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Trainwreck Cinema
Horror Hotties
Reviews: Ash vs. Evil Dead - "Trapped Inside", "Delusion", "Ashy Slashy" & "Home Again"
By: Heather Seebach
**Warning: The following contains spoilers**
Review: "Trapped Inside"
As you may have noticed, I fell a bit behind in my Ash vs. Evil Dead reviews, thanks to a very busy November, and boy did I pick a shitty time to take a hiatus! These last four episodes have been freaking great! After my last review ("Confinement") came "Trapped Inside" wherein Ash & co are under siege by an angry mob and Cheryl (played by Ellen Sandweiss herself) makes an epic return! Right down to the wardrobe and forehead bandage, she was perfect! The final sequence of Ash showing the townsfolk how demon-killing is done with her was pretty great, too. Sadly, we lost Chet this episode, but fortunately it wouldn't be the last time we see Ted...more on that later!
Best Lines of "Trapped Inside"
1) "You died after you got branch-banged by a demon tree about 30 years ago." - Ash
2) "Back off now or I will fuck your faces with bullets!" - Kelly
3) "I'm gonna make like a tree and fuck you!"- Cheryl
Review: "Delusion"
Next up came "Delusion" wherein Ash wakes up in a mental institution. This episode quickly jumped up to my favorite of the season, possibly even the whole series to-date. Firstly, Baal is way more interesting as the doctor than that greasy-haired, fingernail dude. Secondly, it's a mind-bendy episode with just enough wackiness (i.e., the puppet) to fit comfortably in Evil Dead canon. There are definitely some moments in the asylum that recall Ash losing his mind in Evil Dead 2.
Sure, we know full-well that Ash's experiences couldn't have all been a delusion (or at least we know what a cop-out that twist would be) but it's still a pretty interesting concept, and it would be typical of a murderer to create such a delusion to cope with the guilt and grief. Plus, the mental torment makes Baal that much more interesting of a nemesis. Finally, how freaking awesome is that puppet?!
Best Lines of "Delusion"
1) "You can suck my saggy bills, Baal." - Ash
2) "Ruby said this would be hard. Buddy, I've had harder turds. You are a joke of a demon!" - Ash
3) "Wait, there was that one time sunlight DID work..." - Ash (on deadites vs. vampires)
Review: "Ashy Slashy"
"Ashy Slashy" was the next episode. It is the weakest of the most recent episodes but not by much. It's basically part two of "Delusion", as Kelly, Pablo, and Ruby try to rescue Ash, who may or may not be brainwashed now. The MVP for me this episode is deadite Lacy. This season does not have as many classic deadites as season 1, so I love when they come along, especially ones enjoying themselves as much as the sheriff's dead daughter. Also, Kelly vs. the puppet is a classic Evil Dead 2-esque slapstick battle. It is also nice to see Ash as the enemy once again, even if it's just an act. Bonus: cosplayers now have a new version of Ash to dress up as!
If I could change one small detail about this episode, it would be to have Linda be the one who shoots Baal in the final scene (after her rousing speech about avenging her family) - it's just more poetic. Speaking of the final scene...Pablo. *sniff sniff* I hope it's not really the end for him. I love Pablo!
Best Lines of "Ashy Slashy"
1) "Look daddy, a unicorn! Magic IS real!' - Lacy
2) "I have seen some seriously disturbing stuff lately but you...are ADORABLE." - Kelly
3) "Girl, you're the one with your hand all up in my puppet pooper!" - Ashy Slashy
Also, Ash chainsawing through a corpse's chest and saying "Having a heart to heart"? followed by Ruby swiftly punching him in the face through his chainsaw hole...makes me snort-laugh.
Review: "Home Again"
Finally, the most recent episode saw Ash dealing with the grief of losing his "little Mexican buddy." He realizes he can possibly save his friend by going back in time again, thus giving us our most solid reference to Army of Darkness on this series yet. Sure, it could still technically be an Evil Dead 2 reference, but all the same, the medieval times portion of Ash's life has not been alluded to yet on this show for legal reasons which are no longer an issue according to producer Rob Tapert.
So Ash & co. go back through that familiar blue portal and end up in 1982. Right away we are reminded that time is a loop when Ash causes the business man to drink - the same man who we already know is a homeless drunk in present-day. Also, Ruby outright reminds us that there are always multiple timelines, thus introducing a clever and intriguing way of explaining (or at least poking fun at) all the loose continuity of the first two Evil Dead films.
This season has been dropping little throw-backs to Evil Dead 2 since episode 1 but this is the one that really brings it home. The particular timeline/universe in which Ash has arrived is seemingly the one we saw in Evil Dead 2. The cabin looks just as we remember, from the Home Sweet Home sign to the soon-to-be-possessed deer and rocking chair. The framed photo of Annie on the table basically confirms which film we are in.
What comes next is sheer delight for fans of ED slapstick: Ash steps on a nail, his foot gets possessed, and we assumed what comes next until it goes all Army of Darkness on us with a demon in Ash's belly. The sound effects in this scene are perfect and just as we remember. By the time Ash was back in the kitchen, punching himself and swallow scalding water, this fangirl was in heaven! This whole episode is just oozing ED2 goodness. The director clearly paid close attention because there are subtle shots that totally nail the style of the second film, from the quick-zoom montage to the slow pan toward the cellar door - perfection!
This episode has some fun Easter eggs for fans of the original films, like this little cameo by a The Hills Have Eyes poster. That same poster appeared in The Evil Dead:
You may also have noticed the familiar Camp Tamakwa shirt hanging there by the closest...
There have been many references to Shemps beer so this one is not new, but since we got such a good shot of it this episode....
As you probably know, Freddy's glove made two appearances in Evil Dead 2, in the workshed and the cellar. This shot from the cellar in "Home Again" shows a glove and what almost looks like blades there, but I'm skeptical. It does look like the same location...perhaps it's still an intended reference but copyright is an issue now?
Compare those to this shot from season 1...
What comes next is when yours truly very nearly exploded. I am a massive fan not only of Evil Dead 2 but of Henrietta in particular, so this episode blew my goddamn mind. Not only does Henrietta make a grand re-appearance, blue dress and all, but then she transforms into her first gnarly deadite form and who else has returned to reprise the role but TED FUCKING RAIMI! Ted was just 20 years old when he first suffered in that Henrietta suit, and here he is doing it again at 50! Never in a million years did I think I'd get to see that again. Dreams do come true folks! The make-up looks GREAT and Ted brings everything to it again! I'm still reeling! Needless to say, this episode quickly overtook "Delusion" as my favorite.
Best Lines of "Home Again"
1) "I thought it was here...or did I find it in cellar with Scotty?" - Ash, looking for the book
2) "Fuck you, Ash! Fuck you!" - Ash's tummy monster
3) "That chin of yours is an easy target!" - Henrietta
So, next week is the big finale! I'm curious if Professor Knowby's student Tanya is going to have any sort of yet-unseen relevance in the next episode (especially with that random story about her roommates' cat). Probably not but I'm curious all the same. I also figure Baal will be back, as this episode has a blink-and-miss-it moment of a man-in-black running toward the cabin. I love that this episode subtly addresses the confusing timelines and I expect we will get more of that next week. Here are the little things I most want to see...
My Wish List for the Finale:
- Henrietta in her third form (I already know we are getting this based on the preview, yay!)
- Return of the laughing deer, and maybe some possessed household items too!
- Return of Evil Ash (perfect timing what with all the Ashy slashy stuff)
What are you hoping for in the season 2 finale?!
Watch Ash vs Evil Dead this Sunday at 8PM ET/PT on Starz!
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15 Supporting Actors Who Made the '80s
By: Heather Seebach When it comes to 1980s movies, everyone remembers leading men like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eddie Murphy, Kurt Rus...
Review: 'Psycho Goreman'
By: Heather Seebach Fans of Canadian filmmaking collective Astron-6 should already know the name Steven Kostanski but for the rest of you, t...
Cabin in the Woods: References & Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed
By: Heather Seebach DISCLAIMER: This article is intended ONLY for folks who have already seen Drew Goddard's Cabin in the Woods ....
10 Outrageous Horror Porn-Parodies
By: Heather Seebach It's that time of year again - Valentine's Day. This day of love is hated by single folks everywhere, so I d...
Interview: Kathee Collier Lucas (Miami Connection)
Editor's Note : Contributing writer Josh Bravo has a special connection with VDA favorite Miami Connection . The cast still live ...
Review: 'The Void'
By: Heather Seebach Canadian filmmaking collective Astron-6 is best known for their throwback horror-comedies like Manborg and Fat...
Ultimate Guide to 'The Worlds End' PART 1 - Easter Eggs, Themes, and Symbolism!
By: Heather Seebach ** The following contains major spoilers and is intended only for those who have seen the film ** To view my...
The True Women of 'True Detective'
By: Heather Seebach **Warning: The following contains spoilers about episode 1.6** I knew right from the infancy of HBO's...
Early Sam Raimi & Bruce Campbell Films - Evil Dead Week: Day 2
By: Heather Seebach Sam Raimi was barely 20 years old when he made the horror classic The Evil Dead , but did you know it was far fro...
The Fan Who Cried CGI: An Analysis of the Visual FX in 2017's "IT"
By: Heather Seebach ***Warning: The following contains spoilers about 2017's IT *** The modern era of horror films has br...
Evil Dead Fanatic?
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In part two of this series we learned how to create a data layer which tells Xpo how to connect to our data store (in this case, a Sql Express server located on the same machine). Now we have to actually create some classes which map to our data store; that is, Xpo classes which directly relate to a table in the Sql Server database.
Xpo does offer a visual tool allowing you to generate classes from an existing database schema or visually design a class and its properties & relations. However, we'll be doing a code-first approach and letting Xpo generate the database schema at runtime.
To begin, I've added a new project to the DxContactList solution named DxContactList.BusinessLogic. I like to segregate my Xpo classes to a separate assembly to promote code re-use and just to keep things nicely organized.
Within this project, I've added a folder named BaseClasses, in which I will place some abstract base classes which will be extended by the application's business class objects. Xpo does allow you to use abstract classes as a base for a persistent class, but you will want to decorate it with the [NonPersistent] attribute. This may seem a little counter-intuitive, but this really just tells Xpo to not create a table from the base class–its properties will still be persisted when they are extended in a persistent class.
/// Serves as a base class for objects that represent a person. This class cannot be instantiated.
Our persistent classes will inherit from XPCustomObject. Xpo offers a number of base classes that will tell that data layer that a class is to be persisted to the data store. Your requirements will ultimately dictate which of these base classes you derive from, but because we will be letting Sql Server manage the unique identifier for each object (that is, an identity field), we will use the XPCustomObject class for all of our objects.
Because this is an abstract class and will not be mapped directly to a table in the database, we will not have any sort of primary key property in the class.
Note that an XPCustomObject class must either provide a property with the [Key] attribute (stating that it is the primary key/identity field) or the class must be marked as [NonPersistent]. Xpo will throw an exception at runtime if you neglect to do this!
The class itself will have a few simple members with the protected modifier. Xpo does not persist protected/private members; only public properties are persisted. To ensure our members are persisted I've created public accessors for each protected member.
The first thing of note are some attributes applied to a few of these properties. The string properties have a [Size] attribute which will limit the size of the field in the database table. By default, Xpo will create each string property as an nvarchar(256) in Sql Server, but that may be more (or less) than what is actually necessary.
You may want to review the table of data types supported by Xpo and how it maps .NET data types to data store types. These default mappings can all be changed by decorating a property with the DbType attribute.
The Picture property is a .NET Image object, but we can't guarantee that our database system will automatically know how to deal with a binary field. To accommodate this, we decorate the property with the ValueConverter attribute which tells Xpo that we (or Xpo itself) will be performing some sort of value conversion on the property when it is saved to or retrieved from the database. You can create your own value converters to perform this data conversion or use one of the built-in converters offered by Xpo. In this case, we are using Xpo's built-in ImageValueConverter, which can convert our property between a .NET Image object and a byte array.
The last property in the class is a [NonPersistent] property called "FullName", which simply returns the name of a person by combining the FirstName and LastName members. NonPersistent properties are useful for simple cases like this, or when we want to have a property calculated from existing persistent properties but not have it persisted in the database.
The only other thing of note in this base class is the constructor, which takes a Session parameter and extends the XPCustomObject base class constructor. Xpo objects require a Session (or UnitOfWork) and you may notice that if you use the DevExpress ORM Persistent Object template in Visual Studio a second constructor is added. This constructor does not require the Session parameter, but because we will always be using a Session in conjunction with our object, there's no need to keep this constructor around.
We've taken a brief look at some of the attributes provided by Xpo as well as discussed some class structure and best-practices. This will be continued in part four, as we build some actual persistent classes.


