives as the 22nd Member State and Turkey and South Korea as the 8th and 9th Dialogue Partners, respectively…''.
H.E. Ambassador Dr Nomvuyo N. Nokwe, Secretary General of IORA, aptly remarked ''We need new approaches in IORA to move from a premise of promoting economic cooperation to a stronger commitment to the implementation of projects that are people centred and sustainable''.
Discussions were held on various topics including the IORA Action Plan (2017 – 2021), strengthening regional collaborations, expanding beyond frontiers, touching upon the concept of the Indo-Pacific, building international partnerships, deepening engagement with Dialogue Partners, among others. The Workshop also covered insightful presentations by eminent representatives from the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) of India, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) from South Africa and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
The Workshop was well attended by IORA Member States, Dialogue Partners. Participants included senior diplomats, high ranking officials, special invitees and IORA Secretariat officials.


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Can you name five things that could make a person sneeze? How about five TV dads? Five video games? Vegetables beginning with the letter "a"? Name 5 is the outrageous party game from Endless Games that asks the easy questions you know the answers to, but can you get them off the tip of your tongue? Sure you know a couple of Tom Hanks movies and a few Tina Turner songs, but can you name five?


text:
Bryn y Castell, Gobowen
Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (MotteRingwork)
Name Bryn y Castell, Gobowen
Civil Parish Selattyn And Gobowen
The motte castle adjacent to Preeshenelle United Reformed Church is a well-preserved example of this class of monument, despite the partial removal of the eastern edge of the motte in the 19th century. The mound will retain evidence of the buildings constructed upon its summit, which together with the associated artefacts and organic remains, will provide valuable evidence about the nature of the occupation and the life styles of those who inhabited the castle. Organic remains preserved within the buried ground surface under the motte and within the ditch will provide information about the local environment and use of the land prior to and following the construction of the motte. The importance of this motte castle is further enhanced by its close proximity to Wat's Dyke. In the medieval period this section of the Dyke may have been reused to serve as a defensive outwork to the castle. The organic and artefactual remains preserved within the ditch of the dyke will provide dating evidence relating to the construction of the dyke and the period of its use. The organic remains preserved within the ditch also have the potential to enhance and add to the information about the changes to the environment and land use in this area.
The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a motte castle, traditionally known as Bryn-y-Castell, meaning the castle on the hill, and an adjacent section of Wat's Dyke, which lie within two separate areas of protection. The motte occupies an elevated position at the northern end of a spur above the flood plain of the River Perry. From this location there are extensive views of the uplands to the west and the undulating lowlands to the east. The motte lies immediately to the west of Wat's Dyke, an earlier territorial boundary. The motte is oval in plan, measuring approximately 46m by 60m at its base and 36m by 44m across the top
In order to create a level building platform, in relation to the sloping ground on which its stands, the height of the motte increases from 0.7m on the western side to 1.7m on its southern side, where the natural slope appears to have been artificially enhanced. The deep cut into the eastern side of the spur for the construction of Preeshenlle United Reformed Church in the 19th century has partly removed the lower portion of the edge of the motte on this side. The church is not included in the scheduling. A ditch was constructed around the motte, except to the north east where the natural slope is steepest. The ditch, which is visible as a shallow depression about 6m wide to the west, has become infilled over the years, but will survive as a buried feature. Wat's Dyke is a major territorial boundary consisting of a bank about 7m wide, bounded by a deep ditch, also about 7m wide, on its western side. It mostly runs in a north to south/north easterly to south westerly direction, and generally defines the lower land to the east from the higher ground to the west. It has been traditionlly interpreted as an Anglo-Saxon frontier earthwork, marking the western extent of the Mercian kingdom in the 8th century AD. Scientific dating of a section of the Dyke, following an archaeological excavation to the south of Oswestry town centre, has indicated that the Dyke was probably constructed in the 5th century AD. The stretch of the Dyke to the south of the flood plain of the River Perry follows the lower ground immediately to the east of the spur on which the motte castle was built. A section of the Dyke ditch, 22m long, is visible as a broad, flat depression, about 7m wide, to the north east of the motte. The western side of the ditch is discernible as a scarp, which has cut into the natural slope. Surviving largely as a buried feature, this infilled part of the ditch is thought to be as much as 4m deep. There are no visible indications of the adjacent bank. This area has been landscaped over recent centuries, and as a consequence is not included in the scheduling. Other sections of Wat's Dyke to the north and south are the subject of separate schedulings. (Scheduling Report)
Possible ringwork castle sited in a prominent position on the end of a spur of land overlooking the R. Perry to the N, in which direction the ground falls away steeply as it does to the E. The site takes the form of an almost circular raised mound standing on the highest point of the natural spur. It measures c35m in diameter and stands up to 0.7m high. There is a slight but definite trace of a ditch on its W side. The site is best interpreted as a ringwork rather than a motte due to the lack of height of the mound, which does not appear to have been levelled......All trace of any ditch that may have run along the W side of the mound has been obliterated by the building of a C19 chapel..In doing so it has also destroyed the portion of Wats Dyke which previously ran N/S here....the exact relationship of (Bryn Y Castell) with the Dyke cannot now be determined due to the C19 chapel. ..Bryn Y Castell may have been the site of a lookout post/ fort placed forward of the Dyke but contemporary with it. There is a slight suggestion of a low bank around the W edge of the mound, and on the E side a small area of the mound appears to be very slightly raised, suggesting a possible building platform. There is no obvious trace of any bailey or attached additional enclosure. (Shropshire HER ref. Watson Michael D. 1983-Feb-04. Site Visit)
Centred at SJ 30393404, within Bryn-y-castell field is a level- topped, artificially - constructed, oval mound. It measures overall, 60.0m. north-south, by 46.0m. transversely, and in height, is from 2.0m. on the south, to 1.0m. on the north, and 0.4m. on the west. The ground falls away fairly steeply on the north to a stream 60.0m. away, and less steeply to the west and south. Although rather low, its general appearance and the field name suggest it is a castle mound. A line of steep slopes, 25.0m. from the mound on the north-west, may have given the impression of a bailey but they are quite natural.