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Jupiter's Great Red Spot 'roars with heat'
July 28, 2016 by dfonis
NASA/Science Photo Library
The huge storm, seen here by Voyager 1 in 1979, apparently creates a high-altitude hotspot
Jupiter's Great Red Spot – a hurricane three times bigger than Earth – is blasting the planet's upper atmosphere with heat, astronomers have found.
Using measurements from an infrared telescope in Hawaii, a UK and US team found evidence for temperatures as high as 1,500C – hundreds of degrees warmer than anywhere else on the planet.
They suggest the hotspot is created by thunderous soundwaves "breaking" in the thin upper reaches of the atmosphere.
The research is published in Nature.
It arguably solves what planetary scientists had dubbed an "energy crisis" for gas giants like Jupiter: temperatures in their upper atmospheres soar much higher than can be explained by solar energy – especially given their vast distances from the Sun.
If the mysterious heat were generated by local sources, like Jupiter's famous storm, then the conundrum would be solved – and these measurements are the first direct evidence of any such activity.
Study co-author Dr Tom Stallard, from the University of Leicester, said this was a major step forward in a "20-30 year odyssey" to try and understand heat flow on Jupiter.
"Ever since Voyager, we've had measurements of the temperature at the top of Jupiter's atmosphere, and it's been hot across the whole globe – from the poles, all the way to the equator," he told the BBC.
J O'Donoghue/Nasa IRTF
Heat above the Great Red spot appears as a pale smudge, south of Jupiter's equator
Jupiter's enormous, dramatic aurora can explain the heat in the polar regions, but for that warmth to reach the equator would require incredibly dramatic mixing, which modelling studies haven't been able to support.
"There's no real excuse for it to be so hot," said Dr James O'Donoghue from Boston University, the paper's first author.
The freshly discovered spike in temperature, detected using a spectrometer at the Nasa Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, offers a solution.
Several hundred km directly above the clouds of the Great Red Spot, the hotspot suggests that high-altitude heat is somehow created by the turmoil beneath.
"Several people have argued that it's likely that the heat comes from below, but the observations have never backed them up," Dr Stallard said.
He and his colleagues don't know exactly what is causing the heat, but they have some ideas. It could be driven by devastating Jovian thunderclaps, rumbling upwards from the churning red clouds of the Solar System's biggest storm.
Acoustic waves may be creating the heat
"You get some kind of acoustic event, probably thunder or something like that – or possibly other forms of sound energy – and that propagates directly upwards," Dr Stallard explained.
"That wave will continue going upwards until it reaches a lower-density region at the top of the atmosphere, and then it breaks and deposits all that wave energy into the top of the atmosphere, just like waves break on the shore – as the water gets thinner, it's less able to carry that wave and so it breaks and you see lots of energy."
There is a precedent for such sound-driven warming much closer to home, according to Dr O'Donoghue.
"There is some evidence in Earth's atmosphere, above storms and above features such as mountains – the Andes mountains in fact – that there are acoustic waves emanating from them, and that they propagate up into the atmosphere and cause heating there," he said.
Ionic thermometer
The key to revealing the temperature spike was a tiny ion: H3+, or protonated hydrogen. It is incredibly reactive and usually short-lived, but in the sparse fringe of Jupiter's outer atmosphere there is almost nothing else for it to react with.
Crucially, this ion works like a glowing, long-range thermometer for scientists, if they have the right sort of telescope – such as the spectrometer at the IRTF, which gathered the relevant data in a single nine-hour window back in 2012.
"Just by measuring its light, you can find out the temperature wherever it is," said Dr O'Donoghue. "And it's throughout all of the gas giant upper atmospheres – so it's essentially an in situ temperature probe."
NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
At three Earth diameters across, the Great Red Spot is the biggest storm in the Solar System
Further insights might come from Nasa's Juno spacecraft, now in orbit around Jupiter after its five-year trek.
Dr Stallard said that telescopes around the world were trained on the gas giant to take parallel measurements – and his team had planned their observations with the mission in mind.
"We thought, this is something that we haven't addressed, and it needed addressing. We've really ramped up our studies away from the aurora.
"Juno's going to reveal magnificent levels of detail about… what the aurora are and how they're generated. But it will be interesting to see how much it tells us about the non-auroral regions and the top of the atmosphere.
"Obviously it's been designed to look deep, and to look at the aurora at the poles, but potentially Juno could reveal a lot more."
Follow Jonathan on Twitter
Probe zooms into Pluto's plains
Aston Villa: Leon Bailey signing official, Loan swoops for Tammy Abraham & Man United star eyed, newly-promoted winger of interest
Concern for Arsenal as Thomas Partey limps out of pre-season meeting with Chelsea
Boca Juniors targeting Arsenal's Lucas Torreira
UK man, 77, 'bravely' fights off ATM mugger in boxing match caught on video
Banking Britain's brains: The story of a scientific resource
Categories Science Post navigation
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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ABC Creative Group Selected to Undertake Major Rebranding of Area Formerly Known as "Central Leatherstocking Region"
Current: ABC Creative Group Selected to Undertake Major Rebranding of Area Formerly Known as "Central Leatherstocking Region"
(6/1/11 – Syracuse, NY) ABC Creative Group of Syracuse, NY has been assigned to the rebranding of the area formerly known as the Central Leatherstocking Region. In 2010, the New York State Department of Economic Development renamed this eight county area located just south of the Adirondacks, in the central section of the state and anchored by the Erie Canal, the Central New York Region.
ABC will be working closely with representatives from around the eight county region to establish a new brand identity focusing on the positioning that the Central New York Region has it all – everything is here, from live theatre, fascinating museums, halls of fame and historical landmarks, to country style B&Bs, farm stands and festivals, to PGA Tour Courses, the best antiquing in the northeast and limitless trails to wander in the great outdoors.
So just what does ABC's rebranding of the Central New York Region entail? The first items involve creating a refreshed logo to represent the area as a whole along with the development of a new tagline, "Just Go." As for the website overhaul, ABC is working on incorporating a dynamic map of the region with specific details about each area, plus a feature to highlight various upcoming events locally. Another crucial step in the rebranding process is developing unique social media rich press releases to promote the region and be submitted through traditional and online press outlets. The content in these press releases will focus on unique attributes and attractions within the region, drawing people into the area. Utilizing traveler and mommy bloggers, as well as other media outlets throughout various feeder markets, ABC aims to boost distribution of the press releases for maximum exposure.
Next up is revamping Central New York's social media efforts. This includes creating advertisements on Facebook and working with each county to build upon special promotions to increase their current fan base on the site. Another piece in the rebranding puzzle is the establishment of monthly e-communications. These e-blasts will feature links to various destinations throughout the region, focus on a featured town or area, as well as point to must-attend monthly events. At the heart of the e-blast – as well as all communications for the area – is the messaging that the Central New York Region has it all, a bit of everything New York State-esque. Regarding traditional media, ABC will be developing Central New York's official travel publication for 2012, the Simply Getaway Magazine. This travel guide in disguise focuses on the region as a whole and provides readers with relevant information about all the area has to offer through entertaining, narrative-style articles accompanied by stunning area photography.
All of the press and communications – and basically the entire rebranding campaign – are scheduled to launch later this month, in June 2011.
About the Central New York Region
The Central New York Region, formerly known as the Central Leatherstocking Region, has long represented a sort of microcosm of New York State as a whole with its wide mix of experiences and attractions offered, from family-owned farmers markets and country style bed and breakfasts, to live musical shows and theatrical performances at upscale venues and high-end shopping at one-of-a-kind boutiques. The rebranding is hoped to further promote tourism in the area and awareness of all the area has to offer.
For more information about ABC Creative Group and its services, please contact Jamie Leszczynski at (315) 471-1002 or email jamie@abccreativegroup.com.