The hollow at 'a' is now levelled-up and built over. (PastScape ref. F1 ASP 12-OCT-79)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MSA606&resourceID=1015
Longitude -3.03625011444092
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Duckers, Peter and Anne, 2006, Castles of Shropshire (Stroud: Tempus) p. 77
Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p. 9
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 432 (Whittington No. 2)
Catherall, W., 1855, History of Oswestry: comprising the British, Saxon, Norman and English Eras (Oswestry: George Lewis) p. 12 online copy
1979, Aerial Archaeology Vol. 4 p. 56, 63
Chitty, Lily, 1949, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society Vol. 53 p. 92-3
1930, Report of the Earthworks Committee Vol. 12 p. 12
English Heritage, 2001, Scheduling Papers (New Scheduling, 09/05/2001)
Charles Taylor's ecastles


text:
Arctic blasts expected to ease this winter
Andy Thompson
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Take heed Northeastern Wisconsin residents: A serious blast of arctic weather is arriving early next week.
Snow is expected to hit the region on Monday, and that will be followed by some frigid conditions. Highs by midweek will struggle to get out of the 20s — nearly 15 degrees below average — before temperatures rebound to more seasonable levels toward the weekend, forecasters say.
It will be a vivid and unpleasant reminder of the winter of 2013, when prolonged periods of bitter cold battered the region. It was one of the coldest winters on record in a number of communities, including Appleton and Green Bay.
But fear not, said Jeff Last, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Green Bay. Next week's plunge in temperatures won't be a precursor for a second straight miserably cold winter.
"At this point, we're not anticipating a deep freeze for such a long period — like we saw last year," he said. "The cold was the story last year, but we don't anticipate anything like that this winter. Our winter outlook is for temperatures to not be as cold as last year, but somewhat milder."
Last said he expects a more "progressive" weather pattern that doesn't include extended deep freeze outbreaks.
That would be a stark contrast from last year, when persistent frigid temperatures shut down schools, taxed furnaces, rendered cars inoperable, made outdoor activities unbearable and brought a general malaise to the community.
Capt. Todd Christie of the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department described last winter as the worst he has seen in causing problems on roadways.
"You can deal with the snowfall, because the majority of the public changes their driving behavior because the snow is so visible," Christie said. "But with the cold weather, the snow was so powdery that it blew around, and the road temperatures were so cold that when the highway department put down salt, it didn't work."
Christie said a number of crashes were caused by motorists who were unable to see patches of glare ice, and their cars spun out and went into ditches.
The subzero temperatures also made it difficult for patrol officers to respond quickly to calls for assistance on roadways, including crashes and stalled vehicles.
"The guys were burned out," said Christie, who has been with the sheriff's department for 19 years. "This was by far the worst winter as far as cold weather and trying to perform your duties. It was so cold, and we worried about getting to people on time so they didn't freeze."
Last year, the term "polar vortex" became wildly popular as people coped with the bone-chilling temperatures and lamented the seemingly endless string of horribly cold days.
But polar vortexes are nothing new, said Last.
"The polar vortex phenomenon occurs every winter," said Last. "When that phenomenon gets buckles on it, some of that air moves south into the Midwest.
"What was different last year was the persistence of the cold."
— Andy Thompson: 920-993-1000, ext. 257, or athompson@postcrescent.com; on Twitter @Thompson_AW
BITTERLY COLD WINTER 2013
• The average temperature in Appleton from December 2013 through February 2014 was 11.4 degrees, second only to the all-time record of 11.2 degrees during the winter of 1917-18.
• In a typical year, the average temperature in the Fox Valley during that three-month period is about 20 degrees.
• In Green Bay, the average temperature from December 2013 to February 2014 was 10.6 degrees. It ranked behind only 1903-04, when the average was 10 degrees.
Source: National Weather Service office, Green Bay


This is the room where the great architect Domenico Trezzini lived and created.
Appartamento Presidente — conjunct suites 21, 22, 23 – is a posh apartment with a balcony, total square of 270 m². Rich finery of the suite, decorations of fresh flowers and a touch of history.


Do you run on adrenaline? Are the words, intense, daring, scary and death-defying part of your everyday vocabulary? Then these top destinations are for you.
Zorbing is where you get inside a giant transparent ball and get tossed down a mountainside. Good luck to you, man! You'll get bounced and tossed like a salad in a spinner.
The Chilko River and specifically Lava Canyon, is the longest stretch o Class 5 whitewater rafting in North America. If you make it through that you continue onto the Chilko River's famous White Mile. If you don't, well…it was nice knowing you.
The Costa Rican jungle is among the most treacherous in the world. You'd better stay airborne, or, well, you know what happened to that kid's dad in the Jurassic Park movie.
First, you have to get dropped onto Mt. Everest, which in itself is a feat of daredevil magnitude. Then, you have to ski down in an oxygen deprived atmosphere. You said you wanted excitement, right?
You don't have to be a big game hunter to go on safari in Africa, but it helps to be sitting next to one in your open jeep when a lion charges. Or a rhino. Or an elephant. Either way, that big game hunter will come in handy.
Are you a sucker for seeing what's down a hole? Try your luck at the Great Blue Hole in Belize, judged to be the number one scuba diving destination in the world by famed explorer Jacques Cousteau. When you come up for air, let us know what you saw, will you?
Why fall out of the sky over grassy pastures when you can fall over sharp, rocky terrain? Skydiving over the Rockies isn't for amateurs. It's only for crazy people like you who aren't content to play it safe and sit at home with a cup of tea and watch reruns of Downton Abby.
Each year, the state of Florida allows anyone to go hunt pythons in the Everglades for fun and profit. Pythons are a predatory snake (yeah, we knew that), and this is a way to keep the population within reasonable control. Experts estimate there are up to 300,000 of the beasts in South Florida. Whee! Get your airboat and go!