text:
Juggling Balls
Catalogue ▾
Novelty and Gift
< Board Games
Agricola: Artifex Deck - English Edition
Agricola: Artifex Deck contains 120 occupation and minor improvement cards for use with the revised edition of Agricola.
Category: Strategy Games
Type: Board Games
1805: Sea of Glory - Second Hand Unpunched Sold Out - $70.00
1805: Sea of Glory - Second Hand Unpunched
Spring, 1805Napoleon's Grande Armee' is encamped along the shores of the English Channel. Following the teachings of Alexander, the French Emperor seeks to defeat a naval power from the land....
A Column of Fire $79.95
A Column of Fire
A Column of Fire is an adaptation of the third novel in Ken Follett's "Kingsbridge" series following The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. (The novel is titled...
Abracada...What? $69.95
Abracada...What?
Abraca...what? is a family game of deduction and spellcasting. On your turn, you try to cast one of the spells you have in front of you — but it's harder...
Abyss: Kraken $55.00
Abyss: Kraken
The Smugglers Guild settled in the heart of the giant sea creatures cemetery, in the darkest depths of the Deep kingdom. In this disconcerting necropolis, with the help of mysterious...
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Do you run a game review or discussion site? Always copying and pasting information from The Games Database to your new threads? Or, maybe you just want a place on your site to discuss games with friends.
The TGDB Thread Starter allows you to enter the game ID or the entire link to the game at at TheGamesDB.net into your new thread, add whatever comments you like and post the new thread. The TGDB Thread Starter will import all of the information for your game into a header for the new thread.
Makes the new thread title the name of the game.
Automatically populates a header for the thread with the game box cover and information.
Automatically displays the game box cover and information in forum thread list.
Ability to search Genre, Platform and Title in forum thread list.
Choose multiple forums as game forums.
Limit forums to specific game genres.
Limit forums to specific game platforms.
Images may be stored locally or obtained from The Games Database.
NOTE: While this add-on has been tested with many different styles by many different authors, it is only guaranteed to work with the default XenForo style. I will do my best to support other styles, but that may require you sending your style to me so I can find the problem. Support for styles does not include customizing the displays of this add-on, it only includes making the standard displays work with your style. I do not support display customizations.
Briliant add-on which works perfectly. If you run a gaming site this is a must have add-on.


I confess, that this is the first parser based game, which I played through widthout help. So, on my own, whatever. There are some favourite of mine in the genre, but not many. In the beginning, we have a tiny sword, a tiny sack, and a tiny flashlight. Our goal is to do what people do in Halloween in the US: dressed up, collect some candies from the peeps of various direction of the room. There is also a Halloween pumpkin, which we found at first, do with it something, and reach the 100 points of maximum. Here we can play with it.


Play hard in our ATC Y3519 Pro Team Home & Away Youth Jersey. This hard working jersey and your custom design will make a winning pair.
The ATC Y3519 Pro Team Home & Away Youth Jersey is ideal for your custom designed performance and athletic team wear.


St Lucia Golf Club boasts a championship course where the ancient traditions of this addictive game are played out in a distinctly tropical setting of lush fairways, contoured greens punctuated by palm trees and exotic foliage. And as you'd expect, when the round is over, gracious hospitality awaits in an open-air bar with panoramic views of paradise.
Small but perfectly formed! Cosy home ideal for couples or young families.
Villas on the Green is an apt name for this comfortable holiday home on the edge of the Cap Estate Golf Course.
Enjoy panoramic ocean views enhanced by the constant cool tropical breezes flowing through this comfortable villa.


Laure Nordholt currently serves as Senior Vice President of Sales Strategy and Execution for Time Warner Cable Media. Laure is responsible for leading a large multi-market sales organization with the goal of delivering creative and impactful marketing and advertising solutions for various categories of medium and large size businesses across the country. Laure also serves as the leader of Time Warner Cable Media's Sales Strategy and Execution team, where she is responsible for helping to create, develop and oversee the implementation of National Sales programs and positions to improve the performance and effectiveness of all of Time Warner Cable Media sales.
Laure joined Time Warner Cable in 1987 as an Account Executive in Media Sales. She has steadily increased her span of responsibility and was ultimately promoted to Senior Vice President in Sales. She has regularly led her team to achieve aggressive revenue growth targets year after year. Not only has Laure been a top performing sales leader in the organization, she has also expanded Time Warner Cable's influence and presence in the broader industry and competitive market place.
Among Laure's accomplishments, she was a key member of the Time Warner Cable Media Leadership team that helped the organization achieve its monumental milestone of achieving $2 Billion in revenue. Laure has been and continues to be a passionate advocate of expanding TWC-M's product portfolio to new arenas in the digital and omni-screen advertising space.
Laure is recognized as a top notch recruiter and leader in the area of sales and sales management professionals. She has been recognized on numerous occasions as an influential "Woman in Leadership" at Time Warner Cable Media and other industry associations. She is an active member of Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) and she was recognized for her accomplishments as a participant of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute. She also serves as a mentor through the TWCM Mentorship Program for women leaders.
A mother of three boys, Laure enjoys travel and spending time with her family in addition to helping to coach and develop young professionals.


text:
JoAnn Emerson
Calling on the President and the Secretary of State to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the "Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict" in multilateral fora
Read more about Calling on the President and the Secretary of State to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the "Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict" in multilateral fora
Celebrating the life of President Gerald R. Ford
Read more about Celebrating the life of President Gerald R. Ford
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the threat posed to international peace and stability in the Middle East, and the vital national security interests of the United States by Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and regional hegemony
Gary Ackerman
Read more about Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the threat posed to international peace and stability in the Middle East, and the vital national security interests of the United States by Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and regional hegemony
Condemning Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization responsible for the murders of 26 United States citizens
Read more about Condemning Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization responsible for the murders of 26 United States citizens
Congratulating Ariel Sharon on his election as Prime Minister of Israel
H.RES.34
Henry Hyde
Read more about Congratulating Ariel Sharon on his election as Prime Minister of Israel
Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010
Read more about Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010
Expressing grave concern of the House of Representatives for Iran and Syria's continued and systematic violations of UN Resolutions 1701 and 1559
Read more about Expressing grave concern of the House of Representatives for Iran and Syria's continued and systematic violations of UN Resolutions 1701 and 1559


America's successful melting pot should not be replaced with discredited salad-bowl separatism.
The Roman Empire worked as long as Iberians, Greeks, Jews, Gauls, and myriad other African, Asian, and European communities spoke Latin, cherished habeas corpus, and saw being Roman as preferable to identifying with their own particular tribe. By the fifth century, diversity had won out but would soon prove a fatal liability.
The propaganda of history's multicultural empires — the Ottoman, the Russian, the Austro-Hungarian, the British, and the Soviet — was never the strength of their diversity. To avoid chaos, their governments bragged about the religious, ideological, or royal advantages of unity, not diversity.
Nor did more modern quagmires like Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Rwanda, or Yugoslavia boast that they were "diverse." Instead, their strongman leaders naturally claimed that they shared an all-encompassing commonality.
Is there any evidence from the past that institutionalizing sects and ethnic grievances would ensure a nation's security, prosperity, and freedom?
America's melting pot is history's sole exception of e pluribus unum inclusivity: a successful multiracial society bound by a common culture, language, and values. But this is a historic aberration with a future that is now in doubt.
We speak casually of bloc voting on the basis of skin color — as if a lockstep Asian, Latino, black, or white vote is a good thing.
Some public figures have sought to play up or invent diversity advantages. Sometimes, as in the cases of Elizabeth Warren, Rachel Dolezal, and Ward Churchill, the result is farce.
In California, those who check "white" on Orwellian racial boxes are now a minority. Will white Californians soon nightmarishly declare themselves aggrieved minorities and thus demand affirmative action, encourage Viking-like names such as Ragnar or Odin, insert umlauts and diereses into their names to hype their European bona fides, seek segregated European-American dorms, and set up "Caucasian Studies" programs at universities?


In any platform you can play video games, you can be sure that there will be players looking to play as competitively as possible. Mobile games are the newest frontier for esports and because of the ubiquitousness of the smartphone, it's a space that is rapidly increasing in size – in both players and money.
Well, take a look at the recently announced PUBG Mobile tournament.
The PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Mobile Club Open 2019 will have a $2 million prize pool, that's more than some established esports – we're looking at you here FIFA.
Professional and semi-pro teams will be able to take part with the tournament split into Spring and Fall. Each Split will have a global final, the first of which will be held in July. Every region will be represented making this one of the first truly global mobile esport tournaments.
Sound's all very proper, eh? And what more this isn't some unsustainable headline grab tournament, we've already had the PUBG Mobile Stars Challenge when Thai team, RRQ Athena won $200,000 from a $600,000 prize pool.
As people get their hands on ever more powerful smartphones and open their mind to playing games competitively on them this space looks set to explode. So let's take a look at the very best mobile esports in 2019!
It's the little brother to the PC/Console game that looks like it could surpass the achievements of the breakout game of 2017. PUBG Mobile is developed by Chinese mega-company Tencent. The game was released in 2018 and has quickly established itself as the leading mobile shooter, recently surpassing Fortnite's monthly revenue records on iOS.
It would be rude to call this game a port. It is so much more than that. It not only has every feature of the PC/Console version it also has a number of quality of life improvements that make the PC version look positively dated – like the in-game Clan system that allows you to squad up, gain rank and enter tournaments – potentially the first step in a career in esports. There is also the auto-loot system, taking the pain out of that particular mechanic, and an intuitive control system that will surprise PC players with its fluidness.
Graphics wise the game looks stunning, all the 3 maps available in the base game are here. Sanhook in particular with its lush greens and cool blue waters is a blast to play on. Don't worry if you don't have the latest and greatest smartphone, there are a number of GFX options designed to work on any system and save your battery if you are running low.
Audio can be an issue on mobile games, most players will be using cheap in-ear headphones with no directional audio – but that's where the minimap comes in. The direction of gunshots and vehicles are highlighted which means you won't be running confused with things are getting crazy. The VOIP is also clear enough for you to communicate with your teammates.
On top of all that, there is a number of mobile-only game modes. Do you want to play a quick deathmatch, snipers only or a quicker version of the full game? PUBG got you covered.
Oh, and did we mention, unlike PC the mobile version is Free2play?
This is the turly one of the best mobile esports.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is the MOBA of choice for mobile players.
A game so similar to Riot's PC smash that they were sued a lawsuit that Riot eventually won.
That hasn't stopped them becoming one of the biggest and best MOBA's on mobile and any fan of the namesake on PC is going to find a lot to love here. The graphics have that same vivid quality and the action is frantic and you will need to have your wits about you to compete with the best.
Daily rewards and grinds whether you love them or hate them are here and there are frequent updates including a recently included Battle Royale game mode.
The esport scene is mainly focused on Asia at the moment with tournaments held in Malaysia and Indonesia but as the game expands west expect to see it open up to include other regions.
A game featuring the addictive mix of card collecting and tower defence was always likely to be a hit. Especially as it was from mobile gaming legends Supercell the same developers of Clash of Clans and Boom Beach.
The graphics will be familiar to anyone who has played other Supercell games. They're clean with their cartoon aesthetic and really fit in with the game. The gameplay itself is great – easy to get in but hard to master.
Be warned though this game is a major time sink and if you want to progress it's going to involve a lot of hours on your part. It has that game mechanic prevalent in all SuperCell Games where you collect two currencies, one easier than the other and with a massive incentive to buy the rarer of the towo.
That's one of the huge downsides of this game. It can, especially in the later stages, feel pay2win, with the crates/cards taking weeks to unlock and level up.
On the esport side Clash Royale is now one of the biggest mobile esports in the world. It's first major tournament the Clash Royale Crown Championship Worlds was held in 2017 and over 28 million players from all over the world competed in it with a prize pool of $400,000 with the winner SergioRamos taking home $150,000.
It was also one of just 4 esports featured at the 2018 Asian Games held in Indonesia and recently wrapped up its brand new league system the Clash Royale League in Tokyo.
Teams play in a combination of 2v2s and 1v1s so whatever your jam is there is something for you. A crazy addictive game worth playing if you like quick tactical matches that reward loyal players.
It's perhaps no surprise that this esport made its way to mobile. This game is almost tailored made for a mobile port. If you don't know Hearthstone is a card collecting game where players battle it out. Developed by Blizzard and steeped in Warcraft lore. What makes this game unique is the ability to play cross-platform. That means PC, Apple and Android players are all competing together in the same ladders and tournaments which makes the mobile version an equal to the PC version a rarity in the world of gaming.
The game itself is massively enjoyable – with Blizzard at the helm you know there is going to be a certain level of polish and this game has it in spades. The sound including the music is great, the visuals spectacular, and the humorous writing really brings you into Heartstones world.
The battle system is equal measures challenging and addictive. If you haven't played a card battling game here's the short version – you have a deck of 30 cards. The cards all have their pros and cons. You play your cards against each other until either you or your opponent's hero dies. Much of the joy is the endless strategizing you will do in the game, the trial and error and the continuous learning make this a deeply satisfying experience.
The only quibble with this game is the length of time it has been out. There are now many different packs which can be bought with real or in-game currency. The problem is the in-game currency isn't going to come quickly though so you will find yourself grinding hard until you have a comparable deck to most of the player base – but importantly it can be done, so while the game is Free2Play you will have to put a lot of hours to catch up with the best.
The competitive scene for the game is healthy, there are regular tournaments held all over the world. There are a number of online tournaments that you can play and you earn points throughout the season – the players with the highest points can find themselves invited LANs and ultimately the Hearthstone World Championship, which last year netted Taiwan's Tom60229 $250,000.
Blizzard is shaking Hearthstone up for 2019 with the newly announced Hearthstone Masters – a tournament format open to everyone with the chance for top performing players to earn packs and potentially an invitation to the Hearthstone Master Tour. The first tour will take place in Las Vegas on June 14-16 with a minimum of $250,000 in the prize pool.
Clash of Titans, the international version of Tencent's widely popular MOBA Honor Of Kings, hasn't quite caught on in the west in the way HOK has in China but with more people taking a serious look at mobile esports that could yet change. It's widely regarded as a superior game than Mobile: Legends Bang Bang just without the player base.
Another to keep an eye on is Brawl Stars another game from the Supercell stable with them turning their hand to the MOBA genre. Released in December 2018 the game made $68,000,000 in its first month and has already had a Red Bull-sponsored tournament – expect more in the future.
So what games are you playing? Have we missed any out in our list of the best mobile esports of 2019? Let us know in the comments below.


Thread Lift uses extremely fine surgical sutures to lift and support the droopy areas of the face, brow and neck. The threads have tiny barbs that grasp on to and lift the soft tissues. The threads are inserted in position and once in place, the tiny barbs are gently opened which then lifts and repositions the underlying facial tissue into a more vertical and youthful position.
The end of the thread is then cut and knotted, allowing it to retract deep under the skin. The threads then remain under the skin to provide structure and support. They are inserted via a tiny incision behind the hairline so there are no visible scars.
They cannot be felt and are clear so that they are not visible once they are in place. Once in position, your body generates new collagen bundles that surround each thread to maintain the lifting effect. The exact placement of the threads will vary from patient to patient.


text:
package com.intuit.wasabi.exceptions;

import static com.intuit.wasabi.experimentobjects.exceptions.ErrorCode.USER_TOOLS_FAILED;

public class UserToolsException extends WasabiServerException {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 253608364981436158L;

    public UserToolsException(String message) {
        this(message, null);
    }

    public UserToolsException(String message, Throwable rootCause) {
        super(USER_TOOLS_FAILED, message, rootCause);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Survey Questions for Employees
It's critical to constantly ask your staff for input in order to comprehend their wants, experiences, and viewpoints. Utilizing surveys is one efficient method for accomplishing this. But creating good survey questions can be difficult. We will examine five important sorts of survey questions for employees in this detailed tutorial and offer examples for each.
Job satisfaction is one of the most important variables in workers' happiness and productivity. Employers can learn a lot about ways to enhance the workplace by asking employees how satisfied they are generally with their jobs, their coworkers, and their workplace.
How satisfied are you with your job overall? (1-5 scale)
How satisfied are you with your colleagues? (1-5 scale)
How satisfied are you with the work environment? (1-5 scale)
What do you enjoy least about your job?
What could be improved about your job?
Are there any changes you would like to see in the workplace?
Understanding employee productivity at the individual and team levels requires measurement of their performance. Employee surveys on their personal performance as well as that of their coworkers can yield insightful information for enhancing both individual and team performance.
How do you rate your own job performance? (1-5 scale)
How do you rate the performance of your colleagues? (1-5 scale)
What do you think are your greatest strengths in your job?
What do you think are your biggest challenges in your job?
What could be improved about your job performance?
How do you think your job performance could be improved?
Are there any changes you would like to see in the way performance is measured?
The well-being and contentment of employees depend on the maintenance of a healthy work-life balance. You can learn a lot about how to better manage and schedule work by asking employees about their work-life balance.
How well do you feel you maintain a work-life balance? (1-5 scale)
Are you able to take time off when needed?
Do you feel comfortable taking time off when needed?
Do you feel that your workload is manageable?
Do you feel that you have a good support network at work?
Are there any changes you would like to see in the way work is managed and scheduled?
Do you have any suggestions for improving work-life balance at our company?
Giving employees the chance to further their careers is crucial for retaining top talent and maintaining employee engagement. Employee career development surveys can yield insightful information about how to enhance training and career advancement possibilities.
Are you satisfied with the opportunities for career development at our company? (1-5 scale)
Have you received any training or development opportunities in the past year?
Are there any specific skills or training you would like to receive?
Do you feel that there are clear advancement opportunities at our company?
Do you feel that your job provides opportunities for personal and professional growth?
Are there any changes you would like to see in the way career development is managed at our company?
Do you have any suggestions for improving career development opportunities at our company?
Promoting equality and fostering a healthy work environment both depend on having a diverse and inclusive workplace. Employee surveys on diversity and inclusion can yield insightful information about how to make the workplace better for all workers.Do you feel that our company values diversity and inclusion? (1-5 scale)
Do you feel that you are treated fairly and with respect at work?
Are there any specific actions or initiatives you would like to see our company take to promote diversity and inclusion?
Do you feel that there is equal opportunity for all employees at our company, regardless of their background?
Do you feel that our company's leadership is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion?
Are there any changes you would like to see in the way diversity and inclusion is addressed at our company?
Do you have any suggestions for improving diversity and inclusion at our company?
In conclusion, routine employee surveys can yield insightful information about the state of the workplace. You can develop a thorough grasp of the experiences, needs, and viewpoints of your employees by asking the appropriate questions in the appropriate areas. You can develop efficient employee survey questions that will enhance the workplace and promote a positive work environment by using the examples shown in this article.