This article focuses on geographic communities as fields in which human-made and natural events occasionally disrupt the lives of organizations. We develop an institutional perspective to unpack how and why major events within communities affect organizations in the context of corporate philanthropy. To test this framework, we examine how different types of mega-events (the Olympics, the Super Bowl, political conventions) and natural disasters (such as floods and hurricanes) affected the philanthropic spending of locally headquartered Fortune 1000 firms between 1980 and 2006. Results show that philanthropic spending fluctuated dramatically as mega-events generally led to a punctuated increase in otherwise relatively stable patterns of giving by local corporations. The impact of natural disasters depended on the severity of damage: while major disasters had a negative effect, smaller-scale disasters had a positive impact. Firms' philanthropic history and communities' intercorporate network cohesion moderated some of these effects. This study extends the institutional and community literatures by illuminating the geographic distribution of punctuating events as a central mechanism for community influences on organizations, shedding new light on the temporal dynamics of both endogenous and exogenous punctuating events and providing a more nuanced understanding of corporate-community relations.
In recent years, the United States has faced a growing number of severe natural disasters presenting a variety of challenges for the nation -- spanning the spectrum from federal to state to municipal and community levels -- and its disaster response, relief, and recovery architecture. On average, the United States experiences ten severe weather events per year exceeding one billion dollars in damage, compared to an annual average of only two such events throughout the 1980s. In addition, the costs of response, relief, and recovery efforts associated with these kinds of natural disasters have increased considerably over time. Recent reports indicate that from 2010 to today, the U.S. federal government has spent an average of approximately $85 billion per year in response to severe weather events. This figure is more than double average yearly spending on such events in 2000-2009. While there is significant debate about the reason for this increase, some experts have noted that an overall increase in the number of disasters, an increase in their severity, and an increase in the amount of vulnerable infrastructure may be factors. Given the growing cost of disaster response efforts, the United States should consider steps that would enhance the nation's disaster preparedness and resilience. By emphasizing planning, partnerships, and capabilities development that improve preparedness and resilience, the United States may be able to mitigate some ofthe effects and costs of natural disasters. Meaningful progress will require reform at several levels, including but not limited to changes to federal executive branch policy, additional action by the U.S. Congress, and closer partnerships and cooperation between the public and private sectors. The recommendations are the product of a dialogue hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Program and the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation, who are partners -- with support from Walmart -- in the CSISPennington Family Foundation Series on Community Resilience. Launched in September 2012, This series has proven to be a valuable forum for government officials, subject matter experts, academics, philanthropists, nongovernmental organizations, and business and community leaders to discuss strengthening the resilience of communities in disaster-prone areas. Each of these groups offers a unique perspective -- whether from a philanthropic, business, or policy point of view -- and unique capabilities. Reflecting thoughts, findings, and viewpoints gleaned from CSIS-Pennington Family Foundation Series events and discussions, these recommendations provide guidance for those officials who want to make meaningful forward progress to bolster U.S. planning, partnerships, and capabilities to address the real, localized, and oftentimes devastating effects of natural disasters.
Outlines the challenges of and recommendations for creating an effective interface between humanitarian groups and volunteer and technical communities aggregating, visualizing, and analyzing data on and from affected communities to support relief efforts.
Between 1914 and the 1950s, U.S. food nourished many European civilians during war and its aftermath. Upon the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, millions of Americans in a neutral nation mobilized to relieve the suffering of civilians in Europe through substantial contributions of money, food, and clothing, thus beginning a long relationship between Americans and Europeans. Non-profit organizations and U.S. government loans fed much of the population of Belgium and Northern France in 1914, using tens of thousands of volunteers and hundreds of millions of dollars under the Commission for Relief in Belgium (CRB), until the U.S. entry into the war in 1917.
In response to concerted advocacy by Save the Children and many child advocacy groups, President George W. Bush and Congress created the National Commission on Children and Disasters to assess the gaps in federal planning that put children at risk, and to formulate recommendations that could guide a national movement to close those gaps and help states better protect our children. The commission's comprehensive assessment found that "children were more often an afterthought than a priority" across 11 functional areas of U.S. disaster planning. In 2010, the commission issued its final report, with 81 recommendations and sub-recommendations aimed at ensuring children's unique needs are accounted for in U.S. disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Now, 10 years after Hurricane Katrina, Save the Children has commissioned research to determine progress made on these recommendations. While the federal government has made progress in addressing the commission's recommendations, our research indicates that nearly four in five of the recommendations have not been fully met.
Climate change threatens to force population displacement on a scale never seen before. Unfortunately, many governments, international organizations, and institutions are currently ill-prepared and unequipped to respond to this challenge. To buffer the United States from these potentially seismic shifts, it is advisable that the plight of environmental migrants receive serious consideration and advanced planning.
On 12 May 2008, the worst earthquake to hit China in 50 years destroyed lives and livelihoods in western China. Centered on Wenchuan in Sichuan Province, it also seriously affected people in the neighboring provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi. Oxfam Hong Kong responded with relief work in the first few months following the disaster, bringing relief supplies to 125 impoverished communities and getting children back into safe, temporary schools. As of 31 March 2009, we have worked alongside 20 organizations in 3 provinces, supporting about 700,000 people as they rebuild their communities; allocation for these 37 relief and reconstruction projects total over HK$33 million (USD$ 4.3 million). One year on from that terrible morning, the relief phase is over. Continued support is needed for some years to come, as millions of people have not yet returned to a 'normal' life, with permanent accommodation, an income, and a sense that they can plan for their future. This report provides an overview of this first year of work and our achievements to date. It is part of Oxfam's commitment to transparency and accountability both for our beneficiaries, as well as for our donors and the public.
Following a string of high heat days and meteorologists' warnings that this summer could be another scorcher, European public health officials and politicians are revisiting the devastating heat wave of 2003. The severely hot weather that withered crops, dried up rivers, and fueled fires that summer took a massive human toll. The full magnitude of this quiet catastrophe still remains largely an untold story, as data revealing the continent-wide scale have only slowly become available in the years since. All in all, more than 52,000 Europeans died from heat in the summer of 2003, making the heat wave one of the deadliest climate-related disasters in Western history. Temperature records were broken in a number of countries in 2003 as Europe experienced its hottest weather in at least 500 years. The unusually warm weather began in June and culminated in an unrelenting heat wave during the first two weeks of August. With both daytime and nighttime temperatures remaining high, large numbers of vulnerable people, particularly the elderly, succumbed to the baking heat. Hospitals were faced with unusually large burdens, and undertakers and funeral homes were overwhelmed. In France, doctors' warnings of a heat epidemic were largely quashed with the Ministry of Health's refusal to acknowledge the massive problem, reminiscent of the early political denial of the 1995 Chicago heat wave that killed more than 700 people in a matter of days. But as the bodies piled up, requiring makeshift morgues, "ignore and neglect" was no longer a viable option.