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Teolinda Gersão (Coímbra, 30 de enero de 1940) es una novelista y profesora universitaria portuguesa.

Biografía
Estudió Filología alemana y lengua inglesa en las universidades de Coímbra, Tubinga y Berlín. Fue profesora de portugués en la Universidad Técnica de Berlín, docente en la Facultad de Letras de la Universidad de Lisboa y, posteriormente, catedrática de la Universidad Nueva de Lisboa, donde enseñó literatura alemana y literatura comparada hasta 1995. A partir de ese año, pasó a dedicarse a tiempo completo a escribir.

Además de una residencia de tres años en Alemania, vivió dos años en São Paulo, estancia que se ve reflejada en algunos textos de Os Guarda-Chuvas Cintilantes (1984). Asimismo, conoció Mozambique, en cuya capital, entonces Lourenço Marques y actual Maputo, discurrió su novela El árbol de las palabras (1997).

Fue escritora residente en la Universidad de California en Berkeley en febrero y marzo de 2004. Estuvo presente en la Feria del Libro de Fráncfort en 1997 y en 1999. En el año 2000, fue invitada al Salón del Libro de París.

Obra
Sus novelas tratan de la sociedad contemporánea, aunque transcurren en diferentes períodos. Algunos de los temas principales de sus novelas incluyen las complejidades de las relaciones humanas, la dificultad de la comunicación, el amor y muerte, la opresión, la libertad, la identidad, la resistencia y el proceso de creación. Otro tema central de su obra es el concepto de tiempo, sea el tratamiento del tiempo en la estructura narrativa o el tiempo histórico en el cual tienen lugar sus novelas. la dictadura de Salazar (Paisaje con mujer y mar al fondo); los años 1920 (O Cavalo de Sol), el siglo XIX (A Casa da Cabeça de Cavalo) y los años 1950 y 1960 en la Mozambique colonial (El árbol de las palabras).

Caracteriza a la mujer como instrumento de ruptura de los modelos tradicionales que presenta el feminismo. En su obra, existe un tiempo circular infinito, de retorno y comienzo que reproduce los ciclos de la naturaleza.

Premios literarios
Recibió el Grande Prémio de Romance e Novela de la Asociación Portuguesa de Escritores por su novela A Casa da Cabeça de Cavalo (1995) y los Premios de Ficción del PEN Club por sus libros El silencio (1981) y O Cavalo de Sol (1989). Asimismo, recibió el premio de la crítica de la Asociación Internacional de Críticos Literarios y el Premio Fernando Namora por su novela Los teclados (1999). En 2002, se le otorgó el Gran Premio Camilo Castelo Branco para cuentos por su colección de relatos, Historias de ver y andar.

Libros publicados
 El silencio (novela, 1981)
 Paisaje con mujer y mar al fondo (novela, 1982)
 História do Homem na Gaiola e do Pássaro Encarnado (libro para niños, 1982)
 Os Guarda-Chuvas Cintilantes (diario ficcional, 1984)
 O Cavalo de Sol (novela, 1989)
 A Casa da Cabeça de Cavalo (novela, 1995)
 El árbol de las palabras (novela, 1997)
 Los teclados (novela, 1999)
 Los ángeles (novela, 2000)
 Historias de ver y andar (cuentos, 2002)
 El mensajero y otras historias con ángeles (cuentos, 2003)

Referencias
 Morales, Marina (2008), "Teolinda Gersão. A Árvore das Palavras ", Lletra de Dona in Centre Dona i Literatura, Barcelona, Centre Dona i Literatura / Universitat de Barcelona.

Enlaces externos
 Teolinda Gersão en El Poder de la Palabra
Escritoras de Portugal
Novelistas de Portugal del siglo XX
Profesores de la Universidad Nueva de Lisboa
Escritores en portugués

Nacidos en Coímbra

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This detailed volume provides an overview of recent techniques employed in the field of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to screen for new drugs and to derive information about their receptor structure, dynamics, and function for the purpose of developing improved therapeutics. Owing to remarkable recent advances in the structural, biophysical and biochemical analyses of these receptors, as well as a growing body of evidence hinting at the possible relevance of allosteric modulators, biased agonists and oligomer-selective ligands as improved therapeutic agents, drug discovery for GPCRs has recently taken a completely new direction. For this book, expert contributors have shared their protocols and views on the impact of these methodologies on modern drug discovery. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Practical and fully updated, G Protein-Coupled Receptors in Drug Discovery: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition serves as an ideal guide for a diverse audience from structural and molecular biologists to pharmacologists and drug designers who wish to explore this extensive class of key drug targets.


REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL SERVICES.
At Innova, we offer total cleaning services to our clients through simplified and efficient means. With the latin root of our name meaning "to renew", we know that our intent fully represents what we strive to deliver to our clients – a clean slate.
Owned and operated by the Dufroux family, we have been servicing businesses of all shapes and sizes since 1988. We service businesses from the Gold to the Sunshine Coasts, and west to Toowoomba. Our philosophy is simple: give our best to our clients, to our community and to each and every job that we perform. This is our mission.
Because we are a professional cleaning service but also a family business, we hold ourselves to the highest standards and we hold ourselves accountable; to one another and to our clients. We are real people, providing real services, building real relationships and delivering real results.
Our generation spanning staff have all the energy of youth and vitality, tempered with the wisdom and experience of elders. We strive to build great relationships with each one of our customers, and see every interaction as an opportunity to build on this.
At Innova, we understand the importance of a clean workplace and the peace of mind that this brings. So in a way, we clean for peace. Your peace.
Our philosophy is simple: give our best to our clients, to our community and to each and every job that we perform.
We strive to build great relationships with each one of our customers and see every interaction as an opportunity to build on this.
Our industry and business EXPERIENCE is extensive, practical, varied, grounded and real.
Our TIME in the market place; since 1988.
Our client LOYALTY comes about because we deliver what we say we will and we value and respect our relationships.
Our current STATUS; we are a healthy, profitable and growing business.
Our high quality SERVICE delivery – this speaks for itself.
We're proud AUSTRALIANS and have worked for you for more than a decade.
Our satisfied STAFF: we care about people; our people, your people and all the people who come into contact with our respective businesses.
Our honest, ethical, core VALUES: simplicity and efficiency shows that we are real people, there's no corporation or bureaucracy to hide behind, it's just us.
Our REPUTATION in the industry; we do great work, we build great relationships… ask around.
So here at Innova, we know ourselves well and we know our strengths. We bring together all the important things: reputation, experience, time, status, values, service, loyalty and staff. At Innova, it's about the total service.


Clinical pilates are exercises that aim to improve physical well-being by focusing on correct strength, flexibility, control and muscle activation patterns.
At Menai District Physiotherapy, our approach to pilates is different to your pilates often seen at the local gym or pilates studio. Our approach to clinical pilates is based on the Australian Physiotherapy & Pilates Institute (AAPI) method by which our pilates physios are trained. This approach is founded on the evidence based physiotherapy model to improve central core control with a focus on correct muscle activation. Over time, this will lead to improved function and posture alignment, which can help to reduce your aches and pains as well as minimise the risk of future injury.
Our mat work classes are conducted on a dense foam mat whereby you can utilise your own body weight. Mat work classes offer enormous freedom in being able to enjoy flowing movements but always at your own pace. We also incorporate a range of equipment such as theraband, hand weights and swiss balls within the classes.
To ensure that you have optimal activation and the exercises in the classes are individualised to your needs, we require all participants to have a pilates assessment and activation workshop with one of our physiotherapists before entering a class.
Your assessment will cost $130 for both the assessment and workshop and all classes are $24 if prepaid for the term.
Can I claim for the assessment and classes?
Yes, as these pregnancy Pilates classes are taught by a Physiotherapist, most private health funds will pay a rebate for each of your classes. Check with your fund for eligibility and amount rebated.
All our classes our taught by qualified physiotherapists. Our physiotherapists have knowledge of therapeutic exercise for pregnancy.
There are never more than seven participants in a Pilates class.
Yourselves. All mats, water and other equipment needed in your classes will be provided.


"I began working as a deep tissue massage therapist back in 2009. At the time I was training to be an Actor (something I still do today). Having worked a little bit as a dancer when I was younger, I was fascinated by the way the body worked. So, when I decided to set out as a deep tissue massage therapist I was determined to work in a way that struck an ideal balance between relaxation and deep muscular relief.
As I've grown in experience over the years (treating everyone from acrobats to rugby players) I've realised that there is no one way to work. Every treatment demands I draw on a whole number of different disciplines. This way, I get to design a new way of working that's tailored to each client. And that is basically the 'big idea' (if you can call it that?) behind The Bespoke way of working.
It may sound a little exaggerated but I firmly believe deep tissue massage can fundamentally change the way we experience the world: physically, psychologically, and emotionally. Many of the day-to-day feelings of anxiety, lack of confidence and general staleness, are a result of our physical bodies not functioning at their potential. I believe that massage has the ability to go some way towards changing this; to energise and reinvigorate you and send you out into the world refreshed and ready for whatever life has in store"


This hardy dwarf angelfish is quite beautiful, as its body is generally a dark blue with bright blue edges on its median and pelvic fins with a pale yellow to white tail. Quite social with fish its size or larger, yet not smaller species. Its recommended this species be added to a well-established aquarium containing lots of live rock as it that will provide it many caves and crevices to explore and/or hide in when feeling threatened.


Amateur photographer, travelling a lot and taking my photo gear with me whereever I can. Just recently, I (re)discovered analogue photography with a magnificent Nikon FM2.
dietermschmitt doesn't have any testimonials yet.


text:
Construction of drip-irrigation systems in Artsakh

Agricultural development
Throughout Artsakh
DONORS:
Donors worldwide, Telethon 2017 contributors
TO BE COMPLETED IN:
$100,000.00 USD per unit (digging, installation, pumping and training)
With proceeds from Telethon 2017, Armenia Fund launched the "Fruitful Artsakh" initiative, a multi-year program that stands to revolutionize Artsakh's agriculture sector.
Although Artsakh has vast water resources, most of the water is located underground, while bringing water from rivers and other bodies of water in the north to farmlands in the southeast would be so expensive as to be unfeasible. As a result, only 7 percent of the country's over 250,000 acres of arable land were cultivated as of 2017. Armenia Fund is addressing this critically important issue through "Fruitful Artsakh," a comprehensive program that aims to develop the country's agriculture on an unprecedented scale, by digging deep-water wells and building drip-irrigation systems.
A whopping 93 percent of Artsakh's arable lands are uncultivated (as of 2017), due to a pervasive lack of access to water. The problem is twofold. First, Artsakh's largest rivers and other surface bodies of water are located in the northwestern part of the country, while agricultural lands are found mostly in the southeast. Bringing water from the north to irrigate the southern farmlands would be too cost-prohibitive. The other part of the problem is that while Southern Artsakh has vast water resources, they remain largely inaccessible, as they're located below ground, at depths of up to 300 feet.
Currently, farmers in Artsakh earn an average of $120 from each acre of land that they cultivate. The reason for such low profit margins is that farmers are limited to growing crops like wheat and rye, relying primarily on rainwater, instead of raising high-profit but irrigation-intensive crops such as vegetables, fruits, and nuts.
The central goals of the "Fruitful Artsakh" program are to bring Artsakh's wealth of water to the surface, and enable its optimal utilization through the drip-irrigation method. The project entails a comprehensive set of steps. It comprises digging deep-water wells; installing drip-irrigation networks, including filtration systems and underground pipelines; and building power lines and substations to provide electricity to the drip-irrigation networks.
Also as part of the program, beneficiary farmers will be provided with training in the utilization of drip-irrigation systems.
Drip irrigation is a quantum leap in agriculture, as it's able to turn even barren deserts into lush fields. With the drip-irrigation method, water travels through thin plastic pipes with tiny holes at the bottom. As the water flows through the pipes, it drip-irrigates the ground on which they're installed. Therefore the water feeds the plant by dripping directly above the root, without being wasted or vaporized.
Each deep-water well can provide irrigation for up to 60 acres of land, while drip-irrigation systems will allow Artsakh farmers to diversify their crops — as a result of which they will be able to secure profits of up to $3,000 per acre.
As significantly, the "Fruitful Artsakh" project is expected to have a wide multiplier effect. This will include the establishment of food-processing factories, storage and packing facilities, and export companies, as well as enterprises specializing in sapling and seedling production.
Therefore, in its first five-year phase of implementation alone, "Fruitful Artsakh" is expected to increase crop-raisers' profits up to twentyfold and create close to 6,000 jobs.
The ultimate objective of the program is to enable the cultivation of over 250,000 acres of land throughout Artsakh, thereby ushering in a high level of economic vitality. This, in turn, will raise living standards to those of industrialized nations, and ensure that the citizens of Artsakh will have a tangible, compelling reason to continue to live and thrive in their communities.
Become A Member of the Team and Help Us Accomplish These Goals
No amount is too large or too small. ArmeniaFund successfully its ability to complete these life-saving humanitarian projects year after year. Join the people of the world who support this movement.
I Want To Help
I want to support Armenia Fund.
Donate to ArmeniaFund
When you give money to ArmeniaFund, you become an important and life-changing member of the ArmeniaFund community. You directly effect the people and the future of Armenia. From building roads to building schools, together we can rebuild, refurbish and revitalize our motherland.


text:
LAGB Annual Meeting 2004: University of Surrey Roehampton
First Circular and Call for Papers
The 2004 Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Association of Great Britain will be held at the University of Surrey Roehampton, from 30th August to 2nd September. The local organiser will be Judith Broadbent (J.Broadbent@roehampton.ac.uk). This is the first meeting following the new pattern, which was recently adopted by the Association at its annual general meeting. The 2004 meeting will last four days and will feature several special events, including two invited speakers and an invited Language Tutorial.
1. The Henry Sweet Lecture 2004 entitled "'Unborrowable' areal traits" will be delivered by Marianne Mithun (University of California, Santa Barbara) on the evening of 30th August.
2. There will also be a Workshop on 'Contact, borrowability, and typology', related to the Henry Sweet lecture, and organised by Yaron Matras (University of Manchester) and April McMahon (University of Sheffield) on the afternoon of 30th August.
3. The Linguistics Association Lecture 2004 on 'Null subjects, ellipsis and empty categories' will be delivered by Anders Holmberg (University of Durham) on 2nd September.
4. There will also be a special, themed session on the topic of 'Null subjects, ellipsis and empty categories', related to the Linguistics Association Lecture, for which abstracts are now invited. These should be submitted in the same way as abstracts for the general sessions, but should be clearly marked that they are intended for the special session, also on 2nd September.
5. There will be a Language Tutorial on Michif, given by Peter Bakker (University of Aarhus).
6. There will be a session on 'Teaching linguistics to students of Modern Languages' organised by the LAGB's Education Committee, featuring Paul Rowlett (University of Salford) and Florence Myles (University of Southampton).
Deadline for abstracts: Monday 10th May 2004 (for details of abstract submission, see below); sets of abstracts may be submitted together for a themed session (for further details, see below).
The meeting will be held at the University of Surrey Roehampton, Froebel College. The University of Surrey Roehampton is part of the Federal University of Surrey, together with the University of Surrey Guildford. Roehampton is made up of four colleges set in beautiful parkland: Digby Stuart, Froebel, Southlands and Whitelands. Froebel College was founded in 1892 by a group of people committed to a radical reform of educational methods. Part of the college is situated in a Grade II* listed building (Grove House) which is set in four acres of beautiful heritage gardens.
Accommodation: will be provided on site at Froebel. Single rooms with en suite facilities are available.
Travel: Roehampton is situated in south London. London Heathrow and Gatwick are the most convenient airports and the nearest station is Barnes. Trains run regularly from London Waterloo to Barnes, and London buses and the Underground connect with USR. Full details will be provided in the second circular.
Members and non-members are invited to offer papers for the Meeting. The LAGB welcomes submissions on any topic in the field of linguistics; papers are selected on their (perceived) merits, and not according to their subject matter or assumed theoretical framework.
How and when to submit an abstract
Abstracts must be submitted on paper (not by email or by fax). FIVE anonymous copies of the abstract, plus ONE with name and affiliation, i.e. CAMERA-READY, should be submitted, and should be sent in the format outlined below to the President (address below). You must write your address for correspondence (email or surface, although email is very much preferred) on the BACK of the camera-ready copy. (Even if several authors are named on the front, there should be only one name and address for correspondence.) Papers for the programme are selected anonymously - only the President knows the name of the authors. If an abstract is accepted for the meeting, the camera-ready copy will be used to produce the abstracts booklet.
As well a individual abstracts, groups of speakers may submit a set of abstracts for a themed session (or panel) on any subject of their choice. Such groups will normally take up a whole session, and group members may apportion their time within that as they wish (ideal numbers of abstracts for such sessions might be 3, 4, 5 or 6). All the abstracts for such sessions will be considered together, as a group, and one contact for the whole session should be provided. Abstracts for such themed sessions should be submitted together, to the President, with the same format as specified for individual abstracts.
All abstracts should be accompanied by an account of any special requirements regarding audiovisual equipment (other than an OHP). While we will make every effort to provide such equipment, we cannot guarantee that it will be available. The normal length for papers delivered at LAGB meetings is 25 minutes (plus 15 minutes discussion).
Abstracts must arrive by Monday 10th May. The committee will plan the programme as soon as it has selected the successful abstracts, so please indicate on the anonymous abstracts if you cannot present your paper on any particular day during the conference. It is very difficult to reschedule papers after the programme has been planned.
Abstract format
Abstracts must be presented as follows: the complete abstract (i.e. the one containing your title and your name) must be no longer than ONE A4 page (21cm x 29.5cm) with margins of at least 2.5cm on all sides. Only the first page of any abstract submitted will be considered - no appendices or page for references can be accepted. You may use single spacing but type must be no smaller than 12 points. If the paper is accepted, the abstract will be photocopied and inserted directly into the collection of abstracts sent out to participants, so the presentation should be clear and clean.
The following layout should be considered as standard:
(title) Optimality and the Klingon vowel shift
(speaker and email address) Clark Kent (clark@astro.mars.ac.mars)
(institution) Department of Astrology, Eastern Mars University
Content of abstracts
The following guidelines may be useful:
· You should clearly describe the paper's general topic. (The topic may be a problem of theory or analysis or set of data which have not previously been analysed.)
· You should describe your treatment of the topic, and how it relates to previous work on the same topic. (When referring to previous work, it is enough to quote "Author (Date)" without giving full bibliographical details.) It is not acceptable simply to promise a solution.
· You should explain how you will justify your treatment, and quote crucial evidence - you must trust the committee (and other conference attenders) not to steal your ideas before you have presented them. If you are taking a stand on a controversial issue, summarise the arguments which lead you to take up this position.
Conference Bursaries for postgraduate students and unwaged members
Up to ten bursaries are available for unsalaried members of the Association (e.g. PhD students); preference will be given to those who are presenting a paper, but if there are not ten applications from those presenting papers, applications from non-presenting attenders will also be considered. Applications should be sent to the President (address below), and must be received by the deadline for abstracts (10th May). If you are submitting an abstract and applying for a bursary, BOTH SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TOGETHER. If you are not submitting an abstract, but are still eligible, then you are still encouraged to apply, as we have been able to award bursaries to non-presenting postgraduates in previous years.
Applicants for bursaries must be members of the Association, although applications for membership may be submitted at the same time as applications for bursaries (applications for membership should be sent to the Membership Secretary). Please state on your application: (a) date of joining the LAGB (b) whether or not you are a student; (c) if a student, whether you receive a grant or studentship; (d) if not a student, your employment situation. The bursary normally covers a significant proportion of the conference expenses and of travel within the UK.
Communications with the membership
Website: the new LAGB website can be found at www.lagb.org.
Mailing list: Please ensure that you have joined the LAGB mailing list, which is used for disseminating LAGB information and for consulting members quickly. You can subscribe by sending a message to majordomo@essex.ac.uk, with the following as the body of the message: "subscribe lagb".
Changes of address: members are reminded to notify the Membership Secretary of changes of address. An institutional address is preferred as bulk mailing saves postage.
All meetings are held in late August or early September:
2005 University of Cambridge
The Meetings Secretary would very much like to receive offers of future venues, particularly from institutions which the LAGB has not previously visited.
Nominations for speakers, workshops and language tutorials (language and/or speaker) at future meetings are requested; all suggestions should be sent to the Honorary Secretary. The nominations collected will be voted on by the membership at the Annual General Meeting, which is held as part of the Annual meeting.
The LAGB committee
Professor April McMahon,
Department of English Language and Linguistics,
University of Sheffield,
5 Shearwood Road, Sheffield, S10 2TD.
april.mcmahon@shef.ac.uk
www.shef.ac.uk/english/language/staff/april.html
Honorary Secretary
Dr Ad Neeleman,
Department of Phonetics and Linguistics,
University College London,
Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT.
ad@ling.ucl.ac.uk
www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/ad/home.htm
Dr Diane Nelson,
Department of Linguistics and Phonetics,
University of Leeds, Leeds, LS6 9JT.
d.c.nelson@leeds.ac.uk
www.leeds.ac.uk/linguistics/staff/diane/Welcome.html
Meetings Secretary
Dr Patrick Honeybone,
English Language, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences,
University of Edinburgh, 14 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9LN.
patrick.honeybone@ed.ac.uk
www.englang.ed.ac.uk/people/patrick.html
Dr Dunstan Brown,
Surrey Morphology Group, LCIS,
University of Surrey, Surrey GU2 7XH
d.brown@surrey.ac.uk
www.surrey.ac.uk/LIS/SMG/dunstan.htm
Assistant Secretary
Dr Katarzyna M. Jaszczolt,
Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages,
University of Cambridge, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 9DA.
kmj21@cam.ac.uk
Nominations for committee member vacancy
The Membership Secretary is to step down from this year, so nominations are requested for a replacement. Any member may be nominated by any other member (and self-nominations are welcome), and nominations should be sent to the President by 31st July.