Damage from hurricanes is soaring off the charts, bankrupting insurance companies and depriving property owners of insurance in high-risk areas. During the 1960s, worldwide damage from windstorms with economic losses of $1 billion or more totaled just $4 billion. In the 1970s the figure rose to $7 billion, and in the 1980s it topped $24 billion. Next came the 1990s, when hurricane losses soared to $113 billion. Then during the six years from 2000 to 2005, hurricanes left a staggering bill of $273 billion. (See data at http://www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2006/Update58_data.htm) Two trends are largely responsible for the growing costs of windstorm disasters. One, rapid coastal development is bringing more people and more expensive infrastructure into vulnerable areas. And two, hurricanes (called typhoons in the western Pacific) are growing stronger and lasting longer, fueled by higher sea surface temperatures. They are also widening their geographic range, invading areas previously considered safe from the wrath of windstorms. Last year was the worst ever for storm-stricken areas and the companies that insure them. Losses from the eight major storms of 2005 exceeded $170 billion, half of which was insured. Three of the storms were in the Pacific, but the Atlantic storms racked up 98 percent of the economic costs. The unusually long North Atlantic hurricane season that extended from June into the New Year brought a record 28 named storms, taking us through the alphabet and into Greek letters. This is nearly three times the average annual number of storms over the past century. Fueled by high surface water temperatures, four hurricanes -- Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma -- reached maximum strength, the highest number of Category 5 storms ever in a single season. Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast of the United States in late August 2005, was the most financially devastating storm on record, with damages from winds and the record storm surge exceeding $125 billion. Although Katrina reached top wind speeds of 175 miles (282 kilometers) per hour, it had weakened to Category 3 by the time it hit the U.S. Gulf Coast. Powerful Rita's arrival a few weeks later marked the first time two Category 5 storms developed in the Gulf of Mexico in one season. Then came Wilma, which devastated parts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and went down in history as the most intense Atlantic storm ever. Storms in 2005 were not only strong, they were more widespread. Hurricane Vince, which struck Spain in October, traveled farther north and east than any Atlantic tropical cyclone. A month later, Tropical Storm Delta also moved into uncharted territory for Atlantic hurricanes, crossing the Canary Islands. Stronger storms in unexpected places, like these and Brazil's 2004 Hurricane Catarina, the first hurricane recorded in the South Atlantic, are prompting insurance companies to rewrite their catastrophe models.


text:
Anime Wisdom
Nabari no Ou (2008)
By ware4me2008.05.02July 7th, 20153 Comments
Miharu Rokujo is a boy who has a hijutsu, or hidden technique, living inside of him. This hijutsu is the power of creation. Many ninja clans are seeking it as the one who possesses it becomes the ruler of the ninja world, or Nabari.
Miharu is a loner who is indifferent to most of the world around him. However, the World of Ninjas isn't indifferent to Miharu because Miharu contains a secret ninja power inside of him. Since many if not most of the people around Miharu are secret ninjas, Miharu finds himself surrounded by people who either want Miharu to lead them, or want to take the secret power away from Miharu.
Miharu really doesn't want to get involved with anyone, let along ninjas. So he often just "vanishes" while people are talking to him. Whenever Miharu's teacher Durandal tries to warn or protect Miharu, Miharu makes it seem that Durandal is making strange suggestions to him.
Miharu's classmate, Kouichi Aizawa, started a Nindou Club at school with Kumohira, his English teacher. Both Kouichi and Kumohira are secretly ninjas. They try to persuade Miharu to join the Club, and though he was reluctant at first, he joins after being attacked by a group of ninjas trying to get his hijutsu. Now, he must become the "Nabari no Ou" in order to survive.
Miharu Rokujo is a 14-year-old middle school student. He holds Nabari's hijutsu, the Shinrabanshou, in his body. He pretends to act indifferent to those around him in order to protect them from getting hurt, though he is not averse to acting in a rather innocent and cute way in order to get what he wants. He remembers little of his childhood, and had lost his parents at a young age, thus he now lives with his grandmother.
Thobari Kumohira Durandal is Rokujo's and Kouichi's 25-year-old teacher in the "front world". Born in Ireland, Kumohira is actually a ninja, and temporary leader, of the Banten village in the world of Nabari. He is entirely devoted to protecting Rokujo, and wants him to become the ruler of Nabari. He has an intense hatred of transport, such as trains and buses, and would not get on one until Rokujo manages to "persuade" him. He went to Japan because his grandfather was a ninja fanatic, who forced him to go to learn to become a ninja, and was unable to return home (perhaps in part by his phobia of vehicles) for 10 years.
Kouichi Aizawa is Rokujo's 14-year-old classmate. He studies nindou under Kumohira. Though he normally has an energetic attitude when around others, he is serious and relentless when it comes to his ninja duties. For example, on one mission in Vol. 4, Kouichi shoots and kills a man, then hypnotizes another man into taking the blame for the crime.
Kotarou Fuuma is the leader of Fuuma village, who has written almost all the texts regarding ninjutsu and the Shinrabanshou. He knows all about the world of Nabari and ninja techniques. He loves women, as most of the residents of his village are female, and he claims that if he had the power of the Shinrabanshou, he would turn the Fuuma village into a paradise where all the women of the world are in love with him.
Raimei Shimizu is a 14-year-old guard in the world of Nabari, and the head of the Shimizu clan. She is also a Fuuma-nin who prefers fighting with a sword over using ninjutsu, claiming to be a samurai. She also has the tendency to mistake one person for another when excited. Five years ago, her older brother, Raikou, annihilated their clan, and she has sworn to kill him in revenge. More at: Wiki
Nabari no Ou (隠の王) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by manga author Yuhki Kamatani. The manga started serialization in the Japanese shounen manga magazine Monthly GFantasy in 2004. As of March 27, 2008, Square Enix has so far published eight tankoubon.
An anime adaptation directed by Kunihisa Sugishima, and animated by J.C.Staff, began airing on Japan's terrestrial television network TV Tokyo on April 6, 2008.
Title: Nabari no Ou (2008)
Kanji: 隠の王 (2007)
Web: http://www.nabari.tv/
Opening Theme: "Crawl" by VELTPUNCH
Ending Theme: "Hikari" by ELISA
Nabari no Ou OP ~ "Kiss
Nabari no Ou ED ~ "Scarecrow
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Mienubile says:
2008.05.03 at 14:54
I like this much better than Naruto – less emo and more jokes. Fufu~
ware4me says:
Well… they seem to be different kind of ninjas, might be interesting. :3:
LittleVexy says:
Looks like one of those boy x boy anime… shonen-ai…
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It is difficult to know a society if we do not discover its cuisine, a fundamental part of its culture. To be carried away by the gastronomic adventure, to make the tour of the restaurants can lead to a challenge as delicious as gratifying.
The gastronomic offer of Sant Martí d'Empúries and L'Escala is ample and varied: fish, seafood but also the products of our land, are the bases of the traditional Mediterranean cooking with a touch of avant garde and author's cooking.
Our recommendations: the "Suquet" of fish, the "rice casserole" sea and mountain, sea urchins, sardines with grill or delicious anchovies of L'Escala.
More information on the restaurants of Sant Martí d'Empúries, see this link: where do we eat today?


Yer swashbuckler cuts a dashing figure in this pullover shirt, tunic, striped pants, and faux leather belt. He's also wearin' a blood-red panne sash, faux leather hat with gold trim and ties, eye-patch, gold hoop earring, and bootcovers. About the only thing missing is a treasure map. Polyester, cotton, polyurethane. Pirate scoundrel costume for boys is imported.
"Adorable costume! - Purchased this costume for my son to wear for Halloween...he loved it! - I recommend this product."
"Cute costume, not well made - This is the third year in a row I have purchased a costume for my son and the quality of this one was disappointing. Everything seemed to fall apart even before he wore it. The hat had a hole in it that had to be safety pinned. The opening of the shi - I would not recommend this product."
"Great Pirate Costume - I bought this costume for my three year old grandson who is into pirates right now and I loved it, as did my grandson son. It is a good quality and well constructed costume. I am extremely happy with my purchase.Chasing Fireflies has never disappointed me - I recommend this product."
"Great for Disney World. - I bought this for my grandson. He is 4. He loves pirates like his dad. He put it on right away. He loved it. It came with a lot of pieces. And it was fairly priced. Thanks. - I recommend this product."
"Pirate costume and customer service - Did not come as shown in picture. Grandchild very upset because we had to send back! - I would not recommend this product."


text:
NYMag.com Intelligencer Vulture The Cut Science of Us Grub Street The Strategist
By Heather Havrilesky Follow @hhavrilesky Photographs by Norman Jean Roy
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cut cover story August 7, 2016 9:00 p.m.
Winona Ryder Forever: How the Gen-X Icon Kept Her Cool
By Heather Havrilesky Follow @hhavrilesky
"I'm so sick of people shaming women for being sensitive or vulnerable. It's so bizarre to me."
Photo: Norman Jean Roy
"I'm so sick of people shaming women for being sensitive or vulnerable. It's so bizarre to me." Winona Ryder is talking about the press and its tendency to pathologize female emotions, but she could also be talking about her lead role in Netflix's Stranger Things playing a frantic mother whose child has mysteriously disappeared. The supernatural, Spielbergian '80s-era drama, created by newcomers Matt and Ross Duffer, has attracted an enthusiastic and vocal viewership, but Ryder seems almost confused by some of the questions she's been asked while promoting the show. "They use the word passion. 'Did you feel passionate about it? Is it a passion project?' "
This isn't the only time I'll be treated to her strangely charming "I just got here from another planet" tone. Ryder seems more comfortable with discussions that exist one meta-level up, analyzing the perplexing ways of the press — even as we sit for two hours talking at the white-hot center of celebrity-interview clichés, the lounge of the Chateau Marmont, where several different waiters hover over our table, more attentive and slow to exit than nurses in a nicu ward.
"I'm getting asked a lot, 'You don't have kids, so how do you know how to act like a mother?' I know nothing could compare, and I haven't had that experience, but when my niece was born, I felt like I would jump in front of a car and die for this little person I didn't even know yet." Ryder pauses, then returns to talking about her character, Joyce Byers, a store clerk with a deadbeat ex who's unraveling from frustration and grief. "I actually felt tremendous compassion for her. I feel like she was one of these people that had dreams [for her life]. But she had kids. And it made me think of all the women that I know who have kids, who when they talk about [anything negative about their lives as mothers], they always say, 'But I love my kids, I wouldn't trade them for the world.' Like they feel guilty for even hinting that they'd want something outside of kids! It's a weird thing."
Photograph by Norman Jean Roy
Ryder is dressed exactly the way I remember lots of brainy-but-cool girls dressing in the late '80s (possibly in an effort to look just like Winona Ryder): white T-shirt with an abstract design on it, red cardigan, tangled jeweled necklaces, old jeans, maroon men's shoes. This is the Gen-X-star-who-hangs-with-indie-film-and-rock-gods uniform, but somehow, on Ryder, it doesn't look dated. At 44, she can say "weird" and "like" and stare into the middle distance with those big brown eyes straight out of a Keane painting and sound just like an appealing hybrid of enthusiastic teenager and world-weary adult.