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UK: Cannabis fans smoke drugs happily in full view of police as 15,000 descend on London's Hyde Park for annual '420' marijuana rally
Laura Forsyth
Friday 20 Apr 2018
Thousands of people are expected to attend the 'peaceful protest' in Hyde Park
Police say usual drug laws apply, with more than 50 people arrested in 2015
The annual marijuana rally is held on April 20, corresponding to the name 420
Gardeners will have to clean up in time to mark the Queen's birthday tomorrow
Thousands of marijuana fans have flocked to Hyde Park this afternoon to smoke in the sunshine on 420 Day - in full view of police.
Marijuana lovers unite for the rally every year on April 20, the date corresponding to the code name 420, and are gathering to demand the drug is decriminalised.
Royal Parks staff and police are expecting more than 15,000 people to gather in the central London park to mark the occasion.
The annual tradition is said to have started in America because April 20 in the U.S. date format reads as 4/20.
There are many stories behind the significance of the number in stoner culture, but the most common is that 4.20pm is touted as the best time of the day to start smoking the narcotic.
But in London, around 5,000 people gathered way before the 'allotted' time, and many sparked up suspicious-looking cigarettes - some in full view of police.
Some revellers were seen shirtless, soaking up the sun while enjoying rolled-up cigarettes.
There are drug and cannabis-related rallies worldwide, but Hyde Park is known as the largest in the UK.
Gardeners from the Royal Park will also have to tidy up the venue in time for a 41-gun salute to mark the birthday of The Queen, April 21st, at midday.
Their 40 gardeners expect to get the Grade-I listed park - which covers a massive 350 acres - tidy by 10am.
There were many Facebook groups set up dedicated to the '420 rally' in the park, on which around 10,000 people said they were attending - although numbers are expected to rise.
A Met Police officer on a bike was spotted riding through the sitting crowds - next to people who appeared to be smoking items affectionately nicknamed 'Camberwell carrots' due to their large size and shape.
A parks source said: 'This is the busiest afternoon of the year for us, and it leads into the busiest morning of our calendar year too.
'Every year these people gather and do what they do, and then they leave.
'But they leave behind mountains and mountains of rubbish.
'We start cleaning up at 5am the next day because we've got a massive event at midday and everything needs to be spotless.'
The 2015 pro-cannabis rally saw more than 50 people arrested, despite claims from organisers that the event was peaceful.
Images captured the moment four officers took down and restrained a tracksuit-wearing man near the entrance to the park - just yards from a prominent police sign which read: 'Possession of cannabis is illegal'.
And last year 12 people were detained by police at the rally.
Police said that officers will be present and that the usual drug laws will apply on the day. Random searched are expected.
A police spokesman said: 'We are aware of a planned event due to be held in Hyde Park at 12pm on Friday, 20 April.
'A proportionate policing plan will be in place.
'Legislation under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 will be enforced as it would be under normal police conditions during this event.'
What is 420 Day and where does the name come from?
Rallies celebrating weed are to take place across the world today, the date corresponding to the name 420.
According to theories, the origin of 420 is said to have come from the penal code that Californian police used to categorise cannabis cases.
Others say that in 1971, students at a Californian high school are believed to have organised to meet at 4.20pm to find a plot of land to plant a cannabis plant.
Police have warned that officers will be present at events across the world and that the usual drug laws will apply.
There will be rallies worldwide including in the Netherlands, Canada and the United States. The biggest UK event celebrating the festival is at London's Hyde Park.
Last year 12 people were detained by police at the rally. The 2015 pro-cannabis rally saw more than 50 people arrested, despite claims that the event was peaceful.
In the UK cannabis users could go to jail if caught although traffickers and dealers are more likely to receive prison sentences.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5639101/Cannabis-users-warned-police-not-light-drugs-rally-Londons-Hyde-Park.html
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!


It seems that a large number of the comics I bought this week prominently used orange on the cover. And so, a theme week! The leaves have all turned and dropped where I am, but maybe it's a lovely autumn where you are.
Manifest Destiny #1 – In this new Image series, the secret behind the famous voyage of famous explorers Lewis and Clark are revealed. As it turns out, they were not just sent out by President Jefferson to explore the American West, but also to seek out and confirm or deny the existence of monsters and other strange creatures. To that end, they have been outfitted with a group of soldiers who don't have families, and a group of convicts who have been sent to help them in return for their freedom (a 19th century Suicide Squad). This first issue, written by Chris Dingess, does a good job of establishing the main characters, and when the expedition discovers a gigantic arch made of trees, making it clear that there are some strange things on the continent. When they are attacked by a creature, artist Matthew Roberts does a great job of only hinting at its true shape until the last page, building suspense and believability. I really like his art on this book, and intend to stick around with this series that combines my love for historical comics with some delicious weirdness.
Abe Sapien #7 – This issue, with stunning art by Sebastian Fiumara, starts off with a lot more talking about gods and the ending of worlds, but then turns into a very action-packed and exciting comic. This has been a very strange title from its inception, as Abe has been dealing with a number of problems, but it is always compelling.
All-New X-Men #18 – In the first post-Battle of the Atom issue, the Past X-Men, and Kitty Pryde, have decamped from Wolverine's school and have turned to Cyclops's band for a place to live. The kids get new uniforms, and have to deal with new animosities (mostly revolving around Jean), while Kitty continues their training. Stuart Immonen's art is lovely throughout this issue, but just like in the end of Battle of the Atom, I am having a hard time buying Kitty's change in living conditions (unless, of course, she's a mole for Logan). You would think that her and Scott would sit down and have a talk about things, much as they often did in Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen's superior runs on the book, but instead, she just hangs out with Illyana and works with the kids, as if nothing strange has happened. Oh, and she works a lot more Yiddish words into her speech than she ever has before. I get it that Brian Michael Bendis likes to do whatever he wants with his favourite characters, but it would be nice if he attempted to keep them consistent with their past appearances.
Archer & Armstrong #15 – This is a wonderful issue of this very good series as Armstrong goes on a cross-time pub crawl with his long-lost brother Ivar. Armstrong is still pretty broken-up about his recent split with Obadiah Archer, and as he gets further into his cups, he becomes more aware of his own poor behaviour. This is a funny and enjoyable issue, which really shows how good Fred Van Lente's writing is.
Avengers Arena #17 – Things keep getting crazier as we get closer and closer to the end of this series (before its relaunch). Heroes are fighting each other all over Murder World, while Katy, who is in a position to fix everything, is letting Arcade get under her skin. I feel like we are getting some very good pay-off for following this book from the beginning, and can't believe how much better it is than Dennis Hopeless's other title, Cable and X-Force.
Batman #25 – I guess it's not enough for the flagship Bat-title to simply move from giant event (with tie-ins) to giant event (with tie-ins); now it's necessary that every issue be 'enhanced' in some way. Two months ago, we got 3D covers, and then we got an over-sized, and over-priced issue. Now, we get an all-black embossed cover, and charged an extra dollar. My enjoyment of this book has been waning, and the fiddling and cash-grabbing by DC is really pushing me away from this title. Scott Snyder's new take on Batman's origin is really pushing the technological aspects of Batman, as we see the first Batmobile has the ability to drive on the ceiling of tunnels, and to jump around like, while, the Spider-Mobile should. Also, it looked vaguely hot-roddish, something that I guess was very popular six years ago, when Batman was beginning his career. There are plenty of other things that don't really make sense, such as how the original entrance to the Bat-Cave was in the middle of a field nowhere near Wayne Manor (at least, that's how Greg Capullo shows it), and didn't have a door or cover to keep the elements out. Power has gone out in Gotham, so a random villain is going around making peoples' bones grow uncontrollably. If the Riddler is supposed to be the big threat of the second half of this project, he's not much of a presence. And then, for reasons I really don't understand, we get to check in on young Harper Row and her brother Cullen, where we learn that Harper was always good with electronics, and Cullen was always kind of whiny (an early hint that he was gay perhaps, in DC's way of thinking?).
Cataclysm: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 – Here's a little secret: this Cataclysm tie-in is really just a regular issue of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, except that Galactus shows up on the last page (and, I guess, the cover, so that's not a spoiler). Miles is back to work being Spider-Man, and people react to that differently. Spider-Woman wants to continue pursuing Roxxon, and the Ultimates have different opinions about that. Bombshell wants to be a hero, as do Cloak and Dagger. Somehow, this is becoming a team book, but I don't really mind, as Brian Michael Bendis does a good job with these team characters (I wish all his books were this well-written), and David Marquez's art is gorgeous. I almost dropped this title because I have no interest in Cataclysm, but I'm glad I stuck around.
FBP #5 – Since taking a break from the FBP, Adam has been looking into his father's possessions and scientific notes. In this issue, Adam visits his Uncle Eli and learns how his father died many years ago. This continues to be an interesting series, especially as the issue of physics abnormalities has moved into the public arena. Robbi Rodriguez is doing some very cool things with the art in this book.
Fearless Defenders #11 – I'd dropped this series, but since learning it's being canceled, I thought I'd ride it out. The team is in Greece helping Hippolyta put the Amazons back together, but really, it's an excuse to party, at least until series baddie Caroline LeFay shows up. One thing I liked about this issue is that it features Magma, a chronically underused character. I am going to miss this book when it's gone; I feel that between constant tie-ins and an inexplicable price increase, Marvel never really gave it a chance.
Harbinger #18 – The Renegade kids are still in the custody of Harada, and he has them locked away in false psychic realities. We get to see where he's keeping Peter this month, and we see how, without the regular rest that he needs, Harada is beginning to lose control of things. I like how the art switches between Barry Kitson's usual exquisite pencils to Riley Rossmo's messier look whenever we go into Peter's head. I found it a very effective switch.
The Manhattan Projects #16 – While the various main personalities of the Manhattan Projects are in the custody of the US Army and Dr. Oppenheimer, things might be turning around for them soon. Another brilliant issue, as Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra reveal just what Einstein and Feynman have been up to lately. Great stuff, as always.
Marvel Knights: X-Men #1 – I've been a fan of Brahm Revel's comics work since I first stumbled across Guerillas, his brilliant comic about apes trained to fight in the Vietnam War (that I hope the exposure of having an X-book will lead to the completion of), and was pretty excited to see that Marvel was giving him a five-part X-Men story. Unlike the visually brilliant Marvel Knights Spider-Man, this story could easily fit within current X-continuity, as Wolverine, Kitty, and Rogue travel to the Appalachians to track down new mutants. It's the Appalachians, so things are hella backwards, and it seems that someone is hunting these new mutants. The team track down a teenage girl whose powers have just manifested, and then go looking for the other new mutant. Revel shows that he has a very good handle on these characters (although I thought Rogue lost the ability to fly without borrowing that power), and can definitely build a good story. His art is great – as moody and evocative as the landscape he's set the story in, and I'm already anticipating the next issue. This is definitely worth checking out (and then you should buy Guerillas Vol. 1).
Savage Wolverine #11 – Jock's three-issue arc ends as obliquely as it begins. The story has been set in the future on a red planet, where Logan has encountered a young boy who may or may not be his clone, and the people who want to exploit him. This storyline has been heavy on atmosphere and light on exposition, but with an artist like Jock, that's fitting.
Star Wars #11 – A lot of what Brian Wood has been setting up over the last year in this series comes to a head this issue, as an Imperial Star Destroyer attacks the Rebel convoy. There is a genuine surprise in this issue, which has me wanting to go back and reread the book from the beginning, to see if I'd miss some obvious clues. Good work.
Superior Foes of Spider-Man #5 – Once again, Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber turn in a comic that entertains absolutely. Boomerang's crew, minus The Shocker, make their move on the Owl's building, where they hope to steal the head of Silvermane (or do they?). This is a very funny issue, with wonderful art. More people need to read this comic; it is the best thing Marvel is producing right now.
Three #2 – I'm finding myself really impressed by Three, Kieron Gillen and Ryan Kelly's exploration of the waning days of Sparta. An ephor (an elected leader) has been killed by three Helots (basically slaves), and now the city state has to decide how to respond. The King does not see the value in using warriors to hunt slaves, but the elected leaders feel that it is necessary to secure the city's future. I like how Gillen works enough historical exposition into the story to show how Spartan society worked, without giving us lengthy info-dumps. Kelly is always brilliant, especially when given the chance to show characters with different expressions. If I wanted to nitpick about something, I'd have to say that I don't understand why Jordie Bellaire (colourist extraordinaire du jour) made the Spartan statues look like flesh and blood – it kind of threw me. Otherwise, I'm loving this book, right down to Gillen's interview with Sparta historian Stephen Hodkinson in the back matter.
Umbral #1 – I was kind of surprised to see that Antony Johnston and Christopher Mitten were doing a new series together. I'd have been a lot happier to hear that Mitten was returning to Wasteland, the series they started together, and which has suffered since he left, but at the same time, I was happy to be able to support them in any new endeavour. Umbral is a fantasy series which honestly didn't grab me with this first issue. It's set in a world that suggests the level of world-building Johnston made good use of in Wasteland, but we don't know too much coming in. There is an eclipse, and a royal family that owns some magical relics. There is a young thief who is friends with the prince, and who is embroiled in some kind of madness when shadow-creatures show up and slaughter everyone (even though they later seem to be fine). I trust Johnston to construct an interesting story, but at the same time, I'm going to need to be much more impressed with the next issue. I like Mitten's art, but I think I prefer it in black-and-white to colour.
Unity #1 – I'm not sure if Unity is a mini-series or an on-going, but the first issue, which shows how various factions are working together to address Aric's seizure of part of Romania as his new country (if you haven't been reading X-O Manowar, you might be a touch lost), is pretty solid. Toyo Harada is working to stop Aric before the Russians nuke the whole area, and he brings in Ninjak and the Eternal Warrior to help out. Matt Kindt and Doug Braithwaite do good work here (I assume it's them; I couldn't find any credits in the actual comic), and I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes next.
The Walking Dead #116 – All Out War continues as Negan's first move is negated, and Rick's plan begins to be revealed. This is a pretty action-filled issue, so there isn't a whole lot of character space. Still, Holly steps up in a big way, and I'm pleased that we don't have to wait too long for the next issue.
Before Watchmen: Rorschach #1-4 – Having already read the two BW series that interested me the most – Minutemen and Silk Spectre – to mixed results, I figured I'd give Brian Azzarello's contributions to this controversial line a shot, because he's usually an excellent writer. Really though, you can't get more generic and unimpressive than this series, which has Rorschach fighting some street-level gangsters in New York, while a serial killer carves poetry into women. Lee Bermejo's art is nice, but there's nothing in here to recommend this series to someone else. I expected a lot more.
Über #1-4 – I avoided this Avatar Press series when it began, because I've become a little disillusioned with their output of late. That was a mistake, because Kieron Gillen (the man who writes so well, he makes Greg Land's art palpable) is doing some pretty terrific work with this title. He is showing us an alternate history where a small group of German superhumans entered the war right before Russia conquered Berlin, thereby changing events significantly. The early issues are a touch rougher than the later ones, but they were written a number of years ago, and Gillen has grown as a writer in that time. Caanan White is doing a serviceable job – he's better than the usual Avatar house style, while still fitting it.
I'm not sure how it is that I never knew that this book existed, as a new Kyle Baker release is usually something that gets a lot of press, but this Vertigo graphic novel that was released in 2002 completely missed showing up on my radar until just recently.
King David is Baker's take on the Biblical figure, who fought Goliath, earned the enmity of King Saul, and eventually became a terrible leader for Israel. I am woefully ignorant of the details of pretty much all Bible stories, and so much of this was new to me (or vaguely familiar). For that reason, I can't say to what degree Baker was taking liberties with his story, but I did enjoy the way he used contemporary vernacular in the historical setting.
Baker's art is both wonderful, and wonderfully odd. He has constructed many of his backgrounds digitally, and has put an odd amount of detail into them. His character work reads and looks great, but there are some pretty big issues with the pacing of the book.
In all, this is a very odd project, but I enjoyed it for that reason.