But then Ryder's odd blend of innocence and sarcasm has always been central to her appeal among Gen-Xers. She was America's original Manic Pixie Dream Girl, one far more brooding than the smoother, more cheerful Natalie Portman version of Zach Braff's fever dreams. From her first appearance at age 14 as a tomboy in the film Lucas to her unforgettable eye roll in Heathers, Ryder seemed to give shape to all the strengths and flaws of an entire generation. She was hip and alternative well before those words became just another way to sell cola and all-wheel-drive hatchbacks, which was also well before most high-school kids understood that they had fashion choices beyond bright-colored clothing and hair permed to look like Jennifer Grey's in Dirty Dancing. While most of our so-called style icons were parading around in sequined blouses and tying scrunchies into their Sun-In-ravaged hair, Ryder dyed her hair dark brown and wore red lipstick and men's suit jackets. She name-dropped authors and favored vintage gowns and dated Johnny Depp, for Chrissake, who'd just been crowned the boy king of the realm. But she also had a self-conscious, almost apologetic way of holding herself, like she wasn't entirely comfortable in her own skin.
In rewatching Ryder's most notable films from the late '80s and early '90s, her self-aware, jittery demeanor reveals itself as a big part of what made her so transfixing. Young Gen-Xers were nothing if not overly self-conscious and awkward, and Ryder personified that romantic unease. In her most memorable roles — in Beetlejuice, Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, Reality Bites — her characters are contradictions, open but self-protective, emotional but cynical, naïve but edging toward ennui. In Reality Bites in particular, a film awash in Gen-X clichés (some accurate, some cartoonish), Ryder toggles between knowing sophistication and childlike goofiness. One minute she's rolling her eyes, the next she's aw-shucks-ing along to Ethan Hawke's scatted monologues about the virtues of slacker idealism.
In one memorable scene, Ryder's character asks Hawke's for a definition of irony, and he replies, "It's when the actual meaning is the complete opposite from the literal meaning." It makes perfect sense that irony would be the reigning principle of Ryder's rise to fame. Born in Minnesota and raised in part on a commune in California, she developed an interest in acting after watching old films her mother would play in the family's barn, a quirky pursuit that landed her at the center of the most scrutinized, unique-snowflake-melting industry on the planet. Her parents moved to Petaluma, California, when she was 11, and even while they supported her desire to become an actress, they did their best to shield her from Hollywood's influence ("They had the whole Judy Garland thing stuck in their minds," she says). But she still had to contend with what she calls Petaluma's "hicks who were also stoners," who didn't think she was all that. "I did Beetlejuice, and it was a big movie, but it didn't help my high-school experience. In fact it made it worse. I was a freak and a witch."
But what about Heathers? Ryder was 17 when that movie came out. "Even Heathers, which was, like, not a hit at all — I mean over the years it became one, but no. That was the first time I was even described in the script as attractive in any way — "
Sweater and skirt by Valentino, at 693 Fifth Ave.; 212-355-5811. Sneakers by Roger Vivier, 750 Madison Ave.; 212-861-5371.
"You are very attractive," our waiter interrupts. (Side note: How do you get a job at the Chateau Marmont if you're this guy?) Ryder quickly blurts out a surprised "Thank you!" and keeps talking.
The most obvious way that a lifetime of scrutiny reveals itself in Ryder: She doesn't finish many of her sentences. This trait has been cast as "spacey," but it appears to me that Ryder has a very expansive way of thinking where several paths open up at once and she can't decide which one to take. She learned long ago that there were a million things she shouldn't say — and relearned this more recently when she was promoting the indie film Experimenter last year: "I talked about all this stuff, Stanley Milgram and 'the banality of evil,' and they didn't print a word of it. It was all just 'Rise to fame! Fall! Scandal! Johnny Depp!' " It's not surprising, then, that Ryder might decide against saying most of the things she thinks to say. But as a result, talking to her can feel like watching someone try to drive when every single road has been closed. What's fascinating is not that she stops in the middle of the road but that she keeps trying to get somewhere at all. Somehow she never comes across as closed or unfriendly or robotic in the slightest.
"I wish I could unknow this, but there is a perception of me that I'm supersensitive and fragile. And I am supersensitive, and I don't think that that's a bad thing. To do what I do, I have to remain open." She says that sensitive is so often used as a bad word — a euphemism for weak or crazy. "There's a line in the show where someone says [of her Stranger Things character], 'She's had anxiety problems in the past.' A lot of people have picked up on that, like, 'Oh, you know, she's crazy.' And I'm like, 'Okay, wait a second, she's struggling.' Two kids, deadbeat dad, working her ass off. Who wouldn't be anxious?
"Even that word, anxious. It's a bad word. And so like all of these words — it's kind of what I tried to do with Girl, Interrupted, and why I was so invested in that book and trying to get it made [as a movie]. My whole point was, this happens to every girl, almost." Yet in trying to remove the stigma our culture places on common emotional challenges by talking about them, Ryder only stigmatized herself more. "I remember I did Diane Sawyer, and I talked about my experiences with anxiety and depression when I was that age. And I think by doing that, maybe coupled with my physical size, there's this 'crazy' thing. And I've realized recently it's literally impossible to try to change that story."
Sweatshirt by Marc Jacobs, at 113 Prince St.; 212-343-1490.
What's remarkable about that Diane Sawyer interview, which took place in 1999, is how completely ordinary the feelings of depression and loneliness Ryder describes are. It's a sign of how dramatically our cultural discussion about emotional experiences has shifted that such mundane revelations could ever be treated as shocking. Toward the end of the interview, Ryder tells Sawyer she feels ashamed that she could've ever felt depressed, given all of her advantages. "One of my worst fears is being a self-indulgent person," she explains, addressing the widely held misconception that somehow money and fame equal happiness. But even these days, when women who talk openly about their struggles still work very hard to project that flavor of sunny, upbeat optimism our culture prefers, Ryder offers us a helpful reminder that feeling conflicted, confused, or just ambivalent is a feature of being alive and not a bug. Emotional intensity, contradiction — these aren't signs of instability or immaturity; they're the sophisticated processing of an intelligent, mature adult. In this way, Ryder may just present a powerful talisman of complexity to a culture that embraces knee-jerk optimism, an inadequate guard against darkness or self-doubt.
"I've always been super-private and protective of certain experiences and certain friends," she says. "I don't regret opening up about what I went through [with depression], because, it sounds really cliché, but I have had women come up to me and say, 'It meant so much to me.' It means so much when you realize that someone was having a really hard time and feeling shame and was trying to hide this whole thing … And even the whole, like, sensitive, fragile thing. I do have those qualities, and I just don't think there's anything wrong with them. There were times when I let it feel too overwhelming and almost, like, shamed, but I had to just get over that."
She says that taking a break from Hollywood helped. "I did get a chance to explore during my 'hiatus.' I was really lucky, because when all you've done is this one thing, you become sort of insecure because this town can be isolating and you don't feel like you're capable of doing other things." She says she got "really into constitutional law for a while and really into linguistics and etymology for a while." Even when she wasn't on the public's radar, anonymity was never easy. In the old days, she says, you could ride the subway and maybe occasionally someone happened to have a camera with them. These days, people are shooting footage of you everywhere you go, and if they ask and you say no … "I've been called a cunt to my face by someone who was just saying they were a fan. I was with my parents having dinner. It was actually kind of upsetting, because it upset my parents, and then I got upset. You know that scene in The King of Comedy where Jerry Lewis is at a pay phone? 'Will you sign the thing, will you sign the thing?' 'I hope you get cancer!'
"I'm not on social media. I don't actually know how to use it. And I hear that awful people could then — I say that, and it makes me sound too sensitive." That's when I remember that Ryder hit her peak of popularity at a time when people couldn't come at you on the internet. "I guess you wouldn't even know how it feels to confront a whole mob of haters," I told her. "I mean, unless you had a stalker." Now I'm the one trailing off. Of course Winona Ryder, of all people, had more than one stalker. But she takes it in stride. "Yeah. I did. I had a few. One was really nice. He kept showing up as an extra on movies, and you don't know. You have to be careful. So I told the director, because he was kinda creepy. And I got this letter in my trailer the next day that was like, 'I was just trying to get work as an extra! Just so you know, I'm not even obsessed with you anymore, I'm obsessed with Alyssa Milano now!' So he kind of left me for Alyssa Milano."
T-shirt by theory, at theory.com
Somehow Ryder has maintained a sense of humor about herself. But between the steady flow of references (Philip Roth, Veep, Marsha Mason movies, Bastard Out of Carolina, Oliver Wendell Holmes) and the wide-eyed mannerisms, she seems like someone who spends a lot of time in her own head. "I have that weird archivist gene–slash–hoarder gene where I keep everything, like every journal. And I think, Do I even want this to exist? But it is sort of interesting to go back and read them. And then all my books …" That sounds a little solitary, I tell her. "Yeah. It's a struggle because it can get — I can overdo it. Between books and then great shows and nowadays you can watch films instantly — I just discovered that same-day-release thing. But I've always been that way. Both of my parents are kind of like that, I don't know. I've always been very nocturnal."
So this is how we might picture Winona Ryder, after all these years: the former cool girl in repose, grown into a comfortably complicated adult, not in search of a comeback so much as another great book to read. That doesn't mean her life is simple or easy, of course. "It's almost like that Twilight Zone episode where that guy says, 'I just want to be left alone so I can read my books,' " she says with a smile. "And then he ends up being sent to a planet where it's just him and his books, and he's so happy, and then his glasses fall off and they break."
Styling By Victoria Bartlett at Management Artists Organization; Makeup by Gianpaolo Ceciliato for Marc Jacobs Beauty at Bergdorf Goodman; Hair by Holly Mills for Tim Howard Management; nails by Casey Herman for Dior Vernis at The Wall Group.
*This article appears in the August 8, 2016 issue of New York Magazine.
Winona Ryder and the Power of Meta-Casting
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Winners of GEO Appathon 2014 Announced: GEO-Apps Unleash the Power of Earth Observations – DigBazar
CoP 20 Climate Change Summit: Challenges towards leadership for Bangladesh
Winners of GEO Appathon 2014 Announced: GEO-Apps Unleash the Power of Earth Observations
Survey on climate mobilisation 2015-16
November 19, 2014 Daisy Hamilton
The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) announced the winners of GEO Appathon 2014 at the GEO Eleventh Plenary Session held in Geneva last week. The winning GEO-Apps ranged from a location, soil and climate-specific guide for farmers and gardeners to identify the best crops to grow, to a real time flood and landslide warning system for El Salvador.
The GEO-Apps were developed during a six month competition that attracted almost 250 individuals from close to 50 countries. The GEO Appathon 2014 was designed as a novel way to unleash the power of Earth observation data through the development of easy to use "apps" based on the 80 million-plus resources available through GEO's signature Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) data platform.
Apps were evaluated on multiple criteria, including ease of use, number of GEOSS data resources used, and applicability to the developing world, among others.
"The GEO Appathon 2014 was a tremendous success in raising awareness about GEO and Earth observation data world-wide," stated Barbara J. Ryan, GEO Director, "and it has led to the development of applications using Earth observation data that could have significant impacts across the globe." The USD 20,000 awarded to the winners was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (US AID).
All of the winning GEO-Apps are based on the Android platform, and several are already available on the Google Play Store and Apple Store. More details about the competition and the winning GEO-Apps is available at www.geoappathon.org The GEO-App winners include: 
1st Prize: Growers Nation App – provides useful information on the plants that can be best grown according to the specific soil and climate data at a precise location.
The App is aimed primarily for smallholder farmers in developing countries and will allow them to view a wealth of information allowing a crop diversity plan to be placed into action. Furthermore, a simple social networking system can allow users to discuss specific plant types and any issues. Developers: Lead by Tobias Sturn in association with International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), University of Maryland (UMD), UK Met Office
2nd Prize: Weather Hazard — serves to inform the public about weather and associated hazard conditions in El Salvador, in particular, landslides and flood conditions triggered during the rainy season. Developer: David Eliseo Martínez Castellanos based in El Salvador  3rd Prize: Geofairy — provides localized information on weather, vegetation, elevation, soil moisture, land cover, atmosphere and precipitation, information that is often difficult to acquire in developing countries.
Geofairy could guide people in developing countries to make plans and take actions to prevent environmental degradation. Developer: Piping Di from the CSISS Center at George Mason University  Additional prizes were awarded to: o LiquidEarth-River – a GEO- App using satellite radar altimeter data to forecast flood conditions downstream. o Appathon@K-Bon – a GEO- App and website for collecting the global distribution information of plants and animals with a "remote" species identification process.
The GEO Appathon 2014 began with a kick-off event in May 2014 at the Geospatial World Forum held in Geneva, which included inspiring presentations from the National Research Council of Italy, Open Geospatial Consortium, Qingtech and GIS Cloud. Additional support for the competition was provided by USAID, Geospatial Media, Esri and Microsoft.
TheGroup on Earth Observations is a voluntary partnership of governments and organizations that envisions "a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations and information." GEO Members include 94 nations and the European Commission, and 89 Participating Organizations comprised of international bodies with a mandate in Earth observations. GEO's agenda spans nine Societal Benefit Areas, including agriculture, biodiversity, climate, disasters, ecosystems, energy, health, water and weather. www.earthobservations.org


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India imposes polio restriction for Pakistani travellers
PHOTO: India imposes polio restriction for Pakistani travellers
ISLAMABAD - Pakistanis travelling to India will require mandatory polio vaccination, the Indian embassy said, tightening cross-border travel rules with a new policy which also affects other nations impacted by the crippling disease.
Pakistan, one of only three countries where polio remains endemic, has struggled to combat the disease after the Pakistani Taliban banned polio immunisation following a fake CIA vaccination programme meant to help track Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.
The ban last year has led to a surge in polio cases in Pakistan that threatens worldwide efforts to eradicate the infectious disease, which is also endemic in Nigeria and Afghanistan.
"All persons - adults and children - traveling to India from Pakistan after January 30, 2014 are required to obtain Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV) at least six week prior to their departure to India," the Indian high commission (embassy) in Islamabad said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The step is being taken to safeguard India's polio-free status attained after sustained efforts and investment," it said, adding that "evidence of polio vaccination will be requested for entry into India".
The statement said the new policy is applicable to travelers not just from Pakistan but all countries where polio is endemic or where cases of the disease are reported.
The new measure will potentially make cross-border travel harder for Pakistanis - hundreds of thousands of whom have families in India separated in the 1947 partition.
Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan agreed last year to ease visa restrictions, reflecting demands in both nations for closer people-to-people ties.
"The new requirement by India will certainly add to hassles as all those travelling to India will now have to obtain and append OPV records with their visa applications," said Islamabad-based travel agent Hassan Rizvi.
"But I don't think this new requirement will discourage people from travelling to India... to see their relatives or for family reunions," he added.
Opposition from militant groups has hampered efforts to immunise children in Pakistan, with vaccination teams murdered in some cases.
Officials blame the violence and suspicions about the vaccine for a surge in cases. According to the World Health Organisation, Pakistan recorded 72 cases of polio this year compared to 58 in 2012.
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Home Top News Review: New story collection by Danish writer Dorthe Nors
Review: New story collection by Danish writer Dorthe Nors
"Wild Swims," by Dorthe Nors (Graywolf Press)
"Hygge" is the Danish word for a sense of coziness and comfort that is supposedly characteristic of that Scandinavian country. In her latest collection of short stories, "Wild Swims," the Danish writer Dorthe Nors puts to rest any notion that her compatriots are happier or more content than the rest of us.
Indeed, the story titled "Hygge" starts out in a cozy sort of way with a woman making coffee and "one of those chocolate cakes that are soft in the middle." But it quickly turns dark when the sneering, arrogant narrator fumes to himself about his decision to join the senior club where he met her because "as a bachelor I had to place my body at the disposal of all the cast-off women and their expectations."
Like the narrator, the men in these stories tend to be aggrieved, misogynistic and in one or two cases, just this side of perverted. The women are often nursing a broken heart. Other characters are dying, demented, alcoholic or depressed. In short, the whole sorry human spectacle of us.
Yet the 14 stories in the book are mesmerizing, addictive. Each one is just a few pages, written in an oblique, poetic style that arrives at its conclusion through indirection.
Nors, who became better known to American readers when her novel "Mirror, Shoulder, Signal" was shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker International Prize, has an uncanny ability to capture the way the human mind works, with disparate memories and ideas running simultaneously along different tracks. She even has a signature grammatical style for it: two wildly different clauses linked together with an ordinary "and."
So, for instance, in the story "Compaction Birds," a man looks at the yellow flowers on a woman's dress, which remind him of a creeping shrub that his late wife loved. "It blossoms abundantly in the groundcover, and there was something about her face, especially her mouth."
Characters are haunted and consoled by nature. The narrator of "Between Offices" lies down on a hotel bed and feels as though he's being swallowed up by the earth — but he likes it. In "Manitoba" the main character lives in a village but wants to escape to an even more remote hunting cabin because "you can always withdraw a little bit further" — a line that becomes the epigraph of the book.
Nors, who spent years in Copenhagen and New York, now lives in a remote part of Denmark's Jutland peninsula. "I need the landscape, the horizon, the absolute solitude," she told an interviewer recently. All those things figure prominently in these captivating stories.
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Remember the 1999 movie, The Bone Collector? You probably do! And now NBC has reported that they are making it to a TV Series. It obviously won't feature Angelina but still an interesting project. Read Variety's article below.
A script for a "The Bone Collector" TV series, based on the book and 1999 movie starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, has been sold to NBC, it was announced on Friday.
"The Bone Collector" follows Lincoln Rhyme, a retired genius forensic criminologist left paralyzed after an accident on the job. When a harrowing case brings him back to the force, Rhyme partners up with an ambitious young detective, Amelia Sachs, to take down some of the most dangerous criminals in the U.S.
VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli will serve as writers and executive producers. Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott, and Rachel Kaplan will also executive produce. Studios are Universal Television and Sony Pictures Television, in association with Keshet Studios.
The first "Bone Collector" book, written by Jeffery Deaver, was released in 1997. After the first novel's success, Deaver wrote 10 more books following the investigations of Rhyme, with the most recent, "The Skin Collector," having debuted in 2014.
The 1999 film grossed $151 million worldwide, with $66 million coming from domestic audiences. It introduced Rhyme (Washington) and Sachs (Jolie) as they tracked down the case described in the same book, following a madman who's terrorizing New York City.
WME brokered the deal for the "Bone Collector" script.